Prosperians 昕物 Vol.4 by HSBC Prosperity Hall, CityU

The Official Annual Publication of HSBC Prosperity Hall (2007-2008)

Prosperians 昕物 Volume 4 第四期 2008 February Published by: HSBC Prosperity Hall City University of Hong Kong Copyright © 2008 HSBC Prosperity Hall All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form, or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems without the prior permission of the publisher.

Contents Words from Residence Master

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Words from SRO

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Our Hall Enblem

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Our Hall Song

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Interview with RM

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Residence Tutors

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Words from RTs

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Hall History

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Residents’ Association

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Residents’ Association Council

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Exchange Student @ HSBCPH

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Mainland Student @ HSBCPH

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PROSPERIANS Floors HSBCPH Facilities

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Special Rooms @ HSBCPH ------------------------------------------- 74 Prosperians’ Recipes ---------------------------------------------------- 78 Study Tour

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Words from editors

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Words from Residence Master I am blessed to live amongst you as your Residence Master and to share the joys and frustrations which are associated with being a human being, whatever your culture, ethnicity, or experience. I learned many years ago that good things can be achieved when people work together as a supportive and constructive team, but that great things can be achieved when people from different cultures work together in the spirit of friendship and mutual understanding. Something very special happens when we work with friends from other cultures because we start to learn ideas that are entirely new to us, sometimes expressed in ways that at first seem alien, but soon become a new part of our own behaviour and knowledge. This broadens our outlook on the world around us and fosters true human understanding and compassion. That is why both Woo Kyung (Kristina) and I choose to work here in Hong Kong rather than in the UK or Korea, and why I have worked in many different countries during my lifetime. We both believe in the power of diversity to bring understanding, co-operation and love. If you doubt me, just imagine for a moment how much easier it is to avoid misunderstandings when we know more about another culture, how much easier it is to respect each other and celebrate our differences, and how much more confident we feel when approached by a ‘foreigner’ or ‘gwai lo (鬼佬)’ who is asking for help or directions when we have experienced hall life with friends from different cultures. This is why I was very moved to read all the floor reports, the RT and RA reports, and in particular the stories from the Korean Study Tour Group as I struggled through proof-reading the English for the Prosperians! Some of the lessons learned and the confidence gained will stay with many of you forever, and your lives will be richer for the friendships you have made and the confidence you have gained. It is my great pleasure to write this introduction to the first ever ‘Prosperians’ to be produced in English. I know that this has been a great challenge to 5

many of you, and I am sure I was not the most popular Resident Master when I first suggested English as the language of publication! Let me explain to everyone, my reasons for making you all work even harder than you usually do. Academic regulation number one at City University of Hong Kong states: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unless otherwise determined by Senate for a specific course or programme, the medium of instruction and assessment at the university is English.â&#x20AC;? So why is this so important to you and all the residents at HSBC Prosperity Hall? Well, we live in an increasingly globalised world where the two main languages in which everyday business and communication is conducted in English and Chinese. Most of you are local students and you need no help whatsoever in using your written Chinese which is well developed as your native mode of writing. Therefore, for all local students, this is a learning opportunity and it is one which all non-local students, your Residence Master, and his Korean wife will really appreciate because then we can share again in all the wonderful events that have taken place. So, by taking the time and effort to write in English, you have improved your English, and sent a message of inclusion and care to all the non-local inhabitants of Prosperity Hall. Finally, I wish to convey my heartfelt thanks to the great people from many cultures and backgrounds that I share my working life with. Thank you to Professor Vrijmoed, Rebecca, Esther, Grace and all my valued colleagues in the Residence Office for their advice and help to the new RM! Thank you to my RT and RA colleagues for being the very best and making our vision a reality for so many residents of Prosperity Hall. Thank you to our Security Guards and our cleaners who do such a great job behind the scenes to make our lives so comfortable. Their cheerful hellos brighten my day. Most of all, thank you to our residents who make Prosperity Hall the very special great thing that it is by being so open to new experiences and learning so much from each other. Kevin Downing Residence Master, HSBC Prosperity Hall February 2008 6

Words from SRO I have always been amazed by the creativity displayed by students when I see their cabinet names publicised during their election campaigns. “2KEA”, the name created by the Prosperity Hall Residence Association, is a very good example. What can you tell by this name “2KEA”? The name obviously signifies the numeric block of “hall 2”. It also associates with a well known furniture supplier and expresses students’ aspirations of making Prosperity Hall a comfortable home, affordable yet youthful and stimulating. If I may, two more dimensions can be added to the meaning carried by “2KEA”. The first one is “transferability”. As we all know, the success of this furniture supplier builds on its flexibility in design and compact packaging. Their furniture is normally built on a modular concept, which can meet the diverse needs for all walks of life. Configuration can be easily rearranged to adapt changing environments. The approach is DIY, user friendly and self sufficient. Think about ourselves as furniture, do we possess such qualities and flexibility required to face the ever changing world? Prosperity Hall can be a perfect home base for students to acquire all kinds of soft skills through living in the hall, and be such skills are transferrable to their future workplace in the real world. This is what I mean by “transferability”. Another one is “internationalisation”. The furniture supplier first opened its shop in a small town in Sweden back in 1958, but now operates numerous shops in different countries all over the world. Dwelling on the same basic concepts, the supplier is able to survive and immerse in diverse cultures. The supply chain is equally globalised if not more. You can easily find products designed by a European designer, using materials from Middle East, manufactured in China, and shipped to North America for sale. Are you ready to ride this tide of globalisation yet? I believe the residential life in Prosperity Hall serves as a platform to expose you to different cultures and 7

prepare you to connect with the global networks and join the internationalised work force. Making Prosperity Hall a home is already a noble vision to start with. With the inspiration of a new Residence Master, Dr Kevin Downing and his team of Tutors, plus the leadership of â&#x20AC;&#x153;2KEAâ&#x20AC;?, Prosperity Hall will be more than a home; it is a springboard to bring you to a new level of Success and Prosperity.

Rebecca Chan Director of Student Residence Office February 2008

Words from SRO From Prosperity to Richness It was Chinese New Year when I began to write these words for the official annual publication of HSBC Prosperity Hall. The warm greeting “Kung Hei Fat Choy”, wishing everyone “prosperous and wealthy” in the New Year, was heard everywhere. “Prosperity” is a positive term and most people want to pursue it. Prosperity Spirit and Values What is prosperity? How does it relate to Prosperity Hall? “Prosperity” means richness. It means not only rich in money but also rich in intangible values and pursuits. I perceive that these forms of richness characterise Prosperity Hall in its two major domains: its spirit and its values. Residents of Prosperity Hall call themselves “Prosperians”. They share a strong sense of pride as Prosperians. After six years of cultivating it, the spirit of Prosperians is demonstrated in the comradeship which Prosperians share through their strong sense of belonging to the Hall. Their affiliations and networks in a small-sized hall with 250 residents create a closely-knit family. They have their own hall song, emblem, logo and colour, which are peculiar elements in shaping and nourishing their hall culture and spirit. In addition to spirit, richness comes from values. Prosperity Hall has a motto - “Be the Pioneers, be the Prosperians”. They were the first Hall to establish their Residents’ Association (RA). On the basis of self-governance and innovation, the active role of the RA in organising hall activities and enriching residents’ life is a manifestation of student leadership and their pursuit of ideal hall life.

Enriching the Traditions and Devising Innovations Under the leadership of the new hall management team, the richness of Prosperity Hall is flourishing in the two directions of enriching the traditions and devising innovations. The multicultural background of the Residence Master, Dr. Kevin Downing, with the support of a strong new team of Residence Tutors with diverse profiles, have brought new blood and enriched multicultural perspectives in hall management and the cultivation of hall life. The Chinese and Western elements are naturally integrated and complement each other. This is manifested through the composition of the hall management team and their hall activities, in which I have been involved through my work contacts and personal experiences. At the “Poon-choi” Banquet cum Inauguration Ceremony of the RA, the banging of the big gong for kicking off the banquet and eating “poon-choi” carried the traditions and a new way of celebrating the inauguration of the new term of the RA. This year the lighting and holding of “a lamp” by each Executive Committee member of the RA was an innovative symbol to mark the new term of the RA. New attempts had been made to promote a dimension of multiculture. The “Multicultural Evening” and the French cooking workshop by David Santaudreu were not only expressions of authentic French cooking but also an injection of the multicultural colour. Prosper at Prosperity Hall! Whether you are a new or old Prosperian, you are paying tribute to integrating the old foundations with the new directions of Prosperity Hall. Visit the Tracks Room on the ground floor to discover the Hall’s history, on which the foundations have been built. Chat with your Residence Tutor and get yourself actively involved in the life of the hall, so that you can continue to prosper on the bases of tradition and innovation!

Esther Lee Supervisory Executive Officer Student Residence Office February 2008 10

Our Hall Enblem The emblem of HSBC Prosperity Hall was designed by our alumni Miu Tsz Yeung in February 2003. Purplish red and light yellow are the colors of walls outside HSBC Prosperity Hall. In centre, there are two ancient Chinese characters “業昕”,which is the Chinese name of this hall, surrounded by “HSBC Prosperity Hall” and “City University of Hong Kong”. This hall was named by City University of Hong Kong together with HSBC, the sponsoring organisation of this hall. “業” is taken from our school motto “敬業樂群”, which means devoting oneself to his or her work and appreciating people around. “昕”means rising sun, representing vigour and vitality. The name 業昕 implies that we are sparing no effort to cultivate our residents to be pillars of society, in dignity and honour as stated in the school motto, so they can make significant contributions to our community.

With the increasing number of both “Print” and “Web” publications, in order to reinforce our hall image and to ensure a more accurate colour reproduction, in 2007, we have re-digitised the hall enblem to this new version (V2.0). In this new version, the RGB Colour mode for web publications and CMYK Color mode for print publications were specified according to the colour mode standard. 11

Our Hall Song The Prosperity Hall song were written by 黃碩培 and 林蔚晴 in 2004, who were the Residence Tutor and Resident at that time respectively. The song was performed for the first time in the naming ceremony of Prosperity Hall in February 2004. The lyrics aim at encouraging residents to conquer challenges in their hall lives without fear, to help and care for each other, and to strive for bright prospects together, making Prosperity Hall an incubator for societal celebrities and elites.

