1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,517
But what I'm saying is, if the needle

2
00:00:02,554 --> 00:00:03,969
hasn't pierced your own
skin, you really don't know

3
00:00:04,006 --> 00:00:05,810
how much it hurts. Doors slammed

4
00:00:05,847 --> 00:00:08,458
in my face, things thrown out at me,

5
00:00:08,495 --> 00:00:11,524
told to get lost. I've
always held one belief:

6
00:00:11,561 --> 00:00:13,181
touch lives with your life.

7
00:00:13,218 --> 00:00:15,134
That's the meaning of being alive.

8
00:00:17,974 --> 00:00:20,701
Linda, when we first met,

9
00:00:20,738 --> 00:00:24,175
you were running for school
trustee four years ago,

10
00:00:24,212 --> 00:00:26,057
for the Richmond School Board.

11
00:00:26,196 --> 00:00:28,909
I remember you got over
ten thousand votes.

12
00:00:29,090 --> 00:00:29,553
That's right.

13
00:00:29,627 --> 00:00:31,777
A really good result. You were only

14
00:00:31,814 --> 00:00:34,173
a few hundred votes
short of being elected.

15
00:00:34,553 --> 00:00:35,164
That's right.

16
00:00:35,238 --> 00:00:37,034
So back then,

17
00:00:37,071 --> 00:00:38,775
I remember after the election

18
00:00:38,812 --> 00:00:40,025
we met at a dinner, and you

19
00:00:40,062 --> 00:00:42,393
said to me, "Sarah,

20
00:00:42,430 --> 00:00:43,960
I'm going back to school." To do

21
00:00:43,979 --> 00:00:46,703
an MBA, or further studies

22
00:00:46,740 --> 00:00:48,566
in management. I remember at the time

23
00:00:48,603 --> 00:00:50,239
I was filled with respect. I felt you

24
00:00:50,276 --> 00:00:52,895
were someone always striving forward.

25
00:00:53,682 --> 00:00:56,192
Thank you. Actually, it's

26
00:00:56,229 --> 00:00:57,924
a bit of a long story.

27
00:00:57,961 --> 00:01:00,616
Why I ran for office,

28
00:01:00,653 --> 00:01:04,110
or why I wanted to keep studying,

29
00:01:04,147 --> 00:01:06,948
I think there were certain turns of fate.

30
00:01:06,985 --> 00:01:10,347
I immigrated here 30
years ago, and the first

31
00:01:10,384 --> 00:01:12,553
10 to 20 years, I spent a long

32
00:01:12,590 --> 00:01:13,959
time doing community service,

33
00:01:13,996 --> 00:01:16,044
raising kids and running a business.

34
00:01:16,479 --> 00:01:17,349
How many kids do you have?

35
00:01:17,423 --> 00:01:18,006
We have

36
00:01:18,081 --> 00:01:18,581
three sons.

37
00:01:18,655 --> 00:01:21,811
Yes. And one turning point was my

38
00:01:21,848 --> 00:01:25,045
husband's death. He passed away in 2019.

39
00:01:25,082 --> 00:01:27,136
It was cancer. Very unfortunate.

40
00:01:27,173 --> 00:01:29,240
After he passed, I

41
00:01:29,277 --> 00:01:32,081
went through a period of
reflection, and I felt

42
00:01:32,118 --> 00:01:35,888
we had to turn the page,
not stay in the past.

43
00:01:35,925 --> 00:01:37,840
Life has to go on. From 2019

44
00:01:37,914 --> 00:01:39,933
to now, it's been seven years.

45
00:01:39,970 --> 00:01:42,747
And in 2022 you came out

46
00:01:42,821 --> 00:01:43,692
to run in the municipal election, so

47
00:01:43,766 --> 00:01:48,031
you took three years to heal. I hear

48
00:01:48,068 --> 00:01:50,632
you and your husband were very close.

49
00:01:50,669 --> 00:01:51,969
Losing a loved one,

50
00:01:52,006 --> 00:01:54,261
yet you didn't stay in grief.

51
00:01:54,298 --> 00:01:56,818
Instead you walked out of it resolutely

52
00:01:56,855 --> 00:01:59,794
and gave back to society with love.

53
00:02:00,692 --> 00:02:02,599
What kind of strength is that?

