VIBErations Podcast

VIBErations podcast Ep 32. Shirley 'Shirminator' Johnson at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo on Lantau Island in HK on 13th August 2021

VIBErations podcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, Listen Notes, Sticher and PlayerFM

https://lantauren.com

https://tongfuker.com

https://impacthk.org

BIO

Shirley Johnson, also known as ‘The Shirminator’, is a proud and self-proclaimed Tong Fuker. When she was pregnant with her first child, she sensed a strong kick in her tummy when she came across a property development advertisement in a Cheung Sha newspaper. She believed it was a message from her unborn child that, that was where she wanted to spend her childhood. Shirley and her husband started house hunting in South Lantau, a part of the island that she had never visited. Well, it was love at first sight and the rest was history… A former jetsetter in the glamorous luxury sector, Shirley dedicates her second career in making a difference, and helping people to heal. She is a life coach, yoga and meditation teacher, Reiki healer, writer and online business owner. You may have heard of Lantau Ren, a local lifestyle brand of designs inspired by its name sake.

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? - American Journalist Daniel Silva

2. Favourite musical artist? - Gotan Project Argentinian Tango

3. Preferred drink? - Ginger Lemonade

4. Life motto? - Believe to receive

5. Favourite HK walk? - Walk between Tong Fuk beach & Cheung Sha beach 6. Favourite HK restaurant? - Mandarin Bar & Grill

7. Faced with a python whilst walking up to the Peak, what would you do? - Leave it alone and don’t do anything stupid

8. Best advice you were given? - 1st Love yourself, then you can love others 9. Finish this sentence… I live in Hong Kong because… Its where I was born, but then when to study in Japan

10. Favourite area of Hong Kong? - Lantau st - but Central if going out for city fix

VIBErations podcast Ep 31. Adrian Brown at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo on Lantau Island in HK on 21st July 2021

VIBErations podcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, Listen Notes, Sticher and PlayerFM

BIO

With over 40 years in the industry, Adrian Brown is considered one of the industry’s most experienced Asia correspondents. He has reported extensively on topics ranging from war, revolution and political turmoil to natural disasters to economic shifts and its social consequences, among many others.

While he has reported globally, his area of expertise is Asia – its people, politics, economies and development.

Via the Seven Network Australia, SBS Australia and most recently Al Jazeera English and Sky News Australia, Adrian has covered many of the defining moments in recent Asian history.

Some Asian story examples include the 1988 election of Benazir Bhutto - and her assassination 20 years later - as well as the 1989 student protests in Beijing, the transition to democracy in Indonesia, Cambodia, and East Timor as well as its restoration in the Philippines.

Internationally, Adrian has also reported on key stories such as the 2005 London bombings, the Olympic Games in Greece, the Bali bombings, the Asian tsunami and its aftermath, the 1991 Gulf War, the 2005 Iraqi elections, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the Kobe earthquake, the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, the funeral of Yasser Arafat, and the 1996 Presidential elections in Taiwan.

Winning multiple awards over the years, one of his commendations comes from the 14th Annual Human Rights Press Awards in Hong Kong, for his 2009 story Kidnapped! about child trafficking in China.

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? - Eric Ambler

VIBErations podcast Ep 31. Adrian Brown at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo on Lantau Island in HK on 21st July 2021

VIBErations podcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, Listen Notes, Sticher and PlayerFM

BIO

With over 40 years in the industry, Adrian Brown is considered one of the industry’s most experienced Asia correspondents. He has reported extensively on topics ranging from war, revolution and political turmoil to natural disasters to economic shifts and its social consequences, among many others.

While he has reported globally, his area of expertise is Asia – its people, politics, economies and development.

Via the Seven Network Australia, SBS Australia and most recently Al Jazeera English and Sky News Australia, Adrian has covered many of the defining moments in recent Asian history.

Some Asian story examples include the 1988 election of Benazir Bhutto - and her assassination 20 years later - as well as the 1989 student protests in Beijing, the transition to democracy in Indonesia, Cambodia, and East Timor as well as its restoration in the Philippines.

