I started volunteering at a young age so it came naturally to me. It was part of my coming of age and many of my relatives were involved from day one. Working for many NGOs has given me the opportunity to demonstrate commitment to the disadvantaged in my community and the chance to give something back, share my skills, learn new skills, share my knowledge and gain new experiences different from the ones I was familiar with. I am not saying there were no obstacles. In fact, there were lots of them, but what makes it fulfilling is having a chance to overcome new kinds of obstacles.

My husband was one of the very first investors of HKRecycles, he believes it’s a necessary movement in Hong Kong. It requires a lot of education, but Hong Kong will get there and we have to stay patient. HKRecycles is a commercial and residential recyclable collection service that helps you recycle plastic, paper, metal and glass. Everyone should be using their service.

At home, we do not use ziplock bags or plastic bags, have converted to hand towels during meals, do not buy plastic bottled water/drinks and replaced gladwrap with beeswax wraps. My son often reminds all of us the things he has learnt at school. Being involved with HKRecycles has helped us be ahead of the curve slightly.

My life is quite routine because my schedule is based around my children’s lives, so I can say I am a relatively healthy individual. I find it important to eat regularly at home, sleep at a decent hour and meet up with close friends on a regular basis. There are no tips per say, because things that work on me may not work on others. It is relatively easy to carry an active social life in Hong Kong, but that often comes at a cost of your health. I just recently cut red and white meat out of my diet and the benefits are slowly showing.

My children play a lot of badminton and squash, so I am often with them as a spectator. We travel extensively every summer.  Last summer we visited Cyprus and this summer we spent time around Lake Como. Besides traveling we also enjoy simple, home cooked meals together and my favourite time of the day is when we are together and catching up over our day around the dining table. My husband travels a lot so “It’s the simple things in life that are often the best...”