The Adventures of Abby

“Hump day” (or Wednesday for the rock-dwellers) has its share of appreciation in the workplace. It means the worst of the week is over, Monday is far behind and it’s almost Friday. But just a 15-minute walk from my apartment, in a corner of Happy Valley, Wednesday also means something else — racing day!

Hong Kong takes its racing seriously. Imagine a bunch of old men smoking, sitting on the sidewalk with papers in their hands, looking like they bet all their life savings on Seabiscuit over there. I’ve seen such men outside the Hong Kong Jockey Club offices, and this was my first impression of the races. When friends started inviting me to the racecourses “just to hang out”, I thought they just wanted to make fun of the old men. I was wrong. (more…)