Typhoon Threat Level 1

I walked into my building lobby this afternoon, amidst sunny skies and sweltering heat, to find a Typhoon Warning Level 1 prominently displayed on a board in front of the elevator. Since Wan Dick's cleaning crew does such a thorough job scrubbing down every nook and cranny of this shiny new building on a daily basis I figured one of the cleaners had temporarily relocated the sign in front of the 'lift' while windexing its usual home and decided to investigate further by calling my ever-knowledgeable husband who is surrounded by even more knowledgeable people at the office. To my dismay Will confirmed that indeed a severe typhoon warning is in effect - with an excepted Warning Level of 8 to mount by tomorrow - that's 8 on a scale of 1 t0 10. To the transplanted Westerner this does not bear much significance except that anything above 7 means no one goes to work. Aside from a few bouts of severe stomach upset due to questionable cuisine, Asia hasn't thrown me anything I can't handle - torrential rain and gale force winds: check (Hurricane Gloria anyone?); back breaking sweat and nausea inducing humidity: not unlike DC. So looking Mother Nature in the eye and waiting to see what she brings, what's my real fear? I wonder what the Albatross and I will do while stuck inside our 800 square foot apartment for eight plus hours with a chess board and no t.v. We'll see what ensues.

Severe Tropical Storm PABUK

at 11:00 HKT 08 August 2007

(22.3 N, 117.9 E)