Hans Dickert sits down with Elizabeth Kerr as he gets ready to share some old-school St Nick love with DB kids PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com & courtesy of Hans Dickert I was a Krampus when I did my first visit in Germany. It’s the easiest role because you don’t have to talk. You go in and look grim,” begins Hans Dickert, recalling nearly a lifetime’s wor th of holiday St Nicholas visits. He was 18, in his hometown of Schnait tenbach (about an hour from Nürnberg) and knew almost everyone he was visiting. “I dropped into one house with about seven kidsaround 5.30 in the evening. It was great, we gave the gif ts to the kids and off they went. Then the parents said, ‘Have a schnapps with us.’ Now, we had two more visits planned. I knew these people. If we didn’t stop for a drink, they’d never let us out of the house. So, we had one schnapps. And some Ouzo, 20ccl, not a shot. We went back later for mulled wine and cookies,” he pauses, throwing a deadpan stare over Google Meet. “I’m from Bavaria. The mulled wine glass was a beer stein.” THAT’S THE SPIRIT Now, DB parents and guardians who are expecting a visit from Hans or one of his assistant St Nicholases this year can relax. His drinking days are far behind him. A DB resident of 13 years, Hans is an active Lantau Boat Club paddler, hiker and on-the-weekend farmer. He works for a German industrial tech firm. We live and learn. What’s more, he’s had plenty of practice. Hans has been doing St Nicholas visits (before Christmas, traditionally on December 5) for nearly all of the 20 years he’s lived in Hong Kong, and for the last three years as part of local charity One World Spirit Association’s (OWS) cultural exchange programmes. It’s been roughly 10 months since I chatted with Hans and his wife, OWS founder Shirlee, back when the couple was preparing its Lunar New Year events. Unsurprisingly those events got put on ice when Hong Kong got slammed in an Omicron outbreak in February. Those plans were canned, but the Dicker ts are back in business, making new ones, star ting with the St Nicholas visits for children aged two to six. After getting an idea of how many kids are in the home, ages, genders and names, Hans or one of his ‘colleagues’ show up dressed up like St Nicholas with small gifts and sweets, sharing the historic folklore that gave bir th to the myth of the man in red. The legend stems from a Roman Empire-era Greek bishop who developed a reputation among early Christians for his secret gift-giving. “He left some money for very poor families and little candies on the night of December 5 for children,” explains Hans. “The tradition travelled to Europe and it stuck. In Germany you give little gifts, in the Netherlands you give a larger one, so the tradition varies from place to place. But each time it’s the joy in the children that makes it so special,” Hans adds. “This shouldn’t be confused with Santa Claus; he visits on Christmas Day.” SHARING A LEGACY This year will be the third in a row Hans and his St Nicholases – now counting Olli, a Finn; Gil, a Belgian; Nigel, a Brit and Sergius, a fellow German – have visited kids in DB, and he admits he’d love to see the tradition picked up across Hong Kong. OWS would be thrilled to teach anyone who’s interested the tricks of the trade, and both Hans and Shirlee would love to get into more schools and, most importantly, connect with organisations that serve underprivileged kids. In fact, the Dicker ts need help if they hope to avoid turning requests down. “We had an enquiry from a kindergarten about St Nicholas, and really it’s just about manpower,” Shirlee says. “School visits need to be on weekdays and all our St Nicholases are volunteers. But we’re trying to work it out.” In 2021, 27 DB families got visits from three teams, and Hans expects all this year’s available slots to fill up. In early November, seven families were already on board. While OWS’ team of regular volunteers now numbers 15+, the Dicker ts have been looking for more support in the lead-up to the December event. They needed more golf cart drivers to get the St Nicholases to residents’ homes, and young volunteers (aged 13 years and up) to assist the team by liaising with families signed up for a visit. “This is the second year, we have enrolled students from Po Leung Kuk Tong Nai Kan Junior Secondary College to assist us. We hope the volunteers who are helping on the Christmas visits will keep up the tradition down the road,” Hans says. “We want to recruit young people in par ticular, in order to pass on this wonderful tradition and legacy.” CONNECTING CULTURES More is required of a wannabe St Nicholas than being willing to dress-up and Hans held a series of training days in November for new recruits. “They learn a bit about how to represent, how to pay attention to the children and the family when they go in, how to read out loud and how to interact with the kids,” he explains. “Everyone needs to make their Golden Book. They can read from the text, and once they get into it, they can improvise a bit.” The big day this year is Sunday, December 4. Hans proudly shows off a new, handmade bishop’s sceptre, something like a shepherd’s staff, for St Nicholas to wield. It’s a traditional part of the costume that’s been missing until now. That was remedied when the Dickerts picked up a headpiece in Schnaittenbach on a visit this summer. The final touch is the aforementioned Golden Book, which is a list of names, directions for the golf cart drivers, and some notes submitted by parents when they request the visit (check out OWS’s Facebook page for details: fb.me/e/32lcdNMWr ). Most of the notes are little things – “Could help clean up,” “Needs to brush teeth better” and “Doesn’t finish breakfast” – but to a four-year-old the fact that St Nicholas knows these secrets must be astonishing. “They look at us like, ‘How does he know that?’ It’s in the Golden Book,” Hans says with a chuckle. “We can’t let them look inside because it’s a ‘special’ book.” As COVID seems to come under some semblance of control and Hong Kong starts to re-connect with the world (when the Dickerts travelled in the summer, the airport was, “Like an old zombie movie. Everything was closed. We landed in Istanbul in the middle of the night and people were all over the place, life everywhere. It was like night and day.”) OWS is getting back at it, planning a Christmas Bazaar with the German Chamber of Commerce and rescheduling some of those postponed CNY events. “We’re looking ahead to January, planning a Hanfu Chinese traditional clothing event with Hua Zi at Natural Space, and a series of workshops on Chinese calligraphy, spring couplets and an introduction to tea art,” Shirlee says. In the meantime, December 4 is fast approaching. For the record, it’s not a one-way street. “We get the kids to sing or draw a picture for St Nicholas, keep them engaged and ask them to reflect on their year,” finishes Hans “Sometimes it can help parents out. I did this for many years in Germany and seeing how the kids grew up and changed. It’s amazing.”

