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With so many flights booked and so much fun to be had, the last thing you want is jet lag dragging you down. Samantha Wong has some solutions. PHOTOS COURTESY OF Freepik Sit bolt upright in a narrow, hard chair; breathe recycled, dry air; deprive yourself of sleep; hur tle your body through the troposphere at 500 miles an hour in a cylindrical tin, and hey presto… you’re ready to do business or enjoy your holiday. Not likely. Most of us have experienced jet lag and are familiar with the symptoms – fatigue, disorientation, ir rationality, dehydration and aches, followed by sleepless nights, short-term memor y loss, lack of concentration and reduced motivation. But why do we suffer from it, and how can we minimise the symptoms? CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS Everyone has a body clock that controls their optimum time for sleeping, waking, exercising, eating and being mentally active. If we ignore our body clock, or mess it up by taking a longhaul flight, our so-called circadian rhythms are disrupted, and we end up feeling stressed, anxious and fatigued. Usually, jet lag is worse going east than going west, so if you’re heading to Europe you won’t be as hard hit as you’d be arriving in the US. This is because flying westward, the normal cycle is temporarily lengthened and our circadian rhythms can extend in line with their natural freewheeling period of about 24 hours, and thus catch up. NASA estimates that we need one day for every time zone crossed to reset our body clocks and regain normal energy levels. So for a five-hour time dif ference, you need five days to recover. But surely there are tried-and-tested ways to minimise jet lag? The best way is to switch to the new time zone as soon as possible. As you get on the plane, adjust your watch to the destination time, and try to sleep at the appropriate time for your destination. An eye mask, earplugs and blow-up neck pillow are obviously travelling essentials. Short-duration sleeping pills can be useful. There are times, however, when it’s inadvisable to re-synchronise your circadian rhythms. For instance, if you’re a business traveller and your intention is to be away from home for 72 hours or less, it is much better to stay on Hong Kong time as far as possible. If you keep your circadian rhythms in mind when planning your day’s meetings, you’ll be more likely to per form when it counts. An example would be when visiting the UK, try and hold important business meetings in the morning when you feel at your best. Avoid meetings in the late afternoon (night time in Hong Kong). INFLIGHT MANOEUVRES Of course it’s not just the time changes that effect our post-flight condition. Often, we have a mountain of things to check-off before we travel, which may leave us feeling over-tired or stressed and therefore more liable to get sick on board (where the air is far from fresh) or on arrival. A simple but effective solution? Take Vitamin C. While Vitamin C does not reduce frequency of regular colds all that much, stress-related colds (when you’re tired and run down from lack of sleep etc.) are halved by high doses of the supplement. So take 1,000mg three times daily, from the day of your flight for the full week after. On board, the dry atmosphere can be a problem, especially if you’re used to the humidity of Hong Kong. Cabin humidity usually ranges from 5% to 15%, and this dry air can cause headaches and dry airway passages. It’s the per fect environment to catch a cold, cough, sore throat or the flu. With this in mind, make sure you drink plenty of water before and during your flight. Staying hydrated is essential. Avoid all diuretics (alcohol, tea and coffee) as they cause the body to lose water. This can lead to dehydration which makes the effects of jet lag that much worse. Note too that the effect of alcohol on the body is two to three times more potent when you are flying. Exercise helps blood flow, so on long flights be aware of the need to get up and stretch. Get up several times throughout your flight, walk to the bathroom and stretch your legs and arms as much as possible. You can do several effective exercises in your seat, such as moving your ankles in a circular motion to decrease swelling, stretching your arms above your head, and pulling your shoulders back. Long-haul travel (over four hours) brings with it a risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Smokers, the immobile, pregnant women, those taking oral contraceptives and people who have inherited an abnormally active clotting mechanism are most at risk. DVT occurs because of dehydration, immobility (possibly made worse by sedation) and the pooling of blood in our feet that happens at reduced pressure. The best ways to prevent it are by keeping mobile, walking regularly and keeping well hydrated. Antiembolism stockings to the calf or above can also be useful. Those who have had recent operations or suffer from a chronic disease often take an anticoagulant injection prior to a flight. WHAT TO DO ON ARRIVAL The inability to sleep at the appropriate time, after crossing several time zones, can turn a holiday or business trip into a living hell. But there are remedies. If sleep really is eluding you, take Melatonin, ideally sublingual Melatonin as it is quick acting and bypasses the stomach. It’s the body’s own sleep hormone, and it’s safe for short-term use at any age. Melatonin shortens the period you experience jet lag by half; and it halves sleep latency (that time spent tossing and turning in bed before falling asleep). Melatonin works, it helps you fall asleep but it’s not a sleeping pill and it won’t ‘knock you out’ for hours or leave you feeling groggy the next day. Before you turn in, open the cur tains a little and set an alarm, so you’ll wake up bright and early in the morning. Drag yourself out of bed, even if you don’t want to, and spend as much time outdoors as possible. Daylight, which helps to realign our circadian rhythms, is probably the single most useful tool you can use to ease jet lag. Keep yourself busy, do a bit of exercise, drink plenty of water and find a way to push through until the evening. By ignoring your body’s desire for a sneaky midday nap, you should win yourself a good night’s sleep – and wake up ready to make the most of your well-deserved trip. 6 WAYS TO COMBAT JET LAG 1. Leave home well rested 2. Use the flight to recharge and reset 3. On arrival, stay awake until an early local bedtime 4. Keep well hydrated 5. Soak up plenty of sun 6. Take Melatonin and Vitamin C

