Shades of Life - Season 1

First aired: 5/5/2014 12 episodes

Episodes

1. Episode 1

Aired: 5/5/2014

The slogan "Learning: It's more than scoring" reflects the new culture of teaching and learning that is recently promoted by Hong Kong schools. However, in reality, nothing ever goes as planned. Nowadays, most "Monster Parents" have great expectations of their children, who, ever since their infancy, have already attended the course namely "Let your child win at the starting line". The couple, TUNG OI-CHING and KO HO-PANG, take very much care of their son KO SHAN-CHING. Although KO SHAN-CHING is an average student, he is given much freedom by his parents. One day, OI-CHING is surprised that her son's classmates are very competitive, so she has no alternative but to pave the way for her son, hoping her son will be admitted to a famous secondary school. Unexpectedly, she witnesses the sacrifice that another pair of "Tiger Parents", LAU CHI-YAN and his wife, made after pushing their beloved son to this battlefield in person......

2. Episode 2

Aired: 5/6/2014

This is the story about two senior citizens who both live in a subdivided flat. One of them is called FRANKIE, who used to be a police inspector with high academic qualifications, but he ends up in poverty after using up all his money and becomes the rent collector. The other is called Uncle FUNG, who, although has lots of children and grandchildren, left his home in dismay to stay in the poorest place in Hong Kong, hoping to change his family members' living environment. Through his interview with the two, HO-PANG exposes that the poverty-stricken people are living in inadequate housing in Hong Kong, and at the back of this is subtly hidden an episode of suffering and bitterness. Hong Kong people are known to be optimistic. However, can we remain the same when facing such an extreme living environment?

3. Episode 3

Aired: 5/7/2014

Principal MA WUI-CHUNG has decided to take the plunge and give up his million-dollar annual incomes, stepping out of the Hong Kong educational system and establishing a free-of-charge tutorial school that is specifically for the students in poverty. He hopes that knowledge can help them get rid of poverty and change their destiny. However, it's certainly not easy for him to fulfil his philosophy of Equal educational opportunities. His family is on the verge of breaking down, whereas his tutorial school will be forced to close because they have no income and cannot afford the expensive rent. For the sake of these "hardworking yet still below average" students, how far can the extraordinary principal go?

4. Episode 4

Aired: 5/8/2014

As the old saying goes, "One may distinguish himself in any trade". CHEUNG HOK-KAU was a student of HO-PANG's father, BAT-DAU, however, he didn't finish high school due to his family issues, ending up becoming a cleaning worker at very young age. On cold winter nights when everyone enjoys their family times, HOK-KAU instead keeps working diligently till dawn. His diligence eventually pays off as he, who used to be a garbage collector and was looked down on by the others, has become a renowned property management entrepreneur. This is a very inspirational story, revealing that the real opportunity for success lies within the person provided he is diligent and tries hard.

5. Episode 5

Aired: 5/9/2014

The competitiveness of an individual might reflect the one of the whole of the society. With existing cutthroat competition in Hong Kong, a human resources consultant points out that twenty percent of those young job seekers they have contacted are classified as "High test scores, Low ability". This lack of independence has set alarm bells ringing with regard to Hong Kong's competitiveness. In fact, the magazine group that HO-PANG works for recently hired a fresh graduate called CHENG CHI-HO, who, although possesses high academic qualification, is overly protected by his "Helicopter parents". Confronting the challenges of the global elites, will this newly-joined employee eventually admit defeat?

6. Episode 6

Aired: 5/12/2014

The retirement in old age is an inevitable part of life, however, some outstanding seniors would rather continue to work at the stage of post-retirement. Seeking self-reliance and independence, they vigorously explore new possibilities, striving to live their best second half of life. Our main character, KING ELECTRIC, who twice suffered a stroke, keeps fighting for his career and never gives up. Living his life like a candle that burns itself from beginning to end to give off light and heat, he not only lights up his life, but also brings warmth to the people around him, glittering at the sunset as a warrior!