54
00:02:02,673 --> 00:02:05,731
I think it was a kind of
revelation. My husband

55
00:02:05,768 --> 00:02:08,324
wasn't very old when he
passed. When you look back

56
00:02:08,361 --> 00:02:10,201
on it, you realize

57
00:02:10,683 --> 00:02:12,720
he was a wonderful man
who volunteered a lot.

58
00:02:12,757 --> 00:02:15,197
He once said, "We're very blessed,

59
00:02:15,234 --> 00:02:17,151
because we're able to volunteer,

60
00:02:17,188 --> 00:02:19,850
able to give back. We should
see it as a blessing."

61
00:02:20,146 --> 00:02:21,613
Yes, that was

62
00:02:21,650 --> 00:02:23,650
an inspiration he gave to my life:

63
00:02:23,687 --> 00:02:25,198
that's how we should see society.

64
00:02:25,235 --> 00:02:27,172
The other thing is, such a good man,

65
00:02:27,209 --> 00:02:29,554
when he passed, so very many

66
00:02:29,591 --> 00:02:32,161
of our friends were heartbroken.
But when you're still,

67
00:02:32,198 --> 00:02:34,361
you realize that once you're gone,

68
00:02:34,398 --> 00:02:36,606
the longer it's been, the less

69
00:02:36,643 --> 00:02:38,822
your influence on
others. But for yourself,

70
00:02:38,859 --> 00:02:40,833
in our limited lives,

71
00:02:40,870 --> 00:02:43,896
it's not the length that matters,
it's the depth and breadth.

72
00:02:44,350 --> 00:02:45,350
But for

73
00:02:45,424 --> 00:02:46,572
a woman, you

74
00:02:46,646 --> 00:02:48,137
lost a partner,

75
00:02:48,406 --> 00:02:51,091
a partner who volunteered with you.

76
00:02:51,128 --> 00:02:53,378
Did you feel very lonely then?

77
00:02:53,702 --> 00:02:55,350
It was very... back
then it felt very empty,

78
00:02:55,424 --> 00:02:57,017
I'd say. I think there is that.

79
00:02:57,304 --> 00:02:59,739
When your life partner leaves,

80
00:02:59,776 --> 00:03:01,629
for us, why do

81
00:03:01,666 --> 00:03:03,297
two people come together? To have

82
00:03:03,334 --> 00:03:04,836
a shared home, a shared

83
00:03:04,873 --> 00:03:06,933
future. When that's gone,

84
00:03:06,970 --> 00:03:08,534
you feel everything has collapsed.

85
00:03:08,571 --> 00:03:11,174
Everything I'd built
over twenty-some years

86
00:03:11,211 --> 00:03:12,489
suddenly seemed gone, as if

87
00:03:12,563 --> 00:03:13,081
it had no meaning.

88
00:03:13,156 --> 00:03:15,494
Very often people will understand,

89
00:03:15,531 --> 00:03:17,081
or you'll understand, that

90
00:03:17,119 --> 00:03:19,396
it hurts a lot. But what I'm saying is,

91
00:03:19,433 --> 00:03:20,773
if the needle hasn't pierced your skin,

92
00:03:20,810 --> 00:03:23,119
you really don't know
how much it hurts. Yes.

93
00:03:23,193 --> 00:03:25,480
I can probably only grasp

94
00:03:25,952 --> 00:03:28,334
a hundredth, a thousandth
of what you felt.

95
00:03:28,371 --> 00:03:30,669
But I can understand:

96
00:03:30,706 --> 00:03:33,341
a woman on her own,

97
00:03:33,378 --> 00:03:36,166
still raising three kids, and

98
00:03:36,203 --> 00:03:38,544
a husband who was so loving,

99
00:03:38,581 --> 00:03:40,966
who left so early like that.

100
00:03:41,003 --> 00:03:43,984
And yet within those three years you

101
00:03:44,021 --> 00:03:46,785
were able to come back to life, and

102
00:03:46,822 --> 00:03:48,804
put your backpack on and start again.

103
00:03:48,878 --> 00:03:51,031
Actually, even when my husband was alive,

104
00:03:51,068 --> 00:03:53,035
I was always doing community service.

105
00:03:53,072 --> 00:03:55,415
I've done it for twenty-some years. My

106
00:03:55,452 --> 00:03:58,341
very first volunteering was when my kid

107
00:03:58,378 --> 00:04:00,885
started elementary school,
in the school library.

108
00:04:00,922 --> 00:04:02,856
Back then we had no
concept of volunteering.

