Hong Kong Sumo

I went to Cityplaza again to check out more of their "Japan festival".

But if you ask me, every day in HK is a Japan festival, since everyone there wants to be Japanese; rather than adopting English names, many girls have opted for "Yuki" or "Rumiko". Also, HK fashion is to Japanese fashion as the Canadian economy is to US economy - whatever happens in the US, or whatever the Fed does with interest rates, Canada will follow suit a month or so later. Whatever. Not even adopting a Japanese name or dressing like the Japanese would save them from being exposed as impostors with blank expressions, when I ask them for directions in Japanese. As part of this festival, they've managed to bring in a sumo stable from Japan to do a demonstration, albeit not as traditional and sacred without all the Shinto stuff.

Nevertheless, it was an eye-opening experience for all the Hongers there, as those among them who know the most about sumo still probably think of them as a bunch of obese guys shoving each other around. The crowd erupted into a deafening waaaaaaaahhhh upon witnessing the speed and agility of the behemoths on the stage - they were even doing the freakin' splits! (But then again, even seeing someone execute a successful parallel park would make Hongers go waaaaaaaahhhh...as if they just did a triple flaming backflip through a flaming hoop or something.)

After the demonstration, they had Miss Iwate in her kimono (or some other prefecture, I don't remember) sing for everyone. I suppose she was pretty, but if she dyed her hair, dressed in regular clothes and kept quiet, she'd blend in with everyone else.

Flattering comment or not, you be the judge.