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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.

Richly flavoured with herbs and spices, these classic Moroccan dishes will tantalise your tastebuds and are best eaten together ROAST RACK OF LAMB WITH MOROCCAN SPICES Serves 2 2tbsp olive oil 1tbsp harissa paste ¼ tsp cumin ¼ tsp turmeric ¼ tsp paprika ¼ tsp ground coriander 10g flatleaf parsley, chopped ½ small lemon, juice only 1 rack of lamb (6-8 cutlets) Preheat the oven to 220˚C. Mix the olive oil with the harissa, then add the cumin, turmeric, paprika, coriander, parsley, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Stir well. Next, sit the lamb in a roasting tray, season well, then spread the spice mix over the surface of the meat. Roast for 15-20 minutes for rare to medium, 25 minutes for well done. Put the lamb on a warmed plate and leave it to rest for 5 minutes. Slice it in half to give 3-4 cutlets each, then cut in half again. Serve with couscous salad (see overleaf) and a spoonful of Greek yogurt. TANGY COUSCOUS SALAD Serves 2 100g couscous 220g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 100ml vegetable stock 3tbsp olive oil 10g flatleaf parsley, chopped 1 satsuma, juice only ¼ tsp ground allspice 10g fresh mint, chopped ½ red onion, finely chopped 50g flaked almonds, toasted Tip the couscous and chickpeas into a bowl and pour over the stock. Cover and leave for 5-10 minutes until the couscous has absorbed the stock. Break the couscous up with a fork and set aside to cool. Add the olive oil, parsley, satsuma juice, allspice, mint and onion to the couscous and stir well. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds to serve.

A multi-hyphenate well-versed in the finer things, Franco Savadori’s instincts led him to Discovery Bay and his next chapter as a dealer in fine art. Elizabeth Kerr reports PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com It’s late-morning in ifc Mall and Franco Savadori is lounging, as much as you can, in Starbucks. He’s easy to spot in the crowd, with his silver-white hair and funky graphic print shirt. It’s also easy to see how Franco came to dealing in art. He’s gregarious and literate, a story for every little comment; the picture of a life well-lived. Though a resident of Discovery Bay for two years, he’s been in Hong Kong for 11, first laying down roots in Peng Chau with a musician buddy Franco Valussi, the saxophonist who made a name for himself playing at Ned Kelly’s in TST. It was Valussi who told him to bypass Hong Kong Island. “It was like being 20 years old again,” Franco recalls with chuckle. “Then in 2015 both of us happened to get married, so of course we went our separate ways. He went back to Italy four years ago. After years at Ned Kelly’s it was time. That kind of musician’s life catches up.” ZAO WOU-KI AND BEYOND Born in Trieste, in the northeastern corner of Italy, in 1961, Franco’s run the career gamut, from musician himself to, now, art dealer. A percussionist trained at the Conservatorio Musicale Giuseppe Tartini, he performed in Europe with leading orchestras before deciding he didn’t quite have the chops. After that, in no particular order, he called himself a writer, restaurateur (with bars and restaurants in Gorizia, about 35 kilometres from Trieste), sommelier – he swears by an inexpensive Valenician white from 759 – autodidact gallery owner (in Udine) and art dealer. Franco is founder and curator of Classic Fine Art (www.classicfinearthk.com).In 2006 he found a partner in Alberto Annesi, and together they started curating and dealing art. Franco was in his hospitality phase at the time, and like many do now, he combined his fine dining establishments with gallery aesthetics and displayed art. Their first sale was to a German regular to the restaurant who asked about a purchase. “That was a signal,” Franco says. “I’ve always been driven by instinct and intuition and I’ve always listened to it. It’s worked out so far.” There was some good fortune to go with that instinct. Around 2007, Alberto stumbled upon a painting – which they authenticated – by Slovenia painter Zoran Mušič, famed for his drawings of life in Dachau. They picked it up for US$5,000 and struck an agreement with the seller, who had just been bequeathed a trove of 40 or 50 other artworks by a wealthy collector. It was just the kind of foundational material they needed, and the collection also included a few pieces by Chinese-French artist Zao Wou-ki. “When we started out, we were the only dealers of Zao in Italy,” Franco explains. “No one really knew who he was. But then we realised Hong Kong was turning into a strong art market so we started to make regular trips, in 2009, 2010, 2011. Every time we made a new connection, and eventually we decided this was a good place to work from.” CURATOR FOR GEORGE WONG It was in 2012 that Franco made the leap to relocate permanently. He was having recurring dreams about selling art in China, he and Alberto agreed that Italy was changing in a way that didn’t suit them, and a relationship ended tragically. “For me that was a clear signal too; when you realise something is ending,” he says. “So we came here and we found George Wong.” Wong, the renowned private collectortycoon-philanthropist, who founded Parkview Art and who the duo curated for starting in 2013. Their knowledge of European masters was unique and Franco recalls Hong Kong supporting that knowledge, which led to the founding of Classic Fine Art. The firm focuses on European art from the mid-19th century to 1930: a rich period that covers the Impressionists, the Expressionists, Cubism and Dada, and artists such as Monet, Degas, Matisse, Munch, Van Gogh and Picasso. Along with new professional horizons came new personal ones. A bachelor until 54, Franco met his eventual wife in 2014. “She’s from Beijing and we are very different in the way we think,” he laughs. “But it works. We do have a lot in common.” Like an appreciation for nature, which Franco was pleasantly surprised to find so much of when he first got to Hong Kong, and particularly now in DB. BLUE CHIP SELLER When Franco says he works that doesn’t mean he’s wheeling and dealing all day. Selling an artwork like the ones he does is a long, complex process that sometimes, after years, doesn’t even happen. He describes a current client, who’s looking for a specific artist, in a specific style, in a specific size. It’s rare, and when you’re talking about work that’s no longer coming off the assembly line, the market is limited. Luckily, Franco has a solid circle of connections that usually get the job done and a patient clientele willing to wait for their dream piece; less investors than simply art lovers. “With a great deal of modern art, we’re no longer talking about the intrinsic value of the art; we’re talking about it as a phenomenon. There is a concerted effort to monetise and commercialise it. Few work like the old masters,” he theorises, before pointing out that contrary to popular belief, an artist doesn’t need to be dead to be “worth” anything. “People forget that Picasso was famous while he was alive because he changed his form five times. Dali and Magritte were famous because they connected dreams with surrealism and psychology. Bacon was famous for his strength in the face of psychopathy.” Monet and Picasso are high value because they’re so-called brand names (don’t get Franco started on marketing). But plenty of “minor masterpieces” are out there, waiting to be found. And like wine, there is value at all price points, Franco explains. Not everything that’s worthy is necessarily HK$100 million, and value is more often than not a personal metric, one that shifts and changes along with us. “Picasso said art is the best mirror of ourselves. Nowadays we study neuroscience and why we have emotional responses to things. But artwork has that deep impact and we often don’t quite understand why. It’s emotional, and this is the core of art,” Franco finishes. “It’s a representation of life. We change and we grow, but it still tells us about ourselves. That’s what Picasso meant by a mirror.”

