Red Lantern: Hong Kong part 5

There you are, lying on a bed in a foot massage parlour somewhere in SoHo. The soft humming of the nice lady who massaged your feet is not there anymore, nor is the lady. You look directly at the barrel of a gun that touches your nose. The metal of the gun feels cold on your nose and it smells like gun powder. You look up to have a look of the person holding the gun, but the only thing you can see is a shadow. You see a shadow because the naked light bulb is hanging right behind this person. You don't know what to make of this, you are not sure whether you are dreaming or not. You close your eyes and wait for a bit. Nothing happens in the meantime. But then you hear a noise and a whisper. Then you hear a second whisper. Two people, two men to be more precise are talking in Cantonese. You hear a 'click', the noise of the trigger of a gun and open your eyes again. A second person is standing next to the first person, also pointing a gun at you.
'WHOA!' You think to yourself! No, no, no, this can't be really happening! What the hell is going on? Your thoughts run wild and you start to shiver a little. Cold sweat is suddenly running down your spine. You close your eyes again, take a deep breath with your eyes still closed. You breath in and you breath out. This could be just a nightmare and when you open your eyes again, the two men pointing guns at you won't be there and you'll be in your cosy hotel room, in your bed, in your pyjamas, etc. Or this could be a real nightmare and you're about to become a victim of a crime, possibly risk your life and never see the daylight, your friends, your family and your beloved one again.
While you have your eyes still shut, the whispering continues and you have the impression that more people have joined the little gathering. You still refuse to open your eyes, and you hear a melody coming from somewhere. The tune sounds familiar, but you are too nervous to realise which song it is. A little later the lyrics to the melody appear out of nowhere.

'Me and my monkey
With a dream and a gun
Hoping my monkey
Don't point that gun at anyone
Me and my monkey
Like Butch and the Sundance Kid
Trying to understand
Why he did what he did
Why he did what he did'

And the song continues in your head. But why are you hearing this song? Is it because of the year of the monkey? Is it due to certain hallucinogenic substances? This is really weird, it is too weird to be true. But on the other hand, it must be true. You can't be imagining all this. You haven't smoked anything, nor today, nor in a long while, nor have you taken any drugs. You start humming the melody and whispering the lyrics: 'And at the elevator I hit the 33rd floor...'
The guys in front of you get confused and are not amused with your humming and singing. The barrel moves from the tip of your nose and hits your cheek. One of the men tells you in a harsh voice to wake up. Then you open your eyes again and see three men standing in front of you. This is getting wilder and wilder! It's like being in a film. You and three gangsters and God knows what's about happen. It could all be a mistake and they are after somebody else, it could also be a 'Hidden Camera' joke, or this is real and you're about to get hurt and land in a dungeon. Suddenly you remember an article issued and published by the Chinese government warning locals from falling in love with foreigners, because they could be spies. Do they really believe you're a spy? You are still not able to see their faces and the only things you see are shadows and shapes.

你会说中文吗？Can you speak Chinese? Asks one of the men.
是。Yes.
为什么？Why?
只是因为。Just because.
这是错误的答案。This is the wrong answer.

And one of the three men hits you with something and you fall unconscious.

Chi Lin Nunnery

One of the most beautiful and arrestingly built environments in Hong Kong, this large Buddhist complex, originally dating from the 1930s, was rebuilt completely of wood in the style of a Tang-dynasty monastery in 1998. It’s a serene place with lotus ponds, bonsai tea plants, bougainvillea and silent nuns delivering offerings of fruit and rice to Buddha or chanting behind intricately carved screens.
Built to last a thousand years, Chi Lin Nunnery is the world’s largest cluster of handcrafted timber buildings, one exhibiting a level of artistry rarely found in other faux- ancient architecture. The design, involving interlocking sections of wood joined without a single nail, is intended to demonstrate the harmony of humans with nature.
You enter through the Sam Mun, a series of ‘three gates’ representing the Buddhist precepts of compassion, wisdom and ‘skilful means’. The first courtyard, which contains the delightful Lotus Pond Garden, gives way to the Hall of Celestial Kings, with a large statue of the seated Bud- dha surrounded by deities. Behind that is the Main Hall, containing a statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha.
Connected to the nunnery is Nan Lian Garden, a Tang-style garden featuring a golden pagoda, a koi pond and a collection of bizarre rocks.
Source: Lonely Planet Hong Kong.

Nan Lian Garden

Cutting through Diamond Hill’s myriad of high-rise apartments is the tranquil Nan Lian Garden, a public park also built in the style of the Tang dynasty. Its scenic garden is meticulously landscaped over an area of 3.5 hectares, in which every hill, rock, body of water, plant and timber structure has been placed according to specific rules and methods. There are permanent exhibitions of Chinese timber architecture, rocks and potted plants, while the hungry might want to try the vegetarian restaurant or teahouse.

Source: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/culture-heritage/chinese-temples/chi-lin-nunnery-and-nan-lian-garden.jsp