forest-lovers & tree-huggers!
(and everybody else, of course!)
Another
big issue of the e-zine! Cover story and theme for this issue will be
tree planting (left, from "Hong Kong Trees").
A new contest & new forums, another Artist of the Month,
news from many restaurants, a pets photo gallery and other positive
news make up the bulk of this bulky issue.
We've got loads of photos again in this issue,
celebrating all our recent new Photo Galleries:
LAPets, Christine Dodd Meyers, Night
Walk, Tiffany Aliens, Ferry Ride, Tree Planting
Day and Best Party Photos from The Stick Insect Hunter. See
the new drop-down menu at the top of pages!
But it's not all "Peace in Paradise" on Lamma, with
details of the planned massive ring-road
development, destroying much of Yung Shue Long valley! Plus a
feature on personal attacks on
Lamma.com.hk: how we've finally tackled it with a new policy,
cleaned up the website and made it an inviting & friendly place for
people to visit again! See Join the New
Fight Club!.
For
quite some time now, I've been thinking about publishing a PRINTED
version of this e-zine. This would be in addition to the online
version and could reach a much larger readership than the currently
500+ Internet subscribers. But finding local sponsors and
advertisers to cover at least the printing costs (4-8 A4-pages, in
color) would be most difficult? Charging a cover price for the
print edition looks even less realistic. Any ideas? Care to share your
honest opinions if there'd be any real interest for a printed Lamma
newsletter?
For
a feature on the history of Lamma, I'm still looking for more
issues of the former Lamma Bugle and Lamma Gazette
newsletters, published irregularly for most of the 1990s. I'd love to
make photocopies!
Finally, a personal appeal from the editor:
This extremely time-consuming e-zine and website have
zero income, being published just for fun and as a free community
service. But even a semi-retired, modest-living
editor has to pay bills. So, if you, a friend or any acquaintance needs
any professional, experienced help, please have them
contact me anytime! I've worked for 8 years in Website
building, Webmastering, e-marketing, Internet consulting & project
management, Web publishing, writing/editing, photography & computer
graphics. See my portfolio & awards.
Initial consultations are free and generous commissions will be offered
for any good leads, plus my eternal gratitude!
As usual, I'd very much appreciate your feedback,
opinions and suggestions for improvements. There's even a dedicated
discussion topic about the e-zine on Lamma.com.hk.
I
had a look at your web site and e-zine and am very impressed!
Thanks for crediting my pictures.
k@
(Picture of the Month, April):
Thank you very much, your appreciation is grease in the conks of
my creativity,
It is fucking great and the choice of pictures is superb.
content: excellent; layout: excellent; pictures and graphics:
excellent (obviously);
length: Tolstoynian. where do you find the time ?!
Insomniac
:
The e-mail newsletter is superb... The community is superb.
His Holiness ("I'm the one and
only walking, talking Living God!"):
Great zine. Great community. Just a shame about Insomniac.
Mr
3 (master to e):
I
would like to say that we love your e-zine very much. the latest
issue is overflowing with interesting materials. and we like your
new Events Calendar too - most informative.
bbChris:
What a great page! Well done! Much enjoyed browsing here. What a
great thing ABLE is doing too. Thanks!
Fortune Chan:
Happily send you anything for your zine... and I agree with all the
others. Your zine is good.
Richard
:
I
must admit that I haven't been to the website recently as it seems
to have been taken over by trolls who squash any anything
worthwhile talk (like your topic on the treatment of maids) and
turn the site into a flame warzone.
The same thing happened at the Lamma.net website about 3-4 years
ago too. Eventually Clive shut the message board and established a
completely moderated message board. I don't want that to happen but
what is going on now is killing the website and I know a few people
who won't contribute anymore because of the trolls.
Still the site still is visually looking good, I enjoy the E-zines
that you send out and appreciate the hard work that you put into
it. Keep up the good work!!
A special
treat this time, an aerial photo of mid-Lamma from Nov 11, 1945,
sent in by "alert reader" Richard. Click to view the HUGE
version where you can spot individual houses in Sok Kwu Wan!
Sean's
beautiful photo website was featured here a few months ago.
•
Message
Fat Boy (about Granny Chan's
place, which would be massively affected by the planned Ring Road development. See "Save
Granny Chan!" posters):
If
you would like to find a good place to sit and drink said elixir
of life then go to Granny Chan's place. There is a wonderful
sitting out area with a regular sophisticated crowd. If you want
to make sure you get a seat you must get there early - around 8 am
would guarantee a good spot to view the silly people who pass by
on their way to work.
Most customers put
in a good five or six hour stint of heavy drinking before wobbling
off home to get a well deserved rest before going out for the
evening to sample some more of this amber nectar.
PS - get yourself
at least three dogs to sit by your side then you'll really be a
regular.
PPS - try falling
over a lot on the way home and remember to slur heavily at anyone
you pass..
• Usernames
Dr
Freud: a new member who's started free online psychoanalysis
sessions for some of our more "unruly" members. He lists his occupation
as "Serving the mental health of the community since a couple of
weeks ago". Someone described him as: "Freud
is at his funniest when he just pops up now and then (when someone is
screaming out for analysis)"
He's become a regular in the new Fight Club forum, interjecting the
firm & stern voice of authority into this usually very naughty
playground...
bbdog:
another new member, but he sounds (and looks) suspiciously like the
illicit love child of bbchris & webdog! Just look at the
sad-puppy-dog eyes and the all-white, innocent fur!
