Locks of love 2 DB teens make the cut for charity
Up in arms Local reactions to the Lantau incinerator proposal
Yen for Japan Special DC delivery to Hiroshima Peace Park MARCH
2 0 12
Publishers in DB since 2002
March 2012
海燕徑 SEABIRD 1442
4 2
Newly renovated duplex, designer interior, upgraded to 2,228sf. Neg.
海澄湖畔1座 SIENA 1 2020
3 2
1
2
碧濤軒 COASTLINE 2174
5 3
2
$4.2M
2
Newly renovated with large garden. Tranquil location.
Nicely Renovated large family home. Great outdoor rooftop space.
$35K
Spacious apartment, convenient and quiet.
寶珊閣 CORAL CT 1454
3
$36M
$90K
海澄湖畔2座 SIENA 2 1368
3
Great renovation. Convenient location.
海澄湖畔1段 SIENA 1 2566
3
$63K
Spacious lowrise unit. Nicely decorated.
愉景廣場 DB PLAZA 629
1
$90K
$9.5M/$45K
Fully renovated combined unit, master ensuite, study, open kit & great views.
蘅欣徑 CAPERIDGE DRIVE 1311
3 2
$9.5M
Beautiful renovation. Great views with roof terrace.
海蜂徑 57 SEABEE LANE 3100
4 3
Large Family home with plunge pool. South Views
上堤二座 THE BARION 1155
3 2
2
2
$12M
Spacious duplex with a big rooftop and marina views.
海澄湖畔2座 SIENA 2 1388
3
$27K
Good sized apartment with balcony. Sea and green views.
蘅欣徑 CAPERIDGE DRIVE 1600
3
$130K
$18M
Renovated throughout, large garden. Convenient location.
Nursery Furniture & Accessories
Children’s Shoes
Safety & First Aid
Pushchairs
Visit our online catalogue www.bumpstobabes.com
Toys
Children’s Furniture
Everything you need at...
Baby Basics & Toiletries
Baby & Children’s Clothing & Swimwear
Baby & Toddler Food
Highchairs
Car Seats
Maternity Wear
Pedder Building Store 5/F Pedder Building,12 Pedder Street, Central T: 2522 7112 Horizon Plaza Store 21/F Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau T: 2552 5000
CONTENTS FEATURES
22
22 26 32 39 42 46 52 58
PROFILE Meet DB’s woman in charge: Alison Price IN FOCUS All you need to know about the Lantau incinerator debate FAMILY MATTERS The pros and cons of a boarding school education MONEY MATTERS Investing in Hong Kong and China TALKING POINTS How two DB teens cut off their hair for a good cause ESCAPES Exploring Japan and completing a DC peace project ACTION Experience the Adventure Racing World Championships C
STYLE Designing for life on a liveaboard
M
Y
REGULARS 52
DEAR READER
58
12 20 44 64 66 68 70 72 74 76
CM
MY
IN & AROUND DB Catch up with the latest community news CY
SOUTH LANTAU What’s happening island wide TECH TREND Right-on computer technology
CMY
K
HOTSTUFF Hip happenings around Hong Kong DB FACES Community snaps LANTAU FACES Who's who in the community CLASSIFIEDS Great deals PROPERTY Hot local listings DB NUMBERS Your ultimate guide in DB DB MOMENTS The Tennis Nations Cup 19 years on
Top things to look forward to this month include the Hong Kong Sevens, March 23 and of course DB’s own Tennis Nations Cup, March 3 (for a full report turn to page 76). Of course March 8 is International Women’s Day and to celebrate we’ve packed this issue with supercool local ladies.
While March issue is as DB-centric as usual, we feel it’s time to become more inclusive of our neighbours throughout Lantau. So turn to page 20 to find out what’s going on in these likeminded communities. Don’t miss too the special report on the proposed Shek Kwu Chau waste incinerator by Pui O resident Cecilie Gamst Berg.
First off, we interview DB resident Alison Price the driving force behind professional women’s group Women In Charge, who has just stood out against sex trafficking by cycling 500 kilometres through Cambodia. For more women doing it for themselves (or rather for others) turn to page 42, where we talk to DB teens Emeline Sandt and Mikaela Kalmar whose freshly cropped heads evidence the lengths they will go to for charity. Also in this issue, core Around DB stringer Karmel Schreyer records her recent mother / daughter trip to Hiroshima, Japan to deliver a Discovery College peace project.
As you know we showcase community snaps in our regular DB Faces column, and now we’ve added a Lantau Faces page. So in signing off, I’d like to ask for your photos – email us at info@arounddb.com. We want to see more of you!
Deer sighting in DB Photos by Blaise Kingan
A DB mother and daughter contacted us in February after coming across a deer being attacked by two wild dogs near the Middle Lane stairway. They managed to scare off the dogs but sadly the Muntjac was mortally wounded. Please let us know about any intriguing animals you see on your walks – and watch out for the wildlife in DB, you never know what you may run into!
Locks of love 2 DB teens make the cut for charity
Up in arms Local reactions to the Lantau incinerator proposal
Yen for Japan Special DC delivery to Hiroshima Peace Park MARCH
2 0 12
Publishers in DB since 2002
On the cover: DB teens Mikaela Kalmar & Emeline Sandt Photo by Terry Chow
Publisher
Corinne Jedwood corinne@arounddb.com Editor
Rachel Ainsley editor@arounddb.com Community news
communitynews@arounddb.com
Walking to school for green week Photos by Tracey van Geest
Advertising
Lissa Morris lissa@arounddb.com Art direction
Terry Chow
Photography
Tracey van Geest tracey@inspiredimages.co Accounts
Lise Dooling accountant@arounddb.com
It was a joy to see all the Primary School children from Discovery Bay International School walking to class on February 10. Parents and teachers were heavily involved in monitoring the ‘walking bus’, and there were no golf buggies or hire cars in the school parking lot. Well done to the 600+ who did their bit for the environment.
Contributors this month
Andrew Dembina Cecilie Gamst Berg Martin W Henneke Elizabeth Kerr Paula Lepore Burrough Lesley Lewis Matt McLaughlin Karmel Schreyer Mary Singer Claire Stirling General enquiries
info@arounddb.com Published by
Bay Media Limited Flat 230, Block D, DB Plaza Discovery Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2987 0577 Fax: (852) 2987 0533 Disclaimer The views expressed in Around DB
are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or contributors. The publisher and editor cannot be held responsible for differences of opinion or statements published in good faith. The publisher, contributors, their employees and partners are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors or omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication and expressly disclaim all and any liability for any such action of any person. The mention of specific companies or products in articles or advertisements does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by this magazine or its publisher in preference to others of a similar nature which are not mentioned or advertised. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without permission.
Comedy night, a sell out! Photos by Terry Chow
On February 22, The Punchline Comedy Club once again held its sell-out Whose Line Is it Anyway show at Hemingway's in DB. It’s great that we can enjoy these outrageously funny performances without leaving the resort – and the bar was packed to overflowing. For more information on local performances by The Punchline Comedy Club call 2987 8855 after 3.00pm or visit www. punchlinecomedy.com/hongkong.
DB teens donate hair for charity Photos by Terry Chow
On February 3, two Discovery Bay teens, Emeline Sandt and Mikaela Kalmar gave up their long locks for a good cause. Most of the children helped by the girls’ chosen charity, Locks of Love, have lost their hair due to the medical condition alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses the non-profit provides help restore these children’s self-esteem and confidence. If you want to make a hair donation, visit www.locksoflove.org. You can read more about Emeline and Mikaela’s inspiring effort on page 42.
DBers excel in kid rugby tournament Photos by Tracey van Geest and Terry Chow
On February 20, Year 5/6 students played their hearts out in an interschool touch rugby tournament on the beach in Discovery Bay, organised by Discovery Bay International School (DBIS). The winner’s cup was handed to the Chinese International School girls’ team, who beat the Discovery College girls in the finals, in a tensely competed overtime dropoff. Congratulations to the DBIS boys, who won for the third year in a row, this time against Kowloon Junior School.
DB child centre opening The Child and Family Development Practice (CFDP) officially opened on February 22 in DB Plaza. A first for DB, the practice offers a range of private sessions and counselling services including individual child therapy, parent counselling, behaviour management, speech therapy and occupation therapy. Group programmes are also on offer for social skills and resilience building, suitable for children of all abilities. Founder Hadas Hecht explains, “The idea is to give the community easy access to a therapy centre that caters for all children’s needs.” For more details, visit www.childdevelopment.com.hk.
Photos by Douglas Pieterse
March 2012
11
MARCH 2012
IN & AROUND DB
MARCH AT A GLANCE WHEN
WHAT
WHERE
February 27 - March 2
Arts Fest
Discovery College
March 3-4
Tennis Nations Cup
Discovery Bay Recreation Club
March 4, 10.00am-6.00pm
Volleyball Fundraiser
Peng Chau Sports Ground
March 4, 10.00am-5.00pm
Backyard Bazaar
DB Plaza
March 12
Scholarship Seminar
Discovery College
March 17-18, 11.00am-5.00pm
Open day for non members
Discovery Bay Recreation Club & Club Siena
March 23-25
Hong Kong Sevens
Hong Kong Stadium
March 23, 7.30pm
Poetry Club
The Book Attic, Central
March 24
Lantau 50 race
Discovery Bay
March 24-25
Gourmet tour of China
Discovery Bay Recreation Club
March 31, 9.00am-1.00pm
Beach Clean-up
Nim Shue Wan and Cheung Sha Lan
If you organise an event, club or charity that you would like to see featured in this section, please contact communitynews@arounddb.com.
Photo opportunity for
princes and princesses COMPETITION
DB’s newest kids' clothing store in the North Plaza is looking for local kids (aged 3 to 5) to model its fantastic range of clothing. The photo shoot in April will be by Raya who was recently rated one of the top 10 fashion photographers in the world (source: buzzle.com). For almost a decade, Raya has worked with the biggest names in fashion including Harper's Bazaar, Dansk, Cartier and ELLE.
The first six children to answer the question below correctly will get to star in a Prince and Princess photo shoot – and get to keep one outfit! In which fairy story does the Prince waken the Princess with a kiss? Please email info@arounddb. com (subject line: Prince and Princess) to be in with a chance to become a model!
New art centre in
DB North Plaza
Binnie Hu, a Chinese/ Swedish DB artist has just opened ColourStorm Art Centre in DB North Plaza. As well as providing professional art courses and workshops for kids and adults, she will host regular art events, jams and parties. As Binnie explains, “Our concept is to offer a real art learning centre in DB, inspire the creativities of people of all ages and promote artists from our community, by providing a platform for them to show their talents.” Binnie is currently calling on adult female models to pose for photographer Yukie Fung. Photos will be exhibited in May and June. To be one of Yukie’s models, call ColourStorm Art Centre on 6055 4443. Also, visit www.colourstormartcentre.com.
Congratulations to last month’s winners Sandeep Jain and Marianne Kolding for the Working on Wellness programme from KIPMOVIN; Joanne Wong and Russell Broughton for gifts from Flowers from the Heart; Thind Parampreet, Denise Fair, Camilla Walsoe and Margix Parkinson for dinner vouchers from Deer Horn; Leigh Ann Garnier and Karen Au for tickets to see The Little Big Club; and Lisa Gimenez, Tamsin Joss and Faeimm Tang for vouchers from Pollux Books. Please call our office on 2987 0577 to claim your prize.
12
March 2012
MARCH 2012
IN & AROUND DB
Get on the move with
Sports World
COMPETITION
Sports World – DB’s one-stop sports store – is moving to DB North Plaza (above Wellcome) on March 15. Sports World has operated in DB since early 2008, and is the official retailer for the DB Pirates and DB Dragons. The new store will supply biking, running, swimming, rugby, soccer, tennis, yoga, trail running/hiking, boating equipment and more. There’ll also be a special focus on nutrition, plus a bike servicing facility. Preopening, local running club KIPMOVIN will hold daily yoga classes at the store. Sports World is offering one gift voucher worth HKD1,000 and two gift vouchers worth HKD500 to our readers. To win, simply name three brands stocked by Sports World. For clues visit www.sportsworld.hk. The first three readers to email us the correct answer will win. Please email us your answer to info@arounddb.com (subject line: Sports World). Good luck!
Countdown to the Hong Kong Sevens Whether you enjoy it from the raucous South Stand or rather more sedately in a company box, the Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is guaranteed to be a blast. Some 120,000 spectators are expected to turn out for our home-grown rubgy-fest, March 23-25 at the Hong Kong Stadium, Happy Valley. Remember too that thanks to the Hong Kong Mini Rugby Football Union, children with local clubs (age 6-12) play tournaments before the main matches each day. Kids also take part in the March Past immediately before the semi-final round. Good luck to all the mini DB participants.
Airbed giveaway new recruit They want you as a
COMPETITION
Kokoon Beds and Bedding, located in Horizon Plaza, offers a range of contemporary beds, mattresses, furniture and fine bed linen for adults and kids with coordinating accessories that would suit any modern DB bedroom. To find out more visit Kokoon Beds and Bedding at 11/F Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau or call 2518 8382.
The Hong Kong Army Cadets, right here in DB, selects appropriate aspects of a military education to build teenagers’ character, individuality, leadership skills, judgment and above all, commitment to society. It imposes no military obligations and focuses solely on educating teenagers to become responsible citizens. Whether you are a teenager or adult, if you are up for some exciting physical and mental challenges, they are looking for new recruits. For more details, visit www.hkarmycadets.org or email adjutant@hkarmycadets.org.
As it’s the Hong Kong Sevens this month and you’ll likely have guests in town, Kokoon has the perfect solution! One lucky reader has the chance to win a twinsize airbed with electric pump, worth HKD1,199. This brand of airbed is rated the world’s No. 1 with more than 20 million sold annually in 120 countries. To win, be the first to email us at info@arounddb.com (subject line: Kokoon) with the brand name of this airbed. For clues, visit www.kokoonbeds.com. (The airbed must be collected at the store before March 31).
March 2012
13
MARCH 2012
IN & AROUND DB
Benefit from a
Join a book club
Long-time DB resident Jennifer Li runs an English-language used bookstore in Central called The Book Attic. A great place to buy inexpensive second-hand books of all genres, it also hosts regular poetry and book clubs. The poetry club (next meeting March 23 at 7.30pm) alternates between having an open floor for anyone to read their own poetry or favourite poems and inviting a local poet in to speak. While the regular book club is open to all adult readers, The Book Attic also runs story-time sessions for children (next one, March 11). For more information, contact Jennifer Li at the bookstore on 2259 3103, or go to www.bookattic.info.
