Taxi!

Taxis in Hong Kong are two a penny and despite recent fare rises are considerably cheaper than pretty much anywhere else in the developed world. As a result I spend a fair amount of my time in a taxi - certainly more so than when I was in UK. Hong Kong taxi drivers are by and large usually OK - but given their numbers it is inevitable that some will be, shall I say, more proficient than others in plying their trade.

Most of mu journeys are short 5 - 10 minute hops around Central etc. and with the heavy traffic there is little opportunity for the more eccentric drivers to show their true colours. However on the longer journeys - say on the way home to Tai Tam Towers - there is plenty of scope for a taxi driver to demonstrate the full range of his driving abilities (it is almost invariably a him although very occasionally I see female drivers). Most of my journeys are thankfully incident-free. However, in the last 4 + years there have been occasions when I have had cause to question my own (in actually getting in the cab in the first place) and the driver's sanity. The drivers in these cases fall into a number of sub-groups of the genus cabbie cantonesia erraticus. In later posts, I will take a look at some of the others but for the time being I will focus on tonight's journey home where I was driven by a member of what is probably the largest sub-groups - the Lewis Hamilton appreciation society.

Before describing the distinguishing behavioural patterns of this sub-group it is perhaps worth setting out a little cultural background for non-Hong Kong based readers. In Hong Kong speed is the essence when it comes to getting from point A to point B - no one can get into a lift without frantically stabbing the 'door close' button before they have fully opened. Minibus drivers are renowned for their adrenaline fuelled, red-light jumping races to be first to the next potential customer. Most cab drivers are no different. However, there is a sizeable minority who take the challenge of reducing the journey time to the absolute minimum so as (presumably) to maximise their revenues by picking up the next customer a minute or so sooner thereby squeezing full value from their shift behind the wheel.

The key distinguishing features of this sub-group range from the sartorial - a pair of black (or very occasionally off-white) driving gloves - sometimes fingerless - a blue/black bomber jacket and sun-glasses (although rarely worn at night), through the physical - a hunched, intense driving posture with the head positioned so that the driver's nose is directly above and sometimes slightly forward of the top of the steering wheel, to the preferred choice of driving technique. In this regard, the cabbie's modus operandi will generally include one or more of the following characteristics; pulling away from the cab-stand before the customer has managed to close the door (and certainly before there has been any discussion of where the passenger wishes to go); a casual indifference to other road users when executing a swerving U-turn when the driver finally establishes the desired destination and realises that he is heading in the wrong direction; a keenly honed sense of spatial awareness as he changes lane to take advantage of microscopic gaps in the traffic or overtakes a slow moving vehicle; and a burning sense of injustice if any other road user (particularly another taxi) should in any way cause delay to his journey.

This last characteristic is for me the most worrying. The route to Tai Tam Towers includes a long stretch of narrow, winding road with intermittent steep drops at the side of the road and towards the end a particularly narrow bridge that carries you over the Tai Tam reservoir. This particular stretch does not afford much (or for sane drivers, any) scope for overtaking. I can always sense that the driver's patience is wearing thin and my journey might start taking an interesting turn when the already hunched posture of the driver stiffens and he starts muttering under his breath as the car in front carefully negotiates the next bend. If at night, the headlights are switched on and off at full beam to provide some encouragement to the car in front to go faster. If this does not work, the driver puts his foot down and moves as close as it is possible to get to the car in front without actually being in the boot. On the occasional straight stretch the driver will inch out into the middle of the road to explore the possibility of overtaking - it is at these moments that I start regretting my lack of Cantonese and in particular the ability to suggest that getting home in one piece is better than running into a minibus coming the other way.

In Hong Kong, there is very few experiences that can match for sheer nerve-jangling excitement of a journey home with a taxi driver who is intent on breaking the land speed record between Central and Tai Tam who regards all other road users - and particularly slow moving vehicles who happen to be travelling in the same direction - as a personal affront to his dignity. My abiding image of tonight's journey is of a snap shot of my taxi driver, bulging-eyes, hands clamped to the steering wheel and foot hard on the accelerator as he was caught in the glare of the headlights of an oncoming double-decker bus while he steered the cab to the middle of the road in a (wildly optimistic) attempt to overtake the car in front. I am not sure how a collision was averted as I then closed my eyes although there was a noticeable reduction of speed and some contemplative mumblings from the driver as the sound of the bus's horn gradually receded.

Next week, taxi driver's who achieve the "rocking-horse" effect by alternate use of the brake and accelerator.

New Year Review

Although slightly late for the calendar New Year and rather early for the Lunar New Year, nevertheless the time has finally come for a quick look back at how 2008 unfolded, and perhaps a peek into the Crystal Ball as to what may be in store for 2009. As followers of this blog will have gathered the early part of 2008 was sadly dominated by my Mother's passing away in February and her presence is still sorely missed. In retrospect, her ill-health over the preceeding 18 months threw into sharp contrast life in UK and in particular close proximity to family and friends, and life in HK where contact with family involves juggling a 7/8 hour time difference and where every late night/early morning ring of the phone heralded fears of bad news.

On a more positive note, 2008 brought promotion at work for me and significant opportunities to travel around South East Asia (albeit mainly on business). My Father also visited on two occassions which gave me (and him) the opportunity to indulge our love of sports (rugby 10s, rugby 7s, cricket 6s, Bledisloe Cup) without feeling too guilty about leaving the family at home.

We also managed holiday trips to Bali and Cebu (as well as a number of visits home to UK) and we have a ski holiday to Japan to look forward to after CNY.

As one might expect, we also saw massive changes in V. and A. V. - now 2 1/2 going on 14 - is presently going to pre-school 3 days a week and a small play-group twice a week and having had very little to say for herself (at least in English) in the first 6 months of the year, is now speaking in complete if somewhat abrupt sentences (maybe the Chinese influence?). As always, she leaves us all in no doubt as to her views on a whole range of issues ......

A. is now going to one of the International Schools having done two terms at the local ESF. He seems to be enjoying it although it is clear that he and his teacher do not see eye to eye on a number of issues. He has certainly being making big strides with his reading and writing (English) and still seems to be doing well with his Mandarin although given neither E. or I have any real idea about the language it is somethimes a little hard to tell. He can sing both the Chinese and Canadian national anthems - the English anthem needs more work. He has also learnt how to swim and enjoying his cricket at the junior gappers.

To the surprise of everybody including herself E. joined "boot camp" (running/stretching/exercising from 6:30am twice a week at the Cricket club) in October and is still going strong setting an example which I aspire to emulate - although so far all I have been able to manage is to slightly increase the frequency I play tennis (twice last weekend).

As for 2009, the purse strings will be severely tightened. Please.