Ships Ahoy!

I signed up to work at Fenwick Pier several weeks ago. The AWA helps the Servicemen’s Guides Association staff an information booth that provides assistance to US fleet ships when they are in Hong Kong. The volunteers are there to answer questions the service men and women may have when they arrive in this wonderful, but large exotic city.

When I agreed to work I had no idea what type of vessel would be arriving. There were rumors that the carrier USS Carl Vinson would be here and I actually thought that was the ship we would be assisting. My American friends were abuzz thinking we could be helping the carrier that had dumped Bin Laden’s body. Then the South China Morning Post reported that the USS Hampton was requesting permission to dock along with its tender the USS Frank Cable. This was big news as China had not allowed a nuclear submarine in its port since 2008. They were granted permission and were expected in last Saturday. 

I arrived at Fenwick Pier Fleet Arcade for my 3 - 6 pm shift, presented my Servicemen’s Guides Association card along with my Hong Kong ID, opened my purse for inspection and walked through a metal detector. I was in. I found my way to a large information booth and put on my name tag. I was ready for action. My friend Kate happened to be working the same session. We were both excited about the thought of doing something to help our service men and women.

Kate and I were given a short briefing about what and where things were located in the arcade such as money changing, laundry, post office and internet. We were shown a Rolodex for quick answers to obscure questions and a computer for extremely slow answers to other questions. The rest we pull out of our own little brains. Now the funny part about this is that Kate and I have lived here only a few months. Both of us moved to Hong Kong in January, yet we do have something going for us. We’re adventurers. We find things we’re interested in and then go explore. Plus Kate lives in Kowloon and I live on the island so together we had the area covered geographically. We actually do know quite a bit. 

Unfortunately, although we had arrived ready to work the ship had not, therefore Kate and I would be greeting the initial onslaught of sailors. Eventually a group of servicemen called SLGs arrived. They are the Ship’s Liaison Group. Their purpose is watch over the sailors and make sure they follow the rules. They’re sort of the principals of the ship. I spent a good deal of time asking them questions about their jobs and lives while we waited for the water taxis of sailors.

And eventually they came. Men and quite a few women, many young though some much older, a few who had been to Hong Kong previously, yet most wide eyed and anxious to see the city. They were looking for bars, restaurants and hotels. We gave directions along with maps, city guides and cards with the MTR routes printed on one side and a map to Fenwick Pier plus the address written in Chinese on the other. We handed out free Girl Scout cookies (I have no idea where they came from), candy and dragon pins. We also dispensed our motherly advice: stay with your buddies; be careful in bars in Wan Chai; the meter in the taxi is for all of you and don’t pay more than what’s on it; and most importantly have fun, but use your head.

Some of the sailors really pulled on my heartstrings. Especially the young ones with glasses and peach fuzz who looked like they should be at prom not out to sea, the guys so excited to get to computers so they could Skype with their kids and the husbands meeting their wives for some shore time together. There were several instances when I talked to young men who reminded me of my own boys. I tried to give them the same attention and concern I would give to my sons. 

Kate and I extended our work session until 7 pm since more sailors kept arriving. As we headed out for the evening the two of us were bubbling about how much fun we had. This wasn’t work it was too enjoyable. And the best part? Knowing that we were going back to do more shifts later in the week.