Sai Kung Magazine November 2014

Family | Food | Home | sport | Living

November 2014

What’s cooking?

Sai Kung’s hot new restaurants

Businesses campaign for faster internet

Freewheelin’ Cycling in the NT

It’s fete

Fair season arrives

210 things to do

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The really useful magazine November 2014

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Cover photo by Hannah Grogan and Cherrie Yu. For details of Chinese Kitchen (pictured) and other restaurants, see p.22.

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LOCAL

PEOPLE 4 Snapped!

Sai Kung’s social life.

THE PLANNER

18 Stray Friends seek kennel Up to 85 dogs need a home.

VINES IN SAI KUNG

6 Happening in November What’s on in your neighbourhood.

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

10 Tasting notes Winerack’s founder Robert Knightsbridge.

NEWS FROM THE GREENS 11 Car-free Central The umbrella movement’s pedestrianisation experiment.

LETTERS 12 Have your say The latest from our readers.

NEWS 14 What’s going on?

In your backyard.

20 Under the same umbrella Road blocks, road works and unfair ways.

FEATURE 22 What’s cooking?

Sai Kung’s hot new restaurants.

EATING 32 Nibbles News from the dining scene.

FAMILY 34 All the fun of the fairs Get ready to shop.

EDUCATION 36 Kowloon’s new school Inside Nord Anglia International School.

outdoors 42 Underwater Sai Kung Learning to dive.

BIG DAY OUT 46 On yer bike Cycling the trails and backwaters of Yuen Long TRAVEL 50 On the fly Salmon fishing in Alaska.

SPORT 54 Pep talk Sai Kung Stingrays’ coaches have their say.

HEALTH & BEAUTY 56 Dewy systems Moisturizing facials for the dry season.

PETS 58 Battle of the sexes Bitch fights in the canine world.

CREATURE FEATURE 59 Red-billed blue magpie One for sorrow?

MARKETPLACE 60 Your guide to shops and services Cool stuff to buy and do.

CLASSIFIEDS 68 Loads of random useful local stuff BUSINESS DIRECTORY 70 All you need to know Numbers that make life easier.

SAIKUNGMAG 72 Reader instagrams Your photos here.

“When people try to rain on your parade, poke them in the eye with your umbrella” – Anon

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people Snaps from Sai Kung

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say cheese

Photos by Paul Chen

Sunday training with the Sai Kung Stingrays

Share your event photos with us at photo@fastmedia.com.hk. Get snapping!

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Nov 1-2

24-Hour Charity Dinghy Race

The biggest weekend on the local sailing calendar with teams racing non-stop, while their supporters party overnight. Stalls, games, food and drink, capsizes, silly raft races and more. All welcome from noon on Saturday until 6pm on Sunday. Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Pak Sha Wan, 2719 9682, www.hhyc.org.hk.

UNTIL NOV 2 HK Wine and Dine Festival

Nov 1 Pool closes

A four-day party of great wine and food on the former Kai Tak runway kicks off the month-long festival, which runs until Nov 30.

Noon-10.30pm. Tickets $15-$30 from www.discoverhongkong.com.

Sai Kung swimming pool closes for winter.

Nov 1 Lamma Fun Day A chilled day of live music, stalls, food, beach volleyball and a charity auction.

Tai Wan To Beach, Lamma Island, www.facebook.com/LammaFunDay.

Nov 1 & 8 Stomp Your Foot!

The Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir and friends perform. Concert Hall, HKAPA, Wan Chai.

Tickets $100-$250 at www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Nov 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 Island East Markets The Sunday farmers’ market sells everything from organic veggies to vintage goodies. 11am6pm, Tong Chong Street, Island East, Quarry Bay, www.hkmarkets.org.

Nov 2 Sai Kung Sunday Market Monthly eco- and community-inspired indoor market for locally sourced produce and fun activities. 11am-5pm, Hong Kong Academy, Wai Man Road, Sai Kung, www.saikungmarkets.com.

NOV 6 Agua Plus Quiz Night Get your thinking caps on. 8pm. Agua Plus, 72 Po Tung Road, Sai Kung, 2791 2030.

NOV 12, 26 Quiz Night Test the grey matter at Hebe One O One. 8.30pm. 112 Pak Sha Wan, 2335 5515.

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happening in november Nov 14 Friday Finds @ The Hive Community event, with drinks, barbecue, discounted shopping and mini photo shoots, 4pm-10pm. Facepainting and games, 4pm-6pm.

Food and drinks profits to children’s charity Angels for Orphans. The Hive, 1 Tai Mong Tsai Road, Sai Kung. For details, email olivia.crooke@ smallprint.com or ellie@biscuitmoondesigns. com, or call 9501 8498.

Nov 15-16 Hong Kong Classic Car and Vintage Festival Owing to the umbrella movement protests, there’s been a change of dates for this event.

More than 100 rare cars and motorcycles will be on show alongside a vintage market, food, drinks and more. 11am-10pm, Central Harbourfront Event Space, www.hkclassiccar.com. Family tickets $600-$1,000 from www.ticketflap.com.

NOV 15-16 Arts in the Park Mardi Gras NOV 19 Oxfam Trailwalker

Themed “Defying Gravity”, this annual youth arts festival attracts thousands of young artists and families. Free admission. 10am-5pm, Central Lawn, Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, www.hkyaf.com/events, 2214 0266.

The seriously fit take to the hills for the annual 100km charity race along the MacLehose Trail.

For details and donations, visit www.oxfamtrailwalker.org.hk.

Nov 27-29 Oliver!

Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation presents the beloved musical. Shouson Theatre, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Wan Chai. Tickets $200-$280 from www.urbtix.hk.

Nov 23 Peak to Fong Dogs and dog lovers walk from The Peak to Lan Kwai Fong in aid of Hong Kong Dog Rescue.

Treats await at the end. From 11am. Tickets $250 (children $220) from www.hongkongdogrescue.com.

NOV 23 Sand Sculpture Competition

Nov 27 Thanksgiving Turkey time, USA.

Get creative at this LCSD sculpture competition, beach clean-up and games. 10am-2pm, Clearwater Bay Second Beach, www.epd.gov.hk.

NOV 25-30 Avenue Q This puppet comedy phenomenon is strictly for adults only (for full puppet nudity and worse).

Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $395$795 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

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happening in november Nov 28 Sai Kung Christmas Quiz The annual Christmas brainteaser in aid of Operation Santa Claus, which supports charities across Hong Kong. Fun rounds, great food and prizes. Teams of four to 10 – nonmembers welcome. 7.30pm, Garden Bar, Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Pak Sha Wan. Tickets $400 each, including dinner and one drink, from saikungchristmasquiz@gmail.com.

NOV 29 School fairs Clearwater Bay School, Renaissance College and Kellett School Kowloon Bay are all hosting fairs today. For details of these and other fairs, see Family, p.34.

NOV 28-30 Clockenflap

NOV 28-30 Seussical the Musical

Tenacious D and The Vaccines headline Hong Kong’s funkiest festival, with music stages, art, film, cabaret and a silent disco. West Kowloon Cultural District. Tickets $580-$1,480 from www.clockenflap.com.

The Cat in the Hat and Horton and the Whos lead the charge through Dr Seuss’ favourite tales. Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $265-$595 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Book now

DEC 21-JAN 4 Phantom of the Opera The man in the mask returns in Andrew LloydWebber’s renowned musical. AsiaWorld-Arena, Lantau. Tickets $292-$1,195 from www. lunchbox-productions.com, 8203 0299.

Jan 14-Feb 15 Kidsfest!

Dec 5-7 & 11-14 Puss in Boots Pantomime It’s panto time with the Hong Kong Players (oh yes, it is). Joining in is mandatory.

Shouson Theatre, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. Tickets $250$330 from Urbtix, www.urbtix.hk.

JAN 31 Lily Allen Live Sheezus hits town. AsiaWorld-Arena, Lantau.

Tickets $788 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Stage productions of The Gruffalo, The Tiger Who Came To Tea, Horrible Histories and more.

Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Details and tickets from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

FEB 27-MAR 29 Hong Kong Arts Festival The city’s annual culture bonanza is taking bookings at www.hk.artsfestival.org.

Got an event? We can publish the details for free. Email editor@saikung.com.

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five minutes with...

on the rack

Tasting notes Winerack founder Robert Knightsbridge explains why the online store was tempted by bricks and mortar.

Our goal has always been to offer great-quality wines at a decent price shop opened about two months ago. Business has been good – we’re close to the minibus station and get a lot of foot traffic.

I started Winerack with James Bradshaw, who owns Casa next door. He wanted to start a wine shop but the rents were too high, so I said why don’t we start it together. It was as simple as that. We thought wines in Hong Kong were overpriced and so our goal has always been to offer great-quality wines at a decent price.

We started as an online business but have now expanded. First we opened in Tai Po Tsai (on Clearwater Bay Road) and the Sai Kung

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A lot of people who come into the shops don’t know about us online. The shops are definitely growing our customer base.

We import directly from every country, so at Winerack you can pick up a quality bottle of wine for less than $100, whereas at the supermarket you never can be sure of what you’re going to get. We have a good mixture of local and expat customers and we are always expanding our range of wines.

I was in Hong Kong for six months before I discovered Sai Kung. I was living in Kowloon Bay when a friend invited me for a barbecue in Sai Kung. I was amazed: village houses, cleaner air and countryside… this is the lifestyle for me.

A lot has changed [since 2003], the biggest difference being the increasing number of people. You get a lot of dogs now and some chains have moved in. But the only negative I see is the transport, long queues for a bus on weekend afternoons – and you can’t get a taxi.

Winerack is expanding and we are hoping to open new stores, probably on Hong Kong Island, sometime next year. We are also hoping to begin tasting sessions and to work with a sommelier to get some simple wineappreciation classes going.

Winerack, Shop 5, Kam Po Court, Hoi Pong Square, 2253 6929, www.winerack.com.hk.

save our country parks

foot traffic

Car-free Central Lessons from the umbrella movement’s pedestrianisation experiment,

by Paul Zimmerman.

There is a side story to the umbrella movement: how incredibly more enjoyable the city is once you remove traffic.

Reading that will make some people bristle angrily about congestion and long journey times, postponed plans or trying to get to and from work, or transport children. Residents in Pok Fu Lam suffered the brunt as a 20-minute bus journey became an hour sitting in a traffic jam just to get to an MTR station. The only way I could keep up with meetings was by bike, and I suffered a few good soakings during the early days of the protests.

