Director's Guild Annual Dinner

It was friday, March 7th 2008. Had appointment with make up artist at 3pm at Xenter Jut salon where I was going to get my hair done by my hair stylist, Eric Chow. The function starts at 7 and dinner at 8pm. Dunno when was supposed to be there, so assumed 7pm. If things go according to plan, I'd finish around 5, have 1 hour time to mingle and get ready at home before leaving home at 6. As planned, I got to the salon 3pm. When I got there, the make  up artist had not arrived, so I went to get my hair washed.

As I was escorted back to my seat, I saw a lady with her back towards me leaning down unpacking her things. I took a quick glance at her tools, they did not look at all familiar. A sudden terror hit me when she turned around and greeted me with a big smile on her face. I said "Oh! Hi! Long time no see!", I could not help but blurted out as I sat down "When did you start doing make up for other people?" "Long time ago!" she answered.

God... I PANICKED!!!!!!!! "Holy S**T!!!!" I must have called the wrong number. I excused myself to the toilet and called up Lester asking whom the make up artist was who did my make up for his photoshoot. He could not remember, he said he'd call me back. I called up another photographer, Lester's student, who was there during the photoshoot, asking him the same question. His answer was "was it male or female?", as soon as I heard his reply, I knew it's time to hang up. I was browsing my contact list nervously, name after names, why I suddenly seem to forget who's who. Thank God Lester called back. "She's in class now I think!" Lester said. "She still goes to school? For what?" I thought to myself. Whatever,..... better call her up now. No answer..... o no... been in the restroom for 5 mins now... better get out...

As I walked to my seat, I smiled at the lady and wrote to "the supposedly" make up artist an sms screaming "I NEED HELP! URGENT! DISASTER PLEASE CALL BACK!!!!".  Tried calling her a few more times, no answer. I sat down and talked to the make up artist, showed her my dress. Her things were ..... all over the place, messy and.... I dunno how to describe my feelings at that moment. I asked for Eric to do my hair straight away, looking at my watch nervously. I did not want to hurt that lady's feeling, so I let her do my make up anyway. As Eric and her were working on me.... my phone rang. O..... my saviour called.... She asked me what she could do for me. "What time are you available today? I NEED YOUR HELP! URGENTLY!" She asked "for what?" I glanced at the make up artist through the mirror and lowered down my phone volume, didn't want to hurt her feeling by accidently hearing my conversation on the phone. "Doing the thing that you are best at!" was my answer to the other make up artist! "What time will you be available? I need you to be at my place at 5pm, take taxi and I'll pay for it!" I looked at the clock... 4.15pm. She is still at the school just finished teaching, she needed to go home to get her tools.

I sat there in terror... "Please Eric, just ignore my face and do your hair part. Don't let this make up look affect you" I said in my heart. I told the lady not to draw any eye lines or put mascara on (so that it eases me to wash it off later on) . "With mascara, your eyes would look bigger and happier!" "It's ok....!" I reassured her. Just hurry up.... draw as you like.... Just bloody hurry up... please...... (said in my heart nervously). Actually, I was giving this lady a chance too... everybody deserves a chance right? With courtesy, I asked her the fee. Her answer shocked me, "Hm..... night make up is more expensive!" She quoted me 2.5 times her usual fee. I was dazed. I didn't say a word. I just looked at her... She later on said she'd give me $50 discount. I just looked at her.. not thinking... just in shock... Then she said she'll charge me just 2 times the price. I thought to myself, whatever..... I just want to get out of here as soon as possible. I told her I was in a biggggggg rush, I was calculating to myself.... if I pay her cash then... I'd have to go to ATM to withdraw cash to pay the other make up artist and taxi and blah blah blah... I DUN HAVE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so I told her to sms me her account number and I'd transfer it to her the next day. Before she left I reminded her to send me an sms for her bank account again. Eric was working on my hair.... Eric was about done, he said "Gei Leng...!" He showed me the back of my hair.... Wowwww. NICE! I asked him "which one? the hair or the make up????" His reaction was "How come your left and right face look different?" Hm..... NICE ANSWER!!!!!!! I answered "I am going to rush home to get my make up redone! Having the "right" artist doing it.......Must have made the wrong phone call before."  Eric's reaction???? "RUN NOW!!!! GO! GO! GO!"

