Sai Kung & Clearwater Bay Magazine June 2012

How to

JubileeSCHOOL’s OUT!

June 2012

Readers’ Choice AwardsWho gets your vote?

Summer camps for kids

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JUNE 2012

"gawD blEss YOU, Ma'aM"

HIKEs

42 Talk of the devilJackie Peers walks off a Lei Yue Mun lunch.

TRaVEl

44 Freewheelin’ TaiwanBy bike across the Republic of China.

PETs

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

gaRDENINg

47 Ugly bug ballThe truth about moths and other critters.

MaRKETPlaCE

48 Your guide to shops and servicesCool stuff to buy and do.

THE PlaNNER

4 Happening in JuneFather’s Day, Diamond Jubilee and dragon boats.

lETTERs

8 Have your saySai Kung cowboys, a call for express buses and praising Firenze.

NEws

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

INTERVIEw

13 The official viewHow new Sai Kung District Officer Maureen Siu sees it.

lOCal

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

VINEs IN saI KUNg

16 Death and trampersStephen Vines on columbaria and country park rules.

FEaTURE

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

wINE

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

EaTINg

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

REaDERs’ CHOICE awaRDs

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

PROPERTY

33 A place in the sunThe lap of luxury at Suralai Villas, Koh Samui.

INTERIORs

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

EDUCaTION

38 Green is goldSay g’day to the Australian International School.

HEalTH & bEaUTY

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

bIRD aT MY wINDOw

53 Oriental magpie robinDavid Diskin on Hong Kong birds.

ClassIFIEDs

56 Local property, holiday letsAnd loads of other random stuff.

baCK PagE

58 Last Orders gets road ragePlus photo competition.

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happening in juneplanner

EnDS JUn 24AnniEThe little redhead and her hard-knock life hits the stage in this West End production starring Su Pollard, David McAlister and a cast of Hong Kong “orphans” (left). Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $330-$950 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

JUn 23TUEn nG DrAGOnBOAT FESTiVAL Hear them roar – and maybe watch them sink. Sai Kung waterfront, 8am-1.30pm, followed by a carnival in the waterfront square 2pm-5pm, or Sha Tin Shing Mun River (near Banyan Bridge) from 8am-2pm.

EnDS JUn 24LE FrEnCH MAYMay’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.

EnDS JUL 31PiCASSO – MASTErPiECES FrOM MUSEE nATiOnAL PiCASSO, PAriSThe 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 1-3SUMMErTiME wiTH SCOTTY & LULUHong Kong’s homegrown clowns take a magic carpet ride in a sunny show of music, dance and silliness for pre-schoolers. Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $108-$388 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

JUn 2SUMMEr GArAGE SALEGet ready to rummage for pre-loved goodies in the best garage sale in Sai Kung. 9.30am-1pm, Car Park, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clearwater Bay Road. Details from Jean Hudson on 9045 5942, [email protected].

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

JUn 5QUEEn’S DiAMOnD JUBiLEETug your forelocks, subjects. The day after the Queen’s (official) Birthday is a public holiday in Britain.

JUn 3DiAMOnD JUBiLEE LUnCHA Big Lunch street party to celebrate 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II. Live music, dancing, great food and prizes for the best “diamond”. Tickets $480. Noon, Garden Bar, Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Pak Sha Wan, 2719 9682

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AUG 4SnOw PATrOL LiVEThe Northern Irish alt rock band plays AsiaWorld-Expo, Lantau. Standing tickets only, $580-$780 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

AUG 25THE BEACH BOYSYes, those Beach Boys – still touring after 50 years. Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai. Tickets $588-$1,888 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288

If you have an event in Sai Kung, email the details to [email protected]

BOOK nOw JUL 24THE STOnE rOSES rEUniOn TOUrThe 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.

june

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

JUn 29SCHOOL’S OUTEnd of the academic year for ESF schools.

JUn 7QUiz niGHTGive the old noggin a workout. 8pm, Agua Plus, 72 Po Tung Road, Sai Kung, 2791 2030.

JUn 7-10 ASiA YOGA COnFErEnCEMass harmony as yoga masters from around the world gather to teach their individual disciplines at all levels. Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, www.asiayogaconference.com.

JUn 8LiVE MUSiC niGHTStolen Thunder performs at Steamers’ popular mic night. 66 Yi Chun Street, Sai Kung, 2792 6991, www.steamerssaikung.com.

JUn 9 CAr BOOT SALEBag a bargain while the kids are busy with the bouncy castle and ice-cream van. All welcome. Tickets $20 (family $50). 9am-noon, car park, ESF Abacus International Kindergarten, Mang Kung Uk, Clearwater Bay.

JUn 9CHArTiS CUPEnglish Premiership rugby champions Saracens, take on an all-star BGC APBs team. Plus junior and veteran tournaments and a family-friendly Rugby Village. Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po. Tickets $300 (children $50) from www.chartiscup.com.

JUn 15MAniCUrE niGHTMartinis and manicures for the girls ($200); darts for the boys ($100). Garden Bar, Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Pak Sha Wan. Bookings essential for a manicure, 2719 8300.

JUn 13, 27QUiz niGHTPit your wits at Hebe One O One. 8.30pm. 112 Pak Sha Wan, 2335 5515.

JUn 17CHiPPEnDALES MOST wAnTED TOUrSix-packs, striptease and lots of body butter. Over-18s only. Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai. Tickets $380-$580 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

JUn 22-24inTErnATiOnAL MiLiTArY TATTOO Military brass bands from all around the world gather. Free performances 3pm-4pm in the Plaza, Sha Tin (June 23) and the Cultural Centre Piazza (June 24). Daily performances at Hong Kong Coliseum, Tsim Sha Tsui East, 7pm. Tickets $100-$300, www.urbtix.hk, 2111 5999.

JUn 24JASOn MrAz – TOUr iS A FOUr-LETTEr wOrDMr 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 17FATHEr’S DAYBe nice to dad.

JUL 12-22SALTiMBAnCOCirque du Soleil’s, fantastical modern circus. AsiaWorld-Arena, Lantau. Tickets $349-$788 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Enrol now for

Summer Fun Programme 2012

(3 rd July to 17 th August)

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For over 30 years Woodland has set the standard in Hong Kongfor quality pre-school education. With ten schools,

Woodland offers classes for children aged up to six years.