The Spirit of Prosperity 業昕精神作曲 : 林蔚晴 / 黃碩培

編曲 : 黃碩培

填詞 : 黃碩培

敢面對艱辛與挑戰要讓你才華盡創顯縱世事每天多幻變致力讓你多發現事和物原是美善闖合作創出新方向衝自信靠磨練茁長縱會遇到困阻路障靠互勉相親互諒定能活出家的理想將真心都化作熱能啟迪每顆心窩艱辛挫折縱或挑戰過勇毅決心思考突破將心思都化作動能致力成就美事傾出拼勁努力跟意志去為理想一起構思才雋名仕由你創始 The Spirit of Prosperity! 完美名字業昕創始 The Spirit of Prosperity! The Spirit of Prosperity! 12

The Spirit of Prosperity Written by : 林蔚晴 / 黃碩培 (music), 黃碩培 (lyrics) Gum min dui gan son yu tiu jing

Yiu yeung nei choi wa jun chong hin

Chung sai si mui tin dor wan bin

Chi lic yeung nei dor fat yin

Si wo mat yuen si may sin Chong hap chok chong chut son fong heung

Chung chi shun cow mor lin chute cheung

Chung wui yu dol kwan jor lo jeung Cow wu min sheung chan wu leung

Ding nung would chut ga dik lei sheung

Cheung jun sum dol fa jork yik nung kai dik mui for sum wor Gan son chor jit chung wak tiu jing wqor

Yung ngai kut sum si how dud por

Cheung sum si doi fa jork dong nung chi lick sing jau mei si King chut ping king lo lick gun yi chi Choi chun ming si

Hui wai lei sheung yat hei kau si Yau nei chong chee

The Spirit of Prosperity Yuen mei ming chee

Yip yan chong chee

The Spirit of Prosperity The Spirit of Prosperity

Interview with RM Vicki: As we know that you are the new residence master of Hall 2, we are certainly interested in knowing your impression about our residents. What do you think about Prosperity Hall’s residents? Kevin: Our hall’s residents are all wonderful people. They are a mix of many different nationalities and all have many different interests. Most importantly, they are always friendly and this makes Hall 2 a lovely place to live and work. I am very fortunate to have such hardworking RT’s and RA’s working for the benefit of all the residents. The new RA 2KEA, which is named after the Swedish furniture company, has really worked hard to develop a harmonious and exciting environment for residents.

Vicki: Thank you for having such a good impression about us. Apart from that, we would also like to know your encounters here. What was your most unforgettable experience in Hall 2? Kevin: Every day is an unforgettable experience here. I am always amazed by how people work together to organise events, and the way that everyone helps each other and contributes to the hall in some way. This gives our hall a very friendly and warm atmosphere, and helps prepare our residents for taking a key role in their communities when they eventually leave us.

Vicki: After these general questions, we would like to know something more personal. As your flat is furnished with nice adornment, we would like to know who the great designer of your home is. Who is responsible for the decoration of your home? Kevin: Mostly Kristina because she is a fashion designer by profession (she teaches and researches fashion design at Polytechnic University) and a wonderful artist, so she has a better eye for these things than me. However, sometimes we do discuss and even argue about what colour would be best, but always manage to compromise-in other words Kristina wins! Surprisingly perhaps, given our very different cultures, our tastes are very similar. Kristina is from Korea and I am from the UK.

Vicki: Talking about Kristina, we are curious about whether you are greatly influenced by Korean Culture. Do you like Korean food, say kimchi? Kevin: Well, yes I do like Korean food but I rarely eat kimchi. Kristina eats kimchi almost every day and sometimes will even have kimchi with her breakfast! She makes kimchi all the time. Every time when I open the refrigerator, I can tell it is full of kimchi. She gives kimchi away, both to residents and to her friends and I am getting worried because all I could smell in Hall 2 last week after the Korean night was kimchi ha ha! Vicki: As you have mentioned that you rarely have Kimchi, so what do you usually have for dinner? Would it be a Korean style dinner, or a Western style dinner? Kevin: We have both styles of food. In fact, we like Italian, Korean and Chinese food and I particularly enjoy cooking Italian dishes. So, our style of dinner depends on who finishes work first because that person usually prepares the dinner. Recently, this has been Kristina because I have been very busy, but in the summer it is usually me. Vicki: It would be great to be your guests as they can try different cuisines at your home, and Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good to take turns for dinner preparation. Well, I guess that was all we would like to know in this interview. Thank you for sparing your precious time with us.

Residence Tutors (RTs) Residence Tutors are postgraduate / final year / research students or staff members of the University. They are responsible for assisting the Residence Master of the assigned hall in the provision of pastoral care and intellectual guidance to residents, organizing hall activities, and maintaining peace, order and good administration of the hall. Responsibilities of RTs

act as a mentor and provide care and social support to residents; facilitate and assist in planning and organizing hostel activities in enriching students’ learning experience; cultivate a sense of community in the Student Residence; facilitate and assist in the organization of the Residents’ Associations; assist residents to comply with the Hall Rules; support the Residence Master in handling and taking care of emergency cases; liaise with the Student Residence Office of Student Development Services and related departments on management and maintenance of the Hall; act as a duty tutor on a roster basis; perform other duties as assigned by the Residence Master.

Words from RTs Vincent LI 1/F, 2/F Tutor Being a CityU graduate myself, I lived at the student residence for all 3 years of my undergraduate life. For the first time, I took the challenge and responsibility acting as a residence tutor. It is definitely a very different experience being a student and being a hall tutor. I still remember during the first week of September, we were all new to this place. From being distant and passive at the beginning, we became closer and closer everyday. There is not only friendship among us but also care, warmth and understanding. The residence is the right place for us to support and encourage one another. When things aren’t going well, there is always someone there to share our feelings. After expressing our unhappiness and worries, it seems that the burden is off our shoulders. A few months ago, a conversation between a student and I made me realised that we are all part of a big family. The conversation was as follows: “Hey Vincent, why didn’t you join our floor dinner tonight?” “I think it is a bit strange to join the floor dinner of the other floors, isn’t it?” “Of course not, we are a FAMILY!”

Here, I would like to sincerely thank Kevin, the other RTs and all the students for their help and consideration. Together, our teamwork and spirit bring enthusiasm and happiness to Hall 2. I treasure the time we spend together and I would never forget this precious experience which could not be earned elsewhere. I hope that this unconditional love and care remain and continue to grow year after year in the hall of the Prosperians.

Words from RTs Iris HUI 火 3/F, 4/F Tutor I joined the Prosperity Hall in January this year, it has been a short time but I have already been impressed by our Prosperians. I have devoted myself to Prosperity Hall, and I am committed to this new family, I am a Prosperian! This is my third year living in the school residence. I lived in other halls in the first two University years. I am very lucky to be a part of the Prosperity family in my last few months in my university life, because this is the happiest life I have ever experienced! Under the leadership of our hall master Kevin, I work with other RTs including Ivan, Barbara, Jolin, Steven and Vincent. I am glad to have a very supportive working group here. They help me whenever I have problems. They are the first to welcome me to the Prosperity Hall, the first to help me adapt to this new environment, the first to help me to devote myself to here. I feel no pressure or sadness when working with them. In contrast, I feel very calm because they are very reliable. They are really great partners. We had several gathering activities with my floormates after I moved in. I enjoy the time we spend together. Some activities are very memorable. When I had the hot-pot dinner with my 3/F girls, I was deeply impressed by them. They were willing to contribute to the floor, buying food from the market, helping in the preparation, joining the dinner, washing the dishes, etc., no matter what kind of work, they were willing to share other floormates’ workload autonomously. They didn’t care how much they have done, their contributions were solely for creating a happy and memorable night for each other. 20

Our 4/F girls also had a joint dinner with 9/F boys. All of us prepared the most delicious food, our exchange student also showed her talents and contributed to the dinner so that we had a chance to taste the Canadian local food. On the Valentinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day, my 4/F girls put their hand-made cookie outside my door. I was very very surprised and impressed by what they have done for me. It was the most beautiful and delicious cookie I have ever eaten in my life. The cookie was full of love, care and support from my girls. 3/F, 4/F girls, I am really proud of having you as my companions! Also, thank you the floor representatives in both 3/F and 4/F, you are very helpful and you make me feel encouraged. I will soon graduate from the school and leave the hall in July. Although it will be a very short period of time I stay in the Prosperity Hall, I will never forget the days I stay with our Prosperians, the happiest and warmest days in my University life. I love Prosperity Hall.

Words from RTs Steven TAI 5/F, 6/F Tutor â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I remember that I made the decision to be a hall tutorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;; and submitted an application form right away. In hall 2, everything is new including the hall master and six hall tutors. Although we have no experience at all, we have a burning heart to manage the hall well. Filled with enthusiasm, we endeavored to solve the problem we encountered together. I remember that at the beginning we spent nearly a week coupled with many meetings in order to deal with a proposal of hall annual activity and budget. For me who has no basic knowledge of accountancy, I took the huge courage but with worry to take the post of hall finance. Being a hall tutor, I have taken advantage of a lot, acquired knowledge beside study, and met many acquaintances. I manage the 5th and 6th floor. At the beginning, I did not know how to handle so many residents coming from different years and different departments. The feeling was strange, but also gave me much pleasure. After organising many hall activities, we started to become familiar with each other. Every night the common rooms were filled with people, joys, and laughs; especially in the 5th floor. 5th floor is a male floor in which few problems have been encountered. I have two responsible floor representatives. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re great assistants. They helped me a lot in holding floor dinners and desert meetings. 6th floor is a mixed floor in which more concerns sometimes came to light. Problems between boys and girls sometimes occur, and sometimes unexpectedly. As times goes by, I have learned that no problem is too big to manage. 22

Hall 2 gives me a “warm” feeling just like a big family. I’m glad that I can be a hall tutor for 5, 6/F. Some say “friends need luck”. I’ve got more friends and hopefully more acquaintances. Being a good tutor is not easy, I will continue to try my best.

