Hong Kong Island Magazine December 2012

www.hkisland.com | 3

the really useful magazine

December 2012

4 Planner

6 PeopleBurberry flagship opens at Pacific Place and Transformers 3 star Rosie huntington-whiteley comes out to play

10 What’s in...The l Place

12 InterviewThe moustache guys unveil the identity of club night, The Bearded lady

14 News

15 LocalJohn Batten on Government hill’s past and “presence”

16 Featureshop like santa: where to go for great christmas gifts

20 EatingTop restaurants to entertain your guests

24 In My Elementlee Pak-man: Fashion designer turns cEo of the year

26 Motoringkevin Yeung on driving etiquette

30 FitnessRealistic fitness goals for christmas

31 FashionThat christmas dress...

32 Health & Beautyan exclusive look at sense of Touch’s latest spa

34 TravelTake a short break this christmas

36 Familya word from santa’s headmistress

38 Educationadmission Usa: tips for getting into Us universities

40 Petschristmas perils for pets

41 Tech

42 Marketplace

44 Classifieds

46 The Ultimate Guide

48 Distribution

50 Oh SnapYour instagrams of hong kong

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]

Online Marketing & [email protected]

Accounts ManagerClara Chan

[email protected]

Contributors Francis ChengKiri SinclairCoco MarettPaul Hicks

Kevin YeungPearl Law

Stuart WolfendaleJohn BattenPete Spurrier

Louis DoctroveDavid Diskin

Amiee Squires-WillsCarolynne DearCynthia Smillie

Timmy LeeChristine Or

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.

“Don’t ask guests to come in fancy dress – just to dress fancy.” – p.12 }{

Quote of the month

Alex Daye and Ellis Kreuger

4 | www.hkisland.com

planner

The Venetian Macau becomes a winter wonderland, complete with gondola tours, ice skating, 3-D music and lights show, and real snow. Details at www.venetianmacao.com.

Until Jan 1A Sparkling Christmas Santa Mickey and snowfalls on Main Street. Hong Kong Disneyland, Lantau. www.hongkongdisneyland.com.

Until Jan 13Winter in Venice

dec 6-9Little Red Riding Hood: The PantoWell, slap your thigh, it’s the Hong Kong Players’ annual pantomime. Oh yes, it is! Shouson Theatre, HK Arts Centre, Wan Chai. Tickets $250-$330 from www.urbtix.hk.

dec 5Christmas List Shopping WalkLike ArtWalk with Santa, Central and Sheung Wan’s favourite shops stay open from 6pm-10pm for festive shopping, drinks and nibbles. Details and tickets, $100, from hk.asia-city.com/store/xmaslist.

dec 10Macy Gray Live

The croaky-voiced diva plays Star Hall, KITEC, Kowloon Bay.

Tickets $480-$680 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Check out p.18 for this year’s Christmas fair venues and dates!

Email your event to [email protected]


dec 15-16Hong Kong Freespace FestTwo days of music from indie bands and homegrown artists, including headliners Re-Orientate and Chochukmo, and street performers Head Clowns. West Kowloon Cultural District. Full details at www.wkcda.hk.

dec 21-Jan 1A Brilliant Tiffany HolidayStatue Square turns into a winter wonderland with live entertainment, an 18-metre Christmas tree and a festive carousel ($30, proceeds go to the Helping Hand). Part of Hong Kong Winterfest.

dec 22-25Asia Game Show 2012One of the region’s biggest annual gaming events showcases the latest software and hardware, including limited-edition games and exclusive products. HKCEC, Wan Chai. Full details at www.asiagameshow.com.

dec 31New Year’s EveSay hello to 2013.

dec 25Christmas DayTree! Presents! Turkey!

Until Dec 26Times Square LegolandOMG, there’s a Lego invasion in CWB! Play in 11 life-sized houses, a train, electric tram, flower garden and more. 8 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay.

dec 16-mar 31Andy Warhol 15 Minutes EternalThe largest touring exhibition of the pop artist’s work brings 370 paintings, photographs and screen prints, plus archival objects and photography from the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. Tickets $5-$20, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2721 0116.

dec 15-Jan 1 360 Musical Winter WonderlandWatch a cappella, ensemble and other singing performances (daily at 1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm), and make your own ornaments in the Little Angel Workshop. Ngong Ping Village, Lantau, 3666 0606, www.np360.com.hk.

people

Elle Style Awards

Awards in 24 categories were given out at this year’s Elle Style Awards. Among the winners were Pansy Ho (who won the Business Leader Award)

and legislator Audrey Eu (Spirited Award). Talented Designer of the Year went to handbag

maker Anya Hindmarch.

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To celebrate the opening of Burberry’s flagship, a big party took place at the store's new Pacific Place branch with creative director Christopher Bailey and Transformers 3 actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. It was an awesome event, with 800 guests, plus Girls Generation from Korea and British rock band The Libertines, who flew in to perform alongside Canto-pop star Khalil Fong.

Marc Jacobs held an exhibition to showcase the fashion brand’s archival pieces. The likes of Carina Lau and Daisy Ho came to the party. It was also Gaile Lai’s first appearance since announcing her divorce from pop-star Leon Lai. She attracted about 100 entertainment reporters who swarmed the venue. Gaile is an independent and sweet girl, I am sure she will be fine soon.

Maxmara made a significant donation to the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, recently. Patrons Sally Lo and Pansy Ho were delighted to receive the big cheque.

BMW threw a classy bash at The Repulse Bay to launch its latest seven-series saloon car. Donnie Yen was the special guest, but Gigi Chao and Michael Wong stole a lot of his limelight.

All in all, another awesome month.

with Francis Cheng }VelVet Rope

Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture comes to you exhibitionModel Gaile Lai, Jocelyn Luko and husband Anthony Sandstrom model Jaeger-LeCoultre watches on The Landmark Atrium catwalk.

The British luxury brand’s creative director Christopher Bailey was on

hand to open the label’s flagship store at Pacific Place, Admiralty.

Burberry flagship opening


Francis Cheng is cEo of occasions PR and marketing.

people

Great British and Chinese Menswear + GQSinger Coco Lee, tycoon Allan Zeman and British GQ editor Dylan Jones turned out to celebrate creativity in British and Chinese menswear at MO Bar in the Landmark Mandarin Oriental. Representing Britain were designers Patrick Grant of E-Tautz and Jonathan Saunders; flying the flag for China were Xander Zhou, Harris Chan of Moiselle and Wang Yutao of Beautyberry.

8 | www.hkisland.com8 | www.hkisland.com

The Great Cast of British Designers at Harvey NicholsEmerging British designers Markus Lupfer, Jonathan Saunders and Shaun Samson were on hand to greet fashionistas at the Great Cast of British Designers fashion exhibition at Harvey Nichols. On display were pieces by such established labels as Matthew Williamson, Erdem and Issa – a favourite of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

The silly season is here – it’s time to dust off your dancing Christmas tree and get the party started. How to pick a good party? The key to a successful party season is strategy and stamina. There are so many events on during the first three weeks of December it’s hard to know where to go. I prioritise friends’ events (I love a good rooftop party), then focus on the more unusual parties – the ones that go out of their way to do something fun and different. How to pick the perfect present?If you’re headed to see family overseas, finding the perfect Hong Kong present is an interesting

challenge. Another pair of silk PJs, Ma? Another Shanghai Tang teapot, Pa? The short stroll from Temple Street in Jordan to the Ladies' Market in Mong Kok will take you past so many potential gifts that you might just forget the person you’re shopping for and realise how much you needed a jīnmāo in your office. If you’ve exhausted all options on the Kowloon gift walk of shame, maybe it’s time to think outside the box. Much like an unusual party, an unusual gift is something your in-laws will be unlikely to part with. This year, try something new, an original piece of art from an up-and-coming Hong Kong artist, perhaps? Regardless of what you send to your friends and family this

holiday season, do one special thing: write a letter. Everyone gets so many gifts at the holidays that it’s hard to keep track, but a handwritten note is something that not only brings a true smile to someone’s face, but may even end up in a shoebox long after your lucky cat has broken.

Life outside the Christmas bubble... What’s my favourite thing about December? It’s the best weather to hit the hills and enjoy Hong Kong’s amazing hiking trails and countryside scenery. If you’re time poor, there are trails on the Island. If you’re feeling like the real experience though, get a copy of Pete Spurrier’s The Serious Hikers'

Guide to Hong Kong and discover our butterflies, blooms and beaches. It’s also the perfect time to start a new tradition, so grab some friends this holiday season, and head out on an adventure to the great outdoors. After a month of holiday festivities, a good hike helps clear away the cobwebs from all those parties.

Happy holidays, my friends!

Kiri Sinclair of marketing and public relations agency sinclair communications.

}tRendingwith Kiri Sinclair

Cafe Deco relaunchesNewly renovated Peak restaurant Cafe Deco celebrated its new look by throwing a relaunch party.


what’s in...

LThe Place

v StAtS & fACtS

Completed in 2010

No. of floors: 23 Size of each floor: 4,185 sq ft

138 Queen’s Road Central, adjacent to The Center and The Central Oasis.

v

• 20/F-21/FTen Feet TallTwo floors and 8,000 sqft of pampering where technicians massage your feet and manicure your nails while you sip herbal tea and eat frozen yoghurt. A large function room is equipped with a sound system and projector for hen parties. Tel: 2971 1010, www.tenfeettall.com.hk.

• 18/FJangThis new upscale Korean restaurant keeps the barbecuing behind closed doors so you don’t leave smelling like a meaty grill. Tel: 2412 0002, www.jangrestaurant.com.

• 16/FCalifornia Fitness20,000 sqft of exercise goodness, including cardio, resistance and free weight equipment, a spinning studio and more to keep your bod beach-ready all year. Tel: 2522 5229, www.californiafitness.com.

