 |
|
|
|
|
|
March 31: 'HK's Fuzziest & Warmest Community'? Well, Phil Whelan of RTHK's Radio 3 really does have a great sense of humour! He just saw my made-up story about him playing an early April Fool joke on me yesterday. He described it as "actually very funny". He STILL wanted to interview me, instead of never ever talking to me again! Whew! So we finally got the radio interview done this morning at 11:45am, after some seemingly crossed phone wires yesterday - even though it was a wireless mobile on my end. You can listen to the entire 7-minute interview by clicking here (Thanks, Alan!). Phil announced the interview by saying on air that we'll be talking about this website for 'HK's Fuzziest & Warmest Community'. Fuzzy & Warm? Us? The "Tough & Cool" among us would strongly object to this description! Not me, though, having been part of the "Tough and Cool" crowd only in my dreams. So what did we miss in this very short interview? As I've been well-prepared, let me list the topics we didn't have enough time for, but for which I had prepared well in advance. This also serves as the beginnings of a permanent FAQ list (Frequently Answered Questions): Mission of this website? The website consists of the non-commercial English and Chinese forums, the ad-supported Blog, the Photo & Art Galleries, tourist & ferry info, free classifieds, a Lamma Events Calendar, Lamma Links, Bar & Restaurant news and customer reviews and ratings, plus the Bilingual Yellow Pages. As the only local medium on Lamma Island, this website has become a kind of de facto daily Lamma newspaper for many people. The island's population is far too small to support a printed or electronic medium. An Internet medium like this website, with low creation and production costs and no costs at all for printing and distribution, is ideal for Lamma's quite computer-literate population with Broadband in probably most households. The website is directly targeted at local residents, who are able to read English and/or Chinese, plus ex-Lammaites, tourists, media and people interested in Lamma for whatever reason, logging on from currently 87 countries. It attracts over 1,700 visitors per day and over 2.2 million hits this month. We help people find flats on Lamma, publish Lamma-related news, photos and stories, give advice to current and future residents, and forum members like to gossip, of course. In our bilingual, free-speech forums people can chat about anything and won't be censored or deleted. But personal attacks go into a members-only, uncensored Fight Club, where people can slag each other off freely and swear at each other. They can even attack Lamma-Gung freely, which has happened occasionally, but rarely. How did it get started? It started 3.5 years ago as a pure hobby of a local Chinese guy, webdog, who set up a standard discussion board, a so-called forum, where people could post messages. I joined in 2 weeks later as a co-administrator/moderator and we started the Lamma-zine together as a newsletter to promote the forums and get the mandatory critical mass of people to post messages and keep it running. Webdog emigrated about two years ago. I took over and expanded the site, adding photo and art galleries, events calendar, yellow pages and restaurant & bar reviews, finally reshaping the formerly monthly Lamma-zine into the daily Lamma-zine Blog 1.5 years ago. Who pays for the website? For the first 1.5 years the site was totally non-commercial. But it grew so successful and website traffic increased so much that it became a viable advertising medium. Nowadays, the site is supported by mostly local sponsors and banner advertisers: a moving company, local restaurants, bars and shops, a bakery, HK Electric, etc. They pay the not insignificant bills to produce and publish this site, making it fully self-supporting. But nobody will ever get rich from this website, which is still mainly just a little labour of love. Who's behind this website? Lamma-Gung does the site administration, moderates most forums, does all design, programming and technical webmaster stuff, most of the photo shooting for all sections except the forums and much of the reporting, writing and all editing and proofreading for the daily blog. Almost a full-time job, in fact. I publish 365 days/year, every single day, the self-pressure is welcome on such a relaxed island and some loyal readers keep me motivated. Basically, I work every day on my little labour of love that's grown into a major website and