Sai Kung & Clearwater Bay Magazine June 2012

June 2012

How to

Jubilee

SCHOOL’s OUT!

Summer camps for kids

Readers’ Choice Awards Who gets your vote?

JUNE 2012

the planner 4 Happening in June Father’s Day, Diamond Jubilee and dragon boats.

LETTERS 8 Have your say Sai Kung cowboys, a call for express buses and praising Firenze.

NEWS 10 Helpers’ Day Plus petitioning for stray dog scheme, composting school lunches and cool jammies.

INTERVIEW 13 The official view How new Sai Kung District Officer Maureen Siu sees it.

LOCAL 14 Drawing sides in Pak Sha O Artist Brian Tilbrook on why the country park village must be preserved.

VINES IN SAI KUNG 16 Death and trampers Stephen Vines on columbaria and country park rules.

FEATURE

PROPERTY 33 A place in the sun The lap of luxury at Suralai Villas, Koh Samui.

INTERIORS

18 Holiday ABC Things to do with the kids this summer.

WINE 24 Filling in the blancs Master of Wine Tim Atkin on sauvignon blanc, plus three wines to try.

EATING

36 Union hijack The best of British for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

EDUCATION 38 Green is gold Say g’day to the Australian International School.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

26 King coals Firing up at local barbecue sites, plus Clearwater Bay School Cookbook recipe and Nibbles.

READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS 29 Vote and win!

Tell us the best things about Sai Kung for a chance to win great prizes.

40 Stroller-cize New BabyFit classes for mums with buggies.

HIKES 42 Talk of the devil Jackie Peers walks off a Lei Yue Mun lunch.

TRAVEL 44 Freewheelin’ Taiwan By bike across the Republic of China.

PETS 46 Hissing Sid What to do when you meet a snake.

GARDENING 47 Ugly bug ball The truth about moths and other critters.

MARKETPLACE 48 Your guide to shops and services Cool stuff to buy and do.

BIRD AT MY WINDOW 53 Oriental magpie robin David Diskin on Hong Kong birds.

CLASSIFIEDS 56 Local property, holiday lets And loads of other random stuff.

BACK PAGE 58 Last Orders gets road rage Plus photo competition.

"gawD bless YOU, Ma'am"

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planner

happening in june

Jun 23

Tuen Ng Dragonboat Festival Hear them roar – and maybe watch them sink. Sai Kung waterfront, 8am-1.30pm, followed by a carnival in the waterfront square 2pm-5pm, or Sha Tin Shing Mun River (near Banyan Bridge) from 8am-2pm.

Ends Jun 24 Annie

Jun 3 Diamond Jubilee Lunch

The little redhead and her hard-knock life hits the stage in this West End production starring Su Pollard, David McAlister and a cast of Hong Kong “orphans” (left). Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $330-$950 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

A Big Lunch street party to celebrate 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II. Live music, dancing, great food and prizes for the best “diamond”. Tickets $480. Noon, Garden Bar, Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Pak Sha Wan, 2719 9682

Ends Jun 24 Le French May May’s schedule of Gallic goodies spills over into June with art exhibitions, theatre, dance, music, fashion and, of course, plenty of “GourMay” events.

For details, visit www.frenchmay.com.

Jun 1-3 Summertime with Scotty & Lulu

Ends Jul 31 Picasso – Masterpieces from Musee National Picasso, Paris The most important Picasso exhibition ever held in Hong Kong, with paintings from all periods including Jeune Fille Assise, a portrait of Dora Maar and more. Closed Tuesdays. Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Sha Tin. Tickets $20 from the museum and www.urbtix. hk, 2111 5999.

Hong Kong’s homegrown clowns take a magic carpet ride in a sunny show of music, dance and silliness for pre-schoolers.

Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $108-$388 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

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Jun 2 Summer Garage Sale Get ready to rummage for pre-loved goodies in the best garage sale in Sai Kung. 9.30am-1pm, Car Park, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clearwater Bay Road. Details from Jean Hudson on 9045 5942, gujean@ust.hk.

Jun 4, 11, 18, 25 Family Bingo Fun night out with the kids after the regular Sunset Challenge sailing (non-sailors welcome) in aid of the Youth Development Fund. Tickets $100 (children $50) from 7pm. Garden Bar, Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Pak Sha Wan, 2719 9682.

Jun 5 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Tug your forelocks, subjects.

The day after the Queen’s (official) Birthday is a public holiday in Britain.

june Jun 7 Quiz Night

Jun 9 Chartis Cup

Give the old noggin a workout. 8pm, Agua Plus, 72 Po Tung Road, Sai Kung, 2791 2030.

English Premiership rugby champions Saracens, take on an all-star BGC APBs team. Plus junior and veteran tournaments and a family-friendly Rugby Village. Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po. Tickets $300 (children $50) from www.chartiscup.com.

Jun 7-10 Asia Yoga Conference

Jun 22-24 International Military Tattoo

Martinis and manicures for the girls ($200); darts for the boys ($100). Garden Bar, Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Pak Sha Wan. Bookings essential for a manicure, 2719 8300.

Jun 8 Live Music Night

Jun 13, 27 Quiz Night

Stolen Thunder performs at Steamers’ popular mic night.

66 Yi Chun Street, Sai Kung, 2792 6991, www.steamerssaikung.com.

Pit your wits at Hebe One O One. 8.30pm.

112 Pak Sha Wan, 2335 5515.

Bag a bargain while the kids are busy with the bouncy castle and ice-cream van. All welcome.

Tickets $20 (family $50). 9amnoon, car park, ESF Abacus International Kindergarten, Mang Kung Uk, Clearwater Bay.

Be nice to dad.

Jun 15 MANICURE NIGHT

Mass harmony as yoga masters from around the world gather to teach their individual disciplines at all levels. Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, www.asiayogaconference.com.

Jun 9 Car Boot Sale

Jun 17 Father’s Day

Jun 14 Sai Kung Sampler A pop-up shopping opportunity with some of the area’s most interesting independent businesses. Vendors vary. Steamers, 66 Yi Chun Street, Sai Kung, 2792 6991.

Jun 17 Chippendales Most Wanted Tour Six-packs, striptease and lots of body butter. Over-18s only.

Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai. Tickets $380-$580 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Military brass bands from all around the world gather. Free performances 3pm-4pm in the Plaza, Sha Tin (June 23) and the Cultural Centre Piazza (June 24).

Daily performances at Hong Kong Coliseum, Tsim Sha Tsui East, 7pm. Tickets $100-$300, www. urbtix.hk, 2111 5999.

Jun 29 SCHOOL’S OUT End of the academic year for ESF schools.

Jun 24 Jason Mraz – Tour is a Four-Letter Word Mr A Z is back in town. Expect teenagers.

AsiaWorld-Arena, Lantau. Tickets $480-$880 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288, and Tom Lee branches.

If you have an event in Sai Kung, email the details to editor@saikung.com

Book now

Jul 24 The Stone Roses Reunion Tour The Manchester Sound returns.

Is it what the world is waiting for? AsiaWorld-Arena, Lantau.

Tickets $388-$988 from www. hkticketing.com, 3128 8288, and Tom Lee branches.

Jul 12-22 Saltimbanco

AUG 4 SNOW PATROL LIVE

Cirque du Soleil’s, fantastical modern circus. AsiaWorld-Arena, Lantau. Tickets $349-$788 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

The Northern Irish alt rock band plays AsiaWorld-Expo, Lantau. Standing tickets only, $580-$780 from www. hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Aug 25 The Beach Boys

Yes, those Beach Boys – still touring after 50 years.

Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai. Tickets $588$1,888 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288

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Sum

E mer nrol n o (3 rd Fun P w for rog July to 1 ramm 7 th A e ugu 2012 st)

Sai Kung

For over 30 years Woodland has set the standard in Hong Kong for quality pre-school education. With ten schools, Woodland offers classes for children aged up to six years.

 Pre-School  Early Pre-School  Extra Curricular Clubs  Buses available for neighbouring areas For further information please contact Mrs. Deirdre Hamilton at 2813 0290: Shop D, G/F Marina Cove Shopping Centre, Sai Kung.

Tel: 2813 0290 Email: saikung@woodlandschools.com

www.woodlandschools.com

letters

have your say

Firenze makes the grade One of our favourite restaurants in Sai Kung is Firenze. I know your list (Sai Kung’s Top 15 Dishes, May issue) was highly subjective but their mezze platters (hot or cold) are outstanding. They'll swap items if you don't like something and they’ve got the best bruschetta in Sai Kung. Corkage is only $50/bottle as they are eliminating alcohol from the menu. They say if you don't like something, tell them and they'll fix it. And they do.

Valerie

Cowboy vigilantes?

Hang Hau harumph The mighty 101 green minibus which plies between Sai Kung and Hang Hau is a precious lifeline to the city and evening commuters are accustomed to patiently queuing for it in the airless fug of the Hang Hau bus terminus.

However, rush hour on May 8 was spiced with a new frisson of danger as a queue of more than 150 (left) extended towards Ping Shun Road outside the terminus to the evident concern of bus drivers trying to find their way in.

Something must be done to shorten queues.

Assuming the culling of passengers is not an option, I would suggest they might look at an alternative to the rule that thou shalt take the MTR to Hong Kong Island.

A proper franchised bus running between, say, the Macau ferry terminal in Sheung Wan and Sai Kung, with a few stops on the island during rush hours, would ease the squeeze on the 101. Ma On Shan and Sha Tin enjoy these long-distance routes, why not Sai Kung?

Bernie Harrad Tai Mong Tsai

At 4.30pm on Monday, May 7, I arrived in my car at the Pak Tam Chung entrance to Sai Kung Country Park for a run. As I drove, I noticed a helper with a rottweiler on a lead, sidling up to a herd of cows. He had a long stick in his hand and was waving it at them, taking the dog close to the cows and allowing it to attack. I asked if he wanted to hurt the cows, at which he disappeared – or so I thought.

As I climbed out of the car, I was mobbed by a group of helpers all brandishing sticks and carrying ropes.

I explained about the man and the rottweiler. A British man arrived and angrily told me the man had not taken his dog over to the cows. He informed me aggressively, it was my word against theirs.

Feeling a bit like Ralph in “Lord of the Flies”, I walked off, but turned around to see the whole group walking over to the cows waving sticks.

The British man put a noose on a slipknot around one animal’s head and started pulling

the bellowing beast while the rope constricted around its neck. I asked what they were doing and was confronted again by aggressive behaviour. They said they were from the AFCD (strangely, not uniformed).

I dialled the police, at which point the bull escaped and I heard a man shouting from across the road wanting to know what they were doing.

The ringleader raced off to get his car and the whole “team” leaped into it and raced away, leaving the bull with rope still trailing from his neck.

The other man was equally horrified by what he had seen. Luckily he had the car’s registration number and waited with me for the police.

Who were the motley crew of cow-catchers?

If they were AFCD, why were they doing such a shoddy job? It would be interesting to hear what the AFCD has to say.

L. Birdsey Sai Kung

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

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news More Sam’s Jams Pyjamas are for more than just sleeping in, which is why Sam’s Jams are designed with lazy Sundays in mind. Produced by Clearwater Bay residents Samantha Harrington and Julie Dixon, the jammies are cosy for cuddling up at night yet tough enough for morning romps around the garden, while appealing to children of all ages from toddlers to teens – and their mums.

The new summer range has something for everyone with classic stripes, whimsical butterflies and retro kombis. Made in top-quality fabric, they’re versatile, practical and impossibly comfortable. Your kids will love them. For the full range, visit www.samsjams.com.hk.

Making the most of school lunch leftovers

Mandarin app for kids Put away the boring flash cards and make learning Mandarin fun with new iPhone and iPad app Kids Learn Mandarin by Clearwater Bay parents Ian Carroll and Kristy Carr.

Inspired by the experience of raising bilingual children in Hong Kong, the new app from the Digital Learning Company uses a game-based progressive teaching method designed for kids aged two to eight years who are learning Mandarin as a second language.

With more than 100 interactive games, the app aims to be fun and motivational while teaching 240 key words commonly used in international school curricula. It is already ranked in the top 10 educational apps in Hong Kong.

“We believe the best way to teach children a second language (and most things in general) is through structured play with highly interactive theme-related games and songs,” Carr says. “The digital space, particularly mobile applications, provides the ideal platform for this level of fun interactivity in today's evolving world.”

Kids Learn Mandarin is available in the App Store for US$0.99.

For details, visit www.kidslearnmandarin.com.

