|
 June
30:
RIP,
Pinky Chan
Very, very sad news:
Pinky Chan died a few days ago in a
fire in her house in China.
A true Lamma icon and widely known local landlady, she'll be
sorely missed by so many people for so many good reasons.
The local wake will be held tomorrow, Sat night, from 8pm
till late in her regular hangout, Spicy Island (see right and
below).
The funeral will take place late next week in HK,
date and location not confirmed yet. On Tue, Pinky's sister will bring her
ashes back from Shenzhen, after the cremation has taken place.
For more details and up-to-date info on the arrangements,
see our forum topic: RIP, Pinky Chan,
where Lammaites remember her fondly.
 Please
email me any news and updates on this sad matter and I'll publish
them in the forum for everybody to see!
I'll publish a tribute to my friend and occasional
Lamma-zine contributor Pinky next week, written by some of her many good
friends. A public online photo gallery will also be set up. Please
submit photos and stories for inclusion ASAP:
email Lamma-Gung.
In the meantime, you can have a look at some of the many
Pinky stories and photos already published on this website:
Forum:
Pinky Chan rules,
Become a shareholder of Lamma Island!
Lamma-zine: Pinkyism;
Lamma-zine Blog:
Pinky's 2nd-Biggest Fan.
June 29:
Congrats to Harry the Excellent!
Asian Newspaper Awards, as reported in the
SCMP:
P.S. Despite repeated emails, Harry wasn't available for any comments.
Probably too busy celebrating with his many mates and gaggle of admirers...
June 28:
Best of English Forums - June 2006
It has come to our attention that several
(quite a large percentage, in fact) of the readers of this blog do NOT read
our very active English and Chinese forums yet! How could you! That's where
all the fun stuff is happening and the uncensored, unedited free-speech
stuff is going on! Mischief! Mayhem! Mass Hysteria! Murder!
Well, not quite, but it can become pretty
heated and very interesting quite frequently. No better place (besides some
bars after midnight) to hear the latest news about Lamma and Lammaites.
Check it out!
To help you to find
the rare "pearls of wisdom" among all the (often quite entertaining) verbal
dross and drivel that's part of every forum, let's do a monthly update of
the best of the forums. As this selection is unavoidably subjective, I hope
we can get other forum moderators and active members to put together this
short list in the future. Here it is, Lamma-Gung's unabashedly personal
selections:
|
Lamma-Gung - Moderator of "Discussions" and several other forums: |
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Fruit of the sea:
From the water quality at Hung Shing Yeh beach to
"dickheads on jetskis", "severe conjunctivitis", "illegal skinny
dipping" and "sexy nurse's uniforms". Read more...
-
 Martin Booth's book "Gweilo":
A review of Martin Booth's book "Gweilo" is starting this
most rare of events in the Lamma forums: an intelligent discussion
about philosophical and political topics like:
"Confucianism caused the Cultural Revolution",
"pop fiction shall remain an expense of spirit in a waste of shame",
"self-consciously cultivating a kind of affected intellectualism".
Read more...
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The abandoned sanatorium:
The long-running "Lammarina" topic has been morphing into a
history lesson about the ancient, decrepit, abandoned sanatorium in
Shek Li. Do you know the history? Read more...
-
 Bar & Restaurant News:
Lots of news and updates! Add your own reviews and ratings of
these old/new places: POW, Banyan Bay Cafe and The Fully
Monty, version 3. Read more...
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Lights Out HK?
The recent story in this blog initiated a hot debate about the
merits of the campaign in general and power-saving in particular...
Read more...
-
A poet who ululates by the shores of the yummy
chocolate sea:
My appeal of "Looking for writers (amateurs & professionals)"
has been spectacularly unsuccessful so far. But it got at least one
"Ghost Teacher" out of his (sea) shell and he posted several
mysterious and intriguing poems. Read more...
-
 Environmentally-friendly websites?
Sylvie: "...some information on how to live ecologically
in Hong Kong. Does it exist?" She got quite a few replies.
Read more...
-
Screaming ferry:
Probably the most controversial topic of the month:
children coming back from school on the afternoon ferries, having fun,
running around, screaming, laughing. Some Lammaites feel disturbed,
verrrry disturbed... Read more...
|
June 27: 'Evil
Environmentalist'
James submitted the controversial poem below
which he wrote after about a month of moving to Lamma. He loved it here so
much, but he couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that it was all too good
to be true and surely some evil people were going to come in and spoil it
all at some point with some "high-rise frenzy of development or road or
something".
The poem below seems to attack various
groups, but it's really up to the reader's own opinion. James uses his full,
real name, but he hopes that the readers don't think he wants to do all
those "evil" things to the island, hoping there won't be a lynch mob by
morning! No worry, James, lynch mobs are NOT a Lamma tradition and are
unheard of, to my admittedly very limited knowledge. "Being voted off the
island", yes; tarring & feathering, maybe; but lynching, no!
As usual, the poem and the comments about it
do only reflect the opinion of the authors and not the official opinion of
the Lamma-zine. This blog intentionally does NOT have an official opinion,
but considers itself more as a community platform, a public soapbox for its
readers to stand up and voice their own opinions. We'll continue to proudly
publish controversial opinions, independent of the personal opinions of the
editor and publisher. Their opinions are definitely not more important than
the ones of the readers of this community magazine.
Let us know what
YOU love and hate about Lamma and Lammaites!
|
James Ockenden: |
|
Evil Environmentalist
I want to set fire to the
windmill,
replace it with banks of car batteries,
and build channels
so the leaking acid runs towards the schools.
I propose roads 12 metres
wide
criss-crossing the concreted island,
tourists twisting and turning at the sculpture in the sky,
the Yung Shue Wan bypass flyover interchange.
It's eight pm on the eighth
day of the eight month,
better shut off the lights.
Join the campaign.
I propose a bridge, the
biggest bridge ever made,
from the pier right into a Japanese 4x4 factory,
the latest models direct to our door.
I propose to take away the
pile of gleaming anthracite
from outside the coal-fired power plant,
and replace it with a dense sulphurous oily peat,
and as I consider a proposal
to roll a hundred thousand tonne golf ball
of a pressurised water nuclear reactor
onto Hung Shing Ye beach.
I figure three minutes must
be up by now,
the capacitors will surely all be drained.
I flick the lights back on
because I like the smell of burning coal. |
I've asked James about
the unflattering lines above about the Lights Out campaign we've featured 3
days ago. He said, "...switching off and
re-starting all the fluorescent and neon lights in Hong Kong would use the
same amount of energy as running Lamma coal-fired plant at full tilt for
around 35 minutes.
Maybe no big deal on a world environmental
stage but it's 35 minutes of coal-burning to make what point exactly? What
exactly is Lights Out calling on the government to do, other than vague
calls about "air pollution"?
Maybe you could ask them these questions
for the website?"
I did, of course,
getting the following reply from the Lights Out
campaign:
| Lee Fan
- Lights Out campaign [Highlights below by Editor]: |
|
 The purpose of the Lights Out campaign
is simple. To show the government and the CEOs of the 65,000 HK
registered companies across the border in the Pearl River Delta that
we are not happy!
That pollution is the number one public concern at the
moment and by gathering everyone to speak through this campaign, we will
manage to speed up the much needed legislation.
If over a million people turn off their lights at the
same time, this message will be heard!
As for the figures stated about 35 minutes and the extra
power usage, I highly doubt the facts stated by your correspondent, but
to make an omelet you have to break a few eggs.
Would I be correct in assuming that the question came
from someone either extracting the urine or someone quite willing to
complain their arses off about the pollution, yet do nothing about it.
This is not a tree hugging hippy venture, it's a
simple yet possibly very effective way of getting action sooner rather
than later.
Give us a hand you may just
enjoy yourself. I am.
P.S. Sorry about the extra few minutes of power. |
P.S.
A heated
discussion about this topic has just started
in our forum...
June 26: Do Praying
Mantises Like Full English Breakfast?
Sitting in
Tropicana (the breakfast/juice place close to Nick's Corner) for my
usual mid-afternoon lunch, Ah-Can announced their new menu and full English
breakfasts for $45, including coffee and juice, see above. I tried it and
liked it a lot, best breakfast value for money in the village at the moment!
