It's raining again...

This has been my view on the ferry the past few days. Looks quite apocalyptic. 

Speaking of apocalyptic rainstorms, have you seen this dramatic video of Sunday's black rainstorm by blogger Ka Ki Wong?

Bebinca spoils the weekend

So we didn't go to Motion in the Ocean on Saturday because the weather report said rough seas and heavy rain. Only to find out they did go ahead with the event.

Then we went for the flea market only to see this sign:

Apparently it too even the sellers by surprise. They said they didn't know until they had lugged all their stuff to the plaza... by which time it was too late. But a flea market of sorts did still go on.

 Many enterprising sellers set up shop by the walkway.

 And under the umbrellas in the plaza.

It turned out to be surprisingly fun. And I managed to get some bargains as the sellers were just interested in ensuring they didn't have to lug all the stuff back again.

But don't forget, the flea market proper will be on June 30.

Here comes the sun!

The Observatory noted that this has been the gloomiest November in 127 years. It said: "The total duration of bright sunshine captured in the month was 101.4 hours, a record low for November since 1885.The monthly mean relative humidity was 81 per cent, tying with that of 1960 as the highest record for November."

After close to three weeks of rain, the sun finally came out today. No wonder everyone was looking cheerier  on the ferry today. Now to get the mould off my walls and clothes. 

Hurry hurry home

After changing its mind time and again over the weekend, Vicente has decided to pay a visit. 

Crazy crowds at Central trying to get home before the typhoon signal 8 is raised.

 Last ferry is at 6.30pm.Pictures are blurry because I couldn't hold the cameraphone steady in the wind.

Typhoon Doksuri approaches

The warning bell had gone and I was rushing to get the ferry before the Typhoon Signal 8 was hoisted but I couldn't resist getting this photo.

Yes, I know typhoons can be terrible and scary but they can be so beautiful too.

Just look at that sulphurous yet luminous light you get when (in Hagrid's immortal words) "there's a storm coming, Harry".

No joined up thinking

I've often wondered why they bother to put a roof over the ferry pier if alighting passengers still have to run that uncovered distance. How much more would it cost to just extend the roof just a few meters? Or maybe open the gate to the entrance lobby so we don't get caught in a downpour?

Rainbow connection

The one bright spot in this rain-all-day day: a humongous rainbow. You can see the whole curve from Chi Ma Wan to Discovery Bay.

Pity my camera phone can't do justice to it.

The rainbow brought Mui Wo residents scurrying out in the drizzle to capture it.

I think there might be a village house at the end of this rainbow. Hope the two oldies who live in it find that pot of gold.

Low-lying clouds

Never seen the clouds come down so low before. Spooooooky...

Spring showers...

... make for lovely green shoots.

Typhoon Nesat

First Typhoon 8 signal this year. I am stuck at home because there doesn't seem to be bus services and the couple of taxis cruising by are asking for exorbitant rates to brave the high mountain pass with wind speeds of over 120 kph.

A few brave souls are venturing out to take in the full glory of the typhoon. We went out for a bit to assess the situation and see if I could get something that will get me to work.

Within seconds my spectacles were so spattered with rain I had to grope my way home.

The weatherman says the signal will be lowered by afternoon. I certainly hope so because I don't fancy having to argue with my bosses tomorrow about why I couldn't get into work at all.

By the way, that poor blue Mercedes in the picture had been parked there all night and been doused with sea water almost non stop. It will need a thorough cleaning to avoid rust in the engine.

I'm not sure that's what the Observatory had in mind when it advised to "park your car where it will not be damaged" though.

Typhoon Haima

The trouble with being classified "essential staff" and living in Mui Wo is that I have to monitor typhoon warnings very conscientiously. T1 and T3 are fine but I have a headache if it's T8 as the ferries stop running.

Some of my colleagues, who live on the islands, are forced to sleep under their desks if they can't get home that day.

Fingers crossed, it won't have to come to that for me as Mui Wo does have a land link. It's getting kamikaze taxi drivers willing to brave the winding South Lantau Road in high winds that is a pain.

The Met Office has said "the chance of issuing a higher tropical cyclone warning signal is not high during the day today" so phew...

I'm happy there will be ferries running even though the ride home might be as bumpy as the one to office this morning.
And here's what I woke up to the morning after a very windy night:

Thunderstorm at sea

Was on the ferry to work when it started pissing down. Everything suddenly went all apocalyptic.

It had everything – thunder, lightning, lashing rain. Mother nature unleashing her fury was such a magnificent sight that I even forgot to nap, as I always do on ferries.

Rain, rain go away

Mui Wo is made for sunny weather -- so much so that, when it rains, almost everything comes to a halt. Usually, the weekend ferries are packed with day-trippers eager to for a swim or barbecue on the beach but today, only a handful of hardy ones came off the ferry.

Shopkeepers say January and February are the quietest months of the year and I can see why. The sea is a flat grey and the mountains look quite gloomy. We have to switch on the lights as early as 4pm.

The weathermen call it a "replenishment" of the northeast monsoon and the cold-weather warning is up. Last week, they were saying the monsoon would ease and the cold-weather warning lifted. Now, it's 10C (colder in the New Territories yadda yadda), with mist and rain.

Buffalo Wilbur is humphing because he's been denied his usual Saturday hike. And I am humphing because I am stuck in our tiny flat with Grumplestiltskins.

On the plus side, we have two heaters going and our electric blanket. Buffalo Wilbur, the cat and I are all cuddled on the daybed watching movies, eating leftover Chinese New Year goodies and drinking lots of tea. It's all quite cosy.

But I still wish the sun would shine again.

Rained out

The ferry was so crowded on Wednesday that I couldn't get my usual seat (funny how commuting makes me grumpy, especially I get if I don't get my favourite place by the window).

It was mid-autumn festival and apparently the Silvermine Bay beach is one of the popular places to gaze at the moon, walk around with lanterns and do amazingly illegal stuff like release flammable lanterns into the flammable forest or cram candles into a used mooncake tin and watch it explode.

This year, however, the moon gazers were foiled by Typhoon Fanapi, which created a cloud cover over Hong Kong. It all but washed out the celebrations too -- just see what the weather was like the morning after, above.

But it didn't stop the amateur pyromaniacs elsewhere: A traditional Hung Ming flying lantern landed on an MTR train near the Sheung Shui station while a fire broke out at Lai Chi Kok park after a mooncake box attached with lighted candles was thrown into a rubbish bin.

Maybe it's a good thing Fanapi made everything so wet there weren't more fires breaking out.