JULY 4TH, A TALE OF MY YOUTH

How do we treat time? Do we see time as an ally or an enemy? How does our mind cope with this ever forward momentum of time? Past is somehow but a memory but when I glimpsed back, I see a naive kid trying to conquer the world with the certain brash attitude of thinking that I am the greatest filmmaker since Orson Welles. Of course now I can laugh at my naivete.

July 4th, 1991, 15 years ago was an interesting day for me. I was living in Los Angeles over at La Fayette Park Place (They shot the Wesley Snipes-starred "White Man Can't Jump" there) near Wilshire Boulevard. (The main artery between Downtown LA to Santa Monica) I was still taking the bus every night to Columbia College - Hollywood where I was studying. A week before the eventful day, my friend, Timothy Bui passed me two tickets to attend this party over at San Fernando Valley. He regretted that he couldn't make the party as he had to drive back up north for a family gathering in San Jose. I looked at the tickets and the party was given by a person by the name of BRUCE 7. What a name!!! I asked Tim who he was and he replied that the guy is one of the most successful pornography producer. Of course being a small town boy from Sungai Petani, Kedah, once I heard "pornography producer" I was all excited to go. I called my Damansara Utama College friend, William Chan ( Certified genius... Did not break a sweat to score GPA 4.0+. Continued his studies at Cornell and later Harvard for his Masters or Phd...) who was at that time working at ORACLES in Foster City up north about the party. Once I mentioned Bruce 7, he confirmed that he would fly down.

I didn't have a car back then and when William came down, he decided to rent a car and it was a CHEVY convertible. I drove the car into the Valley.

We reached in the suburbs of San Fernando Valley where the address guided us to. The area looked very quaint and innocent, a place where families would have their children growing up. There were trees shading us from the particular hot day. Of course I would later learnt from my oracle friend that San Fernando Valley is the capital world of Porn industry. How naive I was????

The bungalow was a one storey corner lot, and it was quiet from the outside. Both of us looked at each other and wondered whether we were at the right place. We decided to try our luck by going to the front door and I knocked on the door. A familiar looking bearded man opened the door after a short while, I showed him the tickets and he said,"Welcome in to your Independence Day!!" I was still trying to place the bearded man where have I seen him before. Then he introduced himself as ED POWERS and instantly...DIRTY DEBUTANTES series popped into my head. He is the creator and producer of the series. A celebrity in the porn industry oooh..... aaahh.... My hair raised when I saw black leathery S & M objects being displayed right behind him. He guided us through the S & M objects, to the kitchen and dining area where we saw the porn stars that we have been watching on videos, (Finally getting to meet them!!) to the swimming pool area. Just as we opened the door to the pool, this two "JAKUN" boys from Malaysia (To the Americans at that time, Where is Malaysia? India?) had their jaws dropped wide open... as a petite Hispanic girl walked out of the swimming pool, wet ... COMPLETELY NAKED... walking past us. Our eyes were locked to this beautiful girl and with wide opened jaws! Later I found out that she was the next big star of the industry and her name was FELECIA.

The day started out quite interesting as there were shows at the gazebo with lesbian acts. These stars were surprisingly comfortable doing their sexual acts in front of a big audience. 20 minutes later, William and I had enough of the party. We were sicked to our stomachs and wanted out. Just before that, we had to go to the gents first. We passed through another living room where there was this couple doing it out in the open, both of us just shook our heads and smiled. At the toilet area, I saw one of my favourite porn actress at the time, FALLON and being a young naive "JAKUN" kid, I told her that I was a fan. She gave me the usual compliments by thanking me in that superficial manner and came close to my lips and kissed me. I could see William behind me with his mouth wide opened. I remembered my face turned hot. And... she left after that and we left the house and decided to go for Los Angeles' famous Chilli burger, Tommy's. Usually I would be able to gobble down a double chilli cheese burger and their famous Chilli Cheese Fries and a large Coke to accompany the food but I remembered that day I had trouble finishing the food and so was William. Just before we left the place, we saw a tall long-haired guy with a gorgeous blond just arriving to Tommy's. Andre Agassi!!

My little memory lane into the past. Fond, an experience that I would never forget, funny and Happy Independence Day America!!! Be good!!! ;)

I am glad that I'm 37 now and time is both the ally and the enemy, depending on where my state of mind is fluctuating at the particular moment.