Transcript (Cantonese to English 粵譯英)
Hosts: Bot and Keith
Bot: Good day to everybody, it is time for our Random Talk programme again.
Bot: How long has it been, since the last show?
Keith: It seems like four or five months.
Bot: Four or five months? That long ago?
Keith: You should say it passes by swiftly. You thought it was long, but it passed by swiftly.
Bot: Time really passes by very swiftly.
Keith: That’s right. It really is.
Bot: My company was working on more live shows last year.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: I made myself busier, if you count my work in.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: I would like to restart this Random Talk programme this year.
Keith: That’s great; we’ll have a good chat during our free time.
Bot: We shall also invite some guests to come over. The camera angle is narrow though. But it is still fine.
Keith: That’s right. It will be good.
Bot: We have many friends watching us now. How about a good luck in terms of wealth and romance.
Keith: Wow, this is really… How was everybody’s new year holiday?
Bot: I’m using my own page for the time being. And we’ll set up another page for Random Talk in the future. Let me introduce my friend next to me, Keith. Some of them knew you from one of the live shows in 2018.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: Keith is a writer working on translation and running his own blog.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: Perhaps we can add some links to introduce your work.
Keith: Sure. I am running a new website now.
Bot: Had it not been the talk show, I can’t get you over for a tea session. Right?
Keith: You can then run the programme more frequently.
Bot: I hope so. We aim to run the show for at least once a month in 2019. Or twice a month.
Keith: That’s right. Make good use of our time. We are greeting people ‘Happy New Year’ since late December. And two months have already passed by from December until February.
Bot: Did we say that in December?
Keith: I mean I revisited Taiwan in December and I was greeting my friends. I am literally greeting others Happy New Year for two months. Because the earlier one was January 1. And the current one, Lunar New Year.
Bot: Don’t ask for red packets from me during live show. I am married but please don’t ask it from me.
Bot: If you want a red packer, please come over and visit.
Keith: Your friends are giving comments.
Bot: Yup. They wished us good luck in wealth acquisition and romance.
Keith: Wow, that’s great.
Bot: That’s right. As for today, We’re launching the programme unofficially. What would you like to talk about today?
Keith: What to talk about today? It is about new year, resuming work and your happy moments.
Bot: My new year wasn’t bad. But I suffered from waist pain after the holiday. I’ve had a X-ray imaging earlier today.
Keith: That’s really serious.
Bot: I sprained my lower back.
Keith: You sprained it?
Bot: Yes. I don’t feel pain when I am sitting. I feel the pain when standing up or sitting down.
Keith: I see.
Bot: That’s troublesome. Fainting when I squat down and stand up.
Keith: You have to be careful when you sprained your lumbar. It is no kidding.
Bot: It’s troublesome. It is aching when I cough.
Keith: Do you swim?
Bot: I know how to swim but I haven’t been swimming for some time already.
Keith: I still swim even when I feel uncomfortable.
Bot: I have to pick up physical exercise again.
Keith: That’s right.
Bot: I used to cycle and I’ll resume it again.
Keith: I feel comfortable after swimming.
Bot: It is also related to weather.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: I bring my wife and children along when cycling.
Keith: Uh-huh.
Bot: We found out that the weather has been terrifying lately.
Keith: That’s right. Definitely.
Bot: Particularly so for the last few days during lunar new year. Can I say that?
Keith: The past few weeks.
Bot: It was very hot the past few weeks.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: And all of sudden, it rained cats and dogs.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: The rain didn’t last long though.
Keith: It was quite serious.
Bot: Since you enjoy reading foreign reports, what they said about the current weather pattern?
Keith: It is terrifying, you want me to share it here?
Bot: You may share it.
Keith: Put simply, let me share it. I remember IPCC released a report last year. It was said that within 12 years – from now until 2030, we have to cut down half the emission of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases globally. That is the only way to slow down the process of climate change. If we fail to do that, the target to keep temperature rise within 2°C could be breached.
Bot: A rise of two degree Celsius each year?
Keith: Nope. Rising 2°C each year would be catastrophic. I read another report during new year holiday. It said that 2016 was the hottest year of planet Earth. It was 1.11°C higher than pre-industrial revolution era.
Bot: How long was it?
