Another bonus is that we were given vouchers for Adidas clothing to pick out to wear for the event. We also went home with an Adidas mat that day. We had fun taking photos on the little demo stages before the event.
I was asked to demonstrate at the Fitmind Adidas event last April, which was held at the Asia World Expo Center. The participants were running a 5k race in support of the Early Psychosis Foundation. I helped to demonstrate on stage for one of the teachers, Chau Kei (Stefanie) who was teaching yoga before the run. It was a great opportunity as it was in front of around 1,000 people. Master Yogananth was also there teaching as well with other members from our studio, Anahata Yoga.
Another bonus is that we were given vouchers for Adidas clothing to pick out to wear for the event. We also went home with an Adidas mat that day. We had fun taking photos on the little demo stages before the event.
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The major earthquake that hit Nepal last April took over 8,000 lives and injured more than 21,000. It was devastating news and everyone around the world came together to help raise money for its beautiful country and people. Here in Hong Kong, I was involved in 3 Nepal charity events. I attended a yoga charity event for Nepal held at my studio, Anahata Yoga. The owner, Master Yogananth, taught a meditation, pranayama class. It was nice being part of the event and helping to raise so much money. There was also a yoga class that I assisted with, held at the pier raising money for Nepal, held by AYC members. A few friends and I also led a yoga/hoop Nepal charity event at Dr. Sun Yat Sen park in Sheung Wan. My friend Emma opened the event, centering our minds on the purpose of the class and how when everyone's kindness comes together, the impact can be huge. She taught yoga hoop for the first part of the class, followed by Laura's vinyasa practice, and ending with my yin practice. We had a great turnout and raised HK$3,000 for Nepal! We went to the Imagine Dragons concert, held at the Asia World Expo, with our neighbors, Mike and Ivana and a few of their friends. It was awesome! They were promoting their new album, Smoke and Mirrors. I personally love both albums. The concert was just fantastic! The concert was held on a Sunday night which was a little strange but luckily I didn't have to wake up early for work. The concerts in Hong Kong are pretty tame so there was no mosh pit for Keith this time. Thank you for all who made it out for Keith's surprise 30th birthday. We had it at an Indian restaurant in Lan Kwai Fung with about 20 friends and then went to the bars after. Keith's ultimate treat is cookies, especially something like a cookie cake or skillet cookie, so I had a cookie cake made for him at a local bakery in Sai Ying Pun. The surprise seemed to work out but I did have to take 'extra' time figuring out what outfit and shoes to wear so that we wouldn't show up too early. Keith was pretty patient. haha Clockenflap is Hong Kong's annual music festival. It's very similar to Lalapalooza, except most of the music groups aren't as well known. Actually, we had been told that the festival used to be free a few years back, but now they're bringing in bigger names, so it costs about $30 per day.... still not bad. When we went last year, we bought a 3 day weekend pass. It was a pretty fun weekend and full of a variety of music. We met up with different friends each day and were able to watch and cheer on our friend Emma, who was practicing her hoop skills in front of a crowd. I love her lit-up hoops! Cool! The only group that I had heard of was Franz Ferdinand, which played on Saturday. They put on a good show! It was incredible being there amongst the immense, international crowd, along the impressive city skyline in TST. We'll be going back this upcoming fall, but only for Sunday since Jack Black's band will be playing then! Keith and I watched and cheered on our friends, Sam and Steph, who participated in the annual Dragon Boat Festival. This is an ancient festival in Hong Kong and each year hundreds of thousands join in on the event at Victoria Harbor. Usually, you form a dragon boat team with your colleagues at work. You raise money for the event and you invite others to come cheer your team on. While some join the event just for fun, others are true athletes, competing for the win. There are many locations around Hong Kong that holds the annual races; however, the most common place to participate and watch is Stanley. The day we visited, this area was packed with teams getting ready in their tents, and people hanging out on the beach to cheer the rowers on. Before the races started, teams joined together for stretching, a motivational chat, and even entertainment to get them all pumped up! Some teams went all out and entered the racing area with bagpipers and drums! We cheered on our friends from the beach. Although mini races went on all day, the actual distance for the rowing was quite short (maybe 3 minutes long??). Our friends got 3rd place in their division! How amazing! After the event, there was a beer festival and other activities to celebrate. Keith and I hope to join a dragon boat team one of these upcoming years but it does involve committing yourself months in advance to weekly practices. Make sure you go to the festival if you're visiting HK in June! Keith and I went with our colleague, Sam, to TEDx Ed HK in June. We were pumped since we watch so many TED Talks on youtube and each one has incredible insight on various topics. This event focused on education, which was a bonus for us teachers. We only arrived about 45 minutes prior to the event, yet no one was there. We were quite confused but were happy to get such close-up seats and to meet several teachers while waiting as people starting showing up. When the event started, it was a full-house! They even had a second floor for people to watch on a big screen. The event started at 10am and ended at 4:30pm. There were 4 segments with a break for lunch and about 13 speakers. I had to leave early so only managed to listen in on the morning discussions. Topics were varied but the most memorable included 'Making Sense'- one on special education/ positive life education; 'Creativity, Rhythm, and Education'- on how to use music and rhythm while integrating subjects and improving self-esteem; and 'Learning on the Road'- on a traveler who biked across continents and shared his unique learning experiences. I would love to attend another one of their events in the future! It was more than professional development, but a time for sharing one's own personal experiences and innovative ideas. One of the biggest international events in Hong Kong is the annual Rugby 7's International Champions Tournament, which is the biggest of it's kind for 7's rugby held every spring!! Everyone dresses up like it's Halloween in various costumes to support their #1 team. It's regarded as one of the biggest parties in the world. This clip of the new largest harlem shake can give you a taste of the 24 hour, 3 day party that takes place here each year. World's Biggest Harlem Shake >watch video Keith and I tried to win tickets this year for the tourney but were out of luck and the tickets were extremely expensive. However, next year Keith plans on playing on a ruby team, in which he would get free tickets for us! So hopefully next year we can experience the big 7s match to see what the hype is all about! Thousands of people (who were squeezed next to Keith and I) went to see the Chinese New Year fireworks this year on February 11th at Victoria Harbour, in between TST (Tsim Sha Tsui) and Central. Luckily, we live only 30 minutes walking from this promenade (also known as Avenue of the Stars) so we were able to walk there. Ryan Brown, Yeojin and their little girl, Alette (friends of ours from Jeju, South Korea) came to visit us so we had fun showing them around during the Chinese New Year. There were flowers and colorful little trees (including tangerine trees) at most markets, which families buy to place in their homes, (similar to Christmas in western countries). In addition, lanterns hung around local areas and people were busy hustling around, meeting up with family. Similar to the Lunar New Year in South Korea, families in Hong Kong and China are busy during this holiday cooking for their families and preparing for a big celebration in their homes. Families also take this time to take their children out to parks, hiking trails, to Ocean Park, Disneyland, etc. as a short vacation as the new year begins. Since it is the year of the snake, it is said that the snake scares out all the evil spirits to allow us to start with a fresh and healthy mind for the new year. Here are some pictures below of this year's Chinese New Year celebration. |
Special EventsWith HK being an international and world city, you can bet there are numerous events here each weekend. On this page, read about the events Keith and I attend and other special celebrations. Month
January 2016
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