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June 2017

Art with heart

Memories are made of these - fab summer gifts

Viva España

New international school touches down

Ooh là là!

Restaurant revolutions for HK’s king of catering

we hong kong!

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CONTENTs

ISSUE 038

2

Editor’s letter

48

School news

Happy holidays!

New openings and anniversaries.

4 Contributors

44

School holiday camps

Meet the team.

The ultimate guide to see you sanely through summer.

6

School Photos.

Fun from around Hong Kong.

8

What’s on

Fun on the stage and in the water.

12

Things you need to know

Lovely lychees.

14 News

Goings on this month.

16 Giveaways Loads of free stuff.

18

Me & my big idea

Big Bang Legends hits town.

20

Father’s day gifts

Dad’s the word.

22

Debate of the month

Holiday homework - love it or hate it?

24

Book review

New this month plus best designed kids books.

26

My Hong Kong

Wine connoisseur Gavin Jones decants some wisdom.

32

The big interview

The wonder from Down Under, Wayne Parfitt.

38 Cover story

Travel tales.

52

Principal’s office

Catching up with Mary Scarborough.

54

Life & style news

Looking good in June.

56

Life & style

Great art to remember Hong Kong.

6 18

62

Health & wellness news

Essential packing.

48

64

Ask an expert

Hot mummas.

66

Me & my hobby

Nipping around Deepwater Bay.

68 Food

68

Dining and the great outdoors.

74 Travel

Ask an expert.

80

Flailing spouse

Holiday hits and misses.

14 74

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

Acting Editor Eric Ho

Design cindy@fastmedia.com.hk Design Manager Cindy Suen

Graphic Designer Anna Schulteisz

Sales & Marketing ads@fastmedia.com.hk

S

plashing my way across Statue Square last month between meetings in black rain, I happened to glance from under my umbrella at the Mandarin Oriental. It’s a hotel that holds a special place in my heart. Not only have I have enjoyed many a pleasant evening there, but it is also the very first place I ever stayed in Hong Kong.

And I suddenly realised that this month is bit of a milestone with regards that first visit. I was childless (the kids were all back in Sydney under the supervision of my dazed and confused husband) and here to assess the city before accepting a job transfer. Looking back, I realised how much I’ve changed since that initial “look-see” and just how much has happened in my life.

Hong Kong has been without doubt the most exciting place I have ever lived - it’s dynamic, fun, fast and furious. I have done things here I would never have imagined myself doing - running half marathons for charity, dragon boating, going back to work, attending friends’ birthday parties on roller blades (let’s not dwell on that last one).

But as my thoughts drifted back to those early days, I have to admit it was tough at first.

Navigating the school run to Kowloon in taxis with babies and toddlers and drivers who wouldn’t leave the Island, to wandering haplessly around Causeway Bay in the searing heat desperately trying to locate IKEA (this was in the days before google maps), it was certainly no picnic at first.

At this time of year, many of us are moving on and many are also arriving. So I would say to those leaving, all the best and I hope you are taking with you many happy memories of this great place. And to those just arriving, don’t worry! Hang in there, it will all come good in the end - and if you’re having a bad day, the Mandarin’s Captain’s Bar does a great G&T! Happy holidays, happy travelling and happy reading - and don’t forget to keep up with us on Instagram or Facebook!

Sales and Marketing Executive Kiran Hiranandani

Sales and Marketing Executive Maria Jones

PA to the Publisher amanda@fastmedia.com.hk PA to the Publisher Amanda Chia

Office Security

Peace Keepers

Cat the dog

Fish & Chips

Contact us Admin: 3568 3722 | Editorial: 2776 2773 | Advertising: 2776 2772

about the cover This month’s stunning cover features a limited edition print on perspex of Victoria Harbour by Italian artist Francesco Lietti. Lietti studied architecture in Paris and photography in London and moved to Hong Kong in 2006. He loves the richly evocative colours, smells and abundance of images here and his works focus on travel and discovery, created from a combination of memories and imagination. His work is available from lisa@scandicrest.hk or www.xiko.se.

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Sales Director Oliver Simons

Published by Fast Media Ltd, L1 Kai Wong Commercial Building, 222 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong 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

Marianne Rogerson

Trisha Harjani

Katie Vajda

...is a busy travel blogger and mum-of-two.

She has explored all over Asia, keeping her readers up-to-date with the best in kids travel.

This month she has collated a range of travel must-haves for our special feature on page 36. She lives in Stanley with her husband Dougie and says Vietnam is her favourite family destination (swiftly followed by Bohol in The Philippines). Read all about her adventures at www.mumonthemove.com.

…painstakingly pounded the territory uncovering the best summer camps in Hong Kong for our Schools feature on page 44. Whether you’ve got active tots or demanding teens, she’s got you covered with an exclusive guide to keeping the boreds at bay. Harjani is a Hong Konger by birth and today a confused third-culture kid. When she’s not writing, she’s playing field hockey or listening out for a random quirky fun fact.

...reveals her top tips for taking great images on page 56. An award-winning photographer, Vajda shares her secrets to shooting kids, family reunions and a great landscape as we head into summer holiday territory. A mum-of-two, her favourite thing to do in Hong Kong is SUPping with the kids on Sha Ha beach, Sai Kung, followed by a coldie or two at Thai Dao bar on the waterfront. View her work at www.katievajda.com.

Want to write for Expat Parent Magazine? Contact editorial@fastmedia.com.hk

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school photos Hong Kong Academy

Secondary students perform Shockheaded Peter, a play based on a set of German fairytales

by Heinrich Hoffman.

Nord Anglia International School

Students showcase their STEAM skills to visiting researchers, professors and students from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

Harrow International School Hong Kong

The Gold Coast-based school welcomed Premier League football players to its campus.

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school photos The Harbour School

International science and social studies students walk the Nakasendo Way, Japan; an all girls team pick up Best Presentation Award at the Technovation Challenge.

ESF Glenealy School

Year 6 students show off their work at a special exhibition.

Fairchild Junior Academy

Fairchild Junior Academy celebrates its first anniversary with its 100 founding families, friends and staff. The anniversary coincided with the opening of a second campus in Sai Ying Pun. expat-parent.com 7

what’s on

STAGE RIGHT! Youth Theatre Festival 2017, June 17 & 25.

UNTIL JUN 24

Hong Kong Upside Down Hong Kong-based photographers Tugo Cheng and Romain Jacquet-Largreze exhibit their work. Blue Lotus Gallery, 1606 Chai Wan Industrial City Phase 1, 60 Wing Tai Street, Chai Wan, www.bluelotus-gallery.com.

JUN 1

Summer Gift & Lifestyle Fair A ballroom full of homeware, fashion, accessories, food, gifts and kids’ stuff. Free entry. Open 10am-7pm at the Grand Ballroom, The Conrad Hotel, 88 Queensway, Admiralty.

JUN 2-4

The Tiger Who Came To Tea A heartwarming tale about a tea-guzzling tiger.

Expect oodles of magic, sing-along songs and clumsy chaos. The 55-minute production is recommended for kids aged 3+. Tickets from $195-435 at hkticketing.com or call 2547 7150.

JUN 2-4

Dragon Boat Carnival Three days of festivities and racing. Victoria 8 expat-parent.com

Harbour, fee entry. For more information, visit discoverhongkong.com

JUN 3

Sting - 57th & 9th tour The music legend tours his latest album, 57th & 9th. See him perform live at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre with a three-piece band. Tickets from $588 at hkticketing.com

JUN 3

Village Dogs, an acoustic duo, and Levelling Out, a classic rock band. Free admission, 8-11pm. S2 Waterfront, G/F, Waterfront Park, 1 Wai Man Road, Sai Kung. For more information visit facebook.com/groups/220195051804462

JUN 4

Handmade Hong Kong Park Island Indie arts, crafts and traders fair on Park Island, Ma Wan. Free entry, www.handmadehongkong.com

ESF Language & Learning Parents Workshop Sleep Training Solutions

JUN 5

A workshop on sleep training for new babies, with information on feeding, nap and bedtime schedules. Tickets are $150. 4-5pm, ESF Language & Learning Centre 2/F Prime Mansion 183-187 Johnston Road, Wan Chai. Book your space at eventbrite.hk

Keep it green.

JUN 3

World environment day

JUN 6

Pop-up shop Fabulous frocks from the Ladies Who Lunch.

10:30am-4pm, Apt 2094, Tower B, Queens Garden, 9. Old Peak Road, Mid-levels.

Sai Kung Live

JUN 7, 14, 21 & 28

A new monthly music event will be rocking Sai Kung’s waterfront this month. The inaugural event will kickoff with Sai Kung based The

Newly launched massage sessions for mamas of young children. Parents can enjoy 30-minute

CATCH Pamper & Playdate Series

tell me more

mum about town Angels are about I’m really keen to roll out my dusty yoga mat for Angels for Orphans on June 3. Led by mum-of-two Olivia Crooke, the charity fitness team will be running a yoga and bubbles session at The Hive in Sai Kung.

Local yoga instructor Emma Andrews Linnitt of The Yoga House will be leading the hour-long class, after which we’re invited for a glass of ‘poo (and probably lunch, yoga makes me terribly hungry) at Cena restaurant on Sai Kung square. It’s just $200 to join the action, and all monies raised go towards projects helping impoverished children in Indonesia and Cambodia. Email olivia.crooke@smallprint.com if you’d like to join us, 11am-12pm, The Hive, Sai Kung.

Bad hair day?

Shek O as photographed by Tugo Cheng, Hong Kong Upside Down, June 24.

massages while kids play. 3-5:30pm, 2/F Soundwill Plaza II, 1 Tang Lung Street, East Point. Suitable for children aged 1 to 4, catchapp.com.hk/ pamperandplaydatejune2017/

JUN 7, 14, 21, 28

BOGA Fitmat classes Total body workout on a floating fitness mat in a swimming pool.

10:30-11:30am, The American Club, Tai Tam. Prices are $585 per person (a maximum of four people per class). To register, email programs@americanclubhk.com (preferably with your or a friend’s club membership number) or email supyogahongkong@gmail.com

JUN 8

Sai Kung pop-up A range of local businesses showcase their products in this day-long pop up shop, including Gifts in a Tin, Not Only Olives, Ladies Who Lunch (dresses), Sai Kung First Aid and Bella Blu Design (hats). 11am-5pm, CENA in the square. For further details, call Claire Brownless on 6100 0253.

JUN 9-11

To celebrate Father’s Day, Daddy Did My Hair! workshops will be running throughout the month. So what’s the deal? Dads, you get to spend a day with your little lady learning how to put together an absolutely fabulous ‘do. While you’re working on the tresses, your daughter gets to enjoy a mini mani (that’s a nail thing). Then you reverse seats and dad gets a make up lesson. If you pass, you get a certificate, and there’s a photo booth and gift bag too. Memories are made of these. Email happyhour@airplaybar.com.

Thank you for the days…

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of handover, Bookazine will be inviting a variety of local authors to its Prince’s Building shop on June 15 to celebrate, discuss and debate the occasion. Authors include Larry Feign (Let’s Shut Up and Make Money, A Politically Incorrect History of Hong Kong), Guy Shirra (The Little Red Swear Book), Jason Ng (Hong Kong State of Mind), Peter Mann (Sheriff of Wan Chai: How an Englishman helped govern Hong Kong in its last decades as a British colony), Rachel Cartland (Paper Tigress: A life in the Hong Kong government), Feng Chi-shun (Diamond Hill) and Graham Reels (Confessions of a Hong Kong naturalist). With Hong Kong seemingly at a pivotal moment in history, this is an evening not to be missed, enquiries@bookazine.com.hk.

My Fair Lady A musical production based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, brought to Hong Kong by Face Productions. Featuring everyone’s favourite Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai. www.hkticketing.com.hk

JUN 9&10

Coaching in Education ESF King George V secondary school hosts a conference to share best coaching practice. Open to all parents as well as KGV staff and families. KGV School, 2 Tin Kwong Road, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, www.cie2017.kgv.edu.hk.

JUNE 8-11

Evolution Asia Yoga Conference The Evolution Asia Yoga Conference celebrates its 10th anniversary. Sign up before June 7 at asiayogaconference.com. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai.

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what’s on JUN 9&10

Retykle pop up shop Pre-loved designer kids clothes online boutique Retykle holds its first pop-up shop at Maggie & Rose. Maggie & Rose members will get a “My Hong Kong Alphabet” book (worth $160) with every purchase over $600. Clothes passed onto Retykle will be resold or donated to HandsOn Hong Kong. 2-8pm (June 9); 9am-12pm (June 10), Maggie & Rose, Shop 301 the pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay.

JUN 10

Kayak n Run

Two races at Tai Tam Bay - a family race and adult race, starting at 8am and 9am, respectively. Check out the course route and register before June 6 at actionasiaevents.com.

JUN 10 & 11

Italian Market Over 30 vendors plus the Italian Chamber of Commerce with gelato, pizza, pasta, foccacia, olive oil, wines, beers, jewellery and fashion.

Plus a kid’s area, sea-view terrace, lucky draws, live music and other entertainment. Midday8pm, Cyberport - The Arcade, Ocean View Court & Sea View Terrace, 100 Cyberport Road, Pok Fu Lam. Free for ICC members, $50 for non-membres.

JUN 14

Mums@PLAY bazaar Shop, wine and dine with friends - find children’s books, gifts, swimwear, jewellery, crafts and more. Plus there’s a mini spa and play area for little ones. This is the last Mums@ PLAY bazaar before the summer break.

Free entry. 10:30am-6:30pm, El Charro, The Arcade, Cyberport, Pok Fu Lam. Contact at mehroo@mumsatplayevent, mumsatplay.com.

JUN 15

JUNE 11

Free talk: Stay healthy during summer travels

Fun open water swim races for kids aged 7-14 years old at VRC Deepwater Bay, 8am-midday.

Lots of categories plus BBQ breakfast. For details and registration, visit skbasecamp.com

Advice on how to boost your immune system and use natural remedies to treat common illnesses while you’re on the go. Free, 6:308pm, The Round Clinic, 12/F Suite 1227-28, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, call 2648 2612 or email info@theroundclnic.com.

Malvern College/Zoggs Splash 2017

JUN 11

SCREENAGERS: Growing up in the digital age Movie by physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston exploring kids’ struggles with social media, video games, academics and internet addiction and how we can intervene. 3:305:30pm, Character Education Foundation, 4/F, Hong Kong China Tower, 8-12 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai. Tickets are $161.50 from eventbrite.com

UNTIL JUN 13 Kids’ Yoga

Back by popular demand at Flex Studio.

Suitable for ages 6 and up. Tuesdays from 4:155:15pm at Shops 308-310, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang.

Call 2813 2212 or email info@flexhk.com.

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$1,400 each (or $15,800 for a table of 12) at ticketflap.com/ceilidh2017.

JUN 17 & 25

STAGE RIGHT! Youth Theatre Festival 2017 STAGE RIGHT are back with their fourth theatre festival with four shows spread across two dates. The children will be performing titles such as Alice in Wonderland and The Princess and the Frog at the Hong Kong Academy. For both dates, shows start at 4:30pm. For more information call 9225 8924 or visit stagerighthk.com

JUN 18

Father’s Day Don’t forget the main man! See page 22 for gift ideas.

JUN 15-17

JUN 21, 22, 24

A romantic and family-friendly musical revue showcasing the exhilarating music of Richard Rodgers and lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II. Featuring popular songs from Allegro, Me and Juliet, Flower Drum Song, Carousel, Oklahoma!, The King and I, Cinderella and The Sound of Music. The Fringe Underground, Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, $280 (including one drink); $224 for members from ticketflap.com/ hongkongsingers

Meet Superintendent Malcolm Kay, plus families will also get to participate in a Q&A session and meet Stamford’s Admissions Team. For families with children aged 5-13.

Free admission. Two Exchange Square, Level 40, Suites 4005-07, 8 Connaught Place, Central, RSVP admissions@sais.edu.hk or 2500 8688, sais.edu.hk.

JUN 16

That’s right, Britney’s in town for one night only.

The ‘90s pop icon will be performing her hit Piece of Me show in Hong Kong as part of an international tour, before she ends her four-year Las Vegas residency in December. Tickets from $588, hkticketing.com. Arena, AsiaWorld-Expo, Cheong Wing Road, Chek Lap Kok.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s A Grand Night For Singing

The Summer Ceilidh Get your kilt on for the annual Summer Ceilidh and three-course Scottish-themed dinner, hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce.

8pm-1am, Aberdeen Marina Club, 8 Shum Wan Road, Aberdeen. Tickets are on sale now for

Stamford American School Open House

JUN 27

Britney Spears Live in Hong Kong

BOOK NOW JUL 8

Shek O Challenge Join over 300 sports lovers, parents and kids, locals and expats in Shek O for the annual 2.2km Sheko Challenge Swim or team up with friends to run or paddle, or both in the Trisolothon. The afterparty includes beach water polo, barbeque and DJ-spun music.

For under-18s, there’s a kids’ beach swim (a 600m loop starting and finishing at Back Beach) - a great introduction to open water swimming. Race starts at 2 pm, Shek-O, Big Wave Bay. Finishes at Shek O Back Beach. To register, visit openwaterasia.com/events/ swimming/sheko-challenge

JUL 23

Standard Chartered Family Run Held in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and to raise funds for three charitable causes: Seeing is Believing – Orbis, Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled and Hong Kong AntiCancer Society. On the day, a free-admission family carnival at the finish line in Tamar Park will feature live band performances, splash games, family portrait on the lawn, drum circle, face painting, balloon twisting, workshops and more.

Two distances: 2km and 400m.

Register online at putyourself.in/ sc. Participants aged 6 or above must donate a minimum of $200.

All proceeds go to the official charity partners, all donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

Registration closes on June 9.

UNTIL SEP 3

THRILLER Live Back by popular demand, this high-energy explosion of pop, rock, soul and disco takes the audience on a journey through Michael Jackson’s 45-year musical legacy. It has been performed close to 5,500 times in over 30 countries. Tickets from $180 at hkticketing.com. The Parisian, Macau.

