November 2011 issue by Around DB Magazine

Kobi does the Gobi Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new from the DB 10K Charity Run founder

Risky business Enlightened adventuring for DB kids

Inflight entertainment Experience the rush of indoor skydiving

NOVEMBER

2 0 11

The original DB-community magazine since 2002

Looking for investment opportunity?

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The Photographs, images, drawings or sketches of the property shown in this book represent the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imaginative impression of the development concerned only. They are not drawn to scale and/or may have been edited and processed with computerised imaging techniques. Prospective purchasers should make reference to the sales brochure for details of the development. The developer also advises purchasers to conduct on-site visit for a better understanding of the development site, its surrounding environment and the public facilities nearby.

Looking for investment opportunity?

C-037814

Unit 19-21, 5/F, Tower B, Southmark, No.11 Yip Hing Street, Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Hotline : 2873 3600 Fax : 2580 7520 E-mail : ind-comm@grea.com.hk South lsland Industrial & Office Sales / Lease Grand Marine Ctr

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CONTENTS FEATURES 18

DEAR READER

PROFILE Experience an ubermarathon with Kobi Janssen

IN FOCUS Living between two cultures, how do you deal with the crunch?

FAMILY MATTERS Following the adventures of DB’s fearless young

MONEY MATTERS The search is on for a safe-haven currency

HOW TO ... Swap your home (temporarily)

ESCAPES By train through northern China to Kazakhstan

ACTION Indoor skydiving at iFly Singapore

STYLE Top tips to help you hang artwork

REGULARS 10

IN & AROUND DB Catch up with the latest community news

TECH TREND Photo apps for the iphoneographer

HOTSPOTS Hip happenings around Hong Kong

DB FACES Community snaps

CLASSIFIEDS Great deals!

DB NUMBERS Your ultimate guide in DB

DB MOMENTS Picnic in the Park

As many of you know I started putting out Inside DB, DB's very first community magazine, in 2002 at my kitchen table. Almost a decade later it’s great to be back with Around DB, and our overriding aim is to benefit the community. With this in mind, Around DB is this month supporting four local charity fundraisers: Picnic in the Park, the DB 10K Charity Run, Discovery Mind Kindergarten’s Walk for Operation Santa Claus and Team FEAR Junior Challenge. We look forward to seeing you at these events! November is indeed an action-packed month for DBers, and many of the events on offer (page 10) are sport-based. In this issue, too, we talk to DB 10K Charity Run founder Kobi Janssen whose 250-kilometre trek through the Gobi Desert is certain to inspire (page 18), and you’ll be amazed by the adventurous antics of DB’s sport-mad kids (page

26). For another highlight turn to page 48, where DB-based pilot, Matt McLaughlin introduces us to indoor skydiving. It says a great deal about our community that staying DB-centric makes for such a varied magazine. This month, DB home-exchanger Denise Adams gives us some insider tips on getting holiday accommodation for free (page 38), and Lantau-resident Cecilie Gamst Berg describes her incident-packed train ride to Kazakhstan (page 42). We hope you will enjoy seeing many fellow residents pictured in these pages and finding out more about them.

NOVEMBER 2011 Compiled by Lorraine Cook

Kobi does the Gobi

NOVEMBER AT A GLANCE

What’s new from the DB 10K Charity Run founder

Risky business Enlightened adventuring for DB kids

Inflight entertainment Experience the rush of indoor skydiving

NOVEMBER

2 0 11

The original DB-community magazine since 2002

On the cover: DB-resident Joshua McLaughlin

Publisher

Corinne Jedwood corinne@arounddb.com Editorial

Rachel Ainsley editor@arounddb.com Advertising

Lissa Morris lissa@arounddb.com Art direction

Terry Chow

Photography

Tracey van Geest tracey@inspiredimages.co Claire Fraser claire@highjump.co.nz

WHEN

WHAT

WHERE

Meditations for daily life

DB Multi-Purpose Hall

November 5, 11am-9.30pm

Picnic in the Park

Siena Park

November 6, TBD

Elections Islands District Council

TBD

November 12, 12-5pm

Family Fun Day

Discovery College

November 13, 8am

10K Charity Run

Start: DB ferry pier

November 13, 11am-5pm

DB Recycling Day

DB Plaza

November 13, 3-4pm

Family Chamber Music Series

Discovery College

November 19, 9am

Operation Santa Claus Walk

Start: Discovery Mind Kindergarten

November 19, 10am-5pm

Family and Pets Fun Day

Siena Park

November 20, 11am-5pm

Backyard Bazaar

DB Plaza

November 27, 9am

Team FEAR Adventure Race

Start: La Costa

November 3, 7.30-9pm

If you organise an event, club or charity that you would like to see featured in this section, please contact communitynews@arounddb.com.

Accounts

accountant@arounddb.com Contributors this month

General enquiries

info@arounddb.com Published by

Bay Media Limited Flat 230, Block D, DB Plaza Discovery Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2987 0577 Fax: (852) 2987 0533

Disclaimer The views expressed in A ro u n d D B a re n ot n e c e s s a r i l y t h o s e 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 adver tised. No par t of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without permission.

Dinner for two at Berliner Newly opened Berliner on D Deck is the first restaurant in DB to specialise in traditional German food, bottled beers and premium wines. You can call the restaurant on 2987 8203/ 2987 6001 to make a reservation. Turn to page 25 for more details.

COMPETITION

Lori Campbell Tighe Lorraine Cook Andrew Dembina Cecilie Gamst Berg Lauren Gordon Martin W. Hennecke Elizabeth Kerr Paula Lepore Burrough Matt McLaughlin Karmel Schreyer Mary Singer

To celebrate the opening with Around DB’s readers, Berliner is offering two dinner vouchers each worth HK$400. All you have to do to win is tell us the German names of two dishes on offer at Berliner. The first two readers to email the correct answer to info@arounddb. com (subject line: Berliner) will win. Good luck and happy German dining!

Photo by Claire Fraser

Congratulations to last month’s winners

Liz Alam, Carla Quigley and Sarah Overington for The Birdhouse Factory; Blaise Kingan, Emma Griffith, Mikaeel Malhotra, Madeleine Chu, Amber Flores and Lauren de Jager for Toys R Us; Marianne Kolding, Ed Olivio and Julie Minsberg for Stomp!; Emma Cotton and Marion Udall for Charlie & Lola’s Best Bestest Play. Please call our office on 2987 0577 to collect your prize.

NOVEMBER 2011 IN & AROUND DB

Coming to you live from Siena Park! On November 5, get down to Siena Park for DB’s very own annual live-music-anddance festival, Picnic in the Park. A 7,500-strong crowd is expected to turn out for 10 hours of music performed by 20 acts and 250 individual performers on two stages! The event kicks off at 11am, it’s free of charge and open to all. Around DB is a proud supporter of the event. You can read more about the show on page 76 or log onto www.picnicintheparkhk.com. Photo courtesy of www.picnicintheparkhk.com

Solve our quiz to win Start-rite shoes

COMPETITION

Start-rite is a classic brand of high-quality children’s shoes, and the official shoemakers for the House of Windsor. Now in DB Plaza, you can call the store on 2987 2098. For more information, visit www.startriteshoes.com and read more on page 15.

DBIS International food fair Don’t miss the eagerly anticipated Discovery Bay International School Fair on December 3, from 12-4pm. Enjoy food from around the world, be entertained by local talents and shop for treats for the whole family. Be sure to check out the special area for kids’ activities and games, and the wonderful plant sale as you enter.

To win a pair of Start-rite shoes of your choice, valued at HK$500, simply answer the following question: Which European Monarchy is a fan of Start-rite shoes? The first two readers to email the correct answer to info@arounddb.com (subject line: Start-rite) will win. Good luck!

Recycle DB Kid rock! Young rockers have been wowing the judges at the Hong Kong-wide, YRock Music Challenge heats. You can catch the winners, the Powerpuffs, Metropolis and Tony Wu, of the final held at D Deck on October 21, in action at Picnic in the Park (PiP) on November 5. DBers Amanda Thorsen and Cameron Smith, who ranked highest in all three heats could not make it to the final but have been given the chance to perform at PiP.

Photo by Caitlin Morris

Discovery Bay is already one of Hong Kong’s greenest communities but everyone can always learn more about what they can do to preserve the environment. On November 13, DB Recycling Day, in the plaza 11am5pm, sees a variety of performances, educational booths, and demonstrations helping educate and inspire residents to join the ranks of those who are living green. For more information, you can contact City Management on 2987 0461.

November 2011

NOVEMBER 2011 IN & AROUND DB

Are you looking for interesting, educational and entertaining English books for the whole family at very reasonable prices? Pollux Books specialises in award-winning authors/ illustrators mainly from the UK and US, such as Julia Donaldson, Nick Sharratt, Oliver Jeffers, Maurice Sendak and Roald Dahl. Among others, Pollux Books stocks preschool books, phonics books, early chapter books and reading aids. You can call the Horizon Plaza store on 2873 6962.

On November 26 at 10am, 2pm and 4.30pm, award-winning children’s musicians and entertainers, Scotty and Lulu are presenting their latest show Kiddy Keep Fit Dance Party. It’s an interactive musical which means that, as well as tiered seating for adults, there will be a ‘Kids Dance Zone’ in front of the stage. To book tickets for the performance at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts in Wanchai, visit www.hkticketing.com or www.scottylulu.com.

Pollux Books is offering three Around DB readers a book voucher worth HK$300, if you can correctly answer the following question. Among the authors listed above, who wrote Where the Wild Things Are? The first three readers to email the correct answer to info@ arounddb.com (subject line: Pollux Books) will win. Good luck!

COMPETITION

Sing along with Scotty and Lulu

COMPETITION

Take home gifts from Pollux Books

Around DB and Scotty and Lulu are offering you a chance to win tickets to see the show, if you can tell us when Scotty and Lulu performed their very first show in Hong Kong. The first reader to email the correct answer to info@arounddb.com (subject line: Scotty and Lulu) will win four tickets to the show, plus a shirt, a signed poster and a CD/ DVD. Don't miss the show!

Pet sounds in the park Moving mountains for Parkinson’s DB-resident Carol Keen climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in October to raise funds for Parkinson’s, the debilitating disease from which her mother sadly suffers. And on December 2, she will be hosting a charity quiz at McSorley’s at 8pm. Highlights include a family fortunes round, a bingo quiz and a silent auction. Come out and support this worthwhile cause or just click to donate at www.justgiving.com/CarolKeen.

Tune into chamber music Demystify the chamber-music experience and get away from the notion that this kind of music is only for oldies, by checking out the Family Chamber Music Series concerts at Discovery College. This month, you can catch the group Brioso, the brainchild of professional cellist and DB-resident Shelagh Heath, who was also instrumental in creating the programme. The hour-long concert starts at 3pm on November 13. To book your tickets, visit www.ticketingover.com.

November 2011

Photo courtesy of Brioso

This is a first for Discovery Bay! Pets and their owners are invited to head down to Siena Park on November 19 for a day of talks and performances focusing on our four-legged friends! This Family and Pets Fun Day sees numerous booths providing information, as well as products for you (and your pets) to enjoy.

NOVEMBER 2011 IN & AROUND DB

Calling all adventure racers This year's Team FEAR Adventure Race takes place on November 27, with funds raised going to local charity Youth Outreach. Teams of kids aged eight to 18 swim, run and mountain bike through DB, solving puzzles as they go. Around DB is a proud supporter of the event. Many volunteers are required for the day. If you would like to help, please contact info@team-fear.com. Read more about the Team FEAR adventure racers in our Family Matters feature, page 26. Photo courtesy of www.team-fear.com

Well done in the triathlon! Over 100 energetic kids participated in the Lantau Calves 2011 Ageas Triathlon Event, creating a thrilling day out for all at Siena Park and Discovery College on October 2. Congratulations to all those who participated and particularly Carmen Brons, Justin Brown, Blaise Kingan, Justin Porter, Asthina Zodl, Hunter Wright, Natasha Christensen and Daniel Ward, who all came first in their age and gender category. If you haven’t yet picked up your certificate, don’t forget to head down to Sportsworld (2914 1323) where it’s waiting for you. You can read more about the young competitors in our Family Matters feature on page 26.

See Robin Hood, courtesy of Hong Kong Players

COMPETITION

Hong Kong Players is presenting Robin Hood: The Panto at the Shouson Theatre from December 3-4 and 8-11. With a hilarious new script by Teri Fitsell and Katy Forse, this is a show for the whole family to enjoy. You may even recognise some DB residents on stage, like Alistair So who will be playing Alan-a-Dale, one of Robin's band of outlaws. To book tickets, visit www. hongkongplayers.com or www.cityline.com.hk.

Walk like Santa November 19 sees Discovery Mind Kindergarten’s sixth annual charity walk in aid of Operation Santa Claus. Walkers start out at the kindergarten at 9am and finish up in Siena Park. Entertainment, provided by Around DB, comes in the form of Jan the Clown.

Bazaar in your backyard Brought to you by Handmade Hong Kong and D Deck, here’s your chance to get a jump on the Christmas shopping! On November 20, the plaza will be filled with an array of booths offering handmade jewellery, beautiful ceramic pieces, eco-friendly stationary and much more. Several stalls will be specifically geared to helping you get ready to celebrate the Christmas season.

And the great news is that one Around DB reader can win four tickets in the stalls, valued at HK$330 per ticket. Simply answer the following question and email us at info@ arounddb.com (subject line: Robin Hood). Robin Hood and his Merry Men lived in which forest in the UK? The first reader to email us the correct answer will win.

November 2011

NOVEMBER 2011 IN & AROUND DB

Discovery College Family Fun Day Enjoy a fun-packed day filled with activities and performances put on by the kids at Discovery College on November 12 from 12-5pm. Listen to live music, start your Christmas shopping at the commercial/ charity stalls, take part in the Discovery College Challenge/ Scavenger Hunt, play games, watch a karate demonstration, try some arts and crafts, or just munch your way through the many food stalls. For more information, you can email Adair at gordonnz@netvigator.com.

COMPETITION

Alan Bennett’s superb adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s classic The Wind in the Willows takes centre-stage at The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts in Wanchai, December 15-18. Performed by the Faust International Youth Theatre, The Wind in the Willows takes you on a journey through the ‘Wild, Wild Wood’ and up the river and back again learning on the way the value of friendship and how with a little effort anything is possible! For tickets go to www.hkticketing.com; priority discount bookings are available from Faust at WITW@FaustWorld.com. One reader can win four tickets to see the show, valued at HK$270 each ticket. Simply answer the following question: who were the main protagonists in the battle for Toad Hall? The first reader to email the correct answer to info@arounddb.com (subject line: Wind in the Willows) will win!

