Sai Kung Magazine January 2014

January 2014

Boomtown!

How Sai Kung’s a changin’

167 things to do

Stretch yourself Reach your fitness goals

Horizon Plaza

(the madness sorted)

Local restaurant gets a Michelin Steve Vines lays it out

Sampan lady salty stories

Casa

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Only the best ingredients from around the world. Spanish hams, grain fed tenderloin from Australia, sausages from Germany, CHEESE from France and strictly home made desserts.

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Unique atmosphere, eclectic drink lineup and exciting new European breakfast and lunch menu coming soon...

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JANUARY 2014

PEOPLE 4 Snapped!

Sai Kung’s social life.

THE PLANNER 6 Happening in January Things to do in the New Year.

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

8 Auntie Wah Tales from a Sai Kung sampan.

LETTERS 9 Have your say The latest from our readers.

NEWS 10 What’s going on?

Michelin stars and more.

LOCAL 12 Boomtown Sai Kung?

The new schools: good or bad?

VINES IN SAI KUNG 14 Wishful thinking Stephen’s New Year Resolutions

INTERVIEW 16 Derek Ko One arm, no limits.

CHARITY FOCUS 18 Children’s Heart Foundation Twenty years at the heart of the matter.

FEATURE 20 Get fit in 2014 Adele Rosi explores the trends.

24 Horizon Plaza made easy A shopping cheat sheet.

EATING 28 Trim and tasty Sai Kung’s favourite healthy dishes. Plus Nibbles from the dining scene.

EDUCATION 30 Classes for adults Get creative in Sai Kung.

FAMILY 34 Sunday fun day Fun things to do on boring days.

HOME 36 Living green Green is the new interior.

BIG DAYS OUT 38 Mong Kok market trail Seven markets, one day.

Here’s how.

SAI KUNG STINGRAYS 40 Fit for anything Ray Sting on families that play together.

HEALTH & BEAUTY 42 Diet and detox The trends of 2014.

PETS 44 Lost and found Sally Andersen on finding a lost dog.

CREATURE FEATURE 45 Small Indian civet The facts.

DISTRIBUTION 46 Where to find Sai Kung Magazine Where to pick up your copy.

MARKETPLACE 47 Your guide to shops and services Cool stuff to buy and do.

CLASSIFIEDS 54 Loads of random useful local stuff.

ULTIMATE GUIDE 56 All you need to know Numbers that make life easier.

ON PATROL 58 Handyman housebreakers Burglars with drills and other break-ins.

“Last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.” – T.S. Eliot

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people Snaps from Sai Kung

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say cheese

HKUST Winter Garage Sale

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

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planner Jan 12

The Clearwater Bay Chase The annual race over 10km for adults, or 1km for parents and kids. Starts 8.30am, Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, 2335 3752, www.cwbgolf. org/cwbchase.

Jan 14

Sarah Brightman Dreamchaser World Tour

The superstar soprano sings. AsiaWorld Arena, Lantau. Tickets $580-$1,180 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Jan 15, 29

Quiz Nights Thinking caps on. 8.30pm, Hebe One O One, 112 Pak Sha Wan, 2335 5515.

Jan 1 Dragon and Lion Dance Extravaganza

Hong Kong’s largest collection of mythical beasts, including a record-breaking parade of unicorns, shimmies through Tsim Sha Tsui. Starting 2pm, Canton Road, www.DragonLion.hk.

Jan 1

New Year’s Day Hello, 2014!

Jan 15-Feb 16

Kidsfest!

Stage productions of nine favourite children’s stories, including The Gruffalo, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Private Peaceful. Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $195-$395 from www. hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Jan 5, 12, 19 & 26

Island East Markets Jan 17-Feb 9

Local organic food and other goodies, with live music and fun activities for children. Dogs welcome. 10am-5pm. Tong Chong Street, Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay.

Bamboo Theatre A capella and jazz artists share the stage with Hong Kong’s best Chinese opera troupes.

Western Kowloon Cultural District. Tickets $200$280 from www.urbtix.hk, 2734 9009.

Jan 11

Mini-sports for kids Free session by Sport4Kids for children aged 18 months to five years. 4pm-5pm, Hong Kong Academy, 33 Wai Man Road, Sai Kung, info@ sport4kids.hk, www.sport4kids.hk.

Jan 18

Sai Kung Saturday Hash Join the local hash on its monthly hare around Sai Kung, gunpowderplod@gmail.com.

Jan 12

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James Blunt Moon Landing 2014

Jan 23

It’s going to be beyootiful. It’s true. Live at AsiaWorld-Arena, Lantau. Tickets $580-$980 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Teams of six test the grey matter. 8pm, 72 Po Tung Road, Sai Kung, 2791 2030.

Agua Plus Quiz Night

happening in january Jan 25-31

Lunar New Year Flower Market It’s blooming lovely. Possibly the busiest but best-humoured place on the planet this week.

Noon til late. Victoria Park, Causeway Bay.

Jan 30

Jan 31

Get in the spirit and join the thousands making a wish at Wong Tai Sin Temple just after midnight.

Lions, dragons, floats, dancers and 120,000 people crammed into Tsim Sha Tsui. Party on, Hong Kong. Details at www.discoverhongkong.com.

Jan 25

Jan 31-Feb 3

Jan 31, Feb 3

The second installment of the uber-successful garage sale. Go rummage. 9.30am-3pm, LG3 Car Park, HKUST, Clearwater Bay, 9045 5942.

Public holidays to welcome the Year of the Horse. Let’s hear it for the gee-gees.

The annual international soccer tournament pitting Hong Kong against four Asian teams.

Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, www.hkfa.com.

Lunar New Year’s Eve

Winter Garage Sale

Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year Parade

Lunar New Year Cup

Book now Feb 13

Avril Lavigne

The sk8er girl’s back. AsiaWorld Expo, Lantau.

Tickets $380-$780 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Feb 15

Cold Half Swim Hardy swimmers race from Stanley Main Beach to Middle Island, followed by a warming beach party at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. Register by Feb 7 at www.openwaterasia.com.

Feb 18-Mar 22

Hong Kong Arts Festival Feb 1

Lunar New Year Fireworks Wahhh! Victoria Harbour, 8pm.

Feb 2

Lunar New Year Race Day

Back a horse, watch it run. First race 12.30pm.

Sha Tin Racecourse, www.hkjc.com.

World-class opera, theatre, music and dance. Highlights include Lohengrin by Savonlinna Opera, Bullet Catch, African Tales

by Shakespeare, puppetry A Midsummer’s Night Dream, charming animation The Magic Piano, Grammy winners Gregory Porter, Roberto Fonseca and pianist Maria Joao Pires, Giselle by La Scala Ballet and Highland Fling by the Scottish Ballet. Details at www.hk.artsfestival.org.

Mar 9

The Rolling Stones 14 on Fire

A last chance to see Mick and the boys?

Not likely. Cotai Arena, Macau. Tickets $580$14,880 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Mar 29-30

Bruno Mars The Moonshine Jungle In town for the first time. AsiaWorld Expo, Lantau. Tickets $599-$1,088 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Got an event? We can publish the details for free. Email editor@saikung.com.

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five minutes with...

in your wallah backyard wallah

A sampan lady Auntie Wah, 50, talks to Olivia Lai about life on Sai Kung’s kaidos. for their schooling, now it’s for housing and living expenses. We still have another 10 years before the mortgage is paid.

Sometimes it’s about luck. We don’t get a lot of customers on weekdays, and we definitely don’t have customers on rainy days.

Whoever’s “up there” controls it all.

I have been piloting boats for 24 years now. I started when my daughter was six years old and now she’s all grown up. It’s not an easy job, operating the boats and working with the ropes. Look at my hands – all rough.

My husband’s family has been in Sai Kung for eight generations.

And the family business has been going since 1972.

It’s a tough business. We used to earn money for the children and

Our favourite part of the route is when we pass by the famous “weird and strange” rock. When the boat passes, on one side it looks like an ape and on the other it looks like a soldier.

I’m very proud of my children.

My daughter graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2008 and took a masters at the

University of Hong Kong in 2009.

She is now a Chinese medicine expert. My son was never good at school, but I was very proud when he got married in 2011.

I can’t swim. I spend my life on a boat but I never had the time to learn how to swim.

I’ve seen things you don’t see everyday: a mother and baby boar swimming together in summer, and fish that jump so high out of the water they look like they’re flying.

Happiness comes from a simple life.

People greet each other in Sai Kung.

In Central, they just look unfriendly and unhappy. I may have never been on a plane or even to Macau, but I’m happy with this life.

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letters

have your say

What now for Hoi Ha? I would like to thank the readers of Sai Kung Magazine for their support of our campaign to save Hoi Ha from unsustainable and environmentally damaging development.

Friends of Hoi Ha is a member of the Alliance of 27 Green Groups and Environmental NGOs called Save Our Country Parks, which includes Friends of the Earth, WWF and Friends of Sai Kung. We are united, we are active, and there is strength in unity. Between us, we have gathered more than 13,000 signatures regarding the three enclaves currently under threat: Hoi Ha, Pak Lap and So Lo Pun. We are working with the press. Chris Lincoln of TVB’s Pearl Report produced an excellent documentary on the enclaves.

We were at Trailwalker with a petition for Save Our Country Parks: No Country Parks, No Trailwalker. More than 1,000 people signed. When news filtered through that the route would have to be diverted because of villagers blocking the footpath at Sai Wan as a protest against Tai Long Wan Sai Wan being

incorporated into Sai Kung Country Park, even more people (competitors, support teams and sponsors) queued up to sign, outraged by the sabotaging of a major charity event. Money raised that day by Oxfam was destined for the typhoon-ravaged Philippines.

We had a picnic outside LegCo on December 4, the day of Lau Wong-fat’s failed attempt to stop Tai Long Wan being incorporated into the country park. K.S. Wong, the Secretary for the Environment, and many legislators joined us to show their support for Tai Long Sai Wan and our country parks.

We have appeared before LegCo’s Complaints Panel about the way in which Hoi Ha, surrounded by country park on three sides and marine park on the fourth, has been zoned for development and not for conservation. The panel admitted there have been “wrongdoings” by government and that we have grounds for a Judicial Review.

The abuses of the Small House Policy are coming under scrutiny. We believe any development in the country parks should be

sustainable and should meet a genuine need.

We now have to apply pressure on the Town Planning Board, on whom the final decision about Hoi Ha now rests. Please continue your support. Our petition is still open – please sign and share from the Support HK petition site if you have not already done so.

Keep up to date via the Save Hoi Ha Facebook Page and at www.friendsofhoiha. com.

Nicola Newbery, Friends of Hoi Ha, Save Our Country Parks We want more I LOVED your cover and Grinch story (Sai Kung Magazine, December 2013). Some of the rhymes were funky but still hilarious.

Another one for January?

Vicky Thompson Clearwater Bay

Please email your letters to editor@saikung.com. We may edit for length.

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news Sing Kee wins Michelin star

Good news for Sai Kung seafood lovers: Sing Kee seafood restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star in the new edition of the Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau. The three-storey restaurant with 12 dining rooms is located in the large red building near the old-town car park. It

was rated as “a very good restaurant in its category” with cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard.

Standout dishes include the crispy chicken and the abalone menu.

Elsewhere in Sai Kung, Loaf On retains its one-star rating, May’s Sawadee Thailand is in the Bib Gourmand section, indicating it is a Michelin favourite and good value for money (less than $300 for a three-course meal), while Chuen Kee Seafood on the waterfront is also recommended.

