A blood donation day was recently held at SHKP. To provide peace of mind for staff, transparent plastic partitions were installed between seats in the blood donation and resting areas; and all participants were required to register for the blood drive and make an appointment to avoid having donors gather in the waiting area. Sixty colleagues took part in the event. The next blood donation day will be in early September. We look forward to your continued support for this worthy cause.

A heart-warming present for mother and father does not always come with a hefty price tag; it's the thought that counts. That is why a handmade gift may be one of the best ways to express your love to them. Before Mother's Day, the company held a DIY workshop, in which 'handicraft expert' Cherry Tam, of Kai Shing, was invited to teach colleagues how to make preserved flower tree decorations in a live video demonstration. Your mother would definitely be delighted to receive this unique little gift from you.

SHKP's distance-running enthusiasts recently formed a team to take part in the Construction Industry Virtual Happy Run 2021, organized by the Construction Industry Sports & Volunteering Programme. This year’s event was arranged in an online format because of the pandemic. SHKP was first runner-up in the Perseverance Corporate Prize in a highly competitive race. The competition calculates the total running distance of every member of each participating team for a one-month period. The SHKP team accumulated almost 2,500 kilometres to become the first runner-up. In addition, Dominic Tang, from the China Department, and C H Tang, from Internal Affairs, clinched the first and second runner-up in the 10k race (senior men category), respectively.

"Wing Chun requires reflective response and counterattack based on your opponent's movements. It's easier said than done, similar to property management," said Alexander Lee with a smile.

Alexander is a concierge at The Leighton Hill and a Wing Chun coach. More than 10 years ago, a series of Wing Chun-themed Hong Kong movies gave rise to the popularity of this Chinese martial art among local people. Alexander, however, did not learn Wing Chun because of those movies. "It was my uncle who opened my eyes to this martial art. I gradually developed an interest in it and became an apprentice," he said.

Reacting decisively with a keen eye

Alexander worked in the aviation industry before becoming a concierge and said he felt lucky that he did not have to use his martial arts skills in the workplace. However, he has long blended Wing Chun concepts in his work. Alexander pointed out that this martial art puts strong emphasis on making simple, direct pre-emptive or reactive moves at the right moment naturally, and adjusting flexibly to respond to your opponent's movements. According to him, these methods can be applied to customer service as well: "When serving customers or dealing with unexpected events, I try to understand the situation and the customer's needs, based on first-hand observation, and provide immediate assistance, as residents usually want a quick response from us when they ask for help. There are no standard rules, so we have to react flexibly to each situation. This closely resembles martial arts."

In addition, both martial arts and property management require you to stay calm and composed to make quick decisions in challenging situations. He recalled an incident where a resident fainted in the estate: "We must act calmly and decisively to unexpected events. I immediately notified the control room to report it to the police, monitored the resident's condition closely, and had the resident wait for emergency services as instructed. While ensuring the resident's safety, I tried my best to remain unfazed and to calm down the others at the scene."

Going the extra mile for residents

Working hard to equip himself, Alexander recently completed a bodyguard training course, which deepened his knowledge to provide better services. He learned that the first thing for a bodyguard to consider is not to use force to resolve problems, but to keep his client away from danger through careful preparation. This means going the extra mile and making moves before the client encounters any trouble. "For example, when I escort a resident to a taxi, I wait until the car is out of sight before returning to my post, so that if the resident suddenly needs to return, I can provide immediate assistance," he said. Having a hunger for knowledge, he also started to learn acupressure recently. "Martial arts and Chinese medicine are fundamentally complementary to each other," he explained. "I hope I can acquire more knowledge in these areas to continue to improve myself and help others."
 

The Group Training Section recently held an online workshop, in which a professional instructor explained how to prevent bugs and mould that may plague our homes in the warm and humid weather. The instructor shared a number of eco-friendly household cleaning methods that replace detergents containing harmful chemicals that can have a detrimental impact on health and the environment. Through a live demonstration, the instructor also showed our colleagues how to make toilet bleach tablets using natural ingredients.