For further information please contactMrs. Deirdre Hamilton at 2813 0290:

Shop D, G/F Marina Cove Shopping Centre, Sai Kung.Tel: 2813 0290 Email: [email protected]

Pre-School Early Pre-School

Extra Curricular Clubs

Buses available for neighbouring areas

Sai Kung

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have your sayletters

Cowboy vigilantes?

The mighty 101 green minibus which plies between Sai Kung and Hang Hau is a precious lifeline to the city and evening commuters are accustomed to patiently queuing for it in the airless fug of the Hang Hau bus terminus. However, rush hour on May 8 was spiced with a new frisson of danger as a queue of more than 150 (left) extended towards Ping Shun Road outside the terminus to the evident concern of bus drivers trying to find their way in.

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

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

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

Firenze makes the grade

Hang Hau harumph

Please email your letters to [email protected]. We may edit for length.

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

I dialled the police, at which point the bull escaped and I heard a man shouting from across the road wanting to know what they were doing. The ringleader raced off to get his car and the whole “team” leaped into it and raced away, leaving the bull with rope still trailing from his neck.

The other man was equally horrified by what he

had seen. Luckily he had the car’s registration number and waited with me for the police.

Who were the motley crew of cow-catchers? If they were AFCD, why were they doing such a shoddy job? It would be interesting to hear what the AFCD has to say.L. BirdseySai Kung

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

As I climbed out of the car, I was mobbed by a group of helpers all brandishing sticks and carrying ropes. I explained about the man and the rottweiler. A British man arrived and angrily told me the man had not taken his dog over to the cows. He informed me aggressively, it was my word against theirs. Feeling a bit like Ralph in “Lord of the Flies”, I walked off, but turned around to see the whole group walking over to the cows waving sticks.

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

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news

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kids Learn Mandarin is available in the App Store for US$0.99. For details, visit www.kidslearnmandarin.com.

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

Working with the Teng Hoi Conservation Organization, the school has installed a British-made Rocket composter that efficiently converts leftovers such as chicken noodles, rice and bak choy into

food for herbs or plants. Since the composter is an enclosed system, pests cannot access the waste and any potentially harmful pathogens are destroyed.

“In essence, the Rocket composter is a self-contained, continuous-cycle composting unit,” says George Woodman,

director at the Teng Hoi Conservation Organization, which initiated and operates the project.

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

More Sam’s Jams

Making the most of school lunch leftovers

Mandarin app for kids

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 11

in the know

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

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

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

Save our strays

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

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

The petition aims to show the

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

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

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

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

“We kept the petition neutral and tried to answer some of the critical points,” Buechi said. “Everybody in the community would benefit from better handling of the stray-dog problem: neutered strays, less fighting, less roaming,


news

GrapevineThe Clearwater Bay School Cookbook is selling fast. Langley Allbritton, a prime mover behind the book, says more than half the printed copies have sold in the first month, and supplies are limited. Pick up a copy at CWBS PTA office, Dymocks (7 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung), or The Reading Room (21 Hoi Pong Road, Sai Kung old town waterfront). All proceeds go to the Parent Teacher Association, which plans to use the money to buy outdoor furniture for the school.

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

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

In a reversal of roles, students will be serving tea, cakes, and entertainment to their helpers at an afternoon tea on the day which they have named Jie Jie Day.

Teacher Kathryn Bignold, who is helping co-ordinate the event, explained “Jie Jie” meant big sister in Chinese and is often used by children to address their helpers.

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

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

and spoil them for a change.“We want our students to take stock of

how lucky they are to have these people in their lives who love and care for them.”

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

schools throughout Hong Kong.“I have already received a

call from a teacher from another school saying they want to do the same thing.”

The event is being organised by students as part of the creativity, action and service programme (CAS) requirement

in the International Baccalaureate curriculum, which the college follows.

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


the official viewinterview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are 28 secondary, 28 primary, 59 kindergartens/child care centres and four special schools in Sai Kung District. According to the Education Bureau, the supply of school places can fully meet demand.

The not-in-my-backyard syndrome is common in societies. The landfill in Tseung Kwan O is essential for Hong Kong.

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

received complaints that we are cleaning the roads too frequently. The Hiram’s Highway Improvement Project aims to improve the deteriorating traffic condition by providing additional road capacity, improving the road alignment and providing better pedestrian crossing facilities.

Stage 1 will cover the section between Clearwater Bay Road and Pak Wai, Ho Chung Road and Luk Mei Tsuen Road. Stage 2 will be for the section from Marina Cove to Sai Kung town, Po Tung Road and Tai Mong Tsai Road to Sha Ha.

The Transport Department is conducting a review that will include moving the public transport interchange, modifying traffic flows, erecting additional signage for parking. The measures would hopefully improve the traffic congestion of Sai Kung town.

when we say “Sai Kung”, many people think about the old town and the neighbouring rural area. Sai Kung District covers also the new town of Tseung Kwan O, a vibrant urban centre catering to a community fast reaching 400,000.

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

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

Since SArS in 2003, more locals recognize the importance of outdoor activities. Hiking, boating and fishing are more popular. Eco-tourism is gaining popularity.

we expect tourism to grow rapidly. This will bring business and job opportunities to Sai Kung. In the case of the Geopark, we are pleased that, through funding

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

Tseung Kwan O is essential for Hong Kong.


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

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

“I can’t believe something so crass could be done. It will take away the nature of the old village. It’s like putting an airport hanger in Statue Square or a four-storey

local

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

Drawing the battle lines

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

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

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

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

Brian Tilbrook

Sai Kung is published by Fast Media Ltd. This magazine is published on the understanding that the publishers, advertisers, contributors and their employees are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors and omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication. The publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of any action or omission by this pub-lication. Sai Kung cannot be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies provided by ad-vertisers or contributors. The views herein are not necessarily shared by the staff or pubishers. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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Carolynne DearAdele Rosi

Hazel KnowlesDr Carmel Taylor MVB

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in your backyard

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

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

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

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

Supreme Court Building and the walled village of Tsang Tai Uk in Sha Tin.

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

Tilbrook, whose works include many large-scale murals around Hong Kong, praised residents for the work they had done in helping to preserve the village, which dates back to the late 19th century. Some of the building exteriors have remained virtually unchanged and several have been listed as worthy of preservation by the government’s Antiquities and Monuments Office.

