Well, what an intense night it was, what with an electrical transformer exploding underground, shaking the buildings in the Glenrock meets Levering intersection. Panda and I were happily enjoying our dinners when I swear, the entire building swayed a few feet and then snapped back to its normal position. For some reason, I thought it was something like a dumpster that got rolled off the roof. It certainly sounded like it, but the movement of the building only made sense in retrospect, when we found out that it was due to an explosion. The boom was louder than the sonic boom we’d experienced back in August or so (then again, that sonic boom came from veeery far away). At first we weren’t sure what to do and I peeked out the porch to hear car alarms going off. Panda called up a coworker and then reported it to the police, who’d gotten wind of it just minutes earlier.
As Apartment Coordinator, it was his duty to make sure his residents were alright and go find out if we needed to be evacuated or anything like that. So, we headed out to see what the commotion was all about. I went straight outside to take pictures, hoping to practice my photography skills in the dark! Out on the street, people were all gathered staring at the steam (and smoke?) rising from a manhole in the ground. Let me tell the rest of the story with pictures… (click pictures for full size)
This is the scene we were greeted with not long after the explosion. The steam is rising from the manhole that got blown off.
You can see across the street all the people who gathered before we were all chased away.
The ambulance quickly found that nobody was injured, thankfully.
The ambulance soon gave way to the firetruck, which lent its hose to the efforts. Apparently there was a bit of a fire going on underground.
The police came and blocked off Levering at Midvale so cars wouldn't drive down towards the mess.
People kind of just stood around dumbfounded as they talked to each other trying to figure out what happened.
After the people were cleared, the firefighters huddled up to plan what to do.
The firetruck served a dual purpose of providing a hose and blocking off traffic.
I never saw what they used this hose for, but I guess they needed it underground to fight the fire the transformer set.
And so it wound its way down to the scene of the action.
A policeman on scene as watch guard, probably to keep pedestrians from getting too close.
I loved the backdrop of the skyline juxtaposed against the bright lights below.
Residents nearby were startled not only by the boom of the explosion, but their glass breaking!
Check out that massive crack, yikes!
The shards of glass that fell from above.
The bits that landed inside the room. Thankfully it was pretty concentrated!
The troublesome manhole, just a rectangular hole in the ground.
That's where all the trouble originated from...
Those lights were rather glaring, as they shone on the intersection.
We went back to the room after the hubbub and things were quieting down until the lights went out for us too (buildings on another street over had lost power with the blast)!
The firetruck with the bright lights seemed to have retreated and we were offered a darker view of our surroundings.
I thought it was cool how the lights faded away into near pitch-black darkness. You don't get that much in the city!
The emergency lights kept people from tripping in the dark.
The parking enforcement lady was brought out to guard this part of the road and redirect all traffic.
We went to get some glow sticks from the emergency supply closet and found some hatchets and axes!
We got the bag of glow sticks and began to distribute them.
We placed the glow sticks in strategic places in stairwells and hallways.
It looked like a news truck, but had no logo and nobody was reporting outside...
Cars not knowing what went on came down Glenrock only to run into the road block and have to turn around.
This is what Glenrock looks like when all the lights on the block are out.
One of the many buildings that found itself enveloped in darkness.
That glaring red sign that most people know about was dark for a rare occasion.
What a night it was! I have concluded that I should definitely get a tripod to go with my future DSLR… but these night shots turned out so much better than they would have on a normal point and shoot. 🙂
Check out the Daily Bruin article that came out just an hour after the event, then the one written after more information was gathered.
Nestled in the hillside of Hong Kong is Victoria Peak, one of the highest vantage points in all the region. It is well-situated in an area that allows for spectacular views on both the north and south sides (though really it has a great panoramic view), which is probably why it has become a tourist destination. Atop “the Peak,” as it’s known, sits the Peak Tower, a funny goblet-looking building that houses a shopping complex and offers unbeatable views from its rooftop. And so, one sunny day, I went to seek out what the Peak had to offer.
The tram eventually made its way down, gently halting before letting off its people. I got in and grabbed a window seat, wondering what the grooves in the ground were for. It wasn’t until we were climbing up the mountain that I realized without those grooves, people would slide the entire length down the aisle. Along the way were some stops, which showed us just how vertical we were. Eventually, we got high enough to begin seeing some wonderful views. Everyone stared out the right side of the tram car to enjoy the landscape before us. After a few minutes, we reached our destination and filed out into the gift shop of the Peak Tower. Clever move on their part.
I, however, ignored all the flashy items and headed straight up. I came across the Bubba Gump’s that is up in the Tower and decided to settle for a quick lunch. I got a table with a fantastic view of the harbor and enjoyed a lovely meal there. As soon as I could, I took the final escalator up to the roof, where a gentle breeze filled the air and beautiful photos ops were everywhere. I took some pictures myself and asked another tourist to take some for me as well. Below me lay a clump of buildings on Hong Kong Island. On the opposite end was a view of the ocean dotted with islands, stretching out into the horizon. Along the face of the hill was a windy road for cars to drive along and in the distance, housing for those privileged enough to get such nice property. There was even a little garden for strolling that I wish I had the time to go visit!
Right next to that was the Flower Market, true to its name with a lot of flowers and plants in general. Actually, a lot of what they sold were just plants, but hey “Plant Market” hardly sounds as appealing, right? This place was a treasure trove, with brilliantly-colored flowers, plants shaped to look like little green creatures, bouquets bursting with all kinds of species, huge lily flowers, and even lotus flowers, complete with buds! My favorite were the vases that eat flies. I’ve always wanted a Venus flytrap, so any “carnivorous” plant will do! Oh, and I also liked the kitty who was sitting in one of the shops. 😛
Next up was the Ladies’ Market! At first I was afraid I’d miss it, but once I got to the street bordering one end of it, I discovered how silly that idea was. There was NO mistaking the dense market that suddenly appeared. I happy began my shopping spree, getting dresses and flip flops for myself, a tie for Panda, cuff links for the men at C&S, and compact mirrors for the ladies at C&S. I did a decent job bargaining (or at least I felt like I did) and I found some great stuff, so I was very happy by the end of it! Just for kicks, I dropped by the Jade Market and Night Market, but by then I was back to just window shopping. I did go by this one area that sold adult toys and such, which was completely random. I also managed to get a 
