Hong Kong

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DAY 24 - SUNDAY 12 SEPTEMBER

I caught the train to the airport for my 12.20 flight to London, arriving at Heathrow at 1pm local time. At 3.25pm caught the connecting flight to Hong Kong, a lovely 12 hour flight. It wasn?t much of a day as Hong Kong is 7 hours ahead of London. I had learned my lesson from Auckland-LA and Toronto-Dublin, so I took a sleeping pill. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

DAY 25 - MONDAY 13 SEPTEMBER

Awoke feeling very refreshed. Touched down at Hong Kong airport at approximately 10.30am, my first time in Hong Kong and the beginning of the third stage of my trip, the Asia leg. Caught the Airport Express to Central Station and rang Patrick Nihan, who I was staying with.

Patrick, 27, looks and sounds like a yank but has an interesting background. Born in Tokyo, he has lived in Japan, the Philippines (2 years), Malaysia (7 years) and Hong Kong (11 years). He spent 4 years in Boston at university, followed by 2 years working in New York. He is currently employed as a Product Controller by Merrill Lynch, where he has been for the last two years.

Patrick, a rugby union player since 11, first got involved in footy through his Aussie roommate Justin Doherty. He likes the fact that footy is wide open, fast, with the action constantly flowing. Further, it has a lot more skills than other sports. Unlike American football it?s not just offense and defense - you have to go both ways.

Rugby union isn?t doing too badly in Hong Kong. Most will have heard of the annual Hong Kong Sevens, one of the world?s biggest sporting events. The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) also employs two Development Officers, Deano Herawani (a kiwi and a mate of Patrick?s) and Rambo (a local).

Patrick had just returned from Japan, where the Hong Kong Dragons had played the Tokyo Goannas. The match, won by the Goannas, was played on a field slightly larger than a rugby field (12 a side). Patrick has also represented the Dragons in Vietnam, Thailand and at the Arafura Games in Darwin.

After meeting Patrick we dropped my luggage off at his place before heading back into town. He had to go back to work (his normal working day is from 9am to 8.30pm!) so I decided to have a walk around the city and get some bearings.

If you like the quiet life then Hong Kong is not the place for you. It?s very much alive and the sheer maddening crush of people can get to you. If my experiences in walking through the streets of Hong Kong are any guide, the Dragons must have the best sidesteps in international footy.

Headed east towards Wan Chai and through the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. There?s a small internet cafe here - if you buy something you can check your email and surf the net for free. Great stuff.

From there I negotiated the maze of people to Wan Chai Sports Ground. One of the reasons for coming to Hong Kong was to check out facilities for the proposed World Nines, which I?ll tell you about later. I went to Administration and was given a map of the sporting facilities in Hong Kong, which was very handy.

Still further east is Causeway Bay and I had a look around Victoria Park, a large sports facility with swimming pools, tennis courts, playing fields and a jogging track. Noticed that a lot of the older locals like to gather in groups and kick the soccer ball around. Wrong ball fellas!

The Dragons train at Happy Valley, which is very accessible as it is in the middle of down town. They play at the Police Training School, which has a good sized field, although the field itself is not too flash. They would love to play at Stanley Fort, which is a People?s Liberation Army (PLA) base. They would also love to play on some of the cricket grounds, but believe there is no way that they would get access to them.

Patrick told me a great story about what lengths people will go to to play a game of footy. Three years ago in Shek Kong, which is a military base, the Dragons got permission to use a large open sized grassed area for a game of footy. The locals were asked to cut a footy field. Upon arrival on match day, the Dragons were horrified to discover that a rugby sized field had been cut instead. So they dragged bars and chains behind their cars to flatten the grass, before cutting it with lawn movers and whipper snippers.

I walked back through Wan Chai and Central to the Star Ferry Pier. Caught the ferry from Hong Kong Island to Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) on Kowloon. It?s no pleasure cruise as the water, like the air, is very dirty. However the fare is sensational at $1.70HK (about 30c) and it only takes about 8 minutes to cross the harbour. Take care when you?re disembarking as it is normally very choppy - the gangway tends to bounce up and down so time your run.

