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the really useful magazine expat-parent.com

July 2017

History lesson Looking back on colonial Hong Kong

Mountain madness -Niseko summer camps Desert island bliss -Philippines uncovered

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CONTENTs

ISSUE 039

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Editor’s letter

38

Open day

Happy Birthday Hong Kong!

Summer camp Japanese-syle

4 Contributors

40

Big day out

Meet the team

Big boat fun

6

School photos

42 Travel

Fun and games from around Hong Kong

Paradise in the Philippines

8

What’s on

48

Flailing spouse

Dining dramas

Holiday fun

12

Things you need to know

Handover

14 News

Goings on this month

16 Giveaways

Loads of free stuff

20

Me & my big Idea

Putting the fun into family travel

22

Book review

New releases plus foodie favourites

26 My Hong Kong

ESF’s first lady reveals all

30

Cover story

History lessons

34

School news

Peppa Pig drops in

9

30

14

39

20

Scan and visit our website expat-parent.com

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editor’s message

who’s in charge?

Publisher Tom Hilditch tom@hongkongliving.com

Editorial editorial@hongkongliving.com Editor-in-Chief Shreena Patel

Editor Carolynne Dear

Acting Editor Eric Ho

Editorial Assistant Trisha Harjani

Design cindy@hongkongliving.com Design Manager Cindy Suen

Graphic Designer Anna Schulteisz

Sales & Marketing ads@hongkongliving.com

M

y daughter did the family proud last month. We were standing in an impossibly long, seemingly non-moving queue at Disneyland. It was hot, everybody was frustrated, and suddenly the Chinese mother and small child standing in front of us exited the queue.

“Phew, I don’t blame them,” I remember thinking, looking longingly at a park bench.

Anyway, a few minutes later the mother and child popped back into the queue, much to the irritation of the Western tourist standing behind us. “Don’t you know it’s a queue?” she exclaimed loudly. “You can’t just leave and push back in.” The Chinese lady began speaking to her in Mandarin.

“You’re all the same!” continued the Western lady. And then my daughter turned round. “Excuse me,” she said to the lady, ever so politely. “The Chinese mother is just explaining that her toddler was desperate for the toilet and she’s sorry for causing any inconvenience.”

In a fractured and frequently intolerant global society, I find I am learning more and more from the attitudes of my own children. Immersed in an ever-revolving cultural community, they are growing into mature, accepting and tolerant individuals. And a few years of Mandarin lessons certainly haven’t gone amiss, either.

Hong Kong celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. It seems to be a pivotal moment in the history of what was once a “barren rock”, but here’s hoping it will continue to be the multi-cultural, prosperous and welcoming haven it has grown into today.

I wish you all happy and safe travels wherever you are headed, enjoy the summer and Happy Birthday to the fantastic “rock” that we call home.

about the cover

Sales and Marketing Executive Venus Man

Sales and Marketing Executive Kiran Hiranandani

Sales and Marketing Executive Maria Jones

Sales and Marketing Executive Sam Edwards

Office Manager amanda@hongkongliving.com Office Manager Amanda Chia

Peace Keepers Fish & Chips

Contact us Admin: 3568 3722 | Editorial: 2776 2773 | Advertising: 2776 2772 Published by Hong Kong Living Ltd, L1 Kai Wong Commercial Building, 222 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong

Our stunning July cover has been exclusively designed by local artist, Florence Traissac, to commemorate 20 years since the establishment of Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

Traissac is an Italian-born, French national who now calls Hong Kong home. From initial sketches and photographs, she turns everyday aspects of city life into vibrant paintings and prints. If you would like your own commemorative print of our cover, contact Traissac at florence@arteflodesign.com, arteflodesign.com and on Instagram at arteflodesign.

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Sales Director Hilda Chan

Printer Apex Print Limited, 11-13 Dai Kwai Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Po, Hong Kong

HONG KONG hongkongliving.com Expat Parent is published by Hong Kong Living Ltd. This magazine is published on the understanding that the publishers, advertisers, contributors and their employees are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors and omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication. The publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of any action or omission by this publication. 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

Anya & Scarlet…

Marianne Rogerson…

Trisha Harjani…

...reviewed the new additions to the Pizza Express menu this month. Scarlet is an Australian International School student and likes playing netball and colouring and loves surfing at Big Wave Bay with her dad. Anya enjoys going to Hong Kong Academy and in her spare time likes Bounce, gymnastics and playdates. Her go-to meal is cheesy pasta and bacon. Find out how they went in our News section on page 14.

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

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

This month she reveals her best ever holiday destination with kids - all is revealed in our July travel feature on page 42. She lives in Stanley with her husband Dougie and two children and she enjoys tucking into dim sum and relaxing with a foot massage. Read all about her adventures at mumonthemove.com.

...took to the waves on board M Yachts’ new private yacht this month. Find out if it was worth the trip in our Big Day Out feature on page 40.

Harjani is Hong Kong Living’s editorial assistant and a Hong Konger by birth. These days she admits to being a confused third-culture kid. When she’s not writing for Sai Kung & Clearwater Bay, Southside, Midlevels and Expat Parent, she’s can be found playing field hockey or listening out for a random quirky fun fact.

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

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school photos Harrow International School

A busy summer at Harrow with art and skating competitions and football camps

ESF Glenealy School

Celebrating Green Week with a Trashion Green carpet show

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what’s on

Establishment Day fireworks over Victoria Harbour, July 1

J JULY 1

20th anniversary celebrations To celebrate 20 years since Hong Kong was established as a Special Administrative Region of China, the following events have been organised by the Hong Kong government…

Central & Western Carnival - performances, magic show and lion dances, Sheung Wan Cultural Square.

Tsuen Wan Carnival - booth games and activities, D Park Shopping Mall.

Yuen Long Celebrations - flag raising ceremony at Ginza Square, Tin Shui Wai. Kwun Tong Carnivals - booth games and activities at various locations.

North District Celebrations - flag raising ceremony, Sheung Shui Reunification Garden.

“Made in Hong Kong” Street Carnival performances, games, local food, workshops and crafts, D2 Place, Sham Shui Po (runs until August 31).

Yau Tsim Mong Carnival - classic motor car exhibition, games, lion dance and variety show, MacPherson Playground, Mong Kok. Storm the Park Splish Splash - water games, Tin Yip Road Park, Yuen Long.

UNTIL JULY 16

Cityplaza Cities of Wonder Lego exhibition A city-in-a-mall built entirely of Lego, including a 2.6m high model of the TST Clock Tower and a giant replica of the Hong Kong Island tram station. Plus interactive fun and games with kids invited to complete five Happiness Builder missions. Cityplaza, 18 Tai Koo Shing Road, Quarry Bay. See cityplaza.com for details.

Inventing Le Louvre Exhibition of art and historical artefacts from the Louvre, exploring the museum’s 800year history. Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Sha Tin.

The Louvre comes to Hong Kong, until July 27

UNTIL OCT 18

Exploring Ancient Egypt

There will also be free admission to all leisure facilities and sports venues in all 18 districts on July 1. See hksar20.gov.hk Lego fun at Cityplaza, until July 16

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UNTIL JULY 27

Six Egyptian mummies and 200 invaluable Egyptian historical pieces with digital displays of how archaeologists discover more about these ancient artefacts. Hong Kong Science Museum, TST East.

what’s on JULY 1

JULY 2

Public holiday, this year celebrating 20 years since handover. The theme for this year’s event is Together, Progress, Opportunity with a celebration firework display over Victoria Harbour, free, 8pm.

Enjoy performances of aerial yoga, flyoga and acro flow, join open taster sessions and shop from local vendors like Wild Mylk, Pumpernickel, Naturally Thinking, Gourami and Aroman Synergy. There’s also Flyoga Kids and Ninja Kids for little ones. Tickets $200/adult, $100/child, flyoga.fitness/ showcase. 2-7 pm, Trybe HK, Shops 209-210 2/F, 2 Heung Yip Road, One Island South, Wong Chuk Hang.

Establishment Day

JULY 1 & 2

Heritage Vogue, Hollywood Road Activities, workshops, exhibitions and performances showcasing the historical, cultural and artistic ambience of Hollywood Road. The event launches at PMQ, Aberdeen Street on July 1, with a cheongsham show, street dances and sketching activities along Hollywood Road from Aberdeen Street to the junction with Wyndham Street on July 2. See heritage.gov.hk for details.

Aerial yoga showcase & family fair

JULY 1

Shek O Challenge, July 8

JULY 10-22

Brick Lane Craft Beer Festival

Back after a year off, the event promises lots of free-flow craft beers and great British fare as you enjoy the public holiday fireworks from the Brick Lane terrace. From $238, 6pm, Brick Lane, 4/F CITIC Tower, 1 Tim Mei Avenue, Admiralty, bricklane.com.hk.

