14 May 2005 - Issue 7
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NEWS ROUNDUP - 07/05/05-14/05/05
Leila Tong Bakes a Cake
Leila Tong's culinary skills are only so-so, but for Mother's Day this year, she has sought the assistance of a master chef to teach her to make the SE Asian dessert Semolina Cake for her mother as a gift.
As her parents are Indonesian Chinese, Leila has had many opportunities to try the delicacies of the region, but she has not inherited these skills from her mother. When she tried to make Yellow Bean pudding earlier, her mother's comments were: "Keep trying!". It was these words that have encouraged Leila to work hard and prove herself to her mother. For Mothers Day this year, Leila has decided to learn some skills from a chef and make Semolina Cake for her mother. The recipe is not too difficult, but it is all down to skill as she had to learn how to fold the leaves to support it. After about an hour, the presentable result appeared before us and Leila laughs: "I don't know if my mother will think that I bought this from somewhere!"
The Sun 07/05/05
'All About Men' Promotion Continues
Ron Ng, Kevin Cheng, Bowie Lam and Moses Chan were at a Tai Po shopping mall to promote the TVB album "All About Men" earlier, attracting a crowd of fans to support them. Over half of these were fans of Ron, once again proving his popularity over the others, but Kevin seemed rather open-minded about the success of his junior: "My fans are all in the ranks of mothers or married women now, so they are more controlled and don't have banners. I meet with my fans every year, so they are very faithful. (Do you want to attract some younger supporters?) We'll see how it goes."
Hailing from the music industry originally, Kevin says that to have the chance to sing again makes him feel rather high and happy. He also reveals that "All About Men" has done really well, with sales smashing the 10,000 copies mark. "There are ten men in the album and they are all very attractive. Who do I think is the most appealing? I would say ... Hacken! His voice has been with me as I have grown up, so it is especially homely."
Ron was asked about earlier reports suggesting that whilst he lived in luxury, his father lived in poverty and Ron responded rather unhappily: "After seeing the reports, I have spoken to my dad on the phone and he has been very strong and not unhappy about it as he continues to buy things and raise his fish. I am unhappy about it though because my family are not in showbiz and they shouldn't have to suffer the same pressure as we do. My father looks after all our finances, but he likes to live in that area because he knows all the neighbours. (Are you worried that with fame comes problems?) I don't think so. Writing things about me is okay, but don't disturb my family as this will hurt them."
The Sun 08/05/05
Miu to take Legal Action
Recently, Michael Miu has been resurrected on the TV screen as his series "The Academy" has been airing, in which he portrays a very honest and positive image as a police trainer. However, in a recent copy of "Sudden Weekly", there have been allegations that one of his spectacle factories in Dongguan has been owing its workers three months salary causing protests from over a hundred workers.
After seeing these reports, Michael is very angry and clarifies that whilst he does have a factory in Dongguan, he has not owed any wages to his workers and has not come across any protests. He sas that if this was the case, the labour department in the mainland would have closed him down a long time ago. Michael has been in touch with his lawyer about the claims and he will be taking legal action against the magazine that may include court proceedings for libel. He wants to punish those who are reporting irresponsibly and says: "The magazines are making things up and tarring my name just for their sales and this is totally twisting reality and the truth."
Michael says with conviction that these magazines lack any media ethics and their integrity is nearing zero, interrupting the balance in society. However, he insists that the truth will not be affected by this: "I don't mind so much when the magazine making personal attacks against me and when they have written in the past about my 'romantic affairs', I have brushed it off, but this is against my business and unfair to the shareholders, so I have to clarify on this and maintain fairness towards them." Michael says that since his factory opened in 1997, the number of workers has risen from a hundred to over a thousand and they produce 150,000 pairs of glasses per month, with stars such as Simon Yam, Louis Koo, Alex Fong, Jordan Chan and Sonija Kwok all wearing their designs. His sales across the whole of South East Asia are very satisfactory.
The Sun 07/05/05
Miss Hong Kong Acting Trials
The forty qualifying Miss Hong Kong contestants have been chosen and five of these joined Eric Tsang for an acting class earlier. When the girls arrived, Eric first had them taking a screen test, asking them to show their love for him in a very sweet way and a very forceful way, however, they all seemed rather reserved and did not stand out at all.
This was until one of the girls who wore a low cut top that revealed a rather flat chest decided to thrust herself against Eric and started to brush his chest as she played the flirtatious lady. Not expecting this, Eric was rather stunned and said to her sarcastically: "What are you touching me for?" After meeting the contestants, Eric says that their performance was not bad: "They are full of heart (enthusiasm). Last time, many didn't know why they wanted to take part, but this year they all seem to know what they want."
Eric says that he is most afraid of Miss Hong Kong's with a lot of gossip: "I hate those contestants that are full of rumours or conflicts. All the contestants should be friendly." He says that as there are still three months until the pageant in August, the contestants should enjoy the process.
The Sun 07/05/05
Gigi Lai is a Shopaholic
Gigi Lai has been as vain as her mother since she was young, so as she did not have to work on Mother's Day, she took her mother out shopping for the day to choose the perfect gift for her. Earlier, she had set her ambitions on saving $10 million in the next two years, but this will be easier said than done, because with her shopaholic tendencies, saving money will be very hard!
