VIBErations Podcast

VIBErations Episode 15 - Pat Lawrence

VIBErations podcast Episode 15. Pat Lawrence - Colonial ex-Hong Kong Policeman interviewed at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo, Lantau Island, HK on 20th Jan 2021.

Pat joined the RHKP in July 1974 and worked in a variety of policing work and locations for more than 20 years .,until June 1997. Born in Ireland in 1948 ,but growing up in England , Pat travelled the world as a child being the son of a military family . Prior to coming to HK and joint the RHKP, Pat served six and a half years in the British police . In HK , Lawrence’s duty posts ranged from initially uniform branch to in the main CID for the rest of his service .

Following his initial spell at Central Police division in March 1975,following his graduation from Police Training School he served in the Commercial crime bureau ,and than from 1980 on in Kowloon region posted to CID and served as a senior inspector ,chief inspector and superintendent in districts as diverse as Wong tai sin, Yaumati , Mongkok and Kowloon city. In Yaumati in the early eighties triad crime , armed robberies on jewellery /goldsmith shops and triad ‘assassinations ‘ were commonplace . However, a brief interlude in his CID postings came in 1987 when he was given the command of the Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay police divisions for a year ,thus experiencing a totally different style of Police work and indeed work more akin to a country copper albeit the one in charge .......during this time a great many expats lived in his area and indeed most of those were Cathay Pacific pilots , the area also contained a large Vietnamese refugee camp ,a prison and countless villages ,where matters were often settled internally and where policing was often looked upon with a lot of suspicion .

After a return to CID in 1989 he eventually was posted in 1992 to the security wing of the old RHKP Special branch , where work entailed international liaison and travel in SE Asia Pat served there till his retirement in 1997. After leaving the RHKP, Pat returned to London (his wife was working for British airways from there) but in 1998 returned to Asia with a international security company to work in Brunei , on matters pertaining to the royal family there .

Pat and his wife have returned to HK annually for extended visits and often to live and indeed ,now his wife has retired are planning to return to live permanently once more . Pat has always kept himself fit and is a keen hiker ,swimmer and poor golfer!.........on the hiking front whilst in HK and after , he and a group of fellow HK police officers walked the whole of the South West Way in England , a distance of 1000km.....over the course of several summers. Despite being 72 now he prides himself on keeping fit and active ,not only excercising but travelling extensively worldwide . Pat is married and has a daughter and grandson who live in San Francisco.

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? - 'Myself a Mandarin' by Austin Coates

2. Favourite musical artist? - The Who

3. Preferred drink? - HK San Miguel - Brown bottle

4. Life motto? - You're a long time in the box

5. Favourite hk walk? - North East New Territories around Double Haven

6. Favourite hk restaurant? - Cooked Food stalls

7. Faced with a python whilst walking up to the Peak – what would you do? - Stop look at it & let it go on its way

8. Best advice you were given? Get on with it

9. Finish this sentence… I live in Hong Kong because…It's safe & super efficient

10. Favourite area of Hong Kong? - Lantau Island

VIBErations Episode 14 - Les Bird

VIBErations podcast Episode 14. Les Bird - Author of 'A Small Band of Men' interviewed at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo, Lantau Island, HK on 13th Jan 2021.

Les joined the Royal Hong Kong Police in 1976, and worked in the Marine Police for more than 20 years until June 1997. Originating from Staffordshire in the UK, Bird’s work was diverse – in the late 1970s he was a rural inspector of West Lantau, in the early 80s he returned to launch-going duties, overseeing the influx of tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees in the years that followed. Among other duties, he also headed the SBU, the Marine Fast Pursuit Unit combating cross-border smuggling of people, arms, drugs and luxury cars.

Born in 1951, Les was the second from his family to serve Hong Kong. His father was part of the British Royal Navy force that came to Hong Kong in August 1945 at the end of the Japanese military occupation and subsequently helped in the policing of the territory throughout 1946. After leaving the police in 1997, Les worked in private security throughout Southeast Asia, spending 10 years in Thailand.

He is an endurance athlete, and has taken part in Ironman events and long-distance triathlons worldwide. He represented Great Britain at the 2009 Ironman World Championship. In 2011 he swam the English Channel and in 2012 summited Mont Blanc. Les is also a founding member and chairman of Asia's Rhinos Rugby Football Club. He is married with two daughters.

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? - 'The Count of Monte Cristo' by Alexandre Dumas

2. Favourite musical artist? - Towa Bird - daughter

3. Preferred drink? - Bird's Bitter - Bird's Brewery

4. Life motto? - Have the courage of your convictions

5. Favourite hk walk? - The West Dog's Teeth on Lantau Island

6. Favourite hk restaurant? - Madame Fu - Central Police station

7. Faced with a python whilst walking up to the Peak – what would you do? - Take a photo and contact Will Sargent

8. Best advice you were given? - Never piss into the wind

9. Finish this sentence… I live in Hong Kong because…Its home, been here 45 yrs

10. Favourite area of Hong Kong? Tai O

VIBErations Episode 13 - Xavier Pick

VIBErations Podcast Episode 13 - 'Xavier Pick' Broadcast 3rd Dec 2020 https://www.xavierpick.com

https://www.vibehk.com

Xavier considers his practice as a bridge between journalism and fine art. His work documents real life situations but rather than depicting events. Xavier searches for timeless themes, the human condition and the spirit of place through visual storytelling based on his unique personal experiences. ​ His work is distilled from many different media. Xavier combines drawing, photography, film, writing, audio and found reference, and all of these disciplines are tied together through his celebrated sketchbooks. ​

Xavier has been commissioned by many organizations ranging from hospitals to hotels, the police force to charities, most notably as an Official War Art of the UK Ministry of Defence. London life at night has been the subject of his work for over 10 years. And now based in Asia, Xavier is exploring new motifs and themes around history, the East and the West. ​

Xavier is an active educationalist, teaching and lecturing at various schools and colleges in the UK. For the last 7 years he has been Professor of Drawing, Design and Illustration in Hong Kong . Xavier trained at Glasgow School of Art and The Royal College of Art in London winning prizes for his drawing and sketchbook journals.

