Paul Galea has spent the past 30 years getting to know IGS students; whether it be as their PDHPE or History teacher, the Head of After Care and Vacation Care, the Director of Student Activities, the Deputy of the High School or their worst nightmare (only if they were wearing the wrong school uniform or weren’t enrolled in any Clubs, of course!)
Now, in his new role as Director of Advancement, Paul is sitting down with IGS alumni to reminisce on their school days, find out what they are up to now and mine their wisdom to share it with our students, teachers and the wider IGS community, both past and present.
Stay tuned! This week, Paul talks to Chi Wing Li (better known as Wingy) about his life at and after IGS, including how he met his wife through the School!
Chi Wing Li (1997)
Paul Galea:
Wingy. It’s Paul Galea from International Grammar. Can you hear me?
Wingy:
Yes, I can. How are you, Paul?
Paul Galea:
I’m very good, mate. How are you?
Wingy:
Yeah, can’t complain. I’m pretty good. Pretty good.
Paul Galea:
That’s good, mate. Now, I always like to give a little bit of an introduction. Your real name is Chi Wing Li.
Wingy:
That’s correct.
Paul Galea:
And even though your name is Chi Wing Li, everyone calls you Wingy, as far as I know, as far as I can remember. So I’m going to call you Wingy, if that’s okay with you, mate. Now, just give us a little bit of your IGS story-when you came, what happened?
Wingy:
So, from memory, I started in Year 9, in 1993. And I finished high school in 1997.
Paul Galea:
Where did you come from?
Wingy:
Hong Kong. Originally, from Hong
Kong.
Paul Galea: Okay, So you came to Australia in 1993 from Hong Kong straight to IGS?
Wingy:
Yep. That’s correct.
Paul Galea:
How was your English?
Wingy:
Oh, so so. So I think my English has improved a little bit.
Paul Galea:
Yes. And just explain to us how that went, when you came to school at IGS?
Wingy:
It was nerve racking because, literally, I had no family in Australia but, yeah, my experience at IGS was fantastic. All the teachers were so great as were the students I also met. Lots of friends. With the teachers as well, you know. You were one of them. I loved the experience of IGS.
Paul Galea:
That’s great. So you say you came here and you came out here by yourself. You didn’t have any family out here. Where were you living?
Wingy:
I was living with with with a Home Stay family and in fact, one of my Home Stay families was a friend of one of the teachers, Mrs Pretty.
Paul Galea:
Eva Pretty. Who was a really great teacher!
Wingy:
Yeah. Awesome.
Paul Galea:
Yeah. So that’s a pretty big move. How old were you when you were doing that?
Wingy:
Um, 15. 16.
Paul Galea:
Wow. That’s a brave move, mate. Explain to us, give us some background of why you actually did that?
Wingy:
I think one of the main reasons, probably was that my family was a bit sick of me. They wanted a better education for me, for me to do it over in Australia. So here I was, then I never left this country.
Paul Galea:
Okay, you’ve come into Australia, you come to IGS, you’ve already said that you made lots of friends, and you felt very welcome. So what did you do when you left school? What did you decide to do? What was the plan there?
Wingy:
Well, actually, I did not know what I wanted to do, but, you told me, ‘Why don’t you come and work for me in After School Care?’ So then I started working for you at IGS for After School Care and Holiday Care, and then I went on to study more about education. And now, at the moment, I’m actually doing similar stuff to when I just left school. I’m running a Childcare Centre, a Before and After School Care centre. So I’ve been there for probably 19 years. Crazy!
Paul Galea:
19years?!?
Wingy:
Yep.
Paul Galea:
Wow. Okay, so let me just dig a bit deeper there. One thing that I knew straight away about you, Wingy, was that you had the right stuff in terms of being a worker. But what was interesting was that we found out that you had a real affinity with dealing with children, and very quickly, you realised that. And I realised it, as well, that it was something that you were very good at. You had the ability to relate to the students and to interact with them in a really positive way. I think that was sort of more or less why you decided that was the path you were going to take after a couple of years at IGS.
Wingy:
Right. Yeah, that’s absolutely right. Absolutely right. And also under you, seeing you, how you understand as well. That gave me a lot of guidance. How you are you supposed to understand? How are you supposed to interact with the kids? So, a big thank you, Paul.
Paul Galea:
And you also would have been very heavily influenced by Bev McCarthy.
