Wi n g e tic ar, saili ket th ng s e bed and atre din kid g s’
y a d i l o H celebration!
PLUS: THE LOWDOWN ON SHENZHEN FAKES, DB’S PROTEST KIDS AND WHISTLER
Join your community online
Publishers in DB since 2002 DECEMBER 2015
SALES / RENTALS 康慧台 HILLGROVE
$14K
津堤 aMaLfI
T
EN
G EA
G EA
$26K
T
Gross: 661’ Saleable: 527’
Best location! Fully renovated bachelor pad w/ balcony. 2 minutes’ walk to pier. Surprisingly quiet too! Fully Furnished
1
寶峰徑 PaRKVaLE
L
SO
Gross: 472’ Saleable: 398’ 0
$20K
EN
L
SO
DECEMBER 2015
倚濤軒 CREStMONt
$55K
1 1
Gross: 895’ Saleable: 776’
Apartment in new complex w/ residents’ own pool & 24hr Concierge. Convenient location for all bus routes in & out of DB.
寶峰徑 PaRKVaLE
$65K/22M
3
Lovely renovation with good size balcony. Move in condition and in a tranquil location. Partially furnished.
2
碧如臺 BIJOU
$39.98M
T
EN
G EA
L
SO
Gross: 1707’ Saleable: 1436’ 3
Gorgeously renovated duplex with a 360 degree open view and was renovated to a high western standard.
2
哥爾夫球車 EZGO GOLf CaRt
$2.1M
Lovely low rise garden unit w/ huge lawn overlooking Disney sea views. Rare find! Walking distance to pier & DB plaza.
2
頤峰 GREENVaLE
T
EN
G EA
L
SO
Gross: 1801’ Saleable: 1556’
Gross: 1145’ Saleable: 1074’ 3
ON
K AN
$5.9M
5
Fully renovated, open plan kitchen plus new style 5 seater Yamaha golf cart and golf membership.
4
海澄湖畔 SIENa
L VA
B
Gross: 868’ Saleable: 757’ Under value. Last sale was 2.26M. Well maintain and kept like new!
倚濤軒 CREStMONt NT
$13.5M
2 1
Good condition apartment, most convenient for all bus routes and near schools.
寶峰 PaRKVaLE
$13.8M
2 bedrooms, balcony plus tranquil back yard, great location. Rare in the market.
1
朝暉徑 HEaDLaND
$115M
T
EN
G EA
L
SO
Gross: 1282’ Saleable: 1108’ 2
Gross: 742’ Saleable: 593’ 2
L
A E AG K V D AN A LE W B LO BE
3
$8.28M
Beautifully renovated low rise garden apartment w/ tranquil sea views, open kitchen & generous living space throughout.
Saleable: 3187’
Gross: 1213’ Saleable: 1138’ 3 2
In very good condition. Bright apartment with balcony and roof terrace. Great for entertaining. Must see!
5 4
Renovators delight. House w/ private swimming pool & huge garden. Company sale & Vacant possession.
www.headlandhomes.hk
2987 2088
EAA LIC C-033418
NEW MANDARIN STUBBY 60 COMING APRIL 2016
Boosting over 2500 sq ft with 3 bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, separate laundry, twin desk study, comprehensive kitchen, large lounge and dining, wheel house open to roof deck bbq. Rare opporturnity to secure this beautiful boat. Order now to enjoy 12 month free berthing. 9.1m
Enquiry: info@mandarinyacht.com.hk
FAMILY MANOR FOR SALE WITH 2 YEARS FREE BERTHING
Only 5 years old, one owner. 5 bedrooms over 3500 sq. ft. Totally renovated with new floor, new carpet, new paint, new blinds. Quiet F dock with private tender. Roof deck: large wheel house/family room open to alfresco bbq and jucuzzi. Main deck: Large lounge with balcomy, 1 ensuite double bedroom, kitchen and dining. Lower deck: Maids room or study, bathroom, 1 ensuite double bedroom, 1 nursery room adjacent to master bedroom ensuite with jucuzzi bathroom and walk in wardrobe. Large basement storage.
Enquiry: info@mandarinyacht.com.hk
Reduced to 7.9 M
Santa shops at
Oven & Hob
$750 Mecanique Tool Set Trolley
Rose Cottage
My Own Leaptop
Le Grand Garage
Scout or Violet
$229.90 Little Treasure
$350
$1,650
Electronic Recording Keyboard
Folding Football Table
$899 Maxi Micro T-bar Scooter
$450
Slam Stars Junior Basket Ball Set
$1,399 JD Bug Balance Bike
Spanish Guitar
$250
$225
$3,499
TP 10ft Genius Trampoline
Pirate Ship Floor Puzzle
$780
$699
Christmas Stocking & Musical Santa
Pirate’s Tent
from $99
$275
$125 Sketch to Go Popstar
$4,500
$75
Pedder Building Store 5/F Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central T: 2522 7112 Horizon Plaza Store 21/F Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau T: 2552 5000 Stanley Plaza Store 2/F Stanley Plaza, 23 Carmel Road, Stanley T: 2555 6318 Sai Kung Store G/F 7 Wan King Path, Sai Kung, New Territories T: 2976 0223
www.bumpstobabes.com
www.facebook.com/bumpstobabeshk
Celebrate this Christmas at Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong with a range of activities and enjoy the festivity in the Christmas Wonderland . 香 港 愉 景 灣 酒 店 誠 邀 您 在 此 歡 度 聖 誕 ，感 受 溫 馨 節日氣 氛 ，更 有 連 串節目為 您 帶 來 無 限 歡 樂 。 Festive feast
佳節美食
Enjoy tantalising festive buffets with Christmas roasts & desserts and a wide variety of fresh seafood such as snow crab legs, French blue mussels and sea whelks. 歡 度 佳 節 當 然 少 不了美 食 ，自助 餐 呈 獻 經 典 聖 誕 烤 肉 和 應 節 甜 品 外 ， 更 有 加 拿 大 雪 蟹 腳 、 法 國 藍 青口及 翡 翠 螺 等 豐 富 海 鮮 ！
Lunch or dinner buffet 自助 午 餐 或 晚 餐 Four-course dinner 四道菜晚餐
HK$408up起 HK$498
Christmas Takeaway Party Set
聖誕派對套餐
Enjoy a hassle-free Christmas feast at home with your loved ones this year with our Christmas Takeaway Party Sets, featuring choices of salads, a Roasted Whole Turkey and/or a Honey Glazed Bone-in Gammon Ham as well as festive desserts. 我 們 今 年 為 您 準 備了兩 款 聖 誕 派 對 套 餐 ， 讓 您 與 親 朋 好 友 輕 鬆 享 受 聖 誕 盛 宴 。 套餐包括新鮮沙律，烤原隻火雞及/或金門火腿和特式聖誕甜品！
6 – 8 persons 人 9 –12 persons 人
HK$1,588 HK$2,688 Winter Spa Indulgence
Celebration Activities
歡樂慶典
Christmas Eve Party 平安夜派對
水療呵護
8pm – 10pm
Live music•Christmas carol•magic show 現場音樂•聖誕詩歌•魔術表演 NYE Countdown Party 除夕倒數派對
10pm – 1am
受有關條款及細則約束
或致電 所有價目須另收加一服務費
Spa Botanica特 別 推出意 大 利 有 機 燭 蠟 全身按 摩 ， 以 全天然的溫暖燭蠟滋潤您的肌膚，令您煥發神采。 60 / 90 minutes分鐘 HK$990 / HK$1,290
Live band•dance floor•balloon drop 現場樂隊•舞池•汽球盛典
詳情請瀏覽
Spa Botanica brings you a warm revitalising experience this winter with Italian Organic Candle Body Massage.
價目及活動如有更改，恕不另行通知
DECEMBER 2015 FEATURES 26
26
PROFILE Meet DB author and architect David Harris Lang
30
IN FOCUS Global piracy – how fake handbags are just the tip of the iceberg
34
FAMILY MATTERS Raising politically active kids
49
ESCAPES Head to Whistler for adrenaline-pumping snow sports
55
ACTION Give the gift of gymnastics
REGULARS 41
25
COMPETITION Win big prizes at www.arounddb.com
41
TALKING POINTS Festive feasting with three DB families
47
MOMENTS Lantau Boat Club sailors’ Olympic bid
64
DB FACES Candid community snaps
76
OUT THERE Thoughts on island life
34
AGENDA
47
10
IN&AROUND DB Catch up with the latest community news
61
HK HAPPENINGS Find fun things to do across the harbour
67
CLASSIFIEDS Great deals, employment, businesses and more
70
PROPERTY Choice local and overseas homes to buy or rent
73
LOCAL NUMBERS Your ultimate guide in DB and Lantau
55
Wi ge n sa ticke ar, the iling ts atr beddand kid e ing s’
ON THE COVER Readers with a feature story idea, please email rachel@baymedia.com.hk If you would like to publicise a local event, email info@baymedia.com.hk For general enquiries, email info@baymedia.com.hk To advertise, email lissa@baymedia.com.hk Around DB, Bay Media Group, 7E Glamour Court, Discovery Bay Call 2987 0577/ 2787 0886 Fax 2987 0533
For the latest Around DB updates, find us on
Celebrating the holidays in DB
iday tion! Photos by Hol celebra
PLUS: THE
LOWDOWN
ON SHENZHEN
FAKES, DB’S
e munity onlin Join your com
PROTEST KIDS
TLER
AND WHIS
2002 in DB since Publishers 2015 DECEM BER
www.evoqueportraits.com
and www.arounddb.com
YOUR ROUNDUP OF RECENT COMMUNITY EVENTS!
Publisher Corinne Jedwood corinne@baymedia.com.hk Managing editor Rachel Ainsley rachel@baymedia.com.hk Advertising & sales manager Lissa Morris lissa@baymedia.com.hk Art direction Terry Chow terry@baymedia.com.hk Digital editor Melissa Stevens melissa@baymedia.com.hk Office manager Beatrice De Magistris accountant@baymedia.com.hk
Photos courtesy of Discovery Montessori School, Discovery Mind Kindergarten, Discovery Mind International Play Centre and www.highjumpphotography.com
BOX OF HOPE November’s Box of Hope was a great success in DB once again, with schools, kindergartens and learning centres across Lantau pitching in to provide useful and educational gifts for underprivileged children in Hong Kong and across Asia. Schools in DB alone collected more than 1,300 boxes. Turn to page 34 to find out more about the charity.
Photography Baljit Gidwani Michael Keating (intern) Contributors this month Sam Agars Beverly Au Shane Davis Elizabeth Kerr Peter Sherwood Printing Fantasy Printing Limited 7/F Tin Fung Industrial Mansion, 63 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong Disclaimer The views expressed in Around DB are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or contributors. The publisher and editor cannot be held responsible for differences of opinion or statements published in good faith. The publisher, contributors, their employees and partners are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors or omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication and expressly disclaim all and any liability for any such action of any person. The mention of specific companies or products in articles or advertisements does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by this magazine or its publisher in preference to others of a similar nature which are not mentioned or advertised. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without permission.
HALLOWEEN A HIT IN DB DB came to life for Halloween on October 31, with hundreds of local kids (and a fair few parents) donning costumes and heading out for some trick or treating. Headland Drive was a hive of activity and DB Plaza saw plenty of spooky action.
www.evoqueportraits.com
Find more photos of community events @ www.arounddb.com
IN&AROUND DB
MELBOURNE CUP CELEBRATIONS Aussie expats and other racing fans got into the spirit of the race that stops a nation at the Auberge DB’s Bounty Bar on November 3. There were sweeps, silent auctions and plenty of sharp outfits as Prince of Penzance, the ‘longest’ horse in the race, scored the most unlikely of victories.
Photos by Around DB
HARVEY LAW KART RACE On October 31, 70 kids got involved in the inaugural Harvey Law Group DB Kart Race, tearing up the track in four age categories – under 9, under 10, under 11 and under 12. Such was the success of the event, Harvey Law is looking at staging it twice a year.
Photos courtesy of Harvey Law Group
DBERS SHINE IN YROCK FINAL The YRock Final held at Orange Peel in Central on November 6 had a distinct DB flavour, with DB students Phoebe Whalley, Mikayla Boonstra, Alex Egart, Colin Wu and Buzz Sze all walking away with prizes. Phoebe won the Originality Award and also the Clockenflap Choice Award, giving her a stage slot at the November 27 to 29 festival. Mikayla took out the Personality Award, while Glass Onions, the band she, Alex, Colin and Buzz are part of, won the Performance Award. All five students will be performing at Picnic in the Park on January 30, 2016.
www.highjumpphotography.com
DIWALI IN DB
Photos courtesy of Peter Whalley and YRock
Falling this year from November 11 to 15, Diwali is one of the biggest and brightest festivals in India. As always, DB’s Indian community came out in full force during the Festival of Lights, exchanging gifts of sweets and lighting sparklers. Students at Discovery Bay International School marked the occasion with traditional dance performances on November 13. December 2015
11
IN&AROUND DB
DB 10KM RUN FOR CHARITY The 11th annual DB 10km Run for Charity saw DBers pound the pavements in and around DB Plaza on November 14. The event saw HK$180,647 raised for local food redistribution charity, Food Angel. DB runners again came out tops: Thomas Kiprotich was the overall winner (32:47), while Emma Bruce was the first female finisher (43:00). For full race results, visit www.dbrunforcharity.org.
Photos by Michael Keating
WALK FOR OPERATION SANTA CLAUS On November 21, the 10th annual Discovery Mind Operation Santa Claus Sponsored Walk wound its way from Discovery Mind Kindergarten to Siena Park, with walkers greeted at Siena Park by the Around DB-sponsored clown and other entertainment.