Box up some hope Last chance for kids to pack up a Box of Hope for delivery November 7-11. Box of Hope is a non-profit charity project dedicated to providing useful and/ or educational gifts to underprivileged children in Hong Kong and Asia. Kids fill old shoe boxes with new and interesting gifts that are then delivered directly to the children in need. This year the aim is to collect 8,000 boxes; view the online target counter at www.boxofhope.org.

November 2011

10-kilometre run anyone? We hope you’re through training! The much-anticipated DB 10K Charity Run is scheduled for November 13, at 8am. The super-fit, aged 16 and up, can register online at www. dbrunforcharity.org. The race starts and finishes on the waterfront near the DB ferry pier. For more information, you can contact Kobi Janssen at 9307 7375 or kobi@netvigator. com. Read the inspirational interview with race founder Janssen on page 18.

Photo courtesy of www.dbrunforcharity.org

Free shuttle to Island School Xmas fair Make a date in your diary for the Island School Fair, December 3 from 12-4pm. There will be a food hall, commercial stalls, and games and entertainment for the whole family. To make things easy for you, there’s a free shuttle-bus from City Hall to the school at 20 Borrett Road, Mid-Levels, every 15 minutes starting at 11.45am.

Photo by Jamie Hodson

The Wind in the Willows tickets giveaway

ADVERTORIAL

START-RITE SHOES NOW AVAILABLE IN DISCOVERY BAY Reputedly the oldest children’s shoe company in England, Start-rite’s heritage spans eight generations and more than 200 years of shoe-making. Available in more than 35 countries worldwide, today the brand has an international reputation, and is world-renowned for offering stylish, fitted children’s footwear, expertly designed to care for and protect growing feet. Trusted for superior quality, style and fit by generations of parents, Start-rite offer children’s shoes in whole and half sizes and a range of fittings, to ensure the best fit for every child. The Start-rite ranges include fitted footwear for every occasion, from cool casuals to smart schoolwear, sporty trainers to cosy slippers, and fun wellingtons to the timeless English Classics collection. The seasonal ranges also include canvas shoes, sandals, and a fantastic selection of winter boots. Take a look at our selection here in our shop at the DB plaza: we stock all types of Start-rite shoes that prioritise children’s comfort, health and pleasure.

Get your children’s feet off to the right start and up to their teenage years 6 months - 1 year

1 - 2 years

5 - 6 years

7 - 8 years

9 - 13 years

crawling

walking confidently

sudden growth spurts

regular fit checks still important

feet continue to grow to late teens

Important to protect their feet while crawling

More support is needed as they start walking

Check shoes every 2-3 months to ensure correct fit

Fashion is very important

Children know what they want

7 FOOT-CARE TIPS FOR CHILDREN 1. Never put your child in shoes that are too big or too small; they need to fit properly. 2. Don’t use second-hand shoes - two pairs of feet have different shapes. 3. Cut toenails straight across and not too short to avoid ingrowing toenails. 4. Get socks that fit - too tight they cramp the foot and too big they can cause blisters. 5. Choose shoes with a natural lining, such as leather, and socks with a high natural-fibre content to allow feet to breathe. 6. Keep shoes clean and apply a good-quality polish to keep the leather soft and supple. 7. Don’t dry wet shoes near direct heat - let them dry out naturally in a warm, airy place.

www.startriteshoes.com Tel: 2987 2098 Location: Discovery Bay Plaza November 2011

NOVEMBER 2011 IN & AROUND DB

Shed some light on epilepsy

Youthful Productions is bringing its first youth production, Cindy, a modern-day version of the classic Cinderella story, to DB. Watch for the talented cast in their showcase at Picnic in the Park on November 5, but most importantly be sure to book seats for the big production which takes place at Discovery College Theatre, December 2-4. Tickets go on sale at Dymocks on November 1. To find out more, or assist backstage, contact the director Berni Crockford at youthfuldb@yahoo.com.

Lantau International School Fair Head to Tong Fuk Campus on December 3, from 11am-4pm for the Lantau International School Fair. There will be plenty of fun to be had for the whole family, and kids will get the chance to play 'sponge the teacher'. For more details, email james@lis.edu.hk.

Photo courtesy of LIS

It’s panto season!

Photo by Tessa Weinrath

DB resident Shyamala Padmasola is involved with Enlighten Hong Kong, a charity that aspires to raise awareness of epilepsy and eliminate the stigma that exists for people with disease. She hopes that people will come to realise that epilepsy is just another disorder like diabetes that can be controlled with medication. Look for the Enlighten HK booth at either the Conrad Fair on November 21 or the American Women’s Association Fair on November 8 at the Happy Valley racecourse. They’d love your support! And, if you can help at either one of these events, please email s.padmasola@enlightenhk.org, or visit www.enlightenhk.org.

Elections for the District Council The 4,100 DB residents registered for the November 6, District Council elections, will be choosing between two candidates: Peter Lau (peter@npp.org.hk) and Amy Yung (awsyung@netvigator.com). Yung, a Certified Public Accountant with her own practice, has been Islands District Councilor since 2000. Lau is a new candidate. He is also a long-term DB resident and a business owner; he owns the DB Dymocks’ franchise. If you haven’t noticed too many banners boosting a big-budget election campaign, it’s because the law in Hong Kong restricts candidates to spending no more than HK$53,000 in their bid to drum up support.

In Memorium: Kent Chan 30/10/1960 - 25/09/2011 Kent Chan, DB's beloved hire-car driver passed away at Queen Mary Hospital on September 25 after losing his battle with liver cancer. Kent was a mentor for new staff and was well-loved and respected by so many of us in DB. Members of the community have sent messages of remembrance to Chan’s family and DB Management has set up a donations box at the DB ferry pier.

November 2011

In Memorium: Dr Tim Sheehan 24/01/1961 - 20/08/2011 DB residents joined together on October 5 at Hemingway’s to remember Dr Tim Sheehan, a much-beloved family physician and long-term member of the DB community. Sadly, he passed away in August, from Myeloma, at just fifty years of age. If you’d like to help raise funds to fight Myeloma as a legacy to Dr Sheehan, please log onto www.justgiving.com/ Tim-Sheehan.

PROFILE

marathon

woman

Warning: reading this will probably make you want to workout – or lay down and rest. Lori Campbell Tighe talks to DB 10K Charity Run founder and uber-athlete Kobi Janssen

obi Janssen turned the Big 5-0 this year and

Birth of a sport’s addict

experienced a birthday present of a lifetime. Most people couldn’t handle this present.

“Kobi is happiest when she’s wandering around the hills of Lantau Island,” Joost Ameye, her husband of 25 years,

In June, Janssen trekked the 250-kilometre

International Gobi Marathon in blasting mid-50 degree

says. “She knows all the snakes, buffaloes and stray dogs in these mountains.”

temperatures, while carrying a 12-kilogramme backpack with a week’s supplies. She ‘slept’ on scrub ground in a

This wasn’t always the case. In her mid-30s, Janssen quit

tent during a sand storm. She couldn’t shower for a week.

her telecom job to become a fulltime mum, raising two

She ate freeze-dried food. And her husband paid for her

daughters in DB. She began trail running because she

to do this, US$3,300 (HK$25,636), excluding the flight

discovered, she “likes to be alone in nature”. Then Ameye

and equipment.

asked her to join him on a 100-kilometre Oxfam Trailwalker. She didn’t think she could do it, but discovered she could.

Janssen, founder of the Discovery Bay 10K Charity Run, slated this year for November 13, does not consider herself

Ameye recognised her stamina during her first trailwalker.

a masochist – but rather a woman discovering her powers.

“Her hardware is phenomenal,” he says. “She rarely

Eight times she has run the infamous 100-kilometre Oxfam

blisters or chafes, she’s very strong. She can eat a lot of

Trailwalker, Hong Kong, a major fundraising event held

pain, she’s not a whiner.”

every November on the Maclehose Trail. With her family, Janssen also scuba dives, abseils down waterfalls, white-

Janssen became a sports addict. She ran 5Ks, then 10Ks,

water rafts, paddles dragon boats and hikes in Nepal,

then the half-marathon in Macau. She developed a hiking

Africa, Malaysia and the French Southern Alps.

and running course in DB for amateur athletes. It all led Janssen in 2006 to launch the DB 10K Charity Run, with

“You get strengthened in the mind. You get to know yourself

proceeds each year going to a different charity.

better,” Janssen says. “When you sleep in a tent with eight people you have to work together. When someone is weak,

Facing her 50th birthday, Janssen decided to venture

you have to help out. And my admiration for nature grows

into the ultramarathon trend to see if she could do it. A

every time. Nature can do anything, we are so small.”

Hong Kong company called Racing the Planet organises four of the world’s biggest marathons in Egypt’s Sahara

Like most of us, Janssen didn’t like growing older. She felt

Desert, Chile’s Atacama Desert, China’s Gobi Desert

this way in her 40s, until her younger brother died at age 46

and Antarctica’s Last Desert. Janssen chose the Gobi, a

last year from lung cancer. “Now I think it’s a luxury to get

monster 250-kilometre marathon, fated since it rhymed

older,” Janssen says. “I don’t moan about it anymore. As

with her first name.

for physical performance, in my case I never did any sports when I was young. I am still growing. That’s how it feels.”

November 2011

“No, I never imagined in my life that I could do this,” Janssen



PROFILE

Kobi Janssen on the 250-kilometre International Gobi Marathon in June

November 2011

PROFILE

says. “My husband said it was too extreme, he asked why

Kobi does the Gobi

was I doing these things. But why not?” She soon won her husband’s support. “The art of life is to remain playful and

In early June, Janssen, Schotter and Cooper flew to

not take things too seriously,” he says.

Urumqi, capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Province, to reach the Gobi Desert. A devastated De La Riva, who

Having reached her decision, Janssen first called her “best

describes Janssen as “a big person, very sensitive, very

sports friend”, Gabi Schotter, formerly of DB now living in

caring”, had to drop out due to bronchitis.

Arizona, to join her. “We have the same stride, the same spirit and attitude. She thought it was interesting, thrilling,

Four days into the marathon, Cooper too was forced to

exciting, and immediately agreed,” Janssen says. But living

retire because of exhaustion and dehydration, a crushing

on different continents they had to train separately. So

blow to the women. On the fifth and toughest day, the

Janssen found two other DB women to train with, Mallette

80-kilometre run, the women walked 51 kilometres before

De la Riva and Wendy Cooper.

receiving hot water to make their freeze-dried food. Janssen’s hips felt like wooden Pinocchio’s. “Getting the

The trio trained for six months whenever they could. They

hot water to make the food was heaven on Earth!” she

power walked 30-40 kilometres several times a week,

recalls. During the 80-kilometre trek, they woke at 4am and

starting out in DB and ending up beyond Mui Wo on the

hiked on beautiful but treacherous mountains of sand, for

mountain hiking trails. The race stretches over seven days,

every two steps forward they fell one step back. “The fun

with four days of 40-kilometres each, one day/ night of 80

part was running down them,” Janssen says, “like giant

kilometres, then finishing with a 15-kilometre trek through

sand dunes at the seaside.”

the Gobi’s Flaming Mountain. Janssen learned how strong nature is, how little human For training advice Janssen also consulted Rob James, a

beings are, how dangerous an ultramarathon can be if you

DB resident who came in second in Racing the Planet’s

are not prepared, how helpful people are, how lucky she is

Atacama Crossing this March.

she could do this, and how dear her family is to her.

“I told her not to be worried because she’s done the Oxfam

“I have moved my limits by doing this race,” Janssen says

Trailwalker, one of the toughest events due to the terrain

in her Belgian accent. So would she do it again? “I, well, I

and climate,” James says. “Anyone who can mentally

would do it immediately again. I loved it.”

tough it out for 100 kilometres in under 20 hours on the Maclehose will do really well.” Janssen finished her fastest trailwalker in 18 hours. “Kobi is mentally very tough. I knew she’d finish the Gobi,” James says. “It’s accepted that these races after the first 10 kilometres each day are 90% mental and 10% in your head.”

November 2011

Desert racer • Read more about Kobi Janssen’s 250-kilometre marathon in the Gobi Desert on her blog, Kobi in the Gobi. • For Racing the Planet’s Gobi March, Atacama Crossing, Sahara Race and The Last Desert, go to www.4deserts.com.

Teammates on the Gobi March: Wendy Cooper, Kobi Janssen and Gabi Schotter

INFOCUS

dual

citizenship There’s a certain amount of fallout whenever two cultures collide, especially if you are trying to live within both, as Lauren Gordon reports

iving in Hong Kong you have likely heard of people growing up as part of a ‘third culture’, and you’ll see friends dealing with a wide spectrum of inter-racial issues. But a less well-documented

dilemma that many people are working through is feeling ‘culture crunched’. “As an expat, you can explore cultures without having to adjust to them. Culture crunch is where you have no choice, demands are placed on you from two cultures and the impact can be huge,” explains Dr Jadis Blurton, a clinical psychologist and executive director of Therapy Associates (HK) Ltd. “You don’t feel local to where you are, and you don’t feel fully part of the other culture either. You are trying to live by two cultures.”

DB-resident Terry Jobson (not her real name)

November 2011

INFOCUS

Dr Blurton says people in a range of situations face culture

Jobson recalls a recent incident at a Starbucks on Hong-

crunch, including immigrants, people who ‘return to their

Kong side. “I ordered a Frappuccino, in English, then

home country’ having been brought up overseas, students

started speaking to my friend in Cantonese. The man

going to study abroad and local Hong Kong children in

behind the counter actually said (in Cantonese), ‘Oh you

international schools.

are so high and mighty, practicing your English skills!’.”

Issues with mistaken identity

Jobson adds ruefully that local work colleagues have often called her “banana” in the past, meaning she is ‘yellow on

A key group facing the culture crunch are people of local

the outside and white on the inside’.

descent, who have grown up overseas and move to Hong Kong as young adults. DB-resident Terry Jobson (not her

Racism from two sides

real name) grew up in Canada, the daughter of Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong. She married a Canadian with

For Jobson, the culture crunch has meant a certain amount

British roots and they now have a Hong Kong-Chinese

of racism from both sides. Here in Hong Kong, this has

adopted daughter.

even created employment difficulties.

“The first 18 months here I wanted to go back to Canada,”

“When we first got to Hong Kong I became qualified to

Jobson, who moved to Hong Kong eight years ago, recalls.

teach English as a second language and applied for a

“I found many differences here that were hard to deal with,

job doing this. Frankly I don’t think I would have got an

and looking Chinese but having grown up in a western

interview if I hadn’t had my husband’s English surname,”

culture didn’t help.”

she says. “When I walked in, they actually said, ‘But you had a western accent on the telephone’. It was clear that

Like many newly arrived expatriates, Jobson struggled

they wanted Caucasian-looking English tutors.”

with the ferocity of the Hong Kong crowds … and with living in a small apartment. But what she found particularly

Jobson also suffered racial abuse as a child back in

difficult was the expectation by many that none of this

Canada. “The Canadian town I grew up in had only two or

would faze her because she is ethnically Chinese.

three Chinese families, so I got a lot of racist name-calling when I was young,” she says.