All roads lead to Rome WHEN IN ROME, you’ll want to get a feel for the ancient city. Visit Palatine Hill to see where the emperors and aristocracy lived, and the Roman Forum – the site of elections, processions and criminal trials – for an insight into day-to-day Roman life. The Pantheon is Rome’s best preserved ancient monument, with the largest unreinforced, concrete dome in the world. A GREAT PLACE FOR PEOPLE WATCHING, the elegant, butterflyshaped Spanish Steps feature in Roman Holiday (1953), The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) and the Bob Dylan song When I Paint My Masterpiece. There are 135 steps – don’t mistake the slightly elevated drainage system for the first step – linking Spanish Square below with Trinità dei Monti church above. BUILT WHERE THE ANCIENT ROMANS went to watch the “games,” ovalshaped Piazza Navona is Rome’s largest “square.” Today, it’s a centre for openair cafes and seasonal fairs, lively with painters, fortune tellers and street performers. It’s best known for its jawdropping Baroque fountains: Fountain of the Four Rivers, Fountain of the Moor and Fountain of Neptune. ORIGINALLY THE 17TH CENTURY ESTATE of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, Villa Borghese is set in a lovely 80-hectare park, with naturalistic landscaped gardens arranged in the English style. The onsite art gallery, housing the Borghese’s private art collection, boasts paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian, as well as sculptures by Bernini. IN THE COLOSSEUM, which used to seat 50,000, you can walk in the footsteps of emperors, and explore the underground complex, where gladiators prepared themselves for battle. If this speaks to your imagination, sign up at the Roman Gladiator School, which offers classes for children as well as adults. Visit www.gruppotoricoromano.it . NO ONE IS EVER PREPARED FOR the size and magnificence of St Peter’s Square, St Peter’s Basilica (the largest church in the world), or the Vatican Museum, which is over 14.4 kilometres long. The Renaissance wow-factor carries through to Michelangelo’s glorious Sistine Chapel, and its world-famous frescoes. To book your place at Pope Francis’ weekly audience, visit www.citywonders.com . NO TRIP TO ROME IS COMPLETE without a glimpse of the outrageously Baroque Trevi Fountain. Arguably the best-loved fountain in the city, every night about HK$28,000 is swept up from its basin, and donated to needy families in Rome. What makes visitors to the Trevi Fountain so charitable? Throw a coin into the water and, legend has it, you’ll be sure to return to Rome.

Halloween treats that little witches and wizards can help to make MUMMY JALAPEÑO POPPERS Makes 20 4 slices bacon, chopped 190g cream cheese 180g cheddar cheese, finely grated 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, finely grated 10 large jalapeños Crescent rolls, refrigerated 1 large egg, beaten 10 black olives, halved Preheat the oven to 200°C. Fry the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Remove any excess oil and combine, in a bowl, with 170g cream cheese, the cheddar, scallions, garlic and a pinch of salt. Halve the jalapeños lengthwise with the stem intact, and remove the seeds. Fill each half with the cream cheese mixture. Unroll the crescent rolls and cut into 10 strips. Wrap each jalapeño half with two of the strips. Arrange the jalapeños on a prepared baking tray. Brush the tops of the strips with the beaten egg. Bake until golden brown and the filling is hot, 13 to 18 minutes. Use the remaining cream cheese to form the mummies’ “eyes,” and finish with olive “pupils”. SPOOKY GHOST PRETZEL RODS Makes 12 450g white chocolate 1 bag pretzel rods 1 tube black decorating gel Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the white chocolate over a low heat. Once melted, pour into a tall drinking glass. Dip the pretzel rods into the chocolate and place on the baking tray. Refrigerate to allow the chocolate to harden. Once the chocolate is hard, remove the pretzels from the fridge and draw a “face” on each using the black gel. You can store the ghost pretzels at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to three weeks.

