We hang out at the Great Wall
in the mornings picking up ambient footage. The chefs are just
young puppies but well trained from my home county Toishan. They
don’t have much of a life in this island paradise. Without the
language and social skills, all they have is each other and the
karaoke machine for the time being. I think our presence and the
sound of Cantonese make them homesick. They made me the best tofufah fresh every morning. We hang out by the bar when there’s
not much happening. Cheuk is addicted to Pina Coladas, while I
stick to Carib with Ginseng Up, a Trini 7-UP. When mixed, you’ve
got an Island Shanty!
This afternoon we head off down memory lane with Maurice in
search of Miss Noel, his first schoolteacher. I’m not sure when
was the last time Maurice visited his old village Hermitage or
Miss Noel, but he doesn’t seem to know his way. We’ve been
navigating these country roads for over an hour. But he did find
the Cipero Catholic School finally. It appears to be frozen in
time.
Maurice seems awkward and uncomfortable here today. Either he is
not a nostalgic guy or it’s reminding him the awkwardness and
discomfort when he first arrive to this foreign culture. He is
equally uncomfortable in talking about his dad Henry who was
apparently quite a player with a taste for expensive sports cars
and fast island hotties. They say alternating generations rebel…
perhaps this explains Maurice’s upright father figure.
We spend the afternoon today with Johnny, the Soongs’ only male
heir to the family legacy. He is not as warm as his father. I
find him rather cool and distant, a difficult guy to get to
know. But perhaps he’s just shy and distracted by the break-in
last night at The Coconut, one of two successful nightclubs that
he owns and operates on the island. Outside The Coconut, I get a
clip of Maurice doing his “Harry Belafonte”.
After restaurant closing, we chat some more with the Soong’s on
camera. We catch Maurice in a vulnerable moment as memories of
his mom brought tears to his eyes. I never know if I should turn
it off at times like this in respect of my subjects. But I know
Cheuk wants this footage.
Today’s our last day here. We drop by the Great Wall to say
goodbye to the staff and family. Brenda extends an invite for me
to come back for a visit and she promises to hook me up with a
nice Chinese Trini girl as if I was an adopted son. I guess she
wants to work on me since Johnny has become a lost cause in the
Chinese girl department. I tease her back as I would with my own
mom and told her I have a soft spot for the darker skin island
hotties. She was not amused.
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