My Lamma Forums

[Beanburglar]

Don't be ridiculous. Lamma consists of a variety of small social groups, all following their own agenda, whether that be dragon boating, beating people up or sitting outside Spicy Island becoming alcohol soaked, to name but a few. This one big happy Lamma community baloney is a myth and there is no in-crowd, just a load of aquaintances thrown together by the smallness of the village and the ferry who have to get on or put up with one another. Of course, we've all got proper friends but there's no in-crowd and its a bit of a cop out to suggest there's an out-crowd. That implies that some people are being kept down by the eliteness of a few. Sink or swim. It's everyone for themselves on Lamma and always has been despite the we're all in this together crap!
Thanks.

[Beanburglar]

Of course, you've created a sort of virtual in-crowd here but it doesn't exist in the analog world.

[Fortune Chan]

I think someone's been mixing their mungs with their haricots again.

[Lamma-Gung]

Wow, social analysis and amazing insight from Mr Beanburglar. We didn't know you had it in you!

But seriously, thank you for your honest perspective from a longtime resident. As a Lamma newbie, I certainly agree with you in almost all your points and my in/out crowd remarks was just a silly tease anyway, never meant seriously.

I've been studying these various fascinating groups you mention, trying to classify them a bit to get a better understanding of the Lamma community. Lamma's a community of communities, who are living in close proximity physically but are disconnected from each other, only crossing over in occasional and utilitarian ways, as our emminent researcher Lisa might say.

You might say there's no overall "Lamma community" per se and I agree with you in the points you mention. But this virtual, admittedly artificial community we're creating here in the forums and in the Lamma-zine is spilling over more and more into the virtual world, I think, for good and bad.

People you met online but might never have met offline becoming friends, new groups forming, new activities co-ordinated online and in general giving people more of a feel of community by hearing what other people are up to, people outside their own little clique of friends.

Also, so many ex-Lammaites just seem to love hearing what their stay-behind friends are up to these days, being avid readers of these forums, the Blog, photo galleries and the Lamma-zine. They're all part of the platform, the media for the emerging inclusive, open "Lamma community on the internet", not an elitist "in-crowd", I hope.

Pretty corny, I know, but this optimist here still believes in it.

[Beanburglar]

Only winners and losers on Lamma, nothing in between. A small indication of this is the amount of people who took their own lagers to Dickstock, rather than pay the extra $2 that Dick's downstairs neighbour was charging. This despite the fact that he had gone to the trouble to provide the cold drinks service which meant no one had to go back and forth to the village for beer as used to be the case in the early days. Also, completely ignoring the fact that without his consent , to turn up, make noise, smoke whatever they liked and leave their crap all over his lawn, there could be no Dickstock. At least they saved $2 a can though. One big happy family.

[Beanburglar]

[Lamma-Gung]

Well, Dickstock is definitely a prime example of this "big happy family" illusion, I think.

One big, happy, slightly dysfunctional (OK, quite dysfunctional), grouchy, sometimes crazy, colourful community of characters who despite all their huge individual differences spent a happy evening crammed together without any major incidences or injuries. Isn't Dickstock a great example of why so many of us love living on Lamma?

Who'll worry about where the beer came from? It's petty to save this $2, certainly, but who really cares? Certainly Mr DickStock doesn't seem to be too upset about it...

[Beatrix Kiddo]

"The paradise of dysfunction" ... is the name of my new novel, umm not about Lamma I am sorry to say, but alas -- as I am generous, feel free to use the title to describe this little sparkling enigma of village life that keeps you tugging on your greying locks. It aint all that bad, running to catch the ferry with one shoe on one shoe off, egg on your chin

I recommend joining the Hong Kong Electric Bands fan club, to raise those battered spirits -- reduced rates for disgruntled longtermers -- its not a sentence now!!!

Take Lamma funday for example, so much excitement was being had by all that the hillside spontaneosly combusted into a shiva like fireball -- umm, see thats what happens when you get too many socerers in the same place at once! Plus, I got to see my favourite scene from "Withnail and I" re-enacted when a screeming V.baller.bouncer cried out "getinthebackofthevan" style -- "canyoupleasegetonthebeachpllleeeasssee" ....... moments as such will get me through december

[Beanburglar]

I only said it was a small indication...

[Beanburglar]

...but hey, who cares because you're all my brothers and sisters and no one's a two bob shitter in this mad cap alternative cabaret we endure.

[Lamma-Gung]

...but hey, at least this real-life alternative cabaret rarely gets boring and - like a mad & bad but addictive sitcom - it keeps most of us enthralled, entertained or at least slightly amused, staying on long after some of the longtimers have run out of friends and enemies...

...and it seems unlikely that I'll ever run out of material for my silly little publishing hobby...

[Beanburglar]

NO-ONE ever runs out of enemies on Lamma.

[Beanburglar]

Granola Eater wrote:
The menu is extremely limited, but I like what they've done with the place.


Do you mean the new water pipes in Tai Peng?

[Guy Mlller]

Didn't understand any of that - especially the L-B blurb - so here's a photo - female - tweaked before I got there

[Beanburglar]

I'll be keeping a careful eye out for you in-crowders at the Island Bar tonight.

[Granola Eater]

If you stand outside the pub premises you can buy beer from the shops, still hear the music, and save a bundle. 4 tinnies for 10 bucks at one shop. There are often unguarded pints out there as well--- if youre quick.

[Alan]

[Granola Eater]

[mingsta]

....had they being selling a decent beer at Dickstock (not that foul Carlsberg stuff - and don't get me wrong, I'm extremely grateful to Dick and his merry men), I would have happily bought my beers there. I'm also of the opinion that Dick knows what he's in for, having half the island over for a bash, and he wouldn't do it if he thought it was about 'losers' coming round, not drinking his supplied beer, smoking weird stuff and trashing his place. And what's with the "smoking what ever they liked " comment all about anyway? It seemed pretty obvious to me from the t-shirts and fliers that smoking whatever you liked has been a Dickstock theme pretty much from its inception. Cheer up grumps! This isn't England

[Power_Station]

In crowd ? Out crowd ? There's barely enough people for a crowd !
All i remember is an old bloke selling books that had a mattress full of money no doubt ! Some hippies seeking out the cheapest possible food and drink they could find and soap-dodgers telling everyone how they have "not been to Hong Kong" for 3 weeks as if that was something to be proud of ... variety ... spice of life you know !

I don't want to be part of any in crowd anyway !!!