The Young Reporter Vol. 51 Issue 6

May 2019 / Issue 6

Exploring migration

Bonus stories from Hong Kong Sevens

Migrant workers Diving Into Creative Writing Cultural inclusion through Halal food • Influence of Russian immigrants in Hong Kong

In This Issue

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Cultural inclusion through halal food

The influence of Russian immigrants in Hong Kong

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Creative writing: Not an art reserved for the privileged

Extortionate handling fees for Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tickets

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Hong Kong Sevens rolls out reusable pint cup initiative to combat plastic waste

Young emigrants seeking a fresh start outside Hong Kong

Letter from the Editor As the world becomes more globalised and connected, there is also more more flexibility for people to move from country to country. Since Hong Kong is made up of immigrants from a diverse range of backgrounds, we decided to explore how population flow influences our city in terms of culture, language and economics.

Editor-in-Chief

Reporters and Editors

Katherine Li

We have chosen to delve into the theme of “migration� for our latest issue. For our cover story, we explore how some foreign domestic helpers found their voices and their talent through creative writing, and how to strive for equality in spirit. We also look into how Muslims are trying to promote halal food in the city in hope of making Hong Kong more culturally inclusive. We also discuss how Russian immigrants influence food and religion in the city.

Art Directors

Alexandria Lin Amy Ho Anna Kam Brison Li Cara Li Elaine Soh Fang-Yi Chen Fifi Tsui Hailey Man Jo Ng Katherine Li Karen Kwok King Woo Maisy Mok Nadia Lam Oasis Li Phoebe Lai Rachel Yeo Sammi Chan Samuel Lim Stephanie Ma Tomiris Urstembayeva Vanessa Yung Vimvam Tong Wallis Wang William Tsui Yetta Lam Zoya Zhao

Hong Kong is currently seeing a trend of youths emigrating to other countries. Delving into the lives of some young Hongkongers who chose to leave, we report on a few key reasons thar drive them away.

In addition, we have a special coverage on the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens. Our reporters investigate discrepancies in ticket prices and also how plastic waste was reduced during the games.

Deputy Editors

Anna Kam Phoebe Lai Rachel Yeo Wallis Wang

Elaine Soh Hailey Man Maisy Mok Nadia Lam Oasis Li Stephanie Ma Tomiris Urstembayeva Zoya Zhao Social Media Editors

Fifi Tsui Hailey Man Multimedia Editors

Alexandria Lin Amy Ho Nadia Lam Tomiris Urstembayeva Vanessa Yung Advisers

Jenny Lam Robin Ewing

Enjoy reading, and have a great summer!

Sincerely, Katherine Li Editor-in-chief

The Young Reporter Volume 51 No. 6

Printer

Department of Journalism School of Communication Hong Kong Baptist University

04 SOCIETY

Reported by Vimvam Tong and Oasis Li Edited by Alex Lin

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Kelly Sin Ling-ho, a 21-year-old student, always feels pressure on Hong Kong’s overcrowded streets, and especially so when she sees real estate agencies offering expensive local properties.

“Even if I work hard in Hong Kong, I cannot afford an apartment, ” she said.

Ms. Ho was admitted to a

university in Gold Coast, Australia three years ago. She shares a house off-campus with four other girls and pays $983.60 for rent per week.

She is satisfied with her living conditions in this coastal city.

Her room there has a private bathroom and is twice as big as her apartment in Hong Kong. She wants to apply for permanent residency in Australia once she graduates.

She needs to get a minimum of 60 points in order to qualify for application under the Australian Skilled Immigration Points system. Those include English language proficiency and skilled employment.

Ms. Ho looks forward to a future in Australia where there are fewer crowds than in Hong Kong and where housing is cheaper.

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Kelly Sin Ling-ho plans to move to Australia where the living environment is less crowded than Hong Kong. She complains that property prices in Hong Kong are too high.

Bureau. In 2016, the number of emigrants to the three countries accounted for nearly 80% of the total of 7,600 people who left. Emigration to the United States increased by 30% from 700 immigrants on an annual basis from the previous year, while those who went to Canada increased by 25% from 200 immigrants and those to Australia by only 5% out of 100.

She is also studying to become a nurse. She finds that hospitals in Australia provide better working conditions than the ones in Hong Kong. “Each nurse takes care of four patients in Australia, but in Hong Kong, nurses have to care for at least 20 patients during the peak season,” Ms. Ho said.

