#Queued to post on 31st May to coincide with this significant date for

[don-dake]

『即使輸掉了一切也不要輸掉了微笑』

“Even when I have lost everything, I don't want to lose my (knowing how to) smile.”

Another vid (I think the programme is simply called “Smile”? But not 💯 certain) featuring Gregory Charles Rivers (aka 河國榮 Ho Kwok-Wing) that I think is interesting and as always, great for Cantonese listening practise too!

Like the previous video, I'm just going to do an English summary, but it won't be as detailed this time (because I'm tired) and I'll just highlight the parts I find most interesting (for the odd person who may actually enjoy my Cantonese centric posts/translations, featuring usually “not-globally-famous/old people” from a small part of the globe…😸) in the screenshots below.

(Date of interview: c. 2017–2019?)

Rivers's optimistic outlook on life at this time is especially poignant and awe-inspiring because in hindsight, not only is it known what eventually happened to him 😿, but at this time around 2017–2019, he had been hit by some deeply challenging life obstacles that may have overwhelmed and defeated another person completely.

Having undergone 2 major health scares (cancer and heart problems that resulted in two major operations) almost simultaneously, and that had left him in serious financial debt for a while, it's pretty admirable he could still keep his optimism in life! (until he couldn't anymore…😿 — but that had nothing to do with financial troubles, rather, it was a grief no one could really help him with…😿 RIP)

(full article can be read here.)

Brief summary of video:

Why and how he got into Cantonese and came to stay in Hong Kong for the rest of his life…basically, when he was still a medical student in Australia in the 1980s, he hit it off with the overseas students studying at the same university and most of them happen to be from Southeast Asia (Singaporeans, Malaysians and Hong Kongers, but mostly Hong Kongers), so he got surrounded by a lot of Cantonese, and gradually fell in love with the language and in particular, HK Cantopop culture.

Eventually, he lost interest in studying medicine and was failing his grades, and finally decided to move to Hong Kong to try to make a Cantopop career for himself. So he set out to do 3 to 4 part-time jobs for a whole year in Australia in order to save up enough for a one way ticket to Hong Kong…

(description of Instagram screenshot in the ALT Text)

…and he never looked back since!

🇭🇰🇲🇴 「儲錢，跟住買一張單程機標就飛到嚟香港。」

“So I saved up, and then bought a one-way ticket and flew off to Hong Kong.”

🇭🇰🇲🇴 「1987年5月31號夜晚九點幾。」

“The date was 1987 May 31st, around 9 at night.”

This was the day he arrived permanently in Hong Kong and was clearly a very significant and fond memory for him! 😺

🇭🇰🇲🇴 「一個鬼佬喺澳洲可以飛過嚟，想唱歌…雖然係嚟到30年嘅…」

“A Caucasian guy like me from Australia being able to fly over here (to Hong Kong), with only a dream of wanting to be a singer…even though I had to wait 30 years…”

🇭🇰🇲🇴 「不過終於都攞到最受歡迎男歌手奬嘅 (羞笑)」

“Even the likes of me can finally win a ‘Most Popular Male Singer’ award…(bashful laugh)”

I was unaware he had won any award for singing and in truth, it was likely not exactly a prominent music industry heavyweight award, but it clearly made him very happy and was a memory he definitely cherished and was grateful for so…good for him (sincerely)! 😺

(and winning ‘Most Popular’ was a sure sign he had been recognised for his efforts and approved by his adopted countrymen! Definitely meaningful and worth something too!)

🇭🇰🇲🇴 「即係證明咩都得啦！」

“So it goes to show anything can happen (dreams may come true if you never give up) !”