How It All Goes Down
The Chengs — Hong Kong
- To open, we're given some background information on the Chinese Athletic Association, an exclusive club for the "most established of families" where dining is a spectator sport. (1.6.1).
- The Chengs (recall, this is Alexandra and her son Eddie from the Prologue) assemble for Sunday lunch at the CAA. It's a requirement for any family members in Hong Kong on Sundays.
- Dr. Malcolm Cheng, Eddie's dad, is Asia's "most esteemed heart surgeon" (1.6.3).
- He is so fancy he wears lambskin gloves and has a chauffeur to protect those hands.
- Alexandra thinks the chauffeur is ostentatious and thinks of herself as a humble "housewife" though she is the real "architect of their fortune" through shrewd real estate investments in Hong Kong from the 1970s on (1.6.4).
- Basically, Alexandra is the Hong Kong Hipster: she was collecting real estate in Hong Kong before it was cool.
- Sunday dim sum is a very serious opportunity for Malcolm and Alexandra to "inspect" their family (1.6.6):
- Alistair, the youngest and "hopeless one," is in the film industry and involved with a soap star of questionable heritage named Kitty Pong (1.6.7).
- Cecilia, "the horsey one" (honestly, we think that's the greatest nickname) spends more time on the equestrian circuit than she does with her son, Jake, who is near fluent in Tagalog that he's picking up from the maids (1.6.8).
- And, finally, Eddie, the spoiled one from the Prologue, "the perfect one," has progressed just as he should through life. He's married to Fiona, of good stock, and they have three "studious, well-behaved" kids (1.6.9).
- Worried most about Eddie, Alexandra thinks his current flights of fancy with "dubious Mainland Chinese billionaires" might be hurting his health and family (1.6.9)
- This particular lunch is important because, for the first time, the entire family is flying to Singapore for the Khoo wedding and Alexandra needs to orchestrate all the details.
- The family members arrive "in from all corners" with Eddie arriving last, late, and ignoring everyone (1.6.10).
- Eddie announces his buddy Leo wants them to use his family's jet to fly to Singapore.
- Wife Fiona thinks it unwise to have the entire family on one plane in case something bad happens.
- As if he'd anticipated the objection, Eddie counters with a plan that splits up the family and uses the plane three different times over the weekend.
- Different family members chime in with their interest and objections: What kind of plane? Why do I have to fly with my kids and you don't?
- Records screech when Alistair asks about bringing Kitty Pong since he's already RSVP'd for her and people are excited to meet her.
- Eddie and Alistair argue about Kitty's fame, which is beside the point. Alistair wants to introduce her to the family.
- Picking her battles, Alexandra decides not to address Alistair and instead voices concern about using Leo Ming's plane, or any private plane, citing "who do we think we are?" (1.6.25)
- Eddie literally explains who they are as justification for a private plane, making a scene about his mom being "provincial" (1.6.28). We can see Eddie hasn't grown up too much over the years.
- Surprised that their father is launching into a tirade in public, Eddie's kids briefly look up from their studying.
- Fiona asks him to be quiet and not talk about money in front of the kids.
- The family argues over using someone else's jet and buying a family jet. Malcolm gives the final word about not borrowing a Ming jet.
- Acting the part of the petulant teenager, Eddie declares his family will take the jet, brags about how nice it is, and calls his parents and siblings ungrateful.
- After Fiona and Eddie exchange some angry looks, Eddie storms out.
- Cecilia laughs at an off-color joke by her husband about Eddie and his family plunging to their deaths on the Ming's plane.
- Cheng Family, Party of Fun.