So far, no satisfactory explanations have been
forthcoming from either one of them! The Lamma community has a need
to know! Rumour-mongering and gossiping seems to be a primary human
need around here!
Dan of the Green Cottage appeared in the SCMP, in
extra large size! He was quoted extensively on environmental issues
under a headline of "Nurturing nature".
RoadShow TV (the people behind the controversial
in-bus TV shows) have been filming in restaurants & shops along Main
Street on May 29.
Her favourite thing: "I wish I didn't have so
much work to do."
Mr DickStock:
A
few weeks ago I was at a party in Beijing, met this brit
who's planning to move to HK and Lamma. He's been researching the
place on the web, including Lamma.com.hk. He told me that when I
first walked in the door that night, he INSTANTLY recognized me;
"It was YOU on that mountain of beer cans with nothing but a
T-shirt."
"You mean THIS T-shirt?" {I was WEARING the exact same DickStock
T-shirt}. (Editor: see photo below, by The Stick
Insect Hunter. Click to link to his DickStock photo gallery).
He later said, and I quote, "I WORSHIP The Stick Insect Hunter."
Those were his exact words.
Talking
of DickStock 2002: Unfortunately, Dick's just lost his court case a
few days ago (noise complaint from a neighbour in Po Wah Yuen),
sentenced to HK$2,000!
This might put a serious dampener on any future
DickStocks and a new venue might have to be found!
In the meantime, after this defeat and two tough weeks
filming the SARS crisis in Beijing for American TV, Dick's relaxing
with his many friends (right).
Doggy: for his selfless contributions to the
set-up of the new Fight Club, coming often
under attack himself, but persisting despite considerable & spirited
resistance to his persistent voice of reason! He impressed some of us
moderators so much that we offered him his own forum on Lamma.com.hk.
But as a free spirit eager to beware his sense of Scottish "craic",
he turned us down! How does he dare!!! And what the heck is "craic"
anyway?
www.Lantau.net:
A brand-new website with the slogan "Promoting awareness of self and
our world on the path to enlightenment". The web pages load even
slower than this e-zine, due to a few MEGABYTE-sized but very
poor-quality pictures clogging up the pages; plus loads of programming
problems.
The confusing, "colourful" design is well below current
private home page standards, making navigation difficult and slow.
But the content could become very interesting someday.
Only news available so far: Living Island Movement fighting against
the planned super prison on Hei Ling Chau Island. Sections "under
construction": Lantau History, Ecotourism, Education. Let's give them a
few months and then check out this site with great potential again.
May
16-June 15, 11-8, 5 o.p.t studio/ gallery, 5 Prince's Terrace,
Mid levels: Dialogue - exhibition of sculptures &
paintings by Tai Peng artists Sandra Tobias & Yoshihito
Machida.
June 3-16: Nominations of Candidates for Resident
Village Representative Elections: Details at www.gov.hk/had/vre
June
7,evening, Island
Bar:
Latino Party (incl. farewell
Luciene & Claire!):
Celebrating their win of the Stanley Cup, the Lamma ladies
will be in wild party mood!
Raffles at 9/10/11pm with many sponsored prizes!
Loads of fun & activities!
June
11/12, 1-8pm: Connell Consultants (above Luk Yu Teahouse),
604 Luk Yu Building, 24-26 Stanley Street, Central:
IMAGES OF HONG KONG - Murray Zanoni, Bob Davis and other
artists:
"We cordially invite you to IMAGES OF
HONG KONG. Watercolours, photographs, oil paintings, prints and books
for sale."
June
25, Lamma ferry pier, Central: Spaybus:
Bookings with LAP
at 2982-4018, or email
them. More details and costs:
SPCA Spay Wagon
June 28/29, Carnegie's & The Wanch,
Wanchai, 1pm-late: Wanchai Live VIII:
42 bands, incl. Thinking Out Loud, The
Bastards and The Yung Shue Wankers!
(right)
We've also just exceeded
300 registered members, not too shabby for a Lamma-only website: A
big welcome & big cheers for
mar_cus, member #300! He's only posted a single
message so far:
mar_cus (Member #300):
Hi, I'm looking for an apartment at Lamma Island. Preferably
something with a roof top, close to the ferry, 2 bed rooms, etc.
Rent, hmm... max 8,000.
If anyone knows about something or knows an ...
If he's willing to pay that
much, he'll be most welcome by Lamma's landlords, easily & quickly
finding a flat! If you know of a similar rooftop flat (see right) for
hmm... max 6,000, please let ME know immediately!
Finally, the My Lamma E-zine
has had over 2,000 unique readers since issue #14, just a few
months ago! A month of records all around!
June
4, Dragonboat Festival:
The Lamma Dragons ladies team wins the Stanley cup, adding one more
big trophy to their most impressive collection (on display in the
Island Bar above)!
We've got a
photo gallery of the big day, 60 photos, submitted by Paul
Davis! See some of his best pictures from the Stanley races on
the right!
Enthusiastic, warm congratulations are pouring in from
all over the world:
Del Boy
(UK, ex-Lammarite):
Well done to the mighty Lamma Dragons for a superb result at
Stanley.
Strengthen the shelves in the Island Bar there's some big
trophies on their way.
Kel Morgan
(ex-Lammarite):
Congratulations Dragons!!! Wish I could have been a part of it
all.
Top effort everyone!