Jobson was largely brought up by her Hong Kong-Chinese grandmother, with her parents both working full-time, and

Alienation among kids

as a child in Canada she spoke Cantonese at home and English with friends. She never formally learnt to read or

As well as coping with racism as a youngster, Jobson had

write Chinese.

to deal with her own feelings of jealousy towards her peers. “I envied the kind of clothes my friends could wear, things

“In Chinese restaurants I ask for the English menu. The

that my parents thought were not appropriate,” she says

waiters look really surprised and sometimes even ask why,”

frankly. “I wasn’t allowed to go on sleepovers or to parties.”

she says. “I’m either treated like I’m stupid or sometimes they think I’m showing off, or mocking them somehow.”

“Different families have different cultures and ways of operating. When you add to that an entirely different social culture, challenges can arise,” notes Dr Blurton. “I see kids in international schools who have Asian parents and grandparents. Their friends and teachers are expecting one type of behaviour and their family another. These kids can start feeling like they don’t belong anywhere.” Many of the culture-crunched teens and even pre-teenage children Dr Blurton sees in her practice have behavioural problems and issues such as heightened anxiety and addictions. “I’ve had a 13-year-old boy in here who is an

November 2011



INFOCUS

alcoholic. That’s how he’s ‘managed’ the demands of

from local and other, more conservative cultures there can

home versus school and the wider community he is in, and

be conflicting expectations between home and school,

his feelings of isolation and not coping,” she says.

says Dr Blurton. She adds that parents and schools should encourage children to understand their own ethnicity and

“Teens feel alienated anyway, it’s part of a teen’s job

be proud of it.

description,” Dr Blurton adds. “But if someone feels so alienated that they have nobody with whom to identify and

Embracing the differences

share their world, that’s a very lonely place.” One benefit of experiencing culture crunch in Hong Kong Another example Dr Blurton cites of culture crunch is

is that you are likely to find others who share similar

the young people, who head overseas for their university

challenges, as it is such an international city.

education. “These kids have a lot of adjustments to make,” she says. “I have a friend who went to university in the

“As with most issues, finding friends with similar challenges, people whom you can relate to, really helps,” says Dr

States and recalls being told to ask questions

Blurton. “If you are a parent, get your children

in lectures. She went through the local

together with others in their situation. If you

school system here and was not used to this. She said, ‘I knew we had to ask

have concerns about the values of families of

questions but I really didn’t know how,

a different culture, get together with those

or when, or which questions to ask.

families. I find so often that there are far

I was actually looking in the book for

fewer differences than people might think.”

where the questions were’. People often For Jobson, who now tutors both local and

don’t realise all the little ways cultures and expectations can be different.”

Dr Jadis Blurton

expatriate students in Hong Kong, the secret is in embracing the differences, and taking the best

Complications with parenting

from both cultures.

“A common situation is where you have parents and

“Western culture puts more emphasis on kids being able

grandparents from one culture – and here it is often

to have fun. Chinese culture is more focused on work and

Chinese and other Asian cultures – concerned about

study. And there is definitely a difference in respect and

their children being ‘corrupted’ by western culture,” says

behaviour,” she says. “I’ve discussed this with my husband

Dr Blurton. “They imagine western parents don’t pay

and we think there must be a good middle ground.”

attention to their children’s behaviour and studies in the way they would, and they overestimate the amount of

Jobson is optimistic about the future for culture-crunch

liberty in western families.”

kids and adults. “We have all sorts of different family types these days and the world is certainly more of a global

This backlash is certainly something Jobson says she

village,” she says. “We are increasingly able to take the

experienced first-hand. “My mum was liberal for a Chinese

best from different cultures and make it work.”

parent but my Dad was super strict. I often felt very controlled, almost jailed, as a teenager.” In Dr Blurton’s opinion, the media portrayal of western culture

Be the best of two cultures

feeds Asian parents’ concerns. “In wanting to entertain, the

• Respect authority, think for yourself.

emphasis in a lot of western media is on danger, sex and drugs,” she says. “The stories they portray really aren’t what every [western] 20-something faces every day. The media can make cultural misunderstanding worse.” Teachers at international schools know that for children

November 2011

• Value your family, be independent. • Be a good student, ask questions. • Save face, learn from your mistakes. • Work as hard as you play.

FAMILY MATTERS

game for adventure

Karmel Schreyer talks to some of Discovery Bay’s many ‘balanced risk-takers’, and their families and teachers, to find the top tips for developing that ‘give it a go’ mindset

Team FEAR Junior Challenge 2010

November 2011

DB residents Kristy and Ana Jervis

Team building game on the DB beach

Lesia Pringle and Discovery College students

school principal is on the run and surrounded

them in some new way. The child who is a risk-taker is

by students, like a mini-Swiss Guard protecting

reflective and has given the situation some forethought,

a mobile Pope. Teenage girls are tackling

analysing it before making an informed decision or choice. I

each other on the beach! A father and son

had a very courageous student last year who signed up for

look like they could be fleeing a fire, but their faces tell us

the triathlon club and yet had never ridden a bicycle before!

they are enjoying themselves. What is happening here? If

I couldn't think of a better example of a risk-taker.”

Photos compiled by Karmel Schreyer

FAMILY MATTERS

it’s Discovery Bay, it simply means training is on for the autumn/winter line-up of adventurous activities — Lantau

Triathlon training

Calves events, a girls’ rugby tournament, or the ‘Holy Grail’ of adventure racing, Team Fear.

Jeanette Harb’s daughter, Anitta, is clearly enjoying the tri-training, and needed no prompting from her mother.

Lesia Pringle, coach of the triathlon-training team at

“She wanted to do it. She does soccer and dancing. She

Discovery College, believes that schools have a role to play

did boot camp too, for a time. She loves sports.” It would

in helping students develop the willingness to participate in

be no stretch to assume that part of Anitta’s enthusiasm

activities such as these. She explains that the core of any

rubbed off on Mum, or perhaps it goes both ways. “I

International Baccalaureate school is the learner profile, a

support her of course,” Harb says. “I carry her stuff. I go

set of ideals and learning outcomes meant to focus and

to every training.”

motivate students in their work and in their lives. Schoolmate Amanda, age 7, gets support from dad, Ray “I feel that schools, alongside parents, should encourage

Swazel. “She did the Lantau Calves duathlon last spring.

their children to be ‘risk-takers’ rather than ‘fearless’ in their

Her bike let her down, that was disappointing. But she loved

pursuits, which to me is a very different characteristic,”

it and wanted to do it again this year,” he says. It sounds

Pringle says. Risk-takers are courageous in putting

like he has been offering parental encouragement for some

themselves into a new situation that extends or challenges

time. “She was three-years-old when she swam a full length 

November 2011

FAMILY MATTERS

Ray and Amanda Swazel

DB resident Izzy Nash and friends

Training at Discovery College for the Lantau Calves Ageas triathlon (September 2011)

Team FEAR Junior Challenge 2010

of the pool for the first time,” Swazel says proudly. He

afraid. For us, the adventure is in thinking about: Who

admits to offering toys as an incentive that one time, but

and where do we play? What am I capable of this week?

he doesn’t need to now; Amanda has asked for a scuba-

How can I help my team?” She feels her ‘mum role’ is

diving course for her eighth birthday.

important. “It is truly my desire for Isabel to confront her fears and go for what she truly wants to be. I would like

Kristi Jervis, mum of Ana Jervis in Year 4 at Discovery

Isabel to have a taste of everything she is passionate

College, is on hand as both parent and support staff at the

about and be unafraid of failure — seeing it more as an

tri-training sessions. She says, “As far as motivating the

opportunity to try again, to believe in herself, and never

children for the Lantau Calves Triathlon in October, they

give up.”

did a lot of the motivating themselves. They were timing each other and reaching new goals each week. It was

Action and adventure needn’t be a competition: there

great to see them so committed.”

are a variety of organisations in DB and Hong Kong that challenge children in outdoor endeavours and leadership

Raising team players

training. Blaise Kingan rounded out her summer holidays with a five-day camp at Outward Bound Hong Kong, the

Team sports are another popular option in Discovery Bay,

international non-profit organisation founded in Wales in

and rugby has always had the reputation as being for the

1941, originally providing young seamen with the ability to

toughest of the tough. The DB Pirates girls’ rugby team is

survive harsh conditions by teaching confidence, tenacity

a case in point. Star player Izzy Nash earned her risk-taker

and perseverance. “There were a lot of outdoor activities.

stripes last season when she broke her collarbone — twice.

The week was a big challenge for me, especially being

Izzy says she gets “really nervous and scared” before each

away from my family, and I am proud that I got through it,”

game, but she says to herself, “Izzy you can do this!” and it

nine-year-old Kingan says.

usually works. She also credits the appreciative crowd for her love of the game. “I love it when the crowd cheers — it

Apart from learning inside the classroom, the YMCA

makes me feel like I can do anything!”

of Hong Kong Christian College (YHKCC) believes that students can be motivated to be adventurous and fearless

Izzy’s mother Fiona Nash adds, “I do see Izzy as fearless

through outdoor experiential activities. With this in mind,

in her rugby — the way she tackles is unbelievable. My

Tung Chung-based YHKCC organises a unique Life-wide

daughter is always focused and goes in hard and is not

Learning (LWL) Camp during regular school days every year.

November 2011



FAMILY MATTERS

When it comes to Team FEAR, Ryan’s son Zanskar, the all-round race champion last year at only 14-years old, agrees with Dad. “In a way my life is like the race — just the way we live — that is, having many adventures and fun times in the outdoors. Dad and I have a shared interest in the outdoors now and have a stronger and closer bond from this.” As one would expect, working together at such goals has benefits that transcend the sporting world. And Zanskar has some wise words for anyone who thinks they may be ready to dip their toes further into the water. “The [TeamFEAR] race has motivated me to work harder at my fitness. Every race you don’t know what to expect, what the competition will be. I really like to fight for the race and win, so we must work hard to reach our goal. But winning is not the most important thing. Don't give up. Believe in yourself. Don’t let your mind over-control you. You will have fun.”

YMCA of HK Christian College in Tung Chung

Zanskar’s final thoughts on the subject are directed at young people, but grownups would also be well-served to follow

Principal Dr Miller says, “The experimental learning

the example of this 15-year-old Team-FEAR champion, who

acquired helps students achieve the aims of whole-

is, at such a young age, living by words that many of us older

person development and enables them to nurture life-long

folk are still trying to get a handle on. “It’s good to get out of

learning capabilities such as social integration, teamwork,

your comfort zone — you never know what’s out there and

character development, leadership skill, perseverance

what you can achieve unless you try.”

and resilience. Authentic settings enable students to achieve certain learning goals that are more difficult to attain through classroom learning alone.”

Strengthening family bonds Asia Pacific Adventure is a Hong Kong-based outdoor education organisation with close ties to Discovery Bay. In fact, founder Ryan Blair has partnered up with TeamFEAR organisers, offering gear and logistical support and helping to make one of this community’s most eagerly

Get involved with an activity listed in this article • Asia Pacific Adventure, www.asiapacificadventure.com. • DB Pirates, www.dbpirates.com. • LWL Camp, www.ymcacc.edu.hk.

anticipated sporting events bigger and better each year.

• Lantau Calves, www.lantaubuffalos.org.

But these activities are not just about fitness, or the

• Outward Bound Hong Kong, www.outwardbound.org.hk.

outdoors, they provide a means by which families can connect with each other and develop as a unit.

• Team FEAR, www.team-fear.com. Says Blair, “For me the race is a highlight of the year not just because of what happens on race day. It's the two months before the race that I spend with my son training and getting him and his partner excited for the race. This journey is filled with moments and talks on the trail that bring us closer together.”

November 2011

If you organise an adventure-sports initiative for DB kids that you would like us to feature in Around DB please email us at communitynews@arounddb.com.

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MONEYMATTERS

currency crunch Which currency is safe to invest in now, and is the Chinese RMB all its cracked up to be? Martin W. Hennecke has some timely advise

ith one currency after another appearing

unsustainable debt/ deficits in those economies and avoid

to lose ultimate safe-haven qualities,

national bankruptcies on a large scale.

investors are getting increasingly nervous. First it was the US Dollar (USD), pressured

Since we live in a global world, such hyperinflation would

by America’s total ‘fiscal gap’ funding shortfall of US$211

probably result in imported inflation around the world, and

trillion (and by extension the pegged Hong Kong Dollar

currency devaluations everywhere. No country likes its

(HKD)). Then the Euro came a cropper – its days may be

own currency to appreciate too fast and too much against

numbered as both the possibility of a Eurozone breakup or

the currency of a major export market. Remember the

several Eurozone-member national bankruptcies are now

‘currency war’, anyone?

being openly discussed. And by extension, even more recently, the Swiss Franc tumbled due to its Euro peg,

Evaluating currencies

which it may or may not be able to keep. While no currency truly appears safe anymore, it still So the answer to the question, ‘Which currency is safe

seems that some may be relatively safer than others, and

right now?’, is probably none, except gold and precious

some ways of investing in such currencies may again be

metals, if we count them as a currency. A very high or

relatively better than other ways.

hyperinflation in either or both the USD and the Euro now seems inevitable, as a result of further rounds of ever

The Economist’s ‘Big Mac Index’ (overleaf) gives us a

larger bailout and/or Quantitative Easing (QE) measures.

clear indication of which currencies appear to be the

Money printing appears to be the only way to address the

most overvalued and which the most undervalued, on a

November 2011



MONEYMATTERS

The Big Mac Index Country

United States Australia Brazil Britain Canada China Euro area Hong Kong India Indonesia Japan New Zealand Norway Philippines Singapore South Africa South Korea Sweden Switzerland Thailand

Big Mac Price In Local Currency $ 4.07 A$ 4.56 Real 9.50 £ 2.39 C$ 4.73 Yuan 14.7 € 3.44 HK$ 15.1 Rupee 84.0 Rupiah 22534 ¥ 320 NZ$ 5.10 Kroner 45.0 Peso 118 S\$ 4.41 Rand 19.45 Won 3700 SKr 48.4 SFr 6.5 Baht 70.0

In US dollars 4.0700 4.7699 5.6497 3.7943 4.7433 2.2881 4.6918 1.9366 1.7727 2.6230 4.1227 4.1893 8.0928 2.7709 3.5889 2.6515 3.4288 7.3948 7.3480 2.2902

Implied PPP Rate (Purchasing Power Parity)

Today’s Exchange Rate 1 USD =

Over (+) / Under (-) Valuation against the USD, % ++

--1.12 2.34 0.59 1.16 3.60 1.18 3.71 20.7 5543 78.7 1.25 11.1 29.0 1.08 4.78 910 11.9 1.60 17.2

1.0000 0.9560 1.6815 0.6299 0.9972 6.4245 0.7332 7.7972 47.3850 8591.07 77.6189 1.2174 5.5605 42.5860 1.2288 7.3355 1079.10 6.5451 0.8846 30.5647

--17.1548 39.1615 -6.3343 16.3257 -43.9645 60.9384 -52.4188 -56.3153 -35.4795 1.3928 2.6778 99.6223 -31.9025 -12.1094 -34.8374 -15.6705 81.8154 80.8727 -43.7259

Source: The Economist, July 28, 2011

purchasing power basis. We find that the currencies of

USD, and Thailand is a rather small country where political

Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and even the Eurozone

uncertainties remain.

seem rather expensive, with overvaluations against the USD ranging from 100% (Norway) to 61% (Eurozone). Yet

Considering the Chinese RMB

none of these countries stand out significantly as models of economic growth and development. As a result it is

Hence the craze for the Chinese RMB (RMB), that has

questionable whether high-currency prices are justified.

recently engulfed Hong Kong investors, in particular, does

It’s worth noting too that the high-currency value of

not seem to be all ill-founded. China is deemed to overtake

Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, in particular, may have

the United States as the world’s number one economy

more to do with panicked Eurozone investors seeking a

by 2016 in real economic output terms, according to the

nearby non-Euro haven than anything else.