Had to meet Patrick so I didn?t hang around TST for long. Looking back across the harbour towards Hong Kong Island reads like a who?s who of multinational corporations, with Panasonic, Toshiba, Canon, Epson etc. emblazoned on skyscraper after skyscraper.

Recrossed the harbour and caught up with Patrick. We had dinner at Yung Kee Restaurant and enjoyed some traditional Chinese fare. Also tried the Chinese beer Tsingtao (pronounced "Ching Dow"). Not bad.

After dinner we caught a tram to Victoria Peak, which offers immaculate views of the city. It is quite simply breathtaking at night as the city lights up in a kaleidoscope of colour and glitz, metamorphosing from a concrete caterpillar into an electronic butterfly.

Descended the Peak via a double decker bus. I was getting tired but was kept awake by the extreme narrowness of the road, along with the driver?s resolve to get to the bottom as quickly as possible. We stopped to do some shopping on the way back to Patrick?s place. After watching some TV it was time to call it a night.

DAY 26 - MONDAY 14 SEPTEMBER
Got up late and caught a bus into Central. Today I was going to Portugal! Well, not quite, I was catching the Turbo Jet to Macau, currently a Portugese colony but due to return to China in December 1999. Macau?s proliferation of casinos has earned it the reputation as the Monte Carlo of the East. The trip takes about an hour and is quite reasonable, you can sit in first class for $144HK (about $30). Coming back from Macau costs a bit more ($151HK) but it?s well worth it.

For some strange reason you cannot buy a return ticket. Be careful as I almost got into serious trouble. I asked the bloke at the counter if the $144 was a return fare and he said yes. I only found out when I was returning that this was wrong. Imagine if I had spent all my money in Macau - do you think they would have cared if I didn?t have enough to get back?

Your money also gets you a small red cardboard box, which contains a small orange juice, a chocolate and some bikkies. Great for budget travellers.

I met two Aussies, firstly Brian (from Geelong) and then Liz (from Byron Bay) and we all agreed to hang together. I was more than happy as sightseeing by yourself can be very boring. There can be no disagreements about what to do or where to go next if you?re by yourself, but it?s nice sometimes to be able to share the experience with others.

We caught a bus into the central part of town, our first stop being Macau?s most famous attraction, the Ruins of St. Paul. This very old church was burnt down in the 19th century, leaving only the facade and a few bricks behind. There?s also a crypt containing the bones of martyrs.

Nearby is the Monte Fort, which has some great views of Macau. It?s famous for the destruction of a Dutch invasion fleet in 1622, when a cannonball fired from the fort landed in the gunpowder stores on one of the ships. Kaboom - end of story.

Our next stop, the Guia Fortress, was a decent walk away. It was very humid and I felt like I was back in Darwin. Brian is a big fella and he was sweating rivers. The view from the top of the fortress, which is Macau?s highest point, was definitely worth it though. The fortress also contains a 17th century chapel, as well as the oldest lighthouse on the China coast.

We met some Portugese people at the fortress, who told us that a lot of Portugese had left Macau this year before the Chinese takeover in December. It must be hard for those that were born and raised here.

We walked back down into the city and grabbed a much needed drink before checking out the statue of Kun Iam, the queen of heaven and goddess of mercy. Ready to return to Hong Kong, Brian and I said goodbye to Liz as she wanted to hang around. We walked back to the Ferry Terminal and caught the 5.30pm service.

Macau may be only 60km west of Hong Kong, but it?s a million miles away in terms of attitude and atmosphere. The pace of life here is far more relaxed and it?s possible to walk down the street without getting knocked over. It?s an interesting blend of East and West.

After farewelling Brian I met Patrick after work. Had another early night as we planned to have a few drinks the following night.

