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JUST 800 KILOMETRES OFF RUSSIA’S southeastern coast, Hokkaido is Japan’s second largest island. Fly into Sapporo, the capital, and wrap up warm as temperatures can drop to -6°C. There’s plenty to see and do before you hit the slopes – take a stroll through Oduri Park, and tour Sapporo Beer Museum to sample some local brews. THE CHARMING PORT CITY of Otaru is known for its beautifully preserved historic buildings – and resident artisans. This is the place to pick up glassware, antiques, music boxes and kimonos. The Otaru Canal is particularly picturesque, lined with old warehouses that have been converted into museums, shops and restaurants. NATURE LOVERS MAKE A BEELINE for Shiretoko National Park: the 380-square-kilometre UNESCO World Heritage site is a haven for wildlife, including brown bears, deer, foxes and orcas. You can sign up for a boat tour to enjoy the dramatic coastline or explore the remote wilderness on foot, walking on drift ice and snowshoeing through forests. NOBORIBETSU-ONSEN IS HOME to Hokkaido’s most famous hot springs: choose from a selection of baths with different mineral compositions, each providing unique health benefits. The town itself is surrounded by stunning natural scenery, including Hell Valley (Jigokudani), where you can see volcanic activity up close. SNOWMOBILE RIDING IS something you really must experience, as is the unrivalled romance of reindeer sledding. With the kids in mind, there’s also igloo-making at Niseko Outdoor Centre and snow tubing at Hanazano Tube Park. Many of Hokkaido’s ski resorts and guesthouses provide sleds free for guests’ use. HOKKAIDO HOSTS MANY WINTER FESTIVALS and two of the best are held in February. At Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival, you can explore ice caves, enjoy ice slides and participate in traditional winter sports, like ice fishing and dog sledding. At Sapporo Snow Festival, artisans gather at the city’s parks to create intricate ice and snow sculptures. OF ALL HOKKAIDO’S SKI RESORTS , Niseko is the most famous: the japow (powder) is legendary thanks not only to its abundance but also its quality – low water content means the slopes are almost entirely ice free. The Hokkaido ski season runs from November to early May, and Niseko delivers with a world-class mix of challenging runs and beginner-friendly slopes.

These simple treats are good enough for Santa himself, and they’re sure to get the party started CRANBERRY MARTINI Serves 2 1 lemon wedge 4tbsp vodka 4tbsp cranberry juice 2tbsp Cointreau 2tbsp lemon juice 2tsp sugar syrup To frost the two martini glasses, smooth an even layer of sugar on a plate and cut a notch in a lemon wedge. Run the lemon wedge around the rim of the glass and then tilt the glass and roll its outer rim in the sugar. The goal here is to get the sugar on the outside of the glass only so none of it drops into the drink itself. Place the vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lemon juice and sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 15 seconds until cold. Divide the drink into two frosted martini glasses. Garnish with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary to serve. GINGERBREAD MEN Makes 12 40g unsalted butter 100g dark muscovado sugar 3tbsp golden syrup 350g plain flour 1tsp bicarbonate of soda 2tsp ground ginger 1tsp ground cinnamon 2 balls stem ginger, chopped Heat the oven to 200˚C. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Melt the butter and sugar in a pan and add the golden syrup. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir in the butter mix and stem ginger to make a stiff-ish dough. Wait until cool enough to handle, then roll out the dough to about 5mm thick. Stamp out your gingerbread men, re-rolling and pressing the trimmings back together and rolling again. Lift onto baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes until golden. Cool for 20 minutes, then decorate with piped icing.