• 10/FL’altroA gorgeous fine-dining restaurant that serves Italian food with a French flair. Tel: 2555 9100, www.laltro.hk.

• 5/FIR 1968This Leighton Road old-timer, which opened in 1968, recently moved to Central, serving contemporary Indonesian food in a chic environment. Tel: 2577 9981, www.ir1968.com.

• 2/FThe Salted Pig

The place for all things porky – homemade sausages, pork terrine and charcuterie

platter – best accompanied

by something stirred or

shaken from the cocktail menu.

Tel: 2870 2323.

• G/F-1/FLinguini FiniRustic and comfortable, this spacious Italian split-level bar and restaurant is a homey place for gatherings of friends and family. Order its famous pork dishes and homemade pasta. Tel: 2857 1333.

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great friend Julie Shah discovered her secret inner burlesque dancer. The stars were in alignment.

It’s important to make the perfect crowd, because the crowd makes the performer. We wanted to bring together our friends from Moustache, who are mostly fashion and art world people, but we think it’s crucial to have all the columns represented – media, finance, art. We take great pains to make sure it’s an interesting mix. It’s a combination that is rare even in New York, London or Paris.

We are restless people and would get bored doing the same party every month, so The Bearded Lady is like a time machine. Each party takes you to a different decade and city. We have travelled to Paris 1931, Rio 1943 and Manhattan 1981.

After we’d hosted a few nights at Salon No.10, we had to turn away friends at the door. We didn’t understand why more of our crowd didn’t make the venue their regular hangout – most nights it was empty. So we got talking with the owner, Ahlaiya,

interview

it really does feel like hanging out on board a very eccentric old ship.

The music at most bars in the city is so loud you can barely hear the person standing in front of you. Music is very important, but so is conversation. Hong Kong was missing a cabaret. We thought Salon No.10 was the perfect spot – it’s cosy and smoky, the guests are all very sophisticated but also like to get a little bit rowdy. The Bearded Lady was born.

The Bearded Lady is where we play and where we can get a little subversive. We can’t say it’s modelled on anything but our own fantasies. We’re trying to recreate the experience of whatever era we’re visiting – a 1930s Berlin cabaret or a 19th-century Paris brothel.

It is a themed party, but we don’t ask guests to come in fancy dress – just to dress fancy.

For the first party, our friend Stuart Palm, a fabulous magician, introduced us to singer GiGi and her fiancé, trombone player Danny DePoe. Our

O nce a month, on an otherwise humdrum evening, a blue moon

rises at Salon No.10 on Arbuthnot Road, drawing a glamorous crowd to Hong Kong’s hottest club night: The Bearded Lady. Its instigators, Alex Daye and Ellis Kreuger of funky menswear label Moustache, reveal all.

Our first impression of Salon No.10 was, what a great place for a party! It is one of the most magical interiors we have ever experienced. So much of what we do at Moustache is about creating experience (we changed our decor three times in three years), and we recognised a kindred spirit in Salon No.10. The vibe is very relaxed;

Alex daye and ellis Kreuger lift the veil on the Bearded lady, their hot club night. By Kawai Wong.

that lady?Who’s

The bearded ladiesEllis Kreuger (above left) and Alex Daye at the

weird and wonderful Salon No.10.

Be inspiredWeight Watchers® fits around your life,

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Meeting locations

YWCA McDonnell Road Mondays 12pm, 6pm & 8pm

Pok Fu Lam Kennedy School Mondays 4:30pm (when school is in session)

Repulse Bay/Happy Valley Hong Kong Cricket Club Thursdays (check website for time)

Visit www.weightwatchers.com.hk or call 2813 0814 for meeting details and current schedules.

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Try not to throw a Christmas party – just go to lots of them.

•

We’re generally against games, so none of those, please.

•

Outlaw random gift exchanges and secret Santas – they end up

in the rubbish.•

Dress up your dog. If little Waffles (the Moustache house

pet, a beer-drinking pug) wasn’tso darn hot, we’d have him in a

different jumper every day.•

Hire a piano player. •

Lots of Champagne and other festive, bubbly beverages.

•

Small food that doesn’t need to be eaten from a plate.

•

Don’t be tempted to use plastic or paper plates and glasses, it’s so

very unglamorous. Ifyou have only six wine glasses, invite six friends. Or hire more

glasses from a wine store. •

Get a real Christmas tree: they smell so good.

•

Nothing says welcome to the holidays like a velvet dinner jacket. You can dress it up ordown and you’ll always be the

smartest at the ball. Women too!•

If you don’t have a housekeeper, talk to someone who does – it pays to keep tidy throughout

the evening rather than dealing with a mess and a hangover the

next day.

How to throw a good

Christmas party

about morphing Salon No.10 into the kind of place we knew it could be.

We recently debuted the Sunday Lunch Series. Every other Sunday we visit a different culture, Bearded Lady-style. But instead of doing it through costume, we do it through food and film, working with some of Hong Kong’s finest chefs. Our first visit was to Lebanon with the fabulous Maria Bizri of Pomegranate Kitchen. We’re also introducing a more substantial daily food menu to make use of the awesome kitchen.

All aboard Salon No.10's

vintage ship-like decor sets the

tone for The Bearded Lady.


neWS

hong Kong eye? The Government is looking for a company to build and run an observation big wheel in front of Central Pier 9 and 10. Similar in style to the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer, the idea is that the wheel will be at least 50 metres in diameter and occupy about 10,000 sqm. The deadline for tenders is December 14.

Go Santa Rainbow! Hong Kong’s Santa Rainbow, Ho Wing-leung, took second place in last month’s annual Santa Winter Games at Gällivare, Sweden. The competition includes events such as porridge-eating, karaoke and reindeer-riding and attracts Santas from around the world. The top prize, and title Santa of the Year, went to the Netherlands’ Santa Holland for the second year running.

Paisano's Stanley MarketAre you ready for more Paisano’s? The pizzeria is about to conquer Stanley, where a new outlet will open in mid-January in the old Rocksalt location. The chain opened its first store in Sai Kung just three years ago and has already planted flags in Central, Wan Chai, Discovery Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui. More details at www.paisanos.com.hk.

news

fAShion guerillAS Young Hong Kong fashion designers are being offered a chance to show at next year’s spring/summer Paris Fashion Week. Fashion Guerilla-Paris is being run by Fashion Farm Foundation, a non-profit organisation that offers mentoring and financial support to local designers and will sponsor flights, exhibition costs and accommodation for eight to 10 young designers. To apply, send your portfolio to [email protected] before December 7. More details on FFF’s Facebook page.

hungry for ChiCKen?There’s a new grab-and-go deli in the hood. Run

by French natives Marie Ranc, Aurelien Malik Benbernou and Jerome Carlier, La Rotisserie offers

authentic French rotisserie chicken with all the trimmings. The house speciality, Le Tradition, uses

free-range chickens flown in from France and stuffed with secret recipe spices between the flesh and skin. G/F, Manhattan Avenue, 255 Queens Road Central,

Sheung Wan (entrance on Hillier Street).

re DeemIf you are looking for unusual gifts this Christmas, head to design-centric furniture boutique DEEM, where a selection of new glassware and jars has just arrived. Free Christmas wrapping service available. 252 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, 2540 2011, www.deemlimited.com.

New book on the blockJournalist, entrepreneur and foodie Stephen Vines has a new book on that thing we just can’t live without. Food Gurus ($240, Dymocks) is an amusing and insightful exploration of the extraordinary chefs, food

writers and scholars who have helped shape the ways society thinks about eating, from Catherine de Medici to Gordon Ramsay. The book is also available electronically by PodTribe.

Click and sip Veritas, an e-wine cellar specialising in Hungarian wines, now offers free delivery to homes and offices on Hong Kong Island. The offer is available with a minimum online purchase of $800, with deliveries every Tuesday and Thursday. For details, visit www.veritas-wine.com.

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Fashion Farm Foundation’s “5 Dun 5” exhibition in March.


local

I n mid-November a significant meeting took place between decision-makers and conservationists:

the Secretary for Development, Paul Chan Mo-po, met members of the Government Hill Concern Group (GHCG). For the past two years, GHCG has led a vigorous campaign to preserve the former Central Government Offices and the entire Government Hill site between Queen’s Road Central, Lower Albert Road and Garden Road.

In 2009, Donald Tsang’s administration announced plans under its “Conserving Central” policy to preserve the East and Main Wings of the former Central Government Offices for use by the Justice Department, demolish the West Wing, and sell a portion of land between the Cheung Kong Center and Ice House Street. This land would house a 32-storey office building, shopping centre and underground car park. Ice House Street would be widened and its historic walls and those of Battery Path demolished.

At the time, the Hong Kong Institute of Architects noted, “We are perplexed by the recent approach taken by the government to change one of the original eight ‘conservation initiatives’ [of ‘Conserving Central’] into a ‘redevelopment proposal’…”

Government Hill is historic. It has been the place of administration and military decision-making since 1842. Comprising government offices and military barracks (including a series of underground tunnels),

it was intentionally planned to include nearby Government House, St John’s Cathedral, the original St Paul’s School (now Bishop’s House opposite the Foreign Correspondents’ Club) and Hong Kong’s first public park, the Botanical Gardens.

Walk through the tree-lined greenery of Battery Path, past the entrance to the West Wing and the former French Mission, now the Court of Final Appeal, and pause in the quiet grounds of St John’s Cathedral and you will be struck by the intense sense of history and calm in the area.

After the second world war and the formation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, mainland refugees poured into Hong Kong, leading to an increase in the manpower required to run government services. An expansion of government offices began and the present East, Main and West Wings were completed from 1953 to 1959. These buildings were designed in a functional modernist style prevalent in pre-war Britain and influenced by the prevailing Bauhaus design style of “form following function”.

