Archives: Stories Sorted by  Date

     2004: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

     2005: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

     2006: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

Sep 30:  What's
"The Panther" up to These Days?

It's been a while since Lamma's Muay Thai World Champion became an ex-Lammaite by moving out of his Sha Po Old Village G/F flat with his gfriend, moving to HK Island to be closer to the Impakt gym that he set up with his partners. While visiting some of his many friends he has on our island he left a stack of promotional postcards behind (below).

Click on the banner below to get more details of his gym, maybe even sign up for a test lesson in Impakt HK.

Guys, don't you want biceps and abs like Alain? Ladies, how about being fit and healthy like Joey?

Sep 29:  Lamma Bands Autumn Season

The autumn musical season is heating up with performances by some old and new Lamma bands. Click above or below for details of their next gigs:

Sep 28:  Lamma Seafood Festival

Walking through Main Street these days, some "Participating Restaurants" have signs and crab-shaped lanterns outside, offering free clam dishes. Pick up the brochure above or click here for the online brochure.

Here's a much more detailed list of Lamma restaurants than in the printed version, with detailed contact info for all these places.

Each of these restaurants has their own section in our Bar/Restaurants forum where you can leave your comments and reviews, even give them ratings.

Click above to zoom in on this HK Tourism Board promotion, a part of the HK-wide Culinary Delights promo from Sep 30 - Oct 15. Click below for Chinese brochure.

Sep 27:  What Is Lamma?

Quoting from a book review of Jan Alexander's "Getting to Lamma" - "a satirical novel of love and politics in post-Tiananmen China". It actually mentions Lamma on just a few pages:

"What is Lamma? It is a South China Sea island full on plantain trees and ex-patriates who have just returned from remote corners of the world.

It's a place to invest in affordable real estate. Farmers plant rice there and lawyers handling joint venture contracts stream to the 7 a.m. ferry, freelance photographers stagger from the party last night, on their way to catch another flight out. Not many get to Lamma and stay there; it's a life of glorious impermanence."

Lamma has changed quite a lot since this was written in the last millennium, pre-Handover. Or has it? The more things change the more they stay the same...

I've been one of those "freelance photographers staggering from the party last night" myself (only very rarely, of course!). But I'm also one of those "not many who get to Lamma and stay there", enjoying my "life of glorious impermanence".

But where's the affordable real estate? We also haven't noticed any Lamma rice farmers around here recently!

Sep 26:  HK Copy News #2

© 2006 MomentEye.com. Click here for feedback!

Sep 25:  Trap/Neuter/Release a Photo Story

e - Chairperson, Lamma Animal Welfare Centre.

The Lamma-zine welcomes contributions in Chinese & other languages!
We'll translate them and publish them bilingually.  (Photos below by e)


Lamma Animal Welfare Centre (LAWC) has always based its services on northern Lamma. Recently, we have extended our services to southern Lamma. Last Wednesday (Sep 20) - at the request from a resident in Mo Tat Wan - we went and picked up 4 feral cats and arranged for them to be de-sexed at the SPCA. One of the cats was even chosen for re-homing! All the others have been returned to their village.

On Sunday (Sep 24), the LAWC feral cat service team headed out to Lo So Shing. We had the kind help of a friend who sailed us there and back. We spent more than 2 hours there and trapped 5 feral cats. All were sent to the SPCA for the de-sexing operation and were returned to Lo So Shing on Monday evening. When we returned the 5 feral cats to Lo So Shing, our volunteer was able to pick up a very friendly feral cat mother and her 2 baby kittens. They are now at our Centre and will be cared for until they can find a home.

The Colony Cat Care Programme (CCCP) is part of the work of LAWC. Trap-Neuter-Release is the basis for CCCP. The aim is to control the number of feral cats and caring for their health. An additional result is that they will not become a nuisance to the community. If you have any queries regarding this programme, or if you know of locations on Lamma where there are feral cats that have not been desexed, please contact us at 2982-0800 or info@lammaanimals.org.

Here are some pictures we took during the Lo So Shing trapping session.

Sep 24:  Lamma Fair!

Bobby Chiu - Chinese forum member and regular contributor to "Lamma Photo of the Day"  (translated from Chinese by Samson. Click here for the original text & pictures):

The Lamma Fair was successfully held at the Tai Wan Tennis Court last Sunday, Sep 17. This community event - organised by the Hans Andersen Club - has again rendered young Lammaites of various cultural backgrounds an enjoyable day out.

The main theme of this year’s event was the “Barter Market Scheme”, which was designed to boost the community spirit and a sense of belonging while promoting the environmental-friendly principles of “reducing” and “reusing”. During the Lamma Fair, kids used reward points (which they collected when they turned in their 2nd hand goods to the Hans Andersen Club a week prior to the event) to barter for gifts.

This on-line photo album is dedicated to those who missed this great event.

There were lots of fun-filled game stalls! A jigsaw was teaching a lesson on the history and the many changes that have occurred on Lamma. Other games promoted quality family time and cultural harmony. The snacks bar served some of the best local traditional treats, like the highly-popular malt candies. Finally, an all-important gifts stall, where everyone was a winner!

This on-line photo album is dedicated to those who missed this great event.

Sep 23:  Peace.Love.Unity.Respect

Do you crave to spend the weekend at a free "Outdoor Trance Gathering", where a "TRIP continues with the psychedelic force of Buddha Power"?

Ameet - TRIP Records, party organiser

Hello to all the beautiful sunshine people of planet Earth!

We are having a release party outdoors for a Record Label based in Japan... Please go through the flyer given in the attachment... [Click on poster above - Editor]

We hope to see our finest "Jugglers & Pimps" in full action that night to connect with alien species from outer space...

Please come well geared with all your belongings from home (nothing will be served on the beach; FREE party!!!) for meeting extraterrestrials on that night as we would be sending them an invitation through warped sounds through the music to connect with us...

Oh well!!! Hope to see all of you there that evening/night & please spread the news....Thank you!!

Peace.Love.Unity.Respect

Wishing you all great health & prosperity & psychedelics!!!!!

Bom Bom!!!

Click for poster and details!

If Trance Gatherings are not your thing and don't "float your boat", literally, how about supporting Garoupa to win the regional finals of the World Battle of the Bands? Tonight at the Cavern, top of d'Aguilar Street in Lan Kwai Fong? Click on poster on left for details!

Or how about watching the Official Court Artist making a fool of himself in his "Dress up the Hachiko" creative event in the Festival Walk shopping mall, every afternoon today, tomorrow and all next weekend. Poster on the right.