A recent survey conducted by The Chinese University of Hong

Kong shows that 34% of 708 respondents would leave their hometown if they have the chance. Some of the top reasons include overcrowded living conditions and political disputes.

The most favoured destinations for potential migrants are the the United States, Australia and Canada, according to the Security

A 2017 study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that many people are worried about the political environment when the “one country two systems” concept under Chinese rule expires in 2047. The survey shows that nearly 70% of more than 1,000 respondents support the maintenance of “one country two systems” after 2047. Yet, nearly half oppose “direct governance by China” and 60% oppose Hong Kong

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Source: Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong

independence. Around 20% of the respondents have considered emigration once “one country two systems” ends.

For Ms. Ho’s parents, the uncertainty of Hong Kong’s political future is the main reason for wanting to leave.

“My parents find that Hong Kong has changed a lot (since the handover to Chinese rule). It seems that there is less freedom in our daily lives, like the national anthem controversy,” she said.

The National Anthem Bill went into effect in January 2019 to criminalise abuse of China’s national anthem.

“They are worried that their freedom might be severely curtailed when Hong Kong returns to China completely.

So we want to go to a place with a more fair political environment,” she added.

However, Jasmine Luk Yung-ching, a Hong Kong immigrant who moved to the United States eight years ago with her sister and mother, disagrees.

“I think at this point in this world, it’s just politically not very stable, so I think it doesn’t matter,” she said.

Ms. Luk is currently a senior college student majoring in mathematics. “Moving away

from Hong Kong offers better education and job prospects,” she said.

“Politics may be a reason, but not the main factor which will affect where I want to find a job,” she added.

Looking for job opportunities around the world, Ms. Luk said that she prefers to work in the United States because she is used to the way people communicate there.

“In America, I think that people are more straightforward, so you won’t necessarily need to guess what they are trying to say. Hongkongers are not straightforward,” said Ms. Luk.

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Above: Jasmine Yung Chin-luk chose to move to the United States for better living conditions and opportunities for education eight years ago. She comes back to Hong Kong once every two years to remind herself of her identity and culture.

Left: Eric Kwun Sing-cheng works for Globevisa, a migration agency, and talks to 20 to 30 immigrants each month.

Eric Kwun Sing-heng, an immigration consultant at Globevisa, an international migration agency, questions the result of the CUHK survey.

He said that if more than a quarter of the respondents want to emigrate because there are too many political disputes or social divisions in Hong Kong, people will prefer to move to countries with less political dispute.

are too many political disputes that have not been resolved.

Mr. Cheng said that most of his clients want to emigrate because of education needs, better retirement environment, social welfare taxation and asset transfer.

Mr. Cheng added that although young people do want to migrate, few actually do because they do not have enough money.

“Are there people who choose to live in these countries?” Mr. Cheng asked.

“At least, among my clients, no one wants to immigrate to China and North Korea.”

Although the emigrants might have moved to their ideal countries, they cannot forget where they are from when embracing a new culture outside Hong Kong.

He believes the real reason Hong Kong people might want to emigrate is that there

Ms. Ho’s biggest concern when moving out are the cultural differences between

Hong Kong and Australia.

“They won’t celebrate some Chinese festivals, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival.

So, I may miss Hong Kong,” she said.

The loss of Chinese language and culture was also worrying for Ms. Luk’s father before his wife and daughters left.

“But when we got there, it was fine. We are still Chinese and we are also embracing our Chinese culture along with American culture,” Ms. Luk said.

“I always miss Hong Kong. It’s part of who I am,” she added.

08 CULTURE

Cultural inclusion through halal food Reported by Nadia Lam Edited by Candice Wong and Amy Ho

Islamic Centre Canteen looks every bit like a regular restaurant, except there is no pork on the menu and a halal certification hangs on the wall. It is one of 77 restaurants that have a halal certification issued by the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong.

The Quran strictly forbids pork and alcohol. Pork is considered impure, unhealthy and harmful because of the fat, toxins and bacteria. Animals must be slaughtered in a halal method where they must not be strangled or beaten to death. The meat must then also be prepared in the halal way.

Halal means what is lawful or allowed according to Quran, the religious text of Islam, while haram refers to what is forbidden in the religion.

To get certified, a restaurant needs to go through a halal inspection to prove that it is free of all haram chemicals, plant and meat products. Then the owner

needs to pay a fee to get the halal certificate.

According to the 2016 population by-census, there were more than 300,000 Muslims in Hong Kong, an increase from 1.3% to 4.1% of the population over a decade, the most rapid growth compared with other major religions.

