February 2014 50 56 STUDENT BREASTFEEDING PARENTS AND THE BOARDROOM news resources 8 WHAT’S ON 28 TOY BOX A look at what’s going on this month Toys that teach and amuse 10 HOT OFF THE PRESS 30 BOOKSHELF Hip new shops, services and products Perfect picks for reading together 18 FINGER ON THE PULSE 32 THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT Relevant news from around the world These apps will help everyone in the family build a bit more structure into daily tasks. 20 ECO HERO Ideas and products for greener living 85 STOCKISTS See something you like? We’ll tell you advice where to get it. Photography 22 BEAUTY 101 Melanie Adamson Top tips for looking your best Model 24 RATED PG Gaston Building more balance into your life starts with making a list, writes Orla Breeze. Clothes Gaston wears Bobine jacket, $830, TheBabyShop.com. T-shirt is model’s own. Eco Hero Toy Box Bookshelf pg 20 pg 28 pg 30 February 2014 1 February 2014 72 LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS 66 THE HEART OF THINGS features 36 MEET BELINDA GREER 56 BREASTFEEDING AND THE 72 LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS There’s a new sheriff in town. Playtimes BOARDROOM Sporty, classic, or relaxed, these editor-in-chief Tracey Starr sits down Does going back to work always have to statement pieces are the top choices with ESF’s new CEO to hear what she’s signal the end of a mother and baby’s for outfitting your boys this season. got planned. breastfeeding relationship? 80 PERFECT PASTA 44 CAREER KIDS 62 OPEN (AND CLOSED) FOR Easy for you, delicious for the whole Gone are the days when a paper round BUSINESS family. Lunch is a breeze with these or babysitting gig were the only options Do you have a great idea for a new recipes from celebrity chef Annabel for earning extra pocket money. business? Listening to others who have Karmel. gone before you might just save you 50 STUDENT PARENTS some heartache. 92 LAST WORD If you thought helping your kids with their When it comes to work-life balance, homework was tough, imagine trying to 66 THE HEART OF THINGS some of us are lost causes, says do that while also tackling your own. Peek inside one Hong Kong family’s father-of-three Nury Vittachi. home. 2 Playtimes EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tracey Starr t: 2201 9710 e: [email protected] PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR Jo Allum t: 2201 9719 e: [email protected] ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Florence Choy Wan t: 2201 9721 Katrina Shute e: [email protected] Katrina was born and grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. She spent long, hot summers on the Murray River, often just floating downstream ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Narelle Edwards with the current contemplating her future. After e: [email protected] backpacking through Europe, and completing a degree in Journalism, Katrina began a career in television news with a small network in the countryside, where the cameramen would play cricket in the ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Nalini Balachandra studio during ad breaks. The big smoke soon beckoned and Katrina returned e: [email protected] to Adelaide as a news reporter and anchor for Network Ten. She met husband Craig and two kids arrived before the family pulled up roots for San Diego, California. This was followed by a two-year stint in Las Vegas, and it was there ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Marie Milan in the neon desert where the last of their three daughters was born. Now t: 2201 9724 residing in Hong Kong for the past five years, Katrina continues to write and is e: [email protected] an aspiring author of books for young people. ART DIRECTOR Charlotte Chandler GRAPHIC DESIGNER Angelina Draper Eman Lam Angelina was born in the now non-existent country of Yugoslavia to an Irish mother and Yugoslav father. They both worked in the travel GRAPHIC DESIGNER industry and, soon after Angelina was born, Mike Walshe embarked upon an expat adventure that took them around the world. Living and studying in various countries, Angelina became fluent in three languages and went on to get a degree in International Business. Her love for “all things digital”, however, LAYOUT ARTIST Tania Ho guided her career down the technology path. Working for multinational corporations, she helped them develop their websites, build online sales and social media presence. Her current home in Hong Kong is her 26th, having CEO previously lived on three continents, in seven countries and in 11 cities. She David Tait knows this will not be the last stop, but is looking forward to settling down… t: 2201 9727 somewhere. e: [email