Sing Kee, 39 Sai Kung Tai Street, 2791 9887. Loaf On, 49 See Cheung Street, 2792 9966. May’s Sawadee Thailand, 24 Man Nin Street, 2791 0522. Chuen Kee Seafood, 53 Hoi Pong Street, 2791 1195.

New spa opens Queen’s Castle Organic Day Spa has opened in Razor Hill.

“The reason I opened it is very simple: I love massages,” says owner Ada Woo. A Sai Kung resident for seven years, she was frustrated by the lack of massage spots with easy parking.

“I used to go to Sai Kung town for massages and struggled with parking. We have free parking here.”

Conveniently located next to OT&P in the Dairy Farm Shopping Centre, Queen’s Castle is all about organic products and exceptional service. Equipped with three treatment rooms, Woo has employed two massage therapists with more than 30 years’ experience and is already looking for a third. Prices are

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1/F Dairy Farm Shopping Centre, 8 Razor Hill Road, Clearwater Bay, 2719 4444.

A present for Santa Last month’s Operation Santa Claus Christmas Quiz raised almost $22,000 for Hong Kong charities.

“The week before we had only 50 bookings because the first weekend in December was so busy,” said organiser Sonja Welker. “But on the night, the numbers were up to 105 and it was a very successful evening. We would like to thank everyone who gave so generously, quiz master Kevin McNamara and, of course, our fantastic sponsors many of whom donate prizes every year.”

Watch this space for details of next year’s event.

New centre is the biz New Bizbox business cafe has opened upstairs from the Green Earth Society providing a professional centre for freelancers, small business owners and anyone else looking for a sociable working environment outside the home.

Services include printing, scanning and binding, and there are meeting rooms available

plus a flat-screen TV for presentations. Aside from basic services, BizBox offers a range of packages, including an internet package and website package. An outdoor rooftop seating area makes an excellent sanctuary for working or relaxing. Coffee and other drinks are available and you can order food from neighbouring restaurants.

There’s a one-off joining fee of $4,000, then membership is $2,000 a year. Open daily, 8am-late. 1/F, 37 See Cheung Street, Sai Kung, www.bizboxhk.com.

Illegal boar trap found Last month, a large animal trap was discovered by The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty (SPCA) in a valley on Hing Keng Shek Road, which is the third trap found in Sai Kung within last month.

The cage is made of handrails, and approximately 1.5m in length and width and 1m in height. It was reported to the police and attempts are still underway to arrest those responsible. SPCA told Sai Kung Magazine the cage seems to be for catching wild boars, but further investigations are needed to specify. Currently a Chinese male is helping the police. In Hong Kong, leaving an animal trap is illegal and subject to a maximum fine of $50,000. The public should call SPCA’s 24-hour hotline 2711 1000 regarding illegal traps or hunting of wild animals.

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local Editorial Jane Steer jane@fastmedia.com.hk

Hong Kong Academy and (below) Kellett School are bringing new families and new business to Sai Kung.

Hannah Grogan hannah@fastmedia.com.hk Art Director Reynaldo Dela Paz rey@fastmedia.com.hk Graphic Designer Evy Cheung evy@fastmedia.com.hk Sales Manager Jonathan Csanyi-Fritz jonathan@fastmedia.com.hk Sales Executive Jackie Wilson jackie@fastmedia.com.hk Digital Content Editor Sharon Wong sharon@fastmedia.com.hk Accounts Manager Connie Lam accounts@fastmedia.com.hk Publisher Tom Hilditch tom@fastmedia.com.hk Contributors Adele Rosi Carolynne Dear Sally Andersen Stephen Vines Cherrie Yu Steffi Yuen Olivia Lai Forrest Lau Sophie Sherrard 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!

Editorial: 2776 2773 Advertising: 2776 2772 Sai Kung 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. Fast Media Ltd 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 publishers. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any way, part or format without written permission from the publisher.

12 | WWW.SAIKUNG.COM

Boomtown Sai Kung?

Carolynne Dear assesses the impact of the new international schools.

Sai Kung is a town on the move. In 2013, two international schools arrived in the area: Hong Kong Academy moved into Sai Kung town and Kellett School opened over the hill in Kowloon Bay. Upmarket new shops and restaurants opened, the square got busier, taxis became scarcer, the traffic jammed and rents went up – again. But how much do these changes have to do with the new international schools?

In 2012, a Hong Kong Academy spokesperson told Sai Kung Magazine that an estimated 30 families were expected to move to the area. Today, Academy spokesperson Laura Mitchell says about half the school’s 351 families live in Sai Kung, Clearwater Bay or Kowloon.

“Our families love Sai Kung,” she says. “Highlights include all the outdoor activities and recreational opportunities and quality of life. I frequently hear families say how friendly everyone is in Sai Kung.”

One Academy mother, who lives on the Southside, told us,

“The pressure from the kids to move up is gaining momentum.

We’re spending more and more time in Sai Kung and I think we’ll probably crack and move up over the next six months. I’ve been quite pleasantly surprised by how much is on offer up there. The hiking and bike tracks are fantastic.”

Likewise, families from Kellett School are also moving to the area.

Long-term Clearwater Bay resident Alison Maddren, whose children attend Kellett, says, “We’ve seen maybe four or five families in our social group move up this year – some of them are families who have always written off Sai Kung as the ‘dark side’. But I think a lot of people are hanging fire, waiting to see how the first year goes.”

Web-based estate agent okay. com reports strong demand from families moving from Hong Kong Island to the area, keeping the local rental market buoyant.

“There’s been more demand from Academy families,” says Alexis Davies, okay.com’s Sai Kung

specialist. “But certainly there are Kellett families making the move too.

Typically, once they’ve moved, they can’t believe they didn’t do it earlier.”

However, long-term Sai Kung real estate specialist Catherine Giblin of The Property Shop says she has experienced no abovenormal demand.

“It’s really just a question of the

area being more popular for families, due to ‘cleaner’ air, the outdoor lifestyle and better value for money, regardless of which school the kids attend – here you can live in a house with a garden rather than ‘a box in the sky’,” she says.

gentrify “What has changed is demand for betterquality décor – bathrooms, kitchens, space for two maids and club facilities; the kind of accommodation available in high-rise complexes on the Island. As ever, quality accommodation does not hang around long.

“Sales have dramatically reduced this year, in line with the rest of Hong Kong.

Property owners are not willing to reduce asking prices, and government cooling methods have also impacted.”

The changes are not all to do with families moving in. Some families already living in the area are opting for the new schools. Kellett’s kids travel to school from Clearwater Bay villages in a large coach, Maddren reports.

“We call it the ‘Kellett Whale’,” she says.

“There’s a frantic exodus of commuters from the villages each morning trying to beat the bus.

But generally, traffic in and out of Clearwater Bay is getting worse and worse.”

Traffic woes are one of the biggest talking points at Tala’s Hair & Beauty in Sai Kung, according to owner Mojdeh Kazemi.

“Business has picked up a lot since the school opened,” she says. “I would say there are about 50 per cent more Americans in town these

days, as well as more French and Germans.

They love Sai Kung, the greenery, the space and the community, but they are all shocked by how bad the traffic is.”

While the schools can hardly be blamed for all the traffic, they can take some credit for Sai Kung town becoming noticeably busier during the week. Tala’s is not the only business flourishing. Attracted by the extra trade are upscale new businesses such as toy shop

Business has picked up a lot since the school opened Treasure Island, international supermarket Fusion and tapas bars Casa and Cava.

Other areas are also changing. Sleepy Hang Hau village is upping its game, with a new Italian restaurant and new organic day spa Queen’s Castle has opened in Razor Hill.

Gentrification is not a new trend, of course. In recent years, Sai Kung has seen upmarket chains Classified, Dymocks, Tree, G.O.D and Sense of Touch opening and spiralling rents forcing

local enterprises (Steamers, Green Earth Society, Appetito) into the fringes where they helped breathe new life into the old town. The latest round of rent hikes saw Green Wave Hair Salon, Ka Ying Curtain Craft and Leisure Bookstore move to the less fashionable part of Po Tung Road, helping to expand Sai Kung’s commercial centre. Other much-loved local institutions have been less resilient: last year New Song Christian Kindergarten closed after 22 years and the 25-year-old Duke of York pub was saved from closure only at the 11th hour.

“Sai Kung is losing its rural, idyllic, peaceful charm,” says Karina O’Carroll of pressure group Friends of Sai Kung (www.friendsofsaikung. org). “Increased interest in living in Sai Kung has brought rent hikes and is pushing many beloved small business owners out of their long-term premises. The current infrastructure has difficulty coping.”

She cites better town planning, bicycle lanes, a rental cap based on square footage and the pedestrianization of Sai Kung town at weekends as ways of improving life in the town.

Meanwhile, Sai Kung continues to evolve as Hong Kong discovers that life is better on the “dark side”.

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vines in sai kung

stephen says...

Wishful thinking Stephen Vines makes some New Year’s resolutions – for other people.

It’s that time of year, is it not? We are supposed to make New Year’s resolutions filled with good intentions and, even more demandingly, we are expected to stick to them. Long experience has taught me that this is a mug’s game so I don’t even try to play it, but I have hit on the cunning plan of using the New Year as a time to layout some good intentions for others to adhere to. I recommend this way of doing things because it so reduces the personal pressure. Anyway, for what it’s worth, here is my list for 2014.

1. Could the government please spend more time preserving the countryside? This is hardly a novel idea but it does not seem to have reached the Central Cockup Office in Tamar, where officials spend a considerable amount of time thinking up ways of ruining the jewel in Hong Kong’s crown, aka the country parks. The beauty of this proposal – and it really should appeal to bureaucrats – is that it involves doing very little.

2. Is there any chance that Lands Department staff could be employed to do something more useful than going around harassing householders over the most minor infringements to building regulations? So much effort is expended on trivia that there is no time left for dealing with the really important stuff that needs to be tackled.

3. On a much more modest level, is there any hope the rest of Hong Kong could learn something from the behaviour of hikers and other users of the country parks? My experience from walking on country-park trails is that fellow walkers tend to greet each other with a polite “jou san” or similar. Just think what this modicum of courtesy would do if it spread to the whole of Hong Kong.

14 | WWW.SAIKUNG.COM

4. Also on modest but quite achievable aspirations, what can be done about litterbugs?

Arthur Hacker, the irrepressible fellow who conceived and executed the government’s famous Lap Sap Cheung anti-littering campaign, lamentably died late last year.

Even though the campaign was initiated in 1972 it lingered in the collective imagination for much longer and has not been replaced by anything half as good. Naturally, as a Sai Kung resident, I worry most about the littering of the countryside, but it is a general problem.

Inducing a sense of self-discipline is the answer but the temptation to think in terms of severe punishment for offenders is hard to resist.

What are the chances of getting minibus and taxi drivers to start using their indicators?

5. It’s not a big thing, well in most cases, but what are the chances of getting professional drivers – minibus and taxi drivers (but not the big-bus drivers, who do a wonderful job) – to start using their indicators to signal where they are going? They seem to have an extreme prejudice against taking the trouble to use them and sometimes just put on hazard warning lights, which do no more than suggest they might be about to do something.

6. And while we’re on the roads, how about that thing of letting pedestrians cross or giving way to other road users in circumstances where a bit of courtesy would do no harm?

7. I’ve not quite finished with the roads

and have saved the most absurd suggestion for last. So, is there the slightest chance that we might experience an entire month, during 2014, in which Hiram’s Highway is not subject to roadworks? I am well aware that it is clearly stated in the Basic Law, or somewhere like that, that this access road to Sai Kung should be obstructed at all times, but surely we can be given a break.

8. OK, enough of roads, let’s talk about some really important stuff – eating and drinking. Could 2014 be the year in which Sai Kung finally sees the birth of a decent Chinese restaurant, which is neither a seafood rip-off joint or a dai pai dong? there’s nothing wrong with the latter but it would be nice to have something a bit classier.

