Okinawa Trip to Look For Gorgor (Okinawa Rendez-Vous)

Article written by Chow Shui Yum in May 2004

Translated by Daydreamer on November 3, 2004

This my trip to Okinawa really did not have much to do with Gorgor anymore. I sat on the beach everyday watching the sunset and the sunrise. It was really beautiful here. The water was so very clear that I could see the seaweeds. As well, I could feel the salty sea breeze blowing softly in my face. I looked at afar, but could not see the footprints left by him with my naked eyes . I did not even know if he and I were looking at the same sea. I rode on the speedboat circulating around each little island. Vaguely, I could see the hotel in his film [Okinawa Rendez-Vous], but I could not see the pretty little hut. I walked through all the big streets and small alleys to look for him, hoping that I might find an album of his, but, there was none. I had not eaten the Okinawasoba that Sammy asked me to try, perhaps I had already eaten it without realizing. The big wheel, which he used in his concert to tease Faye Wong, took me to the highest point , but I still could not reach his heaven...

Because I went on this trip with two non-Leslie fans, I really couldn't do more; even though they had been most understanding, but since we did not know the place too well, I could not spoil their holidays by keeping on searching for his footprints.

So..
So.. I thought this was it, going on a trip that did not have much to do with Gorgor. It was depressing to think why I had to come here all the way realizing well beforehand that I could not find anything. I should perhaps just stay home and watch his DVDs.

However, this proved me wrong. God must be watching me from above knowing how devoted I am, and Gorgor must also realize what I had done for him. No, I shouldn't say that, that's too embarrassing. I should say I was searching for his heart, and he definitely would know my love for him.

Dear all, what follows is a short story, a really really short story (if you do not regard this as a story), please forgive me if the way I put it down cannot express fully what I experienced and what I heard, but I will try my best.

As I said, I did not hold much hope, and it was my last day there before my departure. That evening, I went to the restaurant beside the beach for dinner on my own (my two friends decided to explore the red light area). It was good to be alone. What so special about that night was there was a 4-member band playing in the restaurant (they were not there in the previous two nights). There was not a single member in the band who was Japanese, they looked pretty dark, looked like they were from Indonesia.

One of them played the drum, the other two played the guitars, and the last one played a very funny looking percussion. They had been playing and singing some American country music. Those pieces were familiar to everyone, such as 'Take Me Home Country Roads', 'Are You Lonesome Tonight', 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes'... Sea breeze kept blowing through the windows stirring up my hair, the songs and the sound of the band echoed in the restaurant. I did not know why, even though it had not got a good sound system, the result was still extremely good and I did not find it too loud. I listened to it light-heartedly, drinking my cold water and eating my wonderful dinner. I thought it was not bad at all spending my last night in Okinawa like that, forgetting about all the worry and sadness.

And then suddenly I heard the song 'The Great Pretender'. Do you still remember that song? If you don't, you better do your homework.

Yes, this is the song played in the movie 'Okinawa Rendez-Vous', especially at the end of the movie, under the dark starry sky, the seabreeze was blowing, Faye Wong was wearing a white skirt, and he sitting on the stair; the music started, both of them were wearing a smile, romantic and sweet...

Right at this moment, hearing this song in Okinawa again with the sea breeze blowing was like a moment from the previous life.

After the band finished singing, without thinking, I started clapping my hands, but the only hand clapping sound was so sad and lonely. All the people turned around and cast a strange look at me; the four players also turned around and stared at me in a way which could not be explained. Then they bowed to the audience in the restaurant signalling that they were taking a break. Then, one of the vocals came towards me.

"....... [word spoken in Japanese]", he said to me.

I felt dizzy. He was not a Japanese but how come he spoke in Japanese? So I looked at him helplessly.

"May I sit down?" he said. This time he spoke in pure English, "Sorry, I thought you were Japanese. Then, are you Korean? Or did you come from Hong Kong or Taiwan?"

