Domino Toppler Ma Li-hua
Ma Li-hua is the Guinness World Record holder for the world’s longest solo domino topple. June Ng caught up with her while she was in town racking up her dominoes to celebrate the olympics. She talks about the fun in making things collide.
HK Magazine: How could someone overtake your domino-toppling title?
Ma Li-hua: Simple. You have to tip more than 303,621 dominoes in one go. As a reference, the previous record before I broke it was 281,581. My tip is willpower. It takes some strong determination and lots of willpower to accomplish a record-breaking task.
HK: How long did it take for you to set them up, and how long did it take for them to fall?
ML: I spent 13 hours per day on the dominoes for nearly seven weeks, and I think it took them four minutes to fall. It’s very lucky for me that I didn’t topple them by accident. Even the bugs at the venue were being helpful and didn’t bump into my setup. You know, even a cockroach can trash everything by simply walking through the set.
HK: Isn’t it weird to see something that took you so long to set up collapse?
ML: Some people ask whether I feel sorry about that, but I don’t. That’s the whole point of the game! Actually, I put more focus on the topple. I love the suspense created by watching one domino fall onto the other right until the very last piece. It’s a very exciting process because you never know whether they will fall on the exact spot you predicted they would. What an adrenaline ride!
HK: I’m a very impatient person. Can I still join?
ML: It’s a game that fits all walks of life. Even if you’re impatient, you can train to be more patient through the process of creating a domino topple. You can also learn how to become a more detail-minded and careful person, as you have to do the tiles step-by-step, and learn where to put a “safe zone” so your efforts won’t go to waste with one minor slip. People also find their interpersonal skills improve when they have to do a team domino topple, because they have to communicate very well to ensure a smooth fall.
HK: If I want to try it at home but I don’t have any dominoes, what can I use as a substitute?
ML: Anything, as long as it’s the right proportion, size and weight. I’ve tried using matchboxes, plates, CD cases, cassette cases...
HK: So you do this as full-time job. What the heck?
ML: Actually, this is a pretty popular activity in mainland China these days. They have clubs, classes, and professional organizations. I definitely make enough money toppling dominoes to get by.