Since live interviews are spontaneous, the interviewees' responses reflect their personalities, knowledge, intelligence, their quick wit, and most of all, their eloquence and articulation. I must say, more often then not, I'm impressed with Steven's live interviews, be they tv or radio. Even back then when his Mandarin wasn't too fluent, he was still able to articulate his thoughts well. There's always substance in his responses, regardless of whether one may agree or disagree with his opinions.
*The 7th day of CNY, traditionally known as yan yat 人日, is the common man's birthday, the open birthday when everybody grows one year older.
主持：丘凯敏（丘） 嘉宾主持：马浚伟（马）
Host: Anna Yau Hoi Man (A)
Guest: Steven Ma (S)
Date: Feb 2nd 2007 CNY 7th day, Saturday 9pm – 11 pm
Dialogue topic: People (live broadcast)
A: Happy Birthday!*
S: Happy Birthday!
A: How come you’re not elated? (雀跃 “jump like sparrows”)
S: I’m like this even for my own birthday.
A: Is that right? I’d like to introduce – whether tonight is for personal birthday or Everybody’s birthday there might be a little enthusiasm. (不大雀跃); but I hope there is for this program. We have here an enthusiastic (雀跃) guest; we have Steven Ma.
S: Hi Anna, Hello, everybody!
A: Hello! You’re very difficult to get hold of.
S: Not really! Quite ok!
A: For your birthday, you really couldn’t care less?
S: Not really, just that for other people’s birthdays, I tend to be happier, more enthusiastic and more joyous. (雀跃些) As for my own birthday, I’m usually not excited. My birthday celebrations by friends are usually quite tame.
A: How do your friends celebrate your birthday? Could it be that they know you don’t want to celebrate, so didn’t help you celebrate?
S: It’s not that I don’t want to celebrate. It’s all right to celebrate. Celebration is a joyous occasion. But no matter how happy I am, I'm always pre-prepared. Sometimes, some well-meaning friends wanted to surprise me, but I always knew in advance. If I didn’t guess the pleasant surprise beforehand, then I’d be really surprised.
A: Any? These past 3 years?
S: No!
A: past 10 years?
S: I saw through all of them. (laugh)
A: Is it because you were extra perceptive or that your friends were just too careless?
S: I guess it’s because I like to contemplate, therefore most things I can foresee in advance. Like when one or two of them start to walk off; I say to myself - here it comes, a cake. I just knew.
A: That’s true. Like when a karaoke song suddenly stops, you know what’s going to happen next.
S: Or like when friends whisper among themselves, one can also guess. If you expect me to act ignorant and later act surprise, then I…then I… Maybe because I’m an actor, therefore, ordinarily I really don’t like to behave too dramatically, else it’s like playacting in a show.
A: True, true. Just like, ordinarily I don’t like to chatter too much. If you were granted a birthday wish, what would you wish for, besides world peace?
S: In the past, there would many, but now I guess it would be good health. Of course, there are other aspirations, but if good health is gone, so will everything be gone. As such, good health predominates. Every year my birthday wish would be… Even during the blessing ceremonies for series, I would wish for a smooth sailing production, good health for myself and those around me and for my family. That’s more than enough!
A: What? You’d never wished for a #1 rating, breaks 43 points?
S: At the moment, it has only broken 42 points. (Laugh)
A: I know, wanting to smash it.
S: very tough!
A: Actually getting 40 points is not too easy. Besides good health, you said you’ve other aspirations; like, what are you career goals?
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Karaoka
A: Would you sing your own songs? Or occasionally listen to them?
S: I’ll listen to them, but won’t sing them in karaoke.
A: You go to karaoke?
S: Yeah, why not?
A: Well, some people don’t like karaoke, at least, those who sing or are artistes.
S: Before I entered the industry, I often sang in piano/organ clubs.
A: That’s different. That’s singing live, no? Some people get nervous at seeing their own mv.
S: I’m nervous, too.
A: Then why go?
S: I won’t request my own songs. There was once I went with a group of friends to karaoke and reserved a room – can’t remember the occasion. There were these two who disobeyed me and went behind my back to request 4 or 5 of my songs. And there I was, having a good time, drinking, when suddenly....I rushed to stop it, cut!… But still, he put in another request. I told him, if you keep doing that I’ll leave.