Anisha Kumar Ramanathan, Senior Associate at Withers, outlines what you need to know. PHOTO BY Unsplash To make sure that children under 18 are properly cared for in the unfortunate event of the demise of both parents, one should consider appointing guardians, or, as is so often the case with expatriates in Hong Kong, appointing temporary guardians, in a will or a deed. The law in Hong Kong provides that in the event of the death of both parents, the court can appoint a guardian for the children if no guardian has been appointed, and any person can apply to be a guardian. These applicants will be vetted by the court who can remove or replace them, but the ultimate result may not be that envisaged by the parents, and further complications may arise if there is an estate to be settled. In any event, it is far from ideal for parties to have to apply to court at such an emotional time. A deed of appointment of a guardian can be made simply stating who should be the guardians of the children in the event of the death of both or either parent. All that is required is that the deed be in writing, dated, signed by the person making the appointment and witnessed by two witnesses. The guardian will assume all parental rights and authority over the minor. The guardian has all the rights, powers and duties of the minor’s estate; and has the right to receive and recover property to which the minor is entitled on his behalf. The views of the children, as to the choice of guardian, should be considered taking into account their age and understanding. If it is intended that, in the event of both parents’ death, the children should leave Hong Kong and return to their country of origin, the appointment of temporary guardians to deal with the transition is most advisable. These temporary guardians can look after the children in the immediate aftermath of their parents’ death to ensure that their lives can continue in some shape or form until such time as it is appropriate for them to return to their home country. The temporary guardians can then arrange for the children’s repatriation at which time the guardians can take over. The estate of the intestate parents will go to the children on trust while they are minors. This will involve the appointment by the court of a trustee who could be the same individual as the guardian or, if deemed appropriate, a trust corporation. Therefore, not only is it crucial for there to be an appointment of guardians for the children’s safety, there should also be a will to determine who should be the executors and trustees of the estate to avoid the necessity of going to court to appoint a trustee and guardian to deal with the finances. By making a will, one can make sure there is sufficient money left for the education and care of the children. Withers’ teams of family and matrimonial lawyers have extensive experience in dealing with Hong Kong family law. For enquiries, contact Anisha Kumar Ramanathan, Senior Associate at Withers, at anisha.ramanathan@withersworldwide.com. Withers, 30/F United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, 3711 1600, www.withersworldwide.com.

2023 is the Year of the Rabbit , and to celebrate, we’re asking young DB artists to put pen to paper (or tablet) to create an A4-sized, rabbit-themed CNY artwork. The competition has two categories: (1) primary school students living/ studying in DB and (2) secondary school students living/ studying in DB. EACH ENTRY MUST INCLUDE • The entrant’s name, student ID copy, age and chosen category • Three photos showing the artwork in progress • A photo of the entrant with the completed artwork Plus either : • A photo of the original artwork (1MB minimum) or • The digital artwork (2480 x 3508px at 300dpi) KEY DATES December 18: Submission deadline January 1: Shortlisted entrants are announced and pictured in the January issue of Around DB and on the Around DB Facebook page January 1-15: Online voting on the Around DB Facebook page January 18: Results posted on the Around DB Facebook page February 1: Photos of the finalists in each category, and their drawings, are published in the February issue of Around DB PRIZES TO WIN There are prizes for the finalists in each category: Winner: HK$1,500 in book vouchers 1st runner-up: HK$1,000 in book vouchers 2nd runner-up: HK$800 in book vouchers Please email your entry to: dbdrawingcompetition@gmail.com Shortlisted entrants will be required to drop off their original artwork or send it via registered post to us at 6E Elegance Court, Hillgrove Village, DB. SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY BY DECEMBER 18, 2022!

