“The moon, like you, is far away from me, but it’s our sole memento: if you look and recall our past through it, we can be one mind.” Saigo, Awesome Nightfall After a fantastic four-day 'moon gazing' holiday, I was keen to share the hallmarks of this annual chinese tradition that appeared to permeate a sense of joy and serenity through the usually hard-at-work, frenzied metropolis of Hong Kong. Sadly though, as the Mid-Autumn Festival (otherwise known as the Moon Festival or Chinese Lantern Festival) was coming to a close, tragedy struck right on our doorstep. As they did last year and the year before that… locals and expats gathered along harbour foreshores; in very tall buildings and on boats of all shapes and sizes - to watch the ever-popular fireworks display that also celebrates National Day - the founding of the People's Republic of China. Baby girl in bed,  just as we did last year, we gathered in our bedroom to peek out the back window for the 15 minute showdown (if you perch on your toes you can see 'most' of the spectacle in all its glory.) Little did we know just half an hour earlier, two boats had collided further downstream and mayhem was unfolding on Hong Kong's waters. … [Read more...]