Looking for first-class healthcare and income protection services wherever you are in the world? Baymac provides bespoke programmes for the aviation community and now for global expats too. REPORTING BY Raphael Blet PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock Headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, Baymac was founded in 2004 with the vision to protect the health and welfare of aviation families worldwide. Now with additional locations in Texas and Jamaica, the company gives its members access to a suite of bespoke health, income protection and other services. “We make our programmes available to people working in all aspects of the aviation industry, from air traf fic controllers, aviation personnel and cabin crew, to engineers and pilots. And we provide both individual and corporate memberships,” opens Daren Bayley-Hay, CEO of Baymac. A former pilot with a law background, Daren highlights that the needs of airline staff are very specific and Baymac helps fill a long existing gap. “We are not an insurance company nor a broker. We look at the needs of our members and get insurers to understand what these are. Once you are part of Baymac, you get to enjoy a range of benefits, such as competitively discounted insurance plans,” Daren adds. As a consulting firm, Baymac collaborates with five key par tners – Clements Worldwide, VUMI Group, Stewar ts Law, Equilibrium Pensions and Flightstar Aviation Management Solutions – all of whom have a proven track record working with individuals and companies worldwide. “We help our collaborators understand the requisites of the specific niche groups we are serving,” says Daren. “Our services are not limited to insurance. We offer pension plans to cover anybody within the aviation industry; then we have legal services too, covering everything from aviation-related matters to family law.” Take Baymac’s Global Professional Pilot’s Group as an example. This group has access to international personal pensions, individual wealth management solutions and a number of insurance products specifically designed for pilots, including loss of income protection, health insurance, term life and personal injury. NEW DEPARTURES Building on its exper tise, Baymac has widened its outreach and is currently unveiling Global Expat, a programme designed specifically for the global expatriate community. “Together, Baymac, Clements Worldwide, VUMI and more recently Tuman Global Solutions have created a suite of insurance solutions including international health plans, offering comprehensive health insurance coverage designed to meet the needs of the expat community and their families globally, as well as auto and proper ty insurance for global expats,” Daren says. In positioning itself as a ‘place of resources,’ Baymac is also in the process of launching a service which will allow its members to enjoy discounts on hotels, flights and entertainment at no extra cost. There’s also a travel review platform in the making, targeted at the specific niche groups Baymac serves. Based on the Tripadvisor model, the site will, for example, allow pilots and cabin crew to share information about the countries they visit and the hotels they stay in. Moving into 2023, Baymac’s plans for expansion extend to locations within Europe and South America, the next areas of service to the international community and anticipated growth. Customer service remains a priority as does price point. “Our growth continues to provide us with the necessary leverage to allow clients to continue to enjoy highvalue services at a very reasonable cost,” Daren says. “The coming years will be very exciting for the industry and we are looking forward to supporting our clients in attaining their goals.” TESTIMONIALS Robin - Retired Captain, Canada “My wife and I decided to take out the VUMIBaymac Pilot VIP Health Plan in 2018 - a safety net we hoped never to use. Unfortunately, in late 2021, my wife needed a bladder biopsy and then, in January 2022, I was diagnosed with cancer. We were so relieved to know that in both instances, the VUMI-Baymac Pilot VIP Health Plan allowed us the freedom to choose the doctor, and that the surgeries and treatments recommended were covered. “We are so incredibly grateful to everyone at Baymac for their kindness and support. They helped us during the claims process, which was promptly dealt with, and we received the reimbursement (minus the deductible) very quickly. It was so comforting to know that we had Baymac as part of our team in our cancer battle.” TESTIMONIALS Roberto - Captain, United Arab Emirates “I have been a Baymac member for a number of years now and I would like to express my gratitude for the excellent service provided by the Baymac Member Executives Team, VUMI and all associated partners in Brazil who provided outstanding support during an extremely difficult time when my nine-year-old son was diagnosed with leukaemia. “Due to Baymac’s support, my son was able to get unrestricted treatment at the Sabara Children’s Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil and is on the path of recovery. Thank you all for helping to save my son’s life!” For more on Baymac, email info@baymac.net or visit https://baymac.net .

Prague for culture vultures PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock THE RICHLY SYMBOLIC PRAGUE ORLOJ is the oldest astronomical clock still operating. Built in 1404, it has an astronomical dial, showing the location of the sun and moon, and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. Sculptures of the 12 Apostles, located in the clock’s upper windows, pop out when it strikes the hour. PRAGUE IS ONE OF EUROPE’S MOST-VISITED cities alongside London, Paris, Rome and Istanbul. And for good reason. The Czech capital is known for its rich history, vibrant arts scene and, of course, its beautifully preserved Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where almost every building is a work of art. THE INCREDIBLE ARCHITECTURE in Old Town Square spans 800 years from Medieval to Art Nouveau. For many, the visual highlight is the Church of Our Lady before Týn with its Gothic façade and spires. Venture down one of the cobbled streets leading off the square to explore more of the Old Town and get your first glimpse of the Vltava. KNOWN FOR ITS STARRING ROLE in numerous Hollywood movies, from Mission Impossible to Amadeus, not to mention the unforgettable INXS video Never Tear Us Apart, Charles Bridge is one of Prague’s best-known attractions. A pedestrianised bridge over the Vltava, lined with 30 Baroque statues, it connects Prague Castle with the Old Town. HIGH ABOVE THE CITY on the Vltava’s left bank, Prague Castle spans over 70,000 square metres, making it the largest castle complex in Europe. It’s also one of the prettiest, with spires, towers and palaces straight out of a fairy tale. The centre of Czech power since the 9th century, it’s the place to see some of the country’s greatest artistic and cultural treasures. THE BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED Estates Theatre is Old Town Prague’s major arts venue, hosting opera, drama and ballet performances. Opened in 1783, it premiered Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and the hooded ghost statue at one end of the building – Anna Chromy’s Il Commendatore – commemorates this. BUILT IN 1270, THE ALTNEUSCHUL is Europe’s oldest active synagogue. It stands right next to the Jewish Cemetery, where the oldest grave dates back to 1439. The surrounding Jewish quarter, established as a ghetto in the 13th century, is now one of the most expensive and exclusive residential areas in Prague.

