KNOW YOUR PLONK
An
PERSONAL DAO
Brock Silvers discusses his new travelogue: Seeking Immortals
BIRTH FIT
Essential mind/ body exercises for expectant mums
STAY WITH AUbERGE DISCOVERY bAY HONG KONG FOR THIS SPOOKY HALLOWEEN
Reserve our room* and get the entry cket to challenge the thrilling Haunted House and experience a terrifying adventure at Epicland.
Date: 1 to 31 Oct 2024
Reserva on: 2295 8355
For each paying adult, with one child aged 6 or below dressed in Halloween costume, the child can enjoy our dinner bu et for free*
Date: 25 to 27 and 31 October 2024
Venue: Cafe bord de Mer & Lounge
Original price: Adult $588* | Child $318* / person
Have a sip of our spine- ngling Halloween cocktails* and mocktails* to whip up your scary party.
Date: 1 to 31 October 2024
Venue: The Bounty Entertainment and Sports Bar
Dining Reserva on: 2295 8299
SOLEAGENT
La Serene 海藍居
1,193SF (S) 3 BEDS | 2 BATHS
Ref: #15242
Beach Village - Seabird Lane
- 海燕徑
1,119 SF (S) 5 BEDS | 2 BATHS
Ref: #297284
Positano Discovery Bay 愉景灣悅堤
Peninsula Village - Coastline Villa
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2025/26 Form 1 Admission Briefing 12th October, 2024 (Sat) 2:30pm to 5:00pm
Souvenirs for Participants
Free Shuttle from Tsim Sha Tsui
Welcome to the YMCA of Hong Kong Christian College (YHKCC) Form 1 Admission Briefing for 2025/26! Join us in our campus for an Admission Briefing that will give parents and students a thorough understanding of the school's background, curriculum, subjects offered and extra-curricular activities. There will also be a Q&A Session and a School Fair.
Participants who register online and attend the event will be entitled to a unique limited edition YHKCC souvenir! Act now and register for a free ticket. We look forward to seeing you on our campus on 12th October!
CONTACT US
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Client services kayli@ba y media.com.hk
CONTRIBUTORS
Ray Au, Imogen Clyde, Nicole Innocenti, Elizabeth Kerr, Peter Sherwood
PHOTOGRAPHER
Richard Gordon www.richardgordonphotography .com
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Register now for the HLG Kart Race, an annual community fundraising event taking place on November 23 from 9am to 5pm. Kids, aged seven to 12 years old, race down a 16-foot-long ramp set up on Seabird Lane. The event is made possible through the support of Harvey Law Group (HLG), who sponsor and build karts for the race, as well as participants who choose to construct their own karts. Enrol at kartrace@harveylawcorporation.com. [PHOTO COURTESY OF HLG.]
MACARON DECORATING WORKSHOP
You can learn how to make cheeky, decorative, meringue-based figurines at the Macaron Decorating Workshop on October 19 at Discovery Bay Office Centre. Led by instructors from Beautiful Time Flower Cake, the workshop has an an inside-out theme: max two people per group, 12 macarons per group. To find out more and enrol, visit Facebook @Dynamic DB.
Happenings STUFF TO KNOW
JAZZ IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Mark your diaries for three sensational shows upcoming at Tsuen Wan Town Hall Auditorium, each part of the Jazz in the Neighbourhood series.
On October 16, the legendary Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio returns to Hong Kong with special guest Moon Haewon, the Korean jazz queen and former Winterplay vocalist. Together they have just released the album Midnight Sun , which reached No. 2 on Japan’s Sound Scan Jazz Chart.
On October 17, the newly formed Emmet Cohen Trio is performing in Hong Kong for the first time. Emmet’s live-streamed concert programme, Live From Emmet’s Place , has been watched by more than 16 million people, making him one of the fastest rising jazz stars in the world today.
On November 12, three Grammy award-winning jazz superstars are set to perform in Hong Kong together for the first time – guitarist Lee Ritenour, pianist Dave Grusin and vocalist-composer Ivan Lins. Their latest album, Brasil , turns to the samba and bossa nova for a hushed jazzy spin and invites the country’s most outstanding young musicians to participate in performances.
Jazz in the Neighbourhood is brought to Hong Kong by Jazz World and Count-In Music; to book show tickets, visit ticketing platform www.art-mate.net or shortcut link linktr.ee/jitn.
DB DRAGON BOAT GALA
At the DB Dragon Boat Gala on October 27, you can expect fiercely contested mixed, open, ladies, U23, A45 and community races. The event runs from 7.30am to 5.30pm at Tai Pak Wan. Part of the enrolment fees collected will be donated to Orbis, the international non-profit dedicated to saving sight worldwide. To find out more, visit Facebook @Dynamic DB. [PHOTO BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com.]
DB 10K RACE
& Events! IN OCTOBER!
THE PENG CHAU CHALLENGE
Part of the Open Water Swim Series Hong Kong, the Peng Chau Challenge takes place on October 1, with participants swimming in the clear waters around the island. The race is open to competitors aged 13 to 60+ and there are three distances –5.5km, 3.4km and 1.7km. To find out more, visit www.eventshorizons.com. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Events Horizons.]
The DB 10K is back on November 9 starting at 7.45am at the waterfront near the DB Plaza ferry pier. The race is open to runners aged 12 years and up, with multiple age categories (and prizes) on offer. Funds raised will go to RUN Hong Kong, the local non-profit that supports vulnerable refugees, particularly women. To register to run, visit www.db10k.com.
DBIS OPEN EVENTS – EYFS AND YEAR 1
Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) is hosting three open events this autumn for parents of children aged up to six years: FS-1 & FS-2 Open Event 1: October 3, 9.30am to 11.15am (EYFS campus). FS-1 and FS-2 Open Event 2: November 6, 9.30am to 11.15am (EYFS campus). Year 1 Open Event: October 30, 5pm to 6.30pm (Main campus). Sign up today to see the school campuses, meet the senior leadership team and discover why children love learning at DBIS. Registration is essential. To confirm your attendance, scan the QR code or go to https://dbis.hk/OpenEvents2024. To find out more about DBIS, go to www.dbis.edu.hk. [PHOTO COURTESY OF DBIS.]
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
OCTOBER 5 | GATHER AT THE PLANT MARKET in Community Green Square from 2pm to 4pm. Visit Facebook @DynamicDB.
OCTOBER 6 | JOIN A BEACH CLEAN-UP! Meet at the Nim Shue Wan gate at 2.10pm. Email dana@plasticfreeseas.org.
OCTOBER 13 | SHOP THE DISCOVERY BAY MARKET in DB Plaza from 11am to 6pm. Visit www.handmadehongkong.com.
ALL MONTH | DONATE PRELOVED FURNITURE to people in need through DB Mothers & Friends. To arrange for pick-up, visit Facebook @dbmf.collection.
DB RECYCLING DAY
Discovery Bay City Management Ltd (DBCML) is back with the annual Discovery Bay Recycling Day on November 30 at DB Plaza. Expect environmental game booths and exhibitions, eco-friendly product demonstrations and the opportunity to learn about different green/ eco topics from DBCML’s green partners. There’s a special focus on community-wide initiatives, such as the DB Food Waste Collection Scheme, DB Family Farm Project and Green DBers Programme, plus live music and dance performances. [PHOTO BY Richard Gordonwww.richardgordonphotography.com.].
