Dance my life...

颱風季節已過,我今年完全沒有放到颱風假。香港的天氣相對台灣來說是平靜許多,不過關於「天氣的描述」,我只能說香港也太偏激了一點。香港天文台對於下雨天的形容,總是很愛用狂風驟雨之類的詞來講。我一開始不是很了解香港天氣預報吹牛的個性,看到這種大風大雨的形容詞,總是想說家裡要準備個蠟燭,收音機什麼的,以免到時候因為風雨過大停水停電。結果我錯了,香港的狂風驟雨,基本上就像台灣五月的梅雨季節,下個雨就沒事了,哪來的狂風驟雨。想我以前在台灣，颱風來時上班,機車騎著騎著都會被風吹到馬路另一邊，街上招牌被狂風吹落,砸到我機車上,幸好只是塊輕薄的房地產廣告看板，不然我就馬上被壓死在路上，這種風才是狂風。香港說的狂風，連幾片樹葉都吹不下來，只能說是太吹牛了。

我記得七月的時候，有個颱風過境香港，遇到第一次黃色風雨警報，我新加坡室友很興奮，這是她第一次的颱風經驗，她緊張得想躲在家裡，深怕被風雨吹走，我當時往窗外一看，就只是個小雨，想說還可以出門逛街，打電話給菲律賓朋友，她已經在外面逛街了，只見新加坡人說：「颱風來了！很危險耶，不能出門啦。」我跟菲律賓朋友講，她回我說：「你不是台灣來的？這種風雨你也可以叫做颱風嗎？出來逛街啦。」後來我發現幾個沒經歷過颱風的朋友都對於颱風經驗感到新鮮，我就只能和菲律賓、日本朋友感嘆,這並不是真正的颱風。後來我很驕傲的跟他們講：「如果你想經歷大颱風、地震、水災、各種天災人禍、土石流、隨時可能發生戰爭的恐懼感，那就去台灣阿。」後來發現講完好像也沒什麼好驕傲的...

台灣還有個香港沒有的,就是地震,之前香港朋友要去台灣玩時,那時候台北發生點小地震,我就提醒他可能會有餘震產生,沒想到他一臉驚慌說:「你不要嚇我!要是我真的遇到地震時該怎麼辦??」我跟他講:「如果沒有很大,你就照常活動,如果很大而且持續很久,你就躲在角落之類的。」他還是一臉苦瓜臉,並且怪我故意嚇他。

對於香港的天氣變化,文字形容總是比現實上刺激許多,之前天氣熱的時候,報紙還會編個故事,說一個人因為天氣很好,寫信給朋友約她去游泳,然後天氣預報的形容詞,就出現在那封信中。旁邊還會配張圖片,是一個泳裝美女在陽光下潑水的照片,一個圖就可以說明溫度和心情,不用再講多餘的數據廢話。如果遇到雨天,天文台就很愛用「有狂風大驟雨及雷暴」來形容,製造市民的恐懼感。

我後來看穿了天文台的把戲,就跟香港朋友抱怨,沒想到他回說:「香港天文台的天氣預報是出了名的不準阿」不只不準,還經常相反！後來他跟我講他朋友開了一個地下天文台網站,很出名,連報紙都引用他朋友天氣預報的資料,我上網一看,果然瀏覽人數破好幾萬。

我在中秋節前夕,拿月餅給做房地產的麥小姐,又跟他抱怨香港天氣預報有多誇張,說狂風沒狂風,說暴雨只有細雨。沒想到麥小姐跟我講了另一套理論,她很平靜的說:「喔,那個天文台的預報不是真的不準啦,他們是故意這樣做的。」故意的?「對阿,他們因為怕被投訴,所以如果後天有下雨,他們會講明天下雨,並且講誇張一點,好讓做生意的人提早有個準備。」要投訴也要投訴他們說的不準吧?他們怕被投訴什麼?「怕被商人投訴阿,說有下雨都不提早講,讓他們生意損失慘重,所以天文台都習慣提早講,講得誇張一點,反正到時候如果沒下雨,商人也不會有損失,可是至少他們有準備。」什麼?全香港的人都知道香港天文台是故意的喔?「對阿,他們是故意不準的。」

我跟麥小姐講,這真是太奇怪了,台灣天氣預報也不會這樣。沒想到麥小姐反將我一軍,她說:「你覺得香港天氣預報奇怪,我才覺得你們政治人物很奇怪耶,一天到晚打架,香港都不會,為什麼他們要打架啊?」「喔,他們是故意的。」「故意的?」「對阿,他們要做秀阿,這樣電視台鏡頭才會拍他,這樣一來知名度也會變高阿,而且他們怕選民抱怨沒有認真做事,所以常出花招。」「什麼?香港政治人物要出名也不用這樣阿,你們都知道他們是故意打的嗎?」「對阿,全台灣的人民都知道,就跟你們知道天氣預報是故意不準的一樣,而且台灣跟香港比大很多,政治人物用打架來出名比較快啦。」「喔~原來是這樣阿。」

我和麥小姐忽然深深了解到彼此國家故意的秘密...

Two weeks ago, Nikos, Stephen, Andrew, Sian, Mingi, Happy and me went to watch Muay Thai Boxing Match. This is my second time to the Muay Thai Game thanks to my boxing friends. For those who haven't seen it, would think it is quite violent. But it's not. After the match, Sian even complained that it's not violent enough. Of course, they got rules...

I think what Muay Thai different from other boxing match is that it kind of mix of religion. With the slow and twisted Thai music, any boxer on the ring would look like they are in a ritual ceremony, especially when the experienced boxer tries to worship the pillars of the ring before fighting.

There were 8 matches and the climax happened when two boxing rookies fighting. One is a doctor, called "Healing Hands" and the other is a lawyer, called "Legal Tiger". It already sounds very exciting when you imagine a doctor fights a lawyer. What's more interesting is that they didn't have any strategy. They just tried to kick each other as many times as possible. The match lasted 3 rounds. At the last rounds, they were both out of energy and can not even breathe. The match was so fascinating that everyone kept shouting and screaming. No one has ever seen a doctor and a lawyer tried to kick each other's ass so hard.

It's always fun to watch inexperienced boxers fight since a-day-old puppy doesn't know to be afraid of the tiger. Sometimes it's quite boring to watch the skillful boxers because they are too careful. They are too careful to fight. It's usually boring in the first round since the experienced boxer would save their energy to the next round.

Anyway, it's always fun to watch boxing game with friends. That night was also Nikos's last night in Hong Kong. Nikos is a very cute Greece guy. I remember when we finished the match; he gave everyone a tight hug. “I don’t know what to eat when I go back, the food in Hong Kong is so good!” said Nikos. I think this trip for him is definitely a culture shock. Whenever and wherever we go, he always takes pictures, just like a Greece Gordon, ha-ha… wish him the best.