Or do you prefer to stay on the island? If you can read Chinese, there's an event for you below, incl. a Lucky Draw with big prizes sponsored by local businesses. It's the Mid-Autumn Carnival in the Football Pitch. Click for more details.

Sep 22:  Disabled Dog Delivers Yippy Inspiration

Jay Scott Kanes - STBWFLA (Soon-To-Become-World-Famous Lamma Author). His story and pictures published with friendly permission from his Lamma-based Cairns Media Magazine. Check it out for more great stories!

Mimi, a tiny dog living on Lamma Island in Hong Kong, teaches every human she encounters valuable lessons on how best to deal with life's hard knocks.

"She really does," said Sheila McClelland, who directs Lamma Animal Protection (LAP), an animal-welfare charity. The 18-month-old mini-Pomeranian came into Sheila's care earlier this year.

Injured in an attack by a larger canine, the jet-black, silky dog suffered paralysis in her hindquarters. Mimi's owners weren't sure how to care for her, so Sheila took the task.

Little more than ankle-high, Mimi inspires with a remarkably chipper personality and can-do attitude. Misplaced pity evaporates as she refuses to show dismay or regrets.

"She's delightfully good-spirited, well-behaved and gentle," Sheila said.

I encountered Sheila, together with Mimi and several other LAP dogs, on a small beach. Equipped with a wheeled frame to support her inert rear legs, Mimi yipped gleefully while racing across the sand, into the ocean and back.

Homeward bound, Mimi set the pace uphill. Her front legs pounded the path, and wheels churned. As I jogged ahead to photograph this tiny miracle, she accelerated, and I needed an all-out sprint to overtake the tiny dog. I aimed my camera, but the target moved too fast, tough to keep in-frame. At best, she appeared as a dark blur.

Always active, Mimi resides at Sheila's hillside home along with more than 20 dogs and 15 cats, most awaiting adoption. Mimi's the smallest, except for kittens. She also needs the most care. Paralysis renders her unable to control urination. Four times a day, Sheila or an assistant carries Mimi to a chosen spot and squeezes the tiny dog's rear belly, manually emptying her bladder.

Mimi returns all favors with her affection and positive outlook. Even without wheels, Mimi drags her back-legs across smooth floor tiles fast enough to stay at Sheila's heels. Sometimes she pauses to wrestle with a cat, and they grapple until Mimi realizes that Sheila has moved elsewhere. Then the tiny dog scoots in pursuit.

Technically, Mimi's available for adoption, like other LAP animals. But Sheila plans to keep this tiny companion. "Mimi would need a remarkable family," she said. "Most people lack the time to give her adequate care and affection."

Sheila's proud of Mimi, the small dog with a giant spirit. And truthfully, Mimi may be the most cheerful dog in Hong Kong.

Sep 21:  TVB Pearl Featuring Lamma

Monday, Sep 18, 7-7:30pm, TVB Pearl (Chinese): Travel report on Po Toi and Lamma Island (So Kwu Wan's Fisherfolk's Village, plus 5 minutes Yung Shue Wan):

The following local celebrities were interviewed: Gavin & Gary from the Herboland organic farm, Hayri from Best Kebab, Ken from Bookworm Cafe.

Sep 20:  HK Copy News, Issue #1

HK Copy News - a weekly satirical round-up of Hong Kong news. Original comedy animation from Lamma-based MomentEye.com.

Motto: "HK Copy News - just like the real news, but cheaper."

(Sorry for the ad after the animation has finished playing,
but it's added by the animation's hosting company)

Sep 19:  'Diseños Latinos' by Barnaby Bruce -
Lamma-zine Artist of the Month
Sep 2006

Barnaby Bruce - Photographer. He's the non-identical twin brother of Sam Bruce, Lamma's famous trumpeter. Barnaby has an exhibition opening on Sep 26 in the Fringe Club! Here's the very informative Artist's Statement:

Musician and photographer, Barnaby Bruce is presenting his first exhibition in Hong Kong: 'diseños latinos – latin designs', the fruits of an intense journey into the heart of Cuba and Latin America.

Having played Afro-Cuban percussion for some 16 years, including a couple of stints studying in New York, the time was ripe for Barnaby to take his passion to the source.

In a 9-month trip, including 6 months in Cuba, he became immersed in the world of Santeria, the Afro-Cuban religion of the Lucumí, which combines the beliefs of the West African Yoruba peoples with Catholic symbolism. He also traveled extensively around Guatemala, and the Mexican states of Yucatan and Chiapas.

He used this opportunity to capture with his camera the striking and hidden patterns and images, both man-made and natural, which he encountered. Photos are forbidden in the most important Santeria ceremonies, and Barnaby wanted to avoid the familiar cigars’n’cars furrow which many photographers plough when documenting Cuba. Focusing on details, on a small and large scale, he attempts to create images which are mysterious, and evocative.

Sep 26 - Oct 7, fringe gallery, 2 Lower Albert Rd: "photographs from cuba, mexico and guatemala, by barnaby bruce".

Here are three more of Barnaby's amazing photographs. To see even more, you'll have to visit the gallery in person! Or you could convince Barnaby personally to show you more photos, by whatever means you have at your disposal to "convince" him, for example drinks, cash, charm or "gentle persuasion"...

Cloud Tree - Stone Bench - Baseball Stadium

More photos will be added to this fledgling art gallery after the end of the Fringe Gallery exhibition!

Sep 18:  Taking Sole Responsibility for My Safety

Peacock Pansy [Junonia alamana]

Can you find the 2nd bug above?

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Grasshopper
(Click any photo in this story to enlarge)

Where did I take these photos today? In an area that was just a barren, dirt-covered construction site one year ago: the temporary helipad, the location of the future sewage treatment plant. It has grown over now and turned into a temporary little wildlife paradise, a true oasis full of beautiful wildflowers, tall grasses, lively hedges, many species of butterflies and colourful insects.

It's fenced off at the front and the gate remains locked, but this doesn't stop people exploring or walking their dogs in there. The warning notice at the entry gate says that you'll have "to take sole responsibility for your safety" in there and that "the authorities concerned shall not accept any responsibility", but the sign does NOT forbid entry!

 It's a man-made, flat area used only about twice a week for a few minutes by emergency helicopters. A safe, quiet and people-free oasis, so close but also so far away from the hustle and bustle of Yung Shu Wan Village.

There's also a mysterious, brand-new "Stairway to Heaven" inside the fenced area, leading to nowhere up a concreted slope. The padlocked gate ("No Unauthorised Entry") didn't stop me from a little climb just outside the stairway all the way up, taking "sole responsibility for my safety". But a little slip could have meant the end of the Lamma-zine - as a worst-case scenario. This climb is definitely NOT recommended and I take responsibility only for my own stupidity!

