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Springy oozy soufflés are easier to make than you think – follow these instructions to the letter and you won’t go wrong Crab Soufflé Serves 4 1½oz butter 1½oz flour 145ml single cream 145ml milk 1tbsp onion, grated 2tbsp parmesan cheese, grated ½tsp dry mustard powder 3tbsp parsley, chopped 1½tsp anchovy essence 2tsp lemon juice Cayenne pepper to taste 5 egg yolks 8oz cooked crabmeat 6 egg whites Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200ºC. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, cook for 2 minutes. Add the cream and milk a little at a time, stirring after each addition. Bring to the boil and, still stirring, simmer for a minute or two. Remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients except for the crabmeat and egg whites. Next add the crabmeat, and season well. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold 1 tablespoon of egg white into the crab mixture with a metal spoon, then fold in the rest, a quarter at a time. Then, pour the mixture into a buttered 4-pint soufflé dish, and place the dish on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes – if the soufflé is getting too brown after 30 minutes, cover it with foil CHOCOLATE RUM SOUFFLÉ Serves 4 4oz plain chocolate 2tbsp rum 4 egg yolks 6 large egg whites Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200ºC. Break the chocolate into a mixing bowl and add the rum. Place the bowl over a saucepan of water that has just boiled. Once the chocolate is soft, beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. In a small basin, whisk the egg yolks and stir into the chocolate. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold 1 tablespoon of egg white into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon, then fold in the rest, a quarter at a time. Pour into a buttered 2-pint soufflé dish and bake on the preheated baking sheet for 20 minutes, until the soufflé is springy to the touch. BROCCOLI SOUFFLÉ Serves 4 1lb broccoli 1oz butter 2tbsp plain flour 145ml milk 2oz cheddar cheese, grated ¼ whole nutmeg, grated Cayenne pepper to taste 4 large eggs 1tbsp parmesan cheese, grated Place a large roasting tin, filled with 1½ inches of water, in the oven and preheat to 200ºC. Place the broccoli in a saucepan with 175 milliliters of boiling water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until soft. Drain, then mash to a pulp with a large fork. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, when it’s smooth gradually add the milk, stirring after each addition, to form a paste. Turn down the heat and mix in the cheddar. Combine the cheese mixture with the broccoli pulp, season, and add the nutmeg and cayenne. Separate the eggs, then mix the 2 yolks into the broccoli. Whisk the 4 egg whites until they stand up in peaks; fold 1 tablespoon of egg white into the broccoli mixture with a metal spoon, then fold in the rest, a quarter at a time. Spoon the mixture into a buttered 2-pint soufflé dish and sprinkle with parmesan. Place the dish in the preheated roasting tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until risen and golden.

Korean transplant Hailey Shin's sophomore art gallery is a first for DB and a welcome addition to the community- and you don't have to buy anything. Elizabeth Kerr reports Photos by Baljit Gidwani - www.evoqueportraits.com Ask, and most people will tell you that Hong Kong is a cultural wasteland. It’s a banking city, full stop. That goes double for far-flung districts like Discovery Bay. A sweeping and inaccurate statement of course, and one that can be disproven with even a modicum of patience, but the DB part has some legs. After all, DB Plaza has restaurants, doctors of all stripe, all manner of retailers and it plays host to numerous events – but there’s no art gallery. It’s the same story in DB North Plaza. At least it was until last March, when Gallery Jeeum flung open its doors. “I actually signed a contract for the gallery in December 2019, and of course had no idea we’d have COVID-19,” begins Jeeum’s owner and curator Hailey Shin Eun-hye, a transplant from Seoul on a mission to build an accessible art empire. “So I postponed for a month, but things got worse and I decided to open anyway. There was no point in waiting. If I had I’d still be waiting.” In hindsight, it turns out damning the torpedoes was the right course of action for the fortyish Hailey, who finds herself – and her gallery – filling a pandemic-induced exhibition hole. With borders closed and travel restricted, international artists who normally open a show with a personal appearance are postponing. But as Hailey says, “There are lots of new Hong Kong artists to show.” And DBers are responding. The collector It’s a drizzly Thursday morning and Hailey and her assistant Sujin are sitting at a small desk in the uber-minimalist gallery space. Hailey is a bit nervous; she’s prepared comments for questions she might get, and Sujin is at the ready with some quick Korean to English interpretation. But it’s not necessary. Hailey’s generally positive nature is evident, and she looks relaxed in her practical flat shoes and pencil leg pants. In typical Korean fashion, there are sweets ready for visitors. Hailey always had an interest in art, and she started collecting seriously after graduating from Chung-Ang University’s classical piano programme. Her first purchase was a landscape over 20 years ago (“It made me so happy”), followed by prints, abstracts and sculptures. She likes David Hockney’s clean lines and Banksy’s direct messaging. Her favourite art movie is Simon Curtis’ Woman in Gold – not an easy pick like Pollock or Lust for Life – and finding Hailey and Sujin hauling canvases around isn’t unusual; no ‘art scene’ stilettos here. Looking back, Hailey recalls how she was first drawn into the gallery world by an artist friend, who asked if he could display some of his work at the music studio she taught at in Seoul. She quickly did the same for 15 other artists. “But I wasn’t a professional, I didn’t know how to serve them best,” she recalls. “So I decided to learn the business.” The DB connection In 2014 Hailey opened the first Gallery Jeeum (in Seoul’s funky Hongdae district, now managed by her sister) and she decided to branch out in 2018, relocating to the SAR. “Many international galleries have a second branch in Hong Kong so I thought this was the place to be,” she says. Discovery Bay became a home base from which Hailey could travel to art fairs around the world and learn the business hands on. While she currently lives in Hung Hom, she’s actively looking to relocate. The gallery, however, is another story. To most art afficionados, the ‘right’ demographic isn’t in DB, and the corporate buyers and other dealers of Central are a long way away. But Hailey emphasises her goal is to support artists and make art accessible to all. “Admittedly my budget was too small for Central, but I had cousins who lived here, so I was familiar with the area,” she says. “I was inspired by Miami Beach when I was looking at Discovery Bay. “I like this space,” Hailey adds. “I like the terrace and how accessible it is. It’s not an office tower or industrial building that hides a gallery. I’m an artist too , so I want to work in a calm environment. I like seeing the mountains and the sea when I look outside.” An accessible art empire Local tourists are now frequent weekend guests, and Hailey can always connect with the connoisseurs at art fairs. Plus, she’s happy to be a forerunner. “I’ll take credit for being the first gallery in DB when the rest eventually open,” she says with a laugh. The local tourists have helped raise Jeeum’s profile, but residents are getting in on the act too. Hailey often finds kids hanging out on the terrace, and people have gotten used to the idea of the gallery being there, and feel comfortable enough just to drop in and look – to Hailey’s delight. Like classical music or fine wine, she thinks the idea of art is still intimidating to many. “I was there once. I was afraid to step into a gallery. But if kids think the terrace is part of a playground and get used to art then great. Art has a reputation for not being for the public, but until it’s sold it absolutely is. There’s a lot of an artist’s values and thoughts in art that can be opaque. We shouldn’t try to ‘understand’ the art or artist; we should just accept it. The function of art is for learning how to think and respect and love.” Hailey’s gallery is unfussy and airy, and fitted with light pine floors and sparsely presented works. It’s casual and comfortable. The exhibitions change every month: in March, the spotlight was on Hong Kong-based American abstract artist Tyler Jackson Pritchard; this month it pivots to Yulia Shautsukova, a Russian-born DB resident, whose latest show comprises Hong Kong city views in both oil and watercolour. Right now, Hailey is preparing for Jeeum’s participation in Art Central, May 20 to 23 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where she will be presenting both Hong Kong and Korean artists. “The Art Central organisers evaluate galleries beforehand, which means that our gallery has reached a certain level,” she says with well-deserved pride. “It is my honour to attend. Our gallery’s reputation will be improved by our participation and it’s a great opportunity to spread our name worldwide.” If things go Hailey’s way, there will be a third Jeeum branch overseas one day, maybe in New York. But for now, she’s going to concentrate on making DB North an art hotspot. “No one needs to be afraid of a gallery, especially mine,” she finishes. “I want Jeeum to be a place where we can communicate. I’m just a neighbour. Come on in.”

