Flash Mob

When my friend Tad sent me a FaceBook invite to a flash mob happening on Saturday meant to protest shark fin soup, I couldn’t resist. I even managed to talk my wife and daughters into joining in.

We –all 120 participants- met up at the fountain at the West end of Victoria Park down on the Island. Shortly after we got there, Organizer Dude got up on a park bench and used his megaphone to go over a few procedural items. Then he announced the much anticipated, previously undisclosed location where this flash mob would be happening: Time Square.

We all synchronized our watches and we starting making our way toward Time Square.

We each timed it so that we were walking through Time Square just before 12:40 and then –bam!- we all froze in whatever pose we happen to be in a that moment. All 120 of us. My buddy Tad froze mid-bite on his banana. Julie and I froze while I was pointing out something on the side a buildings. The girls were checking out Annika’s i-pod.

Pedestrians did a lot of double takes, stopped, and consulted each other. A lot of cameras came out.

We held our pose for precisely three minutes. At exactly 12:43 we all resumed whatever activity we had been doing just before we froze. We blended back in with the crowd and exited the plaza. It was all over just as quickly as it had begun.

It left behind more than just a few puzzled pedestrians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYMnnh6GnDk&feature=player_embedded

Later that night, I was regaling my friend from Australia with all the details of our exploits. At the end of my story, he asked me if I’ve ever had shark fin soup. No, I had to confess. I’ve never actually had it before.

He told me that growing up in Australia in had it once or twice a week. It’s good, he said. You try a bowl, and let me tell you, you won’t protest any more.

Fair enough.

-Jack

picture: eating sharkfin soup may not be a crime in Hong Kong, but wearing that shirt in public certainly should be.