Buddha Belly

Mark and I have been quite busy sightseeing and enjoying activities in Hong Kong lately. In fact, we’ve been so busy, I haven’t had time to write about them. However, we’re watching the American Music Awards on TV tonight and it’s just interesting enough to not turn the channel, but not interesting enough to keep me from multitasking and taking advantage of this time to write a blog entry.

Mark’s Bierday

The most important activity to start with took place on November 8^th (Mark’s birthday!) when we took part in the time honored Chinese tradition called the annual German Bierfest. That’s right, Hong Kong has a very popular German Bierfest lasting the last week of October through mid-November. This ended up being a perfect birthday celebration for Mark. Lots of beer, food and a great German musical show. In fact, the musical show is really the highlight of the festival in Hong Kong. It’s an audience participation show and is more like a stage play and is not “background music” as was expected. Before I go any further with the story, it’s important to point out that Chinese people in Hong Kong are VERY entertaining when you give them a little German beer. It’s hilarious when you give them a lot of German beer. People really got into the show, standing on the tables, singing along with the band, hitting each other over the head with the inflatable German sausages they gave everyone at the front door….hilarious stuff. Unfortunately, it was too hilarious for this giggly girl and when the band called some men up onto the stage for a yodeling competition, I laughed so hard I almost cried. (I didn’t know it was possible to have a Chinese accent when yodeling) I enjoyed it so much the band leader noticed and pointed me out in the crowd saying he wouldn’t be laughing so hard if he was me since he was going to make me the next volunteer for the next competition. Crap. I competed in the competition which was to blow the giant horn which is exactly like the one in the Riccola cough drop commercials. I didn’t win, but had a good showing and made Mark proud. A friend who was with us, (Tara) laughed so hard at me, the band leader made her do the following competition which was thoroughly humiliating and not something I can write in a blog for a mass audience. Tara made it to the finals and should have won the whole thing if it the judge wasn’t too drunk to notice.

All in all, a fun night was had by all, and I don’t even regret getting up and doing the chicken dance in public….twice.

Big Buddha

This last weekend, Mark and I did some sightseeing on Lantau Island (the big island of Hong Kong which is the same one the airport is on). We went to see the Big Buddha statue up on the mountain top, walked through the Buddhist monastery and, most importantly, experienced Hong Kong’s newest tourist attraction, a sky tram that takes you to the top of the mountain. The tram was pretty cool with some great views. I promised Mark I wouldn’t write about how he was scared like a little girl on the ride, so I won’t go into that.

Comedy Club Humor

This blog is getting pretty long, so I’ll wrap up with a brief mention of one of our other favorite activities which is seeing stand up comics at a local comedy club. We went for a friend’s birthday last weekend (Happy Birthday Richard!) and this was our 2^nd time going to a show there. They usually bring in a variety of British, Canadian, Irish, and Australian comics for all us expats in the city. Funny stuff, but the only thing worth mentioning to all the people back home reading this blog is that if you want to be reminded how America’s reputation has TANKED around the world, the best place to go is a comedy club. It’s best to keep quiet if they ask if there are any Americans in the crowd or you risk being the butt of all jokes the rest of the night. (I was warned of this important advice and have never been targeted thank god) If this is the case, why do we keep going? Because it’s darn funny and many of the American jokes are spot on! It’s good to laugh at yourself right?