I thought this would be a nice space to record a few of the memorable moments in our time in Qingdao.
Though work can get challenging, and perhaps even people too. But there are many good moments and people that I don’t ever want to forget.
If you have ever been away from home on a national holiday, or any major celebrations that your family, your country or yourself might celebrate, you’d know that there’s a part of you that may think of home, and the people you wish were with you on that very day.
Mid-Autumn Festival in Singapore had always been about mooncakes and tea, and all of that with my family for me. But now that i’m strategically placed in a temperate zone with seasons (in the ‘storybook’ order), Mid-Autumn suddenly carries real meaning…
Like the poet Su Shi who had whimsically spoke to the night skies, wondering if he could fly into the skies, and perhaps be reunited to his family, i felt close to the sentiment, the song, and the people.
Every one of us working on the day felt strongly for each other. We were all away from home, without reunion dinners, and mooncakes to enjoy with authentic chinese tea.
On this very day, I was performing another night of music with my husband and partner, Didi, and then a little boy and his mother (i had reckoned) sat by to catch our music.
They had in hand a whole box of mooncakes, and were about to eat some too. Then as i was about to start a song, the little boy cried out, 阿姨，您过来跟我们一起吃月饼吧。（why don’t you come and join us for some mooncakes?) My heart leaped just with this beautiful innocent and enthusiastic little holler. I thanked him and the mother and said we would join them at the end of our set.
When we completed our set, the little boy ran over with a whole bag of mooncakes, and said, it’s for me. I almost cried out. I muttered something, i think it was ‘为什么对我们那么好？你自己有的吃吗？’（’why are you treating us with such generosity? Do you have any for yourselves?) I think it was something like that, feeling overwhelmed by such kindness on a day when everyone else were having their reunion dinners.
I thanked him, and said, we couldn’t finish it, let’s share it. He said they had had some and just wanted us to have some. Told me his name – Ben (Ben Yue). We took some pictures with his mom and i let him play with my melodica, to which he did, very nicely. Then as I passed the melodica over he asked me why were my hands so cold? And then he held my hands and said, 我就像个暖炉,我来服务吧！That was a humorous thing to say and may even sound inappropriate where I come from. But I was moved to bits. I asked his Mom, he must take very good care of you. Although i don’t know where his dad was, i felt very touched, to have mother and son, share such a warm-hearted moment with us on a special day as this. You see, with their one-child policy, i’ve noticed very close parent-child relationships. And in a world which forgets these softer and very significant things so often, I found my heartbeat again…
There are some very good friends of mine who still cannot be supportive of what I do. Perhaps i had always taken the road less travelled. But just imagine the things that few else would had seen when you do so. Perhaps one day music would take a backseat. But people never would, and the stuff that connects us.
On this beautiful Saturday, I pray wonderful things above all of you. And most of all, the courage to seek your destinies. You were called for amazing things.
Bless you Ben and Selene, and thank YOU both for this unforgettable moment. We are incredibly favoured and blessed.
To our dear fans, friends and family everywhere else, if you ever come by Qingdao, China, do come by to say hello. You would be bringing Home to us. :)
Click to see Video.
An interview with MINT.