Government Hill’s three modernist buildings were designed as an integrated whole and were perfect for the site, allowing Government House unimpeded harbour views precisely bisected by Queen’s Pier. The buildings were the precursors for government offices, hospitals, public housing and residential quarters built throughout Hong Kong in the post-war years.

John Batten explains why the former Central government offices are worth saving.

The past’s perfect presence

John Batten is a writer, art critic, curator and advocate for hong kong's heritage. Find him at [email protected].

The West Wing, for example, uses an ingenious “climbing” design to ascend its steep hillside slope. Each of the three wings has an open and flexible floor-plan allowing great flexibility in uses and the façade of each building has minimal decoration, leaving the construction materials (predominantly granite and concrete rendering) and the building structure as the main expression of design rationale.

On Saturday, December 8, the GHCG will hold an orientation day for the public, starting at 2pm outside the West Wing. Those attending will each get an information booklet, map and orientation questionnaire to guide them around Government Hill and learn about its history. Entry is free and the day is suitable for all ages – just bring a pen. For details, visit www.governmenthill.org.

After the meeting with the development secretary, the prospects for keeping historic Government Hill intact look much better. Let’s hope this is the case – we have such little built heritage left in Hong Kong. See you on December 8.

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I f you’re looking for inspiration, take a stroll through Hong Kong’s

upmarket shopping malls where gift ideas throng the stores and eureka moments are 10 a penny.

Times Square (1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, www.timessquare.com.hk) is a godsend for small- to medium-sized presents. It may be awkward to navigate (a lot of escalators) but the nine-storey shopping mecca houses the fabulous Page One bookstore, gadget specialists, fashion boutiques including a large branch of Lane

Crawford, sportswear specialists and chocolatiers. Kids of all ages will love the Christmas Lego Village.

If your shopping list runs more towards a sparkler too big to fit in a purse or a suit tailored better than James Bond’s, head to The Landmark (Pedder Street, Central) or Pacific Place (88 Queensway, Admiralty, www.pacificplace.com.hk). Both malls are home to haute jewellers, world-renowned luxury brands and Britain’s trendiest luxury department store, Harvey Nichols. From Pacific

Place, cross the footbridge to Lab Concept in Queensway Plaza. Part of

the Lane Crawford Joyce Group, it stocks niche and high-end skincare and hipster apparel.

And for last-minute shopathons, head to IFC Mall (1 Finance Street, Central, www.ifc.com.hk), home to the world’s largest Apple store, or Elements (Kowloon Station, West Kowloon, www.elementshk.com). Both large malls are stacked with luxury fashion and beauty brands, and mid-range chains.

The Landmark The Central mall houses Harvey

Nichols and designer boutiques.

The mallslabels and chains

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Where to buy stuff for stockings.

favouriteshops

Santa’s

feature

Design-conscious shoppers should head to SoHo and NoHo for authentic contemporary gems. Hollywood Road, Staunton, Elgin and Peel streets are peppered with independent boutiques selling niche fashion, vintage products and art. Moustache (31 Aberdeen Street, moustachehongkong.com, see p.14) is a bespoke tailor that makes funky suits with Hong Kong’s sticky climate

in mind. British brand Timothy Oulton (15 Gough Street, www.timothyoulton.com) uses salvaged leather and wood to make hand-stitched bags and rustic furniture. And Homeless (29 Gough Street, homeless.hk) sells quirky homeware from bowler-hat lampshades to sheep-shaped sidetables.

At the Sheung Wan end of Hollywood Road, detour to Tung,

Sai and Tai Ping Shan streets, where more design-minded boutiques find refuge.

Behind its archtecture award-winning facade, Konzepp (55 Tung Street, konzepp.com) is a lifestyle shop packed with original products from lamps to jewellery. Just down the street, Signed-By (43 Tung Street, signedbydesigners.com) sells arty items for the body and home.

The epicentre of all that’s happening on the Southside has a great shopping arcade to boot. One Island South (www.oneislandsouth.com.hk) has fashion outlets from the likes of Miss Sixty, Vivienne Westwood, Aquascutum and Jean Paul Gaultier. Also look for childrenswear brand Apple & Pie and home decor specialist Wood Shop, which recently moved its salvaged-wood furniture from its old digs on Lockhart Road, Wan Chai.

Let’s go NoHoClockwise from top Timothy

Oulton sells salvaged-leather

goods; Opera Opera, a vintage

specialist on Gough Street; Green

Furniture and other boutiques on

Aberdeen Street.

One Island South Young fashion

SoHo & NoHoQuirky design


Wan Chaihip originals

feature

dec 1-2Hullett House Christmas MarketDrink mulled wine, eat smoked meat and buy handicrafts at this European Christmas market. Free entry, noon-9pm. Hullett House, 1881 Heritage, 2A Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.

dec 6The SpaceShop for local designer fashion and jewellery at a pop-up gift shop, 11am-8pm. 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan.

dec 9, 16Island East Farmers’ MarketFind homemade food, organic produce and handcrafted gifts at 40 outdoor stalls. Tong Chong Street,Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay.

dec 10 Conrad FairThe mother of all Christmas fairs – hampers, designer fashion, jewellery and skincare. Grand Ballroom, Conrad Hotel, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty.

dec 17American Club Holiday BazaarEvery Christmas essential imaginable. Members and guests only. 10am-6pm. 28 Tai Tam Road, Tai Tam.

dec 22-26Cyperport Weekend MarketStalls selling soaps, handicrafts and fashion, plus an outdoor cinema and fun workshops. Ocean View Court, The Arcade, Cyperport, Pok Fu Lam.

Fair gameAll the fun of the Christmas fairs.

Got a mind-boggling wish list? Head to Wan Chai. Begin your shopping trip near Ship Street at the colourful children’s store Jelly Bean (138 Queens Road East, www.jellybean.hk), where friendly staff can help create gift bags. Or head to children’s boho wonderland Petit Bazaar (80 Queens Road East, 2528 0229), filled with irresistible clothes, shoes and accessories. Nearby Mr Blacksmith (88 Queens Road East, Wan Chai, 2529 7721) is the place

to pick up an amusing toy or edgy light installation for a hard-to- please teenager.

Sweeten a deal with a macaron tree from Sift Cupcake or a chic bouquet from OVO florist, before whisking into St Francis Street for wineries and Mid-West dungeon WDSG Art & Department (9 St Francis Street, Wan Chai) for soaps and candles. Then head to Sau Wa Fong for pared-back Scandinavian tableware from Manks (36 Sau Wa

Island shopping Tung Chung and Ap Lei Chau

are homes to bargain outlets

and stores like Bumps to

Babes, which sells quality

toys (pictured right).

Sun Street Chen Mi Ji (left) and Kapok.

For some of the best deals in town, head to Citygate Outlets in Tung Chung or Horizon Plaza in Ap Lei Chau. Twenty minutes away on the Airport Express, Citygate Outlets has more than 80 fashion boutiques offering last season’s merchandise at discounts of up to 90 per cent. As bright and glossy as any Hong Kong mall, Citygate has outlets from upscale labels such as Alfred Dunhill, Max Mara, and department stores I.T and D-Mop. Horizon Plaza houses Joyce and Lane Crawford

discount outlets. It’s a 28-storey building stacked with stores selling furniture, toys, books and more. Look for

fans at Life’s a Breeze and chic toys at Bumps to Babes.

The outletsBudget cool

Fong, Wan Chai, 3796 0137) and sophisticated menswear from Club Monaco’s concept store (Shop 4B, 1-4 St. Francis Yard, Wan Chai 2527 7030).

The Star Street area encompasses neighbouring Sun and Moon streets, where Chen Mi Ji (4 Sun Street, 2549 8800) sells Mad Men-style memorabilia. Next door, Kapok stocks design-orientated products. Ready to drop? Revive with a cocktail at 1/5 Nuevo on Star Street.



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O ne of the most wonderful things about travelling in Italy is, of course, to take a passeggiata, an aimless wander

along the moonlit streets until your hungry belly demands a delicious fix. Now, you don't have to traverse half way across the globe to fulfil that delight of stumbling across a trattoria in a friendly neighborhood. The pleasure of indulging in home-style Italian cooking in a laissez-faire environment is now enjoyable in Sai Ying Pun at the newly established Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi.

Curated by Armando Osmani, the Ancona native behind the century-old Monteverdi Wines business, Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi is inspired by the culinary curiosity of the wine business' patrons. Keen to know what dishes to complement a particular wine, foodies can now follow Mr Osmani's tailor-made Italian culinary journey at the enviable location – a stone-throw away from the Sai Ying Pun escalators.

Armed with a repertoire of over 150 recipes from 20 Italian regions, Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi's menu is abuzz with ancient folk and country dishes cooked using the freshest seasonal ingredients

sourced both locally and abroad. The likes of blue mussels and sword fish come from the best possible suppliers overseas; whereas charcuteries, cheeses, olives, and special pasta arrive at Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi directly from Italy.

One of the star dishes of Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi is the Vincisgrassi – a lighter and more delicious take on the often cheese-douched lasagna. The Vincisgrassi's recipe dates back 250 years, rumoured to be an Austrian take on the classic meat-pasta layered dish. Cooked within 30km radius of the Senigallia commune on Italy's Adriatic coast, Vincisgrassi is now exclusively available in Hong Kong at Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi. The dish is very gentle on the palate, and features succulent pork mince sandwiched between a melt-in-the-mouth Béchamel sauce and lasagna pasta made daily on site. Don't forget to try the Gnudi – the homemade spinach and ricotta balls, and the twice cooked swordfish in tomato, pine nut capers and raisin sauce. These gorgeous dishes certainly helps foodies to maintain una bella figura!

