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Backhands, slices and top spins!DB-based tennis coach Richard Gordon shares his top tips with Rachel Sadler PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon & Stephane Fasbender TO GET A SERVE LIKE FEDERER , you need to master the ball toss. This, paired with good timing, will promote consistency and allow you to determine the ball’s ‘flight path’ – the ball toss is a skill in itself. The arm movement should be relaxed and loose, and the power actually originates from the feet and moves up through the body – it’s all about ‘biomechanics.’ For a top spin, slice or flat serve, you need to adjust your arm movement. SPEED, SUPPLENESS AND STAMINA are all important skills in tennis. The ball can move very fast, particularly now with the new racket technology. You need good ball-eye coordination – the ability to track a fast-moving ball and react quickly to it is key. Stretching out for a wide backhand requires players to be supple. In long matches, the player with the most stamina is often the winner. TO IMPROVE YOUR BACKHAND , practice, practice, practice! Backhands, whether single or double handed, start slightly below the ball – you should hit and then follow through after the ball, with the racket head finishing above shoulder height. Hitting the ball out in front of the body and having good timing are all key skills to master. Once the basic are in place you then can add spin and slice. CORE STRENGTH IS ESSENTIAL because the core is used to stabilise, increase momentum and provide power. This can be seen in an explosive forehand – the shot starts with the feet, the power travels up through the body to the core where torque is added, and then the power is released out through the shoulders and arms and into to the racket swing. You can strengthen core muscles in the gym and incorporate lunge exercises to make sure you are quick on your feet. TO GET YOUR HEAD IN THE MATCH free your mind and keep your heart rate down. Tensing up your body affects the smoothness of your swing. If you make an error the best thing you can do is forget about the mistake and turn it around. Having strong mental awareness is important for staying focused, and sometimes you will have to think two or three shots ahead of yourself. Tennis is a very tactical sport. TO STAY MOTIVATED set attainable goals. In tennis you can improve very rapidly and then hit a plateau, so you need to adjust your goals regularly in order to feel successful PLAYING SOME OTHER SPORTS CAN HELP . A volleyball serve is similar to a tennis serve, and in golf, you transfer your bodyweight through the ball, like you do in tennis. Yoga helps with suppleness. TENNIS IMPPROVES MENTAL HEALTH and wellbeing . Running around a court you release endorphins, the feel-good chemical produced by the body during exercise, and you’re outdoors, where you can top up on some much-needed vitamin D. Tennis can be tailored to suit the individual player, you can play hard for improved fitness or you can play easy and simply enjoy it

Legal support for soon-to-wed couples from Joanne Brown, Partner, Head of Family at Tanner de Witt PHOTOS COURTESY OF Tanner De Witt & Unsplash Marriage is a legal matter. An important part of marital planning is to ensure that the implications of marriage on your legal status are carefully considered well before the wedding. No one finds it easy to open a dialogue about pre-nuptial agreements particularly during the engagement period but it may well be in your best interests to do so. Know too that you will need to update your will. Marriage invalidates all previous wills, and it gives top priority to your spouse in intestate estate distribution if you die without a will after marriage. THE PRE-NUP A pre-nuptial agreement is an agreement made between a couple prior to marriage as to the manner in which their financial affairs should be regulated in the event of a divorce. The agreed arrangement could be different from what the Court might order had there been no agreement. A pre-nuptial agreement is important if there are concerns with asset protection from a marriage. The starting point for sharing of assets in the case of divorce is generally that total assets should be divided equally between the two parties. This means a starting point of 50/50 split of matrimonial assets worldwide unless either party can show compelling reason or circumstances to depart from this starting point. This includes wealth held in family businesses, interests in family trusts, investment properties, and pension and retirement funds as well as structured employment benefits with future distributions. Generally, salary and any other form of income gained during the marriage, as well as assets acquired after the marriage, are matrimonial assets and considered shared assets. Our advice? Do not delay. Get a pre-nuptial agreement and set up a structure to carve out capital acquired before marriage. Ideally, the agreement should be signed at least 28 days before the intended wedding date. Gaining understanding and compromise is fundamental. DESTINATION WEDDINGS Dreaming of a destination wedding? Check if your wedding ceremony in a foreign country constitutes a valid marriage in Hong Kong. To ensure that the marriage is recognised in Hong Kong, you should ensure that your marriage is celebrated under the legal procedures recognised by the law in force at the time and at the place of the wedding ceremony. For example, marriage celebrated in Bali is recognised in Hong Kong if the ceremony and the legal documentation are valid under Indonesian law. Otherwise, it is only a symbolic wedding ceremony that is recognised neither here nor at the place of the marriage. You also have to check the legal requirements before deciding where to hold your destination wedding. For example, not everyone can legally get married in Bali. A person may only get married in Indonesia providing he or she observes one of the five religions recognised by that country. Tanner De Witt was established in 1999 and now has a team of over 100, including more than 50 Hong Kong lawyers. The firm’s family and private wealth teams can talk you through the steps necessary to protect your future family members and give you the peace of mind that your affairs are in order. For more information, visit www.tannerdewitt.com .

