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Moving into the new year, City Management will continue to put residents first through a series of fun and meaningful causes and events www.richardgordonphotography.com=">www.richardgordonphotography.com" &="&" courtesy="courtesy" of="of" CM="CM"> Discovery Bay Services Management Ltd (City Management, CM) rounded off 2023 as it means to go on with two high-profile, community-building events. DB Dragon Boat Gala, held in October, served to promote sports and a healthy lifestyle, and it birthed Paddle for a Good Cause, a CM-led campaign aimed at supporting Hong Kong’s underprivileged. DB Recycling Day meanwhile, held in December, set out to inspire residents to live greener and fully embrace all the eco initiatives already in place in DB. Both events will be reprised in 2024. “City Management’s aim is multi-faceted: to help residents build relationships through shared activities, to celebrate DB’s multicultural demographic and to promote community service,” opens Ernest Lee, Assistant Director of Discovery Bay Services Management Ltd (DBSML). “We are delighted to help residents enjoy their lives through different kinds of activities specifically tailored for them.” DRAGON BOATING Think back to October 29, 2023 and you’ll recall that Tai Pak Beach was packed with paddlers – and spectators – enjoying the DB Dragon Boat Gala. Upwards of 500 people showed up to cheer on the competitors, and there were six fiercely contested race categories: Open, Ladies, A45, Community, Gala and Mixed. “A DB tradition of 30+ years, the DB Dragon Boat Gala is a significant event aimed at unifying the community; it’s designed to bring residents of diverse cultures, age groups and interests together,” says Ernest. “Competing in a sport, or simply watching it, is a powerful bonding mechanism. City Management sets out to help forge these bonds by organising events of this kind. The strength of our community lies in the strength of the connections that we have with each other.” Despite having to be rescheduled due to Typhoon Koinu, DB Dragon Boat Gala 2023 saw 35 local teams participate, and over 80 VIPs were on hand to present awards to the winners. In setting out to engage more residents, CM added many new elements to the 2023 race-day lineup. There was a Row-on Verandah – with handicraft stalls and face-painting booths – to up the family-friendly factor, plus the opportunity for kids to take part in a mini dragon boat race. Live performance art was provided by DB-based sand sculptor Gary Melsom from Sandae, who created a dragon-shaped sculpture using just sand, water and his imagination. Notably too, DB Dragon Boat Gala 2023 was filled with a joyful, carnival-like atmosphere thanks to live performances by DB-based song and dance troupes. These included The Beefy Brothers, The Decibels, YRock, DMR School of Ballet, Island Dance, Goggin Stewart School of Irish Dance, Tumbler Cheerleading Team and RG Pro Gymnastics Team. “DB Dragon Boat Gala 2023 was bigger and better than ever before thanks to all the new elements introduced by City Management,” says Ernest. “We also found a new way to discharge corporate social responsibility and reach out to the wider community by collaborating with Foodsport, a local social enterprise that helps underprivileged Hongkongers through sports events and food donation.” COLLABORATING WITH FOODSPORT Foodsport’s calorie-drive campaign is becoming increasingly well-known across Hong Kong. The idea is that while sport can promote good health, it can also facilitate altruism, providing a way for people to give food to those in need. The concept is surprisingly straightforward: the number of calories burnt by participants in a sport event is calculated by a professional nutritionist and food of equivalent calories is then donated to the underprivileged. CM collaborated with Foodsport for the first time at DB Dragon Boat Gala 2023, setting up the Paddle for a Good Cause campaign. A Foodsport nutritionist calculated that during the dragon boat races, competitors burnt over 1 million calories. Food of equivalent calories was then packaged in DB and donated to 100 Hong Kong families in need. “City Management was delighted to make this donation via Feeding HK, a local charity and food bank that fights hunger, assisting low-income families and the elderly,” Ernest says. “Importantly too, Paddle for a Good Cause was just a first step. We are exploring opportunities to hold more meaningful events in DB in 2024.” The Paddle for a Good Cause food packaging took place on December 14, 2023 at Discovery Bay MultiPurpose Hall. Representatives from CM and Hong Kong Resort were in attendance, alongside local community stakeholders and representatives from Foodsport, Feeding HK, DB's dragon boat teams and S.K.H. Wei Lun Primary School. Since Christmas was just around the corner, CM elected to include festive treats in the food packages to bring additional smiles to the faces of the beneficiaries. DB RECYCLING DAY The second, high-profile CM event held at the end of 2023 was the DB Recycling Day, which brought the community together to protect the environment. Brought back for the first time since the pandemic, on December 2 in DB Plaza, it will be held annually in the years to come, endorsing CM’s focus on longterm eco-friendly living and sustainability. Residents enjoyed a fun and meaningful day with environmental game booths and exhibitions, ecofriendly product demonstrations and the opportunity to learn about different green/ eco topics from CM’s green partners. There was a special focus on all the community-wide initiatives that are already in place to help DBers be kinder to the planet, such as the DB Food Waste Collection Scheme, DB Family Farm Project and Green DBers Programme. “The annual DB Recycling Day serves as a platform for DB residents and stakeholders to share ideas about green living,” Ernest explains. “City Management sets out to update and inform participants about the latest advances in green living in a fun and interesting way. Education is the key to environmental protection and, going forward, the recycling days will continue to serve an educational purpose for all. With waste charging being implemented on April 1, 2024, residents wanted to learn how to avoid having to pay more to dispose of their waste. So, the timing for the 2023 event was ideal. “Building an engagement platform between residents and City Management strengthens and gives coherence to the green living ethos already established within DB,” Ernest adds. “The DB Recycling Day was suspended for a few years due to the pandemic, and we were delighted to bring it back in 2023 on a larger scale with more participants and more activities.” On the day, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) provided a Municipal Solid Waste Charging Exhibition and a Smart Recycling Promotion Vehicle. There was also the opportunity for residents to pose for a photo beside “Big Waster,” the EPD’s mascot designed to promote waste reduction and energy saving in Hong Kong. Environmentally responsible children are springing into action across the planet, so it’s no surprise that local students were well represented at the DB Recycling Day. S.K.H. Wei Lun Primary School students performed an eco-themed show, set 50 years in the future, to encourage viewers to reflect on and improve their eco-actions. And in an impassioned presentation, Discovery College’s Green Cobras shared their mission to promote ecoawareness in the community and among their peers. Further highlights of the DB Recycling Day included a flower and plant market, organic vegetable market (with products from local farms) and a leaf print workshop, where residents had the opportunity to design tote bags decorated with natural-leaf pigment and flower petals. There was a dance performance by DB’s Elderly Fun Day participants, and songs from the adults and kids of DB-based choir Sing for Love. “City Management initiatives are designed to inform residents, while encouraging them to have fun,” Ernest concludes. “We look forward to giving back both to residents and the wider community by providing more events of this kind in 2024.”

