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| Page Views: 1,291 Last Visit to Hong Kong: July, 2007 I Live Here | Hong Kong, my second home by bpacker - last update: Apr 15, 2008 |
A Page for All Hapless Expats | Victoria Harbour, before the typhoon |
Introduction: Right about May 2007, my husband was headhunted and we made up our minds to uproot ourselves from Singapore to live in Hong Kong. Like all newly-minted expat couples, we have our fair share of apprehension and excitement assimilating to another culture. If you're surprised to read this statement, then let me just say upfront that Hong Kong and Singapore have about as many differences as there are similarities! But so far, we are loving these discrepancies and I will try, as much as possible to detail my observations in this page.
Experiencing the Typhoon that never was*
Just when I thought that relocating would be a piece of cake with summery days and delicious gourmet discoveries, I was plunged headlong into my first relocation nightmare. Typhoons.
Well, to explain myself, typhoons(hurricanes) are as common in summers as dim sum are to teahouses in Hong Kong. We definitely don't have these in Singapore - The closest light and water display we get over here is the musical fountain show in Sentosa. Anway, since I've married to an over-protective chap, I've been drilled on the common typhoon vernacular.
Typhoon signal one means I can continue drinking my tea
Typhoon signal 8 means that HK IS in the path of a typhoon with unimaginable windspeeds. Should I see this signal, I should return home even if I am in the midst of a facial, looking like the living dead.
Since I have never encountered any natural disasters in ooh-so-safe Singapore, I poohed poohed the dangers. I barely registered the tawdry typhoon details that till last Friday. And I learnt it the hard way.
On the Friday of 10Aug, I ventured out despite a Signal 3 warning since I was bloody adamant to collect a pair of coveted shoes that was ordered from France. I'm no shoeholic but when I have to wait 3 months for a pair of ballet pumps, it drives me nuts. But along the way, I got side-tracked and I ended up at IFC Mall ( HK island) to recuperate from my other buys. I was reading Ellen Mcnally's "Shopping in HK", sipping on liquid Valhrona when I noticed something really strange.... There was a buzz in the air and the mall was emptying out. I could have sworn I even saw some ladies running on their Mahnolo Blahniks and all the retail shops pulling down their shutters in broad daylight. The whole thing seemed surreal and being inexperienced, I didn't know what was happening until I found out I had no telephone signal! Apparently being a couch potato has its virtues-I've watched enough re-runs of "Twister" to realise one thing - a Typhoon was about to hit Hong Kong and soon. I hastily abandoned my delicious chocolate, made for Central MTR and was shocked when I saw what was before me. |
|  | Chaos at the Whim of a Weatherman
There were thousands of people, shoving, jostling and screaming in Cantonese over at the entrance points. I felt I was trapped in some foreign language nightmare since I was witnessing pure mass hysteria without subtitles. The only thing I could understand at that point was the Typhoon 8 warning sign (Thankfully, in English) pasted near the turnstiles. Sure, reading it made fear sink to the pit of my stomach, but what else I could I do besides joining the terrible crowds? Public transportation would cease in 2 hours after signal 8 announcements were made and getting a cab/bus in a Hong Kong noon exodus would be like striking the lottery. I just prayed to God that I would get home in time and in one piece despite the melee. While I prayed, there were ladies who kept fainting since ventilation was poor and claustrophobia was at its max. It was both scary and vexing at the same time since the wait was long.
By the time I did manage to get on the train, I was crushed and shoved against the train doors ( I found out that my T-shirt was smudged with dirt when I returned ). The queues only thinned out once I reached the New Territories area. And when I got to the station there, I saw hubby waiting for me with an umbrella, a little worried since he did not hear from me at all. Well, I am a little shaken from the experience ( not stirred, haha) but I thank God I emerged unscathed from the event. By nightfall, the typhoon did an about turn and the signal was fizzled to a 3. Transportation soon resumed to normal. So much for the mass panic! |
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 Comments for bpacker about Hong Kong | | | | |
y_lyn Fri May 30, 2008 14:45 UTC
Very interesting account :) Hope I will not encounter a strong typhoon when I am in HK with my students next week. | robertgaz Wed Apr 16, 2008 00:00 UTC
Thanks for happy hour in Honkers :~) But I'll blisfully ignore that deliciously risky dim sum health hazard! | THLIN Tue Oct 30, 2007 03:17 UTC
Alamak, now you should know our fear every summer; but sometimes we do enjoy a sudden day off due to horrible typhoon!! | SPW Thu Oct 4, 2007 22:59 UTC
A pigeon hole sounds perfect for a birder! |
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