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My Lamma Calendar Photos
Oct 26
Many thanks to all photographers submitting their best Lamma shots for the Lamma Calendar! |
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My Weight Loss Book - Oct 25
When was the last time
your doctor made your day, giving you such good news
that you've felt great and upbeat for days? |
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Latest Lamma News -
Oct 24
New ferry for YSW-Central routeRepainting the YSW Tin Hau Temple. |
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Breast Cancer Awareness Walk - Oct 23
Our (cheer)leaders, Sallie & Vicky (many thanks!) enjoying a rest on the famous, newly renovated.... |
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Poets Laureate of
Lamma- zine -
Oct 22
"ODE/PLEA TO LAMMA DOG OWNERS: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GET 'EM TO DO IT..." |
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Round Lamma Race - Oct 21
Another Round Lamma race is happening today, organised by the LOCC. I've been following them all around Lamma.... |
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Sofa Taxi Service - Oct 18
A brand-new open-top taxi service has just opened up for North Lamma residents. This very cozy'n'comfy-looking VV.... |
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Slippers, Ovaltine & Viagra
Oct 17
A spitting image of Dan the Bastard, wouldn't you agree?
By Harry Harrison, of course. |
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Memorial Lighthouse?
Oct 16
Ideas for a memorial at or above the crash site of the Lamma Ferry Disaster have been floated. |
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Trig Point Family - Oct 15
Life is slowly returning to normal on Lamma, people reverting to their former, comfortable routines and sleeping patterns. |
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After the Tragedy... -
Oct 6
"After Lamma Ferry Crash, how do you feel?After the tragedy, what can you do?" |
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Are You an Eyewitness?
Oct 5
"Police appeal for information -
Vessel collision off Lamma Island 2012-10-01" |
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Finally, here's a proper index of ALL the major Lamma-zine stories published about my
175-pound weight loss, in chronological order over the last 4.5 year since
my initial weight loss surgery. I think (and hope) that some of these are
the very best, silliest and most self-deprecating stories I've ever
published, in my humble opinion, full of personal experiences, practical
advice and loads of pictures. Definitely enough for a kind of free e-book.
Any kind of feedback is, as always, most welcome and encouraged!
Here's a special index for all the Lamma-zine stories published over the
last 4.5 years relating in a major way to my "weight loss journey":
Only Half the Man I
Used to Be
Should you report your "Unauthorised Building Works" and illegal rooftop
structures, if you own a flat in a Village House, or the entire house (lucky
you)?
Here's a bit of (unqualified) advice, discussions, opinions, plus our own
recent experiences:
Rooftop structures.
Katcalin has been asking for advice in our
Discussions forum:
"Anyone know the options available on Lamma these days for satellite TV?"
So I gave her my two (or three) cents, detailing the best (and only)
HD satellite option available on our island. We're still extremely
limited in available TV options here, just a few SD channels, unlike most of
HK which is spoilt for choice with hundreds of channels, many of them in
High Definition.
Many thanks to all photographers submitting their best Lamma shots for
consideration in the Lamma Calendar 2013! The deadline has passed now and
we've finally collected enough fine photos now, after quite a bit of poking
and prodding, er, friendly persuasion. I even resorted to chasing for