Not even a ’tween yet, Anna Sze is DB’s newest, published author, and it’s probably the tip of the iceberg. Elizabeth Kerr reports www.richardgordonphotography.com=">www.richardgordonphotography.com"> Lantau is overflowing with authors. Anna Bella Sze – A.B. Sze – joined the scene in mid-November last year when her first Young Adult fantasy novel, The Lore of the Foe was self-published. There’s one minor detail that sets Anna apart from her peers: she’s 11. To arrive at this Starbucks on a weekday afternoon before Christmas for the first stop on Anna’s publicity tour, for lack of a better word, you have to rewind to when her family arrived in Discovery Bay when she was around five. Her parents, Anita and William (who’ve vanished to do some shopping after setting Anna up at a table), had been working in Beijing and Singapore, but relocated to Hong Kong when Anna’s rare eye disorder, Dissociated Vertical Deviation (DVD), finally demanded surgery. DVD certainly hasn’t gotten in the way of Anna’s life. She jokes about doctors not letting patients leave their office “until they’ve told you something terrible,” and about her vast array of eyewear: three sets of contact lenses and multiple pairs of glasses. And lest you forget she’s 11, she can be a first-rate prankster. “Sometimes, when I don’t notice, my eyes will go in different directions. My friends just say, ‘Your eye…’ but sometimes I can control it, and I’ll do it on purpose to troll people,” she says with a sneaky giggle. She’ll need one final operation when she’s closer to 18, but that’s years away. She’s also aware things could have been much worse had she not gotten a huge hand from her Discovery College Year 1 teacher, Ms Dunn, who kept her current on classes while she had three surgeries. “I’d probably be in Year 5 right now if I didn’t.” Which takes us to Discovery College Year 5, and 10 months of writing. To hear Anna describe it, she started for the fun of it; her earliest career aspirations were in law. But she started making solid narratives out of her daydreams – her words – and her debut novel grew from there. “It wasn’t really a book to start. I was writing and just went with the flow during my free time. I’m not a big planner,” she laughs again. “The characters are based on my friends mostly because I can’t make up names. I forget my daydreams really quickly, so they’re lost if I don’t write them down. I wrote and wrote and my English teacher found out – Mr Steed – and he helped with my grammar and stuff when I first started. He was kind of my editor.” Anna jokes about her lack of planning backing her into a corner. Upon review of one story, she discovered two characters were distant cousins; she has pages upon pages of semi-complete work stored on Google Docs, and she admits to cheating if she finds herself struggling to express something. “I brush it off like it’s not that important.” But don’t think for a second Anna is flailing around aimlessly. Ask her if she’s a good student and she shrugs. “I guess so.” She prefers English and drama, and has some strong views on other subjects. “I don’t believe in history, because it’s written from one person’s perspective. Harrow teaches philosophy so maybe that got me thinking about it. It’s interesting, yes, but it’s hard to believe.” Then she starts talking about books. Regardless of her fondness for writing it, she wonders if her time with high fantasy has passed. She’s bored with Harry Potter and The Hobbit, ironically doesn’t hate historical fiction, but finds romance “cheesy”. “I like layered stories but I find detective stuff quite boring. The reader knows everything but the characters are mindlessly looking for clues. I get frustrated and I want to tell them what to do,” she argues. She’s a fan of science fiction for its connection to the present and complicated stories. “Fantasy takes place in the past when it was all swords and tents. I’d like to change that,” she says, arguing there’s no reason not to have mobile phones and “another level of magic” in the same book, and referring to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians series as an example. Also on her recent reading list is Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone, and Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem. She’s getting pushed out of her room by her books. Which brings us to Starbucks. Currently a boarder at Harrow International School in Tsuen Wan, Anna has no idea how she got in. “I’m in Year 6 again, because my birthday is November 29.” Barely 11, right? She has set her sights on writing as a career, which doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility. Christopher Paolini published Eragon at 15 and he’s still going strong. The Lore of the Foe follows 12-year-old hunter Willow and her companion Prince Solace on their mission to avert a war in Alanoria between mythical griffin-type creatures and human hunters. There’s a magical gem that’s the key to stopping the fight, and all the trappings of solid fantasy. A pair of Amazon reviews called the book graceful, captivating, heartwarming, and a “cool puzzle”. Both marvelled it was written by a 10-year-old. Still, Anna nitpicks over typos, formatting glitches and cover art, but she’s engaged about the publishing process (it took about four months), promotion – and what exactly a trade paperback is. At a time when art that speaks to specific groups is in demand, why not have a book by an 11-year-old for 11-year-olds? Anna’s not so sure, and she’s not sure things will change drastically any time soon. “When I look at the authors on my own book shelf, 25% of them are dead, and almost all the rest are over 30 years old. And I feel awkward writing characters that are older than me. I’m 11! I can do one that’s 12 – or a million years old. The adult characters in The Lore of the Foe are very minor, and most are based on my mom. I know kids,” she pauses. “I don’t know if anyone will take me seriously when I’m 14 or 15.” Until then she plans to concentrate on finishing the semi-sequel novella to The Lore of the Foe and doing some actual planning for her much more ambitious first series (it involves a heist). But what is Anna doing when she’s not at school or writing? “Reading!” she declares, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Okay, so if she’s not at school, writing or reading? “Plotting out characters.” In reality she plays netball, piano and the classical Chinese erhu, and will put in some time on Nintendo or Minecraft. She expects the books will come together during the Christmas break the family, which includes her nine-year-old sister, is taking in Harbin. “I’m visiting my grandmother and my chickens. My sister and I got them in the summer and now they’re huge. They literally play in the snow.” They’ll dabble in the city’s snow festival and do some skating. But Anna’s committed to some serious multi-tasking. “It’s, like, minus 30 degrees up there. I’m going to spend most of the time inside, in the heat, writing, and with my granny.” She does an eye trick and chuckles. “And the chickens.”