Words from RTs Barbara CHAN 7/F, 8/F Tutor Passions and growth in HSBC Prosperity Hall After moving to HSBC Prosperity Hall for a few months, I found it has provided me with so many things, ranging from exciting encounters with new and interesting people, and a surprising amount of struggles with being in a new and unfamiliar place and getting used to it as my home. I have always been drawn to all different types of people and found myself craving the opportunity to be an active member of the community while developing meaningful relationships with people all throughout the Hall 2 realm. For myself, being an RT would not only add meaning to my role and identity at CityU, it also arouses my interest and target to develop an active community which has a had good previous foundation. Above all, the most rewarding part of being an RT is definitely the individual relationships I have with residents, Hall Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family and RTs, and other people within the living community. I had no idea I would run into so many energising people and learn so much from each of them! Thanks for everyone!! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great thing to be able to celebrate each person and bring together those awesome personalities to form a community, and seeing that happen has been very satisfying. I see the RT role as an awesome chance to connect with people, provide insight to the university and hall living experience, and help myself and my peers live well and feel great!!

Challenges On the other hand, the hardest part of being an RT is to negotiate my personal beliefs and standards with those that come with the RT position. 24

Challenging situations that call me to act both as an RT and as a friend have, at times, made it difficult to live my role as an RT and as a friend. It is a learning experience that has taught me a lot about maintaining healthy standards for myself and those around me and I am thankful for the challenge. Furthermore, time management is the other challenge I have to struggle with day by day. After work, I have to spend more nights on duty and less time to ZZZZZZ . . .

Run! Focus on the prize! I always tell myself, TRY MY BEST! Two mottos from Walt Disney I like the most: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” “Around here . . . we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things . . . and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Think positively and don’t look back and regret! If my passion and focus is to connect myself to the community, liven up the time in the hall, and be a part of things that are going on around CityU campus. I treasure this valuable experience which is full of enjoyment, challenging, exciting and rewarding all at once and provides a unique opportunity that cannot be experienced anywhere else! My best wishes to all Prosperians: Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds! Enjoy hall life and find the vision in your life in CityU! 25

Words from RTs IvaN LAM 9/F, 10/F Tutor Hall Life Hall life has always been a chapter that seemed to be missing from my university life. Since my graduation at CityU, I never had a chance to experience hall life. Now that I am working as a Senior Research Assistant in the Education Development Office, I finally have the opportunity to experience hall life as a residence tutor.

Expectation VS Reality What can you expect from being a Residence Tutor? A free single room which is just 5 minutes walk from the Campus? More private space or personal time to do whatever you want? There is much more to this job than you would expect! I remember that, after I moving in to Prosperity Hall for one month, I chatted with Peter (previous RT) via MSN messenger. I actually asked him this question: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Peter, how come you can stay here as an RT for such a long time? The workload is overwhelming.â&#x20AC;? There are always unexpected things happening. An urgent meeting that will last for 5 hours (from 22:00 to 03:00), wake up at 05:30 to handle a student misconduct case, and many other miscellaneous issues that I never imagined.

Responsibility So, why am I still here? I would say, it is a matter of responsibility. It was 26

my choice to dare to take up this challenge and become an RT. I have to be responsible to RM, my RT colleagues and most importantly, the residents. In a sharing session, one student actually told me this: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know being an RT is not easy, being an RT in Prosperity Hall is even more difficult.â&#x20AC;? By this, he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean to make comparison with other halls. Reaching its sixth year of operations, Prosperity Hall has gradually developed its own traditions. However, in order to build up our own Hall Culture, we have to sustain these good traditions and introduce new elements to keep pace with the development of CityU and the greater community.

Enjoy Hall Life Undoubtedly, hall life is a learning process. I hope everyone living in Prosperity Hall enjoys being part of our big family.

Words from RTs Jolin DONG 11/F Tutor Time flies, it has been one semester since I became the residence tutor of 11/F in Prosperian Hall. I always have the deepest feelings for Prosperian Hall among all the residence halls, because I had spent the whole three years living here during my undergraduate study. However, although I have been living in this hall for 4 years, being a residence tutor is a brand new thing for me. From the experience of past few months, I realise no matter how familiar I am with the residence rules and environment, no matter what kind of training I have taken in the RT training sessions, there is so much to learn to be a real Residence Tutor. For example, I used to be the one who received care and support, now I gradually get to know how to take care of the residents in daily life ranging from buying kitchen stuff in the common room to solving unpredictable problems or conflicts between residents. I still remember the first meeting with all the girls on 11/F. Most girls didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know each other, some were exchange students from Canada, UK and Singapore, but they soon broke the ice after a short self introduction. From that start, we spent a whole semester full of joyful moments and warm support from each other. I was also more involved in organising functions or activities for the residents than ever before. There is a lot of work to do behind an even simple activity: making the plan, meeting different parties, decorating the places etc. The 28

memory of running that puzzle booth for mid-autumn festival is still so vivid to me: the dumplings, interesting games and special decorations attracted so many residents that day. What I also treasure a lot is the cooperation with other RTs. From the cooperation with them in organising various hall functions, I found they are all very helpful and interesting people. I also enjoy so much meeting different residents in the hall, some of them are good at drawing and design which are also my interests, some are good at cooking food, and some taught me how to make Christmas wine. Being with these energetic residents and RTs really brings me a lot of fun and wonderful experiences. If only one word is allowed to describe what is needed most to be an RT, I would say it is responsibility. Of course, I am still far from being a good RT and I will try my best to do my job well and face all the incoming challenges. Last but not least, I hope all prosperians have a fruitful life in CityU.

Hall History

YEAR 2000 Sep 2000 The residence hall of City University of Hong Kong started its construction.

YEAR 2002/03 Aug 2002 The construction of the hall was completed. Providing 250 hostel places, the hall was named “Hall 2” for time being, and welcomed the first batch residents. Sep 2002 Orientation Night was held for the first time, attracting more than half of the residents. On the same day, hall pictures were taken, starting the tradition of taking hall pictures every year.

Oct 2002 The Prosperian Talk was held for the first time, inviting the member of well-known local band “Beyond”, Paul Wong to share and talk with the residents. The first social services team was established, organizing volunteers to care and serve the community. Jan 2003 New residents moved in, welcome dinner was held and hall pictures were taken. The temporary Residence Association was formed with members from floor representatives. Hall 2 became the first hall having its own Residence Association. 30

Feb 2003 The first inter-hall soccer match was held, and became an annual event. Hall logo design competition was held, and the winning design by 苗子揚 became the logo of Hall 2. Mar 2003 Joint-Hall Formal Dinner was held for the first time with the theme of “Antiwar”, calling on a peaceful world. Affected by SARS in Hong Kong, the original hall activities were canceled. However, residents helped each other by cleaning the residence hall to relieve the heavy burden of cleaning staff.

YEAR 2003/04 Aug 2003 Promotion counters were set by the temporary Residence Association team, promoting our hall to new residents on registration day. Sep 2003 The temporary Residence Association team held the first Orientation Camp, being the pioneers in holding O’camp in the residence of City University of Hong Kong The new Residence Association was established. Nov 2003 The first inter-hall mix basketball match was held. Feb 2004 Sponsored by HSBC, our hall was officially named “HSBC Prosperity Hall” and the naming ceremony was held on 17 Feb 2004 Composed by residents, the song “The spirit of Prosperity” became the hall song, making the Prosperity Hall the only hall having its own song. From 31

then on, this song is sung at each Prosperian Dinner and High Table Dinner. High Table Dinner was held with the theme of “Dreams”. May 2004 Prosperian Scholarship was established to award the residents who have good academic performances and large contributions to the hall.

YEAR 2004/05 Aug 2004 Hall 2 sponsored to found the reading room, encouraging residents to read more meaningful books. Oct 2004 The first official Residence Association was formed. Nov 2004 The association of alumni of Prosperity Hall was established. Jan 2005 Common room design competition was held for the first time. Feb 2005 The inauguration ceremony of Residence Association was held. Prosperity Hall’s formal publication “Prosperians” was published and became an annual publication, making Prosperity Hall the first hall to have its formal publication.

YEAR 2005/06 Jan 2006 Sponsored by SDS, Prosperity Hall organized the first Study tour to South Korea.

YEAR 2006/07 Aug 2006 Huge size poster was designed and produced to celebrate the fifth anniversary of HSBC Prosperity Hall. To sustain the tradition of Prosperity Hall, Residence Tutors and residents worked together to convert the Room G08 into “Tracks”. “Tracks” records the stories of people who have contributed to the hall, it also exhibits pictures, hall T-shirts and jackets, hall publications and many other prizes as well. Jan 2007 Sponsored by SDS, 16 residents joined the Study tour to Japan.

YEAR 2007/08 Aug 2007 Dr. Kevin Downing became the new Residence Master. New Residence Tutors team was formed. Jan 2008 Study to Korea was successfully completed with 19 residents and 1 residence tutor on broad. Feb 2008 Prosperian Dinner was held and new hall pictures were taken. On the same night, the inauguration ceremony of the 4th Residence Association was held.

Hall Traditions HSBC Prosperity Hall is now reaching its 6th year of operation. Gradually, we have established many traditions of our own. Now, let’s have a good review on the origin of these traditions together!

Why residents shall sign their names when they move in? This tradition stems from the summer of 2002, when Properity Hall was about to welcome the first batch of new residents. During a night meeting, the Residence Master and his RT Team gathered together, thinking about how to greet the new residents in a meaningful yet interesting and creative way. Finally, the RT of 1st and 2nd floor YEE came to the great idea of inviting all the new residents to sign on a canvas, just like people signing at a wedding reception, and the canvas could be hung on the wall in the lobby as a memory. The idea turned out to be very popular among the residents, therefore, the tradition of signing names is carried on year by year till now. The canvas with Hall 2 residents’ signatures 5 years ago

Hall Photo Since the first Orientation Night in Sep 2002, taking Hall photo has become the most popular annual activity.

Why there is a “Super Pass, 勁過” ceremony? HSBC Prosperity Hall didn’t have this ceremony for its first two years, instead, the Prosperians would go out and have a great meal together before the examinations, wishing for good marks. Just before the examination period of semester A in 2004, the Prosperians found a place to have dinner as usual. During the dinner, they talked about any other activities than having dinner 34

together in the residence halls of neighboring universities. Some Residence Association (RA) members joined the dinner that night and they passed the thoughts to the other members. Before long, the RA team developed the “Super Pass” ceremony by imitating the one in Hong Kong University and adding the unique Prosperians’ innovations. In addition to hanging cane in the lobby symbolizing doing extremely well in exams, red notepaper are provided for Prosperians to express encouragement to each other using any words they like. You may find so many creative wishing words there, funny, interesting, or even strange, all of which represent the Prosperians’ wishes for good marks.

