My Only Red Carpet Experience
2017-01-16
It is nothing uncommon that people entertain themselves by feeding on celebrity juice, as the occasional sneak peek into famous people’s lives sometimes is too enticing to resist. As an ordinary office worker, I am also not immune to it, though I would not be as obsessive as the teenager dubbed ”Hongqiao Yijie” (虹桥一姐) whose antics of relentlessly chasing after celebrities have recently gone viral on the internet.I used to be very much infatuated with pop singers, whose songs I still draw inspiration from occasionally even today. However, as I grew older, and got married, I couldn’t afford to spend as much time indulging in music as I did before any more. There is the kid to take care of, domestic chores to attend to, family commitments to fulfill, and I definitely do not enjoy stirring up the wrath of my wife who would yell ”Be grown-up!” at me, if I was caught being on a high from listening to music while ignoring the tasks she assigned to me. So I have progressively lost touch with the pop culture scene, with only the singers and songs from my early adulthood years being the deepest imprinted in my mind, like Chyi Chin, Alan Tam, Leslie Cheung, George Michael, Michael Bolton, Marria Carey, Whitney Houston, and some domestic and overseas rock bands.
That said, interestingly there is one single new-era singer whom I did know right after his singing career took off in China, and that is related to my very first and the only red carpet experience.
It happened in 2009 or 2010. I took an early morning flight from Tstingtao to Nanjing, together with a German colleague, en route to the city of Ma’anshan for a customer visit to Masteel. After landing, as we were waiting at the baggage claiming area for our luggages to come out, there were wave after wave of loud cheerings coming from huge crowds outside of the arrival hall. This was a novel occurence I had never experienced before, which also made both me and the German guy utterly puzzled and curious about what the hell was going on.
When we were approaching the exit after retrieving our luggages, we were literally stunned by the number of people, mostly teenagers, lining the walkway just outside the exit, hailing and appauding, with some of them holding large placards bearing the images of a cute young male. The name in bold letters at the bottom of the placards simply registered in my mind: Han Geng (韩庚), who I learned later just returned to China after years of successful endeavor in South Korea’s entertainment circle.
A red carpet was rolled out for the star who apparently had not arrived yet. Maybe it was out of boredom from spending long hours awaiting their idol, or they just wanted to do some warm-up, the young kids just erupted in deafening applause when any passenger stepped out of the arrival hall and walked down the red carpet.
Our emergence from the airport was also no exception, with the boys and girls hailing at us at the top of their lungs. I assure you in that circumstance, you would feel very good about yourself, even though you were well aware it was just faux excitement surrounding you.
Strutting down the red carpet with dramatically boosted self-esteem, I could not help but joke with my German buddy: ”Hi, bro, you see you have so many fans here, at least you should wave at them to acknowledge their fondness for you.” On this cue, the German dude, who was a hilarious funny guy himself, started waving, while beaming and nodding at the crowd as if he was really a celebrity meeting adoring fans.
Seeing this unsual response, the crowd just went uproarious, with the noise decibel rising up several notches. I caught a glimpse of his face after some girls vehemently screamed ”Welcome to China!” at him, his face lit up, the drowsiness from the early flight having disappeared, the beaming turning into an ear-to-ear grin, and I could literally hear the gurgling sound of oxytocin rushing in his body.
Sadly, this euphoric experience soon came to an end when we reached the end of the red carpet, which obviously was not long enough for us to enjoy the fake stardom to our hearts’ content. And as I whipped out my phone to contact the taxi driver, who just came to pick us up and drive us to Ma’anshan by an arrangement we made beforehand, it suddenly occurred to me we were not supposed to get out at all before rendezvousing with the cabbie inside the arrival hall, as our agreement with the driver dictated.
However, at hearing this slipup, my German companion, still savoring the hilarity, visibly got excited, and immediately rattled off :”Great, now we go back in and find the cabbie, then we can walk the red carpet again.” ...
Epilogue:
We didn’t got back in, as the cabbie, whose taxi I used to use before, caught sight of me inside the hall, and followed us out ...
The German guy who was with me walking down the red carpet.
if you find any inappropriate comments to your blog, please report them to us. And we would deal with them for you. Thanks!
You are absolutely right in saying that I can't dictate who can and can not respond to my blogs, however, I can delete whatever comment I think is gratuitously provocative and abusive ... lol
On a public forum you can not expect everyone to agree with you and you can not dictate who can and can not respond to your blogs or comments.
Some people will challenge you to explain yourself more, or find holes they want filled.
For example i don't like the way this forum has become flooded with immature postings of pictures better suited to Wechat than a forum that people from around the world will visit, or the many posters who copy and paste material from other sources and try to pass it off as their own.
And when i find a post that i think interesting enough to respond to, or just plain childish (from people who purport to be adults), or obvious fakers - there is one alias that is clearly being used by at least two different posters, i am free to respond.
the person who writes should expect some degree if disagreement and if they are adult enough to post on an open forum, they should be adult enough to deal with the comments they receive.