A: It’s just for fun ma… why so fierce? You’re bad! (laugh)
S: Yeah, that’s what my friend said. Do you have to be so fierce? I’ve already told you not to request my songs. Because at that moment, I didn’t want to be reminded of my identity or to have any contact with work. Because after work, during my free time, I prefer not to talk shop. I don’t like talking about myself. Like, so what film are you making now? So on and so forth. Even at old friends’ gatherings, I'm very clear on that I’ll brook no entertainment related questions. If you are my friends, don’t discuss my series, don’t ask if she’s pretty or not, or if she a nice person. Etc… If you insist on asking me this kind of questions, I’ll leave immediately. I don’t relish chatting these things after work.
A: Neither do I.
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A: If you have the chance to get close to Ma Chun Wai, you’ll find out many unexpected stuff about him; like I found out you like Chinese tea. Later I also was surprised by how familiar you were with oldies songs. I can only used oldies to describe those songs, not old hits, (gao goh旧歌) but old songs(老歌 lou goh)
S: How do you know?
A: Because I’ve collaborated with you on a film & my observation is very strong. No lah, actually do you remember that one time we were inside a conference room. You and Zi Man Goh子明哥had to sing a song.
S: Oh, yes!
A: I was surprised how you knew the lyrics even better than Zi Man Goh. Those songs may not even be Brother Zi Man’s generation.
S: They were Brother Zi Man’s generation’s. They should be very familiar with them. But I don’t remember what songs they were.
A: Neither do I. But anyway, whatever they hummed, you could always pick up. So I was surprised, and looking at you, yee.. how come you knew that too? Yeah, and many others too. Before we start the program, allow me to interrupt here, if not once you start talking you won’t stop. Which is why tonight we have 2 hours to shoot the breeze on one particular topic with different categories so that everybody will get to know you better.
S: Getting to know each other better. 大家互相了解。（笑）
TN: Anna and Steven go a long way back to 1994 as show in the below April fool's Day trick pulled on the hostess by Steven and one other guy.
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On Stupid people vs Lazy people
A: There’re all kinds of people in this world. Different people have different personalities. Everybody has his or her own principles and beliefs; if you were to choose between stupid people vs. lazy people, whom do you have the least tolerance for?
S: Actually can’t use “tolerate” on stupidity. Nobody wants to be stupid. Also, how to define stupidity, moreover, nobody can predefine it.
A: Compare to yourself
S: But you can’t do that. You think he’s stupid, that his strengths can’t compare to yours, but actually that’s because you haven't see his strengths as yet.
A: True. But if you can’t see them, then you don’t know them. And if you don’t know them, you don’t see him as competent. Like from what I can see or from working together, he doesn’t fit in.
S: There’s a Chinese saying 知人善用: use people according to their abilities. Actually, no one has the right to label a person stupid. You've only one option, which is, if you place him in a situation where he can excel and where his abilities can be fully utilized; then you are the smarter person.
A: True. But there’s no need for that; I know I’m more capable than him. But the problem is, you don’t get to know everybody for like 10 years. The chance may be once, or thrice or whatever, but all this time, he’s not competent at all. In your mind, this person just doesn’t cut it.
S: I’d think, is it because he’s being lazy? It’s easy to define laziness. Like maybe he needs to deliver something faraway, so suddenly he has a stomach ache. Can’t go. Ok. Fine. It is also fairly easy to determine laziness. But a person’s stupidity, it’s tricky to decide whether he’s naturally stupid, or that I’ve yet to see his strength(s). Even if he’s an idiot, I still believe he has his own strength(s). It may be from one's perspective, one can’t see them yet, therefore, he's labeled as stupid.
A: Yes. There's this group of people. Like he may be good in sports, but in my workplace, sports are unrelated to my work therefore not appreciated, right?
S: Exactly. How can he be considered a stupid person? He's capable, and is an outstanding athlete.
A: But I couldn’t see them (strengths). I’m only stating an example. Of course, I think athletes are intelligent. So, people, please don’t take my words out of context, that I said athletes are incompetents.