Whine over, let’s look at the bright side. (I will avoid the politics as we all have different views.) While the roads remained barricaded, people could suddenly enjoy new public spaces in some of the busiest areas of the city.

As the weather cooled, people enjoyed their lunch outdoors. Children rode cycles and

scooters down the flyovers. Walking distances became much shorter without flyovers, crossings and tunnels, detours and elevation changes.

The city suddenly became very small. It also became very quiet. Suddenly, with birdsong on Queensway, it was obvious how oppressive

traffic noise is. The improvement in air quality was celebrated by everyone.

The road closures and how we used the newfound space taught us a few lessons in how we can better design the city. It demonstrated the benefits of widening pavements and pedestrianizing streets, at least for part of the day.

It has shown that we need at least one large public square at every major MTR station. And the protests have shown that government can no longer refuse a marathon during day-time hours through the more prestigious parts of the city. We handled the umbrella movement, we can handle a marathon.

Paul Zimmerman is the CEO of Designing Hong Kong, a Southern District Councillor and the co-convenor of Save Our Country Parks alliance.

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letters

have your say

Mystery love locks I was in Sai Kung a few weeks ago and I took this photo on the waterfront promenade near Sai Kung Swimming Pool (see above). The colourful items appear to be some sort of plastic lock with a message of peace or love handwritten on them and attached to the guard rail. I’ve spent two evenings searching images and can’t find a single photo or anything about them. I would really appreciate it if you can help me out.

Allen Szto, Los Angeles Editor replies: We’re in the dark too. If anyone can throw light on the love locks, please email editorial@@fastmedia.com.hk.

Cyclists on Sai Sha Road This is an open letter to all cyclists who periodically ride along Sai Sha Road. It’s something I have to get off my chest...

Dear two-wheeled hellraisers I don’t want to hate you, but I really, really do. I can’t stand driving up behind you and staring at your Lycra-wearing bodies. You make the traffic in and out of Sai Kung even more of a nuisance than it already is, which is saying something. My car is only small, so I can only imagine how much truck drivers and big-car folks must hate you when they have to dodge and swerve to miss you.

But I can’t blame you. Sai Kung is the

most gorgeous area in Hong Kong and if I didn’t feel so terribly guilty about disrupting traffic, I’d probably be out there riding with you. I can’t blame you, so instead I blame the fact there are no designated bike lanes.

I can’t understand why this is – it’s a clean method of travel, it’s healthy and it’s free. Wow, what a terrific concept. My my, wouldn’t that be smart?

Instead of doing something reasonably intelligent with the roads in the area, we are forced to grit our teeth and pray to God that we don’t accidentally hit a cyclist along the already incredibly narrow Sai Sha Road.

Anonymous (disgruntled) resident Sai Kung

Occupy Sai Kung Anyone else finding the backup of traffic in Central, Admiralty and Mong Kok has made the commute to the city worse than ever? I feel like it’s had a ripple effect and everything is backing up. As much as my family and I are in support of the umbrella revolution and everything that’s happening, I feel its continuation and the disruption to our day-to-day lives is getting a bit too much.

Lily Levin Clearwater Bay

Please email your letters to editor@saikung.com. We may edit for length.

New Shop opeNiNg iN juNe! 20% oFF during june 15 - December 31 30% oFF facial discount for student New Shop: 10 Tak Lung Back Street, Sai Kung

Complimentary beverage, fruit & snacks in new beauty shop

Shop: 23 Sai Kung Main Street, Sai Kung Tel: 2302 0289

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news The Hive lobbies PCCW for faster internet links

in your backyard

Giddy-up, volunteers

The Hive in Sai Kung has started a campaign to convince PCCW chairman Richard Li to offer a fast fibre-optic internet service to residents and businesses in Sai Kung. The Hive is hoping to get enough momentum to make 100mbps connections available locally.

“I am a local resident and business owner and I am frustrated that PCCW does not offer a fast and reliable fibre optic internet service to residents and businesses in the Sai Kung area,” notes The Hive founder Constant Tedder.

“Broadband over ADSL is not fast enough and not reliable enough for today’s highly connected businesses. We have started this campaign with the aim of demonstrating to PCCW how much demand there is for internet over fibre optic in the Sai Kung area.”

If The Hive’s campaign resonates with you, add your name to the online petition by visiting www.causes.com/posts/929801.

Last call for Box of Hope It’s not too late to put together a box of goodies for a child in need. Hong Kong charity Box of Hope, which asks children to cover and fill an old shoebox with new gifts for less fortunate kids here and throughout Asia, will start pick up at schools across the city, including SKIP in Sai Kung, from November 3. For details, visit www.boxofhope.org.

Non-profit group Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) is looking for volunteers to work in its centres in Pok Fu Lam, Lo Wu and Tuen Mun, where it runs riding classes for special needs and disabled people.

“We rely heavily on the help of the public to be able to conduct our daily lessons,” says operations manager Jessamine A. Ihrcke.

“We are always looking to raise awareness and for volunteers to help during lessons. We encourage volunteers to sign up for a term (15 weeks) at a time and come on a regular basis. We try to pair each volunteer with a child when they first come and they do develop a relationship.

“Our volunteers take a role as either a side

Community Christmas shopping For fun and painless Christmas shopping – with a drink in one hand and a friendly crowd for company – drop by this new one-day community event at The Hive on November 14.

As well as your favourite local stalls, there will be a selection of businesses new to the area, including Mirth, MKU Originals and Sadie Franks, with a whole new range of gift ideas to browse. Take the children from 4pm-6pm, when there will be facepainting, colouring, a children’s barbecue and mini family Christmas

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photo shoots courtesy of Pim Photography.

Later, there will be more adult-focused food on the grill and the bar in the cosy courtyard will be open till late.

Winerack will supply the drinks, donating all profits to Angels for Orphans charity, and Mandy’s Caribbean Bar & Restaurant and Cava will be offering free tasters later in the evening.

For details, email olivia.crooke@smallprint. com or ellie@biscuitmoondesigns.com or call 9501 8498.

helper, whose sole responsibility is the child’s progress and safety during the lessons, or as a leader responsible for leading and managing the horse/pony during the lessons. When the volunteer has been with us for a time and shows interest, we will train them to become an assistant instructor and eventually an instructor,” she says.

Recognised as one of the most beneficial forms of therapy, riding helps patients build self-confidence, improve concentration and self-discipline, and provides a means of recreation.

For details, contact Riding For The Disabled Association Of Hong Kong, www.rda.org.hk, or email jessamine@rda.org.hk.

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news New home for the Living Room Social enterprise the Living Room has relocated to new premises above Sun On Motors. The centre offers a safe and creative space for young people aged 10 to 18 to develop their talents in music, language and life skills. The space is run by long-time Hong Kong residents Matt and Megan Snelgrove, who have been running successful school-based initiatives such as rock schools, music lessons and programmes that help teenagers deal with life issues. The Living Room, 90 Sun On Village, Sai Kung, 9512 1279, www.thelivingroom.hk.

Rumple and Friends book There’s No Place Like Home is the first book in the Clown Town series by local funnyman Matthew Coombes (aka Rumple the Clown). Illustrated by Rebecca Howard, who was born and grew up in Hong Kong, the series follows Rumple’s adventures across the territory, discovering the different houses that his friends live in. The book retails for $80 but signed and personalised copies ($150) can be wrapped and delivered to your child

by Rumple himself (if booked for a private party). Copies are available from branches of Bookazine or by emailing info@rumpleandfriends.com.

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Art for charity’s sake Sai Kung artists’ group Life Inspired is holding a joint exhibition titled “Soul on the Wall”.

Works by the professional and international artists, including Helen Boyd, Tony Cheng and Lori Foster, will be available for sale in aid of Art in Your Life, a bilingual arts programme for children with special needs that is coordinated by the Joshua Hellmann Foundation for Orphan Disease. The exhibition will run from November 26 to 28 at the Visual Arts Centre, 7A Kennedy Road, Central, 2521 3008.

in your backyard

BookBugz opens Online children’s bookstore BookBugz offers Hong Kong parents a new way to find books for their little ones.

With titles selected by a qualified primary teacher, it offers classic children’s books as well as new titles at the British recommended retail price. Search by age, theme or author, with delivery in Hong Kong for $15 or free with orders of more than $500.

BookBugz also has an office in Sai Kung old town open for browsing on Mondays and Thursdays 9am-1pm and Tuesdays 1pm-3pm. 13A, Tak Lung Tsin Street, Sai Kung, 6405 4947, www.bookbugz.com.hk.

Mike’s Chicken is new Flavor Portuguese restaurant Flavor has changed its name to Mike’s Chicken, after owner Mike Franco, who now solely owns the business following the departure of his business partner. Don’t be fooled by the name, however, it is still offering sardines and other Portuguese goodies. Located on the waterfront in Sai Kung old town, the restaurant is awaiting its liquor and alfresco dining licence, which Franco hopes to receive by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, diners can take their own wine. Mike’s Chicken Comida de Portugal, 43-45, G/F, Hoi Pong Street, Sai Kung, 2392 3328.

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local Editorial Jane Steer jane@fastmedia.com.hk Hannah Grogan hannah@fastmedia.com.hk Adele Brunner adele@fastmedia.com.hk

gimme shelter

No home for Stray Friends Eighty dogs are looking for homes as Sai Kung Stray Friends faces eviction. By Megaen Kelly.

Cherrie Yu cherrie@fastmedia.com.hk Art Director Kelvin Lau kelvin@fastmedia.com.hk Graphic Design Evy Cheung evy@fastmedia.com.hk Setareh Parvin setareh@fastmedia.com.hk Head of Sales & Marketing Karman So karman@fastmedia.com.hk Sales & Marketing Executive Andrea Balboa andrea@fastmedia.com.hk John Lee john@fastmedia.com.hk Marketing & Communications Manager Sharon Wong sharon@fastmedia.com.hk Business Development Manager Tristan Watkins tristan@fastmedia.com.hk Accounts Manager Connie Lam connie@fastmedia.com.hk Publisher Tom Hilditch tom@fastmedia.com.hk Contributors Carolynne Dear Sally Andersen Stephen Vines Paul Zimmerman Steffi Yuen Chris Beale Joanna Tuft Callum Wiggins Printer Gear Printing Room 3B, 49 Wong Chuk Hang Road, (Derrick Industrial Building), Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong Published by Fast Media Floor LG1, 222 Queens Road Central Hong Kong

Give us a call!

