Barbara Yung's 2019 commemoration

May you rest in peace, Barbara...
(& thank you my anon friend for the flowers & photos)

Thirty four years ago she left us... and yet, she is not forgotten. She is still remembered...

If Barbara was still alive, last week's birthday would be something I tweeted for her. Alas, we know it's not what's happening...

Still, I am lucky to have a friend who is studying in Cambridge at the moment. This dear friend of mine was willing to go to the Cambridge City Cemetery to give Barbara some flowers. Thank you very much, my dear friend!

And apparently, I'm not the only one with this idea. As my friend arrived in Lot 29, she found so many flowers already, and it was actually yesterday (GMT+0 in the afternoon of 13 May) that she went to the cemetery...

The latest photos of Barbara's grave with myriads of flowers is below after the break. Click here for my notes of visiting Barbara's grave in 2016 (by myself) and here for the 2017 visit (with Rob Radboud).

Happy 60th birthday, Barbara!

From Weibo

Today, if Barbara was still alive, she would be 60 years old... OMG... 

She would be a gorgeous 60 years old lady. So, despite what happened, let's say happy birthday to Barbara, with all the good wishes that her soul is in peace somewhere out there...

Thanks Leo Milan for reminding me. I meant to do something this afternoon (already set a reminder for that last night), but Leo sent me some photos so I thought I'll just make this post now. 

Once again, happy birthday, Barbara darling.  I actually read some of my old posts last night and remembered how glowing you were... 

Oh, and below are some photos of Barbara that I'd never seen before. Leo sent me the 2nd and the 4th ones, thank you, Leo! The rest of them are from this Weibo site (tx again Leo).

Thank you for your smiles. Take care yeah? 

A fan account of visiting Barbara’s grave

Barbara's new grave in August 2018 (photo courtesy of Joy)

As some of you may know from Rob Radboud's website,  in January this year, Barbara’s old white tombstone was replaced with the new black one to accommodate her mother’s. Barbara’s old white tombstone is now buried underneath the black stone, along with her ashes and her mother’s ashes. However, I didn’t visit her grave when I was in Europe in 2018 because I didn’t have time, hence I couldn't tell the impression upon seeing Barbara's new grave.

A few weeks ago, a fan of Barbara contacted me about visiting Barbara’s grave in Cambridge. Her name is Joy, and what is very special to me about her is that she is 18 years old, yet she is a fan of Barbara Yung. Joy said that she became a fan after watching the LOCH 1982 series with her mother. Joy was in the UK recently (or perhaps still is), thus she wanted to visit Barbara’s grave in Cambridge. I gave her some tips based on my old post in 2016 and 2017. Later, she sent me an account of her visit and also some photographs; here they are below, edited slightly to secure her identity.

Joy, thank you so much for the gift.

Chor Lau Heung - Song Siu Ching digital painting by Leanne Chau

Painted by Leanne Chau

I just found out that a reader left a comment to the TVB CLH blogpost (TVB has uploaded all CLH episodes in Cantonese in YouTube). Leanne Chau is a painter, and she actually has painted a digital painting of Chor Lau Heung and Song Siu Ching!

Above is the painting, and this is her site. Is it not a truly gorgeous painting?

Leanne, thanks a lot! Keep them coming!

The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung TVB 1984 in YouTube!

OMG! I just found out that TVB uploaded the New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung 1984 in YouTube! They just uploaded the whole 40 series five days ago on 19 June! That's so great! Here's the first episode, and you can follow the whole 40 series in YouTube. It's in Cantonese, which is a delight to me, although it lacks English subtitles.

Also, Michael Miu's 60th birthday was exactly last week on 18 June 2018. Happy 60th birthday, Michael! I have been remiss in posting an article about it because of my schedule, but I do remember it that day. I haven't searched for Michael's latest photo, but he definitely didn't look like a ~60 years old man last year!

Hmmm... what a coincidence that TVB released all CLH 1984 episodes a day after Michael's 60th birthday. I take that as a divine providence, though perhaps TVB did actually time the upload to honour Michael's role (and Barbara's of course) in making this series a classic.

Have fun watching the official CLH 1984 on YouTube!

Barbara Yung 2018 commemoration

Today, 33 years ago, Barbara Yung Mei Ling left us. It was a very painful event for all of her fans, and the sadness still reverberates until now. Yet, I hope that we are all coming to our acceptance of what happened and eventually move on with her smile and laughters, her fullness as a person, in our hearts. Barbara was not a perfect person, but nor am I. None of us are. Hence, I still thank her for her role in making my childhood beautiful.