109
00:04:02,893 --> 00:04:04,845
I just felt that having come here,

110
00:04:04,882 --> 00:04:06,896
we needed to learn
Canadian culture. Later,

111
00:04:06,933 --> 00:04:09,041
after volunteering there, I joined

112
00:04:09,078 --> 00:04:10,585
the City of Richmond's

113
00:04:10,622 --> 00:04:13,466
early childhood advisory committee.

114
00:04:13,503 --> 00:04:15,549
After that I went on to become

115
00:04:15,586 --> 00:04:17,910
president of the Richmond
Chinese Community Society.

116
00:04:17,947 --> 00:04:19,320
And of course, where I met

117
00:04:19,357 --> 00:04:21,954
you: the Chinese business
association, the Lions Club.

118
00:04:21,991 --> 00:04:24,091
Later on I became

119
00:04:25,007 --> 00:04:27,788
a former ambassador for the Richmond
Hospital Foundation, up to

120
00:04:27,825 --> 00:04:29,901
now. All of this has been

121
00:04:29,938 --> 00:04:32,371
my long-term path, building
on this foundation.

122
00:04:32,408 --> 00:04:34,873
After my husband passed, I just felt

123
00:04:34,910 --> 00:04:37,740
we had to keep moving
forward. Life goes on.

124
00:04:37,777 --> 00:04:40,257
That's why I thought I'd step out again

125
00:04:41,989 --> 00:04:44,078
and further my education,

126
00:04:44,115 --> 00:04:46,822
because it had always been
my dream to do a master's.

127
00:04:46,896 --> 00:04:49,638
Your late husband's
encouragement has always

128
00:04:49,675 --> 00:04:52,140
influenced you: his words,
his voice and smile,

129
00:04:52,177 --> 00:04:54,889
all his dreams, his ideals,

130
00:04:54,926 --> 00:04:57,245
his constant dedication to the community

131
00:04:57,282 --> 00:04:59,881
kept influencing you,
and you've carried on

132
00:04:59,919 --> 00:05:01,904
passing on his love. Actually,

133
00:05:01,941 --> 00:05:04,489
my impression of you
was always the Hong Kong

134
00:05:04,526 --> 00:05:07,119
circle. Your community work,

135
00:05:07,156 --> 00:05:09,994
the Lions Club, all Hong Kong-based

136
00:05:10,031 --> 00:05:12,600
groups. Yes. Are you from Hong Kong?

137
00:05:12,674 --> 00:05:15,009
No, my husband is from Hong Kong.

138
00:05:15,046 --> 00:05:17,912
I worked very hard to learn Cantonese,

139
00:05:17,949 --> 00:05:19,804
because when I had my kids,

140
00:05:19,841 --> 00:05:21,384
back then, since we came

141
00:05:21,421 --> 00:05:23,206
quite early, in the '90s,

142
00:05:23,244 --> 00:05:25,624
family doctors in our community

143
00:05:25,661 --> 00:05:27,725
never spoke Mandarin at all.

144
00:05:27,762 --> 00:05:29,912
So you had to push yourself

145
00:05:29,949 --> 00:05:31,431
and just start speaking. I think

146
00:05:31,468 --> 00:05:32,771
that was a very good thing.

147
00:05:32,808 --> 00:05:34,276
And with other friends,

148
00:05:34,313 --> 00:05:36,656
I always encourage them: it's

149
00:05:36,693 --> 00:05:38,893
okay, just believe in yourself. Just like

150
00:05:38,930 --> 00:05:41,114
us here, as first-generation immigrants,

151
00:05:41,151 --> 00:05:42,786
our English may not be

152
00:05:42,823 --> 00:05:44,443
as good as people born here,

153
00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,674
but that's okay. Language is just a tool

154
00:05:47,711 --> 00:05:50,488
for communication. Be brave
in expressing yourself.

155
00:05:50,525 --> 00:05:53,044
Yes, fitting into the
community is what matters most.

156
00:05:53,119 --> 00:05:54,869
Over these twenty-some years,

157
00:05:55,859 --> 00:06:01,341
of course, you weren't
the founding president,

158
00:06:01,378 --> 00:06:04,141
but I hear that before, this society

159
00:06:04,178 --> 00:06:07,375
was so influential that,
without even being invited,

160
00:06:07,412 --> 00:06:08,986
all three levels of
government would call you.

161
00:06:09,060 --> 00:06:09,764
Yes.

