MOST OF US will probably notice an absurd syndrome in the run up to the Lunar New Year. Everybody in town is transformed - suddenly addressing each other in a polite and friendly way, to far more effect than any Hong Kong Tourist Association campaign to put cheesy welcoming grins on local faces.
There is no escape. The cleaners who have not uttered a word all year, always sweeping in silence, have suddenly discovered their tongues and taken to greeting all and sundry. The normally taciturn security guards in apartment blocks enthusiastically hold doors open and obligingly press lift buttons for residents.
You are probably surprised by this rapid transformation in human nature. The change is not difficult to explain: they are all after the little red packet in your pocket. What all these eager beavers are chasing is lai see, which means 'everything to your advantage'.
And no one is immune, especially Hong Kong's richest people. An employee at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling observes a bizarre phenomenon when tycoon Li Ka-shing pays his regular visit to the club every Lunar New Year. His lai see largesse is legendary. 'Mr Li's generosity is remarkable. While other stingy tycoons only offer $20 lai sees, he will give huge amounts to anybody who greets him,' says the young man, a server at the club's cafe. Without doubt, all the golf club staff are eagerly anticipating the big boss' arrival that day. According to the young man's eyewitness account, Li is likely this year, as always, to take a walk around the grounds. He can expect to be surrounded by unctuous crowds wherever he goes.
First stop will be the security guards who will await him at the car park, then he will see the receptionists who handle his bookings. As Li makes his way to the restaurant for yum cha, the waiters and waitresses will form a human barrier and surround him, all anxious to have a share of his wealth. Security guards and receptionists usually get the largest amount, $1,000, says the cafe server, down to $500 for waiting staff and the $200 he expects.
The young server works at the cafe near the golf course - a strategically disadvantaged location. 'You see, it takes nearly 4.5 hours to play a round of the game,' he explains. 'Mr Li will probably come round to my place for a snack only during the break time in the middle. It may be too late by then - others may have already got his lai see.'
It's relatively simple for someone as rich as Li - everyone expects a handout. But for the rest of us the dilemma is how much lai see to offer during Lunar New Year.