Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Korean Dreams....韓國夢.......

UPDATE 3/8/06:
Just some further comments on just how popular korean things are nowadays.....in Bangkok, Korean entertainment is just as popular as it is in Malaysia, i saw once on TV that at the same time, 3 korean dramas were being broadcast on 3 different channels....further, korean drama vcds and dvds were widely sold in stores around bangkok....the korean band dong fang sheng qi were also going to perform in Bangkok sometime in Aug and even on a comedy show, they were acting out 'Jewel in the Palace' about the female doctor in the Chosun Dynasty....when i came bck to Penang, on one episode of a Taiwanese entertainment show, the celebrities were teaching audiences how to speak korean (and i already knew alot of these words) and in Bkk me and my friend realised we both knew quite alot of korean words merely thru watching the dramas...my friend even jokingly did the 'saranghae' and heart shape movement towards her sister which is popular in korean dramas, namely 'My Name is Kim Sam Soon'....the power of korea's 'soft power' is immense....as Suanie.net once said..'korean food is as common as teh tarik nowadays and everyone wants to shag a korean'...haha...how true how true.....i certainly would name korean men as my no 1 preference if based purely on sexual terms....*shy*
I simply love korean entertainment...and so does Asia....ever since the Korean Wave swept through Asia in 2001 with the melodrama 'Autumn in my heart' in Taiwan and 'Winter Sonata' in 2004 in Japan, Korean dramas, movies, and entertainment has become very popular across Asia....nowadays, Korean dramas and films are sold everywhere u look in Taiwan, China, HK, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and apparently in Vietnam and Thailand as well...the korean craze has also brought about the craze for korean food with korean restaurants popping up across Asia and korean instant noodles having become the norm...

i mean, if anyone still remembers, a mere 5 yrs ago, korean food and dramas and entertainment were not well known outside of korea and in places like malaysia, people didn't even know what kimchi was or what the korean traditional costume looked like....however, that has all changed. Now, almost every malaysian and taiwanese knows what kimchi is and i would say more than half of the population has tried it...further, since the success of 'Jewel in the Palace', alot of people now know what a korean traditional dress looks like....malaysian tv and taiwanese tv also currently frequently broadcast korean dramas with malaysian tv currently showing like at least 5 dramas on air and cable at the same time....

I myself, am a great fan of korean dramas bcos they are so pro-women and provide an ideal.....they provide the ideal man which is my explanation for why they are so popular with Asian women right across the continent and how it hints at how similar the ideal man is to women beyond different cultures....for example, the guy is ALWAYS sooooo freaking delicious and always handsome with a great body in korean dramas...this is in stark contrast to japanese dramas which i shall not comment further and Chinese ones to an extent as well...also korean dramas often show scenes of the guy half naked either in the shower or somewhere else with their refined six pack well sculpted bodies(believe me i have noticed this trend!!) on display...they make 'excuses' to show the guy half naked which is something obviously very attractive....so naughty me....

and also not only do korean drama guys have good bodies, they ALSO have the ideal personality...they are invariably kind, good-hearted, sweet and caring and MORE IMPORTANTLY seem to love the woman more than the woman loves him with scenes of him forever asking the girl not to give up on their love and the girl being more rational...and also the guy is almost always very rich too and NOT horny at all..seemingly totally disinterested in wanting to have sex with the girl until marriage...and they do not watch porn nor masturbate presumably as well. haha...the plot also almost always two guys going all crazy over the girl with the girl in the position to choose and to be pampered....gosh...sooo romantic....korean dramas really provide me with a much needed space to believe in fairytales, a place where there is no sex nor violence, a place where guys are perfect, caring and not just trying to sleep with you, a place where true and pure love prevails and love conquers all....i am getting all romantic now....hehe

Hong Kong Films Nolstalgia (3)....香港電影回顧(三)

The Last and Final Post of the trilogy on Hong Kong Cinema from the early to mid 1990s... the Golden Years..


