Thanks Lamma Gung, that can of beer at HK$6 is cheap anywhere in the world. HK$100 is rather unpleasant for a drink in Central to say the least. Thinking back, as I sometimes do, I remember Frank Murdoch and Jonathan Gray were the first individuals to have their own table outside the shop next to HSBC in the early eighties.
They were both engineers, well travelled and had quite a lot of history to discuss as well as saying hello to people who passed by. But other Lamma locals never ever joined them -- except perhaps John's wife, Gloria, a Filipina.
However, one day a male newcomer who was rather pesky and insensitive. went into the shop, came out and plonked a large Tsingtao bottle on the table and engaged the two guys in a rather awkward animated inconsequential conversation. I watched this closely, and Frank in particular became enraged at this invasion of their private cherished space outside the shop.
After ten minutes the hovering cloud above Frank's head turned black then red. Without warning, Frank rose to his feet and unleashed a volcanic right hook which connected perfectly with the pesky newcomer's chin. The victim, who shall remain nameless, also stood up was poleaxed and lay prostrate on the ground outside the shop.
Such was their confidence and belief in their roles on Lamma, John and Frank returned to their conversation as if nothing had happened. The pesky newcomer remained unconscious for a couple of minutes before Frank, as an act of kindness, poured the Tsingtao over his head. He recovered fairly quickly after that. He briefly remonstrated with Big Frank, thought better of it, and retreated to the Island Bar to lick his wounds and tell everybody, who would listen, that Lamma was not so welcoming to strangers.
Anyway, I don't recall anybody foolishly trying to force their way onto Frank and John's private table after that dramatic incident. A case of let sleeping dogs lie.
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