Mar 26:  Playing With Selfies of Friends

Friends submitted some of their favourite photos to let me create some AI-assisted fantasy versions. In most cases, I retained much of the original faces so they'd still be recognisable.
I take barter commissions to play with your selfie!

Mar 24:  Bridge to Lamma?

See what I found in my 20-year Lamma archives, just 1 year ago:
a suggestion by HK CE hopeful Checkley Sin to build a bridge from Aberdeen to my neighbourhood in Pak Kok. A bridge to an island with no local public or private vehicle traffic on our narrow paths!

There are no public roads and only open-seat, no-passengers village vehicles on Lamma. Even e-scooters and e-bikes are illegal here, walking or biking/scootering the only ways of getting around.

Mr. Sin's suggestions included building a Lamma mega prison for ALL HK prisoners, flatten our hills and use the material to reclaim 150 hectares of coast for major housing and other developments.

Fortunately, he didn't have any chance of getting elected and the current CE hasn't mentioned any of these crazy ideas (yet).

The Govt. has recently shelved (even unpublished the project website) the very detailed, long-pursued plans to build an entire brand-new city in the ex-Lamma quarry (see above), doubling Lamma's population.

They're now studying alternative, recreational/training uses for this natural area instead, currently exclusively used by the YMCA. We'll hear more in years to come, good news, hopefully. Latest update from 2 months ago:

Development Planning for Ex-Lamma Quarry Area

P.S. Many Lamma-zine stories about this area, take a look!

Mar 23:  New Wing For Our School

Opening ceremony to launch the new wing of the Northern Lamma Primary School in YSW, Lamma's only private school. 2 other primary schools were closed down decades ago in S.Lamma. A really international school, as the pupils and their parents originate from many different countries, like about 30% of our local population.

Most of the local powers-that-be in attendance, a real who's who of Lamma "high society":

Cutting roasted suckling pigs is a standard staple of local events, but I can't remember seeing any of these local celebrities using a shovel ever before!

Mar 10:  Power Station Renewable Energies

Our former once-yearly visits, organised by the Lamma-zine, have been suspended during the pandemic, but they'll hopefully resumed this summer.
Here are a few of my photo galleries from former visits, if you're curious what happens below those 3 landmark towers.

The long-planned HK Electric windfarm South-west of Lamma, 6km off-shore, has finally been approved last May and will be built over the next several years, target date 2027.

Mar 1:  Take Off Your Mask!

First day of the final ending of the mask mandate almost everywhere, indoors AND outdoors, lasting for the last almost 3 years!
Music video of the day by Squinty John, Harry Harrison & friends!

Feb 25:  15. Surgiversary!

Wow! It's been already 15 years since my life-changing weight loss surgery, a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, permanently reducing the size of my stomach to a fistful, severely limiting how much I can in one sitting. So far, so good!
Click above for stories from my "weight loss journey".

Feb 20:  Partly Cloudy. Crisp. Clear Skies.

Remember when there were many blogs about any topic imaginable? The Lamma-zine had an entire section linking Lamma-related blogs.
Just a handful are left now and they are sporadic and little-known. I've been following this one for a while now and it's worth highlighting here as the writing quality has been improving steadily. Practice!

"Bite-size diary entries from a semi-fictional resident on Hong Kong's third largest island, Lamma. Expect languages, walks, books, and the occasional angst."

Check it out! ~ Most-liked posts

Feb 17:  HK Electric App & News

Some very interesting news and facts about our friendly neighbourhood electricity supplier:
An offshore windfarm in Lamma waters! Young inventors! Decarbonisation talents! Top awards!
HK Electric press releases of the last 12 months:

Feb 14:  A Friendly Neighbourhood

I'm encountering some friendly neighbours on my sunny way home.
Plus papayas and bananas are ripening, ready to harvest, but only if located on public land.
Plus an enormous leaf from my Balcony Jungle. A happy and friendly neighbourhood.

Feb 9:  Studio 102

Craig Hurst writes:
"Introducing my latest project -- Studio 102
@ 102 Main St, YSW, Lamma Island, HK
(white house behind clinic)

For the past year or so, I was searching for the right place to use as a workshop for restoring and upcycling furniture, especially made of wood like teak, oak and pine.
Finally found it!

Studio 102 is a workshop and showroom. Behind the white wall and through the metal doorway you enter a large and very private outdoor terrace, which features a kitchen area as well as bathroom. Inside the 2-storey house, the front foyer features a collection of finished funiture and other household items that are for sale.

The house is available for private events and activities such as art exhibitions, fitness and art classes, wine tastings, birthday parties, corporate gatherings, etc...."

Feb 8:  New YSW Ferry Pier Shop

It's been years since the last single shop was forced to close due to the never-ending, err, extensive YSW ferry pier renovations, a new shop has been licensed and has just opened. Hooray!

But it looks like just a few cold drinks and snacks are available. Plus, you're still forbidden to eat or drink on the ferry. So better arrive early and finish your breakfast or snack before getting on.
No coffee, noodles or fish/beef balls, though. How will some hangry ferry commuters survive the half-hour trip to Central!!!

Feb 7:  Micro Bike Park

"Pak Kok Micro Bike Park" (only 5 hoops to lock up 10 bikes) has just been installed on the renovation-in-progress former ferry pier area.

