Around DB February 2023

THE FINALISTS IN THE DB CNY DRAWING COMPETITION ! Hop

Discovery

star

Celebrate with us the best of what Italians eat every day!

iL Bel Paese offers authentic Italian cuisine, including pizza, home made pasta & classic desserts

VALENTINE'S DAY MENUS AVAILABLE

Chianti 尚堤 - 漪蘆 (3座)

成為福布斯全球物業聯盟香港唯一創始成員的物業顧問

我們現正招聘有經驗的地產代理加入愉景灣團隊

Chianti

Ref: #28844

首輪音樂陣容 FIRST ROUN D LINEUP

ARCTIC MONKEYS PHOENIX • FKJ

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE • MILET • MODERAT

MONO • MEN I TRUST • YOUNGQUEENZ • TYSON YOSHI

EZRA COLLECTIVE • THREE MAN DOWN

HITSUJIBUNGAKU • HYBS

HAAI • KIM ANN FOXMAN

THE ILLUSTRIOUS BLACKS • GINGER ROOT

南洋派對N.Y.P.D. • SUMMER SALT • BEN&BEN

BALMING TIGERLEENALCHI • LÜCY

假日貞操VIRGIN VACATION • SILICA GEL

ARCHES • 豆腐王國 TOFU KINGDOM

MR KOO • CRIMES AGAINST POP

與及更多音樂陣容即將公布 AND MUCH MORE TO COME…

PARENTING

In pursuing fitness and fabulousity, we need to be sure we are sending the right messages to our kids

INSIDER

With both stock and bond markets tanking this year, should we diversify and invest in foreign currencies?

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BAY MEDIA GROUP

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DISCLAIMER

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SHUMIYA THE TOY STORE IN DB PLAZA

A ‘dreamy place full of kids’ all-time favourite toys,’ Shumiya The Toy Store is now open in DB Plaza. This is the place to pick up top-selling toys, like Paw Patrols, Hatchimals and Blippi, with the collection catering to grown-ups as well as kids. From GUND collection to Cardinal playing cards and party games, Shumiya has plenty to keep the whole family entertained. Shumiya also stocks a selection of toys from the UK and US, including DC Batman and Black Adam action figurines and collectibles.

Shumiya is offering Around DB readers discounts of HK$10 for purchases over HK$150 and HK$30 for purchases over HK$300. Grab your coupon on page 9. Visit Shumiya at Shop G71 DB Plaza. [PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon.]

Happenings STUFF TO

EMS FITNESS IN DB SOUTH

Founded in Central in 2021 by Beatrice Chan and her husband Simon, EMS Fitness has recently expanded and is providing highly effective training sessions in DB South. EMS – Electric Muscle Stimulation –technology helps to contract over 90% of muscle fibre simultaneously, thus providing a fitness shortcut. Major benefits include strengthening, full-body toning and fat burning. Purported to be the future of fitness, an EMS session takes only 20 minutes and delivers the same result as a two-and-a-half-hour conventional gym workout.

EMS Fitness provides one-on-one classes with certified personal trainers and uses the latest EMS equipment imported from Germany. A major fitness trend in Europe for many years, EMS provides a low impact workout suitable for athletes and beginners alike. It strengthens the core muscles and can relieve back pain and contribute to post-injury muscle recovery.

You can turn to page 22 for a chance to win a free session. To book your trial and find out more, visit ems-fitness.hk/db. [PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMS Fitness.]

VIRTUAL GOLF EXPERIENCE IN DB NORTH

A new addition to DB North Plaza, The Golf Bay provides a unique virtual golfing experience, allowing players to perfect their technique and even play 18 holes. The venue’s technologically advanced simulators, designed by Foresight Sports, use high-speed cameras, which capture everything from posture and swing to the length of your drive. Stateof-the-art software replicates some 30 golf courses, from Mission Hills in Hainan to Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, immersing players in real-life scenarios as they work on improving their game.

Founded by former Austrian sports journalist Christoph Bauchinger, a DB resident, the venue consists of two bays: Bay 1 for left- and right-handed players and Bay 2 for right-handed players only. Numerous cost-effective training packages are on offer, and The Golf Bay also partners with golf coaches, with one-hour individual lessons and group lessons available for kids as well as adults. To learn more and book a bay, visit www.thegolfbay.hk. [PHOTOS BY Raphael Blet.]

& Events! KNOW IN FEBRUARY!

DBIS’ 40TH ANNIVERSARY GLITTER BALL

Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a glittering ball at Auberge Discovery Bay on February 11. The evening is set to kick off at 6pm with drinks on the terrace overlooking the bay. Guests will then be treated to a delicious three-course dinner with entertainment provided by a live five-piece band. The ball will be a wonderful celebration of DBIS’ journey from its original cohort of three students and three staff in January 1983 to a community in its thousands. For more on the event and DBIS’ ongoing anniversary celebrations, visit www.dbis.edu.hk.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

CHRISTIAN ACTION AT THE SUNDAY MARKET

Cookie Smiles is hosting a Christian Action stall at the Discovery Bay Market on February 12 providing a fun mix of cookie art and body painting. You can also pick up handicrafts made by the refugee women, who are supported by Christian Action’s Ladies Empowerment, Art & Development (LEAD) initiative. To get involved, visit www.cookiesmiles.com.hk.

THROUGH FEBRUARY | DONATE PRELOVED FURNITURE to people in need through DB Mothers & Friends. To arrange for pickup, visit Facebook @dbmf.collection.

FEBRUARY 4 | JOIN A BEACH CLEAN-UP! Meet at the gate to DB/ Nim Shue Wan at 2.10pm. Email dana@plasticfreeseas.org to RSVP.

FEBRUARY 5 | GATHER AT THE PLANT MARKET in DB Community Green Square from 2pm to 4pm. Visit Facebook @DynamicDBers.

FEBRUARY 12 | SHOP THE DISCOVERY BAY MARKET in DB Plaza from 11am to 6pm. Visit www.handmadehongkong.com.

VALENTINE’S DAY RACE IN PUI O

The Trail Hub is holding its annual Valentine’s Day Race on February 12. Starting and finishing at Treasure Island in Pui O, participants compete in pairs in various categories, including men’s, women’s, mixed, mum & me and dad & me. There are two intensity levels – the Easy Love (9km) coastal path and trail route or the Tough Love (15km) route that includes the climb up and over Lo Yan Shan (303m). Entry costs HK$680 per team with the option to add HK$100 per person for a post-race brunch at Treasure Island. To enrol, by February 11, visit www.thetrailhub.com. [PHOTOS COURTESY OF The Trail Hub.]

CLOCKENFLAP COMING SOON!

After a three-year interruption, Clockenflap is coming to Central Harbourfront from March 3 to 5, offering concert-goers an exciting line-up of over 30 local and international artists. Headliners include British rock band Arctic Monkeys, French multi-instrumentalist FKJ and Norwegian folkpop duo Kings of Convenience. Be sure to catch Japanese rapper Tyson Yoshi, Thai favourites Three Man Down and local Indie band Tofu Kingdom. For tickets, priced at HK$1,620 for a three-day pass, or HK$1,080 for single days, head to www.clockenflap.com.

MUI WO MOUNTAIN BIKE PRACTICE GROUND

DB CNY DRAWING COMPETITION

To ring in 2023, we asked young DBers to enter the DB CNY Drawing Competition and create a rabbit-themed artwork. The finalists in each category (primary and secondary school students living/ studying in DB) have been chosen through a community vote on Facebook and Instagram @Around DB. To see the prize-winning artworks and find out more, turn to page 28. [PHOTO BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com.]

