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Lokkanat - Lammaite (add comments in the
Lamma Our Shire forum) |
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The Fast & Furious of
Lamma
Despite the tranquil and laid-back atmosphere of our
Shire, Lamma has a fast and furious side not many
weekend Middle Earth visitors may know.
Our number one Fast & Furious is none other than our
very own Rohirrim, affectionately known by Lammayans as
VVs. They are an essential and integral part of
our Shire for a number of reasons. In addition to
providing delivery services and noise pollution, they
help us decimate our toad population by squashing toads
at high speed. In fact, there is a jackpot for the
highest number of squashed toads. Skinny Spike
with his youthful and serious dark moody looks is the
current front-runner with over 1,000 squashed toads well
ahead of last year's champion Skull Face.
Unfortunately, this year may be our last year to hold
the Squashed Toad Tournament as our toad
population is getting dangerously low. Snakes which live
on toads are now having a hard time finding food. Some
snakes are even trying to put themselves up as lovable
pets. They sneak into people's home looking very
innocent and docile, hoping for some affection and maybe
even a permanent home. Sad to say, so far no one has
adopted any snake. But we do have some very kind souls
who allow some snakes to at least live in their garden.
Bless them for not killing or eating the snakes.
So currently our Shire Ministry Of Transport is
working with the Rohirrim [ferocious attack "horses"
of Middle Earth] to start a new Dog Crippling
Tournament for next year. It is still in a draft
stage but our VV contestants can be seen up near Tai
Ping and Fire Station Path practicing already. Rumour
has it that our Shire Ministry Of Transport is going to
raise the minimum speed to make the new Tournament more
interesting. For instance, a VV contestant must cripple
a dog at high speed well above the current limit. We are
not sure who might be interested to enter this
Tournament. So if you notice any VVs practicing high
speed manoeuvres, do let us know. Send us the VV
numbers.
Lamma's Fast & Furious - you've gotta be a Lammayan
to love and hate them!
(Just a reminder that this is pure fiction!)
Lammayan Elves
The Elves once stood alongside Man to fight against
evil forces. But these days they are more interested in
playing with their balls and riding their ponies.
The most powerful and elusive of them all are
probably the Fire Mountain Elves. They have
mastered the elements. So, naturally, when there is a
fire or fallen tree, the Fire Mountain Elves are there
to use their magic and might to ensure the safety of
Lammayans and friends. Once they feel there is no
imminent danger, they quickly retreat to their mountain
enclave.
The Fire Mountain Elves follow very strict regimes to
keep themselves physically and mentally fit. If you
venture up to their mountain enclave, you can see them
wearing their training outfits which are very skimpy, if
not a bit too revealing, short shorts. They play with
their balls, be it volleyball or tennis, in a friendly
competitive manner to sharpen their reflexes. They also
do a meditative trance-like jog back and forth. It can
be quite unnerving if you are alone walking along the
path and keep seeing the same near-naked elf
slow-jogging past you. But don't be scared because they
are really quite friendly.
The Forest Elves are an odd bunch. While some
are friendly and enjoy blending in with local Lammayans,
others are aloof and arrogant preferring not to be
bothered by Lammayans at all. You sometimes see them
riding their ponies in the Shire. Instead of mastering
the elements, the Forest Elves focus their energies on
illusions and persuasions. Whenever there is a dispute
amongst Lammayans and friends, the Forest Elves cast
their spells to confound people, making them having a
hard time figuring out what the dispute is all about.
Sometimes the Forest Elves simply make up a whole bunch
of ridiculous disputes; till people eventually give up
because it's more trouble getting the Forest Elves
involved!
Occasionally, we get the High Elves from
Middle Earth visiting our Shire. They are more concerned
about the environment, from landscape balance to the
welfare of magical and non-magical creatures.
Unfortunately, they don't seem to be around lately. All
these constructions have gone rampant and are really
getting out of control. Some Lammayans are wondering
about the future of our Shire and are worried about our
environment and safety. While some believe it's all
about some greedy investors trying to turn our peaceful
and serene Shire into a bustling luxury holiday resort
for Middle Earth, a few think the dug-up holes and
trenches along the paths are just means to keep our
ageing population down.
Unfortunately, none of the
Elves on Lamma look anything like Legolas! |
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Rachel the Newbie - Lamma Newbie & Outrigger
Canoe Club member
(Text & photos by Rachel, click for her
photo gallery.) |
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The Round
Island Race was the culmination of all our weeks of
training. Ten of us from the
Lamma Outrigger Canoe Club formed the racing
team and I was lucky enough to make the cut. It was such
a great time and such an adrenaline-filled experience.
 We'd
paddled the two canoes over to Middle Island where the
race would start. It was our last training run and also
our last chance to practice sea changes and rip up my
legs some more. In this event, ten people paddle around
Hong Kong Island, but the boat only holds six at a time.
So, every 3, 7 or 8 kilometers there is a sea change.
How it
works is that the support boat draws alongside the canoe
and someone shouts out the number of the seats of the
people who are changing. Then the boat powers ahead and
slows down so that the paddlers can get in the water
about 100 metres in front of the canoe. We line up in
the water and put our hands up so that the steerswoman
can see us.
 She
steers so that the ama (the outrigger part) and the
canoe straddle us. As they paddle at us at full power,
we grab on with one hand and either lift, sling or heave
ourselves into the canoe with varying levels of speed
and grace. Meanwhile, as soon as we, the new paddlers,
grab onto the canoe with one hand, the people in their
seats dump out the other side. All people still in the
canoe paddle like crazy trying to maintain momentum
until everyone gets settled and can join in. It's a
little stressful because if you miss the grab or don't
get in smoothly it really slows the boat down. It's also
painful because the only way I can do it is to throw one
leg in and lever it under the seat and get in that way.
So for the past month, I've had huge abrasions and
bruises on the back of my right knee.
 I
was about as nervous as before a running race, but in a
different way. When I was going to run a marathon, if I
screwed up or whimped out, I'd be the only person I let
down. When you have lots of team mates, it's worries
about letting them down that filled my mind. What if I
got too tired? What if I mess up the sea change? What if
my timing is off? What if they wish that they hadn't let
me in the boat? I wasn't in the boat for the start, so I
had hours to wait around nervously.
But finally
my chance came. My first leg was pretty short, only 3 ½
km. The sea change went really fast, so it was great for
getting the butterflies out. I got out just before we
turned the corner to go through the harbour. That began
a couple of really long legs for the paddlers because
it's much too dangerous to do sea changes in the middle
of Victoria Harbour – one of the busiest harbours in the
world. Some people might think that it's pretty
dangerous just to be in an outrigger canoe in that
harbour.
 As
it turns out, they're not far wrong. We were travelling
along pretty close to the outrigger when we looked
behind and one of the huge Macao hydrofoil ferries was
bearing down full power at the girls. It is unbelievable
how big it was and how fast it was coming. Gina's
steering had already been awesome dealing with all the
chop and wakes coming her way, but when she saw that
ferry coming, she was amazing. You can see in the
pictures how much strength she was putting into getting
that boat out of the way. The other girls never looked
up. They had their eyes in the boat like they were
supposed to and kept that power up. If they had stopped
paddling, there's no way Gina would've had the momentum
to get them out of the way. Everyone in the junk was
totally freaking out. But Gina and the other girls in
the canoe were masterful.
 Two
more ferries came pretty close to the canoe, but one
slowed down a lot and the other stayed on the opposite
side of the junk from the canoe.
I paddled
in that leg for 11 km. We went along the north side of
HK and past the Museum of Coastal Defence – I could even
see the battlements on the hills. After we turned the
corner to go south the wind picked up a little and the
chop a lot. That side of the island is so beautiful. It
was sunny and the spray and the chop were beautiful. It
was really tiring of course, but when it came time for
the last change, I so didn't want to get out of the
boat. It was the end of my race, and the others were
going to bring it home. Claire, Anna and I dumped out of
the boat and cheered and screamed them on as they hopped
in and took off. Then the woman from the junk threw us a
life ring and hauled us back to the boat.
 The
boat was going so well as they finished. They looked so
strong, like they'd only been paddling 5 or 10 km
instead of 43. There was no slowing down as they powered
in to the finish line. The Lamma women's OCC crew did
the 46 km race in 4.49.32!!
