Me, Myself, and I in Shanghai

Allan Wu:  Alone in Shanghai

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By Charlene Chua
The New Paper
Wednesday, Feb 01, 2012

Shanghai may well be the perfect place to get a taste of a truly authentic Chinese New Year experience.

But local celebrity couple Allan Wu and Wong Li Lin spent their Chinese New Year apart – with she and their children spending the holidays in Australia.

They relocated to Shanghai last August with their daughter Sage, seven, and son Jonas, five, with Wu aiming to make inroads in the China market.

It turned out that due to last-minute jobs that came in, Wu was unable to join his family in Australia, where they planned to spend 11/2 weeks.

So while the trio were on an “obscure” farm near Sydney that had no Internet access, US-born Wu was alone in China.

The 39-year-old told The New Paper over the phone from Shanghai: “Work is one of the top priorities now as we’ve been here only for five months and people (in the entertainment industry) are still getting familiar with me.

“My end goal is to go into the production business or import and export of a health, beauty and fashion business.

“If I were offered the chance to be a singer and cut an album, I would say yes too.”

Over the festive season, Wu had made appearances on several Chinese New Year shows that required him to host, dance and sing in Mandarin.

The actor-host said he hasn’t been picky with the jobs offered to him as he’s still trying to carve a niche for himself in the Chinese entertainment industry.

He also explained that he had booked only Wong and the kids’ air tickets in advance and would have joined them at the last minute if he was free.

Wu said his family had a great time playing with the animals on the farm and they would go on to visit friends and relatives Down Under.

He added that Wong wasn’t disappointed that he couldn’t join them as they normally spend a lot of time together.

Wong and the kids are due back in Shanghai this week.

Meanwhile, Wu has been relishing his Chinese New Year solo.

He said: “A lot of people in Shanghai actually go back to their hometowns in other parts of China so I had expected it to be rather quiet here.

“But Chinese New Year here is a huge holiday and firecrackers were going off non-stop, it felt like the city was under siege.

“The mood was so festive, it was really great. I had dinner with my friend’s family and it was delicious, authentic Chinese food cooked by the Ah Yi (helper) like nian gao.”

Wu and Wong haven’t had a chance to feel lonely in a foreign environment because they have many American-born Chinese friends in Shanghai.

Wong has also been having fun travelling around Shanghai with her brand new set of wheels – a pretty bicycle with an attached child seat at the back.

Like Wu, 38-year-old Wong is also making a living by doing hosting jobs at variety shows, gala events and product launches in Shanghai.

Calling the relocation a “tough challenge”, Wu revealed that he and Wong haven’t had any major disagreements – save for when she over-indulged in buying winter clothing for the family.

The secret to their happy union?

Open communication.

Said Wu: “Li Lin and I talk about everything and we make sure we tell each other when we are unhappy with something.

“When you keep the channels of communication open, it prevents quarrels and fights.”

But what was difficult for them was finding a suitable Ah Yi.

Hard to find help

In China, “Ah Yis” are part-time or full-time help who do the daily household chores, cook and handle childcare.

Wu said they had interviewed many Ah Yis and most of them, when they found out that they were foreigners, asked for a much higher salary.

An Ah Yi can cost up to 6,000 yuan (S$1,200) a month to hire.

He revealed that the cost of living in Shanghai is high and even more so for him and Wong as they wanted to find good help and also send their kids to international schools.

But the family may be moving again at the end of the year.

Said Wu: “I would like to score roles in Hollywood movies.

“My agent and manager are in the US now, (so) we may move there at the end of this year depending on how things work out.

“I have absolutely no regrets about moving to Shanghai. For now we are looking forward to visiting Singapore in March.”

This article was first published in The New Paper.

Ready for my first Super Bowl in Shanghai!

I am not sure if you’re a big NFL sports fan, but I’m looking forward to watching the big game here in China for the first time, and Kerry Hotel definitely seems like the venue to do it right!!!

Now, if you’re in Shanghai and are motivated next Monday morning to watch the Giants stomp all over the Patriots, then let’s get the party started early…literally!!!