photos by threatening that we might have to fill up the Calendar with my amateur
snapshots if we lack enough submissions. That dire threat got more
last-minute photos coming in quickly.
Debbie as the wonderful & hard-working organiser/editor/producer/saleslady of the Calendar will make
the final decisions about which photos to include. I hope that at least a
single one of my shots might be selected, perhaps. Lamma.com.hk is sponsoring
this Lamma Fun Day charity project, providing free marketing and advertising. Here are
a few of my submitted photos,
all taken in the last two years since the last Lamma Calendar has been
published.
These photos are just for your reference and my own amusement, after
spending so many hours to select them from my HUGE Lamma pictures archive.
As almost all of my photos below are "rejects", left-overs from Debbie's
rigid, top-quality selection process, I think we'll get a fantastic Lamma
Calendar this year, featuring the very best of Lamma's legion of
photographers!
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
P.S. If somebody's got experience with commercial stock photo
websites and could advise me on how to get some of my best photos into
worthwhile places,
I'd be very grateful.
When was the last time your doctor made your day, giving you such good news
that you've felt great and elated upbeat for days afterwards? It happened to me
last week in Queen Mary Hospital, during the routine, regular follow-up
consultation with my wonderful weight loss surgeon, Dr. Chan. She was
checking up on my still excellent, drug-free health, OK fitness and only
very minor weight regain, keeping my BMI well below "obese". Some local
acquaintances had even been hinting that I was "too skinny" before, during
my maximum weight loss; and that I look better nowadays with just ten extra
pounds. "Too skinny", me!!?
During our friendly chat she showed me a thick, 50+ pages, spiral-bound book
containing ALL my weight loss-related Lamma-zine stories printed out,
including all the many pictures! I was dumb-founded, the first time I had
ever seen more than a single one of my 3,000+ Lamma-zine stories printed out
on actual paper!
Dr. Chan had been asking me months ago for a testimonial of my weight loss
experience to show to future potential patients, including testimonials in
Chin. and English from a few other successful patients of hers. I gave her
the link to the master index of all my weight loss stories -
http://Lamma.com.hk/lose175 -
and assumed that she might pick a quote or two from my 28 stories so far.
Instead she collected ALL the complete stories, assembling them into a
"super morbidly obese" Word file - like me before the weight loss -
including all the pictures and links. Then she got it printed out as a
single hardcopy to show to future potential weight loss surgery patients.
Wow, I've been published!
Dr Chan has become the closest to a house doctor (and friend) I've had in
decades, still keeping an eye on me 4.5 years post-surgery and referring me
to other specialists whenever needed. As the most successful patient so far
(biggest loser & best health improvement) of the newly established "Weight
Control & Metabolic Surgery" team in QMH, have I become the poster boy and
the teacher's pet? {*Big BLUSH!*}
This is the booklet cover her secretary created, including the Chinese
titles:
To read the original blog version of this printed booklet:
Lamma.com.hk/lose175.
Should I publish these 50+ A4-sized illustrated pages as an e-book or even a
self-published printed book? Lamma-Gung the Vanity Publisher? Would YOU or
anybody you know ever be interested in such a book, digital or even a
dead-tree version? Probably not, but if you might be, drop me
an email.
Let me get started on a more attractive and colourful e-book cover....
And here's my just expanded, illustrated table of contents with lots more
stories:
Only Half
The Man I Used To Be
Click for more details...
 
