Design on life sees boyhood wish realized

There is a reason to read : to gather some vocabulary for future use.

marches toward (邁向)
renowned (有名的)
interior (室內)
assure revelers (確保尋歡作樂的人)
wishes (願望)
come true (實現)
rags-to- riches story (從赤貧到巨富的故事)
call on (請求)
equivalent (相等)
respected (受敬重的)
hold her head up high (昂起頭做人)
 a factotum (做雜工)
fame and popularity (出名及走紅)
coincidence (巧合)


(The Standard P.8  31 Dec 2012) As the world marches toward (邁向) the new year, renowned (有名的) local interior (室內) designer Setmund Leung Kam-biu took time off (抽出一部份時間) to assure revelers (確保尋歡作樂的人) in Kwun Tong that wishes (願望) can indeed come true (實現).

A pre-New Year event at the APM mall saw Leung relate his rags-to- riches story (從赤貧到巨富的故事) and call on (請求) others not to give up on their dreams.

"I was only an office boy and never thought I would be what I am today," said the first Hongkonger to win the international "Red Dot Design Concept" award (德國紅點設計概念奬) in 2006, the equivalent (相等) of an Oscar (奧斯卡金像獎) for the design industry.

His family was poor and his father was a gambler, Leung recalled.

"My father would come home and ask my mother for money. Every relative knew my father was addicted to gambling and would avoid us for fear we would ask to borrow money," the 40-year-old said. "If my mother refused to give him money, he would take out a knife or scissors threatening (威脅) to end his life. My brothers, sisters and I always hid the knives and scissors before he came back."

Leung had just one wish, hoping the day would come when he was respected (受敬重的) and his mother able to hold her head up high (昂起頭做人).

He became an office boy in a design house and was initially a factotum (最初是做雜工) ordered to buy dinner and clean the office.

But he knew he would only be accepted (接受) if he maintained (維持) a good relationship with colleagues and their clients. His efforts paid off (取得成功) and he was promoted (晉升) as a real designer after many of his colleagues left the company.

Then came international design awards, fame and popularity (出名及走紅) for his unconventional focus on fittings like faucets (龍頭).

"It was a coincidence (巧合) that I won the [Red Dot] award," he said.

"One night, I finished a design at about 11pm and found that a design competition was closing at midnight."

He immediately submitted his design. And the rest is history (接下來的故事你都知道了).

Kelly Ip