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Full of veggies and packed with flavour, these bowls are comforting and nutritious choices for chilly nights. PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock BEETROOT SOUP Serves 4 - 1kg beetroot - 450g carrots - 8 shallots - 2 garlic cloves - 1 stick of celery - 1 bay leaf - 2tbsp caraway seeds - Vegetable stock Peel and roughly chop the vegetables. Place in a large pan with the bay leaf and caraway seeds. Cover with vegetable stock. Bring to a rapid boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about one hour or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf and liquidise the soup until smooth, adding more vegetable stock as desired. Pass the soup through a medium sieve. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reheat gently, do not allow to boil, serve with sour cream and warm rolls. FRENCH ONION SOUP Serves 4 - 50g butter - 1tbsp olive oil - 1kg onions, halved and thinly sliced - 1tsp sugar - 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced - 2tbsp plain flour - 250ml dry white wine - 1.3l hot beef stock - 4-8 slices baguette - 140g Gruyère, finely grated Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 minutes until soft. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until caramelised. Add the garlic cloves for the final few minutes of the onions’ cooking time, then sprinkle in the plain flour and stir well. Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the hot beef stock. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. To serve, turn on the grill, and toast the bread. Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls. Put a slice or two of toast on top of the bowls of soup, and pile on the Gruyère. Grill until melted.

Determined to make the most of your precious annual leave this year? We have it all worked out for you, plus suggestions for an action-packed, year-long itinerary REPORTING BY Raphael Blet PHOTOS COURTESY OF Unsplash & Wikimedia Commons Living in such a multicultural city, we get to celebrate both Chinese and Western festivals, and this means many public holidays – 17 in total. We are fortunate in this because we are less blessed in terms of annual leave, which for most of us starts at just seven days. Many employers have a more enlightened attitude but, by law, the most paid leave we can expect per year is 14 days, and that only kicks in once we’ve been with the same company, on a continuous contract, for nine years. This gives us plenty of time to work hard certainly, but what if we want to play hard too? The solution is actually pretty simple – plan trips around Hong Kong’s wealth of public holidays. The trick is to maximise your travel time, while minimising the impact on your valuable annual leave… and here’s your guide to doing just that in 2023. CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR If you’re on the ball, you’ll have already booked a full nine-day Chinese New Year holiday, using only two days of your annual leave. January 22 to 25 (Sunday through Wednesday) are public holidays, so by taking the Thursday and Friday off, you’ll have a generous amount of time to welcome in the Year of the Rabbit. If you’re thinking big ticket, Europe, Amsterdam could be where you’re headed this CNY. A 12-hour direct flight from Hong Kong, the Dutch capital is known for its narrow, gabled houses; elaborate canal system; bike paths; art museums (the Van Gogh Museum hosts the world’s largest collection of paintings by Zunder t-born Vincent), and, well, nightlife. To get a feel for the ‘real’ Amsterdam, head to the Albert Cuypmarkt, where locals shop for bike locks, fresh flowers, herring sandwiches and, of course, Dutch beer and cheese. Arrive before January 22, and you’ll be in time to catch the Amsterdam Light Festival; an open-air light museum curated by big-name, international artists, designers and architects. Interested in Amsterdam’s favourite herb? Visit non-profit Cannabis College to get educated about coffee-shop etiquette and browse hemp-made products. CHING MING FESTIVAL AND EASTER This year, Ching Ming Festival falls on April 5 (Wednesday), closely followed by Good Friday on April 7 and Easter Monday on April 10. Take one day off (April 6) and you’ll get yourself a crafty five day escape. Is Singapore calling? Five days will give you plenty of to time to explore the Lion City and the experience starts right upon landing at Changi Airport, a destination in itself. Once you collect your luggage, follow signs to Jewel Changi, a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex, home to the world’s tallest indoor water fall, Rain Vortex. There is also a 14,000 square-metre Canopy Park with a botanical garden and attractions for kids. Swimming in the infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands, having a Singapore Sling at Raffles’ Long Bar, taking a night safari at Singapore Zoo, exploring Gardens by the Bay, shopping on Orchard Road, the list of things to see and do in Singapore really is endless. And of course, there’s all the cultural diversity to explore in Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street. You’ll be visiting at Ramadan (March 22 to April 20), so the Malay neighbourhoods will be in celebration mode once the sun sets. Head to Kampong Glam for the night bazaars, mosques, carpet shops and spicy Malay cuisine. TUEN NG FESTIVAL Tuen Ng Festival falls on June 22 this year (a Thursday), so you may well want to take the Friday and Monday off work, for a well-earned five-day break. How about a steamy, 30˚C beach holiday? Head to Hua Hin, simply because you can. A two-and-a-half-hour drive from Bangkok, on the western side of the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin is known for its long, wide, white-sand beaches and warm waters that are safe for swimming. This is your invitation to spend a balmy couple of days beach-hopping – in addition to Hua Hin Beach itself, check out Khao Takiab, Suan Son Pradiphat, Khao Tao and Cha Am. As one of the oldest and most affluent holiday resorts in Thailand, complete with summer palaces built by Kings Rama VI and VII, Hua Hin is the perfect getaway for families, and it’s a lot easier to access from Bangkok than the southern islands. Hua Hin’s ambience continues to get more cosmopolitan with excellent golf courses, child-friendly water parks and a wide range of tempting places to stay. OCTOBER MINIBREAKS Now, assuming you save three days of your precious annual leave for a long Christmas vacation (more on that later), you may still have a couple of days leave to play with, setting you up for a tasty four day mini-break or two. You could take these in May, tagged on to the May 1 Labour Day public holiday, which falls on a Monday, or The Buddha’s Birthday, May 26, a Friday. But assuming you’re heading overseas in June, at Tuen Ng, you’ll likely want to wait until October when two public holidays – National Day, October 2 and Chung Yeung Festival, October 23 – neatly fall on a Monday. Macau is always the right place for a mini-break, but if you’ve got four days, Hanoi, just a two-hour direct flight from Hong Kong, might be the right fit. The charming Vietnamese capital is compact and easy to navigate, meaning you can cram a lot of sightseeing into a short space of time. Landing in Noi Bai Airport, hop in a cab and head straight to the historical city centre, where you’ll find most of the major sites within walking distance. Its tree-lined boulevards, elegant squares and cobbled lanes are packed with French-built colonial buildings and ancient temples, but also bustling markets, cafés and hawker stalls. When in Hanoi there are a couple of things you simply have to do: Explore the French colonial Old Quarter; visit St Joseph Cathedral, often likened to Paris’ Notre Dame; take a walk around picture-perfect Hoan Kiem Lake; drink bai hoi, reportedly the world’s cheapest beer and eat (a lot of) street food. CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR This year’s Christmas holidays fall on December 25 (Monday) and 26 (Tuesday), which means you can get yourself a full nine days off by taking just three days annual leave – better, add one or two days’ unpaid leave and you can jingle all the way through to 2024. If you’ve been dreaming of a white Christmas, 2023 may be your year to head to Whistler, the largest skiable area in North America with over 200 runs. Encompassing more than 8,000 acres over two mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, it’s a paradise for adventure sport lovers all year round but thanks to roughly 12 metres of annual snowfall, Whistler exists because of skiing. While beginners are well-catered to on the bunny hills, there are 20 double black diamond runs (plus heli-skiing options) for adrenalin junkies. Picturesque, chalet-style Whistler Village comes into its own in the winter season and there are varied accommodation options including ski-in, ski-out resorts. Compact and fully pedestrianised, it’s easy to get around with great shops, restaurants and après-ski. Happy holidays 2023!

