In Vietnam
The last puzzle: In Ho Chi Minh City our big question to all the tens of thousands of people on motor bikes was "Where are you all going?"
The solution: We never found out.
In Hong Kong
The first puzzle: Outside some shops huge crowds gather and stare at the shop. They are only interested in that one shop. The people do not go into the shop, nothing much is bought or sold, they just stand rather quietly, not talking on their mobile phones and stare. They do this for quite a while then at some signal all move quietly off in different directions. I went into one such shop but there was no countdown, no lucky ticket draw, no super give away.
The method: In the end I decided to just stand and stare at the shop as well until I worked it out.
The solution: After a while, I realised that the shop had a television screen facing out to the street and Hong Kong's favourite soap opera was on television. Everyone had just stopped to watch it.
The second puzzle: In Hong Kong there are few public places to sit, but apparently you are allowed to sit at Victoria Park. Not on the grass though, just on the concourse. I know this because I went there on Sunday and there were thousands of women sitting. The women had all brought big plastic sheets to sit on, little lunch boxes, tea in a thermos, magazines, nail files and polish and they just sat. I walked around but kept returning to the park to keep an eye on them, and they seemed to be there all day. They were not selling anything or buying anything or doing anything. They moved slowly, chatted freely and just spent the time in small groups. What were they doing?
They were all women, they were all Indonesian, Thai or possibly Filippino, not a Chinese face in the crowd. They were all aged 20-40. Where were their husbands or even brothers? Where were their children? It was not Friday, so it was not a muslim occasion, it was not a celebration of any sort.
The method: Two days later, I looked in a real estate agent's window and noticed the price of apartments. One was quite a bit higher than the others because it came with three bedrooms and "servant quarters". Bingo!
The Solution: They are all the servants (maids, cooks, cleaners, nannies) of the rich Hong Kong business people. Sunday is their only day off so they are not going to spend it at their place of work. Their place of work is actually someone else's home, so they cannot invite friends over or go to a friend's house because they too are immigrant workers. They have no desire to spend their time in shopping malls trying on the little Donna Karan or Vivienne Westwood outfit that they will never own. They do have husbands and brothers, but they are back at home. They do have children, but they are staying with grandma or auntie for just a few years while mummy goes off to Hong Kong to work.
The last puzzle: In Ho Chi Minh City our big question to all the tens of thousands of people on motor bikes was "Where are you all going?"
The solution: We never found out.
In Hong Kong
The first puzzle: Outside some shops huge crowds gather and stare at the shop. They are only interested in that one shop. The people do not go into the shop, nothing much is bought or sold, they just stand rather quietly, not talking on their mobile phones and stare. They do this for quite a while then at some signal all move quietly off in different directions. I went into one such shop but there was no countdown, no lucky ticket draw, no super give away.
The method: In the end I decided to just stand and stare at the shop as well until I worked it out.
The solution: After a while, I realised that the shop had a television screen facing out to the street and Hong Kong's favourite soap opera was on television. Everyone had just stopped to watch it.
The second puzzle: In Hong Kong there are few public places to sit, but apparently you are allowed to sit at Victoria Park. Not on the grass though, just on the concourse. I know this because I went there on Sunday and there were thousands of women sitting. The women had all brought big plastic sheets to sit on, little lunch boxes, tea in a thermos, magazines, nail files and polish and they just sat. I walked around but kept returning to the park to keep an eye on them, and they seemed to be there all day. They were not selling anything or buying anything or doing anything. They moved slowly, chatted freely and just spent the time in small groups. What were they doing?
They were all women, they were all Indonesian, Thai or possibly Filippino, not a Chinese face in the crowd. They were all aged 20-40. Where were their husbands or even brothers? Where were their children? It was not Friday, so it was not a muslim occasion, it was not a celebration of any sort.
The method: Two days later, I looked in a real estate agent's window and noticed the price of apartments. One was quite a bit higher than the others because it came with three bedrooms and "servant quarters". Bingo!
The Solution: They are all the servants (maids, cooks, cleaners, nannies) of the rich Hong Kong business people. Sunday is their only day off so they are not going to spend it at their place of work. Their place of work is actually someone else's home, so they cannot invite friends over or go to a friend's house because they too are immigrant workers. They have no desire to spend their time in shopping malls trying on the little Donna Karan or Vivienne Westwood outfit that they will never own. They do have husbands and brothers, but they are back at home. They do have children, but they are staying with grandma or auntie for just a few years while mummy goes off to Hong Kong to work.
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