DAY 27 - WEDNESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER
Had a meeting with Mark Wistanley from the Hong Kong Dragons at 10am. The Dragons are Asia?s oldest team. They have played in the first game in several countries and have led the way in touring the region. They used to draw crowds of up to 2,000 people to games. In January 1999 over 1000 people watched a game.

We talked about Hong Kong?s participation in the proposed 2002 World Cup in Melbourne. Obviously HK are keen to attend, having been to the Arafura Games in 1995, 1997 and 1999. It would seriously affect the credibility of the World Cup, however, if purely expat teams were allowed to compete.

For example, the United Arab Emirates team which competed at the 1995 Cricket World Cup consisted almost entirely of Pakistanis. Similarly the Canadian cricket team at the 1998 Commonwealth Games was made up of Indians and West Indians, not a good look. The multitude of nationalities representing nations such as Japan and Romania at the Rugby World Cup is yet another example.

Mark referred to two types of identification. The first is a Hong Kong ID card, which you can obtain with a working visa. The other is a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card, which you can obtain after 7 years residency. To obtain a passport you have to have at least 25% Chinese blood.

Perhaps the solution is to impose a minimum residency requirement, for example 3 years, to allow teams such as Hong Kong and Singapore to compete. On the other side of the coin is the argument that there should only be a minimum number of Aussies allowed per team, regardless of residency. It?s something the Executive Committee are going to have to discuss.

Another issue discussed was the likelihood of seeing some Chinese faces in the Dragons lineup by 2002. Mark does not think it is very likely for a variety of reasons. The first is Mark?s experience on the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Cricket Association. Although it is a lot bigger than Australian football, cricket in Hong Kong is still very much a minor sport played by expats. The most popular sports in China are soccer and tennis, sports where you don?t need to be physically strong. They are pushing that line with cricket. Violent contact sports such as Rugby (played mostly by expats) are not popular.

Mark told me that the Dragons don?t have qualified coaches. "If we are serious about pushing the game here we need support to get guys qualified and to get clinics set up. We have several members with kids who would jump at the chance to set up and help run clinics, but we would need support to get them up to speed."

We also discussed Macau. Like Hong Kong, Macau is very big on sport and it would be great to see footy started there. Rugby is played in Macau so it may be possible. I guess the way to do it is for the Dragons to get in touch with the Rugby people and see if they are keen for a game. If so they would need a few footys, skills manuals and some coaching clinics by the Dragons. I strongly recommend that the Dragons pursue this as it gives them an opponent much closer to home.

The following article from Macau Magazine demonstrates what can be achieved. "Field hockey is gaining popularity in Macau, largely due to the efforts of Tayyab Ikram, Director of Coaching of the Macau Hockey Association. When he arrived here in 1990 few people were playing the game. ?The Chinese perceived it as a dangerous sport, so I did demonstrations in the schools for several years,? he recalls. Now, there are about 10 teams in the senior league, and more in the junior program (under-21s and under-17s). A further 10 teams play 5-a-side hockey during the summer, which allows beginners to get a feel for the sport."

Finally we discussed the World Nines. Basically the plan is to run an international 9 a side Australian football tournament in either Hong Kong or Singapore in October 2000. An IAFC endorsed annual event, it will be professionally run and offer prize money. The potential for growth of this tournament is enormous. More information will be posted on the IAFC website.

If you think talk of a World Nines footy comp is pie in the sky stuff, have a look at the history of the Hong Kong Sevens, which I have reproduced from their official website at www.hksevens.com.hk

"The world?s premier Rugby Sevens Tournament was born over pre-luncheon drinks at the venerable old Hong Kong Club on a misty spring day in 1975.

The Chairman of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, an amiable South African entrepreneur, A.D.C. "Tokkie" Smith, was talking with tobacco company executive Ian Gow. It was Gow?s idea, as Promotions Manager for his firm, to sponsor a Rugby Tournament with top teams from throughout the world competing.

The next time Gow and Smith met, it was Smith who proposed a Seven-a-side Tournament. Working on the belief that the shorter games would provide a more exciting spectacle.

