[Ta Kung Pao & The Sun 01/12/06]

Linda Chung to take Mother on Japan Shopping Spree

Linda Chung renewed her contract with her skincare sponsors yesterday, accompanied by Lai Lok Yi who performed some magic tricks. Dressed in a sexy but simple black dress for the event, Linda looked a little different from her usual reserved image and said that she had done all the preparation to avoid revealing herself. Her parents are over from Canada to visit her at the moment, so her mother was present at the event yesterday.

Linda says that her fee has doubled this year and the best thing for her is that she will receive sponsored skincare products, saving her some money and she can share them with her brother and her mother. Linda has not had a break in the two and a half years she has been in Hong Kong, so after finishing her series "Gambler Yi takes a Wife", she will be taking two weeks out to go shopping with her mother in Japan. Her father has to work, so he cannot join them. Linda says: "My mother has given up work now, so she has more time to spend with me, but she will not stay in Hong Kong because we still have family in Canada after all. My mum has given up work now because her three children have grown up and I hope that she can enjoy life now." Asked how much she is preparing to spend in Japan, she smiles: "I have not thought about that, but I will be shopping crazy because I have not been shopping for so long."

Lok Yi's magic trick fell through, but he did not mind at all: "Because you (the press) are too professional and like to look at things 'falling through'." Lok Yi has learned some magic tricks, but mainly just little tricks with cards, rubber bands and coins.

Asked if he learned this to charm the ladies, he smiles: "Not necessarily, sometimes if there is a magician at the table you can have a better time. (Do you hope to become a spokesperson for a product?) Of course I would like a big brand sponsor, say a drinks brand or McDonalds! I hope that I can take this on after Eason or I have thought about being spokesperson for a car company because the shoots will be very beautiful."

http://www.takungpao.com.hk/news/06/12/01/UL-658669.htm
http://the-sun.orisun.com/channels/ent/20061201/20061130233434_0000.html



[The Sun 01/12/06]

Fiona Yuen Seeking out Delicacies in London

Seasoned traveller Fiona Yuen was filming for a food programme earlier in England, where she fearlessly visited the turkey slaughter house and the pig farms there, with no worries about bird flu or other diseases. On her fourth trip to London, she says she has had some memorable experiences on this particular trip: "Because I used to live in Germany, so flying to London was like going from Hong Kong to Thailand and I only used to visit my relatives there and did not go to see the sights."

Fiona visited a turkey farm and a pig farm on this visit and also found that there was rabbit meat and other game on sale in the markets, which she had never seen before: "English people do not like to eat this meat fresh, so they dry it to bring out the flavour." With the fears of bird flu around the world, is she not afraid of this? She says boldly: "No, the hygiene standards there are very good and when I went into the slaughterhouse, I had the full disinfectant procedure. I have always done exercise and have good health, so I am not worried. (Did you dare to try the meat?) For chicken you just have to make sure the meat is cooked, but because of the dried meats, there was a funny smell in the market and I did not want to try this."

On her ten day trip, Fiona visited Chelsea football club, where she experienced an English Football game and met an Indian chef: "Although he had broken his arm in a traffic accident, he still worked very hard and made me a lot of tasty foods to try and it made me realise that you should not give up whatever happens to you."

http://the-sun.orisun.com/channels/ent/20061201/20061130232526_0000.html