HONG KONG, China — The H1N1 virus hits home — figuratively.

With her preschool classes cancelled, Mandy Yuen's daughter enjoys a day at Disneyland.

This time in the form of an unexpected forced vacation for all kids in Hong Kong under the age of 12. The kids are ecstatic. The parents … not so much. On Thursday parents were told all nursery, kindergarten and primary schools are closed for at least two weeks. The reason: 12 students at St. Paul Convent School in Causeway Bay district came down with confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus.

“Help!!!”

That was the collective cry from parents all over Hong Kong as more than 500,000 children found themselves with free time. The school year normally doesn’t end until July, and suddenly here is a two-week hole to fill. On Monday I decided to hit the streets to find out how parents are getting along. My crew and I headed to the street markets in Quarry Bay at lunchtime. We found mothers towing their kids behind, as they shopped for fresh vegetables.

Ann Chan was wearing a face mask (very common in polluted Hong Kong) as she picked through a bin of yams. Her 6-year-old young daughter Nivia stood next to her in a pink dress and pigtails, also wearing a mask. When asked about the school closure, Amy Chan said, “Yes, it’s inconvenient. I have to use all my time to take care of her and have her tag along whenever I go out.”

Daughter Nivia said sweetly through her mask, ” I feel really happy, I can stay home and play. I’m going to do some drawings.” We talked to a few parents who said they had taken time off from work to take care of their kids.

Then we headed to Hong Kong Disneyland. In a brilliant PR but debatable public safety move, Disneyland jumped on the school closures as a business opportunity. Immediately after the closures were announced, Hong Kong Disneyland offered a promotion targeting the children of the affected schools. For 250 Hong Kong dollars ($32 US), kids can come to Disneyland as many times as they want for the month of June. The children need to show their school ID, proving they attend one of the closed schools, and parents pay the regular entrance fee. Disneyland was heavily criticized by the Hong Kong government which charged that the promotion defeats the purpose of the school closures. The whole point was to discourage big gatherings of children to prevent possible contamination.

Disneyland responded with this statement:

“Hong Kong Disneyland is a family destination and it is up to parents to decide the best time for their children to visit the Park. The safety and security of our Guests and Cast Members is our top priority and we will continue to uphold stringent hygiene levels throughout the Resort, including the addition of extra-thorough and frequent cleaning and the sterilization of our facilities.”

On a Monday afternoon, we found a good amount of Hong Kong parents with their energetic kids. Most parents said they were not too worried about the crowds because Disneyland’s layout has more open space than the city. One mom said, “I think Disneyland is quite a good place to go compared to just staying in the shopping malls where the air is always trapped inside. Here it’s more open and spacious.” Nonetheless, many parents made sure their little Mickey Mouse fans were wearing face masks even in the stifling humidity.

The kids are breezing through this two-week homework assignment.

Let’s see what grade the parents get!

Watch my story of children tagging along with their parents due to the closure or schools.

SEOUL, South Korea — Since I arrived in Seoul early Tuesday morning, I have been struck by a scene that I walk by every day: a long line of people waiting to pay their respects to the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, who committed suicide last weekend by jumping off a cliff near his home.

This makeshift altar is one of several set up in Seoul and across the country to mourn Roh.

The long line of mourners is full of professionals, dressed in business suits. I have seen them at lunchtime, all afternoon and even late at night. Police buses line a roundabout nearby. The mourners stand behind a cord of yellow and black ribbons.

Yellow is the color associated with Roh’s presidency. The line of mourners ends at a makeshift shrine under a yellow tent. That is where people bow several times before a portrait of Roh.

On the side of the tent, video screens show Roh meeting dignitaries during his 2003-2008 presidency. I have seen residents writing messages of condolences and taping them along the cement wall of the nearby subway stop.

While the rest of the world is watching what North Korea does next after its nuclear test on Monday, surprisingly, South Koreans are taking that news in stride. They are accustomed to and cautious about North Korea’s unpredictable moves. To most South Koreans, they are less moved by the North Korea news and more connected to mourning their late president. That is the big story for them.

A man reads messages of condolence posted at the City Hall subway stop in Seoul.

The public is angry, shocked and saddened by Roh’s death. Angry because many believe his suicide was the outcome of an intensely political corruption investigation; shocked and saddened because Roh was a politician who had campaigned on rooting out corruption. Before his death, he had denied allegations against him.

This morning, I walked to the bureau and passed the line again. I smelled incense in the air. Incense is burned to pay respects to ancestors or when someone passes away. With the state funeral set for Friday, the lines of mourners will surely grow longer and larger.

HONG KONG, China — Most people would welcome an extended vacation. Sounds like a bonus, right? Not here at the Metropark Hotel in Hong Kong’s Wanchai district. More than 300 guests and staff have been under forced quarantine since last Friday — a full 7 days.

A guest peers through a lobby window of the quarantined Metropark Hotel in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

This is because a Mexican tourist who was later found to have the contagious H1N1flu virus had checked into that hotel. Suddenly plans change. Flights need to be canceled. Shopping trips never happen. Business meetings get missed.