Apart from the wines, Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi also hopes to introduce a number of traditional Italian mineral water, sodas and beers

Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi G/F, 6A High Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2559 0115

Italian culinary journey

Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi serving simple and delicious Italian food opens in Sai Ying Pun.

to help diners wash down the delicious primos, seconds and homemade Italian desserts.

Throughout December until Christmas Day, Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi will host your party of up to 22 people with a special dinner menu. Priced at $888 per person (excluding beverages), the nine-course dinner includes two appetizers (Tuscany's liver crostini and an all-Italian charcuterie selection), one soup (meat dumplings served in a beef and chicken broth), one after-soup course (stewed beef and chicken with vegetables), two primos (Vincisgrassi and tagliatelle with aged ham and peas), two secondos (roast castrated cockerel filled with aged ham and deep fried breaded lamb chops, pork loin and veal cutlets). But if it is a simpler dinner you are after, sample their petite menu served between Tuesday and Thursday priced at $398 per person (excluding drinks with a minimum spending of $7,000 on food). The trimmer menu offers liver crostini, dumplings, Vincisgrassi and stuffed cockerel. All Christmas menus conclude with the festive Panettone – the traditional Italian Christmas cake – as well as liquors and a complimentary coffee. To make the evening more special, Tombola – Italians' favourite bingo-like game – will be played throughout the evening with prizes to be won on the spot.

Booking is highly recommended for the Christmas dinner above. And if you can't wait until Christmas to get in the Italian festive mood, try Trattoria Caffe Monteverdi's Christmas Advent Lunch ($328 pp for a minimum of two) every weekend in the run up to Christmas. The four-course lunch includes an appetizer, a soup, a main and the quintessential Panettone.

Buon Natale!


Cracking venues for a Christmas party.

Talkingturkey

eating

The French Window 3101 Podium 3, IFC Mall, Central, 2393 3812, www.thefrenchwindow.hk.

It may be in a mall, but you’re missing out if you overlook this opulent gem – all high ceilings, rustic feature walls and moody candles. The restaurant seats up to 100 people (no private dining rooms). Christmas Day brings a festive version of its lazy Sunday brunch, where diners marinate themselves in unlimited Veuve Clicquot, seafood appetisers, salads, desserts and a main of choice. The big day brings extras such as Buches de Noel (the French version of a yule log) and mulled wine to keep things toasty (adults $798, children $399). Christmas dinner is a seven-course extravaganza that includes seafood trio tartare, pumpkin soup with shredded smoked duck and tarragon, torchon de foie gras and, the piece de resistance, turkey with chestnut stuffing, redcurrant gravy, winter vegetables and gratin dauphinois. The finale is Amaretto and almond souffle. Bon apetit.

From high above Fine dining at View 62


Feast (Food by East) 1/F, East Hotel, 29 Taikoo Shing Road, 3968 3968.

East Hotel’s rooftop bar, Sugar, offers a panoramic view of the Victoria Harbour from the 32nd floor, best suited to urbanites who prefer finger food to a sit-down slap-up dinner. But if you’d rather be seated, the all-day dining buffet restaurant Feast has chairs that caress and reflective walls to impress.

Executive chef Colin Gouldsbury is offering a semi-buffet brunch on Christmas Day and dinner menu on December 24 and 25. The brunch (adults $495, under-12s $275) starts at 11.30am and has a similar lineup to the dinner buffet (adults $595, children $295). Start by grazing the buffet’s generous selection of soups, charcuterie, cheeses and fresh seafood. Choose a main such as turkey, ham, haddock, beef bourguignon, chicken breast or a vegetarian roast, then over-do it on yule logs, mince pies and Christmas cake. Father Christmas will be there on both days with a sackful of toys for the children.

The News Room 33 Tong Chong Street, Quarry Bay, 2562 3444, www.pressroomgroup.com.

From The Press Room team, this modern bistro emanates casual elegance with its tiled walls and mismatched chairs. Start with an aperitif at the spacious bar before a heartwarming Christmas lunch or dinner, available until Dec 21. Lunch ($179) starts with pumpkin soup and vodka-cured salmon gravlax, followed by a main-course choice of turkey, salmon, steak or green pea risotto. For dessert, choose between winter-spiced bread-and-butter pudding or potted stilton. Dinner ($380) starts with crab and shrimp cocktail, leek and potato vichyssoise or cognac-marinated pate. Mains include wagyu beef cheeks, ravioli of crabmeat, and roasted mushrooms with homemade pasta. Book at least 48 hours in advance.

View 62 62/F, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, 2574 6262.

If you’re looking for a restaurant to impress, look no further. Perched 62 floors above Queens Road East, Hong Kong’s only revolving restaurant is all about the view. Sip cocktails at the spacious bar or indulge in Spanish molecular cuisine at the window tables – able to seat two to 18 people – as the city’s skyline spins slowly past.

On Christmas Eve, influential Spanish chef Paco Roncero presents the nouvelle dishes that earned him two Michelin stars back home. The 10-course meal starts with sangria and small snacks

such as black olive Oreo and foie gras gingerbread, followed by two tapas courses including slow-cooked salmon, and mains of sea bream and pigeon with truffle puree. The taste sensation ends with a –196 degrees chocolate coulant.

The restaurant’s more familiar dishes return for a Christmas Day brunch buffet, $880 including wine and champagne ($450 for children).

'Feast-ivity' Celebrate Christmas

at East Hotel's

Feast restaurant and

rooftop bar, Sugar.


eating

Strip House 5/F, Grand Progress Building, 15-16 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2521 8638, www.striphousehongkong.com.

Harlan Goldstein revisited his New York roots this year when he opened Strip House, a retro steakhouse that quickly gained a rep for its lava stone-grilled sirloins. Sultry jazz and nostalgic melodies by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra complement the black, silver and red period decor, while the many pin-ups on the wall evoke a Parisian burlesque house. The Christmas menu is distinctly carnivorous. Headlining the Christmas Eve dinner ($880) is a slow-cooked turkey served with celery and crabmeat-stuffed sweet potato, rivalled only by a dessert trio of chocolate log cake, plum pudding and cinnamon ice-cream. Christmas on a plate.

Blue Butcher 108 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, 2613 9286, www.bluebutcher.com.

If the address gives you a feeling of deja vu that may be because this venue once housed Republik and, before that, M1NT members’ club. Shake it off, because this is a top party spot. Groups of five or less can dine on leather banquettes in a dome-shaped alcove on the mezzanine floor that reminds us of a London Tube station. Bigger parties should head upstairs to the main dining area, where an oversized white marble table could comfortably seat an entire SME – 20 revellers can pull crackers simultaneously without knocking each other off the high leather stools.

Blue Butcher's Christmas menu is all about sharing. Start with favourites from the regular menu – fresh hamachi, wagyu carpaccio and the highly recommended bone marrow – then dive into huge sharing portions of charred French chicken or USA pork belly and cheek. If you’re really hungry, order the monster Canadian bone-in short rib ($1,380 for four-six people). Festive cocktails include the Gingerbread (gingerbread, spiced rum and vanilla vodka), Rumbullion (infused Ron Zacappa, star anise and orange skin) and Trader Vic’s eggnog (nutmeg, cognac and spiced rum). For those who insist on cooking Christmas dinner, get the Blue Butcher touch by ordering a pre-seasoned half ($690) or whole ($1,380) free-range turkey 72 hours in advance.


Coco Marett has a soft spot for all things delicious. Email [email protected].

Chuen Kee Seafood in Sai Kung is the best way to spend a Sunday night. Whole steamed fish, salt and pepper squid, mantis prawns with garlic, steamed crab over egg with rice wine, good company and a crisp, cold bottle of white. 53 Sai Kung Hoi Pong, Sai Kung, 2791 1195.

Les Fils a Maman is a cozy French restaurant started by a couple of brothers. Try their lunch specials and leave room for dessert – the Kinder

tiramisu contains a bar of Kinder chocolate. Nom nom! LG/F, 75 Hollywood Road, Central, 2871 0045, www.lesfilsamaman.hk.

A branch of the original shop in Ehime, Shugetsu has single-handedly upped Hong Kong’s ramen game. The noodles are made in store, without MSG. And the grilled kurobuta pork belly? Succulent, fragrant... Absolutely delicious. 5 Gough Street, Sheung Wan, 2850 6009.

Order the Oolong Tea Collins at Quinary. It’s vodka, homemade oolong tea cordial (say what?!) and soda. It’s good. 56-58 Hollywood Road, Central, 2851 3223, www.quinary.hk.

While we’re on cocktails, try a Miehana Twist at cute new tiki bar Honi Honi. 3/F, 52 Wellington Street, Central, 2353 0885, www.honihonibar.com.

Rumour has it Mesa 15 had got sloppy since it opened last year, but I believe in second chances so I gave it a go. While some dishes were mediocre, others were nothing short of fabulous. I recommend the gambas, seafood black rice and 24-hour slow-cooked suckling pig. 15 Hollywood Road, Central, 2530 1890.

Best Pizza in Hong Kong? 208 Duecentto Otto. 208 Hollywood Road, Central, 2549 0208, www.208.com.hk.

The Peak is notorious for bad food but Chinese restaurant Tien Yi is an exception – it serves amazing dim

the diShsum. It’s a little fancier than average but the menu is unpretentious and inexpensive. And it has a killer Peak view. Level 2, Peak Tower, The Peak, 2907 3888.

Try Domani’s Piedmont Christmas pudding (pictured). Divine. Level 4, Pacific Place One, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, 2111 1197.

The culinary conquests of a five-foot foodie.

Classified Classified is offering six different hampers, containing goodies such as mince pies, shortbread, gourmet olives, chutneys and, of course, its artisanal cheeses and wines. From $590 to $2,500. Various locations including 108 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, www.classifiedfood.com.