9. I am almost tempted not to say this because it might cause some clipboardwielding bureaucrat to get thinking, but I very much hope that last year’s trend of permitting more outdoor dining in Sai Kung continues.

It’s a real no-brainer but somehow always the subject of intense problems.

10. Finally, a pet peeve – can 2014 be the year when the absurdity of double espressos is the subject of a ban? The clue is in the name.

An espresso coffee is a short drink with intense flavour and a quick hit. Doubling up lessens the intensity and proves that more is not better.

And, on that eccentric note, good luck for the coming year.

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

interview

no limits

Derek Ko

Hannah Grogan meets the Paralympic track-and-field medallist turned sailor.

Para Games were called back then, I won silver medals in the sprint and the high jump. And at the Paralympic Games in 1980 I won silver for the 100m sprint and bronze for the long jump.

In 1984, I made my personal best but didn’t get a medal because they changed the rules.

So I retired and later that year I took a team of disabled people to the Himalayas – we reached the Everest base camp at 5,000m.

Derek Ko training with Sailability at Hebe Haven Yacht Club and (below) scaling a climbing wall.

Tell us about your nomination for the SCMP Spirit of Hong Kong Awards.

I was very happy to be selected. I’m not a final contender, but I was happy to be noticed by the community.

How did you lose your arm?

When I was 12 years old, I lived in Kam Tin and after school we liked to play soccer. I climbed a fence to get the ball, but a boy held my leg as a joke and I fell and fractured my arm. I had an operation, then developed a serious fever. It was gas gangrene, a very rare form. And less than 24 hours later, my right arm was amputated. I was lucky. If I had hurt my shoulder, they wouldn’t have been able to save me.

How did you cope with this injury?

I stayed in hospital for nearly four months.

Afterwards, I needed to repeat grade six and learn how to do everything with a prosthetic arm. It was very slow going, so I learned to use my left arm instead. After five years, I left the prosthetic arm under my bed.

I was really active in school – playing soccer, running – and did a lot of volunteer work. I became an elite para athlete, representing Hong Kong overseas in track and field. I’d planned to go to

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Taiwan to study, but universities there would not allow a disabled person to study physical education. So I looked for a job in Hong Kong and became the programme organiser for the Sport Association for the Physically Disabled. This was my second time lucky. I worked there for six years.

Tell us about your connection with Sailability at Hebe Haven Yacht Club.

I’ve tried so many sports – almost 40 different sporting events – but I have only five fingers so I try to limit it to five favourites. For water sports, it’s canoeing. Sailing was not one of my favourite five because the first time I tried was in 1974 and sailing was very expensive. But two years ago, Hebe Haven had a chance to order some special sailing dinghies for disabled people and invited me to try them. It was an amazing opportunity for the seriously disabled.

My motto is, don’t say no before you try In March 2003, I formed a training company for people with disabilities and nine days later Sars came to Hong Kong. It was a difficult time, but I used it to learn to use a computer and after Sars I got my programme up and running.

I ran it for nearly six years then merged with another organisation, and found a new business partner for another project – then the financial crisis hit. Now I provide motivational training courses and programmes for eight- to 80-yearolds, able-bodied and disabled. And I’ve been writing my autobiography for 10 years.

How did you get your Paralympic medals?

From 1977-84, I competed internationally for Hong Kong. In 1977, at the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled, as the Asian

Hebe Haven are very kind and fight for resources to order these special-access dinghies.

We now have 16-20 disabled sailors. I’ve been in training since the end of June and might have another chance to represent Hong Kong in the Asian Para Games. I cannot say I don’t want to go. I hope can get a place. I’ll try my best.

Best advice you’ve ever been given?

My motto is, don’t say no before you try.

Applications welcomed knowledgeable and skilled learners

creative and critical thinkers

reflective problem solvers

effective and precise communicators

responsible members of the community

anytime.

Hong Kong Academy is a IB World School with authorised PYP, MYP and IB Diploma programmes. HKA empowers learners to pursue pathways to individual excellence, preparing them well for the future.

For the 2014-15 school year, HKA is expanding the size of its Grade 6 class.

Grade 6 is open to children who will be 11 by 31 August 2014. Assessments available in December and January by invitation, following submission of completed application documents.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for PK1 - Grade 12. Please contact Angela Reilly, Admissions Manager at admissions@hkacademy.edu.hk, call 2655-1111 or visit www.hkacademy.edu.hk.

learning, growing, understanding

charity focus

♥

Children’s Heart Foundation Olivia Lai on a matter of the heart.

The Children’s Heart Foundation (CHF) was set up in 1994 to provide financial support for parents of children born with heart defects who are unable to afford treatment. It also purchases new medical equipment, sponsors ward upgrades, arranges overnight accommodation and even brings overseas surgeons to Hong Kong for special cases.

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Heart defects are typically caused by genetic or environmental factors, and affect an estimated six or seven babies out of every thousand born in Hong Kong. Treatment is expensive and can involve heart surgery to fit pacemakers, followed by a long period of postoperative care. CHF chairperson Jenny Cheng says hospitals simply don’t have enough staff or resources for after care.

“Our role is mostly with the parents and targeting the right needs, sharing small but significant information that can potentially save a child from a heart attack,” she explains.

Psychological support is also important, assuring a child that they are no different from their friends.

In 2000, CHF opened the House of the Heart accommodation block close to Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam so parents of children in the paediatric cardiac ward can stay close by. The House of the Heart also acts as a

community and support centre for families. As the foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary, Cheng is happy to report that the survival rate for children with heart defects has risen to 90 per cent-95 per cent. However, the demand for post-op care has increased. On her wish list for the future is a permanent centre where social workers are available to help parents and to provide a place for the community to gather.

“We are like a big family, the infants and parents that we helped years ago often come back and volunteer when they grow up,” she says.

For more information and donations, please visit www.childheart.org.hk, or call 2553 0331.

How to help • Donate a red packet for Lunar New Year, every little helps and can go a long way in saving a child’s life.

• Volunteer as a Friend of CHF. Children going through surgery need a lot of support and friendship.

feature Big in 2014 (clockwise): outdoor group fitness at Dayle Haigh-Smith’s bootcamps, the Clearwater Bay Chase, aerial yoga at Flex Studio, champagne celebration at Tim Stevens’ running club.

Fit for

2014

Adele Rosi puts this year’s fitness trends through their paces.

When Jane Fonda first donned Lycra and leg warmers in 1980, her aerobics workouts spawned a multi-billion-dollar industry. But like any industry, what’s in one year may be out the next. Who remembers step and aqua aerobics, callanetics and boxercise? Hugely popular in 2012, Zumba has fallen out of fashion. Even Pilates no longer has the cachet it enjoyed a decade ago. So what’s going to be putting us through our paces in 2014?

CrossFit Clearwater Bay-based personal trainer Warren Warner, who runs small group-training sessions,

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predicts CrossFit will be big in Hong Kong this year. Already popular overseas, CrossFit comes under the umbrella of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – short bursts of intense activity followed by an even shorter rest, usually performed in 20-40 minutes.

“CrossFit has been around for quite a while but has become very popular recently. There are CrossFit Games on ESPN, apps, online workouts of the day (WODs). It is just another way of training in terms of general fitness, but it has been seen to get you fit much quicker than anything else if done correctly,” he says.

“It has a lot of scientific backing. Basically,

IN

OUT

• CrossFit • Outdoor group fitness • SUP • Bodyweight training (TRX) • Endurance and adventure races • Ocean swimming • Aerial yoga • TORQ

• Zumba • Gym workouts • Wakeboarding • Power Plate • Fun runs • Aqua aerobics • Pilates • Spinning

movers and shakers there are 10 elements to fitness – cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy – all of which are incorporated into the CrossFit concept. You might be a great marathon runner but might not be very strong or flexible, for example.

CrossFit aims to make someone as fit as they can be in all 10 aspects through full-on, highintensity training. Variety is key to CrossFit; routine is the enemy.”

There are a few dedicated CrossFit “boxes” (aka gyms) on Hong Kong Island and Warner incorporates aspects into his sessions.

Outdoor fitness training ticks all the boxes Group Fitness Training Group fitness training – including bootcamps, Apefit, TRX and running clubs – is snowballing in popularity. Sai Kung-based personal trainer Tim Stevens runs three weekly Fitcamp sessions in the Lions Nature Education Centre in Che Keng Tuk as well as a weekly running club.

“The trend is for exercise in general,” he says. “More than 14,000 people ran the UNICEF races this year [at Hong Kong Disneyland] and the Standard Chartered Marathon 2014 was full after the first weekend of registration. A lot of people want the brutality of getting fit, they want to feel pain, but it’s not for everyone.

Group fitness is the best way to start getting fit: it adds motivation and there is the social aspect of meeting and being with a group of like-minded people.”

His running club, which started with 16 participants, has doubled in a year. It operates on the premise of “completing not competing” and is all about personal goals. At the end of each eightto 10-week programme, there is a challenge run (5km or 10km) and a light-hearted evening involving high spirits of the alcoholic kind.

“Running is for everybody. If your goal is to finish a certain distance no matter how long it takes or whether it is to run that distance in a particular time, it doesn’t matter,” Stevens says. “But it’s not just about the running. It’s about camaraderie and gaining a sense of belonging as well as personal achievement. And that’s the key to a successful club: to create a social bond.”

Fitness trends in Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay are different from the rest of Hong Kong, Stevens says, because there aren’t any fancy gyms with state-of-theart equipment. Instead, fitness training in the great outdoors is particularly popular.

“There are lots of reasons why outdoor fitness training ticks all the boxes,” he says. “It keeps the cost per session down as trainers don’t

have rent and staff to pay, plus it allows your body to move in a very functional way.”

TRX Dayle Haigh-Smith runs circuit training and bootcamps in Sai Kung. When she started outdoor sessions two years ago, she struggled to get a group of four people together. Today, business is booming. She cites TRX suspension trainers as being a huge hit in the fitness industry with no sign of their popularity waning.

“TRX is all about using your own bodyweight and gravity to build strength, power and core stability,” she says. “It offers a very challenging workout but can be used at any level. And it can be used anywhere.”

Endurance and adventure races Already a top trend in Hong Kong and Asia, endurance marathons and adventure races look set to attract even more of us in 2014, Warner says.

“People want a challenge and to achieve something significant,” he explains. “With endurance races, you have the fitness aspect and a goal plus you can give back by raising money for charity and go off on an adventure.

Anyone can do it but you have to have a fitness plan and make medically sure that you are fine to go ahead with it.”

Yoga Since the yoga explosion in the late 1990s when the ancient practice threw off its hippy

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feature Blue Sky rents SUP boards and offers lessons at Sha Ha Beach.

image and went mainstream, there have been endless variations including hip-hop yoga, acrobatic yoga, hot yoga and naked yoga (yes, really). Currently gaining momentum is aerial yoga in which practitioners hang from the ceiling in silk hammocks.

“It is the most talked about form of yoga at the moment,” says Clearwater Bay yoga teacher Julie Dixon, who teaches a more conventional style. “There are a few places on the Island that offer classes but you really need a dedicated studio with all the equipment properly hung. You can’t just throw one of the hammocks over any old bar like a TRX strap and do it.”

And it’s not only humans doing the downward-facing dog. Dixon says doga (yoga with dogs) is all the rage in London and New York.

The dogs don’t get much of a workout, but their owners do. Practitioners strike poses with their dogs, adding weight by lifting them into the air while they do the sun salutation or by balancing a dog on one thigh in the warrior pose. Which is all well and good if you own a shih tzu, but not so relaxing for those with a German Shepherd.

