Episode 1: Chinatown

"Hey, wake up sleepy-eyes, we're here,"

Stirring from my slumber, I felt a hand shaking my shoulder. It was Andrew's. We had already reached his place. Still groggy from my nap, I clumsily reached for the seat belt buckle and tried to open the car door. The familiar cool air of the night caressed my face, finally waking me up to my full senses. I took a good look around my surroundings, as Andrew went to help retrieve my luggage.

Andrew's place turned out to be a small studio unit apartment in the city. He told me before in an E-mail that he lived in Ultimo, about a few minutes walk to Chinatown. The studio didn't belong to him. Rather, it belonged to his uncle, or 2nd aunt, or whichever one of his other relatives; I can't remember. Apparently, property ownership is big in Sydney, especially in the city. His relatives bought this studio in an auction bid a few years back as property investment but they didn't have anybody to keep an eye on it while they lived in their main residence over in North Sydney. Then came Andrew, who was doing his engineering degree in Sydney. After some discussions between Andrew's mum and his relatives, they agreed to let him house-sit the place, as long as he keeps it clean and pay the bills. That's how he managed to get a place to live.

From the surroundings, it seemed eerily quiet except for the few passing cars from the main road. Though it was dark, I could vaguely make out the shapes of the Victorian-style double storey terraces nearby.

"Hey, are you going to stare around all night or what? I'm freezing my ass off here! And my hands are really getting tired, y'know?!" hollered Andrew, standing at the front of the entrance with my luggage.

"Yah, yah...I'm coming,"

I walked back towards the car and grabbed my hand luggage from the back seat before joining him at the entrance.

After we briefly dumped my luggage in my room (which I had yet to properly inspect), we walked back down heading towards Chinatown, which was located about 5 minutes away. As Andrew hurriedly explained to me, Chinatown is actually located in Haymarket, an area with one of the heaviest concentration of Chinese people. The main street is Sussex Street, which is lined with Chinese and Asian supermarkets, shops, cafes, and restaurants. It is close to Railway Square and Central, the city main bus depot and train station respectively.

After we briefly dumped my luggage in my room (which I had yet to properly inspect), we walked back down heading towards Chinatown. As Andrew hurriedly explained to me, Chinatown was located in Haymarket, a city suburb with one of the heaviest concentration of Chinese people. Its main street, Sussex Street, was lined with Chinese and Asian supermarkets, shops, cafes, and restaurants. One of them was SuperBowl, one of the more popular Chinese restaurants in the heart of Chinese central. We stood outside the small but packed restaurant, waiting for our number to be called. The same scene played out itself for the next door restaurants as well, where some even provided portable chairs for those still waiting for a table. Andrew inspected the menu, while I quietly gazed around. Hongkies and ABCs^* teens seemed to be everywhere tonight, mingling with the Aussies. Tonight was, according to Andrew, "Festival Night", where occasionally during the weekend makeshift stalls are set up by traders, selling a variety of items such as food, snacks, souvenirs, and other miscellaneous trinkets.
*Australian Born Chinese

Festival Night reminded me a lot of Pasar Malam^* held back in Petaling Street every Thursday evening in my small town's Chinatown. The people, the atmosphere, the gaiety...for a moment, I felt like I was almost home.
*Night Market

I sighed.

"Number 14! Group number 14!" shouted the head waiter.

"Hey, it's our number. Time to makan^**," urged Andrew.
**eat

"Great, I'm starving," I replied. "Let's eat,"

Andrew did most of the ordering, since I couldn't speak Cantonese, or much Chinese either for that matter. He spoke to me in English asking what I wanted, relaying it back to the waiter who was waiting patiently by our table with a pen in his right hand poised to jot down our orders in the little notepad in his left. The waiter's stance reminded me of the contrapposto pose adopted by the Greeks in their ancient sculptures of military figures. I pictured in my mind the waiter sparring with other waiters in their aprons from the adjacent restaurants with their little black pen and note books fighting for prospective diners.

Once the waiter left with our orders scribbled on his notebook, Andrew turned his attention back to me.

"Say, I thought your brother was supposed to pick you up from the airport?" he asked.

"Yeah...but something came up...and he couldn't make it, so that's why I emailed you. I can't let my mum know or she'll kick up a fuss,"

Andrew didn't say anything for a couple minutes until he spoke out softly.

"...it's because of that bitch, huh?"

I remained quiet.

The waiter returned with a pot of tea and two cups and placed it on the table. He disappeared as soon as he arrived.

"Man...I dunno what's wrong with your brother...how come he marry this kind of girl one?"