While enjoying a leisurely breakfast at
3:30pm, we noticed a 2-inch-long Praying Mantis climbing slowly up
the ceiling-high fridge at the restaurant's entrance. The missing 6th leg
might have slowed it down, giving me enough time to shoot a few Macro
photos. The Mantis might have mistaken the green fridge for a tree where
these totally harmless insects catch other insects. The Mantis photo above
is NOT to scale and is a composite of two photos to make it look more
dramatic! Of course, Ah-Can and I didn't hurt it and let it continue on its
way.
I remember an even bigger Praying Mantis than
this one 1 year ago. It jumped from a tree branch above me straight onto the
top of my head. At the time, I was sitting in a comfortable and relaxed pose
in the pretty garden outside the police station headquarters on Cheung Chau
Island, after doing a story on last year's police publicity campaign for
burglary prevention. The Mantis got me out of my chair amazingly quickly...
I like insects and bugs, but try to keep them out of my remaining hair...
June 25: Photos of the
Day - June 2006
3 weeks ago, I've called for Lamma photos for
our Photo of the Day section on the home page (see top left) and in the
growing
Photo of the Day gallery. Since then, a regular stream of great
photos has been arriving in my email inbox and in our forums,
more than I could publish so far. See the shots published this month below.
Many thanks to all the following talented photographers for submitting this
month's great photos:
Birdface, Vicky Baker,
Martin Elliott, Anonymous Guy, Ingmar, ChaBo, e, Josh, Nadine, Wingman, Jay
Scott Kanes, Leggova, Eric Sampson, HarryLi, Jocelyn, Andy Griff, Bud!
Keep the photos coming, so this photo gallery
can grow into a definitive archive of the very best photos of Lamma Island!
I'm not just looking for pretty nature and landscape shots, but anything
shot on Lamma: parties, people, pets, etc. Any photo that shows something
special, typical, unusual, creative, artistic, funny or rare about our home
island.
I'll select and publish one photo per day on
the home page and add it to the
Photo of the Day gallery. Full photo credits for you, of course,
including email and website links, if you like. What are you waiting for?
Find your best shots and get them published as "Photo of the Day" with your
name or nickname! Post them yourself in the Photo of the Day
forum or
email them to me directly.
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Days of Innocence, by Birdface
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Lantern Bug, by Vicky Baker
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Lamma Lights, by Martin Elliott
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Umbrella Girl, by Anonymous Guy
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Power Station Chimneys at Night, by Ingmar
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Tai Shan at Night, by ChaBo
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Pug Face!, by e
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Pavilion, by Josh
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Power Station, by Nadine
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Rust R' Us, by Wingman
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On Main Street, by Wingman
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Mountain Gail, by Jay Scott Kanes
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Blue Harbour, by Leggova
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Banyan Swing, by Eric Sampson
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Secluded Beach, by Eric Sampson
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Cat Colony, by HarryLi
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Chimney Sunset, by Anonymous Guy
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Fruit Bowl Recliner, by Jay Scott Kanes
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Kiss Me, Hug Me, by Jocelyn
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Across the Valley, by ChaBo
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Widgery, by Birdface
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Lightning over the Windturbine, 5:22am, by Andy Griff
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Morning Coffee, by Bud
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Ferry Pier Sunset, by Anonymous Gu
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June 24: Lights Out
Volunteers Wanted!
|
Alastair Robbins - Co-organiser of
Lights Out HK campaign which wants HK people to turn out their lights on
Aug 8, 8pm, for 3 minutes, to push the government to get serious
about fighting air pollution: |
|
Volunteers Needed!
Lights Out HK will be holding a press conference on
the 2nd of July to fully launch this campaign.
Our success depends upon the volume of people we manage
to inform.
The logic being every man and his dog wants a vast
improvement to our air quality and this will give them a chance to be
heard.
 We have designed this poster so that it may be
mass e-mailed to every contact requesting the recipient to do the same
(after 2nd July!)
However, through small groups of volunteers prior to the
press launch we wish to contact the heads of major organisations within
HK:
Chambers of commerce, Social clubs, Religious Groups,
Associations, The media, Consulates, Sports clubs, Housing developers,
etc, etc.
These posters can be sent to the heads of these groups
and their support requested. We have also written a cover letter to help
with this task.
If you wish to lend a hand and help do something that I
believe could well work in creating a better Hong Kong.
Please phone, 2982 6003 or 2982 1264, leaving your
name and number.
Failing this, write your information down and leave it
with the bar staff at the Deli Lamma. We will get back in touch
as soon as possible.
Poster in PDF format:
English,
Chinese. Image format: click poster above! |
June 23: Fighting
Juvenile Crimes!
Our valiant local police force is launching another heroic
campaign this year! After last year's Anti-Burglary campaign, they're
organising a big roadshow, campaign and competition for the "Fight
Against Juvenile Crimes". They have asked me to publicise it to our
law-abiding citizenry. Well, I'm glad to do so, as this law-abiding
publication and its law-abiding editor, writers, photographers and all our
contributors strive lawfully to remain on the law-abiding, lawful side of
the law!
The campaign is about the fight against "Juvenile Crimes"?
Juvenile Crimes on Lamma? Do they refer to the vicious, blood-thirsty gangs
of juvenile delinquents indulging in horrendous crimes like bragging,
loitering and even graffiti, terrorising Yung Shue Wan after nightfall,
rampaging and pillaging the fruit shops and frighten us good, law-abiding
citizens into staying in-doors? Only the most foolhardy among us ever dare
to go out and frequent almost-empty, fearful bars and restaurants, even in
those World Cup-feverish days! Shudder & Tremble!
Well, fortunately, this is not the case at all and we live
in a safe and peaceful community (Hip-hip-hooray to our valiant local police
force, securing law and order day and night and sometimes even on
weekends!). Everybody can go for a safe walk even after midnight; or so I've
heard, being one of those early-to-bed, early-to-rise, healthy-living,
obnoxious types myself.
  There'll be an opening ceremony for this Islands
District-wide police campaign (Cheung Chau Sports Centre, Aug 3,
noon-5pm) and a roadshow (Yung Shue Wan City Hall (Rural Committee
Office), Aug 12, noon-5pm), displaying the winning entries of the
Poster/Colour Drawing and Slogan Creation Competition. Colour
drawing forms available at the Police Box! Here are the
English and
Chinese posters, plus the competition entry form (Word
and
image format).
June 22: Lammaites in
Tuxedos & Evening Gowns
 tux·e·do (tŭk-sē'dō)
n., pl. -dos or
-does.
[Short for Tuxedo coat, after a country club at
Tuxedo Park, a village of Southeast New York.]
- A man's dress jacket, usually black with satin or grosgrain lapels,
worn for formal or semiformal occasions. Also called dinner jacket.
- A complete outfit including this jacket, trousers usually with a
silken stripe down the side, a bow tie, and often a cummerbund.
 This
definition above has been included as many Lammaites might not be familiar
with the upper-class concept of a "tuxedo", or even actually own one...
Let's look at some
pictures of the "high society" of Lamma today, people who actually own
tuxedos or beautiful, expensive evening gowns. They congregate at so-called
"balls" (not referring to footballs!), where they meet fellow members of
high society, sip champagne, award each other medals and freely give away
goodies like iPods, vacations and other luxury items unaffordable to us mere
hoi polloi. Let's hear about the Lamma CC's "Cricketers' Ball" in
their own words:
|
Kevin Bishop - reviewing the
Cricketers' Ball on June 17, 2006, Novotel Century Hotel, Wanchai:
3 bands (9th State headlining), top-class buffet dinner, black
tie/formal dress code, $590, tickets only from selected Lamma CC
members, none at the door. See
poster for more info.
Above right: Lamma CC Men's team Vice Captain Mark Burns &
fiancée/ cheerleader/chair & manager of Lamma's victorious Women's
Cricket team Kim Leung, getting married this summer! |
|
 Cricketers' Ball photos are already on the
website: www.Lammacc.com.