My Little Cover Girl

Earlier this week, I had some friends tell me that they saw Sage on the cover of some magazine in Shanghai.  Initially, I had forgotten about this seemingly innocuous shoot that ultimately led to my little girl following in her mother’s footsteps for the cover of a magazine.  This one happens to be for City Weekend’s Parents & Kids, and here is the rest of her “supporting cast” on the inside pages…

…and I apologize (especially to Li Lin) for not having the time to “stitch” these last two pages together.  ;-P

More Waves and Wipeouts

It’s been a pretty hectic week with work, work, work.  ONE Fighting Championship was a blast this past weekend, and I wrapped up filming for it yesterday so I took advantage of my last day in Singapore to hit my favorite spot, Wavehouse Sentosa.

Here’s a video clip from one of my rides…

The wipeouts never get softer, but it’s always more than worth it.

Thanks again to Terry and Team Wavehouse for another most memorable time, and I hope to be back again soon!

Now it’s time to make my flight back to Shanghai!

Interview with TODAY Paper – Singapore

Here’s the interview I did with May Seah from the TODAY Paper.

The Original Link is:

http://www.todayonline.com/Entertainment/Television/EDC110908-0000376/China-rush

China Rush

Allan Wu revels in his new life in a new place

by May Seah

04:45 AM Sep 08, 2011

Who knew Allan Wu was a closet Sinophile?

We don’t mean that in the sense that he collects terracotta teapots and spouts Tang poetry – in fact, the prospect of reading a novel in Chinese still daunts the American-born son of first-generation immigrants from Taiwan. Rather, his recent relocation to Shanghai marks his attainment of a longtime dream.

Besides hosting The Amazing Race Asia, Wu is also the host of The Amazing Race: China Rush, which has its production based in Shanghai and has given him an inroad to the city’s television scene. “China Rush” seems a terribly appropriate label for how, much like the gold rushes of the 19th century, the whole world is looking to China. Not to be left out, Wu is also going prospecting in the brave new world.

Since they packed up and moved there “shotgun style” three weeks ago, it’s been a mad rush for the family – wife Wong Li Lin, daughter Sage, 7, and son Jonas, 5 – to find a place to live and schools to attend. Meanwhile, Wu still has projects going on in Singapore, and so we managed to catch up with him on Monday at the Park Regis hotel.

Besides asking about how Wu is finding life in a new city, we also wanted to know: Is China really the new land of opportunity, even where the entertainment industry is concerned?

China dreaming

It’s an emphatic yes. “My dream has always been to go to China,” said the 36-year-old California native. “I took the scenic tour through Singapore… I wouldn’t say it was an accident – it was destiny.”

Ten years ago, Wu, who had modelled in the States, acted in Hong Kong and VJ’d for MTV in Taiwan, came here to host an event. His “angmoh model friends” introduced him to his agency, Fly Entertainment, and he landed a five-year contract with MediaCorp. Then, in 2003, he married Wong Li Lin.

“It’s given me a foundation here, with an identity, especially now that I’m a father and also a husband,” Wu said. “I met my wife here and I had kids here. That was probably another reason that I ended up staying here longer than – I won’t say should have, but maybe than I had wanted to, I think – because life is so comfortable here. Things are safe, we get a lot of privileges, we’re – I wouldn’t say popular or famous – people might not like me, but at least they know who I am.”

Due in part to considerations for the family’s welfare, it has taken all this time for Wu to finally take the plunge and leave his comfort zone in hopes of furthering his career. “In Singapore, I feel that I’ve done essentially all that I can do in the entertainment industry,” he said. “I need a bigger market or a bigger platform. So that’s why my dream has always been to go to China… because of the size of the market and the movie industry, and how closely Hollywood’s watching them, too.”

World domination

Yes, Wu is unabashedly aiming high. “My dream, or my plan, has always been to go back to the States, go back to California, go back to Hollywood, and work there. And hopefully work to a level where I’m not that token Asian guy,” he said. Here in Singapore, added Wu, “we’re a little bit further away. No matter how big you are here with what you do, it doesn’t mean anything up there. There’s no currency value.”

