Big Smog

Holy smokes! Or more accurately – holy rotating columns of air! This morning, our Hong Kong waters were hit by a tornado. At around 9, the waterspout (the uninspired name for a tornado over water) came barreling in near the bay at Lung Kwu Tan, up by Tuen Mun.

Following one that appeared in Siu Sai Wan last Thursday, this was the second twister to touch down in our city in the last 2 weeks. To illustrate how rare this is, over the last five decades there has been fewer than 40 cases of watersprouts in our area. See the awesome pictures of these wonders of weather here and here. 

We've just noticed that the Gorillaz have added Hong Kong to their list of dates on their upcoming first ever world tour, "Escape to Plastic Beach". Exciting times.

This year's Plastic Beach has been another critical and commercial success for Gorillaz creative brainchild (and Blur man) Damon Albarn, rising high on the charts across the globe.

No details are yet confirmed, although seems likely that they'll hit Hong Kong in late November, between their European and Australian dates, or in the post-Christmas period. Stay tuned for more deets. 

Hong Kong has officially cemented its place as a fun city as The Red Bull Flugtag will be taking place at the West Kowloon Heliport on October 10. Previously held in big cities in the US and Europe, the event is guaranteed to be a fun time for both participants and spectators. How can you not love grown men and women attempting to fly in ridiculous home-made contraptions and end up crashing spectacularly into the water below?

Join in on the fun before the July 31 deadline. See website for more details.

This Sunday marks the 234th anniversary of the United States’ independence from Britain, and Uncle Sam wants you involved. What better place to celebrate than Hong Kong? It may be hard to find fireworks, parades, or those wicked red, white, and blue popsicles. If that’s what you need to fully experience July 4th, then I say hop on a plane and hit your hometown big. For those a little more low-key but no less patriotic, here are a few suggestions for getting your George Washington on:

American Chamber of Commerce BBQ Buffet

Protests on a national holiday? That’s cool, but as an American, I’d rather stuff my face on a holiday. This brunch has all your Barbeque classics, including Baby back ribs, homemade ice cream, and of course apple pie.

11am – 3pm at the Blue Smoke Bar-B-Que, 3/F Grand Progress Building,15-16 Lan Kwai Fong. 2810 1289. $350 adult, $150 child (ages 3-14).

Sounds Great! Summer Lovin’ Concert

It’s no Yankee Doodle, but you might even prefer swooning to love songs from classic US films. An orchestra performs movie music from the likes of Wizard of Oz, Forrest Gump, and Gone with the Wind. 3pm at the HK Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 10 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui. 2836 3336. $220, $180, $140, $100.

Ocean Peark Summer Splash

It’s the grand-scale Hong Kong version of the slip and slide at the family BBQ, as Ocean Park has pumped up the world’s longest and tallest inflatable slide. Or you can recreate the Revolutionary War with water guns on a 10,000 square foot battlefield. 10am – 7pm, Ocean Park, Aberdeen. 3923 2323. $250 adult, $125 child (ages 3-11).

Al’s Diner

This 1950’s style diner has all the Americana you can ask for. The daytime burger and shake joint turns into a happy hour hotspot at night. So after drinking a milkshake with fries, you can let your hair loose and your handlebar moustache out with a Jelly Vodka. Shop F, G/F, Winner Building, 27-37 D'Aguilar St, Central. 2869 1869. 

Dan Ryan's Chicago Grill

This American grill is serving up a special July 4th menu at all three of its locations. Try a Windy City Hot Dog with a Sam Adams. After all, what a better way to pay homage than drinking alcohol named after a founding father? 114 Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty 6738 2800‎.

The Backyard at Langham Place

Not your great-aunt's backyard, this 6,000 square foot outdoor lounge has mango trees, a waterfall, and a special Champagne Promotion this July 4th. For three hours, you can sip on unlimited champagne, beer, and cocktails on an oversized beanbag. 555 Shanghai St, Mong Kok. 3552 3250. $438 per person.

Sticker collectors came prepared for our swap-a-thon last Thursday with their stacks, sticker album, and list of needs. One enthusiast pointed out that we were doing it the old-fashioned way by writing down our list and encouraged us to get the sticker iPhone app. Trading went deep into the evening along to the tunes accompanied by music from DJ Miko. We did pretty well with our final tally for the night was 119 new stickers.

Check our Facebook page for more photos.

HKCEC Wednesday June 23

It was with more than just a little curiosity that I headed over to the Convention Hall on Wednesday night to check out French alternative rock sensation M. What I found was a kick-ass group of artists with a killer sound and a huge base of fans from both here and abroad. M himself was obviously the standout, with a crazy mane of black hair and a succession of shiny plastic suits. The riffs were excellent, the beats funky and the crowd, me included, lapped up every last minute of the 3 hour spectacle.

Photos courtesy of Chris Lusher

We've gotten news that British psychedelic rockers Kula Shaker and DJ Dave Seaman are coming to Hong Kong in August. They'll both be playing at the AsiaWorld Arena on August 7. Tickets will go on sale this Friday.

As LegCo votes for electoral reform this afternoon, people take to the areas outside the building to stage their displeasure in peaceful protests. Here are some images of the protesters and their chalk scribblings before the rain came.

Backstage June 15

We’ve been slightly remiss not to have wished Songs for Children a massive happy first birthday on the blog. But better late than never, hey?

About 12 months after starting up their indie night, DJs Mike Mystery and Jane Blondel celebrated the anniversary with a proper birthday atmosphere. Balloons, goodie bags, cake and a little Finnish band called Cats on Fire.

The indie pop foursome brought their infectious tunes to Backstage with a confident swagger, sounding crisp throughout and throwing in a little talk of latex and leather. We’ve really enjoyed what SFC have done over the past year – and we’re confident there’s plenty more to come.

Photos courtesy of Simon Harris
 

HKCEC Wednesday June 16

It’s easy to see why Mika is back in Hong Kong so soon. His brand of feel-good, pick-me-up music has obviously hit the right note with our city’s music lovers. It seemed like everyone in the place knew the lyrics to all his songs, from singles Grace Kelly, Happy Ending, We Are Golden, and Big Girl (You are Beautiful) to the lesser known tracks from his two albums. The flamboyant performer put on a fun and playful show that had the audience on their feet from the moment the first note played until the very end of the second encore.