Ray Au outlines what we can expect from 2023, the Year of the Water Rabbit ILLUSTRATION BY Sarin Ale According to Chinese astrology, each year corresponds to one of the 12 zodiac animals (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig), a cycle that repeats every 12 years. To complicate things a little, each year also corresponds to one of the five Chinese zodiac elements (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood), a cycle that repeats every five years. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit (the last one was in 2011). More specifically, it is the Year of the Water Rabbit (the last one was in 1963). So, what does that mean for you? The first thing you need to know is that the Rabbit is one of the luckiest animals in the Chinese zodiac. According to folklore, the Rabbit – Jade Rabbit to be specific – lives on the moon as the Goddess Chang’e’s favoured companion. This means that a Rabbit Year brings with it the moon goddess’ protection, so we can expect good things – harmony in our relationships, money in our pockets and good health. 2023 looks set to be a peaceful, constructive year in which we will make the right decisions with regard to personal relationships, career developments and, on a larger scale, the world around us. THE RABBIT’S POSITIVE INFLUENCE In predicting what 2023 will bring, we need to take a good look at the Rabbit’s characteristics. First and foremost, we know him to be patient and empathic, responsible and intellectual. Skilful and quick-thinking, the Rabbit is also well-grounded, so, in 2023, we can expect life to get back on a more even and rational keel. Rabbit years, like 2023, are all about gentleness, kindness and positivity – very different from 2022’s tumultuous, tantrum-throwing Year of the Tiger. The Rabbit will calm those who are too impulsive, while bringing those with their heads in the clouds back down to earth. Importantly too, the Rabbit is optimistic and persevering, happy to work hard to get things done. When encountering obstacles, the Rabbit gets calm, cautious and decisive; he digs in his heels to get problems solved. This is why, assuming we pause to think before we act in 2023, we will manage to achieve much that is worthwhile. Chang’e and the Rabbit have our backs in 2023, so we can look forward to a return to harmony and balance in all aspects of life – and to having a little well-deserved fun. The Rabbit is friendly and outgoing, so 2023 looks set to be a socially active year for all of us. We are well advised to follow our passions and make time for activities that make us feel good. HEALTH AND RELATIONSHIPS The Year of the Rabbit 2023 is under the influence of the Water element, which bodes well for our health. Water is an extremely power ful natural force. It’s the strongest element – even stronger than fire – because it can go around any obstacle in its path. Empowered by the Water Rabbit, most of us will enjoy good health in 2023. Out of all of the Chinese zodiac elements, Water has the greatest connection to the emotions – to sensitivity, empathy and falling in love. What’s more, we know the Rabbit to be gentle, kind and empathic. It follows therefore that 2023 will be a positive year for relationships. We can expect to meet people with whom we will establish close partnerships (friendships, romances, work collaborations) and who will have a beneficial influence on our family or business interests. One word of caution: While the Rabbit is loyal and dependable, he has a tendency to be secretive and introspective. This means that all of us will need to make a special effort to communicate constructively and well in 2023. It’s time to share our thoughts and feelings, to empathise and be generous with our time and hear ts. By making an effort with this, married couples and those in long-term relationships can find their feelings intensified in a Rabbit Year. With the moon goddess smiling down, 2023 also promises to be a lucky year for those who are single and ready for romance – watch out for your soulmate in June, July and November. And it’s a good year to have a baby. The Chinese zodiac affects birth rates on a national scale and baby-making isn’t restricted to the flashy, power-hungry Dragon, Tiger and Horse years. People who choose to give birth in a Rabbit Year want their offspring to be outgoing and high achieving, but also easy-going and contented. Just like the Rabbit. MONEY AND WORK The Rabbit is cautious and shrewd, good with money, which means we can expect a rewarding 2023 as far as our finances are concerned. Cash flow should be ample, and we can hope to recover earnings lost during the pandemic. The Rabbit’s motto is ‘work smarter, not harder.’ Follow his lead and you will be able to make money in 2023, while finding time to play too. And don’t be fooled by the Rabbit’s quiet, unassuming demeanour, he is rightfully known for his ambition and tenacity. He placed fourth in the Great Race after all, beating eight of the other zodiac animals to the other side of the river by jumping across it on stepping stones. 2023 is therefore your year to go all out and attempt the ‘impossible.’ When encountering difficulties, take a leaf out of the Rabbit’s book – persevere and stay hopeful and optimistic. Effort, commitment and determination will get you far in a Rabbit Year, as will the ability to focus on the task in hand. It’s inadvisable to implement big career changes in a Rabbit Year but, if you are an employee, your chances of promotion and salary increase are high, particularly if you have a male boss. 2023 looks set to be a great year for loyal employees, who will be amply rewarded for their hard work, creativity and dependability. LUCK AND COMPATIBILITY How we will fare in the Year of the Rabbit also depends on the year we were born – on how well our ‘birth animal’ gets on with the Rabbit. The Chinese zodiac animals most compatible with the Rabbit are the Ram, Dog and Pig, which is fantastic news for all Rams, Dogs and Pigs heading into 2023. The Ram’s idealism, Dog’s empathy and Pig’s happy-go-lucky nature all vibe well with the sharing, caring Rabbit. Oxen and Snakes should do well in 2023, since they also have a lot in common with the Rabbit. The Ox’s pragmatism and love of routine appeals to the down-to-earth Rabbit; the Snake’s reserved nature gels with his secretive, introspective side. Tigers, Dragons, Horses and Monkeys can also expect a good year, as long they can find a way to keep their limelight-seeking exuberance in check. Unfortunately, Rat and Rooster energy sits less comfortably with the Rabbit. The Rat’s materialism and irresponsibility rankles, as does the Rooster’s quarrelsome, in-your-face approach to problem solving. Rats and Roosters should therefore prepare for a bumpy 2023, with some power struggles and financial challenges ahead. Meanwhile, those born in a Rabbit year are not in as bouncy a position as you might think. According to Chinese astrology, we offend the Tai Sui gods in a year that is governed by our birth animal, meaning we can expect many challenges and unexpected changes. In 2023, Rabbits are advised to tread with caution, and invest in some feng shui remedies. Encourage the Rabbit in your life to carry a lucky dog trinket… and wear red underwear. Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Happy to go that extra mile, Henrique Bastos is sharing his love of maths with DB kids and Hongkongers who need it most. Elizabeth Kerr reports PHOTOS BY Baljit Gidwani - www.evoqueportraits.com Henrique Bastos has finally found time to sit down (via Google Meet) for a chat. There’s been a lot of back and forth trying to set up a meeting with a little help from his boss, Karim Arditi at Discovery Bay-based tutoring centre Mathemagic. To be fair, it sounded a bit like Henrique was a child genius; a 10-year old maths wizard. But he’s actually a 17-year-old Kellett School student on the verge of graduation, very much a young man, whose shaggy light brown hair gives him a Wyatt Russell look. He responds with a mildly sheepish chuckle. “I look old, I know. Everyone tells me that.” for the record, Henrique doesn’t look old. He looks like a guy with two “high energy” dogs and a penchant for philanthropy, perhaps not in the form of cash but certainly in the form of mathematical knowledge. DISCOVERING A PASSION Brazilian-born, Henrique’s been living in Hong Kong since he was nine years old, when his banker father relocated with the family – there are four Bastos kids. A much-anticipated trip to São Paulo, endlessly postponed due to you-know-what, finally happened this past summer. The vacation included a detour to the UK to scope out universities for next year. And yes. Henrique will be studying mathematics. “OK, so I’m trying for Cambridge and St Andrews,” he states before rushing to add, “I’m probably not getting in, but I’m going to try.” When the subject of maths truly comes up, Henrique talks about the beauty of the subject, how amazing it is theoretically and how much he respects it. (This interviewer is equally awed by maths, doesn’t get a lick of it.) He quickly focuses on the way almost anything can be broken down into a brilliant combination of letters and numbers. “That’s one of my favourite par ts of maths, breaking things down into equations. That’s how you actually understand it,” he explains of discovering his appreciation for the ancient Babylonian art. As an autodidact, Henrique is quick to acknowledge how intimidating it can be. “I get it. I was like you. I hated maths, I really did. And I was really bad at it,” he says with a chuckle. “There was no point in it. I was only doing what I needed to.” But when Henrique broke his leg badly, age 11, and wound up in hospital for an extended period, he got bored. “So bored I picked up a math book.” The rest, as they say, is history. SHARING THE LOVE Henrique claims he simply found the right books to help him along, and once he clocked the concepts there was no looking back. Being as sharp as a tack helps, but he’s sure anyone can pick up maths beyond 2 + 2 is 4. “I’m sure you would get it,” he states confidently despite never having seen my grades. “And after you develop a passion for it you actually take the time to understand it. No one gets this stuff right away. It’s never too late.” It’s that passion that led Henrique to Karim’s Mathemagic Higher Math & Science Studies Centre ( www.hlmathemagic.com ), which was recommended by his Krav coach. Now, he teaches kids as young as six (and the occasional teen) the fundamentals, even with kids being, well, kids. Their preference for play has him making up games for maths answers, but if it works that’s just fine with him. “There is that satisfaction in being the reason they understand something new,” he says. And though it’s not an issue he’s faced himself, there’s no way Henrique would teach girls differently from boys, a bugbear of educators worldwide. “It does suck that still happens.” INSPIRATION FOR 2023 Henrique is also putting his skills to work with celebrated local charity RUN (Rebuild, Unite and Nurture) Hong Kong ( www.runhk.org ). The family has donated time to charities in the past – his parents did it, his sister volunteers at Mother’s Choice – so when Karim pointed him towards RUN, he took the opportunity. RUN has been supporting refugees and asylum seekers, particularly women, since 2015 through sport and education as the building blocks for a safe and dignified life. The organisation runs classes rooted in physical activity, but also more practical classes in computer science, English and maths. Enter Henrique. “This is very different from ‘normal' teaching. When you teach kids, they’re doing it for grades. That’s not wrong, it’s just what it is,” Henrique declares with a grin. “Working with refugees and asylum seekers is entirely different. Everyone is there because they really want to be. They have families to take care of, most are not allowed to work; they have small government budgets to live on and they still show up for class. They ask for homework! I’ve never had anyone ask for homework.” “It’s amazing and you can see progress,” Henrique adds. “I taught a class that started on multiplication a while back and they’re on binomial expansion now. This led to them asking me about fractional factorials, which was a great excuse to mention my favourite function – the gamma function. Even though they didn’t understand it yet, they were excited to know they would understand it one day. It’s very fulfilling." A WORD OF ADVICE Because Henrique makes it all sound so easy, I ask the obvious question: Is there a single piece of advice he can share that might help we who are… not so strong at mathematics figure it out? There is, and that’s easy too: Drop the rote memory work. “Get back to the basics and make yourself understand them instead of learning formulas,” he says. “Work on mathematical proofs; know why you’re using a formula. Too often we start with exponentials and we don’t even understand what functions are. Or trig? If you don’t understand the proofs, and you’re just taking a teacher’s word for it, you’ll never get it. When it makes sense, you don’t need to memorise it. That’s it there. Don’t memorise maths.” The conversation winds down with a rapid-fire listing of Henrique’s favourite maths movies. Good Will Hunting sits at the top, with The Man Who Knew Infinity coming a close second. It takes place at Cambridge, so duh. He adds A Beautiful Mind and then The Imitation Game, which he liked, but as it was mostly about spies and Alan Turing’s troubled life, it wasn’t his favourite. Henrique has just one lesson today so it’s off to run with the dogs later but, as a parting shot, he recalls the DB photoshoot to go with this interview. Evidently, that was a good time too. Who was the photographer? “Baljit,” he says. “I loved him. He’s great.” Ask Henrique if he’s prepared to be a cover boy and the reply is swift. “No need. I’m sure there are better stories out there.” Not better but it is the CNY issue, so ultimately the publisher went with a rabbit. Go figure!