Discovery College Scholarship
Financial advice for
helpers
DB resident Myriam Bartu co-founded Enrich, a Hong Kong-registered charity providing financial literacy, confidence and business development training to lowincome ethnic minority women, in 2007. Enrich's most popular workshop, Good Habits with Money trains participants to get out of debt, budget and implement a savings plan, while prioritising expenses. This practical workshop is specifically designed for domestic workers and run for Filipina and Indonesian migrants in their languages. To register for the next DB workshop, email dionina@enrichhk.org or call 9385 0564. Participants who register without financial support from their employers, pay just HKD50 for the four-hour session. Visit www.enrichhk.org for more information.
Discovery College has announced its first ever International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme Scholarship for Hong Kong students entering Years 12 and 13. Full or partial scholarships will be awarded to academically gifted and stand-out students, with a full two-year scholarship valued at over HKD200,000. Says Principal Mark Beach, “We are eager to attract a strong group of academic achievers looking to go to top Hong Kong and overseas universities, who would benefit from and excel in our IB Diploma Programme.� The deadline for applications for the 2012-2013 academic year is April 6. To find out more attend the information evening on March 12, or visit www.discovery.edu.hk.
Arts and crafts,
Win a therapeutic massage anyone?
at home
COMPETITION
Finding a qualified masseur is a challenge. What if you have a real concern, or are in pain? And what if you are pregnant? Enter Canadian-trained clinical massage Therapist Sher Martelle-Climas (R.M.T.), who has a decade of experience and on-going training credentials (she's a trainer herself). With her business Touch HK, Sher offers in-home therapeutic massage treatments that make a difference. Oh, and you'll feel relaxed too! Insurance coverage can be arranged, as can excellent family packages. Call Sher on 9503 9117 or visit touchhongkong.com.
14
To win a 90-minute in-home therapeutic treatment (value HKD1,500), simply be the first reader to tell us where Sher was trained. Email your answer to info@arounddb.com (subject line: Touch HK). *In order to receive the treatment a health history assessment must be completed. The winner must have space (3x6 feet) to accommodate a massage table. Valid for readers over 18 only.
March 2012
DB residents, Anna Lovell-Knight and Tina Leamon have opened a brand new art studio in DB Plaza. They cater for kids (age 2 up) as well as adults, and there are classes for those with special needs. Along with life drawing, still life, painting and drawing techniques, Anna and Tina offer a multitude of crafts such as encaustic art, decoupage, needlework, needle-felting, mosaics, clay work and collage. The British Studio of Art Hong Kong will also host tailor-made parties and corporate events. Don't miss out on the monthly Pizza and Art Jamming night for kids age 7 to 14. For more details, visit www.bsoahk.com.
Now open in DB! Discovery Bay
Up to 50% off
on selected winter styles
The Practice offers range of counseling services: • Individual Child Therapy • Family Therapy • Parent Counselling • Behaviour Management • Occupational Therapy • Speech & Language Therapy • Group Programs for Social Skills, Resiliency • Parent-baby Attachment All programmes designed to help children reach balanced development of social, emotional, physical, cognitive and communication skills. We invite you for parent workshops (Free admission – registration is required due to limited space)
www.startriteshoes.com Tel: 2987 2098 www.childdevelopment.com.hk | info@childdevelopment.com.hk
MARCH 2012
IN & AROUND DB
Keeping our beaches
clean
Sign up now for
DB’s annual Easter Egg Hunt The real treat of the Easter holidays is DB’s annual Easter Egg Hunt, April 6-7. Be sure to register at www.Ddeck.com. hk, March 1-5, to provide support or simply secure a place for your kids.
Book Aid: Japan All set for tennis
Do your bit for the immediate environment on March 31, 9.00am-1.00pm by joining in the beach clean-up at Nim Shue Wan and Cheung Sha Lan beaches (just off the Marina Club Road). Volunteers need to bring their own refillable water bottle and wear sturdy shoes. DB Green will supply gloves, bags and water. If you would like to help by sponsoring the event or manning the after clean-up sausage sizzle, go to www.dbgreen.org.
An international team of designers and artists from Lantau (DB and Mui Wo in particular) has created a children's activity and colouring book I love Japan to aid the children of Fukushima Province a year after the earthquake and tsunami hit. This project is the brainchild of Liina Klauss, an illustrator from South Lantau. 1,000 copies of the book are being donated to the children of Tohoku. To pick up a copy, head down to DB Plaza on March 4 for the DB Backyard Bazaar / Handmade Hong Kong market. For more details, contact japanilove2011@gmail.com or visit www. japan-i-love.blogspot.com. Read more about local action to aid Japan on page 46.
One of the top local sporting events, the annual Tennis Nations Cup, is being held on the weekend of March 3 at the Discovery Bay Recreation Centre. It’s a great weekend out for the whole family, with a courtside carnival for the kids, impressive tennis and some healthy international rivalry. Read all about it on page 76.
Register for
mountain NEW BEAUTY PARLOUR racing IN DB
COMPETITION
Professionals Beauty now in DB Plaza offers a wide range of professional beauty services, such as painfree hair removal and skin tightening, plus treatment for acne, pigmented spots, scars, rosacea, spider veins and vascular lesions. It uses new technologies without messy gels, spayed cryogen or cold air, and the laser never touches the skin. All laser procedures are operated by a licensed professional registered nurse (certified aesthetic consultant). For an appointment call 5116 1617 or email kittytang@ professionals-beauty.com.
16
Professionals Beauty is offering five lucky readers vouchers worth HKD500. For a chance to win, simply answer the following question correctly: name two conditions which prevent a person having laser hair removal. Check www.professionals-beauty.com for clues, and email your answer to info@arounddb.com (subject line: Professionals Beauty). The first five readers to answer correctly will win. Good luck!
March 2012
The Raidlight Lantau 50/ Explorer 15 mountain run on March 24 starts in DB, then heads through one of the longest trail climbs in Hong Kong and back to Sunset Peak before taking in a scenic contour trail. “This is not only going to be a great race to run, it is also going to be a great show,” says race director Clement Dumont. The race, which begins at 8.00am, is limited to 500 participants and must be completed in 12 hours. To register, visit www.lantau50. com or email info@lantau50.com.
IMI is the leading integrated medicine clinic with the largest natural and herbal dispensary in Hong Kong. Our team of practitioners provide safe, effective and holistic healthcare solutions for adults, children and babies. We specialise in:
• Allergies, Eczema & Asthma • Strengthening Immunity • Nutrition and Digestion • Homeopathic Approach to Children’s Behavioural Issues
Mention this ad for a 10% discount off your first consultation. Tel: 2523 7121 Email: health@imi.com.hk www.imi.com.hk 13 & 17/F, Kailey Tower, 16 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong
A sister is one who reaches for your hand and touches your heart… ….just like your dance teacher
MARCH 2012
IN & AROUND DB
Have a sports massage at
Spa Siena
This month, Spa Siena is giving away a HKD690 Sports Massage with Plai sport oil and a HKD435 traditional Thai Massage. To win, simply tell us the therapeutic properties of Plai. Be one of the first two readers to email us the correct answer to info@arounddb.com (subject line: Spa Siena).
Seeking support for
Teresita
DB is a community that helps its own, and our attention is focused on Teresita Tobiano, age 51, who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in December. Teresita, Filipina, has been employed as a helper in Hong Kong since 1993 but due to her illness she is now unable to work. Teresita would like to thank DB friends and residents and also Island Health for their support throughout this difficult time. If you are able to make a donation to help Teresita into recovery, call 9838 7442 or email Erna Robago at Myblr2003@yahoo.com. You can also attend the volleyball fundraiser being held to raise awareness about her plight on March 4 at Peng Chau Sports Ground.
18
March 2012
Race report
Aberdeen Boat Club’s Four Peaks Race, last month saw the crew of 19 yachts battling through a sailing and running course taking in four of Hong Kong’s peaks: Ma On Shan in Sai Kung, Violet Hill in Repulse Bay, Lantau Peak and Mount Stenhouse on Lamma Island. DBers taking part this year included Kurt Hermann, Rob Berkley, Matt McLaughlin, Brett Straatemeier, Eduard Wehry, Tom Ros, Juergen Schuster, Richard van den Berg, and (DB postman) Raymond Chiu Keung. Line honours and first place in the HKPN handicap went to Blackjack, ably skippered by DB’s Rob Berkley, while DB-based yacht Kei Lun picked up the Geriatric Award, as the first boat home with an average crew age over 45 years.
Are you game for a
laugh?
To coincide with St Patrick’s Day, The Punchline Comedy Club is back this month with an all-Irish line-up of comedians, headlining Ardal O’Hanlon, star of British TV comedy show Father Ted. The DB comedy night is at Hemingway's on March 20, and there will also be shows at Duetto in Wanchai March 15-17. Don’t miss out! To book tickets call 2987 8855 after 3.00pm.
COMPETITION
COMPETITION
One of the many massages available at newly opened Spa Siena is a Sports Massage with Plai sport massage oil. The Plai essential oil is highly regarded for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic therapeutic properties. Used for centuries in Thai medicine, the distilled Plai root has an uplifting peppery green eucalyptus aroma. Give it a go next time you have a hard workout or need a strong therapeutic massage.
Four Peaks
The Punchline Comedy Club is offering two lucky reader a pair of tickets to see the DB performance. Simply be the first to tell us in which TV show comedian Ardal O’Hanlon starred. Be the first to email your answer to info@arounddb.com (subject line: Punchline).
Call us to find out more on 2711 1280
SPRING CAMP 10 - 13/4 ur w
ebsite for
.e s f.o r g.
h
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w
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s
V
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After school & Saturday classes now at Discovery College! Primary & Secondary writing classes These skill-based programmes will equip students with the tools to complete a variety of different compositions with a focus on fluency, technique and accuracy.
Enrol online today!
www.esf.org.hk
Kindergarten English and Spanish classes Our literature-based programme focuses on developing reading, writing, speaking and listening through songs, rhymes and story-telling.
Tel:
2711 1280
New programmes start April 2012 www.esf.org.hk
ESF Lang AroundDB ad Mar12.indd 1
2/21/12 3:46:31 PM
M U I WO BEA CH
EVENTS International Beer Dash
Charity that provides many happy returns
Mark your diary for March 10 as it’s the Lantau International Beer Dash – a 5-kilometre fun run from Ma Po Ping Prison (Tong Fuk), along the water catchment through Palm Beach to Lower Cheung Sha. This much-anticipated annual fundraiser supports local non-profits Animals of South Lantau, Protection of Animals Lantau South (PALS) and the Lantau Buffalo Association. Competitors are rewarded with a choice of international beers at each of the five checkpoints. For online registration go to www.activeglobal.com/running/ hong-kong-hong-kong/lantauinternational-beer-dash-2012. Or call Eliza on 2980 4822 to find out more.
South Lantau resident Edward Fernandes founded Birthday Happiness, a charity dedicated to giving local orphans a birthday to remember, five years ago. The idea is to go into local orphanages and throw traditional parties for orphans with games, presents and all the associated treats. Edward says, “While the needs of orphans are well taken care of, we want to help them celebrate the most important day in their young lives, their birthdays.” With the aid of Dr Sue Jamieson, Patricia Blair, Wallace Lau and Andrew Barber, Edward works with Partnering Organisations (PO) including the A n gli c a n We lfa re A s s o c i ati o n, Caritas, Ronald McDonald’s Homes and Christian Action. The POs nominate the children who cannot afford to celebrate their birthdays because of economic, social or other circumstances. If you would like to help Edward, with donations or as a volunteer, contact him on 2891 2166 / 9635 3349 or visit www.birthdayhappiness.org.
Book signing at Bizzie Lizzie Be sure to drop by Bizzie Lizzie toy shop in Mui Wo on March 24 from 11.00am, where illustrator Liina Klaus will be signing copies of her new children’s activity book I Love Japan. Liina collected drawings from 24 international artists (many of them Lantau based) to support the children of Japan who were affected by the Tohoku tsunami and earthquake last March. Most of the proceeds will pay for 1,000 copies of the picture book to go to these Japanese children. For further information, contact Liina at japanilove2011@gmail.com. You will also have a chance to see Liina in DB on March 4 (see page 16)
THE RED LANTERN
FERRY SCHEDULES Mon-Sat (except PH) Sun and PH only Sat, Sun and PH Mon-Fri (except PH) Sun and PH only
From DB
From Mui Wo
7:15am 8:45am 10:45am 11:00am 11:45am
7:45am 9:15am 11:15am 11:30am 12:15pm
Sat, Sun and PH Daily except Sat Daily Daily Sat, Sun and PH
From DB
From Mui Wo
1:15pm 3:00pm 4:15pm 6:15pm 8:05pm
1:45pm 3:30pm 4:45pm 6:45pm 8:30pm
Genuine antiques, small pieces of delightful furniture from the late Ching Dynasty.
4 minutes' walk from the ferry in Mui Wo in the direction of the Silvermine Beach Hotel.
Free Delivery to DB Tel: 2987 0099 Fax: 2980 4833 glandam@netvigator.com
ADVERTORIAL
SECONDARY SCHOOL IN SOUTH LANTAU
OPEN TO STUDENTS WISHING TO STUDY IN ENGLISH Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College (BFHMC) is located in a beautiful and unique setting on South Lantau, in Tai O. The school is set on a green campus where students have the space and facilities to enjoy many sporting activities. This year, the school is celebrating 35 years of serving the local community. For the past three years, to provide for the needs of Lantau’s growing international community, BFHMC has been offering a successful English stream, with students enrolling from all over Hong Kong, including South Lantau, Discovery Bay and Tung Chung. “I have been a teacher for 20 years in Canada, England, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong,’ says Vice Principal Cynthia Lee. “Growing up in Canada, I enjoyed the many benefits of attending a community school surrounded by nature’s many gifts. I am so happy we are able to provide such an experience to our students here with our outstanding team of professional and dedicated educators. Together, we nurture a love of learning in a caring and harmonious environment by providing our students with enjoyable and meaningful educational experiences.” Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College is a true community school with dedicated educators striving to provide excellence in education in a caring, respectful and culturally-diverse environment.
Testimonials from students
FAST FACTS
“Come to BHFMC for the best learning environment. We have hardworking teachers and students of many different nationalities.” (Keir MacDonald)
• Small classes • Low tuition: HKD300/ month (10 months) • Culturally-diverse student population • Full English stream • Full Chinese stream • Local curriculum (HKDSE) • GCSE Chinese • School buses from Tung Chung and Mui Wo • Boarding houses available
“The teachers are very friendly and the schoolmates are very cool. Many students are very serious about studying. I love this school.” (Jon Esteban)
Address: 99 Tai O Road, Tai O, Lantau Island I Email: bfhmc@eservices.hkedcity.net I Website: www.bfhmc.edu.hk For more information contact Cynthia Lee or Raj Gill on (852) 2985 5365.
