Snake Sightings Apr 29 - Which of these snakes has been sighted on Lamma? Marine Debris Warriors Apr 25 - "Thank you to all the volunteers! They went again to the Shek Pai Wan Rock Beach." Weight Test for Pak Kok Pier Apr 24 - It'll be safe for the weight of the big, expected crowds of weekend visitors. Earth Day: Green & Happy Apr 22 - "Green TV" Goes Live to Promote Decarbonisation" Luisa @ Lamma Gourmet Apr 20 - "Luisa, and her effortless charm, have become synonymous with the store." Best Mountain/Family Biking Routes Apr 19 - "The islanders have a biking culture that might be unique in Asia." Tofu Pudding & Oyster Omelette Apr 14 - Celebrity chef Christian Yang visits and promotes Lamma.... 'Three Paths' Exhibition Apr 13 - "Welcome to Three Paths | Joint Art Exhibition. Three women artists" Another Bike Clearance Apr 10 - Save your bikes well before these clearances on April 15. TANA Workshop Apr 9 - "With colourful paintings and Chinese calligraphy lining the walls,..." Protected! Apr 8 - 2nd shot of Comirnaty (BioNTech) vaccine done a few days ago. No side effects.... Nick's Antique Name Card Apr 7 - ...very well-worn namecard I designed for Nick years ago! Easter Sunday Sampler Apr 4 - A little sampler of my recent artworks. More at: ¡El Gran Miguelitor! Apr 3 - "People don't see me, and it makes me a good observer." Happy Easter! Apr 2 - ...from the Lamma-zine's Balcony Garden. New 'Triangle-Route' For Lamma Apr 1 - "Yung Shue Wan - Discovery Bay- Central - Yung Shue Wan triangle service."

Apr 29:  Snake Sightings

Apr 25:  Marine Debris Warriors

Mike Chau writes:
"Thank you to all the volunteers!
They went again to the Shek Pai Wan Rock Beach on Lamma Island, to clean up more than 100 bags of marine garbage, and built a chain through the rugged rocky beach.
They moved all the garbage to the roadside for collection, convenient for the relevant government departments to collect."

Apr 24:  Weight Test for Pak Kok Pier

The future Pak Kok ferry pier under-construction is being weight-tested and piles-settled these days, see the massive concrete blocks loaded on now!

If it can take this massive weight it'll be safe for the weight of the big, expected crowds of weekend visitors passing through it in a few years. You didn't expect this massively expensive pier ($28.4 milllion) being built just for us few hundred local residents, did you?

Apr 22:  Earth Day: Green & Happy

    "Green TV" Goes Live to Promote Decarbonisation

HK Electric writes:
"Combatting climate change and striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 is a common goal of Hong Kong and many other countries around the world.
On Earth Day today, HK Electric's Happy Green Campaign launched "Green TV" to promote decarbonisation and encourage the public to take steps to reduce carbon footprint in their daily life.

"Green TV" will be broadcast on the Happy Green Campaign mini-site and the campaign's Facebook page. Through different channels and programmes, it presents in a light-hearted way Hong Kong's decarbonisation strategy, while promoting energy efficiency and a low carbon lifestyle. These channels include:

• A glossary introducing 20 terms or concepts about decarbonisation;

• An information hub suggesting 50 actions to cut carbon emission;

• A learning centre providing online resources such as mini-movie, online games, animation series and interactive drama;

• A column collecting ideas to inspire the public to reduce the use of energy;

• A dedicated channel featuring the low-carbon life of campaign spokesperson Green Kid and her family;

• A platform reporting on green activities at Happy Green Schools in Hong Kong and green news from abroad; and

• A forum discussing topics like energy efficiency and green lifestyle."

Read more...

Minisite of Happy Green Campaign

Carbon reduction information desk:

"Lamma Gourmet is renowned for their high-quality artisanal products, but it is the warm and welcoming nature of those who work there that make it a true staple of Main Street. Over the years, Luisa, and her effortless charm, have become synonymous with the store."

Bike Park opening @ YSW Ferry Pier, 2015

China Highlights writes:

"Lamma, like other islands of Hong Kong, doesn't allow cars. So the islanders have a biking culture that might be unique in Asia since probably few places in Asia restrict vehicles. You'll love it if you love biking for exercise and sightseeing and for mountain bike adventure.

Routes: The Family Walk + off into the northern/southern hills

For: casual bikers, families, and mountain bikers

Kinds of trail: mountain bike trails or easy paved pathway

Attractions: biking fun on a pedestrian/bike-only island

Dirt track length: 15 kilometers of prepared dirt bike track.

Family Walk length: 18 kilometers (12 miles) in total."