Cheers! Kel
Claire Powell
(Team Captain of the victorious team):
What an excellent end to the season for the Lamma Dragons, the
Stanley cup which the ladies won in 1999 and 2001 has been
brought home AGAIN! It was an excellent day and for a change,
the weather was brilliant too. It has been a tough season
.. made harder than usual by SARS when trying to make up numbers
in the boat, attendance to training etc.. but we managed it !!
Stanley was our biggest race, with the internationals all
cancelled, (we were going to return to Penang to race in
their 25th International competition) we knew we had to bring
home some silverware. The competition was tough, in both the
men's and women's heats. Our men fought every paddle of
the way and came overall 6th in the Expat A Class Cup final
and 5th in the Chinese/Expat Joint Grand Plate Final. The
ladies had 2 finals, they were hard and very very close, but
EVERYONE dug in and found that TIGER STRENGTH and managed to pull
just that little bit harder and keep going, and it was worth it,
WE WON !!
For me personally I think it was probably one of the best days
I have had paddling with the Lamma Dragons. The spirit and
passion this team has is unbelievable, we NEVER give up. I would
like to thank everyone for being such a brilliant team, thank you
for all your support this season and THANK YOU for Stanley, you
all deserve the best because WE ARE THE BEST !
Thanks very much !! We are a very happy Lamma.. our fishermen
got first and second places at Aberdeen !!!
Claire
(captain) & Luciene (website liaison) are both leaving HK for
good this month! Did you join the Dragonboating fund
raiser/season-end/farewell Latino Party last Saturday in the
Island Bar?
After
the dramatic slow-down in the local restaurant business before
Chinese New Year, incl. several closures, it's great to see the
recent revival with redecorations, new menus, promotions, even new
places opening!
Since
the record Easter crowds and the expected end to the SARS crisis,
local bars & restaurants seem to have become very active and
competitive again.
Even the
Best Pub poll on Lamma.com.hk is becoming competitive!
Aroy Thai and Island Bar are both leading, head
to head, with the same number of votes so far, and the Deli Lamma
just one vote behind!
I've tried to keep track of all these bar/restaurant
news, snapping many photos of most places (Sampan above,
Man Fung Seafood on the right), but probably missed some news:
Aroy
Thai: BIG redecoration, merging the restaurant, bar and
take-away, hot dark-red walls (a
bit like some Thai girlie bars), big projector and TV screen
(for footie games and the very latest movies), and high-class
furniture (probably bought by ever-frugal Dan
in some other "wholesale restaurant closure"?).
I
really liked the indomitable spirit of Dan's Refit poster:
"... we're tough, us. Undaunted, even.
Hah! ..." Last week, they've started a ribs
promo ("Do you like meat?") on Friday nights, from 8pm.
Reservations needed!
Restaurant
review, by Frazer:
Was there last night, tremendous ribs. Really did have that
'melt-in-the-mouth' texture to them, a great addition to the
Lamma food scene.
A rack of baby back pork ribs, baked potato, bbq beans, coleslaw
and a bottle of beer for $100. A bargain.
Competition take note. Recommended to all.
Bali Café: This new coffee shop-style eatery is
part of the Bali resort house, conveniently located behind the public
toilets. It had its soft opening on Easter weekend; serving
hot dogs, fruit juices, sandwiches, cakes and snacks now. I'll wait
for the official opening before reviewing it.
Island
Bar: Another change of management! Chatty bloke
Keith (click to enlarge) has returned from down under, after just
1 year off Lamma. He's taking over from Luciene who's emigrating to
Thailand. Open from noon every day now, the regular barflies
can start their marathon drinking sessions even earlier. An
exhibition will start soon as well, a retrospective of Bob Davis'
photographic art through most of the last century...
Cathi "got fired from the
Bistro" a while ago, according to a usually very well-informed
source. But even he didn't know the acrimonious details; and the
e-zine hasn't (yet) turned into a gossip rag! A big loss for the
Bistro, I think.
Cathi has returned to temp-bartending in the
Island Bar, where she worked years ago, before starting up her own
catering business on Lamma. Anybody needs an experienced,
professional food/beverage manager, stop by the Island Bar or
email her.
New manager Steve (right) has been quick to
make a few changes and introduce a delicious bargain Sunday Roast:
The Bistro is also featuring now the first (and only?)
MP3-driven sound system on Lamma. Set up by Mac guru V J,
it's a tiny Apple iPod MP3 player with iTunes jukebox software,
connected to an amplifier and Bose speakers.
He's also helped to redesign their nice new printed
menus. At least 5 different people have tried their hands at this
amazingly "demanding" redesign (V J was #4, Lamma-Gung was #1
or #2, before last Christmas).
Diesel's
is advertising pub grub these days (left) and new chicken tikka
hot dogs on weekends! Doesn't sound very much like the original
American recipe to me, but let's try them anyway! They're also
well-known for their frequent fun parties (left)!
No changes. Don't mess with success! But they
got a new sign, installed at night, so the welding sparks (right)
looked quite impressive!
Bookworm Café: After 5.5 years in business, they've finally
acquired a liquor license. They'll soon start serving
organic wines, importing some high-quality, affordable ones.
They'll also open for dinner soon all week, not just on
weekends. And no, this tasty brunch below is NOT from Aroy Thai, but
from the Bookworm!
Amazingly
and unexpectedly, the Bookworm has become the first restaurant in YSW
to offer free wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi from your laptop
PC, portable Mac, Pocket PC or PDA)!
Mr DickStock's donated one of his retired gadgets
(Apple AirHub) and our Mac guru V J (see his
new column below) set it up.
I came across this little review, from 5 years ago.
Not much has really changed, hasn't it?
