October 16th was the fourth day of our Dragon's Heart charity trip to Henan Province in China. So far we'd been very busy visiting schools and elderly homes and attending charity auctions.
In the October 15th Scrapbook I mentioned that we'd held a celebration in the evening of our third day and I promised to tell you about that. When we'd arrived at the hotel in Xinmi, someone had brought a beautiful cake to Jackie's suite. It was decorated with the Dragon's Heart logo and looked positively scrumptious. In the afternoon everyone wanted to eat it but Jackie had said no. With a secretive smile, he told us that he had other plans for the cake.
Well, as it turned out, two people in our little entourage were celebrating birthdays in October. One of the girls from the band A Jia had a birthday and so did I. The secret was that Jackie was saving the cake for a small birthday party which we celebrated on the evening of October 15th. I was quite surprised when I walked into the dining room of Jackie's suite and saw all of my colleagues plus A Jia and their manager gathered around the table. Jackie sang Happy Birthday to each of us individually and we even got to blow out a makeshift candle (X Lee holding a lighter near the cake). The last thing I ever expected was to be celebrating my birthday during this trip and of course I was touched that my ever-thoughtful boss took the time to make it a very special day. Here are a few shots taken by Mo Ran, A Jia's manager:
The birthday girl is Namu (she's the one who's not wearing a cap).
That's X Lee's hand holding out the birthday "candle."
So that's the story of a very special birthday party in China. Although Jackie always says he doesn't believe in celebrating holidays - he says that we should treat each other as though every day was a birthday or Valentine's Day - we all thought it was very sweet of him to organize this little party.
Back to October 16th.....
Before I start I'd like to say a word about the little videos that are included in these Scrapbook articles. When we travel to China, it's my job to take still photos with my big camera, but I always carry a small digital camera that can also take video. My colleague Fibe sometimes carries the regular video camera with her. Between the two of us we manage to get a little bit on film. However, please remember that conditions are quite poor for us to take video and we do the best we can. Sometimes I can't remember who took what video, so no credit is given. It's taken by either Fibe Ma or by me. I include it here because I believe that even shaky video is better than no video, right?
We got up early and packed our bags, then met at Jackie's suite so we could all leave together - off for another full day of Dragon's Heart activities. Jackie wasn't quite ready when we got to his room (actually, he was still sleeping, but don't tell him that I told you). While Jackie took a shower, the rest of us waited in the massive living room in his suite. I never really told you much about his room at this hotel, so I'll tell you now that it was enormous. The main room had ceilings that seemed to go up forever; the bedroom was huge, the bathroom was huge, everything was oversized. There was even a grand piano, although it was easy to overlook because of the sheer size of the rest of the space. X Lee was very intrigued and took this photo to show you how big the room was:
Photo by X Lee
Breakfast with Phoenix TV reporter Janice and Jackie's videographer X Lee.
The grand piano in Jackie's suite.
Waiting for Jackie.
You can see how big the room was. Notice the fancy furniture.
"I did move the couch away from the coffee table," I replied.
"Well you didn't move it far enough," he answered. He came over and pulled the couch out further while shaking his head and rolling his eyes.
"It's not the distance from the coffee table that's the problem," I explained. "It's the design of the couch. Everyone keeps smashing into it."
"Not me," replied Jackie Chan.
It was true....Jackie hadn't hit his leg even once. That is, until the morning we were getting ready to leave the hotel. He came out from his room and when he sat down to put his shoes on, he smashed his ankle against the carving on the chair. What came out of his mouth next was the beginning of an exclamation of pain which, when he noticed me watching him with an "I told you so" smile, turned into a little song - - the "la la la hmm hmm hmm" song that one makes when they don't want everyone to know that they've just said or done something foolish. Of course, there was nothing foolish about hitting a leg on the chair; after all, we'd all done it. What was funny was that Jackie had been so sure that he wouldn't fall victim like the rest of us.
"You okay over there, Boss?" I asked innocently.
"I'm fine....why do you ask?" he replied, his face contorting in an attempt to hide the pain.
"Because it kind of looks like you might have smashed your ankle on the chair," I continued.
"La la la hmm hmm hmm," replied Jackie Chan.
Jackie points to the hazardous carvings.
