Southside Magazine July 2014

Family | Food | Home | sport | Living

July 2014

Late train South Island MTR hits a snag

Ap Lei Chau’s

craft beer

172 things to do

The perfect

kitchen

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The really useful magazine JULY 2014

PEOPLE

FEATURE

4 Snapped!

Southside’s social life.

THE PLANNER

16 Dad town It’s a guy thing.

EATING

6 Happening in July Things to do.

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

10 Gone fishin’ Nice guy Ah Fai at the fish market.

COUNTRY PARKS

news

28 Review Fergus on food.

46 Well groomed Beauty tricks for dapper gents.

30 Summer courses More camps for kids.

34 Making space Contemporary apartment living.

local

FAMILY

14 The train’s delayed A progress report.

BIG DAY OUT 42 To infinity and beyond Trekking to Lantau’s infinity pools.

home

12 What’s going on?

In your backyard.

40 Skate of the art Hong Kong’s best skateparks.

24 Southside’s brew Inside Ap Lei Chau’s Microbrewery.

Plus nibbles.

EDUCATION

11 Turning to the law News from the green front.

outdoors

38 Rainy days and Mondays Things to do.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

PETS

MARKETPLACE 50 Your guide to shops and services Cool stuff to buy and do.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 56 All you need to know Numbers that make life easier.

MY SOUTHSIDE 58 Mr Delaney’s Noel Smyth reveals how Pok Fu Lam got its pints.

48 Life lessons Dogs have long memories, writes Sally Andersen.

CREATURE FEATURE 49 Lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo Noisy, endangered and living in a tree near you.

Cover photo by Bricks & Mortar

“Summer is where the girls go barefoot and their hearts are just as free as their toes.”

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people Snaps from Southside

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say cheese Cyberport Football Carnival

Share your event photos with us at photo@fastmedia.com.hk. Get snapping!

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planner UNTIL OCT 5 Transformers 30th Anniversary Expo The Transformers toys are 30 years old. See a seven-metre Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, play in the laser area and view 400 limited-edition figures. Tickets from $80. The Venetian Macao, transformers30.com. See News, p.12 for a chance to win free tickets.

JUL 1 HKSAR Establishment Day Public holiday. Join the annual demo.

JUL 4 American Independence Day Fly the stars and stripes, eat apple pie, doff a Stetson.

JUL 5 Teva Kayak n Run Kayak and running races around Middle Island, including a family short course for parents and kids over six, to raise funds for the Action Asia Foundation. Deep Water Bay. Register at www. actionasiaevents.com.

JUL 12

Shek O Challenge

Open-water swimming, running and paddling races from Big Wave Bay to Shek O’s Back Beach, followed by a party. Registration is $450 until July 10 at www.openwaterasia.com.

From 12.30pm, Big Wave Bay.

UNTIL JUL 13 FIFA World Cup

JUL 5-6 Hong Kong International Education Expo

Gooooaal! A perfect excuse to be wildly patriotic in living rooms and venues across Hong Kong.

UNTIL AUG 24 Summer Shark Fever Watery fun at Ocean Park, with foam fights, a new aquarium with 100 sharks and rays, and summer schools for kids. Ocean Park Road, Aberdeen, www.oceanpark.com.hk.

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As well as international tertiary courses, this year’s event has a Child Education Zone with details of kindergartens, after-school activities and summer courses. Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, 2561 5566, www. newayfairs.com.

JUL 6, 20 Fun with Art UNTIL AUG 30 Chinese Opera Festival Get to grips with Chinese traditional culture and music. Details at www.cof.gov.hk.

Let the kids play on the grass with free interactive games organised by Playright Children’s Play Association. 2pm-5pm, Central and Western Waterfront Promenade, www. artaliveatpark.hk.

happening in July JUL 6, 13, 20, 27 Sunday Yoga POP

Jul 11-13 Dora The Explorer Live

Yoga with May Nogoy. Pay as you wish; free for domestic helpers. 4.30pm-6pm. Waterfront Park, Cyberport, Pok Fu Lam, www.soultrains.com.

Help everyone’s favourite explorer find her missing teddy in the City of Lost Toys. Star Hall, KITEC, Kowloon Bay. Tickets $135-$650 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

JUL 7 HK 3-D Museum Opens A 10,000 sqft museum of 3-D paintings of Hong Kong. Open daily 10am-10pm. Adults $149, children $100. 1/F Hilton Tower, 96 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, www.hk3dm.com.hk.

JUL 19-20 Lan Kwai Fong Beer and Music Fest Weekend street party with drink and food stalls, live music, games and competitions. 1pm till late.

Lan Kwai Fong, Central, www.lankwaifong.com.

JUL 12 Exchange Square on the Lawn JUL 7-10 Hong Kong Fashion Week Find out what you’ll be wearing in spring/ summer 2015. Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, www.hktdc.com.

JUL 11-AUG 17 International Arts Carnival Annual children’s arts festival, including theatre, dance, circus, music, puppetry, an amazing black-light theatre and the International Children’s Film Carnival. Details at www.hkiac. gov.hk. Tickets from www.urbtix.hk.

Hone your haggling skills at a one-day, cashfree barter and exchange market. 3pm-8pm, Central and Western District Promenade, www. artaliveatpark.hk.

JUL 12-13 Summer Pool Party Get wet at the ultimate splash-in at the 76th-floor pool of the W Hotel. 8pm-3am. 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, 3717 2783.

JUL 25-27 PMQ Night Market Food, drinks, musicians, arts, fashion and more.

Free entry. 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, www.pmqnightmarkets.org.

JUL 16-22 25th Hong Kong Book Fair

JUL 25-29 Ani-Com & Games Fair

Annual event for bookworms, with seminars, meet-the-author sessions and children’s events.

Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, www.hkbookfair.hktdc.com.

Cosplay, comic and games fans dress up and come out to play. 10am-9pm, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, www. ani-com.hk.

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planner

Book now Sep 23-28 Potted Potter

Oct 10 Barclays Moontrekker

All seven Harry Potter books and a live Quidditch match in 70 minutes. Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $395-$550 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

The annual charity night hike this year has 43km and 30km routes from Mui Wo to Pui O, Lantau. Registration is full, but check www. barclaysmoontrekker.com for wait list details.

Aug 12 Ellie Goulding She’s gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn...

Star Hall, KITEC, Kowloon Bay. Tickets $540$640 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Aug 27-31 Disney Live! Three Classic Fairy Tales Live musical of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.

Star Hall, KITEC, Kowloon Bay. Tickets $150$600 from www.hkticketing.com, 3218 8288.

Nov 25-30 Avenue Q This comedy phenomenon is strictly for adults only (for full puppet nudity and worse). Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $395-$795 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Oct 9-12 Dr Bunhead’s (Don’t) Try This At Home Wacky experiments with the Blue Peter and Brainiac science guy.

Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $195-$435 from www.hkticketing. com, 3128 8288.

Oct 17-19 Stick Man

Sep 24-Oct 22 Mamma Mia! All your ABBA favourites plus a big fat Greek wedding. Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai.

Tickets $395-$896 from www.hkticketing. com, 3128 8288.

The favourite children’s book live on stage.

Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $195-$435 from www.hkticketing. com, 3128 8288.

Nov 28-30 Seussical the Musical The Cat in the Hat, Horton and the Whos lead the charge through Dr Seuss’ favourite tales. Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $265-$595 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

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

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five minutes with...

man of the sea

Gone fishin’ Ah Fai grew up on a boat in Aberdeen and now works at the wholesale fish market. By Melody Liu. fisherman myself to support my family in the future.

I had no formal education. I grew up on the sea and helped my parents who were also fishermen. Our boat, where we lived, used to be buzzing with noise from all my siblings – life used to be simple and carefree. I knew I would also continue the family work and become a

My day starts at 4am. I live in Shek Pai Wan, so I get to the promenade quite quickly. We get to work at 4.30am, helping to unload the fish my colleagues catch at night. We wait while clients from restaurants choose seafood, then help with the delivery. Work ends at around 6.30pm, although sometimes we have to drive a long way to another port to pick up international seafood deliveries. We do that as much as we can to earn a good commission.

As a Southsider, I have seen tremendous changes. Aberdeen Harbour used to have a lot more boats. Now people are starting to get into wholesaling or other industries to earn a decent

living. With the tourism board having great expectations for the traditional fishing harbour, on top of the Fisheries Protection (Amendment) Ordinance, its modernization has been eyeopening. Also, the government has funded improvement works for the promenade, so the environment is a lot cleaner and more attractive.

The wholesale fish market now consists of mainlanders and local wholesalers, all working for the common goal of commission to support our families. Both my children are studying in local primary schools – all I want is for my children to have a proper education and to be successful.

I’m a nice guy! I enjoy doing charity work and selling flags on the streets on my days off.

Sometimes I donate seafood to local charities.

I try my best because I know how hard life can be in Hong Kong.

Mandarin Class English Class Inline Skating Class Inline Skates We attach great importance to develop children`s

Independent Thinking and Teamwork Spirit.

www.uuokok.com

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Headline save our

country parks

news from the green front

Turning to the law The battle for the parks moves into the courts, writes Paul Zimmerman.

An artists’ impression of So Lo Pon with 137 village houses.

The battle to save the country parks has entered a new stage.

Green activist and Save Our Country Parks founding member Chan Ka-lam has asked the courts to grant leave for a judicial review of the decision by the director of the AFCD to exclude the enclaves of private land from management and development control under the Country Park Ordinance and Regulations.

I know Ms Chan well. She works in my office and has been managing the Save Our Country Parks Alliance. She is quite determined. Her simple argument is that you can’t move the enclaves, which are smack in the middle of the country parks. So if you want to protect the parks, you need to manage the enclaves.