Admin: 3568 3722 Editorial: 2776 2773 Advertising: 2776 2772 Sai Kung Magazine is published by Fast Media Ltd. This magazine is published on the understanding that the publishers, advertisers, contributors and their employees are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors and omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication. The publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of any action or omission by this publication. Fast Media Ltd cannot be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies provided by advertisers or contributors. The views herein are not necessarily shared by the staff or publishers. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any way, part or format without written permission from the publisher.

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Up to 80 dogs could be made homeless when time runs out on local dog-rescue charity Sai Kung Stray Friends’ premises at Tai Lam Wu on December 31.

The charity has been beset by problems in its search for permanent premises, chairman Narelle Pamuk says. A five-year lease has been signed on a site in Ma On Shan, however, the dogs cannot move in until the Town Planning Board gives permission for kennels to be built, which could take months. Meanwhile, Pamuk had found temporary premises in Sheung Shui, but in the latest twist, even that solution has fallen through.

“We have exhausted every possibility to find a new home for our beautiful dogs,” she said. “In desperation we were moving to Sheung Shui to a rundown small

pig shelter, which needs extensive renovation. Latest developments the land holder cannot provide legal documentation to lease the property to us. We are homeless.”

In an emotional appeal on Facebook, the group, which was set up in 2006 to address the neglect of village dogs as well as take in stray and abandoned dogs, was desperately searching for homes for 80 dogs.

“We have made such headway and improvement and contributed to the stray dog control and management, helped to spare dog suffering and made many people happy by bringing wonderful dogs and families together… please help us now at a time in need.

Foster, adopt or donate to help us secure a rescue-shelter facility.”

The Town Planning Board will hear the charity’s application for

the Ma On Shan site in February.

“After an extensive search we finally found new premises in Ma On Shan and signed a five-year lease after being advised that kennels was a permitted use of the land. However, we are now required to obtain approval from the Town Planning Board to build new kennels on the site. We have submitted a second application, which has been deferred until February 2015 as we need to address comments received from other government departments,” Pamuk says.

“It’s just one obstacle after another. We are trying hard not to raise the white flag of surrender.”

For details and donations, email saikungstrayfriendshk@gmail. com or visit saikungstrayfriends.net.

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vines in sai kung

stephen says...

Under the same umbrella Stephen Vines on road blocks, road works and Kau Sai Chau’s unfair ways.

How long before the blocked access to Ho Chung becomes really dangerous?

The imaginatively named umbrella movement focused on the issue of democracy but had a wider resonance in issues concerning governance and Hong Kong identity. It’s the governance part of the equation that, parochially speaking, rings a loud bell in Sai Kung where we see the government’s dysfunctionality painted in vivid colours.

Nowhere is this more evident than at Ho Chung New Village where a standoff is still going on after a landowner placed concrete barriers across the road to the village, thus blocking access, causing inconvenience and posing a real danger in the event of emergencies.

As it is crystal clear the road is blocked, and it known who is doing the blocking, you might have thought this would be a cause for official intervention. Instead this matter is being shunted from government department to department in true pass-the-parcel fashion.

Instead of finding a solution, officials have told the village’s residents that responsibility for maintaining emergency vehicle access lies with the Small House licensees, which in plain English means the people given the right to build under the Small House policy. As it known these licensees are not fulfilling their obligations and are blocking the road, you might have thought officials would take action.

However, the Lands Department seems to be paralysed by fear of upsetting powerful village chiefs who cling tenaciously to their rights under the land for indigenous males scheme and use these rights to build at will with little concern for anyone else.

Everyone with half a brain knows the Small

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House policy, which lies at the heart of this situation, has long passed its sell-by date not least because there simply is not enough land to grant licenses to all those entitled to these 700-square-foot land plots. Hence buildings are squeezed into places they have no business

The Lands Department seems to be paralysed by fear of upsetting powerful village chiefs being. To change the policy means confronting the Heung Yee Kuk. The chances of this administration doing that are on a par with the discovery that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is really a nice cuddly person.

Why golf is more important than animals Is an animal’s life worth sacrificing for a game or two of golf? The answer at Kau Sai Chau public golf course is yes. Wild boar appear to have swum out to the island that houses the golf course and are damaging the fairways and, so the course operator claims, frightening golfers.

This last bit sounds distinctly fishy. Having lived in close proximity to wild boar I am sure they keep as far away from people as they can.

Anyway, a hunt was organized to kill the animals and three were destroyed. Gloating photographs of the hunters then found their way into the public domain.

There is little doubt that wild boar can be a profound nuisance (ask my dogs for details on that one), but is it really necessary to kill them?

When snakes are found in houses the official

policy is to bag them and remove to a place where they will not endanger humans. Why on earth can this policy not be applied to boars?

Is it really not possible to tranquilize these admittedly bulky animals and cart them off elsewhere? Elephants are often treated this way and they are a lot bigger than wild boar.

The Ag & Fish Department, which looks after these things, blithely states that simply removing the boar will be ineffective and that anyway the shooters are required to kill the animals “instantly”. Well, that’s alright then.

By the by, this golf course is a public facility under the management of the Jockey Club, which should know something about looking after animals. So what happened to the duty of care?

Hiram’s Highway or Hiram’s No Way? No excuses for yet again returning to the subject of interminable roadwork blockages on Hiram’s Highway. The word “interminable” is no hyperbole because, at the time of writing, it is the singular privilege of the water works people to cause the blockages. However, on this occasion the same government department has also chosen to simultaneously block up Sai Sha Road thus ensuring anyone wishing to leave or enter Sai Kung by an alternative route on the eastern side, will be thwarted. I try very hard to assume there is no malice here but, my-oh-my, it sure looks like it. What on earth has Sai Kung done to deserve this constant obstruction?

Stephen Vines is a journalist, broadcaster and entrepreneur. He is the former editor of the Eastern Express and Southeast Asia correspondent for The Observer.

promotion

Hong Kong Sotheby’s International Realty Taking a look at one of the city’s leading realty firms right in your neighbourhood.

Hong Kong Sotheby’s International Realty (HKSIR) is a real estate company with a difference. Like its world-famous auction house, which was founded in 1744, Sotheby’s International Realty® is a household name associated with luxury.

With some of the most beautiful homes in Hong Kong, it has one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date databases of prestigious secondhand properties in the market. Hong Kong Sotheby’s International Realty professional services range from residential leasing and sales to investment in new and overseas developments, making it the go-to company for luxury property of all sizes and locations across the city.

The HKSIR team has particular strengths in the city’s most prestigious markets: The Peak, Mid-Levels, the Southside, Discovery Bay and especially Sai Kung. It is also active in emerging luxury markets, such as Pok Fu Lam and Kowloon Tong. Its agents not only know these areas intimately, but live there themselves, guaranteeing an unparalleled level of service. In Sai Kung and across Hong Kong, Hong Kong Sotheby’s International Realty has the strongest landlord network, property knowledge and investment prospects.

Like Hong Kong Sotheby’s International Realty’s sophisticated clientele, its agents are multicultural and multilingual, representing 15 different countries and speaking 13 languages.

They not only speak their clients’ language but they understand exactly what they are looking for, hunting down the desirable, but hard to find in Hong Kong, combination of indoor and outdoor spaces in the right location.

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WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 21

feature Recommended dishes at S2 Waterfront include mini Brazilian beef skewers and Caribbean chicken wings.

Hot tables Hannah Grogan, Cherrie Yu and Callum Wiggins find out what’s cooking in five new Sai Kung restaurants.

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dining hotspots

S2 Waterfront Laurent Genna, manager “In the former Sai Square location, near Sai Kung pier, S2 has two parts: one side for takeaways and quick meals for those who want to eat and then go play golf, the other side is the main restaurant serving Mediterranean food. We like Mediterranean food because it is healthy with not too much butter or oil, and fresh herbs.

“It will be a simple menu to start and then we will add pancakes from Brittany, sandwiches, desserts and ice cream.

“I’ve been in the restaurant business in Hong Kong for 22 years. I’m from the South of France and I’ve lived in the Pacific. I had my first restaurant in 1996. Later, I bought a boat, called Le Boat, and for six years we held events for groups, weddings, corporate events, kids’ parties, Sai Kung parties, overnight parties. It was licenced for 70 people – fine dining, Mediterranean food. More recently, S2 Waterfront’s owner Tony Chow, the former owner of Sai Square, asked me to help make this place better – he said his lease was up in six months, why don’t you come and join me? So I did. I’ve been after this place for years, I’ve been asking Tony for a long time to work for him.

“We want to be well received as somewhere with good food, a great view, the ultimate waterfront destination. I designed it myself, I didn’t have an architect, but I used to work with my father in construction. It’s very clean and airy, simple. The size of the restaurant was the biggest challenge – I’m thinking of buying rollerskates. I chose all the tables and chairs.

It’s white and rustic, and looks very nice at night with the lights in the trees.

“We are finishing off our set menus for lunch, dinner and family lunch. For $220 a head, it will include nice salad, king prawns, fish and meat – it is for two people minimum, for sharing. I will do also do a kids’ menu.

“When we get our liquor licence, we will have wines from around the world: Australia, Bordeaux, Italy, California. We will try to get good wine at a good value price.

“At the moment we are doing a short day, open for lunch and dinner with an early close, but soon we will open around 8am for breakfast.

We will try to have a live band about once a month. And we will be doing a Christmas menu at a reasonable price. For New Year’s Eve, we will do a themed night, maybe a disco night.”

Kiosk 1 & 2, Waterfront Park, Wai Man Road, Sai Kung, 2792 8900, www.s2waterfront.com.

Clockwise from above: Laurent Genna, grilled sea bream, the revamped S2 Waterfront.

Clockwise from above left: inside Union Jacks; steak and Yorkshire pudding; Chris Luk; salmon and cream cheese.

Union Jacks Bar & Grill Chris Luk Yee-sin, bar manager “We opened on September 5. The concept is partly British food and partly seafood. Our brand is British – fish and chips, steak – plus different types of fresh seafood for the grill.

Seafood is what Sai Kung is famous for. We get seafood from the local market and offer specials depending on what is available. We also get vegetables and other produce from the market, but some of the meat comes from Britain.

“As well as the a la carte menu, we have a set lunch, afternoon tea and set dinner.

On public holidays and weekends, we do breakfast and a whole roast beef that we

carve for customers. The restaurant is shared ownership, with partners from Hong Kong, China and Britain. One co-owner previously lived in Sai Kung and has a lot of friends here, so he decided it was a good place for him to open a restaurant.

We get both Sai Kung locals and tourists eating here, they like to sit outside.