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

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

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

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

He also pointed out that Pak

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

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

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


stephen saysvines in sai kung

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

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

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

So, here’s the problem – everyone is going to die and, therefore, there need to be places for the deceased to rest. That much is clear. But equally clear is the fact that no one seems to want the remains of the dead to be located anywhere near where they live.

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

That brings us back to not-in-my-backyard. There is no easy solution but the fact is that in Sai Kung, for example, we have considerable experience of living alongside the deceased – hillside locations are very popular for graves and thus many people live in their shadow. To the best of my knowledge this causes no problems.

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

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

The countryside rulesI’m a pretty determined hiker and venture out in the hills even in these hot and sweaty months. But while communing with nature a strong streak of intolerance swells up in my head. I am not selfish about wanting to have the countryside to myself, but if I had my way – a rare occurrence – I would have certain things banned. For starters:

• All radios and other noisy appliances played at full blast on country trails would be confiscated.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

EASY AS. .)

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

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

A CB

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

C is for CampingGet 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. Activities include surfing, kayaking, kite surfing and skim boarding. Accommodation is in hand-painted, air-conditioned Native American teepees on a luxuriously sized lawn with a cafe and barbecue pits. Don’t forget to book a bonfire pit and pack a bag of marshmallows for the full camping experience. For details, call 2980 4822 or email [email protected].

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


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

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

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

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

I is for ice skatingCool off at Hong Kong’s indoor ice-skating rinks. Cityplaza Ice Skate (www.icepalace.com.hk) in Tai Koo Shing has more than 29 coaches offering private and group classes. Mega Ice at MegaBox (www.megaice.com.hk) also has ice hockey and skating classes. And at Elements in West Kowloon, eco-friendly The Rink (www.rink.com.hk) has figure skating and ice hockey classes and Octopus cards are accepted for entry. Doot!

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

E is for EquestrianGiddy up to Clearwater Bay Equestrian & Education Centre for summer riding camps for juniors (aged five to 10 years) and seniors (aged 11-15). And look for discounted riding lessons and livery offers. Details at www.ceec.hk, 6398 6241, [email protected].

j is for Junks

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

K is for KayakingA boot camp for older teens (aged 16 and up), Global Adventure’s Adventure Leader Programme on Pui O Beach, Lantau, includes kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, gorging and expedition planning. After four weeks facing challenges in the great outdoors, campers will learn independence, leadership and teamwork. Session one runs July 2-28, session two runs July 16-August 11. Details at www.globaladventurescn.com, 2546 3543.

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

L is for LegoIf the kids are looking for an ideas booster and you’re hoping to avoid tiny bricks in the shag pile, try Lego Education Center camps. Based in Prince Edward, Kowloon, the centre offers week-long day camps for children aged three to eight years. Themes include World, Adventure, Robotics and Game Maker and the camps involve a two-hour workshop every day. Details at 2728 8691, www.legoeducation.com.hk.

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

O is for Outward BoundOutward Bound Hong Kong has a wide range of programmes this summer, including kayaking, camping, hiking and an overseas expedition to Taiwan for the over-18s aboard the 67ft yacht, the Spirit of Outward Bound Hong Kong. Hong Kong-based courses run for five or eight days, with accommodation in Sai Kung. Camps cater for children from age eight. Details at 2791 3228, [email protected], www.outwardbound.org.hk.

M is for MandarinLeapfrog Kindergarten in Sai Kung Country Park is offering Mandarin as part of its two-week summer programme, which also includes phonics and numeracy. For details, visit www.leapfrogkindergarten.org or call 2791 1540. And check out the YWCA’s Mandarin for Munchkins summer courses for children as young as three. It combines Mandarin with games, music, dancing, storytelling, drama and craft. Details at [email protected].

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


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P is for PotteryAt the charming, cottage-inspired Sunflower studio in Wan Chai, children can decorate plates, mugs, picture frames and more to be fired in a kiln, ready to be picked up in a couple of days. Studio fees are $150 for 90 minutes, $130 each for groups of four to six, or $100 each for groups of seven-12. Details at www.myhappysunflower.com, 2511 2538.

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

R is for recipesAspiring junior masterchefs can cook to their hearts’ content at Eat My Words. Its “Language By Cooking” classes teach children aged five to 10 to prepare French dishes while practising their language skills in English, French or Mandarin. Classes run July 2 to August 18, Monday to Saturday, 10am-11.30am or 3pm-4.30pm. $2,600 for five classes. Booking required at www.eatmywords.com.hk, 9544 7171. Easy English for Kids is also running cooking language sessions at its Sai Keng premises. For details, visit www.eek.com.hk. eatmywords.com.hk, 9544 7171.

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

T is for TennisNothing says summer like the soft thwack of a tennis ball against a racquet. Budding Rafas have plenty of opportunity to hit the courts. Monster Tennis coach Lea (tel: 9048 2810) will be teaching children as young as two throughout the summer at Sai Kung tennis courts. And ESF Educational Services (www.esf.org.hk) is running Australasia Tennis Aces camps at King George V School and the Hong Kong Tennis Centre in July and August.

U is for Under-fivesSKIP pre-school in Che Keng Tuk is running its popular summer Paint & Play sessions for children aged one to five, accompanied by an adult. Fun themes include Goldilocks, Monkey Puzzle and Commotion in the Ocean. Monday-Friday, 9.30am-11.30pm, $120 a session. Details at 2791 7354, www.skip.edu.hk.

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

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W is for wet & wildFive days of watersport action in Sai Kung, organised by Blue Sky sports club.

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

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

Y is for YachtingSet sail this summer at Hebe Haven Yacht Club’s week-long Water Sports Adventure Weeks – sailing, raft building, mini-Olympics, junk trips and more – in July and August as well as Optimist and HKSF registered sailing courses for six- to 15-year-olds. Details from the Sailing Training Centre Administrator, 2719 0926, [email protected].

Z is for zzzPull up a sunbed, take a siesta.

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



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.

wineFilling in the blancsSauvignon blanc is more complex than they’d have you believe, says Master of wine Tim Atkin.

In what must rank as one of the wittier put-downs, writer Dorothy Parker once described the performance of Katharine Hepburn in a Broadway play as “running the gamut of emotions from A to B”. To listen to some people, sauvignon blanc deserves similar notices: a one-dimensional grape with a narrow range of aromas and flavours.