2023 is the Year of the Rabbit , and to celebrate, we’re asking young DB artists to put pen to paper (or tablet) to create an A4-sized, rabbit-themed CNY artwork. The competition has two categories: (1) primary school students living/ studying in DB and (2) secondary school students living/ studying in DB. EACH ENTRY MUST INCLUDE • The entrant’s name, student ID copy, age and chosen category • Three photos showing the artwork in progress • A photo of the entrant with the completed artwork Plus either : • A photo of the original artwork (1MB minimum) or • The digital artwork (2480 x 3508px at 300dpi) KEY DATES December 18: Submission deadline January 1: Shortlisted entrants are announced and pictured in the January issue of Around DB and on the Around DB Facebook page January 1-15: Online voting on the Around DB Facebook page January 18: Results posted on the Around DB Facebook page February 1: Photos of the finalists in each category, and their drawings, are published in the February issue of Around DB PRIZES TO WIN There are prizes for the finalists in each category: Winner: HK$1,500 in book vouchers 1st runner-up: HK$1,000 in book vouchers 2nd runner-up: HK$800 in book vouchers Please email your entry to: dbdrawingcompetition@gmail.com Shortlisted entrants will be required to drop off their original artwork or send it via registered post to us at 6E Elegance Court, Hillgrove Village, DB. SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY BY DECEMBER 18, 2022!

Force of Nature Hua Zi has made it his life’s work to bring Chinese photographic art to the world – and now he’s doing that and more from his new DB studio. REPORTING BY Raphael Blet PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com Chances are you’ve heard of Hua Zi. You may know him as the founder of China Visual, and the brains behind the annual Hong Kong National Photography Art Exhibition and the All-China Photographers Association. You may know him as an award-winning photographer or the publisher of Photo World. You may know him simply as Herman, a fellow resident, who’s been living in DB with his wife and three kids since 2014. What you may not know is that he’s just opened a studio space in DB North Plaza. More on that later. Born in Shandong, China, Herman moved to Hong Kong in 2008 through the government’s Excellent Talents Entry Program. At the time, he was already a well-known photographer and the publisher of Modern Photography News, China Photography and Hong Kong-based Photo World. His Complete Works of Chinese Photographers, published in 1991, went on to win the China National Book Award. “I have been engaged in photography for nearly 40 years. In saying I’m a photographer, I feel like I’m more of a curator,” Herman opens. “My aim has long been to bring Chinese art and Chinese photographers to the world through the plat form of photography.” To say that Herman has achieved this goal would be understatement: In 2019, he was named one of the 180 most influential people in the development of photography at an event in Cormeilles, France, put on to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the birth of photography. He is currently the executive chairman of the Golden Horse Award for Chinese Art and the chairman of the All-China Photographers Association. Every year, COVID allowing, he holds photography exhibitions for large scale cultural- and artistic-exchange activities across the world. THE CURATOR “In addition to photography itself, my work is the organisation and promotion of photographic activities,” Herman explains. “My main activity in Hong Kong is the annual Hong Kong National Photography Art Exhibition, which solicits contributions from Chinese photographers around the world.” Every year, thousands of photographers provide hundreds of thousands of pictures to participate in the exhibition, and out of these 1,200 photos are selected. The 70,000 strong All-China Photographers Association, which Herman founded in 1992, is also a pretty big deal. “We interact through a professional photography network platform, and we hold photography competitions, exhibitions and various photography-exchange events in Hong Kong and overseas,” Herman says. “On average, there are about four large-scale events per year, with hundreds of Chinese photographers from all over the world participating each time. “Photographic artists need to interact with each other,” Herman adds. “And events like these also encourage the public to take an interest in photography.” As an extension of all this, Herman hosts and art directs numerous big-name, mainland-based fashion and talent shows, including the New Silk Road Model Contest and the Miss Tourism International beauty pageant. One of his plans for 2023 is to host a Miss Yachting International Competition here in DB. ON PHOTOGRAPHY While Herman prefers not to focus on his own photography, he will say that his favourite subject to photograph is man and nature. “I think the fusion of man and nature is the most beautiful, and the most important,” he says. Ask about his favourite photographers and Herman says: “I prefer a certain category of photography, not a certain photographer. I prefer documentary-themed photography. The photos I collect are old photos of important historical events, such as the Cultural Revolution in China, and old photos of Hong Kong.” No surprise, Herman has a lot of cameras, from traditional, large-format cameras and film cameras to digital cameras of all styles. These days, however, he prefers to shoot with his phone. “This makes it easy to send photos out on social media for everyone to see and discuss,” he explains. “This is the age of digital photography, photography itself is a medium.” For upcoming photographers, Herman has a key piece of advice. “I hope that all young people, including those who are beginners in photography, do not focus too much on photographic equipment. The key is the eyes behind the camera and the brain behind the eyes. It doesn’t matter what camera you shoot with, what matters is what you shoot.” THE DB STUDIO Now back to the new chic waterfront