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In this Lantau 70 wrap-up episode, Jenny Buck and Michael Gay discuss their experiences with the event, then introduce two guests who had outstanding performances in the race.00:00 - Jenny & Michael general chat11:22 - Introducing Katrina Hamlin13:31 - Katrina interview36:21 - Post-interview chat44:30 - Introducing KC Chan47:15 - KC interview1:18:38 - Post-interview chat1:31:06 - Jenny & Michael general chat
This Sunday, join us as we consider how our faith is one that breaks barriers. Barriers can often define our lives, but faith has the power to break through. From the bustling streets of Mong Kok to the serene hills of Lantau, we're called to be prophets of hope and agents of change. Let us, together, have our faith inspire action and bring light to dark places. Just as Jesus broke barriers in his time, we too can break down walls of division in our city. Let's be the change we want to see, spreading love and compassion to all corners of Hong Kong. If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/ ================ This Week's Scripture: // Luke 7:11-17 // Jesus Raises a Widow's Son Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don't cry.” Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
Email comments or guest ideas (to reply, include your email address)In Episode 57, leading Asia energy economist Mike Thomas of The Lantau Group shared insights on 2024 trends and the 2025 outlook. He highlighted improved investment fundamentals, growing demand for renewables, and significant market reforms in Malaysia and the Philippines. Looking ahead, Mike expects continued renewable growth despite geopolitical uncertainties, more solar-hybrid projects, and evolving challenges in gas flexibility. Mike also thinks that while nuclear power's future remains uncertain in Southeast Asia, small modular reactors show long-term promise.REFERENCES: TLG InsightsABOUT MIKE: Mike Thomas is the Managing Director and a founding partner at The Lantau Group with over 30 years of consulting experience, focussing on the energy sector. He advises a wide range of energy sector stakeholders on strategic, regulatory, and competition matters; sustainability; market design and development; and commercial transactions. Prior to co-founding in 2010, he headed the Asia Pacific Energy & Environment practice of a global consulting firm. Mike has an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School, United States and a BA in Economics from Carleton College, United States. More specifically, within the Asia Pacific region, he has led many significant engagements involving the robust application of economics and analytics to a wide variety of business, policy, and regulatory challenges affecting the electricity and gas sectors. He works extensively with multinationals on sustainability strategies, focussing on the best options in different markets, and on the regulatory and policy changes needed to support increasing renewable energy contracting options. He has testified or advised as an industry economic expert in commercial contract disputes before courts or arbitral panels in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia, and on disputed regulatory matters before regulatory authorities in New Zealand, Australia, and the Philippines. His experience in commercial matters includes market forecasts and revenue simulations for numerous renewable energy and conventional energy projects and market assessments in South Asia, North Asia, ASEAN, and Australia/New Zealand.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Aurore Dacier is a native of France and has been based out of Singapore for the past 2 years and has fast become one of the best ultra runners in the region.We catch up with her following her emphatic win at TransLantau and 4th position overall.We cover:Her background and journey into trail running, how she grew up in the outdoors but with no specific sport.Her day job as a lawyer and how do you plan training around work, how she works with her coach and plans her training.Her races since being based in Asia and impression of the trail running scene.Her fascination with Hong Kong and specifically Lantau having raced there 3 times. How she prepared for TransLantau100 this year, her first 100km. How she prepared for the distance. How did the race go?Future plans with Asia Trail Master races and CCC in Chamonix next year.We discuss the female competition here in Asia and how she thinks about inspiring other female runners to give it a go.We also catch up with Chris Timms to discuss the Lam Dong Trail in Vietnam and Malaysia Ultra Trail this weekend.Aurore is sponsored by Red Dot Running, T8.run and Salomon. You can follow her on Instagram
This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil. In this edition of the Makin' It in China series, we welcome Vitor Moura, a young Brazilian entrepreneur who has spent nearly a decade in China. As the founder of Lantau and the marketing director at Bracham, Vitor is committed to enhancing cross-border trade between these two nations. Join our conversation with Vitor as he shares his journey and insights.
After another year of this awe inspiring event, we are joined by a survivor and finisher, Alice Mcleod and Mayank Vaid.We first chat with Alice to discuss: Her back story, growing up in Perthshire, Scotland and moving to HK from London in 2019 and exploring the trailsHer awareness of Four Trails from seeing the legend Nikki Jan finish in 2019 Her training block for 2024 and the volume and focusFour Trails goalSleep and nutrition strategyWhat next?? As the second Scottish lady to reach the green post box, Will Alice come back to follow Nikki Han and finish? And then we are joined by Mayank Vaid at 43m mark to discuss:The 3rd year taking on the challenge, what convinced him to come back after surviving last year.How last year went? What he learned from last year that he adapted in 2024What he's been up to since 2023 edition when he did HK marathon just 2 weeks after! Competing in Hyrox and 4 peaks race, triathlons, 15k swim. Was cross training a big part of his plan.We go into details about the 4 Peaks Race in HKHis plan going in to 2024 edition.How he got his wife and eldest son Bono to crew himThe last 30k of Lantau chasing the clock and the 60 hour cut off. The feeling to finally finish the challenge.Hong Kong Four Trails continues to show why it is the most epic ultra running challenge in the Asia region. The community, the difficulty and the drama. It always an epic dotwatching and social media follow. Congrats to Andre, Paper, all the athletes and crew, photographers and everyone involved with this event.
