CityLife
HK Magazine recently did an email interview with me about Lamma. The
article should come out Aug 1, together with a few of my photos. Here are
their questions; my replies have been copied to our
FAQ for Lamma Newbies forum.
Afterwards, the editor called me "...a great ambassador to
Lamma Island. I envy the contentment you have found in your living
situation."
{*Big Blush!*} but the contentment part is definitely
correct...
CityLife
Magazine questions:
Where are you from?
What is your profession? Do you work from home?
How did you end up settling on Lamma Island?
How long have you been living on Lamma Island?
What is it like living on Lamma Island? What's great about
it? Any downsides?
What are the best places to eat?
Any suggestions for visitors?
Anything else you'd like to add?
How do you feel about the reputation of Lamma Island
residents being hippies?
Click here for my replies...
|
Stine Baska - Children photographer and
former
Artist of the Month
(text & photo) |
You can eat so fresh and healthy for next to
nothing here on Lamma.
I thought I'd share some easy dinner ideas with
your readers. Today, walking through the village, I got a nice
bunch of fresh snake beans from the lady selling from her
trolley for $5. The lady next to Deli Lamma had broccoli for $5,
and $7 for a head of cauliflower.
I steamed them for about 5 min. Meanwhile, I
mixed equal amounts of plain yoghurt and mayonnaise. We buy the
Japanese Doll mayonnaise available here on Lamma. It's a lot
like European mayonnaise. Use your favourite.
This is the dipping sauce that will make even
the most resistant into vegetable eaters. I can prove this!
This could well be
dinner on a hot night. Try to mix canned tuna into the yoghurt
for a bit more protein. Enjoy!
|
Veg & yoghurt/mayo a la Stine |
 Another
heart-warming story about many Lammaites' great love for pets, the story of
Eleanor - Lost & Found. It all started with Laudable Lamma Luminary
SheiLAP starting a new topic in our forum
"Puppy LOST at Ferry pier in CENTRAL" and putting up posters around
the village:
"LOST in HK, near Lamma Ferry Pier 4.
"Little Eleanor was lost as she was getting on the Ferry. She is now lost
in Central! She was seen around Wing On department store and then this
morning she went into Wing Lok bank then headed in the direction of
Worldwide house along Connaught Rd.
"She is only 5 months old and had been de-sexed that day. She hasn't had
anything to eat for 2 days. We are very worried about her. She is unfamiliar
with Central as she lives on Lamma Island. She is a lovely dog. Please keep
and eye out for her & if you see her call her, and she will come to you and
please call Sheila..."
Then it spread to
Sheila's Facebook group, generating more than an incredible 200
messages from well-wishers and people looking for Eleanor. And then came the
good news, the happy ending needed for a great doggy story like this one:
Sheila: "Yes, this is where she was found.
The photo is taken after Helen and Alice had spotted her and I managed to
coax her out from where she was hiding, dehydrated, weak and in pain ... but
still happy and beautiful!"
Eleanor was found in HK Park, pretty far away from the Lamma Ferry pier in
Central, on June 29, after 9 days! A triumphant
photo gallery "Eleanor is back!" went online quickly on
Sheila's Facebook pages. You can add on to her currently 1,463
Friends (a record for a Lammaite? Anybody got more?) to view the entire,
almost epic Lamma Drama and major doggy saga.
Finally, even the SCMP finally took note and published a small story today,
"Runaway dog safely home but without a wag". Sheila: "She was hit
by a car, which skinned her tail and broke it. Her tail has been amputated
and she is happy now." Congratulations to all the people involved in
finding her, the rescuers Helen & Alice and all well-wishers. We love Happy
Endings!
To help Sheila, you could either
send cheques made out to "Lamma Animal Protection Charity Ltd"
to Room 1101B, 158 - 164 Queens Rd, Central,
or donations can be put into the
Lamma Animal Protection
Charity account:
HSBC 400-399978-838.
Please let
Sheila know the details and she'll send you a tax-deductible
receipt.
P.S. Sheila writes:
"Wow, L-G, thank you for the lovely story about Eleanor! She is
back on Lamma and bringing a smile to my face every time I see her.
Actually, it's hard to believe but the vet costs alone were over $7,000.
Thank you so much for including that important point.
"She can still wag, but it is more the tick-tock of a metronome."
|
Nick the Bookman and Official Court Main Street Correspondent
(and expert in moving all your stuff on/off Lamma, click
above to email him!) |
|
Ferries
I don't know about anyone else, but the new ferry
schedule is working out fine for my moves. We had a job on
2-7-08, the first day after The Hangover Anniversary. Had to move
about 40 bags, boxes and about 8 large pieces of furniture. Bit of a
panic when we realised we needed to book 48 hours ahead, i.e.
