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The Lamma-zine loves to hear from visitors to
our island home! Frequently they offer a new
perspective and view our home with fresh eyes,
often noticing intriguing, small details that we
Lammaites take for granted and might not fully
admire and appreciate anymore.
The best story and photos I've recently came
across from a Lamma visitor is
Inside the Flowers of Lamma Island by
Radha in her
"Boundless inspiration" blog. Here are
two quotes:
"Lamma island is considered probably the
coolest one to live in because of its artistical attractions."
"Afterwards, by following the main narrow
street the whole greenish and easygoing, wild
and relaxed environment will disclose in front
of you."
Click on Radha's Lamma flower pictures below to
read her full blog story and see some of her
stunning pictures of her recent Lamma visit:
 Running a daily magazine/placeblog
that is mostly
focused on just Lamma Island and Lammaites, you
might think I might run out of story ideas
frequently. Nothing could be further from the
truth. In fact, I've got almost 100 story ideas
backlogged in my digital files, from many
sources. Most of these story ideas might never see the light of day, as
there's so much more, hotter, newsier stuff
happening on Lamma all the time, almost every
day.
Story ideas can
originate from anywhere, anytime and anybody.
There are many serious and newsworthy ideas, but
sometimes also totally silly or whimsical ideas.
Some of those are often my
favourites. Case in point:
Who's lost a black panty in the Island
Gym?
After finishing my circuit training workout
there recently, I spotted this black, lacy,
transparent piece draped over the scale, see photo.
Why was this panty left behind? What happened
before it was left behind? My mind boggled and
my sometimes overhyped, fertile imagination was
going into overdrive. There's a shower in the
gym, but it's rarely used as most gym members
live nearby, just 2 minutes away in my own case.
So who's left behind this very sexy panty? Was
it intentionally discarded or just lost? By a female
or by a male cross-dresser? Also, who put this
panty onto the scale and why? Or is it just a
clever promotion to generate hype for the gym?
Hype-loving ex-Lammaite Band Guitars & Panties might take note of this
happening as they've been known to throw panties into
the audience. Have they been visiting the gym
recently, buffing up for their exhausting gigs
and practicing their panty-throwing, maybe
losing one item?
So if you've been thinking that the Island Gym
is a boring place where only fit'n'buff male gym
nuts and still-obese, dirty old men like me are
grunting while pressing iron and breathing
heavily while rowing, biking or treadmilling, you were
all wrong! There are
numerous very attractive and very fit young
ladies working out in there as well.
Interested? Check it
out, they've got 1-month trial memberships and
it's only $350/month for a year-long membership.
Contact
Rick & Soli, the Island-Gym's new
managers.
Rick & Soli, we Lammaites demand to know what's
going on with this most mysterious panty! We're
awaiting eagerly and with bated breath your official reply and explanation,
please! Solve this mystery and stop the silly
rumours!
After the recent conversion of the
Lamma Activities Centre into a 2nd-hand
consignment shop, where are some of their
classes happening now? In the Island Gym
on some evenings after 8:30pm, that's where!
Click below for their most recent classes.
Email Gary for more info and
reservations. Gary writes:
"I've been asked by some ladies on Lamma to
do these women's self-defence classes. I've
designed a program suitable for anyone visiting
troubled war zones or night life areas in the US
and Europe. It might be useful in some Lamma
Bars too! The class is in 2 parts, a total of 8
lessons and consists of common sense and a mix
of realistic fighting & defence techniques. Most
likely to be held at the Island Gym, depending
on how many sign up."
 
P.S. Some feedback on this story, demonstrating that this little free
promotion for the Island Gym has actually worked!
"Keep up the good work on the site by the way, I've joined the gym
because of the great article you wrote the other day."
Ex-Lammaite Pet
Spurrier of BlackSmithBooks,
plus Lammaites Andrew Dembina (RTHK), cartoonist
Sara & wife Menaka Sen.
Funworld Magazine has been launched in Hong Kong
on Thursday, Oct 23 in the
Sarasen Gallery in D'Aguilar Street, Lan
Kwai Fong. All the major people behind this new
magazine are Lammaites; artist, editor,
publisher, etc.
This very timely special edition is focusing on
US ELECTIONS 2008. Hard-hitting,
rib-tickling caricatures and editorial political
cartoons and political commentaries about major
players who are fighting to enter the White
House are featured in full colour by Sara's
razor-sharp pen, with equally pointed political
commentaries from various writers.
So many Lammaites attended the launch party and
you might well recognise a few of your friends
from the photos (click to enlarge.)
This 42-page, A4-size magazine will be on sale
for US$10, including airmail postage. For
reserving copies, please contact MENAKA SEN:
Tel: 2525 6984, Mobile: 6891 3710, Email:
funworld.sara@gmail.com.
But beware, if you're not an Obama supporter,
then this polemic, satirical magazine might be
highly offensive to your political opinions and
beliefs!
|
Jay Scott Kanes - Official
Court Pet Correspondent
(text & pictures by Jay) |
|
Dusky Dog Delivers
a Main Street Miracle
Thanks to a sympathetic therapist
who'd never treated a furry patient,
Curly, a dark dog with tiny
ears and a twisted tail, has
achieved a miracle of sorts.
As a slightly mischievous
dog-about-town, six-year-old Curly
often wandered along Main Street in
Yung Shue Wan. Two months ago, an
assault by other dogs outside the
Waterfront Restaurant left him badly
injured, paralyzed in his hind legs.
After many X-rays and three days
hospitalized at a veterinary clinic
on Hong Kong Island, Curly returned
to Po Wah Yuen where he lives with
Suzie Yu, Phil Wheelband,
their baby Dean, and another
dog, Bravo. The medical
experts had talked of serious damage
to Curly's spine, nerves and
muscles. His recovery prospects
looked slim.
"Half his body was totally
paralyzed," Suzie said. "We thought
probably he'd stay like that for the
rest of his life."
Suzie and Phil vowed to care
indefinitely for the disabled Curly.
With Phil busy as an
electrical-construction worker, the
burden fell on Suzie.
"It didn't matter because Curly's
part of my family," Suzie said.
"He's so special. I loved him so
much, and I still did. Everything
had changed in his life, and
everything had changed in my life
too. I couldn't leave my baby or
Curly home alone. So every time I
went out, I had to carry them both.
It was very hard.
"We decided to take the wheels
off a baby pram to make a device to
help Curly move," Suzie said. "And I
worked on how to carry him so he
wouldn't need to drag his legs."
Unable to stand, walk or even
relieve himself without help, Curly
struggled with depression. "I knew
from his look that he'd given up
himself," Suzie said. "He'd been a
wild, happy dog who went anywhere he
wanted. Suddenly, he couldn't do
anything except lie there. He felt
really down and stopped eating
properly. He wouldn't even look at
me."
The tide turned when Flora Yan,
an osteopathic manual therapist,
learned of Curly's plight and
offered to treat him. But she'd
never worked on a pet and needed to
study dog anatomy, which she did on
the Internet late at night.
"I knew this kind of thing could
work on animals too, but the body
structure and pressure points are a
little different," Flora said.
Flora
embraces her own dog, Lulu.
She held four sessions with
Curly, applying strategic pressure
to his nerves, joints and soft
tissue. The treatments hurt, so much
that he needed to be muzzled and
held down.
"Flora covered every single
nerve-ending all the way down
Curly's backbone and over his whole
body," Phil said. "Most of the work
went to the last five inches of his
back."
Positive results appeared fast.
"After one treatment, one leg
started to come back," Suzie said.
"Within two days, he suddenly used a
back leg to scratch. When I saw
that, I was so excited that I jumped
all around. It was amazing. Soon he
could stand. We knew his walking
would come. It was a miracle. Wow!"
According to Phil, "Flora has the
hands of Jesus Christ reincarnated."
Although Curly may not run again,
he has rejoined the family on walks
along Main Street. Suzie and Phil
are thrilled. So is Curly.
"It's
like Curly had lost the whole
world," Suzie said. "Suddenly, he
got it back. We're really happy." |
Recovering, Curly stands and walks.
Proud of her pup-pal, Suzie poses
with Curly.
Phil and baby Dean lead Curly and
Bravo.
The dog's unsteady steps seem
miraculous.
What a relief!
