Samantha, Saffron, Natasha, Angelique, Claire and Joseph all have a rare "superpower" which makes them different from most other expatriate children in Hong Kong: The youngsters from Lantau Island speak fluent Cantonese.

They do because their parents took a decision that most expatriates shy away from, but which is nonetheless becoming a remarkable trend: They sent their kids not to an international primary school, but to a local one, where Cantonese is the medium of instruction.

Samantha, Saffron, Natasha and Angelique from Bui O school

Joseph, Claire and principal Yuen from Mui Wo school

Listen to Joseph and Claire explain how Cantonese gives them an edge:  

Every year, the schools at Mui Wo and Pui O on Lantau Island face an increasing demand from foreigners who want their children educated in Cantonese. Here, far removed from the noise and industriousness often seen as typical for Hong Kong, Chinese and expatriate kids chisel away at the wall of segregation that separates their communities.

This wall, however, is still a formidable one.

Taking a walk through Hong Kong, one cannot help but notice the lack of cross-cultural interaction. Western district, for example, is chock-full of Chinese food markets and the constant clicking of colliding mahjong pieces can hardly be overheard as shirtless locals slurp soup noodles. The bars of SoHo, by contrast, are mainly frequented by Westerners, and here one would even be hard-pressed to find a Chinese language menu.

Most foreigners who settle in Hong Kong feel intrigued by the possibilities that Mandarin opens up to them. But they usually steer clear of Cantonese, which they consider even more difficult and not nearly as rewarding.

Parents apparently still like to play things "safe" and would opt for international schools. But the examples from the students on Lantau provide hope that the days of segregation may soon be over.