My Lamma Monthly E-zine

The Varuna sailing training boat under way!
But what's the helicopter doing up there?
To find out, read "Varuna Sailing Adventure"

Table of Contents

Editorial	E-mails to the Editor
Best of the Month	Events
About My Lamma	Coming Soon

Photo Contest Winners
Lamma Cricket Club Wins League!
Varuna Sailing Adventure
Go, Go, Go, Lamma Dragons!
A Flight in the Emergency Helicopter
Hang-ups & Hangovers
Who Would Want to Live on Lamma?
Introducing Local Artists: Marilena!

Editorial

Welcome to My Lamma Monthly E-zine #20,

featuring Lamma transportation!

For a car-free island we have quite a wide variety of options to move around. Instead of our popular online discussions about individual transport (bikes, skateboards, skatebikes, village vehicles, prams),

we'll focus on the more unusual multi-user transport options on Lamma:

taking a Sunday outing on a sailboat, cheering on the dragonboaters, fighting for late ferries, risking life in a sampan, riding a Lamma mini-ambulance, flying in a helicopter to hospital... it's all in this issue - the biggest ever - and so much more! Read & enjoy!

On the local dining scene, after mentioning the closing of three restaurants in the last e-zine, two have celebrated their re-openings:
Offime re-opening as My Café; and Y2K re-opening as...Y2K, run by two two Westerners now. It has just been redecorated and looks MUCH friendlier/inviting now. Big crowds at their re-opening party on Feb 21, maybe because of the free drinks?

Anastasia's has re-opened last weekend, as an arts & crafts shop (see left), run by relatives of Thai Thai Food (Satay place vis-a-vis My Café), imaginatively named Thai Thai 2.

There are unconfirmed rumours that Holiday Mood in Main Street might re-open very soon as well! Hopefully another tasty addition to our local, quite international dining scene! You can post reviews and give ratings to all these new places. Also, the Best pub on Lamma poll is still active!

Did you register for the Village Representative Elections from Mar 1-21? Living in the same village for 3 years and a permanent resident? You're entitled to vote! After 6 years, you can stand for election as Resident Representative. I've asked a few Westerners to stand, but nobody's been daring and self-confident enough to take on this challenge! This would definitely stir up the sticky mud of local politics...

Another Laudable Lamma Luminary has been granted the great (but unpaid) honour of being made official HK Correspondent for Coolgrrrls.com, being featured on their home page. Here's her biography, obviously written by herself:

hong kong @ nite

Multi-coloured hair & floral tattoos, deemed a classy rock goddess by Hong Kong journalists – bbchris grabs at life’s opportunities – one of which is to write about the HK music scene for coolgrrrls.
Living a nearly vegan existence in a meat and money orientated society, bbchris will swing her Fender around town, plus a handy digi-camera to bring you a taste of this fast-paced city. Bbchris conveys an explosive energy when on stage and is the most intimidating HK female musician at present. Having a Chinese mother & English father has truly warped bbchris – one of her Cantonese songs won the "Best Alternative Song" at the 2001 Golden Sail Awards – a local prestigious event organized by C.A.S.H. (Composers Authors Society of Hong Kong) – the local equivalent of ASCAP/PRS etc. – yet all the press could comment on was the leopard-skin bra she was wearing…

While talking about this Luminary, would you like to see a sneak preview of her co. website I just designed, with its amazingly wide range of products (see right)?

But her mother "chanced upon another designer" while I was completing my designs!

So I got scrapped! {Sniffle! Boohoo!} So, do NOT click on the menu, please!

One last celebrity news:

Our Official Court Artist of My Lamma was scheduled for an Official Court Visit to Lamma this month from his self-imposed exile in the Philippines.

He still doesn't dare to admit to being afraid of SARS and all my attempts to lure him to Lamma have failed so far. Chicken!

Well, I'll just keep posting embarrassing pictures of him (see above left, copied from his own website), till he gives in and graces Lamma with his most welcome artistic, articulate, artificial, artsy-craftsy presence again!

Last but not least, please suggest more local "celebrities" for future e-zine interviews! All kinds of feedback & creative submissions (text, photos, art) are, as always, most welcome!

Good health wishes Lamma-Gung-Gong Bing-Bong

E-mails to the Editor

Nelsa (new member):

Hiya!!!
It's really amazing that the Lamma ppl has such an excellent network!

k@ (ex-Lammaite & "Lamma Oldsters" moderator):

I think your e-zine is fine as it is.
I will try to think of some gimmick for the site but nothing is jumping out at me just now.

webdog (Site Admin):

The long awaited e-zine shows you haven't been sleeping all these days.
Well dotted with interesting pictures and witty comments.
Great work!

The Stick Insect Hunter
(being announced as Official Court Artist):

What can I say. I am flattered. Thank you.
I'll try to whip up Dan's caricature right away.
I don't want to flunk my very first job.
I am perfectly happy with my title.