Elizabeth Kerr sits down with the South islanders bringing birthday happiness to local kids in need It’s an unseasonably warm morning in Mui Wo, and Pete Manktelow and Edward Fernandes are sitting at a table facing the water at Village Kitchen. The gregarious Pete looks casual in a Hong Kong Freemasons charity run polo shirt and chinos, toting a knapsack. Edward, however, is dressed properly: a classy three-piece suit and starched shirt; he carries a briefcase. Along with a third partner, Hong Kong islander David Streatfield, and occasionally Edward’s youngest son Francis, they run Birthday Happiness Asia (BHA). Its concept is simple: throw birthday parties, “joyous parties”, for underprivileged children, including the roughly 50,000 living in cage homes – in 2024. “It’s a very, very special cause,” begins East Sussex native and Pui O resident since 1994 Pete. “A lot of people complain and say, ‘HK$6,000 to organise a birthday party for children is ridiculous. Why don’t you put it in education?’ This is more for children’s mental health. Having all those special memories is important.” SECURING CHARITABLE STATUS BHA officially launched in October after securing its critical section 88 charitable status; an achievement that took four years of trying. As a finance and corporate services pro, that was Pete’s primary goal for BHA once he’d set up the business side. BHA sprang from its earlier iteration, Birthday Happiness Hong Kong, founded by Edward and his wife Marilou Edora. After Marilou passed away, Edward started afresh with BHA, which pulls double duty as a way to memorialise his wife as well do good. The BHA team held an official launch party at Club Lusitano in Central on October 28. Nearly 150 leading business people from Hong Kong and Singapore attended, alongside a good turnout of academics and diplomats, including the Consul General of the Netherlands. The organisation is already flying: BHA has birthday parties planned in Yau Ma Tei, Wong Tai Sin, Yuen Long, Sham Shui Po, Aberdeen and Kowloon City to take it through to the end of the year. Armed with charitable status, the team is gearing up for a busy 2025, but despite his contributions, Pete keeps a low profile. “I’m the back-of-house-type person. Edward’s front of house. He’s the one with the shining face.” OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED At its core, BHA is based on an existing concept – a spin on a programme started in Argentina in the 1970s. “Two guys went into local orphanages where there were children that had been abandoned on the streets due to the economic crisis. They threw traditional birthday parties for these kids, and the idea spread to the rest of South America, Central America, and so on,” Edward explains. Thanks to the inspiration from Argentina, and and Edward and Marilou’s shared experience of growing up in large families without a lot of spare cash, BHA was born. “Unfortunately, my wife and I never had that,” says Edward. “But we made sure that our children and our grandchildren did.” Now, as the saying goes, he’s paying it forward. BHA gets support from Caritas Hong Kong, Love 21, Hong Kong Student Aid Society, Tung Wan Mok Law Shui Wah School, Ebenezer School and the Society for Community Organization among others. Thanks to that new charity status, interest from partnering organisations is expanding, and the number of parties BHA can hold monthly is increasing. Know that BHA is constantly on the lookout for more sponsors, volunteers and partnering organisations; donations of cash, party supplies and gifts are also welcomed. There are numerous ways to get involved: check www.bhasia.org. As of now, BHA works on a lean budget, with Edward its sole full-time staff. Born in Kenya, Edward and his family moved around a lot, emigrating to the UK in 1966 before eventually settling in Hong Kong. It’s here he met Marilou and had two sons and two daughters. After Marilou’s untimely death, he gave up a career in international property to dedicate all his time to BHA. BRINGING FOOD AND FUN TO THE TABLE A party with BHA is like any other. Edward and a few volunteers arrive at the designated location, usually a community space of some sort, and proceed to set up. This involves decorations, food stations, game stations and gear for any special requests – if Batman’s on the guest list, for instance, he’ll need an outfit. Also part of the prep is a rundown for the staff about what the celebrant or celebrants and their guests might be dealing with in their daily lives. Edward does his homework and uncovers any specific challenges; making sure, for instance, that he and any male volunteers tread carefully around girls who may have been sexually abused. The volunteers then get down to the business of throwing a party – gifting, games, cake and a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” – in any number of languages upon request. There’s no taking the cheapest option either. BHA budgets HK$200 to HK$300 per toy, and opts not to get Shenzhen knock-offs. Edward only cuts corners where it doesn’t impact the children. “A volunteer, long gone now, once asked me why we don’t find cheaper toys. I turned around and asked if they’d cheap out on their own children.” That’s a mic drop. BHA makes sure the food is nutritious and fun (that is possible), and allows for a few sodas. It’s a special occasion after all. The smiles are worth it. BROADENING HORIZONS But why a birthday party? Many of us have heard about that author, doctor, artist or activist who encountered someone who altered the course of their life as a kid. Edward insists that kind of value exists in BHA’s parties, and that those intangible knock-on effects should be accessible to all children. The parties have the ability to open doors and minds, and broaden horizons. “A couple of months ago we had a party in Tin Shui Wai, and the cakemaker went back to the school later and gave the kids a cooking lesson on how to bake a cake and make a pizza from scratch,” he describes. “That’s broadening horizons. One of those children might go on to become a chef. Marilou insisted the toys we give out don’t promote sexism, racism or violence, and we hope those toys will last a lifetime as a physical reminder of a happy memory. Maybe one of these celebrants is thinking of ending their life and suddenly remembers when a bunch of complete strangers came in celebrating their birthday.” The larger goal is to truly put the “Asia” in BHA, and several organisations across the region have expressed interest in taking up the baton. “That’s been our dream for a long time… expansion across the region, with the headquarters in Hong Kong. That’s where we’re looking long term,” says Edward. So far, there’s solid interest in Shanghai, the Philippines, Singapore and Australia. Locations like Indonesia, Malaysia and India would obviously demand expertise on the ground to cater to cultural considerations. “We’ll give you the model. We’ll give you the methodology. And you can run with it,” finishes Edward. Because despite language or culture, there are disadvantaged children everywhere who could use a little joy. “Save one, save the world, right?”