The Mandarin OrientalFor a really special Christmas gift, the limited-edition hamper ($16,588) is a monster of the genre. Among the many, many items it contains are Krug Vintage Champagne 2000, Château Canon 1998, caviar, foie gras, XO sauce, Cheddar, Chinese mushrooms and a Mandarin Oriental gift voucher. 1 Connaught Road Central, 2522 0111.

Grand Hyatt Go deluxe with The Grand Hyatt’s hampers. The Grand Celebration ($3,588) includes Champagne, Parma ham, salmon foie gras terrine, chocolates, mince pies and sweets. The Grand Occasion ($2,988) is a similar lineup, but with a bottle of Bordeaux instead of Champagne. 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, 2588 1234.

Christmas Hampers

Chez Patrick Chez Patrick is putting together gourmet hampers packed with its signature goodies such as homemade foie gras, jams, imported saucisson and champagne. The Taste of Chez Patrick is $750, the Alchemist wine box is $780, the Indulgence is $1,780 and the Cheese Lover is $1,280. 3 Star Street, Wan Chai, 2527 1408, www.chezpatrick.hk.


in my element

The 28-year-old founder of Hong Kong menswear label The Perfect Tangent has returned to his family business, Nuovo Collection, supplying designer furniture to homes in Hong Kong and Mainland China. In the process, he picked up Capital Weekly’s Rising CEO of the Year Award 2012.

I trained at the Fashion Institute of Technology in America, where Marc Jacobs is an alumni.

I have always loved design. Although when I was studying fashion, I often questioned whether it was the fashion, the art or the design that I enjoyed more. I still don’t have an answer. Maybe I love them all.

Cracking the fashion world can be challenging. It wasn’t finding the inspiration to ceaselessly come up with collections, but the production and manufacturing side that took the wind out of my sails.

For me, interior design is more multidimensional than fashion. Clothes concern only fabrics, buttons, zips and cuts. But with interior consulting projects I get to play with wood, glass, fabrics, wallpaper, lighting and so on.

My fashion label, The Perfect Tangent, got a lot of press from the likes of Wallpaper*, Men’s Folio, Time Out and fashion blogs; but the terrible economy in Europe and the US meant my fashion showroom in Milan had to drop a few labels. I had big brands such as Globe-Trotter and Y3 to go against. Unfortunately I didn’t have the same commercial machine they did...

This is the 25th anniversary of Nuovo Collection, the furniture company in Happy Valley is my parents’ other baby. I shied away from the business before, but now I realise I am the only son and it is my responsibility to help to rebrand it. Now is the time.

I don’t think of interior design as furniture plus a nice slick of paint. It

Staircase clockAn uncle gave me this on my 23rd

birthday. The clock is constructed on

Da Vinci's Golden Ratio – also the

philosophy behind my clothing line.

Menswear designer lee pak-man tells

Kawai Wong why he returned to his furniture roots.

House of the rising

son


Staunton chess set in pony skin

I love to think and talk about life

when I am playing chess.

is a lifestyle. I can’t just do a room, I often have to ask my clients what use they have for each room in order to come up with a furniture plan.

Some clients have huge homes. I have worked with homes of 40,000 sqft to 50,000 sqft.

I am very inspired by the book Italian Touch by Tod’s. It’s full of beautiful, bourgeois vintage images. Looking forward, I think the furnishing trend is going to be Japanese Zen juxtaposing Italian opulence. I have a lot of clients decorating their homes in that style.

Nuovo Collection, 69 Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley, 2895 0929, www.nuovocollection.com.

Chocolate makerI like making my own

chocolate drink – it

gives me happiness

and energy.

THE FEEDING HONG KONGFESTIVE FOOD DRIVE

Fill a bag and feed a family in need this Christmas

Find out more at feedinghk.org

This December, help us bring some extra Christmas cheer to those in need. Simply fill a shopping bag with groceries, drop if off at the FHK warehouse and we’ll make sure it gets delivered to the door of one of our 35 charity partners.

Get a head-start on your family's finances for the New Year and help a family in need! Our supporting partner iFS will make a HKD500 donation to our Xmas cam-paign on completion of a financial analysis with their team. No financial obligation is required. Email iFS at [email protected] and quote Feeding HK to book your appointment. Learn more at www.interfs.com.

Feeding Hong Kong, Unit 806, Block A1, Yau Tong Industrial City, 17-25 Ko Fai Road, Yau Tong, Kowloon

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motoring

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

W ith serious motor accidents in the headlines recently and the holiday season on us, it

seems a good time to highlight the importance of practicing good driving etiquette. All anyone wants is to get where they’re going, and enjoy the journey. So please remember that we all share these roads. Here are a few driving types to watch out for. The distracted driver Please don’t call, text, Facebook or use any part of your mobile handsets when you are driving. You are piloting a steel projectile weighing more than a tonne along tight roads with oncoming traffic. It scares and infuriates the rest of us when we see oncoming motorists driving between two lanes talking on the phone. Please stop.

The boy racerPlease remember public roads are not racetracks. While enthusiastic drivers feel capable of pushing their cars to their limits, only a handful of elite drivers possess both the skill and luck to correct cars once they lose control. Should you feel the need to push your car hard, consider getting track time at Zhuhai

Kevin Yeung makes a Christmas wish for courteous driving.

Sharethe road

International Circuit. Racetracks are great and, with no oncoming traffic, they are also much safer. Plus ZIC is only an hour by ferry from Hong Kong.

The inconsiderate ignoramusPlease say thanks (simple hand gesture) when people let you in. If someone is driving slowly ahead of you, please don’t tailgate them or, worse, honk repeatedly. Driving courteously creates a much better experience for everyone.

The cyclists’ scourgePlease maintain a safe distance between your car and the cyclist in front of you, and only pass when it is safe to do so. Please be respectful and remember that cyclists are more likely to be injured or killed in an accident. Cyclists are our family, friends, colleagues and neighbours so treat them as such.

Our biking brothersCyclists, please ride responsibly and allow cars to pass you safely by not riding two abreast. Make sure you ride with helmets and bright, reflective clothing at night.

The heavy smoker Please help keep our environment clean by reporting polluting vehicles to the Environmental Protection Department. We need to care about our community and it requires everyone working together. Cyclists, please help – you guys get stuck behind them too. Vehicles (including diesels) should not discharge huge clouds of black smoke, those that do need to be reported to the Mobile Source Group, Environmental Protection Department, Rm 3402, 34/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, 2838 3111.

I wish you all a happy holiday season and happy motoring and cycling. Let’s enjoy the roads safely together.

THE FEEDING HONG KONGFESTIVE FOOD DRIVE

Fill a bag and feed a family in need this Christmas

Find out more at feedinghk.org

This December, help us bring some extra Christmas cheer to those in need. Simply fill a shopping bag with groceries, drop if off at the FHK warehouse and we’ll make sure it gets delivered to the door of one of our 35 charity partners.

Get a head-start on your family's finances for the New Year and help a family in need! Our supporting partner iFS will make a HKD500 donation to our Xmas cam-paign on completion of a financial analysis with their team. No financial obligation is required. Email iFS at [email protected] and quote Feeding HK to book your appointment. Learn more at www.interfs.com.

Feeding Hong Kong, Unit 806, Block A1, Yau Tong Industrial City, 17-25 Ko Fai Road, Yau Tong, Kowloon

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day tripper

H igh on the northern slopes of Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong’s

tallest mountain, there is a wonderful botanical garden, wildlife reserve, organic farm, mature woodland and animal rescue centre. A trip to Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden is a great day out for anyone who loves nature, and children especially will benefit from the educational opportunity.

The terrain is steep in parts, but shuttle buses are available and many attractions are located near the entrance. Walking time is two to three hours.

From Tai Po Market MTR, take bus 64K through the rural Lam Tsuen valley, past the famous Wishing Tree.

Watch out for the Kadoorie Farm stop announced on the electronic panel inside the bus; it is near the highest point of the valley, before the road descends towards Shek Kong. The farm stretches up the hillside.

It was founded in the 1950s by Sir Horace and Lord Lawrence Kadoorie to develop new farming methods for the waves of immigrants arriving from China at that time. The Kadoorie brothers thought it was best to help small farmers help themselves by providing seeds, advice and interest-free loans. Later, as farming declined in Hong Kong, the farm focused on preserving the biodiversity of the region, evolving into a centre for conservation and education.

Reaping rewardspete Spurrier gets agricultural at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic garden.


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

Entrance is $10 per person. Buy a map for an extra $5, as it will help you plan your route around the vast grounds. There is too much to see in one visit, but here’s one itinerary that makes use of the free shuttle bus service to the higher reaches of the park.Line up at reception to collect your bus tickets at 9.30am for morning departures, or 1pm for afternoons. There are more trips on Sundays. The bus makes its first stop at the Fern Walk, halfway up the hill, for ten minutes for you to look around. After further stops at the Orchid Sanctuary and the Kadoorie Brothers Memorial Pavilion – which has a moon gate and views far and wide – it takes you to the summit of Kwun Yam Shan, a pointy peak at the upper limit of the gardens. A statue of Kwun Yam, the goddess of compassion, stands near an ancient shrine. From this vantage point, there are amazing views down the orchard and vegetable terraces into the sheltered valley, over to far-off Yuen Long, and across the grassy uplands to Tai Mo Shan.

Tell the bus guide you’ll make your own way from here, and follow the track downhill to the Post Office Pillars – relics of the old General Post Office that was demolished in 1976 – and across to the Butterfly Garden. A woodland trail leads down to the beautifully landscaped middle section of the farm, which contains an owl sanctuary, insect house, fruit forest, wildlife pond, amphibian and

reptile house, pigsties and wild boar enclosure. Black kites, flamingoes and barking deer are also resident. See what you can before it shuts at 5pm.