I thus also want to wish her a very belated happy 59th birthday on 7 May last week. I remembered her birthday last week, but I didn’t have time (or didn't make time) to make a post about it. Thus, here’s an old MV that I made last year, which I hope can remind us of the beautiful, though imperfect, Barbara Yung.  Oh, and if you'd like to entertain yourself with a fanfic, this one is a funny one that I wrote last year for Barbara.

‘What could have been’ – an LOCH 1983 fanfiction

I had a very weird dream the other night. I saw Yeung Hong and Wong Yung in a fight, but YH wasn’t fighting WY. Instead, he (in his gorgeous orange white Jurchen garb) protected WY from something. I can’t think of anything permanent from his outburst of heroism, but I find it interesting that the scene appeared in my dream. Hence, this fanfiction. Hope you like it, and Happy New Year!

Source

Wong Yung lost count on how many times she and Yeung Hong had been head-butting since they knew each other. Surely at least 10 times? Fifteen times? The thought passed by uninvited, of course, as she flung her sword forward and then lifted it again to parry Yeung Hong’s slashing spear. To think that the spear once belonged to Uncle Yeung, Ching gor-gor’s adopted uncle...

“Why don’t you just give in?!” Yeung Hong screamed as he whirled and slashed low to target Wong Yung’s legs. Missed again. “I’m getting tired of fighting you!”

“Same here!” Wong Yung retorted. “It’s so boring to always defeat you!”

Yeung Hong’s dragon eyes flashed. He disliked being patronised, much less by Wong Yung. “Well, today you’ll know defeat!” He whirred and executed a series of close-range attacks before suddenly delivered a roundhouse kick. Wong Yung ducked, but a naughty protruding root from one of the many trees in the bamboo forest they fought in caught her. She tripped and fell on her back, just in time to avoid Yeung Hong’s roundhouse kick.

“Hah! I got you!” Yeung Hong lifted his sword high to execute a fatal, if not lethal, strike.


“You say!” Wong Yung reached for her fallen sword to parry again.

Yet a sudden roar froze both enemies to their own positions.

Season's Greetings and Michael Miu news and photos

One can wait for 40 years... but one finally wins an award!!! (Source)

Apologies for the lack of updates... I'm still in love with Michael Miu and Barbara Yung, it's just that I am more engaged with another genre and actor at the moment (Okada Masaki and J-ent, if you must ask...), in addition to being quite busy with work.

Anyway. Merry Christmas 2017, and may you have a beautiful end to 2017 and a beautiful 2018. Be happy, healthy and in peace.

In the jianghu news, I have just found out that Michael Miu won the 2017 TVB Malaysia "King" award, along with Jessica Hsuan (who won the "Queen").  Apologies that this news is a month late, for they won it on 25 Nov 2017. But hey, this is the first award for Michael for 40 years IIRC, so congratulations!

Michael won the King award for his role in "Line Walker: the Prelude" while Jessica won for her role in "My Unfair Lady". Michael and Jessica also won the "My Favourite TVB Drama Characters" award for their roles in the respective dramas.

I was always a bit sad that, prior to this award, Michael never won an award despite his amazing skills... but now yeah! He won one! Michael himself said that he made movies not because he wanted to win an award, but it's good to have them nonetheless.

They should give you more awards, if you ask me, Michael! Congratulations once again! Some recent Michael Miu photos after the break.

Update on Barbara Yung's gravestone

Barbara's grave in June 2017

Hi all... My apologies for not updating this blog for more than a month. About a month ago, Rob Radboud informed me that our friends in Hong Kong couldn't find the place for Barbara's gravestone. Thus, possibly the gravestone will be moved to Mainland China. I somehow felt sad about it, because Barbara's hometown was in HK, and I'd love to see the gravestone installed in HK. However, of course I know that Lam Chak et al had tried their best, much more than what I could do from behind my computer in Australia...

Then I think two weeks ago Rob informed me again that now Andrew Chan will bury Barbara's gravestone in the same square of grave as her own ashes. It seems that there is a belief that it would be much better for Barbara's spirit if the gravestone does not leave her grave. It might be a Chinese culture, which I somehow understand and respect.