JULY 2

Women in Sport Empowered HK

Fun sports day aimed at girls aged eight to 18. Includes a workshop on running mechanics, followed by 30-minute sessions on field hockey, tag rugby and ultimate frisbee. 10am-12.30pm, Happy Valley Recreation Ground, Happy Valley, facebook.com/wisehongkong.

barbeque and DJ-spun music. For under18s, there’s a kids’ beach swim (a 600m loop starting and finishing at Back Beach). Racing starts at 2 pm, Shek-O, Big Wave Bay and finishes at Shek O Back Beach. Register at openwaterasia.com.

Yoga for the family, July 2

Flex Studio summer retreat

Free demonstration lessons for primary plus (P3-P6), secondary and diploma of secondary education English courses. There will also be free English level testing, parents’ information sessions and sessions with professional consultants. Register at britishcouncil.hk

A two-week retreat - in Hong Kong - led

by Flex co-founder Heather Shalabi. Enjoy daily Barre, yoga or Pilates group classes as well as privates and trios. Packages start at $2,000 for 10 classes; $3,000 for 15; $4,000 for 20 and run six days a week for two weeks.

Flex Studio, Shops 308- 310, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang Aberdeen, flexhk.com, 2813 2212.

JULY 8

JULY 8

Join over 300 sports lovers, parents and kids for the annual 2.2km Sheko Challenge Swim.

The after-party includes beach water polo,

Group workshop plus invite to reserve a onehour private consultation for couples thinking about having a baby. Led by therapist Allison Heiliczer, $2,000, 11am-4pm, 17F Tak Woo House, 17-19 D’Aguilar St, Central, info@annerley.com.hk, annerley.com.hk.

JULY 2 & 9

British Council Open Days

Shek O Challenge

Family Planning with Annerley

JULY 8

Yoga for Dog Lovers Outdoor yoga class led by Pure Yoga to raise money for Hong Kong Dog Rescue. Free entry with suggested $100 donation. 10.30am, West Kowloon Cultural District, pure-yoga.com.

JULY 12, 19 & 26

Snorkelling at Sharp Island

Sports workshops for girls, July 2

Sampan ferry ride from Sai Kung New Public Pier to Sharp Island, followed by an exploration of the coral colonies. $290/adult; $250/child. Prices include ferry round trip and use of snorkeling gear. Bring a swimsuit and a towel. Tickets from eventbrite.com, or see facebook.com/CountrysideAdventureTours.

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what’s on JULY 17

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival in Hong Kong The best antipodean funny men head north for seven days of hilarious stand-up. Tickets from $250, Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, art-mate.net.

JULY 19-25

Hong Kong Book Fair 2017 Brilliant for bookworms and lovers of literature. Tickets from $10, doors open at 10am, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, hkbookfair.hktdc.com.

Fun and games on the Harbourfront, July 13-24

JULY 13-24

Central Harbourfront SummerFest A series of action-packed sports activities and games for all ages by the harbour.

Youth SportsFest, held on July 15 and 16, is specially designed for children to join in games, drills and training workshops run by professional coaches -- including baseball, cricket, floor curling, lion dance and many more. Free, Central Harbourfront, summerfest-centralharbourfront.hk.

JULY 13

International Military Tattoo Three shows with marching bands from Mongolia, China, the Netherlands, Russia, Scotland and the US with the Hong Kong Police Band and the Hong Kong Association of Choral Societies. Tickets from $150, 8pm, Hong Kong Coliseum, urbtix.hk.

handover, 2.30-5.30pm, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, TST.

JULY 15 & 16

Lan Kwai Fong Beer & Music Festival Over 70 booths pulling pints from around the world, plus live bands, snacks, arts and crafts and family entertainment. 1pm, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, lankwaifong.com.

Hong Kong Book Fair, July 19-25

JULY 26, 27, 29 & 30

Fan Yang’s Gazillion Bubble Show Double bubble fun at this Broadway show where scientist-cum-artist and 18 times Guinness World Record holder Fan Yang amazes with his soapy sud mastery. Floating dragons, rainbow bridges and bubble sculpture are just the tip of the iceberg. 3pm & 7pm, Hong Kong City Hall and Tsuen Wan Town Hall, hkiac.gov.hk.

Bubble trouble, July 26, 27, 29 & 30

JULY 15 & 16

Outdoor Carnival Free carnival to celebrate 20 years since 10 expat-parent.com

BOOK NOW SEPT 29 & 30

Priscilla Queen of the Desert Featuring more than 500 glittering costumes and dazzling sets, the show based on the Oscar-winning hit movie is set to put a spring in Hong Kong’s step. Tickets from $445, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, lunchbox-productions.com.

NOV 17-19

Clockenflap Now in its tenth year, Hong Kong’s largest annual music and arts festival is now teeing up its playlist.

It will be taking place on Central Harbourfront for the second time and organisers have just unveiled the first round of this year’s lineup, with Brit Trip-Hop legends Massive Attack and Canadian indie-rock singer Feist heading the list. Early bird tickets are on sale until July 4, facebook.com/clockenflap.

NOV 27 & 28

Michael McIntyre in Hong Kong A second date has now been added to UK funnyman Michael McIntyre’s Hong Kong Big World Tour. McIntyre’s observational comedy and trademark ability to

turn everyday situations into masterclasses of human exasperation have struck chords with millions of fans, cementing him as one of the UK’s most loved and treasured comedy performers today. Tickets from hkticketing.com.

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things to know

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The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the People’s Republic of China took place on July 1, 1997.

It rained. A lot. Depending on your perspective, this was viewed either as a cleansing of the territory, or as the gods expressing their sadness.

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The ceremony took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai and was attended by the Chinese president and premier Jiang Zemin and Li Peng, the first chief executive of Hong Kong

Tung Chee-hwa, Prince Charles, departing governor Chris Patten and British prime minister and foreign secretary Tony Blair and Robin Cook. It was later claimed Prince Charles described the event as “The Great Chinese Takeaway”.

Things you need to know Handover On July 1 Hong Kong celebrates 20 years as a Special Administrative Region of China. Here’s everything you need to know about Establishment Day The British laid claim to what is today Hong Kong in 1898 when the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory gave the UK control of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon (south of Boundary Road) and the New Territories (north of Boundary Road to the Sham Chun River, plus outlying islands).

Welcome to the Phillippines!

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After the Union Flag was lowered, Prince Charles and governor Chris Patten and family boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia at Tamar and sailed to the Philippines.

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The Basic Law, a mini-constitution, was drafted with the participation of Hong Kong people and formally promulgated in 1990.

Hong Kong Island and Kowloon were ceded to the UK in perpetuity, the New Territories on a 99-year lease. But 99 years later in 1997, it was deemed impractical to separate the three territories and so all three were returned to China.

Photo by Dan Marsh via Wikimedia Commons

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The theme for the 20th Anniversary of Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is Together, Progress, Opportunity. There will be fireworks on Victoria Harbour at 8pm, best viewing opportunities include TST Promenade, Central Harbourfront Promenade or Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai.

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news

Cruisin’ around

Victoria Harbour played host to one of the world’s largest cruise ships last month when Norwegian Joy sailed into town.

Invited media and special guests were given an exclusive tour of the 28 dining areas, 1,925 cabins, climbing wall, aqua park, dodgems and the first ever race track at sea all spread across 20 decks. The cruise ship is the fourth largest in the world, was engineered in Germany and holds up to 3,883 guests.

Norwegian Joy is also the sister ship to Norwegian Escape and will be calling the ports of Shanghai and Tianjin (Beijing) home.

This was the first and last time the ship will be docked in Hong Kong.

The two-level Ferrari racetrack is located on the top deck where guests can take a spin on electric go-karts. Up to ten drivers can race at a time, with complimentary rides for passengers travelling in certain ticket classes.

Further fun includes interactive video walls, hovercraft dodgem cars, a rollercoaster simulator and open air laser tag.

The ship left Hong Kong for Shanghai, where it will pick up its first guests for the summer season, cruising between China and Japan. Contact tour operators or call 2165 6000 for booking enquiries.

Best value beach resorts Thinking about getting away from it all? You could do worse than the golden sands of Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An, Vietnam (pictured) which has been voted best value beach for money according to a global study carried out by TravelBird.

The 2017 Beach Price Index ranks 310 beaches from over 70 countries based on the price of a typical day on the sand. The most expensive was found to be Kristiansand Beach, Norway.

Factors taken into consideration included the cost of sunscreen, water, beer, ice cream and a lunch (including a soft drink, main and dessert for one person walking a maximum of ten minutes from the beach). Sunscreen costs were based on a locally bought, 200ml bottle of SPF 30, and 14 expat-parent.com

Cua Dai Beach, near Hoi An in Vietnam, is claimed to be one of the world’s “best value” beaches

beer costs were calculated by taking an average of the biggest local beer brand along with the retail cost of Heineken, Budweiser, Becks, Guinness and Foster at local prices and in similar quantities.

The totals were then calculated and the beaches listed in order of cost.

It was found that while a day out on Cua

Dai would cost just US$13.18, lounging on Kristiansand would set you back an eye-watering $64.61.

