"Pang-Hae Ka Woo Cuk Ke Tik-Tor?" Grandma asked in Teochew.
[Translation: "Did you go anywhere this school holiday?"]
I replied, "Woo."
["Yes."]
"Ke Dee Kor?"
["Where did you go?"]
"Macau," I told her.
"Cek Gai Nang Ke?" she interrogated.
["You went alone?"]
"Ga Peng-You."
["With a friend."]
"Zha-Bow Peng-You Ah See Da-Bou Peng-You?" she pressed.
["Girlfriend or guy-friend?"]
"Da-Bou Peng-You."
["Boyfriend."]
From amidst the vast expanse of silvery clouds, a light drizzle formed and began to fall. Its threads swayed gently by the mild autumnal breeze, descended onto Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro where we stood. I held an umbrella between us and you held me by my shoulders to get closer under our small shelter. It is thus that we shared a discreet yet cosy embrace.
Public displays of male intimacies are usually frowned upon, except when it rains.
I snuggled up closer to you as the traffic light changed and we began to cross the road.
All the display windows featured dazzling arrays of branded watches. I grimaced at a diamond-studded gold Rolex with disgust but turned to see you browsing with interest.
"Are they expensive?" I asked, hiding my disinterest.
"I'm not sure. Let me search for a model I'm familiar with," you replied. "How much is 6000 Macau money in Singapore dollars?"
"About $1200."
"It's cheap then. That watch has a resale value of $2000 back home," you said, pointing to a rather plain-looking Rolex.
A single Chinese character on each of the neon signboards of these watch galleries betrayed the shops' true business dealings - they were all shops that resold expensive items given to them as collaterals.
"It's not surprising to see so many of these shops here within close proximities of the Casinos. If you win money, you can buy a Rolex home; if you lose, you can try your luck again after selling off your Rolex."
I thought about the Casinos to be built in Sentosa back in Singapore and wondered if such businesses would be the future of Sentosa.
I picked up a pencil and started marking a little "FF" on each of the hundred RMB notes.
"The usual tactic taxi drivers may employ is simple," you explained. "When you hand them a hundred RMB note for payment, they will pretend to study it. After a while, they will claim that you have given them a counterfeit. However, in the process of returning your note to you, they will switch your real note with one of their own counterfeit ones, thereby profiting your hundred RMB."
"In such a situation, just remain calm," you continue. "Pretend to curse that you have been handed a counterfeit and take your time searching for another note to pay him with. Then, claim that you have lost your passport or identity card and get the driver to take you to the nearest police station. Report the incident to the police when you are there. It is but a simple matter for the police to search the driver and find the marked note you used for payment earlier."
I nodded and started marking the second stack of notes.
Coming through the entrance of the gym, I caught sight of TJ on the decline bench doing crunches. I nudged you and pointed TJ out; we haven't bumped into TJ for a while.
TJ came into the changing room in a while.
"Finished your workout?" I asked casually.
"Ya," he replied smilingly.
As usual, I changed into my gym gear and headed to do my warm-up run while you made a detour to the toilet before heading to the cardio machine. I had done the second set of my third exercise when I saw you stepping onto the cardio machine. "That was a long time to spend in the toilet," I thought, lifting the dumbbells for the third set.
"I was chatting with TJ in the steam room just now," you told me later. "He has been going places."
"No wonder you took so long in the toilet," I answered.
"Seems he will be going out of town these coming weeks."
"That's all he talks about, his trips," I remarked.
"Yes, come to think of it, I have never conversed with him on any other topics but his trips."