Photo by Around DB
Photos by Around DB
12
December 2015
AND THE WINNER IS... Hong Kong’s District Council elections saw a record turn-out of about 1.4 million voters on November 22. The results see Amy Yung returning to represent Discovery Bay on the Islands District Council. Randy Yu Ho Kwan won the vote for the Lantau constituency, while Sammi Fu Hiu Lam won Tung Chung North and Holden Chow Ho Ding won Tung Chung South. Readers can look forward to a profile article on Amy in the January issue.
ADVERTORIAL
LOOK TO
T8
CONSULTING FOR SUPPORT
F
or business and corporate services, readers need look no further than T8 Consulting, conveniently located in DB North Plaza. Offering numerous flexible, scalable, customised business solutions, T8 supports a wide client base of small, local companies and entrepreneurs, international technology firms, law firms and global associations. Starting your own business can be daunting. Many companies find it hard to move forward, since they cannot afford the administration, staffing or expertise that larger firms have on tap. T8 provides all these services cost effectively on a retained or as-required basis.
Photo courtesy of www.wikimedia.org
DB is home to a high concentration of home businesses and entrepreneurs. Professionals with their own trading firms, pilots with side line interests and mums who design jewellery or manage property, are all found here – in addition to fully fledged companies with offices overseas. And they often all find a need for support. T8 was set up and is managed by Sharon McEneff, a 10-year DB resident and 15-year resident of Hong Kong. Sharon has employed an amazing local team of talented professionals, who provide corporate and account management services. The team is supported by a number of highly experienced consultants and partners, many of whom have started businesses from scratch and sit as directors on numerous boards.
T8 supports the community and often employs young DBers, who are seeking work experience as interns. Always on the lookout for talent, the company takes pride in offering a balanced employment option for working mums. It will be no surprise to anyone who has seen Sharon play netball and hockey that T8 is also the administration team
behind the DB Pirates. If you are looking to set up a company for property reasons or as an enterprise, or if you are looking for business support services, a hot desk, design or accounting support – or you just need some high-quality printing done in a hurry – then look no further than T8.
ss T8’s core corporate and busine
services:
• Advising on the right structure for your enterprise • Company formation and registration including: - Secretarial services - Government filings and returns - Setting up a bank account • Providing a registered, virtual and commercial office address • With its partners, T8 can also arrange: - Annual audits and small company legal advice - Trademark registration, translation and business insurance - ECI, MPF and payroll
Help with special projects and
day-to-day tasks:
• A dedicated business phone line with answering service and call forwarding to your number • In-office black-and-white and full-colour printing/ scanning/ faxing • Hot desks available by half or full day • Accounting services, including bookkeeping, invoicing, reconciliation and banking • Design and production services, including stationery, business cards, websites, microsites, e-commerce, flyers, adverts, banners and posters • Advertising placements in Hong Kong and overseas T8 Consulting is located at Unit 2, G/F, Office Block 1, Office Building, 92 Siena Avenue, DB North Plaza. To find out more, visit www.t8-consulting.com, email sharon@t8-consulting.com, or call 2517 8248/ 9574 6737.
December 2015
13
IN&AROUND DB
YOUR GUIDE TO UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS!
ber 2
Decem
to 4
RESIDENT’S CHOICE AWARDS Throughout Lantau
Find more information and events @ www.arounddb.com Throughout December
TO ADOPT A PET
Have your say in the Resident’s Choice Awards by voting online for the best restaurant in Lantau, from December 2 to 4. The two shortlisted restaurants (the ones that were reviewed the most at www.arounddb.com before November 25) have been posted on the Around DB and Life On Lantau Facebook page – so get voting for your favourite to win. For competition details, visit www.arounddb.com.
DISCOVERY CULTURE FESTIVAL Discovery College This year, Discovery College has combined two annual events, its Arts & Culture Festival and Book Week, to create the Discovery Culture Festival, one big celebration of arts, culture and literature. Highlights include Christmas Cadavers on December 3 (tickets from http://apps.discovery.edu.hk/dctheatre-booking), Andrew the Brilliant Balloon Man Show on December 5 (tickets at www.ticketingover.com) and the DC Ensemble Evening on December 8 (tickets from the DC PTA Shop). For information on all the events, visit http://culturefestival.discovery.edu.hk. er 2-9 Decemb
through Protection of Animals Lantau South (PALS), call Jacqui Green on 9197 4371; for Hong Kong Paws Foundation (PAWS), call Kat Cheung on 9485 5188.
PARKINSON’S CHARITY QUIZ McSorley’s, DB Plaza For just HK$100 per person, you can enjoy live music, a free standard drink (donated by McSorley’s), and happy hour prices at the Parkinson’s Charity Quiz, organised by 11year DB resident Carol Keen. Teams number between four and six, with a picture round, followed by a bingo quiz. Kick-off is at 7.30pm. Carol has been raising funds to support research into Parkinson’s since her mother was diagnosed with the disease 10 years ago. All proceeds from the quiz go to Parkinson’s UK. To book a table, call McSorley’s on 2987 8280.
er 4
Decemb
www.highjumpphotography.com
14
December 2015
Photo courtesy of Carol Keen
Friend us on Facebook for event reminders
DB GOLFING Discovery Bay Golf Club It’s all go for DB golfers this month. The Discovery Bay Residents Golf Society is holding its Annual Championship (and AGM) on December 4, and The Big Sai Wan celebrates its 25th anniversary with its Master’s on December 14, followed by dinner and an end-of-year awards ceremony at Solera. Visit www.dbrgs.com and www.bigsaiwan.com to get involved. 14 December 4 &
er 5
Decemb
STOCK UP AT THE PLANT MARKET
across from Haven Court, 2pm to 4.45pm. For more information, call 2238 3617. December 5
JOIN A BEACH CLEAN-UP
Photo by Terry Chow
CHRISTMAS POP UP
er 5 Decemb
Absolute Laser Skin Care, Central Amari Body ‘waist trainers’ together with Absolute Laser Skin Care, Mimo Brazil Fitwear, Pure Elegance Jewellery and My Health Coach Lulu (all headed up by entrepreneurial DB women) are hosting a Fit and Fabulous Christmas Pop Up from 11am to 5pm. Head to 9/F, 12 Lyndhurst Terrace; to find out more visit the Amari Body Facebook page.
Photo courtesy of Amari Body
NEW IN DB! CAFFE PASCUCCI
specialising in Italian coffee and fine food, is opening in DB Plaza in December. Call 2851 2857 for more information.
ber Decem
13
SHOP THE DB SUNDAY MARKET in DB Plaza from 11am to 6pm.
at Sam Pak Wan, organised by Plastic Free Seas and DB Green, from 9am to 12pm, and an end-of-year get together and second hand toy sale at DBIS from 12 to 5pm. Visit www.dbgreen.org.
XMAS COLLECTIONS Door-to-door collection, DB DB Mothers & Friends, founded by DB resident Nikki Boot, is arranging two door-to-door collections for Hong Kong’s underprivileged and associated charities this month. Large items, like 5 & 19 cember air conditioning units, ceiling lights De and fans, doors and furniture, are urgently needed. You can also drop off Photo by Around DB any clean, functional items, plus winter clothes and blankets, any time, at the Environmental Toyhouse at La Costa and Brilliance Court. For more information, visit http://2ndhanditem.wordpress.com; or call Nikki on 9677 6676.
CHANUKAH IN THE PLAZA DB Plaza
December 9
Into its fifth year, Chanukah in the Plaza, celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights, runs from 4.30pm to 6.30pm – with a glow in the dark theme. You can watch Lantau’s largest Menorah being lit, and the free carnival includes games, rides, arts-and-crafts workshops and donut decorating. Every child gets a free gift! For more information, visit www.jewishlantau.com. www.magnificent-hkg.com December 2015
15
IN&AROUND DB
FUN AND FESTIVE DECEMBER HAPPENINGS! XMAS IN EPICLAND
HAVE YOUR XMAS TURKEY
EpicLand, DB North Plaza
(and all the trimmings) delivered to your door by the Discovery Bay Golf Club (DBGC) or the Discovery Bay Recreation Club (DBRC). To place an order, call the DBGC on 2987 7090 or the DBRC on 3156 7425.
DBIS CAROLS ON THE PITCH Discovery Bay International School
0
ber 1 Decem
With EpicLand transformed into hout Throug ber a Winter Wonderland throughout Decem December, Santa welcomes kids inside, where they can enjoy live Christmas carolling, plus all the usual activities, including trampolines, air trek, slides, mini golf and rock climbing. You can also book your EpicLand Christmas party by calling 2441 0098. Visit www.epiclandhk.com.
www.wikimedia.org
CHRISTMAS FUN FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIIES EpicLand, DB North Plaza ber 12
Decem
Photo courtesy of DBIS
Parents, families and friends are all welcome at Discovery Bay International School’s annual Carols on the Pitch, featuring performances from the students, an orchestra and some congregational carols. With thousands expected to attend, the evening starts at 5.15pm with a Christmas bazaar and refreshments. The concert kicks off at 6.15pm. To find out more, call 2987 7331.
Illustration by Fred Boot
Co-organised by At Home in DB and DB Mothers & Friends, and sponsored by EpicLand, Christmas Celebration with Kids in DB sees Hong Kong’s lowincome, local and new-immigrant families enjoying a fun day out at EpicLand. To help out on the day and/or donate food and drink for lunch, email Sue Meldrum at sue@athomeindb.com.
ENJOY A PHOTO OP WITH SANTA at Club
Siena’s Christmas Fun Day between 2pm and 5pm. Call 2987 7382 for more information.
NATIVITY AND MIDNIGHT MASS
CELEBRATE AT THE AUBERGE
DB Plaza
DB North Plaza
ber Decem
20
The annual Nativity in the Plaza, organised by Discovery Bay Church, Discovery Bay International Community Church, Church of the Incarnation and Holy Chapel www.evoqueportraits.com Catholic Church, runs from 4 to 6pm. Enjoy Christmas carols and a narration of the nativity. To find out more, email office@dbicc.org. For Midnight Mass on December 24, and Christmas Morning Mass and carolling on December 25 at Trinity Chapel (DB), email info@dbtrinitychapel.org.
16
ber 20
Decem
December 2015
ber Decem 31 Head down to the Auberge, 24, 25 & from 8.30pm to 10pm on Christmas Eve, for carolling, a magic show, fun on-stage games and gifts from Santa Photo courtesy of Auberge DB Claus. You can also enjoy a four-course Xmas dinner (HK$498 per adult) at The Bounty Bar on December 24 and 25. The Auberge’s New Year’s Eve celebrations kick off at 10pm and feature a live band and mega balloon drop. Call 2295 8288.
NEW MENU
Take your pick from old favourites and soon-to-be new favourites Plus a great selection of Belgian beers
Call 2987 2298
IN&AROUND DB
SAVE THE DATE January 30
February 27 Photo courtesy of DBIS
PICNIC IN THE PARK IS BACK!
DBIS INTERNATIONAL FOOD FAIR
Siena Park
Discovery Bay International School
Picnic in the Park (PiP) celebrates 10 wonderful years of live music and dance. Over 60 acts are expected to perform across two stages in Siena Park. The organisers would like to thank the Discovery Bay City Owners’ Committee, Discovery Bay City Management and HKR International for making the event possible. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/picnicintheparkhk.
The annual Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) International Food Fair is one of the largest community events in DB, offering a range of culinary delights from all corners of the globe. You can also look forward to music, singing, dance and gymnastics displays by students, plus over 30 commercial and charity stalls.
Photo by Leticia Lemos
Playgroups in
DB
BRIGHTSPARKS PLAYGROUP, PARKRIDGE VILLAGE
18 months to 3.5 years, 9632 4287, brightsparksdb@gmail.com
A fun, safe and interactive environment that nurtures children’s creativity and self-discovery. Afternoon phonics, cooking and art classes for kids aged 3+ years are also offered.
EARLY ADVENTURES PLAYGROUP, GREENS
20 months to 4 years, 9511 2107, info@earlyadventures.net, www.earlyadventures.net A long-running playgroup with bright and spacious facilities. A warm and caring environment where children are offered exciting and interesting activities, so they can achieve their full potential.
FUNFIT, CLUB SIENA
6 months to 3 years, 6302 6327, info@funfit.hk, www.funfit.hk An active learning programme which helps develop children’s balance, coordination, fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination and much more. The focus is on caring for kids’ future health and fitness.
LITTLE EXPLORERS, PHASE 1
18 months and up, 9327 0507, littleexplorers@team-fear.com An established playgroup, providing a caring and stimulating learning environment with an emphasis on learning through play – and having loads of fun.
POSITIVE STEPS, DB PLAZA
2 to 4 years, 6341 5764, positivestepsplaygroup@gmail.com, www.positivestepsplaygroup.com Previously Midget Gems, a long-established and dedicated playgroup that’s big on the fun factor. Encouraging friendships and independence through creative play in a well-equipped and nurturing environment.
PLAYTIME KIDS, CHERISH COURT
15 months to 4.5 years, 9054 0565, playtimekidsdb@yahoo.com, www.playtimekidsdb.com A well-established playgroup, run by a Montessori-trained teacher with lots of experience. A great, supporting, stimulating and loving environment for little ones to learn from.
TOTS & TEAPOTS, JOYFUL MANSION
0 to 18 months, 9500 3253, totsnteapots@gmail.com, Tots & Teapots Facebook Page A safe environment for parents (Mondays) or helpers (Fridays) to bring babies from birth. Located in a long-established playgroup – providing social interaction, stimulation, toys and group singing.
