Laundry
Sunday June 10th 2012, Once again one of the lowest points in my life. Real Low. So low I didn't even have a quarter to finish my damn laundry. I had just gotten off working a 15 hour day and I had to be back at work by 6AM the next morning. An 8 hour work day and catch a flight to Salt Lake City right after work only for a whole nother weeks of work. No problem! I got this except its 12AM right now and I have to be back in 6 hours and I still need to pack all of my clothes. Good thing I procrastinate and all of my laundry is dirty. Anyhow I knew forsure I had enough change somewhere to wash a load.......One quarter short, not even a dime. So I took all my wet clothes up to my empty apartment and spread them out across my living room floor to dry. About 5 hours later Im up packing my still damp clothes and on the way to work.
It's always such a rush when your gas light is on and your driving on a Los Angeles freeway. It keeps me on the edge of my seat & Im all about living a ridiculous lifestyle. Plus I don't even have enough money for food, so how am I going to buy gas? Somehow Luckily I made it work. I left my damp clothes in the car to dry in the heat. You know it's hard to focus at work when you haven't eaten anything since lunch the day before. I just kept thinking to myself "Make it through today Terrence and you will be eating good meals all week in a hotel all on company dollar!...Just make it through today."
Making it through that one day was one of the hardest days I ever had to make it through, BUT NEVER DID I GIVE UP. My boss for the airlines was short handed at work and needed me to work the flight that I was flying into SLC on. No problem, I grabbed my now dry clothes from my car & was ready to work and fly. 40 Min. later Im drenched in sweat in my Dirty ass work clothes, hot as hell sitting next to a beautiful woman on the plane. (It's always good to be the sweatiest person next to the hottest chick right?) I asked the flight attendant for two bags of peanuts and two bags of pretzels....it was the most relaxed I was all day.
4 hours later
I finally made it! Nice flatscreen, Huge bed even a complimentary bag of popcorn! Fuck Yes! I guess i'll shower and sleep till free breakfast. Thats exactly what I did. The next morning I was excited to get my new week started. I already felt the Universe shifting in my favor, it was a weird feeling. After eating the best continental breakfast I've ever had, it was straight to the Airport to work in SLC airport. 12PM noon was a good time not because it is the time we get to take our first breaks but because my supervisor would hand out all our per diem checks. I waited anxiously while the supervisor passed out a check to every single person but me..."FUCK I HAVE NO MONEY!! WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO ALL WEEK? EAT MY F'N FINGER NAILS?" It turns out they mailed my check to my apartment the day I arrived and no one informed. Now usually this wouldn't be a problem I can have my roommate put the check in my bank account right? Yeah I could if my bank account wasn't negative $600, but hey I made some mistakes the company made a mistake and mistakes happen right?
To make it through the week some of my coworkers gave me some frozen pizzas and $20 to hold off for a couple days. I appreciate that, another funny thing, I luckily ended up in a hotel that gave out free dinner, free wine, and free beer. For real no joke I couldn't believe it. So at dinner in the main lobby area I met an interesting group of Characters all of them happen to be from the Bay Area. They turned out to be a pretty nice guys and they were all down to party. Party? "Well thats what I do best thats what I do best can I join you guys?" One drink turned into two, two turned into three, three turned into six, and six turned into a handle of vodka. I was eventually invited into their hotel room and I started drunk rambling about how bad my last week was and How I had no money for food and one of my new friends just gave me $50 for the hell of it, and told me to use that for food the next week.
WOW funny story is 5 days before I came to SLC I was watching a stupid Youtube video for a music video called "I got grapes" This had to be the most retarded shit I have ever seen by a rapper who goes by the name of "Nump" Nump? What a dumbs name. I thought the song was so dumb and I was bashing it all last week. Well when I was brought up to room 238 at the Hotel the man who just handed me $50 told me he was actually a Bay Area rapper and he was just traveling around working on his music. Me being a music lover I responded positively and was excited to hear his jams. when he pulled up Youtube on the Computer & played me his song I didn't believe it, but it was the same song I was just making fun of days ago..."I Got Grapez" What a nice dude though. I thought to just me $50....so hey yeah Im down with your songs man. How could it be I was just watching this guy on Youtube now he's giving me money? Is it coincidence? Is it fate? or is something looking after me?
