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Launched in October 2020, the Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) Mini and Junior Duke Award progamme has already attracted an incredible 210 sign-ups from students in Years 1 to 6. Proud to lead the way, DBIS is one of the first schools outside of the UK and Dubai to offer the programme. Inspired by the well-known Duke of Edinburgh Award for secondary school students, the Duke Award gives primary aged participants the time and space to develop independence, resilience, enquiry, organisation and self-motivation through a journey of life skill challenges. DBIS Primary Outdoor Leader Jonny Haines helped adapt the Duke Award UK programme for international school students. “When I learned about the Duke Award in the UK it made clear sense to offer it to our students here in Hong Kong,” he says. “There is clearly a demand for young people to have a platform to share their skills and interests and to learn new things, especially with COVID-19 restricting children’s access to after-school clubs and activities. “Developing the ‘whole child’ beyond conventional academics is imperative to preparing our young people for the future,” Jonny adds. “With DB’s rolling hills, open spaces and the water, it is the perfect environment for children to get outdoors and take part in the Duke Award. They are asked to participate in a variety of new experiences and they are challenged to learn new and varied skills at an early age. In a community where most families are lucky enough to have the support of domestic helpers, the Duke Award teaches children that it is important to ‘have a go’ and seek independence. It helps them to develop the resilience they will need throughout their lives whilst rewarding them for their hard work.” Students aged six to 12 years old are provided with a series of progressive life skills challenges, including first aid, cookery, swimming, budgeting, fixing punctures and domestic duties, to expose them to the skills needed for the real world. Participating DBIS students are busy filling their journals with photographs of baked cakes, puncture repairs, shop visits using a budget, completed domestic chores, first-aid provision, confidence building presentations based on their passions and lots of child-organised hikes. “I like the Duke Award because I like to try new things and learn new skills,” says DBIS student Zach Stanton, aged eight years old. “So far I’ve completed my swimming and washing-up challenges but I’m looking forward to junk modelling the most because I am a creative person.” “I like the Duke Award because I like to try new things and learn new skills,” says DBIS student Zach Stanton, aged eight years old. “So far I’ve completed my swimming and washing-up challenges but I’m looking forward to junk modelling the most because I am a creative person.” “The children select which challenges they’d like to complete and set their own goals, which keeps them interested and motivated,” says Jonny. “There is space for children to add self-assessment comments on their progress and photographic evidence.” On completing a challenge, the children receive either a ‘Duke Approved’ sticker or feedback on how to evidence their skill further. This process of reflection is an important life skill and habit to foster. On completing a challenge, the children earn a ‘Class Dojo’ for being committed learners. This helps them contribute to their House team’s weekly score. “DBIS is proud to adopt the Mini and Junior Duke Award,” says Stuart Bridge, Head of School. “It complements our current Learning for Life programme and ever-developing outdoor Forest and Beach Schools programmes perfectly. It really is an exciting environment for our young learners.” FIND IT Discovery Bay International School (DBIS), www.dbis.edu.hk

Fun and easy to make, delicious Xmas treats also make pretty and practical gifts Stained Glass Christmas Cookies 300g plain flour* 1tsp ground ginger 1tsp ground cinnamon 175g butter* 100g golden syrup 250g clear boiled fruit sweets Preheat the oven to 180°C. Sift the flour, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour to form crumbs. Add the golden syrup, using your hands to form a dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Sort the sweets into individual colours, then crush them with a rolling pin. Roll out the dough to around 1cm thickness. Use the cutter of your choice to cut your cookie and then use a smaller cutter to remove a centre shape also. Transfer to a lined baking tray and use a skewer to make a hole at the top of each cookie. Fill the cut-out centres of the cookies with crushed sweets and then bake for around 15 minutes, until the sweets have melted and the biscuits are golden. Serve once the cookies have started to cool and the sweets have solidified again. Cranberry and Orange Mince Pies 200g butter, cubed* 400g plain flour* 100g ground almonds 100g golden caster sugar* 1 orange, zest only* 2tbsp milk/ orange juice* 100g frozen cranberries 400g jar mincemeat Flaked almonds, a handful 2tsp icing sugar* Preheat the oven to 200°C. Whizz the butter, flour and almonds in a food processor. Pulse in the sugar and orange zest. Add the milk, whizzing to form a rough dough. Press together and shape into a smooth disc. Chill for 15 minutes. Roll out the dough to around 1cm thickness. Using an 8cm cutter, stamp out 24 circles and use to line the holes of 2x 12-hole bun tins. Mix the cranberries and mincemeat together, then spoon into the cases. Scatter each pie with flaked almonds, and top with additional dough if desired. Bake the pies for 18-20 minutes until golden. Dust with icing sugar to serve. Peppermint Creams 1 egg white* 340g icing sugar* ½tsp peppermint extract 250g dark chocolate* Whisk the egg white in a large bowl until fluffy but not stiff. Sift in the icing sugar and mix until combined into a dough. Knead in the peppermint exact. Take a small amount of the dough and roll it into a ball. Place onto two pre-lined baking trays and gently press into a circle, about 5mm thick. Repeat until you have used all the dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours or ideally overnight. To finish, break the chocolate up into a bowl and melt over a Bain Marie. Dip the peppermint creams in the chocolate, one at a time, and place back onto the lined trays. Return to the fridge for a few hours to set the chocolate.   FIND IT Eat The Kiwi, 97855 5706 (WhatsApp), hello@eatthekiwi.com , store.eatthekiwi.com Eat The Kiwi delivers prime New Zealand produce* 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.