TREE OF JOY, PENINSULAR VILLAGE
14 months to 3 years, 9787 2755, info@treeofjoydb.com, www.treeofjoydb.com A playgroup offering a variety of fun classes in a nurturing and enriching environment. Classes are run by a qualified and experienced teacher.
WOODENTOTS, DB PLAZA
2.5 to 5 years, 6108 9131, woodentotsdb@gmail.com A caring and nurturing environment, run by a qualified Montessori teacher, in which children grow and learn through self-discipline and self-discovery.
Brewing soon in Discovery Bay! Caffe Bar and Italian Fine Food
www.facebook.com/Caffe-Pascucci-Hong-Kong | 2851 2857 | www.pascucci.it/
CAFFE PASCUCCI
EAA License No. C-018050
Discovery Bay Property & Boat Agents
Wishing all DB Residents
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LANTAU EVENT HIGHLIGHTS YHKCC INTERNATIONAL FUN FAIR
YMCA of Hong Kong Christian College, Tung Chung Running from 11am to 9pm, this year’s YMCA of Hong Kong Christian College (YHKCC) International Fun Fair again combines the traditional school fair with a spectacular International Night. Expect fabulous ethnic food, a bazaar, game booths and a bouncy castle, plus a talent show running from 12 to 1.30pm (HK$40 entry) and again from 7 to 8.30pm (HK$60 entry). Admission to the fair is free; for tickets and enquiries, contact Amanda Shek at iff@ymcacc.edu.hk or on 2988 2028.
YULETIDE CAROLLING
Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel, HK International Airport 2
r1 mbe e c e D
Get into the spirit of the season with Christmas carolling in the hotel lobby from 6 to 6.30 pm, and again from 7 to 7.30pm. Sing along (in Cantonese and English) with the primary school children of Tung Chung Po On Commercial Association School. For more information, visit www.marriott.com.
4
ber 2
m Dece
Photo courtesy of YHKCC
for independent living
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For more Lantau events, read Life on Lantau in print or online
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Covering: Discovery Bay | Gold Coast | Aberdeen | New Territories
Xmas in EpicLand Winter Wonderland at EpicLand! Come and play this festive season in Hong Kong’s largest indoor family entertainment centre. Enjoy Christmas decorations, a meet and greet with Santa and Christmas carols while enjoying a treat at our Epic Café.
今個聖誕, 歡迎您同歷奇王國一起慶祝這個充滿歡樂的節日! 我們特意為您準備了全場的精緻裝飾, 還有聖誕老人, 和現樂隊在這隨時恭候選!快點加入我們, 享受愉快聖誕! (假日照常運作, 無額外收費。)
Merry Christmas! Call: +852 2441 0098 I Email: marketing@epiclandhk.com I Website: www.epiclandhk.com
Here’s your chance to win great prizes!
Win Rooster sailing gear from the UK YOUR PRIZE: Monster Marine is offering one lucky reader a Rooster Carry-All sailing bag (valued at HK$620) and a Rooster Red Diamond buoyancy aid (valued at HK$599).
COMPETITIONS
Around DB competitions are incredibly easy to enter (you’ll even find the answers to our questions right here). You have until December 10 to submit your answers. To enter, email info@baymedia.com.hk, click on the competitions link at www.arounddb.com, or scan the QR Code below. Don’t forget to give us your name and telephone number!
What makes Butterfly Dreams bedding so soft? www.butterflydreams.com.hk
Where do you find Monster Marine online?
Win kids’ bedding from Butterfly Dreams www.monstermarine.com.hk
FIND THE ANSWER: Monster Marine is the exclusive Hong Kong distributor of high-quality, reasonably priced Rooster sailing products from the UK. Monster also distributes Ribeye rigid inflatable boats and aluminiumhull tenders from the UK, Aer Marine tenders from Italy and Outboard Covers products from Australia. Visit the online shop at www.monstermarine.com.hk.
YOUR PRIZE: Butterfly Dreams is offering two readers a fitted sheet set, featuring a fitted single/ twin sheet and one pillowcase (valued at HK$758 per set), from its Butterfly Dreams Kids range. FIND THE ANSWER: The Butterfly Dreams Kids range is big on both bright prints and classic pastels. It features flat and fitted sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers and decorative pillows. Finely woven microfibers ensure a rare softness for a cosy night’s sleep. For more information and to order online, visit www.butterflydreams.com.hk.
Win tickets to see Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo YOUR PRIZE: KidsFest 2016 is giving one reader, four tickets (valued at HK$385 each) to see Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo, showing from February 11 to 14, 2016. Where is Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo being performed? Photo courtesy of ABA Productions
FIND THE ANSWER: Part of KidsFest 2016, Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo is being performed at Udderbelly Festival Hong Kong, Central Harbourfront Event Space. From cute baby dinos to teethgnashing giants, kids can observe and interact with extraordinarily life-like dinosaurs in this imaginative and hilarious live show. Direct from London’s West End, performances are available in both English and Cantonese. Visit www.kidsfest.com.hk for more information; for tickets, visit www.hkticketing.com.
Congratulations to last month’s winners Frances Burley for the 2 in 1 Activity Table; Kerry Gerlag
and Michael Lui for tickets to see The Witches; Gillian Little for the teppanyaki set; Sina Smith for tickets to see the Warsaw Boys Choir; Jan Campbell for tickets to see the Wells Cathedral School Choralia; Patrick McCool and Michelle Cheng for tickets to see Cinderella – The Panto; and Pina Lui and Greg Edwards for tickets to see Cirque Adrenaline. December 2015
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PROFILE
LITERARY CLOSE-UP
Photo by www.evoqueportraits.com
Architect and author David Harris Lang is refining a skill for Asian crime thrillers – two fingers at a time. He opens up to Elizabeth Kerr about witches, rabbis, private dicks… and working for Walmart
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t’s been argued that the best writers stick to the credo of writing what they know, but if that were a hard and fast rule, DB resident David Harris Lang would have penned a manual about architecture by now. In fact, the better-than-budding novelist did start his secondary career in non-fiction with a book about the ins and outs of doing business – chiefly building – in December 2015
China. He dropped it when he found non-fiction too negative for his tastes. By 2013, David had reached the stage of his life where he needed to express himself and he settled on fiction – writing a crime thriller to be exact. “Writing is less messy than painting,” he quips. That’s typical of David, who sprinkles snappy rejoinders or deadpan jokes amid casual or
more serious conversation. It’s not surprising he chose to express himself with words.
Portrait of the architect David has just finished his second novel and is hard at work on the third, when he’s not doing his so-called real job as vice president design and construction for Walmart. Now
PROFILE
creative. A graduate of the University of Southern California (USC), David later studied at the Pratt Institute in New York – Brooklyn to be exact – back in the 1960s, when his preferred look was the requisite long hair, accessorised with a pipe. “Women loved the pipe,” he jokes. Top that off with growing up in Japan (age six to 16) and David is the kind of quietly cool dude you want at a party; he’s got a great story for everything. Recalling his angsty teenaged years in Japan, David recognises: “It was great. It helped parlay my international career and the fact I’m familiar and comfortable in many cultures… I am home wherever I am. I hated it [at the time] but I think wherever I grew up I’d have hated it. I was a teenager.”
Four-year DB resident David Harris Lang is working on his third crime thriller
64, the native New Yorker lives in Discovery Bay but travels all over China weekly, and has been doing that since he left his previous position with Simon Property Group. David admits it can be gruelling (“I’m really only 20 years old,” he quips) and he knows Shenzhen, where he once lived for seven years, would be the smarter choice of address. Asked why he puts up with the punishing commute, he drops a poker-faced: “Have you been to Shenzhen?” Yes. “Yeah.” David may work for the world’s biggest corporation but that doesn’t mean he lacks the hipster cred to be
David has been living in China on his current stint for nearly 11 years, four of those in DB, but for now he’s on his own. His “very tolerant” wife Christine, also an architect he met at USC, has moved back to the US to be with her elderly mother. And his adult daughters – Samantha, Alexis, also his editor, and Michelle – are scattered around the globe. On the plus side, this gives David time to indulge his authorial aspirations. If he has it his way, writing full time is in the cards for his retirement years. That could be years from now, so he puts his two-digit typing skills to work whenever he gets the chance. “Right now, because I have a real job, I’m finding time [to write]: commuting, at lunch time, after dinner, at weekends,” he says. “I wake up in the morning wondering what my characters are going to do today.”
On writing And his characters are just that: characters. David’s first book, The Journal of Rabbi Levy Wang, features a hero loosely based on his grandfather, a fur trader in pre-Second World War Tianjin. The titular rabbi is a Chinese
Jew from Kaifeng, a community that arrived in the area around 960. Though David takes dramatic licence, he enjoys the research that adds to the story. “I want my readers to taste and smell and feel the places in my books,” he says. Hands-on research came easy for his second book, The Witch of Wanchai, which starts with a murder in the Queen Victoria [pub] on Lockhart Road. David laments the loss of some of Wanchai’s seedier spots. “I like classy but I also enjoy some sleaze,” he says. “It’s interesting to write about and I wrote some of the chapters in the Queen Victoria.” But beyond the charming ‘skeeviness’ we all know and love are headier issues. The book’s serial killer preys on Indonesian lesbian domestic helpers, “Because nobody cares about them,” he says, all kidding aside. “Police won’t investigate, and employers just get a new helper. I’m highlighting the plight of domestic helpers.” David’s third book is the still untitled sequel to Witch, which somehow brings together a missing imperial Jade burial suit, Burmese drug dealers, British treasure hunters, a murderous elephant and two intrepid Hong Kong detectives. So is this the start of a crime fiction franchise? He shrugs. “I started out to write a sequel but all of a sudden I was writing about teenaged computer gamers in southern California. Then I jumped to the Han Dynasty but I’ve tied it all together.” Interestingly, David doesn’t plan out his narratives before he starts writing. For Rabbi, his muses came naturally. “When I wrote the first book I felt my father and grandfather were ‘guiding’ the story,” he explains. “They evidently like to write.” Perhaps that explains his proficiency: two books in two years is a positively Kingian pace. Speaking of which: “My favourite author of all time is Stephen King, because from page one you’re caught. December 2015
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PROFILE
He’s been a big influence on me,” says David. “In terms of writing you have to be able to pare down. Most people, myself included, will write ‘He sat down in the chair’. Of course he sat in the chair,” he baffles. “[King’s] On Writing has been very helpful.” Self-published to date, David is toying ever so lightly with trying the more traditional publishing route, even though he refers to it as a “beauty contest”. Either way, he’s going to do it from DB. “If I’d chosen on my own, I’d probably live in Causeway Bay or Sheung Wan,” he says of home. But Christine had never lived outside the US before, and DB is like a resort. Coming across on the ferry and chilling out… Now I just love it here.”
Top holiday reads by
DB authors
Cosy up with one of these recent releases, all made in DB: • After the Rain, by Federico Favini • Daughters of Nazareth, by Trisha Hughes • Flying the Knife Edge: New Guinea Bush Pilot, by Matt McLaughlin • Run Hong Kong Run, by Crystal Lee • The Witch of Wanchai, by David Harris Lang You can also pick up Bright Lights and White Nights, by Andrew Carter, much of which is set in DB, and the latest Hong Kong Writers Circle short story anthology, Tales of Two Cities, co-edited by DB resident Edmund Price. Oh, and read anything by Somerset Maugham Award-winning DBer Justin Hill.
Find more local heroes
@ www.arounddb.com
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Common counterfeit and pirated goods in world trade
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DO YOU FAKE IT? From counterfeit designer-wear and art forgeries to potentially deadly, fake pharmaceuticals and mechanical parts, Peter Sherwood reports on global piracy and reveals why you won’t find him Christmas shopping in Shenzhen December 2015
IN FOCUS
C
ome on ladies you know who you are. You look so hot in your redsoled, Shenzhen-bought ‘Louboutins’, with your ‘Lanvin’ handbag that cost you HK$250 in The Lanes in Central. And well done on your Christmas gifts this year – brandname counterfeits all-round! But you haven’t forgotten that you’re faking it, have you? Customs officers in the US say around 80% of counterfeits seized originate in China, and you only have to look around you to see that Hongkongers take full advantage of their proximity to ground zero. Indeed, a September 2013 report in the South China Morning Post revealed that 73% of us admit to buying fake goods – and don’t feel guilty about it.
Tip of the iceberg Buying, selling and producing fake designer items is a crime but, on one level at least, no real harm is done. What do I care if ladies-who-lunch like a little fake Prada? So what if millions of bogus designer items are flooding across the border into Hong Kong and markets worldwide? This proliferation seems to have done little to dent the precious image of luxury goods brands or decrease sales. According to market-data specialists Euromonitor International, sales in the global luxury market increased 36% last year, to US$338 billion. It’s as if those forking out for a genuine Chanel handbag are blind to the reality of hundreds of women walking about with a near exact replica at one-tenth of the cost. But no one gets hurt, right? Wrong. According to the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, global losses this year from the massive infiltration of counterfeit and pirated goods will reach a staggering US$1.7 trillion. Governments, businesses and society are being robbed of hundreds of billions in tax revenues, income and jobs.
And there’s also the little matter of we, the consumers, getting hoodwinked. Take North Fake, a top-selling brand of Nepalese outerwear. No hiding or chicanery there and you get what you get, which is dangerously cheap freezeto-death gear at bargain prices. But what of those poor souls, who gullibly kit themselves out in the stuff for a skiing holiday or mountain climb?