Topic thoughts? Guest ideas? Comments? Just text us. (pls include reply details if needed)Our guest is Mike Thomas who heads The Lantau Group, a Hong Kong-based consultancy, and who is one of the leading energy economics thinkers in the Asia Pacific region. As it is the beginning of the year, Mike evaluates a small sample of the many developments in the region's climate business and finance in 2023. He also shares a few thoughts on 2024 and beyond. We discuss some specific markets including Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and China as well as examine some of the major themes such as the ASEAN grid, offshore wind, and grid capacity. Mike truly offers some unique perspectives thanks to his vast experience and extensive work with corporates, governments, and financial institutions.Link: research by The Lantau Group.Previous Episode with Mike: Ep23 Temperature check on the energy transition in Asia, ft Mike Thomas, 20 December 2022ABOUT MIKE: Mike Thomas is a founding partner at The Lantau Group with over 30 years of consulting experience, focussing on the energy sector. He advises a wide range of energy sector stakeholders on strategic, regulatory, and competition matters; sustainability; market design and development; and commercial transactions. Prior to co-founding in 2010, he headed the Asia Pacific Energy & Environment practice of a global consulting firm. Mike has an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School, United States and a BA in Economics from Carleton College, United States. More specifically, within the Asia Pacific region, he has led many significant engagements involving the robust application of economics and analytics to a wide variety of business, policy, and regulatory challenges affecting the electricity and gas sectors. He works extensively with multinationals on sustainability strategies, focussing on the best options in different markets, and on the regulatory and policy changes needed to support increasing renewable energy contracting options. He has testified or advised as an industry economic expert in commercial contract disputes before courts or arbitral panels in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia, and on disputed regulatory matters before regulatory authorities in New Zealand, Australia, and the Philippines. His experience in commercial matters includes market forecasts and revenue simulations for numerous renewable energy and conventional energy projects and market assessments in South Asia, North Asia, ASEAN, and Australia/New Zealand. HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30- Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | FEEDBACK: theasiaclimatecapitalpodcast@gmail.com.
This episode we interview the interviewer from Endurance Asia podcast, Scott Pugh where we talk running Singapore, Hardcore 100 and popping blisters for Nikki Hann. Also we have RD for Moontrekker and Lantau snake catcher, William Sargent and yes, Moontrekker is back and in full force! Link for Moontrekker https://www.barclaysmoontrekker.com/ Link for Endurance Asia https://www.enduranceasia.com/podcast Dont forget to sign up to Trail Runners Association of Hong Kong at https://www.trahk.org/
Hongkong ist faszinierend und gehört zu unseren Lieblingsstädten. Wir hatten das Vergnügen, schon zweimal dort gewesen sein zu dürfen und haben die Zeit dort immer unheimlich genossen. Diese Straßenschluchten, riesige Wohnkomplexe, die teils einen recht morbiden Charme haben, Nachtmärkte, Foodcourts mit Speisen aus allen möglichen asiatischen Ländern. Dann hochmoderne Architektur und eine atemberaubende Skyline, die Hongkong als Wirtschafts- und Finanzmetropole repräsentiert. Und dann gibt es da dieses völlig andere Hongkong, voller Natur und grünen Landschaften. Allein die 262 Inseln bieten eine Menge Abwechslung und sind oft nur eine kurze Fährfahrt entfernt. Hier findet man die beschauliche Seite Hongkongs, es gibt Strände, kleine Dörfer, kleine Cafes, Restaurants, Shops, man kann wandern, schwimmen, Rad fahren. Klingt spannend und in dieser Episode erfahren wir, wie es ist, mit der Familie auszuwandern und zwar ans andere Ende der Welt nach Neuseeland. Und wie es ist und wie sie überhaupt auf die Idee gekommen sind, diesen außergewöhnlichen Weg, diese Anreise über den Landweg zu wählen und durch Länder zu reisen, die nicht unbedingt die typischen Urlaubsziele sind. Also viele Fragen und ein spannendes Gespräch mit Jenny, in dem wir hier und da mal ein wenig thematisch abgebogen, am Ende aber doch in Neuseeland angekommen sind.Und dann gibt es da dieses völlig andere Hongkong, voller Natur und grünen Landschaften. Allein die 262 Inseln bieten eine Menge Abwechslung und sind oft nur eine kurze Fährfahrt entfernt. Hier findet man die beschauliche Seite Hongkongs, es gibt Strände, kleine Dörfer, kleine Cafes, Restaurants, Shops, man kann wandern, schwimmen, Rad fahren.