Small animal internal medicine specialist Dr Lawren Durocher Babek outlines some common household dangers for pets, so that we can wise-up and become the best pet parents possible PHOTOS BY Baljit Gidwani - www.evoqueportraits.com.hk Recent reports about dog poisonings at Cyberport Waterfront have emphasised the issue of pet safety both outside and importantly inside the home. No matter their age, cats and dogs can get into serious trouble with ordinary household objects – from the medicine in our cabinets to the flowers on our side tables. We can minimise these risks by increasing our awareness of the common threats, and either eliminating them from our homes or keeping them well out of reach. Dogs and cats are naturally curious; when they are out of sight, they are all too capable of chancing upon and ingesting something harmful. So, one of the first things you need to know about keeping pets safe is to treat them like inquisitive toddlers. This cat-and-dog safety primer will help you pet-proof your home and prevent accidents from happening. OUR FOOD The food we eat everyday poses many hidden dangers for pets. Chocolate and caffeine contain a chemical called theobromine which is toxic to dogs, causing high heart rates and possible seizures. The amount of chocolate toxic to dogs is dependent on the dog’s size, as well as the type of chocolate consumed; for example, dark chocolate is deadlier than milk or white chocolate. Xylitol (sugar substitute) causes low blood sugar and liver failure in dogs. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs – even a small number of grapes or raisins can be toxic. Raw yeast dough can cause severe stomach upset for pets; onions and garlic, eaten in high quantities, can cause anaemia. Macademia nuts can cause weakness, overheating and vomiting; alcohol can cause alcohol poisoning, just as it does in people. OUR MEDS Whilst not appealing to us, dogs and cats can be very tempted to try human prescription medication. Oestrogen creams and hormone replacement medications can harm bone marrow; high blood pressure medication can cause plummeting blood pressure. Medications used to treat cancer can cause a dangerously low white blood cell count; ADHD medications and antidepressants are dangerously toxic to dogs. Dogs and cats cannot process over-the-counter pain medication like people can. Paracetamol is extremely toxic to cats because they lack the enzyme needed to metabolise it – even a small dose can destroy a cat’s red blood cells and cause liver failure. Dogs are slightly less affected but may still develop liver failure at high doses. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatories, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can cause kidney failure in dogs and cats. A word here about Chinese and herbal medications. Some ancient remedies can be toxic to dogs and cats, especially those that contain certain types of mushrooms. Furthermore, veterinary research is still on-going as to their effectiveness in treating animals. Should your pet be prescribed these medications, it is important to follow dosing instructions carefully. If one of your pets accidentally ingests your supplements, have them checked quickly by a vet to preempt any ill-effects. PET MEDS Veterinary prescription medications are often flavoured to make them easier for pets to ingest, so whilst they may be enticing, be sure to keep them out of reach – if taken in large quantities they can have dangerous effects. It is important not to apply dog products to cats and vice versa. Always use the appropriate dose as directed by your veterinarian, and do not allow your pet to chew or ingest flea and tick preventative collars. If you accidentally apply the wrong product, or your pet is out of character after being treated, wash your pet well with a gentle dishwashing soap and contact your vet for further instruction. Flea and tick preventatives sold by veterinarians undergo rigorous safety testing. Unfortunately, there are some other over-the-counter products that are similarly marketed but are not bona fide. There have been numerous reports of toxicity associated with these counterfeit medications. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT KEEPING PETS SAFE IS TO TREAT THEM LIKE INQUISTIVE TODDLERS HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS Urban environments like Hong Kong are rife with rats and mice, and the chemicals used to kill rodents can also harm our pets, who are attracted to them by their pleasant smell. Rodenticides can cause bleeding, high calcium levels and brain swelling in pets, depending on the type used. Keep all rodenticides out of the common areas in the home and watch out for signs indicating their presence when you are outside walking your dog. Ant baits, bug sprays and bug foggers can be toxic to pets, usually causing respiratory issues. If it is necessary to treat your home for pests, make sure your pet is not in the house. As an easy rule of thumb – if it makes it difficult for you to breathe, it’s not good for your pet either! PLANTS AND FLOWERS Many of the beautiful plants around us can be toxic to our pets, so do your research before bringing them inside the home. Most plants will simply cause your cat or dog to have a stomach upset when eaten, but others can be deadly. Any form of lily can cause severe kidney failure in cats (but not dogs). So, if you have a cat, do not have lilies in the house. Oleander is commonly found outdoors as an ornamental shrubbery and causes heart failure and arrhythmias (abnormal heart beat) when ingested by dogs and cats. All parts of Sago palms (including Bonsai) are extremely toxic – especially the seeds. This plant causes liver failure and death quite rapidly, and the effects are difficult to reverse. Rhododendrons can cause severe stomach upset and eventually death in some pets, especially smaller breeds. Jessamine plants can cause muscle weakness and paralysis. HOME REMEDIES Home remedies discussed online, such as hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting or feeding your pet charcoal to absorb the toxin, should only be used when seeing a vet is not possible. While they can be administered safely, they can have adverse effects. Pets can aspirate while being forced to drink hydrogen peroxide or charcoal, and hydrogen peroxide can cause chemical irritation and burns in the mouth and oesophagus. Hong Kong has several veterinarians that are open 24/ 7 – you are never far from a vet if your pet ingests something toxic. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS • Keep all medication in a closed cabinet • Regulate your pets’ diet and avoid giving them ‘human food’ • Buy plants for your home that are known to be kind to pets • Store all chemicals and cleaning products in a safe place • Keep all rodenticides out of the common areas in the home Dr Lawren Durocher Babek is a specialist in small animal internal medicine who is certified in hospice and palliative care. To find out more, visit www.drlawrenvet.com .