New ferry for YSW-Central route -- Repainting the YSW Tin Hau Temple.
 
New, updated Facebook gallery of gig posters, by Harry Harrison, most
of them on Lamma over the last years:
Chung Yeung Holiday: Starting at the YSW Basketball Court... (click to
enlarge)
  
Our (cheer)leaders, Sallie & Vicky (many thanks!) enjoying a rest on
the famous, newly renovated Snake Trail chairs -
"Great mobile phone reception up here!"
Resident radio enthusiast hard at work, fixing his typhoon-damaged antennas.
 
Quite a bit of traffic in both directions on the Snake Trail
- Returning at sunset, after a refreshing dip at
the public Lo So Shing.
  
Graduate students at Lamma Winds - Wow, look at
this overflowing fundraising box! - Zooming in
on ... the cash raised, $120/walker, plus more donations.
Vicky Medcalf writes:
"Amazing turnout yesterday! Thank you everyone who was involved in the
event. It was a lovely day and all for a good cause.
A special thank you to Cath for her spectacular buffet and for hosting
another great after party with Daryl. Thank you to Annette for displaying
her fine assets and checking everyone else's. That charity box got very full
fast!! Thanks to Kelly for her nipple cakes and to Lamma Gung who took
pictures on our hike.
We will keep the charity boxes out until the end of the month when we will
tally up the total amount raised, including the amounts raised from the
ladies who have dyed their hair pink for October. Watch this space for total
amount.
Thanks again XXX"
Gossip Girl:
ODE/PLEA TO LAMMA DOG
OWNERS
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
GET 'EM TO DO IT BEHIND
SOME TREES
DOESN'T NEED TO BE TOO
FAR YONDER
JUST WHERE PEOPLE NEVER
WANDER
NOT ON THE MAIN TRAIL
THAT JUST MAKES PEOPLE
MOAN AND WAIL
DOGGIES ARE MAN'S BEST
FRIEND
AND THEY DON'T WANT TO
OFFEND
DOGGIE POO THEY NEED TO
DO
WHERE THEY DO IT DEPENDS
ON YOU !!!!!
Discuss this topic...
John Stuart:
Diesel's Yoga Group
The first meeting
Sitting around
indiscriminately, drinking, random conversations, finding a focus.
Yoga, I don’t really understand it. What’s it about?
So it’s not just tieing yourself up in knots and sitting around like those
Indian guys?
Stretching into different positions? But what’s the point of that?
Comments continue from here and there.
Relaxing muscles, getting rid of tension? Sounds ok to me! Me too.
The conversation spreads, others joining in, more mere males.
Further questions, questions from questions.
Where can you do this? How to get started? What about the costs?
Responses around the table and
beyond, more beers, a sense of commitment.
A pause, some reservations.
Not sure about this. Isn’t it mainly young girls and sporty women who do
this?
I wouldn’t fit in.
Neither would I. I feel the same way.
A series of self-conscious confessions. Then someone speaks strongly.
Anyway I want to try, to find out what it is like. Why don’t we start our
own group?
Then we won’t have this problem!
Good idea, yes. Mumbled assent as the group progressively breaks up.
A few days later at the same
place, further discussion over a few beers.
Been thinking more about this yoga, looking forward to it, sounds great.
Yes, we need to change, to get in shape. General agreement.
But we need a teacher, we can’t do this on our own.
Options discussed, some agreement.
And later again.
Still thinking about this yoga business. I’m sitting around too much, just
drinking,
I need to do something.
Have another beer mate!
Yeah, thanks.
Let’s get this moving. I have another mate who’s also interested, we have
more than enough.
The idea spreads, a little more widely this time.
But we need a place to do this, where can we meet?
Venues discussed, private dwellings, community sites, suitability, various
options.
More discussion, teacher/venues combinations all coming together.
Eventual consensus, enthusiasm building up among the main talkers, spreading
to marginal listeners.
Further meetings, amidst a few
more beers.
The conversations, repeated with further details about possibilities, plans
and processes,
the goal closer, then fading, though the dream lingering at Diesel’s Yoga
Group.
Another basketball tournament,
Hoop Wars 2.0, is starting today in the Basketball Court and another
Round Lamma race is happening today, organised by the LOCC, Lamma
Outrigger Canoe Club. I've been following them all around our home island
last year in the support speedboat, snapping hundreds of photos, but never
getting around to actually process and publish them, doing almost daily
Lamma-zine photo shoots during the busy social season of Oct-Dec every year.
To give you an idea of today's race, here are a few of my photos from last
year's very similar races.
For new photos, you need to be a Facebook friend of one of the extremely
low- key LOCC members. But they're so much quieter and extremely low-profile
compared to their boisterous, publicity-loving dragonboating friends, even
though they're often the very same people!
 
  
 