The newly opened Mui Wo Mountain Bike Practice Ground offers bikers of all abilities a safe and exciting environment in which to enhance their skills. Located in Lantau South Country Park, it provides around 9 kilometres of new mountain bike trails and is the only venue in Hong Kong that covers all five mountain bike difficulty levels. The practice grounds, trails and technical features are free to use and open 24/7.

SOLARIS FOUR PEAKS RACE

In the epic Solaris Four Peaks Race, taking place from February 4 to 5, competitors sail between Lantau Peak, Mount Stenhouse on Lamma, Violet Hill on Hong Kong Island and Ma On Shan in the New Territories. At each destination, two runners kayak ashore, scale the mountain and return to their boat. This year, a team of para-sailors and para-runners from Sailability are competing for the first time. To find out more, visit www.4peaksrace.com and www.sailability.org.hk. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Four Peaks Race.]

MTR LINE EXTENSION

The Hong Kong government has approved the MTR Tung Chung Line extension project, which will see the line diverging into East and West sections. The project will include the construction of an aboveground Tung Chung East station between the existing Sunny Bay and Tung Chung MTR stations, and an underground Tung Chung West terminus, at Yat Tung Estate.

Scheduled for completion in 2029, the extension is poised to bring more convenience to Tung Chung residents. As of now, it takes around 25 minutes to reach Tung Chung from Yat Tung Estate, with buses running every 20 minutes. According to estimates, the total journey time between Tung Chung West Station and Tung Chung East Station towards Tsim Sha Tsui or Central will be reduced by around 12 and 21 minutes, respectively. To find out more, visit mtrtungchunglineextension.hk. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Wikimedia Commons.]

Tung Chung Update! WHAT’S HAPPENING NEXT

DOOR

THIRD AIRPORT HOTEL

Newly opened Regala SkyCity is Hong Kong’s third airport hotel, well positioned for MICE, weddings, social gatherings and staycations, as well as business and leisure travels. The hotel has 1,203 rooms, three restaurants and a bar, plus two banquet halls with a bridal room covering 1,789 square metres. Wellness facilities include an outdoor swimming pool and an outdoor gym. To learn more, visit www.regala-hotels.com. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Regala SkyCity Hotel].]

HOT HONEY AT SHAKE SHACK

NEW ITALIAN AT CITYGATE

Woolly Pig Concepts’ Man Mano opened in midJanuary at Citygate, with a focus on nonna-approved, artisan-style pasta, all made in-house. While pasta is the speciality, other Italian favourites such as Veal Parmigiana and Suckling Pig are available, not to mention an extensive selection of antipasto. Must-try desserts include Tiraamisu, Panna Cotta, Cannoncini (Italian Cream Horn) and Cannolis. Man Mano is open seven days a week from 11.30am to 10.30pm. To find out more or book a table, visit www.manmano.com.

WATERSIDE PICNIC SPOT

Shake Shack’s special CNY menu, Hot Honey – tasty ‘golden delights’ filled with sweet honey and spice – is available through February 25 at Citygate. Try the Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich, which combines hot honey-glazed crispy chicken with the Shack’s signature cabbage and green apple slaw on a freshly toasted potato bun, or the crispy Hot Honey Chicken Bites served with Hot Honey sauce on the side. To find out more, visit Facebook @shakeshackhongkong. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Shake Shack.]

The Tung Chung Community Liaison Centre on Tung Chung Waterfront Road expanded last month with an adjacent extension providing more space for conservation- and sustainability-themed exhibitions and activities. Lantauers are being encouraged to make good use of the surrounding area, thanks to the addition of some neat outdoor facilities, including a mini skatepark, a small gym, children’s play areas, plenty of seating and grass to sit on. The space is open from 8am to 8pm. Find out more at www.lantau.gov.hk.

Out & About!

WHAT YOU'VE BEEN UP TO!

CLEANING THE BEACH WITH PLASTIC FREE SEAS

Thirty-three people joined Plastic Free Seas’ first beach clean-up of the year on January 8, removing 169kg of rubbish from Nim Shue Wan. Of the 159 plastic beverage bottles collected, 116 were recycled. [PHOTOS BY Baljit Gidwani –www.evoqueportraits.com.]

RINGING IN 2023 AT DB ICE RINK

On December 31, residents flocked to the Glow in the Galaxy Countdown Party at DB Ice Rink to ring in 2023. Meanwhile, restaurants in both plazas hosted their own New Year celebrations for the first time in three years. [PHOTOS COURTESY OF HKR.]

SHORT TRACK SPEED-SKATING COMPETITION

DB Ice Rink hosted the Hong Kong Cup 2022 – Short Track Speed-Skating Competition on December 26 in collaboration with the Hong Kong Skating Union. The inaugural event was divided into eleven categories, with Hong Kong national team members Kwok Tsz Ho, Lam Ching Yan and Kwok Tsz Fung wowing the crowds. [PHOTOS COURTESY OF HKR.]

SHOPPING THE CNY PLANT MARKET

At the CNY Plant Market at DB Community Green Square on January 14, residents were given the chance to stock up on auspicious blooms and potted plants ahead of the holidays, as well as organic vegetables sourced from nearby farms. [PHOTOS BY Baljit Gidwani –www.evoqueportraits.com.]

CELEBRATING CNY AT GARDEN ARTEMIS

Founder of One World Spirit Association Shirlee Dickert organised a series of calligraphy workshops at Garden Artemis in DB North Plaza from January 12 to 14, with attendees invited to make their own Spring Couplets. The CNY celebrations culminated with a Hanfu Show and Zither Performance on January 14. [PHOTOS BY Richard Gordonwww.richardgordon.com.hk & courtesy of OWS.]

Be My Valentine!S.W.A.L.K!

Glam gift ideas for the one you love on February 14

TREASURE PENDANT WITH ARGYLE PINK DIAMONDS BY CHANTEL SHAFIE, HK$270,000, WWW.AUROM.CO

CHAMPAGNE PAUL GOERG PREMIER CRU BLANC DE BLANCS NV, HK$539, WWW.DIRECTWINES.COM.HK

VALENTINE’S DAY CARD, HK$35, WWW.BOOKAZINE.COM.HK

SAKS POTTS PINK COAT, HK$5,182, WWW.VESTIAIRECOLLECTIVE.COM

MARINE SERRE EMBROIDERED MOIRE BASEBALL CAP, HK$1,700, WWW.FARFETCH.COM

BOXED I LOVE YOU ROSES, HK$1,680, WWW.ESPRESSOBLOOMS.COM

DISNEY MAGIC ACCESS ADULT ANNUAL PASS (SILVER), HK$1,348, WWW.HONGKONGDISNEYLAND.COM

She's In Tune! THE VIOLINIST

Fifteen-year-old quadruple threat Donna Lee aims to take the classical music world by storm. Don’t bet against her. Elizabeth Kerr reports

PHOTOS BY Baljit Gidwani - www.evoqueportraits.com

Violinist and vocalist Donna Lee is very serious. She’s not into pop music. She’s tried it; it’s just not her thing. But ask her about Mozart, or her main man Bach, and she gets animated. You’ll get a crash course in the basics of composition, and what on earth a minor fall and major lift is. By the same token, it’s clear that if the Year 10 Discovery College student doesn’t make it into her first post-secondary choice, The Juilliard School, she could have a future in teaching. Or criticism.