Millions at risk Unsafe and ineffective fakes now pose a risk to millions. Counterfeit cosmetics turn a product that likely doesn’t work into a product that definitely doesn’t work – and could be toxic. More serious, of course, is the increase in fake pharmaceuticals flooding the market, and China leads the way in their production. With global sales estimated as high as US$200 billion, counterfeit medicine production is big business. Fake pharmaceutical products can kill. The American Enterprise Institute estimates that more than 100,000 people, mostly in developing countries, die each year from counterfeit drugs. Leaded road paint, floor wax, brick dust, nickel and arsenic have all been found in fake drugs. The World Health Organisation reports that around 10% of medications globally – and around 33% in developing countries – are counterfeit, and might have no active ingredients, or contain harmful contaminants. The production of counterfeit mechanical parts is also booming. According to Counterfeiting Investigation Bureau, Interpol and the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, 6 to 9% of global automotive parts are fake, with the counterfeit trade bringing in US$120 billion a year. China is the largest source of all these counterfeit items, while in India fake auto-part production is a thriving business, estimated to be worth between 32% and 47% of the industry, by value. The airline industry is increasingly concerned that
counterfeit mechanical and electronic parts make it into some approved supply chains. The idea of cars racing out of control due to phoney parts is bad enough; aircraft spinning out of the sky is the stuff of nightmares. And don’t get me started on all the fake food products, contaminated for profit, that keep coming out of China.
That’s entertainment Before we all go rushing for the moral high ground, however, we should remember that when we are downloading a movie or some music for free, we are likely complicit in illegal activity. Theft from the entertainment industry is in the hundreds of billions of dollars a year. According to web-design company GO-Gulf, a big majority of all downloaded music is illegal. Theft of movies, games, TV shows, software and eBooks is vast. And get this: 70% of online users find nothing wrong with piracy. An equal percentage of digital piracy sites are hosted in North America and Western Europe. Incredibly, it is estimated that around 25% of all global bandwidth is used for online piracy. Reporting last January in the Diplomatic Courier on piracy’s ripple effect on the global economy, Wayne Scholes had this to say: “When most people think about the world of entertainment, first thoughts are typically of rock stars, book signings, Hollywood movie premieres, red carpets and designer clothes. Rarely do the people behind the scenes of production come to mind. Technicians, editors, producers, hairstylists and camera operators are just a few of the 2.4 million US employees that make up the entertainment industry; an industry that contributes approximately US$80 billion each year to the US economy. And that number is nowhere close to what it should be.” Wayne, a British businessman and the owner of ice-hockey club the Telford December 2015
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IN FOCUS
‘Van Goghs’ are two-a-penny in Dafen
Tigers, explains in no uncertain terms that hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost due to online piracy.
more valuable to Chinese counterfeiters. You guessed it – fine wine.
Flattery or forgery? Of course, these days it’s getting harder to identify the genuine article. Experts in fine art have passed as authentic dozens of prestigious paintings that are fakes and hang in galleries, museums and private collections the world over. Probably the world’s most spectacular art forger is the brilliant German Wolfgang Beltracchi, who faked the works of at least 50 famous painters over a career spanning decades. In 2011, Beltracchi and his wife Helene were imprisoned for forging 14 master works. The couple is estimated to have inflicted losses on the art world totalling US$50 million, through the sale of the 14 forgeries alone. They also confessed to supplying top auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s with scores of other fakes, which may never be traced.
80% of counterfeits seized in the US are made in China
Beltracchi’s genius was not to copy existing paintings, but to produce what he thought the artists might have painted – in their style – and sell these works as ‘newly discovered’. At the end of his criminal career, he said: “The demand was so high, I could have easily put 1,000 or 2,000 forgeries on the market.” Art forgery, all be it on a much smaller scale, has long been big in China. You only have to hop over the border to Shenzhen to find a whole village – Dafen – devoted to the stuff. But right now, another luxury item is proving even
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December 2015
With coveted wines, like Premier Cru Bordeaux, fetching thousands of dollars a bottle, and wine consumption in China increasing rapidly, the incentive exists to make an easy buck by pouring new wine into old bottles, or any old wine into fake bottles. Iconic Château Lafite Rothschild is just one of the premier French wine estates being targeted. A bottle of Lafite from 1982, considered one of the greatest vintages of the 20th century, can cost upward of US$10,000, and this has led to a booming knockoff industry in China. Some say there are more cases of wine marketed as 1982 Lafite, than were actually produced by the château that year. Maybe you’ll pick up a bottle in Shenzhen this month to enjoy with your Christmas lunch – if you do, please don’t ask me over.
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OZZIE COZZIE CHRISTMAS NE W ARRI
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Photos by www.evoqueportraits.com and Hui Nancy Xu, and courtesy of Michael Vidler
FAMILY MATTERS
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DC Labour Rights Group, with Lea Mahoudeau-Campoyer (front centre) and mentor Bruce Taylor (back right)
December 2015
FAMILY MATTERS
ACTIVIST KIDS Making a stand against injustice and having the commitment to find solutions are important lessons for children to learn. Melissa Stevens takes a look at the many ways DB kids are already making a difference
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here’s no question that young people in Discovery Bay have a privileged existence – they get to live in a caring and inclusive community, have access to excellent educational and sporting facilities and, by and large, come from families in a secure socio-economic position. What is heartening, though, is that few conform to the stereotype of the insular expat brat, but are instead thoughtful and mature global citizens, who are keen to make a difference where they can. To demonstrate this, I sit down with Discovery College (DC) Labour Rights group, DB civil rights lawyer Michael Vidler and the ladies at the helm of child-friendly action groups DB Green and Box of Hope.
Rebels with a cause This September, students from the DC Labour Rights group gained media attention after protesting outside Hong Kong Disneyland to highlight the plight of workers, who lost their jobs when a Shenzhen Disney merchandise factory closed. The group, which was set up in 2010 by nine DC students, now numbers 16, aged 14 to 17. Their original campaign was focused on conditions for the Guangdong factory workers of toy manufacturer, VTech, whose headquarters is in Hong Kong.
Year 13 DC student Lea MahoudeauCampoyer has this to say about her involvement: “We get the chance to make a real difference but we also get a lot out of it through research skills and information gathering. It’s useful and beneficial for both us and the people we are able to help.” Lea explains that the DC Labour Rights group was initially formed after the students were inspired by DC humanities and economics teacher, Bruce Taylor, who had done a lot of student activist work in the US. Bruce, who came to DB four years ago from the States and now lives in Peng Chau, in turn describes the DC students as “amazingly dedicated and driven”. Agreeing that expat teenagers are usually particularly sophisticated global citizens, Bruce points out that young people today are more keyed into global issues because information is easier to access through the internet and social media. Bruce also acknowledges the influence of the International Baccalaureate curriculum, which encourages students to take part in community projects.
Youthful changemakers This is a view echoed by Dana Winograd of the non-profit eco-group DB Green. “The schools are becoming very global in what they are teaching,”
Dana, a DB resident of 17 years, says. “International school students are very aware of what is going on in the world around them, with a curriculum that includes global issues such as the environment. It’s coming out of their school requirements that they have to do things but they are pushed to find something they really care about.” Mother of four, Dana ensures that the regular beach clean-ups, hosted by DB Green, are inclusive to kids. At these events, children become informed about marine pollution and are given the chance to actively make a difference. The Box of Hope charity project, held every November/ December across Hong Kong for the past nine years, is equally hands-on when it comes to involving children. Box of Hope sees kids donate useful items to less fortunate children in Hong Kong and Asia in specially decorated shoeboxes. This year, DB school kids produced an incredible 1,300 boxes. “It’s a very sweet and a very thoughtful project for a child,” director Nicole Woolhouse says, even very young children are able to feel part of the project as they can play a role in selecting items for the boxes. “In a gentle way, we inform children in Hong Kong that not everybody has December 2015
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FAMILY MATTERS
a life like theirs,” Nicole says. “They learn that some people are having a very hard time and that you can make a difference, no matter how little you are. Sometimes we feel we want to help but it can be slightly overwhelming. This project is a simple project but it is making a difference.” Nicole believes that involving children in community projects at a young age will mean that political and social activism resonates throughout their lives. “If you bring a child up in an environment where they are educated to help and they are educated to get involved, they are likely to grow up to be adults who will continue to do so,” she says.
Tiny tots doing their bit for the Umbrella Movement
Student protesters DB civil rights lawyer Michael Vidler also sees a real benefit to young people being politically active and aware from a young age – which is why he took his three-year-old son George down to the Occupy Central protests in October last year. Michael has lived in DB for more than 10 years, with wife Huen Yee. He has been actively involved in the Umbrella Movement as a legal adviser to some of the leaders, including Joshua Wong. In addition to his professional involvement, Michael walked through the Occupy Central site on his way to work each day and was moved by the scenes he witnessed. Michael says he was very impressed by the way the young Hong Kong protesters conducted themselves, and also in the way the community around them offered support. “It was extraordinary in a city famed for being very selfish and laissez-faire to see this sense of community,” he says. “There was a real sense of collective responsibility – that’s what I saw in Occupy Central and that’s why I took George. I wanted him to see civil society in action.”
Three-year-old George Vidler (this photo and left) following in his father’s footsteps
Michael, who runs his own law firm, Vidler & Co. Solicitors, says young people who become involved in community and political groups and campaigns will be able to present with an edge when it comes to employment. “People who have been active show they are invested, they are eloquent and they are involved,” he says. “They can usually think out of the box to
December 2015
Should you feel the need to justify your child getting involved in a social or political issue, think of it as fulfilling an extracurricular requirement. Take it from Michael: “These are the kids who get snapped up by the big firms and the big companies.”
Find it • Box of Hope, www.boxofhope.org • DB Green, www.dbgreen.org • DC Labour Rights, DC Labour Rights Facebook page • Vidler & Co. Solicitors, www.vidler-co.com
Find more child-centric stories
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make a hard decision. They are also experienced working with a collective to get something done and they are usually forward-thinking.”
@ www.arounddb.com
Performing Arts courses taught by industry professionals! BRAND NEW COURSES ADDED Performing Arts camp Friday 3.30-5.30pm aged 7-11
A challenging fun course including acting, singing and dancing.
Merry Christmas to all our students!
The Performance Team
Friday 5.30-7.00pm aged 12 plus with experience
A highly demanding course for those older students who wish to push their performance skills to their maximum.
ALL COURSES OFFER AN END OF TERM PERFORMANCE AS WELL AS ONE FULL PRODUCTION IN A PROFESSIONAL THEATRE EACH YEAR! For more details about the courses on DB then please contact Emma at emma.performersstudio@yahoo.com or on 9225 6775 All courses held in the North Plaza All places are offered on a first come basis and entry to The Performance Team may require an audition.
ESF Sharks Swimming Programme
ESF Tigers Basketball Programme
Term 2 Starts 4 January 2016
Term 2 Starts 4 January 2016
Learn to swim or improve your child's current skills. With professional coaches and individualised attention, the ESF Sharks Swimming programme provides a positive and fun swimming experience for all levels.
Using age-appropriate equipment & coaching methods, ESF Tigers Basketball provides students the best environment in which to develop their basketball skills.
Location: Discovery College
Location: Discovery College
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TALKING POINTS
FESTIVE
FEASTING
DBers hail from all around the world, meaning we residents are exposed to the customs of myriad countries, particularly at Xmas. Melissa Stevens sits down with three local families to find out how they celebrate
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Photos by www.evoqueportraits.com
hat better way to showcase the cultural melting pot that is DB, than to ask three local families how they mark the holiday season and, perhaps more importantly, what they eat. Here I sit down with the Boots, the Reads and the Stiles, all of whom happen to count at least one well-known DB altruist in their clan.
Xmas is a time for giving – these guys give all year round. Cheers to them!
children Edgar, 5, Elvire, 3, and Eloise, 1.
The fusion family
The Boots are the brains (and brawn) behind DB Mothers & Friends, a social enterprise that re-distributes useful second-hand goods to Hong Kong’s low-income families, immigrants and refugees. Since 2013, they have found homes for
Nikki and Fred Boot are East meets West personified. Nikki grew up in Hong Kong and is married to Frenchman Fred. The couple have lived in DB since 2010, with their
Nikki and Fred Boot with Edgar, 5, Elvire, 3, and Eloise, 1
December 2015
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TALKING POINTS
(and provided local charities with) 120 trucks’ worth (the equivalent of 2,041.2 metresᵌ) of goods that DBers don’t want. The festive season for the Boots sees two key celebrations collide – the Chinese Winter Solstice Festival on December 22, followed by the French Noël. Cantonese feasts are renowned for their abundance of food, and Nikki, as one of 12 children, describes a dining table groaning with delicacies. When it comes to Fred’s influence, the family usually has a big meal on December 24, as is typical in Europe. “Usually I like to prepare filets mignons, very soft pieces of beef almost not cooked, with potatoes and vegetables, and a pepper sauce to cover everything,” Fred says. “For the beverage, we like a bottle of Sauternes but since my wife
does not drink alcohol, I always do my best to finish it by myself. No waste, that’s my rule.”
The vegetarians Tracey Read and husband Jeff grew up in Australia. Like most Aussies, their childhood Xmases were synonymous with scorching summer days, seafood barbecues and swimming at the beach or in the pool. DB residents of 10 years, Tracey and Jeff now celebrate every other Xmas here with their children, Evie, 8, and Finn, 11. An additional culinary twist to their northern hemisphere celebrations is that Tracey is a vegetarian. The solution is there are always plenty of veggies on the table, along with a nut roast. As the 2013-founder of eco-charity Plastic Free Seas (PFS), Tracey has made it her mission to educate the community on the need to cut back on non-recyclable waste. She and the
PFS team provide workshops at local schools and are a regular fixture at DB beach clean-ups. Since April this year, people have been able to go out on a research trawler – the PFS Sea Classroom, to learn about and monitor plastic pollution in Hong Kong waters. Preferring to spend Xmas here, to avoid the hectic holiday travel, Tracey says: “I really like celebrating in DB with friends. Jeff does all the cooking. I just make the nut roast, which works well with the traditional roast. But really in our house, it’s all about Christmas pudding and custard.”
