It's raining here. Again. And it's all being caused by those pesky weather systems in the Pacific, whom I'll refer to as "the Oons". Surely you've heard of them: the Typhoons and the Monsoons.
People ask me about them and how they impact my life here, but there seems to be some confusion as to what they actually do. Let's start with the definitions of these rabble rousers and go from there.
Typhoons are tropical cyclone storms in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Depending on where you live, you may know them by one of their other criminal aliases: Hurricanes in the Atlantic, or Cyclones in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. Same storms, different names. This mug shot to the right is Typhoon Nesat, a recent offender. Monsoons, on the other hand, are wind systems that change the levels of precipitation, which is why a Monsoon Season is often referred to as a "rainy season".* Hong Kong's Monsoon Season is usually June through October.
There, definitions covered. Now for the good stuff that relates to living here.
In Hong Kong, we have a very interesting warning system to let people know how to prepare if a Typhoon has formed. The warnings are based on the threat level and they are taken very seriously.
Typhoon Signal 1 means that a typhoon has been spotted somewhere in the Pacific. No need to worry just yet; you can go about your regular business.
Typhoon Signal 3 means that wind speeds are picking up and the storm is getting closer so you may want to tie down anything outside that could be blown around. It also means to stay tuned because things could get interesting. We experienced a Signal 3 while we were at Disneyland Hong Kong and they closed down the outdoor rides, but not the entire park.
Typhoon Signal 8 (I'll explain why we jump to 8 in a minute) means that everything shuts down. Wind speeds in the harbour are hazardous and people are supposed to stay inside. Schools, offices, stores and taxis all stop operations. When Typhoon Nesat skirted by recently, Hong Kong hoisted a Signal 8.
Typhoon Signal 9 means it's getting pretty bad.
Typhoon Signal 10 means that there is a direct hit and you're basically toast.
So why do we go from Signal 3 to Signal 8, you may ask?
Well, Asian cultures are very big on luck and superstition. The number "4" when spoken in Chinese dialects, sounds like the word that is used to mean "death". Therefore, the number 4 is considered to be "unlucky".
So why not change the word for the number 4, you may ask again? This is one of those times when you have to stop thinking like a Westerner and just go with it.
To counter the "unlucky 4" during typhoon signals, we jump up to "8" because 8 is considered to be very lucky. People here LOVE the number 8. That's why the Beijing Olympics started on 8/8/08. Folks will even pay money to use as many 8's as they can in their phone numbers, addresses, license plates, etc., because it is believed to bring them "good fortune".The symbol for 8 is to the left.
So if a typhoon is coming, why not go with the luckiest number as a signal in hopes that it won't be disastrous?
Makes sense to me.
The Hong Kong government does a very thorough job of keeping the public informed of weather-related issues. Check out their website - the descriptors they use are often, but never intended to be, humorous.
http://www.hko.gov.hk/contente.htm
So for now, I will think of these rainy days as a much needed bath for this fair city. Hopefully the sun will come out soon, the sparkle of Hong Kong will quickly be restored and any "Oons" which might be thinking of stirring up more trouble will think again.
And that means YOU, Tropical Depression Banyan.
* Definitions checked via The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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