There must have been close to 100 people in the end -
members and friends. There were three bands - headline act was the
superb 9th State, who as you can see from the photos got people onto the
dance floor.
We had a whole list of prizes including spa treatments,
gym memberships, an iPod, restaurant meals, sports equipment, etc. - the
generous sponsors who donated them are listed at the top of the photo
gallery.
I have it on good authority that the party continued
into the wee hours, although I'm pleased to say I was long gone by that
time! |
June 21: Diesel's Has
NOT Been Sold!
 Time for a public apology and correction:
On June 16, in a story about the 3rd anniversary of New
Holiday Mood, I mentioned a short list of changes in local bars and
restaurants, including that "Diesel's has been sold".
This is totally incorrect
and has caused Lucy and Malcolm a lot of unnecessary questions and
confusion. I'm very sorry about this mistake and sincerely apologise to
Diesel's for not triple-checking this information before publishing it.
The remark has been removed immediately, of course. The writer (myself) and
the editor (myself) have been severely reprimanded and have both promised to
the publisher (myself) to be more careful in the future. Otherwise...
This also serves as a good lesson that MOST local rumours
turn out to be distorted, misleading or just plain and totally wrong!
This has been the first major error in this blog this year
so far, I believe, let's keep it that way! Freelance researchers,
proofreaders and fact-checkers are most welcome to apply to this weblication
(web publication)!
 The news was based on several
"correspondents" and usually reliable news sources. Diesel's had "almost"
been sold just before the World Cup, but Lucy and Malcolm are very committed
to grow their fine business, working very hard to improve it and make it
into a big success! All the very best from the Lamma-zine! Hoping that my
friends (and former advertisers) Lucy & Malcolm can forgive me for this
stupid mistake, here's a little free promotion for them. Malcolm says:
"With a great atmosphere, superb
food and three screens showing all the matches live, Diesel's Sports Bar is
the best place to watch the World Cup 2006!"
June 20: 'Alok
Scratches and Claws at His Guitar'
|
Nick the ReviewMan - Nick's been doing
all the reviews for the biweekly Underground concerts from
#12
- #27,
all published on the UndergroundHK website.
Time for a little rest...
From now on,
Nick's Underground reviews will only be published on his
own
website (part of this website, maintained by L-G), uncensored
and full-length! Nick's latest review of Underground #29 on June
9: |
|
 "Welcome back my friends, to the show that
never ends..." This long-running local rock experience is back at
The Edge, to end its tweens in fine style. "We're so glad you could
attend, come inside, come inside..." The sky is a wall-to-wall
bruise, leaking intermittent spizzle and there's some over-hyped soccer
tournament starting in Germany any moment now. "The show's about to
start, guaranteed to blow your little heart..." (Yeah, that's enough
Emerson Lake & Palmer from this mid-70's prog-rock trio).
Luke Chow, from show #22, is the latest guest MC. Yan
can't do it. She's performing later with her band Hard Candy. ATV are
back, filming some more of their forthcoming (?) program.
The opening act System Kick provide a touch of
international flair (well, Macau anyway). About 50 people are inside to
support this awesome foursome. Band leader Geoff the Edgukator asks
"How the hell are ya? This first song is called The Truth" A fluid
2-minute overture/intro leads into a speedy rap by Geoff. They sound
part Led Zeppelin, part Midnight Oil. Geoff even looks like a smaller,
chubbier version of Peter Garret, the Oil's vocalist. There seems to be
some politics in this song. When Geoff sings "You can't handle the
truth", he's like Jack Nicholson putting down Tom Cruise in A Few
Good Men.
 The music
veers from Juicy Lucy funk-rock, to hints of Genesis and Wishbone Ash in
the guitar riffs. DJ Jamie tells me about his new band Bonetable,
playing soon at The Wanch. Drummer Paul from The Academy has arrived and
seems to be enjoying himself. System Kick play a 7-song set and really
put in the hard yards. There's good interplay between Ryan (guitar),
Fabbio (bass) and Fai on drums. Now they sound like The Who playing some
early U2. Quick switch to bar-room boogie with a tinge of bossa nova - a
real Pink Panther moment. Other songs recall the heavy mellow vintage
Blue Oyster Cult jamming with Terry Reid. The noise/calm/noise dynamic
is well handled. System Kick are hoping to launch the Macau leg of this
rock showpiece later this summer and "hope to see you next time".
Here's a totally gratuitous plug for teen-band
Spermatic Chord whose debut EP is blowing some minds as Hard Candy
set up. I've seen James, the drummer, do 2 solos at Rock It 1 and 3.
Half the band (drums and bass) also played at the School of Rock gig in
Pokfulam last March. Now, they sound like the Chemical Brothers fighting
Joe Meek in the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (think Telstar and the Dr. Who
theme). Ultra-rare late 60's electronic band White Noise spring to mind
as do the mad Swedish Moogsters EHIF from the mid-80's. The late John
Peel would definitely have played them on his BBC Show. It's a pity
they're still under-age. I am really looking forward to seeing them in
full. Possibly Rock It 4 will find some room for them.
 Hard
Candy are a tasty girl trio who specialise in experimental rock. Yan
is on guitar and vocals. Renee's a powerhouse drummer, despite her
innocent appearance and Alex play's some seismic bass. Yan dedicates the
first song "to my boyfriend who I don't have, so fuck him" It's jagged
folk-punk with some anguished screeching on top. This whole show is
turning into a Therapy Rock Session in some ways. Song 2 is more like
Wire's funk-punk, though a bit of unintended feedback causes problems on
stage, but not for long. The 3rd song is I Wish (?) and it's
chilly-sounding vocals are part nursery rhyme, part Kim Gordon's breathy
singing from Sonic Youth's Goo LP.
The final tune is my favourite. Dedicated to the late
and very unhappy troubador, Elliot Smith, it's a tour-de-force. A
mutated riff like Pink Floyd's Interstellar Overdrive blends into what
sounds like Ghost Riders in the Sky meeting Liverpool indie-goths The
Chameleons. Yan's vocals are steeped in misery, a megaphone rants in the
background. Renee's drums are funereal, while Alex plumbs new depths of
despair on her bass. Copies of their new CD are on sale. Well worth
collecting
 It's a
double-bill tonight as An id Signal are stable mates of Hard
Candy and helped produce their CD. Their brand of slightly fey howling
psyche-rock ups the Therapy quotient of the night. The singer has great
presence, roaming and strutting the stage like an amped-up Brett
Anderson of Suede. There are some vintage Motorhead moments, crossed
with the slow space-grunge of Type O Negative. The drummer batters
relentlessly at his kit, the guitarists are head down, churning away in
a frenzy of fret-wankery. (this is not a bad thing to hear either).
ATV are getting into the groovy, filming from all
angles, and Willem is matching them snap for shot with consummate ease.
The crowd is 100+ by now. John Transnoodle has arrived with his usual
big grin. Chi, a Lamma mate who works for ATV is in the house to see how
the film crew are panning out. He's a big fan of tonight's final act.
I'm chatting to Stan the Man who's also here for the next band, but is
having fun anyway. My friend Mike Davis is matching me gig for gig and
we high-five our approval of the entertainment. An id Signal tear
through some vicious ballads before bludgeoning the audience with a
Metallica? inspired slow, heavy section. The kids are all-right, moshing
away up front and preparing to greet the final act.
 Alok
is a veteran of the local music scene, forming his first band a decade
ago. This latest incarnation, Alok31G, comprises members of UNiXX, My
Stoned Playground and Luxury and is about as perfect a HK supergroup as
one can get. There's a lot of Joy Division references in this set from
the band's name to the guitar soundscapes. Alok scratches and claws
at his guitar, producing a thunderous, droning opener before the
band cut loose. There are lots of tasty hints of classic UK bands,
ranging from the glam-metal of T.Rex and Sweet, to the classic punk of
Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Members and Slaughter and the Dogs. The
singer invokes memories of Feargal Sharkey (of The Undertones)
cross-bred with a brawnier Brett Anderson of Suede. The 4th tune is part
nu-metal "Sympathy for the Devil" clatter-drums and throbbing bass with
guitars echoing sections of The Great Banana Hoax by The Electric
Prunes.
