by Wan Ni Brenda Choi (BA 1997)

Wan Ni Brenda Choi, graduated from the Faculty of Arts, HKU in 1997. Since then, she has become an English language teacher. Over the past decades, she has also obtained a Master’s of Education (HKU) and an MA in Literary Studies (CUHK).

When Hong Kong was finally handed over to our mother country, China, on 1st July, 1997, it drizzled the whole day. Raindrops kept splattering down on window panes while ‘Highland Cathedral’ was being played on the T.V. and the last Governor of Hong Kong left Government House for the final time. My heart sank and teardrops rolled down my eyes. It was a poignant moment as it not only meant the end of an era but also the end of my ‘happy’ university life at HKU.

Almost 30 years have passed now, and it is amazing that HKU has not simply faded for me into reminiscence. HKU is a community, both tangible and intangible, and is still connected to me. I dare say it was, is, and forever will be a part of my life.

Community, by definition, refers to people who are considered a unit because of their common interests, social group or nationality. In this sense, all HKU people are united by the motto ‘Sapientia et Virtus’—‘Wisdom and Virtue’. It is a place which has enlightened Hong Kong people across generations. Upon entering the university as a freshman, I immediately felt the intellectual ‘culture shock’. The Baroque Edwardian architectural style of the Main Building and Loke Yew Hall was the first tangible wave of this ‘shock’. Yet, the second wave was intangible and intellectually challenging. Being locally born and bred, I was drilled and groomed in a highly examination-oriented education system where model answers were the trump cards. Your own voice and standpoint did not matter. However, this all changed when uni life started.

Studying Shakespeare’s works under the supervision of the late Professor Mimi Chan and crazily jotting down notes during Professor Elaine Ho’s lectures on the 19th century novel were a culture shock to most young students like me. Our standpoints and views were always challenged but constructive comments were also always provided to help us move forward. Professor Chris Hutton’s humour and insight made sociolinguistics much more ‘approachable’. I gradually managed to develop my own voice and perspectives towards academic discussions in ways that have shaped my outlook on life, human nature and the world at large. The academic community and support at HKU helped me have a taste of ‘Sapientia’, the pursuit of wisdom. It was a life-altering and one-of-a-kind experience.

As if slipping through my fingers, time slowly passed through the hour-glass unnoticed. How would I, as a student in my early 20s, have imagined that HKU could still be a part of my life as a mature woman, having worked in society for decades? Amazingly, the motto ‘Sapientia et Virtus’ is still central to my career and a major part of my work ethic as a language teacher. The academic training provided by the Department of English, later upgraded to the School of English, has helped me to become a very conscientious person who values research, critiques other people’s thoughts and, most importantly, helps to develop their voices. It is this spirit that I want my students to carry forward. On a spiritual level, the presence of community life at HKU still permeates my life and that of my students.