"Slow Boat Home" Review

"Slow Boat Home" had promoted itself to be a refreshing youth-oriented and romantic lighthearted comedy. While the first half of the series did manage to be quite enjoyable and deliver many laughs, a closer look and one can easily tell that it quickly morphed into another typical TVB family drama. Although quite funny in its earlier episodes, it became yet another series with poorly written story lines weeded together and love stories that lacked a romantic factor that turned it lackluster and draggy.

The four leads all deliver, but the development and outline of their characters was sloppy.

Raymond Wong is solid as always and delivers as "Cheung Bo Jai". The character would have easily become annoying with his obnoxiousness in the early episodes, but instead Raymond made him quite hilarious. Yet, Cheung Bo Jai found himself primarily pining after Bo Bo (portrayed by Aimee Chan) and caught in the middle of family drama, lacking his own direction in life. Although he has a dream of owning his own boat, not much is ever done with this subplot until - you guessed it - he buys himself a huge yacht in the last episode.

Aimee Chan is surprisingly pleasant and very likable as "Bo Bo". She is charming and appears very comfortable onscreen due to the tailor made role and casual atmosphere. However, it is actually her character that puzzles me the most with her odd actions and behavior. She so readily settled down into life at Cheung Chau and gave up her career as a director that it was simply bizarre. I find it hard to believe Bo Bo would not return to New York when she could, had such a good attitude about working as a waitress when she was formerly a director, and so easily gave up on looking for her father (the reason she came to Cheung Chau) after learning it is not Mui Kei (portrayed by Ngok Wah).

As a huge fan of Ruco Chan, I become giddy every time I start a new series with him as lead. Now, this giddiness literally lasted all through out "The Other Truth", yet wore off for me here after just a
few episodes. Why? "Fit Wing" offers absolutely no challenge to Ruco's acting skills and range, and didn't present much more substance than that of a fool blinded by love.

Selena Li is given more of an acting challenge with "Heidi", who goes from greedy to good to being even more greedy than before and finally back to well, volunteer work doing, no make up wearing good. She does what she can with the role and it's nice to see her exercising her abilities a bit, but Heidi's character changes were abrupt and poorly done.

As said above, the love stories lack actual romance. Ruco and Selena share so much sweet and genuine chemistry, yet Fit Wing and Heidi's relationship was a constant back and forth with Heidi's regression, hurting and using Ruco as well as his loved ones time and time again, only to end with him forgiving her. And then the cycle repeats again. And again. Their relationship was dysfunctional and kept suffering the same setbacks. I feel teased that two such lovable and endearing onscreen love interests were given such a terrible love line.

Raymond and Aimee's line fared better. They were entertaining during their take as the classic bickering rivals turned couple, but I failed to see when Aimee started to return Raymond's feelings for her. Although they were fun together and shared chemistry, they too lacked romance.

However, "Slow Boat Home"'s most significant setback is how disconnected from each other the four main characters are. At first, the series seemed to tell two completely different stories, with one taking place in Cheung Chau and one in Hong Kong. Although this improved when Ruco and Selena's characters relocated back to Cheung Chau, it still couldn't hide the fact that the four were very much disconnected and lacked cohesion.

Friendship was a theme that would have been enjoyable to see develop, but the bonds beyond the two couples was not explored. Aimee and Ruco do not even share a scene together until almost halfway into the series, and Raymond and Selena had almost no interactions despite being childhood friends. It focused almost solely on the two couples and unnecessary family drama.

The most enjoyable aspect of the series though, was the bromance friendship between Raymond, Ruco and Matt Yeung. The three guys appeared very comfortable together and their friendship looked realistic, resulting in fun and warm scenes. However, these scenes were limited, particularly with Matt's minimal screen time and once again, disconnection to the group overall. Poor "Chuen So Kei" was constantly lost about what was going on between the four and almost consistently the last to find out.

Easily the most refreshing thing about "Slow Boat Home" is its location filming in Cheung Chau. It was a breath of fresh air to not see the same boring sets and filming sites yet again and instead see the natural beauty of this small town. Of course, this alone was not able to keep "Slow Boat Home" entertaining and fresh.

What becomes most evident about halfway through the series is that there is no actual point to it. There is no central story line, and just a bunch of poorly written story lines weeded together while the two main couples were pushed apart and back again and again. Not only does it become mixed with trite family drama, but allows itself to fall victim to cliched and random story lines like Oceane Zhu's and Elaine Yiu's. These subplots added nothing to the overall story (whatever that was) and seemed like they were simply included to drag out the series length. In addition, Lee Yee Man's character can probably go down as the most annoying character of the year.

Here's a fun fact: when the series was first proposed, it was supposed to have a music theme and showcase the musical talents of the cast. Ruco and Aimee were to play together on the guitar and piano respectively. Sadly, what showed up in the final script was Ruco strumming random guitar chords two or three times and no use of music as a theme. This is disappointing as it could have helped make "Slow Boat Home" more refreshing, particularly with its musically inclined cast (Ruco can play guitar and sing, Aimee can play piano, Selena can sing and compose and plays the piano, and Cilla was originally a singer). My guess is TVB backed out of this original concept to ease and simplify the filming and production process, since they love taking the easy way out. I would have loved to see music incorporated into this series.

Overall, "Slow Boat Home" is a series that starts off funny and entertaining, but its humor quickly wears off and goes down the trite family drama route traveled a hundred too many times by TVB series. All four leads are strong and likable, but either poor or inconsistent characterization keeps them from being utilized to full potential. If it weren't for the large amount of free time I have on my hands these days and the main cast, I would probably have dropped it by the last five episodes. There was plenty potential, and marketed as a youth-oriented romantic comedy, it had the opportunity to be something fresh. As most TVB series these days though, it is once again wasted potential.

Rating: 2.5 stars

Starhub TVB Awards 2012 - Fa Dan Fashion

On Saturday, August 18, a group of TVB artists attended the Starhub TVB Awards in Singapore.  Many of the awards given and the winners were a joke, with even more "pork" handed out than at the TVB Anniversary Awards.  Instead of wallowing about the results of the trivial awards (but if you must - a list of winners has been included at the bottom), let's take a look at the fashion choices by our lovely fa dan's.

Best dressed definitely goes to Selena, who looked gorgeous in a fitted strapless light aqua dress that trailed on the ground to create a mermaid silhouette.  I love the light aqua color, which gives off a refreshing feeling.  The color, design, fit, and of course, the person wearing the dress was beautiful.  To give it a sleek and subtle yet feminine look, Selena pulled up her hair into a loose updo with her bangs to the side, and accessorized with a silver necklace.

Best dressed male goes to Ruco, and cutest couple is Selena and Ruco.  They looked compatible and very sweet together.  Their ensembles complimented each other with the different calming shades of blue.  Ruco dressed in a dark blue/navy suit with black shirt and bow tie.  Not the typical suit you see worn, but he pulls it off looking handsome as always.  However, I wish he opted to stop wearing those glasses all the time.  Ruco went home with the "Best Newcomer" award...and I seriously wonder if he found the win funny, or just plain sad.

The night's Best Actress Myolie Wu wore a deep purple dress made up of a unique fabric (that I can't name).  The neckline and design of the dress, along with her newly cut short hair, makes her look very sharp and fashionable!