Gigi confesses that she is a confirmed shopaholic: "Earlier, after filming for 'Powder and Rouge', I went on vacation to Europe and saw so many beautiful things so I had to buy them and I spent a lot of money! I think I have this condition, so it will be hard to save money!". Gigi says that this is definitely inherited from her mother and laughs: "My mother is even worse, she will buy cups, pens... and recently she has become even worse and turned into a little child, even buying a load of cartoon crockery! Between us, we have bought a lot of useless things and they are all over the house like the women who collect junk. My dad can't do anything about it!"
Seeing so many clothes and shoes all over the house, Gigi admits that she is rather wasteful and pledges to overcome her reckless shopping habit: "I think shopping is like an addiction, I have sponsors for my make up and my clothes, so I don't need to spend money on these things and I have decided that unless I really like something or I need it for work, then I will not be so wasteful." She adds: "I will firstly sort out the things in my mother's room, so that she can see how much she has and hopefully this will help her to break the habit too." She laughs that her mother complains about her nagging so she has already curbed her spending a little!
The Sun 08/05/05
'Legal Spokesperson' Blessing Ceremony
As studio filming begins for Liza Wang's new series "Legal Spokesperson" and it also happens to be Wayne Lai and Sammul Chan's birthdays this month, a special birthday party was held for them too. When they called for Sammul's screen girlfriend Myolie to give him a birthday kiss, she ran away screaming, but later she pretended to give him a kiss for the cameras. Myolie was asked why she was so skinny that you could see her bones and she explains that she has lost about 10 lbs, but she is fine. Also, when Liza was asked how her partner Law Ka Ying was doing, she indicated he has returned to Hong Kong to rest for a while.
The Sun 07/05/05
Anne Heung's Car is Vandalised
After visiting a friend in Chai Wan earlier, Anne Heung returned to her BMW to find that it had been scratched and a liquid have been thrown onto the body of the car and windscreen. The police were called, but after checking the security videos, nothing was found. Anne says that she had been to see a friend at 3 pm and was shocked to find her car had been vandalised when she returned to it at 7pm. She says with resignation: "I have only had the car for six months, so it is very upsetting. I am not worried about pressing charges, I just want to know why and whether I am being victimised. (Was there nothing on the tape?) Just people coming and going, but they don't know who it was. The police say there is no point in continuing the investigation because it is hard to know who did it."
The Sun 08/05/05
'Just Love' Promotion
Cast from TVB's "Just Love" held a special Mothers Day promotional event at a shopping centre and Sunny Chan presented the three 'mothers' in the show Jessica Hsuan, Lui Shan and Chan Ka Yee with a bunch of carnations. After giving a kiss to Ka Yee, when he got to Jessica, Sunny stopped and only pretended to kiss her. Despite calls from the crowd to give her a real kiss, Sunny refused. After the open kissing in the previous event, Sunny was asked why he had suddenly turned so prudish and he explained: "After that event, a lot of friends called me and asked why they didn't get a kiss, so I am afraid now and daren't do it again!"
Sunny has no problem showing his affections for his real life Ada To though and he plans to present his mother with a grandchild as a Mothers Day present next year. Jessica's mother is living in Beijing at the moment so she says: "I can only call her and wait until she comes to Hong Kong before I give her a present. It will be something like jewellery because women like that."
The Sun 09/05/05
Mr Mok and his Mum
"Minutes to Fame" youngster Mok Hoi Him has become quite a celebrity since his appearance on the show, but luckily he has a very level headed mother who has kept him on the straight and narrow and prevented him from becoming too conceited. Hoi Him and his parents took part in a Mothers Day event earlier and not only gave his mum a very special kiss, he went on to present her with a cake art gift. Mrs Mok says that they have been approached by a record company who wanted Hoi Him to record an album, but they are putting his education first.
The Sun 09/05/05
Shirley's Ambition to join Police
Shirley Yeung has been filming for "Always on Standby" recently, where she plays a disabled communications officer for the Government Flying Services. She had done all her homework in preparing for the role and joined the crew at GFS headquarters for training, but they were met with a big case on the first day: "On that day, there was a climber who had an accident at a waterfall and there were children there too. The artistes were all very frightened, but the GFS crew were very calm and handed out the jobs very quickly, gaining everyone's admiration."
Despite her delicate stature, Shirley's childhood ambition was to become a police officer to help keep the peace in society. "Being a police officer is very stylish and a great responsibility. Female officers are even more complex as they combine both strength and gentleness." However, Shirley's interest in education was even greater, so she decided to become a teacher instead.
The Sun 13/05/05
"Dancing Flames" Blessing Ceremony
TVB's new series "Flames Dancing on Yellow Sands" held its blessing ceremony earlier and cast members attending included Ada Choi, Charmaine Sheh, Gigi Lai, Moses Chan and Maggie Siu. Ada, who plays the family leader, had started filming a few days before and as she has several pages of lines for every scene and a lot of monologues, just remembering all the people's names is hard enough, so she is rather nervous about this and is having sleepless nights. Despite the pressure though, Ada is happy to take on the role because it is a very boisterous character, who is greedy and scheming and this is the most challenging job she has taken on in her acting career. Talking of the location filming for this series in Yinchuan, Ada says that she will be going there, but most of her scenes are indoors giving orders, so she will not have to work as hard as Gigi and Charmaine.
