The South African community in Taiwan, under the leadership of the SA Representative Mr Petrus Meyer (or Oom Piet as I like to call him) from the South African Liaison Office in Taipei recently celebrated South Africa Day in true South African style! 

The venue as always was the very homely Wendel’s German Bakery & Bistroin the Taiwan capital.  South Africans from all over the island as well as locals converged on Taipei and were treated to authentic South Africa cuisine like boerewors, flame-grilled chicken, mielie-pap, tomato & onion sauce (sorry that doesn’t sound like the real deal… tamatie smoor is more like it!) potato salad and coleslaw.  Favourite drinks like Savannah and Hunter’s Gold were also flown in for the occasion.

Kappityt!  Saffas in Taipei enjoying SA Day. (Picture: Tobie Openshaw)

Homegrown bands provided the musical entertainment while various sponsors like SAA and local SA-owned businesses chipped in to offer some great prizes.

As South African events in Taiwan go, this was a real family affair with the kids not left out.  There was a huge jumping castle, face-painting and great prizes on offer to keep the little ones busy while the daddies kuier-ed in the bar and talked rugby!

My blood is also green! (Picture: Tobie Openshaw)

Next year’s Soccer World Cup was not left out and some fun activities were on offer to highlight the country’s biggest sporting venture to date.

So why South Africa Day?  As their website states:

The day is to get South Africans in Taiwan together in one place for a social friendly networking day to celebrate all things South African. And introduce Taiwanese friends and families to South African culture, food, music.

That’s the way to do it.

Good job, Oom Piet!

“Friends! South Africans! Countrymen! Put down your beers!”  SA Representative Petrus Meyer speaks to the guests at Wendel’s.(Picture: Tobie Openshaw)

With the global financial shinanigans and an impending pandemic on the horizon, here’s some thing to put a smile on your face (or a look of utter horror if you’re a parent!)  Everybody together now:

AaaaaYaaaaah!

Happy Wackers’ Day tomorrow!

Stay safe & clean out there.

For those who are not aware, Hong Kong will be playing Japan as part of the Asian 5 Nations Rugby Tournament this weekend. 

If you’re looking for some local international rugby action this weekend, look no further than the Hong Kong Football Club this weekend, Saturday May 2, 2009.  The Hong Kong Boys will take on Asian powerhouse Japan right here in Happy Valley.

This year’s 5Nations, the second year of the HSBC Asian Five Nations (A5N) Top 5 competition kicked off with at the beginning of this week with Korea hosting debutants Singapore in Seoul and Japan hosting Kazakhstan at the Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka and continues in Hong Kong this weekend.

Hong Kong flanker Nigel Clarke tries to control the ball against Kazakhstan in last year’s HSBC Asian Five Nations match at the Hong Kong Football Club.

(Tuesday April 28, 2009)

This just happened 10 minutes ago (click on the pic to view):

Sunset seen from my apartment in Hung Hom.  An airplane that has just taken off from Chek Lap Kok Airport, the soon-to-be tallest building in Hong Kong, the International Commerce Center (under construction in Kowloon West).

The latest movie in the X-Men series, X-Men Origins: Wolverine starts in Hong Kong tomorrow.  I dunno how many of you know it but this latest X-Men movie was directed by South Africa’s own Gavin Hood. 

You will remember him as the director of the TV drama about rugby called ‘The Game’ and more recently of the award-winning movie Tsotsi.

In an interview with filmjournal.com, Hood had the following to say:

Hood was as surprised as anyone when Jackman contacted him. “I got a call from my agent-I remember it as if it were yesterday-saying, ‘Hi, Gavin, Hugh Jackman would like to meet with you about the possibility of your directing Wolverine.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, right, what are you really calling about?’” he says, chuckling. But Jackman had seen and liked Tsotsi, “So I went along to the meeting, not knowing a great deal about the Wolverine comics. I grew up in South Africa and was exposed to the wonderful Asterix and Obelix [René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's long-running, French cartoon-adventure strip "The Adventures of Asterix," starring the titular ancient Gaul and his right-hand warrior], but I hadn’t actually seen anything to do with Wolverine. I knew the [X-Men] movies,” he amends, “but I’d watched them as a casual moviegoer, not as an avid fan.”

In the spirit yesterday’s Freedom Day in South Africa, we salute Mr. Gavin Hood.

I have a ticket for Friday.

Happy “Wackers Day” !

Do you still remember Monster Munch from back home?  OK, I’m going way back when Monster Munch was available in South Africa. (Maybe late 80′s early 90′s?) 

Monster Munch used to be one of my favourite snacks, together with Flings & Ghost Pops! 