The traditionalists Scott and Kelsey Stiles spent their first Christmas in DB last year. The couple, who hail from the US, are familiar with white (or at least cold) Christmases with all the trimmings, followed by eggnog. Roast ham is the centrepiece since, as Scott explains, Americans usually reserve their turkey for Thanksgiving.
Tracey and Jeff Read with Evie, 8, Finn, 11, and Tracey’s dad Ian Kirkby
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December 2015
TALKING POINTS Along with fellow DBer David Bishop, Scott is the founder of Fair Employment Agency (FEA), which got into gear in 2013. FEA’s mission is to prevent domestic workers getting into the debt bondage cycle, and it does so by not charging them for recruitment services.
Scott and Kelsey Stiles with Maverick, 21 months
The Stiles family are celebrating a traditional Christmas this year, with their young son Maverick, 21 months, Kelsey’s parents over from the US, and her sister, who also lives in DB.
Find it • DB Mothers & Friends, https://2ndhanditem.wordpress.com • Fair Employment Agency, www.fairagency.org • Plastic Free Seas, www.plasticfreeseas.org Find more local heroes
W
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@ www.arounddb.com
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MOMENTS
OLYMPIC TILT
Catching up with Lantau Boat Club members Fung Tat Choi and Chan Yu Ting shortly after they were raced out of a place in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Sam Agars asks what’s next
I
t was a case of so near but yet so far for Lantau Boat Club (LBC) members Fung Tat Choi and Chan Yu Ting at the recent Olympic sailing qualifier in Qingdao, with the pair narrowly missing out on the chance to represent their country in Rio de Janeiro next year. Although they had expected to do better than they did, the experience has left them wanting more and they are looking to the future with a positive mindset. A somewhat unlikely pairing, Choi, 55, and Ting, 33, make up Hong Kong’s best Nacra 17 combination, the only mixed gender Olympic sailing category. This is an extraordinary achievement made more so when you consider that they both entered the sport at a mature age. While Ting took up sailing in 2007, aged 25, and was an instructor at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club by 2011; Choi, a former laundrette owner, only got serious about the sport in 2003, aged 42, signing up as a freelance sailing instructor in 2004.
catamarans. “There are only two clubs in Hong Kong that accommodate beach catamarans,” Ting explains, “and we both chose the LBC [to store our boats]. In 2012, when the International Sailing Federation announced the Nacra 17 was to be in the next Olympics, we decided to form a team.”
Hopes for 2020 It has been a long and arduous qualification process, with the pair giving up their jobs earlier this year to focus on the Olympics. They made numerous trips to Europe to gain experience in regattas and raced in official Olympic qualifying events in Spain and Denmark. After seeing 13 boats secure their spot for Rio, it came down to the Asian Olympic qualifier in Qingdao, China, September 14 to 20, with one spot on the line for a team from Asia. After
Photo by Sam Agars
Choi has been a member of the LBC since 2005 and Ting since 2008 and, while they both live in Kowloon, they were drawn to the club by a love of
performing well for the first three days, a drop off in performance on the final day saw them finish third behind teams from Singapore and China. “We had hoped to go further,” Ting says. “We were confident that we could qualify for Rio. The Singapore sailors are really good and when we trained together, sometimes they were faster, but sometimes we were faster. We thought we could beat them.” A silver lining that’s come from what Ting terms their “little success” is that they are both now receiving government funding under sailing’s new position as a Tier-A sport in Hong Kong. “Since Qingdao, we have become full-time athletes of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), which is good news as we receive monthly grants,” Ting says. The funding means Choi and Ting can keep sailing full-time for now and they are continuing to aim high. “The eventual goal is the next Olympics in 2020 in Tokyo, but it is not easy because an Olympic campaign is very expensive,” Ting says. “Because 2020 is so far away, the HKSI can’t yet decide whether they will fund us or not.”
Fung Tat Choi and Chan Yu Ting
Find more local heroes
@ www.arounddb.com
December 2015
47
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I understand we all go through different stages of life and so do our insurance needs. But the mandatory insurances required by the Hong Kong Government (including domestic helper insurance and automobile coverage) are always worth due diligence. Note that if you rent your home, you need insurance to protect yourself from public liability lawsuits. And if you have a mortgage, your bank may demand that you take out both fire coverage and mortgage protection insurance. Homeowners insurance is a security blanket. It is designed to protect you in the event of a catastrophe. Therefore, when you are choosing a policy, don’t always look to save money – the best deal may cost you more in the long run. But be sure to shop around. When you receive your annual renewal statement, check to see if you can snag a better deal elsewhere. Consider whether you have too much coverage. It’s common for policies to contain inflation-protection provisions that automatically increase your coverage amount. You may want to adjust your coverage amount to a more realistic figure.
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ESCAPES
WHISTLER WONDERLAND
Photos courtesy of Flight Centre Hong Kong
Whether you are young or old, a snow sports enthusiast or just there for the après-ski, this friendly Canadian village has something for everyone. Shane Davis, store manager at Flight Centre Discovery Bay, reports
W
histler is a paradise for adventure sport lovers all year round but thanks to roughly 12 metres of yearly snowfall, it exists because of skiing. The winter season runs from November to May with the peak season generally falling between the months of December and March, when you are guaranteed more than enough snow. Situated in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Whistler is easy to get to. Fly to Vancouver, and take the direct
Encompassing more than 8,000 acres over two mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, Whistler is the largest skiable area in North America. A booming resort since the 1970s, it has something to suit everyone’s pace.
for the Fresh Tracks Mountain Top Breakfast. Limited to the first 650 attendees, if you are lucky enough to get a ticket, you will have access to the lifts between 7 and 8am and be treated to a full buffet breakfast on top of Whistler Mountain. The most exciting prospect for the avid skier or snowboarder is the opportunity to be one of the first to make your way down the mountain that day, shredding and weaving your own path through the untouched snow.
The best thing to do on your first morning is rise early and book in
With over 200 runs between Whistler and Blackcomb, you could spend
bus to Whistler Village on Pacific Coach Lines. Or, hire a car and drive north along the frequently snowplowed roads.
Ski paradise
November 2015
49
ESCAPES
Ilanaaq, the 2010 Winter Olympics’ mascot
weeks without going down the same run twice. There’s plenty on offer for experienced skiers, including 20 expert Double Black Diamond runs. Beginners will find the bunny hills entertaining and there are instructors on hand, offering lessons. Once you have mastered how to get onto a chairlift, turn and stop, you can venture onto any of the green runs. For the more adventurous and experienced out there, heli-skiing is also on offer. A 10-person helicopter will take you to an exclusive part of Whistler Mountain where lifts just don’t go. From here you can make your own fresh tracks down, accompanied by experienced and certified guides – this experience is an absolute must for dedicated powder hounds.
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December 2015
Adrenaline-inducing activities Whistler has a lot to offer to get your adrenaline pumping. Pick up a Lightning on Ice ticket at the Whistler Sliding Centre, and try your hand at the solo Olympic sport of Skeleton. Sliding down a frozen track on a small sled head first, while lying face down, you can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour. Bobsledding and Luge (where you ride a sled on your back, feet first) are also offered. The centre’s 1,450-metre-long ice track is the fastest in the world. Whistler also offers zip-line tours if you want a different view of the mountains, glaciers, forests and village. Fly through the trees, with the sense that you are alone in the
wilderness. This experience will have you screaming as you travel between Whistler and Blackcomb peaks on a wire.
Something for the family The Olympic Park also offers familyfriendly activities, from cross-country skiing and snowshoeing to tobogganing and baseboarding. Kids (or the kids at heart) should head to the Coca Cola Tube Park and race down the slopes on inflatable tubes. For a great bird’s eye view of Whistler, head to the highest and longest gondola in the world – the Peak 2 Peak Gondola. In your downtime, compact, chaletstyle Whistler Village is fully pedestrianised and has great shopping
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ESCAPES
Whistler exists because of skiing
Fun at Coca Cola Tube Park
Zip-line between Whistler and Blackcomb peaks
Skeleton at Whistler Sliding Centre
options. Keep an eye out for Ilanaaq, the 2010 Winter Olympics’ mascot. The sculpture is a symbolic cultural figure for First Nations people, used at the games as a welcome and sign of friendship. In the village, you will also find the Olympic rings, which are still lit up at night. After an activity-filled day, when it’s time to wind down, nothing beats a relaxing cocktail or hot chocolate in an outdoor hot tub before settling in by a log fire. Stay at the well-equipped Fairmont Chateau Whistler in the Upper Village. The resort is ski-in and ski-out, and great for both families and couples. The Fairmont also offers equipment hire and ski storage. If you prefer to be closer to the après-ski action, Delta Whistler Village is a great location,
right in the heart of the village. Minutes from all the shops, restaurants and bars, the Delta is also just a short walk to the Whistler Mountain ski lifts.
Whistler at night Whistler has some great après-ski and nightlife options. The Longhorn Saloon, with its large patio close to the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, is pleasantly chilled out. For something a bit more rowdy, head to Merlin’s, where you will be able to catch a game on TV, or find people dancing on the tables to karaoke.
December 2015
Whistler has what it takes to keep singles, couples and families entertained. If you are looking for a chance to experience a real winter wonderland, this may just be the place for you.
Flight Centre Hong Kong specialises in tailor-made travel experiences, the widest choice of airfares and unique products, and 24-hour emergency assistance. To book your getaway, call 2830 2776, visit flightcentre.com.hk or drop by the retail stores in Discovery Bay, Central, Happy Valley or Wanchai.
Find more exciting travel destinations
52
After these places finish up for the evening, there are a number of nightclubs with local DJs to keep you going into the early hours. Tommy Africa’s has a great mix of music from the past few decades, or there’s Buffalo Bills if you’re after something more mainstream.
@ www.arounddb.com
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ACTION
THE GIFT OF GYMNASTICS
Airborne, acrobatic and agile, child gymnasts have a lot of fun. As an added bonus, the skills they learn set them up to do well at school and beyond. Beverly Au reports Sportsmanship International has been running classes in DB since 2003
December 2015
55
ACTION
An acrobatic iGym student
I
ntroducing the joys of the bar, beam, vaulting box, floor apparatus and power tumbling, gymnastics is an exciting way for kids to unlock physical potential they never knew they had. The sport provides an enjoyable and stimulating means of introducing youngsters to the joys of fitness and you can watch as they grow in ability and self-confidence. Like ballet, gymnastics is a joy to watch, and also like ballet it’s a tough sport requiring high levels of fitness and physical strength. It takes time and perseverance to master these gravity defying skills, but by so doing children gain a real sense of achievement. Lantau boasts several gymnastics clubs that encourage students to be the best they can be, both on and off the gym floor. Read on to discover what top DB coaches Kim Doherty and Charles Chan have to say about this everpopular sport.
Nurturing bodies and minds Sportsmanship International has been running classes in DB since 2003, and founder Charles Chan is, by now, something of a local institution. His passion for gymnastics is almost palpable, and his mission is to nurture
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December 2015
students’ bodies and minds. Hong Kong-born Charles studied at the prestigious Beijing University of Sports, where he says Eastern and Western approaches to gymnastics are integrated. Watching him train his charges, in Club Siena and Discovery College, takes me back to the 1970s, when I was inspired by the likes of Nadia Comaneci, Olga Korbut and Mary Lou Retton – and their coaches. “I want to do my best and have kids follow my principles and do proper gymnastics in a spirited and physical way,” says Charles. “Kids learn through a disciplined approach; they learn good posture through our three-pronged system: sit, stand and look smart.” Keen Sportsmanship gymnast, Gemma Ferguson, 12, enjoys the sport because “it’s fun and [she] gets to learn new skills”. She is very proud of her front aerial, which took her two months to perfect. Fellow club member Ailie Ikeda, 14, likes the fact that “gymnastics is a holistic sport that uses the whole body, in particular the core muscles”. She says this has helped her improve in football and basketball. While flexibility, coordination, control and balance are the key physical skills Charles and his team impart
to children aged three to 17, they are equally focused on building character and confidence. “My mission is to mentally prepare children for the challenges they face in the future,” says Charles, who has been teaching gymnastics to Hong Kong kids since 1990. “Students build confidence as they learn to be a gymnast. We want children to learn how to deal with their emotions and passions, and to do their best.” Sportsmanship is well known for its annual gymnastics meets, which allow the students not only to showcase their skills but also raise funds for charity (see overleaf). “I would like to inspire kids to have a loving heart,” Charles says.