“There are so many challenges in original compositions, starting with melody. Then there’s harmony and so many rules,” she explains, rattling off which chords can go where, and cautioning on repeating notes. Second chords can have a double third, but no parallel fifths or octaves, which are hard to spot. Donna’s able to make it clear that originality isn’t simply about unconventional chord mixtures. Of course, you can do that… “But it will sound rubbish. Mozart made a joke of it. It’s so funny.” She pauses. “I could talk about his for ages.” Donna also has a sense of humour way more highbrow than many of us.

If that makes her sound like the villain from a 1980s teen comedy that’s unfair. On the cusp of 15, Donna is just a little more driven, more confident, in what she wants to do with her life than most kids her age. She’s happy to be back in a classroom, but is desperate to finish with science. “Biology. Physics. Chemistry. None of them make sense to me,” she says with a shake of her head. Math is OK – it’s at least useful – and of course, it’s music in its own way.

TEEN MAESTRO

The middle of three girls, Donna picked up the violin bug aged five. By six, she was off to the races, placing second at her first international competition in Taiwan and setting her sights on Juilliard. “It’s a dream for now; I hope I can make it reality.”

Donna was born in Hong Kong, and relocated with her mum and sisters to DB roughly two years ago, like so many other COVID refugees seeking respite from the city. Mum Tiffany Ho is sitting on the patio at Pacific Coffee next to her daughter, itching to show off a video of her playing a Vivaldi Concerto in A minor at five. Of the move to DB she says, “I wanted a more relaxed life, and I think of this as a halfhour migration. It’s like moving to a foreign country without leaving. We have everything, a community. It’s unlike the rest of Hong Kong.”

When and if she makes it to Juilliard, Donna will be double majoring in violin and vocal, so her studies in composition and – one more – conducting will have to take a back seat. But that’s OK considering how her violin playing has matured in leaps and bounds in 10 short years, thanks in part to the opportunities to improve she’s found through supporters like her teacher, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

Senior Lecturer and renowned Sony Classical artist Gian Paolo Peloso.

Donna is the freshly minted first-prize winner of the 2022 International Music Competition ‘Paris’ Grand Prize Virtuoso, which saw her perform at Amphithéâtre Cité de la Musique Philharmonie de Paris, and third-prize winner at the second edition of the International String Competition Online

2022, where she was praised for her “fantastic and interesting musical personality.” In November, she performed at the I Love Hong Kong SAR 25th Anniversary event at the Cultural Centre, soloing with Leung Kin-fung’s Hong Kong Orchestra. She played Bach of course.

“I think the other members of the orchestra were pretty impressed,” she recalls. “After each of our short rehearsals they clapped. That felt good because these are people who ‘get it,’ and who are on a career path I hope to take.”

BACK TO BACH

People may ask why Donna is so into classical music at 15, and the reason may be similar to Juilliard prodigy Yo Yo Ma’s: She just is. Donna, however, has a touch of the evangelist in her. She compares the great classical composers to Shakespeare, in that too many of us think they’re inaccessible and dull when they’re not. “A lot of people think classical music is boring, and that’s so not true. Each composer has their style; there’s inspiration but no repetition. I think we need to stop assuming what classical music is, and give it a go.”

Maybe start with her personal favourite, the aforementioned Bach. An interpretation of his Partita No. 2 won Donna her most recent competitions, which represent the tip of the iceberg of her awards. In the last five years she’s placed in the top three at 10 competitions, including the Melbourne International Youth Music Competition, the 20th Osaka International Music Competition and the Charleston International Competition. Clearly she’s a natural. “Nothing in violin comes naturally,” she deadpans.

So the inevitable question: Why Bach? If Donna has trouble verbalising what appealed about the violin, she has none when discussing her love of Bach. “I started really learning Bach last year, and started with the Partita No. 2 , then then No. 1, then moved on to the concerto,” she begins, pronouncing the composer’s name with proper German flair.

“He’s known as the father of music. You don’t learn a piece for a year. You learn it for a whole life. His music is articulate and it tells a story. There are so many ways to interpret it. You don’t pour your heart out with Bach. He’s elegant and intellectual, and something you have to follow,” she says, before shouting out Paganini and Sibelius. “They can be a little more expressive.” Bottom line? “Bach’s music is just really good.”

Remember when Pharrell’s Happy was everywhere a few years back? Well, Donna has peeves too, and hearing her verbally smack them down is a pleasure. “I like Vivaldi. I think The Four Seasons is great. But because of mainstream television he’s been overplayed, and it’s been cheapened. And Flight of the Bumblebee . Oh my God…” She shakes her head,

PEOPLE MAY ASK WHY DONNA IS SO INTO CLASSICAL MUSIC AT 15, AND THE REASON MAY BE SIMILAR TO JUILLIARD PRODIGY YO YO MA’S: SHE JUST IS

exasperated. Ditto for Puccini’s O mio babbino caro , which elicits an exhausted, “Just. Shut up.”

TIME TO PLAY

If she’s not practising the violin, Donna’s busy with her flying lessons (she’s learning the theory) and hanging out with friends. Favourite flicks include The Hunger Games trilogy, Mean Girls and, duh, Amadeus . “I love classical music conspiracy theories,” she says with a cheeky grin.

Donna also took some much-needed time to do normal teenaged girl things over the holidays, travelling to Toronto and New York to see friends and family, and take in a couple of concerts, one by a personal idol. Naturally the concerts were a pair of operas at The Met, one being Rigoletto featuring Lisette Oropesa. Now it’s back to focusing on Juilliard. Who knows? Maybe one day Donna will be one of the world’s great classical music educators. “I would love classical music to be enjoyed by more people, and be more mainstream. I’m not saying pop is bad, but people just don’t know enough. All Western music is influenced by the composers we were talking about, even if you don’t realise it,” she finishes. With one little jab. “Even The Beatles.” Take that, pop music.

EMS Fitness

IS OFFERING TWO READERS A ONE-ON-ONE EMS TRAINING SESSION

(WORTH HK$780 EACH)

Founded by certified personal trainer Beatrice Chan and husband Simon, EMS Fitness is now providing highly effective training sessions in DB South. Each one-on-one session includes 20 minutes EMS with a personal trainer followed by 10 minutes muscle relaxation.

EMS – Electric Muscle Stimulation – technology helps to contract over 90% of muscle fibre simultaneously, thus massively reducing time spent in the gym. Major benefits include strengthening, toning and muscle growth. Purported to be the future of fitness, an EMS session takes only 20 minutes and delivers the same result as a two-and-a-halfhour conventional gym workout. It is also a low-impact workout that can relieve back pain and contribute to post-injury muscle recovery.

EMS Fitness is offering a HK$150 discount to everyone who signs up to win this month’s giveaway. To book a session, call 6200 2464 or visit ems-fitness.hk/db.

HOW TO WIN!

ALL ITEMS EX-STOCK

DELIVERY WITHIN 3 DAYS

現貨供應 3天送到

Around DB prizes are incredibly easy to get your hands on, and you have until the 15th of the month to apply. Simply scan the QR code or go to www.arounddb.com/giveaways, select the giveaway you want, and enter your details into the online form. (Terms and Conditions apply.)

FUNDING YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION

THROUGH PROPERTY

Gordon Franks, Managing Partner of Lifestyle Property, suggests a way around your next inflation-driven worry

With rising university fees, it’s hard to know how to save for your children’s education. It feels like every day, the cost of a university degree goes up, and if you’re not careful, you’ll be left with a bill that you may not be able to afford, or your children will have to enter adulthood with a student loan.

UK tuition fees for international students: If you want to send your child to a top UK university as an international undergraduate, the tuition fees may span from £18,365 to £58,038 per year, depending on the chosen course and university.

