Page Title
The Christmas spirit in Bruce Lee's Hong Kong
Heidi M. Pascual*
Publisher & Editor
* 2006 Journalist of the
Year for the State of
Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA)
Publisher & Editor
* 2006 Journalist of the
Year for the State of
Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA)
By Heidi M. Pascual
It's all about fun, entertainment and excitement! That's Hong Kong Disneyland, one of Hong
Kong's major attractions and tourist destinations in this part of the world since 2005. Especially
for Asians who can't afford to go to Tokyo Disneyland or Disneyland Parks in the U.S., Hong Kong
Disneyland (built on a reclamation area in Lantau Island) is a dream-come-true. Because of Hong
Kong's proximity to many Asian countries, locals get the chance to experience, together with their
children, the magical world of Disney and see the cartoon characters everyone loves brought to
"life" through performers wearing special costumes direct from Disney's storybooks and movies.
From November 19, 2010 to January 2, 2011, visitors and fans would be treated to a magical
Christmas holiday experience.
My daughter Sherry and I were very lucky to have come here on the opening day of Hong Kong
Disneyland's Christmas special, that coincided with the fifth anniversary of Hong Kong Disneyland.
The entrance to Main Street U.S.A., the Town Square, had a glistening 60-ft. tall Christmas tree
with a stage at the bottom, presumably for Mickey and Minnie after the "Parade of Toys." Guests
were greeted by "friendly elves" near giant candy canes, and falling "snow" from spouts on roofs
of buildings along Main Street! For people who know what snow flakes really feel and look, these
snow flakes surely looked and felt like soap suds! But it was fun to look at and people were
thrilled to catch them or just allowed their hair to be filled with the "flakes" that soon vanished in
the air.
Then toys and toys and lots of toys and other items at Main Street's gift shops. For visitors who
couldn't wait to shop and buy gifts for loved ones and friends, these stores looked like Santa's
house ready for attack. I could see the children's eyes aglow and smiles all over their cute faces
as they checked on tons of toys on display. It was a sight to behold. After all, we say that
Christmas is for children, and we adults have to be like Santa Claus during the holidays.
At the end of Main Street U.S.A. stood the Gingerbread Village whose "houses" are decorated
with candies and canes. Visitors get a glimpse of the settings inside the houses that looked
exactly like the houses drawn onto a storybook. Kids' fantasy comes to life in this colorful village.
As the Christmas lights dimmed along Main Street U.S.A., the Procession of Toys began, and the
children along the street shouted with joy and laughter. Christmas carols filled the air and the
magic of "real" toys fronting the kids filled everyone with unexplainable delight and wonder.
Minnie even surprised Mickey with Duffy, the Disney Bear, under the sparkling Christmas tree!
Then the "Let It Snow Christmas Parade" began, with floats of popular Disney characters such
as Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs, Moody & Jesse (with Buzz and others) of Toy Story, Chip 'n' Dale,
Disney Princesses, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, and of course, Mickey Mouse and
friends!
As Sherry and I moved around the park, we took photos of the different themed locations
similar to other Disneyland parks and resorts: Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland. We
noticed that Cantonese and Mandarin dialects, in addition to English, were used by performers to
communicate to the audience. Disney characters have become truly global performers, we
thought. Guide maps were printed in Chinese as well as in English, French and Japanese.
Disney in the Stars
Then the climax of our visit to Hong Kong Disneyland started at 8 p.m. The much awaited
Disneyland fireworks, aptly called"Disney in the Stars" (based on a similar format used in the
Fantasy in the Sky fireworks at other Disney theme parks), using pyrotechnics coordinated to
classic Disney music emerged from the castle of Sleeping Beauty. We learned that between
mid-September and end of October, Disney in the Stars morphs into the Halloween pyrotechnics
display, renamed each year. This year, it was called 'Disney's Nightmare in the sky'. Anyways,
thousands of spectators just sat on the ground and all one could hear was "Wow!," "Oooh,"
"Beautiful!," "Awesome!!!!" and other adjectives with exclamation point, to describe how people
felt the moment those extraordinary multicolored fireworks lit up the sky.
When the lights started to dim, then it was time to go back to reality. We carried our shopping
bags as we worked our way out of the park to go to our designated place where our tour guide
It's all about fun, entertainment and excitement! That's Hong Kong Disneyland, one of Hong
Kong's major attractions and tourist destinations in this part of the world since 2005. Especially
for Asians who can't afford to go to Tokyo Disneyland or Disneyland Parks in the U.S., Hong Kong
Disneyland (built on a reclamation area in Lantau Island) is a dream-come-true. Because of Hong
Kong's proximity to many Asian countries, locals get the chance to experience, together with their
children, the magical world of Disney and see the cartoon characters everyone loves brought to
"life" through performers wearing special costumes direct from Disney's storybooks and movies.