Check our festive forecast to unwrap the coolest trends for Christmas 2024 This year’s Christmas decor trends are as diverse as they come, drawing on everything from nature to retro glam. It’s time to invest in a pink Christmas tree (if you don’t already have one) and a couple of glitter balls. Other must-haves to refresh your festive decor include paper snowflakes, hessian ribbons, jewel-toned baubles and iridescent tree ornaments. Now more than ever, you are free to lean into the unique with your Christmas decor – you don’t have to follow tradition. There’s a greater emphasis on personal preference: from taking on DIY projects to re-evaluating the colour wheel, everything is focused on what speaks specifically to you. Take a look. COLOUR AND SPARKLE While red and green might come to mind for Christmas, and blue and silver for Hanukkah, your holiday decor doesn’t have to stick to those traditional colour palettes. You can get creative with almost any Pantone in the book and, this year, we can expect to see a lot of white, cream and silver. The sparkling white Christmas look has taken a backseat in recent years, but for 2024, it’s back and shining brighter than ever. Decorate your living room with delicate paper snowflakes and whimsical polar pals, and introduce ornaments in silver, blue and even lilac to enhance the wintry palette. Flocked or all-white trees are the perfect centrepiece for this serene snowscape: dripping with crystal and glass, they catch every glimmer of the (all-white) fairy lights. Alternatively, you can light up your home by embracing brilliant jewel tones. Think oversized baubles in ruby and emerald or, better, sapphire and amethyst. There’s something special about these rich colours for a time of year that’s filled with so much spirit. When you colour outside the lines, you also give your guests something to talk about. RETRO GLAM If you’re a Barbie fan, you’ll be pleased to know many of us are celebrating Pinkmas again this year, turning everything from trees to candles Margot Robbie-pink. Pinkmas is about going all out (pack in as many pink decorations as possible), and be sure to add in a glitter ball to cement the glam, retro look. Glitter balls are everywhere this year: hang them on the tree, from the ceiling and even as wreaths. Looking for more retro glitter and sparkle? Iridescent tree ornaments are making a splash this year, and tinsel is back. Metallics are also bang on trend: you can embrace classic gold for a timeless glow, or set a wintry scene with silver. Trees decked out from top to bottom in silver and gold are showstoppers, and you can even opt for shiny, sculptural metallic trees. Candyland retro is also big for 2024, with gingerbread, cupcakes, candy canes and macarons – all that sugary “goodness” – heading into our homes once again. The Candyland theme may be a bit kitsch but it’s also extremely versatile. Traditionalists plump for candy-cane stripe, gingham and gingerbread. Pinkmas people bring out their all-pink afternoon tea sets laden with scones and strawberry jam. True fans use invisible string to hang oversized candy gumdrops, cupcakes and ice cream cones not just from the tree but from the ceiling. Treat yourself to a Nutcracker statue. NATURAL TOUCHES If retro doesn’t speak to you, you can look to the natural world for inspiration this Christmas. There’s a focus on simple decorations, using natural materials and florals, that feel festive without overwhelming the living space. Consider layering in natural accents like branches, berries and pinecones. Try incorporating oranges, apples and pomegranates: the colours of the fruit look well against the Christmas greenery adding a brightness that feels perfect for the holidays. Likewise, the woodland theme never goes out of style. Earthy tones of brown, rust, terracotta and green create a rich backdrop for collections of forest creatures, both mythical and real. Reindeer, hedgehogs, owls, squirrels and foxes look festive whether hung from the tree, or nestled at its base. If you choose to add a few woodland elves, be sure to prepare some mushroom homes for them. Eco-friendly materials echo the woodland theme with designs in felt, wood and cork particularly popular, alongside ornate painted glass. In fact, our effort to reduce Christmas plastic has brought a variety of natural materials to the fore. Think ornaments in papier-mâché, felt and straw; rattan tree collars and LED-lit baubles; hessian ribbon and bows; and wood-beaded garlands. DIY NOSTALGIA In line with eco considerations, the call for handmade Christmas decorations is par ticularly strong this year. There are a lot of DIY holiday displays on social media, with upcycling, home crafting and repurposing keeping costs and our environmental footprint low. Making your own garlands, ornaments and even candles brings so much joy to the holiday season, and allows you to spend time with loved ones. Plus, you’ll likely use these pieces for years to come. The holidays have always been an excuse to bring back the memories and styles of yester year and now, more than ever, there’s a desire to embrace family heirlooms and unique vintage pieces. It’s all about nostalgia: making the holidays more personal by incorporating pieces that mean something to us, or have been handed down to us. Using well-loved or vintage-look ornaments, and mixing old with new, can create a soulful, layered effect. Done well, the nostalgic trend sees the cosy, homespun charm of the past reimagined with modern elegance. It’s our childhood Christmas seen through rose-tinted spectacles; it’s the quintessential Christmas à la Nancy Meyers’ set creations in The Holiday. Cherr y-red and teal accents style up a serene backdrop of pale green, soft brown and white. Handcrafted ornaments, knitted stockings and rustic wreaths emphasise authenticity over per fection. Forget stuffy, frilly, or overly fluffed – this is lived-in comfort with a fresh, airy twist. TROPICAL WONDERLAND Last but not least, why does it have to be a winter wonderland? And who says Christmas trees have to be fir? You can expect a surge in alternative festive centrepieces this year, with people shedding the conventional tree and decorating exotic pot plants for the holidays. The tropical festive trend is rooted in a rich green palette that moves from deep juniper right through to lime. You can go all-in green, or add a splash of contrast with pink, purple and gold. It’s about creating a vibrant look that feels like a holiday in paradise. But why stop there? Bring on the whimsy with butterflies, hummingbirds and lizards. Exotic animals, like flamingos and leopards, are making their festive debut this year, replacing the usual robins and polar bears. And don’t forget the jewel-bright cocktails and fiesta flowers to go with. Follow this playful, upbeat trend to transform your home into a tropical Christmas wonderland – and prove that the holidays can be anything but traditional.