But the view over the helipad's wildlife oasis and the entire Banyan Bay is quite impressive. But what purpose does this fancy staircase to nowhere serve at all?

All too soon this will all turn into a massive sewage treatment plant. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2008, right after the permanent helipad will be completed on a platform in the harbour connected by a bridge on pillars (to be located left in the photo above).

The area won't be almost pristine and untouched for much longer (see right). It will soon turn into a construction site for the permanent helipad. Construction was scheduled to start last April (according to my last info).

In the meantime, I've got to upgrade my trusty little pocket snapshooter to a *real* dSLR camera for some quality flora/fauna and people photos in the near future...

Sep 17:  Triumphs and Tragedies for the Animals' Pal

Jay Scott Kanes - STBWFLA (Soon-To-Become-World-Famous Lamma Author). His story and pictures published with friendly permission from his Lamma-based Cairns Media Magazine. Check it out for more great stories!

For Sheila McClelland, the greatest friend four-legged creatures could imagine, settling on Lamma Island in Hong Kong 16 years ago led to a life-altering experience.

The credit goes to a dog named Boodhai. “I saw him in the village being held up by a little paw when he was four weeks old,” Sheila said. “At the time, dogs scared me. But I looked into Boodhai’s lovely eyes and became smitten. I couldn’t resist and took him home. His pure innocence totally changed my attitudes.”

Later Sheila established Lamma Animal Protection (LAP), a charity operated by volunteers to protect animals and limit their numbers through sterilization. Most active in rescue and adoption, LAP joins the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Hong Kong Dog Rescue, Hong Kong Alley Cat Watch and the Lamma Animal Welfare Centre among Hong Kong’s most animal-friendly groups.

Born in Ireland, Sheila, a freelance English teacher, grew up in Ghana. She has lived in the US, England and Brazil.

Typically, Sheila and her English husband, John Elphinstone, who heads a media production company, share their hillside home with more than 20 dogs and 15 cats, most awaiting adoption. They’ve rescued birds, chinchillas, rabbits, guinea pigs and turtles too.

“We have lovely cats and dogs looking for homes,” Sheila said. Her roll-call has memorable names like Goldie, Hunter, Copper, Sheba, Mimi, Quinn and Puff Teddy. She also supervises a foster-home network to feed and shelter dozens more animals.

Some pets easily find new homes. Others stay for years. “We’ve cared for innumerable ones,” Sheila said. “Really, I couldn’t estimate how many.”

“One month, we had 47 neo-natal kittens in our house, and they exhausted us. Each time I fed a litter, I’d need to change my garment to avoid cross-infecting. By the time I reached the end, I’d need to start again.”

When interviewed, Sheila basked in satisfaction at homing four animals the previous day. “We always ask questions and try to match a family’s lifestyle to an animal’s personality,” Sheila said. “Sometimes we’ve made mistakes, but none we couldn’t rectify.”

Success can stir elation. But if things turn tragic, anguish ensues. “It’s deeply emotional,” Sheila said. “Every animal’s an individual. I’ve never met two dogs or cats with similar characters. Each is utterly different. It’s heartbreaking if they fall ill or die. Yet it’s still rewarding to give them the best chance or a dignified end. Of course, the greatest pleasure comes when you have beautiful, bouncing, furry, bright-eyed, gorgeous animals. I know it’s worthwhile.”

Many animals entering Sheila’s care have suffered from human cruelty. Some were beaten, burned, neglected or dumped like litter.

“When I walk past rubbish bins, I often hear kittens inside,” Sheila said. “I’ve seen puppies tossed like balls. Once I found kittens covered in wet cement. Luckily, my friend Karen Argyle had long fingernails and picked the drying cement away from their nostrils. They’re fine now, but we still talk about the concrete kitties.”

Why do people abuse animals? “Ignorance,” Sheila said. “They lack empathy or don’t realize the pain inflicted. They just try to get rid of something unwanted.”

Similarly, Sheila’s horrified by incidents of poisoned food left for unsuspecting animals. At age 10, Boodhai, her first dog, died in a poisoning case.

Gradually, Sheila realized that coping with homeless animals required spaying and neutering them. Working with veterinarian Hans de Vries and the SPCA, she has de-sexed more than 500 feral cats.

When Sheila appears in Lamma’s largest village, wagging tails, outstretched paws and friendly woofs surround her – not from her own animals, but from those she’s helped to find happy homes. These adoring fans swarm her like groupies around a rock-star. “That’s lovely,” she said. “I’m glad they remember me and want to visit.”

Even humans benefit. “Constantly, I receive photos and videos of animals that we’ve homed,” Sheila said. “People update us, saying how wonderful the animals are. We’ve made the human companions happy too.”

While seeking permanent or foster homes for animals, LAP accepts donations and welcomes enquiries via its Website (www.LAP.org.hk) or email to sheila@lap.org.hk.

Click to enlarge:

Canines named Copper, left, and Sheba snuggle while waiting for adoption.

Mimi, a handicapped dog who runs on wheels, joins Sheila at the beach.

Sheila's adoring family surrounds her.

A senior cat craves attention.

Sheila cleans and cares for kittens.

Sep 16:  FAQ for Wannabe-Lammaites

Are you considering moving to Lamma Island some day? If yes, maybe the answers to these Frequently Asked Questions about Lamma might help you in your decision. They were posed by new forum member Lammaita (great nickname!) who's considering to move here from overseas. Welcome!

Lammaita (questions) & tjungarayi (answers)

Tjungarayi is a frequent Lamma-zine contributor and the newly appointed sole Official Court Tourism Ambassador of this website!)

On Lamma:

Q: What's the jogging scene like? Any easy, fun 5K course?

A: There are of course certain rules to jogging on this island now. You must wear bright yellow spandex shorts, a teeny tiny top with a fashionable logo, designer sunglasses and very expensive running shoes.
Similar rules apply to mountain-biking.

Q: Is the island under the flight path?

A: Alien space craft zoom over all the time - or at least I think so. The occasional Chinese missile tests.

Q: In your opinion, how is Lamma different from Lantau and Cheung Chau, in terms of its environment, people, lifestyle?

A: Women here on Lamma grow thicker luxurient beards, men have the distinguishable bifurbicated penises. Lamma is the real Disneyland, a haircut costs $50 and the best curried fishballs this side of the Pacific are sold.

Q: What do you love most about Lamma?

A: Lack of adequate sewage facilities, smell and appearance of dog faeces early in the morning and the horde when it visits on the weekends and the panoramic view of the white satanic mills at sunset. I must not forget the purr of Village Vehicles early in the morning.


