It’s that special time of the year dedicated to doing ‘guy stuff’ again, and these activities are the perfect chance to show your bros some love
Want to duel against your bro with lightsabers? There's a place for that.Love hanging out with your bros but hate having nothing better to do than spend the day lazing on the couch? Don’t worry, we got you. Here’s a list of seven activities you can suggest to the guy group that they’re guaranteed to be down for.
Keep it retro
For around HK$30, you can hit an arcade centre and challenge your friends to some favourite classic games from the 1990s such as Street Fighter, Virtual Tennis 4, Final Fight and Metal Slug Zombie Game.
GameZone in Mong Kok (65 Argyle Street) and Game Centre in Central (1 Jubilee Street) are two of the most popular arcade centres in Hong Kong. See who can bust out the quickest smash button combos.
En garde!
There’s a huge range of combat sports out there for you to try your hand at, but it doesn’t get much cooler than fighting with actual swords.
The Ancient Combat Association, established by (aptly named) sword trainer Lancelot Chan Ying-chih, allows you to try out a bunch of different types of blades, from a Japanese katana or a European rapier to a Zulu war spear. Don’t worry, you’ll get all the proper protective gear as well.
But if swords aren’t cool enough for you, check out the Thai Sword Fighting class at the Warrior Academy in Sai Ying Pun where you can do battle with - wait for it - lightsabers!
I’m with the band (in spirit)
Whatever your musical taste, you’re bound to have a good time with your bros at a music festival, such as Dragonland or Wow and Flutter. It’s the perfect chance to listen to some new artists and if you’re lucky, your favourites might be part of the line-up, too. With an abundance of food, your favourite crowd, and the music cranked up high, what’s not to love?
This month, you can check out the city’s biggest festival, Clockenflap (Nov 17 to 19, where you can enjoy a variety of acts, from British indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs and grime artist Stormzy to American rapper Kid Ink as well as some local student bands (including Young Post favourites like Asyndeton and Dixie Lynne).
Lay down a track
If you’re more into creating your own music than listening to someone else’s, then check out Sol Passion Music in Wan Chai where you can experience being a DJ, producer or singer for a day.
There are a range of lessons depending on your skill and experience, and you’ll get to play with the sort of equipment to play around with to unleash your inner Armin Van Buuren or Avicii.
It isn’t a cheap hobby, at HK$900 per lesson, but wouldn’t you do it for your best bro?
Almost like real life
Playing video games using a VR headset has got to be peak gaming. At Playdium – 2/F, 1 Cannon Street, Causeway Bay – you can choose from 42 war and zombie games.
We recommend the zombie-centric Arizona Sunshine, but if you feel like playing more of an action or war game, you can try second world war-based Front Defence.
Gamers must be at least 12 years old, and entry costs HK$260 on weekdays (Monday to Thursday) and HK$280 from Friday to Sunday.
The beautiful game
Cheer on the Hong Kong men’s national football team as they play their way into the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifier against Lebanon on November 14. For tickets to the match, book online via Cityline or visit one of their outlets.
If you can’t make it to the actual game, head to a cha chaan teng; they normally show football matches for their customers. This is a much cheaper option, plus you and your buddies can enjoy some French toast or a bowl of beef noodle soup as you watch.
Visit an exhibition
We appreciate not every guy wants to do battle (virtual or otherwise) or scream along to music. If you and you brother-from-another-mother prefer more cerebral hangouts, there are always exhibitions in Hong Kong.
Right now, there is currently a free exhibition on war correspondents at the Coastal Defence Museum, and one on the Ming Dynasty’s maritime trade at the Heritage Discovery Centre. If you’re into comic books, there’s a Tintin exhibition from November 17 in Taikoo Place.
There are also regular “sky shows” - ultra HD and/or Omnimax films - of awesome science stuff such as the Northern Lights or underwater life at the Hong Kong Space Museum.