Sauvignon blanc may not have the diversity of its two white wine rivals, chardonnay or riesling, but it’s a lot more complex than its critics would have you believe. Taste a Loire sauvignon blanc from say, Sancerre, alongside one from New Zealand, Chile or South Africa and the differences can be quite marked.

A few years ago, an enterprising producer in the Loire sought to cash in on the booming popularity of Marlborough sauvignon blanc by calling his wine Kiwi Cuvée, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. The wine didn’t have the gooseberry and tropical fruit characters that are so typical of wines from the South Island.

Talking of which, sauvignon blanc wouldn’t be as well known as it is today without New Zealand generally and one highly successful brand in particular. Other producers had pioneered the grape in what used to be sheep country in the early 1970s, but it wasn’t until the first vintage of Cloudy Bay in 1986 that sauvignon blanc caught the public’s eye.

All of a sudden, the grape was in the spotlight. Until then, it had skulked in the shadows, the

equivalent of a vinous walk-on part. Yes, it made some great wines in the Loire and Bordeaux, its twin French homes, but it rarely featured on wine labels. You had to know (or be told) that Sancerre and white Graves were made from sauvignon or you were in the dark.

Cloudy Bay changed all that. The wine may not be as exciting today as it was back then, partly because it’s produced in much bigger quantities, but it still merits a place in the history of modern wine. The amusing thing is that, according to one insider, it was nearly called something else. Instead of Cloudy Bay, New Zealand’s most celebrated sauvignon blanc might have been called… Farewell Spit.

Sauvignon blanc is nearly always made as a dry wine, although there are sweet and sparkling examples on the market, and it’s a key part of the blend in

many sauternes. But within the dry camp, there are lots of different styles: oaked (fumé blanc in California and in Bordeaux’s Pessac-Léognan

region), flinty and restrained (the Loire), grapefruity (Chile), green bean-scented (South Africa) and gooseberry and passion-fruity (New Zealand). Those are only generalizations, of course. There are at least half a dozen regional styles in New Zealand alone.

Its critics may disapprove, but sauvignon blanc is popular because it’s so drinkable: crisp, zingy and refreshing, a wine that works equally well as an aperitif or with seafood. It may not stretch from A to Z, but not many grapes do. A to P perhaps?

EventsJUnE 5Seeing 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, [email protected].

Instead of Cloudy Bay, New Zealand's most celebrated

sauvignon blanc might have been called... Farewell Spit.


he nose

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.

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.

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.

wines to tryTim Atkin recommends three of the best sauvignon blancs at watson's wine Cellar.


barbie queue

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

Best for a day-trip Hap Mun Bay One of the loveliest bays in Sai Kung, Hap Mun has a white beach to play on, rocks to scramble over, sea slugs and other critters to snorkel and a marked track around the entire Kiu Tsui Island – Hong Kong’s smallest country park. The barbecues are located in the grassy campsite just behind the beach, and there’s a kiosk selling cold drinks and hot noodles. The LCSD facilities have had a makeover in rustic wood rather than utilitarian steel. How to get there: Catch a kaido from Sai Kung waterfront (about $20).

Best-kept secret Sai Kung Martyrs war Memorial With swathes of grass and barbecues surrounded by stone seating, this is more upscale than the average Hong Kong fire-pit. The long park has gentle grassy slopes, good for rolling down, atop a low headland surrounded by trees giving it a babes-in-the-wood appeal. There’s a pagoda shelter and toilet block, and if you wander further down the road, there’s a tiny beach overlooking Jade Bay. How to get there: Bus 94 or 96R, minibus 7, to the war memorial turning, and follow the road downhill for about 100m; the barbecues are on the right and there is roadside parking.

Best for kite-flyingTai Hang TunPerched at the tip of the Clearwater Bay peninsula, with stunning views of the Nine Pins Islands, this is one of the few places in Hong Kong breezy enough to fly a kite. There are several barbecue sites around the park and plenty of other activities to keep you busy, including a tree walk, playground and short hikes. A shop sells kites if you forget to bring your own. How to get there: Bus 91, minibuses 103M or 16 to Tai Man Au Road. Parking available.

Best for ballgameswan Tsai west Campsite

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

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

eating


barbie queue

Best for cyclists Yung Shue O By cyclists we mean both freewheeling family groups and mad-for-it mountain bikers. The flat, single-track road that runs for a couple of kilometres along the east coast of Three Fathoms Cove is great for families – especially now a barrier controls car access at weekends. And one of Hong Kong’s few authorised mountain-bike trails starts two-thirds of the way along. There are a couple of barbecue sites, both with flat grassy areas and great sea views.How to get there: Bus 99 or 299 to Shui Long Wo, then take Kei Ling Ha turning. Park at the paintball centre in Yung Shue O.

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

ingredients150g sugar100g dark chocolate100g butter 2 tbsp golden syrup1 tsp vanilla essence90g plain flourPinch of baking powderPinch of salt

MethodPreheat oven to 180 deg C. Line and grease a 20cm loose-based cake tin.

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

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

the bowl touch the water). Set aside.

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

Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and beat to combine. Add the syrup and vanilla, beat to combine. Gently stir in the flour mixture, and pour into the prepared tin.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. The cake will still be wobbly in the centre but don’t over-bake or it will be dry. Allow to cool completely in the tin. Chill in the fridge prior to serving to make it more “fudgy”.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.


Hebe Haven Yacht Club is holding a right royal knees-up to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. Organized by the same crew as its successful Royal Wedding Party last year (left), the street-

party lunch will have live jazz, a Pearly king and queen, dancing, prizes for best “diamond”, lashings of bunting and a proper British buffet. Tickets $480. Noon, June 3, Pak Sha Wan, 2719 9682, www.hhyc.org.hk.

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

Dymocks Festival of Food & Wine in June sees discounts of 10-15 per cent on selected cookbooks including new titles, and Laithwaites Wine is offering three free bottles of old-vine French reds with selected orders. Details at www.laithwaiteswine.hk. Dymocks, 7 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung, www.dymocks.com.hk.

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

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

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

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

nibbles

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

Entry deadline July 20, 2012

Suralai Private VillaFive days and four nights in a luxury villa in Koh Samui, Thailand. Suralai, www.suralai.com

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

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

HYPOXI training for two2x3 sessions of all-natural & targeted body-shaping HYPOXI-Method®. Valued at $7,988. HYPOXI, 2537 6637, www.hypoxi.hk

Sai Kung Readers’ Choice Awards2012

Sponsors

vote & win

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

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

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Weekend Barbecue Buffet for four Pool Bar Weekend Barbecue Buffet Dinner for four persons, valued at $1,795. Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin, 3723 1234, hongkong.www.shatin.hyatt.com.