You can slurp and burp as much as you like in a dai pai dong but don’t be deceived, at a Chinese banquet or corporate dinner, you’ll be judged on your table manners. Ray Au has the lowdown In traditional Chinese culture, sharing a meal with someone is more than socialising, rather it’s a way to honour guests (and host), strengthen bonds between friends and make connections in the world of business. Thus, expats need to take formal Chinese dining as seriously as any company meeting; the manner in which you conduct yourself during a meal will be used to judge you in other aspects of life. Here are some basic rules to follow. LET’S BE SEATED The seating arrangement is probably the most important part of Chinese dining etiquette, and for this reason the host arrives in advance to lead everyone to their seats. You should allow your host to tell you where to sit. Be sure to formally introduce yourself to your fellow guests. In general, when seated at a round table, the guest of honour faces the entrance with his back to the wall. The most notable guests are seated nearest the guest of honour and the host. The “least important” person sits closest to the entrance, directing and communicating with the waiters. Toasts are common during Chinese banquets, with the first being made by the host and the second by the guest of honour. Personalised toasts are then made around the table, so be prepared for your moment in the spotlight. TIME TO ORDER Tea is served as soon as you sit down in a restaurant, while you consult the menu. After filling everyone’s cup, the waiter leaves the teapot on the table, guests then serve themselves, and each other. We use both hands when we offer someone tea – hold the handle with one hand and the bottom of the cup with the other hand. When someone pours tea into your cup, tap the table with your first two fingers two or three times – this is a way of saying thank you. The pourer will stop pouring when seeing this gesture, since it indicates that you have had enough. Table tapping is also a way to signal to your waiter that the teapot needs refilling. Although guests are encouraged to look at the menu and say what they would like to eat, it is the host who places the order. Expect him to be very solicitous and ask questions like, “Is there any food that you don’t eat?” “Which dishes do you like?” “Would you like me to order more?” If your host insists you order a dish, choose an inexpensive one that everyone is likely to enjoy. Remember that when dining formally, we seldom order individual plates of food – dishes are placed in the centre of the table for everyone to share. THE MAIN EVENT At the beginning of a formal Chinese meal, you will be offered a wet towel on which to wipe your hands, don’t use this to mop your face. If you are going to eat shellfish, chicken or fruit, you will also be given a small bowl of water – don’t drink it, use it to wash your fingers. Note that the rice bowl is for your food; the small plate is for bones, seeds and other scraps that you find inedible. In the West, people rest their plates on the table and bring the food to their mouths with a fork; we Chinese pick up our rice bowl, bring it close to our mouths, bend over the table, and eat facing the bowl. You pick up your bowl with your thumb on the mouth of the bowl, your first, middle and third finger support the bottom of the bowl and your palm is empty. Try not to be the first to start eating, and always wait for your host to say, “Let’s eat,” before you begin. When helping yourself to the shared dishes, you should take food from the plates in front of you rather than those in the middle of the table or in front of others. You are free to fill your bowl yourself but you should also take the initiative and fill the bowls of those around you. Be sure to use the serving spoons or serving chopsticks provided – not your chopsticks. If fellow guests add food to your bowl, always express your thanks. As often as not, a Lazy Susan will be provided to make the sharing of dishes easier. Before you spin the “turntable” (very gently), check to see that no one is in the process of serving themselves from a shared plate. If you can, sample a lit tle of each dish and don’t be surprised if your host continually asks you to eat more, and try everything. At the end of the meal, be sure to leave a small amount of food in your bowl to honour your host’s generosity. Never empty your bowl – this would imply your host has not provided enough to eat. LEAVING THE TABLE A formal Chinese meal can last three hours or more and you should try to stay the distance. But if you decide to leave early, quietly inform those seated beside you (don't say goodbye to everyone at the table), and then make your excuses to your host. You need to apologise to your host without taking up too much of his time – keep him talking for too long and he would be forced to neglect his other guests. Things get complicated when it comes to paying the bill. As an invited guest you must show that you are willing to pay – you need to ask to do so several times – but you will always be refused. The bill has to be paid by the host eventually, otherwise he will lose face.

Ahead of the eighth edition of the HLG Kart Race on November 25, Ray Robertson sits down with founder Jean-François Harvey to get the lowdown on the event and some advice for the thrill-seeking young competitors Conceived by Jean-François Harvey of Harvey Law Group, the HLG Kart Race has quickly grown from a small community event into one of the most anticipated races in Discovery’s Bay’s packed racing calendar. The first race in October 2015 attracted over 20 competitors. The most recent race in October 2022, saw 52 children, aged 7 to 12, vying for trophies. Last year, 156 trials and qualifying races were held over the course of the day (220 one-on-one races in total) and Jean-Francois is hoping for an even stronger turnout in November. So how did the first race in October 2015 come about? “We were looking for a way to give back to the community at large,” Jean-François explains. “I finally hit upon the idea of a kart race because there is something about kart racing that’s so familiar, so simple. So many of us have good memories of it. Also, it’s not typical, so people are interested.” RULES OF ENGAGEMENT There’s no doubt that Montreal-born Jean-François’ passion has struck a chord in DB, and after a strong start in 2015, interest called for two events in 2016. That same year, an improved brake system, devised by the event’s main sponsor Milwaukee, allowed Jean-François to lower the participant age to seven years old from the previous edition’s eight. In 2022, he took things a step fur ther by doing away with the handbrake and fitting all karts with a pedal brake instead. “In previous years, kids were having problems using the handbrake, particularly at corners