As well as
the ten of us who were actually paddling, there were
about 12 other people on the support junk who got up at
the crack of dawn and spent 5 hours cheering us on and
helping out. There were a lot of things that had to be
done on the boat. There was navigation and radioing in
our position. There was organizing our sea changes and
making sure we were warned in plenty of time to be ready
to jump in the water. We had people bringing us our
jackets and blankets and food and drinks as well as we
sat dripping and exhausted between legs.
 I
can't imagine how it would have been without all that
support. It was such a team event.
All of the Lamma OCC team
and supporters were so high after that race and for days
afterwards. We keep posting more about the race on
Facebook and talking about it on the ferry. Everyone did
so well and worked together so well. The food at the
barbecue afterwards was well-deserved, and the beer too. |
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Bike Mike - Lamma visitor, Oct-Dec '08
(text & photos by Bike Mike) |
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The Round Hong
Kong Race
Our Lamma Dragons entered this
marathon event with both men's and women's teams
competing. Coached by the dynamic duo of Gina & Paul
both teams pre-race goals varied. Our women were
contenders for the Women's Title and arrived on race
day with their "game faces on" and "the eye of the
tiger" in their demeanor. Our men's goals were more
modest: The men's team just wanted to finish the
course without "hulleying" (upsetting the outrigger)
and hopefully ahead of the Lamma Women's Team.
The men's boat reached their goal!
In an international race field that included teams
from Hawaii, and Singapore along with other local
teams, our Lamma men found themselves in a battle
from start to finish with a strong Hong Kong Island
Paddle Club Team. For 40 km both teams traded the
lead position on each other, neither team successful
at losing the other. With 1 km to go it looked like
IPC was going to take 4th place with a 500 M lead on
The Lamma Men. Thanks to an inspiring vociferous
chant from Lamma supporters Georgie, Gaven, and
Brad, and others on the support junk, our men "dug
deep", closing the gap, and missing 4th place by a
mere 1 m at the finish. 4th place to IPC Women, 5th
to Lamma Men.
The irony of the above is that
thanks to the efforts of our men, the IPC women were
able to finish so strongly. Both teams had excelled
with each other feeding off the energy in the rival
boat. The down side of this was that our women
placed 2nd in the women's category to the IPC
Amazons. Our women's finish was commendable
especially in light of a near race ending episode
with The Kowloon Star Ferry which almost ended
things prematurely.
It should be noted that our Lamma
Dragons with a large contingent of supporters were
the team with the greatest spirit at the event. We
cheered each other. Where other teams only cheered
themselves, we cheered everyone. We competed hard
with no malice towards the other teams in a true
celebration of sport, competition, and celebration
of life. In this we were the envy of all the other
teams........ the true winners by far!
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Before moving to Sydney with hubby Royal Roy
end of the year, Elizabeth the Cyanotypist
(of the former Lamma art gallery
The Cyan Studio) is launching a new book
& exhibition next Wed, Dec 3. Absolutely
perfect timing as the launch party could double
as my own birthday party, saving me quite a bit
of money! Ahem, anyway, here's the fully
illustrated and linked press release:
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Elizabeth the Cyanotypist - Lamma Artist: |
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Elizabeth Briel at
Karin Weber Gallery
G/F, 20 Aberdeen Street (off
Hollywood Rd, Central), Central HK (map).
Tel. 6252 6839 / 2544 5004.
Wed, 3 Dec, 6:30-8:30PM.
Tel. 6252 6839,
ebriel@thingsasian.com,
http://ebriel.com,
Facebook,
book
blog.
Enduring Hong Kong -
Unique Hand-Tinted Blueprints
Hong Kong is hectic in the best of
times, and can be insufferable during its most
turbulent. But there are urban oases here in the
most unexpected places: peaceful houseboats in
Aberdeen, a shrine in Tai O, a meditative game of
chess in Kowloon park.
American artist Elizabeth Briel has
just illustrated a new children's book with
hand-tinted photos of Hong Kong, published by
ThingsAsian Press. The exhibition at
Karin Weber Gallery
will feature original images from the book, and new
work continuing this series.
Since the completion of her Painting
degree in 1999, Elizabeth has worked for the
Liverpool Biennale, studied sculpture in Florence,
and taught photography to Cambodian street children
with the Angkor Photo Festival. She now lives and
works in Hong Kong, and is a board member and artist
with the Hong Kong Mural Society. |
At first glance, the
photos look like paintings; in fact, these images
are created with one of the oldest forms of
photography. At the heart of Elizabeth's labour-intensive
work is the cyanotype, better known as a blueprint:
these blue-and-white photos are developed in the
sunlight instead of a darkroom. Afterwards, she
tints the images with watercolour for a vibrant
effect. She is the only artist in Hong Kong - and
the Delta - to specialise in blueprints. |
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Tamara Norris - Lamma Artist: |
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Hope you
can make it this Sunday
afternoon, Nov. 30th to the opening party for Open
Space, 11am-8pm.
A full day of fun and
creativity!
Dj's, live acoustic jam, jugglers, painting, fire
show... much much more!
Please bring drinking
water and a flashlight if you will be heading back at
night.
Open Space will be
hosting weekly art nights and biweekly music jam nights.
The space is also open to everyone and can be booked for
private events such as:
private parties,
children's parties, BBQs, Vivid Vibrations Jam Your Art
Out painting parties,
host a workshop or exhibition, life drawing classes,
photography groups.
Please email
openspacehk@gmail.com or call Tamara at 6423
1952.
Hong Kong has a dearth of
low-cost community venues -- places that anyone can use
to do anything that inspires them. Open Space is
different. It is a unique and non-profit making venture,
a space for everything from workshops to parties, from
yoga lessons to jam nights. It is also the venue for
creative events such as Jam Your Art Out painting
parties hosted by Vivid Vibrations.
Groups of all sizes can
enjoy the lush natural environment of Open Space -- an
oasis that feels a world away from the bustle of the
city. It is in fact just a 20-minute walk from the Yung
Shue Wan ferry pier, itself only a 25-minute ferry ride
from Central.
Open Space has a wide range
of facilities including a fully functional kitchen, gas
barbecue, campfire pit and bathroom, plus indoor space
with Internet access and an extensive outdoor area. All
this in a tree-fringed idyll where a waterfall flows
through the garden.
Open Space is open to
everyone -- host your own event or just come and hang
out if you want. Artists are also welcome to make their
mark at Open Space's revolving gallery of mural-covered
interior and exterior walls and art installations. In
addition, Open Space will host open-invite art and music
jam nights. Most open-invite events at Open Space are
free of charge, although donations are welcome. For
other events and bookings fees are negotiable -- and
reasonable.
Although the brainchild of
Tamara Norris, founder and creative director of Hong
Kong based creative events company
Vivid Vibrations, Open Space is only possible
through the efforts of numerous people. It is a true
venue for the whole Hong Kong community where everyone
can express themselves, relax and unwind. |
(Photos by Lamma-Gung) |
(Click to enlarge)
Photo gallery in progress...
Before yesterday's Lamma Enduro mountain biking
race, I scrambled up to the top of Pak Kok Shan
on foot for the very first time, scouting out
the Project X trail which is leading over the
top of this hill. Besides the magnificent
360-degree view from up there, this is what I
discovered to my surprise:
  
 
My notoriously fertile imagination ran rampant
once again. What is this switch switching on or
off, located on top of such a pretty high and
very remote hill, overlooking most of Lamma?
Could it be the fabled MASTER SWITCH for all of
Lamma Island? We always suspected it to be
located somewhere inside our Power Station, but
this is a much less obvious and more secretive
location.
Or is this the notorious single microwave
antennae by PCCW which is the only Broadband
Internet link to/from Lamma? Or could it be the
master switch for the infamous, mysterious
Gravity Pockets that some Lammaites claim to
have fallen into on their way home from the pub
in the wee hours of the morning?
 Timid
coward that I am, I didn't dare to try out the
switch, fearing a police SWAT team in
helicopters descending on me within minutes,
abseiling in full riot gear and heavily armed,
taking me away to deepest DbAY (a fate worse
than death itself?), never to be heard from
again...
Does somebody have any idea about the function
of this most mysterious, mystifying master
switch??? Another baffling, bewildering,
bamboozling brainteaser; I HAVE to find the
answer!!! Maybe this toolbox nearby could offer
some technologistically-gifted wizard or whiz
kid a useful clue?
