Bicycle clear-out

What a lovely sight on a weekday morning - a nice, clean ferry pier that doesn't look like a bicycle graveyard:

But for how long, I wonder?

I still think NWFF should set up a few stalls in that space and either open them for tender or offer them for rent to local craftspeople/ traders.

It will create a buzz for people coming out of the ferry, generate more revenue for the ferry company - and, more importantly, keep those illegal parkers at bay.

Dragonboat festival

We were woken up early today to the rhythmic sound of gongs. It's Tuen Ng festival again – let the battle of the dragonboats and who-has-the-longest-lens begin!

The weather was absolutely perfect for a day of watching the races... blue sunny skies and a nice stiff wind to keep temperatures down.

There was a carnival feel in the air. Even the sad old dragon at the entrance to the beach got its ceremonial garb out.

Apparently there's some secret illegal betting going on and the rivalry between the local fishing teams and the sponsored (mostly expat) teams is bitter.

You can tell which ones have the most money by their coordinating outfits. The poorer ones just make do with a motley bunch of T-shirts.

But for spectators like us, who don't have a particular team to root for, it was just a fun, colourful event.

It even prompted Buffalo Wilbur, always the last to be picked out for playground football teams, to want to join a dragonboat team too.

He wants to join only the most unfit, it's-not-the-winning-it's-the-taking-part team because he's worried his team-mates might just kick sand in his face.




For some people, though, it was just business as usual.

Is this dumping in Shap Long legal?

Is this a typical developer's dirty trick: dump, degrade the area, then apply for permit to build houses on the grounds that the place is not a nature reserve any more?

The poor buffaloes. This has been their field for decades, now they have been forced to forage along the strip of land between the Shap Long beach and the mountains.

Property crunch

People have been asking me what's up with the property market in Mui Wo.

Why are the real-estate agent websites all not updated? Is there a dearth of places for sale in the area?

And why are the available properties so expensive? Is Mui Wo becoming an expat area, with expat prices?

Never let it be said I don't listen to the needs of my readers. I did take a walk around town to check and, yes, there does seem to be fewer photos up in the windows than there'd been months before.

What is happening? Gleaning from gossip from the locals and realtors here's a possible scenario:

• There are only a small number of homes in the area and the affordable ones (ie below HK$2 million) have already been snapped up.
• Both new and existing homeowners are banking on prices to rise further so they prefer to hold and rent out their units rather than sell – unless it's for a ridiculous sum of money.
• Going by the laws of demand and supply, this means sale prices are high but rents are still relatively low.

So people thinking of moving to Mui Wo should rent first and buy when the supply increases again, right?

Sort of. The problem is that rents are rising all over Hong Kong and that's pushing more people off the Island and into the New Territories.

Notice how crazy rents are in Lamma? Well, some Lammaites are decamping for Mui Wo and that is increasing the demand here too.

If you're thinking of buying in the area, the agents advise you take out a lease with an option to extend so your rents won't suddenly spike at the end of the year.

But let them know that you're looking and be prepared to act fast if something does come up. As you can see from the transaction figures, there are still affordable properties around.

Don't give up hope. Sooner or later, someone will put their home on the market. It just won't be us.

Squash those litterbugs

I don't mind that people eat (sometimes very strong smelling stuff) on the ferries.

But what I do mind is accidentally sitting down on a food-stained tissue or banging my knee against a smelly styrofoam cup with curry sauce dregs stuffed into the seat.

The other day, I stepped on a piece of chewing gum which followed me all the way to work in the MTR.

Every time I get off the ferry I pass seats with trash left behind by commuters. I can understand leaving behind the newspapers... maybe the ferry crew can sell them for some money... but what about those empty bottles and styrofoam food containers?

The ferry crew are not servants; they are professional seamen.

So why do they have to pick up after these litterbugs?

I was stewing (silently) over this yesterday when a guy - who is my anti-litter hero now - spoke up. Picking up a discarded bottle, he asked the culprit, oh so politely: "I believe this is yours?"

Good on you, mate!

So that's why the walkway is taking so long...

... the workers have been raptured!

Though why they were working naked with only their hard hats on is a puzzle in itself.

Leave those buffaloes alone!

Look at those cute calves and their parents. It's so peaceful just watching them munching away in the fields and wallowing in the mud.

I can't imagine anyone having the heart to shoot at them and spray them with chemicals, as reported by Lantau Link.

Makes me so angry to think about it I want to walk around with a spray gun full of chemicals to spray in the face of that person who was so cruel to Bruce and his pals.

I mean, they are buffaloes. They can't tell the difference between garden plants and food. And if you don't put up a fence, then it should be fair play to them. Grrr....

Sign the petition to save the buffaloes here.