Southside Magazine September 2014

Family | Food | Home | sport | Living

September 2014

artwave

Southside’sgallery ownersopenup

Going loony

Your Mid-Autumn Festival guide

and

things to do

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The really useful magazine SEPTEMBER 2014

PEOPLE

FEATURE

4 Snapped!

Southside’s social life.

22 Open for art South Island Cultural District’s first open day.

THE PLANNER 6 Happening in September What’s on in your neighbourhood.

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

10 Under the covers Southside’s author, teacher and marathon runner Jan Abbott.

NEWS FROM THE GREENIES 12 Today’s lunch, tomorrow’s trash Save the waters from floating debris. news

EATING 30 Wong Chuk Hang eateries The best list. Plus Nibbles from the dining scene.

34 Street eats Fergus Fung samples Ovolo Southside’s new restaurant.

EDUCATION 36 Visiting Kennedy Pok Fu Lam’s ESF primary school.

FAMILY

14 What’s going on?

In your backyard.

42 Eat. Gaze. Love.

Mid-Autumn Festival guide.

local

outdoors

20 When lightning strikes What to do in a thunderstorm.

44 Get set...go!

Keen runner gets you started.

BIG DAY OUT 48 The land that time forgot Re-discovering Kat O. home

MY SOUTHSIDE 62 Isabelle Demenge French travel writer and mother of three.

52 French dressing A hint of Parisian chic.

PETS 56 Sally Andersen differs Puppy fights versus play. hong kong CREATURE 57 Japanese white-eyed birds Fly away.

MARKETPLACE 58 Your guide to shops and services Cool stuff to buy and do.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 64 All you need to know Numbers that make life easier.

Cover by Cherrie Yu and Evy Cheung.

Special thanks to the Butcher’s Club Deli for providing the venue. Their rooftop space is available for hire and they can even provide catering options.

For enquiries, contact Steve Ke steve@butchersclub.com.hk.

“With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, who could not be happy?” – Oscar Wilde

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people Snaps from Southside

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say cheese Sunday Funday

Shek O Challenge

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

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planner SEP 7, 14, 21, 28 Island East Markets Hong Kong’s own farmers’ market sells everything from organic veggies to vintage goods. 11am-5.30pm, Tong Chong Street, Island East, Quarry Bay, www.hkmarkets.org.

SEP 8 Mid-Autumn Festival Eat. Gaze. Love. (See p.48 for details.)

SEP 8 Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon Dance See the fire-breathing dragon brought to life outside Pok Fu Lam Village, then dance along Pokfulam Road, which will be closed temporarily.

7pm-11pm, www.pokfulamvillage.org.

SEP 7

Southside Market Long Lunch Join Butchers Club for its second Southside Market Long Lunch. Unlimited food, drink, music and entertainment from noon to 5pm. Tickets $550 (free for under-eights) from www. butchersclub.com.hk. The Butchers Club Deli Rooftop, 16/F, 18 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, 2884 0768.

SEP 8 White Party Go white and go wild, with music by international DJs. 9pm-5am. 7/F, W Hotel, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon. Tickets $580$1,280 from www.hkticketing.com.

SEP 1-10 Lantern Exhibition A pretty lantern display sets the mood for MidAutumn Festival. Ocean View Court, Cyberport Arcade, Pok Fu Lam.

SEP 6 Discovery Bay Beach Market First of the new weekly Saturday markets on Tai Pak Beach, with stalls, food, entertainment, water activities and zorbing. 11am-6pm. Free ferry with meals at D’Deck Restaurants. Details at www.ddeck.com.hk.

SEP 7 Lantern Picnic under the Moon Have a Mid-Autumn midnight feast at the Cyberport Waterfront Park, which is staying open all night for the festival.

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SEP 8-14 Hong Kong Tennis Open 2014 SEP 7-9 Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance Hot, noisy, smoky and fab. Watch the 67m, incense-studded dragon dance through the streets to Victoria Park. 7.30pm-10pm, Lily Street, Tai Hang, Causeway Bay, www.taihangfiredragon.hk.

World-class women’s tournament. Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. Tickets $220-$2,800 from www.hongkongtennisopen.com.

SEP 9 Public holiday Take a day off after last night’s Mid-Autumn moon madness.

happening in september SEP 12-24 StoryWorthyWeek

SEP 14 Discovery Bay Sunday Market

SEP 17 Drink for Good

A week of storytelling performances by local and international, professional and amateur writers and artists, including an endurance smackdown, Liars’ League, workshops and more. Various locations, storyworthyweek.com.

Shop till you drop for original handmade crafts, creative ideas, vintage clothes and organic goods. 11am-6pm, Discovery Bay Plaza, 3651 2345, www.ddeck.com.hk.

For every drink purchased at participating bars in SoHo, Central, Wan Chai and Quarry Bay, $5 will be donated to HandsOn Hong Kong for fun treats for 500 special-needs kids. Details at www.drinkforgood.org.

SEP 13 Sports4Kids Trials

SEP 18 David Sedaris

Free trial classes: mini-soccer 9.30am12.30pm; mini-sports 2pm-5pm. Bebegarten, Level 3, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang. Register at 2773 1650, www. sport4kids.hk.

The US humourist performs live as part of StoryWorthyWeek. KITEC, Kowloon Bay. Tickets $320-$420 (over-14s only) from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

SEP 20 Urban Myths in Wan Chai

SEP 14 Om Together Yoga Large-scale outdoor community yoga for newbies and the hardcore. Free entry. 5pm7pm, East Lawn, Central Harbourfront Event Space, www.cvm.com.hk.

Get in the Halloween mood with this Walk In Hong Kong tour of a haunted house, hipster hangouts and muffled church bells. 3pm-6pm.

Tickets $250 from www.walkin.hk, 5511 4839.

SEP 21 Swim for A Million Annual charity swim. 9am-1pm, Repulse Bay Beach, 2599 6111, www.commchest.org.

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planner SEP 26 Electric Pet Shop Boys Live Yes, it’s those Pet Shop Boys. AsiaWorld Arena, Lantau. Tickets $480-$1,280 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

SEP 27 South Island Cultural District Open Day More than 20 galleries and artist studios in Wong Chuk Hang, Ap Lei Chau and Tin Wan will open their doors to the public for this first-time event.

12pm to 8pm. For details, visit www.sicd.com.hk.

SEP 29 Shane Filan Live Westlife’s lead singer, voice of the 90s, also goes solo. AsiaWorld-Expo, Lantau. Tickets $480-$880 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

SEP 21-NOV 1 Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge

Tickets $395-$550 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Join the annual eco-event and rid Hong Kong of rubbish. Choose from city, coastal or country cleanups at www.hkcleanup.org.

SEP 24-OCT 22 Mamma Mia!

SEP 23-28 Potted Potter All seven Harry Potter books and a Quidditch match. Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai.

Book now

Your ABBA favourites plus a big fat Greek wedding. Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai.

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

OCT 2 Run for your lives Hong Kong

OCT 9-12 The Cotai Jazz & Blues Festival

OCT 18 East Aquathon 16.3

Be a runner or zombie in this fun 5km obstacle race, then party with the walking dead in the Safe Zone. West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade. Tickets $369-$659 from www.runforyourlives.asia/hk.

The third annual festival and competition at The Venetian Macau, www.bluesasianetwork.com.

Register now to race through sea, mountain and jungle from Chung Hom Kok to Quarry Bay. $400-$464 at www.revolution-asia.com, 2891 1505.

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 11-12 Hong Kong Classic Car and Vintage Festival More than 100 rare cars and motorcycles plus a vintage market, kids activities, beauty treatments and more. 11am-10pm.

The Central Harbourfront Event Space, www.handmadehongkong.com.

OCT 17-19 Stick Man The favourite children’s book live on stage.

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

OCT 18-19 Secret Island Party Stay for the day or sleepover at this weekend of art, music and performance. Tickets $500$670 from www.hushup.hk.

OCT 19 Rat Race Central Suits go cuckoo for this fancy dress obstacle race in aid of Mindset. Register by Sep 12 at www.centralratrace.com.

OCT 31-NOV 2 Charlie & Lola’s Extremely New Play Our favourite brother and sister on stage.

Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $225-$435 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...

down memory lane

Under the covers Author, teacher and marathon runner turned personal trainer, Jan Abbott tells her story to Tim Ma. To celebrate a big birthday, last year I decided I would do an ultramarathon in Lijiang, China.

It was 60 kilometres over three days in the Himalayas, so it was fairly up and down.

I wrote my memoir, Never Too Late, because I realized it is never too late to fulfill your dreams.

No matter how old you are, you can still do things you couldn’t.

At the same time, I wanted to write a children’s book. I’m passionate about children; I’m passionate about travelling, and I wanted to inspire children to learn about places.

I always wanted to run the London marathon.

But time went on, I had my family and I just got too old, I thought. Then, 30 years later, I decided I would do it. So at the age of 57, I ran my first marathon. I did three London marathons.

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Through the Mist is an adventure story that travels through Hong Kong. My eldest granddaughter inspired me. Everything is factually correct: geography, history, culture.

I realized it is never too late to fulfill your dreams I’m a teacher by profession, so I built up a private tutoring business and started a playgroup. I retired in June, because I’m starting a new career as a personal trainer life coach.

I’ve lived in Tai Tam for 11 years. I love hiking and being out in the hills. One of our favourites when I was training was to run the Dragon’s Back. So many amazing trails.

Abbott’s books are available at Beachside Book Store, 80 Stanley Main Street, Stanley, and at www.janabbott.com.

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news from the greens

pick it up

Today’s lunch, tomorrow’s trash Save our seas from a tide of floating debris, pleads Paul Zimmerman.

Complaints have been flooding into my office over the past month about floating trash and copious thick brown slicks at sea described as common forms of red tide.

What people like truck drivers don’t realise when they neatly do up their lunchboxes then abandon them or chuck them out of their vehicles, is that they end up as marine refuse.

Summer showers sluice the garbage off Hong Kong’s streets and hillsides into streams, channels and culverts and out to sea.

With the fishing moratorium, there has been a noticeable increase in trash from boats floating in the typhoon shelters and washing out to sea. This finger pointing is not without cause: many styrofoam boxes used in the fish trade can be found floating in East Lamma Channel.

It’s not just fishermen who dump rubbish in the sea. Paul Etherington of Kayak and Hike is increasingly angry about beachgoers and junk trippers who leave beaches covered with bottles and barbecue leftovers.

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According to a government study, nearly 15,000 tonnes of marine refuse was collected in 2013 by four different departments.

One campaign trying to change mindsets is “Brand on the Beach”, whereby beach cleaners record the labels on litter. Vita Water is the winner in bottles recouped from beaches.

Imagine what the packaging and drinks industry could do to reduce our floating trash.

This summer, I spent a week diving in

Palau, Micronesia. The islanders keep their islands and waters pristine, with no plastic bottles to be found. We made a stopover in Taipei and on the final approach over water what I thought were white caps turned out to be an extensive area of floating trash.

Can we teach our kids to change all this?

Some time ago, I wrote to McDonald’s asking them to stop clearing tables and to create waste-disposal points in each restaurant offering a coupon in return for sorting and dumping your garbage. I received a nice letter saying nothing and three discount coupons.

My request: when you see waste, pick it up.

If more of us do, we may embarrass others into keeping our city and our waters clean.

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

in your backyard

Ticket giveaways - White Party

We are giving away four tickets to the White Party at the W Hotel (each ticket is worth $880) to two lucky winners. For a chance to win, like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/

SouthsideMagazineHK) and send us a message with your name, telephone number and the colour you think you should wear to the party.

(The clue is in the name.)

Parr-fect Hong Kong British documentary photographer Martin Parr will be visiting Hong Kong with his new book, Hong Kong Parr, and his first solo exhibition, to be held in Wong Chuk Hang. Highlights include his recent Hong Kong project commissioned

by Blindspot Gallery, and his first work The Last Resort in colour and Luxury. The exhibition runs from September 6 to November 1 with a book

signing on September 6 and a talk on September 7 in collaboration with the Hong Kong Photo Festival. At the event, Parr will discuss his long career in photography and explain how the world of photography and his practice have changed.

15/F, Po Chai Industrial Building, 28 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 2517 6238, www.blindspotgallery.com.

Funky flip-flops With the cool weather still a couple of months away, slip into G.O.D’s newest range of Hong Kong-inspired flip-flops. In true G.O.D. style, the flip-flops are decorated with local iconography, including a Nathan Road-inspired

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neon sign graphic and the ever popular double happiness print. Available in varying styles and sizes for $228 from your nearest store.

For details, visit www.god.com.hk.

Sexy in the City 2: Working it for Cambodia For a wild night out in a good cause, invite your friends to the “Sexy in the City 2: Working it for Cambodia” party on September 18. Working with Link Universal and Italian charity Missione Possibile, the event is being organised by Hong Kong mums Mindy Tagliente and Audrey Jack to raise money and awareness to stamp out child trafficking and help Cambodian children receive an education.

It’s being held from 7pm till late at the new-look Joe Bananas in Wan Chai, which has been given a New York loft-style makeover (yes, really). As well as live music, a DJ and a raffle, there will be an auction for a “date” with a sexy single or a chance to see your favourite yummy mummy or delicious daddy in their itsy-bitsy teeny-weenies. And if you’re thinking of changing your hairstyle, the organisers are still looking for a volunteer to have his or her head shaved for the charity. Tickets are $250 in advance or $300 on the door, including a free drink and canapés, from Tagliente on 9748 4567 or Jack on 9734 2155.

Boarding schools for special needs Choosing the right British boarding school for your children can be a minefield at the best of times. Add into the mix learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia and the task becomes even harder. Taking the hassle out of the process is Dyslexia School Search, a British-based organisation that specialises in matching children with learning difficulties with the best boarding schools to help them.

It is run by Sheridan Steen, who has years of experience in education, expertise in learning difficulties from dyslexia to autism, knows the headmasters and teachers in myriad schools and can advise on educational psychologist assessments. She will also approach the schools of your choice on your behalf.

Steen will be in Hong Kong on September 19-26 and would love to meet anyone interested in using her service. To book a free consultation, email her at info@ dyslexiaschoolsearch.com.

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news

in your backyard

Dragon takes flight

Little Yogis Little Yogis has opened its doors at One Island South. The hour-long classes are divided into two halves: 35 minutes of each session focuses on yoga, while the remainder revolves around learning to prepare nutritious food.

The company also runs prenatal yoga classes.

Unit 1606-1607, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Aberdeen, info@littleyogishk.com or www.facebook.com/LittleYogisHongKong.

Sign up early Tai Tam-based dragon boat team, Stormy Dragons, will be jetting off to Ravenna, Italy, to compete in the 9th Club Crews World Championships race from September 3-8. The international race takes place every two years, and Stormy Dragons is the only Hong Kong dragon boat team taking part. They have funded the Italian

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trip themselves and are currently searching for sponsors for their 2015 season. The team also welcomes interested paddlers of all abilities – from first timers to international level, in men’s, women’s and mixed-boat categories. Contact team founder and president, Cheryl Fender, on 9771 3242, stormydragons@yahoo.com.

Pre-registration is now open for Southside Magazine readers to attend a family hot tub movie carnival on the rooftop of The Pulse in Repulse Bay in October. The exact date will be released in September. Expect clowns, bouncy castles, music, food and drinks as well as a family-friendly film. Each tub holds about six people. Email info@milesinternational.com.hk to reserve a spot without pre-payment, and get a discount once the party date is confirmed.

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local Editorial Jane Steer jane@fastmedia.com.hk Hannah Grogan hannah@fastmedia.com.hk

looks like thunder

When lightning strikes What to do if you’re caught in a storm. By Carolynne Dear.

Cherrie Yu cherrie@fastmedia.com.hk Art Director Kelvin Lau kelvin@fastmedia.com.hk Graphic Design Evy Cheung evy@fastmedia.com.hk Sales & Marketing Karman So karman@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 Pamela Beech Steffi Yuen Nigel Griffiths Melody Liu Timothy Ma Vanessa Gunn Karen Wong 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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Last month, a Sai Kung fisherman died after being hit by lightning.