162
00:06:10,208 --> 00:06:14,005
At its busiest and most influential,

163
00:06:14,023 --> 00:06:15,171
over a thousand people.

164
00:06:15,245 --> 00:06:16,764
Once a month?

165
00:06:16,838 --> 00:06:18,525
We had an event every month,

166
00:06:18,562 --> 00:06:20,364
and all of them were large events.

167
00:06:20,401 --> 00:06:22,967
All of our directors,

168
00:06:23,004 --> 00:06:25,331
all board members, were volunteers.

169
00:06:25,368 --> 00:06:27,981
For example, I'm sure
many people have been.

170
00:06:28,019 --> 00:06:30,259
Every year we'd hold events at Lansdowne:

171
00:06:30,296 --> 00:06:33,221
Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn, Asian Heritage

172
00:06:33,258 --> 00:06:35,695
Month, or a health fair.

173
00:06:35,732 --> 00:06:37,968
We also had a children's art contest.

174
00:06:38,005 --> 00:06:39,356
We'd hold them all at Lansdowne,

175
00:06:39,394 --> 00:06:42,111
a place with big community reach.

176
00:06:42,148 --> 00:06:44,325
And each event was a full day.

177
00:06:44,362 --> 00:06:47,127
On top of that, every year we'd join

178
00:06:47,164 --> 00:06:49,580
the Salmon Festival parade,

179
00:06:49,617 --> 00:06:51,830
and other events. Basically,

180
00:06:51,867 --> 00:06:53,644
we had an event every month.

181
00:06:53,681 --> 00:06:56,004
So we were very busy, and at the same time

182
00:06:56,041 --> 00:06:59,069
we had a great deal of
contact with the community.

183
00:06:59,245 --> 00:07:01,644
Actually, in terms of entering politics,

184
00:07:02,079 --> 00:07:05,662
I've learned a lot from
it. These past years,

185
00:07:07,116 --> 00:07:09,440
across Richmond, without exaggeration,

186
00:07:09,477 --> 00:07:12,306
I've knocked on doors in 70 to 80% of it.

187
00:07:12,343 --> 00:07:13,668
All of Richmond, as big as it is,

188
00:07:13,705 --> 00:07:15,671
because school trustee
covers the whole city.

189
00:07:15,745 --> 00:07:16,875
Do you knock on doors by yourself?

190
00:07:16,949 --> 00:07:18,149
I have a team,

191
00:07:18,186 --> 00:07:20,819
but I'm always there. My friends say

192
00:07:20,856 --> 00:07:22,968
I stay in shape because I knock on doors.

193
00:07:24,218 --> 00:07:25,681
Another thing is, when

194
00:07:25,719 --> 00:07:27,175
we run provincially, you

195
00:07:27,212 --> 00:07:29,403
cover one riding, about
a quarter of the city.

196
00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:31,292
Last time I knocked on every single door.

197
00:07:31,329 --> 00:07:34,186
I knocked on every door. Of
course there are supporters,

198
00:07:34,223 --> 00:07:36,140
and there are always opponents, because

199
00:07:36,177 --> 00:07:38,010
in a democracy there are different voices.

200
00:07:38,047 --> 00:07:39,850
I think you just accept that calmly,

201
00:07:39,887 --> 00:07:42,572
and hope more and more people understand

202
00:07:42,609 --> 00:07:45,161
my only aim is to serve the community.

203
00:07:45,198 --> 00:07:47,366
That takes perseverance. So when

204
00:07:47,384 --> 00:07:49,540
you're knocking on doors, has anyone been

205
00:07:49,577 --> 00:07:52,403
rude to you, or refused to

206
00:07:52,477 --> 00:07:54,719
talk to you? Definitely. Or doors slammed

207
00:07:54,756 --> 00:07:57,518
in my face, things thrown out at me,

208
00:07:57,555 --> 00:08:00,051
told to get lost. Yes. I think

209
00:08:00,088 --> 00:08:02,736
whatever we do, we'll always run into

210
00:08:02,773 --> 00:08:04,958
setbacks. Don't take it to heart

211
00:08:04,995 --> 00:08:07,829
and let it become a setback, a resistance.

212
00:08:07,903 --> 00:08:10,213
So how do you handle it yourself,

213
00:08:10,250 --> 00:08:12,649
not get emotional, and in the moment

214
00:08:12,686 --> 00:08:14,958
turn it around quickly?