Keith: Hundreds of years. It has already touched 1.11°C, and in coming five years, it could reach 1.5°C. Think about it. From 1.11°C to 1.5°C, I think it already is very terrifying. We are terrified by what we witness now.
Bot: Think about it. Let’s talk about the situation in Malaysia. I am not sure about situation in countries with four seasons.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: We turn on more air-conditioning when it is getting hotter.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: You turn on the coolest air-conditioning when driving.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: And you have the coolest air-conditioning indoor.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: Which makes the environment even hotter.
Keith: This is the urban heat island.
Bot: Given such situation, it is very difficult to halve carbon emission.
Keith: It really is very tough. Take our driving habit for example. Can you get half the drivers to give up driving? Or car and fuel production to be halved?
Bot: It is really tough. I saw a friend the other day.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: He’s always sharing short video clips.
Keith: Uh-huh.
Bot: In Malaysia, the sales number of (Perodua) Myvi alone, I am not sure about how they calculated. There could be thousands of new cars sold each month.
Keith: That’s right. The number is staggering.
Bot: Thousands of new cars sold each month, but there is no similar number of old cars being taken off the road.
Keith: That’s how the car number keeps piling up.
Bot: Is Malaysia the only place going through this?
Keith: This is an extraordinary example of Malaysia. Let’s look at Singapore. They limit the volume growth of vehicles. I remember one year when Singapore transport authorities capped the growth to one percent. Or more strictly, zero-percent growth. That’s the thing you are talking about. Take back 1,000 old cars, only then they issue 1,000 certificates of entitlement.
Bot: They take back before reissuing again.
Keith: That’s right.
Bot: But this isn’t how it works in Malaysia.
Keith: Because you don’t need a COE to buy a car.
Bot: Our roads are similar to car parks when the traffic is heavy. Pre-owned car companies look like a car park.
Keith: Exactly.
Bot: We haven’t reduced car number. One family usually has two to three cars.
Keith: It is considered good if they don’t have four to five cars.
Bot: Look around rental houses around Kuala Lumpur, several young lads living together and each of them has a car. My place here is running out of car park downstairs. It is really annoying.
Keith: That’s right.
Bot: It is hot amid heavy traffic. It takes you an hour to drive to a place nearby. It is really annoying.
Keith: Perhaps we can start changing our lifestyle. Take public transport more often.
Bot: It is challenging. What did the report say? How long it takes to reach 1.5°C?
Keith: Reaching 1.5°C within five years. That’s an increase of 0.4°C.
Bot: Can it withstand for another five years?
Keith: I worry if it is reaching 1.5°C within three years.
Bot: Compared to previous years, I felt more tired this year.
Keith: You will suffer when it is getting hotter.
Bot: Drinking herbal tea doesn’t help.
Keith: You don’t feel comfortable standing or sitting.
Bot: You might feel cool in your body. Because I had cooling drinks during new year.
Keith: So long as your heart doesn’t feel cold.
Bot: You feel cool in your body but the weather is hot. That’s really suffering.
Keith: And it rains cats and dogs out of the blue.
Bot: Raining cats and dogs.
Keith: It is no longer drizzle like the past. You can’t have a slow walk amid the rain anymore.
Bot: That’s right.
Bot: We’ve been talking for ten minutes but the number of viewers is low. It doesn’t matter. Not that you need to show solidarity and you must watch the show now. I would like to have a different way of thinking this year.
Keith: How is it?
Bot: During our previous talks, we wanted more viewers to watch our live show.
Keith: Uh-huh.
Bot: Or more viewers leave us comments. But I noticed that in Malaysia, whether you are working on art or music, it is usually friends who support you. Which isn’t an ideal business model.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: If our friends and strangers are watching our show, you might like it. As you said, why do we run a live show? Because many are staying home doing nothing.
Keith: They enjoy listening to something.
Bot: Yup, they like it.
Keith: Enjoy listening to something.
Bot: They don’t need to see our faces very clearly. They listen to and watch us when they are free. That’s quite already good.
Bot: I want a change of business model this year. It is a change in our way of thinking. Not that we expect more friends share our clips all the time. We need not beg our friends to share it out. Because it is not our target to become web influencers. It is just that this is a good way of recording.
Keith: What is in our mind at this point in time.
