But today… I just can’t believe it happened.

My sister had always wanted to watch the Cirque Du Soleil. And since she’s here for the Easter Holidays, I thought we could catch “Zaia” at The Venetian in Macao.  I booked our tickets soon after we woke up, very last minute. We were quite slow, considering the show starts at 5:00 pm and it was already noon. Usually, we’d make a full day out of a trip to Macao.  But we relaxed, we were in no rush anyway. We luckily caught the cheap bus that would take us to the Star Ferry, but unluckily, my sister forgot her passport.  That’s one bus ride back to the ‘hood and eight flights of stairs up to get it.  It wasn’t that bad. We decided we could stay overnight in Macao and took some stuff with us while we were getting her passport.

So we got on the ferry to Macao, slept until we arrived and the next step would just be getting through immigration. Simple enough. It was 3:00 pm. We had two hours, plenty of time to make it to the 5:00 pm show.  My sister went ahead while I thought I could get in automatically with my Hong Kong ID, but I couldn’t.  I went in to search for her so we could go through together. And that’s when things became severely complicated.  There were massive queues–at least a thousand people coming from everywhere, from all walks of life and they were all stuck in queues of which the ends are just impossible to find, and the section where they lead to was just as difficult to determine. It was like people were lined up to ride roller coasters or waiting to see a huge show.  Of course, it’s a holiday. Everyone is out and it seemed to me that everyone decided to come to Macao. I couldn’t find my sister. I was tempted to panic but I couldn’t. I tried to call out her name loud enough without causing alarm but she didn’t respond. As I desperately tried to find where the end of one of the queues was, I found her. And it turned out she was in the wrong one.

Back to the very end of the “Passport Holders” queue we went. It didn’t move much and we didn’t know if we were actually at the end, if we were even at the right queue or if people were cutting in somewhere ahead of us. Despite this people seemed to be calm and just waited their turn, no one was complaining, nobody got mad, or maybe I just didn’t understand what people were saying.  I looked at the clock and it was nearly 4:00. I turned to my sister and said, “We need help.”

I first thought I would ask each and every person in the queue to let us move up and pass them. But that would take forever and I don’t think anyone who has been waiting for hours and hours would appreciate a request to cut in, no matter how urgent it may be. For some people, having a show to catch might not be important at all. I could even get a tough-luck or deal-with-it or it’s-not-my-fault-you’re-late kind of a response. But this is a big deal for us. This is for my sister. I knew I had to do something.

I rushed back to the automatic entry section while my sister waited in the line. I politely asked one of the immigration officers if he spoke English. Thank goodness he did. I told him that we bought tickets to a show at The Venetian and it starts at 5:00 pm. Given the current situation, we won’t make it to this show if we stayed in line. I asked if he could help us. He said, “Follow me.” We went through the crowd and I called out to my sister to follow me quickly as we passed her. There were just too many people, the queues looped and swirled and people kept coming in from different directions; there were people trying to get from one end to the next, so confusing. I follow the immigration officer, uncertain of what solution he may have in mind. I just trusted that whatever happens, we will make it. We just had to.

We arrived at the other end of the immigration area. I turned around and my sister was nowhere to be found. I was calling out to her but she wasn’t responding. I asked the officer to slow down for a moment. The few seconds before my sister emerged from the crowd felt like forever. We continued to follow the officer and we found ourselves near a small office with a short queue outside of it. The officer told us to wait.  People then started to approach him; they seemed to also ask for some help or explanation as to what was happening.  Random persons handed him passports and ID cards, and he politely returned these and directed them to queue up.  He went into the office and then called out to us from a window. Before we knew it, I was handing over our Passports, IDs and travel documents and we were processed instantly.  He looked over the other officers and then to us, “This is a special case. Next time you have to wait in the queue.”, he said sternly.  I was lost in the situation. Completely dumbfounded that it was actually happening. All I could do was somehow softly say, “Thank you.” After a few seconds, our passports were stamped and we were cleared to go.

A thousand people waiting for hours in endless queues, and a few more over at a special visa section. I couldn’t believe we were able to pass of all of them.