when they didn’t want to take one hand off the wheel to slow down,” Jean François explains. “Now we have a pedal brake system that should solve this problem, meaning more competitors will make it to the finish.” For Jean-François, himself a dad, kids’ enjoyment is the driving factor. “I wanted to find something where every single child would have the same chance of winning,” he says. “In this event, kids are equal whether they are athletic or not. It’s open to everyone but it’s still a real competition. There’s a trophy for the winners but no participation medals.” In order to level the playing field, the race is divided into age-group categories, so the kids race against their peers. An eight-foot-high ramp, almost 16-foot long and 8-foot wide, is set up along Discovery Bay Road cycle lane, and the track covers approximately 150 metres. Competitors are required to wear properly fitted bike helmets, closed-toe shoes (trainers) and race shirts; they are advised to wear long trousers and gloves. For each age group, each racer competes in two timed qualifying races. The eight racers in each age group with the best time qualify for the quarter finals. If the age group has fewer than eight racers, the kids participate in a quarter final, and the four with the best time qualify for the semi-final. The two fastest racers then go head-to-head in the final. While standard karts are provided, kids also have the opportunity to compete in their own “freestyle” custom-made karts. “Some will go for style, some for speed, so there are performance and design prizes,” Jean-François says. The spec for freestyle karts is brief but precise. They must be capable of being steered, they need to have a braking system and they are limited to gravity power (no propelling mechanisms). The maximum width of each freestyle kart is 91 centimetres, and the minimum distance between the front and rear axle is 72 centimetres. Importantly, each kart is checked and serviced throughout the race. “Our karts have been built with custom-made parts thanks to our sponsor Milwaukee,” Jean-François says. “The karts will be used many times on the day of the race so you can imagine we need to spend some time fixing them. Bumpers get broken, each kart will break down two or three times during a race so we have mechanics on the spot.” While race officials are on hand to help, no outside support is allowed between the start and finish lines of a race. Parents are asked not to push a racer along any part of the track. RACE DAY TIPS So how about race days tips for enthusiastic young racers? Looking at the big picture, Jean-François says there aren’t any complex race-strategy or karthandling tips to share with competitors. “All our carts are the same; they all have the same wheels, the same steering system,” he explains. “As long as the kids know how to drive left and right, they will be fine. “Competitors should keep in mind that the race is all about speed, so they need to steer their karts to the finish in a straight line, as much as possible,” Jean- François adds. “Every time they make a turn, they lose speed, so the key is to keep to a straight line.” Since 2018, all HLG kar ts have been fitted with double bearing wheels, which Jean-François says makes them very fast. “If you are building your own kart, be sure to choose wheels that roll very well,” he advises. “Avoid lawnmower wheels. Bicycle wheels could be a very good choice. “Staying calm and steady is very important,” Jean François adds. “It’s quite something for kids to go down that eight-foot ramp. Then the track goes down quite fast all the way to Seabee Lane. Some courage is necessary, especially in the first heat. Self-confidence is key.” Karts like these don’t have engines but they come off that ramp at high speed – they have to, in order to make it to the finish line without losing impetus. For this reason, competitors are advised to keep their foot off the brake as much as they dare. “Unless their opponent swerves across their path or they find themselves approaching a corner too fast, competitors should brake only after crossing the finish line,” Jean-François confirms. While the logistics are fairly simple, participant safety is paramount and Harvey is quick to acknowledge the support of the HLG Kart Race officials, and of Hong Kong Resort Company Ltd and City Management. Parents make up the bulk of the race committee, and Harvey himself is also determinedly hands on. The global managing partner of Harvey Law Group doesn’t look like a speed freak or a mechanic but appearances can, as they say, be deceiving. “I like to build things,” he says. “Come race day I’m the pit stop. I’m the repairman. That’s what I do all day long. I sit there with my tools. I put on my hat and hide under the trees… with cuts all over my hands.” So here’s hoping for a strong turnout next month (registration is open at www.hlgkar trace.com ). As Harvey concludes, “The most satisfying part is to hear from parents after the event. We had a parent write to us about how his daughter’s friends came over for two or three days to see her trophy. When you hear things like that, you know you did something right.”

Landscape architect, outrigger competitor, artist, adoptee. Polly Snaith is a juggler first and foremost, adept at keeping many different balls in the air. Elizabeth Kerr reports As the great philosopher Yoda once said, “You must unlearn what you have learned.” That comes close to summing up 25-year Discovery Bay resident Polly Snaith’s life right now. She’s standing in the shade near what was once Pacific Coffee looking as sporty as she claims she is not. A light sheen of sweat dots her forehead. “I’m still not accustomed to the heat,” she cracks. “It’s embarrassing. I go someplace and I’m the only one sweating buckets. It’s ironic, because genetically I’m from here. Both my birth parents are from Hong Kong.” A stroll back to Polly’s home goes along DB’s water front, from the ferry pier to the beach, and if you enjoy that little jaunt, you can thank Polly. Raised in the UK, Polly landed in Hong Kong in 1992 to take up work as a landscape architect, which she would do for the next 30-odd years, contributing to MTR stations, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park’s expansion, as well as DB Plaza. Now “knocking on 60,” Polly is doing an about face, back into her first love – art – as well as hitting the open seas for some high-profile outrigger racing. CHAMPIONING WOMEN IN SPORT “I’ve gotten to a station in life where I’m happy to advocate for certain things, and one is women’s health and strength,” Polly says. “Too many people think exercise isn’t for them – or they feel marginalised. They’re self-conscious about going to a yoga class full of young, beautiful, bendy women. But the paddling crew I was with at the Worlds , I have to say, we have a bunch of kickass 50- and 