Category Archives: PERSONAL

Every week I get a call or Facebook message from my uncle back in Australia with a list of new Bape gear about to be release that coming Saturday. Lucky for me I have few good mates who work at the store in Causeway Bay, so a quick phone call and the gear is put aside for me and no lining up out the front of the store. On this occasion with the release of a collaboration with Star Wars on a number of different apparel. Bape went all out with an appearance from a few of the Star Wars characters including Darth Vader. So of course being a Star Wars fan and a geek streak running through me. I had to get a photo.

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I was well informed leading up to Halloween weekend in Hong Kong that this would be the biggest weekend of the year. With over 76,000 people passing through LKF (central bar/club/restaurant district) all drunk and dressed in costume. I was pumped! A few costume ideas were thrown around amongst the boys, but with the launch of Battlefield 3 on PS3. Johan, Jeffrey and I knew we had to dress up as some sort of armed enforcement. So Jeffrey being the HK local, took us to a place called Mong Kok which seems to have a street for everything (including sneaker street) that was lined with shop after shop of military gear. Every countries uniform to every type of weapon you could imagine. And these aren’t just some plastic water pistol type of guns. They’re gas powered BB Guns that can do some serious damage. I then found out that there’s a hobby called ‘War Games’ where groups of people go out to abandon warehouses and basically play war games. It’s one of the amazing things about living in foreign countries. You’re always amazed by interests other cultures have.

Getting back to Halloween. After purchasing a SWAT outfit, pistol, machine gun, laser pointer (that could shoot a laser beam over 500m). Johan was US Marines and Jeffrey was a crazy Paratrooper. We were ready to storm LKF! But hold on. What about cops on the street and security guards at the venues? Were they going to be cool with us all just cruising the streets packing heat and then let us into clubs??

Jeffrey: “No worries! It’s Hong Kong!”
Me: “Really?? Because I don’t wanna get my guns confiscated or have a real gun pulled on me”
Jeffrey: “Don’t worry. I spoke to my copper mate and he said Halloween weekend is the only time you can take them out”
Me: “F#ck I love Hong Kong”

And he was right. We were waving our guns through the crowd, sniping girls from 100m away with our lasers and doing raids on clubs and bars. They loved it! We got so many free shots from the venues because they loved our costumes. It was definitely one of the best weekends I’ve ever had. Once again Hong Kong never ceases to amaze me.

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Yesterday saw one of the biggest games in history. When the New Zealand All Blacks played France in the finals for the Rugby World Cup 2011. I was on the edge of my seat the whole game and with the final score being 8-7 to the All Blacks it was a sigh of relief when the ref blew the full time whistle at the 80th minute. It was great to see so many kiwi supporters take over Hong Kong city for the night and I’ve decided to not take my All Blacks t-shirt off for the week in celebration to my team. Well done boys. It’s been 4 years of blood sweat and tears but you guys pulled together and came up on top.

SkyNews Article –

Finally, after 24 years of heartbreak and choking jokes, the All Blacks’ drought has broken.

New Zealand on Sunday night ended a string of bewildering Rugby World Cup failures to confirm themselves as world champions by holding off an inspired France 8-7 in an epic Eden Park final.

Making a mockery of predictions of a bloodbath, the underdog French threw down the first serious challenge to the All Blacks all tournament and almost pulled off the impossible.

Les Bleus trailed by just one point for 33 nerve-wracking minutes but, for once, the Kiwis held firm under pressure to the immense delight and relief of an Auckland capacity crowd of 60,000.

Both sides lost their playmakers Aaron Cruden (knee) and Morgan Parra (jaw) to first half injuries but it was fourth-string five-eighth Stephen Donald who stepped up to be an unlikely hero for New Zealand.

Ultimately it was his 45th minute penalty goal that allowed skipper Richie McCaw to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for the All Blacks for the first time since they took out the inaugural competition way back in 1987.

It gives New Zealand their second World Cup title, drawing them level with Tri Nations rivals Australia (1991 and 1999) and South Africa (1995 and 2007).

The Kiwis’ World Cup hoodoo has featured two shock sudden-death losses to France before, choking in the 1999 semi-final and 2007 quarter-final, but they were defending an amazing 27-match winning streak at Eden Park.

Their last loss at the Auckland ground was back in 1994 when an inspired Les Bleus produced their memorable ‘try from end of the world’ for a thrilling triumph.

Entering the decider as the luckiest of finalists following two pool losses and a 9-8 semi-final escape against a 14-man Wales, France needed the same sort of inspiration to topple the unbackable favourites ($1.09).

They provided it.

Marc Lievremont’s seemingly divided squad immediately showed they were up for a monumental fight by linking arms in a flying wedge and advancing on the All Blacks pre-match haka.

Les Bleus continued to throw down the challenge in the opening exchanges, chancing their arm to attack on the wider fringes and recycling possession.

However, New Zealand’s defence soaked up the pressure and they then pounced at their first opportunity within the French 22 in the 15th minute.

A clever lineout move saw Brad Thorn, in his international swansong, take the throw-in and immediately pass off inside to an unmarked Tony Woodcock and the veteran pack strolled over to become the most unlikely of first scorers.

The All Blacks took control of the rest of the half but couldn’t extend their 5-0 lead as in-form halfback Piri Weepu lost his mojo, missing all three shots at goal.

The kicking duties were given to Donald and he duly slotted the match’s only penalty from six attempts.

It was when Weepu desperately kick-passed a loose ball on midway into the arms of Francois Trinh-Duc minutes after the resumption that the hosts got the wobbles.

A 50m move ended with French skipper Thierry Dusatoir crossing next to the posts.

From the restart Weepu kicked out on the full and there was a terrible hush over Eden Park as it appeared lightning may strike a third time.

But Trinh-Duc failed to kick a 48m penalty with 15 minutes to play and the gutsy All Blacks defence proved impenetrable for a famous win.

‘I’m so proud of all the guys,’ McCaw said. ‘We were in trouble at times but we stuck tight and got their in the end.’

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