Lamma-zine Blog - February 2005

Have you heard about the concert on Power Station beach, where the HK Electric band raised HK$100,000? Browsing through their quarterly house magazine, CONTACT, Feb 2005, one can learn that this event was called "Lamma Fun Day", drawing a big audience for this band of "Sunday players".

In this nice story & interview with the budding musicians - all HK Electric staffers - there's no mention of any other activities going on at the Fun Day, except the bush fire and HEC's wind power booth. The glossy magazine's stories feature carefully selected activities & issues deemed important for HK Electric's large work force. It reads as an impressive morale-booster (awards & prizes won, recent successes) and gives fascinating insight into their corporate "one big happy family" culture. Recommended reading for Lammaites...

As the main sponsor/donor of the Fun Day, HK Electric really deserves a great deal of the credit for the huge success of the event. For the few other activities, events & concerts going on at the Fun Day, please click on TALKBACK! for an extensive photo gallery.

People move to Lamma for a wide range of diverse reasons. Some are economic migrants, like myself, some are looking for low rents, the better living environment and/or a great place to raise a family. I'm always interested in these reasons and managed to get a friend to interview a recent new arrival on our fair isle:

Fire-Drill Keeps Lamma Staff on Their Toes

It was all quiet at the western end of the Lamma Power Station on 12 November. The only sound heard on this warm and fine day was the hum of a machine nearby.

However, the silence was broken at 11 a.m. by an explosion which occurred during a light oil transfer operation at the Fuel Oil Pumping Centre. The explosion started a huge fire and staff immediately reported the incident to the Central Control Room.

Fire personnel from the station rushed to the scene to investigate. They reported the nature of the explosion and the

damage to the Control Room. Though there was no casualty, they requested assistance from the Government Fire Services Department.

In the meantime, station personnel sealed off the area, isolated fuel tanks and called for an emergency supply of foam liquid and foam equipment.

Minutes later, fire-fighters from the Lamma Fire Station and Central Fireboat Station joined in the rescue work putting out the fire in 45 minutes.

This live drama was staged during the annual fire-drill conducted in mid-November to enhance the alertness and preparedness of HEC staff in dealing with emergencies at the Lamma Power Station.

HEC Fire Officer, Mr. Chan Kin-fat, was satisfied with the swift response of the staff and their ability to react to changing circumstances.

“This year’s scenario emphasizes the importance of logistical arrangements, including the emergency supply of foam liquid to combat the fire and the isolation of fuel tanks,” Mr. Chan said.

“We are pleased the officers involved followed emergency operation guidelines properly. I believe the exercise has provided a good opportunity for them to test their alertness and cooperation with outside parties,” he added.

It was the first time the drill was shown to the public. RTHK filmed the drill for an eight-part series on the history and development of the power industry in Hong Kong.

Apart from filming the drill, the RTHK documentary also carried interviews with senior HEC officers on various aspects of the Company’s operation.

A new addition to the initial plans is a "education corner for renewable energy" at the base of the turbine, plus a green, tourist-friendly rest area. The displays will "include info of renewable energy in general as well as specific information of the Lamma wind turbine."

Proving the great importance of this high-profile "green" project to HK Electric's management, I've counted six different references in six different stories in the last issue of HK Electric's cheerful house magazine, CONTACT.

Let's keep a watchful eye on the progress of the "Magical Spinney Thing" and other local activities by HK Electric, like the other projects under construction right now:
the huge, multi-billion-$ Lamma Extension, the 3rd Cable Route via Pak Kok Tsui, the gas pipeline from Lamma to Shenzhen, etc.