From November 19, 2010 to January 2, 2011, visitors and fans would be treated to a magical
Christmas holiday experience.
My daughter Sherry and I were very lucky to have come here on the opening day of Hong Kong
Disneyland's Christmas special, that coincided with the fifth anniversary of Hong Kong Disneyland.
The entrance to Main Street U.S.A., the Town Square, had a glistening 60-ft. tall Christmas tree
with a stage at the bottom, presumably for Mickey and Minnie after the "Parade of Toys." Guests
were greeted by "friendly elves" near giant candy canes, and falling "snow" from spouts on roofs
of buildings along Main Street! For people who know what snow flakes really feel and look, these
snow flakes surely looked and felt like soap suds! But it was fun to look at and people were
thrilled to catch them or just allowed their hair to be filled with the "flakes" that soon vanished in
the air.
Then toys and toys and lots of toys and other items at Main Street's gift shops. For visitors who
couldn't wait to shop and buy gifts for loved ones and friends, these stores looked like Santa's
house ready for attack. I could see the children's eyes aglow and smiles all over their cute faces
as they checked on tons of toys on display. It was a sight to behold. After all, we say that
Christmas is for children, and we adults have to be like Santa Claus during the holidays.
At the end of Main Street U.S.A. stood the Gingerbread Village whose "houses" are decorated
with candies and canes. Visitors get a glimpse of the settings inside the houses that looked
exactly like the houses drawn onto a storybook. Kids' fantasy comes to life in this colorful village.
As the Christmas lights dimmed along Main Street U.S.A., the Procession of Toys began, and the
children along the street shouted with joy and laughter. Christmas carols filled the air and the
magic of "real" toys fronting the kids filled everyone with unexplainable delight and wonder.
Minnie even surprised Mickey with Duffy, the Disney Bear, under the sparkling Christmas tree!
Then the "Let It Snow Christmas Parade" began, with floats of popular Disney characters such
as Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs, Moody & Jesse (with Buzz and others) of Toy Story, Chip 'n' Dale,
Disney Princesses, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, and of course, Mickey Mouse and
friends!
As Sherry and I moved around the park, we took photos of the different themed locations
similar to other Disneyland parks and resorts: Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland. We
noticed that Cantonese and Mandarin dialects, in addition to English, were used by performers to
communicate to the audience. Disney characters have become truly global performers, we
thought. Guide maps were printed in Chinese as well as in English, French and Japanese.
Disney in the Stars
Then the climax of our visit to Hong Kong Disneyland started at 8 p.m. The much awaited
Disneyland fireworks, aptly called"Disney in the Stars" (based on a similar format used in the
Fantasy in the Sky fireworks at other Disney theme parks), using pyrotechnics coordinated to
classic Disney music emerged from the castle of Sleeping Beauty. We learned that between
mid-September and end of October, Disney in the Stars morphs into the Halloween pyrotechnics
display, renamed each year. This year, it was called 'Disney's Nightmare in the sky'. Anyways,
thousands of spectators just sat on the ground and all one could hear was "Wow!," "Oooh,"
"Beautiful!," "Awesome!!!!" and other adjectives with exclamation point, to describe how people
felt the moment those extraordinary multicolored fireworks lit up the sky.
When the lights started to dim, then it was time to go back to reality. We carried our shopping
bags as we worked our way out of the park to go to our designated place where our tour guide
UNABLE TO CONTINUE WORKING?? There should be help. Social Security Disability and SSI - Programs designed to help individuals who are disabled from work. IF YOU APPLY FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY AND/OR SSI AND YOU ARE DENIED, THERE IS HELP! Call 1-800-254-7766 |
| Except for the Oriental faces of performers wearing Western and Hollywood costumes and headdresses, Hong Kong Disneyland is a significant money-making, imported delight from the U.S.A. |
(Above) My daughter Sherry in
front of the entrance to Hong Kong
Disneyland
front of the entrance to Hong Kong
Disneyland
was supposed to meet us and take us to our tourist bus. But to our dismay, we were left by our bus (as we probably were late for about
three minutes due to "traffic"), so we took a cab to our hotel downtown. Well, no big deal...