Internationally, Adrian has also reported on key stories such as the 2005 London bombings, the Olympic Games in Greece, the Bali bombings, the Asian tsunami and its aftermath, the 1991 Gulf War, the 2005 Iraqi elections, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the Kobe earthquake, the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, the funeral of Yasser Arafat, and the 1996 Presidential elections in Taiwan.

Winning multiple awards over the years, one of his commendations comes from the 14th Annual Human Rights Press Awards in Hong Kong, for his 2009 story Kidnapped! about child trafficking in China.

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? - Eric Ambler

VIBErations podcast Ep 30. Alison Fung at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo on Lantau Island in HK on 17th July 2021

VIBErations podcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, Listen Notes, Sticher and PlayerFM

https://www.facebook.com/marcyshongkong

BIO

A town girl who grew up on the rocky west coast of Canada, Alison Fung has now found her permanent home in Lantau with her family and three cats.

When she’s not squinting at her computer screens at work, you will find her exploring alleyways, searching for hidden speakeasies, or pacing around Marcy’s Lantau to make sure all the shop displays are in their perfect state.

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? – ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley

2. Favourite musical artist? - Bee Gees & Air Supply & Slash

3. Preferred drink? - Anything with Whiskey

4. Life motto? - Do What You Love

5. Favourite HK walk? - Sai Ying Pun Promenade to Macau ferry

6. Favourite HK restaurant? - Shun Hing in Cooked Food Market Mui Wo

7. Faced with a python whilst walking up to the Peak, what would you do? - Stay nearby and observe

8. Best advice you were given? - I will go on and do great things

9. Finish this sentence… I live in Hong Kong because… the city and the people here have so much energy

10. Favourite area of Hong Kong? - Of course Lantau!

VIBErations podcast Ep 29. Jill Marshall at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo on Lantau Island in HK on 30th June 2021

VIBErations podcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, Listen Notes, Sticher and PlayerFM

https://www.pause.hk

BIO

Jill Marshall is the owner of Pause Pilates studio and healing centre in Mui Wo where she is a long time resident.  She is herself a Pilates instructor and has been sharing this work with people for over 20 years.

She is also a yoga teacher and Nia teacher. Nia spelt NIA is another form of movement training which is fun and uplifting for people.

She is a student of hypnotherapy and is a Reiki Master and practices other healing modalities such as the BodyTalk technique. These are available at her studio along with many other classes with other local health professionals she teams up with to bring healthy living to the Lantau community and to Hong Kong residents through her popular, healthy Day Retreats.

She set up the studio, and later the local Pause Café - Pause, is both a statement, and place, for people to slow down to avoid the burnout effects of stress.

She was raised in HK by her Scottish parents but was born in London where she lived for her first 7 years.

She loves learning new skills and is fascinated by the human mind and body complex.

She thinks being a mum is a privilege and loves her daughter Chloe who she raised on Lantau.

Her area of expertise is in improving posture for optimal physical function and teaching about core activation to all populations to relieve or prevent joint pain, in particular back pain using the techniques she has studied and the Pilates equipment at her studio. She specialises in working with women, during and after pregnancy and during menopause.

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? - 'A Fine Balance' by Rohinton Mystery

VIBErations podcast Ep 29. Jill Marshall at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo on Lantau Island in HK on 30th June 2021

VIBErations podcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, Listen Notes, Sticher and PlayerFM

https://www.pause.hk

BIO

Jill Marshall is the owner of Pause Pilates studio and healing centre in Mui Wo where she is a long time resident.  She is herself a Pilates instructor and has been sharing this work with people for over 20 years.

She is also a yoga teacher and Nia teacher. Nia spelt NIA is another form of movement training which is fun and uplifting for people.

She is a student of hypnotherapy and is a Reiki Master and practices other healing modalities such as the BodyTalk technique. These are available at her studio along with many other classes with other local health professionals she teams up with to bring healthy living to the Lantau community and to Hong Kong residents through her popular, healthy Day Retreats.