We survived CNY shenanigans but not completely unscathed. Mohammed has taken his entire family all over HK for almost 3 weeks and he is "never gonna financially recover from this". Luckily for us, he gives us a full report on the main tourist attractions in HK. Is Disneyland HK still worth a visit? What's the state of Ocean Park? What's a Water World? and why you should probably never get in a Lantau blue taxi. Leave us a review: (please!) https://www.ratethispodcast.com/hohohkpod Follow Mohammed on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theothermohammed/ Follow Vivek on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funnyvivek/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3va7Hbn
What are eco-engineered tiles, and why can they save many marine species? In the second episode of this Engineering Series, Paco is joined by Lantau conservation front advisory committee chairman Professor Kenneth Leung. He explains the design of the eco-engineered tile and the aim to mitigate the damage by sea walls. They also discuss how it is never too late to change, how he became studious in university, and many more. Music by TuesdayNight from Pixabay
In this episode we speak with from Sabrina Dumont of TransLantau and UTMB Asia, and hear about Jill & Flox's Nine Buffaloes adventure.
*** Don't forget to subscribe! *** To view the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/MK_wEKRtBSI * EPISODE LINKS IN DESCRIPTION – BELOW * Charmian met me on Lockhart Road, in Wanchai, Hong Kong. She took the ferry over from Lantau Island. What inspired me to get Charmian on the podcast is how dedicated she is when it comes to making an accurate record of Lantau's incredible fauna. I had also seen her book, called "Lantau Life: A Year on Lantau Island by Charmian Woodhouse" and just knew we would have TONS to talk about. From coasteering to geology, entomology to learning a new craft, join us to learn and be inspired! **** See more of and from Charmian Woodhouse: https://www.instagram.com/charmianwoodhouse/ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49420743-lantau-life **** More from Shooting it RAW: Website: https://www.shooting-it-raw.com/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6sqti7YyKrSNUdgw3ONSFg/videos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shootingitraw/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6p3NoR69bLG4lZ52FKE2dR Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shooting-it-raw/id1495187250?ign-mpt=uo%3D4 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/shooting-it-raw-with-ran-elfassy
Previewing the 10th Edition of Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge with the race Director and 3 competitors:Andre Blumberg, Godfather of Hong Kong Ultra Running. We had him on the podcast 2 years ago to talk about his personal story as an endurance athlete and again now to talk about the 10th edition of an event he came up with and has been directing.(30m) Stone Tsang, one of the most successful Asia trail runners and previous finisher of a time of 54hrs comes back to see if he can truly break 50! Check out his full interview with Ryan Blair..(44m) Sarah Pemberton returns for the 4th time to take on HK4TUC having “survived” in 2020 following missing cut offs in 2018/19. Will she finish in 2021?(1hr3m) Salomon Wettstein, the Lantau resident who has been in sparkling form this past year smashing fastest times on LT70 route and Everesting Lantau Peak is also back to better his time of 56 hours. Will he be able to break50Follow the live event on Instagram at www.hk4tuc.com to witness these and so many other ultra running legends come back to take on this epic challenge.