Curly's no longer glum. |
The first photos from the
Lamma Fun Day have arrived! Click
below for:
Mel Holloway's
Lamma-zine photo gallery (Eddie's Mum)
Aaron Farr's
Flickr photo gallery
Ajay Kumar Veeranki's
Picasa photo gallery
Deebo-hk's
Flickr slide show
Photos from Grahame
Collins (click to enlarge):
  
    
Lamma-Gung's photo gallery,
plus a few more of my photos below. A separate
photo gallery of NUDE's last gig is in
progress, awaiting the Official Court Music
Reviewer's review.
  
Email me YOUR photos to be added to this website
and the official
Lamma Fun Day website as well!
P.S. The final selection of photos has
just been uploaded to the
Lamma Fun Day website on Nov 20.
|
Jay Scott Kanes - Official
Court Pet Correspondent
(text & pictures by Jay) |
|
Even here, on a
peaceful, subtropical island, signs
of dogged discontent emerge.
After carefully
sniffing out shared sentiments, some
members of the canine community
howled defiantly in protest against
Lamma Fun Day, a popular festival
for humans held this year on Sunday,
October 26.
Before throngs of
people had finished bartering,
chewing, playing and partying at the
popular Power Station Beach, usually
the playground for local dogs, the
leading wags and woofers reportedly
gathered for an emergency meeting at
a secret location high in the
overlooking hills.
"Again this year,
the humans went too damn far with
their so-called Fun Day," growled
one dog. "No-Fun Day is more like
it."
"They took over OUR
beach," snarled another. "The humans
trampled everywhere, thicker than
mosquitoes."
"Who can chase
sticks through a beach-volleyball
game?" demanded a vexed retriever.
"Chase sticks? I
didn't get off my leash!"
"What was all the
noise under that plastic roof?"
wondered a big-eared beagle.
"Let's form a
Lamma-dog army," barked a determined
Doberman. "We have the fang-power to
march onto our beach and chase the
humans away."
"Yip, yip," came
enthusiastic cheers from the others.
"Whoa, whoa,"
protested two tubby terriers. "No
biting the hands that feed us!"
"Right," snarled a
Schnauzer. "Tomorrow the beach
should return to normal. Let's not
over-react."
After many rounds of
yelping debate, the meeting
adjourned without agreement. Then
all the attendees romped home to
check on their dinner dishes.
 
Tempted to chew at nearby ankles?
A distressed dog turns suicidal? |
As humans swarm, most dogs stay on
leashes.
Where's the fun here?
Dogs whisper in discontent. |
 
No chasing sticks here. -- Serious sniffing
can't disperse the crowd.
|
Louie "the Violin" Wada - Violin
prodigy: |
 Hi
Lamma-Gung,
I'm
Louie the Violin, daughter of Rie
Wada.
On Sunday, tomorrow, I will be a
part of the
Lamma Jazz
Combo. 1-2 pm, I'll play
jazz violin with my mum's band
members on Power Station Beach at
the
Lamma Fun Day.
I've been playing around Soho with
some professional musicians since
before summer, but this will be my
first time on a stage (as a jazz
player) with the band.
Please come along to see my
performance. I'm encouraging all
children to see our performance and
I hope more children love music and
the violin on Lamma! Kumi's daughter
Aya and Sam's daughter Umi - both
are half-Japanese and will also be
coming to see my performance.
|
|
|
P.S. NUDE's last-ever performance tomorrow, Louie's
first-ever performance as a jazz violinist... Lamma will never be without
her bands and musicians! The next young generation of Lammaite musicians is
coming up already and taking over the baton slowly, ensuring a musical
continuity and legacy through the decades...
P.S. II: Some more bands will be playing tomorrow afternoon at the
Fun Day, according to the music coordinator:
Tai
Tai Alibi and
Bone
Table. Both have ex-members from Lamma Bands Garoupa and Rockin'
Shockin' Donkeys.
P.S. III: Send your best Fun Day photos
to me.
You can see them on this website and on the
Lamma Fun Day website next week! Full credits with contact
email/website/link will be given, of course.
For some examples,
click here and
here.
|
Kevin Voigt - Bass player for NUDE (text
& pictures - click to enlarge) |
|
The Party Is Over
After five years of tearing
up the stages of Hong Kong, Lamma's own NUDE is calling
it quits. Our 4 p.m. performance as part of the
lineup of Lamma Fun Day will be our last.
It's appropriate our final
gig will be in support of the Nepalese Child Welfare
Scheme, since our first Hong Kong Island gig was at the
2003 Funkraiser, the sister event of LFD to raise money
for children in Nepal.
We're in a nostalgic mood
as we cap a half decade of hip-shaking, bone-crushing
disco funk mayhem. So here's a look back at the most
memorable performances of NUDE.
August 2003
In the summer of 2003,
trumpet player Sam Bruce and percussionist Justin Bahl
had an idea for a band that tapped into the Afro-beat
tradition of Fela and Femi Kuti. They recruited
guitarist Mark Stephens and myself and the jamming
commenced, joined later by rapper Paul Frazer.
We
gathered at the Deli Lamma a week before our debut to
debate what to call ourselves. After many, many beers,
we found the perfect name: The Fungus Five. By the light
of dawn, that moldy moniker was discarded and Sam came
up with a short, sharp, one-syllable name: NUDE.
Gathered before 40 people
on the rooftop of my apartment, Sam (who at that point
had only played trumpet for 18 months) turned around and
nervously told us, "I've never played in front of a
crowd before." Moments later, that all changed.
Amnesia,
February 2004
We built up gigs and
expanded our repertoire through the fall of 2003, but
when keyboardist Matt Steele joined us, things really
began to gel. The Amnesia managers didn't know what hit
them, as 200 people - the first flood of dedicated
"Nudists" - crammed into the club (eventually people had
to be turned away). There were reports of a couple, uh,
coupling in the stairwell. Among the crowd flashing her
lovely wares was chanteuse Donna Searl whose singing
career heretofore had been confined to the shower. Lucky
shower. And very soon, lucky us…
Laguna,
April 2004
Alcohol! Police!
Prostitutes! This gig had it all. For one night we
kicked out all the semi-professional women (who talked
their way back in) at this infamous Wanchai
establishment to throw a show of our own. Police raided
the place between sets.
What a night!
Rockit Festival,
October 2004
We played to a crowd of 20
at the first Rockit Festival in 2003, and opened the
festival as the first main stage band in 2005. But
playing the second stage in 2004 was unbelievable. We
started the set to an empty tent as most the crowd
watched the main stage act. But midway through the first
song we looked up to see hundreds of people running into
our marquee. Words fail to describe the magic of that
moment.
Y2K, Lamma Island, New Year's Eve
2004
Y2K, the bar that used to
be at Nick the Book's corner, holds fond memories for
NUDE. It was there we played our first "public" gig in
September 2003 with percussionist and future member
Barney Bruce, Sam's brother. The most memorable (if a
bit hazy) Y2K performance was New Year's Eve 2004. If
you were there, you know.
Justin's Birthday Beach
Bash,
Power Station Beach,
May 2005
Parksy has engineered some
great beach parties for us, but none were better than
this gig. The moon was full, the tide was low, laser
lights played on the huge white canopy above us, and we
debuted several new songs to a deeply drunk audience. On
the beach that night was saxophonist Anthony Brophy, who
soon joined the band. After two years, the NUDE lineup
was complete.
World Battle of the Bands,
Summer 2005
We thought the idea of
entering a contest was inherently daft, but the chance
to play at the now defunct club, the Edge, proved
irresistible. We did it for a laugh, but found ourselves
winning night after night until we landed at the Edge
finals. We were nervous - the Nudists who turned out for
earlier gigs dwindled as we continued through the
contest. We got on stage facing a crowd filled with
young Chinese punks awaiting guest hardcore band King Ly Chee. But by the time we ended the set, the punks were
chanting "NUDE! NUDE! NUDE!" Musically, we were never
better than that night.
The Funkraiser,
May 2006
Every Funkraiser was great,
but this was memorable as the "last" performance of
founding member and guitarist Mark Stephens before his
move to London. But nobody leaves NUDE - they just take
a long break from rehearsals. (If you want proof, come
see us this Sunday, where we will be joined - direct
from London - by the one and only Mark Stephens.) Bands
are like relationships - you've got ups and downs. There
were many times that NUDE nearly disintegrated or
members quit, so it's amazing we're ending our run with
the original lineup intact.