NOV 27

Michael McIntyre’s Big World Tour The UK comedian is to perform in Hong Kong for the first time, entertaining audiences with his trademark observational comedy.

Tickets from $488 at hkticketing. com or call 3128 8288. Show starts at 8pm. Star Hall, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre.

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things to know

1

2

The nobbly, red-hued, gently perfumed fruits are native to the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of southern China.

t wee s e hom ome h

To this day, China remains the world’s main producer of lychees, followed by India.

#1 #2

Things you need to know Lychees

B6 C

3 4 5

P

Mg

Lychees pack proper a health punch, containing vitamin C, vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin, folate, copper, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and manganese.

Unofficial Chinese records refer to the lychee tree as far back as 2000BC. Today the trees still grow wild in parts of southern China and on Hainan Island.

In the first century, fresh lychees were in such demand the Imperial Court had a special courier service to rush the fruit to the Emperor’s table straight from Guangdong.

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It’s lychee season! Everything you ever wanted to know about these fruity little power packs.

6

Lychees make a mean summer cocktail - take three or four lychee fruits (peeled and stoned) and blend with the juice of half a lime, vodka, a couple of teaspoons of honey and ice, shake, and serve in a pre-chilled glass.

7

Lychee season runs throughout May and June - check your local wet market.

8

They’re great blended with a little canned lychee juice and served over pancakes.

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news

Vive la difference?

The Ladies Market, Disneyland and Victoria Peak are the most frequented tourist destinations in Hong Kong, according to online travel website TripAdvisor.

Now the largest travel website on the internet, TripAdvisor has revealed the most visited spots in Hong Kong according to users employing its first-ever mobile “check-index” to discover where visitors are spending their

time while overseas. The study was based on TripAdvisor’s not inconsiderable trove of mobile location data. TripAdvisor studied check-ins via smartphone GPS and motion sensors to predict whether anonymous users are visiting a spot or if they are just passing by.

“It’s interesting to see how in some cities travellers and locals are drawn to the same things to do or places to eat, while in others you

Graffiti art In conjunction with the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation, HK Urban Canvas has released a mobile app for viewing Hong Kong’s “urban canvasses”. The app - HK Urban Canvas - has an augmented reality function which means users can view the painted shutter at any time, even if the shop is opened and the shutter not visible. Users will also be able to take photos for sharing on social media.

The app also provides information about the project, the concepts and cultural stories behind the artworks, as well as details of the location of each work and four GPS-supported suggested cultural tour routes.

Running from now until June 11, free guided tours will be arranged on weekends and public holidays to give audiences deeper insight into the shutter artworks, local cultural attractions and the history of the community.

14 expat-parent.com

see distinct differences in their preferences,” remarked Jeff Chow, vice president of product and consumer experience with the site.

According to the data, along with the reasonably predictable destinations, the most frequented chain restaurants are IKEA restaurant, followed by dim sum specialists Din Tai Fung and Tim Ho Wan.

Correction Please note that in last month’s feature “Join the club” on page 72, the venue in question was of course the Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy, not the Sai Kung Golf & Tennis Academy as was printed. Our apologies to Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy.

The top notch sports academy is offering a host of summer camps and entertainment for members from this month onwards.

For more details, see page 45 or contact the academy at hkgta.com, Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy, 81 Tai Chung Hau, Pak Kong, Sai Kung.

Urban artists at work.

For more information, check out HK Urban Canvas Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HKUrbanCanvas

Marvel-lous summer fun Hong Kong Disneyland has launched a “Student Summer Pass” this month. From now until August 4, eligible Hong Kong students will be able to enjoy unlimited entry to the park and 10% off on selected merchandise purchases in gift shops. The pass costs $759 and is available to Hong Kong residents aged between three and 25 years and who are able to present student identification.

To obtain the pass, Hong Kong Disneyland requires presentation of Hong Kong residency and photo identification for three to 11 year olds, and for 12-25 year olds a Hong Kong

Identity Card and full-time student card. For more information go to www. hongkongdisneyland.com/offersdiscounts/studentsummerpass/ The park will also be bringing super hero action to the summer with Iron Man, Captain America and Spider Man greeting guests until September 3.

There is a brand new walk-through experience in the Pavilion which immerses guests in the Marvel Universe with an Avengers Agent mission story set in Hong Kong.

Calling all bookworms With the summer holidays just around the corner, Bookazine has launched a new campaign to encourage people of all ages to read more.

Visit any Bookazine store and get a Summer Reading Card, then, for every book purchase of $80 or more, you’ll get a stamp. For every 10 stamps you collect, you will receive a $100

Bookazine voucher. Bookazine staff has also selected three recommended books from ten different categories - Fiction, Non-Fiction, Business, Feel Good, Thrillers, Sci Fi, Picture Books, Tweens, Teens and Young Adults. Open to the whole family, the campaign runs until the end of August. bookazine.com.hk

news

Happy families

A team of scientists from China have concluded that only-children are the more selfish than children with siblings. The researchers from Southwest University in Chongqing found that only-children had less grey matter in the parts of their brains related to agreeableness. They scanned the brains of 270 students and ran personality tests - half of the volunteers had brothers and/or sisters, half did not.

“Due to the absence of siblings, only children usually miss out on important opportunities to rehearse some of the more complicated aspects of relationships within a safe environment,” commented scientists in the resultant journal, Brain Imaging and Behaviour.

They added that receiving undivided attention from parents could cause “undesirable personality traits in the children, such as dependency, selfishness and social ineptitude.”

On the positive side, they also found that only- children are more creative, as they have more grey matter in the area of the brain linked with thinking outside of the box.

giveaways WIN HERE! Click the Giveaways tab on our website: www.expat-parent.com

Italian Market

Viva Italia! Stuff yourself with Italian goodies at this year’s Italian Market!

Celebrate the best of Italy with Italian specialties, fine wines, handcrafts, music and entertainment.

The Italian Market has teamed up with Expat Parent Magazine to exclusively give Expat Parent Magazine readers free tickets to enjoy this fair June 10-11.

Le Bistro Winebeast Gifts Less Ordinary

Gift your best friend the perfect luxury gift of an Agama Sparkle Friendship Bangle.

Featuring the Agama design in black against an 18 carat gold plated curved bar, this chic enamel bracelet has been embedded with crystals that truly reflect the light and genuinely sparkle. Wear it individually or stack it with other bangles for extra statement accessorising.

We’re giving away one bangle worth $1,106.

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Learn to cook a 3-course sophisticated French meal at Le Bistro Winebeast.

In celebration of Le French GourMay, participants will learn from globe-trotting foodie, Chef Johan Ducroquet and will feast on their creations when finished.

We’re giving away two winners two spots (yourself and a plus one) to a cooking class, worth $900 each.

BoConcept

Add elegance to your bedroom table with BoConcept’s Shelter Table Lamp. Beautifully curved in a combination of brass and black metal, it makes the perfect home accessory.

We’re giving away one lamp valued at $3,169.

expat-parent.com 17

me & my big idea

Rocket scientists

Do your kids know their quarks from their atoms? Finnish gaming company Lightneer has just launched physics-based app, Big Bang Legends.

Founder Lauri Jarvilehto explains why you should be downloading it.

So what’s the big idea?

Big Bang Legends is a learning game about particle physics. We’ve created fun characters from the 118 atoms of the periodic table, so it’s kind of like “Pokemon for particle physics”.

Kids play mobile games for about two hours of every day, so we originally started Lightneer to create learning games to redirect a chunk of those two hours towards something useful.

How did Big Bang Legends come about?

We wanted to start with an easy topic, so we chose particle physics. Seriously though, we wanted to start with something people might think of as a “tough” subject, on the basis that if we can succeed in using a game to teach particle physics, we can use a game to teach anything. Then we got in touch with the people at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) so we’d have some world-class scientific minds to work with.

How long did it take to develop?

The first ideas were born in the summer of 2015. Lightneer was founded in September 2015 and the game went into production in January 2016. It’s been in development now for just over a year.

What challenges did you face?

One of the biggest challenges was how to balance game-play’s fun factor with learning content. Early on, we realised games should not compete with traditional education.

Instead, they work rather well as the initial spark that stokes a love of learning. When a player starts to grasp the basic literacy of physics by playing Big Bang Legends, the topic won’t feel intimidating when a teacher addresses it in a more formal setting later on.

Gaming is a crowded market. Why should kids download Big Bang Legends?

Because it’s fun to play and you’ll learn a ton of things about the atoms that make up everything in the universe. The biggest difference compared to other games is the learning by stealth - playing Big Bang 18 expat-parent.com

Finnish and fun, Lauri Jarvilehto wants to put the sparkle into science.

Legends you’ll learn the names of the atoms, their physical composition, their chemical behaviour and so forth without realising what you’re learning.

Ever been involved in something like this before?

Some of the team helped develop a game called Angry Birds Solar System with NASA, which used the Angry Birds Space game to teach the planets of the solar system. Other team members also worked on Angry Birds Space, which while not exactly a learning game, did have some surprising learning components.

How are you promoting the app?

We’re rolling the game out locally country by country, having started in Singapore

and Hong Kong. This is because we want to be able to meet people locally, playtest in schools and find a way to build a lasting relationship with our fans around the world.

The game went immediately to number one in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines in App Store educational games, and has been in the top ten everywhere it’s been published.

What’s the next step?

We’re rolling the game out in Finland this month, followed by East Europe, then Central Europe in July and the US and UK in September.

Big Bang Legends is available from the App Store, or see www.lightneer.com.

expat-parent.com 19

things we’d buy

Father’s Day cards $37 each from kikki.K www.kikki-k.com Shop 220, 2/F Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central, 2116 0870

Dragon Boat Paddle cufflinks $1,670 from Gifts Less Ordinary giftslessordinary.com

SQ38 Plano watch $1,950 available at squarestreet 15squarestreet.com 15 Square St, Tai Ping Shan

Daddy cool Fabulous Father’s Day gifts for dad.

QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones $2,888 from Bose bose.hk, Shop 2011, IFC, 8 Finance Street, Central

Fibit - Charge 2 $1,298 available to purchase at Escapade www.escapade.com.hk 1/F, Merlin Building, 30-34 Cochrane Street, Central, 2851 0769

Cute custom-engraved cufflinks from $1,400 depending on engraving (fingerprints, hand/footprints, drawings, handwriting) www.smallprint.com

‘HongKonger’ Flip flops (red) 228 from G.O.D $ www.god.com.hk G09-G14, G/F Block A, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, 2915 2822, G/F & 1/F, 48 Hollywood Road, Central, 2805 1876

William toiletry case $1,450-1,650 from the Timothy Oulton bespoke experience (featured model is $1,650 in nappa mustard, crimson stitching, antique gold hardware).

Pricing of bespoke pieces starts at $650 17 Gough Street, timothyoulton.com

20 expat-parent.com

things we’d buy

Kami swimming trunks $1,400 from MAZU Resortwear mazuresortwear.com

Saint Laurent Slim square-frame sunglasses $2,260 available to purchase at Harvey Nichols www.harveynichols.com Pacific Place, Harvey Nichols Pacific Place, 88 Queensway UE Wonderboom $899 from Ultimate Ears www.ultimateears.com

Men’s shirt folder $250 from inspired-collection.com (10 per cent of all profits donated to local charity, Society for Community Organisation), free shipping within Hong Kong

Power Plus (10,000 mAh) $150 from DOMA Lifestyle www.doma.com.hk Shop 202, 2/F, The Peak Tower, 120 Peak Road, 2503 0998 Shop 290, 2/F, Shun Tak Centre, 200 Connaught Road, Sheung Wan, 2110 9943

Hydrate & protect $300 from Selvedge Grooming www.selvedgegrooming.com

SAUCONY FreedomISO $1,100 available at Escapade www.escapade.com.hk 1/F, Merlin Building, 30-34 Cochrane Street, Central, 2851 0769

La Via Lattea cheese cutlery set (soft cheese knives) $2,995 from Town House townhouse.com.hk Wing On Yau Ma Tei, 345 Nathan Road, Kowloon

expat-parent.com 21

debate of the month

Summer scholars School holiday homework - grrrr or great?

“Grrrr! Hate it! I want my children outside, exploring and learning through play in the holidays. But then I’m not a great lover of homework.”

- Jane, Gold Coast

They can set it, but we ain’t doing it!”

- Louise, Sha Tin

“Grrrr! Unless it’s just reading.”

- Bex, Pok Fu Lam “I’m running mummy fun camp this summer. We’re cooking, doing laundry, reading swimming, learning Spanish, potty training, watching movies and playing on the roof.”

- Sonia, Sai Kung

I hate it, but my kid loves it. It helps her remember her Cantonese - it doesn’t take much time but it does annoy me.

- Jill, Tung Chung

“Hate it. Unnecessary as it’s usually just rote learning, stressful and just plain NOT fun. I want my daughter to enjoy being seven.”

- Holly, Whampoa

“Grrrr! Holidays are for kids to have some downtime… a chance to recharge so they come back to school refreshed and ready to learn.”

- Lisa, North Point

“Grrrr!”

- Sonia, Sai Kung

Grrrr!

- Vidya, Tong Fuk

“Grrrr! Holidays are for fun, time for idle minds to ponder the next best activity to pursue and for meeting friends. Holiday homework seems a waste of time and paper.”

- Michelle, Sha Tin “We just don’t do it. Unless it’s reading or possibly just keeping a diary. Holidays are free time and time to make memories.”

- Audrey, Fei Ngo Shan “Over the summer we’ll be reading and keeping up-to-date with our times tables, but that’s it. If we look down too much and don’t look up enough, we miss things we should be enjoying in life.”

- Bethan, Tung Chung

Debate of the month will be taking a break, see you in August!

Email your views to editorial@fastmedia.com.hk or go to www.expat-parent.com 22 expat-parent.com

expat-parent.com 23

book review

Out this month

Get set for summer with a beach bag full of great reads.

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness Arundhati Roy A dazzling, richly moving new novel by the internationally celebrated author of The God of Small Things. It takes us on an intimate journey of many years across the Indian subcontinent.

Its heroes are people who have been broken by the world they live in and then rescued, patched together by acts of love - and by hope. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness demonstrates on every page the miracle of Arundhati Roy’s storytelling gifts.

Camino Island

The Alice Network

The Sunshine Sisters

John Grisham, Doubleday

Kate Quinn, William Morrow

Jane Green Berkley Books

The sensational new thriller from bestselling author John Grisham. A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a secure vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Enter Bruce Cable, owner of a popular bookstore on Florida’s Camino Island; and Mercer Mann, an unemployed, debt-ridden novelist who has been offered a large sum of money to infiltrate Cable’s circle of literary contacts. Summer wouldn’t be summer without a Grisham on the pool bar.

Set in 1947 in the aftermath of the second world war, two women - one a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in first World War France, the other an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France are brought together. Eve, haunted by the betrayal that eventually tore apart the Alice Network, lives a secluded life in a crumbling London house until the young American barges in uttering a name she hasn’t heard in decades.

The warm and wise tale of a mother who asks her three estranged daughters to come home and help her end her life. Ronni Sunshine disappears from London for the bright lights of Hollywood to become a beautiful, charismatic star of the silver screen.

But at home she is a narcissistic, disinterested mother who alienates her three daughters.But their mother’s illness draws them together to confront their past and old jealousies.

Designer reads for kids The shortlist has been announced for this year’s Klaus Flugge Prize.

Klaus Flugge, an East German emigre to New York in the 1930s who ended up founding Andersen Press, has received a number of

Hannah and Sugar Kate Berube, Abrams Hannah is afraid of Sugar, but when Sugar goes missing, she overcomes her fears and makes a new friend.

awards for his contribution to children’s picture books. Now in its second year, the prize was set up to honour Flugge and recognises the most promising and exciting newcomer to children’s picture book illustration.

The Museum of Me

The Journey

Little Red

First Snow

Emma Lewis, Tate

Francesca Sanna, Flying Eye Books

Bethan Woollvin, Two Hosts

Bomi Park, Chronicle Books

A mother and her two children set out on a dangerous journey, leaving everything behind to find safety and a new life.

A darkly comic interpretation of the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood.

The excitement and joy of a little girl’s first experience of snow.

A little girl goes on a journey of discovery to find out what museums are and what they hold in store.

All books are available from www.bookdepository.com. For more details see www.andersenpress.co.uk.

24 expat-parent.com

This year’s judges include Axel Scheffler (of Gruffalo fame), 2016 prize winner Nicholas John Frith and London’s Sunday Times children’s books editor Nicolette Jones.

Here’s a taster from this year’s hopefuls…

book review

Money makes the world go round Author Kevin Kwan reveals the insider goss on his latest page-turner.

Your third novel has just hit Hong Kong bookstands. What’s it all about?

Rich People’s Problems is the third and final book in the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, following Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend. It takes place during the time that Shang Su Yi, the family matriarch, is ailing. Family members from all over the world return to Singapore to settle scores and jockey for position in her will. Readers find out what happens to favourite characters Nick, Rachel, Astrid, Eddie and Kitty.

Why the fixation with wealthy Asians?

When I was at university studying creative writing, my professors always said, “Write what you know”.

So I decided to write about this fascinating world that I have been witness to and that I didn’t see anyone else writing about at the time. I think the lives and foibles of the rich and powerful make for fun reading, and there’s quite a literary traction to it. Edith Wharton, Henry James, Thackeray, Balzac - they all wrote about the cray rich of their era.

My characters are all fictional, but of course every writer is inspired by people they come across.

Filming is now underway for Crazy Rich Asians.

How involved have you been with the movie of your first book?

I’ve been extremely involved with the film since the very beginning. As an executive producer, I’ve been fortunate enough to play a role in choosing the screenwriter, casting and advising on all creative aspects of the movie. Filming began just a few weeks ago, so there is no release date scheduled yet.