DB artist Eleanor McColl bridges the gap between thoughtful art and vibrant commerce with her new collection and offers something to everyone. Elizabeth Kerr reports Getting a cappuccino has never been so complicated. At one of Discovery Bay’s hip new coffee houses, Eleanor McColl is fiddling around with her phone after scanning a tracing app, which doubles as a menu. She looks a bit perplexed; nothing appears to be happening. “I’m not sure I’ve ordered,” she says with a gentle chuckle. But her drink arrives a few minutes later, and, thankfully, it’s a good one. That makes it sound like Eleanor is a scatter-brained artsy type, and that’s just not true. She’s the first to admit that it’s taken her some time to find the balance of art, entrepreneurship, education and family that suits her, but she’s firm in her statements; a thinker who ponders the world around her (and then recreates it on canvas or in some other art form). Dressed in a billowy green skirt and sandals, Eleanor admittedly looks like an artist, but over the course of a soft-spoken afternoon she talks about how best to compartmentalise work, how it’s possible to listen to music while working, and her quest to get her three children, aged 12, 11 and eight, to nerd out on Star Trek. “We’ve done all the Marvel films. I love all those,” she comments. “I never watched that kind of thing as a kid. I was all about Green Gables. “ I am enjoying all aspects. The meditative work of painting,the challenge of the entrepreneurial side and the giving back element of my teaching practice… " THE BACK STORY A resident of Discovery Bay for the last 11 years, the Leeds native studied fine art at UWE Bristol and almost immediately after graduation packed up and moved to Hong Kong in 1999. After teaching art for two years she established her own school in Wanchai, Chameleon Workshop, and ran it from 2002 to 2011. Eventually Eleanor realised her own art was taking a back seat to teaching, so she closed the school, kept the business, and turned her attention to painting full time. Somewhere in between, she met her Welsh husband, Will, who moved to Hong Kong aged two. “We met through friends at a bar in Wanchai, as you do,” Eleanor says with a laugh. They married in 2007 and after a bit of childless freewheeling on Hong Kong Island relocated to DB. Not surprisingly, the space was appealing. “It’s refreshing. Will grew up in Stanley so this is the closest thing to his childhood we could find for the kids. They’ve had independence at a young age, running off to the shops and the beach, and being kids.” THE CHROMA COLLECTION Eleanor is currently putting the finishing touches on her new Chroma Collection for the Affordable Art Fair (running August 26 to 29, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre). This will be her tenth after her break-out year in 2012 and her first exhibition in 18 months thanks to COVID. “I’m hugely excited,” she says. “When you work on your own in your studio, there’s nothing like the thrill of seeing your work as part of a large exhibition; the feeling of being a part of something – it gives you purpose.” Eleanor’s previously used pop art-style images on 3D commissions, like 2017’s AIA Carnival Art on Cows charity project, The Moonalisa, and Ham Hockney for the Sovereign Art Foundation in 2019 (the Year of the Pig), but Chroma Collection is the first time she’s tried realising the vivid locations, bright colours and soft geometries on canvas. “I can see the evolution of my work and this collection is where I see myself the most,” she reasons. “I can’t wait to paint different cities in this style, and I have a clear vision for the future of my art practice for the first time in ages. There are so many directions to go. I wouldn’t rule out a 3D collection but at the moment I am enjoying the laser focus.” THE PRODUCTS The Chroma images are also going onto a series of products, like the tote bag she has with her, tea towels, oven mitts, and more. Despite their instant popularity, Eleanor remains ever so slightly conflicted. She’s keenly attuned to the notion that there’s a fine line between art and commerce. She’s treading the same water as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring – artists who successfully jumped the divide between the two. Nonetheless, artists who go down the product road are still dubbed ‘sell-outs,’ which stung Eleanor the first time she was indirectly put in that light. “That hit me, and it held me back. There’s a feeling, having been to art school, that you’re an artist. You don’t do products. I’ve had to re-programme my brain in terms of how I think about what I’m doing. It’s easy to talk yourself out of things,” she says. Eleanor’s learnt to tune that kind of restrictive noise out, and now it’s a matter of ‘bring it on.’ No one who’s ever lived as a full-time creative would call an artist a sell-out for putting their work on a mug, she argues, before giving a shout-out to Hailey Shin at DB North Plaza’s Gallery Jeeum for refusing to be restricted by such biases. “I love the fact that Hailey chose DB for a gallery despite the fact that many people wouldn’t see DB as the ‘right’ demographic. It takes fresh eyes to see opportunity, and not be influenced by preconceptions. I’d love to exhibit at Jeeum.” And as it turns out, Eleanor’s product lines are proving extremely popular. “I only launched at the beginning of July and in three weeks I’d sold over 100 bags alone,” she says. “It feels amazing to make something people want to buy.” You can find Eleanor’s products at www.eleanormccoll.com and, among other spots, at Bookazine, Pollux, Thorn & Burrow and GOD, with whom she finally convinced herself she was a good fit. THE ART CLASSES When she’s not in the studio painting, Eleanor revels in the balance she’s finally achieved, which includes sharing with the world – she still teaches. “I am enjoying all aspects,” she says. “The meditative work of painting, the challenge of the entrepreneurial side and the giving back element of my teaching practice.” From her studio in The Greens, Eleanor will be hosting an autumn series of classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, for both kids and adults (summer sessions are full), and drop-in classes for those who want to shake off the week with a bit of meditative creativity. She gets help from Art Institute of Chicago grad Esther Chow, an old colleague from Chameleon Workshop. Eleanor is privileged to see her work as part of larger exhibitions that give it purpose. But not everyone gets that, so she’s filling the gap. “Teaching helps me give back, and I get to see other people enjoy art. Not everyone is driven to do it but everyone is creative,” she finishes. “One thing I’m good at is making people feel at ease with a blank canvas.”