60-somethings.” Polly’s been paddling in various forms for a while now: a founding member of Lantau Boat Club’s (LBC) Outrigger Paddling Section in 2004, and a keen dragon boater since 1999. She claims an early aversion to water, explaining she’s only recently started paddling alone. “I wouldn’t say I was particularly sporty, but I got a bike when I was a girl and suddenly my boundaries were that much broader. Just doing a little bit of adventure lit the fire.” Lately, paddling has led Polly down a fresh road stumping for women’s health and visibility in sport, with a focus on older women. The “kick-ass women” she referred to are a crew drawn from five paddling clubs scattered across the SAR. They’re just back from the 2023 International Va’a Federation World Distance Championships in Samoa, the so-called Olympics of outrigger canoeing. The Cathaysponsored Women’s Masters 50 OC6 Team of Hong Kong placed sixth. They are already looking ahead to a race in New Zealand in 2024, and a return to the IVF in 2025 – in Brazil. “Regardless of our seemingly lofty athletic aspirations, we are normal busy folk, juggling career, home, family, as well as devoting time to our clubs, building community and promoting inclusiveness and diversity,” Polly says. “Outrigger canoeing is such a fabulous low impact sport that is truly suitable for all ages and abilities, from juniors all the way through to people in their 70s, even 80s!” ADVOCATING FOR ADOPTEES Polly is also busy advocating for adoptees – “bringing better awareness to the realm of adoption, and imploring people to educate themselves” – and it’s similarly personal. Polly grew up the only Asian kid in a white family in Leeds, so it was obvious she was adopted. She located her bir th mother about a decade ago right here in Hong Kong. She admits it was rocky emotional terrain, but a switch flipped when she had her own child and a lot of relatives of that generation started to pass away. “I thought if I don’t do something about it, I may not have the choice,” she says. “There will come a time when it’s too late.” Polly got the ball rolling on finding her bir th parents with help from a social worker, which gave her mother veto power. She didn’t consider retail DNA testing or ambushing the woman on Facebook. “That’s a bit of a bull-in-a-china-shop approach, which is intimidating,” she says. “I don’t necessarily agree with that.” Polly was particularly curious about racial experience as a transracial adoptee – transracial being an adoption-related term: parents of one race adopting a child from another. While gender is a construct and one we’re increasingly understanding is a choice, you don’t choose race. Sadly, the word has been hijacked, most famously by renowned race relations idiot (and welfare fraud) Rachel Dolezal. “She’s confused people as to what transracial is. It’s a privileged voice,” scoffs Polly, who was already considering identity when the Black Lives Matter movement exploded in 2020, and then broader gender, history and representational reckonings. “Racial experience is a thing. We need better allyship in the whole arena.” INFORMING THROUGH ART Polly’s transracial status now informs her art, which transcends pen and ink (a medium she likes) to be more installation-based relational aesthetics. She wants her work to be interactive, tactile and thoughtprovoking – like The Bog Log, which demands “participants” stand in certain way that makes it seem as if they’re cleaning a toilet. The idea, of course, is to interrogate class and labour distinctions. It’s a crude analogy but in the way history is written by the victors, adoption narratives have been written by adopters. As adult adoptees connect and discover common ground, they’re finding their own voices, like Polly. “So now, my mission as an artist is to try and understand how I experience the world through a transracial adoptee lens, so that I can understand what I see and be more purposeful in how I disseminate,” she says. Polly is active with local groups – Adoptive Families of Hong Kong, Mother’s Choice, Hong Kong Adoptees Network and the British Adoption and Fostering Association – that are helping not just her figure things out, but adoptees across the city. She says she still feels like an outsider in Hong Kong, and probably always will. “I’m just a Yorkshire lass,” she quips in her gentle lilt. “I can navigate that; I can tell you when you’re about to get your head kicked in.” But in advocating for better understanding of the issues surrounding adoption, Polly has found a comfortable space where game recognise game. “I’ve bonded quite quickly with the transracial adoptees I’ve met, because there are just so many things we get to the core. It’s funny because white siblings or friends just don’t get it, but then you sit beside another transracial adoptee and it’s all, ‘Oh, yeah, I know.’ You don’t need to explain.” She’ll be willing to try, though. Artistically. Watch this space.

Hong Kong Dance Company is thrilled to open its 2023/ 24 season with A Dance of Celestial Rhythms , an inspirational new work by Artistic Director and Choreographer Yang Yuntao PHOTOS COURTESY OF Hong Kong Dance Company For the 2023/ 24 dance season, Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDC) has put together a diverse range of dance performances under the theme “Rebirth and Transcendence”. The experience begins with A Dance of Celestial Rhythms , a dynamic tribute to nature, which is being performed from September 29 to October 1 at the Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall. Choreographed by Artistic Director Yang Yuntao and Associate Choreographer Xie Yin, A Dance of Celestial Rhythms is themed around the “24 Solar Terms,” a strict temporal order rooted in ancient Chinese philosophical thought. In preparing for the performance, Yang Yuntao and his team have been involved in hours of research, studying and collecting data from diverse sources old and new, such as poetry, prose, painting, dance and videography. The solar terms represent a full orbit of the sun and are split into 24 segments, each lasting about half a month. Historically, the terms were used to mark the seasons, weather and natural variations, providing a timeframe for farmers to plan crop production and farming, as well as daily life and festivals. The solar terms allowed the ancients to live in harmony with nature and their continued relevance is clear in that they have recently been included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. “We have become increasingly aware of the rich and far-reaching connotations of the 24 Solar Terms,” Yang Yuntao opens. “But our mission with this new work goes beyond that. There is nothing old-fashioned or retro about A Dance of Celestial Rhythms . We have not set out to reenact the lifestyle and rhythms of ancient Chinese farming civilisations, rather