My right fist tightened and clenched into a small ball.

"Ah, who knows?! They say love is blind. If so, my brother must had his eyes gorged out from his sockets when he married her. Whateverlah! It's his fucking life!"

A few diners around eyed us for a few seconds. The head waiter nearby lifted an eyebrow and looked at our direction but he remained behind his counter, quietly surveying our situation.

Not a single word was uttered from our lips as we exchanged uncomfortable glances at each other.

Andrew knew that I never liked my sister-in-law; he was there when we had our first confrontation. I immediately felt guilty afterwards. Why did I snap back at him? He's been terribly hospitable towards me: picking me up at the airport, giving me a place to stay, bringing me out for dinner; the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. I tried to apologise.

"Andrew, I..."

"Eh, here's our food," interrupted Andrew. The waiter appeared by the table side placing a tray of braised beef in black bean sauce on the table. He scooped some rice into our bowls from a portable thermos, which he then placed next to the braised beef. After that, he took off, leaving Andrew and I alone.

I took the pot of tea and poured some into our cups. We sipped our tea, yet neither one of us made any attempt to break the ice. A few minutes passed, before Andrew suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, you want that piece? No? Okay then," said Andrew rapidly, while snatching the largest piece of beef from the dish with his chopsticks.

"Hey, that was mine!" I whined.

"First come, first serve," he cheekily grinned, waving his prize in front of me.

"Bah...wanker," I said in mock resignation.

We both chuckled.

Dinner was good.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After dinner, Andrew showed me George Street at night. People moved to and fro on the sidewalk as we passed a couple of video arcades. One arcade had a small group of curious onlookers crowding around the sidewalk to watch a chubby teenager dancing to the music simulator game platform. We watched briefly, then moved on and passed by the Hoyts Multiplex. We didn't feel like watching anything and it was getting late, so we decided to walk to Town Hall and then walk back.

Upon arriving home, I finally had a good look at Andrew's place. It was modestly furnished, with a long leather couch in the living room escorted with a matching seat on both sides. A TV, a small hifi, and a VCR player were positioned in front of it. The kitchen was surprisingly tidy, considering Andrew lived by himself (he was a slob during High School). Next to the kitchen was a hallway connecting to the bedrooms, of which there were three. There were two washrooms: one connected to the master bedroom, and another between the other two spare bedrooms, so the other washroom had two exits. I made a note to myself to make sure that both doors were locked whenever I'm taking a shower to avoid any "surprises".

I asked Andrew for the international dialing code for Malaysia. Mum would be back by now. I really should give her a call before she worries too much. Even before I left, she insisted on packing extra Panadols and Amoxils "just in case" I fall sick during the journey. I hesitated from calling her for a brief moment, before finally giving in.

The phone on the other side rang a few times, before someone picked it up.

"Mum?"

"Son, is that you?"

"Yah mum, it's me. I'm already here,"

"Did Danny pick you up at the airport?"

"Ur...Yah, he did,"

I lied.

"After that?"

"He then dropped me off at my friend's place. We just had dinner and we're already home, so don't worry, okay?"

"Oh...okay then. Remember to sleep early, wake up early. Don't play around. Don't go out too late at night. Make sure you register early and get all the books and..."

"Yahyahyah...I know, I know. You don't worry, okay? Andrew's here with me, and he'll help me one. Look, I better not talk too long...this is going to cost Andrew a bomb,"

"Okayloh...you make sure you study hard, okay?

"Okay mum, goodnight,"

"Goodnight son,"

I put the phone receiver down.

he's always been like that: edgy and nervous, constantly worrying about me, my brother, and . I don't blame her though, ever since I learned what happened to Matthew from Wai Kong^*** 6 years ago...
***Grandfather (Hakka)

I returned to my room, fumbling about for the light switch. Upon finding it the room was bathed in light, blinding my eyes temporarily. When my focus and vision returned, I saw that it was a simple room: it had a moderately large closet, a single bed, an empty bookshelf, and a four-drawer table with a swivel chair. I proceeded to tackle the tedious task of unpacking my luggage and arrange my clothing and possessions. After 2 hours, I finally finished. I fell down straight on the bed face first. The bed squeaked comically upon impact.

"God, what a night..." I mumbled.

I rolled over on to my side and closed my eyes. I couldn't be bothered with changing my clothes. I was too tired. I felt like I was drifting, drifting away. My mind was a blank, my body weightless; I felt I was suspended in gravity on an unknown planet in another world in a different time, oh so long long ago...

And so I slept.





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