| When the East meets the West |
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| Tuesday, 22 March 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Joseph Yau, founded The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Alumni Association, UK 13 years ago and has helped hundreds of Hong Kong and Asian students settle in London. Sally Maier-Yip spoke to Joseph about his role as the “bridge” between the East and the West, and his unique viewpoints on the evolving Chinese community in London. DS: How did you come to set up The CUHK Alumni Association, UK? JY: A few CUHK graduates and I founded the CUHK Alumni in London in 1999. At that time, the University didn’t have any alumni associations in Europe so we thought why not setting up the first one in London? We were a few members at that time. Now we’re some 200 members spanning across the ages of 20’s to 60’s. DS: Tell us more about The CUHK Alumni Association, UK. JY: We’re quite an informal society, unlike other traditional associations. We are more like a big family. Today more than half of the members are “passing by” London for one to five years – mostly either because of their study or work placement. The Alumni connect people – whether it’s about job hunting or house hunting. We help new students make friends immediately when they need friends most desperately in a totally new environment. What’s more, the Alumni build friendship, regardless of your age and background. It’s not very easy for people in their 50s to make friends with people in their early 20s and vice versa, and yet the Alumni provide this rare opportunity which is great! We love hanging out together on various occasions – be it the Dragon Boat Festival or cycling and sun-bathing in Richmond Park. DS: What’s your proudest achievement of the last decade for the Alumni? JY: Back in 1999, I pioneered to do everything electronically, e.g. sending out Alumni news to members through email and building a CUHK Alumni UK website. It’s quite uncommon at that time as most things were still very much paper based. But back then, viral communications already proved to be an effective and powerful tool in attracting new members and spreading news. Today, we’ve a CUHK UK Facebook page which is growing steadily. DS: What tip would you offer to those students who have just moved to London? JY: Try to integrate. Quite often, students from Hong Kong or Asia are not very confident with their language skills. I would really encourage them to be open-minded and not to restrict themselves from finding a job in the Chinese community only. Never mind if you start low at the beginning. Take myself as an example. I moved to London in my early 40s. I was a manager. It’s not extremely easy to find a job with the same position and same level of salary right from the beginning. So I found a job which gave me the UK experience and then I found THE job which I have been doing for the past 12 years. So find a job first, and then you will find your dream job in the end. DS: You are originally from Hong Kong and have been living in London for almost 15 years now. Have you noticed any changes in the Chinese community in London over the past few years? JY: Indeed, the Chinese community in London is changing steadily. Some 30 to 50 years ago, most Chinese people you encountered in London were from Hong Kong. They all spoke Cantonese. There was a very strong ‘Hong Kong-ese’ culture. Today, when you go to Chinatown or anywhere, you will often see more and more affluent young people from the Mainland China studying or working in London. The Cantonese or “Hong Kong-ese” culture is slowing fading. Mandarin will become the dominant Chinese language among the Chinese community in London. DS: Do you consider Hong Kong or London as your home? Why? JY: I call London my home. I found London the most exciting place in the world in terms of cultural life. Unlike Paris or New York, London doesn’t have 100% pure English cultural as such. London is truly multi-cultural and multi-international, partly because of its colonial history. When I moved to London in 1997, no one really questioned my qualifications gained in Hong Kong. It’s quite fair in the workplace. I’d say London is a great place to live, work and play. Having said that, I don’t mean I don’t like Hong Kong but I found it too crowded and maybe even a bit too hot! I actually quite enjoy the weather in London. DS: And finally on a subject that is close to all Chinese hearts, what is your favourite Chinese restaurant in London? JY: Shanghai Blues in Holborn. It’s a modern Chinese restaurant with a mezzanine lounge. The other choice is New Mayflower Chinese Restaurant on Shaftesbury Avenue near Chinatown. It’s the oldest Chinese restaurant in town. For more information about the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Alumni Association, UK, please visit: Website: http://www.alumni.cuhk.edu.hk/cuhkaauk/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2329868200 Or email to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
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