Photo Courtesy of Professional Wills We often find a way to convince ourselves that everything works out in the end, but if the past year has taught us anything, it is that life is unpredictable and we never know what is around the corner. Perhaps you have put estate planning on the backburner, or perhaps you have just never been informed about how important it is; the good news is it is not too late (or too early) to get your estate in order. Why write a Will? In short, a Will gives you control. With a Will you have the ability to distribute your assets to those you want and in what portion. Dying without a Will means that the Hong Kong intestacy laws kick in and your estate is distributed according to these rules – which can lead to a lot of hardship for your family in what is already a very tough time. If you have children, a Will gives you the ability to decide at what age your children will receive their inheritance, usually clients decide their children will be ready to responsibly receive an inheritance at 25. Your appointed trustee has the power to advance money to your children before they receive their inheritance – this can help them to buy their first car or with university costs. Do you have overseas assets? With Hong Kong being a multicultural haven, it is likely that you have assets of some kind in another country. We strongly advise against having one Will drawn up to cover your worldwide assets as this can result in delays and additional expense during the probate process. The industry standard recommendation is to have a separate country-specific Will written to cover each jurisdiction where assets are located. It is perfectly possible to have more than one Will, but each one must be restricted to the country and type of property it is intended to cover. Do your children have guardians? If something happens to their parents, children need a legal guardian to look after them until they are at an age of majority (in Hong Kong this is 18). If you have not appointed guardians for your children, they could be taken in by the state and put in state-run care until the courts appoint a guardian. It may take a long time for the courts to reach a decision, again adding to your loved ones’ hardship. If the people you would like to appoint as permanent guardians reside outside of Hong Kong, you need a legal document appointing temporary Hong Kong-based guardians to look after your children until their permanent guardians arrive. Given the current circumstances, there is no telling how long it would take for the permanent guardians to reach Hong Kong, so it is vital that you also appoint temporary guardians or your children can still be put into state-run care until the permanent guardians arrive. FIND IT At Professional Wills, we offer a service that is tailored to your needs and we go beyond our remit of simple Will writing to ensure that you walk away feeling on top of estate planning. Our company’s team of four qualified Will writers specialise in multijurisdictional Wills and have been writing them in Hong Kong and around the region for the last 14 years. Professional Wills, 2561 9031, enquiry@profwills.com , www.profwills.com

Made in minutes with just a few basic ingredients, these classic pasta dishes are simply delizioso Photos courtesy of stock.adobe.com Spaghetti Carbonara (Serves 4) 3 large eggs 50g pecorino cheese, grated 50g parmesan cheese, grated 350g dried spaghetti 2 garlic cloves, peeled and whole 100g pancetta, chopped 50g unsalted butter Beat the eggs and stir in the grated cheeses, keeping a handful back for garnish. Simmer the spaghetti in salted water for 10 minutes or until al dente. While the spaghetti is cooking, squash the garlic with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it. Fry the pancetta and garlic in the butter until slightly crisp. The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so you can discard it. Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Remove the pan from the heat, and quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Coat the pasta with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn’t scramble. Serve immediately, sprinkled with black pepper and the remaining cheese. Spaghetti Vongole (Serves 4) 1kg small clams, scrubbed clean 15g fresh parsley, chopped 400g dried spaghetti 4 tbsp olive oil 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1-2 dried red chillies 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 250ml white wine Sort through the clams and if there are any that aren’t tightly closed, give them a sharp tap. If they don’t close, throw them away. Slice the parsley stalks, then put them to one side and roughly chop the leaves. Simmer the spaghetti in salted water for 10 minutes or until al dente. About 5 minutes before the pasta is ready, fry the garlic and parsley stalks in the olive oil. Crumble in the dried chilli and add the chopped tomatoes. Stir constantly and just as the garlic starts to colour, add the clams and wine. Shake the pan and put the lid on it. Keep shuffling the pan around until most of the clams have opened – about 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat. Get rid of any clams that haven't opened. Drain the pasta and add it to the clams along with the parsley leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir for a further minute or two and serve immediately. Tagliatelle al Limone (Serves 4) Melt the butter and gently fry the garlic and crumbled chilli. Grate the lemons, discarding the tough white skin. Slice the ham and add it to the pan. Heat gently and then add the lemon rind and cream. Simmer uncovered for just under an hour. Heat a large pan of water and when it comes to the boil throw in the tagliatelle. Drain immediately – you are not cooking the pasta at this stage. Add the pasta to the cream sauce and cook gently until al dente. Season and stir in a little lemon juice or additional cream if the sauce has become too thick. Garnish with chopped parsley to serve.

