In danger of getting splashed!
DON'T DO ANYTHING
Hong Kong just loves it's rules and regulations. Its as if the whole country got a a criminal justice degree online and never said anything about it. They love a sign telling people what not to do. More to the point I think they just love it when people actually break the rules and as a collective, Hong Kong people will enforce rules mercilessly. If its against the rule then its wrong and unquestioned, there is no grey area but only when a rule enforcer, or as I like to call them The Fun Police, are in town.
FUN POLICE
When the Fun Police are in town they have ultimate power. Restaurants in the habit of having tables outside and customers who enjoy a bit of alfresco dining are picked on with enthusiasm. Those Fun Police just love to tell them they have violated the rules and the diners have to shuffle further in towards the door. So there you are enjoying your All Day Breakfast when you are interrupted and asked to push your table in a direction so as to satisfy the Fun Police. Sometimes, if they are feeling particularly mean they ban the whole outside dining area completely so "Cannot' is muttered around the place by the poor restaurant staff. We turn up for dinner and the usual question "Inside our outside?" is no longer used, just "Cannot" with a simultaneous eyes to the heavens look which actually means come back next week then the Fun Police have got bored with that rule and we'll have the tables back outside like everyone likes it and we all understand "Cannot" is temporary.
I have travelled a bit, I've been to St. Mark's Square in Venice and the Piazza della Signoria in Florence
where I sat OUTSIDE and took in the ambiance of the location. No Fun Police around to stop the trade because the whole point is that OUTSIDE is best! They get it.
WARNING
Last week we had the Typhoon Warnings in place. The Fun Weather Police have their own set of special rules ranging from giving rain a colour and wind a number to advice on how to dress if there is a Hot or Cold Weather Warning. The rules are about wearing a hat or a vest respectively. This week with the imminent arrival, and probably direct hit, of super mega largest in the world typhoon, about to cause vast distruction to Hong Kong, we had T1 for a day then upside down T3 for a couple of days.
WHAT IS THE RIGHT COLOUR OF RAIN?
Rain can range from amber to red to the scary Black variety. Each colour has a diferent meaning and residents need to check websites, radio and TV to find out what to do depending on the colour. Amber rainmeans take your umbrella with you. I imagine the the Fun Weather Police will be checking to make sure we all obey this rule. There is probably a fine just as there is for innocently flicking your cigarette end on the floor - $1,500 (yeh Steve, just give up!) or jay walking (don't argue Julian!).
Red rain is a more serious. The Fun Weather Police say stay in and check the transport situation. Stay in even more if it means your shoes will be wet when you get to work.
Black rain, and that's the worst sort of rain. The Fun Weather Police say STAY AT HOME and hide under the bed until it stops. They will stand outside your house and enforce this rule. Actually no that was a joke because they are not allowed to leave their house either!
Typhoon warnings go:-
T1 - umbrellas might be blown inside out.
T3 - If you have an expensive boat but it somewhere safe. Failing that put your plant pots inside.
pre T8 - Whoa it's coming.
T8 - Consider windsurfing, sailing or surfing just to annoy The Fun Police.
T10 - hide under the bed and stay there until its gone unless you work for TVB then you can put on a floeresent jacket and do a Fun Weather Report from The Harbour with the odd splash of sea water coming over the wall and completely reckless people in the background having a laugh getting splashed.
MEGI STRESS
This week Typhoon Megi caused a lot of stress. They thought it was coming our way. They thought it would be a direct hit. Worse one in the world this year. The T1 and then the T3 signal were hoisted. It was going to be a big one, probably on Saturday, may be, perhaps. School camps were abandoned, weddings were rearranged and the ubiquitous crosses of tape appeared on windows (taking approximately one year to remove the sticky mess). And what do you know, old Megi changed direction and left Hong Kong alone.
LOVELY DAY
If we weren't a bunch of sheep and didn't check the weather reports we wouldn't have known anything about the imminent possible destruction. It would have a been a bit breezy, a little cooler than usual with clear skies. In fact it was beautiful and Saturday was a particularly lovely day.
BONUS DAY OFF
In future I am not going to check any weather report and carry on regardless. This could mean that I end up at work when I should have stayed in bed but the chances are so remote. I think I can safely remove all that anticipation of the bonus day off only for my hopes to be dashed and do my own weather check which mostly involves looking out of the window.
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