JULY 2020

Paddle for a cause with Tim Tait and Jonny Haines School’s out again –

are the kids alright?

Frozen cocktails

for hot summer nights DB businesswomen discuss

the benefits of going digital

NEWS & EVENTS * PRIZES * COMMUNITY SNAPS * CLASSIFIEDS Join your community online at www.arounddb.com

J U LY 2 0 2 0

A BIG SCHOOL EXPERIENCE IN A SMALL SCHOOL SETTING

Open for Enrolment HKILA is a private school situated on the waterfront at Discovery Bay North Plaza. Following the UK National Curriculum, HKILA offers education provision for students between 5 and 16 years of age.

Our small class sizes and high teacher:student ratio, allow for a highly personalized and individual curriculum for all students.

HKILA tuition fees are all-inclusive.

Contact us for more information @

T +852 2416 3198 W www.studyhkila.com E hkila@studyhkila.edu.hk

CONTENTS

Join your community online

JULY 2020

PROFILE - 22 Meet Jonny Haines and Tim Tait of Lantau Island Paddle

IN FOCUS - 26 DB businesswomen discuss the benefits of going digital

EDUCATION - 36 School’s out again – this time for summer – how are students faring?

ESCAPES - 40 Armchair travel: Lhasa and beyond

RECIPES - 44 Frozen cocktails to break the ice

26 REGULARS

If you have a story idea, email rachel@baymedia.com.hk To publicise a local event, email elizabeth@baymedia.com.hk For general enquiries, email info@baymedia.com.hk

AGENDA

33

Q&A Relationship advice

08

DB EVENTS

49

WISH LIST July must-haves

20

GIVEAWAYS

52

DB FACES In and around the plaza

53

CLASSIFIEDS

60

OUT THERE Peter Sherwood talks back

57

LOCAL NUMBERS

ON THE COVER

Tim Tait and Jonny Haines reveal the Lantau Island Paddle Community Adventure Series

We also publish…

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YOUR GUIDE TO HONG KONG’S ‘GREEN JEWEL’

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RU

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IN G

Paddle for a cause with Tim Tait and Jonny Haines School’s out again –

are the kids alright?

Frozen cocktails

To read the cover story turn to page 22

2019 / 2020

for hot summer nights DB businesswomen discuss

the benefits of going digital

NEWS & EVENTS * PRIZES * COMMUNITY SNAPS * CLASSIFIEDS Join your community online at www.arounddb.com

Photo by Baljit Gidwani www.evoqueportraits.com

FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF

J U LY 2 0 2 0 FOOD & DRINK • LIVING • PETS • SPORTS • PASTIMES • EDUCATION • HEALTH • BEAUTY • SERVICES • TRAVEL & EXCURSIONS • COMMUNITY

www.arounddb.com Publishers in Lantau since 2002

PUBLISHER Philip Jay MANAGING EDITOR Rachel Ainsley rachel@baymedia.com.hk PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Elizabeth Jerabek elizabeth@baymedia.com.hk DIGITAL MANAGER Jan Yumul jan@baymedia.com.hk ART DIRECTION Terry Chow terry@baymedia.com.hk GRAPHIC DESIGNER Duey Tam duey@baymedia.com.hk OPERATIONS MANAGER Amber Kahu amber@baymedia.com.hk PHOTOGRAPHERS Baljit Gidwani www.evoqueportraits.com Col Sim www.colsimphotography.com CONTRIBUTORS Jason Broderick Aude Garderet Elizabeth Kerr Peter Sherwood Bruce Taylor Dorothy Veitch PRINTING Champion Design & Production Co. Ltd Flat C & D 9/F Sing Teck Factory Bldg 44 Wong Chuk Hang Rd Hong Kong BAY MEDIA LTD 12D Elegance Court Hillgrove Village Discovery Bay Lantau Island Hong Kong 2987 0577 Advertising enquiries: info@baymedia.com.hk

DISCLAIMER The views expressed in AroundDB 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.

© BAY MEDIA GROUP LTD

www.colsimphotography.com

BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS

Residents have been busy burning off months of cabin fever (and virus weight) on the roads, trails and beaches of Discovery Bay.

THE HOTTEST

s t n e v e y t i n u rece nt c om m IN DISCOVERY BAY

BOOKS, MAGIC AND MEDITATION

HK Yoga hosted a children’s book exchange on June 4 and June 6, as well as a free magic-and-meditation workshop on June 6 led by Myriam Bartu and her 11-year-old son Leo Bartu-Hong.

www.colsimphotography.com

www.arounddb.com July 2020

9

DB EVENTS

DB DADS ON PARADE

In honour of Father’s Day on June 21, we asked Baljit Gidwani to photograph the dads of DB out and about with their kids.

www.evoqueportraits.com

10

July 2020 www.arounddb.com

Baking Science Summer Camp 2020 Junior Bakers Age 5 - 11 July 20 - 31 Camp: 2 hours per day Learn about science through baking and fun science experiments.

Bake and decorate cupcakes, cookies, cake pops, breads and other savoury treats. Taught by qualified primary/secondary teacher (B.Ed./B.Sc./CELTYL) and cake designer.

Location: Auberge Discovery Bay 88 Sienna Avenue DB Lantau

Contact Ms. Hong flourhk@hotmail.com www.facebook.com/flourhk

DB KITCHEN BAKING COMPETITION VOTE FOR THE FINALISTS!

DB’s best bakers have been busy in the kitchen whipping up their entries for the DB Kitchen Baking Competition!

There are four finalists in the Open category and eight finalists in the Under 10 category.

Check out their mouth-watering photos and videos on the Around DB Facebook page, and vote for your favourite in each category from July 8-15.

Prizes include up to HK$10,000 worth of kitchen utensils and appliances from Le Creuset, Bruno and more!

Visit t Aroun he Facebo d DB from J ok page uly 8-1 5 to vot e!

FINALISTS IN THE OPEN CATEGORY

Elizabeth Giannetta Coconut Cream Pie

Isabel Lamprecht Easy No Knead No Machine Bread

Rachael Mellado Toilet Paper Cake

Hanna Swedenklef Mask On Cake

FINALISTS IN THE UNDER 10 CATEGORY

Kaashvi Aggarwal

Amaira Bali and Zahrah Hasan

Mariana Gonzalez

Francesco Passarello

Daphne and Eloise Mack

Isabel Potter and Evelyn Wright

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Brownies

Chocolate Cupcakes

Teddy Bear Cookies

Ella Ryder

Rainforest Cookies

Love.Together@DB is a community-caring platform initiated by Hong Kong Resort Company dedicated to serving the Discovery Bay community. The platform has been supporting and coorganising diversified corporate social responsibility initiatives with NGOs, community leaders and volunteers to promote the loving and caring culture in the sustainable and multicultural DB community.

Aleksa Straub Chocolate Cake

Honey Cookies

Watermelon Cake

The first-prize winners and first and second runners-up in the Open and Under 10 categories will be announced on the Around DB Facebook page on July 17. First-prize winners’ recipes and photos will be published in the August issue of Around DB.

L A I T N E S S E E H T O TUPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

YOUR GUIDE

DB EVENTS

BOLLYWOOD DANCE CLASSES From July 1

SCULPTURAL FURNITURE SHOW

ART AND PILATES RETREAT July 11-12

July 4 to August 2

Photo courtesy of David Frieman

HK Bollywood Divas dance classes, held in DB Plaza by Sunita Nebel, are open to all ages and abilities and no previous dance experience is required.

Adult classes are held on Wednesdays at 6.30pm, classes for children aged seven to nine years on Thursdays at 5.30pm, classes for children aged 10 to 12 years on Thursdays at 6.30pm, and teen classes on Fridays at 6.30pm. To get your groove on, call 6142 1076.

BADMINTON CLASSES From July 1

www.eleanormccoll.com

www.jeeumgallery.com

A Pursuit of Place exhibits sculptural furniture by design art duo Batten and Kamp, alongside works by Son Il and Beak Jin Ki. The pieces on show, at Gallery Jeeum in DB North Plaza, explore notions of permanence, place and connection. For a preview, visit www.jeeumgallery.com and www.instagram.com/jeeumgallery.

DB resident Eleanor McColl is running an art and Pilates retreat at the Ovolo Southside hotel in Aberdeen from July 11 to 12. The retreat, available for HK$3,900 for a shared room or HK$4,300 for your own room, includes three art sessions taught by Eleanor and three Pilates sessions taught by Ruth Hogg. The package also includes all meals and complimentary drinks.

For more information and to book, visit www.eleanormccoll.com.

GILLIAN BICKLEY SEMINAR July 18

FIRST RESPONSE TRAINING From July 11

Photo courtesy of Gillian Bickley

www.tungchungbadminton.com

Tung Chung Sports Badminton Union hosts badminton classes – groups or one-to-one sessions – at clubhouses throughout Tung Chung, and at the Tung Chung Man Tung Road Sports Centre.

Beginner classes for kids aged five to 14 years old are held on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with adult (beginner and intermediate) classes on Sundays. For more information, visit www.tungchungbadminton.com.

14

www.t8-firstresponse.com

The ability to render first aid or to perform CPR is a skill that can help you save a life. Would you know what to do in an emergency? Check out the community courses being held in DB by T8 First Response. To find out more, and express your interest, visit www.t8-firstresponse.com.

July 2020 www.arounddb.com

DB resident Gillian Bickley, co-director of the independent publishing house Proverse Hong Kong, is giving a talk at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai as part of this year’s Hong Kong Book Fair.

Gillian’s seminar focuses on Journeys with a Mission: Travel Journals of The Right Revd George Smith (1815-1871) first Bishop of Victoria (Hong Kong) (1849-1865) which she compiled and edited in 2018, and Over the Years, a collection of her poems (1972 to 2015).

For more information about the seminar, and the book fair, running from July 15 to 21, visit hkbookfair.hktdc.com.

COMPETITIONS DB KITCHEN BAKING COMPETITION

EARTH GUARDIAN DRAWING CONTEST

ppd.hk www.stock.adobe.com

DB’s best bakers have been busy in the kitchen whipping up their entries for the DB Kitchen Baking Competition.

Turn to page 12 to see photos of the finalists in the Open and Under 10 categories. Prize-winners in each category will be chosen through a community online vote on the Around DB Facebook page from July 8 to15. The first-prize winners in each category will have their recipes and photos published in the August issue of Around DB. Prizes include up to HK$10,000 worth of kitchen utensils or appliances from Le Creuset, Bruno and more!

Plastic Free Seas and Alliance Française de Hong Kong, in partnership with Pure Performance Distribution and Noerden, are hosting the Earth Guardian Drawing Contest for kids and teens, aged four to 18 years. The registration deadline is August 1, and the deadline for entries is August 24. Plastic Free Seas will give a talk about plastic pollution and what kids can do to help the planet at the drawing workshops being hosted by Alliance Francaise de Hong Kong on August 1 and 15, and also at the prize presentation on September 12. For more information, and to register, visit ppd.hk/pages/earth-guardian-2020.

