To call this week "extraordinary" is an understatement.

After a hectic week in Hong Kong (yes, I met Scott and his sweetheart!), we came back to Shanghai late Friday afternoon.

After a tiring 7-hour transit, we finally arrived at our door-step.
Elkan, as usual, was eager to open the door. I was standing behind him
- rushing him, "Faster…Quick open the door!" Pushing a heavy luggage,
I pushed the door open and saw my kitchen lights on (from the floor’s reflection). I complained aloud "My goodness! Our maid left the lights on for a week???" Just before I can complete my next sentence, I saw a dark shadow just behind the door – Shit! It was a dark hairy man!!!

I peeked a second glance – "Oh my gosh! It is Duuk!!!"

For that spilt nano-seconds – thousands of possibilities flashed right across my mind. How can that be possible? Duuk in my house? How did he get in? What was he doing here? Am I seeing a ghost? Or is he a burglar who looks like Duuk?

Instantly, I heard Juliana and Felicia’s laughters. I walked into the house and saw Duuk holding a cake (with Juliana standing behind him with a camera!). I exclaimed in delight "How did you guys came in here? When did you guys arrived?" I looked at my wife, I saw the answers all over her proud yaya face. Yes, they have been planning this long before my Hong Kong trip. For once, I couldn’t smell it coming! (My wife has finally mastered her skills to outwit me! But poor Duuk and Juliana, they waited 4 hours in our house to "surprise" me.)

I love surprises (who doesn’t anyway?). And I had many in the course of my blessed life. Felicia (flew from Perth and appeared at my door), Tracy (hid at my desk at VOXmedia), Juliana (came with a birthday cake last year at Karaoke Room), Echo (shocked me at the door at Caffeine) and Kalinda (inside the airport, sending me off) had given me great "appearance" acts.

By the count of my heartbeats, this was surely the biggest surprise ever. Seeing Duuk and Juliana in Shanghai was already a big surprise – but having them hiding in my house while all of us were overseas was an even bigger and unimaginable one! With just 3 more weeks to go (to HK), I never expect to receive any new visitor. By sheer luck and coincidence, my uncle Asty arrived in Shanghai on Friday night
too (and all of them happened to stay at the same Shanghai Celebrity
Hotel!). They were my last 3 visitors (57th,58th and 59th) Both of Duuk-Juliana and Uncle Asty are equally important to me. I got to make sure that I spend good quality time with all of them.

For the last 6 weeks, I have been feeling blues and rather down about my
migration to Hong Kong. Uncle Asty, Juliana and Duuk showed up at the
right time. They brought so much joys to us. Their presence meant so
much to me. I can never thank them enough to "show up" at this point of
my life.

We went dinner (tried all the good food), night massage (2 rounds!), shopping (DVD, local delicacies), house-visiting (Echo and Francis’ new home) and stars-gazing (at Mdm Tusad)! Unfortunately, Uncle Asty, Duuk and Juliana had to leave today. They were here
since Wednesday! However, due to my hectic travel plans, I extended my
Hong Kong trip to Friday. Thus, they spent 3 days in
Shanghai all by themselves. (I feel so bad).

Uncle Asty was flying off at 2:30pm and we took the morning off and spent good quality time with one another. I brought him to Tai Kang Street for breakfast. Like old friends, we opened up and chatted a lot. We updated each other about our lives (over the past 5-6 years). Uncle also gave me many good advices about my job, my life. We (nephew and uncle) haven’t been talking like this for such a long while (since 1998). It was a great heart-to-heart chat. When it was time for him to go, we hugged and said goodbye. For a long time, I haven’t see this side of my uncle. For years, both of us have been too busy to catch up (for short conversation) with one another in Singapore. Today was different, Uncle Asty was so brotherly and lovely. And all the way in Shanghai??? None of us would have expected this. That’s the wonder of life!

Sigh, time flies so fast… Uncle Asty, Duuk and Juliana were here…and then in a short blink, they were gone.
For some reasons, I felt sad and empty when they all left. Perhaps, it
has been quite a long time since we gathered like this. I just wished I
can have extra 4-5 days with them – so I can really show them around (to
Nanjing, Hangzhou etc).

Short but beautiful, it was a very meaningful weekend. My birthday is still 6 days away (and I have already received a couple of early birthday gifts! – Joanne, Johnny and Ming’s gifts are now sitting on my desk – I will open them on my birthday!)

Once again, thanks so much!

Sigh, I be flying again – this time to HK and Taipei (from Tuesday to Saturday – will be back in time for my 33rd birthday this Sunday. Yes, it is also Father’s Day.)