215
00:08:15,032 --> 00:08:17,192
Yes, because often when people are

216
00:08:17,229 --> 00:08:19,514
emotional with you, it's
not really about you.

217
00:08:19,588 --> 00:08:22,440
It's really their feelings
about the status quo.

218
00:08:22,514 --> 00:08:23,199
Right, it's not

219
00:08:23,273 --> 00:08:23,773
about you.

220
00:08:23,847 --> 00:08:25,741
And I feel even if they don't like me,

221
00:08:25,778 --> 00:08:27,975
no one is liked 100%.

222
00:08:28,012 --> 00:08:30,362
Not everyone has to like
you, and that's fine.

223
00:08:30,399 --> 00:08:32,125
We just let everything happen

224
00:08:32,162 --> 00:08:33,699
and do our best.

225
00:08:33,736 --> 00:08:35,478
We show our best, and

226
00:08:35,515 --> 00:08:38,066
hope to win more people's hearts.

227
00:08:38,103 --> 00:08:40,659
Because you shouldn't
dwell or wear yourself out.

228
00:08:40,696 --> 00:08:42,973
That's how we keep living.

229
00:08:43,010 --> 00:08:45,215
In life or in politics,
don't wear yourself out,

230
00:08:45,252 --> 00:08:47,144
just keep charging ahead.

231
00:08:47,218 --> 00:08:49,678
Yes, because I meet a lot of young

232
00:08:49,715 --> 00:08:52,080
mothers too. Many of
them see so many Chinese

233
00:08:52,117 --> 00:08:54,827
women entering politics, and they

234
00:08:54,864 --> 00:08:56,545
also have this idea.

235
00:08:56,582 --> 00:08:58,718
What advice would you give them?

236
00:08:58,792 --> 00:09:00,621
I warmly welcome everyone

237
00:09:00,658 --> 00:09:03,646
to join us. Having

238
00:09:03,683 --> 00:09:06,662
immigrated here, what matters most?

239
00:09:06,699 --> 00:09:08,243
This is our home.

240
00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,375
We have to treat it as our home.

241
00:09:10,718 --> 00:09:12,295
In this home, you have to be

242
00:09:12,332 --> 00:09:15,034
the master of the house. To have a say,

243
00:09:15,071 --> 00:09:17,662
you have to speak up, step up

244
00:09:17,681 --> 00:09:20,467
and raise issues. Right. What
gives you standing to speak?

245
00:09:20,504 --> 00:09:22,939
Your participation in
society. Besides volunteering,

246
00:09:22,976 --> 00:09:24,981
you can enter politics.
Besides doing business

247
00:09:25,019 --> 00:09:27,910
to contribute, you can
also go into politics.

248
00:09:27,947 --> 00:09:30,049
Because it's easy for us to say

249
00:09:30,392 --> 00:09:32,033
this policy is bad, that policy

250
00:09:32,070 --> 00:09:35,197
is bad. Only when you have a
voice, when you're in politics,

251
00:09:35,234 --> 00:09:37,992
when you become someone
who makes the rules,

252
00:09:38,029 --> 00:09:40,577
part of the process, can you

253
00:09:40,614 --> 00:09:42,920
better change society and make

254
00:09:42,957 --> 00:09:44,411
our society even better.

255
00:09:44,448 --> 00:09:46,181
So I encourage all my friends,

256
00:09:46,218 --> 00:09:48,503
if you're willing, and
it's what we encourage now,

257
00:09:48,540 --> 00:09:50,895
we hope more Chinese
Canadians get into politics.

258
00:09:50,932 --> 00:09:53,141
Actually, the party doesn't matter. Every

259
00:09:53,178 --> 00:09:55,452
party surely has a good side that helps

260
00:09:55,489 --> 00:09:56,931
our society. Each time,

261
00:09:56,969 --> 00:09:58,877
when voters choose a different

262
00:09:58,914 --> 00:10:00,631
party, it's just from their
point of view. They feel

263
00:10:00,669 --> 00:10:02,377
at this time, this party's platform

264
00:10:02,414 --> 00:10:04,169
suits me better. But in the end,

265
00:10:04,244 --> 00:10:05,151
it comes down to the individual.

266
00:10:05,225 --> 00:10:06,225
Right? Each

267
00:10:06,299 --> 00:10:07,188
individual person.

268
00:10:07,262 --> 00:10:07,966
Yes.