Jamal Ahmed Rahim is a chairperson of the Muslim Students’ Association at The University of Hong Kong.

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need to eat halal food. Eating with my local friends often means I limit what they can eat.

That’s why I don’t usually go out with them.”

Syddeqah Yuen is the chairperson of Hong Kong Islamic Youth Association. She is from Hong Kong and a born Muslim.

Ms. Yuen admits that it was a challenge when she starts to look for quality halal products.

Jamal Ahmed Rahim, chairperson of the Muslim Students’ Association from The University of Hong Kong, is trying to convince the university to offer more halal food options on campus.

Since there is only one halal restaurant on campus, Mr. Rahim would often choose the vegetarian or fish options during meals.

He believes that most people in Hong Kong do not know what halal food is.

“When I ask at a restaurant whether their food is halal or vegetarian, they often do not know.”

“

Eating with my local friends often means I limit what they can eat. That’s why I don’t usually go out with them.

Jamal Ahmed Rahim

”

Chairperson of the Muslim Students' Association

“Everytime I go to the supermarket, I need to check if there is any halal certification logo printed on the back of the package.”

Ms. Yuen founded ‘Hani Halal’, a halal food wholesaler and retailer since March 2018 with her friends, Sharifa Leung and Connie Ho. The aim is to introduce halal certified and Muslim friendly products to Hong Kong.

Ms. Leung hopes people can understand that they are not promoting their religion, but just the knowledge about halal food.

Everytime he goes to a restaurant that is not halal certified, Mr. Rahim needs to explain to the waiters what is halal food.

“We would ask if the fish is prepared separately from the other meat. If it is prepared with chicken, beef or pork then we do not eat the fish,” he said, “I usually cook for myself these days.”

Mr. Rahim does not often dine out with his local friends. “Sometimes I would only go out with my Pakistani friends because we

Prof. James Frankel believes that with more halal food options available, the community may become more inclusive.

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Halal food, she explains, is usually safe for most people to eat because it does not contain alcohol and some food chemicals that are haram.

“We can basically eat all the creations. But we do not eat pork since it’s impure and it takes ten years to excrete the toxin that a pig carries,” Ms. Leung said.

They want to promote the idea that “halal is for everyone”.

“Local people might not even be aware that the food is halal when you see it in a regular restaurant,” she said.

“ It is a very good way if we can find a common shared experience and food culture is one that everyone can enjoy.

Prof. James Frankel

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Director of Centre for the Study of Islamic Culture

Professor James Frankel, Director of the Centre for the Study

These halal lollipops are popular among Southeast Asian kids.

of Islamic Culture as well as the Associate Professor of Department of Cultural and Religious Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, also agrees with Ms. Leung.

“You can have halal Chinese, Italian or French food,” he explained. “If there is no difference then why not use halal methods so that more people can enjoy it.”

He encourages local restaurants to apply for the halal certification. However, some major food chain restaurants such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Pizza Hut rejected the request to offer halal food back in 2013.

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He thinks that’s just the restaurant owners are being stubborn.

“Non-Muslims can eat halal food and no one would mind. They do not know the difference, so why not make something that has more appeal?” he said.

“I think that it is a good investment to go halal because if you make those changes, you can serve 5 to 10% more customers.

So why not?”

Given the diverse culture and cuisine in Hong Kong, Prof.

Frankel thinks that the city can be a very friendly place for both Muslims and non-Muslims.

“If we can find a common ground, it’s a food culture that everyone can enjoy,” he added.

Hong Kong style coconut tarts are also a kind of halal food.

"

Islamic Centre Canteen is the only halal dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong.

12 CULTURE

The influence of Russian immigrants in Hong Kong Reported by Rachel Yeo, Samuel Lim, Elaine Soh and Tomiris Urstembayeva Edited by Amy Ho and Vimvam Tong Of the two million immigrants in Hong Kong, only 2,000 are from Russia. The Orthodox Church offers Russian immigrants the opportunity to catch up with one another in Hong Kong.

At the Saint Apostle’s Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Sheung Wan, Russian immigrants gather every Sunday to worship. The church is not just a place to practice their faith in Orthodox Christianity, but gives Russian immigrants the opportunity to connect with their community.

Alexis Selezneff, a 59-year-old wine company owner, said that Russians share the same soul and they are connected as a family, especially when living abroad.

“When two Russians meet outside our country, they share something,” he said.

