APRIL 26-29, 2008

Connecting Flight to Beijing

Last night, I caught the evening flight to Singapore and by the time I arrived in Singapore, it was already past 6 o’clock in the morning. I had never imagined that at six in the morning, there would be so many people at Singapore airport. I guess you could say it was a sea full of faces and there were people everywhere. All the retail stores in the airport were open and a lot of people were lining up to buy coffee. I had a good look around at the airport; from my observations and experience, and because I’ve been here many times before, I honestly think that the Singaporean government is operating a very successful airport.

After waiting at Singapore airport for two hours, I parted with my staff and we all went our separate ways. I departed Singapore and set off towards Beijing alone while the others flew straight back to Hong Kong.

After I got on the plane and settled into my seat, I immediately went to sleep. When I opened my eyes, the plane was nearing Beijing and it was already 2:30 in the afternoon. As soon as I got off the plane, I went straight to the recording studio to record an Olympic song called Zhong Guo Ren Hong Qi Lai (Chinese People Rising to Popularity).

This is a translation of the lyrics to the song:

Good ah! Good ah! Chinese people rising to popularity!
Good ah! Good ah! Sensational ah!
Good ah! Good ah! Chinese people rising to popularity!
Good ah! Good ah! Sensational ah!
For this special moment (for this special moment)
We vigorously strive to swim upwards (a feeling never experienced before)
This delightful feeling, ai
We’ve waited for a long time (waited for a long time)
If you’re excited then clap your hands (excited then clap your hands)
Happiness is near at hand (happiness is near at hand)
Spread your wings and display your skills in the Birds Nest
In the newly created universe we all become good friends
Good ah! Good ah! Chinese people rising to popularity!
Good ah! Good ah! Sensational ah!
Good ah! Good ah! Chinese people rising to popularity!
Good ah! Good ah! Sensational ah!
For people to raise an eyebrow (for people to raise an eyebrow)
We put our heads down, engrossed in battle (put our heads down, engrossed in battle)
This achievement of our dream
We’ve waited for a long time (waited for a long time)
Don’t hold back the excitement (how can we hold back the excitement)
Don’t let go of the feeling (how can we let go of the feeling)
Let the five (Olympic) rings interlock us together
Connecting heart to heart, holding hand in hand, becoming popular around the world
Good ah! Good ah! Chinese people rising to popularity!
Good ah! Good ah! Sensational ah!
Good ah! Good ah! Chinese people rising to popularity!
Good ah! Good ah! Sensational ah!
Connecting heart to heart, holding hand in hand, becoming popular around the world
Good ah! Good ah! Chinese people rising to popularity!
Good ah! Good ah! Sensational ah!
Good ah! Good ah! Chinese people rising to popularity!
Good ah! Good ah! Sensational ah!
Good ah! Good ah! Chinese people rising to popularity!
Good ah! Good ah! Sensational ah!

After recording this Olympic song, I went to film a short video clip for the 60^th anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO). After that, I went to a private club owned by one of my friends. At first, I didn’t have any expectations of what the club would be like because I thought it would be just like any other ordinary private club. But to my surprise, when I arrived, I found that I had a totally different feeling. They didn’t have anyone singing karaoke in this private club so it wasn’t very noisy. Instead, they had a band playing a combination of Chinese and Western instruments. We sat in the club, drinking our drinks, and listened to the solo performances of the pipa and erhu, playing modern day pop songs. The atmosphere was very comfortable and relaxing. I think the combination of Chinese and Western music is actually pretty good.

What do you think of my erhu playing?

My Relationship with Canon

On the second day, I attended a Canon press release conference. Let me tell you, since the days before Canon released their line of EOS cameras, I was already using Canon cameras to take photos. How I became acquainted with Canon was actually through a photographer. Back then, I wasn’t very interested in taking photos yet. Then I met a photographer from Japan who was in America taking photos for me. This was during the time when I first went to America, which is about thirty years ago now. The Japanese photographer was using a Canon camera and it was through him that I learned about Canon.

Later on, after staying in America for about a year, I returned to Asia and I happened to meet another photographer from Japan. He was also responsible for taking photos for me. At the time, there were no EOS series cameras but there were F1 and AF1 cameras. It was at this time when I started using Canon cameras and I slowly fell in love with taking photos. About fifteen years ago, I became the spokesman for Canon and then started using the EOS series cameras. And now, today, I am the spokesman for Canon again. Over the many years, Canon has been very kind to me and I am very grateful to the company because even though there was a period of time where I wasn’t the spokesman for Canon, but no matter what film I was making and if I ever needed help, all I needed to do was make one phone call and they would always try their best to assist me, cooperate with my needs, and fully support me.

An old ad I did for Canon.

And another one. I think this was around 1995. I was dressed like an older man for the ad.

Self-portrait.

I took this one while filming the Canon commercial in Japan.