She points out that the government itself has said the AFCD is in the best position to do this. It has the powers to stop eco-vandalism and the resources to restore vegetation, provide facilities and patrol the land. It is now up to the courts to decide whether they agree with her.

Meanwhile, the Town Planning Board has referred the outline zoning plans (OZPs) for Hoi Ha, Pak Lap and So Lo Pun back to the Planning Department. It wants the areas zoned for village houses (V-zones) to be reduced.

That would appear to be 1-0 for the green groups vs the Heung Yee Kuk. But a closer look shows a starker picture. The board believes the

V-zones are not in line with its new principle of “incremental development”, it wants to start with smaller areas for development and allow more on application later.

The green groups oppose any village expansion. They want the government to stick to its previous policy of protecting the parks from development in the enclaves. The greens argue that new small house developments are inappropriate inside country parks, because of a long list of increased threats of destruction.

Making the initial village house zones smaller is a cosmetic change, a Machiavellian trick with which the Town Planning Board hopes to avoid also being dragged to the courts over its failure to protect the parks.

Paul Zimmerman is the CEO of Designing Hong Kong, a Southern District Councillor and the co-convenor of Save Our Country Parks alliance.

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news How to build a sand palace

Castles Can Fly has turned sandcastles into an art form. Instead of an upside-down bucket, think complex towers and turrets, battlements and bridges. The company runs corporate team-building events, youth leadership development and teacher-training programmes but also caters for private parties and family gatherings, encouraging parents to get sandy with their kids.

Armed with its special buckets, Castles Can Fly will come to the beach of your choice and soon have you planning, designing and building like master architects. Parties cost from $5,400 for a minimum of 10 families (two adults and two children per family). Castles Can Fly also runs family fun days on Sundays at Stanley, Shek O and Repulse Bay beaches. Details at www.castlescanfly.com.hk.

New preschool in The Pulse A bilingual international preschool is opening in The Pulse mall right next to Repulse Bay Beach.

Called Miles International, it will be offering programmes in English and Mandarin for children aged from nine months to six years in three age-appropriate classes: Parent and Child (ages nine to 30 months), Pre-nursery/ Nursery (ages two to four) and Primary School Foundation (ages three to six). It will also run a programme of Enhancement Classes in painting, music, writing and “Shake Your Body”, which sounds fun.

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The preschool intends to put its enviable location to good use, with explorations of the surrounding environment. It focuses on experiential learning (an important part of the Montessori and Reggio Emilia curricula) based on the philosophy: “Tell me and I will forget.

Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.”

For details and to register for one of the Sunday open days in August, visit www. milesinternational.com.hk.

Uber Hong Kong launches

Good news for anyone who struggles to find a taxi: Uber Hong Kong mobile app, which links users to private cars for hire, is now available.

The mobile service offers an alternative to taxis and has been a hit in cities worldwide.

Simply download the app to an iPhone or Android device, register your credit card and request a ride. The app quotes a fare and tracks the car, which usually arrives within minutes; the fare is charged to your card, no cash required.

The service was tested successfully during the Hong Kong Sevens – probably the most notorious weekend of the year for finding a cab – but with the base fare for original Uber starting at $35, increasing $2 a minute or $9.32 per km, and a minimum charge of $50, it’s a more expensive option than Hong Kong’s red cabs. (Repulse Bay Beach to Stanley Market, for example, is quoted on Uber at $98-$119; a red cab is $51.) For details, visit www.uber. com/cities/hong_kong.

Allan Zeman stands down at Ocean Park Dr Allan Zeman is to leave Ocean Park after a successful 11 years as chairman of the board.

Under his direction, the park has transformed into a world-class theme park, facing down competition from Hong Kong Disneyland and doubling its annual visitor numbers to more than 7.7 million a year.

He will be replaced as chairman by Leo Kung Lin-cheng, who has been deputy chairman since 2009. Kung takes over as the park presses ahead with two major projects: the construction of an all-weather water-park at Tai Shue Wan and Ocean Hotel. He has invited Zeman to be honorary advisor of a steering group overseeing the projects.

in your backyard

Loft-style hotel for Aberdeen

Ticket giveaways!

WIN

Transformers 30th Anniversary Expo Win four tickets to the Transformers 30th Anniversary Expo at The Venetian, Macau, and experience some of the blockbuster thrills of the new movie, Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Ovolo is opening a stylish new hotel in Wong Chuk Hang this summer. Touted as Hong Kong’s first “New York-style warehouse conversion Design Hotel”, Ovolo Southside is located in a 1970s former industrial building, which has been transformed into a chic urban retreat.

The hotel offers an authentic Hong Kong experience but with all the advantages of staying in the Southside’s emerging artists’ district, within easy reach of the city and the area’s lovely beaches.

This is not a case of style over substance, however. The new hotel will also feature Ovolo’s all-inclusive services, including free breakfast, daily happy-hour social drinks, flexible check out, super-fast wi-fi and conceptual social places to meet and mingle with other guests.

Each room also includes an AV system, with Apple TV and 3-D Smart TVs. As an opening offer, rooms are available from $1,111 a night. 64 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, 2165 1000, www.ovolohotels.com.

No refund on new ESF levy From August 2015, all new students joining ESF schools will have to pay a one-off, nonrefundable capital levy (NCL) of $38,000 for children entering Year One, reduced on a sliding scale for those who join ESF later in their school careers.

The NCL replaces the refundable capital levy scheme (RCL), which was introduced

in 2011. Students at ESF kindergartens and Private Independent School will not have to pay the NCL, and those already in the ESF system will continue to follow the RCL scheme. The new levy will be used to maintain and upgrade the ESF’s 15 schools. It follows the Hong Kong Government’s decision to phase out its capital subvention to the ESF.

Classical Recital Classical music fans can win tickets to the Cello and Piano Duo Recital on July 7, when Colin Carr and Mary Wu will play pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Debussy and Brahms.

Champions of Gold We are giving away six A Reserve tickets to the Champions of Gold world championship boxing matches at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena on July 19. The tickets are each worth $980, including roundtrip ferry tickets. (Please note, the arena only admits people aged 13 and up.)

To enter To enter any of our competitions, like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ SouthsideMagazineHK) and send us a message with your name and telephone number and the name of the event you would prefer to win.

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local Editorial Jane Steer jane@fastmedia.com.hk Hannah Grogan hannah@fastmedia.com.hk Cherrie Yu cherrie@fastmedia.com.hk Art Director Kelvin Lau kelvin@fastmedia.com.hk Graphic Design Evy Cheung evy@fastmedia.com.hk Sales & Marketing Angela Tsui angela@fastmedia.com.hk Rica Bartlett rica@fastmedia.com.hk Marketing & Communications Manager Sharon Wong sharon@fastmedia.com.hk Accounts Manager Connie Lam connie@fastmedia.com.hk Publisher Tom Hilditch tom@fastmedia.com.hk Contributors Adele Brunner Carolynne Dear Sally Andersen Paul Zimmerman Gail Turner Steffi Yuen Evie Burrows-Taylor Melody Liu Jodee Fong Gordon Hu Timothy Ma SooYoun Oh Printer Gear Printing Room 3B, 49 Wong Chuk Hang Road, (Derrick Industrial Building), Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong Published by Fast Media Floor LG1, 222 Queens Road Central Hong Kong

Give us a call!

Admin: 3568 3722 Editorial: 2776 2773 Advertising: 2776 2772 Southside Magazine is published by Fast Media Ltd. This magazine is published on the understanding that the publishers, advertisers, contributors and their employees are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors and omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication. The publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of any action or omission by this publication. Southside Magazine cannot be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies provided by advertisers or contributors. The views herein are not necessarily shared by the staff or pubishers. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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The train is delayed The MTR South Island Line (East) will not open until mid 2016, writes Timothy Ma. A likely six-month delay in construction on the MTR’s South Island (East) Line means trafficbound Southsiders may have to wait until mid-2016 for the line to open.

The new connection, which will link Admiralty to South Horizons on Ap Lei Chau, with additional stops at Ocean Park, Wong Chuk Hang and Lei Tung, was due to start operating in late 2015.

Southern District Councillor Paul Zimmerman called the news “a serious disappointment for Southside residents” given the serious road congestion in the Aberdeen tunnel (which closes an average 10 times daily) and Causeway Bay. “The South Island Line (East) will likely face a delay in commissioning,” he said. “The MTR is unable to complete the works at Admiralty Station in time to allow the commissioning before the end of 2015. Before the end of this year, the MTRC will formally confirm whether they can still make the target opening date, and

Residents have long suffered unreliable public transport if not, what the delay will be.”

The complexity of work to expand Admiralty Station into a larger interchange, with four lines – Island, Tsuen Wan and the new South Island (East) and Sha Tin to Central Link – on six different underground levels, has delayed the project.

“It is akin to open heart surgery on an athlete who is running around the track and field,” Zimmerman says. “There is also some delay on the tunnelling works, which will mean that barging operations at Telegraph Bay will continue for an extra three to four months.”

The delays were discussed last month at a regular bi-monthly meeting between the MTRC and the council, which is pushing for

more transparency from the MTRC. Zimmerman says there are also delays on the West Island Line, which will impact residents of Pok Fu Lam. “It appears that exits at the Sai Ying Pun Station will be not be ready before the end of 2014, the date promised for commissioning the West Island Line. My office has written to the Secretary for Transport and Housing and urged him to commission the service and the Kennedy Town and HKU stations as soon as possible, and to open Sai Ying Pun when ready.