Tasked with creating the perfect rabbit-themed CNY artwork, primary and secondary school students living/ studying in DB have created fantastic art pieces for the DB Chinese New Year Drawing Competition 2023! You can cast your vote from January 1 to 15 on Facebook and Instagram @Around DB. Thanks to a huge amount of interest and support from DB schools, we have 10 shortlisted entrants in the primary school category, three in the secondary school category. You can view photos of the entrants and more of their submissions on Facebook and Instagram @Around DB. The three finalists with the highest number of votes in each category will win book vouchers worth: Winner: HK$1,500 1st runner-up: HK$1,000 2nd runner-up: HK$800 The results will be announced on January 18 on Facebook and Instagram @Around DB . Photos of the finalists in each category, and their drawings, will be published in the February issue of Around DB.

From feminist parenting and accepting screentime to cooking more veggies, here’s what we can expect in the coming year. Samantha Wong reports PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock It takes a village to rear a child (or it used to) and one of the biggest parenting trends coming out of the lockdown years is an acknowledgement of this. The pandemic has taught us that we can do it on our own but quite frankly we’d rather not. 2023 is going to see us reaching out and expanding our family circle, whether that’s by spending more time with grandparents, aunts and cousins or introducing our kids to our wider network of friends. Of course, it’s a long time since the definition of ‘family’ was limited to the traditional father, mother, child model. Once diverse forms of parenting – single parents, same-sex parents, couples who’ve had kids late in life, and families where the father is the primary caregiver – are now increasingly the norm. The bottom line is that we can parent in our own way and, coming into the new year, we feel empowered to do so. Research shows that parents who experience the most satisfaction from their role align their parenting decisions with their personal passions, values and beliefs. Being a parent doesn’t have to mean giving up our identity, and many parents are working out how to create families that are an accurate reflection of their own uniqueness. IN: #METOO PARENTING As the world becomes increasingly chaotic and fast-changing, parents are recognising the importance of having two-way exchanges – regular, meaningful dialogue – with their children. Casually instigated parent-child conversations are a means to impact on children’s behaviour and thinking, while strengthening relationships. Intimate and far ranging discussions around the dining table are again becoming central to family life. Parents are intent on creating safe spaces for children to talk about sensitive topics at home rather than in online chat rooms. Unfiltered conversations like these can cover everything from body image, self-esteem and gender to mental health. The #MeToo movement has provided us with plenty to talk about; we want our children to be feminist, body-confident, compassionate and respectful, regardless of their gender. As parents in a post-Harvey Weinstein world, teaching kids about consent remains a priority. There is a building trend for parents to be more open to their children’s opinions, thoughts and feelings. Where our parents used harsh words and even the occasional slap to drive a point home or ‘educate’ us, we want to take the time to understand our kids and help them understand us. To this end, authoritative parenting remains a buzzword going into 2023, with parents aiming to be flexible and democratic… without being total pushovers. Authoritative parents listen to their children and are prepared to adapt based on their opinions. Importantly though, they place limits on their children’s behaviour and provide fair and consistent discipline when rules are broken. After all, it’s fine to have high expectations for our children, as long as we provide them with the resources, boundaries and emotional support they need to succeed. Conversely, another approach that’s picking up steam going into 2023 is that it’s OK for children to ‘fail.’ In Hong Kong, we live in a results-orientated society and traditionally, the pressure on children to succeed from a ver y young age has been immense. But more and more parents are accepting that the concept of failure is a positive part of learning, and that facing challenges ultimately increases children’s knowledge and skills, helps build self-esteem and aids problem solving. IN: TECHNOLOGY USE Not all of you are going to like this but the word is that 2023 is the year in which parents finally accept technology as a central part of children’s lives. We’ve spent so long worrying about tech addiction; we’ve tried and failed to limit children’s screentime, and the consensus now is that we were backing the wrong horse. We have learnt that technology can play an essential role in our children’s education. We saw this during lockdown when online learning became the ‘new normal’ and since then, the use of technology for educational purposes has surged both at school and at home. What’s more, many of us gave our children unlimited access to their tablets and smartphones when they were stuck at home… and they survived the experience. No doubt, we need to continue to make daily decisions about how much screen- and gadget time we allow our children, and of what content. But the heat is off. The same restraint that permits two sweets but not the whole pack, or two glasses of wine but not the whole bottle can be applied to devices. Technological advancements are happening all the time, all around us, and our kids need access to this world just as much as we do. When it comes down to it, parenting today plays out very much in the public domain. An increasing number of us write Mummy and Daddy blogs, and almost all of us document our children’s lives somewhere on social media. Predictions for 2023 also see more of us shelving our parenting books and looking to online discussion groups for hands on tips and advice from other parents. Even more than Facebook or Instagram, online discussion groups and dedicated parenting apps can provide parents with a very real sense of joy and connection. Chances are that whatever parenting struggle you’re dealing with, someone else is going through it too. And there are some incredible parenting hacks to pick up on. There’s also plenty of fun to be had, as users openly share their day-to-day experiences, including their most embarrassing, weird and downright hysterical parenting moments – the one’s we can all relate to. Not all social-media platforms are about curating a ‘picture-perfect’ identity; the most useful, like TikTok (when we had access to it), are firmly rooted in reality, and full of users who are refreshingly vulnerable and open. IN: MORE VEGETABLES... More positives: 2023 could be the year your picky eater gets a lot more adventurous. With kids placing a high priority on personal health and the health of the planet, protein replacements and vegetarian options are becoming their diet of choice. Now’s the time to perfect those veggie burgers and your Watermelon Edamame Poke. But let’s say, your child is not with the programme. From tears and tantrums to flat-out refusal, many of us have been through the wringer trying to get kids to swallow even a piece of lettuce. Happily, all that came to an end in January last year when one woman on, you guessed it, TikTok shared a clever, fuss-free way to encourage kids to eat their veggies. In case you missed the post, here’s a quick summary. Simply put, you don’t ask your children to eat veggies – you trick them into it. Chat to your kids while munching on a bowl of chopped red peppers. Then before you leave the room, casually pass them a slice and watch them take it from you without thinking. Job done! This useful hack gained a lot of attention online, attracting 2.8 million views within a month of posting. One TikTok user, SwedishSwan, wrote: “It’s a scientific fact that food tastes better out of your mum’s hands or off her plate.” She got that right! Some things never change; parenting trends, well, they come and go.

Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort On December 3, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL) marked the 30th anniversary of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) with an inclusive ‘Wondrous Dancing for All’ cavalcade down Main Street U.S.A. The event was part of a special programme for more than 1,000 invited guests, aimed at showcasing HKDL’s continued commitment to maintaining and enhancing a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion for people of all abilities and backgrounds. “At Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, we believe magic is for everyone,” said Michael Moriarty, Managing Director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. “We will continue to work closely with our valued community organisations on this journey of fostering inclusivity and developing Hong Kong Disneyland Resort as a place where people of all abilities can shine. I am incredibly excited and proud of our commitment to support the development of inclusion initiatives at our worldclass resort.” Joining the IDPD ceremony as guests of honour were Ricky Chu, Chairperson of Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), Chua Hoi-wai, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Council of Social Service and Benny Cheung, Chairperson of Hong Kong Joint Council for People with Disabilities. After the opening ceremony at the Castle of Magical Dreams, it was time for the ‘Wondrous Dancing for All’ cavalcade. Specially put together by the resort’s Entertainment & Costuming team, the parade featured more than 100 talented participants of all abilities. Among those performing alongside HKDL cast members and Disney VoluntEARs were a group of wheelchair dancers from Hong Kong Wheelchair Dance Sport Association, wheelchair basketball players from Hong Kong Federation of Handicapped Youth, a Taekwondo team from Spastics Association of Hong Kong and a group of people with hearing impairments from Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong. Kitty Hui, a wheelchair basketball player from Hong Kong Federation of Handicapped Youth, said: “It was a very nice opportunity to be a cavalcade performer, especially during this celebratory event for the 30th anniversary of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, where Hong Kong Disneyland is promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities.” While IDPD is only one day in a year, HKDL places a strong, year-round focus on inclusion and has won a spot on the Hong Kong Council of Social Services’ List of Barrier-Free Companies for its achievements in accessibility. HKDL has also collaborated with community organisations to provide a ‘Barrier-Free Ambassadors Training Programme’ for the resort’s cast members to help them better understand the needs of guests with disabilities and how best to assist them. In order to support the community and celebrate the 30th Anniversary of IDPD, HKDL is donating more than 10,000 park tickets to people with disabilities for a second year through Hong Kong Council of Social Service and Hong Kong Joint Council for People with Disabilities. To find out more, visit www.hongkongdisneyland.com .

The holidays bring out the child in all of us – time to snuggle up with a delicious cup of hot chocolate and some reindeer cookies. PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock HOT CHOCOLATE WITH MARSHMALLOWS Serves 1 - 50ml double cream - 150ml whole milk - 50g milk chocolate, chopped - 25g dark chocolate, chopped Whip the double cream until it holds its shape then set aside until needed. Put the milk in a small saucepan and heat gently until simmering. Add the milk chocolate and dark chocolate, then stir until melted. Pour into a mug and top with a dollop of the double cream and a couple of marshmallows. REINDEER COOKIES Makes 20 - 140g icing sugar, sieved - 1tsp vanilla extract - 1 egg yolk - 250g butter, cut into small cubes - 375g plain flour, sieved Tip the icing sugar, vanilla extract, egg yolk and butter into a mixing bowl, then stir together with a wooden spoon (or pulse in a food processor) until well combined. Add the flour and mix to a firm dough. Shape the dough into two flat discs and wrap them. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes. Heat oven to 190˚C and line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface so that it’s about 7mm thick. Cut out circle shapes and place on the baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden. Lift the biscuits onto a wire rack to cool. Decorate using chocolate shavings for Rudolph’s eyes and antlers, and a red smartie for his nose.