S: Of course not.
A: Say for instance at work, you've occasional collaboration with some people, maybe once or twice, always brief. The impression is that some people are indeed brighter than others, sharper, right? Would you tolerate the person who’s dumber? What I mean is, from your perspective and workwise, he's just slow. From day 1, you’ve told him that the costumes had to be yellow from top to bottom, but he continually brought you an orange one everyday.
S: That’s why, Anna, I’ll resolve this problem in my own way, or maybe will look at it from a different perspective. Like surely this person is very slow in this area. But this labeling of him only pertains to this area because he may have strengths that I’m unaware yet. For instance, like as an acting partner, he just doesn’t get it no matter what, maybe his acting skill is weak, but who knows his editing skills maybe excellent. Right? Why do people change? Because they have gotten to know their own weaknesses and strengths by and by. And so, they change jobs for ones that are better fitted to their own abilities. They learn to conceal their weaknesses and to use their strengths to further their career.
A: True. As you say, everybody has his/her own strengths. But as a girlfriend, would you choose a stupid or a lazy person?
S: In this case, I would choose a stupid one because I can’t stand laziness. You have to force lazy people to do work.
A: Wow! You have such a low tolerance for lazy people? But your acceptance of stupid people is high and you’ve a lot to say about them. For myself, I don’t think lazy people are born lazy, it may be due to their moods at that time.
S: Many lazy people are smart. Smart people know how to slack off.
A: If I were to find a life partner, I’d rather have neither, but if I were to choose between these two, I would choose a lazy person because at least he understands what I’m saying.
S: If you’re talking about a life partner; then frankly, if I truly love her, even if she were a pig, I would still love her, much less her being lazy or stupid.
Make-Up
A: You know if it’s a life partner, and he’s dense....and women are indeed sometimes hard to figure out. What comes out of their mouth may not be what’s in their heart. If he’s clueless or if he’s not observant enough… that would be tough on a woman. But for slackers, at least he can understand but just won’t do it. He won't do it today or even tomorrow, or the day after, but love might make him do it one day. Just he doing it for one day will make you very happy. I understand that these two have their own pros and cons. But if you were to pick, which….
S: My response to what you say about some women being stupid; some are truly stupid, but some only pretended to be stupid….they are the smart ones…wanting to make us men happy. You say some women are lazy, yeah, in certain areas, they are lazy. Except in one particular area, which is when they’re putting on their make-up, usually causing them to be half hour or an hour late. If they are lazy in this area, I would welcome it. Better yet if they slack off plastering those 8 layers of stuff on themselves. Or…. anyway, why paint your face so heavily? It’s just a casual outing…just out for dinner. Light make-up will do for casual appearances. I don’t know if most women are like that, but those I know are never lazy in this aspect, very diligent indeed.. even applying it layer by layer, can’t even get done within an hour. Maybe if they can slack off in this area, they’d look even cuter?
A: Is it because you can’t stand her heavy make-up or that you can’t stand her tardiness?
S: Firstly, I dislike tardiness. Secondly, I wonder: Is heavy make-up necessary? If I really like you, whether you have make-up or not, I’ll still like you. If I only like you with your make-up on, then does that mean I can never see you without make-up? Then that means you must always put on make-up first thing in the morning, if not, then wear a mask?
A: You exaggerate.
S: That’s why it’s (make-up) not necessary. To me, every female, regardless of her looks, has a beautiful side to her. Maybe it’s her cheerfulness, maybe her decency, or maybe her vivacity, or her optimism... Maybe she looks good when cooking... whatever, she’ll have a beautiful side.
A: But she feels the prettiest when make-up. If she feels that way, why can’t you accept it?
S: It’s not that I can't accept it, it’s only what I feel, what I hope; like in the case of wanting to look thin, I don’t think it’s necessary. In fact, when on the streets, I notice many women without make-up on and in casual outfits, but you see them looking happy, looking confident; and.. they look fine.
Girlfriend
A: Well, maybe that’s just one side to them….. But anyway, what about you, Steven, what do you look for in a girlfriend? Do you have certain requirements or look for a certain kind of person?
