The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union have announced that Cathay Pacific and HSBC will be the new co-title sponsors of the world-famous Hong Kong Sevens from 2012 – 2015.
The sponsorship agreement with previous co-sponsor Credit Suisse concluded at the end of the successful 2011 tournament.
The four-year sponsorship agreement announced today resumes a successful partnership between these two iconic Hong Kong institutions and the world’s pre-eminent international sevens. Cathay Pacific and HSBC’s previous joint sponsorship of the Hong Kong Sevens ran from 1980 through to the first of two Rugby World Cup Sevens held in Hong Kong in 1997.
Under the new sponsorship agreement the event title will be the Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
Cathay Flight Attendant Margaret Lai, Trevor Gregory (HKRFU), John Slosar Chief Executive, Cathay Pacific, Stuart Gulliver, Global Chief Executive, HSBC, Brian Stevenson (HKRFU), Ida Chan, Cathay Pacific Flight attendant. Front row: Twins and Hong Kong mini rugby players Janice Chan Shang-yan and Jeffery Chan Shang-Ming
HSBC’s sponsorship of the Hong Kong Sevens continues its growing support of Sevens internationally through the HSBC Sevens World Series and marks its only title sponsorship of an HSBC Sevens World Series event to date.
The continued involvement of Cathay Pacific as an event sponsor strengthens a 30-year association with the Hong Kong Sevens – a unique longevity in international sports sponsorship.
The Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2012 will be held on 23-25 March.
The annual fireworks extravaganza to usher in the Year of the Rabbit, took place last night (Friday 4 February 2011) over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour.
About 300,000 people gathered on either side of Victoria Harbour on Tsim Sha Tsui- and Central-side to watch the display.
Many more watched from boats and other water-craft parked a safe distance outside our apartment window as you can see from the first clip in the video below.
The fireworks display lasted for exactly 23 minutes and 23 seconds which must have some auspicious significance.
Below is a shortened clip of the 23 minute display:
One of my favourite features of Chinese New Year (other than the 2-week holidays so soon after the Christmas break) is the sight of the lovely pink plum blossoms all over the territory.
But where does the tradition come from?
Flowers are an important part of the Chinese New Year celebrations and decorations.
In old China, much use was made of natural products like flowers in celebrations as well as everyday life.
The two flowers most-associated with Chinese New Year is the water narcissus and the plum blossom.
The plum blossom stands for courage and hope as the beautiful pink blossom springs to life from a seemingly lifeless, gray branch.
The plum tree in my apartment’s lobby at first glance, seems like a fake, what with it’s gray, lifeless-looking branches. On closer inspection though, one sees the pink flowers and notices that it’s actual flowers.
Part of the tradition is to hang red envelopes or “lucky paper” (sheets of red paper with Chinese couplets printed in gold) from the branches.
Some of my greatest memories from Cape Town involve Table Mountain.
As a boy scout back in the days, our troop regularly took part in orienteering competitions at various locations around the mountain.
Later, as a member of my university’s Mountain Club, I had the privilege (several times over) of rock-climbing a couple of routes to the top. A favourite “act of madness” by the fitness-fanatics in the Club was to run up AND down the Mountain via Platteklip Gorge as fast as possible.
In case you were thinking: Yes, we did that stone cold sober!
The best experience, however, was the many nights I spent at the SA Mountain Club’s hut… on the ‘Table Top” as I always like to say. Staying behind while tourists and other visitors are advised that the Upper Cable Station will be closing, as well as seeing the sun rise over the Hottentots Holland mountains while watching from the top of Table Mountain are priceless experiences that few people are privvy to.
Nowadays, as an expat for a decade, my family’s best experience when flying home once a year, is undoubtedly seeing the Mountain as our plane approaches the Mother City.
That is when we feel like we are finally home.
Priceless experiences indeed.
Recently, Table Mountain was named on the shortlist of the 28 finalists in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition.
The Cape icon successfully beat legendary sites such as Mount Everest, K2 and Mount Olympus.
In the meantime, have a look and listen to this clip I made yesterday while listening to Soli Philander & Fiona Furey talking about this campaign on The Taxi:
(We used the picture above in our video clip. Tasaline Pamela Martin informed us via The Taxi that the view in the sketch above was her family’s while growing up and that the picture is by her 16-year old brother, Philipus van Rensburg from Heideveld. Thanks for allowing us to use it, young man.)