He and his wife were caught out at sea in a summer storm during which 377 bolts of cloud-toground lightning were recorded in an hour in the area. The lightning struck him on the back and he died in hospital.

Experts say fishing sampans are not especially prone to lightning strikes, but the boat was in open water and vulnerable.

Hong Kong’s storms can be sudden and violent. In one of the territory’s worst, on September 8, 2010, the Hong Kong Observatory recorded a colossal 13,102 cloudto-ground lightning bolts in the hour between midnight and 1am, and more than 25,000 during the six-hour storm, with winds of more than 100 km/h. At least five people were trapped in lifts after their buildings were struck by lightning.

“The 52-storey building was shaking, the deafening booms were relentless and I’m pretty sure we got hit,” recalls one resident.

About 70 per cent of lightning globally occurs over land in the tropics, triggered by the mixing of warmer and colder air masses and different moisture concentrations.

Over the past 20 years in Hong Kong, 44 people have been struck by lightning and six have died as a result. Which puts the odds of the average Hongkonger being struck

by lightning in the territory at about one in 3.06 million a year, or one in 96,500 over a lifetime.

So what should we do in a storm?

The Hong Kong Observatory keeps an eagle eye on the territory’s weather, issuing rain, thunderstorm and typhoon warnings, as well as data that can show how the rainclouds are travelling and even where lightning is expected to strike. It also keeps Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok regularly updated on potential lightning hits with its Airport Thunderstorm and Lightning Alerting System. If a storm hits, no baggage handling, aircraft refuelling or passenger movements are permitted on the vast airport apron.

The 52-storey building was shaking, I’m pretty sure we got hit Stormy weather Check the Hong Kong Observatory website (www.hko.gov.hk) for storm warnings and download the app (MyObservatory) for regular updates and warnings.

Postpone activities with gear

that might act as a lightning rod, such as golf, fishing and kite flying.

Seek shelter as soon as you hear thunder or see lightning – pagodas and open-sided picnic pavilions are not safe as they are not earthed. Look for a building with wiring or plumbing that will ground a strike.

Indoors, move away from electrical outlets, appliances and even toilets or sinks as lightning can travel down a water main. Do not take a shower.

Do not use an umbrella or mobile phone – the metal may direct the current into your body.

While it is generally recommended you stay inside your vehicle during a storm, convertibles with non-metal roofs and open-sided golf buggies are not safe.

Don’t venture back out until 30 minutes after the last flash or roll of thunder.

On land If there is no shelter available, find the lowest point, away from trees, fences or poles, and crouch down low on the balls of your feet. Do not lie down. Make yourself into as small a target as possible with minimal contact with the ground.

On water When lightning strikes water, it travels along the surface in all directions.

If you’re on a boat, get to land as soon as possible. Shelter in a cabin, or crouch low in the middle of the boat ensuring you are not the highest point aboard.

Hotspots The world’s lightning capital is the village of Kifuka in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo which receives an annual average of 158 strikes per square kilometre.

Other hotspots include Venezuela, Singapore and “Lightning Alley” in central Florida.

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Openforart

feature

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arty facts With the South Island Cultural District holding its first open day this month, Evie Burrows-Taylor checks out the art. Photo by Cherrie Yu and Evy Cheung

W

South Island Cultural District’s gallerists strike a pose on the Butchers Club Deli rooftop in Wong Chuk Hang.

hen Art Basel, the world’s premier contemporary art fair, made Hong Kong an annual stopover in 2013 the city secured its position on the international art map. The fanfare surrounding the show drew gallerists and artists from around the globe. In its wake, the city’s art scene has been developing rapidly, coalescing around little hubs of creativity. One of them is the South Island Cultural District (SICD), based in the neighbourhoods around Aberdeen.

While the first galleries opened in the area more than a decade before Art Basel showed up, SICD is growing rapidly. The MTR is due to pull in sometime in 2016, but that’s not the only draw. The area’s other big attraction is space: as the factories move out, creative types are reimagining the high-ceilinged, wide-windowed industrial buildings as galleries and studios.

The Hong Kong Art Development Council (HKADC) is also doing its part, investing in artist studios for the area, which aspires to be known as somewhere art is made as well as sold.

Already there’s a thriving scene of about 20 galleries and studios in Wong Chuk Hang, Ap Lei Chau and Tin Wan. And on September 27, they are throwing open their doors to the public for the first SICD open day.

Organised by the SICD Committee, which represents the area’s artistic community, the day promises to be wonderfully diverse. Current exhibitions include Tibetan sculpture, Japanese paintings and contemporary Chinese art, and there will be artist performances and children’s activities on the day.

“The quality of galleries and artists in this area is very high,” says committee chairman Dominique Perregaux, founder of Wong Chuk Hang gallery Art Statements. “It’s exciting to be one of the first here, watching it change. The arrival of the MTR will bring more commercial enterprises and when people come here to shop and eat, they’ll also come to the galleries.”

With so many galleries to choose from, it’s hard to know where to start. We’ve done the legwork for you.

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feature

Dominique Perregaux founder of Wong Chuk Hang gallery, Art Statements

I look after around 15 artists, some of whom are established in the West,� he says. “Recently, people have started looking at Hong Kong as an art hub, but one still very much in its naissance.

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feature

Wong Chuk Hang Galleries

3812

3812 was one of the area’s first galleries when it was founded in 2003 by Calvin Hui. He is a great example of SICD’s thriving community spirit. This month, he is helping to promote Hong Kong art internationally by holding an exhibition of work by SICD artist Chloe Ho in New York. And in Hong Kong, 3812 will be showing work by Chinese artists Liu Guofu and Lin Guocheng.

“The Hong Kong art scene has been developing quickly over the past three years,” Hui says. “There are a lot more opportunities for artists to work and exhibit here. There are also more collectors interested in Hong Kong art. This will go some way to creating an ecology in the city’s art scene.”

Open Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm. 10/F, Heung Wah Industrial Building, 12 Wong Chuk Hang Road, 2153 3812.

Aishonanzuka The Hong Kong collaboration of two Japanese galleries, Aisho Miura Arts and Nanazuka, Aishonanzuka launched last year. In August,

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From left: Art Statements, Rossi & Rossi and Pékin Fine Arts.

it held an exhibition by Japanese artist Shuhei Yamada “X”, known for using a variety of media in his impressions of Japanese society and national power.

13A, Regency Centre Phase 1, 39 Wong Chuk Hang Road.

attention. Brought up by passionate collectors, Perregaux’s interest in art started at a young age and eventually led him to leave banking to become a dealer.

Art Statements, 8/F, Gee Chang Hong Centre, 65 Wong Chuk Hang Road, 2696 2300.

Art Statements

Blindspot Gallery

After opening a successful gallery in Tokyo, Perregaux introduced Art Statements to Hong Kong in 2003. Work by young Japanese artist Takeru Amaro currently fills its large rooms. The space is liberating – the artwork has room to breathe, and visitors can give each piece its due

Focusing on photography, Blindspot’s name acknowledges photography’s status as the most neglected art medium in Hong Kong. It’s an oversight the gallery is determined to correct, with exhibitions by contemporary photographers and artists from Asia and around the world. It has

feature

Rossi & Rossi and Yallay Gallery

a smaller space on Aberdeen Street, Central.

15/F, Po Chai Industrial Building, 28 Wong Chuk Hang Road, 2517 6238.

Pékin Fine Arts Launched in Beijing in 2005 and Hong Kong in 2012, Pékin Fine Arts exhibits work mainly from southern China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

This summer, the gallery showed work by John Clang, an acclaimed Singaporean artist living in New York.

“More galleries will open, more museums will open, more university art programmes will be developed,” owner Meg Magglio says. “This is an

exciting moment for Hong Kong artists to rethink their practices amidst a rapid need for new works to fill exhibit space.”

16/F, Union Industrial Building, 48 Wong Chuk Hang Road, 2177 6190.

Plum Blossoms Gallery Established in 1987, Plum Blossoms Gallery houses an enviable collection of ancient textiles, early Chinese porcelain, Chinese and Tibetan furniture and Sino-Tibetan sculpture.