Having swapped the desert climate of Dubai for the humidity of Hong Kong, Discovery Bay International School’s new principal, Marc Morris, is happy to be back in the SAR. Susannah Wood reports PHOTOS COURTESY OF Discovery Bay International School Ask Marc Morris, principal at Discovery Bay International School (DBIS, www.dbis.edu.hk ), what drew him to education, and the answer is simple: “I wanted to do a better job than had been done to me. Teaching is my passion – it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do from a career perspective.” Originally from the nor th west of England, Marc, whose father was a physics teacher, spent his early career teaching history at local authority schools across the UK. A natural leader, he quickly rose through the ranks gaining his first headteachership at Westlands High School, Congleton in 1996. He continued to work at top-per forming schools in the UK until 2011, when the opportunity to move to Hong Kong presented itself. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES Marc’s international adventure began at Sha Tin College, where he spent six years as principal. From there he moved to Singapore to take up the position of Chief Education Officer for Dulwich College, where he was responsible for overseeing the work of nine heads of college in four jurisdictions: Singapore, China, South Korea and Myanmar. “It was interesting work,” he says, “but it wasn’t satisfying in the way that going into a school is. I missed the community, the regularity, the warmth, and I was keen to get back to that.” When the role of principal and CEO of Jumeirah College, Dubai, came up, Marc took the chance to return to a school community environment. Now Marc is back in Hong Kong, leading what is arguably one of the most community-centric schools in the region. Was that one of the things that attracted him to DBIS and DB? “Absolutely!” he says. “I’d spent some time in Discovery Bay before, at conferences and visiting friends. That gave me a good sense of what it was like, and I felt a connection to the school. A good school is an asset to a community.” DISCOVERING THE BAY For Marc and his wife Tanya, a major part of DB’s appeal was its family-friendly environment – perfect for them and their one-year-old daughter Lana. “It’s a nice area for Lana to grow up in,” he says. “You see lots of happy children here. DB has an awful lot going for it – open space, access to greenery, minimal traffic, peace and quiet – and all within close proximity of the city.” And what are Marc’s first impressions of DBIS? “From the outset, it’s been very obvious that the children at DBIS enjoy their schooling; they’re well cared for and the staff genuinely want to work with them – it’s authentic,” he says. “One of the most interesting and enjoyable par ts of the recruitment process was meeting the students and hearing about their experiences. Students at DBIS feel confident to express their views, they’re enthusiastic about their learning, and these are essential par ts of creating a flourishing school.” Marc’s easy rapport with students complements his hands-on approach to day-to-day school life. “I’d rather join the children in class and read to them than walk around with a clipboard,” he says. “You can learn a lot by listening to what children think about their learning; they’re disarmingly honest.” EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD One thing that’s abundantly clear from speaking to Marc is how strongly he believes in providing a holistic education in order to nurture well-rounded students who are ready to take on real-world challenges. While academics are important – and Marc’s track record from his previous schools speaks for itself – there’s more to life than grades on paper and today’s students need to be prepared for a future that is, as yet, unwritten. “I always say to students: ‘So you're healthy, you're happy, you've got top grades, but how many thousands of other people in the world have got top grades? What else are you going to offer an undergraduate programme or an employer?’” he says. “The important thing is to find something that draws the children in,something they’re passionate about. If that means they’re involved in clubs a few nights a week, that’s fine; it just has to be something they want to do, and it needs to fit in with their learning. “Children being happy, safe and healthy is the first tier to achieving academic potential. It’s about balance. There’s far too much to do and learn in any single lifetime, and it’s important to get that across to children. Education doesn't finish when you’re 18; it’s about keeping that inquiry mindset because who knows what you’ll want to do when you’re 30 or 40 – don’t ever let anyone tell you it’s too late to start something.” When it comes down to it, Marc is more interested in adding value to his students than getting more A* grades. “It's about meeting the children where they are and adding value to their potential,” he explains. “My previous school, Jumeirah College, Dubai, is in the top 1% in the world in terms of the value it adds. That means you could have gone to any other school in the world and you statistically would not have done any better than you have done at that school. “If you ask them, most schools won't tell you what their value added is because it doesn’t make for headline figures. My argument around the extracurricular, the breadth, the holistic is that it incentivises students’ academic work; it provides fulfilment, enjoyment, interest and friendship groups, meaning children are happy to go to school and are more likely to be able to battle through when academics become challenging.” LEADING BY EXAMPLE Marc doesn’t just talk the talk when it comes to holistic experiences though – he walks the walk too. A keen musician, he not only plays a number of instruments but also makes them. “One of the things I most cherish about my time in Hong Kong before was when someone left a leaflet on my desk – to this day I don’t know who it was – about ukulele making. I ended up doing a nine-week course then taking some private lessons, and before I knew it, I had a workshop.” Ever the educator, Marc went on to use his new-found skills to run instrument-making workshops for students as part of ‘Week Without Walls’ experiences. Marc’s hobbies and interests don’t just stop at music. A highly experienced mountaineer, he has worked as an outdoor centre instructor, a World Challenge expedition leader, a youth centre leader and a climbing coach. DBIS students can likely look forward to more expeditions up and over Tiger’s Head in the coming months! Speaking of the future, Marc is full of confidence and quick to reassure that taking over the reins par t way through the academic year has not presented him with any additional challenges. “I've moved at winter break before,” he says, “and actually, it's very helpful for a new head and the school because the year’s calendar is planned and the exam groups and teachers are all in place. The important thing is that I’ve not brought a template with me. Different schools require different approaches, and it’s important for me to listen to the parents, the students and the teachers and take time to learn about the school’s traditions and culture. “I’m very happy to have joined DBIS,” Marc concludes with a broad smile. “It’s an exciting new venture for me, and I’m delighted to be here in DB, steering the school and playing my par t in the wider community.”

