Learning English through Poems and Songs

You have been inspired to share your feelings about opportunities on your online blog. In your blog write about one opportunity that you missed and one opportunity that you took.

Take or Lose Your Chance

I have always wanted to be an actress. That was the reason why I joined the school drama club. In the same year, our school had joined the Hong Kong School Drama Festival and would perform the play “Romeo & Juliet”. I desperately wanted to play the role of Juliet. How wonderful it would be if I could have a chance to perform the famous Shakespearean play as well as play the main female character! But I knew that I had to get myself well-prepared for the audition so that I could beat the other candidates and win the role. Therefore, I went to Mrs. Lau, my English teacher, to learn the play, portray the role of Juliet and practice acting as Juliet. “Remember, you are passionately in love with the wrong person. The tension throughout the tragedy comes from here. A fatal love brought about by the force of fate.” Mrs. Lau would remind me.  We rehearsed every day after school. The preparation took a lot of hard work.

When the day of audition finally came, I was just as excited as the other students who were going to audition. I entered the classroom where three senior teachers sat behind a long table. I stood in front of them waiting for their instruction. “Can you play the part and recite the scene of Romeo & Juliet which impresses you the most?” One of the panel beamed at me. I thought for a while, took up the courage and told them I would like to play the balcony scene. One of the panel came out and acted as Romeo. “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.” I recited. At that time, I felt like losing myself and was fully immersed in being Juliet. After I finished, the panel nodded and told me to wait for the news. I was so delighted that I could complete the audition with so much ease and confidence, thanks to all the efforts that I had put into in the last month. Two weeks later, to my amazement, I received a letter notifying me that I had successfully got the role! I would play Juliet in the public performance! It was almost a dream come true. 

The drama festival finally arrived. The whole drama crew and I were so excited. While we were heading to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, my mobile phone suddenly rang. “Hi, Miss Chan, this is the Hong Kong Theatre. We have a main character role right now for the upcoming show. Can you come over to interview today? Our boss is only available today because he will fly abroad tomorrow.” I found myself suddenly caught in a dilemma. “This might be a precious opportunity to work with a real theatre company if I would be selected. However, I could not give up the performance for the interview. The whole crew is waiting for me!” I said to myself. “Sir, thank you for asking me but I don’t think I can come over today because I have an important appointment.  I am so sorry about that.” I ended the conversation reluctantly. “The festival must go on.” Then I joined the crew and went on stage.

In your life, when opportunity comes your way, you either seize it or miss it. Just like what I did. I seized the opportunity to play Juliet in the school drama festival but I missed the chance to become a real actress in the real world. It changed your life for the better or for the worse. Who knows? For one thing, at least, I know that I have tried my very best.

Learning English through Popular Culture 

Recently the Hong Kong Government published a list of intangible cultural heritage items that the city should protect. The following were on the list: Traditional egg tarts and mahjong 

Write a letter to the editor of the Hong Kong Daily supporting the Government’s choice of these two features of Hong Kong culture, suggesting why they are worth protecting and how they can be protected. 

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Dear Editor,

Egg Tarts and Mahjong: Our Old Hong Kong

Traditional egg tarts and mahjong bring back memories of the old days. The scene of my mother playing mahjong while we children eating egg tarts decades ago comes back to my mind again. They are the important part of the old Hong Kong. Recently, the Government has included these two local cultural features as intangible cultural heritage. It is a welcome move. As Hong Kong has developed into an international city where East meets West, we are under the constant influence of Eastern and Western culture, ranging from Japanese food, Korean pop culture to American TV dramas and Hollywood movies. As foreign culture prevails in Hong Kong, Hong Kong local culture is losing appeal and fading away from our daily life. To prevent our local culture from dying, the Government should protect our cultural heritage in order to pass on the history and memory to the next generation.

Traditional egg tarts were signature food of the last century. They were famous for its crust and sweet flavour, and were sold and served by local bakeries and cafes. Almost every Hongkonger has eaten egg tarts. Do you remember those days when you were waiting for the hot, freshly made egg tarts at one of the nearby bakeries in the neighborhood as a treat after school? When we were poor and young in those days, we always scrambled to the bakery and lined up for the egg tarts which were ready to be sold at a quarter past three after the school bell rang. We were satisfied because egg tarts were not only yummy but also cheap. Egg tarts actually grew up with us. They are our collective memory of the old Hong Kong. Therefore, egg tarts are worth protecting. 

Mahjong was a famous game among Hong Kong people of the last century. The sound of playing mahjong was often heard along the corridor of the housing estate. Some TV game shows were even based on mahjong and attracted millions of audience. Mahjong was also a game among family, friends and relatives during the Chinese New Year because it is a symbol of solidarity. However, mahjong is disappearing from our daily life because there are so many entertainment options available. Similar to egg tarts, mahjong is our collective memory of the old Hong Kong. Therefore, mahjong is worth protecting.

To help protect and preserve our cultural heritage, the Government can promote egg tarts by making a short film advertisement about egg tarts and the old Hong Kong and inviting famous people to star in the film. Also, the Government can offer subsidises to food trucks at the tourist spots which sell egg tarts. It can help promote egg tarts as our local cultural heritage to our visitors. As for mahjong, the Government can organize a “Mahjong Contest” in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where Hong Kong people can participate and play mahjong as contestants to win the championship. It aims to promote mahjong culture in our community. 

I hope that, by doing so, our cultural heritage can be preserved in our community and passed on to the next generation as part of the history of Hong Kong. 

Yours faithfully,

Chris Wong