Hong Kong is famous for its urban landscape but locals love its trails: the MacLehose, Wilson, Hong Kong and Lantau trails wind upwards through mountainous jungle terrain and offer breathtaking views of land and sea. Every year upon the Lunar New Year holiday a select group of runners are invited to try and run all four trails - 298km in total - in one punishing ultramarathon. In 2021, an even smaller group are being called upon to try: Mark Agnew interviews runner Hyun Chang Chung about about…
In the second instalment of our 2020 awards, we discuss, debate and decide who should be crowned Athlete of the Year (both Female and Male) as well as Fundraiser of the Year.Female Athlete of the YearSo many people excelled themselves in 2020, and our final three came down to:Nikki Han - in 2019 Nikki became the first female finisher of the Hong Kong 4 Trails Ultra Challenge, but she didn't rest on her laurels in 2020, completing an Everesting on foot as part of the ATG Vertical Challenge, as well as completing the newly-inaugurated “9 Buffaloes” course - the TransLantau 100km course (with 5000m elevation) and the Lantau70 course (3500m elevation), back to back. Read a route report from Will Hayward here.Veronika Vadovicova. Not content with a second place finish at the HK100 early in the year, Veronika went on to set FKTs on the Lantau 70 course and the reverse HK Trail. More than that though, she found time to launch Asia Trail Girls (ATG), which has quickly become the region's leading forum to spotlight and inspire female trail running. Among other things, they organised The Asia Trail Girls Vertical Challenge, which saw teams across the region racking up as much elevation as possible (and the top all-female team climbing over 53,000m) Listen to our recent episode where we talk all about ATG with Veronika here.Xiang Fuzhou, who won the 2020 HK100 in a blisteringly fast 11:28:59Male Athlete of the YearWong Ho-Chung, who pulled off both the HK360 challenge (360km around Hong Kong in 36 hours) and the MacLehose Trail FKT (for which he won FKT of the Year in our first awards episode)Mayank Vaid, who completed the first ever Everestman challenge (swimming the height of Everest followed by an Everesting on bike and an Everesting on Foot) and then went on to complete the HK360Xtreme, which saw him swim 45k around Hong Kong Island, followed by a 215k bike ride and a 100k run. Read more about the Everestman here.Stephen Redfern, who not only finished the HK4TUC in 54:56, but completed a 360k ultra in his garage (listen to the previous episode to hear all about this), set a bunch of FKTs at home in Australia, came second at the Adelaide 12 Hour Race and finished 10th at the iconic Coast 2 Kosci Ultramarathon.Fundraiser of the YearSo many people took the opportunity to raise money for causes close to their hearts in 2020, but three in particular stood out:UFit's Singapore to Santa Challenge, which set out to inspire people to collectively run, cycle or swim the 9,859km to the North Pole, and ended up with participants covering an astonishing 53,095km, raising over SG$18,000 for YMCA of Singapore.Mayank Vaid's HK360Xtreme, for which he raised HK$385,000 for InspiringHK Sports Foundation and Outward Bound Hong Kong. See him mid-swim here.Nia Cooper, who completed her Grand Slam of Hong Kong ultrarunning (Oxfam Trailwalker, North Face 100, HK100 and the TransLantau in four consecutive months) and in doing so raised over HK$105,000 for the Brain Tumour Charity, in honour of her husband (and HK trail community legend) Nic TinworthThanks as always to former podcast guest Mark Agnew of the SCMP for the consistently great coverage of many of these endeavours - it's his articles we've mostly linked to above.Hosted by Ultra Endurance enthusiasts Scott Pugh and Ric Stockfis.
Faire un doctorat en Biologie, enseigner à HKU, organiser 35 Trails en Asie Si vous aimez ce podcast, merci de le rendre possible en le supportant sur Patreon Voici les principaux sujets abordés dans cet épisode: - Faire un doctorat en Biologie au Canada, des post docs à Stanford et au Chili avant de venir enseigner à l'Université de Hong Kong. - Vivre à Hong Kong dans un coin de campagne (ile de Lantau), profiter d'un accès direct à la nature. - Vouloir vivre de sa passion du trail, commencer par organiser une course puis 35. - Offrir sur toute l'Asie des services aux compétitions sportives: plateformes de chronométrage, d'inscription, mais aussi photographie, film au drone. - Comparaison de l'approche au business en Asie: Chine, Corée, Japon… - Gérer la situation Covid et l'interdiction totale des courses à Hong Kong. Si ce podcast vous plaît, donnez-moi un coup de pouce, partagez votre épisode préféré à 3 de vos amis! merci ! : ) Chaque épisode représente des heures de travail, envie de me payer un café ? Liste des précèdents épisodes Sesame Asie par Raphael Seghier
Yoga Teacher turned Conscious Creative, Karen Holt realised that mindfulness was not just when we rolled out the mat, but for all aspects of life, and that includes parenting. We got a taste of that slow living, sustainable lifestyle on our trip to Lantau, where Karen talked conscious parenting and adding a second baby to the mix. She also opened up about her spiritual awakening during her first pregnancy and how only preparing for one kind of birth left her with a lot of healing to do. For beautiful slow living, eco-inspo, conscious parenting and inspiring photos, follow Karen on Instagram @Urban.earthmama. If you’d like to be featured on Mom Body Soul connect with us at mombodysoulpodcast@gmail.com or fill out our guest form on our Instagram @mombodysoulpodcast. The best way to support our podcast is to like, rate, review, subscribe and share with someone you think would love a little MBS!
