A little madness helps when dealing with the bureaucracy

But if a man comes to the door of poetry untouched by the madness of the muses, believing that technique alone will make him a good poet, he and his sane compositions never reach perfection but are utterly eclipsed by the performances of the inspired madman.

Nothing like a little Socrates to jump-start your morning, particularly since his teachings are as applicable in ancient Greece as they are in modern-day Hong Kong. The forest is full of technicians. But if you strive to make something great, you have to be both inspired and mad.

When you look around Hong Kong and bemoan the lack of proper sporting facilities, you can hear the government saying no. Why should someone in government go out on the limb and put a project of this magnitude together, or even entertain the notion of it, when they are going to get paid regardless? So they say no, but they say it in a way that is more demoralising than dismissive.

Still, you can't take no for an answer, you have to be significantly inspired and somewhat mad. Just ask John Crawford. A Canadian businessman who has been in Hong Kong for over 30 years, Crawford is involved in a small group that includes telecom executive Bruce Hicks in trying to build The ICE centre, which is basically three facilities in one: a multi-purpose sporting and entertainment stadium with a seating capacity ranging from 5,000 to 7,000, two Olympic sized ice rinks and six semi-private, international calibre curling rinks.

The main stadium can be used for everything from concerts and skating events to ping pong tournaments and trade shows. 'We found that a seating capacity between 5,000 to 7,000 was ideal for hosting mid-range events and maximising use of the facility,' said Crawford. 'I think Hong Kong also needs a larger arena. But if you have a 20,000 seat rink, you can't have seven-year-olds practising in it. The bigger it is, the lower the use.' There is no question it's a good idea, but there are lots of good ideas floating around the City of Talk these days.

However, for Crawford and his crew this is more than talk. They have already met with sports supremo Timothy Fok who has expressed enthusiasm for the project. They have a sophisticated series of building designs. They have their eyes on a piece of land in Aberdeen and they have a meeting next week with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Most importantly, though, they have a history of working through the stifling bureaucracy that defeats so many others.