Preparations for this weekend’s Dragon Boat Carnival are in full swing.

The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival is a three-day party with live entertainment as well as a beer garden. International teams will also compete in the Sa Sa International Dragon Boat Races in Victoria Harbour (Tsim Sha Tsui-side).

Workers have erected the spectator seating along the Avenue of the Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui and this morning, preparations commenced on the racing infrastructure.

Around 05h30 this morning (yes, I was up that time!) barges started arriving. The huge vessels are being lined up to act a buffers of sorts to keep the water calm for the racing.

As I am typing this, the racing-boats have been offloaded and workers will soon begin laying the buoys for the lanes (picture below).

The 2011 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival

Date:

17 – 19 June 2011

Time:

17 June 2011: 1pm – 6pm

18 – 19 June 2011: 8:30am – 6pm 

Venue:

Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

San Miguel Beer Garden

17 – 19 June 2011: 1pm – 9:30pm

Venue: UC Centenary Garden, East Tsim Sha Tsui

My family will again have a bird’s eye view from our apartment in Hung Hom, overlooking the racing venue.

Late in 2009 I did a post on the cultural melting pot that is Chungking Mansion.

Located on Nathan Road (opposite the new iSquare Mall) Chungking Mansions is easily the cheapest place to stay in Hong Kong.

However, until recently, it was probably also the ugliest, dirtiest building in Kowloon.  I say ‘Kowloon’ because I’ve seen some UGLY structures in the older part of Kowloon Bay.

A couple of days ago I noticed that the outside of the building is covered in the green netting used when construction takes place.  In fact, while traveling to the Hong Kong Stadium for the Sevens, I saw some Chinese workers starting to off-load truckloads of bamboo in Nathan Road.

I made this clip to show you:

After an astonishing performance at the Altus Kowloon RugbyFest last year, (they finished Plate Runners-up) Rwanda’s rugby players return to Hong Kong next week focused on winning a trophy to cap a remarkable 12 months for the sport in their country.

They will also undertake another IRB coaching course and train with elite teams who will be in town for Hong Kong’s famous Rugby Week.

“Our first visit to Hong Kong in 2010 was very much an eye-opener and a steep learning curve for the boys,” said captain Djuma-Adams Mugabo, one of 11 players returning from last year.

“We are better prepared this time and now we know the standard required to compete with the best teams at RugbyFest. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Rwanda won admirers on and off the pitch during their first visit to Hong Kong – a historic trip that had huge benefits for rugby back in the East African country.

More young players have taken up the sport as a result of the positive publicity and playing kit and equipment donated by Hong Kong clubs has been put to good use.

Two of Scotland’s top coaches – former national team coach Frank Hadden and Scottish Rugby Union referee development manager Colin Brett – visited the country last November to conduct a series of clinics. The duo’s visit was organised by the famous Penguins Coaching Academy, which provides tuition clinics at rugby backwaters all over the world.

Former Scotland coach Frank Hadden (Pic: PA/The Telegraph)

More good news arrived last month when the Rwandan Rugby Federation at last secured a home pitch, taking out a three-year lease on a playing field belonging to a school in the capital, Kigali.

“This is a huge step forward,” said Hong Kong-born rugby enthusiast and Rwanda volunteer worker Dave Hughes, organiser of the Silverbacks’ Hong Kong tours.

“Securing a dedicated pitch is a direct result of the expansion rugby is undergoing in Rwanda and the Hong Kong tours are driving this. With continued investment, we are putting in place development programmes designed to give the game a solid base and build it up from the grassroots.”

One player who has benefited directly from last year’s Hong Kong trip is captain Mugabo, who grew up homeless on the streets of Kigali, selling cigarettes for a living, before taking up rugby.

An anonymous benefactor who read his inspiring tale stepped forward to fund his further education, meaning the Silverbacks skipper was able to start college last September.

The five newcomers to the Rwandan squad for this year’s tour are Jean-Baptist Itanzi, Felix Nsengimana, Sylvain Nkurunziza, Kevin Makmot and Enock Muhire.

“The tour is due reward for the commitment and enthusiasm these young players have shown and it will be a fantastic rugby and cultural experience for them,” added Hughes.

The Silverbacks’ 2011 tour is being funded by the sponsorship from CB Richard Ellis, G4S, Woodland Pre-Schools and Emboss Capital.

“Once again the Hong Kong rugby community has been extremely generous and welcoming,” said Hughes. “Numerous companies and individuals are contributing to make the tour happen.”

After playing in the tournament, the Rwandan squad will once again be spectators at the famous Hong Kong Sevens from 25-27 March.