She set up the studio, and later the local Pause Café - Pause, is both a statement, and place, for people to slow down to avoid the burnout effects of stress.

She was raised in HK by her Scottish parents but was born in London where she lived for her first 7 years.

She loves learning new skills and is fascinated by the human mind and body complex.

She thinks being a mum is a privilege and loves her daughter Chloe who she raised on Lantau.

Her area of expertise is in improving posture for optimal physical function and teaching about core activation to all populations to relieve or prevent joint pain, in particular back pain using the techniques she has studied and the Pilates equipment at her studio. She specialises in working with women, during and after pregnancy and during menopause.

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? - 'A Fine Balance' by Rohinton Mystery

VIBErations podcast Ep 28. Tony Gormley at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo on Lantau Island in HK on 31st May 2021

VIBErations podcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, Listen Notes, Sticher and PlayerFM

BIO

From Glasgow, Scotland, weighing in at 0.08 metric tons - Tony Gormley – ‘does some law’ and owns a gym – Buffalo Strength in Mui Wo. He wasn’t a raging success as a lawyer on a professional, financial or even personal level. He had the odd successes and met a lot of interesting people, and it paid his bills.

Owing to volatile circumstances he’s not comfortable speaking in detail about his professional activities during the last 24 months; but it involved a lot of waiting in cells and enjoying luxuriantly cold air conditioning in Winter. He also contributed to the odd book for Halsbury's.

The gym is his passion and his medicine. He started it in 2018 during a fit of depression, but doesn’t want to wholly credit that for the small success it has become. There members are largely, lovely people who have made his business sustainable, in spite of the shutdowns this and last year.

They are the cream of humanity and they will be your friend. I’d urge you to go and meet them.

https://www.buffalo-strength.com

Buffalo Strength, starts at $1950 for 3 months

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? - 'Lanark' by Alasdair Gray

2. Favourite musical artist? - Ronnie Spector of The Ronettes

3. Preferred drink? – Beer

4. Life motto? - Wherever you go in life never take an idiot with you, you can always find 1 when you get there

5. Favourite HK walk? – Walk between house and work

6. Favourite HK restaurant? ­- Don't really eat out

7. Faced with a python whilst walking up to the Peak, what would you do? - Be very quiet as I approach & try nab a picture

8. Best advice you were given? - don’t really have

9. Finish this sentence… I live in Hong Kong because… It's become my home for girlfriend, dogs & business

10. Favourite area of Hong Kong? - Lantau/Sham Shui Po/Mongkok/Prince Edward

VIBErations podcast Ep 28. Tony Gormley at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo on Lantau Island in HK on 31st May 2021

VIBErations podcasts are available on YouTube, Spotify, PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, Listen Notes, Sticher and PlayerFM

BIO

From Glasgow, Scotland, weighing in at 0.08 metric tons - Tony Gormley – ‘does some law’ and owns a gym – Buffalo Strength in Mui Wo.

He wasn’t a raging success as a lawyer on a professional, financial or even personal level. He had the odd successes and met a lot of interesting people, and it paid his bills.

Owing to volatile circumstances he’s not comfortable speaking in detail about his professional activities during the last 24 months; but it involved a lot of waiting in cells and enjoying luxuriantly cold air conditioning in Winter. He also contributed to the odd book for Halsbury's.

The gym is his passion and his medicine. He started it in 2018 during a fit of depression, but doesn’t want to wholly credit that for the small success it has become. There members are largely, lovely people who have made his business sustainable, in spite of the shutdowns this and last year. They are the cream of humanity and they will be your friend. I’d urge you to go and meet them.

https://www.buffalo-strength.com

Buffalo Strength, starts at $1950 for 3 months

10 Questions….

1. Favourite book or author? - 'Lanark' by Alasdair Gray

VIBErations podcast Ep 27. Dr. Rhona Buchanan at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo on Lantau Island in HK on 28th May 2021

BIO

Dr. Rhona Buchanan has a wealth of experience since qualifying as a vet many years ago… She worked for 4 years with the PDSA a UK animal-based charity caring for the health of all domestic pets of those with a low income. A further 4 years as a self-employed locum working the length and breadth of the UK, many of the practices she covered were one vet clinics where she ended up covering for the owners on a repeat basis.