Children’s fitness Children’s fitness is on the rise too – and we’re not just talking about doing jumping jacks in a hall. Warner and Stevens recently started Junior Run Club for kids from the age of 10, involving proper athletics training and focusing on

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stamina and technique as much as speed.

“Pre-teens and teenagers need an exercise challenge,” Stevens says. “We motivate them to try their best but we don’t want to break them. It’s not about beating your friends – although the kids add in an element of competition themselves – and we’ve seen huge improvements in fitness that really helps them in the other sports they do. One of our main problems is curbing their enthusiasm so they don’t go too fast too soon.”

Children’s triathlon clubs such as 26 Coaching and Tritons Triathlon Club coach fledgling Ironmen and women in the fine arts of competitive swimming, cycling and running.

Watch this space for Warner and Stevens’ plans for holiday tri camps for kids in Sai Kung.

Standup Paddleboarding (SUP) On the water front, SUP is all the rage for adults and children. It is great for a cardio, strength and balance workout and popular locally thanks to the beaches on our doorsteps. SUP in Hong Kong has become so mainstream in the past two years it even has its own association, which aims to grow the sport further.

“It’s all about going back to nature and it’s such a joy to be outdoors on the water and getting fit,” Warner says. “When you’ve been stuck inside an office all day, why would you want to go to the gym – another indoor space – when you can exercise outside?”

If all this talk of exercise is giving you the jitters, take heart. The average man (five feet, 10 inches tall and 150lbs) burns 61 calories an hour sleeping and, if he lives to 74 years, spends about 194,800 hours asleep. That’s a lot of calories burned just by lying down.

Contacts Warren Warner: wazwarner@gmail.com Tim Stevens: timstevenshk@hotmail.com Dayle Haigh-Smith: dayle@outdoorfitness.hk Julie Dixon: juliedixon65@hotmail.com

TORQ Instead of dicing with death by cycling on Hong Kong’s busy roads, try Torq.

The latest incarnation of spinning is performed in a class on a stationary bike. It’s a complete cardio workout that engages your core and upper body while toning your muscles using light weights.

Movements combine cycling, Pilates, boxing, Muay Thai and yoga. Rides are synced to a mix of high-energy music chosen by the studio’s in-house DJ but it’s up to you to adjust your pace and pedal power and decide whether or not to go for the burn. 26/F, Li Dong Building, 9 Li Yuen Street East, Central, 2677 8623, www.torqcycle.com.

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feature

Horizon Plaza cheat sheet Sophie Sherrard charts three routes through the Ap Lei Chau shopping complex.

When it comes to shopping for furniture, discount designer fashion or baby essentials, one destination springs to mind: Horizon Plaza. Navigating the 23 floors of this vertical warehouse-turned-shopping centre on Ap Lei Chau can be overwhelming, so we’ve planned three routes to save you time and energy while still hitting the highlights.

Furniture heaven With flagship stores, discount outlets, bespoke furniture makers, antiques (retro and repro, Chinese and Western), outdoor furniture

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specialists and more, there’s something here for every home and budget.

Open daily, 10.30am-7pm. 28/F, 2870 1582, www.tree.com.hk.

Tree Start at the top and swoon for Tree’s signature reclaimed, recycled and sustainable teak furniture for living, dining and bedrooms.

The range at this giant flagship store is much larger than in the Sai Kung showroom and includes a tailor-made service, cool kids’ range and vintage and modern styles, plus a lovely cafe and a play area. Retail therapy that makes you feel good? Yes, please.

Everything Under the Sun This 16-year-old local company supplies top brands of outdoor furniture for homes, hotels and clubhouses. Knowledgeable staff can offer great advice on arranging a comfortable and beautiful outdoor living spaces, from awnings to barbecues, sun loungers to mist fans. Open 10am-6pm.

9/F, 2554 9088, www.everythingunderthesun. com.hk.

shop, drop

Clockwise from left: Tree, Shambala, Indigo, Oriental Home, outside Indigo.

Indigo and Indigo Kids Indigo sells contemporary furniture and homeware with an Asian twist in stylish living, dining and bedroom displays. Indigo Kids has children’s bedroom and nursery furniture, decorating bits and pieces, plus a small range of Stokke products and children’s toys. Open 10am-7pm. Showroom, 6/F. Outlet 10/F, 2555 0540, www.indigo-living.com.

Shambala Shambala feels otherworldly with its mixture of antique, vintage and Asian-influenced styles.

Explore every part of the store in the hunt for something different, then head to the Pacific Coffee concession and adjacent children’s play area for a well-deserved break.

Open 9am-7.30pm. 2/F, 2555 2997, www.shambala.com.hk

Tequila Kola One of the local pioneers of Asian furniture, Tequila Kola’s flagship store boasts spectacular styling, substantial carpet, upholstery and cushion-making services, a play area and a Classified coffee shop. The separate outlet store brims with sale items at discounts of 10 per cent-60 per cent rather than damaged stock. Showroom: open Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, weekends 11am-7pm, 1/F, 2877 3295. Outlet: open Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, weekends noon7pm, 17/F, 2518 3193, www.tequilakola.com.

26/F Ad Lib (2552 0222) has lovely Western and Asian antique and vintage pieces, Okooko (2870 1132) has beautiful bedding and bedroom furniture, and Zense (3904 3666) offers custommade furniture by local designers.

Worth a visit Oriental Home: antique, new and custom Asian furniture. 20/F, 3542 5336.

OVO: beautiful, modern and funky international designer pieces. 20/F, 2529 6020.

Jervis Bay: barbecues. 12/F, 2792 7268.

Garden Gallery: outdoor furniture. 7/F, 2553 3251.

Discount fashion Horizon Plaza’s fashion outlets boast major designer names, a wide range of sizes and the correct (if not current) season.

27/F Hugo Boss, Marni and Diesel are the standouts, with discounts of more than 50 per cent. Juicy Couture has smaller discounts but a good range and lots of sizes. The large Moda Mia stocks

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feature

Navigation aids

Clockwise from left: Bumps to Babes, Lane Crawford, Pollux Books.

mainly winter clothing. Vivienne Westwood and Max Mara look a little tired, but if a winter coat is on the shopping list head there. Follie Follie has discount bags.

18/F The real star is Ralph Lauren with friendly staff, big discounts, lots of sizes and last year’s winter range. Also on this floor – and all excellent – are Marc by Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent, Imaginex, Hit Gallery and A.T. Big-label hunters The big designer bargains can be found at the large Lane Crawford, Joyce and Pompeii outlets. Joyce is a retail Tardis, Lane Crawford is stale-smelling and fluoro-lit, and the staff at Pompeii seem put off by customers. But perseverance pays off, with discounts of up to 90 per cent on major labels. While you’re at Pompeii, pop into its 22/F neighbour, Armani.

Lane Crawford: 25/F, 2118 3403.

Pompeii: 22/F, 3586 9026.

Joyce: 21/F, 2814 8313.

Child’s play While Horizon Plaza isn’t great for shopping with kids, it is a great place to shop for them.

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Bumps to Babes New parents come to Horizon Plaza just to visit the ultimate baby shop with its knowledgeable staff and huge range of strollers, cots, bassinets, carriers, car seats, clothes, toys and food. It’s not a discount store, although it can feel like one. 21/F, 2552 5000, www. bumpstobabes.com Mothercare Smaller than some of its other Hong Kong branches, this British stalwart is packed with maternity, baby and toddler essentials. 19/F, 2518 0528, www.mothercare.com.hk.

Worth a visit Tree: cool but costly sustainable kids furniture.

28/F, 2870 1582, www.tree.com.hk.

Okooko: modern but sweet kids’ bedroom furniture. 26/F, 2870 1132, www.okooko.com.

Nerd Kids for Living: desks, chairs and sofas for older children. 19/F, 3105 9887, www. nerdkidsforliving.com Inside: a small but cute kids range and some furniture. 12/F, 2873 1795, www.inside.com.hk Flexa: hip furniture (bunkbed slide, anyone?) and soft furnishings for ankle biters. 11/F, www.flexaworld.co.uk.

• Pick up a shopping guide on arrival, it’s invaluable.

• Plan a route starting at the highest floor on your list and working down.

• When its busy, take the stairs – the lift system is slow and convoluted.

• Give yourself plenty of time. There are no quick trips to Horizon Plaza.

• Don’t take the kids. There may be a few small in-store play areas, but there are no open spaces to run off a bit of energy.

• If possible, avoid weekends.

• Only the brave would attempt to cover fashion and furniture in one day.

• Toilets alternate between men’s and women’s on each level in the stair wells and aren’t bad, although staff smoke in the disabled toilets with the baby change tables.

• Tree (28/F) has a baby-change table.

Indigo Kids: all you need for a nursery or a kid’s room in one place. 6/F, 2555 0540, www.indigo-living.com

Birthday shopping Pollux Books: good selection of books, toys, DVDs and more. 21/F, 2873 6962.

Toys’ Club: toys, boardgames, books, party supplies and more. 19/F, 2836 0875.

Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau. Drivers’ instructions: after crossing Ap Lei Chau Bridge, take second left onto Lee Nam Road, second left onto Lee Hing Street and first left into Horizon Plaza car park.

eating Healthy but hearty Cherrie Yu is well nourished.

From left: Hong Kong Gourmet Burger Company’s grilled pesto haloumi burger (we suggest you hold the fries): a Classified salad; Jaspas Trim & Tasty breakfast; Steamers’ best-selling low-cal wine.

Classified A top spot for a healthy brunch, Classified has homemade granola with Greek yoghurt, elderflower honey, fresh fruit and toasted hazelnuts ($48). It also has a range of deliciously healthy salads, including chicory and local green salad with crispy shallots and pancetta, poached egg and roasted orange vinaigrette ($89), beetroot and endive salad with Ticklemore goat’s cheese and walnuts ($86) and more substantial fare such as soy- and sesameglazed salmon with couscous, coriander, apricots and almonds ($163). That should sort out a few of your five a day. 5 Sha Tsui Path, Sai Kung, 2529 3454.

Jaspas Much as we love Jaspas’ more indulgent dishes (Parmesan crusted rack of lamb, anyone?), you can eat more virtuously at the Sai Kung stalwart, starting with the Trim & Tasty breakfast: grilled Turkish bread with avocado,

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two eggs, roasted tomato and seasoned asparagus. Raid the vegetarian menu for Jaspas classic veggie fajitas ($130 – hold the sour cream) or go for the fully loaded salads. For winter, we recommend the hearty baked goat’s cheese and lentil salad with fresh asparagus and beetroot ($120).

13 Sha Tsui Path, Sai Kung, 2792 6388.

Steamers Yes, Cinders, you shall go to the bar. Steamers has a selection of organic wines (no hangovers, apparently) including Novas Sauvignon blanc, Novas Pinot Noir, Adobe Cabernet Sauvignon and Adobe Carmenere. It also sells low-calorie New Zealand

wine Bella by Invivo sauvignon blanc and rose: a best-seller at $50-$60 a glass. Now that’s what we call a workable health kick. 66 Yi Chun Street, Sai Kung, 2792 6991.

Hong Kong Gourmet Burger Company Before your eyebrows shoot up, Castelo Concepts’ newcomer Hong Kong Gourmet Burger Company has a deliciously healthy veggie burger. The grilled and pesto haloumi burger ($98) is a char-grilled garden of vegetables with grilled haloumi cheese and basil pesto. Instead of fries, go for a side of green salad. You will be glowing with health.

