Foreword by Chen Jia Ying (陳家瑛) (a paraphrase)
It is strange how I got to know Steven. We both work in showbiz, but for 10 or more years we never met each other before. My impression of him at the time was vague: knew only that he was a singer, heard his songs and that he sang quite well. That’s about it, as far as my knowledge of him then, until on one evening in 2004 when my friends and I talked about him, one of them was a good friend of mine for a decade or more, Tsui Yong Yong. I was curious as to why she would quit her journalist job for a publishing one.
It is strange how I got to know Steven. We both work in showbiz, but for 10 or more years we never met each other before. My impression of him at the time was vague: knew only that he was a singer, heard his songs and that he sang quite well. That’s about it, as far as my knowledge of him then, until on one evening in 2004 when my friends and I talked about him, one of them was a good friend of mine for a decade or more, Tsui Yong Yong. I was curious as to why she would quit her journalist job for a publishing one.
Ah Tsui said, " I love publishing. Ma Chun Wai gave me an opportunity to learn, so I changed my career path.”
Ah Tsui’s obvious respect for Ma Zai impressed me.
Last year, an overseas mutual friend introduced me to Ma Zai. I finally got to really know him. This fellow was even more 清秀 (qing xiu – delicate & refined) than his TV image. Rather on the polite side, he had on this bashful look on his face. Definitely an image of a "good" young man, indeed. (Haha!) That was my first impression of him.
Later, a group of friends invited me for an initiation into a club... what club? Can’t guess, eh?
Apparently, Ma Chun Wai, Tsui Rong Rong and other friends have gathered to form a poetry club. They invited me to join them in matching poem couplets. Poem couplets match? I had never done that before in my whole life. There I was, caught; here coupling this dui lian, there matching that phrase. At first, I was scared to death. Who were these people? But as time passed, I began to enjoy this kind of interaction, furthermore, I got to know the real Ma Chun Wai.
I discovered Ma Zai’s lovable side, but at the same time, his obnoxious side, too. Let’s start with his obnoxiousness first. Don’t be deceived by his refined exterior appearance. He actually possesses quite an impatient disposition. If anxious, his impatient personality will surface. Though very self-deprecating, he, however, has an extremely strong sense of self, and can be quite impetuous – all in all, a very traditional Chaozhou chauvinistic man. And his most annoying trait is that he is very perceptive, in that he can penetrate other people’s innermost thoughts. The people whose innermost thoughts so penetrated by him will feel a sense of self-failure. (tn: because they failed to protect their thoughts from him)
But he also has a lovable side to him. He is filial; he is responsible to family; he possesses good work ethics; he is willing to help people (but sometimes can be overly helpful); he is loyal to friends and loved ones; and he understands gratitude.
I also discovered that this fellow’s Chinese Language standard is very high. If I made an error, he actually dared to bluntly expose my mistakes. All these years very few people dared to be this direct to me; I actually appreciate his directness.
Ma Zai is very discerning of things around him. His sense of perceptiveness is very strong. He is a very intelligent person. A strong perceptive insight will only benefit an artist in his entertainment work.
He also has a very fertile imagination, as illustrated in his prose essay, “Landgull”. It’s really funny that a person could actually waste a whole hour just staring at a seagull. “Hi, fellow (Xiao Zi), weren't you tired?” I guess normal people will not do that, only a mental person would fantasize over a seagull for so long. He has the talent to write fantasy fictions.
I hope that readers reading his book will also share my feelings about him.
Translator note: Think Chan Ka Ying is the manager of Faye Wang and Eason Chan
Ah Tsui’s obvious respect for Ma Zai impressed me.
Last year, an overseas mutual friend introduced me to Ma Zai. I finally got to really know him. This fellow was even more 清秀 (qing xiu – delicate & refined) than his TV image. Rather on the polite side, he had on this bashful look on his face. Definitely an image of a "good" young man, indeed. (Haha!) That was my first impression of him.
Later, a group of friends invited me for an initiation into a club... what club? Can’t guess, eh?
Apparently, Ma Chun Wai, Tsui Rong Rong and other friends have gathered to form a poetry club. They invited me to join them in matching poem couplets. Poem couplets match? I had never done that before in my whole life. There I was, caught; here coupling this dui lian, there matching that phrase. At first, I was scared to death. Who were these people? But as time passed, I began to enjoy this kind of interaction, furthermore, I got to know the real Ma Chun Wai.
I discovered Ma Zai’s lovable side, but at the same time, his obnoxious side, too. Let’s start with his obnoxiousness first. Don’t be deceived by his refined exterior appearance. He actually possesses quite an impatient disposition. If anxious, his impatient personality will surface. Though very self-deprecating, he, however, has an extremely strong sense of self, and can be quite impetuous – all in all, a very traditional Chaozhou chauvinistic man. And his most annoying trait is that he is very perceptive, in that he can penetrate other people’s innermost thoughts. The people whose innermost thoughts so penetrated by him will feel a sense of self-failure. (tn: because they failed to protect their thoughts from him)
But he also has a lovable side to him. He is filial; he is responsible to family; he possesses good work ethics; he is willing to help people (but sometimes can be overly helpful); he is loyal to friends and loved ones; and he understands gratitude.
I also discovered that this fellow’s Chinese Language standard is very high. If I made an error, he actually dared to bluntly expose my mistakes. All these years very few people dared to be this direct to me; I actually appreciate his directness.
Ma Zai is very discerning of things around him. His sense of perceptiveness is very strong. He is a very intelligent person. A strong perceptive insight will only benefit an artist in his entertainment work.
He also has a very fertile imagination, as illustrated in his prose essay, “Landgull”. It’s really funny that a person could actually waste a whole hour just staring at a seagull. “Hi, fellow (Xiao Zi), weren't you tired?” I guess normal people will not do that, only a mental person would fantasize over a seagull for so long. He has the talent to write fantasy fictions.
I hope that readers reading his book will also share my feelings about him.
Translator note: Think Chan Ka Ying is the manager of Faye Wang and Eason Chan
source: Steven’s 图文并谬 3rd foreword
translator: Tamaya
translator: Tamaya
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