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.

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.

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.

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).

The Chinese translation for our appeal about Barbara's tombstone

Thanks to Anna Zhou for translating this message for me. Anna used simplified characters, hence for our Taiwanese and HK readers, I also include the traditional characters here. My apologies for any mistakes in the translation. Also sorry for not uploading anything last weekend, I was knackered after the overseas trip...

朋友們，我和Rob Radboud需要你們的幫助。正如我前一篇文章中提到，Barbara（翁美玲）劍橋的家人將會更換掉之前的白色墓碑，添加她母親的名字上去。我和Rob一致認為之前白色的墓碑值得保留，而不是被丟棄......對我們而言，最好的去處就是Barbara在香港紀念堂。

然而，我們需要香港有人幫助我們，但還未找到。搬運墓碑將是件乏味的工作，涉及許可證和一筆不菲的費用。但我相信有志者事竟成。

如果您願意幫忙出一份力，請發郵件給我。我們急切尋求居住在香港、或經常往返於香港的朋友。這件事情必須在兩個月內進行，最晚到8月中旬，否則舊的石碑就可能被丟棄。

多謝

Barbara Yung's life in Cambridge

The CCAT art building where Barbara used to take her art classes

So the previous post was about my visit to Barbara's grave last week, accompanied by none other than Rob Radboud. This post is about the "Barbara Tour" I had in Cambridge with my knowledgeable guide, Rob. Click this to read Rob's report on this trip and click this to read our appeal to relocate Barbara's old tombstone to Hong Kong. 

I spent the first afternoon in Cambridge, a fine Thursday afternoon, visiting the CCAT (Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology – now the Anglia Ruskin University), about 10 min walk from the city center. CCAT was Barbara's and Rob's pre-university school back in the late 1970s. Rob showed me the place where he first talked to Barbara; a CCAT canteen that has now become a computer lab. He'd notice her already, the quiet Chinese student, always sitting by herself with a black note book, writing. But it was one day in that CCAT canteen that he first talked to her. He approached her and asked what she was writing. She looked up and, with a very bright smile, showed him what she'd been writing, in Chinese. 

Relocating Barbara's old tombstone

Barbara's old tombstone will be replaced with a new one in two months' time

Guys, Rob Radboud and I need your help. As you may have read from the previous post, Barbara's family in Cambridge will replace her old white tombstone with a new one, where her mother's name will be scribed on as well. Rob and I think that the tombstone should be preserved instead of being thrown away... and the best place for us is Hong Kong, where Barbara's memorial tablet is located.

However, we have not found a person who can help us from the Hong Kong end. It will be a tedious task, involving surely permits and money, because transporting the tablet won't come as cheap. But as long as there is a will, surely there is a way.

Thus, please email me if you'd like to help with this endeavour. We definitely need someone who lives in HK, or at least frequently visit HK. The plan has to move forward in two months, say by mid August, otherwise the old stone will not have a place to go (i.e. will be abandoned). Considering the historical value of the stone, I highly recommend we try to raise fund and work on the bueraucracy to move the stone to HK somehow. 

Visiting Barbara's grave with Rob Radboud

Barbara's grave on Friday, 23 June 2017, cleaned and spruced

Last year in July 2016, when I first visited Barbara's grave, I wondered if I would come back there soon, if not at all. This year, I've been very lucky though, for I could come back there again. Double luck, because my visit to Cambridge coincided with the visit of none other than Rob Radboud, Barbara's former Dutch boyfriend (Thank you, Universe!).

Hannah introduced Rob and me through Facebook. Hannah was originally going to go to the UK as well. It would have been a wonderful thing to meet her for the first time in the UK, in Cambridge of all places. But, it was not meant to be, for Hannah had a personal thing to do with her family in the US. So it was that one cool Thursday summer (22 June) that my bus arrived in Cambridge and I met Rob for the first time. After some pleasantries, he directly took me to the CCAT (Cambridge College Art and Technology), now Anglia Ruskin University, and then to his old apartment where he spent a wonderful year with Barbara. The next day, we met again at Barbara's grave. This post is about the visit to Barbara's grave. I will write another post about other Barbara-related places I visited with Rob in Cambridge. (edit: click here to read that post)

Commemorating Barbara: 'Who Can Change' - a Michael/Barbara MV

Today, this morning, 32 years ago, Barbara Yung left us.... I have written quite a lot about her passing; notably my analysis that she had a depression. I have also written a timeline of her and Michael Miu here.