Other Asian beaches to perform well on the table included City Beach in Nha Trang, Vietnam, Long Beach in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, and Railay Beach in Krabi, Thailand. The full report can be viewed at travelbird.nl.

news

All the home’s a stage With our girl in the know, Elaine Yeoh

Dressed for success by Bowerbird Home and The Home Stylist

Homewares specialist Bowerbird Home is partnering with The Home Stylist to launch a home staging service for home-owners looking to sell or rent their property.

According to Bowerbird, Hong Kong lags behind the US, Europe and Australia where staging is often employed in the leasing and sales of residential properties.

“Property staging is the art of styling furniture and accessories in a property with the prime objective of renting it faster or for a higher value,” said Bowerbird Home manager

Deirdre Gleeson. “Think of it as dressing a home for success.”

The service includes a stylist and furniture and accessories for living and dining rooms, bedrooms, home offices and outdoor living.

As a guide, a fully staged property for one month would cost the equivalent of around one month’s rent. Packages including photography and a launch event are also available.

Contact Deirdre Gleeson at deirdre@bowerbird-home.com or 2552 2931 for details.

Big bash celebrations with bricks In honour of the 20th anniversary Establishment Day celebrations, Lego has launched limited edition miniature monuments of the city. As part of a city-wide series of Lego-based activities and events with the theme Build Amazing Hong Kong, the four limited edition mini-builds include Old Taipo Market Railway Station, Sheung Wan Western Market, the former Kowloon-Canton 16 expat-parent.com

Railway Clock Tower and the old Supreme Court building in Central. The kits are suitable for all ages and can only be redeemed in Hong Kong.

The mini-builds will be released in stages throughout July and will be available from Cityplaza Cities of Wonder exhibition, Toy R Us pop-up stores, Lego store Times Square, AniCom & Games 2017 Lego booth.

Shop like the locals do. The HKTVmall is a revolutionary online shopping mall that’s a bit like the local version of Taobao, except that everything reads in English too! Five categories offer Supermarket, Beauty & Health, Fashion, Home & Family and Hot Deals with both local and international merchants and brands.

So, if the bulky diapers run low, just order and get them delivered. Their dining deals, beauty and gadget shopping rival local Groupon offers. Take advantage of promotions on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays. Plus, there are festive promotions where you get a 3-10% Mall Dollar cash rebate on your next purchase.

Regular members need spend $400 and VIP members spend $250 for free home delivery daily (10:00am - 9:00pm).

A Share-My-Cart service allows you to share a shopping list with loved ones, Notify-Me tells you when things are back in stock and Online Booking reserves Hot Deals. A Price-Checker even monitors prices at other retailers with an in-app Live Chat. Shopping in Hong Kong just got a whole lot easier!

HKTVmall is available for free download on iOS on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Android via Googleplay.

Yeoh exclusively reviews an app a month for Expat Parent readers. Contact her at simplefabulicious.wordpress.com orfacebook.com/SimplyFabulicious.

news

Pizza da action Pizza Express launched two vegetarian additions to its menu at a live cooking demonstration, and Expat Parent’s Taste Buddies, Scarlet and Anya, were at the centre of the action.

The pizza party took place at the chain’s new Empire Centre venue in TST. Chefs Sophia Cheng, who is also product development manager at the pizza chain, and Christine Cheung, executive chef of vegetarian private kitchen Wan Veggie Mom, took up the challenge to create two all-veggie pizzas to rival meatier versions on the menu.

Both chefs were asked to incorporate Beyond Meat, a 100% plant-based meat substitute. Their creations were then pitted against one another at the live demo.

Having sunk their teeth into both Cheng’s Beyond Chicken & Kale Pesto Pizza and Cheung’s Beyond Burger Beef & Fig Pizza, both Taste Buddies admitted to not being able to tell the difference between the meat substitute and the real thing, with the Beyond Chicken getting the biggest thumbs up. “I liked the chicken one best because it had more of the ingredients that

Chef Sophia Cheng and Christine Cheung with Expat Parent’s taste testing team Anya and Scarlet with the new Pizza Express vegetarian pizzas

I like on it,” said Anya. “I also like that it’s better for the environment because it uses vegetarian ingredients.”

The rest of the audience agreed with the girls, giving Cheng’s offering the most votes.

Try the pizzas for yourselves and cast your

own vote throughout the summer. Both versions will be on menus at Pizza Express restaurants at Empire Centre, Wing Fung Street, Wellington Street, Airport and Mira Place. The ultimate winner will be announced at the end of July.

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

Guess How Much I Love You

Join Little and Big Nutbrown Hare, from the best-selling Guess How Much I Love You and I Love You All Year Round collection, as they leap off the page and onto the stage in this magical journey through the seasons.

Watch them settle down after a bedtime story and re-awaken to discover the delights and colours of each season as they compete to measure their love for each other in this timeless loveable story.

We’re giving away a family set of four tickets worth $1,740 in total to the opening night at 5pm on October 20th.

YEECHOO

Be stylish and Instagram-worthy in all your travel photos! YEECHOO.com is Asia’s largest designer rental platform where ladies can find and wear the best designer work outfit, cocktail dresses, evening gowns and more.

With YEECHOO’s travel package, you will get to select five outfits from 3000+ designer pieces and take them with you to your travels for up to two weeks We are giving away two luxury travel packages valued at $980 each.

Chopsticks, Fork and Knife

Feast on CFK (Chopsticks, Fork and Knife)’s Modern International Dining Menu this summer.

Featuring international cuisines and signature dishes such as Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, there is sure to be something to fit everyone’s tastes. We’re giving away a set of four dinner tickets worth $1,000 in total.

Blue Sky Sports Club

Cool off from the heat! Blue Sky Sports Club have a range of water sports activities and are one of the only providers of stand up paddle boarding (SUP) in Hong Kong. As a relatively “new” water sport, it focuses on core fitness with distance flat-water paddle along with stand up paddle surfing.

We’re giving away two SUP Beginner courses which includes gear rental and an electronic SUP certificate, valued at $500 each.

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me & my big idea

Tiny travellers Fed up with sketchy travel advice for families, local mum Jane Waterman launched kiddycations.com So what’s the big idea?

Kiddycations is a website dedicated to family travel in Asia. It aims to be a friend you can turn to to seek advice about travelling around Asia with children. With Family Pod advice, Tiny Travel tips and our Culture Shock rating, you’ll be well equipped to make a choice for your family.

We feel we go the extra mile with children’s activity sheets that are tailored to individual countries and can be printed off.

We hope to nurture an online community with Mum’s the word, where families and other relevant travel bloggers will be able to blog about their experiences and give inspiration and insight to others.

How did kiddycations.com come about?

My family moved to Hong Kong in 2012 and we headed into the unchartered territory of holidaying around Asia. After a couple of stressful holidays it quickly became apparent that some hotels and companies thought that having a travel cot available made them ‘family friendly’. But as a mum I wanted to know how close the nearest hospital was, how deep the children’s pool is, are there highchairs in the restaurant, is there a children’s menu, are the curtains black-out curtains so my toddler can have a midday nap… And my list went on and on. As I spoke to other families I discovered that they felt exactly the same. I started giving advice to my friends on places we had travelled and the idea grew from there.

What challenges did you face?

The biggest challenge was starting up with no funds. I have a background in design - but that was interiors and ceramic design not webdesign. I wanted my site to look professional and I wanted it to feel friendly and welcoming.

Once I’d found a web design platform I researched other websites that I liked and started from there.

Ever been involved in something like this before?

No, my background has always been centered around design, just not digital. I think the key to great design is simplicity and this I have applied to my website. My travel bug has

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Jane Waterman hopes to put some va va voom into vacationing with kids

always been there. I lived in Bangkok before Hong Kong and experience pure joy when I find an absolute gem of a place. Only now I will be able to pass this advice on for everyone else to enjoy too.

Anything you would have done differently with hindsight?

Plenty! I spent a lot of the early days doubting my ability to actually design the site and this slowed my progress. And a big one would be ‘mobile’ formatting my site as I went. I finished my entire site on a desktop only to be faced with the reality that when viewed on a mobile it was a complete mess. Designing for a small screen is quite a different skill and having to re-format so many pages took a long time. And finally I would have invested a little sooner in getting help from a professional.

I used Bespoke Consultancy who gave me advice and business direction, which saved me weeks of work and gave me a clear business structure.

How are you promoting the website?

It launched in May and I am using social media to market it, including Instagram, Twitter and

Facebook. As always the online community in Hong Kong is a really supportive one, and word is getting around.

What’s the next step?

The site needs to grow in terms of places to stay and the guides need to be developed further but I didn’t just want to dump a load of places on the site. I want recommendations and/or viewings before places can make it on the site and of course before they get the kiddycations seal of approval. I have been approached by an independent travel company to help advise with making their tours child-friendly, which is something I would like to develop. I would also like to expand our reach into India.

I would also love to develop my travel writing and reviews as well as becoming a ‘family friendly’ hotel consultant. With two children and many happy holidays under my belt I’m now classing myself as the expert.