30-6-08. Told the HKFF staff the problem at 09:30 Wednesday and they
had a large freight ferry assigned to us for midday. It arrived at
11:30. Half an hour to load up. No delay in departure. Future jobs
we can now stagger between the 11:20, noon (if pre-booked) and 13:00
ferries if necessary and depending on the size of the move. Less
stress all around. This is a good thing.
As for the fare hikes: They're now $14.50, up
$2.70 from the old slow rate of $11.80. But they're cheaper than the
previous fast ferry fare of $16.80. I'd gladly pay the new fare for
the privilege of NOT sitting in the plastic seats anymore.
Apparently, those old ferries have been "given" to Peng Chau.
Prices may still go up, but not yet. Oliver from Pak
Kok told me the tariffs were calculated on the basis of $80 barrels
of oil - not $140 and rising. The HKFF is still in deficit... Maybe
it's time to consider steroid hamsters inside wheels churning out
the power. Or natural gas. No shortage of that in Legco. New (un)Improved
Poli-Power!
Guaranteed to run (at the mouth) longer then the
Energiser Bunny!
A Handy Tip: When you buy stock from IKEA,
ask them to deliver on the earliest date they can GUARANTEE to be at
the Central Ferry Pier by 11:00. It's worked for the last 5
deliveries we've picked up. Of course, it still gives IKEA about 50
minutes to screw up, but so far it's been pain-free. Of course, I
don't have the pleasure of writing rude notes to the IKEA Board of
Directors criticising their lack of piss-up/brewery interface
skills. Or asking them to De-Evolve for the Benefit of Mankind,
but it's a small loss...
And remember:
Don't Drink And Drive! Do Think And Thrive!
Amen (or Apeople for the Politically Correct Absurdists among us).
And if there's "person", why not "perdad/mum/sis/bro, etc"? These
little things do keep me awake at night. |
View from the publicly accessible rooftop. Great spot for sunset or night
shots. See
The Waterfront photo gallery.
Inside The Waterfront, a great place to meet up with friends, day or night
(All photos by L-G)
A warm welcome to our new advertiser, The Waterfront Bar &
Restaurant, helping to maintain and upkeep this website. I'll always have a
soft spot for this place with the unrivalled location and view. I've known
one of the owners, Dan Peterson of The Island Bar (same management team),
since he moved to HK 20 years ago, when we worked in the same int'l ad
agency.
The Waterfront was also the last place I've enjoyed my very
last ever regular-size meal before my permanent stomach reduction operation;
and what a truly fine dinner it was. And they didn't even let me pay for it,
to my great surprise! These days, I share a very affordable single set
dinner there with Lamma-Por and usually still have enough leftovers for my
lunch at home the next day. 3 meals for the price of one, a great deal.
To find out more check out their new web page (by yours truly) with a menu
overview, "Where to Find Us..." and loads of photos:
Welcome to The Waterfront Bar & Restaurant
Diesel's Sports Bar has new owners and they're doing away
with the historic bright green of the place. Lammaites walking by were amazed
about the repainting job in progress, not completed yet (see below, old and
new). Diesel's has been bright green since most Lammaites can remember. More
about all the other exciting changes soon, including a potential renaming of this
favourite sports bar...
Missed a spot! -- Wet paint!
Diesel's BEFORE it turned bright green, over
10 years ago --
The formerly bright green bar. One of their free buffets, those were the
days...
Diesel's has been featured many times in the Lamma-zine,
especially when it was a happening party place. A few historic photo
galleries:
Lucy's 40th Birthday Party - Sexy Pets
Alain's Party @ Diesel's
Sexy Biaatch of Boracay Party
Top winning entries of the two show categories.
|
HK Electric -
Press release, June 28, 2008
(text, photos & captions by HK Electric) |
|
A new and unique "green"
fashion show made its debut on the catwalk today when a
group of fashion designers recycled used clothing and
news- papers, discarded compact discs, and even mosaic
tiles to convey sustainability and energy conservation
messages.
This array of innovative designs captured the
spotlight at the "Go Green Fashion Design Contest",
organised by HK Electric under this year's Smart Power
Campaign, which aimed at encouraging people to think and
act green to achieve a sustainable future.
Over 40 finalists, short-listed from more than 100
entries from the "Secondary School Students" and
"Post-secondary School Students and the General Public"
categories, represented a vivid, lively and effective
demonstration of the "4R" concept to "recycle, reuse,
recover and reduce" as much waste as practicable in
daily life.
