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Day 17
A disappointing start to the day with an early morning call from dad suggesting we cancel our plans for Disney today as signal No.3 might be hoisted later today, so the fireworks may be cancelled :(
We are invited for Pizza Hut lunch instead! Always popular in HK and there are always queues. Dad and I share a Sausage and Cheese Combo with seafood pizza (scallops and prawns), creamy chicken & mushroom soup and a dish of Portugese vegetables. Su-Yin and Kai opt for a Meat Feast Pizza with mash potato au gratin; the European touch. Our eyes are bigger than our bellies.
What to do with the rest of the day? Nothing too energetic for the youngsters. The Amazing Spiderman is released today so Su-Yin starts tapping on ipad to see if tickets are available for the 3D imax showing in iSquare in Tsim Sha Tsui. It's 15.10 and there are seat available for the 16.40. It's a 45min bus ride away. Let's do it. Tickets are hurriedly booked with my credit card. But wait, Row C, the 3rd row? I thought we'd booked 3 rows from the back. The teenagers don't even know what imax is and get motion sick just from 3D. Too late. We dash off and leave dad to get his washing in before the rain.
It's 16.40 and the lifts up to the 7th floor at iSquare are full so we opt for the escalator. We swipe and grab our tickets, then it's another 3 up to the imax. I'm dizzy already.
But Wow! The cinematography, high resolution and 3D effects are amazing. And Andrew Garfield's not bad either. Rhys Ifans is unrecognisable as Dr Connors. Later, it has to be explained to me why there is Gwen and not MaryJane, still Aunt May and Uncle Ben, who dies, but no Green Goblin. We all agree it was well worth it, even the non 3D lovers.
On the escalators down, against the glass wall, the skies are looking ominous; with a bright sunset on one side and dark skies the other. Signs in the lobby confirm signal No.3 is hoisted. I suggest we could go to the tallest hotel in the world to the viewing deck on the 100th floor as it's just around the corner, but no-one is interested. Outside there is a strong breeze.
We head straight for the underground and it's a long trek to East TST but it's all undercover with moving walkways. This way, it's only 1 train change and a quicker route to Shatin. We get a phonecall from dad to say No.8 signal will be hoisted around midnight. I confirm we're already at Tai Wai, our penultimate stop so will be back soon.
Outside Shatin MTR, there's a bakery that always catches my eye www.chouxcreme.com.hk We opt for creme brulee, strawberry and tiramisu. Yum. At the shuttle bus stop, the tropical rain is blowing in at 45'. Back at the hotel, there are flashes that No.8 is expected at or before 23.20. The poolside furniture has disappeared. Sure enough at 23.10, tv flashes that No.8 is hoisted as typhoon Doksiru passes through. The small trees are flapping, the rain doesn't look that bad, the river's a bit choppy and the buses are still running.
We nod off with only the sound of the aircon, and no evidence of a hurricane hurling by.
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