“We are more of a restaurant than a pub, but some people just come for drinks. We have a happy hour on week days from 3pm to 6pm and draft beers at good prices. We need to perfect the food and the service, and then maybe we can look at putting in a television for live sports etc. And we are dog friendly.”

Union Jacks, 15 Sha Tsui Path, Sai Kung, 2628 6713.

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dining hotspots

Clockwise from far left: Caribbean tapas; goat curry; Mandy Nathali; dinner time at Mandy’s Caribbean in Sai Kung old town.

Mandy’s Caribbean Bar & Restaurant Mandy Nathali, manager and chef “I have been cooking since I was a kid. I was brought up in a huge family – I have 31 cousins – and I was always into food.

“I was taught Caribbean cuisine by the mothers of the land. I married into a Caribbean family and was tutored by my mother-in-law and a few restaurants in the Caribbean, so yes we serve authentic food. We import ingredients from the Caribbean, like the hibiscus flowers for our rum cocktails.

“Before moving to Hong Kong, I lived in the Caribbean and travelled back and forth to England for about six years. I was spellbound by the tastes, the flavours… it looks Indian, feels Indian, but it is not Indian. Caribbean food is a

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fusion of Indian, Chinese, Dutch, French and many, many more cuisines.

“I’ve lived in Sai Kung for 10 years. We did try moving to Central for a while, but I kept saying, where’s the sun?

“In 2004, I planned to open a restaurant but was met with recession, so I started Mandy’s Private Kitchen in Sai Kung in 2006. I ran it for six years and now it has evolved into a restaurant.

On the opening day, we had a traditional Chinese ceremony with close friends and relatives. It is important to be a part of the culture.

“Mostly I’m in the kitchen cooking, but I come out to greet guests. I wish I had an open kitchen, but I can still hear the feedback. People

from Trinidad say I cook better than back home – and that is all I need to hear.

“Customer favourites including “doubles” (curried chickpea flatbreads), cooked just like in Trinidad, and the vegan mash. One of the most popular mains is goat curry, which takes about 24 hours to prepare. We order 30 kilos of goat a week. We are also looking to bring back the lamb chops from Mandy’s Private Kitchen, as well as pineapple cake and gluten-free dishes, and we sell homemade pepper sauce. We will soon have outdoor tables and hope to expand.”

Mandy’s Caribbean Bar & Restaurant, 24 See Cheung Street, Sai Kung, 2791 2088, www.caribbeanhk.com.

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dining hotspots

Chinese Kitchen Kathy Marshall, co-owner “The Chinese Kitchen is owned by my husband and I and two other couples from Australia and England. For us, it’s a passion. Back in 1997, I worked in Zhongshan. I was fascinated by Hunan food and wanted to bring it to Sai Kung.

“The concept behind the design, food and restaurant setting couldn’t have been made possible without each couple’s contribution. One of the partners’ wives is from Hunan and she gave us a lot of useful insight, especially into the food.

“We took an excursion to Hunan to meet chefs and hired two to work here. They now live in Sai Kung and are starting to get used to living here. They’re about 30 years old and have been cooking Hunan food for more than 15 years. Their skills are amazing.

“The partners’ different cultural backgrounds provided good comments for the level of spiciness of the food, which was one of the challenges we faced. We invited the chefs to cook spicy food and compared our different points of view on the spice level.

“Our customers are a mixture of locals and English speakers. We understand our customers’ first impression is that only spicy dishes are served, but we have a range of non-spicy dishes too and we are planning to list them on a separate menu. We really want to starting doing breakfast because Hunan-style breakfast is simply amazing.

“The rent is quite high but we’re managing.

We opened in September and already we’re looking to hire two more chefs.”

G/F, 16 Wan King Path, Sai Kung, 2192 2348, www.facebook.com/cksaikung.

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Ethnic Chinese food finally comes to Sai Kung with the authentically spicy dishes, dim sum and seafood cooked up by skillful Hunanese chefs at Chinese Kitchen (top) in the former Occo location.

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feature

Big Fish Susanta Datta, owner “I opened Big Fish a couple of months ago. I’m the owner and chef, and I’ve been in Sai Kung for 22 years. This is my third restaurant in Sai Kung – first Italiano’s, then Grande, and now Big Fish.

“Our menu is about 80 per cent seafood, from the appetizers to the main courses, cooked mostly in European style. It wasn’t in my plans to open another restaurant, but then I realised we have everything in Sai Kung except this type of seafood; Sai Kung is famous for Chinese-style seafood. So I thought why not give it a try. We have had good feedback so far, people have been coming back.

“The rent is high, of course, but then it is high everywhere. If you go into the city,

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Seafood features in 80 per cent of the dishes at Big Fish, a stylish new restaurant on Man Nin Square.

dining hotspots it’s even more expensive. The disadvantage about Sai Kung is that it all depends on the weekends; Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays are the main days we do business.

Other challenges we face are the traffic and the weather, when it rains it becomes very quiet, but in one sunny day we recover everything.

“We source our produce from Europe and Asia. From the local market, we get crabs or lobster and sometimes fish. If customers want something in particular, we tell them to call before 8am when the fish market closes, so we can serve it fresh that day.

“I was born in India and I’m completely self-trained. I did research, read magazines, watched videos. I got the opportunity to work overseas, but I never had a chance to work with any good chefs. I’m still learning.

“I prefer to be in the kitchen, but I come to the front sometimes to explain to the guests about the food they’re eating and answer any questions. I like to make the portions big – we are Big Fish – and sometimes people say they can’t finish it all. I’d rather people say they are too big than too small. We want to make people happy.”

18 Wan King Path, Sai Kung, 2751 9177.

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eating

Nibbles Feeling crabby Hairy crabs are back in town. November sees the arrival of the female Chinese mitten crabs, crammed with creamy, delicious roe. Buy live crabs in wet markets and speciality shops around Hong Kong and steam your own: allow one to two crabs per person and, as a rule of thumb, steam four crabs for 20 minutes or six crabs for 25 minutes. Alternatively, Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant has steamed hairy crabs for $98 each, but you must order two days in advance.

96 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung, 2792 7453.

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Lab Made ice cream in Hang Hau Gourmet ice-cream company Lab Made, famous for its unusual flavours frozen to order in liquid nitrogen, has opened in East Point City. The new store is the Hong Kong company’s fifth branch, selling its signature deliciously light and airy ice cream. As well as classic flavours, the menu features inventive varieties such as Hong Kong crispy toast, ginger tofu pudding, Bakewell tart and sea-salt gelato. The menu changes fortnightly, with the latest additions appearing on its Facebook page. 1/F, East Point City, Hang Hau, www.labmade.com.hk.

eating

Mo Burger To celebrate Movember, when men grow moustaches in aid of men’s health, Beef & Liberty will be serving a Mo Cheese Burger.

Using beef from Cape Grim in Tasmania and two slices of melted, unctuous English Ogleshield cheese made with creamy milk from Jersey cows, the burgers not only taste divine, but proceeds will be donated to the Movember Foundation. 2/F, Star Street Precinct, 23 Wing Fu Street, Wan Chai, 2811 3009, www.beef-liberty.com/hk.

and December 24-31. 5 Connaught Road, Central, 2825 4828,www.mandarinoriental.com.

Licences renewed Good news for Sai Kung’s bar scene: Alcoholic drinks are back on the menu at Casa and

Anthony’s Ranch after both bar-restaurants temporarily lost their liquor licences in September. Fortunately, the suspensions were short-lived and both Sai Kung favourites were back to business as normal in early October.

Give thanks for turkeys to go November 27 is Thanksgiving. But as it is not a public holiday in Hong Kong, cooking a traditional turkey on the big day can be troublesome. Step forward the Mandarin Cake Shop, which will deliver takeaway boxes crammed with a full roasted turkey meal, including stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and all the trimmings, plus a dessert of pumpkin pie or salted-butter pecan pie. Simply reheat in the oven for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Prices start at $2,098 for a 7kg bird. The turkey takeaways are available from November 1-30

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family All the fun of the fairs With Christmas around the corner, get a head start on the shopping.

Nov 3, 11 & Dec 1, 15 Conrad Fairs No Hong Kong Christmas would be complete without the Conrad Fairs. Hundreds of vendors sell products from more than 30 countries, including toys, accessories, antique silverware and jewellery, as well as festive food and drink.

From 2.30pm-6pm, a 15 per cent discount is offered on afternoon refreshments in the Garden Café, Cake Shop and Lobby Lounge.

10am-8pm, Grand Ballroom, The Conrad Hotel, Admiralty, www.prestigefairs.hk

Nov 8 Abacus BBQ Fun Day Perfect for families with little ones, this annual kindergarten fun day includes stalls, games, a bouncy castle, arts and crafts, Jaspa’s barbecue, cakes and more. Children $20, adults

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$40. 11am-3pm, ESF Abacus International Kindergarten, 1A Mang Kung Uk Road, Clearwater Bay, 2719 5712.

Nov 8 Hong Lok Yuen International School Fair This popular annual fair promises to be bigger and better than ever with performances by the school choir, a jazz band, talent show, stalls, refreshments and games for all ages. 10.30am4pm, 3 Twentieth Street, Hong Lok Yuen, 2658 6935.

Nov 13 Shoppinghongkong Holiday Shopping Annual one-day fair with unusual local and international stalls selling jewellery, accessories,

clothing, wine, cupcakes and more. Airplay will be offering complimentary blowouts and Little Steps is running a play area. Noon-8pm, Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, www.shoppinghongkong.net

Nov 14 AWA Charity Bazaar Shop till you drop at the American Women’s Association annual fundraising event, now in its 28th year. More than 100 vendors offer serious Christmas shopping, followed by bubbly and homemade cake on the terrace. 10am6pm, entrance $20. 3/F-5/F, Happy Valley Stand, Hong Kong Jockey Club Racecourse, 2527 8961, info@awa.org.hk.

It's fete

Nov 14 Glenealy School

xx.

The annual PTA bazaar features international food stalls run by parents, commercial stalls and games, face painting, arts and crafts for kids. 5pm-8pm, 7 Hornsey Road, Mid-Levels, 2522 1919.

Nov 15 Hidden Truffles Pop-Up Xmas Bazaar Unusual, homemade and personalised gifts are what this Christmas bazaar is all about.

Take your pick of stalls selling clothes, home accessories, body-care products and items with children in mind. There’s a kids’ corner to keep little ones busy with arts and crafts, plus a multi-cuisine bistro area. 11am-6pm, The Space, 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan,www.hiddentruffles.com.

