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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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