We gathered our belongings and headed downstairs to the waiting vans. Jackie and the bodyguards took the back exit since by this time there were hundreds of people crowding the hotel lobby. Although Jackie loves to meet the fans, we were on a time schedule and it would be quicker if he left from the back of the building. I got into the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby. When the elevator doors opened there was a tremendous cry and dozens of flashes went off in my face. It seemed that everyone in the lobby was expecting to see Jackie get off the elevator. I felt terrible for them - - what a disappointment! They thought Jackie would appear when the doors opened and instead they saw only me. In my best Mandarin, I said, "Sorry. I am not Jackie Chan." That caused everyone to laughed and wave, so I took their picture:
Back to October 16th.....
Before I start I'd like to say a word about the little videos that are included in these Scrapbook articles. When we travel to China, it's my job to take still photos with my big camera, but I always carry a small digital camera that can also take video. My colleague Fibe sometimes carries the regular video camera with her. Between the two of us we manage to get a little bit on film. However, please remember that conditions are quite poor for us to take video and we do the best we can. Sometimes I can't remember who took what video, so no credit is given. It's taken by either Fibe Ma or by me. I include it here because I believe that even shaky video is better than no video, right?
We got up early and packed our bags, then met at Jackie's suite so we could all leave together - off for another full day of Dragon's Heart activities. Jackie wasn't quite ready when we got to his room (actually, he was still sleeping, but don't tell him that I told you). While Jackie took a shower, the rest of us waited in the massive living room in his suite. I never really told you much about his room at this hotel, so I'll tell you now that it was enormous. The main room had ceilings that seemed to go up forever; the bedroom was huge, the bathroom was huge, everything was oversized. There was even a grand piano, although it was easy to overlook because of the sheer size of the rest of the space. X Lee was very intrigued and took this photo to show you how big the room was:
Photo by X Lee
Breakfast with Phoenix TV reporter Janice and Jackie's videographer X Lee.
The grand piano in Jackie's suite.
Waiting for Jackie.
You can see how big the room was. Notice the fancy furniture.
While we waited, we sat on the ornately carved couches and chairs and I want to tell you a funny story about this furniture. From the time we first arrived at this hotel, the couch and chairs in Jackie's suite caused injuries to just about every one of us. Why? Well, it was something about the design of the furniture. Each piece was elaborately carved and below the seating cushions the carvings kind of stuck out, making it highly likely that one would smash a shin or ankle against it when attempting to sit down. Jackie had witnessed all of us at one time or another smacking a leg against the furniture, then hopping around in pain, grasping the injured limb. Finally, he'd lost his patience when I struck my ankle for the fourth or fifth time and in an exasperated voice had asked me why I didn't just move the couch further from the coffee table.
"Well you didn't move it far enough," he answered. He came over and pulled the couch out further while shaking his head and rolling his eyes.
"It's not the distance from the coffee table that's the problem," I explained. "It's the design of the couch. Everyone keeps smashing into it."
"Not me," replied Jackie Chan.
It was true....Jackie hadn't hit his leg even once. That is, until the morning we were getting ready to leave the hotel. He came out from his room and when he sat down to put his shoes on, he smashed his ankle against the carving on the chair. What came out of his mouth next was the beginning of an exclamation of pain which, when he noticed me watching him with an "I told you so" smile, turned into a little song - - the "la la la hmm hmm hmm" song that one makes when they don't want everyone to know that they've just said or done something foolish. Of course, there was nothing foolish about hitting a leg on the chair; after all, we'd all done it. What was funny was that Jackie had been so sure that he wouldn't fall victim like the rest of us.
"You okay over there, Boss?" I asked innocently.
"I'm fine....why do you ask?" he replied, his face contorting in an attempt to hide the pain.
"Because it kind of looks like you might have smashed your ankle on the chair," I continued.
"La la la hmm hmm hmm," replied Jackie Chan.
Jackie points to the hazardous carvings.
We gathered our belongings and headed downstairs to the waiting vans. Jackie and the bodyguards took the back exit since by this time there were hundreds of people crowding the hotel lobby. Although Jackie loves to meet the fans, we were on a time schedule and it would be quicker if he left from the back of the building. I got into the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby. When the elevator doors opened there was a tremendous cry and dozens of flashes went off in my face. It seemed that everyone in the lobby was expecting to see Jackie get off the elevator. I felt terrible for them - - what a disappointment! They thought Jackie would appear when the doors opened and instead they saw only me. In my best Mandarin, I said, "Sorry. I am not Jackie Chan." That caused everyone to laughed and wave, so I took their picture:
On the ride to Jiaozuo, we were divided up into two separate vans, so I took some photos of X Lee and Irene riding in the car in front of us:
Beautiful flowers for Jackie at the new hotel.
