Bulletin No. 1, 2024

instead. He then took out several paintings, each the size of a computer screen, and I requested that he pick one for me. “I didn’t know back then that Chang was a famous artist,” Yau says. “After I brought home the painting, I told my children to be careful and not to cause any damage to it. Of course, they couldn’t care less as they did not know how valuable the painting was. After playing with it, they just left it somewhere in the kitchen!” Later when Chang held a solo exhibition, Yau’s brother-in-law asked art experts to verify the painting’s authenticity and concluded it was worth between HK$2,000 and HK$3,000 at that time. “Well, my pay per month was only HK$30!” Yau chuckles. She was also regularly hired by professors to clean their flats and take care of their children. “I worked at Professor Fu Yuen-ko’s home for nine years. He used to live on the ground floor in Block A,” Yau says. The children of Professors Fu, Tam Shang-wai, Ng Pak-tao and Ng Kung-fu all came under her care then, giving her the moniker, “Chung Chi Nanny”. Since nine years old, Yau has spent most of her time at CUHK. “I used to have all household keys. Chung Chi College is like home. My mother worked at Chung Chi Chapel and Ming Hua Tang too. A few years ago, a colleague of hers visited the Chapel and was able to recognise me—how amazing! That’s why I always say Chung Chi is a sweet home.” Now that she has retired, Yau still lives a purposeful life at Chung Chi, serving as a Chapel volunteer. She is always happy to be home, the place where she grew up, started a family and formed the most heartwarming CUHK memories. Chung Chi College is a sweet home. I used to have all household keys. Child of CUHK who paid it forward as ‘Chung Chi Nanny’   43