Hong Kong
Jul 20, 03:37 PM
This morning I left the mainland for Hong Kong. I had not, when I first arranged my trip, intended to come to Hong Kong, thinking that Changsha – where the Mawangdui archaeological finds are – would be about as far as I would get. So I got myself a single entry visa. But then, at the last minute, the connection with Zhongshan University came up, so I decided to travel to Guangzhou; and after that, I made a couple of interesting connections here in Hong Kong, so I thought I might as well cross over the border.
I hadn’t expected Hong Kong to be such a different world from Guangzhou, only two hours away by train – despite knowing about the whole one country, two systems thing, I wasn’t prepared for how much Hong Kong breathes a different air from China. It has an independent legal system, and a very different vibe: higher prices, a much more ethnically mixed community, a surprising number of gaudy neon strip joints, and – if the South China Morning Post is to be believed, a spirit of going its own way.
Since my arrival some time around mid-afternoon, however, I’ve not had much chance to look around, as I’ve been negotiating with the bank. This is frustrating. I went to the not particularly Co-operative bank twice before leaving for China to tell them that I would be overseas, and to ask them to put a note on my account. Nevertheless, my cards suspiciously stopped working a couple of days back. A swift phone call should have sorted this out, but alas it didn’t. After a long time on hold, I eventually got through to a demotivated sounding employee – and who can blame him? – who said that the account was fine, and that the bank had sorted out the problem. So I ventured back out to draw out some cash, which I need for my return visa to China, and I discovered that this was fiction: my cards still didn’t work. I came back to the hotel and phoned the bank again, getting through straight away to somebody who was both friendly and efficient. Yes, she said, my cards were blocked a day or two ago on suspicion of fraudulent activity. It is puzzling enough that booking hotels in China, where I said I would be, should be considered suspicious. It is downright odd that when I first called the bank, they omitted to mention anything about this.
Anyway, tomorrow morning I’m off to sort my visa, and then I’m meeting up with a professor of Daoist philosophy, and hopefully taking in a few of the sights. That is, if the promised typhoon does not keep me indoors.
#1 · Curt??
Jul 20, 05:59 PM
Do not forget to get your fortune told by the Iranian palm reader in Hong Kong.
#2 · Curt
Jul 21, 06:07 PM
Our operation in Washington did not go exactly as planned. It was timed to start just as a minor but sensible earthquake struck the northern DC suburbs in Maryland. Unfortunately the Gods detected our plans and set the earthquake off early. Operational debriefings are now being conducted to see if we can do better next time. If anyone asks it can be said that we remain on the strategic offensive. Although our operation may not have cracked up the enemy the way that it was intended we did not suffer any losses.
So dry your self off and do not be afraid to shake a Martini.