Plum Blossoms Gallery, 14F, Cheung Tak Industrial Building, 30 Wong Chuk Hang Road, 2521 2189.

International gallery Rossi & Rossi exhibits underthe-radar artists from places such as Kazakhstan, Cambodia and Pakistan. Owner Fabio Rossi is very much part of the international art establishment, attending the School of Oriental and African Studies in London before going to work for his mother’s gallery there. He shares his space in Hong Kong with Yallay Gallery, which focuses on Asian and Middle Eastern art, and the two hold complementary exhibitions.

3C, Yally Industrial Building, 6 Yip Fat Street, 3575 9417.

Artist studios Go straight to the source and visit some of SICD’s artists in residence. Hongkonger Chloe Ho produces sketches and oil on canvas with pieces in private collections in Paris, London, Singapore and Hong Kong. Other artists’ studios in the SICD, include Kirsteen Pieterse, Phil Akashi, Emma Fordham and Caroline Chiu.

Sculptor Richard X. Zawitz is featured exclusively at Infinity Gallery and Studio.

feature Chloe Ho, Room 17A, Regency Centre I, 39 Wong Chuk Hang Road, 2518 8202.

Kirsteen Pieterse, B8, 8/F, Tin Fung Industrial Mansion, 63 Wong Chuk Hang Road.

Phil Akashi Studio, 7E, Derrick Industrial Building, 49 Wong Chuk Hang Road.

Emma Fordham Studio, 9B, Block 1, Kingley Industrial Building, 35 Yip Kan Street.

Caroline Chiu, 8A, Shui Ki Industrial Building, 18 Wong Chuk Hang Road.

Infinity Gallery and Studio, 3B, Yally Industrial Building, 6 Yip Fat Street, 3426 9726.

Ap Lei Chau toof [contemporary] toof [contemporary] has found a niche by focusing on Latin American art, with an international outlook. Exhibiting work across all forms, including conceptual, urban, installation and photography, the gallery brings together artists and dealers from around the world.

3/F Canteen, Harbour Industrial Centre, 10 Lee Hing Street, 9684 9964.

Tin Wan KORU Contemporary Art Based in Hong Kong since 2001, KORU specialises in sculpture. If you’re on a quest to find the next Rodin or Moore, KORU’s the place for you.

16/F, Hing Wai Centre, 7 Tin Wan Praya Road, 2580 5922

Gallery EXIT Gallery EXIT promotes the work of Asian conceptual artists, working in different media and exploring contemporary life in East Asia.

Southsite, 3/F, Blue Box Factory Building, 25 Hing Wo Street, 2541 1299.

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eating

Favourite Hang-outs

Tuck into cured meats, cheeses and pickles at the Butchers Club Deli.

Wining and dining in Wong Chuk Hang. By Vanessa Gunn.

Choice Cooperative Choice Cooperative is Hong Kong’s first glutenfree café. Recipes, which are often sugar-free too, include plant-based ingredients that are nutritious and delicious. As well as an array of salads and sandwiches (made with bread from Choice’s gluten-free bakery), there is a good selection of cakes and biscuits. Another plus is the café’s huge playroom, making Choice the perfect lunch spot for parents with small children in tow. 7/F, BT Centre, 23 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, 2677 7808.

Butchers Club Deli Located in a trendy loft in Aberdeen, Butchers Club Deli has a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

The menu includes classics such as dry-aged Angus beef burgers ($120), fish and chips ($140) and signature sandwiches, all served with a portion of duck-fat fries. The deli also boasts a daily selection of artisanal cured meats, cheese,

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pickles and bread. 16/F, Shui Ki Industrial Building, 18 Wong Chuk Hang Road. Aberdeen, 2884 0768, www.butchersclub.com.hk.

Sushi Masa With its huge variety of delicious sushi and sashimi, Sushi Masa is fast becoming one of the best sushi places in town. The generous portions and reasonable prices make it the place to go for anyone looking for super-fresh food and good service. $200 per person for large portions of sushi/sashimi; 0.5L bottle of sake, $330. G/F, 142 Aberdeen Main Road, Aberdeen, 2501 0618.

GCX El Grande Concepts, the people who brought you Grappas, Domani and Inn Side Out, now has an all-in-one restaurant, café and food shop in One Island South. GCX prides itself on using only the freshest and most natural ingredients, and offers a delectable selection of delicatessen items as

well as a lunch menu and weekend brunches.

Being an Italian deli, it naturally has a variety of Italian wines and one of the widest selection of olive oils in Hong Kong. G09, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 2528 0772.

Mum Set in a trendy industrial space, this new vegetarian café offers Western and Chinese meals, which change on a daily basis. Named for his mother and her home-cooked meals,

tuck in

owner Pookit Poon felt the need for no-nonsense healthy food in the area so expect everything from pasta to udon to rice bowls and stir fry. The lunch menus are nonchalantly tacked up on a large cork-board; the hummous salad and mushroom pizza are highly recommended.

G/F, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 2115 3348.

Percy’s Tucked inside Lane Crawford’s newest home store, Percy’s is a small, chic café, serving salads, sandwiches, pastries and coffee - perfect for a quick, light lunch. The smoothies are healthy and delicious; try the Slimmers Special (apple, orange, celery and lemon). Service is very efficient so don’t be put off by the long queues.

G/F, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 3427 9498.

3/3rds This newly opened, family-friendly cafe serves up scrumptious organic soups and salads in a light-filled dining area. A family-run business, the Wan brothers pride themselves on using locally

Yally Industrial Building, 6 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang, 3462 2951.

Chef Studio by Eddy This excellent private kitchen is located in an old industrial building and presided over by culinary master Chef Eddy, who will personally brief you on the dishes to be served. The interesting menu changes every month and incorporates the season’s best fruit and vegetables so the seven- to eight-course menu is always filled with unexpected flavours and textures. $880 per head (no service charge).

Room 5B, Kwai Bo Industrial Building, 40 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, 3104 4664.

sourced ingredients and creating healthy food that tastes as good as it looks. Instead of more regular green salads, you will find dishes like stuffed aubergine with pomegranate and saffron yoghurt, and wild rice salad. The most raved about item, however, is the cheese toastie with onion and four different types of cheese - try it once and you’ll be back for more. 22/F, Unit D,

Kea’s Kitchen Set on a beautiful yacht moored in the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter, this private kitchen gets top marks for location as well as its authentic Thai food. It is open Wednesday to Sunday for dinner but the boat can be booked for a special event any day of the week, with seating up to 40 people.

Lunch options are also available on request.

6077 5964, reservations@keaskitchen.com.

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eating

Nibbles DiVine take out New retail area DiVino Casa Patio means you can now recreate your favourite DiVino dishes at home. Most ingredients served at the restaurant are available - from pasta and risotto to wine and cheeses. DiVino Patio has also launched a takeaway menu, which includes half a roasted Italian chicken ($58) and 12-inch, hand-tossed pizzas (from $128).

Shop 11, 1/F, BRIM28, Causeway Bay Centre, 28 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, 2877 3552, www.divinogroup.com.

Soho de-stressed Relax over organic hot teas, savoury snacks and handmade cakes at the new DK Cuppa Tea café. This aromatherapy and wellness centre uses natural and organic ingredients in its food and beverages, and has seasonal specialities, which currently include chocolate and lavender tea and pineapple and coconutinfused tea. The Aromatherapy High Tea set for two ($298) comprises low-fat, organic, sweet and savoury bites such as salads with truffle oil, gluten-free salmon sandwiches and low-fat, crumbly scones with organic

strawberry jam. Natural cosmetics workshops and aromatherapy treatments are also offered.

G/F 16A Staunton Street, Central, 2771 2847.

Top Deck no more Sad news for Southsiders. It has just been confirmed that Hong Kong’s favourite brunch location, Top Deck, will not be reopening.

Having closed indefinitely for renovations in 2013, the Café Deco Group (the brains behind Top Deck) told Southside Magazine it won’t be coming back. As for which new restaurant will be following in its footsteps or when the space will be up and running... your guess is as good as ours but a spokesperson from Jumbo Kingdom confirmed that it is still under renovation.