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family Nov 22 Sha Tin Junior School and Sha Tin College

Nov 23 Jewish Women’s Association Charity Bazaar

Roll up, roll up! This year’s circus-themed fair will have games, refreshments, students’ fashion show and more stalls than ever. Noon6pm, 3 Lai Wo Lane, Fo Tan, Sha Tin, 2699 1811.

Shop for holiday items, clothing, toys, homeware, bags and more, with all proceeds going to women’s charities. Light refreshments available. Entry $10. 10am-5pm, Island School, 20 Borrett Road, Mid-Levels.

Nov 22 Chinese International School

Nov 29 Clearwater Bay School

“CIS Got Talent” is a highlight of this year’s fair, with students showing what they do best. The popular vintage clothing stall is back along with games, food and charity stalls. 10am-4pm, 1 Hau Yuen Path, Braemar Hill, North Point, 2510 7288.

This ESF primary school stages seriously good fairs, with this year’s adopting a medieval theme, forsooth. There will be commercial stalls, games, arts and crafts, live performances, a glamour booth, cakes, barbecue and the ever-popular bar. 1pm-5pm, Clearwater Bay Road, 2358 3221.

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all the fun of the fairs

Nov 29 Renaissance College

Nov 29 Kellett School

The school’s three sections join forces for a large fair with commercial stalls, secondhand books, inflatable games, international food and live entertainment. 11am-4pm, 5 Hang Ming Street, Ma On Shan, 3556 3556.

Held at the Kowloon campus, the new monthly Saturday market includes food, drinks and a wide variety of commercial vendors. Noon-5pm, 7 Lam Hing Street, Kowloon Bay, 3120 0700.

Nov 30 Canadian International School

Nov 29 German-Swiss International School The traditional German Christmas bazaar comes to Hong Kong, with stalls, live music, games and plenty of festive feasting for the whole family. 10am-4pm, 22 Guildford Road, The Peak, 2849 6216.

Jam-packed with entertainment, the Family Fun Fair includes arts and crafts, games, student performances, face painting, secondhand books and commercial stalls. Entry $150 for schoolchildren; free for adults and the undertwos. 10.30am-4pm, 36 Nam Long Shan Road, Aberdeen, 2525 7088.

Dec 6 French International School The Christmas bazaar includes fun games in the Christmas Wonderland, student and professional entertainment, festive food and more than 50 commercial stalls. 10am-5pm, 34 Price Road, Jardine’s Lookout, 2577 6217.

Dec 6 Italian Women’s Association There will be delicious authentic Italian food and plenty of bargains at the Il Mercatino bazaar at this annual fundraiser in aid of the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital. Entry $20; bring your own bag. 10am-5pm, 12 Sandy Bay Road, Pok Fu Lam.

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WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 35

education

making spaces

Kowloon’s new school Nord Anglia International School has big plans, says head of school Brian Cooklin.

Team Nord: the first whole-school assembly.

Why did Nord Anglia open a school in Hong Kong?

The company has existed for more than 25 years – at the moment there are 31 schools across 18 countries. The new Hong Kong school will be a flagship for the company.

The Hong Kong Government made a policy decision to deal with the shortage of international-school places, which they calculated at being about 4,500. In 2012, three sites opened up, attracting 36 bids.

We got a former Catholic boys’ school that had been empty for a few years, so it was an opportunity to refurbish it. The motivation

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for the government is an economic one, to encourage companies to invest and to send their workforce to Hong Kong. Through the Chambers of Commerce – British, American, Australian etc – a number of companies had [indicated] families with young children were finding it really difficult get places in a school.

What curriculum is on offer?

We offer the English National Curriculum, which will lead to International GCSE exams in years 10 and 11, then the International Baccalaureate in the final two years. We tailor [the curriculum] so, for example, we have Mandarin daily for

all children up to year five, and after that the children have Mandarin three times a week and we introduce Spanish. This means English, Spanish and Mandarin are taught in school – the most widely spoken languages in the world.

Tell us about your sister schools.

[The first schools] opened in Europe and soon moved into China. We opened two schools in Beijing and two in Shanghai, which are over 10 years old. Last year, the group doubled in size when the company took over World Class Learning, which had schools in America, Guangzhou and the Middle East that

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 37

education immediately came into the Nord Anglia family.

Since then we have added schools in Singapore and in Cambodia so it’s growing all the time.

What year groups attend the Hong Kong campus?

We have years one to seven at the moment, but next year we will add year eight and after that year nine. The building is only licensed to year nine by the Education Bureau, [but] we are currently bidding for another site so that we can go up to year 13. We are phasing the introduction of years eight and nine to give us time to prepare [a new campus].

What about the staff?

We’ve got a wonderfully enthusiastic, committed and ambitious body of staff.

Some staff have been working in Hong Kong for a number of years, and about a quarter of the staff have come from other Nord Anglia schools – they already know about highperformance learning and the way Nord Anglia schools operate. Most of the rest of the staff are from Britain.

Top-notch learning facilities.

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making spaces

We got a former Catholic boys’ school that had been empty for a few years so it was an opportunity to refurbish it Is there a waiting list?

Yes, there is a small one – we don’t believe in having a long list as I think it’s unfair to charge the parents when there’s no prospect of a place. We still have places in certain classes.

Do you have many families coming from the Sai Kung area?

We have a large number from Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay, but [students] travel from all over Hong Kong.

Nord Anglia International School, Hong Kong, 11 On Tin Street, Lam Tin, Kowloon, 3958 1488, www.nordangliaeducation.com.

Circle time.

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sponsored column

Subject matters ITS offers tips for helping your child to embrace their least-favourite subject.

When children develop passions about school subjects, it is a moment of both pride and comfort for the parent. Encouraging a child to flourish in their favourite subject is a joy that can expand a child’s talents exponentially. But not every subject can be a favourite, or even tolerated. These subjects can be detrimental to the child’s education, self-esteem and family relationships. As a parent, you have the control to help your child embrace their least favourite subject.

If you can’t talk about it, you can’t fix it Your first goal should be communication.

Do not get upset with your child for their resistance to a subject. Instead, encourage them to express themselves more thoroughly about it. Even if you found the subject easy when you were in school it doesn’t mean your child should. Curricula have changed drastically, especially in science and maths, so you may be learning right along with your child.

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Understand the subject yourself Better understand the subject frustrating your child, as well as the structure of the classwork.

Sometimes children understand the basic material early in the year, but then miss a key concept and feel lost later on. There is no harm in asking to see your child’s textbook to understand better.

Use different techniques An excellent technique is to have your child list on paper what bothers them about the subject – the issue may be a classmate distracting them, or something similar. Even if you can’t help, you can share the list with their teacher for advice.

Helpful tips - Make games out of tasks such as studying for a test or quiz. Involve the family and as your child improves they will gain confidence by outperforming the family.

- Incorporate a subject your child loves with

the one they struggle with. Make a maths problem into a funny word with their English or foreign-language vocabulary.

Not only have subjects changed but teaching methodology has too. These barriers are very real. However, schools are aware of these communication problems and want to work with both teachers and parents for the good of the student. By being open-minded and willing to try new ideas, you can help your child succeed in school.

ITS School Placements provides an education consulting service that works with families and employers to find the right schools for individual children in Hong Kong, from nursery to secondary schools. ITS also offers research, policy and advisory services for corporations. For more details, contact es@itseducation.asia, 3188 3940 or www.itseducation.asia.

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 41

outdoors

scuba libre

Finding Nemo Joanna Tuft learns to dive in Sai Kung.

Fun fact: only five per cent of the world’s oceans have been explored, which means we know more about the surface of the moon than the bottom of the sea. (So let’s not rule out mermaids just yet.) Part of the appeal of learning to dive is entering an alien world, just off the very familiar shores of Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay. Splash! Dive Centre in Sai Kung teaches the PADI Open Water dive course to rank amateurs like me. Friendly, helpful staff guided me through the 30-hour course, which takes place over two weekends, combining skills learned in a swimming pool with open-water experience.

That’s the fun bit, but there’s also a fair amount of theory to digest, ranging from basic physics to learning to read dive tables. Splash! has excellent safety standards and ensures all participating divers complete rigorous safety training, providing each learner with a textbook and an instructional DVD with awful 90s music and worse puns.

With the procrastinating abilities that only

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Part of the appeal is entering an alien world, just off the familiar shores of Sai Kung youth (or the IB diploma) can harness, I started reading the textbook the night before I started my course. I do not recommend this.

Choosing a “fast-track” course, I completed all five confined water dives in one day rather than the recommended two, starting early one Saturday at the swimming pool in Li Po Chun United World College. Dive groups are all small: I was in a group of four. We started by completing knowledge reviews in the textbook, where my last-minute revision paid off, then we learned how to assemble our equipment.

On land, there is nothing more cumbersome than scuba gear. In the water it’s fine; there is

a pleasant sense of weightlessness and the equipment allows you to breathe. But for this to work, it must be set up carefully. It’s not always smooth sailing. There’s something souldestroying about having a group of people watch you vainly try to pull a wetsuit over your thighs then having to be helped by the instructor.

In the pool we had to complete various skills such as practicing descents and equalising the pressure in our ears, mastering neutral buoyancy (floating mid-water), as well as safety skills such as breathing from your buddy’s alternate air source and practicing emergency ascents – all skills learned with the hope that you will never to have to use them.

Having completed the pool skills, next day we took a boat to Pak Lap for our first openwater dive. It was a large boat with more than 20 other divers, which made for a busy atmosphere.

It was a pleasant day out, with beautiful weather and new people to meet.

A drawback to diving in Hong Kong is the

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There is plenty see underwater, including groupers, clownfish, shrimps, crabs and many types of coral

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poor visibility: even on a good day, you can rarely see further than 10 metres. This is a pity, because there is plenty to see underwater, including groupers, clownfish, shrimps, crabs and many different types of coral.

Having grown up with Finding Nemo, I desperately wanted to see a clownfish. But I had no such luck during the day’s two dives and could not add “clownfish” to the log book completed after each dive.

My final dives took place the following weekend at Lobster Bay. As well as completing skills we started learning how to navigate underwater with a compass and took a final

written exam (more last-minute revision – it does work). There was plenty to see at Lobster Bay, including the underwater wreckage of a car, evidence of the bay’s one-time popularity with smugglers. We also saw lots of fish, corals, large starfish, larger sea urchins and, to top it all, clownfish. Yay! The PADI Open Water dive course is $4,250, including manuals, log books, all equipment rental and processing of your PADI certification card. Splash! Dive Centre, Unit 5, 1/F Ko Fu House, Fuk Man Road, Sai Kung, 2792 4495, www.splashhk.com.

