http://tnp.sg/show/story/0,4136,251541,00.html?
ADORED IN CHINA, SHE WANTS TO BE
LOVED AT HOME
She's already a household name in China, but local singer-actress Chen Meixin hopes to gain the recognition of S'poreans too
By Tan Kee Yun
August 10, 2010
WHILE most of us will be relaxing at home, glued to our television sets watching the National Day Parade (NDP) live telecast, one patriotic Singaporean will have to miss it yet again.
DEBUT ALBUM: Cover of Chen Meixin's Mandopop album, titled Loving You. --PICTURE: ROCK RECORDS --TNP DESIGN: PRADIP KUMAR SIKDAR --TNP PICTURES: BENJAMIN SEETOR
For three straight years, local singer-actress Chen Meixin has not been around for our nation's birthday.
Work commitments and her burgeoning popularity in China have been keeping the 24-year-old beauty overseas.
In 2008, she spent National Day in Shenyang, a city in Liaoning province, and the following year in Shanghai.
This year, she has based herself temporarily in Taiwan in preparation for her upcoming role in a yet-to-be-titled idol drama.
In town last month to promote her debut album Loving You, Chen shared with The New Paper her memories of celebrating National Day overseas.
'For the past two years, it's been just my manager and myself; we were the only Singaporeans among the entire working crew in China,' she recalled.
'In 2008, on August 9, both of us decided to do something crazy. We stood up and sang the national anthem out of the blue.'
The filial daughter returns home once every three months to see her parents and family, staying up to a week each time.
'Somehow, I'd always miss the NDP, period. It's really a case of bad timing,' she said with a sigh.
Unfortunately, this porcelain beauty - who bagged The New Paper Flame Awards' Newcomer of the Year title last year - hasn't had the chance to showcase her vocals at the NDP, unlike her other more high-profile Mandopop celebrity peers JJ Lin, Stefanie Sun and Kit Chan.
Ironically, while she is already a household name in China, she remains an unknown in Singapore and is struggling to make her mark here.
Chen gained a foothold in the Chinese market after playing the female lead in last year's 45-episode drama series Guangdong Master.
She was also handpicked by Guangxi TV, the state television station of Guangxi Province, to be the Singaporean representative in the infotainment programme The Search For Golden Flowers.
The programme focused on the culinary attractions and culture of the 10 Asean nations.
Both Guangdong Master and The Search For Golden Flowers were broadcast to millions of households inChina.
In comparison, her output in local projects seemspaltry.
She scored supporting roles in two dramas - Channel 8's family-oriented Dear, Dear Son-in-Law in 2008 and last year's Channel U magic-themed series The Illusionist.
The two shows received a lukewarm reception.
Does it hurt then, not being appreciated by her owncountrymen?
'To a certain extent, the situation is inevitable,' she said with a shrug.
'Over the past two years, I've been flying around so much it's hard for local audiences to remember me.'
She attributed the lack of support by Singaporeans to the fact that she's still a rookie.
More to learn
'I've still got a lot to learn and I haven't given my best shot yet,' said Chen, who took speech classes in Taiwan a few months ago to improve her Mandarin enunciation.
'The local public will accept me more when I've learnt everything and can finally fully express myself, be it through music or acting.
'I'm a made-in-Singapore product, so of course I'd be very happy to have fellow Singaporeans supportingme.'
Her predicament is not unlike that of other local celebrities like A-do, Huang Jinglun and Leon Jay Williams, who have conquered the overseas market but have achieved only moderate success back home.
Singers A-do and Huang have achieved success in China and Taiwan respectively, while Williams made it big in Taiwan with leading roles in idol dramas andfilms.
Chen said: 'I think each of them has his own special qualities that have successfully earned him overseas fans.
'They should be proud of themselves... Even though they are better recognised in other countries than locally, they are representing Singapore no matter what.
'When Singaporeans start to notice that we have garnered the support of the overseas Chinese, they will gradually support us too.'
One thing's for sure - she will not be following in the footsteps of her bosom buddy, Singapore's star paddler Li Jiawei, anytime soon.