Is it time for this lazy home office recluse to get his bike out of semi-retirement and saddle up for another scenic roundtrip around Lamma? Yes!

P.S. 1: Historic Bike Park photos:

My pre-Bike Park view from YSW Ferry Pier, 2014

Building the Bike Park, 2014

P.S. 2: Major danger! If you leave your bike in the same popular locations in North Lamma for more than a few days, (including the official YSW Bike Park above) this might happen:

The Govt. will remove your bike periodically (approx. yearly) and dump it (without any recourse or way of getting it back) in this Bike Graveyard, located just below the Lamma windturbine!

Celebrity chef Christian Yang visits and promotes Lamma in a new video by the HK Tourism Board. He seems to enjoy arriving and decompressing at the YSW ferry pier, see below!

It's fun to watch the website I launched and ran worldwide in 11 languages (19 now) for years (Discover HK) promoting the island I've been promoting for almost 20 years now via my own website.

Guess where? The Fishermen's Village and typhoon shelter opposite the YSW ferry pier, plus quite afew solar panels on village house rooftops!

Lamma Art Collective writes:

"Welcome to Three Paths | Joint Art Exhibition

Three women artists - Debra Morris , Roz Keep and Mary Anne le Bas - who have lived on Lamma many years - have described the landscapes in their unique ways.
Watercolours, drawings and etchings.
Something for everyone. Opening: April, 16 (Friday) from 7pm onwards."

P.S. On related artsy news: Ferry Tales of Lamma, the printed Spring edition of the quarterly Ferry Brief, is out!

Get it outside HSBC in YSW this Thursday morning, 8-9:30am!

Save your bikes well before these clearances next Thursday, April 15, in locations all over North Lamma!

If you dare to park in any of these locations on April 15, your bike might end up here:

Bike Graveyard

Read more... 

2nd shot of Comirnaty (BioNTech) vaccine done a few days ago. Very quick and easy. Zero side effects, like first shot.

So what can I do now, ANY restrictions lifted for fully vaccinated people in HK, any travel? Nothing at all? We'll have exactly the same restrictions as all the unvaccinated people. We might have to socially distance and wear a face mask for another 1+ years everywhere in public, including outdoors, despite only 0-2 daily local cases among 7.5 million people.

See what I just received by email:
A photo of the very well-worn namecard I designed and printed for Nick years ago! A Lamma Antique?

This might be probably the most heavily used name card of any Lammaite? Nick does never hand it out but lets the many people chatting with him at his YSW Main Street bookstall take a picture of it if they'd like his contact details.

It looks like I should print a few new name cards for him, my former "Official Court Music Reviewer"? Check out the little pro bono Psychedelic as Hell! website I've built for him.

A little sampler of my recent digital artworks. More at:

Facebook: Lamma Gung and Lamma Gung Art & Photography

Art/Photography website: http://Lamma.com.hk/L-G/

The People of Lamma Island writes:

"Taking to the winding paths of Lamma, Miguel poses opposite the camera to be photographed in his signature black and white style. In the same way he takes his own photographs, he effortlessly blends in without disturbing the natural flow of bikes, dog walkers and speeding VVs. 'I get close to the scene, but remain invisible,' Miguel explains, 'people don't see me, and it makes me a good observer.'"

Read more...

Many thanks to Geoff Smith the Master Gardener for the bulbs several years ago, blooming every year without any extra efforts from my side.

Marcus H. Langston writes:

"In a significant announcement today as part of the new ferry schedules, the Xin Chao ferry will operate a Yung Shue Wan - Discovery Bay- Central - Yung Shue Wan triangle service starting at 12:00 noon.

Formed as a joint venture service between HHKF and NWFF the new impossibly acronymed 'HKKNWFF' will see the return of egg spam noodles in the upstairs deluxe bar and fried eggs in the oily red bucket below.

With capacity for 1,645 passengers, the Xin Chao and sister ship Xin Fei will be running 'double happy' tourist services on weekends and public holidays to compliment the daily schedules. Both vessels were Lamma regulars under the Hong Kong Yaumati Ferry HYF company as Man Chiu and Man Fat.

Departure times are on the hour from each point. Ticket prices (as shown) are around half the current HKKF price for the slow boat to Lamma."

P.S. More ferry news, starting today:

P.S. 2:  April's Fool Lamma-zine stories from the past:

2020: Lamma to Host Post-COVID-19 Triathlon

2017: Yogi Brad Teaching BLOGA!

2014: Ex-Lammaite Wedding!

2013: Bauhinia Island

2012: Lamma Eco-cycles Launch

2011: Eco-Development Starting Construction

2010: Island Bar Reinvents Itself