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March 2017
A fishy business Keeping our waters trash-free
Waltzing with Matilda
Birthday celebrations for the Peak hospital
Plus
Health & Wellness - new section Travel - surf’s up in Byron Bay Schools - new principals under the spotlight Dining - the best eats in Wong Chuk Hang
And great giveaways!
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CONTENTs 2
Editor’s letter
48
Principal’s office
Best foot forward.
With DC’s headmaster.
52
Life & style news
4 Contributors Meet the team. 6
ISSUE 035
All the latest news for stylish Hong Kongers.
School photos
54
Life & style
Inside my home, with expat Tina Atkinson.
62
Health & wellness
Brand new section for spring.
12 News
66
Food news
Pizza at Ciao Chow plus new openings.
Educational fun and frolics from across Hong Kong.
8
What’s on
It’s all about the art this month, plus catch up with Mum about Town.
Goings on this month.
16 Giveaways Loads of free stuff.
12
68 Dining
22
Wandering Wong Chuk Hang.
18
Debate of the month
Tech and tots - what’s the answer?
72 Travel
20
Book review
Hippies and happiness on Australia’s east coast.
Author interviews and new releases.
22
My Hong Kong
80
Flailing spouse
Don’t look back in anger.
Scouting out new adventures with Tara Smyth.
24
The big interview
The Matilda International Hospital turns 110.
28
Cover story
26 39
64
The environment - are we doing enough?
38
School news
A round-up of what’s been happening.
44
Open day
A warm welcome from ESF Discovery College.
Scan and visit our website expat-parent.com
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editor’s message who’s in charge? Publisher Tom Hilditch tom@fastmedia.com.hk
Editorial editorial@fastmedia.com.hk Editor-in-Chief Shreena Patel
Editor Carolynne Dear
Contributing Editor Callum Wiggins
Contributing editor Annie Wong
Senior Staff Writer Eric Ho
Design cindy@fastmedia.com.hk
W
ith fake news and the accountability of the media very much in the headlines, it seems like a good opportunity to explain Expat Parent’s position in the churning waters of print publishing. I have worked across many free-of-charge, pick-upand-go magazines during my career, and I’m happy to say that I have also been blessed to have worked under publishers who have always valued editorial integrity. Which means, in basic terms, dear reader, that you are at the forefront of everything we editorial people do. You are the star around which we orbit, the reason we write, and the reason Expat Parent is a viable magazine. Without you, we would be nothing. Now that’s not to say advertisers aren’t important too - of course we wouldn’t survive without them and we are very glad when organisations and businesses choose to support us and what we’re trying to achieve. But we never guarantee editorial coverage and we are proud to say that the stories on these pages have been selected on their own merit - i.e. we think you would be interested to read them. They are all written independently by professional journalists, either in-house or from our experienced freelance team. And if our writers choose to express an opinion, good or bad, that is their own personal impression. If a page is paid for, it is clearly marked with the tab “Sponsored feature” to ensure there is no confusion. Sometimes we accept a brunch or a lunch to facilitate a food story, but the ensuing review is the opinion of the writer. So enjoy this issue, we’ve worked hard to fill these pages, and we hope to count on your on-going support. PS If there is a venue you would like to see distributing Expat Parent, please let us know! editorial@fastmedia.com.hk And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @expatparenthk
Graphic Designer Anna Schulteisz
Sales & Marketing ads@fastmedia.com.hk Sales Director Oliver Simons
Sales and Marketing Executive Maria Jones
Sales and Marketing Executive Egbert Cheung
Sales and Marketing Executive Bonnie Li
Digital Marketing PA to the Publisher charmaine@fastmedia.com.hk amanda@fastmedia.com.hk Digital Marketing Manager Charmaine Mirandilla
Office Security
PA to the Publisher Amanda Chia
Peace Keepers
Cat the dog
Fish & Chips
Contact us Admin: 3568 3722 | Editorial: 2776 2773 | Advertising: 2776 2772
about the cover
Published by Fast Media Ltd, L1 Kai Wong Commercial Building, 222 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong
Our beautiful cover illustration is a watercolour of Aberdeen Harbour by local artist, Assia Bennani. Bennani grew up in Morocco and at age 18, she moved to Paris to study interior design. She started her own company in 2006, and after arriving in Hong Kong with her husband in 2008, she expanded her work scope to include a variety of media, from mural wall painting, illustrations, furniture design and original crafts. Her illustrations are features in a new book, Hong Kong A to Z. For a full interview, see page 21. Have a look at more of her work at www.marguerite-gribouilli.com.
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Design Manager Cindy Suen
Printer Apex Print Limited, 11-13 Dai Kwai Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Po, Hong Kong
www.fastmedia.com.hk Expat Parent is published by Fast Media Limited. 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. Expat Parent 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 without written permission from the publisher.
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contributors
Adele Brunner
Elaine Yeoh
Rebecca Simpson...
...put together this month’s Life & style. Showcasing all the latest in home news, the section takes a look at up-coming events, new products, new launches and family events. Adele is a regular design contributor to the South China Morning Post and is a past-editor of Expat Parent. When she’s not writing, she’s a busy mum and unpaid taxi driver to three sportloving children.
… reviews the best in new apps for busy expat parents and how they can improve your life. Yeoh is originally from Singapore but has been loving life in Hong Kong for the past ten years. She is co-founder of Simply Fabulicious, an online food, travel and family ezine. Check out her blog at simplyfabulicious.wordpress.com and facebook.com/SimplyFabulicious.
...visited the ESF Discovery College for this month’s Open Day. Rebecca grew up in Australia but now calls Hong Kong home. She used to be delighted spending her time flying around the region getting paid to chat and write. But with the arrival of her two daughters, Rebecca now works from the family’s floating home on Lantau, writing and living a new dream.
Want to write for Expat Parent Magazine? Contact editorial@fastmedia.com.hk
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school photos ESF Peak School
Students had lots of fun with traditional Chinese dragons as the school rang in the new year - it’s all about the rooster!
Christian Alliance PC Lau Memorial School
Teachers and pupils presented a bright and varied musical repertoire - from hymns to Chinese songs of celebration - at the Upper Primary concert. 6 expat-parent.com
school photos French International School
The Fete de Sciences 2017 (Science Fair 2017) held at the school’s Wan Chai campus was a huge success.
Canadian International School
Students at CDNIS celebrated Chinese New Year in style - Kung Hei Fat Choi!
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what’s on
Community ties at South Island Art Day, March 23.
UNTIL MAR 18 Hong Kong Arts Festival The 45th Hong Kong Arts Festival will showcase over 150 performances and over 250 special activities. Visit www.hk.artsfestival.org for more information.
MAR 4
invited to participate in interactive careers workshops with women who currently work in the maritime industries. An evening lecture, “Women at Sea: Conversation with Women Seafarers”, is open to the public Contact education@hkmaritimemuseum.org and www.internationalwomensday.com.
St David’s Society of Hong Kong Annual Ball With entertainment from the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir, plus a live auction and band. This is a black tie event. $1,600, 7pm-1am, The Conrad, Pacific Place, tickets from gareth.thomas@hsf.com.
MAR 11
MAR 4-17
MAR 6-17
Science Alive 2017 To encourage students’ participation in STEM education, Science Alive returns to Hong Kong with over 50 educational activities and workshops. The festival explores a range of topics including the earth, energy, dinosaurs, and more. Hong Kong Science Museum, www.britishcouncil.hk.
Hong Kong International Young Readers Festival Encourage children to discover the joy of reading with a series of workshops, readings and even a chance to meet some of their favourite authors. See page 60 or www.youngreadersfestival.org.hk for details.
MAR 8
St Patrick’s Society Annual Ball Enjoy the craic at this black tie or national dress event to celebrate the Feast of
International Women’s Day Secondary schools across Hong Kong are 8 expat-parent.com
The Repulse Bay Wellness 360 Fair Health, fitness and wellness vendors, plus arts & crafts and activities for children. Free, 11am-6pm, 109 Repulse Bay Road, Repulse Bay.
MAR 11
St Patrick (March 17). $1,900/member, $2,200/non-member, 7pm-1am, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, stpatshk@gmail.com.
MAR 16-19 Taste of Hong Kong A food lover’s paradise. Sample signature dishes from some of Hong Kong’s top restaurants and artisan producers at the festival. Central Harbourfront, www.hongkong.tastefestivals.com.
MAR 17-20 5 Star Fitness Retreat From boot camp to Thai boxing, yoga to TRX, bust a move at this retreat on beautiful Koh Samui. Contact 9512 2117, www.5starfitnessretreat.com.
MAR 21-25 Art Central Taking place on the Central Harbourfront, Art Central includes mixed-media art, including experimental performances, textile works and street art. Early bird tickets start at $275. Central Harbourfront, 9 Lung Wo Road, Central, www.artcentralhongkong.com.
tell me more MAR 17-20 The Asia Contemporary Art Show Tenth edition of this popular show which kicks off Art Week. Showcasing thousands of pieces from emerging and established regional artists in hotel rooms. Two-for-one tickets $220, Conrad Hong Kong, Pacific Place, www.asiacontemporaryart.com.
MUM about town
MAR 23 South Island Art Day Galleries and studios in the South Island Cultural District open their doors for the day. Special events include HKwalls and a full art talk program organized by the Art World Forum. Free, 10am-2pm, www.sicd.com.hk.
MAR 23-25 Art Basel Hundreds of exhibitors and cultural events as the city’s biggest art fair returns. Ticket prices start from $180. Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, www.artbasel.com.
MAR 25 Earth Hour Sign up and do your bit for the environment. Schools across Hong Kong will be getting involved. Check out www.earthhour.org and join the movement.
MAR 26 Mother’s Day (UK) Don’t forget, Brits!
MAR 26 Children’s Bookfest at The Repulse Bay Fun and book-related activities for younger book lovers. Enjoy storytelling sessions, arts & crafts, meetings and signings with authors, appearances by popular children’s book characters, an outdoor library, treasure hunt and prizes. Free, 11am5pm, The Palm Court, The Marquee and The Seaview Terrace, 109 Repulse Bay Road, email enquiries@bookazine. com.hk of see www.facebook.com/ bookfestbybookazine.
MAR 29 Shopping Hong Kong Spring Event Featuring new Spring Family fun at Children’s Bookfest, March 26. Collections from vendors in every department including women’s, children, men, home accessories, jewellery and more. Free, 10am-6pm, Vista Ballroom, The American Club, Tai Tam, shoppinghongkong@gmail.com.
Mums@play (l to r) Niyati Sheth Kapadia, Dhara Sheth, Mehroo Turel and Ira Seth.
Spring shopping I was delighted to hear Mums@play will be holding its third event on March 3, an enterprising bazaar and lunch at yummy El Charro Mexican restaurant in Cyberport. “This is an event “for the mums, by the mums”,” explains founder Mehroo Turel. “We run the bazaar with a select group of close-knit passionate mum-vendors, with the added social aspect of networking with guests and interacting over coffee and lunch.” The event runs 11am to 5pm, entrance is free and shoppers can expect to browse hand-painted bags and tees, pashmina shawls from India, personalised stationery, wooden toys, hand-crafted jewellery, kaftans and summer dresses and more. See www.mumsatplay.com or see you there! Art matters I was pleased to hear local watercolour artist Katie Graham will be holding an exhibition. Her work depicts the magnificent wildlife of Africa and reflects her strong feelings about conservation. “Living in Hong Kong has given me more exposure to Chinese art and the magic of spontaneous watercolour painting. I find the light here inspiring - it can be magical, or it can be stifling. The contrast means I never take glowing mornings or soft evenings for granted.” A selection of her paintings will be on show from March 9 in association with The Elephant Society and Elementz Travel. “At this rate, elephants will be extinct within a decade. We are collaborating to promote awareness of Hong Kong’s critical position within the illegal ivory trade and encourage people not to buy these products,” she says. African Spirit is being held 6.30-8.30pm, March 9, Cat Street Gallery, 50 Tung Street, Sheung Wan.
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BOOK NOW APR 7-9 Rugby 7s Three days of beer, singing, dodgy dancing, fancy dress and not to forget the world-class rugby. Tickets are on sale for the city’s biggest sporting event, starting at $350-750 each and can be purchased
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at www.viagogo.com. Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, hksevens.com
APR 12-16 2017 UCI Track Cycling World Championships The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Track Cycling World Cup
will be held in Hong Kong is back this year at the Tseung Kwan O Velodrome. Don’t miss the top riders from around the world battle it out for Olympic qualification points. Hong Kong Velodrome, 105-107 Ho Pong Road, Tseung Kwan O, www.trackworldcup.hk
MAY 27 Russell Howard UK funny man Russell Howard brings his ‘Round The World’ global comedy tour to Hong Kong. Tickets $488-$888 from hkticketing.com or call 3128 8288.
expat-parent.com 11
news
Rich pickings Hong Kong is a Plan B escape, not a Plan A, according to the InterNations Expat Insider 2016 Survey. Over 14,000 expatriates representing 174 nationalities and living in 191 countries or territories were asked to rate various aspects of expat life, including ease of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, family life, personal finance and cost of living.
Malta, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong’s rival Asian city Singapore all rated in the top five as “Plan A” destinations. Hong Kong fell from favour for mainly financial reasons. Seventy-two per cent of respondents ranked cost of living as a reason for staying away, while 53% of residents already in Hong Kong admitted this had been a concern before making the move. A whopping 90% rated
Celebrating “conscious couture” The American Women’s Association (AWA) will be hosting an eco fashion show, presenting the more ethical side of the clothing industry. The Conscious Couture Fashion Show supports designers who are making a shift towards a more informed way of consuming art and encouraging their customers to do the same. Designers for the show were selected based on how each garment was made, with a focus on sustainable manufacturing processes and materials; whether the item was made using recycled fibres, natural dyes or sustainable organic materials; whether a portion of the proceeds goes to charity; and if the manufacturing process provides a living wage for the factory workers. Highlights include handbags and textiles made from vintage textiles; traditional Chinese favourites - including the qipao dress and wrap blouses - made from upcycled materials; jewellery handcrafted in Cambodia; cocktail dresses embroidered in India; and 12 expat-parent.com
Refashioned fabrics from designer Janko Lam.
custom-made footwear. Conscious Couture will be held 6.30-10pm, April 26, American Club Tai Tam, $1,000, 2527 2961, www.awa.org.hk. It is hoped $1 million will be raised for local charities.
housing affordability negatively, and 57% gave quality of the environment a “poor” rating. Hong Kong ranked alongside South Africa as a “plan B” escape, South Africa scoring poorly for personal safety and political stability. InterNations is the largest global network and information site for people who live and work abroad, www.internations.org.
“Boring” sciences put girls at disadvantage Gender stereotyping persists among Hong Kong’s girls, according to a study led by The Women’s Foundation (TWF). It found that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) are still considered “boys” subjects. TWF is now calling for a concerted approach by government, policy-makers, educators, businesses and parents to address gender stereotypes and barriers. The study found that with the exception of biology, many girls find STEM subjects dull and describe them as characterised by dry concepts, mechanical exercises with an emphasis on individual performance rather than group projects. It also discovered that family plays a significant part in shaping girls’ decisions to pursue STEM subjects, and that girls at singlesex schools are more confident in their abilities than those at co-ed institutions. For more details about the report and its recommendations, see www.twfhk.org.