Sure, it’s a nice 4-star hotel in the middle of bustling Hong Kong. But the tables are turned: These guests are on the inside longingly looking out.

Today, they finally made it to Day 7.

I am standing outside the hotel, taking in the scene from the sidewalk. On the fourth floor, a man and a woman hang a banner (I’m assuming a hotel bed sheet) that reads: “Greetings to Germany. Hours left: 8, 7, 6, 5 …” The number 8 has been crossed off.

Less than 8 hours before they can walk out of this building and back to their regular lives.

It’s interesting to hear about the different levels of tolerance, and I suppose the anecdotes say something about people’s thresholds for sudden change.

This week I spoke with different quarantined guests via Skype. One British citizen complained of the sorry gifts his consulate sent him to pass the time (e.g. worn-out books and magazines from 2007). Meanwhile, a Frenchman who celebrated his 43rd birthday this week under quarantine received a nice bottle of champagne from the French consulate. He had a party on his floor.

A man from Singapore told me he was getting a lot of work done on his laptop and was using his time productively. He did point out that everyone was given a daily supply of Tamiflu, but no health officials checked to see if each guest actually took the Tamiflu.

I personally don’t know what I would do if I were quarantined for 7 days. I would surely want my laptop, internet service and some sort of reading. As our producer, Tim Schwarz, says, “It would be a great opportunity to catch up on sleep.” But that’s coming from those of us on the outside looking in.

MANILA, Philippines — Think of it as a rehearsal.

Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao arrives in Manila on Friday.

Manny Pacquiao, the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet, returned home to the Philippines at dawn Friday clutching yet another world championship belt … to an extremely low-key welcome.

No bands, no dignitaries and surprisingly few fans but a lot of press to welcome home the man who’s now better known than his president around the world.

The low-key arrival came courtesy of the swine flu.

A debate has raged in government circles since the World Health Organization recommended Manny and his entourage be quarantined for a few days on their return to make sure they hadn’t picked up the virus in the United States.

The environment secretary and a man close to his camp fumed that Manny was probably the fittest person in the Philippines, and if the normal temperature scan didn’t pick anything up, why deprive the nation of their hero.

The education department chief replied that the country could not be too careful with swine flu. Take no chances.

What unfolded was a sort of compromise: No official razzle-dazzle, but a lot of fans swamping Manny later in the day, as he arrived at his church in Manila for Friday service.

About 5000 people were in church to listen and, more important perhaps, to get a glimpse of their boxing idol.

And Manny didn’t disappoint. He said a few words to the congregation basically along the lines of, “I knew it would be OK to have the parade today. Even the sun has come out for us.”

By the end of the service, so many people were packing into the church he was whisked out a back entrance and off to meet some local media.

The rest of the day was to be taken up with family and friends.

But this is just the beginning. Some officials are expecting hundreds of thousands if not millions to line the route of greater Manila when the official parade gets underway Monday.

LONDON, England — It started out as a regular day in the office.

One of the raiders can be seen clutching stolen watches as the gang makes its getaway.

Isn’t that how all good tales start?

After an early start I was all ready to shoot that final piece.

Location: Oxford Street, about 10 in the morning.

But we were thwarted, first by my inability to get my words out right, then by builders drilling, then by bikes revving a la speedway track.

And as I glanced over my shoulder in frustration, the noisemakers were clearly visible: two people on bikes making as much noise as possible with a crowd of spectators gathered around. Dressed all in black with helmets and balaclavas, they looked — to the denizens of Oxford Street — as if they were on a film shoot. To complete that illusion, we gave the bikers the compliment of keeping our camera rolling. In fact, the scene was rather more entertaining than my piece.

In the space of a few minutes, the two loud bikers acquired two similarly dressed passengers, waving what quite clearly seemed to be a handful of shiny watches. A few more revs for effect, V signs and then they left noisily.

The result: Ah, a smashed jeweler’s window, a very large sledge hammer that lay abandoned and a lot of spectators rather the wiser. Oh, and plenty of pictures gathered on mobile phones to entertain friends and family later.

This was not a film. It was real, and it was just another day on Oxford Street.

Watch how my story about a new book release turned into something more.

CHICAGO, Illinois – This city is preparing for a very big party. A million people are expected to gather downtown Tuesday night to celebrate, if Barack Obama is elected president.

Chicago prepares for a very big party.

John McCain may be the more qualified candidate and he could still pull off an upset. But polls suggest that the U.S. is very close to making history, electing the first African-American to its highest office. Check out CNN.com’s election tools and features

In fact, the campaign has been historic already. Obama has nudged America into thinking about the lingering effects of prejudice in its politics.

Hillary Clinton’s candidacy got many of us talking about gender. And after Sarah Palin became McCain’s running mate, she not only proved that women really had entered the very top tier of American politics in both parties, they could have a dramatic impact there.

But the top tier isn’t the only one that matters.

Months ago, I met a woman named Danyelle America. She’s the owner of a beauty salon that she has fashioned out of a derelict trailer in a rundown corner of Columbia, South Carolina.