CONGRATULATIONS STÉPHANIE STIERNON AND ASSIA BENNANI

BRING YOUR DRINK CARTONS, COFFEE CUPS/ LIDS AND POLYFOAM

(food containers, packaging and fruit nets) for recycling at the waterfront side of Hemingway’s on July 19 from 9am to 11am. Visit the DB Green Facebook page to see how to prepare the materials for recycling.

www.assiabennani.com

IWI or the Promise of Life is the brainchild of DB residents Stéphanie Stiernon and Assia Bennani. The bilingual storybook, written by Stéphanie (in English and French), and illustrated by Assia, is about a boy, named Iwi, and the traditions in his tribe, in which every child’s life begins with a song. “We’re both French-speaking expat mums, and we created IWI to offer a bridge to our kids – and others like them – between their mother tongue and their country tongue,” Stéphanie says. To pick up a copy, at HK$195, visit www.assiabennani.com and use the promotion code FREERIDE for free shipping to DB.

HAVE YOUR PRELOVED ITEMS COLLECTED from your home and rehomed to charities and individuals in need. WhatsApp Nikki of DB Mothers and Friends at 9677 6676.

HELP YOUR HELPER! Enrich HK workshops equip helpers with the tools to save, budget and plan for a future with greater financial security. Visit www.enrichhk.org.

www.arounddb.com July 2020

15

DB EVENTS

ENROL NOW!

NEW IN DB

BADMINTON COMPETITION

LINGOSTARS

FOR A GOOD CAUSE COOKIE SMILES FOR LUKE

www.lingostarshk.com www.colsimphotography.com

Register for this year’s DB Badminton Competition by August 7. There are six divisions – men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles, men’s singles, women’s singles and children’s singles (for kids aged 10 to 15 years old). Each applicant can enrol in a maximum of two divisions. The event is being held on August 22 at the DB North Community Hall. To register, visit www.amyung.org.hk.

AUDITION NOW! ARTS IN THE PARK

Established by DB resident Erin Lee, Lingostars, now open in DB North Plaza, offers Mandarin and Korean education for both adults and children (Year 1 through Year 13). Championing fun and interactive language learning, Lingostars holds weekly afterschool Mandarin classes, and a series of Mandarin and Korean summer programmes.

For more information and opening promotions, visit www.lingostarshk.com.

DB MINIBREAK AUBERGE DISCOVERY BAY

www.hkyaf.com

On July 11, dancers, aged 10 to 25 years, can audition at the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation studio in Quarry Bay to perform at the Standard Chartered Arts in the Park youth arts festival.

The annually anticipated event is being held from November 7 to 8 at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. To find out more and register for an audition, visit www.hkyaf.com/AIPauditions.

16

cookiesmiles.com.hk

Cookie Smiles, the online fundraiser platform based around selling cookies, is baking 500 bags of Pink Confetti Snaps cookies to raise funds for the Love 4 Luke campaign. Twelve-year-old DB resident Luke Inkin was diagnosed with relapsed leukaemia last year and is currently on his second phase of chemo. Cookie Smiles aims to sell the cookies at HK$200 per bag to help Luke’s family with ongoing expenses. For more information, visit cookiesmiles.com.hk.

DISCOVERY BAY GUIDING

www.aubergediscoverybay.com

Treat yourself, and a loved one, to a luxury staycation at the Auberge Discovery Bay this month.

Priced from HK$1,788, the Spa Pampering Package includes one-night stay in a mountain-view room and a breakfast buffet for two. The hotel is also throwing in a 60-minute aromatherapy massage at Spa Botanica for yourself or your guest. To find out more and make a booking, call 2295 8288.

July 2020 www.arounddb.com

www.db-brownies.com

Discovery Bay Guiding is looking for one woman to join its all-volunteer leadership team and help guide its third DB Brownie pack, set to launch after the summer holiday. Brownies – girls aged seven to 10 years old – meet on Saturday mornings during (standard) term-time at Discovery Bay International School. To get involved, email contact@db-brownies.com, or visit www.db-brownies.com.

SUCCESS STORY

DB

Entrepreneur of the month MARC GUYON

Photo by Baljit Gidwani - www.evoqueportraits.com

M

y business is the DB martial-arts club, MGK Fight Club. Our private classes and high-level open training sessions cater to members of all ages, backgrounds and levels (from beginner to professional fighter). More than a school or academy, MGK is a family; a real club where each of us helps others to grow. We focus on mixed martial arts, which I’ve been studying since I was 15 years old. Myself and many of the other MGK coaches are professional MMA fighters, and our programmes cover all aspects of martial arts from combat sports to self-defence, while also focusing on health and lifestyle. By booking private sessions, club members get a personalised training plan adapted to their schedule and objectives, and an instructor fully focused on their specific needs.

MGK is a success because it has been continuously growing and positively changing people’s lives for over six years. As a former whitecollar worker, I understand that people want to perform at their peak in everything they do. I’m on a mission to prove that everyone can be a high-level athlete, even the busy office worker. The thing that interests me the most about my business is helping people win… in training, in competition and in life. Aside from the martial-arts training, my areas of expertise include life coaching and team building.

I like to help people develop their mental strength, self-confidence, and ability to work hard and under pressure. Providing classes for kids also interests me, seeing them grow as martial artists becomes a passion.

Children develop key skills such as coordination, balance, concentration, discipline, how to respect others, and how to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

My advice for anyone looking to start up a business is to know what you’re doing, formulate a solid plan, and take that first step forward.

Don’t be afraid to take risks. In setting up MGK, I listened to my intuition and gave up financial stability and security to look for fulfilment. As a breadwinner, I found the initial uncertainty of outcome a challenge. But the risk paid off.

To succeed in business, you need to be hard working, pragmatic and visionary. My greatest achievement is deciding to dedicate myself full time to my passion for martial arts. When hiring staff, I always ask why they believe they can make their passion their full-time job. My plan for the future is to grow MGK. I want to continue to train my staff to the highest skill-level possible, and develop the quality and quantity of our services. We are also about to make the leap to a bigger and better space in DB Plaza.

Residents who are interested in helping us achieve this can contribute to the project, and become founding members. The entrepreneur I most admire is Walt Disney. Like he said, “Dream, Believe, Dare, Do! All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

My personal motto is work hard, stay dedicated and remain loyal.

FIND IT • MGK Fight Club, 9303 2996, marcguyonkungfu@gmail.com, www.marcguyon.hk

www.arounddb.com July 2020

19

GIVEAWAYS

HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN PRIZES! Around DB prizes are incredibly easy to get your hands on, and you have until the 10th of the month to apply. Scan the QR code, or go to www.arounddb.com/giveaways, select the giveaway you want, and enter your details into the online form

WIN A PLACE ON A MANDARIN FOR MUNCHKINS CAMP Mandarin for Munchkins is offering one child, aged three to eight years old, a place on a Mandarin for Munchkins Camp, running through August 14 in DB. The pass (worth HK$1,500) is valid for three half-day sessions.

www.mandarinformunchkins.com

Mandarin for Munchkins Camps comprise intensive weekly language learning programmes for kids aged three to 13 years old. There are both half- and full-day camps available, with the full-day boot camps reserved for nine- to 13-year-olds. Kids learn through activities like STEM, theatre, playing games and making arts and crafts – exclusively in Mandarin. For more information and to book, call 2486 9012, email learn@yifanmandarin.com, or visit www.mandarinformunchkins.com.

WIN A WEEKEND PASS TO ROTTEN HEAD FESTIVAL Rotten Head Festival is offering two readers each a full weekend pass (worth HK$480) to the long-awaited event, running September 18 to 20.

Organised by Tung Chung residents Alan Chung and Andrew Spires, the inaugural Rotten Head Festival is being held over the weekend of September 18 at AIA Vitality Park at the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, Central Harbourfont. Festivalgoers can expect 20+ live music acts, artisanal craft beer from five Hong Kong breweries and a HandMade Hong Kong market. Grab your tickets, starting at HK$280, at www.rottenheadfest.com.

www.rottenheadfest.com

WIN A HK$1,000 EAT THE KIWI VOUCHER Online grocer Eat The Kiwi, now delivering to DB, is offering two readers each a HK$1,000 voucher to be used on their next order.

Eat The Kiwi specialises in bringing high-quality New Zealand produce to Hong Kong and works directly with New Zealand farmers and producers. The team delivers to DB on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12pm and 6pm (order by 10am, Monday/ Wednesday). Delivery is free for orders over HK$1,000, and costs HK$120 for orders under HK$1,000. For more information and to place your order, visit store.eatthekiwi.com.

store.eatthekiwi.com

Congratulations to last month’s winners Megan Nisbet, Josh Ball and Kristine Howse for three 350g bags each of Shun Granola

20

July 2020 www.arounddb.com

Bollywood Dance Class Get moving to the latest Bollywood music!

DISCOVERY BAY PLAZA

Adults - Wed 6:30pm Children 7-9 - Thurs 5:30pm Children 10-12 - Thurs 6:30pm Teens - Fri 6:30pm

Sunita 61421076 HK Bollywood Divas

School’s out, summer’s in, let the fun and dance begin

Summer Programme

30th June to 8th August 2020

Shop 112 DB Plaza, Discovery Bay

2987 4338

info@dmr-hk.com | www.dmr-hk.com

PROFILE

WATER BOYS

Photos by Baljit Gidwani - www.evoqueportraits.com

Jonny Haines and Tim Tait sit down with Elizabeth Kerr to discuss Lantau Island Paddle’s latest adventure (and reveal that everyone can join in)

22

Tim Tait and Jonny Haines

July 2020 www.arounddb.com

S

ummer is exerting itself.

The heat and humidity are rising and the waters around Lantau are beginning to beckon. Discovery Bay’s own Lantau Island Paddle founders, Jonny Haines and Tim Tait, are relaxing on the terrace of Hemingway’s after a hard day paddleboarding. Their muscles have been barrelling towards atrophy of late, and they admit to feeling exhausted. Recalling the long months of lockdown, they joke about their virus weight (join the club) and the inevitability of staycations for 2020.

After months of helping students with their online learning, Jonny and Tim (both teachers) headed back to school at the end of May, only to break for the summer holidays a month later. “Lockdown was a test of resilience for parents and teachers but particularly for the students,” opens Jonny, in between sips from a frosty pint. He’s proud of the strength of character everyone’s shown, and admits that the tech innovations hoisted upon us have been eye-opening. “However, from a wellbeing point-of-view, there is no substitute for the school environment and the value of social interaction,” he says. “It’s been good to have the students back.”

were in the news in February 2018.