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Project
X trail,
Pak Kok Shan |
Zooming in on a dangerous spot |
Riders are being careful |
Oops! |
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Saving himself, avoiding a tumble |
This guy wasn't so lucky |
Iuri's getting up,
no injuries at all |
His gladiator-style armour saved him |
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It's fun to fix a badly bent wheel! |
Almost
as good as new! |
Continuing the race, spirit unbroken |
Never give up,
never surrender! |
(Click to enlarge)
Submitted by the new informal "Lamma Environment
Action Group".
Discuss this topic in our
Dangerous Public Area forum, started by
the group.
The "Lamma Forest" project on the left and right
- 180-degree panorama
ESF school students enjoying an adventurous day
out on Lamma,
an "exotic place" that only a few of them had
ever visited before.
Asia Pacific Adventure's "Experiential
Facilitators" after a day of guiding the
students to build a trail into the Lamma Forest.
Click for L-G's
extensive photo gallery of a day
of serious fun in the Lamma Forest, using all of
these serious-looking tools above.
Plus a
musical slide show made by Gavin with
Desmond's great photos.
Photo Exhibition - 14
Nov - 12 Dec 2008
2/F OMM Boutique, 36 Cochrane St (besides
Mid-levels Escalator), Central
  
  
 
 By
the way, these photos by Ryan Wong are
also for sale via the gallery: HK$1,200-1,500,
16"*20",
Tel. 2127 4503,
email, organised by
SEE Network.
(Photos above, inside the gallery, by L-G.)
The book containing most of these photos and
many more,
Lamma Story, is available in shops and
restaurants along Main/Back Street, YSW: click
for more info on this
exhibition and the photographer, plus a
book press release and
book review.
If you're a frequent Lamma-zine
contributor, you can get a free book from me,
but I've only got three copies left!
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Big
Banana Bob - Brian's friend in
Phuket
(pictures by Bob Davis - click to enlarge; video by Mr DickStock) |
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Earlier in the week, we had
terrible rains 3 - 4 days in a row in Phuket, Thailand.
We were worried that it would continue, but it broke and
the sky was clear and the weather perfect. Overseas
visitors started arriving on Wednesday and we all raised
many toasts to Brian as well as having some good Thai
food together.
A lot of us had never met
each other before, so it was a good time to get to know
each other and reminisce on stories from the past. As we
said goodnight on Friday night, I kept reminding
everyone not to be late the following day.
Marilyn arranged two vans
to transport us down to Chalong pier, departing at noon,
and as you may have guessed I was the last to arrive. A
few worried faces as I strode in carrying flowers and a
backpack full of goodies. But we got off on time and
made a quick stop at our local, Montes, to pick up a few
of the remaining friends.
The big van went off to the
pier while we made a stop at the florist to pick up
Brian's wreath. I had ordered if a few days before, but
they needed time to prepare it. It wasn't exactly what I
imagined, but it was fine nonetheless.
You will see a photo of the
wreath on Bob Davis's email. A funny thing about the
wreath was that they spelled Brian's name wrong. I wrote
it out when I ordered it and didn't check it when I
picked it up. When we got it back in to the van, Dave
and Marilyn mentioned that they had spelled "Brian"
as "Brain". They got Macnay right. Very ironic,
since many of us called Brian Brain over the years.
Totally accidental, but totally appropriate.
Then we all met at the pier
at a local pub called the Tamarind Bar. Brian, Scott,
Doug and I have had a few beers here in the past. Right
on the water with a lovely view over the bay with lots
of yachts moored. We all had a few more toasts while
waiting for the rest to arrive who had their own
transport. You can see a few photos of the gang in front
of the Tamarind Bar.
One thing that
unfortunately wasn't planned for the boat cruise was
food (my bad). I was worried about getting seasick, so I
didn't want anything, but after talking to a few of the
attendees, it became apparent that everyone was a bit
peckish. So we ordered sandwiches and a few appetizers
for the cruise. Stupid me, but that seemed to be the
quickest items on the menu, but as they say, TIT (This
Is Thailand). About an hour later, the food was ready
and we settled the bill and were off. I will say,
however, that the food was very good and I didn't get
seasick at all. A first!
We cruised out of the pier
area and went due south. I don't remember much about the
scenery on the way out, since I was organizing the food.
The boat was a spacious 56-foot fishing boat, called the
Thai 2 On, with lots of room inside. That was important
because it was ultra sunny to start. Most of us chowed
down for the first 1/2 hour and cracked open the beers.
I packed along a few of Brian's CDs and we played these
as well. He was with us in spirit.
As we cruised, we started
to look for a secluded cove, but none seemed to be
right. For one reason or another, we said "Nah" and kept
going. Either another boat was too close or the spot
didn't seem perfect enough. I think we all didn't want
the day to end or to admit that it really was the end.
We settled on the northeast
corner of Coral Island, which is a nearly uninhabited
island southeast of Chalong pier. A quiet cove with
cliffs off the waterline and forest up above. We even
saw a goat up on the cliffs watching over us. I have
attached a Google Earth photo.
You can see Banana Beach on
the upper left hand portion of the photo. Brian went to
this beach in the past and as you may know, called me
Big Banana Bob, while golfing, for my straight drives
off the tee (not). So it seemed appropriate in many
ways.
We had a celebrant with us
named Fredrik and he did a terrific job. Short and sweet
as Brian would have wanted it. I'm sure he was looking
down on us and grumbling, saying something like "Get on
with it, you still have cold beer in Heaven."
When the time finally came
to scatter Brian's ashes, Tom and I took the urn to the
back of the boat and proceeded to scatter the ashes. I
was afraid I was going to fall in, but Tom and I
supported each other and no accidents, fortunately.
Everyone had a flower that they tossed in as well.
Marilyn and Steve laid the wreath on the waters and with
deft skill didn't upturn it. It was quite top-heavy and
I was hoping it wouldn't flip over.
This was at about 4:30 PM
or so local time and just around half time of the NZ -
Australia Bledisloe Cup Rugby match in Hong Kong. Had he
been able, Brian would surely have been at this match.
We all wished he could have seen the All Blacks one last
time.
The cruise back to the pier
was quieter. The sun was going down and the clouds were
pinks and purples. Many of us were just looking out at
the islands and remembering Brian.
Back on solid ground, we
had dinner at a local seafood restaurant. I had heard
about this restaurant, but it was the first time that I
actually ate there. We had a long table for 20 people
and ate and drank hardily. We planned to leave the
restaurant about 8PM, but it seemed that nobody wanted
the day to end. Eventually, the emotions of the day, the
many hours out on the water, and the beer and wine did
us in. We finally left the restaurant at around 10PM.
Most of us slept in on
Sunday, but gathered at one of Brian's favorite
restaurants for a Sunday roast lunch. In the early days,
Brian went to the Tavern on the Hill as often as
possible. Especially when they had Bah Lamb on the menu.
Unfortunately, no lamb, but still a great last meal with
friends, since everyone was off on Monday.
Sorry this email has run on
so long, but I wanted you and Jack to have the complete
story of the remembrance. I have also attached a Word
document that includes a few words from Brian's friends
that couldn't attend as well as a few pictures that I
was able to gather. Thanks very much to all of
you that contributed. |
Click for video!
Click for audio eulogy!
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Riding the Central-Yung Shue Wan ferry home the
other day during a full moon, I couldn't resist
playing with my favourite toy once again, my
trusty Nikon D80 dSLR camera. Below are a few
shots from that ride, taken handheld from the
outside area of the upper deck. Click to
enlarge, as with most Lamma-zine photos.
There's no Photoshop or special effects/filters
trickery in any of these shots. They've all been
created in-camera with various standard camera
settings and only minimal brightness and colour
adjustments. The blurs resulting from moving,
rotating and even zooming the camera during
exposure are all intentional, of course. I hope
you believe me or maybe I'm just trying to show
off some more of my blurry, failed and ugly
snapshots?
Well, anyway, these images put me more in a
Christmas mood than any of the often garish,
overly fancy, overtly kitschy shopping mall
decorations in town. Not that these comments
will stop me from shooting them soon, too.
  
 
  
  
 
 
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Brite Hundvin - Lamma visitor
from Norway
(text & pictures by Brite, Nov
2008) |
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Hey, I am Brite
Hundvin from Norway, visiting this
beautiful little island for the
second time in my life.