By the time my sister and I had walked out of the immigration area, our thoughts were spinning around getting ourselves as fast as possible to The Venetian, we had less than forty five minutes to make it to the show, find a place to stay for the night, oh no, the cheap hostel is fully booked, getting some Macao Pattacas, and what in the world just happened to us right there, did we really skip that massive, possibly 5-hour queue?!

I will never be able to fully explain just how amazing this whole thing is, nor will I never know why it all turned out the way it did.  I realized that really, anything is possible. Things will, more often than not, be more complicated than this situation, but if we need something, if we want something, all we have to do is ask. But more importantly, we have to DO something.  I know now more than ever that whatever happens, I will always try to find a way and do whatever I can to make things happen. Whatever it takes.

Someone up there must have my back. This is too incredible.

I’m glad that I was able to help make one of my sister’s dreams come true. “Zaia” was amazing. That’s one thing checked off of her list.  How often can you say that you made someone’s dream come true today?  Hey, what do you know… that’s one thing checked off of mine.

“If I Could Talk I’d Tell You”

Half past 9, quarter to ten
10:15, and we’re coming around again
hold off, are we going soft?
Flushed my Zoloft, and we’re comin’ around again
Found out, and i almost drowned
Walked back down, and we’re coming around again

If I could talk I’d tell you
If I could smile I’d let you know
You are far and away
My most imaginary friend
Khmer Rhouge, and genocide qua
Your place or mein kempf, now i’m givin’ the dog a bone
slight hunch, without the vaguest clue
to keep the blood balanced, now we’re coming around again
half past 9, quarter two,
10:15, and we’re comin’ around again

If I could talk I’d tell you
If I could smile I’d let you know
You are far and away
My most imaginary friend

If I could talk I’d tell you
If I could smile I’d let you know
You are far and away
My most imaginary friend

“Into Your Arms”

I know a place where I can go when I’m alone
Into your arms whoa into your arms I can go
I know a place that’s safe and warm from the crowd
Into your arms whoa into your arms I can go
And if I should fall
I know I won’t be alone
Be alone anymore

I know a place where I can go when I’m alone
Into your arms whoa into your arms I can go
I know a place that’s safe and warm from the crowd
Into your arms whoa into your arms I can go
So if I should fall
I know I won’t be alone
Be alone anymore

I know a place where I can go when I’m alone
Into your arms whoa into your arms I can go
I can go…

“Times Like These”

—Foo Fighters

I am a one way motorway
I’m a road that drives away
Then follows you back home
I am a street light shining
I’m a wild light blinding bright
Burning off alone

It’s times like these you learn to live again
It’s times like these you give and give again
It’s times like these you learn to love again
It’s times like these time and time again

I am a new day rising
I’m a brand new sky
To hang the stars upon tonight
I am a little divided
Do I stay or run away
And leave it all behind?

It’s times like these you learn to live again
It’s times like these you give and give again
It’s times like these you learn to love again
It’s times like these time and time again

—–

I  actually have an answer for this one already.  No doubt about it.

“Such Great Heights”

—Iron & Wine

I am thinking it’s a sign
That the freckles in our eyes
Are mirror images and
When we kiss they’re perfectly aligned

And I have to speculate
That God himself did make us into
Corresponding shapes like puzzles pieces
From the clay

And true, it may seem like a stretch
But it’s thoughts like this
That catch my troubled head
When you’re away, when I am missing you to death

When you were out there on the road
For several weeks of shows
And when you scan the radio
I hope this song will guide you home

They will see us waving from such great heights
“Come down now,” they’ll say
But everything looks perfect from far away
“Come down now,” but we’ll stay

I’ve tried my best to leave
This all on your machine
But the persistent beat
Sounded thin upon listening

And that frankly will not fly
You will hear the shrillest highs
And lowest lows with the windows down
When this is guiding you home

They will see us waving from such great heights
“Come down now,” they’ll say
But everything looks perfect from far away
“Come down now,” but we’ll stay…

“February Stars” by the Foo Fighters

I’m hanging on
Here until I’m gone
I’m right where I belong
Just hanging on

Even though I watched you come and go
How was I to know
You’d steal the show?

