Eshin Direct

The HKSAR government released it’s first typhoon warning yesterday. It was only a T1 indicating that a typhoon was in the area. For those of you who don’t have the joy of living in a typhoon area, the devastating force of nature that is a typhoon is a cause for celebration in Hong Kong. If the signal was a T8 or higher, you get yourself a day or half a day off work. Sometimes even two days (although I believe HK doesn’t get hit that severely). But if the typhoon fizzles out, you are expected to be at work within two hours of it dissipating.

In Taiwan, you get the whole next day off after a typhoon hits. The reasoning being that debris might still fall and kill you so in theory its a day to clean up. I was in Taipei when typhoon hit once and most people spent that grace day shopping and doing stuff you would do on a national holiday.

One would also think that the potential dangers of a typhoon would send people home. Most people hit the bars and karaokes. I’m less eager for a typhoon to hit the territory since I’ve got a junk trip planned for Saturday. Any time after Saturday is fine with me.