March 2012
21
PROFILE
compassion in
action
Photos by Tracey van Geest
As we celebrate International Women’s Day this month, who better to interview than DB resident Alison Price. Claire Stirling talks to the powerhouse behind professional women’s group Women In Charge who is cycling Cambodia for victims of sex trafficking
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Alison Price in DB just days before her 500-kilometre cycle ride across Cambodia
March 2012
PROFILE
W
hen asked to meet the woman in charge of a company called Women In Charge I must admit I anticipated sitting down with the alpha female… a bra-burning ballsy feminist. But Alison Price is none of these things. That said, 41 year-old Alison, with her green-hazel eyes, blonde hair, and mild manner, is clearly one of life’s go-getters. Right now she is finishing up an 11-day, 500-kilometre cycle ride across Cambodia to raise money to help victims of sex trafficking. I caught up with her just before she set off on her adventure to find out what inspired the trip.
Cycling Cambodia for charity “I was in Thailand and had no book for the plane so I picked up The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam. I nearly started crying within the first half an hour of opening the pages. I’ve never read a book so quickly – and re-read it. It was just so emotional what she went through.” “Somaly Mam was sold into prostitution at a young age,” Alison explains. “She doesn't know her date of birth, or even what year she was born, because she was sold so
young. She was beaten, caged; it is just a horrible story. She had up to 13 clients a day. Now what's happening is some of the little ones, age 5 or 6, are being sold as virgins and then re-stitched to be resold. It's just horrific.” Cambodia also holds personal demons for Alison, something that makes her venture all the more inspiring. “I've always been apprehensive of it,” she says. “I knew [Hong Kong residents] Dominic Chappell and his girlfriend Kellie Wilkinson – they were executed by Khmer Rouge guerrillas in Cambodia in 1994.” “My boyfriend and I went to Siem Reap about three years ago and it was so beautiful, but Phnom Phen is still a bit iffy for me, so I'm not looking forward to going,” Alison admits. “I read the route the other day and we are passing the Elephant Mountains on highway three – the road that Dominic and Kellie were hijacked on. That was 18 years ago, so things have changed, but I think on that day I'll be zipping down the road!” Downplaying the athletic nature of the project, Alison says she hasn’t trained a lot. But she is clearly fired up about the prospect. “It will be an inspirational thing when we're there. We're going to go to the shelters where the girls are taken
March 2012
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PROFILE
to after they are rescued. Just to know what we're cycling for helps – the money will go towards rehabilitating the girls so they can go back into society when they're ready. The training they’ll get will be in practical skills like sewing and hairdressing. On March 8, Alison and her co-rider Sue Beer are joining in the International Women's Day (IWD) festivities in Siem Reap. The theme for IWD 2012 is Connecting Girls and Inspiring Futures – clearly something that is dear to Alison and Sue’s hearts. What better year to embark on such a physically demanding, grueling and significant challenge? “Sex trafficking is a problem around the world – it is horrific and the silence must be broken,” says Alison. “You too can make a difference!”
Putting women in charge
“In March last year, I wanted to get up and speak [at a Women In Charge event] but I just couldn’t do it. I had an upset stomach the night before – it was just awful. So I went to see a visual coding displacement therapist, and she completely fixed my public speaking fear. For the following events I didn't even rehearse, I had no cards; I just went up there and said, ‘Hi guys’. It was amazing.” In her charmingly self-deprecating style, Alison says that she ‘lives within her comfort zone everyday’, which is one of the reasons she took on the cycle challenge through Cambodia. But you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover remember… Ask Alison what she did on IWD last year – well, she jumped from the Macau Tower, the world’s highest bungy! Somehow, coming from DB’s superwoman, that doesn’t surprise me.
Alison is originally from the UK, but left with her family when she was 17. She has been in Hong Kong, or Thailand, ever since. She now lives in Coastline with her long-term South African partner Brad Erasmus. A school supervisor for an international pre-school in Repulse Bay, Alison is better known locally as the face of professional women’s group Women In Charge – a company that supports and promotes local (female) entrepreneurs. As well as providing practical advice to its 40 + members, Women In Charge organises regular networking and social events where businesswomen meet, mingle and do deals. “It’s all about getting the message out there for our members, and through our database we have a potential network of 28,000 women,” says Alison. “It is nice to know we help women in their businesses, and five percent of our membership fees go to the Somaly Mam Foundation.” Amusingly, Alison first became involved with Women In Charge when the original owners offered Brad, who used to run financial courses for them, the company. “But I thought you can’t have a guy in charge of Women In Charge,” says Alison with a laugh, “so I stepped in and kind of demoted him. Now I’m the woman in charge of Women In Charge!” Alison is certainly an independent lady. “I met Brad through my sister. That was 14 years ago, but I don’t want to get married again – I’ve been there and done that. I’ve never wanted kids either. I have 285 at school and it’s the best method of contraception!”
Achieving goals What is striking about Alison is how caring, compassionate and down-to-earth she is. Talking to her I learnt a lot about achieving goals – and overcoming personal phobias. For instance, Alison is totally frank about her shyness, and something that held her back until very recently was her fear of public speaking.
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March 2012
Alison with the book that inspired her to help victims of sex trafficking
Useful information • For more information about the charity Alison cycled for, visit www.crowdrise.com/AlisonPrice or www.somaly.org • Find out more about Women In Charge at www.womenincharge.com
Final sale on Winter collection!
Photos by Cecilie Gamst Berg
INFOCUS
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March 2012
INFOCUS
off-shore Photos by Tracey van Geest
alert Locals are already calling it the ‘Insane-erator’, Cecilie Gamst Berg gives us the lowdown on the proposed waste incinerator project at Shek Kwu Chau
Shek Kwu Chau is located just off the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula
March 2012
27
INFOCUS
M
y friend Harriet is one of those useful people who carry a map everywhere. I could therefore trust her to know exactly where we were as we trudged around the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula one cold day in January. “Hey, isn’t that the place you were talking about?” she remarked, pointing to a nearby island covered in trees. I looked at her map, and couldn’t stop myself from giving a small yelp. It was indeed the island I had been talking about, Shek Kwu Chau (pronounced Sek Gu Chau, Stone Drum Island) where the government is planning to build a gigantic waste incinerator capable of burning 3,000 tonnes of rubbish a day on an artificial island just off its southern coast. The same incinerator which, if built somewhere else, is estimated to cost only HKD3 billion instead of the at least HKD13 billion it will cost to build on Shek Kwu Chau.
A far from remote location The map didn’t lie – but how could it be possible? In the government’s plan, helpfully explained only two months earlier at a public consultation meeting (in a primary school in sleepy backwater Pui O), it says that Shek Kwu Chau is ‘remote’, implying that nobody would ever see, hear or smell this incinerator once it’s been built. Remote? Not only is the island a mere stone’s throw from the southern end of the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula, it is also in full view of major tourist attraction Cheung Chau with its 25,000 inhabitants (double that number on holidays). A reasonably fit person could easily swim from Cheung Chau to Shek Kwu Chau, so I don’t quite see how we can consider it remote. When one of the angry Lantau residents at the consultation meeting pointed this out to the three government officials, who had thought that we, once we had seen their power point presentation and heard all about how this mega project would have zero impact on marine or human life, would withdraw all our objections en masse, they answered
The proposed 150 metre-tall incinerator would burn up to 3,000 tonnes of rubbish a day
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March 2012
breezily that the incinerator would become… a tourist attraction. The 150-metre tall chimney would not only be made invisible from miles around, it would also be so attractive that people would flock to the island to look at it. Needless to say, concerned residents of Lantau find this hard to believe. The government has considered other sites for this incinerator, for example in Tuen Mun where roads and other infrastructure are in place, and to which the ash that doesn’t go up the chimney on Shek Kwu Chau will be taken to be ‘managed’ later anyway. But it has decided that taking rubbish from all over Hong Kong to an artificial island off Lantau by three barges a day is the best option. A letter from the Town Planning Board says, “The proposed site for the IWMF (Integrated Waste Management Facilities) is the result of a detailed site selection exercise under the study Site Search for Integrated Waste Management Facilities in Hong Kong for Municipal Solid Waste completed in 2008. Taking into account a range of criteria including environmental, ecological, planning, transport, technology/ engineering, economic and social considerations, the artificial island near Shek Kwu Chau is considered a suitable site for the proposed IWMF. The revised Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Report completed in November 2011 has further confirmed that the proposed IWMF at Shek Kwu Chau would not result in insurmountable environmental and health problems.”
Environment, tourism and health ‘Not insurmountable environmental and health problems’? The dredging required for the project would be extensive, doubtless having a negative impact on the fishing grounds around Shek Kwu Chau, and possibly damaging nearby beaches, namely Pui O, Cheung Sha and Mui Wo. And what of the project’s effect on our air quality and health? The government representatives reassured us at the meeting in Pui O, that there will be no emissions (from
INFOCUS
the burning of 3,000 tonnes of rubbish a day). This despite the Environment Protection Department (EPD) already having admitted ‘there will be some pollution’. As a resident of Lantau, and hoping to keep one of the last pristine areas of Hong Kong free of industrialisation, I emailed the EPD as well as elected Islands District Councillor Rainbow Wong, to express my doubts about the incinerator proposal and get their views. Neither of them answered. Discovery Bay resident Matt McLaughlin, however, has this to say, “I understand that Hong Kong has a waste problem and this needs to be addressed. However, I’m not convinced that the solution the government is proposing is the best one as there may be a better and cleaner technology available, such as plasma-arc.”
Installation of old technology In a plasma arc incinerator, electrical current is used to super-heat waste to 2000-4000 degrees Celsius. At these temperatures most types of waste are broken down into elemental components in gaseous form. Gas produced can be refined into fuels, or fired in an onsite turbine to generate power. The process does not produce ash, unlike the incinerator proposed by the Hong Kong Government. Notably, in all the government’s plans and proposals, clean and green, modern technology for disposal of rubbish, such as plasma arc, isn’t even mentioned. Or at least it hasn’t been mentioned yet. “The proposed incinerator is outdated when compared to more modern incinerators such as plasma-arc,” says Matt. “These plasma-arc incinerators can be situated in urban environments because they are cleaner and nonpolluting. I’m told Beijing has announced it is considering installing the plasma-arc style of incinerator in the heart of the Chinese capital (a demonstration model has been in use since April 2010). By contrast, our EPD wants to install this old-technology polluting incinerator in the most expensive
location, and take six years to complete the project. There must be a better alternative. If money is a concern, why not choose another site (such as Tuen Mun on which the incinerator could be up and running in one to two years) and the money saved on reclamation and dredging could be put towards newer cleaner technology to benefit all in Hong Kong.” It seems instead that the government has taken the easy option – build it near ‘deserted’ Lantau Island, and no one will object. Politicians seem unwilling to consider other, possibly better alternatives for managing our city’s waste, and appear spring-loaded to go ahead with this project. Hong Kong could be the envy of the world in so many things; rich, small and easily manageable as we are. We could be leading the way, and showing that we are taking serious steps to address our waste problem while respecting the impact on our air quality. We could truly be Asia’s World City.
Get involved At the Islands District Council meeting on February 20, several councillors spoke passionately against the Shek Kwu Chau incinerator but when it came to voting nobody seconded DB Councillor Amy Yung’s motion to veto the project. The chairman’s approach was less than ideal – he proposed setting up a task force. • Join action group Living Islands Movement, www.livingislands.org.hk • Contact Islands District Councillor Amy Yung, amyung@netvigator.com • Learn more about the Clean Air Network, www.hongkongcan.org • March against the incinerator proposal on March 18, 3.30pm at Pier 6
Rubbish would be brought on barges to Shek Kwu Chau from all over Hong Kong
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March 2012
FAMILY MATTERS
away
we go
Boarders have immediate access to their ‘home’ country
Close peer group relationships are a plus
What are the potential benefits of boarding overseas? Is it the appropriate type of schooling for your child? Lesley Lewis takes a look
A Contented DB boarder Arielle Joss
child’s education is one of the most discussed and challenging topics for parents. I always say, ‘I could have climbed Mount Everest a hundred times’, with all the time spent on what was the best educational scenario for each of my children. There are many options today – local schools, international schools, home schooling and boarding schools. The amount of educational research on curriculums, school settings, multiple intelligence and more is overwhelming and can create overload for both student(s) and parents. The massive number of books, magazines and journals available on the topic fills bookstores. And of course, all we have to do is Google ‘schools/education’ and there is an endless array of pages to cover the subject. Here, in looking at one specific type of schooling, I emphasise the word ‘individual’ as the key ingredient of boarding school as an educational choice.
Advice for parents
Specialist areas of interest are well catered for
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March 2012
There are many reasons children attend boarding schools – academics, social, specialist areas of interest. Perhaps your child wants a new start at a new school and/ or wants to live in a culture with which they are more comfortable. Whatever the reasons, make sure everyone in the family is in agreement, and involve your son/ daughter in the decision-making process.
FAMILY MATTERS
On the practical side, make sure the school is close to an airport. Consider all costs – tuition, outside activities, flights and other expenses. In deciding on the location of the school, you may want to prioritise proximity to close family members and good friends. Who will be the guardian for your child when he/ she is at school? This issue is very important in case of emergencies or if the school cannot contact you. Be objective and look at the different types of schools available. Check the academics and after-school activities. Which curriculum is being offered? The International Baccalaureate (IB) is very popular and fits the academic needs of some students. But there are many other curriculums.
Do your research ‘Third-cultured kids’ ideally will belong to an educational community that understands their life overseas. Speak to the admissions people at the school, and ask how they assist students in their transition from one country to another. Ask who will be teaching your child in everything from academics to social relationships. All of us feel more at ease when we know others have some understanding of who we are and where we are from. Find out if the school integrates the students’ different cultures into the syllabus. Who are the teachers/ educators? Are they mono-cultural? Do they have an understanding of crosscultural kids? What are the teaching styles in the school?
Out of school activities are varied
During your research time, find out how many international students are in attendance. What is the percentage of boarders and day/ weekly students? Make sure there is a proportionate percentage of boarders living at the school or your son/ daughter will feel lonely on the weekends and holidays. And look into the school schedule. Inform yourself about timetabling, after-school activities, meals, study hall, weekend passes and dormitory living. This will give you a clear idea of the pupils’ daily activities.