almost a full-time job. I'm only making less than 10% of my former salary these days, but I'm even happier than before, being grateful for escaping the rat race, the office politics, the back-stabbing, the eternal fights for staff and budgets, the working-late 6 days a week. There are about a dozen forum moderators, several so-called Laudable Lamma Luminaries, some Lamma Celebrities, a few Court Officials, environmental and political activists, plus special-issue correspondents, local politicians, the police, HK Electric and other businesses, plus numerous regular and occasional unpaid blog contributors who submit or help to create text, photos and videos for the entire website. Everything is handled completely digitally, of course, from writing, emailing to taking/uploading pictures, publishing and administration, all handled on a single iron-age, last-millennium PC. (Hardware donations most welcome!) What is the Lamma-zine Blog: I, Lamma-Gung, write, edit, photograph and publish the daily Lamma-zine Blog, about anything related to Lamma and Lammaites. I welcome news, stories, pictures and videos from anybody. This is not just my own soapbox, but a community platform where everybody is welcome to contribute. I edit, format and publish it all as is, without censoring or commenting. But most of the Lamma-zine is still my own stuff, of course. Never too serious, often quite ironic, rarely sarcastic, NO GOSSIP, promoting Lamma as a fun place to visit, live and retire on. I avoid gossip and extremely contentious issue. Basically, I'm reporting on almost exclusively local affairs, take pictures every day and create a story a day, often with the help of volunteer correspondents and collaborators. Promoting the site via printed handouts, flyers and posters, Cyber PR, selling advertising, creating ads and advertiser web pages is also part of the job. What does "Lamma-Gung" mean? Ah-Gung is Cantonese for "grandfather" on the mother's side. As a step-grandfather to the 2 grandchildren of my HK-Chinese wife, "Lamma-Por" (grandmother), I'm their "Lamma Ah-Gung", Lamma-Gung for short. What is Lamma-Gung's background? I've studied computer science in Europe, worked in IBM (in a small research lab that won the physics Nobel prize two years in a row while I worked there). I met my future HK-Chinese wife on the Internet over 20 years ago and moved to HK 18 years ago. I worked as a Regional IT Manager in an advertising agency and as Regional MIS/Telecom Manager for Reebok, then ran my own computerisation consultancy. I got into the Internet in 1995 full-time and launched and ran numerous websites, including the huge worldwide HK Tourism Board website in 14 languages, winning major, international web awards. I was headhunted by a Tom.com subsidiary to launch a major full-service online travel agency, building it with my web team and a web agency in 4 months in 4 Asian languages. But Hutchison shut us down at the end of the dotcom boom and I joined the legions of dotcom dropouts. Going from being chased by several headhunters with $1.5 million confirmed pay offers (turning them down) to become almost unemployable within a few months took some serious down-shifting. When my golden parachute from Hutchison ran out 1 year later and I was still unemployed, I had to move to cheaper accommodation and chose Lamma Island. A Lamma Dragonboat lady was one of my staff before and she told me great things about Lamma (Thanks, Lennie!) What makes Lamma such a special place? Mainly, it's the "live and let live" attitude. Nobody really cares how you dress and behave as long as you don't bother other people. There's no pressure, no high expectations, no need to show off, no pressure to look rich or important, no shame in being poor, old and ugly (like myself). It's a car-free, green island just 25 minutes from Central HK, a major tourist attraction with beaches, forests, miles of scenic hikes and lots of international restaurants. A relaxed, safe, green place with still acceptable air quality, suitable for young people, families with children & pets, and retirees alike. There's an easy-going, friendly, fun-loving atmosphere and a helpful attitude of most people, plus an amazingly multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-ethnic community unique in HK. Low rents and low living costs top off the attraction of Lamma Island to local Chinese, other Asians and expats alike. All nationalities, religions and races are welcome!
March 30: Early April Fool: Lamma-Gung!