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Lee Siu Yam School in Sai Kung is putting unfinished lunches and other food waste to good use by turning it into plant-energising compost.

Working with the Teng Hoi Conservation Organization, the school has installed a British-made Rocket composter that efficiently converts leftovers such as chicken noodles, rice and bak choy into food for herbs or plants. Since the composter is an enclosed system, pests cannot access the waste and any potentially harmful pathogens are destroyed.

“In essence, the Rocket composter is a self-contained, continuous-cycle composting unit,” says George Woodman, director at the Teng Hoi Conservation Organization, which initiated and operates the project.

“The Rocket works much like the human body, only a bit slower,”

Woodman explains. “You put the leftover food in one end and about 14 days later it emerges from the other end.”

The end product is a brown, crumbly, soil-like substance that contains all the elements necessary for plant growth.

“It looks like yuck when our leftover lunch is thrown into a bucket, but we are saving the planet,” form B student William Smith says optimistically.

Food waste in landfills produces methane, which is cited as being more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide.

With the capacity to process about 900 litres of food waste a week, Woodman envisions Sai Kung becoming a food-recycling role model.

“Feasibly, and with a bit of community commitment and effort we could turn all the food waste from Sai Kung restaurants into compost,” Woodman says.

Where there’s muck, there’s brass, and organic farmers are buying the compost, which is available for sale in handy-sized bags at craft fairs and regular Saturday events at the school.

Chris Davis

in the know

Save our strays Sai Kung’s dog lovers have organised a petition supporting a proposed government-funded Trap Neuter Return scheme to control strays in the area.

Organised by Elisabeth Buechi of the Support Group TNR Sai Kung, the petition is available to sign in vets, stores and restaurants around Sai Kung.

Under the proposed TNR scheme, strays would be rounded up, neutered and returned to their original environment, where they would be fed and monitored by animal-welfare groups.

The Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department would

administer the scheme, which is backed by the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Animals.

But two public consultations in Sai Kung Town Hall over a three-year trial project in Ho Chung became heated earlier this year when village residents objected on grounds of hygiene and nuisance.

The petition aims to show the

government that the larger Sai Kung community is behind the TNR trial.

“We kept the petition neutral and tried to answer some of the critical points,” Buechi said.

“Everybody in the community would benefit from better handling of the stray-dog problem: neutered strays, less fighting, less roaming,

fewer puppies, better health, controlled behaviour, less barking in the villages. Who can say no to this?”

Buechi is asking local residents to sign the petition at Best Friends Veterinary Hospital, Pets Central, Sai Kung Animal Hospital, SPCA Sai Kung, GOD DOG adoption centre, Sauce, Dymocks Sai Kung, Rocky’s Pet Shop, Pet Lover & Pet Care, Cindy’s Florist and Starbucks.

There is also a Support Group TNR Sai Kung Facebook page.

The collected signatures will be handed in to the next Sai Kung District Council meeting on June 7.

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news

Students treat helpers Hong Kong’s army of helpers is to receive a special thank you from students at Renaissance College, who have designated June 1, 2012, the first-ever appreciation day for domestic helpers.

In a reversal of roles, students will be serving tea, cakes, and entertainment to their helpers at an afternoon tea on the day which they have named Jie Jie Day. Teacher Kathryn Bignold, who is helping co-ordinate the event, explained “Jie Jie” meant big sister in Chinese and is often used by children to address their helpers.

“We thought it would be fantastic to recognise the contribution all the Jie Jies make to the Hong Kong community,” Bignold said.

“Without them Hong Kong wouldn’t be able to function really. They help to raise other people’s children when they have families back home in the Philippines and Indonesia. Many of them send most of their pay home and live on small amounts, so we thought it would be nice to give them a treat

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and spoil them for a change.

“We want our students to take stock of how lucky they are to have these people in their lives who love and care for them.”

Bignold said it was hoped the event would become a regular event on the school calendar and would be taken up by other schools throughout Hong Kong.

“I have already received a call from a teacher from another school saying they want to do the same thing.”

The event is being organised by students as part of the creativity, action and service programme (CAS) requirement in the International Baccalaureate curriculum, which the college follows.

Bignold added they expected about 200 helpers to attend the event plus some invited dignitaries from Hong Kong’s Filipino and Indonesian communities.

Hazel Knowles

Grapevine The Clearwater Bay School Cookbook is selling fast. Langley Allbritton, a prime mover behind the book, says more than half the printed copies have sold in the first month, and supplies are limited.

Pick up a copy at CWBS PTA office, Dymocks (7 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung), or The Reading Room (21 Hoi Pong Road, Sai Kung old town waterfront). All proceeds go to the Parent Teacher Association, which plans to use the money to buy outdoor furniture for the school.

The Orton-Gillingham Centre, which specialises in therapies for children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, is holding a training course for parents on August 28-September 1 at the Singapore International School in Aberdeen. The course, which claims to enable parents to help their children deal with difficulties in reading, spelling and writing, costs $21,500. To find out more, visit www. msl-orton.com.hk.

interview

the official view

Maureen Siu The new Sai Kung District Officer reveals her vision for the area.

When we say “Sai Kung”, many people think about the old town and the neighbouring rural area.

Sai Kung District covers also the new town of Tseung Kwan O, a vibrant urban centre catering to a community fast reaching 400,000.

As the district grows, it is important to strike a balance and maintain the versatility and vitality that make it special. Sai Kung will continue to be the beautiful “back garden of Hong Kong”.

Residents from different backgrounds hold very different views. I believe they all have the common goal of doing good for the community. Even though there may sometimes be clashes in opinions and approaches, it is essential that we respect each other, listen and talk to each other with an open mind and a civil attitude.

Since SARS in 2003, more locals recognize the importance of outdoor activities. Hiking, boating and fishing are more popular. Ecotourism is gaining popularity.

We expect tourism to grow rapidly. This will bring business and job opportunities to Sai Kung.

In the case of the Geopark, we are pleased that, through funding

from the District Council and collaboration with the Sai Kung Community Services Centre, people who grew up and live in Sai Kung have become tour guides.

There are several hotel developments: the Beach Resort at Sha Ha is undergoing refurbishment to provide 24 guest rooms. A site in Pak Sha Wan is being developed into a hotel with 40 guest rooms. And a site in Sai Kung town was sold in October 2011 for hotel development.

Outside seating accommodation is an attraction in Sai Kung. At present, 30 restaurants in the district have approval for outdoor dining. There are licensing criteria relating to land use (the right to use the curbside, which is mostly government land), building safety, fire safety, traffic, town planning and health requirements. It normally takes about 50 working days to process an application.

The Sai Kung Old Town Revitalization Programme, which involved developing an open plaza outside the Tin Hau temple and repaving works, was a huge success. It has become a tourist attraction, a gathering place for locals and a focal point for

festivities. We will continue to see how other sites could be enhanced.

A proposed hospital in Clearwater Bay North, near Pik Shui Sun Tsuen, has been approved by the Town Planning Board. A Chinese herbal medicine clinic opened recently on Mei Yuen Street.

Several industrial buildings in Tui Min Hoi are now mainly used as godowns, shops and offices; the plan is to redevelop the site for residential use on application to the Town Planning Board.

There are 28 secondary, 28 primary, 59 kindergartens/child care centres and four special schools in Sai Kung District.

According to the Education Bureau, the supply of school places can fully meet demand.

The not-in-my-backyard syndrome is common in societies.

The landfill in Tseung Kwan O is essential for Hong Kong.

I visited the landfill and the residential estates nearby and was impressed with the measures taken at the landfill as I could hardly detect any foul odours onor off-site. Connecting roads are cleansed six times a day. We have

The not-in-my-backyard syndrome is common in societies. The landfill in Tseung Kwan O is essential for Hong Kong. received complaints that we are cleaning the roads too frequently.

The Hiram’s Highway Improvement Project aims to improve the deteriorating traffic condition by providing additional road capacity, improving the road alignment and providing better pedestrian crossing facilities.

Stage 1 will cover the section between Clearwater Bay Road and Pak Wai, Ho Chung Road and Luk Mei Tsuen Road. Stage 2 will be for the section from Marina Cove to Sai Kung town, Po Tung Road and Tai Mong Tsai Road to Sha Ha. The Transport Department is conducting a review that will include moving the public transport interchange, modifying traffic flows, erecting additional signage for parking. The measures would hopefully improve the traffic congestion of Sai Kung town.

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local Editorial Jane Steer jane@saikung.com Coco Marett coco@fastmedia.com.hk Art Director Sammy Ko design@fastmedia.com.hk Sales Director Heung Sai ads@fastmedia.com.hk Online Marketing & Distribution Michelle Lee michelle@fastmedia.com.hk Ad traffic & Classifieds Executive Nick Chong nick@fastmedia.com.hk Accounts Manager Clara Chan accounts@fastmedia.com.hk CEO Tom Hilditch tom@fastmedia.com.hk This month’s contributors Graham Uden Carolynne Dear Adele Rosi Hazel Knowles Dr Carmel Taylor MVB Jackie Peers Iain Lafferty David Diskin Jane Ram Tim Atkin Robby Nimmo Freya Giles Christina Ip Printer Gear Printing 1/F, Express Industrial Bldg 43 Heung Yip Road Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong Published by Fast Media Floor LG1 222, Queens Road Central Hong Kong Give us a call!

Editorial: 2776 2773 Advertising: 2776 2772 Sai Kung is published by Fast Media Ltd. This magazine is published on the understanding that the publishers, advertisers, contributors and their employees are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors and omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication. The publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of any action or omission by this publication. Sai Kung 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 pubishers.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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Drawing the battle lines Artist Brian Tilbrook and Designing Hong Kong join lobby to save Pak Sha O, writes Hazel Knowles.

An artist who painted the village of Pak Sha O 24 years ago as an example of Hong Kong heritage has criticized plans to build two modern houses there.

Brian Tilbrook called the plan “crass” and called on the government to help preserve the village, which lies in a remote rural spot in Sai Kung Country Park and has remained almost unchanged for 50 years.

“I can’t believe something so crass could be done. It will take away the nature of the old village.

It’s like putting an airport hanger in Statue Square or a four-storey

supermarket in a village in the [English] Cotswolds,” Tilbrook said.

“The government should be preserving these places not encouraging and giving permission to this kind of development.”

Residents in Pak Sha O have mounted a campaign against the two three-storey houses which they feel will spoil the unique character of the village, believed to be one of the best examples of an unspoiled Hakka village in Hong Kong.

They also fear the construction work will have an adverse effect on wildlife in the area and pollute water that feeds into Hoi Ha Marine Park.

Brian Tilbrook

in your backyard

Tilbrook's painting of Pak Sha O in 1988. He describes the plan to build modern houses there as "crass".

Artist Tilbrook, now aged 80, painted a view of the village from across paddy fields in 1988 for a book commissioned by the government called “Hong Kong Heritage”. As part of the commission he was asked to choose and paint 50 scenes around the territory.

“At the time Hong Kong had just woken up to the importance of preserving its heritage for the people after seeing what Macau had done to preserve its identity with its past,” he said.

“Unfortunately, [the government] lost interest and it is only in recent times that the younger generation has begun to refocus on preserving Hong Kong’s heritage.”

One of his choices for the book was Pak Sha O, along with Man Mo Temple in Tai Po, the colonial

Supreme Court Building and the walled village of Tsang Tai Uk in Sha Tin. “When I parked myself in what used to be paddy fields, I knew there was something special about the village. There was a sense of having discovered something old nestled there on the hillside,” said Tilbook, who has lived and painted in Hong Kong for 47 years.

Tilbrook, whose works include many large-scale murals around Hong Kong, praised residents for the work they had done in helping to preserve the village, which dates back to the late 19th century.

Some of the building exteriors have remained virtually unchanged and several have been listed as worthy of preservation by the government’s Antiquities and Monuments Office.

“I have a lot of admiration for the people who live there. They have done a good job of preserving the village. Each house has been given the kiss of life,” Tilbrook said.

The Lands Department has received 42 objections to the plan, including those from residents and one from Designing Hong Kong, a group that aims to protect and enhance the living environment of the territory.

Legislator Paul Zimmerman, co-founder and CEO of the group, said its objections focused on the adverse environmental effects of allowing “urban sprawl to encroach on conservation areas and country parks” and possible pollution of underground waters by sewage effluent.

He also pointed out that Pak

Sha O was an enclave adjacent to a country park that was to be protected or regarded as part of the country park according to future policy promised in the Policy Address of 2010.