International Monetary Fund (IMF), with a consistently strong Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 9.5% in the

On the other hand, the highest currency-discounts versus

second quarter of 2011.

the USD can be found in India (at -56%), followed by

Hong Kong (-52%), China (-44%) and Thailand (-44%);

Even the much-talked about local government debt

economies which also happen to be stronger than those

problem may not be as bad as analysts seem to believe.

of the West. But then India is suffering from rather high

China’s total debt level, including both national and local

inflation and budget deficits, the HKD is pegged to the

governments, remains well below that of the average levels

November 2011



MONEYMATTERS

in the West. Meanwhile, the country’s tax revenues jumped

While you can find good value stocks across many

30% in the first half of 2011 to RMB 5 trillion, which should

different sectors in China at the moment, the Chinese

go a long way to enhancing China’s ability and financial

banks appear to be offering a particularly good risk/ return

strength to deal with any bad-debt fallout.

potential trade-off. This is because the banking sector has largely been shunned recently by investors, on the back

Yet, for investors, three main problems remain: firstly,

of fears about property/ bad-loan exposures, and lending

since the RMB is not freely traded, it can be difficult or

restrictions/ monetary tightening. Yet these fears may have

troublesome to get hold of cash or bonds in the currency.

been exaggerated considering that the recent weakness

Secondly, although RMB inflation eased to 6.2% in August,

of bank stocks has reduced them to relatively good

this number is still vastly higher than the yield on most

value again based on price-earnings ratios. And profits

RMB deposits or bonds. As a result, investors are going

are growing. Moreover, Chinese banks may increasingly

backwards in purchasing power terms net of inflation. And

profit going forwards from the internationalisation and

thirdly, experts are concerned about what would happen

liberalisation of the RMB.

to the stability of all of the world’s currencies in general, including the RMB, if inflation was to accelerate globally,

However, as with all investments, there are still many

as a result of further QE measures in the West.

risks involved with both Chinese stocks and funds, and there can also be no doubt that the seriousness of the

Gaining exposure to Chinese equities

sovereign debt crisis in the West continues to pose severe challenges and risks to all economies and markets

For all of these reasons, a better way to gain RMB exposure

around the world.

than queuing up for RMB bonds yielding 1.5% (or minus 4.7% net of present inflation) may be, very simply, to gain

Therefore, caution should remain the priority when

exposure to Chinese equities or equity funds with RMB

investing nowadays. It is advisable to enter positions of

income. (Many of which happen to be trading at rather

relatively high volatility only if the invested capital can be

attractive prices after the recent pullback). This is because

spared for the medium- to long-term. And only as part of

equities represent companies, and companies, as long as

a diversified portfolio that also includes a solid exposure

they have got a competitive edge in the market, can put up

to gold/ precious metals for the purpose of financial-

prices for goods and services sold in line with inflation and

crisis (and inflation) protection. Ideally, investors should

can thereby ‘float’ on inflation. Clearly equities differ from

also avoid using any form of leverage or debt, including

bonds or cash which do not have an intrinsic value and are

mortgages, to enhance overall investment security.

fully exposed to inflation. Importantly, it should be well understood that such Chinese stocks or funds do not have to be RMB denominated in order to offer RMB exposure. As long as the income of the underlying assets is derived mostly from the mainland, the currency of the underlying asset/ income will be the actual currency exposure/ performance driver. Not the currency of denomination of the stock or fund.

November 2011

Martin W. Hennecke is Associate Director of Tyche Group Ltd, an established, premier, independent investment-and-financial-advisory firm based in Hong Kong. For more information, you can email him at mhennecke@tyche-group.com.

HOWTO

Denise Adams with her husband at DB Marina

Mi casa es su casa

Mary Singer unlocks the door to the world of house swapping, an increasingly popular way to enjoy your holidays and explore the world

enise Adams and her family spent three weeks

in Hong Kong for five weeks, three of them on Denise’s boat

in balmy Barcelona last summer. They had no

at the DB Marina, and the remaining time at another DB

family or friends there to bunk-in with, but they

family’s flat in Chianti, thoroughly enjoying their time here.

didn’t have to make do with a hotel for all that

Denise and Jordi are still in touch, showing that friendships

time. Instead, they stayed in a beautiful home in a hip part

made are a bonus of the house-swapping concept.

of the city – and it didn’t cost them a dollar. They are just two satisfied DB-participants in the increasingly trendy and

There are plenty of home-swapping sites online, but Denise

travel-savvy activity of house swapping – more corporately

dealt with HomeExchange.com, arguably the best-known

known as ‘home exchanging’.

global house-swapping firm. The site has plenty of advice to walk you through what can seem like a risky business,

The Adams’ home-exchange counterparts, Jordi Salvia i

but its surveys show that 98% of home exchangers would

Lardiez and his three children, aged 10, 14 and 16, stayed

recommend the experience.

November 2011

HOWTO

Here is how HomeExchange.com describes the concept on its website: ‘Don't be worried about having a stranger in your house. Think of home exchange as internet dating

Feedback from ‘house-swappers’ to DB

for your home. Before you would actually go on a date with someone you met on the internet, you would exchange some emails, talk on the phone a few times and swap recent photos. By the time you agreed to meet, it wouldn't be with a stranger. You wouldn't go on a date if you didn't feel a connection, and the same goes for a home exchange’.

Non-simultaneous swaps Says Denise, “We've had about seven or eight exchanges so far, all very successful. In fact, we are branching out, and had a couple stay in October for a non-simultaneous swap; we will stay at their property in Auckland sometime in the future.” Though it is not the most common method of home exchange, many people do these nonsimultaneous exchanges, especially if the other party has a second home.

“We enjoyed our stay in Discovery Bay. We loved going for walks on the beach and we liked being in DB Plaza at night. I want to conclude with two recommendations: first, use the swap. You'll save a lot of money, you'll extend your stay, and you'll live in a foreign city as if you were one of the residents. Second, visit Catalonia, our country. It will not disappoint you.” — Jordi Salvia i Lardiez and family, Spain “We were surprised to find that these houseboats are so solidly built and beautifully equipped. As big as a good-sized house, they still manage to have a nautical feel about them, and having all that deck space (even a choice of three outside dining areas) is very impressive. Now that we know the area, we would gladly have stayed in Discovery Bay even if we had not had the extra draw-card of being able to stay on a houseboat.” — Richard and Christine Amery, New Zealand

Denise says that they have had several people stay on their boat over the last few years when they were travelling elsewhere. As is often the case with expats, a lot of holiday time is spent visiting their hometowns, so their properties in Hong Kong are left vacant. “We choose to use this time to exchange with say, families in France, and then we can combine all the ‘owing’ exchanges into a long visit to France next year,” says Denise. “Often exchanges are only one or two weeks at a time, so for a long visit to France, we need more than one exchange.” Hong Kong is a very desirable destination for exchanges, and Denise’s savvy strategy is to ‘bank’ as many as possible while they are still living here, in her belief that the family’s ultimate destination of Adelaide may not be as desirable to home-exchangers in the future. “To confuse you further, there are also ‘three-way’ swaps, where, for example, someone from New York might exchange with someone in London, who might come to Hong Kong – and we would visit New York at a later date,” adds Denise wryly. It sounds complicated, but like all things, it is apparently a real benefit once you get the hang of it. The idea of having a home-away-from-home on a global scale, and not being restricted by who you know, is certainly intriguing. And for Denise, “It all seems to work very efficiently – so

Setting up a successful house swap HomeExchange.com advises you to ask questions about the home and area, make sure you see photos, ask for referrals about prior exchanges, agree on the ground rules for your exchange, and even provide sample agreements as a guide. Other topics are explained at length: • Valuables: it is prudent to put away really valuable items and jewellery, but most household items can be left where they are. • Insurance and liability: check with your insurance company but, for the most part, insurance covers exchange partners as invited guests in your home. • Cars: about half our members exchange cars, but it is entirely up to you. • Cleaning: sometimes owners arrange for cleaning, other times you clean the house before you leave. The general rule is to leave the house exactly as you found it, and to take care of the home as you expect your partner to take care of yours. • Pets: listings clearly note whether there are pets in the house and whether pet care is requested or required.

far, anyway.”

November 2011

TECHTREND

iphoneography enhancers Paula Lepore Burrough presents a few super-cool applications for the iphone photographer

eeping in touch with family and friends, no matter how many miles apart, has become easier and faster through email and exponentially through social networks. Photographs continue to be an excellent means of visually sharing our lives. Mobile devices, especially now with 5-mega pixel cameras, have made it convenient to capture quality images of what we are eating, who we are hanging out with and our surroundings. Then, with online access, instantly share them. There are hundreds of varied photography applications (apps) available at affordable prices. Most of these help the amateur photographer become as creative as the professional, and not surprisingly iphone apps are a big hit on the Hong Kong market.

Steve Jobs: 1955 - 2011

Camera apps

Effects apps

Artistic apps

Management apps

Camera+ provides a builtin grid, a high-quality 6x digital zoom, an LED flash and exposure settings. The application includes an image stabiliser, timer and a photo-burst function along with a variety of special effects, a selection of mode settings and editing tools. This app shares via email or directly to popular social sites. Photosynth can capture a 360° photo synth or stitch an interactive panorama shot. The viewer allows you to zoom, pan and rotate the image. Images are available on the phone’s camera roll and can be shared with Best of Bing Maps and Facebook. Worth trying, while it is free.

Instagram’s custombuilt filter effects, picture borders and ability to tilt photos make it an instant winner. This app has its own photo-sharing network and shares directly to social networks. iDarkRoom is less well known, but has far more effects. It focuses on making decisions easy — with one tap the app randomly picks an effect for the photographer. Modifying and sharing photos is just as simple. PhotoForge2 has powerful photo-manipulation tools and full-resolution editing. It supports adding and altering layers. You can personalise these effects by combining different films, lenses, filters, flashes, processing, papers and frames.

Wordfoto allows you to embed words into the fine-tuned parameters of an image to create a typographic work of art. Choose a photo then select from a variety of fonts and colours. This application has the ability to fine-tune, crop and share. Fotoffiti creates graffiti with a simple phone shake to spray. You can get creative by using various brushes and an eraser. Other features include zooming, cropping, printing and sharing. PhotoArtista Oil transforms a photo into an oil painting in seconds directly from iphoto. Simply choose a style that is more or less realistic and make adjustments with the finetuning tools.

PhotoTransfer allows you to exchange photos between any computer or idevice over wifi or bluetooth. No additional software, syncing or cables are required. It transfers up to 100 full-resolution photos at once, even in RAW format, and it also preserves all the photo’s metadata. Impression is a basic app that watermarks your photographs. This copyright tool is handy to use before uploading your image to a public site. Photo365 will remind you to photo-journal something memorable every day for a year. This project would be a blast to look back on; imagine watching the growth of a young one from birth to age one.

November 2011

ESCAPES

don’t mention

Photos by Cecilie Gamst Berg

Cecilie Gamst Berg, a long-term Lantau resident, takes us on a trip down the Silk Road to give her own inimitable take on northern China and Kazakhstan

was as awful as we now feared, we would at least be able to say we had been to Kazakhstan.

Armed with six months' worth of wobbly Russian and hen we found out how difﬁcult, or at

two intrepid travel companions, I set off on the slowest

least very annoying, it is to get a visa to

train in the world, for the 44-hour journey from Shenzhen

Kazakhstan, we almost gave up. Bank

to Lanzhou, en route to the Kazakhstan border. We

statements for the last three months, proof

slept 40-centimetres below the ceiling of a 90-people

of address, a letter of invitation from at least the president,

'hard-sleeper' carriage instead of in the bottom bunks

plane tickets ... Anyone could be forgiven for thinking the

of the luxurious, air-conditioned four-people cabin we

country is trying to avoid tourists at all costs.

had envisaged.

The receptionist who greeted us with a curt nod at the

For me this was nothing, having once spent 37 hours

Kazakhstan Consulate General in Hong Kong, before going

on a train without even a seat, but I could tell my friends

on to be sneering, sarcastic and extremely unhelpful, made

were ﬂagging a bit towards the end. Thankfully, a quick

us even less keen to go. If this was the country's face, we

walk around wonderful Lanzhou with its excellent grapes

could only imagine what lurked behind its borders. In the

and melons, weird mountain ranges and frontier-town

end we decided to push on with our vacation – even if it

atmosphere, soon made them forget all privations.

November 2011

ESCAPES

ze Borat Camel riding in the Singing Sand Dunes, Dunhuang

Dunhuang's main tourist spot: the Singing Sand Dunes. Here you can ride a camel and watch the sunrise over an endless ocean of salmon-coloured sand. We got up at 5am to beat the crowds, but found that the crowds were already And when, a couple of days later, we stood open-mouthed

there. To the accompaniment of screaming teenagers

before the mighty Jiayuguan Fort in Gansu at the very end

and people shouting into their iPhones, we trotted along

of the Great Wall – the end of the known world in the Ming

the sand ridges in the chilly morning, the patient beasts'

Dynasty – we knew this trip would be epic.

muscles working beneath our saddles.

On the Silk Road

Next day, we decided to go on to Turpan, an oasis town set in a mountain basin, on the northern side of the Turpan

Bring food on the train. As we plodded on further and

Depression. We were very happy there, not least because

further into the interior, we found that the ease with which

the temperature had dropped to a chilly 38 degrees

we acquired train tickets was due to China Rail having put

compared to the 44 degrees we had endured the week

on extra trains to accommodate tour groups and travelling

before. And just outside Turpan is the wondrous Grape

students. Extra trains, yes, but no extra restaurant cars.