情人的眼淚 Lover's Tears (1996) Cast: Carmen Lee, Derek Yee
Poignant tale about a woman who marries a widower but loses him in a car accident which leaves him in a permanent state of coma and how she has to take care of his two children under tough circumstances whereby they are reduced to living in a small rented room from their mansion...also deals with her relationship with an ex-cop whom is now a long-distance lorry driver and his love for her.....

沒有老公的日子 Tragic Commitment (1995) Cast: Anita Yuen, Josie Ho, Jeannie Yip

Immensely touching film about a widow who only finds out that her husband had an affair with a hostess and that the hostess is pregnant with his son upon her husband's death in an accident. She then has to learn to come to terms with all this as well as accept the woman into her wealthy life as her mother-in-law wishes for a grandson which this woman can give given that her son is dead....very touching, especially the ending....

宋家皇朝 Soong Sisters (1997) Cast: Maggie Cheung, Michelle Yeoh, Veronica Wu
About the Soong Sisters and their lives....also chronicles China in the early 20th century...won numerous awards then incl. Best Picture, Musical Score,etc

三個相愛的少年 Oh! My three guys (1993) Cast: Jacqualine Wu, Lau Ching Wan, Eric Kot

Three gay men in Hong Kong in the early 90s...their lives, their loves, and their attempts to reconcile and face their homosexuality....Lau Ching Wan is in the closet,forever afraid ppl will find out about him with Jacqualine Wu in hot pursuit of him, Dayo Wong has problems with his boyfriend and my favourite Eric Kot is kicked out of the house by his father who cannot accept his 'perversion'....i really like this film despite the obligatory ending often found in gay-themed films of the early 90s (it was still quite conservative then) whereby Lau Ching Wan 'turns' straight and falls for Wu...i found the Eric Kot story one of THE best and most emotionally powerful scenes of any gay films i have ever seen...it involved him contracting AIDS and his final words thru a videocam to his friends as well as his father...it really tore at my heart and i cried so loudly as if my own relative had contracted AIDS and left the video after his death..Eric kot was nominated for a best actor award in 94 for the role...

梁祝 The Lovers (1993) Cast: Charlie Young, Nick Wu

Based on the classic Chinese tale about a woman who pretends to be a man in order to enter school and how her classmate falls for her without realising she is actually a woman...

飛一般愛情故事 Love is not a Game, But a Joke! (1997) Cast: Shu Qi, Andy Hui

Three friends and their stories with three women....i really like this film alot...

花月假期 Love in the Time of Twillight (1994) Cast: Nick Wu, Charlie Young

A Fantastic little film by Tsui Hark set in the 1920s in Canton whereby a man is killed and his spirit is trapped in the electric lines and how he enlists the help of a woman to help him find out who murdered him as he can't remember as well as the romance which blossoms between them...
Other recommended films: Cos there is simply too many, i will just state their names and year of release and cast..further there are many more films that I would highly recommend which i have not included given the amount of good films so have a look around urself:)
Golden Girls (1995) Cast: Lau Ching Wan, Anita Yuen...
Killing Me Tenderly (1997) Cast: Leon Lai, Sammi Cheng....
Red Rose White Rose (1994) Cast: Winston Chao, Joan Chen, Veronica Yip....

A Continuation of HK Stars of that era i like: 葉玉卿 Veronica Yip.....undisputely the most famous soft porn star of the early 90s...i am sure anyone( especially Chinese men!!) whom still remember the early 1990s will remember Veronica....she acted in 6 soft porn films which reaped in millions in profits and shot her to fame...she later quit soft porn and acted in more mainstream roles and films but was and is still remembered for her soft porn films....she is one of my favourite Hong Kong actresses of the time which is funny given the feminist in me and how i obviously don't like women but i really like Veronica, the ex-porn star...haha...i actually have never seen her porn films and fell in love with her cos of her fantastic portrayals of traditional feminine women roles (ironic given her fame in more 'juicy' roles) in 'Hong Kong on fire 1941' as the traditional obedient sister who sacrifices herself and is raped by the Japanese soldiers as well as in 'Red Rose, White Rose' in which Veronica plays the docile wife who represents and fulfils every man's dream of the ideal submissive Chinese wife...