studio, Natural Space (@chinavisuallimit), an exhibition space-cum photography studio in DB North Plaza. Ask Herman, who used to have showrooms in Central and in Beijing’s 798 Art District, why he chose the DB location and he says simply: “I don’t want to do it in the city centre now. I like the DB community where I live, and I like to interact with the residents here. I like the environment and culture very much. DB is a window to the world!” While Herman is keen to point out that he is not running a gallery, and the art on show at the studio is not for sale, he says exceptions can be made: “Our exhibitions are not for sale unless the visitor actively requests to buy. We will decide whether to sell according to the artist’s wishes.” Though low-key and still in soft-launch, Herman has big plans for Natural Space, and he has already hosted a number of exhibitions, including one by Lantau-based contemporary expressionist painter Leslie Lachiche. A selection of his own photographs, capturing the natural beauty of Lantau and Hong Kong, are on permanent display. Going forward, exhibitions at Natural Space will change every two weeks; many will feature prizewinning photos from the competitions Herman organises. “The photography exhibitions will each have different themes, such as Tibet, Xinjiang, and of course, animals and flowers,” Herman says. “Artists who want to present their solo exhibitions at Natural Space are welcome to do so,” he adds, calling on anyone interested to get in touch. Herman is keen to get fellow residents involved and make Natural Space something of a social hub. He started getting the word out last month by hosting a Halloween Dress-Up Contest at the studio, and more events are in the offing. A photography studio, as well as a place for exhibitions, Natural Space offers a range of services, including family portraits and event photography. Herman is also experimenting in post-production and can have photos printed on everything from rugs to porcelain. “Come to my studio and I can print your picture on a wine bottle,” he concludes with a grin.

DOWN ON THE FARM You will have noticed a lot of activity recently inside the greenhouse at DB Community Green Square. Want to know what’s going on? Ray Au unearths the DB Kids Farming Programme. PHOTOS BY Beatrix Malan - www.atscollective.com & courtesy of Love.Together@DB Through the DB Kids Farming Programme, launched in May by Love.Together@DB, local school children, alongside their parents and siblings, are given a small piece of farmland to cultivate. The farmlands are located inside the greenhouse of DB Community Green Square, near Haven Court, with members of the DB Landscape Team on hand to teach the kids valuable farming skills. A community-caring platform initiated by Hong Kong Resort Company Limited (HKRCL) in 2012, Love.Together@DB is well known for its ability to bring the community together through a wide range of fun and informative activities. Promoting green living in DB is a priority. No surprise then that the DB Kids Farming Programme has a multi-faceted agenda aiming to teach children about farming and foster environmental awareness; bring families together and promote positive parenting; provide children with an enriching extracurricular experience; and benefit the wider community. To date, two schools and three NGOs have been invited to join the DB Kids Farming Programme. Namely, S.K.H. Wei Lun Primary School, Discovery College, Discovery Bay Alliance Church Community Centre, the Hong Kong Outlying Islands Women’s Association (OIWA) and The Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council (NAAC). The initiative is ongoing and more schools and NGOs are expected to enrol in 2023. The DB Kids Farming Programme is designed to be flexible, with content tailor-made to match the academic enrichment curriculum or focus of individual schools and NGOs. For instance, in contributing to the programme, OIWA engaged with pre-kindergarten age kids, encouraging them to treasure the planet’s natural resources. Discovery College is placing the emphasis on sustainable living and community service in DB. And for S.K.H. Wei Lun Primary School, earlier in the year, the focus was on positive parenting – encouraging young parents to spend quality time with their children outdoors in order to boost family ties. CULTIVATING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS “We created this platform so that residents could experience the unique green lifestyle in DB and to educate local kids about the need for sustainability in daily life,” opens Dino Mak, DB Landscape Manager. “We aim to encourage the kids and residents involved to become ‘green ambassadors’ of our community.” Working out of the newly built greenhouse at DB Community Green Square, children learn how to plant seedlings, nur ture growing plants and harvest their crops. In sharing their exper tise, the DB Landscape Team makes it a priority that the children have fun. We protect what we love, so the idea is that if children learn to love being in nature, they will decide they want to protect it. “The students are so excited to be par t of the DB Kids Farming Programme,” says Ellie Fong, NAAC socialworker at Discovery College. “It is a fun programme that enriches their knowledge of farming, allows them to put effort into physically taking care of their plants and teaches them, quite literally, that you reap what you sow.” From an environmental perspective, children participating in the DB Kids Farming Programme are taught about sustainable practices surrounding agriculture and food. “This new learning environment give kids real-world context of why environmental awareness matters; it helps them understand what is happening in the community around them and why the environment needs protection,” says Dino. This view is echoed by Luvis Wong, Community Services Development Manager at OIWA, who has been closely involved with the programme since its conception. “We want to educate children at an early age about the concept of environmental protection,” he says. “The DB Kids Farming Programme provides