Powered by City Management, Tanya Inkin and Ada Wong are on a mission to demystify blood and bone marrow donation, even if that means parking an 11-metre truck in DB Plaza. Elizabeth Kerr reports Discovery Bay residents Tanya Inkin and Ada Wong are drumming up buzz for their second blood drive since May, part of a crusade to spread awareness and action regarding blood and bone marrow donation they’ve recently embarked on. The pair look remarkably cool – literally – sitting by the window of Pacific Coffee. Ada’s fresh from the gym and Tanya sports a modified Superman t-shirt emblazoned with symbols in support of her 13-year-old son Luke, who’s in the last six months of intensive leukaemia treatment. To send the message that regular blood donation is an easy way to help a lot of people, and that bone marrow donation doesn’t demand a spinal tap, Tanya and Ada have arranged for the Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) to park its mobile donation truck in DB Plaza for two days on August 27 and 28, from 11am to 5pm. Day two coincides with a special community-led market in DB Plaza to raise funds for local resident and popular HK Dragons football coach Christian Romano’s own cancer fight. Hemingway’s is hosting a Mission for Christian concert the same evening. GIVE BLOOD IN DB PLAZA Needless to say, Tanya and Ada are looking to duplicate the success of their May blood drive at Bayview House of Children, which signed up over 40 new donors and registered 30 bone marrow donors. The community-targeted event rolled in a bake sale the same day and collected HK$4,600 for the HKRC. “The idea was to generate a fun community day, and encourage the neighbours to swing by and join us for treats,” says Ada with a grin. “Eight DB-based home bakers donated their time to bake goods, and a large contingent of Discovery College and Discovery Bay International School students came out to man the stall. “DB City Management is financially sponsoring the August event for us,” Ada adds. “Going forward, the blood drives will continue to be held in the HKRC truck unless any private DB businesses have an alternative space to provide.” Crucial to Ada and Tanya’s mission is conveying just how easy blood and bone marrow donation truly is. It’s like owning a coffee shop: if you have the parts for coffee, you have tea… so do both. Marrow donors are only contacted if a match is made, it’s as intensive as donors choose, and you can always change your mind. As a bonus, regenerative health benefits have been associated with regular blood donation, and many disqualifying criteria evaporated in 2020. “Most of us have been in Hong Kong for more than three months, so a lot more people have suddenly become eligible,” Ada understates. “The windows on exposure to mad cow disease and travel to countries with widespread malaria have shrunk.” " It costs you nothing, or very little, to give someone the best chance at life... " - TANYA INKIN A PERSONAL CRUSADE “The reason I do these drives is personal,” opens Tanya. “My son was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2013 when he was five, and he relapsed in 2019. This is close to my heart because he came very close to needing a bone marrow transplant. During the course of his treatment protocol, he needed multiple transfusions. There’s not a lot of awareness in Hong Kong. There were people that wanted to support us, and who asked, ‘What can we do?’ This has become dear to me, so wherever you are, you can give blood or register to become a bone marrow donor.” Both Tanya (a 16-year DB resident) and native Hongkonger Ada have children enrolled at Discovery College – Luke, his 15-year-old sister, and Ada’s sons, aged 10 and 12. They eventually met through mutual friends when, like many people in DB, the latter reached out to see how she could help Tanya and her family in 2020. “I just recently got to know Tanya and understand her story, and realise the importance of the bone marrow registry,” says Ada, whose career in investment banking brought her home, after stints in London, Sydney and San Francisco, five years ago. “I think of my mom, and my sister – both nurses,” Ada adds. “My mom saved lives before she retired, and my sister has set up special COVID-19 wards. Those are selfless acts. I don't save lives in my banking job, so it’s felt great to find a niche in promoting cancer awareness where I can help to make a real difference in the world and maybe in lives.” FIGHTING DONOR FATIGUE As the pair is quick to point out, blood is needed all the time, not just after tsunamis and earthquakes. A quick look at the HKRC website reveals the city is about 10 days away from a blood shortage in the event of a disaster. Tanya admits to blood and marrow being off her own radar until she needed it. “I’ve learnt so much; I was just as ignorant as everyone else,” she states. “I feel it’s more relatable now because people know me, we have a relationship, and they’re willing to listen. My experience has given me a platform.” Ada agrees, adding that there are cultural elements that need consideration, even though Hongkongers are, on average, generous. “In Hong Kong and China, you don't want to die with a body missing any organs,” she only partly jokes. “That’s an obstacle. But I think people can associate with and relate to giving blood, because it can serve so many needs.” And it’s not a particular hard sell, even with very real donor fatigue to fight. Awareness campaigns have gotten creative too. It’s not all about blood trucks. Ada has hosted livestream concerts from her backyard for campaigns, and DB artists have donated work for proceeds to go to the HKRC. For her part, Tanya is pleased to report that Luke is responding well to his latest round of treatment. And, there’s been a silver lining to lockdown: All Luke’s friends are here, and online schooling has kept him more current academically than he would have been 20 years ago. As grim as the pandemic is, it’s forced a recognition of better hygiene and public health, and rethinking our collective priorities. “It’s no exaggeration to say you can make an amazing difference; you have the opportunity and potential to save someone’s life, or give them longer, better quality of life,” finishes Tanya. “And you might never get to unless you've put your hand up for it. It costs you nothing, or very little, to give someone the best chance at life. If anyone takes anything away from this, this is what I want it to be.

Beat the heat with this sweet and fruity no-bake classic Photo Courtesy of Adobe Stock Pavlova - Serves 6 3 large egg whites 175g caster sugar 275g whipped cream 350g rasberries, strawberries and redcurrants Icing sugar Preheat the oven to 150˚C. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Then whisk in the sugar 25g at a time. Take a metal tablespoon and spoon the meringue mix onto a lightly oiled baking sheet forming a circle about 20cm in diameter. Spoon round blobs next to each other so they join up and form a circle all around the edge. Place in the oven, turn down the heat to 140˚C and cook for one hour. Turn the heat off but leave the meringue in the oven until completely cold. Place the meringue on a serving dish, spread the whipped cream on top and put the fruit on the cream. Dust with a little icing sugar to serve.

