Susan Lavender shares her life story with us. She is half Italian and half British and she moved to Canada and trained to be a lawyer in her 20’s. She moved to Hong Kong in 1990 to work as an advocate for refugees for UNHCR. She would interview Vietnamese asylum seekers and make recommendations to the Hong Kong Immigration Department as to whether they were deserving of being granted asylum. She visited detention camps on boats and on islands off Hong Kong and she shares some of the shocking stories that she heard from the refugees. After the handover in 1996, she had to reinvent herself so she re-trained as a lawyer and learned Mandarin and moved to Beijing where she worked for an Italian law firm. She moved back to Hong Kong and practiced law and also became a radio host for RTHK and eventually a news reader. Shares the story of how her mother met her father during the war and became a war bride. She talks about aging and the fears she has surrounding this given the fact that she does not have any family members to support her. She shares her experience of her mother’s passing and talks about the grief surrounding this sad event. Her priorities have definitely changed since she her mother passed away and as she herself is ageing. Susan explains that she combats loneliness with creativity and is still acting and writing poems to this day. This is a fascinating and moving interview that will capture your heart.

A Listener Note: Some of the topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing. If you feel you need support, please visit your local GP, a counsellor or contact the Samaritans in Hong Kong on 28960000. If you live in another country, please contact your local GP or crisis line for support.

Hong Kong Confidential Details

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