Welcome to our third annual Readers’ Choice Awards. Win one of our brilliant prizes by telling us what you love most about Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay.

Thanks for your feedback, now tear out these pages and pop them in the mail for a chance to

win one of our great prizes. Or visit

and vote online

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Best-kept village

Best place to take visitors

Best beach

Best hike

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PHONE NuMBER

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CONTACTPlease print clearly.

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For further information, email our Marketing Department at [email protected] or call 2776 2772.

The Readers' Choice Awards will be announced in the September issue of Sai Kung Magazine, out September 1, 2012.

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

What should be done with the feral cows?

° Butcher King

° Move them to greener pastures

° let them be

What to do about the traffic?

° Get on with supersizing Hiram’s Highway

° Express bus service to Central at rush hour

° More right-hand turning lanes

° leave early and carry a book

More bicycle lanes?

° Yes

° No

What do we need more of? (Tick all that apply)

° Alfresco dining

° Boat moorings

° Events in the square

° Estate agents

What planned development are you looking forward to?

(Tick all that apply)

° Nullah park

° Waterfront hotel

° Nine Pins wind farm

° New schools (Kellett, HK Academy, Harrow)

° New stadium and town square

Sai Kung issue I care most about

Improvement I most want to see

What would you like to see in Sai Kung Magazine?

vote & win

fOlD INSIDE

Sai Kung MagazineRoom 2B, floor l1,222 Queen’s Road Central,Hong Kong

Send in your answer & win

1 fill in Readers’ Choice Awards 2 Rip out the awards pages 3 fold into thirds 4 Stick or staple the edges 5 Affix stamp and post

6 Wait to hear if you’ve won a fabulous prize

> > > >Sai Kung Readers’ Choice Awards2012

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STAMpheRe

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property

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

lap of luxury

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

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

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

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

the neighbouring island of Koh Phang Ngan, home to the world-famous full-moon parties. We recommend you take it all in from the red-leather chaise longue, near the polished white breakfast island, while kicking back with a minty mojito prepared by the villa’s resident chefs.

Like the interiors, the outdoor areas are elegant and modern, with stylish deck chairs, circular daybeds and alfresco dining areas. The infinity pool is a thing of beauty: a 20-metre rectangle of crystal blue that spills into the surrounding jungle, with a swim-up bar (because it wouldn’t be a holiday without one) and a large sala pavilion

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


property

It’s a place made for indulging whims, not least because there’s a full team of staff at your beck and call. The chefs work with you daily to dream up menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you’re dining in. They’ll take care of the shopping and will have meals ready when you are, paired with wine from the villa’s own cellar. Next morning, you can work it off at the fitness centre on site. Or opt for an in-house spa treatment.

There are six en-suite guest rooms, including two master suites with terrazzo bathtubs, three king-size bedrooms and a twin room. Each is fitted with a 30-inch plasma TV, DVD player, iPod dock, surround-sound system and 300 thread count cotton bedlinen.

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


property

For details, visit www.suralai.com.

Suralai’s villa manager acts as an in-house concierge. She knows the island like the back of her hand and will help you plan your stay. For a day at the beach, for example, the villa has access to the private beach at the five-star Sala Samui Resort, along with exclusive discounts on food and drink at the hotel’s restaurants.

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


interiors

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

Say it with stickersLondon-themed stickers, Accessorize, Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong.

London-lickin’ goodRoyal cupcake cases for a proper afternoon tea. $35 for 60, Accessorize, Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong.

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

Brilliant buntingFabric or paper, fancy or plain, it

wouldn’t be a party without lashings of bunting. Prices vary, Accessorize,

Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong.

True BriT


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Diamonds are foreverDon’t forget your tiara, $85, Seed, 2803 1677, www.seedheritage.com

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

Plump it upUnion 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.

Go gourmetThere’s more to London dining than jellied eels and pie and mash. Famous foodies Terence Conran and Peter Prescott dish up the best food in the English capital. Eat London 2: All About Food, $250, good bookshops.

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


educationGreen dreams

Tell us about AiSHK: why and when was it set up?The school opened on Australia Day (January 26), 1995, welcoming 25 eager students. We now teach more than 1,100 pupils from reception at age four to Year 12 graduation. In the past 15 years, more than 95 per cent of graduating students have gone on to study at top universities throughout the world.

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

Leonie Drew, co-head of the Australian international School, reveals how the Kowloon school is moving forwards.

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

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

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

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

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

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


Access to leArning for All One student is receiving learning support. One is not. Bet you can’t tell the difference.

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

Small School, Big Ideas

one clAssroom teAcher.

one leArner support teAcher.

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SURF HONG KONG_120x93.indd 1 07/05/2012 6:00 PM

g’day

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

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

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

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


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health & beauty

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

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

How did the concept come about? BabyFit was born largely out of my own experience. Having always been into fitness, I was keen to get back into exercising soon after I had my baby girl last year and went about it the wrong way. I tried to do too much too quickly and found myself with niggling injuries. This got me thinking about the best way to ease back into exercise, which led me to carry out research into post-natal exercise and get qualified. There is a lack of qualified post-natal exercise instructors around and post-natal mums have specific requirements. They can be more prone to injury, for example, owing to the lagging effects of the pregnancy hormone relaxin. We also wanted to offer a way that new mums could meet each other and what better way to do this than with your baby in tow. what has the reaction been? We’ve been thrilled by how well the idea has been received. BabyFit offers a new exercise concept in the city and we have had requests for classes from Happy Valley, The Peak, Southside, Pok Fu Lam, Discovery Bay and Tung Chung. We are excited about how far we can spread our reach.


strollercize

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

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

Top three tips for new mothers? Get out of the house – for a walk, a trip to the shops or a coffee. Try to organise a few regular activities that you can look forward to each week. Don't fret so much that you forget to enjoy the experience: motherhood is a magical thing.

what do you hope for BabyFit in the next couple of years? I would like for us to be at the forefront of people’s minds when they're thinking about getting back in shape after having a baby. We would like to be established in a number of locations across the city and we're looking to take our business to other parts of Asia.


hikes

Fishy businessJackie 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

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

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.