La Miglione
(Moderator of "Hang-ups & Hangovers"):

i think it is a very useful contribution for anybody who is trying to follow the web page and can use your ezine as a sort of red threat, and i admire and applaud you for doing this sort of summing up which i never could.

BBChris (Miss Lamma.com.hk):

No one would be upset if there was no ezine btw..... I think it's kind of a low priority for people.... I thought this week's headline was great "DanKwaiFong - Bastard or Tycoon" hahahahahahhahaha

La Brasileira:

Je voulais juste te feliciter pour ton site, tes photos qui sont superbes.

Best of the Month

• Picture

A very fashionable local resident. Guess who? (Click for a close-up!)
I'm planning a Lamma Fashion feature and this is the first supermodel parading down our very own catwalk: Main Street! You're most welcome to submit "fashionable", cool and especially uncool pictures of your friends & foes...

• Username

Nolie G: She contacted My Lamma looking for friends of her late father, DJ Neil Gordon, "Scottish Neil", who died under tragic circumstances last June on Powerstation Beach. Several people responded, even sending her mementoes and DJ mixes on CD in her father's memory.

Did YOU know him well? Left, a view from his favourite spot. Nolie might visit Lamma later this year from her home in Scotland.

• Topic #1

The #1 topic in this town "gripped with panic": SARS/atypical pneumonia - how bad is it really?).

Instead of joining the general panic, I'll focus more on the lighter side of SARS, see below.

Despite two false rumours (I've checked them out), North Lamma is still a SARS-free zone. Knock on wood!

(Above: DIY tips for free, recycled

facemasks, from e.)

(Right: guess who?)

(Below right: new Avatars for e and webdog)

Above: "No half measures for Lamma regulars"

Customers and staff at the Spicy Island bar in Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island, joined thousands across Hong Kong taking precautions to keep the pneumonia bug at bay - in their own way. It was business as usual for landlord Kumar Binney, and customer Tom Jamieson (left) wasn't going to let a health scare come between him and his cigarette.
"I'm wearing the mask because I prefer not to take any risks. Anyway, the cigarette tastes better like this. Drinking my pint's a bit tricky though, but practice will make perfect," he said.
(report and photo: Steve Cray, SCMP, 29 March, 2003)

The last word on this fearful-but-often-silly topic, from our famous Paparazzi reporter:

webdog (Anybody caught some rice from Parknshop?):

The question is have any of you caught some rice? I would congratulate if you do,
because it proves the following:

You are well informed of the latest breakouts, in a timely manner.
You have a friend (yes, how nice!) who cares for your well-being.
You are healthy, because otherwise you wouldn't be strong enough to carry 20 kgs of rice and 100 cans of luncheon meat, not to mention the bulk packs of salt and sugar.
You are brave and determined, highly mobilised and always prepared for the worst.

• Topic #2

The 2nd major conversation topic during these fearful days is the horrible, unjust Invasion of Iraq, of course.
Here's a live counter of actual Iraqi Civilian Casualties, plus their bulletin board,
all part of the very comprehensive Iraqometer.
Many of our very knowledgeable, engaged members have been discussing online extremely passionately: The War and Should the US disregard the UN and attack Iraq? and It's the US$, stupid!!!

• Publicity

(Digital photo above courtesy of:
Apple Daily photographer Yeung Yat Fan)

A massive, 4-full-pages feature "Leisure Trip to Lamma" was published in the Apple Daily newspaper on Sat, 29 Mar. Contact me for a copy of this Chinese feature.

It focused on "Quality of Life", featuring the "Best of YSW", interviewing many local celebrities like Farmer Eo, Green Cottage Ron, Diesel's Moloy, Nadia (from "Nadia's"), Ms. Cake Express Shelly, Ken The Bookworm and our Unofficial Mayor Nick The Bookman. Besides promoting his books & moving businesses, Nick managed to get his e-mail address and website highlighted in his large section, causing all-time record traffic to Lamma.com.hk! Expect even more local tourists to flood onto our shores soon on weekends!

Plus, a German filmcrew was moving through YSW Main Street on the same day, filming an episode of the very popular German soap opera "Das Traumschiff" (The Dreamboat). Here you can see them filming a kissing scene and relaxing afterwards in the Lamma Bistro, after I practised my German on them.

Their ultra-luxurious cruiseship left our harbour on Sat night, continuing its journey around the world for this TV series that has been running for about 20 years. Last time they were in HK, a few years back, it was for Chinese New Year...

• Contributor

As always, all your contributions are most welcome for future e-zines: photos, multimedia, gossip, stories, ideas, all charitable & good causes, crazy & serious stuff, anything

goes, as long as it's somehow Lamma-related! E-mail me!

• Message

The Stick Insect Hunter
(a romantic poem for his beloved Mac laptop):

Hey my computer didn't recognize me anymore.

I swear I don't have another computer besides it.

Well actually I do.

I have 8 computers but this my favoured and it knows it.

I do all my cybersex on this one.

