Finished childhood business

我记得小時侯，成人的免費娛樂，就是街邊的神誕慶請歌台或大戲表演。我們是潮州人，媽媽姐姐很喜歡看潮州大戲，入夜時分就會帶着我去觀賞，那時我最高興，因為大人要看戲，就会買一些小食哄小孩安靜。哈哈…我最喜歡的是＇粿角＇，一手拿着香熱的焦葉纸包＇粿角＇，一手拿着lilih (竹支) 用来插＇粿角＇吃…很开心的邊吃邊看，也很自然的欣賞台上精彩的表演。回家躲在房里，拿出長睡褲，好玩的學着大戲的長袖表演姿式…哈哈！这是童年的一部份…

想不到我有一天，竟然可以完成小时未完成的任務，有機會的學演了潮劇。

雖然只是趁興，但那種站在台上的感覺，只有自己才能感受。2005年看着我粉墨登场的照片時，有感而寫﹕

人生如戲也好

戲如人生也好

在這時空交會間

站了一席位

心动 地搖

變臉 臉變

角色努力着

戲繼續演

我以為在看戲

惊然 我是在戲中

戲 還繼續

不一样的角色成長

至到那一頃

I remember when I was a kid, the free entertainment for adults were live bands or opera stage performances on the roadside – a celebration by Daoist temples. Our family speaks ‘Teochew’ (one of China’s dialects) and my mom and sisters liked to see Teochew opera. They brought me to watch it at night. I felt very happy at that time because they treated me to a snack. The kid will be quiet having snacks, so the adult could watch the performance. Ha-ha…I like ‘kway kak’ (a Penang food made with flour), one hand holding the paper package lined with a banana leaf, full of hot and delicious ‘kway kak’, the other hand holding a wooden skewer for spearing the ‘kway kak’. I was happy with the snack and so naturally I appreciated their good opera performance. I used long pant pajamas as long sleeves to learn the opera performance style alone in my bedroom…ha-ha! This was a part of my childhood…

I didn’t expect I could pursue this unfinished childhood business one day. I had a chance to learn and perform Teochew opera.

Even though it was just for fun, only I could feel the feelings when standing on the stage. I had this thought and shared it while I looked at my opera picture in 2005:

If life is like a movie

Or movie is like a life

Within the spaces and times

Everyone deserves a seat

Heart is throbbing Earth is turning

Changing masks Changing emotions

The role is playing hard

The movie continuing

I thought I am watching a movie

Suddenly I am in the movie

The movie Still continuing

Different kinds of roles are growing

Until the last second

12.9.07