For example, Oxford’s tuition fees for international students in 2023 range between £28,950 and £44,240. In 2021, the same fees were between £26,770 and £37,510 per annum.

Factoring in costs of living (in London, £1,400 per month, £1000 in other cities) in addition to the tuition costs, you can be looking at spending, on average, £12,000 to £16,800 per year.

Bottomline: Tuition prices are rising faster than inflation, and it’s only going to get worse from here. If you don’t start planning now, you may not be able to afford your child’s education costs down the road.

How investing in property can fund your children's education costs. To accumulate enough money to finance your child’s education, which throughout a three- to four-year course can easily reach HK$2 million (currency equivalent) or more, you need to start saving sooner rather than later.

Traditionally, mutual funds may have been used, but many people now consider property investment as it can provide greater returns and less volatility.

For example, you can purchase a property valued at £250,000 for an initial deposit of £12,500 and monthly payments of £2,605 over the build period, typically 24 months. Going forward, the mortgage would be financed by rental income, and you’d have a self-supporting investment property with debt being repaid through rental.

Fast forward 20 years, and the property may be mortgage-free and producing rental income, which could assist with education funding. Alternatively, you could sell the property to pay for the education costs. Assuming a modest 3% annual increase, this £250,000 property in 20 years would be valued at £451,000, which should be enough to cover university costs. As such, you can see the power of using property as a tool to fund education expenses.

Lifestyle Property makes it easy for anyone to invest in property, regardless of budget or experience. We offer various property options that are perfect for any stage of life. Plus, our team of experts are always here to help guide you through every step of the process. Contact us today at www.lfsproperty.com or via WhatsApp at 9635 4397 and let us show you how easy it is to invest in property.

Gordon Franks, is a long-term DB resident and Managing Partner of Lifestyle Property and has been assisting his clients in creating wealth through property in Hong Kong since 2004.

A Little Bit of Trivia! VALENTINE’S DAY QUIZ

In the lead-up to February 14, find out how much you know about the most romantic day of the year

1. What is St Valentine also the patron saint of?

A. Beekeepers

B. Lost causes

C. Sailors

2. Which popular website launched on Valentine’s Day, 2005?

A. Facebook

B. YouTube

C. Instagram

3. In An Affair to Remember, what was meant to happen on Valentine’s Day?

A. A rendezvous on top of the Eiffel Tower

B. A rendezvous in Riverside Park

C. A rendezvous in Central Park

4. In Medieval times, what did people believe happened in February?

A. Birds lost the ability to fly

B. Birds paired for life

C. Animals paired for life

5. Which poet is credited with first writing about Valentine’s Day?

A. Molière

B. Chaucer

C. Homer

PHOTOS COURTESY OF Pexels

6. When did it become customary for lovers to exchange handwritten cards?

A. In the 15th century

B. In the 16th century

C. In the 17th century

7. When were the first Valentine’s Day cards mass-produced?

A. In the 1840s by Esther A. Howland

B. In the 1840s by George Hallmark

C. In the 1950s by Donald J. Hall

8. Who wrote the words for My Funny Valentine?

A. Richard Rogers

B. Lorenz Hart

C. Frank Sinatra

9. Which group of people receive the most Valentine’s Day cards?

A. Firefighters

B. Strippers

C. Teachers

10. Which of Shakespeare’s heroines still receives letters on Valentine’s Day?

A. Ophelia

B. Juliet

C. Viola

11. When and where did a massacre occur on Valentine’s Day?

A. Chicago, 1929

B. New York City, 1929

C. Palermo, 1929

12. According to Hallmark, how many Valentines are sent worldwide?

A. 114 million

B. 144 million

C. Over one billion

13. What does Cupid have the power to do?

A. Make people fall in love

B. Hypnotise people

C. Control the elements

14. What is a Vinegar Valentine?

A. A vinegar for weight loss

B. A sweet vinaigrette

C. A nasty anonymous note

15. What percentage of pet owners give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets?

A. About 20 percent

B. About 30 percent

C. Over 50 percent

16. What is the most popular Valentine’s Day gift?

A. Cards

B. Chocolates

C. Flowers

17. During COVID-19, Valentine’s Day sales of what spiked?

A. Jewellery

B. Lingerie

C. Watches

18. Who, in 1861, created the world’s first heart-shaped chocolate box?

A. Frank Mars

B. Ferrero Rocher

C. Richard Cadbury

19. Who became a couple after meeting on the set of Valentine’s Day ?

A. Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner

B. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis

C. Bradley Copper and Julia Roberts

20. What do a dozen red roses symbolise?

A. True love

B. Obsession

C. An engagement

You can check your score at www.arounddb.com/ valentines-day-quiz.

Songbird! IN THE NAME OF LOVE

Opening Hong Kong Arts Festival’s No Limits 2023, soprano Michelle

Siu is set to captivate audiences with Sound of My Heart, a diverse and emotive vocal recital

Michelle Siu began learning music at a very young age and despite being blind since birth, adversity is a ‘no word’ to her. Music has become more than just a passion. It is a way for Michelle to communicate with the world and express her emotions.

“I started music at four years old and early on I participated in an open piano competition. That’s when I won my first prize and my parents were so happy!” opens the young artist, who later went on to major in Music and specialise in Voice at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Convincing teachers that she could excel musically wasn’t plain sailing, but with perseverance, Michelle proved them wrong. “I remember my teachers saying that it’s impossible for blind people to learn music because we can’t see music scores. Luckily, my parents believed in me a lot and they let me try,” she recalls. Even today, very few music scores have been adapted to the needs of visually impaired musicians but instead of giving up, Michelle braved the impossible and, in so doing, developed perfect pitch.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HKAF & by Raphael Blet

In chasing her dreams, Michelle has earned over 70 music awards; she won the Hong Kong preliminary round of China’s Got Talent in 2011 and came first in the inter-school music competition Supernova in 2013. To kick off the new year, she’s already been selected to open Hong Kong Arts Festival’s (HKAF) No Limits 2023, with a solo recital, Sound of My Heart, which you can catch on February 18 at Hong Kong City Hall.

Launched in 2019 and co-presented by HKAF and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, No Limits aims to create a barrier-free environment and promote inclusion in the arts world. Running from February through May, No Limits 2023 encompasses a series of fascinating programmes which cover music, dance, theatre and film. The programmes are provided by local and international artists of different abilities, all of whom defy constraints and boundaries.

SOUND OF MY HEART

Although classically trained, Michelle’s repertoire has diversified over the years and this month’s concert is testament to both her varied musical interests and impressive vocal range. In Sound of My Heart, she will sing classical compositions, musical numbers and pop songs, drawing on everyone from Schubert to Parton and Morricone.

The first part of the recital comprises classical music, beginning with Bach’s Into My Heart followed by My Love! Come Here from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro . We can also expect some Schubert, Wolf and Debussy. Michelle will then diversify into pop, throwing in Parton’s I will Always Love You , before exploring her love for musicals through Lloyd Webber’s Think of Me from The Phantom of the Opera and Memory from Cats . Popular film scores are also on the programme, including Morricone’s Dreams from The Church and Shore’s Hope from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

No doubt, Sound of My Heart draws on a wide range of musical styles but Michelle’s chosen songs have one thing in common – they are all about love.

“All these artists convey strong emotions of different kinds,” says Grace Yu, Associate Professor and Postgraduate Programme Leader at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), where Michelle is currently taking her Masters in Music. An award-winning pianist, Grace will accompany Michelle during the recital, alongside guest singer Maggie Lai, who taught Michelle when she was admitted to the HKAPA’s Junior Music Programme at the age of 12.