High Table Dinner of HSBC Prosperity Hall Professionals from all industries have been invited to the High Table Dinner as honorable guests. Some are from education, publishing, social services, while some are experts on medical science, business, and high technology etc. During the dinner, residents can have the precious opportunity to talk and share with these professionals, and also learn from them. Residents and guests will enjoy the wine and food in the hall room with delicate decorations, and besides the sharing of experience, participants may also enjoy the wonderful performances including singing, instruments performance, and slides show of pictures taken in previous activities etc. However, behind the fantastic food, decorations and performances, can you imagine the time and efforts RTs and RM have dedicated to the function? From catering arrangements, invitation letter draft, to room decoration and seating plan, they always try their best to satisfy all participant. HSBC Prosperity Hall High Table Dinner has gained high reputation from all parties.

Residents’ Association

2KEA is the 4th Residents’ Association of the HSBC Prosperity Hall. Our mission is to promote friendships, different interests and a sense of belonging to the residence hall and cultivate hall spirit. There is always a meaning behind a name. 2KEA is no exception. What a house needs is furniture. House represents Prosperity Hall and furniture corresponds to the Residents’ Association. Our name 2KEA was inspired by the concept of IKEA, whose vision is to create a better daily life for more people. IKEA makes its vision possible by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at low price so that many people can afford. To realise the low prices, IKEA uses raw materials from all over the world and produce furnishing products on a large scale basis to minimise the cost. Moreover, its products user-friendly design makes it easier for everyone to use. 2KEA has the same vision as IKEA. We try to provide our Prosperians with interesting and meaningful activities at reasonable prices. We try to gather all people from different cultures in the Prosperity Hall to broaden our horizons. Last but not least, the Chinese name of 2KEA --- 2家 corresponds to the meaning of Hall 2 as well as a second home in our University life. We hope that everyone can have the feeling of being at home in Prosperity Hall.

See Ming Chun 施明俊 President, The 4th Residents’ Association, HSBCPH Prosperity is wealth, success and good fortune. This is my first year in CityU and also the first time I live in this treasury. It is not easy to get used to the new environment in a short time. However, after the orientation camp organised by the 3rd Residents’ Association of Prosperity Hall, I decided to continue the spirit of this hall and become the president of the Residents’ Association(RA). Finally, a new RA consisting of 14 people has been formed. In semester A of, we have organised some events for the residents in Prosperity Hall. For example, the Halloween Haunted House, inter floor winning eleven competition, sharing of chocolates for Happy Valentine’s Day and so on. These activities were held successfully with the support of our Resident Master, Resident Tutors and all Prosperians. In addition, all the RA members have done their very best to organise these events. Without them, these events could not be held effectively. There is no doubt that Prosperity Hall is a treasury. I have got a lot of things from it like friends, a place to learn, a place to live and most importantly --the feeling of home. I do hope that this spirit can continue forever.

Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association

President

See Ming Chun

肥施

Internal Vice President

Choi Chun Pong

大棍

External Vice President

Wu Wai Lun

Alan

Financial Secretary

Tang Wing Yan

Christine

General Secretary

Shen Jie

Welfare Secretary

Tang Tsz Cheung Ling Yuen Yi

Eric Ling

Promotion Secretary

Chan Chau Wing Ng Hang Yu

Martina Julia

Recreation Secretary

Tse Chi Wai Pang Lai Tan

威威丹丹

Sports Secretary

Lam Vicki Au Man Ling

Vicki Nicole

Public Relations Secretary

Wong Ho Chung

Jason 39

Residents’ Association Council The Residents’ Association Council shall be the legislative and supervisory body of the Residents’ Association.

AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

To safeguard the rights and privileges of the members of the Association; To approve activities of the Associations; To deal with complaints of the Association; To approve the Constitution and Terms of Reference of subsidiary organization of the Association; To establish or dissolve any subsidiary organization of the Association; To control financial matters of the Association; To accept resignation of members of Council (HSBC Prosperity Hall).

Chairman

Lee Chun On Martin

Council member

Siu Ying

Vice Chairman

Tau Siu Kam

Council member

Keung Wing Yan

Secretary

Lee Ping Kong

Council member

Wong Ho Yan

Council member

Chiu Ming Ho

Council member

Liu Sui Hung

Council member

Tsui Siu Hin

Council member

Lai Sze Chung

Council member

Li Man Wah

Lee Chun On, Martin Living in Hall 2 is far more than I expected. I’m glad that I am a part of it. I realised that residence hall is not only a student hostel for us to live in, but it’s also our “home”. It is a place for us to share, to enjoy and to learn. Hall has become part of my life since I moved in. Time flies, half of my university schooling had passed. As I have gained a lot from my residency when I was a freshman, it’s time for me to contribute to my “fantasy home”. I chose to contribute by being one of the elective councilors and further, to be the Chairperson of the Council this year. I sincerely believe that I could share my experiences and together with my spirits with all the residents and the Residents’ Association. From the experiences I gain in the past three months, I agree that it is not an easy job. However, I will try my best to make sure the council can do its best and everything can be done effectively and successfully in the coming year.

Siu Ying, Adrian This is my third and also my last year living in Hall 2. I am so glad that I have chosen hall 2 in my first year, it really gives me things that I haven’t experienced before. On the first floor, I met the chocoholic RT Kenneth, my first lovely roommate Yu and the funniest toiletmates, Woman and Helen. I have lots of fun in the Prosperity Hall, starting from a “missing person”, then one of the hall swimming team members and now, a member of the hall council. Living in this hall lets you know different kinds of people, sometimes they become your friends, sometimes they do not; no matter whether you like them or not, I still think it is a pleasure to know all these people. 41

Exchange Student @ HSBCPH When I came to Hong Kong in January I did not know what to expect from the so-called ‘halllife’. To be honest, I was not that happy to hear I was going to share a room for the semester. I have never had a roommate before, since this is not common in the Netherlands, my home country. When I entered the room there was a note from my roommate, saying that she was on the Hall Study Tour in Korea. After three days, in which I explored a lot of HK with the help of my bathroom mate (Thank you, Aya!) and the nice people from INSO, I woke up in the middle of the night and suddenly there was someone standing in the room! Of course, this frightened me a lot. But luckily it turned out to be my roommate, Ling. After this funny introduction, we got to know each other pretty fast. And now I think it is very nice to always have someone to talk to, laugh with, tease (mean girl!) and of course to share chocolate with! Because she is a committee member of our Residents’ Association, I have joined some of the activities organized by them. And this was the real start of my hall life. Through learning a certain Chinese game I met a lot of Prosperians. What I noticed is that everybody is extremely friendly and goes out of their way to make you feel welcome, something in which they definitely succeed. Even if I wanted to practice the game for the 6th night in a row, there was always someone to play with (especially the 9th floor guys and my teacher Connie). I also had an introduction in the Cantonese language, and learned classic words such as 衰人, 發財 and 喂呀. Besides your hospitality towards me I also noticed the respect you have for each other. You really get the feeling that this is a community. Everybody seems to be respected for who they are and nobody gets left out. If you want to 42

join activities, you are always welcomed. So, I have to say that the hall-life experience is the contrary of my expectations. This has been a good lesson for me, which I will definitely bring back home. Because, I am glad to say, my university (in Maastricht) is currently building a campus. So, I can only hope that it will be a home like Prosperity Hall is for me. With high regards, Eloise (Room 1104A, Prosperity Hall)

the

HSBC

p.s.: The only negative thing is that my bed time has shifted from 00.00 to 3.00 o clock ;)

Mainland Student @ HSBCPH I was assigned to Hall 2 when I just came to CityU. At that time, it made no difference to me on which hall I would live in because I don’t have any idea on them. So far, three months have passed and I just feel that every day in Hall 2 is normal, because I am feeling so happy everyday that it seems there isn’t a special day that is better than the others. As I say normal, I’m not meaning dull, but the best level of beatific. Every time I stepped into Hall 2, our security guard will say “Hello” to me with sunny smile on their faces. To me, it seems that they were not saying “Hello” but “Welcome to come back home.” The O’camp held at the beginning of the semester is the best one to me among other hall activities. Although I have not joined O’camps held by other halls, I heard from my friends they were not so impressive. However, the O’camp held by Hall 2 gave me the opportunity to make many new friends, with whom I played games, enjoyed desserts, cooked and danced together. All those happy moments have become my most precious memories. The scene that impressed me most was all the participants sang the Hall Song together at the end of the camp, hand in hand. I felt so proud to know that Hall 2 is the only hall having a hall song, moreover, the wonderful melody and encouraging lyrics left me no other feeling but bliss. Once I ran into a friend who used to live in Hall 2, and he said to me “you won’t know how good Hall 2 is until you have experienced the life living in other halls”. He also told me the reason why he thought like that: people living in Hall 2 are all very nice and considerate; they all care about this home by tiding up the common rooms and keeping everything in order. Besides, common rooms on each floor are decorated in different styles, reflecting different features of residents living there. From his words, I realized the real meaning of “common”— it refers to maintaining the room together more than using it together. 44

It has also been mentioned by him that there are many great “chefs” in Hall 2, and I cannot agree more with him. On 5th floor where I live, the dessert sharing sessions are held every Tuesday night. The desserts were just ordinary Hong Kong style ones at first, but later on they became cakes, puddings, sweet dumplings, and we were astonished by the two chef’s amazing cooking skills. I have participated in many other hall activities during the past three months including ping pong competition, BBQ etc., and I would definitely have gone for more of them if I had enough time. It is those various functions and activities that made people living in Hall 2 become a family and give support to each other. To us, Hall 2 is more than just a student residence hall, but a place full of caring and warmth. Maybe I don’t know much about life in other halls, or maybe to every resident, the hall they are living in is just like their home. But one thing for sure to me is that, Hall 2 is definitely my home, and I do love it! Andy 505A

1/F Sagacity

101A

AU, Wing Ho

104B

AU, William 101B

LAM, Ho Man

OR, Ching Sze 105A

LO, Ho Tin 102A

OLSSON, Fredrik

102B

LI, Wai Tsun V.