Red rose, White rose..Veronica being the traditional submissive wife who shows her frustration at the loveless marriage through non-controntational means...she is the one with the white veil....below is Veronica during her 'soft-porn' days...even i can understand why the average male went ga-ga over her...haha...

Veronica in the 2000s with her child...she quit acting in 1996 and married an American-Chinese tycoon, moving to New York...

楊采妮 She is one of my favourite actresses of all time,Charlie Young...she is just sooo pretty...haha...i seem to have tons of favourite actresses but hardly any male ones...gosh!.....anyways, she quit acting around 1998 but re-started her acting career in 2004....

Hope the three post are useful for those readers who haven't seen some of the films or who have never seen Hong Kong films...well, despite the crappy HK films in recent years, there are really good ones from the earlier 1990s which i have recommended so check them out!!

Hong Kong Films Nolstalgia (2)....香港電影回顧(二)

家有喜事 Alls Well Ends Well (1994) Cast:Stephen Chow, Leslie Cheung, Teresa Mo, Sandra Ng,Maggie Cheung
One of the funniest Chinese New Year films i've seen...sadly they no longer produce such high-quality entertainment any more....a MUST SEE with my fav comedian Stephen Chow and Sandra Ng and Teresa Mo...another MUST-SEE film is the Magnificent Scoundrels 情聖 by Stephen Chow (1995) which will guarantee alot of laughter...
新難兄難弟 He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father (1993) Cast: Tony Leung Ka Fai, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Carina Lau, Anita Yuen.
Nolstalgic film dedicated to the people of that era (the film even states that at the end!) where a son who never appreciates his father falls into a construction hole in Memory Lane and gets transported back to the 1960s and meets his father and mother in their courting days...very hilarious...


新同居時代 The Conjugal Affairs (1993) Cast: Jacqueline Wu, Sylvia Chang, Maggie Cheung

Three different women and 3 different stories....set in the early 90s...very nice...first story about a couple...second about a married woman who hires a rentboy....and the last and my personal fav about a woman who does not know whether a caucasian or her ex boyf fathered her baby as she slept with both of them within days of each other...she pulls thru with the help of her gay friend, Eric Kot (another favourite comedian of mine)

百分百感覺 Feel 100%...Once More (1996) Cast: Ekin Cheng, Sammi Cheng, ChingMy Yau
Great entertaining film about a bunch of young ppl's life in late 90s HK....


自梳 The Intimates (1997) Cast: Charlie Young, Carina Lau

A film about the women who did not marry and were maids in households being completely self-reliant....and on the relationship between two women which transcended friendship...

甜密密 Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1996) Cast: Maggie Cheung, Leon Lai

A classic about two mainland Chinese who travel to HK in search of a better life in the late 80s and follows them as they cope with life in HK...

I have alot of favourite actresses of the time, some of which i have incl. photos: Jacqueline Wu, Charlie Young, Sandra Ng, Chingmy Yau, Veronica Yip, Maggie Cheung, Teresa Mo,Anita Yuen,etc..most of these actresses have either married and no longer act or have moved to other markets such as mainland China...

邱淑貞 Chingmy Yau
張曼玉 Maggie Cheung 袁詠儀 Anita Yuen

Continued on 3rd and final post.....

PS: On another note, i am flying off to Bangkok for the first time on AirAsia on holiday this coming Friday...really excited...will blog about it after i return and have a good rest...any suggestions of places to go and things not to be missed anyone??

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Hong Kong Films Nolstalgia (1)....香港電影回顧(一)

I grew up, like many mainland Chinese, HK people, Taiwanese, and overseas Chinese, watching HK films. I spent much of my childhood and adolescents watching these films and fell in love with them. Of cos, that was during the 'Golden Era' of HK films, what i would categorise as from the early 1980s all the way thru to 1997 after which the quality and production of HK films has dropped so significantly that i would recommend NO ONE to watch the vast majority of HK films now, which to me are either total crap or such no-brainers that its a complete waste of time...

