Southside Magazine June 2012

JUNE 2012

PLANNER 4 Happenings in June Annie rolls into town, plus getting artsy in Cyberport.

LETTERS 8 Tell us all about it Why Ocean Park isn’t all that.

NEWS 10 All the gossip Ben’s Bar goes global, plus columbarium woes.

LOCAL 14 Where the art’s at How a school project brought art to the heart of the community.

INTERVIEW 16 Fighting talk Dr Peter Cunich explains why Pok Fu Lam is under pressure.

FEATURE 18 School’s out!

Keeping little fingers busy this summer.

EDUCATION 38 Northern soul The Canadian International School comes up trumps.

FAMILY

EATING 26 Summer living Light and easy in Stanley, plus new café for Wong Chuk Hang.

WINE 28 Filling in the blancs Tim Atkin raises a glass to sauvignon blanc.

PROPERTY 30 Lily white Sneak peak inside Repulse Bay’s big hitter.

LIVING

41 Boarding school rules?

The pros and cons of educating your children overseas.

42 The Stop Tutus and tourists.

HEALTH AND BEAUTY 44 Roll with it Fitness for pram-pushers.

OUTDOORS

34 Diamonds are forever Everything you need for a spiffing Jubilee.

46 Dragon boat racing How to do Tuen Ng.

HIKES 48 Talk of the devil Walk off a seafood lunch by charging up Devil’s Peak.

TRAVEL 50 On yer bike Mountain biking in Taiwan.

PETS 54 Hissing Sid What to do with unwelcome visitors.

GARDENING 56 Ugly bug ball Learning to love moths and other critters.

BACK PAGE 66 My Southside Lucy of Lucy’s reveals her Southside.

"Happiness is a direction, not a place."

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 3

planner

happening in june

Jun 23

Tuen Ng Dragonboat Festival Hear them roar — and maybe watch them sink — at Stanley and Aberdeen.

Ends Jun 24 Annie The little redhead and her hard-knock life hit the stage in this West End production starring Su Pollard, David McAlister and a cast of Hong Kong “orphans”. Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $330-$950 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

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.

Jun 1 Art exhibition

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.

4 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

The Independent Schools Foundation Academy is showcasing work from throughout the school, 5.30-8.30pm, Cyberport.

Jun 1-3 Summertime with Scotty & Lulu Hong Kong’s favourite homegrown clowns are back for 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.

4 June Book launch Meet author and former editor of The South China Morning Post, Jonathan Fenby, as he looks to the future for China. 8-10am, Club Lusitano, 16 Ice House St, Central, $400 with breakfast.

7.30-8.30pm, 15 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, $200. Tickets available from Dymocks, 2865 0421, book lover@ dymocks.com.hk.

Jun 5 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Tug your forelocks, subjects. The day after the Queen’s (official) Birthday is a public holiday in Britain for the Diamond Jubilee, although the coronation was June 2, 1953.

Jun 7-10 Asia Yoga Conference It’s hard to imagine a more harmonious crowd than this. Yoga masters from around the world gather to teach their individual disciplines at all levels. Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, www.asiayogaconference.com

june Jun 9 Chartis Cup English Premiership rugby champions Saracens, led by South Africa’s World Cup-winning captain John Smit, 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 9-10 Be Inspired by Pokfulam – Celebrating Young Artists Southside schools presents their artwork in Cyberport Acrcade. See our Local story (p14).

Jun 12-14 Brightness of Life Veteran French actor Jacques Weber’s oneman show. In French with English subtitles.

Tickets $90-$380 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Jun 14 Benoit “Revert” Ollive Solo Show

Jun 24 Jason Mraz – Tour is a Four-Letter Word

The multi-media artist from France will unveil his latest photography, paintings and in-situ installations at his first ever solo exhibition in Hong Kong. 6pm-10pm, The Space, 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan.

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.

Jun 16 Yoga for the Bears Salute the sun and raise money for moon bears at this yoga event in aid of Animals Asia Foundation. 10am5pm, Ocean View Court, The Arcade, Cyberport.

Details at www.animalsasia.org.

Jun 17 Father’s Day

Jun 24 Robocon

Be nice to dad.

Jun 22-24 International Military Tattoo To celebrate 15 years of the SAR, military brass bands from all around the world gather for a display of martial music. See www.urbtix.hk, or call 2111 5999 for information.

Jun 24 OlymPIC DAY RUN Grab your trainers and run 5.6km at Disneyland for charity. 7.45am, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, www.hkolympic.org for registraton details.

An annual robot contest organized

by RTHK – quirky but fun. 2.30pm5pm, Ocean View Court, The Arcade, Cyberport. Details at www.etvonline.tv.

Jun 30-Jul 2 Living Ideas @ Cyberport – Mega Sale Major discounts from furniture brands such as TREE, Indigo, G.O.D and OVO Studio. 11am-6pm, Ocean View Court, The Arcade, Cyberport.

Got an event? We can publish the details for free. Email editor@southside.hk

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.

6 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Jul 12-22 Saltimbanco

AUG 4 SNOW PATROL LIVE

Aug 25 The Beach Boys

Cirque du Soleil’s whimsical, 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.

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

Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.

Tickets $588-$1,888 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

letters

have your say Thanks, Southside I want to say how appreciative I am that you have created Southside Magazine. Having being born here in Hong Kong, and having grown up and lived most of my life on the Southside, it's wonderful to see all things Southside being promoted.

Pascale Ap Lei Chau

Ocean Park’s captive audience I read the interview with Dr Allan Zeman with great interest. His accomplishment to turn around Ocean Park financially may be impressive, but his comment that Ocean Park is “all about wildlife, nature, education” draws a question mark. Keeping dolphins captive in small pools of water full of chemicals and making them perform tricks has nothing to do with nature or education.

Dolphins and other cetaceans do not belong in captivity but in the oceans where they can swim long distances. They also should not be subject to the violent capture and subsequent transport to an amusement park such as Ocean Park. Anybody who feels like watching a dolphin show should make it a priority to watch the movie “The Cove” to see the slaughter involved in the live trade of dolphins.

I have a one-year-old daughter and, as she grows up, I hope she will understand it is wrong to support Ocean Park. Instead, we'll save the money from entrance fee to go on a whale-watching trip, where she can experience the beauty of the oceans and appreciate how whales and dolphins live naturally.

If Ocean Park is truly financially sound, hopefully it will start considering using this money to really protect wildlife – starting with the return of dolphins to their natural habitat.

Tim Wannenmacher Pok Fu Lam Buses on the bay In response to the letter we received last month concerning air pollution from coaches on Beach Road, Repulse Bay, Southern District councillor Fergus Fung has given the following reply: “The ban on idling engines was introduced in December last year.

However, there is an exemption when there are passengers on the coach, which is why the air pollution is still poor on Beach Road. I have written to the Tourism Commission to ask them to encourage drivers to switch off their engines. I have also asked the Tourism Commission to come up with a long-term solution to the problem of double – and even triple – parked coaches by the beach, such as staggered tour bus visiting times.

“I have also asked the police to step up their enforcement of illegal parking and of the idling engine ban. Police have actively stepped up their measures over the last couple of months.”

Please email your letters to letters@southside.hk.

We may edit for length.

8 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

news No hard knock-backs for Southside Annie hopefuls As blockbuster West End musical “Annie” rolls into town, no less than 14 young actresses from Southside have been selected to play orphans in the smash-hit stage show.

Auditioning against 250 other young hopefuls, the successful Southsiders sang and danced their way into the cast to perform in rotation as Annie’s nine fellow orphans at the New York Municipal Orphanage.

The musical opens at the Lyric Theatre on May 31, with an extended run to June 24.

The successful girls include Christina Seigrist, Hannah Hui-Xin and Eloise Oliver from the Chinese International School; Sabine Hirsch, Jenny Jones and Harriet Adams from Kellett School; Sophie Connell and Evangeline Ng from Kennedy School; Kelsey McLennon from Canadian International School; Maya Duncan from French International School; and Lexine Lee from St Stephen’s College.

New children’s clothing brand

Tattooed seat Indigo has added a striking tattoo chair to its new collection.

“It is a bit different,” said managing director and owner John McLennan. “We did a lot of research in tattoo parlours throughout Hong Kong and ended up using renowned tattoo artist Joey Pang.”

Known for his dragon tattoos, Pang ended up designing both a dragon and a koi fish for the leather and hardwood chairs, which are made in a British-owned factory in Thailand. The tattoo designs are hand-finished using a special painting technique.

10 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Hip London children’s clothing brand Juliet & the Band has launched in Hong Kong, with an online shop and a showroom in Wong Chuk Hang.

Founded by French “mum-trepreneur” Anne-Laure Ferrand, the collection is aimed at children aged two to 14 years.

Ferrand said she was “thrilled” to be back in Hong Kong, where she started clothing line Little Mercerie, and very excited to be bringing Juliet & the Band to Asia.

“My designs are easy to wear with the active child in mind,” she said. The clothes are made in Britain and India, using bestquality Liberty fabric with lots of detailing, such as metallic piping on blouses and elbow patches on sweatshirts. “The collection is a chic, urban look and toughwearing too.”

Juliet & the Band is online at www.julietandtheband.com.hk or by appointment at 11D, Kwai Bo Industrial Building, 40 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, 5416 6260.

in the know

All mapped out

Bel-Air ditches shark fins

From holidays and weekends away to business trips and school camps, Hong Kong residents know how to notch up the air miles.

With the well-travelled in mind, interiors company BLANK has come up with a world map canvas on which you can mark your wanderings with plotting pins.

Map canvases come with 200 plotting pins and cost $2,900 including free delivery throughout Hong Kong. See www. blankbespokeart.com for more info.

Eleven-year-old Bel-Air resident Mia McDonald has successfully had shark’s fin soup removed from the menu at the Cyberport complex.

McDonald, a Hong Kong Academy student, had been learning about the contentious issue of shark finning as part of a school project.

“I was really horrified by the way the fin is cut off while the shark is still alive and then it is thrown back into the ocean to die,” she said.

On returning home, she noticed

shark’s fin soup was on the Bel-Air clubhouse menu.

“I wrote to the management outlining how shark finning is really cruel and why they should take it off their menu.”

To her surprise, Bel-Air immediately wrote back agreeing to remove it from their restaurants.

“I was very impressed,” said mum, Kristine. “We did pop down to check, and sure enough the dish had been crossed off and replaced with another seafood item.”

The secret’s out Once Shek O’s best-kept secret, Ben’s Back Bar is well and truly out of the bag. In a recent article in The Times newspaper in London listing the 50 best bars in the world, the bar was listed under “Best of the Rest”, between Asoka in Cape Town and Black Pearl in Melbourne.