Grace is full of praise for Michelle’s pure and versatile voice and clearly has a lot of trust in her protégée. “City Hall is traditionally known for hosting classical music events,” she says, with a smile. “I have never played pop songs or songs from musicals in this venue so it will be quite interesting to see. There is going to be lots of improvisation!”

Happy to have the opportunity to share her diverse repertoire and perhaps shake City Hall audiences up a little, Michelle is looking forward to singing one song in particular – O Daddy and Mummy , her own composition.

“It is my own story and first-ever composition. When I joined a radio programme in 2014, they wanted me to compose a song for the show which was about parent-child relationships. I had never composed before and eventually I chose this story. The song is about how I was born; I couldn’t see and my parents loved me a lot… supported me. I am really lucky to be singing it during this concert.

“Embrace your talent, embrace your children’s talent. This will give you confidence and hope, even if you are physically unlike most people, you can be as good as anybody else if not better,” concludes Michelle, calling on all young people to embrace their differences and believe in themselves.

Michelle Siu is performing Sound of My Heart on February 18 at 3pm at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall in Central, as part of HKAF’s No Limits 2023. To find out more and book tickets, visit www.nolimits.hk.

MICHELLE SIU AND GRACE YU IN REHEARSAL FOR THIS MONTH'S RECITAL

Category 1 - Primary School Students

U p

U p

Carla Roumi (Age 7) French Internationl School

Isabelle Rose Green (Age 8) Catholic Mission School

Erin Hsin Clarke (Age 8) Catholic Mission School

Category 2 - Secondary School Students

The three finalists in each category have won book vouchers:

Winner: HK$1,500

1st runner-up: HK$1,000

2nd runner-up: HK$800

We would like to thank all the students and voters who took part in this year’s rabbit-themed CNY drawing competition.

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

Mina Hiu Yuet Kung (Age 12) Discovery College

Tyler Maxwell Guy (Age 11) Discovery Bay International School

Maria Kim (Age 15) Discovery College

Up, Up And Away! TAKE A HIKE

Not all DB trails lead to Mui Wo but two of the most interesting do. George Pitsakis takes us walkabout

PHOTOS BY Alexander Grasic

To say that the hikes I’m about to introduce you to never get old is understatement. I first hiked to Mui Wo via the Trappist Monastery in 2000 with my family when I was four years old, and I still love it. As for the hike to Mui Wo via Tiger’s Head, I did it almost every weekend in my late teens; I must have done it 70 times or more. Again, I still love the challenge – and the incredible views.

I hope you get as much out of these hikes as I have.

VIA THE TRAPPIST MONASTERY

No sweat. 4 kilometres: Starting at Nim Shue Wan, you follow the path that hugs the coast for the whole of the first section of this hike. As you walk through the village up a steep hill, you’re immediately surrounded by Banyan Trees and garden plots – it’s funny how quickly you ‘leave’ DB and get out into the countryside. Dogs hang around the village but keep walking and they won’t harm you, they’re used to hikers passing through.

After a stretch, you skirt a rocky little bay (where my brother and I used to catch crabs) and head up some winding stairs. Continue walking and you come across one of my favourite things about this hike – a 1950s jeep now totally overgrown and laced with tree roots. I’ve no idea why it’s there or how it got there. It looks like it’s been there forever.

After a sharp descent, you enter a clearing and see a wide road leading up to the Roman Catholic Our Lady of Joy Abbey, better known as the Trappist Monastery. This section of the hike is steep so take your time. You pass 14 Stations of the Cross on the way to the monastery, a series of 14 markers portraying events in the Passion of Christ, from his condemnation by Pontius Pilate to his entombment.

At the monastery, there’s a beautiful Shrine to Mary, a well-kept garden and a pretty stream that runs beneath a wooden bridge, all of which justify the monastery’s original name – Trappist Haven. The chapel itself is a plain place of worship nestled in the hills, quiet and remote.

Back on the trail, you’re looking at a fairly long climb up to a pagoda at around 300 metres above sea level. It’s all uphill for a while, so mind your pace. While there is a trail that skirts the pagoda, it’s worth taking the stairs up to it (on your left) for the great views. On your way down, you see the Discovery Bay Golf Club on your left, Peng Chau ahead, and Hong Kong Island and a sliver of Hei Ling Chau to your right. The pagoda used to be painted white with traditional green-glaze tiles, now it’s smartly done up in black and grey.

You’re now on the homestretch – a casual 1,000-stair descent to Mui Wo. It’s best to take the steps sideways on at the end because they’re pretty narrow. Here you look down on Mui Wo in the shadow of 869-metre Tai Tung Shan (Sunset Peak) and, as often as not, you find yourself surrounded by butterflies.

At the bottom of the stairs, follow the path to the right until you wind down to Silvermine Bay. Here you can hang out at Silvermine Beach Resort, China Bear, or the Mui Wo Cooked Food Market before ferry-, bus- or taxi-ing it back to DB.

VIA TIGER’S HEAD

Challenging. 11 kilometres: This hike really kicks into gear at the Discovery Bay Lookout (already 200 metres above sea level). From the lookout, you can see the skyscrapers of Central just a few kilometres across Victoria Harbour. Peng Chau and Hei Ling Chau sit in the foreground, with Lamma and Cheung Chau forming the backdrop.

Take the paved road out from behind the lookout, and you see Lo Fu Tau (Tiger’s Head) towering above you. Follow the path as it turns left, and you come across a switch back on your right. This dirt path inclines steeply all the way up to Tiger’s Head, 465 metres above sea level. Be warned, there’s no shade the whole way up – if you’re hiking in summer, make it early in the morning, and carry plenty of water even in winter. The trail is eroded in places too, so watch out for loose rocks and dirt. Take your time and enjoy the incredible views.

The path snaking up Tiger’s Head looks a lot shorter than it actually is, but it flattens out for 10 metres every now and then, providing you with a good place to take a break. Just before you reach the summit, there’s a harsh 40º incline – you might need to do this bit on all fours. Bear in mind that you’re on the final stretch. Tell yourself that once you’re at the summit, it will be beautiful. It is.

From here you turn right to continue on the trail but, before you do, take a left – a short climb takes you right up to the proverbial tiger’s head, a giant stone on the top of the hill shaped like the head of a tiger. The views are incredible here; you can see the whole of DB and appreciate just how far you’ve climbed.

The shape of the tiger is best seen as you continue on a brief incline and you look back towards DB. Two protrusions on either side of the main rock buttress resemble ears, and you can imagine you’re looking down the nape of a tiger, as he surveys the scene below.

Here, you’re rewarded with a 360° panorama. To appreciate it all, clamber on to the trigonometrical point. These fixed surveying stations are found on many hills in Hong Kong, ask a friend to help you get up it! From here you see the airport, along with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge veining into the Pearl River Delta, as well as Castle Peak in the New Territories.

Back on the trail as it heads to the left, you are now officially on the Lo Fu Tau Country Trail. You get your first glimpse of what can only be described as a landscape that is totally alien to Hong Kong. This stretch of the walk is sublime, a relatively gentle descent through a craggy, treeless moonscape surrounded by hills. The valley opens up behind in splendid and cavernous style; skirt around a hill and you see Sunset Peak towering up a few kilometres away. As you meander down you encounter several interesting rock formations that seem too well-balanced to have been haphazardly thrown together by nature.

After you take some stairs leading down, you find yourself back below the tree line. The path continues on its downward journey, clipping the edge of Discovery Bay Golf Club, and you can

spot golfers on the putting green. It’s a nice easy descent to a wooden pagoda, which marks one end of Lo Fu Tau Country Trail.

