Hong Kong Island Magazine January 2013

EATINGEVENTSFITNESSINTERIORSTRAVELOUTDOORS

Free every monthJanuary 2013

Harbin:A neon winter

scale up

YOuR lIFe

TAPASThe order of The dAy

Find the perfect

workout

www.hkisland.com | 3

the really useful magazine

January 2013

PublisherTom Hilditch

[email protected]

Senior Consultant EditorJane Steer

Assistant EditorKawai Wong

[email protected]

William [email protected]

Art DirectorSammy Ko

[email protected]

Graphic DesignerCarly Tonna

[email protected]

Sales DirectorNobel Cho

[email protected]

Sales ExecutiveJackie Wilson

[email protected]

Business Development ManagerAlison Dyer

[email protected]

Traffic CoordinatorCecile Chui

[email protected]

Accounts ManagerClara Chan

[email protected]

Online Marketing & [email protected]

Contributors Francis ChengKiri SinclairPaul HicksKate Zhou

Ale WilkinsonKevin Yeung

Pearl LawPete Spurrier

Louis DoctroveDavid Diskin

Amiee Squires-WillsSally Andersen

Timmy LeeChristine Or

Lauren McPhateAlfred Yu

PrinterGear Printing

1/F, Express Industrial Bldg43 Heung Yip Road

Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong

Published by

Fast Media LimitedFloor LG1, 222 Queens Road Central,

Hong Kong

Give us a call!Editorial: 2776 2773Advertising: 2776 2772

Hong Kong Island Magazine is published by Fast Media Ltd. This magazine is published on the understanding that the publishers, advertisers, contributors and their employees are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors and omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication. The publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of any action or omission by this publication. Hong Kong Island Magazine cannot be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies provided by advertisers or contributors. The views herein are not necessarily shared by the staff or pubishers. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

“You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling” – p.16 }{

Quote of the month

4 News

6 Planner

8 SocialThe stars come out for the christmas lights, a record-breaking catwalk and more

12 Interviewmeet the founders of Twopresents, a gift site with a cause

14 What’s in... QRE Plaza

16 Featurehow to change your life in 2013

20 EatingGo loco for tapas

26 Motoringdaytona dreaming

28 Fitnessmake me a goddess – in search of the perfect regime

31 Fashionculture clash

32 Travelice is nice in harbin, china

36 Day tripPeng chau – isle be back

37 Familyliving (and learning) with a health crisis

38 Educationinside Bebegarten, a revolutionary new preschool

40 Petsdecade of the dog

42 Marketplace

44 Classifieds

46 The Ultimate Guide

48 Distribution

50 Oh Snaphong kong on instagram

4 | www.hkisland.com

Hot off the plates: Yonge Piggies and Laris A Canadian hotdog joint (below) has recently opened in Sheung Wan. With roadside stools and a relaxed American diner decor, Yonge Piggies (1 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, 2104 7218) serves Canadian sausages with homemade buns, secret recipe chilli sauce, Earl Grey milkshakes and desserts such as banana pudding and yoghurt berries parfait.

Up the road on Wyndham Street, chef David Laris, an Australian with Greek heritage, has opened a contemporary restaurant. The eponymous restaurant, Laris (77 Wyndham Street, Central, 2530 1600) is unpretentious with a warm, vibrant atmosphere and a menu of spanking cocktails and artisan seafood, game dishes and meats. Laris boasts a 200-strong wine list, 70 per cent of which are imported from Australia and New Zealand. Try ’em!

NEWS

Horse show Hong Kong is back in the international equestrian spotlight with the five-star Longines Hong Kong Masters showjumping event on February 28-March 2. Five years after the 2008 Olympics, the event is sure to delight horse lovers, socialites and sportsmen alike. Horse fans have a chance to get up close to the riders – and tai tais will get to prance about wearing pretty millinery. Tickets are $150-450 from www.cityline.com or Tom Lee Music outlets.

news

michelin’s new stars The new Michelin Guide to Hong Kong and Macau 2013 includes six new two-star restaurants (out of a total of 17), including Sushi Yoshitake (L/F, The Mercer, 29 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, 2643 6800, sushiyoshitake.com) and Ryu Gin (101/F, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road, West Kowloon, 2302 0222). The 13 new one-star restaurants (out of a total of 46) include a debut star for Jonay Armas’ The Principal restaurant. Getting special mention are his signature dishes, including suckling pig with lemon puree and endive, and Kobe sirloin with foie royal and black garlic. Retaining their three-star status are Caprice and Lung King Heen (both in the Four Seasons Hong Kong), L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Otto e Mezzo.

Flexpress opens Fans of Flex’s Pilates and yoga classes no longer have to go all the way to Wong Chuk Hang, thanks to its new 1,000 sqft studio, Flexpress. It opens on January 7 to provide Xtend Barre, Zumba fitness, power flow yoga and ante-natal workouts. Existing Aberdeen packages can be used at the new Central location. Flexpress, 8/F, Lansing House, 41-47 Queens Road Central.

Jonay Armas

hamsa braceletsHong Kong designer Kanch Panjabi

recently created her own interpretation of the Hamsa bracelet ($150, or $400 for three), an ancient Middle Eastern amulet

that symbolises the Hand of God. The crystal mud ball-decorated bracelets are supposed to bring the owner happiness, luck, health and good fortune, perfect as

a gift for Year of the Snake. The evil-eye motif may look a bit daunting, but according to Middle Eastern tradition

it means protection. Panjabi wanted the wristlets hand-strung with bright neon

strings to be fun and wearable. Aren’t these fun? Fifty per cent of the sales proceeds go

to Charity Atma. Available at buy.KanchanCouture.com.

register for sevens ticketsTickets for this year’s rugby sevens tournament (March 22-24) will be distributed through a public ballot. A total of 4,000 tickets will go on sale, costing $1,500 for an adult and $150 for children

under 12. Rugby fans can register online at www.hkrugby.com or www.hksevens.com until February 4. The draw will be held on February 7.


planner

The Mexican rock duo plays KITEC, Kowloon Bay. Tickets $390 from www.ticketflap.com.

Jan 8Rodrigo y Gabriela

Jan 11-123-legged Tale by Theâtre de l’OeilA visually engaging and funny puppet show on the cycle of life. Studio Theatre, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tickets $160-$220 from www.urbtix.hk, 2268 7323.

Jan 11-25Bicycle Film FestivalBrendt Barbur founded the Bicycle Film Festival in New York in 2001 following a bike accident. This year’s festival screens independent bike-themed flicks such as Spike Jonze’s Hong Kong Loves New York. Tickets $60-$75. Agnes B Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, www.flwrider.com. Cyclists can also go on a 90-minute fun ride with Barbur on January 13, starting from the Hong Kong Film Archive, Sai Wan Ho.

Jan 12-13Community Book FairHong Kong publishers and bookshops set up pop-up marquees to sell novels, fictions and other printed works at discount prices. 2pm-9pm, Great George Street, Causeway Bay.

Jan 30-Feb 16Bamboo TheatreWest Kowloon Cultural District puts a western spin on the traditional Lunar New Year temporary opera theatres with its own Bamboo Theatre. A capella and jazz artists share the stage with Hong Kong’s best opera troupes, including Golden Glory and Lung Fei. West Kowloon Cultural District, Canton Road entrance, www.bambootheatre.wkcda.hk. Closed Feb 10-11.

Until Jan 7 Brands and Products Expo Inaugurated in 1938, Hong Kong’s largest outdoor consumer expo has 800 exhibitors and tests shoppers’ ability to resist massive discounts on everything from skincare to dried seafood. Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, www.hkbpe.com.hk.

Phot

o: C

here

sjon

ny.c

om

Mori Art Museum’s chief curator Kataoka Mami (above right) brings 28 outstanding works of video games, animation and manga to Hong Kong for the festival’s key

exhibition, which explores the Japanese perspective on nature and invisible entities. ArtisTree, 1/F Cornwall House, TaiKoo Place, Island East, www.parade-jmaf.jp.

Until Jan 6Japan Media Arts Festival

Email your event to [email protected]

BOOK NOWFeb 21-mar 22Hong Kong Arts FestivalThe city’s premier performing-arts event attracts world-class opera, theatre, music and dance. Here are some of the highlights. For details, visit www.hk.artsfestival.org.

Feb 15-23 One Man, Two GuvnorsRichard Bean’s critically acclaimed play (above) has been hailed “the funniest show on the planet”. Directed by The History Boys' Nicholas Hytner, and starring the West End cast, the comedy is based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni with songs by Grant Olding. Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $100-$580 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Feb 27-mar 3Romeo and JulietThe American Ballet Theatre performs what is considered its grandest production. Grand Theatre, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tickets $280-$780 from www.urbtix.hk.

mar 19, 21, 23La TraviataAward-winning film director Ferzan Özpetek, triple Oscar-winning art director Dante Ferretti and the San Carlo Theatre, Naples, present Verdi’s classic opera. Grand Theatre, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tickets $380-$1,280 from www.urbtix.hk.

Jan 5-23 The 4th Hong Kong International Chamber Music FestivalFree concerts, panel discussions and open-stage events. International artists such as Chen Sa, Inon Barnatan and Toby Hoffman perform everything from Beethoven to gypsy pieces by Smetana. Masterclasses as part of the festival’s outreach programme are taught by Earl Carlyss and Ann Schein. More details at www.pphk.org.

Until Feb 1Hong Kong International Sculpture Symposium Titled “Awakened Sleepers and Transformed Places”, this open-air exhibition features more than 30 sculptures by local, mainland and international artists. West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade.


people


Louis Vuitton Pacific Place

After a year of renovation the luxury giant’s Pacific Place store reopened in December. Supermodel Carmen Kass was there with social luminaries Qiqi, Michael Wong, Janet Ma, Lisa S, Victoria Tang and Andre Fu. The expanded three-level shop features a Haute Maroquinerie Salon where customers can customise their own Louis Vuitton handbag.

More than 300 Hong Kong models took part in a Guinness World Record-breaking catwalk for “most models in a fashion show”.

Christine Au-Yeung, Kathy Chow, Lisa S, Ana R, and Jocelyn Luko were among the models parading down a 3km runway along the

Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade in award-winning Hong Kong and Danish fashion designs. Among the enthusiastic crowd were Daniel Chan,

Calvin Choy, Khalil Fong, Gigi Leung and Sandra Ng.

The World’s Greatest Catwalk


The Hong Kong Fashion Designers’ Association Annual Gala was the biggest show of 2012, with a record-breaking 343 fashion models strutting a 3km runway at the Avenue of Stars. The show featured more than 60 new pieces from fashion designers such as Barney Cheng, Lulu Cheung and Walter Ma. More than 2,000 fans gathered to watch the Fashion Visionaries Awards (formerly the Ten Best-dressed Personalities Awards) being presented to the likes of Sandra Ng and Khalil Fong.

In 2012, amazing displays twinkled on at Times Square, Statue Square, The Landmark and Macau’s One Central Mall.

Times Square’s Lego Christmas Village took a year to prepare and was the first to open. At Statue Square, superstar Jacky Cheung turned on the lights for the giant, sparkling Tiffany & Co Christmas tree and merry-go-round. Further up the road at The Landmark, the festive set-up included a giant snow mountain with moving cable cars. Kathy Chow and Kam Kwok-leung were there for afternoon cocktails and carols. Over in Macau, the megastar face of Armani, Shu Qi, unveiled the world’s biggest Rubik’s Cube painting at One Central Mall.

After a dazzling end to 2012, here’s to 2013. Chin chin!

Francis Cheng is cEo of occasions PR and marketing.

with Francis Cheng }VElVEt ROPE

Parisian fashion brand Maje has landed in Asia with a new store at IFC Mall.

To celebrate, Gaile Lai, Alex To, Race Wong and Evelyn Lam joined Araine

Zagury, founder of Rue Madame Fashion group, for in-store cocktails.

Maje opens first Asian boutique

Getting that Christmas feeling at the opening of the Landmark’s seasonal display were Hong Kong socialites Anina Ho, Kam Kwok-leung, Kathy Chow, Harris Chan, Jocelyn Luko and Anthony Sandstrom.

Landmark Zero Degrees Christmas


people

If you’re reading this, then – shockingly – the world has not ended and you still have to keep your New Year’s Resolutions. Get fit. Eat healthily. Drink less. Stay home more. Start saving. Stop smoking... Resolutions are a great way to start the year, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll have broken them before you’ve conditioned yourself to write the correct year when dating your cheques. So let’s cut to the chase.