The group finish early, so fans can catch the World Cup
opener and Luke sums up the general feeling of appreciation by saying
that was "an orgasmic pleasure". Guilty, therapy rockpunk at its
best.
The next meeting of like minds is on June 21st, at
Les Visages.
See you there. |
June 19: The Tiger
Roared... and then Started Tap-Dancing!
Coming soon...
June 18:
'Wild Lives',
by Eric Sampson
June 17: 'Nagged, Nudged & Brow-Beaten into Action'
|
Official Court Glutton - Review #4: |
 Due to a depleted bank account <gasp!> and
market forces, the Official Court Glutton has been actually having to
generate income by working and traveling like a dog to customer's
locations around Asia. This all started rudely at 9:30 AM on January
2nd while I was in "sloth mode". Thus my attentions were focused
on filthy lucre and gluttony charged to expense reports for the last
six months.
During the year, eating conditions in the village seem
to be in flux. Places I have written about in the past have dropped
their standards (shame!). Even worse, some places no longer exist or
have made major menu changes.
Fortunately, a new place has opened and the Official
Court Glutton has been nagged, nudged and brow-beaten into action.
Yung Shue Wan now has an interesting alternative to the
usual Chinese/ Western/Japanese/Thai/Indian fare.
It is refreshing to see a creative idea as far as food
is concerned. Another Chinese noodle shop we do not need.
So to have a kebab place is a delicious idea. Best
Kebab is a new place to replace the Kiwi restaurant.
So wandering up Back Street, I step inside and plant
myself down. Yes...air-conditioning is a good idea in the humid
weather. Scoping out the place, I see stainless steel kitchen
appliances, clean floors, clean walls, NO TV belting out Chinese TV
shows. Clean tables and chairs (though the 1970s lime green chairs are
almost OK and definitely better than the 1970s burnt-orange colour!).
Real metal knives and forks are a good thing.
 Surveying the menu: various lamb or chicken
dishes. Next page: pizza. A whole page of pizzas! Turkish pizza and
Italian style pizza. So... a limited choice of lamb, chicken, pizza.
After minimal thought, a lamb shish kebab was ordered. After a short
wait, my meal arrived and I can start my review.
Initial impression is quite good. A large plate mostly
filled with lean lamb pieces (7), a pita bread, salad, some tomato and
cucumber and two small containers of sauce. One sauce was a mild chili
sauce and the other was a white salad dressing that was a not too
exciting. Tried the salad and it was good. Kind of like a coleslaw
texture without the mayonnaise. Pita bread, was fresh and not sour from
baking powder or baking soda. Lamb was very nice, not fatty, lean but
not too dry. Good flavour and texture. Completely finished my plate.
Obviously very competent people who know how to make a
decent, simple, tasty dish. So, a very decent kebab for HK$45
including a drink. Good value for quality and quantity of food
delivered.
Looking at the other people placing orders for take-out
and staying in to eat, I can see that I am not alone in my thinking.
Congratulations for the owners to execute a new and original idea in
Yung Shue Wan!
I would recommend a condiment platter for each table
with salt, black pepper, Tabasco sauce, chili powder for those who like
to add a bit more spice to suit their palate.
Would I go
back? Absolutely!
Do I
recommend to others? Definitely!
|
 June 16: 'Teatime Inside, Outside Seaview!'
Today, New Holiday Mood on Main Street is celebrating its 3rd
anniversary under the current management of Ricky Choi and his charming
wife (see right, at last year's anniversary party). One of the local
originals, everybody knows Ricky standing out on Main Street trying to lure
in customers with his incessant English/ Cantonese shouts of "Teatime
inside, outside seaview!". Well, it works on quite a few tourists. He's
even been known to sing Karaoke very loudly in the afternoons when business
is quiet, inviting locals to join in and party with him. As a long-time
Lamma.com.hk advertiser, I've been following their progress with interest
and like to stop by for teatime and a chat occasionally.
 3 years is a long time to survive under
the same management in the very turbulent local bar & restaurant scene. In
the last few months, The Full Monty closed down, the former Bistro
re-opened as an electrical appliances shop, Aroy Thai/The Corner Pin
changed ownership/management on July 1st (after almost one year under the
current leadership) and The Water Front is changing its daily
management to Hazim (from the Deli Lamma) TONIGHT with free snacks!
New Holiday Mood is putting on an All You Can
Eat Buffet tonight for just $88, including beer & wine, just
$188. Parents even can bring one child for free! We'll be there, helping
Ricky to celebrate his long-time survival through turbulent times. Here's
the menu,
you can reserve at 2982 1880. Leave your own opinions in our
Index of
Bars & Restaurants (incl reviews & ratings).
A
few little-known facts about New Holiday Mood: Besides their Western coffee
shop-style menu they also serve Indian food from Spicy Island and
Chinese dishes from Lung Wah Rest., quite suitable for any group of
guests with widely differing tastes. The entire place can be rented for an
evening for a special event which seems to be happening quite frequently.
They also cater for
parties and events.
 June 15:
'Aging Bikers, Hippies & Drunks'
Remember Andy Maluche, the Official
Court Artist of Lamma.com.hk? After surviving cancer a while
back, we thought he'd lay low for a while, contemplate his own close brush
with mortality and become a wiser and quieter person. Far from it! Quite the
opposite!
 See the poster from his latest art photo
exhbition
"Tribal Warfare" in Manila on the right! Plus a few more of his
recent photos, often showing
 him engaged in wild shenanigans at wild parties.
He seems to be still partying his ass off as if there's no tomorrow!
Even when visiting Lamma quite frequently these days from
his Manila home, he's always attending the hottest, fanciest parties in town
or is engaged in some glamorous photo shoot with beautiful models. Das ist
sehr gut, mein Freund!
Some recent
quotes from his website, aptly named www.dont-touch-my.com:
 "I have a
photographic memory.
I only remember what I did the night before once I see my photographs.
"I like humor. Particularly "tongue in cheek".
And especially the tongue of a pretty girl in my cheek.
"I always wondered if I am so insecure that I constantly need
to reassure myself by putting myself as an
 artist in the center of attention.
But then I realized it is something else.
I do it because of the thrill. I am addicted to fun and excitement and being
the target of adulation is a thrill."
Truer words were never spoken...
Re:
"Tribal Warfare": Would somebody like to write a story about Lamma's
various tribes, their looks, their rituals and their interactions?
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of our cute,
little home planet, Andy's best buddy Mr DickStock sent me this
update from his frequent world travels (pictures
posted on his Flickr pages):
"I just hung out with one of the greats:
George Frayne, A.K.A. "Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen" (see
left).
"They were a hippie band back in the day;
their biggest hit was "Hot Rod Lincoln". When I saw that they were scheduled
to play this little dive up in Silverton, Oregon, I decided to Be There. Got
there on Friday afternoon and got the last room in the only motel in town.
"The bar was a smoky dive {without the
smoke these days} which has been a saloon at least since 1910, and the crowd
was full of aging bikers, hippies and drunks.
 "Next morning
I hung out in the parking lot of the motel (see right), talking to the band
and decided to follow them over the mountains to Seaside, Oregon, where they
played Saturday night to a 'muscle car' convention.
I got a backstage "all access" pass, and
tried real hard to drink up all the band's beer backstage. Failed."
"Full of aging bikers, hippies and
drunks"? No wonder Mr DickStock felt so much at home in there! Come
back soon, Dick, Lamma's very own aging bikers, hippies and drunks are
awaiting you eagerly to rejoin them!
Hey, wait a minute, Lamma-Gung is not a drunk!
June 14: Royal Wedding @ Confluence Castle!
 What
has Lamma's
"Confluence King of China" (as the SCMP called him in a feature,
see left) been up to since we've heard from him last in the Lamma-zine,
when he was setting another record for most confluence
 points
visited in China? Targ has successfully visited 144 confluence points so
far, mostly all over China and is planning to conquer a lot more. He's been
building a veritable 18-room "castle" in rural China and getting married
there in the traditional style of the home village of his charming bride and
co-confluencer aFeng!
 He's the undisputed
"Confluence King of China", marrying his queen (see right) in
a new "castle-sized" house, that's how the title of this story was inspired.