I thought of all my grandchildren who would have enjoyed the dream-like ambience of Hong Kong Disneyland. If only I could afford it, I
would take them all to visit Hong Kong Disneyland! What a wonderful and magical Christmas gift! Well,I am wishing upon a star and will
continue to do so until that dream materializes!!
three minutes due to "traffic"), so we took a cab to our hotel downtown. Well, no big deal...
I thought of all my grandchildren who would have enjoyed the dream-like ambience of Hong Kong Disneyland. If only I could afford it, I
would take them all to visit Hong Kong Disneyland! What a wonderful and magical Christmas gift! Well,I am wishing upon a star and will
continue to do so until that dream materializes!!
| BRUCE LEE: Hong Kong's hero |
Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco, but he grew up in Hong Kong, where his parents originally came
from. His father was Chinese while his mother was of Chinese and German ancestry. His father was a
famous Cantonese opera and film actor while his mom was a member of one of the wealthiest clans in
Hong Kong. Because of new migrations after World War II, Lee grew up in a tough neighborhood where
street fighting regularly occurred and in which he became regularly involved.
Lee trained in martial arts primarily to help him protect himself from gangs, but his street fighting
involvement became more frequent and violent that his parents decided to send him back to the U.S.
In the U.S., while pursuing his college education, Lee further honed his skills in martial arts until he
founded his own martial arts school, named the "Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute," in Seattle. He started doing
from. His father was Chinese while his mother was of Chinese and German ancestry. His father was a
famous Cantonese opera and film actor while his mom was a member of one of the wealthiest clans in
Hong Kong. Because of new migrations after World War II, Lee grew up in a tough neighborhood where
street fighting regularly occurred and in which he became regularly involved.
Lee trained in martial arts primarily to help him protect himself from gangs, but his street fighting
involvement became more frequent and violent that his parents decided to send him back to the U.S.
In the U.S., while pursuing his college education, Lee further honed his skills in martial arts until he
founded his own martial arts school, named the "Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute," in Seattle. He started doing
| Bruce Lee's statue at the Avenue of Stars |
him the license to be a Hollywood star from the
East. His first shot at stardom was as Kato in
The Green Hornet, but the TV series lasted for
just a season.
Lee returned to Hong Kong, as he was
unhappy with his career going nowhere. In Hong
Kong, Lee became an instant superstar with his
first leading role in The Big Boss (1971) which
was a big box office success across Asia.His
Fist of Fury (1972) broke the box office records
set by The Big Boss. He later formed his own
company, Concord Productions Inc., with
Raymond Chow. Lee's succeeding films
similarly were box-office hits. His extreme
growing global popularity attracted the
producers of Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest
and offered him the lead role in Enter the
Dragon. But as we all know, Lee died a few
months after the completion of this film, which
became one of that year's highest grossing
films. Bruce Lee became Hong Kong's hero and
martial arts legend. He also became Southeast
Asians' pride.
Lee blazed the trail for Jackie Chan and Jet
Li. While Bruce Lee's invasion of Hollywood
was cut short by his untimely death, Chan and Li
are now swiftly going in that direction.
And we should be grateful for Bruce Lee. He
had worked very very hard to get a space for
Asians in Hollywood.
East. His first shot at stardom was as Kato in
The Green Hornet, but the TV series lasted for
just a season.
Lee returned to Hong Kong, as he was
unhappy with his career going nowhere. In Hong
Kong, Lee became an instant superstar with his
first leading role in The Big Boss (1971) which
was a big box office success across Asia.His
Fist of Fury (1972) broke the box office records
set by The Big Boss. He later formed his own
company, Concord Productions Inc., with
Raymond Chow. Lee's succeeding films
similarly were box-office hits. His extreme
growing global popularity attracted the
producers of Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest
and offered him the lead role in Enter the
Dragon. But as we all know, Lee died a few
months after the completion of this film, which
became one of that year's highest grossing
films. Bruce Lee became Hong Kong's hero and
martial arts legend. He also became Southeast
Asians' pride.
Lee blazed the trail for Jackie Chan and Jet
Li. While Bruce Lee's invasion of Hollywood
was cut short by his untimely death, Chan and Li
are now swiftly going in that direction.
And we should be grateful for Bruce Lee. He
had worked very very hard to get a space for
Asians in Hollywood.
demonstrations of his
unique techniques at
various martial arts
competitions and
connecting to other
martial artists. His
reputation grew and
his popularity gave
unique techniques at
various martial arts
competitions and
connecting to other
martial artists. His
reputation grew and
his popularity gave