Waterman’s website is at kiddycations.com, follow her on Instagram #kiddycations, facebook.com/kiddycations or Twitter @kiddycations

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book review

Out this month

Psychological poolside page-turners to keep you glued to your lounger The Breakdown (BA Paris, Harper Collins) begins with a death in the woods. Cass Anderson didn’t stop to help the lady in question and is now being plagued with silent phone calls. She is convinced someone is watching her. Consumed by guilt, her mind starts to play tricks on her - did she take her pills? What’s her home alarm code? Did the knife in the kitchen really have blood on it? A riveting read full of twists and turns.

Another car incident triggers events in Stillhouse Lake (Rachel Caine, Thomas & Mercer) when an accident reveals Gina Royal’s husband’s secret life as a serial killer.

A shy, Midwestern housewife and mum, Royal finds refuge with her two children on remote Stillhouse Lake after her husband is found guilty and sent to prison. She’s still the target of trolls and stalkers, but thinks she can finally get on with her life in peace. But then a body turns up in the lake, threatening letters start to arrive and her life becomes a fight for survival.

In The Disappeared (Emily Bain Murphy, Houghton Mifflin) Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet,

keeps secrets beyond Aila’s reach. When Juliet dies, Aila and her younger brother Miles are sent to live in a rural town far from home where Juliet grew up. A mysterious place, every seven years a “disappearance” occurs. Nobody knows what causes these disappearances or

what or who will disappear next, but the village has long suspected Juliet is to blame. As the next Disappearance looms, Aila begins to unravel the mysteries as to why they happen and who her mother really was. All books are available from bookdepository.com.

Taste of the good stuff Gastronomic offering A Traditional Taste details all that is delicious about Hong Kong. And what’s more, it’s all for charity Following two-years of meticulous research, Miele has launched an aesthetically pleasing coffee-table tome highlighting Hong Kong’s dynamic food landscape.

“We wanted to mark our 20th anniversary of being present in the city,” said Miele’s marketing director Richard Green. “Food in Hong Kong is more than just fuel and is so deeply ingrained in the local culture… While we are celebrating food, we also hope to encourage dialogue about the fast evolving food scene here, as well as the sustainability of how we eat, as a way of giving back to the community.”

The book journeys from the colonial eighteenth century to the present day, from Cha Chaan Tengs to Dai Pai Dongs.

It includes exclusive recipes as well as authentic dishes and traditional cooking techniques.

There are also sketches and artwork from around the city, part of the SKETCH 22 expat-parent.com

Hong Kong Food programme launched in 2015 whereby Miele provided guided tours to participants to showcase the territory’s culinary scene.

Along with the book, Miele has also produced three short films, Heritage, Innovation

and Performance exploring Hong Kong’s culinary dimensions (aTraditionalTaste.com).

A Traditional Taste is available from Eslite, Kelly & Walsh and shop.miele.hk priced $450. All proceeds will be donated to Feeding Hong Kong.

book review Hong Kong moment Penguin has launched a collection of short stories celebrating the many faces of the SAR Over the past twenty years, Hong Kong has accumulated a wealth of stories to tell. This collection of fiction and non-fiction novels

examine the politics, art, society, architecture and economy of our constantly-evolving territory. Award-winning writers and experts in

the field shine the spotlight on Hong Kong’s complexities and what the next 20 years might bring.

Dear Cantonese Generation A System Hong Kong Love Stories HK Apart

Unchartered Territory

City of Protest

Borrowed Spaces

Xu Xi

Dung Kai-cheung

Ben Bland

Simon Cartledge

Magnus Renfrew

Antony Dapiran

Christopher DeWolf

- a memoir of Hong Kong as the author bids farewell to the city.

- experience Hong Kong through 25 vignettes of the city, translated from the original Chinese.

- navigating where the city’s social and political future is heading.

- analysis of the political foundations that led to the city’s upswings and downturns.

- is Hong Kong ready to assert itself as Asia’s creative and cultural hub and take on London and New York?

- an investigation into the stimuli of Hong Kong’s history of public protests, including Occupy.

the lives of residents who fill Hong Kong’s informal spaces, from rooftop dwellers to pavement vendors.

All books are available from Bookazine.

expat-parent.com 23

book review

How the other half learn The recently launched The Other Hundred Educators takes a look at learning from outside of the Ivy League bubble. Carolynne Dear caught up with project creator Chandran Nair

T

he Other Hundred Educators is the third in a series of photographic, coffee table-style books that dares to move away from media stereotyping.

The first publication, The Other Hundred, came out in 2013, sparking a degree of media attention as it was in such stark contrast to the recently released Forbes Billionaire List. It was dedicated to those who don’t make the cut in today’s money-driven society.

“I mean it’s ridiculous, a billionaire list,” says Nair, project creator and CEO of Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT), an independent pan-Asian think tank based in Hong Kong. “Meanwhile there are millions

24 expat-parent.com

Photographer Xaume Olleros submitted images of Rooftop Republic, an initiative to set up urban farms in Hong Kong

of people around the world doing fantastic things, and they never get a mention.”

I wasn’t looking for simply a great photo.

I wanted something different, something that told the real story

So Nair decided to put together a series of photo-stories that move beyond

the stereotypes and introduce readers to people, ideas, places and cultures that are overlooked by the media.

He received over 12,000 submissions for his first book from 1,500 photographers in 156 countries. From these Nair and the team at GIFT selected 100 to go forward for inclusion in the book.

“I wasn’t looking for just a great photo.

Sure, we received lots of technically fantastic work from some very well-known photographers. But I didn’t want a voyeuristic image from an impartial observer looking in.

I wanted something different, something that told the real story, not a media construction.

“I didn’t want any of those dreadful, predictable pictures of African children with

book review snot and flies buzzing around their heads, I didn’t want images of Middle Eastern women in veils, I didn’t want the usual media portrayal of a society they actually know very little about. I wanted the real deal.”

Importantly, every photograph had to be accompanied by a piece of text explaining the background to the image.

The resultant book was met with acclaim from many sections of the media.

“We often talk about the super rich, the top 1%, but there are also a lot of people who The Other Hundred is bringing into focus on what we need to be paying attention to,” commented Bloomberg Television anchor Angie Lau. In 2015 the GIFT team followed up with The Other Hundred Entrepreneurs, and this year with The Other Hundred Educators.

We often talk about the super rich... but there are a lot of other people we need to be paying attention to

“I wanted to show that education is not all about getting into a top tier school and an ivy league university. I wanted to show the brilliance and hard work of thousands of educators around the world, but who will never receive any conventional media attention,” said Nair when I caught up with him at the book’s launch.

The stories that have been selected are varied, unconventional but most importantly, inspiring. Walking around the launch exhibition, I was left quite humbled by all that is taking place in the world and going largely unrecognised by the affluent few.

Photographers who flew in to attend the event included Imran Ahmed, whose images depict brothers Hareej and Saleh Al Mari at work in Jadaf shipyard in Dubai.

The brothers are dual-handedly keeping the ancient dhow-building traditions of the country alive, teaching techniques from memory to the 20-odd carpenters who create the 600-tonne boats.

Also in attendance was the subject of images by photographer Habibul Haque, Seoul-based lawyer Young Joon Kim. He is a trustee of Asian University for Women in Bangladesh where students from some

Project creator Chandran Nair

of Asia’s poorest countries are accepted based on merit alone, rather than their parents’ bank balance. All students are on full-scholarships. He also mentors North Koreans who have fled their homeland and are now studying in South Korea.

The Hong Kong submission comes from photographer Xaume Olleros of Rooftop Republic, an initiative that sets up urban farms and provides workshops on how to grow food at home. Another example of how education is more than just sitting in a classroom.

“Education is not about getting into a top tier school,” says Nair. “The vast majority of

people are not taught in this way. It’s time they stopped being overlooked.”

The Other Hundred Educators is available from Kidnapped bookshop in Sai Kung, Bookazine, Kelly & Walsh and Amazon, theotherhundred.com. expat-parent.com 25

PEOPLE

My Hong Kong the educator

Belinda Greer heads up Hong Kong’s English Schools Foundation.

She speaks to Carolynne Dear about funding and foreign cities

26 expat-parent.com

PEOPLE Hong Kong was completely new for me.

I moved here four years ago with my husband. We didn’t really know where to settle, so we’ve moved around a bit Kowloon, Central and currently a flat in Midlevels. The move took a bit of adjustment, living away from my boys who are at university in the UK and adapting to life in a small apartment. But I love it and it now feels like home.

We have not taken a decision to move away from IGCSEs.

Like Hong Kong, ESF is a close-knit community. Everyone seems to know everyone. The role I have here is similar to my role as director of education back in Scotland. And ESF, as an education system, is similar in many ways to an education authority in Scotland. The core business is leading and managing school system operations, including improvement of school performance.

I’ve been an educationalist for over 34 years. I started teaching in the Middle East, before returning to Scotland where I held posts including principal, one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education and director of education for two Scottish education authorities.

I honestly loved school, which is probably why I became a teacher. They say that your school days are the best days of your life, I suppose I never really left mine behind. I continue to enjoy the work that I do.

