In Singapore I had to obtain an identification card and it is no different in Hong Kong. After registering my employment pass I was told I had thirty days to get an identity - card that is. I have just started to read 'The Dark River' by John Twelve Hawks and the summary of the story starts 'Everywhere you go, someone somewhere is always watching. Waiting for the mistake that will reveal secrets, truths, lies, the real story or what they might want to believe. No longer is anonymity a given right. And small freedoms are sacrificed daily, never to be returned.' Sobering thoughts indeed as logged onto the Hong Kong website to book an appointment.
Anyway I am not here to fight the system so I took the shuttle bus to Tsuen Wan and the MTR to Sham Shui Po (locally known as SSP!!). Once again my senses shuddered as I emerged out of exit C1 to the sight and sound of hundreds (as opposed to last Saturday's thousands) of people milling about in a street market selling everything from greasy ducks to key rings. The air was spiced with the aromas from the myriad of food stalls and cafes. Why was I surprised again?
The government offices looked easy to find on the Google map but in the midst of the SSP muddle I couldn't even work out whether I should go left, right or straight on because the streets were so narrow and didn't match the names I had written down. I decide to go left and enjoyed the market as I stumbled along. Lots of electrical gear from small switches and cables to neon signs and security cameras. Luckily I could afford to linger a little bit but it was important to find the right building before my appointment time.
I arrived at the building about 15 minutes early and after a false start by entering the family planning clinic I followed the signs to the I.D. office. Again I was surprised at the number of people waiting in line for their ID. I know I should multiply my expectations on the number of people I expect to see anywhere in Hong Kong by a factor of twelve, but I can't remember to do it. It looked like I was going to be in for a long wait but I spotted a reception hatch which read something like 'On line appointments' and as there was nobody in the queue I asked if I was in the right place. No problem, my application form was taken off me was written on, signed, chopped (stamped) and copied and the delightful reception lady asked me to join the other 200 people waiting in the room and to watch out for my 'tag number' appearing on the plasma screen. I could sense that beneath this chaos there was a stream of activity progressing unhindered from the complications that the 'walk in' applicants were causing by their lack of organisation and forethought. Smugness. However I saw the reality before me and mentally prepared myself for a long wait. A random glance at my watch revealed the time was dead on noon, my appointment time, and at that precise moment my tag number appeared on the plasma screen and was more than twenty numbers in advance of the last one displayed. Wow something was going on underneath the surface.
I have attended many interviews in my lifetime, including a job interview I walked out of which is another story, but I have never attended an interview where the interviewer didn't ask any questions, until now. I was looked at, finger printed, photographed, the form written on again and chopped once more and told to wait with the other 200 people waiting in the room for my tag number to appear on another plasma screen.
I could see that nearly 100 numbers had to scroll on and off the screen before mine would appear and it was a slow rate of turnover. I decided to cut my losses and had an amusing thought that if I fell asleep I would still wake up before my number appeared. But it really wasn't that bad and after twenty minutes I was being interviewed by a policewoman whose beauty was camouflaged by a starchy uniform decorated in a military pattern of silver buttons and commendations. I was looked at and checked against the mug shot; I had to re-do my finger prints to check that I really was the person I was twenty minutes earlier and my application form still said I was the same (and to see if the database was updated). I was given a temporary ID paper and that was it. I am in the system and can be watched and shall not be surprised that when I make 'the mistake' I will reveal all my secrets, expose the truths and the lies and expose the real story about what goes in my life - or what they want to believe. If only my life was that exciting!!!!
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