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? - 'Sapiens' bu Yuval Noah Harai

2. Favourite musical artist? - 'Here comes the sun' by Richie Havens

3. Preferred drink? - Salty Lassi

4. Life motto? - Keep the Faith 5. Favourite hk walk? - Mui Wo to Pui O

6. Favourite hk restaurant? - My house - wife's cooking

7. Faced with a python whilst walking up to the Peak – what would you do? - Film it and draw it

8. Best advice you were given? - Dad's advice 'don’t rest on your laurels'

9. Finish this sentence… I live in Hong Kong because…You never get bored

10. Favourite area of Hong Kong? - Sham Shui Po

VIBErations Episode 12 - Dr. Peter Duchemin

VIBErations Podcast Episode 12 - 'Dr. Peter Duchemin' Broadcast 26th Nov 2020

Dr. Peter Duchemin is an artist, magician, scholar, and Tarot reader with more than 20 years of reading experience. He is a Canadian and Newfoundlander by birth, and has travelled widely to discover his current home in Hong Kong.

Shout out to local Lantau business 'Treasure Island Group'

10 Questions...

1. Favourite book or author? - 'Left Hand of Darkness' by Ursula Le Guin

2. Favourite musical artist? - Beethoven

3. Preferred drink? - Tea

4. Life motto? - 'Do that which you wish to remember yourself as having done'

5. Favourite hk walk? - Above Pak Ngan Han

6. Favourite hk restaurant? - Chun Chun in Mui Wo Village

7. Faced with a python whilst walking up to the Peak – what would you do? - Sing Bohemian Rhapsody

8. Best advice you were given? - Slow the f*** down and enjoy

9. Finish this sentence… I live in Hong Kong because… It's rich in experience

10. Favourite area of Hong Kong? - Sham Shui Po

VIBErations Episode 11 - Pushpa Rai

VIBErations Podcast Episode 11 - 'Deer Horn - Pushpa Rai' Broadcast 19th Nov 2020

Pushpa Rai and husband Robinson have run the Deer Horn Nepalese restaurant for 11 years now. They have a son Nickson age 20yrs and daughter Anayash 7yrs They’ve been in Hong Kong for 25 years.

Shout out to local Lantau business 'Cafe Isara'

VIBErations Episode 10 - Dr. Esslin Terrighena

VIBErations Podcast Episode 10 - 'TAILS - Dr. Esslin Terrighena' Broadcast 12th Nov 2020

Dr. Esslin Terrighena is an amazing woman. A Chartered Psychologist she set up and runs her own Psychology practice in Central. Not content with 1 career – 2 years ago she founded animal rescue charity TAILS.

https://www.tailslantau.org 

Shout out to local Lantau business 'Peter Duchemin'

VIBErations Episode 9 - Sarah and Rex

VIBErations Podcast Episode 9 'Floatudio - Sarah & Rex' Broadcast 5th Nov 2020

You can find out more about Floatudio from their website at www.floatudio.com or Facebook at @floatudio or by WhatsApp on 6628-1218

Shout out to local Lantau business 'Stoep at High Tide'

VIBErations Episode 8 - Nazia Yasmin

VIBErations Podcast Episode 8 - 'Shaz's Kitchen' Broadcast 29th Oct 2020 

New Mui Wo based homemade Halal Indian Food kitchen Shaz’s Delicious Food – is run by Nazia Yasmin and over the past 3 months she’s been supplying locals with delicious Indian food made with her grandmothers recipes.

Shout out to local Lantau business 'Floatudio'

VIBErations Episode 7 - Nel Pailin

VIBErations Podcast Episode 7 - Interview with Nel Pailin of 'Thai Pailin Massage' Broadcast 22nd Oct 2020

Shout out to local Lantau business 'TAILS Lantau'

VIBErations Episode 6 - Jacqueline Leung

VIBErations Podcast Episode 6 - 'Jacqueline Leung' Broadcast 15th Oct 2020

Shout out to local Lantau business 'Thai Pailin' Based on Lantau Island.

Jacqueline Leung is a concert pianist. She has worked with distinguished musicians including Robert Aitken, Jasmine Choi, Trey Lee and Iestyn Davies. She has frequently served as a jury member at competitions, such as the Steinway Youth Competition, the 2nd Thailand International Mozart Competition and the Japan Piara International Piano Competition (Hong Kong). Since 2013, she has worked as a specialist piano presenter and masterclass teacher for the Trinity College London exam board, presenting in Asia.

Leung is a laureate of the Antena 2 prize awarded by the national classical music radio station in Portugal, resulting in a live solo recital broadcast on national radio in 2015. She’s produced two CDs ‘In sunshine or In Shadow’ recorded in Vienna in 2017 and ‘That’s the Berries – New York Nights’ recorded in New York in 2019.