Tuesday, July 24, 2012

We woke to a still category 8 cyclone and that meant no classes.  I sent out this email:

Hello to all,
If you have been following the news, (Hong Kong, that is) we have just gotten through the worst of Cyclone Vicente.  We went home at 3:00, yesterday ahead of the bigger winds and rain.
When we left it was a "category 3", which is mainly a warning with winds up to 40 mph.   It was a good plan because at 5:40 they raised it to a "category 8" (next number, I don't know why) and winds could now go to 70 mph.  At that point all businesses, flights, etc. close down.  Just after midnight they raised it to a "category10", the highest and they have not had that since 1997.  It went back down to "8" about 3:30 am, but I expect a call that we won't have class today.  

I am fine and warm and dry in my wonderful hotel with nice restaurant and everything I need.  Have more time to prepare for class.  I slept through most of the storm. This is really an adventure.
Ralph just called and said class will be cancelled until 2 hours after it goes back down to category 3.  Not exactly helping our schedule but we'll make it work.

In fact, we were able to go to school to start at 12.  In the meantime, I had a leisurely morning and a delicious brunch buffet in the restaurant.  The way to school was strewn with tree branches, leaves, trash, inside out umbrellas, etc.  The school was fine, though, with minor clean up.   The students straggled in with many stories and we got to work.  Since we really didn't have lunch, Ralph treated us at Tea Time with Egg Tarts, delicious little Hong Kong pastries.  The afternoon class ended at 5:30 but I set up Math until 7:00.  Then Ralph and his 9 year old son, Renan, and 4 year old daughter, Gaia, and I went to have dinner at an Italian restaurant and watched the lights of all the tall buildings around the harbor from the Hong Kong Island side.  The laser light show was on but the high clouds blocked it.  We're still getting bands of rain.


This had to be an authentic Italian restaurant, because the food was so good.  We had a delicious antipasto, minestrone, a Martguerita Pizza with the thinnest crust I have ever seen, a group of tube pastas standing up in a dish with zucchini and garlic pesto around it, and then pigeon with risotto.  Yum!
They were so nice because we were at the school on Kowloon Island, had to go through the harbor tunnel at rush hour to get to Hong Kong Island and the restaurant, they had to bring me back to my hotel on Kowloon and then go home to Hong Kong.  Not a really long trip, but still. I got home at 9 and am ready to go to bed.  Just not a late night person when I am teaching .
I have tomorrow "off" before 6 days of  math.  We will start sight-seeing at 9 and see where it takes us.