Charmaine was earlier photographed visiting the accident and emergency department, so when asked about what the problem was, she explained that through lack of rest, her muscles had been seizing up and when she was getting changed, she had pulled a muscle in her lower back. She has to wear a back support until she recovers, but she is fine. Her character in the show has to carry the hefty weight of Moses Chan and Kenny Wong, but will her hundred pound frame handle it? She says she is worried about re-injuring herself, so she has asked for this scene to be postponed. Will she ask for a stunt double? Charmaine says: "Using a double removes the realism from the scene and it is not for a long distance, just from the courtyard to the room and they will not do it in one shot, so I hope to do it myself."
Gigi has been studying her script at home recently as well as gaining herself a tan to avoid too much of a difference between the location scenes and those in the studio. She is not using a salon or the beach to get herself bronzed, preferring to tan on her balcony at home. She says: "I have been reading my scripts and tanning at home, trying not to put on too much suntan lotion, but I have only darkened a little, so progress is slow. (Are you worried about injuring your skin?) Yes, but it can't be helped. (Will you age after this show?) Yes, so when I return I will have to go for some major treatment, but definitely not surgery. (Will you change your skin?) Maybe, but I will ask a doctor for advice first."
Moses has intentionally lost some weight for this series, but he does not know how much he has lost. He just feels that he has slimmed down and when he starts work again he will slim even more. When he heard that Charmaine has to carry him, he asked in return: "Carrying me? How? I am on average about 180 lbs and 170 lbs at my lightest!" Like the rest of the cast, Moses will need to tan for the show, but he will be avoiding the beaches, especially South Bay. When he does go, he will choose a corner space to avoid being recognised. When he does go sunbathing, Moses wears diving pants instead of swimming trunks and when asked why, he replies that it is not as acceptable now he has grown up.
Bowie has just finished filming for "Always on Standby" and is preparing for "Flames". As he plays a deaf character in the show, he has been researching on the internet and in bookshops, so that he can portray the character well. However, there is limited resources on this and he will have to try and understand it himself. With this show, his management contract with TVB starts officially and he has immediately received an advertisement job, with many more under negotiation. He is happy about this and feels that this is because the feng shui in his new home is very good because he has had so many opportunities to make money in less than a a year and he hopes to make even more.
Ta Kung Pao 14/05/05
Ta Kung Pao 14/05/05
The Sun 14/05/05
Recruitment begins for 'Mr HK'
The first "Mr Hong Kong Pageant" to be held by TVB began recruiting for contestants this week and entrants only have to be 16 years of age and hold a Hong Kong Identity Card. Permanant residency, marital or family status does not matter provided they are stylish enough. Non-drama department assistant chief Ho Lai Cheung indicates that the selection will fall into one of two groups - "Handsome & Carefree" and "Health & Strength" and there will just be one contest. In order to increase the entertainment value, TVB will have a public vote from an all female audience and there will only be a swimwear section in the "Health" group. Mr Ho laughs that many female artistes have come forward to be judges because they want to 'check out' the men.
TVB have sent out their own band of stylish men, including Kenny Bee, Frankie Lam and Shek Sau to do an air, sea and land promotion, whilst Sonija Kwok and Mandy Cho try the sexy approach to attract applicants. Nat Chan was also there to lend his support as well as his James Bond car worth over $1million as a background for the girls. He even offered his services as a valet when the car was stained with rain!
Sonija says candidly that she hopes to take part in the show, especially as a judge, but she is rather afraid of big muscly and hairy men! "I don't like men who are all flesh and hair. I prefer the typical Chinese man." Mandy says she likes men who are happy-go-lucky, but she does not have many stylish male friends, so she can't nominate anyone. As for 'overaged vase' Kenny, he says that it is thanks to Nat that he can take part in this event and adds that he is rather unusual because he likes to admire men. Nat says he will not be taking part in the show, laughing: "If I come on stage and outshine all the men, then it will be no fun! If the entrants have the exterior of Kenny, the youth of Alan Tam, my internal beauty and Hacken's voice, then that would be a sure winner!"
The Sun 10/05/05
Ron & Tavia Retiring to Canada?
A group of TVB's young idols including Ron Ng, Joe Ma, Tavia Yeung and Myolie Wu visited Toronto and Vancouver on a promotional tour earlier and visiting Canada for the first time, Ron felt that the beautiful sights and environment made it the ideal place to retire to. He adds that his screen girlfriend Tavia should also retire there so they can be neighbours. Ron says: "Although the weather there can be cold and it snows, the air is very clean and it is very revitalising. The environment is very comfortable and life is very relaxed, not like Hong Kong where there are a lot of cars and people, so this would be my ideal retirement location. (Are you afraid about problems in living there?) No, there are a lot of Chinese people there, so there will be no communication problems and I have heard that the Chinese there are very helpful. If the trip wasn't so rushed, I would definitely go and check out the properties before coming back and find a place where I could live next to Tavia because she also wants to retire to Canada."
The Sun 13/05/05
MCI Reunited
Three Miss Chinese International winners of the past Bernice Liu, Michelle Ye and Linda Chung were reunited earlier at the opening of a Japanese restaurant and the three girls stole the show as Michelle showed off her chest in her strappy dress, whilst Bernice revealed her back.
Bernice says she loves eating Japanese food and laughs she will be having her share as well as taking something away with her: "My fee has gone up, but the happiest thing is being able to eat because it is what I like." Talking of rumoured boyfriend Moses Chan's debut album and himself feeling it was a rather mediocre performance, Bernice supported him, saying: "It is okay for his first time, but I did not buy his album!"
