:tainted dreams:
in my efforts to spread the word to the whole of hong kong, there has been a leak to some idiot to the media and he printed it front page of the city section this morning. thus getting rid of the surprise, getting rid of the spontaneity.... i'm simply thinking that there's a fool in scmp who would rather pre-empt the event, and ruin it, rather than cover the story, do some research and have something better.... i hope not a lot of cameras and stuff show up...
i can't tell if i'm just more pissed off that the media got wind of it, or just upset that he didn't wait until after it happened. i hope it's not a media circus. i knew there would be a story if it was a success, but at the same time... i just wished they waited until after today to write about in the stink'in newspaper. anywhos.. my only goal at the beginning was to have more than 20 people... now it almost seemed tainted, ruined, unpure... but atleast i know it will happen.
i can imagine, in pure hong kong style, times square management will have over 50 security staff there.. cameras.. the owner or manager or public affairs will be there to take interviews...
ARGG!!!! it was all going so well........ anyways, here's story
Hopping mad flash-mobbers prepare to swoop on Times Square in HK debut
ALEX LO
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Hong Kong's first flash mob will converge on Causeway Bay's Times Square tonight with instructions to stretch out their arms and `fly' around like an aeroplane, then stop and point at the sky "in amazement or confusion".
They will then make bunny ears with their fingers and hop to the giant clock in the piazza before dispersing. The street-performance event is expected to be over in less than five minutes.
The instructions were posted yesterday on a website that billed the event as Hong Kong's first flash mobbing, a bizarre new social phenomenon that started in New York in June and has since spread around the world.
"Arrive at Times Square by 8.55pm," the website instructed. "If you are early please mingle with the crowd. At 8.56pm, stretch out both arms and 'fly' around the main area like a plane and make suitable noises. Do not leave the main area of Times Square. Do this for two minutes.
"At 8.58pm, stop and either pose or point at the sky in amazement or confusion. Do not move or talk to anyone. The security guards will try to either ask you to speak or tell you to move. Ignore them. Do this for a full 30 seconds."
The website then tells participants to "make bunny ears with your fingers and hop over to the big clock while saying `boing' each time you hop. Do not stop hopping until one minute has passed. The goal is to have a hopping ring around the big clock saying `boing' repeatedly.
"At 8.59.30pm cheer and applaud while pointing at the big clock for 30 seconds.
"Disperse at 9pm. Do not stay at the mob site for longer than five minutes after the mob."
Flash mobs are made up of strangers, usually young people, who are mobilised by e-mails, cell phone text messages and websites to gather at a public location and collectively perform a surreal antic, determined in the instructions. They then disperse as quickly as they converge.
Times Square promotional manager Germaine Lui Shuk-man said she was aware of the plan and flash mobsters would be welcome so long as they did not interfere with other people.
"The piazza is almost like Hong Kong's people square, a happening place. If young people want to have a bit of fun there, we don't mind," she said. Times Square is owned by the Wharf Group.
Police said flash-mobbing appeared to be harmless and participants would not need to obtain prior approval.
Chan Chi-fu, a social science researcher with the youth social service group Breakthrough, said flash mobbing should be seen as an innocuous outdoor activity for young people and should not be seen as negative.
One of the most famous mobs involved 300 people worshipping a model dinosaur at a New York branch of Toys 'R' Us early this month.
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in my efforts to spread the word to the whole of hong kong, there has been a leak to some idiot to the media and he printed it front page of the city section this morning. thus getting rid of the surprise, getting rid of the spontaneity.... i'm simply thinking that there's a fool in scmp who would rather pre-empt the event, and ruin it, rather than cover the story, do some research and have something better.... i hope not a lot of cameras and stuff show up...
i can't tell if i'm just more pissed off that the media got wind of it, or just upset that he didn't wait until after it happened. i hope it's not a media circus. i knew there would be a story if it was a success, but at the same time... i just wished they waited until after today to write about in the stink'in newspaper. anywhos.. my only goal at the beginning was to have more than 20 people... now it almost seemed tainted, ruined, unpure... but atleast i know it will happen.
i can imagine, in pure hong kong style, times square management will have over 50 security staff there.. cameras.. the owner or manager or public affairs will be there to take interviews...
ARGG!!!! it was all going so well........ anyways, here's story
Hopping mad flash-mobbers prepare to swoop on Times Square in HK debut
ALEX LO
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hong Kong's first flash mob will converge on Causeway Bay's Times Square tonight with instructions to stretch out their arms and `fly' around like an aeroplane, then stop and point at the sky "in amazement or confusion".
They will then make bunny ears with their fingers and hop to the giant clock in the piazza before dispersing. The street-performance event is expected to be over in less than five minutes.
The instructions were posted yesterday on a website that billed the event as Hong Kong's first flash mobbing, a bizarre new social phenomenon that started in New York in June and has since spread around the world.
"Arrive at Times Square by 8.55pm," the website instructed. "If you are early please mingle with the crowd. At 8.56pm, stretch out both arms and 'fly' around the main area like a plane and make suitable noises. Do not leave the main area of Times Square. Do this for two minutes.
"At 8.58pm, stop and either pose or point at the sky in amazement or confusion. Do not move or talk to anyone. The security guards will try to either ask you to speak or tell you to move. Ignore them. Do this for a full 30 seconds."
The website then tells participants to "make bunny ears with your fingers and hop over to the big clock while saying `boing' each time you hop. Do not stop hopping until one minute has passed. The goal is to have a hopping ring around the big clock saying `boing' repeatedly.
"At 8.59.30pm cheer and applaud while pointing at the big clock for 30 seconds.
"Disperse at 9pm. Do not stay at the mob site for longer than five minutes after the mob."
Flash mobs are made up of strangers, usually young people, who are mobilised by e-mails, cell phone text messages and websites to gather at a public location and collectively perform a surreal antic, determined in the instructions. They then disperse as quickly as they converge.
Times Square promotional manager Germaine Lui Shuk-man said she was aware of the plan and flash mobsters would be welcome so long as they did not interfere with other people.
"The piazza is almost like Hong Kong's people square, a happening place. If young people want to have a bit of fun there, we don't mind," she said. Times Square is owned by the Wharf Group.
Police said flash-mobbing appeared to be harmless and participants would not need to obtain prior approval.
Chan Chi-fu, a social science researcher with the youth social service group Breakthrough, said flash mobbing should be seen as an innocuous outdoor activity for young people and should not be seen as negative.
One of the most famous mobs involved 300 people worshipping a model dinosaur at a New York branch of Toys 'R' Us early this month.
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