Although mainly based in Singapore, Hong Kong does pop up in your books. What’s your relationship with the territory?

Hong Kong is like a second home to me and I’ve been coming since before I can even remember. I have tons of relatives and friends here, and I love spending time in the city. I find it to be even more bustling than New York and I think Hong Kong’s vibe is totally different to Singapore.

Author Kevin Kwan.

Nowadays you live in the US. What do you miss about Asia?

I’ve lived in the US since I was 11 and Manhattan has been home for over two decades. The thing I miss most about Asia is the food. Can you believe that it’s impossible to find a decent bowl of wonton meen in New York?! The first place I head to whenever I land in Hong Kong is Mak’s Noodles.

Will you be coming to Asia to launch Rich People Problems?

Definitely! My publishers are still working out the tour schedule, but I hope to be in Hong Kong before too long.

Available from bookazine.com.hk

expat-parent.com 25

PEOPLE

My Hong Kong the wine connoisseur Brit expat Gavin Jones knows a good drop when he tastes one.

He shares his secrets with Expat Parent.

Gavin Jones heads up independent wine importer Jebsen Fine Wines.

26 expat-parent.com

PEOPLE I arrived in Hong Kong with my wife, Sara, in 1992. I’d always been fascinated with the place and the moment we landed at Kai Tak, I instantly fell in love the city. Unfortunately it wasn’t so instant for Sara! At this point, I was working for an American retail and wholesale group as their food and wine buyer. Their stores were called USA&CO and stocked wellknown American brands that weren’t readily available in Hong Kong.

I’ve always had a keen interest in wine and have been lucky enough to make a career of it. I started out on a management trainee programme with a luxury hotel group who very kindly allowed me to specialize in the wine category. Today I am director of Jebsen Fine Wines (JFW) and have been with the company for 22 years.

I’m lucky because I have a passion for what I do, with a product that I love. I think all jobs come with a degree of stress, but for me this is balanced with interesting daily activities in managing the business. People in the wine industry tend to be great, fun loving, passionate personalities with a common goal of wanting to share their love of wine.

JFW is an independent importer and distributor of wines in Hong Kong and China. We’re different to many wine companies in that we also invest in wineries and brands around the world so have a balanced portfolio of agency and owned brands. We represent global brands such as Bollinger and Penfolds, as well as awardwinning brands such as Twinwoods Estate from Margaret River in Western Australia. We also import and distribute S.Pellegrino, Bacardi Martin spirits portfolio and have recently developed a Sake business.

We distribute to restaurants, hotels, clubs, wine stores, supermarkets and duty free, and we also have a team dedicated to private and corporate clients, delivering wine direct to people’s home or office.

Variety is the beauty of wine. Country, grape varietal, wine making method; all give you a multitude of options to consider. Personally, I enjoy wines from around the world but am always happy to come back to the classic regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux.

When it comes to tasting, mostly I’m looking for a wine that tastes good and is worthy of another sip! These days nearly all wines are pretty well made. First we check a

Jones with wife Sara and children (l to r) Caitlin, Erin and Jack.

wine has no obvious faults - the most common being cork taint. Assuming the wine is fine, I’m looking for brightness in colour, freshness on the palate with good balance - fruit/oak/ tannins/acidity. And finally the length of the wine (how long the flavours of a wine last on your palate after the wine has been swallowed or spat) will give you a good indication of the overall quality.

We’re spoiled for choice in Hong Kong.

Not only is there zero duty on wine, we have the broadest selection of wines I have seen, more than any other city in the world. Hong Kong also has a growing number of genuine wine enthusiasts who enjoy collecting wines.

Here, Bordeaux and Burgundy dominate. With mainstream consumers, New World wines are very popular here, particularly Australia, Chile, California and New Zealand.

We have a sizeable wine distribution in China, but so far have not invested in any wineries there. I wouldn’t rule this out, but I don’t see a rush to make this happen. I’m convinced China will be producing very fine wines in the future, it’s just a question of time.

What I have loved seeing over the last few years is the growing affection for rose wines from Provence. We launched Chateau D’Esclan’s Whispering Angel in Hong Kong around ten years ago, when nobody was drinking rose. It’s now one of our best sellers.

Take a magnum of Whispering Angel to a party and you’ll have plenty of friends!

As I work in Causeway Bay and travel extensively, I like to spend my weekends in Sai Kung, often on my boat. We’ve had so many great nights in the restaurants around Sai Kung “square” and we’re currently also enjoying St Barts, Clearwater Bay’s first restaurant, which is just down the road from us. We’re members of Clearwater Bay Country Club and I like to hit a few golf balls on the new Par3 course at the weekend. I just need to convince Sara and the girls to take up golf!

When my three children were younger, we would often camp on the local beaches together with our dogs. Unfortunately as the kids have got older, the camping trips have got fewer. We spend every July in Donegal, Ireland where we have our holiday house. The water is a completely different temperature but the girls still go boating - in full wet suits. I stick to the golf course with Jack.

I truly believe Hong Kong is the best place in the world to live. Great people, vibrant city, geographically stunning and with a pleasant climate. But above all it’s the people that make it work - such great friends and colleagues.

On the downside, it’s a 12-hour flight from Heathrow. My son Jack is studying at a university in the UK and my daughter Caitlin will join him in September. So unfortunately we will all be spending even more time on planes!

expat-parent.com 27

THE big interview

Wayne’s world

Wayne Parfitt landed in Hong Kong with his wife and baby daughter 26 years ago.

Thirty-six restaurant openings later and he’s a firm fixture on the city’s fickle food map. Carolynne Dear sat down for a coffee in his latest venue.

Wayne Parfitt and staff at St Barts, Clearwater Bay.

28 expat-parent.com

THE big interview

T

o be honest, my Hong Kong experience would be completely different without Wayne Parfitt. His Castelo Concepts chain of uniquely named restaurants has been peppering the background of my social life since the day I arrived here. I celebrated my 40th at Oolaa, my first junk was a Jaspas, my very first “Hong Kong ladies lunch” was in Wagyu - at the time I was a harassed young mother of very small children fresh off the boat from Sydney and was extremely flattered to have a bottle of champagne sent to our table by a group of guys in the corner. “Oh, that’s Wayne, the owner,” my new Bel Air buddies airily informed me. “Enjoy your lunch, ladies,” he called over. I have never forgotten it.

But that’s the kind of guy he is - great fun and he likes a drink and he likes a yarn. His restaurants reflect this - they’re not gourmet or Michelin-starred or trying too hard. We’re talking laid back, easy going venues serving generous portions of enjoyable food alongside large glasses of easy-on-the-palate wines.

“It’s a social business, that’s why I enjoy it,” he tells me as we catch up at St Barts, his brand new restaurant in Clearwater Bay. “People come and go, and then when expats realise all their friends have gone, they leave too. Not me, I’m constantly socialising, meeting people. It’s good,” he says.

An Aussie, he grew up on Queensland’s Gold Coast working in his parents pubs with his brother and business partner, Brian. He reckons the largest, Fisherman’s Wharf, took the equivalent of around HK$1million in today’s money over each weekend. “At 5pm we used to have to turn the beer taps off - we couldn’t keep up with demand. The girls used to count the money in the backroom with a guy with a shotgun standing at the door. They were good times,” he chuckles.

He met his wife Andrea in Australia although Australian she grew up in Hong Kong, she was working for American Express at the time - and they came to the territory for “a couple of weeks to visit her mum and dad” in 1991. During the trip she was offered a job by a former boss, Wayne fell in love with the place, and the rest, as they say, is history. “And I’ll never leave,” he swears. “They can bury me in Sai Kung!”

His first foray into the Hong Kong hospitality business was Pepperoni’s, which opened to huge local fanfare in Sai Kung in 1992. “There really wasn’t anything western in the area at that time, so we stuck to a pretty simple menu,” he recalls. “Pizza, pasta, wine, beer, you can’t go wrong.”

Local expats living in Clearwater Bay at the time recall dashing into Sai Kung with the family the night it opened, the kids bouncing around excitedly in the back of the car as they bucketed along Hiram’s Highway.

A further restaurant, Al Fresco’s (now defunct), quickly opened opposite, as well as the first Jaspas, on Sai Kung “square” (still going strong and regularly booked out on weekends).

He opened a Pepperoni’s in Stanley in 1993 and another in Central shortly afterwards.

It was at this time that he decided to venture into Vietnamese territory. “I was having lunch with eight mates, including my brother, and yeah, we were a bit pissed. Anyway, one said, hey, what about Vietnam? There’s nothing western over there. So the following week we all flew out to Hanoi. And he was right, there was nothing western, I don’t think you could even get cheese in those days. Mind you, by this point we’d sort of decided to give the idea the flick, but this guy was persistent so I thought, alright, why not? So I got all eight guys from the lunch to put in US$8,000 each and we took it

It’s a social business, that’s why I love it.

from there.” Today, Castelo Concepts owns 65 venues throughout the country.

The junk business came about equally as casually. “As a family, we love the water,” he explains. “My wife was brought up in Sai Kung and we all love messing about on boats, mucking around on the beach. So in ‘96 I bought a junk for the family. Anyway, I wanted to put a BBQ out the back on the top deck and everyone said, no, it couldn’t be done. So I said, bugger that, and put one in anyway. I wanted to be able to cook and socialise and have a drink with my mates. Well, we used to have these awesome parties and I thought maybe there’d be some traction in renting junks commercially with drinks and a BBQ. By now the global financial crisis had hit so I put in a tender for HSBC’s fleet of boats - the corporates were all selling stuff off at that time - and I ended up with six of them at $50,000 per boat. And that’s what became the junk business.”

A genuinely fun guy to be around, there’s

also no doubting Parfitt’s business acumen you don’t survive 25 years restaurateur in Hong Kong without a bit of nouse. Not content with renting out junks - and a Jaspas junk is a reliably epic affair, always plenty of booze, food and fun - he has now acquired a vacant lot on Pak Sha Wan pier in Sai Kung, from where his (and other) junks leave and return which he plans to turn into a restaurant. The Boatyard is on schedule for a summer opening - “it’s a bit on the back burner at the moment due to the new Queens Road venue” (more about that in a minute) - and will serve as an office for his wife’s new catering business - think high-end foodie solutions for weddings, parties and kids birthdays - as well as a breakfast and burger joint for junkers embarking from and landing at Pak Sha Wan. Located in a quiet area on the way to Sai Kung, the Pak Sha Wan venue will cannily only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and its raison d’etre pure and simple is to capture the junk market. Customers will be able to moor up and have food and drink delivered to their boats or hired vessels (just on the off-chance you’ve booked a non-Jaspas boat) and there will be “a cheap, straight forward, good quality restaurant and bar menu” for people either wanting to grab some breakfast at the beginning of the day, or drop in for a bite to eat or more drinks on their way home.

“I think people land, they’ve had a great day, but they wouldn’t say no to another drink, and they need to feed the kids.” Again, he seems to have nailed his market. As journalist and fellow restaurateur Steve Vines pointed out, if anyone can make a venue work in sleepy Pak Sha Wan, Castelo can.

In other moves, St Barts in Clearwater Bay has launched to great local acclaim and Zacs in Discovery Bay has just re-opened following a massive renovation - Parfitt describes it as “a gourmet, seaside pub”, with space for 450 people, “we take around 4,000 covers on Saturdays and Sundays,” he adds with a hint of pride. Echoes of the Fisherman’s Wharf days, maybe? “Perhaps,” he laughs. “But without the shotgun!”

Jaspas in Discovery Bay will close and re-open this summer as an Asian-inspired Mr Chow’s, Wagyu on Wyndham Street is receiving a full facelift in July, and Tai Hang Bar & Grill opened in mid-May. This last venture is his oldest son Jack’s project - he says his three kids, now all in their twenties, have always been involved in and enthusiastic about the business.

Educated at ESF Clearwater Bay primary and then the Australian International School HK until they were sent to Australia to board, they are now back in Hong Kong. expat-parent.com 29

THE big interview But the project that’s consuming his time at the moment is the intriguingly named Mr Wolf on Queen’s Road Central. He’s in the process of converting the space over Zara in the old Lane Crawford building into a 6,000 sq ft gastro pub with outdoor balcony.

“Listen, the names don’t mean anything,” he says. “We just make them up, keep them generic and then we’re not tied to a food-type. If you go to a Luigi’s, you expect Italian, but if you go to a Mr Wolf’s, well, you don’t know what you’re going to get.”

He’s also beavering away on a second Feather & Bone deli and a wine shop, both of which will be going in over the Clearwater Bay St Barts venue and currently slated for a beginning-of-June opening (at time of going to press). He’s also in the midst of negotiations over the former Cafe Deco space on The Peak - “if it goes ahead, we’re looking at an opening early next year,” he says.

So how does he keep a track on his empire? My pencil is already blunt attempting to list the line-up of new and renovated venues being fired at me.

“Look, it’s not all plain sailing. Every day is a challenge. We’re fortunate in that we’ve got great people working for us, some have been with us since day one” - the current employee tally across both Hong Kong and Vietnam is over 2,800 - “2016 was probably our most bruising year to date. Rents were sky high, expats were leaving and retail was falling off.

Thankfully rents are easing now. And for all the openings, we have also had to close venues over the years, some just didn’t work out. But I think there is still massive growth potential in Hong Kong. New areas that weren’t viable before are popping up everywhere - Tai Po, Kwun Tong, Kowloon Bay, the Gold Coast.

Would I ever move into China? Maybe, but I’d have to have the right partner first.”

Keeping tabs on changing tastes has also kept Castelo ahead of the game. The group’s Wagyu beef comes from a herd of cattle Parfitt owns back in Queensland, milk is imported from farms in Adelaide, South Australia, and he has just developed a coffee blend unique to Castelo with a coffee company in Hong Kong.

“The Hong Kong market is definitely changing, when we started out I’d say it was a 60/40 western to Chinese clientele, now it’s probably 30/70. Without a doubt expat numbers are dwindling, but the young, driven, cashed up Chinese returning to Hong Kong after an overseas education is the driver. They’ve acquired western tastes, which is good news for our business. I also think that’s why demand for residences in areas like Clearwater Bay is so huge - they’ve come back from this western way 30 expat-parent.com

The Jaspas Sai Kung team - the restaurant, Parfitt’s third, is still going strong after 24 years.

It’s not all plain sailing.

Every day is a challenge.

of life with houses with gardens and cars and a bit of space and greenery and they don’t want to live in a walk-up in Mong Kok.” St Barts Clearwater Bay is a case in point - on a sunny Thursday afternoon the modern, brightly lit restaurant is peopled mainly by bright young things in their 20s and 30s, sipping lattes and tapping on their phones having viewed the brand new adjacent residential complex, Mount Pavilia, currently selling units at upwards of $17,000/sq ft. Local estate agents confirm demand for the low-rise, lush and luxe complex has been huge - apartments have been “leaping” off the books. Opening a sophisticated western restaurant inside the complex has been another canny Parfitt manoeuvre, it seems.

Never one to sit still for long - “my office is wherever my phone is,” he says - he concludes the interview, standing to leave.

This afternoon he’s off on his boat to check on Jaspas Beach Club, his private venue on High Island off Sai Kung.

“So do you want a photo?” he asks on our way out. Well yes, I say, I’ll contact your office, speak to your marketing team. This is the usual drill. “Are you serious? Why don’t you just take one now?” he asks incredulously. Because on-the-spot photography requests are always and unequivocally turned down in favour of professional, groomed shots, usually procured via a PR department.

“Oh my god,” he laughs. “Look, you’ve got your phone, do you want a shot or not?” he asks, grabbing a couple of waiters.

And that’s the way Wayne rolls, never misses an opportunity, never takes his eye off the ball, always enthusiastic, no airs and graces.

I tell him I’m dining at Oolaa the following day, an annual Mother’s Day lunch organised by my children’s school. “Fantastic!” he laughs. “That’s a great event. I think I’m going to come along for a couple of hours. See you there!”

I’m already looking forward to it.

expat-parent.com 31

Fe at ur e

Hitting the road As many of us prepare to jet off for the summer, Kate Farr gleans some top travel tips from mums who have braved the best and the worst of times both on the ground and at 33,000 feet.

32 expat-parent.com

e ur at Fe

T

his summer, like many others, I’ll be packing up my two boys and hitting the airport for a well-earned longhaul holiday. But while I’m perfectly happy calculating luggage allowances and transfer times, I’ll admit to a few butterflies in my stomach about flying solo with two kids (including one very wilful toddler). I decided to soothe my nerves by chatting to four seasoned travellers about what I can do to ensure our trip is memorable – for all the right reasons!

Nicola Burke of family travel blog Jetlag And Mayhem (jetlagandmayhem.com) suggests planning well ahead of time, starting with an area of travel that we often overlook. “Travel insurance is vital. Good insurance is relatively inexpensive and will cover you for everything from minor events such as lost luggage, to emergency medical care,” she says. “Check your existing coverage from health insurance plans, as well as coverage that comes included with certain credit cards. In some cases you may not need to buy extra travel insurance, however, unless you’re fully covered for medical expenses, don’t risk it.”

And check those credit and debit cards too - many banks require permission before they will release funds via overseas retail outlets or ATMs. There’s nothing worse than being stranded in some far-flung location with grumpy toddlers and no cash.

Mum-of-two Monica Davies swears by zip-lock plastic files. She takes one every trip, containing all passports and identity cards as well as printouts of tickets, car hire, insurance documentation and hotel reservations. “It keeps everything in one place - plus I like to have hard-copies of everything just in case. I once had to produce written documentation of our return flight details before a car hire company would release our vehicle. Luckily I had it all stashed in my pouch.”

Once the paperwork is sorted, it’s time to think about packing for your trip. Mum-oftwo and seasoned globe-trotter Jane Richards finds that a relaxed approach to packing works best for her family.

“When I first started travelling with a baby I was nervous, so I would write lists.