On location:

Q: Say you're single with a budget of $2,500-$4,000, where about on Banyan Bay would you stay, which floor, and why?

A: I would definitely be on the ground floor as I like centipedes, other people's dogs and cats treating my porch as a toilet and I can't fall very far.


On public transport:

Q: Are dogs allowed on buses, mini buses, tram, water taxis and MTR?

A: Yes dogs and cats can get special 'dogpus' cards for all transport and use at 7-Elevens for those in need of hurried victuals.

As for all the public transport options you're asking about: none of them exist on Lamma and the only motorised traffic permitted are one-person open transport carts (Village Vehicles) which will try their best to run you down.


On serviced apartments:

Q: Which serviced apt. on Lamma accommodate pets?

A: None, because there aren't any real serviced apartments here, just holiday resorts with more of a relaxed self-service attitude who usually welcome dogs.


On Pak Kok Village:

Q: How long does it take one to get to Pak Kok on foot from the Yung Shue Wan pier?

A: It depends on your state of sobriety. Some have claimed to run it in 12 minutes (while nobody was watching and timing them, of course). Others still haven't arrived yet and settled halfway, populating Gaia Valley.

The really lazy ones don't walk at all, but take the ferry from YSW or Aberdeen directly to Pak Kok...

Q: What is it like up there, full of hillbillies, local rednecks?

A: Yes sir-ree! And we'll shoot ya on sight. Damned yuppies!


On books:

Q: Do the bugs residing on Lamma have an appetite for books? If so, how should one deal with the situation. Storing them in boxes doesn't really help to inflate my ego, as I lurve the ostentatious display.

A: Store them and use e-books. Leave Aristotle's 'Ethics' on display on your computer if you wish to impress.


On food:

Q: Say you're a picky eater, where do you get your bread and groceries from (on/off-island)?

A: Oh, definitely the city!shopper in the IFC mall! It's so much more expensive and pretentious than our many cute little Lamma shops and you can flaunt your green city!shopper plastic bag full of tofu and edible fungi at the poor.

Hope this helps.

What, you were looking for serious answers? On this website? 

Well, OK, here are some serious answers, but this time only, as we're quite eager and welcoming to attract a few more people to live here! Everybody's welcome!

Click here for serious answers!

Sep 15:  Intense Prolonged Sequences of Disaster and Peril

Doesn't this title sound like a marriage turned really bad?

No, no, it's a movie warning! With a warning like this in a US movie rating - shown on a DVD before the movie - don't you just know it'll be an exciting movie? This warning comes from the "Poseidon" movie which can be described in just three words: "Titanic upside-down". But where did I get the DVD from? By mail!

This website is trying a new way of raising much-needed cash for a major marketing initiative planned for the Lamma Fun Day on Oct 22: affiliate programs!

We've recently become an affiliate of Movieflys.com, the online DVD rental-by-mail website. Lamma.com.hk is getting a commission from each sale via this website, but only if you click on the banner at the top of this page and then sign up on their site.

They've got a special offer only for Lamma residents: $99 instead of $149 for unlimited movies per month, valid only for the next few weeks.

The DVDs arrive by mail one at the time. As soon as you've returned it by mail, the next will be sent to you. This means no late fees, no due date, no hassle, 24/7 access to your online waiting list of movies, cancel anytime, plus free shipping both ways, of course. It's great fun to build a waiting list on the website and it can include yet-to-be-released movies. Links to trailers, detailed info, top ten, member ratings and reviews, search by genre, title, cast, director or date make the selection easy and quite addictive fun, actually.

The selection of movies is not as huge yet as Movieland's, but it seems to include all the recent and most popular titles in English. Categories: Action & Adventure, Anime & Animation, Children & Family, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Foreign, Horror, Music & Musicals, Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Television, Thrillers, Chinese.

After watching the movie in the comfort of your own home, just put it into the addressed, stamped return envelope and drop it in the mailbox. About two days later the next envelope will arrive in your mailbox, full of "Intense Prolonged Sequences of Disaster and Peril", if that is what you enjoy personally...

Sep 14:  Wanted for Lamma Fun Day:
Volunteers, Stall Holders and Bric-a-Brac

Have you marked Sun, Oct 22 in your calendar, diary, watch, PDA, iPod, mobile phone, laptop/desktop PC or in the little black book that some of us still carry?

(Click on posters above to enlarge them)

Besides showing up and having a wonderful time on that day, how about actively participating in this children's charity event? All we ask for is two hours of your time on that day as a volunteer for the many activities going on. You'll become an active part of this proud Lamma tradition, now in its SEVENTH YEAR! We raised over $145,000 at the Fun Day alone last year and this year we're even more ambitious! For more info, check out the great website.

It's just 5 weeks away, so how about setting up a stall there yourself (only $300) and selling your goodies, garage sale, arts & crafts; or provide a welcome service for the expected huge crowd of locals and weekend tourists (estimated at above 5,000 - if the weather holds up). We're also still looking for your bric-a-brac (2nd-hand goodies) to sell for charity and will even pick them up from you, if necessary.

What are you waiting for, become a part of Lamma Fun Day '06!

Sep 13:  VERY VERY STRONG WIND SIGNAL NO. 3

Lamma Observatory - Submitted by tjungarayi who plagiarized this from the Hong Kong Observatory website, with a few minor "modifications".

The bulletin below reflects the obsession with typhoons of most island dwellers. Will we catch the last ferry home if the T8 goes up during the day? Even better, we can stay home for the day if a T8 is already up in the morning, to indulge in wild typhoon parties! Only a T3 today... {*Big SIGH!*}

TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN

HERE IS THE LATEST TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SERIOUSLY ISSUED BY THE LAMMA ISLAND OBSERVATORY.

THE VERY STRONG WIND SIGNAL, NO. 3 IS IN FORCE. SO WATCH OUT.

THIS MEANS THAT IT WILL BE VERY BIG BREEZE WITH MEAN SPEEDS OF 10 UP TO AND IN EXCESS OF 300 KILOMETRES PER HOUR.

AT 4 P.M. THE CENTRE OF THE VERY BIG TROPICAL DEPRESSION WAS GUESTIMATED TO BE SOMEWHERE ABOUT 230 KILOMETRES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF HONG KONG (JUST TO THE RIGHT OF CHINA, SOUTH OF JAPAN) AND WE THINK IT'S GOING TO MOVE NORTHWEST OR WEST-NORTHWEST AND MAYBE EVEN SOUTH WEST, VERY SLOWLY, PROBABLY AT A SNAIL’S PACE, AT ABOUT 12 KILOMETRES PER HOUR APPROACHING WESTERN GUANGDONG. SO, NO WORRIES!