S: In the past, I would. Especially when I just entered the industry, and always being asked about my ideal girlfriend. I would say prefer girls with long hair, Chinese ethnicity, gentle etc. etc. But I won’t do that anymore. Now, there’s none, no particular ideal image.. only need to be compatible… of having that certain feeling of clicking, of fate. 缘分 I no longer believe in looks. Good looks don’t always equate beauty. If you love her, her looks is not important, what is, is that you two can communicate with each other, can connect with each other’s thoughts and mind.. .a tacit understanding…
A: But if she’s stupid, then she can’t meet your mind, right?
S: This..this…(chuckles) Stupid…I don’t how to define stupid. But anyway to me, what’s inside you is more important than your looks. Some beautiful women are not truly beautiful. After so many years of living, I prefer natural looks, that’s why I dislike heavy make up. I don’t need her to be stunning, just simple and natural, and genuine. I truly feel that all I need is a genuine woman, doesn’t have to be too beautiful.
A: I agree. But do you think that genuineness is hard to find?
S: Very tough.
A: In what way? In that you don’t have the time to spend in getting to know her, or that most women wear a mask in public?
S: Yes. Nowadays, women are very capable, very smart and financially independent. That doesn’t mean I feel inferior, but that when a person is overly smart, it can sometimes create a barrier, inadvertently erecting an extra barrier to a relationship’s communication. If a woman is truly worried; imo, if she worries about not finding a boyfriend or getting married, I think instead of dressing to the nines, she should let her own stlye 气质do the attraction.
A: Will that really work? Having no make up? But make-up will attract more people. Haven’t you heard what Hacken say? I once asked Hacken; I probe: What is your ideal girlfriend. He quips: Easy, just one word, “Beautiful!”.
S: Well, he’s married one, right? For me, I think, style/class (气质) is very important. If a woman has inner substance, (内涵)and if she has character, her beauty will naturally shine through. I believe this saying: A good heart makes one beautiful. 心善则貌美. No matter how beautiful you are outside, but if your heart is not, gradually you won’t look beautiful anymore. For me, this is my least kind of beauty. I most appreciate those who seem to get prettier the more you look at them. Over time, your strengths gradually appear, your inner substance shows, as well as your character. And thereafter, you notice she can play the piano, looking very pretty indeed when she does. She can cook, and look extra pretty when making soup. These would all show the beautiful sides of her.. I think this (beauty) is far more lasting.
A: Be more natural, yes. It goes for both males and females.
Colored portion by Akazukin @ AF
A: Then actually Steven Ma, what are your own criteria for a girlfriend? What kind of person?
S: I think before I would have set criteria, especially when I first entered the showbiz, I was often asked about my criteria for a girlfriend. I have said before, it would be best if she has a long hair, of Chinese ethnic, gentle etc, I have said a lot. But now I won’t. Now I feel there is no, no certain image, meeting someone who clicks is the key. That is, we both have that feelings when we meet each other, we have that destiny. I no longer believe in appearance, the prettiest can be the most not beautiful. I now will most believe that a pretty appearance is of no use, this one people said it is the same for both male and female, maybe it is so. But I feel, if a girl is very pretty, her being pretty and not pretty is not relevant when it comes to loving and having romance with her. I think the most important thing is to be able to communicate. Both parties originally have the same consensus even when we are at different places, both can web each other, and even able to see through each other’s mind, there is the kind that with one eye, we can see through each other~
A: If she is stupid, then won’t she be able to? Won’t she be able to meet your mind? (claps to Anna for this too, LOL)
S: This, this, (laugh) stupid~~, I don’t know what is called stupid. Anyway, I feel the things inside wins over your face. A pretty girl can be very not beautiful. I myself gradually mature. I feel the movie that I have watched, the books that I have read etc, show that a pretty girl is the one that possibly hurt you the most, so~~
A: You are afraid that she will play around outside?
S: There are a lot of reasons. If a girl is too pretty, to be honest, I will actually feel that we may not communicate very well.
A: Is the communication not good or you don’t feel secure?