I was keen on sport at school and still enjoy running, even in the heat and humidity. Hong Kong has a brilliant running scene, albeit most of it uphill. I take part in five and 10km road races, longer trail runs and occasionally join the odd track session at Aberdeen. I am a member of Athletic Veterans of Hong Kong and support a number of charity runs across the territory.

As CEO at ESF, I head up 3,000 employees. I report directly to the board and I’m responsible for managing day-to-day

ESF Glenealy School (l) and ESF Hillside, the foundation’s first international kindergarten

operations and the operating budget. I work closely with the senior management team which supports human resources, finance, facilities and education, as well as the 22 principals who lead and manage the schools.

I spend a lot of time in meetings, but try to spend a lot of time in the schools, too.

Some challenges are unique to Hong Kong, like parents’ high ambition for their children. I find students’ here very eager to engage in learning. But many of the challenges are the same. I welcome them all.

Being entrusted with other people’s children is a privilege and a responsibility. We do all we can to ensure our model of education is relevant, on the cutting-edge of global innovation, and ensures positive outcomes for all students.

We have recently taken the decision to align with the IB Middle Years Programme for years seven and nine. But we have not taken a decision to move away from IGCSEs. We will continue to provide IGCSEs in Years 10 and 11, but we will keep the curriculum under review to ensure we deliver a coherent through-train education, ensuring continuity and progression from kindergarten to primary to secondary.

ESF is a unique and admirable organisation. Fifty years on from its inception it is still providing world-class, English medium education at a competitive price. We’re non-selective and meet a diverse range of educational requirements, including students with highly complex needs.

I think we could try harder when promoting the work we do beyond the ESF community. But I’d give ESF an A+ for quality of teachers and levels of student engagement.

We launched our 50th Anniversary at the ESF Chinese New Year Celebrations at the start of the year. Further celebrations have included a choir of 800 students performing to an audience of 1,700 and the Secondary Orchestral Concert. There have been swimming galas and football, netball, rugby and running events across the schools. A visual arts exhibition is currently being held at the 1010 mobile shop in TST. We’re looking forward to the ESF 10km run in October, which is open to the public and aims to raise funds for the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital. There is also a gala dinner planned for December. We are capturing the first 50 years of ESF in a book to be published later this year - it should provide an interesting history with some great photographs.

Pass notes English Schools Foundation (ESF) was established in 1967 to address the increasing demand for an English-language education for Hong Kong’s rapidly expanding expat population.

Prior to ESF, education for non-Chinese speaking children was administered by the British Colonial Government through grantaided schools, most notably the Kowloon British School (established in 1902 - it later became King George V School) and Peak (1911), Quarry Bay (1926), Glenealy (1959) and Kennedy Road (1961) Schools.

The first ESF schools to be established in 1967 were Island School and Beacon Hill; today there are twenty two kindergartens, primary and secondary schools under the ESF belt. The first ESF International Kindergarten, subsequently named Hillside, opened in 1999 in Sheung Wan. ESF schools are still subvented by the government, although this will be phased out by 2028/9.

expat-parent.com 27

C ST OV O ER RY

School days As English Schools Foundation celebrates its 50th birthday this year, Expat Parent takes a trip down memory lane ESF schools

King George V, opened as Kowloon British College, renamed Central British School in 1902

1894

Bradbury School, opened as Causeway Bay School

1980

Kowloon Junior School, opened as Kowloon British School

1902

Sha Tin College, opened as Sha Tin Annexe

1982

Peak School

Quarry Bay School

1911

1926

Sha Tin Junior School

1988

Glenealy School

1959

West Island School

1991

Internationally-based schools

1964 French International School

2007 The Harbour School

28 expat-parent.com

1966 Hong Kong International School

2012 Harrow International School

1969 German Swiss International School

2014 Nord Anglia International School

1976 Kellett, The British International School

2016 The American School HK

R VE Y O R C TO S

English Schools Foundation established Kennedy School, opened as Kennedy Road Junior School

1961 Clearwater Bay School, opened as Boundary Junior School

Island School

Beacon Hill School

1967 Jockey Club Sarah Roe School

South Island School

1977 Handover, Hong Kong waves goodbye to the Brits and turns towards China Discovery College

1992

1994

1983

1991

Chinese International School

2017 Mount Kelly School

1997

1995

Canadian International School

Australian International School

2017

2017

Stamford American School

The Spanish International School

2008

2000 Hong Kong Academy

2017 The Chinese Academy

expat-parent.com 29

C ST OV O ER RY

Memories are made of these Hong Kongers look back on their school days Gemma King, former Boundary Junior School pupil, 1980s

My dad was born in Hong Kong - he and my grandfather both worked for Cathay, and my grandmother worked at Kowloon Junior School. I went to Boundary Junior School on Rose Street, Yau Yat Chuen from 1983 to 1989 and then to King George V until 1996.

Memories of Boundary Junior School include our Beijing trip being cancelled due to the Tiananmen Square massacre, as well as loud aeroplanes flying in and out of Kai Tak airport that would stop school assembly until they’d flown over. My best teacher ever was Mr Oysten.

Tuck shop treats included ice creams from the man outside the primary school and Hot Dog Day; at KGV I remember enjoying sour lemons, fizzy strawberry liquorice, cola sweets and Chicken King.

Brian King, former Kowloon Junior School pupil, 1950s & ‘60s

I attended Kowloon Junior School on Perth Street, just below King George V school from 1959 to 1965. The headmistress at the time was Mrs Versloot and my mother also taught there. We lived in Kowloon Tong and I remember my mum driving us in, or sometimes I caught the number 7 bus on Waterloo Road.

There was no air conditioning in the classrooms so during the summer the school shut in the afternoon. I think we may have had Saturday school to make up the time.

There was a school yard but it was just grass and dirt. Eventually it was covered over. It was quite small so we mostly played rounders. I also enjoyed boxing.

The students were predominantly expat as it was an English language school - there was an English test you had to pass to get in.

However there was more of a mix later on in the 1960s when the government changed the requirements. Friends I remember include Eric Wen who was the son of an American/Chinese businessman, and Aslo Shroff, who came from an Indian family and whose parents worked for 30 expat-parent.com

the government. And an American family - their father was station manager for Pan American Airways and they were driven to school by a chauffeur in a left-hand drive 1960 Chevy Impala. It certainly stood out amongst all the British cars.

Jal Shroff, co-founder of Fossil and former King George V pupil, 1950s

I was born in Shanghai and arrived in Hong Kong in 1949 as a refugee. I’ll never forget how KGV took me under its wing. In those days girls and boys sat separately in school assemblies and lessons, and the school principal and staff would use the main entrance while students would use the side entrance. It was certainly a very different time. The student body was mainly European, with a handful of Asian and Eurasian students like myself.

But I was struck by the caring and accepting environment that the school fostered. The teachers were incredible and there was a close-knit community among pupils. My father almost lost everything when he fled Shanghai to come to Hong Kong with me, but KGV helped us get through a difficult period. The education and international exposure have helped me throughout my life.

Louise Buckley, former Boundary Junior School pupil, 1980s Captain King (Brian’s father) with siblings in their Kowloon Junior School uniforms, 1950s

Christine Loh, undersecretary for the environment and former Island School pupil, 1970s

I was amongst the first batch of students to attend Island School, which opened in 1967.

With just 130 students, the school was small and had limited facilities. I can’t say I loved the swimming pool, because we didn’t have one! PE meant running up and down Bowen Road. But I loved the school’s multi-cultural atmosphere and the quality and enthusiasm of the teachers made up for the lack of resources.

For me, Island School was a blossoming moment. I wasn’t really good at school and my grades were somewhere in the middle, but there were lots of other activities I found I was good at and it was the moment I realised that it’s not all about academics - other things are also important in both school life and personal happiness. This has stood me in great stead later in life.

I moved to Hong Kong as a baby in 1979 and lived in government quarters in Sai Kung called Man Kei Toi (now The Giverny private residential complex). My brother was born at the British Military Hospital near Jordan. The traffic getting out of Sai Kung was epic in those days as Kai Tak airport was on the other side of Choi Hung and there was only one road in and out.

Louise Buckley on her way to Boundary Junior School in the 1980s

expat-parent.com 31

C ST OV O ER RY I loved living in Sai Kung - we were surrounded by woods and we used to roam around in a big gang with roller skates, bikes and skateboards. Sometimes the dads would set up a zipwire for us.

I went to kindy in Hang Hau under St Vincent’s Church and then Boundary Junior School near Kowloon Tong. I loved all my teachers and enjoyed a lemon tea and a Mars bar from the tuck shop at break. We played British bulldog, down ball and kiss chase in the playground. My one regret is not learning Cantonese.

spent the day at the new theme park. The logistics were monumental but a wonderful day was had by all. Many schools jealousy suggested such a trip could not have much educational value and we even had a cartoon in the SCMP, which showed teachers with CWBS badges running to be the first into the park and leaving the children behind. Proudly, I can say we never leave the children behind at CWBS - they always come first!