Grey nasty rainbands (clouds) and sodden truculent pissed off sans umbrellas workers, associated with the tropical depression are affecting Hong Kong. In the past few hours, over 6,000 designer outfits were ruined over Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, eastern parts of Lantau, southern bits of the New Territories and Lamma Island. The ruination of expensive fashionable outfits all over Discovery Bay and the eastern part of Hong Kong Island even exceeded 3,000 and is estimated to have cost the citizens of Discovery Bay $6,953,987! That’s a lot of money to spend on clothes.


(POST PRECAUTIONARY ANNOUNCEMENTS WITH NO. 3 SIGNAL)

(1) STORM WATER DRAINS SHOULD BE CLEARED OF THE REMAINS OF CATS, DOGS AND OTHER SMALL FURRY MAMMALS THAT CANNOT SWIM WELL.

THIS APPLIES PARTICULARLY TO DWELLERS IN LOWER-LYING SOCIO-ECONOMIC AREAS, MEANING EVERYBODY BELOW PO WAH YUEN.

(2) SINCE SEAS ARE ROUGH AND IT IS VERY WINDY, YOU ARE ADVISED, ESPECIALLY IF DRUNK OR HIGH, TO STAY AWAY FROM DUBIOUS WATCH VENDORS, FASHIONABLE COMMUTERS IN WET CLOTHES AND NOT TO ENGAGE IN PARA SAILING AND SKYDIVING.

BASE JUMPING AND BUNGIE JUMPING FROM THE LAMMA WINDTURBINE IS ALSO A DEFINITE NO NO.

(3) TEACHERS, WRITERS, PUBLISHERS AND ASSOCIATED FREELANCERS ARE AGAIN REMINDED THAT ALL FATUOUS COMMENTS ON HOW WET IT IS, ‘GREAT WEATHER FOR DUCKS’ OR ‘HOW ABOUT THIS RAIN!’ ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED! OFFENDERS WILL BE STRUNG UP ON THE BANYAN TREE BESIDES THE POLICE BOX UPSIDE-DOWN IN FULL PUBLIC VIEW, TILL THE INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS HAVE IMPROVED.

(4) LISTEN TO YOUR HEART, WATCH YOUR CALORIES, WEAR SUNGLASSES AND A WIDE BRIMMED HAT ON SUNNY DAYS AND BROWSE THE LAMMA ISLAND WEBSITE AT LAMMA.COM.HK.

CHECK OUT THE OBSERVATORY'S WEB SITE FOR THE LATEST SERIOUS DISINFORMATION ON THE TROPICAL CYCLONE. REMEMBER YOUR UMBRELLA.

DISPATCHED BY YOUR FRIENDLY LAMMA ISLAND OBSERVATORY AT 15:53 HKT ON 13.09.2006.

Sep 12:  Flora and Macro Forum Image of the Week

"Congratulations! This is the Flora and Macro Forum image of the week for the week ending 8/11/06."

That's the email that our Pictures forum moderator and master wildlife photographer Anonymous_Guy received from the major photography website, NatureScapes.net. An in-depth discussion solely about this picture of a Potter Wasp in flight ensued and all comments were highly positive, even flattering.

Check it out yourself here, but you'll have to register with NatureScapes.Net first. It's free and a fantastic site, if you have any serious interest in nature photography. So much to see and learn by example.

Guy's reaction: "Saw this was image of the week a few days ago & was gobsmacked !!
Been running around telling all my friends & relatives......... am really chuffed."

To see more of Guy's amazing work, see our daily "Animal Photo of the Day on this home page, our Flora & Fauna forum or his own well-organised nature photo gallery website.

Here are the technical specs for the photo. Only read if you're a professional or really serious amateur photographer. I'm baffled myself about what some of these number below really mean, but I love the stunning result of all this high-end, expensive camera technology, see above:

Potter Wasp pano
Nikon D200
w/Nikkor 60mm F/2.8 D
2006/08/06 17:50:28.4
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/160 sec - F/25
Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Optimize Image: Normal
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: Manual

Flash Sync Mode: Front Curtain
Auto Flash Mode: None
Color Mode: Mode I (sRGB)
Image Comment: C1R1

Sep 11:  Cyberspaceman Thrives in Paradise

Jay Scott Kanes - STBWFLA  (re-published with friendly permission from the CairnsMedia Magazine. All photos by Jay Scott Kanes, taken during a Sok Kwu Wan trip for two upcoming Lamma-zine stories: The Bay Restaurant and Fisherfolk's Village):

A paradox surrounds news about Lamma Island, a near-paradise in Hong Kong. Despite lavishly dishing out publicity, the proprietor of Lamma.com.hk, the island’s popular website, is media-shy.

Known as Lamma-Gung (meaning Lamma grandfather), this European-born cyberspace-man thrives on everything Lamma-related. By posting daily news and photos, he chronicles the lives, pleasures and worries of Lamma’s residents.

“The site serves as a meeting place, a portal for residents, visitors and friends of Lamma, better informing them, letting them know what’s happening,” Lamma-Gung said.

“Many people work hard in town five or six days a week and treat Lamma a bit like a suburb. The site becomes their daily publication for news, updates and photos. It helps charities, supports artists and activists, highlights positive angles, promotes events and creates a sense of community, I hope.”

Cyber-photog rides a Lamma-bound ferry.

In a secluded restaurant, Lamma-Gung (left) probes for a news story.

CDs & bookmarks

Lamma-Gung's camera misses little.

Much of what the Internet world knows about Lamma comes from the website. Not just a publisher, Lamma-Gung’s also the chief reporter, food critic, music writer, photographer, designer, Web specialist and ad salesman. Together with news, the site offers Chinese and English discussion forums, an events calendar, photo galleries, classified ads, local links, ferry schedules, even Yellow Pages. It attracts thousands of readers per week and more than two million hits per month.

Yet the modest Lamma-Gung brushes off praise and scampers away from the barrel-ends of camera lenses. Capturing his image requires sneaky stealth from behind.

“Many people help me with stories and photos,” Lamma-Gung said. “It’s a community website, not just my own. I don’t need a soapbox or the limelight. Who’d care about my personal opinions? Often I might disagree with contributions, but publish them anyway to represent community views, and there are many local voices. I like to look at Lamma closely, notice things and collect submissions, making them look attractive, adding photos, editing and conveying the information clearly and nicely, I hope.

“The site stays focused on Lamma, appealing to locals and interested people worldwide. Ex-Lamma residents make some of the most loyal readers. People also email questions before moving to Lamma. They need to find movers or check property. I have stock replies, including about restaurants, holiday resorts and activities.”