Despite your best efforts, it’s unlikely that your diet is providing you with sufficient nutrition. Ray Robertson presents the case for supplements Upping your intake of essential nutrients could be your ticket to year-round good health, and one of the best ways to do this is by taking a few well-chosen dietary supplements. On the recommendation of fellow DBerDr Graeme Bradshaw, who specialises in naturopathy at the Integrated Medicine Institute in Central, I’ve been taking four core supplements daily for a couple of years now, and I definitely feel the benefit. The first is a multivitamin powder drink to make sure I get my daily allowance of ‘under-consumed nutrients,’ like vitamins A, C, D, E and K, calcium, magnesium, dietary fibre, choline and potassium. The second is omega 3, which boosts the cardiovascular system, reduces inflammation, and is an essential for concentration. The third is a probiotic to support my immune and digestive systems. And the fourth is curcumin (turmeric extract), a powerful anti-oxidant that reduces inflammation in the joints and all the key organs, ensuring they last longer. I’ve also just placed a big online order for Andrographis Paniculata. This herbal plant extract, widely available in pill form, and commonly known as green chiretta, is an ancient cold/ flu remedy popular across South East Asia. What’s interesting is that the Thai Government has approved it as an alternative treatment for COVID-19. The extract from the plant, known as FahTalaiJone in Thai, can curb the virus and reduce the severity of inflammation, according to studies conducted in Bangkok late last year. Andrographis Paniculata is being administered in pill form to COVID-19 patients in state-owned hospitals throughout Thailand. It’s available on a voluntary basis to those in the 18-60 age group with minor symptoms. Thai trials have shown that patients’ conditions improve within three days of taking the supplement, if it is administered within 72 hours of testing positive. Boost your immunity Not everyone’s going to buy into the idea of a COVID-beating plant extract, but we all need to pay particular attention to our white blood cells right now – the little guys that protect our bodies against infection from viruses and bacteria. Compromised immunity can be caused by something as basic as a deficiency in critical nutrients like zinc, iron and vitamin C. A lack of zinc, for instance, means that your white blood cells can’t mount a proper defense against infection. If you’re someone who gets coughs or sore throats frequently, up your zinc levels. Our iron levels also need to be in the optimum range because it is an important component of haemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. If you’re not getting sufficient oxygen, you become fatigued, and that exhaustion can have a serious affect on your immune system’s ability to fight infections. Vitamin C increases the body’s ability to absorb iron, so you’ll need to take plenty of it if your iron levels are low. Vitamin C also enhances the immune system’s response to bacterial and viral infections. Some 45% of colds develop into a secondary bacterial infection but when you take a high dose of vitamin C, this figure drops to just 10%. Maintaining a good balance of intestinal flora (good bacteria) is another essential for a healthy immune system, which is why many people now supplement their diet with probiotics (live microorganisms, in most cases bacteria, that are similar to those found in the human gut). Probiotics help us to absorb nutrients; they aid digestion and, because they have an anti-inflammatory effect, they make the immune system work harder. You are what you eat A quick Google search will reveal the long-term effects vitamin and mineral deficiency can have on your health – consider that insufficient calcium intake alone is associated with a long list of medical disorders, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, diabetes and obesity. But the question is, why is your diet not delivering enough nutrients? For the answer to that, you have to look beyond your own kitchen and consider the bigger picture. Getting your nutrition only from conventionally grown food fails to provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to operate disease-free. Consider the way modern farming methods deplete the soil of minerals without replacing them. All vegetables need minerals, and if the soil isn’t replenished with a mineral-rich fertiliser, then the plants, as well as the farm animals that feed off them, become deficient. Long-term food storage, processing and the addition of preservatives also degrades the nutrient content of food. One solution would be to eat only fresh, organic food, which contains 30% more minerals and 80% more anti-oxidants than conventionally grown food, but that’s not always possible due to financial or logistical reasons. What’s more, to obtain optimum levels of calcium, magnesium and potassium, you’d need to eat five servings of fresh, organic vegetables a day, along with whole grains, nuts and seeds. Who could really do that in their health quest? It’s possible, but not likely. The fact that most foods don’t yield sufficient nutrients is compounded because, nowadays, to stay healthy, we need more nutrients than ever before. The modern food supply is contaminated with pesticides, herbicides and chemicals, and we also have to contend with environmental contaminates in the water and air, such as carbon monoxide, lead and mercury. All this increases our need for vitamins and minerals because our metabolisms and immune systems are under constant attack. One size doesn’t fit all Do a little online research and you can get a rough idea of which supplements you might need. (Smokers and diabetics will reach for the vitamin C; women who menstruate heavily will turn to iron.) However, a DIY approach won’t cut it – you really need to consult a qualified naturopath for advice. A naturopath will give you regular blood checks that monitor your nutrient levels, revealing exactly which supplements you need to take. Blood tests may also show excess levels, which can be harmful. For instance, overloading on iron can lead to liver disease, heart problems and diabetes. Most naturopaths recommend whole-food supplements because they are derived from real food and offer superior bioavailability. For example, vitamin C is more active as an antioxidant when provided with flavonoid cofactors found in wholefood supplements made from oranges, acerola and high phenolic food concentrates. It’s true that quality supplements don’t come cheap but, these days, neither does nutrition-rich food. Take salmon, for instance – it is better for you to supplement with a high-grade fish oil than to eat ‘cheap’ farmed fish, which is low in omega-3 and high in toxins. So there you have it – the case for supplements. Getting your nutrition only from food is a bad idea. Essential chasers If you’re exceeding the ‘three units a day’ rule: • Take Liver Support – a potent clinical-grade formula containing milk thistle and other effective herbs – before you have a drink. Our livers need additional nutrients to detoxify the alcohol and boost our immune systems • Boost your intake of vitamin C (it restores cellular health damaged by alcohol consumption) and B-vitamins, which are highly depleted by alcohol and 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 • Ola Loa provides active vitamin B, vitamin D, magnesium and zinc, along with electrolytes and 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C. It’s an easy-to-take rehydrating drink, and provides a stronger detox than the popular Berocca or Emergen C • Nux Vomica 30 is another popular homeopathic remedy. It helps relieve the digestive stress and acidity caused by too much alcohol. You can also take a probiotic to restore the gut’s microbial balance after drinking