Bot: It records our growth. When we look back one year later, we found out that we did something like this.
Keith: Some knowledge and experiences that we’ve gained.
Bot: Sharing about new things.
Keith: That’s right.
Bot: This is the vision of our Random Talk programme. It slowly becomes our vision as we invite more friends, particularly pretty girls to chat with us.
Keith: Yup. Chatting about our daily life.
Bot: If you really like our show, you need not follow us live all the time. It is okay if you don’t comment. So long as when you are free…
Keith: When you think of us.
Bot: Or when you are in a washroom, you can always listen to previous recording. Need not comment for the sake of comment.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: If you want to appear in our show, you may send us a WhatsApp message. And we’ll arrange for you. This is our arrangement. It is simple.
Bot: So you guys have now learned how the show is run.
Keith: Simplicity reigns.
Bot: Simplicity reigns.
Keith: Need not complicate things.
Bot: What would you all like to listen to? Or what sort of topics you want us to explore, feel free to call us or send a WhatsApp message. As we see your comments, we can prepare along the way. I hope that Random Talk isn’t a boring or solemn programme for you.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: We need to share positivity.
Keith: That’s right. It is 18th today.
Bot: Anything fun today?
Keith: It was 14th of February four days ago. Many people value this day. I wonder if you take it seriously.
Bot: Yup. I actually celebrated with my wife.
Keith: Mind to share some stories?
Bot: I brought my wife and children out for a movie.
Keith: What was it?
Bot: Alita.
Keith: I see.
Bot: It was not bad. Not as good as what has been described by online comments. Have you watched it?
Keith: Nope, I didn’t.
Bot: It seems like netizens didn’t talk much about Stephen Chow’s The New King of Comedy. Not many viewers found it to be a good movie. But I found it to be good.
Keith: I watched it though.
Bot: How was it?
Keith: I can say it has its own point. Wang Baoqiang’s line saying that we should not give up. Giving up means you surrender.
Bot: I feel saddening when I was watching it. Many asked questions, particularly before we run our live talk show. Before the lunar new year, some friends asked if I am going to release new albums again. Or whether I wanna run a live show to promote my music. In Malaysia and elsewhere, music has become free.
Keith: Not really. I bought my tickets for concerts. It isn’t free.
Bot: Concerts are not the only choice to support our favourite artists. But it is the most direct way.
Keith: Yup, the most direct way.
Bot: Speaking of New King of Comedy, I am angry with others’ comments. I watched it in a happy mood.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: I shared it on social media and I said it was not bad. I felt like crying when I was watching it. After the film was released, I saw someone shared a high-definition version on social media.
Keith: Immediate sharing…
Bot: Someone shared it immediately. I wonder where they came from.
Keith: They pirated and uploaded it.
Bot: There are still such people out there. It costs you only more than ten ringgit for a movie in a cinema. Oh, come on. Can’t you afford it?
Keith: That’s right.
Bot: It already costs you more than ten ringgit for a cup of tea. Right?
Keith: We are lucky in Malaysia. You get a movie ticket for ten-odd ringgit, which is equivalent to HK$ 30 or more. But this price is unthinkable in Hong Kong.
Bot: Exactly. For sure. I’d better spare the swearing.
Bot: Watching movies or listening to new songs, it is very cheap now.
Keith: It really is.
Bot: Not that we want you to buy a CD. It is difficult to get an album nowadays, anyway. You can go to iTunes and download and subscribe legally.
Keith: You can buy one song.
Bot: It only costs you ten-odd ringgit each month, mate. This is a simple way to support authentic production. It is simple but why can’t those people support it?
Keith: One song costs you one or two USD. I supported Kay Tse on iTunes.
Bot: That’s right. But why I am saddened? I recalled of the old days when I released my band’s album.
Keith: The saddening stories.
Bot: It was saddening. When we released our album, we took it to a radio station but they didn’t treat us as singers.
Keith: Uh-huh.
Bot: This is one matter. Moreover, when you performed, they read your names wrongly.
Keith: It really was saddening.
Bot: It was worse off than minor actors.
Keith: I see.
Bot: Nobody knows you and your songs are not pop enough. You don’t know what to do in such situation. Are you going to carry on singing or giving up? It lets you forget about your ambition.
Keith: Your initial aspiration, you may put it.