Dickstock,
November 2006
Don't remember much of this
beer-soaked evening except it was fun (as were all
Dickstocks). First gig joined by the wonderful Hamada
el-Mansour on guitar.
The Wedding that Wasn't,
Concerto
Inn, January 2007
We've played many gigs at
the Concerto Inn at Hung Shing Yeh Beach, including two
weddings for friends. But the January 2007 gig was
supposed to be my wedding reception. But relationships
are like bands - you've got ups and downs. Karina and I
were in a down period when we decided to call off our
wedding, but not before my family had bought
non-refundable tickets to Hong Kong from the US. So
instead of a wedding, we threw them a party NUDE-style.
(For the record, Karina and I are family now - married
this year and proud parents of three-month-old Jonah.
How did we originally meet? Karina asked me out after
coming to a NUDE gig at the Fringe in 2004…)
Bollinger Champagne Tent,
Hong Kong Rugby
Sevens, April 2007
NUDE was never a
professional band, and we were reminded of that every
time we played a professional gig - it always sucked
ass. But none sucked more ass than a three-day,
$1000-admission gig on the grounds of the Cricket Club
during the Hong Kong Sevens. Our pregnant Donna was
pelted by footballs, fights broke out that damaged Sam's
trumpet, someone took a shit behind the stage and a
drunk relieved himself on my leg. Maybe we should've
known then the end was nigh.
The best performances of
NUDE were often never seen in public - times just
jamming in apartments around Lamma, where songs like
"Get Nude" and "The Futchar" emerged from endless
improvisations. Great moments you've missed: Paul
rapping his lyrics to "Art of Flipping" for the first
time, or the goose bumps created when Donna first sang
"Empty Bowl;" the wicked solos Sam and Anthony traded
off, or Matt flying off on some keyboard frenzy.
Justin's beatific grin when our bass-and-drum moves
verged on mental telepathy.
So why is this our last
gig?
In two words: We're busy. We've moved on to new
jobs, new bands, new relationships. We haven't written a
new song in two years. Since NUDE started, members have
had five children (with another one on the way). Our
offspring are now numerous enough to start their own
band.
May we all live long lives, but NUDE deserves a good
looking corpse.
The NUDE story is a Lamma
story.
We've had members from England, Australia, the
US, Hong Kong, Morocco, Japan and Canada - where else
could such a diverse group of people find common ground?
The musical legacy here runs deep, from Mothership a
decade ago to bands like Garoupa, Red Star Rising, the
Wankers, the Bastards and Transnoodle today. The band
stage at Lamma Fun Day has always been a celebration of
the island's musical tradition, and we're proud to have
played our part.
The goal of every NUDE song
is to get the crowd dancing, and it's been a great joy
serving up the soundtrack these past five years. Join us
for one last romp on the sand this Sunday, 4 p.m.
Unity in
Nudity. |
 |
|
Bike Mike - Visiting Lamma till Dec: |
Are You French?
I met another Lamma newbie the other day. She
introduced herself as "Jo". Using my best public
school French accent I asked: "As in Johanne or
Jocelyn?" (Many names, especially those female,
sound so much better en francais.) Jo replied:
"Are you French?" My first impulse was to
answer: "No, I'm gay!" But that joke is now
becoming a bit tired. Instead I replied: "No,
I'm Canadian!"
A smile on my face at the time, in part due
to my thoughts, and also due to the pleasant
company, Jo asked me: "…if all Canadians are so
happy?" Why wouldn't they be if they were on
Lamma, too? Welcome to Lamma, Jo!
Walking past the Banyan Bay Café one evening
this week, I was drawn there by the sound of
Reggae music; a departure from the usual choices
of Cath, the Banyan Bay's affable host. Cath was
absent. In her place was Sham, bartender and DJ,
transforming the café into "Sham's Reggae Bar".
This was a welcome change from the normally
homogenized sounds of most of the Lamma Main
Street establishments. Sham's musical choices
raised the level from elevator music to
listening enjoyment. Well done, Sham!
The Green Cottage
Not owning a laptop PC, the Green Cottage has
become my "home away from home" for access to
the information superhighway, and news from
home. The cottage has an on-line computer free
for customer's usage and free Wi-fi wireless
Internet for those more affluent who bring their
own hardware.
Luxuriating in the Lamma sun during my first
week here, I wrote home to tell about this cozy
café, where I could sip a mango lassi while
dividing my time between watching the waterfront
traffic, and pecking away at my e-mail.
The staff at The Green Cottage are most
accommodating. They "live to serve their
clientele." Patrons are embraced in a blanket of
good will as they arrive. The lassis are great,
along with a variety of other smooth drinks. (Do
women drink "Laddies"?) The coffee is good, too!
Thank you Green Cottage!
|
|
Lamma Fun Day, featuring all these Lamma Bands
above! (from LFD website) |
What better way to support the Child Welfare
Scheme and Lamma Fun Day than pitching up a stall
yourself? Or selling some food? Passing on some
unwanted clothes? Or monitoring some children's
games?
Every year, generous donors from all over Hong Kong
donate their unwanted goods in support of Lamma Fun
Day. You'll find CD's, DVD's, Books, Electronics,
Clothes and much much more, sold at bargain bin
prices! If you have any goods that you would like to
donate we have a collection point in Central as well
as one on Lamma. For more information,
please email bric-a-brac team here.
Kids love the beach and each year we put on enough
activities to keep them there and entertained all
day long. Each year we have activities for children
of all ages such as face painting, relay races,
drama activities, circus games and much much more!
For more information
contact Roger Searle here.
Every year Lamma Fun Day attracts some of Hong
Kong's most entertaining and talented local bands
and DJ's. If you have a band and you want to play,
please contact Sean Mitchell here.
Lamma Fun Day simply would not be possible
without the help of the numerous volunteers
that help out every year. We need volunteers
for every aspect of the day from selling
bric-a-brac and food, to running children's
games, tending bar and so on. If you would
like to volunteer for a minimum of 2 hours
please contact Hazel Walpole here. |
 |
Click on image to
view pdf flyer |
Calling all entrepreneurs and freelancers! These
booths are a great way to test out whether your
product will be a hit in the market. If you are
interested in having a stall, please
email Julia Connolly here.
|
Oct 26th,
2008
10am — 10pm
Power
Station Beach
(Tai Wan To Village)
Lamma Island
 |
This year Jaspas will be catering to all our
hungry participants. There will be pizzas, burgers,
desserts, and much more. No longer will you have to
hurry to line up before the food runs out, you can
just sit back, relax and enjoy some hot food with a
cold beer.
Sponsored by Societe Generale, the beach
volleyball tournament is becoming a
tradition and no Lamma Fun Day would be
complete without it. Companies and
individuals are invited to put a team of 5
players together! Registration fee is $1,500
for corporate and $600 for non-corporate. To
register your team, please
contact BJ Blumenthal here or
Jean-Philippe Atse here. Click for
rules of the tournament.
|
P.S. Final list of auction items just in! Have a look, some
great stuff being auctioned off at specific times on Sunday between
2-6:30pm!
Click for detailed info on the auction items.
Click for
more info and
gallery website.
Here's a map:
This Thursday morning, 8:30am, there'll be a BOG (Lamma Business Owners
Group) discussion about "Marketing & Advertising Your Services", led by
Yours Truly. Learn from other freelancers and small businesses located on
Lamma who are in the same boat and face the same difficulties and challenges
as yourself.
We've got a new beautiful, sunny and cosy new meeting location, after the
temporary shutdown of the Lamma Activities Centre. It'll hopefully be
reopened somewhere else soon. Some classes have already moved to new
locations, for example the Island Gym.
Call 9649-5642 for details of the BOG meeting. Everybody is welcome!
|
Sarasen Gallery - press release by Jay Scott
Kanes, editor of FUNWORLD: |
|
FunWorld Begins:
Magazine Spreads Global Hilarity
Everyone needs a chance to laugh, especially now.
You're invited to the once-in-a-lifetime party as
FUNWORLD, the world's mostThurageously funny
political-satire magazine, launches in Hong Kong.
Prepare to laugh! FUNWORLD, maybe the world's
most outrageous magazine, launches with a
party on October 23 at the
SARAsen International Gallery in Lan Kwai Fong,
Hong Kong's popular nightclub district.
For its debut issue, the new magazine focuses on
hilarity in the U.S. presidential election. The
magazine delivers rib-tickling cartoons and plenty
of commentaries.