18 Wan King Path, Sai Kung, 2791 1792.

May’s Sawadee Thailand You have to go a long way to eat better Thai food than May’s, which is why it’s in the Bib Gourmand section of the Michelin Guide for excellent value for money. The bonus here is that so many Thai dishes are both delicious

not just for veggies

Nibbles KissMix Fruity KissMix Cocktails have landed in Sai Kung. Available at Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Cava Cafe & Bar, The Boozer, Butcher King and elsewhere, these sassy cocktails in a can are made without artificial coloring or flavouring. (It’s just the alcohol you need to beware of at 8% vol.) Flavours include margarita, gin and tonic, and vodka with four different mixers: orange, cranberry, lemon and “energy”. Cheers. and healthy, so chances are you will be able to order at least some of your favourites and keep your health-kick halo intact. Steer clear of dishes containing coconut milk and go for the spicy tom yum goong, satay (easy on the sauce, tiger), green papaya salad, prawn and lemongrass salad (our favourite) and any grilled meat dish. It’s all good. Order extra chilli – it contains metabolism-boosting capsaicins. 16 Chan Man Street, Sai Kung, 2791 6399.

Where to eat before blast-off Try some new restaurants in the New Year. For ideas, pick up 200 Dishes to Try Before Moving to Mars, the latest edition of the WOM Guide by Fergus Fung and Samantha

Pong. It features an updated list of 200 Hong Kong must-try restaurants, choice recommendations for special occasions and pull-out recipes. WOM is also running a competition for a chance to win a two-night trip to Singapore (not Mars, sadly). For details, please visit www.womguide.com.

Here comes the Horse Welcome the Year of the Horse with a panoramic view of the fireworks on February 1 from the Lobby Lounge at the InterContinental Hong Kong. From 6pm10pm, it is offering live jazz, a choice of two “Tappetizers” and two standard drinks for $808 a head. Alternatively, go for afternoon tea and order its famous Red Box contemporary Chinese tea set ($588), with regional Chinese pastries and tea. For details, visit www.hongkong-ic. intercontinental.com.

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education

other raw dishes by local cooks such as Britt Joynson from Food Galore. They will also be offered discounts on Zest’s health food.

1/F, 66 Yi Chun Street, Sai Kung, gm@steamerssaikung.com.

Clockwise: painting at Anastassia’s Arthouse, pottery at Kuro Vale, photography and sewing at Light Jar Photography.

New tricks Cherrie Yu checks out creative classes for adults.

Oil painting Get creative on canvas at Anastasia’s Arthouse. Its Oil and Acrylic Painting lessons is a hands-on course that teaches would-be artists technique, colour theory, composition, structure, proportion, perspective and paint manipulation. Students learn to capture a scene’s light, atmosphere and mood, and develop their skills. This comprehensive course costs $5,980 for 13 three-hour classes, held weekdays, 10am-1pm. Hoi

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Pong Street, Sai Kung, 2719 5533, www. arthouse-hk.com.

Raw Food classes Learn to create delicious, healthy dishes at raw food classes at Zest, above Steamers, with a 10 per cent discount for Sai Kung Magazine readers. Starting January 8, the classes will run every Wednesday and Friday, 10am-1pm ($850). Participants will be introduced to raw nutrition and taught to make snacks, Italian and

Life drawing Local artist Sascha Camille Howard offers life-drawing evening classes with a live model at her studio in Sai Kung. Open to all, from beginners to experienced artists, the two-hour sessions teach classes of no more than seven to draw what they see, develop their own style and improve their powers of observation.

Wednesdays, 7pm-9pm, $150 (bring your own HB pencils and sketchbook). Sascha Camille Howard Artist Studio, G/F, 787 Po Tung Road, Sai Kung, 9254 8803, saschahoward@ gmail.com.

Language lessons Brush up on your Cantonese, or learn a new language with Sai Kung Tutors. Its experienced teachers offer one-on-one tuition in the comfort of your own home. Languages include English, French, Mandarin and Cantonese for $450 to $600 an hour. 1/F, 10 Po Tung Road, Sai Kung, 5321 4400, info@saikungtutors.com, www.saikungtutors.com.

lifelong learning Photography Learn how to use your camera properly with a course at new studio, Light Jar Photography.

As well as studio sessions, its professional photographer will take students out and about in Sai Kung. Book a private session ($500/hour within Sai Kung) or gather up to four friends for a group lesson ($700/hour in Sai Kung). Monthly theme-based lessons are also available. 1/F, 1 Wan King Path, Sai Kung Town Centre, 6274 1362, www.createwithlight.com.

Pottery Learn to use a pottery wheel and work with clay by hand at Kuro Vale pottery studio, opposite Loaf On in Sai Kung old town. Be inspired by the delicate porcelain and pottery in the gallery downstairs, then head up to the

well-equipped studio and make your own.

Classes are held every Saturday, 10.10am12.10pm, $1,000 for four lessons. You can take home your masterpiece after firing, about 10-14 days. G/F, 48 See Cheung Street, Sai Kung, 2792 0102.

Sewing Tap into your inner Donna Karan and learn to make your own clothes at Craft Hour’s adult sewing course. Starting in January, the Beginner’s Dressmaker course ($1,950) comprises six two-hour lessons, during which you’ll make a tailored skirt from drafting the pattern to attaching the waistband. An Absolute Beginner course ($840) of two 150-minute lessons can be arranged for a minimum of four people. For details, email Lisa Kate Ackerman at crafthourasia@gmail.com. Classes are held at Light Jar Photography Studio, 1/F, 1 Wan King Path, Sai Kung, 6757 2564.

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For 35 years Woodland has set the standard in Hong Kong for quality early years education.

With ten schools, Woodland offers the only accredited early years education in Hong Kong.

• Nursery & Pre-School classes for children up to 6 years old • Extra Curricular Clubs for children aged 3 yrs plus • Buses available for neighbouring areas

For further information please contact Ms Angela Chan:

Sai Kung

Shop D, G/F Marina Cove Shopping Centre, Sai Kung, New Territories Tel: 2813 0290 Fax: 2719 2938 Email: saikung@woodlandschools.com

www.woodlandschools.com

sponsored column

A-levels vs IB ITS School Placements explores the differences between the two programmes.

Both the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma and A-levels are school programmes for students preparing for university. While they are both broadly acceptable for entry to most universities around the world, the two qualifications differ in many ways. AS-levels and A-levels (in full, General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level) are national secondaryschool qualifications for England and Wales, whereas the IB is an international qualification that has no country of origin.

IB For the IB diploma, students take six subjects, with three at higher level (HL) and three at standard level (SL). This must include one subject each from five groups – language and literature, a second language, experimental sciences (such as biology, chemistry, physics), maths, individuals and societies (including history, geography, psychology, anthropology) and a sixth subject from either an arts group or any of the five other groups. For each of the

six subjects, the highest mark is a seven; the maximum total aggregate score is 45, with three points available for the “core subjects”. These include the compulsory Theory of Knowledge (TOK) unit, which encourages critical thinking, and a 4,000-word extended essay on a topic of the student’s choice. Students must also complete 150 hours of Creativity, Action and Service (CAS).

AS and A-levels For AS and A-levels, students can choose up to five subjects. AS-levels are taken either as individual qualifications or as the beginning of a full A-level course. Typically, AS Levels are finished by the end of Year 12 and A2 exams are taken in Year 13 to comprise a full A-Level. Although students can choose up to five subjects, most take four subjects in Year 12 and drop one subject after the AS-level exams, continuing three subjects through Year 13. Assessments for AS/A-levels are largely through exams, although some subjects include coursework and there is a practical component for some sciences, art and drama.

Sale Starts

Which is better for university entrance?

There has been some debate over the difficulties faced by universities in distinguishing between students taking the two programmes and they are seen to be relatively equal. Ultimately, it’s important to choose the programme that will allow each individual student to excel, whether they are more broad-minded or prefer specialism.

For university admissions tutors, it is key to be able to assess the applicant’s academic attainment to ensure the university’s minimum criteria are met for a particular course.

For more information on the IB diploma, please visit www.ibo.org. And for details on how these translate into UCAS tariffs for entry to UK universities, please see www.ucas.com.

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@tuition. com.hk, 3188 3940 or www.itseducationasisa.com.

Friday 3 January up to 50% off rd

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family

Interact with a dino at “Legends of the Giant Dinosaurs” at the Science Museum. Below: a “family bike” in Tai Po Waterfront Park.

Opposite: The Gruffalo, live.

Sunday fun days Bored? Olivia Lai finds fun activities for winter weekends.

What the dino saw Tangle with a tyrannosaurus, browse with a brachiosaurus or play tag with a velociraptor at the “Legends of the Giant Dinosaurs” exhibition at the Hong Kong Science Museum until April. Interact with animatronic dinosaurs – our favourite is feeding the farting triceratops (yes, really) – go on a virtual paleontological dig, and discover a whole world of fossils, including the Lufengosaurus magnus, the first dinosaur skeleton ever displayed in China. $20 ($10 for students). Open weekends and public holidays 10am-9pm, weekdays 10am-7pm, closed Thursdays and January 31-February 1 for Lunar New Year. 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, 2732 3232, www.hk.science.museum.

Bicycles made for three Hong Kong’s cool, crisp winters are perfect cycling weather. The New Territories boasts miles of family-friendly cycle track, from Ma On Shan through Sha Tin and all the way to Plover Cove, but for little legs we love the Tai Po Waterfront Park. Spectacularly located

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on Tolo Harbour, the 22-hectare park is the largest managed by LCSD. Head for the Good Luck Bike Shop, near the tower, which rents bicycles for $30 an hour ($80 for a day), plus tandems and “family bikes" – a three-wheeler with a seat for two at the back – and get the kids to drive for a change. Cycle along the water’s edge, through Chinese gardens and past pavilions, or take a picnic and let the kids run wild on the acres of lawn. Dai Fat Street, Tai Po; goodluckbike@yahoo.com.hk, 6605 9978.

Ice is nice It’s cold outside anyway, so go the whole hog and wrap up for a spin on the ice. The Rink at Elements has introduced a “pay as you skate” system for peak periods, instead of fixed-time sessions (it charges $1 a minute to your Octopus card). Novice skaters can scoot across the ice with cute model penguin guides to keep them upright. Parents can access the changing rooms to help their children strap on their skates, then retreat to the adjacent coffee shop, with a 180-degree view of Victoria Harbour. Off peak, children and students pay $40 (adults $60) for a whole day of skating. Open daily from 10am, please check the website for special events and ice-resurfacing breaks. 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2196 8016, www.rink.com.hk.

Strike!

Rainy days are made for indoor activities, such as ten-pin bowling. Dragon Bowling in Ho Man Tin is modern and spacious, with 30 lanes, bumpers and light balls for children, and even funky disco bowling. Bring your own bowling

easy like sunday mornings

shoes or borrow them for free. At weekends, it’s open 10am-11pm and charges $24 per person per game (children $15) until 2pm, then $28/game (children $22). 2/F, Oi Man Shopping Centre, 60 Chung Hau Street, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, 2116 1536, www.dragonbowling.com.

Shows for kids Kidsfest, APA Productions’ annual festival of children’s shows, runs through January and February.

This year, it brings nine theatre productions to Hong Kong based on favourite children’s books.

Fun and often irreverent, just like the original stories, this year’s shows include The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, plus The Snow Dragon and What the Ladybird Heard. Older children can choose from two Horrible Histories (Awful Egyptians and Terrible Tudors) or Michael Morpurgo’s tearjerker Private Peaceful.

Book two or more shows for a 10 per cent discount. HKAPA, 1 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, 3128 8288, www.kidsfest.com.hk.

