Citizen 3, this is Auckland. Auckland, Citizen 3.

One of the first short plays I've ever written, 'Citizen 3', is premiering in New Zealand tomorrow tonight.

And I'm not there to watch it.

It's a very heart-wrenching feeling, not being present at a huge milestone in my career as a writer. I wish I could slink into the theatre, find a corner seat and hear the first lines being uttered in darkness, butterflies and all, gravity-oblivious, nervous as f***.

I initially wrote about the playwriting process here, and it still never ceases to amaze me how the words that have rolled off my fingers have the capability of reaching audiences through a multi-sensory medium, let alone in another part of the world that I have yet to set foot in.

I unfortunately wasn't able to find a sponsor to fund my trip over, especially in such financially troubling times. But I do feel privileged and honored and blessed that people have enough faith in my talents to share it on an international level.

To my scriptwriting mentor Tony Forster, I am in awe of you, and thank you so graciously for your guidance. Alex and Gerald, thank you for your input on 'Citizen 3', and for injecting so much passion into Oryza and what it stands for.

And to my director Yee Yang aka Square, gosh. I don't know where to start with my appreciation for the ridiculous amounts of hard work that you have put into this production. I know there have been times where I didn't really make things any less chaotic. But it never went unfelt, and your calibre humbles me, always. Next time you come back to KL, I'm gonna make sure we're not going to start and end our encounter with something as tragic as a rushed lunch again.

To my fellow writers Hiroshi, Mei-Lin, Kiel, Mukilan, Misa, Renee and Ying Ly, it's humbling to be put in the same league as all of you. Congratulations and may this production evoke and inspire, and lead to more phenomenal representations of the world's Asian community.

To the actors of 'Citizen 3': Leand, Alvin, Andrea and John, thank you so much for being a part of my vision. May you have fun portraying the characters as much as I had fun creating them.

I know I have missed out many more who are responsible for making this a success, so to all the cast and crew of Asian Tales™: Native Alienz - BREAK A LEG!

For those who just happen to be in Auckland as they read this, do yourself a favor and watch this.

For more info about the play and ticket details, visit The Oryza Foundation website.