I've just been looking up adoption agencies for my capstone project and my heart swells with each one I come across. Gorgeous little babies make faces at me and I cannot bear to think that that child has no permanent foundation of love to fall back on. I can feel my eyes welling up at the moment. Better stop thinking about it for a sec til I restore my original calm.

For a long time now I've wanted to create something that is more than just an object or poster. I've been keen to try my hand at something that has more importance: social design.

Adoption is a topic close to my heart. I love kids, and I have always wondered why, in a world where there are so many children who need parents, do we keep having more? I'm older now and I've been told that having your own child is different, and ok so maybe that's true - but why don't most families thinking about having another baby adopt? Is it a lack of information, or a lack of access, or a lack of care for the children of other people?

There are a couple of family stories here too, but I'll tell you another time, but in case you're wondering, no, I wasn't adopted.

When I was 16-17, my best friend and I volunteered at an orphanage called Mother's Choice here in Hong Kong every Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours. Ok so we weren't exactly rebels on a Saturday night, but our time was well spent and I certainly have many happy memories about the children I loved during those times.

Ack - tears welling up again. Two seconds..

Okay. Carrying on. Something must've stuck in my heart about those kids, about orphanages and adoption and teaching and loving. I absolutely love spending time with children. My neighbours who live upstairs have four, and I love spending time with them. Sometimes if I see them in the evening, they ask me to read bedtime stories. I love that.

I spent a year teaching in a kindergarten too, and while I have to say it is one of the most constantly challenging and physically draining jobs there are (not to belittle any miners or air-traffic controllers, but you either don't have to direct 30 people at once and answer a barrage of questions all the time, or you don't have run around and carry little people and clean up a lot) I thoroughly enjoyed it and went home happy most evenings (especially if it was Friday...)

I haven't got any adopted brothers or sisters, but maybe if my parents had known more about it when I was small, I might have. Maybe not. They've always said "one's enough!" heh heh heh Nah, I was a pretty good kid. Maybe I should’ve been more trouble as a child so I my mum would think me less troublesome now.. ☺ Anyway, adoption and kids and doing something to address the situation is something that really stirs my heart, so I guess now you should go read about my capstone project.