Start small. Don’t be too ambitious with your New Year’s resolution. Instead of counting calories and instituting a five-day workout regiment, try a simple goal of eating a piece of fruit every day, or substituting that afternoon chocolate bar with a healthy snack. My favourite pick-me-up is Stephen

James Organics’ energy bar. The new Apple Pie bar is better than an apple a day. Nuts are a healthy alternative to meat, and if you like cashews and pistachios, try its pili nuts from the volcanic soil of the Philippines. Once you pili, there’s no going back.

Exercise need not be confined to the gym. Reclaim weekends for hikes and walks. Even if you just have half an hour, there are plenty of things to explore in your neighbourhood; Hong Kong Island has exciting new adventures at every corner. Wander down to Sheung Wan to see what exhibit is on at Cat Street Gallery, or on to New Street to check out Puerta Roja, Hong Kong’s only art gallery dedicated to Latin American art. Make your baby step resolutions count, get healthier, better explored

and rediscover the places that you just walked past in 2012.

And yet, by January 10, your mantra will change. “I need to party!” I hear you shout. Now that’s more like it – let’s get this 2013 party started. Break your resolutions with some good naughtiness; until the end of the month, enjoy cocktails for a cause at Linguini Fini. Belvedere has joined Bono’s RED Campaign – along with Nike, Apple and other large companies – and created a Red bottle. Available at premium clubs and supermarkets, half of all profit from the specially branded bottles goes to a fund to buy antiviral drugs for Aids sufferers. Buy, drink, save lives – and have a bit of fun.

It’s important to remember to

Kiri Sinclair of marketing and public relations agency sinclair communications.

}tRENdiNg NOWwith Kiri Sinclair

Tiffany ChristmasPoliticians and celebs were out in force for the opening of the Tiffany-sponsored winter wonderland at Statue Square, Central. Enjoying a sparkling Christmas were James Tien, Johanna Arculli, Jacky Cheung, Daisy Ho, Cissy Wang, Janet Ma and Cara G.

Dior Fine JewelleryActresses and socialites Elizabeth Lee and Daisy Ho opened Dior Fine Jewellery and Timepieces for an appreciative crowd at Elements Mall.

treat not only ourselves well, but also our city. I am declaring a New Year call to cultural arms. Let’s do it big this year, Hong Kong. Let’s showcase our homegrown fashion talents, support our up-and-coming artists and designers, visit restaurants started by our local chefs, and show the world that creativity is thriving in Asia’s World City. After twisty ’12, I’m hoping ’13 is more on the thriving side. May the year be prosperous and healthy for you all.


gifts he had received – I worried that he would grow up with the expectation of receiving large numbers of gifts and take things for granted. So I embarked on a mission to figure out how I could change the birthday mania.

What made you decide to go ahead with the idea?Szovati: When we first talked to our charity partners, there was no previous example to show them what we were trying to do. We did the best research possible and to the best of our knowledge, we are not aware of another site doing what we do.

Why do you work exclusively with local charities?Szovati: As foreigners in Hong Kong, we can feel quite disconnected from the society around us. There is, however, a big need in Hong Kong...

Walshe: And so the charity needs to be local. It needs to be helping our community. We also want the dollars go as far as possible and aren’t eaten up by large overheads. So we make sure we visit our charity partners to learn about their work.

What is Twopresents?Mike Walshe: Twopresents is a way of sharing a party with a local charity. You use the Twopresents website to email invitations, and when guests RSVP they are given the opportunity to contribute money instead of bringing a present. All the money contributed is pooled and split, with one part donated to the charity of choice, and the rest presented as a cheque for the host to buy a special gift. It’s also eco-friendly as it reduces the amount of gift packaging.

Mia Ejendal: Furthermore, guests know they are contributing to a present that the host actually wants, and they are saved the time and hassle of shopping.

How did the idea come about? Karola Horvath Szovati: When I first moved to Hong Kong five years ago from Switzerland, I was shocked to see the birthday mania here. I dreaded my son’s birthday party as I knew he would be bombarded with 30-plus gifts. The worst was seeing my son lose interest in appreciating the thoughtful

T hink of a Hong Kong party. Any given birthday, anniversary or leaving bash evokes memories of merriment, gifts, piles

of wrapping paper and the annoying realisation that you’ve forgotten who gave what (hence those impersonal thank-you cards). The sheer materialism of Hong Kong’s parties gave three entrepreneurs an idea that harnesses the city’s wanton generosity for a good cause while still making sure we all have a good time. Karola Horvath Szovati (37, former investment banker), Mia Ejendal (32, former management consultant) and Mike Walshe (41, in advertising) explain the idea behind Twopresents.

Fundraising trailblazers (From left)

Twopresents’ founders Mike Walshe, Karola

Horvath Szovati and Mia Ejendal.

interview

twopresents combines party fun with charitable giving.

A newway of

giving


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

190mmx120mm-ol.pdf 1 12/13/12 5:36 PM

How do you decide which charities to work with?Szovati: They have to work on causes that have a direct impact on Hong Kong so that people can see the difference being made in their own backyard. They have to be small charities with limited resources as we want donations to go as far as possible.

How did the charities respond to your idea when you first approached them? Ejendal: Some were a little sceptical as there was no footprint before us. The ones now listed on our site have been super supportive and positive from the get-go.

What kind of demographic are you after?Szovati: Families with children; educated, socially and environmentally conscious people who care about others, who are open to change and like to do things differently.

What is your favourite feature of the website?Walshe: The event summary.

Ejendal: The function is the heart of the party – it tells you if your guests have looked at the RSVP

there are great charities in hong kong doing amazing work,

and they need our help.

“”

and whether they’ve responded. You can also keep track of how much money has been donated, send messages to guests and vice versa. It’s a total mission control for your party.

Szovati: The event summary also has a "blinding donations" feature so the host can choose not to see each guest’s donations.

What do you hope to achieve with Twopresents?Szovati: My primary motivation for Twopresents was to help facilitate an easy way for people to donate to local charities. There are great charities in Hong Kong, doing amazing work, and they need our help.

Find out more at www.twopresents.com.

Phot

o: C

hris

tine

Or

what’s in...

QREPlaza

v stats & facts

Who? QRE Plaza is part of the Hopewell Group, which invested about $1.4 billion in the building.

Where? The building's first floor has a footbridge across Queen’s Road East linking to the Hopewell Centre and Wu Chung House.

What’s inside? Asian and western restaurants, bars, dance schools, photography studios and toy shops.

History The plaza’s topping-out ceremony was held on December 15, 2006, with tenants moving in from May to August 2008.

202 Queens Road East, Wan Chai

• 23/F-25/FZummer Fine Dining & BarMarketed as a “private hideout”, this is a sprawling chilled-out spot with comfy sofas and mellow lighting. Unwind in the bar or indulge in an Italian meal in the upstairs restaurant. Tel: 2574 6692, www.zummer.com.hk.

• 15/FMy Musical StudioThis performing arts centre operates as the Starshine Factory for children by day with After Six adults courses by night. Tel: 3665 0700, www.mymusicalstudio.com.

• 21/F-22/FLa Cucina ItalianaThis homely, two-storey southern Italian restaurant has an open kitchen on the lower floor and cosy sofas and a terrace with potted herbs upstairs. Tel: 2156 9115.

• 8/FAkita Teppanyaki Specialist This restaurant is for those who like the performing art of teppanyaki. There are Kobe beef, goose liver, lobster and other premium ingredients on the menu. Tel: 2788 0012.

Wor

ds: t

imm

y le

e. il

lust

ratio

n: P

earl

law

.

• 29/FThe Habitat LoungeRemarkable views, relaxed atmosphere, signature cocktails and two outdoor terraces make this rooftop bar a popular nightspot. Tel: 2907 0888.

• 19/FVIM Pilates StudioTrained instructors offer the internationally renowned Stott Pilates technique in private sessions or group classes. Tel: 2572 2683, www.vim-pilates.com.

• 7/FLuxe by Happy Foot Reflexology SpaAs well as their famous reflexology, Luxe also provides Shanghai-style pedicures, and stress-relieving massages in Thai, lymphatic, pressure-point and full-body acupressure styles. Tel: 2573 3438, www.happyfoot.hk.

• 16/F-17/FHong Kong Funky Dance CentreLearn to strut your stuff at this two-storey dance studio offering adult and children’s classes in funk, hip hop, jazz funk, Latin and more. Tel: 2608 1103, www.funkydance.com.hk.


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

2012FWSale_Ad_IslandMag_OP.pdf 1 12/14/2012 5:07:58 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K


STArT A new buSineSSMake this the year you turn that great idea into reality. EntrepreneurHK.org organises regular get-togethers (www.meetup.com/EntrepreneurHK) for seasoned businessmen and aspiring newbies to share their knowledge and experience. The society is one of 15 business associations involved in a government-backed project, “Roadmap for Entrepreneur City”, whose aim is to outline a path for entrepreneurs to launch and grow their businesses. If it is capital you’re after, join KickStarter for social funding (www.kickstarter.com) or visit Funders and Founders (www.fnf.vc), which links entrepreneurs with investors and customers.

Other top tips for startup companies: Ideas are worthless. Execution is everything The average age for starting a business is 40 years old. Networking is everything. You can’t get everything

done as a one-man band. Talk about your ideas. They will improve

through dialogue.

Bill Yuen, Project owner of Roadmap for Entrepreneur City and founder of EntrepreneurHK.org

Celebrate success, not launch. To start a truly great company, the goal is not to beat the competition or to make a lot of money. It is to do the

greatest thing possible.

“” 3

KeeP your reSoluTionSResearch shows that a third of New Year resolutions are ditched by the end of January. Give it another month and four out of five of us will have reverted back to our bad old habits. The best way to make change is in baby steps, says Lynn Bufka, assistant executive director of Practice Research and Policy at the American Psychological Association. Her advice: “Setting small, attainable goals throughout the year, instead of a single overwhelming goal on January 1, can help you reach whatever it is you strive for.” Word indeed.

GeT your viceS under conTrol

2/

SToPnodeveloPmenT!

4/become A reAl honG KonGer Whether you are a triple-star permanent resident or a person in transit, be more aware about the place you’re in. Are you worried that insensitive development in Pak Sha O Hakka village and Tai Long Wan in Sai Kung will ruin Hong Kong's back garden? Write to the Planning Department. Is there more to the happy-go-lucky vibe in Central and Sheung Wan? Find out how you can help people in need with this comprehensive list of NGOs in Hong Kong: www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_links/page_ngowebsite.

We understand that vices form the shadow of your luminous, brilliant self, but you know what smoking and drinking can do to you. And in case you need reminding, take a look at the Department of Health's data for the city’s biggest killers: from 2009 to 2012, deaths from cancer rose from 7,682 to 13,113, and deaths from heart disease from 3,344 to 6,316. Just saying...

AudAciTy of doPe>

T O C H A n g EY O u R L I F E

wAySwAyST O C H A n g EY O u R L I F E


1/

leArn AbouT ArTWith exciting galleries such as Ben Brown Fine Arts, White Cube, Gagosian and Galerie Perrotin bringing in works by the world’s finest artists, now’s the time to become better-versed in art. Also get used to the name M+. Hong Kong’s new visual culture museum begins construction this year in the Western Kowloon Cultural District. It’s an ambitious project that aims to “rival” MoMa (Museum of Modern Art) in New York. It’s a similar size (60,000 sqm), and we have our fingers crossed for an A+ permanent collection for M+. Set to complete in 2017, it is overseen by British architects Foster + Partners.

Meanwhile, here are this year’s leading visual-art events: Until Mar 31, Andy Warhol 15 Minutes Eternal, hk.art.museum. Feb 22-24, Asia Hotel Art Fair, www.hotelartfair.kr. Mar 15-17, Affordable Art Fair, www.affordableartfair.com. May 23-26, Art HK, www.hongkongartfair.com. Apr-Jun, Le French May, www.frenchmay.com.

5/

Clever conferences, workshops, festivals and talks are set to return to Hong Kong this year. Join cultural, literary and musical debates by signing up for event updates at Intelligence

Squared Asia and TED Asia. Wise up at annual cultural festivals such as the Hong Kong

Arts Festival (Feb 21-Mar 22), Hong Kong International Film Festival (Mar 17-

Apr 2), Hong Kong International Young Readers Festival (Mar 11-22), Clockenflap

(Dec), Liberatum and Hong Kong International Literary Festival (dates pending).