Tavia Yeung's fashion choices for award shows in recent years hasn't been anything I've had anything particularly good to say about, but she looked quite lovely that night.  She looked beautiful in her long flowing butterfly printed dress.  The design of the waist of the dress created dimension and created a small waist shape.  Her hair was appropriately pulled into a pony tail.  Tavia's dress makes her look fresh and sweet, and I liked how it wasn't overly formal.

It seemed blues and purples were very popular with the ladies for this event this year!  Linda always looks ready to be crowned Homecoming or Prom Queen with her gowns.  Basically, she looks beautiful but like a princess from a fairy tale.  Nevertheless, I like the color and detailing of the dress, which compliment the sweet and innocent girl very well.  The one shoulder is a nice change from the other dresses.  Ironically, a one shoulder dress is also what I wore to my Homecoming last year...

Fala Chen has a simplistic fashion taste, which is seen in her choices for events such as these.  Unfortunately, simplicity did not work for her here this time as she was just too plain, and the main piece was a disaster.  The strapless white dress had potential, but instead is ill fitting and looks like she wrapped a bed sheet around her.  Predictably, she paired the dress with classic black heels, red lipstick, and simply wore her hair down.  Not Fala's brightest fashion moment, as the whole ensemble did not show her curvaceous figure or beauty.

However, it wasn't Fala that was the evening's worst dressed lady.  In general, I love Kate's everyday fashion sense and think she is a beautiful girl.  Her evening dress choices though are usually a hit or miss, and this was definitely the worst ensemble of the night.  Kate looks gorgeous in curls, but I don't know why she loves donning the slicked back hair so much, which only ages her and makes her look less attractive.  The dress does not compliment her at all, and the worst part has got to be the black yarn (?) that drapes off the back of her shoulders.  Kate looked gorgeous last year at the same event with her slightly curled hair and long sleeved v-neck printed dress.  She looked elegant and attractive without aging herself.  I hope to see her wear a gown that does her justice at the Anniversary Awards.

As always, there were hits and misses for the ladies at the event.  Hope to see even more great fashion at the Anniversary Awards!

The list of winners of the night:

My Favorite TVB Male TV Character:
1. Moses Chan as Sung Yee Long in "When Heaven Burns"
2. Kenneth Ma as Cheung Yat Kin in "The Hippocratic Crush"
3. Kevin Cheng as Law Lik Ah in "Ghetto Justice"
4. Bosco Wong as So Sing Pak in "Lives of Omission"
5. Sunny Chan as Emperor Do Kwong in "Curse of the Royal Harem"
6. Wayne Lai as Po Gwok Tung in "Forensic Heroes III"

My Favorite TVB Female Character:
1. Linda Chung as Kwan Ka Lok in "L'Escargot"
2. Kate Tsui as Yiu Ho Ho in "Lives of Omission"
3. Tavia Yeung as Fan Tse Yiu in "The Hippocractic Crush"
4. Myolie Wu as Wong Sze Fu in "Ghetto Justice"
5. Charmaine Sheh as Yip Tse Yan in "When Heaven Burns"
5. Fala Chen as Chung Mo Yim in "Queens of Diamonds and Hearts"

Star of Perfect Poise Award: Kate Tsui
Most Glamorous Female Artist Award: Tavia Yeung
My Favorite TVB Variety: All Star Glam Exam
My Favorite TVB Mega Variety Special: TVB Gala 2011
Best TVB Male Newcomer: Ruco Chan
Best TVB Female Newcomer: Aimee Chan
Most Improved TVB Female Artist: Selena Li
Most Improved TVB Male Artist: Raymond Wong
Most Energetic Award: Kenny Wong
My Favorite TVB Themesong: The Hippocractic Crush--連續劇 By: Joey Yung
My Favorite Onscreen Couple: Moses Chan and Linda Chung [Yes Sir, Sorry Sir]
Best Smile Award: Linda Chung
Singapore Media's favorite TVB Drama: Ghetto Justice
My Favorite TVB Actress: Myolie Wu
My Favorite TVB Actor: Kevin Cheng
Professional Spirit Award: Wu Fung
My Favorite TVB Drama: When Heaven Burns 

A.E. Insights: Current and Rising Siu Sangs of TVB

It's been many years since TVB raised and promoted their last group of siu sangs (Raymond Lam, Bosco Wong, Ron Ng, and Kenneth Ma). These four men all had different strengths and weaknesses, and are all now at varied peaks and lows in their careers. With many artists busy with looking for other work and money making opportunities, TVB is now left in a dilemma. So our question is...

TOPIC: What is your opinion of the previous promoted siu sangs and how are they doing so many years later? Also, with the drainage of lead actors, who should become the next siu sangs?


Iris: Raymond, Bosco, Ron, and Kenneth are all successful now, but at differing degrees.  I personally think they're all talented and handsome guys, but very different from each other and now all at different positions.

If you had asked me who was my favorite out of the four before "Moonlight Resonance" came out in 2008, I would've quickly said Raymond Lam.  Besides being good looking, he had the best acting chops out of the four and most charisma.  He delivered memorable performances that left an impact.  From 2002's "A Step into the Past" to 2006's "La Femme Desperado", there was no question: Raymond was definitely the best actor out of the new generation.  I absolutely loved him in "Survivor's Law".  He shined as the kind, witty, passionate, yet slightly gullible lawyer.  Unfortunately, his career made a turn for the worst following the hugely successful "Moonlight Resonance". His popularity skyrocketed, and he received characters that capitalized on his success as an idol/pretty face instead of the talented actor he truly is. All of his roles since MR have been boring and fail to show his versatility and charm.  Nowadays though, I wouldn't say I have a favorite out of the four.  What about you, Niki?

Niki: Now I'm desperately trying to remember some of the older series I've seen them in and drawing a blank, hehe > u <; I did remember Raymond in "La Femme Desperado", Raymond did have a very likable character. His acting was natural and playful and he carried the emotions well. Yeah, his characters now emphasize on his looks and the characters themselves had nothing much to them. But I don't think I had a favorite, just because I didn't really know or bother to pay attention to the actors back then. Now, I think I would choose Kenneth as my favorite. He's a pretty good actor and his sweet and innocent personality outside just makes me favor him a bit more.  

Iris: Kenneth would probably be my current choice in terms of solely acting and personality.  He's shown acting skills and vast improvements.  I also really like his offscreen personality as well, as he is a modest, humble, shy, yet playful and youthful person.  However, like many people have noted, Kenneth lacks the charisma.  He has the likability and sincerity, but not the "X-Factor" that some people are just born with, which affects how memorable he can or can not be in his performances.

As for Bosco and Ron, they were more of the "heart throbs" back when they first started with mainly teenage fan bases.  In contrast to Kenneth, they have the charisma, but are not as skilled in the acting department.  In recent years, they've been demoted to second lead roles.  In Bosco's case, this has actually come to benefit him.  Not quite ready to take on lead roles, being demoted allow him to take on different roles and develop his acting more in a smaller capacity.  This setback paid off for him as he received critical acclaim for his supporting role in "Lives of Omission".