Here you turn left to join the Olympic Trail. The winding path of stairs, slopes and straights makes up for the fact that you’re back on concrete. From the clearings, you start to glimpse the Mui Wo villages and Silvermine Bay.

A couple of the stairs at this point are pretty steep. Round a bend and you come across a pretty little pool of water overhung by trees. In the summer, these trees are full of massive Golden Silk Orb Weaver Spiders. The spiders are not in your way but don’t get too close as they do bite.

Cross a recently built bridge and follow the path left past an old house; then turn right to Silvermine Cave, which is actually the mouth of an old silver mine. Just below it is Silvermine Waterfall – to see it at full pelt, time your hike for just after it’s rained. There are benches by the waterfall where you can grab a snack and hang out.

Back on the path, you end up in the back end of Mui Wo. Follow the main road and head away from the hills toward Silvermine Bay.

THE WALK THROUGH NIM SHUE WAN

THE TRAPPIST MONASTERY – OUR LADY OF JOY ABBEY

ON THE LO FU TAU COUNTRY TRAIL

Balancing Act! BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM

Being fit and fabulous is one thing but, in pursuing health and happiness, we need to be sure we are sending the right messages to our kids.

Trisha Hughes reports

PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock

Exercise is a word that fills me with an undeniable kind of dread. It means potentially putting on Lycra and exposing my body to the world, which is something I have no wish to do, especially so soon after my Christmas binge. But if you look around the plaza, the fit women of DB have no qualms about doing exactly that. I watch them in a kind of awe as they get off the buses, water bottles in one hand and phones in the other with not the least bit of trepidation. As they walk confidently through the plaza on their way to the gym, their other half is strapping on his helmet and heading off to the bike trails.

As I watch, I often wonder what it is that makes the gym (or yoga studio) so enticing to these fit and fabulous DBers. Is it the thought of a quarterpounder combo without the consequences at the

end of the session that makes it so appealing? Or is it the alluring promise of those endorphins ready to rage mysteriously through their bodies at the end of a punishing one-hour workout?

I was raised in a country where women are obsessed with their bodies. Australia is one of those countries where nearly everyone knows how to swim and they spend every available weekend soaking up the sun on a beach in their skimpy bikinis. And of course, women watch other women and they make judgments, and for a while people’s opinions were a vital part of my life. But oh boy, was I wrong. I’ve come to realise that generally speaking, people’s judgements don’t matter after all. It’s freed me up for a ‘who cares!’ adventurous approach to life.

You will know by now that I am no exercise bunny. And although we are roughly the same age, I am certainly no Madonna. She’s been working out for 40+ years, she’s been married twice, and has six children and a gruelling career. Goodness, the woman should be exhausted! She should be lying on the couch at night watching movies and eating ice cream with her fingers. Instead, she’s off to the gym at least twice a day and out there partying night after night, all with the unbridled enthusiasm of an 18-year-old schoolgirl. I can only admire her stamina and energy.

By contrast, I picture myself slumped over a treadmill, sweaty and dispirited after only a few minutes in the gym. A fretful voice in my head whispers: ‘There has to be some other way!’

CELEBRITY DIETS AND THE GYM

That was the lightbulb moment. I decided to delete exercise from my 2023 agenda… all I needed was a diet. The thought made me stop and open up my new calorie-counting phone app and ask it how many calories there are in one glass of red wine. I knew I’d get a quick and simple answer like I did with the boiled egg question. The app then asked me was it red wine or jus? Regular? Cooking? Sparkling? Or just red wine? After a lengthy think, I pressed regular. It then asked Sip? Large glass? Extra-large glass? Or Other? Playing it safe, I opted for other.

By then, I thought I’d just twitter Madonna because she would certainly know what course of action to take when it came to calorie counting and exercise. Or even Joanna Lumley, actress, champagne swiller, owner of the world’s most seductive voice and as thin now as she was in Absolutely Fabulous

And then, I stopped to think… do we place too much emphasis on the current celebrity preoccupation with telling us what to eat? The thought made me pause and wonder if we put too much faith in celebrity diets and by extension in the all-pervasive ‘name and shame’

IT’S GOOD TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR WEIGHT BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE MAGIC WORDS ‘EVERYTHING IN MODERATION?'

culture, popularised by shows like The Biggest Loser. I’m no doctor or psychologist but finger-wagging rarely works.

NUTRITION IS THE SOLUTION

Are these messages perhaps the wrong ones for our children? When 12-year-old kids are undergoing gastric banding surgery, and the obesity rate is still climbing, surely we should be thinking whether these anorexic-looking people are the ones who should be influencing us. Our obesity crisis will not be solved by a clutch of privileged people who eat small amounts of food and crave nothing, because for most of us food is perennially fascinating, not least delicious.

If in doubt, you only have to watch a Jamie Oliver show to know that extensive dieting is bad for us, not to mention the long-term damage it does to our skin. It’s nutrition that is the solution to the problem.

But with so many people offering different ideas on nutrition, who is right and who is wrong? There’s no doubt about it, diets are confusing. We have lowfat, low-carb, low-calorie, detox, low-glycaemic and high-glycaemic. Some people insist on the lowcalorie option, while others insist that eating less more often will build up metabolism and is the way to go.

Then you have all the weird celebrity diets, with a cacophony of stars eager to disclose their intimate culinary habits. Victoria Beckham has eaten steamed fish and vegetables almost exclusively for 25 years;

Rebel Wilson uses the Mayr Method to lose weight, cutting out sugar, dairy and gluten and chewing each bite of food 40 times; Joe Rogan is a fan of the carnivore diet (just meat and fruit) and when Mariah Carey wants to lose weight, she eats nothing but Norwegian salmon and capers. (Incidentally, it’s inadvisable to try these diets at home.)

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

So here is what I’ve I figured out. Life can be tragically short and yet, it’s in our hands to fill it with heaps of happiness. I know that to be miserable about selfimage is easy and that self-absorption is an utter waste of time. I’ve learnt that no matter how rich or poor you are, how many shoes you have (that number is called ‘never enough’), and how much exercise you do in the messy business of life, the greatest possessions and achievements you can ever have, are your friends and family who love you just as you are, with or without a muffin top.

Of course, it’s good to keep an eye on your weight but what about those magic words ‘everything in moderation?’ And now the dreaming part (and dreamers out there will know what I’m talking about), I would really like it if the day would come when I can eat all the chocolate I want and not have it show up on my hips.

While I dream, I am lacing my feet into joggers ready to hike around beautiful Lantau. If anyone should see me collapsed in a bush, please be kind enough to haul me out and revive me. Low-cal red is fine.

TEACH YOUR KIDS TO LOVE THEMSELVES – BY EXAMPLE

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DMR School of Ballet

Hong Kong Disneyland

Congratulations to the DMR Dancers who performed at Hong Kong Disneyland on January 15th, 2023 We look forward to the next magical opportunity!

Little Dancers

For our youngest dancers, ages 2 - 4, we have a range of classes which focus on motor skills, imagination, structure and preparing them for the world of dance

Ballet

From 5 years old, our Ballerinas can participate in our graded classes following the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Syllabus and focus on strength and grace

Modern

Taking aspects from Jazz, Contemporary and Commercial, Modern is a great class to try out different styles, gain flexibility, technique and grow as performers

Our tap classes focus on rhythm, line and style, and confidence! These classes are based on the ISTD Syllabus and are great fun!