A blouse made from red-white-blue plastic bags, a
disco dress decorated with recovered CDs, knitwear
adorned with coloured electrical wires, and a dress with
light-bulbs were some of the eye-catching creations.
Equally innovative were a shawl transformed from a
mosquito curtain, a hat made of used aluminium cans and a
stunning pair of mosaic-tile trousers.
Other entries were designed to inspire people to care
for the environment and think about the importance of
renewable energy, particularly wind and solar. Wind
turbines featured in floral patterns as well as
accessories such as hair-dresses, necklaces and belts.
Renowned fashion designer, Mr. William Tang, a member
of the adjudication panel, said it was important for
designers to "think out of the box" and infuse their
designs with creativity and personality.
"Some ideas are inspiring, like the one that recovers
and reuses mosaic tiles, a kind of industrial waste, for
trousers. I never thought of it myself," Mr. Tang said.
 Mr.
Shaun Cheung of the Hong Kong Design Institute said many
of these designs were highly creative, turning otherwise
useless materials into good use. By utilizing materials
found in nature, the variety of their designs could be
further increased.
Chief Executive of the Conservancy Association, Ms.
Lister Cheung, added: "We can help protect the
environment by adopting green practices in every aspect
of our lives. This competition offers a good opportunity
for the public to pick up green habits."
Corporate Planning Manager of HK Electric, Mr. Sung
Shu-kwai, believed the entries effectively delivered
green messages. "While continuing with our energy saving
efforts, we encourage people to take a greener view
regarding life, such as clothing. I am delighted to see
some participants have made good use of used light-bulbs
and wires," he noted. |
Light bulbs, electric
wires, red-white-blue plastic bags and laisee packets
are used to convey messages of energy saving and
environmental conservation:
Designer Tsang Kin-kwan
won the championship of "Secondary School Students
Category" with his design using recovered mosaic tiles.
Red-white-blue bags &
bottle caps; Laisee packets |
A unique "green" fashion show performed by
more than 40 models & designers.
BEFORE:
Power Station beach
(by Pfelelep)
Green Cottage beach (by L-G) -- Tannery beach (by
Stine Baska)
AFTER:
Photo montage by Siuyu, click for
more of his pictures
Photo by Siuyu, click for
more of his pictures
2 photos by Wingman,
see more... --
Tannery beach clean-up by "Prince Caspian" & his mum
 
 
Tannery beach cleanup, photos by
Stine Baska
Stine Baska writes on Sat, June 28:
"OUR BELOVED TANNERY BEACH
"Personally, I love spending time on Tannery Beach. It is
a favourite for dog owners, parents and people who want a quiet place to
read or contemplate. I have used the beach several times as location for
family portrait shoots.
"Sadly, Tannery Beach has been devastated by rubbish; I
cannot begin to describe how bad it is!
"I started cleaning today with my 11-year old Cas. We
picked a few large bags of plastic and old shoes. We have cleaned a small
part of the beach and will do more tomorrow! If anyone wants to join us in
the clean up we would be very happy! For a cleaner world!
"Stine
9280 8730"
"Earthkeepers" conquering "Malcolm's Rock
Pile" on Power Station beach
(photo by Katie Flowers; her Earthkeepers story to be published very soon.)
Hong Kong Island has its monumentally impressive, humungous temples to
worship the
Money Gods, scraping the polluted skies. What does Lamma have to keep up in
terms of monuments with our neighbour island? They build skyscrapers, we
build...rock piles?
Yes, a new Lamma tourist spot and major sightseeing attraction has been
growing in the last few months, all thanks to one very dedicated and
hard-working man. Take a bow,
Malcolm Morris, Rock Pile Builder
Extraordinaire! Let's hear it from him in his own words, quoting his
fascinating blog Getting
past Leukaemia:
"I'm happy to report that my pile of rocks was unaffected
[Editor: after Typhoon Fengshan]. It's
getting to be quite a little monument at the far end of the beach. It's now
well over my height, and beginning to attract curious questions.
"When I started it, I was careful not to strain myself ("nothing larger
than my head"). Now I try not to use anything smaller than my head - because
the kids like to climb it and then start throwing the rocks down. Making
them bigger discourages casual vandalism. It also gives me a solid measure
of progress. I can now carry lumps to the top of the pile that I literally
couldn't even rock from side to side six months ago.
"Reasons I've given for building it so far include:
-
Exercise
-
To hide the bodies
-
The stones were looking messy - I'm tidying the beach
-
I like to sort things by size
-
I dropped my keys somewhere near here..."