Unfortunately, things have only gotten worse for Ron.  He gave the most memorable performance of his career when reprising the role of "Chung Lap Man" in "E.U." in 2009, and was the most natural and emotive he had ever been.  He continued giving solid performances in "A Chip Off the Old Block" and "OL Supreme", successfully shedding his "impulsive hothead" typecast.  However, with his vast improvements, he became demoted to second lead and 2011 became the worst year for him so far in terms of roles and performances.  They all either lacked a dynamic, were underdeveloped, or just plain unlikable, not allowing him to show his acting skill.  Even in "L'Escargot", he was only able to show his acting in his one crying scene.  Real life girlfriend Viann Zhang has only caused the actor more trouble and career bumpiness.  What is your opinion on Bosco and Ron?

Niki: Yeah, I get what you mean. Kenneth is sincere, but when it comes to charisma, he's beaten. For Bosco, I did take notice that he has a broader range of characters to work with. He turned from a witty and playful cop in "7 Days in Life" to the sly and manipulative gangster in "Lives of Omission" and managed to portray the characters well. Bosco can definitely take advantage of the demotion as his chance to improve his acting skills and he also has Myolie supporting him mentally (and also perhaps through the very expensive gifts they like to give each other). As for Ron, I really feel sorry for him. When he finally improves, his characters couldn't get more boring. I hope he gets better characters soon and also that his girlfriend won't keep making trouble for him to fix. Speaking of "OL Supreme" though, I really liked his dorky character "Ah K"; he was so cute there. This year, I would say his character in "Forensic Heroes" was likable and had potential. But in the end, he didn't have enough screen time and the character ended up being under developed. If it wasn't for that, maybe that character could have been a pick up for Ron this year. For "L' Escargot" though, I remember you mentioning that even though his acting was solid during that emotive scene he was still over shadowed by Linda?

So, Ron's heart breaking tale aside and moving on from our old siu sangs, who do you think will be the up and coming ones?

Iris: Yes, Linda received praise for her crying scene when all she did was scrunch up her face and force out a couple tears. Meanwhile, Ron fully emoted and even had snot coming out of his nose. I hope in the future, Ron will get better roles before I completely forget he's a decent actor.

And now to discuss the next siu sangs of TVB.  Ruco Chan and Raymond Wong are the latest to have been promoted to lead actor, and both came with over a decade of experience.  This makes it hard for the young and newer actors to catch up.  Most recently, Jason Chan has been given the chance to lead in an upcoming series with Linda, so that will be interesting to watch.  Jason's handsome and friendly exterior, coupled with his educated and modest personality make him very likable.  However, his acting is still green and could use a lot of work.

Niki: Ah yes, Jason. I heard that he was being promoted lately. What is his drama with Linda? His acting should improve as he goes along.

There's also Matthew Ko, who was recently in "Sergeant Tabloid". I don't know if he's going to be a siu sang in the future, since his acting still needs work. But his character in "Sergeant Tabloid" was cute and likable, and he was able to garner some attention. It was a good improvement from when he was in "Man in Charge", where he was still unnatural and quite wooden in front of the camera. His handsome and charming looks makes him a good candidate to promote though. I also appreciate his straightforward personality.  It's quite refreshing.

Iris: Jason and Linda are starring in "Ferris Wheel of Happiness", which is a romance drama I think.  It is a smaller production, so it'll allow Jason to improve without having such a large weight on his shoulders.

I agree with what you said about Matthew.  He showed significant improvements in "Sergeant Tabloid", but I'm unsure as to if his acting truly improved or if it was the character.  Whatever it is, he shows potential.  He has the looks and charm, and is starting to improve.  I also like his straightforward and honest personality, which is hard to come by in the entertainment industry.  He's not ready to be lead yet, but I hope TVB gives him good supporting roles and potentially groom him into a siu sang in the future.

The one I have the most confidence in being the next siu sang though, is Edwin Siu.  He has been in the industry since 2002 and starred in "Aqua Heroes" in 2004, where his acting was mediocre.  However, since returning to TVB in 2008 and restarting his whole career, his acting has improved by heaps and bounds.  He's worked very hard, and it shows.  This year, he surprised and impressed everyone with his comedic talent in "Daddy Good Deeds" and made a complete 360 in "Gloves Come Off" as a semi-villain.  He has the hardworking and modest personality, charm, talent, and handsome yet cute looks.  He definitely has what it takes, and has the most range of all the rising actors right now.  All I'm saying is, he better get the recognition and promotion he deserves!

Niki: Edwin definitely has what it takes to become a siu sang. If TVB would open its eyes and promote him better I would be so happy. He was adorable in "Daddy Good Deeds"; he and Steven were the best part of the show. He really surprised me with his role in "Gloves Come Off". I didn't expect it, but he was actually able to scare me. His character didn't get that much screen time, being a minor role, but Edwin really shined and made the most out of it.

But speaking of recognition, Him Law is getting a lot of attention lately and all for the wrong things. All we've been hearing lately is rumors and scandals of Him, from him dating Tavia to the photo shoot case, as opposed to his acting. However, he is a pretty good actor, and his popularity is growing right now. So what do you think of him as a future siu sang?

Iris: Out of the younger guys, Him is the most natural actor. He has a lot of potential and has improved. However, he is definitely getting recognized for all the wrong things and has become a regular tabloid target. His real life personality is probably the worst out of everyone's with a history of domestic violence and several scandals, which makes it hard for me to look beyond it and truly enjoy his acting nowadays. Him is probably TVB's first choice to promote right now, but I hope Edwin gets the recognition he deserves too and that Him matures. In general, Him is an actor who I like as an actor, but not as a person.

In contrast to Him, Vincent Wong is someone whose real life personality is very likable but his acting leaves much to be desired. I have heard good things about Vincent being a friendly
and down to earth person, and something about him makes him seem approachable, unlike Him. His acting though is only acceptable. He presents likability in his performances, but doesn't possess a lot of charm and his acting still needs work. He is most likely not becoming a siu sang anytime soon too, as he is a new father and he and wife Yoyo Chen are taking off time from acting.

Niki: Him really does have the worse personality out of the potential stars right now. He should change that soon or it could be what ruins him. And I agree with what you said about Vincent. His acting is nothing special, but his personality is very likable. Even though he's not going to become a siu sang anytime soon, it's nice that he's spending some time with his family.

Another rising star seems to be Benjamin Yuen. He has been getting praises lately for his acting in the sitcom "Til Love Do Us Lie" and in "Hippocratic Crush". After watching these two series, I can say that Benjamin has good acting skills. He's natural in his performance and is likable, but his roles are still limited. Looks wise, he's not extremely handsome but still possesses a good amount of charisma. While he's a good actor and has the charisma, I still don't see him in a lead role yet. Perhaps it's because he hasn't gotten too many significant roles yet, but he's someone to look out for.

Iris: I didn't watch either series, but I have heard many good things about Benjamin's performance and character. I actually first noticed him back when he debuted in "Your Class or Mine", which was also where I first noticed Him. It's nice to see that he's showing more potential and talent. He's far from being lead actor material right now, but it's nice to see him getting praise and more major roles.

One last notable actor is Oscar Leung, who has consistently given solid and memorable performances despite portraying minor roles. His popularity and recognition level has increased since "L'Escargot", which makes me happy. For some reason, I can't seem to see him in a lead role though. He's probably not very favored by TVB executives. Perhaps second male lead?