Wise Up!MONEY MATTERS

Playing the FX market may look like the way forward in 2023 but don’t believe the hype. Buying and selling foreign currencies through a low-cost intermediary is your better bet. Boon Tiong Tan reports

022 was a year when many HongKongers felt the pinch, as bond, stock and property markets all headed south. However, there was a bright spot – the US dollar (USD) strengthened significantly during the year. In September, the British pound (GBP) almost crashed to parity (GBP1 = USD1) and in October, the Japanese yen (JPY) broke JPY150 to USD1.

With the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) pegged to the US dollar, HongKongers continue to benefit from a strong US dollar moving into 2023. This means overseas properties are more affordable and tuition fees at foreign universities are cheaper. We have more spending power as tourists in Thailand, Japan, the UK and many more countries.

The currency or foreign exchange (FX) market has an impact on everyday life, and it’s the biggest financial market in the world, bigger than both bond and stock markets. It is conducted electronically over the counter, which means that all transactions are done via computer networks among banks and other players, rather than on a centralised exchange. The biggest centre for FX transactions is London, followed by New York and Singapore.

For decades, before it was trumped by the nonstop, 24/7 crypto currencies market, the FX market had by far the longest trading hours in the financial markets. It is a 24-hour market that starts trading on Monday morning in New Zealand and ends on Friday evening in New York.

INVESTING IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES

The FX market has been touted as an asset class just like stocks, bonds and commodities. With both stock and bond markets tanking this year, should you diversify and invest in foreign currencies, or even trade them?

The developed countries’ currencies tend to move in large waves and take years to move a third or more. If you were to put 10% (probably the highest percentage a prudent financial planner would recommend) of your assets into the right foreign currencies, your portfolio’s return is not going to improve much. Worse still, you might pick the wrong currencies and suffer losses.

If you’re convinced by some experts, advertisements and websites that it is not difficult to pick the right currencies and time the FX market, think again. George Soros, the billionaire hedge fund manager, who in 1992 made a billion US dollars by ‘breaking the Bank of England,’ wrote that while the stock market has two variables, the FX market has seven or eight. The FX market is undoubtedly much more complicated than the stock market.

WITH BOTH STOCK AND BOND MARKETS TANKING THIS YEAR, SHOULD YOU DIVERSIFY AND INVEST IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES, OR EVEN TRADE THEM?

Which fundamentals or variables affect the FX market? The GDP, interest rates and trade balance are some of the obvious ones. What’s not so clear is which ones are more important at a certain point of time and how they affect a currency’s value. The fundamentals that FX traders focus on are a moving target. There are times when traders pay attention to interest rates; there are times when they watch trade balances closely; there are times when they focus on political developments. No one knows when the focus will switch, and it’s often not immediately obvious that a switch is happening. Sometimes there’s no clear focus on fundamentals at all. Instead, the market concentrates on other issues, such as technical support or resistance, or where the big stop-loss orders are.

To complicate things further, a currency’s value isn’t determined purely by its country’s fundamentals. It has to be measured against another country’s fundamentals. It’s all relative.

If the FX market is too complicated to make a calculated and intelligent investment, how about trading it? Maybe there are some short-term opportunities?

FX TRADING

Many FX experts and trading platforms would like retail investors to believe that FX trading can be profitable. They highlight its 24-hour market, deep liquidity, narrow spread and easily available leverage. Let’s take a look at each of these advantages to see if they stand up to scrutiny.

How does the 24-hour market benefit FX traders? It allows them to react to real-time news. The assumption is the faster we can react, the better. However, as a professional FX trader, who spent two decades staring at FX prices for many hours a day and got the latest news faster than most retail traders, I have concluded that this is a fallacy. It’s really hard to know how the FX market will react to news. Sometimes the market reaction can be violent to start with and then reverse just as quickly. Other times the market hardly moves, even though you think it should. The possibilities are numerous but you get the picture.

The main FX players, like banks and funds, trade in millions and even billions and benefit from the most liquid financial market in the world. However, this deep liquidity is pretty irrelevant to retail investors who trade in thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. A small fish doesn’t do well in a big pond. Another so-called ‘advantage’ for FX traders is how the thin spreads between the buying and selling

prices of currencies lower transaction costs. This is true but the savings are very tiny unless you make many trades daily.

In the FX market, a move of 20% in a year is considered big but that’s nothing compared to stocks which can move hundreds of percent. To beef up the returns, retailers and institutions alike are encouraged to use leverage, up to 100 times the account balance. With US$10,000 in your FX margin account, you can buy and sell US$1 million worth of currency, which is extremely dangerous. While a 1% move in your favour doubles your money, a 1% move against you will wipe you out.

The so-called advantages of FX trading tend to encourage overtrading. The key question isn’t about these advantages, it’s about whether the FX market offers a good chance to make money. Truth is, funds that exclusively trade FX regularly perform worse than stock and bond funds – and this is despite their using leverage. It is very rare to find a top investor who trades FX exclusively. The top investors, like Warren Buffett and George Soros, know that good opportunities are rare in the FX market. It’s too complicated to trade actively and profitably.

WISER OPTIONS

While you may decide against investing in foreign currencies or trading the FX market, you will still need to buy foreign currencies to send overseas. Many people continue to go through banks where transaction costs, like fees and spreads, can be more than 1%. Nowadays, however, there is a cheaper way – working with low-cost FX intermediaries.

Consider that Interactive Brokers, a popular financial products trading platform, enables its clients to buy and sell foreign currencies for a small fee and with the narrowest of spreads. You can even leave an order to buy or sell currencies at your desired price. Wise, one of the biggest online FX-transfer companies in the world and listed on the London Stock Exchange, offers an average transaction cost of 0.6% and a fast transfer to an overseas account. Going into 2023, whatever you need from foreign currency – whether you want to travel more, invest in property overseas or pay tuition fees in foreign universities – there are two things you need to know. FX investing and trading are likely to lose you money. Buying and selling foreign currencies through a low-cost intermediary is surely going to save you money.

LOOK TO STOCKS AND BONDS TO GROW YOUR POT

DB resident Boon Tiong Tan (CFA) has worked as a trader with banks like HSBC and Morgan Stanley for over 20 years, and he is the author of A Stock Investment Book for The 99% . For information about the one-on-one courses (money management, stock investment, options trading and chess) he provides for both adults and kids, email tbt444@gmail.com.

Because You Can! NYC FOR LOVERS

Take a bite out of the Big Apple

A PENCIL-THIN, ART DECO

MASTERPIECE in Midtown

Manhattan, the Empire State Building has starred in some great romantic scenes, both on- and offscreen. Don’t settle for the sublime views of the city from the 86thfloor deck, head on up six stories to the 102nd-floor observatory –few visitors make it this far.

CONTEMPORARY ART LOVERS

MAKE A BEELINE for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Midtown Manhattan, which homes some of the world’s most recognised paintings including Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie-Woogie.

FOR

THE BEST BAGELS IN

NYC, head to the Lower East Side. While Russ and Daughters has been celebrated for its lox since 1914, Katz’s Delicatessen is known for its mouth-watering pastrami – and for providing the backdrop to the unforgettable ‘I’ll have what she’s having scene’ in the 1989 blockbuster When Harry Met Sally.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF Pexels

STRETCHING OVER THE EAST RIVER between Manhattan and Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge promenade – a boardwalk elevated above the roadway – delivers Instagram-worthy views. Once in Brooklyn, be sure to explore Williamsburg for its art galleries, boutiques and the sensational open-air food market, Smogasburg.