103A

LO, Yat On LI, Renxing HUANG, Lianghui

104A

HO, Hang Yu H. LEUNG, Ka Yan

LAM, Ka Kin CHAN, Ying Wah

105B

TAI, Wing Kin LAM, Lai Kin

106A

WONG, King Tung 103B

WONG, Wei Pin

YUEN, Bo Yan SIU, Ying

106B

TO, Sze Chung A. LI, Ka Man

Talking about University life, one must not exclude hall life. Hall 2, no matter what you are expecting from hall life, you could find them in here and I mean it. At first, when I know that I am going to live on the 1st floor, I was not really satisfied with it. I thought I am not going to enjoy a scenic view and there isn’t anyone that I am familiar with. However, after living here for 1 semester, I found it to be a blessing rather than an unfortunate event living on this floor. I have met a lot of good friends here, who will always play and chat with me. Also, having them to help on stocking up materials for the floor and organise activities has made my work as a floor representative a pleasant job. I really appreciate all their help. Now, I am proud to tell others that the 1st floor of Hall 2 is my second home. The first day, I came here with only a simple suitcase, but I am certain that I will leave with much more valuable and memorable memories. 105A Winson

The home for the future professionals – HSBC Prosperity Hall City University is a place where students can equip theirselves in order to become professionals. The hostel for those future professionals will always be the student residence of CityU. HSBC Prosperity Hall – the second home for students to enjoy their university life. Facing serious and competitive academic study, we do need a home for us to take a rest. The most comfortable home stay has been prepared by the university. Although we are having a short time to live in Hall2, we have gained unforgettable memories. We have our breakfast and dinner together and sometimes prepare dessert or sweet soup for the others. To show our care and love, we are helping each other all the time. If someone is sick, all hall-mates and floor-mates will take care of him or her. If someone is experiencing frustration, we will definitely give our helping hands and support. Sharing depression, joy and life, these are all part of our hall life. For the local and mainland students, we may live for about three years in the hall. We can make lots of dearest friends by knowing each neighbour well. Also, we always welcome our visitors – foreign exchange students. We do hope that we can bring them a memorable time and let them experience the love and culture of Hall 2. Time goes by quickly, but we will not forget the things that we have learned in our hall life. In the near future, we are professionals; as the rest of our lives we are always properians. 101B, LO Ho Tin

2/F Neos

201A

PO , Wing Pong

204B

LAM, Yin Shek 201B

WONG, Cheuk Hang

YIM, Yip Cheong 205A

WONG, Ka Hei 202A

LI, Aosi

202B

CHAN, Ka Shing CHAU, Hoi Wan

203A 203B

SEE, Ming Chun TSE, Chi Wai S.

204A

QIU, Jie LEUNG, Wai Tong

HUI, Hung Tong NG, Ka Lap

205B

SIN, Shing Lung DAI, Bo

206A

CHOW, King Wa CHAN, Lok Fung

YIN, Jiecheng

SHE, Shichang WANG, Ningwei

206B

YIM, Kwok Shing TANG, Tsz Cheung

Hi, everyone. My name is Wai Wai. I am the representative of the second floor. To be a representative, I am responsible for making sure that our common room is clean and cooking utensils and flavourings are ready for the floor mates. Also I hold some activities for floor mates, such as hotpot and dessert gatherings. About twenty of our floor mates eat together in the common room, you can imagine that it is very happy and cheerful. One semester has passed already, for me, my hall life in hall 2 is colourful. Although the students in this floor are from different years of study, we live and play with each other happily no matter whether we are year 1, year 2 or final year students. Sometimes we cook together and take out our food to share with each other. Also we play games for fun, such as Uno card. We live together just like a family, that is the feeling of “home”. It is how we can experience the spirit of hall 2 – the feeling of “home” for you. TSE Chi Wai 203B

3/F Ally

301A

CHU, Sin Yi

304B

KWOK, Cheuk Woon 301B

POON, Wai Ki

CHOY, Cheung Ka 305A

LEUNG, Yuen Ling 302A

ZHANG, Yang

302B

LIU, Yuxin CHEN, Kai

303A

BIERMANN, Emma LI, Jing

304A

SIN, Chung Yi HEUNG, Mei Kei

HO, Yin Yee LIU, Liwa

305B

CHAN, Ka Yan YU, Lu

306A

TANG, Tsz Mei LAM, Wing Yan

303B

CHAU, Man See M.

ZHANG, Ziran JIANG, Zhujun

306B

LEE, Ka Yan SHEN, Jie

This year has been the third year living in HSBC Prosperity Hall. I already regard it as my home, which brings me warm feelings and a lot of happy moments. I still remember the first day when I came to Prosperity Hall. It was a wet and hot afternoon in September, I didn’t know Cantonese at that time and had no idea where and how to check in. I had no companions but huge luggage. Luckily, the residents dropped by and helped me out. Not long after that, I spent my first mid-autumn festival in Hong Kong with many new Hong Kong friends, who were so kind and caring, giving me the feeling of being at home instead of loneliness in a strange place. During the past 3 years, some graduates left the hall while some moved to the other halls. However, I still stay here because I am already used to say “Morning” to the security guard and greet “Ling-Jie” when I come back; because the hall has witnessed my growth in Hong Kong; because Prosperity Hall gives me so many joyful memories like Halloween, the Christmas Party, and the High Table Dinner etc; and because when I sing the Hall Song “The spirit of Prosperty”, I always feel so proud and blessed. Last year, I joined the Residents’ Association Executive Committee of HSBC Prosperity Hall named 2PS to serve the hall-mates. This year, I am the Floor Representative of the 3rd floor, taking care of the residents’ hall lives. I just want to contribute a little to my lovely hall as a return for the things the hall has brought me. I know that one day I have to leave here. I wish everything in the HSBC Prosperity Hall goes on well and the Prosperity culture can be carried on. When residents recall life in Prosperity Hall, they may find their own stories there with laugh and tears, feeling sweet or sometimes a little bitter. Last but not least, do leave your name on the Prosperity paper and smile when taking Prosperity photos! Mia LIU 305A

4/F Ingenue

401A

LIU, Sili

404B

LIANG, Xiaying 401B 402A

WILLIAMS, Erica Noel

402B

HUI, Wai Ying

403A

XIAO, Yun CHOI, Seuyeon

403B

CHAN, Pik Kwan YIP, Ying Tung

LEE, Ka Wai 405A

LO, Hoi Lun KO, Pak Yu

405B

ZENG, Jiali PANG, Kit Lai

406A

LIU, Yifang CHIU, Yat Nam

404A

Catarina

LAU, Wing Lam R. WONG, Kai Yan M.

BRASIL COSTAL LARANJEIRA DE ABREU,

LEUNG, Yin Kiu NG, Ka Man

406B

TAU, Siu Kam KEUNG, Wing Yan

Being one of the floor representatives this year, I have developed a deep sense of belonging to Prosperity Hall because it not only provides me with opportunities to explore my talents in different activities, but also gain the support and concern from my floormates. When I returned from my exchange programme in San Francisco, I engaged in Prosperity Hall again but I was shocked that everyone had changed. Luckily, I have good floormates who share the experiences with me. “Diversity is Prosperity.” It really comes true . Our floor is filled with different cultures and those students from foreign countries and mainland china are always prepared to share daily trials and triumphs with each other. To me, the greatest worth of the hall lies not in the sum total of all the wonderful Prosperian graduates that are turned out year after year but rather in the bonding it provides to the generations of Prosperians. Nonetheless, we feel like one big family, all Prosperians in spirit, with our common goals as our home and our link. In work and in pleasure, whenever we run into another Prosperian, the joy of recognition, the feeling of good will instantaneously brings to mind the spirit of Prosperity Hall. This year, it is the time for us to welcome our new hall tutors as well as our new hall master, Dr. Kevin Downing. I appreciate their dedication and infinite patience, who impart not only knowledge, but also support. I thank our pioneers who have built up a supportive and warm environment in the HSBC prosperity hall so that I can have an enjoyable hall life today. Finally, I hope that in the face of challenges, Prosperity Hall will continue to walk with the times by offering a quality atmosphere to the Prosperians. Lau Wing Lam Rosanna 花花 401B

5/F Resonance

501A

WONG, Kit Tung

504B

WAN, Tsz Ki 501B

CHEUNG, Man Chun

YIP, Chi Faat 505A

FONG, Ki Fai 502A

TAI, Kin Ying

502B

CHAN, Tsz Lun WONG, Kong Wai

503A

WONG, Sang Wa LAM, Wing Hung

504A

YIP, Yik To O. CHEUNG, Ka Ho

XU, Wenbo XUE, Lingyu

505B

FONG, Chi Hong WANG, Tuohua

506A

CHENG, Chi Ho ZHANG, Shuo

503B

LAM, Kwai Kei

LAM, Ka Leung LEUNG, Wai Him

506B

CHENG, Cho Kwong TAM, Chi On

Knowing that I have to represent the 5th floor to write a short paragraph for the hall publication, manythings came into my mind and I started writing it right away. As the floor representative of 5th floor, I still remember the feelings of excitement and curiosity when I came onto the 5th floor for the first time, and I just could not wait to move in and meet the other floor-mates. However, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel good about the common room at the beginning, all the cooking stuff had smudges, and you might even find sour apples in the fridge. On the other hand, I tried to say hello to the first floor-mate I met, but icebreaking just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t turn out to be that easy. At that time, I felt a little worried about the whole yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hall life I would go through on this floor. Fortunately, things changed soon, at the end of September, I volunteered to be the floor representative, and I feel really lucky that my partner is On, from whom I learned a lot. The first thing we did was to clean all the kitchen stuff. And gradually, people on the floor got familiar with each other for many reasons, among which the most important one I guess is the Dessert Sharing Night. Dessert Sharing Night is the major group activity on the 5th floor, but as the fifth floor is the male floor, it is a harsh task to make dessert room by room. At last we decided to let On and me be responsible for making dessert. The last thing I want to say is to wish everyone on the 5th floor not to forget the time we spent here on the 5th floor. WAN Tsz Ki, 501A

6/F Embolden

601A

TANG, Tsz Yan V.

604B

WONG, Kit Hang 601B

AI, Ni

WONG, Ming Kin 605A

LEUNG, Lai Han 602A

GILLIAM, Johnathon M.