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admissions@sais.edu.hk +852 2500 8688 www.sais.edu.hk *Stamford American School Hong Kong will apply to the International Baccalaureate for program candidacy in December 2017.
news
Dad’s the word Hong Kong is a busy place and it’s not always easy to squeeze in quality time with children. But according to child psychologist John Shanahan, a father’s connection to his children, especially straight after birth and during the first few years of life, has a significant impact on their development. In fact, research shows that children of highly involved fathers achieve far better than their peers by their first birthday, and consistently show higher IQs. Close fatherchild connection at age seven is linked to better exam performance at age 16. Shanahan will be leading a talk hosted by Woodland Preschools highlighting the importance of fathers attaching to their young and explaining how busy dads can make this happen. He will also be looking at co-parenting, and, music to the ears of many hardworking mums, practical ways in which dads can support the other parent. Shanahan specialises in the psychology of children and adolescents and is director of
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Male role models are important for young children.
Central Health Partners Child Development Team. He is also president of the Psychotherapy Society of Hong Kong. Fatherhood will be held from 6.30-8pm,
March 8, Woodland Montessori Academy, 3/F, On Fung Building, 110-118 Caine Road, www.woodlandschools.com.
news
Suit up Women In Finance Asia (WiFA) are asking for donations of old suits as part of its campaign Suits For Success. Once collected, the garments are “repurposed” for great causes. Not only is this a philanthropic gesture, it’s also an environmental one. This year WiFA is hoping to help underprivileged youths attending internships or interviews; young people upcycling donations to supplement family income; and asylum seekers and refugees attending workshops or returning home. The collection runs from March 1-9 with drop-offs at Pure Yoga & Fitness centres (www.pure-yoga.com). To kick off the event, there will be a free networking breakfast at 8:30 on March 1 at Eaton House, 5/F, Champion Tower, 3. Garden Road, Central. For more infomation see www.facebook.com/S4SHK or www.asifma.org
In brief… ...Hong Kong charity Kids4Kids is hoping to fill their 30 community centre bookshelves with books gifted by Hong Kongers. A copy of Treasury, a collection of stories written by children, for children, will be delivered with a personal message from the doner to the community centre of your choosing. The charity’s Buddy Reading Programme involves over 250 volunteers a week sharing their love of reading with underprivileged kids aged four to ten years. If you would like to donate a book, contact Danielle Stutterd at danielle@kids4kids.org.hk or see www.kids4kids.org.hk. ...To celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, Bookazine has put together an engrossing stack of books applauding the lives and achievements of women around the world. The chain of book shops invites customers to come along and find out about
a group of extraordinary ladies who changed the world. The ten books have been curated by Bookazine directors and to continue helping Hong Kong women, the store will donate 10% of sales of these books until March 8 to local charity HER Fund, a group that invests in empowering women and girls to create change in communities for gender equality. Bookazine stores are located throughout Hong Kong, www.bookazine.com.hk. ...Baby Cortex has launched new app Math Run: Quiz Game. It’s an educational mobile app from the makers of Math Run. Math Run: Quiz Game combines reflex building action of an endless running game with the mental exercise of maths problems. A glossy game packed with cute and colourful characters and a sciencey edge? We like it. Download from the App Store or Google Play.
expat-parent.com 15
giveaways WIN HERE! Click the Giveaways tab on our website: www.expat-parent.com
Nude by Nature
Bookazine
The Optimist
F45
Australia’s #1 mineral makeup brand, Nude by Nature, has officially arrived in Hong Kong. The brand prides itself on being natural, 100% cruelty-free, and PETA-certified — best of all, it contains natural Australian ingredients that are great for your skin. We’re giving away a selection of products (highlight stick, eyeshadow trio, setting powder, BB cream and contour brush) worth $1,060 to one lucky winner. Deadline: March 30
Enjoy a Spanish brunch fit for a king (and his kingdom!) at The Optimist. Each brunch-goer gets to enjoy their cold buffet, a selection of shared starters, one delicious main, and a dessert from the chef’s selection. One lucky reader will win a $1,000 brunch voucher for two to feast splendidly. Deadline: March 30
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In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Bookazine has compiled a list of ten inspiring books that highlight the lives and achievements of women from all over the world. The list includes Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, I Am Malala by Taliban shooting victim Malala Yousafzai, and The Female Lead: Women Who Shape Our World by Edwina Dunn. Ten percent of sales made from this list until March 8th will be donated to local women’s charity HER Fund. We have two copies of The Female Lead, containing stories and portraits of 60 inspirational women, to give away. Deadline: March 30
F45 is the newest fitness sensation to take Hong Kong by storm, with three studios launched on Hong Kong Island within a year. Originally from Australia, the functional training program consists of daily 45-minute long team training workouts. Rotating sixteen different exercise programs, 2500 moves, and various interval timings ensures that no workout at F45 is ever the same. Two lucky readers get a two-week pass to F45 Sheung Wan and Wan Chai.
Treasure Island
Give a child an Easter break to remember by enrolling them in Treasure Island’s Spring Adventure Camp. Set on picturesque Pui O Beach, the week-long day camps including outdoor activities like kayaking, bike tours and hiking! Children aged eight to 15 are welcome; one lucky child gets a free spot from us worth $4,300. Deadline: March 15
Deadline: March 30
expat-parent.com 17
debate of the month
Digital demons The thorny issue of tech is challenging parents all over the territory.
@
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“Limit screen time for young children. The more research that comes out, the more I want to ban it outright.” - Jane
“Kids connect over computer games - banning it made our twelve year old miserable, so we allow two hours per day on weekends. He’s been pretty reasonable, bearing in mind some of his friends are gaming from the moment they drop their schoolbags at home.” - Ekta
Fight it every inch! - Rachel
+
“It’s a challenge, and I think a balance needs to be struck. For better or for worse, we need to understand that this is how teenagers stay connected.” - Charlotte
I’ve given up, let them eat cake. - Jo
“I don’t think you can fight it. Their whole lives revolve around being connected to tech.” - Florence
“Depends on the age. My little ones get no screen time and the five year old gets to watch TV for two hours a week. My 11 year old is allowed to use his laptop after homework for up to an hour a day.” - Jessica “Limited screen time for my boys. Mom and dad are in charge - as long as we are paying for their wifi, data plans and gadgets!” - Manju
“In my day it was too much telly. I don’t know, it seems there’s always something they’re going to challenge you with.” - Upasna
“xx” xx
We want to hear from you! Next month: Rugby Sevens - keeping teens on the straight and narrow. What’s your plan? Email your views to editorial@fastmedia.com.hk or go to www.expat-parent.com 18 expat-parent.com
Lam Tin Campus
Tin Wan Campus
Nursery, Reception & Year 1,2 & 3
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book review
Out this month Marvellous reads for March
Traveling With Ghosts Shannon Leone Fowler, Weidenfeld & Nicholson In 2002 Fowler was backpacking with fiance Sean in Thailand. But on Koh Pha Ngan, their last stop before heading home, Sean was tragically killed by a box jellyfish. Untethered and alone, Fowler sets out on a journey to make sense of her loss, from the silence of Auschwitz, to soul-searching in Israel, and creativity in Sarajevo. A moving memoir and personal account of coming to terms with grief.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
Three Daughters of Eve
The Women in the Castle
Elif Shafak, Penguin
Jessica Shattuck, William Morrow
Peri, a wealthy Turkish housewife, is on her way to a dinner party in Istanbul when a beggar snatches her purse. In the ensuing struggle, an old photograph falls out - it’s a picture of a professor and three girls, a past love that Peri has tried hard to forget. It takes her back to Oxford university, her dazzling but rebellious professor, her two best friends - and the scandal that tore them apart.
Amid the ashes and chaos of Nazi Germany’s defeat, widow Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once-grand castle of her husband’s ancestors. A resistor, he was murdered in a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. Marianne intends to uphold her promise to him that she will find and protect the wives of his fellow conspirators. A fresh perspective on one of the most tumultuous periods of history.
Lisa See, Scribner The latest novel from best-selling author Lisa See explores the lives of a Chinese mother and her daughter who is adopted by an American couple from California. Li-yan lives in a remote tea-growing village in Yunnan province, and when she has a baby outside of wedlock, she abandons it in the nearest city, wrapped up and with a tea cake hidden in the blanket. Years later, both women attempt to seek each other out.
A feast of folk tales
Local author Jane Houng has put a modern spin on traditional tales. So what’s the book all about? Pun Choi is a selection of Chinese folk and fairy tales retold in contemporary settings. Why that particular title? Well, the stories are a bit of a hotchpotch, like the famous Hakka dish that is commonly served over the Chinese New Year period (Pun Choi, or Poon Choi, literally translates as “big bowl feast”). I chose a collection of thirty from hundreds of traditional tales, many of which are unfamiliar even to Chinese people because of the political history of Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China. What prompted you to write it? Chinese folk and fairy tales are as rich and creative as Western ones, but relatively unknown. Retellings are few and far between.
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How long have you been writing? I’ve always written both for adults and children but I quit paid work to write full-time seven years ago. Why? Because it had always been my dream to write for children. What’s the most memorable book you have ever read? I’m going to answer that question from the perspective of my childhood - The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton, and Uncle Peter’s Russian Tales retold by Arthur Ransome. What’s on your nightstand right now? The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. Do you have any plans for another book? Oh yes, I’m working on a handful right now biographies of historical movers and shakers in Hong Kong (for children), a picture book
biography of an inspiring young Hong flyweight boxer called Rex Tso, an adult novella, and some love poetry. Where can readers buy Pun Choi? Any Commercial Press bookshop in Hong Kong, I am led to believe. Commercial Press can be contacted via www.cp1897.com. hk, flagship store is at Miramar Shopping Centre, 118 Nathan Road, TST.
book review
Baby steps around Hong Kong
Hong Kong from A to Z takes us on a colourful tour of the territory. Writer Ellen Ng and illustrator Assia Bennani explain what inspired them. scenes such as hot steaming egg tarts for my afternoon snack. With my own daughter, we enjoy going to Quarry Bay dog park, Hong Kong Park and the Zoological and Botanical Gardens - Emma is a bit of an animal lover. For myself, I love the diversity of Hong Kong. I returned from Sydney in 2005 and have since met so many interesting people with different backgrounds. I like that one moment I can be in the hustle and bustle of the city, and the next relaxing on a junk heading to the outlying islands, or visiting the Big Buddha. Assia and I are working on extending the book into a collection of Hong Kong inspired gifts, using her beautiful illustrations. I’m also working on new collections for brands such as Stuck on You and Seedling. But my lifelong project is Emma - she’s growing up too fast!”
Ellen Ng… “My daughter Emma was born in Hong Kong and when she was a few months old, my husband and I started taking her to different places. I loved her curiosity and her sense of wonder and I really wanted to capture those emotions. The young girl’s name in the book, “Ayma”, was created using Assia’s son’s name Aydan, and my daughter’s name, Emma. I wanted the story to be an adventure around Hong Kong, and every adventure is better with a buddy, so I also created Romer, a frog searching for his home. This particular frog is very important to Hong Kong, in fact it can only be found here. The name Romer is based on its common name, Romer’s tree frog, and it’s an endangered species. The story opens with Romer lost and searching for his home and identity - which in a way is like many kids in Hong Kong searching for their own identity as they grow up in this dynamic city. The story ends well at Z - you’ll have to read it! I found the words representing the Hong Kong cultures more challenging to make the story flow, like M for Mahjong. But I deliberately chose these words to let children learn about the culture of Hong Kong, not just the places. I grew up here, and I vividly remember
Assia Bennani… “Ellen and I worked very closely. We bounced a lot of ideas off each other - that’s what makes a project interesting. I started with watercolour sketches without necessarily thinking about the final layout or integrating with the text. These sketches were then scanned and reworked on computer by adding vector graphics - such as the backgrounds - using various colour tones or dots, which
have become one of my signature styles. I like mixing a lot of techniques. Each illustration took around three to four days. Some drawings are very faithful to reality, such as street scenes like Queens Road and Upper Lascar Row Street (also known as Cat Street) - I think my training as an architect took over. As I was pregnant during the project, I worked mainly from photos. Other images are more fanciful, like the dragon and the egg tarts. I’m not good with words, I express myself through drawings and colour. I really enjoy working across different media - from illustrations, to furniture design, to mural painting - although mural painting is not so easy when you’re expecting a baby. My first inspiration as a child was my mum. She was an artist who never had the chance to make a living out of it. I admire her paintings very much. Later on I discovered our family art library - the works of Matisse, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Sonia Delaunay, Basquiat, the drawings of Toulouse Lautrec, Egon Schiele and many others. Since coming to Asia my style has definitely changed. I grew up in Morocco so everything here is very different. I wasn’t a big reader as a child. Maybe children’s books weren’t common in Morocco or were expensive at the time. I remember my parents reading me the traditional tales of Perrault, but I always found them to be very cruel - parents abandoning kids in the forest and wolves eating baby goats. Current projects include working as a creative director for Petit Bazaar and murals for some residential projects in Hong Kong. And I may have another book project in the pipeline - stay tuned!” Hong Kong from A to Z is available from Bookazine stores. expat-parent.com 21
PEOPLE
My Hong Kong the scout leader
Out and about with the scouts.
Mum, adventurer and passionate hiker Tara Smyth arrived in Hong Kong on a one-way ticket in 1994. She tells Carolynne Dear why she stayed. I arrived in Hong Kong from the UK with a close friend and a backpack 23 years ago. My friend and I had met at secretarial college in Oxford a few years earlier and we heard that English-speaking secretaries were well sought after in Hong Kong. I originally thought I’d give it six months to a year, audio-typing for some fancy pants lawyer. I remember getting to the end of the year and thinking, “That’s it, I’m never going back!” When we first arrived we lived in a teenytiny 450 sq.ft. flat on the 19th floor of a high-rise in what is now SoHo. Back then, there were no bars or restaurants around those streets. Lan Kwai Fong was our nearest stomping ground.
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I met my husband, Pete, in Lan Kwai Fong, 21 years ago - he was serving with the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers in the British Army. He was my officer and my gentleman! We married in 2000 and went on to have Megan, now 13 and Anna, now 11. Our two girls are like chalk and cheese and they keep us on our toes as they enter teen-hood in this digital age. We also have our dog, Foxy Loxy, who is the most cuddled, kissed and highly revered member of the family. When my husband and I had our first baby in 2003, we moved to Happy Valley as we were led to believe it was like living in a “village”. I didn’t really enjoy our two years there, the high-rises and busy main road running through it did not feel desperately village-like. I was secretly hankering after a
Tara Smyth with faithful hiking companion, Foxy Loxy.