This blog is usually produced in the mornings while I'm listening to Phil's great and entertaining Morning Brew program from 9:30am to 1pm on weekdays. His photo on the left is courtesy of the RTHK website and this is his Personal Profile. So I was obviously pretty happy to do the phone interview. The producer called me and a time was arranged for today around 11:45am. I prepared well, not having done any TV and newspaper interviews for several years. I was sitting by the phone nervously all morning, while Phil announced the upcoming interview with "Lamma-Gung about his nifty website" on-air at least twice this morning. Well, 11:45am came and went... The program ended at 1pm, no phone call, no email... Well, the joke's definitely on me. Good one, guys! As it's 2 days before April 1st today, I never saw the joke coming! Clever! You must be rolling on the floor splitting your sides with laughter, eh, guys!? There's a real art to a really well-executed April Fool's joke, having the victim guessing up to the last minute, maintaining the suspense. I congratulate and salute you, guys, you're true masters of the practical joke! You're even better than "Pete & Steve"! But as it's still March today, shouldn't this be called a March Fool's joke? Well, another great but lost opportunity for me to promote our Lamma Island community and its fascinating inhabitants on the radio. But life goes on. I got at least this blog story out of it, for the sheer amusement of my readers, about how I've been tricked so cleverly. Yes, Lamma-Gung is RTHK's April Fool of the Day! Actually, I consider it as kind of an honour! Can I get a physical badge of honour, or at least a little April Fool logo for this website, please? From all the notes I had prepared for the interview I can assemble a nice blog story later on. Thanks for the inspiration, guys! But let me focus on the question that they asked for specifically, about what makes Lamma such a special place. TV Channel NewsAsia also just contacted me yesterday. There'll be TV interviews in early May on Lamma for their feature series "Funky Neighbourhood", so my thoughts might come in handy by then as I'll be assisting the show's producer and crew. In the meantime, NewsAsia is looking for input from Lammaites! They'd like very much to find out more about the evolution of Lamma – some background on how Lamma Island became what it is today? What do we like most about the place? Who are the people attracted here and why do people stay on? (old and new residents). They want to know who to film and who to interview in early May. Click on this link to give us YOUR opinions! This is NOT an April Fool's joke!
March 29: Fashion Star Enamoured with Lamma Island
Fashion model Elyse Sewell (left and below) looks so very happy and overjoyed to receive the "Dog-Gone Cat Case" novel from fellow author and Lammaite Jay Scott Kanes (right).
Well, I couldn't resist reading Elyse's Blog and it's quite a fascinating read. Here's a non-fashion-related excerpt: "Overall, it was not worth it to sell my soul to the devil in exchange for supernatural powers with the camera self-timer. Now I've been beset with plagues. The most rheumatic old ladies weaving in front of me down the sidewalk making me miss the bus. The most tubercular man next to me on the trolley, saving up, waiting to cough up his moistest Petri-dish lung funk until the moment I was inhaling deeply. The most syphilitic insistently flirtatious Italian skulking around my table in the coffee shop. And whatever disease it is that makes hairdressers give me "The British Choirboy" haircut instead of "The Mia Farrow."" She gets HUNDREDS of comments on every single blog entry! I'm glowing and pulsating in the brightest green with envy... Well, spring has just started and Bright-Green is being hyped as ultra- fashionable once again, darlings!
March 28: 18 Restaurants Reviewed in a Single Sentence
Our Official Court Glutton is traveling so frequently, testing other country's cuisines, he's hardly got time for Lamma food anymore, it seems. While he's away again, 2 new restaurant signs went up. Y2K, eh, Ricks Bar got renamed once again and everybody is wondering about who's the Jade Chief and is there a bar in this Chin. tea restaurant? Former My Cafe, eh, Offtime Cafe, eh, Kiwi Cafe will reopen soon under new ownership as "BEST Kebab". That's quite a big promise... let's wait and see if it'll come true...
Meanwhile, in the Chinese forum: Samson: “Dining out on Lamma” is all about dining out on Lamma! It began in May 2005 as the curious mo wondered which are the popular food outlets amongst our Chinese forum members. This highly popular topic has since become a melting pot for news, views and reviews on local restaurants, cha chang tangs, bars, bakeries and other eateries! Definitely recommended for anyone who eats! It's in this Chinese forum that the following sentence first appeared."
Learn more about all the restaurants reviewed above in our Bars & Restaurants Index with reviews and ratings and let us all know your own frank & honest opinions!
March 27: Who's the Most Famous Lammaite? Is it Nick the Bookman? Lammadonna? bbChris? Samson? Fung Loi? Jackson? The guy who has his own long-time stalker? Chow Yun-fat? He's by far the most famous EX-Lammaite, but he lives in Sai Kung nowadays. Who else could it be?