Are you a divorcee looking to relocate from Hong Kong with your children? Samantha Gershon , Partner in the family and divorce team at Withers, has some timely advice As soon as divorce proceedings begin in Hong Kong, the children of the family will fall under the jurisdiction of the court. This means that should the father or mother want to relocate with the children, they need each other’s consent. Without the other parent’s consent there is a need to make an application to the Court for leave to remove the children from Hong Kong. Any temporary removal from Hong Kong also requires the other parent’s consent or an Order of the Court. A temporary removal is normally requested when a parent wants to take the child out of Hong Kong on holiday, to see ailing grandparents or to study abroad. A contested application can arise when the other parent is fearful that the parent making the application does not intend to bring the child back to Hong Kong. When making its decision, the Court will focus on the best interests of the child. During the pandemic, the Court may not agree to a child leaving Hong Kong temporarily if they need to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days when they return, or if they are going to a country that’s in lockdown or where the COVID-19 numbers are very high. Even if the parents agree to allow a child to be permanently removed from Hong Kong, there still needs to be an Order of the Court permitting the child to leave. The party leaving must also agree to return the child to Hong Kong if required to do so. In contested permanent removal applications, like with temporary removal cases, the best interest of the child remains the overriding consideration. The parent applying to leave with the child needs to demonstrate to the Court that they have a proper plan for the child’s future, including future schooling, accommodation and proposed future access arrangements. The Court will then look at the existing care arrangements. For example, if there is shared care from which the child benefits, then it may not be in the child’s best interest to relocate. During these uncertain times, a parent wishing to leave Hong Kong could be forced to put their relocation plans on hold. They may want to move to a country which has travel restrictions or does not accept non-permanent residents which would affect the access rights of the remaining parent. If it is not possible to fly in and out of Hong Kong with ease, and if quarantine restrictions are in place for the parent, relocation would not be in the best interest of the child since they would be at risk of having no direct contact with one parent for a considerable amount of time. These are complicated issues and ones that need to be carefully considered by the parents when making the decision to relocate. At Withers, our family specialist lawyers can guide you every step of the way. FIND IT Withers, 30/F United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, 3711 1600, www.withersworldwide.com/en-gb/hong-kong Samantha Gershon is a Partner in the family and divorce team at Withers. Find more from Samantha at www.withersworldwide.com/en-gb/people/samantha-gershon .

With this collection of DIY paper ornaments, you can dip your toes into the holidays as seen around the globe. Jane Drew reports Making your own ornaments is a fun bonding activity for the whole family to enjoy in the lead-up to Christmas. And this year, rather than sticking to your own traditions, why not draw on some of your neighbours’ customs? This will make the 2020 holidays look a little different in your home, and you’ll be encouraging your kids to celebrate diversity, while recognising the universal values that connect us. We’ve picked out three paper-based ornaments for you to make from Russia, the Philippines and beyond, all of which borrow from an established Christmas tradition. These ornaments symbolise universal values that engender love, peace and goodwill – values that transcend all borders, while embracing the spirit of Christmas. Matryoshka dolls Matryoshkas are wooden Russian dolls that come in a set; they are carved in decreasing sizes so they can nest inside one another. The first nesting doll sets were made in the late 1800s and since then, this toy’s popularity has spread far beyond Eastern Europe. Matryoshkas often depict women in traditional Eastern European dress with headscarves; however, there are sets of animals, cartoon characters and now even politicians. Many sets feature the same design, painted on a different scale, but in others all the dolls are different. You can always buy a set, but if you paint it yourself, you can add educational and/ or personalised elements. At “Christmastime”, you might create a Matryoshka set of your own family, the Nativity, Santa and his elves, etc. To make a very simple paper Matryoshka set, you will need four sheets of construction paper, one sheet of decorative wrapping paper, a marker and glue. Cut out three squares of paper, small, medium and large. Fold the first square into a triangle. Fold in the right corner and then the left corner. Glue the front piece of the triangular-shaped top down onto the folded corners. Tuck the back piece of the triangle-shaped top into the pocket of the folded corners shape. This forms a little nesting-shaped cup that will stand up on the table. Cut out the shape of a semicircle from the wrapping paper to form the doll’s dress. Glue this on with the flat edge at the bottom. Cut out the shape of a circle from the remaining sheet of construction paper and glue this onto the curved section of the dress. This will be the doll’s face, which you can draw on with a marker. Repeat these steps and create two more dolls using the medium and large-shaped squares as your starting point. Once the glue has dried on each doll, you can nest them inside each other. Source: www.pbs.org . Parol lanterns In the Philippines, parols are hung outside homes and along village streets in the lead-up to Christmas. These star-shaped, tasselled lanterns represent the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem. In a wider sense, lighting and decorating a parol is an expression of faith, hope, goodwill and the triumph of light over darkness. Parols are traditionally made from bamboo and rice paper though they are now made in a variety of materials, shapes and sizes. What’s important is that you use thin paper to allow light to shine through, creating the feel of a lighted lantern. To make your own parol, you will need two 30cm strips of cardboard (each about 2cm wide), two 18cm squares of yellow tissue paper and one 18cm square of coffee filter paper, plus glue, red paint, a ruler, scissors and a ribbon. Start by painting the coffee filter paper. While it dries, paint the cardboard strips. Once they are dry, measure two inches from the end of each strip. Fold the strips accordion style. Glue the two strips together, each end firmly glued inside the other, keeping the folds all at the same 5cm length. Adjust this folded circular shape into a five-pointed star. Determine which two points will be the bottom of the star and cut out a notch in each, which is where you will insert the tassels. Put a bead of glue all around the edge of the star, and turn