When we arrived in Jiaozuo, there were again hundreds of people lining the streets hoping to get a glimpse of Jackie. We checked into our hotel and after eating a quick lunch, we hopped back in the vans. Our first visit was with an elderly woman and her handicapped adult son. She had recently been diagnosed with kidney disease and she was extremely worried about what would happen to her son. Although she was 84 years old, she'd been caring for her son for the past 48 years since he was mentally handicapped. She was desperate to assure that he'd be cared for if anything should happen to her. Jackie's visit provided some much needed financial and emotional support for the woman and her son.
It is hard to describe the condition of the area where these people lived, but I'll give it my best shot. When we exited the van, we walked down a very narrow alleyway that twisted and turned in so many directions that I doubted I could find my way back out without a field guide. The house where the woman and her son lived consisted of one room and a sleeping alcove. The walls and floor were stone; it was cold inside even though the weather outside was quite warm. Here are some photos:
The little house in the alleyway.
This is the kitchen area. It is separate from the living quarters.
Kitchen area.
This little chick and a child's notebook sat on a shelf out in the alley.
The sleeping alcove.
The scene was chaotic; when we arrived, there was a mad push to get inside the little house with Jackie. Photographers and reporters were all trying to cram through the tiny door into the even tinier house. At that point I was still outside and had pretty much decided not to attempt to enter, but Jackie gestured for me to follow him. I tried to go to him but I literally could not move; I was stuck in this huge mass of people. I was standing a few feet from Jackie, but could not get to him. Suddenly he stuck his hand out, grabbed my hand and just pulled as hard as he could. Incredibly, he managed to extract me from the pushing and shoving horde; I felt like a cork shooting out of a champagne bottle when I was finally loosed from the grip of crushing crowd.
There had to be over two dozen people in the little house and it was very difficult for Jackie to have any kind of meaningful interaction with the woman and her son because of all the commotion. Suddenly, X Lee took charge and invited everyone to exit through the back door, indicating that Jackie would be joining them; assuring them that it would be better for taking photos if they walked out back. Just as the last reporter walked through the exit, X Lee closed the door, leaving just Jackie and a few others - including X Lee and me - in the house with the woman and her son. I could have hugged X Lee in gratitude for his quick thinking. The woman was thrilled to have Jackie all to herself and she escorted him over to a table that held old photos and other treasures, talking to him the whole time. They had a very sweet and quiet visit and then it was time for Jackie to say goodbye.
Jackie looks at the woman's family photos.
After we left, we walked over to another house where Jackie visited with a young family that was also struggling with severe poverty. He spoke to them for a while; he was very impressed with their positive attitudes and happy dispositions. After talking to them for a few minutes, signing some autographs, and giving them some gifts, we said goodbye and got into the vans for the ride back to the hotel. Hundreds of people chased the van as we pulled away, making Jackie very nervous in the process. Whenever he enters a van to leave a crowded area, he immediately heads for the back window so that no one will stand in front of the van to try and see him. Despite his attempts to keep people safely away from the van, there are always a few fans who give him a scare when they jump up and grab a window or try to stick their hands in to touch him. Luckily no one has ever gotten hurt (to our knowledge) but it is a very scary situation.
Inside the young family's house.
Jackie waves goodbye to excited fans.
We went back to our hotel where Jackie had to attend a press conference. The reporters asked him lots of questions; happily none of them were related to gossip. Jackie can't stand it when reporters ask him about the latest rumors, especially when he's at an event that is related to his charity work. More than once I've seen him abruptly end a press conference when reporters refuse to stick to the subject at hand. All of the questions asked of Jackie were related to his charity work, and this made him feel happy and talkative. In fact, he talked for the better part of an hour, answering questions about why he chose to come to this area of China (his Dragon's Heart team chose this place), how he became involved in charitable work in the first place, his dreams for the Dragon's Heart Foundation, etc. As I sat listening to him, I marveled at his intense passion for what he does and his commitment to helping those less fortunate. If you consider things from Jackie's point of view, you will realize that he is asked the same questions over and over again, yet each time he answers them he does so with fervor. He tells the same stories over and over again, but each time he tells them, he does so with enthusiasm. It's impossible not to admire this kind of dedication and passion.
Jackie at the press conference.
Posing with reporters.