Note the triumphant flag and the stone
figurine enjoying the view from the peak.
(Photo by Malcolm Morris, June 20, 2008)
I think this ecological sculpture, made from free, fully recyclable
and wholly natural materials symbolises not just Malcolm's indomitable spirit, but also Lamma's
spirit and attitude in general. An intensely personal landmark, symbolising
his hard-won triumph over devastating adversity, but it's open for
all to admire and enjoy! Born out of personal tragedy, it's become a highly
visible symbol
of optimism and victory. Malcolm's great reasons for building it mirror the
eternal quip of
mountain climber George Mallory that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest "because
it's there."
And how many sculptures in town can you climb up and enjoy hands-on, even
adding on and expanding them? Malcolm's Rock Pile is a real people's
monument, to be enjoyed and accessed by everybody. Think up new and
entertaining ways of enjoying it, but without doing any damage to it, please!
But who could come up with a better name than "Malcolm's Rock Pile?" Let me
know by clicking on Email to Editor in the header line of any
Lamma-zine story.
P.S.
"Publishable Response to the story" from Malcolm (who was happy to
see the story above: "Wow! Fame at last!" Photos by Malcolm):
|
Malcolm the Rock
Pile Builder & Balancer (new official Lamma nickname!) |
|
Thanks for publishing the pictures
and story about "my" pile of rocks. I'm not sure I can claim
ownership of the rocks - but I'll take responsibility for their
arrangement. All the other additions of flags, water bottles,
seaweed, graffiti, and wooden stools (2 so far...) have been
contributed by anonymous donors.
The question I get asked most is
"What are you doing?" and the serious answer is that I started
the pile out of frustration at my weakness when I came out of
hospital at the end of last year. After a while I had to ask myself
the next obvious question: "When are you going to stop?" and the
first answer that came to mind was - "When it's higher than my head"
- so that became my informal goal. I've reached that now and I'm
rather less obsessed with the pile than I was when I began so its
growth has slowed a lot. I fully expect it to be demolished by a
typhoon during the next few months and have no plans to replace it
when that happens!
At the beginning, I worked at it
several times a week and got twitchy if I missed a few days, and
irritated when people knocked large parts of it down. But as the
months have passed I've become more relaxed. After all the rocks
aren't going very far. If people want to roll them down - well go
ahead and have fun! I can just carry them back up to the top
tomorrow - it's good for my leg strength and for my balance....
All people are encouraged to
'decorate' Power Station beach! :)
In fact
over the past few days I've branched out into rock balancing
- just putting single rocks one on top of the other. It takes less
physical effort, and a lot more concentration. The results are fun
too, though they don't usually last more than a few hours! |
 |
|
Gisela - Moderator of
Lamma Ferries forum
(Her
blog and Facebook group
Concern for Lamma Ferry Service) |
|
Renew
your monthly ferry ticket for $531 for the
Yung Shue Wan route for the last time for July!
For
monthly ticket users, it's time for renewal again.
Starting from July, separate monthly tickets will
apply to the two routes. The new standard prices
will be:
YSW – Central: $580
SKW – Central: $621
HOWEVER,
for JULY only, you will still be able to renew the
YSW-Central and
Yung Shue Wan
- Pak Kok - Aberdeen
route at the old price of $531.
[Editor: You'll also still be able to use the
Central-Sok Kwu Wan route and get unlimited return
trips per day, but for this month only.]
State
clearly to the ferry company staff that you need the
$531 YSW monthly ticket to include the YSW-PK-ABD
route,
otherwise you might end up with the new, higher
price!
Renewal
will take place at the same 'offices' at Central and
YSW piers.
Renewal schedule( Jun - Jul):
Central Pier 4:
June 28, 30 / July 2: 8am - 6pm
June 29 / July 1: 9am - 6pm
YSW
Pier: June 28 – July 2: 5 - 11pm.
For more
info and questions, check out our
That Time of the Month forum. |
|
|
Cliff Goldthwaite - Lamma Newbie,
GotWebHK.com
|
|
Lamma BOG (Business Owners Group) had its
Third Meeting today, June 26th. Meetings to date have
started at 7am, but because of several requests we will be
running the meetings from 8-9am in the future.
As part of our regular agenda, we ask a member
of the group to present an in- depth look at what they offer as
services. At today's meeting, after our regular, individual
1-minute intros and business card exchanges for new attendees,
Debi Yeung, an experienced graphic designer and art director
presented her work.