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big day out

Free-wheelin’ Hannah Grogan explores Hong Kong’s wetlands by bicycle.

It’s a beautiful day – make the most of it by going cycling. Hong Kong Island aside, cycle tracks are surprisingly plentiful, from the easy kid-friendly ride around Disneyland’s Inspiration Lake at the Disneyland Resort, where you can picnic on the grass, to the epic paths around Tolo Harbour. One of our favourite routes, however, is the scenic Yuen Long to Nam Sang Wai circuit.

from the town centre lies a rural area that feels worlds away from the city. The 20km circuit is easy going, offering plenty of scope for taking in the villages and mangroves of the Nam Sang Wai wetlands.

End the day with a drink and maybe a bite to eat at a stilted café on the bank of the Kam Tin River in Yuen Long before taking a boat trip across the river back to your starting point.

What is it?

In the heart of the New Territories, Yuen Long is a flat area with expansive tracks through the wetlands that are perfect for riding a bike. Away

Where is it?

Begin your trip in Yuen Long, where those who don’t have their own bicycles can rent one for the day from one of the many shops outside the

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on your bike

Cycle paths wind through the Nam Sang Wai wetlands.

Yuen Long MTR station. (Tandems are also available, but tend to sell out quickly.) Follow signs to the cycle tracks, then head north along the river to the Nam Sang Wai wetlands. The route passes through scenes of old Hong Kong, including the ancestral halls, temples and stalls of old villages such as historic Kam Tin, with its ancient walls.

When to go?

Now, while the humidity is low

but the sun is still out. There is no better time to get outdoors.

On blue-sky weekends you are unlikely to be alone, of course, and with motorists, cyclists and keen adventurers all sharing the road, things can get hairy. Much of the route is designated cycle track, but in some stretches cyclists rejoin the main road.

Make a longer day of it, by visiting the Hong Kong Wetland Park, just a stone’s throw away in Tin Shui Wai. (Wetland Park Road,

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big day out

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big day out

Away from the town centre lies a rural area that feels worlds away from the city Tin Shui Wai, 2708 8885, www.wetlandpark. com. Tickets $30 (children $15). Open WedMon 10am-5pm; closed Tuesdays.)

Why go?

There’s something for the whole family. The 20km trail is long enough for bike junkies, but there are plenty of shortcuts for less enthusiastic cyclists, and families can take a break while the kids run free in open grassy areas. Pack a picnic and plenty of water for a great day out.

Boats and brides – there’s no knowing what you’ll spot en route.

Bicycle rental: bicycles are $45 a day (10am7pm) on weekends, $30, Mon-Fri. Tin Fung Bicycle Company, Shop B, G/F, Lee Kwan Building, 37 On Lok Road, Yuen Long, www.yl.hk/ad/3808. MTR: Yuen Long Station, Exit B.

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travel

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coho loco

Beale with a prize coho salmon.

Salmon fishing in Alaska Chris Beale fights coho salmon on a dream wilderness vacation.

Hunting grounds: the coho season runs from June to September in pristine Alaskan wilderness.

I’ve always wanted to catch a wild salmon.

Following the dream, two friends and I went to Alaska, one of the last great frontiers.

The statistics are mindboggling. The most northerly US state has more than 3,000 rivers, three million lakes and more than half the world’s glaciers. Roughly twice the size of Texas, it has the lowest population density in the country, with just one person per square mile. To put this in context, if New York City had the same population density as Alaska, precisely 16 people would live in Manhattan.

As a warm-up, we fished for rainbow trout on the Kenai River and halibut in the quaint seaside town of Seward, famous for its glaciers and humpback whales. But the real highlight of our trip was a few days at worldrenowned Redoubt Mountain Lodge in Clark National Park.

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travel

Wild life: Beale and buddies with the catch of the day (top left). Fishing on Crescent Lake (top centre) was the highlight of a trip that included encounters with glaciers, bears, bald eagles and whales.

Owing to Alaska’s brutal weather, rugged terrain and limited road network, we chartered a float plane to fly from Anchorage to the lodge.

The 90-minute journey was breathtaking, soaring over sweeping, snow-capped mountains to touchdown on Crescent Lake, where the lodge is located. Fed by glacial runoff from the Crescent River, the lake is a remarkable colour that veers between cobalt blue and emerald green.

Spectacularly located on its banks, Redoubt Mountain Lodge is a large wooden structure with a restaurant and lounge in the main building and well-appointed guest cabins at the rear that can accommodate just 12 guests. It’s run by Heather and Ryan Richards, who are expert at making guests feel at home, and opens for the short fishing season from June to September, when temperatures plummet, the snow sweeps in and the lodge closes for winter.

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travel

Onsite Computer Internet Services Bears and bald eagles abound, drawn by tens of thousands of sockeye salmon that spawn in the river then gather in the lake to die. The bears leap from the shore to gorge themselves on the dead and dying fish, eating over 100 pounds a day to build up fat reserves for their winter hibernation, littering the banks with the leftover carcasses.

But our quarry was the coho, or silver salmon, which typically runs during the last two weeks of August. Cohos are not the largest of salmon – that title goes to king or Chinook salmon – but they are beautiful, fit fish that travel huge distances and fight hard and acrobatically when hooked. Their life cycle spans four years, spending 18 months or so at sea before returning to their birthplace to spawn and die.

Every day, our guide took us up the Crescent River in a flat-bottomed skiff to hunt for migrating fish. The crystal-clear river is a dramatic mixture of slow, deep sections, fastflowing rapids and holding pools, and we found salmon in different locations each day.

In four days, we caught 32 fish, each weighing seven to 14 pounds. The fish gleamed like burnished silver and fought like demons in the fast-flowing waters.

Once we had each caught our limit of three fish a day, we returned to the lodge to spend the evenings around the campfire, swapping fishy tales with our American guides. They were astonished to learn Hong Kong had a population in excess of seven million – more people than lived within a 1,000-mile radius of where we sat.

On our last night around the fire, we looked out across the lake to see eagles soaring overhead and bears out on their evening patrols. The air was incredibly crisp and clean, and those seven million people seemed a very long way away.

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Redoubt Mountain Lodge, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, info@redoubtlodge. com, +866 7333034.

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 53

sport

gather round…

Pep talk Ray Sting gives mini-rugby coaches their say.

Is it important to have played the game?

No. To be a trainer, you don’t have to have been a horse.

Why do you coach mini rugby?

The two best things on the planet are kids and rugby. Sunday mornings are all about these. I also love being shouted at by alpha parents at rugby festivals.

What is the hardest thing about being a coach?

Trying your best to explain the finer points of offside to a five-year-old, only to realise he finds the daisies growing in the grass more engaging.

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How do you address the breadth of ability in an age group?

If you are patient and enthusiastic, you can bring out the best in every kid. But the fast lad doesn’t always pass, the naughty kid acts up because you haven’t engaged their attention, and the smallest kid can be the fiercest tackler. Don’t pigeon-hole them on day one: at this age, their learning curve is steep.

What skills make a good coach?

Planning, patience and communication. Failing that, a whistle. In our desire to teach a sport we love, there is a danger that we focus on the technical. Safety is important, but so is having fun. The kids’ faces are a pretty good indication of how you’re doing.

What do you think of the pink shirts?

They are easy to spot at festivals – and when else can you get away with wearing a pink shirt?

What should a coach never do?

Show up late, show favouritism or show off.

What do you look for in a rugby player?

Mental as well as physical agility. The spirit of rugby is to play hard and then share a pint after the game. Is 9.30am too early? Not for coffee!

Do you miss Sunday lie-ins?

Actually, no. Coaching Stingrays is the highlight of my week. I love the stadium vibe, but I will admit to the odd post-training kip on the sofa when I get home.

What’s your coaching motto?

Turn up on time, give your best, have fun... smile!

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health & beauty Dry spells As if by magic, these hydrating treatments make fall faces fresh again, writes Cherrie Yu. Autumn may be the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness in the west, but in Hong Kong it’s the driest, flakiest time of year.

The sudden drop in humidity can be rough on the skin, with thirsty complexions soaking up moisturiser by the tube-full. It’s time for a hydrating treatment.

Sense of Touch The Sai Kung day spa offers two moisture-boosting facials. The Essential Rose Facial (from $860 for 60 minutes) rejuvenates the skin with the anti-aging properties of rose products used, giving the skin a boost of energy and glow.

There’s also an optional back massage – who doesn’t enjoy a

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Skin is left looking rejuvenated with a youthful glow good kneading during a facial?

Alternatively, try the Exotic Cream Moisture Dew Facial ($780 for 60 minutes) for a soothing specialist facial that leaves the skin smooth and moist.

Melo Spa Available during November and December, the Melo Pearl Experience ($1,188) is a seasonal moisturising treatment that leaves skin glowing. Pampering you

plump it up Just a mo

It’s Movember, men: grow a moustache for charity.

The Mandarin Salon Registered Mo Bros can have their moustaches trimmed free at The Mandarin Barber this month.

To redeem the offer, make a reservation in advance and show your Mo Space account. Other

from head to toe, it includes a 25-minute sweet almond and pearl body scrub, a 55-minute whitening and mineral-boosting facial, and a soothing, beautifying pearlpowder massage. Take a friend and the two of you will also receive a complimentary 30-minute milk

bath. 5/F, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Sha Tin, 18 Chak Cheung Street, Sha Tin, 3723 7684, www.melospa.com.

Allure Beauty Allure’s Cavier Collagen Moisture Programme Facial ($888 for

treatments this month include the Movember Pash Rash (facial) to reduce dryness and flaky skin, including a free upgrade from 30 to 60 minutes for facials booked by registered Mo Sistas. The Mandarin Salon, 5/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong, 2825 4800, www. mandarinoriental.com/hongkong.

Gentlemen’s Tonic In exchange for a voluntary donation, Gentlemen’s Tonic is offering 10-minute moustache trims throughout Movember.

Donations can be made in store or via Gentlemen’s Tonic’s Mo Space page. Bookings essential.

B/F Landmark Men, Central, 2525 2455, www.gentlemenstonic.com.

90 minutes) is an anti-ageing treatment that uses products rich in vitamins, minerals and lipids helping to strengthen the renewal of the skin with a firming effect. The treatment’s antiirritant properties help to soothe dry and irritated skin, leaving it

looking rejuvenated with a youthful glow. The treatment includes an 8ml complimentary bottle of moisturising serum to use at home daily for a week for an extra rejuvenating boost. Shop 67, 22-40 Fuk Man Road, Sai Kung, 2792 2123.