Back then, they were drumming up support for the inaugural Lantau Island Paddle, which saw them paddleboard 75 kilometres around the island across five consecutive days. Their mission was to raise funds for Plastic Free Seas and environmental action in general, and they beat their target raking in an impressive HK$125,000.

Two years ago, 36-year-old Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) teacher Jonny wasn’t a father – which he is now, to twoyear old Jacob – and 39-yearold Tim wasn’t commuting to the

Community Adventure Series features 22 different routes open to all types of watercraft (including paddleboards, kayaks, small boats and swimmers).

“We are not instructors but we are happy to lead the tours,” Tim explains. “We’ve split the 22 routes into 10 ‘virtual challenges’ that people can take part in. The distances that we cover will equate to iconic water-based distances in the real world, such as crossing Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong (1 kilometre) or the Cook Straight in New Zealand (22 kilometres).

The idea for the Community Adventure Series was born in late April from a casual gettogether among some fellow paddleboard enthusiasts, keen to take advantage of the warmer weather and loosened social distancing restrictions. “We decided to get the team back together – the band,” Jonny explains.

“We pinged some other keen paddlers and all of a sudden we had seven interested [in a continuous paddle around the bays, beaches and islands of Discovery Bay and Mui Wo]. Just like that we ended up in the water for nine hours.”

chance to get a lot “We’veof apeople out on

the water, and we’d be crazy not to take advantage of that. If people use an environment, they then care more for it

Tim, Jonny’s partner in paddling, agrees but admits, “I struggled.

Now I go to Kowloon Tong for work but the majority of it is as director of sport activities. I’d plan things and they would get cancelled, and it got to a point where I stopped planning. Being back at school was still a bit odd. You don’t realise how much you communicate with your face.” Surgical masks do get in the way of that.

Regardless, the duo is in high spirits, much like the last time they

”

Australian International School Hong Kong, though he’s holding steady with three kids between three and 12. Needless to say, protests, pandemics, children – life – curtailed their paddleboarding, but now they’re raring to go again, having dreamt up the Lantau Island Paddle Community Adventure Series (lantaupaddle.wixsite.com/ lantaupaddle.)

Sharing the love Starting July 1, Jonny and Tim are intent on getting water enthusiasts (of all ages and abilities) onto the water, free of charge, to have fun and connect with the environment.

Launching from three of DB’s beaches, across the six weeks of summer, the Lantau Island Paddle

The paddleboarders set off from Tai Pak Wan on May 2 in perfect conditions but beyond the shelter of Hei Ling Chau, they were hit by severe winds. Tim recalls cramping up half way through, sure he was done, but ultimately of course, there was no way he was going to retire and let Jonny get one up on him. Despite the heat and the skill range, the seven-strong band finished the gruelling 35 kilometres – a virtual English Channel paddle – eager for more.

“We sat there shellshocked thinking how the seven of us had just had an amazing time, an amazing  experience, and we thought about

www.arounddb.com July 2020

23

PROFILE

what an opportunity that might be for spreading awareness again,” Jonny says. “I said to Tim, ‘What can we do next?’ Lantau Island Paddle still has legs; people are still talking about it. More and more paddleboarders are getting into it.”

Tim and Jonny’s mission with the resulting Community Adventure Series is twofold. First, they are dedicated to sharing their love of watersports. Second, they’re continuing their commitment to environmental awareness. Tim notes, “People have heard the environmental message but they want to experience it too… It’s amazing what you see when you’re on the water. There’s plenty of opportunity to explore and hopefully to appreciate the environment.

Anyone can give money but it’s not changing anything. The idea is that you take action. There’s no entry fee or anything, but we hope new paddlers will find something they want to do – small or big – for the environment.”

Jonny and Tim couldn’t have got the Community Adventure Series off the ground without help from old supporters and community partners, like Plastic Free Seas and Gary Stokes at Hemingway’s – who stops by to boast about the success of his vegan menu.

They also owe a debt of gratitude to the ‘English Channel’ paddlers: Discovery College teacher Lawrence Wilkinson, soon-tobe Malvern instructor Charlie Ko and her husband Bryan, paddle “legend” Ron Schwartz, and DBIS deputy Ben “Captain Honey Badger” Loran.

Inspiring change COVID-19 is without a doubt an unmitigated public health crisis but its side effects include cleaner air that’s a result of fewer planes in the

Lantau Island Paddlers: Ben Loran, Charlie Ko, Tim Tait, Jonny Haines, Kirsten Brownlie and Lawrence Wilkinson

skies. Sadly, another side effect is the garbage that protection (disposable surgical masks) from the virus creates and the uptick in toxic chemistry to keep it at bay. As Tim sees it, we’re all just going to have to double down on the good behaviours and habits that were making inroads in Hong Kong pre-COVID. Getting people on the water where our bad habits show most glaringly should help.

“You can’t take your own coffee mug to shops anymore. The masks washing up on shore are noticeable because they weren’t there before.

There’s more takeaway packaging.

It’s frustrating but I think it’s a good time for people who are aware of this to make a point of making sure they go back to those habits,” Tim says. “Besides, I kind of wish there were more people sitting in coffee shops, because that’s what coffee shops were about.”

Another COVID side effect is simply the reach it’s affording: it’s rare to see so many residents in DB over the summer ready to take advantage of the environment they often cite as a reason for living here. Hence the Community Adventure Series. “We’ve a

chance to get a lot of people out on the water, and we’d be crazy not to take advantage of that. If people use an environment, they then care more for it,” says Jonny.

“If we get twice as many people on the water and twice as many people seeing the damage, there’s no better way to raise awareness and inspire change. A visual picture, like when you see plastic bags in the water that fish have bitten into, has an impact,” states Tim, recalling the 2015 footage, in which marine biologist Christine Figgener filmed her team removing a plastic straw stuck in a sea turtle’s nose.

Jonny is unperturbed by the Community Adventure Series coinciding with prime typhoon season. “Absolutely! That’s where the adrenaline is!” he jokes, before trying to persuade this writer to get out on the water. Unfortunately, I have no sense of balance. But Jonny laughs this off with a robust, “Neither did we, at least until we got out there.” There’s a pause from the other side of the table as Tim puts his pint down. “I still don’t.” Looks like it may be a fun summer after all.

Find more local heroes @ www.arounddb.com

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July 2020 www.arounddb.com

Asian Express DB’s premier mover

trust US to take you home!

2893 1000

aemovers.com.hk

IN FOCUS

Surfing the tides

Photos by Baljit Gidwani - www.evoqueportraits.com, & courtesy of www.redvelvetdesigns.net

Three DB creatives share the ins and outs of taking their businesses online, and reveal how well that’s served them in recent months. Jan Yumul reports

26

Eleanor McColl

T

he virus has ravaged businesses worldwide, but the positive impact it’s had on the e-commerce sector is undeniable. The general consensus is that if you’re not selling or showcasing your wares online, you’re going to be left behind in the ‘new normal.’

Talking to three DB creatives – photographer, Martina Stevens; home decor provider, Kavita Mathur and artist, Eleanor McColl – it’s easy to see that going digital is the way of the future, and that every successful business now needs at least one e-string to its bow. The women discuss the very different uses to which they put their websites, how they created them, and how having an established online presence has put them ahead of the curve during the pandemic.

The photographer Martina Stevens has been showcasing her photography at

Martina Stevens Photography (www. martinastevensphotography.com) for a steady two years now. The one-and-a-half year DB resident specialises in new-born and family portraits, primarily shot outdoors in natural light.

A former model – she spent over two decades posing for the camera – Martina says she has found her happy place, behind it. The Czech’s foray into the modelling industry began at the tender age of 15 and, with so many professional photoshoots under her belt, she describes the switch to being shooter as a natural one.

Martina attributes the organic growth of her business to word of mouth (largely provided by “DB’s amazing expat community”), in tandem with her burgeoning online presence. It was after doing a few shoots that she started to think of putting up her own website and and getting her name out there.

July 2020 www.arounddb.com

“I believe that having a website, where you display your services is a must for any entrepreneur,” Martina says. “A website is like your extended business card – it should reflect what you do and how you do it, very clearly. I use Facebook and Instagram a lot as business tools and I do find them very useful for what I do, not only in promoting my business and my work but also as a way for me to get inspired.

Facebook is a great tool in terms of promoting any business, especially in today’s world of social media but, in my opinion, what you really need is a professional website.”

Martina’s website serves as a showcase for her work and a gateway for people to get in touch with her. “I wanted a very simple and

Martina Stevens

The home-decor provider

Kavita Mathur

clean website that would represent my organic style of photography and offer potential clients an easy way to navigate and enjoy my photographs,” she says. “I had a clear vision of what I wanted and, when I decided to work with a designer, it was really about finetuning it. I approached Bay Media Design – Duey Tam’s expertise helped me achieve exactly what I wanted.”

Unlike other businesses that have scaled back – or worse, shut – this year, Martina says she received a lot of bookings amid the social distancing measures. She believes the stay-at-home setup has made many families realise the beauty of quality time – and seek her help in preserving those precious memories.

In describing Red Velvet Designs (w w w.redvelvetdesigns.net), six-year DB resident Kavita Mathur says simply, “It’s a product of my love for all things beautiful.” A selfprofessed “house-proud person,” Kavita saw a huge potential for the home products market when she first moved to Hong Kong, as “everything seemed overpriced and inconvenient to shop.” Fast forward to the present, and her online collection encompasses both bespoke and off-the-shelf products produced in Vietnam, India and China.

“The potential for an online business is immense, keeping in view the increasing overheads, especially rental, in running a traditional storebased business,” Kavita says.

Initially Red Velvet was exclusively Facebook-based, and the business thrived up to a point. “Facebook is an amazing platform for small

businesses to connect with their diverse and dispersed customer base, and it helps increase visibility and marketability,” Kavita says. “It’s still my go-to marketing tool but by 2019 I was ready to set up a website, so I could grow from being a localised business to a regional one, tapping into the larger South East Asian market.”

Asked what a website gives her that Facebook doesn’t, Kavita says, “Ninety-three percent of purchase decisions start with a web search engine. A website instantly tells your customers you are ‘for real,’ and you come across more professional. It’s all about shopping with ease; having an online e-commerce website is the most important part of any online/ digital brand in today’s times.

“I would say a website’s most useful feature is definitely its ‘no human interference’ approach to the retail industry,” Kavita adds.  “On Facebook, it’s about one-to-

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IN FOCUS

one selling – I still do that but it’s very personalised and it takes a lot of work.”

Kavita describes setting up her website as a labour of love. “I spent nights writing the content myself because I know my product better than anyone, and I did all my photoshoots myself,” she says.

“It was delightful to select layouts and create an online vision of what I wanted my customers to experience when they entered the Red Velvet store. I was also able to include a blog, in which I provide expert advice on everything from getting the most out of candles to carpet placement.”