She has had nearly 20 years experience in Hong
Kong and runs her own graphic design and advertising business,
Virgo68. Her presentation highlighted her work for a wide range
of clients from Shanghai Tang to Oxfam, and she spoke about the
particular aspects of doing graphic design work for the Hong
Kong market. Please visit her web site at
Virgo68.com.hk.
After her presentation, we heard from Julian
Harley who spoke about how search engines work (in
particular Google) and how to get your site listed on their
first page. Julian offers web site development services through
his company
Webhead.hk.
Fourth Meeting:
Thu, July 31, 8AM
10-minute presentation by Lamma-Gung
about his favourite topic and labour of love,
Lamma.com.hk.
He's promised to answer all, even embarrassing questions.
Carole Lewis will lead a discussion on
Networking for business - especially when you live on Lamma.
If you have a subject that you think will be of
interest to the group, please let one of our moderators know.
Again, start time will be 8am. Look for our posters
around town, or check on this website.
Just a reminder: We have to pay for the space we
meet in, so we are asking attendees to contribute $20 at
the beginning of each meeting.
Register for the next meeting with:
Check out this separate web page, updated before/after each
meeting and linked from a new free ad banner on the lower left
side of this page:
Lamma.com.hk/BOG |
Typhoon Fengshan has hit HK almost directly, causing a record
5 severe weather warnings to be issued at the same time (see above). I
braved the very "inclement weather"
 to bring you some stormy pictures of
Yung Shue Wan:
 
The evening before the typhoon -- Sampan
Beach in front of Green Cottage Rest.
  
"Welcome to Lamma Island" sign turned into an
island
The Public Library got flooded: "Wet Floor" sign
New Yung Shue Long drainage channel: more space for garbage
  
The Waterfront's guest & manager playing
catch-me-if-you-can
Take your seasick pills before boarding the ferry
Political banners torn asunder by nature, not protesters...
No eggs or chicks to be found, fortunately
  
The Heroes of the Day doing a huge &
difficult, but great & quick clean-up job!
The Democracy Wall needs a new coat of paint, definitely! -- Saved from the
fall
 
Oops, too close! -- Getting-splashed-zone
outside The Waterfront
 
Salad with your pizza, anyone? -- Only little
damage on my rooftop
 
Path
or row of ponds? -- Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder
SCMP columnist Andrew Sun used the typhoon aftermath to launch
another stupid slur at Lamma's expense: "Waves
of trash wash up on Lamma beaches...no, we're not referring to the drunks on
the weekend."
Nick the Bookman got mightily upset about this "niggly little dig"
and emailed me an unusually strong rant. Read it in our
Waves of Litter Crash on PSB forum.
Power
Station Beach Clean-up: Sat, Jun 28,
2-5pm.
Organised by
Yeung
Siu-yu (email him for more info,
photos and poster design by Siu-yu).
Here's the
bilingual poster, the
Chin. forum (where this topic originated), the
English forum, plus a
contact email for more info.
 
©
SCMP, Jun 24, 2008 --
© Yeung Siu-yu
The Planning Dept. has released the
Approved Lamma Island Outline Zoning Plan (pdf file, 48 pages) in
June 2007 (press release). It's a fascinating document and probably the most
detailed description of Lamma Island, her areas and utilities I've ever
seen. Discuss the various points of interest in this document in our
dedicated topic in our
Environmental & Political forum.
Points of interest in the Zoning Plan:
-
Planned bicycle
park between the ferry pier and the library (see above).
-
Comprehensive
Development Area of 2 hectares in the former Cement Works in
Sok Kwu Wan, plus two rejected applications (by local or off-island
developers?) a few years back to enlarge the area. Gross Floor Area
120,000 sqft is planned, 3 storeys high, like the Village Houses.
A
CDA means that basically anything for low-rise, low-density
residential use (house, restaurants, schools, churches, shops, public
utilities, etc) can be built in that area, after approval from the Town
Planning Dept.
-
Lamma Quarry is
still an "Undetermined" area and could later be zoned into
anything. "Potential for development of temporary tourism and
recreational activities."
-
Relocation of
Sand Depot close to YSW ferry pier to someplace else in YSW.
-
Population according to the 2007
by-census of all of Lamma Island was 5,150. But the plan says, "Is is
estimated that the planned population of the
Area would be about 12,000." The population has actually
been SHRINKING by 300+ persons in the last 5 years...
-
A Commercial
site on the "future reclaimed land" (0.37 ha) on the YSW
harbourfront, planned as a "small-scale commercial focal point", "to add
vibrancy to the locality." See the red, square C area in the map
above.