I take my hat off to all the amazing women who “wing it” over Christmas. The only way I know how to “do” the festive season is to organise it with military precision and stick rigidly to a to-do list from December 1 onwards. I have to adhere strictly to this list because if I don’t, everything snowballs and total chaos ensues. Christmas is a time for socialising and making merry but it’s not all fun and games, especially if you’re juggling kids’ activities and a full-time job in the leadup. Advance planning is needed to put you in the driver’s seat. Starting now means you’ll spend less money and keep the credit card from skyrocketing to Mars. A long lead-in to the holiday season also cuts out the frantic panic-buy on December 24, which sees you staring wide-eyed at empty shelves, alongside your equally frazzled neighbours. Keeping all that in mind, I’d like to share my idea of a strategically planned DB Christmas with you. DECEMBER 1 TO 3 Assuming you’ve already done your online shopping, you will feel a certain well-earned smugness in early December when you start receiving the parcels in the mail. Find time to wrap presents as they arrive, and pop them straight in the post if they’re headed overseas. Write and post your Christmas cards now too, remembering that Toysland has an excellent selection. Next up, take stock of your decorations. It’s always fun putting up the tree and decorating the house but after all the festivities are over, packing them away properly is often way down on our list of priorities. So check your “decks” now, and don’t panic if anything has weathered badly. You can find replacements at the DB Christmas Market on December 8 (more on that later) and if your fairy lights are bust, you can pick out some new ones at Japan Home Centre. This is the weekend to buy the ingredients for the Christmas cake to end all Christmas cakes, so get ready to make the first of many “festive” trips to Fusion. You’ll need the dry fruit and the brandy at this stage because the mixture has to soak for at least two weeks, more if you’re organised. While in the supermarket, you can also pick up your Christmas pudding, or the ingredients to make it. DECEMBER 4 TO 10 This week is “set up the Christmas tree week”. Remember the golden rule: two weeks before to assemble and two weeks afterwards to take it down. You may well have an artificial tree that you bring out every year but, if you like the real thing, XmasTreeOnline.hk delivers Douglas, Noble and Nordmann firs to DB, plus those essential baubles, fairy lights and wreathes. Forgotten a present, or three? It’s the DB Christmas Market on December 8, so you’ll be able to search for that perfect gift: an Angel Wong Image fascinator maybe, a singing bowl from Himalayas Craft or a personalised Christmas stocking from Vi Galerie. Wander the stalls in DB Plaza to pick up some extras for your Christmas table or decor, and be sure to drop by the House of Fine Wines booth not just for a couple of cases of first-class wine but also for some imported gourmet goodies – the truffle sauce is to die for. To save yourself the possible disaster of either a tough or too pink turkey, order a pre-cooked one this week. The Auberge is providing takeaway turkeys, and as many trimmings as you like, right through to December 27, and Epic Foods’ annual festive catering menu is also well worth a look. If tradition is what you like and cooking your own is a must, then you’ll want to pre-order a turkey or ham. For holiday meats (and treats), I’ll be looking to European Touch and Market Place, and I can’t do Christmas without Il Bel Paese’s deli/ party snacks. DECEMBER 11 TO 17 By now the festivities will really have kicked in and you’ll have neighbours dropping round for celebratory drinks, so be sure to head to Watson’s Wine to load up on Prosecco and your Christmas spirits of choice. Don’t forget the rum for the rum balls (Bundaberg rum is fabulous) because this week is “rum ball week”. Make them now and they’ll be even yummier in a week’s time, having soaked up the rum in a sealed container at the back of the fridge. This week too, it’s DB Christmas Wine Walk, running December 13 to 15 at DB North (Auberge main entrance). Pick up a HK$180 pass for exclusive wine-tasting privileges, and shop over 30 stalls packed not just with wine but with gourmet treats, Christmas-themed products and local crafts. This one always gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list but try to find time this week to pamper yourself. My guess is you live in walking distance of either Spa Botanica or DB Bay Spa. Hopefully you can spare an hour or so for a much-needed facial or massage, but at the very least you’ll want your nails looking their best on the day. Have them done now (Dream Nail does a grand job) or book an appointment for the 21st. Think about your hair this week too. Will you have time to squeeze in a blow dry on December 24? Make your booking at Afflatus Hair Workshop or Salon De Coiffure now to avoid disappointment. DECEMBER 18 TO 24 Things are starting to heat up now but take it easy, you’re well ahead of the game! All of your presents are wrapped, your cards are on their way to family and friends back home and your tree is shimmering and heavy with ornaments in the corner. There is however a downside to being so prepared. You’ll probably find that the case of wine, the chocolates and the rum balls that you made last week have disappeared. You’ll need to find time to replenish your stock. Four days to go: book a table for Boxing Day lunch, somewhere fresh and al fresco like DBrasserie or Pasha. Head for your pre-booked mani-pedi, buy some flowers at Bloom or Gillian Florist, and dash home to do any last-minute wrapping and to recharge the camera. Two days to go: now’s the time to shop for fresh fruit and vegetables. There will undoubtedly be others like you, madly waving their lists around, so be prepared for the long haul. After that, start defrosting the turkey and… OMG, make the Christmas cake! One day to go: if you weren’t already doing it, panic! Make the stuffing, locate the kids’ Christmas stockings, leave a mince pie out for Santa. Oh, and buy more Prosecco (and Alka-Seltzer) because someone’s bound to drop by for a nightcap. CHRISTMAS DAY Just breathe. Laugh a lot and enjoy. Of course, some of you will have opted to head down to the Auberge on Christmas Day for a fussfree festive lunch at Café Bord de Mer. In that case, the same rule applies. Laugh a lot and enjoy. Merry Christmas everyone!