The Altus Kowloon RugbyFest will take place at King’s Park on Wednesday 23 March and will feature 16 teams from around the world.

A lot can be said about the lack of green space in Hong Kong.  Where an area may exist for the establishment of a park, whatever the size, one often finds the obiqutous, concrete and metal, uniquely Hong Kong ”sitting out area.”

Then of course there’s the rampant (I would be forgiven for saying “condoned“) development of multi-storey residential and commercial buildings.

But that aside, when the Hong Kong government actually gets down to building a “green lung” in this densely populated city, they actually do it rather well.  Needless to say, it begs the question: Why don’t they do it more often?

One such park is the Kowloon Park situated in Kowloon’s Tsim Sha Tsui district.

Located right next to the busy Nathan and Haiphong roads, the Kowloon Park is indeed an oasis in this busy shopping and cullinary district.

Formerly a site for the British army’s barracks, some of the buildings were preserved and now serve as museums.  Some of these include the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre and the Health Education Exhibition and Resources Centre.

The Park also boasts a state-of-the-art Sports Centre with an Olympic-size indoor swimming pool as well as a huge outdoor water-park.  The sports centre was a key venue when Hong Kong hosted the East Asian Games in 2009.

I recently enjoyed breakfast in the park, while on my way to the HKFRU’s event with the Hong Kong Special Olympics.  I had my trusty FlipCam with me and took some footage:

Click here for a map of Kowloon Park

Hong Kong suffered a nightmare start to their ICC World Cricket League (Division 3) campaign when they went down to Oman and the USA in their first two matches.

In the tournament opener against the USA on Saturday, the hosts were defeated by a whopping 7 wickets at the small Kowloon Cricket Club oval. A day later they suffered the same fate, at the same venue, but this time to Oman by 3 wickets. 

However, the tournament hosts can still rescue their dreams of promotion to Division 2 of the World Cricket League when they meet Denmark (Tuesday 25 January) and Italy (Wednesday 26 January) at the Mission Road oval.  Their final match will be against Papua New Guinea/PNG (Friday 28 January) at the Hong Kong Cricket Club.

ICC media manager Lucy Benjamin introduces the skippers at a media event last week (Pic: ICC)

Promotion or demotion

The two finalists in the competition will be promoted to the ICC WCL Division 2 and will play in the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 tournament to be played in UAE during 8-15April 2011. The 3rd and 4th placed teams will stay in WCL Division 3 while the 5th and 6th placed teams will be demoted to WCL Divsion 4. 

Hong Kong’s Irfan Ahmed (centre) celebrates in their match vs. Oman (Pic: ICC) 

Here are some more images from the WCL tournament:

Rwanda’s rugby players are eagerly anticipating their second Hong Kong tour next March after a historic visit to the African country by two of Scotland’s top coaches.

The Silverbacks were put through their paces by former Scotland national coach Frank Hadden and Scottish Rugby Union referee development manager Colin Brett during a week-long series of clinics.

“In the last couple of years I’ve coached in nearly 20 countries and I’m amazed at the capacity of rugby to grow and even thrive in the most unlikely circumstances,” said Hadden.

“After its well documented problems in the Nineties, Rwanda is now one of the safest and most stable countries in Africa and it was fantastic to see all these enthusiastic and talented players coming together to enjoy the rivalry and camaraderie of the best team game in the world.”

Hadden and Brett also conducted sessions with U14s, U18s and the national women’s team in the first ever visit to Rwanda by elite-level rugby coaches.

The duo’s visit was organised by the famous Penguins Coaching Academy, which provides tuition clinics at rugby backwaters all over the world.

“Rwandan rugby has come a long way since it started about 10 years ago,” added Hadden. “I first came across the national team when the Penguins did a joint training session with them in Hong Kong last March and it’s clear they’ve made progress over the course of the year.

“They’re not as big as the players we have in Scotland but they’re quick, with good hands, and would hold their own somewhere in the middle of our national leagues.

“At the end of the week there was a sevens festival in our honour. It was fascinating watching the commitment, enthusiasm and no little skill of all the players on what was a difficult playing surface. It was full contact all the way but thankfully they reigned in the aggression on the more dangerous areas of the pitch!”

The coaching visit by Hadden, Brett and Penguins manager Craig Brown capped a remarkable year for Rwandan rugby that began with the Silverbacks – named after the country’s signature mountain gorillas – travelling to Hong Kong for their first ever overseas tour.

They finished as Plate runners-up in the inProjects Kowloon RugbyFest, a 10-a-side tournament featuring 14 teams from around the world. South African rugby great Bob Skinstad was among the impressed spectators and immediately gave them an open invitation to play in the Cape Town Tens, the tournament he co-founded last year.