it over on to the square of yellow tissue paper. Readjust the strips so they stay in a star shape. While the glue is drying, make the cut-out pattern for the front of the parol – fold the coffee filter paper in half diagonally to form a triangle, then in half again. Cut a few shapes along the inner edges, staying within 2cm of the point. Fold in half again, and cut another small shape along that edge, again staying within 2cm. By now, the glued yellow tissue paper will be dry. Cut away the excess tissue paper from the edges of the cardboard star. Now glue the cut-out coffee filter paper onto the front of the star. While that dries, make the two tassels. Fold the remaining square of tissue paper in half – its length will be the length of one tassel. Cut in strips stopping before reaching the folded edge, so that the tissue paper curls. Once the parol is dry, cut away the excess coffee filter paper from the edges. Put a dab of glue on the end of each tassel and insert them into the notches. Finally, glue a loop of ribbon to the top of the parol and hang it somewhere that allows the light to shine through. Source: multiculturalkidblogs.com . Origami Santas Christmas is all about giving and few things symbolise that better than Santa Claus, with his red suit, long white beard, jolly laugh and sack full of presents. This ‘American’ Santa, who drops down the chimney on Christmas Eve, has been adopted across the globe but within Europe, ‘he’ comes in many different guises – and he doesn’t always show up on December 24. In Russia, for instance, Ded Moroz (translated as Father Frost) visits the homes of good children on New Year’s Eve; in Italy, La Befana – a good-natured witch who flies around on a broomstick – drops in on January 5. The traditional British Father Christmas wears a hooded green cloak and a wreath of holly or ivy, and he carries a staff. His French counterpart Père Noël prefers a long red cloak to a red suit. To make an origami Santa, you will need one 20cm square of paper (with a red and a white side), plus a little glue. Place the paper on a table with the red side facing upward. Fold the paper in half, from bottom to top and from left to right. You will now have a neat cross. Flip the paper over to the other side (the white side). Fold the bottom edge up to meet the horizontal crease and unfold. Fold the left edge to meet the vertical central crease and unfold. Fold the bottom right corner up to the top left corner, then unfold. Rotate the paper so that the diagonal line is vertically centred and flip the paper over to the other side. Fold the bottom section up and unfold. Fold the bottom corner up to the previous crease and unfold. Fold the bottom corner up to the crease you just made. Unfold. Fold the bottom corner up again to the crease you just made. Flip the bottom section up. Flip it up again, and fold it up once more. Flip the paper over to the other side, and rotate it so that the folded corner is now at the top. Bring the top left and right sections in towards the middle. Collapse the top section down and fold well. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner. Fold the top corner down, leaving a small gap between what will be Santa’s hat and beard. Fold another small section down, creating Santa’s moustache. Flip the paper over to the other side. Fold the bottom right corner up to the top corner. Fold the bottom left section up to the top corner. Fold the right edge to the centre, folding all of the layers. Fold the left section the same way. Fold the bottom corner up a little bit and glue the back down. Your origami Santa is complete!

Discovery Bay Brownie Guides set out to make the world a better place – and have a good time doing it. Elizabeth Kerr gets inspired by three Sixers There are now three Brownie Guide Packs in DB which by my calculation, since there are 24 girls to a pack, means DB is home to 72 Brownies. As it turns out there are ‘only’ 66 because Pack C, which started in August, isn’t quite full yet. The 66-and-counting Brownie Guides meet at Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) on Saturday mornings, COVID-19 allowing. I get to chat with three of them – Lucia Torresi, Molly Shepherd and Olivia Oakley. Lucia, 11, attends Discovery College (DC), and more importantly she’s a Sixer for the Imps (Pack B). Molly, 10, and Olivia, 9, are at DBIS; Molly’s a Sixer for the Red Hat Sprites (Pack B), and Olivia’s a Sixer for the Gnomes (Pack A). As a rule, the girls don’t really hang out beyond their time in Brownies, but you’d never know that by seeing them interact. Molly and Lucia quickly start giving each other some classic schoolgirl schtick. If you ask for one of them to explain what Brownies is, be prepared for the barrage of Vaudeville-ready banter that follows. “It’s like Scouts for girls, but it’s not Girl Guides. Brownies are from five- to 12-year-olds,” begins Lucia, when Molly abruptly cuts her off. “It’s 11.” “No, 12,” Lucia replies confidently. “It’s 11,” comes back Molly. “It’s 12.” “11.” “It’s definitely 12, otherwise I would have left already,” says Lucia. That seems to be the end of it, at least until Molly, losing the fight, gets the last word out. “It’s 11,” she whispers with a cheeky grin. Lucia’s mum Louise finally chimes in with a comment about flexibility. Badges and The Promise The exchange is far from precocious or aggressive, but it is assured, something the girls may be picking up from their time as Brownies, the guiding club founded by British army officer Lord Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes in the early 20th century. The trio have been tearing it up on the charitable front for months. It’s why their Brown Owls Sharon McEneff (Pack A) and Gaylene Meeson (Pack B) recommended them for some publicity. Eventually they get around to explaining the importance of interest badges – Lucia has 18, Molly, 16 and Olivia, 13. The pet badge and friend badge are Olivia’s favourites so far. “I had to take care of a pet for a week and demonstrate friendship by participating in different activities with new and old friends,” she says with a grin. The girls also explain about the breakdown of the Pack into Sixes (groups of Imps, Pixies and so on), and how each Six is led by a Sixer, assisted by her Seconder. A Happy Bee becomes a Tweenie and then a Brownie before moving on to Girl Guides... It’s staggering. Molly asks if she should recite the pledge. “It’s fun to work on the badges, and help other people and have them help you,” begins Lucia by way of explaining what attracted her to Brownies in the first place – aside from mum Louise’s youthful stint. “There are always things on the internet telling us to be eco-friendly for example, and I thought, ‘What is that, exactly?’ One day I asked my mum, and she told me, and I thought, ‘I want to do that.’” For Molly the appeal was similarly collaborative, and mum Laura was also a Brownie. “I like the idea that people may be having a better life because of us,” she says. “I like the feeling they’re happier because we tried to help.” Olivia, the youngest of the group, agrees, saying: “To be a Brownie is to be helpful, friendly, creative and active… I wanted to be a Brownie because there’s camping and lots of creative and outdoor activities. I enjoy leading as a Sixer in my pack, and I feel special when I earn badges.” And yes, Olivia’s mum Berenise was a Brownie too. Lending a helping hand Olivia has lived in DB for five years, and in England and Shanghai before that. Lucia and Molly have essentially spent their entire lives in Hong Kong: Molly was born here (dad was too) and Lucia relocated from her birthplace in Vietnam at roughly six months old. Hong Kong is home for all three and they have every intention of helping out where needed – as well as overseas. How? Where to start? Not surprisingly, Molly and Lucia talk over each other about recent fundraising to supply filters and Q Drums for water transport in South Africa and Nepal (from the sale of environmentally friendly beeswax clingwrap), to finance a village well in Pakistan (through a bake sale), and to help fight Australian bushfires (via a used book drive). Not ones to rest on their laurels, the three girls have also helped raise funds for childhood cancer research this year. Lucia is sporting a short bob, after giving away her hair for use in a wig. She’s also a young entrepreneur, co-founding ecologically conscious party supply rental service Ecoparties (find them on Facebook), and she encouraged classmates to plant 100 trees in Mui Wo as part of a Year 6 project at school. She’s the first Brownie in Hong Kong’s Bauhinia Division ever to win an Outstanding Brownie award. No doubt Olivia is following in Lucia’s footsteps. She’s full of enthusiasm about the recent beeswax wrap sale: “I enjoyed the process, particularly picking out the fabrics and the patterns and baking them in the oven to melt the wax onto the fabric to make them waterproof. We sold them to raise money for charities in South Africa and Nepal that work on providing clean water.” And looking to the future, Olivia has her heart set on a Super Brownie Award. “You have to earn lots of other badges first,” she says. “No one in the Bauhinia Division has it yet, I think.” Molly, meanwhile, wants to become a Brown Owl when she grows up. Right now, one of her focuses is on Impact HK, a charity lending support to the city’s homeless in a quest for employment and housing, as well as supporting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She’s already looking at charity work as a career. Tweenies and siblings But all that energy put into making the world better doesn’t mean the girls have no energy to be… girls. Both Lucia and Molly like to perform on stage but neither would call herself artistic, per se, though Lucia will be the DJ in DC’s production of School of Rock next April. Molly prefers being in school to online learning, though press her to choose a favourite subject and the answer is a simple, “Not Maths.” Olivia’s into PE and Learning Technologies. There are no subjects she dislikes, not even Maths. The girls aren’t yet sure what their Brown Owls have planned for them in December but they’re looking forward to working towards more badges and they’ll also be mentoring. Sixers help their Brown Owls lead the Pack, and the Tweenies keep them especially busy. “A Tweenie is when a girl joins the Brownie Pack but she hasn’t made her promise yet; first you have to learn about what being a Brownie means and if it’s right for you to make the commitment,” Olivia explains helpfully, i.e. for my benefit. Before dashing off, they all shout out siblings – Olivia’s twin sister, Florence, and Lucia’s sister, Sophia, are both in Pack B (Sophia is in Molly’s Six). Molly has a brother, George. He and Sophia are both eight – and besties. “George wanted to do Brownies,” finishes Molly with a laugh. “But we told him, ‘Really sorry, George.’ He joined the Cubs.” If your daughter would like to become a Brownie or you’re interested in joining the leader team as a volunteer, visit www.db-brownies.com or email contact@db-brownies.com.

It was this remote, volcanic archipelago that inspired Charles Darwin’s ground-breaking theory of natural selection and, 185 years since his visit, you can still see much of the enchanting wildlife that captivated him. Dorothy Veitch reports Enchanted Isles Lying 1,000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands are probably the most famous wildlife-watching destination on the planet. The isolated terrain, now fiercely protected, shelters an incredible diversity of plant and animal species, many found nowhere else on Earth. It’s a terrific place to visit any time of year. Temperatures range from 21°-30°C. Heavenly wildlife The Galapagos is made up of 13 volcanic islands, six smaller ones and more than 100 islets, and each has its own unique landscape and wildlife. One island is best known for its birdlife, another for prehistoric-looking marine iguanas and yet another for giant tortoises. However, you find many species, such as sea lions, lava lizards, turnstones and whimbrels, at most visitor sites. Protected national park An impressive 97% of the Galapagos is designated as national park and you can only visit specific visitor sites accompanied by certified naturalist guides. At each visitor site, you’re shown a marked trail that you must stick to – you can’t go wondering off on your own disturbing the wildlife. Some sites have wet landings (you wade to shore from skiffs) and others have dry landings (you step foot directly on dry land). The Galapagos National Park limits the number of visitors to each island and coordinates each tour ship’s itinerary. Birds of paradise Be sure to make it to Genovessa Island, known as Bird Island because of the many and varied bird species that nest there. You spot blue-footed boobies tapping out their bizarre mating rituals, frigate birds flaunting their red bellies and gigantic gulls snuggling up in the crook of a lava rock. Befriending sharks Diving and snorkelling are a must in the Galapagos, bringing you nose to nose with fabulous tropical fish and rays. On land, visitors are asked to keep a 2-metre distance from the wildlife but this is not the case underwater. Even the sharks are friendly – they have no interest in eating people thanks to the great abundance of tasty fish. Relaxing with iguanas One of the most surprising things about the Galapagos is just how fearless the wildlife is. The birds and animals give you no more than a cursory glance. And the absence of natural predators on many of the islands means that those that have made it all the way to this remote spot can live and breed in safety and without restriction. Getting around The best way to see as much as possible is to book a cabin on a liveaboard boat. The tour ships vary in size and each has accommodation to fit most budgets. Visitors enjoy packed itineraries, with activities ranging from snorkelling to hiking. In the evening, the ships up anchor and sail to another location, so that each day brings a new island to explore. Hunkering down If you want a day or two to get back your land legs, you can opt to stay ashore on the islands of Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana or Isabela. A short kayak away you might find a sheltered cove where oversized plovers nest in the cliffs. And wading into the sea, you might experience the thrill of seeing a penguin dive off a rock and dart past you, before circling back for another look.