Since the last few days, I've been watching Fearless Duo at night, one of the reasons was because it was a funny series... yet at the same time, it rings true the most to Michael's and Barbara's story. Because of that, I also use Fearless Duo's famous OST for this latest MV. Performed by the ever charming Alan Tam, 'Who Can Change' is without doubt the closest song I can think of that tells the story of Michael and Barbara... their friendship, and their (possibly restrained) affections. Granted, it's a sad MV... but it also gives me some bitter-sweet MB moments. I hope you like the MV despite its sad tone.

The Vimeo version is below the break. For this MV, I have also revised the translation of 'Who Can Change' provided by Wehaiyo, for I feel that translation is not prosaic enough for the MV (thanks a lot, though for the translation!). My version of the translation is also below the break.

So... yes, once again... we love you and we miss you, Barbara. This time though, people will be laying flowers on your grave next to your mother's...You're not alone now...

Take care, my dear girl... always shine like the brightest star up there...

Many Happy Returns!

Okay I'm SO going to make this!

“Chor tai-gor, long time no see!”

Chor Lau Heung nodded excitedly as he saw Szeto Man Mo walking into the garden pavilion with Lam Chor Yin, who was carrying a medium-sized colourful package. “Glad that you make it here, A Man,” Lingering Fragrance nodded to the couple, “ – considering your wife’s pregnancy.”

Chor Yin smiled as she caressed her enlarging stomach. “I’m fine. Plus, I can’t miss her birthday!”

“True,” A Man said as he took the package from his wife’s hand. “Where should we – Ah! Li tai-gor is here!”

Chor Lau Heung whipped his head to see Li Sai Man sauntering into the pavilion; one of his arms holding Chun Sik Sik tightly as if she’d run away if he didn’t do so.  It’s not a secret in their small group that Chor Lau Heung and Li Sai Man had an unspoken rivalry, hence Man Mo held his breath to see if the two dashing tai-haps can actually act civil this time.

Who was this lady?

Update 24 August 2017: Sally Chan has confirmed that the lady in question was indeed Barbara Yung. Sally scanned the photo from a microfilm a while ago. Thanks, Sally!

A few months ago, Cynthia sent me some photos of Michael Miu and Barbara Yung, many of them I had never seen. One of them was the photo above that I eventually used in the "In the Rain" MV.  Cynthia labelled the photo as an MB photo, hence I took it that the woman on Michael's lap was Barbara. However, I always had my doubts about the photo, because the scan quality is so low. Plus, the woman could very well be Jaime.

Then, a few days ago, a new reader Nelly contacted me and talked about some MB things, including this photo. I asked Nelly if she was sure that the woman was Barbara, and Nelly said she was certain. The woman had a smile diagnostic of Barbara. Then I asked Hannah too, and Hannah also said she thought the woman was Barbara. Since I was still in doubt, I did a simple experiment with the photo to see if the woman was Barbara... or Jaime.

The Godmother

Source: Rob Radboud

Apologies for the silence; I’ve been having some deadlines and writing blocks that made my submissions not progressing much. I will still publish my commentaries on LOCH 2017, though I’m already 3 weeks behind the schedule now. However, publishing those commentaries mean that I need to watch the series again, and I need to dedicate a special time for that, which I don’t have at the moment. Nonetheless, I miss MB… a lot. Hence, this article for this weekend.

Only recently I learned that Barbara had a godmother in Hong Kong. The kind godmother was no other than Mrs Lee Heung-kam, who portrayed Mrs Kam in ‘United We Stand’ 1984 and the Old Lady Kam (Kam tai-kwan) in ‘Chor Lau Heung’ 1984. Mrs Lee also portrayed Abbess Ruthless in ‘Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre’ 1986, and as Tony Leung’s mother-in-law in ‘Yang’s Saga’ 1985.

If I Loved You Less

Update 18 March 2017: I've edited the info about Michael/Barbara concert in Singapore. I don't think it was in 8 April 1985, for Barbara already cut her hair by 6 April 1985. Hence, some premises for this article have been revised accordingly. I have also added some newspaper clippings here and there.

I am somewhat reluctant in writing this, but I thought I’d give it a go. The reason for my reluctance is because bringing up the past can disturb the present. But… I just have to write this.

I am new to MB (since September 2015, that’s considered still new IMO), though I’ve been a fan of Michael and Barbara separately. When in late 2015 I realised their unfulfilled potentials as a couple, I was rather devastated. Then I tried to balance myself by thinking that Michael and Barbara would, just as Michael said, just share a friendship or, again as Michael put it, brotherhood, instead of unrequited love. I even wrote it as such when I wrote a post during Barbara’s commemoration last year. That Michael and Barbara might have had a thing, but they doused it off. And that’s that. But it was just a vague guess…

Upon receiving some old photos of MB from Hannah and Cynthia last December and January, I became more certain about one thing: something did happen between Michael and Barbara in 1983-1984, and it was quite big that it almost changed MB’s relationships with their official significant others at that time. Thus, this post is about how I came to that conclusion. With all due respect to Kent Tong and Jaime Chik, particularly Jaime who has been a very amazing wife to Michael… allow me to write up my speculations here.