The Vast Desert 大沙漠 Part 2

Source

CLH et al went inside the house and found only one stone statue of Kuan Yin. They went out again when Little Phoa said that Stone Camel was so scared. CLH deduced that the blind Stone Camel realised who killed thos burglars. When Chor tai-gor returned to the crime scene, he realised that the Kuan Yin stone statue was gone. In its place was a pan full of braised beef that was so inviting to the hungry men. Always wary, CLH, Wu and Ki Ping-yan did not eat the beef dish. A dog barked inside and ate the dish without any sign of food poisoning. Still, our friends knew that whoever killed the burglars had not only left the food, he/she had annoyed these wanderers by releasing a dog who immediately ate the food. Disgusted, Wu threw away the beef dish outside. After a while, they heard a scream outside and realised that Little Phoa died eating the poisonous braised beef that Wu threw out of the window.

CLH now realised his enemy was the Stone Kuan Yin, a very skilful swordswoman who was also very good at the art of disguise. She killed the burglars and disguised herself as a stone statue. In the previous story, the Stone Kuan Yin also ordered Chiu Ling-siok to ruin her own face so that the Stone Kuan Yin remained the prettiest woman on earth (or at least in the Central Plains).

The Vast Desert 大沙漠 Part 1

The Gobi Desert (source)

As I’m watching nervously for Hurrican Irma to batter Florida USA (Hannah, stay safe!!!), I’m reading the second Chor Lau-heung novel from Ku Lung titled “The Vast Desert” 大沙漠. It’s over 200 pages of PDF as well, so I will try to finish reading it in 4-5 weeks. I read this novel in the Indonesian version; I suspect the translator is the same with the one who translated “Fluttering Fragrance on the Bloody Sea” 血海飄香. The writing style belongs to a slightly older period, perhaps the 80s, which in itself is nice to read, albeit a bit confusing at times. The chapter in PDF started with “Chapter 13”, which is weird. It does not follow the chapters in the last novel, which ended in Chapter 17. “The Vast Desert” has ended in “Chapter 28”, so it has 15 chapters. I’ll just assume Chapter 13 is Chapter 1 then.

Part 1 (Chapters 1-3)

After his adventure in the last novel, Chor Lau-heung returned to the Fragrant Boat in the hope that he’d get a delicious lunch from the girls. However, So Yung-yung, Li Hung-chao and Sung Tim-yi were nowhere to be seen. Upon finding a black pearl on top of a pile of yellow sand, Chor tai-gor’s blood boiled. He deduced that Black Pearl, the son of the Desert King we saw in the “Fluttering Fragrance on the Bloody Sea” 血海飄香. Black Pearl left a note: “You took my horse, I take your women.” Capitally disturbed, CLH rode his horse (well, Black Pearl’s) towards the Western Desert (I assume the Gobi Desert).

Update on Barbara Yung's tombstone

Sina's news on initiative for Barbara's tombstone

Apologies for the slow update on Barbara's tombstone. Last night, Rob informed me that the Hong Kong fan-club has persuaded the local newspaper to upload news about relocating Barbara's tombstone. The news was published yesterday (5 September 2017). Some of the HK media that uploaded this news are HKON and Oriental Daily (this is the e-paper of Oriental Daily).

In the Mainland, Sina has also picked the news for their own website, as seen here. The title of the article implies that the tombstone is definitely going to be returned to Hong Kong.

翁美玲心形墓碑欲运回香港

We know this is not a certain case yet - I wish it is... so let's keep praying and trying.

At the moment, we're still hoping that Lam Chak et al in Hong Kong will be able to secure a place for Barbara's tombstone in HK. If by October (which is next month) we have not found a place, we need to ask Andrew Chan if it's okay for him to store the stone in Cambridge first until we find a place in HK. Funds can be raised for that storage as well; some Mainland fans have contacted me, stating that they are willing to donate some funds for the storage. If anyone would like to contact Rob directly, his email is rmmmm1959 at hotmail dot com.

The rest of the Sina article is under the break. It says that Michael Miu and Felix Wong have been contacted, but so far there has been no traction. I hope we'll see the light at the end of the tunnel soon. I have also embedded a YouTube video I found just now about this news. Xinhua also put this news online, see here (Thanks to Rob Radboud for the link).

Update 13 September 2017: Friday last week (8 Sept), Lian He Ban Bao (a Singaporean newspaper) published the news about Barbara's tombstone. Last Saturday, Rob Radboud sent me the scans. The scans are below the break, courtesy of Ann (Singapore).