Steak Supper Presented by Lekker Laa Renu's Butter- fried Fillet Steak with Black Pepper Sauce and Keto Yorkshire Puddings Recipe by Renu Malani | Photo by Veronica Modesti Serves 2 400g New Zealand tenderloin 40g onion, finely chopped 50g salted butter 1tsp freshly cracked pepper, to taste 1 beef or vegetable stock cube 160ml double or whipping cream 1 egg 16g arrowroot Season the steak well with fresh cracked black pepper and some sea salt flakes, pressing the seasoning into the steak to make it stick. Drizzle with olive oil and leave to marinade for at least one hour. To make the black pepper sauce, use a small saucepan and sauté the onion in 25g salted butter until very soft. Add the freshly cracked pepper and crumble in a stock cube. Fry it all together. Remove from the heat and stir in 100ml cream. Taste and adjust for seasoning and thickness, thinning it out with a little water if needed. To make six Keto Yorkshire puddings whisk together the egg, arrowroot, 60ml cream and a good pinch of salt. Heat ½tsp of butter for each Yorkshire in a muffin tin till very hot. Evenly pour the batter in to the hot butter. Bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes. Next, fry the steak in 20g hot, melted salted butter (about three minutes on each side) in a very hot, preferably castiron pan. Baste the steak with butter from the pan as it cooks and sear the sides well. Rest the steak on a cutting board for a few minutes and then slice thickly. Drizzle with the black pepper sauce to serve with the Yorkshire puddings and a side vegetable or salad. If you are inspired by this recipe, visit www.lekker.hk . Founded by two DB residents, Neil Schonken and Ainslie Vosloo, Lekker Laa is a specialty online food and wine business now delivering to DB. On top of delicious wine and meat (such as traditional boerewors) from South Africa, Lekker carries salmon from Norway, bacon from the Netherlands and steak from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Find more of Renu Malani’s recipes on Instagram ( @ketorezza ) and at the DB dinner & dessert Facebook page

Eliminate clutter and with the right furniture and accessories, you can make even the smallest patch of urban jungle look wild. Dorothy Veich reports. Photos Courtesy of Pexels While our interiors may be cutting-edge or at the very least super comfortable, we tend to furnish outdoor spaces with much less panache. Yet there is no real reason why a balcony or terrace cannot be approached as creatively as a room within the home. Initially you will probably be faced with a lot of unsightly concrete cladding and your first task is to set up a strong, carefully considered backdrop. THE BLANK CANVAS Start by bringing the outdoor area into your living room – blurring the boundaries between indoors and out will make both areas look bigger. You may want to install sliding or French doors that open onto the balcony. Floor-length windows fool the eye, turning an outdoor area into an extension of the living space, letting in more light and expanding the view. The simplest, though not necessarily the cheapest, way to connect outdoor and indoor areas is to link the materials underfoot. Here, most designers agree that tiles are the only way to go. Relatively inexpensive, natural looking and non-slip, both slate and terracotta tiles age well and, as they don’t absorb heat, the surface remains cool long into the afternoon. Chances are your interior is white-washed, so stick with complementary white paint for the exterior. As with any small room, a fresh coat of white paint stretches the space, and you’re well advised to choose a textured, weather-resistant masonry paint, which introduces a interesting stippled effect, while putting paid to mouldy walls. In a sun-filled space, it’s tempting to let loose with brilliant tropical hues but you run the risk of making it looked cramped. If you are heart-set on a splash of colour, paint the back wall of the balcony – the one that is not visible from the living room. CREATING SHADE You’ll want to create shade in your outdoor space and in many cases a classic umbrella will do the job just fine. Traditional parasols, which blew over at the first hint of a breeze, have been replaced by compact, lightweight models with sturdy, concrete bases. Some umbrellas are now even built into task-specific, al-fresco furniture. If you’d like something more permanent, however, consider installing a retractable or folding-arm awning, which can be assembled in minutes and tilted to provide protection even when the sun is at a low angle. Normal canvas will fade and rot surprisingly quickly, so go for something that’s been properly treated like Teflon or colourfast, waterproof woven acrylic. The best awning systems feature sun and wind sensors that extend and retract the shade automatically according to the weather conditions. On a sheltered balcony or terrace, if you want to keep things really simple, bamboo blinds or lengths of translucent netting will create shade and provide an element of privacy. Alternatively, a well-placed trellis, covered in trailing foliage, will ward off nosy neighbours, while filtering the sunlight. LIGHT, HEAT AND THE BBQ Light will spill outside from whatever room the balcony is accessed, but if you’re planning on spending a lot of time outdoors, you’ll need to put in additional al fresco lights, and find a way to heat and cool the space. A licensed electrician can rig a power source to run a small fan or space heater, helping you out in the dog days of summer and dead of winter. As to light retailers, you can unearth understated wall-mounted lights inexpensively from IKEA or a local hardware store. Chance are you’ll want a (gas) barbecue, and the first thing to consider is whether you want it inbuilt or freestanding and/ or portable. Think about the size of your outdoor space, and factor in how many people you will be regularly entertaining. Your best bet is to go for as big a barbecue as you can afford (and as space allows), not least because meat needs to have space around it as it grills. You don’t want your hamburgers and kebabs crammed up against each other, or against the sides of the cooker while they are cooking. If barbecues now come in all shapes and sizes, they also vary widely in style, so you can plump for a modest nofrills model that does the job, or something hi-tech with all mod cons. Maybe your grilling experience would be transformed if you had a barbecue with stainless-steel side shelves, integrated utensil holders and a cart to push it around on. Illuminated control knobs that allow you to grill after dark could well be a godsend, as could a charcoal tray add-on to your gas grill. FILLING IN THE DETAILS Before you even think about splashing out on outdoor furnishings, consider what you will actually be using the space for. The idea is to set up clearly defined areas for specific activities. Fold-up seating and collapsible tables help keep a space flexible but there are also a host of streamlined (ideally inbuilt) pieces to choose from. If you want a small terrace to serve as an alternative dining room, do without additional seating and make room for a storage unit in which to keep outdoor tableware. On a narrow balcony, if all you need is a suntrap, pair two deck chairs with a small, oval table. When you furnish outdoors, nothing beats plastic in terms of durability and it has come a long way from the cheap, white variety you may remember from childhood. Check out Hularo, a hardwearing, UV-resistant formula that looks a lot like woven wicker. Wrought-iron and glass is a chic alternative but iron rusts over time and pieces will need to be moved indoors during typhoon season. Likewise, wooden furniture is a classic choice but you have to be prepared for it to ‘weather.’ Even high-grade teak wrinkles and bleaches in the sun, which means that it will need to be sanded down and re-oiled every couple of years. Hong Kong has a harsh environment (a deadly cocktail of heat, sun, humidity and pollution), so you’re best advised to choose long-lasting, easy-to-clean, man-made fabrics for your soft furnishings. Quick-dry foams, Sunbrella fabrics and synthetic weaves make maintaining outdoor furniture a breeze – you simply take a hose to it. With accessories, stick to the bare necessities – lights and lanterns for outdoor use and scented torches to ward off mosquitoes. Anything more elaborate is superfluous and impractical – wall hangings or scatter cushions rot if they are left outdoors, mirrors and paintings look out of place, stone sculptures gather dust. A SPLASH OF GREEN Of course, no outdoor area is complete without plants and, in a small space, multi-layered displays work particularly well. The linchpin of the decor might be an old cabinet or desk with plants spilling out of the drawers, or simply a couple of hanging baskets. Trellises now come in all shapes and sizes but the standard, rectangular, bamboo variety, with pull-out ledges, remains the most practical. Exotic, inexpensive planters look better in clusters rather than in rows, so group them in the corners to save space. If you pair plants of different types and heights, you only need a few pots to create a year-round splash of green. Ferns, juniper, hibiscus and bougainvillaea do well on most DB balconies, as do herbs of all varieties.

If something is troubling your child and you can’t fix it, Lorraine Cook suggests it’s time to seek professional help Photos Courtesy of Pexels Everyone goes through ‘bumps’ in life, and as painful as it is to see your child not his ‘happy self,’ often these challenges are key moments of growth and maturity, where resilience becomes a part of his character and personality. Research is finding that parental efforts to fix everything for children, to prevent them from ever being sad, disappointed, or hurt, is actually harmful to their long-term success. Despite our desire as parents to do everything we can to make our children happy, such actions are not always best in the long run. However, when a ‘bad day’ becomes a ‘bad week’ or a ‘bad month,’ or you realise that you can’t remember when your child was last really happy and content, you are wise to look for assistance, just as you would if your child has a physical pain that won’t go away. There are many professionals available to help, but where to begin? WHAT IS CHILD THERAPY? Child therapy is similar to therapy and counselling for adults: It offers a safe space and an empathetic ear while providing tools to bring about change in thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Many people consider child therapy for huge topics like abuse, neglect and trauma, but it can have an equally weighted focus on positive growth and strengths. Children receive emotional and goal support in their sessions. They can focus on resolving conflict, understanding their own thoughts and feelings, and on thinking of new solutions to their daily problems. Therapy sessions can empower children to work towards an optimistic future and develop positive coping methods, while boosting self-esteem, self-confidence and other positive states and traits. Whether the child is participating in play therapy, behavioural therapy, or expressive therapy, it can provide him with opportunities to eventually thrive. TAKING THE FIRST STEP Child therapy is not always easy for parents to discuss, and the hardest step is often the first one – deciding that you need help with the situation. Unlike physical problems, where we tend to easily accept tests, examinations, medications and referrals to other professionals (like a physiotherapist, perhaps), when issues are emotional or behavioural, where concerns might be about troubling moods, unexplained anger, lingering sadness, difficulty with social relationships and more, then we tend to be less inclined to seek help. The reasons for this vary. Some parents worry what others will think of their inability to cope with their child’s issues. What’s more, friends often brush our concerns aside. It’s not uncommon to be told that it’s nothing, or normal, or just a stage. People often advise us that we should ‘just get over it,’ or they remind us that others have it so much worse. None of these platitudes are at all helpful – they actually make things worse, because now there is often guilt (for not being grateful for what you have) and shame (that you don’t recognise it). Even close friends, who are kind and trying to be helpful, are typically unprepared to offer the sort of assistance that a professional can, as friendship and therapy are very different relationships. THE MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA If you fear judgement from friends, family or community, it’s important to know that confidentiality is a keystone tenet for those that work in this area, so others will not hear about you from them. In addition, should you decide to talk with friends about seeking help, you may find that many have also had to reach out in this way, or have known someone in their family or close friendship group who has. The struggle is that an unfortunate loop of secrecy can exist, where individuals are reluctant to tell others that they have sought help (out of fear for how this information might be judged), but it is this same secrecy and fear in others that prompts them to do the same. Another common concern is that of labelling. Parents are sometimes hesitant to have their child see a therapist as they are afraid he might be labelled in some way and that this will make things worse. Sometimes, however, a diagnosis is fundamental to determining best strategies. Dyslexia is a good example of this, as knowing what is limiting your child’s ability to read leads to specific actions that will help. Importantly too, there is a growing trend across the helping disciplines to move away from labelling individuals, (for example, labelling a sad child as depressed). Instead, therapists focus on a variety of strategies to help make things better. FINDING A GOOD FIT So how to choose who to see, especially when there are so many options – psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, counsellor or life coach? And then, as you look further, there are further categories, sub-categories and approaches, all of which can help you to make a choice if you understand the differences, but which simply add to Hong Kong offers a wide variety of professionals available to help. As a group, they offer a range of educational qualifications and training, varying years of experience, and countless techniques and strategies. Be aware, however, that professionals here have often earned their credentials in different educational systems around the world, and similar sounding designations from one country can mean something quite different in another. At the same time, each therapist will take a slightly different approach, even if they have the same qualifications, training, or years of experience. Probably the greatest distinction is between psychiatrists and others in this field. Despite popular myth (think Lucy in the Peanuts comic strip – The Doctor is in!), taking your child to see a psychiatrist is not usually the first step unless your situation is critical. Psychiatrists are specially trained medical doctors, who are able to prescribe medication. Most require a referral from another professional, whereas others in this category typically do not. Ultimately, there is no way to declare one constellation of education, experience and approach as being definitively ‘better’ than another. The important thing is to find what works best for you and your child – it’s a matter of finding a good fit between your family and your expert. Therapy is a dynamic process. Taking the first step can be the hardest but, for most families, even after one session, there is a bit more clarity, a bit more calm, and the beginning of hope that things are going to get better. If you are concerned about your child, it is definitely a step worth considering. Long-time DB resident Lorraine Cook (M.A. Psych) relocated to Canada earlier this year. She now provides counselling and therapy online, and you can email her at growingupgreat@gmail.com .

