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I have finally been initialized
12 years of going back and forth
to Lamma Island
never on a sampan
Tonight I have a reason
It's too late for the ferry
I could have slept in a friends place
but I felt adventurous
and I also happen to be in Aberdeen
It took me an hour to
find the secret spot
hidden away in a fish market.
It is fun running around a fish market
at 3 in the morning, drunk
looking for small boats
Dogs are barking
defending stags of smelly polystyrene boxes.
A friendly guard, who doesn't speak English
points me to the reclusive pier.
I can't find any sampan
and started to have doubts
I walk out of the market again.
no idea where to go
The guard sees me and reassures
I return to find a sampan waiting
We negotiate a price
and I hop aboard
The wind blows
as we sneak through pitch black water
A sobering experience
unless you bring a bunch of beers
The ocean is flat
nothing to worry about for this sailor.
There were lots of sailors
on that party I come from
Enforced recreation in drag
on a floating restaurant
Every now and then a
sampan
passes the other way
to pick up more drunks
stumbling out of taxis
They too have been on
that party
A charity event for
Aids awareness
well publicized
I wanted to blow a up
a condom over my head
to enhance awareness
but the condom burst
just as my friend predicted.
Those are bad condoms
I wonder if anybody
directs any awareness to that.
We are passing container
ships
towering 15 stories high
and lit up like Christmas trees.
barks are busy
loading and unloading
all the things people urgently need
around the world
Lamma is clearly visible
although there is no moon.
The lights of Hong Kong
and hundreds of illuminated ships
reflect in the low flying clouds
I donated a large photo
print
to the Aids charity event
That's why I was invited to the party
I flew specially in for it
from Manila
People were dancing
Strenuously having fun
I took some pictures
But little unusual caught my eye
Maybe I wasn't
in the mood
probably not drunk enough
They see my camera, start
to pose
and then get irritated
when I refuse
to take their pictures.
They are worried that
they won't make it into the society pages.
I enjoy being out in
the ocean
on my own
The captain of the sampan
blends in with his boat
The power station
glides around the rocks behind Pak Kok
More lights
Another sampan passes us by
It's Friday, good business
for sampans.
click
images to enlarge
|
yesterday
