The Man Behind The Tie: A Pui Ching Gazette Exclusive with Principal Chang
By Veron Cheng P6A, Shannon Ting P6D and Edith Ho P5B
“I wear this tie every day. It represents Pui Ching’s ‘Red and Blue’ spirit. It’s important to have the manners and language to match the tie.”
It was the third recess on Wednesday just before noon. Immediately after the bell rang, I popped out of my classroom and hurried down the school stairways. My assignment? Interview Principal Chang in his office along with two fellow Pui Ching Gazette reporters. Principal Chang is retiring this year and we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with him about his Pui Ching experience.
The thought of interviewing the Principal was nerve-racking for the three of us. We were all burning with little questions behind who Principal Chang was besides being our principal. What prompted him to retire this year? What are his hopes and dreams? How many ties does he own at home? Does he play video games on his phone? What brand of shampoo does he use? We were dying to know! As we were called into the Principal’s office, we all gave each other a silent look, secretly wishing each other the best of luck.
If you took a panoramic picture of the Principal’s office, you would see the most elaborate display of plants on a back-lit shelf, a green murky fish aquarium, a large busy-looking work desk and a cozy meeting area with puffy leather couches that could seat five. That’s where we conducted our interview. Across from us was a long meeting table with boxes full of memorabilia, awards and souvenirs the Principal has collected over his career. He’s currently packing up his office.
Principal Chang, dressed in his trademark red and blue tie, welcomed us in and directed us to our seats like VIPs. He is a calm and soft-spoken man. Any fear the three of us had about interviewing him completely went away within minutes of sitting down with him. We immediately asked if he was happy to finally take off the tie.
“I wear this tie every day. It represents Pui Ching’s ‘Red and Blue’ spirit. It’s important to have the manners and language to match the tie.” We then asked if he had other ties sitting at home. “I actually have a red Snoopy tie that I love to wear during Chinese New Year.” Ah-ha! We had struck gold. But I didn’t say that out loud.
Principal Chang possesses an encyclopedic knowledge about Pui Ching’s history. You can point to any corner of our school and he could deliver a great story from the past about that little corner. Whatever story Principal Chang is telling, he seems to be imparting one simple lesson: that Pui Ching students should appreciate all the things they have now. In simple words, do not take things for granted.
“When I was a student in Pui Ching, there was no air conditioning. I was in 6A. My classroom was on the top floor of C Building where the sixth floor art room is now. It was stuffy and hot back then. We only had one fan in the back. During recess, my classmates and I would just climb up the stairs and chitchat in the classroom. Soon, we’d forget about the heat.” I shuddered at the thought of no air conditioning in the humid Hong Kong summer. I personally have been in a sauna once... for about 10 minutes! The heat is all I remember.
Some quick facts we found out about Principal Chang: He doesn’t play video games on his phone. His favorite drink is a cold Hong Kong style milk tea. His favorite movies are Disney animated films and Pixar movies. Much to our disappointment, he does not favor any particular brand of shampoo. He insists it’s important to always try new things.
When we broached on the subject of why he was retiring this year, the Principal remarked, “It’s the right time. It’s time for someone new with fresh ideas to lead the school forward.”
What struck us was how plainly he said it with no hint of regret or unfinished business, like someone who was completely ready to pass on the torch. It was in our next question, when we really started to see a side of Principal Chang we have never seen before. The question was, “Did you originally dream of being a principal?”
“Let me tell you a secret. When I was a kid, I dreamt of being a street cleaner. I remember when I was living in stone housing when I was in P.1, there was one time after it rained, I spotted a street cleaner with a huge broom sweeping the streets outside. I was amazed by how clean the streets were after he was done. Ever since, whenever the street cleaner was finished and set the broom aside in the street corner, I would grab the broom and clean the streets.
That broom was massive. I couldn’t hold it for too long as I was in first grade at the time. The idea that someone could hold such a heavy object and completely make an entire street spotless within 45 minutes just blew my mind.”
“In the end, I didn’t become a street cleaner but that spirit stayed with me. I cleaned up the bad things and took out negative things within myself and took better care of myself. With God’s guidance, I was led into education. I have tried to instill that spirit to children. I try to take away all the negative things in a child and give them opportunities, encourage them to join activities and have a positive outlook on life.”
Principal Chang says he intends to take a rest and spend time with his family. He’s in no hurry to travel around the world or complete a long bucket list.
It’s not goodbye forever though. Principal Chang adds, “I will certainly visit. Hopefully, you won’t forget about me.”
We won’t forget you, Principal Chang. We wish you all the best and thank you for everything.