These are all just govt. zoning plans, of course, even
though they're "Approved" zoning plans. None of this has actually been
approved for construction and it might take many years, if ever, to actually
happen. But it all needs to be watched closely by whoever is interested.
Check out the interactive online map of Lamma:
After some limited input from ferry passengers, there have
been a number of amendments to the Yung Shue Wan-Central time tables from
July 1, plus the new fares, of course. See below. The monthly ticket will
still cost the current $531 for July,
increasing to $580 only in Aug. But only a single daily return trip YSW-Central
will be allowed from July 1. You also can't use the Central-Sok Kwu Wan
route with the monthly ticket anymore, but have to pay extra.
You can still use the monthly ticket for the Yung Shue
Wan-Pak Kok-Aberdeen route till Aug 14 when HKKF's license for the route
will run out. The successor isn't confirmed yet, but it might not be HKKF.
Whoever will run those ferries after Aug 14, the YSW-Aberdeen route will
cost extra for monthly ferry ticket users. Check out our regularly
updated ferry forum for details.
A warm and friendly welcome to
Gisela, the new moderator of the
Lamma Ferries forum I've just appointed. She also runs the very
informative bilingual
Concern for Lamma Ferry Facebook group and the Chin.
Aroma
Gisela blog.
The ferry links on the left of this page will be updated on July 1, of
course.
 
Life in Yung Shue Wan has just become quite a bit
more dangerous! After almost 7 years as a pedestrian on Lamma, as part
of my long-term weight loss/fitness plan, I've taken up riding a bicycle
again, after 30+ years of not riding one. Growing up in the countryside
- in an area not unlike Lamma Island, but with lakes and ponds instead
of the sea - we loved biking to school and everywhere else. Testing my
rusty skills yesterday, I rented a bike from our bike shop ($15/hour
only!). Wobbling, swerving and spinning through Main and Back Street, I
felt like a bowling ball out of control. Imagine yourself and all
fellow pedestrians as bowling pins...
For sun protection, I was wearing an extremely cheap, unfashionable,
hillbilly-style straw hat - so popular on Lamma - for sun protection. But
I'll have to look at one of these silly, streamlined bicycle helmets soon.
My noggin is
my most important asset and without it fully functional and undamaged, the Lamma-zine
would become even sillier, weirder and "incomprehensibler". Too late, some
of you might say...
But if I'd ever fall off a bicycle I'd hit the road so hard that
wearing a helmet might be the least of my worries, I'd need full body armour. Better
ride really carefully and reasonably slowly and ding-ding my bell a lot. Yes, I'm
starting to turn into one of these annoying bike riders who're ringing
their bell all the time, demanding that these obnoxious road obstructions,
called pedestrians, get out of their way immediately!
Getting on a bicycle, my attitude shifted
almost instantly from mild-mannered pedestrian to "Hell's Angels" mode. All these slow and annoying pedestrians
blocking my path, moving sooo slowly or not at all, rarely jumping out of
my way! Children running around randomly! Dogs! Huge strollers! Erratically
meandering hikers! Gaggles of off-island teenagers blocking the entire path! Aieeyaaah!
Bike Road Rage is fortunately rare on Lamma,
but it certainly wasn't a totally alien concept to me anymore during this
ride... An unfamiliar, even frightening feeling...
Sharing the narrow paths with hiking visitors
is no fun, better to stay off the only beaten path altogether, meaning the
Family Trail from the ferry pier to Hung Shing Yeh to Sok Kwu Wan. The entire rest
of our island is almost hiker-free, even on sunny weekends! It could be a paradise for bikers, if
there just wouldn't be all these *&^%$#! steep hills all over! But after walking up
one, you can roll down, free-wheeling, oh what fun! Riding the 2nd Cable Route from Power Station
Beach up the hill to the wind turbine. I made it up there almost halfway!
Afterwards, rolling down all the way, gliding all along the beach in this
high-visibility, amazing sunshine was definitely worth the steep ascent before!
But if you're not
really careful, you could end up in a really spectacular, high-speed crash,
like something out of AXN channel's "Whacked Out Sports". But as a
consolation prize, you'd be entitled to a free ride in one of Lamma's cool
mini-ambulances all the way to the Lamma Clinic, maybe even by helicopter to
hospital, if you got really, really whacked out...
But then I returned the rented bicycle and became a
mild-mannered pedestrian again, only occasionally annoyed about all the
obnoxious bikers, the pushy, constant bell-abusers and the
"Mountain bikers in ludicrously fashionable outfits in garish technicolour,
latest-fad sneakers, groovy, ribbed helmets and tight-ass spandex shorts"...