Acknowledging the importance of history to a child’s education, Trisha Hughes explains why the best stories never get old When I was at school, history lessons – learning about the Magna Carta, the Battle of Hastings, Agincourt, Bosworth and Bannockburn along with the names of unknown kings fighting unknown battles in unknown places – were the most boring I could imagine. They were just names and dates but I had to remember them because I knew that in a very short time, there would be a test. In the back of my mind was the question: ‘Why do I have to learn about this when I’ll never use it again when I grow up?’ And you can be sure our children’s minds work the same way as ours did. But now that we’re older and wiser, we understand that our children can learn a lot by looking closer at the past. As we get older, our perception changes, as do our interests. All of a sudden, these characters are not eccentric anymore and we realise they were real people with real personalities. They fought battles, they fell in love, they made mistakes and they were vulnerable to diseases. Just like us. All of a sudden history becomes exciting. And then at some stage, almost like a revelation, we realise that learning history has many important benefits as well. By understanding our past, and where we came from, we hope to understand where we are now and even decide what might happen in the future. The way things are now is a consequence of the things that happened in the past. The way things will be tomorrow will be a consequence of the way things are now. Learning from the past History not only provides us with a nostalgic glimpse of how things used to be but its lessons can teach us things that are important for life today. History can be the richest of all stories, the saddest of stories and the most shocking of stories. It’s a story of all people, in all places, at all times and because we know of that history, we can decide what may happen in the future. It provides identity and shows us models of good and responsible behaviour, as well as teaching us how to learn from the mistakes of others. History helps us understand how society can change and develop. If we don’t teach our children to connect with history, then the consequences for our society could be disastrous. The more we know about the past the better prepared we are for the future because by remembering the past, we realise that we are responsible for building a legacy for the generations that follow us. Considering that greed caused The War of the Roses, family misunderstandings caused the First World War and the need for power caused the Second World War, who would want to repeat them? As the Spanish philosopher George Santayana said: “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Bringing history to life The way our children absorb information is undergoing a rapid transformation. Images, video, sound bites, tweets and interactive apps are just some of the ways through which they learn nowadays. So, keeping that in mind, we need to share our knowledge of history in a way that will be engaging. Movies are a great place to start, as you want to make sure that learning about history is exciting and fun. Look to the old Hollywood classics like Ben-Hur or The Great Escape, as well as more recent releases like Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Children will soon realise that being a ‘historian’ is like being a time detective; they’ll start looking everywhere for clues to help them build up a picture of what happened long ago. On the small screen too, they’ll find plenty of grist for the mill, through popular, blockbusting series like Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey. Apps are of course another great way to bring history to life, with games, interesting visuals and interactive multimedia features making study fun. Take Timeline Eons: All major historical events are organised on a timeline, so children can zoom in and out to learn about different time periods. Ancient Rome from Britannica Kids is another very well-designed app – it includes media-rich material, games and quizzes. My grandkids also rate Faking It, a free app from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which teaches history through iconic photos. And what about storytelling? We were telling stories long before the golden-haired, blue-eyed Vikings sailed dragon-prowed boats up a river in Northumbria one cold miserable January morning in 793AD, and we are still listening to these stories told by today’s raconteurs and writers, and by our grandparents and parents. Hence the word ‘his-story.’ Using stories to teach history From a very young age, children are taught to recognise and appreciate stories that they are told. At bedtime especially, a wave of hushed concentration envelops children as they hear the words ‘once upon a time’, and there are hundreds of titles, not necessarily nonfiction books, to choose from. For example, there is the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Although fictitious, this tale is full of intrigue and bravery, dashing knights on white horses and swooning damsels in distress. Then we have the story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, while romping though Sherwood Forest in Lincoln-green long johns. For something closer to our times, there is Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn which offers readers a glimpse of what life was like in 19th century America and addresses important issues from the past – slavery, for example. The book list is endless and in every one, there is a story to grab children’s imagination. With just one chapter a night, it’s possible to take the time to answer any questions your children may have about the stories you choose. Who knows, soon your children may start reaching for the historical fiction shelf on their own. The book list is endless and in every one, there is a story to grab children’s imagination. With just one chapter a night, it’s possible to take the time to answer any questions your children may have about the stories you choose. Who knows, soon your children may start reaching for the historical fiction shelf on their own. Growing up in Hong Kong, our children are already exposed to different cultures and values, and history helps to open their minds and allows them to learn the importance of world cultures. By exploring the different stages of history, they understand the importance of major events and the mistakes that were made. Mistakes that we hope will never be repeated. And isn’t that what we really want? To make our children’s future better than our past? In the immortal words of the English poet and novelist Rudyard Kipling: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” FIND IT: DB resident Trisha Hughes is the author of five books including the bestselling V2V historical trilogy, that provides a thrilling and highly accessible ride through the British monarchy from the time of the Vikings to the present day. For more on Trisha, visit www.trishahughesauthor.com and www.vikingstovirgin.com .

