'Low Budget Lead' - a bbc short film!

Hi all. First of all apologies for the lack of recent posts. I have been incredibly busy but rest assured the blog is not forgotten and I hope to have some more interesting posts to come very soon (including another side-by-side).

What prompted this sudden return to the blog? A short film, that's what! Made by Jason Francis Lau during his final year at Brunel University, the film is described as a POV documentary and is an interesting look at life as a young British-born Chinese and indeed as a student in general. You can see a short trailer (which includes a link to the full film) here:



These days, most people's idea of a POV video would be a Youtube comment. This is actually a lot more creative and a lot more personal. The films starts off with a general look at life at uni and gradually (from about 9 mins) starts to focus more on the British-born Chinese aspect before then switching between the two.

Considering it was made without any budget, by Jason on his own, it's an impressive achievement. It blends multiple aspects of Jason's life and ends up as a pretty rare portrait of 'normal' uni life and a even rarer depiction of a young bbc's life.

Check out the film. Whilst British-born Chinese have made some media inroads in terms of appearances as actors and presenters, isn't it time we started seeing some bbc documentary and filmmakers too?

Do you know a rebellious, b.b.c. teen?

Readers, do you know any misbehaved, spoilt or downright out of control British Chinese teenagers?

Are their parents at a loss as to how to get through to them or change their behaviour? Perhaps you are one of these unruly teens yourself?

The BBC is looking for more participants for its successful reality show The World's Strictest Parents and would are inviting applications from the UK Chinese community.

In each episode two teens are sent to live with a ‘strict’ family abroad, where they are asked to live according to new rules, required to attend school, and get a taste of what it is to be a teenager in a very different, and often less fortunate culture. In previous programmes the show has sent teenagers everywhere from Jaipur to Jamaica, and Accra to Atlanta.

Do you know of anyone who would benefit from such an experience? If so, please contact the programme makers here.

Who knows, we might be seeing a b.b.c. face on this show in the future?

Link: The World's Strictest Parents

Is Susan Ma the feistiest and smartest candidate of The Apprentice 2011?

She's certainly the youngest and unfortunately she may also the be most naive, and the least adept at defending herself in an argument. So what will become of the Shanghai-born, British based entrepreneur currently battling it out for a business partnership with Lord Alan Sugar?

If you've been following this year's 'The Apprentice', you can't have failed to notice Susan Ma, who has emerged as one of the characters to watch not least because of her ongoing rows with fellow contestants.

Aged 21 at the time of filming, Susan is full of youthful enthusiasm as opposed to boardroom soundbites in stark contrast to her fellow candidates. But whilst she often displays quickness of mind and eagerness, she has also stumbled in the tasks (overestimating her ability to sell luxury fake tan to the good people of Birmingham and comically failing to explain her idea for a mobile phone app, for example).

Outside of the show, though, there is little doubt about her business abilities as she has built up a bona fide business selling natural skincare products, an enterprise that she says enabled her to pay off her mother's mortgage.

My view is that Susan is a smart young woman with good business instincts but hindered by poor communication skills and lacking maturity. Will Lord Sugar see past the flaws and give her a shot at the ultimate prize of a £250,000 business investment?

Tune in tonight on BBC1 at 9:00 to find out.



Link: The Apprentice, BBC

Link: Susan Ma homepage

Link: Susan Ma's company, Tropic Skincare

'Why Can't I Be More Chinese' by Lawrence Leung

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have found the b.b.c anthem.

I'd like to present for your viewing pleasure Australian comedian Lawrence Leung with... well, just watch it. It's very funny!

'My Wedding and Other Secrets' - a NZBC movie

This makes me smile. A long time ago, over three years ago in fact, I published a post on this blog called 'Banana in a Nutshell' - Can Chinese parents still love you if they do things that upset you? .

It was inspired by a short documentary film I saw that told the story of a young new Zealand Chinese girl who wanted her parents to accept her Caucasian boyfriend.

It was a touching, well-made little film with a humourous side that I was happy to publicize to bbc blog readers.

Well, three years later it turns out that the girl who made that documentary has turned it into an actual full length movie that has just gone on release in New Zealand.