“We urge the Lands Department to immediately stop accepting and processing land grant and license applications until after these areas have been duly considered and planned for by the Town Planning Board and Country and Marines Parks Board,” the group said in its objection letter.

The company behind the applications, Xinhua Bookstore Xiang Jiang Group in Tai Po, has turned down several requests by Sai Kung Magazine to comment on the Pak Sha O application and the type of houses it will be building.

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vines in sai kung

stephen says

Rites of passage Stephen Vines makes the case for columbaria and keeping the countryside idiot-free.

Graves on Tai Tau Chau: Hong Kong is notoriously short of burial space, which makes columbaria inevitable in someone's backyard.

Burying the problem It is pretty well known that the only certainties in life are birth, death and taxation. Don’t get me started on taxation, and as for birth, well, we’ve all been there. This leaves death. We’re all going there, but before we arrive there is the small matter of planning burials.

Hong Kong is notoriously short of burial space, even for the interment of ashes. But every time a proposal arises for the creation of a new columbarium, people in the vicinity mount vigorous protests and express alarm about the bad feng shui that will result.

A private company is now proposing to erect a columbarium close to Sai Kung town and, as night follows day, the protests have started. The plans do not appear to be in the public domain but it is fair to say that, whatever they are, they will be opposed.

So, here’s the problem – everyone is going to die and, therefore, there need to be places for the deceased to rest. That much is clear.

But equally clear is the fact that no one seems to want the remains of the dead to be located anywhere near where they live.

A very dear friend of mine who died in Bali had her ashes scattered in the ocean and those close to her felt that this was an entirely appropriate arrangement for someone who loved the sea. However, this is not a viable solution for most people, especially for Chinese families who are expected to sweep the graves of their relatives at least twice a year.

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That brings us back to not-in-my-backyard.

There is no easy solution but the fact is that in Sai Kung, for example, we have considerable experience of living alongside the deceased – hillside locations are very popular for graves and thus many people live in their shadow.

To the best of my knowledge this causes no problems.

A columbarium is another matter, not least because of its size. Yet most people in Hong Kong have their remains reduced to ashes that need to be preserved, thus there are few alternatives.

The fairest solution is to ensure every district has its own columbarium – that includes one for the mega-rich folks up on The Peak. In this way the problem will be fairly shared, it will be more convenient for those wishing to respect the deceased and the size of each columbarium can be reduced.

The countryside rules I’m a pretty determined hiker and venture out in the hills even in these hot and sweaty months. But while communing with nature a strong streak of intolerance swells up in my head. I am not selfish about wanting to have the countryside to myself, but if I had my way – a rare occurrence – I would have certain things banned. For starters: • All radios and other noisy appliances played at full blast on country trails would be confiscated.

• Anyone organizing a group ramble and equipped with hand-held loudspeakers would be arrested and placed in a cell equipped with sensory-deprivation devices.

• Persons found littering would be treated with zero tolerance – a month or so of clear-up activities would be the minimum fine.

• Organizers of group walking and running events who tie ribbons and other paraphernalia to trees and bushes, and then fail to retrieve these markers, would be forced to tie them together and be encased in the remnants until they make a lifelong promise never to repeat the crime.

• Anyone found entering the country parks in high-heeled shoes or other blatantly unsuitable footwear would be sent to shoe re-education camps for an indefinite period.

I’m sure all of the above is perfectly reasonable and workable and would add greatly to the sum of human happiness. As they say in those gormless government-sponsored advertisements, “let’s join hands to stamp out stupidity in the countryside”. Or at least make it punishable.

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

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EASY AS

School’s out! Keep the kids busy with these summer courses and activities.

)

..

AB C

A is for Art

Crafty kids have loads of art classes to choose from. Anastassia’s Art House in the old town is running Summer Art Camp from July 1-August 18 (G/F, 9 Hoi Pong Street, 2719 5533, saikung@arthouse-hk. com). Summer courses are also available at Swiss Art Studio (14 A1 Po Tung Road, Sai Kung, 3188 4127, info.sak@swissartstudio.com. hk) and at Little Hands Arts and Crafts, where children aged two-five can get their paws mucky from July 9-August 31 (60 Sun On Village, Sai Kung, 5431 3122, www.littlehands. com.hk).

B

is for Brazilian soccer Got a budding Ronaldinho on your hands? Bringing a touch of Rio to Sai Kung, the Brazilian Soccer School will be holding two-week sessions for five- to 12-year-olds on late afternoons in July and August.

Saddle up for summer at Clearwater Bay Equestrian and Education Centre or book a teepee on Lantau (left).

Pre-schoolers can join Socatots in Sai Kung Town Hall on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons, or Hang Hau Sports Centre on Mondays mornings and Thursday afternoons. More details from Paul at paul@socatots.com, www.bss.com. hk and www.socatots.com.hk.

C

is for Camping Get back to nature at Palm Beach Teepee Village on southern Lantau. The village works

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in conjunction with the local watersports centre for actionpacked breaks. Activities include surfing, kayaking, kite surfing and skim boarding. Accommodation is in hand-painted, air-conditioned Native American teepees on a luxuriously sized lawn with a cafe and barbecue pits. Don’t forget to book a bonfire pit and pack a bag of marshmallows for the full camping experience. For details, call 2980 4822 or email info@ palmbeach.com.hk.

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D is for Dance

Shimmy over to Tina’s Dance Studio for ballet, hip-hop and Irish dancing lessons for children of all ages throughout the week (15 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung, 2328 2250). For break dancing, musical theatre and other dance styles, the Red Shoe Dance Company on Arbuthnot Road, Central, is running five-day programmes on July 9-13 and August 13-17. Sessions run for two hours, with beginners in the morning, and more advanced dancers in the afternoon. Details at www.redshoedance.com or Jacqui Roberts on 9813 0079.

E is for Equestrian

Giddy up to Clearwater Bay Equestrian & Education Centre for summer riding camps for juniors (aged five to 10 years) and seniors (aged 11-15). And look for discounted riding lessons and livery offers. Details at www.ceec. hk, 6398 6241, nicky@ceec.hk.

F

is for Faust Book your little drama queens (and kings) into week-long drama workshops, tailored for specific age groups in the four to 14 age range. Performance skills include improvisation, movement and devising which are developed through storytelling, fairy tale or theatre through the ages. Morning (10am-12.30pm) and afternoon (2pm-4.30pm) workshops run from June 25 to August 17 on Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan. Details at 2546 9114, info@faustworld.com.

G is for Golf

Get into the swing at the Australian Golf Academy’s Junior Golf Training Programme. Based at the Waterfall Range in Olympian City, Tai Kok Tsui, and at the Skycity Nine Eagles course at Chek Lap Kok, It has programmes for beginners and for more experienced golfers aged from three to 18 years. Available from July 4 to August 28, children

Learn to surf on Tai Long Wan with Surf Hong Kong (above), or put your daughter on the stage with Faust (below).

can enrol for a one-week crash course or up to weeks. Details at www.juniorgolf.com.hk.

H is for Hanging ten

Surf Hong Kong is a surf, kayak and bush-craft school for all ability levels. Overnight camps for eightto 16-year-olds run for two, three or five days on beautiful Tai Long Wan beach, with accommodation under canvas. Younger children aged five to seven can join in the day camps. A mini surf competition takes place at the end of each week and winners get free entry to the Hong Kong GROM surf competition in October. For details, see www. surfhongkong.com.

I is for Ice skating

Cool off at Hong Kong’s indoor ice-skating rinks. Cityplaza Ice Skate (www.icepalace.com.hk) in Tai Koo Shing has more than 29 coaches offering private and group classes. Mega Ice at MegaBox (www.megaice.com.hk) also has ice hockey and skating classes.

And at Elements in West Kowloon, eco-friendly The Rink (www.rink. com.hk) has figure skating and ice hockey classes and Octopus cards are accepted for entry. Doot!

j is for Junks

For a junk trip with a difference, try Kayak & Hike’s Geopark kayak junk trip. Take a junk from Sai Kung pier to the kayak base, then paddle with a guide to Bluff Island’s white sandy beach and a short hike to a scenic viewing point. There’s also snorkelling, stand-up paddle boarding and an inflatable i-MAT tied to the back of the junk. Kayak & Hike offers single-booking family days on Saturdays, or private hire during the week for a minimum of 16 people.

Details at www.kayak-and-hike.com.

K is for Kayaking

A boot camp for older teens (aged 16 and up), Global Adventure’s Adventure Leader Programme on Pui O Beach, Lantau, includes kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, gorging and expedition planning.

After four weeks facing challenges in the great outdoors, campers will learn independence, leadership and teamwork. Session one runs July 2-28, session two runs July 16-August 11. Details at www.globaladventurescn.com, 2546 3543.

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L

is for Lego If the kids are looking for an ideas booster and you’re hoping to avoid tiny bricks in the shag pile, try Lego Education Center camps. Based in Prince Edward, Kowloon, the centre offers week-long day camps for children aged three to eight years.

Themes include World, Adventure, Robotics and Game Maker and the camps involve a two-hour workshop every day. Details at 2728 8691, www.legoeducation.com.hk.

M

is for Mandarin Leapfrog Kindergarten in Sai Kung Country Park is offering Mandarin as part of its two-week summer programme, which also includes phonics and numeracy. For details, visit www.leapfrogkindergarten.org or call 2791 1540. And check out the YWCA’s Mandarin for Munchkins summer courses for children as young as three.

It combines Mandarin with games, music, dancing, storytelling, drama and craft. Details at esmd@ywca.org.hk.

N

Clockwise: in the great outdoors with Outward Bound; chefs at Eat My Words; Kayak & Hike.

is for Numbers Kumon has been helping children understand and enjoy practising maths for more than 50 years. Designed by maths teacher Toru Kumon, when his son was falling behind in his studies, Kumon is a gradual stress-free method used across the globe. For details, visit www.kumon.edu.hk or call 2791 0065.

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O

is for Outward Bound Outward Bound Hong Kong has a wide range of programmes this summer, including kayaking, camping, hiking and an overseas expedition to Taiwan for the over-18s aboard the 67ft yacht, the Spirit of Outward Bound Hong Kong. Hong Kong-based courses run for five or eight days, with accommodation in Sai Kung.

Camps cater for children from age eight. Details at 2791 3228, kan_ rita@outwardbound.org.hk, www.outwardbound.org.hk.

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P

is for Pottery At the charming, cottage-inspired Sunflower studio in Wan Chai, children can decorate plates, mugs, picture frames and more to be fired in a kiln, ready to be picked up in a couple of days.

Studio fees are $150 for 90 minutes, $130 each for groups of four to six, or $100 each for groups of seven-12. Details at www. myhappysunflower.com, 2511 2538.

Q is for Quiet reading

The Reading Room runs book clubs for junior bookworms to meet and chat about their favourite reads. Over summer, it will also be running English and drama courses for children aged five to 18. 21 Hoi Pong Street, Sai Kung, 9199 5900.

R is for Recipes

Aspiring junior masterchefs can cook to their hearts’ content at Eat My Words. Its “Language By Cooking” classes teach children aged five to 10 to prepare French dishes while practising their language skills in English, French or Mandarin.

Classes run July 2 to August 18, Monday to Saturday, 10am11.30am or 3pm-4.30pm. $2,600 for five classes. Booking required at www.eatmywords.com.hk, 9544 7171. Easy English for Kids is also running cooking language sessions at its Sai Keng premises. For details, visit www.eek.com.hk. eatmywords.com.hk, 9544 7171.

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S

is for Under-fives SKIP pre-school in Che Keng Tuk is running its popular summer Paint & Play sessions for children aged one to five, accompanied by an adult. Fun themes include Goldilocks, Monkey Puzzle and Commotion in the Ocean.

Monday-Friday, 9.30am-11.30pm, $120 a session. Details at 2791 7354, www. skip.edu.hk.

T is for Tennis

is for Vacation clubs Keep little hands busy with Woodland Pre-school’s summer programme. It is holding morning, afternoon or all-day workshops in two-week blocks, exploring themes through painting, clay modelling, cooking, dancing, science experiments, storytelling and dress-up days. Open to children aged six months to seven years (including non-Woodland students).

Marina Cove Shopping Centre, Sai Kung, www.woodlandschools.com.

Nothing says summer like the soft thwack of a tennis ball against a racquet. Budding Rafas have plenty of opportunity to hit the courts. Monster Tennis coach Lea (tel: 9048 2810) will be teaching children as young as two throughout the summer at Sai Kung tennis courts. And ESF Educational Services (www.esf.org.hk) is running Australasia Tennis Aces camps at King George V School and the Hong Kong Tennis Centre in July and August.