Near the skyscrapers, congestion and noise on Hong Kong Island, Lamma has just 6,000 residents and lacks motor vehicles (except tiny delivery carts) and buildings taller than three storeys.

“We enjoy a nice, relaxed, green lifestyle in a multi-national community of interesting people,” Lamma-Gung said. “The different nationalities, races and religions live together peacefully. Interesting things happen all the time. You just need to keep your eyes open.

“Nowhere else in Hong Kong has such a community feeling, plus great living quality and modest rents. Like many people, I arrived as a rent-refugee, a dot-com dropout. But now I love the place, and it’s become home. Even Lamma-Por, my Hong Kong-Chinese wife, who’d never lived outside the big city, enjoys herself and has found many new friends.”

Lamma-Gung started on the Website four years ago. “I noticed a tiny ad on a wall that the site existed, only the forum at first, so I leaped in and registered as member 13,” he said. When the founder, nicknamed Webdog, moved to Europe, Lamma-Gung filled the void. So far, he’s published more than 1,000 Lamma stories and posted 3,300 messages.

Will he ever leave the site? “Probably someday, or it might have to close down if the handful of loyal, long-time Lamma advertisers who keep it alive ever pull out. But I’d try to find a replacement for myself first,” he said.

Meanwhile, the coy Lamma-Gung looms large among Lamma’s “unique, fascinating inhabitants”, as he calls them, being one of them himself.

Sep 10:  New Lamma-zine Logos?

Working on the redesign of this home page, I came across this logotype generator. Weak of will and not being able to resist a creative challenge, I came up with these 4 new designs. Could any of these become the new Lamma-zine logo? Probably not...

Click on the logotypes below to make up your own logos:

Sep 9:  Return to My Little Paradise Island

Simplygood - Raised on Lamma, returned now after 11 years in exile:

I was born on Lamma and was lucky to spend a lovely 11 years growing up on the island before I was dragged away to a far-far-away, cold and dark place where people keep their heads down and rather ask what you are looking at then to say good morning.

I went to the Lamma Kindergarten near the fire station, went to the Lamma primary school for a while, and had a great time messing around the island...

Who remembers a small, red-haired, Cantonese-speaking Gwailo lad running around the island doing shit 10 years ago...

IT'S ME! I AM BACK! MMUAaahahhhh!

Anyway, I left Hong Kong in 1995 because my parents feared the Handover (1997) could provoke a civil war in Hong Kong, and they HOPED Germany would have a better influence on me. Hmmmmm... let's see... after 5 years in Germany, I lost most of my Cantonese, gained stupid habits like drinking beer till dawn, getting stoned by all means, wasting my time on pirated, shitty computer games and changing save game values on my hard drive or PlayStation memory card. Well, I've changed a lot since I've come back, but that was me 4 years ago.

Coming back to Lamma was AMAZING.

I arrived in Hong Kong and took my first deep breath outside the ifc building and started to cough, lost myself between corporately-dressed lemmings running from one side to the other side bumping me where possible. Not having the slightest clue where I am and where to go I wandered around a bit until there was something familiar.

The only thing that was still the same as far as I did remember, was the Bank of China & the 1,000-Assholes building. Disappointed about myself not remembering shit, I went towards the Star Ferry and worked my way to the Lamma ferry pier.

Anyway, my point is that Hong Kong has been almost completely rebuilt, compared to 10 years ago, looking out of my kiddy eyes. Just seeing the shrinking, little space between HK & Kowloon... WOW!

Arriving on Lamma, I felt a sudden high, driven by excitement & old memories popping into my mind. I could not believe what I was seeing, after going through Hong Kong, Lamma had not even changed a bit.

The ferry pier looks the same, the Library has been repainted, but still the same colour, the little beach with all the restaurants, same shit, different day. The Police Box looked smaller than before. Well, that just might be because I am bigger now.

I recognized everything, there was nothing new except for a few details that were added and a couple of new houses.

Walking past the Spicy Island, an old Chinese woman came up to me and took a deep look into my face and calmly asked me in Cantonese, "Lai hai m'hai Mafu-ah?" I was so amazed, I did not expect anybody to recognize me after 10 years. When I told her "Hai!", the old lady scattered into sudden happiness and was shouting around like mad. I did not understand a word she was saying. So I just nodded with a big grin on my face and acted as if I also recognized her… It was great… I encountered a few more of these situations.

Oohh, I better get back to work...

Anyway, my point is that my first walk through Lamma after 10 years made me ask myself: WHY the hell did I leave this place?
 

To all of you out there who played their part in keeping Lamma Lamma... Thank you so much!!!

Sep 8:  Great Wine, Great Food, Great Friends!

Wine Tasting in the Deli Lamma, Thursday, Sep 7, 2006:

Left:

Announcement poster (click to enlarge)

Middle:

Angela Rolston from Limestone Coast Wines and Praf the Fool (pronounced Prafull)
(click to zoom into the background)

Right:

Deli Lamma website (part of Lamma.com.hk)

 

Sheila - Lamma Animal Protection:

I would like to thank everyone who came and sampled the wines and came to support the animals at this generous and spontaneous event.

Thank you, Prafull for providing tasty food and, as usual, a fun ambience and Angela of Limestone Coast Wines for making such an effort to bring such excellent wine all the way to Lamma for us to try.

We conducted a thorough tasting and can say that they really are great!

If you couldn't make it last night you can still order a case and help the animals. For every case sold $100 will be donated to LAP.  If you don't want a full case why not club together to order. This is a great opportunity to buy quality wine at low, low prices. Email me on sheila@lap.org.hk or leave a message on 2982 4018.

P.S. Lamma Animal Protection is 100% volunteer and all the donations will go to help the animals; nothing is diverted to salaries, rent or other overheads.

Sep 7:  Sewerage Project:  Have Your Say!

Planned sewage treatment works in the lower left (current temporary helipad),
plus 3.1km of new sewers throughout the village (click on map to zoom out).

An info leaflet and a survey questionnaire have just been distributed throughout Yung Shue Wan Village yesterday, to all the restaurants and shops. The questionnaire is asking for feedback from different parts of the population on the sewerage project which will commence July 2007 by digging up the streets and paths for new sewers and sewage pipes.

The sewage treatment works are planned to begin construction in Jan 2008, located in the current temporary helipad which will be relocated to a new permanent helipad closeby. Completion: July 2010!

Sewerage info leaflet in English and Chinese.
More detailed announcement & contact info.

Here's the English questionnaire to print out, fill in and drop into the feedback box inside City Hall, G/F (opposite HSBC) by the tomorrow night deadline, Friday Sep 8. More English questionnaires and also Chinese ones are available inside City Hall.