It is truly sad that HK films, which accompanied me thru my childhood, has fallen into such a state. I now hardly watch HK films anymore, preferring Korean ones...however, given that i am only 22, when i came of age, the golden era had also just slipped by....most of the films from that golden era i watched thru video and laser discs rental shops still popular at the time (VCDS were not that fashionable then, not to mention DVDs which simply didn't exist then!!)
Below are some HK films which gave me a lasting impression and to me are classics and not-to-be-missed OR just plain fun HK films, though thin on plot, were extremely entertaining in their low-brow way, unlike present ones which TRY to entertain but fail miserably.


天涯海角 Lost and Found (1996) Cast: Kelly Chan, Takeshi Kaneshiro

Thought provoking film about a wealthy woman who only has 3 months to live and a man who makes a living thru finding stuff for people. She wants to find a sailor who can show her 'the end of the world' (thus the Chinese title) and hires the man to find the sailor for her. I simply LOVE the tagline of the film: I have lost hope, can u find hope for me?

虎度門 Hu Du Men (1996) Cast: Josephine Xiao, Anita Yuen, Daniel Chan

Heart-warming tale about a Cantonese opera singer and the son she gave away....by the veteran Josephine Xiao........

金枝玉葉 He's a Woman, She's a Man (1994+1996) Cast: Leslie Cheung, Anita Yuen

A tale of gender confusion whereby a woman pretends to be a guy and makes it big in the entertainment industry and how she has to hide her gender identity...Leslie Cheung starts to fall for her, thinking its a 'him' and cannot reconcile that, thinking he has 'turned' gay...there are 2 parts to this film, one 1994 and the sequel 1996....it is a fantastic film and a classic, closely mirroring Leslie Cheung's real life whereby he actually tried to hide his homosexuality in the beginning...

地久天長 Forever and Ever (2001) Cast: Sylvia Chang

Based on a true life story about a mother dealing with her HIV+ positive son...a good informative film about AIDS....won Sylvia Chang (one of my favourite female HK actresses!!) an award at the HK film Awards for this role..

半生緣 Eighteen Springs (1997) Cast: Jacqueline Wu Chien Lien, Leon Lai Ming, Anita Mui Yim Fong

Set in the 1930s in Shanghai about 2 sisters, one, an educated teacher, the other, an uneducated nightclub girl and based on China's most well-known female novelist Eileen Chang Ai Ling's novel. Highly recommended.

新不了情 Cest La Vie, Mon Cheri Cast: Anita Yuen, Lau Ching Wan, Petrina Fung Bo Bo, Carina Ng

This tear-jearker and highly touching film broke box-office records in 1993 when it was released, to the surprise of many analyst, given that it was unlike the big budgeted box-office movies at the time....when i first watched it, i was sooo bored with the entire film and simply couldn't understand how it could have touched so many HK audiences at the time...however, i finally realised in the last 15 mins and felt extremely depressed and sad at the ending...the film's success is precisely in its slow paced style and the ending hits u hard as u didn't really expect it..it also makes u ponder about life...and i absolutely love the title song (same name as the movie title) which i have sung in karaoke for like 4 times in the past 3 weeks already....the very last scene where Anita Yuen leaves a paper written with something to Lau Ching Wan is really thought-provoking: 'If the most scary thing on earth is death, then there is no other problem on earth which cannot be resolved.'Continued in 2nd post.....

Monday, July 10, 2006

Penang Days~More Photos 檳城的日子~照片篇

Tang Dynasty Chinese Restaurant
Seoul Garden
Cakes at Foodloft,Gurney Plaza
Mango Shaved Ice at Foodloft, Gurney Plaza
Foodloft, Gurney Plaza
Italian place....
Tea at E&O Hotel....Mango Souffle and Iced Lemon Tea...
Taiwanese Dan Zhi Mian at Taiwan Gu Zhao Wei Restaurant
Tzu Chi Bookstore
Hahaha...return of mouth-watering food pics aimed at making my readers fat...ppl who have seen me are always surprised at my passion for food given that i am thin but i do know the nice places to eat cos i love food... yummy,yummy.....)

Penang Days....檳城的日子...

