http://www.cathaypacifichost.com/HKSevens/
Click on the above link and view the short video called "Schools out Seven's In" which is a video submitted by Lucy my lovely daughter.
Hong Kong Sevens is coming soon and if she gets enough votes she her video will be shown at the stadium as well as actually playing at this most prestigious event. Yes that's right she is my lovely talented daughter.
Is it real?
I am a proud mother, I don't deny it. So have a look at my daughter's latest homework assignment. She was asked to make a music video for her Media Studies course. Click on the link and it will take you to You Tube where you can watch the video and listen to the music. She borrowed two gorilla costumes from a children's party company then was filmed 'at large' in Hong Kong. My daughter is the one wearing the scarf - otherwise she is unrecognizable!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGF8VULVSP4
Social Experiment
But I just have to comment on the social significance of this moment in time. Where else in the world could you parade around on the streets of a busy 'world' city in a gorilla suit and not be acknowledged unless, of course, you jumped in front of people and scared the life out of them. I think this says a lot about the compliance and inverted politeness, which may be misconstrued as aloofness, of Hong Kong people. They just want and expect things to be safe and to run on schedule, to be expected and routine. When, unusually, two people in gorilla costumes board the MTR their reaction is either "Ignore" "look down" "pretend it is not happening " or to whip out their mobile phone and take a picture of it preferably with the standard two fingered peace sign. This features in EVERY photograph ever taken by people from Hong Kong - if they don't do that particular pose then the photograph just gets deleted and lost forever.
Hello! Who the **** is Kitty?
often imagine Hong Kongers looking through their photograph albums looking at pictures of themselves in the same pose at various times of the year, all photos taken in shopping malls with some sort of Hello Kitty or Mini Mouse theme going on in the background. How dull!
Cheese or Cheers?
Actually there are a few more standard 'take a photograph with me" poses. As well as the two fingered peace sign there is the tongue out and sticking up to one side pose, this is borderline porn star but because of the naivety in this city it passes off as cute (some would say - but not me) and then there is the finger poked in the cheek pose while at the same time making a screwing motion with said finger, oh and obviously, the grin has to be unnaturally large and cheesy (or is that cheersy - saying 'Cheese' while having your photograph taken has been lost in translation and becomes 'Cheers'.
Dog Clothes
Oh and how could I forget photographs taken while posing but with the added interest of a dog dressed in clothes. Come to Sai Kung on a Sunday afternoon and see this for yourself.
Tourist Reaction
Significantly the Western tourists on Nathan Road were the only ones to embrace the fun in the situation and have some sort of concept about how to react. These people may possibly have travelledto other 'world' cities such as Paris or Barcelona or London and seen street theatre or just plain old busking. They know it's for fun, they are on holiday and up for a good time. Their reaction is different from the residents.
When I decide to do my Masters in Sociology I shall use this empirical evidence as the corner stone of my research.
BEST KNICKERS
Marks and Spencer's is a very reliable and homey shop. You just know where you are with M&S. Their products are renowned for lasting many washes, especially their under garments. You can't beat a pair of M&S knickers.
A NEW PRODUCT?
When I was browsing the under garment section I discovered a new product. Something I had never seen before. In a small plastic pouch was 'nipple covers'. I was intrigued by this item. It was not possible to open the package in the shop so truly believing all M&S goods to be of a high standard I made a purchase.
THE COLD AND NIPPLES
For those of you mystified as to why a girl should require nipple covers I will attempt to throw light on the matter. You see, when its a bit cold, and your top is a bit on the flimsy side, nipples tend to pop out for the world to see. Living in air conditioned Hong Kong this happens a lot. You step inside after being out in a hot and humid 30+ degrees and out they pop.
I thought that using this new fangled item would be the answer to this little problem.
TEST RUN
The next morning I decided to try them. I opened the packet to find they were made from a thin 'band aid' type material in the shape of large daisies. The center of the daisy was a slightly padded circle. It was early, it was dark in my bedroom, I wasn't properly awake to read the 'How to Apply' section on the back of the packet and besides I couldn't find my glasses.
It seemed straight forward. I peeled off the backing paper and stuck them over my nipples. Easy.
I got dressed, went to work. Never gave them a second thought. I wasn't aware of people pointing at me on the air conditioned bus saying "Waa look at her nipples sticking out" so I presumed they were working.
THE REMOVAL -PANIC
When I got home after a hards days toil the first thing I did was strip off and get in the shower. Upon the removal of my clothes I remembered the hastily applied nippled covers as I glanced at myself in the bathroom mirror. "Best take them off now" I thought to myself.
Easier said than done. The very thin sticky cover was almost impossible to get hold of. I have nails but I couldn't just get one under the edge of the nipple covers to remove them. I showered. Tried again. No better. I showered again and used lots more shower gel to soften the fabric (steady on now!). Still couldn't get hold of the edge to pull them off. They were well and truly attached to my breasts and did not want to come off.
