don't count your chickens before they're hatched

Last Sunday, under clear sunny skies and a steady Force 4 wind, Matt and I completed our 5th and final sailing lesson. Now we are a certified "Day Skipper" and "Competent Crew" member. So that was it, our final sail in Hong Kong - for a while.

Lately, everyone's been remarking at the glorious summer we've been having. Clear visibility and fairly bearable heat. And what's even stranger, no typhoons at all, only the occasional heavy thundershower.

So when news got out that Typhoon Pabuk was heading towards Hong Kong on Wednesday, everyone and his dog were bracing themselves for a ferocious incoming, only to be disappointed at a signal number 3. But then, very suddenly, it boomeranged back on Friday morning and hit HK at full force. Just to show who's in charge, i guess.

Signal #8 was hoisted at 2:30pm and as a response, chaos followed in the MTR stations, buses, and taxi queues (who charge well over the meter price because they are not covered by insurance in these circumstances).

It's pretty much rule-of-thumb that once a #8 is hoisted, everyone should be heading home, no matter what. All the ferries stop operating and so those in outlying islands, like us, have to find alternate routes. However, since Hong Kong is probably one of the most rapidly-developing cities in the world, 'going home' for several million people with limited transportation options is much easier said than done.

Luckily for me, working at Treasure Island in South Lantau, i was able to hop on the bus with the other Surf Campers (who had to endure a 3 hour bus journey to get back to Central) and got a ride halfway home. Matt, working from home, quickly assessed his priorities and assembled a typhoon shelter for us in our bedroom ;)

We survived.