An institution for Shek O locals and those “in the know”, it is described in the article as “a tiny bar on the back beach with cheap beer... and the sound of the ocean – far from the hustle of the city”.

The bar is located on the quiet back beach at 273 Shek O Village. Good for cocktails and a cold beer, there is also an outdoor patio with barbecue space available. Call 2809 2268.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 11

news extra

Local anger over columbarium threat Hackles have been raised around Consort Rise, Pok Fu Lam, following plans to build a 10-storey columbarium with niches for more than 36,000 burial urns.

In Hong Kong, following cremation or burial, the remains of family members are placed in urns and stored in niches within columbaria buildings. Government plans now involve constructing columbaria in every district so the deceased can be stored locally. Unfortunately for Pok Fu Lam, it looks like it will be housing columbaria for the whole Southern District, with two more planned along with the Consort Rise construction.

Local district councillor Paul Zimmerman opposes the plans on two grounds, the first being that the high-rise structure is not in keeping with its low-rise surroundings. There are currently no height restrictions for the Consort Rise cemetery as they were not deemed necessary when it was built in the 1800s. Zimmerman is hoping to have height restrictions introduced, although this will not happen in time to curb the current construction.

The 10-story building will be located near to Consort Rise.

12 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

The second objection both from Zimmerman and the Pok Fu Lam Residents Association (PRA) concerns traffic management. During the twice-yearly grave-sweeping festivals, the area is expected to be flooded with people visiting deceased family members in an area with narrow roads and limited parking. Already there have been complaints from residents that Victoria Road pavements are regularly blocked by construction vehicles, forcing them into the road with strollers and small children. So far, neither the council nor the PRA have been allowed access to the government’s Traffic Impact Assessment.

As one Victoria Gardens resident pointed out at a recent PRA meeting, the columbarium is located near to a fire station: “Let’s hope there’s not an emergency call out during Ching Ming, with 30,000 cars parked up on the local streets.”

With limited land, Hong Kong’s storage of deceased urns has long been a contentious issue. Last year, health secretary York Chow told CNN the government was doing all it could to regularise the supply of columbaria. He said, “At the same time, there are certain areas where we will never be able to accept them, especially in residential areas.”

Columbaria and cemeteries have powerfully negative feng shui and are regarded as dangerous places that link earth, heaven and the underworld. As a consequence, they can have negative influence on property prices in the local area.

“We all appreciate the need for additional niches,” says PRA chairman Dr Peter Cunich.

“But we feel a 10-storey columbarium with 36,900 niches in a low-rise, low-density residential area goes against good planning principles.

Let’s hope there’s not an emergency call out with 30,000 cars parked up on the local streets.

“Apart from being a blot on the landscape, it will increase traffic in an area already subject to a building moratorium because of poor traffic infrastructure.”

At a meeting last month between the Chinese Christian Church (owner of the Consort Rise cemetery), the local council and the PRA, the church made apologies but said for financial reasons the size of the Consort Rise columbarium would not be reduced.

Zimmerman is now urging the Southern District Council to put in place height restrictions on church land in the area.

Hundreds of local residents have signed a petition and the PRA led a protest outside the site last month. The church, architect, local council and the PRA meet again later this month.

MORE INFO To be updated on the state of play, please contact the PRA at cunich@hku.hk to be added to its mailing list.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 13

local Editorial Carolynne Dear carolynne@southside.hk Jane Steer Jane@southside.hk Coco Marett Coco@southside.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 ads@fastmedia.com.hk Accounts Manager Clara Chan accounts@fastmedia.com.hk CEO Tom Hilditch Tom@fastmedia.com.hk Contributors Graham Uden Martin Beale Adele Rosi Dr Carmel Taylor MVB Jackie Peers Iain Lafferty David Diskin Kenward Ng Jane Ram 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 Southside 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.

Southside 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.

14 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

The brains behind the show: (l to r) Emily Pereira, Louise Tupas, Kelci Vittachi, April Cheung and Ginny Harding.

Home is where the art is A major art show by Pok Fu Lam schools started as a West Island School IB project, writes Carolynne Dear.

Students from West Island School have harnessed the artistic talent from several local schools to create an inspiring art exhibition.

The theme for the event is “Be Inspired by Pok Fu Lam” for which West Island IB students contacted schools including Kellett, Kennedy, Caritas and ISF to produce work for the final exhibition.

“It started out as a service project for our IB curriculum,” explained Kelci Vittachi, one of the WIS students to initiate the project. “It just so happened that everyone who signed up for the project were artists, so we decided to do something in this area and settled on an art exhibition.”

And so the Pok Fu Lam Community Project Committee was born.

Vittachi and the committee contacted local councillor Paul Zimmerman for help with contacting local schools. Zimmerman also helped her to find a venue, Cyberport Arcade.

“As we quickly discovered, there is much more to organising an event like this than merely commissioning some pieces of work,” Vittachi said.

“We had to decide how many pieces of art we needed,

which depended on the venue size, how we were going to display it and how we were going to publicise the event, as well as producing a catalogue and organising a reception evening. Paul [Zimmerman] and his office have been really helpful.”

She eventually decided to ask for 20 pieces from each school, which the organising group would collect and mount for display. The artists are of mixed ages, cultures and linguistic backgrounds.

“We got a really positive reaction from the schools,” she said. “We asked the young artists to be inspired by Pok Fu Lam, using any medium.”

At Kellett School, students aged eight to 11 have been working both at home and in the classroom on their pieces.

“It’s a great project,” said Kellett art teacher Katherine Colquhoun. “As the WIS students only wanted 20 pieces, we asked students to volunteer for the project. I’ve been very impressed with the results.”

At the Independent School Foundation Academy in Cyberport, project leaders Chan Chung-man and Chitra Varma are enthusiastic about the exhibition.

“I was really excited by this project and initially

child’s eye view

Some of the Kellett artists taking part in the exhibition with teacher Katherine Colquhoun.

wanted to include every child in the school,” Chan said.

“However, we eventually decided to open it up to all children in Foundation year [five-year-olds], as well as all secondary students taking art as an option.”

The response to the project’s theme has been varied.

Dragons, fish shops, technical drawings of high rises... every child has a unique take on Pok Fu Lam. “This exhibition provides a great opportunity to open up a discussion about the students' view of the world," said ISF's Head of Arts, Felicity Donnoli. "We're thrilled to be part of a student-led initiative that reflects our part of Hong Kong.”

As for Vittachi, she has no artwork planned so far.

“I’m just too busy,” she said. “This project is more timeconsuming than I ever imagined.”

The exhibition will take place on June 9-10, 11am7pm, at The Exhibition Gallery (down the escalators from Starbucks), Level 3, Core C, Cyberport 3, Pok Fu Lam. Admission is free.

Nicolas King, 8, Kellett School “I’ve drawn the fire station in Pok Fu Lam. I was inspired by the bright red doors. It’s really visible, I pass it every day on the school bus. Sometimes you can see the firemen training behind the doors.”

Maia Peacock, 8, Kellett School “From my balcony at home I can see buildings, boats and mountains. I also liked the size of the cemetery, it’s surprisingly big. I think it’s an important part of Pok Fu Lam. I drew in pencil, then used a colour wash before painting in watercolour. I used black ink to outline the details.”

Malin Levin, 8, Kellett School “I’ve drawn the view from the middle of the school playground. I see it every day but I guess not many other people get to see it. I used pencil and then coloured in with oil pastels. I love drawing and painting and am really pleased with it. I love the colours – green is my favourite colour, which is the nice thing about Pok Fu Lam. My favourite thing to do in Pok Fu Lam is walking my dog, Oskar.”

Isabella Abelman and Millie Krantz, 11, Kellett School “As there are lots of feral cats in Hong Kong, we used the iPad to create a neon cat at night. We’ve never done anything like this on the iPad before and thought it might be a bit different.”

Alexandra Paulus, 8, Kellett School “I love both maths and art so I’ve combined the two to create quite a technical pencil drawing of Wah Fu Estate. I chose Wah Fu because it’s very big and is one of the oldest estates in Hong Kong. I took a photo and I’m working from that. I’ve still got a few bits and pieces to finish off.”

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 15

interview Niche appeal Dr Peter Cunich, chairman of the new Pok Fu Lam Residents’ Alliance, explains the group’s role in keeping the area green.

What is the PRA and how did it come about?

The Pokfulam Residents' Alliance was formed to give residents a stronger voice in development issues concerning our neighbourhood. It grew out of the Telegraph Bay Barging Point United Taskforce formed in 2010 to oppose the MTRC's use of Telegraph Bay for the disposal of its tunneling spoils from the South Island Line (East). During that campaign we realised there were a number of pressing environmental issues affecting Pok Ful Lam that required community consultation and action, so the PRA was a natural outgrowth of the earlier campaigning.

Can you tell about the issues facing Pok Fu Lam? We have just responded to the government's land strategy proposals for Pok Fu Lam. These proposals included the reclamation of up to 30 hectares of sea at Sandy Bay for residential development, the construction of a rock cavern at Mount Davis, and a 100-hectare reclamation off north Lamma. Residents were vehemently opposed to these proposals, a message we conveyed to the government through community meetings, letters and signature petitions.

Soon we will be turning to other issues, including marine pollution in the East Lamma Channel, a greening policy for Pok Fu Lam, and the revision of our Outline Zoning Plan. Currently, we’re trying to reduce the size of the columbarium being constructed by the Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union in Victoria Road.

How will the proposed columbarium affect the neighbourhood?

Local residents have lived next door to the

16 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Chinese Christian Cemetery for decades and we all appreciate the need for additional niches for burial urns in Hong Kong. However, we feel a 10-storey columbarium with 36,900 niches in a low-rise, low-density residential area goes against good planning principles.

It represents a 63 per cent increase in burial places in Pokfulam so, apart from being a blot on the landscape, it will increase traffic in an area already subject to a building moratorium because of our poor transport infrastructure.

Moreover, residents are upset that we have not been consulted, even though HKCCCU has been planning it for more than 10 years. As good neighbours, the HKCCCU at least should have informed us of its plans. We have been denied access to the traffic impact assessment

The old and the new in Pok Fu Lam.

reduce the number of niches, which would reduce the traffic impact. We would like a lowrise columbarium like the ones the HKCCCU has already constructed in its cemetery, not the monster columbarium that is planned.

What can concerned residents do?

Residents are writing to the HKCCCU and the government departments involved to indicate we wish to be consulted about this development project. We have been assisted by our district councillor, Paul Zimmerman. We are hoping residents will turn out in force for a community meeting with the HKCCCU in the weeks ahead. for this project and believe its contents should be made public. Anyone who has used the local road network during grave-sweeping festivals should be concerned.