Valley, irrigated by snowmelt, naturally. There are more

This was a huge and recurring disappointment, as drinking

than a hundred kinds of seedless grapes in Grape Valley,

beer and playing cards is a highlight of any long-distance

and you can pick them off the vines if you don’t feel like

train trip in China.

buying a sizable bunch for HK$5 or so.

Next stop, Dunhuang, an important Buddhist centre and

Off limits near Hejing

trade hub on the Silk Road. We stayed in the beautiful Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel built in the style of a Ming Dynasty

Now we were in Xinjiang proper, we had some time

palace; wildly over-priced for China but with a long-

before we had to reach Urumqi and our train to

awaited wi-ﬁ in the coffee shop.

Kazakhstan. So why not stop over somewhere new? Hejing looked just right in size and location, and was

The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel is 15-minutes’ walk from



only a short bus ride away.

November 2011

ESCAPES

Jiayuguan Fort in Gansu, at the end of the Great Wall

But Hejing, though beautiful, turned out to be off-limits to

was something to do with the train crossing borders

‘foreign friends’, according to the first hotel receptionist we

and the terrible things Chinese food could do to the

spoke to. We tried another hotel and after a bit of parlaying (I'd

Kazakh eco-system.

like to think it was because the receptionist was Mongolian and sympathised with the racially discriminated against) I

During the interminable wait at the border to check

managed to wangle two rooms. And what rooms: splendidly

passports and search for dangerous contraband like

bay-windowed and each with an electric mahjong table.

books, we were escorted to the station toilet by the Chinese border guard. There was a sign saying in

The next day we took a long walk into a rocky wilderness. There was a sign saying ‘Military Area,

English, ‘Urine! S***! Outpour in the Pit’! That sign alone made the whole 36-hour trip worthwhile.

No Digging’ but we didn't do any digging so thought we would be okay. The police had other ideas. They

Now I could ﬁnally use the Russian I had spent six

came out of nowhere, shoving us into their car and

months wrestling with, and my ﬁrst question to the

whisking us back to the hotel. Although perfectly

passport controllers was, naturally, “Have you got

civil, they didn't drive off until they had made sure we were well and truly back in reception.

any documents?” They started reaching for their inner pockets before quickly checking themselves, ‘Hey! We're the ones who should be saying that’.

In the lobby, waiting to go out for dinner that night, I noticed the receptionist talking

So this vast emptiness we were

‘foreigners … rooms … tonight’. I

experiencing

kind of ﬁgured it was about us. And indeed, it turned out we were under house arrest: for our own safety, naturally.

Photo by Mary Singer

animatedly on the phone, and heard

was

Kazakhstan,

home of Borat, the fictitious Kazakh

journalist

immortalised

English

comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Apparently he's not overly popular back home, but it has to be said, he's done wonders for tourism. Not

I was of course wildly excited –

that the government seems to want tourists –

this was my first house arrest after

Kazakhstan has oil remember.

22 years in China – but, confined to the hotel until our morning departure,

Not many neighbouring countries can be more

I tried to look put upon and vexed. I still

different than Kazakhstan and China. For a

don't know what was so terribly secret

start, we suddenly found ourselves among some

about Hejing; probably some nuclear-testing

incredibly hefty people, and when you look at their

ground or other. It normally is.

diet it's not surprising. There was starch and stodge everywhere – apart from in the markets, where the

And so to Kazakhstan

stalls even outdid China in fantastic-looking fruits and vegetables.

Safe in Urumqi it was time to take the train

to Kazakhstan — in an extremely luxurious

The biggest city in Kazakhstan, Almaty, is so

cabin with electric sockets … no restaurant

full of trees it's almost too much. It's impossible

car of course. The reason? I gathered it

to photograph any buildings because they're all 

November 2011

Cecilie Gamst Berg grooving on the Silk Road

FINANCIAL PLANNING ASK THE EXPERT…. Who am I? KayeKaye Khemlani at your service, a native English speaker with strong presence in Discovery Bay.

My thoughts: Welcome back DB Residents and Hong Kong locals, the holidays are now over and at last I am finally changing my ad so hopefully someone will notice. Well what can I say about insurance that I haven’t already mentioned before? Obviously, we all need it and should have certain kinds, especially medical, saving, life and home owners, otherwise my placing the ads here has been a waste of time. I do encourage all of you to take the time, (really it’s time well spent), to go over your collection of policies and ask yourself, “Is this enough or too much or just right?” I would be more than happy to sit down with you at no cost and go over your existing coverage, just give me a ring on an email.

Your questions: It’s time to return to old fashioned, traditional, life and savings products with guaranteed returns; medical and critical illness products to protect against a heart attack when you look at your investment portfolio. Our multinational company has plenty of such products. I can be your one-stop insurance broker.

My offer: I can do a comparison shop for you, to check if you have the right product at the right price…Free of charge.

CONTACT ME ANYTIME

9811 1554 Kailash_k3@hotmail.com kishus@i-cable.com Watch out for next month’s column with more useful tips!

ESCAPES Turpan, an oasis town set in a mountain basin

obscured by trees. Every street at ﬁrst sight looks like the entrance to a dense park, but it's just rows and rows of trees. A beautiful sight of course, and they are a boon ecologically because the trafﬁc is relentless. When you go to Kazakhstan, I strongly recommend that you learn some Russian: how to read the Cyrillic alphabet at least. Nobody speaks English, not even those who work in the tourism industry. And yes, the staff at the Kazakhstan Consulate in Hong Kong were the shape of things to come. It wasn't so much 'service with a snarl' as 'service through pretending the customer doesn't exist’.

How to get there For a tourist visa, contact the Kazakhstan Consulate General Hong Kong: www.consul-kazakhstan.org.hk.

horsemeat. Don't want to gnaw on Trigger? Have some

For train tickets, visit China Travel Services at 1/F China Travel Building, 77 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong Island. Or call 2522 0450.

anyway. For me, at least, the horsemeat, whether eaten as

Read more from Cecilie on China

But it’s all worth it when you have your ﬁrst taste of

a steak or smoked in a mayonnaise-laden salad, is the true star of Kazakhstan and the highlight of our sojourn there. Which I think is a bit sad. But now at least I can say I’ve been there.

Don’t Joke On The Stairs: How I learnt to navigate China by breaking the rules, by Cecilie Gamst Berg, is available at all good bookshops.

DISCOVERY BAY’S BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

Turpan, an oasis town in Xinjiang Province

Proud sponsor of Picnic in the Park since 2008 Come and visit us at our AGS tents

Saturday 5 November 2011, Siena Park

Photos by Catharine Nicol

Photos by Matt McLaughlin and courtesy of iFly Singapore

ACTION

Kids age 7 and up can skydive at iFly Singapore

y son is falling. His body accelerates to

the fun parks and the mini golf and the all-you-can-eat

terminal velocity, around 195-kilometres/

buffet dinners, we’ve signed up for two flights each in

hour, and the massive airflow distorts his

their wind tunnel.

face. His goggles press into his eyes and the

blast concaves his cheeks, making him look like a cartoon

Experiments in bodyflight

character. He is really flying now, his back arched and his arms and legs splayed in the classic skydivers’ pose. He

From the outside the facility looks like a cross between a

even looks like he might be enjoying himself. But I don’t

grain silo and a NASA rocket, threatening to break free from

remember us jumping out of an aeroplane.

its foundations and launch skywards at any moment. We are ushered inside and issued with jumpsuits, helmets and

We didn’t. We are at SkyVenture, an indoor-skydiving

goggles, and taken through a safety briefing by our chirpy and

simulator in Orlando, Florida. Needing a break from

terminally hip jump instructor Chad, a Shaun White lookalike.

November 2011

ACTION

DB-resident Joshua McLaughlin

tunnel rats Indoor skydiving is one craze that’s really catching on globally. DB pilot Matt McLaughlin challenges us to experience the thrills of bodyflight and free fall

My son is up first, and exits the wind tunnel after his one-

How come kids make this look so easy? It seems the more

minute ‘free-fall’ to a round of applause and high-fives

I try, the harder it is. Chad yells at me over the noise of the

from the waiting student flyers in our group. This boy is

giant fans above us, “Relax, dude! Relax!” I do, and he’s right

a natural. I’m up next. This can’t be too hard, I think, if

– for a few moments I hover in the middle of the chamber,

my 10-year-old son can make it look easy. How wrong

almost as competently as my son. A millisecond after I

I am. I take a giant man-leap into the airflow, and I’m

realise this, and start to enjoy the experience, I’m all arms

instantly looking like a dork. I flail about like a crash-test

and legs again, and I careen off into the Perspex wall and

dummy thrown from a great height, all arms and legs and

sink to the mesh yet again. The photos are most unflattering.

awkwardness. Upside down, side-on, and eventually facedown on the mesh at the floor of the wind tunnel. Chad

The first human ‘bodyflight’ (as it came to be known)

does his best to hold me in the correct flying position, but

took place at a military vertical-wind tunnel at the Wright

it’s a struggle.

Patterson Air Force base in Ohio in 1964. Prior  to this no one 

November 2011

ACTION

had thought humans could fly inside what was built as an

are underway: ‘iFly 032 – Training. iFly 031 – Boarding. iFly

aerospace, aerodynamic testing centre. Canadian Jean St-

- 030 Gear-Up. iFly 029 – Flying’.

Germain was the first civilian to bodyfly and, recognising the commercial potential of this new experience, he patented

The excitement builds as my group, iFly 032, is led into

the design for an indoor-skydiving wind tunnel in the late

the pre-flight briefing area. The first half of the training is

1970s, calling it a ‘Levitationarium’. The first of these

done theme-park style, via a slick video presentation, and

was opened in 1982, and there are now more than thirty

then we meet our instructor. Laid-back Kris Reynolds, an

bodyflight centres worldwide, in locations as varied as Las

American with over 15-years’ experience in both skydiving

Vegas, Manchester, Moscow, Abu Dhabi and Malaysia.

and indoor bodyflying, leads us through the correct flying position and hand signals (it’s generally too noisy in the

Indoor skydiving in Singapore

wind tunnel to communicate any other way). Body position: pelvis and back relaxed, chin up, arms at 90-degrees and

The latest addition to the global bodyflight network is iFly

straight out ahead of you, legs splayed and knees slightly

Singapore, opened in May of this year. iFly was designed

bent. Hand signals: Churchill’s V sign equals spread legs;

and built in conjunction with

bent V sign equals bend knees;

SkyVenture USA and, with a

Hawaiian hang loose equals relax;

chamber 16.5-feet wide and 56.5-

thumbs up equals doing well;

feet high, is the world’s largest

two thumbs down from student

indoor-skydiving simulator. Four

equals get me out of here! Kris

electric-suction fans on top of the

emphasises the importance of

tunnel, each weighing 7 tonnes,

staying relaxed, and tells us to

can produce tunnel wind speeds

make any corrective movements

of up to 300-kilometres/hour. Up

slowly and smoothly.

to 20 flyers can be accommodated at one time, enabling professional

Next we enter the heart of the

teams practicing for international

complex

skydiving events to utilise the

proper. It’s surrounded by seats

facility. iFly’s promotional blurb

for non-flying friends and family

tells me the stainless-steel mesh

members, the gear counter (for

at the base of the wind tunnel is

issue

strong enough to hold two adult

goggles and ear plugs), and a

elephants. Not explained is how they get the elephants into their iFly jumpsuits.

10-year-old Joshua McLaughlin

–

the

wind

jumpsuits,

tunnel

helmets,

snack bar and gift shop. The wind tunnel is a sleek white,

steel-and-Perspex chamber that wouldn’t look out of place in a Stanley Kubrick film. Once we are suited up it’s our

I visited iFly Singapore in September. It’s an impressive

turn. iFly 032’s status changes to ‘Flying’, and one at a time

set-up: a futuristic-looking structure adorned with neon

Kris helps us into the chamber.

lights and a massive outdoor LCD TV screen. The flying

chamber is clearly visible in the centre of the building, and

Initially it’s a full-frontal assault on the senses, with

the ground level accommodates a fast-food restaurant and

the overpowering airflow tugging at our jumpsuits and

a margarita bar. Entering the check-in area, it is evident

the wind-noise howling through our helmets. We each

this is a professional operation. It’s run like an airline flight

experience two 45-second flights, which is the skydiving

check-in: you are issued with a boarding pass for your

equivalent of two free-falls from 12,000 down to 4,000 feet.

flight, and an electronic departures’ board on the ground

Unlike my earlier experience in Orlando, this time I focus on

floor gives the flight status of the bodyflight sessions that

what Kris said about staying relaxed. It works. There’s a lot 

November 2011

ACTION

more control this time, and it’s an incredible sensation to be

Whether you bodyfly at iFly Singapore, or any of the other

within a vast body of moving air, feeling like you are hurtling

indoor-skydiving facilities around the world, be warned –

towards earth and yet suspended perfectly in mid-air in the

you may become addicted. If you visit often enough, you

centre of the wind tunnel. It’s the iFly paradox – you are

will earn the badge of honour shared by all those obsessed

falling at nearly 200-kilometres/hour, but going nowhere.

with indoor skydiving and bodyflying: Tunnel Rat.

My son is falling. His body accelerates to terminal velocity, around 195-kilometres/hour, and the massive airflow distorts his face. His goggles press into his eyes and the blast concaves his cheeks, making him look like a cartoon character

iFly Singapore

How the experts do it Once the seven in my group have had their two flights, Kris takes 30 seconds to show us how the experts do it. He takes a huge jump from the waiting area into the tunnel, starfishes his limbs, and in an instant disappears out of sight to the top of the chamber. He reappears in a sinking pirouette, his legs straight and his arms spread out, descending to the floor of the chamber like a spinning sycamore seed. Next he launches himself off the wind-tunnel walls running around the edges with his body horizontal, before flicking into the centre of the tunnel and performing a series of somersaults while perfectly suspended right in front of us. Finally, he lines himself up with the exit, and does a back flip towards the door, landing on his feet out of the airflow in the waiting area, having missed the edge of the door by mere centimetres. It’s graceful and impressive stuff. I leave iFly with veins bursting with adrenaline, keen to return after such a fantastic experience. The number one lesson of my trip to iFly Singapore: don’t smile too wide, or yell out screams of enthusiasm in the tunnel. Why? The 200-kilometres/hour wind-flow does a good job of removing all the saliva from an open mouth. You may exit the tunnel with a face full of drool. I did.

November 2011

The wind tunnel at iFly Singapore is 56.5-feet tall with views of the South China Sea

Location: iiFly Singapore is located on Sentosa Island, and is the latest addition to the cluster of family-friendly attractions already there, including Universal Studios Singapore, Underwater World, the Skyline Luge, Megazip Adventure Park, and the Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom. Anyone age seven or older can experience the thrills of skydiving without having to first jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane! Online bookings: www.iflysingapore.com. Price: beginner packages, inclusive of comprehensive training and two flight experiences start from S$89 (HK$550) per person for adults; S$85 (HK$525) for students and S$79 (HK$490) for children.