PEOPLE house with a garden in leafy Sai Kung. When I was pregnant with our second baby we finally moved and have been in the same house with views of the bay below us for 12 years. Where do I start describing how much I love Hong Kong? I love the serenity of the mountains, the beauty of the white-sand beaches, the craziness of the streets in Kowloon and the eclectic mix of bars and restaurants on every corner. I love the junk trips and the champagne brunches. And I love how safe it is for my children to grow up here. Above all, I love, love, love the hiking. It is my biggest passion and Hong Kong has miles and miles and miles of stunning trails, both on the map and off. Some things do drive me nuts here - the unnecessary packaging in supermarkets, the plastic that washes up on our beaches, the pollution and the seeming lack of forethought when it comes to construction and development. My most treasured Hong Kong memory is crossing the finishing line of Oxfam Trailwalker in 2011, having hiked 100km in the mountains, all in one go. My teammates and myself all had our husbands and children at the finish line waiting for us to come in. That moment when our eight children spotted us and came running with their arms open wide, squealing with delight at the sight of us - it brings a tear to my eye every time I think about it. My proudest Hong Kong moment was opening the 299th East Kowloon Scout Troop in Sai Kung. The town has had a Beaver Colony and a Cub Pack for many, many years but there has been no Scout Troop
to my knowledge for some time, if ever. Once my own kids had moved through Beavers and Cubs and had nowhere else to go, I decided it was high time they had a Scout Troop to move up to. We are in our second year and every meeting, hike and camp that we do makes me proud. Of me. And of them. My favourite thing to do in Hong Kong without a shadow of a doubt is hiking. Hiking, hiking, hiking. Alone. With friends. But always with Foxy Loxy. My favourite type of hiking is to leave the Maclehose and Wilson Trails behind and hit the “streamer” trails that can be found all over Hong Kong. Some are easier than others. Some can be quite overgrown and you return scratched to pieces. They can lead you to the most magnificent places and you will hardly ever see another soul all day. Finding new streamer trails and not having a clue where they are going to take you, especially ones that are not even on the map, is a great adventure. I recce them before deciding if they are suitable for my Scouts or not. It is wise to go on a recce with a friend, but occasionally I venture out on my own and the adrenaline starts to buzz the deeper into the jungle I go! As a family, when we’re not Scouting, we like to go camping. We do not use tents, we each have our own special camping hammocks and all we need is a few trees and a stream nearby for cooking. We also love to go stream-trekking, where you literally find a stream, get in it and head up! We swim in the pools, jump off rocks and bathe under gushing waterfalls. Stream-trekking does not come without risk or danger and I do not recommend it to the uninitiated. Again, I recce them with my family on the weekends to see if they are suitable for our Scouts.
My Scout troup meets every two weeks at the Scout Centre in Pak Sha Wan. Our hall meetings have seen us get up to many things, from putting up tents blindfolded to learning how to tie a bowline around your waist with one arm - in case you are ever stuck down a well and you lost an arm on the way! We work towards activity badges that include anything from Backwoods Cooking and Camping to Photography and Meteorology. This term we are working on the Animal Care Badge and a local vet, as well as one of the dog rescue charities, will be coming to visit us. Outside of the hall on the weekends we hike in the bush, camp in the jungle, cook in the wild, go stream trekking, swim in rock pool and hire bikes. In the future we plan to windsurf, kayak and rock climb. The Scouts not only learn to ‘survive’ in the ‘wild’, but also learn to be caring and considerate citizens who are prepared for anything. Scouts promise to be courageous in all difficulties and they learn to overcome fears, take risks and manage situations that don’t always go as planned. Last year we went to the Lake District in the UK for our very first Overseas Expedition. I intend to organise an expedition every year and this Easter we’ll be going to Nepal for eight days. We will be paddling, canyoning, camping and of course, trekking. We intend to visit a friend of mine, Douglas Maclagan, who set up the Child Welfare Scheme (CWS) in 1997 after a life-changing experience on a trip to Nepal. The charity is registered in Hong Kong but Douglas now lives in Pokhara full-time and is their ‘man on the ground’. CWS tirelessly provides protection, education, healthcare and opportunities to disadvantaged children and their families. If you’re interested in joining the scouts contact dcstco@scout.org.hk.
Over the next few weeks the 299th E.K. Scouts and leaders will be training in the hills of Hong Kong, hiking 50km over three separate hikes. We are asking people to sponsor the troop and all the money will go directly to Child Welfare Scheme, or donate to our Just Giving page www.justgiving. com/fundraising/299Scouts Enjoying Hong Kong’s secret water holes.
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THE big interview
Baby boom
The Matilda International Hospital celebrates its 110th birthday this year. Carolynne Dear caught up with chief executive officer Linda Burgoyne.
The Matilda International Hospital, a fine location to begin life.
T
he gloriously sugar-pink Matilda International Hospital has seen thousands of Hong Kong babies issue forth from its world-famous maternity unit over the years. It sits proudly atop Victoria Peak, surveying great swathes of rolling forest, Aberdeen harbour and the white-peaked, container ship-dotted Lamma Channel below. A fine location indeed for a baby to arrive into the world. But its elegant rooms and sunlit corridors conceal a less than picture-perfect history. This year the hospital celebrates its 110th anniversary, which leant a fabulous opportunity to catch up with current CEO Linda Burgoyne and find out a little more about the hospital’s tumultuous past. Burgoyne began her acquaintance with the Matilda in 1991 as a mid-wife - “I’d come to Hong Kong just for six weeks”. She then left and undertook other work for five years, returning to the hospital in 1996, again, “just for a little 24 expat-parent.com
while”. The rest, as they say, is history. Burgoyne admits to a degree of confusion over the origins of the hospital - “I’ve heard people assume Matilda was Australian. She wasn’t.” The hospital is actually named after the very English Matilda Lincolne Sharp, one of the earliest colonials to settle in Hong Kong and whose husband, Granville, bequeathed sufficient money in his will for a hospital to be built in her name. “Matilda’s story is quite impressive,” enthuses Burgoyne, as we admire the sweeping views over Mount Kellett from her office window. “Given the time period (Matilda arrived in Hong Kong on Christmas Day, 1858, and she died in the territory 37 years later) you would imagine her to be this rather prim Victorian lady - which I’m sure in lots of ways she was - but she actually led a pretty amazing life.” Her story carries all the hallmarks of a Hollywood blockbuster, or a satisfying BBC
The original Matilda Sharp.
costume drama at the very least. Think happy childhood in bucolic rural Georgian England, adventures on the high seas - including shipwreck, marriage and honeymoon in colonial India, and life in Hong Kong in its earliest days under British Crown rule (Hong Kong was established as a Crown colony in 1841
THE big interview
Sunlit corridors for recovering patients.
following the first Anglo-Chinese war, just 17 years before Matilda and Granville landed). And the story of her namesake is no less dramatic, including two world wars, pioneering medical developments, financial ups and downs, and larger than life trustees. Matilda Lincolne was born in the small Suffolk market town of Halesworth in 1829. She enjoyed a simple childhood as one of ten children, and in 1855 met and fell in love with Granville Sharp, an accountant. During their courtship he was posted to the Commercial Bank of India in Bombay and for two years they continued the relationship long-distance. Eventually, in 1858, Matilda set sail from Southampton on board the P&O steamer Malta for a month-long journey to meet and marry her beau. At the time, steamers travelled through the Mediterranean, via Gibraltar and Malta, and on to Alexandria where the passengers continued on foot to Suez - the Suez Canal was still eleven years away from completion. There, Matilda boarded the SS Madras bound for Bombay. Emotions were running high on board as she recorded in her journal - the Indian Mutiny had broken out the previous year, and there were also concerns about tropical diseases which struck swiftly and were often fatal. Happily, Matilda arrived without incident in October 1858 and was married a month later. Within another month, Granville had received a promotion and had been posted to Hong Kong. They set sail again, on the P&O ship Singapore, on December 1, landing in Victoria Harbour on Christmas Day. In her journal, she recalled those early
days: “I came to (our) residence in Hollywood Road… in a Chinese bamboo chair carried by two men, supported by long bamboo rods placed on their shoulders.” Her journal gives a good account of everyday life in Hong Kong at that time, and in some regards the same issues remain discussion points to this day. “Good milk is a great rarity, and, as we fancy cook overcharges, we are going to make an arrangement (with the milk delivery woman)... What would dear father say to the piece of Foochow bacon which adorns our breakfast table? I forget the price but it is enormously dear… It is far cheaper to send for your stores from England.” But the hospital may never have come about following an ill-fated decision by Granville to sail to Tourane (modern-day Da Nang in Vietnam) on board the British steamer, Thebes. Matilda almost decided not to accompany her husband at the last minute, but was persuaded on board by the captain. The first couple of days and nights were rough, with Matilda’s amah confined to the cabin where “she does nothing but vomit”. By the third day it was too rough for Matilda to eat anything or indeed get up from her bunk. On the fourth night, despite the sea finally being smooth and also moonlit, Thebes ran into some rocks with a “fearful crash”. Over the next few days, it slowly slipped beneath the waves as the crew and passengers frantically rowed their belongings ashore. “It was an intensely hot day and as I glanced on the sandy reach of land where our stores were, and where our small tent glistened in the sun, I wondered how long we should be left…
Original 1907 tiles still cover the floors.
until succour came.” In the next paragraph, Matilda reports that suddenly “the savages of Hainan were carrying away everything we had been all the morning transporting to the shore - water, biscuits, pork, beef, soda water - all vanished in a twinkling and we saw them with huge baskets running over the hills.” What ensued was a desperate couple of weeks, with the captain deciding to transport all passengers and crew in the remaining three rowboats to the nearest harbour. Braving stormy seas and the threat of pirates with pitiful supplies, they eventually limped into Hsiao Hai Harbour (today’s Gangbei Gang on Hainan’s east coast). They begged passage on a junk heading to Macau, but due to multiple typhoons, they were stranded in harbour for several days. Eventually they set sail, and ended up back in Hong Kong after the captain of Thebes was forced to take over the Macau-bound junk when its own captain was found to have “smoked himself drunk expat-parent.com 25
THE big interview with opium”. “Though the rain still fell pitilessly, never did Hong Kong look prettier in my eyes, and never was my home so dear to me,” wrote Matilda. The ensuing years in Hong Kong saw Granville rise to prominence in colonial society, accumulating a small fortune in banking, commerce and property dealing. Matilda was very active in works of charity. “They were fairly typical for their time and were prominent members of society,” comments Burgoyne. “Matilda was forward-thinking enough to learn Cantonese and she used to roam the Peak with a pistol in her pocket (there were several incidents of burglary while they lived there). She was quite a lady.” They were one of the earliest group of settlers on the Peak and lived in a bungalow called Homestead at Jardine’s Corner. It was initially intended to site the hospital here, but the location was moved further south towards Mount Kellett at the last minute in deference to the residents living opposite Homestead. Matilda Sharp died in 1893 aged 64 after suffering a chill that developed into pneumonia. Granville died during a trip to England six years later, and his ashes were buried alongside Matilda’s in Happy Valley cemetery. His substantial estate was divided amongst relatives, and he instructed that the residue be used to build and maintain a hospital “to the glory of God and the good of man; in loving memory of my sainted wife, Matilda Lincolne, the same to be called Matilda Hospital”. The hospital was dedicated to poor and destitute Europeans - including missionaries, deckhands and so forth - and all treatment and accommodation was to be free. “It was an amazing feat. When they built the hospital, there was no road,” explains Burgoyne. “Stubbs Road didn’t exist and the only way of reaching the Peak was by Sedan chair or rickshaw.” When it opened in 1907, the 24-bed hospital saw 84 patients in the first year, of which there were three deaths, one birth and fourteen operations. At this time it was operating as a general hospital and staff were dealing predominantly with malaria, diptheria, smallpox, post-natal infection and tuberculosis. The balconies were all open for fresh air as they weren’t able to isolate at this time. Due to Granville’s connections with Paul Chater, who was on the board of Hongkong Electric, the hospital was quickly wired up and able to operate. “The hospital also boasted one of the first x-rays,” explains Burgoyne. “Which in the 1900s was quite something. It was a very 26 expat-parent.com
The original Matilda Hospital.
Views from the maternity unit overlooking Pok Fu Lam.
forward thinking institution.” The Matilda was also a leader in its field in the treatment of cancer. In 1929, the trustees acquired 74 platinum tubes containing 225 milligrammes of radium from the UK and for most of the following decade, the Matilda pioneered radium therapy for cancer treatment, receiving patients from all over the region. But the lowest point in the hospital’s history came with the Japanese invasion of 1941. Despite red crosses being painted on the roofs of the hospital, it received 97 direct hits from bombs throughout December in the leadup to occupation, because the British army had ammunition dumps nearby. Any patient who couldn’t be sent home was moved to the basement where they remained with the nursing staff for three weeks.
On Christmas Day the white flag of surrender was flown from Government House and the remaining staff and patients were forced by the Japanese secret police to walk the 17km down to Stanley for internment for the duration of the war. The 26 doctors in Stanley prisoner of war camp had brought whatever medical supplies they could and these were pooled to create a hospital and four clinics. The Matilda medical superintendant, Dr Montgomery, was medical officer for the Indian quarters and ran a clinic in Breezy Cottage, providing instruction to new mothers in babycare. And so perhaps it was here that the Matilda’s reputation as a maternity hospital began to blossom. “When the Japanese took over they warned the Chinese population that if they helped the Europeans they would be
THE big interview Matilda babies through the ages
Marianne Reck and daughter Wendy, 1930s (above) Jasmin Blunck’s grandmother-in-law Marianne gave birth to her mother-in-law Wendy at the Matilda Hospital in 1937. “We don’t have much information, except that despite having no apparent medical complications, she stayed in hospital for ten days. My grandfather-in-law had been sent out to Asia to work. The official residence for expats at that time was The Peninsula Hotel. In 1934 he travelled home to Germany to get married, and the honeymoon was a trip back to Hong Kong on a passenger ship. After the births of my mother-in-law and her sister, world events took over and the family eventually left Hong Kong. Seventy-four years later their grand-daughter was also born in Hong Kong, but this time at The Adventist.”
Julie King and daughter Gemma, 1970s
during a T3, which escalated to a T8. I was living in Sai Kung and transport to the Island wasn’t great so I’d rehearsed how I was going to get there if I went into labour quickly - speedboat from Tso Wo Hang to Clearwater Bay and then a taxi. However I ended up running over the due date and was taken in to be induced. During the delivery the air conditioning in the labour ward broke down and my husband and Dr Rance - my obstetrician - spent ages trying to fix it while Gemma was delivered by Sister Sue Cooper and Nurse Sue Sparkes. The windows were rattling and the babies had to be put in the inner corridors for risk of the glass being blown in. The weather was so bad I stayed in hospital for ten days. But it’s a great hospital and I was treated so well I was in no rush to go home!
Anthea Lannoy with baby Joseph, 2016 (below) Joseph was born in June last year. I had to be induced as I was ten days late. As labour wasn’t progressing I ended up having an emergency Caesarean. Whilst this had not been part of my birth plan the staff at the Matilda made the whole process an amazingly positive experience. The umbilical cord was wrapped around Joseph’s neck and I feel I owe them all so much for getting him out safely. The aftercare was excellent - from helping me to sit or stand up, to coming in at 4am to help with breastfeeding and getting him to latch, the staff was all so lovely and caring. We’re planning to have another baby next year and I will not hesitate to go back to the Matilda.