2020 has been a tough year financially for people across the globe, however it is not only our material lives that have been affected. The pandemic has caused substantial and, in some cases, irreversible changes to our emotional lives. Due to a myriad of reasons many marriages have become casualties during this challenging time. Importantly, of course, couples have found themselves in each other’s company much more than usual. More time together means more interaction, which potentially leads to more conflicts. Small irritations are amplified into colossal issues that cannot be ignored. In addition, disagreements over how to conduct oneself during a pandemic are leading couples to question or even re-evaluate their compatibility, as they contemplate how best to balance the needs of society at large with their own. Money has long been a significant make-or-break factor in marriages and it has become a major source of conflict during the pandemic, since many people have been forced to take unpaid leave or a pay cut; some have even been laid off. The reduction in household income has led to a drastic shift in lifestyle choices for many couples, as well as additional emotional duress. The resolution to these financial disagreements may be an age-old one that applies to any relationship at any stage – communication. Effective communication is key . Only when expectations and desires are clearly expressed can couples move forward as a united front. How we spend, save and invest reflects our values, beliefs and habits. The amount of money that we have impacts our lifestyle directly. When partners disagree on how to handle their finances, the damage caused to the relationship can seem irreversible. Effective communication can help bridge this fundamental gap. Therapy is not a dirty word . Counselling can be highly effective for couples who are at odds for financial reasons. It gives them the opportunity to communicate effectively and openly in the presence of a skilled mediator. Within a secure environment, they can open up to each other, understand each other, re-imagine a future together and possibly save their marriage. Being able to communicate openly with each other is particularly important at the current time since the change in tone and tempo of society has prompted many of us to reflect more deeply on our present and future circumstances. Life cannot go on as normal. How, then, should we proceed? Conflicts regarding money have been exacerbated and if a couple feels their relationship is in jeopardy, they should not hesitate to seek help from a marriage guidance counsellor. If it is impossible for a couple to resolve their issues, the next step is dissolution of the marriage. To deal with such circumstances, couples need to understand both the bigger picture and the finer details of the legal proceedings. At Withers, we have a number of specialist family lawyers, speaking fluent English, Cantonese, Mandarin and French, who are ready to talk you through the various options that would best suit your family circumstances. Please feel free to contact us to learn more about how our family lawyers can help you. (Photo courtesy: Withers) FIND IT: Withers, 30/F United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, 3711 1600, www.withersworldwide.com/en-gb/hong-kong Sharon Ser is a Partner in the family and divorce team at Withers. Find more from Sharon at www.withersworldwide.com/en-gb/people/sharon-a-ser .

It has been said many times but 2020 is a year we will not forget no matter how much we may want to. The pandemic has caused stress, anxiety, confusion and uncertainty for adults and children alike. Children have been caught up in a constantly changing schedule in which one of the main constants in their lives – going to school – has not featured. They have had to adapt to a completely new schooling experience. Educational establishments worldwide have had to adapt just as quickly as students, turning to websites and apps that had only really been utilised by large global  businesses prior to March. It was a bumpy road initially, but it is safe to say that most schools now have a slick homeschooling set-up in place. At HKILA, we noticed that children and families quickly fell into a routine of Zoom sessions and working online. Indeed, for many students, the online environment has proved beneficial – making them more productive and engaged than they had been in a classroom. For this reason, we decided to develop Home@HKILA, a new programme that combines a thematic curriculum written by Dimensions Curriculum (UK) with adapted plans for English and Maths that can be delivered at home. The rationale behind expanding our provision was threefold – to accommodate students who find working at home a less stressful experience than school, to provide a continued education for students who have moved away from Hong Kong or are in quarantine, and to offer an alternative schooling option for families whose future may be uncertain – those for whom paying school fees and debentures etc is not feasible in the current climate. The Home@HKILA programme delivers a full online learning experience, and a wealth of materials, resources and support from teachers, while also allowing families to be flexible. While the Home@HKILA learning schedule follows what would be happening within the HKILA classroom, it does not have to be followed to the letter. Home schooling your child, long term, can seem like a daunting prospect but this is really not the case. With Home@HKILA, teachers Zoom with each child on a weekly basis with the option for more sessions if required. We are also running regular workshops to give parents and helpers the tools they need to be, to quote from alternativetoschool.com, “the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage.” As the pandemic continues, having a consistent learning setup will help children to develop, thrive and grow. Whether they are based at home or in school, we aim to provide HKILA students with a programme that is clear and rigorous yet creative and fun. FIND IT: HKILA, 2416 3198, home@studyhkila.edu.hk , www.studyhkila.edu.hk