The Silverbacks also trained with two elite touring teams, Aliens from New Zealand and Penguins from the UK, while Penguins staff put them through a first-level IRB coaching course.

The team then attended the world famous Hong Kong Sevens courtesy of the HKRFU, who waived the cost of tickets.

In addition, HKRFU director of development Ruth Mitchell organised a hugely successful kit collection, meaning the players returned home with more than 40 bin bags packed with unused team strips donated by the likes of Hong Kong Football Club, DeA Tigers and Valley.

The result of all this activity is that rugby in Rwanda is booming, with youngsters taking up the sport in impressive numbers while more and more women players are also participating.

“The Penguins Coaching Academy’s visit generated huge excitement and gave the game another massive boost,” said Hong Kong-born rugby enthusiast and Rwanda volunteer worker Dave Hughes, organiser of the Silverbacks’ Hong Kong tour.

“We’re obviously extremely grateful to the Penguins and to Frank, Colin and Craig for their time, effort and expertise. Their trip to Rwanda and the impact they made will be remembered for a long, long time.”

Hughes is now focusing on the Silverbacks’ return to Hong Kong for the next Kowloon RugbyFest on 23 March.

“We’re getting a lot of corporate interest and once again the rugby community is banding together to help make it happen,” he revealed.

“The players were delighted to reach the Plate final last March but, after what they’ve learned from the Penguins, they’re looking to do even better next time.

”

In my opinion, winter is the best time to be trawling the many Hong Kong markets.  In fact, it’s the best time to be doing anything outdoors this side of the noodle-curtain.

If there’s one thing I loath, it’s making my way through the throngs in a market while it’s 35 degrees with 99% humidity.

The family and I found our way to Sham Shui Po for some computer repairs and naturally found ourselves trawling the night market just outside the Golden Computer Centre.  The centre is a famous landmark in the district as anything electronic can be had for cheap in this place.

Anything electronic from $1 can be had at the Golden Computer Centre, Sham Shui Po

As I am typing this, I can see the flashing Christmas decorations covering the buildings here in Tsim Sha Tsui East (near the Kowloon Shangrila Hotel).  This district must have some of the best skyline decorations during the festive season.  Christmas in Hong Kong is therefore well and truly in the air here in Hong Kong.

My neighbourhood of East Tsim Sha Tsui/Hung Hom comes alive during Christmas

That means that street- and night markets are making most of their turnover from selling Christmas decorations and Sham Shui Po is not left out, as we found today.

The Sham Shui Po street market on a regular day

Here is a video clip I shot with my iPhone today:

South Africans visiting the city always ask me where they can buy “cheap electronics” and I always direct them to the Golden Computer Centre in Sham Shui Po.

Sham Shui Po is on the RED LINE of the MTR, the 5th stop after Tsim Sha Tsui (TST).

Take exit D to the Golden Computer Centre.

When you exit on the ground level, the Centre is directly opposite the MTR exit.

Click here for a Google Map of Sham Shui Po

View Larger Map

One of the pleasures of watching the action at the Karp Group/PC Jeweller Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is seeing the ball fly over the stands and into the adjacent roads, the roof of the club-house or even the Kowloon Cricket Club pool.  The likelihood of that happening several times over has increased with news that the Australian side has drafted the big-hitting David Warner (pictured right) to their squad.

Left-handed dynamo Warner has been called up to replace the injured Daniel Christian and will be a powerful addition to the team bidding to win its first Hong Kong title.

Warner, 23, made history when he was picked to represent Australia in 2008 in a Twenty20 game against South Africa despite not having played a single game of first-class cricket. He was the first player to do so in 132 years. He made a stunning debut and went on to represent Australia at the Twenty20 World .

“We are delighted he is coming,” said Dinesh Tandon, Hong Kong Cricket Association chairman. “He is one of the biggest hitters in the game and fans will be well entertained.”

Warner is not a stranger to Hong Kong having played in this tournament two years ago when Australia reached the final, only to lose to England in a tied game. England won by virtue of losing fewer wickets.

With Warner back in the team, Australia will be a force to reckon with but fans will also have to watch out for young guns Ryan Carters (20 years), Tom Cooper (23) and Glenn Maxwell (21) to produce the fireworks with all three having played in the recent Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa.

In addition, 20-year-old Tim Armstrong was a member of the victorious Australian Under-19 World Cup squad earlier this year.

The team will be coached once again by former international player John Davison who is also senior coach with Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence.

“It’s an enjoyable tournament to be involved with and something a little different for the players which I’m sure they will enjoy,” said Davison, who is also the CA Centre of Excellence spin bowling coach.