602B

LAM, Kam Wang WONG, Ho Lam

603A 603B

CHAN, Ka Chun LU, Xin

604A

MA, Hong HE, Jiajie

AU, Sin Yu LAW, Ka Man

605B

XIU, Weiyang CHAN, Sin Ying

606A

WU, Wai Lun CHAN, Yu Chung

CHAN, Kin Long

SO, Ka Yuk LAU, Ka Yi

606B

KAUR, Harpreet YUEN, Tsz Ching

Enchanting life in Embolden Six On this floor, 20 strangers come together. We share, we love, and we care for our neighbours. Assignments and exams are no worrying matters. When they bothered we help each other. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fun guessing who will be the chef tonight. In our pantry there is always a dogfight. On Wednesdays we all meet at night, Having desserts and chatting with delight. Take a short break then chat and play. We are all having fun and gay. Everyday is a special day. What a gorgeous stay! Ra 605A Floor Representative of 6/F

7/F Pixie

701A

LAW, Jade

704B

SUN, Ni 701B

PANG, Lai Tan

CHOW, Amy 705A

CHU, Yim Ling 702B

Dr. CHAN Sui Wah

703A

WONG, Wing Sze WANG, Meilin

703B 704A

CHENG, Pui Shan LEE, Seoyoung

DING, Weiru DU, Hanshuang

705B

TSANG, Wan Mei CHAU, Sum Ping

706A

KWONG, Pui Man LAU, Wing Yin

YEUNG, Che Yan

HUANGFU, Tianzhi DMYTRIYEVA, Lyubov

706B

LAU, Mung Ying TANG, Wing Yan

Hi all! I’m the floor representative of the 7th floor. When I decided to start my hall life last semester B, I chose Prosperity Hall. As a late-comer, I still received warm welcome from my ex-floormates. This year, I chose Prosperity Hall again and I volunteered to be the floor representative. Taking care of our own room is already a big challenge, and being a floor rep. is even more challenging. You have to take care of the needs of your dearest floormates and try to get each other closer and form a harmonious community. I’m glad that I’ve got this chance to sharpen my communication skills. Joining the Orientation Camp this year was also an invaluable memory to me. It was the start of establishing my neighbourhood at this hall because the camp connected nearly everyone in Prosperity Hall (at least the most active ones). Finally, I hope everyone at the Prosperity Hall can have a fruitful “Rat” year! CHAU Sum Ping 705B

8/F Shimmer

801A

LEUNG, Tsz Wing

804A

HO, Man Ting 801B

AU, Man Ling

CHEN, Yao 804B

LAM, Vicki 802A 802B

PATON, Karen A.

803A 803B

805A

LI, Dan YANG, Wenyi

806A

WANG, Yunqi ZHANG, Bingyin

LEE, Shun Yee SUEN, Wing Yee Z.

805B

NG, Hang Yu J. CHAN, Chau Wing M.

WONG, Ho Yan CHOW, Tik Nga

YANG, Jiao FARBROT, Karoline Jahren

DENG, Yuyu

HE, Jianing GUO, Jia

806B

SIT, Man Ting CHAN, Kit Yui

Time flies, I have already been a part of the Prosperity family for two years. This year is my first year to be a floor representative. I found that a floor representative needs to take a lot of responsibilities such as organising dessert gathering, floor dinner, Christmas decorating and buying stuff for the residents. I have to pay 200% attention to each of these activities. Although I am a careless girl who sometimes forget to buy stuff like salt and sugar, the 8th floor girls will not blame on me at all! Compared to last year, girls living on the 8th floor this year are more active and cooperative, creating a pleasant and harmonious living atmosphere. Moreover, the desserts made by girls are becoming more and more delicious. Despite the fact that Katie and I failed to make the little rice ball, the sweet osmanthus cake (made by Julia and Martina) and Egg pudding (made by Nicole and Vicki) completely attain the professional standard. And I feel so proud of them! In addition, this year I have also participated in many hall activities such as Orientation Camp, the Prosperians Night. I wish I can contribute more to the prosperity family. Still remembering that my enthusiasm towards hall life was sparkled by my former toilet-mate, I think that I should also encourage the freshmen to enjoy their hall life. After graduation we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any more opportunity to live with classmates, so we must treasure this opportunity. I wish that besides study, girls on the 8th floor can also enjoy their hall life, and always remember â&#x20AC;&#x153;We love prosperityâ&#x20AC;?!!! Alice 804B

9/F Optimism

901A

GONG, Jiangwei

904B

LI, Xinwei 901B

LIU, Sui Hung

NG, Adrian Shing H. 905A

LEE, Chun On M. 902A

LAM, Tsz Fung

902B

SO, Wai Tik NG, King Lun A.

903A 903B

TAM, Wah Kuen MAK, Chun Fung

904A

WONG, Ming To IP, Cheuk Pui

CHIU, Ming Ho TSUI, Siu Hin

905B

LIU, Wenxian LIU, Xiao

906A

CHEONG, Tak Fai KWOK, Hon Kin

LEE, Ping Kong

CHEUNG, Kam Hoi CHEUNG, Wai Yip

906B

CHAN, Chi Ho K. HUI, Yu Hin

This is the 1st year I live in the Student Residence. As I am on the waiting list, I was randomly assigned here â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the HSBC Prosperity Hall (Hall 2). At first, I thought the Student Residence is just a place to sleep. It is very convenient and close to the Campus. So, no matter which Hall I was assigned to, it should be the same. However, after participating in some of the Hall activities, I have changed my mind because of those unforgettable moments, such as the Orientation Camp, Hall Song and the Korea Study Tour. Also, I have made many new friends and have great times with them. I will treasure the remaining days here with all my hallmates. If I have another chance to choose which Hall I want to stay, I would also like to be a Prosperian! 904A Wong Ming To

10/F Realists

1001A

GUO, Jiesong

1004B

DING, Yang 1001B

LIANG, Hao

CHEN, Ke 1005A

ZHANG, Tiangang 1002A

ATGER, Vincent Paul M.

1002B

GUILLIER, Bertrand KI, Kit Man

1003A 1003B

CHOI, Chun Pong YIP, Yik Lun

1004A

LAI, Sze Chung LIN, Wai Kin

CHOW, Wing Hong CHEUNG, Tsz Kit

1005B

YANG, Zhou

1006A

TSE, Chong Yip

1006B

WONG, Ho Chung

ZHU, Tiecheng

CHUI, Hoi Kit MENG, Xiangyu

SUN, Jiangshan

TSOI, Tsz Fung SO, Ngai Chi

Staying in the Prosperity Hall for two years has been the most precious experience I have ever had. Firstly fascinated by the floor dinner and dessert night being held in the Hall, it was when I started to get involved in hall activities. I was the floor representative of the tenth floor in the first year before joining the residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; association. It was really a GREAT adventure! I met my primary schoolmate Ra, whom I have not contacted for 8 years. In the hall, I met some really good friends â&#x20AC;&#x201D; they gave me great support during a difficult time. I learned the skills necessary to manage and organise activities with different people. Undoubtedly, planning activities for the hall is an arduous task, which conflicts and arguments are not uncommon. However, when I look back now, I would tell people that the previous bad experience was a joke. This year, I am a member of the hall council instead of being an RA committee. I dare not teach the new residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; association, as there is nothing to teach. All I want is to pass the experience I have had to them. Chung, 1004A

11/F Popsy

1101A

YUEN, Ling

1101B

WONG, Ching Ying

1104A

LING, Yuen Yi

1104B

CHOW, Pik Wa

HUANG, Ya-Chun

LE CONGE KLEYN, Eloise

IP, Ka Ling 1102A

DONG, Qiuling

1102B

WONG, Kit Yee SIU, Wai Tak

1103A

1105A 1105B

HO, Wing Kei

1106A

CHAN, Tsang

1106B

YAU, Man Nga

LAW, Kit Wa

SONG, Qiaochu YANG, Xinrong

SZE, Shun Pui YING, Ziming

WONG, Ho Yin K. HUNTLEY, Lauren E.

1103B

CHAN, Mo Ching

WAN, Dian LO, Kit Yee

Hello, I am Bertie, the Floor Representative of 11th floor. This is already my second year living in the Prosperity Hall and living on 11/F as well, which is good evidence of the pleasant atmosphere on 11th floor of Prosperity Hall! From the past few months experience of being a Floor Representative, I realise that there are so many things that a Floor Representative needs to take care of. Of course, the first thing to do is to collect floor fees from each resident on the floor, and my main duty is to buy stuff in the common room like bowls, oil, and cleansers etc. I also need to keep track of the usage of the stuff so that I can ensure they are refilled in time. Although this is not an easy job, I am so happy and glad to serve the 11F girls as I know we all need help from each other and at the same time, we shall all make our dedication to the hall life so that we can live together happily like a family. ~Yeah~(o^.^o)~Yeah~ Bertie 1104B

Hall2 Facilities G/F common room

It is the biggest room of ground floor. You can find almost everything in a typical living room here. It was furnished with new wood flooring. We have a table, a microwave, a refrigerator, a table, a sofa and a television. The most unique feature here is that you can sing karaoke or watch movies with the new audio system.

Prosperian Reading Room 頁殷書軒

It is a well decorated reading room prepared and designed by the previous residence tutors. There are various types of books for residents to read, some of which are donated by the alumni voluntarily. It’s definitely a good place to relax and have a nice chat with your friends! 69

Hall2 Facilities Tracks 業跡

It is not only a room for residents to do revision or to have discussions, but also a showroom of the history of HSBC Prosperity Hall. There are some photos of our past activities and our hall souvenirs from the previous years. Most importantly, there is a “Hall of Fame” board recording the residence tutors and residents’ association committee members’ name.

Corridor

The corridor linking the special rooms are decorated with photos taken in Prosperian Nights of previous years. Can you recognise some of the familiar faces there?

Piano room

There are always pleasant melodies coming from this room. As many of our residents are learning piano, a piano is provided for them to have practice when they are staying at hall. One can just simply register at the security counter to book the room.

Hall2 Facilities

Letter boxes The letter boxes are at the right hand side of the lobby. Check it out every day to see if your friends have sent you a letter!

Computer room There are six computers, a printer and a scanner. I bet it is the most popular facility in our hall, especially during the exam period. You can always see residents doing their projects or printing their notes here.

Vending machine

When you are thirsty, particularly after walking under the hot sun, the vending machine here offers a round-the-clock service of cold drinks.

Laundry Room The laundry room is located on the Roof. There are washing machines, drying machines, iron and ironing board for residents to use. After doing laundry, residents can air-dry their clothes in the open area outside the laundry room conveniently.

Special Room

606A Yuki & Samantha

The girls made their room lovely and romantic by their red-and-blue bed, Samanthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art work and also... Mr. Banana?!

