I made the journey from Penang, Malaysia in 1974, to train in East Ham. I always wanted to be a nurse and follow in my aunt’s footsteps. It was easy to get into the country in those days. The English people didn’t want the jobs then. I didn’t mind which branch of nursing I would end up in: I was so eager to leave, to spread my wings. I don’t know why, maybe it is in the genes, my father left his country (China) at age 19, and I guess that was in me. Becoming a nurse meant I could see England. We saw movies like My Fair Lady, Oliver Twist and I wanted to see it for myself. I was so excited for this adventure, there was no time to be scared about leaving home. I only had a one way ticket so there was no coming back.