SB and I were motivated to make the most of our time off by partaking in come of the activities provided. First, we took to the hills for a few paces and then descended to Central for some random urban exploration, a la Baudelaire's flâneur. Hong Kong is an ideal city to become lost into, to randomly explore, participate, and portray.
Later in the evening we strolled past Tin Hau to the fair being held in Victoria Park. SB had only been to the fair years ago, in foul weather, and he recalled visions of wet, trampled flowers laying in the cold ground. We were excited to see this fair in good weather. But it was not to be. As we approached the gates we were overwhelmed with the volume of people waiting to be admitted. There easily were a thousand people in line. As SB and I began moving out of the way, debating whether or not to go in, a policeman came up to us and told us to leave. "If you don't need to buy anything inside, then go. There is nothing to see!" He was amusingly adamant about the horror that awaited us so we heeded his advice and beat a hasty retreat. We have some friends who were flying above in a helicopter and they agreed that it was madness below.
All was not lost because as we were rounding the corner to go home in Happy Valley, we looked into the Jockey and saw one of SB's ice hockey mates at the bar. We went inside and shared a beer (yes, we did indeed morph into a blob of indistinct parts like those couples we make fun of) and wished him a happy new year. He invited us to a private skate practice that he had arranged for the next afternoon, which we wasted no time in accepting.
Look! They had small glasses for each of us to have a half pint! How cute is that?
We phoned him the next morning to make sure that it was a sincere invitation (he was very drunk) and then rushed over. SB had a fun skate with the other hockey players and they ran a few passing and shooting drills while I laced up my little skates and wobbled around on the ice with my own stick and puck. Fun times were had by all.
his feet, my feet
Jumbo, next door
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