With the drainage of artists and amount of artists that are still relatively green, it's hard to choose who has what it takes to be the next few siu sangs. I think just having the guys experiment with different and increasingly major roles will tell. If I were to pick a few that could potentially be the next group of siu sangs though, I'd say promote and invest in Edwin Siu and Him Law, then train Jason Chan, Matthew Ko, and Benjamin Yuen to eventually fill the void. The one with the most popularity is definitely Him, but I think Edwin will have the most successful long time career. All these guys have their individual charms, strengths, and weaknesses, and I'm interested in seeing where their careers take them the next few years.

Niki: I can't see Oscar in a leading role either, but he does definitely deserves bigger roles. Second lead should be appropriate, he'll be able to expand his abilities further.

The next couple of years will surely be interesting. The artists drainage will provide a great opportunities for these new batch of artists to rise. Their career roads should be bright if they take this chance to improve themselves. With so many artists leaving now hopefully TVB will take good advantage of these potential stars. In time, with some polishing, training, and investment Edwin Siu, Him Law, Jason Chan, Matthew Ko, and Benjamin Yuen will be ready to make up for the lack in leads.

Top 10 TVB Artists of 2011

Every year, Next Magazine holds an awards presentation.  The main component is the list of top 10 TV artists for that year.  The results have recently released, which is why I have decided to put together my own list.  The results are based off on the whole 2011 year, and does not include series that started airing in 2012.  These artists have been picked based on onscreen performance (i.e. notable performances in actual series) as well as offscreen performance (work ethics, personality, improvements, etc).

#10 - Steven Ma
2011 was a year full of ups and downs for the well respected and gentlemanly Steven Ma.   His series "7 Days in Life" was moderately well received, but like most of his series, aired at a bad time slot.  For the first time, his ancient series "The Life and Times of a Sentinel" was able to snag the "golden" time slot as it aired during the summer.  Known as one of TVB's most loyal artists, Steven's career took an unexpected turn when he shocked and saddened many by announcing he would be leaving the TV company after 18 years of hard work with little recognition. In an effort to get him to stay, TVB executives offered to give him the Best Actor award. No longer interested in awards and just wanting to peacefully leave the company and start a new life in China, a tired and worn looking Steven refused and put his effort into filming his final TVB series, "Daddy Good Deeds" and hosting variety show "Book of Words". Steven worked hard this year as well as all the other years he worked for TVB, and deserves a fresh start and success elsewhere.  However, he will definitely be missed.

#9 - Raymond Wong
Raymond may have played second fiddle to Ruco Chan in "The Other Truth", but ended the year with a bang with his captivating portrayal of lead character "Tung Book Sin" in the unexpected big hit "Bottled Passion". His performance was met with critical acclaim and gained him even more fans, securing his status as lead actor. Fans on JayneStars.com even voted him as the Best Actor of 2011 over Kevin Cheng!

#8 - Nancy Wu
Known for her solid and interesting performances in supporting roles, Nancy delivered a breakthrough in the role of the lawyer "Eva Chow" in "Forensic Heroes 3".  Despite only appearing in a handful of episodes, she maximized the screen time she had and left viewers with a deep impression.  Nancy's performance was met with praise and she became the "black horse" candidate for the race for Best Supporting Actress, making it into the top 5.  This year looks like it will be an even brighter one for Nancy.  Will she finally be boosted up to lead actress status?

#7 - Sharon Chan
Viewers only saw Sharon once in the whole year of 2011.  However, with a role like "Ho Lai Ching" in "Ghetto Justice", that was all she needed to make an impact.  Portraying a pitiable and well meaning prostitute, Sharon became one of the most successful breakthroughs of the year.  Her portrayal of "Ho Lai Ching" did not come without hardship, as she broke her collarbone while filming and spent many months recovering.  Instead of giving up, she toughed out the rough filming conditions that came with the character.  Deservingly and not surprisingly, she took home the Best Supporting Actress, after years of unappreciated and overlooked hard work.

#6 - Linda Chung
"Yes Sir, Sorry Sir" may have failed to boost the careers of Moses Chan, Tavia Yeung, and Ron Ng, but unexpectedly generated a huge amount of press coverage for Linda's "Ms. Cool", who was only playing a supporting character.  "Ms. Cool" was so successful and loved that a spin off series for the character was filmed.  In one of the year's biggest shockers of the year, Linda did not take home the "My Favorite Female Character" award despite predictions and buzz.  However, I think having an entire spin off series based off the character is enough to make up for it!

#5 - Kate Tsui
2011 was an extremely busy year for Kate.  She graced television screens in Hong Kong almost all year round, with six of her series aired (including the previously warehoused "A Great Way to Care" and mini series "Dropping By Cloud Nine").  Her partnership with Bosco in "Lives of Omission" was the most talked about on screen couple of the year.  What made 2011 a great year for the actress though, was the improvements made in her acting.  She appeared much more natural and even cute in "Forensic Heroes III", while still retaining the fierceness and power that makes her, well...Kate Tsui.

#4 - Bosco Wong
Bosco seems to have been demoted to second male lead lately, but this didn't stop him from achieving even more popularity and praise.  His performance as gangster "Michael/Bai Co" in "Lives of Omission" was critically acclaimed and generated a lot of buzz.  Despite only being second lead, he emerged as the black horse candidate for Best Actor as well as My Favorite Male Character, competing against co-star Michael Tse, "Laughing Gor" himself.  Some even noted that Bosco out shined Michael.  It seems being demoted to second lead has only made Bosco more likable and popular!

#3 - Kevin Cheng
As an actor who was starting to be more known for his good looks than acting, portraying the role of "Law Ba" in "Ghetto Justice" gave Kevin the career push he needed.  Usually appearing uncomfortable onscreen and even somewhat wooden, Kevin successfully emerged himself in the unique role of "Law Ba".  It seems that 2011 was not only the year his career was resurrected, but also the year he learned to be more laid back and not take himself so seriously.  The result?  A much more likable and charming Kevin.

#2 - Myolie Wu
Myolie has always been the young TVB actress with the most versatility and skill, but recent years had her plagued with undeserved criticism for weak roles.  This was the year she finally fought back and won over viewers again.  "The Rippling Blossom", "Curse of the Royal Harem", and the sleeper hit "Ghetto Justice" all did well and gave Myolie much praise.  She won Best Actress for "Curse", making her the first rising "fa dan" to win the coveted title.

#1 - Ruco Chan
Ruco may not have won any anniversary awards, but 2011 truly was his year to shine.  After 17 years of hard work in the entertainment industry, 2011 was his break out year.  He won critical acclaim for his first leading role as "Keith Lau" in "The Other Truth".  As a result, he became the new favorite among producers when casting people for their productions, particularly Amy Wong.  In a mere 3 months, he pocketed $500,000 HKD from promotions and functions.  He became the new hot topic and household name in Hong Kong, dominating the tabloids and tvb.com blogs much longer after "The Other Truth" finished airing.  To finish off the year, he won Jaynestar's Sexiest Man Alive poll, beating out Kevin Cheng and Raymond Lam.  With "Ruse of Engagement" to be aired soon and the upcoming "Chok Crew" and "Seaside Love", there's no doubt that 2012 will be an even brighter year for Ruco.  He has secured his status as leading actor, and there's no kicking him out.

In my opinion, these are the 10 artists in 2011 that stood out in particular.  They all exhibited something outstanding and made great accomplishments.  We are four months into 2012, so it will be interesting to see what they will be able to accomplish with the remainder of the year.