7. Episode 7

Aired: 5/13/2014

New immigrants set foot in Hong Kong, immediately triggering the Hong Kong-Mainland conflict. After years of waiting, our heroine, WONG MEI-FUN, bringing along her daughter, finally gets the one-way permit to Hong Kong so as to reunite themselves with her truck driver husband CHAN WING-SUN. Despite the joy of the family reunion, her husband, in an attempt to improve their living standard, gets addicted to gambling, whereas her daughter feels desperate because her English level falls behind the average Hong Kong primary school standard. After struggling with herself for some days, our heroine eventually pulls herself together, tenaciously as if her hometown camellia. Thus shows the importance to form a win-win situation for Hong Kong and Mainland.

8. Episode 8

Aired: 5/14/2014

The information technology is like a double-edged sword, which could cause damage while improving our life. The fact that the cyber sub-culture and cyber bullying have swept through our society gives people the impression that the internet is a very dark and dangerous place. Nevertheless, the internet was and is still a gateway to a world full of opportunities. In a nutshell, it's totally subject to the attitude of its users as to whether or not the consequence of the novelty of the web is worldwide improvement or damage. Not wanting to be isolated in this new era, as a retired school principal, BAT-DAU, strives to learn how to use a computer. Unfortunately, the ever-changing net's reach is virtually ubiquitous and instantaneous, rendering BAT-DAU helpless as well as deepening the generation gap between him and his daughter HO-YAN. What can these seniors do to prevent marginalization?

9. Episode 9

Aired: 5/15/2014

Foreign domestic helpers are the ethnic minority groups that are closely related to our daily life. Living under the same roof, there have been several court cases in which domestic workers have alleged torture and abuse at the hands of their employers. On the other hand, rumor has it that a senior employer called CHEUNG KIN, who treats his domestic helper EMMA as his own daughter and even decides to leave $800,000 to her as the wedding gift when he dies. Believe it or not, when HO-PANG goes to look for the truth, he also uncovers many sincere stories. Among them, some will make your hair stand on end, whereas some will reduce you to tears. Coming to Hong Kong all by themselves, the foreign domestic helpers not only make money for themselves, but also bring warmth to many Hong Kong families. We should treat each other with respect and love, irrespective of race, color, and national origin.… ...

10. Episode 10

Aired: 5/16/2014

Each day, Hong Kong generates over 3,300 tons of food waste, which takes up 40% of the capacity of the daily waste that is discarded in landfill. And even in the newly established organic waste recycling center, only around 200 tons of industrial and commercial food waste can be processed on a daily basis. In order to save money to fulfil their dream, three young dancers, LEUNG, CHU and SHUM are going to use different seasoning packets to reinvent egg sandwiches, hoping to save money on food and drinks. As the old saying goes, "Waste No Food"! It turns out that the food waste helps not only reduce hunger but also fulfil one's dream......

11. Episode 11

Aired: 5/19/2014

Hong Kong people, generations after generations, have spent most of their life time struggling on housing issues. For instances, the middle class do not qualify for Public Housing, nor can they have extra money to pay off the deposit and the mortgage after paying for their living expenses. Here are three best friends, HUNG YIK, KWONG CHI-HUNG and FONG JUN-YIN, and each of them has a rough time either before or after his marriage. In order to have a roof over their heads, some take a round-about way, and some jointly invest the property with the others, ending up confronting challenges in both their career and love. How would they manage to adapt?

12. Episode 12

Aired: 5/20/2014

The cost of living such as real estate prices and price of goods in Hong Kong has been fairly high in recent years, yet Hong Kong's younger generations might not be able to afford to emigrate to another country even though they have assets including property and stock shares worth more than $3 million. In light of the soaring rental price, newly married young man, SPIDERMAN, decides to emigrate to Taiwan for the sake of his wife and children's future. On the other hand, BAT-DAU's friend, UNCLE YING, who emigrated to Australia ten years ago, leaves his family without hesitation and returns to Hong Kong to get an insurance agent license; whereas CHRIS, who has grown up overseas and received a western education since childhood, also chooses to come back to Hong Kong to establish his own business...... Which way should they choose?