Barbara Yung's mother passed away

The late Mrs Liu Ming Yee by Andrew Chan, Barbara's godson, via Rob Radboud

Barbara's mother passed away last January, and I didn't know this until now. Some fan I am... Mrs Liu Ming Yee was 90 years old when she died on 17 January 2017 in Cambridge... and I was too busy with deadlines to notice this!

hung head in shame...

Back to Mrs Liu's death... Andrew Chan provided info from his Weibo that Granny Liu had been ill since she was born, and she had a stroke a few years back. Her funeral will be on 23 February 2017 (next week!) in the Cambridge City Crematorium, and her ashes will be buried next to her daughter's grave. Which means, the next time me (and Hannah) visit Barbara's grave, we will also pray for Mrs Liu...

Visiting Barbara's grave

Click this to read my visit to Barbara's grave in June 2017

Barbara Yung's grave, Cambridge 28 July 2016

Since I started writing posts about Michael and Barbara last year, I had wanted to visit Barbara's grave in Cambridge UK. I finally had my chance when the UK immigration finally granted me a tourist visa for a visit this July.

I went to visit Barbara's grave in Cambridge last week on Thursday (28 July). It was raining when I arrived around 2 pm at the Cambridge City Cemetery. I had with me two bouquets of roses: 10 yellow roses and 10 red, pink and white roses. I also brought a pot of small red roses, all for £10 in the Thursday Cambridge market.

Located at Lot 29, at the north corner of the Cambridge City Cemetery (diagonal from the main parking lot), Barbara's grave wasn't looking as sad as when Rob Radboud came in June 2012. Back then, a yellow rose bush was growing unattended, blocking the grave. Rob had to hack the bush with his own hands without garden scissors or a knife, for he wasn't expecting that the grave wasn't attended. This time, last Thursday, I saw "only" two bunches of flowers wrapped in plastic, half a bottle of mineral water that someone used as a vase, and growing weed. Still a mess though, which made me sad...

Remembering Barbara Yung (1959-1985)

For Michael/Barbara timeline, read this. Click here to read about my visit to Barbara's grave in Cambridge UK in July 2016. Click this to read about my visit to Barbara's grave in June 2017 (with Rob Radboud).

Barbara Yung. Always young, always beautiful

Today, 31 years ago, Barbara Yung Mei-ling met her death. Many fans of A-ling, as Michael Miu used to call her, speculated on what happened, why she chose to take her own life. I’ve contemplated whether I should write something about this. Eventually I thought that I should; hence this post.

I wrote this post based on two of Rob Radboud’s articles. The first one is the interview between Barbara and Liang Pui Yee 梁佩仪 on 13 May 1985. Apparently, this was the last interview Barbara gave in her life... The second source is the 8 April 2016 Sohucoverage on Barbara’s death. I read the Sohu coverage with a grain of salt, for it’s a TV show anyway, and it’s bound to have mistakes or exaggeration. Sure the article that was written by Liang Pui Yee also had some flaws, but at least it was more verbatim from the writer’s conversation with Barbara.

I will write down here what I think about Barbara’s case. But first, I’d like to present two facts. One: Barbara was an illegitimate child, hence she did not have a perfect childhood. Two: Barbara was very very young when she died. She just had her 26^th birthday exactly the week before she died.

"Love is Beautiful" - an MV for Barbara Yung

A few minutes over midnight, but hey, better late than never! The third present for Barbara Yung and us her fans: an MV for Barbara's 57th birthday (7 May 1959-7 May 2016, if she was still with us). Song is "Love is Beautiful" by Tanya Chua, lyrics (pinyin and Chinese characters) are below the break. Will translate the song in due course.

Happy birthday, Barbara... thank you for your Wong Yung (Huang Rong), Song Siu Ching, Chun Sik Sik, Lam Chor Yin, and other characters you've brought to life because you were you. We miss you...

LOCH 1983 Behind the Scene

A blooper from LOCH 1983, from Rob Radboud's website

Rob Radboud has so many cool stuff in his website. One of them is the Behind the Scene for LOCH 1983. Click here for the full 44 minutes of the LOCH 1983 BTS. Good that they've done the BTS in those days. Hence, while waiting for my Barbara MV to be converted etc, tor Barbara's birthday I also selected some screen caps from the LOCH 1983 BTS from Rob's website. Mostly Michael/Barbara related, but I suggest you also check the video, cos Felix had done some cute stuff there too!