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.


travel

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

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

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

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

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

Freewheeling TaiwanTom Hilditch and Jay Forster cycle through the republic of China.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


saddle up

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

Throughout days three, four and five, things start falling into place. We evolve. Trivial comforts such as dry shoes, clean socks or pleated trousers hold little value. The iPhone remains switched to “airplane mode”, the playlist gets tight. Stuff is jettisoned. The handlebar bag gets organized. We start to trust our bikes and not care about the weather. We love and then reject 7-Eleven with its swag of toxic brain-fuzz. Just bananas from here on. A bit more balance. A bit more strength.

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

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

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

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

Flying back to Hong Kong, we happen to see a map of the world in the back of the inflight magazine. And there is the island of Taiwan, and there’s our journey.

Fly with a bike

1. Airlines accept boxed bikes as check-in baggage as long as it weighs less than 20kg. Sun Ping Bicycles will box bikes at 21A Tak Lung Back Street, Sai Kung, 2792 3116. 2. Bike boxes fit perfectly in the back of Hong Kong cabs and Taiwan cabs. 3. Taipei is full of bicycle shops and it is also the home of Giant Bicycles, which sells bikes for about half the cost of one in Hong Kong. 4. Webjet online travel agency offers flights to Taipei from $970. For details, email [email protected].

safasfa


hiss....pets

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

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

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

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

• Do not attempt to move a snake on your premises. Instead, call your local police station (Sai Kung, tel: 3661 1630), which will arrange for a local “snake whisperer” to remove it.

• Keep your dog on a lead when you are walking to avoid provocation. Many snakes do not evenomate fully on the first bite, but dogs who counterattack often receive multiple bites, and potentially more venom.

• If your dog is bitten, your vet may need to identify the species. Try to remember the size and colour of the snake, and remember that most

of us are armed with communication devices that also take photographs. Do not attempt to kill the snake for ID purposes.

• Try to keep your bitten dog as quiet as possible. Do not try to suck the wound or open it with a knife. Tourniquets are also inadvisable. Some experts

recommend bandaging the affected area, but in Hong Kong, about 80 per cent of bites are attributed to the venomous

bamboo viper, where compression may be more damaging than beneficial. Also most dogs get bitten on the face, which is

not easily bandaged.

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

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

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

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


gardening ugly bug ballgardeningFlying visit Jane ram learns to value moths.

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.

June garden tasks

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

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

Butterflies and moths share similar tastes. If you would like to attract more of them to your garden Roger recommends such easily

grown favourites as duranta, all types of clerodendrum, pentas, plumbago

(but keep it out of reach of small children as it is poisonous), Ligustrum sinense (Chinese

privet) and citrus, especially types with large flowers and those that bloom throughout the year. All moths and

butterflies love lantana, but keep it under control as it is a rampant grower. White flowers show up well after dark and if they are scented they will draw moths like magnets.

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

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

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

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

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

Planthoppers and hoya. Top: Atlas moth.


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BOOKSThe reading room (Sai Kung) [email protected]

BUiLDErSYuki international Contractors9884-5824

BAnKnational Australia [email protected]

CHiLDrEn’S ACTiViTiESLittle Hands workshop5431-3122 [email protected]

CArPETBrooks Thompson Ltd2851-3665 [email protected]

Phoenix Carpet Care Ltd2328-2287/ 9517-5436 [email protected]

COwSSai Kung Buffalo watch9781-4703

DESiGnSai Kung Magazine, Magazines and Brochures9811-9526 [email protected]

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Your guide to shops and services


[email protected]

Ohh La La restaurant2984-8710booking@oohlala-hk.comwww.treasureislandhk.com

EMErGEnCYAmbulance Centre2735-3355

Marine rescue2803-6267

ESTATE AGEnTSThe Property Shop 2719-3977 [email protected] www.thepropertyshop.com.hk

EMErGEnCYAmbulance Centre2735-3355

Marine rescue2803-6267

ESTATE AGEnTSThe Property Shop 2719-3977 [email protected] www.thepropertyshop.com.hk

FOOD & winEwine Store [email protected] www.winestore.com.hk

Pacific Rich Resources Group2316-7290 [email protected]

GArDEnS & LAnDSCAPELeisure Turf and Landscape Limited2579-0323 / 9487-4710 [email protected]

HAnDYMAnindo Handyman2578-1865 [email protected]

Marco Electrician & Plumber6190-8051

HEALTH & BEAUTYCambridge weight Plan Hong Kong9618-1777 / 9045-5942 www.cambridgeweightplan.hk

Curves 2234-9800 www.curveshongkong.com

Lai Hing Lok Foot Massage6690-3658 [email protected]


Sabai Day Spa 2791-2259 [email protected] www.sabaidayspa.comSense of Touch [email protected]

Somatic Pilates with Mira9102-4975 [email protected]

Tala’s Health and Beauty Centre2335-1694 info@talashairandbeautycentre.comwww.talashairandbeautycentre.com

weight watchers2813-0814 [email protected]

HiKESwalk Hong Kong 9187-8641 [email protected] www.walkhongkong.com

HOME FUrniSHinGSChez Uno 2791-9662/ 2723 8990 www.chezuno.com

Everything Under The Sun2554-9088 info@everythingunderthesun.com.hkwww.everythingunderthesun.com.hk

Life's A Breeze 2572-4000 [email protected] www.lifesabreezehk.com

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HOME MOniTOrinGAFSCO / Security Electrified Fence2880-0512 [email protected]

HOUSE PAinTinGMarco 6190-8051 [email protected]

inSUrAnCEKwiksure insurance3113-1331 [email protected] www.kwiksure.com

inTEriOr DESiGnBox Design2573-3323 [email protected]


aka Apus nipalensis

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.


Spend a day on location with Jackie Peers & your camera

Photography Courses

from bustling market place to the tranquillity of an abandoned village.

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

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

Prices are available for each.