As I walked down the street, a lot of people stared at me,  usually I get looked at too but this time it is for a different reason.... I know... I know I looked like I just got off the time machine from the 60s. Super red cheek, imbalanced cheek blush, gold-ish, bronze eye shadows, silver eye base, gold lipsticks, what could be worse......... jumped into the taxi and just fled home. S**T needs to call Elaine again to remind her to take the west tunnel. It  is rush hour!!!!! "Where are you? TAKE west tunnel! See you soon! You've got to hurry up, you only have an hour to do my make up, you need to take off my current clown make up too!"  Looked at my watch, It was 4.36pm. Got home.... changed clothings,... jewelry, shoes, hm.... lots of tapes, the dress is a bit loose.... needed lotssss of skin tapes.... it's going to hurt by the end of the day. Gosh... no body could comprehend my emotion at that moment. 5.20pm, where's Elaine?? I called her up.... what?????? the taxi she got on was caught on traffic accident and she's infront of Hong Hum tunnel!!!!!!!! Jesus.... at that time.... it'd be 7pm before she gets to my place if she goes through Hung Hom tunnel..... oooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She asked me to take off my make up myself... so I did.... By the time she got to my place it was 6pm. Should be leaving home already...... T____T I hate being late. The dinner is at Kowloon Bay... needs around 40 mins to get there.....

I was so anxious that I totally forgot my speech..... I was telling Elaine what happened and we had a good time laughing and sharing the story. In the end... thank God.... I looked human again. Actually if Elaine could not make it, I'd rather go to the dinner bare faced then with that clown make up. Elaine told me she had seen people just telling the make up artist off when such misunderstanding happened. I could not do it.... I dun wanna hurt anyone's feeling. In the end.. I lost time AND money but Elaine reassured me that the night would be great as I planted a good deed even though it began with a disaster.

As we jumped into the cab.... I took out my notes trying to read my speech... O... I forgot everything. The panic must have taken the better of me. I asked Elaine if she'd like to listen to my speech. I read it and she was thrilled. We got to Kowloon Bay but the taxi driver didn't know where HKITC was. He said all functions take place in at MEGABOX and drove us there...., at that moment... I felt like I was going to explode..... too many things happened insuch a short time. Wrong make up artist, traffice accident, getting late, forgetting my speech and now.... getting lost???? Thank God we got there finally. I asked Elaine if my lips look too red...she answered "no... Dicky (Lester's photoshop guy) highly praised your lips colour last time asking me what colour I put on you as the lipstick colour matched you so well, houuuu leng!!! that's why I brought this lipstick on purpose this time! and  you know what Yung Yung? This lipstick was my best friend's gift to me when I first started my career as a make up artist, wishing me a bright future and success in penetrating the industry!" When I heard that, I was so touched. Thank you Elaine.

By the time I have to give my speech.... I was so nervous.. I started my speech with "Hello everybody!" What????? Why did I say that???? The MC asked me "Are you chinese? can you speak cantonese?" Her talking to me took my focus off my nervousness to listening to what she's got to say or ask, finally she let me continue with myself introduction. The MC had repeatedly reminded all the new comers, that we each only had 3 minutes to impress the directors, use them wisely! I started with English, continued with Mandarin and finished off in Cantonese. As I spoke, all looked at me and listened attentively. I guess coz I was speaking in different languages, sharing my story, gratittude, and hope. I said to myself this might be my first time speaking in public, after all the hard work, finally..... I am given the chance to share with others about me, Yu Yung Yung but might as well be the only and last chance I have, hence this is an important moment not to mess up, so I better say it succintly, concretely and  gratefully. Phew..... I delivered the speech perfectly, didn't make 1 single mistake... thinking about how I started,,... couldn't even remember the first sentence... having to deliver it perfectly was a miracle. hahahahaha.... thank you Elaine, thank you Eric, thank you lady, thank you taxi driver, thank you everybody for such an experience. I am grateful.

Ooch.... the tapes took some of my skin off.... ouchhhhh they hurt T___T