Not only is she an IG influencer (go check out her stunningly beautiful feed @caragmcilroy, we’ll wait…), but she is also an entrepreneur, TV host, Model, AND mom to 3 girls. MBS took a field trip to Lantau to see why being diagnosed with Lupus was a wake up call for a much needed lifestyle change, and how Cara is handling covid life with 3 kids. Follow Cara on instagram @caragmcilroy or check out her blog www.catwalkstocradles.com. For more resources, head to @mombodysoulpodcast or connect with us at mombodysoulpodcast@gmail.com. Lindsay & Ziggy x
*** Don't forget to subscribe! *** Nissa Cornish and Ran discuss what it's like to be a parent in these challenging times – conservation, climate change, recycling, the protests in Hong Kong, the politics, and how textile waste is a leading source that's filling up our landfills. Nissa gets deep into what it's like to have a haven she can retreat to for herself and her family, and how to maintain perspective, energy and focus when you've committed yourself to making the world better for one and all. This is a fantastic episode for anyone who wants to learn more about the fashion industry's impact on the environment, and how to get involved and cause local solutions. Nissa truly is a conservation champion who inspires. To learn more about Nissa's work and Redress, click here: https://www.redress.com.hk/ See more from Shooting it RAW at: https://www.shooting-it-raw.com/ OUTRO MUSIC CREDIT: “Magic” by Six Umbrellas - https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Ffiles.freemusicarchive.org%2Fst&redir_token=q7y4G_1B06QkXu6_MQrd1BBkmKd8MTU5MzgzNjg1N0AxNTkzNzUwNDU3&v=xFnw1ssgjfg&event=video_description Tags: Shooting it RAW, podcast, photography, photo, Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Lumix, Sony, iPhone, samsung, camera, digital, ran elfassy, manfrotto, tamron, sigma, how to, classes, teaching, learning, profession, pro, artist, photographer, professional, street, portrait, up-close, personal, family, covid-19, Lantau, Hong Kong, childhood, motherhood, environmental, awareness, ecozine, coastal cleanup, redress, fashion, textile, waste, recycling, conservation, Nissa Marion
Breakingviews columnists in Ireland, New York and Lantau check in with Editor Rob Cox to discuss Jamie Dimon’s annual letter and coming earnings onslaught, fraud at Luckin Coffee and, everybody’s favorite coronavirus obsession: a boom in sales of porn, weed, booze and junk food. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Kia Ora Whanau. John Ellis moved to Hong Kong in 2010 and found himself unexpectedly drawn from the roads onto the city’s expansive network of trails.Since moving from road to dirt, John has stacked up a bunch of wins throughout Asia including Moontrekker, Lantau 70, Green Power and MSIG Hong Kong. He has top 20 finishes at HK100, UTMF and Ultra Trail Australia, as well as winning the China Skyrunning Ultra Series 2016/17 and finishing top 50 at the Ultra Trail World Tour in 2015 and 2016. With his life changing tack somewhat due to parenthood, John still found time in 2019 to win the Asia Trail Masters series. Not content with merely running and being a stalwart of the Hong Kong scene, John is also a founder of the running brand T8 and the owner of Gone Running, a brick-and-mortar running store in Hong Kong. In this episode we discuss running in times of social unrest and during the uncertainty of Covid-19, the joy of running trails in an urban metropolis, what the Nine Dragons are and which level of typhoon is too much to run in. We also get the lowdown on the Hallertau Riverhead Rampage 21km winner Tom Hunt’s race, and his buildup to the Tahoe 200 Wowzers. ..Enjoy!
A group of six yuppies goes to Lantau for a fun holiday, and the result is anything but. The Chinese title-"The Evil Curse of the Burning Charcoal"-is more descriptive than the international title.
Well, I survived Hong Kong. That’s about the best way to put it. If you listened to my previous shows you heard my conversation with Mia Beales with Guilin Photo Tours and how awesome that area of China is. You also heard about my other plans and what I was going to shoot there in HK. Virtually nothing went according to plan. To back up a bit, my initial goal with my journey was to show the opposite of what you expect to see from Hong Kong. In my head, I called it the “softer” side of Hong Kong. And to a large degree, I was successful. I was able to get out and hike some trails and photograph the lush landscape that you just don’t associate with Hong Kong. I was also able to find some fantastic structures along those trails, either where people live, or where they used to live. I started on Lantau Island. It’s such a beautiful place. And I had planned a very detailed itinerary and even designed it as a booklet and printed it so I’d have a copy for easy reference. I’ve done this before and it’s worked well. The main benefit is that in planning so much I have all these options and photo locations floating around in my head. So as I need to, I can alter the plan on a whim. And I did and it worked great. I still got to all my locations on Lantau Island, just not in the order I originally planned them. But that didn’t matter. I was having a blast exploring and seeing the side of Hong Kong that most people don’t even know about. Their hiking paths are rather interesting, and very well maintained. Lantau is rather mountainous, and these paths, for the most part, are raised concrete and rock paths that are about three to five feet wide. They’re so easy to follow you simply can’t get lost. And every 500m they have sign posts with numbers on them. If you get into trouble you just call emergency services, tell them the nearest sign post and they’ll know where you are. It’s great. I walked from the Po Lin monastery back towards my room in Mui Wo, about a nine mile journey. I only made it half way (to the