I have friends: the
Baskas, Stine, Roman and Caspian,
living here. It's good to be back. A
couple of weeks ago they had this
story in my local newspaper in Oslo
about Hong Kong, and they specially
pointed out Lamma as a nice,
car-free, amiable place with a nice
atmosphere and good for walking
(Norwegians need to walk!) I felt
like shouting, proudly: "Hey, I know
this place!" (At least a little
bit...)
Well, I arrived
Thursday - and felt the greatness of
holidays (freedom...) - exactly when
I bought the lovely little glass of
red wine to bring with me on the
ferry over to Lamma (I've been soooo
much looking forward to that!) And
when I saw the Lamma harbour, and
the little pink house of my friends,
it felt great.
It's so nice here;
vibrant, but still not hectic.
Children and dogs (lots of dogs!)
are running happily around in the
streets. I love all the strange
fragrances swirling around me
(strange for a Norwegian), often
making me hungry. People say hello
as we walk by. I was particularly
pleased when, on my way back from
the shops the other day, Katie
shouted "Hello Brite!" as I went by
her house, I felt like a local! And
I really love the Baska's little cat
(from the "cat orphanage" here)
sleeping on my stomach at night.
There's nothing more peaceful and
reassuring than a friendly
Purrrrrrrrrrr when trying to get
over jetlag. When mentioning the
cat, I also have to mention the dog
of the house; I do love you too,
Corry!
On Saturday, I was
invited to a party at Katie's, and
met many nice and friendly people.
Suddenly my own profession back home
- a bureaucrat in a ministry -
seemed a tiny little bit boring,
when talking to all these
interesting people, coming from all
over the world.
On Sunday, I walked
the path from Yung Shue Wan to Sok
Kwu Wan and back. It was raining the
whole time - and it was lovely. I
admired the views and the flora and
fauna, and took lots'n'lots of
pictures. I have also seen the two
famous pigs and the big caribou (see
right!) in the garden when taking a
walk with Stine the other day. I've
also admired the fire station with
those small fire engines!
I've bought several
dresses (and other necessary items)
in the lovely, local shops - and
I've had my fair share of
sweet'n'sour chicken/pork (I love
that!)
Now I'm leaving for
Sydney, Australia, another step on
my fairy tale trip. But I will
always have this little green,
brown, yellow and pink (!) island
with me in my memories. It is sort
of peacefully (stoically?) situated
in the middle of chaos, not
bothering much about the hectic city
nearby, and the current panic in the
stock market. Although I'm sure it
feels the pressure, and the
pollution creeping in... I wish
Lamma would stay like this forever,
that it would be forever young!
Until next time.
Love from Brite (growing older...)
(...who'll have a
short stop-over here in December,
before flying back to Norway.) |
 |
Keeping up with the many positive activities of
Lammaites gets me to places I'd only rarely venture to,
like places of religious worship (St. John's
Cathedral, Central) and commercial worship (Cyberport
Arcade, Pok Fu Lam). Case in point, Sat, Nov 8,
visiting both of these places in the same afternoon,
catching up with Lamma's newly awarded
Earth Champions:
 Bobsy (for the
Lamma Forest project),
Peter Lloyd
(for
Holistic HK magazine.)
Sincere congratulations
to both for this very prestigious honour! Check
out
HK Earth Champions website for more
details. Eward Yau Tang-wah (Secretary for the
Environment), Christine Loh, and Sir Crispin
Tickell (World Expert on Climate Change) were
speaking guests of honour.
All of HK's Earth
Champions, celebrating in Cyberport, Sat, Nov 8,
2008
  
Earth Champion
Bobsy, on the left -- Cyberport Arcade skylight
-- Sir Crispin Tickell awarding another Earth
Champion, plus the next generation of champions?
 Peter
Lloyd couldn't attend the award celebration
as he was the MC of the Interfaith Day of Peace,
being a recently appointed Interfaith Minister
(interview coming soon) at the Li Hall besides
St. John's Cathedral in Central. So I visited
this very interesting event before the Cyberport
Celebration.
This extremely peaceful "annual
multi-religious event of spiritual nourishment"
featured several Lammaites and invited religious
people of all faiths to "Sing - Dance - Pray
- Meditate - Dialogue - Discuss - Share."
There were Hare Krishna and Indian dancers,
Sikh, Christian, Muslim and Kirtan singers, plus
Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Shamanistic and Daoist
speakers. It was an all-round happy event full
of extremely friendly people, appealing even to
a non-religious former extreme cynic like
myself, who's mellowed in "old age" and come to
appreciate "Peace, Love, Lamma", the
widely popular life motto of many Lammaites.
  
Earth Champion
Peter Lloyd, the MC of the Interfaith Day of
Peace at St. John's Cathedral, Sat, Nov 8, 2008 -- Indian dancer -- St. John's Cathedral's
Li Hall.
Lammaites Laurence the Shaman & his new wife
Carey "Blue Lotus" on the right.
Artworks by
Lammaites
Katie Flowers,
Annie Knibb &
Debra Morris,
all former Lamma-zine Artists of the Month.
 
More paintings by
Lamma Artists, Annie Knibb's on the left,
the others created by Laurence, the "Shamanistic
speaker" of this Day of Peace.
Our forums are becoming ever more international,
reflecting our multicultural, multilingual
island (just listen on the ferries!), extending
far beyond mere bilingual into German, French,
Tagalog, and now even Arabic messages. The
first Arabic message has just been
posted, looking for French-Arabic language
exchange, teaching each other. At least that's
what the
Google Language Tools tell me when
feeding them this message below, dated today:
"Is there one speak and write Arabic?
"I'm looking for one informing me versus
the Arabic language.
Lessons in a language of the French.
Please send an email."
I've tried getting regular forums in French,
German and Italian going, even moderate them
myself, as I can (badly) understand, read and
write these languages. But it didn't succeed
beyond a few messages and a few members. New
startup efforts from native speakers willing to
moderate would be most welcome!
If you're not already registered as a forum
member (all it takes is a nickname and an email
address!),
click here!
Chinese remains by far the most popular language
in our forums, of course. It's a friendly,
supportive, good-neighbourly community and our 3
Chinese moderators Yogesh, Samson and
nicole_kam are doing great jobs at keeping
our extremely active
Chinese forum lively and friendly, not
withstanding some occasional passionate
discussions with loads of different smileys.
I'd love to publish bilingual Lamma-zine stories
and interview Chinese-only speaking locals, but
I lack an interpreter/translator who'd be
available occasionally during daytime. Any
volunteers willing to work for food, barter or
even (modest) pay?
P.S. Reply from Dr Julie,
ex-Lammaite, to this story above:
Subject: for the Arab speaker on the Lamma website
As salamo Alaykam. (Hello)
Titkallem inijileeze? (Do you speak English)
Ma batkalemsh Araby Kteer (I don't speak much Arabic)
Shirkran (Thank you)
|
Angela Leary - Media Manager,
Animals Asia Foundation
(2/F, Room 04-05, Nam Wo Hong
Building 148 Wing Lok Street, Sheung
Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2791 2225.
Story & pictures by Angela Leary.) |
|
I'm sure many of the
Lamma-zine readers knew Canadian
David Kerr
[see
his eulogy], a journalist and
long-time Lamma resident, who died last
year. I thought they might like to know
that David's spirit lives on in the form
of a beautiful sun bear rescued from a
bile farm in Vietnam!
When David died, his
sister Barbara who lives in the US, very
kindly donated a generous sum of money
to Animals Asia, as were David's wishes.
So we offered to name one of our rescued
bears "David" in his honour. When the
latest group of bears arrived at our new
sanctuary near Hanoi, my colleague,
Carney (also a long-time Lamma resident)
emailed to say, "We have our 'David'."
This ponderous, chilled-out bear, with a
sweet and gentle nature, is just like
his namesake. Time will tell if he also
shares David's wry sense of humour.
Here's a report on our
new sun bear from Animals Asia
founder Jill's Blog:
"Who could resist
him? Laid out on our surgery table in
Vietnam, with our brilliant vet team
momentarily forgetting their serious
faces and clucking around him like
foster mums, David slept in total
oblivion, breathing rhythmically and
strongly as he received his first
health-check ever.
"Brown-black fur as
soft as velvet and the sweetest
sun-shaped crescent, which has earned
him and his kin the name of sun bear,
David is perfection itself.