Photographer, writer and curator Ed Stokes sits down with Elizabeth Kerr to discuss his upcoming exhibition, and wind the camera back on the city he’s called home for a half-century It’s a sunny afternoon in late October, and it seems autumn has officially begun. Ed Stokes glides into the Hong Kong Maritime Museum Café 8 like any good photographer: with a wheelie case in tow. But Ed isn’t toting camera gear today. “Which is a regret, but it’s simply because the books of what I call heritage photography and other research are very time intensive,” he opens. “Doing the books and the exhibitions is a full-time job. But I would love to pick up a camera again.” Ed is lingering at the museum putting the finishing touches on one of those time-consuming exhibitions. Voyage Through Time: Hong Kong Maritime Photographs, 1940s – 1970s opens November 13 (running through February) and chronicles the profound changes Hong Kong underwent between the challenging post-war years and the pre-1980s economic boom. With roughly 70 on-and-off years in the city, much of that photographing it, Ed’s uniquely qualified for the job. Born in Adelaide, Ed relocated to Hong Kong in – hold onto your hats – 1953 with his family. His father, an Australian navy man stationed to the HMAS Australia during the Pacific War, served at Guadalcanal, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, and when the Australia went home for refitting in 1945, the elder Stokes wound up on a British frigate headed for Hong Kong. He fell in love with the city and moved the family, eventually going into education and becoming headmaster at Queen’s College. The family lived in Repulse Bay, in government quarters, and after putting down real roots stayed well past Stokes the principal’s retirement. “It was the most interesting part of the family experience and I really do believe it was fate. It certainly impacted my work,” Ed says. That’s an understatement. Ed, a lifelong bachelor, has spent over half his life in Hong Kong, between stints in Australia, in the UK to attend Oxford, which led to eight years of teaching, and in Singapore. Initially, he planned to follow his father into the navy but realised, after three years as a cadet, that it wasn’t for him. On leaving the navy, he returned to Hong Kong before beginning university, but misalignment between academic years resulted in a cub reporter gig at the SCMP. It was 1967, the romantic time of newsrooms filled with cigarette smoke and the clack of Remington typewriters, and Ed got bitten by the writing bug, which sat well with the love of photography he’d picked up on one of his many trips between Asia and England. “Back then, the journey overland was through all these countries you can’t just cross now – Iran, Iraq,” Ed recalls. “It was a fascinating time. In India I was really captured by the colour, the diversity and the intensity. I decided I wanted to be a photographer.” Ask Ed if he considers himself a writer or a photographer and he wisely cops out by saying “both,” referring to himself as a visual storyteller, heavily influenced by author and oral historian Studs Terkel, best known for chronicling American life from the Great Depression to the early 21st century. “Terkel was my great inspiration for his ability to reach out to all different strata of society, to communicate with people and draw out their stories.” VISUAL STORYTELLING Ed started a photography career in earnest by chronicling life in an Outback mining town, as well as Australia’s natural landscape; the final piece of the puzzle coming when he developed a keen interest in bringing history to life. That would ultimately lead him down the path of photo historian and curator – and back to Hong Kong; to Lamma. As an autodidact, Ed developed his aesthetic little by little, reading technical manuals of course, but also immersing himself in other photographers, among them indirect mentors like W. Eugene Smith, Dorothea Lange, and noted Hong Kong chroniclers Brian Brake and Hedda Morrison. Ed himself wasn’t big on photojournalism, mostly because he was less than enamoured with “barging into people’s lives,” as he puts it. He hit his stride when he started capturing Hong Kong’s natural environment in books such as Hong Kong’s Wild Places, Exploring Landscape Photography and Across Hong Kong Island (check him out at www.edwardstokes.com). Working in 35mm allowed Ed to pack his camping and photo gear and spend days in the wild, a less frequent occurrence once he transitioned to large format. But he still managed to catch the city at its most unguarded. One of the things Ed loves about Lantau – he’s lived in DB for 10 years – is the proximity to nature. “When I was doing Wild Places, I was camping out, taking photos overnight. I went down to a very small stream to slosh some water onto my face, to wake myself up, and I sensed some presence. I looked up and there was a barking deer just staring at me. Unbelievable,” he says. Looking back, Ed recalls a kind of anti-DB movement, when all he heard was, ‘Who could ever live there?’ But he’s found it to his liking. “It’s this mixed community, with all ages. I really, really like that. In my building, you’ve got families, babies, younger kids, teenagers, older folks, elderly people. Like Lamma there are no cars, but unlike Lamma there are lots of day-to-day facilities.” VOYAGE THROUGH TIME From his position as curator at his own Hong Kong Photo Heritage Programme (now an archive), Ed’s Voyage Through Time (sponsored by The Robert HN Ho Family Foundation HK and The Swire Group Charitable Trust) is a free exhibition of roughly 60 photographs by Hedda Morrison, Brian Brake and Stokes himself, shot between the 1940s and 1970s. In some ways, the exhibition is a continuation of 2021’s Recovery, Resilience, Resurgence, which included the work of local shooter Lee Fook-chee. “That was very successful, and had been partly inspired by a desire to say yes Hong Kong has had problems, political issues, COVID and so on, but Hong Kong has always had problems that it transcended,” Ed explains of the new collection’s genesis, this time with a maritime angle, hence its venue. The images in Voyage Through Time portray Hong Kong’s harbour, its shipping and people, and they reveal the dedication of three very different photographers each determined to bear witness and create a record of a specific point in time – bestowing a rich legacy. As an added bonus, all the photographs in the exhibition are from film negatives, a medium quickly becoming specialised in the wake of the ubiquity of digital imaging, which to Ed’s mind can’t hold a candle to silver halide. “One of the things about all the work I’ve done in heritage photography is telling, retelling, recreating and bringing back to life the story of those photographers,” he says. “That’s quite important to me; talking about their stories. Who were they? How did they work? What did they like? Because that’s really far more important than taking good photos, from any camera. The exhibition is telling the stories of people, of their humanity. “Digital is incredibly useful,” Ed concludes. “But I would always say to any younger person wanting to become a photographer, ‘Go and work with film. You become more selective and considered.’ And film has a beauty that digital doesn’t have.”

Having lived in three countries in six years, four if you count Hong Kong twice, Sharon Lesley Le Roux finds herself in an ideal position to reflect on expat life and the true meaning of home It’s the middle of October, and as I wake it’s a whole 3º outside. Daylight is still a few hours away. I flew out of Hong Kong two days ago, and am now thousands of miles away, in my attic bedroom/ study in our north of England home. Three months ago I left here, having decided to return to Hong Kong with my youngest daughter, Emily, after six years away. This house is one of six roofs I’ve had over my head that I’ve called home in the last six years, in three countries, across three continents. Since we returned to Hong Kong, I’ve watched Emily settle brilliantly into Year 8 at Discovery Bay International School, as well as into DB life in general, all too conscious that this is her fifth school since she left Owls in Mui Wo at the age of six. Sitting in my attic room, coffee made, the central heating kicking in, I almost feel a visitor in this space, even though it’s my space. This is still my home, but it’s not home home anymore. That, for the moment at least, is a rented flat close to DB Plaza. I’ve lived all over the world, and I realise, as an expat, I’m not sure anymore what the term “home” refers to. I feel I once knew what “home” was; it had a definable substance, something solid and real I could associate it with, as did Christmas, before I discovered there was no magic, no rotund bearded man bringing my presents. I sip my coffee and I ask myself: what is “home”? Where is it? Is it just one place, or can it be several at any one time? Are its foundations firmly planted in one location, or is it pack-up-and-moveable? Is “home” even a place at all? Is it a feeling, the essence that belongings and decor and ambiance create inside a set of four walls, or is it rather a collection of experiences and emotions shared by the people who live there? One thing I do know, we all need a home; somewhere to sleep at night, somewhere to keep our people and our stuff safe. In our search for somewhere to call home, we’ve all, at some point, entered a place which immediately felt “right”, that feeling of rightness almost ethereal in nature, going beyond what we can only see. Places have character, personality, atmospheres, auras, and they’ll welcome one person and turn another away. We move in, and begin adding to that “right” feeling the experiences of everyday living which turn into memories and, before we know it, this place we’ve labelled “home” is now a space where we not only feed our stomachs but our souls. Lantau is, for me, one of those places. In 2003, visiting my long-time friend Carol, we walked from her home in DB via a Trappist monastery to a place called Mui Wo. It was Easter, the weather perfect for this Englishwoman, and as we came over the hilltops and began descending into Mui Wo, I fell in love. By the time we were down at sea level, walking the path around the bay, I