Peter
Lloyd
("Spiritual and Alternative Hong Kong'' book, 1998):
The Bookworm is a recently opened vegetarian cafe in Yung Shue
Wan. It also doubles up as a bookstore. Initially started as a
bookcafé it is now run by a co-operative of local vegetarians and
Wisdom Heart attendees.
There is a daily variety of hot dishes, salads, herbal teas and
juices. Uniquely there are also middle eastern dishes such as
humous and baba ganoush. Sometimes they have talk shows or show
videos.
Emily's
Ice-cream Parlour: New Mövenpick premium ice-cream,
Lamma-Gung's favourite! Try Walnut/Caramel and you're hooked! And
then there's this controversial poster ("...sons of bitches
will stop sex and violence...") by budding poet Emily, based on
Martin Luther King's famous speech. Click to enlarge...
My
Café: Replacing Offtime Café, but still using all
their inventory (even the placemats), they have recently started to
let patrons scribble graffiti on the walls (see left), giving
it quite a distinct and unique look nowadays. You need something to
do in there to spend your time, while usually waiting for more than
an hour, even for a set lunch or dinner, even when it's almost
empty...
Holiday
Mood: You must surely have noticed the redecoration in
progress right now. Exactly the same
dark-red walls like Aroy Thai! Clever Dan might have had
some paint left, selling it at a profit to the new Holiday Mood
management! Or maybe it has become a secret part of the ever-growing
Dan Kwai Fong empire!? The new manager is planning to reopen
before end of June, keeping the same name and signage for the
time being, trying to generate some cash flow first..
The
new manager is very friendly and approachable (good English!) and
seems eager for input & ideas from locals (potential customers). So
don't be afraid of letting him know your food preferences
& favourite dishes! He mentioned that the cuisine
will be a mix of Western & Chinese, with a big Italian influence.
That might be the reason for the
dark-green ceiling! Red, green
and white (plates? table cloth? face of diners after a meal or
seeing the bill?) make up the Italian flag.
This means that ALL restaurants closing before
Chinese New Year have reopened now! The worst seems to be over
and the local dining scene is slowly recovering, hoping for great
business this summer! Even small places, like this low-key
"restaurant" with the best waffles in the village, are full &
bustling on weekends!
By
the way, in our
restaurant ratings, Blue Bird
Japanese (left) is now exactly tied with Pizza
Milano in popularity! So far, both got ONLY Good or Great
votes! Post your own review or rating for your own favourite!
Note for bars & restaurants: If you'd like to
post your menu, specials, promotions, discount coupons, scans of
printed ads, web links and photos (inside shots, signature dishes...)
into our Bar &
Restaurant Guide (w/reviews & ratings), you're most welcome
to do so...for free! For
more details.
"the
lamma forest is growing...on saturday the 10th of may the lamma
community came out in force to take part in the ongoing reforestation
of the scenic hills of their island. it was good to see so many
families up on the hills and such an eclectic mix of people enjoying
the fresh easterly winds and the hot sunshine. most people were up
there for the first time and it was quite rewarding to see the
delight on their faces as the realization of how well the forest is
doing and the beauty of its location dawned on them.
as always the day
had its challenges, and its heroes and finally the reward of
completing the task: all 500 trees safely tucked away in the rich
soil of their new home overlooking the scenic hills, valleys and sea
of lamma island.
all the trees planted were native hong kong
trees rich in seeds, flowers and fruits. indigenous species that will
attract birds and other wild life in the coming years.
thanks to the efforts of lamma people the total
number of trees planted in the one area
has climbed to
15,500.
we estimate another
10,000 trees can be
planted in and
around the forest which stretches from
po wah yuen in the south to pak
kok in the north and from tai ping in the
east to the coast in the west, covering some of the most picturesque
scenes of our beautiful island.
the species of trees (see
photo gallery) were selected by experts from the kadoorie
botanical farm and gardens to blend in with the local ecology. we
planted 50 trees from each species.
for ABLE CHARITY the challenge does not stop
here. the trees need to be cared for especially in their initial
stages by watering them as frequently as possible and that is quite a
challenge as there is no water up in the hills and the task requires
walking up and down with heavy water back packs... we will also be
organizing forest maintenance days which will include pruning,
weeding and clean ups etc...
and that is how the forest grows with love,
vision and commitment."
Christine
Dodd Myers put on her first solo exhibition in Hong Kong in May. I
met her for the very first time at the Tree Planting Day, with her
hubby Tony who shot all the photos here.
"First solo exhibition by Lamma-based
artist Christine Dodd Myers of her paintings and ceramics, a
collection of 25 new pieces related to the 7 chakras (energies) which
flow through the human body."
Many
members and visitors have commented on the change of tone & topics on
Lamma.com.hk, becoming an unfriendly, aggressive, offensive place
full of personal attacks that they no longer want to visit. We have
recently solved this very serious problem, we hope, by introducing a
new, restricted-access "Fight Club" forum, the only place on
Lamma.com.hk where offensive messages & personal attacks are still
permitted.
It
lived only a few months in 2000 before it flamed out under an
overload of personal attacks. It's still online, check it out!
It's like a Lamma history lesson and most of these people are still
around. It started out well enough, but within weeks it deteriorated
into a flame fest full of swearing, harassment, even threats of
physical violence.
