Today we went to Disney with just the girls - basically the moms and the kids and one helper.  It was a great event and a leisurely day.  The weather was perfect, the crowds minimalistic and not many incidents with line jumpers (you know what I mean).  The one thing that skewed our day (and plans)? - the car battery had died.  It is because my sister left the lights on and it simply drained the batteries.

PANIC.

1.  Quick - grab the security guy on the bike and ask him how he can help.  The guy is as baffled as we are and probably has never owned a car (as it’s not common in Hong Kong to own cars - so had no idea what we were talking about when we told him we needed jumpers).  He said he would be back after calling someone - probably his boss.

2.  Quick - grab the gardener!!  His bike has got a basket with a hose in it - how appropriate.  Can he help?  No, unfortunately, he has no clue either.  Although he does recommend we go to the taxi stand and strike a deal with a cabbie to see if he could jump the car.  Not a bad idea.

3.  Oh oh, a local couple with a kid.  We jump at them like a bunch of hungry wolves.  Do you guys have jumper cables?  Could you give us a boost?  I think we caught the guy off-guard, but he says “yes” and that he would come back.  We didn’t even doubt he would or could be lying.  Just come back to rescue us!!!

So we’ve got quite a side show going on.  3 screaming kids in high afternoon heat, one of whom has not napped and no shade to hide under.  2 Disney employees sitting on their bikes (the first security guard came back) watching us.  And 2 freaked out mothers who have no idea how to jump start cars.  After a few calls, we have guidelines on how its done - however, how do you pop the hood?

Of course, having driven cars before, you have to know where your hood is.  So we pop the hood and fiddle around for the latch and manage to secure it in place.  The wonderful local fellow comes around with his Lexus and we take several shots to get the distance right, because the cable is only so long.  His cables, as it turns out, was newly bought and brand spanking new - cool!  And he hasn’t done this before either - hahaha, a bunch of newbies (us included)trying to jump start our car.  We connect the cars (you have to put the negative to the negative and the positive to the positive) and he starts his car first.  We know it’s working at this point because our car gives a beep (alarm) and we start it into live.  BRRRR… cool!

My sister and I are ecstatic.  We try to get the guy’s number or other contact information so that we can properly thank him after, but I think locals are a bit hesitant in giving their details to strangers.  He settles for taking my sister’s business card and we thank him and his wife profusely for their service and time.  I think we’re still bowing and waving and saying thanks as they get into their car and drive off.

WOW.  Cool adventure right?    Well, I think it goes to show that no matter how useless a skill (or potentially unused a skill will be), it’s always good to know something?  Lucky for me, I’ve seen my dad do it before, so had a rough idea of how it would work and I have been able to open the hoods of the various cars I’ve had.  I’m just glad that there was a guy who was so willing to assist and had the hardware to do it. 

I’m surprised that it’s not street knowledge to know how to jump cars in Hong Kong.  This is probably because the percentage of car ownership is not high amongst citizens and even if it were, the distances being driven are relatively short (unless you’re going to China) and well, most people pay money to have someone fix and work on their car - whereas I find in Canada, sometimes, you have to be the handy-woman yourself.  Regardless, it was a learning experience - one that I will never forget and one that I am glad the local HKer was able to step up and offer assistance without thinking that we were 2 crazy chicks trying to rob him.  Goes to show, you never know when a skill will come in handy and you never know when an unwilling stranger will be your hero.  Thank you stranger - whomever you are!!