The pre-Christmas party season can wear out even the hardiest of constitutions but these quick energy-boosting tips will leave you feeling as good as new, says Samantha Wong PHOTOS COURTESY OF Pexels Healthy eating is often the first thing to suffer when you’re par tying, so try to at least aim for three energy-rich meals and two snacks a day. Hungover or not, start as you mean to go on: A good breakfast makes you less likely to snack on all those sugary Christmas treats later in the day. Try a ‘grill-up’ rather than a fry-up; two poached eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes provide the perfect sustained energy pick-me-up. A heavy supper with buckets of wine is likely on the agenda come evening, so keep lunch light but energising by pairing complex carbohydrates with protein and a little bit of healthy fat. Top wholegrain bread with a few slices of healthy fat in the form of avocado. Pile on tomatoes, bean sprouts and spinach – all packed with vitamins and minerals – and use canned tuna or shredded chicken breast for protein. Another easy lunch option is a salad with lots of vegetables, beans for protein and a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar dressing. For a quick energy boost throughout the day, fresh fruit and vegetable juices are your go-to. Juices that combine fruit, milk and pine nuts actually tell the brain you’re full – plus they keep energy levels topped up for longer. Whizz up orange, apple and chocolate with milk thistle extract for a truly beneficial Christmas treat. Whatever you do avoid diet sodas, as these speed-up the stomach-emptying process so you end up eating more canapés. When you need a snack, almonds are a great choice. Research shows that a handful a day helps you reduce your daily calorie intake by stopping ‘bad’ snacking. Stick to those with the skin on as they help to inhibit fat absorption. LAST WORD ON BLOATING There’s no simple answer as to why we bloat, as there’s such a wide range of possibilities. Usually, it’s down to air getting trapped in our digestive system, from either talking too much while eating or unconsciously gulping when stressed. Fizzy drinks can cause fast bloating – and all is made worse byeating high-fat foods that take longer to digest, keeping trapped air around for longer. No surprise, as we guzzle sparkling wine and eat rich food, bloating can be a real issue in the lead-up to Christmas. To stop or at least reduce bloating, eat slowly, talk less and don’t chew gum. Lactose (in milk) and soya are notorious for those susceptible, and bloating is often worse during PMT. Giving up fizzy drinks and sparkling mineral water helps, as does avoiding sugar-free sweeteners that contain sugar alternatives. A salt-rich diet makes our bodies hold on to excess fluid, so cut the salt. Avoid pulses, sprouts and cabbage which tend to cause bloating within an hour. There’s no de-bloating magic bullet but drinking peppermint tea between meals definitely helps, as does taking a daily probiotic. De-stressing is also important, as is stomach massage, as both help shift trapped gas. If you need to de-bloat fast, try this Hollywood pre-red carpet diet for 36 hours before a big night; it’s only a short-term measure. Stick to protein, salad and soft vegetables and cut out carbs, caffeine, sugar and alcohol. Also, forgo salt – this alone can mean the difference of 1 to 1.5 kilograms over four to five days. INSTANT ENERGIZERS When time is short and energy levels are low, try these sure-fire ways to top up your body’s batteries. Avoid the urge for something sugary for an energy boost; instead, go for a natural sugar source, like a sweet fruit such as mango or grapes. These satisfy that sugar urge without the subsequent slump. Coffee can be useful when you drink it the Italian way, by rationing it wisely. Go for one cup in the morning and one cup in the afternoon when you really need it. And there’s nothing wrong with adding a teaspoon of sugar for an added lift. Or have a cup of matcha tea, this powered form of green tea comes with the same hit as a cup of coffee but with a lower dose of caffeine and, as an added bonus, it is high in antioxidants. Oxygenating the body is one of the fastest ways to energise it, so try a stimulating breath exercise. Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose keeping your mouth closed. Keep the breaths short – three in and three outs in one second. Make it noisy. A shot of vitamin C is another tried-and-tested energy hit to try. Take two 500mg capsules when needs must. Boost the supplement’s effects with a yoga stretch. Lie on the floor with your legs up against the wall. This sends blood and energy down into the organs, meaning they function more efficiently. Looking for another way to revitalise a tired mind and body? Take a warm, not hot sea-salt bath. This age-old therapeutic soak promotes relaxation and sleep, while supporting skin health, muscle and joint relaxation and mineral absorption. Use unrefined sea salt, and set aside at least 15 minutes. POST-PARTY REVIVERS When you finally get to bed, sleep with the windows open because anything that makes you feel stuffy keeps you awake. Bedroom temperature should be cooler than in the rest of the flat. And invest in ionizers particularly if you smoke. They clean the atmosphere for that sleepy, sea-air effect. Don’t use scented candles, they do the opposite. Alcohol dysregulates hormones, which is one of the reasons you wake up feeling fat, lethargic and achy after a big night. The first thing to reach for is an easy-to-take rehydrating drink. Ola Loa provides a stronger detox than the popular Berocca or Emergen C, and it’s packed with vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin D, magnesium and zinc, along with electrolytes. When you’re par tying hard, natural levels of vitamins and minerals fall, so it’s important to supplement daily. Boost your intake of vitamin C (it restores cellular health damaged by alcohol consumption) and B vitamins, which are necessary for energy, a good mood and cognition. Take magnesium (it supports relaxation, sleep and nervous system functioning) and zinc, which restores hormonal balance and the immune system after drinking. You can also help counter the effects of the night before, with Nux Vomica 30, a popular homeopathic remedy. It helps relieve the digestive stress and acidity caused by too much alcohol. Take a probiotic too, to restore your gut’s microbial balance. After popping all those pills, take a shower, get dressed and find time for a grill-up somewhere outdoors on your way to work. Follow the tips outlined above and you’ll be ready to hit the town again by 6pm. Before you head out, remember to take Liver Support – a clinical-grade formula containing milk thistle. It’s like first-aid for an over-partied liver.

At DB Ice Rink, kids as young as three can train in figure skating, short-track speed skating and ice hockey – and they are taught by some of the best coaches in Hong Kong. Ray Au reports PHOTOS COURTESY OF HKR Since its opening in May 2021, DB Ice Rink ( www.dbicerink.com ) has set out to support the development of ice sports in Hong Kong and, as such, one of its main priorities is to provide top-level coaching opportunities for children in figure skating, short-track speed skating and ice hockey. At DB Ice Rink (DBIR), young people’s interest in ice sports is nurtured through these different types of skating training, and through tournaments and international events. More than that, DBIR’s state-of-the-art facilities – an international standard rink (27m x 59m), large spectator capacity (230 seated, 224 standing) and four sides of LED scoreboards – create an unbeatable environment for youngsters to develop their skills and potential. “Due to the professional amenities, kids and teenagers, who have skating lessons at DBIR, become familiar with the international-competition environment and atmosphere,” says Raul Gomes, DBIR Senior Manager. “As they grow up, they will be at an advantage – well able to per form freely and smoothly in any large-scale competition without getting stressed.” No doubt, one of the