The Shades Of Life (我們的天空 / Our Sky)

Victoria Harbour is known as one of the most beautiful harbours in the world.

The area around the Cultural Centre and the Space Museum

was where a railway terminus once stood.

That has been removed.

Only this Clock Tower has been preserved.

It is 99 years old already.

It witnessed generations of Mainland immigrants' arrival in town.

I am quite familiar with the history of Hong Kong.

I used to live here.

Chairman Mr Ho is not so much interested in history.

Any other spots to see?

Louisa, I understand that Mr Ho left for the US with his mother when he was three.

I believe he hasn't been somewhere full of Chinese architectural wisdom

and acrobatic appeal.

Let's go!

These scaffoldings are ingenious. They can stand for months.

The bamboos are recyclable. It's truly environmentally-friendly.

Awesome!

Master, could you stand on this side?

Elaine, come here, come here...

Good...Yeah!

I didn't expect the Chairman to be... like a big kid!

He's rarely like that.

Miss Tung, do you have kids?

Yes! I have a lovely son...about this tall.

He's cute.

Oh...

What are the kids pulling?

Their school bags.

They keep their books inside.

That makes it easier to carry them to school.

But in the States,

they don't need to do this.

They don't need to take their books and bags to school.

Everything is there for them.

The kids in Hong Kong are all very smart.

They are all-round performers.

Apart from Chinese, English, Maths and General Knowledge,

they have to learn to use the computer,

play the piano, and speak Putonghua!

So how many Nobel laureates have you groomed in Hong Kong?

Oh, the relationship between education and Nobel prizes is a bit tricky.

Well, I wish I could tell!

Ng Lok-yu!

What's your score?

Oh! Just 78?

Ko Shan-ching!

Let me see it!

Ko Shan-ching!

That's you!

Keep going! You can do even better.

What's your score, Ko Shan-ching?

85.

And you said you hadn't done your revisions?

Keep quiet, will you?

Lau Dick-kei.

Lau Dick-kei!

Hey, that's you.

Lau Dick-kei got the highest marks in class.

Tse Ying-lam.

Wow! 96?

That's not how you write the character for "scrape".

Give it back!

Hey, what are you doing?

More of those "bangs".

The background colour can be lighter.

Add a couple of shot to give a bigger contrast.

Chief!

"Overstressed by back-to-back primary school interviews...

Small child turns suicidal"

Just six years old and he wanted to kill himself.

Work on this, alright?

Hello?

Yes...

What?

Does it hurt? Did you say you're sorry?

He tore up my test paper. He didn't apologise.

Two separate issues here.

You hit someone. You should say "sorry".

Come on!

Why was my son fighting?

He tore up a classmate's test paper in class.

What paper?

Go.

I'm not going.

Dicky, come here.

Dicky was in the wrong first,

but it was Ko Shan-ching who started the fight.

Oh, no! Son! This word is not right!

"Scrape", not "Gouge"!

How can you be so careless?

If your daddy learns about it,

he may really gouge your eyes out!

No! Don't let Daddy know!

I am sorry, Mommy!

I will get full marks next time. I am sorry.

I am sorry!

We're home!

You're back?

Dad!

Grandpa!

What did the school say?

A demerit or not?

The class teacher will see if he improves and then decide.

Just a demerit. I got plenty of those.

Never mind them.

All they do at school is scare people.

Hey you!

Don't make it sound like your slip-ups gave you glory!

You're a proper university student,

not some con artist in politics.

OK. I'm full.

Retired but putting on airs like he's still the principal.

I'm on diet. No dinner for me.

Go do your homework. We'll get you when dinner is ready. Take this.

Hang on. Copy "The Rules for Students".

Copy till you see where you've done wrong.

What? Why punish me?

Did Lau Dick-kei start the fight

because he couldn't bear with you getting a higher score?

No. He got the highest marks.

That weird?

Pa, this won't help him with his exams.

Why don't we make him memorise some new English words instead?

This is not punishment.

I'm just teaching him about proper conduct.

Want him to memorise new words?

After the copying then.

Copy and then memorise new words?

Do as Grandpa said.

Trust me, investments in your children give you the biggest return.

We are parents. We understand.

Thank you so much! You're welcome.

Alright, bye! Bye!

Mommy.

Honey!

Son.

Dad! My tummy hurts!

What's his score for the test?

He was brilliant. He came first in class.

I asked about his score for the test.

96.

What?

100.

Then where is he placed in his grade?

Just two of them got full marks.

He should either be No 1 or 2.

Better be No 1, of course!

Who wants the 2nd place?

Trapped in the toilet bowl or what?

...2. 3. 4...

In a race? Slow down now.

Dicky. Why are you playing like that?

Dicky's hands are a bit small and not nimble enough.

It will only get harder for him.

Don't great pianists have their hands slitted open

so that they can stretch further?

For both of their hands?

No, I was just asking.

Don't worry, silly!

Work hard at it, alright?

Hello?

Hello? Mrs Lau? I've arrived. Where are you?

Mrs Ko? Yes!

You're here? Yes!

I'll be right there. OK...

Last time Dicky scratched Shan-ching.

I feel really bad about it.

Please accept my apologies.

Please take this!

Don't get me wrong, Mrs Lau. I'm not here because of that.

I just wanted to see if Shan-ching has been naughty.

No. It's not Shan-ching's fault at all.

Kids are all like that. Just leave it.

Give me a minute.

Excuse me.

Do you have private tutors for the cello?

Let me check for you. Be right back. Thank you.

Not a problem.

By the way, Mrs Ko, what instruments does Shan-ching play?

He? He isn't focused on any.

He isn't gifted in music, so...no lessons now.

Then he should work harder at it!

If you don't have a couple of cam in hand who'll even look at you?

My father-in-law thinks we should let the children follow their interest.

We can’t force them anyway.

Come on, Mrs Ko! Are you really a mother?

You don't care about your son's future at all!

But I do care a lot about my son.

Our sons are getting into secondary school.

After that, they'll go to university.

If they can’t go to university,

they will have no future!

It won't be like that.

Shan-ching and Dicky have both done well in school.

They should be able to get into good secondary schools. Don't worry.

In this district where we live,

even the best is not a prestigious school.

If we don't try to get a place at the DP stage,

we won't stand a chance!