Picnic in the park Enjoy Victoria Harbour in all its glory with a family picnic (and perhaps a sneaky afternoon kip) on the lawns of the Tamar Promenade, a rare stretch of green space along the harbour front from Central Pier 10 to Tamar Park. Host to events such as the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival and last month’s Very HK, it’s open to the public year-round. Make a day of it with a visit to the Maritime Museum in Pier 8.

Tamar Promenade, Admiralty, www.lcsd.gov.hk.

Just keep swimming Few things keep children as happy as playing in water. In winter, transfer your affections to Hong Kong’s many indoor public swimming pools. These include Hin Tin Swimming Pool in Sha Tin, Kowloon Park Swimming Pool in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hammer Hill Swimming Pool in Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong Swimming Pool and Ho Man Tin Swimming Pool. A few outdoor heated pools are also open for the hardy, including the main pools at Tseung Kwan O and Sha Tin. For details and opening hours, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 35

home

Living green How six people and one dog produce almost zero waste. By Cherrie Yu. “Recycling is the last resort. Recycling is way over. The order has to be refuse, reuse, repair, reduce and then recycle.”

That’s the mantra of green-living advocate Claire Sancelot, a Pok Fu Lam mother of three, who has successfully introduced a zero-waste lifestyle, throwing out only the occasional toothpaste tube or razor blade.

Sancelot began her green crusade by de-cluttering, giving away anything her family didn’t need, and found it liberating. It’s fun to be green, she insists. It has certainly stretched her creativity. The family’s notepads are made from old receipts stapled together, they grow their own vegetables (fertilised with leftovers), make their own lip balm, and instead of 730 cotton balls a year, Sancelot cleanses her face with a reusable sponge.

Avoiding shops, she surfs the web for secondhand clothes (often designer), toys and

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furniture: curtains, baby cribs, cabinets, beds.

Even her daughter’s Halloween costume, a cute green tutu, cost just $20 secondhand.

Instead of disposable products, she washes out cloth diapers, and takes her own tupperware containers to the deli counter for cheese and cold cuts instead of wrapping them in plastic.

Having blazed a green trail, she’s encouraging the rest of Hong Kong to follow in her footsteps on her blog, Hong Kong Green Home (www.hongkonggreenhome.com). She documents the family’s green journey, sharing tips on everything from composting to cleaning the house with vinegar and baking soda.

What began as a Sunday-morning blog last June has evolved into a growing online community. As well as offering advice, she has taken practical steps to help others go green, including organising deliveries of fresh produce from local organic vendors to about

make do and mend

Clockwise: Claire Sancelot; compost bin; skincare refills; homemade notepads; and a $20 costume.

30 households in her apartment complex. She shares information about stores and brands with their own eco initiatives, such as Mac, which offers makeup refills, and local company Bella Sapone, which offers refills of its locally made organic skin-care products. She is even looking into making her own toothpaste.

“You save money, you save space and you save time shopping,” she explains.

“Sometimes we forget that the most important thing is to be together.”

At her daughter’s birthday party, the

You save money, you save space and you save time shopping children had so much fun decorating shoeboxes of gifts for Box of Hope, blowing out birthday candles and eating cake that her daughter didn’t notice the lack of gifts.

Not that Sancelot disapproves of presents.

For Christmas, she hosted a toy swap,

inviting her neighbours to get together and buy each other’s pre-loved boardgames, puzzles and other toys. The event raised $7,000 for the Philippine Red Cross and sorted out the Christmas shopping. All the remaining toys went to the YMCA’s Toy Bank.

“I hope everyone can do the same and keep toys, and especially plastic, away from the landfills,” she says.

For details and more tips, visit www.hongkonggreenhome.com.

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 37

big day out

Handmade knits in Fa Yuen Street; a Bird Garden stall selling cages; seasonal blooms at the flower market.

Play the markets Hannah Grogan blazes Mong Kok’s market trail.

Mong Kok isn’t for everyone, especially when the mercury climbs into the 30s, but the cooler weather makes this the perfect time to explore the city’s liveliest district and its weird and wonderful specialist markets. The market trail stretches from Prince Edward to Yau Ma Tei. The Hong Kong Tourism Board offers a guided walking tour ($450), but you can do it yourself for free. Seven markets, one day.

Here’s how...

Yuen Po Street Bird Garden There was a lot of fuss in 1997 when the government moved the long-established bird street from a back alley in Yau Ma Tei to permanent market stalls in the Urban Renewal

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Authority’s special “garden”. But even diehards have to admit it’s a pleasant place today, with its flame trees, moon gates, mosaics, pagoda roofs and all those trilling exotic birds, handcrafted bamboo cages and bags of live crickets. Owners still “walk” their songbirds here, making this a living part of Hong Kong’s cultural history. Yuen Po Street, Prince Edward (MTR Exit B1).

Flower Market Right next to the bird garden, the Flower Market is a jungle of exotic smells and sights with more than 100 shops selling seasonal blossoms.

Ahead of Lunar New Year, the stores will be upping their ante with lucky orange trees,

scented flowers and greenery. Flower Market Road, Prince Edward (MTR Exit B1).

Fa Yuen Street On the other side of Prince Edward Road, Fa Yuen Street’s discount fashion outlets attract more locals than tourists. Shops and stalls here sell fluoro sweater sets, ski gear, towels, Christmas decorations and fruit, but it’s the outlets piled high with Western chain store and designer clothes that draw the crowds. Stop for a freshly squeezed juice on the corner of Bute Street, or shop for yarn and handmade scarfs, gloves and beanies at the stall on the junction with Nullah Road. When it comes to haggling, saying please and thank you will get you a long

kooky kowloon

Clockwise from above: bags of fish and tortoises on Tung Choi Street; say cheese; Uncle Wong makes uncanny predictions on Temple Street; a night market lucky cat.

way. Or try “Tai gui la” (too expensive) and take it from there. Prince Edward MTR, Exit B2.

for Kowloon’s tastiest chips at Ireland’s Potato (43P-43S Dundas Street, Mong Kok, 2151 0887).

Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok MTR, Exit D2.

Goldfish Market Just round the corner is the goldfish market, lined with shops dedicated to selling fish of all varietes (and prices) from all corners of the globe. There are stores specialising in certain species, goldfish and koi carp in all shapes and sizes, plus pets, reptiles and amphibians. Tung Choi Street North, Mong Kok. Prince Edward MTR Exit B2.

Jade Market This long-established covered market has more than 500 stalls selling mostly jewellery, plus “antiques” and other bric-a-brac. It’s a fun place to shop for seed pearls, beads and all sorts of jade, from zodiac animals to rings, bangles and carved hangings. Open daily till 6pm. Kansu Street, Yau Ma Tei MTR Exit C.

Ladies’ Market Further down the same road, and popular with tourists, Ladies’ Market is the place for knock-off wallets, tacky mobile-phone covers, slogan T-shirts and beaded jewellery. It’s busy and not all that interesting but there’s a string of Japanese restaurants serving decent lunch sets, or head to the corner of Dundas Street

Temple Street Night Market Another iconic market that’s not quite what it used to be, the night market sells cheap CDs and DVDs, knock-off bags and clothing but it’s the delicious market food that makes the visit worthwhile. Grab a seafood dinner and round out the night with a blast of live Cantonese opera or fortune telling.

Show and tell A quintessential part of visiting markets is shopping. When you’re ready to drop, head to Langham Place Hotel’s alfresco terrace and bar, The Backyard, for a show-and-tell session to check out each other’s bargains and unwind over pizza and cocktails. Open daily from 5pm. 555 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok, 3552 3388.

Getting there Take the Mong Kok Rocket red minibus to Grand Century Place on Prince Edward Road West, opposite Yuen Po Street Bird Garden. Grand Century Place also offers parking.

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 39

sai kung stingrays

fit for anything

Families that play together Make fitness a family affair, recommends Ray Sting.

Happy New Year! As you might be reading this on January 1, I will write quietly. If you are a Sai Kung Stingray, let your parents enjoy their lie-in.

I’m fairly sure you have some cool stuff from Christmas to keep you busy.

A New Year brings the inevitable resolutions. What are yours? I’m going out on a

40 | WWW.SAIKUNG.COM

limb here to suggest that getting fit might be a popular choice.

It is generally accepted that today’s youth are less physically active than their parents were at their age. The proliferation of hi-tech toys and living in Hong Kong, where gardens are rare, means kids’ activity is reduced.

Indeed, everyone’s activity is reduced.

Halfway through the rugby season, with many festivals and games already played, Stingrays are getting rugby fit. Fitness is an important aspect of any sport at any level, but it’s not all about training. It is also about being healthy and emphasising skill and motor fitness.

Parents, take a moment to remember what we did as kids: walking, running, jumping and hopping. We played with balls: throwing, kicking, catching, bouncing. In games, we bent, twisted, rolled and dodged. So when we started playing organised sport we had pretty good overall physical fitness. These skills last a lifetime. Stingrays’ parents play rugby, tennis, netball, cricket, hockey, squash and more. They

swim, run, cycle – and some do all three back to back. They compete.

Parents are their kids’ first sporting role models, so if your New Year’s resolution is to stay fit or get fit, factor your young Stingray into your regime by mucking about with them, ideally with a ball – any ball – every day.

If you don’t believe me, look at the

Factor your young Stingray into your fitness regime Stingrays’ netball ladies. They play league games on Monday nights, occasionally supported by their Stingray kids. Their fitness and motor skills were developed as children and, literally decades later, they are still playing hard, fast, competitive team sport. But I assure you, playing a game a week is not enough.

Every one of them is active on a daily basis and they are better at their sport for it.

health & beauty

New Year, new you

Five detox and diet programmes for 2014.

Clean 9 What is it? The latest nutritional cleansing programme (or detox) to sweep Clearwater Bay and Sai Kung is a nine-day plan designed to help purge the body of toxins and waste build up, and return to healthy eating. It involves several days of drinking shakes and taking supplements, progressing to a 600-calorie meal towards the end of the detox.

Upsides: Weight loss, clear skin, a kickstart to healthy eating habits.

Downsides: Hunger and boredom.

Where from? Sold as a nine-day complete package, including all supplements and shakes, for $2,030 (plus $30 delivery). Contact Monica Wong on 9211 3322, monicapswong@gmail.com, or Melanie Bridger on 9180 9308, foreverclean9hk@gmail.com.

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Fast Diet What is it? 2013’s worldwide diet craze was created by Dr Michael Mosley and involves intermittent fasting. Eat normally with little thought for calorie control for five days a week, then slash your intake for the other two days (it doesn’t matter which two) to just 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men.

Upsides: Those who stick to the plan lose weight and improve their insulin sensitivity, cholesterol levels and lower their blood pressure.

Downsides: Hunger, headaches and constipation.

Where from? The Fast Diet book

by Dr Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer is available from Dymocks.

Cambridge Weight Plan What is it? One of the original meal-replacement weight-loss

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regimes has now expanded from shakes into own-brand soups, bars, porridge and rice pudding. These can be used as the sole source of nutrition or combined with food for more gradual weight loss.

There’s a range of programmes for all requirements and one-to-one consultant support.

Upside: Weight loss.

Possible downsides: Constipation, mild ketosis (bad breath) and nausea.

Where from? Call the Hong Kong branch at 2525 7165.

Punch Juice What is it? A three-day fast with no food but plenty of packs of easy-to-digest juices (hint: steer clear of tempting cooking smells).

The fast not only eliminates toxins, but also gives the body a timeout and a chance to divert the energy used to digest foods to expel toxins and repair damage caused by processed foods, alcohol and other vices.

Upsides: Clearer skin, better sleep,

strengthened immune system.

Downsides: Boredom, feeling chilly.

Where from? Order the juices online at www.punchdetox.com.