Survey Questionnaire - Sewerage, Sewage Treatment and Disposal:

Residents' Opinion: Page 1, page 2.

Shop/Restaurant Owner's Opinion: page 3, page 4.


There'll be a briefing on this huge project - probably the biggest, highest-impact one that Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan have seen since the first phase of the YSW harbour reclamation was completed. It'll affect all of us residents for years in various ways, so better come to the briefing, get informed and ask lots of questions:

Project Briefing of YSW Sewerage , Sewage Treatment and Disposal:

Fri, Sep 15, 10:30am in Ngau Kee Rest. (VV Parking Lot, vis-a-vis the Deli Lamma, opposite the amber shop, go through the VV Parking Lot to the outdoor restaurant under the trees.). Organised by DSD (Drainage Services Dept.) and Lammadonna's District Council Office.

Sep 6:  The Pearl Report:
Looking for Carbon Emission Reducers

Tracey - The Pearl Report, TVB Pearl [highlights below added by Editor]

I am a principal producer with TVB's 'The Pearl Report'. We are currently filming a show on the effects of global warming in Hong Kong.

I am looking for a case study of somebody who is concerned about the issue and actively involved in trying to reduce his or her carbon emissions. I was hoping you would be able to point me in the right direction.

The case study would have to be comfortable being on camera and talking in English. Filming would take no more than half a day.

I'm just looking for one English-speaking person/family - and the deadline is imminent - before Wednesday 13th September. If anybody is available this Saturday/ Sunday, that would be great.

The show will air on the 17th. We'll be featuring an interview with Al Gore and extracts from his movie, 'An inconvenient Truth' about global warming. The second part of the show will look at how global warning is affecting Hong Kong, now, and in the future. We'll also explore what the government, industry and individuals are doing to tackle the problem.

I know that a lot of people on Lamma are very forward thinking on environmental issues, and would like to interview someone who can illustrate ways that people in Hong Kong can do their bit to neutralise their CO2 emissions, unplugging electrical appliances, planting trees, walking and cycling or taking public transport etc. I'd like someone who is concerned about the issue enough to change his or her lifestyle.

If you could post a message on your forums asap that would be fantastic. Thanks!!

If you and/or your family are interested, hurry up and send me an email. I'll forward you to Tracy, instead of exposing her direct email on a very public website like this one.

I'm a big fan of The Pearl Report, this is a great topic and Tracey is a subscriber of this Lamma-zine, these are the reasons why I'm giving her appeal front page publicity here. There must be a lot of highly qualified people for this interview living on our fair isle!

Want to be a TV Star? Email me!

P.S. One day later and not a single Lammaite has expressed interest to be on TV? Very hard to believe!

Is nobody eager to be on TV and explain how environmentally aware and recycle-friendly they and their family are? Be a good, positive role example for your fellow Hong Kong citizens!

Lamma might lose its hard-earned and impossible-to-get-rid-of reputation as Hippie Heaven if we can't find somebody! There must be somebody living here who's concerned about global warming and actually doing something about it! Doing something about it - by reducing global warming INSIDE your flat by running the aircon 24 hours a day - doesn't count!

Anybody? Or do we have to round up some of the secretive ex-hippie inhabitants of lush and idyllic Gaia Valley?

Sep 5:  The Joys of Writing for a Print Publication

A 2-page story I wrote for a pan-Asian, major print business magazine has just been published. Even though I write and publish online every single day, this one print story was special and I was eagerly anticipating its release. Why was it so much fun to write this story for a print magazine, even though it was about a quite dry and complex business topic? It was much more demanding and difficult but also ultimately more rewarding than an online story, because:-

  1. Every one of my words was scrutinised by the mag's editors, the person I interviewed and several other people in several countries. Every fact in print has to be checked, grammar and sentence structures have to be perfect and you have to follow the "house style" of the publication. What I write in this Lamma-zine is being scrutinised only by some friends and the readers.

  2. Co-ordinating and project-managing between the interviewee, the magazine, the editors, designer, photographers in several countries was a challenge, all the while sticking to deadlines and keeping the magazine and client happy.

  3. The correspondence about the story far exceeds the story itself in size and time invested. There were over 100 emails between various parties and it took more than one month to get the story to final approval stage, more than half a month before publication. It's all quite a bit more complex than me typing up a Lmma-zine story and hitting the "Publish" button.

  4. Number of words: A little-used concept in online publishing, it's all-important in print publishing. It was much easier and less time-consuming to collect, write and edit my initial draft of 3,500 words than to whittle it all down into the permitted 1,000 finely-tuned, condensed, precise words without losing any important facts and still be well-readable. This is followed by repeated negotiations with the editors and the client about every word and expression they disagree with or want to improve upon.

  5. Picture selection and captioning: From an overwhelming number of photos from different sources you have to select and edit the most suitable and eye-catching ones, get captions written and transmit them by FTP in print quality (hundreds of MBs).

  6. Getting layouts sent by email in Acrobat PDF format approved and making tiny single-word, last-minute changes can be a nerve-wracking experience.

  7. Finally seeing my words in print, beautifully formatted and laid out, to be distributed physically all over Asia and read by such a huge number of people is very uplifting and rewarding for a usually solitary writer like myself.

  8. The pay is so much better, comparable to several month's ad revenue for this entire site. This single 2-page story will pay for a semi-professional dSLR camera, for my other new career as a freelance photographer for special events, property and advertising.

OK, this was fun and I'm hungry for more! Anybody knows an editor who needs a great (editorial or advertorial) story written on short notice in the fields of travel, tourism, hospitality, business, technology, Internet? My eternal gratitude (and a sizable commission, if requested) would be guaranteed!

Sep 4:  2nd Annual Smoke-Free Day in Chinese Forum

Samson - Official Court Moderator of All Chinese Forums

(He's just returned from a business trip to Las Vegas where he had no time off to enjoy any of the shows, but managed to keep a considerable sum (19 US cents) from his initial major gambling investment (US$5). But then he lost his coin purse, joining the legions of gamblers who lost it all):

(Photo credits: Sunset by bobby chiu, Killer Bee by Anonymous_Guy, Yu Lan by Steve Cray)

Lamma.com.hk
Chinese Forum Summary
August 2006
Prepared by Samson


  1. Smoke-free Chinese Forum
    31 August was the 2nd annual Chinese Forum Smoke-Free Day, and a number of quitting strategies were discussed to help our members kick the smoky habit.  Read more...

  2. Pics of the Day!
    New member bobby shares with the forum his stunning photography, some of which have already made it as Photo of the Day of the Home page!
    Read more...