Bot: Forgotten about your initial aspiration. Many would ask us to release album again, since we can sing. There are two sides of the same coin. If you are willing to support your favourite artists. Let’s not talk about non-pop musicians such as us.
Keith: Indie genre.
Bot: Indie music. Even the mainstream singers in Malaysia are struggling to make a living.
Keith: It is also challenging in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Bot: It is challenging everywhere.
Keith: It is tough, if you are selling CD.
Bot: It is tough. I was saddened when I watched New King of Comedy. This is the reason.
Keith: Exactly. I heard that some actors are struggling more than before. They have to take up different part-time jobs while waiting for new film production. They are waiting for a chance. They are still struggling as before.
Bot: About the line to encourage us to persevere and must not give up.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: That you have to work hard and carry on. This is not an advice for every person.
Keith: You need to have a belief. You have to understand this. You persist and you find hope. Not that you persist only when you saw hope. We have to be clear of this concept.
Bot: That’s a saying. I know something about this industry. Some don’t know their own direction.
Keith: Their positioning.
Bot: They know nothing about their positioning, but they persisted.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: I am not a good cook. It is not easy, if you want me to become a chef.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: I have my own style and some work might suit me well. And which ones don’t. It depends on whether you have a good teacher.
Keith: How about your own awareness? You know your own limits.
Bot: Let me ask you. How do you find out your own capability?
Keith: I found it when I was trained in Taiwan.
Bot: Why so? You love writing, don’t you?
Keith: Yup.
Bot: You always wanted to do this since long ago?
Keith: Before that, I wanted to study economics, but I didn’t do well in mathematics. If your maths is poor, you can’t study economics in Taiwan. They teach a lot of mathematics in economics. Their calculus and statistics can fail you miserably. If you can’t pass the subjects of calculus and statistics, you can’t graduate from department of economics in Taiwan.
Bot: You took exam before that.
Keith: I gave it a thought. But my results showed that I am more inclined to a degree in art. So I decided to study literature.
Bot: I haven’t been doing well in writing or mathematics since young.
Keith: What’s your forte? Painting?
Bot: I am not very smart. Had it not been music, I could be taking up an ordinary job now.
Keith: Music rescued you.
Bot: It rescued me.
Keith: It rescued me, too.
Bot: First thing first, not that I am gifted in music or not. At least I appreciate music.
Keith: Which music genre?
Bot: Many of them. Such as singer-songwriters in Taiwan. The older ones.
Keith: I see.
Bot: I like the older ones.
Keith: When I listen to the oldies of the older singers, I feel heart-wrenching.
Bot: That was the past.
Keith: That sort of feeling.
Bot: They were popular in the past. Such as the singer group Ukelele, or our Malaysian group Michael & Victor.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: That was the time when locals and foreigners love their music.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: I was working on sound equipment at a church when I was younger. Before Michael & Victor entered the hall, many fans were already waiting and cheering for them. This is very different from what we see today. I remember they sold hundreds of thousand of cassettes back then.
Keith: Hundreds of thousand.
Bot: Hundreds of thousand.
Keith: The sales figure in entire Asia.
Bot: Nope. In Malaysian market itself.
Keith: Sold hundreds of thousand copies in Malaysia.
Bot: I think they sold at least 100,000 cassettes in Malaysia.
Keith: Bring in sales figure in Taiwan, you would get one or several million copies.
Bot: But now, even popular Malaysian singers find it hard to sell 1,000 copies. We have a different environment now.
Keith: It is different now. Many might want to focus on YouTube viewership, they want more attention online.
Bot: That’s why I said this. Persevere and work hard – this is not a good advice for certain field. Not that it is not suitable. It suits everybody personally; it doesn’t work when it is applied in a wrong field.
Keith: You should say you have to be flexible, regardless of your field.
Bot: You have to figure it out for yourself. We Chinese have bad habits.
Keith: Really?
Bot: I once shared a video on social media last year or the year before.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: Whatever our friends did, they were given many likes.
Keith: ‘Give face’. Give face to the party.
Bot: I once dealt with a singer. She couldn’t sing well but she came to my studio telling me she wanted to become a full-time singer. Her point was that her singing clips online won her many likes. But her singing skills weren’t that good. There are better singers out there.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: But she didn’t think of this situation. Friends around you might give you a like or praise you, because you are good looking and your voice was not bad. Such compliments could ruin her life.