Now I have a system in place, so I pack just before we leave and take the minimum possible.” Richards’ zen approach helps her to minimise stress when unexpected hiccups do occur. “Depending on where you’re going, most things can be bought. I was recently reminded of this when, after a 20-hour flight expat-parent.com 33

Fe at ur e travelling solo with my eldest son while pregnant, the airline lost our luggage.

It makes you appreciate that the only real essentials are your passports, money, and most importantly, the toy your child sleeps with. As long as you have those, you can handle anything else.”

When it comes to hand luggage, Tania Reinert of online lifestyle and travel journal Nika Kai Travels (nikakaitravels.com) knows that keeping her daughter entertained is the key to a successful journey. “I usually pack a small bag with surprise toys for her, along with a few reading books, sticker books, her favourite soft toys and snacks.”

Fun solutions include packs of film-based stickers (available from most stationery shops) that peel off surfaces easily and can be reapplied - after all nobody wants to face the wrath of airline staff when it discovers a plane window meticulously covered in adhesive stickers. Another top tip is square-crayons or pencils - they don’t roll the length of the plane when dropped on the floor.

Reinert also advises considering the overall travel time, not just the flight itself. “Bring entertainment for all the parts of the journey.

Don’t assume you’ll only need it for when you’re airborne – your flight might be delayed or you may have a connection. Be prepared.”

And that goes for formula milk, nappies and snacks, too. Don’t forget the rules for liquids at the security check-in - security staff is at liberty to refuse cartons of ready-made formula, expressed breast milk and bottled water if it exceeds guidelines (check with your airline). Australian-bound flights currently refuse any liquid on board including anything bought airside - be prepared for additional checks at the gate.

Laptop bans are also becoming increasingly prevalent - again, check with your airline.

Travel blogger Marianne Rogerson of Mum On The Move (mumonthemove.com) agrees that entertainment is essential – for everyone. “I pack noise-cancelling headphones for myself, along with iPads for the kids with their own headphones, as I cannot stand it when people let their kids watch tablets on the plane with no headphones, especially on a night flight.”

Rogerson’s other smart essential? “Wet wipes.

Kids are always spilling things on planes.”

Another hack if you’re going to use the flight entertainment system is to consider bringing child-sized headphones that fit your offspring properly. The flight-issue ‘phones are often too big and it can become waring 34 expat-parent.com

constantly re-adjusting them for frustrated tots.

“I-pads - lock and load,” advises Expat Parent editor Carolynne Dear. “I am old enough to remember toddler travel before the i-pad existed and believe me, there are only so many hours of a flight you can remain enthusiastic about Peppa Pig Snap. Be kind to yourself - if your kids are happy to lap up Fireman Sam while you have a break, save the creative play for when you’ve landed.”

Once you’re settled in, it’s often time to eat, and here, Reinert has a sneaky hack to ensure that tiny tummies aren’t left rumbling too long.

“Always order special meals in advance. I tend to order vegan or vegetarian for me and a kids’ meal for my daughter – that way we’re served first.” She also recommends bringing homemade snacks along if time allows. These are both healthier than the on-board options, and also

There’s no easy solution for jetlag.

Fresh air and exercise are your friends here.

Expert advice...

I asked our experts to share their own biggest travel disasters, and discovered that when it comes to travelling with kids, you should always brace yourself for bodily functions.

“The worst flight I ever took was 12 hours solo with my seven-month old daughter when I had the norovirus. I spent the entire flight on the floor of the toilet vomiting, although luckily she slept in the bassinet for most of it.”

Nicola Burke

“A few months ago my daughter decided she wanted to pee at take-off. She screamed for ten minutes and then peed on me, and I didn’t have any spare clothes. It’s a good thing that the air on the plane is so dry as your clothes dry very quickly! Unfortunately it was a threeday trip and those were my only jeans…”

Tania Reinert

“I once forgot to pack a single pair of shoes for my son, and we were flying to Amsterdam where it was about two degrees Celsius. We had to run straight to H&M for a new pair the moment the shops opened.”

Jane Richards

“Flying back from Phuket a couple of years ago when my son was ill. His nappy leaked all over two changes of jeans, he was sick all over my top – and to top it off my daughter fell asleep and wet herself on my husband’s lap. We had to go through immigration – my son wearing his sister’s flowery leggings, me covered in vomit and my husband with a large wet patch looking like he’d wet himself.”

Marianne Rogerson

comfortingly familiar, particularly for younger children. Boxes of dried raisins are fabulous time-wasters for tiny digits.

Fed and entertained, it’s time to tackle the thorny issue of sleep. Burke recommends resisting the temptation to catch that new release film and grabbing the opportunity for shut-eye whenever you can.

“Sleep when your kids sleep. You never know when that magic window will open again.”

Of course, even assuming your kids sleep peacefully en route, jetlag is still an issue that long-haul travellers of all ages have to tackle.

Reinert cautions there is “no magic solution with kids.” There is, however, always the option of simply wearing them out. “To exhaust them during the day get them to swim – be it the sea, a pool or even just a bathtub filled with toys – anything works. Run around with them or go for a short hike – fresh air, water and exercise are your best friends here.”

Rogerson agrees that keeping busy can ease everyone’s symptoms. “Get out and

“We were about two hours into a 21-hour trip from London to Sydney and, with my ninemonth old daughter (finally) napping on my lap, I thought I’d try my luck with a relaxing glass of red. Unfortunately just as it was served to me my daughter woke up, jogged the tray-table and upended the whole lot all over my trousers.

And yes, I was of course wearing a nice pair of cream tracksuit pants!”

Carolynne Dear

about in the sunshine and stay active during the day.” She also advises parents to try their best to soldier through the worst of the tiredness wherever possible. “Don’t be tempted to take that afternoon nap. If the kids do fall asleep, try to only let them nap for a maximum of one hour at a time.”

And a final sage word of advice from Richards, “Stay patient, and if necessary, drink wine!” That sounds like advice that we can all get on board with. Safe travels!

expat-parent.com 35

Fe at ur e

Onanoff Buddyphones These volume-limiting headphones can be personalized with stickers and have built-in audio splitters to allow up to four headphones to plug into one device, onanoff.com, from $238

Travel smart Family travel blogger Marianne Rogerson* reviews the canniest gadgets for travel with kids.

Up & Away Multiple Passport Holder The best way to keep all the family’s passports together… and most importantly you look stylish at check-in getupandaway.com, $650

The Shrunks Junior Toddler Travel Bed Perfect for squeezing the kids into your hotel room or when staying with friends, you can pack this travel bed in your suitcase then inflate when you get there, blissandbed.com, $539

Phil & Ted’s Traveller Portable Travel Cot This travel cot takes about two minutes to set up - just take it out of the bag and pop it up. It’s also super-light at just 2.8kg, so great for airplane travel, hoplababy.com, $1,699

*follow Marianne Rogerson at mumonthemove.com

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Totseat The Totseat folds up small enough to fit in your handbag, can be used on almost any adult chair and is machine washable. Perfect for eating in restaurants, or holiday rental accommodation, bumpstobabes.com, $299

e ur at Fe

Mifold The car booster seat that fits in your handbag. So handy for travel - my kids carry theirs in their hand luggage so they’re easily accessible for airport transfers, carseats.hk, $549

BabyZen YOYO Plus I really wish this buggy had been around when my kids were younger. A stroller that folds up and fits in the overhead luggage compartment? Genius. mothercare.com.hk, $4,100

TUMI Just In Case travel duffel in banana leaf and blur print Brilliant bag that folds away into a pouch, a perfect save for when your original carry-on is starting to burst at the seams, or for stashing those last minute buys that won’t stuff into your case on the way home, tumi.com.

1st Class Kid Travel Pillow This pillow fills the legroom space on the plane, turning your child’s economy seat into a flatbed. A total game-changer for overnight long-haul flights, happyebabies.com.hk, $268

Leap & Hop books Travel activity books that keep kids entertained on “adult trips”. We recently tried out the Myanmar edition and it was a big hit. Currently available for 11 destinations, leapandhop.com, $170

expat-parent.com 37

schools

School news Timely celebrations FIS New Territories campus

Staff, guests and students officially open ASHK in Tai Po.

American School’s glittering launch The American School Hong Kong (ASHK) officially launched last month with a lively grand opening ceremony at its Tai Po campus.

Housed in a re-furbished, 12,500 square metre old school building, ASHK welcomed its first students in September 2016. Initially accepting admissions for Kindergarten to Grade 6, the non-profit international school is now accepting enrollments for middle and high school students for 2017 and 2018. In 2018, the school will launch the gold standard International Baccalaureate programme.

The old school site was granted to ASHK by the Hong Kong Education Bureau and has undergone a total re-design and refurbishment. Built over six floors, the school will eventually accommodate 1,000 students from Kindergarten through to Grade 12.

A North American staff will deliver the US

Foundation Curriculum using the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) approach to learning.

ASHK is owned and operated by Dubaibased Esol Education, the largest operator of accredited American schools outside the US. Esol has been in operation for 40 years.

ASHK is the company’s first school in South East Asia and joins nine other Esol schools in five countries.

The opening ceremony included performances by students and a colourful lion dance. It was attended by ASHK students, parents, staff and special guests, including the representatives from the American Consulate, school director John Jalsevac and Esol regional director Bassam Abushakra.

A time capsule was at the centre of proceedings at the French International School’s (FIS) new Tseung Kwan O campus last month.

Staff, students and special guests were on hand to bury a selection of pertinent objects at the construction site to “remind tomorrow’s students of today’s vision”.

Thierry Mariani, MP for French people outside France, and Christian Soulard, FIS headmaster, placed a copy of that day’s South China Morning Post, a copy of French newspaper Le Monde, a USB key and a selection of letters and photos from those involved with the new campus into a time capsule to be opened in 50 years time.

Guests were also given a sneak preview of the blocks that will be used in the main facade of the South entrance. This focal point of the campus will comprise coloured ceramic sun breakers to symbolise diversity within the school and will allow light to diffuse into the gymnasium beyond.

The campus is currently on schedule for a September 2018 opening and will offer 950 junior and secondary school places. Facilities will include a gym, running track, swimming pool and 300-seat auditorium. Secondary students are currently housed at a temporary campus in Hung Hom.

For admissions details, contact admissions@ashk.edu.hk.

Staff and students bury a time capsule at FIS, Tseung Kwan O.

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schools

Star turn for ESF The English Schools Foundation has announced a joint venture with Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA).

The two will be launching a performing arts programme through the the International Baccalaureate’s Career-related Programme (IBCP) for students aged 16+.

The programme has been planned by ESF Renaissance College with Extension and Continuing Education for Life (EXCEL) at HKAPA. It aims to allow students with focused interests in the performing arts to take a specialised programme to prepare for higher education at performing arts schools, colleges and universities, while completing IB certification at the same time.

Students will take Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) performing arts courses at HKAPA and IB

Swedish fun with the CP core at Renaissance College or ESF South Island School. It will commence from the start of the new academic year (2017/18).

Students interested in joining the programme need to be aged 16 and over at the start date of the course and have completed either the IB Middle Years Programme or gained five grades at C or above in the IGCSE examinations.

ESF Sha Tin College is currently going through the CP verification programme and is expected to launch the programme for the academic year beginning in 2018. West Island School submitted its application to become a CP school last month.

For more information, see www.esf.edu.hk or hkapa.edu.

The Swedish School is opening in Sai Kung in September, offering an afternoon language club for local young residents.

Already established in Discovery Bay and on Hong Kong Island, the school caters for children aged from six years and up for two hours a week. Sai Kung classes will be held every Monday afternoon (Tuesdays in Discovery Bay and Thursdays on the Island).

Teachers will nurture a grasp of the Swedish language as well as Swedish cultural heritage.

For more information, see Svenskaskolan.hk.

Diary dates June 5 The Harbour School Renaissance Faire Party like it’s 1599 with candle dipping, calligraphy, spinning and other medievalbased craft stations and performances.

9am-3pm, The Garden, 138 Lee Chi Road, Ap Lei Chau.

June 14 CWBS’ 25th Anniversary For ex-students, staff members, parents and community members, from 1.30pm5.30pm on Wednesday 14 June, please RSVP martina.chiu@cwbs.edu.hk.

June 21 Australian School Open Day Meet school principals, admissions staff, parents and students. AISHK, Norfolk Road, Kowloon Tong, 2304 6078, admissions@aishk.edu.hk.

June 21, 22 & 24 Stamford Open Days Join school superintendent and staff to find out more about the school. SAIS Admissions Office, Level 40, Two Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central, 2500 8688, www.sais.edu.hk.

Students help launch the new ESF performing arts programme.

expat-parent.com 39

schools

Mount Kelly nursery opens

Mount Kelly School Hong Kong’s founding headmaster, Gary Wright, and head of Mount Kelly International Preschool, Abigail Carr, with the school’s new uniform.

Mount Kelly School Hong Kong has opened its doors to Hong Kong’s littlies at its Tsim Sha Tsui campus.

Beautifully decorated and designed classrooms house the Baby Bumblebees (6-11 months), Toddling Hedgehogs (12-18 months), the Pre-Twos Badgers (19-24 months) and the Pre-Threes Red Deer (25-36 months).

The Mount Kelly early childhood programme is headed up by Abigail Carr, who has worked in both the United Kingdom and Hong Kong in nursery education. She has taught in both the local and international kindergarten sectors in Hong Kong.

“Our playgroup programmes are designed to help children learn through and embrace their natural curiosity,” she explains.

“They offer each child the opportunity to develop their pre-numeracy and language 40 expat-parent.com

skills by asking questions, predicting, imagining and wondering.”

Meanwhile, Mount Kelly School’s founding headmaster Gary Wright is gearing up for the big reveal at its Hung Hom campus in September when students from year one to four join the school. This is the first overseas venture for the UK-based private school, which was founded in the south-west of England 140 years ago.

Mount Kelly will be Hong Kong’s first and only British preparatory school and will offer English National Curriculum teaching from Year 1 through to Year 8. It will also be Hong Kong’s only school offering preparation in year 8 for the UK’s Common Entrance Exam for entry into private British secondary education.

It is COBIS (Council of British International Schools) accredited, having

passed the first of what will be quadrennial assessment. The school has also been endorsed by the British Consulate, the Department of Education in the UK and the British Chamber of Commerce.

Reaching the final stages of preparation, the school’s distinctive and smart-looking black and red uniforms have been revealed and Wright is looking forward to welcoming the first students at the end of the summer.

Hung Hom will be the school’s permanent city campus, with a second, larger campus opening at Tuen Mun on the Gold Coast in September 2018. This second campus will eventually offer weekly boarding for years six to eight. For more information, email admissions@mountkelly.com.hk.

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schools

Hola espana!

This September Hong Kong says ‘bienvenido’ to the territory’s first Spanish International School.

A

driana Chan is one busy lady.

Not only does she manage Tai Hang-based MASS International Preschool, but she is also counting down to the opening of her biggest project to date, the Spanish International School Hong Kong.

The Tai Po-based primary school has been in the works since 2014, when Chan began planning a non-profit international school to serve the local and international communities, and especially Hong Kong’s Hispanic community.

“It is a bit stressful,” she admits from her office at MASS. “But it’s very exciting at the same time.”

The school will be located in a derelict village school building south of Pat Sin Leng Country Park in Tai Po that has been abandoned for the past 20 years. Chen explains the building is situated on private land and has been leased by the villagers until 2047 (50 years after handover and when most Hong Kong leases will be subject to review).

The 130,000 square foot building has undergone renovation, and completion of phase one this summer will see the school opening with a football pitch, basketball, tennis and badminton courts, a playground, gardening area, sandplay, music room, art room and ten classrooms.

The school will open its gates this

Artists impressions of the new school.

September, welcoming kindergarten and primary students in K1, K2, P1 and P2 classes, eventually expanding to include the whole of primary, secondary, with even weekly boarding option for senior students.

The next building phase in three years time will include a whole new teaching block.

The school will follow the English National Curriculum with modification, including Key Stages one and two curricula and assessment in years two and six.

Each student will also be expected to join a mandatory extra-curricular activity on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. The school day will run from 8.30am to 3.30pm.

Class sizes will be capped at 20 students.

Chen plans on eventually introducing the Middle Years Programme, IGCSEs and IB Diploma for secondary students.

The school will adopt an immersive language-learning programme, which means on top of language classes, non-language based foundation classes will also be taught in each of the three languages. English will be the main medium of instruction at 40%, complemented by a 30/30 split of Spanish and Mandarin. All three languages will be used interchangeably at morning assembly and school events and meetings.

The unaccompanied kindergarten is open to children aged three years and up and will follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with half-day sessions running 8.3011.30am and 12.30-3.30pm; there will also be a full-day option.

Fees, subject to EDB approval, are $105,000/annum for primary.

Admissions should be directed to admissions@spis.com.hk, spis.com.hk, Spanish Primary School, DD26, Lot 989, Ting Kok Road, Shuen Wan, Tai Po.

There will be plenty of outdoor space, with basketball courts, a soccer field and sand-play.

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schools

Silver celebrations for ESF Clearwater Bay Principal Chris Hamilton gives Adele Brunner a history lesson.

A

birthday is always a good excuse for a party and a significant milestone means even more cause for a celebration. This year, as the ESF marks its 50-year anniversary, the ESF Clearwater Bay School is dusting off its party clothes and commemorating its Silver Jubilee, with a special Silver Week from 12-16 June.

Comprising five days of celebrations and activities, the highlight will be an open afternoon on Wednesday 14 June to mark the day that Lady Wilson opened the school back in 1992. As well as the current school community, ex-students, staff and families will be invited back to join in the fun. The event will include school tours conducted by members of Years 5 and 6, a photographic timeline of the school’s history, student displays and an afternoon tea for visitors.

“We aren’t staging huge events [for our anniversary] but we wanted to mark the occasion somehow and involve people with ties to the school as well as the wider community,” says incumbent principal Chris Hamilton, who has been at the helm since 2012. “The focus is of course on the children but we also wanted to celebrate the community we are part of.”