As for Michelle, who has recently moved house, there have been reports that she has sought the advice of a Feng Shui master. Michelle admitted this and said that her fans have given her a lot of housewarming presents, but rumoured boyfriend Xiong Ni has not made any gesture yet.
The Sun 11/05/05
Sonija Kwok has Support from Mum
Sonija Kwok and her mother are like sisters, not only sharing all their pretty clothes, but also offering each other their total support in everything they do. Little wonder that Sonija wants to say openly: "Mum, I love you!"
On Mothers Day, every child thinks of ways of making their mothers happy and Sonija Kwok took her mother together with Pauline Yam, Krystal Tin and Lisa S to a Mothers Day event at Sogo and in front of the crowds there, Sonija announced to her own mother: "Thank you Mum, I love you!"
Sonija says that they are more like sisters and get on very well together: "When I was younger, I would make her a card, now we share our clothes. (Are you very obedient?) No, but my mother will support any decision I make. (Did you tell her about your split from Deric Wan?) Yes." Asked if she has thought about being a mother, she says: "It's a little early to think about that. It is a very big responsibility."
With so much love from her daughter, Mama Kwok is very tactful and asked whether Sonija had introduced her boyfriend to her, she says she does not know and praises her daughter: "She doesn't talk much about her love life, but she knows what she is doing and is a good girl. I will support her, whatever she does." Asked if Sonija has many boyfriends, Sonija stepped in to reply: "I went to a girls' school, so no!"
The Sun 09/05/05
Christine Ng's Lingerie Collection
Most women feel that to get married and go on a honeymoon is the most beautiful time in your life, but for Christine Ng, she feels that the time you spend sleeping is the best time in life and she loves to sleep, but also loves everything to do with sleeping and hence has a collection of sleepwear and lingerie.
Over the years, Christine has collected over three hundred sleepwear items, with the most expensive item costing over $20,000 and the most ordinary one still costing $7000-8000. The pieces in her collection are not particularly fancy, mainly white in colour, but they win on their quality. No wonder that whenever Christine visits England, she will go to the lingerie shop that is steeped with history and all she has to do is touch the material before quashing her guilty feelings for spending money and heading for her wallet to get stocked up. Christine says: "When I was young and poor, I did not have any ambitions, but when I grew up and learned to make money, I found that I liked to spend money on sleepwear and lingerie. Although not many people can admire the beauty of me in lingerie, I find that as long as I am comfortable, then I will be happy and I will buy it no matter how much it costs."
Christine also reveals that apart from changing her underwear every day, she also likes to put some fragranced pouches in her wardrobe so that her clothes smell nice and she can pick them up to sniff, laughing that this lightens her spirit and makes her more beautiful.
The Sun 13/05/05
Nnadia on Legal Affairs
Nnadia Chan was a guest along with Joyce Li and Cheung Wai Man on Carol Cheng's legal quiz earlier and she revealed some insights into her past: "Since I was young, I have been a model citizen and kept to the law and once I even helped a friend to try catch a pervert, earning myself the nickname of 'Fei Mo Chung'. (Catching someone?) Yes, I ran fast, but he ran even faster and the more I called after him, the more he ran away. It was so frustrating!" One of the cases on the show was if a person dropped some money on the street and didn't pick it up, does this constitute a littering offence? Nnadia says: "Money is no exception and this would lead other people to commit an offence, so this should be punishable. (Have you accidentally commited an offence?) I don't know the law and I have been tricked before, so I never take part in market research questionnaires in case my information is passed on." The Sun 14/05/05
Roger Plays Mah Jong
Roger Kwok, Yuen Wah and Iris Wong were promoting their new film "Saint of Mah Jong" by appearing at a Mah Jong Competition at a Tsim Sha Tsui bar. Roger demonstrated his skill at identifying pieces by just feeling them with his fingers and correctly identified over ten in one minute. Roger says that this is the first time he has promoted a film in a bar, but he does go to bars in his leisure time to relax and when he meets his fans there, they are very controlled and just buy him a drink. Once when he was on the mainland, someone bought him a glass of rice wine, but his friends told him not to drink it because you cannot stop once you start.
With his Mah Jong skills, Roger says that he picked these up under the influence of his friends, but he does not play very often. He says that he has a good game temperament, but he will never play with his mother-in-law to-be in case he reveals his true colours, so he will always decline.
Ta Kung Pao 14/05/05
Sam, Ursule and Marsha on stage
Cheng Pei Pei, together with her daughter Marsha Yuen, Sam Chan and Ursule Wong went to a bridal salon to try on their costumes for their forthcoming stage musical, where there is a wedding scene at the end. Marsha says she has worn a wedding dress a number of times now and although she has to sing and dance in it, the dress will not be an obstacle. Asked if she will be wearing a mother and daughter matching set with her Pei Pei, she says that her mother is afraid of looking plump so she will not be wearing an evening dress. She has had another outfit made up instead.
Although Marsha has split with ex-boyfriend Patrick Tang, they still keep in touch and Patrick is currently filming in Shanghai, but he has promised Marsha that he will return to support her. Asked if she has been supporting Patrick's series "Just Love", Marsha says she is too busy and does not have time to watch television.
Ursule says that this is the first time she has worn an evening gown and this makes her want to have wedding photos taken, but she does not have a boyfriend yet. She says that she has been very busy because apart from rehearsing, she has been writing a column for a magazine. She says that her writing is hugely influenced by her father James Wong because she has been reading his work since she was very young.
