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".

Fluff and stuff

The recent strong winds appear to have knocked the stuffing out of the kapok trees.

Typhoon tale – More on Nesat

See how gusty the winds and how big the waves are in Mui Wo? This looks like it was taken next to the ferry pier.

For those who are wondering, I did manage to get to work.

After numerous calls to the taxi hotline only to be told: "No taxi, call back later," I got fed up and went downstairs to see if I could pick up any drivers loitering with intent around Park N Shop.

I did finally find a taxi driver who was willing to take me over the mountain pass in a T8 AND use the meter.

He was such a sweetie I asked him for his phone number, which I would be happy to share on request (Note though you need to speak some basic Cantonese to book him).

The ride was particularly harrowing when the taxi reached the topmost point and you could feel it being buffeted by cross-winds.

On the way, I spotted a few lost souls wandering about and waving wild-eyed at my taxi. I would have stopped to offer them a ride but my Cantonese totally failed me at that point.

I wonder whether those of us who need to get to work on a T8 should band together for a Typhoon Club or something and taxi-pool, seeing as there are so few taxis to go round.

Thankfully, the signal was downgraded to T3 by the time I has to get home so I could catch a ferry back instead of having to repeat my two-hour trek.

I did feel a bit sorry for the ferry crew, though. They were braving "rough and very rough" sea conditions (to quote the HKO) for only seven of us. There were possibly more crew members than passengers in board.

But phew, I am home again and have lived to tell the typhoon tale.

Brrr... it's freezing

My colleague laughed when he saw me putting on cardigan, jacket, scarf then hat as I left work. "Is it that cold in Mui Wo?" he asked.

"You have no idea," I replied.

I never thought Hong Kong winters were especially chilly... then I moved to Mui Wo. After all, as the weather report keeps reminding me: "Temperatures over the New Territories will be a couple of degrees lower than those over the urban areas."

The area between McDonald's and the pier is especially cold. Even as I type this, my back spasms at the thought of braving it in the morning.

There's something about the wind there that cuts right through anything I'm wearing and leaves me shivering. Thank goodness for the breakfast stalls at the pier, which are always good for a warming waft of steam.

The poor cat has taken to burrowing under her fleece blanket so that her bum is warmed by the electric blanket. Buffalo Wilbur has been wearing three layers... indoors.

Thank goodness we live close to the pier and in a built-up area, which shelters the flat somewhat from the chilly winds. I really sympathise with those who have another 20 minutes walk in the biting cold to their uninsulated village houses.

Windy day in Mui Wo

Crisp, cool day on the beach. Perfect for kite flying – or, if you're really lazy, for tying kites to a post and watching them fly.