Unlimited dim sum returns Dim Sum Bar’s “all-you-can-eat” menu is back - plus, every fourth person in a party can enjoy the food for free. Satisfy your taste buds with classic items including baked barbecue pork cream buns and steamed shrimp dumplings with chopped bamboo shoots, and try out new dim sum recipes such as roasted chicken rolls with enoki and lily flower. Each guest receives

a complimentary baked egg tart. Dessert options include the exquisite-sounding chilled roselle and coconut pudding with osmanthus, and aromatic baked almond cream buns.

Customers can enjoy dim sum classics for two hours ($228 for adults, $168 for children aged five to 11), Monday to Thursday, 6pm-10pm. The offer is not valid on public holidays. Shop G103, Ground Floor, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2175 3100, www.cafedecogroup.com.

Ms B’s moonies Ms B has launched a series of lanterninspired mooncakes: vanilla chiffon cakes with mango and coconut mousse and fresh pomelo pearls, laced with fresh cream. They are available in gift sets of two and four ($520/200g, $880/500g). Also available at Ms B’s Cakery on Gough Street are new tastersized treats in beautifully packaged gift boxes of three and nine ($165 and $495 respectively or $60 per piece). From Ms B’s Cakery and C’est La B (Pacific Place and Harbour City); mooncakes also available through Sevva, Central.

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food by fergus

review

Cirqle

Fergus Fung tries Ovolo Southside’s new Mediterranean restaurant.

The Wong Chuk Hang dining scene continues to heat up, with another new eatery. The Ovolo group opened its second property in the area this summer, converting a 1970s industrial building into a hip hotel with impressive views of Shouson Hill and Ocean Park. On the fourth floor, Cirqle is a casual and airy eatery with an extended alfresco terrace – perfect for barbecues once the temperatures dip.

Chef Krzysztof Bandel, formerly of the Press Room Group and Lily + Bloom, is at the helm in the open kitchen. Bandel trained as a

classical French chef, but likes to use eastern Mediterranean spices such as za’atar and sumac to enhance his flavours.

Together with friends, my family went for lunch in the month it opened. The tapas-style set lunch ($98 for two dishes, $132 for three) is perfect for sampling different dishes: we pretty much went through everything on the menu that we wanted.

Particularly noteworthy was the steamed clams and prawns with curry oil and coriander. I occasionally use cumin when cooking seafood at home, but have not tried curry oil on fresh clams.

The combination was such a hit that we ordered seconds.

The hanger steak (London Broil Hanging Tender) was well executed. Often called the chef’s or butcher’s cut, because those meat professionals used to keep it for themselves, it has a strong meaty flavour but a tendency to become tough makes it more difficult to cook than other cuts. My daughter loved the

1/F Beach Building, Deep Water Bay Beach, Island Road 34 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Tel: 2164 8007

ratatouille and merguez sausage with rosemary almonds and pesto, all definitive Mediterranean ingredients.

I am a big fan of orzo, a pasta which looks a bit like rice, which Cirqle cooks with garlic, lemon and tzatziki, for a more exotic taste than traditional pasta.

We spoke with the chef who said the menu is a work in progress. However, the dinner menu already looked enticing with highlights such as zesty crabcake and bone-in Galician pork loin roasted with Granny Smith apples. We look forward to returning soon.

4/F Ovolo Southside, 64 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, 3460 8100.

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.

Email: mksman8@ymail.com

education

right wavelength

From just 44 students in 1961, Kennedy School now welcomes almost 900 children.

Visiting Kennedy Tim Ma gets the lowdown on Pok Fu Lam’s ESF primary school.

Kennedy School’s name gives away a little of its history. The ESF primary school started life not in Pok Fu Lam but in Mid-Levels as the Kennedy Road Junior School, which opened on September 16, 1961, with 44 students and two teachers. (Kennedy Road takes its name from Hong Kong’s seventh governor, Arthur Kennedy, who created the Hong Kong dollar.) The school was started by the Hong Kong Government in response to the needs of the rapidly expanding expat population, and became part of the English Schools Foundation stable in 1979.

A decade later in 1989, with the original building decaying and its location no longer convenient for its catchment area, the school

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shortened its name and moved to Sandy Bay, Pok Fu Lam. It thrived in its new environment.

By the time of the handover in 1997, Kennedy School had 780 students in 26 classes. Since then it has sprouted a new wing and today it has almost 900 children enrolled in 30 classes.

All those children have plenty of facilities at their disposal, including music rooms, drama studios, a gymnasium, library, four playgrounds, a computer suite and data projectors. Every classroom boasts an interactive whiteboard and at least 10 laptop computers. Students also have access to the sports fields and swimming pool at nearby Stanley Ho Sports Centre. Managed by the University of Hong Kong, the sports facilities

are located directly across the road from the school, giving it a pleasantly green outlook across the pitches to the Lamma Channel.

The learning environment is varied and engaging in keeping with the liberal, modern style of education. In November 2011, it became an authorised International Baccalaureate World School and follows the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). Elements are also taken from the English National Curriculum, adapted to suit children living in Asia, such as daily Mandarin lessons. Kennedy parent Charles Caldwell, who has triplets in Year 6 (his eldest child moved on to West Island School two years ago), praised the curriculum.

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education

The environment plays an important role at the school.

The school was started to meet the needs of Hong Kong’s rapidly expanding expat population

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“Last summer, while visiting family in Canada, our four children were spilling over with questions, inquiring about the Canadian world around them that is a stark contrast to Hong Kong. Our Canadian family and friends were amazed at their inquisitiveness. It dawned on me that I was witnessing the output of the PYP education,” he said.

Kennedy’s students have been vocal about their commitment to environmental sustainability.

In March 2012, the school community protested

against air pollution when all 900 students and 100 staff members donned face masks and held up signs to campaign for shipping companies to adopt less polluting fuels when entering Hong Kong coastal waters. Each child also wrote a letter to the government in opposition to the reclamation at Sandy Bay. Their actions have been rewarded: Kennedy School is a two-time recipient of the Hong Kong Green Schools Award, in 2013 and 2014. The award is jointly organised by the Environmental Campaign Committee, the Environmental Protection Department and the Education Bureau, and recognises the school community for its initiative in environmental education, policy and action.

“Kennedy School offers a green and vibrant environment for our children,” Caldwell said.

“We love the school and staff, who provide a first-class education to prepare our children for the future.”

As it enters its 54th year, Kennedy School is as busy as ever. During the summer, many classrooms were refurbished and this term is the first at the school for new principal, John Brewster, who was previously principal at ESF Beacon Hill School in Kowloon Tong.

Kennedy School, 19 Sha Wan Drive, Pok Fu Lam, www.kennedy.edu.hk.

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sponsored column

Applying for primary ITS Educational Services’ tips for applying to international primary schools.

Do your research. Before applying, narrow down the list of schools you’re interested in.

Have the courage to allow your perceptions to change: keeping an open mind can lead you to unexpected places.

Think about your child’s strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Is your child shy? Does he/she respond well to pressure?

Is your child inquisitive about lots of subjects? What is his/her learning style?

For a moment, disregard individual schools and list the attributes of a school that would be right for your child. With that list in mind, go back to the schools you have been considering and reread their websites and school brochures, particularly the philosophy and mission statements. Talk to friends and other parents. Try to detect significant differences between the schools.

Complete the application on time and correctly. To save headaches later on, fill out the application early and precisely. Give detailed information. Schools are genuinely

interested about your child. Express an interest in the school that shows you understand and support its educational philosophy. Reflect on why a school appeals to you. Being able to articulate your interest and understanding of a school’s ethos is crucial. Be honest about your intentions for your child to be a part of the school community; express a desire to be an active part of the community via parent-based committees, etc.

Include all relevant documentation and ensure all school reports are up-to-date and teacher observation forms have been submitted on time. Supporting documents are requested for a reason. Also, photos should be recent and family photos should be natural and not professionally staged.

Write a thank-you letter. Send a personal letter or email after each information session or visit to a school to distinguish your application from the others. You may want to send a “first choice letter” to the admissions director of your preferred school. Badgering admissions staff

Stay in touch but don’t annoy them or be overly persistent will not secure a place – stay in touch but don’t annoy them or be overly persistent.