A farm shop sells organic foods, plants and books and has an exhibition of old photos. And near the reception is a great open-air vegetarian cafe that serves food until 4.30pm. After you have filled up, cross the road and catch the 64K back to Tai Po.

A bird's eye view of Kadoorie Farm.


fitness

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].

Trimwith all the trimmingshow to stay fit and have fun during the holidays. By louis doctrove.

T his is the time of year when people give up exercising

and turn all their attention to the fork. Trying to lose weight over the Christmas period isn’t a sensible goal. Realistically, what you should be considering is damage limitation: how to have a fantastic Christmas and emerge from the indulgence in one fit(ish) piece. Here are ways to maintain your fitness without feeling like you are on a holiday bootcamp. Exercise in the morningThis is never more important than in the holiday period. Completing your workout in the morning gets it out of the way and allows you to enjoy the rest of your day. Leave training until the evening and you are more likely to come up with excuses to put it off. Push-ups, crunches and squatsThese are three of the best exercises for maintaining fitness. Start the day by doing push-ups and squats to failure (until you can’t do anymore), followed by three sets of 20 crunches

for abs. Keep a mental note of how many push-ups and squats you knock out, and try to beat it by three to five repetitions the next day. Indulge in moderation Indulge occasionally, but limit your portions. Too many of us think: "Oh, it’s the holidays, so I will eat as many treats as possible." Enjoy yourself, but try not to allow Christmas or the New Year to ruin your hard-earned results. Never party on an empty stomachWhen you are hungry you tend to eat faster and more. Pig out on something healthy before an event and don’t gorge on the buffet. Stay active every dayWalking or skipping rope may not be part of your regular workout, but try to leave home or the office and flex your muscles for at least 30 minutes a day. As hard as it can be to workout over the holiday, it’s going to be twice as hard to lose any weight you gain.

Return to regular training earlyPlan to start back on your regular regimen by January 3 at the latest. Any later and you are likely to keep pushing it back to the end of January, when it will take twice as long to get back to the level you were at.

Last word... After the holidays, begin training at a slower pace and reduced frequency for the first week to avoid overtraining and potential injury. Interval training is a great way to get back in the swing. It burns more calories and helps to increase the body’s ability to use fat as fuel. In other words, you burn calories even when you are resting. To do this, sprint on the treadmill or spin on the bike for two to three minutes, working at about 70 per cent to 80 per cent of your capacity. Rest for 90 seconds and repeat the cycle for a total of 10 rotations. It’s tough work, but the results are tremendous.

realistically, what you should be considering is

damage limitation: emerging from the indulgence in one

fit(ish) piece.


fashion

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.

I t’s that time of year again, party invitations are flooding in and you’re looking for the perfect

dress for the office party, drinks with friends and, the biggest event of them all, New Year’s Eve.

Sass & Bide is my go-to brand for the must-have dress that instantly makes you feel sexy and confident. The Australian brand’s autumn/winter 2012 pieces are embellished with sequins and come in flowing draperies, making great fashion statements. Sass & Bide’s bold pieces have been triumphed by celebrities such as

Beyoncé and Nicole Scherzinger, so think hot party styles.

One of the most important aims of your killer holiday dress is to bring brightness to wintry evenings. No.21 by Alessandro Dell'Acqua is another winner for

ensuring sophistication. With the Neapolitan’s sequin-dipped pieces, concertina pleating and merging of nude and lace, you are sure to look the belle of the ball.

A special event provides an excellent bona fide excuse to buy something new. A well-structured and beautiful dress doesn’t need much help, but winning touches come from a pair of hot shoes and the right jewellery.

This holiday season, make sure you eat, drink,

party and dance the night away in

the perfect dress. Check

out stores such as the fashion-forward Lane

Crawford, on-trend I.T, as well as Harvey Nichols and Swank. And don’t forget the little independent, Liger, in Causeway Bay.

And to keep your festive party look tongue-in-cheek, head

to Pottinger Street or Central’s Lanes to pick up some reindeer ears, a

Santa hat or an elf tie. Merry Christmas!

Amiee Squires-Wills reveals how to pick a killer party dress.

Fashion Santa-ments

Clueless about dressing your toddler? Check

out Peekabox’s monthly baby clothes home-delivery service, starting

from $298 a box, which includes three or four hand-picked items.

For details, visit www.peekabox.hk.

oh BABY!

Sascha: Do the crazy clash. Mash-up stripes and spots with this season’s must-have statement T-shirts by Kids Acne, Ray-Ban sunglasses and silver glitter boots from SEED. This little girl is one to watch: she’s a trendsetter in the making.

Krishanaa: This season's must-have. Treat yourself to the latest jackets. Super

cool styles in leopard print or fringing, they

come in all sizes.

Above Nicole Scherzinger and

Beyonce in Sass & Bide.

Mini me

Calum: Monkey pack. All streetwear style should include an adorable monkey backpack. Wear yours with a Paul Frank T-shirt. And parents, get your cool-kids kicks on – from Converse to Superga, there’s nothing cuter than matching kicks.


B ringing a touch of Thailand to Tseung Kwan O are the

six standalone treatment villas of the spanking new branch of Sense of Touch day spa. Be pampered alfresco, or round up the girlfriends for mani-pedis in the communal lounge with a floor-to-ceiling view of the outdoor patio.

Located off a walkway that runs from the patio, the resort-style villas are decked out like Thai salas, all soothing tropical ambience and tranquillity, with en-suite showers and, in the couple’s room, even a steamroom and a bath built for two.

The sixth branch opened on the brand’s 10th anniversary in a whopping 6,500 sqft location in the new Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Kowloon East, near the Junk Bay waterfront. While the interior creates a relaxing ambience, it is the quality of the treatments that will keep you coming back. Since the first Sense of Touch spa opened on Hollywood Road in 2002, the chain has won about 20 awards, competing with spas from all over Asia.

Every Sense of Touch branch has its own signature treatments. The Tseung Kwan O spa’s Signature Rituals series is inspired by the romantic ambience of Bali. Secrets of the Orient (from $1,380 for 90 minutes or more) is designed to invigorate the body. The therapist starts with dry-brushing, then follows with a scrub using argan oil. The treatment ends with a 60- to 90-minute deep-rolling sand massage that boosts the immune system and energy levels.

Or take a partner and indulge in Two Tropical Bliss ($3,350 for two). This 150-minute treatment starts with a milk and oat bath, followed by a detox steam bath enriched with ginger, spices and lavender. The treatment culminates in a sensual aromatherapy massage.

health & beauty

Kawai Wong checks out Sense of touch’s new thai-style treatment villas.

Day trip tosparadise


Clockwise from opposite The standalone

spa villas; the pedicure

lounge; Bali-inspired spa

ingredients; couple's

treatment room.

3/F, Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Kowloon East, 3 Tong Tak Street, Tseung Kwan O, 3983 0406.


Krabi, Thailand Krabi has all the best bits of Phuket, without the crowds. We’re talking jungle-clad limestone islands rising vertically from a turquoise sea, long white beaches and island-hopping on longtail boats. On the mainland, go for hippie chic on Railay Beach – accessible only by boat and popular with climbers – or five-star luxe at Tupkaek (Sheraton and Ritz-Carlton both have properties on this long, shallow beach). Or head offshore to the region’s gorgeous islands. Ko Lanta is being promoted as the new Ko Phi Phi. It’s perfect for laidback

loafing about, with more than enough beach to go around even in peak season. Try the Pimalai Resort and Spa (www.pimalai.com), for the full blissed-out experience. Live out your desert-island fantasies on Ko Ngai, where you can stay in a simple resort on the beach. And day-trip to Ko Muk’s Emerald Cave, the star of a Thai tourist campaign. An 80-metre swim through a pitch-black cave brings you out into a secret lagoon with its own strip of sand surrounded by cliffs in the middle of the island. The Beach, anyone? For details, visit www.yourkrabi.com.

travel

Short but sweetenjoy a real holiday this Christmas. By timmy lee.

Yangon, MyanmarIf it’s good enough for Barack Obama... With Aung San Suu Kyi now free, and even the US Pres popping into town (if only for six hours last month), Myanmar is no longer the pariah state of Southeast Asia. Which means it’s legitimately back on the tourist trail. Get there

before the banana-pancake-eating backpacking hordes overrun the place. Capital Yangon is all decaying colonial splendour, centred on Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most revered in Asia and said to have a 2,500-year heritage. Stay in style at the Governor’s Residence, or the historic Traders Hotel. From there, drive five (bumpy) hours south to Ngwe Saung

Beach, a stunning nine-mile stretch of sand, and chill at the Bay of Bengal Resort (www.bayofbengalresort.com). Or get cultural and fly up-country to astonishing Bagan on the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River, where the plain is covered with 2,000 brick-built stupas, wats and temples. It’s an incredible sight, particularly from an early morning hot-air balloon.

Clockwise from top Sunrise at Angkor

Wat; Ko Lanta, Thailand;

the stupas and wats at Bagan, Myanmar.


developed in the 1920s at the height of the British colonial era. Its main attraction is still its cool climate, perfect for growing tea – try a brew of Boh, Sungal Palas or Cameron Valley Tea. But interspersed with the plantations are 9,000 acres of rainforest offering some amazing hiking. Walk to aboriginal villages, the divine Parit and Robinson waterfalls or climb the lush mountain

peaks for bravura views. Then treat yourself to a round of golf and seasonal slap-up roast dinner at the famous Smokehouse hotel (www.thesmokehouse.com.my) or afternoon tea at Foster’s Lakehouse (www.lakehouse-cameron.com), which also boasts a pub with a selection of Scotch whiskies. Afterwards, you can sleep it off in an antique four-poster bed in front of a log fire.