269
00:10:08,614 --> 00:10:11,962
I just hope voters will think carefully

270
00:10:11,999 --> 00:10:14,517
and choose well. Choose
someone willing to listen

271
00:10:14,554 --> 00:10:16,818
to your voice, willing
to speak up for you.

272
00:10:16,855 --> 00:10:19,377
So each of you voters is

273
00:10:19,414 --> 00:10:21,355
our focus. Every one of us is

274
00:10:21,392 --> 00:10:23,468
a living, breathing
person. We're not data.

275
00:10:23,505 --> 00:10:25,417
We change the community through

276
00:10:25,454 --> 00:10:27,669
every person's voice. A
representative of the people

277
00:10:27,706 --> 00:10:29,401
brings your voices forward.

278
00:10:29,929 --> 00:10:33,081
So over these past 20 years, you must

279
00:10:33,119 --> 00:10:35,077
have gathered many residents' voices.

280
00:10:35,114 --> 00:10:36,892
Can you give a few examples?

281
00:10:36,966 --> 00:10:39,694
Actually, there are all kinds,

282
00:10:39,731 --> 00:10:42,132
because I'm very involved
in the community.

283
00:10:42,410 --> 00:10:43,746
Ever since my kids were young, I've

284
00:10:43,783 --> 00:10:45,453
been closely connected with education:

285
00:10:45,490 --> 00:10:47,560
volunteering at schools, then

286
00:10:47,597 --> 00:10:49,900
the City's advisory

287
00:10:49,937 --> 00:10:52,956
committee, all the way to now,

288
00:10:53,688 --> 00:10:55,674
on the SFU Board of Governors.

289
00:10:55,711 --> 00:10:58,802
I've always been closely
tied to education.

290
00:10:58,839 --> 00:11:01,524
So I also joined parent advisory councils,

291
00:11:01,561 --> 00:11:03,910
and so I have many such

292
00:11:03,947 --> 00:11:06,281
friends. For example, from daily

293
00:11:06,318 --> 00:11:08,749
school drop-offs, traffic, to the school's

294
00:11:08,786 --> 00:11:10,867
curriculum, what's good and what's not,

295
00:11:10,904 --> 00:11:12,581
we have lots and lots of conversations.

296
00:11:12,618 --> 00:11:14,706
So hearing so many different

297
00:11:14,744 --> 00:11:16,574
opinions, I hope that with

298
00:11:16,611 --> 00:11:18,590
this foundation I can
truly bring everyone's

299
00:11:18,627 --> 00:11:20,932
voices to our

300
00:11:20,969 --> 00:11:23,099
policymakers and implementers.

301
00:11:23,136 --> 00:11:25,288
That's really why you need to step up

302
00:11:25,325 --> 00:11:27,979
and run: to listen to
people and represent them.

303
00:11:28,151 --> 00:11:30,876
Great answer, thank you.

304
00:11:30,913 --> 00:11:33,832
So today,

305
00:11:33,869 --> 00:11:35,947
in our conversation,

306
00:11:35,984 --> 00:11:37,132
we'd really like to

307
00:11:37,169 --> 00:11:39,429
talk from a woman's perspective

308
00:11:39,632 --> 00:11:41,595
about women in politics.

309
00:11:41,632 --> 00:11:44,216
For you,

310
00:11:44,253 --> 00:11:49,762
from 2022, 2020, 2022 onward,

311
00:11:50,151 --> 00:11:51,745
you've been on the path of politics.

312
00:11:51,782 --> 00:11:53,738
Have you had really down

313
00:11:53,775 --> 00:11:55,309
moments, really sad moments,

314
00:11:55,346 --> 00:11:57,361
or felt that

315
00:11:57,398 --> 00:11:59,373
you'd taken the wrong path,

316
00:11:59,410 --> 00:12:02,308
or people around you
really discouraged you?

317
00:12:03,410 --> 00:12:04,614
Has that happened to you?

318
00:12:04,688 --> 00:12:06,414
I'd say I haven't really had

319
00:12:06,451 --> 00:12:08,410
a particularly down moment.

320
00:12:08,447 --> 00:12:09,832
Because of course when you run,

321
00:12:09,869 --> 00:12:11,765
you want to win. You want

322
00:12:11,802 --> 00:12:13,716
to get across what you stand for.