Building strength and self-esteem Providing classes out of Discovery Bay International School since May 2014, iGym is a relative newcomer on the DB scene. Fifteen-year Discovery Bay resident, Kim Doherty, offers all-round gymnastics courses for DB kids, aged four to 16. Growing up, Kim’s mother ran a gymnastics’ school, and she has an inspiring personal background in the sport. South African champion
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Charles Chan with students Ailie Ikeda and Gemma Ferguson
Sportsmanship gymnasts learn to sit, stand and look smart
– Double Mini Trampoline, Kim competed both regionally and nationally, and represented her country at the Special Olympics World Games. Among the line-up of iGym coaches, those with serious credentials also include: US-born Irene Studler Marshall, a former state champion and Junior Olympic Champion – Bars and Floor; Cindy Shammall, a former South Australian club and state competitionlevel gymnast; and Adele Hodgson, a former UK Grade 2, county, regional and national squad gymnast. “We try to instil a passion for the sport and encourage teaching in a way that brings out their best,” Kim says. “We want kids to love gymnastics.” iGym aims to develop the sport in a supportive and high-energy atmosphere, and like Charles, Kim is all about building self-confidence and a sense of achievement. “Our students learn to build their self-respect and the classes are a lot of fun. They also learn how to find a sense of motivation in order to achieve,” says Kim, who moved to Hong Kong from South Africa in the 1990s.
iGym gymnasts training at DBIS
ssing
Being able to give is a ble
Sportsmanship hosts two annual fundraisers for Harmony Home Taiwan Association, a charity that cares for families and orphans affected by HIV and Aids in China and Taiwan. The 10th Friendly Gymnastics Meet, held in May at Discovery College, featured 180 gymnasts, and raised over HK$30,000 for Harmony Home. On November 28, the club held a Charity Gymnastics Display at Club Siena. By hosting these fundraisers, Charles seeks to inform children that they can help improve the lives of others. “Sportsmanship endeavours to instil a charitable side and inspire compassion in our club members,” he explains. “We feel DB children are in some way the elite, and we therefore try to plant the seed that they can help those less fortunate than themselves.” In order to empower her charges, Kim encourages them to design their own shirts and choose the leotards they wear. “We feel this gives the kids a voice, and in this way they can be more invested in their gym work,” she says.
December 2015
iGym also gives students, looking to pursue a career in gymnastics, employment opportunities. “We try to encourage kids to get experience by offering them part-time jobs,” Kim says. “This gives young adults a sense of belonging and respect.”
Find it • iGym, IGym gymnastics Facebook page • Sportsmanship International, sportsmanshiphk@gmail.com
Find more clubs and activities
58
Kim Doherty coaching a young charge
@ www.arounddb.com
ISLAND DANCE - SEPT09-2.pdf 1 11/23/2011 6:14:27 PM
Dance your way into 2016! come along for a Free trial class at club Siena, DBrc, iD Studio or Mui wo Sports centre. • new! Melody Bear Ballet ® for Budding Ballerinas & Ballet Belles (ages 3 - 5) • raD Ballet pre-primary to grade 6, Vocational levels inter. Foundation & intermediate • contemporary, tap & Hip Hop • creative Dance, Disco Freestyle
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Central Harbour Front Event Space, Central Taking place inside a giant upside-down purple cow and part of Hong Kong’s second Great European Carnival, Udderbelly Festival Hong Kong features some of the best shows and artists from the Edinburgh Fringe, the UK and Australia, as well as some very talented locals. Entertainment choices include circus, dance, music, sing-a-long cinema, comedy, cabaret and family shows. For more information, head to www.udderbelly.asia; for tickets, visit www.hkticketing.com.
FAMILY FUN AT SEAS AHOY!
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Seas Ahoy offers a new dining concept that allows parents to have free, uninterrupted time to dine, while children explore and play. The American-styled restaurant offers a spacious play corner resembling a sailor’s ship and a pirate-themed island filled with fun and interactive toys. Each child is given an activity booklet packed with puzzles, riddles and songs, and an easy-to-read kids menu from which to order. To make a booking, call 3956 5300.
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CINDERELLA THE PANTO
PULSE 3D LIGHT SHOW Open Piazza, Tsim Sha Tsui
ber3 m e Dec & 10-1 4-6 Central Harbour Front Event Space, Central Into its 55th year, Hong Kong Players’ annual Christmas panto is set to provide fun for all ages with an all-singing, all-dancing musical interpretation of Cinderella. The fun, Udderbelly-featured show stays true to the classic fairy story, while staging it in a circus setting. For tickets, starting at HK$290, visit www.hkticketing.com.
Part of Hong Kong WinterFest, and organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong Pulse 3D Light Show is a rare audiovisual treat, utilising 3D mapping technology to project vivid seasonal images onto the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Clock Tower. Upbeat music sets the mood at this holiday spectacular, which is staged four times every evening – at 8.20pm, 8.45pm, 9.15pm and 9.45pm. For more information, visit www.discoverhongkong.com.
r mbe e c e D -28 9
INTERNATIONAL RACES Sha Tin Racecourse
www.hkjc.com
Hong Kong’s biggest race meet of the year, one of the best days of racing on the international calendar, features a 10-race card, loaded with four group ones. Top-class thoroughbreds from around the globe race alongside the very best Hong Kong has to offer in the Hong Kong Mile, Hong Kong Cup, Hong Kong Vase and Hong Kong Sprint. To find out more, head to www.hkjc.com. December 2015
www.youtube.com
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HK HAPPENINGS
ber m e Dec5 & 16 1
www.ccohk.com
CHRISTMAS CHORAL SHOWCASE Hong Kong City Hall, Central
The City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong accompanies the Warsaw Boys Choir and the Wells Cathedral School Choralia as part of its Christmas Choral Showcase. Expect a glorious mix of Baroque choral-orchestral favourites, traditional carols and seasonal songs. For tickets, starting at HK$180, head to www.urbtix.hk.
THE NUTCRACKER
December 7 18-20 & 22-2
Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
Harbour and take in the spectacular fireworks show that has become synonymous with Hong Kong on New Year’s Eve. Expect an explosive display on both land and water.
3 Enjoy Photo courtesy of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions
CIRQUE ADRENALINE
AsiaWorld-Expo, Chek Lap Kok If there is one show you don’t want to miss this year, it is the packed Cirque Adrenaline. Boasting a handpicked troupe of the world’s best circus performers, the gravity-defying aerial stunts and dangerous circus acts keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Fresh off a sell-out season in Sydney, the show also features strong men and daredevil motorcyclists. For tickets, starting at HK$295, visit www.hkticketing.com.
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wanchai The 13th annual Hong Kong Food Festival promises to leave you salivating for more, with all sorts of mouth-watering delicacies, as well as premium wines from around the world. Admission is HK$20 and the event runs from 10am to 9pm from December 24 to 27, and from 10am to 7pm on December 28. Visit www.food-expo.com.hk. December 2015
1 Find yourself a spot on Victoria
your very own New Year’s bash with your family and closest friends. Grab the chance to catch a unique view of the fireworks, or tailor your own journey for the evening.
HONG KONG FOOD FESTIVAL
62
COUNTDOWN TO 2016!
2 Hire a junk for the night and have
2 December 2 - January 3
Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui What better way to celebrate Christmas than at the world’s favourite festive ballet! Go on a magical adventure with Clara, Fritz and the Nutcracker as they take on the evil Rat King and meet the Sugar Plum Fairy. Hong Kong Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker is again being choreographed by Australian-born Terence Kohler. Grab your tickets, starting at HK$180, at www.urbtix.hk.
Friend us on Facebook for event reminders
4-28
December 2
www.jxnf.com
a large digital-display countdown to midnight on an enormous clock mounted on the side of the Two International Finance Centre, followed by a Symphony of Lights show.
4 Head to Times Square for a New Year’s Eve party that mimics the much-watched event held at Times Square in New York City.
Bromic ardDB_op.pdf 3 11/4/15 11:05 AM
DB FACES
COMMUNITY SNAPS!
Email your photos for DB Faces to info@baymedia.com.hk. Around DB accepts no liability for the photos sent
Who do you know? Find more familiar faces @ www.arounddb.com.
Photos by Michael Keating
Win prizes from Uncle Russ Coffee and The Pier Bar! Congratulations to last month’s winner: Lauren C Totten (@lctotten)
T
he best snap wins! Your mission this month is to share a photo taken in DB on our @around_db Instagram page and hashtag it #arounddb. You have until the 10th of this month to enter – so get tagging.
This is your chance to win a complimentary coffee from Uncle Russ, or a beer from The Pier Bar every day for a week. We will contact the winner via Instagram. Good luck!
Discovery Bay Church (Anglican / Episcopal)
Christmas Services in Discovery Bay Church!
Come & Celebrate the Birth of Christ
Sunday 20 December, 4 pm Nativity in the Plaza Wednesday 24 December (Christmas Eve), 6 pm Christingle with Nativity Play Wednesday 24 December (Christmas Eve), 11 pm Bilingual Midnight Mass Thursday 25 December, 10 am Christmas Day Family Eucharist
Wishing you a peaceful and joyous Christmas Discovery Bay Church (Anglican / Episcopal) Email: markrogers@discoverybaychurch.org.hk Daughter Church of St.John's Cathedral Web: www.discoverybaychurch.org.hk SKH Wei Lun Primary School, Priest in Charge: Discovery Bay Road The Reverend Mark Rogers 10:00am (English) Sunday Tel: 2987 4210 Mob: 5180 5106
Church of The Incarnation Sunday Services at SKH Wei Lun Primary School Chapel 10:30am Sunday Contact The Church Office 2987 0723
View DB property listings @ www.arounddb.com
chabadlantau.com
5th annual LANTAU
BS�D
glow in the dark
Wednesday December 9, 4:30-6:30pm
free carnival gift for all kids! giant menorah lighting african drumming show Proudly sponsored by:
View local business directories @ www.arounddb.com COMMUNITY
HEALTH & WELLBEING
KIDS
RETAIL
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS (MORMONS)
HYPNOSIS &/ OR SHORT-TERM THERAPY
EARLY ADVENTURES PLAYGROUP
DB MARINA CLUB DEBENTURES
Sunday 1pm. 4/F Discovery College. Visitors welcome. Call 9029 1851
EMPLOYMENT
LANTAU-BASED COURIER
Michael, HK resident, seeks a post as a courier, delivering mail/ small parcels throughout HK. Call 9145 6731
Quit smoking quickly. Divorce/ Post-Divorce Coaching. Resolve: • Fear of Flying/ Public Speaking • Overeating • Couples’ Conflicts • Career & Command-Training Stress • Anger Management • Phobias • Nail Biting • Insomnia • Exam Jitters Call Dr Melanie Bryan, Psy.D. Clinical Psychologist & Hypnotherapist on 2575 7707, or visit www.mindmatters.hk
AUSTRALIAN TAX RETURNS Need to lodge your Australian tax return? If you are an expat or collect rental from Australian property, you must lodge an annual return. Let us do it for you here in HK. Contact Dwight Stuchbery, Australasian Taxation Services on 3571 8700, dwight@smats.net, or visit www.smats.net
SERVICES
PETS VERIDIAN LTD
HOME SERVICES FINANCE & INSURANCE
Do you have a C Class or B Class Debenture you are not using? Or one that is expiring, or coming up for extension? Lifestyle Homes has interested buyers. To find out more, contact info@lifestylehomes.com.hk
A dedicated playgroup with the emphasis on learning through play. Activities to stimulate all areas of development. Come & look at our facilities. Classes for kids from 20 months to 4 years. Morning & afternoon sessions. Call 9511 2107, or visit www.earlyadventures.net
SONTHRA HANDYMAN
Furniture repairing by indoor/ outdoor & polishing specialist. Any kind of solid wood plus hanging pictures (any wall work). • Better quality • Great value • Low prices • Satisfaction guaranteed Contact Peter on 9674 7531, Sonthrapeter@gmail.com
HOUSE DOCTOR HANDYMAN
Fluent in English. Hong Kong permanent resident. • Plumbing • Electrical • Aircon installation & repairs • Curtain, blind, picture, mirror, shelf & picture hanging • Ceiling fan & light installation • Kitchen & bathroom renovation • Assembly of Ikea products • House painting Contact Frank on 9141 5706, housedoc999express@gmail.com
THE PLACE WHERE THE PETS GO - PETCODB
Grooming & Pet Care Services. Trust us to provide loving & safe care for the ones you love! Contact 2914 0382, info@petcodb.com. Visit www.petcodb.com
DOG SERVICES
Home boarding, behaviour modification, Tui Na Massage & grooming. Reliable & honest. 100% safety record over the past 11 years. Contact Dave Chan on 9872 5439, www.quoquoclub.com
RETAIL ABBELIO WINES
Great value! High scoring! Wines from around the world! Free delivery & special offer for Discovery Bay residents. For details, visit http://abw.hk/db, or call 3170 8458
Bookkeeping & accounting services. (Manual/ Quickbooks/ Xero/ Kashoo.) Specialising in personal & small businesses. Contact 2987 2146 / 9444 0405, jrh4966@netvigator.com
SONTHRA TAILORING SERVICES
Tailoring for ladies & children. (Shirts, pyjamas. Shalwar Kameez, baby dresses.) Individual designs, copies, alterations & modifications. Bespoke drapery, upholstery, bed & table linens. High quality, excellent service, competitive pricing, satisfaction guaranteed. Contact 9637 1620, sonthrafarnaz@gmail.com
Looking for a place to stay? www.arounddb.com
EXPERT MOVER
• Mover • Storage • Handyman Competitive rates. Professional quality service. Contact 2566 4799, sales@expertmover.hk. Visit www.expertmover.hk
Looking for a business? www.arounddb.com
Our Customers of the Month In Memory of
Sniff
Mypetshop in the North Plaza. Shop G09-92 Siena Ave. DB North Plaza Tel: 2987 8873 Open Daily 10am – 7:30pm
December 2015
67
View local business directories @ www.arounddb.com
Greenland Pest Control Tailored Pest Control Solutions for Rodent, Cockroaches, Fleas, Mosquitoes, Termites, Ants, Ticks etc‌ For info please call Thomas 9871 0771 or May 9774 3554 Email: greenlandpest@outlook.com
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December 2015
Alcoholics Anonymous If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, we can help. No dues or fees. 24 hour hotline: 9073 6922 Lantau hotline: 5668 2667 www.aa-hk.org
View local business directories @ www.arounddb.com TRAVEL
hkmatchmaking
BLACKOUT BOXING Formerly Boxfit
concoRdE TRAVEL
Leisure Travel & Cruise specialists since 1978. Call 2526 3391, or visit www.concorde-travel.com. Licence No 350343
Play Matchmaker For Your Friends. Help refer female matches for an eligible, attractive male candidate living in Hong Kong. Generous compensation per introduction. Our candidate is an American in his late 30s, Harvard grad, 1.78m athletic, good-looking, highly successful real estate developer. Have photos, you may interview him or meet in-person first.