Tzu Chi Bookstore, Beach Street, Penang
Kirishima 'Rainbow Roll'....what an appropriate name..haha...
Penang State Museum, Trishaw
Penang State Museum, Japanese Occupation of Penang display section
Penang State Museum, Penang Kopitiam....
The Famous E&O Hotel built in the 1800s by the famous Sarkie Brothers whom also built the Singapore Raffles Hotel.
The Clubbing District in Penang...it was my first time there despite having come bck to Penang so many times..The Lounge Club...as u can see, every day is a special day eg. Wed= Ladies Night Thu=Gay Night,etc


So what have i been up to since i came bck to Penang? Well i have been eating and eating and eating all the nice hawker food, Italian,Japanese,Chinese, Korean,etc...also finished watching 2 Hong Kong TVB Dramas, both of which are highly recommended:女人不易做 'La Femme' and 潮爆大佐'Bar Bender'. The guy in Bar Bender is so cute somemore...hehe...a lower class character, one of those guys in rugged jeans and talk dirty with messy hair ...you know, bad boys do have their sexy edge....hehe....

I was talking on the phone with CK one day when he suddenly decides to board the earliest bus the very next day from KL to come to see me in Penang...thanks CK:) I had been asking him to come....
He arrived on Sat afternoon and i went to see him at the hotel...i almost got killed when talking to him on the phone whilst crossing the road!! A lesson learnt to pay attention whilst crossing the road..haha...

We went to Chinatown 'Campbell St' cos it was close by and took a walk around...of cos it was quite deserted and nothing compared to KL's Petaling Street...then we went to Prangin Mall and had a walk around...he wanted to get 'QAF' DVD for his friend but has any Penangites noticed, all the pirated DVD stores in all the malls have been shut down?!!! Anyways, we sat down for a chat at Starbucks and he revealed something that almost gave me a heart attack...it wasn;t something big but he made it sound extremely serious as if he had murdered someone before!! (no CK DIDN'T murder anyone).....Called Josh to see if he wanted to join us but he was in KL, mayb next time...we then went to Gurney Plaza and he said it was MUCH better than Prangin Mall and i was glad he liked it cos this was like THE one and only mall in Penang which is happening and i wouldn't know where to bring him if he didn't like Gurney....we walked around and then went to Gurney Drive hawkers then to Gurney Hotel area...cos both of us were tired, he went home early...came bck, Joseph called and we chat for like over 2 hrs, i was really tired but he was keen to talk and given he was calling from KL so i just talked to him....nice friendly guy and nice conversation...


The next day, i met Jeff and we had breakfast at Gurney Plaza and then we met up with CK who was at Celebrity Gym...we took the bus to Beach St (my first time to take the bus in Penang in my entire life though i lived here for like ages! talked to this German couple who were visiting Asia)...showed CK the historic buildings of Beach St and then Jeff went to do his volunteer work at Tzu Chi Bookstore 慈濟 whilst me and CK walked to the Penang State Museum which was newly renovated....then we went to have lunch at 'Kirishima' Penang's Best Japanese at Cititel Hotel...met my mother's friend whose son MD is also my brother's kindergarden friend...well..CK said he didn't see anyone cute in his entire Penang trip EXCEPT MD whom he was like perving on whilst we were eating and whom i happened to know...sorry ok CK, i should have asked him out for dinner....chatted with them before we left, MD is only 18 and currently waiting for his results to enter a prestigious university in London to do medicine (btw Both his parents are english-educated doctors in Penang and many of his cousins are doctors too)...he has changed so much since the last time i saw him i couldn't recognise him at all!!!! He is a man now whilst the last time i saw him, he was still a boy...

Went to the Tzu Chi bookstore and had a chat..it was a very nice environment..there were many students studying there. HOWEVER our conversation was sooo INAPPROPRIATE given the environment...i mean we were talking about stuff which would make ppl gasp if they overheard us...i also found out more about CK..i definitely value his frankness in telling me his 'experiences' but we had to talk in code language given that there was a Chung Ling highschool boy sitting RIGHT next to us! Can't have him hear what we were talking about so we used O,A,MM,NT,etc..haha.....