Keith: Did you remind her?
Bot: She came over and I told her the truth. That singing didn’t suit her well. That she should take up another job in another field. I discussed with her about her forte. But that was how I lost a business deal.
Keith: I see. You were kind-hearted to remind her.
Bot: You’ll earn less if you follow your conscience in business.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: But we Chinese give likes anyhow. Remember our music shows several years ago?
Keith: That was so long ago.
Bot: We went there and it was as if wedding dinner. You know most friends at the venue.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: Attending a concert of local musicians. It was a music show, not concert. We know everybody. Hey, you are here. How are you? Someone is performing next week, are you coming then? You run into the same faces all the time.
Keith: Which is why we want to attract new listeners.
Bot: The new ones. Yup. When you come across a singer friend, you don’t follow him but you might share his content. Not that you must share our talk show. If your friend releases a new song, you can share it.
Keith: The quality ones worth your sharing.
Bot: You may comment and share it.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: Why are we happy to share foreigners’ content but not the local ones? Lately there is this Our Talent application released by Namewee.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: You guys can search for it online. They shared it recently. Our Talent.
Keith: Uh-huh.
Bot: According to him, it is based on Airbnb and YouTube.
Keith: The concept.
Bot: The concept.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: You may upload your forte on the platform. You give a suitable pricing that you should earn. If a project owner finds you to be suitable…
Keith: They want to hire you for the work related to your skills.
Bot: For example, you are getting married and you need an emcee. You search for it on the application. It then shows you emcees’ profiles and videos. If the pricing is good for you, you can contact them directly.
Keith: Do you need a video clip of brief introduction to get some projects?
Bot: If you are selling your skills, you’ll need to record it.
Keith: I see.
Bot: They have many genres. Including design
Keith: Photography, photo-editing.
Bot: Painting. I roughly browsed through it. It is a local production. If you come across such application, I am not sure if they will succeed.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: But it is commendable. A platform created by Malaysians.
Keith: The effort of the application itself is commendable.
Bot: It is not something that disappears immediately. Because some previous efforts failed to gain momentum. Malaysians are horrible nowadays. You post a video clip and many give you bad comments. They would say it is not up to par, or the colour and design are lousy. There are experts out there. They commented a lot but did not give support.
Keith: Think about it the other way round. What in their eyes are considered up to par?
Bot: I have no idea. People who made such comments usually have lousy works as well.
Keith: Really? This is awful.
Bot: People are becoming awful nowadays.
Keith: They have a lot of comments.
Bot: Lots of comments. Ask them anything, they know everything. When you ask for help, they can’t deliver the task.
Keith: Is it that pathetic?
Bot: Such cases are abundant.
Keith: No way, we must improve ourselves.
Bot: Yup.
Keith: The Lunar New Year is all over now.
Bot: We anticipate some changes this year. Be positive, care for people around us. Check out what they have been up to. It is my goal this year. It is also a message for our listeners. Care for people around you.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: I sprained my lower back today. I could be diagnosed with incurable disease.
Keith: Touch wood.
Bot: Yes, touch wood. But anything could happen to anyone at any given time. We need to treasure what we have now. We pass down the good things to younger generations and friends.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: We must not let them inherit negative and lousy things.
Keith: That’s right. This is legacy. You pass down good values and works for younger generations.
Bot: I am straying from the topic again. I am not well prepared today. You mentioned about February 14. What were you doing?
Keith: Working from home and nothing much.
Bot: You haven’t started a new romance?
Keith: Not yet.
Bot: Not involved in new romance.
Keith: My chance hasn’t come by.
Bot: Your chance isn’t coming yet. From the perspective of a singleton, how is life like? You have anything to share?
Keith: I don’t know. Some might have thought that I was saddened to be alone. Do you need a pair of sunglasses when you see couples loitering around the streets? Some girls are holding flowers. Did you sigh for being alone?
Keith: But it is just fine for me. Put simply, think from an opposite angle. It is Valentine’s Day. You can see it as a day to greet people around you. This is a good opportunity. I copied Eason Chan’s lyrics when I returned to office in the morning.