Andy who? A few days ago, only his friends knew him, now locals turn their heads on Main Street, instantly recognising him and grinning! But why has he become such an overnight instant celebrity, even being stalked by paparazzi? It all started when the WWF, where Andy works, organised an ecological awareness hike recently and one of the many people coming along on the hike was Gigi Leung. She's a local Cantopop starlet/actress who's been in the news a lot since splitting up with Cantopop himbo (male bimbo) Ekin Cheng. As a guide, Andy answered questions from the eco-hikers, including Gigi.
Here's the full 3-page (!)
story in Chinese: NEXT Magazine even stooped so low to doctor a photo of Dr. Andy, cutting him out of one photo and superimposing it on a photo of Gigi, making it look like they're actually touching hands. The Photoshop experts will easily recognise the cutting artefacts around Andy's hand (left in the picture below). What's next, NEXT, fake bedroom photos?
March 26: Official Court Monthly Ferry Ticket Reminderer
March 25: Congratulations to Cardinal Zen
Read more... (courtesy of The Standard daily HK newspaper from where Gavin Coates' cartoon below has been "borrowed". Many thanks!) Bishop Zen is a regular
visitor to Lamma, at
Meeting Zen in person twice - very friendly, personable and modest, but outspoken on democracy, human rights and politics - and taking all these photos has been a great pleasure for me personally. Here are my two stories and photos of Zen's Lamma visits:
Bishop Zen Visiting Lamma (Aug 8, '04) But did you know that "Cardinal Zen" is also a music group and a "downtempo and chillout project. The music is all about childhood dreams, ambitions, frustrations, and discovering the inner-self through music"? Yes, I'm a Googloholic... Here's a great site that proves that even Catholics can have a sense of humour, in a forum on Cardinal Zen's appointment.: "A blog that presents my hopefully humorous and sometimes serious take on things religious, political, and whatever else crosses my mind."
March 24: Making a Big Fuss about Garoupa Gary's Last Gig
This email from lead singer Alex just arrived in Lamma-zine International Headquarters: "Would be very grateful if you could make a fuss of this - Gary's last gig in HK and all!" Making a fuss? Moi? Be careful what you wish for, Alex, as I LOVE making a fuss about Lamma bands! But much more importantly, what's this about Gary's last gig in HK? What's going on here? I don't believe the official cover story for 1 second: "The gig at The Fringe will be Gary's last gig with Garoupa in Hong Kong before he leaves for even sunnier climes. This will be your last chance to catch fresh Gary!"
Come to the Garrulous Garoupas Gig-a-thon tonight and find out! Don't leave without an answer that is fully satisfying for your gossip-hungry mind! And who will be Gary's successor? These are mighty big shoes to fill for any successor and he might forever stand in the shadow of the Lamma legend that was Gary! Be prepared for a shock announcement at tonight's gig!
Not having been inside Diesel's bar room for a little while, I admired their very impressive chalk graffiti on the blackboard. It looks like one of Lucy's artworks, I think? Isn't this the nicest-looking, artsiest menu in all of Yung Shue Wan?
Being woken up at 6am by the incessant yapping of a puppy dog in my neighbourhood. His hind legs got bitten badly by a large dog a few weeks ago. The formerly cheerful, exuberant bundle of pitch black fur is dragging his body around on his front legs now and he'll probably be disabled for life (photo from happier times). I went for a walk before 7am, a most unusual time for a work-at-home, semi-retired freelancer. 99% humidity, phew! On a whim, I ventured up to Ko Long Village, up on the hill between YSW and the Power Station. Exploring the chaotic maze of old stone village houses, almost randomly poured concrete everywhere, wooden huts, debris, grown-over vegetation, it's almost picturesque...
Further along down on Cable Road, packs of well-behaved dogs of many breeds taking their owners or domestic helpers for a morning walk, pulling them along, eager to get to Power Station beach. I encountered Nick the Bookman's playful but territorial pack of small and big dogs sniffing around my feet. I greeted topless and bearded Nick with a cheerful "So many hairy creatures out this morning!".
