Once upon a time there were two mountains separated by a river. On each of the mountains there lived a family. The sons of the two families had to walk four hours from their homes on the mountains to the river to fetch the water their families needed, and then walked another four hours uphill, carrying big buckets of water. Since they came down to the river at about the same time every day and were boys of similar age, they talked a lot when they met, and gradually became good friends. For the two boys this water fetching routine continued for five years without fail but, one day, the boy from the East Mountain did not see his friend when he came to the river bank, and he became very curious. Might it be that the boy from the West Mountain had fallen ill, or been caught in an accident? Four days had passed and he decided to go up the West Mountain to find out what had happened to his friend. When he reached his friend's home, he found him leisurely having tea and playing chess with his family, and did not look for a moment like a sick person. He enquired and was told that, over these several years, the West Mountain boy had been drilling a well, working on it every day after fetching water from the river. His task now completed, the West Mountain boy no longer had to make the long and strenuous trips up and down the mountain to fetch water.

At the invitation of the provinvial and municipal authorities there, the Chief Executive Officer and Messrs Stephen Suen and Stephen Ng, members of the EAA, visited Guangzhou for a seminar introducing the estate agency industry in Hong Kong to local practitioners.

The message of this simple parable is that we must make good use of our time, and extra work done today may very well result in a more restful tomorrow. Our daily work may be compared to going down the mountain to fetch water, while using our spare time, after work, to pursue our own interest and advancement is sound investment for a better life in future.

The concepts of lifelong learning and added value may be applied to all industries and professions and have become particularly relevant now, as our economy is in a sluggish state and everyone is trying to raise his own competitiveness. In Hong Kong, the government has introuced a number of funding schemes to encourage citizens in the pursuit of continuous learning. Those who are desirous of further training do not lack opportunities, as there are departments of extra-mural studies and continuing education at all institutions of tertiary education. These organisations provide night-time and distance learning courses in a large variety of subjects and disciplines. Furthermore, professional associations and vocational training organisations also offer courses to meet the training needs of citizens in a broad spectrum of career fields.

The universities and institutes of vocational training have continued to provide training courses for those who intend to enter the industry and attempt the qualifying examinations. There are also courses on more specific topics, for example in marketing and business management, for those who wish to enhance their business skills. It is understood that funding has been approved for training courses to be offered to estate agents under the Skills Upgrading Scheme of the Education and Manpower Bureau. Initially the courses are targetted at practitioners with an educational background not exceeding Form 5 and the courses will cover practical subjects such as languages, computer application, business management and customer service. The government will be the main provider of the funds required while the students will be responsible for 30% of the cost.

It goes without saying that further studies are not confined to courses at universities and colleges, and may be profitably pursued through study on one's own. Extensive reading, a greater concern for what is happening around us, and a better understanding of current social issues together form a good way to study. At the same time, our studies do not have to be centred around our own careers : to be in touch with knowledge outside our own fields helps to broaden our horizons and will eventually prove to be beneficial to our development, in our careers and other aspects of life.

The parable that appears at the beginning of this article may also be understood from another angle, namely, the added value in service. The two practitioners who are interviewed for this issue of Milestone both engage themselves in client services beyond the call of duty, often doing work that do not bring in cash return. In these pragmatic days such services are apparently unwarranted in profit or loss terms. However, if we could look farther afield, then we would be able to see that while no immediate benefit may be reaped from these extra services, they are of much importance in fostering customer relationship and winning the trust of clients. And who can say these are not important to business development ?

While we pay a little more today, the return of the morrow is yet inestimable.