“So the church is also a point where we can meet people who feel like us and every child in the church is our children.”

While only a small number of Russians have made Hong Kong their permanent home,

Russian influence is evident around the city.

Russian immigrants have help spread Orthodox Christianity to Hong Kong. Some of them say they’ve brought “the Russian soul” and they welcome people of all background to join their church.

According to Arena: Atlas of Religions and Nationalities, 42.5% of Russians identify as Orthodox Christian as of 2012.

“

We are here to celebrate for people of Hong Kong, no matter which nationality or ethnicity they are.

Denis Pozdnyaev

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Father of Orthodox Church

They have also brought to Hong Kong Russian culinary specialties, such as borscht soup, a quintessential item on the menu of many local Hong Kong restaurants today.

This humble soup, complete with beef and beetroot, was introduced to Hong Kong by Russian migrants who have been coming here since the World War II. Polina S, 28, a community manager of a co-working space company, believes that the Orthodox Church is a meaningful place to stay connected to her Russian roots.

“I come here mainly to talk to people, so it is more community based. It is a way to get connected with my culture because Hong Kong is such a hectic place and when I come to church, it offers me a calm environment,” she said.

Father Denis Pozdnyaev, who is in charge of the church, said that people of all races and background are welcome to join the church.

He moved to Hong Kong 16 years ago, and has been a priest for nearly 25 years.

Originally from Moscow, Father Denis’ experience of living in this cosmopolitan city has been generally positive so far.

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“It’s a very interesting and vibrant city, suitable for foreigners. One of the benefits is that foreigners don’t feel like foreigners here,” Father Denis said.

Russian immigration to Hong Kong dates back at least to the pre World-War II period.

Some fled here during the Sino-Japanese War. After the People’s Republic of China was established, Russians in China began to move away.

However, most of them needed a visa in order to move to a different country.

It was still relatively easy for Russians to get a visa for Hong Kong. Many Russians from China came through Hong Kong between the 1950s and the 1970s before resettling in other countries, such as Australia, Brazil and Canada.

Father Denis Pozdnyaev holds a pectoral cross. He views Hong Kong as a bridge in global Orthodoxy in China.

“We consider Hong Kong as a bridge in global Orthodoxy in mainland China, but we are also here to celebrate for people in Hong Kong, no matter which nationality or ethnicity they are,” Father Denis explained.

The church has also managed to create its own brand of Chinese Orthodoxy by accepting local priests and adapting to local followers.

“Christianity is really quite a recent thing in China and in Hong Kong,” Ms. S said.

After the Sunday worship, both church members and parishioners gather for holy communion. They then catch up with one another. The church is also a platform for Russian migrants to meet, share their experiences and socialise.

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The Orthodox church also doubles up as a Russian language centre. This is also where Russians, locals and other foreigners learn the language.

For Irina Ustyugova, a Russian language instructor for over 10 years, this is an opportunity to spread Russian culture in the city.

Local church members help to organise Sunday services. They have gained a better understanding of Russian culture through the Orthodox church.

“By translating some of the chants into Cantonese, our Hong Kong parish members can create a culture for themselves to move forward.”

One such member is Louis Lee, who joined the church in January this year. Previously Catholic for 27 years, Mr. Lee converted because he prefers the values of Orthodox Christianity.

“I like Russian values very much, especially how Russia has managed to recover all of her lost moral ethics and inculcate the lost values in their people, which is similar to how Chinese restore their values through Confucius,” he shared.

“(Teaching Russian) is like opening the most interesting facts about your native country to people who are eager to listen,” she said.

While Ms. Ustyugova is passionate in imparting her values to foreigners, it is not always easy.

“Either people often know nothing about the country because Hong Kong is far

“My pastor who baptised me used to be in the East Orthodox Church, so I researched and watched videos to learn about the history,” he said.

He felt that Orthodox Christianity feels the most “original and correct”, compared with his previous religion.

Through Orthodox Christianity, Mr. Lee is slowly learning about Russian culture, he said he still does not know much.

Founded by one of old Shanghai’s best chefs of Russian cuisine, Queen’s Cafe was established in Hong Kong in 1952. With its nostalgic décor and unique Russian cuisine, Queen’s Cafe has become a much loved establishment among locals.

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from Russia or people are not aware of what’s happening there in general or they are focused on other things,” she said.

While some locals may be interested in Russian culture, cultural differences may prevent them from accepting it, for example when Irina shows Russian films or books during some events.

