Simon's observation about Bo Bo or Ah Bo the Yuen Long Crocodile being a free entertainment in Hong Kong [and a major source of media news], is as true, as the fact that like everything else, everything must eventually end.
Our family has been hanging out at Croco Land [Nam Seng Wai area] for weeks and therefore it was only appropriate that we visit today, the last day John Lever will ever sail around for his hunt of locating Ah Bo.
I guess, thanks goes to the friendly reporter Nick Gentle of SCMP [also an Australian] who had the courtesy to call me today morning and inform us that Lever will again be on the site at 04:00 PM.
So while kids were at school, I called off all my meetings, canceled my plans to go to China later in the afternoon and my wife and I went hunting for Hong Kong souvenirs. We got some gifts that we thought John would like to take back home and when the younger two finished school at 1:00 PM, off we all drove [minus the eldest son] to Croco Land.
That I hate the place [already] is a given. Not because John cannot grab Ah Bo, but because the place is eerie! Chemical fumes shoot out of factories in all directions, scorching sun [yes weather changes every three hours in Hong Kong] beats down burning the skin, all sorts of waste oozes in Shan Pui river from all the "other" people in Yeun Long, and the group of tired reporters who hang out there remind one of "Dead Man Walking".
Surprisingly though, everyone felt OK, but not me. I have skin allergy, water allergy, and air allergy in Hong Kong, alongside brain allergy since my birth. In short I felt that not Ah Bo, but my physical demise was just around the corner!
However, today, the scene was a bit different. You see, two Mainland Croco experts were receiving a briefing from John.
Where Ah Bo sleeps, where it plays, where it goes for a night out, and how it flirts with the village women at night when no one is watching. OK, I made that last part up about women.
But you tell me... How can any person, who cannot understand either Cantonese or English, learn from a Gweilo who only speaks English, translated via someone who can speak both English and Cantonese, and then re-translated into Mandarin, be briefed?
By the time the message reached Mainland Experts it must have been something like:
Ah-Bo the baby Croco sleeps, it is play out night, women are flirting when no one is watching?
I was tempted to jump in the boat as a volunteer and join them all, as I speak all three languages plus some more. But I refrained, as I might as well be jumping in a grave due to my death induced via chemical dissolution of my physical body.
After what seemed like three or four hours of John [or rather Uncle John as my kids call him] taking them around in different directions... Croco Bedroom, Croco Bathroom, Croco Dining room, Croco Emigration Checkpoint... all of them landed on the hideously dark Chung Hau Tsuen village pathway.
Nick had already informed us where John would be and therefore my kids, wife, and I were waiting at the village pier, minus the reporters and journalists. But like bees darting for the hive, a couple of them appeared right when my kids were giving gifts to John.
John was happy. One of the gifts was a small baby crocodile made out of jade [Chinese love jade]. The other was a traditional and antique Chinese musical instrument, made of copper.
John sat with Veronica and Ron Jr. on a log near the banks and we got good opportunity for yet another photo session. My wife brought out John's previous pictures with kids and John generously signed them, thus giving the 7th or 8th autograph to my kids! After which John walked off with the Mainland experts to a press conference.
After about half hour of press conference, the Mainland experts then made a bold statement:
"We have seen the place. But we will only plan the strategies to catch Ah Bo the baby croc, after we have seen it".
Cheers Baby!
My family and I have been hanging out for weeks and we have seen Baby Croco only twice. That too briefly and at a distance. No wonder John could not find it as often as he would have wanted to.
And by all accounts, Baby Croco has left the lovely polluted Shan Pui river and its diseased seafood for some fresh stocks. If you ask me, I think Baby Croco has gone to Bali.
After the press conference, John opened the gifts and announced to all reporters "that these kids gave me these wonderful gifts". Veronica and Ron Jr. stood on each side of John and again lots of flashes and cameras went off. "This is my Hong Kong family" added John upon which both my wife and I felt that the effort of doing all this was worthwhile.
While leaving in the AFCD car, John fished out a picture of a huge crocodile and gave it to us saying "This is for your family. This is the biggest crocodile I ever had, but it passed away".
Yes, the crocodile in the picture with John Lever was quite impressive. And John looked quite impressive as well. But, I am too tired right now, so I will scan it tomorrow and post it here. After which I promise I will not talk about John Lever or Crocodiles anymore at this blog.
So tomorrow will be the last day, or "Good bye and thanks John".
After John and all reporters drove away and while our family was also getting in the car... I saw a distant flash. Unmistakably a camera flash from the far end of Shan Pui river.
Could Ah Bo the Baby Croc also be taking the last pictures of John Lever? You never know. S/he has proved to be exceptionally smart and I wouldn't be surprised if Ah Bo got itself some pictures. Perhaps, Ah Bo will miss the Croco Fest as well...
P.s.: I am sure there are a lot of grammatical and tense errors in this post. But judging from my condition, it can only wait to be corrected after I have had some decent sleep. Talking about sleep, I have been deprived of it since before the Blogger Fest.
Update:
1) I have removed the quotes from "Mainland Experts" and changed it to Mainland experts. It wasn't my intention to mock them or anything, just that I was too tired last night and wrote haphazardly.
2) I have tried to correct the grammar and tenses, but to really make it alright, I would have to re-eidt the post considerably. That is not a good blogger etiquette and therfore, while the language still sucks, well, you get the point.
3) Considering that it is already [almost] winter, I personally do not think Ah Bo the Baby Croc will resurface anytime soon. Perhaps next summer? And, in that case Ah Bo would have become a dangerous entity and not just a innocent Fest Star.
Let us see what happens then.
4) Yesterday since John was surrounded and in AFCD car, we could not get his autograph on the picture of the huge crocodile he gave us. Tonight [Saturday] we are going to his farewell party, so we will get it signed and then I will scan over here as promised.
Finally, thanks for bearing with me about a lot of Croco stories. But as Phil pointed out, it has now become a special event and parents are always happy when their kids are happy.
Cheers!
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