Weight Watchers What is it? Lose weight through controlling portion sizes and calories, supported by weekly get-togethers with other Weight Watchers. An international programme that has been running for 50 years, WW works in the long term (just check out Jennifer Hudson’s transformation) by encouraging healthy eating habits through its Propoints Programme and education sessions about how to make the right food choices and satisfy your cravings while losing weight.

Upsides: No hunger and plenty of support from other dieters.

Downside: It takes a while.

Where from? There are local Weight Watchers groups across Hong Kong. For details of your nearest group, please visit www.weightwatchers.com.hk.

WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 43

pets Lost and found Sally Andersen’s tips for finding a lost dog.

Recently I spent three weeks searching for a lost dog that ran away from its prospective adopter on the very first day. Happily, the dog is now safely back after her adventure “holiday”, but it’s not the first time that I’ve had to spend my rare days off in the wilds trying to find a lost dog. So far, I’ve always been successful except for one case where the dog is still living free and happily in Central.

It’s not unusual for adult dogs to run away shortly after adoption, which is why we advise using both a collar (non-slip) and a harness, with a leash attached to each. I’ve seen timid dogs wearing full bondage gear until they

settle and get to know the returning to its safe place. Rubbish bins and neighbourhood. While that’s barbecue sites are good food sources. not always necessary, at least Once a dog has gone to ground, all you can it guards against the anguish do is wait for a chance sighting. Early-morning of a runaway new pet. joggers and people walking in the evening are There are a few general most likely to spot a furtive dog, so it’s essential rules that apply to finding to put up posters as soon as possible. these four-legged fugitives, While people may volunteer to help search, with surprisingly few groups of strangers calling a runaway dog’s exceptions. Unless they’re name will only send it deeper into hiding. Keep close to a previous home, the numbers to just a few people who act as most dogs will stay in the spotters only. Once a dog’s location has been area where they ran away. verified, only the person or people the dog Once the initial panic has knows should try to catch it. Even then, once subsided, instinct kicks in instinctive survival behaviour has taken over, and a dog will find a place the dog may not readily respond to a familiar to hide, and will not usually voice. If that happens, leaving food in one spot venture out during daylight will keep the dog coming back, and eventually it or if there are people around. should relax enough to let itself be caught.

Dusk and dawn are “hunting” times, when There are now GPS tracking collars the dog will search for food and water available, I would 11:13 use if there was any Saibefore kung advert.pdf 1 which 19/08/2013

Picture: Kat Kuok

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fenton!

creature feature Small Indian civet aka Viverricula indica

chance of a dog getting lost on an unfamiliar walk, or if it was nervous and easily spooked.

Alternatively, an extra-long training leash is great for allowing dogs freedom to run while having the security of guaranteed recall.

Retractable leashes are not recommended, by the way, as they are dangerous and can cause injury or worse. Always use a collar that won’t slip off, but never a choke chain as these can not only damage a dog’s trachea but can result in strangulation. A semi-choke will tighten just to the point where it can’t come off, but no further and for nervous dogs use a T-shaped harness as well as a collar. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

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

Commonly referred to as a “civet cat”, the small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) is not a member of the cat family but of the viverrids.

The species is widely distributed across Cambodia, China, India and Indonesia, and was introduced to the Comoro Islands, Madagascar and the Philippines. It is common in forested areas in Hong Kong and the New Territories, but not on Lantau.

A small Indian civet typically weighs 2kg-4kg and can be up to a metre long, including a long tail. It has a relatively small head and pointed muzzle, with a black and white striped neck, small black spots and broken stripes on the body, and six to 10 black and white rings on the tail.

Both males and females have a pineal gland at the base of the tail that produces strongly scented musk, or civet oil, which is prized by perfumers.

The animals are also crucial in the production of kopi luwak, or civet coffee,

which is made from coffee cherries that have been eaten and partially digested by the civet. Coffee made from the beans has a unique aroma and flavour and can cost up to US$100 a cup in some parts of the world.

Steffi Yuen.

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distribution

where to find us

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

SAI KUNG PENINSULA

Shatin

Sai Kung Town Hebe Haven

Hebe Haven Yacht Club

Marina Cove KOWLOON Silverstrand Tseung Kwan O Clearwater Bay

HONG KONG ISLAND Portofino

30,000 readers 10,000 copies Restaurants, Bars and Cafes - Agua Plus - AJ’s Sri Lankan Restaurant - Ali Oli Bakery - Bacco - Butcher King - CC Café - Casa - Chip In - Classified - Colour Brown - Fiesta Fiesta - Olde Hong Kong Tea Cafe - Firenze - Hebe One O One - Italiano’s - Jaspas - May’s Sawadee - Paisano’s - Pepperonis - Pizzeria La Gondola - Revolution Gallery Cafe - Sauce - Sawadee Thai - Starbucks - Steamers - Sushi Tenku - Takka Fusion - T.C. Deli - Tree Cafe (Horizon Plaza) - The Duke of York Pub - The Sandwich Club, HKUST - Village Restaurant

46 | WWW.SAIKUNG.COM

Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club

The Giverny

Shops

Private Clubs and Hotel

Schools and Kindergartens

- East Point City Shopping Mall - Final Fragment - Ka Ying Curtain Craft - Leisure Book Shop - Look Upstairs - One Kowloon - Park N Shop (Fusion, Clearwater Bay) - Patsy House - Taste (East Point City) - TREE - Today Speed Photo Finishing - Watsons Wine Cellar - Everything Under The Sun (Horizon Plaza) - Life’s a Breeze (Horizon Plaza) - The Bottleshop - Wood + Kitchen

- Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club - Equestrian Centre - Hebe Haven Yacht Club - Hillview Court - Hyatt Regency Hong Kong (Shatin) - Marina Cove - Residence Oasis - The Giverny - The Portofino

- Anastassia’s Art House - Clearwater Bay School - Garden House - Hong Kong Academy - Hong Kong Adventist College - Kellet School - Mills International School - Music Horizon - Sunshine House - Sai Kung English - Tutti Music - Woodland Pre-School

Pets and Vets - Pet Central - Sai Kung Animal Hospital

Health and Fitness - Allure - Tala’s Hair and Beauty - Sai Kung Healthcare Centre - Sara Thai Massage - Sense of Touch - OT&P (Razor Hill) - Zone @ Sai Kung Reflexology Centre

To VIEW OUR magazine ONLINE Visit www.saikung.com

f

Search: Sai Kung & Clearwater Bay Magazine

To advertise, email: ads@saikung.com or call 2776 2772

marketplace To advertise, email: ads@saikung.com or call 2776 2772.

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To advertise, email: ads@saikung.com or call 2776 2772

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• Sai Kung Tennis Courts, Sai Kung, New Territories • Po Tsui Park Tennis Courts, Yuk Nga Lane, Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon

Lesson types:

• 10 and under tennis (3-­‐10 yrs. old): Mini tots, Beginners, Game play • Juniors (10-­‐18 yrs. old) and Adult groups: Beginners to Advanced • Private lessons (By appointment)

STRESSED BY YOUR PET?!!!

PET BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS?

Sessions hosted by ATP Ltd. Coaching Team & Henry So: • Hong Kong No.1 (ATP rankings 2006-­‐07) • Davis Cup representa%ve • ATPCA Master Pro Level 3 • Hong Kong Champions Cup • Winner 2006-­‐2007 • Finalist 2005, 2008

THE VET COMES TO YOU www.homevet.com.hk

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 48 | WWW.SAIKUNG.COM

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Mobile Veterinary Service

Email: pets@homevet.com.hk

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marketplace Biltong, Boerewors and much more!

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marketplace Professional Birthday Party Entertainment

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marketplace

Interdisciplinary Children's Therapy Centre Supporting Children and their families with school readiness, classroom skills, social skills and special needs.

Meaningful, holistic, child-centred, evidence based care

To advertise, email: ads@saikung.com or call 2776 2772

t: (852) 2807 2992 contact@spot.com.hk www.spot.com.hk Central & Wong Chuk Hang WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 51

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classifieds LOCAL PROPERTY

Overseas Property

Private Pool Detached House $110K Ref~SK176 4 Bedroom House with Gated Parking. Stunning Sea & Mountain Views.

Fully equipped openplan Kitchen, Spacious Living / Dining Room, Separate Family Room, Maid’s Q, Games Room & Study. www.thepropertyshop.com.hk 27193977 C-027656

Stylish Yacht Club Villa $74K / 32M Ref~SK528 Attractively Renovated Family Home in Popular Development. ClubHouse Facilities. High Ceilings, 3 Bedrooms, Family Room, Large Liv/ Dining Room, Open-Plan Kitchen, Maids Q, Utility Room, Terrace, Sea Views, 2 c/p. www.thepropertyshop.com.hk 27193977 C-027656

Overseas Property

SOUTH OF FRANCE, NIMES Charming family home, with swimming pool, in the South of France FOR SALE. In perfect condition, the house is walking distance from the lovely town to go to the market or go to the bakery to get your fresh bread. Priced at HKD 4.2 Mio, it is a steal and the ideal investment!! The offer will be dealt with on a first come, first serve basis.

Please email: (Aubord2013@gmail.com)

MOTORING

Galle, Sri Lanka Superb 4b/r Villas, Rent and Sale Close to beach & Galle Fort Private Pool, Fully Staffed www.watura.com Owner: Sue, 9754 5967

54 | WWW.SAIKUNG.COM

Classic Mercedes For Sale Classic Mercedes 280SL 1985 in excellent condition. A1 mechanically and bodywork. Hard top and soft top in perfect condition. A joy to drive. 140,000m. Original log book. $190,000.

Contact Nigel 95445450 (m) 23282644 (h)

random but interesting EMPLOYMENT / RECRUITMENT

TUITION Mandarin / Cantonese Speaking Nanny — can play with your kids, read them stories and guide them to discover the daily life.

Mandarin Tutors — for kindergarten, primary and secondary students, (teach them pinyin, vocab, oral, writing skills....) also experience in helping students to prepare IGCSE, IB, AL...

Please visit www.call-a-tutor.com or call 2572 8989.

Wanted a part time Bookkeeper / Accountant to work in office in Sai Kung for large private members club. English only required.

Salary and hours to be negotiated by arrangement; would suit mother who has children at school.

Contact: admin@victoriarecreationclub.com.hk.

Health and Well being

SERVICES COMPUTER SERVICES HK ONSITE TROUBLESHOOT & SETUP, WINDOWS & APPLE DEVICES, IPAD. IPHONE, APPLE TV, DATA RECOVERY, DATA TRANSFER, INSTALLATION OF NETWORK, WIRELESS, WIFI EXTENDERS. INTERNET, EMAIL, HARDWARE, SOFTWARE PROBLEMS. EMAIL CHRISK@NETVIGATOR.COM OR CALL CHRISTOPHER KRISHNAN 91470230

Yoga with Yoyo Build up a Yogic Body with a Vedic Mind Peaceful environment with High Energy vibrant in Sai Kung Town Email: info@yoyoyoga.net Tel: 93023931 Website: www.yoyoyoga.net

CHARITY NATIONAL HARBOUR RENOVATIONS Home and office reno upgrades. Plumbing, electrical and handyman services. Call Charles 90851886, info@nationalharbour.com.hk www.nationalharbour.hk.

