坪洲的一天
剛住坪洲時買了渡輪月票，每天都找藉口出巿區。三個月後才醒覺，每月用不到 19 天限額，根本不能回本，而且用月票坐快船要補差額，心理上每次都強迫自己遷就慢船船期，生活變得不彈性。
作為 Home Office 的自由業者，最後我放棄月票，不再為小事出城，盡量把不同的商業和社交聚會排在同一天，一週只出城二至三次。我的最長留島紀錄是半個月，但我不「宅」，因為在坪洲可做的事實在太多。
每天一早，可以先圍繞坪洲跑步，不上山的話，一圈才五公里，沒有汽車廢氣，只有海風撲面。然後到巿政大樓的健身室，上午時段只有幾位退休人士，中午是婦女群，晚上就是上班族的青年人時間。
健身後到圖書館翻報紙雜誌，再去街市買菜準備飯餐。坪洲老人居多，物價指數不高，到燒味舖買十元叉燒，亦不會被反白眼。不想煮的話，可到點心酒樓一盅兩件，或避過飯巿人潮，去茶餐廳食下午餐。
下午是我的工作時間，直至晚上肚餓為止。飯後最大的娛樂是散步，坪洲沒有渡假屋，在島上工作的都會在入黑前返回巿區，所以晚間碰面的一般都是島民，碼頭附近就放置大量坐椅，是乘涼和社交的好地方。
坪洲有兩條郊遊徑，一條滿佈釣友，另一條登上只有 95 米的手指山，走完這兩條徑亦代表已經繞了坪島一圈。郊遊徑是我們平日的「後花園」，亦是週末遊人必做之事。在週末，坪洲的人流雖不致於長洲般失控，但我們都情願「宅」在家，在寧靜的天台，獨享醉人日落。
My Love for Peng Chau
When I tell people that I live on Peng Chau, most local Hong Kong people are surprised. Mainly because they think it is so far from the city, there are not many foreigners here and because most Hong Kong people have never been here.
Peng Chau isn’t as far as people think. Some places in the New Territories are much further. As soon as I get on my ferry home, I can relax. I do not have to change trains or buses and I am always guaranteed a seat. Also, I can have a drink or a snack on my way home and even a quick nap.
Although many Hong Kongers have not been to Peng Chau, on Sundays and Public holidays I feel like half of Hong Kong’s population comes out to my island for an escape of the city and a glimpse of the small island lifestyle. But, what these tourists see is different from what the residents of my island see on a daily basis.
The local grocery shop, drink shop, restaurants and even the vegetable stands are very busy on weekends. Luckily, I frequent all of these places throughout the week, so if I do have to venture into one of these places during the weekend I am recognized as a Peng Chau local. I do not try and cut into the queue, but a lot of the time the people running these places will take good care of me in the midst of the tourist chaos.
When it comes to activities on Peng Chau, there are limited options, so I normally leave the hike up Finger Hill, bicycle riding or seeing the many temples to the tourists on the weekends. Many tourists take advantage of the large public beach on the east side of the island, but it is a beach I would never use. In the early morning the beach is cleaned and the tourists don’t see the heaps of garbage that wash up in the cove, or what is stuck in the sand just under the water. What many people don’t know is there are many private beaches on different sides of Peng Chau that are not in a cove and are very clean. During the week, I have these beaches all to myself.
When the crowds leave after the weekend and life on Peng Chau goes back to normal, I realize all of the little things I love about my island. I love walking to the corner of my street and smelling the lady making fresh herb tea and not the exhaust from cars. I love passing by many of the local stalls and buying fresh ingredients for dinner. I love going to the same little bakery every morning. I love going to the small gym room and seeing the same two people there every day. I love watching the sun set over Lantau Island from my quiet rooftop. But most of all, I love the feeling of returning to my island at the end of the day or after a long trip, because it feels like home.