Sara Hopkirk and Jack, Caitlyn and Erin, 1990s When I had Jack my maternity insurance cover meant I could only afford a three-bed ward - I banked on everyone else going for single rooms and it worked! I was in a room on my own with two empty beds. When I had Caitlin 16 months later my firm had changed their insurance provider and maternity was unlimited. So I immediately upgraded to a private room with beautiful views. Bliss. I didn’t want to go home! As all mums will know, having a baby - especially your first - is a life-changing and very emotional experience. I remember ALL the midwives who looked after us with the fondest memories. They were fantastic. One of the midwives who looked after me with Jack is still there - Mary from Scotland. She’s an absolute gem ….
Gemma was born in July 1978. There had been numerous typhoons that year and she was born
beheaded,” later recalled fellow inmate Lady Mary Grayburn, wife of Lord Grayburn, the then chairman of the Matilda Hospital. “Well, the Chinese liked us you know, and… they gave my husband money. He gave it to the director of medical services and with it we were buying drugs and vitamins from China, to (smuggle) into the camps because men were dying for want of them.” Lord Grayburn was eventually tortured to death for the part he played in this covert operation and is buried in Stanley cemetery. The hospital building was ransacked and taken over by the Japanese “but we don’t know what for, there are no records,” admits Burgoyne. After the war, the hospital was requisitioned by the British army because of the threat of invasion by Communist forces in
China. It re-opened in 1951 with a new wing, brand new equipment and, for the first time, it began to charge, since it was calculated the Granville Sharp Estate would be swallowed up within 15 years. “Although by now it was effectively private, the hospital still did an enormous amount of charity work, and still does to this today,” says Burgoyne. “By the 1980s it was becoming renowned for its maternity unit and in the last ten years we have been carrying out more and more surgery, particularly orthopaedic surgery. The technological advances are amazing. Microscopic spinal surgery is so delicate these days patients can be up and walking by the evening. I would say we’re probably the bestequipped Hong Kong hospital at present for orthopaedic procedures. “And I think although we’ve changed
hugely as a hospital, our heart is still there. I love the Matilda for allowing me to practise the art of midwifery. We’re not a conveyor belt and we are able to spend time helping mums with babycare - we have a 96% take up of breast-feeding, and I would attribute that figure to our ability to put the mother in the centre of proceedings. Every delivery is different and we are able to respond to that. “To survive 110 years in Hong Kong without being knocked down is an achievement in itself, I think we’re in the bedrock now.” Matilda International Hospital, 41 Mount Kellett Road, The Peak, www.matilda.org All journal quotes have been taken from “Matilda - A Hong Kong Legacy” by Joyce Stevens Smith and Joyce Savidge, available from The Matilda International Hospital. expat-parent.com 27
cover story
Can’t see the ’hood for the haze
As the world celebrates Earth Hour on March 25, Expat Parent asks whether Hong Kong is doing its bit.
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cover story
Taking a lead From polluted air to trash-covered beaches, Hong Kong’s environmental track record has not been great. Carolynne Dear speaks to Christine Loh, under secretary for the environment, to find out how government is facing up to the challenges. What do you see as Hong Kong’s biggest environmental issues? Hong Kong has a number of major challenges air quality, waste management, energy saving, protecting biodiversity and dealing with climate change. These are all priorities for this term of government. We’re also pushing ahead with cleaning up marine waters through improved waste sewage plans. What’s been achieved during this government term? In each of the areas we have made significant progress. In air quality, we have reduced pollutant emissions substantially through a variety of measures. If you look at A Clean Air Plan for Hong Kong published in 2013, I’m happy to say that we have basically done all we set out to do in the plan. With regard waste management, we are going through a “waste revolution” in Hong Kong. The quantity of municipal solid waste is still rising but the rate has slowed and we have made a 7% reduction in food waste. In protecting biodiversity, we published a five-year plan in November last year and we are already tackling the 67 actions - this is a big step forward for Hong Kong. In energy saving and climate change, we have published targets and plans moving forward and we are working with many stakeholders. As for sewage, harbour waters are measurably cleaner which is why there are more water sports and recreational events in Victoria Harbour. Will anything concrete be achieved this year? We have just published our climate change action plan 2030+ so there’s a lot of follow up work. We’ll also be putting to legislative council two very important pieces of legislation, the first is to impose municipal solid waste (MSW) charging for everyone in Hong Kong, the second is to ban the domestic ivory trade. In terms of air pollution, will Hong Kongers be breathing easier any time soon? Hong Kong has done a lot to reduce local emissions as well as collaborate with Guangdong Provincial Government to improve
regional air quality. We have strengthened the emission control of vehicle and ships. Since 2014 we have been replacing around 82,000 old and highly polluting diesel commercial vehicles, and we have also been subsidizing franchised bus companies to upgrade their emission performance. We have capped the sulphur content of locally supplied marine light diesel and required ocean-going vehicles to switch to low sulphur marine fuel (Hong Kong is the first Asian city to do so). These measures have borne fruit. From 2012 to 2016, the roadside respirable suspended particulates (RSP), fine suspended particulates (FSP), NO2 and sulphur dioxide (SO2) concentrations have dropped. Over the same period, the ambient concentrations of RSP, FSP, NO2 and SO2 have also dropped, while the level of ozone has shown a slight decline.
land owners of Sha Lo Tung (Tai Po district) so we can protect this biologically significant site. The chief executive has asked the public to consider whether a small portion of land on the periphery of country parks might be used for public housing and elderly homes, on the condition that the total area of country parks would not be any less; more land with high ecological value would be incorporated into country parks for better protection; and country parks would have their recreational value enhanced. As for fly-tipping, this is unlawful and very bad behaviour - most of the time to try and save money by not taking construction waste to landfills. In the short-term we are working across government departments to enforce existing laws, and we are also discussing internally which laws need to be strengthened. For example, we are planning to require all vehicles carrying construction waste to add GPS so these vehicles can be tracked, which should act as a deterrent.
Members of the public must change their habits - frankly there is no excuse.
Moving onto country parks, there has been much controversy with regards building and fly-tipping on parkland. Does government intend to continue to protect these valuable green spaces? Country parks are precious assets for leisure, recreation and conservation. Currently there are some 24 parks and 22 special areas (half of which are within country parks) accounting for 40% of the total land area of Hong Kong. We are expanding country parkland (adding Robin’s Nest - a hill just south of the Chinese border - very soon) and we want to protect our parkland better. For example, we are proposing a non-insitu land exchange with the private
Christine Loh is under secretary for the environment. “We have made significant progress,” she says.
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cover story Big construction projects on Lantau are threatening marine species. What is being done to protect them, including Hong Kong’s iconic pink dolphins? Reports put dolphin numbers at just 60. There are a lot more than 60! The dolphins can be found not only in Hong Kong waters but also in the adjoining waters which are Mainland controlled. Sightings in Hong Kong have dropped as a result of infrastructure projects being carried out. We are designating more marine parks in the areas where they have been sighted. For the Hong Kong-ZhuhaiMacau Bridge projects, a range of measures are in place during the construction stage, including banning percussive piling and the use of quieter bored piling methods, and setting up a dolphin exclusion zone around the bored pile and the reclamation sites. For 3 Runway project, measures such as minimising the number and frequency of working vessels, imposing a speed limit on vessels in important dolphin areas and adopting quieter construction techniques and equipment will be implemented. Marine litter has been a huge issue lately. How is government protecting our oceans? According to the Marine Refuse Study conducted by the inter-departmental working group on Clean Shorelines in 2015, over 80% of marine refuse originated from local land areas - the majority from coastal and
recreational activities. Therefore, in addition to the cleanup operations organised by the government and NGOs, members of the public must change their habits - frankly there is no excuse. The government will continue to promote public education to keep our shorelines clean. As marine refuse within the region could also affect Hong Kong’s marine environment, we are stepping up patrol in Hong Kong waters, in particular the offshore waters near Hong Kong’s boundary, to check on floating refuse. We agreed with the Guangdong authorities last October to include marine litter as a cross-border subject for collaboration - I think this will help in the longer term. According to reports, much of the waste on our beaches is plastic-related. Will the government be challenging the issue of single-use plastic containers? We believe more plastic bottles can be collected for recycling. We are commissioning a feasibility study on how to implement a producer responsibility scheme (PRS) targeting suitable plastic containers - mainly those carrying beverages or personal care products. We have already put in place PRSs for plastic bags, glass bottles and electrical and electronic waste. A new scheme for plastic containers/bottles will help. We also launched the $1billion Recycling Fund in October 2015 to promote recovery and recycling of waste
including waste plastics by facilitating the upgrading of the operational capabilities and efficiency of the recycling industry for sustainable development. Fifty-five projects have so far been approved. A number of these projects are related to recycling of waste plastics, such as recycling of PET (polyethylene terephthalate, a material that can be recycled and reused) bottles. We will continue to help plastics recyclers upgrade and enhance their operational capabilities through the Recycling Fund and other supportive measures. Recycling options remain fairly conspicuous by their absence in comparison with other countries, and landfill is reaching capacity... We are following the roadmap laid down in the Hong Kong: Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-2022 to tackle our waste problem. We are pressing ahead with the implementation of MSW charging, which will further drive behavioural change towards better recycling, in addition to the PRSs noted above. With the progressive implementation of waste-to-energy infrastructure, including our first organic waste treatment facility on Lantau later this year, and the integrated waste management facilities in the mid-2020s, we will be seeing a visible drop in waste disposal at our landfills. To enhance collection and recovery efficiency, we are working hard to promote proper separation of recyclables at source and clean recycling.
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And the reactions from concerned parties...
WWF said...
Pink dolphins v construction on Lantau According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) has driven Hong Kong’s Chinese white dolphin population closer to the brink of extinction, with a 60% plunge in numbers off North Lantau between 2015 and 2016. The The Third Runway project calls for the reclamation of four times more land than the bridge project and will take double the time to build - WWF fears this will bring further severe and irreversible detriment to dolphins. The annual dolphin monitoring report, published in July 2016 by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department puts the recorded dolphin numbers in western Hong Kong waters (Tuen Mun to Sokos) at 65 between April 2015 and March 2016. During the research period, on average only ten dolphins were found in North Lantau, a decline from 102 in 2003. The sightings of juvenile dolphins dipped to a historic low and the occurrence of calves was among the lowest in recent years. WWF welcomes the designation of the Brothers Island Marine Park last December, but more needs to be done to reverse the decline of dolphin numbers. “West Lantau Marine Park should also be designated as part of a larger network of Marine Parks with holistic management plans and clear conservation objectives,” said WWD-Hong Kong’s assistant conservation manager Samantha Lee. www.wwf.org.hk
Clean Air Network replied....
s a e S e e r F c i t Plas sponded.... re
Breathing easy “Over the last few years, there has been continuous improvement of air pollution,” comments Patrick Fung, chief executive officer of the Clean Air Network. “The Environment Bureau, the academics and experts, businesses and NGOs should be acknowledged for enabling the implementation of some of the direction emission control measures, such as the phasing out of old diesel commercial vehicles and mandating ocean going vessels to switch to cleaner fuel at berth. “However, despite the recent improvement, our roadside air quality is still far from safe standard. In fact, our roadside air pollution (in terms of nitrogen dioxide) is double the level recommended by World Health Organization. 32 expat-parent.com
“It is fair to expect that the continuous growth of vehicle usage will offset the effort made to reduce air pollution from direct emission control measures. Over the last decade, the proliferation of vehicles in Hong Kong has been uncontrolled. Between 2006 and 2016, the number of licensed vehicles increased by 35%, compared with the growth rate of 16% between 1996 and 2006. Curbing motor vehicle usage is an imminent issue that we must address now. Traffic jams induce high social cost for all citizen. Not only does vehicular exhaust impact the health of pedestrians and roadside workers, it also affects the drivers and passengers who spend long hours in slow traffic.” www.hongkongcan.org
Plastic pollution According to Tracey Read of Plastic Free Seas, plastic packaging accounts for around half of the plastic produced globally, which in 2014 was 311 million tonnes and rising each year. “Much of the fresh produce sold in Hong Kong is imported, with packaging varying from the country of origin. On the extreme end, highly prized Japanese fruit and vegetables can come protected in up to three layers of plastic. “Supermarkets do have control with some of their in-store packaging: they can put pressure on their suppliers and they could use different display methods to reduce plastic usage. Only some of the plastic used for packaging is likely to end up recycled as it is frequently low value plastic not sought after by recyclers in Hong Kong, often because the recyclers cannot receive the plastic in sufficient quantities to make it cost effective.” www.plasticfreeseas.org
expat-parent.com 33
cover story
What can YOU do? Act ethically
Join the campaign
Gary Stokes of Sea Shepherd Global has launched #trashthecheckout campaign in a bid to alert supermarkets to the overuse of plastic to wrap goods, particularly fruit and vegetables. “We are saying we don’t want the plastic and it’s time they (the supermarkets) listened,” he said following public outcry over a heavily wrapped single strawberry being sold in City’Super last month. Join at www.facebook.com/ Trashthecheckout
Online pressure There are a number of Facebook pages in Hong Kong dedicated to increasing public awareness about the issues of recycling, plastic overuse and marine debris. Check out Hong Kong Marine Lap Sap IS Serious - so What to Do About it; HK SUPERMARKET FAILS; Hong Kong Green Drinks; Rehoming and Donating Goods to Reduce Waste in Hk; Sea Shepherd Hong Kong; Earthwatch Hong Kong; Zerowaste Hk.
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“Write to the papers and raise the issues of development, pollution and declining dolphin numbers. Don’t litter the oceans and avoid unethical dolphin trips.” Janet Walker, HK Dolphinwatch.
Want t help? o
Make yourself heard
Speak to store managers, call customer service hotlines - request that all stores reduce plastic packaging on fresh fruit and vegetables. Get active on social and traditional media voicing your concerns. Write letters to newspapers and companies urging them to reduce their prolific use of unnecessary plastic packaging. Take a bin-bag next time you visit a beach or go hiking and clean up.
s! p i t r u o Read
expat-parent.com 35
cover story
Sign up!
“Take Your Socks Off” is a campaign encouraging supermarkets to stop encasing fruit and vegetables in foam “socks”. The socks are made of polyethylene (PE), a material that can be collected, recycled and reused. However, around 99% are tossed, and a large proportion ends up in the ocean and littering our coastline. This outcome could be reversed if retailers were encouraged to “recover” the socks either at point of sale or in the warehouse. Sign to support the campaign at www.change.org.
Trash the trash
Next time you grab a coffee, don’t forget a re-usable cup. While paper cups might sound like the eco option, in fact they are no better than styrofoam. Because of the waterproof plastic coating inside paper cups, only 10% of paper mills in Asia have the technology to recycle them, so, like styrofoam, most end up in the incinerator. Not only that, according to scientists, the production of paper actually uses 20% more energy than styrofoam, twice as much water, and 30% more fuel to transport the finished product. Like grocery bags, it seems multi-use containers are the only way to go.