Kavita found herself stuck in India (at her family home) during lockdown, and she admits that she’s struggled with the logistics of that. “I was not physically present to send out shipments and do the necessary quality checks, and I suffered some losses due to negligence,” she says. “Added to which, I’ve had to put my new collection on hold. But I have very reliable and cooperative suppliers and excellent warehousing facilities… My learning from this experience has been that I can work from anywhere, and now with positivity.

“My business took a hit at the beginning of 2020, which completely threw me off. But March came, and along with Spring, the business began to bloom,” Kavita concludes. “When people are not comfortable to venture out to shop, finding good products online is convenient for them.”

The artist A prominent multi-disciplinary artist showing at major exhibitions like Art Central and the Affordable Art Fair, Eleanor McColl doesn’t rely

on her website to generate sales.

“If somebody bumped into me and said, ‘Oh you’re an artist, can I see your work?’ And I said, ‘Sure, here’s my website…’ Maybe they’d look, maybe they wouldn’t,” she opens.

“Generally, people don’t buy a huge painting in oil on a website.

They want to go to the artist’s studio or they want to go to a gallery and see it.”

Nevertheless, Eleanor McColl Art (www. eleanormccoll.com) is anything but a blank canvas.

Eleanor’s original artwork (paintings, mixed media and photomontage) isn’t the only thing on offer. The art educator and mother of three also uses the site to promote her art retreats, and the art courses she provides (for kids and adults) at her DB studio. And fans of her work have the opportunity to shop her wide range of prints and art gifts online.

“I’ve had many different websites over the years,” the 11-year DB resident says with a slightly rueful laugh. “Honestly, I feel like I’ve changed it every two years – it always needs improving and updating. I used to have it designed by someone else but, when all the amazing new software came out, I started doing it myself.”

Interestingly, it’s only in the last year, since Eleanor started selling her products online, that she says her website has really begun to work for her. These days, in order to justify the cost of an online shop, she actively invests the time to

drive traffic to her site. “There’s no point in having a website if you’re just going to sit there,” she says.

“It’s been a real learning curve but I’ve finally got my head around the selling side of it.”

Being an artist in residence at schools across Hong Kong is another major part of Eleanor’s business and, during lockdown, with schools temporarily shut, she took the opportunity to move some of her classes online.

“Teaching online, you have to be extra energetic… And with the kids, there’s nothing coming back. They kind of sit there, you know, just waiting to be told what to do,” she says with a laugh. “It was exhausting, I have to say. But it was brilliant. I’ve had amazing feedback and I’ve enjoyed teaching technical skills online.”

The experience has in fact encouraged Eleanor to expand the digital side of her business. “I’ll do an online painting course and an online mixed-media course, for sure,” she says. “And I’ll teach the whole online thing... how to bring your business online.

“Lockdown has shown me that if we ever leave Hong Kong, I’ll still be able to reach people,” Eleanor concludes. “In my business, I work with people in real-life situations always, but I know now that I can definitely run a business online from anywhere in the world. I think that’s been a really good lesson.”

FIND IT • Eleanor McColl Art, www.eleanormccoll.com • Martina Stevens Photography, www.martinastevensphotography.com • Red Velvet Designs, www.redvelvetdesigns.net

Find more topical local topics @ www.arounddb.com

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July 2020 www.arounddb.com

Tung Chung Sports Badminton Union

Whatsapp Email Website

+852 5703 2947

tungchungbadminton@gmail.com www.tungchungbadminton.com

Tung Chung Sports Badminton Union provides badminton training program with focuses of techniques and movement. Classes for kids and adults oer beginners or intermediate level. Private class is also available.

All classes happening at stadium and club house in Tung Chung.

Kids Summer Courses through out July and August

Wednesday & Friday 10am - 11:30am 6 Lessons

Tuesday & Thursday

3pm - 4:30pm 6 Lessons

3pm - 4:30pm 6 Lessons

Starting from: 7 July or 4 August

Starting from: 8 July or 5 August

REGULAR KIDS BEGINNERS CLASSES

Every Wednesday 5pm - 7pm (age 5-14)

Every Sunday

Every Saturday

3pm - 5pm (age 5-9)

6pm - 8pm (age 9-14)

5pm - 7pm (age 5-14)

REGULAR ADULT BADMINTON GAMES

Every Monday & Wednesday

Every Sunday

Evening Casual games and meeting friends

5pm - 7pm Beginner & Intermediate level

Drop-in classes $150 per child Studio in DB Plaza

45 minute sessions

MULTI SENSORY MOVEMENT for babies and toddlers DiddyDumplingDancers

Need professional assistance with your designs and graphics? From logos, leaflets and company brochures, to book publishing and website creation...

We can help all businesses.

For further enquiries on details of our packages, please contact Philip Jay, our Managing Director, at philip@baymedia.com.hk.

www.baymediastudio.com

6851 1955

Q&A

DEAR AUDE AND BRUCE Can you help? Coming home to my family is the most demoralising part of my day!

I’m loving being back in the office again but when I get home, I feel like I could do a cartwheel through the house naked and no one would notice. Why do I feel so invisible? UNSEEN DB DAD

Photo by Baljit Gidwani - www.evoqueportraits.com

AUDE: Dear reader, we’ve heard this so many times from fathers here in Discovery Bay but have never had it expressed with such humour.

Good for you! Well, here’s how I assume your standard working day goes: You wake up early, perhaps rarely having the opportunity even to have breakfast with your family.

Whether or not you like to squeeze in an early morning workout session, there is very little time to connect with everyone before you leave for work. A late ferry sees you back home at or after dinnertime, by which time you find that your family has already started to wind down for the day, meaning they are in a different energetic space to you. It’s hard to find common ground. By the time you start to relax, the kids are already in bed, and the cycle repeats itself the following day.

BRUCE: Living in Hong Kong, with such demanding jobs and constraints on our time, it is all too easy to run ourselves too thin.

Here in DB you can see this every night actually, with so many people returning home at 8pm, or later. Like Aude says, when you rush off the ferry after a hard day, desperate to snatch some precious time with your family, you will be in a very different headspace to them.

AUDE: Here’s my advice, when

you get home, don’t wait for your family to notice you, greet them all with a hug and a cuddle.

BRUCE: Some days this will be

easier than others, but every time you achieve it, you’ll be changing things up and finding a way back into the circle of the family. The bond in the household has been developing each evening during your absence. And as Aude says, a cuddle can be a perfect way

for you not only to get into that space but also to start winding down yourself.

AUDE: Once you’re home, make

an effort to catch the family’s slow and relaxed energy and let yourself unwind at your own pace.

By grabbing the attention of your loved ones, you are bringing your presence back into the family unit and this will make it that much easier for you to release and relax.

It will also begin to break the cycle



Aude Garderet and Bruce Taylor of A and B Therapy

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Q&A

that has developed in which you feel no one ‘sees’ you when you come home from work.

BRUCE: In the evenings, the window of time you have with your family is very small and this can also be a very busy part of the day (there’s dinner, homework to help with, stories to hear). But still, it’s a wonderful opportunity for you all to be together. So, what more advice can we give to help you and your family make the most of your being at home?

AUDE: Send a text or make a quick phone call earlier in the day to let your family know when you are coming home. This is even more critical if your work schedule is variable and you could return at any time. Doing this will be an immense help for your family as they will know when to expect you and they will be able to look forward to it.

BRUCE: Yes indeed, and it’s already helping you to establish your presence with the family. You are expected back home now and they are looking forward to having you back, as opposed to you just showing up unannounced.

Incidentally, you can also put this in place in the morning, before you leave for work. When you wake, try to spend time with your family – to talk and connect with your wife and kids. Make sure your kids know exactly where you go to work, show them photos of your office, explain how you go about your day and, importantly, let them know what time you will return.

AUDE: Here’s another tip: On your way back home, try to carve

out a bit of space for yourself. This could simply mean you take your time walking from the bus or ferry, but I suggest you try out some mindfulness techniques as well.

Mindfulness will help you leave work behind and free up some

Mindfulness will help you leave work behind and free up some space within yourself.

Remember this is all about presence, if you are fully present in yourself then you will be fully recognised and not made to feel invisible space within yourself. Remember this is all about presence, if you are fully present in yourself then you will be fully recognised and not made to feel invisible.

The ferry ride to Central, for instance, gives you 25 minutes each way in which you can make a conscious effort to

BRUCE:

relax. Mindfulness and meditation aren’t complicated; you simply close your eyes and slow your breathing. Your mind will race and you’ll jump from thought to thought, but this is normal and you’ll find that with practice you can train your mind to quiet down. (There are some great apps that you can download to help with this, like Headspace, Calm and Petit BamBou.) Of course, many people use the commute to answer emails and tie up loose ends from the work day, but what if you could dedicate this time to yourself instead?

By doing so, you’d be able to arrive home relaxed and calm, with your day firmly behind you. Be present within yourself and you’ll find you can be present for your loved ones too.

Imagine for a moment that you use those 25 minutes to calm your mind, get into a positive headspace and reconnect with yourself. By taking the time to breath and feel whole again, you’ll be better able to transition from your workday to the evening with your family. Perhaps your feeling of being invisible is actually just a lack of presence for yourself first? Afterall, to be present for others, you first must be fully present in yourself.

AUDE:

Aude Garderet is a Practitioner of Psychotherapy and Bruce Taylor is a Reiki Master Healer, both are DB residents. You can contact them at A and B Therapy, aandbtherapy@gmail.com, www.aandbtherapy.com.

For more on Aude, visit www.brieftherapyhk.com; for more on Bruce, visit www.rootsoflife.org.

Find more from Aude and Bruce @ www.arounddb.com

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July 2020 www.arounddb.com

SUMMER ACTIVITIES GUIDE FOR LANTAU KIDS DANCE

ECO-ADVENTURE

DANCE

DMR SCHOOL OF BALLET

ISLAND DANCE

ARK EDEN

DMR School of Ballet’s summer programmes have been running in DB since 1984 and are designed to suit children’s every artistic need. The classes, on offer through August 8, range from Contemporary Ballet to Tap and Modern, and are available for children aged three to 18 years old. DMR’s choreography camps sell out particularly fast due to their creative and actionpacked content.

Island Dance is running weekly Dance Intensives in DB through July 31 for dancers aged eight to 10 years, and 11 to 13 years. Dancers learn technique, stage performance and overall conditioning from Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, there are Jazz, Hip Hop and Contemporary Open Workshops for dancers aged 10 years and up, with new choreography taught each week.