America told me that her neighborhood is the kind of place where young men sell drugs and young women sell their bodies. She believes that Obama can show them something they need to see.

“Somebody’s going to turn on that television and say: ‘Man, if he can be the president of the United States, what can I do?’ Somebody’s going to do something different just because they see someone they can relate to.”

This has been the longest and costliest campaign in U.S. history. It has been the most exciting one that most Americans can recall. But above all, this election will be remembered as the time when people in the U.S. realized that a black man, a woman, or almost any American really can hope to be president.

The only thing left for people to do now is to vote.

Editor’s Note: International viewers can see Jonathan Mann reporting Live from Chicago as part of our extensive all day coverage of Tuesday’s U.S. election.

We heard both detail and dirt. Did someone win? I thought McCain started off looking unsteady and a little nervous. He warmed up and then he “heated” up. He tried to use William Ayers, ACORN and even Joe the Plumber against Barack Obama. He laughed at Obama. (Though he did look directly at Obama from time to time, something he neglected to do in the first debate).

John McCain, left, warmed up after a nervous start in Wednesday's debate with Barack Obama.

Obama stayed calm, made his points and offered explanations for the allegations McCain made about him. He seemed composed and at ease.

McCain’s own campaign advisers told our reporters that he needed to win the debate. He didn’t win.

A number of polls have shown in recent days that Obama is significantly ahead and his lead is growing. He may have picked up a few percentage points but he didn’t need to. He was winning going into the debate and he is still winning.

McCain is still in very serious trouble.

The McCain campaign has been talking about William Ayers for weeks and ACORN for days, stressing their ties to Obama. We were wondering if Senator McCain would bring them up tonight. He did. In case you’re wondering who they are: Ayers was a member of the Weather Underground, a domestic U.S. terror group that staged deadly attacks on government officials and police officers. He was never tried or punished for the crimes he is alleged to have committed because the government’s investigation relied on illegal tactics and was dropped. Ayers did support Obama’s early political career and the two men did do community work together. He has lived quietly as a professor in Chicago, in relative obscurity, until this campaign got underway.

ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is a grass-roots organization that tries to empower the poor through measures that include registering people to vote. ACORN says that it has signed up more than a million people this year. But some of its registration records suggest that its paid workers signed up Mickey Mouse once, and one teenager 73 times, among other allegations in several U.S. states. Obama did legal work for ACORN earlier in his career and has probably picked up the support of many new voters because of its work. Republicans are pushing for an investigation into ACORN’s efforts and its ties to the Obama campaign.

We suspected that ACORN and William Ayers would come up, but Joe the Plumber’s domination of this debate is a surprise.

As my colleague, CNN Assignment Editor Lauren Kornreich explains, Obama was campaigning in Ohio last weekend and met the man he calls Joe the Plumber. Joe told Obama he was about to buy a company that makes more than $250,000 a year and was concerned that as president, Obama would tax him more because of it.

Obama didn’t want to say it tonight, but yes, Obama seemed to suggest then that when Joe the Plumber becomes Joe the Boss, his tax bill probably will go up.

Did McCain score any points by bringing them up?

I’m watching the debate and reading the comments that have just been posted.People in India, Germany and the United States, among other places, are taking part tonight. Keep sharing your thoughts and let us know where you are!

Some of you made fun of my ‘bold’ prediction that the debate would either be dramatic or dull. I think we’ve seen a bit of both so far.

The economic talk is serious and important. But is your mind wandering a bit as they work through the numbers?

McCain spent some time trying to attack Obama on behalf of ‘Joe the Plumber.’ Did it work?

Editor’s Note: As with the previous U.S. debates, Jonathan Mann will be posting additional blog items, in addition to this one. So be sure to check for new posts during the debate and a wrap after it’s over.  

The final U.S. presidential debate is just a few hours away and here is my bold prediction: it will either be dramatic or a little dull.Why dramatic? Because John McCain has to do something special tonight if he wants to turn the campaign around. The polls are all moving in the same direction, towards Barack Obama.

Mann: McCain has to do something special to outshine Obama.

The latest ABC/Washington Post poll gives Obama a 10 percentage point lead nationwide. A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll gives Obama nine percentage points and the CBS/New York Times survey gives him a 14 percentage point lead.

It will take something memorable to shift the momentum.

Then again, the U.S. is already in the midst of something memorable: a devastating economic downturn. Both candidates have new plans to address it.

Tonight’s debate would give them a terrific opportunity to explain exactly what they’re offering. It’s crucial that Americans understand the differences between their approaches.

Even so, if we’re about to get a crash course on comparative tax plans and economic stimulus policies, a few of us might turn off our TV sets early.

The pressure is on McCain to hold our attention. He needs to win this debate.

Let me know if you think he’s done it. And add your comments as the debate gets underway.

Editor’s Note: CNN’s Jonathan Mann will be posting several blogs during the debate, so join the discussion! And see the final U.S. presidential debate – Live – on CNN, Thursday, Oct. 16 at 0100 GMT | 0900 HK (Wed 9pm ET). International viewers can also see replays at 0900 GMT | 1700 HK and 1600 GMT | 0000 (Fri) HK.