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Protect yourself
Hong Kong scientists are developing a mobile app that will provide users with personalised information to map routes avoiding heavily polluted areas in the city. The app will provide real-time air quality in specific locations, such as individual streets or rooms in a building, up to 72 hours in advance. Known as the Personalised Real-Time Air Quality Informatics System for Exposure - Hong Kong, the app has been developed at the University of Science and Technology, with financing from an HSBC charity programme, and is a world first. Hourly measurements of key air pollutants - including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone - will be analysed and this data and other variables run through models to produce real-time and near-future emissions readings and health risks. The app is due to be launched later this year.
Earth Hour This year’s Earth Hour event takes place on March 25. Check out earthhour.org and join the movement.
expat-parent.com 37
school news
School news China boarding Guangzhou Nanfang International School is launching boarding facilities this September for secondary students at its campus to the north east of Guangzhou in Guangdong province, southern China. The school has been welcoming students of a variety of different nationalities to its current campus since 2014. The school is open to students with overseas passports from the age of two-anda-half years through to 18. It runs a Primary Years Programme for children aged two-anda-half to 11 years, a middle years school for 11 to 14 year olds, IGCSEs for 14-16 years and IB Diploma in final years. The school is registered with the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and is a member of the Council of International Schools. Boarding facilities will include bedrooms with ensuite for single and dual occupancy; laundry facilities; creativity, action, service and enrichment activities on weekends; and dedicated school bus pick up to and from East train station and
In brief… ...Mount Kelly School Hong Kong will be launching a children’s playgroup later this year aimed at tots aged six months to three years. Sign up for a free trial class commencing March 6. A variety of classes with differing times and venues, call 2110 1978, email admissions@mountkelly.com.hk or see www.mountkelly.com.hk for details.
Lego legends Boarding buddies in Guangzhou.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. There will be a variety of teachers on campus at all times, including head of boarding, dorm parents and dorm assistants, who all live on campus. For more information, email admissions@gnischina.org or see www.gnischina.org.
French takes top spots Three French International School (FIS) students have walked away with Outstanding Cambridge Learner awards for exceptional performance during last year’s Cambridge IGCSE exams. FIS student Haiyi Li was awarded top in the world for Chinese as a second language, while contemporaries Joseph Guillon and Misela Andrasuna were awarded top in Hong Kong for foreign language French and high achievement for first language French respectively. The awards celebrate the success of learners sitting Cambridge examinations in over 40 countries. “I warmly congratulate our Outstanding Cambridge Learners whose dedication and hard work have been recognised by this fantastic achievement,” said Ian Clayton, head of international stream. “Teachers and 38 expat-parent.com
Pictured (l to r) Christian Soulard, headmaster; Ian Clayton, head of international stream; winning students Haiyi Li; Misela Andrasuna; and Joseph Guillon; and Mark Williams, head of secondary - international stream.
parents who have supported and guided these outstanding young students are justifiably proud.” A further 18 students were awarded the Cambridge International Certificate in Education, with eight achieving distinction and ten merit. Forty-three per cent of students achieved eight A* or A grades in IGSCE exams, and 97% were awarded A*-C grades.
Students from Nord Anglia International School have taken part in First Lego League. Along with their teachers, the year 5 and 6 pupils worked on the project during the school’s STEAM extra-curricular activity, as well as during lunch time sessions. The theme of this year’s global competition was Animal Allies, with teams of students aged nine to 16 years tasked with exploring the relationship between people and animals. All the robotics tasks were based on real world problems, such as animal feeding and transportation. According to teachers, the students gained loads of programming, problemsolving and team-working skills and made a great presentation at the final event. Pictured are Nord Anglia students Rylan Holt, Calvin Te, Joseph Ooi, Boco To and Bryant Cheng. To find out more, see www.first-lego-league.org.
school news
Book now Treasure Island will be running week-long day camps at Pui O Beach on South Lantau during the up-coming Easter holidays. The camps are chock-full of activities, including kayaking, bike tours, hiking and gorging.
They run April 3-12 for kids aged eight to 15 years. Register now at www.treasureislandhk.com or see page 16 for your chance to win a free spot.
Swim camps at CDNIS.
Easter camp egg-citement
Surfing Lantau.
The Canadian International School (CDNIS) has opened bookings for over 21 different camps being run during the spring break. Classes include gymnastics, swimming, netball and football. All activities cater for multiple age groups and skill tiers and are open to non-CDNIS students. Sign up at www.cdnis.edu.hk or activities@cdnis.edu.hk
Diary dates March 11 Small World Christian Kindergarten will be holding an open day this month, with information sessions and trial classes. The kindergarten and playgroup is based at 10 Borrett Road, Mid-levels, www.smallworld.edu.hk.
6-7pm, ESF Centre, 25/F 1063 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, register at www.esf.edu.hk/seminars-mar2017.
March 10
10am-1pm, 100 Peak Road, The Peak, www.highgatehouse.edu.hk.
March 18, 22, 23 & 25
Open house events at Tutor Time between 1 and 5pm at various campuses, including Yuen Long (4), Central (11), Kowloon Tong (18) and Braemer Hill (25). Tour the facilities, meet teachers and also find out about the infant and toddler activity groups, www.tutortime.com.hk.
More than 75 universities and institutions from across the globe will be attending the Canadian International School Higher Education Fair. The event is organised by the CDNIS guidance department, which supports CDNIS students in their post-secondary choices, and is open to all international school students. 2.30-5.30pm, 36 Nam Long Shan Road, Aberdeen (Wong Chuk Hang MTR), www. cdnis.edu.hk.
Find out more about Stamford American School at six open days this month. Meet superintendant Malcolm Kay and Stamford’s admissions team. Open to families with children aged five to 18 years. Sessions will be held from 10am - 12pm, 12 - 2pm, or 6-8pm. Two Exchange Square, Lvl 40, 8 Connaught Place, Central, for info and registration contact www.sais.edu.hk, admissions@sais.edu.hk or call 2500 8688.
March 7
March 18
March 23
Join ESF senior school development officer Rebecca Clements and ESF Hillside International Kindergarten principal Christopher Duncan who will be sharing insights into the IB Primary Years Programme and the ESF curriculum. Julie Wong, admissions manager, will also be available.
Highgate House, a Steiner Waldorf International pre-school, will be hosting an early years open morning for children from birth to age six. Talks will be held at 10.30 and 11.30am with school tours every 30 minutes. The school shop will be open with refreshments available to buy.
ESF education director David Whalley and ESF learning and teaching advisor (secondary) Kirsty De Wilde will be leading a seminar on ESF secondary education. Julie Wong, admissions manager, will also be on hand. 6-7pm, ESF Centre, 25/F 1063 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, register at www.esf.edu.hk/seminars-mar2017.
March 4, 11, 18 & 25
expat-parent.com 39
school news
Waiting in the wings Stamford American School is almost ready for its big reveal. Founding superintendant Malcolm Kay explains what it will be bringing to the territory.
N
estled in bustling Ho Man Tin is the campus for Hong Kong’s latest educational newby, Stamford American School Hong Kong. Currently on track for a September opening, the school is in the process of gutting and renovating the existing building into what will eventually be a through school for 800 students. The initial intake will be capped at around 400, from age five to 13 years, rising to about 800 by 2021. Described as a “small, city school”, Stamford is different from many other Hong Kong schools in that it owns the building. This means it can manage its intake of students without government interference. It is aiming for a make up of one third local, one third mainland and one third overseas passport holders, “more or less,” says superintendant Malcolm Kay. Kay, a veteran of the IB system is fresh from Singapore where he founded and headed up Stamford American International School Singapore, a full IB school and the first to be launched under the Stamford American name by Cognita group, an umbrella organisation that owns 69 schools worldwide. Stamford American Singapore rose from 300 students in 2011 to 3,000 today and is now ranked among the top four schools in Singapore. “I guess Stamford is now a brand,” he admits. “Although I’m not sure what its plans are post-Hong Kong.” Unlike Singapore, Stamford in Hong Kong will not be seeking IB PYP (Primary Years Programme) and MYP (Middle Years Programme) accreditation, but will eventually be rolling out IB Diploma level for final years. Kay believes IB is by far and away the best route to university acceptance. While Stamford’s curriculum will be based firmly on enquiry-based learning, Kay will be incorporating STEMinn education from pre-primary all the way through to final years, which is not currently part of the IB curriculum. STEMinn is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation using an integrated approach. “I’m sure eventually STEMinn will be
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The Ho Man Tin campus, artist’s impressions.
incorporated into IB, at which point no doubt we’ll seek accreditation, but at this point I want STEMinn to remain part of our curriculum, which negates us from becoming IB accredited,” explains Kay. Kay strongly believes that traditional education methods are not equipping young people with the skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly modernising world. “I don’t think parents have fully grasped that the world their children will be entering as young adults will be totally different to the place they started out in 20 or 30 years ago. “Education in Hong Kong is still based on very traditional, narrow and increasingly outdated systems. At Stamford we aim to teach critical thinking and real-world application. We want to develop creative individuals who will drive growth and innovation in our society. “We place an enormous emphasis on the child as an individual. They might start out at differing levels in terms of ability, but either way they should be progressing at a pace they are comfortable with and taking responsibility for their own learning.” As a concrete example of this selflearning approach, Kay explains how every classroom will be equipped with its own
library (“with between 1,000 and 1,500 books per class”). That way students don’t have to wait for a designated library lesson once a week to exchange books. “If they’re powering through, they can grab a new one
school news
The campus boasts a 25 metre pool.
Superintendent Malcolm Kay.
daily,” says Kay. “We don’t want to hinder their progress in any way.” While encouraging self-learning, the school will also be keeping a close eye on progress. All students will undergo regular MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) testing in maths, English and science, an external assessment programme that measures where the child is placed in their learning group. Children will also be given a levelled reading assessment. By the end of the year, teachers and parents will be able to see exactly how the child has progressed. In terms of languages, the school aims to
have every student fluent in two languages by the time they graduate. A choice of two languages are offered, simplified Mandarin and Spanish, with four proficiency levels for each language. “Students in Hong Kong are in a privileged position as they are learning in a rich cultural environment, fluent in both languages and cultures.” Stamford American School opens September 2017, 25 Man Fuk Road, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon. Email admissions@sais.edu.hk, call 2500 8688 or see sais.edu.hk.
expat-parent.com 41
school news
Primary moments British giant Shrewsbury School has broken ground in the New Territories. Carolynne Dear met up with founding headmaster Ben Keeling.
I
f enthusiasm were a prerequisite for setting up a school in Hong Kong, Shrewsbury founding principal Ben Keeling would be top of the application list. Formerly of Kellett School, his passion for both Hong Kong and for primary education generally is infectious. By the end of our meeting, I’m left wishing I could shrink my own teenage children and start again. But competition is fierce, with one major new international school opening slated for this September (Stamford American School), not to mention two new British players, Malvern College and Mount Kelly, planned for September 2018 and September 2017 openings respectively, as well as campus extensions at Nord Anglia and French International School. “I think the whole educational landscape in Hong Kong is changing,” says Keeling. “There are some amazing schools, all with individual learning styles. The bar is very high. But I think we all have something very different to offer.” So what is Shrewsbury’s selling point? “Our Hong Kong school will be primary only. My expertise is in primary education and I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to be opening a school solely focusing on primary years. Just in terms of being able to order bespoke equipment and furniture suitable for smaller bodies and having spaces they are never going to have to share with older years, it’s fantastic.“ Keeling is currently working through Education Department Bureau paperwork to ensure the school is properly accredited. “We are planning on opening ready to take children from three through to eleven years. We are presently waiting on the three to five year accreditation but are happy to wait patiently for this - I want to make sure we build good relations with the EDB moving forward.” The campus will be based in Tseung Kwan O in Hong Kong’s New Territories, nestled into the base of the mountains bordering Clearwater Bay, and on the waterfront. “We are hoping to have the building fit for use by March or April 2018 so 42 expat-parent.com
The Shrewsbury campus in Tseung Kwan O.
we can start inviting parents in,” says Keeling.
I don’t want to lose any of our unique ‘Hong Kong-ness’
The school curriculum will be based on English National Curriculum but with adaptations for Hong Kong. “I don’t want to lose any of our unique “Hong Kongness”,” enthuses Keeling. “I want students to remember where they are all of the time. The building design will maximise our amazing mountain views and while the classrooms will be enclosed and air conditioned, much of the rest of the school will try and incorporate the outdoors. I would hate students to forget where they are.”
Keeling is also hoping to incorporate a “pro-hiking” agenda at the school. “We will have a beautiful waterfront which is great for younger students to access, plus longer hiking trails to challenge older students.” In terms of secondary school, Keeling is building links with existing Hong Kong schools. “There are gaps in higher years, the challenge is to make those links. I strongly believe parents should not be having to make decisions about high school at age five. Through-train schools are very laudable but they do fix children on a set programme. We will begin a phased transition to high school beginning in year 4.” Shrewsbury UK is also an option for senior years, although it only accepts students from age 13. “There are feeder prep schools in the UK that we will be building relationships with,” says Keeling. For registration or more details, see www.shrewsbury.hk - there will be open days on April 21 and 22, at the Information Office in Central, email enquiries@shrewsbury.hk.
expat-parent.com 43
open day
Arts movement
ESF Discovery College is going from strength to strength. Rebecca Simpson finds out how.
