And just like that, they paid for the meal to a very receptive wait staff, signed a few autographs for them, and we walked right out onto Bloor Street – one of the busiest streets in Toronto! I thought Jackie might’ve had private body guards or something waiting outside hidden away like ninjas ready to pop out and protect him from crazy fans but no! No body guards, no police escorts, no private limousine – nothing! The group of us just started…walking.
I was walking beside Jackie his right, with Willie on his other side. My heart pounding at a million beats a minute. I was still shocked that he travelled out in the open so freely like this, so I racked up the courage asked him nervously, “Aren’t you worried you’ll get noticed?”
Willie overheard and answered, “No, most of the time when Jackie’s in America or Canada people don’t expect that he’s there so they just walk by. Sometimes maybe one or two people notice and will ask for an autograph but nothing too big. But in Hong Kong Jackie wouldn’t be able to walk one step through the streets without being attacked!”
“Wow…!” I exclaimed.
We made our way across the street to the big Chapters book store (the one which used to stand next to the Nike store which now isn’t there anymore). While we were riding up the big escalator inside to the second floor there were these two white guys going down on the other side and I overheard one of them say to the other, “Hey that guy looks a kinda like Jackie Chan, doesn’t he?”
I wanted to yell out, “This IS Jackie Chan you fool!! And I’M riding up this escalator with him!!!” But that’s all that happened, they didn’t ride back up to get a clear look at him or anything. I guess they just thought we were a bunch of Chinese tourists.
Solon went over to the help desk and asked how many copies of Jackie Chan: My Life In Action (Jackie’s biography) they had available in the store. The girl at the desk said they didn’t have any which seemed to upset Willie and Jackie a little. I looked back at the girl afterwards and I think the she was really embarrassed when she realized that this was actually Jackie Chan in the store! I bet after she told her manager the store always carried several copies Jackie’s biography!
After that we headed back to the Four Seasons hotel where Jackie was staying. I entered the room and was taken aback right away. This room had a private sitting room with couches and a television and a double door leading into the bedroom! It was the biggest hotel room I’d ever seen! They of course wanted to check out the video I had brought. I had it on a VHS tape and I guess at the Four Seasons (and most hotels) they don’t have VHS machines readily available. Dorothy made a call and within minutes the staff had wheeled in a VHS deck and hooked it up right away! You know, you always hear about millionaires and stars getting what they want when they want, but to actually experience it first hand – it was a level of luxury that I had only imagined!
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