Keith: “Celebrating across the globe my whole life. I passed by hundred of millions of people but I ran into you. Across the globe, let me tell you this. I am eager to meet you more than anyone else.”
Keith: I wrote it for all my friends. Eason Chan’s Unparalleled in the World.
Keith: Isn’t it more meaningful? Instead of you pondering why you are alone. That is navel-gazing.
Bot: Let me ask some gossip.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: Coming to our current age, is it more difficult to know more friends from opposite gender?
Keith: It could be difficult, it could be not difficult. It depends on how you handle the situation.
Bot: I started romantic relationship when I was studying. I found it more difficult, since I started working.
Keith: It is true. You have more friends during university days. When you started working, you’ll have smaller social groups.
Bot: How do you handle such situation?
Keith: To solve the problem?
Bot: Yup. Do you do something to adjust it?
Keith: Adjustment? I don’t know. Joining friends’ gatherings more often, perhaps?
Bot: You are not thinking about this problem?
Keith: Yup. Because I am usually thinking about my work.
Bot: Take my friends for example. Very beautiful ladies and outstanding men, it is tougher for them to find a partner or friend from opposite gender. That is because they know more about what they want.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: They know more about themselves. They don’t anyhow look for new friends or spend time on someone whose suitability is unknown. Are you the same as them?
Keith: Not really. It is fine for me to befriend a girl and slowly nurture our relationship.
Bot: Do you have criteria for your better half? Such as her character. I preferred pretty girls when I was studying.
Keith: My criterion is kind of peculiar though.
Bot: You have a specific criterion.
Keith: You can say so. I want my girlfriend to be able to speak Cantonese.
Bot: That is not too hard a criterion.
Keith: It is okay if my girlfriend speaks Cantonese. Things get complicated when I speak Mandarin.
Bot: But mate, you returned from Taiwan.
Keith: Can you bear with me, if I converse in Taiwanese Mandarin with you?
Bot: Makes sense though.
Keith: Because some girls talk to me in Malaysian-styled Mandarin. I can’t bear it and I will reply in Taiwanese Mandarin. I don’t think they can bear with my accurate Taiwanese Mandarin.
Bot: I have the same problem as well. I feel comfortable, if you want me to speak in proper Cantonese.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: Not that I can’t pronounce accurately in Mandarin. But I find it weird to talk to someone in very proper Mandarin.
Keith: That’s the thing.
Bot: That’s why. I regret that I didn’t teach my son Cantonese.
Keith: You can still teach him now.
Bot: The problem is they just wouldn’t want to learn it. I don’t know how to force them. My wife and I speak in Mandarin.
Keith: That would be difficult.
Bot: They saw us talking in Mandarin. How am I going to talk to them in Cantonese? When I talk to them in Cantonese, they are replying in unclear tone.
Keith: They can’t reply properly? They can’t follow up from your lines?
Bot: They wanted to pronounce in Cantonese, but they don’t know what they are talking about.
Keith: Hey, this thing… take it over.
Bot: Not even close, their pronunciation.
Keith: Not even pronunciation?
Bot: Not even pronunciation or wording.
Keith: Not even a trace to get close to Cantonese. The pronunciation could stray further away.
Bot: I regret it now and I want to resume my Cantonese teaching. Cantonese is a comfortable language.
Keith: Yes, it is a very rich language.
Bot: Very comfortable.
Keith: Several words in Cantonese could be extremely meaningful.
Bot: You can say it in a pleasant manner. Such as Hakka people. They meet up with Hakka friends and they speak Hakka happily.
Keith: Same as us the Cantonese speakers. I was very happy to meet Cantonese-speaking friends in Taiwan.
Bot: Yup. But why is my wife a Mandarin speaker?
Keith: You have to teach her. But anyway, how many years of Valentine’s did you two spend together?
Bot: My wife and I?
Keith: Yup.
Bot: That was since long ago. We got involved in 2001. From 2001 to 2019, it has been 18 years already.
Keith: Do you celebrate with different themes and ideas throughout the 18 years?
Bot: Not really. We are not this kind of people. Some would share their romantic moments on social media. I shared some of ours for remembrance. In reality, you don’t celebrate with your wife in real life. That’s my situation. I am not sure about others.
Keith: How is your situation like?
Bot: Because my wife is my good friend.