A strong sense of community, he continues, is what makes the school such a great place, a sentiment echoed by teaching staff and parents alike. There are currently 720 students from over 30 countries (at the recent Story Bazaar during Book Week, stories in 28 different languages were read), which makes for a wonderfully diverse cultural mix that promotes racial acceptance.

CWBS actually started life 41 years ago as Boundary Junior School, situated on Rose Street in Kowloon. The school was originally planned to meet the expected demand from people involved in the construction of the MTR. There was a demand - but it came from Hong Kong Island. The Rose Street campus was meant to be a temporary site while the government was looking for more permanent premises to house the school – but it took 16 years to find somewhere suitable that ticked all the boxes. A new wing was subsequently

Students enjoy the new playground.

added as the school increased from three to four classes per year group and, more recently, many of the classes, multi-purpose rooms and the football roof were given a much-needed makeover. The school is now gearing up to renovate its assembly hall, which some might say is the icing on the 25th birthday cake.

In addition to the celebrations, school librarian Angela Barwell is compiling a coffee table book, featuring school photos, anecdotes and memories from Boundary Junior and CWBS. “One of our teachers Kay Baddeley and our PTA administrator Kate Baldwin were both Boundary Junior alumni and another teacher Emma Watkins was a former CWBS student. Other teachers have been here since CWBS’ early years so we have an oral history that we are keen to record before they retire or move away,” says Hamilton. “All in all, this is a really special year for us and I’m proud to be part of it.”

Governor’s wife Lady Wilson opens the new school, June 1992.

If you are an ex-student, staff member, parent or community member and wish to attend CWBS’ 25th anniversary celebration from 1.30pm-5.30pm on Wednesday 14 June, please RSVP martina.chiu@ cwbs.edu.hk. If you have any photos or memories that you wish to include in the commemorative book, please contact angela.barwell@cwbs.edu.hk. expat-parent.com 43

schools

School’s out!

Trisha Harjani rounds up the best camps for kids and teens this summer.

Standup rafting with Blue Sky Sports

The Great Outdoors Aberdeen Boat Club Put the wind in your sails and take to the sea.

Aimed at sailors aged 7-18, courses cater to a range of experience levels in several dinghy sizes. Parents can also opt for supervised courses for initial skill and confidence building exercises. Courses run from June until August.

Starting at $1,080. abclubhk.com

Ark Eden Get wet and wild in the forests of Mui Wo and Lantau with this multi-activity exploration camp.

Little ones get to swim in waterfalls, build tree houses, plant crops and climb through Ark Eden’s forest playground. Single-day camps as well as three- and five-day packages available.

Prices start from $750 and run from July 3 until August 11. Pick up and drop off at Central and Mui Wo Ferry Pier. Email jasmine@ arkedenonlantau.com, arkeden.com.hk

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Blue Sky Sports Club

Surf Hong Kong

Catch some of the gorgeous summer sun and go kayaking, stand-up-paddleboarding, dragon boating, wake boarding, snorkeling or surfing along the Sha Ha coastline. Programmes run throughout the summer months, Monday to Friday. For ages 8 and above. Priced at $4,000. bluesky-sc.com

Activity-packed water sports camps with surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, canyoning and slack-lining. Camps are held at the beautiful Tai Long Sai Wan beach and run from June 12 until August 28. Price is $3,500 per camper, open to ages 8-18 years old.

Family adventure programmes also available.

Surf Hong Hong is part of A-Team Edventures Limited, an experiential learning and leadership programme provider to schools and universities. ateamedventures.com

HK Waterman Surf’s up at HK Waterman this summer. Their summer splash lessons include one on one surf coaching, group surf coaching or a multiactivity, swimming, paddle boarding, lifeguard game lesson filled course. Open to ages 9 to 13, the lessons start at 400 per person, per class. Running from May 28 to August 31, the summerlong course takes place at Big Wave Bay Beach on Shek-O Hong Kong Island. hkwaterman.com

Treasure Island Mini surfers, campers and explorers can get moving and learning at Treasure Island’s surfing and adventure camps. Two surf camps are available, open to first timers and intermediate kiddies. Adventuring includes kayaking, mountain biking, coasteering and more.

Starting at $4,200, the program welcomes children aged 5-9. treasureislandhk.com

schools Sport Asia Pacific Soccer School Take to the field this summer with mini soccer, basketball and multi-sport sessions dotted around Hong Kong. From Sai Kung to Jordan, summer classes run every weekday through July and August. $190 for an hour session. apsoccer.hk

from tadpoles to sharks. Courses are designed to develop kids’ swimming technique, build confidence underwater and teach water safety skills. All classes take place in Repulse Bay Club’s indoor pool and are open to both members and guests aged 3-12 years old.

Runs from July 3-22 and is priced at $200 per class.floatplus.hk

Hong Kong Basketball Academy Shoot some hoops with HKBA’s weekly summer basketball camp for boys and girls of all ages. Emphasising teamwork, characterbuilding and technical skills, this Stanley-based programme is designed to bump up your game and provide valuable leadership experience.

Age groups range from under 8 to under 19.

Prices start at $1,500. Runs from June 19 to August 12. hkbaallday.com

sail. All kids need is a packed lunch, change of clothes and sun protection. It’s an all-day, five-day programme running each week from June 26 until October 6. Priced at $2,625 for members and $3,675 for non-members. hhyc.org.hk

Hong Kong Parkview This summer, members, residents and guests can all play sport in the lush greenery of Hong Kong Parkview. Choose to develop skills in one specialised sport or enroll in a multi-sport camp. Sports on offer include gymnastics, hockey, mini rugby, tennis, basketball, rock climbing and more. Camps will run from June 26 to August 18 and prices start at $660 for guests. Early birds get 10 per cent off before June 11. hongkongparkview.com

Kids learning football at APSS

Brazilian Football Academy Improve your footwork with BFA’s themed football classes, which include drills, games and a mini football tournament. Aimed at 5- to 14-year-olds, the camp develops kids social skills, promotes healthy competition and improves physical fitness. Training runs from July 3 to August 26, Monday to Saturday at 9:30-11:30am at Stanley Ho Sports Centre in Sandy Bay, Pok Fu Lam. bfa.hk

Flex HK

Littlies taking a big swing

Mindful Wing Chun Dribble, dribble with HKBA

Flex HK is hosting one-week summer camps for ages 6-11 and 12 plus. The Flexteen and Flexikids’ programs are designed to keep young ones fit with a range of activities including aerial fitness, jazz funk dance, yoga, pilates allegro and aerial yoga. Located in One Island South, Wong Chuk Hang, the camps run from June 19 until July 7. Prices start at $1,400 for a week and $280 for a drop-in session. Enroll before June 10 for a 10 per cent discount. flexhk.com

Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy This brand spanking new sports academy has top notch facilities and a wealth of fun camps for members. Multi Sports Camp is for six to 12 year olds and covers soccer, basketball, hockey and rugby; there’s a Swimming Camp for six to 12 year olds and a Diving Experience Day (PADI Bubblemaker) for kids aged eight and up. hkgta.com

Designed to improve kids’ focus, Mindful Wing Chun offers a range of traditional martial arts classes for kids. Get 3-13 year olds one step closer to Bruce Lee with Kung Fu, Chi Sau or Wing Chun basics. Priced at $275 per class, numerous packages are available throughout the months of July and August.

Mindfulwingchun.com.hk

Hong Kong International Tennis Academy Improve your tennis game by enrolling on the Monster Tennis programme. Lessons available in Sai Kung, Po Tsui, Ma on Shan, Causeway Bay, Morse Park and Sha Tin. The programme is designed for ages 3-18 to train their way to the top. Runs throughout July and August. Starts at $200/ class Email benny.lin@hkita.com, monstertennis.hk

Hebe Haven Yacht Club Mini-yogis at Flex HK

Float Plus Sign up for Float Plus’ summer swimming courses, aimed at all ages and experiences

This summer, Hebe Haven Yacht Club in Sai Kung offers a range of watersports including sailing, kayaking, riding sea biscuits, beach games and day trips to islands on motor and

Improve children’s concentration at Mindful Wing Chun

expat-parent.com 45

schools

Diversify kids’ creative skills at Active Kids

Mini Sport Stay active with Mini Sport’s wide selection of sports including rugby, tennis, beach games, athletics and even party games. Located throughout Hong Kong, these camps employ high-quality school facilities and also give kids the option to play outdoors. One-week camps take place at Woodland Pre-School, West Island School in Pok Fu Lam, French International School in Wong Chuk Hang or Victoria Park. Camps run from July 3 to August 11. Starting at $1,250 per child per week. sportsclassesforkidshk.com

Sport4Kids Offering a diverse range of sport oriented summer camps including basketball, gymnastics, football, and swimming. Camps take place at various locations across Hong Kong. Highlights include a swimming course at Deep Water Bay, mini-sports camp at The American Country Club in Tai Tam and multisports camps at South Horizons and Box Hill Kindergarten, Ma On Shan. sport4kids.hk

Tiny Tots Tiny Tots takes little ones out onto the field for some football coaching in Mid-levels and Pok Fu Lam. Kiddies will build confidence, improve technique, fitness and engage in some competitive fun. Open to children from 18 months to 4 years old, classes run from July 3 to August 26. Starting at $210 per session. tinytots.com.hk International School in Wong Chuk Hang or Victoria Park. Camps run from July 3 to August 11. Starting at $1,250 per child per week. sportsclassesforkidshk.com

Art, Crafts & Baking Active Kids For three months this summer, Active Kids is 46 expat-parent.com

running six different themed camps coaching little ones in culinary arts, chess, robotics and more. Inviting kids aged 3-17, the camps run from June to August in Kennedy Town and Mong Kok. Prices on request. activekidshk.com

Art Loop Discover your inner artist with five days of crafts, ceramics or painting. Art Loop in Wong Chuk Hang offers a well-rounded cultural, creative and education experience with sideby-side learning about artistic legends Claude Monet, David Hockney and Andy Warhol.

Workshops begin in the last week of June and run Monday to Friday. One-hour sessions start at 9:30am, 10:30am and 11:30am. Prices start at $1,500 per week. 52388186, www.artloop.hk

Kids painting at Anastassia’s Art House

Banana Art Club Make your mark with a brush, pencil, crayon or ink. The creative courses teach the basics of sketching, manga and cartoons, crafts, painting and more. Classes suitable for kids aged 3-17.

Courses run from June 29 until September 2 in Causeway Bay, Discovery Bay and Kennedy School. bananaartclub.com

Bricks4Kidz Drop your kids off for an entire day of creative exploration at Sai Kung’s lego hub with camps inspired by superheroes, ninjas, olympics, robotics and comics. Striving to educate in a fun way, the camps run throughout July and August and are aimed at 4-12 year olds. Prices start at $550, get 5 per cent off if you register and pay before June 16. bricks4kidz.com.hk

Anastassia’s Art House

Complete Deelite

Learn to draw, paint and sculpt from the créme de la créme at Anastassia’s Art House, an award-winning Russian art academy with locations in Sai Kung, Repulse Bay and Happy Valley. Qualified specialists are flown in from around the world promoting globalised, multicultural, artistic training. Starting at $280 for a one-hour session. Runs from July 2 to August 12. arthouse-hk.com

Instead of getting baked in the summer heat, get baking, decorating and celebrating at Complete Deelite in Central. Courses include making unicorn cake pops, safari cupcakes and ice cream drip cakes. These fun and funky courses start at only $650 with all supplies and tools provided. From July 5 until August 9. completedeelite.com

Fairchild Junior Academy Calling all infants, toddlers and preschoolers who like to run, play and sing. Fairchild Junior Academy will run weekly themed camps throughout the summer. Pick from a number of themes including animals, creative construction, simple science and more. Located in Tin Hau, the camp runs from July 3 to August 11.

Prices start from $950 for two days per week.

Email camps@fairchild. academy, bit.ly/ FairchildSummerCamp2017

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schools HK Kidz Develop your English, German, Spanish, French or Mandarin this summer while cooking, playing music, performing science experiments and more. Targeting 1.5-12 year olds, the program runs in Sai Kung, Central and Wong Chuk Hang. Begins July 3 until end of August.

Various price packages available, book before June 9 to get the early bird discount.

2877 6160, infokidz@hklanguages.com, hkkidz.com

Hong Kong Art Tutoring Have some messy fun with sculpting, painting, printmaking and drawing in North Point this summer. Suitable for all kids above the age of 9, Hong Kong Art Tutoring is offering week-long courses training students in the basics of art.

From June 12 to August 18, courses are priced at $1,500 per week. hkarttutoring.com

and non-members. Running from July 3 to August 25 at the club’s Repulse Bay location, themes are rotated weekly to target students of all interests. Designed for 3-8 year olds.

Starting at $3,500 for one month including four classes and two guest passes. Advance payment needed. hk.maggieandrose.com

SKIP (Sai Kung International PreSchool) Get your hands dirty with paint, goop, slime and sand. Paint & Play is suited for ages 1-5 accompanied by an adult. Whether you’re rolling around on the grass or crafting indoors, the sessions are relaxed, enjoyable and cooling for toddlers. Tickets on sale now at $180 per session per child. From July 17 to August 11. skip.edu.hk

three types of theatre analysis including classical, devising and movement theatre.

Suitable for ages 11-13, the camp will culminate in a showcase performance on August 4 & 5. Venues include Sai Wan Ho and Chai Wan. aftec.hk

Colour My World Targeting artists across all fields, the Shum Wan-based visual and performing arts studio is a great step forward for striving artists and actors. Pre-summer camps in visual arts, performance, speech communication and creating writing run from June 19-30, and full summer camps from July 3 to August 31. Open to budding thespians and artists aged three to 16 years. Higher level study mentorship is available for both arts and drama during the summer months. Fees start at $1,750. colour-my-world.com

Lego Education

Faust World

Educating brick by brick, this lego-based camp inspires a creative learning process. Summer workshops run for three days with two-hour classes each day on Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok. Exploring animal adventures, inventions and robotics, courses are aimed at ages 3-10.

Fees start at $1,680. Book via Cityline to get $100 off. lec.semia.com.hk

Fire up your creative potential with a weeklong creative writing or theatre programme located at Sheung Wan, King George V School and Discovery Bay. Faust creates a fun-filled environment for students to engage with the art of theatre and the creative process of writing.

Useful for confidence building, teamwork and developing interpersonal skills. Workshops begin June 26 and run until August 25. Suitable for ages 3-14, starting at $2,960. faustworld.com

Get your hands dirty at SKIP

thePatsy Summer Cooking Bootcamp Turn summertime into a culinary education with a four-hour cooking camp in Wong Chuk Hang.

Teaching kids to plate up an elaborate threecourse meal or how to professionally bake and decorate a cake, this programme feeds all.

Emphasising kitchen hygiene and health, it is suited for ages 7 up to teens. Begins June 12, Monday to Friday. Starting at $960. thepatsy.com.hk

Toddlers learning and playing with lego

Little Picasso Travel through the epochs of art week by week with hands-on art classes inspired by Picasso, Botero, Miro and Hundertwasser. The Paint like Picasso camp prompts children to channel their creative energy into wild brushstrokes, crazy clay pots, collages and printmaking while learning about creative geniuses. From July 3 to August 25 in Wong Chuk Hang. littlepicasso.hk

International Academy of Film and Television thePatsy teaching tots how to bake goodies

Performance Arts

Maggie & Rose

Absolutely Fabulous Theatre Connection

Take mini palaeontologists back to prehistoric times and budding architects blueprinting in this themed summer camp open to members

AFTEC is flying in artists from the UK to shape young, budding stage actors. Offering two weeks of full day training, the camps teach

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Lights, Camera, Action. These summer courses instil aspiring actors with creativity, confidence and collaborative skills and teach budding directors the fundamentals of camera work, audio recording and storyboard planning. Open to ages 11 and up. Located in Wan Chai. Starts at $3,980 with 10 per cent discount for referrals from IAFT-HK Teen Alumnis and 15 per cent for IAFT Teen Alumnis.

Iaft.net

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schools Junior Snappers A filmmaking summer camp where kids independently create a short film project from start to finish. The five-day workshop involves learning how to create characters, write a script, plan a plot, direct and produce a short film. Open to kids aged 8-15 years old. Runs June 26-30 and August 7-11 in Central. Priced at $3,500. juniorsnappers.com

theatre weekly workshops. Various locations across Hong Kong including Sheung Wan, Central, Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau, the summer program encourages kids to get in touch with their artistic side. Open to ages 4-11. Starts at $1,600. starlitvoice.com

Red Shoe Dance Company Get kids shimmying, tip toeing and cha cha chaing in Contemporary, Classical Ballet, Jazz classes and more. The program is a five-day long commitment in Wong Chuk Hang aimed at ages 5 and older. Lessons start in the week of July 3, price at $2,500. redshoedance.com

Stage Right Youth Theatre

Twinkle Dance Company Sway and spin your pointy toes and whip out your mini tutus for a summer of ballet. Aimed at ages 5 plus, these workshops not only teach ballet but also offer a chance for kids to choreograph their own proud masterpiece.

From July 2 to August 31 on Queen’s Road Central. A variety of packages available starting at $2,240. twinkledance.com

Rumple & Friends Get little ones rock and rolling this summer with a themed musical course. From the signature Magic Circus to the Mini Monsters, kids are taken to a whole new world. From June 26 to August 25, Monday through Friday on Jervois Road, Sheung Wan. 3-10 years old. rumpleandfriends.com

Brainchild Calling all brainiacs, this project-based camp runs for one week.. Focusing on STEM subjects, the courses teach the basics of programming, 3D printing, robotics and scratch programming with all materials provided. Runs through June 26 until August in Aberdeen.

Starting at $1,800 per week with 10 per cent early bird special if you register and pay before June 15. brainchildltd.com

Canadian International School Kids explore their creative side at Starlit Voice

Mini-ballerinas at Red Shoe Academy

music theory, mandarin origami, phonics and reading. Each camp runs for four days from June 19 to July 28. $2,800 per 5-day camp.

