Christine Kuo (苟芸慧) had no idea what she signed up for when she signed her TVB contract in 2009. The Taiwan-born Miss Chinese International delegate from Toronto, Canada admitted that she was very perplexed by her direction in life. “To be an artist is to entertain the audience, but I failed to understand this concept no matter how many times others tried to explain it to me. I was just not enlightened, and to be enlightened, it takes time. Although I am still not completely sure at what I’m doing now, at least I am working towards a positive change.” Homesick After winning the Miss Chinese International crown in 2009, Christine decided to stay in Hong Kong to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, a decision that was made under the support of her family. “My parents wanted me to learn how to live an independent lifestyle, so they suggested me to come to Hong Kong. I’ve only lived here for less than four years, but it felt like I’ve been living here for as long as ten years. As an actress, we tend to substitute our thoughts with our characters and roles, so our lives definitely feel more bountiful.” Recalling her first return flight to Hong Kong, Christine laughed, “I wanted to go back to Canada as soon as I stepped out of the airplane. I called home and said, ‘Mom! Why is my room as big as our bathroom back home?’ Afterwards, I found out that my flat in Hong Kong is considered to be pretty big for local standards. I really enjoy the expansive and relaxing lifestyle in Canada. I didn’t know about [the compact space in] Hong Kong until I arrived. That is what I call experience. These experiences tell me that I’ve been living such a lucky life. I will not complain about what I have now, because compared to others, I am considered to be very fortunate. I need to cherish this fortune, and be happy.” The 29-year-old shed tears at the mention of her parents and her home in Canada. “Family is very important. Many people make fun of me for mentioning my father and mother all the time, but my parents brought me into this world, so I have the responsibility to take care of them. But now, I am unable to… I once told them to come to Hong Kong, but they said they wouldn’t have anywhere to live because my place is so small. That is why I will work hard and earn the money to buy a bigger flat. That way, my parents will not have any excuses to not come.” Criticisms Arguably the biggest struggle that Christine has had to go through after coming to Hong Kong is speaking Cantonese. Coming from a Mandarin-speaking family, Christine did not properly take up the Cantonese language until after arriving in Hong Kong. Fortunately for Christine, she is not in this battle alone. Through common foreign backgrounds, Christine has made many lifelong friends with other foreign-born TVB artists. “We initially privately talked with each other in English, but we later found out that it is better if we converse in Cantonese as well so we will improve faster.” Although Christine’s Cantonese has improved tremendously since her debut, she admitted that she still has a lot of room left for improvement. “I still need to write pinyin when I’m reading the scripts. I really want someone to be always at my side to fix my pronunciation and grammar. Sometimes, I would say something wrong without realizing it.” Besides Cantonese, another big struggle for Christine to overcome is the dramatic culture shock. “The Hong Kong and Canadian cultures are very different. Hong Kong people are afraid of committing faux pas. They will not directly point out one’s faults, but I will be very straightforward in expressing my opinions. This is normal in Canada, but it is not very well-accepted in Hong Kong. However, since I am living here, I can’t force others to change their lifestyle for me, so it is up to me to adapt to their lifestyle. I will learn how to speak more tactfully.” Happy to Be Called “Goddess” Branded as a desirable “goddess” by many men, the attractive and voluptuous Christine quickly took on many prominent roles after debuting in her first television drama in 2010. “Thank you, everyone, for taking good care of me. To be well-liked by others is not inevitable, so I will not let fame get to my head. I will cherish it. I am quite happy with this honor, but I do want a breakthrough. I want everyone to see a different side of me, but I know this takes time, so I will not rush it. When it comes to goddesses, I believe Brigitte Lin (林青霞), Rosamund Kwan (關之琳), and Vivian Chow (周慧敏) to be the true goddesses.” Creds: ihktv
Christine never left a good impression on me due to her poor Cantonese and okay-ish acting, but after reading this article I find myself liking her more. I appreciate her hard work and modesty. It must be difficult to travel to another unfamiliar place all alone.
I think she needs to improve on her acting first and then the Cantonese. Her terrible acting is much worse than her Cantonese
