Brand Tas

Hong Kong is one of the busiest, most stimulating, most competitive cities in Asia. The hectic environment in Hong Kong had a cumulative effect on Aaron Kwan as he finished high school. His mental health deteriorated.

Everyone who grew up with Aaron in Hong Kong wanted to go into finance and medicine. At the end of high school, Aaron was looking for something else. It was a feeling more than a specific program.

For post-secondary studies, he was keen for a fresh start, and thought about where he was most comfortable. Since he was little, Tasmania has been his second home. Though moving to Tasmania wouldn’t be easy. He knew it would be a culture shock, going from a big and noisy 24-hour city to Hobart.

“The change of pace is what shocked me. All my life I was bombarded with people. And now everything has become so peaceful… there is something really lovely about it, the peacefulness and the quiet.”

This peaceful environment helped Aaron to feel better.

He is part of the local Buddhist community in Tasmania, which has a long history here. Aaron says it is a perfect fit with Tasmanian culture. “We promote peace and harmony, so I think we have really integrated well and we have been welcomed as a part of the Tasmanian community.”

Community is an important word for Aaron. He likes that when he meets someone new in Tasmania there is almost always an instant bond. Everyone knows someone you know, but it goes deeper that that.

“I knew from a young age that I wanted to devote myself to the community sector and social work. There is more of an emphasis, here in Tasmania, on people’s wellbeing and giving people the same opportunity no matter their background, no matter the situation they are born into. There are challenges to working in the community serving sector, but it is so rewarding.”

Aaron pursued his studies at TasTAFE, which included placements. It was not easy at first because he was trapped in the cycle of needing experience to be offered a job yet needing work experience... which means having a job. But he was patient and the right job, the perfect job, came. “I love it,” he says, “I love it so much.”

He works with children and families, which can be emotionally difficult. Aaron meditates. He volunteers. He is a grateful and calm person. At 22, he has the quiet confidence of someone who has been through a lot and has come out of it better.

“We are shaped by our environment and by the people around us,” he says. “I’m very fortunate that my workplace is a place where people are eager to help and support each other. I think it is a metaphor for Tasmania, that in a place like this you have to care for each other.”

I am part of the dragon team, dragon dancing and lion dancing, and when I meet people they will sometimes say: I have seen you perform. More people see us every year, and feel closer to us. That is really cool.

In his time here, first as a visitor and now as a resident, Aaron has seen a transformation in this place.

“Tasmania has changed a lot over time, from this place where there wasn’t a lot of diversity twenty years ago to now, to now there are so many different shops, different people from all over the world, especially here in Hobart.”

Aaron will continue studying and learning, though he is committed to making children and families the core of his career. He is equally committed to sharing his culture with Tasmanians.

Dragon and lion dancing are visible ways to both delight and start conversations with Tasmanians. Performances surrounding the Lunar New Year and at significant events, especially at schools, have put Aaron and his contribution to Tasmanian life in the spotlight.

“I am part of the dragon team, dragon dancing and lion dancing, and when I meet people they will sometimes say: I have seen you perform. More people see us every year, and feel closer to us. That is really cool.”