I have to say many Western-based Asian drama films can seem a bit fake and stilted but this one looks quite different and genuinely entertaining. Well done to all involved! Hopefully we'll get a chance to see it here in the UK.

Check out the trailer below.

Related: Official Movie Website

Gemma Chan, rising b.b.c actress

I must have seen the advert below a dozen times yet never realised the actress is a b.b.c.




The lady in question is 28 year-old Gemma Chan. She first came to public attention by reaching the final 3 in the UK version of modelling reality show Project Runway and now it seems her profile is on the rise.

As well as that Bing commercial, Chan has had roles in Dr Who, The IT Crowd, Sherlock and Secret Diary of a Call Girl. She has also had movie roles in such films as Exam and Shanghai (starring John Cusack and Gong Li).

She may be about to hit the showbiz pages again as she stars in a new independent British film called Submarine, directed by Richard Ayoade (best known as Moss from The IT crowd) which has premiered at the Sundance film festival and is getting some positive reviews.

We could be looking at another b.b.c rising star!

Link: Gemma Chan official website

Link: Gemma Chan, Wikipedia

Related: Maye Choo joins the growing list of British Asians in the media

Did you catch the BBC children's programme based around Chinese/Asian characters?

Well, this is very rare indeed! 'Spirit Warriors' is an action-based drama for children that aired last year on the CBBC (Children's BBC) channel. It draws on Chinese legends and mythology and features a mainly East Asian cast.

I think it's really good for young bbc kids to be able to watch TV and see Chinese/East Asian faces in such prominent roles (as opposed to bit parts). Check out the brief trailer below and see what you think. Hopefully the series will be re-run soon:



Longer clips and more info can be found on the official BBC website.

The creator of Spirit Warriors is an award winning British born Chinese script writer called Jo Ho and her series is now in the running for Best Children's Programme 2011! Well done, Jo!

Link: Jo Ho profile on Visible Chinese

Link: Spirit Warriors, CBBC

Link: Jo Ho feature on Dimsum.co.uk

Side by Side

Being a BBC is a bit like inhabiting two worlds: The Western, British world and the Chinese world. This can be taken literally if you have spent a lot of time in both the UK and Hong Kong. So I wondered if it would be interesting to pair up some familiar, everyday things from both worlds and show them side by side - a sort of pictorial description of the world through BBC eyes.

This isn't meant to show that one side is better than the other or anything; It's just to try and show the 'two worlds' that we become familiar with as BBCs.

What do you think of the pairings? Accurate or off the mark?

(If it isn't obvious, the left side is always UK and the right side HK)











More later... :-)

Photo credits: Priceinspector.co.uk, dlade, rfeldman11, thesocialistway, dailymail, hongkonghustle.com, kellynwrites.com, paperin.org, uk.gamespot.com, webs-of-significance, absolutginger, coinnetwork.ning.com, travlang.com

Introducing bbc-Youtubers, MissYau and bubbiosity!

Asian American youtubers have already gained a degree of fame and notoriety (see thewinekone and Peter Chao)

So it's great to see some bbcs getting in on the act with their own distinctive Youtube channels - and very good they are too. Check out the sample vid from MissYau (aka Garbo from Swansea) below and go to her Youtube channel here.



Keep it up MissYau! Respect! :)

And from Northern Ireland we have a Triad-based epic from bubbiosity who seems to be playing at least three roles here:



You'll find the multi-talented Bubbi's channel right here.

Enjoy!

The Changing Sound of Chinatown

I read an interesting report in the New York Times that could equally apply to the UK Chinese community.

Most bbcs are descended from a generation that migrated from Hong Kong in the 1960s and 70s, and many Chinatowns around the world were founded by migrants from Cantonese-speaking regions of South China as well as Hong Kong. Cantonese can therefore be regarded as the main language of the world's dispersed Chinese population.

But all that could be about to change as Chinese migration is now predominantly made up of Mandarin speakers and they naturally gravitate towards existing Chinese community hubs rather than generating their own. So bit by bit, Chinatowns around the world are becoming Mandarin-ized. This effect is already well under way in London's Chinatown as I'm sure many readers will have noticed.

For those of us who are Cantonese Chinese, there is a real and strange prospect of going to Chinatown one day and not understanding what half the Chinese people there are saying! Weird, huh?