What are you hoping to achieve?

We wish to have the height and bulk of the building reduced so its design is more in keeping with the environment. That would

What’s the latest on the MTR extension to Pok Fu Lam? We have been told there are no plans to construct South Island Line (West) in the near future. Our closest MTR stations will be Kennedy Town and South Horizons, so residents in our part of the Southern District will still be without proper access to the MTR and our roads jammed at peak hours.

fighting talk

What other issues are you passionate about?

Like other residents, I am passionate about seeing our area remain a green oasis as urban development engulfs Kennedy Town and Aberdeen. Pok Fu Lam should be a "green lung" for southwestern Hong Kong Island, a place where everyone can enjoy fresh air and closeness to nature. I am also interested in the history of the area and hope to start a project to record people's stories about it.

Victoria Road so it could go back to being the sleepy thoroughfare it was 20 years ago. I'd turn Mount Davis into a country park and link it to other open spaces in our area so we could have properly integrated recreational spaces.

When you're not involved with the PRA, what do you do?

I teach at the University of Hong Kong and am fairly heavily involved

How do you see Southside evolving?

Hong Kong's centre of gravity seems to be moving northwards

Do you have a favourite local cafe or restaurant?

There aren't many places to eat in Pok Fu Lam, but we like Umami at the Meridien Hotel in Cyberport.

We consider it our local pub.

Summer holidays at...

Maclaren Triumph

colours may vary

$1,659

Lascal M1 Carrier

LeapFrog - LeapPad Explorer

Buds for Baby Organics Sun & Bug Protection Range

Pok Fu Lam should be a 'green lung' for southwestern Hong Kong Island.

from

What brought you to Southside?

I have always lived in the HKU staff quarters at Sandy Bay and would not want to move. We have the best views in Hong Kong and some of the cleanest air.

How do you spend your spare time on Southside?

I like walking in the hills above Pok Fu Lam with my family or going to the cinema at Cyberport. My wife is chairman of the Hong Kong Riding Club, so we also spend a fair amount of time at the Pok Fu Lam stables.

If there was one thing you could change about Southside, what would it be?

I'd stop the heavy vehicle traffic on

to the New Territories, so it would be nice to think Southside could avoid the high-density development that is occurring almost everywhere else. I'd like to see our neighbourhood staying as it is now – a great place to raise children and somewhere for other Hong Kong residents to visit on weekends for the walking, beaches and open spaces. I like Pok Fu Lam as it is, so I don't think it needs to evolve any further.

When does the PRA meet and how can residents get involved?

The PRA meets when a local issue arises, and we have smaller working groups to deal with ongoing issues. Anyone who would like to become involved can contact me at cunich@hku.hk and I will put them on our email list.

$999

Skip Hop Little Kids Zoo Luggage

$379

$129

Phil&Teds Traveller Cot in my job. When I have time off I try to spend it with my family.

pink or green

$899

Pop up Pool

$1,950 Fred’s Swimtrainer Seat

$375 GoPlay Travel Games

$275

from

$75

Pedder Building Store: 5/F Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central. T: 2522 7112 Horizon Plaza Store: 21/F Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau. T: 2552 5000

B2B 12_06 JUN SS.indd 1

www.bumpstobabes.com

21/5/12 12:03 PM

feature

Easy as

AB C

SCHOOL’S OUT! Keep the kids busy with these

summer courses and activities.

18 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

feature

A

is for Art

Crafty kids have loads of art classes to choose from. At Little Picasso Studio in Ap Lei Chau, artist-owner Lindy Moran is running fun, weeklong art classes from July 2 to August 20.

Every week brings a different medium, such as painting, drawing, sculpture and clay, led by professional artists. Courses run Monday to Thursday throughout July and August, with children aged three to five years in the 9.30am11am session, and children over six years from 11.30am-1pm. More details from Lindy on 3521 1046, contact@littlepicasso.hk.

Anastassia’s Art House is channelling fairy tales for its inspiration this summer, using stories from around the world to kick-start the kids’ imaginations. Summer camps are available in Happy Valley (2838 0040) and Repulse Bay (2816 6465). See www.arthousehk.com to download a registration form.

C

is for Camping

Get back to nature at Palm Beach Teepee Village on southern Lantau. The village works in conjunction with the local watersports centre for action-packed breaks. 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.

B

is for Brazilian soccer

Got a budding Ronaldinho on your hands?

Bringing a touch of Rio to Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong’s Brazilian Soccer School will be laying on a seven-week football programme this summer.

Children work on all aspects of their footballing technique to create the “complete” player.

Five-day courses will be held at the Stanley Ho Sports Centre in Sandy Bay, with each week-long camp running Monday to Saturday.

Two programmes on offer include hour-long Socatots classes for children aged 18 months to four years, and three-hour Brazilian Soccer School sessions for children aged five to 13.

Details from coach Paul, paul@bss.com.hk.

D

is for Dance

Shimmy over to the Red Shoe Dance Company (pictured) on Arbuthnot Road, Central. The school will be running two five-day programmes, from July 9-13 and August 1317. Both programmes will expose students to a range of dance styles, including ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, break dance and musical theatre. Sessions run for two hours, with beginners in the morning sessions, and intermediate and advanced students in the afternoons. Details at www. redshoedance.com or call Jacqui Roberts on 9813 0079.

Twinkle Dance is also offering week-long dance camps at Flex Studio in Aberdeen and at its studio in Central. Choose from ballet, funky dance, or jazz.

Contact 6608 6689, info@twinkledance.com, www.twinkledance.com.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 19

feature

E

is for Equestrian

Giddy up to Pok Fu Lam Riding School, which has introductory summer horseriding courses teaching children the basics of riding as well as how to care for and respect the ponies. Visit www. hkjcridingschools.com or call 2550 1359, closed Mondays.

Clearwater Bay Equestrian & Education Centre is running summer riding camps for juniors (aged five to 10 years) and seniors (aged 11-15).

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 Faust’s week-long drama workshops, tailored for specific age groups within 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 (10am12.30pm) and afternoon (2pm-4.30pm) workshops run from June 25 to August 17 at the Faust studio 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.

It has programmes for beginners and for more experienced golfers, aged from three to 18 years. Available from July 4 to August 28, children can enrol for a one week crash course up to the full eight weeks for a whole summer of golf. Details at www.juniorgolf.com.hk.

20 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

H

is for Hanging ten

You don’t have to jet off to Malibu or Bondi to catch a wave. Charge up the octopus cards and send your surf dudes to Treasure Island on Pui O Beach, Lantau, for a week of surfing and ocean-themed fun. The children are met by instructors at the Central Ferry Pier each morning, and dropped back in the evening.

Lunch is included and there are craft activities when they are taking a break from the water.

Available June 25 to August 17, for children aged five to 13 years. Older kids aged 11 to 15 can join the Adventure Explorer Camp, which includes a night camping on Lantau. Details at 2984 8711, surf@treasureislandhk.com.

I

is for Ice skating

Hop on the Macau ferry and take the kids to chillax at Ice World 2012. Hosted by The Venetian Macau Resort Hotel, this frozen exhibit is housed in a massive indoor ice hall kept at a chilling -8°C (don't forget your gloves and socks — summer shoes not recommended!). Icy attractions include famous Asian landmarks, a Fairytale Forest, Magic Maze and Double Dragon Slide. Open daily from noon-8pm until September. Coats are available for hire. See www.venetianmacao. com/iceworld for more details.

J

is for Junks

Relaxed junk trips at the weekend are one thing, but with the kids in tow during the week you might be looking for something with a bit more action. For a boat 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 a white sandy beach and a short jungle hike to a scenic viewing point. There’s also the option to snorkel, stand-up paddle board or leap around on the 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. Details at www.kayak-and-hike.com.

feature

K

O

is for Kayaking

Global Adventure’s Adventure Leader Programme will have teens (16 years+) paddling to independence. After four weeks of kayaking through the waters of Pui O Beach in Lantau and facing challenges in the great outdoors, campers will come home with a new sense of leadership and teamwork. The camp includes hiking, rock climbing, gorging and expedition planning. Session one runs July 2-28, session two runs July 16-August 11. Details at www.globaladventurescn.com, 2546 3543.

L

is for Lego

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 school’s 67ft yacht, the Spirit of Outward Bound Hong Kong.

Hong Kong-based courses run for five or eight days, with accommodation in Sai Kung. Outdoor activities encourage teamwork, leadership skills and confronting challenges. Details at 2791 3228 or www.outwardbound.org.hk.

P

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 on Arbuthnot Road, Central, and Prince Edward, Kowloon, the centres offer a range of week-long day camps for children aged three to eight years.

Themes include World, Adventure, Robotics and Game Maker. The camps involve a two-hour workshop a day. For details, call 2804 6883 (Central), or 2728 8691 (Prince Edward) or visit www.legoeducation.com.hk.

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.

M

is for Mandarin

Check out the YWCA’s Mandarin for Munchkins summer courses. Open to all (members receive a discount), the courses are suitable for children as young as three.

They will enjoy games, music, dancing, story-telling, drama and craft. They’ll be having so much fun they might not even notice they’re learning another language.

Details at esmd@ywca.org.hk.

N

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.

There are Kumon centres in Ap Lei Chau, Aberdeen and Pok Fu Lam. For details, visit www.kumon.edu.hk.

Q

is for Quiet Reading

Blooming Club is on a mission to breed bookworms. Its reading centres are lined with colourful children’s books, creating the perfect environment for reading-related activities and storytimes. Knowledgeable staff are a hit at recommending the perfect read. For a list of centres, visit www.blooming-club.com.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 21

feature

S

is for Survival

Get your kids standing on their own two feet at Surf Hong Kong. It’s a surf, kayak and bushcraft school for all ability levels. Overnight camps for eight- to 16-year-olds run for two, three or five days. The school is located on beautiful Tai Long Wan beach in Sai Kung East Country Park, with accommodation under canvas and all sorts of beach, sea and survival activities. 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.

T R

is for Tennis

Nothing says summer like the soft thwack of a tennis ball against a racquet. Budding Rafa’s have plenty of opportunities to get on a court this summer. Parkview is offering tennis among its numerous summer camps for children as young as two. Call 2812 3945 for details.

Also offering tennis camps are the YMCA (www.esmdywca.org.hk) and the Hong Kong Cricket Club (members and guests only; send head coach Mitch an email at headtennispro@ hkcc.org).