Do you wake up with body aches? Then your mattress is not meeting your specific needs. It’s time to find a mattress that is comfortable and supports your body while you sleep, not one that contributes to your pain. Okooko by European Bedding can help you with that. Best option for couples As you know, each person’s sleep preferences are unique. The mattress that works for you, might not work for your partner and vice versa. After all, many couples differ in posture, weight, build and sleeping preferences. So why would you stick with a one-sizefits- all mattress? Enter Okooko by European Bedding: This bedding specialist can customise its Heveya® natural organic latex mattresses to cater to both your and your partner’s comfort levels all in one bed. For example, you can get a king-size mattress that has a firm feel on one side and a softer feel on the other. The first step is to visit Okooko’s showroom in Central together with your partner. Spend some time trying the Heveya® natural organic latex mattresses which come in different thickness and firmness levels. Each of these chiropractor-endorsed mattresses is designed with seven-comfort zones to provide excellent support for different parts of the body. Due to its natural elasticity, a latex mattress can conform to the curves of your body while providing the right amount of support for optimal rest and relaxation. During every consultation, an Okooko sleep specialist focuses on understanding your sleep patterns, body type and preferences. You are then matched with the right mattress and pillow for balanced support across the body. To finetune your comfort, you can also opt for either a standard or motorised adjustable bed base. Customisation options At Okooko by European Bedding the customisation options are numerous. Aside from customising both halves of the bed differently to suit distinct sleep preferences, Okooko’s bespoke service also includes customising the size and shape of mattresses. Need a giant mattress to accommodate the whole family or a soft cushion for a daybed? Don’t worry, Okooko has you covered. The ability to customise your own mattress also comes in handy if you have purchased your bedframe from an overseas retailer. “Different countries have different dimensions for beds and mattresses,” explains Thijs Veyfeyken, General Manager at Okooko by European Bedding. “And that means the queen-sized mattress you bought from a local big-box store is likely going to be too short for a Western bedframe, which typically has larger dimensions.” Customising mattresses for boat owners is another key feature of Okooko’s bespoke service. Natural latex foam is considered the best material for marine environments for many reasons. To begin with, latex offers excellent breathability and ventilation thanks to its open cell structure and the pin holes created during manufacturing. Secondly, it is mould resistant and dust-mite proof, ensuring a hygienic sleeping surface even in highly humid environments. Last but not least, latex is durable – a Heveya® natural organic latex mattress has a much longer shelf life than other types of mattresses. All in all, whatever your requirement, whether you are looking for a mattress for a trundle bed or a baby’s cot, a mattress for the whole family or even for your yacht, Okooko by European Bedding can meet your needs, supplying the comfortable night’s sleep you deserve. FIND IT:  Okooko by European Bedding, 13F The Plaza LKF, 21 D’Aguilar St, Central, 6286 1132, www.europeanbedding.hk

These classic fruit puddings have been reinvented with a modern twist – try strawberries in your rhubarb crumble, ginger in your pear cake and sour cream in your apple pie Rhubarb and strawberry crumble (Serves 4) 1tbsp cornflour 185g golden caster sugar 450g strawberries, hulled and halved* 450g rhubarb, cut into chunky lengths* 140g plain flour 50g ground almonds 100g butter, chopped* 25g flaked almonds Preheat the oven to 190°C. Combine the cornflour and 85g caster sugar in a large bowl, then toss in the strawberries and rhubarb until well coated. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring until the fruit softens and the released juices thicken. Tip the fruit mixture into a 750ml ovenproof dish, scraping in the juice. To make the crumble, mix the flour, ground almonds and remaining sugar in a bowl, then rub in the butter to form a crumbly mixture. Add the flaked almonds, then scatter the crumble mixture over the fruit. Bake for 35 minutes until the fruit is tender and the crumble golden. Serve with clotted or sour cream. Pear and ginger loaf cake (Serves 8) 200g unsalted butter* 100g caster sugar 100g soft brown sugar 2 large eggs, beaten* 1tsp vanilla extract 200g self-raising flour 1tsp baking powder 2 balls stem ginger in syrup, drained and chopped 2 pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped* 3tbsp syrup from the ginger jar 3tbsp granulated sugar Heat the oven to 160°C. Beat the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar together, then gradually stir in the eggs and vanilla extract. Fold the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into the mix, then stir in the stem ginger and pears. Pour the mixture into a lined, 1,200ml loaf tin. Smooth the surface, then bake for about 1 hour until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool. To make the glaze, mix the syrup with the granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of water. Poke the surface of the loaf all over with a skewer, then pour on the syrup. Serve hot or cold. Apple pie (Serves 6) 310g all-purpose flour 120g sugar 285g unsalted butter, cubed* 115ml sour cream 3lbs cooking apples, sliced thin* ¼tsp each allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon 1tsp vanilla extract 1 large egg yolk* Combine 285g flour, 8g sugar and a pinch of salt. Using your hands, work the butter into the flour until the mixture is shaggy. Make a well in the centre and pour in the sour cream; mix until the dough begins to clump. Separate the dough into two equal disks, sprinkle with flour, wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Toss the sliced apples with 25g flour, 112g sugar, the spices and vanilla extract. Roll out one disk of dough to a 12-inch circle. Place on a 9-inch pie plate, and arrange the apples on top. Roll out the top crust and place over the apples, pressing the top and bottom dough rounds together at the edges. Brush with egg yolk, and cut slits in the top. Bake at 190°C for an hour, until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling. Serve with vanilla ice cream. FIND IT: Eat The Kiwi, 9785 5706 (WhatsApp), hello@eatthekiwi.com, store.eatthekiwi.com Eat The Kiwi delivers high quality New Zealand groceries* 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.