main road) because I just kept stopping and shooting along the path and I was taking way to long to get this hike done. But I didn’t care. I was having the time of my life! This continued for a couple of days until my videographer friend showed up. My other intent for this trip was to shoot a series of training videos and he was going to help. I had a script all written for the main parts and then we’d get some more candid items as well. He showed up on Thursday, so that meant Friday and Saturday were essentially “recovery” days, although on Saturday we went to Macau and in total we walked about 11 miles! Then we got to shooting on Sunday and by Sunday evening we were doing wonderfully, things were really clicking. However, I woke up Monday morning completely sick. Totally and utterly sick. To make a long story short, I got food poisoning so bad I had to go to the hospital. I was upset, depressed, an assortment of emotions was running through me as I laid there trying to get better. I cancelled my China Excursion. After all, I know my health is more important than getting any shot, and I also know myself. I knew that I had a good chance of being released on Wednesday and with my need to get on the train to China on Thursday, that was just going to be too much. As I laid there I started thinking about a whole bunch of things. I had time, and thinking was about all I could do, that and watch meaningless TV. I thought about how this summer had led up to me going to HK, and what I planned to do after I got back. I became rather retrospective. I began to think, “what’s important here?” What can I still get out of this trip to HK, and more broadly, am I doing what I need to do in life to achieve my goals? What are my goals? And this is why this episode is called “turning point.” In that hospital bed I believe I was able to contemplate a few things and that started me down this mental journey of honing my ideas and getting things in line where they need to be. In reality my first decisions along this line took form in November 2017, when my business partner and I decided that it was time to either make it or break it as far as my company, Brent Rents Lenses, is concerned. I’d been working on that for 3.5 years at that time and things weren’t going as planned there either. We set a plan in motion that would either see growth, or, as it turns out, demise. So in July I announced that the company was closing. My job has also seen some changes. I’ve been working on reducing some of the “extra” stuff I do so I can spend more time on curriculum development. There’s so many things I’m responsible for that a regular faculty member isn’t and I’ve come to the point where I just had to start whittling away at things. So things were well on their way and the groundwork had been laid for me to vastly simplify my life. Closing things down at work so I can focus on my research and course development coupled with closing the company… They were painful decisions, but in the end, smart decisions. But what does this have to do with anything and why am I thinking about all this in a Hong Kong hospital bed? It boils down to one word. And that is failure. Or more pointedly, the fear of failure. I seemed that once again I’d failed. These other items I hadn’t really considered failure so much, especially not the decisions made at work to allow me to focus on what the school pays me to focus on. That was about reducing my overload. With the company, I’d come to terms with it. I was OK with it. Not a huge deal. But as I lay there the prospects of yet another item that was flopping on its face and I could do nothing about it. It got me thinking. Maybe it wasn’t the best thing for me to do, but it happened. I’m a man of faith. So my contemplation of these things certainly had a spiritual overtone to them as well. And I was in a faith-based hospital as well which did good for my soul, that’s for sure. The hospital chaplain visited and that certainly was uplifting, we actually had a few things in common. So I started forming some new goals and reforming existing ones. And these were larger ideas, not just focusing on my time there in HK. It involves my photography and it involves my work. And after having been back two weeks I think I finally have something that’s starting to take shape and something that makes sense. And after having been rather sour about the whole HK journey my thoughts were further galvanized. So here it goes. I figured I need a few things to happen. If I’m going to be serious about these things there must be some action. So I’ve identified a few of these things that need to happen, they are: I simply need to shoot more. I love the craft of photography. I love everything about it. However, compared to most of you, I rarely do it. I MUST do more. And so to do more of it, I welcome you all to post your planned outings in the Latitude facebook group. If you’re in the Pacific NW and I can make it, I’ll do what I can to get out there and join you. I was going to do just that with a listener who is currently at the Pendleton Roundup, one of the largest roundups around with over 75K people in attendance. There’s less than ¼ that number for their entire population! But alas it didn’t work out. My goal is to get out way more than I have in the past. And if I’m heading out on a shoot where I can have company I’ll make a mention in the facebook group as well. I need to write more. My blog and my podcast will possibly benefit from me writing more, but maybe I suck as a writer. I don’t know, but I’m going to do it anyway. I need to experience more. Whether it’s to travel someplace, alone or with the family. Getting out there is a driving force in my life. I need to do more of it. And that’s about it. It’s rather simple. My trimming things back this summer will ultimately help me achieve these goals. But I can’t do these immediately, at least not to