Any delay would inconvenience residents in Pok Fu Lam who have long suffered unreliable public transport, especially during weekday commutes and increasingly on weekends.”

The MTRC’s chief executive officer, Jay Walder, said: “I am sorry to disappoint the communities and make them wait longer for railway service at their doorstep. The Corporation will continue to work hard to overcome these challenges.”

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feature

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boy zone

Fling yourself off the Macau Tower with the AJ Hackett bungy jump (left), or stick to safer pursuits in the virtual F1 cars at Sideways Driving Club (above).

Make your own sausages Skip the frozen franks and learn to make your own bangers. The Butchers Club’s sausage-making classes take you step-bystep through the whole process: butchering the meat, adding seasoning, stuffing the cases and making links. The class includes dinner prepared with your own sausages with suitable accompaniments: mash, gravy and peas (what else?). Complimentary drinks are served throughout the evening, and guests take home a kilo of sausages (valued at $250). The next class is July 24, 7pm-10.30pm, $1,300 a person (discounts for groups of 10-14). Private classes available. 13C Sun Ying Industrial Centre, 9 Tin Wan Close, Tin Wan, Aberdeen, 2552 8281, www.butchersclub.com.hk.

Organise a session in a brewery What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than sinking a few craft beers? Become a beer “brew-ru” with a visit to Hong Kong microbrewery, Young Master Ales. Producing fine craft beers, it opens most Saturdays for tours of its Southside brewery and tastings of its

natural ales, including the earthy Cha Cha Soba Ale, Island 1842 Imperial IPA and Mo’ Mo’ Wit Belgian witbier. Tours cost $100, from noon to 5pm (walk-ins welcome). Check Young Master Ales’ Facebook and Twitter pages for dates, or email info@youngmasterales.com. Units 407-9, Oceanic Industrial Centre, 2 Lee Lok Street, Ap Lei Chau, www.youngmasterales.com.

Catch the fight Bone up on your boxing lingo – southpaw, haymaker, KO and, our favourite, kissing the canvas – and head to Macau on July 19 for the Champions of Gold boxing world championships. Top of the card at the Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena are China’s two-time Olympic gold medallist Zuo Shiming and undefeated Cuban junior featherweight world champion Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux.

The undercard is pretty impressive too, including three-time world champion Brian Viloria and local favourites, Rex “The Wonder Kid” Tso and “The Macau Kid” Ng Kuokkun. Tickets are $80-$4,680 from www. venetianmacao.com or call 6333 6660.

Go skiing in Kwun Tong Hone your downhill skills on the dry slopes at PLAY. The indoor facility has three slopes suitable for skiing, snowboarding and even tobogganing, with qualified instructors to teach novices or help the more experienced to improve their technique. It also has indoor baseball and softball batting cages and pitching practice lines. Skiing/snowboarding lessons cost from $1,080, with practice sessions for members only from $500 for 30 minutes (annual membership is $600). Baseball batting from $30 for 14-18 pitches. Baseball lessons $450.

FREE Free Champions of Gold tickets We’re giving away tickets to Champions of Gold on July 19. To enter, like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ SouthsideMagazineHK) and send us a message with your name and telephone number.

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Picture: Hannah Grogan

feature

Master a sword in Ngau Tau Kok.

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feature Where to watch the FIFA World Cup final

Delaney’s, 2/F, One Capital Place, 18 Luard Road, Wan Chai, 2804 2880.

Please call ahead to confirm screening at Delaney’s Cyberport, The Spire at the Arcade, Pok Fu Lam, 2677 1126.

La Perouse, 5/F, 77 Wyndham Street, Lan Kwai Fong, 2826 9269 The DogHouse, 72-86 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, 2528 0868.

Al’s Diner, G/F, 39 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, 2521 8714.

Bar 109, 109 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, 2861 3336.

Learn to make your own sausages with a class at The Butchers Club.

1/F-2/F, 79 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong, 2797 9323, www.321play.com.hk.

Escape from a room Channel your inner John McClane or Indiana Jones in the new action game sweeping the world: escape rooms. Local company Freeing HK offers a series of themed rooms of various sizes and complexities that you and your friends must escape from by manoeuvring past obstacles and solving puzzles within a time limit. Traverse an ancient South American civilisation in “The Lost Kingdom”, seize the throne of the Golden Thief from a museum in “Mission Incredible”, break out of Egyptian tombs in “The Unforeseeable Pyramid”, or board a pirate ship in “Dark Souls”. Week days $128 per person, weekends and holidays $168.

Freeing HK operates at seven locations in Hong Kong and Macau. Book online at www.freeinghk.com.

Master a sword Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a swordsman?

Learn to wield a blade through toyama ryu, a modern martial art using Japanese swords. It

emphasises drawing a sword and “test-cutting” a straw target, as well as the mental and spiritual aspects of swordsmanship. Basic courses are available at the Ngau Tau Kok dojo, $650 a month, students $350. For details, call Mr Lok at 9772 8392 or visit www.hksword.com.

Channel your inner John McClane or Indiana Jones in the new action game sweeping the world Get muddy at motocross It’s noisy, adrenaline-fuelled and involves racing motorbikes around muddy tracks and wearing leather jackets – it’s easy to see the appeal of motocross. Established in 1996, members of the Hong Kong Motocross Racing Team and club can rev to their hearts’ content at their own facility in Sheung Shui. As well as motocross, the venue hosts other extreme sports including pro biking, dirt biking, quad biking, war games and e-biking. There’s even a pool for remotecontrolled boats. Professional instructors put

safety first ensuring a fun day out for boys (and girls) of all ages. Children’s parties available.

Details at www.mxclub.com.hk, 9711 8003.

Play bubble soccer Daft but fun, bubble soccer involves encasing the top half of your body in a giant inflatable orb and chasing a football. Word is, you need the mind of a rugby player, the skills of a soccer player and a body of a sprinter. But we suspect it mostly involves bouncing off your teammates and rolling around on the ground giggling your head off. This crazy sport has swept Europe, the US and Australia, and now it’s Hong Kong’s turn. Book at www.bubblesoccer.hk.

Drift a car Jeremy Clarkson, eat your heart out. Learn to drift like the Top Gear boys, all squealing tyres, clouds of smoke and an overload of testosterone, at Zhuhai International Circuit in China. Those with mainland-registered cars can mangle their own wheels on the racing circuit, everyone else can learn the skill in “partner vehicles” in four different classes.

While you’re there, take a spin on the 90cc Easy

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feature

How much fun does this look? Challenge your friends to a bubble soccer match – and prepare to giggle.

Kart (RMB50 for 10 minutes). Or challenge your friends to a karting race day, including warmups, practice laps, a 12-lap preliminary race and 15-lap final race (from RMB500/person).

For details and reservations, visit www.zic.com. cn and click on Fans Club.

Drink and drive Not on the road, of course, but at Sideways Driving Club, the virtual Formula 1 racing centre, which has a bar on the premises. With a fleet of 13 racing-car simulators – each outfitted with its own screen, driving capsule and replica F1 steering wheel – it’s the safe option for boy

20 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

racers. From $300 (off-peak) for one hour of driving, rising to $1,200 (peak) for three hours.

LG/F, 1-2 Chancery Lane, Central, 2523 0983, www.sideways-driving-club.com.

Jump off the Macau Tower Take a terrifying, but manly, dive off the Macau Tower with the AJ Hackett bungy jump, the highest in the world. The views are spectacular for those who can focus on the dizzying panorama of the Pearl River Delta while plunging earthwards from 338 metres. Standard packages start from MOP2,888, or MOP3,588 with a photograph and video set. Details at

www.ajhackett.com/macau, +853 8988 8656.

Get lagered in Lan Kwai July 19 and 20 is beer o’clock at the Lan Kwai Fong Beer and Music Festival. Sample more than 100 chilled beers from Denmark, Holland, England, Japan and Korea, and munch on international snacks – satay, roasted oysters, German sausages, dim sum – at more than 70 street stalls. Dozens of live performers provide the music, with entertainment in the form of arm-wrestling, beer-drinking and hotdog-eating contests. It could get messy. 1pm-late, Lan Kwai Fong, Central.

eating

Young Master Ales’ Rohit Dugar checks a batch of craft beer in his Ap Lei Chau microbrewery.

Southside’s craft beer

Cherrie Yu enjoys a pint at Young Master Ales, Ap Lei Chau’s new microbrewery.

Riding the crest of the craft-beer wave that has been sweeping the world – and Hong Kong – for the past few years is a new microbrewery in Ap Lei Chau. Young Master Ales was founded in December by Indian-born financier Rohit Dugar, who has turned his award-winning passion for home brewing into a fast-growing business with a lengthening list of craft beers in several different styles.

Already, his beers are for sale in some of the most prestigious bars in Hong Kong, including the Captain’s Bar at the Mandarin Oriental and the Lobster Bar at the Island Shangri-la. But the real seal of approval is a tap at The Globe, widely regarded as stocking the city’s finest selection of craft beers.

“The local beer movement has taken quite a stance around the world recently, so I was quite surprised [when he arrived in the city in 2011] that the dynamic didn’t exist here. I was in a situation to do something about it,” Dugar says of his decision to switch from finance to beer. “I

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The brewing process is as much science as it is art was home brewing and I knew about beer.”

He’s being a little modest. Dugar’s homebrewed Hong Kong Black Ale – described by the Wall Street Journal as “a roasty but lightbodied brew with hints of coffee and chocolate” – won the inaugural Hong Kong Homebrew Competition last year. But turning a hobby into a business is rarely straightforward. In June 2013, Dugar gave up his job and devoted all his energy to Young Master Ales, starting with finding premises and sorting out the licensing.

