The Canny Man‘s posters all read “An oasis in WanChai” but I personally like the one I saw on a video today:
“A football-free zone.”
OK, so South Africa just recently hosted a very successful football World Cup but man… a month of football is probably as much football as I can take! Truth be told, I’ve probably seen enough round-ball “action” to last me till the next World Cup. Which is probably a good thing, what with the RUGBY WORLD CUP in Zealand looming in 2011.
I am currently teaching a bridging course for new Secondary 1 students in Lok Fu and one of my colleagues is none other than the former Hong Kong rugby captain Semi Iafeta. Apologies to Semi, but I didn’t recognise him until I did a bit of “research” online today. However, in my defense Semi, your hair used to be a lot longer! Like most international rugby boys here in Hong Kong, Semi Iafeta is a semi-professional who makes his living teaching in Hong Kong.
Semi Iafeta with ball in hand, playing for Hong Kong
It seems that the big Number 8 is also quite the video producer, having produced the video about The Canny Man I mentioned earlier:
Hongkongers can sometimes get rather “emotional” about small non-issues.
In recent months, there have been several incidents that have captured the local imagination, so much so that somebody even set up a website dedicated to the now infamous “Bus Uncle.”
Just to give you some perspective: HongKongers, especially the older folk, sometimes speak on their mobile phones as if they’re the only ones around. LOUD, and often on public transport. The Bus Uncle did so on a bus and was asked by a youngster to tone it down.
Talking about incidents, you may have seen the viral YouTube clip about the woman who throws this moerse tantrum after missing her flight (6,442,730 views):
Then of course, there’s (yet another woman) going into a fit when told there’s no sharkfin soup available (1,169,777 views):
I think the latest “video star” created on YouTube is the now famous Bus Uncle video clip (1,034,411 views):
(Do read the sub-titles… they’re hilarious!)
However, I just picked up on the following “MTR uncle” trying to mouth off to a gweilo (foreigner) on the MTR train line. It is not clear what led up to this incident, but the clip shows the foreigner briefly fiddling with the uncle’s bag. The altercation escalates when the uncle touches the foreigner’s face.
Watch the uncle narrowly escaping being thoroughly bliksem-ed by clicking here
From where I am typing this, if I turn my head slightly to the right, I can see the Hong Kong Coliseum. For those who don’t know what happens over here on the “dark side” (as Hong Kong Islanders apparently refer to Kowloon) the Coliseum is where many of the indoor sports events during the East Asian Games took place. It also hosts most of the local and international pop concerts. The Coliseum is situated directly opposite the Hung Hom MTR station.
Whenever I pass the diamond-shaped building, I can always tell when a famous person is about to have a concert or a big event is about to take place. The groupies hanging about the service entrance or the ritual suckling pig offering before the event is always a dead (pun intended) giveaway.
The Hong Kong Coliseum lit up during the daily Symphony of Light (Pic: Mike Jansen)
Yesterday was no different as the offering ceremony took place just as my bus passed the Coliseum. The groupies were also in place a suitable distance from the celebs.
The ceremony I witnessed happened to be part of the preparations for the Miss Hong Kong 2010 pageant that took place last night. According to the official Miss Hong Kong 2010 website: “The 15 contestants will compete (for) the winning, first and second-runner up titles as well as the Miss Photogenic and Miss International Goodwill awards.”
So without any wasting any more time, Hong Kongers…. here is your Queen also known as Miss International Goodwill 2010:
Miss Hong Kong 2010 Toby Chan
(The air-conditioning must have been on full-blast inside the Coliseum, because last I checked, it is summer outside.)
Here’s the 1st runner-up, Sammi Cheung (22) who will represent HK at the Miss International 2010 pageant:
And just for balance, 2nd runner-up is Lisa Ch’ng (23)
Here in Hong Kong he made the sports section of the free daily newspaper The Standard on Tuesday (July 20,2010).
I’m not sure where the headline “Ooh-la-la he’s cool” fits in but after the successes of the 2010 World Cup, Louis did his bit to keep South Africa’s name in the hearts and minds of the world.
Cheers Louis.
(click on the newspaper page above for larger view)
My pal Kevin over at the Canny Man loves his footy.
His establishment, in the basement of the Wharney Guandong Hotel in Wan Chai is also one of the local watering holes that stock our very own Castle Lager Beer.
If you haven’t heard, or if you’ve been locked up by the PLA at their headquarters on Hong Kong Island for the last 2 weeks, South Africa’s Bafana Bafana national team plays France in a crunch-match in Port Elizabeth tonight. (Tuesday June 22, 10pm)
Bafana Bafana (or The Boys) has to win this game convincingly and hope that the other game between Mexico and Uruguay also go their way, in order for them to stay in the tournament. If not (and it’s a very possible NOT) the South African team will become the first-ever host nation to be eliminated in the first round of a World Cup.
