Translation to TVB Magazine Issue 450

With the upcoming Lunar New Year, Bosco Wong Chung Chak, Raymond Lam Fung, Charmaine Sheh Shi Man, and Sharon Chan Man Chi can be seen on TV with "Lethal Weapons of Love and Passion" currently being broadcast in Hong Kong.

Each of the actors have their special characteristics: Bosco is playful, Raymond is quick witted, Charmaine is placid, and Sharon is lively. Although their personalities are different, they get along and work well together.

Raymond Lam on Harmony: "The most important thing is being comfortable. Sometimes you have to place others ahead of yourself, but if other people's thinking is really incompatible, then you can't force it. You say more with people you get along with and even if you don't have a lot in common, you can still say hi. As long as everyone is comfortable."

How Others See Raymond
Bosco: "Raymond is a gentleman. He is a very calm person. But I still like to joke around with him!"
Charmaine: "As we act as a couple in the series, we have a lot of scenes together. I got to know Raymond's generosity; his thinking is also very mature for his age. He has a definite opinion on many matters in life."
Sharon: "Actually, Raymond is a big kid, but he is very serious when it comes to work. He is very clear on his feelings and very attentive. During the filming of 'Lethal Weapons of Love and Passion,' I fell sick. Raymond especially found a traditional Chinese doctor to cure my illness."

Raymond is afraid of the cold weather but he wants to dress nicely, so he spends more time on accessorizing. "Red is the color for Lunar New Year. The year of the dog is unlucky for me, if I had to wear red underwear to ward off bad luck, I would do so. But if I have to wear it outside, it wouldn't look good. The red sweater that I am wearing now is good; it is not too hot indoors. I am afraid of the cold, so I always wear a scarf. The hand-knit scarves from my fans are very useful."

Raymond's father is very good at cooking pickled dishes. "My father's hometown pickled pork is very delicious! I don't have the opportunity to eat it often, but we always have it for New Year! Also his pan-fried noodles are excellent!"

"Two years ago, I started giving out red envelopes to my parents, siblings, relatives, grandmother, and colleagues at work. Although the amount is not large, it's the thought that counts. You don't have to be married to give out red envelopes. Once you start working, it's nice to give to family members. But honestly, it is quite costly."

"This year I would love to attend the flower market, but I will not have the opportunity. I will be heading to China to film 'Tai Chi' and will not be familiar with the surroundings there. I am afraid of muggers, as they are quite aggressive during New Year."

"Each year, my home will have a big tangerine tree. The tree is taller than me. We hang red envelopes filled with money on its tree branches."

Charmaine On Harmony: "If you want others to treat you well, you have to do the same as well. You have to be polite, affable and try to help others. You can not be selfish."

How Others See Charmaine
Bosco: "At first I thought Charmaine was very reserved, but she can be quite playful. She will play tricks on you sometimes. For example, when I was filming close-up scenes, she would stand by and tickle my leg."
Raymond: "We are very compatible and work well together. Although Charmaine is older than me, she does not feel like an older sister though."
Sharon: "She is like an older sister to me, a level above Bosco and Raymond. At first I thought she was quite cool, but she is actually very playful and humorous. We like to have hot pot together. One day, a trick was being played on both of us, but Charmaine ran away quickly and I ended up with soda all over me."

A lot of girls like to wear traditional Chinese outfits for New Year, but Charmaine feels differently, "When I was young, I used to wear traditional outfits for New Year too. But after entering the industry, I have worn many ancient costumes, so it is no longer fresh. I like to wear modern clothes for New Year, preferrably red and sharp colors."

During New Year, Charmaine's grandmother would make red bean pastries. She would forbid anyone from entering the kitchen. "Grandmother said that if everyone is crowding the kitchen, then she will say the wrong things, bringing bad luck to the New Year. But when you tell children not to do something, they are more curious. Everytime we go in the kitchen, then grandmother would end up scolding us."