Photo courtesy of Withers If a child is born out of wedlock, the father’s parental rights need to be legally recognised. Jocelyn Tsao of Withers counsels unmarried dads to get themselves a Section 3 Declaration Cohabitation and having children prior to, rather than after, marriage has become popular in recent years. However, what unmarried fathers may not know is that there is no legal ‘presumption of paternity’ when their child is born outside of marriage. As the law currently stands, the unmarried father does not have the same legal parental rights as the unmarried mother. Unmarried fathers can therefore find themselves at a serious disadvantage if a relationship turns sour, particularly if their partner decides to relocate with their child to another country. To establish legal parental rights, unmarried fathers need to apply for a court order (known as a Section 3 Declaration, under the Guardianship of Minors Ordinance). Where there is clearly a stable relationship between the father and the child, the court will almost certainly grant this. The court will consider factors like the degree of commitment that the father has shown towards the child, the degree of attachment that exists between the father and the child, and the father’s reasons for applying for the order. 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 and what medical decisions can be made on his behalf. THE HAGUE CONVENTION The COVID-19 pandemic and Hong Kong’s turbulent social political climate have motivated many expats to relocate totheir home country. So, what happens if a relationship ends and the unmarried mother decides to leave Hong Kong with her child without his father’s consent? ESTABLISHING PATERNITY If the unmarried father has established legal parental rights to his child, he can invoke the Hague Convention on international child abduction – through cooperation between the central authorities of the relevant countries, he can immediately secure his child’s return. However, an unmarried father, who has not applied for a Section 3 Declaration and therefore has no legal parental rights, can find it impossible to call upon the Hague Convention. His only recourse is to apply to the local court of the child’s former residence (in Hong Kong) to secure a return order but, even then, he may face difficulties, particularly with enforcement. The fact that the unmarried father does not have legal parental rights does not give the unmarried mother carte blanche to take his child away without his consent. This kind of conduct is frowned upon by any court of law. However, it makes sense for unmarried fathers to apply for a Section 3 Declaration immediately after their child’s birth, so that they may have the same legal parental rights as the mother. Parents who choose to cohabit rather than marry are well advised to consult an experienced family lawyer, who will make sure that both parties fully understand their parental rights and responsibilities. Withers has extensive experience in dealing with child custody issues and Hong Kong family law. Contact the team at 30/F United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, 3711 1600, www.withersworldwide.com/en-gb/hong-kong .

Alryn Fermin of The Beat shows Rachel Sadler how to get a long, lithe Pilates Body Photos by Baljit Gidwani - www.evoqueportaits.com Pilates is the art of controlled movements, aimed at improving flexibility, building strength and developing control and endurance in the entire body. Practice it enough and you will get a temptingly toned ‘Pilates body,’ while alleviating ill-health and stress. PILATES WAS INVENTED BY JOSEPH PILATES during World War One while he was interned at a prisoner of war camp on the Isle of Man. Pilates has since become a global fitness phenomenon. THE NINE PRINCIPLES OF PILATES are concentration, control, centre, flow, precision, breathing, postural alignment, relaxation and stamina. Workouts are centred around engaging the core muscles through a series of movements that stabilise and strengthen the body. PILATES IS A LITTLE BIT LIKE YOGA in that it’s a ‘mind-body-spirit thing,’ placing a focus on breath and flow to facilitate movement and induce calm. ALMOST ANYONE CAN DO PILATES and feel the benefit. The movements are precise so it’s suitable for pregnant women and for people with long-term injuries. For some, it’s like rehab. Pilates is also a challenging workout for dedicated sportspeople, providing an important boost to their existing training regime and physical development YOU CAN PRACTICE PILATES OFF THE MAT . Joseph Pilates accompanied his mat-based method with various pieces of equipment, each designed to help accelerate the process of stretching, strengthening, body alignment and increased core strength. The Pilates Reformer is the best-known and most popular apparatus in use today BOTH THE EQUIPMENT AND THE EXERCISES can be modified and adjusted to suit the individual, which makes it perfect for those looking to tone up, rehab from an injury, or train for a particular sport. The Pilates Reformer is best for individuals who are seeking to achieve core stability and good postural alignment through a low impact, full-body workout. THE BEAUTY OF THE PILATES REFORMER is that the length of the bed (and the bars) can be adjusted to suit the individual’s needs. Spring strength can also be adjusted to increase or decrease the resistance. Handheld weights provide an extra challenge, and there’s the option to add a jump board for a cardio workout. PILATES MAKES YOU FEEL STRONG, tall and confident. It works the deep local muscles, whilst many other workouts only target the global muscles. Pilates is a full-body workout, allowing you to recruit and target specific areas, which makes it a great complimentary or standalone form of exercise. Arlyn Fermin is a Pilates Reformer teacher at The Beat here in DB. To find out more call 5721 3000 or visit www.thebeat.com.hk . .