24/7 FITNESS OPENING IN DB PLAZA
TWO MUSIC FESTS AT WESTK
The 96th branch of 24/7 FITNESS is due to open mid-month in DB Plaza providing state-of-theart, eco-friendly fitness facilities 24 hours a day, all year round. If you sign up for a 12-month membership before opening day, you get an extra month’s membership for free. The first month after opening, members can only use the DB location, after that they can train at any 24/7 FITNESS branch across Hong Kong. To find out more and enrol, call 6538 2247.
PFS SCHOOL TALKS
DB-based environmental education charity Plastic Free Seas (PFS) is into its twelfth year of providing free education on plastic pollution to students of kindergarten age right through to university. The team has reached over 134,000 students in more than 400 local and international schools across Hong Kong. If you are a teacher, parent or student and would like to have PFS visit your school to empower your kids to take action, visit www.plasticfreeseas.org. Free lesson plans and an animated video are also available in English and Cantonese. [PHOTO COURTESY OF PFS.]
Two reasons to head to WestK this month: Freespace Jazz Fest, October 24–27, and HKT x WESTK POPFEST, October 31 to November 3. Both events are being staged across WestK’s diverse venues, including Wonderland, Freespace, Lau Bak Livehouse, M+ and the Art Park.
Top international acts performing at Jazz Fest include American jazz legend Herbie Hancock, Grammy award-winning composer and percussionist Antonio Sánchez (performing his drum score alongside a screening of Birdman ) and Bali-born emerging star pianist Joey Alexander, plus a European double bill featuring the Ariel Bart Trio and Rémi Panossian Trio. Representing Hong Kong are pianist Ted Lo – “The Godfather of Hong Kong Jazz” – who opens the festival alongside young local artists, plus a big-band, jazz-and-rock collaboration between Cantopop heroes RubberBand and pianist Patrick Lui and his jazz orchestra.
At the second edition of POPFEST, we can expect a wealth of popular international artists including Colde, Jorja Smith, MONDO GROSSO Special Guest Hikari Mitsushima and SHOU, plus a stellar lineup of local pop talent including Anson Lo @ MIRROR , COLLAR, Jeffrey Ngai, Phoebus Ng @ P1X3L and Yan Ting. POPFEST also offers music fans a one-ofa-kind multi-dimensional experience through Submergence , an award-winning, British, immersive art-light installation at the not-tobe-missed dance party, Submerged Paradise .
Beyond the main stages, both festivals provide free outdoor programmes, hands-on workshops, a gourmet food and beverages market, and much more. To book tickets, visit westk.hk.
LIGHTS OUT AT EPICLAND
There are Halloween-themed activities on offer at EpicLand in DB North Plaza every weekend and public holiday in October. The 14,000 square-feet indoor playground transforms into a Haunted Housed for the occasion, and visitors are welcome to wear Halloween costumes. Expect lights-out sessions, a dark maze, face painting and themed treats. For a chance to win a monthly pass for one child accompanied by one adult turn to page 17. To find out more, visit www.epiclandhk.com. [PHOTO COURTESY OF EpicLand.]
FROZEN SOULS’ FIESTA
Make your way to Discovery Bay Ice Rink (DBIR) on October 27, from 4.30pm to 7pm, to take part in the Frozen Souls’ Fiesta , a vibrant celebration that combines on-the-ice excitement with the rich traditions of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Dress scary for a chance to win a three-month DBIR pass for public skating sessions. You can also get HK$10 off your next public skating session by uploading your Day of the Dead-themed photo on Facebook/ Instagram, tagging @db.icerink, #frozensoulsfiesta. To find out more and book tickets, visit www.dbicerink.com. [PHOTO COURTESY OF HKRCL.]
TRICK OR TREATING ON HEADLAND
It’s become traditional for the community to gather on Headland Drive to trick or treat and have their photos taken on October 31. This is your chance to dress up and scare your neighbours: what better way to celebrate the spookiest night of the year! [PHOTO BY Richard Gordonwww.richardgordonphotography.com.]
SPOOKY CHILLS @ DISCOVERY BAY
When it comes to celebrating Halloween, DB really is the place to be, with family-friendly treats on offer across town. From October 17 to 31, illuminated centrepieces in both plazas provide the perfect backdrop for photo ops. In DB Plaza, there’s a Spooky Pumpkin Forest and the Jack-O-Lantern theme continues in DB North. Lighting time: 6pm to 11pm. From October 26 to November 3, kids are invited to take part in the Best Costume Online Photo Contest with fabulous prizes up for grabs. To enter, like or follow Facebook/ Instagram @VisitDiscoveryBay. Then, share your photo in the comments section of the Best Costume Photo Contest, post on Facebook @VisitDiscoveryBay and tag two friends.
On October 27, at the Discovery Bay Halloween Night Market, 2pm to 9pm in DB Plaza, you can expect around 50 specialty vendors, showcasing an assortment of themed crafts, plus a roving magician. Also, on October 27 in DB Plaza, from 3pm to 5pm, there’s a Halloween Kids Costume Contest, with little ghouls invited to suit up and step into the spotlight for a chance to win amazing prizes. Kids can participate solo or team up with family.
Lastly, be sure to make the most of the No Tricks, Just Treats candy giveaway, along with face painting and DIY workshops at DB Plaza and DB North Plaza! To find out more, follow Facebook/ Instagram @VisitDiscoveryBay. [PHOTOS COURTESY OF HKRCL.]
At the Movies!
NEW RELEASES
@ MC L C inem a
Tun g C hu n g, C it yg ate
THE WILD ROBOT
From DreamWorks Animation comes a new adaptation of a literary sensation: Peter Brown’s beloved, awardwinning, #1 New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot . The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot – ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short – that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.
Opens: October 1
Genre: Animation
Director: Chris Sanders
Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill
Trailer: https://shorturl.at/guKtx
JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX
Joker: Folie À Deux finds Arthur Fleck (played by Joaquin Phoenix) institutionalised in Arkham State Hospital awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him.
Opens: October 2
Genre: Psychological thriller
Director: Todd Philips
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz
Trailer: https://shorturl.at/6uqSa
BOOK TICKETS
HIGH FORCES
Gao Haojun is a former police officer, who is ridden with guilt having accidentally blinded his daughter, Xiaojun, while attempting to subdue robbers in a jewellery shop heist. After his wife, Yuan, leaves him, Gao becomes an international security expert. Years later, Gao finds himself on a flight with his daughter and ex-wife. Hijackers seize the plane and start killing passengers. When Gao steps forward to save the day, Xiaojun secretly assists her father by providing him with intel.
Opens: October 10
Genre: Action
Director: Oxide Pang, Law Chi-Leung
Cast: Andy Lau, Zhang Zifeng, Qu Chuxiao, Liu Tao
Trailer: https://shorturl.at/MJBzF
VENOM: THE LAST DANCE
In the final film in the trilogy, Tom Hardy stars as Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist who is the host of Venom, an alien symbiote that imbues him with super-human abilities. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo is forced into making a devastating decision.
