The Prince Of Portland Street And My New BFF

Ahhh.  When in HK, it is an absolute must to take a picture of the HK Island skyline.  And that is what we did.  Over and over and over and over again.  Took video too.  But a little before the above pic was captured, I had a date on Portland Street.   It was our first full day in HK and late afternoon found my wife and I a little bit peckish.  Hungry enough for something to nosh on but not so hungry as to chow down a huge meal.   We were trying to save our appetite as we planned on a late dinner on Temple St., so, as we did the night before, we headed out to a street food spot on Portland St.  The proprietors spoke Mandarin so it made it easy for my wife to order whatever entrails on a stick they were hawking.  Our hotel was on Waterloo Rd., so we crossed over Nathan, heading west, and on towards Portland St.  As we turned off of Waterloo and on to Portland.........HOLY SHIT!  I think that was what I said?  And out loud too.   I grabbed my wife and pulled her aside exclaiming "HOLY SHIT!" once again.  "Do you know who that is?!"  Of course, she had no clue. 

Portland Street Blues

Portland Street @ dusk.  When the fun starts

It was Bruce Leung Siu-Lung!!!  Can you believe it!?  Right there.  On Portland Street.  Sitting with a few friends outside of an eatery.  Now, this was a day or two before I saw Cheng Pei-Pei and I was just as much the hot, jello like, mess as I was with her.  An odd sense of panic crept in.   That awkward as heck star struck feeling.  Short of wetting my pants, I contended with myself, and my wife, whether I should interrupt his day, while he was sitting and chatting with friends, and ask for an autograph or a picture?  I won't go into the long and ridiculous (Ok.  It was about 10 embarrassing minutes) time standing on the sidewalk and wrestling with myself as to approach or not.  I had already met Bruce @ the NYAFF in 2010 when he was there with GALLANTS.   But that was then and this was HK!  So.......

 My BFF and I in our younger days (2010)

I went for it.  With a slight bow of the head and an, "Excuse me, sir.  Are you Bruce Leung?"  As if I didn't already know.  Look at that punum.  And look at those knuckles!  He responded with a smile and a gracious and knowing nod 'yes'.  "Would you mind if we took a picture?"  "Oh.  Yes."  He stood shook my hand and posed for the above photo op, taken by my wife.   Just before the photo was snapped he asked where I was from?  I said that I was from New York and he exclaimed, "Ahhh."  I further told him that I had met him once before at the NYAFF, to which he smiled and nodded yes.  Like he knew what the heck this American dummy stalker was talking about.  After the pic was snapped, another shake of the hand as I returned him to his table of 3 friends.  An ear to ear smile from my wife and I, wild nods, and a handful of "do jeh's" to him and his smiley and giggly friends saw us part.  Me, on cloud 9.  My wife shaking her head as to what kind of creepy loser she married. And Bruce.....just glad he got out alive.

I am indeed an idiot abroad.