“This has been my job for more than ten years. I sweep the streets, clear the walking trails and collect rubbish on the island of Lamma. There is such a wonderful community here; people are friendly, kind and we look after each other. I am originally from Shanwei (汕尾), but have lived in Hong Kong for several decades now. I grew up in a family of farmers. My whole family, including me and my seven siblings, lived together in a tiny house on the farm. Even though we didn’t have much and life was very simple, we were very happy. Being on Lamma gives me that feeling of being home.”
「 我做咗呢份清潔工作十幾年。我負責打掃街道，清理山路，喺南丫島收集垃圾。呢度個社區好好, 啲人好友善，我哋會互相照顧。我來自汕尾，但喺香港已經生活咗幾十年。我屋企耕田嘅 。我以前成家人包括我同七個兄弟姐妹一齊住 喺田地上一間細屋仔度。雖然我哋乜都冇，生活好簡單，但係我哋都好開心。南丫島俾 到 呢 種屋企嘅感覺我 」
“This is generally quite a clean island, although we have a lot of extra work after a typhoon or big storm. I don’t find the job itself to be too tough or tiring, and I love to live and work on Lamma. Although during the midsummer days it can get so hot and unbearable. Sometimes I go into the public library to take a little breather - they have aircon there. I am illiterate so I cannot read. Before taking on this job, I used to work as a cleaner in a kindergarten. I can’t speak any English, so I couldn’t communicate much verbally with the little kids there. However despite the language barrier, I think we still had a wonderful connection - they seemed to like me a lot.”
「 呢 個島都算乾淨, 不過打完風之後我哋就多 咗 好多 嘢 做。呢份工 唔算 太辛苦。我好鍾意 喺南丫島度住同 做 嘢 。不過夏天 嘅時候 大熱天時真係會幾辛苦。有時候我會去圖書館休息一下, 因為 嗰 度有冷氣。我 唔 識字㗎, 所以 唔 識睇書。做呢份工之前, 我喺幼兒園做過清潔工。我 唔 識講英文, 所以 唔 識同啲小朋友用語言溝通。不過我哋都好有默契, 佢哋好似幾鍾意我 噉 。 」
“I moved to Hong Kong to join my husband. I was introduced to him by family friends, and had a great impression of him the first time we met. To me, he is a handsome and kindhearted man. I am very happily married. Do we fight? Of course! It would be abnormal and strange for couples to not bicker and argue sometimes, but then you just forgive and forget. I would say I am a positive person. I think the most important thing in life is to be happy - don’t you think?”