Carol Ho spends six days a week at construction sites across Hong Kong. She works as an assistant geologist from 8am to 6pm in conditions that are often tough.
For example, during a typhoon, she waded through muddy water for hours to document the rocks as wind and rain struck the site. The 24-year-old still remembers being knocked over and ending up covered in dirty water.
Some days, she works at sea, where it can be hard to find a toilet she can use.
“To be honest, having your period is really inconvenient when going out to sea ... Not every boat has a toilet, and even when they do, you can imagine what the conditions are like,” she said.
The lack of female restrooms also reflects how few women work in this industry.
“Since I started working, I’ve only just met another woman for the first time,” she said.
But Ho’s work is important for keeping construction projects safe. When she visits a site, she analyses its rocks and creates reports about what lies beneath the surface.
“For instance, Yuen Long has a lot of marble. If there are significant [amounts of] marble, the design approach differs from traditional methods,” Ho said.
Working outdoors and travelling across the city also fit Ho’s personality as she prefers to be on the move. She said a regular office job would never be the right fit for her.
“I love exploring,” she said. “Because geology involves so many field projects, we have been to all sorts of places – Lamma Island, Cape D’Aguilar and Sharp Island – to do field mapping. It really suited my ‘wanderer’ personality.”
A day in the life of a geologist
Each site Ho visits offers a different glimpse into the ground beneath Hong Kong.
“In my daily routine, I see many types of rock that you’d never encounter on the surface,” she said.
“Hong Kong actually has a huge variety of rock types, and they’re not easy to differentiate. When I identify them correctly ... I feel like my knowledge is truly expanding.”
Ho is now working offshore near Lung Kwu Tan at the far western part of Tuen Mun. Her days are long and tiring.
“You have to commute by boat, and it can take half an hour just to get from the boarding point to the work vessel. It all adds up,” she said.
“You spend the whole day on a boat ... By the end of it, you don’t have the energy to do anything else.”
Respect for all jobs
Ho is part of a group called Dream Girls. It is a social media platform created by a construction company to show the careers of young women in Hong Kong’s engineering and construction sectors.
Working in a field that traditionally has many men comes with challenges.
“I’ve heard people say things like, ‘You’re a woman – just stand aside and don’t get in the way,’ or they’ll flat-out refuse to help you carry things,” Ho said.
Despite these negative experiences, Ho has also met workers who have been kind to her.
“In summer, I’ve met wonderful workers who would point their own fans towards me. When I’m logging rocks, they’ll help me move the samples into a shadier spot,” she said.
Ho believes people should appreciate all workers regardless of whether they went to university.
She said society often looked down on construction workers, despite the skill and endurance required in their jobs.
“I believe they have their own professional expertise ... [and] every single job deserves to be respected,” she said.
