The Bookworm Café is nestled in a quiet corner of a quiet little town on a quiet island. It still has something of the wild Asia of my imaginings – haphazard structures that seem to have coalesced organically, cicadas in the Needle Pines, the air filled with the sound of their dry crackled wings. I’m not berating the high tech huddle of HK – it mostly looks to me like Tracy Island, which is no bad thing – but my favourite place in all of Hong Kong is near the café – the courtyard of the Lamma Public Library. Waves wash the granite and sunlight falls between spiney leaves, dappling the flagstones. A sea breeze keeps the shade cool and across the sound the mountains of Lantau silhouette the afternoon sun.
I love the Café. Hand made book shelves full of a selection of titles that show an intuitive intelligence in the collection, something a Google search can never replace – a guy on one of the front tables was thumbing through Camus. Playing there is like putting on slippers and breathing soft and slowly. A gentle place, musically directed by the island’s lovely piano teacher. I love the gentle unassuming smiles, the warm and easy fellowship of audience and staff – I guess I just feel ‘right’ when I’m doing this gig – in all the coruscation of the whispers of life outside, rumours of war, stories of love and death – it isn’t so much a sense of repose or escapism as a feeling that playing here, amongst the joy and laughter is what I can best do to help make things better
I love the Café. Hand made book shelves full of a selection of titles that show an intuitive intelligence in the collection, something a Google search can never replace – a guy on one of the front tables was thumbing through Camus. Playing there is like putting on slippers and breathing soft and slowly. A gentle place, musically directed by the island’s lovely piano teacher. I love the gentle unassuming smiles, the warm and easy fellowship of audience and staff – I guess I just feel ‘right’ when I’m doing this gig – in all the coruscation of the whispers of life outside, rumours of war, stories of love and death – it isn’t so much a sense of repose or escapism as a feeling that playing here, amongst the joy and laughter is what I can best do to help make things better
Time to sail across a bit of the South China Sea – to Lamma island for a gig at the wonderful Bookworm Cafe – great audience, great food, great…books! jonathanday.net #AtlanticDrifterTour
Bookworm Cafe
Off to the islands
Ferry man
Tracy Island
Lamma Public Library
A whispering sea of towering trees
Travelling light
Welcome
Bookworm
Bookworm cafe – popular with Jesus
Performance 1
Performance 2
Performance 3
Last year it was my delight to play for a 14 month old little girl. This year a baby in utero – mum and child are coming to another gig tomorrow, so I guess the baby approved : )
Last year : )