Keep your eyes peeled.

iQ6/

rAiSe your

from To

featurePh

oto:

Fos

ter +

Par

tner

s


7/ live The dreAm “You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling,” says Eames, Tom Hardy’s character in Inception: For Frenchman Cedric Delzenne of Shop Des Createur that meant uprooting and replanting in a new country, Hong Kong.

“Although I was on a straight-forward career path and I love France, I could no longer see myself in Paris. A lightbulb moment came and my girlfriend and I decided we were ready to start a new chapter of our lives. But how? The real tipping point was finding the cheapest possible flights to Hong Kong. It was a bold move, as I knew about Asia then was from history books and news headlines.

“In the first few months, I had mixed feelings about taking that leap of faith. But it became clear that I was in the perfect time and place to realise my dream: to start my own company. Today I run ShopDesCreateurs.com, an online retailer and distributor of emerging fashion brands. It's been an incredible journey, a real emotional roller-coaster. Moving to Hong Kong was probably the best decision I have ever made. Sometimes, you’ve just got to listen to the stars."

feature

JJ Acuna of the Wanderlister+ blog picks key menswear for 2013

Sabrina Sikora from Sassy Hong Kong chooses must-have womenswear

JJ Acuna

get obsessed with kimonos and all things fringey!“ ”Sabrina Sikora

Try Gucci's relaxed double-breasted blazer for that perfect

Sunday brunch look.

It’s all about bespoke fits and prints. Check out Orlebar Brown's Monte

Carlo shorts.

This Panasonic Lumix GX1 is a compact camera with an

interchangeable lens. A

ppar

el

Swim

wea

r

gad

get

Throw this piece over anything from dark skinny jeans to an

evening gown.

Let the odd tanline be an afterthought. This Soak's retro

bikini rocks!

The new Leica D-Lux 6 is great for on-the-go images and full

HD video recording.

App

arel

Swim

wea

r

gad

get

Get comfortable with espadrilles, loafers and horsebits, such as this

pair by Christian Louboutin.

Bling is out and round faces are in. This TW Steel’s TWA203 is

on point with its black steel case.

Carry something that has the look of an A4 envelope, such as this man clutch from Valentino.

Shoe

s

Wat

ch

Bag

What’s not to like about this Lego-like offering from Fendi’s

ss/13 catwalk?

Bamford Watch Department customises its timepieces to your

specifications.

After crazes for Celine's Trampeze and Luggage, fall in

love with the Trio clutch.

Shoe

s

Wat

ch

Han

dbag

In 2013, we’ll see a continuing trend in pocket squares.

Bowties are calming down. Wide ties are back in. We’ll also

see plenty of mustard yellows and bright neon oranges.

“”

looK SmArTer8/


10/ TrAvel To myAnmArLonely Planet describes Myanmar as “the authentic Asia, with creaking buses, potholed roads, locals who greet you like long-lost family and not a 7-Eleven in sight”. And now that it’s ethically acceptable to visit, following the release from house arrest of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the world is catching on fast. In 2011, 424,000 people visited Myanmar; last year that figure rose to one million, and this year it’s expected to double again. Accommodation is in short supply, with just 25,000 guest rooms in the entire country. If you want to see Myanmar before the international conglomerates roll in, go now. Or more accurately, go in April. Not only is it the dry season, but you can maximise Hong Kong’s public holidays and get nine days’ vacation for the price of two if you take April 2 and 3 off work.

Hong Kongers are less happy than Palestinians, Iranians and the Sudanese, according to the 2012 Happy Planet Index, which ranks

us 102 of 151 countries. Costa Rica takes the top spot, with Vietnam second, China comes in at 60 and the United States at 105.

Someone once said you can’t live a positive life with a negative mind. So, to misquote Gandhi (who was even wiser), in 2013 be the change

you want to see in the world.

STAy PoSiTive And be hAPPy13/12/

In May 2013, Topshop will join Forever 21, H&M, Zara and Maple to compete in the fast fashion market in Hong Kong. Famous for trendy apparel and accessories at rock-bottom prices, Topshop will open a split-level 12,000 sqft boutique at The Asia Standard on Queen’s Road Central.

But before you empty your wallet at the opening, consider this: 253 tonnes of clothing are thrown away every day. Do you really need that $50 dress that you will fall out of love with after you’ve worn it exactly once?

Author Mark Di Vincenzo, who wrote the New York Times bestseller Buy Shoes On Wednesday and Tweet At 4:00, says January is the best month to ask for a promotion. “Wait until early in the year when companies, flush with the new fiscal year, are in spending mode,” he advises.

for A PromoTionASK

2012 Happy planet Index

1 coSTA ricA 2 vieTnAm

60 chinA

102 honG KonG

105 uSA

......

......

......buy

noTQuAliTy

QuAnTiTy

9/

11/

According to a report by Ambition, 28.2 per cent of us didn’t receive a salary increase in 2012. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Here’s how to ask successfully for a raise.

Work for a company for at least six months to prove your worth Track your accomplishments

Document compliments from others about you Choose the best time of the day or week to ask

Wait until your boss is in a good mood

ASK for A rAiSe

,

data

: 9 –

Env

ironm

enta

l Pro

tect

ion

depa

rtm

ent.

Phot

o: 1

0 –

turis

tiper

caso

.it.



Discover something different at Ocean Park every day with SmartFun Annual Pass.

Explore Ocean Park with SmartFun Passes

Opened on January 10, 1977, Ocean Park has been entertaining everybody

from kiddies to grannies with its fantastic assortment of shows and rides. To celebrate this remarkable anniversary, Hong Kong’s favourite theme park is pulling all the stops to keep every fun-lover happy. On top of the 19 existing park rides, 11 animal exhibits and a giant four-storey

aquarium, many new attractions have been recently added. To name but a few: Polar Adventure – Ocean Park’s latest addition which opened in July 2012, allowing you to get real up and close to penguins and walruses; Rainforest – where an expedition trail takes you on a journey through the habitat of some of the rarest animals in the world; Thrill Mountain – where exhilarating rides are bound to

enthuse and stimulate. And last but not least, Old Hong Kong – where streets and architecturefrom the 50s to 70s are recreated to bring a strong and welcome dose of nostalgia.

The 13m-wide acrylic viewing panel at Grand Aquarium.

The Flash at Thrill Mountain.

A touch of nostalgia

in Old Hong Kong.

promo


So many things to do but so little time! Are you sure a day is enough to negotiate more than 70 attractions, from rides to shows and seeing animals live in action?

To fully enjoy every last inch of the Park, get a SmartFun Annual Pass and take advantage of unlimited admission for an entire year, plus many further benefits.

Pass holders can get 50 per cent off admission on selected dates at the annual “Ocean Park Halloween Bash”, priority reservation at Ocean Theatre and Whiskers Theatre VIP seats as well as 10 per cent discounts at gift shops and restaurants in the park.

As if all the above benefits were not enough, pass holders are also entitled to entrance discounts at museums and theme parks around the world. Last but not least, SmartFun Annual Pass holders can get 10 per cent off Ocean Park’s Get Closer to the Animals programme, where children or those in touch with their inner child get the opportunity to have a close encounter with the animals. Penguin Encounter lets you experience the life journey of king and gentoo penguins as well as Southern rockhoppers.

Ocean Park’s seals are there to

meet you at Seal Encounter, where our keepers are on hand to educate too. The ocean’s friendliest mammals and Ocean Theatre’s show stoppers will let you shake hands and hug them at Dolphin Encounter. Get star-struck!

Whether you’re a thrill seeker or an animal lover, Ocean Park has all kinds of fun-filled activities to entertain everyone. Explore Ocean Park like you never have before with SmartFun passes in 2013! Ocean Park, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 3923 2323, www.oceanpark.com.hk.

SmartFun Annual Pass

Adultaged 12 or above

Childaged 3 to 11

Gold Passunlimited admission to Ocean Park within a year.

$840 $420

Silver Passunlimited Mon-Fri admission (before noon on Sat) within a year. Excludes public holidays.

$660 $330

Student Pass Gold Pass privileges for all full-time students aged 12 or above with valid student ids.

$580

View the swimming penguins at South Pole Spectacular.

A tree frog and marmoset monkeys at Rainforest.

Get Closer to the Animals Programme –

Dolphin Encounter.

Grand Aquarium at Aqua City.

Sea Life Carousel at Waterfront.

Until Jan 31, 2013

50%

discounTon one SmartFun Child Annual

Pass with every purchase of two adult Gold or Silver Passes! Apply at the Ocean Park entrance now!

AcTnoW!


eating

With the city going loco for tapas, Ale Wilkinson tries some small plates.

Viva Espana!

The notion of tapas is believed to have originated in Andalusia, Spain, where a piece of bread or a slice of ham was placed on top of wine glasses as a tapa (lid) to keep the flies out. These became more elaborate, evolving into the small plates of food – garlic prawns, meatballs, tortilla and even paella – served in bars all over Spain when customers order drinks. Often they are deliberately salty to encourage customers buy more drinks.

Inevitably, adventurous chefs have strayed from the traditional to create their own modern interpretations. BCN serves a spectacular oxtail and foie gras tower, and 22 Ships prides itself on char-grilled Ibérico pork and foie gras burgers.

F ew things are more important to Hong Kong than food. But our eclectic culinary scene

doesn’t thrive entirely off its own ideas. Like other gastro cities, we pick and choose among the food trends sweeping the rest of the world.

Take the ramen craze, for example, when Japanese noodle restaurants popped up all over the city trailed by hungry diners queuing eagerly for a limited daily number of servings. Then there was the casual dining craze (Paisano’s and Pizzeria Pubblico), the organic vegetarian craze (Life, MANA!, Grassroots Pantry and The Herbivores) and the mixologist craze. That’s still going strong on the bar scene, with fancy cocktails shaken up at FINDS, Lily + Bloom, Quinary and Honi Honi, and bartenders competing to see who is officially Hong Kong’s best mixologist.

This year’s hot trend is tapas. Spanish small plates have taken Hong Kong by storm. Although a handful of tapas bars have existed for years, tapas fever has spread across the city with the recent opening of BCN, Vi Cool, Boqueria, Paco Roncero’s View 62 and Jason Atherton’s 22 Ships.

Above Papi's rolled thin

omelette with cooked ham

and gorgonzola cheese.

Right Vi Cool's Iberico ham coca.


The concept of tapas is so popular in Hong Kong that even non-Spanish restaurants are offering their own versions of small plates, including Lan Kwai Fong's Indian restaurant Ista and Italian restaurant Papi in Elements.

We predict the trend will veer towards the molecular this year.

Tapas is winning fans because it solves that perennial dining problem: food envy. Instead of coveting the food on your neighbour’s plate, you can share it, sampling a variety of dishes without over-ordering. And as the Spanish discovered decades ago, there are few better ways to enjoy a glass (or three) of good wine with a group of friends.

Meal time Vi Cool's interior and Papi's

Mediterranean octopus with capers.

Ale Wilkinson writes The Dim Sum Diaries, www.thedimsumdiaries.com


eating

BoqueriaA big hit in New York City, Boqueria (above)brings the same winning formula to Hong Kong. A lively, fun atmosphere, lashings of sangria and stellar jamón Ibérico make this a great night out. 7/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, 2321 8681, www.boqueria.com.hk.

22 ShipsGordon Ramsay protégé and TV chef Jason Atherton has partnered with Goodwood Group’s Mavis Khoo-oei to serve contemporary Spanish food in a laissez-faire environment (above). Don’t miss the char-grilled Ibérico pork and foie gras burger and the to-die-for marinated hamachi with gazpacho dressing. 22 Ship Street, Wan Chai, 2555 0722.

5TapasTOP

Plaza MayorIf you’re yearning for some authentic traditional tapas, timewarp to this little gem just off Star Street. It’s not Spain, but it’s the next best thing. G/F, 9 Moon Street, Wan Chai, 2866 6644.

BCnThis tiny spot on Peel Street serves beautifully presented modern tapas. Named after chef Edgar Sanuy Barahona’s hometown, Barcelona, it seats just 12 diners and is packed every night so book ahead. 37 Peel Street, Central, 2811 2851, www.bcn.com.hk.