DBer Anthony Beck advocates a cruelty-free and sustainable world and he’s spreading the word with No Dogs Left Behind. Elizabeth Kerr reports Photos by Baljit Gidwani - www.evoqueportraits.com Veterinarian Anthony Beck has no pets. It’s easy to wonder if the Discovery Bay resident is one of those professionals who prefer to leave their work at work – kind of like a chef who eats Marks & Spencer ready-meals instead of cooking. Alas, that’s not the case. “I had two Beijing rescue cats that died in the last few years,” the lanky Brit points out. “But I’m waiting to bring a few No Dogs Left Behind dogs to Hong Kong.” That’s more like it. The No Dogs Left Behind (NDLB, www.nodogsleftbehind.com ) dogs Anthony is referring to are refugees from mainland China’s dog-meat trade that the non-profit organisation rescues and re-homes. With help from hundreds of volunteers in China and the US, NDLB rescues dogs from slaughterhouses, dog-meat trucks, wet markets and illegal traffickers, and then transports them to safe havens where they receive medical care, nutritional support and rehabilitation. The animals are then matched with loving forever families in North America and soon Hong Kong. Anthony has been clinical director with NDLB since 2016, when founder Jeff Beri asked him to help deal with an emergency in Shenzhen involving nearly 500 animals. Jeff, who can usually be found in one of the NDLB shelters across China, did most of the heavy lifting in dealing with the legalities and parties displeased their livestock was being liberated. But Anthony decided to stick around and offer up clinical assistance. The backstory Born in London and raised in the Midlands, Anthony recalls being “animal-obsessed” by the time he turned eight. He’d include 10 on a school project about pets. “I was that kid,” he cracks. Becoming a vet was a life decision he arrived at by age 13. Not that it was easy coming from a state school. “In the UK you need straight-A grades to get into veterinary school. I was told it was never going to happen. On top of that, from my county no one had gone to vet school in seven or eight years,” he explains. “I was good at maths. They recommended I focus on maths.” And while many of us would have marched back to that counsellor waving an acceptance letter around, Anthony is a better person than that. “Actions speak louder than words,” he says. Indeed they do. Anthony graduated from the University of London’s Royal Veterinary College in 1998, and landed in Hong Kong, the first time, in 2003. Not long thereafter he relocated to the mainland, to work in the then-burgeoning high-end veterinary care sector. After a stint with the quarantine bureau at Beijing’s biggest hospital, Anthony and the hospital director Shi Yibing founded Doctors Beck and Stone in 2009. When it sold to the New Ruipeng Pet Healthcare Group a few years back, Anthony became the only foreign vet to have built and sold a (hugely successful) veterinary group in China. Anthony and his wife, artist Yulia Shautsukova, and (now) seven-year old son, Alexander, returned to Hong Kong, and settled in DB, in 2014. DB is ‘dogs-and-babies’ for a reason, and Anthony kept himself busy at the DB branch of Doctors Beck and Stone, while managing a veterinary team that spanned 4,500 kilometres from Beijing to Singapore. “Normally, neither of us would have chosen a place as quiet as Discovery Bay, but we had lived in Shanghai and Shenzhen, and had a good five years of full-on urban culture. And I do quite a lot of outdoor sports, so it was a simple choice,” Anthony says. Importantly too, Anthony wanted Alexander to live someplace where he could “understand the responsibility of having a dog.” That’s when NDLB entered the picture. No dogs left behind About that picture. Anthony knows full well that at this point in our collective history a couple of white guys going into another country and telling people what to do is, shall we say, problematic. (NDLB is also an American charity.) The optics don’t work in 2021. To that end, neither he nor Jeff would be there if not for an existing groundswell of support to stop dog trafficking in China. The central government outlawed it in 2020 (admittedly citing COVID-19 concerns), and in Guangxi there’s enormous local pressure to end Yulin, the 10-year-old summer ‘festival’ of dog-meat – and lychee – consumption. “Everyone can play devil’s advocate. ‘We eat cows, what’s the difference?’ But this is about the welfare of the dogs. And my role is seeing to the welfare of the dogs in the shelters,” Anthony explains. “Jeff is potentially taking a socio-political stance and he’s very cognisant of that fact. I understand the culture perspective but first, it’s illegal. Second, there’s a welfare issue. And third, let’s not steal other people’s dog and kill them horrifically.” Anthony notes that advocates believe slaughtering the dogs when they’re stressed is better for the meat’s texture, and some estimates suggest that upwards of 70% of the dogs are stolen. “They’re someone’s pet,” he says. “You go to the NDLB shelters in China and there are samoyeds, poodles, labradors, retrievers. They’re owned dogs.” NDLB’s mandate includes education, finding new homes for dogs once destined for the butcher, and advocacy for a “cruelty-free and sustainable world.” Unsurprisingly, Anthony practises what he preaches: He’s vegan for sustainability reasons, and he’d like to see us all eating less meat. He’d also like to see Hong Kong function as the springboard for broader work in eliminating the dog-meat industry across Asia. It’s not an issue in the SAR but South Korea and Vietnam still have booming dog-meat industries, and Taiwan is the only other country besides China where the practice is illegal. Asia’s vet With millions worried about their jobs and homes, pleas for yet another worthy cause may be coming at an awkward time. Anthony gets that too. “I’m sure there’s a challenge in fundraising now. I don’t know; that’s not my speciality. But there’s never a bad time for a swift, strong message that is thought provoking without sending people running away in horror.” With millions also worried about their heath, eating better – more plants, less meat – has gained traction, and concern not only about what we consume but also where it came from is trending. As a bonus, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is asking private vets to set up more quarantine facilities. “The time is right to bring NDLB to Hong Kong, to be more active and raise the profile,” Anthony says. And if Anthony says the time is right then it likely is. He’s been active in animal rescue throughout his career, “happiest helping out as a shelter vet, managing the building of hospitals and shelters, or being the point of call for shelter crisis advice.” He’s chased rhinos through the bush and vaccinated monkeys in Bolivia. And in 2007, he set up an emergency neuter centre at one of Beijing’s largest shelters, the Beijing Human and Animal Environmental Centre. In 2019, Anthony expanded his scope still further with the launch of Asia vet, a Hong Kong-based consultancy that advises on veterinary business management and development across the region. But that’s not his focus today. Right now he’s here to talk about NDLB. In the coming months, he says we can hope for a series of Hong Kong events, from sustainability markets to lunches to dog walks, all designed to turn a spotlight on dog trafficking, facilitate adoptions and reposition meat overall. Here, Anthony pauses for a moment, as if picturing partner Jeff in his sleeping bag at a NDLB animal shelter. “Though I hasten to add, I have not discussed this specifically with Jeff. He’s been flat out, hands on, getting 400 dogs to homes in the US.” Greet the Charity Date for your diary: On April 11, NDLB is headlining a PETaLIFE 'greet the charity' event at Hemingway's. Dogs are welcome and, in addition to a 10am dog walk from Sienna Park to DB Plaza, you can expect an introduction to the NDLB charity by founder Jeff Beri at 1pm. Since PETaLIFE aims to celebrate DB as an eco-sustainable, pet-friendly community, DB Green, Lantau Paddle and OceansAsia will also be in attendance, with a group paddle/beach clean-up planned for the afternoon. To find out more, WhatsApp Anthony Beck on 5931 0854, or email anthony@nodogsleftbehind.com