Opens: October 24
Genre: Action sci-fi
Director: Kelly Marcel
Cast: Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Trailer: https://shorturl.at/A9tkI
EPICLAND
IS GIVING AWAY TWO MONTHLY PASSES (VALUED AT HK$1,400 EACH)
EpicLand’s monthly pass for one child (under nine years), accompanied by an adult, unlocks endless fun! Whether your child loves slides, trampolines, rock climbing, or zip-lining, EpicLand at DB North Plaza is the ultimate destination. As Hong Kong's tallest indoor entertainment centre, it features the city’s first “air-trek,” complete with eight thrilling sky-high obstacles.
For special occasions, EpicLand offers exciting party and group packages that keep kids and adults alike active and entertained. To explore the 14,000-square-foot venue and discover the various packages available, visit www.epiclandhk.com.
HOW TO WIN!
Around DB prizes are incredibly easy to get your hands on, and you have until the 10th 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.)
Out & About! WHAT YOU'VE BEEN UP TO!
AT DBDB’S BATTLE OF THE BARBELLS
Nine teams fought for glory in DBDB’s Battle of the Barbells on August 31 at DB North Plaza Pitch. A special mention goes to the winning team: Kelvin Leung, Nick Clark, Gordon Franks and Aud Gerard – and to all those who hit personal bests on the day: Sonal Sharma, Kylie Worley, Gordon Franks and Aud Gerrard (all push-press lift), Ali Walley (burpee) and Kelvin Leung (front squat lift). [PHOTOS BY Garv Sharma.]
TRAINING FOR THE DB
DRAGON BOAT GALA
Paddlers across DB are training hard for the DB Dragon Boat Gala on October 27. The Tados Dragon team of DB helpers train three times a week off Tai Pak Wan and they are hoping to repeat their championship win of 2023 in the women’s category. [PHOTOS BY Richard Gordonwww.richardgordonphotography.com.]
MOONCAKE-MAKING WORKSHOP
On September 13, ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival, residents got together to make their own bunny snowskin mooncakes at the MultiPurpose Hall, DB Plaza. Participants of all ages learnt how to make the dough wrapper, three fillings and the bunny ears. [PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com.]
Personal Dao!
THE SEARCHER
Based on real-life encounters across many of China’s holiest sites, S eeking Immortals: A Modern Daoist Travelogue explores myths and uncovers realities. Elizabeth Kerr sits down with the DB-based author Brock Silvers
PHOTO BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com
Brock Silvers, AKA Lu Xiuquan, would never call himself a Daoist in the purest sense of the word, and he certainly wouldn’t claim to be an immortal – in Daoism, a saintlike person of high moral character, who can exhibit seemingly magical abilities. Most of us probably think of Daoist immortals as old guys with long grey beards and flowing robes as seen in movies by Ronny Yu or Ricky Lau. There’s a great deal of myth rolled into Daoism, or from it, and it remains one of the world’s most misunderstood religions, starting, Brock says, with who can actually claim to be a Daoist.
“The question of who is a Daoist, at least in English circles, has been a bit of a controversy for many years. People in the West are under the impression that if they appreciate or somehow follow certain aspects of Daoism, they can then live their lives in a way that can be called Daoist, whereas the traditional Daoist conception requires initiation into a zi ,” Brock opens. “Even the masses of normal folks who may be practising Daoism in China wouldn’t claim a membership. In the West, we want to say I’m Catholic, I’m Protestant, I’m a Jew. In China, knowing that would be presumptuous. It would only be a priest or a monk who might say ‘I am a Daoist’. The lay practitioner would say, ‘This is what I believe or what I follow.’”
A native of Chicago, Brock has lived in Hong Kong just about six years, all of them in Discovery Bay. Before that, he worked in Beijing and Shanghai for 20 years, at the front of the country’s investment wave and has become a regular media presence: he can often be found chatting about financial markets with outlets like Financial Times , the
Associated Press, Bloomberg and RTHK. With the sheen coming off China in the last few years, Brock was relocated to Hong Kong, which is where he’s staying for now despite the lustre of Tokyo or Seoul. “I’ll go where my career calls,” he says. “It could be Hong Kong. It could be other destinations.
“I came directly to Discovery Bay. It was a great choice. I enjoy it here quite a bit, but it was also beneficial to be here during COVID. I think it was a bit easier in DB than in Mid-Levels or something similar. I’d been visiting Hong Kong for 20 years, when DB was much smaller. In those days, I didn’t really appreciate it, but when I finally moved down from the mainland it seemed to fit the bill for me. In retrospect it was a wonderful choice.”
A VIVID PICTURE OF MODERN DAOISM
But we’re here to talk about Brock’s writing through which he paints a vivid, intimate and often entertaining picture of religious life in China today. Brock was inspired to become an author after partially stumbling into, partially seeking out knowledge of Daoism. As a student of Chinese (where he picked up the name Lu Xiuquan), Brock got a healthy dose of culture, history and theology during the course of his undergraduate and grad studies. Arriving in China as a finance pro, with a solid foundation in its culture, led to a deeper exploration of religion as the years went on.
“I was aware of the places I was travelling to, but a lot of my travels and living were dictated by my career choices,” he notes. “For a good number of years, I coordinated my Daoist travels with work travels –and for work, I’ve been almost everywhere in China.”
These travels ultimately led, first, to The Taoist Manual: An Illustrated Guide Applying Taoism to Daily Life , back in 2016, which Brock describes as a generalised explanation of what Daoism is. Then, this past July, came Seeking Immortals: A Modern Daoist Travelogue , published by Sacred Mountain Press, a collection of essays penned over two decades dealing with “the nature of immortality”.
Brock pushes back on critics who might accuse him of being another white guy exploiting Asian culture to whatever ends. “I’m not wearing Daoism as a costume. I [went to China’s holy sites] trying to see what I could see and what I could learn, and I tried to do it in a respectful manner,” he says. “It was an earnest attempt to get close to a local tradition in a culturally relevant and appropriate manner, so that I could express that tradition to others who were less close.”
That’s most of us, or so you’d think. Brock notes that entry points to Daoism are in fact all around us, and many of us have tapped into them in passing: traditional Chinese medicine, tai chi and other martial arts, meditation and even vegetarianism have ties to Daoism. “I’m just trying to take that initial view, which may have been romanticised somehow, and provide a bit of reality to it,” he says.
“Chinese tradition is replete with stories of immortals who exhibit tremendous magical power,” Brock adds. “Someone will reveal himself in a crowded marketplace as an immortal and float up to heaven on the clarion call of Chinese traditional music… That’s the romantic vision of what immortality would look and feel like. I’m trying to provide the counterpoint, the realistic vision. I thought, all right, let’s put that to the test; let’s see if these people that are omnipresent in literature and culture and tradition, really exist.”
THE JOURNEYS OF A TRUE DAOIST DEVOTEE
To research Seeking Immortals , Brock visited – and climbed – five of the major Daoist mountain sites, dozens of secondary mountains and innumerable tertiary peaks. He explored caves, monasteries and temples, among them Man Mo Temple (on Hollywood Road) and Ching Chung Koon, or Green Pine Monastery (New Territories). The book chronicles the places and the people he encountered along the way, including a junkie at the Hanging Monastery near Heng Mountain in Shanxi, and a political-religious abbot leader at Hubei’s Wudang Mountain. Detailed notes and selected translations of traditional and canonical texts provide religious, cultural and historical context.