The 28-year-old table tennis player got hitched last April to Chinese businessman Li Chao and is now a mother of one.
Chen was her bridesmaid at the wedding in Beijing.
Currently single, Chen said with a laugh that while she was 'extremely envious' of her friend's marital bliss, 'it is simply impossible' for her to commit herself to a relationship now.
'Should I be in a relationship, I would want to see the other party every single day. But my present lifestyle does not allow me to do so,' she said.
'I am constantly on the move.
'Well, what I can do? I can only pile myself with work, so that I don't think too much of such matters.'
And do not assume that she has a bigger pool of men to pick from just because China has a massive population.
'Erm, the men I know are all around my mentor's age,' she said with a deadpan expression.
Her mentor, acclaimed Chinese film-maker-comedian Zhao Benshan, is 52.
Chen's tone turned serious when the topic shifted to how bad luck has hit a string of veteran entertainers she had worked with over the past year, including Zhao.
In February, Zhao, whose comedic skits have been traditionally well-received at CCTV's Lunar New Year countdown show, was panned by netizens for putting up a 'subpar performance'.
They even voted his skit the 'worst programme' among all presented at this year's edition of the countdown show.
In March, just as Chen's movie debut was released - she had a cameo role and sang the theme song in director Jack Neo's comedy Being Human - Neo's extramarital affair with freelance model Wendy Chong was exposed.
Being Human's publicity campaign was scaled back severely and the film subsequently tanked at the local box office.
Then, Chen's co-star in The Illusionist, MediaCorp TV host-actress Quan Yifeng, made headlines early last month when a taxi driver claimed Quan had beaten him up and damaged his cab.
Chen declined to comment on these coincidences.
But she defended Zhao.
'My shi fu (mentor in Mandarin) has been in the entertainment industry for so long, he has been through many ups and downs,' she said.
'He is fully aware that you can never please everyone...his skit might not be everyone's cup of tea, but there will also be those who like it.'
She added that she 'did not feel down or miserable' about Being Human's reception.
'My role was really tiny, so it didn't impact me much,' she said.
'If I had been the female lead, maybe I would have felt different.'
ADORED IN CHINA, SHE WANTS TO BE
LOVED AT HOME
She's already a household name in China, but local singer-actress Chen Meixin hopes to gain the recognition of S'poreans too
By Tan Kee Yun
August 10, 2010
WHILE most of us will be relaxing at home, glued to our television sets watching the National Day Parade (NDP) live telecast, one patriotic Singaporean will have to miss it yet again.
DEBUT ALBUM: Cover of Chen Meixin's Mandopop album, titled Loving You. --PICTURE: ROCK RECORDS --TNP DESIGN: PRADIP KUMAR SIKDAR --TNP PICTURES: BENJAMIN SEETOR
For three straight years, local singer-actress Chen Meixin has not been around for our nation's birthday.
Work commitments and her burgeoning popularity in China have been keeping the 24-year-old beauty overseas.
In 2008, she spent National Day in Shenyang, a city in Liaoning province, and the following year in Shanghai.
This year, she has based herself temporarily in Taiwan in preparation for her upcoming role in a yet-to-be-titled idol drama.
In town last month to promote her debut album Loving You, Chen shared with The New Paper her memories of celebrating National Day overseas.
'For the past two years, it's been just my manager and myself; we were the only Singaporeans among the entire working crew in China,' she recalled.
'In 2008, on August 9, both of us decided to do something crazy. We stood up and sang the national anthem out of the blue.'
The filial daughter returns home once every three months to see her parents and family, staying up to a week each time.
'Somehow, I'd always miss the NDP, period. It's really a case of bad timing,' she said with a sigh.
Unfortunately, this porcelain beauty - who bagged The New Paper Flame Awards' Newcomer of the Year title last year - hasn't had the chance to showcase her vocals at the NDP, unlike her other more high-profile Mandopop celebrity peers JJ Lin, Stefanie Sun and Kit Chan.
Ironically, while she is already a household name in China, she remains an unknown in Singapore and is struggling to make her mark here.
Chen gained a foothold in the Chinese market after playing the female lead in last year's 45-episode drama series Guangdong Master.