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 yummy French recipes while practising their language skills in either English, French or Mandarin by reading recipes and following instructions. Classes run from July 2 to August 18, Monday to Saturday, 10am-11.30am or 3pm-4.30pm. $2,600 for five classes. Booking required at www.eatmywords.com.hk, 9544 7171.

22 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

feature

V U

is for Under-fives

Sport4kids puts the under-fives through their paces with classes throughout July and August. Mini-soccer, mini-sports and mini-rugby classes are available in locations such as Bel-Air, Parkview, South Horizons, Stanley, Pok Fu Lam and Repulse Bay. Classes for the under-13s are held at Singapore International School and South Horizons. Check www.sport4kids. com.hk for details.

is for Vacation clubs

Keep little hands busy at Woodland Pre-schools’ summer programmes. At locations across Hong Kong, it is holding morning, afternoon or all-day workshops in two-week blocks, exploring themes through painting, clay modelling, cooking, dancing, science experiments, story-telling and dress-up days. Open to children aged 12 months to seven years (including non-Woodland students), it’s a great option for working parents. Venues in Southside include Tai Tam, Repulse Bay, Pok Fu Lam and Aberdeen Harbourside. For details, visit www.woodlandschools.com.

W

is for Wakeboarding

Hold tight and get ready to ride. Xgames Hong Kong’s wakeboarding pros are holding classes for children in Tai Tam Tuk, near Stanley. Classes are $500 for groups of four to six children or $1,200 for private classes. All equipment is included, but bring your own swimsuit, wetsuit, towel and sunscreen. For details, visit www.xgamehk.com.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 23

feature

X

is for X-Factor

Budding entertainers can let rip at Katterwall’s themed summer courses. Children aged five-eight years can join the Olympics course focusing on sports-related songs and national anthems, or opt for the Splish Splash Splosh course exploring tunes from “The Little Mermaid” and other aquathemed anthems. For the big kids, Katterwall’s Youth Music Theatre is all about Broadway song and dance with hits from “Chicago” and “Bye Bye Birdie”. Visit www.katterwall.com.

Y

is for Yachting

Set sail this summer with Aberdeen Boat Club’s Youth Sailing Programme from July 2 to August 17, with extended courses until August 31 for French International School and other schools with longer summer holidays. With courses at all levels, the Youth Sailing Programme is open to members and non-members (for a little extra Cheddar), booking is recommended. More details at 2552 8182, www.abcclubhk.com.

Further afield, Hebe Haven Yacht Club (pictured left) offers week-long water Sports Adventure Weeks as well as registered sailing courses. Call 2719 0926 or email sailadmiin@ hhyc.org.hk for more information.

Z

Zzz

Pull up a sunbed, take a siesta.

24 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

! ’S ION IN NT SS NE JO ARE SE JU P N H R TIO 7T OU A PM RM – 8 FO IN 7PM

SUMMER SCHOOL 2012

Quality Language & Sports Programmes in the Southside this Summer July 3rd – August 13th All day language and sports programmes for children aged 3+ at South Island School Our Full-Day Language & Sports Programme provides students with a well-rounded summer experience and develops a range of skills We also offer: Writing, phonics, drama and Spanish classes Swimming and gymnastics programmes

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR CLASS SCHEDULE AND TO ENROL YOUR CHILD

Tel

2711 1280 www.esf.org.hk In association with the English Schools Foundation

eating Summer in Stanley As the mercury rises, menus lighten up.

Saigon at Stanley The Vietnamese know a thing or two about keeping cool, cuisine-wise. Sitting on the terrace of Saigon At Stanley in Murray House – all rattan furniture, ceiling fans and water views – you could be forgiven for imagining yourself on a rooftop somewhere in old Saigon. The summer menu focuses on seafood, fruit and

Rocksalt When it comes to summer dining, Rocksalt chef Cameron Gardiner hits the nail on the head: “Food in summer should be fresh, it should be light and it should go well with a cold glass of beer.”

Perched on the waterfront and surrounded by large windows overlooking the sea, Rocksalt is a go-to spot for a laid-back summer lunch.

Start with a refreshing salad of watermelon, goats’ cheese and rocket, followed by Aussieinspired king prawns barbecued to charcoal-y perfection and topped with an avocado and chilli salsa. Dessert is a mound of fresh macerated strawberries (the hint of basil is genius) on a bed of puff pastry and topped with minted double cream.

Rocksalt’s summer menus will include more fresh juices, smoothies and breakfast options, and diners can also look to the restaurant’s blackboard for daily fresh seafood specials.

“Any ingredients we want from Australia or anywhere else, we can have here jet-fresh in just two days,” Gardiner says. 25 Stanley Market Road, Stanley, 2899 0818.

26 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

refreshing hints of mint and basil. A stand-out dish is the mango and chicken rice-paper rolls, with a combination of sweet mango, juicy chicken and a medley of herbs wrapped in rice paper giving an explosion of flavour in every bite. For dessert, try the lemongrass panna cotta topped

Eat your greens New vegan restaurant Grassroots Pantry in Sai Ying Pun is holding a family cooking class on June 9 titled “Plant-Based Goes Kid Friendly”. Children will learn to make Sloppy Janes, a chocolate smoothie, and yummy hummus wraps. All recipes are plant-based and contain no refined oils or sugars and are made from whole, unprocessed ingredients. These recipes are tried and tested on kids and won thumbs-up approval. For details and other classes, visit www.grassrootspantry.com.

with berries and dragon fruit. Saigon at Stanley also offers cooking courses teaching the basics of Vietnamese cooking including how to wrap perfect rice-paper rolls and where to shop for ingredients. 1/F, Murray House, Stanley, 2899 0999.

Chez Patrick Deli Local favourite Chez Patrick Deli in Stanley Plaza is a treasure trove of quality French goodies. It’s the perfect one-stop shop for a picnic or entertaining at home.

Artisan cheeses line the deli counter, including Mons (voted best artisan of France) and Les Freres Marchand. There are cuts of cured meat from France, a large selection of homemade terrine, foie gras and pates, and salmon smoked by Patrick himself.

If you’re eating in, chef Gerome Hauth recommends daily specials: “Our nicoise salad, beef tartare and fish carpaccios are nice and light. We use ingredients at the right time, in the right season.”

And since it wouldn’t be right without a glass of French wine, Hauth recommends sancerre.

Stanley Plaza, Stanley, 2683 5115.

smoothie operator

Percys @ Lane Crawford In the new Lane Crawford showroom in One Island South, Percys is more than a stylish lunch spot for ladies who shop.

What are your best beverages?

Vittoria coffee and Ticolino tea infusions in a range of flavours. The “Purifier” – pineapple and orange juice with ginger – and “Tropical Pleasure” smoothie of mango, strawberry, banana and pineapple.

Best-selling snacks and cakes to go with morning coffee?

Chocolate marshmallow brownies, mixed berries and almond shortcake and homemade banana bread are the most popular items in the morning.

Best-selling lunch options?

Beef lasagne, Parma ham and mozzarella panini and gourmet salads: beetroot and baby tomato, sweet pumpkin with chickpeas, and green beans with smoked salmon.

Best seat in the house?

We are mainly a takeaway counter but Lane Crawford has kindly provided us with a long vintage dining tables and chairs where our customers can dine and relax.

Other good things?

All our food is homemade – even the salad dressings, granola bars, jams and compotes are made daily from fresh, natural ingredients.

We don’t deliver small individual meals to Southside addresses yet but we provide catering services for occasions such as cocktail or dinner parties and junk trips.

Best time to visit?

Percy’s @ LC is open 10am-7pm, TuesdaysSundays. Come for a morning or lunch break during the week or to chill out on the weekend with a glass of wine or champagne.

Percys @ Lane Crawford, One Island South, 2 Hung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 3427 9498, www.percys.hk. Lane Crawford and Joyce cardholders enjoy a 10 per cent discount.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 27

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?

28 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

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.

white wash

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.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 29

property

Gilding the Lily Peek through the net curtains at one of Repulse Bay’s most extravagant residences.

30 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Hype started to build long before the moving trucks arrived. As the building came together, people became more and more curious about the wave-shaped structure slowly curling over Repulse Bay. Southsiders soon learned this was to be The Lily. A part-serviced apartment, partresidential development by Hong Kong property giant Chinachem. It was designed by Foster & Partners, the architects behind Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok and the iconic HSBC headquarters in Central. To design this Repulse Bay property, the architects summoned their signature look of elegant steel structure combined with clever use of glass.

The Lily houses 100 units, including 34 fully decked-out serviced apartments, ranging in size from 1,816 sq ft to whopping 3,924 sq ft penthouses. Each serviced apartment comes with daily maid service (except Sundays and public holidays), weekly linen change, internet, cable TV and full access to The Lily’s facilities.

And if that isn’t enough, the bathrooms are kitted with Bulgari toiletries.

The remaining 66 units are unfurnished residential apartments with a minimum floor area of 3,545 sq ft, configured as everything from three-bedroom duplexes to four-bedroom simplexes. The piece de resistance is a mindblowing, 8,000 sq ft penthouse.

laid back luxury

Clockwise from left: The stunning penthouse with panoramic views of Repulse Bay; a quiet night at home in Southside; every apartment in The Lily comes with a Poggenpohl kitchen and Gaggenau appliances.

They may not have designer toiletries, but the residential units don’t lack for perks. Each apartment has a kitchen designed by leading German brand Poggenpohl and Gaggenau appliances including a built-in microwave, steam oven, dishwasher, refrigerator and wine fridge.

They are also fitted with electronically controlled shutters, reverse-cycle air conditioning and walk-in closets in each master suite. It’s the little things that count.

The highlight, however, is Foster & Associates’ design, which ensures every home has the best of both worlds: lush, green mountain views on one side of the apartment and sparkling views of the sea and sand on the other.

property

Clockwise from above: Luxurious living and dining at home in The Lily; the grand, double-ceiling lobby; groovy internet centre for tech-savvy kids.

As for the bells and whistles, the facilities at The Lily keep tenants of all ages entertained.

For its youngest residents, there are both outdoor and indoor playgrounds, a funky children’s internet zone and a dedicated play pool complete with qualified lifeguard for peace of mind.

The indoor pool and jacuzzi is open yearround and is as luxurious as any you might expect to find in a five-star resort, with designer deck chairs and a waterfall from a glass ceiling.

Overlooking the swimming pool is a gymnasium equipped with exercise bikes, running machines and weights. And there’s an outdoor barbecue area where families living in The Lily can invite their friends for a good old-fashioned cookout.

Security at the Lily is also on point with 24-hour CCTV, secure parking and high specification locks on each apartment. As for something a little more comforting and human, the concierge team is multilingual and offers around-the-clock support, which means no hanging about on the curb for a cab.