ComilonasThis private kitchen near Kennedy Town serves delicious Catalan-style tapas in a homely dining-room setting. Have some fun pouring wine straight into your mouth from a porró, but make sure you book far, far in advance. Flat 22, Yip Cheong Building, 4-16 Hill Road, Shek Tong Tsui, 9863 2270. Ale Wilkinson’s

choices


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Fast media January 2013.pdf 1 12/18/12 10:36 AM

M exico City. A rainy night. I went out to get lost, as I

normally do in a new city. Snaking aimlessly through the streets, I took in the smells, sounds and colours. And it was lovely. The fragrance of the food wasn’t the only thing filling me up, but also the smiles on people’s faces.

Inexplicably, this sense of community yielded a pang of sadness

in this lonely wanderer. I chose to swallow this ambivalent emotion with a pork taco – a proper pork taco, deep-fried in pork fat. I felt happier, even knowing the calories were sure to haunt me.

By then, the rain was really coming down. I ran for cover in a brick-walled tavern. It turned out to be a truly amazing place. I loved it down to every last table leg, each of which was fitted with a cup holder to free up table space. Genius.

“Una cerveza, por favor,” I ordered. A Victoria Beer arrived promptly – and it is still the best beer I ever drank. Next, I stabbed randomly at the menu and the waiter brought me something resembling Cheetos, but with more chilli. They were unusual, but why not? They went well with my beer. Later I learned they weren’t Cheetos but Chicochos.

Next I ordered blood sausage – juicy with a rich flavour of cinnamon and clove. Then a huge molcajete (mortar and pestle) with skirt steak,

queso fresco (Mexican cheese), spring onion, cactus and salsa roja (tomato and chilli salsa). I couldn’t get enough. Duck mole. Ant-egg tacos. And on, and on.

I must have looked like a freak, the only gringo (foreigner) in the joint, slamming down Victoria Beer and stuffing my face as if I had never seen food before. There were looks. But with food this good, I couldn’t care less. I carried on the rampage with bone marrow, tortillas and guacamole.

By this point I was a bit drunk and had made a few friends – funny how easy it is to socialise with good food, good people and good drinks.

Glasses clinking, people laughing, friends and family hugging... Right then I knew this was the food I was going to be cooking. I was done with fine dining.

Austin Fry is executive chef of Brick House,

20 D’Aguilar Street, Central, www.fb.com/brickhousehk.

A Latin love affairChef Austin Fry reminisces about his infatuation with Mexico City.

Phot

o: C

hris

tine

Or


lauren McPhate picks wine trends for the new year.

Uncorking 2013wine

2012 was all about trying to figure out what wines pair best with Asian cuisine. OK, we

get it. Powerful, juicy red wines work with char siu bao and Gewurztraminer is great with, well, all Asian food. But what’s in store for 2013? Will Spain overtake France as our favourite wine-producing country? Will people go crazy for sherry? Or rosé? Nope, I can’t see it. Here are my humble predictions for the wine scene in 2013.

I foresee a newfound love of slightly sweet, slightly sparkling wines, with Moscato at the forefront. These wines are perfect for novice drinkers, those who don’t like to lose control, and for those who like sugar. (And who doesn’t like sugar?) Moscatos typically have low alcohol of five per cent to seven per cent, and because they are only slightly sweet they appeal to different palates. They’re great as an aperitif, a respite during a meal, and are perfectly suited for a fruity dessert.

Online daily wine discount deals will soar this year. Several new platforms have popped up lately,

including slurp.asia, yeswine.com and spikescellar.com. But this is just the beginning. People like wine. People like bargains. Let the deals begin!

I also foresee a shift away from buying based on price (the higher the better) to quality for money. With the economy the way it is, people are looking for bang-for-your-buck wine.

Finally, I predict 2013 will be the year of the super Tuscans. I’m banking on a trend to revisit the fruits of the 1970s, when experimental Tuscan winemakers were willing to break the rules for the sake of creation. They were the first to blend Italian varietals (Sangiovese) with international (Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) producing wines that are not only perfect with char siu bao but also delicious, elegant, complex and full of character.

The super Tuscans come in a range of prices that will appeal to the victims of last year’s big bank layoffs – and to those who have weathered the storm from the top.

Lauren McPhate holds a WSET 3 certificate.

Sweet: Carlin de Paolo Moscato d’Asti DOCG (Piemonte, Italy), Moscato, $130.An intensely cool fragrance, with notes of orange blossom, sage and a touch of honey. True to style, this wine is low in alcohol (5.5 per cent), sugary sweet, well balanced and lively.

Wine recommendations

Value for money: Torremoron 2011 (Ribera del Duero, Spain), Tempranillo, $130. Intense, pure and bright, this is the “bargain of the century”, according to Robert Parker who awarded it 92 points. A product of 80- to 100-year-old vines, this fresh wine expresses complexity and flavours of red berries with crisp minerality.

Super Tuscan: Antale Toscana 2009 (Tuscany, Italy), $150.Wine with an intense ruby colour and the aromatic complexity of ripe red fruit. The mid-palate conveys light notes of sweet spices and aromatic herbs. A truly Tuscan experience, it is made from the finest sangiovese, cabernet and merlot grapes.

All wines from www.houseoffinewines.com.


motoring

automotive addict Kevin Yeung is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. he is a founder of Feeding hong kong.

T hey say you should never meet your heroes as you'll only be let down. A recent discussion

among friendly automotive aficionados about hero cars – the most iconic cars of all time – got me thinking. At the top of our collective lists was the Ferrari 365 GTB/4, unofficially known as the Ferrari Daytona.

This impossibly stylish, Pininfarina-styled berlinetta masterpiece was the undisputed champion in our cool category. Lean and athletic, its long distinctive bonnet made it intuitively understood that this car had immense power. The consummately cool Daytona effortlessly conveyed aggression without anger.

Launched at the Paris Motor Show 1968, the Daytona was an immediate hit, selling more than 1,400 units as customers responded eagerly with their cheque books. Notable early owners included Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, who each purchased more than one example. Designer Ralph Lauren, who has one of the world’s most important classic car collections, owns every significant classic Ferrari. It’s appropriate the first Ferrari that inspired him was a Daytona. He once said, “I was coming out of the Connaught Hotel in London and saw a black Daytona. What is that car? I thought it was fantastic. And I fell in love with it and I said, where can I get this?”

Kevin Yeung lives the dream in a Ferrari daytona.

a heroMeeting

me to drive with purpose and engage deliberately. The 352-horsepower, free-revving V12 pulls

smoothly without hesitation all the way to 7,500 rpm and is accompanied by a symphony of sounds. Starting from a rumble, it quickly layers into a multi-textured roar before finishing with a proper vintage-racer’s bark instead of a modern V12’s scream. Just going up and down the power band is addictive.

The ride remains composed when hustled through a series of challenging corners. It still feels properly fast so I can only imagine how amazing it must have been for Jagger and Clapton back in 1968.

The Daytona was the last front-engine Ferrari supercar until its spiritual successor, the Ferrari 550, was introduced in 1996. Then last year, 44 years

after the Daytona, Ferrari introduced the F12 – its reigning king and the most powerful road car in the company’s history. They may be four decades apart, but just one passing glance at the F12 and the Daytona’s bloodline is abundantly apparent.

But after our “meeting”, it’s the Daytona that remains my hero.

The Daytona commands an arresting presence, oozing confidence and authority. Just looking at it is a visual treat. But how is it to drive? It was time to meet my hero car. Thankfully my friend, Alex, owns an immaculate example and generously encouraged me to find out.

Settling into the cabin swathed in vintage leather, I feasted on cool details such as the charismatic metal rocker switches. But I was here with the key in the ignition to drive it. The Daytona wakes with a deep but smooth roar before settling into a perfect idle. Once the car’s fluids were warm, we set off.

My fear that the Daytona would be difficult to operate evaporated after the first few kilometres which had been disarmingly easy to drive. Alex instructed

Phot

o: d

aryl

Cha

pman


Day 1: PowerPlatesI wolfed down a burger meal for lunch and now I feel guilty. I decide to find time for a quick workout. A friend has recommended a boutique PowerPlate studio on Yiu Wa Street, near Times Square, and I book a trial session ($150).

Twelve floors above the Causeway Bay hustle, the boutique studio is discreet with orchids in one corner and a floor-to-window ceiling offering a view of the surrounding streets. Four mooncake-shaped treadmills look over the short buildings opposite.

I change into my gym gear in the small toilet, and a personal trainer guides me through my workout. He asks my fitness goals then demonstrates squats and pushups on the vibrating PowerPlate. He explains that it works your muscles several times harder than a non-machine-assisted

routine, which means a 15-minute PowerPlate session reaps the same results as a regular half-hour routine.

My turn. I strike a peculiar pose – kowtowing to the machine while placing both of my elbows on the plate. Holy moly! I am shaken to the very core. Every posture is much harder to sustain on the PowerPlate. On maximum vibration, the workout feels like I’m antagonising a concrete drill.

Fitness fanatics will love this exercise; while there is not much blood, sweat or tears, there is definitely much toil. Unit B, 11/F, 25 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay, 3621 0180, powerfitstudio.com.hk.

Day 2: Pilates at Flex Studio There’s nothing else for it: my post-Christmas waistline requires stretchy pants, dammit. I head to Ap Lei Chau in search of something stylish yet forgiving. On my way back, I

drop by Flex Studio, famous for its experienced Pilates instructors. Nike’s global yoga ambassador, Leah Kim, works there. Plus it has a strict policy to keep class numbers down to less than 15.

I’ve never done Pilates, but the thought of long, lean, toned muscles is very appealing.

I ask if there’s a walk-in class available. I’m in luck: I get the last

place at Pilates Allegro ($260) with Trixie Valez.

I change into my new stretchy bottoms and stroll into the studio, which to my untrained eyes, looks like a non-toxic version of the Fifty Shades of Grey playroom. I watch Trixie demonstrate Pilates poses on a sliding machine, then adjust its resistance from red for advanced to blue for beginners. Pilates Allegro involves slotting your hands and feet through loops and straps and using your bodyweight as resistance to work your longitudinal muscles. The other nine students all know what they’re doing but this works to my advantage as I get more personal instruction, and Trixie adjusts my poses without making me feel uncomfortable. An hour later, I feel stretched out and limber – and perhaps a little taller.

Flex's eight-week Introduction to Pilates course is taught by Senior

fitness

Diary of a fitness god(dess) Kawai Wong goes in search of the perfect workout regime.


Instructor Jall Ball. The next course begins on January 14. 2/F, Regency Centre, Wong Chuk Hang, 2813 2212, www.flex.hk.

Day 3: Seasons FitnessThe last time I went to the gym in Hong Kong was... so long ago I can’t remember. But I do remember not doing much work because I was too busy gawping at everyone else’s big attitudes and elaborate poses.

Willing to give it another try, I head to Seasons Fitness at Citibank Plaza. It’s 10,000 sqft with a view of Hong Kong Park, but for me, the attraction is its indoor heated swimming pool.

It’s spacious and airy, with fitness classes in everything from boxing to yoga. But I’m here for the gym. The exercise machines come from Life Fitness and are among the best on the market, with personal entertainment and vital stats monitoring systems. I have a go on the “virtual active” treadmill, which lets you jog through a virtual landscape – cool! Then, bypassing the muscle mass-development section in all its pulley-systems glory, I head for the pool. It’s a 20-metre pool complete with steam and sauna.

My favourite thing about this place is that no salesperson disguised as a personal instructor tries to sell me classes I don’t want or need. Now that is one good USP. 3/F, Citibank Plaza, 3 Garden Road, Central, 2878 6288, www.seasonsfitness.com.

Day 4: Yoga at PurePure is virtually synonymous with yoga in Hong Kong. I have taken yoga classes in smaller studios and always found the exercise (or rather the “science of the flow of the body”) relaxing. I wouldn’t mind starting a regular regime, besides, I’m keen to find out why so many people rave about Pure.

I’m intrigued by courses with names such as “Hatha yoga – Merging of Sun & Moon” and “Charming the Snake: Astrology, Past Lifetimes and Soul Mates”. Perhaps Pure is really about mind, body and soul, instead of the usual get-fit, sign-up-now venue. I arrange to trial a beginners’ Hatha 1 class.

The Central premises boasts

well-lit corridors and leafy relaxation area. The four yoga studios have floor-to-ceiling views of the concrete forest. As Pure takes care of all the details – towels, props, mats – I dump my bag in a locker.

Hatha 1 turns out to be a slow-paced stretching class with some breathing exercises and meditation, and a helpful instructor who corrects my poses: telling me to squeeze my thighs and pull in my belly. After an hour I feel remarkably soothed. That night, I sleep like a baby. 16/F, The Centrium, Central, 2971 0055, www.pure-yoga.com.