we want to reflect on the various aspects of modern life by drawing on ancient wisdom. Metaphysically speaking, A Dance of Celestial Rhythms is both a tribute to the natural world around us and a call for its protection.” At a time when many of us are troubled by the contemporary disconnect between man and nature, A Dance of Celestial Rhythms sets out to help bridge that gap. “The performance is an initiation encouraging us to ponder, together with our audience, the way nature and humanity coexist,” Yang Yuntao says. “Learning from the past and understanding the present, this is how a tradition can be carried on by generations. In timeless communion with nature, we dance!” THE PRODUCTION Watching A Dance of Celestial Rhythms , the audience is invited on a journey of discovery, starting in autumn and moving joyfully and systematically through the four seasons. The programme is divided into sections of varying length, mirroring the temporal sequence of the 24 Solar Terms. Some of the terms are narrated by groups of dancers, some as a duet, some solo. Through the HKDC dancers’ virtuosity, the audience is encouraged to delight in each of the solar terms: essentially, to get back in touch with nature – with the seasonal changes that unfold around us all the time and that we have a tendency to ignore. After three years of pandemic, HKDC presents this work when the global community is returning to a state of normalcy, which admittedly is a time of serious reflection and introspection. Yang Yuntao says: “Staying in an air-conditioned room with constant temperature and humidity all year around, for how long have we not experienced the invigorating cold of winter and the sweaty thrill of midsummer? Living in the crowded city, occupied with the trifles of life and work, how can we appreciate and understand nature as much as we should? The global spread and devastating effect of COVID has been a warning, alerting us to the need to respect nature and treat the environment kindly.” Since its origin, dance has been a powerful way for people to pay tribute to the world around them, and in A Dance of Celestial Rhythms , the choreography brings nature to life through dynamic dance sequences that are by turns harmonious and rigorous. HKDC constantly strives to innovate, breaking away from traditional routines and adopting a more relaxed way of expression – dancing with the heart. As the performance draws us through the natural cycles of time and life, our senses are further captivated by stunning visuals, generative art, inspiring music and state-of-the-art lighting effects. In presenting A Dance of Celestial Rhythms , HKDC has invited Korean composer and costume designer, a digital image designer from Taiwan and a fragrance sponsor, Aēsop, to collaborate with local artists who work in different disciplines. “The aim is to arouse the audience’s visual, auditory and olfactory senses so that they can immerse themselves in the work and gain a more profound and vivid understanding of the laws of nature,” Yang Yuntao concludes. EXCLUSIVE 10% DISCOUNT OFFER HKDC is performing A Dance of Celestial Rhythms from September 29 to October 1 at the Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall. Use the promotion code DCR090 at URBTIX to enjoy this exclusive offer. *Only applicable to $A-$C tickets For more on HKDC, visit www.hkdance.com

Long-term DB resident Richard Crosbie embarks on a new career as a watercolour artist, taking a hard look at the Hong Kong he missed. Elizabeth Kerr reports PHOTOS BY Beatrix Malan - www.atscollective.com The last time we heard from toy designer, singer and now ar tist Richard Crosbie it was as a DB representative of the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir (HKWMVC), way back in November 2021. At the time Hong Kong was basking in the glory of low COVID infections and relatively normal life. The choir was getting ready to resume its Christmas performances. Pride cometh before a fall as the saying goes. On this day, the 20-year Discovery Bay resident has scheduled his interview at a coffee shop in Central. It’s handy; it’s near the restaurant where he’s going with his wife for her birthday later. As with most people catching up post-pandemic, the subject of COVID comes up – what we did during lockdown, haircuts or lack thereof, subsequent revenge travel. For the record, Richard didn’t shave for a year. He flashes a photo, showing off some distinctly Nick Offerman in The Last of Us vibes. But he’s been busy, recruiting for the HKWMVC (he’s still just one of three actual Welshman on the roster), singing with the a cappella DeciBelles and partaking in this summer’s Barbenheimer (he’s yet to see Barbie ). PAINTING THE TOWN Ultimately COVID was a good thing for Richard – relatively speaking – as it birthed his new life as an artist. The former toy designer left the toy game in March 2020, just as COVID erupted, and found himself at a loose end. “I made lemonade out of lemons,” he recalls. “I couldn’t go anywhere. I didn’t have a job. No one was hiring. I wasn’t in the mindset to design toys. In hindsight I used my time wisely. I didn’t know it would lead anywhere but if COVID hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be doing this.” By this Richard means the (mostly) watercolours of Hong Kong scenes and life he’s been doing since August 2020. Unemployed and trapped at home, Richard dug up an old, unused sketchbook, went down to the beach area at DB North and started drawing. After studying product design at art college and working in industrial, computer-based toymaking, he realised he hadn’t picked up a proper paintbrush in decades. “When I left my job, I was far away from the creative side,” he says. “I hadn’t done anything artistic in 30 years.” Richard started with scenes of DB, eventually expanding to other parts of Hong Kong: Tsing Yi, Wanchai, Peng Chau. “I realised I’d missed it, missed Hong Kong,” he says. “I’ve been here 27 years, and I started looking at Hong Kong in a new way. I was seeing it all over again, and appreciating it in a lot more detail.” Strangers soon began appreciating the detail too. After roughly a year of uploading on social media Richard was thrilled when messages and positive feedback started coming in. Like any artist he was hoping his work would connect, and it did. Browsers started asking for copies and prints, and it snowballed from there. He had his first market stall at DB Sunday Market in May 2021, and he’s been slowly generating a buzz through pop-up events at locations like K11 Art Mall, Clockenflap and the Arca Hotel. (Find him on Instagram ). Richard’s work encompasses both “urban sketching” and “en plein air” painting created on location, as well as detailed works of art created in his DB studio. He uses pen, ink, acrylics and pastels, as well as the aforesaid watercolours, and is continually