“It was a long few months,” he says. “No single factor determines the favourable location for a brewery. It takes all: from the ceiling height, floor loading for the heavy equipment, water supply and lift to fire safety regulations.”

A 3,500 sqft space on the second floor of an industrial building in Ap Lei Chau fit the bill. He sourced ingredients and custom-built equipment in Germany and China, and got to work tweaking his homebrew recipes for the local market. Now he and his staff of two (one full-time, one part-time) produce 15,000 litres of beer a month, and plan to increase production to 20,000 litres to keep up with demand. The space is divided into three: the brewing room, a beer-tasting room overlooking the East Lamma Channel and a storage space. The brewery is open to the public most Saturday afternoons for a tour and beer-tasting session (for details, see Feature, p.16).

“The brewing process is as much science as it is art, with a lot of precise calculations and recipe formulation and execution,” Dugar says.

“It is all about the diversity – beer has a wide range in terms of flavours, but what marketing has done is lead people to think beer is one flavoured drink.”

bottoms up

Clockwise from top left: a freshly poured glass of Cha Cha Soba Ale; inside the tasting room; raw ingredients are sourced mainly from Germany.

Young Masters Ales produces a wide variety of different styles of beers, with about five or six different beers available at any given time. Staples include Young Master Classic pale ale and the bolder Island 1842 Imperial IPA, with strong hops and robust malt.

“We make both traditional beers and innovative styles that are entirely our own, with Hong Kong elements,” Dugar says.

For summer, it has introduced Mo’ Mo’ Wit, a Belgian witbier made with unmalted wheat and scented with aged mandarin peel.

Experimental Siu Sauvin is a limited edition produced in collaboration with Renaissance

Brewing Company of New Zealand. And Dugar is currently working on Golden Era Old Fashioned, aged for six months in rye whisky barrels, which is to be sold in a limited edition of just 1,000 bottles at the end of the year.

(Advance orders are recommended.)

I try the Cha Cha Soba Ale, made with locally sourced buckwheat, chilled cha-soba and light hints of green tea. Taking a sip, the flavours hit the taste buds with an amazingly refreshing and dry sensation. It’s also about as natural as beer can be.

“We do not filter, pasteurize or add artificial stabilizers or chemicals to our products simply

to extend their shelf-life,” promises the brewery.

“We also use naturally produced carbon dioxide during fermentation and do not artificially carbonate. Our beer will be the freshest you can find in Hong Kong with the shortest distance travelled from grain to your glass.”

We’ll drink to that.

Young Masters Ale is available at the brewery in two-litre “growlers” at $200 for the container, plus $135 for the beer (refills available). Units 407-9, Oceanic Industrial Centre, 2 Lee Lok Street, Ap Lei Chau, www.youngmasterales.com.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 25

eating

Nibbles Hi, Bali Australian chef Will Meyrick, who runs two of Bali’s most famous restaurants, Mama San and Sarong, is opening a venue in Hong Kong.

Part of the Dining Concepts group, Mama San

by Will Meyrick will serve the renowned chef’s take on Southeast Asian street food in a retro Balinese-style dining room. Look for dishes such as tuna betel leaves, slow-cooked crispy pork belly with green papaya, soft shell crab, Babi Guling suckling pig, crispy half-duck with sweet potato and shallots, and lashings of nahm jim dipping sauce. Yum. Vegetarian menu available. 1/F, 46 Wyndham Street, Central, 2881 8901.

Summer at the bay From July 2 to August 31, The Verandah and Spices at The Repulse Bay are offering a series of special summer sets: antipasto set lunch, summer set dinner, vino and pasta pasta buffet and wine tasting. Weekends at Spices will be particularly chill, with cocktails and lounge music. Collect points when you dine for the all-you-can-eat souffle extravaganza. Details at

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From left: inside Mama San by Will Meyrick; a chef serves up a summer dish at The Verandah.

www.therepulsebay.com.

Host a TV food show Ever dreamed of hosting a TV food show? The Asian Food Channel and Food Network are looking for a Food Hero – well, two to be precise – with a love of food and travel to become the new faces of the network. To apply, make a video and submit by July 7. For details, visit www.asianfoodchannel.com.

Kennedy Town, 2855 8890.

Restaurant Week bargains return Eat for less at more than 70 restaurants across Hong Kong during the Restaurant Week food festival. From August 1 to 31, special fixedpriced menus will be available at participating eateries, including DiVino Patio, Azure, Wooloomooloo Steakhouse and more. Details at www.restaurantweek.hk.

A lot of waffles (and great coffee) Waffling Beans has opened in Kennedy Town specialising in single-origin hand-drip coffee and sweet or savoury waffles. In the evening, the menu segues into imported beers and a wider range of dishes such as wild mushroom and parmesan risotto balls, garlic and chilli shrimp, and coffee-braised short ribs. 4-8 North Street,

Make yours a beer slushie Taking cold beer one step further is Kirin Ichiban Stout Frozen Beer. Stored at -5 deg C, this rich and creamy dark beer is served with an icy layer on top, like a beer slushie, and stays ice-cold for up to 30 minutes. Try it on a hot night in bars around Hong Kong. Details from Kirin at 2491 0411.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 27

food by fergus

review

3/3rds Wong Chuk Hang’s latest lunch spot is a family affair, says Fergus Fung.

Hot on the heels of last month’s column on dining options in the Wong Chuk Hang industrial zone is another new eatery serving delicious grub. 3/3rds is a “take-out” kitchen opened by Daniel Wan, his girlfriend, Adelaide Tam, and his brother, Wesley.

The three inspired the name: “Three-thirds make a whole,” Wan explained.

The space is split into two distinct areas; a kitchen making the takeaways, and an eclectically furnished space where diners can

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enjoy their meal – the furniture is also for sale.

Initially open only for lunch, it serves soups (from $55), salads ($55) and pizzas ($128).

We went as a group and tried many of the dishes on offer. We started with salads, which came in boxes and can be mixed and matched.

A favourite was wild rice salad: basmati rice and quinoa with lemon, dried apricots, pine nuts and pomegranate seeds. Dressed with chilli oil, dill and finely chopped gherkin, it was bursting with flavour. We also tried broccoli with garlic chips and chilli, and eggplants with pine nuts, pomegranate, basil and yoghurt – both well-executed.

Next came the soups. The spinach and chickpea soup with coconut milk, cilantro and lemon juice was surprisingly light and refreshing.

Portuguese fish stew with chorizo was hearty, and the Burmese chicken soup with noodles had good spice.

The pizzas were prepared by a former Isola chef, who makes them with the same very thin bases. They take only 10 minutes in the oven. I

tried the margherita pizza, which had a generous topping of arugula. We also tried the three cheese sandwich – cheddar, raclette and comte, with red onions, white onions and leeks – which was sinfully good.

On the day we visited, the desserts included orange cake, hazelnut brownie and cheesecake with caramel and macadamia nuts. They looked good, but I was too full to try them.

Finally, 3/3rds has its own coffee-roasting machine, although when we were there Wan said they were still looking for a coffee roaster/barista to get that big red machine roasting.

22/F, Unit D, Yally Industrial Building, 6 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang, 3462 2951.

Fergus Fung co-founded the WOM Hong Kong restaurant guide, available in online and print versions. He is also a wine consultant for Bonhams 1793 and a Southern District Councillor.

education

smart choices

Summer schools More camps for kids.

Students join the fun at Mentorhood’s summer classes.

Bebegarten A wide range of summer courses for children aged six months to six years. One or twoday playgroups for the under-threes explore habitats, while the over-threes go “Around the World in 39 Days” in their five-day programmes.

Week-long Enrichment Education Courses are also available in art and design, drama or Mandarin. From June 30, $350 to $2,625. L3, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 3487 2255, www.bebegarten.com.

Island Glee Club “Let it go, let it go…” The biggest Disney movie of recent years, Frozen is the theme for the Island Glee Club’s summer camp of art and dance for children from age three and six months. The week-long courses run July 7-11 and August 4-8. Details at www.theislandgleeclub.com.

Mentorhood Budding Einsteins can join Mentorhood’s

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master class in mathematics. The classes are based on the Singapore Block Model, a “magic formula” that involves visualising a problem to hone your child’s inner Fibonacci. For children aged three to 12, in age-appropriate classes: $1,380 for six classes. L2 Broadview Court, 11 Shum Wan Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 2572 3398; Marina Square, West Commercial Centre, South Horizons, Ap Lei Chau, 3482 0833, www.mentorhood.com.hk.

Morningstar The preschool group is running 10-day inquirybased summer camps focusing on hands-on, child-led projects. Activities include arts and crafts, creative play and sports for nursery, kindergarten and Mandarin immersion classes for children aged two to six years. Half-day sessions are $3,500 for a 10-day programme, while full-day sessions are $7,100. Chi Fu Fa Yuen, Pok Fu Lam, 9736 5241, www. morningstarschools.com

SPOT Centre SPOT’s occupational, speech and physiotherapists and counsellors are running summer camps to encourage academic and physical development, sensory processing, remedial handwriting and social and language skills. Available for children of all abilities. 19/F, World Trust Tower, 50 Stanley Street, Central, 2544 5835; 10/F One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 2807 2992, www.spot.com.hk.

Spring Learning This summer, Spring Learning is offering eight programmes including theatre and dance workshops, art, sports and science camps.

For children aged 18 months to six years, each programme is offered in two-week blocks of three sessions. Early bird and bundle discounts are available. 3/F, Centre Point, 181-185 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, 3465 5000, www.spring-learning.com.hk.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 31

sponsored column

Bilingual preschool education To become fluent in a second language, start young, says ITS Educational Services.

