Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival

Dog day in August. Or at least that's how the day started.
Dragon boats are racing today for the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival.

Just before noon, Chong and I walked to Meadow Lake to watch the races. We barely got there when dark rain clouds filled the skies and what was a hot, humid morning swiftly turned into a cold and clammy afternoon. A reminder of the Colorado mountains weather, where in a matter of 5 minutes sun could change to rain, sleet and snow. Tents which serve as the shelters or stations for the teams could be seen from a distance as we walked to the park.

Catchy team names such as "Dragonflies" and slogans such as "Either Oar" , "Raw, Raw" and colorful uniforms caught my attention. We blended in well with the crowd; I guess we could pass for Chinese women from Hong Kong. Soon we'll find out that we got there in time for their lunch break and that the next race won't be until 1:00 pm. Rats!

While we were browsing around the other side of the park for other activities, it started to drizzle, so we headed back and took shelter under a tree, sharing it with few other people. It seemed like forever trying to wait it out in the cold rain, me in my white shirt and white shorts, and open toes sandals... brrr! Hungry, I was tempted to snatch the dumpling and sticky rice a boy was trying to unwrap. So much food but not for free and not a penny in our pockets. How sad.

Came 1:00 pm, thunder and flashes of lightning threatened the scheduled race. We figured there'll be a rain delay because of the lightning so we headed back home. Boy, were we in big trouble! We were caught in torrential downpour, and I mean heavy like the ones we used to experience back home in the Philippines. Thunder and lightning in the middle of the park made the walk home even hairier. Two thirds down the way we stopped under a huge tree, our umbrellas didn't serve the purpose in the heavy rain. After twenty minutes under the tree we decided to make a run for it. Drenched, cold, hungry and scared, we ran to the next tree, and the next and moved on until we got close to home. Chong noticed lots of mosquitoes were clinging on to my wet shirt. Those thirsty blood suckers! There was some flash flooding as we approached the hill. She would calm me down by counting the seconds between the lightning strike and the rumbling thunder and say, "Don't worry that's 3 miles away". I must've called all the Saints in heaven.

Nature really did play a sick joke on us. We got to the house and the rain suddenly stopped. Soon after, the sun shone! But at least we got home not charred by any lightning strike, as I was afraid it might happen. I've always been so scared of the lightning since I was a kid. I used to hide inside the rolled mat (banig) in my room during those monsoon months with heavy thunderstorms in the province.

Lunch or is it dinner already, was waiting. My mother, towel in one hand and Mel watching his poor aunt, with clothes dripping and stuck to her skin, lips, fingers and toes turned blue and looking hungry as a dog. Anyway, the day ended great with the boys, Mel and Ped visiting their Lola before her birthday. Inang prepared ginisang mongo, Ped brought some steaks which Mel cooked, Chong prepared frappucino, mashed potatoes and roasted peppers and we all sat and talked and dined. Swell! That made up for all that mess Chong and I got ourselves into.

As if to tease me, as soon as the boys left and I've cleared the dishes and straightened the kitchen, I heard the Dragon Boat drums going; it was still light and we missed it. I'm not going back there tomorrow. No pictures taken, except that of a mother and baby turtle in the murky lake waters and I didn't even get to the arts & crafts tents where they were giving away origami paper boats. Maybe I'll have better luck next year.