S: Both. But I really like the more ordinary one, I really ~~. Ten years later when I look back to today, I don’t know, maybe I will say I like the type that is easy to escape from (?? What does he mean by 好跳脱?) , I like the prettier one, maybe at that time, I will, but I think I won’t. Up til now I have lived for so many years, I think I like the more ordinary one, so I don’t like those who put on heavy make-ups, I don’t need her to be too eye-catching. Simple and more real, I still feel a girl who is more real is enough, don’t need to be too pretty.
A: I agree too, but do you feel “real” is difficult to find?
S: Difficult, difficult.
A: Where is it difficult? Is it difficult due to your time, that actually you cannot come to understand them, or the girls nowadays often wear masks when they go out?
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Angel's incident
Anna asked Steven to speak of a certain mean person, yet it was she who brought him up and preceded to monopolize the whole conversation. Poor Steven only got in a word or two during that time. lol!
A: Let’s start with mean people, how do you define them?
S: Mean people? My definition would be: Their deeds are innately harmful, convey verbally or physically; their harmfulness or aggression is immense. But whether those said deeds are covert or overt, that I don’t know. But mean people are not necessarily evil. We often hear people said these: Wah, this who and who is very mean, be careful when you meet him. But mean people are those I’m least scare of. Because they are what you see, therefore, real.
A: Let’s put that aside for later, now what would you say if you are suddenly asked to talk about a mean person.
S: You want me to speak of one particular person?
A: Yes, to bring up an incident, an incident that made you think this person is real mean. I once saw Ma Chun Wai being very fierce unlike his normal self, who is not fierce at all. Even his portrayed characters are all very nice. You’ve never portrayed a villain before, right?
S: Not yet, so far.
A: Yes, never acted as one before. As you know, some tv audience are funny in that; oh you’re this kind of person based on the image of you in their mind. You portrayed a villain so you’re bad. You are loyal so you’re guai zai and good. In BOL you are even-tempered. But when one got up close with MCW ~like that one time, I felt that you could actually be fierce too. But your fierceness was not actually bad, rather it was pretty righteous. Just didn’t expect it from Ma Zai. Not like how one would expect it from a more explosive personality like Louis Koo or maybe Nicholas Tse. But Ma Zai? He would actually speak out like that? The incident happened last year when we were filming a show about Macao.* There was this one driver with a real bad attitude. Moreover, he didn’t know the roads well. And so, much time was wasted thus delaying schedules and the film progression. But he wasn’t even sorry nor did he change his attitude. Whenever we talked to him about it, he was belligerent. Anyway, I felt we had given him many chances. Because our shooting schedule was constraint to 3 or 4 days, and we needed to shoot in 7 or 8 locations within a day, our time was really tight. At the 3rd location, we had already spoken to him many times about it. ~We had to make up for the lost time. Can you please not be so late? Where did you go? But his attitude remained obnoxious. By the time we reached the 2nd last location, we had had it with him, having endured him the whole day. Suddenly, at this very moment ~ because the girl liaison between the company and the taxi company, she had tried fierceness; she had tried entreaties; she had also contacted his company.
S: She wasn’t fierce at all. That girl the whole day was ~my impression was that she’s a very courteous girl ya. She herself was a uni student, very si man (very well-mannered) Just by her appearance, shows she was very si man. Wore a pair of glasses, very fair, with straight hair~ a young girl. 一个细路女
A: Yes, a young girl, petite, seems easy to bully.
S: Ya, looks like someone who can be bullied easily.
A: But she had already called up his company and spoke to his boss but to no avail. Suddenly, MCW, in a very loud voice, hollered: “Do you still want to work? If not, then we’ll find someone else!” Something along this line. You would think woah! This is Ma Zai? So unlike him. So, actually you could be one too.
S: I---I feel if that is even considered as fierce then…..
A: Not saying it was tyranny ya.
S: Not tyranny (laugh)
A:Ya, that you have a temper too ya
S: How can I not have a temper ya? If human, then must have temper. Only that it must be reasonable. I will differentiate the fierce people; those who lost their temper unreasonably are also crazy people.
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Extortion
A: As to your deepest impression of losing your temper, was it that one time when you were doing a stage performance?
S: oh, yes!
A: Can you talk about?
S: Sure, but it wasn’t a stage performance, it’s filming a movie.
A: but it became a stage performance.