Contact [email protected] mobile 9121 1470

JCAw Consultants2524-9988 [email protected] Studio Annetta9849-1216 [email protected] XSS Limited [email protected] www.thexss.com

MOVErSwriters relocasia2976-9969 [email protected]

Crown relocations2636-8388 [email protected] www.crownworldwide.com

Expert-Transport & relocations warehouse2566-4799www.expertmover.hk

warehouse removals-Local & international Moving service 9125-2611 [email protected]

PEST COnTrOLBiocycle 3575 2575 [email protected]

Christian Environmental Health 2370-9236 [email protected]

Hong Kong Ships' Fumigation Co., Ltd. 2891-2730 / 2891-9907 [email protected]

PETS & VETSAnimal Behaviour Vet Practice 9618-2475 [email protected] www.petbehaviourhk.com

b dog Tokyo(Grooming, spa, hotel)2791-6555 [email protected]/bdog.tokyo

Best Friends Veterinary Hospital 2792-8555

Dr Carmel Taylor MVB MrCVS DipAiCVD2549-2330www.cutaneous.com.hk

Ferndale Kennel 2792-4642 [email protected] www.ferndalekennels.com

Pets Central Sai Kung Hospital 2792-0833 [email protected] www.pets-central.com


Vet2Pet 6999-1003 [email protected]

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Jackie Peers9121-1470 [email protected] www.jackiepeers.com

GALLErYSai Kung Gallery2792-3939 [email protected]

PrE-SCHOOLSLeapfrog Kindergarten and Playgroup2791-1540 [email protected]

new Song Christian Kindergarten (Sai Kung) 2791-2472 [email protected] www.newsonghk.com

SKiP (Sai Kung Pre-school)2791-7354 [email protected]

Sunshine House international Pre-schools(Clearwater Bay)23581-3803www.sunshinehouse.com.hk

woodland Group 2813-0290 [email protected] www.woodlandschools.com

SPOrTSHong Kong international Tennis Academy 9048-2810 [email protected] www.hkita.com

TOYSTickitey Boo / Online [email protected] www.tickitey-boo.com

Hong Kong Toy Club8216-3870 [email protected]

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To list your business in our new directory, or to guarantee a listing every month,

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TrAVELwebjet [email protected]

TUiTiOnAntsmart Learning Centre / Playgroup, Math2335-1261 [email protected]

Craft Box9014-3262 [email protected]

Jumpstart Mandarin Learning Centre2791-4838 [email protected]

La Petite France3403-9887 [email protected]

russian Ballet School9505-9305 [email protected]

Sai Kung Tutors 6907-2514 [email protected] www.saikungtutors.com

Spanish Teacher-ilsabeth Hidalgo9043-5105 [email protected]

Vianne's Music wonderland Private Piano Course 6014-9389 [email protected] www.mymusicwonderland.com

YewChung Arts & Language Centre2337-0369 [email protected] www.yalc.edu.hk

iTS Global Education Limited2116-3916 [email protected] www.tuition.com.hk/world

True Communication; Speech, Language & Literacy Services6449-7347 [email protected]

wOrSHiPresurrection Church 2358-3232 www.resurrection.org.hk


LOCAL PrOPErTY OVErSEAS PrOPErTY

CLAirE YEOMAn1400 Sq ft. Duplex with stunning sea views available for rent. 1st and 2nd floors plus roof. Excellent Western style renovation with open plan living area. 3 bedrooms with built-in wardrobes. 2 bathrooms. Car parking. Convenient for public transport. Tsam Chuk Wan, Sai Kung HK$37k/m (neg.) Contact Claire 9735 7090 or email [email protected]

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:[email protected]

STUnninG SEA ViEwSHK$90 KOpen-plan Minimal Style Living.Recently Renovated, 4 Bed Housewith Huge Garden. Light & Airy.Quiet Location off the BeatenTrack but only 15 mins to MTRwww.thepropertyshop.com.hk27193977 C-027656

PHUKET LUXUrY FAMiLY APArTMEnT. Club Lersuang apartment. Sleeps 5. Great value. Master bedroom, 2nd bedroom (3 single beds), self-contained, fully fitted kitchen, pool, gym, restaurant. Visit www.tripadvisor.com and search “Club Lersuang” to see amazing reviews. E-mail: [email protected]

SiLVErSTrAnD GArDEn HSEHK$65KAttractively Renovated Family Home.3 Double Bedrooms & Study, FullyFitted & Equipped Kitchen, Living/Dining Room, Separate Family Room,2 c/p. Just a stroll to shops, beach,MTR& public transportwww.thepropertyshop.com.hk27193977 C-027656

TUiTiOn & COUrSES

HEALTH & wELL BEinG

JESSE TAEKwOnDO & HAPKiDO Korea Kukkiwon Black-belt 5th Dan International Instructor.Provide One-on-One personal training, Group training & Family classes. http://www.supra.com.hk/jessetkdMaster Chow 9467-7787

YOGA with YoYoAsana, Pranayam, Meditation Small size classes within 8 persons location: Sai Kung Town Center, Man Nin St email: [email protected] tel: 9302 3931website: www.yoyoyoga.net

Aussie/US educated Personal Trainer with private studio.Specializing in injury recovery/prevention and improving athletic performance.REAL Experience REAL qualifications, REAL results.Nicks-pt.com or call Nick 9446 9056

PriVATE VOiCE LESSOnS in SAi KUnG Conservatory-trained professional Soprano, recently relocated to Hong Kong offers lessons to students 12 years old and up.All experience levels [email protected] 6266

My Music wonderland PianoVIANNE'S MUSIC WONDERLAND PRIVATE PIANO COURSE @ YOUR HOME - www.mymusicwonderland.com- Experienced tutor accept students aged 3 and over. Student Annual Recital/ Practical Examination/ Competition/ Theory/ Accompaniment/ T:6014 - 9389 for Trial lesson/ [email protected]

MAPLE LEAF TEnniS Singapore has arrived. Children’s, Mini-tennis & advanced adult lessons in Sai Kung. Certified Canadian female tennis pro teaches in English or French 5321-3663 [email protected]@yahoo.com

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

English Tutoring Native English Speaker, Post Graduate Degree Holder, Qualified Teacher offering English lessons for Primary Students in Sai Kung area. Please email [email protected]

MUSiC TUiTiOn AT HOMES.Individual lessons for Piano Repertoire / Music Theory / Piano accompaniment and Aural practice for other instruments' exams/competitions. English/Chinese instruction. Holder of LTCL with Distinction of Trinity College London. Years of teaching experience. Member of professional charity choir. Please call 9336 8059 for details.