What DB residents have to say Tori Reid, now 17, attends Island School and was born in Hong Kong. She left for Vinehall Preparatory in the UK when SARS hit in 2003. At the time she was eight years old and stayed until she was 13. Pauline Reid, Tori’s mum (a long-term DB resident) says the decision to send Tori to boarding school was due to circumstances – SARS and all that went along with it. At the time the Reid’s older child, Garath (14) was already boarding in England. Vinehall had 400 students enrolled from nursery to grade 8 and there were 60 boarders. Tori says, “The school was fantastic, the facilities were impressive and I really think
A wide variety of sports are available
March 2012
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FAMILY MATTERS
mum and dad wanted me to have a better education.” As a boarder, Tori met many new people, became involved in drama, played the lead role in the grade 8 annual play and swam in the UK Nationals. There were many opportunities for her but it was a very emotional and difficult time – Tori didn’t leave school often between grades 3 to 8. She was homesick even though her mum travelled back and forth from Hong Kong every two weeks and her dad visited as much as possible. In grade 9 Tory enrolled as a day student at Kent College Pembury, a girl’s school, when Pauline moved to the UK. “I had more freedom, met so many kids, it was a lot of fun – I loved it,” she says. Even so, after a year, Tori chose to return to Hong Kong to be with (both) her parents and her friends. Tori’s advice for potential boarders is to stay calm. “The age you go to boarding school makes a difference. Boarding school made me more independent; I had to grow up faster.” Tamsin Wiebe, an adult third-cultured kid who moved homes every three years as a child and started boarding age 9, has lived in Discovery Bay since 1994. Now the mother to four children and two adopted step-daughters, Tamsin decided on boarding school for her eldest, Arielle,
The pro’s and con’s of boarding school The pro’s are: • Academically good • Parents don’t have to double as teachers • Usually closer than a school in the home country • Peer group relationships • Good preparation for re-entry if based in one’s home country curriculum The con’s are: • Isolated from ‘real life’ • Early separation from parents • Divorced from local culture • Individualised care difficult • Potentially different religious/philosophical values from parents Source: Third Cultured Kids by David C. Pollack and Ruth E. Van Reken
Boarding school links for the more popular countries: General: www.boardingschoolreview.com www.learn4good.com www.boarding-school-finder.com Australia: www.boardingschools.com.au www.boarding.org.au www.australianboardingschools.com.au Canada: www.ourkids.net/canadian-boarding-schools.php www.schoolsincanada.com/Boarding-Schools.cfm
Boarders have more time for sports
Hong Kong: www.ace-hk.org New Zealand: www.boarding.org.nz UK: www.ukboardingschools.com www.boarding.org.uk www.sbsa.org.uk USA: www.boardingschoolreview.com www.boardingschoolsusa.com www.boardingschools.com
Both athleticism and academia are prioritised
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FAMILY MATTERS
in 2010, when she attended an open day put on locally by her former school, and Arielle was offered a scholarship. Initially the ‘newness and the change’ were difficult for Arielle. Now she loves boarding and tells her family and friends how happy she is. Tamsin says, “Arielle is glowing, and the teaching style fits her better.” The school offers a variety of courses and Arielle has more time for activities such as rock climbing, Outward Bound, swimming, camping and field holidays. Out of the 600 kids attending the school, 530 are fulltime boarders. There are 200 international students, 200 Scottish kids and 200 from other areas of the UK. Tamsin says that boarding school has been good for her relationship with Arielle; they speak on Skype and talk in depth. The communication with the school is very good and Arielle is busy, not just sitting at a computer. Tamsin and her husband, Craig, would consider boarding school for their other children. The Williams family (not their real name) moved to Discovery Bay in 2005 and have three children. Debra
(mum), an adult third-cultured kid, moved every five years as a child and became a boarder at 13. Her first child, Jeffery, overcame many challenges and was successful in a local school until he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the school adopted the IB. Initially dad and child were resistant to the idea of boarding school but after attending an educational fair, they became more open. The family visited several US schools, and finally found a ‘perfect match’ for Jeffery. The school has 600 acres, there are dorm parents and they have a dog. The transition was life challenging, but the Williams now find boarding school fits their needs as a family. Debra says that the school offers the consistency and structure Jeffery needs to succeed. It appears he has found himself. “We felt guilt and disappointment in ourselves but it has been the best decision we have made as parents,” she adds. Deciding whether your child is educated in Hong Kong or at a boarding school is not easy. But in the end, all you really have to ask yourself is, ‘What is best for my child?’
Specialist lawyers for UK expats
You’re invited to a FREE seminar to learn more about our Concierge Service in Discovery Bay. More details below.
We’ll support your family in the UK – when you can’t be there Moving overseas and leaving loved ones behind can be hard, but leaving elderly parents without the emotional and practical support upon which they have become reliant is distressing. At Mogers we have been helping expats who have elderly parents in the UK manage long distance care for decades. Our Concierge Service offers hands on local and practical support, such as paying bills, dealing with tax returns or finding suitable long or short-term care solutions which take away a real burden and give genuine peace of mind for everyone concerned.
To learn more about this service and how it can benefit your family please join Derwent Campbell at Hemingway’s By the Bay at the following times: Wednesday 21st March 6.30 – 7.30 pm or Saturday 24th March 10.00 – 11.00 am. To book a place for either event, please email sarah@jpmediahk.com or contact Derwent Campbell direct at derwentcampbell@mogers.co.uk
MONEYMATTERS
China
plays To make the most of dragon year, the year of prosperity, Martin W. Hennecke suggests investors swoop in on Hong Kong-listed China companies
A
t January’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang warned of a challenging time ahead for Hong Kong amid the ongoing Eurozone crisis, prompting much uncertainty among the investing public concerning the outlook for Hong Kong and China markets. As a first step, investors should look at and analyse separately the local property and equity markets, since the performance of these two types of investments does not always match. Moreover, when evaluating the local equity market, one should distinguish further between Hong Kong-listed China equities (such as H-Shares) and Hong Kong-listed Hong Kong equities (which together make up the Hang Seng Index). Hence we shall look at the Hong Kong property market, Hong Kong-listed equities of Hong Kong companies and Hong Kong-listed equities of mainland companies one by one.
Hong Kong property market On the Hong Kong property market, current prices appear to be on the high end, that is, local property has become not only the most expensive in the world as measured in the nominal average property price per square foot, but also relative to the annual median household income. Hong Kong’s median home price stands at HKD3.15
million or 12.6 times the median annual household income of HKD249,000. This is the world’s highest, followed by second-place Vancouver with a multiple of 10.6 and Sydney with 9.2. Besides, interest rates in Hong Kong remain near record lows of an ‘inexpensive’ 2.38 percent. This low borrowing cost is obviously one of the reasons for the currently prevailing high property prices, and some investors argue that the low rates will continue supporting property prices going forward. However, by the same token, when coming from a very low rate, this also means that just a small increase in interest rates would make property financing significantly more expensive percentage-wise. This would particularly affect investors or homeowners with little equity, and those who calculate longer-term funding plans and return projections at or near today’s interest rates. At the same time, Hong Kong may come under increasing economic pressure going forward, given its reliance on being a global financial centre. This sector is already under pressure from both the Eurozone crisis and what is expected to be increased competition particularly from Shanghai – recently Shanghai announced plans to become a global yuan trading centre by 2015. Likewise, Hong Kong’s second leg of the trade and logistics business is
March 2012
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MONEYMATTERS
MSCI China PBV relative to MSCI Asia ex-Japan PBV
PER discount/premium to long term mean (% and standard deviations) 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% -10% -20% -30% -40%
PER Disc/Prem to LT Average (LHS) Std Dev of Disc/Prem (RHS)
1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 -0.5 -1.0 -1.5 -2.0
2.0 1.8
Relative PBV: MSCI China PBV/MSCI Asia ex-Japan PBV Average since 2001
1.6 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8
Source: Datastream, Nomura Strategy Research
being challenged by a slowdown in exports, as well as increasing competition from various lower-cost ports and logistics centres in mainland China. Less business of course may translate into further pressure on Hong Kong property prices, and so for all of these reasons it would appear to be logical and prudent not to be overly exposed to the local property market at this time, particularly when using a high degree of leverage (i.e. mortgages).
Hong Kong / China equity market The local equity market, on the other hand, seems to be relatively under-priced and offering a better upside potential from present levels. Investors may preferably target Hong Kong-listed mainland Chinese companies, rather than the local Hong Kong companies, as the latter could be affected more negatively by the aforementioned factors than companies operating across mainland China. China equities are in fact now trading near record discounts to long-term price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio averages and price-to-book (P/B) ratios, both in nominal terms and when compared against China’s Asian peers. China’s most recent Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) data indicates that the mainland Chinese economy overall is remaining relatively resilient to both the Eurozone crisis and the recent government-induced China property and bank lending slowdown. Even if things should once more take a turn for the worse in terms of the Eurozone or US sovereign debt crisis, then China would still have ample room for easing bank lending and property restrictions to counter a slowdown. What’s more China’s strong and rising tax revenues of recent years could provide funding for new stimulus programmes if needed. Finally, with regards to inflation, consider the fact that equities (and by extension convertible bonds) represent companies, and companies, as long as they have got a competitive edge in the market, can put up prices for goods and services sold in line with inflation. As a result,
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they can ‘float’ on inflation. In this regard equities are like property, but unlike fixed-interest bonds or cash which do not have an intrinsic value but are fully exposed to inflation risks as they rely on government promises of purchasing power of currency. Importantly too, with the RMB being a sought after and undervalued currency (on a purchasing power basis), it should be well understood that such Chinese equities or equity funds do not have to be RMB denominated in order to offer RMB exposure. As long as the income of the underlying assets is derived mostly from the mainland and in RMB, the actual currency exposure / performance driver will also be the RMB, while the currency of denomination of the equity (i.e. HKD) or equity fund (i.e. USD) is merely a performance-irrelevant denominator. For these reasons one can conclude that the China equity market at this moment does appear to offer a good risk / return profile in terms of upside potential versus downside risk overall, and that it is relatively under-valued compared to property prices. Accordingly, investors who are positioned with an overweight on properties may consider reducing such exposure in favour of equities or convertible bonds. However, given the still very uncertain global macroeconomic background amid the ongoing Western sovereign debt crisis and the uncertain short-term market outlook stemming from this, any equity exposure should be un-leveraged, and only form a part of a diversified portfolio that is spread over different asset classes. Such a portfolio should also include at least some exposure to gold / precious metals for general financial crisis and inflation protection. Martin W. Hennecke is associate director of Tyche Group Ltd, an independent Hong Kong-based investment and financial advisory firm specialised in providing individually tailored discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning strategies. Email him at mhennecke@tyche-group.com for more information
TALKINGPOINTS
crowning
Photos by Terry Chow
Two Discovery Bay teens recently gave up their long locks for a cause. Mary Singer talks to Emeline Sandt and Mikaela Kalmar, plus a few admirers, and finds out why they made the cut
42
glory
Mikaela and Emeline make the cut for their chosen charity Locks of Love
March 2012
TALKINGPOINTS
M
A small group had congregated on Staunton Street below the salon, and the girls were fortifying themselves with Perrier, when the last of their admirers arrived. Both girls claimed to have slept well the night before. Mikaela was ‘a little nervous, but excited’. Emeline wasn’t even nervous. And things didn’t look any different when they were both seated, getting their hair sectioned-off and wound with elastic bands. The mood was festive throughout. “Emeline is the youngest of four so I have seen a lot. It could have been an eyebrow ring. But I totally support this,” the girl’s mum quipped.
to the skin. I think some people [strangers] may think I have cancer… It is raising awareness.” Both have been amazed by the positive response from everyone. “A few people had warned me against doing it but everyone says we look good. No one has said anything negative,” says Mikaela. And what about the notion of persona? Has this experience changed who the girls are – or shown them something about themselves they never knew? Absolutely. Says Mikaela, “I feel a lot more confident.” Emeline agrees, quickly adding, “People are looking at me now… not the hair.” And as if all that’s not enough, Emeline and Mikaela are coming up on HKD50,000 raised for Locks of Love.
Photo by Tushar More
ikaela Kalmar’s dad was walking purposefully to the ferry on a Friday afternoon in February on his way to Hipp.Fish Hair, the chic SoHo salon. When asked if he was nervous, he didn’t even break stride. “No… they can pull it off.” His confidence may have been a reference to Mikaela and Emeline’s youthful beauty, but as a father he would know if these two young women had the courage to make the cut for charity. Our society is obsessed with hair; our self-esteem is very much tied up with it. And one would have thought this ‘hair-pressure’ weighs heaviest on the shoulders of 18 year-olds like Emeline and Mikaela.
This was no act of teenage rebellion. Emeline and Mikaela have been raising money for an organisation that makes wigs for children with hair loss, and they are donating their hair, too. A nice way to round out their highschool careers; they are graduating in a few months – a new life and a new look. Locks of Love, their selected non-profit, requires at least 10 inches of hair, so Mikaela ended up with a pixie-style cut (her school’s rules forbid shaved heads). Emeline had shorter hair to begin with, so Hipp.Fish stylist Diane gave her a close crop, necessitating hair clippers. When she rose from the chair with a smile, she graciously allowed everyone to feel her head – it was just as people like to reach out and touch a pregnant woman’s tummy. Keith, a stylist looking on, suggested that having one’s head shaved is the perfect opportunity to forego shampoo and conditioner forever – as he has done for the last 12 years – laden as it is with harsh chemicals (and the product of a multi-billion-dollar industry that we buy into based on slick advertising). Mikaela and Emeline left Hipp.Fish smiling, pleased, and ‘feeling lighter’. A couple of days on, the two students have lots to tell. “Life is so much easier! Showers are so quick!” says Emeline. Matters of convenience aside, Emeline is clearly feeling a kinship with the people who benefit from the cause the girls are supporting. “In hindsight, I would have shaved my hair
Before
After
Come on girls: cut you hair for charity Locks of Love is among several organisations providing hairpieces to children suffering from long-term hair loss. Guidelines for length and condition of donated hair vary, so browse online to decide which one suits you. • www.locksoflove.org (Locks of Love) • www.wigsforkids.org (Wigs for Kids) • www.pantene.com (link: Beautiful Lengths) • www.clf4kids.org (Childhood Leukemia Foundation) • www.chailifeline.org (Chai Lifeline)
Guys? Grow your hair for charity What act of courage can the guys offer for a cause? We are asking brave men to join Around DB to participate in ‘Movember’ and prostate cancer awareness month. This will be your chance to stop hiding your ‘stache’! There are a few months yet to grow your courage. We’ll be in touch…
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TECHTREND
technology for the good The battle continues, is technology evil or good? Here Paula Lepore Burrough uncovers some indisputable positives
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yberbullying, child pornography sites, email scams, violent video games, hacking and viruses, racist hate sites… is there no end to the negative, if not downright evil uses of our modern communication and computer technology? This is the impression one might get from reading the headlines, but just like most things in life, tech has the capacity for both evil and good. So on the heels of ushering in a new year, perhaps it is best to be optimistic and take a closer look at many of its positive uses. The power of technology combined with efforts for humanity can be nothing short of amazing. Here are a few inspiring uses.
