True or False? (and some other things)

On Saturday, you read in the newspaper about a 13' Burmese Python snake strangeling and killing a 60 pound Husky dog while hiking with it's owner on a popular Hong Kong trail.
True or False?
On Monday, you and your hiking buddies decide to go hiking in the same exact spot where the snake killed the dog.

If you're smart, the answer would be false. If you're not so smart (like me and my hiking friends) the answer would be true! We still hiked in the area on Monday but chose a different starting point. We argued that it has never been scientifically proven that snakes actually move around and there is no way possible it could end up in a different part of the hiking trail. Like I said, we're not so smart!

I swear this actually happened in Hong Kong this past weekend in an area called Sai Kung that has a ton of hiking trails. The owner was hiking with 6 dogs, 4 that were off leash, when her Husky ran ahead of her on the trail. By the time she caught up to the Husky, the python was completely wrapped around the dog and was suffocating it.

I refuse to be the person leading a hike because I don't want to be the one to come across the snake first. That still doesn't mean when Troy and I are hiking he will yell "bike" (with my mind hearing "bite" which is the exact same thing as "snake") causing me to scream, jump and then fall down on my ass as six mountain bikers pass by!!!!

Anyways...since it is nice and hot and steamy here, the pollution has somehow disappeared for the time being. I know in past blogs I have bitched about the pollution, but when it is clear here, it is absolutely beautiful!!! I wanted to pass along some pictures of what Hong Kong can look like without the pollution.

Troy and I also thought we have seen all there is to see in HK, but we actually found a temple this past weekend that was quite interesting. It is called the Wong Tai Sin Temple and is incredibly popular with the Chinese because the resident deity is able to grant wishes...wishes that revolve around money. And when it comes to the Chinese, money is what it is all about!!!!!

At these temples, worshippers bring offerings to the deity to make him happy with the hope that if he is happy, he will make their wishes come true. Most offerings include oranges, bananas, tea, cakes and if a worshipper is really desperate, they'll leave a whole smoked pig. Parents tell their children to finish their dinner because there are people starving in Ethiopia. Ethiopia would love to get this smoked pig that is being left for some dude that isn't even real.

Surrounding the temple are fortune tellers or what they call soothsayers. For about $40USD you can have your palm or your face read. Most Chinese use them to interpret their "chim" sticks. These are flat bamboo sticks about 8" long with a different number on each stick. They put 100 of these sticks in a container then write down a question such as "Will I get a job promotion?" They carefully shake out a stick then write down the number on the stick. They continue doing this for all their questions. Afterwards they take the numbers they have written down to the soothsayer to have him answer the questions. I honestly can't imagine the fortune teller saying straight out "Yes, you will get the promotion" or "No, you won't." I think it is more on the level of "Ahhh... Confucius says... ahhh... hmmm... the moon will be bright tomorrow... hmmm.... he says wait patiently... very bright moon...hmm… very auspicious… let's see… hmm" In the mean time the Chinese worshipper has paid out big bucks to get this run around!

I just love Hong Kong. It will never cease to amaze me.