Pen portraits: Family

A young doctor quit for love

Dr Leung met his wife-to-be as a student in Australia. Their love story was romantic. He followed her back to Hong Kong after graduation and worked in the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department at United Christian Hospital when she suffered a detached retina and needed urgent surgery. Love-struck Dr Leung wanted to be by her side until the surgery was completed but his supervisor refused to grant him leave. So the young doctor resigned to be with her. Eventually, he won the heart of his girlfriend and the couple tied the knot.

Today, Dr Leung and his wife have two daughters who are grown up and working. He jokingly describes himself as a ‘tiger dad’ who closely supervised his children’s studies, taught them maths and science while Mrs Leung taught them languages. “Practice makes perfect in maths,” he says. “I asked them not to make careless mistakes. By understanding the principles and getting basic questions correct, one can already score 90% in examination. It is all right to pass on some difficult questions.”

A father seals bond with K-pop fan daughter and student son

Dr Ko met his wife at a Catholic church function. He admires her as a wise partner who tolerates his unconventional pursuits such as riding motorbikes, playing football and running marathon which result in injuries, and cluttering the family home with his extensive collection of history books.

Dr Ko says spending time with his children, a son and a daughter, is hugely important to him. He is a devoted father who takes time off to study with his son. “It is satisfying to study books from secondary school again. Studying when I was a student, teaching my daughter, and my son again – only until I study for the third time can I truly understand some knowledge.” In addition, Dr Ko went to see a South Korean band at the AsiaWorld-Expo with his daughter. “My daughter was 13 at that time. I was worried about her safety so I went to the concert with her,” he recalls. “The most unforgettable moment was when the song Marry U began. The fans bent down to put on a wedding veil and sang along with their idols.”