Not all DB trails lead to Mui Wo but two of the most interesting do. George Pitsakis takes us walkabout PHOTOS BY Alexander Grasic To say that the hikes I’m about to introduce you to never get old is understatement. I first hiked to Mui Wo via the Trappist Monastery in 2000 with my family when I was four years old, and I still love it. As for the hike to Mui Wo via Tiger ’s Head, I did it almost every weekend in my late teens; I must have done it 70 times or more. Again, I still love the challenge – and the incredible views. I hope you get as much out of these hikes as I have. VIA THE TRAPPIST MONASTERY No sweat. 4 kilometres: Star ting at Nim Shue Wan, you follow the path that hugs the coast for the whole of the first section of this hike. As you walk through the village up a steep hill, you’re immediately surrounded by Banyan Trees and garden plots – it’s funny how quickly you ‘leave’ DB and get out into the countryside. Dogs hang around the village but keep walking and they won’t harm you, they’re used to hikers passing through. After a stretch, you skirt a rocky little bay (where my brother and I used to catch crabs) and head up some winding stairs. Continue walking and you come across one of my favourite things about this hike – a 1950s jeep now totally overgrown and laced with tree roots. I’ve no idea why it’s there or how it got there. It looks like it’s been there forever. After a sharp descent, you enter a clearing and see a wide road leading up to the Roman Catholic Our Lady of Joy Abbey, better known as the Trappist Monastery. This section of the hike is steep so take your time. You pass 14 Stations of the Cross on the way to the monastery, a series of 14 markers portraying events in the Passion of Christ, from his condemnation by Pontius Pilate to his entombment. At the monastery, there’s a beautiful Shrine to Mary, a well-kept garden and a pretty stream that runs beneath a wooden bridge, all of which justify the monastery’s original name – Trappist Haven. The chapel itself is a plain place of worship nestled in the hills, quiet and remote. Back on the trail, you’re looking at a fairly long climb up to a pagoda at around 300 metres above sea level. It ’s all uphill for a while, so mind your pace. While there is a trail that skirts the pagoda, it ’s worth taking the stairs up to it (on your left) for the great views. On your way down, you see the Discovery Bay Golf Club on your left, Peng Chau ahead, and Hong Kong Island and a sliver of Hei Ling Chau to your right. The pagoda used to be painted white with traditional green-glaze tiles, now it ’s smartly done up in black and grey. You’re now on the homestretch – a casual 1,000-stair descent to Mui Wo. It’s best to take the steps sideways on at the end because they’re pretty narrow. Here you look down on Mui Wo in the shadow of 869-metre Tai Tung Shan (Sunset Peak) and, as often as not, you find yourself surrounded by butter flies. At the bottom of the stairs, follow the path to the right until you wind down to Silvermine Bay. Here you can hang out at Silvermine Beach Resort, China Bear, or the Mui Wo Cooked Food Market before ferry-, bus- or taxi-ing it back to DB. VIA TIGER’S HEAD Challenging. 11 kilometres: This hike really kicks into gear at the Discovery Bay Lookout (already 200 metres above sea level). From the lookout, you can see the skyscrapers of Central just a few kilometres across Victoria Harbour. Peng Chau and Hei Ling Chau sit in the foreground, with Lamma and Cheung Chau forming the backdrop. Take the paved road out from behind the lookout, and you see Lo Fu Tau (Tiger ’s Head) towering above you. Follow the path as it turns left, and you come across a switch back on your right. This dirt path inclines steeply all the way up to Tiger ’s Head, 465 metres above sea level. Be warned, there’s no shade the whole way up – if you’re hiking in summer, make it early in the morning, and carry plenty of water even in winter. The trail is eroded in places too, so watch out for loose rocks and dirt. Take your time and enjoy the incredible views. The path snaking up Tiger’s Head looks a lot shorter than it actually is, but it flattens out for 10 metres every now and then, providing you with a good place to take a break. Just before you reach the summit, there’s a harsh 40º incline – you might need to do this bit on all fours. Bear in mind that you’re on the final stretch. Tell yourself that once you’re at the summit, it will be beautiful. It is. From here you turn right to continue on the trail but, before you do, take a left – a short climb takes you right up to the proverbial tiger ’s head, a giant stone on the top of the hill shaped like the head of a tiger. The views are incredible here; you can see the whole of DB and appreciate just how far you’ve climbed. The shape of the tiger is best seen as you continue on a brief incline and you look back towards DB. Two protrusions on either side of the main rock buttress resemble ears, and you can imagine you’re looking down the nape of a tiger, as he surveys the scene below. Here, you’re rewarded with a 360° panorama. To appreciate it all, clamber on to the trigonometrical point. These fixed surveying stations are found on many hills in Hong Kong, ask a friend to help you get up it! From here you see the airport, along with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge veining into the Pearl River Delta, as well as Castle Peak in the New Territories. Back on the trail as it heads to the left, you are now officially on the Lo Fu Tau Country Trail. You get your first glimpse of what can only be described as a landscape that is totally alien to Hong Kong. This stretch of the walk is sublime, a relatively gentle descent through a craggy, treeless moonscape surrounded by hills. The valley opens up behind in splendid and cavernous style; skirt around a hill and you see Sunset Peak towering up a few kilometres away. As you meander down you encounter several interesting rock formations that seem too well-balanced to have been haphazardly thrown together by nature. After you take some stairs leading down, you find yourself back below the tree line. The path continues on its downward journey, clipping the edge of Discovery Bay Golf Club, and you can spot golfers on the putting green. It’s a nice easy descent to