Through his encounters and findings at Daoism’s holiest sites, Brock sought to understand the nature of immortality – it’s potential reality and
“THE GOAL OF THE BOOK WAS REALLY TO FIND A WAY TO EXPRESS A MORE ACCURATE AND REALISTIC PICTURE OF DAOISM TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF WESTERNERS AND EVEN ASIANS
WHO ARE LESS FAMILIAR WITH IT
meaning in a modern world. Can rarified spiritual masters be found refining elixirs on remote mountains or meditating in mysterious temples? Do they in fact walk among us? At the very least, Brock occasionally found his perceptions challenged, an aspect of himself he was happy to explore as he demystified Daoism.
“The goal of the book was really to find a way to express a more accurate and realistic picture of Daoism to the vast majority of Westerners and even Asians who are less familiar with it. And part of that reality is that Daoism does have contradictions and some questionable aspects as well.”
Brock isn’t ruling out a third book (he didn’t think he had a first one) but he’s adamant he’ll have to be truly inspired to do it, and at present he has no more to say on the subject. Except that he encourages those of us exploring Daoism to “approach [it] on its own terms”. Before signing off, Brock gets one last question: Is Seeking Immortals a travel guide or a spiritual one? “It depends on how the reader wants to take the materials,” he says. A response that lives forever.
- BROCK SILVERS
HARROW LITTLE LIONS KAI TAK
FOR AGES 3 - 5
Opening August 2025 APPLYNOW!
Harrow International School Hong Kong opens a brand new purpose-built Early Years Centre in Kowloon.
Since opening its gates to the first pupils in September 2012, Harrow International School Hong Kong has secured its reputation as one of the top schools in the world, with pupils gaining places at prestigious universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Stanford, all eight Ivy League schools as well as the University of Hong Kong and Tsinghua, Beijing.
As the only British boarding school in the territory, Harrow Hong Kong has grown in popularity and has announced that it will be opening a satellite Early Years Centre “Harrow Little Lions Kai Tak” to meet demand for places from August 2025. The new development will accommodate over 200 early years children in Nursery and Reception who will have priority entry to Year 1 at the Gold Coast site.
Honour Courage Humility Fellowship
A Little Bit of Trivia! PASTA QUIZ
It’s World Pasta Day on the 25th, take this quiz to find out if you’re a true pasta lover or just an im-pasta
BY Nicole Innocenti
1. W here did pasta originate?
A. I taly
B. China
C. US A
2. H ow many types of pasta are there?
A. 15 0
B. M ore than 300
C. M ore than 600
3. W hat is the traditional Italian way of co oking pasta?
A. A l dente
B. A l gore
C. A l cruda
4. A fter Italians, which nationality eats the m ost pasta?
A. Venezuelans
B. Tunisians
C. G reeks
5. W hich type of pasta was named for its b utterfly shape?
A. Fa rfalle
B. Fusilli
C. Tortelli
6. W hat is the most popular type of pasta?
A. Penne
B. Spaghetti
C. M acaroni
7. W hich pasta are you eating if you’re eating “l ittle ears”?
A. O recchiette
B. Lasagne
C. G omiti
8. O n April Fool’s Day, 1957, which b roadcaster made people believe sp aghetti grew from trees?
A. R ai Italia
B. Television Broadcasts
C. T he BBC
9. W hat is the most popular Italian brand o f pasta?
A. R ummo
B. D e Cecco
C. B arilla
10. W hat is the term for a pasta dish that i s baked in the oven?
A. A l forno
B. A l fresco
C. A l fuoco
11. W hat is the oldest pasta sauce?
A. B olognese
B. Carbonara
C. M arinara
12. H ow many kilogrammes of pasta does the a verage Italian eat per year?
A. 18
B. 27
C. 3 6
13. H ow many grammes of pasta is an ideal p ortion for one person?
A. 100
B. 200
C. 30 0
14. W hat shellfish is found in Spaghetti a lle Vongole?
A. C rab
B. Mussels
C. C lams
15. W hich of these ingredients is not i ncluded in carbonara?
A. E gg yolk
B. Cream
C. C heese
16. W hich of the following is not a f illed pasta?
A. Ra violi
B. Tortellini
C. L inguine
17. W ho introduced pasta to the US?
A. G eorge Washington
B. T homas Jefferson
C. J ames Madison
18. W hich of these foods is seldom used t o flavour pasta in Italy?
A. S pinach
B. Chocolate
C. Tomato
19. W hat are the main ingredients of pasta?
A. W ater and wheat
B. W ater, wheat and oil
C. W ater, wheat and egg
20. H ow long can uncooked pasta sit on t he shelf?
A. 6 m onths
B. 12 months
C. 18 months
You can check your score at www.arounddb.com> 20-questions>pasta-quiz.
There’s more to Halloween than a candy fest with kids dressing up as ghouls and goblins. Trisha Hughes gets ready to celebrate the Day of the Dead
PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com
When we think of Halloween our minds conjure up images of ghosts, witches, vampires and monsters. On October 31, you can hardly walk through the plazas or along Headland Drive without bumping into a blood-sucking vampire, a zombie or a witch riding a broomstick. Hollywood and literature have crafted versions of these creatures for us but like many fantastic characters of myth and lore, they have a basis in reality.
Halloween has been called many names through the centuries. The original word “Hallowe’en” actually means “hallowed evening” and the last day of October has also been called All Hallows’ Eve, Day of the Dead, All Saints’ Eve and Samhain (Summer’s End). For centuries it’s been considered one of the most magical nights of the year. It’s a night of supernatural power when we are meant to believe the veil that separates our world from the otherworld is at its thinnest and I, for one, have always been more than a little wary about celebrating the Day of the Dead. Even the air feels different on Halloween.
DAY OF THE DEAD
The Celts believed that the normal laws of space and time were held in abeyance at Samhain, allowing a window to open where the spirit world could intermingle with the living. Many believed it was a night when the dead could cross the veils and physically return to the land of the living to celebrate with their family or clan. As such, burial mounds were lit at midnight, with torches lining crumbling walls, so that the spirits of the dead could find their way in the darkness. Out of this ancient tradition comes one of our most famous icons of the holiday: the Jack-O-Lantern.
The Jack-O-Lantern was used as a light for the lost soul of Jack, a notorious trickster, stuck between worlds. Jack is said to have tricked the devil into the trunk of a tree by carving an image of a cross on it. He successfully trapped the devil but having already been denied access to Heaven, and then having also angered the devil in Hell, Jack became a lost soul. As a consolation, the devil gave him a sole ember to light his way through the darkness between worlds.
Originally, Celts placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to help guide Jack’s lost spirit back home. Hence the term: Jack-O-Lantern. Later, when immigrants came to the new world, pumpkins were more readily available, and so carved- out pumpkins holding a lit candle served the same function.
SUMMER’S END
In one sense, Halloween was a celebration of plenty and homecoming. It was harvest-time and
THE JACK-O-LANTERN WAS USED AS A LIGHT FOR THE LOST SOUL OF JACK, A NOTORIOUS TRICKSTER, STUCK BETWEEN WORLDS
people would have been well fed and they would have gathered in their homes after long days spent working in the fields. Traders, sailors and people with skills to offer journeyed home for the celebrations.
