Hong Kong, 'Being There'

How do you get the most out of a trip, after you've done all the research and careful planning to maximise the chances of it going well? The following is not necessarily recommended, but on this occasion it worked...

Hong Kong is a city I'd only been to a couple of times before, first en route to travelling around South East Asia and the second time on the way out to Australia. Both visits were very short, passing through, with not enough time to become immersed in the place. So this time round, it was good to take a trip that was dedicated to being there. In the event, however, it coincided at the last minute with an incoming cyclone, the first No 8 storm warning in over 20 years for that time of year, and the outgoing flight was cancelled on the morning of departure. And the airline's customer services were initially both overloaded, and unable to provide any further information. Things eventually worked out OK... except that very soon after arriving, I discovered I'd forgotten to pack the rechargers for the cameras. But things like that can be constructive in the end. You end up meeting and talking to people you might not otherwise meet or talk with, and seeing and doing things you would never normally see or do. You have to find the (one and only) source in Hong Kong where it is possible to get equipment replacements off the shelf, work out the best way to get to there, perhaps against the clock, ideally experiencing what - if things had gone entirely to plan - you might otherwise have missed completely. As it turned out, the whole exercise provided a very rewarding insight in to many aspects of Hong Kong life, and highlighted how extremely helpful and friendly some people who live in big and crowded cities can be.

This short film is not about that search for battery chargers. But it would not have been possible without it.

Filmed in Hong Kong and the surrounding islands. Edited in FCPX