Just when you least expect it...

"Awe."

In my book, this is the best feeling in the world.

It's when your eyes suddenly become big and round like saucers. You say the word "wow" so long that you almost turn blue. Your stomach feels like it was twisted and turned much like after a rollercoaster ride. Then you have that giddy smile on your face that just won't go away.

Awe is caused by something so spectacular, it feels like the that explosion scene in "Swordfish." If I could visualize the feeling, it would be like the whole world froze, and you could see everything spinning around 180. Seeing every little detail with such precision.

Awe and Aura could be long, lost brothers in the vocabulary. When I'm in awe, I can almost feel my aura radiate. It's like a megavolt just passed through my being and caused me to glow. Now that's a feeling more precious than a gallon of water in the middle of the Gobi desert.

Then there are "Little Surprises."

Not as grand as "Awe", but it still has the power to knock you off your feet and smile. When I get "Little Surprises," the feeling is comparable to having the world stop for 3 seconds -- just for me -- then everything is in motion again. And when I look back at those 3 seconds, my lips curl to form a smile. This is followed by an "awww shucks" feeling that makes me feel all tingly inside.

Thank goodness for Little Surprises.

My life this year is full of little surprises. Like bumping into Tanya at Ikea after almost 12 years of not seeing each other. Finding myself in Singapore when I least expected it. Finally hearing that two of my friends are getting married this year. I could go on and on, but the tingly feeling from recounting all these is just beginning to be too much to handle. It might cause me to suddenly run out of my office and do a jete.

Moving to the Kowloon side has also given me some incidents that border between a "Little Surprise" and an "Awe" moment.

There's finding my second pair of True Religion jeans -- on sale! Finding this FCUK bomber jacket which fit me perfectly -- it was the last piece! Spending my last $200 to buy an ensemble for my sister -- to find out that they have an on-going promo that gives the customer 15% off on purchases worth $200 and above. Getting an extra $30 from that discount I just mentioned -- giving me spare cash to buy a regular cup of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.

Obviously, all the current Little Surprises are about shopping. Manong Maquiraya -- one of my former art directors -- once said: "You cannot go against who you are." And it's clear that I can't. Just when you thought I was going into something deep, my shallow self reappears.

Suddenly I see myself like a wave crashing to shore. Once deep, then shallow. Once deep, then shallow.

If only to save my reputation and try to create an illusion of depth, there's another Little Surprise that doesn't involve Granville, Park & Shop, or anything requiring a purchase.

I have a new friend who I think has one of the most noble jobs here in HK -- he works with an NGO that saves OFWs from injustice and abuse. Meeting someone with his kind of dedication and drive for something so selfless is quite a rarity in highly commercialized Hong Kong. And something this utterly great does not deserve to be lined up with True Religion Jeans and Zara Shirts. I'll write about him a bit later.

Tomorrow is Sunday. I wonder what "Little Surprise" is waiting for me then.