Smith surmised that the crowds would be bigger and the logistics of catering for airfares, accommodation and associated team travel costs for a fewer number of players from different points of the globe, was not only logical, but practical and innovative.

In the slick manner of Hong Kong business, support was sourced and committees were formed, and finally a proposal was sent to Rugby Football Union headquarters at Twickenham, England.

The ideals of those in Hong Kong held little appeal for the individuals holding court in England, and accordingly they refused to support the HKRFU?s proposal. Although disappointed by the lack of support afforded them, the HKRFU was far from defeated.

In an air of eager support from both rugby fans and businesses alike, invitations were sent out to clubs in Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Japan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Fiji and Singapore. By inviting clubs, and not national teams, the HKRFU effectively neutralised the decision of the Twickenham officials.

On March 28, 1976, less than a year after Tokkie Smith and Ian Gow shared a glass, Australians and Koreans clashed in the first match of the Hong Kong Sevens. It was an astonishing accomplishment; in less than 12 months, a team of talented, dedicated volunteers had created a sporting event that was to tackle the imagination of the rugby world. They had made history."

After the meeting I caught a bus out to the Aberdeen Sports Ground, suggested by Mark as a potential venue for the World Nines. It?s a nice ground with lots of seating, although bordered by a synthetic running track. Further, the field has areas that would need to be covered. The field would have to be suitable, available and affordable.

Had maccas for lunch and the only reason I?m mentioning this is the simple fact that McDonalds in Hong Kong is the cheapest in the world at $17.8HK, so a value meal costs about $3.50. Apparently there are 158 stores in Hong Kong, so if you?re a fan you?re not going to starve. And 4 of the world?s 10 busiest franchises are located here.

My next meeting was at 2pm with Kate Heard, General Manager of MM Communications, who specialise in integrated sponsorship solutions. Kate was recommended by Patrick in regards to assistance with the World Nines. Had a good meeting - Kate liked the idea and was keen to be involved.

Although Hong Kong is now part of China (albeit a Special Administrative Region) I was keen to visit the mainland to hopefully add to my ever growing collection of passport stamps. I was about to catch the KCR (Kowloon Canton Railway) to Low Wu (where you disembark before a brief walk into mainland China) when I read that people without visas (i.e. myself) should not proceed to Low Wu. I would liked to have gone but it was no big deal.

Decided to have a look at Hong Kong Stadium instead. Unfortunately I had to give up as a combination of a train, taxi and legwork failed to find it. It was extremely humid and I said to myself ?bugger it?. Next time.

Met Patrick after work in Lan Kwai Fung, an expat drinking area. We went to a few bars and had a few drinks. Quite a few actually. A great night but a late one.

DAY 28 - THURSDAY 16 SEPTEMBER
The worst day by far of the whole trip. I woke up on the couch with a sore head and sorer throat. I had to catch a 9am Cathay Pacific flight to Singapore. As I was leaving I noticed it was very windy, and although not persisting down, it was raining quite heavily. Looking back on it I was extremely lucky to catch a cab almost immediately. The driver informed me that it was a category 10. Let me explain.

There are 4 categories of typhoon in Hong Kong. When a typhoon is within 600 nautical miles of HK they say that Typhoon Signal No. 1 has been hoisted. It becomes a No. 3 if it gets to within 300 nautical miles and a No. 8 if it gets to within 100. A direct hit, which is bad, is a No. 10. And guess which day it decides to hit HK? That?s right, the day of my departure.

The roads were a mess, with debris and lots of water everywhere. I was very lucky to get a taxi at all. There is normally a constant stream of red cabs going past, but I hardly saw another cab. The Airport Express was delayed as well and I just got to the airport in time, to be told the inevitable. The flight was delayed, come back at 11am.

Bought the South China Morning Post, had some brekkie and waited. And waited. Waited some more. Told to come back at 1pm and then at 4pm. All flights were finally cancelled at 4pm. I was very annoyed but there was not much I could do. Went back to Patrick?s and had an early night. If there is a category 10 you don?t have to go to work and Patrick was a happy man.

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