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pets Battles of the sexes Gal pals fall out in the canine world too, writes Sally Andersen.

As much as they love their human families, dogs really appreciate the special friendships with other animals. After all, do you really want to lick deep inside your dog’s ears, or chase madly round the park, house or garden until collapsing in an exhausted heap? Some things can only be shared with another animal, and although dogs usually prefer their own kind they can also be quite happy with a cat or, judging from many Facebook videos, a bird or even an elephant.

However, even in a litter of very young puppies there is often a stronger one who bullies the weaker, or a naughty one that’s always starting fights. Although these characteristics would seem to indicate thug puppies that grow into aggressive adults, that’s not the case and the behaviour moderates as the weeks pass. I have often been very worried about such infants and their inclination to push their siblings around, but in every case they have turned out fine.

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As dogs mature, sisterly love can develop into bitter rivalry I hear so many times that it’s a shame to separate littermates, but again that’s not always the case. If you’d like a pair of dogs, it’s often better to have two puppies from different litters, especially if they are females. As they mature, sisterly love can develop into bitter rivalry and there’s not much you can do about it. The reasons for fights are usually impossible to determine from a human’s point of view, but suddenly the dogs will be at each others’ throats when you thought they were quietly napping.

This can also happen with mother and daughter, or even unrelated females. I have two female dogs, Minky and Sparkle, who grew up

man’s best frenemies

hong kong creatures Red-billed blue magpie aka Urocissa erythroryncha

together and were very close. They played, ate and slept together, and I often wrote about their antics in my blog. But over time it all changed and now they are more like enemies than friends.

I’m generalising and there are always exceptions to every rule, but if you want to start out with two puppies, it’s best to get one male and one female – or two males as second choice. Boy dogs tend not to harbour grudges like the girls do, and even if they have the odd argument it’s all soon forgotten and they can be friends again. But once two females have started fighting, they will never forgive or forget.

That’s why they’re called bitches.

Sally Andersen is the founder of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, a charity that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes unwanted or abandoned dogs.

Where to find them in Hong Kong: widely distributed.

The red-billed blue magpie, or common blue magpie, has a black breast, neck and head with blue spots on the crown, and a strong, sharp-edged orange-red bill from which it gets its name. It is about the same size as the European magpie, but with a longer tail.

Common from the western Himalayas to Vietnam and eastern China, these intelligent birds are often seen in small parties on the edges of woodland foraging for food.

They are omnivores with a varied diet of invertebrates, fruit and seeds. In summer, they mainly feed on worms and insects while in winter they eat fruit, berries and grain.

In spring, “parliaments” of magpies gather to resolve social standing and territorial conflicts ahead of the April-July

breeding season. They build huge nests of branches and twigs in trees and large shrubs, often taking several weeks to complete, and lay a clutch of three to five eggs.

The magpies’ average life expectancy is three years, but the oldest recorded was more than 21 years old. Magpies like to hoard food in their territory or home range, placing the surplus in small holes that they dig in the ground and cover with grass or leaves.

Magpies also steal eggs and chicks from the nests of other birds.

Steffi Yuen

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marketplace

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Tel: 9618 2475 smillie.cynthia@gmail.com

www.petbehaviourhk.com

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a taste

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marketplace

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marketplace

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marketplace

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To advertise, email: marketing@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772

marketplace

on patrol...

crime time

Windows update Senior policewoman Janet Chan secures Sai Kung’s windows.

Now we’ve sorted out your garden security (see last month’s On Patrol column), it’s time to take a closer look at another crucial part of your home: the windows.

Never assume locked windows are safe.

Windows are often used by burglars as either an entry or exit route. From January to September, 2014, more than 70 per cent of burglary cases revealed evidence of breakins on windows or doors. So beefing up the security of your windows will go a long way to making your home more secure.

Double-glazed windows are hard to smash and more secure than single-glazed windows. And as a general rule, the handle should not be the only means of keeping a window closed.

There are two main types of locking systems. The first is multi-point locking, which sets bolts into the window frame when the handle is turned. The bolts should be mushroom headed to engage behind the

locking point, preventing the window from being forced away from the frame.

A deadlock has bolts located in the corners of the window frame as well as securing the window at the handle. As an extra measure, high-security friction hinges can also be fitted to the frame.

Single-glazed windows on the ground floor are the most vulnerable to attack. Plain glass is easy to smash, but laminated glass – two pieces of glass bonded together by a sheet of laminate – is far more difficult to break. Under attack from a vandal or burglar, laminated glass will not shatter, helping to deter forced entries. Consider replacing any vulnerable windows. Another option is to install lockable aluminium secondary frames over existing windows.

In some recent cases, burglars have entered through open windows, perhaps left open accidentally or intentionally for better

ventilation. If you want to leave windows open, install window grilles and ensure they are securely fastened to surrounding masonry.

Tips • Avoid leaving valuables near windows.

• Remember to close and lock all your windows, even if you are only going out for a few minutes.

• Don’t forget to lock kitchen and bathroom windows.

• Windows on the ground floor and in accessible areas should be made of toughened glass or doubled glazed, and have a secured frame.

• Make sure windows are fitted with a good, appropriate lock and regularly check the locks are functioning correctly.

Janet Chan is the ADVC OPS for the Hong Kong Police Sai Kung Division, tel: 3661 1630

To advertise, email: marketing@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772

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marketplace

distribution

where to find us

Sai Kung Magazine continues to extend its reach in the community, here is the latest in distribution news.

SAI KUNG PENINSULA

Shatin

Sai Kung Town Hebe Haven

Hebe Haven Yacht Club

Marina Cove KOWLOON Silverstrand Tseung Kwan O Clearwater Bay

HONG KONG ISLAND Portofino

30,000 readers 10,000 copies Restaurants, Bars and Cafes - Agua Plus - AJ’s Sri Lankan Restaurant - Ali Oli Bakery - Bacco - Butcher King - CC Café - Casa - Chip In - Classified - Colour Brown - Fiesta Fiesta - Olde Hong Kong Tea Cafe - Firenze - Five Coffee Company - Hebe One O One - Italiano’s - Jaspas - Let’s Jam - May’s Sawadee - Paisano’s - Pepperonis - Pizzeria La Gondola - Revolution Gallery Cafe - Sauce - Sawadee Thai - Starbucks - Steamers - Takka Fusion - T.C. Deli - Tree Cafe (Horizon Plaza) - The Duke of York - The Dutch cheese - The Sandwich Club, HKUST - Village Restaurant

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Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club

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Schools and Kindergartens

- The Bottleshop - The Courtyard - East Point City Shopping Mall - Everything Under The Sun (Horizon Plaza) - Final Fragment - Fusion, Centro Plaza - Fusion, Clearwater Bay - Ka Ying Curtain Craft - Leisure Book Shop - Life’s a Breeze (Horizon Plaza) - Look Upstairs - One Kowloon - Patsy House - Rich On House Property Agency - Sai Kung Market - Schmidt Vinothek - Taste (East Point City) - Today Speed Photo Finishing - TREE - Watsons Wine Cellar - Wood + Kitchen

- Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club - Equestrian Centre - Hebe Haven Yacht Club - Hillview Court - Hyatt Regency Hong Kong (Sha Tin) - Marina Cove - Residence Oasis - The Giverny - The Portofino - Victoria Recreation Club

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Pets and Vets - Pets Central - Sai Kung Animal Hospital

Health and Fitness - Allure - Escapade sports (Central & Causeway Bay) - OT&P (Razor Hill) - Pole Paradise - Queen’s Castle Organic Day Spa - Sai Kung Healthcare Centre - Sara Thai Massage - Season Fitness (Central) - Sense of Touch - Tala’s Hair and Beauty - Zone @ Sai Kung Reflexology Centre

To advertise, email: marketing@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772

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classifieds Health and Wellbeing CAMBRIDGE WEIGHT PLAN is in Sai Kung & Clearwater Bay. Balanced and nutritional weight loss programme with one to one support and motivation. Contact Jean 9045 5942 jean@cambridgeweightplan.hk, or Alison 9618 1777 alison@cambridgeweightplan.hk CLEAN 9 CLEANSE DETOX Clean 9 is a 9 day plan whereby your body is gently cleansed of harmful toxins and built up waste matter. The plan enables you to safely lose around 7-14lb, although results vary from person to person. It is endorsed by doctors/nutritionists as a sensible safe plan. The best part is, you’ll feel amazing after! Full of energy and life, your skin will glow and you’ll feel ‘clean’. You’ll achieve a new attitude towards food and dieting plus, the weight will stay off thanks to it not being a crash diet. Call Mel on 9180 9308 or email foreverclean9hk@gmail.com.

jobs Hello! My name is Sheila and I’m looking for part time work as a helper. I am available 10AM - 5PM everyday. Please contact me at 5298 8079. $70/hour, I can do all household chores and babysitting.

E-SHOP COORDINATOR Seeking experienced E-shopper / E-shop owner to effect promotion and manage customers and their orders for our Kitchen Products Eshop here in Hong Kong (offices in Kwun Tong). Applicants should possess an entrepreneurial character and strong promotional skills.

Fluent English skills preferable/more advantageous; Chinese skills are a strong bonus. Please contact us: hr@sknglobal.hk, 21809797

Property For Sale SAI KUNG DUPLEX HKD $9M ref-SK617 Currently 2 separate Apartments. 4 Bedroom Duplex in Quiet Village Location, Convenient for both SK Town & Country Hikes. Lovely Roof Terrace, Green & distant Sea Views.

