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Culture on Demand: Bottoms Up
Oktoberfest in Hong Kong
By STAN STALNAKER

October 27, 2000
Web posted at 8:30 p.m. Hong Kong time, 8:30 a.m. EDT


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Ah...fall is in the air. In Hong Kong, that means the return of one of the city's most curious cultural events -- Oktoberfest at the Hong Kong Hotel. According to whom you speak to, it is either one of the great moments of the year or one of Hong Kong's more embarrassing attempts at importing overseas culture.

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Fortunately the event is not being run by the Hong Kong Tourist Association, so you can almost guarantee it'll be fun. HKTA events often get full marks for creativity but get a big thumbs down on the pleasure-o-meter -- events such as the millennium tea party last year, which nobody really attended, comes to mind.

Regardless, Oktoberfest in China sounds like fun -- and it is. I contend that this annual tradition is one absolutely grand experience in lederhosen, singing, and beer drinking for thousands of Hong Kongers who have not yet ventured to Munich. This alone makes it one of the city's best annual events.

The beer fest is currently in full swing. The venue is perfect: the drinking takes place at the back of the hotel, overlooking the spectacular harbor. You pay $60, for which you get a cup or shirt to keep as a memento, which is great because once you enter the open-air tent, you are likely to encounter massive beer spillage and flying mashed potatoes. These obviously look better on souvenir T-shirts than on your Helmut Lang blouse or trousers.

The entertainment -- apart from the flying potatoes -- comes in the form of a merry crew of German masochists who are imported every year from Stuttgart and Munich. The same guy in the same lederhosen has led various German songs and chants since the mid-'90s, and amazingly, his routine of horn-blowing, hand- clapping, foot-tapping entertainment hasn't worn out on the crowd, many of whom come back year after year.

The best part of the evening usually involves a demure individual trying to blow into a meter-long horn that resembles a stage prop from The Sound of Music. Invariably, there is also moderate cross-dressing and wig wearing, which adds to the overall goal of attaining harmony with the German zeitgeist.

The event is also famous for a selection of interesting German fare, dished out with a warm and friendly smile. The sausages, pork cutlets, and other goodies are enough to clog any artery, but consumption is necessary to achieve the full experience. The arriving cruise ships that disgorge (European?) passengers directly into the fray, gives a certain authenticity to the festivities.

In a city that lives live to the fullest, Oktoberfest at the Hong Kong Hotel encourages people to fully let go of their inhibitions. Sure, you'll have a guaranteed headache the next day but it's cultural and lots of fun. I highly recommend a visit if you're in town until Nov. 4.

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