S: At that time, it wasn’t plain losing my temper. Actually to protect myself, I transformed into a different person. What happened is that I went to a very remote, mountain town to shoot a movie. My whole contract was just to shoot a movie. Who knew, later one night, something wasn’t proper. That was during the on location shoot of a disco scene. Even during the journey to the disco location, I already sensed that something wasn’t quite right. I did say I’m a very sensitive person. I felt that some of the crew were acting strangely. (gugu guai guai) At that time, a female assistant accompanied me. There’s just us two from HK, the rest were from mainland. When we reached the site, something really fishy was going on. Wah, bat dak liu! Hanging all over the place, fluttering in the winds were red helium balloons and a huge banner, “Welcome Ma Chun Wai to tonight’s performance!” My poster was plastered outside and the ticket cost was 129 yuan.
A: Did you think, yee, just filming a scene had to be this real?
S: But that scene wasn’t about the real me, wasn’t about Ma Chun Wai; but about my character in the movie. When I saw it, I knew instantly that they wanted to extort me. But if I were to leave immediately without getting to the bottom of it, then it would be to my disadvantage. So I got inside for makeup and was getting ready to act the scene, and to speak with the director. The producer came and introduced the DJ to me, ha what? Why do I need to know him? The DJ asked me how to introduce me for my entrance onto the stage. I said: Ha? Why do I need an introduction to get on stage? I’m here to make a movie. Did you make a mistake? He said no. And then the producer pulled up someone supposedly the assistant producer, a big, tall, hefty man. Of course, I knew I was being extorted. But I’ve an obstinate temperament. So you think you would extort me, well then I will fight back. So I sat down and said, “I won’t sing. I’m here to make a movie. You’ve made a mistake!” At first I was polite. I said how can you guys be so ridiculous. Then the producer said, “Please help, just go up there and sing 3 songs.”
Wah! 3 songs! I said, “As artistes, our work by nature has to be accounted for. Our work is tied in with a contract and a fixed price. Also we have management. I can’t do this, sorry!” Seeing my inflexibility, he got another big sized assistant producer. He came, rolled up his sleeves, like readying for a fight. He asked, “Are you going to sing or not?” I lifted up my head. I kept my seat. I refused to sing. No! So what now? Then the director and the crew came over and asked what’s going on? At the same time, I asked my assistant to call up the movie lo ban (boss) to come and resolve this predicament. When he was aggressive, the situation was really dangerous for me. Because I didn’t know if he had co-horts around. After that incident, found out that there were around 10 to 20 of his people in the province. After reporting the incident to the police, some co-workers introduced their local friends to me. I’ve never made a movie with a daily escort of two policemen. But I didn’t care. I’m making a movie you can’t extort me. Subsequently, they changed that assistant producer. And finally managed to finish the movie. Actually in between there were some other problems but they didn’t affect me. It had nothing to do with me.
Now that I think back, wah, I was quite brave then. But that’s just my personality. Yes is yes, no is no. Don’t you try to extort me. If you exhort, I will not take it lying down. I asked him, “So, you want to beat me up? Go ahead! Beat me to death, but I still won’t sing. So that’s how it went. Actually, working in mainland does not pose this kind of problems, this was unusual. All my work there went smoothly with no problems and the people I worked with were all very nice. Except for this one time. The way I see it, is that a big tree has many branches, and occasionally will meet some bad apples.
A: I guess in all your years working, this must be you first time or the only time encountering such an incident. I heard from friends incidents like this not only happened in China but also in Malaysia.
S: I’ve never encountered the same in Malaysia. That was my first and only time.
A: Could it be that you are someone who will yield to soft pleading but not to hard force. Say at that time, it was not this humongous big guy but a petite delicate person like Angel in our Macao filmology. (Anna and Steven had previously collaborated in a short filmology on advertising Macao) There she was pleading with you. Like: Please, all the tickets are already sold out. Would you…?