“N h o?” shouts four-year-old Jackson Williams, bouncing into preschool in Central one Saturday morning. It’s graduation day for Jackson and his 15 classmates, aged two to four, who have been learning Mandarin for 16 weeks.

When they started, few of them could speak or understand the language. Now, after just 20 hours of instruction, they can follow and participate in a puppet show of Goldilocks and the Three Bears performed entirely in Mandarin. They also know their numbers, colours, fruit and vegetables and how to follow basic classroom instructions.

In multicultural Hong Kong, many preschool children learn at least one second language, usually English or Mandarin (or both). Classes where children are actively involved in constructing their own learning through self-directed investigation provide opportunities for teachers to talk with children individually or in a small group.

These natural conversations mean the second language becomes a regular means

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of communication rather than a special subject.

A growing number of parents are turning to language-immersion programmes for their toddlers and preschoolers. Some are looking to preserve family heritage; others for academic advantage. Full-immersion language learning is very successful. The method adopted by some Hong Kong preschools sees language teachers in the room sequentially, for the same amount of time. The teacher maintains the integrity of

the language by using it at all times: during snack time, in the playground, to tell stories, in discussions, etc. This immersion enables the children to pick up grammar rules, idiomatic expressions and vocabulary relating to a variety of subjects, particularly when the curriculum is theme-based.

Being bilingual can only be an advantage, but it is important to choose a learning method that will give your child the skills to communicate competently in a second or third language.

“I believe it’s important to know another language – it helps in every aspect of your life,” says Jackson’s mother.

ITS School Placements provides an education consulting service that works with families and employers to find the right schools for individual children in Hong Kong, from nursery to secondary schools. ITS also offers research, policy and advisory services for corporations. For more details, contact es@itseducation.asia, 3188 3940 or www.itseducation.asia.

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southside.hk WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 33

Pictures by Bricks & Mortar

living & home

Making space Creative thinking, unusual materials and an ability to throw things away define this contemporary home. By Elizabeth Kerr.

Interior designer Cynthia Lie-Breit’s pantry sees a lot of action. Its restaurant-style, floorto-ceiling shelves are filled with ingredients for the freshly baked goodies that even as we speak are wafting delicious aromas throughout her home. Indisputably, the kitchen is the heart of the Discovery Bay apartment she shares with her industrial designer husband and two young children.

“We love to cook. We love to entertain,” she says. “When I lived in the Netherlands and in Italy, the kitchen was always what kept the household together. It was the centre of the house. So I’ve always put a lot of attention on that. It must be a living kitchen. It must be alive somehow. Often you see these great

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[showroom] kitchens but they’re just… dead.

There’s nothing going on.”

The daughter of Indonesian-Chinese parents, Lie-Breit grew up in the Netherlands and spent seven years in Italy working in fashion for the Moncler Group, followed by stints in New York and Bangkok. But she switched direction after her first son was born in Hong Kong, starting an interior design firm, Bricks & Mortar. It helped that a few homes she had designed for friends, mostly as favours, generated the kind of attention that sparks a career change.

“When some of the projects were [featured] in design magazines I thought, ‘Maybe I should do more with this.’ I was looking to go back to

work after I had a baby and I was looking for something I could do on my own and manage my own time and be with the kids. Bricks & Mortar grew very organically,” she explains.

Lie-Breit’s best portfolio piece is her own home. The 1,600-square-foot, two-bedroom flat is defined by its contrasts: natural wood outlines stainless steel and brick cladding butts up against polished concrete. It manages to be steely and welcoming, modern and traditional, casual and meticulous all at the same time.

“It’s about the way I look at materials, colours and contrast,” she says. “Materials play a key role in establishing mood. By using contrasting materials you can transform a dull place into a far more vibrant environment. I try

materials world

By contrasting industrial and natural materials, the kitchen, living and dining areas feel warm yet contemporary, with an urban edge.

to make use of extensive glazing and internal windows; it is lighting that truly brings spaces alive and allows the rich textures and character of a home and its materials to be appreciated.

Bring the outside in.”

She uses unconventional methods to define different areas in the open-plan space.

“Oh, I knocked all the walls down that I could,” she says. “I like open space living but at the same time I want the option of dividing the area softly, without hard doors or walls. I prefer big plants or curtains to create separations.”

These soft separations help to balance the industrial grey walls, providing some of the warmth that prevents the home from feeling like a Chai Wan warehouse. Wood of a similar grain

It must be a living kitchen. It must be alive somehow and colour is used throughout and there’s an emphasis on vertical lines.

But where does she keep all her things?

The answer is simple: she gets rid of it.

“My advice is to throw half of your crap away. I find that very common here – people love to keep stuff,” she says. “I don’t know what it is, but most [of us] have a small space and difficulty letting go of things. If you haven’t used it in the last year, you’re not going to in the next.”

US comedian George Carlin, who once said, “A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff”, would be proud. But Lie-Breit has two children, runs her business largely from home and her husband has a massive vinyl collection. It has to go somewhere. That’s where the three-metre ceilings come in – Lie-Breit exploits these usually neglected areas for storage.

“You won’t use that [high up] space normally, but it’s perfect for stuff you don’t use everyday. It’s all about planning and design.

There’s so much you can do with ceilings.”

Floors are fair game too. Lie-Breit opted for a platform system for her children’s bedrooms, using the space underneath for storage.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 35

living & home

Soft wood and greenery balance the industrial feel of the space.

“I wanted to create a separate area for sleeping and for playing but I couldn’t afford a separate bedroom and playroom. So I created these little niches. This is what I mean by playing with height. There’s storage underneath the platform. It’s cost-effective as well,” she says.

That kind of creative thinking is the result of careful planning. The renovation took just 11 weeks, but the design started months before. She used every last square inch. The live-in helper’s quarters were converted into kitchen space, which allowed more natural

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light in. A dividing wall was removed so the kitchen, dining and living areas share one large space extending to an expanded balcony (with mosquito screens and foldaway doors). The flour-laden pantry is tucked behind a rare new wall. The room used for the vinyl collection will eventually become another kids’ room.

Lateral thinking has jazzed up even the prosaic aspects of the design. No fan of finials, Lie-Breit couldn’t find curtain rods she liked so she opted for gas piping. But unable to find the right towel rod, she turned to curtain rod

supports, which this time did the trick. She’s a fan of repurposing.

“Yeah, why not? They were $15 a piece. It’s a case of thinking outside the box. I just keep quality in mind,” she says.

Quality is crucial but she’s not afraid of a good bargain. With the exception of lighting, electrical appliances and hidden hardware (which come from Europe or North America), Lie-Breit has no compunction about generic made-in-China elements. A toilet bowl is, after all, a toilet bowl.

family

out and about

Rainy days and Mondays Things to do, places to go.

Sky100

Watersports on Lantau Get up early for a busy day on the beach on Lantau. Make your base at Palm Beach at Cheung Sha Wan: be warned, you may have to share the sand with a few feral cows, but that’s part of the fun. At Palm Beach watersports centre activities include stand-up

paddleboarding, surfing, kayaking, bodyboarding, wind-surfing and kite-boarding, with instruction available. Can’t bear to leave?

Stay overnight in the luxury safari tents (airconditioning available) or teepees. For details, visit www.palmbeach.com.hk.

Get a bird’s eye view of Hong Kong from Sky100, the indoor (read: air-conditioned) observation floor way up on the 100th storey of the ICC. As well as 360-degree views of the city, check out the installations. Memory Lane I contains a 360-degree stereoscopic projection of Hong Kong’s historical evolution. Memory Lane II is a “time tunnel” telling Hong Kong’s story through ink paintings and lighting effects.

There’s also a model of the harbour beneath a glass floor that has a stomach-lurching effect, and a cafe, Vista, in one corner. Go on a clear day. Adults $168, children $118. Check the website for private events. 100/F ICC, West Kowloon, www.sky100.com.hk.

Sharks at the park

Hong Kong Maritime Museum The revamped Maritime Museum is five times larger and many times more fun than it used to be. Fifteen galleries explore Hong Kong’s fascinating maritime history through model boats, tales of sea bandits, paintings and displays. There are cannons, navigational

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equipment, bells and even a replica ship’s bridge for children to play on. The museum is open Monday-Friday 9.30am-5.30pm; Saturday-Sunday 10am-7pm; $30/adult, $15/child. Central Ferry Pier No.8, Central, www.hkmaritimemuseum.org.

Ocean Park’s newest permanent attraction opened last month. Shark Mystique is a vast aquarium containing more than 100 sharks and rays, which visitors can circle in a 360-degree viewing area. It’s a little chilling – no bad thing in a Hong Kong summer – and sets the theme for the park’s Summer Shark Fever programme, which runs until August 24. Other activities include a foam party on Thrill Mountain, sharks’ dancing performance (no, we can’t quite picture that either) and a Seawater Battle at Whiskers Harbour. Ocean Park, Aberdeen, 3923 2323, www.oceanpark.com.hk.

outdoors

The new Tseung Kwan O skatepark is the biggest and arguably the best in Hong Kong.

Skate of the art Jodee Fong flips for the 852’s half-pipes.

It’s not quite Bondi Beach’s skating bowl, but it sure looks like it. Tseung Kwan O’s new skatepark opened in April with a replica of Sydney’s famous skate pool, complete with shallow end, as well as a street area with pyramids and ledges and an L-shaped park bowl ready for shredding. (We’re not sure what that means either, but we like the sound of it.)