an effective platform. We evangelise the message of treasuring food and other natural resources provided by our loving planet.” BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER Moving beyond the programme’s environmental roots, one of its primary aims is to bring families together through enjoyable shared experiences. Working together outdoors with a common goal allows families to enjoy quality time together and fosters mutual respect. The way the programme promotes positive parenting is key for Andrew Yam, Centre-in-Charge of Discovery Bay Alliance Church Community Centre. “The DB Kids Farming Programme fosters personal growth through optimism, happiness and caring relationships,” he says. “This can help young parents to positively embrace day-to-day stresses and challenges in the parenting process. It can help them lead joyous and fulfilling lives centred on their family’s wellbeing.” Though parent-child focused, the DB Kids Farming Programme also invites whole-family involvement which means that in addition to spending quality time with mum and dad, children can have fun with other family members, whether that is planting seeds with their grandparents or showing their siblings skills they have learned. By extension, participating families get to connect with other families. As they help each other farm their plots and celebrate together at harvest time, they have the opportunity to build close relationships. Mabel Lam, Principal of S.K.H. Wei Lun Primary School, finds this central to the programme’s success, and it’s something she has furthered online by creating an exchange platform, ‘Farming Diary’. “Through the ‘Farming Diary,’ Love.Together@DB, the co-organisers and participants can share their farming tips and experiences,” she says. “They can express how they felt and what inspired them during the process.” ENRICHING KIDS’ LIVES As an academic enrichment programme par excellence, the DB Kids Farming Programme sets out to provide children with something fun and constructive to do outside the classroom. More than that, it aims to give par ticipants confidence, autonomy, stability, motivation and optimism – in short, a positive mindset. “The young farmers are encouraged to face difficult situations in a positive way,” Dino explains. “If their plants do not grow as well as expected due to factors outside of their control – typhoon, heatwave, or insufficient knowledge of farming – they find out how to tackle the problem and overcome negative thinking.” For Mabel, this is one of the things that makes the programme so meaningful. “The DB Kids Farming Programme encourages children to develop their emotions in a positive way and to acquire a positive attitude towards life challenges,” she says. “At S.K.H. Wei Lun Primary School, we believe that a sense of positivity and happiness can fortify inner potential and personal strengths, and we prioritise whole-person development of students. The objectives of the DB Kids Farming Programme are totally in line with that. “We and Love.Together@DB organised a celebratory, in-person Graduation Day when our school’s time on the programme ended,” Mabel adds. “Participating parents and students were invited to exchange views and share the benefits of the programme and, in recognition of their efforts, there were awards for best harvest, best sharing and best parent child collaboration. BENEFITING THE WIDER COMMUNITY Love.Together@DB hopes children’s participation in the programme will encourage them to live in a greener way, get involved in other communitywide green initiatives and encourage friends and neighbours to adopt the same habits. “The earlier kids learn about protecting the environment, the sooner they’ll be able to contribute to the community and beyond,” a Love.Together@DB spokesperson explains. As green ambassadors, children are encouraged to share their crops not only with family and friends, but with others residents, importantly the elderly in DB. “We’ve added a community service element to the programme to help bring harmony to our living place and create a strong sense of belonging among residents,” the spokesperson adds. This is an aspect of the programme that particularly appeals to Ellie when working with students from Discovery College. “Because of the DB Kids Farming Programme, children have the chance to participate in the community by doing voluntary service,” she says. “Students send out the produce they’ve grown to show they care. This strengthens DB’s community care network and plays a part in creating the loving, caring place in which we live. A big thank you goes to Love.Together@DB!”

Keep the kids occupied, stimulated and entertained with some a variety of Winter Camps around Lantau & beyond.

Founded in 2009 with the aim to provide customers with a great place to work and grow their businesses, Compass Offices is a leading regional office space provider, with more than 40 centres located in nine APAC cities and serving over 20,000 customers. With its serviced offices, business centres and even co-working spaces, Compass Offices combines scalability, technology and choice, with an emphasis on service consistency and no-nonsense price plans. Offices for everyone across the city Testament to Compass Offices’ success is its varied customer base which includes start-ups, entrepreneurs, independent professionals, multinational corporations and more. “Our centres are more than just office spaces, they are collaborative hubs for our clients and their employees to focus on what they do best,” says Amy Lam, Marketing Director, at Compass Offices. Compass Offices gives businesses a range of services and options to choose from: individual offices, large team offices, accommodating over 100 people, and per-floor offices. In Hong Kong, the 13 business centres are spread across the city in such a way that all sectors can be catered to. The artsy minded may choose one of four Sheung Wan locations, while finance professionals may opt to be in Central, and law professionals in Admiralty. There are additional locations in Causeway Bay, North Point and Tsim Sha