Finally, after somebody (guess who?) posted a pipe-smoking gorilla,
even calling the moderator a "dickless old
bloke that looks like a redundant filing clerk I see getting pissed
up when I come home from work early?", he had had enough, very
understandably! He called it a day and disconnected the message board
from Lamma.net:
Sister Chris (posted on May 13,
2000): The Info regarding this Message Board
I'm sorry but either we put an end to the
juvenile jibber which is constantly polluting this notice board
or else we'll have to cut the facility. One of the problems is
that people wanting to post a serious message, for example
overseas users wanting to get in touch with a local resident, or
local residents wanting to raise serious issues, will only have
it displayed for a short time before it's swept off the board by
the MUS and their friends in an ongoing stream of childish blurb.
Apart from anything else, it doesn't do
much to enhance the image of Lamma residents. If necessary we'll
have to bring in a controlled notice board but this just means
hassle for those volunteering services for maintaining this site.
Dear Everyone,
This message board was started by
www.Lamma.net which as all you Lammarites know is pipe-smoking
Clive's.
He was rather shocked at the amount of good
and bad natured comments that were appearing on these pages. He
removed the message board link from his website and replaced it
with Irish jokes. Fortunately, Annie, Liz Gower and I have
distracted him with environmental DO GOODERS crusades to keep him
busy over there at Lamma.net.
In the meantime, enjoy the frivolity and
insanity here at the message board and when you get bored with it
all; visit the Sisters of Sharon's website
http://www.sistersofsharon.com.hk
Actually,
Lamma.com.hk owes a debt of gratitude to Lamma.net for setting
up the first Lamma-based message board, leading by example and
teaching us valuable lessons!
Being
very tolerant and anti-censorship, most moderators on
Lamma.com.hk let the personal attacks happen initially, welcoming
everybody, moderating with a light hand and hoping the personal
attacks would eventually cease.
"Don't feed the trolls" (people getting a kick out of being
offensive) was our motto, like on other message boards with this
problem.
But the trolls got more daring and set up multiple personalities
for themselves (see Avatars littered around this feature), taking
over most of the website. Admittedly, some of it was hilarious &
raucous fun and very creative, especially the poetry
competition and some inspired personalities. But let's hear
from two of our most famous members who express it much better than I
ever could:
I've
discovered a shocking potential in myself for being pompous and
self-righteous in the last couple of weeks. Mind you, in the same
period I've been called a FUCKING WHINGING HIPPY, a bum-bandit,
and a weasel.
The discussion forums on My Lamma have become a place where
people of a happy healthy mind fear to tread. Any kind of
comment, opinion, statement or public notice gets leapt on by the
wolves - or by the silly wee boys who seem to have a whole lot of
too much time on their hands. I'm not sure why, but I decided to
rail against general nastiness and personal attacks on My Lamma,
sticking firmly to the rather pathetic line of 'why can't we all
just get along?' See
Personal Attacks on My Lamma.
I've noticed since that the whole of the discussions forum has
been taken over by people who seem to know each other and are
having a craic with their mates. Whether they are slagging each
other or having a go at innocent bystanders, they are giving sly
nods to each other, being immensely clever with in-jokes. There's
a puerile wee gang peeing on the lamppost continuously to mark
their own territory.
What's forgotten is that My Lamma is a public forum, not a little
play room for the kiddies to splash in their own scatological
puddles. For folk that have no idea what they are on about, it
comes over at best as incredibly stupid, at worst downright
nasty. There is a lack of concern that personal abuse on a public
forum will affect the person under attack. One of the merry crew
once said, 'There are some people that set themselves up to have
the piss taken out of them, then there are those who take the
piss anyway'. Aye, well, normally you either keep your pisstake
private or you admit to it and face the consequence of your
opinions. If you were heard to express those opinions loudly in a
pub you would either clear the bar out or get yer head to play
with. Unfortunately I can't get my big mate to sort you out (I'm
too much of a cringing hippy bum bandit to take yous on myself)…
unless you want to start posting your real names and photos.
What would happen now if someone unfamiliar with the petty,
cliquey games on the site tapped in trying to get some info about
Lamma or looking for help or advice? They would get the opinion
that Lamma is populated by a shower of shites (rather than all
the delicious, gentle, person-centred tree-huggers we all know we
are) and avoid the site and the island.
This will most likely spur the swine on to further depravity, and
for sure, there is something in me that hopes that it does… it's
a craic after all. But it's a shame that a purposeful site is now
being run for the entertainment of one small group of people, who
could much more easily entertain themselves passing little bits
of paper along the bar in Dan's and giggling behind their hands.
Pass the pint.
DoggyXOXO
Fortune
wrote you all a poem to try and capture the stupidity of this
lentil war.
Mighty Lamma Gung
Built a community site,
But after a year,
It was fight after fight
Between the burger boys
And the lentil folk.
Peace Love, Lamma…
Was now a cruel joke.
It was war on the boards,
Between the warring clans,
Sausage and chips
Versus broccoli flans
On and on,
Post after post.
“You love meat”,
“Yeah, and you bran toast."
But what is better,
Tofu or steak?
A rack of ribs
Or a lentil bake?
Fortune don’t know
And nor do you.
But Fortune does know,
It all ends as poo.
ENDS
Well,
no longer! After intensive discussions of several options
(banning trolls, paid subscriptions, invited-members-only) between
the site administrators and some moderators, new guidelines
has been established on May 29th.
Click here for details.
The site has been cleaned up, inactive forums have been
deleted or merged, the other forums grouped in a more intuitive way.
Stray topics have been moved into the relevant forums. A new top
navigation menu with shortcuts to forums & web pages is in
preparation.