Treat your loved ones to some quiet time this Christmas by gifting them a hot cup of cocoa and a slice or two of chocolate bundt cake PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE Serves 6 200g dark chocolate 600ml milk 150ml double cream 6 peppermint candy canes Break the chocolate into chunks and put it in a pan with the milk. Gently heat, stirring until all the chocolate has melted. Continue heating until the milk is steaming, then remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Divide the hot chocolate between 6 mugs, add sugar to taste and hang a candy cane on the edge of each. Pass the mugs round and get everyone to stir their hot chocolate with their candy cane – letting as much of the sweet peppermint dissolve as they choose. CHOCOLATE & ALMOND BUNDT CAKE Serves 12 to 16 180g butter, softened 225g caster sugar ¾ tsp almond extract 180g plain flour 2tsp baking powder 75g ground almonds 3 large eggs 2tbsp milk 3tbsp cocoa powder 100g dark chocolate chips Heat the oven to 180˚C/ fan. Cream the butter and sugar together; stir in the almond extract. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and almonds. Beat one egg at a time into the butter mixture, adding a spoonful of the flour mixture in between. Then fold in the remaining flour mixture and stir in the milk. Finally add the cocoa powder, mixed with 3 tbsp hot water to make a paste, and add the chocolate chips. Pour the mixture into a prepared 1.5-litre bundt tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Dust with a little icing sugar to serve.

Experience an Italian-inspired Winter Wonderland @ Discovery Bay The Christmas decorations and activities provided in DB are traditionally second to none and this year is no exception. We are being treated to a Buon Natale, a Merry Christmas Italian-style, with DB transformed into a Winter Wonderland featuring European-style lighting and decorations, artificial snow and a host of festive programmes and dining options. The festivities began on November 24 with a lighting ceremony, romantic snow spectacle, parades and music and dance performances at DB North Plaza. DECORATIONS ACROSS DB Your European winter journey starts in DB North Plaza where the buildings are hung with over a thousand LED lights to create a dazzling backdrop that is both glamorous and welcoming. Light projections on the ground up the wow factor, providing a perfect space to share unforgettable moments with loved ones. The stand-out decorative feature at DB North is the clock tower, which has been transformed into a 13-metre-high replica of Milan Cathedral, complete with stained glass windows and glittering fairy lights. The stunning set piece is grandly surrounded by 10 pillars and four illumined angels, each three metres tall. A beribboned, six-metre-high Christmas tree stands close by the “cathedral” in an enchanting gondola-shaped base. The magic continues at DB Plaza and D’Deck, where a six-metre-high Christmas tree and eight, two-metre-tall illuminated angels take pride of place. WINING AND DINING ‘Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry and DB is the place to do just that. The restaurants at D’Deck and DB North Plaza are providing a truly international range of festive delicacies with special menus and offers which you can enjoy both indoors and out. Notably, Peony Chinese Restaurant in DB Plaza has a Christmas Set Menu available for lunch and dinner on December 24 and 25. Meanwhile, Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong is pulling out all the stops this Christmas starting with a delightful staycation package, which includes onenight’s hotel stay, breakfast buffet for two, festive dinner buffet for two and the opportunity to attend a Christmas workshop. Further offerings at DB’s celebrated “hidden oasis” include a sumptuous Sunday Brunch at Lounge bord de Mer available throughout December, including Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, plus a Christmas Dinner Buffet at Lounge bord de Mer from December 22 to 31, with Santa in attendance on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. You can also enjoy a two-hour, free-flow drinks package at The Bounty Entertainment & Sports Bar from December 24 to 26, and ring in 2024 at the Auberge’s celebrated Countdown Party on December 31. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Dreaming of a white Christmas? Every weekend through December you can watch simulated snow fall at DB North Plaza from 3pm to 3.10pm and 6pm to 6.10pm. On the lookout for last-minute Christmas gifts? Head to the Christmas markets at DB Plaza on December 10 and 17 from 11am to 6pm. You can expect over 100 local vendors offering a wide array of handmade goods, clothing, household items and Christmas delicacies, plus live music and dance performances. Moreover, kids get the chance to write letters to Santa Claus and receive his reply! This year, DB has also par tnered with the Neighbourhood Advice- Action Council to organise a charity market on December 24 and 26 from 11am to 7pm. Be sure to shop the NAAC Christmas Charity Markets at DB Plaza to assist Hongkongers in need and add an extra dimension of goodwill to the festivities. Into figure-skating? Book your seats for Joyous Christmas on Ice at DB Ice Rink on December 16 and 17. The mesmerising performance gives coaches and students of DB Ice Skating School the opportunity to be in the spotlight and showcase their hard work and dedication. Know too that on December 28 at 3.15pm, you can join a special Santa-themed icepainting workshop at DB Ice Rink. Fancy a festive singsong? Make your way to DB Plaza on December 24 from 7pm to 8pm to join in the Christmas Carolling, and again on December 25 and 26 from 3pm to 5pm for Christmas Busking. And finally, why not give the kids an extra special treat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Take them to DB Plaza from 1pm to 1.30pm or DB North Plaza from 3pm to 3.30pm or 6pm to 6.30pm for a Santa Meet and Greet. This is their chance to grab a photo with Santa and pick up a free Popcorn and Cotton Candy Giveaway. Ho! Ho! Ho! We wish you a Buon Natale! To find out more, visit www.visitdiscoverybay.com . EVENTS AT A GLANCE DECEMBER 10, 11AM TO 6PM | Christmas Market, DB Plaza DECEMBER 16 | Joyous Christmas on Ice, DB Ice Rink DECEMBER 17 | Joyous Christmas on Ice, DB Ice Rink DECEMBER 17, 11AM TO 6PM | Christmas Market, DB Plaza DECEMBER 24, 11AM TO 7PM | NAAC Christmas Charity Market, DB Plaza DECEMBER 24, 7PM TO 8PM | Christmas Carolling, DB Plaza DECEMBER 24, 1PM TO 1,30PM | Santa Meet and Greet, DB Plaza DECEMBER 24, 3PM TO 3.30PM/ 6PM TO 6.30PM | Santa Meet and Greet, DB North DECEMBER 25, 1PM TO 1,30PM | Santa Meet and Greet, DB Plaza DECEMBER 25, 3PM TO 3.30PM/ 6PM TO 6.30PM | Santa Meet and Greet, DB North DECEMBER 25, 3PM TO 5PM | Christmas Busking, DB Plaza DECEMBER 26, 3PM TO 5PM | Christmas Busking, DB Plaza DECEMBER 26, 11AM TO 7PM | NAAC Christmas Charity Market, DB Plaza DECEMBER 28, 3.15PM | Ice-painting Workshop, DB Ice Rink