Ta Kung Pao 14/05/05
main pageLeila Tong Bakes a Cake
Leila Tong's culinary skills are only so-so, but for Mother's Day this year, she has sought the assistance of a master chef to teach her to make the SE Asian dessert Semolina Cake for her mother as a gift.
As her parents are Indonesian Chinese, Leila has had many opportunities to try the delicacies of the region, but she has not inherited these skills from her mother. When she tried to make Yellow Bean pudding earlier, her mother's comments were: "Keep trying!". It was these words that have encouraged Leila to work hard and prove herself to her mother. For Mothers Day this year, Leila has decided to learn some skills from a chef and make Semolina Cake for her mother. The recipe is not too difficult, but it is all down to skill as she had to learn how to fold the leaves to support it. After about an hour, the presentable result appeared before us and Leila laughs: "I don't know if my mother will think that I bought this from somewhere!"
The Sun 07/05/05
'All About Men' Promotion Continues
Ron Ng, Kevin Cheng, Bowie Lam and Moses Chan were at a Tai Po shopping mall to promote the TVB album "All About Men" earlier, attracting a crowd of fans to support them. Over half of these were fans of Ron, once again proving his popularity over the others, but Kevin seemed rather open-minded about the success of his junior: "My fans are all in the ranks of mothers or married women now, so they are more controlled and don't have banners. I meet with my fans every year, so they are very faithful. (Do you want to attract some younger supporters?) We'll see how it goes."
Hailing from the music industry originally, Kevin says that to have the chance to sing again makes him feel rather high and happy. He also reveals that "All About Men" has done really well, with sales smashing the 10,000 copies mark. "There are ten men in the album and they are all very attractive. Who do I think is the most appealing? I would say ... Hacken! His voice has been with me as I have grown up, so it is especially homely."
Ron was asked about earlier reports suggesting that whilst he lived in luxury, his father lived in poverty and Ron responded rather unhappily: "After seeing the reports, I have spoken to my dad on the phone and he has been very strong and not unhappy about it as he continues to buy things and raise his fish. I am unhappy about it though because my family are not in showbiz and they shouldn't have to suffer the same pressure as we do. My father looks after all our finances, but he likes to live in that area because he knows all the neighbours. (Are you worried that with fame comes problems?) I don't think so. Writing things about me is okay, but don't disturb my family as this will hurt them."
The Sun 08/05/05
Miu to take Legal Action
Recently, Michael Miu has been resurrected on the TV screen as his series "The Academy" has been airing, in which he portrays a very honest and positive image as a police trainer. However, in a recent copy of "Sudden Weekly", there have been allegations that one of his spectacle factories in Dongguan has been owing its workers three months salary causing protests from over a hundred workers.
After seeing these reports, Michael is very angry and clarifies that whilst he does have a factory in Dongguan, he has not owed any wages to his workers and has not come across any protests. He sas that if this was the case, the labour department in the mainland would have closed him down a long time ago. Michael has been in touch with his lawyer about the claims and he will be taking legal action against the magazine that may include court proceedings for libel. He wants to punish those who are reporting irresponsibly and says: "The magazines are making things up and tarring my name just for their sales and this is totally twisting reality and the truth."
Michael says with conviction that these magazines lack any media ethics and their integrity is nearing zero, interrupting the balance in society. However, he insists that the truth will not be affected by this: "I don't mind so much when the magazine making personal attacks against me and when they have written in the past about my 'romantic affairs', I have brushed it off, but this is against my business and unfair to the shareholders, so I have to clarify on this and maintain fairness towards them." Michael says that since his factory opened in 1997, the number of workers has risen from a hundred to over a thousand and they produce 150,000 pairs of glasses per month, with stars such as Simon Yam, Louis Koo, Alex Fong, Jordan Chan and Sonija Kwok all wearing their designs. His sales across the whole of South East Asia are very satisfactory.
The Sun 07/05/05
Miss Hong Kong Acting Trials
The forty qualifying Miss Hong Kong contestants have been chosen and five of these joined Eric Tsang for an acting class earlier. When the girls arrived, Eric first had them taking a screen test, asking them to show their love for him in a very sweet way and a very forceful way, however, they all seemed rather reserved and did not stand out at all.
This was until one of the girls who wore a low cut top that revealed a rather flat chest decided to thrust herself against Eric and started to brush his chest as she played the flirtatious lady. Not expecting this, Eric was rather stunned and said to her sarcastically: "What are you touching me for?" After meeting the contestants, Eric says that their performance was not bad: "They are full of heart (enthusiasm). Last time, many didn't know why they wanted to take part, but this year they all seem to know what they want."
Eric says that he is most afraid of Miss Hong Kong's with a lot of gossip: "I hate those contestants that are full of rumours or conflicts. All the contestants should be friendly." He says that as there are still three months until the pageant in August, the contestants should enjoy the process.
The Sun 07/05/05
Gigi Lai is a Shopaholic
Gigi Lai has been as vain as her mother since she was young, so as she did not have to work on Mother's Day, she took her mother out shopping for the day to choose the perfect gift for her. Earlier, she had set her ambitions on saving $10 million in the next two years, but this will be easier said than done, because with her shopaholic tendencies, saving money will be very hard!