Might I be joining them soon? Looking for a new or used
bicycle now...
Barry O'Rorke, playing "Phil" (a drunken actor
who plays Mercutio, Paris and the Page) and Dee Cheung, playing "Chicky"
(Juliet) in "These Actors of Mine."
|
Nina Fussing - Co-director (Tel. 9180-8573 for
more info):
(L-G: Nina contacted the Lamma-zine for some publicity
for her "These Actors of Mine" theatre play. I asked a
few silly questions for Lammaite Barry O'Rorke (see above
left, not right!) Nina got them all answered for me, even
writing it all up in the fun little show promo below. Thanks,
Nina, for making the life of this editor so easy! I can take the
rest of the day off now.) |
|
As everyone knows Lamma is a breeding ground for many unique species,
including varieties of the thespian-type. Barry O'Rorke is one of the many
fine specimens which "Isla de Lamma" has produced and his latest endeavour is
a new comedy
"These Actors of Mine" showing at the Fringe July 10-12th.
Presented by
DigitalRev, this play within a play
follows the trials and tribulations of a group of misfit actors attempting
to stage Shakespeare's classic story of Romeo and Juliet on a budget. Of
course, every imaginable thing goes wrong, from missed lighting cues to
costume mishaps, a frustrated director, a pregnant Lady Capulet and actors
having nervous break-downs. The play culminates with a slew of hilariously
disastrous performances, lethal poultry and a kiss. Just another perfect day
in theatre, really!
We sat down with our dapper Mr. Barry to ask him about his personal
experience in this unique comedy:
 What is your role in this play?
We hear copious drinking is involved?
 Well, this one is a play within a play and the character is a total lush
playing Shakespeare, or trying to at least. Of course, Shakespeare wrote a
number of total lushes as characters into some of his plays, usually in
comedies or as comedic breaks in otherwise serious pieces - like in 'The
Tempest' for instance. This is the opposite; I'm playing a drunkard trying
to play straight Shakespeare so we'll see how it turns out.
How do you prepare for such a role?
I just rely on my instincts and amalgam- ate a few inspirational figures I
guess, and probably chuck in a few of my own particular nuances (of course,
I've never been as blind plastered as this guy gets in my life...ahem.)
Ever practice on a rooftop much to the
chagrin of your neighbours?
Declaiming on a rooftop and annoying my neighbours? No I haven't got
around to that. Even if I did I would be drowned out by the frogs round my
way, truly a deafening cacophony, even worse than me.
Can
we see you on Power Station Beach practicing your vocal chords
against the tidal waves crashing on the beach?
Forget
it! Too bloody hot or wet for trying that nonsense down there at
this time and I'm probably too lazy at heart.
How do you practice for the show and how's the reaction of the local
wildlife, of the 4- and 2-legged variety?
My practice sessions tend to be confined to my head (anywhere) or the
ferry journey, where if you watch me closely I can be seen mumbling
inaudibly to myself. I'm 'rehearsing', not losing my grip on reality, though I couldn't blame anyone for thinking the latter.
A few words about the deep appreciation and admiring looks from the
ladies (or ridicule?) that a Shakespearean thespian is receiving from fellow
Lammaites?
As for admiring looks, well, the above example would only merit concerned
looks - from anyone, I think. I'm past my best at my age, so those things
are but a fond memory. Still, as Oscar Wilde quipped, "The only thing worse
than being noticed is not being noticed."
In summary:
Join the rubber chickens and the rest of the audience for a
nice evening out and a good chuckle! See you there.
|
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Show:
These Actors of Mine
Type: Comedy
Date: 10th-12th July, 2008
Time: 7:30PM
Location: Fringe Studio, Fringe Club
Click for more info
Presented by:
DigitalRev
Produced by:
Phoenixation Productions
Ticketing:
HK Ticketing
Price: $150 ($120 for concessions)
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A very pregnant Lady Capulet
Yes, there are rubber chickens in this play!
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One
more actor having a nervous break-down |
You're most welcome to call me an uncool old fogey, but even as a full-time
Internet professional since 1995 I admit to still enjoy reading newspapers,
print magazines and books every day; in addition to all the web surfing for
work and fun. So uncool for a self-confessed tree-hugger to like dead-tree
old media...
I've just finished the astounding, mind-blowing paperback
novels "Matter" and "The Algebraist" by
Ian M Banks, getting wholly immersed in these so
truly alien but also so familiar
worlds, peoples and stories that this Wonderfully Wordiferous Wizard
Wordsmith is
conjuring up. It's not often that you go "Wow!" while reading a book,
dazzled by an author's breathtaking virtuosity with words and his amazing
hyper-creativity in dreaming up and describing in great detail believable
and fascinating alien worlds, peoples, societies, empires...