We've got a first-hand account from his good friend TonyB who took
along his eldest daughter. She's already fluent in Mandarin and attended the
village school (see the brown-haired girl below, being the center of
attraction)!
 There are also loads of wedding pictures I've
selected personally from Targ's huge hard disk at home. Their flat, up a
hundred (or more!) stairs in Tai Peng, overlooks the luscious Yung Shue Long
valley with a sunset view that is not so different from the all-green views
from Confluence Castle.
Click below for TonyB's full story and the wedding photo gallery.
(TonyB on the upper left. Mr DickStock below him.)
P.S. After reading this story, Mr
DickStock emailed me with the following 2 amendments:
"Notice I was wearing a red corsage (see
above)? Targ don't drink, so I was the Designated Drinker. We had to
go to each table and say to everyone, "Man Man Sick". {Eat slowly, enjoy}
and I had to down a glass. Luckily they allowed me to drink beer instead of
the local "Rocket Fuel".
"Also, Ah-Feng, the bride, has two
brothers, so aside from the formalities, I also had to sit and drink with
each of their group of cronies. Many many beers at each of two {or more}
tables. All in the line of duty....."
Why Mr DickStock felt it necessary to set
these things clear in public, Heaven only knows... His amazing affinity,
capacity and tolerance for beer is a widely known fact of Lamma Lore...
June 13: Register for Lamma Eco-Tourism Forum!
Doris of the
Conservancy
Association - a non-governmental environmental organisation - sent
me this invitation for a free eco-tourism forum in Yung Shue Wan on Sat
afternoon, June 24. These are the people behind many nature conservancy
projects all over HK and also the 3-year Green
Lamma Green tree-planting project at the pavilion above Hung Shing
Yeh beach, on the way to Sok Kwu Wan. There have been at least two
former Lamma-zine stories and a
photo
gallery on this topic.
The
Conservancy Association would like to explain that project and share
our ideas of developing eco-tourism from all walks of life. They're hoping
to get in touch with any local organization on Lamma from different sectors,
like food & beverage, shops, green groups, youth clubs, etc.
Discussion topics
will be how to develop sustainable local eco-tourism, how to utilise the
natural ecological resources of Lamma, how to tie in eco-tourism into the
daily lives of the local residents. Some very controversial issues, indeed!
Expect some fireworks!
Here are the
invitation letter and the
agenda of the forum (both in pdf format).
Sat, June 24, New Holiday Mood, Main Street:
(besides Japanese rest.):
4:30 - 5:30pm: Cantonese session; 5:30 -
6:30pm: English session.
If you know
interested friends and local groups and businesses, please let them know
about this forum. But the seats in New Holiday Mood are limited to a maximum
of 25, so you'll have to register ASAP (by fax or
email to Doris Pang). Click here for the
reply slip (English,
Chinese, Word and PDF format only;
email me for text or html formats).
June 12: 'An Ode for Your Mag's
Delectation'
And now for something completely different: a
fictitious, sad but beautiful ode set on Lamma in verses. Tjungarayi
emailed it to me a few days ago, with a great subject line of "An Ode for
Your Mag's Delectation". Let me know if you like this type of fiction and
would like to see more!
Background for the ode below, from
Tjungarayi:
 "Mrs
Kay was an attractive Englishwoman and had run away to the orient leaving
her husband and 5 children behind. She looked a little like Mata Hari,
before the children (see right).
"You see, she had contracted syphllis in
an adulterous affair with an Eygptian truck driver and was shamed beyond
despair. She arrived in Hong Kong in 1919. Luckily she played the banjo like
a hillbilly and earned money serenading rich Chinese, English and Portuguese
gentlemen and was thus was able to survive quite nicely.
"Her formerly wanton youth and lascivious
ways turned her to religion whilst living on Lamma. Her untimely demise
happened many years later."
(Photo from
www.VintageLovelies.com)
|
Tjungarayi - New member of our
discussion forums: |
|
Ode to Mrs Kay
I went to a place with a banyan shaped
bay
Surrounded by green trees in shadowy vales.
Where I heard a woeful story that saddened my day
How God’s good angel claimed Mrs Kay.
Was a dark starry night by that banyan shaped bay
Where I sat at the mouth of a big old cave.
When I chronicled this tale of poor Mrs Kay
Which kept me awake till the very next day.
So this is what happened to Mrs Kay
Who cycled to work on a pink bike every day.
The good gods lamented that September day
When the accident happened to Mrs Kay.
Wizened and winsome was Miss Kay
Who lived on a hill overlooking the bay.
Charmed and elated in her own way
All she met on her trips those days.
The rain should cease soon, thought Mrs Kay
As she caroomed round the corner that baleful day.
Where the sides were steep overhanging the bay
Thoughtful and relaxed cruised Mrs Kay.
The sky was dark, observed Miss Kay
While whistling a tune as usual that day.
Looking to the right at the beautiful bay
At the gray shrouded islands, so far away.
Passing the cafe where she met and she raved
That garish, wonderful, quiet Mrs Kay.
Who sang the sweet gospel every Sunday
And cherished the dawning of each new day.
Happy and smiling waved Mrs Kay
As the pink bike whizzed past the children at play.
The main street was busy that fateful day
As people went about in their unfettered way.
Exhaling, inhaling was Mrs Kay
Not knowing those breaths were the last of her day.
As the pink bike went on its merry way
Down to the water, to the edge of the bay.
This story is true, but believe what you may
These terrible events that befell Mrs Kay.
Oft people wonder, query and say
'Twas
awful what happened to Mrs Kay’.
The egrets were gliding that wintery day
Aloft overtop that banyan shaped bay.
Defying the winds that bluster and wane
They preyed on fat fish that swam under the waves.
The problem with living at that banyan shaped bay
Was inclement overcast gray rainy days.
Causing havoc for cyclists alongside the bay
Had the pendulum swung for Mrs Kay?
The brakes have gone! She couldn't give way
Oh my god, this is it, intoned Mrs Kay.
Chaotic, the pink bike wobbled and swayed
Crashed through the metal barrier and sank under the waves.
Down, down to a watery grave
Sank the pink bike and with it Mrs Kay.
Deeper, deeper to the bottom of the bay
Sank the poor lady that none could save.
Alas, it's ironic, thought Mrs Kay
Admiring the fish through the murky haze.
In her last will she had fervently made
Was to be buried at sea in that beautiful bay.
They dived, they salvaged that horrible day
The dread, drowned body of poor Mrs Kay.
Skin all withered and pallidly gray
As they hoisted her corpse from out of the bay.
Time moved on at that banyan shaped bay
The children still shouted, hollered and played.
Chanting a song all about Mrs Kay
That funny old woman who dived into the bay.
So I left that place called banyan shaped bay
With the sad sorry tale of that September day.
I
hope you enjoyed it, although it's not gay
A
small requiem for poor Mrs Kay. |
June 11: 7 L.F.C. Players Speak Out!
 During this World-Cup-crazy weekend,
let's hear from our home-grown talent, the Lamma Football Club! I
took an impromptu photo of Captain Saheb Ambekar and his best mate
Andrew Parkinson on Main Street a while ago. I took the opportunity to
convince the Captain to send me a few more photos and even write a few words
about his club and the players.
In truly professional manner, he delegated the task to his
team. 7 players typed up their own descriptions and personal viewpoints for
the Lamma-zine! Fantastic job, Saheb, far surpassing my wildest hopes and
the biggest number of contributors to a single Lamma-zine story EVER! Thank
you very much, cool guys, for making the effort to write up all these great,
most informative and even amusing submissions. You cannot just play ball but
also write pretty well!
