A visual exploration of AI-generated images for a Cantonese presentation.
In May, my mom came to the U.S. for a conference. I flew to Atlanta to meet her—half secretary, half chauffeur. After that, I flew with her to Miami to meet a client, then to San Diego to visit an old friend of hers, and finally back to San Francisco.
五月個陣時我媽媽嚟美國參加國際商標協會年會，我飛咗美國中部嘅亞特蘭大陪佢一齊，算係秘書同司機。跟住我陪佢飛去邁阿密見客戶，再去聖地亞哥見佢嘅老朋友，最後返去舊金山。
五月份我母亲来美国开会，我飞到美国中部的亚特兰大陪她一起，算是秘书兼司机。之后我陪她飞去迈阿密见客户，在去圣地亚哥见她的老朋友，最后回到旧金山。
We traveled together from Atlanta (Airbnb with one bedroom each) to Miami (hotel with shared twin beds), then to San Diego (same setup), and finally back to Berkeley, where she took the bed and I downgraded to a yoga mat on the floor. As the trip went on, our mother-daughter tension became increasingly… visible.
由一開始喺Atlanta，我哋一人一間睡房嘅民宿，到之後兩站啲酒店標間，再到Berkeley我出租屋入面，我媽媽瞓床我瞓地下嘅配置，我哋嘅母女關係真係愈來愈緊張。
从一开始亚特兰大我们一人一间卧室的民宿，到之后两站的酒店标间，再到伯克利我出租屋里她睡床我睡地的配置，我们的母女关系肉眼可见地愈发紧张。
Thankfully, she’s a mature mom who understands the magic of personal space. “Distance makes the heart grow fonder,” she said, and voluntarily changed her flight to leave two days early.
好彩我媽媽已經係一個成熟嘅媽咪，知道留多啲私人空間俾子女，“距離產生美”，於是自覺改咗機票，提前兩日返北京。
幸亏她已经是一个成熟的妈妈，知道给孩子留出充分个人空间，“距离产生美”，于是自觉改签了机票，提前两天回北京。
But fate had other plans.
That Wednesday morning, I was driving her to the airport. The usual Bay Bridge was jammed beyond belief with weekday rush hour traffic, so we took the longer route over a southern bridge.
但係老天唔畀佢嘅冒險之旅咁順利結束：星期三朝頭早我揸車送佢去機場，本來已經好窄嘅海灣大橋，正值工作日嘅朝高峰，塞到水洩不通，於是我哋選擇繞遠啲行南邊另一座橋。
然而老天并没有让她的冒险旅程就这样平坦结束：星期三早上我开车送她去机场，本来就狭窄的海湾大桥恰逢工作日的早高峰，已是堵得要水泄不通，于是我们选择稍稍绕远走南边的另一座桥。
Just as we were finally approaching it, my mom suddenly remembered: while checking in online the night before, she had pulled out one of her passports. And now, she only had her old passport—with the U.S. visa, yes, but not the one she had checked in with. Trying to sound like a grown-up, I said, “Don’t panic. Take another look.” While I kept my eyes on the road, I noticed the right side-view mirror fogging up. I turned my head—her side window was clouded with condensation. She was frantically digging through her bag to the point of sweating.
我哋排排吓隊等住上橋，我媽媽突然想起前晚上網值機時拎出咗一本護照，而家包入面只剩返有美國簽證嗰本舊護照。我裝作成熟咁安慰佢：“唔好心急，再搵清楚啲。”就喺我專心揸車嘅時候，我隱約感覺到右邊後視鏡開始變得模糊，一轉頭就發現右邊窗戶已經全都蒙咗水霧——原來係媽媽翻包翻得太急。
正当我排着队快要开上桥时，我妈突然想起来前一天晚上在线值机的时候拿出了其中一本护照，如今包里只剩带有美国签证的旧护照。我假装成熟地安慰她：“别着急，你再好好找找。”就在我目视前方认真驾驶的时候，我隐约感觉右边后视镜变得有些模糊，我一转头，发现整片右边窗户此时已经蒙了一层水雾——是妈妈翻包翻得太着急了。
A quick Google search confirmed our fears: no physical passport, no flight. We had to go back and get it.
But we were already on the bridge. No turning back.
經過一輪短暫嘅在線搜索後，我哋確認冇護照就絕對唔可以上機，只好返返屋企拎返護照。嗰陣我哋已經行咗上橋，冇得返頭路。
经过一番短暂的在线搜索后，我们确定没有实体护照是绝对不能上飞机的，只好返回出租屋取。当时我们已经上了桥，再没有回头路。
I used the traffic pause to quickly calculate: if I dropped her off just past the bridge to grab a cab to the airport, and I made a solo round trip to Berkeley for the passport, I might—just might—make it back in time. So we went for it.
我搵時間計算過，如果一下橋就俾我媽落車，讓佢帶住行李先搭的士返機場，我馬上返屋企拎返護照再返機場，仲有一線希望，於是我哋就咁辦。
堵车的空档我用导航计算了一下时间，如果我一下桥就放下我妈，让她带着行李打车先到机场，我立刻开车回去取上护照再开回机场，大概还有一线希望，于是我们就这么办。
The way back was wide open. I took the Bay Bridge toward Berkeley, and the traffic was blissfully light. I drove like a woman on a mission. The moment I parked outside my place, I was already halfway out of the car before the handbrake light even had a chance to glow. I dashed up the front steps, flew through the door, grabbed the passport, and ran back out.
ETA to the airport: 46 minutes. Flight at 10:35. Baggage check closes at 9:35. It was 8:49.