Recently I’ve been very busy and will be staying in Beijing for a little while. However, in the midst of my busy schedule and trying to do a million things at once, I receive a very blissful and joyous piece of news - they found Jones! The Agriculture and Fisheries Department actually found Jones right from the beginning but the information on Jones’ microchip inside his body was outdated and the details on the chip contained my old home address. That is why when the department compared the details I gave them with the information on Jones’ microchip, they didn’t know that Jones was the dog I was looking for. Luckily, a very kind and dedicated friend of mine went back to the Agriculture and Fisheries department to double check and noticed the details of my old home address in the system. From this lead, they found Jones. I am absolutely ecstatic. I’m deeply grateful to my friend who helped me find Jones, and I’m also grateful to the Agriculture and Fisheries Department for looking after Jones, plus I’d like to say a big thank you to all my friends and family for their time and effort in helping me look for the two dogs. Thank you!

Text and photos ©2008 The JC Group. All Rights Reserved.

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April 26 - 29 (星期六至星期二)

轉機到北京：

          昨天乘夜機到新加坡，到達新加坡已經是早上六點多，真的想不到，早上六點多的新加坡機場會有那麼多人，可以說是人山人海，所有機場商舖都開了，很多人在排隊買咖啡。環顧這個機場，由於我來了這裡很多次，憑我的觀察和經驗，我覺得新加坡政府經營了一個很成功的機場。

          在新加坡機場等了兩個小時後，我跟工作人員各分東西，我一個人從新加坡啟程前赴北京，其他同事就飛回香港。

          上機安頓以後，我馬上倒頭大睡。當我張開眼睛，差不多到達北京，已經是下午兩點半。甫下機，我直奔錄音室，錄一首奧運歌‘中國人紅起來’，以下就是這首歌的歌詞：

                   好呀!好呀!中國人紅起來!

                   好呀!好呀!暢爽呀!

                   好呀!好呀!中國人紅起來!

                   好呀!好呀!暢爽呀!

                   為了這個時候（為了這個時候）

                   我們力爭上游 （滋味前所未有）

                   這痛快的感受 哎

                   我們都等了很久（已等了很久）

                   興奮就拍手 （興奮就拍手）

                   快樂就在手 （快樂就在手）

                   在鳥巢展翅的好手

                   創新宇宙都變成好朋友

                   好呀!好呀!中國人紅起來!

                   好呀!好呀!暢爽呀!

                   好呀!好呀!中國人紅起來!

                    好呀!好呀!暢爽呀!       

                   為了揚起眉頭  （為了揚起眉頭）

                   我們埋頭奮鬥 （我們埋頭奮鬥）

                   這夢想成就

                   我們都等了很久 （已等了很久）

                   激動不保留（激動怎保留）

                   滋味不放手（滋味怎放手）

                   讓五環把我們緊扣　以心交心手拉手紅遍全球

                   好呀!好呀!中國人紅起來!

                   好呀!好呀!暢爽呀!

                   好呀!好呀!中國人紅起來!     

                   好呀!好呀!暢爽呀!

                   以心交心手拉手紅遍全球

                   好呀!好呀!中國人紅起來!

                   好呀!好呀!暢爽呀!

                   好呀!好呀!中國人紅起來!

                   好呀!好呀!暢爽呀!

                   好呀!好呀!中國人紅起來!

                   好呀!好呀!暢爽呀!

          錄完歌以後，我去為世衛組織錄一個六十週年的片段。

          後來，我去了朋友所開的一個私人會所，本來沒有什麼期望的，以為是一般的私人會所，豈料，到了以後，感覺不同了。這個私人會所沒有人唱卡拉OK，所以不會太吵，只有一隊中西合壁的樂隊，我們在這裡坐著喝點飲料，聽著琵琶或是二胡獨奏著現代流行曲，感覺很舒服很好，我覺得中西合壁真的很不錯。

我認識Canon：

          第二天，我出席Canon的發佈會，從Canon還沒有生產EOS系列，我已經用Canon的攝影機。我認識Canon是透過一位攝影師，那個時候我都不太喜歡拍照，後來一位日本攝影師在美國為我拍照，這是我初初去美國的時候，距離現在有三十年了，他是用Canon照相機的，我就是透過他認識Canon。

          及後，大概在美國停留了一年，我回歸亞洲，又認識了另一位日本攝影師，他負責為我拍照，當時沒有EOS系列的照相機，卻有F1和AF1，那個時候我開始使用Canon照相機，慢慢愛上拍照。記得十五年前，就當了Canon的代言人，並轉用EOS系列的照相機。直到現在，我再次成為Canon的代言人，這麼多年來，我最感謝Canon的就是他們公司對我很好，就是我停了好幾年沒有做Canon的代言人，無論我拍什麼戲，只要我給他們打電話要求幫忙，他們都盡量配合和支持我。

          最近都比較忙，都會在北京停留一段日子，可是在百忙中收到一個很令人高興的消息，就是找到Jones了！原來漁農署早已經找到Jones，但是Jones體內的晶片的資料是舊的，記載了我家的舊地址，所以漁農署的人對照我們給的資料時，不知道Jones就是我們要找的狗兒。幸好，我一位熱心的朋友到漁農署翻查，最後看到我的舊地址的資料，就找到Jones了。真的很開心，也很感謝我朋友的幫忙，又很感謝漁農署為我照顧Jones，謝謝出過力的所有親戚朋友，謝謝！