32 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Though The Lily is a stone’s throw from the restaurants and shops at Repulse Bay and a 10-minute drive from Stanley, there’s an exclusive residents’ shuttle bus between The Lily and Wan Chai throughout the day.

With all the amenities one could wish for, top-notch security, walking distance to the beach, exclusive shuttle service to the city and some of the most breathtaking panoramic views in Hong Kong, The Lily is the epitome of luxurious Southside living.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 33

living

Say it with stickers

London themed stickers, Accessorize, IFC Mall, Finance Street, Central.

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, IFC Mall, Finance Street, Central.

Teatime treats

Shortbread biscuits in a commemorative tin from Marks & Spencer, Queen’s Road, Central.

Go gourmet

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, $250, Mirth, Mezzanine Level, BT Centre, Wong Chuk Hang.

Diamonds are forever

Don’t forget your tiara, $85, Seed, The Repulse Bay, 109 Repulse Bay Road, 2803 1677, www.seedheritage.com

34 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

union hijack

Walkies

Treat the children to a vintage toy corgi in honour of the Queen’s favourite pooch. £60 plus shipping, from Highgrove Shop, www.highgroveshop.com.

Plump it up All aboard

Keep it British in the toyroom with a big red bus. Seed, The Repulse Bay (dolls sold separately).

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.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 35

Read all about it

“Queen Elizabeth II: A Diamond Jubilee Souvenir Album” has more than 300 illustrations, some of which have never been published before. Available online at www. thebookdepository.co.uk, £12.30, with free shipping to Hong Kong.

Party style

True British cupcake kits contain 24 cupcake cases and assorted toppers. For stockists, contact Made of Paper, 2552 6773, or email admin@madeofpaper.com.hk

Best dressed

Red, white and blue are the order of the day. Blue dress $710, red $1,035, from Seed, The Repulse Bay, www.seedheritage.com

Flying the flag

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

36 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Pimm’s o’clock

In a highball glass, mix one part Pimm’s, three parts lemonade, add a sprig of mint, a slice of lemon and cucumber and a handful of ice for the quintessential English summer sundowner.

Available from supermarkets.

Tea time

Commemorative Jubilee teacup and saucer. £49, plus shipping, from Highgrove Shop, www.highgroveshop.com.

Brilliant bunting

Fabric or paper, fancy or plain, it wouldn’t be a party without lashings of bunting.

Prices vary, Accessorize, IFC Mall, Finance Street, Central.

Diamond plated

Commemorative Jubilee Gadroon Plate, £145 plus shipping, Royal Crown Derby, www.royalcrownderby.co.uk.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 37

education Oh, Canada Dave McMaster, head of school at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong, takes us inside the Aberdeen campus.

How did you come to be head of school?

I had been teaching and working as a principal at schools in British Columbia, Canada, when my wife, two young boys and I decided we were up for a new adventure. I joined the Canadian International School (CDNIS) as the Middle School principal and was promoted to head of school two years later. I feel extremely fortunate to have a fantastic job at one of the top schools in Asia and have been blessed with the support of dedicated staff, hardworking students and thoughtful parents.

Tell us a bit about the history of CDNIS. It was established as a non-profit organization in 1991. Our first campus was a small rented facility in Causeway Bay with just 81 students. The school quickly grew and added temporary campuses in Kennedy Town and Borrett Road. In 1999, the school reached capacity and relocated to its present site in Aberdeen.

CDNIS recently celebrated 20 years, what have been its greatest achievements?

CDNIS has successfully combined

38 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

a rigorous academic programme with a caring atmosphere. We are incredibly proud of our graduates who have moved on to universities throughout the world. It is a privilege to watch our students grow from shy three-year-olds to confident but modest 18-year-old global citizens.

What are the school's core values?

Our mission is to “develop responsible global citizens and leaders through academic excellence”. Promoting a sense of community is integral to the school’s ongoing success. We want our students to be happy, to care about themselves and others and to respect each other.

We also want them to understand that they are very fortunate and with this privilege comes responsibility to serve and support those not as fortunate.

Are there any improvements or changes planned?

We are always looking at ways to improve everything we do. The world is changing rapidly so we ask our staff to take risks and try new things. Technology plays a significant role in this journey and

canuck classes we are constantly trying to find new ways to infuse technology into the curriculum and into teaching and learning.We have invested heavily in our arts programme, including the construction of a state-of-theart theatre, drama studios, art rooms and band rooms. We hold numerous performances, concerts and exhibits throughout the year and host conferences that promote Visual and Performing Arts, most recently the International Schools Theatre Association Festival which attracted drama students and teachers from around Asia.

How multicultural is CDNIS? Our student body numbers more than 1,800 and represents more than 40 nationalities.

Does CDNIS encourage children to take part in any philanthropic work?

Students are encouraged to participate in charitable work starting in pre-reception. We hold monthly charity Dress Down Days in Upper School are heavily involved in volunteer work in Hong Kong and abroad as part of our Experience Week Programme.

Organizations our students support include Hong Kong Dog Rescue, Habitat for Humanity, Orbis and Amnesty International.

A number of students are also involved in environmental issues at the school as part of E-Club, which hosts beach clean-ups, promotes recycling in the school and has helped in fundraising for our school’s Green Roof Garden.

What curriculum does CDNIS follow?

Our school is an International Baccalaureate World School and we are authorized to deliver all

three IB Programmes – Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme. Upper School students also receive the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

What's the hardest part about being head of school?

I don’t get to interact with students as much as I would like. Most mornings find me and other members of the senior administration team at points around the campus greeting students, staff and parents. This is very important and one of the main reasons our school of more than 1,800 students feels like a school of 180. Students are the best part of this job.

How have schools changed since you were a student?

Learning at CDNIS is studentcentred and requires students to take responsibility for their learning instead of having adults “impart knowledge”. Students need to learn to think for themselves and think outside the box. This is what universities and future employers are looking for.

Were you ever sent to the principal's office when you were at school?

Many times, especially in Grades 5 and 6. However, I had a wonderful teacher in Grade 7 who made me feel great about learning and instilled a confidence in me that changed my life. After that, no more visits to the principal’s office.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 39

family

boarder horizons

New experiences, friends and cultures are some of the benefits of boarding.

Boarding school rules?

Carolynne Dear looks at the pros and cons of sending a child to school overseas.

To board or not to board? That is the question on the minds of many parents in Hong Kong.

For some families, boarding school is a rite of passage, an event planned since birth.

For others, it’s an option that has suddenly presented itself with the move overseas or because the Hong Kong school system doesn’t meet a student’s needs.

“We see a lot of different reasons for boarding,” says Australian International School counsellor Isobel Coutts-Weakley. “For students

with special needs and disabilities, boarding schools – particularly in the UK or the US – are the only option. For others, it might stem from the parents’ desire to familiarize the students with their ‘home’ country, to form a relationship with a country where they may well spend their adult lives, post-Hong Kong.”

But whatever the reason, it is a decision that is not taken lightly.

“Sending a child away changes the dynamics of the entire family,” says family

counsellor and trainer Amanda Mullins. “Imagine the family group as a set of figures hanging from a mobile; if one leaves, the whole mobile needs rebalancing. Preparing siblings for the change is as important as preparing the boarding child themselves.”

Putting the “scaffolding and structure” in place beforehand is crucial, Mullins says.

The child needs to be made aware of contact numbers of family and friends in the local area and they need to be familiarized with the school timetable, perhaps by looking at the school website. Find out when sports day is, for example, and the school motto or song.

Highlight school holidays on a calendar and make sure the child knows what’s happening at this time. And, of course, it is important the child has viewed the school.

“Homesickness will occur,” Coutts-Weakley says. “That’s a given. The trick is to address it before it happens. While contact with home is important, it also needs to be managed, as you don’t want connecting with family ‘back home’ to take energy away from everyday school-life.”

Mullins agrees. “Vocabulary is important – try not to label it ‘homesickness’ or use words such as ‘anxious’. Make sure the child knows who to seek help from at the school and look into the pastoral care on offer.”

According to Coutts-Weakley, there is no “right age” to send a child to boarding school. “It depends on the personality of the child, although I would say that 13 seems to be an age when things do change. I have seen year six students (11-12 years) unhappy on school camp, but by the time they hit year eight, homesickness issues seem to have dried up somewhat.”

Hong Kong resident Jon Brown was sent to board in Britain at age nine. “It felt like a collaborative decision with my parents at the time, but maybe it was more their decision than mine looking back. Interestingly, it was the children whose parents lived nearby that got the most homesick. Being so far removed I think I was a lot less aware of the separation. The school counsellor position didn’t exist back then, but the matrons did a good job of taking care of any unhappy students.”

The biggest positives to boarding, Brown says, were the school facilities (“worlds ahead of Hong Kong at that time” – he started at preparatory school and then moved on to Winchester College) and the friendships he made, “which have endured the test of time”.

But boarding school is not a happy experience for everyone and counsellors stress it’s important to try to find a school that suits

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 41

family your child. Expat mum Louise Taylor was sent to boarding school at the age of 16.

“I really didn’t enjoy it,” she says. “I’d been brought up in Mauritius and Malawi (my father was an engineer) and had enjoyed a huge amount of freedom in warm, beautiful countries.

Because the educational options for expats ran out at around age 16 in Malawi, I was sent to a British boarding school in the north of the country. It was incredibly strict and I resented it from the word go. Basically, I think I was too old, too far along in my education to want to take on board the change. As an expat parent now myself, I wouldn’t rule out boarding school for my daughter, but I would certainly give the school I was placing her in much more consideration and I wouldn’t wait until her late teens to send her.”

Mullins says it’s important for parents to put their own needs and preferences aside.

“No matter how much you might love a school, if your child is constantly miserable or out of character beyond a term, then it might not be such a great choice. Teenagers in particular need to have a voice that is listened to. And

sometimes you might just have to admit that you have a child who is never going to be ready to board,” she says.

According to Coutts-Weekly, the reaction of most boarders is extreme. “They tend to either love it or hate it. But the level of education in Hong Kong means boarding is not the only option.”

Brown says the independence and the ability to meet people who live in places other than Hong Kong makes boarding school unique.

“If you have the opportunity to offer this experience to your children, I would highly recommend it. It can be hard being away from your parents – but, on the other hand, you're away from your parents!”

Preparing your child School counsellor Isobel Coutts-Weakley recommends RAFT for children working through their emotions.

R – Reconciliation of relationships with people in the country you are leaving. Speak to people, tell them you are going. Talk about it. Make sure you are leaving healthy relationships behind.