  3. S.O.B. = Save Our Banyan!
    Environmental-conscious member, siuyu, reported that the old banyan tree near Yung Shue Wan's Police Box and City Hall is looking quite frail. Our "Banyan Bay Village" could face an identity crisis if the iconic banyans keep dying one by one!  Read more...

  4. Fossil Gas or Electricity?
    Which is better? The pros and cons about water heaters fueled by fossil gas and electricity were discussed in this interesting and practical topic!  Read more...

  5. Lammaites vs Bees



    Sparked by the sighting of a bees' nest, the buzzing kind became the newest addition to the series of discussions relating to some Lammaites' fears of wildlife. Some handy first-aid tips also included here!  Read more...

  6. More Centipede Horror
    As the terror-inflicting centipedes continued to roam the island, mo came up with a not-so-effective approach to get them out of sight, out of mind: suck the centipede into your vacuum cleaner!
    Read more...

  7. Ghostly Month
    Photos from the Chinese Halloween shows were featured to coincide with the big day. Bunnyrabbit commented that these pics were better than the ones for the Chinese opera at Tin Hau Festival…
    Read more...

  8. Lamma Fun Day 2006
    Following a call for volunteers, the exact date of Lamma's best day of the year was announced: Sun, Oct 22! Stay tuned for more upcoming details and click here to become a volunteer Read more...

Sep 3:  Artwork of the Day

There are so many artists of all kinds living on Lamma, but most of them create in obscurity and are little-known even to long-time Lammaites. Let's help them to become more widely-known and successful in selling their works or at least showing their art to more people, via this website!

I've just added a new feature on this home page from Sep 1, 2006:

Daily Artwork of the Day, in addition to the current Photo of the Day and Animal of the Day.

This will feature the best works from selected Lamma artists. Some of them have been featured as Lamma-zine Artist of the Month before, but it's open to any artist living on Lamma or anybody with a strong Lamma connection. Artists that are part of the informal CALI network (Community of Artists on Lamma Island) will get preferential treatment.

Each Artwork of the Day will have a link (More Artworks by This Artist) to the artist's free art gallery on this site or to his/her existing website.


By the way, I'm still looking for more Lamma-zine Artists of the Month, to be featured on the home page and getting a permanent full-page online "Art Gallery" on this website!

Anybody with a good collection of artworks of any type can apply and it's free. I'll even scan or take pictures of your artworks, if you don't have them already in digital format.

No need to be a professional - hobby, amateur and part-time artists are most welcome: painters, designers of anything, sculptors, photographers, calligraphers, computer artists, any artist looking for free exposure on the Internet - hopefully even selling a few pieces.

Contact me if you'd like to see some of your own or your friend's artwork on this page!

Sep 1, 2006:

Matted Bursting -
by Tamara Norris
(More Artworks by This Artist)
 

Sep 2, 2006:

Ancient One - by Annie Knibb
(More Artworks by This Artist)

 

Sep 3, 2006:

Dragon Energy - by Roz Keep
(More Artworks by This Artist)

Sep 2:  New Home Page Design

How do you like this new, proposed look of this page?

For the 2nd anniversary of the Lamma-zine Blog I've been playing around with some new designs. See above (click to enlarge) what I've come up with so far:

3rd column: Adding a 3rd column on the right would balance the layout and accommodate today's higher-resolution, wider screens.

Artwork of the Day: A new daily feature, highlighting and promoting the artworks of Lamma-based artists or artists with a strong Lamma connection.

Search function: All areas of Lamma.com.hk could now be searched easily with the full power of Google's search engine and all its features.

Sub Websites: In the lower left column, there'll be links to all the websites that are part of Lamma.com.hk, like the websites of the Bookworm Cafe, Deli Lamma, Island Bar, Nick the Bookman, Deirdre the artist, etc.

Paid Ads: In the lower left column, the ads will move much closer to the top, right after the Sub Websites links, giving even better value and visibility to the advertisers who keep this site alive. This is possible because the PHOTO OF THE DAY and the ANIMAL OF THE DAY sections will move to the new right column.

Free Ads: The Lamma-zine has, since the very beginning, always offered free ads for charities and good causes. They'll move from the bottom of the left column (after all the paid ads) to the right column, right after the ARTWORK OF THE DAY. There'll be more space and better visibility for these free ads, as they'll move up so much higher on the page, closer to the top.


But most of these points are just ideas for now and I haven't programmed all these time-consuming changes yet. They'll apply to all top and 2nd-level pages (Events, Galleries, Links, blog pages of the last two years). There'll also be some more design improvements to the top bar (real panoramic photos), colour scheme and formatting fine-tuning (not done yet).

I'm proposing these layout changes now to get some feedback from YOU!
Do you like these changes, or not? Be specific and constructive! Better ideas? What's still missing and what features should be added (or removed)? This is a community site and everybody's ideas will be warmly welcomed. Email me!

Sep 1:  Celebrating 2 Years of Daily Stories

Since Sep 1, 2004, there have been almost 730 Lamma-zine stories published on this home page. They're all listed in the Story Archives.

The very first stories were basically just short previews of individual stories and photo galleries selected from the upcoming monthly Lamma-zines. The monthly Lamma-zine developed into larger, daily and often quite extensive, detailed stories, replacing the monthly Lamma-zine almost two years ago.

With almost 300 Lamma-zine monthly stories, this adds up to over 1,000 stories published so far! Some just one photo photo and a single paragraph, but some (many) extended to several pages and dozens of photos.

Enough stories for a thin book in a "Best of Lamma-zine" collection? I've been playing with the idea, but haven't found a way to finance it yet. Maybe for the 5th anniversary of Lamma.com.hk, given away for free to all Lamma-zine contributors, who number much more than 100 people so far?

How to move into the future? What types of stories would you like to read in the next two years? Let me know, or, even better, write it yourself and I'll publish it for you on this page! Anybody can do it. A few sentences about any Lamma-related topic will do!


Read more of last month's stories...

 

 

Lamma-zine Blog started on Sep 1, 2004, and will be updated frequently with anything related to Lamma Island or its residents, be it news, stories, events or photos.

Contact Lamma-Gung with anything relevant to Lamma that you'd like to see published on this home page!

All text, photos & graphics by Lamma-Gung, if not otherwise credited. Click on button on left for Creative Commons license.

Twice a month, the Lamma-zine Blog will be promoted via an email newsletter to all registered subscribers, currently over 2,500. Free subscriptions!

Posts from all former months are stored in the Blog Archives, see below in the page footer.

Hit Counter visitors on this page since Aug 12, 2006.

All materials and photos © Lamma-Gung 2006. All rights reserved.


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