“People would look at me strangely, when I talk about “deep Russian soul” (a type of literature that showcases the uniqueness of the Russian identity) or that sufferings are useful because they help us understand people,” she explained.

“It was a surprise for me that they couldn’t understand the films.”

Salad Olivier is a traditional Russian potato salad which dates back to the 1860s. Originally prepared by French chef Lucien Olivier, the popularity of the dish quickly spread to Eastern Europe, Iran and Pakistan.

“It is also a lack of cultural background as the city is more oriented towards business, to economy and less to culture, so people living here sometimes suffer from this issue,” added Father Denis, who believes that being open

to foreigners can help Hong Kong to prosper.

Despite these challenges, Russian immigrants here have found a home away from home.

28-year-old Anastasia Kraeva, for example, thinks Hong Kong will be her new home for the rest of her life.

“Our children already speak Cantonese and study in local schools,” she explained. “All our friends are already here and we don’t need to move anywhere.”

“I’m ready to stay here for a long time and maybe for a lifetime,” Father Denis said.

Famous Russian beef stroganoff, a dish with tender pieces of beef and sour-cream sauce, is commonly served with rice in Hong Kong. At Queen’s Cafe, a set lunch would include borscht soup and a small butter bun.

16 CULTURE

Creative writing — not an art reserved for the privileged Reported by Katherine Li Edited by Phoebe Lai

As a foreign domestic helper in Hong Kong, Anni Juliana works in her employer’s home six days a week, up to 13 hours a day.

On Sunday, her only day off, the 37-year-old from North Sumatra in Indonesia spends her time on studying English and participating in creative writing.

Ms. Juliana is one of the 369,651 foreign domestic workers in this city, around 41% of whom are Indonesian.

She is also one of the 10 whose work was featured in Java Tales and Voices, a creative writing magazine published last December by local charity TCK Learning Centre for Migrant Workers.

“Back when I was in school

in Indonesia, I always loved to write in English,” said Ms. Juliana, sitting cross-legged on a lush carpet in TCK Learning Centre’s study room, while her friends outside put on makeup and sequined dresses in preparation for their angklung traditional Indonesian music performance later that aftenoon.

domestic workers and ethnic minorities to tell their stories and take pride in their culture through creative writing.

I had to go find work, but I still try my best to find these opportunities,” she said.

“Tick tock… Tick tock…

Days, months, years go by, my kids growing up. Time moves so fast. No one can control or stop it, or even push the pause button. A million tears fall. A million prayers I send up to heaven just for one reason,” wrote Ms. Juliana.

Under the instruction of their creative writing instructor Becky Mitchell, Java Tales and Voices was published as a compilation of creative works by migrant workers.

A number of workshops around the city have also been encouraging foreign

In her personal memoir titled Rainbow, Ms. Juliana tells a poignant personal story of struggle and hope, about how she fought to keep her family afloat and give her three children a future.

Her two favourite poets, Maya Angelou and Langston

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Hughes whose works discuss race and identity, have inspired her to write with her own voice.

“Before I thought it’s just a sad story, no one wants to know it and they will judge me for my poor life, but their poems touched something deep inside and I can see their emotions within myself.

It helps me speak about myself when I know that other people in the world are doing it too. Now I know there is a great story out there that can come from the reality of my life,” she said.

Life as a domestic helper is often turbulent, according to Ms. Juliana. Tearfully, she recalled how many domestic workers here are treated poorly and made to perform degrading duties.

Most migrant workers are only free to study in TCK Learning Centre on Sundays when they have their only day-off, but this doesn’t deter their desire to learn.

“Yes, we come in here for work, but people here would be more grateful if they know about our lives through our writing,” said Ms. Juliana.

“We also have the same dream to make a better future.”

Dwi Wuryaningshi, 32, from Semarang, Indonesia, also has a dream of her own.

“I dream of becoming a freelance writer who can write from the comfort of my own home and choose what jobs to accept,” said Ms. Wuryaningshi, who published four works in Java Tales and

A teacher of fundamental English demonstrates sentences and verb tenses on the whiteboard.

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Becky Mitchell (first row left) feels very moved by the determination and improvements shown by her students. On that particular day, she has invited Chris Maden (second row left), president of the Hong Kong Writers Circle, to discuss more opportunities for their work to be published.

Voices. She is currently interested in writing crime and mystery short stories.

Ms. Wuryaningshi said that most migrant workers in Hong Kong did not attend college and many have families counting on their income.