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open day
D
iscovery College is a relatively new school, it was opened in 2008 and offers a through-school experience and IB curriculum in both primary and secondary sections. DC is part of the Private Independent Schools (PIS) network, and is managed by ESF under the same conditions as Renaissance College. This is an important differentiator for parents because DC acts almost as a private school within the ESF network - the school does not receive government funding, nor does it have a defined catchment area. This means fees are more expensive than ESF and students come from the length and breadth of Hong Kong - from Repulse Bay and the Peak, to Sai Kung, Yeun Long and even Cheung Chau Island. But while a few students are catching planes (almost), trains and automobiles to get here, the majority live locally. Discovery Bay’s car-free community means students walk, cycle or skateboard to and from school each day. “It’s a very physical community,” says principal Mark Beach. “I stand at the front gate every morning and see it. DC kids are mad on sports, we have a close connection with organisations like the DB Pirates (local weekend sports club) which is very special.” A close sense of community has been fostered since day one at the school, with cross-pollination of the senior and junior school - through the physical structure of the building to inclusions in the school curriculum such as a buddy programme senior students come to visit their “buddies” in junior school to read, share knowledge and create art. These experiences provide a link between primary and secondary and foster a big brother/sister relationship within the school community. DC follows a philosophy of “positive education”, which is an approach that stems from the movement of positive psychology - the study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive, founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives and to cultivate what is best within themselves. Beach says the school works hard to ensure students feel valued and communication channels remain open even when students are struggling. expat-parent.com 45
open day “It’s important to give kids an understanding that they are valued and give them the tools to be able to cope with stress and change,” he says. In recent years the school has driven a focus on “wellness”, with particular attention to kindness and gratitude, as well as resilience and grit. “We’ve been focused on building on these, asking students “What do you do when the going gets tough?”,” says Beach. The school is working towards a growth mindset with students and families, “an understanding that we learn through failure and changing childrens’ mindsets from “I can’t do it” to “I can’t do it yet”. Once they grasp this, when things don’t work out, they merely become another learning experience.” In terms of core subjects, DC claims to provide a rigorous academic curriculum, strongly supported by the arts. In a city that is famously academically-driven, DC’s focus on the arts as an area intrinsic to learning in all subjects is arguably a risky business. But the proof is in the pudding and in 2016 it claimed two of the city’s perfect 45 IB scores, and this was only the school’s third
46 expat-parent.com
The students are keen sports players.
graduating class. DC alumni have graduated to some of the world’s top universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and UC Berkeley. “We’re a school that promotes rigorous academic achievement but we also value the arts as an area of focus that contributes to learning in all other subjects,” says Beach. “There’s such strong research and connection between, for example, music and maths. A focus on arts has huge benefits for skills like articulation, it’s a powerful part of our school but no more important than other subjects. It’s just that we get started at an early age and we maintain a focus for our students. We are one of the few ESF schools that provide
The school promotes rigorous academic achievement.
specialised teachers for drama, music and art right from year one. Our primary students get all the advantages of a high school.” Chinese learning starts in year one with multiple lessons a week and from year two students are experiencing daily lessons. For PIS schools Mandarin in compulsory. Most students take Chinese all the way through
open day to Diploma level. To cater for students with varying levels of the language, DC’s Chinese programme is “pathwayed” from year one, which means students are learning at a pace that suits them personally. As far as technology goes, Beach says the approach is that it should only be used if it enhances learning. “For us, the real strength is the ability for students to access information and manipulate it to further their understanding and knowledge. It’s also about being able to share their learnings - presenting and collaborating with others. If technology is being used properly, you shouldn’t even notice it, it shouldn’t be the focus of what you’re doing. It’s just there to support learning.” The school works hard to support students with their post-school choices. A higher education office kicks in during year 10 and onwards, more so as they reach final years. “We’ve developed some very close connections with universities,” explains Beach. “We actually host a University Fair that over 130 universities attend from around the world and student from across Hong Kong are invited to attend.”. Real strength is in the students’ ability to collaborate, says school pricnipal Mark Beach.
expat-parent.com 47
open day
Principal’s office Discovery College school principal Mark Beach reveals all. What was your favourite subject at school? History. Any school day memories? A primary teacher said to me when I was about ten or 11, “Never be afraid of challenges, even though we might fail several times. In the end we come to understand that success is achieved through effort and having a go.” How long have you been working in education? Well over 30 years! I trained and then worked as a primary teacher in New Zealand before I moved on to work in Tonga. I came back to New Zealand to teach at a residential school for delinquent boys. Some of my highlights include becoming principal of a bi-lingual Maori school, founding a new primary school with a focus on technology, and serving as director of the New Zealand Correspondence School which had over 20,000 students and hundreds of teachers - it was a very unusual school. I also worked in the Ministry of Education for a while before heading to Qatar and then Hong Kong. When did you arrive in Hong Kong? Nine-and-a-half years ago to help manage the opening of Discovery College for the first couple of years and then leading the school ever since. What’s the toughest part of your day? There are no tough parts but some bits are more enjoyable than others. I love being in classes with students, but because of the demands of my role I don’t get to do that as much as I would like. Having said that, I do teach a year 11 art unit and I go along to the year five and seven camps each year. I also coach cross country and take student council. What’s Discovery College’s greatest strength? Our academic achievements and our great sense of community. Last year we got two perfect scores in IB, we were so pleased with that. How do you feel about homework? New learning, projects or repetitive work is 48 expat-parent.com
Beach with students.
not helpful in primary. It should be work that is based on what they have been doing that day. At a junior level we hope that children will bring home work that connects parents with the classroom - like reading. And extra tuition? I’m not necessarily a fan at junior level. All kids learn at different rates and sometimes we need to step back a bit. Not all students are going to come out with perfect scores, but there’s often a real pressure around scores and grades. In secondary there is some benefit. The areas we generally see needing more help are maths and language. I don’t have a problem with that, but I don’t like to see kids with tutors every day. There has to be a balance. What’s the most exciting opportunity for children learning in Hong Kong? Hong Kong kids get the experience of an international education in a cosmopolitan, global city. It’s an experience that will change their whole lives. Studying the IB in an international city comes with responsibility we say to our students you are privileged, and with privilege comes responsibility. They gain
an appreciation of other cultures and values and beliefs. So much of this is about being in Hong Kong, but so much of it also comes from being in an IB school. The two blend and mirror each other beautifully. Any favourite bits of Hong Kong? Cheung Chau. Tell us a secret about yourself… I grew up in a small coastal town in New Zealand and I love the ocean - surfing, diving, fishing, swimming, sailing. Whenever I go home, I always try and squeeze in a surf. And I also love trail running.
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life & style
Life & style news It’s a Singapore thing
New for Spring Eco-chic furniture store TREE has unveiled its new season collections. “Elevate” features brand new teak pieces featuring slimline designs with brushed iron and distress-painted detailing, balancing a rustic with an industrial look. Pieces include desks, multi racks, television and wine cabinets. Cosy and comfortable comes “Mona”, a brand new sofa design, beautifully understated with large, plush cushions. There are two new additions to the “Soul” family, including a console table and multi rack pieces crafted from recycled teak wood with lightly handpainted detailing, textured surfaces and character-full imperfections. Long renowned for its ceramics, TREE has also brought into its stores a range of terracotta pieces handcrafted in the Philippines. In vibrant turquoises and dapper gunmetal greys, this is a chic and simple way to update your look for spring. TREE flagship store - 10.30am-7pm, 28f, Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau, 2870 1582, www.tree.com.hk.
Artist Louise Hill has added a new print to her Asia collection, this time of her current home, Singapore. “Affectionately nicknamed “the little red dot”, Singapore is a true melting pot of culture, history, community and stories,” says Hill, who has already produced a colourful range of artwork celebrating her former home, Hong Kong. The print features famous historical sights, such as Raffles Hotel, the Singapore Flyer and Gardens By The Bay. The image of The Marina Bay Sands Hotel is cleverly
adorned with coloured pattern tiles from heritage shophouses and pavements throughout the city. And keeping watch over it all is the Merlion, the city’s famous emblem. The perfect memento if you have ever lived in or spent time visiting the lion city, or even just because you want to brighten up a corner of your home with a vibrant print. We Love Singapore can be viewed or purchased online at www.louise-hill-design.com. New looks from TREE.
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life & style
Make-up moves
Fancy feet
H&M has launched a beauty bar on Canton Road, TST, stocking brushes and tools, plus 50 lip colours, 80 eyeshadows, and over 180 colours for nails. Ideal for pint-sized make-up junkies as prices suit pocket-money budgets. Check out the collection from this month.
Italian footwear specialist Gusella has launched a pop-up shop in Causeway Bay. Running throughout March, the stand is located inside department store SOGO and is showcasing a new shoe collection plus clothing. “We’re excited to bring our meticulously designed and handcrafted collections from Milan,” said brand director Caroline York. “We see a growing demand for quality craftsmanship in children’s wear - our signature range of shoes has been around since the 1930s.” Gusella currently has eight stores around the world, including Milan, Hangzhou, Beijing and Hong Kong. Two more stores are due to open this year. The pop-up shop carries handcrafted leather shoes with specially designed soles for toddlers taking their first steps and an in-store shoe fitting service. The Italiandesigned and made clothing range is for boys and girls aged three to 12 years. 10am-10.30pm, 7/F, SOGO, 555 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, 2833 8338.
New make-up bar inTST.
Best dressed for summer Italian lingerie specialist Intimissimi has launched its spring/summer collection, a range of delicately chic undergarments to brighten drab winter wardrobes. The evocatively named collections include Romance In Venice, Romantic Capri, Italian Gardens, Wild Sardinia and the gorgeous Summer In Sicily - think creams and teals with vibrant floral prints, transporting you back to those ambrosial, bougainvillea-laden terraces of summer. This is the time for putting spring back in your step. G/F, Parker House, 72 Queens Road Central, Central, www.intimissimi.hk.
With our girl in the know, Elaine Yeoh Find out what’s really going on at home - are the kids actually doing their homework? Has any piano practice been done? Did the dog get walked? Manything is an amazing app that turns any spare smartphone into a trusty Spycam, or “home security camera”. Download the app, on both your spare phone, main mobile phone or laptop. Sign in to Manything on all devices, using the same ID. Nominate your spare phone as the ‘Camera’ and your main mobile phone or laptop as the ‘Viewer’. Set the spare phone’s camera default to record whenever motion is detected. The app alerts you when there is live activity, allowing you to watch in real time. Alternatively, watch later by uploading recorded footage for the day to your cloud storage. A separate pricing plan is offered if you need cloud storage for up to 30 days using five cameras, which means you can monitor five different venues simultaneously. Definitely big-brother intrusive but most certainly effective. Manything works with ios 6.0 or later and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It also works on most devices running on Android 4.2 and above including LG, Moto G, LG G3S, HTC Desire 510, Sony Z3 and most Samsung phone models. Yeoh will be reviewing a new app every month. Contact her at simplyfabulicious.wordpress.com or facebook.com/SimplyFabulicious.
Pop-up store this month in Causeway Bay.
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life & style Indigo Goose Down Pillow $690 from Indigo $1,290 each www.indigo-living.com
Bamboa cushion $250 (cover only), www.bamboahome.com Maven Mehrab Quilt from $1,680 www.mavenhk.com
Bedded bliss Update your sleep space, says Adele Brunner.
Zara Home Gold Print Satin Bed Linen rice on request p www.zarahome.com
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life & style
Bamboa Taupe Sheet Set $3,030 (including duvet cover) www.bamboahome.com
Zara Home Oriental Embroidered Bed Linen price on request www.zarahome.com
H&M Patterned Duvet Cover Set $399 www.hm.com
H&M Bedspread $399 www.hm.com
Mahjong pocket square 295 from G.O.D, $ G/F, 2 Yi Chun Street, Sai Kung, 2791 7122, god.com.hk Muji Organic Cotton Jersey bed linen prices from $65 (pillow cover) www.muji.com.hk
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life & style
Beside the seaside Tina Atkinson invites Adele Brunner into her meticulously renovated Clearwater Bay property.
I
t’s rare in Hong Kong to find a property that ticks all the boxes but Tina Atkinson’s home in Clearwater Bay does just that, whether you’re into entertaining, love the outdoors, or simply hanker for a bit of peace and quiet. Where else in the territory, for example, would you be able to find a house that allows you to anchor a sizeable yacht off a beach at the bottom of your 1,500-square-foot terrace? Add to that a beautiful architecturally designed interior, sunken al fresco seating in front of an outdoor screen for movies under the stars, a 29-foot (legal) swimming pool and stunning sea views, and you get the idea that this house is something special. Having lived in Hong Kong for years, Atkinson bought the five-bedroom house in 2009, initially as a rental investment but with a long-term view to living in it with her family. Rather than renovating it on the cheap, she
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Relax in the garden and enjoy sweeping views over Clearwater Bay.
invested considerable time, money, vision and planning to get into the shape it is today. “It was a completely rundown shell,” says Atkinson. “It was very old fashioned with arched windows and semi-circular balconies. We wanted to create somewhere we would like to live in ourselves. We gutted it and started from scratch. Everything, including the wiring and plumbing, is new.” Atkinson enlisted the help of interior architects Jepsen Designs but added a lot of personal input into the project. Top of her list of priorities was practical flexibility. Although she wanted open-planned living, it was imperative various areas could be easily segregated into private zones when needed - particularly with young children growing into teens. To this end, there is a designated movie and chill-out room, while a study area next to the family room on the first floor can be shut
off when peace and quiet is required and can also double up as a spare bedroom. There are also two fully fitted kitchens, linked by a wide hatch for serving and clearing and with doubleside entry cupboards, which mean you can access what you want without having to walk from one kitchen to the other. “Open-planned living is great but you do need private areas with different functions,” explains Atkinson. “I don’t always want to listen to my teenagers’ movies, computer games and chat for example, so they have their own area they can hang out in. I also wanted some privacy from my helper - and vice versa - which is why we decided on a second kitchen and extensive helper accommodation.” The open planning also fitted with Atkinson’s love of entertaining. With its social and engaging design, it enables parties great and small to be hosted. Its convivial feel is
life & style
The garden is an entertainer's delight.
particularly evident outside which, along with a pool and sunken sofas, comes with a fully stocked BBQ kitchen and a dining table that is covered, when needed, by an automatic awning to facilitate year-round living. “It’s a great party house,” laughs Atkinson. “It looks particularly stunning when the terrace and pool are all lit up at night.” Another characteristic of the home is the meticulous attention to detail - even the smallest aspects have been carefully thought out. There are picture-hanging rails in every room, for example, so you don’t have to worry about unsightly picture hooks and can move your art around as and when you want. Holes are in place along the edge of the swimming pool should fencing be needed to keep little non-swimmers out of the water, and, as well as a handy outdoor shower and bathroom, Atkinson has used non-slip floor tiles on the terrace. Atkinson chose an interior architect over an interior designer because she wanted the house to have very strong features that would stand out no matter what the decor. A case in point is the staircase, which is a focal point in its own right. The wide timber tread boards are made from recycled old railway sleepers from China (as are the steps in the entrance hall and detailing on the kitchen island), which are flanked by a geometric “bannister” on one side and stylish stainless-steel railings on the other, which stretch from the rooftop down all levels.
Atkinson has installed two fully fitted kitchens.
The dressing area linking the bathrooms.
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life & style
The original old-fashioned windows have been replaced with floor-to-ceiling glass.
The master suite and spacious bathroom is another visually arresting room. Along with a double sink unit, separate loo and shower cubicles lined with luxurious silvery mosaic tiles, there is a freestanding Toto tub. Positioned next to a picture window and with a neat TV screen at one end, it takes having a bath to a whole new level. Linking the two ends of the bathroom is a dressing area, which is not only superbly practical but adds an interesting dimension to the space as a whole. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows allow light to flood the house at all times. “There was no question of having anything but large windows, particularly as I’m a big light person,” says Atkinson. “I also wanted good air flow and to be able to take advantage of the sea breezes. We have a sort of skylight/ trapdoor at the top of the house which lets air circulate throughout the house.” Right on the edge of leafy Clearwater Bay, with hiking trails on the doorstep, a supermarket within walking distance, a host of nearby schools and an easy commute into the city from Hang Hau MTR station, the free-standing house is certainly well located. 58 expat-parent.com
The free-standing tub oozes relaxation.
It is also part of a self-contained managed development with substantial on- and offstreet parking. “I’m also a keen yachtswoman so the fact that the house is next to the sea sealed the deal for me when we were looking to buy,” says Atkinson. “Apart from the possibility of parking your yacht close by, we have direct beach access and you can
How to work with a view like this?
keep kayaks and paddle-boards down there. There’s even a government concrete ramp so you can launch a RIB.” What’s not to love? Tina Atkinson’s house in Clearwater Bay is currently available to rent or buy. Contact Annette Steadson at Engel & Voelkers on 3997 3200 or Annette.Steadson@engelvoelkers.com.
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life & style
Get the kids involved in this year's Young Readers Festival.