Translator, editor, finance-pro and now author Flora Qian looks back on her youth in her first novel, South of the Yangtze. Elizabeth Kerr reports www.richardgordonphotography.com=">www.richardgordonphotography.com" &="&" courtesy="courtesy" of="of" Flora="Flora" Qian="Qian"> The revelation that Flora Qian’s father is a retired philosophy professor isn’t really much of a surprise. Her first novel, South of the Yangtze, has just come off the presses but she’s looking fairly relaxed. Sitting in Moojoo near the Discovery Bay ferry pier, she comes off as, for lack of a better word, philosophical about it all. About a lot. “I think writing is essentially building bridges. The urgency to write something often comes from a very lonely place,” Flora begins of what she calls an only-child hobby. “The page becomes the only destination for thoughts that are uncompromised. It’s communicating.” Communicating is something Flora puts a lot of thought into, and she’s confident her novel strikes that fine balance between universality and specificity. The vaguely autobiographical South of the Yangtze won 2022’s Proverse Prize, sponsored and created by longtime DB residents Gillian and Verner Bickley of Proverse Publishing. Its reflective tone about language and identity promises to resonate with Hong Kong readers. THE BACKSTORY Born in Shanghai, Flora studied English literature at Fudan University and got her first gig working in words after graduation, but it was kind of in the blood. “I do have a professor parent… so I was always surrounded by books and a dad who talks a lot about deep questions,” she says with a chuckle. “I worked at a publisher in Shanghai for a little over a year. I was editing and I translated one of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series. I wasn’t terribly excited by my job.” By 2007, Flora was enrolled in a translation programme at Chinese University of Hong Kong. Though armed with an MA in Translation, she wound up working in finance, which connected her with her future husband. In 2014, she went off to do an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Maryland, finishing her degree in her husband’s native Washington DC, while he stayed in Hong Kong for work. After a pit stop in Singapore in 2016, the couple made their way back to the SAR in 2018. The duo lived first in Mid-Levels but made their way to DB when Flora got pregnant with their now two-year-old daughter. “We wanted more space, someplace safe,” Flora explains. “We like it here. When you have a young child, it restricts what you can do. For us a fun activity is just taking a walk. DB is beautiful, the landscape is beautiful and there are a lot of people with kids.” THE NOVEL Flora’s short fiction has appeared in the Asia Literary Review, Eastlit and a few anthologies. While experimenting with short stories, she really dug in for a first draft of South of the Yangtze in 2018. She was inspired by a trip she and her husband took to her ancestral village in Zhejiang Province. “My grandparents came from there. They moved to Shanghai in the 1940s. That trip was quite memorable,” explains Flora. “For my husband it was to get familiar with my culture and for me it was to remember my childhood and some of the folk tales and poetry that were specific to the area.” Flora describes South of the Yangtze as a nostalgic coming-of-age-story set in the 1980s and ’90s about a woman growing up in a fast-evolving China. Following her journey from childhood to her teens, the novel touches on family history and how hard it can be to reconcile, it ponders language and how it impacts everyday life, and finally it interrogates her decision to put her original culture and language in her past. “It’s personal and political. I feel these are hard to separate,” Flora says. “When you look back, the 1980s was only 10 years after the Cultural Revolution. Things were still being built from the ashes,” she adds. “I have a cousin just a few years younger than me who doesn’t realise how much it’s changed. So I wondered if I was the last generation that remembers the poverty, the transition to a market economy and how different it was.” Ask Gillian about Flora’s Proverse Prize win, and she says: “We are delighted that Flora is one of two writers awarded the Proverse Prize 2022 for a booklength previously unpublished work of fiction, nonfiction or poetry, submitted in English. Beginning from the first edition in 2009, we have each year received interesting and individual works as entries for the Proverse Prize and 2022 was no exception. What stood out in Flora’s submission was the interplay of background and personality, and the extremely interesting discussion of how the way we write and read impacts our emotions and thoughts. The world Flora describes is, as she comments, vastly changed. The thoughts of the central character in South of the Yangtze record and help us understand many of the experiences which have shaped a huge number of our fellow human beings.” THE POWER OF LANGUAGE As a translator and literature student – with that philosophical dad – Flora often considers the power and meaning of language, how we use it, how it defines us and our experiences, and how hard it can be to describe those experiences with just one tool at your disposal. It’s one of the reasons she wrote South of the Yangtze in English, even though she’s trilingual. “I think when I first started writing fiction seriously it was in Hong Kong and it was all in English. The writing groups and communities were in English and I found it very liberating. There’s a lot of baggage with Chinese. Whenever I wanted to talk about something original when I was growing up, my father would always give me some quote from the past. And it was never what I meant. So I found writing in a second language made it easier to express myself.” When Flora isn’t running around after a toddler, she’s hiking on her own hidden trail, where she can turn over what she might like to tackle next in her head. An attempt at folk and fairy tales might be in order, stories along the lines of personal favourites Hans Christian Andersen, Oscar Wilde (The Selfish Giant and The Happy Prince), or Frederik van Eeden (Little Johannes). “When I saw the advert for Proverse Prize submissions in Around DB, I had just moved here and was finding out what the community was about,” she says. “When I was accepted, I was delighted: Hong Kong is a good place for me to publish. My main audience is here. In addition, Proverse books are available world-wide, including via Amazon, and distributed by the Chinese University of Hong Kong Press. Proverse has bookshop friends in Canada, Andorra and the UK as well as Hong Kong. For an author, it is a dream come true to be able to reach out to such a broad audience.”