a wooden pagoda, which marks one end of Lo Fu Tau Country Trail. Here you turn lef t to join the Olympic Trail. The winding path of stairs, slopes and straights makes up for the fact that you’re back on concrete. From the clearings, you start to glimpse the Mui Wo villages and Silvermine Bay. A couple of the stairs at this point are pretty steep. Round a bend and you come across a pretty little pool of water overhung by trees. In the summer, these trees are full of massive Golden Silk Orb Weaver Spiders. The spiders are not in your way but don’t get too close as they do bite. Cross a recently built bridge and follow the path left past an old house; then turn right to Silvermine Cave, which is actually the mouth of an old silver mine. Just below it is Silvermine Water fall – to see it at full pelt, time your hike for just after it ’s rained. There are benches by the water fall where you can grab a snack and hang out. Back on the path, you end up in the back end of Mui Wo. Follow the main road and head away from the hills toward Silvermine Bay.

Take a bite out of the Big Apple! Photos courtesy of Pexels NYC’S THEATRE DISTRICT, better known as Broadway, comprises over 40 theatres located in the area surrounding Times Square. This is the place to be if you want to catch a big-budget musical, a high-minded play or a Hollywood star’s stage debut. The TKTS booth in Times Square sells same-day tickets at a discount. A PENCIL-THIN, ART DECO MASTERPIECE in Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building has starred in some great romantic scenes, both on- and offscreen. Don’t settle for the sublime views of the city from the 86th floor deck, head on up six stories to the 102nd-floor observatory – few visitors make it this far. CONTEMPORARY ART LOVERS MAKE A BEELINE for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Midtown Manhattan, which homes some of the world’s most recognised paintings including Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie-Woogie. FOR THE BEST BAGELS IN NYC , head to the Lower East Side. While Russ and Daughters has been celebrated for its lox since 1914, Katz’s Delicatessen is known for its mouth-watering pastrami – and for providing the backdrop to the unforgettable ‘I’ll have what she’s having scene’ in the 1989 blockbuster When Harry Met Sally. STRETCHING OVER THE EAST RIVER between Manhattan and Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge promenade – a boardwalk elevated above the roadway – delivers Instagram-worthy views. Once in Brooklyn, be sure to explore Williamsburg for its art galleries, boutiques and the sensational open-air food market, Smogasburg. MODELLED AFTER AN ANCIENT ROMAN BATH and opened in 1871, Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan is a truly majestic building bedecked with chandeliers and fibre optics. Nearly 700,000 commuters and subway riders use it daily, and the main concourse is 200-feet long, 120-feet wide and 120-feet high. A GIFT FROM THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE IN 1886, the Statue of Liberty was built by Gustave Eiffel. This 300-foot bronze colossus, representing the Roman goddess Libertas, holds a torch above her head and a tablet inscribed with the date of the US Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

Gordon Franks , Managing Partner of Lifestyle Property, suggests a way around your next inflation-driven worry. With rising university fees, it’s hard to know how to save for your children’s education. It feels like every day, the cost of a university degree goes up, and if you’re not careful, you’ll be left with a bill that you may not be able to afford, or your children will have to enter adulthood with a student loan. UK tuition fees for international students: If you want to send your child to a top UK university as an international undergraduate, the tuition fees may span from £18,365 to £58,038 per year, depending on the chosen course and university. For example, Oxford’s tuition fees for international students in 2023 range between £28,950 and £44,240. In 2021, the same fees were between £26,770 and £37,510 per annum. Factoring in costs of living (in London, £1,400 per month, £1000 in other cities) in addition to the tuition costs, you can be looking at spending, on average, £12,000 to £16,800 per year. Bottomline: Tuition prices are rising faster than inflation, and it’s only going to get worse from here. If you don’t start planning now, you may not be able to afford your child’s education costs down the road. How investing in property can fund your children's education costs. To accumulate enough money to finance your child’s education, which throughout a three- to four-year course can easily reach HK$2 million (currency equivalent) or more, you need to start saving sooner rather than later. Traditionally, mutual funds may have been used, but many people now consider property investment as it can provide greater returns and less volatility. For example, you can purchase a property valued at £250,000 for an initial deposit of £12,500 and monthly payments of £2,605 over the build period, typically 24 months. Going forward, the mortgage would be financed by rental income, and you’d have a self-supporting investment property with debt being repaid through rental. Fast forward 20 years, and the property may be mortgage-free and producing rental income, which could assist with education funding. Alternatively, you could sell the property to pay for the education costs. Assuming a modest 3% annual increase, this £250,000 property in 20 years would be valued at £451,000, which should be enough to cover university costs. As such, you can see the power of using property as a tool to fund education expenses. Lifestyle Property makes it easy for anyone to invest in property, regardless of budget or experience. We offer various property options that are perfect for any stage of life. Plus, our team of experts are always here to help guide you through every step of the process. Contact us today at www.lfsproperty.com or via WhatsApp at 9635 4397 and let us show you how easy it is to invest in property. Gordon Franks, is a long-term DB resident and Managing Partner of Lifestyle Property and has been assisting his clients in creating wealth through property in Hong Kong since 2004.