Fluttering Fragrance on the Bloody Sea part 4

This post summarises Chapters 11-16 of the "Fluttering Fragrance on the Bloody Sea" (血海飄香) of the Chor Lau-heung series. I have wrapped up the story and provided my short commentaries as well. I like the story, and I hope you like it as well!

The horse reminds me of the desert horse Chor tai-gor used in this story. Source: Xue Daixun

Chapter 11 (CLH tracked Ling-siok)

Chapter 10 ended with Chor Lau-heung evading Kaypang Pek-giok-mo’s poisonous claws by feeding his opponent the painting he carried inside his robe. Yet, Pek knew that the roll of paper was important to CLH, thus he didn’t want to give it so easily.  Despite CLH’s verbal tactics, Pek got nosy and opened the roll to see what was in it. He frowned.

“Why do you keep a painting of the late Leader Jin-lo’s widow?”

CLH couldn’t believe his luck. The beautiful Chiu Ling-siok apparently married the late Kaypang leader!

Yet, she apparently had changed her name into Yap Siok-tin, for Pek didn’t recognize who Chiu Ling-siok was. Pek also said that Mrs Jin had always been an amazing and pious woman, such that the sinful Pek admired her. CLH thus deduced that Chiu Ling-siok had turned a new leaf after marrying the former Kaypang Leader.

Fluttering Fragrance on the Bloody Sea part 3

This post summarises Gu Long's "Fluttering Fragrance on the Bloody Sea" Chapters 8-10 (total 16 chapters). I have finished summarising Chapter 10, and I am approaching the end of the story. Should be able to wrap the summary this weekend. 

So far, the mystery here is about a letter... (Source)

Chapter 8 (CLH finally found a clue)

Chor Lau-heung dove into Tay-bing Lake, pursued by the hypnotised Fell Cut. Here we learn again that Chor tai-gor was an excellent swimmer and diver (duh, his house was a boat!), and he was very fast and agile in the water. CLH almost effortlessly immobilised Fell Cut underwater and brought him back to the lake shore. CLH then dove back to the lake and pursued the harpist, who turned out to be a white-robed monk playing the zither on a small boat. The monk didn’t seem to realise that his zither had a lethal effect to Fell Cut. The monk was none other than Biau-ceng Bu-hoa, the monk CLH saw in Chapter 3 (Bu-hoa = flowerless). The monk recognized CLH despite the latter’s disguise. Giving up, CLH unmasked himself.

Chor tai-gor then explained to Bu-hoa how three people had recognized him today. The first one was the monk himself, the second one was Fell Cut, and the third one the killer. Bu-hoa threw away his zither into the lake upon hearing Fell Cut’s name for the latter was a murderer, hence Bu-hoa’s zither has been tainted (for Fell Cut had heard its melody). Bu-hoa later discussed the killer’s Jinsut; that it originated in Arab and was brought to Japan via the Mainland.  CLH returned to the lakeshore, installed Yat Dim-hung safely on the branch of a large tree, and returned to Kilam. He reintroduced himself properly as CLH to Leng Chiu-hun (who just woke up with a prostitute sleeping in his bed – gosh…). Leng reported that he heard of a stranger monk in town (named Thian-ing-cu) who wore a long thin blade as a weapon.

Fluttering Fragrance on the Bloody Sea part 2

Since Chor Lau-heung is apparently a controlled drinker, I now feel that
this gorgeous art by Xuedaixun is appropriate here

Continuing on last week's summary of "Fluttering Fragrance on the Bloody Sea" (Chapters 1-3), here I post the summary of Ch 4-7. This Chor Lau-heung story from Ku Lung was written in 16 chapters, so I should be able to cover all chapters in four posts. From Chapter 7, each chapter seems to be quite long, hence it does take me a while to read and summarise each chapter.



Chapter 4 (CLH taking a fake ID)

The Sin-cui-kiong swordswoman confirmed that the dead female was not part of her school. Also, a young woman in her school committed suicide after getting pregnant, just after the famous poison disappeared from her school. The woman (who finally revealed that her name was Kiong Lam-yan) gave Chor Lau-heung one month to find the thief and the murderer.

Not one to shy away from misteries, CLH accepted the challenge. However, he still had time to day-dream about Miss Kiong’s pretty face, such that Li Hung-chao commented that he “won’t find her beautiful anymore when she shoves her sword on your throat next month!”

CLH gleefully replied that Miss Kiong used no sword as a weapon, to which Hung-chao riposted as she battered her eyelids, “Ah, so she used a kitchen knife, eh?”