Keith: That’s good. You’ll have a good chat.
Bot: Furthermore, I wonder if this is a clue. But this is a good point.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: It is the best when your better half is a different person from you.
Keith: Absolutely the opposite.
Bot: I like photography but my wife doesn’t like it. I like music. Not that she doesn’t like it. It is just that she doesn’t know much about it. This is two different matters. I like sharing. Such as those lyrics that we discussed.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: I sometimes share with her my favourite lyrics.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: But she can’t make heads or tails of it. It is just fine for her and she understands it. This is how you have different topics.
Keith: Is she amazed that you know the meaning of this or that lyrics? Would she praise you for being smart?
Bot: Nope.
Keith: Oh ya?
Bot: Nope. She might think I am smart, but I don’t think I am smart. When I was little, I had been the one being ignored by others. I couldn’t write well when I was little. And I didn’t study well. I didn’t do well when I was younger. I appreciate people around me more than myself.
Keith: But you achieved something when you are a grown-up now.
Bot: I’ve achieved something I aimed for.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: But I don’t see it as something great. For me, this is life.
Keith: Uh-huh.
Bot: I don’t need to be filthy rich. But if I can find something I like and I work on it, and I can stand on my feet. That’s good enough already.
Keith: That’s considered great.
Bot: I don’t need to be good looking. I bought two pairs of new shoes for lunar new year. But I can’t find time to wear them.
Keith: No time for new shoes? What an extraordinary way to describe it.
Bot: Because I enjoy wearing t-shirt and short pants.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: When it comes to clothing,
Keith: You are easy-going.
Bot: I like simplicity.
Keith: You are accommodating.
Bot: I am not used to getting dressed-up and become very decent.
Keith: Not used to it?
Bot: Yup.
Keith: Seriously?
Bot: I appreciate others, such as you.
Keith: Don’t say that. I feel the pressure.
Bot: Such as my wife. I appreciate those who lead a simple life. Simplicity is hard to come by. Such as my mother. She is smart and taught us well. And also my sisters. I appreciate them.
Keith: Did your wife tell you that she appreciates you?
Bot: Not really. It is disgusting when you say it out. It doesn’t sound genuine when you say it out.
Keith: You have tacit understanding. Right?
Bot: Yup.
Keith: Makes sense. Things are prettier if you don’t disclose it.
Bot: Not that you don’t disclose it. She didn’t mention it specifically, anyway. Such as the time when I play guitar. I didn’t sing to her.
Keith: I feel guilty too, since I haven’t been playing guitar for some time already.
Bot: Some other ladies might find it to be heartening that her husband plays guitar and sings songs. But I don’t do that at home.
Keith: It is unlike what we saw on films. Not that you play guitar and sing a song for your wife.
Bot: Not really.
Keith: This is very rare.
Bot: I didn’t do that. Not even once.
Keith: I see.
Bot: Didn’t do that in a serious manner. Of course, I sang on stage. But in my daily life, I want things to take place naturally.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: Not that I want to do pretentious things such as telling my wife I love her. I am not pretentious.
Keith: I see.
Bot: I don’t like it that way. Things are not genuine when you talk about it or you do something about it.
Keith: You can write and express it.
Bot: Slip some lines inadvertently in your lyrics.
Keith: Writing is good.
Bot: It’s genuine.
Keith: But others can’t read your passcode hidden in the lyrics. She won’t ask you even she reads it.
Bot: Luckily, I can’t write well.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: I anyhow write something. Songs that I wrote for others, I get someone else to write lyrics.
Keith: Uh-huh.
Bot: I keep some of lyrics of my songs for the record.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: It is good, if she doesn’t understand it. It is not good if you know everything of your better half. So this is another clue for you.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: When you look for a wife, don’t look for someone very similar to you. Have you thought of this? My wife and I have been together for 18 years. Won’t you be fainting, if we like the same things? I like your favourite food too. Is it delicious? Say that for ten times and you will be bored.
Keith: That’s right.
Bot: How about this? I don’t like your favourite food but I slowly learn how to appreciate it. I accept it and share a bite or two. And I find it to be quite okay.
Keith: You share a bite or two and find it to be not bad.
Bot: In recent years, I brought her back to Bentong and ate something. She then discovered some tasty cuisines in Bentong. But why didn’t I mention it earlier?