Wingy:
Of course. Of course. Yeah. All the people that I met through IGS, either in a working environment or or in a student environment gave me a lot of experience and a lot of guidance throughout the years.
Paul Galea:
You say you’ve been there for 19 years. How long were you at IGS After Care for before you went out on your own?
Wingy:
At least 3 to 4 years, at least.
Paul Galea:
Explain to me how you got to be involved and running your centre?
Wingy:
Yeah, that was a long journey. So a lot has happened. Like, even though I’ve been working there for 19 years, I also had to run my whole vacation care business as well. Just by chance I got a job there, and I was with an agency, and they put me through to the company that I’m with now, and they’re very happy with the way that I work and throughout the years they allowed me to have my own business, running my own Vacation Care there for about 10 years. And recently I just stopped that due to COVID and all the associated other reasons that went with it. I’m still there, running the After Care. A lot happened within the 19 years.
Paul Galea:
You say you had to stop with COVID. Have you restarted your Vacation Care business or…..?
Wingy:
No, because I let the company I work for continue the Vacation Care business. So I just helped the company take it over, which is actually pretty good, because it gives me a lot of free time to myself now. So that’s why at the moment I’m not working on a Friday.
Paul Galea:
So more free time means you can spend more time with your family, which is very much connected to IGS, because you ended up marrying a well loved and well known primary school teacher from IGS called Josie Pellicani! Do you want to tell us about that?
Wingy:
That’s correct. That’s another wonderful connection to IGS, as well. So without IGS, I probably wouldn’t have my wonderful family now. So while I was working at IGS, as an after school care person, under you, I had an opportunity to meet some of the teachers, and one of them is my wife!
Paul Galea:
Tell us how that how that blossomed , you know? Obviously you met plenty of primary school teachers, but you didn’t marry them all! Explain to us how that went from a professional relationship to being something a lot more than that.
Wingy:
When I was working at IGS, there were a lot of work functions happening after work on a Friday night, and I believe that one night we were out, and I was catching up with one of the old teachers, Dan Collins. So I was meeting up with him, and he was with a bunch of teachers and I think we went from there to the Spanish club near Chinatown.
Paul Galea:
Okay. I remember that. We had a big function at the Spanish Club. That’s right. So that was where it all started!? And then you and I’ve got something in common in that we’ve both got twins. Tell us about your twin boys.
Wingy:
We’re very blessed to have twin healthy twin boys. They are actually 13 years old this year, doing very well academically. And at being good people as well. No, they’re just doing really well. I think last year when they were in Primary, both of them were captains of their school, and it’s very surprising. And this year they got selected to be leaders in their classroom. So I’m so happy for them. Yeah, we’re pretty lucky that the boys are turning out pretty well.
Paul Galea:
I’ve got to say to you, mate, I cannot believe your sons are 13! That just plays makes me feel about 200 years old. So thanks for that. That’s really exciting. I always ask these questions. Have you got any special happy memories of IGS?
Wingy:
Oh. Oh, my God. I have loads of awesome memories. When I was at school, I believe that all the excursions that we did with Mrs Pretty and you and Mr Miller gave me loads of awesome memories. I think the most memorable things were probably the excursions that we often did. They were not just learning from school, learning about academic things. I think it was learning about life as well. So yeah, awesome. And while I was working for you guys, all the long lifelong friends I also met, as well, like you and obviously my wife. I also think one of the boy’s godmother is also still teaching at IGS. Nancy Gagliano? Yeah, loads of awesome memories and loads of connections still, even though I finished school a long, long time ago!
Paul Galea:
That’s cool. But that’s really good to hear. Okay, Wingy, last question. It’s a hard one. And I know you’re a very modest, man, but you have made a great success of your life. I think sometimes hearing people who have been successful in the way they’ve lived their life, it’s nice to hear some of the things that they’ve learned along the way. So have you got any ideas that you can pass on to people, especially any of the students who are listening? Any ideas on the things that help you to get through and to make your way in the world?
Wingy:
That is a hard question, but I would say from my experience, I would say enjoy the moment. Try to take advice from people that you know who are looking after you or educating you, for example, like you. You know, I learnt a lot from you alone and a lot from other teachers in IGS, and from also friends from school as well. And just enjoy the journey.
Paul Galea:
That’s good advice, Wingy. It’s always good to chat to you with. We catch up periodically. You, me and Bev and some of the other guys from the old aftercare days. And we’ll do it again soon.