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Special Needs
Medical Benefits
Fundraising Efforts
Green Technology
Freedom Communications started as a web-design company then discovered an underdeveloped market. People with special needs and the non-profit organisations supporting them were not receiving the attention they deserved from Information Technology (IT) professionals. In 2009, this company set up OEM Interactive to deliver affordable and high-quality IT solutions to this market. An example of OEM’s work is the development of a social story application (app) for autistic kids, which helps them adapt to foreign situations, such as a trip to the hairdressers. OEM has also partnered with the Hong Kong Blind Union to develop an app that allows a visually impaired person to input Chinese characters into an iPhone using CantonesePinyin braille.
Technology has been used to create an array of benefits in the medical world which will continue to provide improved patient care and make treatment more cost effective. Innovations as simple as clinical practice guidelines and electronic medical records allow for more accurate population research and a better understanding of healthy living. Today, new advances are being made with technology such as ultrasound, even though it has been around for over 50 years. Doctors in Glasgow, Scotland are now using ultrasound to heal both simple and complex fractures. The treatment is painless and the recovery rate has been reported to be 40% faster. How does this work? Ultrasound encourages the removal of bacteria and stimulates the rate of bone cell production.
Technology has been making it easier for nonprofit organisations to receive donations. Cell phone companies such as Vodaphone have set up ‘text to donate’ logistics to help provide relief in times of severe tragedy. Users can instantly text in the sum of money they wish to give. Reputable fundraising sites or internet banking can also be used to collect worldwide donations. Good set-up sites provide support, and include information about where help is needed and opportunities for volunteers. They are transparent about their fees and offer innovative products such as apps for social networks. Some sites even allow contributors to schedule monthly donations. All of this benefits fundraising efforts and reaches out to the masses quickly and efficiently. No more door to door.
Green technology is our safeguard against environmental pollution now and for the future. We are all aware of the renewable energies, and hopefully we are involved with recycling and resource conservation on a daily basis. But how is innovative technology helping to save the world? Take the everyday computer printer and the waste that comes with excess printing and having to constantly change cartridges. Why not consider the Printstik p900, an ink-less printer that uses thermal printing technology to reproduce monochrome text and images. Or take it a step further with the Magic Erase Board. While it is still in development, this eco printer will use ink with photographic materials that disappears under ultra-violet irradiation; 'magically' erasing your document for reuse.
March 2012
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ESCAPES
Photos compiled by Karmel Schreyer
Japan – looking up
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ESCAPES
In December 2011, Karmel Schreyer returned to Japan after a 16-year absence, to chaperone her daughter as she completed a Discovery College peace project. She’s back with some reflections and travel tips, one year after the Great Tohoku Earthquake
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look up when I walk… because when I see the trees, I am reminded that ‘to everything there is a season’. Sometimes, living here in sub-tropical Hong Kong, it is easy to forget that. The deep, almost neon, crimson of the momiji (maple) tells me it is late in the year. There are round range moons of kaki (persimmon) on bare branches, too – winter has arrived. Earlier, I was crossing a busy grey street corner and looked down at a spot of colour to find one perfect green leaf of the gingko, a remnant of summer. It put a smile on my face – I really was back in Japan, my home before Hong Kong. The only thing I would not get a chance to see this time was what I had been looking forward to last spring, before fate intervened – the pale pink blooms of the sakura (cherry), and one of the most beautiful sights on earth.
Where politeness is an art form Although this trip to Japan was a ‘business-trip’ of sorts, we were delivering the Discovery College Crane for Peace project to the Hiroshima Peace Park, I realised that our fiveday dash in and out of Osaka’s Kansai International Airport showcased much of the best of Japan. Armed with our Japan Rail Passes, which can only be purchased outside the country, my daughter Blaise and I went from city to city like one would hop on and off a bus. The ride to Osaka, about an hour from Kansai International Airport by Japan Rail Line (trade in your Japan Rail Pass vouchers at the airport’s tourism office if your stay is for seven days or less, to start using your rail pass) is a stark contrast to any in Hong Kong. This ‘hypercity’ is flat and low, characteristically Japanese. The December air was cold – and crystal clear. I remember taking deep breaths. We had taken the red-eye flight and could not yet check into our downtown hotel, so we left our bags and headed to Kyoto. At Osaka Station, we noted the train cars for women only, and I also figured out that the colour-coded circles and triangles on the platforms indicated where people could queue, not only for the next train… but for the train after that. I was reminded, once again, that the Japanese have made politeness an art form. But how else can you live in a country of 130 million people the size of the state of Montana? Kyoto was the capital of Japan from 794 to 1869 when Tokyo took over the job, marking the official beginning of Japan’s modern era. As such, it is home to an assortment of the country’s most famous shrines, temples and zen gardens. Along the renowned Philosophers Path, you can admire the likes of Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) and Ginkakuji (Silver Temple). Kinkakuji (Golden Temple) is on the other side of town.
Kiyomizudera Temple, Kyoto
The next day we visited Nara, about 30 minutes due east, known for its deer parks. We happened to visit on the day of
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ESCAPES
Ginkakuji (Silver Temple), Kyoto
Teacher/ student Memorial, Hiroshima Peace Park
the town’s biggest festival, Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri, commemorating the traditional performing arts and held continuously for the last eight centuries. We saw men in old samurai uniform atop elegant white horses. We watched children perform intricate footwork and sing songs, and ‘courtiers’ in the most elaborate kimono wearing wooden geta (clogs / flip-flops). What can I say – we got lucky.
Special delivery to Hiroshima Peace Memorial On waking the next morning we headed west, we had a job to do. We took the famed bullet train straight to Hiroshima, a relaxing 90-minute ride from Shin-Osaka Station, (though Kobe and Himeji also warrant a stopover). We had reservations at the World Friendship Centre, which is a big name for a small place, a guesthouse founded 20 years after the bombing, by an American woman who made it her life’s work to advocate for the Hibakusha – Hiroshima’s post-war walking wounded. These days, the guesthouse is run by a Japanese board of directors and managed by an American couple, one of whom is a retired nuclear engineer. On our first night, he gave my daughter a reassuring talk about the
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Torii-Gate, Miyajima
Festival parade, Nara
A-Bomb Dome, Hiroshima
safety of the small pellet of strontium that she had seen on airtight display at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum earlier in the day. The following morning, we walked to the Hiroshima Peace Park with our precious cargo of 1,000 paper cranes and delivered them to the statue of Sadako Sasaki. We met our guide Michiko, her presence kindly arranged by the World Friendship Centre. When our tour was over, we took a suburban train for about 40 minutes to Miyajimaguchi, then straight on to a JR-ferry for a short ride to the island of Miyajima, known for its assortment of pagodas, leafy hillside walks, more roaming deer and, especially, Itsukushima Temple and the monumental red/orange ToriiGate in the water. By now it had become abundantly clear that there were few tourists; our hosts said that reservations at the guesthouse had been wiped out after the tsunami and the nuclear situation. We were the only guests. Come to think of it, there were few tourists along the Philosophers Path in Kyoto, either. But the parade route in Nara had been chock-
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ESCAPES
a-block with local celebrants, and the lobby of our fancy hotel in Osaka had been packed with families and groups of well-dressed ladies laden with shopping bags, taking afternoon tea. The train back to Hiroshima was filled with girls in their sailor-suit school uniforms and boys in their black gakuran, its style derived from Prussian army uniforms. Seeing those uniforms reminded me of what Michiko had said, “At that time, a Japanese education was a military education… It was a form of brainwashing… In order to heal, we must tell the truth…” There were other things Michiko told me that I had not known: that when the bomb was dropped, the children were at school or in factories or fields, forcefully mobilised for the government’s war effort, and so the job of caring for these wounded and dying children fell to teachers, not parents; that Hiroshima’s wounded survivors of the atomic blast were ostracised by their countrymen and lived in shantytowns along the city’s riverbanks for a decade before there were any government-instituted car programmes; that the flame in the park I had told my daughter was an ‘eternal flame’ was in fact no such thing – when the world rids itself of nuclear weaponry the flame will be extinguished by the mayor; that for seven years after the bomb was dropped, the occupying American forces placed an information embargo so that the world did not know what exactly had happened in a place called Hiroshima – only that it was something unimaginable.
I look up when I walk ‘Ue o Muite Arukou’ (I look up when I walk)… Japanese people understand these words; they are the title to a memorable song by their beloved Kyu Sakamoto. My five-day walk in Japan, after 16-years away, reminded me of that song, which reached number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963, even though it was sung entirely in Japanese. To make it easier for foreign audiences to remember, though, the song was renamed ‘Sukiyaki’ (a Japanese hot-pot dish). The title sounds upbeat, but the opening line is 'I look up when I walk – so the tears don’t fall’. Sakamoto’s song is in fact a remembrance of happier times, season by season, and a lament for the sadness and loss we must – every one of us – eventually face. When the earthquake hit last March, I immediately ‘facebooked’ my friend Kiyoka. She assured me she and her family were fine; the aftershocks were a nuisance and they were running out of batteries. Since our trip I have found myself thinking about role models – examples of people who meet tragedy with grace and resilience. They always keep walking. They always keep looking up.
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Chronology of a peace mission September 2010 Khusi Rana, then in Year Four, shows the materials needed for the Discovery College (DC) Cranes for Peace project: collection box, flyers and finished origami crane
November 2010 DC’s Year Four class parents set up a Sadako (Paper Crane) station at the Family Fun Day, along with Miss Mortimer, Year Four teacher (and Origami Club stalwart)
February 2011 DC students Casey O’Brien and Blaise Kingan show off the Senbazuru (1,000 cranes). They are on schedule at about 800 cranes, and the planned delivery date is March 18, in time for the first cherry blossoms
March 11, 2011 The Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami strikes the coast off eastern Japan. The DC project is put on hold Photo credit: Japansociety.org.uk
April 2011 The DC Cranes for Peace project is shared with other schools in Hong Kong through the Daily 10 and Student Standard newspapers
December 16, 2011 The paper cranes leave Hong Kong. En route to Kansai International Airport, friendly Cathay Pacific flight attendants pose with a symbolic crane
December 19, 2011 Blaise, now in Year Five, finally delivers 1,000 paper cranes to the statue of Sadako Sasaki at Hiroshima Peace Park. She registers the DC Cranes For Peace Senbazuru with the City of Hiroshima Paper Crane Database, as Michiko, Blaise’s guide from the World Friendship Centre looks on
ACTION
Photos by James Pitman, Aya Kubota and Kurt Lynn
racing on the
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edge
Long-term DB resident Matt McLaughlin reports on traversing Tasmania’s rugged wilderness by kayak, raft, foot and bike in the Adventure Racing World Championships 2011 At CP19, after an eight-hour struggle through the five-kilometre Vale River section
March 2012
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ith the stage set, 78 international teams of four lined up on the start line at the Adventure Racing World Championships in the town of Burnie, on Tasmania’s west coast. Ahead of them lay a gruelling 750 kilometres of nonstop racing comprising ocean and river kayaking, rafting, trekking, canyoning, caving, coasteering and mountain biking. Teams had been issued with 37 maps marked with 53 checkpoints (CPs), and were expected to find these with nothing but a compass, the mark-one eyeball, and the skill of the team navigator. I joined team Sports World Hong Kong on the start line: DBbased Kurt Lynn, South Lantau-based Pierre Le Magnan and Brazil-based US athlete Bobette Burdick. Kurt and I came to the race with some serious unfinished business – having failed to complete the full course in 2010’s brutal ‘XPD Cairns’ (a 700-kilometre torture-fest in the Queensland hinterland), we had a burning desire to finish a job undone. What followed was an incredible test of fitness, of teamwork and of the normal limits of human endurance and fatigue. We were about to experience racing on the edge.
Kyaking and trekking At the start gun the 312 competitors ran across the beach to their waiting kayaks in a burst of colour and the churning blur of 624 paddle blades as they set off on a 17-kilometre coastal kayak from Burnie to Penguin. This leg led to a 20-kilometre kayaking and trekking section in the Dial Range. Five kilometres in we stopped at CP3, a shooting gallery in a dry and dusty stand of weatherworn eucalyptus trees. One team member had to attempt to shoot five clay targets, with failure to shoot at least one earning a 15-minute penalty. We nominated Bobette, figuring that as an American she was probably born with a 12-gauge in her hand, and should be more than adept with a firearm. We were right. We were swamped by race media as she emerged from the range, arms raised high in a victory salute, yelling “Five out of five, suckers!” Her grin was as wide as the lens on the race photographer’s Nikon. The trekking stage that followed gave us a taste of things to come, with narrow muddy root-choked trails winding through terrain that varied between open dry timberland and thick rainforest. By late afternoon we arrived at CP9, where we transitioned to mountain biking and caving for the next stage: 70 kilometres of biking with a mid-ride caving/orienteering section.
Mountain biking and caving As the sun set on our first day of racing we headed across the Gunns Plains to a set of caves by the Leven River. We spent an hour here, crawling through the tight confines of the caves, at times on hands and knees in icy subterranean streams, looking for the seven checkpoints secreted within. With frozen bodies and wet cycling shoes we then
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ACTION
headed off on the last 50 kilometres. We bagged the first CP with relative ease, after a slow grind up slippery muddy tracks that wound through the forest, but very soon things became a lot trickier. As we moved cautiously down a steep trail in the dark another team powered past us, going in the opposite direction. This was an unsettling sight, as it meant that either they, or we, were lost. We elected to backtrack and loop around the logging trails to the next checkpoint. This option added an hour or so to the leg, but at least we still knew exactly where we were, a point of vital importance in these expedition races. As our foursome cycled back down to the road junction we saw our first wildlife – a wallaby careened out of the forest directly into our path before bouncing off, alarmed, back into the scrub.
CP19 almost 20 hours later. It started with a pleasant jaunt through the rainforest before we hiked up to the edge of Tasmania’s Central Plateau, a high region above the treeline punctuated with buttongrass moorlands and mountains. We hit the plateau as the weather turned, with low cloud and scud racing across the horizon, and encountered light snowfall as we hiked past a CP on the shores of an alpine lake. The Tasmanian weather was to be like this throughout the race – we were sunburnt and parched one minute, windblown and hypothermic the next.