P.S. For photos of this year's Round Lamma race, make Facebook
Friends with a
Lamma
Dragons Member Past or Present or
Lamma OCC
member;
for great photos of this year's race:
Paddling and Other Cult-like Pursuits...
Media release (all photos courtesy of Clockenflap)
Vision
- Line Up -
Music -
Art -
Film -
Food -
Facebook -
Tickets
Plus my own photos and story from last year, plus Nick's festival review.
We'll be haunting the grounds again this year, of course!
Square Foot Magazine: Pressure Points 無壓力的小島生活
"Forget the cheap rents. The hippie haven is fast shedding its laidback
image."
悠閒的小島天堂或將不再？
Text: Jennifer Lo | Photos:
www.thinkstockphotos.com
Our forum,
Lamma property story in Squarefoot mag, has been very active on this
topic. Here are the latest answers from our Senior Moderator
Zep to the questions
Jennifer Lo asked our forum members, before
writing the story above:
1. Why do you choose to live here?
Came here by accident and can't afford to move on.
2. What kind of house are you living in?
Village house at the top of a steep mountain which leaves you
knackered and sweaty half way to the top. Exhausting.
3. What do and don't you like about Lamma?
Absolutely nothing to like.
Dislike poisonous snakes, spiders and centipedes, cliquey
expats, rude and money-grubbing locals, dog shit, choking fumes
from the chimneys, packs of wild dogs and feral pigs and
children, high prices, greedy landlords, suffocating holiday
crowds.
4. Which groups will find the island attractive? Expats,
locals, those with pets/kids?
Only mentally deranged hippies would want to come here.
5. How would you compare Lamma with other alternatives
such as Cheung Chau, Mui Wo, Discovery Bay, etc.
Absolutely bottom of the pile.
6. What do you think of the "hippie" label on islanders?
Very appropriate. You cant walk down main street without being
hassled by hippies, drug addicts, hustlers, deadbeats and
layabouts - human flotsam from all corners of the earth have
washed up here.
7. Some said the island has a close-knit community. Do you
agree?
Close-knit, inbred, paranoid, yes. Don't even think about coming
here.
Plus my personal reasons to continue
"gushing about my lovely landlord".
A brand-new open-top taxi service has just opened up for North Lamma
residents. This very cozy'n'comfy-looking, upgraded Village Vehicle, usually
reserved only for goods transport, has been spotted by Yours Truly yesterday
outside the Beer Garden Bar & Rest. This might become highly popular right
away, especially in the evenings, transporting tired and/or drunk patrons up
into the very remote, distant, high-altitude hilltops of Tai Peng. On an
island with no private motorised transport permitted of any kind, this VV
taxi will surely do (literally) roaring business. Make your reservations now
as it'll surely be flooded with bookings very soon as the one and only
service of its kind so far on all of Lamma Island.
South Lamma has enjoyed a VV taxi service for many years and they've been
spotted with up to 3 passengers on the loading platform in various remote
locations cruising at high speed. But they've never been traveling in such
comfort and style as this sofa taxi. Contact the neatly dressed dik si si
gei on the left for prompt and friendly service, or flag it down when
spotting it cruising through Yung Shue Wan's High Street. Share it with up
to 2 friends and the admiring attention of all onlookers and passersby will
be yours, including our ever-vigilant police constables who still try to
enforce the outdated, old-fashioned idea that accepting passengers on VVs
deserves a fine.
But escaping our bicycle cops might be easy enough on this often tuned-up
vehicles and might lead to some daring high-speed chases through narrow side
alleys. On second thought, after some not-infrequent accidents or
near-accidents involving VVs and bikes or pedestrians, chases like this
should be totally avoided. Perhaps by legalising Sofa Taxis or some more
eco-friendly modes of transport, at least for the walking-impaired? Segways,
electric bikes or VVs, anyone? No?
Lamma Events happening today till Sunday, Oct 21. Click for details:
Plus the last Bastards performance in the current lineup? This Fri, in The
Wanch:
A spitting image of Dan the Bastard, wouldn't you agree? By Harry
Harrison.
Ideas for a memorial at or above the crash site of the Lamma Ferry Disaster
have been floated by several people and groups, from memorials to a
Columbarium. The Home Affairs Department has taken on the idea publicly and
will study it.
Here's an idea from Simo Chau, the organiser of the recent Jazz Music
and art evenings in 7th Avenue Bar & Rest. She proposes to build a
tradtional Green Island-style lighthouse with a rotating spotlight on the
cliff just above the crash site. This would be much bigger and much brighter
than the existing little, dimly blinking "lighthouses" we have already
around Lamma. Click to learn more:
Life is slowly returning to a semblance of "normal" on Lamma,
people reverting slowly to their former, comfortable routines and
sleeping patterns, at least that's what I've been doing.
During our customary early Sunday morning brunch
at the Lamma Winds Pavilion, we spotted some tiny dots near the
Trig Point, the highest point of North Lamma with the very best
views. Zooming in 86 times onto the Trig Point over a 353 metres
distance, this is what I got: an entire family hiking up there
on early Sunday morning, hours before any visitors will make it
up to nearby Lamma Winds!
  
We slowly finished our wine and cheese buffet in
the Pavilion, catered by
myself for the very first time. Half way up the hill I realised
that I had forgotten the cheeses! So I had to return home to
fetch them. Good exercise!
After our leisurely brunch, I descended on my bike on Cable Road.
I caught up with the Trig Point Family and introduced myself. Christine and
her family, take a bow, Senior Lammaites of the Day,
living less than 5 minutes from us, even though I didn't recall
ever talking to them before, even though Christine has lived on
and off Lamma for over 20 years. I still don't "know everybody",
contrary to popular belief.
Returning home, my newspaper was waiting on my
2/F doorstep,
home-delivered like every Sunday
by the two daughters of one of our Sunday brunch regulars, who
lives by his motto: "Feel Good, Look Great"!
Yes, life seems to be slowly returning to a new kind of a
quieter, more thoughtful state of normality on Lamma, finally....
 
