FEB 4, 15 .. WATCHING THE SUPER BOWL LIVE IN HONG KONG ..

Once in awhile .. It happens .. I really get something right! Once in awhile .. I REALLY NAIL something!

Last Sunday (Keep in mind that MY Sunday February 1st was YOUR Saturday January 31st) I walked to the site of the Super Bowl Party here at THE SAINT in the SOHO District of Hong Kong proper. It was basically all uphill. It was a real grind. I was so spent after walking up and back down that when I got home I lay down and slept for over two hours.

When I awoke I began mulling over the idea of catching a Taxi up to the venue on game day thinking .."Why burn myself out just walking up to the venue and then being unable to really enjoy the game because I was sweaty and exhausted?"

This is where I REALLY NAILED IT!

I decided that I would catch a Taxi up to THE SAINT on game day (Monday February 2nd) because I wanted to be at THE SAINT early and rested and relaxed.

I made myself a note to show my Taxi driver so he would understand.

I was up early Monday morning in Hong Kong and I left my apartment here in Sheung Wan about 6:15AM. Immediately an absolutely amazing thing happened. In front of my building a Taxi stopped to let a lady out. I showed the driver my above note and he nodded and indicated to get into his cab.

Getting a Taxi quick in Hong Kong can be a real challenge! There is no guarantee that one will even pause or stop let alone instantly BE THERE for you or for anyone .. Maybe NOT even for God Almighty Himself.

Then I had to have gotten the best Taxi driver in this part of Hong Kong! Without any hesitation he roared away and in seven minutes I was at THE SAINT. Relaxed and fresh and Ready To Watch Some Football.

I sat downstairs (there was also seating up stairs) and I sat at an assigned table with a by-name table mate .. Mike Wallace. I will never ever know if it was THE Mike Wallace or not .. Mike did not show up. He could have been present just sitting with other friends at another location.

Why Me God? I have a table all to myself with no distractions whatsoever! What have I done to deserve such a gift?

My seat was on the left of the bar as you look above and below.

My assigned table (see my blaze yellow cap and jacket on the right below) was front and center directly in front of the large screen T.V. !!! 

I was perhaps 7 to 10 feet from the T.V. with nothing between us.

In the above photo notice at each place setting on the left there is a small booklet. See also the table on the immediate lower right corner above.

"How nice is this?" I thought to myself as I examined it. My ticket for this event even came with an OUTSTANDING Buffet Breakfast!

And .. I .. Mean .. The .. Buffet .. Was .. Outstanding ..

IF one plate is good then it follows as the Night Follows The Day that a second plate is even better. 

"Hit me again Dealer!"

"What is this?" .. Each of the 100 attendees were automatically entered in a game lottery.  I was assigned 8 vertical for the Seahawks and 9 horizontal for the Patriots.  T. Yeung won the drawing with the final score being Patriots 28 - 24 Seahawks.

To use one of 'Zilla's favorite expressions .. The little booklet was REALLY NIFTY!

Game Time! 

When I am watching a major sporting event .. In order to focus and concentrate on the game and keep my wandering mind centered I 'chart' each play. This REALLY gets me INTO the game. I get about 98% of the plays missing only a few when the pace of the game gets really intense.

We saw absolutely NO commercials!  None! Zero! De Nada!

P +  2 means a Pass for a gain of 2 yards.
R +11 means a Run for a gain of 11 yards.

Along the left margin NE means New England had the ball and S means Seattle had the ball.

Can you all see on my table my assorted note taking supplies?

The first score .. New England 7 - 0 Seattle at 9:47 of the 2nd Quarter.

Note a Seattle pass for + 44 yards! This 'bomb' lead to Seattle's first touchdown and tied the score with 2:16 remaining in the first half at NE 7 - 7 Seattle.

Then it really got crazy! Two touchdowns in just over two minutes to end the first half with the scored tied at NE 14 - 14 Seattle.

It is Half Time .. Time to get up and circulate and see more of the action! 

Action!? Many people were still 'chowing down' on the absolutely phenomenal breakfast buffet!

Below are my mates who were sitting beside me on my left. Really great chaps and one nice gal. The servers kept our orange juice glasses full all game. It really was outstanding service.

Below is the Elgin Street side of the bar.

Two photos below showing the patrons upstairs.

Both above and below in the immediate lower foreground of each photo you can again see the really NIFTY little booklets that we all were provided.

These little booklets showed me the tremendous attention to detail paid by Alex Berriman and his staff. More on Alex below at the end! 

Alcohol was available and was served. I practically had to go looking for it to satisfy myself that there was an open bar. There were absolutely no issues of any kind regarding any fans drinking and getting a little stewed! When it comes to sporting events and drinking it can get a little hectic!

SHADDY! 

This one's for you Shaddy. Yo Shaddy? .. Are you still with us here?

Time for the second half and some more football!

Seattle took their first lead of the game early in the 3rd quarter! Then added to their lead!  NE 14 - 24 Seattle.

Oh My! New England Sports Fans! .. HERE COME THE PATRIOTS! Storming back from 10 points down to regain the lead NE 28 - 24 Seattle.

With NO commercials being shown to us on our T.V. feed during YOUR commercial breaks we saw the field as you see it when you attend a live game in the stadium.

The New England come back is complete!

New England then broke the hearts of Seattle with a last second pass interception to seal their win and Super Bowl Championship!

The game is over! .. 

The New England Patriots are Super Bowl Champions for the fourth time in their storied history!

Former champion Kurt Warner with THE SUPER BOWL TROPHY! 

New England quarterback Tom Brady wins the Most Valuable Player Award!

New England's Owner Chairman and CEO Mr. Robert Kraft accepting the trophy!

The winning coach Bill Belichick being interviewed.