Playing the FX market may look like the way forward in 2023 but don’t believe the hype. Buying and selling foreign currencies through a low-cost intermediary is your better bet. Boon Tiong Tan reports 2022 was a year when many Hong Kongers felt the pinch, as bond, stock and property markets all headed south. However, there was a bright spot – the US dollar (USD) strengthened significantly during the year. In September, the British pound (GBP) almost crashed to parity (GBP1 = USD1) and in October, the Japanese yen (JPY) broke JPY150 to USD1. With the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) pegged to the US dollar, HongKongers continue to benefit from a strong US dollar moving into 2023. This means overseas properties are more affordable and tuition fees at foreign universities are cheaper. We have more spending power as tourists in Thailand, Japan, the UK and many more countries. The currency or foreign exchange (FX) market has an impact on everyday life, and it’s the biggest financial market in the world, bigger than both bond and stock markets. It is conducted electronically over the counter, which means that all transactions are done via computer networks among banks and other players, rather than on a centralised exchange. The biggest centre for FX transactions is London, followed by New York and Singapore. For decades, before it was trumped by the nonstop, 24/7 crypto currencies market, the FX market had by far the longest trading hours in the financial markets. It is a 24-hour market that star ts trading on Monday morning in New Zealand and ends on Friday evening in New York. INVESTING IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES The FX market has been touted as an asset class just like stocks, bonds and commodities. With both stock and bond markets tanking this year, should you diversify and invest in foreign currencies, or even trade them? The developed countries’ currencies tend to move in large waves and take years to move a third or more. If you were to put 10% (probably the highest percentage a prudent financial planner would recommend) of your assets into the right foreign currencies, your portfolio’s return is not going to improve much. Worse still, you might pick the wrong currencies and suffer losses. If you’re convinced by some experts, advertisements and websites that it is not difficult to pick the right currencies and time the FX market, think again. George Soros, the billionaire hedge fund manager, who in 1992 made a billion US dollars by ‘breaking the Bank of England,’ wrote that while the stock market has two variables, the FX market has seven or eight. The FX market is undoubtedly much more complicated than the stock market. Which fundamentals or variables affect the FX market? The GDP, interest rates and trade balance are some of the obvious ones. What’s not so clear is which ones are more important at a certain point of time and how they affect a currency’s value. The fundamentals that FX traders focus on are a moving target. There are times when traders pay attention to interest rates; there are times when they watch trade balances closely; there are times when they focus on political developments. No one knows when the focus will switch, and it’s often not immediately obvious that a switch is happening. Sometimes there’s no clear focus on fundamentals at all. Instead, the market concentrates on other issues, such as technical support or resistance, or where the big stop-loss orders are. To complicate things further, a currency’s value isn’t determined purely by its country’s fundamentals. It has to be measured against another country’s fundamentals. It’s all relative. If the FX market is too complicated to make a calculated and intelligent investment, how about trading it? Maybe there are some short-term opportunities? FX TRADING Many FX experts and trading platforms would like retail investors to believe that FX trading can be profitable. They highlight its 24-hour market, deep liquidity, narrow spread and easily available leverage. Let’s take a look at each of these advantages to see if they stand up to scrutiny. How does the 24-hour market benefit FX traders? It allows them to react to real-time news. The assumption is the faster we can react, the better. However, as a professional FX trader, who spent two decades staring at FX prices for many hours a day and got the latest news faster than most retail traders, I have concluded that this is a fallacy. It’s really hard to know how the FX market will react to news. Sometimes the market reaction can be violent to start with and then reverse just as quickly. Other times the market hardly moves, even though you think it should. The possibilities are numerous but you get the picture. The main FX players, like banks and funds, trade in millions and even billions and benefit from the most liquid financial market in the world. However, this deep liquidity is pretty irrelevant to retail investors who trade in thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. A small fish doesn’t do well in a big pond. Another so-called ‘advantage’ for FX traders is how the thin spreads between the buying and