I've just received this list of questions from a family moving to Lamma in 2 weeks. As we do not have a Q&A section for new arrivals on Lamma on this site yet, it would be a great idea to put one together and link it from the home page permanently.

But I need help with some of these questions below! Feel free to answer any one of them, especially the more difficult ones. I'll edit all together to make up an authoritative FAQ list for Lamma newbies, bilingually, I hope. Many of these answers will probably be most helpfiul even for people who've lived here for a while.

If you're a newbie yourself or have a qestion that needs answering, feel free to ask it in this forum and I'll integrate it into the list.

• What is the best way to move furniture to Lamma, ferry versus boat for transporting our stuff?
• What are the broadband options in the various regions of Lamma
• Where can we buy wardrobes and furniture?
• Where do we but a washing machine?
• Can we get delivery from Wellcome to Lamma?
• Can we hire those little trolleys for smaller deliveries?
• Is there a bike shop on Lamma that can fix my bike?
• Are those big chimney a menace? Are we going to die from pollution ?
• Is the pollution worse on Lamma than in the rest of HK?
• Is electricity and other utilities more expensive on Lamma?
• Is there a drug scene to worry about with the young kids?
• Are the kids really out of hand on the ‘school ferries’?
• What is the best local shop for groceries. Do any of them deliver?
• Tell me about some great hiking trails!
• How about security?
• Do the kids on the island get on well?
• Which ESF school would kids from Lamma zone to?
• Is it possible to get English teaching jobs on Lamma?
• DOGS? WE don’t know how many years we will be in HK. How can we foster a dog?
• Can we find Cantonese and Mandarin Teachers locally?
• What about doctors locally?
• What if someone gets sick in the middle of the night (seriously I mean)?
• What is the cheapest way to the airport (not Airport Express)
• How much is a sampan to Aberdeen for an early morning start?
• How can we get to Lantau or Cheung Chau?
• Do the tourists on the weekend drive you bonkers?
• Do the locals and gweilos get on well?

_________________
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My 2 cents worth:

1. What is the best way to move furniture to Lamma, ferry versus boat for transporting our stuff?
   Depends on how much stuff you have. If it is a few boxes and some furniture you can easily do it on the slow ferry. if you ahve some more you could get Nick the Book to help. if it is your stuff to fill a house then you'd be better looking at Links Relocations or one of the other moving companies.
   
2. What are the broadband options in the various regions of Lamma.
   I don't think there are any issues in the populated parts of the island. There is a wide choice of suppliers, I prefer Pacific Supernet but everyone has their own preference for cost, bandwidth, wervice etc.
   
3. Where can we buy wardrobes and furniture?
   There are usually some 2nd hand ones advertised, otherwise there is Ikea and Horizon Plaza as well as loads of local places. There is a place on the island that sells furniture but it is very expensive and much of it is Ikea stuff anyway!
   
4. Where do we but a washing machine?
   There are 2 electrical goods shops on Lamma that sell washers, dryers, fridge freezers, fans etc. they are slightly more expansive but once you include the hassle of getting it from Central to your house with ferries, VV's etc it works out.
   
5. Can we get delivery from Wellcome to Lamma?
   Yes, they deliver on the Gaido (sp?) certain days of the week and you collect it from the pier. Mr. Hung can collect and deliver it your house if you call him in advance.
   
6. Can we hire those little trolleys for smaller deliveries?
   Yes, you can hire them from Brothers shop or borrow one from the shops if they know your face.
   
7. Is there a bike shop on Lamma that can fix my bike?
   Yes, though they are not too technical if you have a good bike that needs tuning.
   
8. Are those big chimney a menace?
   Are we going to die from pollution? You don't notice them after a while, only when your friends come over and start calling Lamma 'Springfield' are they a menace! The pollution you die from wont be from those chimneys.
   
9. Is the pollution worse on Lamma than in the rest of HK?
   Not usually.
   
10. Is electricity and other utilities more expensive on Lamma?
    Not that I know of.
    
11. Is there a drug scene to worry about with the young kids?
    No, anyone of any age can sell them.
    
12. Are the kids really out of hand on the ‘school ferries’?
    A lot of them are as they are ferried back by Amah's who prefer to chat to eachother rather than look after their charges. i have seen mothers tell their kids to run around at the back of the ferry as they wanted some quiet!
    
13. What is the best local shop for groceries. Do any of them deliver?
    There are a few grocery shops in YSW but they are all pretty much the same as far as stock goes. The freezer shop opposite the Deli will deliver but i don't knwo what you have to spend to qualify.
    
14. Tell me about some great hiking trails!
    There are many on the island - go out and explore!
    
15. How about security?
    There was a spate of break-ins a couple of years ago but they seem to have tailed off. Personal safety isn't an issue and property is generally safe but best to follow precautions.
    