aims of DBIR’s extensive coaching programme is to create future ice sports champions. “DBIR’s future plans are to be recognised as an elite training centre of all ice sports activities, therefore we are working with the Hong Kong Speed Skating Academy, Hong Kong Skating Union, Hong Kong Sports Institute and China Hockey Group to train world-beating short track speed skaters, figure skaters and ice hockey players,” Raul explains. FIGURE SKATING With this in mind, the figure skating arm of DBIR’s skating school is headed up by six-time Hong Kong Senior Men’s Champion figure skater (former world ranking 130), Harry Lee. Not only that. Lincoln Yuen, 2022 Hong Kong Senior Men’s Champion; Adonis Wong, 2022 Hong Kong Senior Men’s Silver Medallist; Rachel Yu, 2022 Hong Kong Senior Ladies Bronze Medallist and Kahlen Cheung, 2022 Hong Kong Junior Ladies Champion are currently all on staff. “Classes follow Ice Skating Institute Asia (ISIAsia) guidelines, taking skaters from beginner to competition level,” Head Coach Harry Lee explains. “The ISIAsia recreational teaching and testing programme encourages skaters of all ages and ability to learn ice skating in a safe environment. It covers basic skills before figure skaters progress to learn more difficult manoeuvres, like jumping and spinning. Importantly too, ISIAsia is a feeder programme for the elite ISU-based coaching curriculum.” Kids can start their figure skating training aged three, with DBIR coaches focusing on technique, stamina and having fun. Several different packages for group, semi-private and private sessions are on offer. Skate helpers (handrails), toys and training tools, which help children develop skating skills at a quick pace, are also available for rent. “The semi-private classes are the most popular as many young people like to learn skating with friends or family,” Harr y says. “Currently, we have a waiting list of over 400 students waiting for the schedule to free up so that they can join our classes. Over 80% of our students are DB residents.” SHORT-TRACK SPEED SKATING DB Ice Rink, in partnership with the Hong Kong Speed Skating Academy, launched Hong Kong’s first International Standard Short-track Speed Skating Programme in June. Participants were taught by Sidney Chu, short-track speed skating representative in the 2022 Winter Olympics and other current and former national speed skaters. Each 30-minute session was fun-packed and informative, and enabled participants to get a taste of speed skating around the 111.12-metre track. “Speed skating is not as popular in Hong Kong as other ice sports, not because of a lack of interest, but because of the lack of opportunity for people to learn and practice. For this reason, we decided to team up with the Hong Kong Speed Skating Academy to organise the Learn to Speed Skate programme at DBIR,” Raul explains. “Our wish is to get involved in developing the next generation of speed skaters, and also to ensure that Hong Kong has continued representation at future Winter Olympics.” Since September, the Learn to Speed Skate programme at DBIR has been taught by star coach Wang Chuang – Head Coach of the Hong Kong National Short-Track Speed Skating Team, and former Head Coach of the Chinese National Short-Track Speed Skating team. Wang has trained numerous Winter Olympians, including Han Tianyu, Sidney Chu and Lin Yue and at DBIR, he invites skaters aged three and up to join his twice weekly classes. “Youngsters who have zero experience in skating are welcome to join the course and learn the basics,” he explains. “Those who completed the Introductory Course in the summer can choose to advance their skills by taking regular courses.” The Learn to Speed Skate programme is designed to develop kids’ interest in short-track speed skating, while improving speed and technique. ‘Dryland’ sessions are included, which are equally important in building strength, agility and coordination. “Participants need to have basic skating ability – they should be comfortable skating forward with no assistance on regular skates,” Wang says. “I recommend that children with no experience, who would like to participate in the Learn to Speed Skate programme, take some basic skating classes at DBIR first.” ICE HOCKEY Since September, DBIR and China Ice Hockey Group (CHG) have been jointly hosting a Junior Tigers Ice Hockey Coaching Programme for children aged between four and 18 years old. Now in its fourth year, CHG is at the centre of growth driving ice hockey forward in the region. Its Junior Tigers, one of the largest youth hockey organisations in Hong Kong, offers training sessions by experienced coaches, plus the opportunity for children of all ages and abilities to take part in leagues, camps and tournaments. Again, the aim is to nurture young talent and prepare players to compete at a high level. Group, semi-private and private lessons are on offer in partnership with the Junior Tigers, plus a separate series of in-house ice hockey lessons. The Beginners Programme covers basic strokes, balance and control, proper stance and body positioning, and the correct way to fall and get back up. Participants are introduced to crossovers, turns and glides, plus multi-directional movements (stopping, moving forward and backward, and turning). The Intermediate and Advanced Programme focuses on puck and stick usage, explosive starts, stride, energy conservation and improved response time. DB Ice Rink is also the home of community-based ice-hockey team the DBees, who previously had to commute to Kowloon to train. “In June 2021, as part of our commitment to develop local ice-hockey talent, we offered four, free sessions to the DBees to help them recruit new members,” Raul says. “After the four sessions their membership quadrupled, and they are now training here twice a week.”

Celebrate Xmas in Vienna PHOTOS COURTESY OF Pexels THE CHRISTMAS MARKET , held in front of the Rathaus (City Hall), is among Europe’s largest and most traditional. Providing a fun-filled nostalgia-fest for Yule lovers, vendors from across Austria dole out traditional Christmas crafts and seasonal delicacies. Sip mulled wine and munch on freshly roasted chestnuts as you shop. VIENNA IS SYNONYMOUS with architectural grandeur, classical music and café culture. With its charming baroque monuments, world-renowned concert halls and treasure-trove museums, the Austrian capital is the perfect place for a Christmas vacation. Stay in the UNESCO World Heritage-accredited HistoricCentre and expect snow. THE ANNUAL NEW YEAR’S CONCERT is performed by the Vienna Philharmonic at the magnificent Musikverein concert hall. Broadcast live, the January 1 performance reaches 50 million and always includes well-loved pieces by the Strauss family. The second encore, Johann Strauss II’s The Blue Danube waltz, follows a New Year’s greeting from the conductor. VIENNA’S OPULENT COFFEE-HOUSE ‘living rooms’ serve up spectacular cakes in delicious surroundings. The city’s signature Sacher Torte – dense chocolate cake filled with apricot jam and wrapped in dark chocolate icing – is best enjoyed where it originates, at the Hotel Sacher’s Café Sacher. THE HOFBURG PALACE complex was home to the Habsburgs for over six centuries, and it’s now packed with a fascinating collection of historic buildings, museums and art galleries. Be sure to catch the Vienna Boys’ Choir singing Sunday Mass in the Imperial Chapel and the famed Lipizzaner stallions performing at the Spanish Riding School. THE MUSEUMSQUARTIER IS A SPRAWLING and impressive cultural hub packed with restaurants and bars, and over 90,000 square metres of exhibition space. You’ll find 19th- and 20th-century Austrian art at the Leopold Museum, and modern art at MUMOK. For photography, video, film, installations and new media head to Kunsthalle Wien. SHELTERING 3 MILLION Vienna Central Cemetery has more inhabitants than the city itself (population less than 2 million). A veritable museum, the cemetery is ‘home’ to bigname musicians such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms and Johann Strauss II. After all, Vienna isn’t known as The City of Music for nothing.