was telling Carol I wanted to live in Mui Wo one day. Two and a half years – and a couple of visits later – on a Christmas break from a job I’d taken in South Korea, I met my to-be-husband at the China Bear. (Note: while Santa may not, the Universe delivers, so be careful what you wish for.) I moved to Hong Kong the following year and we progressed in our studies and careers, we raised children, and lived a Lantau life for the next 12 years. I’ve called many places home in my life: flats; houses; Airbnbs; hotels; resorts; tented camps in national parks with elephants, and bears, outside; youth hostels galore across Europe; even a train once, while crossing the expanse of South Africa. In the eighties, my home was a rural American house a train ride outside of Philadelphia, my room connected, via a shared bathroom, to the bedroom of the children I was nannying. In the early noughties, home was a dorm room on a South Korean university campus where I taught English. In 2018, we lived a short walk from beautiful Melkbosstrand beach in Cape Town. And, until moving back to Hong Kong in July of this year, home was this late-Victorian terrace house overlooking an oh-so-English park with a bronze WWII memorial angel at its gates. Before I bought and lived in my first home in Leeds – which gave me that “right” feel as soon as I walked through the door – home was a house a few short miles away from where I am now, where I lived with my mum. It was the house I grew up in, went to school from, and although it wasn’t said too often those days, it was the house where I was loved. They say home is where the heart is, and if “home” is something etched on one’s heart, then that particular home is etched very deeply. As is the house in Mui Wo we called home for 12 years. I recently did the DB-Mui Wo walk with my husband, Chris, and on looking down into Silvermine Bay, I got the same exact feeling I did that first time, and every time since: this is my home. Something about the place pulls at me, like a child tugging at my sleeve and squeezing my hand; it’s a magnet pulling at the core of me. Sometimes we choose where home is, and sometimes it chooses us. In this house in Yorkshire, even though it’s totally familiar, I feel unsettled, displaced. I’m here primarily to check that my older daughter, Gen, is doing OK. She didn’t leave for Hong Kong with us, she stayed for her university studies, her part-time job, her friends, the boy she loves. But her younger sister, Emily, is thousands of miles away in Hong Kong, along with her dad. Being an expat means you can’t be with all of your people all the time. My ageing dad is here, my brother is here, my cats are here. The transient nature of being an expat, with family and friends in different places around the world, means memories, even the good ones, are revisited at a price. When I arrived yesterday, I opened the door to Emily’s old bedroom. I could see her so clearly there in my mind’s eye, but I also saw a room standing empty. We have symbiotic relationships with our spaces, and her bedroom – her space – felt almost lonely, an empty room filled with nothing but expectation and hope, and disappointment that it was me opening the door. This house now has too many rooms and too few people; it’s haunted by the spectres of the family we were here until a few short months ago. I know Gen feels our absence, how could she not? She sees us here together, I’m sure, the Ghosts of Family Past. I want to put her in my suitcase and take her back home to Hong Kong when I go, but her life is here, in this house, creating new memories in it every day that don’t include us apart from in WhatsApp video calls, and our once-in-a-while guest appearances. So instead, I’ll transport her in my heart, trusting her to take care of my precious cargo; trusting that she’ll eat properly, get enough sleep, laugh plenty. As a parent, there’s no escaping Empty Nest Syndrome, it occurs even when it’s me who leaves. So, what is “home”? Now as much as ever, it’s still the place where we put down roots – for however long we might be there. Back in the eighties, Paul Young sang that home was wherever he lay his hat. Today, I feel we expats are snails or tortoises, carrying “home” with us, except it’s less “caravan” now, more virtual reality. Like my SmarTone eSIM, home is more digital than it is physical. For me, forever the traveller, the concept of “home” is something moveable in nature; it’s mobile and transportable. It has real foundations: they’re not laid in bricks and cement, but in layers of memories and emotions and experiences of all my homes past and present, shared with all my people, past and present. It’s this home I carry, wherever I go. As I ponder in this, my space, warmed by the room’s radiator, daylight is just showing behind the Velux window blinds. In hope, I speak to Alexa. She tells me it’s still only 3º outside and that I really shouldn’t get my hopes up about today’s “high”. My thoughts return to Lantau where I’ll be in a couple of weeks, that place where, thankfully, the temperature at this time of year is in the mid-tolate 20ºs. Lantau, where home is where the heat is.