Accept interview invitations. Meet the acceptance date and pay the interview fee on time. Acting fast demonstrates your interest. Send a follow-up email to confirm an interview if one is requested – if it’s not, write anyway simply to express your gratitude for the opportunity.

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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family

salute the moon

Eat. Gaze. Love.

Picture: Mark Lehmkuhler

Your guide to the Mid-Autumn Festival. By Karen Wong

Hang out on Repulse Bay Beach – don’t forget your lantern.

What is it?

Mid-Autumn Festival takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which this year falls on September 8 (September 9 is a public holiday). The full moon symbolises reunion. Since the Shang Dynasty, the festival has been celebrated as a time of thanksgiving and harvest by gatherings of families and friends, who eat mooncakes, chase the moon and light lanterns.

What to expect?

After a family reunion dinner, most people relax at parks and beaches where they hang lanterns, play with glowsticks and watch the brightest full moon of the year. It’s a pretty, peaceful and good-natured festival, with colourful lanterns, glowstick-wrapped children excited to be out at night and families sharing different-flavoured mooncakes. Fire dragons dance through the streets and there are private parties and carnivals across the territory.

What to take?

Food (particularly mooncakes and starfruit), lanterns, candles, glowsticks, picnic blankets

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and friends. Take binoculars for a closer look at the moon. Tealights in simple paper bags are a cheap and pretty way to light your beach picnic.

Where to go?

Victoria Park The biggest and grandest carnival is held in Victoria Park. Last year, more than 400,000 people crammed onto its lawns and every available patch of garden, picnicking under trees hung with colourful lanterns. A MidAutumn market includes lantern booths, handmade crafts and traditional Chinese snacks such as dragon’s beard candy and honey biscuits. There are kung fu shows and folk songs. You can also see the Tai Hang Fire Dragon, which swirls in a noisy, smoky incenselit frenzy from Lily Street via Ormsby Street and Tung Lo Wan Road to the park, from 7.30pm on September 18 to 20.

Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon Parade The fire dragon dance is a traditional celebration for the 200-year-old Pok Fu Lam village, near Chi Fu Gardens. According to custom, the straw-filled dragon is embedded

with burning incense sticks to symbolise good luck and blessings. The 73-metre-long creature comes to life at 7pm in Pok Fu Lam village and dances along Pok Fu Lam Road, passing Kellett School and the fire station. It is followed by five smaller dragons and teams of lantern bearers.

The parade ends at Waterfall Bay Park, where the dragons are doused in the sea at 11.30pm.

Repulse Bay Beach Spread out a blanket to stake a claim on this perennially popular beach. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, the trees are hung with lanterns, carefully monitored fire pits are on the go and glowstick-bedecked kids are out in force. The international-school teenage set likes to hang out here too. Although the long stretch of sand will be busy, the vibe is friendly and relaxed.

The Peak Hike up to the highest point on Hong Kong Island for the best possible view of the moon, which is what this festival is all about. Bring lanterns and mooncakes and treat yourself to an official moon picnic in Victoria Peak Gardens, up Mount Austin Road.

outdoors

on your marks

Get set‌ go!

Keen runner Pamela Beech explains how to get started. Happy trails.

After the summer holiday is a good time to start a regular exercise routine. Some of you may be ready and raring to go, but others may have overindulged on holiday and want to lose a few pounds. And if you survived summer workouts in Hong Kong by retreating to an air-conditioned gym, now is the time to start thinking about transferring from the treadmill to the outdoors.

As the weather gradually cools and the running season begins, make the most of our beautiful surroundings and get out into the country parks. Here’s how to get started.

First, like starting any exercise regime, you need to be medically fit to cope so it’s wise to get a fitness assessment and see a doctor if necessary. Wear cool, comfortable clothing and good running shoes with flexible soles and good mid-sole support. Old, overused trainers are a common cause of injuries. To prevent sunstroke wear a light hat and keep your shoulders covered.

Focus on time, not distance, and listen to your body

In order to combat the heat and humidity, always carry water or a sports drink as it's essential to replace lost minerals. Drink extra water a couple of hours prior to running and then afterwards throughout the day to aid recovery.

Treat yourself to a heart-rate monitor/running watch so you can exercise safely within the recommended training zones for your fitness level and avoid overexertion. I find most beginners work harder than necessary until they learn to work within their limits.

For most people, the initial cardio-time is 30 minutes of a run/walk combination: run for one minute then walk for four minutes, for example, and repeat six times to make up the 30 minutes.

It is important to warm up and warm down by stretching and walking before and afterwards to prevent injury. The idea is to gradually increase the running time and reduce the walking depending on your fitness level and improvement.

Everyone is different and some people take longer than others to achieve their goal.

When running, there are several important factors to bear in mind. First, focus on time not

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outdoors

Hong Kong enjoys some of the most stunning trails in Asia.

distance and listen to your body – if you need to walk more, do so, especially if it's very hot or humid. Concentrate on your posture, keeping ankles, hips, shoulders and head aligned with a slight lean forward to propel yourself. And make sure your foot strike is mid-sole, that your feet are not turned in or out and try not to overstride.

Concentrate on any areas of weakness.

If you carry a lot of tension in your shoulders, for example, think about relaxing and reducing tension in that area on your run. Also focus on

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your foot strike and using your core during the run intervals. Choose one item at a time so it doesn't become too chaotic.

A fundamental mistake most beginners make when embarking on a running programme is overtraining. Rest is important and at least one day a week should be a complete rest from all forms of exercise. On other rest days, crosstrain by using resistance training to support your running or stretch out with a yoga session.

As a personal trainer, I find most of my clients

start by running/walking three or four times a week depending on their fitness level and work schedule. As the weeks go by and the weather cools, they discover the ability to run longer and further. Good luck and happy running.

Pamela Beech is chairman of the Hong Kong Ladies Road Running Club, and an NASM qualified personal trainer. For enquiries, contact her at PB Personal Training by emailing pamjspencer@yahoo.com.

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big day out

step ashore

The intriguing island of Kat O is best accessed by boat.

The land that time forgot With its old cannons, temples and lovely beaches, Kat O is an island time warp. By Nigel Griffiths.

After China leased the New Territories to Britain, way back in 1898, a land survey of the area was undertaken by Sir James Stewart Lockhart. It reveals that, in 1899, remote Kat O or Crooked Island had a population of 600 divided into 43 clans with 37 different family names. The community continued to thrive into the mid 20th century: in 1955, 4,000 people lived there in six villages. But, as is the way with so many rural communities in Hong Kong, modern life has not been kind to Kat O. Today, there are just 40-50 people remaining on the island, which is now part of Plover Cove Country Park, and it feels a little like a time warp.

It is a stunning place. West of Mirs Bay and

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east of Sha Tau Kok, facing the busy ports of Yantian and Meisha in Shenzhen, the island has an area of 2.36 sq km with a long, irregular coastline and some renowned formations now included in the Geopark.

There are two piers on Crooked Island. One at Kat O Chau, shaded by a large banyan, and a government-restricted pier at Mun Tsai Wan. There is a regular ferry from Sha Tau Kok for those with permits to the restricted area, but most people travel by private boat. From the main pier, it’s a one-minute walk to Kat O Main Street and Ada’s Convenience Store, which sells drinks and snacks and, upstairs, houses the island’s main seafood restaurant (open

Through the arch is the village square.

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WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 49

big day out

The east coast is dotted with sea caves and pristine beaches

Kat O is a rare mix of volcanic and sedementary rock.

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daily). Stop for a chat: Ada speaks good English and has lived on Kat O her whole life.

At the end of the street – over a bridge and under an arch – is the village’s main square, with a lovers’ tree and some ancient cannons pointing out to sea. At weekends, the Geopark Heritage Centre opens with resources on the local geology and a Tin Hau palanquin. Next door is the Tin Hau Temple, built in 1763 and rebuilt in 1879 and 1968. With hills behind it and the sea in front, it offers a splendid view for the deity. It is rich with cultural relics, including an 1882 incense burner, some fine Shiwan pottery and a 100kg bell cast in 1763 that bears two inscriptions in Chinese: “The country flourishes and the people live in peace” and “Pray for favourable weather”.