16. Do the kids on the island get on well?
    They seem to but I have no experience with that.
    
17. Which ESF school would kids from Lamma zone to?
    Wouldn't know.
    
18. Is it possible to get English teaching jobs on Lamma?
    I would depend on it.
    
19. DOGS? WE don’t know how many years we will be in HK. How can we foster a dog?
    There are 2 animal protection charities on Lamma and are heavily advertised on the island.
    
20. Can we find Cantonese and Mandarin Teachers locally?
    Yes
    
21. What about doctors locally?
    There is a clinic on the island which is good for basic needs and some prescriptions. If there is anything serious they will airlift you in a helicopter or a police launch will collect you.
    
22. What if someone gets sick in the middle of the night (seriously, I mean)?
    Free helicopter service, organised by Lamma Clinic on demand
    
23. What is the cheapest way to the airport (not Airport Express)
    Walking! There is a regular bus service
    
24. How much is a sampan to Aberdeen for an early morning start?
    
25. How can we get to Lantau or Cheung Chau?
    You have to take a ferry to Central and then take a BD or CC ferry from there.
    
26. Do the tourists on the weekend drive you bonkers?
    You get used to them
    
27. Do the locals and gweilos get on well?
    Generally, yes.

_________________
Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas

Ed has more patience than I, but I can add a little:

9. Is the pollution worse on Lamma than in the rest of HK?
No, the air is much better here than urban HK. My daughter gets asthma in HK, but rarely here. (The chimneys carry the coal smoke away, and we don't have any traffic.)

10. Is electricity and other utilities more expensive on Lamma?
The same.

24. How much is a sampan to Aberdeen for an early morning start?
There are <a href="http://www.hkkf.com.hk/en/ferry/schedule02.htm">HKKF ferries</a>. First one leaves at 6 am, about $12, or you can use the same monthly ticket as the ferry to Central.

HKE supplies the electricity to Lamma, so the rates here is exactly the same as everyone else in Hong Kong Island. Note, however, that HKE rates are slightly higher than that charged by CLP.


Apart from the clinic, run by the Hospital Authority, there is also a private practice near Sha Po.


What would you do if someone gets seriously sick in the middle of the night anywhere else in Hong Kong? Do that, follow it up with a phone call to the HA clinic. I think a nurse is stationed there.


If from Lamma, take the ferry to Central, walk to Hong Kong Station, catch the MTR to Tung Chung, there is a connection bus (I think S1) to the airport.


The ones on weekdays drive me bonkers too.

Other possible FAQs:
What if I miss the last ferry? Catch sampan from Aberdeen.
Will I get sea sick? You body will adjust.
Are there sufficient lighting on the streets? Most paths are luminated by street lamps. Carry a small torch in your bag, just in case.

8. Are those big chimney a menace? Are we going to die from pollution? You don't notice them after a while, only when your friends come over and start calling Lamma 'Springfield' are they a menace! The pollution you die from wont be from those chimneys.

No it won’t be from those chimneys, unless it rains. Leave a plastic chair on your roof and it’ll be gone within a year. There seems to be a very high incidence of cancers on Lamma. I’ve lived here 20 years now (yes and it and was all fields then etc). Have seen cases of bladder, blood (leukaemia), bowel, brain, breast, colon, lung, stomach, and testicular cancer during that time. Many of them are now dead. I never saw any of these in the UK, except for the leukaemia.

9. Is the pollution worse on Lamma than in the rest of HK? Not usually.

That’s not very reassuring – did you see se the air today?

SCMP Feb 1 2006; p3

Toxin control poses fresh challenge to power companies

Cheung Chi-fai
THE environment watchdog is poised for another head-on clash with power suppliers as it proposes phasing-out old coal-fired generation units to meet an international convention on toxin control.
The plan aims to fulfil the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants that bans or limits the production and release of 12 toxins, including pesticides and dioxin.
Hong Kong has to submit its implementation plan on the curbs this year via Beijing, a signatory to the convention.
The proposed move comes at a sensitive time as CLP Power is locking horns with the government over plans to reform the electricity market and associated environmental requirements.
At the core of the potential new row is the release and production of cancer-causing dioxins and furans – two by-products emitted into the air and left in the ashes from burning coal.
It is estimated that the power companies could have contributed 26 per cent of the dioxin and furans produced in 2003, following metal production (39 per cent) and landfilling (28 per cent).
In the draft plan, the government says it may propose phasing out coal-fired generation units and replacing them with gas-fired units within 10 years of the policy being implemented.
Although the plan said switching to gas could reduce dioxin emissions by up to 95 per cent, it also acknowledged that a full-scale switch had to take into account energy policy, economic considerations and the city’s electricity needs.
The proposal is understood to be a “committed direction” of the government, although there is no clear timetable.
It also proposes as a “priority task” an investigation of the dioxin and furans content in coal-burning residues and recycled products containing the residues. Ash products – mixed with concrete or bricks – are widely used in construction projects.
Ash is being stored in ash lagoons in Tuen Mun and on Lamma Island operated by the two power suppliers. But the one in Tuen Mun might need to be moved because the government wants to use the site for landfill expansion.
Friends on the Earth environmental affairs manager Hahn Chu Hon-keung supported a review of the heavy reliance on coal.
“The dioxin emission from coal burning is one of the neglected areas in the electricity market reform and now is the time to deal with it. There is no excuse for the power companies to evade it,” he said.
Mr Chu said he was worried that few studies had been done on ash products, and feared that dioxin residues could be released back into the environment when structures or roads were demolished.
CLP Power said it was studying the implications of the convention.
Hongkong Electric said: “Dioxin emission in coal-fired generation is negligible due to its high boiler combustion temperature.”