What are your thoughts?  Who do you think stood out this year?  Comment with your own top 10!

A.E. Insights: Good Guys in the Asian Entertainment Industry

In today's society, good people are hard to come by.  It's even harder for women to find a good guy.

In an attempt to connect Asian entertainment to everyday life, we bring something different for the second installment of our feature "A.E. Insights".

TOPIC: Who are the good guys in the Asian entertainment industry?  What makes a good guy?  And who is your ideal guy?

Everybody is unique, and everybody has their own opinion.  While the topic of guys could simply be a gossipy and girly one, it can also spark interesting discussion over personalities and people in general.

First off, what makes a good guy?

Niki: In today's materialistic society it's hard to find a a person who is honest and reliable. For me, a good guy doesn't depend much on looks as opposed to personality. Looks can easily be changed, while a good personality is hard to come by.

Iris: I'd like to start off on a lighter note.  How many times do you think we're going to use the word "good" in this post?  Haha.  I agree that a good guy depends on, as cheesy as it sounds, what's inside.  I'm also the type of person who would look for someone based on their personality, although good looks would be the cherry on top!

In my opinion, a good guy should be like you said, honest and reliable.  They should give girls a sense of security while still respecting them.  I like sincerity too.

Niki: Probably a lot, since we have it in our title and we're using it as our topic. And of course, I wouldn't mind a good looking guy who has a nice personality either.  I agree with what you said, most guys tend to be chauvinist and I can't stand someone like that. For me, the guy has to be mature on top of sincere and reliable. Since I tend to be a bit childish it'll be nice if there's someone who can take care of me. I also can't stand immature guys who makes careless and stupid remarks without thinking.

Iris:  I can't stand immature guys either, so imagine how I feel in a high school full of them.  I like mature guys.  What traits would your ideal boyfriend have then?  On top of the traits that I mention make a good guy, I would also like them to be sweet and have a sense of humor.

Also, I like people who are ambitious but not so much they're self absorbed.  It makes them admirable.  I want someone who wants to do something in life, and I've found that I don't get along too well with underachievers.  While I'm not the type of person who thinks guys should be smarter than girls, but I'd like them to be on the same intelligence level as me.  Communication is very important, and I'd have to talk to my partner as myself and not have to "dumb myself down", if you know what I mean.

Niki: I think of myself as a pretty simple person, so I don't ask much in a guy (or at least I don't think I do). My ideal boyfriend would have to be someone who's understanding and easy to get along with. I also want him to be an upbeat person, because I'm the quiet type I want someone who's upbeat to spark the conversation. But when it comes to work he should take it seriously. He should strive for the best, but shouldn't be so ambitious that it makes him lose his integrity. He should also be intelligent, but he doesn't have to be a genius. We should be able to carry on a conversation well. When it comes to relationships, I want something long lasting and serious, unlike most relationships that happens at our age. Therefore, the most important thing for me would be honesty and the chemistry between the two of us.

Iris: Completely agree.  I can see why you want someone upbeat, they would compliment your shyness very well and make you come out of your shell!  :)  The most important thing for me in a relationship would be trust.  You can't have a lasting and successful relationship without it.  And then of course, chemistry.  Now to tie this post back to Asian entertainment.  In your opinion, who are the good guys in the Asian entertainment industry?

Niki: Well, once I get close to a person I can be pretty loud as well. xD 
Ah, trust, of course.

In the entertainment industry, it's rather hard to tell a good guy to one who's fake. But there are some that I do respect and think are genuinely nice. The first celebrity who comes to mind would be Super Junior's Shin Dong. K-pop is known for its "perfect" idols who are slim/fit and good looking. Shin Dong, being slightly chubbier than the average idol is sometimes mocked for his appearance. He does not let his appearance affect his love of performing, however. He constantly works hard to improve himself for fans and let them see the best of him (which is sort of hard since his screen time isn't much). As I slowly learn more about K-pop, my respect for Shin Dong grows.

Shin Dong, who is a dancer, rapper, producer, and business man, never fails to impress me. He is an amazing dancer and is one of the lead dancers for his group. He also raps fairly well and composes some of the rap lines for the band's songs along with his bandmate Eunhyuk. Lately, he has taken up producing and has come out with several self-made videos. His personality is also very unique. He is known for his comedic style and playful nature. Besides performing, he also established his own online cafe. What really makes me respect him is his sincerity towards love. He has been committed to his non-celebrity girlfriend and even proposed to her through the "Thanks to" section in the band's album in 2010. It's hard to find such a well rounded and sweet guy. 

Iris: Shin Dong sounds awesome! Very versatile in his entertaining skills it seems, and an all around good guy. Now THAT sounds like an idol! There are so many cookie cutter idols around, so it's nice to see something different. But before I end up rambling too much about the cons of K-Pop (I'll save that for our future Insights posts on the subject), for my pick for a good guy.

Warning, I'm about to put all my love for Ruco Chan into one place. Beware of excessive praise! I may appear like I'm in love with Ruco (I guess I am), but it comes with so many reasons. Not only do I like him as an actor and for his handsome looks, but I genuinely respect and admire him. He is ambitious, professional, hardworking, and mature. Despite his ambition, he is also very humble yet determined.

Some people become popular and recognized right off the bat or within a couple years. Although talented and handsome, he worked hard for 17 years before finally getting his breakthrough and experienced multiple setbacks and failures. He came so close to giving up, but he didn't. He strived, and he made it. He is now TVB's latest leading man and the one with the brightest future ahead of him. His life story inspires me to not give up because hard work will pay off eventually, you just have to be patient. He exhibits his humbleness by telling people about his failures and flaws. This is something artists try to avoid at all costs, yet he lets people read and hear about it like an open book to let them learn from it. He is honest and sincere, yet straightforward. He possesses so many traits that I love in people. He's also proven to be a bit shy, especially around female co-stars. Being a little shy is something I find cute in guys.

For this and many more reasons, he is both a good guy and overall fantastic person with an interesting dynamic. Who said being good had to be boring? :) Sorry for going on for so long! However, bias aside, Ruco is still definitely my first pick for one of Asia's good guys. Now how about other good guys? I have a couple honorable mentions as well.

Niki: Haha, don't worry Iris, you're still far from crazy fan girl. xD I also admire Ruco very much, he's one of the few artists that I truly respect and look up to as an entertainer and person. Even though, I doubt I can love him as much as you do.

Another good guy I think would be Raymond Wong (I think I stole one of your honorable mentions didn't I, hehe). Raymond has proven to be a sweet, charming, hardworking, and humble guy. I love how he calls his wife to notify her before doing intimate scenes. Now that's honesty and loyalty! It's clear that he has been working very hard for TVB. He's both lovable onscreen and off. I've always seen him as a dorky, but cute guy. Who else would you pick?

Iris: Aw, boo!  You did steal one of my honorable mentions! :P Haha.  As much as I love Ruco, Raymond Wong comes close as my second favorite TVB artist and another one of my "good guys".  He is just too cute and talented.  I find a certain level of dorkiness to be endearing and cute, so coupled with his sincerity, sweetness, and work ethic, I absolutely love him.  His dedication to his wife is also "aww" worthy.  :D  I have another three honorable mentions, which I will try to keep more brief than my speech about Ruco, heh.