Looking for a low-risk short-term investment opportunity? Boon Tiong Tan reveals how to make some easy money in the Year of the Ox. What should we do with money that’s sitting in the bank earning almost nothing? Buy bonds? The coupons are very low and when interest rates are heading higher, bond prices drop. Buy stocks? The stock market could be volatile moving into the Year of the Ox. Pop an IPO? Yes. Applying for a red-hot IPO (Initial Public Offering) and selling the shares on its first day of listing is a quick and easy way to make some money at low risk. Many Hong Kong investors are already doing so, making hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars each time. In the biggest ever but aborted IPO in 2020, Ant Group attracted more than a million applicants. The top eight performing IPOs last year made investors between HK$8,000 and HK$18,000 richer, and that was when they were allotted only the minimum number of shares. Those who were allotted multiples of the minimum shares were literally laughing all the way to the bank. In extreme cases, the so-called ‘IPO pop’ on the first day of trading can more than double your money. Eleven out of 145 IPOs did just that last year. What is an IPO? When business owners want to raise money to expand, one way to do so is to sell the company to the public through an IPO. It is a process that takes a company out of private hands and into the hands of public shareholders. There are over a hundred IPOs in Hong Kong each year. Some rise above the IPO prices, some sink below. To be safe and efficient, you should only go for large, reputable companies that will almost certainly give you quick and healthy profits on the first day. There are probably around 10 such IPOs each year. JD Health, Blue Moon Group and NongFu Spring are great examples from 2020. It’s not difficult to identify the good bets, they are splashed all over the internet, on TV and in press – you don’t need to read the Financial Times or watch CNBC to notice them. The demand for these IPOs is always much more than the supply. The hottest IPOs in Hong Kong are hundreds or even thousands of times oversubscribed. This is the reason you almost certainly sell at a profit on the first day. On the flip side, your chance of getting shares can be as low as a few percent. How can you increase your chance of being allotted shares? In this world where the divide between rich and poor is widening, the IPO market, unfortunately, favours the rich. The more shares you can afford to apply for, the more likely you’ll get the minimum number of shares, and possibly more. As a result, many experienced investors go so far as to take out IPO financing (loans from banks and brokers specifically for IPO applications) to multiply their returns. Those who borrowed for the top performing IPOs last year made multiples of HK$18,000. Banks like HSBC can offer interest rates lower than 1% and most brokers offer about 3%, and you’ll be asked if you want to take up financing during the application process. Alternatively, you can double, triple, or quadruple your chance of getting shares in a simple way, that does not favour the rich – get your family members to open a brokerage account. The application process IPO financing is not as risky as you might think. The fact that banks and brokers are willing to lend investors up to 90% at low interest rates without collateral, shows that they consider it low risk. Why? Because hot IPOs are always many times oversubscribed and investors are only allotted a small fraction of what they apply for. When the number of shares is small, so are the risks. An IPOs’ performance is correlated to the general stock market. When the stock market is rising, IPOs tend to do well. You need to be alert and participate less or not at all when the stock market sentiment Transforming a privately held company into a public company takes months. But there are only two things you need to know – when the application period is and when the listing day is. This information is readily available on social media through websites like aastocks.com. Though participating in hot IPOs is low risk (not all IPOs are low risk), you’ll want to play it extra safe by applying on the last day of the application period (which usually lasts four days). This is prudent just in case the stock market crashes before you apply. Most importantly, by choosing to delay you get a very crucial piece of information – the oversubscription rate during the first few days of the application period. If the number is low, you might want to reconsider your application. Once you have applied, you can’t do much about the risk of waiting a week until the listing day. During the depths of the bear market in March and April last year, there were 23 IPOs. Out of the 12 ‘winners,’ amazingly, three more than doubled their IPO prices, while the worst among the 11 ‘losers’ sank by 50%. Listing day It takes just minutes to apply for an IPO online through your bank (you must have a brokerage account with them) or broker. You will be notified the day before the listing on how many shares you are allotted, if any. It also takes just minutes to key in your sell order on the listing day (which is about a week after the end of application period). Prices are very volatile and impossible to predict so, if you are happy to make any money, you will sell at open and kickback for the rest of the day. If you enjoy the thrill of watching stock prices go up and down, you’ll likely choose to sell later in the day when you feel the price is right. It is entirely your prerogative to hold on to your shares as longterm investments. However, there’s no evidence to show that this is a good strategy. While there are some companies, like Facebook and Google, that have made their IPO investors rich, many more companies fail to do – they sink below the IPO prices, with some even going bankrupt. Long-term investor Warren Buffett famously shunned IPOs throughout his career until last year when he participated in Snowflake’s IPO. (Snowflake made history. The largest software company ever to IPO in the US, it became the largest company ever to double in value on its opening day, reaching a market cap of close to US$75 billion.) DB resident Boon Tiong Tan (CFA) has worked as a trader with banks like HSBC and Morgan Stanley for over 20 years. The author of A Stock Investment Book For The 99%: By A 99% , BT’s aim is to educate regular folk about the stock market and how to invest successfully. His book is available at Bookazine, Amazon and Book Depository; for information about the finance courses he offers in DB, email tbt444@gmail.com . All banks and brokers charge a processing fee, generally HK$100, regardless of the outcome of the application. Other fees total slightly more than 1% of any successful allocation of shares. Those who use IPO financing obviously need to pay the interest on the loan. The interest amount for a HK$1 million loan at 1% for seven days is HK$192. For long-suffering savers, this is an opportunity to turn the tables around on low interest rates. We should take advantage of the fact that Hong Kong is the biggest IPO market in the world (alongside New York). When times are good, IPOs provide one of the best risk/ reward options in stock investing. Isn’t it time to make your idle money work hard for you? How it’s done What do I need? A brokerage account and cash in the bank When do I apply? To be safe, apply on the last day of the application period  When do I know if I get the shares? A day before the listing day  When do I sell? On the listing day Photos courtesy of stock.adobe.com