"Of course, you may", I said. "I came from Shanghai, China." I knew that not too many people from Mainland China went to Okinawa, the key was that the tourism there hadn't opened up a market in China. Most of the people who went there for vacations were from Hong Kong, Taiwan or Korea. That's why he made the mistake.

Moreover, I had been quite mad for a few days because I could not understand the Japanese' English and the Japanese either. But I was nervous to face the people who spoke pure English because my English was just similar to those of the Japanese people...

"I am David, thank you for giving us a big hand. We have been singing in this restaurant for almost five years, and very few people will clap their hands. I don't know if it is because we have not been singing too nicely", he shook his head with a smile.

"No, no, you sang wonderfully, especially the song you just sang 'The Great Pretender', that's my favourite song, I did not know that I would hear it tonight, you have given me a big surprise, I have to thank you."

"Really? You like that song?" When he said that, he looked at the bag lying beside me. That really was a bag that would attract a lot of attention because it had on it four key chains with Gorgor's pictures on it and two buttons with Gorgor's handsome face.

I captured his stare, and then he said: "You are a fan of Leslie Cheung?"

I was stunned, I didn't realize that a foreigner would recognize him at his first sight and ask me such a question.

"Yes, I am his fan. I have been loving him for many years. He is the greatest superstar in the Chinese society, and even in the whole Asia. I really love him very much. The reason I am coming to Okinawa this time is because he has made a film here in Okinawa and the name of the film is 'Okinawa Rendez-Vous'.

"Is it 'Okinawa...'?"

I could not hear clearly what he said after 'Okinawa', but my feeling told me that he said 'Okinawa Rendez-Vous'.

"I know that film!" he was very excited, "I've seen that, not just the film, but, I have met Leslie".

"What did you say!!!" I jumped up from my chair, and my scream scared the whole restaurant, and they once again looked at me surprisingly, they must have thought that I was a monster.

My scream had undoubtedly embarrassed David.

"Stay calm, stay calm", he blushed as he said it, "Do you want to hear what happened?"

"Sure!!!!", I said trying to suppress my mixed feelings.

He started to tell me. My English wasn't that good, and I hadn't got my recorder with me (if my cellular phone hadn't been stolen before getting on the plane, I could at least record it). I could just try my best to recap what he said, but I think, the essence was there.

"I just told you that very few people will applaud for us, but you just did, and I don't know why, it makes me start thinking of someone, yes, don't be too excited, that someone is Leslie Cheung. At that time, our band just started to sing in this restaurant. Unless we bowed at the end of the show, otherwise very few people would applaud after we sang each song. I guess that is a habit? Or perhaps, the people who dine here only treat our songs as the background music, and not as a kind of show. For us, this is sad, but there is nothing we can do about it.

In an evening in May, we sang as in the past, and quite unexpectedly, after a song was finished, there was clapping! And the clapping was from one person and then the whole table, I looked at that direction, oh my God! It was Leslie Cheung! Correct, I knew him already at that time, because I have seen 'Farewell My Concubine', and have seen the movie 'Moonlight Express', the one that he played with Takako Tokiwa. Besides, he is very popular in Japan. Many Japanese people like him crazily. I did not expect that he was in the restaurant then, and he had a lot of friends with him that evening having dinner together. When I looked into his eyes, he was smiling and looking at me with an encouraging stare. I have never seen in the past a stare that warm. He must have realized that we just started our singing career, that's why he started giving us a big hand. My heart was filled with gratitude, so I carried on singing harder than usual, and had chosen a few songs with happy atmosphere, because I wanted to make him happy. Originally, that was my idea because I did not even have the courage to go to him asking for his autograph (when David said that, he looked like a little boy), and quite unexpectedly, when we took our break, he waved to us. God, he was calling me, I was very excited then (smile).