So many Pak Kokians might become able to get to the new ferry pier in less than 2 minutes from home! Fortunately, Pak Kok is a pretty safe community, so I've never had to lock up my bike or trolley at the pier. Never got robbed (so far).

Feb 6:  Public Events Are Restarting

Lamma's pre-pandemic busy and vibrant nightlife is slowly resuming. Cases in point (2 posters and music by Lamma VIP Harry Harrison):

Jan 31:  Tattooed!

Only the most dedicated and bravest Lammaites dare to get a "Lamma Island" tattoo. Who's got one? Check our beaches!

Not for me, though. Lamma caps and T-shirts are as far as I'll go to demonstrate my allegiance.
"Wakanda Forever", err, "Lamma Forever"!

Jan 30:  Ex-Lamma Quarry Plans Abandoned?

Finally, some decision on use of ex-Lamma Quarry might be coming in the next few years. Another study starting up this year, considering the area for recreational use, not a 5,000-people new city as planned originally, 10+ years ago:

Detailed Govt. feedback to ex-Lamma Quarry plans

Jan 25:  Nothing But Armani & Poodles

"Those few Bohemian holdouts are being pushed out and soon Lamma will be nothing but Armani and poodles."
(Lamma Quote of the Day, by Alan)"

Jan 24:  So Typically Lamma!

Discarding refuse at the side of the litter container with an official warning/threat not to do that, ignoring the threat, snubbing the nose at officialdom. Typically Lamma!

More Typically Lamma! through the years

Jan 18:  Playing With My Selfie

Still playing around with my selfie, the resulting AI-assisted images evolving into more and more artsy and outlandish creations...
I love them all!

AI-Assisted 'Playing With My Selfie':

Part I ~ Part II ~ Part III ~ Part IV ~ Part V ~ Part VI

Jan 17:  Stingray Wins 1st Place!

HK Storm Watchers writes:
"Congrats to Lamma's very own Stingray doing what he does best. 1st place over 50km across HK Island yesterday in 90-100% Humidity."

Jan 16:  20-Year Archive Updated

Jan 15:  Try the Wild Boar Ragu!

Not from our local wild boars, obviously! We love those, as long as they don't dig up our gardens,
injure a dog (rarely, only when the dog chases them) or
make huge messes (frequently at night) scavenging our public waste bins, needing them to be fortified.

See this Lamma-zine story: Boars vs. Bins

Jan 14:  Are We Still in HK?

Are we still in HK? I shot this from the Aberdeen-Lamma ferry this morning, returning from breakfast on HK Island, after the morning fog cleared (fog picture by Mrloyalty, shot from the Pak Kok Old Village hillside).

P.S. My favourite "Foggy Lamma" pic of the day, by Michelle Key, from her hike today to the telecom tower above Sok Kwu Wan:

P.S.2  One more, from a drone video:

"More visions from the sea of fog, which unexpectedly consumed the island this weekend. Here, a sprawling power station was transformed into a dystopian landscape.
(Videography: Mark Malby)"

Jan 13:  A New Year, A New Lamma Calendar

Would you like one? View all the images.

Jan 12:  Painting the Fisherman's Village

Roz Keep writes:
"Sunday outdoor painting group was at Lamma Fisherman's Village (just off YSW ferry pier) last week. Great fun paintings these old stilt homes.

There is now a contemporary architecture library building right next door. The old and the new side by side. It's odd that I'm still here doing this, but it makes me happy."

Jan 11:  Damian's Spiderwebs

An entire Facebook album devoted to spiderwebs around Lamma! Love it!

Where else in HK would you find that? It tells a lot about the serenity and leisure we Lammaites experience living here. At least, till most of us have to rush back to our often hectic jobs off-island...

Fortunately, many of us work from home, run our own little businesses or are retired, poor but happy (my motto). So let's continue photographing sunsets, wild boars and spiderwebs!

Jan 10:  Football Season Starting

January - March 2023 schedule out now.

Get in touch: WhatsApp ~ Book Online
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Jan 9:  Congrats to Living Lamma & Lamma's GOAT!

P.S.  Plus, huge congratulations to Brad Tarr on becoming the first-ever Lamma Cricket Club member to reach 4,000 Saturday League runs:

Lamma's GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)!

Jan 8:  Synthographs 2023 Calendar

Some of my favourite AI-assisted images I've created last year in this super-exclusive wall calendar. Just a single calendar has been printed worldwide so far, plus one poster. Would you like one? View all the images.

More of my art & photography at http://Lamma.com.hk/L-G and on Facebook.

Jan 7:  Wolf Moon @ PK Ferry Pier

David Ogg writes: "Moon out on my way to work this morning. One of those days I wished I'd had my camera with me as there were some cracking shots on the ferry too as it got up close to a huge passing tanker."

Jan 6:  5G Happiness

After so many years of some of the slowest (below 3Mbps) Internet broadband speeds in all of HK, Lamma Island is finally getting an optic fiber connection to HK Island and the rest of the world, replacing our longtime microwave-only links.

This is the landing point of the undersea fiber cable on North Lamma, expected to be hooked up later this year, hopefully:

In the meantime, I'm quite happy with my 5G wireless Wifi router's speeds in my home office, see speedtest above.

Jan 1:  Happy New Year!