Stacy Belcher came to Hong Kong to start the first University Archives at The University of Hong Kong in 2006. Since relocating to the city from the United States, she enjoys embracing Hong Kong culture through learning and communicating in Cantonese, wearing and designing cheongsams, even worshipping Chinese deities to counter bad luck.

On Lunar New Year, Stacy brings joss sticks and incense papers to the Hung Shing Temple in Aberdeen to offer to Chinese deities including Tai Sui, Hung Shing and Kwun Yum. “I hope to do the little ritual for appeasing the Tai Sui, making him not so unhappy with me,” Stacy says with a smile. Born in the Year of the Dog, her Chinese horoscope faces fan Tai Sui this year — meaning a bumpy year ahead because of offending the Gods who guard one’s health and wealth.

Stacy’s interest in Chinese culture goes way back before she moved to Hong Kong. The Director of the Archives first learned about the Chinese zodiacs when she studied Chinese culture for her undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology. “And when I came to Hong Kong, I learned more about it. I shouted at home like: Oh my god, I need to do [the ritual to pacify the Gods],” she recalls. “So now I have the astrology book for every year, so that’s how I know I am arguing with or offending Tai Sui.”

These practices are unusual for Christians like her, but Stacy does not find it a problem. “I don’t see a big conflict between Christianity and Buddhism, because I don’t see Buddhism as a religion. I see it more as a philosophy of life.” She used to attend morning mass at church every Saturday before visiting an old temple like the Tin Hau Temple or the Kwun Yum Temple.

Particularly fascinated by ancient myths and legends, Stacy taps the Hung Shing Temple in Aberdeen her favorite. “Hung Shing is the God of storm and weather, and of course that would be important in a fishing village.” She points to the opposite side of the temple, “At one time before all these skyscrapers were built, there used to be a ridge that looked like a tiger, like it would jump right across the bay and attack Ap Lei Chau.” And the two pillars at the temple entrance were put up like a cage to keep the tiger in. “You can still see the remains of the last one. They were made of a solid piece of wood. It takes a lot of work to paint all these five-claw guardian dragons on.”

Her passion for local history and culture eventually led her to HKU, where a friend introduced her to Lee Ho-yin, co-founder and director of the university’s Architectural Conservation Programme. “I was just impressed with him as a scholar, but I was really surprised when he asked me out on a date. Why me? That’s what I thought.” She confesses her immediate attraction to Lee. “I feel pretty fortunate because he is the best man I know.”

The two got married six years ago. Lee fondly recalls teaching his wife Cantonese, including swear words. “She once asked me the Cantonese colloquial term for ‘mother’, so I answered ‘lou mou.’ And she repeated it loudly. I was startled and told her it’s best not to say the word so loudly in public,” he chuckles.

Stacy learns more about local traditions and history not only from Lee, but also from his mother. “She doesn’t speak English, so we communicate in Cantonese and she helps me with my language. I really like my naai naai (mother-in-law). His parents are very welcoming. And it must have been weird for them to have a Caucasian daughter-in-law.”

Lee also shares with her a trick to please his mother. “I told Stacy to simply repeat the last words of whatever my mom asks. For example, if my mom asks, ‘Is it good?’ She should reply ‘good.’ If my mom asks, ‘Do you like it?’ She should say ‘like it.’” Stacy’s enthusiasm for Chinese culture has also impressed her in-laws. “My mom always says that Stacy has good taste and makes good choices.”

Among these good choices is Stacy’s liking for cheongsams. Stacy says, “Cheongsam is very elegant. It complements almost every figure and makes it look better. You can wear it to almost any kind of event. I can wear it to work too.”

But most shop-bought cheongsams suit only Asian bodies. “When I tried on cheongsams here, either they did not fit me or I didn’t like the fabric.” With the help of a tailor she met through a friend, the American-born now has dozens of custom-designed cheongsams, featuring longer and more flattering sleeves for her age. “I get a lot of my ideas from the drawings and posters from the 1920s and 30s.” She keeps a small notebook so that she can draw sketches whenever she wants. Sometimes she even purchases fabric from the U.S. for her tailor.

Stacy initially planned to stay in Hong Kong for only six to seven years. “Because I never lived in any place in America for very long either, my family moved around quite a bit. And I have never lived in a big city before.” She recounts, “When I came, I didn’t speak Cantonese, I had no friends or family here. I was completely alone. The thing that was most frightening to me was not the Chinese-ness, but the fact that it was a big city … For a long time, I would not go past the fourth floor in the Time Square mall because I was terrified of those glass elevators.”

The first three to four months were the most difficult for her because she had to get used to the pace of the bustling city. “I had difficulty sleeping because it never gets dark here. I come from a more rural place and it’s dark at night. But when I came to Hong Kong, there were lights on all the time. And I couldn’t get used to that at first.” Luckily it did not take her too long to adapt. “After I have lived here for a while, I have already fallen in love with Hong Kong. Also I tried to learn Cantonese and that’s how I learned a lot about where I was living.” On her second visit home, she even found the pitch black darkness a bit scary.

“I missed Hong Kong terribly when I was away,” she admits. “I like the people, the food, the history and the culture of Hong Kong. I feel comfortable here.” Stacy is proud to call Hong Kong her home and herself a Hongkonger. “Sometimes older people have a tendency to think that only people who look Chinese can be HongKongers and I don’t think that is true. The only requirement is that you have to live here for a while and you have to love this place.”

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