A GIFT FROM

THE PEOPLE

OF FRANCE IN 1886, the Statue of Liberty was built by Gustave Eiffel. This 300-foot bronze colossus, representing the Roman goddess Libertas, holds a torch above her head and a tablet inscribed with the date of the US Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

NYC’S THEATRE DISTRICT, better known as Broadway, comprises over 40 theatres located in the area surrounding Times Square. This is the place to be if you want to catch a big-budget musical, a high-minded play or a Hollywood star’s stage debut. The TKTS booth in Times Square sells same-day tickets at a discount.

AN ANCIENT ROMAN BATH and opened in 1871, Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan is a truly majestic building bedecked with chandeliers and fibre optics. Nearly 700,000 commuters and subway riders use it daily, and the main concourse is 200-feet long, 120-feet wide and 120-feet high.

MODELLED AFTER

Naughty but nice

Start Valentine’s Day on a sweet note with a delicious breakfast in bed

CHOCOLATE BELGIAN WAFFLES

Serves 2

240ml milk

60g unsalted butter, melted

½tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

130g self-raising flour

20g cocoa powder

20g caster sugar

25g dark chocolate, chopped

Whisk the milk, melted butter and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Separate the eggs and whisk the yolk into the milk mixture. Whisk the egg white in a separate bowl until it forms stiff peaks. Combine all the other ingredients in a bowl. Whisk in the wet ingredients to create a smooth batter then carefully fold in the egg white. Cover and leave the batter to sit for 30 minutes.

Lightly oil then heat your waffle maker. Heat the oven to low, so you can keep each waffle warm while the next one cooks. Pour enough batter for one waffle (about a quarter) into the waffle maker, close the lid and cook until the waffle is golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, then top with more chocolate, whipped cream and blueberries to serve.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock

BAKED FRENCH TOAST

Serves 4

2 eggs

50ml milk

50ml double cream

½tsp vanilla extract

50g caster sugar

1tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1 large brioche loaf, cut into 4 slices

100g butter

Place the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a wide, shallow bowl and whisk to combine. Heat the oven to 160˚C. Soak the brioche slices in the egg mix for 30 seconds on each side.

In a large non-stick pan, melt half the butter. When sizzling, place the brioche slices in the pan and fry for 2 minutes each side until golden. You may have to do this in batches. Transfer to the oven to warm through for 5 minutes. Serve drizzled with maple syrup, a dusting of icing sugar and raspberries.

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Baljit GidwaniCOMMUNITY SNAPS

UNCLE

PHOTOS BY Baljit Gidwaniwww.evoqueportraits.com

COMPETITION WIN PRIZES FROM UNCLE RUSS COFFEE AND THE PIER BAR!

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

This is your chance to win four complimentary coffees from Uncle Russ, or four beers from The Pier Bar. We will contact the winner via Instagram. Good luck!

RUSS INSTAGRAM

UNCLE RUSS INSTAGRAM COMPETITION

CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST MONTH’S WINNER: Jennifer Bongar Graham @jenbongar

Packing, Moving & Storage Services. Provide fix price quote upon onsite survey or choose from rates below.

Hire a Truck: $220/Hour. Minimum 3 Hour

Short Trips: $200.00 up.

Hire Movers: HK$120/hour per Mover. Minimum 3 Hour.

Cartons and Packing Materials:

16x14x14" (Small): HK$12.00.

23x15x15" (Medium): HK$15.00.

24x18x16" (Large): HK$18.00.

36x23x11" (Flat carton for Hanging Clothes): HK$30.00.

24x22x47" (Wardrobe Boxes) : $90.00

Plastic Wrap: HK$60/Roll.

Packing Paper: $160/Ream.

Bubble: HK$50/Roll.

Packing Tape: $8/piece. Plastic boxes and used cartons can be provided free of charge. (Subject to availability)

Serve Lantau, DB, Tung Chung and rest of the HK.

LOCAL NUMBERS

TUNG CHUNG

SOUTH LANTAU

DISCOVERY BAY

International law firm offering a wide range of commercial & personal legal services. Meeting facilities available in DB. Contact 24168618, dboffice@harveylawcorporation.com,

Discovery

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

EpicLand

Billed as Hong Kong’s tallest indoor entertainment centre, EpicLand is home to the city's first ‘air trek’, complete with eight sky-high obstacles, trampolines, slides and more. Contact 2441 0098, reception@epiclandhk.com, www.epiclandhk.com

Tree

A fun, engaging & supportive environment in which children play & learn. Programmes include a drop-off nursery class, parent-toddler class, afternoon camp & cooking class. Contact 3742 8772, info@treeofjoydb.com, www.treeofjoydb.com

Located in DB Plaza Extension, the The Rink All Day Lounge specialises in international cuisine with a Mediterranean influence, offering guests a superior dining experience. To reserve a table, call 3709 6451.

of Joy

Harvey Law Group

Montessori School

The Rink All Day Lounge

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE

– a bit. Yet we were 3 billion in 1900 and 7.5 billion 100 years later.

Logically that demonstrates murder is good for growth. We breed like hamsters, the result of which – with more global warming, pollution and, as Professor Stephen Hawking noted, greed and stupidity – will likely be game, set and match.

The future? Drought and famine aside, you won’t be able to get a cold beer. The incredible speed of climate change is now exponential, or as climate scientists say, “the hotter it gets, the hotter it gets.” Meanwhile we sit around watching reruns of Game of Thrones

Look at the Philippines (you look, it’s too depressing). It’s so jam-packed that people are living on active volcanoes. Pretty soon they’ll have to sleep standing up. (Not so the Japanese who’ll be extinct after the tuna pleaded for a bit of a break and were ignored). India’s pollution will soon be so thick you can cut it off in blocks. This will make it harder to get into the national cricket team.

In China, there’ll be fewer babies as people finally understand the relationship between income and university fees. Less so in Africa and the Middle East, and good luck with that. Sea levels will rise dramatically and Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be under water (seriously) within a century. The Maldives – all of it – will be a massive wreck dive long before that. Lagos, Dhaka, Jakarta, Bangkok, Alexandria, Venice, Rotterdam, New Orleans, Miami and Houston are sinking too.

Lawrence Durrell in his book, Spirit of Place , writes that people are an expression of their landscape. He romances that if France, for example, lost its entire population it would over time be re-populated by strangers who would eventually become French people doing French things, like having sevenweek holidays and holding unannounced strikes. If all Australians moved to France, Australia would fill up with Peruvians in flip-flops shouting “Poner otro camaron en la barbacoa!” in tourism ads.

KISSING WILL GET YOU INTO ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE

Not long after Sir David Attenborough said of humanity, “We are a plague upon the Earth – four billion too many,” I started looking at overpopulation, as I am, I admit, part of the problem. Anecdotal evidence (mine) and empirical proof (also mine) shows that 250 million people died of unnatural causes (read: were killed) in the 20th century, ergo, populations were controlled

Science says we’re the most successful species but try telling that to a crocodile or a gorilla – to a passenger pigeon, woolly mammoth, or sabre-toothed tiger for that matter. Just how successful are we? Well, we’re succeeding in wiping ourselves off the face of the planet, and that’s a first. We’re in the middle of the Sixth Extinction, the first extinction of life on Earth by a single species, us. Despite our high intelligence, we are, based on results, quite mad. We race to reproduce into a furnace future, while selling vast shiploads of stuff to each other to pay for the environmental damage and keep landfills and incinerators in business. Professor Hawking had a point.

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

So you’re sure to get lucky on Valentine’s Day, right? Peter Sherwood urges you to take precautions

PHOTO COURTESY OF Pexels