One of Japan's greatest, The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival...

Now that autumn is approaching, and summer is but a warm memory, think it's bout time I write about what can be considered one of my fondest memory ever...

Summer....in Japan, there's only one thing in mind when summer approaches....and it is fireworks. Just like Chinese New Year in Malaysia, Japanese have their yearly festivals during summer and it is always accompanied by great displays of fireworks. And my place, Nagaoka, just happened to be the place to host one of the 3 biggest fireworks display in Japan. Internationally famous, the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival boasts 100,000 visitors each year....this year, they had 100,001 visitors. Oh, did I mention that this is my first visit to this event? I wonder who added to the number of visitors...

Now, I think I have decent skill in English Language but I don't think I'm good enough to actually describe the incredibly beautiful fireworks...so, here are some pictures...














FYI, This is "Hello Kitty" firework..




Well, actually, this event was held in August...and it's way past the expiry date, but I have a valid excuse...

You see, during the whole summer, I was busy going everywhere to perform taiko, including the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival. So, as a performing member, we were given VIP seatings during the fireworks display. Joining us on the same seatings that day, was this two very pretty girls(Yes, girls again...Randy is a boy with plenty of testosterone and no girlfriend, so...forgive him). They weren't part of the taiko team, so it was quite strange for them to share the same space as us....but of course, I didn't mind at all sharing seats with them. The moment the girls came, my team leader immediately turned to me..."Damn, those girls are pretty!!!"...but I was already starting to think of ways to break the ice and speak(Randy's dictionary defines speak as flirt) to(with) them....

Then I heard them speak in cantonese...

OK...sweet!! I understand cantonese, so there's my ice breaker..

*in cantonese*
Me : Hello...
Chics : Oh hello...wow, you understand cantonese!
Me : Well, I am Malaysian...
Chics : A Malaysian...wow, and you are part of the taiko team?
Me: Yes...erm....I umm...can you understand English?
*in English....I totally forgot how to speak in cantonese, although I still understand what was spoken*
Me : It's been a long time since I spoken in Cantonese...and my four years in Japan have not been kind towards my Cantonese....

What I learn from speaking to them was that they are actresses from Hong Kong, Vanko Wong Shuk Ling and....I forgot what the other one's name is. Vanko was the friendly one, the other one was quite a stuck up...so, didn't remember her name.

Yeah, "Wow" right? Who would have guessed they were actresses....

They were here in Japan to do a travel program of some sort, and they are doing the story on Nagaoka Fireworks Festival....we chatted about a lot more stuff but...let's not bore you with them "juicy" conversation shall we?


From left : Stuck up girl, Vanko, and Malaysian guy who've forgotten cantonese....

Anyway, not long after, their manager approached me and explained that part of the travel program includes them meeting a "new friend" ...and they wanted me to be that "new friend". Wow, suddenly I'm to be casted on TV!! It's my 3rd time appearing on TV actually, so didn't really get nervous about it though...

You must all be thinking "Randy, you lucky bastard!!"...

but no, being on TV can be quite depressing and stressful. For example, I had to repeat the same conversation a few times cause' our voice wasn't loud enough...cause' the lightings was bad...cause' they wanted to wait for a firework to go up so that they get a good background as well...cause' the stuck up girl was being stuck up and wasn't talking. All kinds of funny reasons to do the same conversation...made me lost count of how many times I have to introduce myself...but all in all, it was a fun experience.

Not only I get to be in VIP seatings watching one of the biggest fireworks display in Japan, I get to be on TV in Hong Kong as well... The show will be aired at tomorrow on TVB HK....was gonna wait till she send me a video clip, that's why I waited so long to post this. But...nah, not gonna post the video here anyway.


Here's a polaroid we took together...and what a nice smile Vanko has...

Oh, did I mention she gave me her e-mail? Haha....nah, we're just friends now. She is only 18, but she's very matured and quite an interesting person to talk to. One of the few person in my life that I have the utmost respect for...

Anyway, hahhhh.....what a nice summer that was....

PS: I just remembered what the stuck-up girl's name was!! Her name is Katy Kung