The largest skatepark in Hong Kong is specifically designed for skateboarding and aggressive inline skating with three half-pipes and bowls of varying levels of steepness and difficulty for skateboarders of all abilities. Part of the Tseung Kwan O Velodrome, near Hang Hau MTR, the park was designed with help from prominent local skateboarder Warren Stuart, the Vice President of the Hong Kong Federation of Extreme Sports. Stuart was also involved in the popular skateparks at Fanling, Tung Chung and Mei Foo. Like Fanling skatepark, it was built by Aussie specialists Convic. Stuart believes the new park offers some of the best facilities in Hong Kong, giving it the thumbs up for its abundance of open space, spectator stand and greenery,

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although he wishes it had more BMX facilities.

It’s part of a 5.3 hectare park that includes a huge central lawn (yes, you can walk on the grass), sport climbing wall, jogging track and playground next to the indoor velodrome. Open daily 8am-10pm. Open daily 8am-10pm. Po Hong Road, Tseung Kwan O. Outdoor skateparks Fanling Skatepark Located in a mainly industrial area, Stuart voted it “the BEST skatepark in Hong Kong” when it opened in 2011, citing the super-smooth (read: super-fast) hand-poured concrete and professional design by Convic. It cost a cool $51 million, but had Stuart “feeling like a kid in a candy store”. Open daily 9am-11pm. On Lok Mun Street, Fanling.

Mei Foo Skatepark Until TKO opened, this was the biggest skatepark in Hong Kong. Mei Foo Skatepark opened in 2004 following a petition with 446 signatures from the local skate community. It is divided into three sections for beginners,

A street area with pyramids and ledges and an L-shaped park bowl ready for shredding intermediate and expert skateboarders, with facilities including half-pipes, quarter-pipes, kickers, rails and fun boxes. Open daily, 7am10pm. Lai Chi Kok Park, Lei Wan Road, Lai Chi Kok, 2307 0429.

Tung Chung North Park Hong Kong’s first bowl park (with a few fun boxes) was designed in conjunction with Stuart and built by Convic in 2010 on a 700 sqm site next to the Novotel and Citygate Outlets. Open daily 7am-11pm. 29 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung, 2109 3423.

Chai Wan Poolside Garden This 2,000 sq ft skatepark has ramps, a mini half-pipe, fun boxes and rails. Open daily 7am10pm. Sun Ha Street, Chai Wan, 2546 2539.

rad Get the gear Morrison Hill Road Playground One of the oldest skate and bicycle parks has a basic run in a city location, which makes it popular despite its limited space. Open 24/ seven. Sung Tak Street and Morrison Hill Road, Wan Chai, 2879 5602.

Morse Park Skateboard Ground A small skatepark opened in 2010 with a few well-built pipes and fun boxes. Open daily, 7am-11pm. 30 Heng Lam Street, Wong Tai Sin, 2338 3047.

Indoor skateparks Vans Sk85ive2 Indoor Skatepark in Kwun Tong The city’s first indoor skatepark was opened by 8five2Shop in conjunction with Vans shoes in a former factory in Kwun Tong. The 3,000 sqm park features a granite floor (for those who remember skating in malls), slick wooden ramps and quarter pipes for skaters of all abilities, plus a shop. Entry $80 for two hours for members only. (Membership is $300 a year or $600 for a

8five2Shop A long-established street fashion and skateboard shop stocking Dickies, Vans, Nike SB and own-label caps, T-shirts and decks.

Also has an outlet at the Vans Sk85IVE2 indoor skatepark and an online store. Open daily noon-10pm. 8/F, 506-508 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay, 2573 9872, shop.8five2.com.

X Game A hotspot for Hong Kong’s committed skate community, hosting events and courses, as well as selling gear and accessories at

lifetime.) Open Mon-Fri 11am-8pm, weekends 11am-6pm. 7/F, 185-187 Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong, 2344 3982, www.vans.com/skate.html.

Checker Sports & Arts Academy This indoor inline skating venue has courses for kids and adults. Open Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 10am-7pm. 2/F Galaxy Plaza,

three stores across Hong Kong. 1/F, 198-200 Portland Street, Mong Kok, 2264 3088, www. xgamehk.com.

The Phat Shack Sai Kung’s skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding and fashion retailer, is the beststocked longboard shop in Hong Kong, with handmade boards and top skateboarding brands such as Riveria, Koston, Dragon Alliance and DC Shoes. Open daily 10am7pm. 1/F, 5 Tak Lung Back Street, Sai Kung, 2359 3836, www.thephatshack.com.

2 Mong Lung Street, Shau Kei Wan, 2977 5128, www.csaa.com.hk.

YMCA King’s Park Centenary Centre An indoor inline skating centre with group and individual courses. Open daily 8.30am10.30pm. 22 Gascoigne Road, Yau Ma Tei, 2782 6682, www.kpcc.ymcahk.org.hk.

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WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 41

big day out

new horizons

Man Cheung Po pool is a stiff hour’s walk from Tai O on Lantau .

To infinity and beyond Evie Burrows-Taylor finds utopia at Lantau’s infinity-edged waterholes.

People shoot you a quizzical look when you mention natural infinity pools on Lantau.

It’s not unreasonable. While a quick browse through Google images reveals stunning shots of a rock-lined waterhole, the infinity edge itself is suspiciously straight. It is, of course, manmade, the fortunate result of a dam built across a steep stream by the Water Supplies Department. It’s also undeniably beautiful.

Online directions to get there, however, are vague, contradictory or absent, leaving me wondering whether people are jealously

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It has an amazing infinity edge – and a long drop guarding the secret to this mini utopia or if it really is that difficult to locate. I decide to find out, following the simplest set of directions I can find. Now I’m back, I can clear up the mystery: Lantau has not one, but two infinity pools. Suddenly the conflicting hiking routes and contradictory photos make sense.

Infinity Pool 1 My directions lead us to an infinity pool relatively close to Kwun Yam Temple. From Mui Wo, take a taxi, or bus no.1 to the temple, then walk along the Water Supplies Department track for 30 minutes. At the end of the track continue on a narrower path for a few minutes to reach the pool. It’s a lovely spot looking out at sun-drenched hills with Kwun Yam temple in the distance, giving a sense of location to scenery that could otherwise be mistaken for France.

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big day out

From left: the green view from the infinity pool; en-route from Tai O.

We spend two hours basking in the pool on a scorching bank holiday, arriving in late afternoon when the pool is already in full shade but the water still warm from the sun.

We’re not disturbed by another soul; only the sounds of the rushing waterfall and the buzzing cicadas break the silence.

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Afterwards, we head back to Mui Wo and treat ourselves to a meal at the cooked-food market. It’s the best way to end the perfect Hong Kong day.

Man Cheung Po infinity pool Lovely though the first pool was, it was

definitely not the waterhole I had seen on Google. We decide to head back out.

The second pool is harder to find and hard work to reach, particularly on a hot summer’s day. There are videos online of people doing this hike, which are worth watching before heading out – there’s a reason these pools are

big day out

From left: after a day in the sun, the water is warm in the pool near the temple; dinner at Mui Wo cooked-food market.

among Hong Kong’s best-kept secrets.

The simplest directions start at Tai O, a fishing village in northwest Lantau famed for its houses on stilts. (To get to Tai O, take a ferry from Central to Mui Wo, then bus no.1; or take the MTR to Tung Chung and bus no.11.)

From Tai O, cross the long stone bridge near

the bus station, and follow the road for about an hour – about 30 minutes of flat walking and 30 minutes steeply upwards – until you reach a fire hydrant marked with the number 470. To the left of the hydrant is a concrete staircase.

Climb up for about 15 minutes to find Man Cheung Po, Lantau’s famous “natural” pool.

This one has an amazing infinity edge – with a long drop off the dam. But the word is out and it’s likely to be relatively busy on sunny weekends, with swimmers sitting casually along the dam or rigging up slacklines. But by now all you’ll want to do is dive into water that is so cool it can take your breath away.

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health & beauty Dapper gents Men need pampering too. By Cherrie Yu. Sense of Touch Repulse Bay’s award-winning spa has treatments for men, too, including bespoke facials, massages, manicure and pedicure.

Other treatments include the award-winning Tobacco, a 90-minute spa with full-body scrub and massage ($1,380). Focus on muscle relaxation with De-Stress Muscle Release ($950 for an hour), or go for the Perfectly Polished facial with deep-tissue back massage ($1,380 for 90 minutes). G211, 1/F, The Repulse Bay Arcade, 109 Repulse Bay Road, 2592 9668, www.senseoftouch.com.hk.

The Mandarin Barber Gather the bros and head to the Mandarin Barber for a prestige male-grooming experience in an ambience like a private gentlemen’s club.

Using products from Acqua di Parma, the Gentlemen De-stress is a new 60-minute facial and hand treatment that relieves tiredness and stress, ending with a nail file and buff

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well groomed

This dapper spot is unbeatable for its oldfashioned barbershop services (suit up, boys) ($1,000). Haircuts, manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, Chinese foot reflexology and other services are also available. 5 Connaught Road, Central. Reserve at 2825 4088, www. mandarinoriental.com/hongkong.

The Gentlemen’s Tonic This dapper spot is unbeatable for its oldfashioned barbershop services (suit up, boys).

It offers a broad selection of services including haircuts, shaves (from $325), eyebrow shaping ($225), foot treatment ($480), deep-tissue sports therapy (from $618 for 30 minutes), and Indian head massage ($400 for 30 minutes).

The Father & Son haircut and finish for you and

The Mandarin Barber has the look and feel of a gentlemen’s club.

junior is $840. The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central, 2525 2455, www.gentlemenstonic.com.

