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http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,203706,00.html?
He can't write but his blog has 500,000 hits
David Gan gets help of 'ghosts' to post his views
By Crystal Chan
June 01, 2009
DAILY HABIT: Hairstylist David Gan visits his blog every day. --PICTURE: DAVID GAN
HE has publicly admitted to being illiterate.
But that has not stopped celebrity hair stylist David Gan from having a blog called Xing Guang Mu Hou (literally translated as 'behind the scenes').
And one that's well-written at that.
His 'secret': He pays five friends to write and upload the postings and photos once or twice a week.
In a phone interview with The New Paper on Sunday, Mr Gan said that Chinese portal omy had approached him last year, proposing to host a blog for him.
Set up by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), omy offers 12 free channels of news and entertainment content.
Mr Gan said: 'I agreed because I thought people would be interested to see what goes on in my everyday life.'
Why he chose English
'I chose to blog in English because nowadays Singaporeans are mostly English-educated.'
The five friends who blog on Mr Gan's behalf are freelance stylists and make-up artists whom he got to know in his work.
He said: 'They communicate well with me and that was what I considered when deciding on them as my ghost writers.
'I want to ensure that my blog reflects the way I think and talk.'
When asked how much his friends are paid, Mr Gan would only say that it's not too low or high.
Besides his thoughts on fashion and beauty, Mr Gan's blog also contains his opinions of his celebrity friends, such as former MediaCorp actress and Star Search winner Jacelyn Tay and actors Qi Yuwu and Ben Yeo.
He describes Jacelyn as a talented actress who quit showbiz to set up a health and wellness business.
About Yuwu, who starred in TV serial The Little Nyonya as well as the movie Painted Skin, Mr Gan wrote: 'Yuwu moved from China to Singapore to work and has made a name for himself in the local scene.
'He has acted in many local and foreign movies and is gaining recognition for his acting. I know that we will definitely see more of him in the future.'
As for Ben, Mr Gan wrote that he has a distinctive hip-hop style and is known for his variety shows.
He wrote: 'He is good at impersonating other people. His impersonations are always very memorable and he is definitely proving himself to be a good TV host.'
Mr Gan said he did not seek his celebrity friends' permission before blogging about them.
He said: 'I'm an adult and I know what I'm talking about. I'm also responsible for what is written on my blog.'
He and his ghost writers hold discussions before deciding what to upload onto the blog.
He said: 'We meet two or three times a week. I tell them which are the functions and parties I've attended, where I've dined and whose company I've been in.
'My ghost writers also give their opinions so my blog doesn't read so much like a chronicle of what I've done.'
Despite his illiteracy, Mr Gan looks at his blog every day on a computer in his condominium unit.
He said: 'I'm still learning the computer functions and I can't say I'm very good at that.
'I may be illiterate but I'm not blind.'
Mr Gan takes pride in seeing the number of hits that his blog gets every day.
It has recorded nearly 500,000 hits so far.
He said: 'Response to my blog hasn't been bad. Friends view it and even Zhang Ziyi (Chinese actress known for her roles in Memoirs of a Geisha and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) reads it.'
Mr Gan said he did not tell his celebrity friends about his blog.
'I don't have to tell others about my blog because people can easily come across it while surfing the Internet,' he said.
'I learnt that Zhang Ziyi had read my blog only when she mentioned it during a phone conversation.'
Those interested can access Mr Gan's blog at http://blog.omy.sg/davidgan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CELEBRITY WRITING
ZHANG ZIYI
The Chinese actress known for her roles in Memoirs of a Geisha and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon told Mr Gan she reads his blog.
QI YUWU
About Yuwu, who starred in TV serial The Little Nyonya as well as the movie Painted Skin, Mr Gan said the actor is gaining recognition for his acting and there will be more from him in the future.
JACELYN TAY
Mr Gan describes the Star Search winner as a talented actress who quit showbiz to set up a health and wellness business.