If you’ve decided to take the Dry November challenge, good on you! Find out what physical and mental changes to expect in the month ahead and you’ll be part way to achieving your goal Dry November, otherwise known as No Alcohol November, is a superb opportunity for anyone concerned about their alcohol intake to quit drinking for 30 days. For some, it’s an attempt to enter into the Christmas season with a detox-fresh mind and body; for others, it’s more of a test run – an attempt to see what a life-long commitment to sobriety would look like. One of the key challenges posed by alcohol is its deep-rooted integration into our everyday lives. Avoiding it can be extremely challenging: the decision to quit for a month – although a relatively short period of time in the bigger picture – is demanding for some and unmanageable for others. When you stop drinking, various things happen to your mind and body. However, the nature and intensity of these effects will vary depending on how much and how frequently you drink. While occasional social drinking may not result in any major changes when you decide to quit, you may experience more significant effects if you have been drinking heavily for an extended time. If you’re ready to give up alcohol, and you habitually drink every day, here’s a look at what you can expect in regards to your mental and physical health when you quit. DETOX AND WITHDRAWAL The first day is always the hardest, but it’s also an important milestone. After 24 hours without alcohol, your body will start to detoxify and you may experience withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, sweating and nausea. It’s important to remember these symptoms are only temporary and will usually subside within a few days. For individuals with severe alcohol dependence, however, withdrawal symptoms can be more severe. If you experience delirium tremens (DT), a condition that can cause high blood pressure, tremors and seizures, you need to seek medical attention Alcohol cravings are common when you first try to change your drinking habits, particularly at times or in situations where you’d typically have a drink. The good news is, they only last for a short period of time. If you can distract yourself or sit through them, they’ll typically pass. That being said, heavy or binge drinkers are welladvised to have their detox medically supervised. Your doctor may prescribe medications that can reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings: Vivitrol (naltrexone), Campral (acamprosate) and Antabuse (disulfiram) are FDA-approved to treat alcohol-use disorder. Psychotherapy options, such as cognitivebehaviour therapy, can help change unhelpful thinking patterns, teach valuable coping skills and boost the motivation to quit. Just remember you don’t have to run the course alone – connecting with a therapist or joining a recovery programme can make all the difference. INSOMNIA AND ANXIETY One of the most common initial side effects of giving up alcohol is insomnia. Alcohol acts as a sedative, so when it’s no longer in your system, you can have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. This will be more pronounced if you habitually selfmedicate with alcohol, using it as a way to manage existing sleep problems. It’s important to recognise that while alcohol helps you fall asleep, the quality of that sleep is poor, with reduced amounts of restorative REM sleep. What’s more, drinking a small amount of alcohol may help you fall asleep more quickly initially, but going forward, you will need to drink more alcohol to achieve the same effect. Quitting alcohol can help improve sleep quality in the long term. If you find yourself struggling to fall asleep, talk to your doctor about solutions that might help. Likewise, you may experience mood swings when you give up alcohol. You will notice this effect more if you were drinking to manage your mood – to temporarily relieve negative emotions or boost positive ones. Feeling anxious or irritable is also common. This is because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, so when it’s no longer in your system, your body has to adjust to the change. FEELING GOOD A month free of alcohol is a big accomplishment, and there are immediate benefits. Your mind is clearer, your outlook is more positive and your skin glows. What’s more, your liver has started to repair itself, and your risk of developing cancer, heart disease and stroke has begun to decrease. After a month, most physical withdrawal symptoms will have subsided and you find that you have more energy than you did before you stopped drinking. Alcohol is a depressant, so once it’s out of your system, your body has more energy to work with. You have more stamina, and you’re more productive. Alcohol can cause fatigue and decreased motivation, so when you stop drinking, you’ll find it easier to get things done. Once your body is free of alcohol, you’ll find that your mind is clearer. Drinking alcohol can contribute to a variety of cognitive issues, including poor memory, slow reaction time, impaired impulse control and poor concentration. Over time, drinking can also damage nerve cells and contribute to a loss of brain volume. Research shows that it takes about four weeks for cognitive function to improve. You find yourself better able to concentrate and your short-term memory has improved; you are less impulsive and better able to plan and organise tasks. You may have viewed alcohol as a coping mechanism, when in fact it only worsens depression, stress and anxiety. So one of the best things about quitting is what it does for your mental health. Equally, once free of alcohol, you feel the benefit of improved relationships with friends and family – say goodbye to communication problems, conflicts and trust issues. STAYING SOBER So what happens on December 1? It’s possible that you’re feeling so good, you’ve decided to ditch alcohol permanently. Here are some pointers: 1. Celebrate your decision: Understand the extent of the benefits, possibilities and positivity of a future without alcohol. Above and beyond the obvious positives –money saved, zero hangovers, no fear of what you might have said or done the night before – relish the feeling of freedom a life without addiction brings. 2. Share your decision: tell your friends and family what you’re doing. Most people will have your back; you’ll be astounded by the support you receive. Some won’t understand, which is fine too, as long as their opinion doesn’t affect your decision. Remember your sobriety can unwittingly serve as a reminder to your drinking buddies that they’re consuming unhealthy amounts of alcohol. 3. Calculate the money you’ve already saved by giving up alcohol and use it to treat yourself. Make some self-care investments: daily yoga class, weekly meals out, occasional massages, the odd weekend away. Having fun is not a frivolous thing, it is a really important human need. Doing fun things sober will quickly become your new normal. 4. Harness all that new energy and seek out new ways of enjoying yourself every day. Don’t let yourself become isolated and lonely. The opposite of addiction is connection, so find new hobbies and meet new people. It helps to spend time with people who are also freeing themselves of addiction, so find a group if you can. 5. Record your thoughts: keep a journal of each day and log the challenging moments and how you grew through them. Refer back to these as the months go by: each moment you struggle through builds your strength for the next one. 6. Enjoy the journey: you don’t meet people who regret quitting alcohol. They enjoy life so much more. Once this enjoyment is firmly established, and you realise there is nothing to miss, your life will become infinitely richer.