Richard Bush, former King George V student, 1960s

My parents were American missionaries and headed for Burma in 1960. But visa issues prompted my father to relocate to Hong Kong.

I initially found the British-style of education at KGV quite daunting, but I felt like I got a very good education which gave me much better preparation for American universities than an American high school would have.

A striking feature was the wide diversity of students - almost 50% of the student body was comprised of international students, which mixed in with the local Chinese students made for a remarkably international atmosphere. The more multicultural you can become the better living in Hong Kong gives young people a good start on that.

Mark Mahoney, former Clearwater Bay School vice principal, 2000s

The most unique memory I have of CWBS came in 2005. There is only one school, anywhere in the world, that has gone in its entirety to Disneyland - and that school is Clearwater Bay. Soon after the park opened, we organised a trip where every child, together with many of the parents and school staff,

Year 5 students at present day Clearwater Bay School

Suzi Rappel, former St George pupil, 1980s

I was born in Hong Kong but moved away and returned in 1981, aged ten. I spent my final year of primary at Stanley Fort School and then secondary at St George in Kowloon Tong (St George was opened in 1955 to meet the growing needs of British armed forces personnel and was closed in 1996 in preparation for handover - it is now the site of the Australian International School). My family lived in Pendragon apartments in Stanley just near the Stanley Fort Army Base, and a school bus took us through the Cross Harbour Tunnel to school every morning. There was no air con and we had to shut the windows travelling through the tunnel so it was a bit stuffy.

I remember our Scottish bus mum singing out “Let’s go, Mr Ho!” to the driver after each pick-up. On the way home if anyone had to

write lines as a punishment, we used to pass their school book round the bus and everyone would help out.

I returned to Hong Kong in 2008 - my own children are both at West Island School and my husband is vice principal of Island School.

Christine Smith Mann, former Beacon Hill Primary School pupil, 1980s

School camps stand out in my mind, along with curry fish ball instant noodles in the canteen.

My family lived just up the hill from the school and I used to run down to school every morning, until my dad couldn’t bear watching my skinny limbs flailing around and ending in a heap on the floor when I inevitably tripped over at the bottom. So he insisted on driving me the 100m down the hill.

Having been born and raised in Hong Kong, many people are surprised I don’t speak Chinese. But at that time Chinese in school was forbidden – even by native Chinese speakers.

Our only foreign language options were French or German so unless you had private tutoring, it was difficult to learn Chinese or get any decent practice. Very different from today.

Christine Smith Mann and her Beacon Hill classmates

School games then...

Handstands Swapping stickers Marbles Yoyos Kiss chase British bulldog Cho dai dee (a card game) Rounders in the classroom Frizbee with the bin lids

And now…

Fidget spinners Soccer Card games Handball Basketball Hopscotch Clearwater Bay School opening Sept 1992

32 expat-parent.com

expat-parent.com 33

schools

School news

Private primary for Tin Hau

Founding principal David Priest outside the new Tin Hau primary school

HKCA Po Leung Kuk School has provisional registration for its new private primary school in Tin Hau. The primary school is on track for an August opening for 180 pupils in grades one to three (ages six to eight years).

The premises are currently undergoing extensive renovations, including the addition of dedicated spaces for music and art. In keeping with its natural surroundings backing onto the slopes of Jardine’s Lookout and Tai Tam, the design has incorporated earth tones and bamboo leaves.

“We have been overwhelmed with the positive response and have met some wonderful families,” said founding principal David Priest. “We are seeking international and internationally-minded families who will share a sense of pride and belonging to the school.”

34 expat-parent.com

Station art Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) has launched an art exhibition in partnership with Hong Kong’s MTR. MTR approached SCAD to see if students would be interested in rejuvenating its Sham Shui Po station. The brief was to increase engagement between the station and the local community. Seven pieces of work from 14 students were submitted and the MTR selected two proposals for inclusion in the final design for the project.

Following a preview exhibition in Central station last month, the full-scale pieces will unveiled in situ at Sham Shui Po later in the year.

Student Boroka Kopacz explained how she used the many chairs dotted around Sham Shui Po, such as the plastic Dai Pai Dong seats, as the focal point in the final piece. “We spent a lot of time studying the area, wandering around and taking photography. What struck me were the seats and chairs everywhere, they appeared to be an integral part to community life in Sham Shui Po.” “Our designs examine how the built environment can influence human experience and behaviour, and are carefully adapted to the nature of a busy transport hub,” continued Nicholas Wang.

The Sham Shui Po project aims to entertain and educate its audience about this collaborative project between the MTR and the wider community.

Priest has been engaging with local kindergarten principals and secondary schools to aid a seamless transition into and out of the primary school.

HKCA Po Leung Kuk School will implement the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB-PYP) curriculum framework, with authorisation targeted for 2019/2020. The school is inclusive and non-selective. Fees are $89,800/year with no annual levy, no debenture and no quota for foreign/local passports. Registration is now open for children born between September 1 2008 and December 31 2011.

The school is located at 62 Tin Hau Temple Road, Tin Hau, plkis.edu.hk.

SCAD vice president David Pugh, MTR chief architect Andrew Mead and MTR corporate affairs director Linda So

schools

Kellett raises refugee awareness British International school Kellett has partnered with an independent local art project to raise awareness of asylum seekers and refugees in Hong Kong.

The “We Are Here” initiative was founded last year by local mums Polly McGovern and Kate Sparrow, with the aim of educating local communities about the struggles asylum seekers face in Hong Kong.

“We kept seeing negative articles about refugees in the local media, accusing them of causing problems in our society,” explained McGovern. “Our aim is to show that refugees can be a positive influence in the community if they are given a chance. They should be treated fairly and with respect; their human rights should be honoured.”

Kellett has used school assemblies, talks and art classes to inform students about Hong Kong’s 12,000 asylum seekers in the lead up to World Refugee Day last month.

A number of refugees visited the school to interact with students.

Kellett students raising awareness through art of the plight of Hong Kong’s refugees

“It has enabled us to comprehend that within our society we need to break barriers and help others,” commented one Year 9 student of the visits. “Mr A’s (a refugee

whose identity must remain anonymous) presentation was very moving.”

For more information about the We Are Here project, see wearehere.org.

expat-parent.com 35

schools

Malvern set for August opening Malvern College Pre-school is ready to open its doors to Hong Kong’s youngest students in August.

The Olympic-based campus is now completed following a complete renovation. It has been planned along the lines of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) programme where children learn from a structured free-play programme.

The campus design also reflects the Reggio Emilia education philosophy which views the environment as the “third teacher”.

The natural light-filled space uses a neutral, natural colour scheme with openplan classrooms, or “pods”.

“It was an exciting brief,” commented lead architect Billy Tam of Thomas Chow Architects. Asked to create an open, bright environment while maintaining safety, Tam has come up with a set of multi-functional spaces that flow into one another. “There is no definition of a ‘classroom’. At one time a space can be a playground, while at other times it may be a reading corner,” he explained.

The school is filled with enticinglooking activities, including a giant sandpit, interactive digital whiteboards in the older

years’ pods and plenty of equipment to encourage imaginative play.

“Maximum exposure of different senses and stimulations are crucial for the development of a young child,” explained founding principal Jacqueline McNalty.

“We have incorporated many elements of nature into the campus, bringing the outdoors inside.”

As part of the curriculum, each class will enjoy a once-a-fortnight excursion to the school’s two “Forest School” locations in Sai Kung. Out in the fresh air, preschoolers will be encouraged to interact with nature in beach and wooded-settings.

The pre-school will open its doors at the end of August for an orientation week, although McNalty is keen to emphasise that the orientation is flexible and will segue into “proper” pre-school days only when children are comfortable.

Meanwhile, the construction of Malvern College Hong Kong adjacent to Hong Kong Science Park in Tai Po is well underway.

Six floors have been built and the main roof structure of the school is anticipated to be completed this month. The school is aiming for an August 2018 opening.

Founding principal Jacqueline McNalty and lead architect Billy Tam reveal the brand new Olympic-based pre-school campus

Partnering with Peppa Pig Woodland Preschools is joining forces with Save the Children to raise awareness of the work the charity carries out both in Hong Kong and around the world.

Save The Children provides the world’s most vulnerable children with education, healthcare and protection, confronting issues such as poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease.

Woodland hosted the charity’s official ambassador, the indomitable Peppa Pig, to morning tea at the group’s Beachside Repulse Bay campus where the popular children’s tv character met with excited students and teachers.

Upcoming events include a Christmas Jumper Day on December 15 when students will be encouraged to come to pre-school in jumpers to raise awareness.

For more details about Save The Children in Hong Kong, see savethechildren.org.hk.

Students and teachers welcome Peppa Pig to morning tea as part of Woodland’s partnership with Save The Children

36 expat-parent.com

expat-parent.com 37

schools

School’s out!

Summer camp Japanese-style - children and parents enjoying the fresh mountain air of Niseko

It may be holiday time, but mum-of-two Rachel Austin discovers there’s a lot to learn in Niseko

W

e’re an international family - I’m Irish, my husband’s Australian and we live in Hong Kong - but we feel a particular affiliation with Japan, not least because my eight-yearold daughter, Ashling, was born there.