protected] FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS & DISTRIBUTION t: 2201 9716 PUBLISHED BY: PPP Company Ltd, Unit 713, Level 7, Core E, Cyberport 3, 100 Cyberport Road, Cyberport, Hong Kong CONTRIBUTORS: Tel: +852 2201 9716 PRINTED BY: Paramount Printing Company Ltd. in Hong Kong ISSN 1726-183X Melanie Adamson; Orla Breeze; Angelina Draper; Rennie Fensham; Published by PPP Company Limited. The publication is sold on the understanding that the publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors or omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication. The publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, Gillian Johnston; Annabel Karmel; Ingrid Keneally; Rachel Kenney; whether a purchaser of the publication or not, in respect of any action or omission or the consequences of any action or omission by any such person, whether whole or partial, upon the whole or part of the contents of this publication. All rights reserved, 2012 PPP Company Limited. No part of this work, covered by the publisher’s copyright may be reproduced in any form by any means, Katrina Shute; Nury Vittachi graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval, without the written permission of the publisher. Any unauthorised use of this publication will result in immediate legal proceedings. welcome Tracey and ESF ’s CEO Belinda Greer trust you’ve all enjoyed a fabulous holiday season. I’ve said it here before, but it’s always true: I just love that the festive season in our home starts with American Thanksgiving I in late-November and continues all the way through Chinese New Year. As we settle back into post-holiday life, it’s the perfect time to be talking about work-life balance – the theme of this issue. While there doesn’t seem to be any one correct answer for achieving it, there are certainly strategies each one of us can employ to ensure we’re getting the most enjoyment and fulfilment out of our days. For me, that means writing this letter to you from sunny Southern California, just down the road from my parents. We have loved living in Asia for more than a decade, but that doesn’t mean it’s without struggle. As I’m sure is the case for many of you, I’m conflicted between maximising every amazing and unusual opportunity the expat life affords us with spending time with my family in the US. So, for us, we’ve found a balance by renting a home near them for a month, where we work remotely while “playing house”. So far, so good. One woman who has managed the work-life balance gracefully is the new CEO of ESF, Belinda Greer. Belinda, who moved here from Scotland six months ago for this huge and important role, has five grown sons and a recently retired husband. I had the pleasure of sitting down with her to learn all about her vision for ESF and how she managed to move up the career ladder while raising well-adjusted children. I hope you’ll enjoy meeting her as much as I did. We’ve got lots of other stories inside, too. Have you been kicking around the idea of starting a business? Read on for tips from others who have gone before you. Have you ever thought about going back to school? Inside, meet several parents who are doing just that. I do hope that the folks you’ll meet inside inspire you to kick-start your goals. Perhaps this will be the year we all find some balance between our obligations and our aspirations. Thanks for reading, Tracey Starr, Editor-in-Chief 6 Playtimes February THE HOTTEST HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN Through Baby Development 16/2 Clinics 14 Head to Tiny Footprints from 9am to 11am when Helen Binge from Physiobaby will discuss weight, growth and all round development of your new baby. KidsFest! 2014 Partner Yoga This annual festival of theatre for young Forget the chocolate and flowers and people includes performances of connect with your Valentine through The Gruffalo, The Snow Dragon and partner yoga at Shakti Healing Circle, many more favourites. Learn more at from 6pm to 8pm. Register at www.kidsfest.com.hk. 12 & 26 www.geckoyoga.com. 14-15 16 Flamenco Show HK Marathon Passion and fire light up the stage Cheer on some of the world’s best as flamenco dancers and the City runners. Last year, 72,000 runners Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong competed, and this year is expected to present an evening of Spanish music be equally exciting. Visit and dance. Click www.urbtix.hk. www.hkmarathon.com. HK Arts 21/2-2/3 Show Jumping Festival Event Looking for inspiration for your budding Be dazzled by a combination of ballerinas and pianists? Book tickets graceful equestrian sports, world- for Giselle or one of several concerts class cuisine and luxury shopping at during the arts festival.