inspired by his surroundings. “I’ve been told that my style is quite distinctive,” he says. “The words ‘perspective’ and ‘detailed’ come up a lot. Now that I am creating art, I feel like I have awakened and can see Hong Kong anew. My art has taught me to observe carefully my surroundings. The more I look, the more there is to see. “I love living in Hong Kong and everything about it,” Richard adds. “I enjoy seeing the vast vistas and the tiny details, from cityscapes and harbour views, bustling market and street scenes to observing reflections in puddles and slowing drying paint on fire hydrants, I love it all.” CREATING A BUZZ Richard’s landscapes and street scenes have emerged at a time when Hong Kong, and Hongkongers, have become more reflective. The upheaval of the last three years has prompted more investigation and celebration of all things Hong Kong among locals, from craft gins to traditional crafts (think of those red post boxes). And while Richard recognises the recent changes and the wave of emigration, he’s not terribly intimidated by them. “Hong Kong will always be here. It’s very transient and people will always come and go. I’ve lived through the handover, two financial crises, pig flu, bird flu, camel flu, SARS, COVID and every time people have said ‘This is it. It will never be the same.’ But Hong Kong’s never been ‘the same.’ It’s always evolving. People always want things to be what they remember.” Richard throws down a Welsh word, hiraeth, meaning “longing,” or “a feeling of home,” then launches into a story about a painting he did for a woman in Vancouver who asked him to look for a chestnut roaster in Mongkok she and her aunt visited when she was a child. Amazingly, the guy was still there, and the woman loved the painting Richard did for her. “That’s what I’m picking up and detecting when people look at my work. It might not be a Hong Kong that exists, but it exists for them,” he says. Some of his most vivid work includes biro sketches of a DB garbage collector and a couple of guys on bamboo scaffolding, a Star Ferry staffer grabbing a mooring rope, a Causeway Bay taxi queue. Then, there are the watercolours of DB, wider Lantau, Ma On Shan and Connaught Road. Richard’s work flirts with impressionism in its skewed scale and soft edges, and realism with its encapsulation of the city’s most recognisable images. It won’t be long before Richard pushes beyond the boundaries of social media. He’s already had some exposure at exhibitions like Lights On at the Fringe Club, Joy in Art at Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre and at the PMQ. In May he landed a space at the Affordable Art Fair (AFA), which was a bit of an ironic event. “I try to be accessible to everyone but evidently I was too affordable,” he says with a laugh. “I couldn’t sell any of my prints because they were priced under their threshold. And they weren’t numbered, so I had to sell originals.” Richard would like to return to the AFA next year, and ideally find an opportunity for a solo exhibition before that. “My work will make more sense that way,” he finishes. “I think I’m in a lucky position. I have a pretty good understanding of the customs and culture, and I like living here. I like recording the crazy things that make Hong Kong what it is.”

Danny Harrington, Founder and Managing Director of ITS Education Asia, has some solutions As a parent with the onus on you to make a choice about which school your child should go to, you will undoubtedly follow your personal belief of what a “good” school looks like and make every effort to get your child access to that school. And frankly, if everyone was able to get their children into the school type of their choice and those children then thrived and flourished in that school, all would be well in the world. But it doesn’t work like that. Far too many children flounder – some obviously, some less so – but there is a tendency to persevere, to hope things will turn out alright or to feel that’s just the way it is. And that can often be traced back to that foundational belief of what a “good” school is. If you have chosen a “good” school according to your principles, then the school must be good, and the fault must lie with the child. But it’s not really a question of blame. It’s just a fact that schools have to deliver a fairly homogeneous experience to a population that is inherently heterogeneous and thus there are always going to be children who do not thrive in that particular school. And don’t forget, your child is not you. One answer of course is to change from one type of mainstream school to another. For younger children especially, this is almost always the best (or at least, least worst) approach because the crucial work for these age groups is socialisation and varied group activity. It can be a solution for older teenagers as well, but it does depend immensely on how well you have identified the reasons your child is not thriving. We have seen, for example, increasing rates of children diagnosed with ADHD in the past two decades. Whatever the reason for this, the main concern for those diagnosed, and their families, is how it impacts on crucial elements of growing up, including schooling and education and the outcomes from them. Staying in a mainstream school is often not the ideal way forward. If your child is not thriving in a traditional school environment, you must be prepared to ask the hard questions around whether an alternative would be better. Keeping the kids in mainstream school is the easier route, but surely if they are struggling then it is only easier for you. Not them. Younger children can be considered for home schooling if a) you feel competent to manage it and deliver some of it, b) you have the time and resources to do so and c) you have a network of homeschoolers to make your community (much easier now with online options). For teenagers completing high school though, home schooling is not usually a good idea. You will not have the competence to teach, or even manage, their curriculum; they will not have the competence to learn or manage their preparation. That is where ITS Education Asia comes in. At ITS Education Asia, our full-time students have exited mainstream schooling for a host of reasons and found their feet in a completely different environment. One-on-one teaching, FLIP pedagogy, adjusted timings, flexible arcs to exams – there are all kinds of elements that can be adjusted to fit the system to the child instead of the child to the system. If your teenager is struggling in school, come and chat. What we do is not for everyone but at least you will have done something. Danny Harrington is the Founder and Managing Director at ITS Education Asia, Hong Kong’s only alternative schooling provider accredited with Pearson for IAL and IGCSE. To sign up for a consultation, visit www.itseducation.asia .