Hoping to escape the intense heat and humidity of Hong Kong, as well as exploring a completely different side to Asia, last year we decided to hit Niseko - in July.

There is no doubt Niseko is usually associated with skiing, but we were lucky enough to live in Tokyo for four years and while we were there, friends invited us to join them in Niseko one summer. It was a revelation. You would never guess that under all those metres of powder lie green shoots waiting for their day in the sun.

In summer, temperatures climb to a comfortable mid-20s with little or no humidity.

The fields and forests of Niseko burst with wildflowers, birds and other creatures, foxes roam and you can hear the hum of woodpeckers building their homes up in the 38 expat-parent.com

trees. After a bit of a play with google one afternoon, we discovered EdVenture Niseko, a travel company that runs summer camps here for kids.

EdVenture is run by Tim King, an Australian who grew up in Hong Kong. As a former primary and secondary physical education teacher, he understands kids of all ages and knows how to relate to them. He also realises that many Hong Kong parents would like the chance to give our kids the freedom to run around in green open spaces and fresh air. To quote Miss Frizzle of The Magic Schoolbus, we’d like them to “take chances, make mistakes and get messy”, which is exactly what EdVenture does.

King’s enthusiasm for the great outdoors is infectious. His activity ideas stem from his own childhood. Highlights for my children included making their own skate boards one morning and riding them in a local skatepark; and a trip to a cherry orchard followed by a cherry crumble cooking class in the afternoon. One day we went to a grassy hill -

normally a ski slope - and the kids slid down in cardboard boxes. Simple but good, clean fun which had the kids laughing out loud.

King also arranged a visit to a local fire station where the kids got to have a turn with waterfilled fire extinguishers, putting out a “fire” on an obstacle course. It was a first for us, and apparently also a first for the Kutchan District Fire Department!

EdVenture runs a mix of child only and family activities. For the family activities, we joined in a Family Orienteering Challenge around Lake Hangetsu, a picturesque lake in a former crater of an extinct volcano in the shape of a half moon. The kids and parents had to do fun activities and challenges at various check-points around the lake including spotting a woodpeckers’ nest with baby woodpeckers in it. Another family activity was the Amazing Race Niseko where families had to do various fun activities and challenges on our drive to our final destination, the campground at Lake Toya.

It was so much fun getting the information

schools Nibbles of note As Japan is a vocalic archipelago, its soil is very fertile and this is particularly so on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido where Niseko is situated. Hokkaido is famous for its local fruit, vegetables and dairy products.

We love Japanese cuisine and think that the food in Niseko is especially great due to the delicious local produce. There are many great restaurants in Niseko and the following are all open in summer.

-E bisutei - casual Japanese and just one minute from Peak house.

-B ar Moon - a nice little pub with a ramen (soup noodle) bar attached on the ground floor. A must for chilli lovers - especially competitive ones.

-R in - similar to Ebisutei, but bigger. Great charcoal skewer cooking.

- Rosso Rosso- a higher-end steak house.

-N iseko Pizza - good mid-range, casual western dining, with a solid wine list. Lovely staff. They deliver and can do gluten free pizzas with some notice.

-G reen Farm Cafe - good coffee and casual cafe bites featuring organic produce. Open at breakfast too. Shut on Sunday and Monday.

-S hiki Cafe - good coffee, sandwiches and other bites. Perhaps pick up some groceries at Gorilla while you’re there.

-A bucha - casual Japanese in a very tourist friendly setting. Quite big and very popular. Ichimura Soba - great soba with a view and reasonable prices.

From water activities to cherry picking and baking, the camps are packed with activities

for the next destination at the location of the each challenge.

The week culminated with a family camping trip at Lake Toya, another stunning lake in a caldera of a former volcano. This was a highlight for many kids and families including ours. The immaculately kept campground was in a beautiful setting beside the lake and also had a playground area with a zipline which the kids loved.

Many of the families at EdVenture are repeat customers and some of the teenager campers suggested that the kids put on a talent show. The kids were so excited to rehearse their pieces during the week and perform in front of their parents and friends on the last night at the camp ground.

This year EdVenture is running different programs to suit different families’ needs. The family program is for those families looking to spend a little more quality time together and the week is made up of family and child-only activities, finishing with a family camping trip at the end of the week.

They have another program for parents who would like a little more time to themselves during their stay in Niseko. You drop off your child in the morning and you pick them up in the afternoon from Monday to Wednesday. This program is combined with a family program where you do family activities Thursday and Friday.

A further programme is aimed at six to 14 year olds who are ready for the full EdVenture experience on their own. The idea of this program is to foster independence, leadership and a strong sense of self.

Activities change weekly, depending on the fruit in season or the weather.

My son Kian said his favourite bit was camping at Lake Toya - Ashling couldn’t make up her mind between the skateboarding making and the talent show.

We stayed for a couple of weeks and after the camp-week finished we spent a day rafting on the Shiribetsu River. Kian enthusiastically followed his father into the water and got a bit of a shock at the melted-

ice water temperatures! My husband and father-in-law climbed the 2,000m Mount Yotei, otherwise known as Baby Fuji, a landmark in the area. After the 11-hour hike they were rewarded with a long soak in the local onsen.

The children also loved the adventure centre, Pure, at the Hilton Hotel in Niseko Village. It had tree-trekking, ziplining, inflatable slides, bouncy castles and more.

They also enjoyed discovering frogs and tadpoles in the local creek and tucking into the famous Hokkaido ice cream.

If you have only seen Niseko in winter I would highly recommend giving it a go in the summer. We enjoyed a truly wonderful family holiday and will be returning again this year to catch more of the action.

EdVenture summer camps are running for 6 weeks from July 3 to August 11 this year.

For more information, go to edventureniseko.com.

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big day out

Making waves

Hitting the water this month? Trisha Harjani sails away with a fleet putting the jazz into junking

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big day out

L

ast month I was lucky enough to experience a day with one of Hong Kong’s luxury yacht charters, M Yachts.

Forget your wooden junk, this elegant fleet includes sleek models that can carry up to forty guests in style. And you can leave your inflatable unicorn at home too - the Sunseeker 60 that I stepped onto is a sleek, powerboat with a jet-ski, cinema and allround Bose speaker system, not to mention full-sized kitchen and on-board BBQ. It accommodates up to 20 guests, with five crew members on hand for smooth sailing.

Once I’d settled myself on a cushioned seat to the aft of the boat to soak up the Hong Kong skyline, I spoke to Jan Ole Hagen, co-founder of M Yachts.

He claims M Yachts is the only yacht service in Hong Kong that allows you to book your yacht, and your food and beverage options, and your pick-up points online. He says the company is aiming for a streamlined booking process tailored to the needs and wants of the customer.

Along with the BBQ and jet skis, guests can opt to wakeboard, scuba-dive and hike.

And the kids haven’t been forgotten either. To keep younger sailors happy, the company has teamed up with kids entertainment specialists Rumple & Friends offering trips out to Hong Kong’s various out-of-the-way island beaches. Party fun includes treasure hunting, water sports, ranger shows and face painting.

If you want to keep the event adultonly, M Yachts’ concierge team can craft personalised itineraries and events, including Harbour View parties, Hidden Island tours, whisky tasting and yoga evenings - there’s nothing like a sukhasana as the sun goes down on a picture perfect Hong Kong backdrop.

For parties and celebrations, opt for the Luxury Junk. Decked out with a RalphLauren inspired interior it holds up to 33 guests and great for a smooth sailing . If you’re after a bit more adventure, there are powerboats (think Ferretti 690 and Sunseeker 53 or 60) to explore the nooks and crannies of Hong Kong’s sandy shores.

An add-on video-package provides guests with a professional videographer to capture the day using a DJI Mavic Pro drone.

Or get behind the lens and take your own footage using a Go Pro Hero 5 and the M Yachts team will edit together your video.

In terms of catering, M Yachts is working closely Wong Chuk Hang-based Pomegranate Kitchen to offer guests a wide-range of European, Asian and US-based dishes. Both kitchens can accommodate vegetarians and food intolerances.

A journey with M Yachts can be booked online at myachts.asia or by emailing info@myachts.asia Speeding out to the outlying islands (above) and on-board catering (below)

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travel

Fun in the Philippines Marianne Rogerson took some family time in Bohol and El Nido

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travel

Jaime and Xander splashing around in the turquoise waters of El Nido

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travel

D

espite having lived in Asia for ten years and travelled extensively throughout that time, as a family we had yet to make it to the Philippines.

It was time to change that, so enticed by the promise of white sandy beaches, fabulous snorkelling and cute little fluffy animals, we set off for a Filipino adventure in Bohol and El Nido.

Situated to the east of Cebu, Bohol is the Philippines tenth largest island. Most tourist head to Panglao Island, Bohol’s largest offshore island, reacher via a bridge from the airport. It’s here that you’ll find all the beach resorts and it’s where we started our Philippines holiday.