Oscar Leung also comes to mind.  He has underwent a lot of maturing, change, and self-improvement.  He proves that people can always turn over a new leaf, and a good person doesn't unnecessary have to be someone who's always been admirable.   He has said about himself that he used to be a delinquent and hateful.  Growing up in a rough neighborhood, he was a rather rebellious and tough guy who constantly got into trouble.  He had to learn to fend for himself and became extremely arrogant.  After hitting a new low and not getting work for months, he matured and decided it was time to live a practical life.

Oscar has had financial and personal struggles all his life, but has changed for the better.  Today, he possesses a maturity in his real life personality and acting many other artists don't have.  He caught my eye as a solid supporting actor early on, and I'm thrilled he's finally in the limelight and using it to his advantage by telling others his far from perfect but raw and realistic life story.

Wong Cho Lam is a special one.  He certainly was not born with the good looks or height other celebrities have, but makes up for it with his talent and lively personality.  Despite being known for dressing up and performing as a girl (due to his short and skinny stature) at various variety shows, he somehow manages to have the most integrity out of a majority of TVB artists.  He has shown versatility in so many fields of entertainment including acting, singing, comedy, songwriting, composing, production work, and soon, script writing.  He has a much stronger behind the scenes presence than I thought.

His relationship with 5'9 Leanne Li stroked me as odd and a terrible mismatch at first, but now I find it extremely sweet.  He acted as a mentor, friend, then finally boyfriend to her.  Their relationship, which began six years ago, had started off very slow.  At only 5'4, it was only natural that the two would feel uncomfortable about their different physiques.  Knowing Leanne originally felt unsure and questioned her feelings for him, Cho Lam continued to care for her while giving her space and patiently waiting for her.  The two have since accepted it and not let it get in the way of their feelings for each other.  Today, they enjoy an open and healthy relationship.  They are too sweet, and an example of a relationship of true love that's gone through countless obstacles.

My last mention is Bosco Wong.  Different from the other guys, he's an example of an overall good guy without being completely innocent and wholesome.  Sure, the guy likes to party every once in a while, but knows to associate with the right friends and control himself.  In long time girlfriend Myolie Wu's darkest time, he has consistently given her support and love.  He is attentive and caring towards her.  In Myolie's acceptance speech for Best Actress, she fondly reflected on how through all the times where she was hard to deal with, he never left her side and was always there for her.  My favorite real life TVB couple ever!

Alright, there are my three honorable mentions!  I just gave everyone a ton of information to process, haha.  I'll shut up now.

Niki: Haha. You're too cute Iris. Most of your mentions are mine as well so I don't have much to add besides one last guy.

Being a fan of Fahrenheit, it is no surprise that my choice would be Calvin Chen. I admit that despite being their fan, I don't know much about Calvin. But I do know how much and why I love him, hehe. When I first came to like the band, Calvin had not been my first choice. Compared to the others you can say he is the least good looking (does not mean he's ugly though). His voice is also not as strong as Jiro or Aaron's, but I admire his charisma and energy. You will always see Calvin smiling even through the worst of times. He is able to brighten the mood with his witty and charming remarks. His personality is also very down to earth and is not afraid to do silly things that would "affect" his image. What impresses me though, is the fact that you can see his maturity even though he is constantly joking around. He is very hardworking and always trying to learn and improve himself. It is said that besides performing he is also interested in economics and is very smart in his investments. His co-workers call him Dr. Chen as a result. Even though I still think of him as just an idol, he definitely has a special place in my heart and I think of him as one of the good guys. His not too handsome looks make him approachable. Again, I don't think Calvin is perfect, but this is why I've come to love him so much.

Wow, I wrote a lot.

Iris: It's fine, it's cute watching you "excessively praise". ;) From the videos I've seen of Fahrenheit, I can see why you like him so much, especially from interviews and other appearances. He has a unique fun yet witty and mature personality. I know Calvin has a special place in your heart. :)

Niki: Aww, thank you. Calvin does have a very unique personality. And yes "excessively praising" is nice to do, but I was squealing inside haha.

Iris: Good guys aren't supposed to be perfect or ideal. However, their virtues outshine their flaws, no matter how many they have. They'd make great boyfriends, but are also in general just wonderful people.

Shin Dong, Ruco Chan, Raymond Wong, Oscar Leung, Wong Cho Lam, Bosco Wong, and Calvin Chen are our choices for the good guys in the Asian entertainment industry. That's not to say there aren't more, but these shine out to us in particular for who they are, which are genuinely awesome people!

Niki: As Iris has said good guy aren't perfect, but that proves you don't have to be perfect to be great. The reasons these guys shine is because they are confident as well as true to themselves. They clearly show that being famous should not be just about acting cool on stage. They WOULD make great boyfriends, but I don't think we'd get a chance to experience that ourselves haha. Hopefully we will find more of these good guys in Asian entertainment.

This post has been both fun and different for all of us. It was also a very personal post as well. I suppose it let us embrace our inner fan girl while justifying out feelings.

P.S. to answer Iris's question in the beginning, we've said "good" around 30 or more times in this post ;)

Who would you name the good guys of the Asian entertainment industry? In your opinion, what traits does a good guy have? What traits would your ideal boyfriend have? Share us your opinion! We hope you enjoyed this post and it managed to offer some insight as opposed to just teenage girls gossiping about boys! :P

Fan Video Spotlight: Ruco Chan & Tavia Yeung

While watching TVB related videos on YouTube, I came across these two fan videos of Ruco Chan and Tavia Yeung, which were both made by the same person, TracyYang89.  I have to say, I'm utterly impressed!  There is plot and the video editing skills are near seamless and flawless.  The scenes are chosen perfectly and fit together so well despite being taken from different series.  They are both completely different and offer something unique.  One is a lighthearted and cute love story while the other is a tragic one.



"Love Story Between Ah Bin and Tsui Siu Lai"
A cute and short video that will definitely make you smile, the first fan video is a sweet love story between Tsui Siu Lai (from "Mysteries of Love) and Ah Bin (from "Burning Flame 3").  As much as I hated these two series, the scenes of the two characters fit together very well to make this sweet love story.  Although Siu Lai was an idiot and Ah Bin was a jerk, the video makes Siu Lai simply seem like a sweet girl and Ah Bin a charming guy.  The dialogue between the two is just too darn adorable.  My favorite part?  When Siu Lai declines to kiss him and Ah Bin reacts with disappointment.  His reaction is too cute.  The ending where they say "I love you too" to each other made the Ruco and Tavia shipper in me made me smile like a crazy person.  The background music was very lighthearted and fitting too.  How the user came up with the idea of creating a love story between these two originally annoying characters is beyond me, but it worked, and it worked spectacularly.



"Tears in His Eyes"
If the first video impressed me, this one blew me away.  While the first was a short and cute love story, this is an extended tragic love story between Ruco and Tavia.  Unlike the first one, the creator took scenes of the two from numerous series.  The color tone fits the sad tone of the video.  The song choice was also superb.  This has the most plot I've ever seen in a fan video, and it is executed very well.  It is emotional, tragic, yet beautiful.    While I loved the first one, I loved this even more because there is so much more complexity, emotion, and angst.  I never thought a fan video would evoke so much emotion in me and make me almost tear up!

