‘The World is my Oyster'
With a list of accomplishments most people only dream of by age 28, Bangladeshi-Hongkonger Lamia Rahman is a force to be reckoned with. Is her story proof that Hong Kong's diverse ethnic minority communities, with the right support, have reached a point where long-standing barriers are falling and unprecedented opportunities are emerging?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
16 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China student, first in family to attend Peking University, receives grand ancestral ceremony
A Chinese student has captivated the nation after being admitted to the prestigious Peking University, where his ancestral clan held a grand celebration to honour him as the family's first such student in a century. Li Guoyao, from Wenzhou, Zhejiang province in southeastern China, was admitted to the university's Strengthening Basic Disciplines programme, where he will major in biology and basic psychology. He is reportedly the first person in his clan in a century to attend a top-tier university. Li Guoyao scored impressive marks in China's national college entrance examination. Photo: Weibo He scored 691 in China's national college entrance exam, or 'gaokao', and has become a beacon of hope and pride for his village, especially given his modest background. 'His father was laying bricks on construction sites to pay for his education, and his mother earned just 2,800 yuan (US$400) a month stocking shelves at a supermarket. This kid truly earned it through his own hard work!' one emotional neighbour said. Another villager told of Li's discipline. The grand ancestral ceremony included a convoy of flower-decorated luxury cars. Photo: Weibo He always used an old phone passed down from his father to complete practice questions, spent weekends in the village library hand-copying exam papers, and never attended a single private tutoring session throughout secondary school.
South China Morning Post
18 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Singapore sinkhole rescue sparks calls for migrant worker safety reforms
The migrant workers who rescued a woman trapped in a sinkhole on a Singapore road over the weekend have drawn widespread praise, but their actions have also reignited debate over the conditions these labourers face, especially the contentious issue of transporting them in the backs of lorries. The rare incident occurred on Saturday evening along Tanjong Katong Road South, when a black Mazda was swallowed sideways into a three-metre (10-foot) deep cavity filled with murky water. Video footage circulating on social media showed workers sprinting to the scene and pulling the female driver to safety using a rope. One of the men involved, construction foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, was seen directing efforts from the roadside. Rather than jumping in, which he said would have left them unable to climb out, Subbiah instructed others to toss a nylon rope into the hole, then helped them hoist the woman up. After the rescue, he lent her his phone to call her daughter. By Monday, authorities had filled in the hole and were compacting the ground further, according to local lawmaker Goh Pei Ming. Additional safety tests would be conducted before the road could be reopened, he said. Dipa Swaminathan, founder of migrant worker charity ItsRainingRaincoats, noted this was the second recent case of foreign workers stepping in as first responders to save lives in Singapore. In April, a group of migrant labourers helped evacuate children from the second floor of a shophouse in River Valley after a fire broke out. 'This is just the second incident in recent months, but there have been countless over the years. If they see a crisis developing in front of them, they will never ever look the other way or walk the other way, they will come in to help,' she told This Week in Asia.
South China Morning Post
21 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Chinese dining etiquette dos and don'ts, from who eats first to chopstick manners and more
In Confucian philosophy, li, or 'propriety', is an ethical principle that emphasises politeness and manners as a means to cultivate social harmony and moral virtue. The importance of good behaviour also extends to the dinner table, as the ancient Chinese considered the communal act of breaking bread as an expression of social bonding. Although eating customs have evolved over time and through cultural shifts, some aspects of Chinese dining etiquette have remained the same. For many Chinese people around the world, who were scolded in their youth for bad table manners, these customs are embedded in their muscle memory. Take note of the following pieces of dining etiquette before your next extended family gathering. 1. Easy kneeling It is seen as an honour to have one's tea poured by an elder or senior person. Photo: Nora Tam Tea and other drinks should be served to others before helping oneself and, when being served, instead of saying 'thank you', the receiver can tap two fingers on the table to signify deference.
