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:

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

Unlike before, where the annual Chinese New Year Night Parade extended all the way to East Tsim Sha Tsui, the Parade will this time around be limited to Tsim Sha Tsui.

The Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade is one of the best-loved events of the entire Chinese New Year celebrations and certainly a must-see on my family’s list.

The theme this years is World City, World Party and as always the parade features illuminated floats accompanied by spectacular international and local performing groups.  In previous years some South African troupes were flown in, although I don’t remember any Saffas taking part last year.

There is always a carnival atmosphere as festive crowds line the route around Tsim Sha Tsui to watch the colourful parade pass by, but if you don’t want to be in those throngs, you can always purchase a ticket that will guarantee you a great vantage point from a raised platform.

Tickets will go on sale from Saturday 22 January at HK$350/ $300/ $220/ $180 per person.  These are for spectator stands with seating at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, Canton Road, Nathan Road and Salisbury Road.

The Night Parade is truly an international event in that it doesn’t only include Chinese culture and performers.  My favourite international act is, of course, the cheerleaders from the good ol’ US of A!

Here is your invitation to this year’s Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade:

This is what happened at the Night Parade last year:

Despite all the international acts, the Chinese cultural acts are THE draw-card for the crowds!

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 my favourite hang-outs when I’m in the mood for some big-band jazz and a couple of big beers (not necessarily in that order) can be found in one of Tsim Sha Tsui’s food-districts: Ned Kelly’s Last Stand in Ashley Road.

In December 2011 Ned Kelly’s Last Stand will celebrate it’s 40th Anniversary.  During this time, the entertainment business being what it is here in Hong Kong and indeed anywhere in the world, Ned Kelly’s Last Stand has become a true Hong Kong institution that is known and fondly remembered by patrons all over the world.

The small stage precariously perched on one side of the venue has hosted numerous bands over the years.  These include: Sergio Mendez Band, Jimmy Rogers, Kenny Ball & His Jazzband, Winifred Atwell, Rosemary Clooney, Kay Starr, Matt Monroe, Charlie Barnet, Bob Wilber, The Imelda May Band, Kenny Martyn, The Tom Jones Band and many others.

These days, bandleader Colin Aitchison and the Colin Aitchison & The China Coast Jazzmen is responsible for entertaining the fans and the five or six musicians who do duty every evening do a grand job of entertaining the packed crowds who swarm in every evening around 9pm.

Ned Kelly’s Last Stand is open daily from 11h30 to 2am. and the live Dixieland jazz daily starts from 9:30pm until around 1am.

It serves Australian fare, including juicy pork sausages with mashed potatoes and onion gravy; beef stew; fish and chips; Australian sirloin steak; Irish stew; hamburgers; and cottage pie (baked bowl of minced beef, onions, vegetables, and mashed potatoes).

How they manage to feed and entertain so many hungry and thirsty patrons in such a small venue is beyond me, but who cares?  They do a damn fine job!

Happy Hour is from 11:30am to 9pm, with reduced prices.

(Pictures below: Mike Jansen)

Here’s a taste of Ned Kelly’s Dixieland Jazz band, courtesy of alblurt06 on YouTube:

Additional video clips of Ned Kelly’s Last Stand/The China Coast Jazzmen can be found here

Find Ned Kelly’s Last Stand here:

View Larger Map

(Additional picture of Ned Kelly’s Last Stand/The China Coast Jazzmen courtesy of Colin Aitchison on FaceBook)

The organisers of the 2010 SaSa 2010 Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races yesterday announced that the races were to be down-scaled from a 3-day to a 2-day event due to the effects of the tropical storm Chanthu.

However, as we have always forecasted here at Howzit-HongKong.com, once again this tropical storm warning proved to be just another storm-in-a-teacup.

We we got home at about 1pm this afternoon, conditions in Victoria Harbour proved to be ideal (a flat,calm harbour) for Dragon Boat racing.

When we passed Tsim Sha Tsui East in the vicinity of the Kowloon Shangrila Hotel, there was some activity on the water.

It may have been the various teams getting in a practice run or two before the big event tomorrow, we don’t know.

So, if you’re in the mood for some great international Dragon Boat racing, head out to the Tsim Sha Tsui East waterfront tomorrow.

Read all about the Race on Howzit-HongKong.com here

As I am typing this, Standby Signal No.1 is in force.

This means that Tropical Cyclone Conson is now centered within about 800 kilometres of Hong Kong and may affect the Territory.

Right now, the maintenance staff at our apartment, which is right on the Victoria Harbour water’s edge, are furiously busy taping up all the outside windows in anticipation of the storm.

The south-facing windows seen from inside the Gym (Pic: Mike Jansen)

I took the following picture across Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon just before sunset this afternoon.  Who can tell that there is a tropical cyclone on it’s way?!  It may all turn out to be yet another storm in a teacup.