Escape to Bhutan BHUTAN OFFERS A MAGICAL ESCAPE from the chaos of the festive season, inviting you to immerse yourself in its rich culture, pristine natural surroundings and spiritual serenity. Sandwiched between India, Myanmar and China, in the eastern Himalayas, temperatures during winter vary: while high-altitude areas experience snowfall, the lower valleys are sunny but chilly. BEGIN YOUR ADVENTURE by exploring the beautiful towns of Bhutan, where you can enjoy a cup of steaming suja (butter tea), as you wander through the bustling markets. Thimphu’s weekend market attracts vendors from across the region, who fill the market halls and surrounding streets with unique handicrafts. Shop for mandalas, wooden masks, prayer flags, camphor and saffron. THE WARMTH OF BHUTANESE HOSPITALITY is legendary and there’s no better way to experience it than through the flavourful cuisine. You can enjoy a traditional Bhutanese feast with dishes like ema datshi (chilli and cheese stew), locally grown red rice, and phaksha paa (stir-fried pork with chilies and spices), while sipping ara, the local rice wine. TIGER’S NEST MONASTERY (Taktshang Goemba) is one of Bhutan’s most incredible sights, miraculously perched on the side of a sheer cliff, 900 metres above the floor of the Paro Valley. The hike up is well worth the effort, not least for the incredible views. From the monastery, you can follow another trail uphill to Machig-phu Lhakhang chapel, where Bhutanese pilgrims come to pray for children. THE MAJESTIC HIMALAYAN PEAKS create a glorious backdrop for winter adventures. As you hike through Bhutan’s beautiful forests on the Trans Bhutan Trail, the skies are often clear, providing unobstructed views of the snow-capped Himalayas, including Bhutan’s highest peak, the Gangkhar Puensum. Here you can spot rare and globally endangered black-necked cranes, who migrate to Bhutan every winter from the north. LAND OF THE THUNDER DRAGON, as Bhutan is known, is a remarkable place shrouded in legend, folklore and mysticism. The best way to experience the kingdom’s culture and immerse yourself in its traditions is at a temple festival. Most of these festivals are dedicated to Guru Rimpoche – the saint who introduced Bhutan to Buddhism in the early 8th Century. DZONGS ARE EVERYWHERE in Bhutan. These distinctive fortified monasteries are massive in style, with towering exterior walls surrounding a complex of courtyards, temples, administrative offices and monks’ accommodation. Punakha Dzong is arguably the most picturesque, located on the banks of two rivers – the Pho Chhu (Male) and Mo Chhu (Female) – in Bhutan’s Punakha Valley.

Capture the magic of a classic holiday season by following Jane Clyde’s stylish and totally doable decorating tips For me the holidays have always started on December 1, when the Christmas tree goes up and the box of decorations comes out. The nostalgia kicks in immediately, as I’ve had some of the baubles, stars and santas in my collection since I was a child. What I like to do is use memorabilia that I’ve inherited from Christmases past to decorate my home in new and novel ways each year. For most of us, a good holiday decor is built on tradition – there’s the (sustainably sourced) tree, a couple of themed centrepieces, candles and a wreath or two. But when working with these staples, you don’t have to play it safe. Meaning you don’t have to create the exact same atmosphere or look from year to year. One of the top decorating themes for Xmas 2023 is “excess”: glamorous, glitzy and big on bling, it’s as decadent as can be. Tr y that if you want, but to me it’s more interesting to go the other way. Rather than piling on the gold and silver, and going totally over the top with tinsel and streamers, why not simplify, get innovative and style up? GET STARTED Before you jump to any conclusions, this won’t take the fun out of holiday decorating. Far from it! The plan is to set up just a few, key focal points and really make them sing. As a starting point, remove as many year-round decor items as you can. By so doing you’ll create space, on shelves and side tables, for seasonal displays. And as a bonus, when you reinstate your everyday ornaments on January 6 (Twelfth Night), you’ll find that you appreciate them all the more. Step two: decide on a two-tone colour scheme and stick to it, religiously. You may find, for instance, that most of the pieces in your box of decorations are red. If that’s the case, pack away the lone purple bauble and the single strand of gold tinsel, and limit your holiday decorating to red plus one other colour. Red with white or lime-green, and Barbie-pink with silver are trendy colour combinations for the 2023 holidays. But, basically anything goes. Step three: choose a theme, aiming to work with what you have as far as possible. If your aim this year is to simplify, it follows that you won’t want to buy many new pieces. Christmas decorations can bring in an element of serenity that may otherwise be absent during the holiday season. So whatever theme you choose, be conservative with the number of decorations you put in a room. GET CREATIVE It’s not what you display but how you display it that counts, so achieving the look you want relies on your own creativity. Let’s say you’re into vintage: you can raid your box of decorations for old favourites, and pick up a few new, trad-style items at a craft fair. Just remember, the look you’re aiming for is classic and elegant, not fussy and old fashioned. Take the opportunity to add a chic gilt-framed mirror to your “vintage Christmas collection”: you can hang it on a wall or place it on a table to create an innovative base for a holiday display. For something more up-to-the-minute, why not suspend oversized baubles from a low-hung light fixture, or style up with a couple of miniature trees instead of the usual, 6-foot Douglas Fir? Another ontrend option is to add a pop of black (in the form of trendy chevron ribbons, or tapered candles) to create the “wow” factor. By doing things a little differently, you will introduce a touch of much-needed whimsy to your holiday decor. With this in mind, simple seasonal stickers are a good option, providing a fuss-free way to dress up a wall and create a chic focal point. Modern stickers peel off easily, so you won’t have to repaint your walls after the holidays. DIY Christmas decorations add a personal touch, and the whole family can get involved in the creative process. You’re ahead of the game if you saved last year’s Christmas cards and