2157 9595, auntietamscentre.com

Six weeks of theatrical thunder encouraging youths to build confidence and interpersonal skills by learning acting skills and playing drama games.

Culminates in a performance each week.

Available in Sai Kung and Hang Hau from July until Mid-August. Prices start at $1,850. stagerighthk.com

Academic Anglo Academy The only local summer boarding experience in Hong Kong; a week long prestigious preparatory course for students to get a taste of traditional British schooling. Based in Harrow International School and United World College of Hong Kong, The course emphasises academics, sports and character-building skills.

Accepting students 7-18 years old. Priced at $11,050. anglo-academy.com

CDNIS offers a diverse selection of immersive summer courses from iOS app development to inline skating.

Presented by the the likes of University of Cambridge, Summer Music Academy, Vienna Boys Choir and Camp Biz Smart. Suitable for kids from 3-18 years old, the camp runs from June 12 to August 4 at CDNIS at Wong Chuk Hang. Starts at $3,960 for non-CDNIS. Bus services are available from Central Pier No.4 to CDNIS via Central Post Office, Admiralty MTR and Leighton Road, Causeway Bay. activities@cdnis.edu.hk, cdnis.edu.hk

Coast to Coast Making lives easier for young students, this preparatory, UK-based boarding school camp facilitates the transition from Hong Kong private school to British boarding schools or universities. Get to know your second home by spending one month in the scapes of Surrey Hills at Belmont Prep School, only an hour’s drive from London. Promotes confidence in the English language and provides a comprehensive introduction to boarding life in England. £2,200. Running from July 11 to August 8. coastschools.com

Auntie Tam’s Summer Camps All fun and play at Rumple & Friends

Starlit Voice Indulge in a summer of creativity with Starlit Voice offering drama, acting and musical

Twist your tongue with one of Auntie Tam’s language camps offered in English and Mandarin located in Wong Chuk Hang.

Alternatively, challenge your creativity with a Pick & Mix camp in creative writing, sewing, Soapy fun is a part of Coast to Coast’s prep camp

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schools Elephant Community Press Shaping budding authors and avid young readers, these one-week workshops aim to instil the foundations of good storytelling and creative writing. Themed classes allow students to try something totally new or deepen their love for a particular genre.

Running from June 19 to August 25 in Central. Aimed at 4-14 year olds.3487 3153, elephantcommunitypress.com

ESF Language & Learning Summer Camp Never has learning been more fun as Commander Earth invites you on his timetravelling cosmic quest. Training students in reading, writing, English speaking and listening, this programme is an immersive experience designed to improve children’s confidence in their communication skills. Additional camps feature primary school science, playgroup, Spanish and theatre learning. Full day camps available at Renaissance College and South Island School. Language courses in the morning. Running from July 10 to August 25.

Starts at $6,300 2711 1280, www.esf.org.hk

fancy, their comprehensive range of courses are suitable for kids 5-18 years old, at all experience levels. Standout courses include robotics, 3D printing, scratch programming and minecraft modding. Classes are located in Sheung Wan, Yau Ma Tei, HKFYG Island South and Kwun Tong. Begins June 12. Starts at $4,680 hk.firstcodeacademy.com

GAIA Language Geared for children looking to polish their bilingual fluency, this program encourages a holistic learning experience with a reading, listening and comprehension or writing focus.

With both Spanish and Mandarin on offer, the GAIA language summer course also includes a parallel science or music class and field trips.

Running for two weeks beginning on July 3 in Central. $3,500 and up gaialanguage.com

Jumpstart Mandarin Develop your mandarin skills while drawing, singing, dancing and storytelling. Aimed at young sponge brains aged 2.5-7 years old, the camp runs from July 3 to August 11. Fees start at $480 per three-hour session.

Located in Hang Hau and Sai Kung Centre. jumpstartmandarin.com

Kellett School

ESF Sports Summer Camp & Clinics Get moving with ESF’s summer sports camps designed for sport novices and experts alike.

Choose from the specialist gymnastic, tennis and swimming clinics or opt for the Multi Sport Camp that promotes a wider active skill set by playing a range of sports and engaging in team-building and developmental activities.

Specialist clinics target one sport, cultivating specific skills and developing children’s love for the sport. Available at Renaissance College and South Island School. Sports camps in the afternoon. Camps run from July 3 to August 11. Starts at $6,300 2711 1280, www.esf.org.hk

First Code Academy Go geeky this summer and discover your inner computer whiz with one of First Code Academy’s fiveday programmes. Whether it’s building an app or a computer that you 52 expat-parent.com

A far-reaching course including sport, drama, academic and music activities for kids. Two whole weeks of jam-packed fun and education. Located at the famous Kowloon Bay campus from July 3-14. Suitable for ages 5-18 years old. Starts at $3,000 per week. kellettschool.com

Koding Kingdom The stepping stone to Silicon Valley, Koding Kingdom offers classes for kids (5-7), juniors (7-11) and teens (11-15) including those with special needs. Located in Cyberport, Lai

Chi Kok, Kwun Tong and Science Park, the summer camps range from day-long programs to classes on a weekly basis from May to August. Starting at $350 per hour. kodingkingdom.com

Mini Mandarins To build confidence in speaking Mandarin, these summer camps immerse children in everyday activities such as cooking, arts, crafts, music and science. Based in Causeway Bay, summer classes run from June 12 to August 31 including a Green Monday special, educating kids in food nutrition. Open to ages 2.5-10. minimandarins.com

Sai Kung Montessori The wholesome Montessori program provides little ones with additional holiday academic training in an enjoyable and exciting atmosphere. With opportunities to garden, cook and craft, this school encourages a healthy and active learning process. Each camp is led by certified AMI instructors and lasts for two weeks. Camps are split between ages 3-4 (8-11am) and 4-5 (12:30-3:30pm), as well as Math (July 3-14) and English (July 17-28). Priced at $3,750.

5369 8587, info@saikungmontessori.com, saikungmontessori.com

Southside Mandarin A fusion of intensive Putonghua training with playtime, these summer programs teach by doing. In addition to fortnightly field trips, children are encouraged to embrace traditional chinese cultural activities including WuShu and Chinese dance. Programmes run from June 19 to August 25. For children aged 2.5-12 years old. Starts at $2,880 per week. southsidemandarin.com

The Edge Use the summer to fill in the gaps with The Edge’s academic training in SATs, TOEFL, ACTs, IELTs, IB and Pre-IB. They offer curriculum-based courses in English Literature and Language, Biology, Physics, Economics and Maths or training in standardised aptitude tests for university admissions. Aimed at secondary school students aged 15 to 16, the course is an ideal component of college preparation. Centers in Causeway Bay and Mong Kok. Starts at $6,750. theedge.com.hk

schools Tutor Time This summer, Tutor Time features a ‘Tech and Trek’ program that encourages kids to learn more about the world around them. The technology aspect will feature coding classes before taking kids outdoors to explore country parks, organic farming and attend ecological workshops. Runs from July 24 to August 18 at various locations including Tai Tam, Mid-Levels and Central. Prices vary across location.

2573 9188, tutortime.com.hk http://tutortime.com.hk/sp2017.html

OWN Prometheus Summer Camp 2017 Prime your child for success this summer with entrepreneurial, programming and public speaking skills. Bringing together awardwinning mentors and highly qualified scholars, this program preps children for further study and a solid career. OWN takes kids to different parts of the city everyday with a drop-off and pick up service in Central/ Sheung Wan. Suitable for ages 14-18. The programme runs from July 10-23 and costs upwards of $30,000. ownacademy.co

All-rounders YWCA Challenge the mind, brain and body in one of YWCA’s camps for little ones. Opportunities range from shooting hoops to playing junior scientist. With over 400 options to choose from YWCA has one of the most comprehensive lists around. Running throughout July and August for various age groups. Starting at $180 per basketball or soccer session. Based mostly at YWCA in Central. More specialised camps such as fencing and ice skating are located elsewhere including Causeway Bay and Tai Koo. Clle.ywca.org.hk

Littlies Baumhaus An indoor, agespecific summer camp designed to encourage a productive and enjoyable learning experience for kids, from newborns to 6-year-olds. It’s a flexible programme with unlimited playroom access, free pop-up playroom activities and a pass to one free summer event. Runs for eight

weeks from July 11. Available at both Wan Chai and Harbour City locations. baumhaus.com.hk

Blooming Buds Training kids from 6 months to 6 years of age, Blooming Buds is encouraging bilingual learning in Putonghua and English. Running story-based sessions, the summer programme aims to build children’s confidence and improve social relationships. Starting at $2,400 per week, the camp runs from July 3 to August 18 in Sai Ying Pun. bloomingbuds.com.hk

Woodlands Pre-school A six-week, rotational programme for children from 6 months to 7 years, this summer school is the place for children to discover their niche.

With musical activities, fitness, pure Mandarin classes and much more. Runs across various locations including Kennedy Town, Pokfulam, Aberdeen, Happy Valley and Sai Kung. Starts at $2,600 woodlandschools.com

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Life & style news Bella Blu jumps online

Second-hand kids’ clothes store for Wong Chuk Hang

Beside the seaside in style with a Bella Blu hat.

Hong Kong hatmaker Bella Blu Design has launched an e-commerce store, just in time for summer.

The sleek range of genuine Panama hats are designed by Bella Blu founder in Hong Kong and hand-made by artisan craftsmen in Ecuador using traditional hat-making techniques.

Ecuadorian hats have been crafted for centuries, but became famously known as ‘The Panama Hat’ after US president

Theodore Roosevelt was pictured wearing one at the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914.

Bella Blu’s range comes in seven different styles in twelve different colours, in sizes ranging from XS to XXL. The custom made Bella Blu hat case has been designed to fit standard airline overhead lockers, so you can arrive as stylishly as you left.

Bella Blu hats and cases are available from www.bellabludesign.com.

Retykle, an online store for kids’ designer secondhand fashion, has opened a new studio in Wong Chuk Hang.

The studio will facilitate personal shopping and act as a drop-off point for sellers wishing to get rid of their outgrown kidswear.

“There are so many beautiful outgrown high quality kids items sitting in closets that deserve to be recirculated,” said founder Sarah Garner. “We’re removing all of the hassle out of resale. Some of our clients prefer to see and touch a curated collection of the clothes before buying so we decided to open the studio.”

Retykle was founded in 2016 and has a selection of childrenswear at up to 90% off the recommended retail price. Sellers earn cash from sales and a portion is donated to local charities.

Personal shopping is by appointment only. The Retykle team will pre-select items according to the your taste, budget and child’s size.

Open 10am-5pm Monday to Friday (except public holidays), 42 Wong Chuk Hang Road. To make an appointment, email hello@retykle.com, retykle.com.

Light up your creative side Designer accessories brand Pinyin Press is running two crafty workshops this month.

The screen-printing session is led by Sarah Armstrong of Pinyin Press and is aimed at beginners. The class will print on paper and a tote bag, participants are required to bring along a design or image that they’d like to print. The class runs on June 2, 10am-1pm, $380.

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The lampshade workshop gives you the opportunity to make your own 30cm lampshade using your own fabric or screen printed fabric from Pinyin Press. The workshop will be held on June 3, 10am12pm, and costs $280.

For bookings, call Mirth on 2553 9811, or info@mirthhome.com.

Designer gear for less at Retykle.

life & style

Dive into summer With our girl in the know, Elaine Yeoh

Make waves with the new TUMI beach-bag.

Hit the sand in style with the new TUMI beach bag. The American luxury goods company has collaborated with British swimwear brand Orlebar Brown to create a colourful tote for all your summer bits and bobs.

Drawing inspiration from Slim Aarons’ iconic pictures of twentieth century Riviera and Palm Beach life, Orlebar Brown and TUMI have re-interpreted the 1960s poolside utopia into a weekend travel assortment. The exclusive four-piece tote collection reflects both brands’ approach to summer dressing in navy, khaki, and printed canvas with a

coordinating navy interior. Each tote has a waterproof rubber base, ideal for a day spent poolside or a weekend at the beach.

Additional features include leather carry handles, a strap tuck lock closure, a back slip pocket for the last minute essentials, a hanging luggage tag that has the ability to be monogrammed, and the TUMI owned Add-aBagTM strap on back.

The collection is available from selected TUMI stores, as well as TUMI.com and orlebarbrown.com. Priced from HK$2,065.

H&M launches clothing collective H&M has extended its “Bring It” garment collecting initiative to Hong Kong and Macau. Customers in these regions can now take unwanted clothing of any brand, in any condition, to any H&M store where they will be collected for recycling or reuse.

H&M first launched its worldwide Garment Collecting initiative in 2013 and has since collected over 40,000 tonnes of clothing. The goal is to reach a total collected volume of 25,000 tonnes per year by 2020.

If it’s becoming impossible to juggle multiple schedules at work, home and in your children’s lives, then you definitely need COZI - it’s guaranteed to calm the chaos in your life. Awardwinning and voted the ultimate shared family organizer, this app puts every family member on the same page by communicating and coordinating everyone’s schedules into a Family Calendar. At a single glance, you can check the after-school tuition schedule, remind yourself of dental appointments and sports practice - and remember to drop the dog at the groomer’s.

It even sets a reminder if you have a special event coming up.

Create grocery lists, manage to-do lists and yes, even create a chore list for eh kids - hallelujah!

There’s a handy Cooking Light recipe selection and daily meal suggestion.

All you need to do is get every family member to download it, then set a reminder to all with an agenda email so nobody misses an appointment.

There are also summer planner printables to download for free and a journal function for family members to add photos, captions and comments about an event for all to enjoy.

COZI is free on iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices and is computer accessible. A paid upgrade gives you an ad-free version. www.cozi.com.

Yeoh exclusively reviews an app a month for Expat Parent readers.

Contact her at simplefabulicious. wordpress.com or www.facebook.com/ SimplyFabulicious.

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Happy snaps Get the most out of your camera this summer.

Award-winning photographer Katie Vajda opens up her family album and shows you how.

W

hat makes a photograph ‘great’ is a tricky question because essentially there are so many measures.

As a fine art photographer the way I interrogate visual culture often leads me to steer away from the mainstream in my work.

However, when it comes to travel and family shots we are all in the same boat, jostling to capture that perfect moment just in time, documenting life’s little details, ensuring memories are archived. Photography becomes a way of celebrating and sharing a life well lived.

So, with this in mind I hope I can offer you some short, sharp tips to think about this summer when you whip out your iPhone, Samsung or DSLR! I get a lot of questions about what camera to buy, but to be honest, for family and travel shots it’s not my DSLR that I usually shoot with, but my iPhone.

As parents, we are basically dealing with constantly moving subjects - the kids - and moments of incredible fleeting beauty - their daily life and adventures. This requires speed and technical agility over long lenses and manual modes. So very often the best camera is the phone in your pocket. And these days we are spoilt by the functionality and power of this little unit.

Light When talking about ‘photography’, the first point to bring up is light. Photography literally translates from Greek into ‘writing with light’. Lighting and exposing for the right light is the foundation to ensure your shot works.

Quick tips on this include make sure you select where you want the focus and exposure by tapping the screen of your phone on the subject. You can also adjust exposure by dragging your finger up and down, allowing the phone to auto focus will give inconsistent results. Also, unless you’re 56 expat-parent.com

On the train to Glasgow, Scotland, July 2016 sai Kung reflections, April 2017 choosing to shoot into the light to create silhouettes and so forth, make sure the light source is behind you, taking note of the direction and shadows. Always look for the good light.

Composition This refers to the balance and rhythm of an image, and often determines how visually

surprising or pleasing it is. Composition is always at the fore when professional photographers and artists express their ideas, this is a skill that has been built over time. If you struggle with composition, there is no doubt that your ‘way of seeing’ will improve the more photos you take.

Quick tips on this include consciously picking you subject. Once you find your

life & style Fishing boat, Inverary, Scotland, 2016.

July

Clovelly, Australia, January 2017. subject or the most interesting aspect in the frame, follow and wait of the right moment - again, ensure your focus and exposure is set for this subject.

Another handy tip is to use the naturally occurring lines in the frame to enhance the drama or feeling of the shot. Vertical, diagonal or horizontal lines can lead the eye and work well when shooting a city or landscape scene. Using the ‘rule of thirds’ is a nice way to hone your eye and also pay attention to your foreground and background, having interesting elements up close can add depth to your shots. Try to see things from a new angle and don’t be afraid of space, too many visual elements can be distracting.

Family shots From selfies to group family shots, I think the most important element here is to have fun. My favourite pictures are the playful ones that tell a story of the moment, not a constructed reality - a genuine smile or laugh will mean so much more to you down the track. If by chance you find yourself with the onerous task of shooting a big group,

getting everyone in focus is important.

Quick tips here include creating a pose and trying to keep them on the same visual plane; line them up, get the kids at the front, don’t be too stiff. If there is a wall to lean on or chairs to sit on, use them, as this can make for a more interesting image. Choose a focal point - the closest family member to you can work - and ensure everyone is in focus behind that point.

Editing and sharing

Katie Vajda is a Hong Kong-based visual artist and award winning photographer.

She has exhibited in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. In 2014 she won the prestigious Hong Kong Human Rights Arts Prize, and in 2016 was the winner of the Hong Kong Arts Festival Photography Campaign Gold Award. Follow her on Instagram @katievajda, or see www.katievajda.com.

It’s important to get to know your camera or phone’s editing capacity. Beyond that, some of the editing apps with the best reviews include Adobe Photoshop Express, Adobe Lightroom Mobile, VSCO, Snapseed and Instagram.

In terms of photo books and keeping your memories together, www.mixbook. com, www.shutterfly.com and - my personal favourite - www.milkbooks.com are solid choices.

For a beautiful print, something you might frame, I would recommend print lab www.colorsix.com in Hong Kong. expat-parent.com 57

life & style

Star turn Local young stars hit the stage with Don’t Stop Believin’! this month. Director Emma Tw takes us behind the scenes.