Sabai Day Spa Treatments for men include include a back massage ($350 for 30 minutes), perfect for

sportsmen or dads who give piggybacks. Other treatments include manicure and hand massage ($280 for 45 minutes), pedicure ($480 for 60 minutes) and facial ($790 for 60 minutes). G/F 12A, Stanley Main Street, Stanley, 2104 0566, www.sabaidayspa.com.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 47

pets Life lessons

Picture: Semirah Darwin

Dogs have long memories, writes Sally Andersen.

As I have said many times, I didn’t get into dog rescue because I especially liked dogs – I have always loved all animals – but because it just happened to be dogs that found their way into my life. Now there is no turning back. What do you do with several hundred dogs if you

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wake up one morning and suddenly decide you have made a big mistake and want out?

Obviously, that’s not an option for me at this point. I have to accept I will be the “mad dog lady” for a long time to come, but there are worse ways to spend your life than to be surrounded by loving companions who think you’re the best thing that ever happened.

They have taught me so much, in a practical sense, including a good grounding in basic veterinary care that allows me to recognise the problem and deal with the less serious cases.

And after so many years living with multiple dogs, I have a good understanding of dog behaviour, including non-verbal communication and what makes dogs behave, or misbehave, the way they do. In some senses they are incredibly

The smallest thing can stick in a dog’s memory... good or bad smart. Much of what they do is the result of breeding and ancestry, which can be seen in dogs bred for a specific purpose such as hunting or sheep herding. Anyone who has watched a border collie at work, responding to a shepherd’s calls or whistles, can’t help but be impressed.

Other influences are the result of training, of course, as well as a dog’s experiences, particularly those that occur in puppyhood – but not exclusively. The smallest thing can stick in a dog’s memory and make them respond to cues in a certain way, good or bad. I wrote in my blog last month about taking one of my older dogs out on his own after he was too scared by a

who’s a clever boy?

creature feature Lesser sulphurcrested cockatoo aka Cacatua sulphurea

thunderstorm. Instead of our usual route, I took him to the beach, but rather than playing on the sand he ran to the end of the pier and stood there expectantly. I realised he was waiting to get on a sampan, because every time I had taken him that way previously had been to go to Hong Kong. Although it had happened only a handful of times during his 10 years on Lamma, that memory had stuck in his mind.

In the same way that parents of human children have to be mindful of the effects that seemingly insignificant events and words can have, it’s surprising how much the same applies to puppies and dogs.

Sally Andersen is the founder of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, a charity that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes unwanted or abandoned dogs.

Where to find them in Hong Kong: Hong Kong Park, Pok Fu Lam, Happy Valley, Sheung Wan, Sai Kung and Ocean Park.

The lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo, or dwarf sulphur-crested cockatoo, is critically endangered locally and globally. Popular pets, thanks to their striking appearance and talent for imitation, the cockatoos are found in East Timor, Indonesia and Hong Kong, which has the largest introduced flock in the world.

Local legend has it that the Hong Kong birds are descended from pets released during the Japanese occupation in World War II, including from the aviary at Government House. It’s a good story, however, historians point out there is no hard evidence for this.

The birds live in flocks in forests, nesting

in cavities in dead trees or in crevices in large banyans. They feed on fruit, flowers, berries and nuts, with particular favourites in their native Indonesia being breadfruit and coconuts.

Adults can weigh up to 380g and grow to 33cm. Both sexes are white with bright yellow ear covers and crests that they raise when excited. Males have dark brown eyes, females have brown or red eyes and juveniles have pale grey eyes. As well as harsh screeches, they can make sweeter squeaky notes and even whistles.

Steffi Yuen

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 49

marketplace

To advertise, email: marketing@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772.

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To advertise, email: marketing@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772

marketplace

STRESSED BY YOUR PET?!!!

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

Not all behavioural problems are simply training issues.

Dr. Cynthia Smillie BVM&S PG Dip CABC MRCVS

Tel: 9618 2475 cynthia@petbehaviourhk.com

www.petbehaviourhk.com

Interdisciplinary Children's Therapy Centre Speech & Language Therapy slots available Monday - Saturday in English and Cantonese.

Supporting Children and their families with school t: (852) 2807 2992 readiness, classroom skills, social skills and special needs. contact@spot.com.hk t: (852) 2807 2992 www.spot.com.hk www.spot.com.hk contact@spot.com.hk Location: Central Central && Wong ChukChuk HangHang Wong

a taste

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Delivering the ‘Taste of Home’ right to your door!

You name it and we’ll import it!

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marketplace

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To advertise, email: marketing@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772

marketplace

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NATIONAL HARBOUR RENOVATIONS Home and office reno upgrades.

Plumbing, electrical and handyman services.

Call Charles 9085 1886 info@nationalharbour.com.hk www.nationalharbour.hk 54 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

To advertise, email: marketing@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772

distribution

where to find us

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

Pok Fu Lam - Kellett School - Kennedy School - Mount Davis - Safari Kid - The Merton - Sunshine House Chi Fu - Sunshine House Pokfulam - Woodland Pokfulam Pre-School

Cyberport - Baguio Villas - Bel-Air Clubhouse - Cyberport Arcade - Delaney’s - Indigo Kids - Indigo Living - International (Park N Shop) - Le Meridien Hotel Cyberport - Scenic Villas - Starbucks - Thaima-V

Larvotto Due to popular demand, we’ve increased distribution to Larvotto by 30%. This marine-themed luxury residential complex offers unmatched waterfront views and is only 5 minutes from upscale shopping at Horizon Plaza.

Southside Magazine can be found at the Larvotto clubhouse and on the coffee tables of many of its residents.

Ap Lei Chau - Bumps to Babes - Chapin House - Everything Under The Sun - Indigo - Indigo Kids - Indigo Outlet - Larvotto - Little Picasso Studio - Mothercare - Okooko - Pacific Gourmet - Tequila Kola - Rimba Rhyme - Shambala Cafe - Toof Contemporary - TREE

Aberdeen - Aberdeen Marina Club - Brain Child - Colour My World - Elite PT Studio - Flex Studio - GCX - Golden Goose Gourmet - MUM - One Island South - Park N Shop - Sift Patisserie - South Island School - Woodland Harbourside Pre-School

Deep Water Bay

The Peak - Cafe Deco The Peak - Delifrance - Glenealy School - Haagen-Dazs - International (Park N Shop) - Pho Yummee - Starbucks - Sunshine House The Peak - The Peak Lookout Café - Woodland Pre-School The Peak

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

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

Stanley

- Biva - The Boathouse - Beach Club - Cafe Groucho’s - Hong Kong Country Club - Chez Patrick - Park N Shop - Cheers Real Estate Limited - Victoria Recreation Club - The Chocolate Room - Classified - Lucy’s on the Front - Mayarya - Mijas - Pacific Pets - Pickled Pelican - Paisono’s Pizzeria Pok Fu Lam - Pizza Club Chi Fu The Peak Parkview - Pizza Express Tai Tam - Ricacorp Properties Cyberport Shouson Hill - Saigon in Stanley Big Wave Bay Aberdeen - Smuggler’s Inn Bel-Air Deep Water Bay - Spiaggia - Stan Cafe - Stanley Cave Repulse Bay Red Hill Ap Lei Chau Wong Chuk Hang - Stanley Main Street Bar & Cafe - Stanley Veterinary Centre The Manhattan - Starbucks Shek O Chung Hom Kok - Taste Supermarket - Vern’s Beach Bar

One Island South Located in the elegant surrounding of Wong Chuk Hang, this highly prestigious office building with spacious design offers a fresh new world of unlimited potential for work, life and innovation. One Island South is ideally located with inspiring sea views of Deep Water Bay and lush greenery of Shouson Hill. Employees at One Island South can now find Southside Magazine located in the lobby.

Sheung Wan & Central - Escapade Sports - ITS Educational Services - Seasons Fitness - Starlit Art Space

Stanley

Tai Tam / Shek O

Repulse Bay - Anastassia’s Art House - Bayley & Jackson Dental Surgeons - Dymocks - HS Modern Art - Indigo - Manhattan Tower - Sense of Touch - Spices - The Club - The Lily - The Somerset - The Verandah - Woodland Beachside Pre-School - The Woodland Montessori Pre-School

To advertise, email: marketing@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772

- American Club - Black Sheep - Ben’s Back Beach Bar - Cococabana - Craigengower Cricket Club - Eton House International Pre-School - Fusion (Park'N Shop) - Happy Garden Restaurant - Hong Kong Cricket Club - Hong Kong International School - Hong Kong Parkview - Lulu Shop - The Manhattan - Ming’s Cafe - Pacific View Residential Clubhouse - PIPS Kindergarten - Redhill Clubhouse - Shining Stone Restaurant - Soma Spa - Sunshine House Tai Tam - Wellcome, Red Hill Plaza - Woodland Tai Tam Montessori Pre-School

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 55

business directory Sports & Fitness Asia Pacific Soccer Schools Ltd 238 59677 admin@apsoccer.hk www.apsoccer.hk & www.kinderkicks.hk Escapade Online www.escapade.com.hk Everfine Membership Services Limited 2174 7880 | enquiry@evergolf.com.hk www.evergolf.com.hk Sport4Kids 2773 1650 | info@sport4kids.hk www.sport4kids.hk Teeter Hang Ups 3575 9332 inversion.com.hk

Health & Beauty Annerley – Maternity and Early Childhood Professionals www.annerley.com.hk Better Healthcare Limited 51148588 betterhealthcarehk@gmail.com betterhealthcarehk.wix.com/home A Mother’s Touch www.amotherstouch.com.hk Pure Swiss Limited 852 2358 3998 admin@e-pureswiss.com www.e-pureswiss.com Sabai Day Spa - Stanley 2104 0566 sabaidayspa@sabaidayspa.com www.sabaidayspa.com

Home & Interiors Everything Under the Sun 2544 9088 www.everythingunderthesun.com.hk Hidestyle 2790 3801 www.hkhiderigs.com Indigo Living Ltd. 2552 3500 info@indigo-living.com www.indigo-living.com JCAW Consultants 2524 9988 jcawltd@biznetvigator.com Life’s A Breeze Ltd 2572 4000 www.lifesabreezehk.com Life Solutions 2778 3282 www.lifesolutions.com.hk MODULNOVA HONG KONG LTD. 3741 2000

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Home & Interiors NATIONAL HARBOUR RENOVATIONS Home and office reno upgrades.

