Work-life balance. Animal-loving CPAs. Hong Ng with Mau-Zai

Transcription

1 Work-life balance Animal-loving CPAs Hong Ng with Mau-Zai 38 February 2016

2 aplus BREEDS OF LOVE Families come in all shapes and sizes, especially when some members have four legs and a pelt of fur. Tigger Chaturabul talks to Institute members about their pets and how they came to be a part of the family Photography by Anthony Tung Over the past 30 years, six cats have found their way to Hong Ng s home and lived long, happy lives as members of his family. The Managing Director of Risk Management at BDO and a member of the Hong Kong Institute of CPAs grew up with a variety of animals at home, including cats, dogs, tortoises, birds and even a monkey. It s impossible for me to not like pets, says Ng. Cats in particular because they have a double character; on one hand, they re like playful soft toys but on the other hand, they are very strongwilled. Trying to get a cat to like me is a very interesting challenge and a great accomplishment. Pets are a big part of many people, including CPAs. Whether it s a warm welcome home or a break from the office, frequent interaction with their pets is crucial for Institute members like Ng to really bond with their furry companions. Ng adopted his first cat in 1987 while he was living in London. Mau-E, a white female British tabby with silver spots, came to him from a friend s mother and lived for 19 years. We moved back to Hong Kong in 1991 and had to give her away, but when my wife and I went back for a visit in 1995, Mau-E could still remember me, says Ng. His second, third, fourth and fifth cats, Mau-Chee, Mau-Chu, Tyson and Mau-Wong respectively, came to him from various sources over the years, including litters of stray cats in housing estates, former colleagues and the busy Wanchai roads where they were rescued. They re all ordinary tabby cats with no particular pedigree, explains Ng. While tabby cats tend to have lifespans ranging years, some of Ng s cats have lived up to 21.5 years, with at most two cats living together in his home at any time. Trying to get a cat to like me is a very interesting challenge and a great accomplishment. Ng s sixth cat was found as a kitten in an open-air car park in Yuen Long. Tiny and thin, the cat first went to live with Ng s late father as a companion, who called him Small Pig. My father was much happier when the cat was around, says Ng. They lived together for just over a year and when my father passed away, my wife and I chose to take the cat in. He reminds me of my late father. Now, Small Pig is called Mau-Zai and weighs nearly six kilograms. When it s time to leave home for work, the cats tend to sneak out into the corridor while Ng puts on his shoes and opens the door. They accompany me while I wait for the lift and once it arrives, I have to make them go back inside, he says. At the end of the day, they somehow know when I get into the lift downstairs and when I step out, they re already waiting for me by the door. Every cat has a different background and a unique personality so each one has a special bond with us, says Ng. I can t describe the joy of being able to provide a good February

3 Work-life balance Animal-loving CPAs Better relationships can be built when we are direct with each other, like between dogs and people. life for them and earning their acceptance it s just beyond my vocabulary. To Ng, having cats teaches him how to be patient and persistent. If a cat wants something, it will wait, pursue and battle it out until they get their own way. This philosophy does have a bearing on my work approach at the office, he says. Cats are the true masters of the house, adds Ng. They are very demanding and they actually help me realize that our bosses requests are not that unreasonable when compared to the uncompromising character of cats. Growing companionship Snowy joined the Lo family five years ago as a birthday gift from Roy Lo to his daughter Katie, then aged nine. Lo, Managing Partner of ShineWing (HK) CPA and an Institute member, spent three months searching and researching with Katie for the perfect pet. After seeing photos and videos of Snowy online, Lo brought his daughter to Taiwan to visit the Japanese spitz breeder and settled on their newest family member. Having a pet at a young age is a good educational stimulus for Lo s daughter to learn responsibility. Caring for the dogs, playing with them and showering them help Responsible pet care Deciding on a pet is a lifelong commitment that requires careful preparation and consistent care. Elaine Kwok, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Dog Dog Day Pet Shop and a Hong Kong Institute of CPAs member, sees great potential for CPAs to be pet caretakers and hopes to remind all pet owners to be alert to their pets' health needs through her shop. We provide care services and products to help dogs lead long and healthy lives, but we do not sell dogs, says Kwok, who is adamant that pets should be adopted from shelters rather than bought from stores or breeders. CPAs should adopt pets that are less timedemanding to care for, such as older, short-haired pets because they are less energetic and destructive and do not require as much daily grooming. To set up a home for the arrival of a pet, Kwok recommends the entire household to meet beforehand and discuss topics such as: Who will take the dog out for walks or to relieve themselves? Who will be in charge of daily feeding? Who will make veterinary appointments for vaccinations or other illnesses? Draft a shopping list for supplies such as food and water bowls, chew toys, identification tags, odor neutralizers, etc. How to pet-proof the home by taping loose electrical cords, moving household chemicals to high shelves, removing plants, rugs and breakables and more. A responsible pet owner is one who keeps their pet healthy, says Kwok. Whether it's taking their pet to the vet for check-ups, keeping the home free of fleas or parasites, providing chew toys, preventing obesity and more, a pet owner should be attune to all of these issues. You should become familiar with your pets' patterns for eating, drinking, sleeping and relieving themselves because any major variations can indicate illness, says Kwok. Owners should also be aware of common health problems for their particular breed, how to prevent and recognize them. CPAs are responsible, meticulous, dependable and trustworthy, which are great attributes for pet ownership, says Kwok. She also has faith in a CPA's ability to plan both finances and time to make sure their pets are well taken care of. Kwok encourages animal-loving CPAs to be more vocal in the fight against animal abuse and draw attention to the needs of pet shelters, whether through their networks or firms. CPAs can also get involved in volunteer work with pets because this will bring satisfaction and happiness that cannot be gained from money alone, she says. 40 February 2016