selling prices of currencies lower transaction costs. This is true but the savings are very tiny unless you make many trades daily. In the FX market, a move of 20% in a year is considered big but that’s nothing compared to stocks which can move hundreds of percent. To beef up the returns, retailers and institutions alike are encouraged to use leverage, up to 100 times the account balance. With US$10,000 in your FX margin account, you can buy and sell US$1 million worth of currency, which is extremely dangerous. While a 1% move in your favour doubles your money, a 1% move against you will wipe you out. The so-called advantages of FX trading tend to encourage over trading. The key question isn’t about these advantages, it’s about whether the FX market offers a good chance to make money. Truth is, funds that exclusively trade FX regularly per form worse than stock and bond funds – and this is despite their using leverage. It is very rare to find a top investor who trades FX exclusively. The top investors, like Warren Buffett and George Soros, know that good opportunities are rare in the FX market. It’s too complicated to trade actively and profitably. WISER OPTIONS While you may decide against investing in foreign currencies or trading the FX market, you will still need to buy foreign currencies to send overseas. Many people continue to go through banks where transaction costs, like fees and spreads, can be more than 1%. Nowadays, however, there is a cheaper way – working with low-cost FX intermediaries. Consider that Interactive Brokers, a popular financial products trading plat form, enables its clients to buy and sell foreign currencies for a small fee and with the narrowest of spreads. You can even leave an order to buy or sell currencies at your desired price. Wise, one of the biggest online FX-transfer companies in the world and listed on the London Stock Exchange, offers an average transaction cost of 0.6% and a fast transfer to an overseas account. Going into 2023, whatever you need from foreign currency – whether you want to travel more, invest in proper ty overseas or pay tuition fees in foreign universities – there are two things you need to know. FX investing and trading are likely to lose you money. Buying and selling foreign currencies through a low-cost intermediary is surely going to save you money. I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. DB resident Boon Tiong Tan (CFA) has worked as a trader with banks like HSBC and Morgan Stanley for over 20 years, and he is the author of A Stock Investment Book for The 99%. For information about the one-on-one courses (money management, stock investment, options trading and chess) he provides for both adults and kids, email tbt444@gmail.com .

Visit somewhere utterly wild in 2023! PHOTOS COURTESY OF Pexels FEW PLACES ARE NOW SO REMOTE that they cannot be reached on a wildlife holiday, meaning there are endless exciting and responsibly run vacation options for those in search of a little animal magic. All the locations listed here give you the unbeatable opportunity to watch animals feeding, playing and interacting in their natural habitat. BIRD WATCHING IN ECUADOR. The Chocó Rainforest of north western Ecuador lies three hours outside of the capital city, Quito. Recognised by the World Wildlife Fund as one of the most bio-diverse areas on the planet, the forest is home to over 900 bird species and 350 different varieties of reptile, many of which are indigenous only to this region. GORILLA TRACKING IN RWANDA. High in the misty mountains of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, you find endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Under the guidance of experienced trackers, it’s possible to observe these fascinating creatures – the world’s largest primate – going about their daily lives, undisturbed. TRACK BEARS IN ALASKA. A land of ice and snow, but also one of clear blue lakes and lush green mountains, Alaska is a true adventure destination. Head to the hills outside of Anchorage to enjoy a wilderness camping trip under starry skies, track grizzly bears with an expert guide and spot migrating whales from a kayak. SWIM WITH JELLYFISH IN PALAU. Located on Eil Malk Island, 12,000-year-old Jellyfish Lake has provided the perfect conditions for a remarkable evolutionary quirk to occur. The lake’s millions of golden and moon jellyfish have no natural predators, which means they have evolved without their characteristic sting. SAFARI IN SOUTH AFRICA. Madikwe, South Africa’s fifth largest game reserve, is ideal if you’re hoping to see The Big Five without the Kruger crowds. The reserve is home to some 66 species that include elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, zebra and kudu, plus over 300 varieties of bird. Madikwe’s malaria-free status makes it an ideal destination for families. HANG WITH PENGUINS IN ANTARCTICA. Among the stringent rules aimed at protecting the wildlife in Antarctica is the stipulation that visitors are not to get closer than five metres to the penguins and other animals. But the penguins don’t know about the rule, so if you stand still, they will often come right up to you.