After the press conference ended, we headed directly over to a charity auction which was taking place at one of the buildings on the hotel grounds. By the time we arrived, the room was full of enthusiastic people who were very happy to be there to support Jackie and the charity. As usual there was a hired auctioneer who used his skills to help raise the bids. Jackie stood aside and let the professional handle the auction and of course he occasionally interrupted proceedings to add a few words. Every time Jackie took the microphone, the audience cheered and their interest level rose, so I think it was very helpful that Jackie spoke once in a while. He also sang to the audience (at their request) and at the end of a few lively hours, several hundred thousand dollars had been raised for the Dragon's Heart charity.
The auction venue.
Enthusiastic bidders.
Jackie during the auction.
Jackie looks on as the bids go higher and higher.
A big hug for a generous patron.
This man paid thousands of dollars for the jacket.
Jackie autographs an auction item.
Auctioning off the glasses he was wearing when he arrived.
Jackie's clever solution to a wardrobe malfunction.
Jackie sang several songs and talked to the audience non-stop for three quarters of an hour. Everyone in the stadium was smiling but the broadest smile of all was on the face of Big Brother. I'm sure most of you know that Jackie has been a singer since he was a child and over the years he's recorded hundreds of songs. However, once his movie career heated up and he became involved in more things, singing had to take a back seat. It seems that in the past year or so, Jackie's interest has been reignited; don't forget that he recorded several songs for the Sichuan earthquake victims as well as for the Beijing Olympics. He always says that he's happiest when he's filming movies and doing charity work, but certainly singing is becoming closer and closer to his heart.
Lots of photos of Jackie from the concert:
Here is Jackie singing Endless Love (Theme from The Myth) with one of the Disciple finalists:
Before he said goodnight, Jackie met with two young sisters, both blind, who came up on stage to say hello. Since they could not see him, he invited them to place their hands on his face and body. It was a very thrilling thing to see and the girls were overjoyed. The evening finished up with a performance by Jackie and the Disciples and then it was time to make our way to the vans.
This blind girl can "see" Jackie with her hands.
Here's a little (shaky) video, complete with the back of a rude videographer's head:
Back at the hotel Jackie was still quite animated and we spent some time talking and reminiscing about the day. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, we said goodnight and went to sleep. We would be attending one more function in the morning and then we'd make our way to our respective homes, some of us going back to Hong Kong, others to Beijing. It had been a long and satisfying day. Between the concert and the auction, Jackie had raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Dragon's Heart charity. It doesn't get much better than that.
These are the clothes Jackie was wearing at the auction. They're waiting to be picked up by the man who won the bid for them.
Beautiful flowers for Jackie at the new hotel.
When we arrived in Jiaozuo, there were again hundreds of people lining the streets hoping to get a glimpse of Jackie. We checked into our hotel and after eating a quick lunch, we hopped back in the vans. Our first visit was with an elderly woman and her handicapped adult son. She had recently been diagnosed with kidney disease and she was extremely worried about what would happen to her son. Although she was 84 years old, she'd been caring for her son for the past 48 years since he was mentally handicapped. She was desperate to assure that he'd be cared for if anything should happen to her. Jackie's visit provided some much needed financial and emotional support for the woman and her son.
It is hard to describe the condition of the area where these people lived, but I'll give it my best shot. When we exited the van, we walked down a very narrow alleyway that twisted and turned in so many directions that I doubted I could find my way back out without a field guide. The house where the woman and her son lived consisted of one room and a sleeping alcove. The walls and floor were stone; it was cold inside even though the weather outside was quite warm. Here are some photos:
The little house in the alleyway.
This is the kitchen area. It is separate from the living quarters.
Kitchen area.
This little chick and a child's notebook sat on a shelf out in the alley.
The sleeping alcove.
The scene was chaotic; when we arrived, there was a mad push to get inside the little house with Jackie. Photographers and reporters were all trying to cram through the tiny door into the even tinier house. At that point I was still outside and had pretty much decided not to attempt to enter, but Jackie gestured for me to follow him. I tried to go to him but I literally could not move; I was stuck in this huge mass of people. I was standing a few feet from Jackie, but could not get to him. Suddenly he stuck his hand out, grabbed my hand and just pulled as hard as he could. Incredibly, he managed to extract me from the pushing and shoving horde; I felt like a cork shooting out of a champagne bottle when I was finally loosed from the grip of crushing crowd.