TracyYung89 did an amazing job with these two fan videos and managed to once again revive my love for Ruco and Tavia as an onscreen couple.  Bias for the two aside, the videos themselves had such wonderful editing you could barely tell they were actually put together.  Even more respect for creating fan videos with plot.  Kudos to you!

"Finding Life's Sweetness" Chapter 6

It was Friday night again, a time for working people everywhere to relax.

Simon was tending to his bar when Ethan walked in.  "Ethan, good to see you!  What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I wanted a drink, and who better to patronize than my old friend?" Ethan replied.  "One beer please."

"Coming right up", Simon said, and decided to spark up another conversation.  "So how are you and Ella?" he questioned.

"Pretty good.  We're going to the beach to watch the sunrise tomorrow", Ethan told him.  "Hopefully she doesn't fall asleep or get bored", he added a bit nervously.

Simon laughed at the remark and handed him a beer.  "That sounds like something she would enjoy.  She needs the relaxation", he said.

Ethan nodded.  "I think the peace and serenity should be great", he noted.  "Also, if things go along like I hope, we might spend the whole day together."

"Sounds interesting", Simon replied.  "What are you going to do and where are you going?"

"I don't know yet", Ethan shrugged.  "I want to plan it as we go, see what she'd like to do."

"Aw, if I was a girl I'd be so swooned by your thoughtfulness", Simon joked, poking fun at his friend.

"Har har", Ethan replied, sarcastically.

"So what's going on in the great Simon Ng's love life?" he moved on.

"Like a desert experiencing an extreme drought", Simon replied.

Ethan wrinkled his eyebrows.  "Really?  A young good looking guy with a lot of money who's surprisingly not a jerk isn't getting any love?  What's wrong with this picture?" he made fun of Simon.  "Maybe your magnetic attraction force that seems to surround every rich young guy is broken", he added with a laugh.

"Very funny", Simon sarcastically replied.

"Here's a weird story though", he started.  "I am currently the fake boyfriend of someone", he straightforwardly said.

Ethan choked on his beer.  "I'm sorry, what?  What made you agree to do that?" he asked, curiously.

Simon shrugged.  "I'm doing it as a favor to her", he replied.

"You must like her if you're willing to do that", Ethan smiled.  "So who's the special girl?" he probed.

"Kristy, the assistant manager at my dad's agency.  And I find her interesting, I don't exactly like her", he defended.

"Come on, Simon.  We're adults now.  If you like someone, just say it.  We're not kids anymore", Ethan teased.

"I'm not even supposed to tell you about this", Simon replied, but then his face softened.

"She's different though.  Ambitious, tough, intelligent, and a feisty and fiery spirit unlike any other girl I've met", he talked about her fondly.  "Very stubborn though", he added with a chuckle.

Ethan started pointing at Simon.  "I've never heard you talk about a girl like this, you are definitely in love with her", he said.

Simon laughed.  "I guess I am", he replied.

"Be careful though, she sounds like a potential heartbreaker", Ethan warned, jokingly.

"We'll see about that", Simon said.

Quinn and Vince entered the bar in commotion.

"Why did you drag me here?" Vince complained.

"So you can have a little fun!  You've been so boring lately!" Quinn complained back in a huff.

Simon and Ethan looked up and caught sight of the two.  "Quinn, hey!" Simon called.

"Hey, Simon!" she yelled.  She nudged Vince.  "That's the handsome son of the owner of the agency I was telling you about", she told him and skipped over to him.

Vince followed Quinn over to the two guys and took a good look at Simon.  "Hmph, what's so special about him?  I'm just as handsome as him", he thought to himself.

Simon pointed to Vince.  "Your boyfriend?" he asked Quinn in a friendly tone.

Quinn looked appalled.  "He wishes!  This is Vince, my good friend and flat mate", she introduced.

"Nice to meet you", Simon and Ethan said to Vince and shook his hand, who appeared annoyed at the "He wishes" comment.

"So what are you two talking about?" Quinn asked, enthusiastically.

"Our love lives.  Or in my case, lack of it", Simon joked.

"Interesting", she replied, intrigued.  "I still find it hard to believe you wouldn't have a girlfriend", she pondered.

"That's the same thing I said to him", Ethan agreed.

"How hard is it to believe?  You've made several of my girlfriends run away", Vince teased her.

"Whoa, Quinn, what did you do?" Simon asked in deep interest.

"Nothing!  Girls just don't like the presence of another girl at their boyfriend's place", she replied, defensively.

"I can see how that would cause some problems", Ethan laughed.

A guy from the other side of the bar came over beside Quinn.  "Hi there, what's your name?" he asked, flirtatiously.  Clearly, it didn't take him long to take a liking to her cute and fun personality.

Simon and Ethan watched without much reaction, but Vince's nose flared.  What was this chump doing talking to Quinn?  Looking for a quick hook up?

"Quinn, what's your name?" she replied with a smile.

"Johnny.  May I buy you a drink?" he shot Quinn a smile.

"Sure!" she said with her usual enthusiasm.

Another guy came over, ready to sweep Quinn off her feet as well.  "I'm Daniel, I couldn't help but noticing your cute face from over there", he said with a smile.

Vince's eyes widened.  Another guy?! he yelled to himself.

He reached over and put an arm on a grinning Quinn's shoulder.  "Hey, Daniel, can't you see she's with me?" he told the guy.

Not wanting to pick a fight, the guys simply left.

"Huh, cheap and undetermined", Vince said about them, satisfied.

Quinn threw his arm off her shoulder and yelled "What did you do that for?"

"They were obviously trying to hook up with you!" Vince replied.

"So?  I wasn't going to follow any of them to a hotel room!" she said, angrily.  "They offered me a free drink!"

"If it really means that much to you, I'll pay for your drink", Vince offered.

"That's not the point!" Quinn screamed.  "But you can definitely pay for my drink", she added.

"Ok then, everything's fine", Vince said.

"No, everything's not fine!  Why did you ruin my fun?" Quinn whined.

"Nothing good was going to come out of that!  Who knew what those guys were really like?" Vince claimed.

Quinn groaned.  "Who are you to say that?  I know you've picked up girls at bars before.  I've seen you do that once, and it was not much different from what they did!" she said.

"Yeah, but you know me and what I'm like", he answered.

"I wasn't trying to find a boyfriend here, Vince.  I only wanted to mingle a bit", Quinn rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to go to the restroom", she said, and left in a huff.

Vince bit his lip.  Ok, maybe that was too much, he thought.  But who knows what they could've done to Quinn?

Simon and Ethan had been observing the two's bickering in amusement the whole time.

"So what's up with you and Quinn?" Simon asked, curiously.

"We told you.  We're friends and flatmates", Vince repeated.

"That didn't just look like an argument between two friends", Ethan said.

Simon nodded.  "Somebody seemed jealous", he noted.

"Rich boy, what are you talking about?" Vince grumbled.

"It's pretty obvious.  Why else would you have such a big reaction?" Ethan questioned.

"She's my friend!  I have to look out for her", Vince said.

"Even if you're just looking out for a friend, you don't have to look like your eyes are going to pop out of your head at the sight of her with another guy do you?" Simon joked.  Simon and Ethan both burst into laughter.

Vince faked laughter.  "Har, har, har, are you two done laughing at me yet?" he asked, annoyed.

"Ok, sorry, Vince.  We aren't trying to make fun of you", Simon apologized after he managed to stop his laughter.