wrap, as these can be used to make anything from paper lanterns to baubles. Simple paperchains add a fun retro twist; and you can make Christmas tree decorations out of just about anything – dried orange slices, for instance, look good hung on bits of string with fairy lights behind them. GET ON SANTA’S NICE LIST Christmas is inarguably one of the most unsustainable times of the year but by opting for a more ecoconscious decor, you’re guaranteed to make the “nice” list – Santa promises that. Decorating with pieces already in your possession will win you Brownie points (and reduce your carbon footprint), as will making your own. And if you simply can’t live without some brand-new Xmas bling, be sure to shop ethical and local. Your aim is to decorate your home with goodquality, eco-friendly products that are fairly traded and ethically sourced. Many of the items you find in malls come from overseas, and the impact of their transportation contributes to greenhouse emissions and global warming. So, make the effort to hunt down Christmas decorations at local boutiques and craft fairs. For a range of products made by Lantaubased artisans, head to the Handmade Hong Kong Market in DB Plaza on December 10 and the Treasure Island Christmas Market at Pui O Beach on December 17. Another hack to ensure your holiday decor is low impact? Invest in Christmas tree lights that can be run on a timer or controlled digitally with an app. You want your home to look festive but it doesn’t need to be blazing away 24/7. And while you’re at it, rethink (plastic) tinsel, it may transport you back to childhood but it’s tacky, and landfills are loaded with it. Without doubt, there’s something about an earthfriendly Christmas that harks back to a bygone era. It’s time to skip the mall, think practical and put items you already own to new uses. Repurposing makes sense on many levels: it’s always satisfying to work with what you have, and it cuts costs. You could, for instance, style up a couple of glass vases that you use every day with the simple addition of Christmas baubles and candles. With all this repurposing and crafting, you’ll feel justified in splashing out on a few fashionable yet timeless decor items. One or two well-chosen statement pieces go a long way. Woodland holiday themes are bang on trend, as are retro designs, complete with candy canes and sprigs of pine. Key additions to your scheme this year might also include muted chrome candlesticks, jewel-toned glassware and a frosted Christmas tree. Enjoy decking your halls!

Discovery Bay Services Management Limited (City Management) is bringing back the annual Discovery Bay Recycling Day, the first after the pandemic, on Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 11am to 5pm at DB Piazza. You can look forward to a fun and meaningful day with environmental game booths and exhibitions, eco-friendly product demonstrations and the opportunity to learn about different green/ eco topics from City Management's green partners. There’ll be a special focus on all the community-wide initiatives that are in place to help us be kinder to the planet, such as the DB Food Waste Collection Scheme, DB Family Farm Project and Green DBers Programme. You can also expect live music and dance performances, plus a lucky draw. Save the date: December 2, 2023Find out more: Dynamic DB Facebook page and Instagram

A frustrated God reaches down to Peter Sherwood for answers You may be familiar with my unsolicited chats with God. When He’s on a rant I seem to cop it. I don’t badger Him for the winning numbers of the trifecta at Happy Valley, or a fat-free version of Sydney’s 1,048-calorie dessert “The Cannoli Bazooka,” so why me? It’s puzzling how an omnipotent being can get so neurotic. The latest tirade came on Sunday morning and reverberated off the balcony with a boom; loud enough for the neighbours to gossip about “that psycho nut muttering to God again,” but I feel bound to respond or risk a million volts rendering me a cinder in the pot plant. Lately, it’s all about the 21st century and so-called “progress”. He’s become a reactionary technophobe, whining about how it’s not like the good old days; electric cars replacing camels, people talking business on shiny screens instead of having a good old haggle in the bazaar. Too risky to interject, so I suck it up. I suggested He might refrain from the interminable expostulation and got a tongue-lashing for using pretentious language: “Keep it simple, Sherwood,” he said. “You’re not Shakespeare, but you do get published, so tell the world I’m not happy.” Gee God, you hang out in churches and temples, you tell them. “Don’t be insolent or I’ll…” OK, OK, I’m sorry. “People are always pleading so I closed the answering service 3,000 years ago. Too much work when I’m trying to take it easy after creating the universe and all. Between you and me I could use a week or two at a Thai spa. So, listen up: someone is trying to take over.” Who? “Hang on, I’ve got it written on this clay tablet… his name is A… something. He’s trying to organise Earth with ice-cold ruthlessness and a lack of compassion.” Putin? “Don’t be silly, it starts with A.” Alphonse Capone? “That thug was ages ago and I got the tax people to nail him, you know, make law enforcement look good.” Someone more powerful than you, God?! “Well, not yet, but it’s a worry; if you lot stop believing I’m out of a job.” Albert, Alan? Give me a hint. “He makes everything happen automatically, with brutal efficiency, removing all the unpredictability I created for your dreary existence to be a bit more Disney. He’s making me look bad.” I don’t know, God. Down here once you’ve established a reputation it tends to stick. I mean, look at Trump. “Don’t blaspheme or I’ll…” OK God, whatever you say. “Maybe it’s on my Facebook page.” You’re on Facebook, God?! “Well, it’s for old people these days.” But I thought you were anti- technology. “Facebook’s not technology, ask the 20-somethings. It’s Stone-Age stuff.” OK, message me then. “I can’t do that, we’re not Friends.” Geez, God, we’re buddies enough for you to yell at me. No need to go off in high dudgeon. “There you go again. What did I tell you about fancy words? But hang on, I know, I know… sounds like Gomorrah, Gotham. No, don’t tell me. It’s, it’s… Al Gorithm!” Aiiiiiiiiiahhhh… Peter Sherwood has lived in DB for 20+ years. The former head of an international public relations firm, he is the author of 15 books and has written around 400 satirical columns for the South China Morning Post .