“Although we have a pretty young squad we have some players with good experience including some with international experience or exposure so I’m sure that will hold them in good stead.

“The tournament is short and sweet but it’s a challenging format that most players have probably not played before so it should be good fun for them,” Davison added.

Australia are pooled in the preliminary Bradman group with arch-rivals England, South Africa and Hong Kong. The Sobers pool comprises India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

A total prize money of US$150,000 is up for grabs and Australia will be hoping to winits first title. They came close two years ago when they were defeated by England in a thriller where the scores were tied at the end, and England edging through by virtue of losing fewer wickets.

The Australian side for the tournament is:

Tim Armstrong (New South Wales), Ryan Carters (Victoria), David Warner (New South Wales), Tom Cooper (South Australia), Matthew Johnston (Western Australia), Glenn Maxwell (Victoria), Will Sheridan (Victoria).

I was moved to start the “Historical Hong Kong” category on Howzit-HongKong.com because of a video my Missus came across today.

I was always intrigued by the massive development that the city has undergone (and still is) in a relatively short space of time.  Sadly this development is happening with scant regard for the culture and history that is lost in the process, often with the blessings of the government.

For example, I did a bit of Google-ing and found the following pic (no.2) of the area in Kowloon where I live, as it looked way back in 1972:

This is where I live now (Hung Hom):

This is what the same area looked like some 38 years ago:

I hope you will check back here for regular stories and video clips on how Hong Kong has grown into the world city it is today.

Here is that clip, circa 1930′s Hong Kong:

Hong Kong will hope to go one better at The Karp Group/PC Jeweller Hong Kong Cricket Sixes next month, and will be back with five of the players who stunned the world by reaching the Cup finals before losing to South Africa on the final ball of the 2009 tournament.

Najeeb Amar will spearhead a team bristling with familiar faces for the November 6-7 tournament which is also presented by sponsors Unirich at the Kowloon Cricket Club.

Along with left-arm spinner Najeeb, the others who made Hong Kong proud 12 months ago and will be returning are Munir Dar, Irfan Ahmed, Tanvir Afzaal and Hussain Butt. The two new faces in the squad are left-handed batsman Peter Wooden and teenage medium-pacer Aizaz Khan.

“We came close last year before losing on the final delivery. We hope to make amends and go all the way,” said Najeeb a veteran of nine Hong Kong Sixes campaigns.

Hong Kong hearts were crushed last year when South Africa, needing five runs from the last ball in a gripping Cup final, won with Farhaan Behardien hitting a six.

“It is going to be harder this time for everyone will know that we not pushovers any more,” Najeeb said. “But we have a good side once again and I’m confident we can do well once more.”

There will be added pressure on Hong Kong to perform this year, with the fans benefiting from a deal by official carrier Jet Airways, whereby if Hong Kong wins the Cup or reaches the final, ticketholders will be eligible for massively discounted flights ob both economy and business classes to Mumbai, New Delhi, Colombo and Johannesburg.

All-rounder Wooden, who has made a mark for KCC this season with his powerful batting and left-arm spinners is expected to strengthen the side while the other debutant, 17-year-old Khan has been picking up wickets regularlry for his club Pakistan Association in the local leagues.

“They are both good additions to the team and will strengthen the team while the rest have all played a number of times and they know what is needed,” Najeeb said.

While every player can make weighty contributions with the bat, Hong Kong will have a good mix in the bowling department with Najeeb, Dar and Wooden all handy left-arm spinners while the pace department will be led by Irfan, Afzaal and Khan. Hussain Butt will be the designated wicket-keeper.

“We have a good blend of experience and raw talent and there is a good mix of all-rounders. Our aim is to improve on last year’s performance,” Najeeb added.

HK Sixes skipper Najeeb Amar (Pic: CricInfo)

The tournament got an added boost with Unirich returning as a sponsor. “We are glad to be associated once again with the Hong Kong Sixes,” said Sohan Goenka, managing director, Unirich Group.

Meanwhile Roy Lamsam will lead a Hong Kong development squad in the exhibition match against China’s Asian Games-bound on the Sunday of the tournament.

Hong Kong Sixes Squad:

Najeeb Amar, Munir Dar, Irfan Ahmed, Tanvir Afzaal, Peter Wooden, Hussain Butt, Aizaz Khan.

Hong Kong Development squad:

Roy Lamsam (c), Li Kai-ming, Chan Ka-ming, Siegfried Wai, Nizakat Khan, Asif Khan, Jason Lui

Hong Kong are pooled with England, Australia and defending champions South Africa in the preliminary Bradman Group while the other pool, the Sobers Group comprises, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.