There's no need to wait until February 14 to treat your Valentine to this delicious three-course supper - just be warned it may cause passion. Asparagus Pasta with Peas Serves 2 • 250g asparagus* • 50g butter* • 1 slice white bread, crumbed* • 100ml double cream • 5ml chicken stock* • 250g penne* • 50g peas* • 25g cheddar* Method Chop the asparagus into 1-inch slices and remove any tough stalks. Place it in a pan and cover with boiling water. Simmer, covered for about 8 minutes, until the asparagus is tender enough to mush with a fork. Drain. In a separate pan, melt the butter and gently sauté the breadcrumbs for about 2 minutes until soft. Add the cream and a little stock. Add the asparagus and season well. Cook for about 5 minutes to form a thick sauce. Meanwhile, boil the pasta together with the peas until both are al denté. Drain and add to the asparagus sauce. Stir in the grated cheese and serve at once.   Lobster Thermidor Serves 2 • 1 cooked lobster (crayfish)* • 150ml dry white wine* • 1 shallot, chopped fine* • Handful tarragon leaves, chopped • Handful parsley leaves, chopped • 1tsp Dijon mustard • ½ lemon, juice only* • 3tsp paprika • 2tsp Tabasco sauce • 5tbsp parmesan, grated fine* • 140g butter, softened* Declaw the lobster and cut it in half. Wash the head cavities under cold water, then lay the lobster, cut side up, on a baking tray. Crack the claws and remove the meat, divide between the head cavities. Then, to make the butter, put the wine and shallots into a pan, bring to the boil and simmer until nearly dry. Tip into a bowl to cool, and mix in all the remaining ingredients. Chill this mixture in the refrigerator until it is firm enough to roll into a log, using foil, then continue to chill until hardened. Slice the butter into thin rounds and lay it along the lobster so all the meat is covered. Grill for 6 minutes until the butter is bubbling and starting to brown. Serve with salad, fat chips and cheese sauce.   Wine-poached Pear Serves 2 • 750ml red wine* • 200g golden caster sugar • 2 cinnamon sticks, snap in half • 1 vanilla pod, quartered • 2 firm pears, peeled* Method Gently   heat   the   wine,   sugar, cinnamon   and   vanilla  until  the sugar  dissolves. Add  the pears, making sure they are fully covered by the syrup, then simmer for 20 minutes until tender. Remove the pears from the pan with a slotted spoon  and  set  aside. Boil  the syrup for 30 minutes until reduced. Serve the pears with the thickened syrup and either a little chocolate sauce or a slice of chocolate cake. For   a   delicious   easy-to-make cake, try one of The Caker kits* at store.eatthekiwi.com.   Order all the asterisked items and more online at store.eatthekiwi.com Eat The Kiwi is an online grocer sourcing premium goodness direct from New Zealand’s best producers. They deliver to DB on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12pm and 6pm (order by 10am, Monday/ Wednesday). Delivery is free for orders over HK$1,000, and costs HK$120 for orders under HK$1,000.

Eric Giles is proud to be one of DB’s – and Hong Kong’s – newest oldest permanent residents. Elizabeth Kerr reports Eric Giles is living proof that you’re never too old to start a new chapter in life. Teetering on the cusp of 100 (his centenary comes in August) and smartly dressed like any gentleman should be, Discovery Bay’s most mature new permanent resident relaxes in his favourite chair in the flat he shares with his daughter Denise, and cats Bluebell, Marmite and Snowflake. He faces the water, slightly bemused by all the commotion. Age is just a number, after all, and he h as a sister who’s already 101. Nonetheless there’s a mischievous, good-natured gleam in Eric’s eye when he considers answers to the various queries fired at him. He lets two of three domestic aides– equally good-natured Raisel, Melita and Ruena – fuss over him, as he consults quietly with friend and neighbour Susan Ho. Her father lives downstairs and is a regular hang for Eric (sadly he’s been stuck in Australia for most of the COVID-19 lockdowns). When I mention he’s the first person I’ve ever met that had reached 99, Eric throws down an epic side-eye. “Wow. I’m sorry. If I’m the first person you’ve met, your next choices are not going to be terribly impressive.” A life well-led Born in Aldershot, about 50 kilometres south of London, in 1921, Eric spent some of his twenties in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. “I started out stationed in England, but then the Japanese were starting to cause a bit of trouble, so I was transferred to Asia,” he understates. He spent time in Burma (now Myanmar) and then India, but didn’t actually get to see Hong Kong back then. When Eric got back to Aldershot, he took the civil service exams and kicked off a career in government bureaucracy. Which one? He starts chuckling again, almost sheepish, as if bracing for blowback. “I was in customs and excise. Enough said, “he says with a knowing laugh. Who likes the taxman? But Eric has fun with the image; he can banter with the best, and the job served him well. “I opted for that because it was more of a mixed type of employment to choose from,” he says. “I actually liked it.” Before long he met fellow Aldershot denizen Mavis, who would go on to become his wife of nearly 65 years. Both played tennis, and wound up as a fairly successful mixed doubles team. “We won various cups. We weren’t professionals but we weren’t bad,” he recalls. Eventually the couple got married and moved to Woking, just outside London, where they settled, built a home and had their only daughter. It was Denise’s career in medicine that helped Giles and Mavis see the world. They visited her for extended holidays, including in Swaziland (now Eswatini), where she worked for 11 years. “Mavis enjoyed it so much I was often on my own,” he says. “That was very nice too, and I don’t know if we wouldn’t have retired there if Denise was still there. I wouldn’t have minded, but that was way before she moved here. She’s been here 30 years.”  Golden years in DB The Giles’ first visit to Hong Kong was in 1981, on another extended holiday, with regular vacations after that in order to be doting grandparents to the daughters Denise adopted, Khetsi and Sindi, currently in Greece and the UK. Eventually retirement beckoned, and after a few years of pottering (as we all plan to during retirement), Eric and Mavis decided they wanted to live in the SAR. “Hong Kong is a nice place to spend retirement,” Eric states. “The weather is lovely, and I suppose being here, in this location, I’m spoilt.” For Eric, DB is ideal; necessary regular services –doctor, pet store, barber – are easily accessible, and it felt familiar. “We knew what we were coming into. It was another extended holiday until Mavis said, ‘Do we have to go back?’ I didn’t want to move anyplace else. I have no regrets.” The couple resettled in DB in 2013, and Eric seems not to miss the UK –certainly not its politics. His view on Brexit, for instance, is that he would not have voted in the referendum even if he had been able to. “The result of the referendum will affect younger people for years to come,” he reasons, “so they should be the ones deciding the outcome.” Sadly, Mavis was only in DB for less than a year before passing away. Eric’s residency became permanent last November, which was an important step for him personally, as a way to demonstrate commitment. Words of wisdom Eric doesn’t fancy himself special, but for the rest of us he’s a living repository of 20th century headlines – an eyewitness to world history. Eric has lived through the Great Depression, the Second World, Korean, Vietnam and Cold Wars, South America’s Dirty Wars, two Gulf Wars, Nixon, Thatcher, Apartheid, Suharto, Pol Pot, two Duvaliers… the list goes on. It’s hard to resist asking if the world is changing, and if he has any words of wisdom.“ Of course, the world is changing, “he says quickly. “And I like to think it’s getting better. I certainly don’t have all the answers, and I don’t want to force my views on people, but I’m happy to give advice.” As an aside, his friend Susan points out he’s great at it too. So, the question must be asked: What’s the secret to reaching99? Eric chuckles that chuckle again, and waves off any mystery. He’s remarkably fit, having only had cataract and heart surgery according to Susan. That elicits a raised eyebrow. “I don’t remember that.” He gets fresh air every day, and keeps his mind engaged with Mexican Train and strategy games with friends, crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and reading (currently John Jakes’ On Secret Service).As has been said before, he did everything in moderation. “I worked hard, did my best at work. I smoked when it was kind of ‘illegal.’ When it became OK,I didn’t want to anymore. I never really drank,” Eric reasons. “I watched a lot of liquor go down the drain and I saw what happened when people got too fond of the drink. I determined I’d never be that guy. As far as exercise went, I played tennis quite a bit.” As the afternoon wears on, Eric loosens up and the regular teasing and bantering Susan talks about starts up. Like most, he’s planning on a low-key Chinese New Year, or rather, he thinks he is. “I used to enjoy giving a red packet to the lion dancers at the residents club and watching the fireworks from one of the terraces at the Peninsula,” he says.“ These days though, I leave the planning to Denise…and just show up when I’m told.” And what are Eric’s hopes for 2021,the Year of the Ox? “I would like to make it to 100 and receive a card from the Queen,” he says. “I have a better chance of doing so by living here rather than if I was in the UK. Hong Kong is a safe place to be during the pandemic.” Raisel and Melita start flipping through a bound collection of photos Denise had made for Eric’s 99th birthday. Everyone looked like a movie star in the 1940s but Eric– in his RAF uniform and cocked beret – was silly handsome. He lets himself bask in the attention of four women. Just for a bit. Photos by Baljit Gidwani

HUSH HOME® co-founder Stephanie Huen, a certified health and wellness consultant, shares how sleep science takes her mattresses, beds and bedding to the next level When I coach others, I draw on my background in health and wellness – and the first thing I emphasise is sleep. It is such an overlooked part of short-term and long-term health (especially in Hong Kong), and yet there’s truly nothing with more immediate impact on your day than a good night’s sleep. When my husband Rick and I started a family, we realised that Hong Kong had few mattress choices that were high-quality yet affordable. That’s why Rick and I created Hush Home. We make high-quality mattresses, beds and bedding, and we sell them at honest prices so everyday families can sleep better and be healthier. Family-friendly sleep products First and foremost, when designing family-friendly products, we prioritise safety. We make sure all products are certified to international standards. Our workshops are also trusted by luxury hotel brands, meaning not only are the production standards top-notch but the materials and products are continually lab-tested. Furthermore, we’re meticulous in how we choose fabrics and materials. For example, all products are hypoallergenic and the solid-wood furniture uses zero artificial pigmentation. Each item we sell has what we call ‘thoughtful details.’ These are small design details that big brands don’t care about, but families do – because they make products more user-friendly on a day-to-day basis. How to choose a mattress So the big question is: How do you choose mattresses for yourself and your kids? For an adult, it’s all about sleep quality. It’s best to get a mattress that offers a balance of comfort and support. I often teach customers to do a body scan when they try mattresses to check whether each part of the body (especially, shoulders, lower back and hips) is getting the right balance. You’ll also want something that has motion isolation, so you don’t wake up when your partner tosses and turns. Our Hush Mattress, using a hybrid technology of pocket coils and premium foams, is very popular right now because it was designed to incorporate all factors that affect sleep quality. For children, you want to consider what’s best for their growth. Very young kids will need a firmer mattress for better bone growth but, as they get older, they’ll need and likely prefer something that balances out the firmness with plushness. With 2 firmnesses-in-1, our Loft Mattress was designed specifically to address that need. Extending a mattress’ lifespan There are three key ways to make your mattress last longer. Firstly, prioritise hygiene. I highly recommend everyone use waterproof protectors to keep the mattress germ-free and stain-free. (This is especially important for kids). Secondly, make sure you’re using the appropriate bedframe that supports your mattress type. For instance, pocket coils require a flat platform or solid slats. Thirdly, rotate your mattress periodically so that it can continue to evenly distribute your body pressure. How to test a mattress You can view and purchase all our sleep products on our website. We created a robust digital library on choosing the right sleep products so that everyone can be an informed buyer. You can also check out our showroom in Sheung Wan, where we encourage customers to make a 30-minute private appointment for a one-on-one consultation. Our showroom is deliberately designed to feel like home – each bed has its own private space, with relaxing music and aromas, and no bright lights. You can even take a nap! We also offer a 100-night trial for our products so that you can really experience Hush Home in the comfort of your own home.

Hospitality pro Sander Looijen is starting the year on a high note at the new Tung Chung Sheraton – he tells Elizabeth Kerr just what that entails Seven days after Sander Looijen threw open the doors on the shiny new Sheraton in Tung Chung, he was feeling pretty chuffed – even with a fresh government ban on on-site restaurant dining roughly 60 hours away. Despite a pandemic that has crippled the hospitality industry, opening week (in December) went well. “Very well, considering the situation we’re opening in isn’t ideal,” he states. “The restaurants have been very busy. The comments are great. We’re off to a great start.” As the Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung Hotel’s cluster general manager, Sander is keeping several dozen spinning plates in the air. Not only is he tasked with making sure the hotel observes a battery of biosecurity measures – which he’d also like to see the hotel exceed – he’s managing over 200 rooms in a multinational asset that has been positioning itself to cater to a robust air industry, and ideally spill over from Hong Kong’s equally robust convention sector. Yeah, about that. “It’s a unique situation and there’s nothing to compare it to,” he says. “We have an airport hotel next to an airport that’s closed.” He shakes his head disbelievingly, like most of us have at some point these past months. But he’s ready; this isn’t Sander’s first rodeo. The Tung Chung property is his second Asia-Pacific launch in a career that’s so far spanned at least five countries. The first was in China at the end of 2008. At the height of the Global Financial Crisis. “Oh, that was another challenge,” he chortles. As if that weren’t enough, Sander relocated to Hong Kong, to Discovery Bay to be exact, to steer the new Sheraton last August. He has incredible timing. Hot hotelier Tall and lean, Sander exudes an unflappable Beneluxian calm. He’s approachable, and quick to chuckle behind his face mask. He lingers in the hotel lobby, unperturbed at the prospect of this interview – a task many bosses would consider beneath them. An exciting new destination for leisure and business travellers, the hotel, the second Sheraton in Hong Kong, is also positioning itself as a neighbourhood hotspot – a vast community hub of restaurants, bars and shops. And Sander clearly knows every inch of the building inside and out. Mention the cocktails at the Sunset Grill (and you will, they’re delicious) and he perks up. “Did you try the gin and tonic, with the champagne foam?” He gives full credit to bartender Klein before nodding proudly when I applaud Chinese restaurant Yue’s creative, citrus-inflected hargau. “That’s what we hire for: personality,” Sander says. “Experience is one thing but personality is important. And to be fair creativity goes with personality.” Sander’s hands-on, but not a micro-manager, and he encourages experimentation. “I’d rather people tried 100 things and failed 90 times than try five and succeed each time. Failure is part of