A – Affirmations to people who are important in your life. This could mean sending a card to a neighbour, your helper, your piano teacher – anyone who has played an important part in your life. This is your opportunity to tell them that they have been special to you.

F – Farewell. This is an opportunity to celebrate. Throw a party, or go to dinner with close friends and family. Enjoy what is happening to you.

T – Think about the destination. Mentally move yourself on to your new situation.

the stop

all the gossip from the school bus stop

Guest star We have been joined at The Stop by a new student, Molly, a ballerina from Brisbane – although she waits several yards to the left of us for the public bus to the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui.

This came about following a frantic conversation with my best friend, Eddie, in Sydney. It transpired her supremely talented 19-yearold niece had beaten off stiff competition from thousands of hopefuls to win a coveted place training with the Hong Kong Ballet for a month.

Unfortunately, the host family that went with the place had fallen through.

So Eddie got in touch with me and, hey presto, a few days later Molly rocked up.

And what a lovely girl she is. It gives me hope that even my ramshackle lot might come good in a few years. Confident and brimming with laughter, she has really brightened our apartment over the past weeks. My girls have been fascinated.

Yes, she is tiny. No, she doesn’t smoke, although she reckons at least 50 per cent of dancers do. Yes, she eats – but only proteins. No, she doesn’t have ruined feet but, yes, en pointe is agony at first. Yes, it is a bitchy world: the other girls didn’t talk to her until day two, then stopped when she was upbraided by the teacher for having her head in slightly the wrong position – agonizingly embarrassing. And no, much to the disappointment of the five-year-old, she doesn’t fly long-haul in a tutu. (“But she’s wearing a tracksuit, mum,” came the incredulous stage whisper from the backseat of the car on the way home from the airport.)

However, much to the fascination of the seven- and nine-year-old, she appears each morning at breakfast elegantly made-up, hair pinned into an intricate bun, ready for the day ahead.

She has been unfailingly encouraging of the girls’ shaky hip-hop efforts, the latest favourite on the extra-curricular activity circuit. She spent an entire Sunday morning making them up and pinning their hair for a Margot Fontaine-style fashion parade and listens with enthusiasm to their

42 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

incessant chatter.

“I love it. They’re so funny,” she says. Really? She was particularly interested to hear the eldest’s plans for this year’s school camp. “I can’t believe they’ll be dissecting a cow on the farm visit.” Um, no, nor can I. We have enjoyed showing her around. She has been very enthusiastic about Hong Kong – she adored Stanley, was breath-taken by the views from the Peak, chuffed to win $500 at Happy Valley race night, and loved the lunch buffet at the club.

Like all good students, she waitresses part-time and has more cunning recipes up her sleeve than Delia (coconut and banana smoothies are selling well on the Australian Gold Coast these days, and I can see why – the secret is top-quality organic yogurt and coconut milk). To the delight of our helpers, she doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty in the kitchen, which has left the kids open-mouthed. Blimey, offering to wash up when it’s not even a homework activity?

Molly has been a positive influence. We’ve all learned something from her visit. For the five-year-old, it’s that being a ballerina is a real job, not just something for mice called Angelina. For the nine-year-old, it’s that wearing mascara to her sort of school means a trip to the deputy head. For the helpers, it’s that there really are well-mannered Western children who will help in the kitchen without a bribe.

As for me, I’d like to say that Molly has taught me to listen to my children properly because they are special people with interesting things to say. But what I’ve really learned is that I’ll have to lose the carbs (not to mention the coconut smoothies) too if I’m going to get into that size 10 DVF dress this summer.

Carolynne Dear

health & beauty

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

What is BabyFit? BabyFit is a group exercise concept 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.

How did the concept come about?

BabyFit was born largely out of my own experience. Having always

44 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

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.

strollercize 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.

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, postnatal 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 currently meets at Wai Man Playground, near the Sai Kung waterfront. For details and info about new classes, visit www.babyfit.com.hk.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 45

outdoors

Chasing the dragon Dragon Boat Festival is one of Hong Kong’s busiest public holidays. Here’s how to do Tuen Ng.

This year’s Dragon Boat Festival falls on Saturday, June 23. It promises to be an action-packed, noisy and hot affair. On waterways across Hong Kong, the long wooden boats will fight it out for top position. A drummer pounds away at the front, setting the pace, and ten pairs of paddlers dip their oars in perfect unison. Hawaii Five-O eat your heart out.

Tuen Ng, which takes place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, is the most colourful and best-known event in Hong Kong’s dragon boatracing calendar.

The festival is said to originate with the suicide of a revered Chinese poet, Qu Yuan, who became so disillusioned with the government that he drowned himself in the Yangtze River in protest. Locals rushed to rescue him, banging drums and throwing rice dumplings into the water to keep fish away from his body. The boats, drums and rice are still the essential elements of modern Tuen Ng festivals.

46 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Stanley Running from 8am to 6pm off Stanley Main Beach, the races take place on a 280m course starting at sea and heading straight for the beach. Stanley is a major corporate event and notoriously busy: last year saw approximately 30,000 spectators turn up to watch more than 200 teams compete. The best viewing is from a junk, but failing that join the masses on the beach.

The event is followed up with a big party on Stanley Main Street.

Aberdeen This is a stunning location, with local fishermen racing 50-man boats through the harbour from 8.40am to 4pm, with a flag presentation ceremony at noon and a prize presentation at 3.15pm. Races can be viewed from Aberdeen Promenade or a spectator stand, which is free entry by ticket only.

Tickets are available from the Dragon Boat Race Committee on 8107 3488 or the Southern District Home Affairs Department, 1/F, Ocean Court, 3 Aberdeen Praya Road, Aberdeen, 2814 5751.

yat yee, yat yee...

Sai Kung Busy, but not as mad as Stanley, the Sai Kung dragon-boat races follow a 500m course near the pier from 8am to 1.30pm, followed by a carnival until 5pm in Sai Square on the waterfront. There’s a spectator stand, or watch from the waterfront promenade. If you don’t want to drive, take the MTR to Choi Hung and catch the 1A minibus into Sai Kung.

Tai O, Lantau Organised by the three local fishermen associations, the celebrations at the quaint fishing village of Tai O include a water parade of the temple deities.

The gods are carried in colourfully decorated sampans pulled by dragon boats between the stilted houses where residents burn incense and paper offerings. The races are from 8am to 2pm on Tai O waterfront. For details, visit www.tai-o.hk.

More dragon boat racing...

June 10: Tai Tam Dragon Boat Race.

July 2: Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, Victoria Harbour, Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade, see www.hkdba.com.hk for more info.

July 2-4: Club Crew World Championships, Victoria Harbour, Tsim Tsa Tsui East Promenade, see www.idbf.org for more info.

July 15: 9am-4pm, Stanley Main Beach, see www.dragonboat.org.hk for more info.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 47

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

48 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

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.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 49

travel

Freewheeling Taiwan Tom Hilditch and Jay Forster take an unplanned cycle trip through the Republic of China.

Sometimes holidays with sunsets and poolside 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 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

50 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

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.

We haven’t got a proper map, just a tourist handout picked up at the airport arrivals lounge. So with the sun on the right-hand

side, gears clashing and brakes squeaking, we head north. Well, north-ish.

Taiwan, fortunately, is a great place for lost cyclists. Taipei, the capital, is threaded with cycle tracks running along river banks and through parks. Cyclists are everywhere, and they all obey the unwritten cyclists’ code, “locals must help lost tourists”. 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.

It’s an empty, windswept shore. We make our way to the northernmost point, Fugui Cape, where there is a little lighthouse and a cluster of knackered holiday homes, covered in salt and slipping into the sea. The best cycling trips are full of such places, faded ghost towns with their old retainers and trapped teenagers.

Fascinating for a hour, boring for day. We stop at the only hotel.

It’s a big, three-storey destination built to house the imagined hordes making a pilgrimage to “Taiwan’s

saddle up

northernmost point”. There is a photo exhibition in the lobby showcasing “remarkable rock formations”. We are the only two guests.

Day two, we rise early and... ouch! Jelly legs. Clearly, it’s time to reassess the gravity of our luggage. When you are carrying everything on a bicycle, everything weighs. We get brutal: spare

T-shirts, shoes, airport novels, spanners, torches and hammocks are jettisoned. 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. By the end

of the week the objects that remain with us will take on an almost hallowed aspect: the Sacred Role of Tape, the Last Surviving Pair of Socks, the Holy Penknife.

And so, day two. We begin the long journey south. Navigation is easy, just keep the ocean on the left. The wind is with us and the road is beautiful. Taiwan’s countryside is China with red necks instead of red guards. Years of American influence and financial support has left their mark: Americanized English, great coffee, even the odd cowboy hat.

The roads are perfect. Highway Two, which will take us along the very edge of the remote western coast, is no exception. Built with gigantic American machines, it rises and falls gently along a spectacular coast. There are cycle lanes and stop-offs. Viewing decks and picnic spots. And when the

mountains get too high, the road just goes through them in a series of astonishing tunnels. Yet there is almost no other traffic.

We speed along as the sun rises, passing swiftly through one-horse towns. Whoosh... Didn’t catch the name. No one expects a cyclist at 6am. 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 hedgerow. 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.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 51

travel

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, xiao long bao, vegetables and fruit.

Everything is fresh, tasty and prepared by masters.

It is just one of many great meals we will eat in Taiwan. In the first few days, as the road winds past the northwestern port towns that feed into Taipei

52 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

– Keelung, Yilan, Fulong – we dine at truck stops and family restaurants serving mountains of fresh seafood. We never have to struggle with language or menus or worry about cost. We just roll up on our bikes, covered in mud, hungry as hell, and someone will be delighted to feed us something amazing.

There’s something about rolling up on a bike that brings out the best in people, especially in Taiwan. Maybe it’s because you

are not hiding anything. (“Just me on a bike.”) Maybe it’s because people feel a kind of compliment that you are putting so much personal effort into exploring their homeland. Maybe you just look funny. Whatever it is, 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.

We start to seek out weird road

food – home-smoked squid, a handful of berries. The iPhone remains switched to “airplane mode”, the playlist of road tunes 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. Under no circumstances

travel could you sustain six hours of cycling tethered in a gym, yet with great scenery, people and unexpected visions flashing by you keep going day after day, and suddenly, you are whizzing up hills.

Glance down after five days and you can see thigh muscles climbing over each other. 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 pass, into the clouds.

Then an insane 45 minutes coming down the other side, the road sucking us into deep, dark tunnels through the belly of a mountain and spitting us out into bright sunlight, spectacular views of the ocean below. The speedo touches 63 kilometres an hour.