Day 5: HypoxiI tried this in 2011 and adored it. After a single 30-minute session, I could see a visible difference in my belly and thighs, and all I had to do was cycle at a certain rpm in an egg-shaped machine that encased my lower body in an airtight chamber that added and withdrew pressure. I didn’t pant or sweat; instead I browsed the web on the iPad provided. So when Hypoxi opened a second branch in Jordan, I was keen to book a free trial.

I start by slipping on an airtight neoprene suit. I then lay down on a bed for 30 minutes as the suit balloons up and down and little bubbles brush my body to help drain my lymph system. Next it’s into the space-age cycling machine for the fat-burning process. I can see the temperature going up and up in the chamber but I never break into a sweat. And after a leisurely 30-minute pedal, I jump into the shower and get dressed. Guess what? My jeans are looser. Fantastic! 8/F, EuBank Plaza, 9 Chiu Lung Street, Central, 2537 6637, www.hypoxi.hk.

Louis Doctrove is a nasm-certified personal trainer with a sports and Exercise science Bsc. he specialises in strength training, weight loss and TRX suspension training. contact louis at [email protected].

louis doctrove doesn’t make resolutions, he sets goals.

Be a goal-getter

H ere's a suggestion for the New Year: don’t make resolutions. Instead, take decisions, set

goals – and act on them. The first step is identifying what you want to improve: it could be weight loss, muscle gain, or raising your overall fitness. Set a realistic goal for the first three-month period of the year. It should be challenging but attainable, and not one that is so easy you coast through training sessions. You know whether you’re going through the motions, or if you are really pushing at the gym. Personally, I make sure that at the end of each training session I’m pretty close to exhaustion: on a scale of one to 10, you should be at eight or nine. This can be achieved in as little as 30 minutes.

Create accountability by sharing your goal with others – otherwise, it's too easy to make the goal disappear. Then you are simply a goal-setter with nothing to show in the goal-getting department. If you want to lose weight, a daily action you can take is to eat healthier. Before you blow your nutritional programme after a couple of days, decide what’s more important; the short-term satisfaction of a treat, or the reward of shedding those pounds and getting the physique you have always wanted.

Any physical transformation requires a significant increase in training frequency, intensity and duration. This doesn’t mean that from January 1 you should train like a beast five times a week until you collapse. The usual reason for quitting a New Year training regime is overtraining and burnout. The first month may require some major changes to your diet and lifestyle. Give your body a chance to adapt and accept these changes, and it will be 10 times more beneficial in the second and third months. Hit the gym like a madman and I can almost guarantee you will quit within a month, from injury or burnout.

From January to April, try resistance or weight training at least three times a week, with two cardio sessions thrown in to maximise fat burning. These can consist of one 30- to 45-minute low-intensity cardio session on the treadmill or elliptical trainer, and one high-intensity session on the treadmill (sprint for a minute, rest for 30 seconds, for a total of 10 sets). Stick to these basic programmes and every two to three weeks raise the intensity by increasing the weights, the number of repetitions or the length of the training sessions.

Make this New Year the opportunity to get the results you have always wanted. Good luck!


health & beauty

Phot

os: B

eatr

ice

lee

T his small boutique spa overlooks the Mid-Levels mosque and the

birds in the surrounding trees. At the back, an indoor-outdoor treatment room features a wall of bamboo decorated with hanging plants, a cream awning and wooden-slat flooring. Soothing music plays and lightly scented candles add peace and tranquility. It’s an oasis in the city.

SERvICESThe treatment menu features such beauty essentials as face threading ($330), eyelash tint ($200) and waxing (from $180). There is a good selection of massages, including deep-tissue sports ($850 for 90 mins) and pregnancy massages ($560 for 50 mins), as well as the indulgent Unwind package ($1,200 for one hour, 50 mins), which includes a full-body scrub and a 75-minute aromatic massage. For a really luxurious experience, the Nahaia Active Organics’ 24-carat gold facial helps to reduce the appearance of sun damage and age spots. WHAT TO TRy?Sparadise is one of the few spas locally to offer lymphatic breast massage, which helps strengthen skin tissue and prevent the build up of stagnant lymph fluid. The 50-minute massage costs $560, with 10 per cent of proceeds going to the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation. Adding to its family-friendly credentials, Sparadise welcomes nursing mums to breastfeed while getting their fingernails done.

PRODUCTSOrganic and sustainable products from New Zealand, Australia and the United States include water-based nail varnish that is safe for pregnant women and children, and hypo-allergenic wax that contains only chamomile, lemon, teatree oil and sugar.

STAFFThere are five therapists, including a spa manager with 11 years’ experience at the Mandarin Oriental spa. The other therapists have worked at Gentleman’s Tonic, Sense of Touch, Bodywisz and Iyara.

CLIENTELEMen, women and young girls, thanks to free mini manis for children when mum or dad is having a manicure.

WHO’S BEHIND SPARADISE?Owner Shirley Lam has many years of experience working with luxury skincare products. “It’s always been my dream to own a little boutique spa,” she says. “I love that me-time getting a mani-pedi or an hour or two of enjoying quiet spa bliss. Women are typically exposed to 500 chemicals a day, that’s why I wanted to create a soothing environment using the organic spa concept.”

Sparadise, 21 Mosque Street, Central, 5962 2236, www.sparadise.com.hk.

Spatastic! Above: the semi-outdoor

treatment room where massages and

facials take place. Below: set up for a

mobile kids’ sparty.

Enter Sparadise, Mid-levels’ new organic day spa.

Urban oasis


fashion

c reativity is driven by greed. This is especially true of

fashion, with its insatiable appetite for everything new, new, new. So good news, hungry fashionistas, there’s a new brand to feast on in Hong Kong’s fashion food chain: Rakhee Shah’s Maisha Concept.

The womenswear label uses fabrics from East and West Africa in contemporary resort-style clothes. Blending serious cuts and subtle playfulness, Kenyan-born Shah aims to empower her customers with unusual but powerful fashion statements. Think Oxford shirts with tartan cuffs, knee-length shift dresses in colourful fabrics, and tuxedo jackets with psychedelic linings. Some of the designs feature words in a foreign language.

“Those are Swahili quotes,” says Shah, a third-generation Kenyan of Indian origin whose father is in the fabrics industry. “I use fabrics that bring back memories for me and represent Africa in a true light. From a young age, I have been surrounded by the East African culture from the language to the fabrics and traditions. In my current collection, I used shuka fabric from Kenya, which is worn by male Masai tribal warriors.”

Shah also sources fabrics from Ghana and elsewhere in West Africa, which is famed for its rich prints.

“I get my inspiration in terms of designs and cuts from everyday life in Hong Kong,” she says. “Hong Kongers have a trendy and unique sense of style. And being surrounded by international global brands, as well as up-and-coming local designers, I'm inspired to design something using my own heritage but taking into consideration the latest trends.”

African fabrics meet Hong Kong style in new brand, Maisha Concept. Kawai Wong meets the designer.

clashCulture

Maisha Concept is available from Sidewalk, 4-6 Gough Street, Central,

2850 7299 and from www.shopdescreateurs.com.

While some may be enjoying the thrill of wearing winter jackets and boots, the more fashionably-forward are already tired of the winter collections and itching to start shopping for spring/summer.

Next season’s runways were awash with a sea of white. As a colour which has often been associated with new beginnings, white is the perfect colour for spring. So, how to wear it in 2013?

White shirt dress: Wear alone with heels or go for casual preppy chic by pairing with flats or sandals. In the cooler months, layer it with a cable-knit sweater and knee-high boots. Check out No. 21 by Alessandra Dell’Acqua’s white shirt dress with ruffle details.

LWD (little white dress): White is the new black! A refreshing LWD will help you stand out from the crowd on any occasion. Cue Richard Nicoll's V-neck shift dress.

White embellished top: Taking you easily from day to night, the perfect white top works with sleek black pants for work and with shorts or a skirt for cocktails or dinner.

Amiee Squires-Wills is the founder and president of Electric sekki, asia’s premier fashion showroom. For local fashion news and stylish snippets visit blog.electricsekki.com.

What to wear in 2013?


W hat does –25 degrees Celsius feel like? Looking at the locals

at Harbin Airport's arrivals gate – all casual corduroys and lumberjack jackets sans hats and gloves – it doesn’t seem that bad.

Then the automatic doors retreat sideways. The cold is brutal and the wind savage. I clutch my turtleneck to fend off the stabbing Siberian gusts, but it isn’t much help. My breath solidifies almost instantly on the thick yarn, turning the collar into a frosty little scarf. I must look comical because a man smoking nearby gives me a sidelong smile and shouts in a thick northern Chinese accent: “Silly girl! Put on a pair of gloves!”

But I’m not sure gloves are going to be enough.

I dig out some heavy-duty skiwear and try again, finally making it to a taxi. With the heater on full blast, I ask the driver to take me straight to the famous Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. On the brand new six-lane tollway, fir trees and yellow brick houses fly past the windows and snow-trucks shoot out jets of powdery confetti that glow prettily in the roadside LEDs. It’s 4pm, and the sun is setting.

The traffic slows and finally gridlocks as the peppering of houses gives way to high-rise fortresses, softened by marshmallow snow drifts.

travel

Kawai Wong chills in Harbin.

townIce


Harbin City, the Oriental Moscow, sits 500km from the Russian border and was once under Russian rule – and it shows. The town was established in 1900 by a Polish engineer working on the Chinese Eastern Railway, which was financed by the Russian Empire. So it’s little wonder that Harbin looks romantically European, with avant-garde wrought-iron bus stops and baroque footbridges that connect the interminable rows of art nouveau apartment blocks. Without the stagnant traffic (a characteristic of modern China) and Chinese signs for “Hot noodles” or “Harbin sausages”, Harbin could be mistaken for Berlin or Zagreb.

It takes an hour to reach Songhua Avenue over the frozen Songhua River, the source of the ice for the magnificent sculptures that loom through the taxi’s windscreen. Our destination is Sun Island, the main site of the Ice and Snow Festival. This is no mere tourist attraction, but an entire town made of ice that glows turquoise, rose pink and lime from neon lights embedded in the frozen blocks.

I hand over RMB300 for an entrance ticket and glide and twirl through the slippery labyrinth-like ice town of pagodas, temples, arches and pavilions. It is incredibly festive, with horse-drawn carriages, children sledding down ice slides, and even a nightly Chinese opera. Vendors hawk colourful glazed fruit on sticks, and visitors warm up over coffee and instant noodles.

The next day I wake early to join the locals queuing for ka lie ba bread (khleb in Russian) and Harbin

hong chang sausage for breakfast near Zhongyang Pedestrian Street. The 1.4km street dates back to 1898, although its baroque and Byzantine buildings now house international franchises such as Zara and Omega. In the side alleys, food stalls sell hazelnuts, fruit sticks and fresh bread. With signage in Chinese, Russian and English, the street has a distinct West-East flavour.

Another Harbin neo-Byzantine classic is the nearby Saint Sophia Orthodox church, the largest of its

kind in Asia. Lit up at dusk, its onion domes and plaza setting resemble Red Square. The interior is less impressive, with fading murals, a half-hearted photo exhibition of old Harbin and lacks original decoration.

Ice sculptures and architecture aside, most people come to Harbin to ski. The city is a gateway to the Yabuli ski resort, a four-hour drive southeast. It’s more affordable than Japan, closer than Europe or North America, and has Asia’s longest alpine run at 2.68km.

Clockwise from opposite Ice sculptures at Harbin's Ice and Snow Festival;

Saint Sophia Orthodox Church; street signs in

three languages on Zhongyang Street; hawkers

selling nuts and glazed fruit sticks; and

European-style architecture in Harbin.


travel

Luxe Travel can tailor every

detail of your luxury travel from

Hong Kong to Harbin, including

flights, transfers, tours and

accommodation at Club Med

Yabuli. 3/F, 131 Queen’s Road

Central, 2539 0628.

Club Med Yabuli – a five-day

all-inclusive package, including

air travel, from January to March

17 (when the resort closes for the

season) costs from $7,224 ($5,184

for children aged 4-11). Yabuli Ski

Tourism Zone, Heilongjiang, China,

+86 451 5345 8000,

www.clubmed.com.hk.

Columbia’s Omni-Heat

parka and ski-trousers kept

us mobile, sweat-free and

warm at –25

degrees C.

Shop 726,

Times Square,

Causeway

Bay, 2310

6523.