I then took CK to La Bella Italia the Best Italian in Penang (well, at least i think so) on Bellisa Row...we had linguine marinara and fettucine carbonara...nice place and very popular with the Japanese expats for some reason...then went to A&W at Gurney Plaza where i had my rootbeer float and saw a very cute guy (ok, CK didn't find him cute..he thought MD was cute...haha)...thanked CK for coming to Penang and he left...
Well, CK, if u r reading this, THANK YOU for coming to visit me in Penang and i hope u enjoyed Penang!! I know, many times i seemed more like the tourist than u, cos i am pretty blur..haha...i sure did enjoy and re-discover Penang myself:)

Other than the days bringing CK around when he was in Penang, i have been quite laid back...went Karaoke with my mother and brother for the first time as a family (my dad was overseas) at Gurney Plaza, pretty cool cos we all sang different 'types of songs'. My mother sang all old chinese songs whilst i sang mostly modern chinese songs( and a few english ones and one malay one , my fav, Belaian Jiwa) and my brother all english songs...ate a couple of times at Seoul Garden Penang's Best Korean just above McDonalds Gurney Drive...had tea at E&O Hotel with my mother's friends as well as lunch at the Italian Restaurant with my mother's friends and MD (haha..dun be jealous CK...Me + MD didn't talk that much)...

Went with Jeff to try out the new food court on the higher flr of Gurney Plaza..nice atmosphere, like a restaurant...called Foodloft....see photo above....went to eat nice western breakfast at my mom's friend's place at Batu Ferringhi this morning (Sun)...her son is so cute man..hehehe...i saw his photo....he is currently in Adelaide, 21, former Chung Ling student...active in sports,etc, is the Vice President of an international student association at uni...thus i just realised that 2 Penang guys i know are pres/vice pres of international student bodies in Aust and cute also...wah, Penang boys are cute, smart and active...i think my future hubby will ideally be a Penang boy...must be Chinese educated of cos....hehehehe...

Well, I have been asking people to visit me in Penang, as u can see from the photos, Penang is a nice place and if u come, i can bring u around and we can go eat at the restaurants i posted on..hehe...so X and A come to Penang again lah, Lawrence came again too lar...also WK( in case u dun know who u r, u r the one moving bck to KL!) come visit, u can stay at my place:)..Come come!!

Saturday, July 01, 2006

The Chinese Century....中華世紀.....

I am a person who is very proud of my Chinese ancestry and heritage and this can be seen by my blog being named ' Chinese Chic'....however, it is funny that throughout the life of this blog, there has not been a single post on Chineseness or China...u can check the archives...so far, posts have referred to China and Chineseness but not directly....thus, today, this post shall be on the rise of China, Chinese culture and language as well as its impact on overseas Chinese and the world....

I am half Malaysian Chinese and half Taiwanese...thus pure 100% ethnic Chinese...i am Hunanese following my grandfather, a KMT soldier, who travelled to Taiwan from mainland China (Nationalist Party, which was the govt of China 1911-1949 ) right after the Japanese occupation of Taiwan and settled there when the KMT govt was driven to Taiwan. I am however biologically 3/4 hokkien given that my paternal grandma is Taiwanese (thus Hokkien) and both my maternal grandparents are hokkien too.

I have always been very proud of being Chinese and dislike and will look down on those Chinese whom have no sense of their roots or even worse, want to become 'white people' and do not know chinese AND do not make any efforts to learn the language or their culture...i have always held great pride in being able to speak Mandarin, Cantonese and some Hokkien and Mandarin will always be my language of emotion being more varied with more choices of words...further i have a Taiwanese accent which is one thing i am proud of..i ALWAYS get told that my mandarin is not malaysian accented mandarin and just today once again a shopkeeper asked if i was from Taiwan..haha..i don't mean to sound boastful but i just think taiwanese mandarin sounds more refined than malaysian accented mandarin..further, taiwanese accented mandarin gives off the impression that the mandarin level is higher(i 've been told my Chinese level is very high which is so NOT true...i attribute it to my taiwanese accented mandarin alone)

I don't understand why many Malaysian Chinese are just so 'westernised' like many singaporeans, hong kong people,etc...some seemed to be even ashamed of their chinese heritage trying to emulate the west as if being 'westernised' means being modern and being chinese means being backwards and uncivilised...so silly...