"After eight years of miscues by U.S.
president George W. Bush, what's more important than
maintaining a sense of humor?" asked FUNWORLD
publisher SARA, an award-winning political
cartoonist. "We aim to tickle millions of funny
bones in Asia and beyond."
At the launch party, SARA will lead a
magazine-signing ceremony. That night, the magazine
will sell at a special introductory price. The
gallery even has an exhibition of paintings,
whimsical sculptures and cartoons.
"The launch party should be a fantastic
occasion - a chance to introduce FUNWORLD, to reveal
the intricacies of political cartooning and even to
discuss why Asians regard the 2008 U.S. election as
the most important in recent times," said Jay
Scott Kanes, the magazine's editor.
FUNWORLD will circulate by mail, in shops and
soon on the Internet. SARA has won Amnesty
International Human Rights Press Awards not once or
twice, but three times - in 1996, 1997 and 1998. As
a political cartoonist for 36 years, he's a veteran
observer of political frays as seen from the
newsrooms of leading newspapers and magazines.
Spreading laughter isn't the magazine's only
important mission. It also aims:
-
to poke and prod at political and
business titans, the hardest at those needing it
most;
-
to speak with humor and clout for
the masses, hundreds of millions strong and
without the resources or voices to be heard
otherwise;
-
to reinforce media independence,
free speech and the art of political satire;
-
build a new line of defense for
human rights and basic freedoms.
All cartoon and magazine enthusiasts are invited
to the October 23rd launch party. The event begins
at 6:30 p.m. Please
RSVP by email.
The SARASEN Gallery
5/F Winner Building (take lift to odd floors)
27-37 D'Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2525-6984
c/o Menaka Sen, Gallery Manager
Website,
email. |
 |
P.S. Radio interview with
Lammaites Sara & Jay on Radio 3, RTHK, Tue, Oct 21, 12:14pm:
Windows Media format --
RealPlayer format
 The
story about Rocky and his Lamma Beach
Rock Piles was so popular, beating local box office records &
bestseller lists (even though there's no cinema or even a bookstore on
Lamma). Enthusiastic and loud cries for a sequel ASAP have been deafening
from avid Rocky fans. Always eager to please our wonderful and growing
fanbase I proudly present "Rocky II - Improbable Virility". Let's hear it
for Lamma celebrity and all-round great & virile guy, the Rock Pile
Balancer:
|
Rocky Malcolm (text & pictures) |
Position, Balance & Friction vs. Gravity
All those
specimens were cultivated by me on Power Station
Beach over the past year or so. And they're all
natural rocks exactly as found on the beach, no
glue/mud/sand, no chipping away at corners, no
hidden supports. That's part of the fun of it;
selecting rocks with natural bumps that fit with
each other.
All the pics
below were of the same pile - just taken from
different angles. I even hung my hat on it for
scale and to show that it was my work. If you
look carefully at the last picture (S7300874)
you can see my only 'cheat' - a single flat chip
of rock shoved in between two of the larger
stones in order to stop them rocking. This
sometimes becomes necessary if I'm aiming for
height rather than aesthetic purity. :-)
Everything else is
position, balance and friction versus gravity.
|
Click above for Malcolm's Art Gallery (photos by himself)
|
Bike Mike - Visiting Lamma till Dec: |
I'm Not Gay; I'm Canadian!
My first Lamma-zine blog article brought
recognition among a few Lammaites whom I have
met. I've evolved from being "M's Cousin" to my
new "official" moniker of "Bike Mike".
Entering Cath's bar, The Banyan Bay Cafe,
I was greeted by an expat Yank who said: "I know
you! You're Bike Mike! Are you gay?"
I replied: "I'm not gay, I'm a polite
Canadian; to you Americans politeness is
considered gay."
So much for political commentary!
The Banyan Bay Cafe is another one of
those great Lamma establishments that provide "rehydration"
to those of us who lose so many bodily fluids
sweating in the heat of Lamma. Cath,
owner, and barkeep, has a demure strength that
suits her as host for her many customers. She is
aided and abetted by Sham, local football
guru and super-friendly persona.
Yes, it's October and I find it hot! I'm
lucky I wasn't here in August! How do you spot a
Lamma Newbie who comes from a northern
clime?.......... Look for the sweat-soaked
clothing! Fortunately, my second week here finds
me starting to acclimatize. I don't find the
heat as oppressive as when I first arrived, and
the weather has also co-operated by drying off
and cooling down a little.
My "summer weight" Canadian clothes have
mostly remained in my suitcase. They would be
"winter weight" here. Despite having an
unsightly "fatso" body I've been parading around
M's house shirtless. M, my ever-tolerant cousin,
has not been too disgusted by this new look. I
have, however, promised her that I will never
disrobe in the village. Even Lamma has a dress
code that will not allow this, does it?
Bike Mike Rides Again!
While at The Banyan Tree Cafe, I met "Dan The
Man", aka Dan The Baastaard, of local
music fame. Dan heard me called Mike the Bike. A
cycling enthusiast, Dan struck up a conversation
and we had a great talk. Dan offered me the loan
of one of his own bikes while I was here to save
me the hassle of renting or buying. Now that's
Lamma hospitality at its best!
The next evening I met Dan at his shop,
The Lamma Gourmet. Dan and Geng, his
wife who runs The Lamma Gourmet. Geng has an
incredible smile!
While at the shop I purchased some excellent
cheese from their varied supply. The following
morning, M & I feasted on this savoury treat.
Thank you, thank you, Dan & Geng!
Now I'm back in the saddle again, but I hope
I won't get arrested for "peddling my aasss" in
the Lamma streets!
|
|
Angela
Leary - Media Manager -
Animals Asia Foundation: |
 Lamma
continues to attract the best and brightest from
around the world - with our latest celebrity guest
coming in the form of Dr
Marc Bekoff, world-renowned animal
behaviourist and Professor Emeritus of Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology at the University of
Colorado, Boulder, Fellow of the Animal Behavior
Society and a former Guggenheim Fellow.
Marc, whose pioneering work on
animal emotions has changed the way many scientists
view animal behaviour, came to Lamma this week as a
guest of local animal lovers, Sheila and John of
Lamma Animal Protection, myself and animal
foster carers, Karin, Cathy and Jean & Ben.
We enjoyed a fantastic vegan dinner
at the Deli before escorting a jet-lagged Marc back
to the ferry. Despite struggling to stay awake, Marc
managed to make friends with some of the local
pooches, even winning over the normally shy
Humphrey.
And his comment about the casual
attitude to dogs at outdoor eateries: "This is
the way it should be!"
Marc has been in China promoting
his books, some of which have recently been
published in Chinese.
|
|
Bike Mike - Visiting Lamma till Dec, new regular
Lamma-zine contributor: |
 Her
name is Kiara. John & Shiela introduced us to
each other. None of them seem to mind that I'm
married. Kiara and I took a long walk yesterday.
She is an enthusiastic hiker. The first time she
looked at me I was entranced by her beautiful
eyes, one brown, the other blue, so trusting,
and full of love. All men and any women of the
right persuasion would be lost in those deep
pools.
Walking through the village
Kiara attracted instant attention. Her albino
white color, beauty, and friendly demeanor
captivated many. I was in the presence of
royalty! Never had I had my picture taken so
many times before, and rarely ever by strangers.
These tourists would have kept pace with the
most avid paparazzi!
Kiara loved the beach. We
strolled the sand and frolicked in the water.
Other males were obviously attracted to her, but
she made me feel that I was "her man", well, at
least for the day, anyways!
Even though many stuck their
noses up her rump, she still made me feel that I
was her special man.
Kiara's tolerance of such lewd
attention made me think that her name didn't
fully suit her. She had no problem with my new
name for her: Kiara Sammi White Biiatch
Labrador, "Ki" for short. (apologies to
Snoop Dog!)
Many Lamma Dogs at
Lamma Animal Protection are homeless and
looking for new friends. If you don't want a
dog, but would love to volunteer as a walker,
for an hour, or a day,
email or call LAP at 9490 2061 (English)
or 6130-9170 (Chinese). Who knows? If you fall
in love, and S & J approve, the relationship may
be made permanent.
|
|
Prentice Koo -
Greenpeace Campaigner:
|
Many Hong Kong citizens like to
spend their family days on Lamma Island. Fresh air
and the lovely scenery are the major attractions to
city dwellers. But not everyone is lucky enough to
be able to live on Lamma. To spread the fresh air of
Lamma to the rest of Hong Kong, revising the Air
Quality Objectives is the first step to make it
happen.
