Monday, May 26, 2003

Criminal Activity


This morning I rode on the Tram to the Star Ferry. The windows open and make the traveling seem cleaner. I thought I'd sneak a picture of the woman across from me. Aren't you glad I wasn't sitting across from you?!

I rode the Ferry across the harbor to the Kowloon side and walked the several blocks to the Conference Office. When I had finished my business, I decided to catch the MTR (subway) back to Hong Kong. Then it happened. While waiting for the train, a man sitting on a bench nearby spat a big mouthful all over in front of himself. A few days ago I stood in a market buying some fruit when a woman came and stood beside me eating cooked crab from a Styrofoam tray. The portions she did not wish to eat (shell and claws, antennae etc.) she was spitting on my foot. But this man was grosser than she had been. When he saw me staring at him, which I was doing most likely because there are signs all over the city telling people how to spit, and he obviously didn't know how to follow directions, he said in perfect unslurred English, "don't mind me, I'm drunk". I reported his spit to the station attendant so that it could be cleaned up before someone got it on them. The "drunk" took off on a run and boarded a leaving train. The station attendant called to the next station to report a spit -and - run. While he was doing this, a woman came and sat in the area where the spit-and-run had taken place. This was not to last long. The attendant rushed to tell her of her peril. She lunged away and began to examine herself, her clothing, and her backpack.

I boarded the Hong Kong bound train and hurried back to my densely populated island. So, read the sign on the garage door in the picture. Clean Hong Kong. Some remain unconvinced.

A girl went to Beijing. She returned to Hangzhou, the city where Ben and Bess are living and teaching English at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital. Her family and she all now have SARS. They were diagnosed last Sunday. The number of persons in Hangzhou has not yet changed from that. I trust those numbers since Dr. David McFadden works at SRRS, and is very on top of things in Hangzhou. But, two of the 3 infected, are not doing well. They have been intubated, and the third will most likely require the same shortly. Their names I don't know, but pray for them. Pray for China and Hong Kong

Doug

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