by Katharine Schroeder

I didn't know how to begin this story because each time I thought of the most important thing to tell you, something else of equal importance would pop into my mind. Where to begin? Describe the faces of the elderly people as they watched Jackie enter the reception rooms? Tell you first of the care and love that went into preparing for his visits? The ear-to-ear smile on Jackie's face during most of the afternoon? It's hard to know where to start; hard to choose what was the most important thing that happened when a group of us headed out on a chilly December afternoon to bring coats to the elderly of Hong Kong.

The ride up to the New Territories was relaxing and because I am still new to the area, it was educational as well. Jackie sat quietly looking out the window (he had been working late the night before and had only a few hours of sleep) as X-Lee, Jackie's videographer, patiently described all of the passing sights to me. The area to the north of metropolitan Hong Kong was like nothing I'd ever seen. There were neighborhoods of one-story buildings, some small apartment blocks, and hills in the distance.

After about 45 minutes, we arrived at the Watt Pak U. Memorial Social Center for the Elderly in Yuen Long, N.T. Jackie bounced out of the van followed by Dorothy, Fibe, and X-Lee while I tried somewhat unsuccessfully to untangle myself from the back seat. Jackie, always prepared for action, grabbed me by the hand , gave a mighty yank and I popped out of the van like the cork from a champagne bottle. (Note to self: practice exiting tight spaces with grace and dignity.)

The Watt Pak U. Memorial Center is a social activity center, but not a residence. Mr. Timothy Ma, the Executive Director of the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association and our host for the day, explained that there are 400 active members who belong to the center. They live in nearby communities, and some who live further away might walk half an hour to get there. But they get there. The center is an important part of their lives; a place where they can visit with friends, learn about staying healthy, and keep up their literacy.

The members and staff had prepared carefully for Jackie's visit. There were flowers, a magic show, and even a Cantonese Opera performance. After the group sang to Jackie, they invited him up to the stage to accompany them by singing the male role of a Cantonese opera song. Jackie, who had no chance to rehearse, nevertheless sang the difficult song with skill and deftness. The effect was amazing - if it were a pop music concert you would say "The crowd went wild!" Let's just say that the audience was fairly bouncing out of their seats with excitement. Okay, why not just say "The crowd went wild!" because in their own way, they did.

The singers finished up their show with a very lovely rendition of one of Jackie's favorite songs from long ago, "The Moon Represents My Heart." Jackie stood in the middle of a large group on the stage and nearly everyone else in the room joined in. It was very touching to see everyone singing in unison.

Next up was an act that can only be described as part magic show and part comedy routine. Although the magician spoke Cantonese, his show required no translation. This man's performance had no language; he was just very funny. Jackie gamely went back up to the small stage to act as the perfect foil for the magician's tricks. The audience laughed uproariously as the magician demonstrated his skill at magic as well as comedy.

During the show X-Lee and I moved separately around the crowded room trying to get everything on video (X-Lee) and digital stills (me). If you read the Scrapbook entry about our Shanghai trip, you will know that X-Lee has the ability to capture all the action while remaining nearly invisible. He is so talented and he's the reason why Jackie's personal videos are so unique. As for me, I am always relieved when I can maneuver my way through a crowded room and take photos without stepping on anyone's feet!

After the singing was over it was time to distribute the down jackets we had brought. Jackie handed them out to each and every person in the room. Some of the people were so excited about seeing him that they didn't know whether to grab the coat or grab Jackie!

As I tried desperately to get at least one in-focus photo of Jackie with the coats (he moves so fast!) I was aware of how happy everyone in the room was. They were all smiling.

A few of the ladies got Jackie to sign an autograph and then sat together and chattered excitedly over their good luck. One of the lucky ones was a ninety year-old woman who smiled proudly, waving the piece of paper in the air for all to admire. And the entire time, everyone in the room was happy. Everyone. And despite having already seen the effect that Jackie has on people, it is still inspiring to me to see how delighted people are to meet him and how happy he is to see them. Jackie makes everyone feel special. I think it's because he believes that everyone is unique and deserving of love and care.

As our visit came to an end, Jackie was presented with a bouquet of flowers which he graciously accepted. After posing for a few more photos, it was time to leave. I walked out of the building and quickly headed for our van. By this time, Jackie's presence in the neighborhood was becoming known and a small crowd was starting to gather. After stopping for a few photos, Jackie managed to make it back into the van while fans began to surround us.

Jackie was so patient and friendly - waving excitedly to the people gathered outside. But it was time to go - we were heading for our second stop - an elderly residence about 10 minutes away.

As we pulled away from the center, I noticed a scruffy dog running along the sidewalk. I turned excitedly to X-Lee, pointing (I don't see many dogs in Hong Kong). "Shhh - interview!" he said, gesturing toward the seat in front of us. It was only then that I noticed we had an extra passenger; a young woman was sitting in the seat next to Jackie.

