Who needs Video Games?

Every day when walking around this island city, I am amazed at the vast number of people and where they are coming from, going, living, working, eating breakfast or if they are thinking the same thing. The one realization that I have determined is that this city is one large video game.

                Red Rover Red Rover come on over “if you dare” is not the same game we played as children. When you are standing three people deep starring across the street looking at the people getting ready to come at you who are also three people deep, I cannot tell you the number of times I have felt like yelling at the top of my lungs, “Red Rover Red Rover come on over”. When the light turns to green for walk, both sides go at each other meeting in the middle of the street dodging, weaving and using the force to slide by and to the other side. I am amazed at how thin people become and how they avoid contact, although not always.

                For all of you from the 80’s, if you visit Hong Kong you will know where the video game Frogger was invented. People dodge thru traffic, just to make it to the middle of the road where they stand waiting for the chance to get to the other side, while cars are within inches of both the front and rear of the bodies. At some point it will not surprise me to see the frogger game end with a squashed one in the middle of the road.  In my mind I hear the jumping sound of frogger and see them zig zag across to the other side.  This city is one large game of frogger.

                Then there is the game which is a cross between Bumper Cars and Operation. So many of the sidewalks are narrow with 4 people across going both ways on a sidewalk made for one person. The idea here is to get by and continue progress without stopping or getting yourself taken out. Being a large frame 6’4” male, I am very cognizant of being polite, stepping aside and becoming very skinny when need be. There have been days however, when I said to my wife, ok I am going to wipe these people out.  So far however, this has only happened in my mind. Both MB and I get a little annoyed at the impoliteness of the whole situation. People do not walk on the right side or the left side in the same direction, they just walk straight ahead. 

                And finally there is the “Where is Waldo” game. I am confident this is where the game started. If you are looking for a specific person, good luck. When I have met people it always seems to be in the most crowded areas. I am quite good at this particular game as I am usually taller than everyone and scan the crowd very well.  In fact now that I have described the games of Hong Kong people, I will let you play. Can you find Waldo in the pictures, in some of these pictures?  In this particular case, the part of Waldo will be played by Mary Barbara. My little Waldo.