"Slightly on the
chubby side as a result of a poor diet
on the farm from where he originated,
and weighing in at a chunky 64kgs David
could be mistaken for a largish
Rottweiler -- with wrinkles! Moon bear he
is not. Originally hailing from Nghe An
Province, where he was confiscated from
a bear farm along with one other sun
bear and two moon bears between May and
July this year.
"David was then
transferred to a cage in a national park
until our Vietnam Director Tuan was
called and asked if we could help. No
question there -- and after hours of a
long and bumpy ride home, David was
finally with the team at the sanctuary,
safe and sound at last.
"Vet Jen estimated
him to be around 3.5 to 4.5 years of age
-- and in good health apart from a
decayed pre-molar, which needed to be
removed and longish claws that needed
clipping. A routine castration (of
course we love cubs, but with so many
bears needing our help and our resources
limited, it wouldn't be fair to
encourage breeding) and David was soon
dozing on banana leaves and sleeping off
the anaesthetic. Just a couple of hours
later he was happily munching on a
frozen ice-pop."
Last week, Carney and I
had the opportunity to visit "David" at
Animals Asia's Moon Bear Rescue Centre
at Tam Dao, 70 kilometres north of
Hanoi. This lovely fellow is, for the
time being, settled into a roomy
recovery cage following surgery to
remove his gall bladder, which was badly
damaged through years of abuse on a bile
farm.
Soon he'll be released
into a den and semi-natural enclosure
where he'll be able to spend his days
foraging for tasty treats, wrestling
with the other bears, climbing trees,
swimming in a rock pool or simply
snoozing away the hours with the sun on
his back. |
The late David Kerr
(photo by Ian Watson)
David's paw print
David's surgery |
While "researching" the
Lamma Enduro story
yesterday, I came across this contraption at the
very end of Cable Route 1, beyond
Pak Kok Tsui.
It constantly swivels back and forth by almost 180
degrees, surveying the totally deserted square
where the electricity transmission cables dive
under the Lamma East channel to feed the
never-satisfied, incredibly humongous appetite
of HK Island for almost all the power generated
in Lamma's Power Station.
The end of the first Cable Route, far end of Pak Kok Tsui,
start of the Lamma Enduro. See video surveillance in the center of the
picture.
 I wonder who's watching those video recordings
of this desolate square. Is that an actual job
in the Power Station and, if yes, it might be
one of the most boring jobs in HK... What will
this person make of yesterday's footage of me
sneaking suspiciously around the video camera
and taking close-up photos of it? An industrial
spy or simply another madman with nothing better
to do on such a stunningly beautiful autumn day?
Will I become a "person of interest" or even a
"persona non grata" for the Power Station's
security force?
But next Sunday, Nov 23, that square will be
filled with hordes of mountain bikers in
fashionable, colourful, high-tech and very
expensive gear, starting this year's
Lamma Enduro race. What will the
surveillance video watcher(s) make of that,
especially if they don't realise that this
extreme sports event will be happening? Will
they be spooked by witnessing an invasion of
Lamma in progress, huge swarms of bikers looking
like a high-tech infiltration X-Force riding
along the Cable Route, maybe all the way to the
Power Station where this Route ends? Will we
hear alarm sirens howl and see rotating
spotlights flash in the Power Station on that
Sunday, spooking the many revelers on Power
Station Beach? Be forewarned!
Only time will tell and only one thing can be
said for sure... that I'll be there to take the
pictures for all the Lamma-zine readers, of
course!
|
Michael Maddess - Race Director &
Course Designer,
Action Asia Events:
(Text & pictures by
Action Asia Events) |
|
We at Action Asia Events
are organizing a mountain bike race (GP
ReCyko AA MTB Enduro) on
Lamma Island on Sunday, Nov 23, starting
at 9:30am. It's the
Project X race course in Pak Kok Shan,
if you know it. There are 3 options (1.5
hour, 3 hour and 5 hour) and you can
enter a Relay team of 2 where you
alternate laps and have time to rest
after each lap or if feeling more
energetic can enter individual category
in any of the race distances.
Entry fee is HK$210 each
which includes unlimited Gatorade/Meko
mineral water/Pure Blonde
beer/Blackthorn cider and a cool
sleeveless Champion System bike jersey
(pockets/zipper valued at HK$400).
So find a partner and
enter at
our website. Don't forget
that the organizers have rented an extra
ferry for all the bikes departing
Central at 7:30am, Sunday Nov 23.
Tel enquires: 3158-0250. |
Watch out for these posters all over
North Lamma
(click to enlarge) |
 This
sounded pretty intriguing to a recent convert to the joys of biking around
Lamma, so I went up to the
Project X course in Pak Kok Shan the other day to check it out
personally.
Taking the long way round, I bicycled from Yung Shue Wan via Po Wah Yuen to
Pak Kok Village and finding my way to the end of Pak Kok Tsui and the first
Cable Route, where the race will start (see
map). Project X course starts about half way up the Cable Road to Tai Peng,
circling Pak Kok Shan hill on narrow dirt paths. These have partially been
created and maintained by Lamma's very own and very active mountain biker
community.
 
Bike parking -- Cable Route with grasscrete, a very bumpy ride
  
The easy part of the race -- Up Pak Kok Shan -- Red ribbons along the path
 For
a good preview, have a look at pictures from the
2007 Lamma Enduro, taken by several Lammaite photographers (photo
below by Zep). I'll be covering the race with photos but I don't even
dream of participating. These guys'n'girls are really tough and miles beyond
my fitness level, circling that hill for up to an incredible 5 hours! It'll
be stressful and exhausting enough just to watch them! See the
HK Mountain Bike Association website for Lamma's other biking
trails.
But that's a really beautiful and highly recommended hiking trail up there
with simply amazing views, part of the new official
Eco-Route #2. It's usually completely deserted and you'll rarely
meet another soul, except rare bikers on weekends and holidays. Silence and
solitude in a wild, lush, green and safe environment, except on the noisy,
busy and crowded yearly Lamma Enduro day:
"Small islands are about self-dependency and
peace. Separated from the mainland, islanders
have to find ways to depend on themselves in
food, play, and relationships. It is this
self-reliance that gives them a character devoid
of any need to create conflict with others and
in turn develop a closer relationship with
nature and the environment around them. This is
something incredibly admirable." -- Ryan
Wong, Photographer, in the
Lamma Story book
|
SEE Network: Press
Release (abridged, full
press release in
Eng. and
Chi.):
(Set
up in 2004 with the Govt.'s
Sustainable Development Fund, SEE is
a cultural organization aiming to
arouse our city's concerns over
sustainable development through
in-depth research, publication and
public activities.
"SEE" stands for 3 main focuses of
sustainable development:
Society,
Environment
and Economy:
www.project-see.net.
Their services include:
tailor-made publication services,
consultation, organizing public
engagement events, local and
overseas cultural study tours.) |
|
Imagining in the Ruins
Photo Exhibition by Ryan Wong @ SEE
On
the 3/F of a renovated building with
90 years history, we found the
pictures of abandoned houses in
Southeast Lamma of almost the same
age.
Lamma Island is well known for its
exoticism.
Behind the lively community near the
pier, there are abandoned old
communities showing how the material
culture merges with nature. With
concerns over the development of the
community, SEE Network and
photographer Ryan Wong have been
researching and taking pictures on
Lamma Island. From our photos, you
will discover an unfamiliar Lamma.
We hope the images will inspire your
ideas over "Nature", "Conservation"
and "Development". Some of the
pictures in the exhibition have been
put into
Lamma Story,
but some have never been publicized.
Imagining in the Ruins
Photo Exhibition
Date:
14 Nov -- 14 Dec 2008.
Venue: 3/F Gallery, OMM
Fashion Boutique, 36 Cochrane
Street, Central.
For more details, contact us at 2127
4503.
About the Venue
(see
photos on right)
The
venue of the photo exhibition is a
pre-war heritage built in 1918. It
was recently renovated and
transformed into a local brand
fashion boutique. With approximately
the same age, the abandoned houses
in South-east Lamma are having
different destinies, and they are
witnesses to tell the logic and
changes of city planning in Hong
Kong.
About Ryan Wong, Photographer
Born
in Hong Kong and having lived in
Seattle, New York and China, Ryan
Wong is a professional photographer,
cinematographer, and film/video
director and has produced projects
in the US and China. In 2003, he
graduated from NYU's Tisch School of
the Arts with a BA in Film/TV
production. His photographic and
film/video works have been shown at
different places, e.g. the Louis
Vuitton Hawaiian International Film
Festival, the National Geographic
Society and the HK Int'l Film
Festival; most recently at the
Hamptons International Film Festival
with his feature documentary
directorial debut The Road Ahead:
The First Green Long March.