4 years as a Veterinary Director for Cats Protection - a UK animal charity where she was heavily involved in supervising the welfare and care of all the cats rescued by the charity. She liaised with all the Veterinary Clinics providing treatment and also with UK universities ensuring the cats in her practice were receiving the best and most modern standard of Veterinary care.

Over the last 14 years as part of her managerial roles she’s been proactively involved in coaching and mentoring young vets both in UK and in Hong Kong. Given there was no provision for a Veterinary service on Peng Chau Dr Rhona has now launched Peng Chau Veterinary Home Visit Service aiming to service the area of Peng Chau and the outer islands. She can only provide a home visit service and is therefore limited in the services she can provide. However, when it is clear that any pet requires more attention than she can provide, e.g. radiography, surgery or hospitalisation, she has an excellent working relationship with many vet hospitals on Lantau and Hong Kong Island and can arrange a referral.

She therefore offers a basic diagnosis and treatment of most conditions, and of course preventative health care: vaccinations, flea, tick & worm control. She can also assist owners looking to leave HK. She is able to source and supply most medications and food supplements given 48 hours notice.

10 Questions

1. Favourite book or author? - 'Outlander series' by Diana Gabaldon

2. Favourite musical artist? - Runrig, Yes, Classical music and Jazz

3. Preferred drink? - Good Gin & Tonic, Whisky or a pint Murphy's

4. Life motto? - Treat others as you'd want to be treated yourself

5. Favourite HK walk? – Anything around Peng Chau

6. Favourite HK restaurant? ¬- Hemmingway's in DB

7. Faced with a python whilst walking up to the Peak, what would you do? - Stand still and admire it

8. Best advice you were given? - We have 2 eyes, 2 ears and 2 hands for a damn good reason

9. Finish this sentence… I live in Hong Kong because… I was bored in the UK

10. Favourite area of Hong Kong? – Peng Chau

VIBErations podcast Ep 26. Karing Frontiers at VIBE Book & Music Shop in Mui Wo on Lantau Island in HK on 12th May 2021 Featuring interview with Angelica Cheng and Benny Berkenkotter

https://karingfrontiers.com

2 of 8 university students who have setup an NGO called Karing Frontiers. The purpose of ‘Karing Frontiers’ is to provide fundraising for refugee Karen students in Myanmar. VIBE has donated to this very worthy cause by donating 2 ‘goody bags’ for prizes in their mid-June raffle and sponsoring a student for 1 year via their website at www.karingfrontiers.com

This year, Karing Frontiers is aiming to raise HK$302,000 to empower 534 students and 60 teaching staff among five different post-secondary schools located in refugee camps. HK$560 is all it takes to sponsor one student for a whole academic year. Angelica Cheng is a rising junior at Tufts University, studying electrical engineering. A high school trip in 2018 to the Thai-Myanmar border would lead to her developing a passion for working with refugees and marginalized peoples.

In the following year, she began a high school project in the effort to secure access to higher education in the refugee camps on the Thai border. Eventually, the project would lead to the beginnings of Karing Frontiers, a registered NGO in Hong Kong. Now, when she’s not losing sleep to school, she works as the program director at Karing Frontiers.

Benny Berkenkotter is a rising junior environmental science major at the University of Vermont. He has been a part of Karing Frontiers since 2019, where he visited the Karen refugee camp and got to help with taking photos and videos of the students and teaching English. Now, he helps with coordinating fundraising strategies to keep the schools in the refugee camps afloat. His goal with Karing Frontiers is to give the Karen education system a stable and worry-free future so that the future generations of the Karen people also have a chance to become staples in modern-day society.