Ark Eden’s multi-day Summer Forest Camps bring out the adventurous, curious and compassionate side of children, aged five to 11 years. Running through August 21 in the Mui Wo hills, the camps are both fun and educational with different eco-minded activities, like treehouse building, campfire cooking and swimming in waterfalls on offer each day.

www.dmr-hk.com

Tel: 2987 4338 Email: info@dmr-hk.com

FOOTBALL

www.arkedenonlantau.org

www.islanddance.com.hk

Tel: 2988 5355 Email: info@arkedenonlantau.org

Tel: 2987 1571 Email: info@islanddance.com.hk

MANDARIN

YI

FAN munchkins

OUTDOOR

TREASURE ISLAND

TEKKERZ®

MANDARIN FOR MUNCHKINS

Led by UEFA B Licensed coach, Barry Brown, Tekkerz® football camps for boys and girls are running through July 31 in DB. Kids can sign up on a daily or weekly basis to focus on technical and ball mastery skills through high-intensity drills and small-sided games. Tekkerz® uses a ‘maximum touch’ approach, with players on average touching the ball over 1,000 times per 1.5-hour session.

The Mandarin for Munchkins Camp comprises intensive five-day language learning programmes for kids aged three to 13 years old. Running through August 14 in DB, there are both half- and full-day courses available, with the full-day boot camps reserved for nine to 13-year olds.

Kids learn through activities like singing, playing games and making arts and crafts – exclusively in Mandarin.

Treasure Island is providing its awardwinning Surf and Adventure Camps in Pui O through August 14, for surfers of all levels aged five to 16 years. The weeklong day camps are divided into three age groups (Grommets, Intermediates and Young Adventurers), and kids are given the opportunity to learn water skills, ocean safety and environmental awareness, as well as surfing.

Email: train@tekkerzfootball.com Facebook: Progressive Sports Asia

Tel: 2486 9012 Email: learn@yifanmandarin.com

Tel: 5236 7016 Email: inquiries@treasureislandhk.com

www.prosportsasia.com/tekkerz-football

www.mandarinformunchkins.com

www.treasureislandhk.com

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EDUCATION

School’s out (again)

Photos courtesy of stockadobe.com

Schoolchildren across Hong Kong broke up for the summer holidays at the end of June, having only been back in class a month.

How are they dealing with all the disruption?

Jason Broderick reveals that for the most part at least, they’re taking everything in their stride

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July 2020 www.arounddb.com

A

fter nearly five months of lessons in pyjamas and lonely lunch breaks, schoolchildren across Hong Kong headed back to school at the end of May, squirting litres of hand sanitiser and ready to put carefully developed hygiene plans to the test. Here in Discovery Bay, seeing children and teenagers filling the footpaths again as they made their way to and from school was a welcome sight, suggesting to observers that a change was in the air.

campuses, where teachers are still awaiting government approval of commencement of classes.

To accommodate government requirements, all students went through a body temperature screening upon entering school, lining up 2 metres from one another and donning their masks.

It must have felt more like walking into a hospital than a school but the children’s sense of humour

The question is how did the students deal with the realities of school post-lockdown and, just as importantly, how did they feel about schools closing again, for the summer holidays, a month later.

The number of students waiting to be allowed to return to school got fewer day by day. Some schools had staggered starts with 60% of primary and secondary classes resuming during the first week, the remaining 40% joining the week later; other schools adopted a different approach having students come in on a rota system. The exception has been the Early Years

Another girl said how wonderful it was to be with classmates again, even though she sometimes felt like she was “in detention” due to the positioning of the desks (2 metres apart) and always having to “face forward.”

Older students, in Years 11 and 13, expressed concerns about their grades. There was acute anxiety from some, who worried they would get lower grades than anticipated because all their hard work over the past two years would not be revealed through end-of-year exams.

Other students were delighted, however, relieved to be avoiding the very real anxiety that the milestone examinations bring.

On again off again On the first day back at school after lockdown, May 20, it’s my belief that it was the parents who were the most jittery. They were nervous that their kids might not be able to comply with the necessary health regulations, and there was also a high level of nervous excitement in the air – in anticipation, perhaps, of the return to some semblance of normality (some muchanticipated freedom). Either way, teaching staff throughout Hong Kong were prepared and under strict instruction to keep social distancing in place, and alleviate parents’ concerns.

back at school,” while admitting to nervousness about social distancing, particularly on the bus.

She said her fellow students were displaying a range of reactions: “You don’t know where people are at, and how people feel, some just want to give you a big hug and others are a bit hesitant.”

Kids are looking forward to a summer of fun!

gradually returned, and staff were assured that all the special measures were worth it, just to be back in class.

For most students the new normal of mask-wearing and constant hand sanitation was preferable to being home alone and distance learning. They openly discussed how being off school had initially seemed like an ideal situation but how boredom and loneliness had soon set in. They’d quickly realised, whether consciously or not, that school is integral to their wellbeing.

One student spoke of how she was “insanely excited to be

Older students were also concerned about a second outbreak of the virus occurring on their return to school. However, as one boy put it, “There has to be a return at some point and we are all Zoomed out!”

Talking of Zoom, the enforced reliance on technology that lockdown afforded has provided much food thought within the education sector. Zoom and Google meetings allowed students to stay connected to their friends, peers and staff; they could log on and stay for the whole lesson, or get on with an activity whilst checking back in periodically.

Social classrooms were also set  up, just so students could chill with

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EDUCATION

their friends and feel part of their social circle.

There’s no denying that most students missed the direct interaction of the regular school day, but there were undeniable positives. Kids started to see that although they were apart, they could stay connected.

Overall, I think once reality kicked in, along with the realisation that everyone on the planet was in the same boat, students’ anxiety lessened.

They found solace in the fact that the situation was – and to a large extent still is – beyond their control.

School’s out for summer No sooner, of course, were students back at school, than it was time for many of them to take their summer vacation. Not surprisingly perhaps, most were looking forward to the prospect.

One student put it very succinctly: “Of course, we’re excited about the holidays! It will mean time away from screens, and time out of both real and virtual classrooms.”

The kids will be stuck in Hong Kong over the summer, and many of them they will miss catching up with friends and families overseas, but overall, they’re simply ready to have some time out to relax and have fun. With so many of the social distancing restrictions lifted, this now seems like a very real prospect.

Concerned that grade points have dropped over recent months, more parents than usual seem to be considering enrolling their kids in academic-based summer camps. While some students may require extra tuition, my advice

would be not to overburden them with such classes.

Allow them, instead, a summer of fun – they are fortunate in Hong Kong to have more freedom than their peers in many countries overseas.

Focus conversations on the future and how well you see your children doing

When it comes down to it, I’ve noted that as with most challenging situations, students seem to be taking all the disruption caused

by COVID-19 in their stride. Sure, there are a number of children who are having difficulties but a lot of this is caused by wider external factors – global worries as a result of the pandemic and worries about the future of Hong Kong.

Over the summer, parents will be well advised to give kids the space to share any fears they may

have. Children need to know that it’s natural to feel worried at this time. They also need to be wellinformed. Fact-based information is likely to be more reassuring than anything they hear from their friends or on social media.

So, focus your conversations on what is improving in the world and how well you see your children doing in the future – in August, when they are (hopefully) back in school again for the long haul.

Jason Broderick is a counselling psychologist and Head of Wellbeing at Discovery Bay International School (www.dbis.edu.hk). To follow him on Instagram, head to @wellbeingcoach101.

Find more on education @ www.arounddb.com

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July 2020 www.arounddb.com

A BIG SCHOOL EXPERIENCE IN A SMALL SCHOOL SETTING

Open for Enrolment - TailorED@HKILA @HKILA we have always championed inclusive education. We firmly believe that every child has the right to an education and a first day at school. After a successful decade in operation, we are delighted that we are now able to offer more children the opportunity to have their ‘first day at school’.

On August 17th we will be opening TailorED@HKILA. TailorED is a private school offering specialist education provision on the waterfront in Discovery Bay. Following the UK National curriculum, TailorED offers timetabled supplementary speech and occupational therapies. Students will also be able to immerse themselves in our Snoezelen Room, a multi-sensory environment combining lighting effects, aromas, colours, textures and sounds to aid stimulation of the olfactory, auditory and gustatory systems.

Contact us for more information @

T +852 2416 3198 W www.studyhkila.com E hkila@studyhkila.edu.hk

ESCAPES

ROOF OF THE WORLD

Photos courtesy of unsplash.com & stockadobe.com

Determined to discover an otherworldly, high-altitude land, packed with palaces, temples, monasteries and mountains, Dorothy Ainsley takes a virtual trip to Tibet

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July 2020 www.arounddb.com

H

ow good it must feel to stand on the roof of the world, 4,500 metres above sea level, and surrounded by imposing mountain ranges that harbour the world’s two highest summits, Mount Everest and K2. With its breath-taking, high-altitude landscapes, huge salt lakes, magnificent palaces and monasteries, and inspiring spiritual and cultural life, Tibet has to be one of the most magical places on my bucket list.

The best time to visit Tibet is from April to June and in the early autumn, when the weather is not too harsh and most areas are accessible. The winter months are inhospitably cold, falling to around minus 9ºC at night, and you’re also well advised to avoid a visit in high summer (July and August), since that’s when Lhasa, particularly, gets inundated with tourists.

If time permits, give yourself a week in Lhasa to acclimatise to the high altitude and see the sights before heading off on a grand overland adventure. Be aware that the Chinese government requires foreign travellers to visit Tibet as part of a pre-arranged tour with a guide, driver and vehicle.

Place of the Gods Grandly enfolded by the Himalayas, Lhasa, literally ‘Place of the Gods,’ stands 3,650 metres above sea level. The Tibetan capital has been the centre of Tibetan Buddhism for over a millennium and the highlights of your stay are, to a greater or lesser degree, going to be of a spiritual nature. Expect an otherworldly mix of chanting monks and prostrating pilgrims, magnificent monasteries and ornate prayer halls.

Your tour begins in Barkhor, the charming, whitewashed old Tibetan quarter. The highways of the modern city threaten to

Gyantse’s 1450s-built fort

On the Barkhor Circuit, Lhasa

Jokhang Temple, Lhasa

Drepung Monastery, Lhasa

overwhelm its winding alleys but for now, at least, Barkhor is still yours to enjoy. The bustling backstreet temples and markets provide you with your first taste of traditional Tibetan life, and you get to join the tide of pilgrims on the Barkhor Circuit, as they make their way around Jokhang Temple, the most sacred in Tibet.

Jokhang Temple was built in 642 by Songsten Gampo, the Tibetan king who is credited with introducing Buddhism to Tibet, and legend has it that pilgrims have been walking the 1-kilometre Barkhor Circuit ever since. Today, locals and foreigners alike crowd into Barkhor to make their way clockwise around the temple, swirling prayer wheels and prostrating themselves in prayer as they go.

Packed with people chanting, ladling yak butter into lamps and spinning prayer wheels, the religious enthusiasm within Jokhang Temple is intense. Pilgrims queue patiently for hours just to touch their foreheads to the image of the Jowo Shakyamuni statue. It’s the single most venerated object in Tibetan Buddhism, said to have been personally blessed by the Buddha.