the level I want to do them. I do have some projects that I must finish up before I can realize these three goals I just laid out. So, for the next six months or so I’ve decided to continue scaling back so that I can get these items out of the way and I can move forward. I’m pretty sure these “needs” will morph over this time as well and I’m OK with that. However, I’m not going to be a hermit, so there’s a few things that’s happening now. I’m still going to focus on that training video we were shooting in HK. I think we got enough done that I can still pull something together. My Croatia workshop is the only big workshop I’m doing this summer. I’ll have more on that later I’ve started advertising on my site about custom private workshops. Whether someone has a need that requires a skype conversation or if you’re looking to travel to my neck of the woods, hit me up. I’ll plan an experience for you or we can plan it together. I’ve decided that attending the Create Photography Retreat in Las Vegas this March won’t be possible, at least presently. This decision hurts the most. But planning a workshop and the lessons I’d want to present will simply take too much time between now and January and I had to let something go. Hopefully my situation can change, maybe one of my projects will get done more quickly than I expected, and things can change. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. My printing course is also still on the docket. It just got pushed back a bit. That’s one of my many projects I’ve been vaguely talking about. So that pretty much sums up my summer. One where pretty much nothing went according to plan and yet it’s all still falling into place. It tends to work out somehow J My time in the HK hospital also got me thinking specifically about my approach to photography in general. I claim that I like to be “thoughtful and purposeful” in my craft, but am I really? I think I still too often fall into a “spray and pray” shooting category, and sometimes I admit that’s needed. I had time to get rather philosophical and I recalled some images from Michael Kenna. If you haven’t seen his work, you absolutely should look him up. He’s one of my ultimate photography heroes. He’s an absolute master at simplifying the scene so the only items that are left are the ones that matter. And the images are so incredibly strong. He shoots B&W film and that too is awesome. I also turned to some of David DuChemin’s work. He too is an inspiration. You should look him up as well if you’re not familiar with his work. With these thoughts in mind, I knew I needed to rework my approach to my own photography. I believe I was already leaning this direction with my work in Hong Kong but as I was getting frustrated at my inability to be “efficient” at getting shots I knew something was awry with my outlook and my expectations. I then started thinking about my Croatia workshop and how that really wasn’t fulfilling my expectations either. My previous plan had us bouncing all over the place and not spending enough time going deep and really getting what we need to get out of a location. Allow me to read my new description here: Exquisite landscapes amidst rich culture and history… For me, this is what Croatia is about. On this tour you’ll be challenged to dig deep into the very fiber of what makes you a photographer. Whether you’re a beginner and you’re starting to explore what that means for you, or if you’re a seasoned shooter, you’ll be challenged to create a body of work that only you can create. There will be up to six students, and with that, there will be at least six different points of view on how to best photograph our locations. There will be times where you’ll feel frustrated. That happens frequently when we strive for perfection. I’ve crafted this photo workshop tour to provide ample time for you to not only discover a fantastic nation and its people, but to also discover something new about your photography. We do this through constant review and discussion as we’re shooting, and then with follow-up reviews afterwards. The plan is to spend enough time at each location to give you the opportunity to focus and hone your approach. I’d love for you to join me on this great journey as we experience the best photographic wonders Croatia has to offer. There’s also an optional jaunt into Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina planned after the tour as well. So the main part of the journey is about slowing it down and my intent is to provide more time at the best locations Croatia has to offer. However, I couldn’t resist offering a brief optional jaunt into Montenegro and a good look at two of the best items Bosnia-Herzegovina has to offer too. All the info is available on my website. I’d be honored to have you along for the adventure. Well I hope this hasn’t been too much of an expose of my inner most thoughts, fears and dreams. I suppose if you made it this far you weren’t scared off too much. Anyway, I so greatly appreciate your support through listening to this show, and I hope you’ll think it worthy of sharing it with others. As for the immediate future I’ll be arranging more interviews with other photographers for the podcast. Those will happen later in October and November of this year. So my production will take a short dip as I get the school year up and running. Thanks again so much for being here. Until next time, happy shooting! Use this link for excellent gear at the Peak Design website. It helps support my podcasting efforts. Thanks! Use this link to get a free gift at checkout, plus it helps support my podcasting efforts. Thanks!
Episode 131 of Talk Ultra and we bring you an interview with TCC winner, Tom Owens. We also speak with Jo Meek who recently placed on the podium in Hong Kong at Translantau 100km. Niandi brings us a ‘one-on-one’ interview with Inge Nijkamp. We have the news and ultra-chat!