 Air
Quality Objective (AQO) is the standard of air
quality control which marks the minimum requirements
of Hong Kong's air quality. While the AQO was
established in 1987, it is already obsolete without
being revised or reviewed for 20 years since it was
launched. Our standard is ineffective in controlling
air pollution.
Poor air quality can lead to severe
health impacts. For example, sulphur dioxide can
impair our respiratory functions, aggravate existing
respiratory diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
The respirable suspended particulates, i.e.,
particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less,
are able to reach and deposit deep into the lung and
cause breathing and respiratory symptoms such as
shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.
 As
a result, we need a much stringent standard to
control the problem in Hong Kong. The latest World
Health Organization (WHO) air quality standard was
established in 2006 with references to the most
updated scientific and medical research. It states
the minimum requirements of air quality and some
countries such as those in the European Union, are
already moving step by step towards this standard.
Hong Kong, as Asia's World City, should not lag
behind.
The cost of outdated air quality
standards is huge both in terms of health and
economy. According to a Civic Exchange survey, our
air failing to meet the WHO standards is costing
HK$1.1 billion annually as a result of increases in
respiratory diseases and cardiopulmonary disorders.
Looking at this loss, let's imagine
how loose our standards can be. For instance, the
respiratory suspended particulates standard which
the Hong Kong government permits is 3.6 times to the
WHO one. Our standard of sulphur dioxide is 17.5
times more than that of WHO's.
The lungs of Hong Kong citizens are
not pollutant-proof. We cannot tolerate the low air
quality anymore. By adopting a stricter standard,
our government is obliged to introduce more policies
to tackle air pollution. It is expected that these
policies should target the two major sources of
pollutants, coal-fired power stations and vehicles.
Fresh air can be achieved only by a
series of effective policies. Greenpeace is now
organizing an online petition aiming at pushing the
government to revise the AQO according to WHO
standard. Please sign at
www.airtruth.org
to push our government to update AQO. We should not
tolerate the problem anymore.
(Advertorial)
|
|
Fun Day
Organising Committee: |
Don't forget!
The
9th Annual Lamma Fun Day - Sun 26th
Oct 2008
Ranging from great live
music, a beach volleyball tournament, stalls selling arts
and crafts, freshly prepared food by Jaspas & Pepperonis to
children's games and a charity auction and much much more,
Lamma Fun Day is a popular family event and all
proceeds go directly to helping children in Nepal. For more
information please visit
www.lammafunday.hk.
Get involved!!!
Second hand goodies
- Start clearing
some space in your wardrobe and homes. Gather all your
unwanted second hand books, toys, gadgets, DVDs and drop
them off at our office in Central. We will sell your second
hand items to raise funds for children in Nepal. We will
begin collecting from 2nd October until 24th
October, from 9:30am to 6pm on Monday through Friday. Our
drop-off address and contact details are below. If you are
coming with large items please call us in advance so we can
prepare space.
Contact Pam.
If you live
on Lamma, simply bring the goodies along on the day, or
contact us to help you with transporting them!
Volunteers
- Each year the
continuing success of the LFD relies heavily on the huge
support of all our volunteers - without them it would not be
possible! Please email us if you want to get involved!
Stall holders
- Calling all entrepreneurs and freelancers! These booths
are a great way to test out whether your product will be a
hit in the market.
Beach Volleyball teams
- The beach volleyball tournament is becoming a tradition
and no Lamma Fun Day would be complete without it. Companies
and individuals are invited to put a team of 5 players
together and take on the best Hong Kong has to offer!
Corporate teams and non-corporate teams welcome!
Thank you!
Please call us or email us if you have any questions or if
you wish to get involved!
Lamma Fun Day
Committee & Child Welfare Scheme
Child Welfare Scheme, Suite 303 St. George's Building
2 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong
www.childwelfarescheme.org
Tel: 2526
8810; Mob: 9231 3505; Fax: 3526 0355
|
|
Tavis the
Community Gardener reviews this new book:
(available at Sampan and B&B restaurants for HK$78.
The Lamma-zine got a free review copy, but this is an independent
review.) |
 I love Lamma and I live here. So I was excited to
discover a new book had been recently published
about our island paradise. I was delightfully
surprised by the low price ($78) as I made my
purchase at B&B Restaurant. Flipping quickly through
the pages my happiness continued as I discovered
English as well as Chinese and many great
photographs illustrating traditional industries and
Lamma nature scenes as well as in-depth stories
about Lamma personalities such as the Yung Shue Long
Valley's 'Farmer Chan' and Main Street's
'Nick the Bookman.'
What I couldn't find was
the name of an author or sponsoring agency. This
puzzled me. Who wrote the book - and why? It wasn't
until I got home to make a closer examination that I
found the co-authors' names, Patsy Cheng & Phoebe
Chan in fine print on the last page. I also noted
the book was sponsored by Bobby Li. The name 'rang a
bell' - and eventually it 'clicked.' Bobby Li is the
real-estate tycoon (King
Wong Development) who has already developed
'Lammarina' and has plans for
several more major developments on Lamma
including luxury hotels, holiday homes at Lo Tik
Wan, and a luxury residential development with golf
course, planned to fill the valley from Turtle Beach
(Sham Wan) to Tung O at Shek Pai Wan and crawl
further on up the coast all the way to Mo Tat Old
Village. Would Lamma Story have a
pro-development bias?
In a subsequent communication with Lamma-Gung,
one of the authors would argue, "I don't know
clearly Bobby Li's project or plan. I am only
sponsored to do the 'baseline research', which I am
quite sure is a must to be done for a place no
matter what will happen in the future. The baseline
research tells us the cultural meanings or
reflections of a place." And after the research
was completed, "both Mr. Li and I thought it's
really interesting enough and there's no book of
this kind in the market, so he encourages us to
publish it." Giving the 'benefit of doubt' and
yet retaining a healthy degree of scepticism, I read
on.
Lamma Story,
in the words of co-author Patsy Cheng, attempts "to read the cultural
landscape." Concerned with Lamma culture and its
interrelationship with environment, it touches
briefly on the major points of the history of human
habitation from the Neolithic to the present. Major
traditional areas of economic activity, including
the fisheries, farming and small industry are all
explored. Overall, the book exudes a quite negative
impression of Lamma as a backwater that has been
economically abandoned by successive government
administrations in favour of a conservation oriented
development policy. With the growth of industry thus
curtailed, places like Lamma "have been deserted,
fallen to ruin, or become wastelands. All in the
name of conservation."
 Desertion, abandonment and waste are explicitly
and subtly developed as a theme throughout the book.
A photo essay near the end of the book depicts
ruined buildings, rusting tools and forlorn looking
senior citizens slumped heads in hands. Even a
photographed dog appears burdened by some
unspeakable monotony. The one Western person
featured in Lamma Story is Nick the Bookman
who is shown sitting by his bookshelves with his
dogs in front of a backdrop closed shops, their ugly
grey, metal roll-down storefront gates pulled shut.
Poor Nick is said to pay for his dogs' food by
selling "books abandoned by friends when
they moved away."
I found the essays about the fisheries and
farming to be quite informative. As one interested
in organic farming, I was delighted, for example, to
learn that the watering ponds farmers traditionally
built in the vicinity of their fields are properly
termed 'Fu dumps' from the Wai Tao dialect.
(I'm assuming Fu rhymes with 'poo' which
brings a smile as I recall some of these ponds were
used to process night soil into fertilizer. The
explanation of the Tin Hau Festivals was also
particularly interesting. The moon is brightest
around the 15th of each lunar month and the
fishermen preferred celebrations to be held at this
time because fish would be less drawn to their
lanterns. These days would not be productive for
them anyway - party down instead!
Throughout Lamma Story there is an
emphasis on indigenous and long-time non-indigenous
residents of Lamma Island. Generally, there exists a
trope in these stories of economic distress and the
need to move to other parts of Hong Kong or the
world in order to survive. Surely, this has been a
hugely important aspect of the cultural and economic
history of Lamma, and it needs to be remembered and
understood so that we can better know our community
now. Lamma Story, to its credit, does great justice
to this story. But, it leaves other stories out, or
doesn't adequately explore them. This is a
significant failing for a book that undertakes to
present a "baseline finding of [the cultural
landscape of] a place."