Tsui. Taking into account the current business environment and clients’ need for flexibility, Compass Offices prides itself to provide relocation assistance, under certain circumstances, to those who wish to move to another of the company’s locations, but also 2 months free for those who sign for a yearly lease.Says Amy Lam: “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have been looking for flexible solutions, shifting away from traditional models. Keeping abreast of the latest trends, we are on an ever-lasting crusade to offer our customers more innovative products and solutions.” Professional and ready to use offices Besides providing state-of-the art IT solutions and multilingual, professional client services teams, Compass Offices goes the extra mile by putting a strong emphasis on wellbeing and aesthetics. Its office spaces are stylishly and ergonomically furnished, with the design of each based on its location. Away from their desk, tenants can make use of a stylish business lounge and relax in designated café-like areas. First impressions and appearances are determining factors in building business relationships and to this end, all locations are fitted with reception areas, meeting rooms and inviting lounges. Unlike traditional offices which must be renovated and furnished from the ground up, Compass Offices’ workspaces come fully furnished and business ready. What’s more, tenants only pay for the facilities they need, without extra cost for set-up or maintenance. Networking being crucial to business development, Compass Offices organises regular events for its customers to meet prospective partners. There is also of course the option to access new markets by connecting with like-minded professionals in the office next door.Compass Offices offers virtual offices solutions too; the right fit for new companies who want to get a taste of the local business environment before setting up an office for the longer term. Virtual offices packages include a dedicated phone line, business cards, mail-keeping services and more. Under the Business Executive virtual office option, clients can enjoy five days of office usage space per month. The Business Meeting virtual office package gives users eight-hours’ meeting room access per month. Then of course, there are the co-working spaces and shared office options. Popular among self-employed entrepreneurs and freelancers, hot-desk and day-desk rental services (starting at HK$200 daily) give clients the opportunity to make use of a top-notch working space with no strings attached. “As Hong Kong is reopening to the world, we are looking forward to serving new customers and contributing to the revival of our city’s business environment,” ends Amy Lam. To learn more about Compass Offices and get a quote for office rental, call 3796 7188 or visit www.compassoffices.com.

The much-anticipated mountain trail season curtain opener - CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks™ lived up to the hype on 2 October (Sunday) with a sold out event close to 500, with almost 200 on a waiting list, great cool weather for the start with windy gusts, a breeze high up on the 934m summit Lantau Peak with Japanese Masashi 雅 Shirotake城武(Masa) taking the overall Men’s title with one of Hong Kong’s top Female mountain runners Wong Mei-yan taking the overall Women’s title - who has had an outstanding last year with many top podium results “Hi, I’m from Japan. Thank you Action Asia and all the staff for organizing this race as the downhill from Sunset Peak into Wong Lung Hang valley was little bit slippery and technical, but I really enjoyed this CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks race as due to restrictions, great Action Asia got permission and hoping for more races” said Shirotake taking the overall win in a stunning time of 2 hours 45 minutes 56 seconds. “Great day at the CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks and so happy to join as I did well previously and my time was better this year so am happy to experience this again with everyone being so happy” said overall women winner Wong Mei-yan finishing in 3 hours 39 minutes 34 seconds and relishing the finish line seeing some of her friends. Second in the overall Men’s 23km course was Chan Ka Keung (KC) finishing in 2 hours 52 minutes 57 seconds who battled Masa thru the race just down a little over a minute at the Pak Kung Au 15km mark (CP2) before Masa put the burners on pushing himself to run a lot of Sunset Peak uphill increasing the gap carrying 2 full flasks while KC refilled only 1 bottle for a faster check point transition. “Very happy with my result today at the CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks as I really enjoyed the Lantau Peak downhill as very technical and rocky with some beautiful scenery” said KC who actually was in so much pain from cramping minutes after he finished that St Johns ambulance medics had to rush to him and spend a good 20minutes or so helping him before he recovered and could stand. Third overall in the Men’s was Salomon Wettstein (Switzerland) in 3:02:45, with Jeremy Ritcey (Canada) taking 4th overall in 3:04:08 with Oliver Marks (UK) taking 5th overall in 3:09:49. Second overall in the Womens was Zein Williams who is no stranger to the podium with numerous trail running race wins under her belt and was all smiles as she usual is at a trail running race, especially in her training back yard. “Great being at this CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks event as the great thing was the organization as the start line was easy and smooth, the checkpoints were easy and the views were incredible, it’s a great race, finishing was good and special thanks for the volunteers, sponsors and the organizer as without them there would be nothing” commented Williams relishing her 2nd overall this year in 3 hours 40 minutes 17 seconds just 38 seconds behind for a true battle, but speaking of a Women’s battle, how about how about the next 3 Women from third to fifth with Shirley Cornelia Hung (HKG) in 3:47:38, Angelika Hahn (Germany) in 