What’s the show all about?

It’s set in New York in the ‘80s. It’s a crazy time and a crazy place to be living and for a small gang of misfits it’s about to get a whole lot crazier.

The story focuses on a group of tough inner-city kids who use their local community center to escape the streets, but their urban oasis is under attack. Sleazy city councillors want to bulldoze it, put in a highrise and get rich. It’s a heart-warming story of love, friendship and strength and has never before been performed in Hong Kong - it’s a sizzling family show with large rock and pop songs as well as toe-tapping ‘80s numbers - you’ll find it hard to stay in your seat!

So what was your role?

I’m the producer and director - each year we try and put on challenging new theatre that will excite young audiences, as well as those who love a night out at the theatre. I started out in 2008 with a tiny show in a school hall, and now we’re offering exciting, fun productions at Hong Kong Arts Centre that all ages will love.

I’m a professionally trained actress and dancer and our performing arts school (The Performers Studio) prides itself on giving students the chance to work with industry professionals. All of our backstage team is an expert in their fields.

What are the challenges putting on this scale of show?

Pulling in the audience! We’re a small, boutique theatre company and we’re just starting to produce large scale productions.

We want to bring new shows to Hong Kong, 58 expat-parent.com

Young actors from The Performers Studio get ready to hit the stage with their new production.

but the names of our productions are not instantly recognisable, so it’s tough. I hope as our reputation grows we can attract a regular crowd and audiences start looking out for our shows.

Tell us about the cast…

There are 22 cast members and we meet every Friday afternoon for a four-hour rehearsal, plus two to three weekend rehearsal dates where we put everything together. Our coaches are busy performing during the week, so the weekend tends to be the best time for them to come in and work with us.

What can we expect to see on stage?

The costumes are bright and colourful to reflect the 1980s vibe. Expect rousing tunes coupled with dramatic choreography full of life and energy, neons, shadows and image projections for a fast-paced, lively spectacle.

Who do you hope to see in the audience?

The show’s recommended for anyone from three and up - the story should be gripping for young audiences and it’s visually stimulating to engage little ones. I’m hoping the fast-paced fun will also engage the adults.

What’s your favourite bit?

There are loads of highlights, but the choreography of our basketball song by Zeni Corbin, our amazing guest choreographer, makes me smile every time I watch it. There’s so much going on it feels like it’s over before it began!

We’re sold! Where can we buy tickets?

Through www.urbtix.hk or by calling 2111 5999, or come along to the box office at Hong Kong Arts Centre, Harbour Road, Wan Chai. The show is being performed in the Shouson Theatre at Hong Kong Arts Centre, June 9-11.

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life & style

Memory makers

Looking for a Hong Kong souvenir? A selection of artists showcase their work.

Michael Sloan Fisherwoman in her boat, Sai Kung public pier is by US freelance illustrator Michael Sloan. He specialises in scenes of Hong Kong’s outdoor markets and his illustrations have appeared in many national magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times. His prints and greetings cards are available at artflakes.com, michaelsloan.net.

Belinda Bath The Australian-born photographer pieces together original montages, both as framed prints or canvases stretched onto frames, using her collection of photographs of Hong Kong. Personalised canvases can be designed on request. Prices available by emailing belindabathimages@gmail.com, belindabathimages.com.

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life & style

Arteflo Design Italian-born, French national Florence Traissac studied art and graphic design in Paris. Now in Hong Kong, she began sketching and photographing, translating her work into vibrant paintings capturing everyday aspects of Hong Kong life. Prints on canvas start at $2,000, florence@arteflodesign.com, arteflodesign.com.

Chinabcs

Francesco Lietti

Lifestyle photographer Ginny Malbon captures Hong Kong street objects and scenes to create stunning canvases and prints. Her work can be custom-collated and she has also translated her images into a memory game, mugs, cards and coasters. Prints start at $300, facebook.com/chinabcs.

The Italian artist features on our cover this month with a limited edition print on perspex of Victoria Harbour. By printing directly onto perspex, the piece has a slight transparency to it, allowing it to be lit up from behind by a LED plate or be placed in a window to let natural light through. Priced from $2,500, lisa@scandicrest.hk or xiko.se.

Louise Hill We Love Hong Kong is part of Louise Hill’s Asia Series of works, using a detailed mix of her own photography with vintage, one-off finds. “This print features the essence of what makes Hong Kong so special,” she says. The print along with other stunning Hong Kong montages is available from louise-hill-design.com.

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HEALTH & wellness

Health & wellness news Bouncing babes

Mobile massage

Massages on the move with the new Lookdiary initiative.

Zone out from the din din on a ding ding, with a Massage Tram Party. The initiative has been launched by Lookdiary in collaboration with Hong Kong Tramways and promises to be one of the most relaxed ways this summer to view the city that rarely sleeps.

Jump aboard a private tram car where a minimum of three professional therapists will pamper you and your guests with relaxing foot and neck massages.

On the open-top upper deck, enjoy the

Gym bunnies Sheung Wan-based studio Odinson has now opened, incorporating training, yoga and wellness with a range of classes.

HIIT (high-intensity interval training) “Midday Madness” classes are led by head trainer Paul Beltrame and promise to burn bucket-loads of calories in a short-period workout, followed by “active rest” time. “It’s challenging but fun and perfect for those who are time-stretched or who get bored easily,” said Beltrame.

Each class has a maximum limit of eight and runs every weekday from 12.301.15pm and 1.30-2.15pm. There are longer, “weekend warrior” classes from 11am-12pm 62 expat-parent.com

Hong Kong skyline as the tram strolls its leisurely way from Western District through to Central.

It’s an original way to celebrate, whether you’re saying farewell to good friends or wishing somebody a happy birthday.

Lookdiary is a web-based platform specialising in health and wellness and beauty bookings.

Contact www.lookdiary.com.hk for bookings.

on Saturdays.

Combine HIIT with yoga at a 30-minute lunchtime class from 12.15 and 1pm on Tuesdays or an hour-long session on Sundays at 11.30am and 1.30pm.

If you’re not sure what suits you, for $2,000 you can book onto any group training or yoga class for one calendar month (from the 1st to 31st).

The studio is also hosting a freeof-charge body composition and food sensitivities seminar, 12.30-1.30pm, June 15 (lunch included).

Odinson by EPT, 11&12/F, The Pemberton, 22 Bonham Strand East, Sheung Wan. Bookings should be made at info@odinson.asia, or 3955 2206. Dropin price is $275/person.

Weigh your baby with them still nestled in your arms with the new Baby Mode scales. Produced by Withings, a branch of telcomms company Nokia, by stepping onto the scales with your baby, the weight data is synchronised to the Health Mate app for accurate growth monitoring.

Once the baby’s profile has been created and configured on the app, parents can get an instant report of their child’s weight.

Weight gain monitoring is essential during the early months to ensure babies are getting enough milk and developing properly.

At the same time, parents can receive their own overview of body composition, as the scales are capable of displaying weight, body fat, muscle mass, bone mass, water percentage and a graph summarizing the last eight weigh-ins to help users see the overall trend. This data is also linked with the Health Mate app.

The Body Cardio set of scales is 0.7 inches deep with a flat aluminum base, footless design and heat-tempered glass for accuracy and stability on any surface – whether it be wood floors, tile or carpet. The built-in rechargeable battery lasts up to one year between charges.

See withings.com for more information.

Keep on top of your baby’s health with the new Baby Mode scales from Withings.

HEALTH & wellness

Mindful moments

Cleaning up Hong Kong

Paddles up and bin-bags at-the-ready for the Great Hong Kong Cleanup Day.

The Great Hong Kong Cleanup Day will take place on September 23, part of the 17th annual Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge (on now until December 1).

Every summer, it’s hugely frustrating to see the copious amounts of plastic and waste washing up on our shores. The Hong Kong Cleanup aims to give local individuals, communities, schools and businesses an opportunity to have a fun, fulfilling day out together while removing the rubbish from our beaches and, most importantly, collecting data.

This data is used to compile the Global Trash Index and Trash Free Seas Alliance, providing an international snapshot of what’s polluting our oceans so work can be done to prevent specific items from reaching the water.

Since 2000, the initiative has mobilised almost half a million people in over 25,000 groups to collect thousands of tonnes of rubbish.

Want to get involved? Cleanup works on a first-come, first-served basis so register now at hkcleanup.org

Packing essentials for stress-free holidays.

By Elena Maria Foucher.

When we pack our bags, whether it’s for business or pleasure, we often leave behind the things that help us relax most. Our gym memberships, our newspaper subscriptions, our favourite places to run, read or rest - all get left behind. Those quiet moments to relax and regroup are all rooted in our daily lives at home. But when we’re travelling we find ourselves facing difficult clients or stressful relatives without the back-up of our calming tools.

The great news is with a bit of forethought and preparation, you can take your ‘relaxation toolbox’ with you.

How? Take a moment to reflect on what you do to relax. What are your favourite tools? Is it your morning walk? Your workout?

Yoga class? Newspaper? Music? What do you do best to destress?

Once you’ve got a few things in mind, start to think about how you can recreate them or bring them along with you...

If it’s a walk or run, schedule a regular time each morning or evening. Check a map and look for a local park, waterfront or neighborhood with small roads. Want to stay close? Simply go around your block every day. As a runner, I find all kinds of interesting things in the places I’m visiting this way, and my daily runs create some of my best memories.

If it’s your workout, look for a local gym. Don’t have time to go out? Research exercises that you can do in your room with equipment you’re happy to pack or look for bodyweight exercises for light travel.

Signup for online newspaper and magazine subscriptions and if you love your music, bring good headphones and plan time each day to enjoy listening.

If you’re happier and less stressed, everyone’s a winner!

Eléna Foucher, creator of Mindfulness Made Easy, is innovating mindfulness-based productivity, enhancing focus and reducing distractibility for high performance and low stress. She offers private sessions, courses & corporate trainings.

Contact Elena@ElenaMariaFoucher.com or ElenaMariaFoucher.com.

Vegan bakery in Landmark Riding the tide of health and wellness taking over Hong Kong, The Cakery has launched its own nutritious yet delicious selection of lunch and tea choices. The new shop at LANDMARK has a range of homemade breads, including gluten-free, vegan, organic, walnut and mixed fruit sourdough and sugar-free chocolate brioches. For the office crowd, the ‘Wellness Lunch Set’ includes a gluten-free half-sandwich (choose from Rainbow – sweet potato with beetroot hummus, pickled carrots and spinach; Golden Chicken – turmeric yogurt chicken, our favourite; or Ham & Cheese). This is served alongside a bite-size cupcake, a pack of homemade mixed dried fruits and nuts and a home-brewed drink.

Shop 301, Landmark, Central, thecakery.com expat-parent.com 63

HEALTH & wellness

Ask an expert

Q A

This month midwife Sofie Jacobs explains how to keep cool with bumps and babes.

Want to ask our panel of health experts a question?

If you have a query about pregnancy, babies or toddlers, email editorial@fastmedia.com.hk

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Summer’s here! I’m heavily pregnant and need some top tips for keeping my cool. I’m really hoping to avoid too much swelling and sweatiness. And after the baby is born, when is it safe for me to take to the water again?

- hot mumma, Mid-levels Midwife and birth expert, Sofie Jacobs.

W

hether you’re pregnant of a new mamma, the heat can pose a real challenge. From swollen ankles, to constant sweating summer and pregnancy don’t alway mix. Here are a few tips on how to keep your cool with the temperatures are soaring.

• Stay indoors during extreme heat and peak sun hours. Pregnant ladies are prone to hyper-pigmentation so you can end up with unsightly brown spots.

• Avoid crowds - being crammed up against others will only add to the heat, plus your sense of smell is in overdrive. It’s best to avoid large gatherings and (literally) give yourself some breathing space.

• Cankles become a real thing. To avoid sausage legs, wear comfortable shoes, avoid extended periods on your feet, get out and walk, cut back on salty foods and elevate your feet often.

• Avoid super cool drinks as they will only constrict your blood vessels and your body will actually heat up in response. Try exercising in water to lessen the impact on your joints and give your muscles a rest. Plus, it’s way cooler than the gym.

• And if you’ve recently given birth, it’s normal for enthusiasm for beaches and road trips to give way to anxieties about heat, travel, sleep (or lack thereof). Here are some tips for enjoying summer with your plus one.

• Hot or cold? Touch the back of your baby’s neck. If it’s hot or damp, try stripping off a layer of clothes. Fussiness, crying and heat rash are also signs they are uncomfortable.

Keep an eye on any changes and check your baby’s temperature.

• Sleep like a baby. As a rule in subtropical environments, keep the air conditioner set to around 22-25 degrees or keep a fan on to circulate the air, but don’t point it directly

at your bub. Follow the rule “one more layer than you are comfortable in”. If you’re sleeping in the buff, a light tee-shirt of grow bag should do nicely for your baby.

• Don’t go jumping into the pool until you’ve had your six-week postnatal check or you could risk picking up an infection. Most healthcare professionals don’t recommend pools, oceans or lakes until the baby is over two months old, as young babies get cold easily. But if you’re lucky enough to have access to a pool that’s heated to around 32 degrees C, in theory your baby can splash from birth.

• Only use sun-cream on exposed areas and opt for cover-ups on the majority of the body. Make sure the sun-cream you use is non-irritating, non-sensitizing and offers photo-stability. It should be easy to spread, is opaque so you can actually see it on your baby’s skin and make sure it is SPF15 or above.

• If you are breastfeeding, be sure to drink a lot of water. But it doesn’t mean that your breastfed baby will need water. If it’s overly warm, a top-up with some cool, but not cold, water is fine, but not essential. Your milk contains everything they need to stay hydrated.

• Avoid heat rash. Everything from tight fitting clothes, wet nappies, chubby rolls and even the stroller can cause a rash in high heat.

Keep an eye out for skin that looks red and bumpy. If it does, heat rash is easily treated.

Simply remove the clothing, sponge down the skin with lukewarm water and leave the area exposed or dress baby in loose fitting, natural clothing. The rash should start to fade in around 12 hours, if not, or if it gets worse, contact your doctor. urban-hatch.com

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me & my hobby

Get on board Jack Cooper introduces us to Nippers, his favourite thing to do in Hong Kong Introduce yourself to us…

My name’s Jack Cooper, I’m seven years old and I go to Hong Kong International School.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love Nippers, swimming and making paper aeroplanes.

So tell us a bit about Nippers…

It’s a fun, surf life saving group that meets at the Victoria Recreation Club on Deepwater Bay Beach at 8am each Sunday morning.

We do beach and water-based games and races.

How long have you been a Nipper?

I started two years ago, so I’m into my third season this summer.

What sort of things do you learn?

We do station exercises, which includes swim-run-swim, paddle boards, another run, flags a long swim and beach safety.

What are your favourite bits?

I love everything really, but I think most of all I enjoy the paddle boards, long swim and the long run.

What are the challenges?

The Nippers organisers have a sausage sizzle at the end of every Sunday morning session. My challenge is to sneak in more sausages than I’m allowed!

Would you recommend Nippers as a hobby to other children?

Yes, it’s great fun. You have a good time in the sun at the beach and you keep fit and healthy at the same time. The exercises are great and you get to do them with friends plus you finish with a sausage sizzle. I really enjoy it.

Do you have to be good at running or swimming to join up?

Nippers has different levels so you can find a group that fits your ability. But you do need to know how to swim. That’s important.

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Jack Cooper on his board at Deepwater Bay.

Have you made new friends?

I knew some of the kids from other sports that I do, but I’ve also made new Nippers friends too.

If you would like to find out more about Nippers or sign up, send an email to nippershongkong@gmail.com or take a look at the Nippers HK Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Nippershk. The Nippers season in Hong Kong runs from May to September.

Nuts about Nippers Nippers is popular in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and introduces youngsters aged five to 14 to surf life-saving skills.

The focus is on fun and surf awareness, and sessions traditionally culminate with a sausage sizzle. Areas covered include beach awareness (wildlife, etc.) and surf conditions, as well as basic first aid for older Nippers.

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food

Food news I scream, you scream!

Ice is nice Nespresso has launched limited edition grands crus for iced coffees. Inspired by Mediterranean summer days, the coffee capsules - Intenso on Ice and Leggero on Ice - have been specially blended to be served as an iced drink.

Easy to serve, simple fill half your glass with ice cubes, top up with a single serving of either of the capsules and finish with 90ml (or six tablespoons) of cold water and cold milk froth.

Both capsules are available in Hong Kong Nespresso outlets from June 6. To celebrate the launch, Nespresso is also offering a limited edition, geometrically-designed Touch travel mug, perfect for keeping drinks cool in the heat.

If you buy 12 sleeves or more of the the iced coffee capsules, you’ll recieve a complimentary Pure Recipe glass set, nespresso.com.

We’re all screaming for ice cream at GROM this summer, the Italian gelateria that will be serving up delicious scoops of ‘Beat the Heat’ healthy sweet treats as the sun shines.

A new menu includes Ghiaccioli - Italian frozen fruit bars; sorbets, shakes and granita (Italian style ice slushy); and vegan-friendly sorbet.

Classic gelato serves are free of artificial flavourings, colourings, preservatives and emulsifiers and uses cage-free eggs.

Keep your ice coffee cool with Nespresso’s limited edition Touch travel mug.

Macau openings Award-winning Portuguese chef Antonio Coelho has opened family restaurant Tapas de Portugal in historic Taipa Village, Macau.

Offering a wide range of contemporary Portuguese tapas and Portuguese wines, beers and cocktails, the restaurant is on three levels including an al fresco roof terrace.

Recommended dishes include scrambled eggs with Portuguese bread sausage, codfish a Braz, wet lobster rice and popular Portuguese dessert serrradura - a combination of whipped cream and crumbed biscuit and a must-try Macau favourite.

“The launch of Tapas de Portugal brings a creative new selection of Portuguese flavours

Keeping cool with a cone in IFC. Delicious dishes at Tapas de Portugal, Macau.

to Taipa Village, adding further diversity to the sought after Portuguese cuisine offerings in the area,” commented Coelho.