Immigration reform in 1965 opened the door to a huge influx of Cantonese speakers from Hong Kong, and Cantonese became the dominant tongue. But since the 1990s, the vast majority of new Chinese immigrants have come from mainland China, especially Fujian Province, and tend to speak Mandarin along with their regional dialects.

“I can’t even order food on East Broadway,” said Jan Lee, 44, a furniture designer who has lived all his life in Chinatown and speaks Cantonese. “They don’t speak English; I don’t speak Mandarin. I’m just as lost as everyone else.”

Story: New York Times

Related: Memories fading, places changing

Singer/songwriter 'Emmy the Great'

Just discovered this on Youtube. Hong Kong born singer/songwriter Emmy the Great (real name Emma Lee-Ross, daughter of a Chinese mother and English father) talks about her album and video released earlier this year:



And here's the full video. Cool song.

A slice of bbc pie

Photo: Sugar Coated Rainbow Sprinkles

I recently received an email from 'BBC Pie' announcing a new bbc-themed blog. You can check our Mr. Pie's blog here.

What ingredients would you need to make a bbc pie, I wonder? Hmm, maybe we will find out by reading this blog?

Good to see another new addition to the ever-growing bbc district of the blogsphere!

What now for Halifax star Thomas Yau?

It seems like Thomas Yau hasn't been off our TV screens since Halifax starting using him in their 'Something Good' TV ads.

But with news that the bank is to be swallowed up by Lloyds TSB, where does that leave the nation's favourite spiky-haired, singing bbc bank employee?

I know a lot of Thomas's fans have been to this blog. If anyone out there knows him, it would be great to hear how he's doing!

Related: Thomas Yau, star of new Halifax commercial.

British Chinese Society Wild West Party, Sat. July 26th

Must be party season or something. News reaches my Inbox of another event that might be of interest to bbcs: A Wild West themed party being organised by the BCS (British Chinese Society).

Canapes, competitions (including the best dressed title) and great music are on the bill, and attendees are asked to get into the Wild West spirit by donning suitable costumes. There will also be a raffle for a new Nokia 6300 phone (courtesy of sponsor CMC Markets).

The party is being held at Oneonefive Bar. 115 Chancery Lane, London on Sat 26th July, 8:00 pm - 2:00am

It's too late to get discounted early-bird tickets but entrance will be £12 on the door. Email social@britishchinese.org.uk
for more details!

Another bbc blog to add to the roster...

Madam Miaow, a name I recognise from both Dimsum and the (what used to be called) britishbornchinese.org.uk messageboards has her own blog:

Madam Miaow says ...

Embarrassingly, she has opted for the same Blogger template as me, which must be the blogging equivalent of turning up at a party in the same outfit. Luckily, I don't think the latter is ever going to happen!

Related: bbcs on the BBC: 'Chinese in Britain'

Has your mum asked to see the Edison photos yet?

Take the most talked about Hong Kong news story in recent years, a bunch of rude photos depicting A-list celebrities, and an older generation of Chinese parents who don't know how to surf the net, and you get the slightly awkward and surreal situation of bbcs being asked by their mums to show them explicit, pornographic images.

From what I hear it's happening quite a lot! Luckily I subject hasn't come up with my Mum and Dad.. yet. In the meantime here is Gillian Chung making her first public statement on the scandal:

BBC launches British-born Chinese Writers Project

Bbcs on the BBC: part 2.

Tina, author of Diary of a Chinese Brummie Yogini has emailed me a link to what could be a really interesting project being run by the BBC.

They are looking for "bite-sized film scripts with an original and contemporary take on the British Born Chinese experience" and to help any aspiring bbc writers out there, they are holding special 'how-to' seminars in cities across the UK.

The workshops will be held at the following venues:

BBC Merseyside
31 College Lane, L1 3DS
Tuesday 12th February 2008 6pm – 8pm

BBC Manchester
Courtyard Room, New Broadcasting House, Oxford Road, Manchester, M60 1SJ
Weds 13th February 2008 6pm – 8pm

BBC Birmingham
Room 083B, The Mailbox, Royal Mail St, B1 1RF
Thurs 21st February 2008 6pm – 8pm

BBC London
Room 108, Henry Wood House, 3/6 Langham Place, W1A 1AA
Weds 27th and Thurs 28th February 2008 6pm – 8pm

The site says ten shortlisted writers will be selected for Masterclasses in April, and up to five selected writers will receive development commissions. The deadline for submitting scripts is 17 March 2008

So come on guys. This is a great opportunity to tell your story, your way.