DB student Theo Robinson is blazing an entrepreneurial path with his first start-up– a tutoring service manned by DB teens. Elizabeth Kerr reports PHOTOS BY Baljit Gidwani – www.evoqueportraits.com Theo Robinson has the innate comportment of a natural entrepreneur. He listens intently during a conversation, he chooses his words carefully but makes them look spontaneous, and remembers to circle back to previous threads he wants to address. Theo’s also a 16-year-old Discovery Bay International School student with a new skateboard tucked under the coffee shop table he’s sitting at. “It’s good fun and a good way of travelling,” he says of his relatively new hobby-transport. Theo is the latest Discovery Bay teen to embrace his inner Warren Buffet and start a low-key, small business catering to DB residents. TR Music School and TR Tutoring ( www.trmusicschool.com and www.trtutoringdb.com ) are now a go-to for DB kids aged five to 14. What started as a way to hone his own drumming skills and earn a little spending money turned into a mini-empire when, after about four months, enquiries about guitar lessons started coming his way. No small feat considering the tutoring services are lockdown ventures. “It’s two separate schools under the same umbrella. One’s a music school, which is what I started with, and as that grew more successful and people started hearing about it, started coming to me, asking how I did it. So, I figured why not help them start a tutoring business and grow my own by rolling them into the existing platform,” Theo explains. And why not? That’s how Microsoft did it. GENERATION Z Born and raised in the UK, Theo and the family followed his father, in business development in F&B, to Qatar for two years, then back to London (Theo did two years secondary there), and finally to Hong Kong in 2019. Also in DB are his mother, a French teacher, younger sister and a retrieverpoodle mix. His older brother, now 18, remained in the UK to try his hand with a semi-professional football club. DB suits Theo just fine: The summer is going to be about hanging with friends, hitting the beach and doing some paddle-boarding. That, however, doesn’t mean he’s not looking ahead to a new school year and expanding the tutoring business – within reason. Theo tries not to overwhelm his staff (he’d likely cringe at the word “staff”), most of whom are more academically inclined than he. Theo is by no means a slacker, but he views traditional education through a very different lens these days. “I used to be a very good student, hard-working, and I cared very much about it. But as I discovered more about the business world, talking to my dad and talking to others, I started to realise all these school qualifications were moot,” he argues. Theo doesn’t believe education is without value; he just sees it as part of a larger whole. Attending school in a less privileged part of the UK opened his eyes to the world’s diversity, and exploring different places and meeting different people entrenched a love of travel. THEO’S PLAYLIST Nonetheless with a teacher in the house, there are some debates going on at home about Theo’s academic future. “As long as I know how to deal with people and manage people I’m set,” he argues. “As long as I’m doing something I love.” Theo’s not dropping out any time soon either, and he hopes he’ll be heading to Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music for a degree in music engineering and production after DBIS. “It’s crazy expensive, so I’m hoping to be a millionaire before I leave,” he quips. As a drummer with a penchant for technology Theo has his heart set on Berklee because of its focus on the technical and commercial side of music as well as the creative side. Still, he has plenty of musical opinions. He is steadfast about the importance of a good rhythm section: “If you don’t have a good drummer and a good bass player, you’re in trouble,” he states dryly. Theo admits to being a straight up pop and rock type, but he’s learnt to appreciate jazz through his drum teacher, Anna Fan. He debates the relative strengths of Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello and Justin Bieber. “Have you listened to his new stuff? He’s really evolved.” He defends Ed Sheeran as an under-appreciated songwriter. “His lyrics are great, and he writes so much for so many other musicians.” A WIN-WIN GAME Right now, Theo is less a musician than a tutor and administrator, one’s who’s big on organisation and planning lessons, and who did his own marketing early on by building two websites. Word of mouth and good old fashioned ‘postering’ did the rest. Currently, he and his stable of student tutors help younger kids brush up on class work and occasionally teach concepts some students are just not understanding. In a fun, resonant way. “I only employ students around my age, and I help them develop their social and teaching skills. It also helps them earn a little bit of money to go and enjoy their weekends,” Theo says. “I’m dedicated to getting the word out that us teenagers can be hard working, compassionate people even though at times we may be a little silly.” Theo maxes out each tutor’s student load to five for bioprotocol compliant, one-on-one classes which means tutors that want it have more study time for themselves. So how does he account for the rapid growth of TR Music and TR Tutoring? For starters, in a COVID economy they’re more affordable, flexible options for parents. “I’m dedicated to keeping my prices low but the quality high to help those parents who can’t quite afford the high rates of some music and educational tutors in Hong Kong,” Theo says. “I knew I could do something to help link those teens looking for tutoring jobs and the parents trying to find well-priced tutors for their younger children.” And, best of all, kids ‘get’ kids. Students are more comfortable with a teen tutor than with a 55-year-old double PhD holder. “We’re almost their age. We know what they’re going though at school,” Theo reasons of the success of the service. “We’re not like other tutors stuck in the 1970s, who don’t understand new systems. It makes the students happy and it makes the parents happy.” Theo notes most of their clients are normal kids that are a little behind and who would be uncomfortable with that PhD, and kids who don’t like maths and music, and need a little push to ensure graduation. School's out for summer but expansion looms. Whatever September brings, Theo’s gained some coveted real-world knowledge and helped a few kids along the way. “This is a big learning experience for me. I don’t see this going like Kumon, worldwide developing my brand. Not at all,” he finishes with another laugh. “If it all collapses tomorrow, starting a business and learning how to make it work will have been worth it.”