Back to Wan Chai. The Canny Man is offering a free Castle Lager if you join them for the game (kick-off 10pm). They will also be giving away bottles of Rooiberg Brut sparkling wine whenever Bafana Bafana scores. If not they will raffle it.
Contact Kevin or any of the staff at The Canny Man on 2861 1935 to book a table. Directions to The Canny Man can be found here
Yebo Yes! Not only does Saturday May 22, 2010 see the start of the England Sevens at Twickenham, back home there’s also the Semi-finals of the 2010 Super 14 featuring TWO South African teams in the Stormers & Bulls,while locally our Hong Kong Boys also has a crunch-match in the Asian5Nations Top 5 Competition.
Hong Kong’s rugby warriors will take on the might of Japan in the final game of the HSBC Asian5Nations. That game takes place at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo around 1pm (Hong Kong time).
Victory for Japan’s Brave Blossoms will confirm their entry into Pool A of the 2011 IRB Rugby World Cup alongside hosts New Zealand, France, Tonga and Canada.
Japan only needs a point from their final match and as such, even a draw will do. But this will be furthest from the mind of coach John Kirwan who is demanding a complete 80-minute performance from his team.
However, all is not lost for Hong Kong as they can still, mathematically clinch the RWC automatic entry spot from the Japanese team. All the Hong Kongers have to do to finish top of the HSBC Asian 5 Nations standings, and gain automatic entry to the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next year, is to defeat Japan with a bonus point and deny their hosts a losing or try scoring bonus point.
That’s it. Done. Alles oor. Finish & Klaar.
How’s that for a reason to travel to The-Land-of-the-Silver-Fern next year but to (1) support the Springboks as well as the (2) Boys representing your home-away-from-home!
Now THAT’S Ayoba!
Howzit-HongKong.com will be checking out Hong Kong taking on Japan in this crunch-game at The Canny Man tomorrow. If you’re in the area, do join us?! We’ll be at the table enjoying the sponsor’s brew and haggis! S’true!
What’s going on in WanChai’s The Canny Man these days?
Well, Kevin over at Hong Kong’s “only authentic, traditional Scottish bar” mailed us to say that The Canny Man is going “Cannier!” with this promotion.
I must admit, I’ve never been, but after hearing this, I’m on my way!
Slainte Mhath!
Find The Canny Manonline or if you’re on FaceBook, once you’re logged on, just search “Canny Man” and FB will hook you up.
I’ve always been baffled by the response I get when asking tourists if they know where the Avenue of the Stars is here in Hong Kong. The conversation often gets to that point when I try to explain to them where I live, where the Bruce Lee statue is or where the best spot is from where to watch the fireworks or nightly laser-show.
It has never really dawned on me that maybe they don’t know because they haven’t been able to find it!
Maybe I should also add that it didn’t dawn on me because whenever I visit a new city, I always do thorough research about what to see and how I could get there. Blame it on the Boy Scout in me. I have spent many a year following the teachings of the good Lord Baden Powell. I also have a ritual of “doing the walk.”
Huh?
Well, whenever I visit a new city, and I have the opportunity to wake up in said city, I make it my mission to take a pre-dawn walk to experience the city waking up. It just gives one another perspective of the place and in my opinion, the early-morning experience makes exploring it during the day less daunting. I had some memorable mornings in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Amsterdam, to name but a few, a couple of full-moon parties ago. My early morning in San Antonio, Ibiza will (for obvious reasons) remain a BLURR!
I had the opportunity to do the walk here in Hong Kong a few years ago, before it became my home-away-from-home.
But again, I digress.
Reading a story in this past weekend’s HK Magazine, it became clear to me just why tourists don’t know where the Avenue of the Stars is located. It’s just so damn difficult to get there!
In short, the Avenue of the Stars is separated from the Peninsula Hotel/Nathan Road-side by Salisbury Road and other than the Star Ferry-corner, there is no above-ground way to cross Salisbury Road to get to the Avenue.
If you do want to get there, you have to take one of three underground routes which could be both time-consuming as well as baffling to tourists.
So what do the time-constrained tourists do?
They make their way to the Star Ferry area, watch the nightly laser-show from there and go back to their hotel, etc. In the process they miss out on a great walk along the Avenue, right up towards Tsim Sha Tsui East where there are some great restaurants and entertainment venues. (I know this area intimately because I live on the Eastern-end of the Avenue of the Stars.)
This it what they could miss during the day:
Or at night:
Nice movie, great soundtrack! (Video from trabeller on YouTube)
Continues below. SA readers please click on the banner to support Howzit-HongKong:
Please read the story that appeared in the HK Magazine on Friday April 16, 2010:
(You can click on the story to read it full-size)
Click on the pictures below to view HK Magazine’s 3 detailed routes to the Avenue of the Stars:
