Lighten up, Hong Kong

Lighten up, Hong Kong.

Do something bonkers, like playing the spoons. Sing a silly song: “Does your chewing gum lose its flavour on the bedpost over night?”  Prattle like a Goon: “Ying tong, ying tong, ying tong, ying tong iddle I po.”    Bellow dumb lyrics:  “On top of spaghetti / all covered with cheese / I lost my poor meatball / when somebody sneezed.”

Lighten up, Hong Kong.

The Cantonese have a marvellously daft sense of humour.  Have a laugh: “Man who eat many prunes get good run for money.” “Woman who fly plane upside down bound to have crack up” (credited to Confucius, although he never saw an aircraft). “Wife who put husband in doghouse soon find him in cathouse.” “Man become old when he watch food instead of waitress.”

Lighten up, Hong Kong.

For levity it may have all started with Shakespeare. The old goat was good at insults: “Thou cream-faced loon.”  “The rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril.” “Thou lump of foul deformity.” “Thou leathern-jerkin, crystal-button, knot-pated, agatering, puke stocking, caddis-garter, smooth-tongue, Spanish pouch.” Take that forsooth.

Lighten up, Hong Kong.

One of the funniest authors ever was Terry Pratchett: “Getting an education was a bit like a communicable sexual disease. It made you unsuitable for a lot of jobs and then you had the urge to pass it on.”  Then there was the unforgettable PG Wodehouse: “This done, he felt a little — not much, but a little — better. Before he would have gladly murdered Beach and James and danced on their graves. Now, he would have been satisfied with straight murder.”

Lighten up, Hong Kong.

Let’s sweep away the dark days and divisions and get back to being the peaceful Hong Kong we all love.