Gigi confesses that she is a confirmed shopaholic: "Earlier, after filming for 'Powder and Rouge', I went on vacation to Europe and saw so many beautiful things so I had to buy them and I spent a lot of money! I think I have this condition, so it will be hard to save money!". Gigi says that this is definitely inherited from her mother and laughs: "My mother is even worse, she will buy cups, pens... and recently she has become even worse and turned into a little child, even buying a load of cartoon crockery! Between us, we have bought a lot of useless things and they are all over the house like the women who collect junk. My dad can't do anything about it!"
Seeing so many clothes and shoes all over the house, Gigi admits that she is rather wasteful and pledges to overcome her reckless shopping habit: "I think shopping is like an addiction, I have sponsors for my make up and my clothes, so I don't need to spend money on these things and I have decided that unless I really like something or I need it for work, then I will not be so wasteful." She adds: "I will firstly sort out the things in my mother's room, so that she can see how much she has and hopefully this will help her to break the habit too." She laughs that her mother complains about her nagging so she has already curbed her spending a little!
The Sun 08/05/05
'Legal Spokesperson' Blessing Ceremony
As studio filming begins for Liza Wang's new series "Legal Spokesperson" and it also happens to be Wayne Lai and Sammul Chan's birthdays this month, a special birthday party was held for them too. When they called for Sammul's screen girlfriend Myolie to give him a birthday kiss, she ran away screaming, but later she pretended to give him a kiss for the cameras. Myolie was asked why she was so skinny that you could see her bones and she explains that she has lost about 10 lbs, but she is fine. Also, when Liza was asked how her partner Law Ka Ying was doing, she indicated he has returned to Hong Kong to rest for a while.
The Sun 07/05/05
Anne Heung's Car is Vandalised
After visiting a friend in Chai Wan earlier, Anne Heung returned to her BMW to find that it had been scratched and a liquid have been thrown onto the body of the car and windscreen. The police were called, but after checking the security videos, nothing was found. Anne says that she had been to see a friend at 3 pm and was shocked to find her car had been vandalised when she returned to it at 7pm. She says with resignation: "I have only had the car for six months, so it is very upsetting. I am not worried about pressing charges, I just want to know why and whether I am being victimised. (Was there nothing on the tape?) Just people coming and going, but they don't know who it was. The police say there is no point in continuing the investigation because it is hard to know who did it."
The Sun 08/05/05
'Just Love' Promotion
Cast from TVB's "Just Love" held a special Mothers Day promotional event at a shopping centre and Sunny Chan presented the three 'mothers' in the show Jessica Hsuan, Lui Shan and Chan Ka Yee with a bunch of carnations. After giving a kiss to Ka Yee, when he got to Jessica, Sunny stopped and only pretended to kiss her. Despite calls from the crowd to give her a real kiss, Sunny refused. After the open kissing in the previous event, Sunny was asked why he had suddenly turned so prudish and he explained: "After that event, a lot of friends called me and asked why they didn't get a kiss, so I am afraid now and daren't do it again!"
Sunny has no problem showing his affections for his real life Ada To though and he plans to present his mother with a grandchild as a Mothers Day present next year. Jessica's mother is living in Beijing at the moment so she says: "I can only call her and wait until she comes to Hong Kong before I give her a present. It will be something like jewellery because women like that."
The Sun 09/05/05
Mr Mok and his Mum
"Minutes to Fame" youngster Mok Hoi Him has become quite a celebrity since his appearance on the show, but luckily he has a very level headed mother who has kept him on the straight and narrow and prevented him from becoming too conceited. Hoi Him and his parents took part in a Mothers Day event earlier and not only gave his mum a very special kiss, he went on to present her with a cake art gift. Mrs Mok says that they have been approached by a record company who wanted Hoi Him to record an album, but they are putting his education first.
The Sun 09/05/05
Shirley's Ambition to join Police
Shirley Yeung has been filming for "Always on Standby" recently, where she plays a disabled communications officer for the Government Flying Services. She had done all her homework in preparing for the role and joined the crew at GFS headquarters for training, but they were met with a big case on the first day: "On that day, there was a climber who had an accident at a waterfall and there were children there too. The artistes were all very frightened, but the GFS crew were very calm and handed out the jobs very quickly, gaining everyone's admiration."
Despite her delicate stature, Shirley's childhood ambition was to become a police officer to help keep the peace in society. "Being a police officer is very stylish and a great responsibility. Female officers are even more complex as they combine both strength and gentleness." However, Shirley's interest in education was even greater, so she decided to become a teacher instead.
The Sun 13/05/05
"Dancing Flames" Blessing Ceremony
TVB's new series "Flames Dancing on Yellow Sands" held its blessing ceremony earlier and cast members attending included Ada Choi, Charmaine Sheh, Gigi Lai, Moses Chan and Maggie Siu. Ada, who plays the family leader, had started filming a few days before and as she has several pages of lines for every scene and a lot of monologues, just remembering all the people's names is hard enough, so she is rather nervous about this and is having sleepless nights. Despite the pressure though, Ada is happy to take on the role because it is a very boisterous character, who is greedy and scheming and this is the most challenging job she has taken on in her acting career. Talking of the location filming for this series in Yinchuan, Ada says that she will be going there, but most of her scenes are indoors giving orders, so she will not have to work as hard as Gigi and Charmaine.