返返去時，我行海灣大橋，去Berkeley方向啲車唔多，唔塞車，可以一路飛。
停車嗰陣，我真係恨不得手剎燈未亮完，我已經衝下車，三步並兩步衝上樓梯，拎返護照就咁順利出返嚟。
望返去機場ETA，就係46分鐘，即係9:35。預計10:35起飛，起飛前一個鐘停止辦托運行李。
回去时我走的是海湾大桥，通往伯克利的方向这个时间一点不堵车，方便我一路狂飙。
在房门口停下车的一瞬，我恨不得连手刹灯还没完全亮起，就已经冲下车门，三步并作两步跳上门口的台阶，冲进房间顺利取得护照。
这时再看去机场的ETA，46分钟，也就是九点三十五分。预计10:35起飞，起飞前一个小时停止办理托运手续。
While I was racing back, my mom sent me a voice message saying, “It’s okay if we miss it. We can just change the flight. Tomorrow’s flight will cost over ¥10,000 more, but the one five days later is only ¥2,000 more.”
She sounded weirdly calm, which only made me more anxious. Five days? No way. I had to get her on that plane.
再一次行返機場，路上我媽發語音話安慰我，話如果趕唔得就改簽，第二日嘅航班要加一萬多人民幣，但係好彩五日後嘅航班加兩千人民幣啫。
佢聽落好似輕鬆咗好多，但係壓力就落到我呢邊：五日呀——唔得，我一定要趕得及今次航班。
再次踏上去往机场的路，路上妈妈发语音来安慰我，说实在赶不上就改签，第二天的航班要加一万多，但是好在五天后的航班只要再加两千块人民币。
她听起来好像轻松了很多，但是压力给到我这边：五天啊——不行，我一定要赶上今天的航班。
I arrived at the toll gate of the bridge again—gridlock.
再返到熟悉嘅大橋收費站，我見到遠遠已經排成停車場咁壯觀。
眼看着又来到了熟悉的大桥收费站，远远我就看见这堵成停车场的壮观景象。
I tried sneaking into the far-left carpool lane even though I was driving solo, but chickened out last second, fearing I’d get caught. Just before the tollbooth, I saw an opening between two cars in the regular lane—a white Tesla Model Y. I swerved in front of it. They didn’t even honk. Bless whoever was driving that car.
懷住一絲僥倖心理，我偷偷左邊排去carpool lane，但怕過收費站時被查到人數唔夠，直到臨到收費站前兩架車嘅距離，我睇準咗一架白色model Y前嘅空檔，臨時向右切到普通車道。嗰部白色Tesla居然冇按喇叭，我真係喺心裡多謝咗後面嘅司機。
我怀着些许侥幸心理，一只溜在最左侧的carpool lane，但是担心过收费站时被发现车上人数不够，直到临到收费站前两辆车的距离，我看准了一辆白色model Y前的空档，临时向右切到普通车道。而这辆白色特斯拉居然没有按喇叭，我真是在心里给后面这位司机磕头了。
That little stunt probably saved me five minutes. I pulled up to the airport curb at 9:34, threw on the hazards, didn’t even take off my UV gloves, and sprinted inside like a track star.
就咁插咗隊，俾我節省咗五分鐘時間。等我返到機場門口，啱啱9:34，我將車停低，打晒雙閃，防曬手套都唔摘，就用我人生最快速度衝入機場大廳。
就这样插队，为我节省了至少五分钟的时间。等我开到机场门口，刚好9:34分，我找了个黄线停下车，打上双闪，防晒手套都没摘就以我此生最快的冲刺速度跑进了机场大厅。
By some miracle, my mom was just getting to the front of the check-in line. I spotted her silhouette and almost collapsed with relief. I handed her the passport, gave her the fastest hug of my life, and bolted back out to reunite with my abandoned “car son.” Luckily, she and my dad are visiting the U.S. next month, so we’ll see each other again very soon.
啱啱排到我媽辦理值機，越過人群睇到佢喺櫃台前嘅側影時，真係鬆咗口氣。我遞返護照畀佢，匆忙咁抱咗一抱就返返去我啱啱拋喺路邊嘅“車仔”身邊。好彩佢哋下個月一家三口要嚟美國旅遊，我哋好快就可以再見。
这时正好排到了我妈妈办理值机，我越过人群看到站在值机柜台前的她的侧影时，如释重负。我把护照交到她手里，仓促地给了她一个拥抱就不得不立刻返回被我抛在路边的“车儿子”身边。好在他们下个月一家三口来美国旅游，我们很快就会再见。
On the drive back, I couldn’t help but marvel: Bay Area drivers are weirdly polite. I had been cutting lanes like crazy, sneaking through every tiny opening—and no one honked. Not one single horn.
I made a silent vow: from now on, whenever I see a car frantically weaving through traffic, I won’t mutter “what, late for your reincarnation?” under my breath. Who knows? Maybe they’re rushing to the airport to deliver their mom’s passport too.
Nowadays, whenever I hit the road, I drive with a heart full of gratitude.
返程時，我唔禁感嘆，今日遇到啲司機素質真係高得可怕。雖然我一路鬼切邊道，見縫插針，但竟然冇車喺我旁邊按過喇叭。
我心裡發誓，以後見到咁啱急住加三嘅車，我唔會再話人哋係“趕去投胎”啦，可能人哋係急住返機場送護照畀佢嘅媽媽添？而家我凡係揸车上路，都心懷感激。
回去路上我忍不住感叹，今天遇到的司机人均素质高得可怕。虽然我一路各种鬼切边道，见缝就钻，但是居然没有一辆车朝我按过喇叭。
我在心里发誓，以后在路上遇到着急加三的车，我再也不说人家是“赶去投胎”的了，说不定人家是着急去机场给妈妈送护照呢？现在我凡是上路，都心怀感激。