It's so cute. Mac titanium, very slim very sexy.

• Flame

Way too many flames & personal attacks on My Lamma this month! I'm discontinuing the "Best Flame" topic, as we've decided to follow the old bulletin board wisdom of ignoring flamers:

"Don't feed the trolls!", as they'll bite you anyway!

• Website

www.jollily.com: Intensive courses for learning to play the piano, located in Main Street. It has a great Q&A about many of the usual excuses for not learning a musical instrument: "I'm too old, unmusical, tone-deaf, busy, don't like exams,...".

Events:

Let's start with a few recent events you might have missed, but might want to look out for the next time they happen:

Mar 15, 9pm, Island Bar: Gaelic Gall:
We expected them to perform in the same costume as on the poster, but it was a bitter disappointment! Fine & happy music, but all the Gaelic lads were fully dressed! False advertising!

We were hoping that the Island Bar would start up a Ladies-only Night with a male striptease performance, like Diesel's sell-out fun event a few months ago...

In the meantime, Aroy Thai has started a Ladies-only pool Night every Tuesday! Any Full Monty planned, male strippers dancing on top of your nice pool table (see left), Mr. DanKwaiFong?

On a related topic: some photos of real Naked Chefs, submitted by BBChris!

Mar 16, 7pm: outside Green Cottage: Candlelight Vigil for Peace in Iraq:

It didn't work out, unfortunately, but it's the thought that counts...

Mar 17-18, 5-7:30pm, YSW Ferry Pier:

Meet the Passengers:
This was a most interesting event where the ferry company was soliciting the opinions of us regular passengers. HK & Kowloon Ferry sent 4 youngsters, who did their best urging passengers rushing off the ferry to fill in the detailed feedback form ("How are we performing?"), but only rarely succeeding.

Picking up Lamma-Por from the evening rush hour ferry, we filled in the form diligently, rewarded by "refreshments", expressing our top urgent desire for late ferries.

Maybe BBChris' A Petition to have Late Ferries Back To Yung Shue Wan has a chance to be considered after all. Many people voiced the same urgent wish. Maybe we can get a late ferry added to the ferry schedule? They ran a late ferry at 1:45am on Feb 1 (Lunar New Year). Send them e-mails to express your wishes!

Still on the same topic, on the late ferry a few days ago, there was music & dancing on the upper deck! Two local lads, Frazer McGilvray & Dave May from Gaelic Gall (see poster above right), were belting out happy Irish tunes on guitar & fiddle! But still fully dressed!

Our (in)famous Bob Davis was witnessed to have been dancing, even though he doesn't seem to remember much of it anymore... As a professional photographer and official judge in the My Lamma Photo Contest, he shot some B/W pictures (see right). The passengers enjoyed this wonderful free entertainment, in the true spirit of "Peace, Love, Laughter, Lamma"! Such fun & free performances should be fully supported & promoted by the ferry company, don't you agree?

But what do YOU do when you miss the last ferry? Take a sampan from Aberdeen, of course! Like these two late-night party animals (photo submitted by the Lady-in-Red) who GOT BUSTED ON A SAMPAN LAST NIGHT!!!!!!! and had their id cards checked, looking like II's?

Did you know that the going rate is about $100-150/person, depending on your language & negotiation skills?
Did you also know that there was a sampan accident about a year ago, from Aberdeen to Pak Kok? The sampan got too close to one of these massive container ships, capsizing the sampan and the Ah-por steering it. Fortunately, no passengers and no serious injuries. It wasn't the first time that an Ah-por steering a sampan fell asleep...

Mar 29th, 9:30am, beach behind Po Wah Yuen (Nga Kau Wan):

Tree maintenance in the "Lamma Forest". More about this forest and the ABLE Charity who planted it in the next e-zine:

"Tree maintenance involves clearing dead branches and fallen wood from amongst the trees, some pruning, some mulching, some fertilizing (food for the trees) and the ever present possibility of picking up rubbish and other alien debris... We will be joined by a small group of students and teachers from the KGV school."

March 29, from midnight till dusk, Powerstation Beach:

Free Fresh Air Party (see left): 12 DJ's at this month's beach rave party!

March 31, Emily's Ice-cream Parlor: Lamma Celebrities Contest ends.
For a small donation to UNICEF you could cast a vote for one of Emily's 16 "Lamma Celebrities"! (Click on the poster above to enlarge it).

The contest has ended now, but donations are still very welcome! So far over $500 have been donated! The leading celebrities 2 weeks ago were our local version of "Charlie's Angels"!

FUTURE EVENTS:

Fri, Apr 4 & 18, 10:30pm,

Fringe Club, Central,

2 Lower Albert Rd, HK Island: Thinking Out Loud. BBChris: "For those of you who fancy showing off your designer face masks, pop down to the Fringe for our April Fools gig."

Sat, Apr 5, gravesites all over Lamma:

Ching Ming festival: Fire Watch Patrols: volunteers needed!