With our only major navigation stuff-up of the race, this leg saw us semi-lost for nearly seven hours. I had made an error during pre-race map prep, and as a result led the team down the wrong valley system in search of CP15. By now we had been without sleep for over 32 hours. We ‘found’ ourselves as the sun set, and pushed through until We finished this leg at around 2am on 2am on day three. We were navigating day two, when we pulled into CP12. along a boggy trail in the forest that We’d planned to sleep for a couple of snaked in and out of narrow rocky hours here, but on arrival found several streams. It was impossible to keep our teams monopolising the floor space in Matt, Bobette, Pierre and Kurt pre-start feet dry, and tempers were wearing thin front of a fire inside the covered rest as we stumbled along in the dark, tired area. We had to make do with warming and wet and borderline miserable. our hands over the flames, while straddling the sleeping bag-encased bodies that lay like corpses at our feet. We pitched the tent in the driest spot we could find, and squeezed in (it was a two-man tent, to save weight, Lost in the high country and was in no way big enough for the four of us) for a fitful three-hour sleep. I don’t recall The next leg was a 60-kilometre trek/abseil/canyon section. sleeping much at all; lying sandwiched We set off as the sun rose, after re-loading our backpacks between Pierre’s legs and the wall of for what the race handbook advertised as a 15- to 20-hour the tent, shivering uncontrollably stage. This leg was to prove brutal, with us staggering into
Matt and Kurt on the 17-kilometre ocean kayak leg
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in the extreme cold. We moved off at daybreak after discovering that the area was crawling with leeches, and that we had been the main course as we slept.
Whitewater swimming On reaching the Central Plateau proper, the land opened up to reveal rolling high-country grassland, and in the distance we could see the jagged profile of Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain. As morning turned to afternoon we descended into the rainforest again in search of waterfalls on the remote Vale River. This section of forest sees up to three meters of rainfall per year, and is a primordial explosion of green. Ferns and bracken crunched underfoot as we followed a trail through thick stands of myrtle beech, pines, eucalyptus and massive swamp gums. Soaring to 100 metres, these are the world’s tallest flowering plants. As the forest shadows grew long, we arrived at CP18 to find that the planned abseil into the Vale River had been cancelled due to dangerously high water levels. Race marshals re-routed us down a precipitous slippery track to the riverbed. It was here that we faced our first real test. Teams had to swim across three stretches of whitewater
to get into the river valley that led to the next CP. The water was icy cold, and as we plunged in fully clothed and laden with our backpacks, my body seized up and I began hyperventilating. It was the coldest water I have ever been in. With the mercury plummeting, we attempted to navigate the riverbed. Thick forest reached down to the water’s edge at every point along the river, leaving no bank on which to hike, and within six metres of the water the terrain rose nearly vertically, disappearing in a wall of vegetation. We were faced with two options in this inhospitable wilderness – walk in the boulder strewn knee-deep river for five kilometres, or bush-bash our way through the thick forest. Although staying in the river was the fastest option, the water was simply too cold, so we were forced to stay in the forest. It was excruciatingly slow going. We averaged less than one kilometre per hour as we clambered and struggled along the riverbank, arriving at the CP at 2am the next day. It had taken more than eight hours to traverse the five-kilometre Vale River section, the most mentally challenging stage of the race so far. Read next month’s issue to see how the Hong Kong team fared as the race continued…
The 20-hour high-country trek
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AroundDB-March.indd 1
2/11/2012 12:40:15 PM
STYLE
floating
H
ong Kong is blessed with a lot of things: low taxes, the world’s greatest airport and frigid air conditioning. Add to that list, water on all sides and a climate conducive to on-board living. With a clutch of marinas and a variety of neighbourhoods to choose from – notably the serenity of Discovery Bay – the number of boat dwellers has risen steadily over the last few years. Hey, if a boat-based home was cool enough for Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice, it’s cool enough for us. Life on a boat is the ultimate lifestyle choice, be it on a traditional wooden junk, a masted sailboat, a catamaran or modern motorised yacht. But regardless of the type, one thing is clear: mooring rates are competitive with standard rentals, considerably more space is almost guaranteed and none of the mod-cons of structured, domestic living need be sacrificed.
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“It is always the right time to buy a liveaboard, if you compare it with what you can get for your buck in the property market,” says DB resident Roenel Turner of boat brokerage Lifestyle Homes. “In 1996 a 60-foot boat (along with the berth and debenture) sold at HKD1.76 million, in today's market you can pay anything between HKD5.5 million and HKD6.5 million for a 60 foot. Of course boats are in general a depreciating asset, but the debenture together with the berth increases in value. The lifestyle is becoming more and more popular and desirable which seems to keep the prices up there.” A well-designed 60-foot junk can offer upwards of 1,500 square feet of living space – plus intensely sought-after outdoor space. So intensely sought-after, as a matter of fact, that berths are scarce. “Berthing in Hong Kong is very limited. Here in Discovery Bay we have berthing
lives
STYLE
Marina living has plenty of advantages, additional space for one, and it’s easy to design a ship-shape interior, says Elizabeth Kerr
Photo credit: Lifestyle Homes
limitations in terms of width, length and height that need to be considered with a new build and / or refurbishment of an existing vessel,” points out Michele Cameron, DB resident and managing director of DB brokerage Hong Kong Boats and Homes.
to ‘travel’ regularly,” notes Michele. A seaworthy vessel is wonderful in theory, but it requires a great deal more design work. Take a minute and imagine your landlocked living room suddenly listing and rolling. Precisely. The vases, coffee table books, sculptures, coin buckets and swank electronics scattered around would need to go.
Design as you would any home Whether on water or on land, a home is a home and you’re likely going to want it to have a particular look. With few exceptions, decorating and designing for liveaboard space is no different than for traditional flats, and if anything, there is potentially more flexibility on a boat.
“As for lighting a liveaboard, the best effects are achieved when everything is lit evenly, with no shadows and no sharp light,” says DB resident Jamo Lo of DB boat-brokers Mandarin Yacht. “The correct intensity can be controlled by dimmers, choice of power output, shading and blocking.” Again, design just as you would in any living space.
“Whilst most of our furnishings on the lower deck are fitted, most of the mid deck is freestanding. Movement is not an issue as [our] vessels are liveaboards and not designed
Jamo, who specialises in lighting, and not only for boats, advises you prioritise functionality, ambiance and romance. “Function light is working light: bright, shadow-less and
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STYLE
Photo credit: Lifestyle Homes
evenly spread. Ambient light is used to light everything in the room quietly: your curtains, your walls, your plants, your ceilings. Romantic light is warm light emanating from under the bed, behind the TV, behind furniture, from candles on the table.” But most importantly, Jamo advises you buy the new (warm white) LED lights. “These last much longer and use less than one tenth of the energy for the same intensity.”
Design as you would any outdoor space While designing a liveaboard interior is nearly identical to decorating an apartment, there are a few aspects anyone considering moving onto the water needs to bear in mind. Onboard design, by definition, needs to be more streamlined. And those built-in cabinets you resent would need to be reconsidered. “In terms of shape or style what works for a boat works in
a garden,” notes DB resident Grace Carrey, founder and director of Blume Living. “With indoor furniture you want to make a statement and set the style for the space. But outdoor furniture is offset by a fantastic pool, a beach or an ocean. You very much want it to be in the background. You don’t want it to scream and shout. It should be a complement.” Grace specialises in outdoor furniture, something that was inspired by her own home in DB Marina. Of her outdoor pieces she states, “I put mine inside too. At the moment my designers are talking about blurring the line between indoor and outdoor. If you design an item that can be applied in both areas and tie the spaces together, you automatically extend your indoor space.” And isn’t that everyone’s endgame? Just as pressing are issues of weathering. Grace’s focus is on man-made materials that stand up to sun, heat and humidity, as well as ocean-side elements laid over
STYLE
Photo credit: Hong Kong Boats and Homes
lightweight aluminium frames. Grace reminds us that PVC (a common material in patio gear) becomes brittle and susceptible to breakage under sunlight and works best away from it. For decks, high-density materials like polyethylene are the way to go when dealing with any kind of severe weather conditions. And Grace recommends wood for stationary locations. Blume carries a limited selection of teak items, and Grace would leave them to the elements to grey for a naturally aged look.
Bondways (new and old). This is his favourite vessel and he is enjoying redecorating, and the vessel is stunning,” notes Michele. “The turnover is less; it used to be two years or more, and now we are looking at four-plus years, with owners redesigning their space rather than upgrading to a new vessel.” If you’re lucky then, Crockett’s boat can be had for the right price.
The remaining design decisions (colours, textures and layouts) come down to individual taste. And as is the case with flats, trends toward sustainability are starting to emerge. “I recently had a client who chose to buy a very different and unique steel vessel having owned several
Blume Living, grace@blume-living.com Hong Kong Boats and Homes, michelejcameron@msn.com Lifestyle Homes, info@lifestylehomes.com.hk Mandarin Yacht, jamolo@mandarinyacht.com.hk
Useful local contacts
Showroom in Discovery Bay (Marina Club)
• Original and beautiful designs suitable indoors and outdoors • All designs can be customized • Top-quality furniture using durable, lightweight and strong materials • Competitive prices
B67 Marina Club, Discovery Bay www.blume-living.com | 9365 1018
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c o m p i l e d b y A n d re w D e m b i n a
Dance Night for
Duranees
Still in the pop music game, Duran Duran enlivens our shores for one night this month on the All You Need Is Now tour. The UK band, most popular in the 1980s, takes to the stage at the AsiaWorld-Expo Hall 10 on March 14. The band’s biggest hits were Girls On Film, Rio, Planet Earth, Hungry Like the Wolf and The Reflex. The four original members, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon will perform their greatest hits here in Hong Kong as well as songs from the new album All You Need Is Now – produced by Grammy award-winning Mark Ronson. Visit www.duranduran.com, or for tickets go to www.hkticketing.com.
A Chef’s Tale A new novel with a local connection has just hit the bookshelves. The Broken Path, by chef Christopher Christie – executive chef at the Langham Hotel here some years ago and now in that role at Marina Bay Sands Singapore – is a racy tale. Drawing on the world he knows, Christopher has penned a novel about the ups and downs of running a restaurant; and he also throws some simmering romantic challenges into the plot. Available at Bookazine bookshops, published by OFS Books, and priced at HKD145.
Booze News
With single malt whisky taking the world by storm in the past few years, we are benefiting from more landing in our bars, restaurants and stores. The best this columnist has tried of late is Glenlivet Excellence 12 Year Old; it’s extremely more-ish. It has some deeper notes in bouquet and on the palate than the label’s standard 12-year matured single malt expression. This richness and delicious complexity comes from time spent maturing in ex-sherry casks. It is still quite fruity with notes of spice — excellence goes down a little more smoothly. Glenlivet Excellence 12 Year Old is available retail for HKD528.
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HOTSTUFF
Celebrating Woman Through
Dance
Lucy at the Fringe Club Studio Theatre, March 16-17 at 8.00pm, presents some key comments on gender through modern dance. Men are determined to go for one specific goal, while women are heading for several at the same time – explains Er Gao Production of Guangzhou. “Women are humble and complicated, and possibly the greatest force in our human society”, the dance outfit goes on to say, with reference to this show, named after ‘Lucy’ who was discovered in 1974 in Northern Ethiopia. Hers is the name given to the 47 bones of a skeleton unearthed of a hominid, humanlike creature, who lived around 3.2 million years ago. The onehour show features two dance pieces Lucy Ho and She is a Good Girl, performance by Er Gao (also the choreographer) and Li Yi, with music from Yin Yi Dance Theatre. For programme enquiries call 2521 7251, for tickets check www.hkticketing.com.
Canto-veggie Delights Vegetarian Chinese food ventures beyond beancurd mock meats at Michelin one-starred Hoi King Heen, the InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong in Tsimshatsui East. Hearty yet healthy specials available until the end of this month include braised pumpkin with preserved vegetables, stir-fried mushrooms in wasabi sauce, deep-fried mashed taro with assorted mushrooms, and soya bean and rice vermicelli with preserved vegetables and chilli. Call 2731 2883, or visit www. hongkong.intercontinental.com.
Kid-friendly
Brunch
The newish Sunday brunch at Roka in Pacific Place is all about quality. Priced at somewhat less than several hotel buffet brunches, the dining room here has smaller quantities of the starters put out on display. But the Japanese selection is wide and the ingredient freshness impresses. Sashimi, sushi, salads with east-meets-west ingredients and dressings, and a variety of soba noodles form the cold section. Hot dishes include soups – such as the excellent seafood signature – and specialty baked rice pots. Must-try grilled mains include miso-marinated black cod and Australian steak and lamb. The atmosphere here is contemporary but very warm and relaxed and the Roka folk have even laid on a kids’ play area with soft mats and toys. Speaking of children – all those under 10 dine free of charge. An inclusive dessert platter features ice-creams and other treats to share. The brunch starts at HKD298 for food only; HKD358 with unlimited wine, sake, beer, fresh juices and non-alcoholic mixes; HKD498 also includes free-flow Mumm champagne. Call 3960 5988 to make a reservation.
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DBFACES
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If you'd like us to consider your photos for DB Faces, email them to info@arounddb.com, (subject line: DB Faces). Around DB accepts no liability relating to the photos sent
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COMPETITION
Photos by Terry Chow
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Great prizes from Uncle Russ!
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Congratulations to last month’s winner Jorge Marrero who correctly identified picture A featured on page 43 of our February issue. Please contact our office on 2987 0577 to collect your prize.
our challenge, this month, is to identify which of the three photos above is the exact copy of a photograph featured elsewhere in this issue of Around DB. You need to list the page number the photo appears on, as well as which of the three pictures is the exact copy. The first person to send us the correct answer will win a complementary drink at Uncle Russ in DB Plaza every day for a week. Email your answer to info@arounddb.com (subject line: Uncle Russ competition). Good luck!
NEED A HELPER? CONTACT
MIKE
mc.employment@tp3ltd.com Colourful assortments of seasonal flowers and beautiful orchids artfully arranged, right here in DB Tel: 2987 0802 Mobile: 9150 7165 dotcaddis@me.com
DORIS
cs@tp3ltd.com
14/F MIRAGE TOWER 13-15 THOMSON ROAD, WANCHAI TEL: 2542 0588 / 2542 0589 / 2542 0500
The Acupuncture Expert – Quality TCM TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE CLINIC CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IN CENTRAL • Boosting your immune system • Cure Joint /Neck / Back Pain • Detoxification • Weight Loss • Fertility • Cure Depression / Insomnia • And other customized health matters
The treatments include: Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Cupping, Moxibustion, Scapping (healing technique through friction) and many more… Free Consultation Available.
5/F, Jade Centre, 98 Wellington Street, Central, H.K. 2881 8267 cs@qualitytcm.com
LANTAU FACES
Photos by Zoe Lyle www.zoelylephotography.com
If you’d like us to consider your photos for Lantau Faces, please email them to info@arounddb.com, (subject line: Lantau Faces). Around DB accepts no liability relating to the photos sent
SOUTH LANTAU Kelly Merrick 9331 8141 Kendri So 9211 4223 Andrew Merrick 3483 5003
9.5M Pui O Village House - 2,100’ + roof
A newer village house designed with a family in mind. Beautiful decoration. Ready for you to move in.
35K Tong Fuk Village House - 2,100’ + roof
Be the first tenant in this newly built house with an amazing seaview from the roof. Great decoration. 2 living areas!