There was, however, the other face of the festival. It ushered in winter, the most frightening, uncomfortable and inconvenient of all the seasons. Even in modern Britain, it is the time when the clocks go back and the night rushes early into the afternoon. Halloween was the feast that prefaced months of darkness, cold, hunger and the physical illnesses consequent of all of those.
What was coming was the season of death – not just of leaves, flowers and light, but of humans, as more would perish in the winter and early spring than at any other time of year. That was why Halloween was widely regarded as the time when the spirits of darkness and fear, the evil and malevolent forces of nature, were let loose upon the earth.
People reacted to this forbidding prospect in two different ways. In ancient times, Halloween was the festival of prophecy in which people gathered together and most frequently tried to predict the future. The prediction most often sought was who would live through the winter. Another reaction was to mock darkness and fear by singing songs about spirits and lighting candles on the graves of the dead. In the 16th century, people began going from house to house impersonating the souls of the dead. They recited verses or songs and received offerings on their behalf, usually a small round cake called a soul cake.
For me, there is magic in a night when pumpkins glow by moonlight. Instead of a terrifying night spent watching fearfully out of windows for movement while bonfires burned brightly, Halloween has become a joyous holiday for families to get together and have a bit of fun by dressing up as ghosts and goblins and wandering the streets with friends. See you on Headland Drive!
THE IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY BALANCING
Find harmony within and without with space healer and tarot card reader Navniet Saine of Taijitu Healing
In today’s rapidly changing world, finding the right balance in our lives is more important than ever. While stress, anxiety and emotional challenges can arise, energy balancing practices can play a crucial role in restoring our inner equilibrium.
Energy balancing refers to the process of aligning and harmonising the energy within our bodies and the spaces we occupy. This concept is rooted in various traditions, including Eastern philosophies, holistic health practices and spiritual teachings. The belief is that everything in the universe, including ourselves and our environments, is composed of energy. When this energy is disrupted, it can lead to emotional, physical and spiritual imbalances.
MEDITATION, HEALING AND BREATHWORK
By quieting the mind and focusing inward, we can access deeper states of awareness and connection to our inner selves. Regular meditation practice helps to reduce stress, enhance self-awareness and promote emotional healing.
Healing modalities, including Reiki, sound healing and energy healing, aim to restore balance by addressing energetic blockages. By focusing on our healing and doing our breathwork regularly, we can help release stagnant energy, promoting physical and emotional wellbeing.
WORKING WITH CRYSTALS
Crystals have been used for centuries for their healing properties and ability to balance energies. Each type of crystal possesses unique vibrations that can influence our energy fields. For example, amethyst is known for its calming effects and ability to enhance spiritual awareness; rose quartz promotes love and emotional healing; black tourmaline protects against negativity.
Incorporating crystals into daily routines – such as carrying them, placing them in living spaces, or using them during meditation – can help maintain energetic balance.
CLEARING LIVING SPACES
Just as our personal energy can become imbalanced, so too can the energy within the spaces we occupy. Emotional residues from negative experiences can linger, creating a heavy atmosphere. Regular space clearing is therefore essential in maintaining a harmonious living environment that supports our wellbeing.
There are four tried-and tested space-clearing techniques that can help maintain positive energy and dispel negativity: 1) Smudging: burning cleansing herbs, such as sage or palo santo. 2) Aromatherapy: diffusing calming (lavender) or refreshing (citrus) essential oils. 3) Feng shui: arranging furniture, aligning directions and utilising specific elements to create a positive energy flow. 4). Lithotherapy: placing crystals strategically, for instance clear quartz in the living room to amplify good vibes.
ON THE PATH
The ultimate goal of energy balancing practices is to find harmony both within ourselves and in our surroundings. This journey requires commitment, self-awareness and a willingness to explore different techniques that resonate with us.
To integrate your practices into daily life, you can: 1) Establish a daily or weekly schedule that includes meditation, breathwork and other practices. 2) Listen to your body, paying attention to how you feel in different environments and adjusting your practices accordingly. 3) Explore new practices and adapt your routines – as you evolve so will your practices. 4) Engage with like-minded individuals who can provide support and inspiration.
As we embark on this journey towards balance, we not only enhance our own lives but also contribute to the collective energy of the world around us. Embrace these practices and you will discover the profound transformation that comes from finding equilibrium in every aspect of life.
Birth Fit!
SET YOURSELF UP FOR MOTHERHOOD
Childbirth is like running a marathon, you have to train for it. Beverly Au finds out how
PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock
Pregnancy can be the most wonderful time in a woman’s life, but it can also be fraught with stressful challenges, as your body makes the biggest change of all, adapting itself for the birth of another human life. With the physical strain, the food cravings and the general effort required simply to get out and about, it becomes easy to let your body go. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
From the plethora of fitness techniques and mindand-body exercises available, pregnant women need only take their pick when putting together a well-rounded exercise programme. The best advice is to keep moving: it’s simple, the more you keep
active before you give birth, the easier your life will be post-pregnancy. Time to talk prenatal Pilates, yoga, sophrology and more.
PREPARE WITH PRENATAL PILATES
The focus on breathwork, balance, control and alignment in Pilates make it a great candidate for prenatal workouts. To be clear, however, not all Pilates exercises are appropriate for pregnancy. The most important first step is finding an instructor who is prenatal-certified to help you navigate the necessary modifications. The good news is, there is so much you can do!
Prenatal Pilates exercises are modified throughout a pregnancy to suit the needs of your ever-changing body; special props and apparatus are used to ensure safety and comfort. Not only this but prenatal Pilates is a great way to exercise without putting undue stress on the joints, helping to keep you mobile and ready to recover shape and tone after birth.
Prenatal Pilates focuses on the deep core muscles and helps you maintain a strong connection to your pelvic floor. This will help prevent diastasis recti, pelvic floor dysfunction and back pain – common issues that arise from pregnancy. Prenatal Pilates helps with joint instability, muscular imbalances and ligament pain, all of which are common as baby grows. It also boosts breath connection, control and mechanics, which can make breathing more comfortable during pregnancy, and also during labour and delivery, enabling you to feel not just the contraction of the muscles but also the release.
ROLL OUT THE YOGA MAT
Improving strength, stamina, posture and breathing, yoga is another popular way to stay fit during pregnancy. In fact, a surprising number of women come to yoga for the first time when they are expecting because it’s such a soothing way to stay active. A range of techniques are covered, from physical exercises such as stretching to breathwork and meditation.
Amazingly, yoga can help rotate a breech or posterior baby, reducing the possibility of a caesarean section. Select poses can also shorten the birth canal up to 30% when practiced during labour and delivery, and squatting poses shorten the distance baby has to travel.
Breathing is, of course, the very essence of giving birth, that and body awareness. Prenatal yoga teaches forms of breath that can help alleviate heartburn and morning sickness, and help you
push or control the urge to push during labour and delivery. Breathing techniques learnt in yoga class can also help to relieve the stress experienced by expectant mums as they wait for baby’s arrival.