I found my glasses and the discarded packet and read the instructions. This was not enlightening at all. It just said stick them over nipples, peel them off when you are finished. No clues, no hints.
STILL NOT REMOVED - GULP
About half an hour had gone by since I got home and I was still naked in the bathroom attempting to remove the offending articles. Eventually I managed to get my thumb nail under the edge of the left one and began to peel it off. Oh my God! The pain was excruciating. There was no way I could just rip it off quickly. I had to slowly, slowly, millimeter by millimeter pull it off and try not to pass out with pain.
OH THE PAIN
I have had two children, I have ran a marathon. I know pain. But this? It was really making me feel nauseous. I came out in a hot and cold sweat and began to shiver. Perhaps I was in shock? I am guessing that the process took about 10 minutes and it was such a relief to remove the torturous devil item from my delicate anatomy. But wait, horror of horrors - there was still the other one to remove.
I was almost crying at the thought. I had a lie down to physiologically build myself up to the removal of the second nipple cover.
It was the same horrible experience. Sweating, shaking and on the brink of tears.
DON'T DO IT!
Gentle readers - do not ever buy these items. They should have a health warning written on the packaging. I definitely do not recommend them. Don't be fooled by the steady and reliable Marks and Spencer's brand. Give them a wide berth.
The Hong Kong Rugby 7's starts soon. Its a fest of fast rugby playing and a crowd pleasing event for the expat community as well as thousands of tourists every year. I went last year and this wot I wrote.
“But I don’t like watching rugby” is the reason I have given as to why, after five years in Hong Kong I have never been to the Hong Kong 7s. . I was eventually convinced to go. I considered getting hold of a three day ticket but declined and after some extensive research came to the conclusion that the excitement of the first day, when everyone finishes work and gets to the Hong Kong Stadium as soon as they can, kick off 4.30pm, was the best way to sample the event in all its glory.
How to get there
I had never been to the stadium before. I didn’t know where it was apart from a vague reference to an MTR exit at CausewayBay. I need not have worried about getting lost on the way because it was easy to spot the gwilos among the Chinese faces and follow them. Spoilt for choice I stalked a nice chap wearing a kilt accessorized with colour coordinated socks and a Scottish rugby shirt, sure enough he was going my way.
Where to stand
Information that any virgin of the 7s needs to know is where to sit once inside. So after buying my jug of Pimms I positioned myself in the South Stand. If you want to be seen, want to be on the official website, want to be on the huge screens in the stadium the South Stand is the only option. The other criteria for getting seen involves dressing up. Queens, Mexicans, Hoola hoola girls, lions, tarts, vicars are all good as long as it’s a group of four or more.
Being vigilant
Watching the rugby became a secondary activity just fitted in between that fascinating hobby of mine, people watching. When I wasn’t doing that, while drinking my Pimms, I was on the alert for the huge orange beach balls being bounced around the stadium. Just in case one landed on my head I had to be vigilant enough to hit it out of the way. All that talk of rugby not being important all became clear to me. It is actually irrelevant to the shenanigans going on in the South Stand.
Dressing up and dancing
Behind me were two South Africans in sarongs, their bare chests and faces painted with the South African flag. In front of me was a guy in a big hairy gorilla suit. He might have been called Guy? To the right were a group of ‘official’ dancing girls, scantily clad and well rehearsed to shake their bootie along to the half time music. All music carefully chosen for maximum crowd pleasing and audience participation. Singing or dancing and general gesticulation (“We will Rock You” “Don’t Worry be Happy” “Lets Get it Started in Here” “I feel Good”). Right at the front were a group of about blokes all dressed as the Queen, that’s right HRH Liz II. Long white shiny dresses, blue sash and full Queen wearing tiara face mask, all waving graciously throughout the proceedings. They definitely made it on the screens and websites. Huge afro wigs of various colours were common as well as pink wigs and feather boas for either sex.
Crowd behaviour
Political correctness went out the window. Being among an international crowd didn’t seem to matter. The majority were British. I found myself joining in with the loud booing for Australia and any poor Australian supporter in the crowd who foolishly cheered for their team (who won their match!). The French supporters traditionally position themselves at the back of the South Stand, there weren’t many. As soon as the French team started their warm up, even before their game, the chant started “Stand up if you hate the French” in a few minutes the whole stand, on their feet gesticulating and chanting to the French cohorts at the back. Of course they deserved it.
Yellow Card
The hard core crowd position themselves behind the goal in the South Stand, their mission, to catch the ball after a conversion and nick it. It’s all part of the sport but the officials don’t like it at all. New Zealand kicked the ball into the crowd, someone caught it. Then the tactic is to pass it, under the seats, to someone else while other people deploy distraction tactics in another area to fool security and make it impossible for them to know where the ball is. Everyone stood up to watch this maneuver. Highly entertaining. Then one of the culprits involved was given a ‘yellow card’ by one of the officials, if he did it again he would be ejected from the ground. Oh the shame, it was my own son. We spotted him, using binoculars. As any self respecting mother would do in such a situation – I pretended I didn’t know him!
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