Find us on

Are you affected by Bipolar? All welcome Bipolar support group - First Monday of each month.. Email bipolarhongkong@gmail.com for more information.

to receive up-to-date

local news & exclusive offers Sai Kung Magazine

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the ultimate guide to sai kung Sports & Fitness Grandslam Sports

9161 7094 marcus@grandslamtennis.hk Advanced Tennis Performance 6135 7606 | atpltd.tennis@hotmail.com www.advancedtennisperformance.com ESF Lions Youth Football 2711 1280 | sport@esf.org.hk | www.esf.org.hk Everfine Membership Services Limited 2174 7880 | enquiry@evergolf.com.hk www.evergolf.com.hk Hong Kong International Tennis Academy 9048 2810 | lea.lai@hkita.com | www.hkita.com Impact Fitness 6385 0304 | www.impactfitness.com.hk Sai Kung Stingrays www.saikungstingrays.org Whatzup - Stand up paddleboarding expert 3502 1818 | www.whatzsup.com.hk

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

Chelria Debard - Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist 9331 6909 | chelria.makeup@gmail.com Allure Beauty 2792 2123 Bronze Mobile Spray Tanning 6234 8594 bronzemobilespraytanning@yahoo.com.au Native Essentials 2870 1234 | info@nativessentials.com www.nativessentials.com Tala’s Hair & Beauty Centre 2335 1694 | talashair@biznetvigator.com www.talashair.com Weight Watchers 2813 0814 | kmahjoubian@weightwatchers.com.hk www.weightwatchers.com.hk

Box Design

2573 3323 info@boxdesign.com.hk www.boxdesign.com.hk

Modulnova Hong Kong Ltd 3741 2095 | info@modulnova.hk www.modulnova.hk

18 Grams Coffee www.18grams.com BEI Coffee 2791 5278 | www.facebook.com/bei.coffeekan Casa - Modern Tapas 5594 0007 | info@casagroup.co www.casagroup.co Colour Brown Coffee 2791 7128 | shop.colourbrown.com.hk Hebe One O One 2335 5515 | info@101.com.hk | www.hebe101.com Pacific Coffee 2290 6039 | coffeesolutions@pacificcoffee.com http://www.pacificcoffee.com/ Schmidt Vinothek 2792 6113 www.schmidtvinothek.com

Beauty

Home & Interiors

The Australian Shop www.theaustralianshop.hk The Bottleshop 2791 1600 | mail@bottleshop.hk www.thebottleshop.hk The South African Shop www.thesouthafricanshop.com The Wine Guild 9099 5774 www.hkwineguild.com Top Chef Food Services Ltd. 2358 2332 | tcfood@netvigator.com http://tcdeli.com Valdivia 2866 0587/77 | info@castellodelvino.com.hk Winerack 2433 9929 | www.winerack.com.hk

Pets & Vets

Modulnova Hong Kong Ltd

3741 2095 | info@modulnova.hk www.modulnova.hk Best United Eng. Ltd. / Lawnings, Roll Shutter & Insect Screen 2344 9028 | info@bestunited.com.hk www.bestunited.com.hk Brooks Thompson Ltd 2851 3665 | iqbalhk@netvigator.com China Treasure 2611 9663 | chinatreasure@hotmail.com www.chinatreasure.com.hk Eco Living 2792 7998 | askus@ecoliving.hk www.ecoliving.hk Everything Under the Sun 2544 9088 www.everythingunderthesun.com.hk JCAW Consultants 2524 9988 | jcawltd@biznetvigator.com Look Upstairs 2791 0606 Patio Mart 2555 8988 | patio@kh-group.com www.patiomart.com.hk Pantry Magic 2504 0688 | info@pantry-magic.com www.pantry-magic.com/hongkong Sai Kung Marketplace 5503 0369 www.saikungmarketplace.com Wofu Deco 2768 8428 | info@wofudeco.com.hk www.wofudeco.com.hk

Travel & Relocation Relosmart 2561 3030 | enquiry@relosmart.asia www.relosmart.asia Expert-Transport & Relocations Warehouse 2566 4799 | www.expertmover.hk

Motoring & Boating Kwong Hing Motorworks 2791 4949 | enquiries@khmwhk.com www.khmwhk.com

56 | WWW.SAIKUNG.COM

Homevet 9860 5522 | pets@homevet.com.hk www.homevet.com.hk Animal Behaviour Vet Practice 9618 2475 | cynthia@petbehaviourhk.com www.petbehaviourhk.com Animal Emergency Centre 2915 7979 www.animalemergency.com.hk Ferndale Kennel 2792 4642 | boarding@ferndalekennels.com www.ferndalekennels.com Mega Pet 2626 0818 | www.megapet.com.hk

Children’s Toys & Supplies Bumps to Babes

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

Babies R US 2287 1788 | hk.babiesrus@toyrus.com www.babiesrus.com.hk Hazel Ltd 53161456 | saleshazel@biznetvigator.com www.mcl-sources.com

directory Education Tutti Music

2176 4028 tuttimusic.tko@gmail.com www.tmusic.com.hk

ITS Education Asia

2116 3916 es@tuition.com.hk www.itseducationasia.com

Education

Real-Estate & Hotels

Woodland Pre-Schools Sai Kung 2813 0290 | saikung@woodlandschools.com www.woodlandschools.com

OKAY.com

Yew Chung International Children’s House/ Kindergarten 2338 7106 | enquiry@hk.ycef.com www.ycis-hk.com

Community & Health The Reading Room (Sai Kung) 5 Tai Po Tsai, Clearwater Bay Road, Sai Kung, New Territories | 9199 5900 seasidereadingroom@gmail.com Antsmart Learning Centre / Playgroup, Math 2335 1261 | tangfrancis@hotmail.com www.playgroup.com.hk Beijing Mandarin Limited 2865 1660 | www.beijingmandarin.com Bricks 4 Kids 2791 0007 | info@bricks4kidz.hk www.bricks4kidz.hk Busy Bees Kindergarten busybees@ust.hk http://ihome.ust.hk/~busybees English for Asia 2392 2746 | bianca@englishforasia.com www.englishforasia.com Everest Education 6013 7827 | mdrin1998@yahoo.com Hong Kong Academy 2655 1111 | admissions@hkacademy.edu.hk www.hkacademy.edu.hk International College Hong Kong Hong Lok Yuen 2658 6935 | info@hlyis.edu.hk www.hlyis.edu.hk Jumpstart Mandarin Learning Centre 2791 4838 | jumpstart@netvigator.com www.jumpstartmlc.com Kaplan 2836 0332 | info@kaplan.edu.hk www.kaplan.edu.hk Les Petits Lascars 2526 8892 | www.lespetitslascars.com Lighthouse Playroom 2791 2918 | info@lighthouseplayroom.com www.lighthouseplayroom.com Nord Anglia International School www.nais.hk

Anna Massage 9354 7606, 6622 5398 Cambridge Weight Plan Hong Kong 9618 1777 / 9045 5942 www.cambridgeweightplan.hk James Chan Chinese Medicine 9876.9925 | chankwojames@gmail.com Liberty in Yoga 6112 1826 | www.libertyinyoga.com

2102 0888 | support@okay.com www.okay.com

Sino Group 2457 0789 | www.sino-homes.com

Professioal Services Biocycle 3575 2575 | info@biocycle.hk www.biocycle.com.hk Indo Handyman 2578 1865 | sales@indohandyman.hk

Mandala Group 9634 5848 | www.themandalagroup.org

Kwiksure 3113 2112 | christian@kwiksure.com www.kwiksure.com

Nonie Studio 2333 2027 | info@noniestudio.com www.noniestudio.com

Professional Wills Limited 2561 9031 | www.profwills.com

Resurrection Church 2358 3232 | admin@resurrection.org.hk www.resurrection.org.hk

Marco Electrician, Plumber, House painting, Air Conditioning 6190 8051 | marco_yeung000@hotmail.com

SPOT Centre 2807 2992 | contact@spot.com.hk www.spot.com.hk

National Harbour Renovations 90851886 | charles@nationalharbour.com.hk www.nationalharbour.hk

Still Point Osteopathy 9634 5848 | www.stillpointdrja.com evolveatstillpoint@gmail.com

Sum Hing Carton Box Factory info@boxx.hk | www.boxx.hk

Yo Yo Yoga 5331 4660 | info@yoyoyoga.net www.yoyoyoga.net

Sunkoshi Gurkha Security Ltd 2199 7774 | www.sunkoshigurkha.com Wong Poon Chan Law & Co 2521 4268 | www.wpcl.hk

Parties & Entertainment

Events

Eezy PeezyParties www.eezypeezyparties.com

Kidsfest Hong Kong 2014 | From Jan 15, 2014 Drama Theatre, The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts 31 288 288 | www.hkticketing.com

Pete Kelly - Musician 9477 0669 | www.petekelly.com.au Rumple and Friends www.rumpleandfriends.com

Financial Services

O’Connor-Barton Irish Dance, Hong Kong dance@oconnor-bartonid.com www.oconnor-bartonid.com

Financial Planning Excellence info@fpehk.com | www.fpehk.com

Quest Study Skills 2690 9117 | www.queststudyskills.com

Infinity Financial Solutions Ltd 2815 5828 | hongkong@infinitysolutions.com

Sai Kung Tutors 5321 4400 | info@saikungtutors.com www.saikungtutors.com

Kwiksure 3113 2112 | christian@kwiksure.com www.kwiksure.com

Get listed call 2776 2772 email marketing@saikung.com WWW.SAIKUNG.COM | 57

on patrol...

handyman housebreakers

New drill Joe Au-Yeung Tak reveals the latest tool in the burglars’ arsenal.

Illegal immigrants... are quick, powerful and seem to be pain resistant Police had laid an ambush nearby and raced to the scene. After a struggle, they subdued two culprits near the target premises, while the other two escaped onto a nearby hillside and could not be located, despite the joint efforts of the Police Tactical Unit and Tseung Kwan O Police.

As a kind reminder to all Sai Kung residents, try not to struggle with burglars.

Mainland illegal immigrants may look slim

but they are quick, powerful and seem to be pain resistant.

During the struggle in Mok Tse Che, an extendable baton was broken in two and six officers, including myself, received minor injuries. Fortunately, the women and children were all safe and uninjured, and no property was stolen.

A hole and a stick How could a hole and a stick be used in burglary? In a recent incident in Po Lo Che, burglars drilled a small hole in a window frame to poke a wooden or metal stick through to lift the window handle and enter without prising open or breaking the window.

To tackle the burglarly problem, a combination of high-profile police presence and covert operations was adopted before Christmas and will continue over Lunar New Year, a vulnerable time for crime.

Apart from police efforts, we advise residents to install contact alarms on windows and to check their windows regularly. If you find a hole in a window frame, report it to police immediately before burglars visit your house – we might even be able to stage an ambush and arrest them.

photo competiton Submit your shot Here at the Sai Kung Magazine office, we love receiving beautiful pictures of Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay from our readers. Each month we publish our favourite. To enter, simply email your best shots of Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay, along with a brief description, to photo@fastmedia.com.hk.

This month’s winner: Roberto Rojas. “We went to Tai Long Wan on December 1 and took many, many pictures on this wonderful day – blue sky, clear water, white sand, mountains and, of course, the best company: our lovely daughter.”

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Illustration by Forrest Lau

Don’t tackle burglars Let me start by telling you about a recent robbery case. After a prolonged period of observation, intelligence analysis and ambushes, the Rural Patrol Unit, assisted

by CID officers from Wong Tai Sin District, successfully arrested two mainland illegal immigrants for robbery in Mok Tse Che in late November.

The four culprits hid inside a bush near the garden of the targeted premises and entered the house after confirming there were only women and children inside, who they threatened with a sharpened metal pole.

I hope to bring you some good news regarding the burglary in Po Lo Che next month.

Meanwhile, on behalf of Sai Kung Police, I would like to wish all Sai Kung residents a happy and SAFE New Year!

Joe Au-Yeung Tak is the ADVC OPS for the Hong Kong Police Sai Kung Division Tel: 3661 1630

shoot for it