Typhoon Warning 8

getting ready for my first day in the hk office, i do notice it is raining but am watching bbc world service and nothing is mentioned. i go out and the city seems somewhat empty. i try to hail a cab but find it difficult and the hotel staff is less than helpful. after convincing two other folks to let me pile into their cab, 60 hkd (roughly $7.50 on a typically $2 ride) later, i make it into the office to find it is CLOSED. that's right. closed. since i couldn't check my email, i didn't know. so what am i doing now? i am writing in this blog and using the phone to call the states. that's right - long distance, baby.

ok so what does typhoon warning 8 mean? well, here is lovely description from the hk government website:

Tropical cyclones normally occur during the months of May to November, and are particularly prevalent during September.

Tropical cyclone advisory bulletins and/or warnings are issued by the Hong Kong observatory whenever a tropical cyclone centres within 800 km of Hong Kong poses a threat to the territory.

These advisory bulletins include the tropical cyclone warning signal issued and its significance, the latest position and expected movement of the centre of the tropical cyclone, information on the wind strength, rainfall and sea level in the territory and advice on precautionary measures.

Neither should you relax precautions when the tropical cyclone is moving away from Hong Kong, as high winds are likely to persist for some time. You should stay indoors where it is safe until winds moderate.

all i know, is that its POURING like nothing i've ever seen before. i mean rain is streaming down the side of the building like someone is just dumping water down the side and i can HEAR the wind as if someone was just blowing in my ear.

great, ehh? you know, nobody can help the weather and from what i'm told, this is rare but honestly folks - nobody could have called me? i mean, you know where i am staying as you booked the hotel for me...so now i am locked in the office as i have just been told to "not be brave" and stay put as some of the roads near the office have been closed. awesome.