One must ask, 'Who has been left out?'
What about all the young Hong Kong Chinese people
who have been moving to Lamma in recent decades to
live here, to commute to Hong Kong and even to open
many thriving local businesses? I personally know of
many and the cultural landscape of Lamma is being
deeply influenced by their various activities. They
receive no mention in this book and the vibrancy of
their contribution to the Lamma scene has been
completely neglected.
And what about the residents
of Lamma that hail from over 60 other nations
in the world and now commit themselves to making
their Lamma community a great place to raise kids
for generations to come? I understand this would
comprise 1/3 of Lamma's population - perhaps over
2,000 people. According to Lamma Story, the
presence of these 'foreign' residents has resulted
in the development of "roadside cafés, bars and
specialty shops" on Main Street - a focus of
exotic action on the island "that you can walk in
just ten minutes." Whoopee! Is that all that the
artists, writers, teachers and business people from
60 other nations and cultures have contributed to
the present cultural landscape of Lamma Island?
They've got to be kidding or blind!
To the book's credit, it does almost poetically
speak to the natural beauty of Lamma. An eco-tour,
it says, that would take one off the beaten track
can be "a truly soul-cleansing trip back to
Mother Earth" where you can "let your five
senses experience the natural world, in the midst of
a traditional community." While Lamma Story
argues that conservation oriented development
policies have led to the economic deprivation of our
community, it ultimately hopes that the desired new
forms of development be sustainable forms of
development. They should be in harmony with Lamma's
glorious natural environment.
I couldn't agree more,
but we must be sure we know what we all mean when we
speak of sustainable community development. Does it
mean the same to Bobby Li as it means to the writers
of Lamma Story? And do they understand
sustainable community development to mean, as I do,
development that is integrated with the natural
environment such that each draws strength from the
other and the needs of this generation are not met
at the expense of those to come? Do they understand
that it involves the development of a vibrant and
active civil society where decisions that affect the
community are deeply influenced by a dialogue among
those who live there?
In their final words, the writers of Lamma Story
hope their book will help to foster a more pragmatic
and imaginative approach to the relationship between
development and conservation. Perhaps this
interesting addition to the Lamma literature will do
just that and fire a deep community dialogue around
the direction we would like Lamma development to
take in coming years. For this I would like to thank
Lamma Story, for such a dialogue would be
infinitely better than just waiting to see what
comes down the pipeline in terms of developments.
|
(click to enlarge)
P.S. To discuss this important topic, join Tavis's new forum about
Lamma Development? Visioning our future.
|
HK Electric
- Public Affairs Dept. |
A group of HK Electric volunteers
received a pleasant surprise last Tuesday when they
ran into
Hollywood superstar Chow Yun-fat while
appealing to grave sweepers to prevent hill fires
during the annual Chung Yeung Festival.
Fat-Gor (Chow's affectionate
local nickname) has been highly supportive of
meaningful initiatives, especially those benefiting
his home town. When he saw HK Electric volunteers
handing out flyers and water bottles to grave
visitors, he gave them a big pat on the back and
offered to take photos with them - a nice souvenir
for the efforts.
For several years rolling, HK
Electric volunteers have been active in promoting
the "No Hill Fire Campaign", organized by the
Conservancy Association. Whether it is in
Ching Ming or Chung Yeung Festival, they would
patrol the hills of Lamma to remind people of the
potential fire hazards. The campaign has been very
successful and no hill fires have been recorded
during most of these festivals since. |
P.S. 1: A few more pictures of Fat-Gor's Lamma visit that day,
plus some interesting background about his family life:
Fat Go Honours Family Ancestors.
P.S. 2: Many thanks from the Lamma community to the HK
Electric volunteers (orange shirts) and the Conservancy Association
organisers (other colours.) Thank you for keeping our pretty hills,
trees, plants and wildlife safe during the two yearly "grave-burning"
festivals"!
 I
was riding my bike in the morning along the completely deserted Power
Station Beach on the way to the Island Gym, taking the long way. I was
looking out for the cleanup of the massive damage
Typhoon Hagupit had inflicted on the beach, the roadside and the
many boats moored nearby. I came across the usual, weird'n'wonderful sights
on Power Station Beach (see right), but nothing quite like the amazing sight
below, the remains of
Malcolm's Rock Pile! Instead of a single massive rock pile more than
two metres high there are now numerous tiny ones sprouting all along Power
Station Beach. They were probably created from the remains of The Pile being
killed off in the typhoon. So Malcolm's Rock Pile has managed to spawn
before its violent demise, producing several small offspring! It's another
miracle of nature, a wonder of procreation!
It seems to have taken the power of the strongest typhoon this year to
trigger the reproductive cycle of these beach creatures. They are still
completely unknown even to research biologists and haven't been described in
the scientific literature so far. They were never even mentioned when I
studied biology at university (before being distracted by switching to the
new, even more fascinating study field of "computer science".) We can only
speculate on the exact details of the reproductive cycle of beach rock piles
and the biological/sexual intricacies boggle the mind and fuel our
imaginations...
So let's speculate! We Lammaites just love to
speculate!
 Malcolm's
Rock Pile was obviously male, giving his life and body to produce
these offspring. So where's the female rock pile? Did she survive and is
hiding underground now? Do you want to search for her by digging even more
deep holes into the beach, a favourite and time-honoured Lamma pastime
already?
Or did The Pile simply divide itself, like single-celled organisms? But The
Pile was made up of many cell-like stones... More like some worms being cut
into pieces, growing complete individuals from the pieces? This warrants
further studies...
Or maybe The Pile was a hermaphrodite, like some snails, containing both
sexes in the same body? Malcolm couldn't be reached for clarifying comment
before publication of this article.
But which ones of these new rock pile hatchlings are male or female? They
all look so very male to me... Did any females help to build them or this a
purely male pursuit, as I suspect?
This biological mystery certainly deserves further in-depth scientific
investigation. Lammaites with science Ph.D.s - Yes, there are quite a few of
them! - unite, form research teams and take a serious crack at revealing
this local mystery! Solving it would make Lamma even more famous than being
the island where
Romer's Tree Frog - Chirixalus Romeri, protected and unique to four
of HK's Outlying Islands - was first discovered by Herpetologist J.D. Romer.
In the meantime, let's claim the right of discovery, officially naming these
truly exotic creatures Lamma Beach Rock Piles. My very basic Latin is
ancient and very rusty, so maybe one of our many highly-educated and
-knowledgeable readers can come up with a better species name than my
proposed Silex Sicilis Malcolmiensis?
Intensive rock pile scientific research will take years, maybe even decades.
In the meantime, help these junior rock piles grow and prosper by adding
more rocks to them, building them up higher and higher! Rocky Malcolm has
done his wonderful job of creating the original, famous but short-lived
landmark. It's time for us fellow Lammaites to take over this hard,
character-building labour and continue what he started so valiantly and
almost single-handedly!
Hopefully soon, these junior rock piles will grow up into fully fledged
Lamma Beach Rock Piles that their father and creator could be proud off! In
decades (or centuries) to come we might even put up a statue (made from
beach stone, of course) of Rocky Malcolm, Rock Pile Builder
Extraordinaire on the beach - looking out into the South China Sea, one
hand raised towards the distant horizon - to commemorate his epic
achievement for future generations of Lammaites!
 By
next year, next typhoon season, the junior rock piles might have grown up
into fully fledged Lamma Beach Rock Piles - with a little help from
nature-loving Lammaites - rivaling Malcolm's original creation! Then we'll
watch out for the next major typhoon triggering the next reproductive cycle
of the Lamma Beach Rock Piles. Braving the typhoon, the more sturdy
voyeurs, eh, nature-lovers among us could try to observe closely the details
of the rock piles' procreation, trying hard to dodge rocks being blown
around in this violent process of reproduction.
Wouldn't all those grown-up rock piles be a marvelous sight to behold, sure
to be included in all sightseeing tours to Lamma and gawked at by flocks,
herds, schools and gaggles of tourists! Maybe we could even persuade some of
them to contribute to the further growth of the junior rock piles, dressing
it up as a fun weekend activity for the whole family? So many ideas, so
little time. Many thanks to Malcolm for inspiring us!
P.S. But I still can't help but wonder about the possible
relationship (or lack thereof) between these three nearby humungous "mothers
of all rock piles" (215 metres high!) and all the new piles? Mothers?