A footpath behind the temple leads eventually to Tung O Wan and its wide sand

big day out

Look out for cultural relics and temples.

beaches on the east coast. I didn’t hang around, however, following a close encounter with a snake near a tombstone at the back of the temple. It was small and dark and I did not stop to identify it – pythons are also known to be washed down the hills after downpours.

Further around the coast is the Water Moon Temple behind small gates that are kept closed against the cows, but visitors are welcome. The images on the altar are Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) and her two servants surveying the sea and moon.

At the other end of Main Street, past the

pier, is a modern ancestral worship hall topped with two bright goldfish and the Ko Tei Teng Trail (signposted) to a peak with spectacular views.

Kat O comprises both volcanic and (rare in Hong Kong) sedimentary rocks, with exposed tuff in the north. It’s possible to walk along the gravelly shore to the northern tip of the island, as long as the tide is not too high.

The east coast, though not easily accessible, is dotted with sea caves and beautiful, pristine sandy beaches. The best way to explore is to hire a speedboat and swim

ashore. At Mun Tsai Wan, a former British military adventure training camp traverses the mountain to Camp Cove – it is not clear what it is used for now, however, and notices warn visitors to keep out.

Boats can be hired from Wong Shek Pier: Mrs So (tel: 9177 2521) can carry up to 15 people aboard her boat and will wait for you or pick up at an arranged time. Mr Ho (tel: 9257 2706) has a smaller boat, and Ada at the convenience store will also arrange boats for groups that eat at her restaurant (tel: 2697 9259).

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living & home

Ceramic brick tiles and French accessories add Gallic chic

French dressing Designer Y.C. Chen brings a hint of Parisian chic to Jardine’s Lookout, writes Evie Burrows-Taylor.

Say hello to Gloria. No, it’s not a person, it’s an apartment. It’s the name interior designer Y.C. Chen gave this 1,225 sq ft home in Jardine’s Lookout, which he designed for a professional Hong Kong couple and their young son (they now also have a baby daughter).

Chen likes to give all his designs women’s names: the first, naturally, was Eve. This passion for branding stems from his previous career in advertising, which he followed for 11 years before returning to his first love, interior design.

Chen is the founder of hoo, an acronym of “home of one” to emphasise the uniqueness of his designs. Yet there is a common thread running through his projects, many of which reveal a Scandinavian influence. Gloria, however, has a distinctly French accent, a

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nod to the couple’s association with Paris, where they got engaged and later spent their honeymoon.

“It’s one of the most complete designs we’ve worked on,” Chen says. “Everything came together – both the interior design and the styling.”

The owners’ love of French style allowed the hoo team to bring a little bit of France to Hong Kong Island, but without feeling cartoonish. A sign in French, a clock that could have come from the local café du coin, some white ceramic brick tiles... et voila, a hint of Parisian chic.

“The style might have been too much if we hadn’t gone for light walls and pared it down with some of the fresher decorations. It’s

morning gloria

Homes need to look human

difficult to have heavy furniture in a small space, so we mixed it up.”

From the Murano-style mirror creating light by the entrance to the elegant parquet flooring, everything in this home has been expertly selected. The Danish chandelier, for example, was sourced by hoo’s vintage dealer.

“If I can, I like to work around key pieces,” he says. “Chandeliers often look too showy, especially in a small apartment, but this piece is delicate and understated enough to fit in with an otherwise very simple dining room.”

The hoo team draw inspiration from a wide range of sources, including fashion (the company strapline is “The haute couture of interior design”).

Vintage pieces mix with contemporary furniture

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living & home

From left: a calm contemporary bedroom, the dining space overlooking the living room.

“It’s in fashion that you see some of the most interesting use of material, shapes and textures, and I like to bring that into my interiors,” Chen says.

In Jardine’s Lookout, this translated into a beautiful dark brown leather sofa, similar in colour to the floor, in an otherwise delicately accented living room. Sometimes these key pieces come from clients, but much of the

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furniture in this apartment was designed by the Chen’s team and reflects his love of minimalism in its clean edges, high-end materials and expensive finish. “[This project] allowed us to do some real designing rather than just styling,” he says.

“Minimalism has to be about more than a home looking cold, as if no one lives there. Homes need to look human.”

pets Puppy pile-ups

Jimmy Tsang

There’s a difference between playing and fighting, Sally Andersen says.

Every Sunday afternoon, I pack up all the puppies staying with me on Lamma and take them to Whiskers N Paws in Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau, for three hours of fun on the big outdoor terrace. The idea, of course, is they

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will be chosen for adoption by the many families that come to meet them, but whether or not that happens they have a great time running around and playing. By 5pm, when it’s time to take the unlucky ones home again, they are all exhausted and fall asleep in their travel crates for the return trip.

Playing and socialisation is vital for puppies. This is the time when their brains are developing and the first few months shape their personality and behaviour as adults. Puppies that are deprived of the chance to play with others at this age can grow up to be antisocial and a nuisance around other dogs. It’s no fun walking a dog that lunges and snarls at any other dog it passes.

Puppy play can look like fighting as they rough and tumble, grabbing each other by the legs and baring their teeth in mock battle.

Playing and socialisation is vital for puppies Unfortunately, too many people think that they have to intervene and break up the “fight” before someone gets hurt, but that’s missing the point. Puppies need these games to learn how to moderate their biting, and how to use and interpret the body language and signals that are such an important part of dog communication.

It is very rare that any puppy “fight” will escalate into anything serious, and left alone they will stop by themselves when it starts to get too rough. One or both of the contestants in the battle will suddenly stop and start licking themselves, or using other appeasing body language to indicate that it’s break time.

play time

hong kong creatures Japanese White-eye aka Zosterops japonicus

Puppies (or adult dogs) mounting others is also misinterpreted as dominant behaviour when it’s really just part of natural play. In adults it can be a sign of stress, but when puppies jump on each other and start “humping”, it’s simply part of the learning process. In human terms, it may be considered “rude” and offensive, but animals don’t have the social inhibitions that people do and they don’t see it as being different to any other kind of interaction.

If you have adopted a new puppy, make sure it has plenty of opportunities to play with others and let them get on with it and have fun.

Even better, adopt two and take the hard work out of those early puppy days.

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: these little birds are common and widespread throughout the territory.

Measuring just 4 inches to 4.5 inches in length, the Japanese white-eye is a small greenish bird with a distinctive white ring around its eyes. It has an olive-green forehead, back and tail, yellow throat and dark-brown wings.

It is widely distributed in Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan, where it is also called the mejiro. The white-eye has also been introduced to other parts of the world, including Hawaii, where it is now the most abundant land bird.

The white-eye is an omnivore that eats fruit, insects and nectar. White-eyes are monogamists, taking no more than one mate at a time. During the breeding season, males establish territories by singing loudly

and fending off other white-eyes, although they will allow other species to enter their territories. They also turn to theft, often stealing material – spider’s webs, moss, fur – from the nests of other birds to build its own small cup-shaped nest that may be used up to three times.

The white-eye is very sociable and outside breeding season it often forms flocks with other species.

Steffi Yuen

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

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

marketplace

Group guitar lessons for teens Rock band practice (singer, guitar, bass, keyboard, drums) Causeway Bay and Stanley info@chorus.hk | 6718 2585 | www.chorus.hk

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marketplace

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

62 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

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

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.