“And it seems like it’s working!” he said. “Last week I just went to go read for a very big Hollywood movie.” Wu is adhering to the terms of his confidentiality agreement, but “if I said one word, you would know what the movie is”. With the casting director flying to Shanghai just to meet with him, Wu said: “It’s exciting. I’d rather try for that type of opportunity than rest on my laurels in a market that I’m more familiar with.”

I like Chinese

Wu’s rapid-fire American accent is familiar to us, but does he have the Mandarin skills to act and host in China?

“A lot of people think I don’t speak any Chinese at all. Expectations are very, very low,” mused Wu, who only began to learn the language intensively when he worked on his first Channel 8 drama, Bukit Ho Swee. “I could barely speak and I couldn’t read any Chinese,” he said.

He is proficient now, although there’s room for improvement: “I’m on Weibo and sometimes when I write, I use the wrong characters. Some (of my followers) get really offended, but some are like, ‘Oh, you’re so cute’, or ‘Wow, you didn’t get a single character wrong in this sentence!’ It’s exciting, it’s stressful, but I feel alive when I speak Chinese.”

The big question: Is the missus as enthusiastic about China? “Honestly, she’s not a big fan of China,” Wu chuckled. Specifically, Li Lin isn’t a fan of cigarette smoke-filled taxis and gobs of spit on the street. “But I think she’s actually warming up to it a lot, now that we have a place to stay.”

Every strategic operation needs a headquarters. Now, how do you say that in Chinese?

Paradise at the Peninsula

It’s been almost two weeks since I first arrived in Shanghai with the family in tow, and I must say we have been most fortunate to spend a good portion of it at one of the premiere hotels in Shanghai, the Peninsula Hotel.  Located in Shanghai’s glitzy and popular Bund area, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with all the luxuries and amenities that the hotel had to offer.

For starters, we stayed in one of the posh deluxe suites which includes a large study/entertainment room…

…and I must admit the view ain’t too shabby either!

And in case our bedrooms were feeling left out, these two were also treated to a view of their own…

I’m not sure how much the kids really appreciated their own bedroom, but they definitely got a taste of good living during this period with their king-sized beds…

I am still in awe with how every minute details was meticulously thought out from our spacious walk-in closet…

…to our bathroom.

A good example of the hotel’s attention to detail would be this “Nail Dryer.”  I don’t plan on using this feature anytime soon, but Li Lin was quite impressed with this feature.

I think I could gush on and on about this establishment, but my “fifteen minutes” here are almost up so I gotta take the kids back to the pool for some jacuzzi time!

A big thanks to Rob and his wonderful staff for our wonderful stay at the Peninsula Hotel!  Soon, it’ll be time to check out and then check in to reality here in Shanghai!

Wish me luck cuz I know I’m gonna need it!    

The Saturday Apple Toss

Yesterday, I spent the day at the pool chilling with the kids.  To keep the little ones entertained, I dusted off my old “talent” of tossing up something high in the air and catching it.  This particular time, it happened to be a piece of apple…

Here I am going “Deux pour Deux” (or Two for Two)!

Break in Bali

It’s been a crazy hectic last few months so I haven’t really been on the ball with my blog updates.  After I wrapped up filming the newest season of The Amazing Race China Rush, I soon zipped off to Bali for some R&R with the family.  It’s incredible how much these kids mature and grow within the span of a month too.

When we arrived in Bali, I knew my first task at hand was to clean up Jonas’s hair…

His school is not a big fan of the “Mohawkian” hairstyle so I’ve been abstaining from it.  However, with him out of school and dad back home, it was time to deliver the goods, and his new do is ready to rock once again!

As we made our way into town at Seminyak and Kuta, we soon discovered just how bad the traffic has gotten over the years.  In the past, a big portion of Bali’s charm was the “small tropical island feel.”  But now, getting anywhere (even if it’s not too far) takes at least one hour, and we were shocked to find this out every time and everywhere we went.  Fortunately, Bali still has still retained its cultural aspects including this funeral procession on one of the streets…

Since getting anywhere in Bali ended up taking an exorbitant amount of time, you know I was more than inspired to “jump for joy” once I got out of the car!