4 aplus Roy Lo holding Snowy and Katie Lo holding Little Cream her build positive relationships with them, says Lo. It also helps her feel independent and accomplished which raises her self esteem. Snowy and Katie are quite close because they grew up together, says Lo. But he became worried that Snowy might feel lonely as an only dog. Two years after Snowy s arrival, Lo began searching for a four-legged companion for her and adopted Little Cream, a toy chihuahua, from a pet centre owned by a friend. She was very small, even for a toy chihuahua, and nobody wanted her. When she climbed up to my wife s legs, my wife said to me, Look, she wants to come home with us, and that s when we made our decision, says Lo. Unfortunately, despite Little Cream s sweet disposition and eagerness to play, Snowy had no interest in sharing her home with another dog; she considered herself human. Snowy is completely committed to the family but she is only happy to play with people, says Lo. It took a few months for Snowy to allow Little Cream into the pet room but now she accepts her. A small- or medium-sized dog like a chihuahua or Japanese spitz is a great pet for a CPA because they are comfortable to stay at home if you don t take them outside daily, says Lo. We take our dogs to the beach or to The Peak on weekends, often with other friends who have dogs, and they love it. Lo also recommends CPAs who are interested in getting a dog to make sure they have the time to devote to them. It s not fair for pets to be left at home all day, where they will get lonely. Even though I am busy, my daughter can still come home from school early and spend time with the dogs, says Lo. Lo often takes business trips overseas and knows his absence can be clearly felt at home. When I come back after a few days of being away, Snowy will greet me with a very low voice that s different from usual, as if she s trying to say something, Lo explains. She ll twist herself around in tight circles to show that she s excited for me to be home. Having dogs helped Lo realize the best kind of communication is simple and direct. Whether they are happy, angry or jealous, a dog will immediately let you know their true feelings, says Lo. Better relationships can be built when we are direct with each other, like between dogs and people. February

5 Work-life balance Animal-loving CPAs Anthony Chiang with Smiley 42 February 2016

6 aplus Stable partnership Anthony Chiang s four-legged family members are larger than the average household pet. The Institute member and founder of CPA firm Anthony S. L. Chiang & Co. s two thoroughbreds Lok Wah and Smiley, are high-spirited, retired racehorses from England and Ireland respectively. Lok Wah is a gentle 15-year-old bay who has been with Chiang for more than 11 years, while Smiley is a mischievous 12-year-old white horse adopted by Chiang six years ago. Horses have been companions to humans for around 6,000 years so there s a long history there, says Chiang. When you ride, you can t separate the human from the horse; we are partners in our movements. He has been riding since the 1980s when he was a university student in the United Kingdom. Chiang s wife, daughter and son also enjoy riding and their pets help them bond better, often as the topic of common conversation. When his children call home while studying abroad, they ask about their pets both horses and dogs before asking about their parents. When my kids were younger, we took overseas family trips for riding where my children would get up at seven o clock in the morning by themselves to clean the stables and groom the horses, says Chiang. His daughter Fabienne, now 21, is an excellent rider, as is his son Lennard, aged 18, who represented Hong Kong at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games Equestrian Event in Nanjing. They grew up riding with us since they were six years old starting at the Tuen Mun Public Riding School, explains Chiang. During riding sessions, I can really feel the power and strength of the horse and afterwards, I can feel myself become more energetic and even walk faster. Caring for horses is no easy feat in Hong Kong, especially as a busy CPA. Taking his horses out for a walk or to ride can take Chiang two to four hours, including the time it takes to saddle up, groom, wash and care for them after exercise. If I could, I would love to do this every day, says Chiang. However, regardless of how busy Chiang s schedule becomes, he still makes time at least three days a week to visit his horses and take riding lessons. During riding sessions, I can really feel the power and strength of the horse and afterwards, I can feel myself become more energetic and even walk faster, he says. It takes coordination from your brain to your toes to ride and while you communicate with your horse, you also have to listen for when he communicates with you too. The carrot-and-stick method was previously often used to train both horses and people but nowadays the aid method has proved both effective and benevolent. Riding aids are cues given by rider to the horse to communicate what the rider wants to do. With just the tap of a leg or tug on the bit, Chiang can get his horse to understand his directions. An aid simply lets the horse be aware of what you want. It is not a reward or punishment but another communication method, he says. This is not something you learn about when studying for an MBA. One of the biggest differences between having horses and other pets is that Chiang must be able to clear his mind and relax before he can interact with Lok Wah and Smiley. If my mind and body are stressed and I try to ride, it is very easy for me to fall because I can t focus, he says. Chiang likens horse riding to the profession with the common theme of balance. When I m at work, I need to balance accounts, numbers, etc. When I m in the saddle, I need to balance myself and be fit and in harmony with the horse, he says. It doesn t necessarily mean that riding is more comfortable than going to the office, but it s a different kind of satisfaction. February