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STROLL TO SAI KUNG TOWN $60 K/17M Ref~SK631 Lovingly Renovated 4 Beds, Fabulous Open Plan Kitchen, Private Courtyard Terrace, Great Roof Garden for Entertaining. Lots of Storage & C/p The Property Shop 27193977 www.thepropertyshop. com.hk. (Eaa License C-027656) JADE VILLA FOR SALE With 1000′ Garden in deed, 2100 SQ FT+Roof Top, >3.6% Return, 4 Bedroom + Maid room, Fully fitted Kitchen, quiet and convenient location, Swimming pool, good management 5 minutes to Sai Kung City Centre, 1 Carpark, Sole agent: LEO’S PROPERTY AGENCY, CO-OP welcome 2577 6652 JOHNNY YU OR ALICE LAI C-041854

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Cars & Boats BMW 325i HKD $168,000 Reluctant sale of excellent family car. Black with black interior. 46,000kms Recently serviced. Tyres, brakes and battery changed. For more information please contact 9186 3859 03/04 RENAULT LAGUNA 2.0 16V ESTATE HKD $28,000 03 mfg, 1st reg Mar 04, Light Blue with Grey leather, Local HK delivery car, auto transmission, sunroof, 1 owner, only done 29,000 kms, Service record, licence till November, excellent condition throughout. Call 9455 4267 M.BENZ CLK230 HKD $35,000 2002 M.Benz CLK230 Kompressor sunroof, power leather seats, front & rear parking sensors, immaculate conditions. please call Jeffrey Mak 9485 2103 www.bettermotors.com.hk

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Food & Beverage LOCAL HONEY FROM TAI PO HKD250 We had our own beehive located in Taipo and Joron Valley in Hong Kong. It’s Lychee season and it blossom on April and collected on May. All honey did

random but interesting

DESIGN FACTORY BREADMAKER MACHINE HKD $1,000 Brand NEW! Home Bakery Programmable Large LCD Display Breadmaker Machine / Cooks 2lb Bread! ***BRAND NEW IN ORIGINAL BOX*** It’s a completely Brand New. Perfect condition, has been in storage only. The “Bread Maker” comes with the original box and accessories. Received as a gift and has already owned One. Note: All our items come from a Smoke-free and Pet-free environment. **AVAILABLE SELF-PICKUP ONLY**

Furniture IKEA SINGLE BED FRAME FOR SALE HKD $400 2 drawers built in. One of the drawer railings is damaged however can be replaced with parts that are available from IKEA. Selling due to new bunk bed arriving soon. Please call or whatsapp. Yuki: 98158571

PERSIAN CARPET HKD $75,000 Persian carpets from Tabriz. 65 knots per inch, cotton and silk, 3×2 meters. If interested, please call or whatsapp Zoraida Parvin to 9857 3744 ELECTROLUX WASHING MACHINE HKD $2,500 Like new washing machine, excellent condition. Selling because toploader does not fit in our new flat. Warranty until November. Excellent washer for only $2500; orig. $4500. What’s app or SMS: 9869 0466

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not process in heat. It’s 100% raw and real honey unlike those you get it in the super market. We have lots of photo extraction photo. in below link. www.facebook.com/jovial.diy Since it is limited stock, we only have few bottles left. You would pick up in Diamond Hill and Choy Hung.

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Miscellaneous BRAND NEW CLEAR DISPLAY FOLDERS, A5 and A4 HKD $10 each 24 pages, 1 grey and 1 black unused.

Email:sharoncyswong@gmail.com. $10 each Flexible delivery and pickup.

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business directory Beauty & Spas

Educational Services

A-Nails 2972 1099 www.a-nails.com.hk

Bricks 4 Kids 2791 0007 | info@bricks4kidz.hk www.bricks4kidz.hk

Allure Beauty 2792 2123

ITS Education Asia 2116 3916 | es@itseducation.asia www.itseducation.asia

King’s Healthy & Beauty 2302 0289 Na Mo Company 2792 3922 Pure Swiss Limited 2358 3998 | admin@e-pureswiss.com www.e-pureswiss.com

Jumpstart Mandarin Learning Centre 2791 4838 | jumpstart@netvigator.com www.jumpstartmlc.com Sai Kung Tutors 5321 4400 | info@saikungtutors.com www.saikungtutors.com

Extracurricular

Salon Peninsula 2766 1266 | 2766 2726 | salonpeninsula@gmail.com www.facebook.com/SalonPeninsula

ESF Sports 2711 1280 | sports@esf.org.hk www.esf.org.hk

Sense of Touch Sai Kung 2791 2278 | ask@senseoftouchhk.com www.senseoftouch.com.hk

Lighthouse Playroom 2791 2918 | info@lighthouseplayroom.com www.lighthouseplayroom.com

Tala’s Hair & Beauty Centre 2335 1694 | talashair@biznetvigator.com www.talashair.com

Sai Kung Stingrays www.saikungstingrays.org

Children’s toys & accessories Bumps to Babes 2552 5000 (Ap Lei Chau Main Store) 2522 7112 (Pedder Building Branch) www.bumpstobabes.com Toys “R” Us (Asia) Ltd. 2287 1888 | hk.star@toysrus.com www.toysrus.com.hk/index.html

Early Childhood Leapfrog Kindergarten & Playgroup 2791 1540 | admin@leapfrogkindergarten.org www.leapfrogkindergarten.org Mills International Preschool 2717 6336 | preschool@millsinternational.edu.hk www.millsinternational.edu.hk Sai Kung International Pre-School (SKIP) 2791 7354 | skip@skip.edu.hk www.skip.edu.hk Woodland Pre-Schools 2559 4855 www.woodlandschools.com

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Stage Right Theatre 9199 5900 | info@stageright.com.hk www.stageright.com.hk Tutti Music 2176 4028 | tuttimusic.tko@gmail.com www.tmusic.com.hk

Food & Beverage A&M US Groceries 25488200 | info@anmstores.com www.anmstores.com Hebe 101 2335 5515 | info@101.com.hk www.hebe101.com Mike’s Chicken Comida de Portugal 2392 3328 | mikeschickenportugal@gmail.com www.mikeschickenportugal.com The South African Shop 9457 0639 | info@thesouthafricanshop.com www.thesouthafricanshop.com” South Stream Seafoods www.south-stream-seafoods.com

Sweets Of Singapore 6191 9669 | sweetsofsingapore@yahoo.com www.sweetsofsingapore.com Thiackery 5990 2588 | thiackery@gmail.com thiackery.com Top Chef Food Services Ltd. 2358 2332 | tcfood@netvigator.com tcdeli.com Winerack - Hong Kong 2433 9929 | enquiry@winerack.com.hk www.winerack.com.hk/store/en

Health & Wellness Annerley 2983 1558 | info@annerley.com.hk www.annerley.com.hk Teeter Hang Ups 3575 9332 www.inversion.com.hk

Home & Interiors ALFA Design Limited 9536 2324 | alfamail@alfadesign.hk.com www.alfadesign.hk.com Box Design 2573 3323 | www.boxdesign.com.hk Caballo Living Co., Ltd. 2363 1925 | sales@caballoliving.com www.caballoliving.com Eco Living 2792 7998 | askus@ecoliving.hk www.ecoliving.hk Epson 2827 8711 www.epson.com.hk Everything Under the Sun 2554 9088 | info@everythingunderthesun.com.hk www.everythingunderthesun.com.hk Indo Handyman 2578 1865 | sales@indohandyman.hk JC Vision 2524 9988 jcvision@biznetvigator.com

handy Modulnova Hong Kong Ltd Modulnova HK Ltd. 3741 2095 | info@modulnova.hk www.modulnova.hk

3741 2095

info@modulnova.hk www.modulnova.hk Opus Design 2121 1497 | info@opusdesign.com.hk www.opusdesign.com.hk

Pets Central Sai Kung 2792 0833 | saikung@pets-central.com www.pets-central.com Pets Central Tseung Kwan O 2244 6684 | tseungkwano@pets-central.com www.pets-central.com

Professional Services

Patio Mart 2555 8988 | lpatio@kh-group.com www.patiomart.com.hk

AFSCO Electric Fences 2880 0417 | afscohk@sprintlocks.com www.sprintlocks.com

Sai Kung Lifestyle 5990 2588 | saikunglifestyle@gmail.com thiackery.com

Biocycle 3575 2575 | info@biocycle.hk www.biocycle.com.hk

Hotels & Private Clubs Hebe Haven Yatch Club 2719 9682 www.hhyc.org.hk

International Schools German Swiss International School (GSIS) 2849 6216 | gsis@gsis.edu.hk www.gsis.edu.hk

Parties & Entertainment Easy Peasy Ltd 2468 3749 | kathryn@easypeasyservices.com www.easypeasyservices.com Eezy Peezy Parties 2580 2530 | info@eezypeezyparties.com www.eezypeezyparties.com The Phantom of the Opera 8203 0299 www.hkticketing.com Rumple and Friends info@rumpleandfriends.com www.rumpleandfriends.com

Pets & Vets Animal Behaviour Vet Practice 9618 2475 | smillie.cynthia@gmail.com www.petbehaviourhk.com

Bold and Beautiful Photography Harri: 6449 6240 | harrietpollard@me.com James: 6319 1196 | jleacock@me.com www.boldandbeautiful.photography Carpet Washing - Mr Iqbal 9018 0897 | iqbalhk@me.com Crown Relocations 2636 8388 | hongkong@crownrelo.com www.crownrelo.com Expert-Transport & Relocations 2566 4799 | contact@expertmover.hk www.expertmover.hk Infinity Financial Solutions Ltd. 2815 5828 | hongkong@infinitysolutions.com infinitysolutions.com Life’s A Breeze Ltd 2572 4000 | info@lifesabreezehk.com www.lifesabreezehk.com Marco the Contractor 6190 8051 Monex Boom Securities (H.K.) Ltd 2255 8888 | service@boomhq.com www.boom.com

Real-Estate Century 21 Goodwin Property Consultants Ltd 2799 9719 | saikung@century21-goodwin.com www.century21-goodwin.com IP Global Ltd 3965 9300 | info@ipglobal-ltd.com www.ipglobal-ltd.com

OKAY.com 2102 0888 | support@okay.com www.okay.com Sothebys International Realty 3108 2108 www.hksothebysrealty.com/en Wheelock Properties (HK) Limited 2118 2000 www.theparkside.com.hk

Sports & Fitness Escapade Sports 2891 1855 (Causeway Bay) | 2851 0769 (Central) causeway-bay@escapade.com.hk (Causeway Bay) central@escapade.com.hk (Central) www.escapade.com.hk Everfine Membership Services Limited 2174 7880 | enquiry@evergolf.com.hk www.evergolf.com.hk Grandslam Sports Ltd. 9161 7094 Hong Kong Deep Sea Fishing Charters Ltd 8192 7092 | info@hongkongdeepseafishing.com.hk www.thailadysportfishing.com Hong Kong International Tennis Academy 9048 2810 | lea.lai@hkita.com www.hkita.com ​

Ferndale Kennels and Cattery 2792 4642 | boarding@ferndalekennels.com www.ferndalekennels.com

Onsite Computer and Internet Services Company 2397 6418 | enquiry@microtechhk.com www.microtechhk.com

YOLOFOREVER 9130 7006 | zumbayana@gmail.com www.yoloforever.com

Homevet 9860 5522 | pets@homevet.com.hk www.homevet.com.hk

Professional Wills Limited 2561 9031 | enquiry@profwills.com www.profwills.com

Concorde Travel 2526 3391 | info@concorde-travel.com | www. concorde-travel.com

travel

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