Above Hiking and tea plantations

in the Cameron Highlands.

Further upriver is Mandalay, the cultural heart of the country, where the bicycle is still the favoured mode of transportation. If you have the time (and the moolah), consider travelling on the Orient-Express river cruiser, Road to Mandalay (www.orient-express.com), which departs Mandalay on December 26 for a seven-night cruise to Bagan.

Siem ReapCambodia’s tourist hub is a charming riverside town, with a buzzing bar and restaurant scene, interesting markets, gracious avenues and an Old Quarter of Chinese- and colonial-style buildings. But you’ll be there for the archaeological treasures that lie a few minutes’ drive away: the “lost” temples of Angkor. Rediscovered in the jungle in the early 1900s, Angkor Wat, Bayon and Preah Khan are among the world’s most majestic and romantic structures, particularly at sunset with someone you love. You won’t be alone, however. For that, explore the area’s 100 or so less well-known monuments for the full Lara

Croft experience – giant trees rising from 12th-century temples, beautiful bas-relief carvings, secret passageways and tranquil ponds.

Had enough temples? Visit the floating village on nearby Tonle Sap lake – or even hire a speedboat for a blow-your-hair-back journey all the way to Phnom Penh. Or trek into the hills to see the carved stream bed of the Thousand Lingas River. After dark, sip a cocktail in the French-colonial bar of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (www.fcccambodia.com) or dine under a bodhi tree on the seven-course Khmer tasting menu at Meric in the hip Hotel de la Paix (www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com).

Cameron HighlandsHomesick Brits can get a taste of the home counties Asia-style in Malaysia’s hill stations, thanks to mock-Tudor hotels with roaring fires, teashops and even red post boxes. Three hours from Kuala Lumpur, and 60 kilometres up scary switchback roads from the equatorial heat, the area was


family

S anta Claus, Father Christmas, Pere Noel, Sing Dan Lo Yen... call him what you will,

his is the name on children’s lips this month. A combination of the historic (St Nicholas was a fourth-century Turkish bishop), the mythic (that flying sleigh) and the commercial (Coca-Cola designed the red suit), today’s Santa is more popular than ever, inspiring legions of impersonators in shopping mall grottoes across the globe. Many of them are trained at the Santa School in Calgary, Canada. And three will be travelling to Hong Kong this year.

Santa Claus is coming to town. Here’s where to find him:

Pacific Place, AdmiraltyAfternoons and evenings, Dec 6-11, 13-25

Festival Walk, Kowloon TongDec 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 21-26 Find him in the grotto on LG2

Dymocks bookstoresDec 8-9, 15-16Afternoons 1pm-3pm & 4pm-6pmDetails at www.dymocks.com.hk/christmas

ViSiting SAntA

Can anyone become a Santa?Anyone can try to be Santa, anyone can want to be Santa, but not anyone can be Santa. All Santas are not created equally. In our training, I take a good-looking Santa and make him great looking. Then I take his natural ability and make it supernatural. We take a Santa visit and turn it into magic.

How do you become a certified Santa? Becoming Santa is a process. It starts with the right heart and takes research, observation, practice and more practice. It also takes the right look, having the right expressions, finding the right outfit and accessories, and then finding an inner Santa voice and learning how to make it genuine to listeners. My Santas need certification: we put them through rigorous training to see if they'll pass to the most stringent judges... children. I also require Santa to have a real beard that is professionally cared for.

What do Santas learn? That not all children come from the same background, and that can be a sad reality. But our Santas can take solace in knowing that, for the moment the child spends with Santa, he or she is special and not alone.

Any rules for sitting on Santa’s lap? We teach our Santas that both hands are to be visible at all times. I also require the Santas to have current police checks, because they are working with children.

How do Santas deal with difficult children? Children are rarely difficult, sometimes the parents can be. Some parents want to force a Santa visit at all costs. Some children are timid and the parents should respect their wishes and accept that the child is photographed beside Santa or sitting on the parent who is sitting on Santa.

Best thing about being a Santa? It is a privilege to be involved in children's lives. Many photos taken with Santa will endure in family albums for decades. It is our goal to provide the very best-looking Santas combined with the very best Santa feeling so that when the child looks back on their experience, they will remember that great feeling. Santas keep the spirit of Christmas alive, reaching out to children, assuring them that the magic of Christmas is very real. They encapsulate the spirit and joy of Christmas.

it takes a big heart and a real beard to be a shopping mall Santa, says the Santa School’s head elf, Jennifer Andrews. By Joshua Kindler.

Becoming

Above Whispering wishes to one of the Santa

School's trained Father Christmases.

Santa

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with Carolynne DearFoUR KidS & A liFe

A ccording to the latest research, as a busy wife and mother I should no longer

be “juggling” my life, or even working towards a “work-life balance”. Instead, I should be “merge managing”.

It may sound like a hiccup with the laundry – like when your clothes go into the washing machine white and come out merged into elephant grey – but apparently it’s how women should now be dealing with life’s various demands.

“Experts” have deemed work-life balance all but impossible to achieve in reality, so “merging” different facets of your life to achieve a degree of domestic harmony is the new thing.

The work-life-balanced noughties yummy mummy, in her stylishly minimalist home, children playing happily on the sisal carpet with gorgeous wooden educational toys while she whisks up something wholesome in her Cath Kidston pinny, is passé these days. Thank

goodness. I used to believe those magazine features showing a celebrity mother reclining on her snowy white couch in a cocktail dress (at lunch-time), discussing her plans for a perfect family Christmas, with not a scuffed toy or snotty security blanket in sight.

Am I the only mother alive with felt-pen ink on my bedroom walls, lollies stuck to the sofa cushions and permanent finger smears over the bi-fold doors? (And, yes, we already tidy the lounge several times a day.)

My mother, who is visiting, has no truck with merge managing – she believes it’s just multi-tasking, which women have been doing for millennia. In her day, she says she could feed a baby, load a washing machine and knit a jumper

at the same time – and still have a hot meal on the table when her husband came home from work. She never greeted Dad with the words, “Sorry babe, we ate at the club – I think there might be some baked beans in the fridge.”

My clever friends have come up with a merge-managing social event: “fookie club”, a cross between book club, a girls’ night out and reflexology, involving discussing a novel over a glass of wine in a foot massage parlour. After all, who has the time to do all those things separately at this time of year?

I’ve enjoyed some success merge-managing the children. The five-year-old is practising her reading on the three-year-old, who likes a story before bedtime. Which means I have much more time for... oh God, times-tables practice with the 10-year-old. Maybe not such a clever merge-management tactic.

But here’s one that does work: If I stop at the Captain’s Bar, I can merge-manage a glass of wine with placing an order for a Mandarin Oriental pre-cooked turkey, ensuring a very merry (and managed) Christmas.

Merge management

experts have deemed work- life balance all but impossible

to achieve in reality.

“


education

E very autumn, secondary-school students around the world

expend emotional and intellectual energy preparing US college applications, hoping to gain admission to a university they believe will direct them towards a successful future.

Their to-do lists are long and formidable: researching dozens of universities, taking standardized tests – often multiple tests, multiple times – obtaining a school transcript (report) and teacher and counsellor recommendations, writing essays, not to mention interview preparation.

All this just to apply for a chance at admission. Financial aid requires its own set of paperwork. And after all the work and worry, the odds of admission are often statistically formidable.

These harsh realities can be difficult for students to understand and accept. Students see their futures as reliant on getting into a top-ranked school, and they – and their parents – can work themselves into a frenzy over the process. It can help to develop an understanding of the other side of the college-application world: the admissions office and its officers.

How a US admission office works US college admissions offices are responsible for assembling their universities’ communities by identifying and attracting students who are a good “fit”. If Harvard wanted to fill its classes with top-scoring students, it could. But it does not. Princeton and Yale do not. No top school looks solely at standardized tests or at any one part of the application. Instead they focus on holistic evaluation: looking at each application in its entirety and

constructing a diverse class of students that will best fit the university’s unique society, at once contributing to it and reaping the benefits of it. The offices operate on a seasonal schedule.

Autumn: Admissions officers are each responsible for a geographic region and they travel extensively within that region to build connections with secondary schools. The goal is to attract a high number of qualified applicants to their universities.

Winter: Admissions officers evaluate applications from their region and identify qualified applicants who

College counsellor Christopher Young explains the world of US university admissions officers.

Admission USA


fit their schools, and, crucially, support and promote those applicants. They present chosen applications to a committee that considers the overall application pool in making final admissions offers.

Spring: Applicants are notified of admissions decisions – whether they have been admitted, not admitted, or wait-listed – and admissions officers encourage them to accept the university’s offer.

Summer: Officers prepare for the next application cycle.

How to play the admissions game US university admissions officers meet a lot of people from a lot of schools, and they read and evaluate a lot of applications from students with similar academic credentials. So make

yours positively memorable. If you do not build an application that adds to those credentials – that makes you stand out in a positive way among the hundreds, possibly thousands, of

other applicants – then yours will be rejected.

Consider how your test scores, academic report, extracurricular activities, teacher recommendations, and personal statement and supplementary essays work together to paint a holistic picture of the person you are today. Do not allow yourself to be a set of data (test scores and grades). Make yourself human and make yourself stand out.

For example, when I applied to US colleges, I

had an academic record demonstrating high test scores and success with challenging curricula. However, I knew those factors alone would not get me into top schools. To humanize

my data, I used my personal statement to write about my difficult home life, and I made sure my recommenders knew me well enough to know about my challenges outside school. This personal information illustrated that I had worked hard to overcome those challenges and become a top student. This provided context for my “data” and, I believe, made me a more competitive candidate.

Your admissions officer has to want to fight for you. This often surprises students. If admissions officers choose your application, they are going to defend your candidacy. They are going to tell their admissions committees to admit you and, in most cases, the committees will.