STYLE

well hung You’ve got a great piece of original art. Where do you hang it? And how? Elizabeth Kerr gets art smart

A contemporary take on the Victorian parlour sees numerous different paintings arranged together

f you find yourself with a white-knuckled grip on the

to taste and budget: a fervent dislike of elaborate frames

armrest during a car chase or as the hero ventures

is usually unshakable; glass is considerably heavier than

into a dark basement at the movies it’s usually

Plexi. But some basics should be honoured, first among

because of the flawless editing. The right cutaway at

them placement.

the right time for the right length of time succeeds when it’s unnoticed. In many ways, hanging art correctly is

Allow your art room to breathe

similar to good film editing. “Art should be hung ideally in the middle of a room and it Whether you have Monet’s Water Lilies or a Velvet Elvis

depends on the height and width of the wall,” begins Art

on your living room wall, the perfect placement and frame

Futures Group’s (AFG) senior art broker Jonathan Macey.

are like good editing: invisible, but you know it when you

“When standing away from a painting it should be level

‘feel’ it. Will an IKEA frame suffice for an original oil? Is real

with your eyes.” AFG specialises in art investment, and

glass preferable to Plexiglas? Do you need a matte, wood

so it has a vested interest in making sure a piece of art

or chrome frame? And does any of it matter if the art isn’t

looks its best. But most interior designers will concur. Art

displayed prominently? Major decisions will come down

is often placed too high on the wall: a good rule of thumb

November 2011



STYLE space. Another common mistake in placement comes from art that’s simply the wrong size for the wall it winds up on. Breathing room is grand but art swallowed by the surrounding space is every bit as gruesome. Another general rule is to keep the art to about two-thirds the size of the wall or its nearest furniture. A truly enormous wall may be able to handle that Victorian parlour look to a degree (see previous page).

Choose your art to suit your room It’s easy to laugh off someone else’s display decisions, but there are several steps that come before making that mistake. Many of us forget that not all art goes in all spaces. “The activities of a room determine the type of art you should place. You need to match the energy of the art to the energy of a room,” explains local designer Monique McLintock. That can range from the prosaic — children and sculpture, and uncovered oils and smoky rooms make poor Statement art needs plenty of space around it

bedfellows — to the theoretical. “If a room has high activity, such as a kitchen, living room or dining room, then the art piece could contain street scenes, scenes of people socialising or engaging in activities. Landscapes and images of gardens are best for bedrooms or other rooms of relaxation,” says McLintock. If you’ve purchased a piece it’s probably framed already, but art is a subjective choice grounded in the pleasure principle. Mounted art can swing from vintage posters to vacation finds to photographs. The question then becomes one of whether to

Artwork, and what you frame it with, is totally subjective

match it to the walls or the rest of the decor. Think of frames as makeup. A woman’s makeup should match her skin, not her outfit. But frames should

is fixing the centre point of the art approximately

also fit in with the outfit. As McLintock states, “I

150-170 centimetres from the floor, or 15-23

would always match the artwork with the decor of

centimetres from a piece of furniture.

the room and make sure the frame of the art piece also matches up.” That tends to mean modern art

A frequently overlooked problem is crowding. Wall

(say, Velvet Elvis) dovetails nicely with blacks and

space in Hong Kong is about as rare as storage,

metals. More traditional art (Water Lilies) works

so it’s easy to have too much happening at once.

best with silvers, golds and ornate frames.

The parlours of Victorian England are history, and unless you’re hosting a private Degas exhibit, give

Give your art a head start

your art room to breathe. Once you’ve solved your aesthetic riddles, some Conversely, you may be blessed with a large empty

November 2011

thought should go into the less glamorous



STYLE

Find it:

aspect of hardware and maintenance. Hong Kong’s

Art Frame Gallery Albron Court Shop LG1, 99 Caine Road Mid-Levels 2548 4105

weather can be troublesome, but the hurdles aren’t insurmountable if your art is an investment claims AFG’s Macey. “Keeping art in good condition in Asia has its challenges due to humidity and lighting. There are a few things to pay attention to: never place a

Art Futures Group 501-502 Wilson House 19-27 Wyndham Street Central 3758 7888

painting in direct sunlight. And, ideally, have a dehumidifier in the room. I personally never glaze oil paintings as this can cause foxing [discolouration].” he states.

Ming Kwong Glass Company 153 Queen’s Road East Wanchai 2865 0225

Lastly, respectable art dealers and framers will deliver your art to you with all the hooks and wires

Monique McLintock Interiors Ltd 303 Tai Shing Building 43-47 Bonham Strand West Sheung Wan www.moniqueinterior.com

you need to hang it, but if you are ‘doing it yourself’ avoid those cheap clips that are hammered into walls (HK$10 for six!). Macey says it comes down to common sense. “Use a drill to create a perfect hole in the wall, then use a rawl plug and correct picture hook. Always hang the artwork on a good-quality

Handymen to hang your art in DB

picture frame wire, depending on the size of the

For a ‘man who can’, turn to this month’s classifieds on page 68.

frame.” For Elvis, that would mean large.

SKAGERAK Frame Bowl Teak

BODUM FYRKAT BBQ charcoal grill Green or Orange

HK $860

HK $2,820

SKAGERAK Director’s Chair Teak with Texteline/Canvas HK $2,510

SKAGERAK Foldable Fionia Stool Teak HK $2,080

MARUNI Lightwood Chair by Jasper Morrison HK $4,400

Italesse Vinocchio Decanter Black HK $1,500

SKAGERAK Triton 2 Tray Teak and Glass

Scandi Table Walnut Veneer HK $7,300

HK $980

SKAGERAK Plint 3 Teak and Ceramic HK $530

Ap Lei Chau Discovery Bay

16/F Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau, HK G16 North Plaza, Discovery Bay, HK

T: 2517 2000 T: 2765 5700

E-mail: info@marcjamesdesign.com Website: www.marcjamesdesign.com

TA I O

Photo by Terry Chow

FERRY SCHEDULES From DB

From Mui Wo

Mon-Sat (except PH) 7:15am

7:45am

Sun and PH only

9:15am

8:45am

Sat, Sun and PH

10:45am 11:15am

Mon-Fri (except PH)

11:00am 11:30am

Sun and PH only

11:45am 12:15pm

From DB

From Mui Wo

Sat, Sun and PH

1:15pm

1:45pm

Daily except Sat

3:00pm 3:30pm

Daily

4:15pm

4:45pm

Daily

6:15pm

6:45pm

Sat, Sun and PH

8:05pm 8:30pm

November 2011

THE RED LANTERN Genuine antiques, small pieces of delightful furniture from the late Ching Dynasty. 4 minutes' walk from the ferry in Mui Wo in the direction of the Silvermine Beach Hotel.

Free Delivery to DB Tel: 2987 0099 Fax: 2980 4833 glandam@netvigator.com

HOTSPOTS

What's

new

around

Hong

Kong

c o m p i l e d b y A n d re w D e m b i n a

Calling all superheroes If there’s a kid in your family – particularly a boy – aged between about five and 10 or so, the chances are you’re familiar with cartoon character and TV series Ben 10. If not, basically he’s a superhero kid, blessed with the power to transform himself into mighty monstrous beings when required to do battle with evil aliens, who try to commandeer our planet. And some of his friends and relatives know his secret. The comic-book and small-screen superhero hits our shores in the form of a stage show this month, which references the best of all three series to date, in Ben 10 Live – Power Of The Omnitrix. Get ready for stunts and acrobatic action, paired with multimedia effects. Eight shows are being performed in English for three days from November 11. VIP tickets include a character meet-and-greet plus bumper Ben 10 goodie bag. Visit www.hkticketing.com or call 2861 0511 for booking and programme details.

Steep in seaweed

There’s nothing like a bit of personal space after a touch of excess – whether excessive work or play. ‘The Sweetest Hangover’ is a spa treatment that comes to the rescue. Sense of Touch, a well-disguised sanctuary in the middle of Lan Kwai Fong’s party zone, lays on this total escape that uses organic seaweed-based products from Voya of Ireland. The treatment starts with a warm soak in a wooden tub strewn with dehydrated seaweed, which when rubbed emits a gel, an exfoliation scrub that’s not too abrasive follows. Lastly, there’s a gentle massage to help you de-stress further. Priced at HK$1,590 for 90 minutes. Contact 2526 6918; www.senseoftouch.com.hk.

Masterly mix of mainland art

A mixed show of contemporary Chinese art by both established and emerging young artists is on this month at Anna Ning Fine Art in Central. Of the several 20th century Chinese masters to appear, notable artists are to include internationally acclaimed abstract painters Wu Guanzhong and Zao Wou Ki; Sanyu – known for his highly collectable figurative paintings and line drawings; and Chu Teh-Chun. Living contemporary painters include Jing Kewen, native of Qinghai province. His visual inspiration often derives from old photographs that he has found at flea markets. In transforming others’ personal memories into art, he reinterprets individual viewpoints of China’s cultural history. Contact 2521 3193, www.annaningfineart.com.

November 2011



HOTSPOTS

Key to a major club night Those up for an upscale international club night to remember this month might consider catching Peter Kruder, who will be spinning the decks at Kee Club in Central on November 11. An Austrian DJ, producer and musician, Kruder is a highly regarded electronic force, credited with creating some of the best beats of his generation. He first rocketed to fame with the dub-remix double-act Kruder & Dorfmeister. The normally private member’s club celebrates its 10th birthday on November 11, so it should be lively. Non-members get in for HK$300, including a glass of champagne. ‘Heaven.eleven.eleven.eleven Club Clicquot XIX with DJ Peter Kruder’, as it is officially billed, gets started at 11pm. Call 2810 9000.

All-day dim sum With adults or families in mind, Dim Sum Bar at Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui is worth a look: not least of all if a dumpling craving hits, outside the normal breakfast to lunch hours of most yum cha joints. Yes, Dim Sum Bar serves its namesake through the evening too. Like most dim sum restaurants, this is also augmented with noodles, rice and congee. There is a very reasonably priced set lunch for two served from 11am-3pm on weekdays: a choice of four dim sum dishes, a rice dish and daily desserts – all for HK$138. Highlights from the a la carte menu include wild mushroom cheong fan (rice flour rolls); baked abalone and chicken pastry tart; and fish maw and chicken braised in Hua Diao rice wine. Worth trying too are the baked, rather than steamed, buns – with barbecued-pork, almond-custard or dark-chocolate fillings. To make a reservation, call 2175 3100.

Jazzed-up brunch The Excelsior Hotel’s ToTT’s and Roof Terrace in Causeway Bay, though an established venue for brunch, has recently jazzed up its proceedings, quite literally. Live band Lovelight, with sultry female vocalist, plays soul, pop and jazz music. While enjoying tunes and panoramic views, diners get a selection of made-to-order main courses – such as ToTT’s Mixed Grill: a pork medallion, a beef medallion, a lamb chop, mushrooms, tomatoes, speck, and a Cumberland sausage, alongside savoury and sweet buffet selections. And unlimited BillecartSalmon champagne, house red and white wine and fruit juices flow. Served from 11.30am-3pm, the buffet brunch with free-flowing Billecart-Salmon Rosé costs HK$808; sans alcohol it’s HK$548. For kids up to 12 years, the charge is HK$328. Call 2837 6786.

November 2011

Photos by Tracey van Geest

DBFACES

November 2011

COMPETITION

DBFACES

Great prizes from Uncle Russ!

Congratulations to last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winner Alexandra Sauvegrain who correctly identified picture B featured on page 50 of our October issue. Please contact our office on 2987 0577 to collect your prize.

e have a fun photo challenge for you this month. While the three pictures above appear the same, if you look closely you will find they are not exact replicas. Your challenge is to identify which of the three photos is the exact copy of a photograph featured elsewhere in this issue of Around DB. You need to list the page number the photo appears on, as well as which of the three pictures is the exact copy. The first person to send us the correct answer will win a complementary drink at Uncle Russ in DB Plaza every day for a week. Email your answer to info@arounddb.com (subject line: Uncle Russ competition) or fax us at 2987 0533. Good luck!

ANNOUNCEMENTS TREAT NOW OPEN! Overstock boutique-department-store goods available at huge discount. 30%-70% off US retail price. Open Wednesday & Friday, 9am-12pm; and Saturday, 10am-3pm. Call 9447 0590

COMMUNITY

LA LECHE LEAGUE. For breastfeeding information & support. English-speaking monthly meetings in DB & Tung Chung, plus new Cantonese meetings in DB. Visit www.lllhk.org/ Meetings.html for details VOLUNTEERS NEEDED by the Riding for the Disabled Association. No experience necessary as training is provided. Visit www.rda.org.hk, or call Rose on 2875 7711

DB ANGELS FOOTBALL CLUB

The first girls-only football club in DB. For more information, visit www.dbangelsfc.hk THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION (HK) is recruiting volunteers to conduct small discussion groups in English for adults. Call 2186 8449, or visit www.esuhk.org CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT? DB Green, a local action group promoting public awareness & environmental education, is looking for new members to promote green-ness in DB. Visit www.dbgreen.org

Looking for a job in DB? Check our classifieds section

DOMESTIC HELP EDITA CEDORIA. Married, 10 years in Hong Kong with one employer. Experienced in looking after young children, taking care of dogs & doing household chores. Please call 9182 9843 DOREEN MARIE SARCE. 7 years in Hong Kong. Honest & hardworking. Please call 9301 5794 RHUDIEFIN FAUNILLO. graduated as an elementary school teacher. Took care of elderly employer for the last 14 months, with good references. Experienced in taking care of children, & helping with their homework & English language needs. Please call 6157 5410 JESSIE ALANZA. Filipino male 41, married. Experienced with housekeeping, gardening & taking care of the elderly, children & dogs. Cooks Asian food. Computer literate with Phil. & International driving licenses. Responsible, patient, honest & hardworking. Call 9885 0342

NOEMI. 41, Filipina, 13-years’ working in HK. Experienced carer of new-born babies & the elderly. Can cook Chinese & Western dishes, handle household work & also take care of dogs. Please call 6993 4019 ANNA. 35, working in HK for 8 years, finishes contract on November 9. Good at taking care of children, cooking & all household chores. Trustworthy, hardworking & polite. Please call 5440 9094 / 6430 9480 NELLICENT, Filipina, 6-years’ domestic experience in HK. Fluent in English, can cook both Western & Asian dishes. Please call 9611 3208

JOVELYN ABAD, 8 years in HK. Hardworking, trustworthy & reliable. Please call 5372 8474 MARIE GARCIA, 28, Filipina. Great with children, patient & a good cook. Please call 9251 4096

