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My Life

My Life
The latest news, analysis and opinion on My Life. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Graham Elsom, a traveller and travel consultant since 1962, at his home on Cheung Chau Island. Photo: Alexander Mak
Western Australia

From Perth to the Pyramids, St Helena to Cheung Chau – 50 years of extraordinary travel

The Cheung Chau resident of 50 years talks about getting itchy feet at an early age, falling in love with Hong Kong at first sight, jumping into piranha-infested waters in Brazil and spreading the travel bug.

Sydney

Sign of the times: how Hong Kong cleaver store has endured

Hong Kong culture

Darwin Chen, doyen of Hong Kong culture, talks turning misery into purpose

Hong Kong

Hong Kong master carpenter Louis Ho on being the last of his line

Louis Ho Kwok-biu reflects on learning from an industrious father, his affinity with their shop’s Yau Ma Tei neighbourhood and his role in protecting its historical treasures.

Louis Ho Kwok-biu, fourth-generation master carpenter of Sze Cheung, at his store in Yau Ma Tei. Photo: Alexander Mak
Hong Kong

From riots to recording studios: Philip Chan’s Hong Kong journey

The actor, director, composer and former police superintendent on the 1956 riots, grisly murders and working with Hong Kong cinema’s biggest stars.

Macau

Meet Michael Lau, conservationist and saviour of Hong Kong’s Romer’s tree frog

The herpetologist, conservationist and author talks about growing up among his father’s eclectic menagerie and saving the day for a very special amphibian.

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Old Hong Kong

How wartime Hong Kong became a passion for historian and author Tony Banham

Born in a British WWII hut, Tony Banham’s journey spans aviation, computing and historical research, leading to acclaimed works on his adopted hometown’s tumultuous past.

Hong Kong historian Tony Banham at the site of the West Brigade Headquarters in Wong Nai Chung Gap, Hong Kong. Photo: Alexander Mak
Kazakhstan

Meet Anchalika Kijkanakorn, the Thai hotelier redefining luxury resorts through wellness and meaningful travel

The founder of Thailand’s Akaryn Hotel Group on the joys of solo travel and being ahead of the sustainability curve as a pioneer of boutique hospitality.

Catholic Church

Meet the Reverend Will Newman, chaplain of Hong Kong’s St John’s Cathedral and Stanley Prison

From India to Hong Kong, Reverend Will Newman’s journey from missionary child to prison chaplain is a fascinating tale of faith, family and service.

Rugby World Cup Sevens

Former Hong Kong rugby team captain reflects on the first Sevens tournament in 1976

The former England international rugby player tells Annemarie Evans about his turn as captain of the Hong Kong team at the inaugural Sevens tournament here in 1976.

Bob Lloyd poses for a portrait at the Hong Kong Football Club, Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Lloyd served as the captain of Hong Kong team during the first Hong Kong Sevens in 1976. Photo: Alexander Mak
Art

Philip Tinari on his global journey through art and culture

After 20 years in Beijing, Tai Kwun’s new deputy director and head of art talks about why Hong Kong is now the place to be.

Philip Tinari, an American writer, critic, art curator and expert in Chinese contemporary art, was recently appointed as deputy director and head of art at Tai Kwun Hong Kong. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Get to Know

Jane Houng: musician, author – and mother of a murdered child

The founder of Becky’s Button tells how she channelled the grief from losing her daughter into tackling gender-based violence.

Books and literature

He thought his life was a failure. Then he wrote it down.

The author of I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, a viral account of China’s gig economy, will appear at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival in March.

Macau

He planned to only stay in Macau for a year. Now he runs the literary festival

The Mozambique-born journalist once chose Stanley Ho for his magazine’s cover instead of Gong Li, and later bought the Portuguese Bookshop.

Ricardo Pinto. Photo: Carlos Pimentel
Interview

Barrister by day, jazz singer by night – and that’s only half the story

The British barrister tells of his years in the Gurkhas, long career in law, and singing at Ned Kelly’s in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Neville Sarony at his office in Central, Hong Kong. Photo: Tracy Wong
Architecture and design

‘Architects are always jumping in water that’s over our heads’

Billie Tsien, founding partner of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, tells of designing the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre and the Obama Presidential Centre.

Hong Kong

The Peninsula’s first female GM on burnout and the joy of reinvention

A colleague once told her she’d never make it at The Peninsula, ‘an old boys’ club’ – now she’s executive director of Hong Kong Design Centre, which runs Business of Design Week.

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Art

T-shirts, TV fame and now a village art takeover: Dominic Johnson-Hill’s wild ride

The entrepreneur behind irreverent brand Plastered 8 talks about serendipity, celebrity, and leaving his colourful mark on Hong Kong.

Dominic Johnson-Hill in front of a mural featuring a yellow-browed warbler in Mui Wo, Lantau Island. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Hong Kong's music scene

He plays music with his elbows and brings skateboard tricks into his performances

Steve Hui Ngo-shan reflects on his journey from teen raver to Hong Kong’s leading sound artist. He even writes operas.

Art

This writer went from dishing dirt in Manila to curating art in Hong Kong

Once infamous for her tell-all novels, Kitty Go has channelled her boldness into meaningful art and impact projects across Asia.

Hong Kong

His Parsi great-grandfather chose Hong Kong in 1880. 6 generations followed

Jimmy Minoo Master went from importing Indian textiles to running a Swiss asset firm. Now he plays golf and runs a family charity.

Jimmy Minoo Master was born in St Paul’s Hospital in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay in 1955 into the city’s then growing Parsi community. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Art

He finger-painted until it bored him. Then came the fire

The Filipino designer on his sold-out exhibitions in the 1990s, a terrifying incident with a gas canister, and his daily Hong Kong hikes.

Noel de Guzman, pictured hiking at Pok Fu Lam Reservoir in Hong Kong, says forest walks help fire his creativity. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Books and literature

Can a psychic reading change your life? He thinks so

Angus Donald’s reporting took him from Hong Kong to Kabul. When he finally slowed down, he found love because of a psychic.

Hong Kong's music scene

Andrew Tuason on his music career alongside Cantopop’s biggest stars

The record producer, composer and band leader discusses learning his craft from his father and working with Jacky Cheung and Andy Lau.

Hong Kong police

An ex-policeman recounts fighting triads, kidnappers and counterfeiters

The cop-turned-security consultant on a life of fighting crime in Hong Kong – from investigating tycoon Teddy Wang’s death to dealing with corporate crime.

Liverpudlian Steve Vickers, founder and CEO of Steve Vickers & Associates, has spent his life fighting crime in Hong Kong. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Hong Kong

How social worker Jeffrey Andrews went from gangs to grass-roots leadership

The third-generation Hongkonger discusses being easy prey for triads, the ‘subtle bias’ of locals, and why Chungking Mansions isn’t ‘a scary horror house’.

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Social worker, activist and former Legislative Council candidate Jeffrey Andrews poses for a portrait on the staircase of Chungking Mansions, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Chan
Hong Kong

This botanical artist’s journey from the ‘garden of England’ to Lantau

British artist and teacher Sally Grace Bunker once spent 7 years creating watercolours of 100 indigenous trees for the University of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong

The audition tape she hid under her bed launched this radio DJ’s career

‘I learned English from the Backstreet Boys because I was going to marry one of them,’ says Alyson Hau of her preteen self – years later, she introduced them on stage.

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