Collective memory of Mui

by friends, media, critics, colleagues ....

index

 

Thanks to Meimei for the Youtube link and the interview recorded by Mingpao weekly of Feb 15, 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55Z_mdtBQwc

 

It's better to listen to the interview at Youtube because Mingpao didn't record the entire interview.  I tried to translate some of the unrecorded part that's in blue, but not all.

Chi Wing:  There were 2 sayings; one was that you were so good to Leslie Cheung, it was because he introduced to you your first HK girl friend, Anita Mui; but the other saying was that Jack Li introduced you to her to be her physical trainer.  Which was true?

Zhao (Chiu): humm.......Leslie Cheung.  It's in a restaurant....Tsui Kar was there too,  Leslie asked: [Do you know who she is?] [I know.] When I was in Beijing University, a college mate from South  played this song, and he told me it's the super queen of Hong Kong, Anita Mui.  It's a beautiful song "Chop open the iceberg".  I started to listen to her songs from that time, never thought I would meet her in HK.

CW:  First time when you met her, felt you were meeting an idol?

Z:  Hummm.....didn't think about any other thing, only nodded the head and said 'hello'.  But felt it was fated (Naturally started to love her?)  How would I not love her? (Would you feel you failed her, as you didn't cool down to find out the misunderstanding?)  We found the misunderstanding later, we both sighed that 'We are fated to meet but can't be together', because we already had our own life. (When you listened to the interview, you would find Zhao said that they parted because of misunderstanding.  In fact, their parents had met, and  they also thought of marriage.  But due to misunderstanding, they parted.  Chi Wing mentioned that in an interview after they parted, Anita said if they could save their past relation, and if she was willing to do that, she might already been Mrs. Zhao.  Chi Wing asked if Zhao knew that he was the man Anita deeply loved?  He said 'yes'.)

CW:  Later when she got sick, did she tell you?

Z: I knew. (She told you herself?) Correct.

CW:  At that time, many friends felt that Zhao Man Chuck didn't visit Ah Mui; or when she passed away, you didn't weep, they felt you are a man without feelings, actually what was the real situation?

Z:  eh............just think, a beautiful woman who loves a man deeply....definitely she would only like the man she loves deeply to see her most beautiful side...she went through chemotherapy, got thinner, hair got affected, how would she like the man she loves deeply to see her like this? eh...(so you'd rather not visit her?) Starting from that time, I started to believe in inspiration...on the day when she left, I had to go to Shanghai.  When I was on the plane, I felt very cold, I was shivering, and what I talked about didn't make sense...I was afraid...when I got off the plane, I turned on the mobile, someone told me  that Ah Mui was in critical condition...I felt something possibly had gone wrong.  That night someone told me the happening...

CW:  Would you feel regret for not seeing her for the last time?

Z:  At the mourning hall, I had the final look of her, and started to believe in induction, and believe in fate...that night I met my ci-fu (teacher) of today, and was converted to be Tibetan Buddhist.  She was Tibetan Buddhist too.  When we were together, she talked to me a lot about Tibetan Buddhism, but at that time I believed in nothing...

CW:  Saw the wreath you sent with wording 'My most beloved, travel safely .'

Z:  I went to her last concert too...I felt happiest was that I gave her a painting, a painting of Kwun-Yin.  At time, I already knew that she would not live long.  When she saw that painting, she was extraordinarily pleased...because all those believe in Buddhism wish to have a good place to return to... Watching her performing from my seat, in the 3rd, 4th row, I could see her legs  shivering...she could not stand firmly...her body was shaking too...the costume was too heavy, she was already very skinny ...therefore you could see a woman, she could be so brave to face so many rumors, especially so many unfavorable rumors, people said bad things such as why she still had to do so much and etc....she really did the concert  for her fans... (in the interview by Youtube, Zhao kept on saying:  [Also she wanted to show all people - 'you see I'm a  woman  with strong will power, I can do it, I can give a perfect ending to my life. '  She already knew she was very close to the day she would leave this world.])

[Personally I'm glad that someone finally gave an honest opinion about that costume ...."the costume was too heavy, she was already very thin," as so far I only heard praises about that design, none ever complained about the weight of it, except myself, that such a costume of more than 80lbs  was really inappropriate for an invalid maybe even less than 80lbs to wear. Really pathetic!] - by Woodstock