Bookworm bonanza Hong Kong International Young Readers Festival opens this month. Event manager Phillipa Milne explains what it’s all about. So tell us about the festival… It was founded in 2011 as an off-shoot to our autumn event. Our schools programme
was growing so much that we saw fit to grow a brand new festival out of it. Leading children’s book writers and illustrators from all over the world come together across ten days to deliver in-school talks and workshops to primary and secondary school children. It’s designed to encourage young people to engage with the literary arts and to read more.
What sort of events will there be? This year we’re focusing on our schools programme. Writers and illustrators will be coming from Korea, Singapore, the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Highlights will include school talks and writing workshops from David Solomons (2016 Waterstones prize winner and author of My Brother is a Event organizer Pillipa Milne.
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Superhero), Roshani Chokshi (New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen) and Stephanie Kuehn (2015 PEN/ Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship winner). We also have three public events - budding illustrators can try their hand at creating their own crazy characters with New Zealander artist Sarah Davis and we have interactive talks with two local writers - Blair Reeve, creator of Greta von Gerbil & Her Really Large Lexicon, and Sarah Brennan who will be talking about the new addition go her Zodiac series.
Who is the festival aimed at? Students aged between five and 17 years. Every year we try and make the programme
life & style as diverse as possible. We have writers from different backgrounds writing about lots of different things so that we can appeal to a wide audience. We hope there is something for everybody this year.
What do you hope the festival will achieve? We want to create strong reading communities within schools by reaching more and more students. Reading is a crucial addition to any child’s day-to-day-life - not only does it improve language and vocabulary skills, but it also develops the imagination and provides important cultural exchange.
What did you read as a child? I loved Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. I read them repeatedly - his storytelling is so incredibly powerful. I also read everything Roald Dahl wrote. Every one of his characters is memorable and magical. My favourite was Matilda. I remember setting myself the challenge of reading every book in my local library. Sadly I didn’t quite make it… Some of my favourite contemporary writers
include David Mitchell, Margaret Atwood, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Jhumpa Lahiri.
What’s your role as festival manager? I’m responsible for programming the festival - selecting which authors and illustrators we invite and what they will do. I work closely with our designer on all marketing materials, including our brochures, banners and website. I liaise with local media to make sure people know the festival is happening. I also lead on the festival’s development - we’re a not-for-profit and need sponsorship to make sure we can keep moving forwards every year. There’s a lot that goes into making these events happen. Hong Kong International Young Readers Festival runs from March 6 - 17. Tickets for the public events are available at www. youngreadersfestival.org.hk, or Ticketflap, www.ticketflap.com. For more details, email info@youngreadersfestival.org.hk.. Author talks feature prominently in the festival.
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HEALTH & wellness
Health & wellness news Sports centres on track Plans for two sports centres in Tseung Kwan O will see the New Territories district welcome a watersports centre and the first ever Hong Kong venue totally dedicated to soccer. With an estimated cost of $250 million, the watersports venue will occupy a 1.4-hectare site on the Tseung Kwan O waterfront promenade. It will offer a variety of water-based sports including rowing, canoeing, sailing, water skiing and dragon boating. Although the centre is still awaiting approval and funding, council vice-chairman Mike Tanner is hoping that construction will begin by the end of next year.
Stress buster
Meanwhile, it is anticipated that the 21-hectare soccer training venue will be completed by July 2018. The centre will house six standard-sized pitches (three artificial and three natural) with the three grass pitches to be used by junior and senior Hong Kong representative teams while the two artificial pitches will be open to the public. Other facilities will include a futsal pitch, two mini five-a-side grounds and a gymnasium. If all goes to plan it is hoped the training centre will be ready for the 2018 football season.
New physio hits town
Physio Yann Chau at work.
Elite Personal Training (EPT) welcomes Yann Chau of Australia Asian Acupuncture and Sports Physio, who will consult at EPT on Wednesday mornings from 8-10am. Chau is a consultant to Hong Kong Rugby 7s and Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy, and 62 expat-parent.com
includes the Williams sisters and Stefan Edberg in his client portfolio. EPT trainers specialize in corrective exercise for injuries and biomechanical issues. www.eliteptstudio.com
Mindful beauty specialist, Aromatherapy Associates, has launched a new Inner Strength Soothing collection. The range has been dermatologically tested to rebuild the skin’s natural defence mechanisms and counter redness and inflammation. “Hong Kong is known to be one of the busiest cities in the world,” said a spokesperson for the company. “From lack of sleep to worrying levels of pollution and exposure to chemical substances and cosmetic procedures, skin experiences its own stresses and strains. And when put under emotional strain, the body causes a chemical response making the skin more sensitive and reactive.” The collection employs “prebiotic technology” to rebuild and protect the skin’s natural defence system; chamomile essential oil to calm the mind and soothe skin; cotton thistle essential oil to help restore the skin’s dermis and epidermis, and arca flower which works as a natural anti-inflammatory. Included in the range is a cleanser, ($540/200ml), serum ($660/50ml), face oil ($630/15ml), moisturiser ($770/50ml) and mask ($760/100ml). Available from Lane Crawford, Podium 3, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central and Kiosk 3E level 3, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, TST.
HEALTH & wellness
Aquae Sulis
Mindful moments With meditation expert Elena Maria Foucher. This month Foucher explains how to carve calm out of chaos.
Relax with a new treatment at Lush.
Lush has launched Tales of Bath, a detoxifying spa treatment that draws inspiration (and its name) from the ancient southern English cathedral city. The 75-minute treatment begins with a seated head and shoulder massage. Next up is a private, mineral bath - inspired by Bath’s famous healing waters - to aid relaxation and relax muscles. Finally, snuggle up to a soft pillow for a tension-busting, full-body massage. Each part of the treatment is choreographed to a bespoke soundtrack composed by musicians local to Bath. $1,750/75 minutes, G/F Soho Square, 21 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 3915 0638, www.hk.lush.com.
Hong Kong kids don’t make the grade
“It’s not whether you have problems, it’s how you deal with them that counts” - Todd Ward. Let’s face it, we all have issues now and then and in our fastpaced lives high pressure situations can be a daily occurrence for many of us, espescially as parents. How do you create calm in the chaos? How should you deal with life’s challenges when your emotions are running high? Simple. Feel your feet. Pause for two seconds and notice the feeling of your feet pressing into the ground. Why? Because when you’re stressed you move into a physiological state called “fight or flight”. Your brain pays attention to your amygdala, the quick, reactive part of you that offers speed over creativity. This is because your system thinks stress equals danger, and in danger you need speed over complexity. This “amygdala hijacking” redirects you from your higher brain functions. It’s great in a fire (“Run! Now!”) but not so great when you need higher logic, reason or compassion. So what does feeling your feet do? It signals to your brain that you’re not in danger. Directing your attention to something that is not dangerous for a few seconds slows down or even stops the physiological reaction. You’re basically telling your brain, “My incessantly screaming child isn’t life threatening, and I will prove this by focusing on something very ordinary, calm and real. See, I’m fine.” The trick is that you have to believe it - if you enjoy high drama or adrenaline, this won’t work. But the calmer you are, the better you are at finding solutions. Everyone will appreciate that, especially you. Elena Maria Foucher is the creator of Mindfulness Made Easy. For guided meditations, contact Elena@ElenaMariaFoucher.com, or see www.ElenaMariaFoucher.com.
A study by The Chinese University of Hong Kong claims local youngsters are not getting enough exercise. The Report Card on Physical Activity for Children & Youth Study was carried out with 37 other countries and regions. Hong Kong performed worst in overall physical activity levels and family support. The report found that less than half of youngsters aged between two and 17 years met the international recommendation of having an hour of physical activity per day. According to Jon Kemp, sports development coordinator of ESF Educational Services, kids aged five to 18 should be getting at least an hour of vigorous exercise a day. “As the report suggests, we should all be encouraging kids to participate in organised sport outside of school PE classes. “Regular activity generates opportunities for social inclusion, it increases concentrations of dopamine rewarding the brain, and norepinephrine which assists with stress. Exercise releases endorphins that can alleviate depression and anxiety, increase self-confidence, relaxation, creativity and can prevent cognitive decline and improve overall brain performance,” he said. To view the full report, see www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk. expat-parent.com 63
HEALTH & wellness
On your marks... Hong Kong’s first ever Spartan race for kids takes place next month. Expat Parent went on the trail.
F
ollowing the overwhelming success of the adult-only Spartan Race in Kam Tin Country Park last year, Spartan Junior is debuting in Hong Kong this year. It’s open to kids aged between four and 13 years and promises heaps of muddy fun. Designed to instill a lifelong love of fitness, young racers will run, jump, crawl and put their athletic abilities to the test along an obstaclestrewn course. All participants will be rewarded with headbands, t-shirts and medals. “The junior obstacles are designed to bring out the fun in different challenges,” said Charlz Ng, CEO of organizer Hybrid Group. “This is likely to be one of the toughest - if not the toughest - run of their childhood so far.” Spartan is the only event in Hong Kong to use obstacles in competition. Some training is recommended and Spartan is partnering with Minisport who will be hosting a special free training session at Tamar Park on March 11, and another on March 25 on a beach (venue to
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The inaugural race is open to four to 13 year olds and will take place on April 22.
be decided, see www.facebook.com/spartanracehongkong). Experienced coaches will help youngsters improve their speed, agility and stamina through a variety of drills and games. However, kids who play regular sport should be able to handle the race, says Ng. He recommends participants don’t wear anything new or expensive - this is the time to dig out your oldest tee-shirt and shorts. “You will get dirty! But there will be shower facilities available at the venue.” According to Ng, in Spartan races, kids compete against themselves - it is not a race to prove one child is “better” than another. The idea is to encourage parental support and for kids to prove to themselves what they can achieve with drive and determination. It’s a test that is both mental and physical, but mainly it’s just lots of fun. The race will take place on April 22 at Kam Tin Country Club, Yuen Long, in the New Territories. There will be buses available
throughout the day from Kam Sheung Road MTR to the venue, limited parking is available. Race categories include 0.5km (four year olds), 0.5-1km (five to seven years), 1km (eight to ten years), 2km (11-13 years). Register at www.spartanrace.hk - until March 30 Expat Parent readers can claim a 10% discount using the code EP10SPARTAN. Stay in the loop at www.facebook.com/ spartanracehongkong
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food
Food news
The Taste Buddies A trip to Italian restaurant Ciao Chow was on the cards for our tween team this month.
New to the neighbourhood
Perfect pasta parcels at Pici.
Nestled in St. Frances Yard, new neighbourhood pasta bar Pici is serving up fresh handmade Italian fare in Wan Chai’s trendiest district. Aiming for an approachable and affordable food and drinks menu, young Italian chef Andrea Viglione is hoping to serve up some “kick-ass” bowls of pasta from different regions around Italy and local wines.
The no reservation, 56-seat restaurant features casual barstool countertops and tables on its ground floor as well as its first floor mezzanine. Mon-Thurs 12-2.30pm & 6-10.30pm, Fri & Sat 12-2.30pm & 6-11pm, Sun closed, 16 St Frances Yard, Wan Chai, 2755 5523.
From bedtime tales to cocktails Kids tucked up in bed? Time to hit Soho’s decadent Belle Epoque-style cocktail lounge Le Boudoir which has added five new cocktails to its menu. The Pink Squirrel (pictured) is made up of equal parts heavy cream, creme de cacao and Creme de Noyaux - a rare liquor made from the stones of apricots with a hint of almond. The French 75 contains gin, lemon and simple syrup served in a chilled flute with a splash of champagne. The Lumiere was inspired by 1930s Paris in the 2011 film Hugo. Think gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur and a dash of orange bitters, fresh lime and green Chartreuse. 66 expat-parent.com
Earthquake containing cognac and absinthe - does what it says on the tin; And Le Rose is a combination of kirsch, French vermouth and raspberry syrup. Mon-Sun 6pm-2am, Basement, 65 Wyndham Street, Central, 2530 3870.
Our invitation said “We hope you like pizza!” We both LOVE pizza, and we don’t get nearly enough of it at home (mum says Friday nights only) so we couldn’t wait to get ordering at Ciao Chow. This restaurant is really nice and it was really buzzy when we went on a Saturday lunchtime. Mum said we had to taste more than just pizza, so we agreed to sharing plates of salame al tartufo (black truffle salami - truffle is pretty fancy and not made of chocolate), burrata Pugliese (burrata from Puglia - we actually love burrata, it’s so nice and creamy), and bruschetta al pomodoro (tomato bruschetta, which we also love). It was all great, but basically we couldn’t wait for the pizza. We opted for a safe margherita and also tried a calabrese (tomato, mozzarella, ricotta and salami). Both were delicious, with generous toppings on a nice crispy crust. Meanwhile mum wanted to also try a pasta dish - the gnocchetti alla salsiccia was AMAZING. It was gnocchetti with Italian sausage, chilli and cherry tomatoes. I think mum was pretty surprised by how much we liked it and she had to order a second dish as she was too slow for the first. We just about had room for pudding (or “dolci”) - we went for raviolo Nutella e banana, which was like a calzone but oozing with delicious Nutella and banana. Again, mum didn’t get any, but she said she did really enjoy her torta della Nonna (Grandma’s Tuscan pear tart). The chef came out to meet us and explained that the tart is made to his actual Nonna’s recipe, so it’s a bit different to the traditional torta della nonna. Mum said it was one of the best desserts she’d ever had. We both gave Ciao Chow ten-out-of-ten and we’re hoping we get to go back. I might have my birthday dinner here. Arrivederci! 12pm-12am, G/F, California Tower, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2344 0005. If you have a kids menu you would like our tween team to review, drop us an email at editorial@fastmedia.com.hk.
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food
Munchies in Wong Chuk Hang With a brand new MTR station, southside’s industrial outpost is all linked up. Carolynne Dear finds out if it’s worth the ride.
The way it was - the MTR starts its journey southwards.
Mum Veggie + Coffee + Sweet This cute vegetarian cafe does exactly what it says on the tin - tasty veggie dishes with coffee and sweet, no doubt aimed at all those mums keeping fit or dropping off pre-schoolers in the area. The rough and ready fit-out - think eclectic mix of furniture and exposed ceilings - juxtapositions nicely against the swish sophistication of host building One Island South. Drop in for vitamin-loaded salads, noodles, dumplings, plus vegan cakes and sweets. Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat closed, Sun 8am-5pm, G/F One Island South, Wong Chuk Hang, 2115 3348. 68 expat-parent.com
Pomegranate Kitchen Originally a private kitchen launched six years ago by chef Maria Bizri, Pomegranate Kitchen now serves lunch throughout the week. Bizri mixes dishes learnt in her grandparents’ Mediterranean kitchen with inspiration gathered from her travels through the Middle East and Asia. Enjoy a light lunch or heartier fare, including slow-cooked chermoula lamb, saffron and sumac chicken, succulent vine leaves and pistachio and orange blossom meringues. Mon-Fri 12.30-3pm, 4B, 44 Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen, 2580 0663.
