last-minute Lai Tse!

Sometimes it's good to live so 'inconveniently' far away from stores: instead of buying the traditional red 'Lai Tse' envelopes this year, I spontaneously decided to make them by hand. Reusing newspaper for the envelope and a sponge floor mat as a stamp, I created 20 pieces in just about an hour. So if you still don't have your Lai Tse prepared this is the perfect solution!

*For those not living in Hong Kong: 'Lai Tse' is a red envelope handed to children during the Chinese New Year Celebration. The envelopes contain a new money bill, for example HK$10 or HK$20. 

Have a wonderful Year of the Horse everyone - so fast, wild and free!

The biggest canvas on Earth

We are very fortunate to live on Lantau. The children can run free and experience the expansiveness of nature. On the beach we find everything we need for our art class: the sand is our canvas and using twigs as pens we draw a huge planet Earth complete with trees, houses, a school bus and a huge rainbow. Sadly we also find a lot of man-made waste in nature. It's composed of anything that floats: bottle caps, toothbrushes, drinking bottles ... the list is infinite.  We use our findings to make all kinds of insects and fantasy creatures. "Why is the toothbrush on the beach?" asks one of the students. A very good question. It's a long story to tell...