He can't write but his blog has 500,000 hits
David Gan gets help of 'ghosts' to post his views
By Crystal Chan
June 01, 2009
DAILY HABIT: Hairstylist David Gan visits his blog every day. --PICTURE: DAVID GAN
HE has publicly admitted to being illiterate.
But that has not stopped celebrity hair stylist David Gan from having a blog called Xing Guang Mu Hou (literally translated as 'behind the scenes').
And one that's well-written at that.
His 'secret': He pays five friends to write and upload the postings and photos once or twice a week.
In a phone interview with The New Paper on Sunday, Mr Gan said that Chinese portal omy had approached him last year, proposing to host a blog for him.
Set up by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), omy offers 12 free channels of news and entertainment content.
Mr Gan said: 'I agreed because I thought people would be interested to see what goes on in my everyday life.'
Why he chose English
'I chose to blog in English because nowadays Singaporeans are mostly English-educated.'
The five friends who blog on Mr Gan's behalf are freelance stylists and make-up artists whom he got to know in his work.
He said: 'They communicate well with me and that was what I considered when deciding on them as my ghost writers.
'I want to ensure that my blog reflects the way I think and talk.'
When asked how much his friends are paid, Mr Gan would only say that it's not too low or high.
Besides his thoughts on fashion and beauty, Mr Gan's blog also contains his opinions of his celebrity friends, such as former MediaCorp actress and Star Search winner Jacelyn Tay and actors Qi Yuwu and Ben Yeo.
He describes Jacelyn as a talented actress who quit showbiz to set up a health and wellness business.
About Yuwu, who starred in TV serial The Little Nyonya as well as the movie Painted Skin, Mr Gan wrote: 'Yuwu moved from China to Singapore to work and has made a name for himself in the local scene.
'He has acted in many local and foreign movies and is gaining recognition for his acting. I know that we will definitely see more of him in the future.'
As for Ben, Mr Gan wrote that he has a distinctive hip-hop style and is known for his variety shows.
He wrote: 'He is good at impersonating other people. His impersonations are always very memorable and he is definitely proving himself to be a good TV host.'
Mr Gan said he did not seek his celebrity friends' permission before blogging about them.
He said: 'I'm an adult and I know what I'm talking about. I'm also responsible for what is written on my blog.'
He and his ghost writers hold discussions before deciding what to upload onto the blog.
He said: 'We meet two or three times a week. I tell them which are the functions and parties I've attended, where I've dined and whose company I've been in.
'My ghost writers also give their opinions so my blog doesn't read so much like a chronicle of what I've done.'
Despite his illiteracy, Mr Gan looks at his blog every day on a computer in his condominium unit.
He said: 'I'm still learning the computer functions and I can't say I'm very good at that.
'I may be illiterate but I'm not blind.'
Mr Gan takes pride in seeing the number of hits that his blog gets every day.
It has recorded nearly 500,000 hits so far.
He said: 'Response to my blog hasn't been bad. Friends view it and even Zhang Ziyi (Chinese actress known for her roles in Memoirs of a Geisha and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) reads it.'
Mr Gan said he did not tell his celebrity friends about his blog.
'I don't have to tell others about my blog because people can easily come across it while surfing the Internet,' he said.
'I learnt that Zhang Ziyi had read my blog only when she mentioned it during a phone conversation.'
Those interested can access Mr Gan's blog at http://blog.omy.sg/davidgan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CELEBRITY WRITING
ZHANG ZIYI
The Chinese actress known for her roles in Memoirs of a Geisha and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon told Mr Gan she reads his blog.
QI YUWU
About Yuwu, who starred in TV serial The Little Nyonya as well as the movie Painted Skin, Mr Gan said the actor is gaining recognition for his acting and there will be more from him in the future.
JACELYN TAY
Mr Gan describes the Star Search winner as a talented actress who quit showbiz to set up a health and wellness business.