What’s the polite way to behave when you’re out and about with local friends? And how do you make sure no one loses face? Have you ever felt uncouth or disrespectful when meeting a Chinese person for the first time, or even in the company of good Chinese friends? If you have, here are some quick takeaways for you. HOW TO MEET AND GREET You can’t be too polite when greeting a Chinese friend. Always nod or shake hands and say hello. But don’t bow... we Chinese only bow when we pay respect to our ancestors. And don’t shake hands too firmly. If the handshake is too firm, it feels hostile and can be read as a sign of aggression, so don’t be surprised if Chinese women in particular shake hands very softly. We Chinese are taught to be par ticularly respectful towards older people, and so we never call them by their given name – that would be considered rude or weird. You address someone senior by their family name plus Mr or Ms, or by their honorific title (for instance, Teacher). If you are greeting a group of people, address the eldest person first to show respect. Westerners like to hug and kiss when they meet but again this is considered inappropriate by the Chinese. Such overwhelming friendliness can make us feel uncomfor table. It’s best to avoid any body contact apart from a simple (soft) handshake, especially when meeting people for the first time. Once a relationship has been established, a Chinese friend may choose to kiss or hug you when you meet, then of course it’s OK to follow their lead. Lastly, if you’ve arranged to meet a Chinese friend at a certain time make an effort to be punctual. Being on time is a sign of respect and considered a virtue in China, much as it is in the West. Just don’t show up too early! If your Chinese friend arrives later than you, she will be embarrassed about having kept you waiting. Equally, if you turn up for a lunch date ahead of time, you will seem uncouth because you’re giving the impression that you’re hungry and desperate to eat. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT As for conversation, particularly with new Chinese friends or acquaintances, there’s a lot of etiquette to adhere to – and subjects to be avoided. We Chinese are just as proud, if not prouder, of our country as Westerners are of theirs, so criticisms don’t go down well. Unless you have something positive to say, avoid talking about politics, state leaders, recent history and issues concerning the environment and population. Above all, keep calm and don’t get upset, no matter what’s under discussion. Raising your voice or getting angry is considered a loss of face in Asian culture, and China’s no exception. For this reason, you’ll seldom see a Chinese friend shouting or getting frustrated in public – to do so would create a “losing face situation” for everyone involved, and draw unnecessary attention. Surprisingly, when conversing with Chinese friends, it’s OK to get personal! It’s acceptable to ask questions about a friends’ marital status, family, age, job or income as this is seen as a way to find common ground and keep a conversation going. If this level of intimacy makes you feel uncomfortable, let your friend know – there’s no need to answer every question you are asked. Speaking of intimacy, it’s important not to be too familiar when chatting with Chinese friends. Don’t compliment your friend’s wife by saying, “You look beautiful!” Instead, you can say, “Wow, I hear your job is really high powered,” or “I love your cooking; it’s absolutely delicious.” By the same token, if you are meeting Chinese friends together with your partner or spouse, avoid public displays of affection. Hugging and kissing your partner in public is still a taboo in Chinese culture. GIFT GIVING There are lots of do’s and don’ts surrounding the giving of gif ts that you need to be aware of. The most common situations for gift-giving are at festivals, weddings and birthdays. It’s also appropriate to give a gift to express gratitude or to return a favour, and when you are visiting friends at home or in hospital. Be sure to give your gift with both hands – it would be impolite not to do so. And don’t be surprised if your Chinese friend refuses your gift a number of times before accepting it; this is another norm born out of politeness. Gently press your gift on your host but once she has accepted it, don’t ask her to unwrap it. It’s considered polite in Chinese culture to wait to open gif ts until your guests have left. The most important thing to know in presenting a gift is that it’s your intention that matters. As the saying goes: “A goose feather sent from thousands of miles away is a present little in size but rich in meaning.” With this in mind, you should choose and purchase a gift that’s in line with your own financial situation – if you give a lavish gift that the recipient knows you can’t really afford, he will feel embarrassed. Face will be lost on both sides. Small gifts like a book, chocolates or perfume, will be well received. Flowers are always appreciated but take care with white flowers – they are only given at funerals. When congratulating an elderly person on his birthday, Chinese evergreen is an appropriate gift as it symbolises health and long life. Newly-weds will appreciate a gift of 99 roses as it represents everlasting love. Always avoid gifting sharp objects because they symbolise the severing of relationships, and don’t gift anything with the number four on it (like a clock), because we Chinese associate the number four with death. The word “four” and the word “death” sounds alike when spoken, so four is an unlucky number and giving a gif t related to four is quite a bad curse. As an aside, at a Chinese wedding or during Chinese New Year always give red lai-see packets. When you are deciding how much cash to put inside, go with multiples of six, eight or nine, never four. This is because six stands for everything going well, eight for prosperity and nine longevity. When wrapping gifts for Chinese friends, choose a brightly coloured wrap – ideally red. Avoid black or white wrapping paper because black and white are associated with death and funerals. And never write a thank you note in red ink. Chinese teachers write in red ink when they correct students’ homework – it’s a symbol of criticism. It’s also traditionally used to convey bad news, for instance in a breakup letter. So just remember that red is good for just about everything (lai-see packets, flowers, gift wrap, thank you cards) but not ink!