Despite their level of education, the workshop participants’ enthusiasm and passion to learn has deeply moved Ms. Mitchell.

“These women are bright and able,” she said. “They are willing to spend their only free time studying, and this

perseverance is so difficult to attain.”

Ms. Mitchell said she encourages writers not to worry about having “perfect English” and teaches them that adding their own cultural elements into their writing makes the story more personal.

“I often incorporate both Hindu and Chinese culture into my writing. I realised that there are so many shared characteristics between these two cultures,” said Reena Bhojwani, an ethnically Indian creative writer and teacher who was born and

raised in Hong Kong. Participants of her creative writing workshops include a mix of Chinese and ethnic minority children from local schools.

She believes that the freedom of not having a fixed standard in format and language is what really fosters their creativity and self-expression.

“I have two horror short stories that explore the concept of afterlife, both based on the Hindu and Chinese beliefs and traditions related to death. Having both cultural backgrounds really enriches my imagination and

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“

But publishing writing can really help show a different side of us, for people here to see us the same as they are — as a human.

”

Anni Juliana

Domestic worker from North Sumatra, Indonesia

allows me to incorporate these interesting observations into my creative work,” says Ms. Bhojwani.

She said that the fear of “writing wrongly” is a problem among ethnic minority children in local schools, because lacking proficiency in the local tongue can easily deprive them of the confidence to learn anything, let alone create.

“Back in the 19th century, Gustave Flaubert made the analogy in his Madame Bovary that ‘human speech is like a cracked kettle’, so the notion that human language and speech is inherently imperfect shouldn’t be a novel idea,” said Dr. Jason Polley, lecturer of English literature and creative writing in Hong Kong Baptist University.

Dr. Polley, who writes poetry, has held several creative writing workshops for Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong over the past year, which he finds to be “culturally inspiring”.

“There is no such thing as ‘perfect English’,” he said.

“Look at languages like Singlish and Taglish, and you will begin to realise that there is beauty and so much creativity in those so-called ‘flawed English’.”

To encourage his workshop attendees who may lack confidence in their English writing ability, he alternated between varieties of language in conversation and asked them to freely express whatever they have weighing on their minds.

During this self-disclosure process on paper to an imaginary audience, some participants may even shed tears due to the traumatising experiences they have endured while working in this city.

“While the creation of poems and prose can often be their outlets of distress, I do realise that a few poems cannot change the fact that the Hong Kong mainstream culture here collectively turns a blind eye to their lives,” Dr. Polley said.

He said that the purpose of these workshops are less to be recognised by Hong Kong

people, but more for them to recognise themselves.

“The writing process is a journey of self exploration and awareness — it’s reflexivity,” said Dr. Polley.

“Just by allowing ethnic minorities a chance to write and be published somewhere empowers them emotionally and shows them that they have agency over their creativity, and that is what really counts.”

Feeling the joy of being published and heard, Ms. Juliana said that she would love to write more, even though her demanding job as a domestic helper takes up the majority of her hours.

“We do what we do because we think about the people we love back in Indonesia. Our family needs us and is waiting for us,” said Ms. Juliana.

“But publishing writing can really help show a different side of us, for people here to see us the same as they are — as humans.”

20 SPORTS

Extortionate handling fees for Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tickets Reported by Vanessa Yung, Hailey Man and Anna Kam Edited by Yetta Lam and Phoebe Lai

The Hong Kong Sevens was held in the Hong Kong Stadium in early April.

It is advertised as “where the world comes to play” by sponsors. Last April, tens of thousands of rugby fans from around the world cheered their teams at the annual on Hong Kong Rugby Sevens at Hong Kong stadium.

According to the Rugby Union’s audit report, income from “entry and admission fees” raked in $1.3 million. The finals on Sunday usually draw the largest number of spectators every year and tickets for those top team matches are

sometimes hard to come by.

For years, scalpers would approach fans, typically at Causeway Bay MTR station, to offer tickets to those desperate to see the finals.

This year, the Hong Kong Rugby Union announced in October 2018, that the tickets were going to remain the same price as last year staying at $1,950 for a full three day tournament ticket.

Currently, there are no laws in Hong Kong regulating ticket

“ Few local fans

would pay thousands of dollars for the tickets. Buyers are mostly staff from insurance companies who want to offer tickets to their clients as a gift.

An anonymous seller

”

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scalping. An online scalper who refused to give his name, claimed that he sold a threeday ticket package for $3,600.