Maclaren Triumph

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Phil&Teds Traveller Cot

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$1,950 GoPlay Travel Games

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V

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U

is for Swimming The best place to spend summer in Hong Kong is in the water. Blue Sky (www.bluesky-sc.com) offers morning swimming lessons for children of all ages and abilities at Sai Kung Swimming Pool, where Mum can kick back on the adults’ sundeck while the kids are put through their strokes. And ESF Educational Services is holding swimming clinics at Renaissance College, Ma On Shan, throughout the summer (www.esf.org.hk).

$275

Beach toys

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from

$60

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X is for X-Factor

Budding singers can let rip at Katterwall’s themed summer courses in Sheung Wan. Children aged five to eight years can join the Olympics course (July 3-6, 23-26) focusing on sports-related songs and national anthems, or opt for the Splish Splash Splosh! course (July 9-12, 16-19) with aqua-themed tunes. Children aged 9-12 and 13-18 can join the intensive week-long Youth Music Theatre workshops for Broadway-style song and dance with hits from “Chicago” and “Bye Bye Birdie”. Details at www.katterwall.com.

Y

Optimist sailors take to the waves at Hebe Haven Yacht Club. Left: summer sessions at SKIP for the under-fives.

W

is for Wet & Wild Five days of watersport action in Sai Kung, organised by Blue Sky sports club.

Camping overnight in the Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp, the course includes tuition in wakeboarding, stand-up paddle boarding, surfing, swimming and dragon boating. It costs $4,800, including three meals a day and all equipment. For details, visit www.bluesky-sc.com.

is for Yachting Set sail this summer at Hebe Haven Yacht Club’s week-long Water Sports Adventure Weeks – sailing, raft building, mini-Olympics, junk trips and more – in July and August as well as Optimist and HKSF registered sailing courses for six- to 15-yearolds. Details from the Sailing Training Centre Administrator, 2719 0926, sailadmin@hhyc.org.hk.

Z is for Zzz

Pull up a sunbed, take a siesta.

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wine Filling in the blancs Sauvignon blanc is more complex than they’d have you believe, says Master of Wine Tim Atkin.

In what must rank as one of the equivalent of a vinous walk-on wittier put-downs, writer Dorothy part. Yes, it made some great Parker once described the wines in the Loire and Bordeaux, performance of Katharine Hepburn its twin French homes, but it rarely in a Broadway play as “running featured on wine labels. You had the gamut of emotions from A to know (or be told) that Sancerre to B”. To listen to some people, and white Graves were made from sauvignon blanc deserves similar sauvignon or you were in the dark. notices: a one-dimensional grape Cloudy Bay changed all that. with a narrow range of aromas and The wine may not be as exciting flavours. today as it was back then, partly Sauvignon blanc may not have because it’s produced in much the diversity of its two white wine bigger quantities, but it still rivals, chardonnay or riesling, but merits a place in the history of it’s a lot more complex than its modern wine. The amusing thing critics would have you believe. is that, according to one insider, Taste a Loire sauvignon blanc from it was nearly called something say, Sancerre, alongside one from else. Instead of Cloudy Bay, New Zealand, Chile or South Africa New Zealand’s most celebrated and the differences can be quite sauvignon blanc might have been marked. called… Farewell Spit.

A few years ago, an Sauvignon blanc is nearly enterprising producer in the always made as a dry wine, Loire sought to cash in on the although there are sweet and booming popularity of Marlborough sparkling examples on the market, sauvignon blanc by calling his wine and it’s a key part of the blend in Kiwi Cuvée, many sauternes. but he wasn’t But within the dry fooling anyone. camp, there are Instead of Cloudy Bay, New lots of different The wine Zealand's most celebrated didn’t have the styles: oaked sauvignon blanc might have (fumé blanc in gooseberry been called... Farewell Spit. California and and tropical fruit characters in Bordeaux’s that are so Pessac-Léognan typical of wines from the South region), flinty and restrained (the Island.

Loire), grapefruity (Chile), green Talking of which, sauvignon bean-scented (South Africa) and blanc wouldn’t be as well known gooseberry and passion-fruity as it is today without New Zealand (New Zealand). Those are only generally and one highly successful generalizations, of course. There brand in particular. Other producers are at least half a dozen regional had pioneered the grape in what styles in New Zealand alone. used to be sheep country in the Its critics may disapprove, early 1970s, but it wasn’t until the but sauvignon blanc is popular first vintage of Cloudy Bay in 1986 because it’s so drinkable: crisp, that sauvignon blanc caught the zingy and refreshing, a wine that public’s eye. works equally well as an aperitif All of a sudden, the grape or with seafood. It may not stretch was in the spotlight. Until then, it from A to Z, but not many grapes had skulked in the shadows, the do. A to P perhaps?

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Award-winning wine journalist Tim Atkin (www.timatkin.com) has written for The Guardian, The Economist and Daily Telegraph newspapers and appears regularly on the BBC.

Events June 5 Seeing Red Book a night of indulgence at The Press Room's Burgundy Wine Dinner. Five courses will be paired with carefully selected Burgundy wines. At the dinner, Marco Cashera from renowned producer Vincent Girardin will take guests on a journey through France’s most complex region. Bookings essential.

108 Hollywood Road, Central, 2525 3444, reservations@ thepressroom.com.hk.

he nose

Wines to try Tim Atkin recommends three of the best sauvignon blancs at Watson's Wine Cellar.

2001 Casa Marin, Los Cipreses Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda ($148) One of the closest vineyards in Chile to the cold mass of the Pacific Ocean, this pioneering Leyda white is among the best in South America: taut and very complex with zesty, tangy, grapefruity precision.

2010 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough ($175) Made by two ex-Cloudy Bay employees, this is one of the classiest sauvignon blancs in New Zealand, with refreshing notes of citrus and fresh herbs and a textural note derived from partial wild yeast fermentation.

2009 Pouilly-Fumé, Fourrier Père et Fils ($198) This has the flintiness that distinguishes the best Pouilly-Fumés. It’s focused and bone dry with bright, minerally flavours that are almost chalky on the palate. Beautifully restrained, it lingers on the palate for a minute or more.

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eating King coals Fire up the barbie at the best public sites in Sai Kung.

Best for a day-trip Hap Mun Bay One of the loveliest bays in Sai Kung, Hap Mun has a white beach to play on, rocks to scramble over, sea slugs and other critters to snorkel and a marked track around the entire Kiu Tsui Island – Hong Kong’s smallest country park. The barbecues are located in the grassy campsite just behind the beach, and there’s a kiosk selling cold drinks and hot noodles.

The LCSD facilities have had a makeover in rustic wood rather than utilitarian steel.

How to get there: Catch a kaido from Sai Kung waterfront (about $20).

26 | WWW.SAIKUNG.COM

Best-kept secret Sai Kung Martyrs War Memorial With swathes of grass and barbecues surrounded by stone seating, this is more upscale than the average Hong Kong fire-pit.

The long park has gentle grassy slopes, good for rolling down, atop a low headland surrounded by trees giving it a babes-in-the-wood appeal. There’s a pagoda shelter and toilet block, and if you wander further down the road, there’s a tiny beach overlooking Jade Bay. How to get there: Bus 94 or 96R, minibus 7, to the war memorial turning, and follow the road downhill for about 100m; the barbecues are on the right and there is roadside parking.

Best for kiteflying Tai Hang Tun Perched at the tip of the Clearwater Bay peninsula, with stunning views of the Nine Pins Islands, this is one of the few places in Hong Kong breezy enough to fly a kite. There are several barbecue sites around the park and plenty of other activities to keep you busy, including a tree walk, playground and short hikes.

A shop sells kites if you forget to bring your own.

How to get there: Bus 91, minibuses 103M or 16 to Tai Man Au Road. Parking available.

Best for ballgames Wan Tsai West Campsite A 30-minute walk from Hoi Ha’s picture-perfect marine park beach, this feels more like Europe than cramped Hong Kong. It has several well-spaced barbecue pits, pitches for 20 tents and good shower facilities. But what really sets it apart is the football pitchsized patch of flat grass begging for a kick-about or a full-on game of rugby. There’s a beach for cooling off.

How to get there: minibus 7 to Hoi Ha then follow the coastal path. Or bus 94 or 96R to Wong Shek Pier and a kaido to Wan Tsai Pier.

barbie queue

Swedish kladd kaka Best for cyclists Yung Shue O By cyclists we mean both freewheeling family groups and mad-for-it mountain bikers. The flat, single-track road that runs for a couple of kilometres along the east coast of Three Fathoms Cove is great for families – especially now a barrier controls car access at weekends. And one of Hong Kong’s few authorised mountain-bike trails starts two-thirds of the way along.

There are a couple of barbecue sites, both with flat grassy areas and great sea views.

How to get there: Bus 99 or 299 to Shui Long Wo, then take Kei Ling Ha turning. Park at the paintball centre in Yung Shue O.

The George Family’s favourite cake is a Swedish “messy cake” that stays gooey in the middle. Recipe from The Clearwater Bay School Cookbook.

Ingredients 150g sugar 100g dark chocolate 100g butter 2 tbsp golden syrup 1 tsp vanilla essence 90g plain flour Pinch of baking powder Pinch of salt Method Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Line and grease a 20cm loose-based cake tin.

Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl over simmering hot water (don’t let

the bowl touch the water). Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and beat to combine. Add the syrup and vanilla, beat to combine.

Gently stir in the flour mixture, and pour into the prepared tin.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

The cake will still be wobbly in the centre but don’t over-bake or it will be dry. Allow to cool completely in the tin. Chill in the fridge prior to serving to make it more “fudgy”.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

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eating

Nibbles Hebe Haven Yacht Club is holding a right royal knees-up to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. Organized by the same crew as its successful Royal Wedding Party last year (left), the streetparty lunch will have live jazz, a Pearly king and queen, dancing, prizes for best “diamond”, lashings of bunting and a proper British buffet. Tickets $480. Noon, June 3, Pak Sha Wan, 2719 9682, www.hhyc.org.hk.

Steamers is putting a British spin on its menu for the Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics. Look for Atlantic cod and chips, gourmet bangers and mash, Jamie Oliver's Guinness lamb shanks and sizzling chicken tikka skewers. 66 Yi Chun Street, Sai Kung, 2792 6991, www.steamerssaikung.com.

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Dymocks Festival of Food & Wine in June sees discounts of 10-15 per cent on selected cookbooks including new titles, and Laithwaites Wine is offering three free bottles of old-vine French reds with selected orders.

Details at www.laithwaiteswine.hk. Dymocks, 7 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung, www.dymocks. com.hk.

Celebrate Father’s Day at Hebe One O One on June 17 and buy Dad a man-sized half-pound burger (with bacon, mozzarella and salsa) and a bottle of Budvar for $150.

June 29 is the iPhone's fifth birthday and the restaurant is offering a free glass of Prosecco with every main course if you use an iPhone to “Like” its Facebook page. 112 Pak Sha Wan, 2335 5515.

New vegan restaurant Grassroots Pantry in Sai Ying Pun is holding a family cooking lesson on June 9 titled “Plant-Based Goes Kid Friendly”. Children will learn to make Sloppy Janes, a chocolate smoothie, and hummus wraps. For details and other classes, visit www.grassrootspantry.com.'

Celebrate Tuen Ng festival with traditional dragonboat dumplings from Shanghai Min nostalgic restaurants, with early-bird discounts of up to 30 per cent on orders before June 15. 6/F, MegaBox, 38 Wang Chiu Road, Kowloon Bay, 2545 0880.

vote & win

Sai Kung Readers’ Choice Awards

2012

US$10,000

GRAND PRIZE

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Vote for your favourite things in Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay, and win great prizes.

Entry deadline July 20, 2012

* Excluding taxes and surcharges

Two air tickets to Beijing

Felix Experience

Round-trip flights for two to Beijing on Air China, valued at $8,400*. Webjet Hong Kong, www.webjet.com.hk

A five-course degustation dinner for two, including wine, valued at $3,142, The Peninsula Hong Kong, www.peninsula.com

Weekend Barbecue Buffet for four Pool Bar Weekend Barbecue Buffet Dinner for four persons, valued at $1,795.

Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin, 3723 1234, hongkong.www.shatin.hyatt.com.

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Sense of Touch treatments Elemis Signature treatment worth $1,280 and a Dermalogica Kit worth $428. Sense of Touch, 2791 2278, www.senseoftouch.com.hk.

