English Bay

Finally it’s been a while without yet another bizarre snowstorm - we “Wet” coasters are NOT used to all that white stuff!  Looks gorgeous, but it sure changed plans throughout the month of December, and I have yet to catch up with all my nieces and nephews out of town (…bad Auntie)

One snowfall began Dec.17, the day of the highly-anticipated live event Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant 2008 produced by Fairchild TV.  I was asked to perform and enjoyed learning yet another new Mandarin song, but think the best entertainment happened backstage.  The frantic pace of those 10 beauty contestants changing outfits & entire hairstyles to match was a live tv lesson in speed-dressing and they had a troupe of assistants and stylists running non-stop.  Bear in mind the gals were there since rehearsals 12+ hours earlier so it was a verrry long day for them and ya gotta admire the dedication.

with Gregory Rivers

Off-stage I really enjoyed chatting-in-Chinese (!!) with fellow blue-eyed blond Gregory Rivers 河國榮; handsome Aussie event MC who for years was an actor with TVB in Hong Kong.  Now I can finally appreciate how surprising it is to hear Cantonese coming from the mouth of a “gwei-lo”!  I also got to know former pageant winner Bernice Liu 廖碧兒 who is lovely, smart and a fine dancer, not to mention a made- in-BC beauty.   I even caught up with dynamo magician Nelson Chang (soon to be Oslen?) whom I haven’t seen since we both performed at Toronto’s Skydome for the big Chinese new year festival years ago.  Now called the Rogers Centre, it was so cavernous that for our Event they had a ferris wheel indoors!

with Bernice Liu

Post-pageant I nearly wiped out on ice which would’ve been a disaster as I was filming a U.S. tv commercial (actually, three) over the next few days for Time Warner (no wonder I had little time to Christmas shop).  I played the role of an office executive - if they only knew the truth - in my unreal “real” life I’m a glamour-gal-entertainer singin’ all sorts of songs; two of my recent English faves being “Rehab” and Christina Aguilera’s fast “Ain’t No Other Man”.

P.S….as for New Year resolutions - while I like to believe we can all improve and evolve, I think the best way to start a year is not with resolutions but with champagne & a To Do list.  As they say, to start eating an elephant, go bite by bite and you might just manage it!  Break it down into manageable bits.  Cheers to YOU, thanks for your support and all the best for 2009.