As the week went by I only kept the positive in my mind. No bad thoughts. By that friday I had just received a $1,000 pay check in my checking account which ended up leaving me with $400 dollars because my checking was so over balanced. I took it out in cash and I wasn't ready to hop back on the plane to Los Angeles. Bill collectors ringing my phone 24/7. I needed to get away from it all. So with $400 to my name started going east. I had no destination and I didn't care where I was as long as no one could get ahold of me. So I chose to Hop on a plane to Detroit Michigan and slept on a cold Airport floor. Why I chose Detroit I have no idea but I didn't feel like stopping there, the bill collectors were still blowing up my phone and I couldn't go home yet.
Good thing I brought my Passport with me, because I found a direct flight to Hong Kong straight from Detroit. So I exchanged my $400 American to Hong Kong Dollars and was ready to take flight. No one knew were I was and at the time I was fine with that. I listed myself for standby employee list and was hoping to get on the flight. Suddenly I herd my name called through the monitor "Paging Passenger Terrence O'Flaherty" I walked to the podium and was handed my boarding pass. I looked down and read what seats I as about to take on this 16 hour flight around the entire world. The boarding pass read 2A First class international.....Lets live it up
16 Hours later after flying first class eating Halibut, drinking champagne, and lying to people telling them Im the inventor of a famous Iphone app. I finally landed in Hong Kong China's Republic. What a culture shock Asia was. First thing I had to do was find a hotel or hostel with what little money I had. I took a subway down to Times Square Hong Kong and was trying to avoid the rain. I walked from Hostel to Hostel using the GPS on my phone. All 4 hostels I checked were full and I just felt like such a fool. Sitting in the Down town Hong Kong which what felt similar to downtown NYC but the weather felt like Hawaii. I was scared no one knew where I was and I felt like giving up on life. Right when I felt like giving up I decided to give it one more chance to find an open affordable room. I hopped in a taxi cab and told the driver to take me to a cheap very cheap hotel, what he took me too was a old chinese couples apartment with an extra bedroom.
I entered this dirty little shack with my torn bag on Foo Ming Street and there I saw little Chinese woman watching the television. She tried speaking to me but I spoke no Chinese and she spoke no English. I pulled out the translator on my phone and we communicated through that and a piece of paper. She said for $50 I could stay from 12AM to 12AM a whole 24 hours no questions asked and make myself at home. I took her up on this offer I felt the vibe from this elderly woman that everything would be okay. When I got in my room It was a small room with a small bed a TV, a shower, and a window facing all the lights of Times Square outside. I took a quick shower and my night began.
When I exited the building The elderly woman and Elderly man offered me a cup of tea and some shark fin soup. I was excited to have my first real Chinese experience. The Soup was phenomenal (even though environmentalist would say other wise) and the tea was just the perfect blend of sweet. As I exited the building they stopped me and gave me an Umbrella because it was raining. I never met such nice people in all of my life. I headed straight to Hong Kong's famous night markets where all the fun was about to begin. I saw every type of person walking the crowded streets. People buying fish out of a pool putting it in a bag and a woman putting a live flapping fish in her purse. I saw a man cut a ducks head off and hang it right there in his market stand. It was a unbelievable sight to see.
Thats when I decided to continue the party and head to a couple of Hong Kong's night clubs. I walked into a night club where I saw a bunch of women screaming "American!!" at me .....just another way to waste the little money I have lets buy these Asian girls drinks. Yeah Terrence Good Idea who needs to see another country lets waste all the money on drinks!! Right? The night went on I had two girls with me I thought I was hot shit until I opened my wallet for a cab home and i only had 15 Hong Kong Dollars left.....and no girls now either. This is great I thought to myself. Now Im just stranded In a country Ive never been and I have no money. It was a long walk back to my guest house I was staying at, I ended up getting back at 4AM an slept for about 4 Hours before my phone rang. The call on the screen was coming from a restricted number but I didn't care I had to tell whoever this was my situation. As I answered the phone I herd a familiar voice of what sounded like my father that I have never really been close to at all. I told my father "Dad I need your help more than ever. If you ever wanted to help your son and be a father now is the time" he responded quietly "what is it you need" I told him " Im stuck in Hong Kong with no money Please help me.