Welcome to this special version of the Lantau Base Camp podcast. It is different from the normal podcast we do since it is mostly about the Hong Kong Four Trails, a challenging event set up here in Hong Kong by Andre Blumberg, and we are a big fan. The challenge is about doing Hong Kongs 4 major trails backwards, from end to start. The last trail is the Lantau trail, and start and ends at the Mui Wo postbox very near our shop. Andre will join us this podcast, and it is interesting as you can almost hear his thoughts evolving during this podcast on how the next edition should be. It is recorded in two parts. We originally recorded this on monday evening, the 4th of January 2016, which is around 84 hours into the challenge. Andre has been up most of the time since the start on friday morning 8 am, and is still waiting for more survivors to finish. So you will get fresh opinions and impressions from a not so fresh Challenge Director. Unfortunately we got interrupted by the finish of two survivors, and we had no chance to finalise the podcast there and then. So what happened is that we had another session over Skype on the wednesday after, and interestingly Andre's thoughts already progressed on what had happened during the challenge and how it should go next year. In this first part, we’ll talk mostly in general about the approach and set up of the four trails challenge, while in the second part we will talk more specifically about the participants as they went through the challenge and Andre’s observations in regards to how people handled themselves on the trail and between the trails. Now in order to introduce the audience to the phenomenon of the Hong Kong Four Trails Challenge, herewith first some audio bites freshly taken at the finish of Tom Robertshaw, the fastest survivor, Jeri Chua, the fastest and only woman survivor, and John Ellis, third place survivor.
Remi Bonnet rising star of the Skyrunning circuit has a chat about his 1st year of racing. Andy Symonds is back after 2-years of injury and we discuss the low and high points. Mariepaule Pierson travelled to Atacama, nailed it and we find out how. The News, Talk Training and Speedgoat chews the ultra fat.
Andrea Diener verreist, schreibt über ihre Reisen in der FAZ und ist so freundlich, mir von ihren Reisen zu erzählen. Diesmal geht es nach Hongkong und wir reden über Occupy Central, das Fischerdorf Tai O, das Solo Cafe (Blick in die Küche), die Fähre nach Kowloon, die New Territories, Lantau, das Mandarin Oriental Hotel (und […]
Andrea Diener verreist, schreibt über ihre Reisen in der FAZ und ist so freundlich, mir von ihren Reisen zu erzählen. Diesmal geht es nach Hongkong und wir reden über Occupy Central, das Fischerdorf Tai O, das Solo Cafe (Blick in die Küche), die Fähre nach Kowloon, die New Territories, Lantau, das Mandarin Oriental Hotel (und […]
The Amateur Traveler talks to Melody who has been living as an exchange student in Hong Kong. Melody tells us what to see in Hong Kong from the very western feeling Central neighborhood of Hong Kong island, the peak and the mid-level escalators to the more Chinese neighborhoods in Kowloon and the less populated New Territories. She also takes us out to some of the outlying islands like Lantau island with the Big Buddha & Po Lin Monastery, Cheung Chau Island with its famous bun festival, and the nearly uninhabited Po Toi island.We talk about the 10,000 Buddha Monastery and eat dinner on plastic stools in the middle of the Temple street night market. We explore the fish, flower, bird and jade markets. Melody recommends the Star Ferry for a great view of Hong Kong island, especially at night.For nightlife Melody recommends Wednesday and Thursday nights when ladies often get free drinks. Her favorite night spot is the Cavern and a famous one is the Fringe.
Amateur Traveler Podcast (iTunes enhanced) | travel for the love of it
The Amateur Traveler talks to Melody who has been living as an exchange student in Hong Kong. Melody tells us what to see in Hong Kong from the very western feeling Central neighborhood of Hong Kong island, the peak and the mid-level escalators to the more Chinese neighborhoods in Kowloon and the less populated New Territories. She also takes us out to some of the outlying islands like Lantau island with the Big Buddha & Po Lin Monastery, Cheung Chau Island with its famous bun festival, and the nearly uninhabited Po Toi island.We talk about the 10,000 Buddha Monastery and eat dinner on plastic stools in the middle of the Temple street night market. We explore the fish, flower, bird and jade markets. Melody recommends the Star Ferry for a great view of Hong Kong island, especially at night.For nightlife Melody recommends Wednesday and Thursday nights when ladies often get free drinks. Her favorite night spot is the Cavern and a famous one is the Fringe.
The Amateur Traveler talks to Melody who has been living as an exchange student in Hong Kong. Melody tells us what to see in Hong Kong from the very western feeling Central neighborhood of Hong Kong island, the peak and the mid-level escalators to the more Chinese neighborhoods in Kowloon and the less populated New Territories. She also takes us out to some of the outlying islands like Lantau island with the Big Buddha & Po Lin Monastery, Cheung Chau Island with its famous bun festival, and the nearly uninhabited Po Toi island.We talk about the 10,000 Buddha Monastery and eat dinner on plastic stools in the middle of the Temple street night market. We explore the fish, flower, bird and jade markets. Melody recommends the Star Ferry for a great view of Hong Kong island, especially at night.For nightlife Melody recommends Wednesday and Thursday nights when ladies often get free drinks. Her favorite night spot is the Cavern and a famous one is the Fringe.