We went to Wong Tai Sin temple today - probably the busiest temple we've seen on the trip, and with slightly fewer donation boxes that the one near the Buddha. Amazing to see quite so many people there - it's very true that away from the major tourist areas, there's a very different side of Hong Kong to be seen.
More bizarre was the fortune-telling area right by the temple. Almost like an indoor market, with rows and rows of small booths with fortune tellers. Logically for this to be sustainable, there must be a demand. Mind you, when you've got tourists coming in like us and negotiating as badly as I did for palm readings for both of us, they don't need to make a fortune from the locals.
Hard to say whether he was any good, really - I think Vicky thought that a lot of the stuff he said was wrong, and I was heartbroken to be told that the middle line on my hand means that I'm unlikely to ever be president or prime minister. I need to re-think my career plan - I was really hoping that negotiating for extra slots with Corby was going to come in useful for those meetings at the United Nations. (Which, on reflection, would probably be easier).
Afterwards, we went to Sham Shui Po (an area that makes Mong Kok look classy) and I dragged Vicky around the so-called 'Golden Computer Arcade' in search of a new laptop. Even with William's help, there was nothing to find or buy - just lots of talk of stock "that can be here tomorrow", and "if you pay, we show you laptop".
It was enough to make fortune-telling look an honest profession, and enough to make Vicky look as though she'd lost the will to live.
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