He was the one who started to chat with us and told us that we sang quite nicely. This really made us very happy. After chatting for a while, a girl at his table asked me if I know how to sing 'Country Road'. Then Leslie said immediately, "I know!" Then he turned to me and asked me if I knew that song. I said I knew and then he said "Why don't we sing that song together?" You really cannot imagine how I felt at that point of time (The writer: I was stunned now, to sing with Gorgor?!! God, if he asked me to sing with him, I would have fainted!) I gave my guitar to him, all of us sang and danced and the whole restaurant was like having a party. After the song was finished, there was hand clapping everywhere. I know that the big hands were given to Leslie because a lot of the people recognized him then, but I still felt very proud because I had sung a song with him. His voice was really perfect. (The writer: I remember that he sang that song in the 903 Live, his voice was so relaxed. I would never get tired just listening to it! The sad thing is I could not find the version that he sang. For those who have listened to Gorgor singing this song can compare it with the original, and you will find that Gorgor is always better than the original.)

He just played the guitar carefreely, waved his hand, and it was full of charm already! I do not know if some day I will be as good as him, but he is my idol, and especially his kindness, you know, I have seen a lot of stars, some of them I do not know, but they are very proud and arrogant, look like that they deliberately try to stay away from you. Leslie was different, the feeling he gave us is that of a superstar, but he did not act like an untouchable superstar. Although that was my only encounter with him, I could already feel that he's a very kind person.

To show my gratitude to him, I and the other three members of the band sang the song 'Flame in My Heart' from the movie 'Moonlight Express'. I saw him nodding with a smile, and I knew that he understood what I meant. That night when he left, he shook hands with the four of us and said a lot of words of encouragement. I just could not imagine that a superstar would treat an ordinary singer with so much care and kindness. So, when he... oh, sorry, I know you are very sad, me too, I cannot believe even now that that is real..."

We all fell into silence, the sound of the wave hit on our eardrums and hearts.

"David", his colleague was calling him. He looked at me apologically.

"Is there any song that you want me to sing for you?"

I think for a little while, "Can you sing 'Flame in My Heart'?"

He was stunned for a little while and then nodded his head.

"I still hear your voice, softly calling my name, but I know my answer in vain, cause I couldn't be with you..."

The song mixed softly with the sound of the guitar and chorus, I could no longer hold back my tears... I looked out the window with the sea breeze blowing in my face, I could not control my tears any more...

I said goodbye to them, and gave to David the buttons I had on my bag as souvenirs. He thanked me and said, "We will remember Leslie forever, like you, I am his fan!" My eyes turned red one more time.

Walking out of the restaurant, it was dark already. The sky became so unfathomable, except for the light coming from the few stars shining over the beach. At that moment, I thought I could see Gorgor sitting on the stairs in front of the patio smoking his cigarette. Without looking back, I knew he was smiling, the smoke from the cigarette was flowing towards the starry sky... his back is still that unbeatably young, time will never change his beauty, it never will...

On the day I left Okinawa, I carelessly left my camera in the hotel. There were not too many pictures in it and I have nothing to share here. The fortunate thing is there was not any picture in the camera that was related to Gorgor. My two trip-mates' pictures were just a few shots of Okinawa's beaches and seas. I believe what I saw was the same as what he had seen. If I remember it correctly, 'Okinawa Rendez-Vous' was made in May. Originally, this was quite a disappointing trip, but unexpectedly I encountered this incident on the last day of the trip. No matter how trustworthy that story was, and how accurate I had relayed it, there's one thing that I'm certain about, i.e. Gorgor's personality and his charm, those qualities of his would make anyone he met surrender to him.

How many more stories like this are out there? I must continue to search. Yes, there are Paris, Buenos Aires, Vancouver and also England... there are so many places. I will use my whole life to look for your footprints, no matter whether they are big or small, they are my most precious!

P.S. I forgot the name of that restaurant, because it was in Japanese which I don't understand, but the letters "NA" are in it. A very smart restaurant. If you go there, look for it.