Most
importantly, most of the really offensive topics & messages were
moved out of the various forums into a new, so-called Fight Club
forum (remember the movie with Brad Pitt? To be shown again this
Sat, June 16, on TVB Pearl). Fighting, swearing and abuse is
still permitted, up to a degree:
Dr Freud (self-appointed
psychoanalyst of Fight Club):
You want to insult someone, you do it in
Fight Club.
You want to have an argument, you do it in
Fight Club.
You want to abuse others, you do it in
Fight Club.
You want to argue amongst your multiple
personalities, you do it in Fight Club.
You want to type obscenities till your
hands have cramped, you do it in Fight Club.
Fights will go on as long as they have to.
One more thing, you DO NOT talk about Fight
Club.
Individuals
of the Lamma.com.hk community have been forced to transfer from
pleasure to reality-principle due to the violent contractions of
a woman. This allows us to observe Rankian trauma based upon
transitional birth-event angst. Subjects’ responses give us
valuable insight into relationships with the Madonna archetype.
Some rage against the mother, yearning a
return to the ‘womb’. Others find the pseudoperinatal event too
vivid, choosing death of identity. In one worrying case the
subject gazes lovingly upon the mock-birth-giver, indicating
Oedipal conflict.
The
brand-new Fight Club, moderated by our founder & Paparazzi
reporter webdog, is restricted to interested registered
members only! webdog warns that "You
must be over 18 years old, because younger stomachs will not be able
to take the vulgarity of the other members." Please contact
info@Lamma.com.hk to get access.
Please
rest assured, this is NOT the begin of censorship on My Lamma,
as offensive messages (but NOT common swear words, no smut filter!)
will simply be moved to the Fight Club, not censored or deleted
(except in the most extreme cases)!
All
of you who've left Lamma.com.hk in the last few months, please
come back, have a look and give it another chance! Many new
interesting topics have started up since our cleanup, a new spring of
messages blossoming! For a sample, check out the new wildlife
forum and the hilarious & brilliantly creative Signs
you've lived on Lamma for too long!
After
all the positive news from the Tree Planting Day, we've learnt
details of a new gov't proposal to build a 20-million, 3.5m wide, 1
km long "super-highway" ring road through Yung Shue Long valley, up
to, but avoiding the fire station, past the schools down to Sha Po
and back to Main St. It would be wide enough for a "Lamma
Grand Prix" for Village Vehicles or bikes, making necessary the
cutting down of numerous old trees and the resumption of huge areas
of farmland, gardens and many redirections of existing roads.
Discussion forum:
New
Motorway
There
was a site visit together with the relevant gov't departments
last Friday, June 6, resulting in a story in The Standard, by
Lamma's Paris Lord:
Lamma protesters voice road concerns.
My site visit photos, showing the proposed routing of
this unnecessary proposed ring road, decorate this article.
Objections against
this massive road development have to be lodged before
June 16
by fax or mail, NOT by e-mail! Make your opinions known!
See the new the Yung Shue Wan
Ring-Road website!
Drainage
channels are scheduled to be built in September in Yung Shue Long
valley as well, destroying some of the natural beauty on the left.
Another part of the proposal wants to improve and
widen the path between YSW and Hung Shing Yeh beach (used by
most tourists and emergency vehicles rushing to the helipad in the
Powerstation).
Some parts of the road widening (especially Tai Wan)
actually do make sense and should be done.
Sample
objection letter
(cut & paste into your word processor; or get a
stamped/addressed objection letter from Aroy Thai, Bookworm
Café or Lamma Bistro):
Dear e-zine readers,
Signs have been dangling from Lamma’s notice boards and railings
since April 8th advising all residents of the Highways’
Department’s intention to create a super-highway for emergency
vehicle access (EVA).
Perhaps, like me, you took a quick look at these signs and
thought – ‘Hmm, road-widening – nothing too controversial there’
– and then dismissed it in the flurry of other more urgent
business.
This is my plea to you all to think again. Mishko has managed to
get the full-size maps of the proposals – including a land
resumption map, which details the stupefying reality of this EVA
route.
Starting at Y2K and continuing towards the tennis courts in Tai
Wan Village, the proposed development will cut a swathe through
shop-fronts, garden plots, green space and, most distressingly
for me, through mature trees which will have to be felled to
allow for the 3.5 metre wide road. In places, the plan is to
ignore the existing path altogether and reroute – destroying
areas which are currently wooded.
A second branch of this EVA lurches up Kam Shan Terrace, cutting
through the trees there, swings round to the basketball court and
then, in a completely new road, bends in front of the
fire-station and down through Yung Shue Long Valley. This is the
truly mind-blowing section of the proposal. The road will cut
into Yung Shue Ling hillside and around Shau Shan Terrace, eating
into the forested slopes and into the green valley which we
fought so hard to preserve from the Drainage Services nullah two
years ago.
There are more than just aesthetic reasons for objecting to this
road. It is supposed to be an EVA, yet it doesn’t connect with
the fire-station. Our emergency vehicles are designed to cope
with Lamma’s rural footpaths, which have been upgraded over the
last two years to match the required 1.7metre width. There is no
reason to build a 3.5 metre wide EVA. This is enough to drive a
full-scale fire engine around – or indeed to hold a village
vehicle Grand Prix. The result of such a road will be high speed
village vehicles, and the Kam Shan Terrace section is the path
which leads to and from the village kindergarten and primary
schools.