These three huge rock piles have been around much longer than any of the new
rock piles, even longer than Malcolm's original one. All the smaller ones
might have evolved, spawning from these three ancestors? If any of the Lamma
Beach Rock Piles ever start spouting smoke, then we'll know for sure!!!
 You
might have spotted these posters around the village encouraging you to
"Think BIG! - Ideas, Possibilities and Coffee" (designed by
Bud)?
The Lamma Business Owners Group (BOG) has always been meeting biweekly in
the Lamma Activities Centre behind Emily's Ice-cream Express on Main Street.
With on-going conversion of that space into a shop (tba) they had to find a
new venue. So the promotional posters told people to call a secret number
which could only be found on the poster's rip-off tabs.
People calling the mobile number would be instructed by a friendly, charming
voice to meet at the famous tofu shop on the way to the beaches today at
8:25am sharp. Late-comers would miss the opportunity to join this secret
meeting. Wannabe paparazzo Lamma-Gung managed to infiltrate this clandestine
meeting and even
took some hidden-camera pictures!
 Lamma Business Owners who managed to get up
before 8:30am (a rarity!) and meet at the secret location. Note the relaxed
attitudes, the dressed-down dress code and the fashionably casual footwear. Half the participants arrived by bike
for the Amazing Race Lamma.
This secret meeting was probably designed to sort out the most clever and
most dedicated ones of Lamma's numerous small business owners and
freelancers, selecting only the best of the best, la creme de la creme, so
to speak. An Amazing Race Lamma ensued and the final Lucky Seven
(including Yours Truly) reached the idyllic hideaway of Senior Lammaite (20+
years on Lamma!) Sally's Yoga Studio. It's a peaceful retreat surrounded by
trees, shrubs and flowers, with a truly scenic view of our inspirational
sunsets (and the Power Station.)
Patio and entrance of Sally's Yoga Studio.
 Another
highly productive meeting was held, many valuable lessons learned and
precious new business contacts acquired. Free coffee - Green Cottage Lamma
Talent brew - flowed freely and kept the attention sharply focused on the
business topics discussed, despite the ungodly early hour. One-minute intros
by all participants about their own business/service/product opened the
day's proceedings. This opportunity was most welcomed by the relentless,
overzealous promoters of their own businesses, like Yours Truly who's really
hard to shut up when going on about Lamma.com.hk.
Then personal trainer/fitness guru Megan introduced the day's topic,
enticingly entitled, "The Price Is Right - A discussion on how
to help clients realize the value of your services..." Megan came up with
true Pearls of Wisdom like "Make your customers care about your services by
showing them that you care about them first", prompting much affirmative
head-nodding and appreciative approval amongst the riveted listeners. She
then expertly lead a lively discussion about this and other business topics
of local interest, ending in an always popular "marketing/advertising your
services" exchange.
This exchange will be continued next time, in two weeks on Thursday, Oct 23,
8:30am, same meeting place (tofu shop), to be introduced by Yours Truly.
Nobody else could be coerced into doing it, so they used my well-known
incapability to resist flattery to make me do it!
Next time, same location, check out the web page I maintain for them:
Lamma.com.hk/BOG.
|
Tjungarayi - Senior forum member:
(This
little "creative writing exercise" should probably
not be taken too seriously at all. It originated in
our forum. No offense to Wiccans and
Cabalists is intended. Tjungarayi has submitted
quite a number of inventive and entertaining pieces
of fiction in the past:
click here for a list.
Some
of the somewhat unusual, mock-sophisticated
vocabulary below has links to its definitions. A
coven is a group of witches performing rituals
together, by the way. I also had to Google the term
as I wasn't familiar with it myself.)
The
Lamma-zine welcomes not just hard facts but also
creative fiction, poems, prose, fantasies and
whatever else you can imagine & submit!) |
|
Talking of Orgies...
For years now I have heard strange whispers
regarding the nocturnal
shenanigans of a Lamma
Coven. Apparently, Power Station Beach is the
habitual site for the bizarre goings-on during the
witching hours. Goat fur, a big black cast iron pot
and an empty jar of Jasmine-scented KY were
discovered at the beach by a dear old friend of mine
while exercising his one-legged dog.
I wrote of my suspicions a year ago and since
then I have been silenced by a frightful campaign of
malevolence aimed at protecting the identities
of these
cabalistic and sinister
acolytes of the Lamma Coven.
My precious pet cat Petunia disappeared one night
and after a disturbing few days of intense and
anxious worrying I received a
dastardly note to try the new line of my
favorite chicken and avocado sandwiches from the
popular Green Cottage. I nonchalantly enquired of an
acquaintance of mine who always hurriedly grabs the
same chicken and avocado sandwich, as to the
esculent quality of her
victual that morning. Her reply horrified me -
"Perhaps not as tender and a little to salty for
my taste this mornin'." I did not go to the
office that day. Instead, after disembarkation I
went straight to my favorite Soho haunt and with
lachrymose
demeanor deftly downed a couple of gins.
So now they cannot hurt me and my silence is a
thing of the past. I shall do my utmost to uncover
the identities of these nocturnal
necromancers who blacken the name of all the
good Christian, Buddhist, Parisian, Taoist, Muslim,
Dutch, Hindu and Catholic citizenry of Lamma. |
 You've
probably walked past her many times on Main Street, outside
the Lung Kong Szechwan restaurant. James Dwyer
managed to convince our usually photo-shy Lily Lady to let
him take this great snapshot, emailing it to me as a
contender for
Lamma Photo of The Day (right side of this home
page). He writes, "I managed to persuade her to let me
take one, and that was it!! She hustled me on after that -
luck I guess!"
I thought it's worthy of even more than
that, its very own Lamma-zine story, especially as it
reminded me of another wonderful Lamma Photo of the Day of
the Lily Lady, submitted by Anonymous Guy at the
beginning of this year (see right, click to enlarge).
Yes, these lilies are not just coming from a
private garden, but our Lily Lady has to venture into the
"jungle wetlands" of Yung Shue Long valley to cut them while
in season. Say hello when you pass her the next time and
maybe even buy some of her pretty, naturally grown white
lilies, a great present and a true Lamma wild product,
organically grown w/o chemicals (except whatever washes down
the stream from Tai Peng village through the Yung Shue Long
Valley).
Send me your best Lamma-related photos and you might
see them on this home page, with full credits and links to
your photo galleries, of course.
|
Bike Mike - Lamma first-timer, visiting till
December (transcribed by L-G from hand-scribbled
notes on lined school notebook paper. Yep, Bike Mike
is another teacher - Phys Ed, white-haired but very
fit: |
|
Rendezvous with Lamma (Oct 6)
It's been several years since I
first decided to come to Lamma. I've got a cousin
living here. We've talked about her life here during
phone calls from Canada, my home. Supplementing my
Lamma knowledge has been the Lamma-zine, subscribing
to it for several years now.
Thanks to Lamma-Gung's pictures and
stories I thought that I had a good handle on what
to expect when I arrived. Some differences have
popped up these first few days as I've experienced
Lamma "in the flesh". The following highlights my
"surprises".
I'm a biker; I've even been called
"Bicycle Mike" by people back home in Canada.
There's a lot of bikes here! But a thought which has
occurred to me is, "There are a lot of RUSTY bikes
here!" I've noticed two animal shelters here, but
where is the CAB, the Center for Abused Bikes?
On the
topic of animals, Lammaites seem to be great dog and
cat people. As strong love of animals is shared all
over Lamma. Doggie-doo is even shared for all on the
side walks. As a Canadian who ice-skates I've
quickly adapted to Lamma's sport of sidewalk
skating, courtesy of doggie dung on the soles of my
shoes...
Space, the Final Frontier
I come from a land of space. We're
land-rich. Just look at the map; Canada is north of
the U.S. (We're bigger and we're on top!)
The compactness of Lamma has
impressed me. For a Canadian boy who rarely meets
another person when walking the beach or a forest
path, the population density here is quite a
difference! Walking Lamma's streets I've been
overwhelmed by the numbers of stores and businesses
jammed into such small spaces. What efficiency
Lammaites show with this!
Deli Lamma
Entering the Deli Lamma I expected
to be entering a posh, expensive establishment,
probably so "high-end" that I would not be able to
afford it. Such was the impression the pictures on
this website had given me over the years. How wrong
I was!