USEFUl iNFORMAtiON

Yabuli even boasts Club Med, one of the world’s largest chains of all-inclusive luxury resorts. The wind is making snow swirls at the corners of the European-style buildings as I dash from the car to reception. Inside, it’s comfortably heated, tastefully decorated and vast, with signs to a swimming pool, gym and an outdoor Canadian hot tub.

The ski hall feels like the United Nations. Korean families fit their children with gear, a Czech ski instructor chats with a couple of Chinese skiing newbies and an Australian instructor babbles away at me, testing my skiing knowledge and promoting the resort’s events and facilities.

“There’s a Flying Trapeze show tonight. Let’s go for drinks at the bar after?” Known as GOs (genteel organisers), Club Med staff are a hybrid of teacher, performer and companion. They teach you to ski, perform at the various entertainments and party with you at night.

The Flying Trapeze is funny. The show is a tradition in most of the world’s 80 Club Med resorts. And Yabuli’s interpretation is a family-friendly cross between Olympic gymnastics, the Chippendales and a West End production of Tarzan. Stuntmen flap about in the air, performers juggle with hats and the audience loves it. The show is a nice prelude to après-ski agendas. At the open bar, some people are playing

snooker while others mingle with GOs or groove in the disco, where more GOs horse dance to Gangnam Style to get the crowd going.

Next day, fortified by a full breakfast (take your pick from French cheeses, charcuterie, salad, Chinese congee, noodles or a full English), I take to the slopes. The snow is dry, well-groomed and wonderfully

powdery. I spend most of my time on the nursery slopes and its magic carpet ride. But more adventurous skiers can catch a gondola either halfway up the peak or all the way to the top to its advanced alpine piste. It’s a 5km Nordic trail used for training by China’s national teams. When it’s –25 degrees C, there are few better places to be.

From top Club Med Yabuli

at night; Asia’s longest

alpine run; Club Med's ski-

rental hall.


What is The Hideaways Club?Some people spend millions buying overseas properties, enduring the significant cost and hassle of ownership, but end up using them only a few weeks of the year. The Hideaways Club provides that luxury holiday experience, while reducing the cost and providing a much greater choice. Essentially, members invest HK$1.65 million-$3.12 million in a fund that buys and owns holiday properties, entitling them to a share of the fund and two to six weeks’ stay in the properties (for details, visit www.thehideawaysclub.com).

How can we join?The Hideaways Club is for high-net-worth individuals who consider holiday time with friends and family as an important part of their lives. The investment level, and the medium- to long-term nature of any property-related investment, mean members should be prepared to commit for at least three years. Potential members should apply

to The Hideaways Club in Gibraltar for a thorough selection process that can take six weeks. So far just 350 people have been selected to become members worldwide.

What’s your favourite property?Santisook, our spectacular villa in Phuket, on a private headland near Kata Beach. The setting is beautiful, with an exquisite sea view from the rooftop swimming pool, and the staff is superb – our local concierge is the best Thai chef I have met. I took my family and friends there in August, and with five teenagers in the party, we made full use of the cinema, gym, snooker room and pool.

What is your most memorable travel experience?Riding a camel through local Berber villages in the

Hideouts from homeThe Hideaways Club offers luxury holiday homes without the hassle. CEO Ian Johnston explains.

Atlas Mountains in Morocco while staying at Dar Hasnaa, one of two Hideaways properties near Marrakech.

Top three travel tips?Always pack one more shirt than you think you’ll will need (two in Singapore), carry travel power adaptors for each location, and seek reliable local advice about the best restaurants and activities.

Hideaway club in Niesko, Japan.


Pete Spurrier is the author of The Leisurely Hiker’s Guide to Hong Kong and The Serious Hiker’s Guide to Hong Kong (Formasia).

A tiny island sheltered by the bulky hills of Lantau,

Peng Chau is a busy little place. A traditional fishing settlement, it was once also home to Southeast Asia’s largest match factory. Remains of the old workshops, and of ancient lime kilns, can still be found. A gentle two-hour walk around the island is a miniature heritage tour.

Take the ferry from Central’s Pier 6 to Peng Chau, turn right and walk beneath a row of big old trees to the tiny Tin Hau temple. Its age is not known, but it was restored in 1798. A pair of couplets inside the temple record the surrender of Hong Kong’s most infamous pirate, Cheung Po-tsai. Outside, an 1825 stone tablet records the islanders’ appeal for an end to the practice of Qing soldiers hiding in fishing boats to ambush pirates, as it ruined their livelihood. Their request was granted.

Continue down Wing On Street, the main market alley with lots of shops and cafés. At the end of the street, take the track uphill and turn right under an archway. Carry on up the steps to your left.

At the top of this leafy hill is the Peng Chau Rural Committee building, a nice old place with pavilions to either side. Bear right to

walk around the building and take in the view of the Lantau coast with the Trappist Monastery perched high in a steep valley.

Descend by steps to the main track and turn right to reach a small Taoist temple guarded by stone lions. Go straight ahead and keep left to pass the gateway of the Yuen Tung Buddhist temple.

Now you’re well away from the urban world. The valley below is still agricultural: old village houses, orchards and ponds. Keep left at the fork to pass through Tai Wo village. At the crossroads, go straight ahead – the path drops down to an organic farm. It delivers fruit and vegetables

to island kitchens, and weekend gardeners can rent plots.

Returning to the crossroads, turn right onto the hillside. At a map board, take the path up to the top of Finger Hill. It’s not very high, but it offers a 360-degree panorama of the town, the Western Harbour and the outlying islands.

Back at the mapboard, turn right and descend into the town. At the church, go straight ahead beside the playground then turn right. Take a look at Chi Yan School, its entrance framed by palm trees. Built in the 1930s, it bears the emblem of the Kuomintang, which was then in power in China.

A few more steps lead to Tung Wan bay, where the Lung Mo, “Dragon Mother”, temple looks out to sea. It recalls a woman who raised five baby dragons, which later returned to protect her from the Qing Emperor.

Turn left to walk north along the shore and turn inland at the pink building. Soon you’ll find a small but brightly painted temple to Kam Fa, goddess of the golden flower. Kam Fa was a girl who secretly learned kung fu from her father and used it to rob the rich and help the poor. Photos on the wall show the lion dances that take place every year to celebrate her birthday.

Just below the temple lies the main street. The pier is in sight, but you may want to stay on the island for dinner. Alternatively, a kaido village ferry leaves about once an hour until 10pm for Discovery Bay and its high-speed ferry service to Central.

Clockwise from left Peng Chau and other outlying islands;

the main means of transportation; village life.

fling Pete Spurrier takes Peng Chau in his stride.

Island

day tripper


family

Kate Zhou shares lessons learned from a traumatic year.

One door closes, a window opens

T .S. Eliot wrote: “What we call the beginning is often the end.

And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” As I look towards the New Year, this notion of closing one door to open another resonates profoundly with me.

In April, my husband was diagnosed with acute leukaemia and given only four months to live unless a bone-marrow donor was found. There was no match in his family, no match among our friends, no match in the Hong Kong Red Cross.

Seven months, seven rounds of chemotherapy, one overseas donor and one transplant later, he is home. He’s still fighting an infection caused by his body’s rejection of the bone marrow, but this is normal, we are told. So we remain hopeful.

But everything has changed. And it changed because I learned

so much. This is what I have learned.

Don’t underestimate children’s ability to cope.Last weekend, as I hung out with my kids, I was struck by how well they have dealt with their father’s illness and

its implications. Their initial fear was heartbreaking, but over the months, I have seen their resilience kicking in. At only 10 and six years old, they have managed to find the patience to deal with absentee parents and to reach an understanding that they have a role in keeping the family going.

When we broke the news to the children, we told them Daddy’s white blood cells were naughty and did not work as hard as they should to protect him. Daddy had to stay in hospital and let the doctor discipline the naughty cells. My six-year-old son said: “If I were the teacher, I would give your white blood cells a 'D'!”

Before my husband’s hair began to fall out, he asked the children if they could help to cut it because there was no hairdresser in the hospital. They were happy to help (I finished the job by shaving his head).

It takes children time to adapt to the major changes in their lives, but I am amazed by how resilient and strong they can be. When it comes to breaking bad news, it is better to come clean than to brush the truth under the carpet. Being overprotective

can be counter-productive as it risks giving children a false impression of the world, and confuses them.

Good friends form the best support network. While I would never wish this on anyone, I count myself lucky to have witnessed the lengths our friends would go to help us. Through their willingness to tap their personal and professional contacts, my husband had the care of a top Hong Kong oncologist and access to the top cancer researcher in the US for advice and consultation. We even received a personal call from the general manager of a leading pharmaceutical company informing us of new drugs. All thanks to the group effort of our friends.

And their tireless campaign to encourage Caucasians to register as bone-marrow donors was so successful that the Hong Kong Red Cross registered more Caucasian donors in two months than over the past 10 years.

Be kind to strangers. People who did not know us were

willing to undergo surgery and give up a part of their body to help. Our bone-marrow match finally came from Germany, “Donor 2191453”. Watching his/her bone marrow drip into my husband’s body, I felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude and humility.

Treat friends in trauma as you would treat anyone else. A friend who moved overseas returned for a visit and we met for breakfast. I told her that if I talked about my husband I wouldn’t stop crying – and I did not want to cry. I wanted to have a normal, pre-leukaemia conversation. So we did. We gossiped about work, she complained about her husband’s antics to make me laugh, and we talked about our kids. I left with a heart less heavy.

Whatever happens, life carries on. On a family stroll the other day we went past a cafe – the same one I pass on the way to work without ever going in, thinking it silly to pay for expensive coffee – and it had a sign in its window that read: “Life’s too short to drink shitty coffee.”

How true.


education

Head of curriculum Virginia Humpage gives Josh Kindler the lowdown on Southside's new preschool.

Bebe steps

B ebegarten aspires to change education, where did this aspiration come from?

Our founder, Margaret Leung, has a real passion for education. This project is the conclusion of 12 years of intense research and observing children in environments around the world. In Hong Kong, what we see is a very stressful situation for families and children that is becoming increasingly competitive. It doesn't have to be that way.

What did you learn from other countries?We're basing our model on five different world models. We looked at the Italian and New Zealand systems, which stress the importance of family in children’s learning. So many schools claim they involve parents, but actually some don't. We went to America to look at the High Scope system, and we saw that teacher-child ratios are critical for children to receive quality one-on-one dialogue with their teachers and peers. We also looked at Britain, where education is play-based and child-initiated – children learning through play – which is a thread throughout the curriculum.

So family is key to learning?Absolutely. In Hong Kong, helpers are a big part of a family life too. We're going to provide a platform for change which is holistic and organic. We want

Virginia Humpage


Now recruiting teaching staff

for 2013/14 Academic Year

Kellett School

Creating a love of learning in Kowloon BayKellett School, The British International School in Hong Kong, is an English National Curriculum School.

Kellett School is now advertising teaching vacancies for new posts commencing in August 2013 at the new Kowloon Bay Campus.

For further information visit www.kellettschool.com (Working at Kellett)

learning to be as effortless as breathing. And it really can be, without flash cards and exams in the early years. The best way to prepare a young child for primary school, and for life, is to give them an opportunity to be themselves, and to have their strengths valued, which we can achieve through low child-teacher ratios and highly trained teachers.

Tell us about your curriculum, the “Language of Children”.It's a progressive, reflective curriculum devised for children from six months to six years old. It focuses on the children’s interests, which is why we're recruiting early-years educators who understand how to “scaffold” children’s learning and look at each individual child. It takes into account the child’s all-round development – physical, emotional, creative and expressive. It helps children get ready for primary school, to be confident and expressive, with an opinion and a voice, and to have their strengths recognised.

What advice would you give to parents? Reflect on what's important to you, what you believe in, and what you want for your children. Do not be influenced by what everyone else is doing, but stick to what you want and what you think is right. Look at every child individually.

How has the programme developed? It's been a real inspiration for the whole team. There are four of us: Margaret is the visionary, I’m the practitioner, helping the dream come into practice. And we couldn't be doing any of this without our investor Claudine, who's only 25, but is passionate about making a change for Hong Kong parents and children. We're starting a conversation about change, bringing together like-minded professionals and parents, who believe this is the right time for change in Hong Kong education.

Level 3, One Island South, Wong Chuk Hang, 3487 2255. Bebegarten is holding an information session for parents on January 29 in Wan Chai. For details, please email [email protected] or visit www.bebegarten.com.

the best way to prepare a young child for primary school, and for life, is to give them an opportunity to be

themselves, and to have their strengths valued.


pets

2 013 marks the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, which is a cause for celebration.