Right across from Jokhang Temple, the jaw-dropping red-and-white Potala Palace soars 100 metres above Barkhor. Founded in 637, the ‘new’ palace was constructed in 1645 and it’s now a museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Encompassing palaces (containing opulent residential quarters and chapels), as well as the defensive fortifications and

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ESCAPES

glorious gardens, it’s best viewed in sections, ideally over the course of a day.

In the White Palace, you can view the 14th Dalai Lama’s former residential quarters, left just as they were in 1959 when he fled to India during the Tibetan uprising.

The Red Palace is completely devoted to religious study and Buddhist prayer. The interiors are dark and atmospheric – a blur of wafting silk brocades, flickering yak-butter lamps and gleaming golden Buddha statues.

Next up is a visit to at least one of Lhasa’s three great university monasteries – Drepung, Ganden and Sera. The largest, 1416-built Drepung, houses the burial stupas of the second, third and fourth Dalai Lamas (only the Potala Palace has more). Built on the slopes of Mount Gambo Utse, just 5 kilometres out of town, it’s blessed with amazing views across the Lhasa Valley and mighty Nyenchen Tanglha mountain range. Accompanied by your guide, you are free to explore the colleges, residential compounds and chapels – and watch the monks in lively debate.

Mount Everest’s north face

Tibet are likely to be of chance encounters such as these – drinking yak-butter tea with a monk in a remote monastery, sharing a

Nojin Kangtsang, which soars 7,191 metres above sea level.

As

you head further inland towards Nepal, Gyantse, an incredibly appealing and seemingly ‘untouched’ frontier town, 260 kilometres from Lhasa, is a great place to overnight. Situated on the trade route to Bhutan and India, it remains a bustling centre of commerce and pilgrimage. Be sure to explore the 1450s-built fort, which perches high above the settlement on a huge rock spur, and 1497-built Gyantse Kumbum, a 34-metre-high, octagonal stupa – the largest in Tibet.

As the road winds its way round the mountains, you’ll start spotting groups of nomads tying their rainbowhued prayer flags to poles, while silently saying prayers

Goddess Mother of the World Once you’ve acclimatised to the high altitude, it’s time to hire a car (and a driver) and get out of the city. Immediately on leaving Lhasa, as the road winds its way round the mountains, you’ll start spotting groups of nomads tying their rainbow-hued prayer flags to poles, while silently saying prayers.

Be sure to stop and greet them; Tibetans are unfailing friendly.

In fact, your lasting memories of

bottle of Lhasa Beer with a villager in a hilltop teahouse, or picnicking with a herding family on the shores of a far-flung lake.

After crossing the mighty River Brahmaputra, which originates in the Angsi Glacier, on the northern side of the Himalayas, the steep, gradual climb to Kamba-La Pass (elevation 4,700 metres) begins.

Here you get your first sight of breath-taking, fan-shaped Lake Yamdrok. Drive on for an hour or so, and you arrive at Karo-La Pass (elevation 5,010 metres) for more spectacular views of snowcapped mountains, notably the sublime, glacier-dripping Mount

Rounding off your trip in spectacular style, Mount Everest’s North Base Camp lies just 360 kilometres from Gyantse. While two-week trekking routes on the Nepal side offer only fleeting glimpses of the peak, in Tibet you can drive on a paved road right up to unobstructed views of Mount Everest’s incredible north face. Make your way to Rongphu Monastery, the highest monastery in the world at 5,000 metres, and your view of Chomolungma, Goddess Mother of the World, is framed by prayer flags. How good it must feel!

Find more exciting escapes @ www.arounddb.com

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July 2020 www.arounddb.com

RECIPES

Icebreakers!

Easy-breezy frozen cocktails to help you chill out on a hot summer’s day

Orange Cream Floats Serves 8 • 940ml vanilla ice cream • 475ml orange juice, freshly squeezed • 475ml club soda • 235ml vodka

Photos courtesy of stock.adobe.com

Chill eight glasses in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Scoop the ice cream and divide evenly among the chilled glasses. Top with the orange juice, club soda and vodka.

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July 2020 www.arounddb.com

Berry White Pops Makes 7 • 96g sugar • 235ml white wine • 1tbsp Cointreau • 4tsp fresh lemon juice • 130g fresh berries Stir the sugar in 235ml hot water until dissolved. Mix in the wine, Cointreau and lemon juice. Divide the berries (such as blueberries and thinly sliced strawberries) among seven paper cups. Pour the wine mixture into the cups.

Cover the cups with foil, and then insert a craft stick into the centre of each pop. Freeze for at least eight hours or overnight. (For kid-friendly frozen pops, simply replace the wine and Cointreau with berry flavoured yoghurt).

www.arounddb.com July 2020

45

RECIPES

Frozen Margaritas Serves 1 • 50ml tequila • 25ml triple sec or Cointreau • 25ml lime juice • 15ml sugar syrup Put all the ingredients plus a large handful of ice in a blender and blitz until smooth. Tip into a cocktail glass, garnish with a wedge of lime and serve. (When blood oranges are in season – or you can get blood orange juice in a carton – make this with 50ml tequila, 25ml lime juice, 25ml blood orange juice and 15ml sugar syrup. If you like bitter-sweet drinks, add a dash of Campari.)

Find more deliciously simple recipes @ www.arounddb.com

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July 2020 www.arounddb.com

WISH LIST

KITCHEN AIDS

Tools of the trade to take your cooking to the next level

COPPER FONDUE SET, MOMA DESIGN STORE,

HK$1,128 IMPERIA PASTA MAKER MACHINE DAL 1932, PAN-HANDLER,

HK$920

MAGIMIX BLENDER, PAN-HANDLER,

HK$2,795

SQUARE SKILLET GRILL 26CM FLAME, LE CREUSET,

Photos courtesy of Le Creuset, Pan-Handler & PLUG

HK$1,488

MASTERCLASS KITCHEN BLOWTORCH, PAN-HANDLER,

HK$420

ROUND 24CM CASSEROLE, LE CREUSET,

HK$3,088 FIND IT

EXCALIBUR 7.5” MEAT SLICER, PAN-HANDLER,

HK$1,380

• Le Creuset, www.lecreuset.com.hk • MoMa Design Store, www.momastore.hk • Pan-Handler, www.thepanhandler.biz www.arounddb.com July 2020

49

WISH LIST

Art supplies Everything you need to fill in that blank canvas

SENNELIER FRENCH ARTISTS WATERCOLOURS,

ARCHES WATERCOLOUR PAPER, 23 X 31CM,

HK$2,200

HK$215

IG KURETAKE GANSAI TAMBI WATERCOLOURS,

HK$390

UNI-POSCA JAPAN PAINT MARKER PENS,

HK$128

ROYAL TALENS OIL PAINT SET,

Photos courtesy of Artsman

HK$790

50

RAPHAEL LE VOYAGEUR TRAVEL WALLET WITH BRUSHES,

HK$550 FIND IT SENNELIER SHELLAC INKS,

HK$456

July 2020 www.arounddb.com

• Artsman, Flat A, 2/F Kiu Hong Mansion, 3 Tin Lok Lane, Wanchai, artsmanhk@hotmail.com, 2573 8159

WANT TO REACH AN ENGAGED AUDIENCE OF AFFLUENT RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES IN LANTAU? June / July 2019

WIN! A term’s dance classes with Twinkle Dance Company, tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland, a place on a Treasure Island summer camp and an A Tavola dinner voucher

NEW FESTIVAL ALL SET TO BOOST THE LOCAL LIVE MUSIC SCENE

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DRAGON BOATING

HIKING THE LANTAU TRAIL (SECTIONS 7 TO 9)

Love our ocean M E E T E C O M A R I N E AC T I V I S T K E I L E M N G

NEWS & EVENTS * PRIZES * COMMUNITY SNAPS * CLASSIFIEDS * THOUGHTS ON ISLAND LIFE

Publishers in Lantau since 2002

For 17+ years the Bay Media team has been publishing the original community magazine in Discovery Bay. Around DB is the most trusted source of content for DB residents.

From our humble origins we have grown into another two publications, Life on Lantau and Best of Lantau, and a design studio. We have a very active Facebook presence, over 40,000+ visitors to our website every month and provide tailor-made marketing campaigns to reach our unique readership.

We are currently offering special advertising packages (both print and digital) for 2020.

For further enquiries on details of our packages, please contact our publisher, Philip Jay, at philip@baymedia.com.hk.

publishing and design studio

DB FACES

Snaps COMMUNITY

Photos by Baljit Gidwani www.evoqueportraits.com

Find more familiar DB faces @ www.arounddb.com

Win prizes from Uncle Russ Coffee and The Pier Bar!

Congratulations to last month’s winner: Marison Valle (@_talapekz_)

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The best snap wins! Your mission this month is to share your favourite photo of DB on Instagram, hashtag #arounddb. You have until the 10th of the month to enter.

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!

July 2020 www.arounddb.com

CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP PRACTICAL BIBLE TEACHING KIDS CHURCH & TEENS

Church Office: 2987 7061 www.dbicc.org

View local business directories @ www.arounddb.com EMPLOYMENT

HEALTH & WELLBEING

SPORTS

AKASH MOVING & HANDYMAN SERVICES

VR, HYPNOSIS: INDIVIDUAL/ COUPLES THERAPY

PRIVATE MARTIAL ARTS COACHING

• Local packing, moving, storage & handyman services • All kinds of transport services • Inbound shipment clearance • Having stuff delivered from China?

They are not delivering to DB Or Lantau?

Have it sent to the Akash office in Kwai Chung & delivered to your home.

Contact 2421 8088, info@akash.hk, www.akash.hk

HEALTH & WELLBEING FACIAL REFLEX THERAPY IN DB

Try Facial Reflex Therapy for: • Stress management • Normalising menstruation • Sleeping disorders • Skin issues (due to hormonal imbalance, allergies etc) • Depression; ADHD; Bipolar disorder Facial Reflex Therapy is a natural face-lifting beauty regime. It also boosts confidence & learning ability.

Contact Tina at 9855 7086 (WhatsApp)

• Virtual-reality programmes for PTSD, addictions, phobias (fear of flying, public speaking, bridges, enclosed spaces, storms) • Couples’ conflicts • Overeating • Career/ relationship stress • Anger management • Nail biting • Exam jitters • Divorce/ career coaching • Quitting smoking

Well known in the Hong Kong MMA community, Marc Guyon guides you through your journey to become a martial artist. As a former whitecollar-turned-professional fighter, Marc’s understanding of looking for peak performance in all your occupations & activities is like nothing in Hong Kong.

Contact 9303 2996, marcguyonkungfu@gmail.com, www.marcguyon.com

Dr Melanie Bryan, Psy.D. Clinical Psychologist, Hypnotherapist.

Contact 2575 7707, www.mindmatters.hk

BUSINESS AND LIFECOACH

HOME SERVICES

Not taking action on your money, life or business goals?