The Deli Lamma is so much better in "real
life". What a great place! It's so comfortable!
Prafull and the new assistant manager bring a
welcoming and friendly atmosphere to the place.
Yoshi, a regular I met, has "nice guy" written all
over his face. The Deli Lamma is a bar to call home.
No
typhoon for you! (Oct 5)
Today started off with rain followed
by intermittent drizzle and heavy down-pours, but no
typhoon!
I took advantage of a break in the
weather to walk to town to get a newspaper and check
my email at
The Island Bar. Kay, the day-time barkeeper
greeted me with a coffee while I booted up my inbox
on the bar's computer.
Kay, originally from Britain via
Canada - and now Lamma - is perfect for her job. Her
pleasant demeanor has the right combination of
maternal care mixed with a buxomness that is sure to
attract a varied clientele.
 |
|
Lamma
Photo of the Day -
Dec 15, 2006: Hibernating Dragon Boat -
by Lamma-Gung |
More rain/drizzle embraced me as I
walked along the water's edge. I approached the
ferry pier area to check out all the boats which had
been put there for safe-keeping from the typhoon
[Editor: Fisherman's Village].
Immediately, my eyes were drawn to
the large, wooden dragonboat sitting on its cradle
on the shore. This is not just a boat, it's
functional art! The natural wood grain was lustrous
in the daylight. Obviously, she has been well looked
after, a credit to the dragonboat crews who used her
while loving here, too. |
|
Phoebe
- SEE Network - City Planning - Public Education -
Publication SEE - The First Sustainable Development
Concept Magazine in HK -
www.project-see.net
- press release:
(This
fine bilingual book - the first-ever non-fiction book
solely about Lamma I've ever come across - is available
now for $78 at Sampan Seafood Restaurant. Have a look at
the sample copies. A proper review is in progress.) |
|
 Lamma
Story
Lamma Story -- to reveal the desolation of communities
on islands caused by unbalanced city planning.
In recent years, there have been active discussions
on cultural and community-based conservation. Much of
these have been focused on densely populated urban
areas. When different groups of people compete for land
resources, government promotes the idea of
'revitalization' of old buildings in old urban
districts.
However, when the same issues come up in remote
districts or Outlying Islands, attitudes are different.
These places have not received much attention. They have
been left abandoned, ruined or become wastelands -- all in
the name of 'conservation'.
Should the guiding principle be 'revitalizing when
there is competition for land resources'? Or is
desertion a true path to conservation?
Lamma Island - Hong Kong's third largest island - is
only a 30 minutes ferry ride from the city centre. It is
also the place where people first settled in Hong Kong.
However, as the population remains small, it is
difficult even to maintain regular ferry services.
SEE Network's newly released book, Lamma Story,
uncovers Lamma Island's unique history and its
evolution over the past century to its present state
of underdevelopment in which it is considered a
somewhat exotic place. The book explores Lamma's
natural environment, community and material culture,
along with the direction of rural planning over recent
decades, and the effect of current debates on collective
memory and heritage conservation.
For more details, please call us at 2127 4503, or
email us. |
180-degrees panorama - taken on Mt. Panorama
just in front of the
Lamma Winds windturbine, on July 23, 2008.
Click to enlarge for a really wide picture, 2,000 pixels wide.
360 degrees. Click to enlarge.
For many more panoramic Lamma shots, see our
Panorama forum.
Photo gallery of a week in Switzerland, coming soon...
On one of my rare off-island adventures, Lamma-Por and I recently travelled
to Macau for 2 days/1 night, together with one of my brothers from
Switzerland stopping over in HK for a few days. Of course, he had to stay in
our place on Lamma and I even borrowed a huge mattress from a good friend,
moving it on a huge trolley borrowed from the laundry place on Back Street.
My friend's cats - who had used the mattress as a comfy couch and scratching
post - were not too happy about this, I think.
The fingerprint id cards at the border checkpoints to Macau really work, my
first time to experience the "e-channel". The three of us shared a standard
600sqft Venetian hotel room, gorgeous and exactly the same size as our Lamma
flat. We couldn't resist doing the tacky touristy thing, taking a gondola
ride on the in-door canals on the 1/F (!) of the Venice-themed shopping
mall. Touring Macau's casinos, I came out ahead on the slot machines ($50)
and even when betting on "Sic-bo" (high/low, betting on three dices, similar
to roulette, $200 total win).
Zaia, the new permanent Cirque du Soleil show in the Venetian, was
simply amazing and an absolute visual feast for the senses. Sitting in the
third row, just behind the VIP seats, there's so much going on above and
behind you, my shoulders and neck were aching at the end of it, but it was
well worth it!
 Getting
up at 6:30am the next morning, while Lamma-Por and my brother were still
sleeping for another 2-3 hours I couldn't resist checking out their gym.
Yes, I've become one of these fitness-crazy people who use hotel gyms even
when on vacation. I should be really ashamed of myself! The Venetian is so
huge, I walked about 500 metres INSIDE the hotel to the gym - they've got
signposts with distances! You're getting your cardio workout done before even reaching the gym. Working out in their
state-of-the-art gym I had to have several of the machines I've never used
before be demonstrated to me {*Blush!*}
Visiting the "Pool Garden" afterwards, we finally get to the title of this
little story. The absolute favourite bit of our Macau trip was getting my
still aching shoulders and neck massaged by standing under a two-metre high
waterfall in the fountain pool in the extensive multi-pool rooftop garden of
the Venetian. An absolutely heavenly and intensely relaxing feeling, an
almost unique experience! I simply couldn't get enough of it!
The last time I've enjoyed this feeling was in the last millennium, while
river-rafting down Bali's Ayung River, during a corporate retreat of my
company. The raft was passing under a little waterfall, cooling us down so
nicely after an adventurous trip down the rapids. After this wonderful
shoulder massage and sitting repeatedly underwater below the waterfall for
as long as I could hold my breath, I returned to our hotel room. Lamma-Por
and my brother were still snoring happily...
 |
|
"Golden Tree" in Wynn Hotel |
After some more sightseeing in other casino hotels - over-the-top
ostentatiousness incarnated and joyfully celebrated! -
 we
returned to HK by CotaiJet. Topping off his Lamma/HK visit, my brother
surprised us completely by refusing to be paid back for our hotel room and
Zaia tickets he had booked online! And having a bit of spare time left
before his flight, to my further great surprise, he even replaced our toilet
seat and fixed my PC keyboard drawer. Many thanks, bro! Then he continued on
his business-class, flat-bed flight (see below) to Sydney. Yes, there is at
least one successful, dynamic, high-flying member in my family and it's not
me (anymore)!
 He's
also my inspiration behind my recent weight-loss, having had a full
bariatric bypass surgery 6 years ago, having been even heavier than I ever
was. He's even succeed in keeping almost all of the weight off since then!
Have a safe trip and all the best for your journey, bro, travelling through
Australia by car for almost a month now, a part of his usual, yearly six
weeks of company vacation...
Photo gallery of our trip to follow soon! Lamma-Por and I are already
planning our next Macau trip - one day without hotel to save money - there's
so much we haven't seen yet!
|
Leggova - story & pictures |
 White legs is part of a cat colony living in Ko Long Village.
I used to help look after them with another woman, and
now that I have moved to Tai Shan, she has taken over
the full care.Here are a few pictures that I took of
the cat when I lived there. You can see that she was a happy and healthy cat.
The day after the last typhoon I got a call from the
woman who is now taking care of the colony about White
Legs. She said that the cat was limping and thought that
it might have broken its leg.
I called up the always helpful and caring people at
the
Lamma Animal Welfare Centre (LAWC) and they arranged
an emergency appointment for White Legs at the vet. I
took the cat in and it turned out that she did indeed
fracture the leg in 4 places.
She now has a pin in the leg and will need to be in
isolation in a cage for at least 4 weeks.
Below is an after picture of White Legs. Luckily she is in the care of the good people at
LAWC.
The operation cost quite a lot of money and the cat
needs daily nursing care. If anyone would like to donate
some money for White Leg's operation or care, you would
be putting a lot of good karma points out into the
world!
 |
Get off my territory!
Practical photography |
Read last month's stories...
Lamma-zine Blog
started on Sep 1, 2004, and will be updated frequently with anything vaguely related to Lamma
Island or its residents, be it news, stories, events, photos, videos, etc.
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