With a bit of luck, this year will be a special one for the dogs of Hong Kong. Hopefully, it will see the Legislative Council passing the long-awaited tightening of regulations for breeders and pet shops, putting an end to the suffering of the trade’s four-legged victims. This is something animal NGOs have been pushing for as long as I can remember, so the law's passing would be a huge achievement.

Attitudes to HKDR and the local pet industry have changed hugely in the past decade. It surprises even me to remember how it used to be in the “old days”. Long-term volunteers laugh about HKDR’s early days in Pok Fu Lam where we were banned from bathroom facilities and had to climb through a small hole in the wall left by an air conditioner, or hide out of sight in one of the dog pens.

When we had no Homing Centre or kennels, we took our dogs and puppies to wherever we could show them off. On one memorable trip to an adoption event in Discovery Bay, a

volunteer and I took cages of puppies on the front of an open sampan, and had to cling on for dear life when an unexpected squall came through.

These days I celebrate when every dog or puppy leaves us for a new home, giving me a sense of satisfaction and pride in a job well done. Every puppy I've taken out of the AFCD’s kennels, and loved and cared for until it’s finally adopted, is an individual to me – not just another puppy but a unique personality and character. To date, HKDR has found homes for about 7,000 such dogs, and while I can't claim to remember every one of them in detail, they have all made their mark on my life in one way or another.

Sally Andersen is the founder of hong kong dog Rescue, a charity that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes unwanted or abandoned dogs.

Sally Andersen toasts new legislation governing pet shops and breeders.

decadedoggy

A

Phot

o: K

at K

uok

}BiRd At MY WiNdOW

with David Diskin

David Diskin is the author of Hong Kong Nature Walks: The New Territories. Visit www.hknaturewalks.com or accipiterpress.com for more information.

aka Columba livia

The feral pigeon

The feral pigeon is one of the most familiar birds because of its close relationship to man. Domestic and feral breeds originate from the rock dove, which has a natural range covering Europe, North Africa and southern Asia. It is a cliff-dweller, living either on sea cliffs as in Britain, or rocky canyons as in Israel.

The feral pigeon was first domesticated in the eastern Mediterranean 5,000-10,000 years ago, mainly for food, although in Egypt it was a sacred bird associated with fertility. It has been widely bred ever since for consumption and for racing. Racing pigeons have a special ability to find their way home even across hundreds of kilometres.

Wild populations of feral pigeons that have escaped or been released from captivity have become established around the world well beyond the natural range of the rock dove. They are particularly associated with cities where the ledges of buildings substitute for rocky cliffs.

They are widespread in Hong Kong and can be found in a variety of habitats from the dome of Kowloon mosque to the fields of Long Valley near Sheung Shui. Racing pigeons occasionally turn up on Po Toi – the special bands on their legs indicate these birds are from Taiwan.


to advertise, please call 2776 2772 or email: [email protected]

marketplace

PET BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS?BY YOUR PET?!!!STRESSED

Hong Kong’s first and onlyBehavioural Veterinary Practice

Tel: 9618 [email protected]

can help resolve aggression, fear, anxiety, separation related problems, compulsive disorders, inappropriate toileting, noise phobias etc.

Not all behavioural problems are simply training issues.

Dr. Cynthia SmillieBVM&S PG Dip CABC MRCVS

www.petbehaviourhk.com


AdvErtiSE hErE

Please call

2776 2772or email us

[email protected]

upscale readers60,000+

and reach


classified

LOCAL PrOPerty

ChAritiestuitiOn

DOnAte OLD BABy CLOthes, toys and equipment to mothers in need. Small toys, wraps, bottles and teething toys are desperately needed by Pathfinders, a charity that helps migrant mothers find a safe and legal home. Call Kylie: 9460 1450 or Luna (Chinese speaking): 5135 3015.

DOnAte CLOthes, shOes, BOOKs, toys and electrical appliances in good condition. Reach out to help the poor and disadvantaged men, women and children in our communities. All profits help the needy in Hong Kong and mainland China. Collection hotline: 2716 8778. Donation hotline: 2716 8862. Website: www.christian-action.org.hk Blog: http://siewmei.cahk.org Email: [email protected]

[email protected] 2776 2772

herman Lam Dance studio. salsa, swing, Latin, Argentina tango and Ballroom. We design unique memorable wedding dances and we also rent out our dance studio. Detail, professional instruction, friendly, small classes, elegant space, come & you'll dance. 2320-3605www.hermanlamdance.com

Western Living resort VillaHK$50K-Sai Kung2100' Three Storey Detached House. 4 Bedrooms (2 ensuite), Maid's Room,Roof, Lawn and Wood Decking Garden,Fitted Open Kitchen, Spacious Bedrooms with Fitted Wardrobes,Shared Pool, Carpark, Westernised Community,Quiet Location. Angela 92882529 (Private Listing)

neeD A hOLiDAy? PhuKet ViLLA FOr rent! Luxury 5 beds villa with swimming pool located in Surin area. Walking distance to beaches. Reasonable rates! Website: www.phuketvilla4rent.com Email the owner: [email protected]

nice stand alone village house in Clearwaterbay Privacy. Near MTR station. Unique tranquil area. Fully renovated in Spanish style. Private garden with walls around. [email protected], 63970477 and 96551065Rent 80k. Sell 25 Mi

OVerseAs PrOPerty


serViCes

Liveaboard in Aberdeen swing mooring2003 Bondway, 55ft with 3 bedrooms, office convertible to bedroom, 2 bathrooms, big lounge with balcony, fully furnished with appliances. Power & water available. HK$2.1m and mooring fee HK$6k/mth. Call Ian 91694246.

Liveaboard package in Discovery Bay Marina2010 Paceboat, 60ft with 4 bedrooms, 2 offices, laundry, 3 bathrooms, big lounge with balcony, top deck function room, fully furnished with appliances and furniture. HK$6.7m including debenture. Call Ian 91694246.

Piano Lesson @ hOMe In English/Cantonese by professional and qualified teachers. Annual Recital in Cityhall. Trial lessons available, visit www.grandpiano.hk for details.

Private Party Perfect LocationAvailable for all party themes, located at Central Lan Kwai Fong with open balcony, capacity up to 90 pax,we provide food catering and open bar packagewww.ottolounge.com to get the quote onlineT:6627 [email protected]

Love the outdoors, adventure and working with people? OBHK is accepting applications for our Instructor Training Programme today!Essential requirements:Hong Kong residentMin. age: 23, preferably 25+ with prior work experienceExcellent communication skills in English and Cantonese

Babysitting AvailableMy name is Rachel Buckley and I am an 18 year old student looking for babysitting/nanny work from the 10th Decmber until 10th February 2013. I am experienced in looking after children of all ages and enjoy planning activites for and spending time with kids.My Mum, Dr Rosemary Barnett is a GP in Sai Kung/Clearwater Bay where I have live.

Please contact me on: 67739804 (after 10th Dec) or [email protected]

Asian slateGeoff DaviesSpecializing in all types of roofing and waterproofingComplete renovations, Hard and Soft LandscapingContact Mobile 6075 6694 Office 2809 4494Email: [email protected]

Liveaboard package in Gold Coast Marina2010 Loftbarge, 65ft with 4 bedrooms, office, laundry, 3 bathrooms, big lounge with balcony, high ceiling, fully furnished with appliances and furniture. HK$6.6m including debenture. Call Ian 91694246.

[email protected]

2776 2772

BOAts

MONTE FINO PRICED TO SELL. With acres of space, this 1993 66 ft classic luxury cruiser (refitted 2011) is great for sharing,chartering, or as a live-aboard. Beautiful teak floors throughout,blending perfectly with sophisticated neutral tones inside & out.Hull, all paneling, soft furnishing, heads, galley restored/repaired/refitted to a high standard. New swim platform and custom made Austral Props installed. 2 x 805.68 kW Detroit Diesel engines in good condition with only 17xx hours and 2 x Kohler diesel generators. Capacity for 28, 6 berths, 1 crew cabin, 3 heads & 1 crew head. Sound & TV system, plus hoist for tender. Asking 3.5 mil. 1.75 mil for half share. With SWING MOORING in Sai Kung or Aberdeen, both with power".. To view, call Mark 9664 8934/Joanna 9318 8736.”

STUNNING 20 ft CHRIS CRAFT for sale. Classic blue/red Heritage Edition 2011 Lancer. Only 6 hours on the engines. Excellent condition. Like New. Volvo Penta Petrol Inboard 201.42 kW. Top speed 50.3 knots @ 5100 RPM Cruisingspeed 27.3 knots @ 3000 RPM.

Under engine and structural WARRANTY. With DRY STACK at Pak Sha Wan. Don't miss out on this excellent opportunity to own apiece of motor boating history at a great price. New at 460k. NOW ASKING 380k. Call Mark 9664 8934 or Joanna on 9318 8736.


the ultimate guide

Mannings2299 3381

www.mannings.com.hk Marketplace by Jasons

2299 1133www.marketplacebyjasons.com

ParknShopwww.parknshop.com

Wellcome delivery Ordering hotline2870 8888three Sixty2111 4480

www.threesixtyhk.com

dAilY NECESSitiES

life’s A Breeze2572 4000

www.lifesabreezehk.comAttic lifestyle

2580 [email protected]

Calcite indoor Environment3428 5441

[email protected] (hK) limited3563 6521 / 3563 6522

[email protected] | www.homertek.comindigo living ltd.


JCAW Consultants2524 9988 | [email protected]

llS design & Associates ltd2117 8983

www.llsdesign.com.hk | [email protected] rugs


Studio Annetta9849 1216

[email protected] thompson ltd


Pakpersian Carpets hong Kong2549 012 / 9192 9594

[email protected]

hOME

Animal Emergency Centre2915 7979

[email protected] Behaviour vet Practice


www.petbehaviourhk.comdr Carmel taylor MvB MrCvS dipAiCvd

9251 9588Ferndale Kennels & Cattery

2792 4642www.ferndalekennels.com

Pets Central North Point hospital2811-8907

[email protected]


PEtS & vEtS

vogue laundry 3555 4009, www.voguelaundry.com

Clean living2333 0141

www.cleanliving.com Kleaners

2295 0088Park Avenue

www.parkavenuehk.comJeeves of Belgraviawww.jeeves.com.hk

drY ClEANErS

Bank of China (hong Kong) limited2553 4165/ 2553 0135

Bank Of Communications2553 6281 / 2553 8282Chi Yu Banking Corp

2233 3000hang Seng Bank

2822 0228hSBC

www.hsbc.com.hkStandard Chartered

2886 8868www.standardchartered.com.hk

FiNANCiAl SErviCES

Apple Store hotline800-908-988

Computer Zone3/f, 298 hennessy road

(they will replace a broken iPhone screen in one hour. cost: $450)

iPhONE rEPAir

the Arcade, Cyberport3166 3111

[email protected] | arcade.cyberport.hkthe telo’s Group lCCwww.telosgroupllc.com

Jones lang laSalle2846 5000

www.joneslanglasalle.com.hk

habitat Property limited2869 9069 | [email protected]

www.habitat-property.com

rEAl-EStAtE

Club Med3111 9388 | www.clubmed.com.hk

taxi hire2574 7311van hiremr shah

5188 1678Elite Charters

5434 [email protected] | www.elitecharters.hkExpert transport & relocations Warehouse

2566 4799www.expertmover.hk

Flight Centre2830 2866

flightcentre.com.hktram party hire

www.hktramways.comisland Junks


luxe travel2539 0628

[email protected] Cruises

2857 1311www.saffron-cruises.com

lee Gardens Showroom: Shop B01 & G01, lee Gardens two, 28 Yun Ping road, Causeway Baytel: (852) 2764 6919 | www.zungfu.com

Webjet hKunit 1706, BEA tower, Millennium City 5, 418 Kwun tong road, Kwun tong, Kln, hong Kong2313 [email protected]

trANSPOrt & trAvEl SErviCES

dymocks2834 5832

[email protected]

Premiere Performances9545 6851

[email protected]

MultiMEdiA

Ocean Park3923 2323

www.oceanpark.com.hk

viSitOr AttrACtiON


Costa2118 7600

www.gaiagroup.com.hk/costaBene italian

2699 3939 | www.gaiagroup.com.hk/beneitalianCastello del vino2866 0587 / 77

[email protected]