Hands tighten, knuckles whiten, remember to breathe.

Then, suddenly, the road flattens out and we enter a wide, flat, grey-rock plain. It is the “collision zone” between the Eurasian and the Philippine tectonic plates. There is something satisfying and elemental about riding across it, just as there is a kind of primitive simplicity 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.

Details 1. Airlines accept boxed bikes as check-in baggage as long as it weighs less than 20kg. Sean the mechanic at Sky Blue Bikes in Sheung Wan boxes bikes for $250. Tel: (+852) 2545 2333, info@ skybluebikes.com.

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 and take it home with you.

4. Webjet online travel agency offers flights to Taipei from $970.

For details, email onlinetravel@webjet.com.hk.

pets 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 (Aberdeen, tel: 3661 1614; Stanley, tel: 3661 1616),

•

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.

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

•

•

Wellness exams & vaccinations Diagnostic testing & imaging Dental & surgical procedures Health certificate for pet travel New pet products!

54 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

hissing Sid

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 a vat of snake bisque and a pallet of handbags. However, it’s advisable to keep your dog on a lead so it doesn't become a serpent snack.

•

Pet personals Need a pet? These sweethearts are looking to shack up. For details, call Kirsten at 9490 2061 or email kirstenszoo@gmail.com Milly

Nona

Pretty little brunette with a smile that'll steal your heart.

This happy go lucky pup is a real family man.

Gail

Tensin

This pretty Malinois loves to cuddle.

Furry and fun, you can't get enough of him.

Lourd

•

Boyishly grey and full of charm.

British shorthair

There's four of them and they're all looking for love.

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

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 55

gardening

ugly Feeling bugfruity ball

Flying visit Jane Ram learns to value moths. 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.

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 mothcatching 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

Hoyas & kohlerias 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 fireengine 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 kohleria. Top: Atlas moth.

Please contact janetaipeng@gmail.com with comments and queries, or for information about plant-related excursions and events including workshops for gardeners.

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. Send your gardening queries to: janetaipeng@gmail.com

Leisure Turf & Landscape Ltd The very best in lawn and landscaping services * Lawn construction & maintenance * Natural & Artificial turf * Landscape gardening ; herb gardens * All suitable plant types supplied * International specialists in club grounds Go to www.leisureturf.asia for credentials & testimonials For a free project consultation contact Ricky Aitken 9487 4710 56 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

marketplace

Your guide to shops and services BANK National Australia Bank 2826-8163 mybank@nabasia.com www.nabasia.com Carpet Cleaning Oriental Rugs 2543-4565 rugshop@biznetvigator.com

To advertise, email: ads@southside.hk

Dining Nam Fong Chinese Restaurant (Chinese) 2980-47410 namfong.LMC@lemeridien.com www.lemeridien.com/hongkong Prompt (international Buffet) 2980-47417 prompt.LMC@lemeridien.com www.lemeridien.com/hongkong Restaurant & Bar Umami (Japanese) 2980-47406 www.lemeridien.com/hongkong Ohh La La Restaurant 2984-8710 booking@oohlala-hk.com www.treasureislandhk.com Diving and marine services Mandarin Divers Marine Services 2554-7110 info@mandarin-divers.com  www.mandarin-divers.com Estate Agents Hong Kong Sotheby’s International Realty info@hksothebysrealty.com www.hksothebysrealty.com House Hunters Tel: 28691001 info@househunters.com.hk Jones Lang LaSalle International Properties Limited 3759-0918 mei.wong@ap.jll.com www.jllresidential.com/hk_beta/ Events and Marketing Entertaining Asia 2815-7919 info@entertainingasia.com www.entertainingasia.com GARDENS & LANDSCAPE Leisure Turf and Landscape Limited 2579-0323 / 9487-4710 LTL@netvigator.com www.leisureturf.asia Hair & Beauty Sabai Day Spa- Stanley 2104-40566 www.sabaidayspa.com Health & Fitness Allegro Pilates Studio 6295-7881 info@pilatesinstanley.com www.pilatesinstanley.com Holistic Wellness & Therapy 852 96670940 nareshkumar62@hotmail.com www.holisticnaresh.com Cambridge Weight Plan 2525-7165 info@cambridgeweightplan.hk www.cambridgeweightplan.hk Integrated Medicine Institute 2523-7121 reception@imi.com.hk www.imi.com.hk Weight Watchers 2813-0814

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 57

tpaulsen@weightwatchers.com.hk www.weightwatchers.com.hk Red Shoe Dance Company Ltd 9813-0079 redshoedance@gmail.com http://www.redshoedance.com/ Sports Surf Hong Kong Ltd 5410-5015 dave@surfhongkong.com www.surfhongkong.com Home Furnishings Attic Lifestyle 2580-8552 info@attic-lifestyle.com www.attic-lifestyle.com Chez Uno 2791-9662/ 2723-8990 www.chezuno.com Indigo Living and Indigo Kids 2552-3500 www.indigo-living.com Interior Design Box Design 2573-3323 info@boxdesign.com.hk www.boxdesign.com.hk COMODO Interior & Furniture Design Co. Ltd. 2808-0991 info@comododesign.com www.comododesign.com JCAW Consultants 2524-9988 jcawltd@biznetvigator.com LLS Design & Associates Ltd 852-21178983 www.llsdesign.com.hk / sales@llsdesign.com.hk Studio Annetta 9849-1216 suzy@studioannetta.com www.studioannetta.com iNTERNATIONAL Movers Crown Relocations 2636-8388 hongkong@crownrelo.com www.crownrelo.com/hongkong Junk Charters Island Junks 2877-5222 www.islandjunks.com.hk info@islandjunks.com.hk Movers Expert-Transport & Relocations Warehouse 2566-4799 www.expertmover.hk

58 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Southside readers love to shop Advertise Here and reach

30,000+ upscale readers ads@fastmedia.com.hk

bird at my window

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.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 59

Mums and Babies Bumps to Babes 2552-5000 www.bumpstobabes.com sales@bumpstobabes.com Cosmo Beebies 2905-1188 cosmo-beebies@byinvest.com www.cosmobeebies.com Wellness & birth, pre & postnatal home care 9022-1779 www.wellnessandbirth.com info@wellnessandbirth.com Pets and Vets Ferndale Kennels & Cattery 2792-4642 www.ferndalekennels.com Pets Central North Point Hospital 2811-8907 info@pets-central.com Vet2Pet 6999-1003 vet2pet@yahoo.com www.vet2pet.com.hk Stanley Veterinary Centre 2813-2030 info@stanleyvetcentre.com www.stanleyvvetcentre.com Pacific Pets @ Stanley Veterinary Centre / Pet shop 2813-7979 info@pacificpets.com.hk Pre-Schools Montessori for Children 2813-9589 hongkong@montessori.edu.sg www.montessori.edu.sg The Southside Kindergarten 2592-7527 info@southside.edu.hk www.southside.edu.hk Sunshine House Pre-schools Hong Kong 2813 0713 taitam@sunshinehouse.com.hk Woodland Pre-Schools 2559-4855 enquiry@woodlandschools.com www.woodlandschools.com Morningstar Preschool and Kindergarten 852 9736 5241 info@MorningstarSchools.com www.morningstarschools.com Private Clubs Aberdeen Marina Club 2555-8321 member@aberdeenmarinaclub.com www.aberdeenmarinaclub.com Crown Wine Cellars 2580-6287 ichan@crownwinecellars.com www.crownwinecellars.com Hong Kong Country Club 2552-4165 info@countryclub.hk www.hongkongcountryclub.com Self Storage Store Friendly Tel: Â 8202 0811 www.store-friendly.com shopping mall The Arcade, Cyberport 3166-3111 arcade@cyberport.hk arcade.cyberport.hk

60 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Service Apartment Hong Kong Parkview 2812-3456 pv03@hongkongparkview.com hongkongparkview.com Toys Hong Kong Toy Club 8216-3870 support@HongKongToyClub.com www.HongKongToyClub.com HK Climbing Walls - climbing wall installation for children.

Tel: 9387 2661 Email: hkclimbingwalls@gmail.com Tuition Craft Box 9014-3262 simone@craftbox.asia www.craftbox.asia Sylvan Learning Center  2873-0662 info@sylvan.edu.hk www.educate.com Travel Webjet HK Onlinetravel@webjet.com.hk www.webjet.com.hk Worship Watermark Community Church 2857-6160 info@watermarkchurch.hk www.watermarkchurch.hk

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

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 61

classified Local Property

health & well being

Overseas Property

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

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 9162-5321

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

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

SERVICEs

No need to go to Central....

Cambridge Weight Plan has experienced consultants on the Southside and in Pokfulam. Wehelp you create an easy-to-manage flexible weight loss plan and provide motivation and support every step of the way. Call our friendly local consultants today! Paula 92760911 and Laila 98209592 info@cambridgeweightplan.hk www.cambridgeweightplan.hk

VISAPRO HK VISA & IMMIGRATION • 100% Success Rate* • Money-Back Guarantee* • FREE Initial Assessment Managed by a CPA 3749 7899 info@VisaPro.com.hk www.VisaPro.com.hk * T&C apply

ShenZhen DayTrip Shopping Hk 2,000. with 7-Seaters Lighting Mall Furniture Mall Art village Homedecoration , Carpet and Rugs.

Franki (90362128) happyday2128@netvigator.com

If both parents die together, children become Wards of Court.

A HK orphanage would likely be their new home! For quick, simple and affordable Wills, call Phoenix Wills 3100 0101 Email: Bradley@WheresTheWill.com

Expert-Transport & Relocations *MOVER* HANDYMAN*STORAGE * Local & International Relocation, * Packing Materials Supplies * Cargo Collection, Disposal * Storage - Humid Control (Short or Long Term), * All sort of Handyman Works All-In-One Professional Quality Service Call 25664799 www.expertmover.hk

Insurance: Home, Motor, Medical We are HK’s leading general insurance broker. Call for an instant quote or visit the website www. kwiksure.com. Call Christian on +852 3113 1331 or emailchristian@ kwiksure.com

Email ads@southside.hk 62 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Need Storage?

From a box to whole House Low Cost Storage Humid Control Start from as low as HK$300per month Collect & Delivery Call Today : 2578 1865 www.expertmover.hk

Entertainment and Events Ser services and event solutions.

Corporate / Birthdays / Private Events / Entertainment / Creative / Photo & Event Filming Services.