That’s a 80% markup on the original price.

According to the Hong Kong Sevens official website, Hong Kong identity card holders can enter a ballot in which tickets would be randomly allocated.

Each person can apply for up to two tickets and a total 9,000 tickets would be sold this way.

Visitors from overseas can purchase the “Essential Sevens Travel package” from travel agents listed. There are also “hospitality packages” from, for example, Cathay Pacific or the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.

One of the travel agents on the website, Keith Prowse Travel, for example, offers packages starting from AUD$2,975 ($16,600) per person, that include return tickets from Australia, four nights stay at a hotel plus tickets for all three days of the matches.

Alternatively, fans can buy tickets from Viagogo, a ticket selling platform promoted by the Hong Kong Sevens.

Founded in 2006, Viagogo is an online marketplace matchmaking platform that offers tickets that are in high demand. The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union has been teaming up with Viagogo since 2014, so that fans know that tickets bought from the

platform would not be fraudulent.

Briony Carter Pattison, a mother of an avid rugby player, was desperate to buy a ticket for her son. She paid $2,287 for a three-day ticket plus $255 in delivery and booking fees on Viagogo.

The ticket itself was inflated only by $225, where as the bulk of the ticket cost was the delivery and “admin” fee.

Ultimately, the final markup from Viagogo is 17% from the original price.

Ms. Pattison also found the online purchase process stressful. “You have no time to think. You get eight minutes from start to finish,” said Ms. Pattison.

She questioned why the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union works with Viagogo, but not have any official on-site ticket sales.

“The actual ticket prices were not too inflated [from the original price], but the delivery and the booking fees were ridiculous.

”

Briony Carter Pattison Mother of a rugby player

Viagogo does not reveal the extra fees until buyers are ready to pay. In the end, the three day ticket cost Ms. Pattison $2,287 more than the original price of $1,950.

Local rugby fan, Bruce Yim, also found the official Sevens website confusing.

“The retail prices of the tickets are not stated clearly. I do not know the original price. There is no way to determine whether the black market or even the official reselling platform prices Viagogo are regulated.”

Nieve Heskin, an American who lived in Hong Kong, bought a ticket in 2017 through Viagogo months before the event.

“I heard that the tickets would be gone quickly once they went on sale,” Ms. Heskin explained.

She thought that she paid for the face value of the tickets since she purchased them very early on. But she later found out from friends that she

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Left: Housewife Briony Carter Pattison buys a ticket from Viagogo at the price of $2,887 for the Rugby Sevens. The price is around 50% higher than the original price.

Right: Our reporters check on Viagogo for the ticket price on March 28 for the Rugby Sevens, which costs $2,860, around 50% higher than the original price.

attended the Sevens with that she had paid way over what the original value was.

Viagogo has no “standard percentage” service fee for both the buyer and the seller.

It only states on the official website that “service fees may vary” depending on the event.

Buyers are charged with “admin fees” to maintain the platform and customer services, while sellers are also charged a fee to cover the costs of advertising to potential buyers.

Hong Kong Rugby Union public relations spokesman, Andy Yeung, said that the union only recommends fans to buy tickets through Viagogo because tickets from scalper may turn out to be fraudulent.

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24 HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Hong Kong Sevens rolls out reusable pint cup initiative to combat plastic waste Reported by Stephanie Ma Edited by Anna Kam

The Hong Kong Rugby Union is set to introduce 250,000 reusable pint cups as part of its sixth annual ‘Green Rugby’ campaign, with an aim to cut down on single-plastic use at this year’s Rugby Sevens tournament.

According to the HKRU, around 200 tonnes of waste was produced at the threeday mega-event amongst the 120,000 spectators in attendance in 2013, but the number was down by 100 tonnes as of 2016.

This year, patrons would be asked for a $10 deposit paid either through cash or Octopus card for a reusable stack cup produced from fully recycled plastic, which would be subsequently assembled, cleaned, and sanitised for reuse by local social enterprise BottLess over the course of the game and other non-rugby events, according to the HKRU. The Green Rugby is focused on providing not just a green campaign, but it also aims to

work with local companies like Diwash to handle all of their dishware cleaning.

Aside from working with the Environmental Protection Department, the Leisure and Cultural Department, as well as large mainstream beverage suppliers like Carlsberg and Swire Coco-Cola Hong Kong, the HKRU has also partnered with local sustainability consultancy The Purpose Business to streamline and monitor the operation of the campaign.