Some prenatal yoga classes also focus on Savasana, which involves the complete and total relaxation of every part of your body. During 15-minute Savasana sessions, women are encouraged to centre themselves and meditate. It’s important to have a positive awareness of your child throughout your pregnancy, and post-meditation, expectant mums are encouraged to put their hands on their stomachs and have a conversation with their unborn child.
EXPERIMENT WITH HIP ALTERNATIVES
In France, where the method originated, Sophrology is one of the top four methods pregnant women use to get in shape, and it’s one of the top two in Korea. Sophrology, originating from yoga, provides quick, effective mind/ body exercises to boost relaxion, focus and wellbeing.
Sophrology helps improve sleep, concentration, selfconfidence, and above all, it helps pregnant women become aware of their bodies. Classes focus on four attitudes: no judgement, living each moment as though it were your first, putting any preconceived ideas into a box, and repeating all three again, asking how the body is reacting to each one.
Growing in popularity internationally, the selfhypnosis techniques of hypnobirthing use the power of suggestion to alleviate expectant mums’ fears in order to make pregnancy and labour less stressful and in some cases, less painful. The technique taps into a part of the brain that helps you cope with fear and anxiety.
Hypnosis during pregnancy won’t make you lose control or think you’re someone else. It’s a way of altering your awareness, so that your subconscious (feelings, memories, emotions) comes to the forefront, while your conscious (rational) mind takes a back seat. Hypnobirthing classes teach you to use deep breathing, relaxation, visualisation, affirmations and hypnosis scripts. Once the analytical part of your mind relaxes, you become more receptive to positive suggestions and affirmations.
When it comes to using these self-hypnosis techniques during labour, the theory is this: if you’re scared, your body responds by producing adrenaline, a hormone that makes tense muscles more tense. This means your uterus has to work harder to contract and relax. With effective hypnosis, your breathing is more even, which means
A GOOD PRENATAL FITNESS CLASS OFTEN DOUBLES AS A THERAPY SESSION AND SUPPORT GROUP
more oxygen reaches you and your baby. Stress can hinder the production of oxytocin (the hormone that controls contractions) and endorphins (the feel-good natural chemicals) and prolong labour. Staying relaxed helps with the ultimate goal –keeping the oxytocin flowing, so contractions are more effective and potentially less painful.
Other practitioners will tell you that acupuncture can be hugely beneficial for pregnant women, reducing morning sickness and alleviating back and pelvic pain. Acupuncture helps relax the nervous system and promote the release of endorphins, leading you to feel relaxed and at ease after each treatment. Some pregnant women find that acupuncture also helps improve their sleep quality. Acupuncture can help postpartum too. During your fourth trimester, after baby is born, acupuncture supports hormone rebalancing, and can help with breast milk production, fatigue and anxiety.
Being birth fit – physically, mentally and emotionally – involves releasing fear and focusing on the task ahead in a positive light. It’s about setting yourself an achievable exercise routine, and preparing mentally with hypnosis, visualisation, breathwork, touch relaxation and birth rehearsals. Whichever prenatal class you choose, or combination of classes, you will feel the benefit of meeting up with other mums-to-be to share birth plans, fears and feelings. Talking about your emotions and staying focused and fit mentally is hugely important during pregnancy – a good prenatal fitness class often doubles as a therapy session and support group.
Whatever your method, be sure to get clearance from your healthcare provider before undertaking a prenatal exercise programme. Get this sorted, and you are well on your way to a healthy, happy pregnancy.
Top Tips! KNOW YOUR PLONK
Whether you’re new to wine or well into it and want to know more, here are some traditions debunked and best practices worth following
PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock
You may remember the scene in Brideshead Revisite d where Charles and Sebastian get hold of a wine-tasting book and decide to make a “serious acquaintance with wine”. “…We warmed the glass slightly at a candle, filled it a third high, swirled the wine round, nursed it in our hands, held it to the light, breathed it, sipped it, filled our mouths with it, and rolled it over the tongue, ringing it on the palate like a coin on a counter, tilted our heads back and let it trickle down the throat.” Our heroes aspire to be oenophiles, wine connoisseurs, which is all well and good, but you don’t need to follow a guidebook to know how to enjoy wine.
There’s a lot of snobbery and etiquette surrounding the drinking of wine, which can be intimidating and off-putting. For an experience that ought to be entirely pleasurable, many people spend far too much time worrying that they are doing it wrong. When it comes down to it, there are no rules.
Here’s the reality: over many years, wine experts have developed a set of best practices. These are based on experience and tradition. Yet, none of them are so meaningful that they should diminish the simple enjoyment of pouring wine into a glass and drinking it. There are no serious consequences if you choose not to do as the experts do, but it’s worth taking a look at the rewards you can reap if you follow at least some of their suggestions.
DESCRIBING WINE
Back to Brideshead . As Charles and Sebastian get increasingly drunk, the way they describe the wines they are tasting gets more and more exaggerated. “…It is a little shy wine like a gazelle.” “Like a leprechaun.” “Dappled, in a tapestry meadow.” “…And this is a wise old wine.” “A prophet in a cave.” “…And this is a necklace of pearls on a white neck.” “Like a swan.” “Like the last unicorn.” Anyone who’s ever heard a true oenophile talk about wine will see the irony in this exchange.
At a wine-tasting the other day, I heard wines described as racy, flamboyant, jammy, flabby and cigar box. Tannins weren’t just tannins they were either chewy or grippy; I was asked to discuss primary, secondary and tertiary aromas, and “mouthfeel”. It’s fine to use that kind of lingo of course, but you don’t have to sound pretentious to talk about wine. You don’t have to possess an abstract, sommelierlevel vocabulary or encyclopaedic knowledge of vineyard names. You just have to be able to tell someone what it is that you like to drink.
Stick to basic terms like sweet, off-dry (slightly sweet), dry (all the sugar in the fruit has been
TELLING YOUR WINE
SERVER THAT YOU LOVE TANNIC, FULL-BODIED RED WINES WILL GET YOU FURTHER THAN SAYING YOU PREFER WINES THAT TASTE
LIKE CHERRIES AND OVERSTEEPED TEA
fermented into alcohol), fruity and savoury (floral, herbal, stony or saline). Know your tannin levels (naturally occurring molecules in wine that make your mouth feel dried out after you take a sip) and body (whether the wine feels light or silky in your mouth). Telling your wine server or merchant that you love tannic, full-bodied red wines will get you further than saying you prefer wines that taste like cherries and over-steeped tea.
SERVING WINE
The old adage “red wine with red meat, and white wine with white meat and fish” might seem outdated – these days, we drink what we like, and eat what we like – but there’s some truth in it. Dry red wines work with steak: light wines pair up with leaner cuts of meat, while high-tannin wines pair up with richer, fattier cuts because they can cut through the fat. Meanwhile, white wine is a superb complement to fish because of its higher acidity; it sharpens the flavour, like a squirt of lemon juice.
Another “tradition” to investigate concerns wine temperature: red wine is served warm, and white wine is served cold, right? Yes, but go carefully.