Get the full details from the BBC website.

Maye Choo joins the growing list of British Asians in the media

Despite being in what must be the least annoying of the Halifax can't-get-it-out-of-your-head series of commercials, Thomas Yau appears to have become something of an annoyance to many people, according to London paper the Metro. Even a member of BritishChineseOnline.com is quoted as saying - quite bizarrely:

'I saw it on telly and hung my head in shame and disbelief.'

Source: TV advert inspires a little Xtra loathing

Hopefully not all of us are prone to such feelings when we see a Chinese face on telly but if Thomas and his singing aren't your thing, there is another new British Asian face on our screens at the moment:



Maye Choo has a recurring role in a high profile ITV drama 'Honest' starring alongside veteran actor Burt Kwok who plays her father.

To be honest (no pun intended) when I first saw Maye Choo's performace I was surprised at how good it was - quite confident and convincing. I think the unusual thing about her character is that she isn't just a 'Chinese type' but is actually a scheming, plotting character with motives who gets really involved in the plot. It's not the kind of thing you see that often from a Chinese character and I think it makes a nice change.

Maybe this be a future star to watch?

'Honest' is on ITV Wednesdays at 9:00pm
www.itv.com/honest

Maye Choo has her own website: Mayechoo.co.uk

Related: Castnet profile

Hey big (bbc) spenders....

I found this article on the Daily Telegraph website. It seems to suggest that Chinese people - not just overseas tourists but British-born Chinese too - hit the sales particularly big style this year:

The Chinese - both British-born and from overseas - are reputed to have taken the sales by storm this year, searching for luxury goods at knock-down prices.

Retailers including Selfridges and John Lewis have reported the trend, one of the knock-on effects of a booming Chinese economy. Around 700 million people are expected to have joined the Chinese "consumer class" by 2020.

A spokesman for Selfridges said: "The Chinese have always been keen on status symbols. And luxury goods, especially handbags, have become increasingly popular.

"We have a particularly strong handbag department - that's why we've attracted a large number of Chinese, both British residents and tourists. Even Chinese students were spending heavily."

I can well believe that the number of wealthy Chinese tourists coming here is on the up but I didn't realise that we bbcs were noticeably bigger spenders at the sales than other people. Maybe I'm just not a big shopper!

'Banana in a Nutshell' - Can Chinese parents still love you if they do things that upset you?

I've been meaning to post about this for a while. Banana in a Nutshell is a short film that I saw on a plane (in fact, I think it was a flight to HK) and I thought it was a really interesting short film that quite a few bbcs can relate to.

It's a documentary about a young New Zealand Chinese (NZBC?) girl called Roseanne and her relationship with a white boy. The film shows the anxious build up to the boyfriend meeting Roseanne's father, and Roseanne's stress concerning her parents' reaction. The film's official website is here: http://www.banana-film.com/index.html.

The boyfriend situation is the main event depicted in the film but it actually covers Roseanne's entire relationship with her parents and siblings and the East vs. West conflicts that come with being 2nd generation Chinese.

The film is very heartfelt, especially one scene in which Roseanne tearfully tries to understand why her parents never show her any outward signs of affection. Does this mean they don't love her, she wonders? Yet why would they have worked so hard to provide for her, if not out of love? This is something I think many young bbcs will have thought about at some point in their lives.

If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend 'Banana in a Nutshell'.

As for my own thoughts on this, I think there will always be a big difference between how we, as a westernised generation, expect parents to behave and how our parents have been brought up to behave. We have different ideas about what is 'right.'

It is a lot to ask of the older generation to totally chance their demeanor and personalities just to fit what we, as 2nd generation, have come to regard as 'good parenting' - a view that has been shaped by a totally different upbringing.

Differences exist between the generations, but I think the key is to acknowledge that and learn to accept it, rather than isolating one side or demanding that one side changes to match the other.


UPDATE: 'My Wedding and Other Secrets' - a NZBC movie