TUITIon & coURSES Sunday 2pm at Movement Improvement. Learn precise boxing techniques to strengthen and condition your body.
LEARn SPAnISH
Native speaker, DELE examiner. Experienced teacher. IB, IGCSE, A-Levels & HKDSE Business Spanish & courses for adults. Flexible schedule & locations. (Special offers to students who live in DB & Tung Chung.) For enquiries please contact Mr Erik R at 9666 9511, rerikm@hotmail.com
Call: 6926 2168 or 6338 0283 for bookings. Email: Errofit168@yahoo.com
for more information, contact
hkmatchmaking@gmail.com
cHInESE (MAndARIn & cAnTonESE), MATHEMATIcS & EnGLISH
Personal Professional Tutoring Service. • Curriculum: HSK, IB, GCSE, SAT • ESF & all international schools, Year 1 to 13 • For students & adults (homework/ exams/ business) • Mother-tongue Chinese tutors from the PRC (Levels: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced) • Mathematics tutors (UK B SC) • Native English tutors. (MA in Education, specialising in Early Childhood Stage) Contact 9107 5655, graciasx@hotmail.com
MAndARIn cHInESE cLASSRooM
In the Greens. Lessons for adults & children, individually & in small groups. Any level/ time/ purpose. Call 6071 9643, or visit www.dbmandarin.com
FULLY QUALIFIEd ScIEncE TEAcHER
With Honours Bachelors Degree. Offering tutoring for KS3 & IGCSE Science (all disciplines) & IB/A’ Levels Physics. Contact 6079 2052, mr.m.walker@yahoo.com.uk
•Counselling for individuals, couples, families & adolescents • Sliding fee scale; affordable options for all clients • English, Putonghua, Cantonese, Russian, Hindi, Marathi and Marwadi speaking counsellors
www.resourcecounselling.org Serving the community over 40 years A Member Agency of the Community Chest
MUSIc TUToR
Experienced international school teacher, UK conservatoire trained with 17 years successful teaching experience & excellent exam result record. Available to tutor in international exam boards, ABRSM Music Theory & Cello, plus GCSE/IB/AL Music Tuition. For rates, contact 6076 6740, or debsinhk@hotmail.com
December 2015
69
Find short-term rentals @ www.arounddb.com LANTAU PROPERTY
BRIGHT LUXURIOUS 2-BED
LANTAU PROPERTY
APARTMENT IN TUNG CHUNG
Fully-furnished sea-view apartment, with fully equipped kitchen, towels & linen, wi-fi & broadband. Very close to DB North Plaza, Club Siena & DB Tunnel. Call 9278 8191, qiushengproperties@gmail.com
Fully furnished, 2- & 3-bed apartments in excellent condition. Short- or long-term leases available, minimum rental period 1 month. Contact Miss Man on 9806 9175/ 9872 7395, tanford787@gmail.com
DELUXE SERVICED APARMENTS
CHERISH COURT
Fully furnished 1-2-bed apartments with beautiful decor, wi-fi & broadband. Well-equipped kitchen, luxurious bedding, weekly cleaning service. Contact Annie on 2987 2626, annie@appletravel.com
Fully furnished, 2-bedroom flat with wi-fi & Now TV. Full sea view & Disneyland-firework view. Photos available. Contact Jacqueline 9811 0718, jacquelinedb@gmail.com
LUXURY APARTMENTS IN SIENA 2 Spacious 600’ apartments for short- or long-term rental. Quiet with sea views over park, near Club Siena & DB Tunnel. Fully furnished with washer/ drier, bedlinen, kitchenware, 55” TVs, wi-fi, blu-ray home theatre. Contact the owner on 9317 0624, nialady2011@gmail.com
COSY NEW 1 BEDROOM Cosy & brand-new 1-bedroom flat with sea view, convenient location, fully furnished with bed linen, kitchenware, washer/ drier & English & Chinese TV channels. Free cleaning once every 3 days upon request. Minimum stay 3 nights. Contact Mary on 9726 6219, marydbay@gmail.com
OVERSEAS PROPERTY MODERN 1-BEDROOM FLAT Spacious open layout on a quiet, high floor. Shower & fully equipped kitchen, washer/ dryer. Wi-fi, English movies & news. Just unpack! Competitively priced. Contact 6680 2007, greenmountain123@gmail.com
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA
FULLY FURNISHED 1-BED
53’ SAILING YACHT, LANGKAWI & THAILAND
Smart apartment on a high floor with sea view. Close to pier & DB Plaza. Available fully furnished. Call Tiareti on 9732 8985
Stunning 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom sailing yacht in a Langkawi marina, for overnight stay or private charter around Langkawi and Southern Thailand. For details, contact 9732 2544, garry@saffron-marina.com
Stunning cliff-top 2-bedroom beach cottage offering uninterrupted 180 degree views of the Pacific Ocean, just a 5-minute walk to Laguna Beach. For more information, contact 9732 2544, garry@saffron-marina.com
LUXURY 2-BED Newly renovated, 2-bed flat with balcony. Luxuriously furnished, with TV, cable & broadband. Panoramic harbour views & short walk to pier. Contact Charles on 6140 7971, charles@headlandhomes.hk. Contact Katie on 9150 7319, katie@headlandhomes.hk
SLEEPS 4 Bright, fully furnished flat, sleeps 4. Fully equipped kitchen, plus wi-fi & broadband. Towels & linens provided. Minimum stay 1 month. Email dbstay4@yahoo.com
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AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY Everything you need to know about buying a property in Australia. Information on property markets, taxation, finance, migration & legal. Free online at www.aussieproperty.com
PHUKET VILLA Deluxe, spacious 4-bedroom villa, with ensuite bathrooms & private pool. Wireless internet access, sala, bar & BBQ area. Fully equipped kitchen with laundry area. Close to Laguna. Contact Roenel on 9050 4772, atsea@netvigator.com
WORSHIP SERVICE Discovery College Sundays @ 10 am
CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP PRACTICAL BIBLE TEACHING KIDS CHuRCH & TEENS
SINCE 1997
OUR SERVICES DOG & CAT GROOMING ( BY APPOINTMENT ) PET FOOD & ACCESSORIES SUPPLIES CAT SITTING SERVICE FREE DAILY DELIVERY
Pastor James Buckner Tel: 2987 7061 www.dbicc.org
Ground floor 11B, Discovery Bay Plaza, Discovery Bay (next to Island Vet) Tel: 2987 0428 / Fax : 2914 1313 / E-mail : petsgallerydb@yahoo.com.hk Open from 9:00 am till 7:30 pm (Mon - Sun)
Add your business for FREE @ www.arounddb.com TUNG CHUNG
SOUTH LANTAU
CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES
FTC Apparel
FOOD, RESTAURANTS & BARS
2428 2566 FOOD, RESTAURANTS & BARS
Airport Izakaya Andante Bistro Delifrance Café Aficionado Chef’s Choice China Coast Bar & Grill Deli Viet Erawan Essence Federal Palace Restaurant Mansarover Indian Cuisine McDonald’s Delivery Moccato Olea Pizza Hut Regala Café & Dessert Bar Rouge Skycity Bistro Spaghetti House Starz Wine Bar Zentro Garden
2286 6668 3602 8828 2109 4187 2286 6238 6504 4208 2286 6898 2109 0036 3760 6633 3602 8808 2626 0181 2109 1927 2338 2338 3602 8838 3602 8818 2330 0000 2286 6618 2286 6868 3969 1888 2109 1297 2109 0612 2802 8000
Bahce - Turkish Restaurant Café Bar Caffe Paradiso (Tom’s Café) China Bear Como Lake Deer Horn Restaurant & Bar High Tide Restaurant La Pizzeria Lantana Italian Bistro Mavericks Restaurant, Pui O Tak Chai Kee Seafood The China Beach Club The Gallery The Kitchen The Stoep
Dalcroze Impact Fitness Jill Marshall Pilates South Lantau Paddle Club Tony’s Salon Treasure Island
6627 4806 6385 0304 9708 0187 9688 9112 2984 0990 2546 3543 HOME & REPAIRS
3147 4088 2185 6550 2109 9396 2109 2288 2988 1534 2328 7282 3575 8370 2403 6613 2403 6623 2261 2626
HOME & REPAIRS
Akash Removals Mega Power Engineering/Locksmiths Shun Yu Engineering
2421 8088 2109 2330 2988 1488 HOTELS
Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel Novotel Citygate Hong Kong Regal Airport Hotel
3969 1888 3602 8888 2286 8888
LEARNING CENTRES
Clement Art School Discovery Mind International Play Centre Greenfield International Kindergarten Kidznjoy Sakura Kids Salala Kids House Soundwaves English Education Centre Sun Island Education Foundation Sunshine House International Preschool The Story Studio Tung Chung Catholic School (Yat Tung) YMCA of Hong Kong Christian College
9021 1502 2987 8070 2162 5538 6273 7347 6674 6194 2611 9193 9045 2914 2420 1068 2109 3873 6341 3989 2109 4962 2988 8123
SOCIAL, SPORTS & EQUIPMENT
9 Dragons Fitness Asia Pacific Soccer Schools Caribbean Coast Club House Coastal Skyline Club House Dance for Joy Edge’n Pointe Dance Centre Jumping Castles Perun Fitness Seaview Crescent Club House Smash Cricket Tung Chung Crescent Club House
2786 9699 2385 9677 2109 9277 2179 6678 9264 8597 6688 2167 9662 1747 6443 6597 3473 8700 5400 4109 2403 6770
UTILITY, SERVICES & EMERGENCY HOTLINES
Tung Chung Ambulance Depot Tung Chung Fire Station Tung Chung Police Station
2984 0222 2984 0498 2984 9720 2984 0009 3484 3095 2980 3002 2984 8933 5465 5511 5662 8552 2984 1265 2983 8931 2980 2582 5991 6292 2980 2699
HEALTH & WELLBEING
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Asian Hairdressers Bayside Dental Essential Health Family Clinic Human Health Medical Centre Tung Chung Animal Clinic Tung Chung Vet Centre Tung Chung Maternal & Child Health Centre Quality Health Dental Quality Health Medical Raffles Medical
LANTAU NUMBERS
2988 8282 2988 8733 3661 1694
Findley Leung Group Koon Wah Hardware Lee Wo Construction Engineering Man Shun Construction & Engineering New Look Design Unitek
2984 8334 2984 8487 2984 1802 2984 9833 9783 5840 9156 0360 HOTELS
Mui Wo Inn Silvermine Beach Resort Tai O Heritage Hotel
2984 7225 6810 0111 2985 8383 LEARNING CENTRES
DEI Kindergarten Lantau International Kindergarten Lantau International School Lao Shi Lantau Mandarin lessons Little Lantau Montessori Kindergarten Mui Wo Owls School & Kindergarten The Story Studio
2109 9886 2984 0302 2980 3676 5197 4647 3689 6709 2984 0006 6341 3989
PROPERTY AGENCIES
Findley Leung Real Estate Home Solutions Real Estate Proper Trip Real Estate
2984 8334 3483 5003 2984 1666 RETAIL
Bikes Mui Wo BMX Shop Friendly Bike Shop Lantau Base Camp Quay House Red Hall Chinese Antiques The Red Lantern ZenvarA
2134 1234 2984 2278 5463 6060 2882 8710 2988 1368 2984 0099 9586 3459 SERVICES & OTHERS
Jumping Castles SPCA Phoenix Wills Suzanne Goodwin Photography Thai Palin Massage Twig (Design Studio)
6108 3400 2984 0060 6108 8471 9025 3949 3114 0030 6351 8923 TRANSPORTATION
Lee Hing Loong Hon Kee Transportation Company Lantau Tours New Lantau Bus Company
2984 2268 2984 8494 2984 8255 2984 9848
Add your business for FREE @ www.arounddb.com
DB NUMBERS
LEARNING CENTRES
COMMUNITY & HEALTH Bayside Dental Practice, North Plaza Beautiful Gate BMSE, North Plaza Catholic Church (Trinity Chapel) DB Alliance Church Community Centre DB International Community Church Discovery Bay Medical Centre Health & Care Dental Clinic Herbal Health Cares IMI (Natural Medicine Clinic), North Plaza Island Health Island Veterinary Services The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints The Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council, North Plaza
2987 0855 2323 0738 2259 3422 2987 9909 2987 8136 2987 7061 2987 5633 2666 6183 2834 7276 2537 1087 2987 7575 2987 9003 9879 0469 2259 3422
Little Explorers A drop-off playgroup for ages 18 months upward. Your child will have heaps of fun and make lots of new friends. 9327 0507
Playtime Kids DB
2812 2660 3480 1348 2987 8460 2987 2098
DAILY NECESSITIES 7-Eleven Convenience Store Fusion by PARKnSHOP Just Green Watson’s Pharmacy Wellcome, North Plaza
2987 4401 2987 7486 2448 1180 2987 4089 2947 9092
FINANCIAL SERVICES HSBC Luen Fat Securities Co. Ltd
2233 3000 2987 1851
2987 1313 2987 4488 2987 5087 2987 7803 2987 1041 2987 0222 2987 0222 2987 7082 2987 0789 2886 8555 2987 0789 2987 9268 2987 4428
LEARNING CENTRES
Musical Drama – Acting – Musical Theatre Tues & Wed classes at Discovery College 4 to 12 yrs - 2 fully costumed performances a year 8122 9475 admin@actingantics.com www.actingantics.com
Brightsparks Playgroup Fun, safe and interactive environment for your children. 9632 4287
Future Stars Dance Academy
Dance classes based on the ISTD requirements conducted in a fun, disciplined and safe environment. 2987 6867 melissa@futurestarsdanceacademy.com