702B Barbara Chan

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t waste your time finding nonpanda related objects in Dr. Panda Chanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room! It is impossible! Not only pandas everywhere, but this room is also full of pink objects! From laptop to mobile phone, everything you see is in pink!

Special Room

905A Ah C & Cyrus

It is said that their room is the biggest one among rooms from 1/F to 11/F. You can find PS3, 22 inches Monitor. and also 3 (really?) Mac computers! Ah Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s LEGO collections are displayed 24 hours a day. Security? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry. All these things are protected by Spiderman outside their room!

Guess whose room is this? Locating on the 12th floor, here live our new Residence Master Kevin Downing and his wife Kristina. In their bright and cozy dinning room, you may find floral cushions on the white, comfortable sofa, and interesting decorations. What is in that fancy glass closet? If you want to know, just go upstairs, and Kevin will tell you the story of those pictures and that magic glass bottle. 77

Prosperiansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Recipes Feel bored with those red bean sweet soup, sweet potato soup, bean curd stick soup, etc. in the dessert gathering? We have collected some special(easy to cook) dessert recipes for you. Try to add some fun and suprise to your floormates in the dessert gathering !

We Can Cook, So Can You !!! Matcha Red Bean Custard Ingredients: 50g red beans, 2 tbsps gelatine, 4 tbsps cornstarch, 100g sugar, 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp salt. Top Layer: 1 tbsp gelatine, 3 tbsps sugar, 1 tsp matcha green tea powder Procedures: 1. Soak red beans in water overnight. Cook beans in boiling water for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Boil beans in water again until tender. 2. Add gelatine and hot water, stir until the gelatine completely dissolves. 3. Mix cornstarch with sugar. 4. Mix milk, coconut milk and salt with step 3 ingredients. Cook over low heat. Stir constantly until thicken. Add gelatine liquid and stir. Add cooked red beans. Pour into molds and set aside. 5. Bring 1 1/4 cups of water to the boil. Turn off the heat. Put in the mixed top layer ingredients and stir until gelatine dissolves completely. Pour the mixture on the top of the red bean custard. Cook and refrigerate until done. Cut into pieces and serve.

Nicoleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Egg Pudding Serving: 4 Ingredients: 1) Egg . . . . . . 4 pcs 2) Rock sugar . . . . . . 190-200g 3) Full cream evaporated milk . . . . . . 160g

Step 1: Put a bowl of water and rock sugar into a pot, boil until rock sugar completely melted. Turn off the heat. Put aside until it gets cold. Step 2: Beat the eggs in a big bowl. Add full cream evaporated milk into the bowl. Mix well. Step 3: Add cool water to the rock sugar water (Step 1 output) so that the total amount of water is equal to 2.5 bowl of water. Put them into the big bowl (Step 2 output), mix well. (Important note: the rock sugar water MUST be cooled down before mixing with eggs) Step 4: Pour the mixture into 4 small bowls. Wrap the bowls using cling wraps. Steam for 20 minutes. The steaming time depends on the type of steamer. Make sure the mixture is completely solidified and serve.

Prosperiansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Recipes 9/F (leftover)Bread Pudding Serving: 4 Ingredients: Milk

150 ml

Sugar

40g

Cream (optional) 150 ml Vanilla Oil

1 tsp

Egg

3 pcs - beaten

(Leftover) Bread 2-3 slices Butter

1/4 Cup, melted

Ground cinnamon (optional) 1 tsp Raisins

1/3 Cup

1. Cut bread in cubes or small pieces and place in a loaf pan. 2. Add melted butter and raisins on the bread. 3. (Optional) Add ground cinnamon on the bread. 3. Add sugar, cream and milk into beaten egg. Mix well. 4. (Optional) Add Vanilla Oil to custard mixture. 5. Pour custard mixture over the bread and toss together. 6. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes (200 oC) until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Serve hot or cold.

1/F Blueberry Cheese Cake Ingredients: Cream cheese

250g

Sour cream

110g

Sugar

65g

Egg

1 pc

Vanilla Essence a few drops Blueberry fillings varies Cake base: Digestive biscuit 90g (6 pieces) Butter (in room temperature) 25 - 30g Procedures: Cake base: 1. Crush the digestive biscuit into fine pieces. 2. Add appropriate amount of butter into the biscuits. 3. Put the mixture into a mold. 4. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes. Cheese Cake: 1. Soften cream cheese. 2. Mix sugar with cream cheese. 3. Mix sour cream with cheese mixture. 4. Add egg and vanilla essence. 5. Stir them until the texture becomes smooth. 6. Pour the mixture onto the cake base. 7. Bake for 50 minutes at 200 oC. 8. Add blueberry fillings on top of the cheese cake after cooling down.

Study Tour Introduction Semester Break Study Tour heads out for holidays!! Seoul, South Korea (7-12 Jan 2008) - A group of 20 Prosperians headed to Seoul the day after the New Year. The study tour spent 6 days exploring to both historical and contemporary Korean culture. Most of us had not been to Korea previously and it was such an incredible experience for us! The interaction with Korean students truly enabled us to see the diversity that lies within the Korean culture itself. Meeting students and staff from the two Universities (Yonsei University in Seoul and Hallym University in Chuncheon) was a beneficial learning experience. We were entertained by the campus tour and traditional Korean food as well!

Itinerary Day One: (The First day) Monday, 7 January, 2008 We departed from HK on early Monday morning for a very short, but pleasant flight to Seoul, South Korea. The weather had been beautiful in Seoul but the temperature was cold. We visited the Gyeongbok Palace, the most representative edifices of the Joseon Dynasty. The city streets are bustling with activities at all hours of the day and we are taking in all of the new sights and sounds. It is a fascinating mix of traditional and modern culture as evident in the trendy attire of the Koreans.

Gyeongbok Palace 82

Day Two: Tuesday, 8 January, 2008 We began the day at Yonsei University the place where we lived, had breakfast at the dormitoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student canteen and met the Coordinator of International Affairs, Kaitlyn, she gave us nice perspective presentations on Yonsei University (Established in 1885, is a famous university in Korea). After, the Student Ambassador, Christie, took us walking through the Yonsei Campus, we had a betterunderstanding after her explanation and had good time for discussion on some fascinating topics. We also toured the Mydeongdong and Dongdaemum. We all got a lot of souvenirs and had sight-seeing in these two places, we ended the day at night with delicious dinner at Dongdaemum.

Yonsei University

Day Three: Wednesday, 9 January, 2008 We took a bit long travel to visit the DMZ Demilitarized Zone and the 3rd Underpass. This was the first time we got to know more about the recent history of Korea in this trip. Korea is the only divided country in the world. The demilitarized zone (DMZ), designated in 1953 when the Armistice Agreement was signed, marks the site of the division. We travelled down to the 3rd Underpass by train; we were all amazed and terrified by the way the North Korean government had been digging this underpass from North Korea to South Korea by human hands! It was discovered in 1978 just 52 kilometers from Seoul. The underpass was exploded by the military of North Korea so as to attack South Korea from underground. Furthermore, from the observation platform of the Odusan Unification Observatory North Korea appears very close. Except for special cases, no civilians (non-official) can gain access to North Korea, which is only 400 to 500 metres away. This DMZ tour allowed us experience the sadness of the division a lot.

Shopping Centre 83

Study Tour Day Four: Thursday, 10 January 2008 In the early morning, our tour for the day was first taking a two-hour bus journey to Chuncheon and experiencing the Hot Spring. The hot spring resort is segregated by gender and includes a large pool of hot water and a smaller pool of cool water, with plenty of showering stations to clean yourself before or after sitting in the pools. We enjoyed it so much and looked more “healthy”! After having lunch, we visited the National Folklore Museum which displays the lifestyle of Koreans. Then we went to TBS TV broadcasting company, it was a chance for us to get to know the operation of a television station and understand more about the media culture of Korea.

TBS Boardcasting company

Day Five: Friday, 11 January 2008 What a surprise today! The first time we arrived in Korea and we saw it snowing this morning!! All of us were so excited and took a lot of pictures! However, the price for seeing snow was to take a L-O-N-G travelling time (5 hours!) to Hallym University in Chuncheon. Established in 1982, Hallym University is a private university quite similar to CityU, despiste the bad weather, we received a big warm welcome from the Hallym’s president, vice-president, other staff, school teachers and students. They introduced us to their university and welcomed us to come back for a summer trip in this summer. We had a great time for discussion on some different fascinating topics with them; many of us have developed good friendships with Hallym’s students! Hallym University 84

Kimchi cooking class

Day Six: (The Last Day) Saturday, 12 January, 2008 This morning we started learning Korean cooking and etiquette, we learned how to make Kimchi and dressed in traditional Korean clothes. After lunch, we went to the War Memorial of Korea, the museum illustrates the turbulent times of Korea throughout its 5,000 years of history. We all experienced the spirit of national defence of Koreans in the Combat Experience Room and the tragedy of the war history in Korea. To conclude, through our adventure in Korea, we all look forward to frequently hitting the "replay" button, either on pictures and videos we took or inside our heads. What will we remember? I guess it must be the laughter and stories shared by all of us on the trip (you can read it from our reflection!), such a GREAT memory will last a lifetimeâ&#x20AC;Ś Goodbye Korea!! My parting note: Perhaps Korea really missed us a lot, our flight from Seoul to HK was accidently delayed for few hours, things we did in the airport were: shopping, eating, chatting and laughing (repeated)â&#x20AC;Ś Finally we arrived back to our hall at 4:00am on 13 January 2008 Barbara Chan (RT, 702B)

Korean clothing

Study Tour

Stephen Tsui Siu Hin © (905A) The most memorable experience to me is the visit to Hallym University in Chuncheon. On that day, we were very happy because of the snow, but unfortunately the snow caused many traffic jams on highway. Finally we spent nearly four and half hours to arrive at Hallym University. However, the staff and students were still kept waiting us and they were very happy for our visit. We talked to them like friends and really can’t imagine we just met 10 minutes before. We had lunch together and after, their president came in and gave us a welcoming speech introducing their university. We were happy and nervous because we’d never met a president of a university before. It was a pity we just stayed there for 1.5 hour but I got lots of good experience and happiness from this trip.