In short, please take the time to send in your objections (email,
snail and fax addresses are given at the end of this plea) to
this absurd development. If you don’t have time to write your own
letter, a selection of paragraphs follows in letter format, which
you can cut and paste as you will. Alternatively, from Monday,
there will be hard copy letters available in Dan’s bar and the
Bookworm Café, together with stamped/addressed envelopes. All you
will need to do is sign and post!
Our deadline for objections is Monday, June
16 !
Tel: 2810-2788, Fax: 2136 8017 and 2136 3328
Should you have any enquiries, contact the following government
officers:
Mr. Paul Ling (Engineer, Home Affairs Department Works Section)
on 2573 4403
Mr Gavin Tse (Chief Engineer, HAD Works Section) on 2573 4348
Mr Liu Chi Kwong Bosco (Highways Department Project Office) on
2762 3948
Mr Hung S.Y. (Senior Engineer of Rural Road Development) on 2762
3955
(your address)
By post or fax (2136 8017 and 2136 3328):
Dr. Sarah Liao
The Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works
Environment, Transport and Works Branch
16/F, Murray Bldg, Garden Road
Hong Kong
(date)
Re: Construction of Emergency Vehicular Access at Yung Shue
Wan
Dear Madam,
I am writing to object to the captioned development for the
following reasons:
Firstly, the required land resumption to enable this
project to go ahead will damage the environment to an
unacceptable level. Whilst your maps show no trees, it is clear
that many mature trees along the main path towards Hung Shing Yeh,
and much of the wooded slopes around Yung Shue Ling and Shau Shan
Terrace will be destroyed by the proposed road. In addition, the
proposed cutting of slopes and fill-slopes eat into the Yung Shue
Long Valley – an area of natural beauty, and one of the few
remaining wetlands in Yung Shue Wan. The environmental price is
simply too high.
Secondly, Lamma’s fire service and ambulance vehicles have
been specially designed to cope with the narrow footpaths that
provide access to nearly all homes. These footpaths have been
upgraded at public expense over the last three years to 1.7 – 2.3
metres. This path width is more than adequate to handle the
axle-width of the new fire trucks and bikes. A road of 3.5 metres
is simply not needed here on Lamma.
Thirdly, the proposed EVA fails to contact with the
Fire-Station. Surely there must be a more effective way to
connect the few houses in Yung Shue Long Valley to the Emergency
Services. The Fire Station is within spitting distance of these
houses. Does it really require a huge ring road?
Fourth, the proposed road, if built, will result in the
further danger of speeding village vehicles. As the proposed
route runs along the footpaths used by infant and primary school
children as they walk to and from their schools, there is a real
likelihood of accidents and injury.
Fifth, I would invite you to visit Yung Shue Wan as a
matter of urgency to view the proposed area once you have taken
objections into account. I would also like to see an open public
discussion forum, similar to the one carried out recently by CED
regarding a proposed helipad construction in Yung Shue Wan.
I hope that you will take my objection into consideration, and
that you will not grant this project authorization. I look
forward to hearing from you and remain
Walking
around Yung Shue Wan, you never know what surprises await you.
Stepping into the new Articles shop (opposite the Bookworm Café),
there was a fashion shoot going on!
Co-owner
Chris was lying on the floor, taking digital pictures of a customer.
She volunteered to model one of their colourful Chinese costumes. As
a nice gesture & modeling fee, she could keep it!
I was looking at their fancy kitchenware, wondering
about what some of them could be used for. That's when the idea of
the latest My Lamma contest was born! Win a kitchen utensil of
your choice by entering our simple
contest!
There's also a 50% off sale right now
for locals!
Do YOU consider advertising
or have a good idea for a free promotion for YOUR shop or
restaurant? Contact the editor!
Two
new forums this month! Flora &
Fauna by our resident expert in Tai Peng.
(Photo by anonymous Lamma resident)
Zep
(Tai Peng):
Have you ever wondered what that bird is? or that tree? or that
flower? or that disgusting creature with lots of legs crawling up
your trousers?
This forum has been started at Lamma-Gung's invitation to be a
focus for any queries of this kind. I am something of an amateur,
but may be able to get in touch with more expert witnesses to
answer harder queries...
Finally,
a regular Mac Guru help column, moderated by
V J, Lamma's Mac expert user and senior consultant. Here's
his first column:
All you ever wanted to know
about Mac OS X Jaguar (see
right).
He's also set up his own
message board to answer all Macintosh-related questions.
Currently in test mode on his own Mac acting as a web host!
Announcement in the next e-zine!
V J is also starting a
Lamma Mac Users Group:
"No dues or anything - just an
informal gathering in Farmer Eo's Cybercafé (opposite Bookworm
Café). Demonstrations, discussion, food & beer, exchange of ideas,
software, techniques etc. Interested parties to
contact me, suggest time most suitable for them. Maybe
monthly meetings."
While I was working on redesigning the
Lamma Animal Protection website,
Sheila overflowed my email inbox several times with HUNDREDS of
photos!
I
noticed how many beautiful pet photos she had collected over the
years. No wonder she won the Animals
category of the My Lamma Photo Contest a few months ago! See my
selection of her best photos: LAPets photo
gallery.
On
the same topic, here's an animated entry from the personal website of
Ed Williams' baby son, in the category of "Stupid
Dog Tricks".
Still on the same topic, do you remember Morrison, the old
gentle giant of a dog, who died a few weeks ago after an emergency
stomach operation?
"A Lady" actually wrote a heart-warming, nice
and gentle
Another
big issue of the e-zine! Cover story and theme for this issue will be
tree planting (left, from "Hong Kong Trees").
