'Stories Among Us' brings tales of elderly Hongkongers to the public

When Paul Spangfort and a group of teenage volunteers walked into the lounge at an elderly centre in Sheung Wan, a cheerful old man stood up and welcomed them with a song, setting his own lyrics to the tune of

"He came off as a very enthusiastic person. I thought how great it would be if I could interview him - and I did," Paul says.

A 12th grader at the Canadian International School, Paul was conducting fieldwork for "Stories Among Us: History Retold", a project organised by Elephant Community Press (ECP).

ECP runs creative writing courses for youngsters, whose work is then published online and in print. But the stories project is designed to combine writing and service. The idea is to have students interview elderly people and gather their experiences to share with a wider audience through writing and photography. Their work is on show at a gallery in Central.

Paul and his project partner, Geena Iris Yip, learned about Lee She-yuen's life over two interview sessions. Like most people, 76-year-old Lee has his share of regrets. When he was in Form Five, his father told him to quit school so that they could afford to send his two stepbrothers to study abroad. Partly because he lacked further education, Lee remained at a trading company all his working life.

"Despite having an unhappy childhood and being unfairly treated, he seems content and fulfilled. He is not at all hindered by old age and is living every day with conviction and happiness, which is very admirable," Paul says.