WHEN an elderly man decided he was really unfit, there was nothing for it but to start a fitness regime. He put himself on a strict diet of no food, at all. And the 69-year-old drank only soft drinks during an exercise programme that included marathon walks, the Oriental Daily News reported. But it was the relatively relaxing time in a sauna that finally proved too much. He spent so long in the hot room to sweat off his excess weight that he keeled over, suffering from heat stroke. What prompted his obsessive behaviour? Not his heart problems, diabetes or even his cancer but the desire to attract women.
making a meal of it TWO teenagers raided a 7-Eleven store in Ma On Shan and got away with 28 sausages, the Hong Kong Daily News reported. But police had no trouble linking the two shoplifters with their crime. In fact, the cops were still questioning witnesses about the $60 raid when one of the thieves walked back in to the shop. He wanted the jacket he'd left behind when fleeing, he told astonished police as they slapped on the handcuffs. His accomplice is still being sought.
Absolute swines IT WAS a pig of a night when demonstrators gathered for an all-night vigil outside the Legco building in Central. The tenants from Riviera Garden, Tsuen Wan, tried to grab a little sleep but no one managed to doze off, said the Oriental Daily News, because their companions kept everyone awake. The group had brought along three pigs to protest against a government decision not to go ahead with moving the Tsuen Wan slaughter house to Shangshui. The animals kept escaping and, after causing such chaos, it looked like their bacon was cooked until the RSPCA stepped in and suggested keeping just one pig, locked firmly in a cage.
school for scandal DUTIFUL housewives trotted off every day to a private college in a bid for self-improvement. But it was only when police raided the building that neighbours realised it served as a respectable facade for an illegal mahjong parlour, according to the Oriental Daily News Forty-four adults and three children were arrested during the crackdown on the Shamshuipo casino in the building's attic. Police discovered games were run to fit in with the housewives' schedules, starting at 9 am and finishing at six every night - just in time for the women to rush back and prepare their husband's dinners.
Service charge A SHOP assistant is counting the cost of friendly service, according to the Hong Kong Daily News. The woman was behind the counter early one morning when five men walked into the shop, picked up a few groceries and tried to pay with a $1,000 note. When she told them she didn't have enough change, they were furious and left without buying anything. But just when she was breathing a sigh of relief, one of the men returned and attacked her with a mobile telephone, bashing her across the head. She suffered only minor injuries but is now looking for a less stressful job.
head cases NEW riot headgear have been causing police a real headache, said Eastweek magazine. The new British-made version is simply too hot for Hong Kong. At $3,000 a throw, the new models are well-known for the excellent protection they offer, but the territory's police still prefer their old helmets because of their better ventilation. Still, their bosses have come up with a novel solution for officers sweating away in front of angry crowds - just keep the glass shield raised to allow in more fresh air.