On one of these occasions, I got a little too inspired and decided to jump off this wall in order to attain even more air.  Unfortunately, I landed incorrectly and totally busted and bruised my heel!  Ouch!  And the best part is the only thing I got to show for it was this lousy shot that completely missed me getting airborne at all!

Since I could barely walk and had to limp around everywhere, I was relegated to enjoy those Bali sunsets that I enjoy so much…

Sunset or not, the kids just had a great time chilling at the beach and searching for seashell…and don’t we all miss the simple pleasures in life.

Even though the various drivers know that they’ll be driving and waiting around all day, they’re always down to pop off a shot with a tourist like me!

And of course, if you happen to have kids, then you’ll most likely know what Waterbom is all about.  It’s a waterpark for everyone of all ages, and you know we had to go there cuz that’s definitely one venue they’ll never forget, especially when Sage takes it to the air!

Since I was hobbling around everywhere with my bruised heel, I just tried standing around with Jonas to get hit by water balloons…

That’s a quick rundown of our downtime in Bali.  Now, I need to get ready for a few shoots this week before I’m off to Beijing to host Miss Universe China!  This will be a completely new experience for me because I’ll be doing it live and in Chinese.  I honestly don’t know how it is all going to turn out and you know I am definitely daunted with the task, but there’s only one way to find out so here I come!

Til then, thanks for stopping by and  here’s one more sunset for you to enjoy!

Thanks Again!

And just like that, I am back in Singapore after spending the last month or so in China wrapping up the newest season of The Amazing Race China Rush.  As much as I would have liked to remain in Shanghai to explore new and interesting opportunities, I figure I’ll have more time in the near future so I caught a flight back to Singapore once we confirmed all the shots for the production were completed and no “pick ups” were needed.

After waiting almost two hours on the tarmac at Pudong International Airport, our plane finally took to the skies.  I expected the traffic in the city of Shanghai would be bad, but I never expected even the runways at the airport would incur a major traffic jam.  Oh well…

Once I returned home, I was excited to be back with the family.  And since it was my birthday this past weekend, I traded in “flying the skies” to “riding some waves” back at Wavehouse Sentosa.  Even though the weather didn’t really want to cooperate with my plans, I still made a fun day out of it with my family and friends including Jimmy, Marc, and Jac!

Even though I was still quite worn out from the intense filming of the race coupled with a day on the waves, it was now time to get ready for walking the red carpet at the closing ceremony of Screen Singapore at Shaw Lido later that evening, and all the Fly Entertainment artists (George, Betty, Mindy, Crispian, Adele, Nadia, Li Lin, Jimmy, Rebecca, Brendan, and Alaric) looked splendid…

Once my number was called, it was time to waltz down the Red Carpet and share what I’ve been doing over the past month in China…

…and I was pleasantly surprised when Bobby got the crowd to wish me a Happy Birthday!

Once we got inside the building, it was time to catch up with old friends I hadn’t seen in a long time such as Van Ness Wu…

That night, we were also treated to a screening of Tom Hanks’ newest film called “Larry Crowne,” and everyone was excited to have the man himself in the house to address the audience…

…and once that was done, it was time to head out to the MBS Art Science Museum for the After Party, where we caught up with old colleagues Chen Han Wei and Joanne Peh from Mediacorp…

…and let’s not forget Raffi from AnD and Archie Kao from C.S.I.!

Yeah…it was one busy birthday this past weekend, and I just wanted to thank you all again for making it such a memorable one.  It’s never fun getting older each year, but having you all in  my life definitely take the edge off of it!  Hah!

Take care and don’t forget to check back with my next update of what’s to come!

All in Frame on the Snowy Slopes

Here’s a video of my buddy Derek Hawkins cruising down the slopes of Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe, and I must confess it’s a lot harder trying to videotape him while I’m riding too…

Luckily, I got him all in frame so it’s all good!

Nice smooth switch to fakie too, “DairEK!” Ya Rock!