Personal policy on comments on my blogs
As a newcomer to this blogging community, I really enjoy making friends by engaging in activities on this public forum, and I have come across many brilliant minds across this platform. As diverse as this community is, I have found that many ideas and opinions from people from various backgrounds are incredibly inspiring, and I will always be striving to be accommodating and open-minded to any advice and suggestions, as long as they are expressed in an unbiased, objective way. Fact-based and intellectual debates are also welcome. However, any attempt at targeting and attacking any specific group of people and person will not be allowed, and any act of venting negative personal sentiments through blog comments will be deemed as unacceptable and immediately stopped. Comments and messages with vulgar languages and deemed as paranoid would also be promptly deleted or overwritten with this message.
The forum is a fun place, and let’s have fun together.
As a newcomer to this blogging community, I really enjoy making friends by engaging in activities on this public forum, and I have come across many brilliant minds across this platform. As diverse as this community is, I have found that many ideas and opinions from people from various backgrounds are incredibly inspiring, and I will always be striving to be accommodating and open-minded to any advice and suggestions, as long as they are expressed in an unbiased, objective way. Fact-based and intellectual debates are also welcome. However, any attempt at targeting and attacking any specific group of people and person will not be allowed, and any act of venting negative personal sentiments through blog comments will be deemed as unacceptable and immediately stopped. Comments and messages with vulgar languages and deemed as paranoid would also be promptly deleted or overwritten with this message.
The forum is a fun place, and let’s have fun together.
Think on this matey. The poor masses get no real charity. It has always been the way. So we don't really know charity. So won't give it. It is like in medieval times when a peasant on a battlefield knew that he wouldn't get any charity from the enemy - but 'elites' were likely to be captured, treated well and ransomed. 'Elites' knew charity, peasants didn't.
Look at the lives of the western masses matey. Seven out of ten Americans can't come up with $1000 in an emergency. And food stamps may be charity to you capitalists but that's not charity.
Us poor wretches have less empathy than you 'elites' at the end of the day. Especially when it comes to 'elites'. Think on that matey
You remember LOCK HER UP! They meant that matey. Not just for fun. And they would chant much worse things if encouraged by the right leader. The right leader could make them all so happy.
Anyway, I am so sorry if I really did offend you matey. Is that why you insulted me is it? Because you felt offended by my comments that were in no way personal in any way shape or form. I don't know what you do matey because you won't tell me. I am certain that you are not a rocket scientist. Are you a GP are you? Is that it? You got offended when I said that a GP is nothing special? Matey, I bet you are very special no matter what it is you do. Or are you a lawyer? Is that it? Psychologist? Do you help people get functional for a living or something do you matey? I just do not believe that a lawyer or psychologist is very special at all. I think that the majority of university educated people are overpaid and also that they take more from society than they contribute. Is my honest opinion really so offensive for you is it? Even so you must admit that my opinion is no personal attack on you individually is it? Not at all. I did not personally insult you or intend to. Do you identify as being 'elite' or something? I bet you do don't you? (:
My opinion is not exactly way out there you know - it is closer to popular opinion. You uppity 'educated' enablers are only about 30% of western population you know. Mostly neoliberal in your thinking. And typically you hate people of lower social status. And guess what matey. We hate you even more. And this is only the start. And you think you are smarter than us do you matey?
This is only the start.
You are offended? HA!
You will lose a class war.
These 'elite' puppets like Trump, Farage and LePenn cannot control us matey. They cannot sabotage the feeling of the times. It is not about them The feeling will only grow in strength because 'elites' are $%$%wits and that is why we are at this point. When these puppets fail it will only strengthen the feeling and the desire for a real leader.
You think you are smarter than me? You are not. I am uneducated and poor.
And you think it can't happen? What happens to the 'intellectual' enablers of Germany when the Nazi took control? Why didn't they stop Hitler matey? Why? It should have been so easy for them Hitler wasn't even university educated was he? I don't think he was. And what did Hitler think if uppity 'intellectual' enablers matey? Nothing good right? Hitler loved to target to 'intellectuals in his propaganda didn't he? And the masses loved to hear it. I just do not understand why the university educated intellectuals of Germany did not stop the rise of Hitler and the Nazi. It really doesn't make any sense because university educated types like yourself are so above uneducated people like me and Hitler. Right? Thats why you make the big bucks right matey? And have that pay scale to help attract hot chicks and what not. I bet you could afford a sugar baby if you wanted one couldn't you?
What would a modern Hitler be like do you reckon matey? I know Trump likes golden showers too but apart from that he is really no Hitler is he? He likes to pretend though doesnt he?
You should stop insulting people.
Hey, you are not one of the grandmother$%$%ers are you? How old is your wife again? Do you like the older ladies do you?
Which one of The Golden Girls was the hottest in your opinion? I would say Blanche. Do you remember that show?
I just opt to clam up, and let the readers judge who has been offensive all along.
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