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, David Golibroda, owner of Diamond Experts, invites us into the world of bespoke, custom-made jewellery where we are guaranteed not just the highest quality but a tempting price point too. PHOTOS COURTESY OF Diamond Experts David Golibroda, Founder and Owner of Diamond Experts, has been helping Romeos and their Juliets choose quality diamonds to be made into bespoke jewellery for over 26 years – eight of those in Hong Kong. Following in the footsteps of his father, a member of the Israeli Diamond Exchange since 1974, David has close contacts at major diamond trading centres worldwide, which means he gets his diamonds directly from source – including a regular supply of fine diamonds in fancy shapes and special fancy colours from Israel’s top diamond manufacture. His mission as a private jeweller? To provide Hong Kong clients with the best stones at a wholesale price, and have them made into stunning pieces of jewellery. As passionate as he is about the lustre and beauty of fine diamonds – “I love diamonds; they are my life!” – David believes, first and foremost, that they should be accessible to everyone. “We do sell high-end jewellery and very unique and rare fancy-coloured diamonds, as well as big, flawless, investment-grade diamonds,” he says. “But we cater to almost any budget.” All of Diamond Expert’s diamonds are 100% natural and come with a GIA certification which assures their quality and authenticity. The question is, how does David source these high quality stones at such agreeable prices? “As a member of the Israeli Diamond Exchange, and also a company that is engaged in cutting diamonds and the subsequent wholesale of diamonds, Diamond Experts can guarantee the lowest prices in the market for finished diamonds,” David explains. “Our running costs are much lower than a retail shop and we do not pay for middlemen, so we can stay competitive and attractive on our prices.” While providing value for money is a priority, David is equally passionate about informing his clients, sharing his 20+ years knowledge of the diamond industry and diamonds, gemstones and jewellery – and dispelling a few myths. “Many people, who spend huge amounts of money on fine diamonds, not only do not have enough knowledge and information but also have many misconceptions about diamonds and the diamond industry. Over the years, I have met many clients who have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars because they believe in those myths,” he says. “This is why, when working with clients, I help them understand all the different certifications and I explain the different cuts, shapes and colours, as well as the advantages, shortages and true value of each diamond. My mission is to guide clients to choose the best diamond for their budget and, most importantly, the diamond that will reflect the most value for their money.” CHOOSING A FOREVER STONE So if you’re shopping for an engagement ring in the lead up to Valentine’s Day, what would David recommend? Does it have to be a classic solitaire and is size all-important? “Nowadays everything is acceptable, there are no taboos but, for an engagement ring, I would have to say yes, most people want a solitaire, sometimes with a side stone design too,” he says. “When size is the issue, I recommend clients go for a halo set ing or even a double-halo setting, which makes the main diamond look much bigger than it actually is, and gives the ring a more luxurious, blingy look. “A diamond also has to sparkle at its best. So, for a solitaire, many clients prefer 3EX diamonds; for their fancy-shaped diamonds, they prioritise excellent proportions.” In recent years, with those not opting for a solitaire engagement ring, David has seen a rise in demand for oval-shaped and emerald-cut diamonds. “These elongated cuts compliment a women’s hand and give it a more slender, elegant look,” he says. Of course, many couples come to Diamond Experts with heirloom engagement rings that they would like to see reinvented, and this is another area in which David’s team of in-house designers specialise. “We help clients to re-set existing rings of all kinds, as well as upgrade them or redesign them,” he says. “Our signature removable halo ring jacket is a best seller, it can be custom manufactured and adjusted to upgrade almost any ring design, making it more luxurious while also protecting the main diamond set in it.” When it comes down to it, David is in the business of making dreams comes true by sharing not just his knowledge about diamonds but also his passion for them. “I love and adore diamonds,” he says. “When I see a beautiful diamond, I get excited each time, like an artist admiring a piece of art.” And so to the burning question, should you choose an engagement ring for your future spouse, or should she/ he be consulted in the selection process? While David says he has seen both approaches work wonderfully and that it really is something for the individual couple to decide, he admits to sticking with tradition for his own engagement. “I am old school, a very romantic soul, so when I proposed I did it as a surprise and did not consult with my wife. But I did ask her best girlfriend to snoop around and find out her preferred ring style and diamond shape. From there, I designed a very beautiful ring that she absolutely (lucky me) loved and, of course, she said, ‘Yes!’” Diamond Experts is based in Queen’s Road Central. To find out more or book an appointment, call 9881 8770, email diamondexpertshk@gmail.com , or visit www.diamondexpertshk.com .

Jocelyn Tsao, partner in the divorce and family team at Withers, outlines what you need to know. These days, the practice of cohabitation and having children prior to marriage has become increasingly common. What unmarried fathers may not know is that there is no legal presumption of paternity when their child is born outside of marriage. Fathers in that situation can find themselves at a disadvantage if the relationship turns sour and the mother decides to leave with the child and relocate to another country. As the law currently stands, an unmarried father does not have the same legal rights as the mother. To have equal legal rights, he needs to make an application to the court for an order that deems he is the father and entitles him to parental rights (known as Section 3 Declaration, under the Guardianship of Minors Ordinance). There are a few reasons for the discrepancy, mostly due to the varying reasons for children being born out of wedlock ranging from an unintentional birth to a fully committed family arrangement. With more people choosing not to marry and to have a family, there are more cases which fall into the second category, making it patently unfair for the father not to have any legal rights to his child. Parental rights include custody rights – the right to be consulted over the important decisions in a child’s life, for example which school he goes to, where he lives, what religion he identifies with, what medical decisions can be made on his behalf, etc. The common problematic scenario happens when the relationship breaks down and the mother decides to leave Hong Kong without consulting the father. When the father has legal rights to his child, he can invoke the Hague Convention on international child abduction to immediately secure the return of his child through cooperation between the central authorities of the relevant countries. However, for unmarried fathers who did not apply for a Section 3 Declaration, invoking the Hague Convention is difficult or impossible. In this situation, the unmarried father can apply to the local court of the child’s habitual residence to secure a return order, but he may face difficulties, particularly with enforcement. Where there is clearly a stable relationship between the father and the child, the court will almost certainly grant a Section 3 Declaration. The court will consider factors like the degree of commitment which the father has shown towards the child; the degree of attachment which exists between the father and the child; and the reasons of the father applying for the order. However, the fact that the unmarried father does not have formal legal rights does not give unmarried mothers carte blanche to ignore the father’s rights and take their child away without his consent. This kind of conduct will not only be frowned upon by court, there will be repercussions. Withers’ teams of family and matrimonial lawyers have extensive experience in dealing with Hong Kong family law. For enquiries, contact Jocelyn Tsao, partner in the divorce and family team, at Jocelyn.Tsao@withersworldwide.com . Withers, 30/F United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, 3711 1600, www.withersworldwide.com