EMPLOYMENT LICENSED ESTATE AGENTS (Full Time) & GENERAL INSURANCE ADMINISTRATORS (Part Time) We are looking for the following people for our new office in Discovery Bay: 1. Experienced, self motivated, licensed estate agents. 2. General Insurance Administrators Enthusiastic persons fluent in written & spoken English to provide administrative support for our general insurance business. Full training given. Both posts offer a good basic salary & commission. Send brief details or CV to info@businessclassgroup.com EMPLOYMENT WANTED. Indian male, HK resident, old but energetic, available immediately. Delivery person/running errands (not for food/ flowers). Part-time or full-time. Call 9145 6731

Classifieds deadline for December issue

November 11

A well established profitable arts and crafts business for sale in Discovery Bay and Central. Catering to adults and children. Intrested parties, please email

artsandcrafts12@gmail.com

November 2011

AIRMED IS SEEKING highly motivated, exceptional critical-care nurses air for critical-care ambulance transports onboard our custom-designed aircraft. 2-5 years’ experience in a critical-care setting is required. ACLS, PALS, NRP provider status required, plus TNCC/ ENPC or equivalent certification. Current unrestricted passport also required. Email resumes@airmed.com

FINANCE & INSURANCE REGISTERED AUSTRALIAN TAX AGENT

We specialise in tax return preparations, tax planning for Australian expatriates, & private ruling for deductions. Holistic Business Consulting Pty Ltd Chartered Accountant. Call 6901 8136, holisticbus@gmail.com

Advertise your business and get great results with Around DB

2987 0577

HEALTH & WELL-BEING AUSTRALIA-TRAINED COUNSELLOR KAREN MILNE

Professional, confidential counsellor for individuals, couples & adolescents. Located in Central. Suitable for anyone suffering with stress, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, loss, trauma or sexual abuse. If you need assistance in gaining some clarity, direction & empowerment in your life, contact Karen on 6773 5562, or clarityoflife@gmail.com

CLIVE PSYCHIC / MEDIUM

Intuitive Business Consultant 2008, Australian award-winner with 23-years’ international experience. Contact 6233 0431, info@intuitivelyspeaking.org, or visit www.intuitivelyspeaking.org

DIONYSOS - DB PLAZA. Anti-aging Collagen Light Therapy for reducing wrinkles and smoother skin. Tanning booth also available. Call 2914 0868 / 9851 0254; info@dionysos.hk

COMPLIMENTARY HEALTHCARE FOR ARTHRITIS, CANCER & PAIN. Using traditional Chinese medicine & mind power. Free consultation & assessment. Call Annie 9654 0092 or email bms_bms@yahoo.com

HYPNOSIS &/OR SHORT-TERM THERAPY Quit smoking quickly. Resolve: • Fear of flying / public speaking • Overeating • Couples’ conflicts • Career & command-training stress • Anger management • Phobias • Nail biting • Insomnia Dr Melanie Bryan, Psy. D. Clinical Psychologist & Hypnotherapist. Post-divorce coaching at 2575 7707 www.mindmatters.hk

CO-PARENTING AFTERSEPARATION WORKSHOP

For all separated/ divorced individuals or couples who wish to maintain & develop healthy co-parenting of their children after separation. Also learn how to work with separated spouses in raising children. For details, please contact Resource The Counselling Centre, 2523 8979, www.resourcecounselling.org

THE SKIN THERAPY CENTRE, DB Fully qualified, UK-trained beauty therapist with over 16-years’ experience. • C.A.C.I. – the new CACI ultimate, incorp MICRO-DERMABRASION, L.E.D LIGHT THERAPY, to treat lines and wrinkles plus facial toning using micro-current exclusive to C.A.C.I • FACIALS - Nobel prize winning SKEYNDOR plant stem cell facials & homecare, DERMATOLOGICA products & Dr Murad VIT C, Glycolic peels, anti-aging treats • GUINOT - HYDRADERMIE with Lifting Plus treatment • AROMATHERAPY - using 100% certified organic oils • BODY MASSAGE / BODY SCRUBS / WRAPS for slimming & detoxifying • REFLEXOLOGY • WAXING & EYELASH TINTING using top quality/best products • COLOUR ME BEAUTIFUL makeover & colour analysis • GIFT VOUCHERS Call Gillian on 9604 6920 / 2987 0764

November 2011

HOME & REPAIRS

KIDS AKASH MOVERS For all your moving needs, including packing materials, & full packing & moving services. Plus small deliveries & handyman services. Also doing Lantau Island moves. Payment upon complete satisfaction. Best move - best rates Call 2421 8088, or visit www.akash.hk

BIOCYCLE (HK) LTD

Safe & Ecological Pest & Termite Management. ISO14001 & ISO9001 Certified. Unique biocide, BioKill®, ‘poison’ label exemption. Contact 3575 2575, info@biocycle.hk, or visit www.biocycle.hk

EXPERT-TRANSPORT & RELOCATIONS MOVER

For local & international moves. Collection, storage & disposal. All sorts of handyman work: Painting & tiling, & installation of TVs, pictures, fans etc. All-in-one professional service at attractive rates. Contact 2566 4799, www.expertmover.hk

FTC LOGISTICS

Local & international movers. • Packing, moving, storage • Handyman services • Home-repair services • Inbound shipment clearance DB moves: one call does it all. Call 2814 1658, or visit www.ftc.hk

PURE PAINTING. Residential & commercial paint specialist. For a free quotation, kindly call Peter on 9831 6051 FURNITURE MOVERS FOR HOME & OFFICE. We also hang artwork. Our services are friendly & reasonably priced. Please call 6139 5245 DB HANDYMAN SERVICE & MOVERS. Carpentry, tiling, decking, cleaning, plastering, painting, plumbing, shelving, storage & more. We will take care of all your handyman matters! Contact Mike on 9606 2047, rdelgodr@yahoo.com RICK’S DB HANDYMAN SERVICES We are fast, friendly, professional & reliable. Contact 6064 6906/ 9402 2790, rickyhandyman@gmail.com SIX HANDYMAN SERVICE Specialising in furniture repairs & polishing, & picture hanging. We make soft furnishings & do alterations. Male & female tailoring also available. Quality service at attractive rates. Call Peter on 9674 7531, or Farnaz on 6681 9520, or email perfecthandyman@gmail.com SLHK HANDYMAN SERVICE Need help with your electrics, plumbing, painting, carpentry, tiling, lighting, air-conditioning or boat maintenance? We also specialise in picture & curtain hanging, shelving, & furniture repairs. Contact 9514 6036, slhkhandymanser@yahoo.com ALL-ROUND HELP! Trustworthy, reliable male available to help. Pet sitter, cleaner, lawn care, handyman & cleaner. Very flexible hours. Please call 6203 2840 for references. Or talk to Marvin/ Reynaldo 6332 3355

November 2011

MOUNTAINVIEW MONTESSORI

The Montessori method nurtures every child's natural curiosity for learning. Ignites creativity & builds self-worth. For children 33 months to 6 years. mountainview_montessori@hotmail.com

GEMS OCCASIONS

Looking for that perfect party venue for your little gem? A colourful, safe & fun environment with toys & dress-up clothes. We have an entertainer upon request. We also tidy up! Please contact 9176 2990, info@midgetgemskidsclub.com, or visit www.midgetgemskidsclub.com

MIDGET GEMS KIDS’ CLUB

Established playgroup for children from 2-4 years. Morning sessions with afternoons coming soon. A wonderful environment where children learn through play with our qualified & experienced teachers. Also offering Bilingual Gems, afternoon sessions in German & Mandarin. Please contact 2987 0272, info@midgetgemskidsclub.com, or visit www.midgetgemskidsclub.com

MIDGET GEMS RENTAL

Have an idea for a children’s business? We have a clubroom available for rent, afternoon timeslots. Please contact Koren on 9176 2990

EARLY ADVENTURES PARTY TIME!

Need a venue for a party? Ideal playgroup environment with toys & activities. For further information, please call 9511 2107

Looking for a place to stay? Check out our short-term rentals this month

EARLY ADVENTURES PLAYGROUP

A dedicated playgroup with the emphasis on learning through play. Activities to stimulate all areas of development. Come & look at our facilities. Classes from 20 months to 4 years. Morning & afternoon sessions. Call 9511 2107, or visit www.earlyadventures.net

PETS PAWS GO POSH. Professional dog grooming & 5-star pampering for your canine friend. Reasonable rates & loyalty programme. Demand the best. Contact Julie on 9365 7584, faseyj@yahoo.com GROOMING & DOG SERVICES Patient, caring & loving, Japanese/ English speaking. Welcome Graduate of Petco Grooming School & Tokyo Pet Business School. Please contact Peter Tse on 9360 3048, or visit www.petcoDB.com

QUOQUO DOG CLUBDOG SERVICES

Grooming, boarding & behaviour classes. Responsible, patient & detail-conscious in a hygienic & relaxed environment. Call Dave Chan, Associate Member of The Animal Care College, Berkshire, UK, on 9872 5439, or visit http://quoquoclub.com

PROPERTY DB DELUXE SERVICED APARMENTS FOR LEASE

Fully furnished 1-2-bed apartments with beautiful decor, wi-fi & broadband. Well-equipped kitchen, luxurious bedding, weekly cleaning service. Contact Warren on 2987 2626 or warren@appletravel.com

SHORT-TERM 3-BED RENTAL

Fully furnished, 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom flat in Jovial Court. Linen & fluffy towels provided, baby items available. LCD TV, DVD, wi-fi, telephone, washer & dryer. Fabulous views. Non-smoking flat. Call 6905 3765 evenings & weekends or email jovialflat@gmail.com

LUXURIOUS 1-BED APARTMENT

Newly renovated, 550’ flat on a high floor. Fully equipped open-kitchen with bar. Filtered drinking water included. Flat-screen TV, broadband, stereo, DVD, free wi-fi & split-type aircons. Bedding & towels provided. Weekly cleaning available. Email dbaygreenish@gmail.com

CHERISH COURT TO LET Fully furnished 2-bedroom, newly renovated flat. Tranquil with sea & Disneyland view, & wi-fi. Photos available. Contact Jacqueline at 9811 0718, jacquelinedb@gmail.com SHORT-TERM RENTAL Bright fully furnished flat. Sleeps 4. Fully equipped kitchen, plus wi-fi & broadband, towels & linen. Minimum stay 1 month. Email dbstay4@yahoo.com 2-BED APARTMENT FOR RENT Greenmont Court, nicely & fully furnished. Call 9108 5525 1-BED FULLY FURNISHED RENTAL High floor with sea view. Close to pier & plaza. Call Tiareti on 9732 8985

NEW SHORT- OR LONG-TERM RENTAL

Greenery Court, 1-bedroom flat with deluxe renovation. Modern & fully furnished with internet, 37’’ LCD TV & DVD. Contact Sandy on 9654 8862, or sandylamdb@yahoo.com.hk

SHORT-TERM LET, PENTHOUSES

From HK$700 per night. 2-3 beds & studios all with balcony. Luxuriously furnished, with TV, DVD, cable & broadband. Panoramic harbour views & short walk to pier. Contact Brian on 9098 6951, or brian@headlandhomes.hk

NICE SHORT-TERM RENTAL

Newly renovated studio flat with open kitchen, 5 minutes to pier. Fully furnished, cable TV & broadband. Contact 2987 2468, or dbshortlet@yahoo.com.hk

LUXURY RENTAL FLATS SIENA 2

Short- & medium-term rentals. Near new plaza, Club Siena & tunnel. Quiet with sea view. 600’, fully furnished, with washer/ dryer, towels, linen, all kitchenware, broadband & wi-fi. Serviced as required. Call 9317 0624

PROPERTY OVERSEAS

SPANISH VILLA FOR SALE

20 minutes from Valencia airport. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Large living room/ dining room & kitchen plus garage. Mature terraced gardens with Roman-style pool. Large paved area to an outside kitchen. Good holiday rental returns: 240,000 euros. For more details & photos, email snr.cranmer@gmail.com

PHUKET LAGUNA LINKS TOWNHOUSE

2,200’, 3 bedrooms, on the golf course. Available for sale HK$5.5M or holiday rental. PHUKET LAGUNA VILLAGE VILLA 3,200’, 4 bedrooms, big garden facing the lagoon. Available for sale HK$7.5M or holiday rental. Both homes are fully furnished with private pools & beach shuttle. Email kasumico.laguna@gmail.com

AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY

Everything you need to know about buying a property in Australia. Information on property markets, taxation, finance, migration & legal. Free online at www.aussieproperty.com

PARTY ENTERTAINMENT We provide professional entertainers. • Character actors • Clowns • DJs • Magicians • Musicians & bands For birthdays, anniversaries & themed parties. Contact 2110 0014, or info@chunkyonion.com or log onto www.chunkyonion.com PARTY PLANNERS We understand how important a really memorable themed party is! We will organise the venue, decoration, catering, entertainment, bands, DJs, florist, invitations, filming & photography. Contact us now for a free consultation at 2815 7919, info@entertainingasia.com, or visit www. entertainingasia.com

FOR RENT, PHUKET VILLA. Located adjacent to Laguna Resort & Golf Club. 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, private pool. For more details & availability, contact 9050 4772 or email atsea@netvigator.com

RETAIL CITI MART

Premium Indian groceries & spices. Free delivery to DB, Lantau & Tung Chung. Visit 9C Hei Ling Pei, Tung Chung. Or contact 2988 1994/ 2988 1774, sales@citimart.hk, www.citimart.hk

SERVICES & OTHERS

AUSTRALIAN TAX RETURNS Need to lodge your Australian tax return? If you are an expat or collect rental from Australian property, you must lodge an annual return. Let us do it for you here in HK. Contact Australasian Taxation Services on 3571 8700, or helen.wong@smats.net, or visit www.smats.net

GREENDALE COURT RENTAL Brand-new, fully furnished, 533’ 1-bed apartment. Deluxe renovation, on a high floor, with mountain view. Call 9108 5525

SHORT-TERM FLAT FOR RENT

Comfortable, nicely decorated studio, close to plaza & pier. Fully equipped kitchen. 37” TV, DVD, wi-fi, linens & towels provided. Contact 9190 7348, niceroom_db@yahoo.com.hk

The deadline for the December issue of the Classifieds section is

November 11! November 2011

TUITION & COURSES

CHINESE MANDARIN LESSONS

DB Mandarin Room at Phase 1. For Year 1-13 students: schedule on demand. Many groups of different levels to meet each student’s needs. Helps with homework, revision, exams & more. For adults: beginners, intermediate & advanced classes every Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 10-11am. Please call 6071 9643, or visit www.putonghua.isfun.net

DRAWING & PAINTING DAYTIME CLASSES FOR ADULTS By a professional artist. Classes are customised for individuals & small groups. Contact Veronica at 6146 7004, vero.artist@yahoo.com, or visit veroartist.wordpress.com

November 2011

NEED HELP WITH APPLICATIONS TO IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS?