Plumbing, electrical and handyman services.

Call Charles 90851886 info@nationalharbour.com.hk www.nationalharbour.hk Opus Design Ltd 97337328 www.opusdesign.com.hk Rimba Rhyme 2544 4011 | www.rimbarhyme.com Sai Kung Homes 2719 4000 | info@saikunghomes.hk www.saikunghomes.hk

Food & Beverage The South African Shop info@thesouthafricanshop.com 9457 0639

Education Colour My World

2580 5028 info@colour-my-world.com www.colour-my-world.com

TREE 2870 1582 | www.tree.com.hk Xava Interiors 852 2858 9866 info@xavainteriors.hk www.xavainteriors.hk

ITS Education Asia

2116 3916 | es@itseducation.asia www.itseducation.asia

Real-Estate The Arcade, Cyberport 3166 3111 | arcade@cyberport.hk www.arcade.cyberport.hk Genesis 6688 8262 33 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong Habitat Property 2869 9069 | www.habitat-property.co

Mentorhood Learning Center

5160 1828 | enquiry@mentorhood.com.hk www.mentorhood.com.hk

Morningstar Preschool

Learning through imagination, inquiry, integration and reflection

Morningstar Preschool and Kindergarten

Food & Beverage South Stream Seafoods

Units 202-204, Lai Sun Yuen Long Centre, 27 Wang Yip St East, Yuen Long, N.T. Hong Kong 2555 6200 fish@south-stream-seafoods.com www.south-stream-seafoods.com

9736 5241 | info@MorningstarSchools.com www.morningstarschools.com Berlitz Language Centre 21572211 | info@berlitz.com.hk www.berlitz.com.hk Brain Child 2528 6862 jimchoy@netvigator.com www.mysolarbot.com Canadian International School 2525 7088 | www.cdnis.edu.hk

The Australian Shop 5509 7993 info@theaustralianshop.hk

English for Asia 2392 2746 | bianca@englishforasia.com www.englishforasia.com

The Butcher’s Club 2552 8281 steve@butchersclub.com.hk www.butchersclub.com.hk

Faust International Ltd 2547 9114 | info@FaustWorld.com www.faustworld.com

Food Factory 2580 6654 / 94868901 contact@foodfactory.com.hk www.foodfactory.com.hk HK Caffe www.hkcaffe.com MAMA SAN by Will Meyrick 1/F, 46 Wyndham Street, Central 2881 8901

Gaia Language Company Limited 2530 9888 www.gaialanguage.com Golden Path Education 2164 4888 www.goldenpatheducation.com Hong Kong Institute of Language 2877 6160, 2526 8892 administration@hklanguages.com www.hklanguages.com

handy Education The International Montessori School 2861 0339 info@montessori.edu.hk www.montessori.edu.hk Mandarin tutor 9078 6978 shellywong7@yahoo.com.hk MONTESSORI FOR CHILDREN 2813 9589 hongkong@montessori.edu.sg www.montessori.edu.sg Nord Anglia International School 3107 8158 www.nais.hk Parkview International Pre-School PIPS Kowloon: 2812 6801 PIPS Hong Kong: 2812 6023 www.PIPS.edu.hk PowerBrain Rx 2302 0180 | www.powerbrainrx.com Southside Mandarin 852 3427 9619 info@southsidemandarin.com www.southsidemandarin.com Trinity International Language Centre 2114 2812 enquiry@trinitylanguage.com www.trinitylanguage.com UUIA. 5185 0885 and 9189 9591 iuuokok@gmail.com www.uuokok.com Woodland Pre-Schools 2803 1885, 2551 7177 www.woodlandschools.com

Pets & Vets

Services and Professionals

Animal Emergency Centre 2915 7979 www.animalemergency.com.hk Pacific Pets @Stanley Veterinary Centre / Pet shop 2813 7979 retail@stanleyvetcentre.com Stanley Veterinary Centre 2813 2030 | info@stanleyvetcentre.com www.stanleyvetcentre.com

Children’s Toys & Supplies apple & pie

Shop 206, One Island South 3103 0853 | www.appleandpie.com www.facebook.com/appleandpie

Onsite Computer and Internet Services Co 2397 6418 enquiry@microtechhk.com www.microtechhk.com Dr. Fix It All Limited 2525 0055 | sales@drfixitall.hk www.elitemovers.hk Infinity Financial Solutions Ltd 2815 5828 hongkong@infinityfinancialsolutions.com L Squared 5499 0261 homesolutions@L2q.hk www.L2q.hk Village Holdings Insurance www.villageholdingsinsurance.com

Bumps to Babes

2552 5000 (Ap Lei Chau Main Store) 2522 7112 (Pedder Building Branch) www.bumpstobabes.com

Motoring & Boating Heliservices 2802 0200 | chp@heliservices.com.hk www.heliservices.com

Extracurricular Financial Services Fastlane pro HK 2961 4519 | hello@fastlanepro.hk www.fastlanepro.hk

Hotels & Private Clubs Le Meridien Cyberport Club Horizon 2155 0489 | www.clubhorizon.com.hk Le Meridien Cyberport Hotel 2980 7788

Community Services SPOT Centre 2807 2992 | contact@spot.com.hk www.spot.com.hk Watermark Community Church 2857 6160 | wow@watermarkchurch.hk www.watermarkchurch.hk

Sylvan Learning Center

2873 0662 info@sylvan.edu.hk www.educate.com Arts Plus Limited 2807 0208 | info@artsplus.com.hk www.artsplus.com.hk Drum Jam 2982 1846 | www.drum-jam.com info@drum-jam.com Grand Piano Ltd 9222 2064 www.grandpiano.hk Stanford Swim School (852) 2267 8866 www.stanfordswim.com.hk

Parties & Entertainment Rumple and Friends www.rumpleandfriends.com

Get listed call 2776 2772 email marketing@fastmedia.com.hk WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 57

my southside

a pokka pint

Mr Delaney’s Noel Smyth tells Gail Turner how Pok Fu Lam finally got its first pub. the best decisions I have made and I love every minute of it.

How does the Southside influence your work?

While my role is to oversee operations in Hong Kong and China, my office is in Cyberport so luckily for me I get to spend most of my time in Pok Fu Lam. Having had offices in Sheung Wan and Central, it’s been an inspiration moving the team to Cyberport – open spaces, a breeze, the sea, wildlife, a park, sitting-out areas. You can take “time out” and within five minutes the karma has done its magic and set you up for the next few hours.

Tell us a bit about yourself...

I am a 19-year veteran in Hong Kong, having arrived to work in Delaney’s first Irish pub and have been with Delaney’s ever since. I followed in my dad’s footsteps – he was a legend in the hotel industry. I aspire to be as good as he was both at work and at home.

How did you come to open Delaney’s Cyberport?

Many friends lived in the area and always said there was a huge need for a pub serving quality food and catering for families. That, along with good timing, convincing my business partners and bucket-loads of patience, led to our opening in December 2012. It was one of

What draws you to Southside?

Southside has a very calming effect compared with downtown, where it is constantly full on.

It’s only when you spend time away from the chaos that you truly appreciate what life can be like on the Southside.

Can you tell us about your relationship with the area?

We have lived on both sides of the harbour, but we only tasted the Southside life recently, having moved into Pok Fu Lam in September 2012. You know that aul chestnut, “If it feels right from the moment you arrive, then the chances are it will be”? It has been!

Are there any local issues you are passionate about?

Open spaces, green areas, the coastline,

photo competiton Submit your shot We love receiving beautiful pictures of Southside from our readers. Each month we publish our favourite. To enter, simply email your best shots of Southside, along with a brief description, to photo@fastmedia.com.hk.

This month’s winner: James Hurren.

“Southsiders making the most of the windy weather at St Stephen’s Beach in Stanley.”

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the harbourfront – these need to preserved.

They belong to the people of Hong Kong, not developers. Perhaps our academics can give us a picture of what Hong Kong will look like in 25 years at the current rate of destruction...

What are your favourite places on Southside?

We are spoiled for choice, Aberdeen is very special and diverse. I remember watching [the Bruce Lee movie] Enter the Dragon as a wee whippersnapper and the scene when the “overseas fighters” took the sampans at Aberdeen. The scenery, colours and vibrancy were spectacular, and thankfully little has changed (at least on the water anyway).

Stanley, Ocean Park, Shek O, Cyberport all tick the right boxes.

What do you do in your spare time?

I am blessed to say I have an eight-week-old baby girl called Alana Grace. Her gorgeous mum and I dote on her whenever time allows.

Best way to enjoy the outdoors?

With a very cold tasty beverage.

Best piece of advice you’ve been given?

“We are strong.” There are times when work may not be going according to plan or a loved one has to have some medical treatment, or you’re just having a bad day – in the end we have to deal with it and rise above it. There is always someone there for support, but you have to support yourself too.

shoot for it