Air Quality Control Centre	Nearest pavilion to the Power Station... and they've sponsored the construction costs
Alan's Watchtower	He's heard they're building a new path/drainage ditch somewhere near there
Bay Watch	Location for the next Lamma TV series
Bookworm’s Kitchen	Because of the time it takes to get your food there
Britain’s Last Bastion	Last one left in Hong Kong?
Chinese Garden	Not a blade of grass or flower in sight - nicely concreted
Drum Jam Practice Room	A place to play their drums on a rainy day
Exclamation Point	A wordplay on "reclamation", but also a place to let off steam
Ferry Watcher's Hangout	Quite a few of those on Lamma, so it might get crowded
Fire Ant Lookout	First one to spot a fire ant on Lamma wins an ant farm!
GAIA Alley	It's pretty close to GAIA Valley
GAIA Teepee II	Typhoon-proof alternative & upgrade to the original
Granola Eater’s Forum	He isn't talking anywhere else online anymore. Also, a place to enjoy eating granola al fresco
Green Cottage II	We already have a Green Cottage
Gung's Last Stand	His next stop if he doesn't get more sponsorship
Gung's Limit	That's the furthest he's ever walked from the Bakery
Harry's Bookshop	There's a shelf with room for one book
HEC Gallery	A good viewing spot of the 3 smokestacks
Hippy Recruitment Centre	So few are left these days, we need new blood to maintain our ancient "Hippy Island" cliché
HKKF No Smoking Area	Since the ferries are enforcing the smoking ban on the ferries these days
I.I. Sanctuary	Close to rich pickings in Po Wah Yuen, easy to reach for Mainland boats
Illegal Structure	Who gave permission for it to be built anyway? Nobody asked the residents
Island Bar WC	Another one besides the brand-new $1.5-million Public Toilet
Karaoke Lounge	Greeting (or shooing away) the tourists on the arriving ferries
Lamma Check-in Terminal	For the airport - Central & TST have one already!
Lamma Community Centre	We have a great community, but it has no centre, no focus point
Lamma Landmark	A shopping plaza for high-class Lamma gift items
Lamma Palais	A palatial & exclusive place directly by the sea
Lamma Passport Control	For the Independent Republic of Lamma
Lamma Tourist Office	The first landmark that incoming tourists notice. Get maps!
Lammadonna’s Perch	The driving force and promoter of the pavilion
Lamma-Por's Refuge	Where she goes to get away from Gung's incessant talking
Lamma's only 7/11	It's open 24 hours a day
Lamma-zine Lookout	Always on the lookout for a good story
Landlord Lock-out	A place to sleep after you've been locked out for not paying the rent
Lover's Leap	It's not too far down & Lammaites only do it for show, not for real
Miller's Pulpit	Nobody pays attention to my sermons anyway
MST II Pavilion	Getting ready for the next Magical Spinney Thing
Nick’s Loading Bay	If you it get there - he'll get it to the ferry
Nick’s Unloading Bay	If you get it there from the ferry - he deliver it to your new home
Pinky's Nest	She's going to fill it with beds & start charging
Smoker’s Retreat	Soon you'll be allowed nowhere else to light up!
Statue Square	A good spot for a statue for that unknown Lamma Hero
Sunset Pavilion	Most romantic and least-cynical nickname in this list
Sunset Strip	For nude sunbathing & named after the street in LA
Tourist TRAP Pavilion	Turn Right At Pavilion (for tourists asking how to get to Sok Kwu Wan)
The Amah's Room	Close enough to Po Wah Yuen, but not too close to interfere with family life
The Clock Tower	All we need is a clock - just like the clocks in the shops that are all 10 mins fast
The Fish & Chip Shop	If it opens first, before the Main Street’s "Chip Chop Shop"
The Library Annex	Close to the Library, more room for books for our well-educated population
The Mouldy Cottage	We already have a Green Cottage
The NUDE Room	If the band NUDE plays there - I'll go & listen
The Observatory	A great low-light area for stargazing
The Playstation	For the kids to play their computer games undisturbed by parents
The Recording Studio	A good place for Lamma bands to do their recording if Mt Stenhouse is booked
The Refugee Hostel	Conveniently located (2 mins from ferry), rent-free, a roof over your head
The Rock Venue	A good place to listen to Lamma bands if they are playing on Mt Stenhouse
The WatchWhatT