The Games of Your Life

Dear fellow waxduckies,

Greetings.

It's 0331 here in Hong Kong. Again, I'm listening to holiday music on www.windowsmedia.com .

By now you probably have noticed that I've changed my wallpaper. It's only one of the many slick wallpapers for you to download at the official web site of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006.

The reason I picked this one is that it helps putting on this X'mas look with the green background and the red bars contrasting each other. There are many other wallpapers that I like from that site, but I can only use one. Another reason is that Hong Kong has been chosen to stage the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Events. The third reason is that there's a horse, a prop I used when I played the captain of the forty thieves in Arabian Nights at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, in the previous wallpaper. The fourth reason is that I happen to be born in 1978, one of the many years of the horse. The last reason is that I like horses. They are amazingly beautiful beasts.

Let's talk about the games. I watched the latter part of the opening ceremony, which was a spectacular event. It's great to see Jacky Cheung performing for the world, even though the song "Together Now" was just so so. So proud of him. Another captivating moment is when HE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al-Thani, captain of Qatar's equestrian endurance team as well as a prince (his dad's HH The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani), carried the torch and gallantly galloped his steed Malibu up the long, steep ramp that reached the full height of the stadium to light the flame. Awesome!

According to one of the many news stories at the official web site, Chen Yanqing, a 27-year-old heroine from our China, "came out of retirement to set FIVE world weightlifting records" at the games. A STANDING OVATION FOR YOU, MS. CHEN!

As for our home city Hong Kong, Kam Po Wong snatched our very first Gold at the games in the men's road race cycling event, completing the race distance of 156.4km in 3 hours 45 minutes and 2 seconds. For swimming at the women's 4x100m freestyle relay, Hannah Jane Arnett Wilson, Hiu Wai Sherry Tsai, Leong Kwai Lee, and Hang Yu Sze grabbed a bronze medal for us. Another bronze medal received by Yuk Cheung, Lai Chak Ko, Ching Li, Chu Yan Leung, and Ka Chun Tse at the table tennis's men's team event. Last bronze medal was won at the weightlifting's women's 53kg event by our 23-year-old heroine Wei Li Yu. WELL DONE, FIGHTERS! AND APPLAUSE TO MANY OTHER ATHLETES!

The following piece of information comes straight from our Hong Kong's profile at the official web site of the games:

Athletes to watch:

Windsurfer Lee Lai-Shan is Hong Kong's most famous sportswoman and the defending Asian Games champion.

Table tennis doubles pair, Lai Chak Ko and Ching Li, will be hoping to go one better than the Olympic final, where they were beaten by the Chinese.

Hong Kong is also competitive in rowing and squash.

Profile:

Hong Kong, China first competed in the Olympic Games at Helsinki 1952 and was a part of the second Asian Games Manila 1954.

Bowler Chen Ju Hong won the country's first Asian Games gold at Seoul 1986. Windsurfer Lee Lai-Shan made history at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when she won Hong Kong's first ever Olympic gold medal.

At Athens 2004, table tennis players Lai Chak Ko and Ching Li took doubles silver. This was Hong Kong's first Olympic medal under Chinese rule.

Also, here're some interesting advice from the culture and religion page of the web site:

The importance of cultural awareness

Bedouin culture places enormous importance on hospitality and the welcoming of strangers, and this is reflected in the warm welcome tourists and expatriates receive in Qatar today.

But Qatari culture also encompasses many important traditions regarding dress, body language and personal behaviour in public and it is important for visitors to be aware of these customs to avoid causing unnecessary offence.

Photographs: Never take pictures of local men or women without their permission. Also note that photographing military installations, police officers and government buildings is strictly forbidden.

Public Displays of Affection: It is important to note that regardless of nationality, public displays of affection are not permitted. It is best to keep bodily contact to a minimum. This includes hand-holding between males and females and other forms of intimacy.

Handshakes: If you are a male and you are introduced to a female it is best to wait and see if a hand is extended to you first. If it is not, do not extend your hand, but greet the woman verbally.

Body language: Do not sit in a way that shows the soles of your feet or shoes; it is considered very insulting. Also, Qataris perform their ablutions with their left hand, so it is not polite to wave, shake hands or pass money or other items to a Qatari with your left hand.

Dress: Regular clothing should be conservative and not revealing. It is your responsibility to show respect to the traditions of both Qataris and Muslims. Sleeveless tops, shorts and mini-skirts may be suitable at the beach, at hotel resorts or while exercising indoors, but this type of dress is generally discouraged at work and in public places. Women are advised to wear clothing that is not too tight, too short or see-through. Men can generally dress as they do in their home country. Knee-length shorts are acceptable.

Alcohol and drugs: There are severe fines for consuming alcohol other than on licensed premises. Drinking and driving is a serious offence, and Qatar applies a zero tolerance attitude towards driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Fight on, duckies!

Regards,
Tangbro