Try!

Sandy Bay hosted a rugby festival at their Pokfulam grounds this week. Papa and I went there first thing this morning.

Scrum down against the Stingrays

In one of the matches, I scored my first ever game-try. Papa said that although I did not try hard enough in my Spanish lesson yesterday, he would give me my bonus pocket money this week because of the try. After the match, Papa bought me an ice-cold lemonade.

My team photo

Guinness Book of Records

On the day Australia played the New Zealand All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup in Hong Kong, I played my part in making Rugby history: I joined the Guinness Book of World Records attempt for playing in the world's largest mini-rugby event at the Hong Kong Football Club grounds in Happy Valley, organised by the Hong Kong Mini Rugby Football Union.

My team, DEA Tigers, was one of 263 teams present. At the end of the tournament, I was awarded an official certificate with my name on it. Officials announced that 2,854 children had participated, playing 410 matches on the 39 marked-off pitches (see the World Records Academy entry). Just after I finished playing all my four matches, I had a big nose bleed; blood got everywhere. We were supposed to wait for all the matches to finish for the official speeches, and then join a parade around the ground. We sat around for ages, and I got bored in the end, and asked Papa if we could leave. Papa let me skip my Spanish lesson, because we were already late; we went to the club where I had my favourite fish balls with noodles.

Is that a ghost behind my shoulder?

That evening, we celebrated Halloween night. Papa and I wore new M&M Halloween T-shirts we bought together the Saturday before. Duncan and Mummy weren't here this year, but there was still a great atmosphere at the clubhouse where there was a haunted house, and the usual games were organised by the staff for the children in the estate; I hit at the ghosts and played some games. Then, I went around the estate trick-or-treating.

Home again!

I arrived back in Hong Kong a few days before school started. Like on the flight to Paris, I didn't sleep; I watched many films and drank lots of Cola.

Mummy had gone to Nanjing for a few days, and I was met off the plane at Hong Kong Airport by Papa and Grandma. A pretty lady from the airline company took me through immigrations and customs, but she was a bit confused when she handed me over to Papa. For some reason, she got hold of the card with Popo's name on it, instead of the counterfoil with Papa's details on it, making her worried she might be handing me over to the wrong person. She made such a fuss I thought she was being silly. Papa said she was just doing her job, and being careful I was being met by the right person.

Fear of flying

I had so much fun last year that I bugged/begged Papa if I could go back to Paris again this year.  Papa made all the arrangements, but I've been anxious for weeks, ever since Papa told me I would be going to France on my own. I was worried, and very much wanted Papa to go with me, but he said he didn't have any holidays left. He told me I would be well looked after by my Mummy's parents. I told Papa, and also Grandma, that I was worried; Gugu told Papa I thought maybe he didn't want to look after me any more.


Papa, Mummy and Duncan took me to the airport, and checked me in before 8 o'clock in the morning. After waiting for a while,  and phoning Grandma to say goodbye for the summer, Mummy and Papa told me to go with a lady dressed in a blue suit, and we said goodbye at the airport gate.

On board the flight, I didn't sleep. So I sat up and watched movies non-stop on the entertainment system (I watched five in total); I had lots of snacks to eat, and three Sprites to drink. Gonggong and Popo were at the airport to meet me when I arrived in Paris.

Hong Kong Rugby Sevens

Today (Friday) was a very special day, the highest point in Hong Kong's rugby calendar: it is the opening day of the  annual Hong Kong Rugby Sevens Tournament at the Hong Kong Stadium. More importantly for me, the 'minis' were asked to play some matches before the opening games of the tournament. Duncan and I took the afternoon off school, and Papa took the afternoon off to take us there.

Playing against Vallet Fort RFC (me 3rd from the left)

When we got there, the place was already swarming with children from our club (DEA Tigers) and other clubs getting ready to play. When we got inside the stadium to where our team-mates were seated, Sai Gugu was already waiting for us. After some waiting and warming up, we went to the centre of this huge grass pitch. We played about four games of 10 minutes, eight players on each side.

It started to get really busy at around 5, and the proper matches started at about 6 pm. There were some people who took the afternoon off like us, and there were also many who came straight after work. There were many thinks to see and things to buy: hot dogs, cotton candy, rugby shirts. Gugu bought me pop corn and Coca Cola, and Duncan got his face painted. He told me he saw a lady with no clothes on.

The national teams play a knock-out tournament, and it was very exciting as we watched games where the two teams each made up of seven players covering the huge pitch. It's hard work, and no wonder the games are only 15 minutes each way. I'm really glad we only play on sections of the pitch.

Seventh Birthday

Because my actual birthday falls so close to Chinese New Year this year, my birthday party was held today at the club. After Christmas, I wasn't sure if I wanted a party at all. Then, Papa and I prepared the invitations, and had given them all out in the first week of January.

I invited Calvin, Lucas, Mira, Charmaine, Lincoln and Rafael. Aunty Kinnie and Zack also came, as did Grandma, the Gugus and Maya.

My cake

Swimming gala

Papa, Duncan and I took part in the JC Water Challenge today. But before it, Grandma and the Gugus and all of us had lunch together to celebrate Papa's birthday.

I was disqualified for a false start during my freestyle race. They didn't stop the race and I kept on swimming until I got the the finish line, thinking I had won my heat. I was upset that I didn't get a medal, but both Duncan and Papa got medals in their races. I don't ever want to do swimming competitions again. :-( Sai Gugu promised to write to the JC to complain about them not stopping and restarting the race.