To spread Chinese New Year cheer, the head office recently organized an online lucky draw for the first time. During the event, our colleagues stayed at their desks after lunch to participate in a game to win red packets and a lucky draw. Everyone was happy for the winners and is keeping their fingers crossed for the lucky draw next year!

Valentine's Day this year falls on the third day of Chinese New Year. It would be so sweet to give your partner, family or friends a hand-made gift. In a recent workshop, the company invited an instructor to show our colleagues how to make exquisite aroma humidifiers to help nourish their loved ones in the dry winter season.

The temperature was so low that we felt cold even wearing a heavy coat. Some of us relied on hand warmer pads to keep our hands warm. Though they are helpful, the chemicals in them can be harmful to our health and the environment. Group Training Section recently organized a virtual workshop, in which a professional instructor talked about the materials in disposable hand warmer pads and how they can harm our health and the environment. The instructor also showed our colleagues how to make eco-friendly hand warmers using Chinese herbs. 

Adhering to the company's corporate culture of Building Homes with Heart, TOWNPLACE, which provides guests from all over the world with residential leasing services, recognizes the importance of creating a flexible, tailor-made living space for residents to make their temporary residence feel like home. Not only does the Community Team of TOWNPLACE take care of the living needs of TOWNERs; it also serves as a curator for their living experience in Hong Kong. "To help TOWNERs experience the interesting and unique sides of Hong Kong, besides talking with them to understand their needs, we need to walk into the community to explore life with them," said Community Manager Manny Li with a smile.

Experience local life starting from TOWNPLACE

Manny enjoys exposure to different cultures. She lived in Europe for a while to study Spanish and worked in the hospitality industry before working at TOWNPLACE. Manny explained that her duty in both jobs was to serve guests from all over the world, but while the hotel served tourists, who stayed for only a few days, TOWNPLACE residents usually stayed for months or even years. "By putting ourselves in the shoes of our residents, I hope we can help TOWNERs fully experience the local culture and return home with joyful, unforgettable memories of their stay in Hong Kong." Therefore, the Community Team strives not only to provide residents with a comfortable living space, but also to build an exclusive community for TOWNERs, which functions as a starting point for residents to experience the rich and diversified life in Hong Kong.

TOWNPLACE-exclusive community life 

TOWNPLACE's two projects are located in Central and Kennedy Town. Manny and the Community Team value their communication with residents, as it is the key to enhancing the connections among residents in the two projects. In order to build links among the residents, the team constantly conceives a wide range of activities and participates in them to perk up the ambiance and promote cordial neighbour relationships. "For example, my team and I participated in the rooftop yoga classes organized earlier to take the opportunity to build friendships with the residents through the activities." 

"We're not only building a TOWNPLACE-exclusive community, but also hope to build a connection with the whole community to help TOWNERs to experience authentic local life." When residents first arrive in Hong Kong, the Community Team becomes their tour guides, helping them adapt to their new environment and contacting nearby shops for exclusive offers for residents. Manny mentioned that TOWNPLACE was also a platform for residents to get to know local artists and creators: "For example, on Mother's Day, we invited a local floral artist to design a pop-up store for making bouquets, launched in collaboration with TOWNPLACE. This was to support local artworks with the addition of the elements of the community, thus enabling residents to find distinctive gifts."

The mural in the LIVING ROOM of TOWNPLACE SOHO is a big attraction for visitors. The team invited two renowned local artists to create paintings in different parts of the project, using neighbourhood features as the theme. QR codes for the Art Docent Tour are provided for residents to learn about the concept behind the artists' designs and Hong Kong's famous landmarks in the vicinity.  

Building an online and offline community via a mobile app

Millennials are accustomed to using social media to communicate and share their life. Therefore, through its exclusive app, TOWNPLACE has built an online and offline community by communicating with residents and creating an Instagram account to share the event clips. Manny mentioned that TOWNERs were not just residents of TOWNPLACE, but friends of the staff. Therefore, the staff wanted the residents to feel at home at TOWNPLACE. "Our greatest satisfaction is to enable TOWNERs to explore some of the interesting and fresh parts of Hong Kong, so that even if they leave Hong Kong in the future, they’ll take joyful, unforgettable memories home with them."