Instead of teaching girls to be good, we need to teach them to self-affirm and stand up for themselves. We need to nurture their inner bad-ass. Joanne Hay reports PHOTOS BY Beatrix Malan - www.atscollective.com Lots of young girls are conditioned to be good – they are taught to always be polite and considerate of other people’s feelings, even if it compromises their own happiness. Without realising it, we are teaching them to peopleplease, to ignore their own needs just to keep everyone else happy. This type of conditioning can manifest in any number of negatives, such as fear of disappointing people, fear of speaking up for oneself, fear of conflict and lack of healthy boundaries. We need to create awareness around good girl conditioning, how it comes about, the dangers and implications. By highlighting this issue, we can explore more positive ways to parent young girls; ways that are focused on building their self-esteem and self-worth. The key message for our daughters is “Don’t be good. Be kind and firm”. GOOD GIRL CONDITIONING Good girl conditioning comes from good intentions – we want our daughters to be well-behaved, to care for others, to make others feel comfor table, to study hard, work hard and so on. But like everything else in life, it’s all about balance. When young girls only get loved for being good, they grow afraid of being judged, abandoned, disliked and unaccepted, so they put aside their own emotional needs to make other people happy. They will constantly feel they are not wor thy of love, that they are not good enough; they will then do their best to avoid confrontation as they don’t know their own true value. When people don’t know who they are, they become chameleons, who want to blend in with everyone around them. Good girls thrive on being told they’re good ; they worry about how others see and judge them. They struggle to set healthy boundaries or show up as their authentic self because they need to be liked and accepted. Good girls are socialised to please other people ; they think their wor thiness is defined by how likeable they are and who they can be to others. They constantly look externally to obtain the validation and praise that will make them feel secure and wor thy. They are always looking for the right answer to get that tick, that “gold star”, the good girl confirmation from people around them. Good girls pretend to agree with everyone because they are afraid to be disliked. They over-explain themselves because they feel guilty for saying “no” or disagreeing with others. They apologise all the time because they lack self-esteem. Good girls suffer silently, they take on more than they can handle because they can’t say “no,” and if they dare to speak up, they are afraid to be labelled as overly emotional, dramatic or sensitive. They tend to be very agreeable, avoiding conflict at all costs because they are afraid to rock the boat. Good girls behave as they do because they think it is the only way to build strong emotional connections . In fact, the opposite is true. People tend to mistake a good girl’s kindness as a sign of weakness, they cross boundaries and take advantage. Good girls feel responsible for how other people feel – they become very uncomfor table if someone is angry with them, which means they hide their own opinions. They feel their own needs, their own thoughts don’t matter. As a result, they have difficulty forming authentic relationships. They struggle to stand up for the things or people they truly believe in because they lack self-worth. When good girl conditioning is reinforced over and over again, girls disconnect from their own intuition and a pattern of existing to please and appeasekicks in. This makes them vulnerable to manipulation and abusive situations because rather than asser ting themselves or setting healthy boundaries, they continue to please others to gain a sense of approval and acceptance. Blindly following authority figures can lead to dangerous situations, especially for girls who may be vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Good girl conditioning can lead to resentment, frustration, anxiety and depression. By constantly repressing their emotions and ignoring their own needs, good girls grow up feeling disrespected, ignored, alienated and burnt out. So how do we put a stop to good girl conditioning? It’s time to nur ture our daughters’ inner bad-ass. NEW MESSAGES FOR OUR DAUGHTERS Girls need to understand that it’s not their role to get approval from other people. Their role is to understand and connect to their emotions, tounderstand and clearly express their needs, to place boundaries or limits to keep themselves safe, and to fully express themselves. Here are some impor tant messages to share with your daughters: Your self-worth cannot (and should not) be based on external factors. What you think of yourself is far more important than what others think of you. You don’t need to be liked by everyone, and you can’t possibly be liked by everyone. Some people are authentic and some are here to take advantage of you. Your self-worth should be based on you, not someone else. Get to know yourself, who you are, what your core values and non-negotiables are, what truly matters to you. Be your authentic self – accept and love yourself for who you are ; you are only human, no one is per fect, you have your flaws and that’s fine. Accepting yourself and prioritising your wellbeing and inner peace over everyone and everything are what should matter to you most. Stay true to yourself, don’t succumb to peer pressure; don’t feel you always have to be liked and included. Focus on your own personal journey rather than an outcome (i.e. good grades) that will win others’ approval. Don’t chase the “good girl, well done” affirmation, chase learning and growth. Attract authentic people into your life , people who respect your autonomy, your boundaries, and who celebrate who you really are. Surround yourself with a caring support system, friends who will hype you up, talk you up and stay loyal to you in your presence and absence. Set healthy boundaries – say “no” when you don’t have the emotional capacity to hold space for someone, say “no” if you don’t want to drink one more drink. Speak up if somebody disrespects you, don’t ignore it . If somebody is being rude, point it out to them. If somebody tries to change you, tell them you’re happy with who you are. Have the courage to disappoint people. And don’t be afraid to ask for what you want and deserve. Know that standing your ground and respecting others are not mutually exclusive. Looking out for yourself doesn’t make you a selfish person. It’s hard to say “no” to someone you care about; it’s hard to show up as your authentic self. Choose your “hard”. Learn to love yourself! By accepting yourself for who you are, knowing your self-wor th and truly listening to your inner voice, you will come into your true power. Don’t be good. Be kind and firm. Fifteen-year DB resident and mother of two Joanne Hay is the Director of Leadership Development at premium workspace provider, The Executive Centre Hong Kong. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), accredited by the International Coach Federation; a corporate trainer and the author of two books, Please Be You and I Am Me , aimed at fostering self-love and resilience in children. You can follow her on Instagram @beyoubook .