The Tech Guy

I was supposed to go dancing on Friday. In fact, I WAS going dancing on Friday. At a stop light at Dataran Merdeka, I reached behind my seat for the box in which I kept all my shoes, including my dancing shoes.

Horror of horrors: my hand groped empty air. I'd left my box in the office when the car was taken in for a check.

So much for dancing. No heels, no jazz shoes; only my platform flip flops. I can hardly do a spin in those. So with much wailing, I drove over to Carmen's where Rizal was hanging out with his new buddies.

I felt quite conspicuous; everyone there was in their work attire (after office hanging out place, Carmen's is) and I was dressed in minimal halter neck and dancing pants with a low waist. I felt about as home as a square peg on a board of round holes all snugly fit with round pegs. Rizal came to get me at the door (I was intimidated by all the work clothes) and I trudged in behind him with my weather-beaten Mambo flip-flops. Promptly plonked myself into an armchair next to him and proceeded to zone out after the preliminary intros were made (my mind was still reeling from the shock of not being able to go dancing).

After a few minutes, Rizal decided to take me around Carmen's and introduce me to his circle. We didn't get very far. The first woman he introduced me to had a rather loud and animated response.

Rizal: Shirin, meet my wife, Poh Ling.

Shirin: (Looks taken aback) Oh, hi Poh Ling. Rizal, you sure ah, she's your wife.

Rizal: Yes, she's my wife.

Shirin: No-lah, come on! How can she be your wife? Come on, she can't be your wife!

She looks at me and asks, "You're his wife? Are you sure? You're ont pulling my leg?"

All this while I'm just laughing my head off at her reaction. She looked so incredulous.

Shirin: Rizal, come on lah! How can she be your wife? She looks so hip and happening!

Hahah, and I'm just soaking it in, guffawing and gloating.

Rizal: What, so you thought my wife's this tudung-wearing, stay at home, obedient woman?

By this time, we'd moved along and Shirin was pulling a couple of her friends over, asking, "Eh, do you think this is Rizal's wife?"

A couple of his friends who had met me before confirmed this, but she still remained incredulous and disbelieving.

Shirin: Rizal, I really can't believe this is your wife lah! You're so ...(at this point she makes a square with her fingers) ...square!

One of the guys pipes up and says, "Yah, it's his hair".

And then Shirin adds, "You must go to Peekaboo. They're the only ones who can do my hair."

The guys all add their acknowledgement and approval of Peekaboo.

"But I DO go to Peekaboo!!" protests Rizal.

"You must tell Sean to give you a new look," I add.

By this time, we're talking about other stuff and how the bunch of them want to learn Mandarin (they're all Malay) and I'm sorta trying to huddle behind Rizal when they ask, "Do you speak Mandarin?". Sheesh, such a banana.


I've been digressing. I was supposed to talk about the Tech Guy...

Anyway, we stayed on for a bit later. Quite a bit later. Towards the end, I catch 8TV's infamous Tech Guy, Gary. I've wondered to Rizal many times if Gary spoke in real life the way he does on TV. Geeky, sort of a Chinese accent, but quite adorably.

Apparently, he does.

The story is, his actually isn't Gary. Gary is just a stage name. However, since appearing on 8TV as Gary, people would come up to him and ask if he was Gary the Tech Guy. It got to the point where people were calling him Gary so he just changed his name to Gary.

I was introduced to the Tech Guy as we were heading to the entrance and getting read to leave. He really does look much better in real life than on TV. Of course, I had to blurt out and tell him that I was thrilled to see him and that, wow! he really talks the same in real life as on TV. And that I always wondered if he did. And then I asked him about his brother. To which he replied, "He's more than my brother."

And then I had mental visions popping in my head. More than his brother? His mentor? His partner? His twin? His ???...

Before I could blurt out something stupid, I was saved. "He's actually a reknowned DJ in the club circuit," says Gary. He then tells me his brother spins internationally as well and plays often at Zouk. For the life of me I can't remember what name he goes by. I know he told me, I just can't remember. My mind had to expand a vast amount of energy incorporating the image of Gary's geeky brother to the image of a suave, hip and happening DJ. "Wow!" I say. "That's amazing."

Do not judge a book by its cover flashes in my head as we head towards the door.

And so my evening out ends as we head home. It was an eventful one, albeit minus the dancing. Quite illuminating, I'd say. All in all, an interesting end to the workday week.