I walked around Park ‘n Shop in WhamPoa Garden (next to Hung Hom) yesterday and look what I found:

I bought a couple of packets on the spot in 2 flavors: hot (my favorite) as well as pickled onion @ HK$5 each.

Yippeeee!

Ernie Els is refusing to give up hope of victory after a tough second day at the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea on Friday.

The South African superstar battled his way to a two-over-par 74 in cold and windy conditions at Pinx Golf Club on the island of Jeju.  That left him on two-under 142 for the tournament, seven shots behind leader Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands. 

“I had a tough time out there today,” said Els. “Cold, windy, it was a good test of golf. It feels like we’re back in Scotland!  I was just horrible on the greens today. I left about four or five shots out there on the greens. It was difficult keeping your balance, basically.” 

“The greens are difficult to read. The course is up against the mountain and everything kind of slopes towards the bay down there and then they’ve got the greens tilted the other way.”

“So, yes, it’s difficult to read the greens, and I’ve been having problems.”

 Els, the main draw card at the €2.1 million Ballantine’s Championship, had been ideally placed after an opening round 68 that was made in glorious sunshine and calm conditions.  But Jeju’s famous winds were blowing on Friday and scoring suffered as a result. 

Els, starting on the back nine, began well with a birdie on the par-five 10th but struggled after that, dropping four shots in 10 holes before a birdie on the par-three fifth halted his slide.   He dropped another shot on No.7 but bounced back with a birdie at the next to leave himself in with a chance heading into the weekend. 

The three-time Major winner admitted he would have his work cut out.  “We had a good day yesterday but we knew the weather was coming. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow; maybe we’ll have another good day, who knows? Hopefully I can start grinding something out.”

Despite his struggles in the second round, Els said he was delighted to be in Korea and helping promote the game via the Ballantine’s Championship, which is once again co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours and Korea PGA.

The South African is one of the world’s truly global golfers with more than 50 victories worldwide including three Majors, the US Open in 1994 and 1997 and the British Open in 2002 and an astonishing seven World Match Play Championship titles.

 He is also a two-time winner of theEuropean Tour Order of Merit and has 16 victories on the US PGA Tour. 

“Golf in Korea is really big,” he said.  “There are a lot of good players coming out of this country and they have got some great golf courses, so it’s good to be here.  This is a big event. We’ve got a great sponsor, good television coverage and some excellent international players here, so this is a big deal for Korean golf.”

“This gives them a really good measuring stick to see where they’re at.  

Ernie Els waits on the 17th tee during the second round of the Ballantine’s Championship at Pinx Golf Club in Jeju, Korea, on Friday. Els battled through windy conditions to card a two-over-par 74. (Paul Lakatos/Parallel Media Group)

Feast you eyes!

Took me a day and a half.

Made in Hong Kong, SAR of China,

Using Aussie beef (I hate to add).

Do you know of any biltong/wors makers in Hong Kong?

Let us know will you?!

Yebo Yes.  You expats out there on this side of the noodle-gordyn, unless you are one of the 673 people abroad who voted for the African National Congress… then the ruling party considers you a “right-winger” !

Yes… I’m talking to YOU!

According to News24, ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte made this statement soon after the IEC released to final tallies from the votes cast abroad about a week before the rest of the country.

“It shows you who leaves the country: all the right-wingers,” ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte said after the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Thursday announced the results of South Africans who voted abroad.

The opposition parties got the most of the 9 857 votes. A total of 7 581 voted for the DA, 918 voted for Cope, 270 voted for the FF+, 184 voted for the ACDP and 136 voted for the ID.

The ANC received 673 votes from South Africans overseas.

Duarte’s views came after government this week praised South Africans overseas for their patriotism and interest.

Themba Maseko, the chief government spokesperson, said the optimism with which people voted in especially London, heartened government and showed that South Africans gained knowledge overseas, which they later would apply back home.

Meanwhile, it also came to light that between 500 and 600 overseas votes had gone missing as the relevant embassy(ies) did not follow the necessary procedures.

A spokesperson for the IEC on Thursday evening confirmed that there had been problems with some of the overseas votes, but said that they would only be able to release more details on Friday. 

Following on my earlier post about the expat vote, the IEC has just released the results of the expat vote about a week ago. As were expected, opposition parties overwhelmingly drew the majority of the expatriate vote with the Democratic Alliance topping the list with 7 581.

The newly-established ANC breakaway party Congress of the People (Cope) came in second on 918 votes with the South African ruling party the African National Congress (ANC) coming in third with 673 votes.

The IEC also confirmed that around 17 000 South Africans had registered to vote and while only 9 857 votes in total were counted.