For
quite some time now, I've been thinking about publishing a PRINTED
version of this e-zine. This would be in addition to the online
version and could reach a much larger readership than the currently
500+ Internet subscribers. But finding local sponsors and
advertisers to cover at least the printing costs (4-8 A4-pages, in
color) would be most difficult? Charging a cover price for the
print edition looks even less realistic. Any ideas? Care to share your
honest opinions if there'd be any real interest for a printed Lamma
newsletter?
For
a feature on the history of Lamma, I'm still looking for more
issues of the former Lamma Bugle and Lamma Gazette
newsletters, published irregularly for most of the 1990s. I'd love to
make photocopies!
If
you would like to find a good place to sit and drink said elixir
of life then go to Granny Chan's place. There is a wonderful
sitting out area with a regular sophisticated crowd. If you want
to make sure you get a seat you must get there early - around 8 am
would guarantee a good spot to view the silly people who pass by
on their way to work.
bbdog
•
May
16-June 15, 11-8, 5 o.p.t studio/ gallery, 5 Prince's Terrace,
Mid levels: Dialogue - exhibition of sculptures &
paintings by Tai Peng artists Sandra Tobias & Yoshihito
Machida.
June
7, evening, Island
Bar:
June
11/12, 1-8pm: Connell Consultants (above Luk Yu Teahouse),
604 Luk Yu Building, 24-26 Stanley Street, Central:
IMAGES OF HONG KONG -
Murray Zanoni, Bob Davis and other
artists:
"We cordially invite you to IMAGES OF
HONG KONG. Watercolours, photographs, oil paintings, prints and books
for sale." 
Claire
(captain) & Luciene (website liaison) are both leaving HK for
good this month! Did you join the Dragonboating fund
raiser/season-end/farewell Latino Party last Saturday in the
Island Bar?
After
the dramatic slow-down in the local restaurant business before
Chinese New Year, incl. several closures, it's great to see the
recent revival with redecorations, new menus, promotions, even new
places opening!
Since
the record Easter crowds and the expected end to the SARS crisis,
local bars & restaurants seem to have become very active and
competitive again.
I
really liked the indomitable spirit of Dan's Refit poster:
"... we're tough, us. Undaunted, even.
Hah! ..." Last week, they've started a ribs
promo ("Do you like meat?") on Friday nights, from 8pm.
Reservations needed!
Man
Kee
Amazingly
and unexpectedly, the Bookworm has become the first restaurant in YSW
to offer free wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi from your laptop
PC, portable Mac, Pocket PC or PDA)!
The
new manager is very friendly and approachable (good English!) and
seems eager for input & ideas from locals (potential customers). So
don't be afraid of letting him know your food prefere
nces
& favourite dishes! He mentioned that the cuisine
will be a mix of Western & Chinese, with a big Italian influence.
That might be the reason for the
dark-green ceiling! Red, green
and white (plates? table cloth? face of diners after a meal or
seeing the bill?) make up the Italian flag.
By
the way, in our
Lamma
people of all ages joined in this fun family day, planting 500+ trees
on top of a hill above Pak Kok!
Christine
Dodd Myers put on her first solo exhibition in Hong Kong in May. I
met her for the very first time at the Tree Planting Day, with her
hubby Tony who shot all the photos here.
Many
members and visitors have commented on the change of tone & topics on
Lamma.com.hk, becoming an unfriendly, aggressive, offensive place
full of personal attacks that they no longer want to visit. We have
recently solved this very serious problem, we hope, by introducing a
new, restricted-access "Fight Club" forum, the only place on
Lamma.com.hk where offensive messages & personal attacks are still
permitted.
Actually,
Lamma.com.hk owes a debt of gratitude to Lamma.net for setting
up the first Lamma-based message board, leading by example and
teaching us valuable lessons!
Being
very tolerant and anti-censorship, most moderators on
Lamma.com.hk let the personal attacks happen initially, welcoming
everybody, moderating with a light hand and hoping the personal
attacks would eventually cease.
Fortune
wrote you all a poem to try and capture the stupidity of this
lentil war.
Well,
no longer! After intensive discussions of several options
(banning trolls, paid subscriptions, invited-members-only) between
the site administrators and some moderators, new guidelines
has been established on May 29th.
The
brand-new Fight Club, moderated by our founder & Paparazzi
reporter webdog, is restricted to interested registered
members only! webdog warns that "You
must be over 18 years old, because younger stomachs will not be able
to take the vulgarity of the other members." Please contact
All
of you who've left Lamma.com.hk in the last few months, please
come back, have a look and give it another chance! Many new
interesting topics have started up since our cleanup, a new spring of
messages blossoming! For a sample, check out the new
After
all the positive news from the Tree Planting Day, we've learnt
details of a new gov't proposal to build a 20-million, 3.5m wide, 1
km long "super-highway" ring road through Yung Shue Long valley, up
to, but avoiding the fire station, past the schools down to Sha Po
and back to Main St. It would be wide enough for a "
There
was a site visit together with the relevant gov't departments
last Friday, June 6, resulting in a story in The Standard, by
Lamma's Paris Lord:
Drainage
channels are scheduled to be built in September in Yung Shue Long
valley as well, destroying some of the natural beauty on the left.
Background
materials:
Co-owner
Chris was lying on the floor, taking digital pictures of a customer.
She volunteered to model one of their colourful Chinese costumes. As
a nice gesture & modeling fee, she could keep it!
On
the same topic, here's an animated entry from the personal website of
Ed Williams' baby son, in the category of "