the learning and communication process. I’ve failed many times.” It’s easy to see why the staff love him. A life in hotels The Nijmegen, Netherlands, native discovered a calling in hospitality in his teens, when part-time work as a steward in local restaurants led to a gig as a junior waiter and the realisation that he actually liked doing it. “I enjoyed it. I enjoyed interacting with guests. I enjoyed making people feel at home,” he recalls, agreeing it’s not a career you stumble into. Mention unreasonable complaints that make the job look tough and Sander argues there’s value in those complaints. “Our most critical guests help us get better; they make us who we are,” he says. From Nijmegen it was off to study hotel management at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in Maastricht at 19, and shortly thereafter work in Van der Valk hotels and restaurants – first at home, then in London and then in Shanghai. He toggled back and forth between Europe and Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai (again) before the debate was settled in his own mind: Asia was the endgame, and in 2004 he stopped toggling. Along the way Sander met a fellow hospitality pro who would become his wife: Ligia. Sander’s spent the last few years at the Renaissance in Phuket and when the opportunity to open the ambitious new Hong Kong location came up, he jumped at the chance. In addition to the waterfront Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung Hotel, Four Points by Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung will add another 1,000 rooms when it opens early this year. And it will mark Marriott International’s first dual-branded hotel opening in Hong Kong. Many would have steered clear of the city last year, but Sander didn’t hesitate. In part because he finds Hong Kong “amazing.” “We all know what was going on in August, but I still think Hong Kong’s safe, and I love it. There are few places in the world that are so versatile – with a world-class shopping mall a 10-minute taxi ride from a beautiful hike. I can go to beaches, the food is amazing. Everything you need is here.” After 11 hotels, three brands and varying price points, the challenge of shifting expectations and working in a new country are still where the pleasures come from. “That’s where you really get to know a culture,” he says. “I was in Thailand for three-and-a-half years, and it requires a completely different management style than Hong Kong, and switching between them isn’t always easy.” At home in Lantau After earlier stints spent in Wanchai and Happy Valley, when the Looijens made their most recent move back to the SAR it was to Discovery Bay. In addition to Sander and Japanese-Brazilian Ligia, the family now includes two Hong Kong-born Discovery Bay International School students aged six and seven, and a two-year-old born in Thailand. For the record, 47 passports aren’t stuffed in a drawer somewhere, but Sander is quick to recognise his family’s cosmopolitanism. He describes his brood as “world citizens.” Sander admits DB’s proximity to the hotel factored into the decision to move here. “To be honest I wasn’t that familiar with Lantau, but we’ve enjoyed it tremendously. There are beaches all around, the people are friendly, there are great restaurants. We hike, it’s a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and from DB it’s a few minutes to IFC. It’s great.” DB was ultimately a short stop: all five Looijens shifted to an apartment on the hotel site at its opening. And life at the Sheraton suits them. Sander says he’s well able to switch off while on family time. Date nights tend to take him off the premises, however. “Dining in my own hotels is something Ligia does not prefer,” he admits with a smile. “I have to take the seat facing the wall or else I’ll be paying attention to the restaurant.” Sander is going to get to know Lantau – and his Tung Chung neighbours – a whole lot better, very soon. The plan was always for Sander and the Sheraton to engage with the local community, and so far residents have responded in kind, particularly to the restaurants. A series of package stays (including the food-based Saveur) will take advantage of the local heritage, hiking trails and nearby bee farm (Klein uses its honey in the Honey Bourbon Old Fashioned at Sunset Grill), while observing health and hygiene protocols with some above-and-beyond technology. If government regulations remain in place into 2021, the next few months are going to be a complicated time for Sander, but he’s confident he and his crew will be able to smooth out any snags that arise – and ensure guests a memorable visit, no matter what they do. And if there is a fire to put out, never fear Sander is close by.

Expedition ships to the Antarctic Peninsula are packed with visitors psyched for close encounters with penguins, whales and Weddell seals. Dorothy Veitch recalls the trip of a lifetime Rite of passage Expedition ships cross the Drake Passage – the notoriously volatile stretch of water that separates Latin America and Antarctica – during the ‘summer season,’ from late October through to March. Come April, the ice freezes over and Antarctica is again cut off from the rest of the world. It’s a two-day transition from the nine-to-five grind of wifi and worries to a far simpler yet more powerful place. Luxury adventure A typical expedition team is made up of scientists, biologists, historians and adventurers. They nimbly switch between giving lectures on the wildlife, history and geology to navigating inflatable Zodiac boats between the icebergs and facing down snowstorms. Unlike most organised tours, tourists are made to feel as though they are explorers on a bone fide adventure. Bragging rights Travel to Antarctica still holds bragging rights, especially if you camp out on the ice or dare to do the Polar Plunge, stripping off and immersing yourself in the icy waters. The sun sets after 10pm during the summer, and this is the best time to hear the glaciers creak and moan. Every now and then a section will calve off into the sea, hitting the water with a loud smack and sending a tsunami across the bay. Wildlife watching It is over a century since the British explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance was caught in the pack ice, marking the beginning of one of the world’s most exciting adventure stories. Extending like a great white arm from the main body of the icy continent, the peninsula is still populated with penguins, whales and Weddell seals that appear to be smiling as they lounge on the ice flows. Rules and regulations The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) oversees tourism in the region and among the stringent rules aimed at protecting the wildlife is the stipulation that visitors are not to get closer than 5 metres. Another IAATO regulation holds that no more than 100 people are allowed to land in the same space at any one time. Snow bird spotting A mere flick of their powerful fins and penguins shoot through the crystal-clear waters at speeds of up to 22 miles per hour. But it’s when they move from the sea to the land, as they do every November for the start of the two-month breeding season, that they become adorable – and accidentally hilarious. Their rookeries are noisy and often smelly but always hugely entertaining. Losing your perspective Beyond the wildlife, the draw of Antarctica is the vast, icy landscape. The first thing to go is your sense of perspective. In the early summer, practically everything looks white. There are no trees or anything that might give you a sense of scale, making it difficult to judge distances. Only when you see an inflatable Zodiac beside an iceberg, do you realise just how huge these majestic blocks of ice really are. A feeling for the ice The more you look at the icebergs, the more you come to appreciate the range of colours, from white through to turquoise, deep blue and black. The black ice is the oldest – 50,000-yearold water that has been compressed over time so that all the air and impurities have been removed. This black ice looks like shards of glass.