Most people serve red wine too warm. All reds should be at least slightly cool, and reds that are simple thirst-quenchers can be served colder than that. In general, medium- and full-bodied reds, and reds that are complex or high in tannin should be served cool (14 to 18°C), while light-bodied reds should be served lightly chilled (10 to 14°C). As for white: oaked, complex white wine should be lightly chilled (10 to 14°C); light- and mediumbodied white wine and rosé should be chilled (8 to 10°C). Sweet and/ or sparkling wines (red or white) should be well chilled (6 to 8°C).
And what about decanting? Is it worth doing? Yes, for two reasons. First, to aerate good, young wines, making them more enjoyable to drink. Second, to separate an aged wine from the sediment that naturally develops in the bottle. Drinking sediment is not harmful but it is unpleasant, like having a mouthful of grit.
To decant, stand the unopened bottle upright for 24 hours or more, so the sediment can slide to the bottom of the bottle, making it easier to separate. Pour the wine into the decanter slowly and steadily, without stopping; when you get to the bottom half of the bottle, pour even more slowly. Stop as soon as you see the sediment reach the neck of the bottle. Sediment isn’t always chunky and obvious; stop pouring if the wine’s colour becomes cloudy, or if you spot what looks like specks of dust in the neck of the bottle.
DRINKING WINE
Of course, any vessel that holds liquids can be used to drink wine. Tumblers and juice glasses are fine, if you are enjoying simple wines at home or with friends. Expensive wines will still taste good
in them too, though they taste even better in dedicated stemmed glasses.
Often used as a universal red wine glass, cabernet glasses have a large bowl and tall stem. The large bowl gives the wine more surface area, allowing it to oxidise or breathe. Oxidising softens the tannins found in reds, improving the overall flavour and releasing the wine’s natural aromas.
For most whites, you need a glass with a narrow bowl, which limits oxidation – too much air can compromise the bright flavours characteristic of white wine. The narrow bowl combined with a narrow opening also helps keep the wine chilled. But for heavier, oaky whites, like chardonnay, you need a large bowl; the greater surface area exposed to air lets the wine open up to reveal other tastes.
All wine glasses need a stem – this allows you to swirl the wine to aerate it and help release the aromas, and it prevents you from warming the wine in the glass with the heat from your hand. The glass at the rim should be fairly thin, to encourage you to sip, and really savour the wine.
Now, how much to pour? Experts say, you fill a wine glass a third of the way, never more than half. This gives the wine plenty of room to breathe (as the widest point of a wine glass is about one-third up), maximises aromas and allows you to swirl your glass without spilling.
Once you’ve swirled the glass, there’s one more step before you get to take that first sip: smelling the wine. Sticking your nose all the way into the glass, closing your eyes and breathing deeply before taking a sip (as the oenophiles do) may make you feel a little silly, but it will win you respect in fancy restaurants and, more importantly, it will increase your enjoyment. Our sense of smell has a profound effect on the way our brain processes flavour: when you smell a wine, you’re preparing your brain for what you’re about to taste. Cheers!
WINE TASTES BETTER OUT OF DEDICATED STEMMED GLASSES
Vacation Time! WHAT’S HOT IN TOKYO
FIND YOUR ZEN at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Ask for a map in English so you can be sure to hit the three major gardens: English Landscape, French Formal and Japanese Traditional. This spacious imperial park also houses two traditional teahouses where you can get your fill of matcha and wagashi.
CATCH
A KABUKI SHOW at Kabuki-za, the go-to theatre in Tokyo for fans of the bizarre Japanese dance-drama. Known for its highly stylised action and the elaborate make-up worn by performers, kabuki is as popular now as it was in the 17th century. Expect a series of innovative stage effects, which allow the actors to revolve on the spot, fly and even disappear.
BID FOR
TUNA at Tsukiji Fish Market which delivers over 2,000 tons of marine products per day, including 450 varieties of fish. One of the largest wholesale fish markets in the world, it’s busiest right before dawn and starts to wind down by 9am. Book ahead to attend the famous 5am live tuna auctions – limited to 120 people, they’re held seven days a week.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock
MIX WITH THE AVANT-GARDE
at Yayoi Kusama Museum, which features many of the zany Japanese artist’s major installations, sculptures and paintings. A graduate of Kyoto School of Arts and Crafts, Kusama was a big part of the avant-garde scene in 1960s New York, and is best known for a series of happenings in which she painted naked participants with brightly coloured polka dots.
MINGLE WITH THE ANIME
, manga and idol crowd at Yoyogi Park’s Harajuku Bridge, where the gothic Lolitas and Cosplay kids bring the world-renowned heroes of popular Japanese animation to life. The park also draws all sorts of obsessive otaku talent, from horn players to rockabilly gangs, complete with poodle skirts and Elvisinspired pompadours.
HOP ON A SHINKANSEN headed to Osaka to get up close and personal with Mount Fuji. You get a spectacular view of the volcano on the right-hand side of the train, about 40 minutes into the journey. If you have time to spare, stay a night at Hakone hot spring resort at the foot of the mountain (100 kilometres south-west of Tokyo).
GET LUCKY
at Sensoji Temple, the oldest and most visited place of worship in Tokyo. It’s dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon (goddess of mercy and pets) and the incense that billows from the main entrance is said to bestow good luck on those who “bathe” in it. Festivals and events are held on the temple grounds throughout the year.
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choice of options including a box entry and display ad for a few months. Apart from
SQUASH YOUR FEARS
Eat pumpkin: delectable ideas for when you finish carving your Jack-O-Lantern!
BY Nicole Innocenti
PUMPKIN SOUP
Serves 4
1 vegetable stock cube
1 large onion, chopped
250g pumpkin, peeled and chopped
75g red lentils
400g canned tomatoes
1tbsp tomato purée
4 slices bread Yoghurt to serve
Combine the stock cube with 800ml boiling water, and stir well. Next, cook the onion gently in a pan with 1 tablespoon of oil until it starts to brown. Add the stock, pumpkin, lentils, tomatoes and tomato purée, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add a good pinch of pepper, then whizz with a blender until smooth. Meanwhile, toast the bread and cut each slice into the shape of a spider. Put the soup into bowls. Add the yoghurt to a piping bag with a really small nozzle, and quickly pipe a thin spiral onto the soup. Take a chopstick and draw through the spiral from the centre outwards to create a spider’s web. Serve with the toast.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock
PUMPKIN PASTA
Serves 4
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g pumpkin, peeled and chopped
50-100ml whole milk
2tbsp tomato purée
2tbsp mascarpone
350g short pasta
40g grated parmesan
Gently fry the onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil until softened. Next, cook the pumpkin in a pan of boiling salted water for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Drain and tip into a blender. Blend with 50ml milk, the onions and garlic until completely smooth, gradually adding more milk until the mixture is thick enough to just coat the back of a spoon. Tip into a large frying pan with the tomato purée and mascarpone, then bring to a simmer over a low heat.
Cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain, reserving 100ml of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the pumpkin sauce, parmesan and 50 to 100ml of the reserved water to loosen. Season and scatter with extra parmesan to serve.
Discovery Bay Anglican Church
Daughter Church of St John's Cathedral
SKH Wei Lun Primary School, Discovery Bay Road
Sung Eucharist (English) at 10:00am Sundays
Email: dean@stjohnscathedral.org.hk
Web: www.discoverybaychurch.org.hk
Priest in Charge: The Very Revd Kwok-keung Chan
Tel: +852 - 2523 4157
Packing, Moving & Storage Services. Fixed price quote upon onsite survey or choose from the rates below:
Hire a Truck: HK$220/hour. Minimum 3 hours. Short Trips: HK$200 & up.