2868 4832 | www.eatright.com.hkEdible Arrangements

2295 1108 / 2385 0158 | ediblearrangements.hkEl Grande

2111 1197 | www.domani.hkGaia

2167 8200 | www.gaiagroup.com.hk/gaiahong Kong Personal Chef

www.hongkongpersonalchef.comisola

2383 8765www.gaiagroup.com.hk/isola

isobar2383 8765

www.gaiagroup.com.hk/isobarJoia

2382 2323www.gaiagroup.com.hk/joia

Kobo Wine ltd2180 7255

[email protected] | www.nzwine.com.hkMeat Market


www.meatmarket.hktasty-in Wine & Food

3168 2046 | [email protected] Caffe’ Monteverdi

2559 0115va Bene

2845 5577 | www.gaiagroup.com.hk/va-beneveritas Wine9757 3557

[email protected] | www.veritas-wine.comZelo

2918 1028 | www.gaiagroup.com.hk/zeloZoe Café

2513 6653

FOOd & BEvErAGE

Bouncy Kids9228 5772

[email protected]

Bouncing Castles for hirekieron 9467 4545Bumps to Babes

2522 7112 www.bumpstobabes.com

Cosmo Beebies2905 1188

[email protected]

hong Kong toy Club8216 3870

[email protected]

Petit Bazaar [email protected]

www.facebook.com/petitbazaarMagician

[email protected] 7196

tOYS, ACCESSOriES & KidS’ PArtiES

Agnes B Fleuriste2805 0631

www.agnesb-fleuriste.comOvO Garden2529 2599

www.ovogarden.com.hkGary Kwok Flowers

8200 9226www.garykwok.com

FlOriStS

China light & Power Emergency Services2728 8333

China light & Power Customer info line2678 2678

Electrical Appliance repair hong Kongmr ho

9846 8082St John Ambulance Assn & Brigade dist hq

2555 0119tung Wah Group Of hospitals

2538 5867typhoon Emergency Centre

2773 2222Water Fault reports

2811 0788Water Supplies department

2824 5000truly Care Pest Control Services

2458 8378www.trulycare.com.hk

utilitiES, SErviCES & EMErGENCY

Anastassia's Art house2719 5533

[email protected]

Bebegarten3487 2255 | www.bebegarten.com

the Edge learning Center2972 2555 / 2783 7100

[email protected] | www.theedge.com.hkherman lam dance Studio

2320 3605 / 9497 [email protected]

www.hermanlamdance.cominternational Academy of Film & television

5808 [email protected] | iaft.hk

Kellett Schoolwww.kellettschool.com

Kidville2892 8893 | www.kidville.hk

Montessori for Children2813 9589

[email protected]

Orton-Gillingham Centre for different learners2525 8998

[email protected] | www.msl-orton.com.hkhong Kong institute of languages

www.hklanguages.comAfrican drumskumi masunga

www.drum-jam.comMy happy Sunflower


www.myhappysunflower.comQuESt Study Skills

2690 9117 | www.queststudyskills.comred Shoe dance Company

9813 0079 / 2117 [email protected]

Grand Pianowww.grandpiano.hk

Yifan Mandarin2486 9012 | [email protected]

www.yifan-mandarin.com.hk

lEArNiNG

holistic Fitness & therapy9667 0940 | [email protected]

www.holisticnaresh.comthe New Age Shop

2810 8694 | www.thenewageshop.com.hkNonie Studio

2333 2027 / 5198 9903hong Kong Colon hydrotherapy Centre2890 6800 | www.naturalhealing.com.hk

Weight Watcher2813 0814 | [email protected]

hEAlth & WEllBEiNG

GEt liStEd call 2776 2772

email [email protected]

Anahata Yoga2905 1822 | www.anahatayoga.com.hk

Kaprice2509 1133

[email protected] | www.kapriceonline.comMandarin Barber

2825 4088 | [email protected] Waxing Workshop

2869 9680www.nuwaxingworkshop.com

Savvy Style2522 2592

[email protected]

www.savvystyle.comSpa Beaute Par Zai

2524 1272 | www.spabpz.comYoga Mala

2116 0894 | www.yogamala.com.hk

FAShiON & BEAutY

CentralSheung Wan Wan Chai

Admiralty

Causeway Bay

Mid-levels

Sai Wan

Kennedy townSOhO

happy valley

Quarry bay

tai hang Sai Wan ho

Chai Wan

Jardine’s lookout

distribution

North Point

Braemar Hill Mansions

Flora Garden

Hill Top

Kingsford Gardens

La Place De Victoria

Le Sommet

Lime Habitat

Kashi Court

Mount East

Pacific Palisades

Sky Horizon

Villa Clare

City Garden

The Java

Fortress Garden

Tanner Garden

Wilshire Towers

Wanchai

Bamboo Grove

J Residence

Kennedy Court

Moon Fair and Sun Fair

the Oakhill

8 Shiu Fai Terrace

Star Crest

United Mansion

York Place

Zenith

Amber Garden

Ewan Court

150 Kennedy Road

Suncrest Tower

Pok Fu lam

The Belcher’s

the best way to reach Hong Kong island’s high net worth residents.

How we distribute

The Leighton HillPrice $60 million Price per sq ft $28kApartment size 2,200 sq ft

Recognized as one of Hong Kong’s high-class private housing estates, The Leighton Hill is a collection of eight high-rise buildings looking over Happy Valley racecourse. Its lists of residents includes icons such as actor Adam Cheng and Rafael Hui, former Chief Secretary for Administration.

happy valley

Beverly Hills

Broadview Mansion

Broadview Villa

Broadwood Park

Broadwood Twelve

Claymore Lodge

Evergreen Villa

High Cliff

Hoc Tam Garden

the leighton Hill

Leon Court

Nicholson Tower

Pioneer Court

San Francisco Towers

The Summit

Valley View Terrace

Ventris Place

Villa Monte Rosa

Village Garden

Caroline Garden

Caroline Height

Horseshoe Tower

tin hau

Dragon Court

Dragon Heart Court

Dragon Peak

Dragon View

King Yu Court

Park Towers

Shing Loong Court

Trillion Court

Jardine’s lookout

Butler Tower

Cavendish Heights

The Colonnade

the legend

Monterey Court

Ronsdale Garden

Gardenview Heights

Kennedy town

Belcher’s Hill

Cayman Rise

Harbour One

Manhattan Heights

Mount Davis 33

The Merton

The Sail at Victoria

University Heights

Quarry BayThe Floridian

KornhillRoyal Terrace

Splendid PlaceWah Shun Garden

ResidentiAl

Mid-levels

Aigburth

The Albany

The Babington

Branksome Grande

Century Tower I

Chung Tak Mansion

Dynasty Court Towers

Elegant Garden

Fairlane Tower

Fairview Height

Greenview Gardens

Hillsborough Court

Hoover Court

Kennedy Heights

Lyttelton Garden

Macdonnell 2 Road

the Mayfair

Macdonnell House

Palatial Crest

Park Mansions

Park Rise

Po Garden

Regence Royale

Right Mansion

Robinson Heights

Robinson Place

31 Robinson Road

The LegendPrice $200 million Price per sq ft $26kApartment size 3,000 sq ft

A fairly new addition to Hong Kong’s list of opulent residential buildings is The Legend. Completed in 2005, this Jardine’s Lookout location is the ultimate urban hideaway for city slickers looking for a bit of peace and quiet.

Roc Ye Court

Scenecliff

Scholastic Garden

Seymour

Tavistock

tregunter tower

Vantage Park

Wisdom Court

Wise Mansion

Woodland Garden

Bon-Point

Borrett Mansions

6A Bowen Road

Branksome Crest

Casa Bella

The Fortune Gardens

Garden Terrace

Glory Heights

Grand Bowen

Hong Villa

62B Robinson Road

80 Robinson Road

Seymour Place

Soho 38

Chai Wan

Island Resort

Heng Fa Villa

SOhO

Centre Point

Dawning Height

Grandview Garden

tai hang

Carnation Court

The Elegance

Elm Tree Towers

Flora Garden

Grand Deco Tower

Illumination Terrace

Serenade

Trafalgar Court

Villa d’Arte

Sheung Wan

CentreStage

One Pacific Heights

Princeton Tower


Butterfly on HollywoodButterfly on Victoria

Butterfly on WellingtonCOMO COMO Causeway Bay

COMO COMO HollywoodD’ Home 239 Queen’s Road East

Eaton HouseThe Ellipsis

Fraser Suites Hong KongGardenEast

Hanlun Habitats – Lily Court I & IIHanlun Habitats – Orchid

KAZA @ WanchaiKnight on WyndhamThe Mood @ LKFOvolo, High Street

Ovolo, Queen’s Road CentralPacific Palisades

The PutmanShalom Queen’s Road East

Soho 69Yin Serviced Apartments

The BauhiniaOakwood Apartments Mid Levels East

Soho SquareTreasure View (Sheung Wan)

Treasure View (Soho)Treasure View (Happy Valley)

Twenty One WhitfieldV Wanchai (Jaffe Rd)

V Wanchai Hotel (Thomson Rd)V Causeway Bay (Yee Wo St)

V Causeway Bay (Tung Lo Wan Rd)

seRviced APARtmentsCrowne Plaza Hong KongHarbour Grand Hong Kong

The CharterhouseThe Excelsior

Island Shangri-LaL’hotel Causeway Bay Harbour View

Regal Hong Kong HotelThe Upper House

HOtels

Fitness FirstSense of Touch

Toni & Guy

Hyproxi® Studio – Central

HeAltH, BeAuty, Fitness

The Foreign Correspondents’ ClubThe Hong Kong Cricket Club

Chinese Recreation ClubLRC

cluBs

DymocksII Bel Paese

Pacific GourmetCastello del Vino

Edible ArrangementsHome Flavour by Martial Herbert

Kisses CupcakesMonsieur CHATTÉ

Opera Opera

stORes

RestAuRAnts1/5 Nuevo

Barista Jam

Brat

Cafe O

Chez Meli Melo

Chicken on the Run

Classified

Eat Right Restaurant Wine Bar

Graze

Guru

Jaspas

Java Java

Life Café

Oolaa

Paisano’s

Pizzeria Pubblico

Spoil Cafe

Trattoria Caffe' Monteverdi

Wild Grass Hong Kong

Yorkshire

Yo Bago

brunch club

just salad hong kong

Zoe Cafe

The OakhillPrice $30 million Price per sq ft $19kApartment size 1,500 sq ft

The Oakhill is a sophisticated gem amidst the hustle and bustle of Wan Chai. Apartments boast floor to ceiling windows overlooking stunning views of our city and the amenities match that of a 5-star luxury hotel.

TregunterPrice $28 million Price per sq ft $14kApartment size 3,000 sq ft

Built in 1981, Tregunter has made its mark as one of Hong Kong Island’s premium living locations. Its three towers have housed a countless number of Hong Kong’s elite and their families. Not surprising given its impressive list of amenities including sporting facilities, private restaurant and function rooms for hire and shuttle buses to Hong Kong’s key business districts.

The MayfairPrice $100 million Price per sq ft $38kApartment size 2,600 sq ft

Tucked away in a secluded, green and tranquil hideaway in Mid-Levels, The Mayfair is only 10 minutes from Central. Complete with tennis courts, swimming pool, a gym and round-the-clock security — there’s no doubt Hong Kong Island residents at The Mayfair live in the lap of luxury.

JOIn OuR COMMunITY!

Want Hong Kong Island Magazine in your reception

or clubhouse? Want to distribute Hong Kong Island

Magazine in your restaurant or store?

It’s easy as pie and best of all, completely free of

charge. Send all enquiries to [email protected] or call

(852) 2776 2772.

SuBSCRIBE nOW!

Join our free mailing service to have your copy of Hong

Kong Island Magazine delivered straight to your mailbox.

It’s Free and exclusive.

Sign up here

www.hkisland.com/subscribe



Oh snap

Point & shootWe love our city, down to the last gram.

Our visions of the city.

Hong Kong's concrete forest.

Strutting the urban catwalk.

Lunch at Restoration and

Hong Kong Island Magazine

makes good company.

GET insTaFamoUs Tag #hkislandmag or email your instagram shots to [email protected].

Living among the angels, high up in the clouds. ICC and Two IFC continue their long-distance relationship.

The only place on the Island to find peace and quiet?

Yes, it is winter but it's hardly

the deep freeze. December’s

pool is MINE.

Documents

Hong Kong Island Magazine January 2013