Tapas de Portugal, 12pm-4am, 9 Rua de Clerigos, Taipa, Macau, +853 2857 6626, reservation@tapasdeportugal.com.

Beachside dining The Beach House on Lantau has re-branded as Bathers beachside dining restaurant.

Serving weekend breakfasts, sharing plates, seafood platters, salads, mains, cocktails and kids menus, the restaurant is stunningly positioned right next to the ocean. Ideal for children who want the run of the beach while you linger over drinks.

And not only that, there is now a dedicated bus running from Tung Chung (the 68 expat-parent.com

nearest MTR and car park for non-resident permit holders) right to your dining seat by the beach on weekends and public holidays.

Simply go to bathers.com.hk and book your spot on the shuttle bus. There are 28 seats and the bus runs at 11.15am and returns at 4pm. For groups larger than 12, contact events@woollypigconcepts.com.hk.

Bathers Restaurant, 32 Lower Cheung Sha Village, Lantau Island, 2504 4788.

Brit favourite Sainsbury’s in town The UK’s second biggest supermarket chain, Sainsbury’s, is now exporting to Hong Kong.

Over 200 Sainsbury’s products are now available at Market Place by Jasons and selected Wellcome, ThreeSixty and Jasons stores throughout the city - from cheeses, cereals and coffee, to frozen vegetables and tinned foods.

The products have all been tested in the UK and are GMO free. There are four different product lines to choose from: “by Sainsbury’s”, “Taste the Difference”, “SO Organic” and “freefrom”.

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food

Bountiful baskets There’s no excuse for sandy sandwiches this summer. Foodie Elaine Yeoh has packed a hamper-full of delicious ideas for eating al fresco.

Delicious al fresco treats from Invisible Kitchen.

Perfect picnics Invisible Kitchen

Pomegranate Kitchen

British chef and owner Tom Burney’s classic wicker baskets are a celeb favourite and come packed with a lip-smacking seven-course menu of fresh, seasonal ingredients, including canapes, starters, sandwiches and mains, artisan cheeses, cured meats, desserts and drinks. From birthday party to romantic date for two, just bring your appetite, picnic mat and keep the cute basket for another day.

Vegetarian options are available. Prices start at $395/person for four, and $1,190 for two including a bottle of Moet & Chandon. Delivery available with advanced notice, charges apply.

Unit 8, 24/F, Honour Industrial Building, 6 Sun Yip Street, Siu Sai Wan, 2711 5788, invisiblekitchen.com.

Classy and creative, Pomegranate Kitchen’s interesting menus offer sumptuous European and Mediterranean eats. A picnic hamper costs $1,600 and contains enough for ten to 12 people - choose from a yummy menu of dips (think cumin infused hummus, charred eggplant babagannoush, labneh with pistachio dukkah, pomegranate seeds and kalamata olives, feta and charred red bell pepper served with crudites and freshly baked Turkish breads); sandwich platters; cheeses; charcuterie and a sumptuous choice of desserts, including semolina and almond cakes, pomegranate brownies and pistachio and raspberry macaroons. Customized baskets are $350/person with two mains, one salad and one side. Delivery charges apply.

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food

Gourmet British picnics courtesy of Brick Lane.

Brick Lane The quintessential British Gourmet Picnic Basket comes pre-packed in terms of hierarchy: “Baron”, “Earl” or “Duke” with a vegetarian basket option, too. Prices start at $450 for two, or $980 for six which includes the use of basket, blanket, crockery and cutlery with a selection of tasty salads and sandwiches, black truffle fries, spring chicken, brownies and wine. Add-ons are available. No deliveries, so pick-ups and returns at their TST or Admiralty outlets.

Admiralty - 4/F, CITIC Tower, 1 Tim Mei Avenue, 2363 2500 TST - G/F 17-23 Minden Avenue, Tsim Tsa Tsui, 2721 0628 bricklane.com.hk.

Gingers

Party pieces Shamrock Shamrock expertly brings the party to you the four junk menus start at $220 per head for a minimum of 20 people with appetizers, sandwich or wrap platters, salads, mains and dessert - tasty and good-to-go and they can be delivered with a full set of disposable crockery and cutlery right to your junk at Central Ferry Piers (pier 10). If yours is an

on-land affair, order trays of delicious Thai starters, mini bruschetta, tarts, quiches and skewers, plus pastas, salads and mini-desserts. Pick up or delivery (delivery charges apply).

19th Floor, Leader Centre, Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen, 2547 8155, shamrock.com.hk.

We love the great options from this thoughtful caterer, who last year celebrated 15 years as one of Hong Kong’s top go-to caterers. The Light Party menu is $290 for a minimum of ten people, with a choice of four savouries from tarts, wraps and frittatas; two salads; and two sweets. For a minimum of 20 guests, there is a Simply Junk menu at $250/person or a Simple Cocktail menu with a choice of six creative canapes. All menu choices work without having to re-heat and come perfectly packaged on disposable trays for takeaway or delivery (charges apply). With options to addon extra items such as hot food, a chef and equipment, before you know it you’ve conjured up a classy outdoor event.

2 Oaklands Path, Mid-levels, 2964 9160, www.gingers.com.hk. expat-parent.com 71

food Delicious Catering HK This husband and wife team are veteran caterers who can whip up a variety of Bento boxes filled with all manner of treats, from roast duck with cucumber rolls, to vegetable samosas, spicy pork and coriander wraps and dessert. The Afternoon Tea High includes scones, sandwiches, smoked salmon caviar on blinis, crepes, cake and drinks. They also offer a range of junk menus, including simple buffet food at $200/person for 25 guests, including salads, quiches, a choice of hearty main courses and dessert. The all-inclusive menu starts at $700/person for 25 guests, which includes food, a seven-hour charter (10.30am5.30pm) and an open bar.

Delivery is available at an extra charge, with a small fee for disposable, bio-degradable plates, cutlery and paper napkins.

13 Po Tuck Street, Sai Wan, 2559 0144, delicious-hk.com.

Relish Kitchen This team is passionate about its creations and can rustle up anything from divine canapes and drop-off light bites to bespoke dinner parties. Picnic baskets are for a minimum of 16 and start at $980 per basket with four delicious salads and a variety of rolls, compotes, crudites, gougeres and gluten-free options.

The junk menus feature a sous-vide beef tenderloin platter with horseradish mustard cream, or Vietnamese-style whole side grilled salmon with garlic, shallots, lemongrass, chilli and turmeric. Along with an assortment of cheese-boards, pies, salads and a “tipples” cocktail menu, Relish Kitchen is guaranteed to get the party started.

128 2nd Street, Sai Ying Pun, 3481 1924, relish-kitchen.com.

It’s hungry work kicking back over summer, tuck in with Delicious Catering HK.

Do it yourself Sainsburys Straight-off-the-boat Brit favourite Sainsburys is making waves in the territory this summer.

Choose from over 200 quality products - top picks include Demerera Shortbread Rounds made using UK locally sourced farm-fresh butter; Strawberry Conserve made with organic sugar; and that elusive afternoon tea

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favourite, clotted cream, from the “SO Organic” range. Team these ever-so English treats with a Dry Ginger Ale and you’ve got yourself a right royal picnic even the teddy bears wouldn’t want to miss.

Available from ThreeSixty, Jasons Food & Living and selected Wellcome supermarkets.

Green Common Assemble your own healthy options from this popular greengrocer. Green diet takeaways include the high-protein Rainbowl ($88) with quinoa, blueberries, avocado and kale; the Shanghai Chill ($75) with mung bean noodles and plant-based sesame chicken; or the Beyond Burger Classic ($78) with a plant-based beef burger patty. Perfect with a bottle of cold-pressed juice (from $33).

Various locations in TST, Wan Chai and Central, greencommon.com.

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travel

Dream on

Get the most out of your next holiday with a tailored trip.

Shreena Patel speaks to the experts.

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travel

Luxury destination club Afini offers top notch properties all over the world to its members.

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travel

F

rom a private tour of the Taj Mahal, to Sydney Harbour island dining or a banquet on the Great Wall of China, Quintessentially Travel has been there, arranged that.

“Our saying is ‘The answer is yes, now what was the question?’,” explains Eldi Lau, lifestyle travel sales manager.

But grandiose requests aren’t the only reason to go bespoke. Booking a tailored holiday can save you time and effort, as well as enriching your experience.

“There’s an overwhelming amount of choice available at the touch of a button,” agrees Lau. “I think our clients appreciate having a dedicated specialist who can cut through the noise. I think we’re going to see a lot more growth in services like this.”

Andrea Oschetti, former travel journalist and founder of bespoke travel company Blueflower Travel, agrees. “Planning is an important part of the trip, it’s supposed to allow us to travel with our imagination. Alas, it is often the opposite. With a full time job and a family, we often lack the time to make sure we get the most out of holidays. Without connections on the ground and research, travellers miss the most powerful experiences,” he explains.

Alex Malcolm, founder of luxury travel specialist Jacada Travel, agrees. “There’s a lot more to travelling than just sightseeing,” he says. “It’s about allowing you to explore a destination in a way that speaks to your particular interests. Some clients might want to explore off-the-beaten-track hiking trails, others might want to experience the best spots to wine and dine. Everyone has a different agenda.”

Off the beaten track in Bhutan with Blueflower Travel.

Launched in Hong Kong at the end of last year, Afini brings yet another perspective to the bespoke travel concept.

CEO and co-founder John Blanco explains, “Afini was designed as a solution for my personal - and a common regional - travel problem. My wife and I have four children, plus a helper. We often holiday with friends too.

Usual hotel bookings just ended up being a few boxes in a bigger box - not conducive to spending time together.”

So Blanco invested in a holiday home in Portugal, but going to the same place every year became boring and a maintenance headache. So, together with some fellow luxury-travel industry names (investors include the founder of Potato Head and Smailing Tour, members of the founding management team

Lifestyle Travel Sales Manager at Quintessentially Travel Best travel experience: A trip to Peru’s Lake Titicaca - it was like being in a dream. We also visited the Uros tribe on their floating island which was incredible.

Worst travel experience: A trip to Sweden where my luggage was lost in transit from London. It got there eventually but it wasn’t the best start..

Favourite travel book: The Art of Travel

by Alain De Botton.

Where would you like to go next on holiday? Rapa Nui in Chile and Cheval Blanc Randheli in the Maldives.

“I never travel without…” My camera.

Eldi Lau

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travel CEO and Co-founder, Afini Best travel experience: Growing up we moved every two years: my father was a Bolivian civil engineer and was sent around the world on various jobs. I lived in the outback in NW Australia where I passed kangaroos and aborigines daily on my way to school - the nearby sheep station held emu races on weekends. Dad was also involved in building a hydroelectric dam in the Amazon - once the area was drained, 25 anacondas were left on river bed and they created a snake zoo for the kids.

Worst travel experience: Years ago, a friend and I were driving to Belgium to go climbing. At the border, the guard’s cocker spaniel started going crazy. We were stopped and stripsearched.

Favourite travel book: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.

Where would you like to go next on holiday? Mongolia - the Trans Siberian Railway “I never travel without…” A photo of my kids and a gin and tonic.

nco

John Bla

Niseko with Afini.

of US-based luxury destination club Inspirato and the ex-CEO of Indonesian airline Garuda), Blanco set up Afini, a luxury destination club for Asia.

“Afini has over 25 luxury properties around the world, accessible only to our members at up to 60% below comparable villa rates. We also layer in our own staff in each destination, to ensure a level of service and familiarity.

Each residence has a destination concierge, available 24/7, who oversees the itinerary and can offer expert guidance on the local area,” explains Blanco.

Specifically, 90% of Afini’s properties are residences. The remaining 10% are “iconic hotel partners”, such as The Upper House in Hong Kong. “We secure our residences through long-term leases so the nightly rates we charge clients are very low,” he says.

Afini members are assigned a dedicated “lifestyle consultant” who plans everything, from arrival to departure, excluding flights. “It’s about anticipation to the nth degree,” says Blanco, “whether it’s finding your favourite wine waiting for you in the kitchen, or a pre-arranged morning yoga class.”

Member privileges include exclusive access to other clubs, curated experiences and luxury services, such as private tours at Art Basel, access to Simpson yachts, Aqua expeditions on the Mekong and the Amazon and complementary airline club membership (platinum for Garuda Indonesia, gold for Etihad).

Global web platform TravelLocal connects travellers with local companies in their chosen destinations.

“The travel industry has become a sort of gigantic assembly line factory, churning out generic and instantly forgettable trips,” says co-founder Huw owen, who used to run a local travel agency in Cambodia.

“We sensed travellers were looking for

Chlling out with destination club Afini (above and opposite page.)

more insight and knowledge. We partner with companies on-the-ground chosen for their amazing local knowledge and contacts.”

TravelLocal’s customers book everything from homestays to luxury resorts. “Typically we see families spending $15,000-30,000 per person for a two-week trip to countries such as Tanzania, Morocco and Uzbekistan. We’ve also had booking for Costa Rica and China,” says Owen. “Hong Kong is one of our key areas.

Hong Kongers love to travel but they’re also savvy buyers.”

Owen says that requests are rarely declined, but he does admit that it happens occasionally. “I had a request to travel from China to Japan by train. I had to say ‘I’m terribly sorry, sir, but there’s 800km of ocean between them…’.”

Contact information Afini Contact Emma Symonds at esymonds@afini. com, 5801 9974, www.afini.com

Blueflower Travel Contact Andrea Oschetti at hello@blueflower. la, 3975 8193, www.blueflower.la

Jacada Travel Contact travel@jacadatravel.com, 2110 0537, www.jacadatravel.com

Quintessentially Travel Contact info@quintessentiallytravel.com, 3752 2076, www.quintessentiallytravel.com

TravelLocal Contact www.travellocal.com

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marketplace

marketplace

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

marketplace

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

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flailing spouse

Summer livin’ It turns out summer camp is just what the doctor ordered for our long-suffering mum.

A

nd so the silly season begins. The long school holidays will soon be upon us and the children have started drafting their summer holiday

wishlists.

“I think I might do sailing and then surfing and then art and then an adventure week,” muses the Blonde Child as she comes through the front door one afternoon, idly flicking through a summer camp brochure she’s found on the school bus.

“Well darling,” I muse back. “That’s going to cost mummy approximately two million dollars, so let’s focus on one camp as a treat and then some fun days out.”

She gives me a quizzical look. “We won’t have to do any hiking this holiday, will we?” she asks suspiciously.

“No, of course not. It’s far too hot. I save up the hiking days out to annoy you during winterbased holidays.”

She gives me another suspicious look but disappears up to her bedroom.

Oh god, why-oh-why do schools still insist on giving children approximately quarter of the year off every summer? It’s hot, it’s hard work, and I have forgotten (again) to book a flight to somewhere lovely.

Of course all the other mummies at school filled their summer diaries months ago with stunning Spanish villas, rustic French farmhouses and idyllic Italian hideaways. I think the furthest we’re likely to get this year is Macau. Or possibly that new Disney hotel.

Anyway, the point is they’re both a long way from the Mediterranean and I have a lot of weeks to fill with “fun” activities.

Just then the Teen Child shrugs her way into the hall. “Hi darling, do you want to do a camp this summer?” I ask brightly.

She looks at me as if I’ve asked her to go outside and scrub the driveway on her hands and knees. Or tidy her room.

“Oh my god, that is so lame, mum. Nobody does camps!”

“Nobody in the whole world or just in your friendship group?” I reply.

She gives me another “look”, the ones only teenagers can give. “If we’re going to be stuck

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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. at home again, I actually have a lot of movies to get through,” she concludes, fixing me with a “don’t you dare suggest a fun day out” kind of stare. I back down and let her go. There’s still time to work on her. I’m sure I could sell her some tennis lessons at the very least.

The Tween Child is even less enthusiastic.

“I’m very tired. I might just have lots of lie-ins,” she says.

What, for the entire holidays?

I get another death stare (she must have been practising with the Teen). “Are we staying in Hong Kong AGAIN? Just please don’t make me do any fun days out,” she begs, squeezing past me en route to her bedroom.

And suddenly I yearn for those happy days of toddler-hood, when a trip to the park

was a joyous thing, and a trip to the beach was met with squeals of delight. Ok, so there were the not-so-great bits, like changing nappies on sand, and the sheer effort involved in getting tiny tots into swimmers and into the water without drowning, or the day the Blonde Child vomited in the baby pool at the club and it had to be evacuated (even the Teen Child would struggle to replicate the hard stares from all those other mummies - the memory still makes me shudder). But the point is, they were so easily entertained. A little outing, an ice cream treat, and home in time for Peppa Pig. Halcyon days.

A couple of weeks later one of those group emails pings through from a friend. It turns out her kids are signed up for - and this is utter genius - a Chinese immersion programme at a summer school in northern China. For two weeks. Unaccompanied. And no exie hotel costs as they’ll be staying with Chinese host families. Apparently there are still a few spots going spare and would any of our kids like to join her kids?

It takes me just under ten minutes to secure two spots on the programme, two return flights to Shanghai Hongqiao International airport on points and a car to Chek Lap Kok. “Definitely!”

I email back.

I fill another ten minutes booking a couple of weeks of surf camp for the Boy and the Blonde Child and a couple of nights at the Island Shangri La for me and my husband.

And so it turns out I’ve cunningly full-filled everyone’s special summer wishlist. The Boy Child and the Blonde Child get to do a camp, my travel-weary husband gets to spend some quality time with his lovely (and very clever) wife without having to set foot on a plane, and the Tween and Teen Children get to leave Hong Kong - without a single “fun day” on the horizon. By the time they’ve been “immersed” for the summer, they might view mummy’s “fun days out” in a more appreciative light.

I might be getting old, but when it comes to entertaining children over the summer holidays I certainly haven’t lost my touch, I think smugly to myself as I settle back on the couch with a nice G&T.

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