Unsure? Procrastinating? I help you decide what to focus on now and in next 3 months.

This is not endless counselling.

Instead strategy sessions with action steps and accountability.

FTC RELOCATIONS

• Local & international moves • Long/ short-term storage • Handyman services • World-class service – competitive rates • Operating on DB & Lantau

Lawyer testimonial You ask “insightful questions that helped me sort through my wants, fears, needs and priorities.”

Contact 2814 1658, sales@ftc.hk, www.ftc.hk WhatsApp Kate Cary Evans +852 6103 0470

GIVING LIFE SHOULDN’T BE SO DEADLY Ramatoulaye, who lives in Burkina Faso, was about to give birth to her fourth child, but the boatman was nowhere to be found.

Unable to get to the health centre across the river, she gave birth alone on the river banks.

Candy Cheung

Financial Planning Manager Bachelor of Business

Maternal health is a human right — join Amnesty International to defend human rights for women like Ramatoulaye.

(852) 9172 9152 Email: candy_y_cheung@manulife.com.hk

www.manulife.com.hk

Learn more at www.amnesty.org.hk.

DB PROPERTY FOR RENT LUXURY APARTMENTS IN SIENA 2

Spacious 600 square-foot apartments – quiet with sea views over park, near Club Siena & DB Tunnel. Fully furnished with washer/ drier, bed linen, kitchenware, 55” TVs, wi-fi, NOW TV & sound bar. Contact the owner on 9317 0624, nialady2011@gmail.com

© Anna Kari

If you are looking to rent or sell a property and would like to see it listed on this page, email philip@baymedia.com.hk

KITTY

Looking to host a party or just a great day out with your friends on the water, we have a 35 capacity wooden junk for hire.

Central or Discovery Bay Pick Up info@hongkongjunks.com.hk I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H T 8 C O R P O R AT E A N D B U I S N E S S S E R V I C E S

Greenland Pest Control Tailored Pest Control Solutions for Rodent, Cockroaches, Fleas, Mosquitoes, Termites, Ants, Ticks etc‌ For info please call Thomas 9871 0771 or Baguio 6776 8400 Email: baguiowong@hotmail.com

t. +852 6620 3421 e. info@colsimphotography.com w. www.colsimphotography.com

Discovery Bay and Hong Kong Panoramas on canvas Affordable | Gift | Memento | Hand Delivered | Wrapped Ready to hang Scan QR to view gallery

www.arounddb.com Register with us and receive our newsletters Win prizes in our monthly giveaways!

Join our 18,000+ (and growing) Facebook followers Like us for Lantau news and events!

CLOT HING & ACCESSORIES

FTC Apparel

2428 2566 FOOD, RES TAUR A N T S & BA RS

A Tavola Bar & Grill Airport Izakaya Andante Café Aficionado China Coast Bar & Grill Curry Lounge Dosirak House Essence Restaurant - Novotel Citygate Federal Palace Restaurant Kimos Mansarover Indian Cuisine McDonald’s Delivery Melody Thai Moccato Coffee Shop My Thai Olea Restaurant - Novotel Citygate PizzaExpress Pizza Hut Delivery Regala Café & Dessert Bar Resto Restaurant Rouge - Regal Airport Hotel Skycity Bistro Tung Chung Pizza Zentro Garden

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HE A LT H & W EL L BEING Bayside Dental Bon’s Mobile Pet Grooming Essential Health Family Clinic Human Health Medical Centre North Lantau Physiotherapy Tung Chung Animal Clinic Tung Chung Vet Centre Tung Chung Maternal & Child Health Centre Quality Health Dental Quality Health Medical Raffles Medical Rainbow Voice and Soundhealing

2185 6550 9099 9959 2109 9396 2109 2288 2194 0020 2988 1534 2328 7282 3575 8370 2403 6613 2403 6623 2261 2626 5178 5658

SOUTH LANTAU

TUNG CHUNG

LANTAU NUMBERS FOOD, RES TAUR A N T S & BA RS

Bahce - Turkish Restaurant Café Bar Bathers Caffe Paradiso (Tom’s Café) Cafe Isara China Bear Deer Horn Restaurant & Bar Kebab Korner La Pizzeria Lantana Italian Bistro Le Jardin de Sophie Long Island Mucho Gusto Robert’s Market Stoep @ High Tide Restaurant The China Beach Club The Gallery The Kitchen The Water Buffalo Treasure Island Restaurant FI T NESS, SP OR T S & W EL L BEING

Pause by the Banyan South Lantau Paddle Club Thai Palin Massage Thai Sa Baai Treasure Island Group

9708 0187 9688 9112 9062 0148 5228 6552 2546 3543 HOME & REPA IRS

Findley Leung Group Koon Wah Hardware Lee Wo Construction Engineering Man Shun Construction & Engineering New Look Design

2421 8088 2109 2330 9343 3718 2988 1488

HOT EL S

Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel Novotel Citygate Hong Kong Regal Airport Hotel

3969 1888 3602 8888 2286 8888

L E A RNING CEN T RES

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 Tung Chung Catholic School (Yat Tung) YMCA of Hong Kong Christian College

9021 1502 2987 8070 2162 5538 6273 7347 6674 6194 2611 9193 2164 7210 2420 1068 2109 3873 2121 0884 2988 8123

SOCI A L , SP OR T S & EQUIPMEN T

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 Sparrow Soccer School Hong Kong Tung Chung Crescent Club House Tung Chung Sports Badminton Union

2385 9677 2109 9277 2179 6678 9264 8597 6688 2167 9662 1747 6443 6597 3473 8700 5400 4109 6051 8196 2403 6770 5703 2947

2984 7225 6810 0111 2985 8383 L E A RNING CEN T RES

Ashville International Kindergarten & Nursery Lantau International Kindergarten Lantau International School Lao Shi Lantau Mandarin lessons Little Lantau Montessori Kindergarten Silvermine Bay School Mui Wo Language Cafe

2109 9886 2984 0302 2980 3676 5197 4647 3689 6709 2984 0006 5511 6107

PROPER T Y AGENCIES

Findley Leung Real Estate Home Solutions Real Estate Proper Trip Real Estate

2984 8334 3483 5003 2984 1666 RE TA IL

Friendly Bike Shop Greenstyle Organic & Healthcare INSIDE Island Wines Lantau Base Camp Lantau Grocer Quay House Red Hall Chinese Antiques Tony’s Salon Value Vigilantes VIBE Book & Music Shop ZenvarA

2984 2278 9802 0553 2890 8606 9521 8481 2983 8428 2702 0050 2882 8710 2988 1368 2984 0990 6132 9120 9088 2370 9586 3459

SERV ICES & OT HERS

Jumping Castles SPCA Miriam Safadi Photography Parteezi Phoenix Wills

9662 1747 2984 0060 5145 0227 6112 9842 6108 8471 T R A NSP OR TAT ION

U T IL I T Y, SERV ICES & E MERGENC Y HOT L INES

Tung Chung Ambulance Depot Tung Chung Fire Station Tung Chung Police Station

2984 8334 2984 8487 2984 1802 2984 9833 9783 5840

HOT EL S

Mui Wo Inn Silvermine Beach Resort Tai O Heritage Hotel

HOME & REPA IRS

Akash Removals Mega Power Engineering/Locksmiths Mr. Chan 24-hours Handyman Shun Yu Engineering

2984 0222 2504 4788 2984 0498 2470 1966 2984 9720 3484 3095 6429 3507 2984 8933 5465 5511 2997 9070 2320 2001 6422 5009 9193 2937 2980 2699 2983 8931 2980 2582 5991 6292 2109 3331 5236 7013

2988 8282 2988 1898 3661 1999

Lee Hing Loong Hon Kee Transportation Company Lantau Tours New Lantao Bus Company

2984 2268 2984 8494 2984 8255 2984 9848

www.arounddb.com July 2020

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DB NUMBERS COMMUNITY & HEALTH Bayside Dental Practice, North Plaza BMSE, North Plaza DB Alliance Church Community Centre DB Anglican Church DB International Community Church Discovery Bay Medical Centre Health & Care Dental Clinic Herbal Health Care Island Health Island Veterinary Services The Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council, North Plaza Trinity Chapel

2987 2259 2987 2987 2987 2987 2666 2834 2987 2987 2259 2987

0855 3422 8136 4210 7061 5633 6183 7276 7575 9003 3422 9909

DRS Company Good Luck Engineering Red Velvet Hoi Yu Transportation Hung Kee Co Japan Home Centre May’s furniture & curtain design Rapee-living Rich Point Hardware Materials Tai Fat Hardware Store Wing On Department Store Yours Electrical Centre

3102 2977 2987 8460

DAILY NECESSITIES 7-Eleven Convenience Store Fusion by PARKnSHOP Watson’s Pharmacy Wellcome, North Plaza Star Mart, North Plaza

2987 2987 2987 2947 2366

4401 7486 4089 9092 6534

FINANCIAL SERVICES Bank of China HSBC Parsons White Wealth Management The Stephen Putnam Practice

2160 8585 2233 3000 2433 6981 2914 0388

FOOD & BEVERAGE, HOTELS 22º North Auberge Discovery Bay (Hotel), North Plaza Café Bord de Mer & Lounge, North Plaza Caffe Pascucci Cali-Mex, North Plaza Coyote Mexican Cantina Ebeneezer’s Epic Foods, North Plaza Figos Seaside Café First Korean Restaurant Gilmore’s by the Golden Pig Healthy Chicken, North Plaza Hemingway’s il Bel Paese Island Café Koh Tomyums La Creation & Châteraisé McSorley’s Ale House Mirch Masala, North Plaza Moofish, North Plaza Pacific Coffee Paisano’s, North Plaza Peony Chinese Restaurant PizzaExpress Solera Starbucks DB North Plaza Subway The Pier Bar Three Sheet Marquee Bar TigerLily Uncle Russ, North Plaza Zak’s

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9156 0360 2987 1313 9010 5832 2987 4488 2987 5087 2987 1041 2987 0222 2987 7082 2987 0789 2987 0789 2987 9268 2987 4428

LEARNING CENTRES

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES Action X, North Plaza Nomadic

LEARNING CENTRES

HOME

2987 2298 2295 8288 2295 8299 2591 1426 2904 7698 2987 2848 2987 0036 2172 6111 2987 2915 2987 9123 2662 9168 6933 6990 2987 8855 2987 0202 2987 9311 2987 0767 2987 1829 2987 8280 2987 1337 2987 6318 2987 1662 2673 4445 2500 1950 2465 2426 2555 0772 2246 8372 2914 0005 2520 2166 2987 0966 2997 8688 2840 1188 2987 6232

July 2020 www.arounddb.com

Discovery Montessori School A reputable & well-known international school for authentic Montessori Bilingual (English & Chinese) Education for children aged 1 to 12 years. Beautiful campus & highly qualified teachers (15 years+ experience). Contact 2987 1201, enquiry@dms.edu.hk, www.dms.edu.hk

Future Stars Dance Academy Dance classes based on the ISTD requirements conducted in a fun, disciplined & safe environment. Contact melissa@futurestarsdanceacademy.com, Futurestars Dance Academy Hong Kong Facebook page, Instagram: @futurestarsHk

Island Dance ISTD Freestyle, ISTD Hip Hop, RAD Ballet, tap & Bollywood classes at DBRC, Club Siena & DB Plaza. Five professional instructors, teaching six days a week.