She was also handpicked by Guangxi TV, the state television station of Guangxi Province, to be the Singaporean representative in the infotainment programme The Search For Golden Flowers.
The programme focused on the culinary attractions and culture of the 10 Asean nations.
Both Guangdong Master and The Search For Golden Flowers were broadcast to millions of households inChina.
In comparison, her output in local projects seemspaltry.
She scored supporting roles in two dramas - Channel 8's family-oriented Dear, Dear Son-in-Law in 2008 and last year's Channel U magic-themed series The Illusionist.
The two shows received a lukewarm reception.
Does it hurt then, not being appreciated by her owncountrymen?
'To a certain extent, the situation is inevitable,' she said with a shrug.
'Over the past two years, I've been flying around so much it's hard for local audiences to remember me.'
She attributed the lack of support by Singaporeans to the fact that she's still a rookie.
More to learn
'I've still got a lot to learn and I haven't given my best shot yet,' said Chen, who took speech classes in Taiwan a few months ago to improve her Mandarin enunciation.
'The local public will accept me more when I've learnt everything and can finally fully express myself, be it through music or acting.
'I'm a made-in-Singapore product, so of course I'd be very happy to have fellow Singaporeans supportingme.'
Her predicament is not unlike that of other local celebrities like A-do, Huang Jinglun and Leon Jay Williams, who have conquered the overseas market but have achieved only moderate success back home.
Singers A-do and Huang have achieved success in China and Taiwan respectively, while Williams made it big in Taiwan with leading roles in idol dramas andfilms.
Chen said: 'I think each of them has his own special qualities that have successfully earned him overseas fans.
'They should be proud of themselves... Even though they are better recognised in other countries than locally, they are representing Singapore no matter what.
'When Singaporeans start to notice that we have garnered the support of the overseas Chinese, they will gradually support us too.'
One thing's for sure - she will not be following in the footsteps of her bosom buddy, Singapore's star paddler Li Jiawei, anytime soon.
The 28-year-old table tennis player got hitched last April to Chinese businessman Li Chao and is now a mother of one.
Chen was her bridesmaid at the wedding in Beijing.
Currently single, Chen said with a laugh that while she was 'extremely envious' of her friend's marital bliss, 'it is simply impossible' for her to commit herself to a relationship now.
'Should I be in a relationship, I would want to see the other party every single day. But my present lifestyle does not allow me to do so,' she said.
'I am constantly on the move.
'Well, what I can do? I can only pile myself with work, so that I don't think too much of such matters.'
And do not assume that she has a bigger pool of men to pick from just because China has a massive population.
'Erm, the men I know are all around my mentor's age,' she said with a deadpan expression.
Her mentor, acclaimed Chinese film-maker-comedian Zhao Benshan, is 52.
Chen's tone turned serious when the topic shifted to how bad luck has hit a string of veteran entertainers she had worked with over the past year, including Zhao.
In February, Zhao, whose comedic skits have been traditionally well-received at CCTV's Lunar New Year countdown show, was panned by netizens for putting up a 'subpar performance'.
They even voted his skit the 'worst programme' among all presented at this year's edition of the countdown show.
In March, just as Chen's movie debut was released - she had a cameo role and sang the theme song in director Jack Neo's comedy Being Human - Neo's extramarital affair with freelance model Wendy Chong was exposed.
Being Human's publicity campaign was scaled back severely and the film subsequently tanked at the local box office.
Then, Chen's co-star in The Illusionist, MediaCorp TV host-actress Quan Yifeng, made headlines early last month when a taxi driver claimed Quan had beaten him up and damaged his cab.
Chen declined to comment on these coincidences.
But she defended Zhao.
'My shi fu (mentor in Mandarin) has been in the entertainment industry for so long, he has been through many ups and downs,' she said.
'He is fully aware that you can never please everyone...his skit might not be everyone's cup of tea, but there will also be those who like it.'
She added that she 'did not feel down or miserable' about Being Human's reception.
'My role was really tiny, so it didn't impact me much,' she said.
'If I had been the female lead, maybe I would have felt different.'