Island Dance A dance school offering ISTD Freestyle, Hip Hop & Tap & RAD Ballet classes from Monday to Saturday at DBRC & Club Siena. All ages welcome. 2987 1571 www.islanddance.com.hk
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December 2015
2987 1373 2987 8494 2914 2378 3105 3588 2987 7111 2987 8898 2987 1777
OTHER SERVICES
The Best Travel Agency in DB 2987 2626 cas@appletravel.com
Harvey Law Group Previously Midget Gems Kids Club 6341 5764, www.positivestepsplaygroup.com positivestepsplaygroup@gmail.com
Tree of Joy A playgroup offering a variety of fun classes to children from 14months to 3years+ under a nurturing and enriching environment. 9787 2755, info@treeofjoydb.com www.treeofjoydb.com
HOME Good Luck Engineering Hoi Yu Transportation Hung Kee Co Interior 18 Japan Home Centre May’s furniture & curtain design Next Furniture Rapee-living Rich Point Hardware Materials Tactful Design & Build Tai Fat Hardware Store Wing On Department Store Yours Electrical Centre
Bookazine, North Plaza Dymocks & Gallery Fotomax (F.E.) Ltd Fun to Read, North Plaza Movieland Pen’n Paper P-Solution
Apple Travel Playgroup run by Montessori-trained teacher. From 6 months to 4 years. 2623 4099; 9054 0565 playtimekidsdb@yahoo.com, www.playtimekidsdb.com
CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES BtoKidz, North Plaza Little Whale, North Plaza Nomadic Start-rite
MULTIMEDIA
Let us take the stress out of homework Homework Club and Private Tutoring, conveniently located. 9522 3297 info@wiseowl.com.hk www.wiseowl.com.hk
Woodentots is a Montessori playgroup providing a caring and nurturing environment in the Plaza. Run by a qualified Montessori teacher for children aged 2 1/2 - 5 years. 6108 9131 woodentotsdb@gmail.com Art is a Verb, North Plaza Bayview House of Children DB International School (Kindergarten) DB International School (Pri / Sec) Discovery College Discovery Mind International Play Centre Discovery Mind Kindergarten Discovery Mind Primary School, North Plaza Discovery Montessori School, North Plaza DMR School of Ballet Early Adventures Playgroup Eye Level Centre Funfit HK International Learning Academy, North Plaza Kumon, North Plaza L’Ecole Française de Discovery, North Plaza Links Parenting, North Plaza Little Explorers English For Kids Mandarin for Munchkins, North Plaza SKH Wei Lun Primary School Sunshine House Int’l Pre-School Sunshine House Kindergarten, North Plaza Treasure House
2682 8099 6114 2436 2914 2142 2987 7331 3969 1000 2987 8028 2987 8088 2914 2202 2987 1201 2987 4338 2987 9644 9366 0000 6302 6327 2416 3088 2459 8808 8191 0813 6114 2436 9327 0507 2480 3909 2987 8608 2987 8143 2987 8143 2987 4217
Around DB’s January 2016 issue is coming out
January 1
International Canadian Law Firm in DB North Plaza offering you customised legal services on the many aspects of your personal and professional life 2116 1333 www.harveylawcorporation.com
PetcoDB Grooming & Pet Services With Trust, Love & Safe Care For the ones you love 2914 0382 info@petcoDB.com www.petcoDB.com Amity Shoes Care Gillian florist, North Plaza Mypetshop, North Plaza Pets Gallery The Optical House Well Supreme Laundry Services
5369 2329 2529 8256 2987 8873 2987 0428 2987 1368 2987 5151
PROPERTY LISTINGS & BOATS
AQUABLU
Boat/ Yacht Sales & Brokerage - Berths/ Debentures - Marine Insurance - Marine Problems/ Resolution 6017 7802 Oceanblu@netvigator.com
Lifestyle Homes & Boats 2914 0888 info@lifestylehomes.com.hk www.lifestylehomes.com.hk Centaline Property Agency EPS Property Consultants Headland Homes Hong Kong Boats & Homes Kingsland DB Land Master Property Okay.com Savills Hong Kong
2987 8484 2987 2023 2987 2088 6055 0146 2987 2987 2987 6238 2102 0888 2987 1919
FOOD & BEVERAGE, HOTELS
% Arabica Coffee Roaster & Farm DB North Plaza 2885 1312 info@arabica.hk www.arabica.hk 22º North Auberge Discovery Bay (Hotel), North Plaza Berliner
2987 2298 2295 8288 2987 8203
Add your business for FREE @ www.arounddb.com FOOD & BEVERAGE, HOTELS Café Duvet Caramba Mexican Cantina Chef’s Choice, North Plaza Ebeneezer’s Figos Seaside Café First Korean Restaurant Fresh Fruit Juice Paradise Hemingway’s by the Bay il Bel Paese Island Café Jaspa’s, North Plaza Kiraku Tei Koh Tomyums La Création Bakery Life Café McSorley’s Ale House Mirch Masala, North Plaza Nevale Kitchen, North Plaza Pacific Coffee Paisano’s, North Plaza Peony Chinese Restaurant Salt & Pepper Solera Subway Super Super The Venue Brazil Churrascaria & Bar Uncle Russ, DB Plaza Uncle Russ, North Plaza Zaks
SOCIAL, SPORTS & EQUIPMENT
2987 0966 2987 2848 2172 6111 2987 0036 2987 2915 2987 9123 2987 4768 2987 8855 2987 0202 2987 9311 2997 8688 2987 2886 2987 0767 2987 1829 2591 1422 2987 8280 2987 1337 2172 7099 2987 1662 2673 4445 2500 1950 2336 8001 2555 0772 2914 0005 2914 1308 2777 8411 2682 0068 2682 8110 2987 6232
Junior Cricket Academy Cricket for 3.5 to 15 year old girls and boys Tel: 9011 1319 www.dbcricketclub.com
Movement Improvement Specialized training in Pilates, Yoga, TRX, Spinning, Circuits and Personal training. The complete solution on your doorstep at DB North Plaza 2987 5852 www.movementimprovement.com.hk
Gymnastics Programs, Health Consultancy, Weight Management & Nutritional Supplements 2870 3524 www.sportsmanship.usana.com
The HIT Room Bodypump, Grit Strength, Boxing, Core, TRX, High Intensity Training. Located at North Plaza 6621 7410 www.thehitroom.com.hk info@thehitroom.com.hk
Tinytots
Bayside Aquatics
A professional sports play program specially designed for children 16 months - 5 years of age. 3488 7724 info@tinytots.com.hk www.tinytots.com.hk
“Everyone is a swimmer” Affordable Swimwear, training equipment & accessories. 9725 3142 www.baysideaquatics.hk
Vikings Football Club Professional Soccer Coaching From ages 18 months to 8 years Tel: 9533 2600 vikingshk@outlook.com www.vikings.hk
CAISSA Chess Club HK The Club gets together at the DB North Plaza Community Center 9681 2896 contact@caissahk.com www.caissahk.com
DARUMA SPORTS Offering Judo classes for adults & children at Discovery College & Community Hall 6244 6093 darumasports@gmail.com
Club Siena DBees Ice Hockey DB Pirates Ltd. Discovery Bay Marina Club Discovery Bay Golf Club Discovery Bay Recreation Club GigaSports
2987 7382 6473 4277 2517 8248 2987 9591 2987 7273 2987 7381 2320 1238
TOYS & KIDS’ PARTIES
Discovery Bay Cricket Club An internationally acclaimed club which provides a structure under which players, regardless of age or ability, can thrive. Tel: 9011 1319 www.dbcricketclub.com
Babyland Bo Bo House Discoveryland Toysland
2997 8080 2987 4230 2441 0098 2987 7859
TRANSPORT SERVICES
Embody Classical Pilates, Yoga and more! 6624 8712 susan@embody.hk www.embody.hk
HK Dragons Football Club Football for 2.5- to 14- year old girls and boys 2987 4274 www.dragons.hk
Limousine Rental
Limo service in HK & China • pick up from / to DB Tunnel • direct transfer to SZ / GZ Airport 5303 3489 / 9654 0899 limo9689@gmail.com ACCESSDB Rehabus DB Golf Cart Services DB Transit Services DB Transportation Services Hire Car Bookings Passenger Telephone Hotline Wiselink Golf Cart Services
UTILITIES, SERVICES & EMERGENCY HOTLINES 24-hour Customer Service Hotline China Light & Power Emergency China Light & Power Information Line Discovery Bay Commercial Services Discovery Bay Fire & Ambulance Discovery Bay Management Discovery Bay Medical Services Discovery Bay Office Centre Discovery Bay Police Discovery Bay Post Office Gas Leakage Emergency Hotline Lantau North Report Room San Hing Gas Co Typhoon Signal Enquiries Water Fault Reports Water Supplies Department
3651 2345 2728 8333 2678 2678 2987 4242 2987 7502 2238 3601 2525 6798 2238 3388 2987 4052 2987 6046 2435 4511 2988 2369 2987 6738 2835 1473 2811 0788 2824 5000
WELLBEING
Sportsmanship
SOCIAL, SPORTS & EQUIPMENT
DB NUMBERS
6283 9270 2914 2727 2914 0186 2987 7351 2987 6348 2987 0208 2987 9368
Child & Family Development Practice Developing potential, exploring possibilities 2914 2223 www.childdevelopment.com.hk info@childdevelopement.com.hk
My Health Coach Lulu Improve your life balance through health and self awareness. I am able to offer a bespoke program just for you. 9154 1570 lulu@myhealthcoachlulu.com www.myhealthcoachlulu.com
M Spa Provides door-to-door treatment service. Conveniently located in the Plaza. Reflexology, massage, pedicure/manicure. 2987 0614
Nailed It Professional artificial nail services in DB 2987 2266
MOW | Grooming & Skin Care A unique retail & treatment space at DBN, that caters to your grooming, skin care & therapeutic requirements 2499 8826 / 6773 3103 www.mowhk.com mowhk@mowhk.com Afflatus Hair Workshop, North Plaza Body Talk Maximum Care Salon De Coiffure Sense of Touch Spa Siena Strand and Science HairSPA, North Plaza
2987 0283 6683 5755 2987 2060 2987 4112 2987 9198 2987 7382 2886 3820
View the business directory
@ www.arounddb.com December 2015
75
OUT THERE
A CHRISTMAS GREETING Hong Kong’s chief executive CY Leung returns our resident satirist, Peter Sherwood’s seasonal good wishes from a year ago
M
erry Christmas, my friend! How are you doing over there in Disposable Bay? I certainly enjoyed my visit with you last year. It was intriguing to see how people live in the Outward Bound Islands which are, after all, an important part of Hong Kong.
Photo courtesy of www.wikimedia.org
I have it on good authority from the government cartographer that without Lantern Island our wonderful territory would comprise only 262 islands, not 263. So it is more important than it looks, even with all those wasteful trees and things. Lantana offers great potential for job creation, and I’m sure you’re all excited by our plans for new housing, more malls and, of course, the MTR link.
76
You will appreciate that it has been hectic here at headquarters – dealing with the aftermath of the street protests and all the ‘WhatsApp with you!?’ messages from those in high places up north. My nerves are shot. Were it not for the few billion I’ve managed to squirrel away over the years, I’d be a likely case for the government psychiatrist – or a few months all expenses paid on the Côte d’Azur (if you know what I mean).
Highpoints of 2015 This year, of course, I was reported as saying that if we met the Occupy Central protesters’ demands, it would result in the city’s poorer people dominating the election. But I was taken out of context. In no way did I echo a well-connected Beijing adviser, who stated that if we veered from our path of crony capitalism, at which we are world leaders, the city would stop working. You’re in the media, Peter. Tell me, where do they get this stuff? I’m on a knife edge trying to balance tedious tea and dim sum with good friends, the so-called business elite, with a need for progress and transparency. Good grief, do they think I’m just some sort of infallible conduit to even greater riches and power? I know you sympathise, Peter. I cannot leave our big property developers out in the cold. I mean who would build those tens of thousands of 137
But the fatuous media types simply cannot let it go. They’re still rambling on about my daughter being some sort of latter day Imelda Marcos, cashing in on the taxpayers’ dollar, which is grossly unfair. And just last month, she was framed by some photographers in Lan Kwai Fong, who pictured her slapping her mother – twice. In fact, as both parties have assured me, it was only the once. Speaking of my good lady wife, she would like to thank you for your kind invitation to your island to watch the fireworks for free. I don’t know if Disney has authorised you locals to see this evening spectacular for nothing, but should any problems arise, just mention my name. Best wishes, CY
Peter Sherwood has lived in DB for 16 years. The former head of an international public relations firm, Peter is the author of 15 books and he has written around 400 satirical columns for the South China Morning Post.
Find more from Peter December 2015
square-foot apartments that I have planned for the hardworking people of Hong Kong?
@ www.arounddb.com