Let your hair down
Before I gave up my newspaper columns and TV shows in 2021 to return to the US, I was often invited to the annual News Executives' Association (NEA) dinner. Companies sponsor tables and invite guests. Those who attend include top government officials, media editors, and public relations people. It is a time when government officials let their hair down. To let your hair down means to relax and enjoy yourself. They joke, laugh, and sing with the media. Conversations are off the record, which means the media cannot report what is said.
The NEA dinner is a bit like the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner in Washington DC, which raises scholarship funds for journalism students. It is organized by journalists who cover the White House and the US president. The president traditionally attends and gives a speech. Movers and shakers are invited. Movers and shakers are powerful and influential people such as politicians and movie stars. The president and those invited to speak joke about themselves and other important people. I am visiting Hong Kong and was invited to last week’s NEA dinner. The Chief Executive, Chief Secretary, and Financial Secretary attended.
Many of my media friends also attended. I had a great time drinking wine and catching up with them. Some friends thought I had settled in London, Canada, or New York when I left in 2021. I have never lived long-term in those places! I lived long-term in Washington DC in the early 1990s and Seattle in the late 1990s. I stayed short-term with relatives in many US cities when I left in 2021. I need to find a permanent US home when I leave Hong Kong soon.
2021年我放棄我的報章專欄和電視節目主持工作，回到美國之前，我就不時獲邀參加新聞行政人員協會的晚宴。晚宴會有公司贊助餐桌及邀請賓客。出席晚宴的人包括政府高官、傳媒編輯以及公關人士。這是讓政府官員let their hair down的時候--to let your hair down是指好好放鬆，盡情享受。他們會跟傳媒朋友開玩笑、嬉笑和唱歌。對話都是off the record，意即傳媒不能報道對話的內容。
新聞行政人員協會的晚宴有點像華盛頓特區那個白宮記者協會的晚宴，後者會為新聞系學生募捐獎學金。它是由報道白宮及美國總統新聞的新聞工作者所籌劃的。傳統上總統都會出席及發表演說。晚宴會邀請movers and shakers--movers and shakers即達官貴人，就是舉足輕重、有號召力的人，例如政客和電影明星。獲邀出席的總統和賓客，會拿自己及其他重要人士開玩笑。我正旅港，亦受邀參與上星期新聞行政人員協會的晚宴。當晚行政長官、政務司司長以及財政司司長均有出席。
有許多我的傳媒朋友亦有出席。我過了很棒的一夜，跟他們喝酒，聊聊近況。一些朋友以為我2021年離開時，會於倫敦、加拿大或紐約安頓下來。我從未試過在那些地方長居！我在1990年代早期於華盛頓特區住過一段長時間，及於九零年代晚期長住西雅圖。2021年離港後，我在美國許多城市暫居各親戚的家中。我很快便要離開香港了，這次我需要在美國找一個長遠的居所。
mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
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