Want a perfect CV, report or cover letter? WriteWorks provides custom writing & editing by published writers. Contact 9702 4934, writeworks@ymail.com, or visit www.writeworkshongkong.com

MATHEMATICS (GCSE, AS, SAT, IB, GMAT, ETC.) & ENGLISH TUITION

Offered by a London University graduate (First-Class Honours). Experienced in teaching adults, ESF & International School students. Call 9121 0389

The December issue will come out

December 1

LOS PEQUES Clases de español para niños hispanohablantes de 2 a 12 años. Por la mañana o por la tarde, y también los sábados. En DB Plaza. Con profesores cualificados y con experiencia. lospeques.db@gmail.com

Your ultimate guide in DB DAILY NECESSITIES

COMMUNITY & HEALTH

LEARNING CENTRES

Bayside Dental Practice, North Plaza

2987 0855

7-Eleven Convenience Store

2987 4401

Catholic Church (Trinity Chapel)

2988 1515

7-Eleven Food Kiosk

2914 1183

DB Alliance Church Community Centre

2987 8136

Fusion by PARKnSHOP

2987 7486

Discovery Bay Community Hall

2852 4338

GNC

2987 9331

DB International Community Church

2987 7061

Mannings

2987 1720

Discovery Bay Medical Centre

2987 5633

Watson’s Pharmacy

2987 4089

Health & Care Dental Clinic

2666 6183

Wellcome

2947 9092

Herbal Healthcare

2834 7276

Island Health

2987 7575

Island Veterinary Services

2987 9003

HSBC

2233 3000

The Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council

2259 3422

TRAVELEX Money Exchange, North Plaza

2682 1210

Luen Fat Securities Co. Ltd

2987 1851

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

DBNUMBERS

International Academy of Performing Arts Discovery College www.actingantics.com Contact deborah@actingantics.com 852 6842 8092 - 8122 9475

FINANCIAL SERVICES First Friends DB’s largest & longest running playgroup Dian Clayton 9237 5411 or Iin Porter 9151 5545 firstsecondfriends@yahoo.com www.firstfriendshk.com

HOME DB Garden House Montessori Quality Montessori programmes for 6m to 6y olds For details call Ramesha on 6114 2436 ramesha@gardenhousemontessori.com www.gardenhousemontessori.com

DESIGNER SHOES LEATHER BAGS & JEWELS Customised leather shoes, genuine bags and jewels DB Plaza, Block D, 3. Floor, Apt. 328 Tel: 9433 6870 www.JK-Shoes.com

rush yoga ∙ fitness ∙ swim G/F, G35, DB Plaza, Discovery Bay, Lantau, Hong Kong Tel +852 2526 0720 www.rush.com.hk Mon – Sun: 10:30am to 7:30pm

Treat Boutique "Treat yourself, Treat your wallet"

Butterfly Dreams Luxury Bed Linens Ltd. “Luxury that doesn’t cost the Earth” Tel. ( 852 ) 9770 4474 / 9779 9424 www.butterflydreams.com.hk

Good Luck Engineering

2987 1313

Hoi Yu Transportation

2987 4488

Home Services Engineering

2987 0061

Hung Kee Co

2987 5087

Interior 18

2987 7803

Japan Home Centre

2987 1041

Marc James Design, North Plaza

2765 5700

US Depatment store handbags, jewelry, ladies wear, men's wear and more...

Next Furniture

2987 0222

Rapee-living

2987 7082

Tel: 6163 3421

Rich Point Hardware Materials

2987 0789

Season Art Kitchen Perfection

2987 1990

In Style

2987 8226

Tai Fat Hardware Store

2987 0789

Little Whale

3480 1348

Wing On Department Store

2987 9268

Nomadic

2987 8460

Yaali Designs

3482 5785

Start-rite

2987 2098

Yours Electrical Centre

2987 4428

Island Dance Freestyle, Jazz, Ballet & Tap Tel: 2987 1571 www.islanddance.com.hk

Kindergarten, French Classes & Tutorial services. French kindergarten open for registrations for school year 2012-13. Accepting registrations for 2011-12 LG-05, 92 Siena Avenue, DB North Tel: 6710 0391 e-mail: info@la-petite-enfance.com

Mandarin for Munchkins® Mandarin for kids 1 year and up Call 2480 3909 www.mandarinformunchkins.com

November 2011

DBNUMBERS

Your ultimate guide in DB RESTAURANTS

OTHER SERVICES

LEARNING CENTRES

Midget Gems Kid's Club Established playgroup for children 2-4 years Tel: 2987 0272 info@ midgetgemskidsclub.com www.midgetgemskidsclub.com

Fresh Fruit Juice Paradise

2987 4768

Discovery Bay Flowers

Hemingway’s by the Bay

2987 8855

Flowers for all occasions Baskets, Bouquets, Orchids, Gifts and Luxury Chocolates Free Delivery in Discovery Bay T: 2987 0802 M: 9150 7165 Email: dot@discoverybayflowers.com

il Bel Paese

2987 0202

Ippu Japanese Restaurant

2987 2886

Island Café

2987 9311

Koh Tomyums

2987 0767

La Création Bakery

2987 1829

PetcoDB

McDonald’s & McCafé

2987 1033

Grooming & Pet Services Wth Trust, Love & Safe Care For the ones you love

McSorley’s Ale House

2987 8280

Mirch Masala, North Plaza

2987 1337

Tel: 2914 0382 Email: info@petcoDB.com www.petcoDB.com

Moorings

2987 8203

Pacific Coffee

2987 1662

Paisano's, North Plaza

2673 4445

Peony Chinese Restaurant

2500 1950

Roccos, North Plaza

2997 8688

Sopranos

2987 2915

Subway

2914 0005

Super Super

2914 1308

Uncle Russ, DB Plaza

2682 0068

Mountainview Montessori Run by Montessori trained teacher Come and Join the Fun! mountainview_montessori@hotmail.com DB International School (Kindergarten)

2914 2142

Amity Shoe Care

2987 4538

DB International School (Pri. / Sec.)

2987 7331

Apple Travel Co

2987 2626

Discovery College

3969 1000

Pets Gallery

2987 0428

The Optical House

2987 1368

Well Supreme Laundry Services

2987 5151

Discovery Mind International Play Centre 2987 8028 Discovery Mind Kindergarten

2987 8088

Discovery Montessori School

2987 1201

DMR School of Ballet

2987 4338

Early Adventures Learning Centre

9511 2107

Uncle Russ, North Plaza

2682 8108

HK International Learning Academy

2416 3088

Wildfire Fresh

2987 8202

Les Petits Lascars de DB

2526 8892

Yogurtime

2259 4511

ZAKS

2987 6232

SKH Wei Lun Primary School

2987 8608

Sunshine House Int'l Pre-School

2987 0813

Sunshine House Kindergarten

2987 8143

Treasure House

2987 4217

REAL-ESTATE AGENCIES

Lifestyle Homes Tel: 2914 0888 info@lifestylehomes.com.hk www.lifestylehomes.com.hk

SOCIAL, SPORTS & EQUIPMENT

MULTIMEDIA

Centaline Property Agency Limited

2987 8484

Century 21 Newcourt Realty

2987 9729

Headland Homes

2987 2088

Kingsford DB Ltd

2987 6888

Bookazine, DB Ferry

2987 1373

Land Master Property

2987 6238

Dymocks & Gallery

2987 8494

Midland Realty

2987 2888

Fotomax (F.E.) Ltd

2914 2378

Fun to Read

3105 3588

Movieland

2987 7111

Pen’n Paper

2987 8898

P-Solution The Bookshop

November 2011

Curves Women’s Fitness Centre Club Siena Discovery Bay Tel: 2987 0772 c u r v e s d b @ g m a i l.c o m www.curves.com

RESTAURANTS

22º North

2987 2298

Café Duvet

2987 0966

Caramba Mexican Cantina

2987 2848

2987 1777

Ebeneezer’s

2987 0036

2987 9372

First Korean Restaurant

2987 9123

Embody Exercise for Energy for Life Tel: 2987 8923 / 9443 8333 Email: embody-hk@live.com www.embody.com.hk

DBNUMBERS

SOCIAL, SPORTS & EQUIPMENT

WELL-BEING

TOYS & CHILDREN'S ACCESSORIES

Planting Ideas, Growing Minds.

HK Dragons Football Club Football for 2.5yrs to 14yrs old girls and boys

Tel: 2987 2608 soyhongkong@gmail.com www.seedling.com.hk

Tel: 2987 4274 www.dragons.hk

Aussie Organics The freshest place for organic produce! Tel: 2293 2265 hongkong@aussieorganics.com www.aussieorganics.com

Body Talk

Lantau Island Outrigging Canoe Club Training at Lantau Boat Club, Tai Pak beach www.liocc.com

MOVEMENT IMPROVEMENT Pilates, yoga, posture & fitness 2987 5852 www.movementimprovement.com.hk

Sportsmanship Gymnastics Programs, Health Consultancy, Weight Management & Nutritional Supplements Tel: 2870 3524 www.sportsmanship.usana.com

Holistic therapy for illness, stress, sports injury & learning disorders Tel: 6683 5755 angie@bodytalksystem.com.hk www.bodytalksystem.com.hk

Stuck on You Label It, Own It, Keep It! Tel: 2549 2245, 2987 2608 sales.hk@stuckonyou.biz www.stuckonyou.biz

Bo Bo House

2987 4230

Toysland

2987 7859 TRANSPORT SERVICES

DB Golf Cart Services

2914 2727

DB Transit Services

2914 0186

DB Transportation Services

2987 7351

Hire Car Bookings

2987 6348

Passenger Telephone hotline

2987 0208

Wiselink Golf Cart Services

2987 9368

Feel good and control YOUR weight! Start your day right! Weight Management, General Nutrition & Health Maintenance Tel: 2987-9716 www.ihatemyweight.com

Nailed It Professional artificial nail services in DB Plaza Tel: 2987 2266

UTILITIES, SERVICES & EMERGENCY HOTLINES

Sports World

All your sporting needs right here in DB Tel: 2914 1323 Email: bruce@sportsworld.hk

Club Siena

2987 7382

24-hour Customer Service hotline

3651 2345

China Light & Power Emergency

2728 8333

China Light & Power Information Line

2678 2678

Discovery Bay Commercial Services

2987 4242

Discovery Bay Fire & Ambulance

2987 7502 2238 3601

The Skin Therapy Centre CIBTAC, ITEC, BABTAC, City & Guilds Facials, CACI-Face lifting, SKINCARE, Make-up & Colour analysis, Waxing & more! Please contact Gillian : 9604 6920 / 2987 0764 www.theskintherapycentrehk.com

Afflatus Hair Workshop

2987 0283

Maximum Care

2987 2060

Salon De Coiffure

2987 4112

Sense of Touch

2987 9198

Discovery Bay Marina Club

2987 9591

Discovery Bay Management

Discovery Bay Golf Club

2987 7273

Discovery Bay Medical Services

2525 6798

Discovery Bay Residents Club

2987 7381

Discovery Bay Office Centre

2238 3388

Discovery Bay Police

2987 4052

Discovery Bay Post Office

2987 6046

Gas Leakage Emergency hotline

2435 4511

Lantau North Report Room

2988 2369

December issue

Typhoon Signal Enquiries

2835 1473

coming out

Water Fault Reports

2811 0788

Water Supplies Department

2824 5000

TOYS & CHILDREN'S ACCESSORIES

Penny Scallan Design

Unique and individual Tel: 6015 4050 hk@pennyscallan.biz www.pennyscallan.biz

Around DB's

December 1 November 2011

DBMOMENTS

Photo courtesy of Helium3

Keep on rolling Around DB talks to the DB founders of Picnic in the Park – the people with the passion for music and community

ike many an amazing concept, it all started very

“With the other children’s charity we support, the Hong

humbly six years ago when four passionate men

Kong Student Aid Society (HKSAS), the first time we went

(Mark B, Jim A-D, Mark R and Nigel S) and one

to give them a donation, the kids were keen to perform for

woman (Jerri W) discussed the idea of putting on

us and we ended up jamming together,” he adds.

a live-music event in DB; one that would be very different to anything seen before in our community.

Getting PiP ready to rock was not exactly a walk in the park; finding sponsors proved difficult as did all the nitty-gritty

Six years on and Picnic in the Park (PiP), on November

coordination involved. Last year, PiP’s biggest challenge

5, is set to welcome 20 acts, more than 250 individual

was the weather. But the team immediately decided that

performers and 7,500 spectators! Says Jim A-D, “We

however hard it might rain, the show must go on! “And it

never thought it would become the largest music-and-

did go on,” says Jim A-D, “the DB community supported

dance festival in Hong Kong!”

us and the turnout was fantastic.”

But back in 2005, there was a growing band culture in

“Five years down the line, I am dreaming of a weekend-

DB, and The Vibes, Skin Deep (now Helium 3) and Midlife

long festival with music and acts performing everywhere

Crisis were already big on the local scene. DB musicians

in DB,” he says. “And maybe visitors coming in from all

were quick to give their support to the PiP organisers. “It

over Asia.”

was an incredible time because we realised that DB was full of talent and people just needed a place to perform and be heard! And we were going to give them just that,” says Jim A-D. “Today, some bands form just to get on stage at PiP!” From the offset, PiP was determined to find a way to give back to the wider Hong Kong community, and to children’s charities in particular. Says Jim A-D, “When we discussed the options, we felt a strong connection with Hong Chi Association. Instead of asking how much money we could raise for them, they asked us, ‘Can we bring the kids to the event’, and one girl even asked to play the piano.

November 2011

Did you know? • More than 100 volunteers help out on the day and they are all from DB. • Eight bands performed in 2006 ... this November there will be more than 20 bands (250 individual performers)! • The crowd has grown from 1,500 attendees in 2006 to an expected 7,500 this year. • If you look at the blueprint, Siena Park is shaped like a guitar! • To date, PiP has raised over HK$250,000 dollars for charity.

Discovery Bay T 2987 8143 dbay@sunshinehouse.com.hk

walking on sunshine... Sunshine House, a group of English-speaking international pre-schools, with specifically designed programs for children from under 2 to 6 years of age. â&#x20AC;˘ Bilingual and Mandarin Immersion classes â&#x20AC;˘ Primary 1 classes for age 5-6 years Sunshine House is committed to providing a vibrant, nurturing learning environment. www.sunshinehouse.com.hk

Tai Tam T 2813 0713 taitam@sunshinehouse.com.hk Tung Chung T 2109 3873 tungchung@sunshinehouse.com.hk The Peak T 2849 7123 peak@sunshinehouse.com.hk Pok Fu Lam T 2551 3213 pokfulam@sunshinehouse.com.hk Chi Fu T 2551 3781 chifu@sunshinehouse.com.hk Discovery Bay North T 2987 0813 dbaynorth@sunshinehouse.com.hk Clearwater Bay T 2358 3803 clearwaterbay@sunshinehouse.com.hk