"A few years ago, I went to the flower market with a few colleagues. The market was very crowded, so our group got separated shortly. Around 2 AM, we were able to meet up again. We ate a few snacks and I bought some of my favorite flowers; I was very happy. Now I don't have a chance to go to the flower market again. This year, I have to work. For actors, Lunar New Year is a good time to make money. In China, the atmosphere is exciting, filled with firecrackers and lion dances."

"Every year, I place the Chinese New Year Greeting posters at my home. I always buy the narcissus bulbs and watch them blossom. I think they are very beautiful and fragrant; it is my favorite New Year flower."

Bosco On Harmony: "You have to take into account other people. Although you may be good friends, you are not always 100% compatible."

How Others See Bosco
Raymond: "Bosco and I are good friends. When I first entered the industry, we have already worked together. Although we may not always be in touch, but we have a good time when we do meet up, as we are both young people."
Charmaine: "Bosco likes to treat others for food. He knows how to cook and I have tried a few of his dishes. When we were filming in China, during break we didn't want to eat in the canteen. So we went to his room, which was equipped with an electric rice cooker. Under those circumstances, we still had a home cooked meal!"
Sharon: "Bosco is even more playful than Raymond. When we were filming 'Lethal Weapons of Love and Passion,' he conspired with the production crew and poured soda into my ears. Despite this, we work well together. Bosco is a simple person; he is like a big brother who gives me advice on acting."

In 2005, Bosco's popularity increased dramatically. The price was loss of personal time, without time for vacation. "Every New Year, I would buy new clothes, new shoes, new underwear etc. There is no particular color as long as they are new. But last year I was too busy and it was the first time I forgot to buy new underwear."

Bosco is often proud of his own cooking skills. But his mother's daikon pastry is the best. "Normally my cooking is better than hers, but when it comes to her daikon pastry, it is the best in the world."

"When I was filming 'Find the Light,' I was exhausted. I promised my mother to go to the flower market with her. But once filming wrapped up and I returned home, I fell unconscious. When I woke up, it was already the morning of New Year. Although no one blamed me because they knew I was tired from work."

"One year, I bought peach blossoms for my mother as I heard it would bring good luck. This was before I entered the industry. I bought a few branches home, but my mother scolded me. 'You should only buy one branch. It is not lucky to buy so many branches!' I still don't know how this would be an unlucky act."

"Every year, my mother would prepare grapefruit leaves [to ward off bad luck] for me to bathe in."

Sharon On Harmony: "You have to treat people with sincerity and honesty."

How Others See Sharon
Bosco: "Sharon is definitely a little girl; she needs others to take care of her most of the time. But she loves to learn!"
Raymond: "I call her my little sister, but in actuality she is older than me. I treat her like a younger brother, as she is very tomboyish. She is very straight forward and direct."
Charmaine: "Sharon is cheerful and lively. She is very direct; if she likes something, she will like it. If she doesn't like it, she will not like it. She is a good friend to have."

Ever since she was young, Sharon has had long hair. "When I was young, I would put them in two ponytails during New Year. I like to wear traditional Chinese outfits for New Year. Red is a lucky color. I would accessorize with a fashion update with jeans and long boots."

Sharon is well known for her love of food, but fear of gaining weight. She will eat more during Lunar New Year, as her mother's pastries are delicious. "When I think of my mother's pastries, I already want to eat them. So I always gain weight over the holiday! No matter how busy I am, I will always drive my mother to the flower market to buy flowers for New Year."

"When I was 6 years old, we went to China to celebrate New Year. There were firecrackers and the atmosphere was more lively than Hong Kong. I have never played with firecrackers before and was afraid I would get hurt. When the firecrackers exploded and the chickens ran away fearfully, I thought it was quite funny."

"In my home, all the Chinese New Year Greetings posters are hand written. When I was young, my father taught me how to write them. I don't buy them as I like to write them myself; it has a better feel to it."

"During New Year, red envelopes are very important to me. I would visit my relatives with my mother and count how much money I received, hoping that each year the sum grows. After I return home, I would place them underneath my pillow for good luck. When I was young, I would put part of the money I received in the bank and use the rest to buy toys."

Source: TVB Magazine #450
Credit: Thanks to Fung Label for scanning and posting original article