Hire Movers: HK$120/hour per mover. Minimum 3 hours.
Cartons and Packing Materials:
16x14x14" (Small): HK$12.
23x15x15" (Medium): HK$15. 24x18x16" (Large): HK$18. 36x23x11" (Flat Carton for Hanging Clothes): HK$30. 24x22x47" (Wardrobe Boxes): HK$90.
Plastic Wrap: HK$60/roll.
Packing Paper: HK$160/ream.
Bubble: HK$50/roll.
Packing Tape: HK$8/piece.
Plastic Boxes & Used Cartons can be provided free of charge. (Subject to availability.)
Serves Lantau, DB, Tung Chung and the rest of HK.
LOCAL NUMBERS TUNG CHUNG
EMERGENCY SERVICES 999
Tung Chung Ambulance Depot 2988 8282
Tung Chung Fire Station 2988 1898
Tung Chung Police Station 3661 1999
HOME & REPAIRS
Mega Power Engineering/Locksmiths 2109 2330
Mr Chan 24-Hour Handyman 9343 3718
Papabo 5541 1502
Shun Yu Engineering 2988 1488
So Nice Technologies 6206 3497
HOTELS
Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott 3969 1888
Novotel Citygate Hong Kong 3602 8888
Regal Airport Hotel 2286 8888
Sheraton Tung Chung 2535 0000
The Silveri Hong Kong - MGallery 3602 8989
LEARNING CENTRES
Discovery Mind International Play Centre 2987 8070
Discovery Mind Primary School 2915 0666
Greenfield International Kindergarten 2162 5538
Sun Island Education Foundation 2420 1068
Tung Chung Catholic School 2121 0884
YMCA of Hong Kong Christian College 2988 8123
MEDICAL
Bayside Dental 2185 6550
Essential Health Family Clinic 2109 9396
Human Health Medical Centre 2109 2288
North Lantau Hospital 3467 7000
Quality Health Dental 2403 6613
Quality Health Care Medical 2403 6623
REMOVALS & RELOCATION
Akash Moving 2421 8088
Crown Relocations 2636 8399
FTC Relocations 2814 1658
ReloSmart 2561 3030
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RESIDENTIAL SERVICES
Caribbean Coast Clubhouse 2109 9277
Caribbean Coast Management Office 2109 9288
Coastal Skyline Clubhouse 2179 6678
Coastal Skyline Management Office 2179 6621
Seaview Crescent Clubhouse 3473 8700
Seaview Crescent Management Office 3473 8833
Tung Chung Crescent Clubhouse 2403 6770
Tung Chung Crescent Management Office 2109 1222
RESTAURANTS & FOOD DELIVERY
3 Italiani 5182 7646
A Tavola Bar & Grill 2321 5500
Andante, Novotel Citygate 3602 8828 Basic Bistro
SOUTH LANTAU
DISCOVERY BAY
Good
Harvey Law Group International law firm offering a wide range of commercial & personal legal services. Meeting facilities available in DB. Contact 24168618, dboffice@harveylawcorporation.com,
Elevate
EpicLand
HKILA
Discovery Montessori School
A reputable & well-known international school for authentic Montessori bilingual (English & Chinese) education for children aged 1 to 12 years. Beautiful campus & highly qualified teachers. 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
La Petite Enfance Kindergarten
0813
Mandarin for Munchkins 2480 3909
Mathemagic (home tutoring) 9135 4724
Rigolo comme la vie 5495 8810
SKH Wei Lun Primary School 2987 8608
Located in DB Plaza Extension, the THE RINK Italian Kitchen offers guests a unique gastronomical experience of authentic Italian flavours. To reserve a table, call 3709 6451.
The Rink Italian Kitchen
McDonald’s
Paisano’s
Pasha
Peony
Pho
PizzaExpress
Sushi
DMR
HK Dragons Football Club Football for girls & boys aged 2.5 years to 14 years. Contact 2987 4274, dragons.hk
Island Dance
ISTD Freestyle, ISTD Hip Hop, RAD Ballet, Tap & AcroDance classes at DBRC, Club Siena & DB Plaza. Five professional instructors, teaching six days a week. Contact 2987 1571/ 9159 0663, info@islanddance.com.hk, www.islanddance.com.hk
Tekkerz Football programmes for boys & girls for age groups U5 up to U14. Contact 9770 4548, train@tekkerzfootball.com, www.prosportsasia.com
Dream Sports Academy
7208
2626
PEN YOUR WAY TO PENURY
As a writer, you have a wonderful excuse to embrace your inner madness, says Peter Sherwood . Just don’t expect to be paid for the privilege
Irecently met a girl who said she wanted to write, yet she seemed perfectly sane. It can be a shortcut to starvation by way of alienation, and if you think you understand rejection and being ignored, you have not tried scribbling for a living. Shunned for years by publishers, at a time when a sympathetic assistant editor’s assistant might bother with rejection slips that piled up with an Everest of bills, most of my dazzling prose disappeared into a black hole.
What does it take to become a writer, she asked solemnly? First step, try to forget about it. Or a creative writing course, or literature degree. Few writers pretend to know what they’re doing; like Nike, they just do it.
All I’m good at (save compassion for children in poverty, and there’s not a lot of money in that) is expressing myself in the written word – and satire. Translating that into a living was absurd and frightening: you can be successful and still exist in squalor, just ask the millions of budding poets scratching to pay the rent. But as Charles Swindoll famously wrote about attitude: “I am convinced that life is 10% of what happens to me, and 90% of how I react to it.”
I plodded on because scrawl was all I had. That, plus lifelong depression and ADHD symptoms: wonderful assets if you’re planning life as a suicidal recluse. From dreary trade magazines (please, kill me now), I fabricated a career in public relations until I got the hang of it, and long before that faked it as a tennis coach in the US, a feat of Pinocchio proportions. I could play and looked good: smooth and technically fine, and provided I’d read all the coaching books (I had) and could hit the ball over the net more times than my students (I could), I was a coach.
Later, with a friend, I compiled a series of 10 alcohol-assisted wacky books that sold well and became a masterclass in monetising schoolboy jokes. Loving the great humourists, I thought maybe I could do that. I did, sort of, nervously sending a couple of articles to the editor of the SCMP. He called to say he wanted one a week, and I should amuse and offend in equal measure. For eight years he never changed a word. I’d found my voice, while learning to avoid using too many adjectives, and words like Brobdingnagian and hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia (yes, it’s a word).
How to start? Okay, if you insist: read and write – a lot. While I’m hardly Hemingway, I do have a ragbag mind, believing in the adage that if a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, a lot must be lethal. Another thing: you can’t be literally minded and pedantic and write anything decent, particularly comedy and satire. To quote Python John Cleese: “I’ve known many brilliant people, and none were literally minded.”
And, yes, inject a touch of sublime insanity. Peasant Zorba the Greek said to Basil the intellectual Englishman: “You have everything but one thing: madness. A man needs a little madness or else –he never dares cut the rope and be free.”
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.
PHOTO COURTESY OF Adobe Stock
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