Party hopping 跑趴

This is Carina Lau at a Fendi party this past weekend. Sporting a spring/summer dress and jacket, Carina's entire outfit for the evening is valued over TWD 300.000 (USD 9.900), the publicist told me. I was there to report; of course not on the outfit or her beauty. It was on her gossip - why was she suing a particular media? Is she really pregnant? Why was she drinking like mad last night? Will her boyfriend propose to her tomorrow night? More or less in that order. I hate these kinds of reports, but well, I have to execute what is ordered.

這是劉嘉玲出席一場Fendi的party。
穿著一身Fendi春夏的服裝，
公關跟我說整套價值三十多萬台幣。
我是到那裡採訪的。
採訪什麼?
當然不是她那那套衣服，也不是她的美麗。
要採訪她為何告某媒體，
是不是真的懷孕了，
昨晚為何喝得爛醉？
真的很討厭這種新聞，
但還是得執行。

Here's the press invite that was faxed to us.

這是傳真過來的採訪通知。



It reads:
Superstar heavyweight Carina Lao
appears for the first time after apology incident,
personally designs Baguette bag.



Other guests include:
Daughter of ABC corporation owner, Wang AL
Second generation of DEF airlines owner, D AT
Sons of GHI hotel owner... etc

I only recognized (Jenny's brothers) John and Fudy's names, but Anita and Lorna from junior high school also showed up at the party too. I never knew what family they're from or what their Chinese names were.

我只認得(Jenny的弟弟)阿福和福弟的名字，
不過好久好久不見的國中同學
Anita和Lorna也都來了。
我從來不知道她們家是做什麼的，
也不知道她們的中文名字。

The crazy reporting and jockeying for a view/shot of Carina Lau aside, I however, had very mixed feelings that night.

不談又擠又瘋狂的劉嘉玲的採訪過程，
我那晚心情十分複雜。

1. It was good to see old classmates, especially Lorna, whom I haven't seen in 17 years. (Thank you Anita for re-introducing us!)

1. 很開心見到老同學，
尤其是17年不見的Lorna。
(謝謝Anita重新介紹我們！)

2. My old classmates were so glamorously standing on that side of the red carpet, wearing the latest, most expensive clothes and stilettos, holding a champaign glass in one hand and an expensive purse made of animal in another. Meanwhile, I was on this side of the red carpet, behind the cordon, wearing jeans I expect to dirty and tear, a jean jacket with Chinese embroidery and knitted top underneath (I didn't look bad, just casual). I had in one hand a microphone and in the other hand a notepad full of scribbles. AND I was squished to death but still trying to dodge big cameramen holding big betacam video cameras, moving around trying to get a good shot of the actress. I almost got smacked in the face by someone's video camera that night!

當我小時候的同學站在
紅地毯的那邊，光鮮亮麗，
穿著最新，最貴的衣服，高跟鞋，
一手拿著香檳杯，
一手拎著某動物製的皮包。
我呢，卻是站在紅地毯的這一邊，
被隔在拉線的後面。
我穿著不心疼弄髒，弄破的牛仔褲，
中國風的牛仔外套，裡面搭著針繡上衣。
我一手抓著麥克風，
一手拿著寫得亂七八糟的筆記本。
而且我經被擠到不行了，
還要躲那些動來動去，
要取到好畫面的攝影
和他們又大又重的機器。
那晚差點被攝影機K到！

3. Although envious about the royal treatment, I didn't agree with how these kids allowed their names and their family's names to be used in such a frivolous manner.

3. 雖然羨慕她們可以有這樣的頂級優待，
我不太能認同把自己的名字和家裡的名聲
借出去用在這麼frivolous的事情上。

After some asking around, I realized that some attend these parties because they feel like it's something like a girl's night out, and the event organizer will loan party goers clothes for the night so they can look appropriately beautiful (or handsome). Some attend to find another cute and rich guy or girl to date and to show themselves off. Some attend to know the rich. And some attend because their friend or acquaintance organized the party and they were asked to show up to help create buzz.

後來問一問，
發現有些人參加這些活動是因為
覺得像姊妹掏出去玩一樣，
而且主辦單位還會借衣服給參加的人穿，
讓貴賓們都美美的，帥帥的。
有些人參加是為了可以交有錢的男女朋友，
或去炫耀。
有些人參加是為了認識有錢人。
還有，有些人會參加是因為
活動是朋友或熟人辦的，
然後被拜託去捧場，
幫忙製造話題。

I don't think I'm up for these kinds of gatherings. I don't like being compared, because there are always people who are better looking, have more money, have more influence, have more friends... I especially don't want to be labeled as someone of such-and-such family. It's as if I am nothing and nobody without my family and without the last name I've inherited. And worse, it's as if my effort to live a meaningful life and my hard work to have a successful career also mean nothing. No, thank you. If I were asked to help a friend out by attending one of these commercial/retail events, I would have to think long and hard. If I promise this one time, it'll be much harder to turn down the next ones.

我想我可能不會想去這樣的聚會。
我不喜歡被比較，
永遠都會有人比自己
漂亮，有錢，有影響力，
有更多朋友。。。
我更不喜歡奉上
誰誰誰家千金的頭銜，
好像沒有我家的背景，
我什麼都不是，
沒有我爸爸給我的姓，
我誰也不是；
更糟糕的是，
我對生活的認真
和對工作的努力，
也就從此消失在眼前。
所以，no, thank you.
如果是朋友要我幫忙
出席這種商業／消費活動，
我真的得慎重考慮，
因為有一也就有二。

I guess I'm not party hopping material. Perhaps people will feel I'm weird, but I feel OK about it, because I'm Michella Jade Weng.

看來我真的不是跑趴的料。
或許人家因此會覺得我是個怪人，
不過我覺得還好，
因為我是米雪拉郁容翁。

(Carina Lau's picture via UDN)