Hi this is me Patariki. My other two kiwi mates are asleep in the hold, but because I had my own little ruby ball sleeping bag, I was allowed into the plane. So far this trip has been very uneventful. We are in the very back row where the plane gets skinny and there are only two seats, so no clambering over people here. We are also near all the food and drinks. Breakfast is about to be served and before we know it we will be there.
We have all arrived safely in Hong Kong. Being at the back of the plane meant we were the last to get off. A very friendly Mr Yea was waving a sign with our names on to direct us to the shuttle bus to bring us to our hotel. Wow is it hot here, 32 outside and very sunny. Far too early in the morning to get into our hotel room so we left our luggage and went out walking. Thank goodness I got a ride in the backpack. My little kiwi feet would have been exhausted.
All along Nathan Road men were jumping in front to offer copy watches and copy bags. But then a young guy from Oz asked Alan to do a tourist survey. Pretty straight forward set of questions and we were on our way. We headed for the Star Ferry Terminal to go across to the Island. Would you believe an older woman from England jumps out and tries to do the survey again? No they both say, we have already done that. “Oh, did you get the T shirt,” she says. “No,” says Mary who always likes a free giveaway. “Oh, didn’t you get your scratch card?” She immediately gives Mary and Alan a card to scratch, and Alan wins a t shirt. He has scored two goals in a world cup soccer game. But Mary, she has four, she is a big winner. She has “definitely won” one of these items; a laptop, digital camera, cruise, video camera, holiday, or 1.000 US. BUT you need to go to Gold Coast to get it. No worries they send you in taxi, all paid and get you back again on a shuttle. Well it all sounds pretty harmless, so they agreed to come back at 2pm for the taxi ride. Jump off the ferry and get stopped by a third person with same patter. They go and meet Carole and she has her husband with her. HE is ex British military and about now they start to feel like they are on a film set. Carol is a bit worried. Alan it seems is too old. You need to be under 70. Could he change his birth date by a couple of years as it would be a shame for Mary to miss out on the prize. Oh dear, they are pensioners; another stumbling block.
Could this be some sort of crazy reality TV. So off for what turns out to be a lovely cool relaxing ride in a taxi to Gold Cost resort. Here the taxi driver phones a number he has been given and out comes a young Chinese girl who speaks fluent English. She chats in an interested manner and takes them into a lovely air conditioned office where she asks all the questions again. In the class cabinet is the Sony Viao laptop. When she gets to scratch the last panel will she have won it thinks Mary?
Beautiful Woman goes off to see if she has a representative free to talk to them. She comes back. I have some good news for you, we do not have a representative free to talk to you. We are going to give your prize and you can catch the shuttle back to town straight away. Sighs of relief from the big people. Now for the moment. She tells them that two of the prizes have already been claimed, the camera and the cruise. She scratches it and they have won a holiday. “Really!” says Mary,” And what does it include?” Seven nights in one of our resorts in Thailand, Dubai or Europe. No airfares of course. Just log onto the web and chose your destination (after joining the Just Go Holiday club. They give them the T shirt “I Love Hong Kong” and they leave. Outside they both agree that they have just witnessed a highly scripted piece of marketing and come out unscathed. When the woman realised that; the plane had landed after an 11 hour flight at 6,30am, they had not had a shower or any sleep, had not checked into their room, that she would be fighting a losing battle, that she would cut the crap and send them off with the plastic holiday card.
Lining up for the shuttle they meet another middle aged married Australian couple who also fit the profile but they have been subjected to the full marketing pitch. They compare notes, same stuff, but they got the free lunch and drinks because the presenters felt sure they would eventually relent and buy a timeshare. They all agreed that the pitch was slick but not clever enough to suck us “down under” types into. As for the holiday card, forget it. It is just a way for them to get your details and keep hassling you.
Finally arrive back at the hotel and the bags get delivered and the big people have a shower and rest and we little guys enjoy being reunited in a nice cool room.
Later that evening Pania gets a trip to the Ladies Market where there are bargains to had if you can avoid the touts.
Lights out just after 9pm; a busy hot full on day. Mary sets Alan’s phone alarm to wake them up in time for an early start in the morning and a trip across the border into China.
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