Going Up

It is late 1984 in Taipei, and a series of unplanned events are at play. Our protagonists, both in Asia on unrelated business trips, meet on a crowded elevator when she blurts out a quiet expletive-laced statement. You may call them karmic forces or perhaps chance, but whatever they are, Tom and Lorraine are destined to meet. They become friends, then lovers, and ultimately discover that their pasts and futures are intertwined.
Their philosophies about life could not be more different. Lorraine is a gifted designer with a strong spiritual practice who meditates regularly. Though she is very attracted to Tom, a pragmatic engineer, she worries her beliefs may negatively affect his feelings towards her. Tom can't believe he can fall in love in only a matter of days.
This is a nonfiction narrative written from two different perspectives, with each telling their version of the same event or happening. It is a love story that plays out over less than two weeks, immersed in the cultural, political, and commercial ethos of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. However, this work is much more than a love story. It provides evidence that unplanned happenings often push you in a positive direction.