Keith: You only say something when the timing is right. This is life.
Bot: It is better if you don’t know each other very well.
Keith: Your characters and interests overlap a bit. But it doesn’t need to be 100 per cent. She needs not be identical to you.
Bot: Yup. I hope you guys don’t find me to be annoying when I talk about Valentine’s topics.
Keith: Alright.
Bot: Art workers such as us love to be alone.
Keith: That’s true.
Bot: You like to be alone, don’t you?
Keith: Yup.
Bot: But if you find someone who also loves art, it is tough for you to find time to be alone.
Keith: Why so?
Bot: She might find you to be hiding something.
Keith: She likes to be alone, so are you.
Bot: When you or her wants to be alone, the other person might find it to be fishy.
Keith: If she doesn’t like to be alone, she enjoys your company and she will keep looking for you. And you don’t find it to be a problem.
Bot: But I am glad to tell her honestly that I like to be alone at times.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: It doesn’t matter for me. I am this kind of people.
Keith: Art workers are similar.
Bot: Not that you need to explain why you are not talking today. Why are you so quiet today?
Keith: Yup.
Bot: Put simply, my inspiration is coming.
Keith: That’s right. Which is why Paul Wong stays awake the whole night and sleeps in the morning. He’s writing new songs at night.
Bot: Paul Wong has Athena Chu as his wife. They are of different character.
Keith: I don’t know much about Chu though.
Bot: I once stood near her. She loves talking.
Bot: She is petite but talks a lot very loudly. I don’t think Paul is similar to his wife.
Keith: When Paul says something, his opinions carry significant message.
Bot: He could be a quieter person. He might look different from his appearance though. When two persons come along, you don’t need too much understanding.
Keith: It makes sense. It is not good, if you are calculative.
Bot: Your ideal partner could be of another trait. When you get along, it is better if both of us have different characters.
Keith: You feel curious as to why she does this or that. Is such curiosity good for your relationship?
Bot: That’s right. I think it this way. Why artistic people love keeping dog and cat as pets? They find pets to be good companion. A dog doesn’t understand its master’s words. But it sensed your rough meaning. Did they have a heart-to-heart communication? There is none.
Keith: Speaking of which, singletons especially girls love keeping pets.
Bot: That’s right. Speaking of characteristic, a human and a cat are worlds apart. But they mingle well. Individuals from the same world can’t achieve the same.
Keith: This is kind of peculiar, right?
Bot: This could be my personal opinion. I think it is better if you look for someone outside your industry. For example, you work as a translator, you could match with a musician or an accountant. You come from different fields so that you can discuss about new things together.
Keith: It is pressurising if my girlfriend talks about translation all the time.
Bot: That’s right.
Keith: It is quite a suffering.
Bot: We are chatting along and it is now more than 40 minutes already. It is about time to wrap up now.
Keith: Anything to add on?
Bot: Nothing. But again, Gong Hey Fatt Choy.
Keith: Gong Hey Fatt Choy.
Bot: We can sense the support from our friends.
Keith: We can sense it. We remember it.
Bot: I hope we can get someone to chat with us next time. We can interview them.
Keith: You have more friends.
Bot: You can invite your friends too. Some of our listeners might like to introduce people of specific skills. You might want to ask them something but you wouldn’t dare. Send us the names of your ideal interviewees, so that our Random Talk programme ask them questions on your behalf. Something you like to know, we find it out for you.
Keith: Wow.
Bot: This is a simple task for us this year. Not that we want many viewers to share it out.
Keith: Uh-huh.
Bot: So long as we are doing something we like. Something we find it to be satisfying and joyful.
Keith: Yup.
Bot: That’s the way forward. That’s my wish.
Keith: You might feel unhappy with your work. And you might want to listen to us when you are home at night.
Bot: Listen to us at any given time. You can get connected to the internet pretty quickly now. You can listen to us when you feel bored when driving. Okay. That’s all for today. Happy new year. Being happy is the most important matter.
Keith: It’s the 15th day of first lunar month tomorrow. Happy Lantern Festival.
Bot: Throw mandarin oranges, you should do it. Throw pomelos and you stand a good chance.
Keith: Wow. That’s great.
Bot: Alright. Bye bye.
Keith: Bye.
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