3:47:38 and Chiu Man 昭文 Cheung 張 ( HKG) 3:48:01 with all 3 inside of 37 seconds. “We extend our deepest congratulations to participants who took part in the CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks Race 2022. Completing the 15km or 23km course is a strong testament to their personal commitment and perseverance. A huge congratulations to all the winners for taking home the big titles. As a company that values the spirit of sportsmanship, CBRE takes pride in supporting a hiking race like CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks where people can continue to realize their potential to the fullest,” said Tom Gaffney, Regional Managing Director, CBRE Hong Kong. “We are very glad to be able to partner with a passionate organization like CBRE on this race. The company leads by example with many of their employees taking an active role in contributing to the environment, by getting outside and participating in a race that requires commitment, dedication and perseverance. With Hong Kong’s quarantine restrictions being relaxed, the overall mood in the city has become more positive and based on the success and positive comments from the CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks really looking forward to welcoming overseas trail enthusiasts soon to showcase what this beautiful city has to offer," said Michael Maddess, Director of Action Asia Events. The CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks ™, 23km course like the name says, reaches the 2nd and 3rd highest peak of Hong Kong in Lantau Island – Lantau Peak reaching 934m and Sunset Peak taking participants close to 800m on a very technical and demanding course, with the total elevation gain of the 23km course almost 1900m compared to the 15km course having a total elevation gain 854m. The steep mountain trails are the most strenuous part of the race, with the payoff that participants can enjoy the magnificent views around if they have a chance to look up. The start and the finish line are both located at the Tung Chung Citygate which is sea level. This years’ CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks did not have food on the course or at finish, due to health safety measures, however organizers were allowed water dispensers at checkpoints and the finish for proper rehydration. All participants must be triple vaccinated, perform PCR tests within 48 hours of the event, conduct RAT test race morning, use the leave home safe app to confirm blue color, wear masks at the start & finish areas and take part in wave starts. The event could not happen without the generous support of the title sponsor CBRE and the supporting partners Action X Store, Royale International, Around DB, Life On Lantau, Fitz, St Johns Ambulance, C3Fit, SaveWo, Watsons Water, Citygate Outlets, ITRA, New Life Plastics and the beneficiary Ocean Recovery Alliance.

Maggie Cvetkovic and Chris Davis found their running groove in Hong Kong and a reason to live in Discovery Bay. Now the Action Asia vets are taking aim at Spartan. Elizabeth Kerr reports PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com Magdalena – Maggie – Cvetkovic and Chris Davis are a well-matched pair. Slight and sinewy, the Discovery Bay bankers (she’s with Société Générale, he’s at UBS) look remarkably cool, sit ting sipping decaf on a Tuesday afternoon in the height of the year ’s last heatwave. “I like it warm. This is my dream. I love the heat. I like going for a run at lunchtime when it’s 34 degrees,” Maggie says, without a hint of irony. “I love stepping out of the flat and sweating without even doing anything. That’s how it needs to be,” she finishes with a chuckle. Chris sits quietly, not quite throwing a side-eye, but close. He’s not as into the swelter as Maggie is, but if that’s the way it is in DB, he’s OK with it. For the Devon native, DB’s small town vibe is ideal. “This suits me,” he says, entirely low-key. Both avid trail runners, the pair have just come off a 14-kilometre Action Asia Events Sprint on September 14, where he placed fifth and she placed third, and are currently training for a series of races in Hong Kong and around the region. They’ve come a long way in the 15 (for Maggie) and 11 (for Chris) years they’ve lived in Hong Kong, where they both picked up trail running in their their ties. AT HOME ON THE TRAILS Maggie and Chris have been living in DB for under a year, though Maggie did a stint here in 2008. She arrived first, fresh from her native Zurich after accepting a hedge fund job in Hong Kong. “I had two job offers, one in New York and one in Hong Kong. I always wanted to try living in Asia and, really, what’s the worst that can happen? I don’t like it and I go home,” she recalls. The duo relocated from Sai Ying Pun and credit DB’s wide open spaces, water views and trails for keeping them sane during the last 30 months. After taking up running and then getting used to flying all over the world to compete, the last couple of years have been practically sedentary. “Last year in December we wanted to go to Mui Wo and we took the wrong ferry,” begins Maggie, describing the move. “We ended up in DB and thought no problem, we’ll just go over Tiger’s Head and do whatever we were planning to do. And just going up the stairs we looked around and thought, it’s time to move back here.” “We were quite happy with our two dogs in Sai Ying Pun,” adds Chris. “But lockdown was starting again and we came here and it was just so relaxing. We have a bigger flat, a view of the sea, and it’s really not that far away. The dogs love it. The trails all have water along the way and they’re so happy to just go and go and go. That’s the beauty of living here. And I do not miss the constant noise, the constant hum of the city. It’s so peaceful here.” “Every morning I wake up and I see the sea and hear the birds,” Maggie interjects. “it’s so beautiful. There’s no reason to leave.” “She loves the sound of seagulls,” Chris shoots back. “For me, that’s the worst.” Spoken like a true West Country man. A WAY INTO HONG KONG Still. Peace is important for a couple that’s