There had to be over two dozen people in the little house and it was very difficult for Jackie to have any kind of meaningful interaction with the woman and her son because of all the commotion. Suddenly, X Lee took charge and invited everyone to exit through the back door, indicating that Jackie would be joining them; assuring them that it would be better for taking photos if they walked out back. Just as the last reporter walked through the exit, X Lee closed the door, leaving just Jackie and a few others - including X Lee and me - in the house with the woman and her son. I could have hugged X Lee in gratitude for his quick thinking. The woman was thrilled to have Jackie all to herself and she escorted him over to a table that held old photos and other treasures, talking to him the whole time. They had a very sweet and quiet visit and then it was time for Jackie to say goodbye.
Jackie looks at the woman's family photos.
After we left, we walked over to another house where Jackie visited with a young family that was also struggling with severe poverty. He spoke to them for a while; he was very impressed with their positive attitudes and happy dispositions. After talking to them for a few minutes, signing some autographs, and giving them some gifts, we said goodbye and got into the vans for the ride back to the hotel. Hundreds of people chased the van as we pulled away, making Jackie very nervous in the process. Whenever he enters a van to leave a crowded area, he immediately heads for the back window so that no one will stand in front of the van to try and see him. Despite his attempts to keep people safely away from the van, there are always a few fans who give him a scare when they jump up and grab a window or try to stick their hands in to touch him. Luckily no one has ever gotten hurt (to our knowledge) but it is a very scary situation.
Inside the young family's house.
Jackie waves goodbye to excited fans.
We went back to our hotel where Jackie had to attend a press conference. The reporters asked him lots of questions; happily none of them were related to gossip. Jackie can't stand it when reporters ask him about the latest rumors, especially when he's at an event that is related to his charity work. More than once I've seen him abruptly end a press conference when reporters refuse to stick to the subject at hand. All of the questions asked of Jackie were related to his charity work, and this made him feel happy and talkative. In fact, he talked for the better part of an hour, answering questions about why he chose to come to this area of China (his Dragon's Heart team chose this place), how he became involved in charitable work in the first place, his dreams for the Dragon's Heart Foundation, etc. As I sat listening to him, I marveled at his intense passion for what he does and his commitment to helping those less fortunate. If you consider things from Jackie's point of view, you will realize that he is asked the same questions over and over again, yet each time he answers them he does so with fervor. He tells the same stories over and over again, but each time he tells them, he does so with enthusiasm. It's impossible not to admire this kind of dedication and passion.
Jackie at the press conference.
Posing with reporters.
The auction venue.
Enthusiastic bidders.
Jackie during the auction.
Jackie looks on as the bids go higher and higher.
A big hug for a generous patron.
This man paid thousands of dollars for the jacket.
Jackie autographs an auction item.
Auctioning off the glasses he was wearing when he arrived.
Here is Jackie singing at the auction:
Jackie's clever solution to a wardrobe malfunction.
Jackie sang several songs and talked to the audience non-stop for three quarters of an hour. Everyone in the stadium was smiling but the broadest smile of all was on the face of Big Brother. I'm sure most of you know that Jackie has been a singer since he was a child and over the years he's recorded hundreds of songs. However, once his movie career heated up and he became involved in more things, singing had to take a back seat. It seems that in the past year or so, Jackie's interest has been reignited; don't forget that he recorded several songs for the Sichuan earthquake victims as well as for the Beijing Olympics. He always says that he's happiest when he's filming movies and doing charity work, but certainly singing is becoming closer and closer to his heart.
Lots of photos of Jackie from the concert:
Here is Jackie singing Endless Love (Theme from The Myth) with one of the Disciple finalists:
Jackie singing a capella:
Before he said goodnight, Jackie met with two young sisters, both blind, who came up on stage to say hello. Since they could not see him, he invited them to place their hands on his face and body. It was a very thrilling thing to see and the girls were overjoyed. The evening finished up with a performance by Jackie and the Disciples and then it was time to make our way to the vans.
This blind girl can "see" Jackie with her hands.
Here's a little (shaky) video, complete with the back of a rude videographer's head:
Back at the hotel Jackie was still quite animated and we spent some time talking and reminiscing about the day. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, we said goodnight and went to sleep. We would be attending one more function in the morning and then we'd make our way to our respective homes, some of us going back to Hong Kong, others to Beijing. It had been a long and satisfying day. Between the concert and the auction, Jackie had raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Dragon's Heart charity. It doesn't get much better than that.
These are the clothes Jackie was wearing at the auction. They're waiting to be picked up by the man who won the bid for them.
Text and photos © The JC Group/ Katharine Schroeder
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved
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posted on Wednesday, Oct 12, 2011
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