For nearly 30 years fans have enjoyed apres Sevens action with the help of the Mexicans, drinking Corona and Sol or getting right into the spirit - margaritas or tequila slammers. Now for the first time, the Mexicans are here in the flesh, as well as in a bottle. 'One of the most important characteristics of Mexican people is a festive nature, and a strong spirit of celebration with traditional and national holidays as well as a passion for sports. We have not forgotten our Mayan and Aztec roots and remain determined and proud,' says acting consul general in Hong Kong, Andres Pena. 'Mexico is the 10th most popular tourist destination in the world. Hong Kong people don't need a visa to visit and we are the only Latin American country where you can fly non-stop, direct from China.' While they're here, here's a useful guide to all things Mexican
Agave: Succulent plant from the cactus family, thought by ancient Mayans to have medicinal purposes. Gives a new meaning to spiked drinks. It is also the name of a famous bar and restaurant in Wan Chai.
Amigos: Mexican for your mates, your peeps, your posse. Gather your amigos and head for your favourite seat in the stands. In the true spirit of the Sevens, talk to the people sitting around you and make some new amigos.
Cactus: Is not just a plant, 'being cactus' means to be exhausted after a good day of rugby. Odds on, there will be plenty of cactus-inspired outfits this year.
Chocolatl: Xocolatl, meaning 'Bitter Water' in Nahuatl, the ancient language of the Aztec empire. It was the beverage of the Court and the emperors in the Great Tenochtitlan, the ancient Aztec capital. The Aztec word for chocolate, was taken to the world after the Spanish conquest and is said to date way back before then to around 1900 BC.
Frijoles refritos: Refried beans, literally. Beans are a Mexican food staple, along with corn. The Italians have a phrase cavioli riscadalti, literally 'you can't boil cabbage twice', with the meaning you can't rekindle a love affair. But boil their beans by the vat full they do in Mexico.
Fuentes: Not only can Mexicans play rugby, they can also write good books, as the famous novelists Carlos Fuentes, Juan Rulfo and Octavio Paz attest. Paz was the Nobel Prize laureate in literature (his masterpiece is The Labyrinth of Solitude.
Gringos: What a gweilo is in Hong Kong, a gringo is in Mexico. Most people in the Hong Kong Stadium are gringos in one way or another; many are expats, many are tourists, many are second or third generation Chinese, hailing from the mainland.
Mexican Wave: Mexican Wave or la ola Mexicana or simply la ola is said to have started back in the 1950s during a football match in Monterrey, Mexico, but it was really during the 1986 Fifa World Cup in Mexico that it became widespread and generally referred to this way.
Siesta: What you take after you arrive early to reserve seats for your amigos who have not woken up from their own siestas.
Fiesta: usually precedes the siesta where you enjoy a Mexican repast, listen to your Mariachi band, watch your favourite sport, and have a great time with your amigos.
Sarape: The multicolour blanket carried over the shoulder of your amigos - useful if it is cold or if you need to lay down for your siesta after too much fiesta. Not to be confused with a poncho, that has a hole in it for your head.
Pancho Villa: Every town around the world seems to have a Mexican restaurant named after Mexico's famous revolutionary general. Revolutionary new outfit for the South Stand?
Poncho: Triangular Mexican attire with no sleeves that can be used as a protection from sun or rain, as a sleeping bag and even a tent. Made hip in the seventies by hippies at Woodstock, the triangular sensation is expected to make a big revival at rugby's answer to a three-day rock festival.
Sombrero: The wide-brimmed headgear is expected to be de rigeur in the South Stand where there will be plenty doing hat dances. If you end up sitting behind one, you might need a periscope.
'Mi casa es su casa': Literally translated, 'my house is your house'. In Mexico, your home is your castle, and in Hong Kong, the old phrase, will take on a new dimension as we make visitors feel welcome in the streets and in the stadium.
Tequila: The title of a great song. Also a blue agave-based spirit made primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, 65 kilometres northwest of Guadalajara in the Mexican highlands of the western state of Jalisco with over 200 distilleries and brands. Name your favourite, such as Jose Cuervo, Herradura, Tres Generaciones or Corralejo, or the designer drops, Don Julio, Patron and organic Copa. Acting consul general Pena advises: ' It's important that the tequila that you drink is made 100 per cent with the agave plant. And remember to drink in moderation.' And we add, remember the phrase, 'One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!!!'
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