Gearing up for summer! Plus Sat work! We need experienced English Native Teachers & bona fide writers for our MOS language centre.Resume to: [email protected] or call 26313661

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

no need to go to Central....Cambridge Weight Plan is in Sai Kung and CWB. We help you create an easy-to-manage daily diet plan and provide motivation and support every step of the way. Call our friendly local consultants today! Alison Barnes 9618 1777Jean Hudson 9045 5942 www.cambridgeweightplan.hk

Qualified & experience yoga teacher available to give private lesson at home .E-mail [email protected] 91526088.


CHAriTiES / COMMUniTY

DOMESTiC HELP

EMPLOYMEnT

HOME DELiVEriES

TrAVELS

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 [email protected].

Need a car in Europe ? Peugeot Open Europe offers the best package:-brand new cars-unlimited mileage-full cover insurance-roadside assistance servicecontact : [email protected]

nEED TO MOVE? Call Warehouse Removals for a free quotation. We have over 15 years of moving experience with English-speaking staff. No job too small. Local / International / Office / Disposal. Call 2789 2205 / 91252611 or email [email protected]

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

CALL 2776 2772

TO PLACE A CLASSiFiED AD

German Kids in Sai KungProvide your children and toddlers with German language activities for their age, contact our Sai Kung German parents community for playgroups, lessons, and more. Contact: Uli, [email protected]

ADOPTION CENTRESai Kung Lifestyle Park for DogsCome and visit our facility at No. 151 Tai Lam Wu,Sai Kung. We encourage adoption by taking time to build a relationship.We want our dogs to go to good homes. 7 Days per week.Call 2335 1128 or Narelle9199 2340 (SKSF)

Enthusiastic tennis players of all abilities sort!Mondays and Wednesdays 9-10 at Sai Kung courts-near the swimming pool.Keep fit and meet new people at the same time. Just turn up and have fun!

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.

nEw SOnG CHriSTiAn KinDErGArTEn Sai KungT: 2791 2472 F: 2791 2477Email: [email protected]: www.newsonghk.com

DOnATE CLOTHES, SHOES, BOOKS, toys and electrical appliances in good condition. Rv ach out to help the poor and disadvantaged men, women and children in our communities. All profits help the needy in Hong Kong and mainland China. Collection hotline: 2716 8778. Donation hotline: 2716 8862. Website: www.christian-action.org.hk Blog: http://siewmei.cahk.org Email: [email protected]

VOLUnTArY POSiTiOnS nEEDEDSai 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 & DesexingJoin us in our local community initiative to help our beautiful animals.Email: [email protected] Narelle: 9199.2340 (English) Jessie: 9097.4591 (Chinese)

FOr FULL HOME rEnOVATiOnS Painting, Plumbing, Carpentry, Floor tiling, Electrical work, Ceiling repair; call Yuki International Contractors & Engineers for free quotation. Our staff are fluent English, Cantonese & Japanese. Tel: 9884 5824

SErViCES

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

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

DUSTMiTES Byebye! Baby Sleepingzzzzz without allergy, asthma, sinusitis. Professional Mattress Cleaning Promotion $349 One Double Size + NOW FREE a Single. Satisfaction Guarantee Call IMMEDIATELY 60988181, [email protected]

PHOEniX CArPET CArE LTD for 20 years Hong Kong’s premier cleaner of carpets & upholstery. Phoenix ensure true quality workmanship at reasonable cost. Hand cleaning of Oriental rugs. Steam extraction of fitted carpets. Upholstery cleaning. Scotchgard Protection. Call 2328 2287 or 9517 5436 for free quote/inspection.

need Storage?From a box to whole HouseLow Cost StorageHumid ControlStart from as low as HK$500per monthCollect & DeliveryCall Today : 2578 1865www.expertmover.hk 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 : [email protected]

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

Korean Hapkido and Taekwondo DemonstrationSelf-Defence, High Level Kicking, Wood Breaking, Poomsae Performance, etc...Free entrance and open to public. Welcome for your participation. The Sai Kung Jockey Club Town Hall8 Chan Man Street, Sai Kung.2nd July 2012 (Monday)12:30-14:00www.supra.com.hk/jessetkd/news.htmlMaster Chow 9467-7787

Alison HollowayA Big Brother/Sister /Auntie/Uncle required by energetic 6 year old with autism, to help develop play skills.Two hours after school twice a week and some Saturday afternoons.Ho Chung area. Please call 94232910.

Craft TeachersWe are looking for people to teach crafts at schools around Hong Kong. This is a part time role. Please email us [email protected] for more information

ShenZhen DayTrip Shopping HK 2,000. with 7-Seaters Lighting Mall Furniture Mall Art village Homedecoration , Carpet and Rugs. Franki (90362128)[email protected]

Life Coaching / Psychologische Lebensberatung...hilft Ihnen, bisherige Denk- und Verhaltensmuster zu erkennen und zu verändern. Es schafft eine Basis, belastenden Lebenssituationen neu zu begegnen und hilft Ihnen, das zu tun, was Ihnen wirklich entspricht. In den Beratungssitzungen erfahren Sie die Hintergründe Ihres bisherigen Handelns und welche alternativen Verhaltensweisen zukünftig für Sie möglich und sinnvoll sind. Dadurch erarbeiten Sie sich ein Repertoire, mit dem Sie aktuelle oder zukünftige Krisen und Probleme leichter bewältigen können.Franziska von Kleist: 96625265, [email protected]

Email [email protected] for classifieds booking or call 2776 2772


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photo competition shoot for it

Submit your shots Here at the Sai Kung Magazine office, we love receiving beautiful pictures of Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay from our readers. Each month we publish our favourite. To enter, simply email your best shots of Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay, along with a brief description, to [email protected]. Happy snapping!

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

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

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

rigidly to office hours.Another problem is the

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

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

Hong Kong’s flawed infrastructure doesn’t help. Consider the road system around the infamous Causeway Bay Bermuda Triangle. If you never

cross a unbroken white line in this area eventually you will be sucked into a traffic vortex

centred on the perfume counter of Lane Crawford. So it’s

no surprise that road rage and reckless driving are

increasing, threatening our once relatively

placid driving environment.

The recent excitement over

the Beijing motor show

was

indicative of China’s obsession with cars as status symbols, but the psychology of this type of car ownership undoubtedly fuels belligerent road use. Luxury-car drivers insulated in air-conditioned comfort, behind tinted windows, impact bars and air bags, succumb all too easily to vitriol at the slightest manifestation of stress or irritation. It’s strange that

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

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

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

Sai Kung & Clearwater Bay Magazine June 2012

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