Hallym University

Kam Hoi Cheung (906A) It was cold, it was warm – these two sentences can conclude what I want to say from this study tour. For me South Korea is a nice place to go, and the people are so friendly and enthusiastic. Not only could I find it from those student ambassadors and staff of the two universities, but also from the tour guides of the TV broadcasting company and museums, shop keepers from different stores, hawkers that selling delicious local snacks on the streets... Their passion and kindness made me feel so warm although the temperature was around 0 during our whole trip. 87

Study Tour Ah Ling -Ling Yuen Yi (1104A) From the visit to Hallym University I found that Koreans are very nice. Even when we were late for the visit because of the bad weather, they still tried to give us the best arrangement. And they were really full of passion and hospitable. One of them asked me to teach him how to say “Chinese” in Cantonese. He tried to repeat and repeat it. He also was full of humour! Maybe we will not meet them again; but they gave me a good impression.

Ken Chan Chi Ho (906B) Organizing a study tour is not an easy task. I am glad to have the chance to participate in the preparation stage such as contacting different travel agencies and planning the itinerary of the trip. I learned a lot from this tour especially about the Korean traditional culture, food, costume, history. I would like to share this with my hall mates!! Throughout the whole trip, I think the visit to the demilitarised zone (DMZ) is the most worthwhile place for me to go. We got the chance to get to the 3rd Tunnel which the North Korean’s built for the invasion of the South Korea. It gave me a great impact walking through it.

ToTo -Wong Ming To (904A) For me, the visit to Hallym University was so memorable in the study tour. There was a heavy snowing on that day and we were late for about five hours to arrive the campus, which meant we only had one hour to meet with them. But they were very kind and friendly and gave us a big welcome. I talked a lot with the Korean students when we were having lunch together. One of the students was very exciting when I was asking him about Manchester United and Park Chi Sung. Football is really an international language, haha! We had a campus tour after lunch and met the president of Hallym University, Dr. Kim. I was truly grateful for all they had done for us. 88

Yip -Cheung Wai Yip (906A) A memorable experience – the study tour to Seoul. From preparing the tour to start our journey to Seoul, everything in this study tour is new to me. As we prepared the tour by ourselves, each of us had to contribute a different part of the preparation work. We tried our best and made the trip become so successful! This is my first time to go to another country and also my first time to take a plane. It is really so exciting to me. I was very interested in visiting those cultural spots and museums that we planned. I learnt much about Korean culture, history and the daily life of people. What really caught my heart is knowing about the inter-war of Korea, especially the war between the South and North Korea from the museums. I also learned the history of the war from the visit of the boundary between South and North Korea and the 3rd tunnel. Those experience let me understand more about how South Korea’s history and culture are formed and how Korean people live.

Alice Wong Ho Yan (804B) In the past, I learned Korean cultures mainly from some Korean TV-Dramas and movies. My past impression about Koreans are the people who love KIMCHI and Plastic surgery. After visiting Korea, I learn more about Korea! I found Koreans have a strong sense of civic awareness and civic responsibilities .They won’t throw rubbish anywhere and they respect elderly and disablea people. Walking on the street, I found some special areas mainly for people with special needs on subways. I think HK society should refer to Korea and have more promotion on civic education. 89

Study Tour Biscults - Lee Ping Kong (904B) For me, the most unforgettable experience is the travel on the Railway by us. The network of the Korean Railway is more complicated when compared to HK. We spent lot of time to find out our destination from the Railway map, it is as complicatea as Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Railway. Inside the train, it is also different from HK; most Koreans do not talk in the train. They read, they sleep, they keep quiet, and almost no noise is produced. Also, we found that there were some seats for elderly people or people with special needs and Koreanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s young people would not use those seats. It is much different from HK that if HK people find these seats on the train they will try to get it as fast as they can. This tiny thing showed us that the ethics of Korea is better than HK, and I think we should learn it from Koreans, to be more considerate.

Fatboy - Liu Sui Hung (901B) The most impressive thing to me is I could see the biggest snowing on the fifth day of the tour. I was very exciting because is my first time I could touch real snow. It was so beautiful! We played snow war game in the woods of the Yonsei University, and we also made a funny snow-man! Watching the snow was one of my wishes in this tour and my dream really came true! Before the tour, I used the standard of HK to think and view everything. But after the study tour I found it was too narrow. I have widened my exposure and think differently after the trip. For me, there are too many interesting experiences and new learning in the tour. I can say that I gain a lot from the tour!

Fatsee - See Ming Chun (203B) Unforgettable is how I describe the Study Tour of Prosperity Hall. Korea is a country nearby China and its culture is quite similar to China, but there are also many differences, such as food and traditional clothing. The other unforgettable thing happened in National Museum of Korea, we not only learned the history of Korea but also the history of other Asian countries, such as China and Japan in the Chinese and Japanese Exhibition Hall. The most exciting moment to me was the time in the museum I saw a Sheng, one kind of musical instrument made in China in the past and now I am used to and love to play with. I never expected I could see this in the museum! It was really a surprise!

Martin Lee Chun On (901B) As the tour is organised by the resident hall, one of the aims of our tour is to experience the hall life of the Korean university. We decided to stay in the Yonsei University International House during the trip; nevertheless, the living standard of the dormitory is out of my expectation. The dormitory is spread into two sides, men’s wing and women’s wing. It is so strict that both genders could not enter into the opposite’s side. It brought us lot of inconvenience as we could not discuss the details for the further day’s trip. I really found the gender difference between these two countries, is quite wide.

Study Tour

Tan Tan - Pang Lai Tan (701B) The difference between Korea and HK is very large including type of food, special architectural design and even behaviour of locals. For example, Koreans are likely to choose rice as their breakfast instead of bread or noodles which are quite common in HK. Locals often eat pork or chicken but not beef due to great variation of their cost, and so we ate pork almost everyday during the trip. One thing that I entirely can’t adapt to is the spicy food in Korea, as I often avoid eating spicy food in HK while “Kimchi” is necessary to be present at each meal of Korean. Besides, a habit of Koreans that I appreciated is the cleaning up of their dining plates after finishing their meals, that’s why we can’t see any workers to clean up the dining table. Looking back most restaurants in HK, it is rare for people to clean up the dining table themselves and thus that is a great difference of culture between two countries.

Raver Tse Chi Wai (203B) When I was first walking on the street of Seoul, I was surprised to find that there was no rubbish bin. However, I couldn’t find any rubbish on the street. In HK, we can find rubbish bin on the street easily but there is still much rubbish on the street. The tour guide told me that the Korean government has established strict laws to fine people for $5000 if they throw rubbish on the street. This policy is so successful for the implementation of this new law. This is what our HK government can learn from the Korea government.

Museum

Tommy Leung Wai Him (506A) I can see the difference of eating habits between Korean and HK’s people. I found that Koreans have their own style but also have mixed a lot with the Chinese and Japanese cultures together. For me, it seems that the food is similar amongst these three countries. In addition, Korean is relatively fit in their bodies. Hardly did I see any obese people on the street! It must be their diets include more vegetables than meats, which is quite different from HK’s. That’s why Koreans look more healthier and fitter than the people in HK.

Barbara Chan Sui Wah (702B) The most impressive experience of this tour is learning more about the recent history of Korea. For those of us living in HK, it is difficult to think about hostility and war as it hardly ever knocks on our door! Walking down the 3rd Underpass tunnel, we could feel there must have many sad stories and casualties happened, I felt very upset and thought of: if I were one of them forced to work in this tunnel at that war period, how is my purpose of life? Is there any hope? We are all so blessed to be living in HK,such a peaceful place. My wish is that one day we can see the North and South Korea are united just like Germany.

Words from editors It has always been a difficult job being an editor of our Annual Publication “Prosperians”. This year is even more challenging. When you turn over the pages of this book, you will find that nearly all the contents were written in English. Being the 4th Volume of our publication, it’s the first time we have used English as our main medium. As the previous volumes were written in Chinese, this year, we have had to translate many of these materials into English. Also, we have to collect all information and articles in English. It has been a really big challenge and this put extra pressure on us because of the tight schedule. I would like to thank my lovely hall mates for helping in the preparation of this publication. Jolin --- Thank you for being patient, I know I am a bit bossy sometimes! Fish(Poissons) --- Thank you for your continuous support! Vicki --- Sorry for getting you involved in such a hurry, you’ve done a great job! Ra and Morning --- Thanks for helping in the translation. Dr Panda Chan --- Thanks for your hard work on the Study Tour part. All floor representatives –-- Thank you for your support in providing the floor photos and articles. All RT’s --- Thank you for your coordination! All Prosperians --- Thank you for reading. IvaN Lam

As members of the editorial board, we have tried our very best to include all the contents that we think will be of interest. We have explored fascinating stories, collected amusing photos and rushed for the deadline so as to “give birth” to this publication. It’s like making a dessert with the hope that the ones who taste it will enjoy. Therefore, please carefully savour every ingredient in this publication, every word and every picture that we have prepared for you. Enjoy the rest of the publication! Vicki Lam 94

I feel it a great pleasure to participate in the editing job for “Prosperians” this year. From the words written by the residents, I am deeply touched by their enthusiasm towards hall life and impressed by their unique characteristics and interesting stories. The pictures taken in various functions and activities arouse my memories of these wonderful moments such as those in floor gatherings and the Prosperians Night. Also the introduction of hall traditions and facilities enable me to know more about the hall, which also provides residents with plenty of useful information. In addition to reviewing hall issues, I also enjoy a lot working with other editorial members, during which their creativities and energies give me lots of inspiration and encouragement. I am really proud of the completion of the “Prosperians”, and more importantly, the Prosperians spirit is reflected from every page and every word inside. Jolin Dong I have spent quite a lot of time to think about how to write this part, is it possible to write it by myself or just search some sample essay of “words from editor” in Yahoo? Finally, I have chosen to write it in my own words. Although I am an ELC guy with poor English, there are really some things I want to tell you guys sincerely. This is our first time to publish the Prosperians in English. I think most of us are still not used to this. However, we can share our life and our feelings to ALL residents by using this magic language (is ALL! Not part of us). It is obvious that all of us are willing to share our days to others, especially to the non-local students. The main problem may only be the lack of confidence to use a second language. But the lovely smile form all my nonlocal-student friends remind me that no matter what language we are using; no matter how good (for me, is “how bad”) it is, they can feel our love and grace. I hope you, who have finish reading this book, can also feel that. Finally, I would like to thanks all my friends who gave their helping hands in publishing this book. Special thanks and love to Uncle IVAN who always does his best no matter how hard his work load is. You are really glorious!!! Fish Au