Charmaine was earlier photographed visiting the accident and emergency department, so when asked about what the problem was, she explained that through lack of rest, her muscles had been seizing up and when she was getting changed, she had pulled a muscle in her lower back. She has to wear a back support until she recovers, but she is fine. Her character in the show has to carry the hefty weight of Moses Chan and Kenny Wong, but will her hundred pound frame handle it? She says she is worried about re-injuring herself, so she has asked for this scene to be postponed. Will she ask for a stunt double? Charmaine says: "Using a double removes the realism from the scene and it is not for a long distance, just from the courtyard to the room and they will not do it in one shot, so I hope to do it myself."
Gigi has been studying her script at home recently as well as gaining herself a tan to avoid too much of a difference between the location scenes and those in the studio. She is not using a salon or the beach to get herself bronzed, preferring to tan on her balcony at home. She says: "I have been reading my scripts and tanning at home, trying not to put on too much suntan lotion, but I have only darkened a little, so progress is slow. (Are you worried about injuring your skin?) Yes, but it can't be helped. (Will you age after this show?) Yes, so when I return I will have to go for some major treatment, but definitely not surgery. (Will you change your skin?) Maybe, but I will ask a doctor for advice first."
Moses has intentionally lost some weight for this series, but he does not know how much he has lost. He just feels that he has slimmed down and when he starts work again he will slim even more. When he heard that Charmaine has to carry him, he asked in return: "Carrying me? How? I am on average about 180 lbs and 170 lbs at my lightest!" Like the rest of the cast, Moses will need to tan for the show, but he will be avoiding the beaches, especially South Bay. When he does go, he will choose a corner space to avoid being recognised. When he does go sunbathing, Moses wears diving pants instead of swimming trunks and when asked why, he replies that it is not as acceptable now he has grown up.
Bowie has just finished filming for "Always on Standby" and is preparing for "Flames". As he plays a deaf character in the show, he has been researching on the internet and in bookshops, so that he can portray the character well. However, there is limited resources on this and he will have to try and understand it himself. With this show, his management contract with TVB starts officially and he has immediately received an advertisement job, with many more under negotiation. He is happy about this and feels that this is because the feng shui in his new home is very good because he has had so many opportunities to make money in less than a a year and he hopes to make even more.
Ta Kung Pao 14/05/05
Ta Kung Pao 14/05/05
The Sun 14/05/05
Recruitment begins for 'Mr HK'
The first "Mr Hong Kong Pageant" to be held by TVB began recruiting for contestants this week and entrants only have to be 16 years of age and hold a Hong Kong Identity Card. Permanant residency, marital or family status does not matter provided they are stylish enough. Non-drama department assistant chief Ho Lai Cheung indicates that the selection will fall into one of two groups - "Handsome & Carefree" and "Health & Strength" and there will just be one contest. In order to increase the entertainment value, TVB will have a public vote from an all female audience and there will only be a swimwear section in the "Health" group. Mr Ho laughs that many female artistes have come forward to be judges because they want to 'check out' the men.
TVB have sent out their own band of stylish men, including Kenny Bee, Frankie Lam and Shek Sau to do an air, sea and land promotion, whilst Sonija Kwok and Mandy Cho try the sexy approach to attract applicants. Nat Chan was also there to lend his support as well as his James Bond car worth over $1million as a background for the girls. He even offered his services as a valet when the car was stained with rain!
Sonija says candidly that she hopes to take part in the show, especially as a judge, but she is rather afraid of big muscly and hairy men! "I don't like men who are all flesh and hair. I prefer the typical Chinese man." Mandy says she likes men who are happy-go-lucky, but she does not have many stylish male friends, so she can't nominate anyone. As for 'overaged vase' Kenny, he says that it is thanks to Nat that he can take part in this event and adds that he is rather unusual because he likes to admire men. Nat says he will not be taking part in the show, laughing: "If I come on stage and outshine all the men, then it will be no fun! If the entrants have the exterior of Kenny, the youth of Alan Tam, my internal beauty and Hacken's voice, then that would be a sure winner!"
The Sun 10/05/05
Ron & Tavia Retiring to Canada?
A group of TVB's young idols including Ron Ng, Joe Ma, Tavia Yeung and Myolie Wu visited Toronto and Vancouver on a promotional tour earlier and visiting Canada for the first time, Ron felt that the beautiful sights and environment made it the ideal place to retire to. He adds that his screen girlfriend Tavia should also retire there so they can be neighbours. Ron says: "Although the weather there can be cold and it snows, the air is very clean and it is very revitalising. The environment is very comfortable and life is very relaxed, not like Hong Kong where there are a lot of cars and people, so this would be my ideal retirement location. (Are you afraid about problems in living there?) No, there are a lot of Chinese people there, so there will be no communication problems and I have heard that the Chinese there are very helpful. If the trip wasn't so rushed, I would definitely go and check out the properties before coming back and find a place where I could live next to Tavia because she also wants to retire to Canada."
The Sun 13/05/05
MCI Reunited
Three Miss Chinese International winners of the past Bernice Liu, Michelle Ye and Linda Chung were reunited earlier at the opening of a Japanese restaurant and the three girls stole the show as Michelle showed off her chest in her strappy dress, whilst Bernice revealed her back.
Bernice says she loves eating Japanese food and laughs she will be having her share as well as taking something away with her: "My fee has gone up, but the happiest thing is being able to eat because it is what I like." Talking of rumoured boyfriend Moses Chan's debut album and himself feeling it was a rather mediocre performance, Bernice supported him, saying: "It is okay for his first time, but I did not buy his album!"
As for Michelle, who has recently moved house, there have been reports that she has sought the advice of a Feng Shui master. Michelle admitted this and said that her fans have given her a lot of housewarming presents, but rumoured boyfriend Xiong Ni has not made any gesture yet.