Pomegranate Kitchen’s Maria Bizri and family.
food Elephant Grounds Coffee + Kitchen The coffee connoisseurs of the strip, these guys know their stuff when it comes to your daily caffeine fix. “We use the best and freshest beans available - it needs to be constantly monitored,” comments their head barista. Add to this a constantly changing daily lunch menu of sandwiches, salads, soups and mains, all served up in a funky, airy venue and you’ve got one cool coffee cafe. Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat closed, Sun 9am-5.30pm, 1/F The Factory, No 1 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang, 2562 9000. 3/3rds A fresh and tempting, ever-changing menu of salads, sandwiches, soups, toasties, and pancakes. All items are discarded if they haven’t been snapped up after two hours. The venue also offers sophisticated private dining options and venue hire, and has a cute rooftop garden nestled amongst the industrial skyline. Mary Poppins eat your heart out. Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm, Sat & Sun 11am-6pm, 22D, Yally Industrial Building, 6 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang, 3462 2951.
Can you imagine spending 30 years like this?
Baristas know their brews at Elephant Grounds.
Oliver spent three decades in a tiny cage – alone and in agony – repeatedly violated for his gall-bladder bile. Today there are still thousands of bears, just like Oliver, who face abuse and suffering every single day. You can stop this cruelty. Join Team Oliver, our global community of people dedicated to ending the suffering of China’s forgotten bile bears. Find out more and watch Oliver’s incredible story at: www.animalsasia.org/Oliver
Call Animals Asia Hong Kong on: 2791 2225
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food
Picture gazing as you eat at DineArt.
DineArt Combining a private kitchen with a gallery, this unique space blends both fine dining and an immersive art experience. Beginning March 20 the gallery will host a solo exhibition of new paintings by New Zealand-born artist Euan Macleod, inspired by a trip to China’s Yellow Mountains. The five-course menu this month features a pork loin wrapped in Guanciale ham,
a pasta course of ravioli with pesto sauce and ricotta cheese, Sicilian calamari and cherry tomatoes, a main course of breaded veal tenderloin and a creamy homemade tiramisu to finish off. A group of ten guests or a minimum spending are required. 16/F, Suite A Kwai Bo Industrial Building, Wong Chuk Hang, 2805 8555.
Goodwill Production This unusually named cafe certainly cooks with good intentions - its dishes are MSG-free and vegetarian. Tasty food at competitive prices make this a go-to lunch destination - there are only ten seats in the tiny venue so get in early or be prepared to queue (they also offer takeaway). There are main dishes of pastas and risottos, and for a few extra dollars you can dine in style with a soup, bread, salad or drink on top. Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 11am-3pm, Sun closed, 25/F, Kingley Industrial Building, 35 Yip Kan Street, Wong Chuk Hang, 2874 1960.
The Butchers Club Private Kitchen The Butchers Club is a household name in Hong Kong, with locations in Quarry Bay, Central and TST. To enjoy your grub in a more private setting, this recently opened venue could be for you. Groups of up to 16 diners can enjoy the signature Big Beef Experience menu - the main event here is the customdry aged steak (in-house), rounded off with a dessert and cheeseboard. 13/F, Unit C, Sun Ying Industrial Centre, 9 Tin Wan Close, Tin Wan, Aberdeen, 2552 8281.
Family dining at Pizza Express.
Pizza Express You can’t beat family-favourite Pizza Express for a fun and relaxed lunch. Serving up some great pizzas, salads and mains, there’s something for everyone on their menu. The Kids Menu remains a firm favourite for little gourmands across the territory, including perennial favourites such as nutella dough 70 expat-parent.com
balls and babycinos. The Wong Chuk Hang venue opened last year and is handily located directly opposite the MTR exits. 11am-10pm, G/F, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 3585 8598.
Butchers Club knows its beef.
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travel
Surfin’ Byron Bay Happy hippies and blissed-out backpackers make for a heady holiday mix in Australia’s capital of cool. Carolynne Dear took the kids along for the ride.
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travel
I
t’s nice, flying to Australia. Pick the right night flight and you can end up soaring over the magnificent “top end” just as the sun rises, a pink glow casting its rosy hue over the Gulf of Carpentaria and the vast plains of the Northern Territory. Of course the enormity of the country means you still have a good three hours until you land in Sydney, but that first glimpse of this vast land is quite special. We were flying en famille for a southern hemisphere summer break in Byron Bay, the surf-haven that lies on the northern-most stretch of the New South Wales coastline. Byron’s closest airport, Ballina, is a tiny, domestic-only affair, so the options were to fly into Brisbane with a 150km drive south, or fly to Sydney and transfer either to a Gold Coast flight (which involves an hour’s drive south to Byron) or, as we did, a flight into Ballina Gateway Airport, and a 20-minute cruise north along the slick new A1 freeway. Door-to-door, Clearwater Bay to our holiday house in leafy Federal, Byron Shire, took most of the night and all day, but with just a three-hour time difference and an incredibly easy drive at the end, we arrived in much better shape than the previous July following a twelve-hour night-flight to Paris, a sevenhour time difference, and having to negotiate the notorious Peripherique during the Parisian morning rush-hour. My husband certainly looked a lot less grim as we sped along the empty roads past a sparkling ocean and leafy gum trees.
Put another shrimp on the barbie, Dad!
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We do like to be beside the seaside- watching the waves roll in at Jews Point (above and below).
The surrounding countryside may be peaceful, but Byron town in the summer is busy, no two-ways about it. What with hippies, holidaymakers, backpackers, locals and daytrippers, all attempting to drop in and hang out, there really isn’t much space in the grid-locked town centre, so with past experience under our belts, we’d opted to stay in the lush, green hinterland - the complete antithesis of bustling Hong Kong. The specifics of our property - a large, single-storey building with huge open plan kitchen, lounge and dining area leading onto a verandah, lawn and pool, all with sensational views over the lush green fields and gum trees to the ocean - will remain under wraps, suffice to say it is in the little village of Federal which is a 20 minute drive from the coast. And that’s all I’m prepared to give away. As blissed out as its reputation is today, Byron has had a busy past. The local Arakwal Aboriginal people originally named the area Cavvanbah, or “meeting place”. Then James Cook sailed in in the eighteenth century, naming the headland - the most easterly point
of mainland Australia - Cape Byron after a naval officer on board who also became, incidentally, the grandfather of the poet Lord Byron. A chequered history of logging, sand mining, whaling and meat and dairy production ensued, until everything began to decline in the 1960s and the surfers hit town, keen to hang ten on longboards at natural surf breaks at The Pass (glorious on a summer’s evening), Watego’s (great luxe beachside restaurant) and Cosy Corner. And once counter-culture music and arts festival Aquarius had rolled into nearby Nimbin in 1973, the area had firmly established itself as a happy, hippy, surfie scene.
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travel What’s nice about Byron is that even in this high-tech day and age, it still hasn’t lost its charm. We encountered many an oblivious backpacker, guitar under one arm, surfboard under the other, meandering along the lanes. Our own stay mostly revolved around hanging out in the garden, with the kids enjoying hosepipe fights on the trampoline and playing “classic catches” with an old tennis ball in the pool, and for us, reading, slapping top quality local meat onto the BBQ and taking in the crystal clear views over a bottle of something cold and crisp. Nearby Bangalow and Mullumbimby offered great shopping, coffee stops and a plethora of lunch venues - we can highly recommend The Bangalow Hotel where we enjoyed grilled fish, salads and burgers on its frangipani-bedecked verandah one afternoon. There are also heaps of boutiques for a postlunch digestive wander, with loads of locally sourced clothing, shoes, homewares and other bits and bobs. Of course on a proper Aussie seaside holiday you can’t walk past the surfing. Byron Bay itself is just beautiful, especially if you make it down there early in the morning before the crowds hit. The bay itself fills with bobbing swimming caps as locals and holidaymakers front crawl their way from The Pass to the town. The Pass was particularly conducive to beginner surfers and young children - we spent many happy evenings in the shallow, crystal waters as pint-sized wave after pint-sized wave rolled in the and the children worked their way up from a body surf to standing on a board. A short stroll from the beach is The Pass Cafe which serves up a good line in breakfasts
and lunchtime burgers, chips and salads, surrounded by the local wildlife (we said g’day to a blue tongue lizard outside in the rockery and a cheeky kookaburra swooped for a chip while we ducked in for a snack). Other great beaches include Brunswick Heads, which is also on the Brunswick river - perfect for swimming or hiring kayaks if you want a break from the surf, and Broken Head at Suffolk Park, or “Suffo” as it is affectionately known locally. Suffo is also home to possibly the best pies ever - a hot steak and pepper pastry-encased treat at the Suffolk Park Bakery after a tough morning on a boogie board was like manna from heaven.
We kayaked past dolphins and turtles and ate Tim Tams on the beach.
One morning we booked a dolphinviewing kayak tour in the bay - there are a number of companies down on the beach front, we used Cape Byron Kayaks. We met at 8am, and following a quick class in paddling technique, hit the water. We paddled around The Pass towards Watego’s beach, spotting not only pods of dolphins, but also turtles. This is how dolphins should be seen - in the wild. Regulations stipulate that kayakers must keep a healthy 50m distance, but they’re an inquisitive lot and
were soon up close and personal. We finished with morning tea, Tim Tams and an inevitable surf on Watego’s beach, and then a paddle back round to the bay. Away from the beaches, we checked out a couple of the local water holes, which in the guide books were described rather more impressively as “wild water swimming spots” - that’s what went up on Facebook, anyway. One hot and sticky afternoon we ventured as far as The Channon, the original hippyhome of Byron Shire, following a dirt track that meandered for miles through the hills, past a mob of ‘roos, until we were eventually rewarded with a swim under a waterfall in a cool pool at the bottom of a trail. We climbed the waterfall, leapt from rocks, spotted eel and swam until summer storm clouds rolled in and we decamped back down the track to the shelter of The Channon Tavern (they were having a pasta special night). The Channon is also the venue for the area’s oldest craft market. The Channon Craft Market was first held in 1976, based on the ethics of “make it, grow it, bake it”. These days it’s held throughout the year on the second Sunday of every month, which happily coincided with our break. We had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon wandering around the bustling stalls, bumping into old school friends (those Taunton schoolboys get everywhere), and coming away with jewellery, pottery, sundresses, various wood-hued musical instruments and a tray of mangoes. And that was our holiday - good, clean, old-fashioned fun. We arrived home refreshed, revived and ready to take on a Hong Kong winter.
Need to know We flew Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong to Sydney (8.5 hours), and Jetstar from Sydney to Ballina Gateway (50 minutes). We booked our Federal property through stayz.com.au. Cape Byron Kayaks can be contacted at capebyronkayaks.com. The Bangalow Hotel Restaurant opens 10-12am, 1 Byron Street, Bangalow, bangalowhotel.com.au. The Channon Butterfactory Tavern opens 11am-9pm, 51 Terania Street, The Channon, +61 2 6688 6522. The Channon Craft Market runs every second Sunday of the month, 10am-3pm, The Channon Road, The Channon, thechannonmarket.org.au. Rae’s On Wategos, 6-8 Marine Parade, Byron Bay, +61 2 6685 5366. The Pass Cafe, 1 Brooke Drive, Byron Bay, +61 2 6680 8028. Wild water swimming at The Channon.
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Memorable moments at Brunswick Heads.
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flailing spouse
Dream on Was it all worth it? asks our wannabe yummy mummy.
A
s the children traipsed wearily back to school after the Chinese New Year break last month, it was lovely to finally be able to reclaim my living room, especially as I wanted to invite a friend and her newborn to tea. And so, by early afternoon, the sofa had been de-crumbed, the rug de-Legoed, the coffee table relieved of i-pads, i-phones, chargers, TV remotes, Playstation controls and felt-tip pens, and I had successfully raided the M&S bakery on Cochrane Street for, dare I say it, a very attractive afternoon tea table. Following a winter break of sometimes fraught relations with my own children, it was a breath of fresh air to have a cuddle with a gorgeous little bundle of gurgling joy who a) couldn’t answer back, b) didn’t want endless spending money for the cinema and Pizza Express, and c) was blissfully unaware of Minecraft. My friend looked absolutely blooming, motherhood is obviously suiting her. But while she is enjoying her maternity leave, the conversation did soon turn to whether she should look at going back to work at some point over the next twelve months. “Well,” I said, rather self-importantly, “I, of course, did take a career break so I could devote my time to the children.” “Did you?” countered the twelve-year-old, fresh off the school bus and grabbing a handful of chocolate mini-muffins en route to the playstation. “I thought I went to preschool?” “Well yes you did, darling,” I smile. “You went to that lovely kindie in Australia with the organic veggie patch and the aboriginal dream-time garden. Don’t you remember?” Which is exactly why I had to give up work - the local community pre-school, run by an artist from Byron Bay and with a wait-list that would put a Hong Kong kindergarten to shame, was regarded locally as the gold standard of early childhood education. However, it only opened 10am until 2pm, which, by the time I’d done drop-off and pickup, basically killed any chance of me exiting so much as the suburb for the day, let alone holding down a professional, paid job in the city.
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Our columnist is a long suffering expat wife, and mother to several energetic, third culture children. She lives in Hong Kong. In line with its ecological philosophy, the children’s packed lunches also had to be vegetarian, egg-free, nut-free and entirely recyclable, so a lot of my day was spent scouring supermarket shelves for non-egg containing crackers and brown paper bags - a thankless and often fruitless task, I soon discovered. But having wrestled my children to the top of the waitlist in the first place, there was no way I was pulling them out for the local daycare centre with “mummy-friendly” hours and in-house catering. “Did I?” counters the twelve-year-old. “To be honest mum I can’t remember. Didn’t we used to have tea there?” Oh my god, I can’t believe this. “No! I cooked tea for you at home, every single night! From that special Annabel Karmel
recipe book! You must remember? What about you?” I turn to the teen. “What?” she grunts from the couch. “I dunno. I thought you worked?” No, I didn’t!, I want to scream. I gave it all up for you! To be honest, the vision in my mind fourteen years ago of a smiley, engaged, fun family - a sort of organic, Boden-wearing version of The Waltons - has never really materialised. The warning bells should probably have started ringing the day we were invited into the pre-school to view the children’s “art exhibition”. Using vegetable dyes and organic paints (naturally), they had been asked to portray their favourite activity over the recent school holidays. The teen (aged four-and-a-half at the time) had painted a meticulous scene of a Westfield shopping mall (to be fair it was just a drawing of a building and I could still have passed it off as the local art museum, but a teacher - no doubt at the innocent but insistent bequest of my daughter - had helpfully scrawled “Westfield Shopping Mall” in black marker across the top of it). Her best friend had drawn the IKEA childcare centre (“well it was AU$1 for an hour!” countered her mum. “And they got a free colouring book at the end!”). I was totally with her, but unfortunately the paintings did not sit well juxtapositioned against little Madeleine’s “Sunset Over The Ocean With Mummy”, and the general proliferation of rainbows, fields, farms and dolphins plastered all over the walls. My baby friend left, replete with scones and jam, but still totally bemused as to whether she should go back to work or not. And I guess that is the moral of the tale - don’t beat yourself up about any of your decisions, as children have very short memories. And with picture perfect Facebook memories to polish those rose tinted glasses in years to come, we can all remember ourselves as perfect yummy mummies whatever we decide to do with those preschool years (even if the kids are a bit hazy about the details).
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