One day I’ll have enough to gamble
I’ll wait to hear your final call
And bet it all

I’m hanging on
Here until I’m gone
Right where I belong
Just hanging on

Even though I pass this time alone
Somewhere so unknown
It heals the soul

You ask for walls
I’ll build them higher
We’ll lie in the shadows of them all

I’d stand but they’re much too tall
And I fall

February stars
Floating in the dark
Temporary scars
February stars

“See You” by the Foo Fighters

These notes are marked ‘return to sender’
I’ll save this letter for myself
I wish you only knew
Good it is to see you

See you

These steps I take don’t get me anywhere
I’m gettin’ further from myself
One thing is always true
Good it is to see you

See you

I’m done resenting you,
You represented me so well.
And this I promise you,
How could I end up in the hands of someone else?

These notes are marked ‘return to sender’
I’ll save this letter for myself
I wish you only knew
Good it is to see you

See you

Further up the Wisdom Path, Lantau Island

“Young At Heart” by Frank Sinatra

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
If you’re young at heart
For it’s hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind
If you’re young at heart

You can go to extremes with impossible schemes
You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams
And life gets more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart or on its way

Don’t you know that it’s worth every treasure on Earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are it’s much better by far
To be young at heart

And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you’ll derive out of being alive
Then here is the best part
You have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart

And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you’ll derive out of being alive
Then here is the best part
You have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart

The guitar players!

Last Friday, my friends, Ewa, Helen, Ira, Tina, Egle and I were hanging out at the steps in Tsim Sha Tsui Harbor, and there was a group of guitar players nearby.  They played really well and while we were just there sitting, I was feeling like I wanted to join them somehow, but I was afraid.  Again, I was afraid.  Finally, when they started to play a song we all recognized, Mr. Big’s “To Be With You,” we all sang the chorus together and it was great.  And I felt like it was okay, I have nothing to be afraid of. I’ve got nothing to lose.  In the spirit of doing “one thing everyday that scares you,” I wanted to sing… And I did!

“Don’t Look Back In Anger” by Oasis.  Perfect song for this momentous occasion. It’s definitely not an award-winning performance. But it’s a start.

Good thing I had my phone with me and there was free Wifi so I was able to go online to get lyrics! We sang about 4 songs I think… “Creep” by Radiohead was one of them.  We even tried “Smells Like Teenspirit” by Nirvana, it was hard to sing that! The others were bits and pieces of other English songs.

Thank you so much, Egle, for taking a video of this!!!

P.S. Ewa left early and missed my singing debut, hahaha! I will sing and play guitar again. Oh! At Tina’s birthday party!

Silly sign, but helpful ;P

Sweet treats

Just hanging out

At the back that's Tina (L) and Egle (R) and in front Ira (L) and Helen (R)

I get to be in the picture, too, yay!

Egle and I

I sing.

Enjoying the cool evening breeze

Switched with Egle

Cool hat!

You guys are so pretty.

The camera owner and the photographer. You have to take pictures of us!

One more for the road...

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99… wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either.

Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography, in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

TRAVEL.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

I love The White Stripes <3

Today, one of my favorite songs came to mind…

I love the music video, too! It’s one of my favorites, directed by Michel Gondry, who also directed the music video, “Fell In Love With A Girl,” Cibo Matto’s “Sugar Water” and the movie, “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.” I love these, too.  He’s awesome.

“Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground”

—The White Stripes

Dead leaves and the dirty ground
When I know you’re not around
Shiny tops and soda pops
When I hear your lips make a sound
When I hear your lips make a sound

Thirty notes in the mailbox
Will tell you that I’m coming home
And I think I’m gonna stick around
For a while so you’re not alone
For a while so you’re not alone

If you can hear a piano fall
You can hear me coming down the hall
If I can just hear your pretty voice
I don’t think I need to see at all
Don’t think I need to see at all

Soft hair and a velvet tongue
I wanna give you what you give to me
And every breath that is in your lungs
Is a tiny little gift to me
Is a tiny little gift to me

I didn’t feel so bad ’til the sun went down
Then I come home
No one to wrap my arms around
Wrap my arms around

Well any man with a microphone
Can tell you what he loves the most
And you know why you love at all
If you’re thinking of the holy ghost
If you’re thinking of the holy ghost