S: In my position, I couldn’t help because this concerns the nature of my work. It would be against the rules. I had a contract with a management company. My company had a cut in my fees. I couldn’t forfeit your fees. If I privately agreed to perform because of your pitiful display, I would have done something wrong, which is to have betrayed my company. Or worse maybe my company might misunderstand and thought that I had collected your fees. I couldn’t do it. If I were freelance, like you say, and had no company backing, if a big, hefty guy approached me, I would definitely not sing. But if like that ‘pitiful’ girl, maybe I might help you out by singing one song, fine. The situation is resolved. So maybe without management contract I might do it, but probably wouldn’t. Because this concerns principles. (ethics) (see AF discussion below)
A: Actually that situation then was quite dangerous. That big guy and his co-horts. And you, all by yourself alone. Also those people were in covert while you’re in overt.
S. Which is why later….sometimes life is like that. Troubles find you even though you didn’t provoke them.
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Notes:
Green portion translated by Akazukin @ asianfanatics.net
Green portion translated by Akazukin @ asianfanatics.net
*Fell in Love with Macao - (a sort of propaganda film for Macao)
Starring Steven Ma, Anna Yau, Halina Tam
show part1
**********************************
Akazukin:
I love his strong hold onto principles and ethics. His courage in upholding them is very admirable. But men... can they never be able to escape what maybe a woman's trick? No matter if he/she is being offensive or pitiful, if he/she wanted to trick him into performing in order to get around paying rent and earn from the concert tickets, he/she is clearly unconscionably taking advantage of him. Such action, no matter how wallpapered, does not deserve to have him to sing for them. The thing is, if he sang one song for the 'pitiful' girl, he is not helping her, he is letting her taking advantage of him. If he wants to sing, the only reason he should sing is for the audiences that have bought their tickets with real money.
honeydaisy: Haha that is so funny. A woman's guiles are a man's downfall ... seen this happen many times in history, right? But I like to think that just goes to show what a gentleman he is!Akazukin:
Ehh.... sorry to say... Steven does look like a gentleman (from onscreen and offscreen impression of how he usually behaves), but I don't think being soft on an unconscionable 'pitiful' girl is a gentleman's act because brawny men of no brainer often fell for the trick too (as we seen in history, TV series, or everyday life). That's just a weakness of men. If he doesn't fall for it, it won't make him less gentleman in my eyes. It will actually make me respect him more being able to see through the skin and differentiate black from white.
Tamaya:
Haha! I knew you would bite…
Please ease your mind on what appears to be Steven’s chauvinistic double standard. I’ve heard how Steven said it. It’s all in the tone, like how one sometimes double talk just to be polite, like apparently conceding a point but not really? Listening to him, I got that very impression that he was doing just that, “like yeah maybe but really wouldn’t BECAUSE..”. This being a live radio interview eliciting spontaneous, unrehearsed response from him, he had to be careful with his spoken words. They had just finished talking at length an incident that involved Angel. That might have tempered his answer somewhat. That perhaps he would at least consider relenting to a soft touch plea over a hard knock demand was, as I see it, just a polite concession that was instantly discarded in the same breath when he ended his statement with “ but basically, I won’t because it affects my principles/ethics." So I really don't think Steven would give in to a more feminine plea or to womanly guiles if his principles are so compromised. 我或者会，但是基本上都不会，因为这是我原则的问题。
honeydaisy:
Lol! I knew I would get lambasted for the "gentleman" remark, but never mind.
That's why I said I like to think he's being a gentleman ... I'm just fooling myself, because you are right, common sense would tell me it wouldn't make him a gentleman, it would make him a fool! I doubt that would ever happen though, I can see very clearly indeed that Steven is no fool. He is a very smart man indeed. The more I read about him, the more I see this. For instance, I think he manages his PR extremely well. I see this in the way he does his interviews, and the kinds of things he writes in his blog (thanks to Tamaya's translations!). Despite the hardships he's been through, I think he's weathered it well and learnt how to handle things better. As Tamaya mentioned...Totally agree!! (to Tamaya's response) I think he was being very clever with his answer here. He seems to be conceding ("Yeah maybe...", and then he throws in that last curve ball ("... not!")
Akazukin:
Haha... you knew me too well.
Perhaps the meaning is lost in the absence of intonation. Hearing your explanation pleased me somehow, certainly hope it's true and when/if he encounters such a situation (hopefully he will not), he will hold strong to his principle over the feminine plea/womanly guiles.