While we're at it: as Rumsfeld might have said, answers to questions you didn't know you didn't know:

Wildlife:
There are a lot of snakes, some poisonous, some sneak into your house, but I've never heard of anyone actually being bitten by one.
Biggest health risk: mosquitoes. There have been cases of dengue in HK, but no malaria for a long time.
Dogs: a lot wandering round free, a lot of dogshit. In countryside areas it may be wise to carry a stick to face down packs of semi-wild dogs. No rabies here for 20 years at least.
Centipedes: a very aggresssive, large, poisonous species likes to snuggle up to you in bed and bite you on sensitive organs. No joke, very painful, but not fatal.
Birds: see our photography section, lots to be seen.
Cats: lots of wild cats. Thus no native mammals. Lots of nutty ladies who feed them though.
Rats and cockroaches, as everywhere in HK.
Geckos run up the walls, eat bugs, leave droppings.

Beaches
Gazetted beaches (lifeguards, toilets, etc) at Hung Shing Yeh and Lo So Sing. Water is safe, but sometimes not pleasant. Occasional red tides and plastic flotsam. Power Station Beach popular with dog owners, volleyball players, drummers and jetskiers.

Public library near the pier. Small, but you can reserve books via <a href="http://libcat.hkpl.gov.hk/webpac_eng/wgbroker.exe?new+-access+top.main-page">Internet</a> from any branch in HK and it'll be delivered here in a few days.

Thanks for all these answers! The official FAQ for Lamma Newbies is really making progress!

Answers to the following questions are still missing or incomplete. Anyone?

2. Details of Broadband options, ideally with web links to the different providers.
5. Park n'Shop deliveries to Lamma? How to contact Wellcome to deliver? Online? Mr. Hung's VV contact? Who else?
11. Is there a drug scene to worry about with kids and teenagers involved?
13. The freezer shop opposite the Deli will deliver: Any charge and minimum purchase? Who else will deliver to your home?
14. More about recommended hiking trails, besides the single one that 99% of tourists seem to take?
15. Necessary safety measures?
16. Do the kids on the island get on well?
17. Which ESF school would kids from Lamma zone to?
24. How much is a sampan to Aberdeen for an early morning start? Who to call?
26. Do the tourists on the weekend drive you bonkers? More opinions, please!

What else should a Lamma Newbie know before moving here?

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

See http://www.lamma.com.hk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3194

PCCW
Pacific http://corporate.pacific.net.hk/revamp/ ... erserv.php
New World http://www.nwtbb.com/tc_chi/yahoo/offer.html
One http://www.onebb.com/residential/eng/plan.php


6 am isn't early enough?

6am isn't early enough for some people.

I just met somebody who left Lamma a few months ago, mainly because his job at Bloomberg starts at 4am.

The missing PCCW Broadband link above as they are by far the dominant Broadband provider on Lamma:
http://www.netvigator.com/netvigator2003/promo.html
Ignore the listed exorbitant charges as you'll have to negotiate your rates with them, as low as $162 for an unlimited 3Mb plan.

Any other good tips and advice for Lamma Newbies?

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Apparently! The safest bet , I reckon, is to call the sampan operators the night before to make sure they're available. There are a few operators, see the Lamma mini-Yellow Pages. The cost of the trip depends on your bargaining power, but roughly around $150-$180 per trip. Takes about 45 minutes.

But if your job requires regular early starts that the first ferries can't accommodate, I would suggest reconsidering that job or living on Lamma, or any of the Outlyign Islands, for that matter. The first ferries depart YSW at:
6am to Aberdeen weekdays and 8am weekends.
6:20am to Central weekdays and 6:40am weekends.

