Handicraft comes in many different forms, and Rainbow's favourite handicraft arts are pottery, flower arrangement and knitting. Her interest in handicraft dated back to the 1980's when she looked for means to relieve work pressure.

"When I worked in the former Special Crime Division, crime investigation work brought me so much stress that I had to find some means to keep fit and relax. I tried yoga, jogging and dancing, etc, but eventually opted for something more static - handicraft," she recalled.

Rainbow had good reasons for her choice. During an interview with the Psychological Service Group and the Staff Relations Group, she said handicraft, in any form, also enabled her to keep her cool in the face of problems, and made her more efficient and productive. In addition, it helped widen her social circle and enhanced inter-personal relations.

"Handicraft is also a source of customs, folklores and wisdom. It can easily open up a conversation, and it is good fun to share the pleasure of handicraft," she noted.

Since coming into being, the Police Handicraft Club has been active in promoting handicraft among Force members and their families by inviting outside experts to conduct training courses on a variety of handicraft arts, and by staging exhibitions. One of the exhibitions was held to coincide with the 150th Anniversary of the Force.

Special handicraft activities were also organised for police parents to improve communication and interaction with their children.

"Parents should encourage and help their children to cultivate a wholesome hobby because it helps a child's upbringing and personal development. Handicraft, in any form, helps a child's creativity as well as relations with other people," said Rainbow.

To combine her interest in handicraft with family life, Rainbow always brings her children to handicraft activities, enabling the latter to share a common pleasure with their mother, and to become more creative.

Active in charity

Outside the handicraft club, Rainbow is very concerned about the education of the students from poor families and those with single parent on the Mainland. Thus she has joined a group of morning hikers in regularly paying visits to the students in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Hubei. On each trip, they dipped into their own pockets to subsidise the students' living expenses and to pay for additional facilities for their schools.

After leaving the Force, Rainbow continues playing an active role in the Police Handicraft Club's activities. What she likes to see is more Force members joining the activities and securing a psychological balance with wholesome hobbies.

Rainbow's advice for Force members is: "Get well prepared, and be ready to accept challenges and opportunities!"

Meanwhile, Rainbow has enrolled for a design course. After completing the course, she might take handicraft as her second career.

Comments by PSG

Those facing retirement are usually concerned about how to maintain a quality life. Apart from the prerequisites of good health and stable financial resources, numerous studies have pointed out that retired people, who regularly engaged themselves in leisure activities, would have the highest life satisfaction. This was the case partly because from leisure activities one could derive a sense of meaning and autonomy, which exceeds that previously experienced in their work life. Rainbow's devotion to her leisure activities, from which she can further develop and actualise her potential talents and even contribute to society, is an excellent strategy to keep her vitality and health. In fact, there are lots of data confirming that leisure and health are closely interrelated.

On the other hand, as mentioned in the last issue, a long-term pursuit for healthy leisure activities helps foster positive psychological qualities. Taking Rainbow as an example, she has developed two very valuable qualities - creativity and her appreciation of beauty - through her 25-year pursuit for handicraft arts. From the perspective of Positive Psychology, these two qualities are closely related to one's degree of happiness and life satisfaction. Rainbow has said: "Everyone should develop an ability to appreciate beauty.... only then we can have more fun and joy in our lives."

The Police Handicraft Club celebrated the Force's 150th Anniversary in 1994 with a major exhibition