Currently based in Hong Kong, he is
the now the assistant to actor and
NGO leader Jet Li, working in
both the entertainment and NGO
fields, stateside and in Asia. |
36
Cochrane Street, Central |
A frequent question we get from Lammaites and
visitors alike is about our favourite Chinese
restaurant in Yung Shue Wan. For years,
Lamma-Por and I have been answering this
question always the same way:
Lamcombe Seafood Restaurant! Most of our
friends agree and the place is doing great
business with locals all week, not just with
weekend visitors like some other places.
Supporting numerous good causes for many years -
like Dragonboating, Lamma Fun Day and many
fundraisers - it's a friendly, community-minded
place with amazing food, seaside/ sunset views
and cheerful, efficient service:
Click for Lamcombe Seafood Restaurant photo
gallery
|
Lamma-Por's
favourites: |
|
Chicken
in Soya Sauce, Steamed Scallops with
Garlic and Vermicelli,
Steamed Lobster. |
After a number of years as frequent guests,
we've finally succeeded in signing up Lamcombe
as an advertiser of this community website - see
top of this page. I've also shot a photo gallery
of this cozy & friendly place and the really
wonderful, but very affordable food. If you
haven't been there for a little while, check it
out with a table full of hungry friends, ideally before
or after sunset. Or become happy regular guests,
like Lamma-Por and myself.
According to these posters on the path to the
Northern Lamma Primary School, it definitely
looks like North Lamma has become a more
dangerous place these days: earthmovers,
excavations and blinking lights, the floor
opening up and swallowing people and dangerous
banana peels and slippers lying on the floors!
Yes, even more construction works than usual
seem to have started these last few weeks: new
Village Houses rising rapidly, many paths being
ripped open for piping works, Main and Back
Street full of new holes, the rare sound of a
jackhammer while having lunch in a seafront
restaurant, Pak Kok ferry pier renovation
starting tomorrow, a ferry pier Bike Park
planned and the massive Sewerage Treatment Plant
starting construction soon... Truly happy days
for our local VV drivers, the construction
industry and the materials providers.
Escape the construction mania and take a hike in
our still green and beautiful, mostly unspoilt
hills. You might even encounter Lamma-Gung up
there, snapping hundreds of pictures of almost
anything, like a man possessed by the
shutterbug. In fact, the signage picture above
was taken at the beginning of another one of my
occasional early morning strolls up to Lamma
Winds and beyond to the Trig Point, the highest
point of North Lamma with amazing 360-degree
views! Here are two little samples of the view
from up there two days ago:
Click for a
larger panoramas (3K pixels wide; original is
23K pixels wide.)
|
Lokkanat - Lammayan (as
he prefers to call himself, instead of
Lammaite)
(Lokkanat
is a Burmese spirit who once prevented a
war between Burma and Siam
by playing music to calm the two
nations, according to mythology.
While Lokkanat can do a lot of good
things, he's also known to be a
trickster,
a bit of sweet and mean at the same
time.) |
|
Lamma Our Shire
Our Shire is on this beautiful serene
island just south of Middle Earth. It is
only a short half an hour ferry ride
from Minas Tirith. Apart from our unique
local magical and non-magical flora and
fauna, we are not that different from
Middle Earth. We have even our own
Mordor. In fact, some Lammayans will go
to the extreme to claim we have two
Mordors! One which spills white dust at
night and one which like the all-seeing
eye keeps spinning to scramble your
brains if you dare to stare at it for
too long.
However, if you ask Lammayans whether
they are like the hobbits, many
Lammayans may take offence. While
Lammayans share the same passion for
good food and wine and pretty much any
excuse to have a party, they do not have
hairy feet like the hobbits! They may
walk around barefoot and some may even
clip their toe nails in public,
especially on the ferry. Their feet are
otherwise smooth without much hair at
all. Well, there are a few exceptionally
hairy feet, but they are certainly not
hobbits.
What makes our Shire really
interesting is how cosmopolitan and
multicultural Lammayans are. You can
find magical folks and muggles, both
local and international, living and
getting along side-by-side each other.
Hardly any true secrets around amongst
Lammayans. Some say if you hang around
in the Shire pubs long enough, you'll
achieve enlightenment with the
collective experiences of all the
gossips and stories. Actually there are
a few pub-yogis who have attained such
an amazingly high level of enlightenment
that they are completely in tune with
the surroundings like furniture and
oblivious to what goes on around them.
Of course, as with all shires, we
have our own petty squabbles and
skirmishes. Name-calling, brawls, broken
jaws, cat fights, and so on. Even the
animals have their own squabbles and
skirmishes. After all, it wouldn't be a
real shire if we didn't have any. Plus
we have plenty of eccentric characters
and celebrities to make life in our
Shire anything but dull.
At the end of the day, Lamma is our
Shire with its perfect imperfections. |
|
Boggart Boogie
Nights on Lamma
Fellow Lammayans and friends, it's
Boggart Boogie Nights on Lamma! For
those who are not familiar with Boggart
Boogie Nights, it's actually Halloween.
 |
|
(C) SCMP, Oct 31, 2008,
Harry Harrison |
The seventh month of the lunar
calendar is Boggart Mating Season when
boggarts are out to find companions and
have a bit of fun. Nobody knows what a
boggart looks like because it takes on
the form of what one fears most. So
naturally you hear a lot of stories of
people seeing ghosts around that time.
But boggarts are not ghosts. Nor do they
always appear as such. Every year we
always get a few Lammayans so
traumatized they end up drinking
themselves to a silly stupor because
they keep seeing their wives or
ex-mistresses. I suspect not all of the
sightings are really boggarts.
Anyway, Boggart Boogie Nights are
when baby boggarts are born. They don't
have the full strength of a grown
boggart so they often appear as children
in ridiculous costumes like satan,
spiderman, or Bush begging for sweet
treats. Grown boggarts are always nearby
keeping an eye on baby boggarts. If you
think they are trying to protect their
baby boggarts, you are wrong. Since
boggarts are naturally shy and passive,
they cannot stand any loud noise and
unruly behaviour. They have been known
to kill the noisy ones.
Magical folks and muggles with
children often disguise their children
around this time of the year, thinking
it is safer to blend in. Well, it does
make their own children feel more at
ease when surrounded by baby boggarts or
other children in silly costumes.
However, they are also putting their
children in grave danger! You see, if
parents are not responsible enough to
keep their children quiet and
well-behaved, boggarts have been known
to strike down noisy misbehaving
children. Therefore, whether you are a
parent or not, if you see noisy
misbehaving children, you should tell
them to shut up and be quiet for their
own good.
If you find yourselves surrounded by
baby boggarts or children in silly
costumes and you really don't want to
deal with them, don't bother trying the
Riddikulus charm. You will look really
ridiculous screaming Riddikulus! because
Lamma boggarts speak a totally different
language. Simply smile and slowly walk
away. Some Lammayans find the Pissoff
charm useful to a certain degree. But be
careful when you use it because the
Pissoff charm is not very stable and has
been known to backfire badly.
Happy Bubbly Boggart Boogie Night! |
Click above for
L-G's photo gallery of our Shire's recent
Boggart Boogie Night.
For more info and discussions on this important
topic, check out the
Lamma Development? Visioning our future
forum.
|
Colette - Ex-Lammaite &
HK Cutie eBay shop owner, wife of
The Josh, Transnoodle's lead singer.
She's also been featured repeatedly in the
Lamma-zine with her blog about
Molokko the Blogging Catster:
(Advertorial, text & pictures by Colette,
ad below designed by L-G) |
About the Birth of
Hong Kong Cutie
It was established
May 28, 2008. I have always wanted to have my own
brand. I have been designing my own clothes since I
was ten. My mother could not be outside in the
summer because she has lupus and the sunlight made
her ill. Houston summers were hard for her to handle
and to keep me occupied. So, she and I would go to
the fabric store after the sun went down and then we
would make my school clothes. I spent many nights
with her in our dining room/sewing room.
Then later, as I
learned techniques, I became too advanced for my
mother. She sent me to my Aunt Sarah who taught me
how to use more difficult fabrics, how to tailor
clothing to the body, and how to make paper
patterns, how to use a serger, and how to use a
commercial sewing machine. I then became too
advanced for Aunt Sarah. So, I had to enrol in a
community college class that took while doing my
regular high school work. I took that course for two
years and designed a dress I wore in a teen beauty
pageant.