Tamaya:
How could I profess to know someone like yourself who is not only 深不可测( deep & profound) but also possesses an inhuman all-seeing, penetrating sharp eyes. lol!
Akazukin: when/if he encounters such a situation (hopefully he will not), he will hold strong to his principle over the feminine plea/womanly guiles.But that is not to say he won’t fall for feminine plea/womanly guiles (eta 2013: him being man and all), just not blinded. (eta 2013: but not so sure now - su leech)
Akazukin:
Good enough to be not blinded. If he isn't attracted to feminine/womanly behaviour, he would probably be attracted to men.
Just like we women like men who talked with manly air (not those tyranny type). But we shouldn't be blinded to see their real intention.honeydaisy, I hope you don't really found it as a verbal attack, it was meant to be a discussion.
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Tamaya Posted 18 March 2009 - 11:01 AM
When re-reading its transcript, I had this feeling that Anna was being a bit too 'familiar' rather than professional with Steven, like she double talked in her questions and had double meanings in her responses.
Like the beginning when she sort of complains (almost like a gf)
丘：Hello! You're difficult to get hold of 你好难约哦！
马：Not really, ok 不是啊，OK的
What do you think of Anna's response? Double talk between them? And she kept referring to their 1st time collaboration in the Macao filmology. paraphrasing:
马：不是，我有什么事，火爆完，表达完我要表达的事，我就会转身走，我不会继续留在那个环境里。如果事后觉得自己语气是重了的，现在方便了，可以send短信，我可能会send短信给朋友，sorry，我语气重了~~
If I was in the wrong, I would text them to say sorry..
丘：你都不复的，讲什么呀，讲短信，别提了，真是的。
You don't even respond. Don't even mention, really.
马：（轻笑）其实短信，有时短信次次都复就不好玩了。短信的特色就是send过去了，收到了，我已经假设你收到了~~
丘：是，你骂完别人，觉得不好意思，跟着也不理别人的回复~~
You scolded somebody, felt bad. then ignore people's response
马：你不用回复我，我估计你收到了，你不收就算了，要不怎么样？
you don't have to reply me. I figure you've received it. If you don't accept my apologies, then what else can I do?
Akazukin:
Posted 18 March 2009 - 11:28 AM
About Anna, I don't know how she is as an interviewer usually since I have never listened or read her interview with another artiste yet. So I don't know whether it's her style or she is being too comfortable with Steven that her interview sometimes sounds too personal, as in there is no introduction, no background of what happened and we are thrown to the discussion. I feel this creates a barrier to the audiences (at least me) because we feel like we are the outsiders overhearing a conversation between two people (you know, it feels like those times when two of your friends talk about another person that you know nothing of and they don't bother to fill you up with the information of whom this person is).
I personally prefer Cha Siu Yan's interview because it sounds more like an interview, you know, asking questions, digging more, letting him speak for most of the time with occassional witty comments, while Anna's sounds like she is trying to get Steven say something she wants to hear or even like I said, sound like a conversation of two friends discussing issues rather than an interview. While Cha Siu Yan put the spotlight entirely on the interviewee, I feel like Anna puts too much of her own opinions to the interview. Her questions are sometimes even addressed like a prosecutor asking the defense side's witness rather than an interview of biography nature.
In shorter words, I feel that in Cha Siu Yan's interview, she is asking questions so Steven can talk to us. while Anna's interview is more like a conversation between her and Steven which we overheard. But maybe, it's her style, I don't know.
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Tamaya
Wow! that's exactly how I felt but couldn't quite pinpoint what while listening to them chat; very long chat! I did mention that the interview was more like an a conversation between them rather than an interview. And Anna did interject a lot of personal opinion into the dialogue. Maybe that's why I had this feeling of being an interloper listening in to a double talk. I guess the time is a factor too -2 hours long. Many times she did put Steven on the spot - very uncomfortable spot. Well, I did get to know Steven better --- that he is very articulate, very quick with his response, very secure in himself, very opinionated, and definite very poise and unflappable especially in deflecting somewhat barbed questions of hers with levity.
The only Anna's interview I heard is the one I posted here, and that's less than an hour.
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