Also, the 21st Century has been reputed to be the Chinese Century....the 19th being English and the 20th being American...even now, the growing global power of China is very visible with CNN and Times frequently mentioning China and the recent Time Mag cover story being the growing popularity of learning Mandarin around the globe....indeed, my personal experience in Tokyo showed that almost anyone who was looking ahead to the future knew that the answer lies in China and knowing Chinese is fast becoming just as important as knowing English in the global marketplace....

However, I think there has been an improvement overall though in that more and more Chinese ppl overseas are rediscovering their roots and picking up mandarin and getting into Chinese culture again...for instance...haha, 'cheongsam/qipao talk' again...i have realised that in recent years, many tv dramas and movies have tons of nice qipaos in them showing a renewed appreciation of the dress by the Chinese....also there has been a revival of interest in traditional chinese arts and culture....

China and the Chinese will definitely play a prominent role in the 21st century given that there are more than 30 million Chinese overseas all over the world, there are Chinatowns everywhere from France to India, and Chinese food is famous the world over now from the smallest village in Britain to New York and Seoul...there are further 4 Chinese speaking areas, being China, Taiwan, HK, and Singapore...Chinese culture and language has also greatly influenced many cultures in Asia, not least Korea, Japan and Vietnam....With such figures and stats, how can one not feel proud of being Chinese??

Of cos it is essential to differentiate b/w love for Chinese culture, language and heritage and love towards China or the Chinese govt...i LOVE Chinese culture, language and history BUT am nevertheless extremely proud of being Taiwanese and have always regarded Taiwan as a separate independent country..thus liking the culture does not necessarily equate to liking the govt or nation..Taiwan and Malaysia will always be my home..not China...

That said, I am glad that China is rising cos it will bring benefits to overseas Chinese too...i look forward to the day when being Chinese or of Chinese background is something to be admired as it is now with being Caucasian/white or Japanese...also i am always VERY EAGER to promote Chinese culture and language.....so i am more than happy to meet ppl interested in Chinese culture and especially Chinese history; the Japanese invasion and occupation period 1931-1945....i would also be happy to assist anyone learning or wanting to learn Mandarin FREE of CHARGE and i can help u get a nice taiwanese accented mandarin like mine if u want, and further, i can teach both traditional and simplified chinese..haha..but u will have to be living in Melbourne...so do contact me if interested by leaving a comment!
........大馬心,台灣情,中華夢......

In Penang....檳城假期...



This large banner at KLIA (KL Intl' Airport) basically saved my digicam!! It is promoting Malaysian tourism in commemoration of Malaysia's 50th yr anniv of independence...i saw it at KLIA whilst transiting and thought i would take a photo...only to realise that my digicam was missing!!!! I immediately returned to the terminal and boarded the plane again and hopefully found my digital cam left sitting on my seat. Thank goodness!!!!!! I bought it in Japan and it is very useful... if it were not for this banner, i would not have realised i had left my digital camera on board until i reached Penang...indeed thanks Malaysia for turning 50 next yr! U saved me my digital camera!!!!!
Back in Penang! Got back on Sat night and went to have supper the delicious authentic Penang Hokkien Mee (prawn noodle soup)..YUMMY!! Got home, bathed and slept...so tired cos i completely didn't sleep the night before....the very next day, Sunday, i went to Island Plaza to meet bloggers, X,A,LC (from KL/Ipoh) and Josh...i was invited by Josh... anyways, the thing is i lost Josh's no for some unexplainable reason but i rem he said they would be at FF gym and so i went over there and found them....i had to wait 1 hr for them to finish their class but hopefully LC was too tired to join them and so i had a nice chat with him both whilst waiting for them during the class and after class when they were showering....LC is a very nice guy...i like his personality and values...esp the bit about him still putting emotion when doing it with his 'special friend' and how he can't maintain their 'special' relationship....anyways, its his private matter and so i shall not divulge too much....after we had karaoke at Red Box Gurney Plaza...thank goodness they booked...from 3pm to 6pm...too bad LC had to leave early to return to KL...X's voice is SOOO SUPER GOOD.....i really think he has a very powerful voice...wow...u really do X! Let's go for karaoke again next time:) Had a great time singing all the nice Chinese songs like 新不了情,追,中箭,如果你愿意,10 30的飛機場,and more...then went to have hawker food and X and A bought Penang biscuits bck to Ipoh....i had curry mee which was nice. Josh took me home and i bid them farewell...had a nice day...my impressions: Josh is nice cos he invited me so a BIG THANKS Josh! also he is a fellow Penang person so of cos i like him:) A i really didn't have time to know but i think his chinese name is one of the nicest i have heard and i mean it:) X is the most good looking one ...X also has a nice voice..he is also the most popular with the guys...quite a few men picking X up along this trip, two of which i was witness to, one at the gym and the other at the karaoke..wah...so nice to stand next to X, the men would then naturally also look at me,hehe, but X, do let me know how u go with the person at the gym (u know who lar..) he is cute!!...LC i got to chat with the most since we were both waiting for the others at the gym...i like his value system, kind of traditional like me when it comes to relationships....keep in touch!