"We have set up a newsgroup and a Blog. Please invite friends, adopters, foster homes and anyone who is interested in animal welfare to sign onto our newsgroup. We will try to keep the group bi-lingual as much as possible. "You are welcome to join our
Newsgroup: "And read our Chinese Blog: http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/ehuanghk/" On the Democracy Wall you can see the latest pets for fostering and adoption from LAP and LAWC. By the way, here's the very informative LAWC brochure, picked up from the ferry pier (click to enlarge). End of free charity commercial...
March 21: LOST: Bob da Robber
March 20: 'No Animal Flesh is Eaten Here'
Vegetable Tart of the Day, Life Cafe Life Cafe in Soho did not
renew their just expired one-year advertising in this blog. They have
stopped all advertising activities because of their huge success. No need
to pay for advertising when you're booked out almost every day! This is a
little farewell story for a great blog supporter
It started out modestly, but with so much idealism around 12 years ago, when the Bookworm Cafe was founded by a group of Lamma hippies. Showing the founding spirit very nicely is this historic Bookworm poster below and this ancient Bookworm dish pictured on the right:
Click on poster for full Bookworm menu. Almost 2 years ago (April 2004), Bobsy & co. opened Life Cafe in trendy Soho in Central on HK Island. So much in there reminds customers of Lamma's Bookworm Cafe, but everything's on a much bigger, big-league scale. Read more: Life Is for Living, Opening Party, Photo Gallery, First Anniversary How's it been doing so far? I've asked two frequent customers, illustrating their reviews with photos of the dishes that 4 of us enjoyed there yesterday (Asian Stir Fry, Big Breakfast, Lasagna, Mexican Nut Stew):
March 19: Queuing up to Get into Prison
Only in Hong Kong, people would queue up for hours to get into prison... What did they hand out in there for free to attract such a record crowd? Usually, HK's very law-abiding citizens try hard to stay away from any prison, especially the ones involved in illegal activities. So why the queue? Something of very limited availability, of course! Victoria Prison has just closed down and the public can have an inside look, for a few days only, at this unique and notorious piece of HK history. Just looking at such a long and exhausting queue made us hungry and we (Samson & I & our "Significant Others") went to brunch in Life Cafe instead (see tomorrow).
March 18: Best of the Year...so Far
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Model Elyse Sewell, a 23-year-old cover girl with fans
around the world, has given Lamma a ringing endorsement. First mention
of the place ignited a gleam in her eyes.
Even though Junky didn't like New Holiday Mood, I don't agree
with him and you can make up your own mind, eating there for half price.
Yes, it's another new promo, following their recent Valentine's Day and
Women's Day half-price promotion: Wed, Mar 29, tomorrow,
Men's Day, half-price for all guys eating
there, except seafood!
The
paparazzi shot a lot of photos and NEXT Magazine found it "important"
enough to make it their 
Andy's real girlfriend won't be too happy about his cover story.
Quite likely, we'll see crowds of obnoxious paparazzi from various gossip
rags on Lamma soon, staking out Andy's home and whereabouts. Poor guy! The
"news" is already all over the Chinese gossip web pages as well. I couldn't
reach Andy in time for comments. Be nice to him when you see him on Lamma
and please refrain from wolf whistles and shouting "Hey, Andy, Gigi's
really hot! Wow, you're the man!"
Bob da Robber had been waiting
patiently behind Diesel's well-stocked bar, sitting on a beer tap. The
charming lady, a family friend, who found Bob got her $88 
finder's
fee in drinks. She had seen the LOST appeal in this blog and recognised Bob
right away. Drinks and cheers all around! I just love happy endings!
Dear Lamma-Gung, 
Tying in well with the very recent conviction of a Lammaite
Phisherman (HSBC Internet banking case) and the recent release from
prison of a Lammaite drug dealer, I shot this picture today: a queue
snaking all along Hollywood Road in Central, from the Tin Hau temple to the
police station, then up to Victoria Prison, a record queue of almost 1 km,
I'd estimate, with a waiting time of several hours!