Tropical Storm Koppu forms over the Philippines. Warning Signal number 1 in force. Beware of strong winds and take precautions by tying down loose materials, says the Hong Kong Observatory site.
Monday 14 September8.00 am. Hong Kong Observatory upgrades to Storm Warning 3 and Koppu is now a severe tropical storm. It is moving toward Southern China at 16km an hour. All in the staffroom are excited and many come past my desk to tell me that if it goes to 8 (there are only 3 numbers 1, 3 and 8) then we can go home. They also tell me that if the rain signal is red or black in the morning then I don’t have to go to work that day. Watch the TV for announcements.
12 pm. On way to yum cha another group of teachers repeat the same information. I try to explain the idiom “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch”. On the way back from lunch I get soaked despite the use of an umbrella. The rain seems to be falling up from the pavement. I consider rushing into the staffroom shouting, “I have wet my pants!” but decide that my sense of humour will lose something in the translation. The wind picks up and turns my umbrella inside out. My pants are getting wetter.
2 pm. Many more colleagues file past my desk and tell me about black, red and the number 8. I wonder if they had watched the Ranfurly Shield game, but soon realise they are talking about a possible day off work.
4pm. The Hong Kong Observatory issues number 8. Government employees are let off work and those with long or difficult journeys are encouraged to go home. I look around. Nobody moves.
4.10 pm. Announcement from the principal in Cantonese. I don’t move. My neighbour in the workroom translates for me that we are told to go home. I look around. Nobody moves.
4.15 pm. I am the first to move. I leave work and walk to the bus stop, ducking and diving under bridges and shop fronts.
4.20. I reach my bus stop. I see one of the buses I could take, the 269M. I usually leave this one as it is always fuller than the 265M. I don’t move.
4.25. The 265M passes by the bus stop. Too full to stop.
4.40 Another 265M passes by the stop.
4.52. Yet another 265M. Gone.
5.00 pm. A 95% full bus stops. 20 or so try and squeeze on. Standing like sardines we travel home.
Tuesday 15 September.
6am. Try to turn TV onto see if Number 8 signal is in force. Nothing. Just a blank Screen. We don’t have a radio or the Internet. Look out the window. Nobody about. Lots of storm damage on buildings and trees. Think of the film 28 Days Later. Gulp and begin to sweat. I go down to lobby and feel relieved that there are people are about and they are not running after each other and eating each other. Girls at front desk tell me TV doesn’t go in a Number 8 wind. This means no school. Result.
A great picture of lightning from the night of the typhoon. Go here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/msiward/3914838185/
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