My father wired me some Money all the ways from Las Vegas where he was at the time. Once again is this a strange coincidence or is it fate? I haven't talked to my father in years what are the chances I would receive a call from him what are the chances he would wire me enough money from a western union to have one more night in the great City of Hong Kong. I never thought it would have happened...but it did and I'm glad it did. After I picked up the Money from western Union I took a boat ride out to the other Island across from Hong Kong. There I met a wonderful young woman named Claura. She was from Germany and was on her Holiday celebrating in Hong Kong this year, she was traveling alone as well and we met on the star ferry. She took me to a number of places, first she took me to "The Avenue of Stars" a long walk across a pier in Hong Kong with all the Movie stars names written across the ground and a statue of Bruce Lee out facing the Ocean, it was an amazing sight. The next place she took me to was a relaxing Garden called the "Garden of Life" there wee different types of birds, monkeys, and different types of Animals I was seeing everywhere. There were people actually practicing Kung-Fu in the park which was amazing. She took me to a underground Chinese Restaurant and we split a plate of amazing Dim sum.
Before this amazing night was over Claura told me if I we were in Hong Kong then we had to witness the "Symphony of Lights" we took the star ferry across Hong Kong to the other Island where thousands of people were all lined up across the Island staring at the Skyscrapers that looked down at the city. Claura pulled out two Chinese beers from her purse and we had a toast to a wonderful time that we were both having. Soon when the clock struck 8PM the music started playing and there was an explosion of lights across the bay. Every skyscraper was being named and they were lighting up according to what building they were. A big Chinese dragon flew through all of the buildings and it was a 15 Min. laser light show, the lights were shinning off the water and to this day it was the most Magical most Inspirational thing I have ever seen. We took some amazing photos and shared stories about our selves the whole time. It was nice to finally have some good company and someone to share stories with. When the Symphony of Lights was over we walked back the star ferry had took the short boat ride back into Hong Kong had one last drink then before I knew it it was midnight and I had to go pick my bag up at my hotel. We exchanged numbers and had one last toast to our futures and I hopped on a bus back to my guest bedroom to grab my bag.
I didn't have enough money to stay a couple more hours and I had to catch a 7AM flight to Tokyo to get back to LA. On the way back to The HKG airport I had to take a train to get there from the city which cost roughly around 100HKG dollars about $10 American. Suddenly the next thing I remember is a train worker tapping my shoulder waking me up and telling me this is the last stop and I had to get off. I made it finally but the journey home would be a long one. I slept on the airport floor once again using my bag as a pillow, when the security gates opened at 5AM I took my standby boarding pass and was ready for whatever hit me. There was nothing that could stop me at this point. When 7AM rolled around I boarded the flight to Tokyo with style. seat 4B first class once again. The champagne never ended the desert wines the steak and egg breakfast and a flatscreen TV right in front of my face playing my movie of choice "Goodfellas" The passenger next to asked me "excuse me I don't mean to bother you but how old are you?" "21" I replied "wow what a young age what is it you do? Were you in Hong Kong for business? What is it you do?" lol I was starting to have fun with this and I told her a story about how was in a famous band and I was shooting a music video. It was the most fun Ive had telling a lie in my life haha.
When I landed in Tokyo I only had a short hour and a half layover before I was off flying first Class once again straight from Tokyo to Los Angeles. This time I kept to myself and caught up on some rest. When I arrived in Los Angeles I walked through the customs back in my city. It still did not hit me as hard as it should all the things I have just done it didn't occur to me that either Im crazy or that was amazing. I still wasn't done yet. I hopped on a flight from LA to my hometown of Santa Maria a small town on the Central coast of Cali. When I arrived I called my grandmother to pick me up from the airport. I just explained to her I just came from China and she didn't believe me until I pulled out a few little gifts from the night markets. She said I was crazy and I might be the first person in the family to travel all the ways to Asia and the only person in the family to travel alone . I explained the whole story to her about what had just happened while my grandmother made me a home cooked meal. Three hours later I she took me back to the Santa Maria airport and I was off again back to Los Angeles.
My car still parked in the employee parking lot still with an empty tank of gas I had $20 left enough to buy an Arizona and $19 worth of gas. I drove the whole way home in the LA traffic listening to one song "Kanye West All of the Lights" and it kept reminding me of the Magic of the Symphony of Lights. I pulled up to my apartment sat on my couch and started folding my Laundry I just just washed at my grandmothers house, and I thought to myself...."One week ago I was starving, I had no gas in my car, I had not even one quarter to dry my clothes, and seven days later I lived through one of the most amazing 38 hours ever in my life."
Anything is possible I know anything is possible I just lived it.
Terrence O'Flaherty