(S-365384) (S-301473) (E-289683)
12M San Shek Wan Village House - 2,100’ + roof Beautifully decorated village house with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 2 living areas. Amazing views!
$34K/$9.5M Ham Tin Village House - 2,100’ + roof Renovated village house. Great decoration. 2 large living areas, 3 bedrooms and a helper room. Close to the beach!
Lantau Leases
28K Cheung Sha - Leyburn Villa
www.bizzielizziehongkong.com Email: Bizzielizzie.hk@gmail.com Tel: 2984 2227 Tuesday to Saturday 10.30 to 6.30, Sunday 10.30 - 6.00, Monday closed.
Newly renovated 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Large open living areas. Pool and tennis court in the complex. Close to the beach!
Village Houses from HK$34K/HK$5.2M for 2,100’ plus 700’ roof
Come live the good life!
www.homesolutions.hk | property@homesolutions.hk
LANTAU NUMBERS HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Impact Fitness Jill Marshall Pilates South Lantau Paddle Club Tony’s Salon
Feijoada, Seafood Muqueca, Cheese Bread and many more.. Private Bookings - Kit for parties - Takeaway - Catering Shop A, G / F, Silver Centre Building, Mui Wo - Lantau Island Open: Monday to Friday 2 pm to 10:30 pm Saturday and Sunday 12 pm to 10:30 pm
9473 3976 9708 0187 6770 1462 2984 0990
HOME & REPAIRS
Tel: 2984 7471
casabrasil.hk @ gmail.com
Findley Leung Group Koon Wah Hardware Lee Wo Construction Engineering Man Shun Construction & Engineering Mantech Electrical Strong Engineering Wah Sing AV Company
2984 8334 2984 8487 2984 1802 2984 9833 2819 6823 9373 0792 2984 0587
HOTELS
Mui Wo Inn Silvermine Beach Resort
2984 7225 6810 0111
LEARNING CENTRES
Buddhist Fat Ho College Lantau International Kindergarten Lantau International School Little Owls Kindergarten Little Lantau Montessori Kindergarten
2985 5150 2984 0069 2984 0302 2984 0006 3689 6709
PROPERTY AGENCIES
Easy Reach Real Estate Home Solutions Proper Trip Real Estate
2984 0618 3483 5003 2984 1666
RESTAURANTS & BARS
Bahce - Turkish Restaurant Café Bar Bombay Café Casa Brasil Caffe Paradiso (Tom’s Café) China Bear Deer Horn Restaurant & Bar High Tide Restaurant La Pizzeria Pui O Delicious Rome Restaurant Sun Fat Restaurant Tak Chai Kee Seafood The China Beach Club The Gallery The Kitchen The Stoep
2984 0222 2984 1847 2984 7471 2984 0498 2984 9720 3484 3095 2980 3002 2984 8933 2984 2298 2984 7982 2984 0418 2984 1265 2983 8931 2980 2582 9160 5986 2980 2699
RETAIL
Bikes Mui Wo BMX Shop Bizzie Lizzie’s (childrens clothes and toys) Friendly Bike Shop Park ‘N’ Shop Red Hall Chinese Antiques Renge House (clothes & accessories) The Red Lantern Wellcome
2134 1234 2984 2227 2984 2278 2984 0249 2988 1368 2406 8122 2987 0099 2984 7884
SERVICES & OTHERS
Hop Sing Automobile Jumping Castles SPCA Suzanne Goodwin Photography Thai Palin Massage Twig (Design Studio) Zoe Lyle Photography
2984 1410 9662 1747 2984 0060 9025 3949 9062 0148 6351 8923 9834 5498
TRANSPORTATION
Families Maternity Babies Events Capturing special moments in a natural, warm and casual manner. Stunning portraits to capture the spirit and energy in everyone. zlyle@me.com | www.zoelylephotography.com | +852 9834 5498
Lee Hing Loong Hon Kee Transportation Company Lantau Tours New Lantau Bus Company Sun Rising Moving Company
2984 2268 2984 8494 2984 8255 2984 9848 9036 3132
COMMUNITY
EMPLOYMENT
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
DBEES ICE HOCKEY
NATURAL SPRINGS AUSTRALIA
HYPNOSIS &/OR SHORT- TERM THERAPY
Committed to developing ice hockey in Hong Kong the DBees are looking for new players – visit www.dbeeshockey.com
DB ANGELS FOOTBALL CLUB
The first girls-only football club in DB. For more information visit www.dbangelsfc.hk
A premium supplier of Natural Australian Spring Water to Hong Kong since 2006 is looking to recruit a local marketing representative (part- or full-time). Responsible for ad placement & ad strategies; the ad budget; updating website; organising & attending local ‘roadshows’; & expanding existing contacts in the expat community. Some weekend work required. Apply to jurgen@naturalsprings.hk
Quit smoking quickly. Post-divorce coaching. Resolve: • Fear of flying/ public speaking • Overeating • Couples’ conflicts • Career & command-training stress • Anger management • Phobias • Nail biting • Insomnia Call Dr Melanie Bryan, Psy.D. Clinical Psychologist & Hypnotherapist on 2575 7707, or visit www.mindmatters.hk
HEALTH & WELL-BEING DB PIRATES RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
Offering under-6 rugby through to a new senior team, the DB Pirates has grown rapidly into a powerful force in Hong Kong. The club has more teams & age groups than ever before in its rugby section. To join visit www.dbpirates.com
DB TIGERS BASEBALL CLUB Play baseball on Saturday afternoons – the club is accepting players age 5 to 13. If you are interested please contact the club on info@dbtigers.com or visit www.dbtigers.com
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HOME & REPAIRS
HOME & REPAIRS FTC LOGISTICS
• Local & international • Moving & storage • World-class service • Competitive rates Call 2814 1658, or visit www.ftc.hk
AKASH MOVERS
For all your moving needs, including packing materials, & full packing & moving services. Plus small deliveries & handyman services. Payment upon complete satisfaction. Best move - best rates. Call 2421 8088, or visit www.akash.hk
COUNSELLING
For grown-ups who want to keep growing. Stress, anxiety, anger, depression, or relationship problems? These issues present an opportunity for personal growth & development. Authenticity Counselling helps adults deal with issues of living in an empowered, authentic & growthful way. Contact Stephen at 9630 2385, stephen@authenticitycounselling.com or visit www.authenticitycounselling.com
THE SKIN THERAPY CENTRE IN DB
Fully qualified, UK-trained beauty therapist with over 16-years’ experience. • C.A.C.I. – the new CACI ultimate, incorp MICRO-DERMABRASION, L.E.D LIGHT THERAPY, to treat lines & wrinkles plus facial toning using microcurrent exclusive to C.A.C.I • FACIALS – Nobel-prize winning SKEYNDOR stem plant system cell facials & homecare, DERMATOLOGICA products & Dr Murad VIT C, Glycolic peels & anti-aging treats GUINOT - HYDRADERMIE with Lifting Plus treatment • AROMATHERAPY - using 100%-certified organic oils • BODY MASSAGE / BODY SCRUBS/ WRAPS for slimming & detoxifying • REFLEXOLOGY • WAXING & EYELASH TINTING • COLOUR ME BEAUTIFUL make-over & colour analysis • GIFT VOUCHERS Call Gillian on 9604 6920/ 2987 0764
NEED STORAGE?
• Low-cost storage • For a box to a whole house • Humidity controlled From HK$550/month. We collect & deliver. Call 2578 1865 or visit www.expertmover.hk
BIOCYCLE (HK) LTD
Safe & Ecological Pest & Termite Management. ISO14001 & ISO9001 Certified. Unique biocide, BioKill®, ‘poison’ label exemption. Contact 3575 2575, info@biocycle.hk, or visit www.biocycle.hk
EXPERT TRANSPORT & RELOCATIONS MOVER
For local & international moves. Collection, storage & disposal. All sorts of handyman work: painting & tiling, & installation of TVs, pictures, fans etc. All-in-one professional service at attractive rates. Contact 2566 4799, www.expertmover.hk
Deadline for April issue
Classifieds
March 15
KIDS
KIDS
MIDGET GEMS RENTAL
EARLY ADVENTURES PARTY TIME!
Have an idea for a children’s business? We have a clubroom available for rent, afternoon time slots. Please call Koren on 9176 2990
GEMS OCCASIONS
Looking for that perfect party venue for your little gem? A colourful, safe & fun environment with toys & dress-up clothes. We have an entertainer upon request. We also tidy up! Please contact 9176 2990, info@midgetgemskidsclub.com, or visit www.midgetgemskidsclub.com
Need a venue for a party? Ideal playgroup environment with toys & activities. For further information, please call 9511 2107
EARLY ADVENTURES PLAYGROUP
A dedicated playgroup with the emphasis on learning through play. Activities to stimulate all areas of development. Come & look at our facilities. Classes from 20 months to 4 years. Morning & afternoon sessions. Call 9511 2107, or visit www.earlyadventures.net
MIDGET GEMS KIDS’ CLUB
Established playgroup for children from 2-4 years. Morning sessions with afternoons coming soon. A wonderful environment where children learn through play with our qualified & experienced teachers. Also offering Bilingual Gems, afternoon sessions in German & Mandarin. Please contact 2987 0272, info@midgetgemskidsclub.com, or visit www.midgetgemskidsclub.com
PETS
QUO QUO CLUB DOG SERVICES
Grooming, boarding & behaviour classes. Responsible, patient & detail-conscious in a hygienic & relaxed environment. Call Dave Chan, Associate Member of The Animal Care College, Berkshire, UK, on 9872 5439, or visit http://quoquoclub.com
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PROPERTY DB
PROPERTY DB
SHORT-TERM LET, PENTHOUSES
DELUXE SERVICED APARMENTS
STYLISH SHORT-TERM RENTAL
NEW SHORT- OR LONG-TERM RENTAL
From HK$700 per night. 2-3 beds & studios all with balcony. Luxuriously furnished, with TV, DVD, cable & broadband. Panoramic harbour views & short walk to pier. Contact Brian on 9098 6951, or brian@headlandhomes.hk
For lease. Fully furnished 1-2-bed apartments with beautiful decor, wi-fi & broadband. Well-equipped kitchen, luxurious bedding, weekly cleaning service. Contact Cherry on 2987 2626 or cherry@appletravel.com
Fully furnished, with cable TV, DVD, linens & towels provided. Contact 9159 2476 or sweet_castillo2001@yahoo.com
Greenery Court, 1-bedroom flat with deluxe renovation. Modern & fully furnished with internet, 37’’ LCD TV & DVD. Contact Sandy on 9654 8862, or sandylamdb@yahoo.com.hk
NICE SHORT-TERM RENTAL
GREENDALE COURT RENTAL
Newly renovated studio flat with open kitchen, 5 minutes to pier. Fully furnished, with cable TV & broadband. Contact 2987 2468, or dbshortlet@yahoo.com.hk
Brand-new, fully furnished, 533’ 1-bed apartment. Deluxe renovation, on a high floor, with mountain view. Call 9108 5525
LUXURY MODERN FLAT TO LET
Short- or medium-term rental at Siena 2. 600’ 1-bedroom flat with sea views, near North Plaza, Club Siena & tunnel. Serviced & fully furnished with washer/dryer, bed linen & kitchenware. Plus wi-fi, broadband, blue-ray & home theatre. Call 9317 0624 or nialady2011@gmail.com
LUXURIOUS 1-BED APARTMENT
Newly renovated, 550’ flat on a high floor with split-type air conditioning. Fully equipped with DVD & free wi-fi. Bedding & towels provided. Weekly cleaning available. Email dbaygreenish@gmail.com
PROPERTY DB STUDIO FOR SHORT-TERM LET Comfortable, nicely decorated studio, close to plaza & pier, with fully equipped kitchen. 37” TV, DVD, wi-fi, linens & towels provided. Contact 9190 7348, niceroom_db@yahoo.com.hk 2-BED APARTMENT FOR RENT Greenmont Court, nice & fully furnished. Call 9108 5525
Deadline for April issue
Property
March 15
PROPERTY OVERSEAS
AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY
FULLY FURNISHED 1-BED RENTAL
Everything you need to know about buying a property in Australia. Information on property markets, taxation, finance, migration & legal. Free online at www.aussieproperty.com
Smart apartment on a high floor with sea view. Close to pier & plaza. Call Tiareti on 9732 8985
SPANISH VILLA FOR SALE
CHERISH COURT TO LET
Fully furnished 2-bedroom, newly renovated flat. Tranquil with sea & Disneyland view, & wi-fi. Photos available. Contact Jacqueline at 9811 0718, jacquelinedb@gmail.com
20 minutes from Valencia airport. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Large living room/ dining room & kitchen plus garage. Mature terraced gardens with Roman-style pool. Good holiday rental returns: 240,000 euros. For more details & photos, email snr.cranmer@gmail.com
PHUKET LAGUNA LINKS TOWNHOUSE SHORT-TERM 3-BED RENTAL
Fully furnished, 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom flat in Jovial Court. Linen & fluffy towels provided, baby items available. LCD TV, DVD, wi-fi, telephone, washer & dryer. Fabulous views. Non-smoking flat. Call 6905 3765 evenings & weekends or email jovialflat@gmail.com
Short term rental: 2,200’, 3-bed house on the golf course. Holiday rental for 4 days (minimum booking) to 30 days. Email kasumico.laguna@gmail.com
PHUKET LAGUNA VILLAGE VILLA
Advertise your business and get great results with Around DB
2987 0577
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March 2012
3,200’, 4-bedroom villa, with big garden facing lagoon, private pool & beach shuttle. Holiday rental for 4 days (minimum booking) to 30 days. Email kasumico.laguna@gmail.com
SERVICES & OTHERS
AUSTRALIAN TAX RETURNS Need to lodge your Australian tax return? If you are an expat or collect rental from Australian property, you must lodge an annual return. Let us do it for you here in Hong Kong. Contact Australasian Taxation Services on 3571 8700, or helen.wong@smats.net, or visit www.smats.net
PROFESSIONAL BEAUTICIAN AVAILABLE FOR HOME APPOINTMENTS • Facials - HK$150up • Brazilian waxing - HK$160 • Full legs, arms, underarms HK$150 • Pedicure, manicure, massages & haircuts For ladies only, please call Preeti on 3484 3758
TRAVEL
CONCORDE TRAVEL CONSULTANTS
Leisure travel specialists since 1978. Licence No. 350343. Call 2526 3391 or visit www.concorde-travel.com
TRAVEL FLIGHT CENTRE
We have opened a new store in SoHo, 49 Caine Road! Speak to our travel experts to check out all the special offers and endless holiday possibilities! Contact 2830 2866, enquiry@flightcentre.com.hk or visit www.flightcentre.com.hk
TUITION & COURSES MATHEMATICS (GCSE, AS, SAT, IB, GMAT, ETC.) & ENGLISH TUITION
French Primary Classes Accepting registrations now for September 2012 Full-time Primary One class (Cours Preparatoire CP) with qualified, certified and experienced French teacher Official French distance learning Cned programmes for Primary 2 to 6
For more information, please call 6538 1578 or e-mail us at info@pmcuriehk.com.