(Photos submitted by Saheb,
except photo above right by L-G)
|
All Players of L.F.C.:
Saheb
Ambekar - Captain/Founder/ Forward, Right-Midfield, Centre Midfield
Andrew
Peterson - Vice Captain / All Midfield
Chris
Davey - Centre Midfield
Tim
Sutton - Centre Back
John
Fielden - Centre Midfield
Carl
Evans - Centre Back, Left Back
Max
Ball - Centre Back, Left Back |
Sam
Huggins - Right Back
Ben
O'shaugness - Forward
Sam
Lewis Wright - Left Back
Itay
Dallman - Left Midfield
Dan
Ebeling - Centre Midfield, Forward
Matt
Bevan - Goal Keeper
Nimai
Lilley - Goal Keeper
Kert
Fortez - Left Back
Javen
Burchell - Right Back
Akihiko Tse - Center Back, Right Back |
|
Saheb Ambekar - Founder / Captain
(skipper) / Player, born Aug 26, 1990: |
|
Positions: Forward,
Right-Midfield or even Centre Midfield
Hobbies: Sports in
general, football, kickboxing, gym, biking, hanging out
Interests: Football,
chicks (girls, not chickens!), games, staying fit
Favourite football team:
Liverpool Football Club
Favourite players: Cisse, Steven Gerrard, Luis
Garcia, Xabi Alonso, Harry Kewell
Personal view of L.F.C.: I think that L.F.C. is one of the
greatest things that has ever happened to me. I have my mates on a team,
I'm skipper, it's everything I could dream of! I'm glad to have created
this club and I would like to thank all my mates and the coaches. I
can't describe how much this club means to me!
Views on key members on the team:
Tim Sutton: Tim is
the best player of the Lamma Football Club. He tries out a lot of
different moves and puts in a lot of work into a game. Even though we
may lose some games at times, he has the "Never give up hope!" attitude,
as well as putting humor into the game. Best Player, for sure.
Andrew Peterson:
Andy is a very good mate of mine. As well as him being a good mate, he
is a very good football player and a good vice captain. I've known him
for about 13 years and while the years have gone by, I've seen him
improve a lot, especially in skills and shooting - expect when he buys
new boots! Hahaha! He's got to be one of the key players of L.F.C. He
was always right beside me, helping to get this club working. Aside from
that, Andy is a great guy on and off the pitch. I'd also like to end
with a thank you for being there for me!
John Fielden: John
is a perfect player for us, he plays excellent in the Centre Midfield
position. I enjoy watching him and playing with him. I'm glad to know
him and have him as one of our players. He was one of the guys who was
with me and believed that I could make this club work, too. Thanks,
Johnny! Keep up the good work.
Sam Huggins: Sam is
one of the most wired guys I know. Although he's wired, he's a good
player in Defence, he makes runs and knows what he needs to do. He
commits to the team with energy and gives us awesome chances to score
goals. He also isn't afraid, defo a key player! Good work, Sammy!!
Carl Evans and Max Ball:
The two of them play Defence. I'm glad to have them on the team. Just
during the last few games we've played, I can see big improvement in
both of them. If they continue to keep up their fitness level and their
football levels, I promise they will both turn out to be excellent
defenders.
Matt Bevan: I am
really impressed with Matt. He has got to be one of the best
goal-keepers I have ever known. If he carries on going like that, I
promise he'll be one of the best! I don't know him that well yet, but
I'm looking forward to getting to know him as a team mate and as a
friend.
Nimai Lilley: Nimai
is still working hard on his goal keeping skills. It's coming together
and he has had big improvements. I'm glad to have him as our second
player! |
|
Andrew Alexander Peterson Chandler -
Player / Vice Captain, born July 8, 1989: |
Positions: Left
Midfield, Right Midfield, Centre Forward, Wing Forward, Offensive
Midfielder.
Hobbies: Football,
going out, sport in general
Interests:
Football, Ice Hockey, Rugby and, of course, the drinks
Favourite football
team: Liverpool
Personal View of L.F.C.: Overall, I think the effort people
have made to put this club together will eventually turn it into a
solid team which may find itself on bigger stages year after year.
After our first few games, I feel that this club actually has somewhere
to go! I think, if we can keep the standard the same or even greater
than it is, then we'll have a future!
Views on key members on the team:
Saheb: Not only is
he my best friend, he's got something every team needs, pace. If you
put him through on a run the only thing that's gonna stop him is
himself! Hahaha! His trademark blistering shots are something you don't
wanna be in the way of! He's the man with the red boots. To add to
this, I'd like to thank him for the creation of this club.
Sam Huggins:
Arguably one of our top performers, his commitment and energy gives us
a great advantage on the right side and he's defo not afraid to put a
good foot in to a challenge. He's a bright star who possesses a lot of
speed and endurance and provides consistently good performances at the
back.
|
|
Akihiko Tse - Member and sometimes Team
Mascot, born March 24, 1991 |
|
Positions: Usually
anywhere in Defence and occasionally Mid Field
Interests: Football,
skateboarding, running, rugby, music's a must, going out and hanging out
with the homies, Girls and just cruisin’
Personal View of L.F.C.: Definitely a new experience playing
for a club organised solely by my friend. The enthusiasm and energy I
feel when I play with these guys is amazing. It's just fun in a
competitive attitude to play different teams in a fun atmosphere with
your friends and then being able to look back at all the good times we
had as a club.
Views of key members on the team:
Well, definitely our
skipper Saheb for contributing so much, to just make this club happen
and being a special player on the team by showing a strong attitude and
applying a strong attacking team along with both Chris and John who are
both valuable members of the team. |
|
Chris Davey - Striker, maybe dropping
deep and roaming a bit? |
|
Positions: Anywhere on the field, but generally a
holding position.
Hobbies: Lots of sport, playing guitar and many
random challenges.
Interests: Sports – Football since childhood and
now rugby and squash too.
Music – RATM and Smashing Pumpkins are probably my favourites.
Movies – Scary ones are best; Date Movie is probably the funniest...
Food – Italian food…
Other – Hanging out with friends and just having fun…
Favourite football team: Arsenal, simply the
greatest team of my generation! I've been supporting them since before
they became great – 1989 champions, 49 unbeaten, and top 2 finishers for
8 years in a row... Producing loads of top talent. Second team is
Swindon Town, one of the original Premiership sides, now a 1st Division
side… Then it's Liverpool – my dad supports them.
Personal view of L.F.C.:
I think the club has a lot of potential to do well at
their own standard and level; too high and it will struggle, too low and
it will be a walk-over. Each individual has the mental and physical
aspects needed in football, just work on tactics, teamwork and
discipline is needed, then generally getting to know each other's game
to play better football together, and then from there it's improvement
of basic football skills.
Views on key members on the team:
Personally, I think Sam H is an extremely hard working
player and it would do other players good to strive to play at the same
level throughout a match. Generally, the whole team is talented and hard
working. |
|
John Fielden - Player, born Nov 1,
1991: |
|
Positions: CM, RM, AM
Hobbies: Playing football, playing PS2.
Interests: Hanging out with friends
Favourite football team: Man U
Favourite player: Becks and Rooney
Personal view of L.F.C.:
With a few new additions to the squad we will be able to compete with
the best of teams.
View on key members on the
team:
Ben O’shaunessy is one of our star performers as he
proved against FIS, scoring a great goal on his debut. He is extremely
skillful, pacy and also very hard working.
Sam Lewis Wright is a very determined player, who never fails to give
his best every game. He's very tough tackling and strong on the ball.
His passing is also second to none. He may not be the fastest player on
the team, but he makes up for it with his skill. |
|
Max Ball - To help support the team
against ANYONE who opposes us!!! Born July 22, 1991: |
|
Positions: Center Back
Hobbies:
Skateboarding (favourite sport besides football, not much of a sport but
still you get sweaty), Guitar, Football, Music and a whole bunch of
things.
Personal view of L.F.C.:
I think that it's a great
thing for young students who have nothing else better to do than sit at
home all day. With the L.F.C. we can all get off our asses and start
doing something that we all enjoy. What's even better is that it's a
team of friends who all get along really well which also really helps
with our play. Saheb Ambekar is definitely the brains behind this, it
was his idea to start the team. Without him, we would probably not be
doing something as fun as playing football with our friends on a
Saturday.
Overall, I think that the
L.F.C. is a great thing for us because it helps bring us closer together
and it lets us do something that we really love.
View on key members on the
team:
Andrew Peterson - He's
definitely the link to most of our goals. When he's out there playing
football he owns the pitch. He also helps a lot by shouting at us and
giving us commands like "What are you doing? Get your ass back in
Defence!". This actually helps a lot because it helps get the team
to play better. Overall, he's a great football player and a nice guy to
be with.
