moody meanderings

Badaling on the weekend is not recommended for the faint hearted. The hordes of weekenders hiking along the Great Wall in 33 degrees make for an uncomfortable experience. Hot, sweaty bodies are pressed against you at each turn, pushing and shoving. Not to mention waving umbrellas threatening to gauge out your eyes. Crowd anxiety prevented me from taking many pictures until much later when the crowds thinned out just past the cable car station. This is one of the few taken early on in the hike.

For some, this was a place to be seen. I was amazed at how many women made the steep climb in high heels! While others wore uncomfortably tight jeans.

At four thirty this morning, I woke up to a throbbing pain on my left brow. When I got out of bed, I realised I could only see with my right eye. The edema had swelled my left eyelid almost completely shut. I dressed in a hurry and headed back to the hospital and learned that the same doctor who had seen me twice earlier was still on call. Encouraged by the nurse, I made my way to the government hospital nearby. The A&E was empty except for the staff and a couple sitting at the waiting area. Inside the consultation room, a huge commotion was in progress. A swarm of police officers were loitering around the drawn curtain of the consultation room and a loud voice was heard cursing and swearing while a Chinese woman's voice pleaded tearfully. Through a crack in the curtain, I saw a naked Frenchman storming belligerently across the room. Apparently the cops had his property.

A few minutes later, back-up arrived in riot armour. It was overkill. He was one and they numbered more than ten! Two cops spoke to the distraught-looking couple in the waiting room and they left. I guess I was the only patient afterall. A nurse came out of the consultation room with a blood pressure machine and thermometer to attend to me.

Forty-five minutes later, they had everything under control as the cops escorted drunk guy in cuffs, accompanied by his young Chinese girlfriend, to the police station. He was complaining about how tight the cuffs were and one of the cops offered to remove the cuffs if he would behave. He said, "No, don't remove it, just loosen it a little". I wonder what drug they used on him!

So, when I finally got to see the doctor, he gave me an ice-pack for the edema and a bed for observation. A couple of hours later, another doctor attended to me and offered to drain the absess around my wound. At last! Someone who was willing to do more than administer drugs and ice-pack! Needless to say, it was a dreadfully painful procedure and as you can see, the progress of the edema does not appear to have arrested. My right eye is slowly being forced shut as well. I hope I haven't made anyone sick looking at me.

While getting ready for a dinner party tonight, I decided to pop a pimple, hoping to look more attractive. Instead of popping out of my skin, the pimple burst underneath. Now, this is no ordinary pimple as it was feeding on a cyst. The infection spread quickly and soon half my forehead was swollen so that I looked like Frankenstein. I ended up tentatively cancelling on dinner and headed for the out-patient ward at Central hospital. There, I was given some strong anti-biotics and anti-bacterial cream. A few hours later, I noticed that I wasn't able to see very well. A look in the mirror confirmed that the swelling had continued to spread despite the anti-biotics and it was moving downwards. I had morphed into a vulcan! A second visit to the hospital led to a super dose of anti-biotics administered on my behind. The doctor suggested being warded for observation but I declined (after ascertaining from him that I wasn't likely to die from the infection) on account that I'm not covered. The two visits alone set me back by more than HK$700! Anyway, I got home and was inspired to document my altered state.

Plastic bag art. This temporary art installation at the former Lane Crawford shopping mall on Queen's Road Central is a collage of the large synthetic bags favoured by Filipino domestic helpers when they travel. So, this is Hong Kong art.

Times Square is hosting a "Lemon Show" at it's second floor atrium. There are hundreds of lemons on display and slowly but surely rotting away, not to mention attracting flies. This is one of the funnier exhibits. Read the artist's insight into her artwork next.

The artist's insight into her artwork. Priceless! Succulent Hong Kong Art.