Wai Yat: Not Quite a Chinese

P eople P eople tones. He also printed out lyrics only a dream and it will never acting jobs. This paved his way to and looked up each Chinese happen in Hong Kong.” show business later. character from the dictionary. Gregory Charles River, another His favourite singers are all “I feel more comfortable foreign Television Broadcasts Limited Chinese, including Eason Chan speaking Cantonese (TVB) actor with a Chinese name Yik-shun, a well-known male singer as Ho Kwok-wing, asked Mr Burrell in Hong Kong and a Taiwanese than English.” to join TVB to replace him in The W singer, Zhang Zhenyue. When he Files. He then become TVB’s third mentioned Mr Zhang’s name, he Besides working, Mr Burrell contracted foreign actor. could not help singing his song devotes much of his spare time His efforts eventually paid off during the interview. in Hong Kong life. He loves going when Best Selling Secrets aired to bars with friends at night and Among all the things in last year. He said he had a sense learned how to play dice, which he Hong Kong, the local girls of achievement when he won the never tried in his home town. attract Mr Burrell most. To audience’s applause for his role. him, the American girls are less He is particularly fascinated “Although I have to work around appealing when compared with by the variety of cuisine in Hong the clock and do not have time to local girls. “They only look good Kong. His favorite food in Hong sleep, I still feel excited,” he said. on television. They are usually Kong is different kinds of soups Wai Yat: fat. I have lost my interest in the and the stinky tofu. When “Hong Kong is a place where ‘gwai mui’ (which means foreign dining, Mr Burrell usually uses you can find many chances to earn girls in Cantonese).” chopsticks. “I use chopsticks even if you work hard. Don’t think too when I am eating spaghettti.” much on what you have done, but not quite a Chinese Accounting for his preference try your best to do everything you by Chow Sin-ting for local girls, he listed out their He now devotes himself to his like,” Mr Burrell said. attributes that attract him. He career. He recalled the difficult COURTESY OF BRIAN THOMAS BURRELL OF BRIAN THOMAS COURTESY rian Thomas Burnell, Cantonese than English,” the foreign difficulties. He can even use foul said that they are “Cheeky! Get time when he changed to work better known as “Wai actor playing in Best Selling language in Cantonese. “I can… their styles… and they are cleverer, as a full-time TV actor by the end BYat”, amazes Hong Kong Secrets said in fluent Cantonese, but I seldom use them,” Mr Burrell more independent.” of 2003. He said he was not well audience with fluent Cantonese “I rarely speak English.” said and bursted into laughter. known in the first few years and “Many of them treat me really in his role as an American expatriate his income fluctuated from time The actor has learnt Cantonese One of his tricks to improve well when they started dating. They in the popular sit-com. In real life, to time such that he sometimes for 14 years since he met a girlfriend Cantonese is to sing Cantonese are loyal to me and they know how from using chopsticks to pursuing needed support from his friends. at his 20s. Before learning Cantonese, songs. Mr Burrell loves singing to take good care of me,” he added. local girls, he is entirely a local. he started to learn Putonghua at Cantopop songs and this He insisted on pursuing his He insisted that his “Miss Right” “I am a Hongkonger.” That is his university, University of Utah. helps him improve his Cantonese dream to be an actor, though. must be a local girl and he has Brian Thomas Burrell’s immediate He has been improving Cantonese by acquiring more vocabulary. already met more than 20 girlfriends response to the question on his since he moved to Hong Kong after Before being a full-time actor, “I want to be a singer someday,” after he came to Hong Kong and identity. He only visits his home graduation from college in 1999. he had a well-paid job as a network the foreign actor said. He takes his current girlfriend is outside the town in Salt Lake City, Utah in manager in an advertising Now, he can fully master the singing lessons from a teacher who entertainment industry. the United States once a year. company. He built up a social language. He can read, write asked him to take notes whenever network in the show business “I want to have 12 children!” Mr Burrell in a Chinese emperor “I feel more comfortable speaking and even type Chinese without he found any difficult Cantonese when he took up some part-time he laughed, “of course, it is costume. 12 13 Brain-Final.indd 12-13 2/29/2008 8:44:03 PM.

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