 I
loved design, but I won a scholarship for a poem I
wrote, so I went on to New Orleans and studied
Literature and Film Production. I got a job at a
production house that made short films and
commercials. I attempted to write a novel and soap
opera. I sold the treatment for the soap. I got a
few acting, and modelling jobs. And I did not sit
down and sew for a while.
Then right before
New Years Eve 1999, I was frustrated when I was
invited to a few balls for the holiday season. I did
not have enough cash to dress myself for them. I
also did not want to be seen wearing the same old
frumpy formals my Aunt Deborah had sent me in a box
as a graduation gift.
So, I sat down and
made some very simple, very pretty silk dresses.
Everyone complimented me. A woman I met at one of
the parties told me that I should apply to work at a
local modelling agency. I went and taught poise,
etiquette, interviewing skills, basic make-up
application, and how to dress appropriately. I made
myself new clothes to wear to work every time I
taught. I also grew close to my co-workers there.
One, of them being the current Miss USA, Crystelle
Stewart. That was a turning point in my life.
 At
the same time all of this was going on while my
production jobs grew more demanding. I had to give
up my modelling and being a modelling instructor.
But, I never forgot how much fun it was to dress up
every Saturday and teach women the basics of wearing
clothes instead of letting clothes wear you.
I want to keep that
in my heart forever. That is where my label was born
a long time ago on a walnut table in our dining
room/sewing room in Houston, Texas.
With love forever to:-
My mother
Deborah Gradney, My aunt Sarah Wells, and her
husband Mr. Hermann Wells (who retired from being a
stevedore to be a tailor), my late grandmothers Mary
Semien and Hilda Gradney, Wilma Ruth Cain, Camillia
Cain, Crystelle Stewart, and High Fashion Fabrics in
Houston, Texas. |
|
About "Hong
Kong Cutie":
We are about
making this coming winter fun! Which is why we are
featuring the Sari Wrap Dress! It can be worn many
different ways. It can transition from day to night
so easily. Our wraps come from Jaipur, India. Called
"The Rose City" for the color of the stucco that
makes up the buildings. It is the capital Rajasthan
state, India. I hope that every featured item
connects you to new and exotic locales.
Specialties:
Asian-inspired clothing that is feminine and
flattering to women all over the world.
About Hong Kong Cuties:
I came up
with name because of the great 70's Hanna Barbara
Cartoon, "Hong Kong Phooey". (Which had no
minorities in it unless you count the dog who
sounded like a black man and the "Asian" cat.) Also,
the term "lookin' cute". Which is what my friends
and I would get together and aspire to before going
out, going to work, or going to school.
"Cute"
in my mind when applied to a woman is not an overly
girly woman or a chick who longs to be a Bo Peep.
(Although, I personally think that Lolitas, Bo
Peeps, and Maids rock.)
A cutie
is a woman who has fun with her clothes and her make
up. She creates a nice shapely package. She does not
dress too young or old. You can tell she has a sense
of humor because she can wear anything. And she
wears it well.
Remember Island Line Do or Die!
And all my people who
suffer on Ferry Pier Number Four! Also, this would
not be possible without the Fam and Peeps in the
dirty South, the Gulf Coast, and the Third Coast,
Houston Texas.
Places to Find Us:
Our Website:
www.hongkongcutie.com |
Each
skirt is unique with more than 16 uses. It's made
from vintage saris.
 |
Click above for Dr. Marcus' photo gallery
|
 Dr.
Marcus -
Executive in Residence, Visiting
Adjunct Professor & Assistant Dean,
EMBA Global Asia, HKU,
Cyberport:
(Edited & republished from
his blog, pictures added below
by
L-G, except last picture by Dr. Marcus.) |
Another Day in Doomed Paradise
(Tue, Nov 4, 2008)
Lamma Island has
made it into the ranks of many
travel guides and TV reports. But
like in many cases the line between
a blessing and a death sentence is
very thin. The diverse and tolerant
village community on this Outer
Island in Hong Kong waters is now
flooded weekend after weekend by
crowds of tourists. The rudeness and
hectic lifestyle of Hong Kong has
landed on Lamma. For a long time, it
was amazing to see how much of this
our unique island actually could
absorb without losing its charm.
But with it also
comes what is often described as
"development", which means filling
up the valleys with concrete and
turning the villages into noisy
construction sites. These
"improvement works" do not stop with
public efforts, but also private
houses are being built into a more
and more dense village structure.
Now that the housing prices are
still high, there is cheap
construction going on everywhere to
quickly sell some concrete shells -
which often do not even have the
quality of a garage - to be sold at
high prices.
Tour guides with
megaphones now push their ways
though the villages. Every now and
then, some visitors stop at a real
estate agent to have a look. The
greed of Hong Kong has reached
Lamma, as now local flat owners get
into public fights and
disagreements, playing dirty tricks
against each other:
Shop owners love
these busy times, because beside the
rubbish the visitors toss behind
them, they also drop a lot of money,
giving an income to many locals. The
car-free island streets get busy by
village vehicles transporting
construction materials and goods of
all kinds. Under the eyes of the
island police these small motorised
carts are tuned with larger exhausts
and race along the small trails for
transportation as well as just for
fun.
All the signs
announcing "littering penalties" or
anything which could prevent the
piling up of rubbish have no effect
and are not being implemented. Isn't
it a strange place where suddenly
former "hippies" ask for "law and
order" in the resident's
Internet forum? Well, at
least it still shows that anything
is possible here.
Lamma Island has
become my home since for several
years now and I'm having a beautiful
time here. I know that if I'll leave
some day in the future, I will
remember the scent of ginger
flowers, the fresh wind blowing over
the hills in Fall and many sweet
moments looking out over the island
world of the South China Sea and,
last but not least, the good
company!
|
|
Dr. Marcus - in our new
"Weekend tourists get on your nerves?"
forum: |
|
Well, I feel sympathetic
for them coming out of their high rise
shoe boxes to visit us. Poor creatures,
they also need some fresh air. They are
already looking physically
dysfunctional. Perhaps they were sent by
their doctors. We should actually
welcome them. And the good thing is that
they all stay on the so-called Family
Trail not to feel lonely. This makes
them predictable.
How about taking it
positive and "adopt" a day tourist? Yes,
we pick one up at the pier and teach him
for a day, how not to bump into people,
how to enjoy nature, how not to throw
rubbish on the street,... and perhaps
even how to speak Mandarin Chinese. They
should learn it anyway, shouldn't they?
Just an idea. This could be a way, we
can give back to society:
ADOPT
A TOURIST |
|
Seaview - Forum member, replying
to Dr. Marcus with a conciliatory note: |
|
(Steps on soap-box)
I think we should be a
little more tolerant of weekend
tourists. Without them many of the small
shops/restaurants that the rest of us
enjoy throughout the week would be
forced to close without this weekend
trade.
Yes, they are a pain and
clog up Lamma's narrow thoroughfares,
especially just after or before a ferry,
but you can choose not to go out at
those times. This is a recurring issue,
but without 'visitors' Lamma could
become a backwater as there is not
enough business without them.
I'm sure there are those
that would be happy for the return of a
limited ferry service, few shops, fewer
restaurants, and more isolation, but I'm
guessing they are in the minority. But
if that's what you want, there's always
Po Toi.
Sometimes we seem to
forget that many of us are guests in
someone else's country and yes, that
includes Lamma. This island is a great
place to live and, like it or not, what
makes it a great place to live is that
we have the best of many worlds. And
you'll have to accept that weekend
tourists are part of that.
(Steps off soap-box). |
|
Tavis the Community Gardener -
Forum member, posting this simply
beautiful & peaceful message in the true
spirit of "Peace - Love - Lamma": |
|
Perhaps we are 'guests'
wherever we are and also caretakers and
hosts at the same time.
I was born and grew up
in Canada and hold a Canadian passport.
But my ancestors came from other parts
of the world. Some First Nations people
(indigenous) might likely argue that I'm
a guest in Canada and that they have a
stronger claim to the place than I. Of
course their ancestors immigrated as
well. Where is my true home then? Shall
I look to South Africa - the land of my
father's ancestors - no wait - I must go
back further because their ancestors
originally came from Holland and France.