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Dr. Merrin Pearse represents The Purpose Business based in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

One of their main aims is to reduce waste at the Sevens in 2019.

“This Green campaign is the sixth year running, every year we aim to do something more,” said Dr. Pearse.

In previous years, the Green Rugby campaign has tackled food waste and eliminated plastic straws. This year was the first year it aimed to eliminate single-use plastic.

In 2018, 61 tonnes of general refuse was collected from the event, marking a 48% of reduction from 2017. About 2.1 tonnes of plastic waste was also separated and assembled for recycling at the Stadium.

aiming to tackle waste issues in major sporting events. “We really need everyone to be on board, like sponsors, the public and the government. It is a lot easier to use single use plastic because it does not require a lot of energy and money,” said Dr. Pearse.

waste,” said Ms. Tang.

While she also contended that organisers should take the lead in implementing these green policies, the government and sponsors of the game should also join force to make the tournament a more eco-friendly event.

Bonnie Tang Man-lam, environmental campaigner for Greenpeace East Asia questioned the effectiveness of the campaign.

“I think Rugby Sevens has improved a lot [with their waste-tackling campaigns], as compared to the green measures they have implemented during the past few years,” said Ms Tang.

“If speculators are allowed to bring their own cups and use the $10 reuse incentive, or they can bring their own cups to the venue, I think this is a more eco-friendly way to tackle

There are 200 or more volunteers that are aiding the campaign this year, where their sole focus is to oversee the reusable cups, from cash flow management to making sure the cups are recycled properly.

The success so far on the Green Rugby campaign inside Hong Kong stadium has been evident with people using the reusable cups to fill water. “The water queues are longer than the beer queue.” Dr. Pearse added.

Although day one of the Rugby Sevens is successful, Dr. Pearse mentioned that it took many years of continuous effort

Rugby Sevens has partnered with large mainstream beverage suppliers like Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong and Carlsberg in the implementation of its Green Rugby campaign this year.

Although tackling waste will not be resolved in a single day or year, the Green Rugby campaign has come a long

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way from previous years especially for eliminating single-use plastic.

Rendering the measure ecofriendliness only on the surface, Wong Kong-chu, a professor and director of the Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences at the Hong Kong Baptist University, also doubt the effectiveness of the pint cup scheme.

“I think psychologically, it looks like effort has been made to tackle waste. But realistically, the cups are still made from recycled plastic, so fundamentally a large amount of new plastic cups had been manufactured,” said Prof. Wong.

District Council member Yip Hing-kwok also questioned the problems that arise due to the many processes that the cups have to go through before being reused.

“The problem is, even if there is a third party to collect these cups, they have to go through many procedures to clean,

Bins are placed inside the venue to recycle used plastic jugs, while the reusable stack cups will be collected by social enterprise BottLess for future usage.

sanitise and store the cups for the next function,” said Mr. Yip. Mr. Yip also commented on how the government should lead the way by offering discount incentives for people who purchase cups so they can reuse the cups in the future.

“The audience can use the same cup at different restaurant branches owned by one organisation or company, and these branches can give them discounts or other incentives accordingly if they use the cup.”

Comparing the Sevens green initiatives to other mega-events, such as Taste of Hong Kong and Clockenflap that happened earlier this year.

The Sevens is the only event that exclusively promoted a deposit scheme. The other mega-events only often promoted an effective way to recycle and water fountains for participants to refill.

Dr. Pearse explained that the government also needs to help Hong Kong in order to promote more Green initiatives. “The government can support by installing more water fountains.”

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Speculators would be asked for a $10 deposit paid either through cash or Octopus card for a reusable stack cup, produced from fully recycled plastic with a lifespan of five years.

Sam Tsoi Kin-san, a Hong Kong Rugby Player who is this year’s green ambassador, said that the HKRU really aims to reduce waste not just inside the Hong Kong stadium. “Kings Park and Tin Shui Wai rugby pitches have water fountains that aim to reduce single-use plastic,” he said.

The cups are hoping to see daylight soon, at the next five years of the Rugby Sevens and in fixtures for the 2019 season in Global Rapid Rugby tournaments. “We aim to eliminate seven million single use plastic cups in the near future,” said Robbie McRobbie, CEO of the HKRU.

With “Tackling Waste” as the slogan for this year’s green initiatives, Hong Kong Rugby Union has partnered with The Environmental Protection Department’s mascot Big Waster, a character representing food wastage in previous government campaigns.

MIGRATION Illustrated by Katherine Li

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