She was a reporter and was interviewing him as we drove from the social center to the elderly residence. At one point Jackie began laughing at one of the questions she'd asked and after he answered her he turned to me and told me what they'd just said. She'd asked him what he would do if he were to retire. He said that he would go to an island where there were no telephones, televisions, or paparazzi . After considering this he added, "I wouldn't last two hours." We all laughed. Two hours sounds like a good estimate. Jackie likes to keep busy - no lying around on a beach for him. In fact, the ride up to the New Territories was the longest period of time I had ever seen him sit quietly.

Soon we arrived at our second stop - the Shan King Care and Attention Home for the Elderly. I managed to extract myself from the van with no help this time; I was learning. Jackie was poised outside the van, ready to pull, but happily it wasn't necessary. A crowd of people was outside the residence and we stopped to allow one of the staff to attach a sunflower boutonniere to Jackie. He stood bravely while she tried and tried again to insert the three inch long pin into his clothing and not into his skin. It took a while; perhaps she was aware of Jackie's fear of needles. After a successful job of securing the flower onto a nervous-looking Jackie, we were led into a small reception area. After Jackie spoke a few words in greeting to the people who were gathered there, he was led on a tour of the small shop where they sell clothing and supplies at low cost.

As Jackie, surrounded by photographers, toured the little shop I greeted several of the people and chatted with Mr. Ma, our host. I noticed a small table set with tea and cookies - it was so lovely to see the care that people took.

We headed upstairs towards the residence rooms and were led to a reception area where decorations hung from the ceiling and a tall Christmas tree twinkled in the corner.

Jackie spoke to the residents and was given several gifts (he humbly told them that it wasn't necessary to give him gifts - Jackie doesn't want anyone spending money on him - but of course he accepted them with a big smile). He received a hand crocheted pillow, a scroll with Chinese calligraphy, a plaque, and a plant in a special bottle. These gifts were obviously made with great love and care.

And then it was exercise time! Jackie took his place among the residents and joined them in an exercise routine which was conducted by one of the women who lived at the home.

Mr. Ma explained that the residents are encouraged to keep active and fit in order to ensure a good quality of life. One of the women in the room was 100 years old, so the program is obviously working to good effect! After Jackie was finished with his stretches he visited with the residents a little and then began handing out the coats.

After Jackie handed out the coats we were led down a hallway for a tour of the living area. There are 150 people in residence and the section we saw had four beds in each brightly decorated room. As our small group made its way down the hall, Jackie stopped to visit at each and every occupied room.

 I was so glad to be a witness to the joy and happiness that Jackie brought to these people as he chatted with them, posed for photos, and even signed some more autographs. Jackie took the time to greet each person, looking them in the eyes and making physical contact with them.

In one room we ran into a resident who was in the midst of donning a Santa outfit. Jackie helped him with the hat and the beard and then they posed for a photo as everyone looked on, grinning widely. (Santa spoke Cantonese and, to my surprise, perfect English as well.) After a quick visit to the physical therapy room, we headed back to the reception area where Jackie answered questions for the press and posed for endless photographs.

Having nothing much to do at this time, I wandered around the room greeting the residents and was happy to see the gentleman who had worn the Santa outfit earlier.

"Hi Santa," I said. He stuck out his hand to shake mine and to my amazement asked me, "Como esta usted?" (Spanish for "How are you?") How he knew that I would understand him, I have no clue. I answered him (in Spanish) expressing my surprise, then I introduced him to Fibe who greeted him with a perfect "Hola!" ("Hello!") Fibe teaches me Chinese and I teach her Spanish and I was delighted that she remembered!

I ambled over to admire the Christmas tree and to take a few more photos. From behind me I heard someone say "You take nice photographs, right?!" I turned around and met the smiling face of one of the residents. "Well, I sure hope so," I replied, then asked, "May I take your photo?" He answered by straightening up his clothes and putting on the biggest smile I'd seen that day. I snapped his photo, thanked him, and walked away.

Soon it was time to leave. All of us got in the van before Jackie left the building so he didn't get stuck in the crowd. I was shocked to see the number of people that had gathered outside the residence! Since it was late in the afternoon, a lot of school kids were milling around - all of them were thrilled to see Jackie Chan in their neighborhood! Seconds later we were loaded into the van and heading back to Waterloo Road.

As I sat in the back talking to Fibe and watching the landscape streak by I silently thanked Willie, Jackie, and Solon for giving me the opportunity to experience something like this. It was a perfect day and just as that thought crossed my mind, Jackie turned around to me, held out his sunflower boutonniere, and said, "Katharine - for you."

Yes, just a perfect day.

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