usually up at around 5am for a morning run. In their words, when they’re not working, they’re training. Next up is Action Asia’s Lantau 2 Peaks on October 3, and the Lantau 50 in January. Lantau 50 (Maggie and Chris have opted for the toughest 54km course) takes runners up and over both Lantau and Sunset peaks, with an elevation gain of 3,130m and a12-hour cut-off… No easy feat. All this begs the question: How did they get into this? The short answer is by getting a look at Hong Kong. For Maggie, the longer version comes down to a hike she went on around Sunset Peak shortly after arriving all those years ago. “It was mind-blowing,” she recalls. “I just remember people running up the stairs, and I was super-unfit at the time, and I asked them what they were doing. They told me they were not hikers, that they were trail runners, training for an Action Asia race. That was it.” The combination of the view from the top and watching these runners flit up the hill was enough to get her started. The story is similar for Chris, involving just a bit more curiosity. He’d never been to Hong Kong before getting transferred for work, and knew next to nothing about it. The trails were his way in. “I wanted to explore,” he says simply. “Once you start looking at trail maps it becomes, ‘I want to see Repulse Bay but I don’t want to just get in a taxi. How do I run there?’ So I started doing that, and there are trails that go absolutely everywhere. The more you see, the more you want to see. And it’s a great antidote to being stuck in the city.” A splash-n-dash race soon followed, and after placing fairly well on his first try, Chris started looking for more events. One thing led to another and by the time they met – on the UBS Dragon Boating squad – they were ready to be kindred running spirits. ON THE BUCKET LIST If things go well – fingers crossed quarantine restrictions ease up – Maggie and Chris will be off to Spartan Asia Pacific Championship Weekend in Thailand this November, and the World Championship in December in Abu Dhabi. Spartan, for those not in the know, is an obstacle course-based race series, akin to Iron Man (which Maggie has done). The couple ran their first Spartan race in 2016 and it’s since become their niche, with both eventually earning spots on the pro tour. Maggie still ranks. “I got dropped last year,” Chris says sheepishly. For the record, Maggie currently ranks 7,853 on Spartan’s 186,000-strong global leader board. Maggie and Chris hope to start tackling their personal trail running bucket lists sooner rather than later, which include running up Kota Kinabalu (again), perhaps Kilimanjaro, the London Marathon, Spartan Hawaii – it’s held where Jurassic Park was shot, over a long weekend – and hitting the bottom of the Grand Canyon. But until then they plan to keep in fighting form with Action Asia’s events, and even casual local races. “There’s always a race somewhere,” says Chris. “And we just do as much as possible. We came to trail running relatively late in our lives. I’m 41. Maggie’s… younger,” he trails off. “Forty!” she jumps in, loud and proud. “Finding a sport we’re excelling at makes us just want to maximise the time we have left. We’re still quite keen,” he finishes. Now if only they could remember how to pack.

In this year’s DB Baking Competition, decided last month by an online community vote, bakers were asked to share a favourite family recipe that speaks to them of happy times. Here’s your chance to meet the finalists and try their prize-winning bakes. 1st-Prize Winners Daddy and daughter duo, Chris and Evie Lord. CURLY WURLY BISCUITS Makes 10 to 12 300g plain flour 100g sugar 150g softened butter 1 egg + 1 egg yolk 1tsp vanilla extract 1tbsp cocoa powder 50g Nutella or 2tbsp cocoa powder + 2tbsp milk Preheat the oven to 170˚C. Mix the flour, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla together until fully combined. Wrap half the mixture in cling film and chill. To the remaining mixture, add the Nutella (or cocoa powder and milk) and mix to combine. Then wrap in cling film and chill. Once chilled, roll the two sets of dough into equal sized rectangles about 1cm think. Place the chocolate rectangle on top of the vanilla rectangle and then roll tightly into a log. Wrap in cling film and chill. Once chilled, cut into 1cm discs and place on a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes. 1st runners-up Husband and wife team, Selene and Alex THAI GREEN CURRY CHICKEN PIES Makes 12 For the dough: 400g soft flour 200g unsalted butter 1 egg + 2 egg yolks For the filling: ½kg chicken thigh 100g Thai green curry paste 200g coconut milk 2 stalks lemongrass, chopped fine 3 bird’s eye chillies, chopped fine 20 leaves Thai basil, chopped Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Mix and knead the flour, butter, 2 egg yolks and 4 teaspoons cold water into a dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then cook the chicken with the Thai green curry paste, coconut milk, lemongrass, bird’s eye chillies and Thai basil leaves. Roll out the dough, and cut/ shape it into individual pie moulds which have been greased with oil. Add the cooked chicken curry. Cover each with a dough lid, brushed with an egg yolk wash. Bake for 30 minutes. 2nd Runners-Up Mother and son team, Cristal and Matthew Mills FAMILY CUPCAKES Makes 12 200g butter 200g sugar ¼tsp salt 3 eggs 200g plain flour Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Cream the butter, sugar and salt together until pale in colour. Add 1 egg and a third of the flour alternately until all the ingredients are combined. Divide the batter into three, colour as desired. Distribute the batter across 12 cupcake liners. Use a toothpick to create a ‘marbled’ effect. Bake for 20 minutes rotating the tray once, halfway through. Cool and decorate as desired with icing and sprinkles. The three finalists have won cash coupons to spend at Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong: 1st-prize winners: Chris and Evie Lord, HK$3,500 1st runners-up: Selene and Alex, HK$2,500 2nd runners-up: Cristal and Matthew Mills, HK$1,500