Offered by a London University graduate (First-Class Honours). Experienced in teaching adults, ESF & International School students. Call 9121 0389
CHINESE MANDARIN LESSONS
DB Mandarin Room at Phase 1. For Year 1-13 students: schedule on demand. Many groups of different levels to meet each student’s needs. Help with homework, revision, exams & more. For adults: beginners, intermediate & advanced classes every Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 10-11am. Please call 6071 9643, or visit http://putonghua.isfun.net
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Your ultimate guide in DB
DBNUMBERS
Bayside Dental Practice, North Plaza Catholic Church (Trinity Chapel) DB Alliance Church Community Centre DB International Community Church Discovery Bay Community Hall Discovery Bay Medical Centre Health & Care Dental Clinic Herbal Healthcare Island Health Island Veterinary Services The Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council
LEARNING CENTRES
HOME
COMMUNITY & HEALTH 2987 0855 2988 1515 2987 8136 2987 7061 2852 4338 2987 5633 2666 6183 2834 7276 2987 7575 2987 9003 2259 3422
CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES
Home Services Engineering Hung Kee Co Interior 18 Japan Home Centre Marc James Design, North Plaza Next Furniture Rapee-living Rich Point Hardware Materials Season Art Kitchen Perfection Tai Fat Hardware Store Wing On Department Store Yours Electrical Centre
2987 0061 2987 5087 2987 7803 2987 1041 2765 5700 2987 0222 2987 7082 2987 0789 2987 1990 2987 0789 2987 9268 2987 4428
Mandarin for Munchkins® For kids 1 year and up 2012 Easter camp Call 2480 3909 www. mandarinformunchkins.com
Midget Gems Kid’s Club Established playgroup for children 2-4 years
LEARNING CENTRES
Tel: 2987 0272 info@ midgetgemskidsclub.com www.midgetgemskidsclub.com
Prince & Princess
Kids Wear & Accessories Shop G13B, G/F., North Plaza Tel: 2947 9228 Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm www.prince-princess.com.hk
rush yoga ∙ fitness ∙ swim G/F, G35, DB Plaza, Discovery Bay Tel +852 2526 0720 www.rush.com.hk Mon – Sun: 10:30am to 7:30pm
Treat Boutique "Treat yourself, Treat your wallet"
International Academy of Performing Arts
British Studio of Art Hong Kong
New art studio in DB for 2 year-olds to adults www.bsoahk.com info@bsoahk.com Tel: 9132 5249 / 6170 2875
US Depatment store handbags, jewelry, ladies wear, men's wear and more... Tel: 6163 3421 In Style Little Whale Nomadic Start-rite shoes
L’ecole Pierre Et Marie Curie
2987 8226 3480 1348 2987 8460 2987 2098
Mountainview Montessori
Discovery College www.actingantics.com Contact deborah@actingantics.com 852 6842 8092 - 8122 9475
L’Ecole Francaise de Discovery Limited French classes, specialised and tutorial services Block One, LG6, 92 Siena Avenue DB North, Discovery Bay Tel (+852) 6538 1578 info@pmcuriehk.com
Run by Montessori trained teacher Come and Join the Fun! mountainview_montessori@hotmail.com
ColourStorm Art Centre (North Plaza) DB International School (Kindergarten) DB International School (Pri. / Sec.) DB Garden House Montessori Discovery College Discovery Mind International Play Centre Discovery Mind Kindergarten Discovery Montessori School DMR School of Ballet Early Adventures Learning Centre HK International Learning Academy Les Petits Lascars de DB SKH Wei Lun Primary School Sunshine House Int’l Pre-School Sunshine House Kindergarten Treasure House
DAILY NECESSITIES 7-Eleven Convenience Store 7-Eleven Food Kiosk Fusion by PARKnSHOP GNC Mannings Watson’s Pharmacy Wellcome
MULTIMEDIA 2987 4401 2914 1183 2987 7486 2987 9331 2987 1720 2987 4089 2947 9092
First Friends & Second Friends DB’s largest & longest running playgroup Iin Porter 9151 5545 firstsecondfriends@yahoo.com www.firstfriendshk.com
FINANCIAL SERVICES HSBC HSBC Expat TRAVELEX Money Exchange, North Plaza Luen Fat Securities Co. Ltd
2233 3000 2822 3927 2682 1210 2987 1851
HOME
Butterfly Dreams Luxury Bed Linens Ltd. “Luxury that doesn’t cost the Earth” Tel. ( 852 ) 9770 4474 / 9779 9424 www.butterflydreams.com.hk
Furniture, Wall paper, Interior Design and Home Furnishings Shop 119 DB Plaza Tel: +852 3482 5785 www.yaalidesigns.com, info@yaalidesigns.com Good Luck Engineering Hoi Yu Transportation
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2987 1313 2987 4488
March 2012
2325 3999 2914 2142 2987 7331 6114 2436 3969 1000 2987 8028 2987 8088 2987 1201 2987 4338 9511 2107 2416 3088 2526 8892 2987 8608 2987 0813 2987 8143 2987 4217
Bookazine, DB Ferry Dymocks & Gallery Fotomax (F.E.) Ltd Fun to Read Movieland Pen’n Paper P-Solution The Bookshop
2987 1373 2987 8494 2914 2378 3105 3588 2987 7111 2987 8898 2987 1777 2987 9372
OTHER SERVICES Kindergarten, French classes and tutorial services. French kindergarten open for registrations for school year 2012-13. Accepting registrations for 2011-12. LG-05, 92 Siena Avenue, DB North Tel: 6710 0391 e-mail: info@la-petite-enfance.com
Little Explorers
A fun place for little ones to play and have loads of fun, fun, fun! Tel: 9327 0507 Email: littleexplorers@team-fear.com
Flowers from the Heart Flowers for all occasions Baskets, Bouquets, Orchids, Gifts and Luxury Chocolates Free Delivery in Discovery Bay T: 2987 0802 M: 9150 7165 Email: dotcaddis@me.com
PetcoDB Grooming & Pet Services Wth Trust, Love & Safe Care For the ones you love Tel: 2914 0382 Email: info@petcoDB.com www.petcoDB.com
Island Dance Freestyle, Jazz, Ballet & Tap Tel: 2987 1571 www.islanddance.com.hk
Amity Shoe Care Apple Travel Co Pets Gallery The Optical House Well Supreme Laundry Services
2987 4538 2987 2626 2987 0428 2987 1368 2987 5151
DBNUMBERS REAL-ESTATE AGENCIES
SOCIAL, SPORTS & EQUIPMENT Club Siena Discovery Bay Marina Club Discovery Bay Golf Club Discovery Bay Residents Club
Lifestyle Homes Tel: 2914 0888 info@lifestylehomes.com.hk www.lifestylehomes.com.hk Centaline Property Agency Limited Century 21 Newcourt Realty Headland Homes Kingsford DB Ltd Land Master Property Midland Realty
Movement Improvement Pilates, yoga, posture & fitness 2987 5852 www.movementimprovement.com.hk
2987 8484 2987 9729 2987 2088 2987 6888 2987 6238 2987 2888
Sportsmanship Gymnastics Programs, Health Consultancy, Weight Management & Nutritional Supplements Tel: 2870 3524 www.sportsmanship.usana.com
RESTAURANTS 22º North Berliner Café Duvet Caramba Mexican Cantina Ebeneezer’s First Korean Restaurant Fresh Fruit Juice Paradise Hemingway’s by the Bay il Bel Paese Ippu Japanese Restaurant Island Café Jaspa’s, North Plaza Koh Tomyums La Création Bakery McDonald’s & McCafé McSorley’s Ale House Mirch Masala, North Plaza Pacific Coffee Paisano’s, North Plaza Peony Chinese Restaurant Sopranos Subway Super Super Uncle Russ, DB Plaza Uncle Russ, North Plaza Wildfire Fresh Yogurtime Zak’s
2987 7382 2987 9591 2987 7273 2987 7381
2987 2298 2987 8203 2987 0966 2987 2848 2987 0036 2987 9123 2987 4768 2987 8855 2987 0202 2987 2886 2987 9311 2997 8688 2987 0767 2987 1829 2987 1033 2987 8280 2987 1337 2987 1662 2673 4445 2500 1950 2987 2915 2914 0005 2914 1308 2682 0068 2682 8108 2987 8202 2259 4511 2987 6232
Sports World All your sporting needs right here in DB Tel: 2914 1323 Email: bruce@sportsworld.hk
Women’s Fitness Centre Club Siena Discovery Bay
DB Golf Cart Services DB Transit Services DB Transportation Services Hire Car Bookings Passenger Telephone hotline Wiselink Golf Cart Services
2914 2727 2914 0186 2987 7351 2987 6348 2987 0208 2987 9368
UTILITIES, SERVICES & EMERGENCY HOTLINES 24-hour Customer Service hotline China Light & Power Emergency China Light & Power Information Line Discovery Bay Commercial Services Discovery Bay Fire & Ambulance Discovery Bay Management Discovery Bay Medical Services Discovery Bay Office Centre Discovery Bay Police Discovery Bay Post Office Gas Leakage Emergency hotline Lantau North Report Room San Hing Gas Co Typhoon Signal Enquiries Water Fault Reports Water Supplies Department
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WELL-BEING
Body Talk Holistic therapy for illness, stress, sports injury & learning disorders Tel: 6683 5755 angie@bodytalksystem.com.hk www.bodytalksystem.com.hk
TOYS, ACCESSORIES & KIDS’ PARTIES
Little Miss Green The Party Queen Eco Party Supplies, Toys, Games & Gifts www.missgreenpartyqueen.com
SOCIAL, SPORTS & EQUIPMENT
Curves
TRANSPORT SERVICES
Child & Family Development Practice Developing Potential, exploring possibilities www.childdevelopment.com.hk info@childdevelopement.com.hk
Penny Scallan Design Unique and individual Tel: 6015 4050 hk@pennyscallan.biz www.pennyscallan.biz
Tel: 2987 0772 curvesdb@gmail.com www.curves.com
Nailed It Professional artificial nail services in DB Tel: 2987 2266
Planting Ideas, Growing Minds. Tel: 2987 2608 soyhongkong@gmail.com www.seedling.com.hk
Embody Exercise for Energy for Life
Professional beauty treatments
by qualified RN & Medical Aesthetics Consultant kittytang@professionals-beauty.com Tel: 5116 1617 www.professionals-beauty.com
Tel: 2987 8923 / 9443 8333 Email: embody-hk@live.com www.embody.com.hk
Spa Siena
Stuck on You HK Dragons Football Club Football for 2.5yrs to 14yrs old girls and boys Tel: 2987 4274 www.dragons.hk
Ladies only day spa providing a wide range of massage treatment Tel: 2987 7382
Label It, Own It, Keep It! Tel: 2549 2245, 2987 2608 sales.hk@stuckonyou.biz www.stuckonyou.biz Bo Bo House Toysland
2987 4230 2987 7859 TRANSPORT SERVICES
Sher Martelle-Climas, R.M.T. Lantau Island Outrigging Canoe Club Training at Lantau Boat Club, Tai Pak beach www.liocc.com
Limousine Rental
limo service in HK & China. pick up from / to DB Tunnel direct transfer to SZ / GZ Airport Tel: 5303 3489 / 9654 0899 limo9689@yahoo.com
DB’s Massage Therapist House calls, by appointment only Call for rates 9503 9117 Afflatus Hair Workshop Maximum Care Salon De Coiffure Sense of Touch
March 2012
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game on
DBMOMENTS
Warming up for the Tennis Nations Cup this month, Around DB interviews Stevo, head tennis coach at the DB Recreation Club
F
irst held 19 years ago, and dreamt up in the plaza over a couple of beers, the Tennis Nations Cup is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the DB calendar. A competition between nations represented by DB residents, it’s played over a weekend and organised by the Discovery Bay Recreation Club (DBRC). This year, March 3-4 sees 20 teams competing for the title, which has been held by the Australians for six years in a row. And of course even if you don’t play, it’s a great way to catch some great tennis while the kids enjoy the court-side carnival. The event, which first saw just three teams compete, has evolved spectacularly over the years. As Stevo, head tennis coach at the DBRC says, “Teams have stepped up the level of the competition; the gap between the teams is reduced, which makes the day even more pleasant for spectators.” However, for some players, tennis is only a by-product of the event. Even if competitive tennis is being played, the Tennis Nations Cup is really all about having fun, sharing a beer or two (or three …) with friends and perhaps most importantly dressing up to win the bestdressed team trophy!
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March 2012
The dressing up, on and off court, really helps turn the event into an extravaganza. Teams dedicate amazing resources to step up to the creative challenge, and it’s possible that more time is spent on the costumes than on the tennis training. Who could forget seeing the New Zealanders dressed as sheep farmers; the Germans with a seven-foot tall Snow White (aka George Deden); the Canadians dressed in morph-suits; the Japanese all wearing Sumo suits; the French with frog outfits; the South Africans in leopard print, ready for safari... “I call it a ‘Parade of Nations’,” says Stevo. “The players want to beat the other teams but if they can’t do it on the courts, they do it at the after-party dinner. There, they have a chance to shine, irrespective of their level of tennis.” And don’t forget the international selection of beer that vies for everyone’s attention. So much so that any injuries sustained over the weekend are usually alcohol related! No surprise then, that the DBRC courts are quiet the morning after. “It’s the quietest Monday morning in 52 weeks!” says Stevo with a grin.
Discovery Bay T 2987 8143 dbay@sunshinehouse.com.hk
walking on sunshine... Sunshine House, a group of English-speaking international pre-schools, with specifically designed programs for children from under 2 to 6 years of age. • Bilingual and Mandarin Immersion classes • Primary 1 classes for age 5-6 years Sunshine House is committed to providing a vibrant, nurturing learning environment. www.sunshinehouse.com.hk
Tai Tam T 2813 0713 taitam@sunshinehouse.com.hk Tung Chung T 2109 3873 tungchung@sunshinehouse.com.hk The Peak T 2849 7123 peak@sunshinehouse.com.hk Pok Fu Lam T 2551 3213 pokfulam@sunshinehouse.com.hk Chi Fu T 2551 3781 chifu@sunshinehouse.com.hk Discovery Bay North T 2987 0813 dbaynorth@sunshinehouse.com.hk Clearwater Bay T 2358 3803 clearwaterbay@sunshinehouse.com.hk