"Yeah, sure you didn't", Vince rolled his eyes.  "I'm going to go to the restroom", he said and left the two guys.

He turned the corner to where the restrooms are and saw Quinn standing there talking to...another guy?!  Seriously?

He hit his head against the wall.  Come on, Vince, why do you care? he thought to himself, extremely annoyed.

===================

Author's Note: A very dialogue driven chapter with several character interactions.  I am slowly developing the relationship between Simon, Ethan, Vince, and Quinn.  These four will quickly become close friends in the near future, while the three girls will under go more bumps.

It was pretty fun writing lines for Simon and Ethan, as the two are supposed to be good buddies who make fun of each other a lot. :)

Aw, poor Vince!  He seems to be in denial that he loves Quinn, doesn't he? :P I love writing their scenes, hehe.

Preview of what's coming up: Ethan and Ella go on their first real "date".

"Finding Life's Sweetness" Chapter 5

"Excuse me, I have a package for a Ms. Ella Yeung", a delivery man said to Quinn, who was dozed off at her desk.

Quinn jumped up quickly.  "What?" she looked up in confusion to see a bouquet of roses infront of her.  "Oh, sorry.  Ella!" she called.

Ella stepped out of her office.  "What are you yelling about Quinn?" she asked and caught sight of the roses.

"Someone sent you roses", Quinn said with a mischievous smile.  Ella signed off on the delivery and opened the card that was hidden in the roses.  The card simply read "From, Ethan".

Quinn peeked over Ella's shoulder to look at the card.  "Is it from the guy who was waiting for you outside the bar the other night?" she asked, curiously.

"Yes", Ella bluntly replied, not sure what else to say.

"Get back to work", she told her, and took the roses into her office.  She stared at them as she thought hard.  She and Ethan had only met twice, but he had managed to leave a heavy impression on her.  He was the only one who had ever challenged her in such a way, and she wasn't sure what to think about that.  She agreed that there were some things that she should change in her life, but didn't want to listen to someone so easily.  Was he worth listening to?  Only time would tell.

**********

Kristy sat impatiently at her desk.  For some reason, she felt...unfulfilled.

Her eyes landed on the plaque sitting on the front of her desk.  It read "Kristy Wong - Assistant Manager".  All of the sudden, the words seemed to stare at her in the face.  She had been working as an assistant manager for about a month, but was already growing impatient and yearning to get higher up.  Ella was alright, but she wouldn't be satisfied until she found herself at the top, over Ella.

That wasn't the only thing bothering her though.  Her mom had visited her last night.  She wasn't nearly as angry as she had been on the phone the other day.  Even so, their encounter last night managed to be even more unpleasant than their phone call.

Knock, knock!  Kristy ran over to look through the peephole at who was at the door.  Who could possibly be looking for her?

She saw her mom (Mary Hon) standing outside and froze.  If there was someone who managed to even come close to slightly frightening Kristy, it was her mom.  She wasn't intimidating, mean, or scary in anyway.  However, Kristy had gotten her bluntness from her mother.  Only, she was an entire different kind of bluntness.

"Sweetie, it's so nice to see you!" she said after Kristy hesitatingly opened the door for her.

"Mom, what are you doing here?  It's Friday night, how did you know I was home?" Kristy asked, trying to feign politeness.

"Who are you trying to kid, Kristy?  You're always home", she answered, making fun of her.

"That's not true, I went to the bar with a couple colleagues a while ago", Kristy attempted to defend herself.

"Oh, a bar isn't the best place to meet men, sweetie", her mom said.  She paused and added "Then again, I'm happy you're going out at all."

"I didn't go there to meet men, mom.  I just went to blow off some steam", Kristy replied.

"I didn't realize you knew how to do that", her mom laughed.  "Anyway, I was just in the neighborhood meeting up with some friends and decided to stop by.

"That's very nice of you, mom", Kristy said, biting her lip to keep herself from saying something rude.

Kristy's mom proceeded to sit down and pulled a couple of pictures from her purse.  "Many of my 
friends showed me pictures of their sons.  Some are quite handsome and seem to have good character", her mom informed her.

Her daughter replied with a groan.  "How many times do I have to tell you I don't want to be set up?" Kristy complained.

"You and I both know you're not going to find a boyfriend any other way", her mom stated.  Before Kristy could get too offended, she quickly added "It's not because you're not pretty!  You just never put yourself out there."


Kristy squirmed in discomfort.  Getting a boyfriend wasn't in at all in her interest, but she'd take any opportunity to prove her mom wrong.

"I will find a guy, mom.  You'll see", Kristy said.  Her mom didn't look too convinced.

Kristy walked into the pantry to pour herself a cup of coffee.

What was she going to do?  Even if she could find a boyfriend, she didn't want to deal with having one.  Too much baggage, like she needed anything to keep her down.  She stood there pondering while slowly sipping her coffee.

"Hello, pretty girl", Simon greeted her as he came in.  Kristy cringed at his greeting and suddenly thought of a brilliant idea.

She nudged him and straightforwardly asked "Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

Simon dropped the cup he had been holding, feeling shocked, then smiled.  "My charm finally got to you, huh?  You really don't beat around the bush do you?" he asked.

"Don't be so flattered", Kristy scoffed.  "I'm asking you to be my fake boyfriend to prove to my mom I can find my own", she cleared up.

"So you're using me?" Simon feigned offense.

He thought about it for a moment.  "Okay, I'll do it.  Then again, technically that means you can't find a boyfriend on your own.  A real one anyway", he joked.

"Whatever", Kristy rolled her eyes.

"Fake or real relationship, you will fall for me eventually", Simon stated.

"Yeah, keep thinking that", she replied, sarcastically.

"I have a few conditions", she proposed.  "You can not say a word of this to anyone, you may refer to me as your girlfriend, and you most certainly can not touch me when my mom's not around."

"Why don't you just tie strings on me and control me like I'm your puppet?" he joked.

"If everything goes my way, I will be able to do that", Kristy added in a sneaky tone.

Simon looked slightly taken aback.  "So...when are we meeting your mom, sweetie?" he asked.

"Don't call me that", Kristy grumbled.

"You said I can't call you my girlfriend", Simon defended.  "Well, now you can't call me any other pet name that makes me want to vomit either", she added, and started to walk away.

"I'll tell you when we'll meet her", she called out.  She said that as if their "relationship" was just another business deal.

Simon admired her as she walked away.  Something about her blunt, feisty, and headstrong personality was (to him anyway) very attractive.

"I'll get through to her eventually", he thought to himself.  "She's one tough cookie though."

==========

Author's Note: There was so much more I wanted to include in this chapter, but decided to leave it for the next one to keep the length consistent.  It seems a lot more easier and organized to focus on specific characters each chapter as opposed to trying to squeeze in a scene with each person.

We got to see what Kristy's mom is like, and it's rather clear where she got her bluntness from, heh.

I used (attempted to anyway) a couple instances of foreshadowing, especially with Kristy.  I'm not too good at it though, so it isn't too clear but I have some of you will be able to catch it.

More of Ella and Ethan soon, I know I haven't focused on them much.  I'll do my best to not make it as boring and underdeveloped as it has been.

Preview of what's coming up: Focus on all the guys and Quinn, as well as Quinn and Vince.  :D  Really looking forward to writing this chapter.  Stay tuned!