Mathew Bevan - a fantastic
goalie, this guy seriously knows what he's doing! When he's in the goal,
he doesn't look the the type of guy who'd play goalie. But once you see
him play it's amazing; he'll dive, jump and leap for every ball that
comes his way. |
|
Sam Lewis-Wright - Born Nov 1, 1991: |
|
Position: Centre
Midfield, Right Midfield. Centre Defense
Hobbies: Rugby,
Horseracing, Golf, Boxing
Favorite Football Team:
Arsenal, come on, Gunners……………
Favorite Player:
Thierry Henry
Personal view of L.F.C.:
I think L.F.C. should have
more training sessions and I think we need a few more coaches to help
out with the team. Besides that, I think L.F.C. has a lot of potential
and can achieve many great things.
Thank you every one who has a part in L.F.C. Keep up the good work,
boys!
View on key members on the
team:
Tim Sutton is the best
defender we have on the team by far, with the most experience and he
holds the defense together. He also has a good sense of humor and makes
everyone laugh when the team is down. He also makes good runs and sets
up a few goals.
John Fielden is a good
player in the centre of midfield. We play well together and I enjoy
playing with John who's a good player and a great friend. John is a very
strong player, he's not afraid of putting a hard challenge in.
The L.F.C. has a lot of
young talent in the team. A very good young player is Itay Dallman. He
has a lot potential to become a good player and lead the team to many
victories in the future.
Saheb, I want to say thank
you for putting all of this together. I really appreciate it and I'm
sure the team does as well. If you didn't put all this time and energy
into building a solid team, I don't think the Lamma Football Club would
have lasted this long. I hope you score many spectacular goals! |
June 10: 'Entropy, Virtual Particles,
Black Holes, Baby Universes and a Penthouse Magazine Subscription'
 An Alert Reader just emailed me:
"I had to laugh. I notice Prof Red Star is at it
again. I saw in the education paper that comes out with the SCM Post he has
written an article on Stephen Hawking visiting HK and quantum theory.
"What next I wonder?"
Yes, what next, Prof Red Star, as he'll be officially
known henceforth on Lamma, not just in this august publication but also on
High Street and by his numerous ardent admirers & loyal friends. May many a
free pint come his way from adoring wannabe disciples eager for his learned
words of wisdom. Let him regale us with fascinating factoids and deep
insights about:
"Entropy, Virtual Particles, Black Holes, Baby Universes and
a Penthouse Magazine Subscription",
or about the 11-dimensional nature of the infinite M-brane multiverse,
or about his widely known, highly acclaimed biblical scholarship (The Da
Vinci Code commentator and cracker),
or about the high merits of the editorial articles in Penthouse Magazine,
or about the "Red Star Rising" after a particularly fierce Black Hole-like
hangover,
or even about the technical intricacies of Muay Thai kickboxing KO rules!
 Prof Red Star is indeed a true
Renaissance man possessing a veritable, precious cornucopia overflowing with
so many wonderful talents and manifold skills! I'm sure he even knows what a
"cornucopia" is and can talk fluently and passionately about it for 15
minutes without any preparation!
We all should feel so honoured and truly privileged that he
calls our humble little island home and often shares his wisdom freely with
us mere mortals when we are fortunate enough to meet him in person around
the village (he's shorter than he looked on TV!), usually pretty late at
night, when his restless, tireless, fertile mind is probably working on
solving another ancient conundrum or modern mystery of the universe!
Long live Prof Red Star!
 P.S.
Read more about this true Laudable Lamma Luminary in
former Lamma-zine Blog stories (search for
"Red Star Rising"); plus our recent story about the
"Photojournalist, Rock Idol & Biblical
Scholar!"
Photos shot from TV
during his recent TV appearance.
P.S. II: Email response from
Prof Red Star after seeing the story above:
"Blimey. Was I really worth another story - just for writing that????!!!!
I suppose I'll have to give that lecture soon!!!!!
Seriousy, though, it is all very interesting stuff . . . and I get to cover
Hawking's visit on Thursday. I'll send you a pic or two."
So our Prof is not just a highly
respected scholar but also sooooo humble! Wow!
We assume that he'll be giving that promised lecture (see above) TOGETHER
with Dr Stephen Hawking next Tuesday at HK University of Science and
Technology?
He could engage in
a hot live scientific debate about who has the deeper understanding of the
latest theories in cosmology, M-theory and 11-dimensional Super Gravity
theory. Prof Red Star's affable and authoritative voice against Dr Hawking's
amazing speech synthesizer, a truly epic showdown!
June 9: 'What's Your Lifescape
Enchantment?'
Many of us Lammaites are grateful for leading a kind of
enchanted life. A modest, simple, low-cost, low-maintenance life, often
working from home, with lots of time for family, friends and all kinds of
hobbies. Many have have moved to Lamma from other parts of HK as rent
refugees or rat race drop-outs, or were just in search of better air, a
green environment, a garden, a great place for having pets and bringing up
kids.
But for many of us quality of life has now become so much
more important than quantity of accumulated unnecessary consumer goods.
Life's priorities and direction often change dramatically after living on
Lamma for a while and we start to enjoy our "enchanted life" here, making
the best of it. We become grateful for the many blessings and advantages of
living here, far outweighing the little inconveniences and misgivings that
are admittedly also part of our daily existence.
Let's welcome Laurence who's moved to Lamma part-time
recently and is holding a series of 6 seminars about the
Enchantments of Life, starting tonight or Sunday (details by
clicking on the flyer above). Laurence has one of the most impressive and
awe-inspiring list of titles I've ever come across:
Life Change Facilitator, Mystic, Psychologist, Shaman,
Co-Founder of Planetary Perceptions, Visionary Mapmaker of Human Evolution.
Fit all of that onto a name card! Despite all these high-falutin'
titles he's a great, fun and humble guy. We and our "life partners" enjoyed
a great, very tasty Indian dinner at his home. It was a little exception
from his usual organic, vegetarian "no salt, no fat, no oil, no sugar" diet,
which had Lamma-Por & I, both life-long omnivores, quite worried when
receiving their dinner invitation.
Anyway, Laurence's seminars will take place in Sha Po
Village (first introductory seminar tonight or Sunday noon. $100, no
further commitments, Tel. 9327 3996). He'll discuss these fascinating
seminar topics below which sound totally mysterious to a simple fool like
myself and might be way beyond the comprehension of my overly-rationalist,
scientifically-trained brain?
"Your Enchanting Life", "The Dance of Passion and Grace",
"The Emperor's Striptease", "Babylon Sings", "The Realm of the Ring Lords",
and the "Matrix of the Mystics".
I've become very curious now. See you at the intro seminar?
June 8: Lamma Football Club
Just in time for
the start of the Football World Cup in Germany tomorrow, a few photos of the
L.F.C. competing in a tourney on May 28:
All photos by Dan Peterson, proud
dad of Andrew (above right); except last photo by L-G, also showing
Captain Saheb Ambekar, Deli Prafull's pride & joy.
More about the
Lamma Football Club, see Sunday, June 11.
June 7: More Stanley Dragonboating
Photos...
The new
HK Photography
Club did one of their monthly outings to the Stanley Dragonboating
recently. I asked them via their cheerleader Leggova to publish some
of their best photos I selected from their many great shots, including the
Lamma Ladies. They all gave me permission. Thanks to all these fine, budding
photographers! More photos in their Flickr photo gallery.
Click to enlarge
photos (as is usual with most photos in the Lamma-zine):
  
Photo credits: 3 x Leggova
  
Photo credits: udsigt,
Martyn
Currey (www.martynandjanet.com),
Leggova
  
Photo credits: 2 x
Martyn
Currey (www.martynandjanet.com),
Mad_Mick
June 6: 'Lamma Ladies Score Hattrick
!!!'
|
Gina Miller - Lamma Ladies Team Captain: |
|
 The
2006 season was a record year for the Lamma Ladies with everything
culminating on Dragon Boat Festival Day on Wednesday, May 31, at
Stanley.