Deep Water Bay

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

Stanley

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

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

- 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

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

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business directory Children’s Toys & Supplies apple & pie Shop 206, One Island South 3103 0853 | www.appleandpie.com www.facebook.com/appleandpie

Educational Services

Extracurricular

Sylvan Learning Center

Colour My World

2873 0662 info@sylvan.edu.hk www.educate.com

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

Bumps to Babes 2552 5000 | Ap Lei Chau Main Store 2522 7112 | Pedder Building Branch www.bumpstobabes.com

Berlitz Language Centre 21572211 info@berlitz.com.hk www.berlitz.com.hk

Huang Shun Company Ltd. 2357 4706 sales.huangshun@gmail.com www.wickedcooltoys.cn

Brain Child 2528 6862 jimchoy@netvigator.com www.mysolarbot.com

Rock A Baby 3586 3070 | info@rockababy.com.hk www.rockababy.com.hk

Capstone 2893 6060 | 28936067 info@capstoneprep.com www.capstoneprep.com

Community & Charity Watermark Community Church 2857 6160 | wow@watermarkchurch.hk www.watermarkchurch.hk

Early Childhood Bebegarten +852 3487 2255 www.bebegarten.com Miles International Academy info@milesinternational.com.hk www.milesinternational.com.hk

English for Asia 2392 2746 bianca@englishforasia.com www.englishforasia.com Golden Path Education 2164 4888 www.goldenpatheducation.com Hong Kong Institue of Language 2877 6160 administration@hklanguages.com The International Montessori School 2861 0339 info@montessori.edu.hk www.montessori.edu.hk iThink Education www.ithink-education.com.hk

MONTESSORI FOR CHILDREN 2813 9589 / www.montessori.edu.sg / hongkong@montessori.edu.sg

Mandarin tutor 9078 6978 shellywong7@yahoo.com.hk

Rock A Baby 3586 3070/ 3586 3071 info@rockababy.com.hk www.rockababy.com.hk

Native FRENCH language private tuition/ Drawing, Painting private tuition gsn6sy@hotmail.com

Woodland Pre-Schools 2559 4855 www.woodlandschools.com

Educational Services

PowerBrain Rx 2302 0180 www.powerbrainrx.com RDI Ltd 2992 0133 info@rdihongkong.com www.rdi.co.uk Southside Mandarin 3427 9619 info@southsidemandarin.com www.southsidemandarin.com

ITS Education Asia 2116 3916 | es@itseducation.asia www.itseducationasia.com

Morningstar Preschool

Learning through imagination, inquiry, integration and reflection

Morningstar Preschool and Kindergarten 9736 5241 | info@MorningstarSchools.com www.morningstarschools.com

64 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Trinity International Language Centre 2114 2812 enquiry@trinitylanguage.com www.trinitylanguage.com UUIA. 5185 0885 and 9189 9591 iuuokok@gmail.com www.uuokok.com

Chorus HK 6718 2585 | www.chorus.hk ESF Sports +852 2711 1280 www.esf.org.hk sports@esf.org.hk Faust International Ltd 2547 9114 | info@FaustWorld.com www.faustworld.com

Fashion & Accessories Itsie Bitsie Boutique 6871 0201 | www.itsiebitsie.com

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 A&M US Groceries 2548 8280 | www.amnstores.com The Australian Shop 5509 7993 | info@theaustralianshop.hk The Butcher’s Club 2552 8281 | steve@butchersclub.com.hk www.butchersclub.com.hk Food Factory 2580 6654 | 94868901 contact@foodfactory.com.hk www.foodfactory.com.hk HK Caffe www.hkcaffe.com O Thai Restaurant Deep Water Bay Beach 2164 8007 | mksman8@ymail.com The South African Shop info@thesouthafricanshop.com 9457 0639

Health & Wellness Blessa Pilates & Physio 6383 8822 | info@blessaphysio.com www.blessaphysio.com

handy Health & Wellness Pure Swiss Limited 2323 2093 | admin@e-pureswiss.com www.e-pureswiss.com SPOT Centre 2807 2992 | contact@spot.com.hk www.spot.com.hk

International Schools Kellett School The International School in Hong Kong 3120 0700 www.kellettschool.com

Maternity & Pregnancy Home & Interiors

Cocoon Concept Ltd. 2896 0600 | info@cocoon-concept.com www.cocoon-concept.com Box Design 2573 3323 info@boxdesign.com.hk www.boxdesign.com.hk Everything Under The Sun 2554 9088 info@everythingunderthesun.com.hk www.everythingunderthesun.com.hk 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

Annerley – Maternity and Early Childhood Professionals www.annerley.com.hk

Parties & Entertainment Rumple and Friends www.rumpleandfriends.com

Pets & Vets Homevet 9860 5522 | pets@homevet.com.hk www.homevet.com.hk Animal Behaviour Vet Practice 9618 2475 | smillie.cynthia@gmail.com www.petbehaviourhk.com Pacific Pets @ Stanley 2813 7979 | retail@stanleyvetcentre.com Stanley Veterinary Centre 2813 2030 | info@stanleyvetcentre.com www.stanleyvetcentre.com

Professional Services

Madura 2810 0577 www.madura.hk

Opus Design Ltd 97337328 www.opusdesign.com.hk Xava Interiors 852 2858 9866 info@xavainteriors.hk http://www.xavainteriors.hk

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

Infinity Financial Solutions Ltd 2815 5828 | hongkong@infinitysolutions.com Monex Boom Securities (H.K.) Ltd 2255 8888 service@boomhq.com www.boom.com Sum Hing Carton Box Factory info@boxx.hk | www.boxx.hk Village Holdings Insurance www.villageholdingsinsurance.com

Real-Estate The Arcade, Cyberport 3166 3111 | arcade@cyberport.hk www.arcade.cyberport.hk Genesis 33 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong 6688 8262 Garson Real Estate Agencies 4/F Lee Fund Centre, No. 31 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong www.grea.com.hk Habitat Property 2869 9069 www.habitat-property.co Hong Kong Parkview 2812 3945 www.hongkongparkview.com Savills (Exchange Square Branch) 2801 6100 www.savills.com.hk

Sports & Fitness Everfine Membership Services Limited 2174 7880 | enquiry@evergolf.com.hk www.evergolf.com.hk

Rimba Rhyme 2544 4011 | www.rimbarhyme.com Hidestyle 2790 3801 www.hkhiderigs.com

Professional Services

Onsite Computer and Internet Services Co 2397 6418 enquiry@microtechhk.com www.microtechhk.com

Power Station 2557 9906| performance@power-station.hk www.power-station.hk Teeter Hang Ups 3575 9332 www.inversion.com.hk

Morningstar Preschool

Learning through imagination, inquiry, integration and reflection

Morningstar Preschool and Kindergarten 9736 5241 | info@morningstarschools.com www.morningstarschools.com Dr. Fix It All Limited 2525 0055 | sales@drfixitall.hk www.elitemovers.hk EXS Capital 3752 8888 | www.exscapital.com Heliservices 2802 0200 | chp@heliservices.com.hk www.heliservices.com

Get listed call 2776 2772 email marketing@fastmedia.com.hk WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 65

my southside

leaving on a jet plane

Traveller’s tale Children’s travel writer Isabelle Demenge on tranquil living in Southside. moved to Hong Kong. My two younger boys are at the ISF Academy and so I hang out a lot in Cyberport.

What local issues are you passionate about?

I’ve been following the reclamation project along Sandy Bay that started in 2012.

Favourite local places? Other than living in Pok Fu Lam, we enjoy Shek O and Big Wave Bay beaches as well as Tai Tam. We are very much into hiking as a family and the Hong Kong Trail has a lot of interesting viewpoints along Southside.

Do you have a Southside secret spot? There is a very quiet area near Wah Fu with a nice promenade along the shore and a little temple hidden in the rocks. We used to take our kids biking there.

Tell me a little bit about yourself... I’m French and I moved to Hong Kong from New York nearly six years ago because of my husband’s job. I have three boys and I started writing books for them when we travelled.

They give me the confidence to find a publisher. The first three books I wrote Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Rajasthan - came out last March; Hong Kong was launched at the end of June.

Where do you work? I work from my home in Pok Fu Lam and I love the quiet atmosphere there. My desk faces the sea and the cemetery.

How does living on Southside influence you?

I like the peace and its proximity to Central and Sheung Wan - I love all those coffee shops.

What do you do in your spare time? I read, play the piano, create music playlists for my kids and spend hours organising photos and making family album books.

Can you tell me about your relationship with the area? We have lived in the area since we

Best way to enjoy the outdoors? Hiking, swimming and taking pictures.

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: Mike Koo Sunrise at Big Wave Bay

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Favourite Southside restaurant? It seems that every time I turn around, a new place is opening up in Kennedy Town. Does that count as Southside? If not, our weekend favourite on beach or hiking days is the Thai and Chinese seafood restaurant in Shek O.

shoot for it