Island Golf Club membership Six months’ membership, bay coupon and cash vouchers. Six prizes available, valued at $7,980. 2513 9888, www.islandgolf.com.hk

HYPOXI training for two 2x3 sessions of all-natural & targeted body-shaping HYPOXI-Method®.

Valued at $7,988. HYPOXI, 2537 6637, www.hypoxi.hk

vote & win Welcome to our third annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

Win one of our brilliant prizes by telling us what you love most about Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay. The Readers' Choice Awards will be announced in the September issue of Sai Kung Magazine, out September 1, 2012.

For further information, email our Marketing Department at marketing@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772.

Best restaurant

Best-kept village

Best dessert

Best place to take visitors

Best take-away shop

Best beach

Best bar

Best hike

Best bakery

Best place to take children

Best coffee

Best catering service / food delivery

Best grocer

Best wine shop / delivery

Best day spa

Thanks for your feedback, now tear out these pages and pop them in the mail for a chance to win one of our great prizes.

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CONTACT Please print clearly.

Fast Media Limited reserves the right to make the final decision.

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Get on with supersizing Hiram’s Highway Express bus service to Central at rush hour More right-hand turning lanes Leave early and carry a book

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property

lap of luxury

Oh Samui Suralai private villa is a stylish contemporary oasis in the jungle-clad hills of Koh Samui.

Far from Koh Samui’s singlet-clad, fluorescent paint-splattered party crowd is Suralai, a peaceful paradise in the mountains above Bophut on the island’s quiet northern coast.

Stylish and luxurious, Suralai is crafted from natural materials, with Thai-style pitched, wooden-tiled roofs and stonework elements that make the villa seem an effortless addition to its jungle surroundings.

All furniture, fittings and artwork have been custom-made to the highest quality, with a contemporary aesthetic that manages to be both minimal yet cosy. Think low-slung sofas, cool stone coffee tables, reflecting pools and cutting-edge technology.

The huge living room with its wood-lined vaulted ceiling is applause-worthy. One entire wall opens to a large stone balcony, with spectacular views of Bophut Bay and

the neighbouring island of Koh Phang Ngan, home to the world-famous full-moon parties.

We recommend you take it all in from the red-leather chaise longue, near the polished white breakfast island, while kicking back with a minty mojito prepared by the villa’s resident chefs.

Like the interiors, the outdoor areas are elegant and modern, with stylish deck chairs, circular daybeds and alfresco dining areas.

The infinity pool is a thing of beauty: a 20-metre rectangle of crystal blue that spills into the surrounding jungle, with a swim-up bar (because it wouldn’t be a holiday without one) and a large sala pavilion

at one end. The house’s Bose sound system extends to outdoor speakers so you can throw on some Cafe Del Mar while topping up your tan.

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property

It’s a place made for indulging whims, not least because there’s a full team of staff at your beck and call. The chefs work with you daily to dream up menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you’re dining in.

They’ll take care of the shopping and will have meals ready when you are, paired with wine from the villa’s own cellar. Next morning, you can work it off at the fitness centre on site. Or opt for an in-house spa treatment.

There are six en-suite guest rooms, including two master suites with terrazzo bathtubs, three king-size bedrooms and a twin room.

Each is fitted with a 30-inch plasma TV, DVD player, iPod dock, surround-sound system and 300 thread count cotton bedlinen.

From top: good morning, sunshine; evening in the main living space; ready for dinner with a view of Koh Phang Ngan.

34 | WWW.SAIKUNG.COM

property

Suralai’s villa manager acts as an in-house concierge. She knows the island like the back of her hand and will help you plan your stay.

For a day at the beach, for example, the villa has access to the private beach at the five-star Sala Samui Resort, along with exclusive discounts on food and drink at the hotel’s restaurants.

With accommodation set over several levels, and large private balconies and daybeds in some rooms, the villa is intimate enough for families and offers enough privacy for groups of friends, making it a good value option compared with five-star hotels. Lay down on a sunbed, try to find the horizon between pool and the ocean beyond, and reflect. It doesn’t get much better than this.

For details, visit www.suralai.com.

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 35

interiors

Brilliant bunting

Fabric or paper, fancy or plain, it wouldn’t be a party without lashings of bunting. Prices vary, Accessorize, Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong.

Say it with stickers

London-themed stickers, Accessorize, Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong.

True Brit From bunting to biscuits, celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in style.

London-lickin’ good

Royal cupcake cases for a proper afternoon tea. $35 for 60, Accessorize, Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong.

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All aboard

Keep it British with a big red bus (dolls sold separately). Seed, www.seedheritage.com.

union hijack

Plump it up Flying the flag

Cute Union flag-patterned china birds from Royal Crown Derby. Available in various sizes, Lane Crawford, Pacific Place, Admiralty.

Union flag Diamond Jubilee cushion from the Prince of Wales’ very own boutique at his home in Highgrove, Gloucestershire. £95, plus shipping, from Highgrove Shop, www.highgroveshop.com.

Teatime treats

Shortbread biscuits in a commemorative tin from Marks & Spencer, East City, Hang Hau.

Go gourmet Diamonds are forever

Don’t forget your tiara, $85, Seed, 2803 1677, www.seedheritage.com

There’s more to London dining than jellied eels and pie and mash.

Famous foodies Terence Conran and Peter Prescott dish up the best food in the English capital. Eat London 2: All About Food, $250, good bookshops.

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 37

education Green dreams Leonie Drew, co-head of the Australian International School, reveals how the Kowloon school is moving forwards.

Tell us about AISHK: why and when was it set up?

The school opened on Australia Day (January 26), 1995, welcoming 25 eager students.

We now teach more than 1,100 pupils from reception at age four to Year 12 graduation.

In the past 15 years, more than 95 per cent of graduating students have gone on to study at top universities throughout the world.

What curriculum do you follow?

In primary, our curriculum is based on that of Australia. In secondary, students in Years 7-10 follow the New South Wales (NSW) curriculum, and in Years 11 and 12 senior students can opt to take the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC), or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. Both are internationally recognised tertiary entrance qualifications. But we also place great importance on balancing the academic with interests outside the classroom – we feel this is key to producing successful students.

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What are the school’s core values?

Our commitment is to develop our students intellectually, socially, physically and ethically, in harmony with Australian culture. Our school values form a ten-point star: equity, creativity, excellence, respect, honesty, diligence, collaboration, trust, responsibility and integrity.

Do you cater for nationalities other than Australian?

Currently we have children of 27 nationalities in the school. About 70 per cent are Australian or New Zealand passport holders. The school is a source of pride for the Australian community in showcasing the best of Australian education.

What extra-curricular facilities do you offer?

We have a wide range of activities that would be considered both co-curricular and extra curricular. Sports include netball, volleyball, swimming (there’s an indoor pool on-site), rugby, touch rugby and soccer. In performing arts, we have choirs, ensembles, orchestras

and drama groups. An Australian education is based on breadth, activity and lots of variety.

What’s new at the school?

We are working on a Green Roof. This will have two open-air “green” work spaces incorporating an Australianthemed garden with art installations and native flora. It will be a learning platform for teaching students about the environment, as well as doubling as a space for recreational activities and outdoor functions. It boasts stunning views across the city to Lion Rock.

This has been a project of passion with help from the AISHK community. Consultations have been held over 18 months so students, parents, staff and other stakeholders could contribute ideas and opinions towards the design. A fundraising campaign brought in $1 million, including a grant from the Hong Kong Environmental Committee. Work began in 2011.

g’day

one leArner support teAcher.

one clAssroom teAcher.

Access to leArning for All

One student is receiving learning support.

One is not. Bet you can’t tell the difference.

Sai Kung campus opening August 2013 www.hkacademy.edu.hk

Small School, Big Ideas

We have also completed a major upgrade to our library. Australian library consultant Kevin Hannah was brought in to advise on user experience.

Do you have any expansion plans?

We are a non-profit school and receive no assistance from either the Hong Kong or Australian governments. We were fortunate to be granted this site in Kowloon Tong, but we would warmly welcome the opportunity to expand again. We would be most grateful if the government was to allocate us an additional site.

Learn to

surf this summer

What does your waiting list look like?

We have wait-lists for all primary years, but people are always coming and going in Hong Kong, so there is opportunity for enrolment if you persist. You can apply up to two years before you need a place. Our admissions staff regularly run school tours – just give us a ring to make a booking. We require a level of English good enough to access our curriculum. We give priority to siblings and Australian passport holders, but if space permits everyone is welcome.

For more information, please visit www.aishk.edu.hk

Call ITS on 2116 3916 or visit www.tuition.com.hk/surf

2, 3 & 5 day camps

all summer book early!

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 39 SURF HONG KONG_120x93.indd 1

07/05/2012 6:00 PM

health & beauty

From baby fat to BabyFit Losing weight after childbirth is a walk in the park with Sarah Robinson’s new venture, BabyFit. The Sai Kung mum explains how.

H A I R

&

B E A U T Y

What is BabyFit? BabyFit is a group exercise concept, based in Sai Kung, where mums exercise alongside their babies with the help of a buggy. We incorporate cardio, resistance, boxing, core and stretching. Babies can participate in a number of the activities, in particular the core and cardio work. We are also focused on bringing mums together to share stories, swap tips and create lasting friendships while bonding with baby.

C E N T R E

Brazilian Blowout Mastey Organic Color Silk Morocco Oil Treatment Waxing Manicure and Pedicure Facials Ear Piercing

● ● ● ●

Refer a new client & receive 50% off your next haircut New clients receive 10% discount 10 days guarantee on all services Free Consultation

This Month Special:

Book our popular Brazilian Blowout treatment and receive a complimentary bottle of aftercare Shampoo, perfect for taking care of your new look hair 56 Po Tung Road, Sai Kung, NT, Hong Kong

Tel: 2335 1694

www.talashairandbeautycentre.com info@talashairandbeautycentre.com 40 | WWW.SAIKUNG.COM

How did the concept come about?

BabyFit was born largely out of my own experience. Having always been into fitness, I was keen to get back into exercising soon after I had my baby girl last year and went about it the wrong way. I tried to do too much too quickly and found myself with niggling injuries. This got me thinking about the best way to ease back into exercise, which led me to carry out research into post-natal exercise and get qualified. There is a lack of qualified post-natal exercise instructors around and post-natal mums have specific requirements. They can be more prone to injury, for example, owing to the lagging effects of the pregnancy hormone relaxin. We also wanted to offer a way that new mums could meet each other and what better way to do this than with your baby in tow.

What has the reaction been?

We’ve been thrilled by how well the idea has been received. BabyFit offers a new exercise concept in the city and we have had requests for classes from Happy Valley, The Peak, Southside, Pok Fu Lam, Discovery Bay and Tung Chung. We are excited about how far we can spread our reach.

strollercize

What are the hardest things about being a new mother?

In the early weeks sleep deprivation is a challenge and also the anxiety surrounding whether your baby is feeding correctly and putting on enough weight. Of course, post-natal depression is a potential concern – exercise had been proven to be fantastic in easing its effects. Mothers new to Hong Kong may feel isolated and BabyFit seeks to offer a forum where mums can meet as well as getting the endorphins pumping.

Top three tips for new mothers?

Get out of the house – for a walk, a trip to the shops or a coffee. Try to organise a few regular activities that you can look forward to each week.

Don't fret so much that you forget to enjoy the experience: motherhood is a magical thing.

What do you hope for BabyFit in the next couple of years?

I would like for us to be at the forefront of people’s minds when they're thinking about getting back in shape after having a baby. We would like to be established in a number of locations across the city and we're looking

to take our business to other parts of Asia.

BabyFit meets at Wai Man Playground, near the Sai Kung waterfront, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10.15am, and costs $150 an hour (packages available). For details, visit www.babyfit.com.hk.

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hikes

Fishy business Jackie Peers walks off a Lei Yue Mun lunch with a “stroll” up Devil’s Peak and beyond.

A couple of miles down the coast from the neon-lit spires of Tsim Sha Tsui, the tumble-down village of Sam Ka Tsuen clings to the rocky shore of Lei Yue Mun, the narrow channel between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island that forms Victoria Harbour’s “east gate”.

Elderly folk bravely dodge the shipping in single-oared skiffs, a bustling seafood bazaar attracts busloads of tourists, dilapidated houses are propped up on stilts on the water’s edge and villagers go about their day-to-day lives, including worship at the historic Tin Hau temple. It’s a photographers’ delight and yet another example of the startling contrasts that make Hong Kong unique.