Our home at the beach was the Amorita Resort (amoritaresort.com), a gorgeous boutique hotel just a staircase away from busy Alona Beach. With its stunning views out to sea and family-friendly facilities, it was the perfect place to ease ourselves into Philippines life.

After a day of lazing by the infinity pool and admiring the sensational views, on day two we injected a bit of action into our holiday and took to the ocean on a dolphin-watching and islandhopping tour (experienceboholtours).

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Kayaking trip through the lagoons of El Nido

As we were visiting Bohol during Holy Week, it was peak season and everywhere was heaving with tourists, including out at sea. But despite the heavy traffic, a pod of dolphins soon appeared, breaking the surface and weaving in and out of the boats, much to the kids’ delight.

With our spirits high from our dolphin encounter, we made our way to Balicasag Island, a marine sanctuary just a 30-minute boat ride from Alona Beach. Even with the crowds of people, it was hard not to be wowed by the visibility and the marine life here, but the highlight was definitely swimming with the turtles - and there were so many turtles.

After three days chilling on the beach and kayaking the bay, we reluctantly left the ocean behind us on day four and headed inland, where we teamed up with Betterman Tours to explore the Bohol countryside.

A major attraction here is the Chocolate Hills - much to the disappointment of the children they are not actually made of chocolate, but consist of over 1,000 peaks stretching over 50kms and were a pretty impressive site.

But for us, the most exciting part was meeting the tarsiers. These cute primates with big bug eyes were allegedly the inspiration behind Yoda, ET and the Gremlins (before they turned evil) and are endemic to Bohol. With only around 700 left on the island, they are best spotted at the Tarsier Sanctuary, where you can creep through the forest as conservationists point out the fluffy little animals hiding in the trees.

Another fun stop for adrenaline junkies of all ages is the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park. My six-year-old daughter was obsessed with the bike zipline where you cycle 150ft up in the air.

Of course, she chickened out as soon as she had been strapped into her safety gear, leaving my good-natured husband to take the plunge on her behalf.

But there was plenty more kid-friendly excitement to be had, including rock climbing and an obstacle course.

Our countryside tour ended with a lunchtime river cruise down the Loboc River serenaded by a live Filipino band, before we made our way to our next hotel - The Loboc

travel

Stand up paddle boarding and other watersports in El Nido (above and below)

River Resort (lobocriverresort.com). Although not nearly as luxurious as the Amorita Resort, we loved the laid-back feel and the tranquility of being right on the river. The rooms were accessed via wooden boardwalks through the trees and there is a tranquil little swimming pool overlooking the river. The kids loved feeding the ducks and chickens and taking a ride on the resident water buffalo.

On our last night in Bohol, we took to the Abatan River for one of the coolest experiences of our trip - a mangrove and firefly kayaking tour with Kayakasia Philippines (facebook.com/ kayakasiaphillippines). Having been amongst the crowds of tourists throughout our stay in Bohol, here we found we had the entire river virtually to ourselves. With one adult and one child per kayak, we explored the mangroves searching for mudskippers and kingfishers.

As the deepening evening light turned to

darkness, we drifted silently under the trees and stared in awe, mesmerised by the synchronized blinking of the fireflies that made the whole tree move as one. A magical experience.

But if we thought we loved Bohol, we were in for a real treat when we arrived in El Nido. El Nido forms the northern tip of Palawan Island, and visiting here had been on my bucket list for nearly ten years, so I was beyond excited when our little prop plane touched down on the tiny runway next to a white sandy beach.

From the airport we took a 30-minute boat ride to our home for the next four nights - Lagen Island, one of El Nido Resorts’ luxury ecosanctuaries (elnidoresorts.com). Stepping off onto the Lagen Island jetty, I felt I was walking onto a James Bond movie set. It is quite simply one of the most stunning resorts I have ever seen, with its water villas tucked under towering limestone cliffs and overlooking the crystal clear

Discovering the local wildlife - Jaime and a starfish (above) and a tarsier in the Chocolate Hills

waters of the shallow lagoon.

Our days here were all about watersports.

My six-year-old became quite proficient at stand-up paddle boarding and both kids got the hang of snorkelling after being in the water every day. We explored the area of the resort boat, kayaking in Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon, snorkelling with jackfish at sister resort Miniloc Island, and hanging out at El Nido Resorts’ private beach clubs - where we literally had an entire beach (and beach bar) to ourselves one afternoon.

With limestone crops jutting out of crystal clear waters, incredible marine life and deserted, white sandy beaches, El Nido is my new favourite destination. If there is a heaven, I want it to be exactly like El Nido. expat-parent.com 45

marketplace

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

marketplace

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

expat-parent.com 47

flailing spouse

Tea-time traumas

Foodie faux pas aren’t just for expat children, discovers our mum

S

o because we’re stuck in Hong Kong for the summer, it turns out we’re somewhat of a sitting duck for all sorts of visitors who have seen the junk pictures on Facebook and want to come and experience life in the territory.

“One of those boat days would be marvellous!” I can hear my husband’s school friend chortling into the phone all the way from North Somerset. “Fantastic! So if you could tee one of those up, and maybe some golf, that would be ideal!”

I mutter darkly about the heat and typhoons and all of the children being at home and July really not being the best time of year, but my husband is already regaling his friend with tall tales of pool parties at the club and hot nights in Lan Kwai Fong.

And so an arrival date is set and I duly warn our helper to make up goodness how many extra beds, which means the Boy Child will have to sleep on our bedroom floor for the foreseeable and as the air con isn’t working in the Tween Child’s room (very complicated apparently, I’m no Cantonese speaker but even I got the drift that it’s going to take a while to be fixed), she’s also on a mattress in our bedroom. But no matter, you do eventually get used to waking up to a snoring child every morning. And lots of pairs of pants and stray flip flops lying all over the floor.

Then I go through the usual prep with the children, which mostly involves a long and laborious speech about their non-existent table manners.

And this is something I don’t understand about expat life, or maybe it’s just my complete inadequacy as a mother, but picking up a knife and fork, cutting up food, raising said food to one’s mouth and chewing it quietly seems to be quite beyond the capabilities of my small brood. I do realise they have a lot of varied cultural influences here, but for some unknown reason they seem incapable of picking up British-style.

“Can you please cut that first?” I say to the Teen Child, as she mindlessly aims a large chunk of rib-eye hanging precariously from the end of her fork towards her mouth as she scrolls through Snapchat with her other hand.

“Eh?” she grunts, momentarily distracted from her 175-day streak.

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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.

“Cut. The meat. First,” I add without much conviction.

“Please try and eat with a knife and a fork,” I beg.

They all look at me as if I’ve just landed from the moon.

Anyway, arrival day dawns and I duly traipse to the airport to meet the excited visitors. “Wow, it’s pretty warm, isn’t it?” they cry as we hug in the arrivals hall. Urm, actually the terminal is fairly well air conditioned.

“Bloody hell!” they exclaim as we steam through the electric doors into the muggy embrace of Car Park 1.

Back home, I help them find space in the wardrobes for the inappropriate but oh-soEnglish packing - cardigans and hoodies “for the evenings”, cagoules “just in case”, jeans for “cooler days”. (I find you can explain Hong Kong summers until you’re blue in the face, but you really do need to experience it at first

hand to fully appreciate what “really quite hot” actually means).

And so the holiday continues with the predictable daytrips, but it’s fun, the visitors enthusiastic and it’s a good excuse to get out and about.

After days of burgers at the club and evening BBQs by the pool, on the last night we whisk them over to our favourite beachside seafood restaurant. It turns out our friends’ children “love” Chinese food and often dine courtesy of the Golden Wok Takeaway in their local village. We bounce our way over on the restaurant boat and order beers aplenty on arrival while the kids study the menus. I know the Boy Child will go for heaps of fried rice and garlic prawns. The Teen Child is a big fan of steamed fish with soy and ginger.

“Eh?” suddenly grunts the eldest visiting child. “I can’t find the Chop Suey. I always get Special Chop Suey and chips and curry gravy.

Mum?” he appeals, wafting the menu in front of my friend’s face.

“What’s Chop Suey?” interrupts the Blonde Child. “And why is it special?”

“Or Chicken Chow Mein,” adds the visiting child’s sister. “And there’s no sausage and chips. Or tandoori chicken skewers.

Mum?” “I think,” my friend counters weakly. “I think things may be a little different when you’re actually in China.”

We order as best we can and then have to call the waitress back to ask for forks. And then the youngest visiting child wonders if she can have a banana fritter for pudding.

“What’s a fritter?” asks the Blonde Child.

“Sometimes they bring out fresh lychees for dessert,” the Boy Child adds helpfully.

This draws another blank with the visiting children, who apparently have no idea what a lychee might be.

And then I look over at my brood as they pluck deftly at the bowls of food with chopsticks, sip their Chinese tea and explain what char siu bau is. They may be incapable of operating a knife and a fork simultaneously and assume spaghetti bolognese is there to be slurped rather than twirled, but at least they don’t think Spanish omelette and chips is the gold standard of a Chinese menu. All in all, I think I’m doing an ok job.

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