This week, basically just been eating all the nice food and been watching Hong Kong TVB dramas which are really really good!!! I mean their quality production really went up...been eating like an emperor,hehe, had dimsum at Forum in Island Plaza yest for lunch with my mother then Korean at Seoul Garden Sunrise Tower with my family for dinner which is like THE best korean restaurant in the whole of Penang....all the tour groups from korea come here and also the MAATA Fair korean cultural performance group also came for their lunch....i have been an old customer of this place for 7 or 8 yrs already and i have tried almost everything on the menu, and me and my mother also know the korean couple who owns the place...i even worked here part-time for a short while before....the place is highly recommended for anyone living or visiting Penang!

Went shopping at Gurney Plaza today and found some clothes i REALLY like and they r SOOO freakin cheap..i am gonna go buy sometime this week....bumped into 2 highschool friends, got their nos, should be going out sometime since we r all on holiday bck in Penang....and one of my law coursemates is also currently in Penang on a holiday and so we will be meeting sometime next week probably...she is aussie chinese but one of her parents was originally from Penang so she comes once every 4-5 yrs...i was just being friendly in class and she so happened to be coming so i said to come out when she arrives...she will be leaving in 3 weeks time so plenty of time still....also guess what...i was chatting with CK whilst shopping today at Gurney Plaza when he suddenly decides he is coming to Penang to visit me!! Wow, he was saying all along he can't come but i dun know why all of a sudden today he says he is coming from KL.. .. TOMORROW....I am surprised!!!!! So yeah, will let u guys know where we went during the weekend, i think for now, he will be here for 2 nights...so excited:)

Also ,will meet Jeff this Sun cos he is working as a volunteer at Tsu Chi Bookstore慈濟書軒 and i've seen the place, its really nice and cosy and he said he wanted to bring me along so that should be fun:) Will prob bring CK along too....anyways, an update of what i've been up to in Penang...more to come later...for now..comments please!!!!!:)

PS:其實不知道該不該說.我覺得有一位朋友喜歡上我了...之前有陣子時常同他聊天,一聊就1個小時以上...可是因為他只不過是網友,連面都沒見過所以沒想太多.可是後來覺得他好像對我太好了,於是我暗示他不可能喜歡他..他就好像很傷然後態度也變了不少...希望我們還能像以前那樣好..以後真的要主意別再令人家誤會了..我這個人應該是有時太友善了吧...還有最近一位新朋友也時常一天sms我好几次..問吃飽了嗎,在作什麼,睡了嗎,等等...不回他,會sms再次...我覺得他有點過份友善了...可是或許是我想太多了,因為他是佈落格網友罷了..連我照片都沒看過,以前又有gf過的...況且我們住不同城市...但是還是覺得他有點過度友善了...再觀察一陣子吧...