Although Lei Yue Mun (the name of the channel is generally applied to the village on Kowloon side) is visited by thousands of tourists and promotes itself as one of the great seafood venues of the world – especially during its annual seafood festival – I’m often surprised by the number of people who have never been there. Put it on your list. It’s a charming little spot that delivers more than a hint of old Hong Kong. A big dollop, in fact.

Pick your way through the houses, scramble along the coastline, or just sit for a while by the old lighthouse and gaze out to sea. Although some of the restaurants are a bit glitzy for my taste, you can select a fish from the market and have it delivered (protesting vigorously) to more

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modest venues, where you can enjoy the unbeatable combination of fresh fish and cold Tsing Tao, with a backdrop of Victoria Harbour thrown in for good measure.

A visit to Lei Yue Mun can be combined easily with a stroll up Devil’s Peak, or along a series of small peaks linked by Stage 3 of the Wilson Trail.

Devil’s Peak is a quick but steep climb up 220 metres of stairs. At the top are remnants of the impressive fortifications constructed by the British towards the end of the 19th century. Sometimes these are described – incorrectly – as having been built to defend Hong Kong from the Japanese. They have more to do with the Russian scare of the late 19th century, and British anxiety about the security of its empire in the face of competing European powers. However, fierce fighting took place here during WWII between the Japanese invaders and the courageous Rajput Battalion defending the position. Their brave but doomed efforts have been commemorated by rock climbers, who have established routes on the impressive slabs below the peak with haunting names such as Not the Slightest Chance, To Hell and Back and Rajputs Remembered.

Continue along the Wilson Trail, and you will find it full of surprises.

The size and location of the Chinese Permanent Cemetery surely make it one of the world’s great necropolises. Climb up Black Hill, which is

talk of the devil steep, rocky and scrubby, and descend towards the advancing army of tower blocks. Then as you wind through attractive vegetation towards Clearwater Bay, you must pass a gauntlet of brightly coloured and somewhat bizarre sculptures. It is said of the Wilson Trail that it displays Hong Kong’s contrasts more vividly than any other. That’s certainly true for Stage 3.

Jackie Peers is a director of Walk Hong Kong, a unique company offering guided hikes to areas such as Tai Po Kau. She also runs photography courses in the Sai Kung area.

Details at www.walkhongkong.com.

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travel

Freewheeling Taiwan Tom Hilditch and Jay Forster cycle through the Republic of China.

Sometimes holidays with sunsets and loungers don’t cut it. To really relax you need grit. Road grit. The kind that gets in your tyres.

With just a week and an urgent need to detach from Hong Kong, we jump on a plane with a couple of bikes and a mission to cycle 700 kilometres from the top of Taiwan to the bottom.

The trip is not planned. A week ago, we were having a beer and a moan about Hong Kong life and now, somehow, we are assembling bikes in a hotel room in Taipei. It is a wonderful, messy and – let’s

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be honest – manly process, full of “who knews” and renewed wonder for industrial design. At first it seems hopeless; mysterious metal shapes spread across the swirling hotel carpet. But soon two bikes emerge from the wreckage.

It is the start of a transformation that will – a week and 700 kilometres later – see us become road swans. But now, we clatter out of our hotel rooms as ugly ducklings. Awkward in Lycra, panniers stuffed with too many weight-saving devices, unused to being on bikes. Wobbly.

Taiwan, fortunately, is a great place for cyclists. Taipei, the capital, is threaded with cycle tracks. Cyclists are everywhere.

Every time we stand around scratching our heads and peering at the scrap of paper that passes for a map, a local cyclist screeches to a halt and points us north or – if the route is tricky and they have a bit of free time – gives us a guided tour. We meet lots of nice people this way. And as the sun sets on day one we arrive at the coast.

Day two, ouch! Jelly legs. It’s time to reassess the gravity of our

luggage. Over the next few days, the issue of weight will go from big deal to obsession and, finally, philosophy. Less is more.

And it instantly frees us. There can be no more shopping. No more impulse buys. Everything we carry will be raked over each morning.

Only essentials survive.

We begin the long journey south. Navigation – keep the ocean on the left. The wind is with us and the road is beautiful. Highway Two, which will take us along the very edge of the remote western coast, rises and falls gently along a spectacular shore.

We speed swiftly through one-horse towns. Whoosh... didn’t catch the name. We zoom silently past little pastoral scenes of the starting day, getting waves from surprised grandmas-in-pyjamas as they throw breakfast to chickens or clean their teeth outside. We steal up on farmers taking a morning pee in the hedgerows. Hello!

By 8am, we have cycled 30 kilometres without even trying. We stop at a crossroads in a market town to see what we can forage for breakfast. The light is still slanted low and rich with shadows. And the food, as traders start to unpack their stalls and fire up their woks...

Oh my God, the food.

Suddenly, this little crossroads in the middle of nowhere becomes a culinary festival with each stall providing one speciality. We zip about building a buffet of soups, steamed buns, noodles,

saddle up xiao long bao, vegetables and fruit. Everything is fresh, tasty and prepared by masters and Taiwanese people are great hosts.

Throughout days three, four and five, things start falling into place. We evolve. Trivial comforts such as dry shoes, clean socks or pleated trousers hold little value.

The iPhone remains switched to “airplane mode”, the playlist gets tight. Stuff is jettisoned. The handlebar bag gets organized. We start to trust our bikes and not care about the weather. We love and then reject 7-Eleven with its swag of toxic brain-fuzz. Just bananas from here on. A bit more balance.

A bit more strength.

And we are getting fit. Cycling does that.Your belt goes in a notch, then another.

Day five takes us into the wilds of the southwest. We spend all morning pedalling slowly up a mountain, into the clouds. Then

Fly with a bike

safasfa

45 minutes coming down the other side. We zoom into the belly of the mountain through deep, dark tunnels, then burst out into the bright sunlight. Spectacular views of the ocean below. The speedo touches 63 km/h. Hands tighten, knuckles whiten, remember to breathe.

There is something satisfying and elemental about travelling on a bike. It’s a great way to spend a week.

Flying back to Hong Kong, we happen to see a map of the world in the back of the inflight magazine.

And there is the island of Taiwan, and there’s our journey.

1. Airlines accept boxed bikes as check-in baggage as long as it weighs less than 20kg.

Sun Ping Bicycles will box bikes at 21A Tak Lung Back Street, Sai Kung, 2792 3116.

2. Bike boxes fit perfectly in the back of Hong Kong cabs and Taiwan cabs.

3. Taipei is full of bicycle shops and it is also the home of Giant Bicycles, which sells bikes for about half the cost of one in Hong Kong.

4. Webjet online travel agency offers flights to Taipei from $970. For details, email onlinetravel@webjet.com.hk.

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 45

pets

hiss....

Snakes in the grass Dr Carmel Taylor meets Monty, her not-so-friendly neighbourhood python.

Calmly sunning himself on the road near our village the other day I spotted “Monty”, the six-metre python that may have been responsible for the attempted abduction of at least three dogs in the vicinity since 2006.

Hailing from Ireland, where St Pat was an awesome exterminator (although there are some who claim the snakes fled to avoid being trampled by chorus lines of comely maidens dancing in noisy shoes...), my experience with slithering creatures is limited. But I try not to become too hiss-terical when our paths cross.

Snake encounters are not unusual at this time of year in rural areas, but rarely have serious consequences. Of the 50-plus recognized species of native snakes, less than half are venomous, with only half a dozen species capable of inflicting fatal bites. The vast majority are nocturnal, further reducing your chances of meeting one. Most have poor eyesight and cannot hear your bloodcurdling screams as their ears can only detect ground vibrations. Also, most snakes are very shy, slithering away quickly, but if you catch more than a glimpse, common sense should prevail.

• Do not attempt to move a snake on your premises.

Instead, call your local police station (Sai Kung, tel: 3661 1630), which will arrange for a local “snake whisperer” to remove it.

• Keep your dog on a lead when you are walking to avoid

provocation. Many snakes do not evenomate fully on the first bite, but dogs who counterattack often receive multiple bites, and potentially more venom.

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• If your dog is bitten, your vet may need to identify the species. Try to

remember the size and colour of the snake, and remember that most of us are armed with communication devices that also take photographs. Do not attempt to kill the snake for ID purposes.

•

Try to keep your bitten dog as quiet as possible.

Do not try to suck the wound or open it with a knife.

Tourniquets are also inadvisable. Some experts recommend bandaging the affected area, but in Hong Kong, about 80 per cent of bites are attributed to the venomous bamboo viper, where compression may be more damaging than beneficial. Also most dogs get bitten on the face, which is not easily bandaged.

• Call for transport to the nearest available vet clinic, and call ahead to let the vet know you are on your way.

• Pythons are quite another beast. What they lack in the venom department they more than make up for with a special infrared sensor that allows them to sense prey, which they lock in their powerful jaws and squeeze to death.

Scary? Yes. But this critically endangered indigenous species has as much right to reside in rural areas as any member of the Kuk. So I won’t be reporting Monty to AFCD, which will transport him across the border to become snake bisque and handbags. However, it’s advisable to keep your dog on a lead so it doesn't become a serpent snack.

Dr Carmel Taylor MVB MRCVS DipAiCVD is a veterinary dermatologist and consults at many different clinics around the territory. For appointments please call 9251 9588 or visit www.cutaneous.com.hk

gardening

ugly bug ball

Flying visit Jane Ram learns to value moths.

When I thought about them at all, I tended to dismiss moths as the ugly sisters of butterflies.

However, that all changed after a “moth night” with lepidopterist Dr Roger Kendrick. His enthusiasm and erudition opened my eyes to the rich range of moth colour, markings, size and form. One late afternoon, Kendrick set up three light traps in varied locations around a friend’s garden. We had a leisurely, informal dinner, punctuated by inspections of the “catch” at each trap. The evening’s total was about 2,000 moths of more than 100 species, which I thought was impressive until Roger said that an autumn moth-catching night could net almost 500 species.

Hong Kong has about 250 butterfly species, but 4,500 moth species. Evidently we should pay more attention to our moths as, according to Kendrick, they may be more important pollinators than bees: mangoes, papayas and many other food crops depend on them.

Butterflies and moths share similar tastes.

If you would like to attract more of them to your garden Roger recommends such easily

grown favourites as duranta, all types of clerodendrum, pentas, plumbago (but keep it out of reach of small children as it is poisonous), Ligustrum sinense (Chinese privet) and citrus, especially types with large flowers and those that bloom throughout the year. All moths and butterflies love lantana, but keep it under control as it is a rampant grower. White flowers show up well after dark and if they are scented they will draw moths like magnets.

I was away for five days in early May and was astounded at the fast garden growth during my absence: several different hoyas are flowering profusely and the chillies have emerged from their semi-dormant winter state and are developing good fruit.

This is proving an exceptional year for kohlerias. Unlike frailer members of this family (including African violets and achimenes) they do well outdoors, enjoy rain and don’t mind our

winters. Given minimal care, they bloom almost year round. Occasional high-potassium fertiliser keeps them flowering although they need to be pinched back from time to time to prevent them becoming “leggy”. Use the prunings to start new plants. In high summer, when you can almost hear them growing, kohlerias appreciate copious amounts of water, but ensure the potting mixture drains freely.

Two faithful but unnamed varieties – one fire-engine red, the other a plummy pink – are blooming generously and within the next couple of months I look forward to similar success with some new hybrids I am trying for the first time.

June garden tasks 1. Stop fertilising your herbs until autumn.

Try to shelter them from heavy rain, but don’t be too upset if they rot away during the summer. Most are Mediterranean natives and they struggle in our high humidity.

2. This is the season for pests of all kinds.

Watch out for the fast-jumping white nymphs of ricanid planthopper (Ricania sp.). I keep a spray bottle loaded with neem oil solution to despatch them before they suck the life out of leaves of all kinds.

Planthoppers and hoya. Top: Atlas moth.

Jane Ram is a professional writer with a passion for plants. She has been gardening in Hong Kong for over 30 years and is still learning. Please contact her with comments and queries, and for details of plant-based excursions and events, at janetaipeng@gmail.com

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 47

marketplace To advertise, email: ads@saikung.com

STRESSED BY YOUR PET?!!!

PET BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS? Hong Kong’s first and only Behavioural Veterinary Practice can help resolve aggression, fear, anxiety, separation related problems, compulsive disorders, inappropriate toileting, noise phobias etc.

Not all behavioural problems are simply training issues.