Experience the Erongo! REPORTING BY Kayli Liebenberg ON THE REMOTE SOUTHWEST COAST of Africa, Namibia is home to some of the world’s most diverse and distinctive landscapes: base yourself in the Erongo Region to explore endless expanses of deserts, mountains, canyons and savannas. The Erongo is an incredible (and incredibly underrated) wildlifewatching area, and it contains some of Southern Africa’s finest prehistoric rock art and engravings. NAMIBIA GAINED INDEPENDENCE in 1990, and before that it was known as German South West Africa. The coastal town of Swakopmund, a fourhour drive from Windhoek, the capital of the Erongo, is a must-see, sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and Namib Desert. With its old-colonial German architecture and seaside promenades, it’s a slightly surreal colonial remnant with lashings of charm. THE WORLD’S LARGEST QUARTZ CRYSTAL cluster was discovered in 1985 in the Erongo, at the Otjua Mine near Karibib. It weighs an impressive 14,100 kg and was found at the bottom of a 45-metre-deep cave. You can view it at the Kristall Galerie in Swakopmund, before shopping for your own tumbled semi-precious crystals to take home. ERINDI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE, one hour’s drive from Swakopmund, boasts an impressive variety of wildlife, including the Big Five. The reserve features luxurious accommodation options, and its dedicated team works tirelessly to ensure the longterm sustainability of the local wildlife population. AMAZING SEALIFE AWAITS YOU in Walvis Bay, just 30 minutes’ drive from Swakopmund. It’s a pleasant coastal town, Namibia’s largest, with a charming, modern waterfront. You can take a cruise for guaranteed sightings of dolphins, seals, sunfish and pelicans. Visit during June or November and you might just spot some whales. THE TOWERING GRANITE PEAKS of the Spitzkoppe, that stretch 1,728 metres above sea level, are one of the Erongo’s most visited tourist attractions. Popular activities here in the Namib Desert include camping, stargazing and rock climbing. The peaks were formed 130 million years ago, and are known as the Matterhorn of Namibia. THE SKELETON COAST, which extends 500 kilometres between Swakopmund and the Angolan border, has long been a graveyard for unwary sailors, and it’s littered with century-old shipwrecks. Venture to the so-called End of the Earth and you’ll likely find yourself alone save for the occasional surfer or dune-driving adrenaline junky.

Winning recipe: Vegan Carrot Cake Daughter & Daddy Duo: Stanley Clark & Tim Clark 250g plain all-purpose flour 1tsp baking powder 1tsp baking soda 2tsp ground cinnamon 1tsp ground nutmeg 300g light brown sugar 260g carrot, grated 2tbsp finely ground flaxseed meal 120ml canola or vegetable oil 1tsp vanilla extract 1tbsp apple cider vinegar 100g chopped walnuts (optional) For the icing: 480g icing sugar 110g vegan butter 1tsp vanilla extract 1tsp apple cider vinegar 2-3tbsp fresh lemon juice Preheat your oven to 180°C fan. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and ½ tsp salt. Mix together. Add the sugar and carrot, and mix well. Next, prepare your “flax eggs” by adding 2 tbsp finely ground flaxseed meal to a bowl with 6tbsp hot water. Let it sit for a minute to become gloopy. Add the flax eggs, oil, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar and walnuts to the mixing bowl. Mix everything together. Divide the batter evenly between 2 prepared 7-inch cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of one of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare your lemon buttercream icing. Add the icing sugar, vegan butter, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice to a bowl. Beat together thoroughly. Finally, ice the cake – use roughly one-third of the icing in the middle and two-thirds on top – and decorate the top and sides with additional chopped walnuts. 1st Runner Up: Pineapple & Nut Mooncakes Sister & Brother team: Elaine Huang & Joseph Huang 200g plain flour 140g inverted sugar syrup 30g oil For the filling: 2 pineapples 100g dried fruits 100g nuts and seeds 1 egg yolk Preheat your oven to 180˚C fan. Mix the plain flour, inverted sugar syrup and oil together. Knead the dough for 2 minutes and then keep it in wrapping film for 3 hours. For the mooncake filling, use 2 pineapples to make 300g pineapple jam: cook the pineapple flesh for around 1 hour until the flesh becomes jam. Fold the dried fruits (raisins, dried peach etc.) nuts and seeds (sunflower seeds and chestnut etc.) into the jam. Next mould the 10 mooncakes, each weighing 50g – 20g skin dough and 30g filling. Brush the top side of the mooncakes with egg yolk. Bake for 15 minutes. 2nd Runner Up: Carrot, Beetroot, Apple & Ginger Cake Buddies: Liza Avelino & Daisy Eugenio 250g plain flour 2tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 1tsp ground cinnamon 5 whole cloves, freshly ground ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated 200g light brown sugar 200ml sunflower oil 3 large free-range eggs 250g carrot, beetroot, apple & ginger, grated 85g dried mixed fruits 100g mixed nuts, chopped 2-3tbsp fresh orange juice For the frosting: 110g butter, softened 100g icing sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract 300g cream cheese Preheat your oven to 180˚C/ 160˚C fan. Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices and ½ tsp sea salt together in a medium sized bowl. Add the sugar and stir until combined, breaking up any lumps with your fingertips. Add the oil and eggs to the dry mixture and beat well. Fold in the carrot, beetroot, apple, ginger, dried fruits and nuts, adding enough fresh orange juice to make a soft batter consistency. Divide the mixture evenly between 2 prepared 8-inch cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before unmoulding. To prepare the frosting, cream together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the cream cheese until combined. Using a palette knife, spread a third of the frosting over the top of 1 cooled cake, top with the other cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top (and sides, if you want). Decorate the cake as desired.