Summary:
In this podcast, local Hong Kong snake celebrity William Sargent discusses his passion for snakes and his passion for organizing races in Hong Kong, i.e. the MoonTrekker. He also scares me towards the end of the podcast (listen to find out how). I also generously offer him some advice on how he can make MoonTrekker even better. Oh, we also (somehow) briefly discuss Katy Perry.
Show Notes:
QUICK QUESTIONS FOR WILLIAM TO GET TO KNOW HIM BETTER
1) What is William’s favorite trail in Hong Kong and why?
2) What got William into hiking and what keeps him doing it?
3) Why did he not move to running?
[As the snake guy]
1) Where did this fascination of snakes come from?
2) Why does he like them?
3) When did he realize he had this fascination?
4) Did he dream of becoming a Steve Irwin growing up?
5) Tells us about the work he has done with snakes
6) How he became the Gov Appointed snake catcher in HK
[HK Snakes]
1) In terms of trails, where should one go in HK to find snakes?
2) What are some of the poisonous snakes in HK?
3) When is a good time to see snakes?
4) What’s the one snake you should fear the most?
5) If one steps on a snake while running solo, what should this person do?
6) What’s the most vicious snake he has seen?
7) Has he ever been bitten?
8) What are some of his most unforgettable experiences with our HK snakes?
8b) Does he go alone to see snakes or does he always have someone?
8c) Does he catch them using gloves?
9) In the movie Pulp Fiction, gangster Vincent (Travolta) tells Jules (Samuel Jackson) that dogs have personality and aren’t filthy. What about snakes?
10) Can there ever be “too many snakes” in HK? Can they become like the Shing Mun monkeys?
[About Snakes]
1) What are some facts about HK snakes that will make someone go wow?
2) Tell us about the Hong Kong Snakes FB Group. Where did the idea come from?
3) Are snakes really deaf?
4) Do snakes piss and dump?
[Snake philosophies]
1) How does he feel about snake soup in Sham Shui Po?
2) What about snake handbags
3) Has he ever had snake soup?
[As a Race Director]
1) Did MoonTrekker inspire his decision to leave a major global publishing firm? Or did the break from the daily routine of a mundane job inspire MoonTrekker? Where did the Moontrekker idea come from? Who came up with the name MoonTrekker?
2) Why does he organize the MT? (a) Pleasure of organizing races (b) Contribution to trails of HK (c) Contribution to charity (d) Making money. In what order?
3) Did he fear that MT would not have been a success?
– how many people have they had running the race in each of the years since it started
4) How did he go about getting Barclays as a sponsor?
5) Organizing the race
– what is involved in organizing races. Walk us through the “behind the scenes” moments
– what is the hardest part of running a race in HK?
– what is the most enjoyable part?
– will he ever go bored of organizing the MT?
6) MT sells out in an hour or so. What would he attribute that to?
7) What’s his #1 key to success as a RD?
7b) There are so many races in Hong Kong now. What is he doing to ensure the continued success of MT?
7c) Does he view other races as competition? For example, Wilson and MT are pretty close by
8) Does he want to organize future races? If so, what does he have in store
9) Has he ever wanted to run MT himself?