323
00:12:15,244 --> 00:12:17,975
How should I put it... when my husband,

324
00:12:18,012 --> 00:12:19,496
my late husband, passed
away seven years ago,

325
00:12:19,533 --> 00:12:21,392
when he left, that was

326
00:12:21,429 --> 00:12:23,006
the first blow in my life.

327
00:12:23,044 --> 00:12:25,341
Right? Then later you realize

328
00:12:25,378 --> 00:12:27,718
there are still many people
around you to care for,

329
00:12:27,755 --> 00:12:29,994
and you become strong. I mean,

330
00:12:30,688 --> 00:12:34,419
I don't want others to
see me disappointed.

331
00:12:34,456 --> 00:12:36,798
When I step out, I'm
still an upbeat leader.

332
00:12:36,835 --> 00:12:38,825
I've always been this upbeat.

333
00:12:38,862 --> 00:12:40,799
So when you're in politics,

334
00:12:40,836 --> 00:12:43,929
you have many... when
you go into politics,

335
00:12:43,966 --> 00:12:46,901
often some people won't understand you,

336
00:12:47,521 --> 00:12:49,394
and some will disagree with you.

337
00:12:49,431 --> 00:12:51,790
I think, first, be tolerant.

338
00:12:52,169 --> 00:12:53,196
Second,

339
00:12:53,724 --> 00:12:55,354
don't hit back at others.

340
00:12:55,391 --> 00:12:57,937
Look at it from a higher vantage point:

341
00:12:57,974 --> 00:13:00,196
what can I do

342
00:13:00,669 --> 00:13:02,100
that can have an impact on society?

343
00:13:02,137 --> 00:13:04,249
Because if I just volunteer on my own,

344
00:13:04,286 --> 00:13:06,224
it may be on a small scale.

345
00:13:06,261 --> 00:13:08,616
If I go into politics,
I hope I can do more.

346
00:13:08,653 --> 00:13:10,835
Actually, I've always held one belief:

347
00:13:10,872 --> 00:13:13,084
touch lives with your life. That is

348
00:13:13,121 --> 00:13:15,776
the meaning of being
alive. That's also why

349
00:13:15,813 --> 00:13:17,965
I've been involved in
community work all these years,

350
00:13:18,002 --> 00:13:19,067
including politics now.

351
00:13:19,391 --> 00:13:21,641
I believe that's the
original purpose behind it.

352
00:13:22,525 --> 00:13:26,062
And because of that purpose,
this year you're able

353
00:13:26,099 --> 00:13:28,239
to step up once again. Win

354
00:13:28,276 --> 00:13:30,321
or not, you'll be the best
version of yourself. Yes.

355
00:13:30,395 --> 00:13:32,707
I won't make any predictions,

356
00:13:32,744 --> 00:13:35,294
but I'll be the best version of myself.

357
00:13:35,331 --> 00:13:37,701
I'll give it my very hardest.

358
00:13:38,321 --> 00:13:39,349
I hope that...

359
00:13:40,081 --> 00:13:41,270
each of us carries

360
00:13:41,307 --> 00:13:43,050
the hopes of many people.

361
00:13:43,087 --> 00:13:45,432
I won't let down those who believe in me.

362
00:13:45,506 --> 00:13:47,357
So your story is really

363
00:13:47,394 --> 00:13:49,627
a role model for many of us women.

364
00:13:49,713 --> 00:13:52,741
Thank you. I'd really encourage everyone:

365
00:13:53,157 --> 00:13:56,532
be strong. In life,
learn to turn the page.

366
00:13:56,569 --> 00:13:59,796
Don't let yourself sink into it

367
00:14:00,380 --> 00:14:02,058
and not get out. There's really no

368
00:14:02,095 --> 00:14:04,157
need. Life is very short.

369
00:14:04,194 --> 00:14:06,843
Let's live it deeper and wider,

370
00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,662
make it more meaningful. I remember

371
00:14:09,699 --> 00:14:12,167
Nietzsche said, "Every
day we have not danced

372
00:14:12,204 --> 00:14:14,109
is a day wasted."

373
00:14:14,146 --> 00:14:16,750
So I hope to live every day well.

374
00:14:16,824 --> 00:14:19,380
We grow as we chase
our dreams, right? Yes.

375
00:14:19,454 --> 00:14:20,685
Let's grow together.

376
00:14:21,157 --> 00:14:23,139
Yes, so glad. Thank you.

377
00:14:23,213 --> 00:14:25,370
Thank you so much for
sharing with us today.