You can see in coach Belichick's face the residual stress from the just concluded game!

And there you have it. A wonderful day in a phenomenal setting with a really exciting game for the fans of both teams.

Each team had it ups and its downs and even though they lost the Seattle Seahawks had victory in the grasp of the palms of their hands with only a few seconds remaining in the game.

Now let me go back to the beginning of this Post and re-state the following:

Once in awhile .. It happens .. I really get something right! Once in awhile .. I REALLY NAIL something!

When I was told about this opportunity to watch the Super Bowl live and in person on Hong Kong T.V. I jumped at the opportunity! I registered and paid my money.

I then had several back and forth questions with answers from THE MAN .. Alex Berriman.

HERE IS WHERE I REALLY NAILED IT AGAIN !!!

I asked the staff of THE SAINT to please point out to me Alex Berriman.

I then .. this was during the half time intermission .. introduced myself to Alex.  We exchanged a few words .. Alex was sitting with a large group of his friends .. and that was that.

To Quote Meister Eckhart :

IF the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you .. it will be enough.

After the game when Alex was not so busy I again went up to him and again thanked and praised him for a job so well done.

One thing led to another .. Alex and Patti visited on my cell phone .. and I was able to snap the below photos of and with Alex.

In closing I will say this to you Alex .. 

Thanks to you and to those who helped you to stage this party .. My life is a little fuller and a little richer and a little more pleasant!

SMILES TO YOU ALL!  Cap .. Still LOVING Hong Kong!

FEB 1, 15 .. SUPER BOWL SUNDAY IN THE UNITED STATES !!

I stress the words in THE UNITED STATES !!

In Hong Kong .. As I watch the game it will be Monday Morning the 2nd of February. 

Game time kickoff is 7:30AM in Hong Kong.

I purchased a ticket reserving me a seat in THE SAINT .. a Sports Bar .. to watch the game for $220 Hong Kong Dollars (HKD) which is $28.57 U.S.

I was thrilled with this deal and quite frankly I would quite willingly have paid considerably more money for this fantastic opportunity!

After I submitted my on-line application (I was lucky to get one of the very last vacancies) and paid my money (PayPal) and joined the Hong Kong American Football League (GOOGLE it at .. www.hkafl.com) and was formally signed up .. I found out that my entrance fee entitles me to a BREAKFAST BUFFET and MANY other goodies! 

Captain that sentence above is quite a sentence. Some child in India or elsewhere trying to improve their English must be thinking the same thing!

SUCH A DEAL MISTER ALEX BERRIMAN!!  

Today I walked to the venue so .. Yes Captain? 

There will be NO DRAMA tomorrow morning at 6 o'clock when I plan to head for the venue. 

I used Google Maps to find THE SAINT which is located in SOHO ..

One of the very IN-CROWD Districts here in Hong Kong.

Finding it was a bit of a job and involved an ENORMOUS uphill walk.

Let me try to show you what I mean. We are going to start out at Queen's Road Central located in the Central Business District of downtown Hong Kong.

Where Peel Street comes down the hill and intersects with it. 

My 'landmark' tomorrow morning is shown below ..

I found THE SAINT using Google Maps.  Google Maps led me along a completely different route than you will see here.  This is because once I found THE SAINT and was ready to return to my studio apartment .. I simply began to walk continually down hill and I found a far more direct route which is the route I photographed below.

We will head up the hill towards the CIRCLE K sign.

As we go up the hill .. I will also show you the view back down the hill as well. I hope this does not confuse you. Doing this shows you much more detail of the walk.

Below is a close-up look at the shop up the hill above on the right.

Chinese New Year is coming!

As you all may have noticed .. I am NOT telling you the photo above looks up hill and the photo below looks downhill. It seems obvious to me. JUST ENJOY the sights of an inner city Hong Kong side street!

Oh yes and up we continue!

In the above photo we are looking down Peel Street.  We have now finally come to the uppermost point on Peel Street that we are going to walk to.

In the below photo we have turned 90 degrees to our right from the above photo and we are now looking in the below photo up ELGIN STREET the street that THE SAINT is located on further up Elgin Street on the right hand side.

In the below photo we have turned around 180 degrees from the above photo and are looking back down Elgin Street. To retrace our photo shoot coming up Peel Street from Queen's Road Central you just go to the end below .. turn right and walk down Peel Street. As you can see below Peel Street continues up hill!

Notice IF you will the uphill slope of Peel Street below!  This steady uphill grind really took its toll on yours truly!

Up Elgin Street we continue.

Looking back down Elgin Street at Peel Street in the distance.

Up Elgin Street we continue. Below on the right further up Elgin Street do you see the yellow sign in the distance? THE SAINT is just past the yellow sign.  You can see this yellow sign five photos below.

Peel Street recedes into the distance below.

We turn around above and we have arrived at THE SAINT.

Once we got up Peel Street and turned onto Elgin Street I believe that you can see the upscale nature of this part of the SOHO District in Hong Kong Central.

The time has come to go inside of THE SAINT and see where I will be tomorrow morning watching the Super Bowl.

Of course I have no idea of where exactly I will be sitting but this will give you all some idea of the venue where I will be enjoying the Super Bowl.

When I got back to 23 Mercer Street I was so tired out from the above walk that I lay down and I slept for two hours. It does not look like much of a walk but it is all uphill after you leave Queen's Road Central and start up Peel Street.

HAPPY HAPPY SUPER BOWL SUNDAY TO YOU ALL .. MAY YOUR TEAM BE THE WINNER.

I AM FEELING SO MUCH JOY AND SO MUCH GRATITUDE!!

CAP ..

IF you would have told me five hours ago that I was actually going to launch this Post I would have told you NO WAY. But here it is.