Contact 2987 1571, 9159 0663, info@islanddance.com.hk, www.islanddance.com.hk

Lingostars Limited, North Plaza Providing Mandarin & Korean education.

After-school Mandarin for Year 1-13 and adult Mandarin classes in a communicative and interactive setting at DB North Plaza. Contact 6375-2015, info@lingostarshk.com, www.lingostarshk.com

Little Explorers The longest running playgroup in DB, Little Explorers eases the transition between home play and kindergarten for children, aged 18 months and up. Contact 6331 7215, LittleExplorersDB@gmail.com

Tree of Joy A fun, engaging & supportive environment in which children play & learn. Programmes include drop-off nursery class, parent-toddler class, afternoon camp & a cooking class Contact 9787 2755, info@treeofjoydb.com, www.treeofjoydb.com

Woodentots Woodentots is a Montessori playgroup providing a caring & nurturing environment in DB Plaza. Run by a qualified Montessori teacher for children aged 18 months to 6 years. Contact 6108 9131, woodentotsdb@gmail.com

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 Academy, North Plaza Discovery Montessori School, North Plaza DMR School of Ballet Dr. Bear Education Centre Early Adventures Playgroup Epic Adventurers Eye Level Education Learning Centre Funfit HK International Learning Academy, North Plaza Kumon, North Plaza La Petite Enfance Kindergarten L’Ecole Pierre et Marie Curie Education centre Lingostars Limited, North Plaza Links Parenting, North Plaza Little Explorers English For Kids Mandarin for Munchkins, North Plaza Mathemagic – home tutoring Mathnasium SKH Wei Lun Primary School Treasure House Zhi Zhi Chinese

6114 2914 2987 3969 2987 2987 2914 2812 2987 2987 6762 2987 2441 9366 6302 2416 2459 8191 8191 6375 6114 6331 2480 9135 2628 2987 2987 9648

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MULTIMEDIA Bookazine Fotomax (F.E.) Ltd

2987 1373 2914 2378

OTHER SERVICES

Harvey Law Group International law firm offering a wide range of commercial & personal legal services. Meeting facilities available in DB. Contact 2416 8618, dboffice@harveylawcorporation.com, www.harveylawcorporation.com

Martina Stevens Photography Photographer based in Discovery Bay specialising in small and exclusive projects. Newborns, Maternity, Family and Lifestyle photography.Contact 9487 5242, martina@martinastevensphotography.com, www.martinastevensphotography.com Gillian florist, North Plaza Manulife P-Solution The Optical House Well Supreme Laundry Services

2529 9172 2987 2987 2987

8256 9152 1777 1368 5151

DB NUMBERS PETS Mypetshop, North Plaza Pets Gallery Ready, Pet, Go!

TOYS & KIDS’ PARTIES 2987 8873 2987 0428 5721 6181

Bo Bo House Toysland

2987 4230 2987 7859

TRANSPORT SERVICES

PROPERTY LISTINGS EPS Property Consultants Headland Homes Kingsland DB Land Master Property OKAY.COM

2987 2987 2987 2987 2102

2023 2088 2987 6238 0829

DB Golf Cart Services DB Transportation Services Limousine Rental Passenger Telephone Hotline Wiselink Golf Cart Services

2914 2987 5303 2987 2987

2727 7351 3489 0208 9368

UTILITIES, SERVICES & EMERGENCY HOTLINES

SOCIAL, SPORTS & EQUIPMENT 24-hour Customer Service Hotline China Light & Power Emergency China Light & Power Information Line Discovery Bay Commercial Services Discovery Bay Fire & Ambulance Discovery Bay Lost & Found Discovery Bay Management Discovery Bay Office Centre Discovery Bay Post Office Gas Leakage Emergency Hotline Lantau North Report Room North Lantau Hospital San Hing Gas Co Typhoon Signal Enquiries Water Fault Reports Water Supplies Department

HK Dragons Football Club Football for girls & boys aged 2.5 years to 14 years. Contact 2987 4274, dragons.hk

Tekkerz Football programmes for boys and girls for age groups U5 up to U14. Contact 9770 4548, train@tekkerzfootball.com, www.prosportsasia.com

Action X, North Plaza Club Siena, North Plaza DBees Ice Hockey DB Pirates Rugby, Netball, Hockey & Dragonboat Discovery Bay Marina Club Discovery Bay Golf Club Discovery Bay Recreation Club Embody EpicLand, North Plaza FIT 852 Greenwich Yoga School, North Plaza Kapuhala Train-in-Space, North Plaza MAS FIT MGK Fight Club Nutrition and Fitness with Emilie YogaBay, North Plaza YogaUp, North Plaza

To add your own directory listing box, call the Bay Media office on 2987 0577, or email info@baymedia.com.hk

2911 2987 6473 9255 2987 2987 2987 6624 2441 9680 9685 6101 9387 9303 6385 6704 8197

4833 7382 4277 6133 9591 7273 7381 8712 0098 7665 8366 8434 0735 2996 5425 9851 5591

2345 8333 2678 4242 7502 2345 3601 3388 6046 4511 1694 7000 6738 1473 0788 5000

@ www.arounddb.com

WELLBEING

The Beat Dance & Fitness Studio BODYPUMP, BODYBALANCE, GRIT, BODYSTEP & Zumba (fitness, toning & kids). Piloxing, yoga & Pilates, RPM (indoor cycling), plus Latin, belly & wedding dance. Classes for adults & children, & personal training. Contact 5194 9630, info@thebeat.com.hk, www.thebeat.com.hk

3651 2728 2678 2987 2987 3651 2238 2238 2987 2435 3661 3467 2987 2835 2811 2824

VIEW THE BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Bay Spa

ay Spa

Massage, facials & nail services in DB Plaza. Contact 9837 0969 (Tel/ WhatsApp)

Ingredients of Wellness Mindfulness training for children, teens and their parents and teachers. Offering Mindfulness Matters!, Mindfulness in Education (for adults), AMT Mindfulness Teacher Training. Contact 9048 5425, angie@ingredientsofwellness.com, www.ingredientsofwellness.com

Nail Spa: 2987 2266

Afflatus Hair Workshop, North Plaza DB Pure Spa Freedas Maximum Care Nest Care, North Plaza Salon De Coiffure

Massage: 2988 1188

2987 9794 2987 2987 2499 2987

0283 0918 4555 2060 8826 4112

www.arounddb.com

www.arounddb.com July 2020

59

OUT THERE

Down and out in the Apennines

Hunkered down in Hong Kong for the foreseeable, Peter Sherwood recalls a hiking holiday in Italy… with infinite regret

A

fter stumbling thousands of kilometres on trails in Spain and France I tried Italy, and the Apennine Mountains. And I’d not seen Rome or Naples for decades. Soon I discovered why. The latter is a squalid den of petty thieves and the finest Mafia in the business. I admit, with a modicum of shame, that I would not be terribly upset by another Vesuvius eruption nearby.

Rome? Get in and get out as fast as you can. An escape by train involves a two-hour queue for information and, if your luck holds, a ticket. Not for nothing is the station called Termini: You’ll lose the will to live.

Like numerous hikes that came before, this one went weird from the start. I’d bought threads for cold weather, but temperatures were in the 30s. I ran out of water, and got hopelessly lost. These lapses in orientation are vital if, like me, you yearn for the unexpected.

Surprising situations unfold when you bump into shepherds and woodcutters with no common language, and who are unfamiliar with ‘lost’ as a state of being.

Illustration by Terry Chow

Lost is fine with me. It’s my natural condition; a modus operandi for the hills and in life. But flailing around in the heat without H2O is mad. I almost wished I were back

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and a lengthy English lesson for their 12-year-old daughter. It was early evening when I wandered out into the mist.

Soon it was dark with only enough moonlight to see the trail immediately ahead. The enlightened axiom, ‘It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness’ occurred to me as I put on my trusty headlamp. The battery was dead. I tried pleading with the heavens; I sought philosophical solace from a favourite motivational maxim: ‘If you don’t know where you are, change where you want to be.’ So much for prayer and pop psychology.

in Rome (battling the temptation to leap under a train at the Termini).

A return to Naples was never a consideration, not even when heatstroke set in. I think the old Spanish Bourbon expression, ‘See Naples and die’ was not an ode to sentimentality, but a preference.

Then like a mirage, a farmhouse and a friendly family with cool water.

And then wine. More wine. And Grappa. Infinite antipasto. Coffee,

It was supposed to be chilly up high, snowing even. It wasn’t. That didn’t stop me behaving like I was trudging to the South Pole. Days later when I woke up in the back of an ambulance my immediate thought was dehydration. For once on this trip I was right. Soon I was laid out on a hospital bed with all the intravenous apparatus applied. A sign on my tray read bere molto. So I did. I drank like a madman. But what goes in must come out and, despite calls for the necessary container, none came.

The water bottle in my backpack would have to suffice. The nurse just shrugged. She’d seen my passport and assumed it was a normal Australian cultural thing.

Peter Sherwood has lived in DB for over 20 years. The former head of an international public relations firm, Peter is the author of 15 books and has written around 400 satirical columns for the South China Morning Post.

Find more from Peter @ www.arounddb.com July 2020 www.arounddb.com

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Original $2,048

NOW

$999

Worth

$300

Worth

$447 Dartington Crystal Stemless Glasses

64% OFF Awarded European Reds 12btls + 3 FREE Reds + Glasses

Connoisseur Premium French Reds 12btls

+ 3 FREE Reds + Glasses

59% OFF

Worth

$507

Original $2,868

NOW

$1,488 Bestselling Reds & Whites 6btls 98-Point‘Super Tuscan’6btls

61% OFF

+ Glasses

61% OFF

Original $1,274

Original $1,494

$599

$699

NOW

NOW

About Direct Wines:

+ Glasses

Our Expertise:

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• IWC‘Wine Merchant of the Year’ • Specialised buyers tasting over 40,000 wines • Personal Wine Advisors • 800+ partner vineyards, no middle-men charges • Annual sales of 70,000,000+ bottles • FREE Delivery Service • 90%+ wines sold are exclusive • 1,000,000+ satisfied customers • 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Call us now at 8120 3826 and quote‘6904001’or visit www.directwines.com.hk/AroundDB

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