E: info@entertainingasia.com T: 2815-7919. www.entertainingasia.com

random but interesting Indo Handyman · Installation of TV, Pictures, Mirrors · Supply & install curtain track, blinds · Assemble of furniture & repair · Install light fitting & chandeliers, Fans · Install additional socket · Supply & install of floor tiles ·Painting & Wall Patch-up All Sort of Handyman Work Excellent Workmanship Lowest Rate Tel.: 25781865 sales@indohandyman.hk

The Samaritans’ Support group for people bereaved by suicide An english-speaking support group meets on the first wednesday of each month, 8 pm, the mariners’ club, tst.

Free & confidential.

For further information, please tel 2896 0000 or check http://www.samaritans.org.hk

Digital Lifestyle Services One-Stop tailor-made • Bilingual Cloud storage name cards, images, videos, CD VHS/ DVD. • Work or personal Website with Free hosting.

• OneStop purchase and setup of iPad including latest Apps, connect to TV/camera & training at your convenience.

• Bookkeeping, accounts preparation & Spreadsheet training for home or workplace.

Free consultation Virgil Chan 9190 9686 Email: rednature28@gmail.com Digital Lifestyle site http://digital-lifestyle.weebly.com Twitter @Rednature28 with Consumer electronics/IT trend, KPop and more ...

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.

DONATE CLOTHES, SHOES, BOOKS, toys and electrical appliances in good condition Reach 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

REGISTER AS A VOLUNTEER Give a few hours of your time to Sai Kung Stray Friends.

If you want to do something worthwhile come and help at our holding facility in Sai Kung. Any day or time suitable to you. Various tasks, sweeping, cleaning, dog walking, paddock Mum or just providing some love to the dogs. Dads are welcome too for mowing duty!

Email: saikungstrayfriendshk@gmail. com

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

URGENT! DOG FOOD SPONSORS Sai Kung Stray Friends We have approximately 35 dogs are on our daily "meal supply".

The cost $2,222 every 8 days.

If you would like to donate to help please deposit directly into our a/c: HSBC 004640085486001 Receipts can be issued.

Much appreciated!

Email ads@southside.hk for classifieds booking

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)

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 http://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.

PART TIME HELPER AVAILABLE. I am a happy and helpful domestic helper with 8 years broad experience.

I have a pleasant demeanor and get along well with babies, children and parents alike. I am available for several times a week or every day part time.

Sarah 6715 3093, lady_g2010@yahoo.com

Are u looking for Driver, Gardener?

ADONIS CANEDO, 33 years old, working in Hongkong for 2 years.

Pls contact 51339984.

DOMESTIC HELPER SEEKS FULLTIME EMPLOYER. Jacqueline Liagon, 44yrs old, filipino (married with 2 children ).

Experience in household chores, children, pets, elderly, baby sitting.

I'm hardworking, flexible, can work independently. experience in expat family and chinese family.pls.call me in my mobile no.92478937.

References from previous employers are available on hand.thanks

employment

Domestic Help PILATES INSTRUCTOR WANTED 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

Small friendly studio in Stanley is looking for qualified Allegro and Mat Pilates Instructors.

Contact Louise at: ALLEGRO PILATES STUDIO Ph: 62957881 or visit: www.pilatesinstanley.com

for classifieds booking or call 2776 2772 WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 63

distribution Southside magazine continues to extend its reach in our community, here is the latest in distribution news.

Pok Fu Lam

The Peak

- Kellet School - Kennedy School - Stanley Ho Sports Centre - Sunshine House Chi Fu - Sunshine House Pokfulam - Woodland Pokfulam Pre-School - Woodland Tree House

- Cafe Deco The Peak - Delifrance - German Swiss International School - Haagen-Dazs - Oliver’s Super Sandwiches - Pho Yummee - Starbucks - Sunshine House The Peak - The Peak Lookout Café - Villa Verde - Woodland Pre-School The Peak

Cyberport - Bagiou Villas - Bel-Air Clubhouse - Bobo Klolo Crystal - Bobo Klolo Gems & Arts - Cyberport Arcade - GoGym - International (Park N Shop) - Kosmo Plus Wellness Cafe - Le Meridien Hotel Cyberport - Oh Sushi & Tappas - Om World - Scenic Villas - Starbucks - Thaima-V - Tutti Bar & Restaurantt

Aberdeen - Aberdeen Marina Club - Burnt Orange - Elect Sekki - Elite Personal Training - Flex - Hong Kong Country Club - Mirth - Leader Golf Training Centre - Ovolo, Shek Pai Wan - Park N Shop - Singapore International School - Sure Steps - Top Deck - Wicka Designs - Woodland Harbourside Pre-School

Manhattan Tower This exclusive residential building, tucked away in a lush country park setting, houses some of the most stunning apartments on the Southside.

All 40 units are 2,400 square feet with fully fitted kitchens and bathrooms, teak floors and best of all, large balconies to soak up the breathtaking views of Deep Water Bay and the South China Sea. Southside Magazine is now conveniently placed at the Manhattan Tower reception.

Pok Fu Lam Chi Fu

The Peak

Cyberport

Shouson Hill Aberdeen

Bel-Air

Parkview Tai Tam

Deep Water Bay

Ap Lei Chau

Repulse Bay

Tai Tam / Shek O

- American Club - Beach Front Kiosk - Ben’s Garden - Black Sheep - Fusion (Park'N Shop) - Happy Garden Restaurant - Hong Kong Cricket Club - Hong Kong International School - Hong Kong Parkview Resort & Spa - Hong Kong Parkview Suites - Lulu Shop - Pacific View Residential Clubhouse - PIPS Kindergarten - Redhill Clubhouse - Shek O Chinese & Thai Restaurant - Shining Stone Restaurant - Soma Spa - Sunshine House Tai Tam Big Wave Bay - Wellcome, Red Hill Plaza - Woodland Tai Tam Montessori Pre-School

Red Hill

The Manhattan Chung Hom Kok

Shek O

Larvotto Due to popular demand, we’ve increased distribution to Larvotto by 30%. This marine-themed luxury residential complex offers unmatched waterfront views and is only 5 minutes from upscale shopping at Horizon Plaza. Southside Magazine can be found at the Larvotto clubhouse on the coffee tables of many of its residents.

Ap Lei Chau - Bumps to Babes - Everything Under The Sun - Homestyle - Indigo - Indigo Kids - Indigo Outlet - Larvotto - Limestone Wine & Spirits - Okooko - Pacific Gourmet - Tequila Kola - Shambala Cafe - Tree - Zense

64 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Stanley

Stanley Repulse Bay The Somerset With panoramic sea views of Deep Water Bay coupled with spacious living, The Somerset is the epitome of the laid back luxury that people love about Southside. Residents of The Somerset can now pick up their free copy of Southside Magazine at reception.

Deep Water Bay - Coco Thai - Crown Wine Cellars - Hong Kong Country Club - Park N Shop

- Anastassia’s Art House - Bauhinia Beach Club - HS Modern Art - Ice Cream Gallery - Indigo - Manhattan Tower - Sense of Touch - Southside Kindergarten - OT & P - South Bay Beach Club - Spices - The Club - The Lily - The Somerset - The Verandah - Woodland Beachside Pre-School - The Woodland Montessori Pre-School Repulse Bay

- Boathouse - Cafe De Paris - Chez Patrick - Classifieds - Haagen Dazs - Lucy’s - Lucy’s on the Front - Mijas - Pickled Pelican - Pizza Express - Rocksalt - Saigon in Stanley - Smuggler’s Inn - Spiaggia - Stanley Main Street Bar & Cafe - Stanley Pet Centre - Starbucks - Taste Supermarket - Watson’s Wine - Wildfire

where to find us

Redhill Peninsula

The Manhattan

Pacific View

Hong Kong Parkview

Join our community Want Southside Magazine in your residential building’s reception or clubhouse? Want to distribute Southside Magazine in your restaurant or store?

The Repulse Bay

Bel-Air

It’s easy as pie and best of all, completely free of charge.

Send all enquiries to vip@southside.hk or call (852) 2776 2772

Hey Mr. Postman Join our free mailing service to have your copy of Southside Magazine delivered straight to your mailbox. It's Free and exclusive for residents living in Southside or the Peak.

Sign up here www.southside.hk/subscribe

Cyberport Arcade

Le Meridien Cyberport

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 65

my southside

I love Lucy’s Lucy Humbert, who opened Stanley favourite Lucy’s in 1994, reveals how the Southside stole her heart.

What brought Lucy's to Southside?

In 1994 I was running an outside catering business and heard about a restaurant in Stanley that was for sale. I quickly decided to take the plunge and that was it. I wasn’t considering opening a restaurant at all. Needless to say we were a bit disorganized in the first month.

What has been the key to Lucy's success?

For many of our customers, Lucy’s is like an old friend and I think it’s the consistency of the food and service that keeps people coming back.

Also the relaxed atmosphere and the welcome from staff, most of whom have been there for more than a decade.

What do you love about your job?

I still love to cook and experiment with dishes so to be able to do that every day is wonderful.

It’s the biggest compliment for me to have a customer say they loved the food.

What dishes are your personal favourites?

I love Italian food so my favourite dish on the current menu is the white bean ravioli with crab and smoked tomato. I also love Thai food, we had a Thai chef working with us for five years so we often have Thai-influenced dishes.

I particularly like our salad of roast pumpkin and squid with peanut, lime, chilli and coriander dressing.

How would you describe the average Southside resident?

Thankfully I don’t think there is an average Southside resident. Perhaps a love of the outdoors, a slower pace of life and relaxed open spaces make people gravitate towards the area.

There are lots of families because it’s a great place to raise kids, but there is a huge mixture of nationalities.

Besides Lucy's, what's your favourite restaurant in Southside?

I like Mijas for the view and the resident singers and Spices in Repulse Bay to dine in the open air. My daughter loves Pizza Express and dim sum – so we will be trying the new Chung’s Cuisine in Stanley Plaza.

What do you do in your down time?

In the summer we always go to France. I like the slower pace of life and the chance to really relax. I love going to the market and buying local produce, the variety of foods is amazing and I am always inspired to get into the kitchen. I also love gardening and spend a good deal of time outside.

What keeps you living in Southside?

I feel very lucky to live in South Bay, with the beach and country park on my doorstep and yet Central is only 20 mins away. I also like Stanley; you can buy almost everything you need and I love the fact that there are lots of familiar faces, people who have been working in the market since long before Lucy’s opened. I hope that doesn’t change.

Any favourite outdoor activities?

I like to meet friends for a barbecue and swim on South Bay Beach, and play tennis and hike in Tai Tam with my dog.

How would you like to see Southside develop?

I’d like more parking – it’s a nightmare at weekends. I’d also like to see the Pulse open in Repulse Bay and have a place to dine on the beach in South Bay.

66 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK