Inspiring Triumph
t’s not often that i get teary reading one of our cover stories. In fact, it’s never happened before. But halfway through this month’s feature on Sharie Ross-tse my eyes welled up. Men don’t cry, of course. Rather, our eyes sweat. Either way, I was reaching for a tissue. I’ve known Sharie for over a decade—i worked for her parents in the early noughties, when they owned Hong Kong Tatler. My personal connection to Sharie and her family made the story of how she was diagnosed with cancer particularly heavy.
Maybe it’s also because I’ve got a couple of kids who are now roughly the same age as hers when she got the devastating news back in 2010. I can’t image how awful it would have been for Sharie and her family to go through what they did. Her journey from the hell of initial diagnosis through her long, slow recovery—as told in the deft prose of features editor Melissa Twigg—is a testament to the indomitable spirit of this amazing individual ( Woman of Hope, page 174).
Now fully recovered and fighting fit (just look at her go in spin class!), Sharie is turning her efforts to help others by promoting the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital Foundation’s cancer fund. Sharie has been instrumental in establishing the Women of Hope, a citywide campaign that calls on Hongkongers to vote for inspiring women in a range of fields, including health, the environment and culture. The campaign culminates this month at an event on June 11 where the eight winners will be announced. Hong Kong Tatler is proud to be a supporter of the campaign, which we believe will raise awareness of the assistance the Adventist Hospital can provide to those living with cancer.
Elsewhere in this issue we explore the Amazonian rainforest in style on a luxury cruise ( The Jungle Boat, page 224), jet off to Cognac for Hennessy’s 250th anniversary festivities ( Celebratory Spirit, page 208) and check out the latest five-star escapes, including a luxury camp on the Tibetan plateau ( From East to West, page 222). Closer to home, we talk to Hong Kong’s society singletons about the highs and lows of modern-day dating and meet the elite matchingmaking professionals who are here to help ( Make Me a Match, page 182). Stephen Short previews a joint exhibition by German photographer Juergen Teller and Chinese sculptress Xiang Jing that says as much about contemporary culture as it does about contemporary art ( Teller About It, page 188). And our extensive fashion coverage includes a ravishing photographic study of Chanel’s latest haute couture collection ( The Secret Garden, page 110) and effortlessly easy summer ensembles set against a neon-laden backdrop ( Tokyo Daze, page 118).
Summer’s here. Run along a beach. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Sharie would agree.