Dr. Cynthia Smillie BVM&S PG Dip CABC MRCVS

Tel: 9618 2475 cynthia@petbehaviourhk.com

www.petbehaviourhk.com

Your guide to shops and services BOOKS The Reading Room (Sai Kung) 9199-5900 seasidereadingroom@gmail.com BUILDERS Yuki International Contractors 9884-5824 BANK National Australia Bank 2826-8163 mybank@nabasia.com www.nabasia.com CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES Little Hands Workshop 5431-3122 info@littlehands.com.hk www.littlehands.com.hk Carpet Brooks Thompson Ltd 2851-3665 iqbalhk@netvigator.com Phoenix Carpet Care Ltd 2328-2287/ 9517-5436 phoenixcarpet@netvigator.com COWS Sai Kung Buffalo Watch 9781-4703 DESIGN Sai Kung Magazine, Magazines and Brochures 9811-9526 tom@saikung.com DINING Hebe One O One 2335-5515 info@101.com.hk www.hebe101.com

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Ohh La La Restaurant 2984-8710 booking@oohlala-hk.com www.treasureislandhk.com EMERGENCY Ambulance Centre 2735-3355 Marine Rescue 2803-6267 ESTATE AGENTS The Property Shop 2719-3977 info@thepropertyshop.com.hk www.thepropertyshop.com.hk EMERGENCY Ambulance Centre 2735-3355 Marine Rescue 2803-6267 ESTATE AGENTS The Property Shop 2719-3977 info@thepropertyshop.com.hk www.thepropertyshop.com.hk FOOD & WINE Wine Store Info@winestore.com.hk www.winestore.com.hk Pacific Rich Resources Group 2316-7290 office1@pacificrichresources.com www.pacificrichresources.com GARDENS & LANDSCAPE Leisure Turf and Landscape Limited 2579-0323 / 9487-4710 LTL@netvigator.com www.leisureturf.asia HANDYMAN Indo Handyman 2578-1865 sales@indohandyman.hk Marco Electrician & Plumber 6190-8051 HEALTH & BEAUTY Cambridge Weight Plan Hong Kong 9618-1777 / 9045-5942 www.cambridgeweightplan.hk Curves 2234-9800 www.curveshongkong.com Lai Hing Lok Foot Massage 6690-3658 rebecachan@yahoo.com www.ablemassage.com

ads@saikung.com

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 49

Sabai Day Spa 2791-2259 sabaidspa@sabaidayspa.com www.sabaidayspa.com Sense of Touch 2791-2278 ask@senseoftouchhk.com www.senseoftouch.com.hk Somatic Pilates with Mira 9102-4975 mira.juntunen@gmail.com www.miranpilates.com Tala’s Health and Beauty Centre 2335-1694 info@talashairandbeautycentre.com www.talashairandbeautycentre.com Weight Watchers 2813-0814 tpaulsen@weightwatchers.com.hk www.weightwatchers.com.hk HIKES Walk Hong Kong 9187-8641 walks@walkhongkong.com www.walkhongkong.com HOME FURNISHINGS Chez Uno 2791-9662/ 2723 8990 www.chezuno.com Everything Under The Sun 2554-9088 info@everythingunderthesun.com.hk www.everythingunderthesun.com.hk Life's A Breeze 2572-4000 info@lifesabreezehk.com www.lifesabreezehk.com Taipo Home Centre tphc01@yahoo.com.hk www.tphc.com.hk HOME MONITORING AFSCO / Security Electrified Fence 2880-0512 afscohk@gmail.com www.sprintlocks.com HOUSE PAINTING Marco 6190-8051 marco_yenug000@hotmail.com INSURANCE Kwiksure Insurance 3113-1331 sophie.parkington@kwiksure.com www.kwiksure.com INTERIOR DESIGN Box Design 2573-3323 info@boxdesign.com.hk www.boxdesign.com.hk

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bird at my window

aka Apus nipalensis

Oriental magpie robin Copsychus saularis

The magpie robin is a common resident in Hong Kong and can be found in a wide variety of habitats connected to man, from rural villages to small parks in the heart of the urban area. It can also be found in mangroves at Mai Po, which perhaps indicates this was its ancestral habitat in the region before man came on the scene.

Its distinctive glossy black and white appearance (grey and white in the case of females and immature birds) makes it easy to identify.

Magpie robins breed from February to August, and are strongly territorial during this period. The male declares his territory by singing from a conspicuous perch, often beginning well before dawn. The song is loud and melodious, and can be surprisingly varied. It has two main purposes: to attract a female and to deter rival males from intruding. If a male from an adjoining territory crosses the invisible boundary, it may be driven away belligerently.

The nest is an untidy pad of grass and fibres constructed in any suitable hole, either man-made or natural, including nest boxes. The female lays two to five eggs, and broods them for 12-13 days before they hatch. The same pair may raise three different broods in a single season.

David Diskin is the author of Hong Kong Nature Walks: The New Territories.

Visit www.hknaturewalks.com or www. accipiterpress.com for more information.

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 51

JCAW Consultants 2524-9988 jcawltd@biznetvigator.com Studio Annetta 9849-1216 suzy@studioannetta.com www.studioannetta.com THE XSS Limited 2739-8893 enquiry@thexss.com www.thexss.com MOVERS Writers Relocasia 2976-9969 writer.hongkong@writerrelocasia.com www.relocasia.com Crown Relocations 2636-8388 hongkong@crownrelo.com www.crownworldwide.com Expert-Transport & Relocations Warehouse 2566-4799 www.expertmover.hk Warehouse Removals-Local & International Moving service 9125-2611 warehouse_removals@hotmail.com PEST CONTROL Biocycle 3575 2575 info@biocycle.hk www.biocycle.com.hk Christian Environmental Health 2370-9236 a-s-a-p@ceh.com.hk www.ceh.com.hk

Photography Courses

Hong Kong Ships' Fumigation Co., Ltd. 2891-2730 / 2891-9907 info@hkshipsfumigation.com PETS & VETS Animal Behaviour Vet Practice 9618-2475 cynthia@petbehaviourhk.com www.petbehaviourhk.com b dog Tokyo(Grooming, spa, hotel) 2791-6555 b-dog@hotmail.co.jp www.facebook.com/bdog.tokyo Best Friends Veterinary Hospital 2792-8555 Dr Carmel Taylor MVB MRCVS DipAiCVD 2549-2330 www.cutaneous.com.hk Ferndale Kennel 2792-4642 boarding@ferndalekennels.com www.ferndalekennels.com Pets Central Sai Kung Hospital 2792-0833 info@pets-central.com www.pets-central.com

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Spend a day on location with Jackie Peers & your camera from bustling market place to the tranquillity of an abandoned village.

Groups are small, and customised to meet each person’s needs.

You can join a group, arrange your own small group or choose a private tour for one.

Prices are available for each.

Contact jackie@jackiepeers.com www.jackiepeers.com mobile 9121 1470

Vet2Pet 6999-1003 vet2pet@yahoo.com www.vet2pet.com.hk PHOTOGRAPHY White Box Photography Limited 28343200 admin@whitebox.hk whitebox.hk Graham Uden Photography 9195-7732 uden@netvigator.com grahamuden.com Jackie Peers 9121-1470 jackie@jackiepeers.com www.jackiepeers.com GALLERY Sai Kung Gallery 2792-3939 saikung.gallery@gmail.com www.saikunggallery.com PRE-SCHOOLS Leapfrog Kindergarten and Playgroup 2791-1540 admin@leapfrogkindergarten.org www.leapfrogkindergarten.org New Song Christian Kindergarten (Sai Kung) 2791-2472 newsong@netvigator.com www.newsonghk.com SKIP (Sai Kung Pre-school) 2791-7354 skip@skip.edu.hk www.skip.edu.hk Sunshine House International Pre-schools (Clearwater Bay) 23581-3803 www.sunshinehouse.com.hk Woodland Group 2813-0290 saikung@woodlandschools.com www.woodlandschools.com

Sai Kung readers love to shop Advertise Here and reach

30,000+

upscale readers

SPORTS Hong Kong International Tennis Academy 9048-2810 lea.lai@hkita.com www.hkita.com Toys Tickitey Boo / Online store info@tickitey-boo.com www.tickitey-boo.com Hong Kong Toy Club 8216-3870 support@HongKongToyClub.com www.HongKongToyClub.com

ads@fastmedia.com.hk ads@saikung.com

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 53

Five day camp with an open session every week

Centres in CWB and Sai Kung

Children’s specialists; discounts on selected books; gift vouchers

Improve writing, speaking and reading in a fun-filled learning environment 21 Hoi Pong Street, Sai Kung www.thereadingroom.com.hk

The low-cost solution to high-cost crime Your house is worth millions. Your family is priceless.

Install an unobtrusive AFSCO electric fence – the ultimate in perimeter protection.

Defend… Deter… Deny… Detect Phone: 2880 0512

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Email: afscohk@sprintlocks.com

www.sprintlocks.com

TRAVEL Webjet HK Onlinetravel@webjet.com.hk www.webjet.com.hk TUITION Antsmart Learning Centre / Playgroup, Math 2335-1261 tangfrancis@hotmail.com www.playgroup.com.hk Craft Box 9014-3262 Simone@craftbox.asia www.craftbox.asia Jumpstart Mandarin Learning Centre 2791-4838 jumpstart@netvigator.com www.jumpstartmlc.com La Petite France 3403-9887 info@lapetitefrance.com.hk www.lapetitefrance.com.hk Russian Ballet School 9505-9305 Alpieval@gmail.com www.russianballetschool-hk.com Sai Kung Tutors 6907-2514 info@saikungtutors.com www.saikungtutors.com Spanish Teacher-Ilsabeth Hidalgo 9043-5105 ilsabeth@hotmail.com Vianne's Music Wonderland Private Piano Course 6014-9389 mschanpiano@yahoo.com www.mymusicwonderland.com YewChung Arts & Language Centre 2337-0369 info@yalc.edu.hk www.yalc.edu.hk ITS Global Education Limited 2116-3916 global@tuition.edu.hk www.tuition.com.hk/world True Communication; Speech, Language & Literacy Services 6449-7347 truecommunicationslt@gmail.com WORSHIP Resurrection Church 2358-3232 www.resurrection.org.hk

To list your business in our new directory, or to guarantee a listing every month, please email ads@saikung.com

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 55

LOCAL Property CLAIRE YEOMAN 1400 Sq ft. Duplex with stunning sea views available for rent. 1st and 2nd floors plus roof. Excellent Western style renovation with open plan living area. 3 bedrooms with built-in wardrobes. 2 bathrooms. Car parking. Convenient for public transport.

Tsam Chuk Wan, Sai Kung HK$37k/m (neg.) Contact Claire 9735 7090 or email claire.mahoose@gmail.com

Luxury Beach Villa in Cebu Island Philippines for rent.(Fully Staffed) 4 double rooms all with bath. 3 direct flights per day from HK. We have a Private chef, New 50ft sailing yacht, 2speedboats, Hobie Cat and more... www.cebubeach.net or contact owner +852 91625321

STUNNING SEA VIEWS HK$90 K Open-plan Minimal Style Living.

Recently Renovated, 4 Bed House with Huge Garden. Light & Airy.

Quiet Location off the Beaten Track but only 15 mins to MTR www.thepropertyshop.com.hk 27193977 C-027656

NEED A HOLIDAY?PHUKET VILLA FOR RENT! Luxury 5 beds villa with swimming pool located in Surin area. Walking distance to beaches.

Reasonable rates! Website: www.phuketvilla4rent.com Email the owner: info@phuketvilla4rent.com

SILVERSTRAND GARDEN HSE HK$65K Attractively Renovated Family Home.

3 Double Bedrooms & Study, Fully Fitted & Equipped Kitchen, Living/ Dining Room, Separate Family Room, 2 c/p. Just a stroll to shops, beach, MTR& public transport www.thepropertyshop.com.hk 27193977 C-027656

Tuition & Courses Jesse Taekwondo & Hapkido Korea Kukkiwon Black-belt 5th Dan International Instructor.

Provide One-on-One personal training, Group training & Family classes. http://www.supra.com.hk/jessetkd Master Chow 9467-7787

Maple Leaf Tennis Singapore has arrived. Children’s, Mini-tennis & advanced adult lessons in Sai Kung. Certified Canadian female tennis pro teaches in English or French 5321-3663 mapleleaftennis@hotmail.com mschanpiano@yahoo.com

Gearing up for summer! Plus Sat work! We need experienced English Native Teachers & bona fide writers for our MOS language centre.