 
Photos by our Pak Kok Senior Correspondent
Have you ever been invited to an event and then were the ONLY one actually showing
up? This happened to me last night, at the
"Ferry Disaster Debriefing". It was well-organised by the Social
Welfare Dept., with about a dozen officials from various departments and
organisations waiting outside the Rural Committee Building, most of them
coming from town for this widely publicised event, including this home page.
There were about 18 Chinese speakers attending, but for non-Chinese
speakers, a parallel event had been organised in the new Hangout
Kindergarten location (just beyond the Bookworm Cafe). Even though there was
a circle of chairs set up, like an AA meeting, it turned out I was the only
one attending, but I was there more out of curiousity about this
first-time-ever event in my 11 years of living here.
11 full days after the tragedy, even "mildly distressed" individuals like
myself have probably recovered from their initial insomnia and anxiousness,
talking about it for many days with friends and family and coming to terms
with it. After the shrink, er, psychologist, had repeatedly enquired about
my feelings and encouraged me to "share my experiences", she probably found
me not distressed enough to warrant further attention and wandered off. So I
interviewed the Asst. District Social Welfare Officer instead. He told me
about all the good work they had done with people and families much closer
to the tragedy than myself (see my form above), right after the disaster. It
was a nice, friendly and very considerate event; quite a pity that not more
people showed up.
© SCMP, Oct 12, 2012 - Click above to read the entire story,
including an interview with "Website Manager Lamma-Gung".
"FEEDJIT Live shows what is happening on your blog or website right now.
This page is being updated in real-time as new visitors arrive on
your site. Visit our home page
to update your Live Traffic Feed or get Feedjit for your own site."
This is a new toy I found and just added to this website's lower left column,
showing the last visitors, where they're coming from and what browser and
system they're using. Thanks,
Debra & Malcolm!
It's pretty amazing to watch the live traffic and see where Lamma.com.hk
visitors are
originating and how some of them found my website:
Bainbridge Island,
Washington arrived from
google.com on "Lamma-zine
Blog - August 2006 - by Lamma-Gung" by searching for
magic mushroom types.
Cambridge, Ohio
arrived
from
google.com on "Lamma-zine
Blog - February 2006 - by Lamma-Gung" by
searching for
castrated roosters.
Oliver, British
Columbia arrived
from
bing.com on "Lamma-zine
Blog - March 2006 - by Lamma-Gung" by
searching for
dragonboater tattoos.
I don't really recall ever having written
about magic mushroom types, castrated roosters or dragonboat tattoos, but
it's been 10 years of almost daily stories, often about pretty quirky
and weird topics. Being the #1 Lamma website on Google, Yahoo and Bing attracts some
worldwide visitors with, ahem, er, "unusual" interests to this site. All are most
welcome, of course!
If you know another useful and/or fun website tool/gadget/widget/add-on
you'd like to see on this website, free or at small cost,
let me know!
Click above for more info and registration...
Lamma rarely ever warrants any news story in the news media, not
internationally and not even locally, and we usually like it that way. But
this tragic accident has been covered in so many ways worldwide:
World's 'most delightful commute' hit by ferry disaster (CNN) (by
CNN's Kevin Voigt),
Hong Kong Boat Crash: Brit Child Killed,
No Pinoys hurt in Hong Kong sea tragedy, plus former frequent Lamma
visitor & Franciscan, Father Roberto P. Reyes, blogging a very personal,
touching sermon on
Life, Death, and Lamma Island.
View a collection of stories from the last 7 days - news, blogs, web
and video - courtesy of Google Alert:
Internet stories
on "Lamma Island"
 
 
Following the 3-day official mourning period set up by the HK Govt. starting
today, Oct 4-6, I've set up an online condolence book in our forum. You can
post your condolences, thoughts and pictures, in any language and any
format. The solemn SCMP editorial cartoon above was created by Harry
Harrison (used with his friendly permission).
A Condolence Book will also be available for your signing in the Rural
Committee Buildings in North & South Lamma, during office hours from today
till Sat, 9am-5pm. A 3-minute silence will be observed all over HK at noon
today, including the YSW Rural Committee Building (opposite HSBC).
To get started and get you inspired, here's a poem by our Official Court
Poet, John Stuart:
Read more about the
Lamma Ferry Disaster...
See poster and details. Deadline for public comments: Oct 19.
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Lamma-zine
started in 2002, and will be updated (almost) daily with anything
vaguely related to Lamma Island or its residents, be it news,
stories, events, links, photos, artworks, videos, etc.
Contact Lamma-Gung with
anything relevant to Lamma or Lammaites that you'd like to see
published in the Lamma-zine, Events Calendar, Photo Galleries, Links
or in our Eng. and Chin. forums!
 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 and forum members, currently over 4,500.
Free subscriptions!
All former posts are stored in the Blog Archives,
see below.
All materials and photos © 2012 Lamma-Gung.
Some rights reserved.
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