Despite threats of being rained out, the Stanley races
proceeded (remarkably close to schedule) with more than 180 teams and an
alleged 10,000 spectators. That was a whole lot of witnesses to see the
Lamma Ladies snatch back the Gold Cup from the jaws of death. Death
being, of course, The X-Women, who have hoarded the cup in their own
little trophy cabinet for the past two years, and also the team that
used to be the best in the league (till Wednesday, anyway), the Hong
Kong IPC.
 The Lamma Ladies victory in an amazing set of finals made a
neat hat trick of three fabulous gold cups this season. So, were the
Lamma Ladies ecstatic? You bet your sweet butts they were. Tears of joy
were shed and the ladies had a mass boo-hoo on the beach in celebration
of a nail-biter series. What a bunch of girlies!
The X-women had been heading for their own hat trick but
the Lamma Ladies, sorely missing the trophy since being robbed of it in
2003, were pink and determined. And when a bunch of ladies wearing
bright pink set their sights on something, best get out of their way!
 As for our other gold-medal victories: the ladies joined the
Lamma fishermen at Cheung Chau for their traditional races last Sunday.
The weather made the day all the more memorable: Rain, rain and more
rain!
Bad weather has come to characterize this season's
racing.
At Cheung Chau, the ladies entered two powerful teams
aiming for gold and silver. We had been feeling so strong this season
and were extremely confident. However, an unfortunate draw for the first
heats had the silver team knocked out of the competition. Things got
hotter and hotter as Team Lamma Gold paddled on through the heats,
pushing ourselves forward with every powerful stroke. It looked tough,
but with our training throughout the season, we still had a whole lot
more steam in our paddles!
 As for our first gold of the season: well that too was in
rough weather conditions. A brutal typhoon in Boracay created something
that was more of a surfing competition than a dragon boat race but...
what the hell! We won, we danced, and we partied!
Bugsay Boracay -- the wonderful, energetic and fun
team of largely indigenous Boracayans who looked after Lamma so well
(fed us booze and actual victuals – imaging that!) while we visited them
-- are in Hong Kong for the internationals. To return the hospitality
Lamma are hosting Bugsay at the Lamcombe Saturday June 3. So when you
hear their drums, and the shouts of fun, you will know who's partying! |
June 5: Indonesia Earthquake Relief @
Island Bar
  
Photos
above: Earthquake Disaster in Central Java; violin prodigy Louie Wada
with the donation box and the cheque presentation to John Sayer, Director
General, Oxfam Hong Kong. (1st photo above by Oxfam, all others in this
story supplied by The Island Bar)
Indonesia
Earthquake Disaster Relief - Fund Night Live Music:
Saturday, June 3, from 8:30pm, Island Bar.
Dan Peterson, The Island Bar: "The charity event
on Saturday raised HK$5,136, topped up to $6,000 by the Island Bar. A
very successful effort for Lamma, thanks to a great group of entertainers
and our caring, generous and fun-loving customers - and a real help for the
relief efforts of Oxfam."
Kumar Binney, Manager, Co-owner, The Island Bar:
"Once again this reflects the caring and generous nature not only of our
customers, but also of the Lamma community. The readiness of our neighbours
here to always be willing to help out another community in a time of need is
one of the many things that makes Lamma unique and such a great place to
live. A big Thank You to Lamma on behalf of The Island Bar and of those in
need who don't have the means to say thanks themselves."
   
  
Musicians: John Hutton, Dave May, Rie Wada, Louie
Wada, Roy Stark (who lives on Lantau it turns out), Dan James,
plus a couple of friends of Rie (one of whom apparently plays for the
Philharmonic).
P.S. The
Island Bar is well-prepared for Football World Cup viewing with their
legal Thai satellite hook-up and the huge 42" plasma screen!
June 4: Lamma Photo of the Day
Gallery
Since April 18, we've published a Photo of the Day on this
home page and several other top-level pages. Almost a dozen photographers
have sent us their best shots by posting them in the Photo of the day
forum and then I've selected one per day to showcase it on the home
page
But we need more photos to keep this going on a daily basis
and make it into a permanent photographic record of the best of Lamma
photos! Amateur and professional photographers, send us your best photos of
Lamma! Anything, nature, people, animals, B/W, historic, anything Lamma- or
Lammaite-related! Not just pretty pictures, but unusual, creative, artistic,
funny and rare ones are most welcome! See some examples from 5 different
photographers below. Post them in the Lamma Photo of the
Day forum yourself or
email them to me directly.
I'll play the photo editor and will publish one photo per
day on the home page and add it to the photo gallery below. Full photo
credits for you, of course, including email and website links, if you like.
What are you waiting for? Dig out your best shots and get them published as
"Photo of the Day" with your name or nickname!
June 3: Party on, Dudes & Dudettes!
Lamma has such a small population (around 6,000), but
there's often so much going on, especially these weeks before the long, hot
& lazy summer break.
There are four major public events this weekend alone, and that's just the
ones I have been informed of by the
organisers:
Indonesia earthquake relief
concert, photography exhibition opening, Coleman's Beach party and a Tree
Planting Day. Click on posters below for full details or check
out our Events Calendar
regularly.
Send
me an email if you want more people to attend YOUR next public
event, concert or party!
Plus there'll be an unknown but considerable number of
private and semi-private parties happening on rooftops and in gardens, IF
the weather improves. Otherwise we'll just move inside into bars,
restaurants and our homes to party on!
Indonesia Earthquake Disaster
Relief - Fund Night Live Music:
Saturday, June 3, from 8:30pm, Island Bar.
 
June 2: Best of the Best of the
Chinese Forums - May 2006
|
Samson
- Official Court Moderator of All Chinese forums: |
-
Love is in the Air!
 
 Two of our most-treasured members,
nicole_kam and the farmland are getting married! Best
wishes from all of us in the Chinese forum!
Read more...
-
Blustery Pearl:
The first typhoon of the year, Chanchu (which translates to pearl)
missed Hong Kong, Bunny-rabbit recalled shooting a digital
video during the last T8 – Typhoon Kompasu back in July 2004!
Read more...
-
 Lamma 1:
Following the announcement of the asking price of
Lammarina, or officially “Lamma 1”, the discussion on this super
luxurious housing project became active again with a discussion on the
impact it will have on the Lamma lifestyle as we know it.
Read more...
-
The New Occupant of Lamma
Bistro is…
After much speculation since renovations began at the
ex-Lamma Bistro site, the real new occupant is the electrical
appliances store that was next to Aroy Thai. They bought the place
outright. Read more...
-
Moverama:
While Kashikoi introduced himself as a new arrival,
a few of us "oldies" are moving about. Yes, the Official Court
Moderator of All Chinese Forums is snowballing from Tai Peng down to
Sha Po! Read more...
-
 Wakey
Snakey, Creepy Crawlies:
Summer is just around the corner, and there are already a
few reported sightings of snakes and other creepy crawlies, like
spiders, centipedes and geckoes! Read more...
-
Star Guitar:
Music indeed makes the people come together, and we have
this second hand guitar buying and selling corner…
Read more...
-
Central Super:
Where are the supermarkets near the Central ferry pier?
Read more...
|
 June
1: 'Images of
Hong Kong'
June's
Lamma-zine Artist of the Month is Lammaite photographer
Vicky
Baker! She's been a forum member almost from the very beginning 4
years ago. She's got her first photo exhibition
June 3-30 in the Gecko Lounge Bar in
Central, Lower Hollywood Rd.;
opening reception will be on Sat, June 3, from 8pm.
 Being low-profile and reluctant about self-promotion, the following
info is all I could manage to get out of her. Asking her for a good photo of
herself, see left! But you'll surely agree that her amazing photos below
more than speak for themselves. For inquiries, email
Vicky:
"The theme
of the exhibition is
Images of Hong Kong, and I've included many aspect of Hong Kong in
this, from city neon to nature photographs.
I've been living in Hong Kong for 9 years, and taking photos for 8 of those.
Oh gawd, self promotion is hard, isn't it? I hope this is enough?"
Yes, it is,
Vicky! (Click on poster and self-portrait to enlarge. Click below
for her Art
Gallery!)
Read more of last month's stories... |