And on my mother's side it's all
English.
I think we must treat
whatever place we are in as carefully as
though we are guests. We are guests - we
only come to stay for a while and then
must leave - all of us. We only borrow
our place on this Earth for a time.
And, we may choose to commit ourselves
to the place we call home. We may plant
trees that will shade other guests long
after we are gone. We ought to tend our
community (regardless of our presumed
length of stay) like a plot of flowers
and vegetables.
The vitality of
birds, water, sky and laughing children
may flourish in our community garden far
into the future.
While all the
passports will very soon expire... |
Discuss this topic in the
"Weekend tourists get on your nerves?" forum.
|
Zein -
General Coordinator, Lamma Fun Day,
Child Welfare Scheme:
(Pictures by Deebo-HK, Aaron Farr,
Mel Holloway, Grahame Collins,
Ajay Kumar Veeranki. Click on photos
to see their great Fun Day photo
galleries.) |
Dear all Lamma Fun Day Friends,
 Thank
you for making Lamma Fun Day 2008 a wonderful day for all! The
day raised over HK$180,000 for Child Welfare Scheme Nepal (CWSN).
All proceeds go directly to supporting a group of 28 teenagers
to undergo the first of a 2 year course at the JYOTI Vocational
Training Centre.
Through JYOTI CWSN
addresses the unnecessary suffering
of children who have been forced
onto the streets due to the current
political, social & economic climate
in Nepal. It is a project which
provides opportunities for destitute
children and young people to gain
the skills, self respect and
confidence that will enable them to
become independent, secure
employment and to be able to
reintegrate into mainstream society.
The Centre opened in 2002 and now
benefits 120 children every year.
These young adults graduate as
Plumbers, Electricians, Secretaries
and Caregivers and are independent
and off the streets providing for
themselves and their families.
 Lamma
Fun Day and the Lamma Community have
been supporting CWSN for 9 years
now. It was initiated by a then
Lamma resident, Andrew Doig (Doggy)
who went to Nepal and visited CWSN's
projects. The trip made a great
impression on him and upon Andrew's
return to Hong Kong, he felt
compelled to do something. Being a
guy who loves spending time with his
family, having fun outdoors,
listening to live music, partying
with friends and helping people he
came up with the idea of Lamma Fun
Day -- having fun while beneficiating
children in need.
 We
would like to thank Doggy for the
brilliant idea and for running the
event for the first 4 years before
his family relocated to the UK.
Since then, a fantastically
motivated and caring group of HK's
young professionals have volunteered
countless hours and months to make
sure the event keeps happening. The
Committee is made up of over 10
wonderful people who work extremely
hard during their spare time and
days off. The work starts 3 months
prior to the Fun Day. These core
volunteers cover the following
positions: -
 •
2 General Coordinators
• Entertainment Coordinator
• Volunteers Coordinator
• Stalls Coordinator
• Bar Coordinator
• Bric-a-Brac Coordinator
• Children's games Coordinator
• Volleyball Coordinator
• Food Coordinator -- this post needs
to be filled as we lost our
wonderful coordinator when she left
HK last year.
• Press Coordinator
On the day, we have
over 100 volunteers who make the day
happen. Thank you all for your
wonderful help and commitment.
 We
always need help and we would love
anyone who is keen to step up and
get involved, not necessarily as a
section head but as a new voice on
the Committee. We welcome all new
ideas and thoughts, both positive
and negative so please join us!
However, we do need dedication in
terms of time and energy as this is
the only way such a logistically
difficult event can be put together.
Thank you again to
everyone who made Lamma Fun Day
possible, this year and for the last
9 years. We look forward to making
the 10th year a great day out on
Lamma and a great year for the
children at the JYOTI Vocational
Training Centre in Nepal.
|
For more info, there's a
PowerPoint presentation from the Islands
District Office in
English and
Chinese.
We wonder how
many millions these "Repair Works" will cost?
They're basically fixing the little chip off the
pier (see above, the new ferry service ramming
it a few months back) by inconveniencing the
long-suffering Pak Kok residents for another 3.5
months to overhaul the pier's internal
structure. But no major improvements to the old
ferry boats and the recently massively
downgraded service have been announced at all
yet.
|
Bike Mike - Lamma Visitor
till Dec '08:
(Picture of Nick & Vernon (who'll
be back from hospital soon)
by Mr DickStock. Other 2 pictures by
L-G.) |
YES, I'M CANADIAN!
I met two ladies who have
just moved back to Lamma after a
few years purgatory in Hong
Kong's "Mid-levels". "M",
the daughter, attracted my
attention by posing at the edge
of their patio, saying she was a
statue, like in Whistler,
Canada. Now, that's a good way
to capture a Canadian's
attention! I said, "Oh, you're
an Innu shuck."
M's mom, "D" (who looks more
the part of an older sister),
said: "Oh, you're a Canadian!"
Finally, my only answer needed
to be a proud "Yes!"
Welcome back to Lamma, M &
D!
A
MOVING EXPERIENCE
 Local
icon, "Nick the Book", and
Jack-of-all-trades, "June", led
re-installing M & D back on
Lamma. Nick, part-time
bookseller, part-time mover, and
full-time political commentator,
was in full form facilitating
the actions of the moving crew.
Nick brought the energy of a
caged lion to the job, his
mane-like beard adding to the
effect.
June balanced Nick well with
his calm demeanor, leading the
crew by setting an example of
efficiency and strong work
ethic. June also multi-tasks
vocationally, establishing a
great Lamma reputation as a
reliable carpenter and handyman.
Back to things political:
Nick's advice to Barak Obama
should he be elected: "Cut
across party lines and hire John
McCain as Secretary of Defense!"
Thank you, "Nick the
Visionary"!
LAMMA FUN DAY RE-VISITED - IN
PRAISE OF DJs
 Volumes
will continue to be written
about what a fantastic event was
experienced on the beach during
Lamma Fun Day. The strength of
this successful event was the
participation of the full
spectrum of ages from babies to
seniors. The weather
co-operated. Energy &
enthusiasm abounded.
Music permeates the soul. The
beat takes hold as your heart
synchronizes with the rhythm.
The first to work at Fun Day
were the DJs. Music welcomed the
early arrivals as they set up
and prepared the area. The DJs
served all day as the bands
entered and exited the stage.
Their sounds lubricated the
Fun Day Machine.
Long after the crowds left
the beach the music continued.
Sunrise on Monday morning the
DJs remained and the music
played on. The heart of the Fun
Day beats strongly!
LAMMA ISLAND: "WHAT KEEPS YOU
HERE?"
It's now one month since I've
arrived on Lamma. During this
time I've met many great and
interesting people. Some of the
first conversations have taken
on a similar routine, as first
conversations often do. One
question I often ask is: "So,
what keeps you here?"
A theme has emerged: People
are on Lamma first and foremost
because "it is not Hong Kong!"
Proximity to Hong Kong is
important. Many Lammaites depend
on Hong Kong for their
livelihoods. Lamma's difference
from Hong Kong brings them here.
Lamma's culture keeps them here!
 Lamma
is family-friendly. Children are
given the freedom to go out and
play with their friends versus
the parentally micro-managed
agendas of their Hong Kong
counterparts. Parents are often
seen with their children here,
contributing to healthy family
relationships. A case in point
was Lamma Fun Day, which also
could have been called "Lamma
Family Day."
"P", at The Island Bar, one
evening touched on the
"collegial air" here. Lamma,
for him, is like a college
campus where everyone who
arrives "sheds their personal
baggage" and re-invents
themselves in a spirit of
friendship and conviviality for
all.
"C", a Scot, speaking to me
at "O's" birthday party added:
"I was tired of fighting
wherever I went in Scotland. You
fight your way into bars there,
you fight in the bars, and you
fight your way out! Lamma
is so peaceful!" An
often-repeated phrase sums
things up very nicely:
"I come from ______, but Lamma
is my home!"
|
|
|
 |
2008 |
For more photos, check out my new photo gallery
below:
Halloweenies 2008.
P.S. If you'd like to get some of
these photos in email or print high resolution,
simply email me.
Also, if you or your family member don't like to
be featured in this candid photo gallery, just
email me to be removed. Three ladies so far have
asked to be removed, worrying about not looking
pretty enough. It was HALLOWEEN, ladies, the
point was to look as horrifying and UGLY as
possible!
|
|
Read last month's stories...
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