DB musician and teacher Jay Javier Apungan is ready for the spotlight again, whenever it returns. Elizabeth Kerr reports Jay Javier Apungan paid HK$10,000 to see Guns N’ Roses.On the notorious rock band’s last Hong Kong stop in 2018 Jay was getting ready for the night out with his wife, Kris Perry, and lost his wallet on the bus on his way to meet her. “My auntie called me so I answered the phone and put my wallet down beside me,” he recalls with a hearty chuckle and a shrug. It just so happened he was travelling to the Philippines the next day, so he’d just withdrawn a considerable chunk of change from the bank, after putting the HK$2,400 tickets in his wallet. The couple trekked out to AsiaWorld-Expo anyway and bought fresh tickets. “It’s one of the most expensive concerts I ever saw. But it was worth it, even if Axl Rose can’t hit those high notes anymore,” he finishes with a laugh. Jay greets visitors at his DB studio looking like, well, a rock star. The space is what you’d expect of a musician: there’s a double-tiered keyboard, a dozen guitars – his baby, a\ Fender Telecaster, and a Gibson Les Paul – are visible, and there’s a book (a gift) about living like Keith Richards propped behind the desk. Jay is rocking Black-era Kirk Hammett locks. Sadly, there’s no rock star attitude or Jack Daniels-littered sitting room. Or perhaps, fortunately. But there is a Christmas tree – in October. Effortlessly good-natured, Jay perches on a stool, flipping his hair every so often between sips of sparkling water. He’s alone these days; Kris and his eight and 12-year-old daughters Neve and Mia headed to her hometown of Indianapolis four months ago when the consumer electronics executive was offered a plum job. He hopes to see everyone near the end of the year, but he’s happy the girls are finally settling into life in a sleepy US suburb. “They were born here. They can’t deal with the quiet, and being unable to walk off to Starbucks on their own,” he says. But they’re making new friends – and one has joined a band. Jay still has the family cat, Daisy, an SPCA adoptee, and of course the kids that come through three times a week for music lessons. Stay tuned A native of a town about four hours south of Manila – “one hour without traffic” – Jay started singing and playing music at age nine. His father had gone blind, and he was acting as the man’s eyes, and when his dad picked up the guitar so did he. The family discovered Jay had quite the singing voice and before long he was singing at parties, in church choirs, and anywhere that would help him contribute to the family. By the time he turned 16, Jay was getting a reputation around Manila for his guitar skills –and harbouring ambitions to travel, initially to Japan. He got side-tracked, however, by local band Stay Tuned. “I believe in luck,” he says. “I was hanging out, having some beer with friends, and someone in the bar’s band recognised me from around town.” Stay Tuned was on the verge of losing its guitarist and so asked if Jay would be interested in stepping in. One jam later they told him where to show up the next day to start. “I was very early,” he says, laughing again. He was 18. Jay stuck with Stay Tuned for eight years, touring in Penang and Singapore before the group disbanded following a series of minor tiffs. It was then he got offered a contract to work at stalwart Hong Kong nightspot Insomnia. He landed in 2003, and for seven years he ripped through personal and fan favourites there, and at the Hard Rock Café and Adrenaline (at Happy Valley Racecourse) among others. He cites influences including Carlos Santana and the Eagles’ Glenn Frey. Jay gets animated when he talks about music. He describes the Telecaster as having a “brilliance” to it, and the Les Paul as “fat and rock.” He doesn’t quite understand the enduring charm of Hotel California, but admits “the solo is unbelievable.” He’s working on mastering AC/DC’s Thunderstruck – Australians ask for it all the time – but he has a dark secret. “To be honest? My favourites are oldies: Johnny Mathis, The Platters and the crooners from the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.” Local shredder Insomnia was a good career move both professionally and personally: Jay met Kris almost immediately after arriving. “I’d been here about two weeks, and we met at a gig I was playing. At Chasers. That was one of the best bars I’ve ever played. I loved that bar,” he recalls of the old Knutsford Terrace haunt. The bar may be gone but the couple flourished, relocating to DB after the birth of their first daughter. “We were living in Hung Hom, and there was no place for kids. I was teaching a friend of mine guitar, and he lived in DB, so I came here to teach him,” Jay explains. Interest piqued, Jay saw a realtor and looked around – then told Kris, who didn’t need much convincing considering the space they could get for their money. Still gigging at the time, Jay relished the change of pace, and he still does. “After work it’s always nice to get on the ferry and just… let it all go and relax,” he says. His daughters were also the reason he opened JK International Music Production in 2012 ( www.jkmusicint.com ). The late nights and boozy venues were getting to be a bit much, so he turned his attention to JK – producing, booking and teaching during normal business hours. “I wanted to reduce the nightshift work because it left me no time during the day. I’d finish a gig at Dusk till Dawn at 6am, my ferry would be at 6:30am, all my kids’ teachers would be on the boat, and I’m out of it,” he says with a shake of the head. “Sometimes they’d have to wake me up. It wasn’t good. I started the business so I could be home more, and pick the girls up from school.” Though teaching is keeping him busy, ask if Jay has missed playing live during the pandemic and the answer is an instant, “Oh god, yes.” He can’t wait to get up on stage again, pooh-poohing the idea of retiring, and laments the loss of The Big Picnic this month. “That’s one of the best events in Discovery Bay. I love it. It’s very freeing. There are whole families in the audience, and your kids can see you play.” For now though, he relies on low-key Sunday shows at Hemingway’s to scratch the performance itch, something he chalks up to his typical Filipino upbringing, where singing is part of everyday life. “We sing all the time. We’d sing carols in October. Did you notice my Christmas tree?” He points out the aforementioned tree with a cheeky grin. “That’s Pinoy style!”