Manci Man

Art Cake Patisserie Owner

"Thank you for persisting even when things were hard. You will survive this and things will get better soon!"

Soon after I was born, my mother left us. When I was in Primary 3, my father died suddenly. That's how I came to grow up in a children's home. Even though I no longer had parents to guide me, I had this belief that I couldn't make any mistakes in life if I wanted to have a good life.

At the children's home, I was surrounded by kids who were acting out - smoking, fighting, swearing, you name it. I didn't want to live in such an environment, so I asked my social worker to transfer me to another children's home. In Form 5, I went to a bar to celebrate a friend's birthday, and everyone around me was using drugs. I watched one of my friends soil himself after taking the drugs - it put me off drugs even more. There are some mistakes in life that you just can't undo.

I also believe strongly in studying hard. After I left the children's home at the age of 18, I rented a subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po. I worked and studied for a diploma in hotel management at the same time. I only slept five or six hours a night - when I wasn't working, I was studying, and vice versa. It was exhausting. There were times I had to take on extra jobs and work during the public holidays to earn enough to cover my rent and my school fees. Every time I paid my bills and saw how low my bank balance was, I wanted to give up. But I knew there was no turning back, I just had to keep going. I consoled myself with the thought that it was only temporary, that things would eventually get better.

I eventually got my wish to graduate from university. After getting my bachelor's degree at City University, I took a marketing job at an international real estate company. I knew the importance of academic qualifications, so I took on a part-time master's degree programme. Because of my previous experience, I was used to making the best use of my time. For example, when I had to travel for business, I would spend any long-haul flights writing papers. I am grateful that after working for a few years, I was able to make a good income, and I was able to buy my first property when I was 25.

The world is a big place and life is long - I believe in challenging myself with new goals. After thinking about it for just half day, I resigned from my job in real estate and embarked on a journey to pursue my dream. I flew to Moscow to learn to become a "cake artist". I have loved art since I was a child, so when I came across an opportunity to learn from a famous cake artist in Moscow, I jumped at the chance. Now, I have my own patisserie!