Hans Dickert sits down with Elizabeth Kerr as he gets ready to share some old-school St Nick love with DB kids PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com & courtesy of Hans Dickert I was a Krampus when I did my first visit in Germany. It’s the easiest role because you don’t have to talk. You go in and look grim,” begins Hans Dickert, recalling nearly a lifetime’s wor th of holiday St Nicholas visits. He was 18, in his hometown of Schnait tenbach (about an hour from Nürnberg) and knew almost everyone he was visiting. “I dropped into one house with about seven kidsaround 5.30 in the evening. It was great, we gave the gif ts to the kids and off they went. Then the parents said, ‘Have a schnapps with us.’ Now, we had two more visits planned. I knew these people. If we didn’t stop for a drink, they’d never let us out of the house. So, we had one schnapps. And some Ouzo, 20ccl, not a shot. We went back later for mulled wine and cookies,” he pauses, throwing a deadpan stare over Google Meet. “I’m from Bavaria. The mulled wine glass was a beer stein.” THAT’S THE SPIRIT Now, DB parents and guardians who are expecting a visit from Hans or one of his assistant St Nicholases this year can relax. His drinking days are far behind him. A DB resident of 13 years, Hans is an active Lantau Boat Club paddler, hiker and on-the-weekend farmer. He works for a German industrial tech firm. We live and learn. What’s more, he’s had plenty of practice. Hans has been doing St Nicholas visits (before Christmas, traditionally on December 5) for nearly all of the 20 years he’s lived in Hong Kong, and for the last three years as part of local charity One World Spirit Association’s (OWS) cultural exchange programmes. It’s been roughly 10 months since I chatted with Hans and his wife, OWS founder Shirlee, back when the couple was preparing its Lunar New Year events. Unsurprisingly those events got put on ice when Hong Kong got slammed in an Omicron outbreak in February. Those plans were canned, but the Dicker ts are back in business, making new ones, star ting with the St Nicholas visits for children aged two to six. After getting an idea of how many kids are in the home, ages, genders and names, Hans or one of his ‘colleagues’ show up dressed up like St Nicholas with small gifts and sweets, sharing the historic folklore that gave bir th to the myth of the man in red. The legend stems from a Roman Empire-era Greek bishop who developed a reputation among early Christians for his secret gift-giving. “He left some money for very poor families and little candies on the night of December 5 for children,” explains Hans. “The tradition travelled to Europe and it stuck. In Germany you give little gifts, in the Netherlands you give a larger one, so the tradition varies from place to place. But each time it’s the joy in the children that makes it so special,” Hans adds. “This shouldn’t be confused with Santa Claus; he visits on Christmas Day.” SHARING A LEGACY This year will be the third in a row Hans and his St Nicholases – now counting Olli, a Finn; Gil, a Belgian; Nigel, a Brit and Sergius, a fellow German – have visited kids in DB, and he admits he’d love to see the tradition picked up across Hong Kong. OWS would be thrilled to teach anyone who’s interested the tricks of the trade, and both Hans and Shirlee would love to get into more schools and, most importantly, connect with organisations that serve underprivileged kids. In fact, the Dicker ts need help if they hope to avoid turning requests down. “We had an enquiry from a kindergarten about St Nicholas, and really it’s just about manpower,” Shirlee says. “School visits need to be on weekdays and all our St Nicholases are volunteers. But we’re trying to work it out.” In 2021, 27 DB families got visits from three teams, and Hans expects all this year’s available slots to fill up. In early November, seven families were already on board. While OWS’ team of regular volunteers now numbers 15+, the Dicker ts have been looking for more support in the lead-up to the December event. They needed more golf cart drivers to get the St Nicholases to residents’ homes, and young volunteers (aged 13 years and up) to assist the team by liaising with families signed up for a visit. “This is the second year, we have enrolled students from Po Leung Kuk Tong Nai Kan Junior Secondary College to assist us. We hope the volunteers who are helping on the Christmas visits will keep up the tradition down the road,” Hans says. “We want to recruit young people in par ticular, in order to pass on this wonderful tradition and legacy.” CONNECTING CULTURES More is required of a wannabe St Nicholas than being willing to dress-up and Hans held a series of training days in November for new recruits. “They learn a bit about how to represent, how to pay attention to the children and the family when they go in, how to read out loud and how to interact with the kids,” he explains. “Everyone needs to make their Golden Book. They can read from the text, and once they get into it, they can improvise a bit.” The big day this year is Sunday, December 4. Hans proudly shows off a new, handmade bishop’s sceptre, something like a shepherd’s staff, for St Nicholas to wield. It’s a traditional part of the costume that’s been missing until now. That was remedied when the Dickerts picked up a headpiece in Schnaittenbach on a visit this summer. The final touch is the aforementioned Golden Book, which is a list of names, directions for the golf cart drivers, and some notes submitted by parents when they request the visit (check out OWS’s Facebook page for details: fb.me/e/32lcdNMWr ). Most of the notes are little things – “Could help clean up,” “Needs to brush teeth better” and “Doesn’t finish breakfast” – but to a four-year-old the fact that St Nicholas knows these secrets must be astonishing. “They look at us like, ‘How does he know that?’ It’s in the Golden Book,” Hans says with a chuckle. “We can’t let them look inside because it’s a ‘special’ book.” As COVID seems to come under some semblance of control and Hong Kong starts to re-connect with the world (when the Dickerts travelled in the summer, the airport was, “Like an old zombie movie. Everything was closed. We landed in Istanbul in the middle of the night and people were all over the place, life everywhere. It was like night and day.”) OWS is getting back at it, planning a Christmas Bazaar with the German Chamber of Commerce and rescheduling some of those postponed CNY events. “We’re looking ahead to January, planning a Hanfu Chinese traditional clothing event with Hua Zi at Natural Space, and a series of workshops on Chinese calligraphy, spring couplets and an introduction to tea art,” Shirlee says. In the meantime, December 4 is fast approaching. For the record, it’s not a one-way street. “We get the kids to sing or draw a picture for St Nicholas, keep them engaged and ask them to reflect on their year,” finishes Hans “Sometimes it can help parents out. I did this for many years in Germany and seeing how the kids grew up and changed. It’s amazing.”