Resume to: info@englishcastle.edu.hk or call 26313661

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Overseas Property

PRIVATE VOICE LESSONS IN SAI KUNG Conservatory-trained professional Soprano, recently relocated to Hong Kong offers lessons to students 12 years old and up.

All experience levels welcome. angela.hodgins@gmail.com 6295 6266

English Tutoring Native English Speaker, Post Graduate Degree Holder, Qualified Teacher offering English lessons for Primary Students in Sai Kung area. Please email saikungenglishtutor@yahoo.com

MUSIC TUITION AT HOMES. Individual lessons for Piano Repertoire / Music Theory / Piano accompaniment and Aural practice for other instruments' exams/competitions. English/Chinese instruction. Holder of LTCL with Distinction of Trinity College London.

Years of teaching experience. Member of professional charity choir. Please call 9336 8059 for details.

PHUKET LUXURY FAMILY APARTMENT. Club Lersuang apartment. Sleeps 5. Great value. Master bedroom, 2nd bedroom (3 single beds), self-contained, fully fitted kitchen, pool, gym, restaurant. Visit www.tripadvisor.com and search “Club Lersuang” to see amazing reviews.

E-mail: paul_stocker88@hotmail.com

My Music Wonderland Piano VIANNE'S MUSIC WONDERLAND PRIVATE PIANO COURSE @ YOUR HOME ﹣ www.mymusicwonderland.com - Experienced tutor accept students aged 3 and over. Student Annual Recital/ Practical Examination/ Competition/ Theory/ Accompaniment/ T:6014 - 9389 for Trial lesson/ mschanpiano@yahoo.com

Health & Well Being YOGA with YoYo Asana, Pranayam, Meditation Small size classes within 8 persons location: Sai Kung Town Center, Man Nin St email: info@yoyoyoga.net tel: 9302 3931 website: www.yoyoyoga.net

Qualified & experience yoga teacher available to give private lesson at home .

E-mail lucktri@gmail.com Phone 91526088.

No need to go to Central....

Cambridge Weight Plan is in Sai Kung and CWB. We help you create an easyto-manage daily diet plan and provide motivation and support every step of the way. Call our friendly local consultants today! Alison Barnes 9618 1777 Jean Hudson 9045 5942 www.cambridgeweightplan.hk

Massage @ Home, Hotel Body massage, Chinese Tui Na, Swedish Massage, lymphatic drainage & aromatherapy massage. Our therapists offers mobile (outcall, housecall) service $700/2hrs (text in Chinese Address & speak in Chinese 66903658 www.ablemassage.com

Aussie/US educated Personal Trainer with private studio.

Specializing in injury recovery/prevention and improving athletic performance.

REAL Experience REAL qualifications, REAL results.

Nicks-pt.com or call Nick 9446 9056

Services ShenZhen DayTrip Shopping HK 2,000. with 7-Seaters Lighting Mall Furniture Mall Art village Homedecoration , Carpet and Rugs. Franki (90362128) happyday2128@netvigator.com

GERMAN HANDYMAN. If you are looking for: curtain, picture, mirror and shelf hanging, assembling and disassembling of furniture, wall painting, wall repair and patch, floor covering, tiling (floor&wall), bathroom & kitchen repair and much more... just give me a call! Mobile: 61411766 germanhandyman@ymail.com

PHOENIX CARPET CARE LTD for 20 years Hong Kong’s premier cleaner of carpets & upholstery. Phoenix ensure true quality workmanship at reasonable cost. Hand cleaning of Oriental rugs.

Steam extraction of fitted carpets.

Upholstery cleaning. Scotchgard Protection. Call 2328 2287 or 9517 5436 for free quote/inspection.

Need Storage?

From a box to whole House Low Cost Storage Humid Control Start from as low as HK$500per month Collect & Delivery Call Today : 2578 1865 www.expertmover.hk NEED TO MOVE? Call Warehouse Removals for a free quotation. We have over 15 years of moving experience with English-speaking staff. No job too small.

Local / International / Office / Disposal.

Call 2789 2205 / 91252611 or email warehouse_removals@hotmail.com FOR FULL HOME RENOVATIONS Painting, Plumbing, Carpentry, Floor tiling, Electrical work, Ceiling repair; call Yuki International Contractors & Engineers for free quotation.

Our staff are fluent English, Cantonese & Japanese. Tel: 9884 5824 DUSTMITES Byebye! Baby Sleepingzzzzz without allergy, asthma, sinusitis. Professional Mattress Cleaning Promotion $349 One Double Size + NOW FREE a Single. Satisfaction Guarantee Call IMMEDIATELY 60988181, MAXiClean2012@yahoo.com.hk

COMPUTER SERVICES Microtechhk.com provides onsite support to day-to-day computer (MAC/WINDOWS) usage since 1992, Call us for any Hardware/ software, Internet problems, Virus Removal, Wifi setup, Data recovery Reasonable Price 24/7 hotline : 23976418

Life Coaching / Psychologische Lebensberatung ...hilft Ihnen, bisherige Denk- und Verhaltensmuster zu erkennen und zu verändern. Es schafft eine Basis, belastenden Lebenssituationen neu zu begegnen und hilft Ihnen, das zu tun, was Ihnen wirklich entspricht.

In den Beratungssitzungen erfahren Sie die Hintergründe Ihres bisherigen Handelns und welche alternativen Verhaltensweisen zukünftig für Sie möglich und sinnvoll sind. Dadurch erarbeiten Sie sich ein Repertoire, mit dem Sie aktuelle oder zukünftige Krisen und Probleme leichter bewältigen können.

Franziska von Kleist: 96625265, fvkleist@trendpearls.com

Home Deliveries Award winning wines from Australia and New Zealand, highest quality, lowest prices directly from the winery to your door! Visit us at www.winestore. com.hk or email justin@winestore. com.hk.

Travels Need a car in Europe ? Peugeot Open Europe offers the best package: -brand new cars -unlimited mileage -full cover insurance -roadside assistance service contact : fm@netvigator.com www.eurocardrives.com

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

call

2776 2772 German Kids in Sai Kung Provide your children and toddlers with German language activities for their age, contact our Sai Kung German parents community for playgroups, lessons, and more. Contact: Uli, u.gast@egdshk.org

Enthusiastic tennis players of all abilities sort!

Mondays and Wednesdays 9-10 at Sai Kung courts-near the swimming pool.

Keep fit and meet new people at the same time. Just turn up and have fun!

Korean Hapkido and Taekwondo Demonstration Self-Defence, High Level Kicking, Wood Breaking, Poomsae Performance, etc...

Free entrance and open to public.

Welcome for your participation.

The Sai Kung Jockey Club Town Hall 8 Chan Man Street, Sai Kung.

2nd July 2012 (Monday) 12:30-14:00 www.supra.com.hk/jessetkd/news.html Master Chow 9467-7787 NEW SONG CHRISTIAN KINDERGARTEN Sai Kung T: 2791 2472 F: 2791 2477 Email: newsong@netvigator.com Website: www.newsonghk.com VOLUNTARY POSITIONS NEEDED Sai Kung Stray Friends *Kennel Carer - 1 or 2 days per week *Weekend Sai Kung Homing Team *Fundraising Director *Website director *Daily Meals on Wheels delivery roster *Rescue & Desexing Join us in our local community initiative to help our beautiful animals.

Email: saikungstrayfriendshk@gmail.com Call Narelle: 9199.2340 (English) Jessie: 9097.4591 (Chinese)

Charities / Community People Bereaved by Suicide (PBS) An English-speaking support group meets first Wednesday each month, 8pm, at the Mariners’ Club, TST. Free, confidential. Further information, tel 28960000 or check www.Samaritans.org.hk

DONATE OLD BABY CLOTHES, toys and equipment to mothers in need. Small toys, wraps, bottles and teething toys are desperately needed

by Pathfinders, a charity for that helps migrant mothers find a safe and legal home. Call Kylie: 9460 1450 or Luna (Chinese speaking): 5135 3015.

DONATE CLOTHES, SHOES, BOOKS, toys and electrical appliances in good condition. Rv ach out to help the poor and disadvantaged men, women and children in our communities. All profits help the needy in Hong Kong and mainland China. Collection hotline: 2716 8778.

Donation hotline: 2716 8862.

Website: www.christian-action.org.hk Blog: http://siewmei.cahk.org Email: ca@christian-action.org.hk

ADOPTION CENTRE Sai Kung Lifestyle Park for Dogs Come and visit our facility at No. 151 Tai Lam Wu,Sai Kung.

We encourage adoption by taking time to build a relationship.

We want our dogs to go to good homes. 7 Days per week.

Call 2335 1128 or Narelle 9199 2340 (SKSF)

Domestic help Seek fulltime job, with the experience in western and chinese family withe 7 yrs in hongkong my former employer is living hongkong if you are interested you can call me in my no#94406877,thanks.

Experienced Cantonese-speaking and Mandarin-speaking nanny .

Good moral character and childcare knowledge . Qualified teaching background . Available to start in September . Please call 6181 3365 or email : eviefan@hellokitty.com

Employment Alison Holloway A Big Brother/Sister /Auntie/Uncle required by energetic 6 year old with autism, to help develop play skills.

Two hours after school twice a week and some Saturday afternoons.

Ho Chung area. Please call 94232910.

Craft Teachers We are looking for people to teach crafts at schools around Hong Kong. This is a part time role. Please email us info@craftbox.asia for more information

Email classifieds@saikung.com for classifieds booking or call 2776 2772 WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 57

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Last orders Vorsprung durch technik

Recent Government statistics suggest only five per cent of Hong Kong households own a car. Most of these vehicles can be seen daily at one of several major traffic bottlenecks, jostling for road position like bald men fighting over a comb. Such levels of congestion create obvious frustrations, not least for pregnant mainland Chinese women who find it increasingly difficult to get to their hospitals of choice in time. Then there are the pizzas that succumb to the cooling laws of thermodynamics on the back of idling delivery motorcycles.

Several factors contribute to the escalating gridlock, such as the reluctance of drivers involved in minor collisions to pull over to the side of the road until police arrive. This behaviour appears to be motivated by a combination of denial, poor etiquette and a deluded belief in the ability of the local constabulary to correctly apportion blame. If the cops seem slow to react that’s because their priority is the manning of roadblocks set up during peak times to apprehend dangerous criminals that keep

rigidly to office hours.

Another problem is the controversial issue of MercedesBenz drivers. Cars designed to cruise six-lane German autobahns at 160km/h are not particularly suited to driving conditions in Hong Kong, but there’s no reason to believe the drivers of such vehicles should be less

cross a unbroken white line in this area eventually you will be sucked into a traffic vortex centred on the perfume counter of Lane Crawford. So it’s no surprise that road rage and reckless driving are increasing, threatening our once relatively placid driving environment.

The recent excitement over the Beijing motor show was

competent than anyone else.

Yet the anecdotal evidence is compelling, leading to the conclusion they are favoured by people with limited road sense determined to cause as much traffic chaos as possible.

Hong Kong’s flawed infrastructure doesn’t help.

Consider the road system around the infamous Causeway Bay Bermuda Triangle. If you never

indicative of China’s obsession with cars as status symbols, but the psychology of this type of car ownership undoubtedly fuels belligerent road use.

Luxury-car drivers insulated in air-conditioned comfort, behind tinted windows, impact bars and air bags, succumb all too easily to vitriol at the slightest manifestation of stress or irritation. It’s strange that

photo competition Submit your shots Here at the Sai Kung Magazine office, we love receiving beautiful pictures of Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay from our readers. Each month we publish our favourite. To enter, simply email your best shots of Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay, along with a brief description, to photo@saikung.com.

Happy snapping!

This month’s winner: Catherine Lumsden "First signs of summer at Lobster Bay, Tai Hang Hau."

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pedestrians never seem to get consumed by pavement rage when all the usual triggers exist on every crowded Central walkway.

The commercial availability of electric cars may yet save us all from unacceptable levels of congestion and aggressive conjecture. Carbon-fibre vehicles resembling overturned wheelie bins with an average speed of 20km/h could finally tame the boy racer, while joy riders may give up altogether in the face of having to continually recharge batteries barely capable of powering a Buzz Lightyear action figure.

Nevada may be leading the way. The US state recently licensed Google to test its prototype driverless car on its roads. This technology could potentially see the end of traffic fatalities, dangerous driving and road rage. It seems perfectly suited to the unique demographic of car ownership in Hong Kong – especially if it can be programmed to wake up at 5:30am every day and give itself a clean. Iain Lafferty

shoot for it