Some of my neighbours must surely think me strange, sitting up there in my
rooftop garden, rain or shine, rocking quietly back and forth and then
suddenly going "Wow!", occasionally. Another "chee seen gwailo" for sure,
better to stay out of his way...
Enjoying print magazines in general, coming across a new issue that's publishing
some of my own photos is a special treat, of course.
The British Chamber of Commerce
has just published their June '08 magazine, using 3 of my photos, some from
my
Building a Cantonese Opera Bamboo Arena photo gallery. The credit of "Photo ©
Lamma-Gung, www.lamma.com.hk" below each of the 3 photos below make this
article a nice little addition to my "Published Photos Portfolio". I
consider having my photos used in more and more newspapers and magazines as
a nice recognition; occasionally I even get paid (a little bit.)
And yes, I use "Lamma-Gung" as my "nom de plume", a pseudonym for all my
work, paid or not, whether it's photos in the SCMP, an exhibition, a new
website or writing/photo-editing a Forbes magazine article...
 
Here's the BritCham story:
"Sichuan Earthquake: Help from Hong Kong" (pdf file, scroll down to
Page 7). It's about our 2 new Laudable Lamma Luminaries, Gavin & Hugh,
and their efforts to bring relief materials to the Sichuan Earth- quake
victims. The idea they've been promoting since their Sichuan visit is
building similar bamboo structures as temporary "field hospitals, relief
housing and interim schools", as they can be erected so quickly and
cheaply.
So, after this nice little publicity,
who needs fast professional photography at high
quality and really low cost? This website is almost a
full-time job, but doesn't pay my bills, so I'm always eager for extra work
in writing/editing, online marketing, website maintenance and photography...
For samples look around anywhere on this website - all unaccredited photos
are my own - but especially in the
Galleries section.
I'm very flexible, usually available on short notice and shoot everything
from portraits and events to architecture and travel subjects.
Post-processing and Photoshopping to make your photos look really special is
usually included for free.
The deep disparity between visiting a place and actually
living there comes to mind so vividly whenever I see a description of Lamma written for
tourists, like this one on the
HKTB website:
"Located less than half an hour by ferry from
bustling downtown Hong Kong, Lamma is an
eclectic velting-pot of arty
culture and Chinese tradition. Due to its proximity to town, it is one of
the most adored weekend getaways. Clean air, golden beaches, delicious
seafood and fantastic hiking are the main draws.
In fact, many city folk love the island so
much that they have moved here in recent years, creating a thriving
community of expatriates and commut- ing locals. Bicycles are the mode of
transport as there are no cars. Skyscrapers are not to be seen as the
buildings are all low-rise."
That's the first time I've heard any place being called a
velting-pot
- sounding so much more mysterious and intriguing than the slightly more common "melting-pot".
Actually, it is
indeed an absolutely unique term on the entire Internet, resulting in only
2
Google hits, the HKTB website and an Italian translation of the
same page. We always suspected, no, KNEW that Lamma is unique, didn't we?
Don't you just love living in a place with "Clean air,
golden beaches, delicious seafood and fantastic hiking"? Just
talking about it makes me want to leave my home office right now, do some
fantastic hiking through our clean air to a golden beach and enjoy some
delicious seafood... IF the rain would ever cease...
More Silly and/or Serious Stuff in tomorrow's daily blog!
Hey, one last thing before I sign off for today to catch a
movie off-island...
While Googling above, I got distracted (as one so often
does) in a chain of searches, discovering a neat little way of
looking at random images from this entire website. They look a bit
like an edited Lamma photo history of the last 6 years... Click on each
image to view the story that featured it. There are 21 Google pages full of
Lamma-zine images to choose from:
Eric Sampson writes:
"Thought you might like these pictures of a very colourful bug called
Cetonia aurata, known as the Rose Chafer, or more rarely as the
Green Rose Chafer. You can see the green tints on the legs and edges. It's
been around my garden for the last week or so."
|
Gaynor: "Can you please post this on the website? Thanks
:-)" |
Sunday, July 6th there will be a
DVD, book and magazine sale. Money collected will be donated to the
cyclone victims in Burma. This weekend -
Sunday, June 22 - we will start
collecting donations for the sale. So, please have a spring clean,
and let us have anything you no longer need.
Please make sure things are in a decent condition - i.e. no
missing covers, etc., please! There will be drop-off | |
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