During the Chinese New Year period, Hong Kongers traditionally flock to temples to pray for a good year ahead. However, the superstitious also take part in rituals that they believe foretell the future, or at least the year ahead.
It was no different on the second day into the Year of the Tiger. Here in Hong Kong is has become customary for a a lawmaker (member of the territory’s legislature) to visit a popular temple to take part in a ritual that will predict the next year for Hong Kong. The ritual takes place on the second day of Chinese New Year at a suburban temple, and is eagerly awaited by residents and media alike.
The outcome of the ritual, however, does not always bode well for “Asia’s World City” and regional financial hub. SAPA reports that in 2003, home affairs minister Patrick Ho picked number 83, an unlucky number according to Chinese custom.
His selection was followed by 12 months of crisis in which the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus killed several hundred people and ruined the economy, while unprecedented political protests left the government in turmoil.
This year it was the turn of Hong Kong councillor Lau Wong Fat.
Hong Kong lawmaker Lau Wong Fat shaking the tin of fortune sticks (Pic: news.yahoo.com/AFP)
And it was good news for all in Hong Kong. In a closely watched ritual, lawmaker Lau Wong-fat shook a bundle of numbered bamboo fortune sticks until one fell to the ground, number 53, which was later interpreted by a stick-reader to be the harbinger of better times.
The draw was good news for Lau whose unlucky pick of 27 in 2009 – the Year of the Ox – predicted doom and gloom for the city of seven million as it was wracked by the global financial crisis.
All that we can add to that is: Sjoe! That was close.
When asked about what they like about living in China (we’ve also lived in Taiwan before) my kids sometimes respond: “We get to celebrate TWO New Years!” What they don’t say is that they get TWO New Year’s holidays off from school!
Living in Hong Kong, we foreigners indeed have the benefit of two New Year holidays. The Western New Year is welcomed with great fanfare including an expensive fireworks display, while the Lunar New Year is celebrated along age-old Chinese traditions that also includes fireworks, New Year’s Parades and displays. Taiwan does not celebrate the (Western) New Year, while Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year, sees the island enjoying a 7-day break. The Mainland normally also have a holiday of about 7 days over the Lunar New Year.
This year, Lunar New Year falls on the same day as (the Western) Valentine’s Day… February 14, 2010.
Stay close to Howzit-HongKong.com for more features on the Chinese Lunar New Year. In the meantime, if you’re not familiar with the New Year’s greeting in Cantonese, start learning the follow phrase:
San nin faai lok!
(Generally: Happy New Year! More specifically: Congratulations and be prosperous!)
Though not as BIG as the fireworks display that welcomed the recent East Asian Games, Hong Kong ushered in 2010 in traditional style with a fireworks display over some of Hong Kong Island’s landmark buildings. The centrepiece building was the iconic IFC (International Financial Centre) in Central that sported an LED display with the numbers 2010.
Thousands of Hong Kongers crowded vantage points on either side of Victoria Harbour, some lining up for up to three hours to have the best view of the 4-minute fireworks display.
Howzit-HongKong.com wishes all it’s readers and supporters a very prosperous 2010!
The South African Consulate-General’s Office sent out the following message to South Africa passport holders planning to visit the UK (or transit via the UK):
Dear South Africans,
As you are aware, the Government of the United Kingdom introduced a Visa Regime for South African nationals earlier this year. At the time of the announcement, a grace period was provided for those visitors with previous arrival stamps in their current passport to be temporarily exempt from the requirement. The grace period has now expired.
All South African nationals are required to hold a valid visa to enter the UK (this includes Official and Diplomatic Passports). A visa is required even when using the UK as a transit point for connecting flights.
The UK Consulate has indicated that from 1 July 2009 they are hoping to move to a slightly revised applications process – with all applications being completed online and appointments offered for applicants to go in to one of their application centres to provide their biometrics.
The current system provides a waiver for provision of biometrics for official and diplomatic passport holders (These visa applications are required to be supported by a Note Verbale)
Please note that the UK Consulate requires five working days to process applications.
Thank you for your attention.
Nomatemba Tambo (Consul-General)
South African Consulate-General, Hong Kong SAR/Macao SAR
Tel: (852) 25773279 Fax: (852) 28901975
From howzit-HongKong.com:
For further information from the UK Border Agency about the new regulations, you can download the pdf-file from our server here
