Match-maker Connie Law is the first person to open a dating agency in a wet market. She talks to June Ng about her unusual choice of location and explains why her office looks like a bedroom.

HK Magazine: How did you come up with the idea of opening a dating agency in a wet market in Fanling?
Connie Law: I have many friends who live in Fanling walled village. A lot of them went overseas to work when they were young but they worked such long hours that they hardly met any friends. When they came back, I discovered a lot of them were still unmarried. It just so happened that around the same time, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department was trying to rebrand the wet market so they started renting more space to service-based industries rather than just retailers. The rent was cheap, around $2,000 including the surcharge, so why not?

HK: Why does your office décor look like a bedroom?
CL: It’s not supposed to be just any kind of bedroom. It’s a bedroom for a newlywed couple. I adopted this style because I wanted to create a romantic atmosphere for my clients.

HK: What makes your dating agency better than existing ones?
CL: I wouldn’t use the word “better,” but being located in a wet market has definitely given me an advantage—it can actually help clients avoid much embarrassment. You don’t believe me? Many parents worry about the love lives of their children but if they ask them to go to a dating agency, a lot of them will refuse. But now, because my agency is in the wet market, parents can simply ask them to come shopping and just pop in to see me. We can talk like friends and the whole thing becomes more natural. 

HK: Who are your target clients?
CL:  The wet market is a place that welcomes all walks of life and so is my dating agency. That’s why I won’t set a specific target. I simply match people according to their compatibility.

HK: Why do people fail to find the perfect partner so often in Hong Kong?
CL: Definitely long working hours. If most of your life is occupied by work, it’s really hard for you to reach out and meet people. Personality matters a lot too. If you’re shy, and like to stay home and watch TV or read, there’s no way you can build up a social circle and find a date. 

HK: Hong Kong’s divorce rate keeps rising. Any tips on how to stay happily married?
CL: Tolerance. Actually, financial stability is very important too. That’s why, in difficult times, people need to be more understanding of each other. But again, when a couple can’t bear to stay with each other anymore, they should be sensible and leave in peace instead of making the headlines by assaulting each other.

HK: What changes have you brought to the wet market?
CL: The wet market is no longer just about buying food. Since I opened the agency, more people have become interested in doing something else here instead of just selling fish or vegetables. If I succeed, I’ll definitely open branches in other wet markets—but in different districts. I’m sure there are lonely hearts everywhere. 

Visit Law’s dating agency at Shop SW30, 10th Lane, 1/F, Luen Wo Hui Market, Fanling.