17. Which ESF school would kids from Lamma zone to?
West Island School seems to be the one

26. Do the tourists on the weekend drive you bonkers? More opinions, please!
If you moved to Lamma for the peace and quiet and you live on Main street and your days off are the weekends/public holidays only - then yes hahahahahaha!

We live in a more 'remote' part of Lamma - Tai Peng and still I've had people climbing fences to watch me water the garden - albeit I was wearing a bikini but it was a tad annoying.. Another time the Hash House Harriers thought it would be OK to run through my garden on a Sunday... Wouldn't you think that was annoying?

_________________
Hong Kong Underground Music Scene:
http://undergroundhk.com
Thinking Out Loud:
http://thinkingoutloud.com.hk
Guitars & Panties:
http://guitarsandpanties.com
Sisters of Sharon:
http://www.sistersofsharon.com.hk/

Hi Chris, hope you are well and still doing the music thing. Do you sell on-line? If so I'd like to get one of your CDs if you can post to USA. I lost the original one I had. I think it was Blush maybe. I'll click your sisters link above and try to find out. MP3 download would be ok for me too. Let me know how you are doing. Use PM. because I get too much junk e-mail. I'll check in a day or two to see if you sent any message.

Meanwhile, back on topic.

We lived in a more 'remote' part of Lamma - Tai Peng and still I had people living upstairs groaning loudly all night (when they were unwell). Also they played loud music sometimes.

Another time the Hash House Harriers thought it would be OK to stop running and come into my garden on a Sunday and drink my beer... Wouldn't you think that was annoying?

Albeit it was only two of them who got lost and they were wearing bikinis, but still.

PS. Does anyone know the wherabouts of Owen Stevens and Gill ? If they are in South Florida can someone tell me where as Gill owes me HK$5.50 ?

Thanks.

PPS. to Lamma Newbies. Lamma is good, people are friendly. All the bad people left years ago. Try it.

so you are in Florida now? sent you pm etc

_________________
Hong Kong Underground Music Scene:
http://undergroundhk.com
Thinking Out Loud:
http://thinkingoutloud.com.hk
Guitars & Panties:
http://guitarsandpanties.com
Sisters of Sharon:
http://www.sistersofsharon.com.hk/

Keith.

there at gillowen@yahoo.com and in Belize not florida. i doubt Gill will give you the five dollars as you'll just spend it on beer again.

Phil

Thanks for all these additional answers! The official FAQ for Lamma Newbies is getting closer to a beta release!

Answers to the following questions are still missing or incomplete. Anyone?

5. Park n'Shop deliveries to Lamma? How to contact Wellcome to deliver? Online? Mr. Hung's VV contact? Who else?
11. Is there a drug scene to worry about with kids and teenagers involved?
13. The freezer shop opposite the Deli will deliver: Any charge and minimum purchase? Who else will deliver to your home?
14. More about recommended hiking trails, besides the single one that 99% of tourists seem to take?
15. Necessary safety measures?
24. Who to call for an early morning sampan?

What else should a Lamma Newbie know before moving here?

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Well, they should take take care if they see anyone building a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wicker_Man">Wicker Man</a> on the beach.

13.

THe Lamma Supermarket (the one almost opposite the Deli Lamma with all the bottles of wine outside), Mr and Mrs Lee will deliver for free if you spend $500 or more.

_________________
Some of my finest work:
http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/12537/detail/

14.
Mt. Stenhouse. An extremely lovely trail if you are up to challenges. No concrete paving (probably that's why it doesn't share the load of tourists during the weekends) but absolutely feasible to hike (or climb at certain points - depending on your height).

1. Another option is to try Namfung transportation if you speak cantonese. They deliver goods to the pier, reasonably priced.

6. I hired mine, a sturdy, but bloody heavy wooden cart, from the coolies off Cheung Chau's pier for $50 a day (negotiated down from $100) and it costs about $12 to have the cart over to Lamma via the slow ferry and more if you have effects on it.

15. Speak to the landlord about changing the locks or adding locks. Make sure the windows are closed before the last person leaves. Install curtains as soon as you move in... or before...

28. How can you dispose of a bed or other large furniture in case no one wants it?

29. What is the usual charge to get a VV to take a load from the ferry pier to Tai Peng, Tai Wan, Ko Long, Wang Long, etc.

30. What's the usual rate for a private 45 minute Aberdeen harbour tour by sampan? (so you can tell your visitors a reasonable price to negotiate)

31. What's the usual rate for a kai do from Aberdeen to YSW for two at 3pm and 3am?

32. Where can you buy those 5-gallon bottles of distilled or mineral water?

33. Where does Lamma's water come from?

34. Is there really a tunnel linking Lamma to Aberdeen?

35. Why are there 100 bikes on the ferry pier at 5am?

36. What is it about Sok Ku Wan that attracts 15 million mainland tourists a day?