Different countries have different university admissions’ criteria, so please check with your secondary school advisers.


Dr. Cynthia Smillie (BVm&s PG dip caBc mRcVs) is a veterinary behaviourist and deals solely with behaviour problems in companion animals. For appointments please call 9618 2475 or visit www.petbehaviourhk.com.

pets

I n the hectic run up to Christmas, spare a thought for your pets. While we’re busy wrapping presents, trimming

the tree and worrying about the turkey, it is easy to overlook the mischief a curious or bored pet can get up to in a house filled with novel items. Emergency vet visits for dogs and cats rise during the holidays, mostly related to the ingestion of foreign objects or poisonous substances.

Most people know chocolate is dangerous for dogs (and cats), especially the darker varieties containing more of the toxic substance theobromine. But while you may know this, your dog doesn’t. Given the opportunity, the family Labrador is likely to devour a whole box of chocs, including the wrappers. Grapes and raisins also pose a threat, so keep leftover Christmas puddings and mince pies away from the dog. Other things to be

careful of include alcoholic drinks, and sweets and baked goods containing the artificial sweetener Xylitol.

Before decking the halls, be aware that holly, mistletoe, poinsettias and pine needles can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in animals. Lilies are particularly deadly to cats and can cause liver failure even in very small quantities. Christmas trees, both real and artificial, are often treated with flame retardant or other toxic chemicals. Place a barrier around the tree to prevent your pet drinking the tree water, which can contain fertilizer or pesticide.

Cats are irresistibly drawn to climbing the Christmas tree, which can tip over and cause injury. And both dogs and cats are tempted by tinsel, ribbons and other decorations that can cause intestinal blockages if ingested.

If you’re planning to buy Fido or Fluffy a present ensure it’s safe. Avoid small toys that can be ingested and choose nutritious, high-quality food treats. We’re not the only ones who gain weight at Christmas.

Pets may also be stressed by changes in routine, diet and environment, such as the arrival of trees and decorations, more visitors and long-term guests. Even worse is missing out on all the fun when the family goes off to Phuket. Owners should be aware that there may be changes in appetite or behaviour. Try to maintain as normal a schedule as possible in terms of feeding and exercise times, and ensure your pet has a quiet place to retire to away from the attention of guests and other activities that may be frightening to pets.

Lastly, of course, Christmas is never a good time to acquire a new pet as everyone is far too busy to give it the attention it needs to settle in happily.

Have a wonderful Christmas but do take precautions to keep your pet safe. After all no-one wants a trip to A&E just as they were planning to serve the Christmas turkey.

Furry Christmas the holiday season holds hidden perils for pets, says Cynthia Smillie.

given the opportunity, the family labrador is

likely to devour a whole box of chocs.

“”


tech

Daniel Cheng (front left),

entrepreneur and engineer

of Hong Kong Best App

winner FindDoc.

What is Purpella, and how did you come up the idea?The idea came to me in 2007 while studying at Stanford. There’s so much information online, but there’s still a disconnect between the digital and real life. So, I thought, why not create an app that connects people to the real-life events they love, a jazz concert, art gallery or a midnight movie, anything that interests them? Purpella.

Did you start building Purpella immediately?Sadly, no. When I graduated, I had a few good job offers, but decided to return to Hong Kong to become an entrepreneur and pursue this dream. It was a tough decision. But I eventually co-founded Startups HK for budding entrepreneurs, and built the FindDoc app. My big break came in 2011, when I was finally able to start on Purpella.

How has it been so far?Our development has been relentless, but it's been great. In addition to winning Hong Kong's Best App for FindDoc, we recently became the first team from Hong Kong to win a design award in New York, which is the world's most competitive media market. To say I was happy is an understatement.

What do you enjoy most?I enjoy how humbling an experience this has been. I’m just me, but I’m working with people who own patents on some really amazing medical and finance technologies, or have made apps that have seen more than 100 million downloads. I love building with them, and learning from them. We have a collaborative work culture that is really great. That they were willing to work to produce my idea is really exciting. And humbling.

Why did you decide to return to Hong Kong in the first place?I was first educated in Hong Kong, and I believe in the quality of talent in Hong Kong. There are so many qualified engineers and scientists, but so few startups. That talent is underutilised.

What challenges have you faced in developing Purpella?Innovation requires investment, and one big problem has been convincing people to invest in brains versus bricks. Investors in Hong Kong are most comfortable investing in tangible assets, like real estate. Investing in technology is still a foreign concept here. It was also tricky in the beginning to attract what would become my team, because they saw me as a graduate with little experience. The global financial crisis didn’t help.

What’s the plan moving forward?We're preparing for a big 2013. We’ve filed a couple of patents and begun serious fundraising efforts. Most importantly, we launch early next year. Long term, I want to do my part to create an innovation engine in Hong Kong so that others with dreams can have an easier time than I did in giving them life.

What’s up with the name Purpella?The name Purpella is derived from the colour purple. It’s a really neutral colour that has no socially ascribed meaning, unlike red or pink or green. From this point of neutrality, it is my hope that Purpella can empower people to find productive and positive things to do with one another in their communities. To find out more, email [email protected].

daniel Cheng, entrepreneur and engineer of Finddoc, on hong Kong’s startup culture and his new app, purpella.

Brains versus bricksi want to do my part to create an innovation

engine in hong Kong so that others with dreams can have an easier time.

“”


to advertise, email: [email protected]

marketplace

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Aside from the feral pigeon, the spotted dove is the most familiar of the five members of the Columbidae family that regularly occur in Hong Kong. It is one of the commonest birds in the urban areas and can be found even in the heart of the city where trees are present.

Because it is so common, bird watchers often dismiss is as “just another spotted dove” and pay it little heed, which is a shame because it is rather beautiful. Particularly striking are the black-and-white patterned neck patches and the vinaceous pink underparts, which flush when birds are courting.

The species breeds all year, with the male indulging in a distinctive courtship display in which it flies upwards at a steep angle and then descends more gently on extended wings. The nest is a flimsy structure made of twigs usually placed low in a tree, but can be up to eight metres above ground. Two white eggs are usually laid and incubated for about a fortnight. The nestlings fledge after a further two weeks.

The spotted dove is resident from Pakistan through Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Borneo and the Philippines, and through central and eastern China to the Bohai Gulf. It has also been introduced to Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

}BiRd At MY WindoW

David Diskin is the author of hong kong nature walks: The new Territories. Visit www.hknaturewalks.com or accipiterpress.com for more information.

with David Diskin

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Habitat Property limited2869 9069 | [email protected]

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TOYs, aCCessORies & Kids’ PaRTiesflORisTs

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Mid-levels

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Villa Clare

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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.

sOHO

Centre Point

Dawning Height

Grandview Garden

Treasure View – Soho

Tai Hang

Carnation Court

The Elegance

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Serenade

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sheung Wan

CentreStage

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Beverly Hills

Broadview Mansion

Broadview Villa

Broadwood Park

Broadwood Twelve

Evergreen Villa

High Cliff

the leighton hill

Leon Court

Nicholson Tower

Pioneer Court

San Francisco Towers

The Summit

Valley View Terrace

Ventris Place

Villa Monte Rosa

Tin Hau

Dragon Court

Dragon Heart Court

Dragon Peak

Dragon View

Park Towers

Shing Loong Court

Trillion Court

Jardine’s lookout

Butler Tower

Cavendish Heights

The Colonnade

the legend

Monterey Court

Ronsdale Garden

Swiss Towers

ResidentiAlPalatial Crest

Park Mansions

Park Rise

Po Garden

Regence Royale

Right Mansion

Robinson Heights

Robinson Place

31 Robinson Road

Roc Ye Court

Scenecliff

Scholastic Garden

Seymour

tregunter tower

Valiant Park

Vantage Park

Wisdom Court

Wise Mansion

Woodland Garden

Mid-levels

The Albany

The Babington

Branksome Grande

Century Tower I

Chung Tak Mansion

Dynasty Court Towers

Elegant Garden

Fairlane Tower

Fairview Height

First Mansion

Greenview Gardens

Hillsborough Court

Hoover Court

Kennedy Heights

Lyttelton Garden

Macdonnell 2 Road

the Mayfair

Macdonnell House

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.


151 and 163 Serviced ApartmentsButterfly on HollywoodButterfly on Wellington

COMO COMO Causeway BayCOMO COMO Hollywood

D’ Home 239 Queen’s Road EastEaton HouseThe Ellipsis

Fraser Suites Hong KongGardenEast

Hanlun Habitats – Lily Court I & IIHanlun Habitats – Orchid

KAZA @ WanchaiKnight on WyndhamThe Mood @ LKF

Ovolo, Arbuthnot Road CentralOvolo, High Street

Ovolo, Hollywood RoadOvolo, Queen’s Road Central

Pacific PalisadesThe Putman

Shalom Queen’s Road EastShalom SOHO

Shama Fortress HillSoho 69

V Wanchai Serviced ApartmentsYin Serviced Apartments

seRviced APARtments RestAuRAnts

Crowne Plaza Hong KongHarbour Grand Hong Kong

HOtels

Fitness FirstSense of Touch

Toni & Guy

HeAltH, BeAuty, Fitness

The Foreign Correspondents’ ClubThe Hong Kong Cricket Club

Chinese Recreation Club

cluBs

Agnes b.’s Librairie GalerieDymocks

II Bel PaesePacific Gourmet

stORes

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Barista Jam

Brat

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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

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.



Oh snap

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

our visions of the city.

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

Slow. Down.

Just tripping through

the concrete jungle.

Any given Monday.

East meets west: qing hua ci meets a rack of beef at Blue Butcher.

Dim sum is hoi sum (happy).

A tropical reminder.

Documents

Hong Kong Island Magazine December 2012