The Sun 11/05/05
Sonija Kwok has Support from Mum
Sonija Kwok and her mother are like sisters, not only sharing all their pretty clothes, but also offering each other their total support in everything they do. Little wonder that Sonija wants to say openly: "Mum, I love you!"
On Mothers Day, every child thinks of ways of making their mothers happy and Sonija Kwok took her mother together with Pauline Yam, Krystal Tin and Lisa S to a Mothers Day event at Sogo and in front of the crowds there, Sonija announced to her own mother: "Thank you Mum, I love you!"
Sonija says that they are more like sisters and get on very well together: "When I was younger, I would make her a card, now we share our clothes. (Are you very obedient?) No, but my mother will support any decision I make. (Did you tell her about your split from Deric Wan?) Yes." Asked if she has thought about being a mother, she says: "It's a little early to think about that. It is a very big responsibility."
With so much love from her daughter, Mama Kwok is very tactful and asked whether Sonija had introduced her boyfriend to her, she says she does not know and praises her daughter: "She doesn't talk much about her love life, but she knows what she is doing and is a good girl. I will support her, whatever she does." Asked if Sonija has many boyfriends, Sonija stepped in to reply: "I went to a girls' school, so no!"
The Sun 09/05/05
Christine Ng's Lingerie Collection
Most women feel that to get married and go on a honeymoon is the most beautiful time in your life, but for Christine Ng, she feels that the time you spend sleeping is the best time in life and she loves to sleep, but also loves everything to do with sleeping and hence has a collection of sleepwear and lingerie.
Over the years, Christine has collected over three hundred sleepwear items, with the most expensive item costing over $20,000 and the most ordinary one still costing $7000-8000. The pieces in her collection are not particularly fancy, mainly white in colour, but they win on their quality. No wonder that whenever Christine visits England, she will go to the lingerie shop that is steeped with history and all she has to do is touch the material before quashing her guilty feelings for spending money and heading for her wallet to get stocked up. Christine says: "When I was young and poor, I did not have any ambitions, but when I grew up and learned to make money, I found that I liked to spend money on sleepwear and lingerie. Although not many people can admire the beauty of me in lingerie, I find that as long as I am comfortable, then I will be happy and I will buy it no matter how much it costs."
Christine also reveals that apart from changing her underwear every day, she also likes to put some fragranced pouches in her wardrobe so that her clothes smell nice and she can pick them up to sniff, laughing that this lightens her spirit and makes her more beautiful.
The Sun 13/05/05
Nnadia on Legal Affairs
Nnadia Chan was a guest along with Joyce Li and Cheung Wai Man on Carol Cheng's legal quiz earlier and she revealed some insights into her past: "Since I was young, I have been a model citizen and kept to the law and once I even helped a friend to try catch a pervert, earning myself the nickname of 'Fei Mo Chung'. (Catching someone?) Yes, I ran fast, but he ran even faster and the more I called after him, the more he ran away. It was so frustrating!" One of the cases on the show was if a person dropped some money on the street and didn't pick it up, does this constitute a littering offence? Nnadia says: "Money is no exception and this would lead other people to commit an offence, so this should be punishable. (Have you accidentally commited an offence?) I don't know the law and I have been tricked before, so I never take part in market research questionnaires in case my information is passed on." The Sun 14/05/05
Roger Plays Mah Jong
Roger Kwok, Yuen Wah and Iris Wong were promoting their new film "Saint of Mah Jong" by appearing at a Mah Jong Competition at a Tsim Sha Tsui bar. Roger demonstrated his skill at identifying pieces by just feeling them with his fingers and correctly identified over ten in one minute. Roger says that this is the first time he has promoted a film in a bar, but he does go to bars in his leisure time to relax and when he meets his fans there, they are very controlled and just buy him a drink. Once when he was on the mainland, someone bought him a glass of rice wine, but his friends told him not to drink it because you cannot stop once you start.
With his Mah Jong skills, Roger says that he picked these up under the influence of his friends, but he does not play very often. He says that he has a good game temperament, but he will never play with his mother-in-law to-be in case he reveals his true colours, so he will always decline.
Ta Kung Pao 14/05/05
Sam, Ursule and Marsha on stage
Cheng Pei Pei, together with her daughter Marsha Yuen, Sam Chan and Ursule Wong went to a bridal salon to try on their costumes for their forthcoming stage musical, where there is a wedding scene at the end. Marsha says she has worn a wedding dress a number of times now and although she has to sing and dance in it, the dress will not be an obstacle. Asked if she will be wearing a mother and daughter matching set with her Pei Pei, she says that her mother is afraid of looking plump so she will not be wearing an evening dress. She has had another outfit made up instead.
Although Marsha has split with ex-boyfriend Patrick Tang, they still keep in touch and Patrick is currently filming in Shanghai, but he has promised Marsha that he will return to support her. Asked if she has been supporting Patrick's series "Just Love", Marsha says she is too busy and does not have time to watch television.
Ursule says that this is the first time she has worn an evening gown and this makes her want to have wedding photos taken, but she does not have a boyfriend yet. She says that she has been very busy because apart from rehearsing, she has been writing a column for a magazine. She says that her writing is hugely influenced by her father James Wong because she has been reading his work since she was very young.
Ta Kung Pao 14/05/05
News sources: The Sun & Ta Kung Pao