Wednesday 28 January 2015

The Honeymoon and Thereafter



Isn't that the picture of peace and serenity?
Our favourite couple enjoying their low-key honeymoon after the pomp and circumstance of the fairytale wedding in Yorkshire.
It was reported that sharp-eyed fans had spotted them in and around London, taking the bus and train, shopping at discount stores, dining at casual cafes and visiting Chinatown.
Jay graciously agreed to signing some autographs when approached but the couple declined requests for photo-taking with fans.

Hannah also released a selfie (or should it be wefie??) with Jay, taken at football match.


I woke up on Sunday morning to see that heartwarming pic which my co-conspirator on Jayannah had thoughtfully posted and sent to me.
Needless to say, it has garnered the most number of Likes on the Page and was flooding Facebook that whole day.
And it's obvious why.
Both of them look utterly adorable, with Hannah devoid of makeup yet so full of natural fresh-faced beauty and Jay, as usual in his beanie but with such a peaceful expression.
Love Hannah's arm around him too. :)


Awesome collage of their love story, showing their faces and 100% papz-free, something which I'm sure Jay is very proud of achieving. ;)



Remember what I said in my previous post about Jay and Hannah giving British tourism a boost with their amazing wedding?
Can I say "I told you so!"??


Link to The Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/jay-chou-and-the-draw-of-destination-weddings-how-selby-went-global-10006740.html


There was also the unexpected war of words on weibo between Jay Chou fans and Show Luo fans, which Jay and Hannah eventually stepped into with some well-chosen and calming words. (I'm so proud of them!)

http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/music/story/jay-chou-speaks-his-friends-row-over-wifes-fake-love-note-20150125



The Sunday Times in Singapore had a feature on the newly-weds, which outlined their story and analysed what it was about their relationship which had worked.
It also begs the question of all the girls and women who want to be Jay Chou's girlfriend/wife:
Do you really think you have what it takes?
But that shall be a story for another post. ;)

http://women.asiaone.com/women/people/life-mrs-jay-chou



However, it looks like the honeymoon is over, or rather it is continuing on as one involving work as Jay appears to have reported to the set of Now You See Me: The Second Act.
Mark Ruffalo and director, Jon M Chu released pics with Jay on Instagram and Facebook, to the fans' great joy.





One good thing is that Hannah is with him and I have no doubt she will be an asset, in no small part due to the fact that she will help translate and be his personal interpreter.


Mrs Jay Chou has also been every bit as busy as His Royal Diaoness, though, as the release of this magazine cover and the vid of the fashion shoot shows. ;)


She's simply STUNNING!



Vid of the fashion shoot, where she says she likes Jay's Mr Magic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv6MZqIde2Y


Do continue to join me on my Facebook Pages, Jay Chou Diaoness and Jayannah.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E6%98%86%E5%80%ABJayannah/1395478580700015


Cheerio for now!



Saturday 24 January 2015

Jay Chou and Hannah Quinlivan's Fairytale Wedding: A DIAO PLAN





I've always known that Jay Chou is a man of his word.
In Chinese we say: 说到做到 (shuo dao zuo dao)

He assured everyone that he would get married at 35 and thanks to some savvy planning involving a faraway location in a different time zone, he did, indeed do so and in the grandest fashion imaginable.
But come to think of it, fans and those who know him should have expected nothing less from His Royal Diaoness, whose vast experience in music, MVs and movies coupled with years of dodging the paparazzi definitely came in handy for executing his own wedding in a lavish but tasteful manner, free of a media circus yet befitting the King of Mandopop and his beautiful bride, Hannah Quinlivan.

Before I go on, I would like to share my other Page dedicated to Jay and Hannah, which is where I post all stuff related to the happy couple, so as not to overload Jay Chou Diaoness, as I realised that not every Jay Chou fan is that keen to keep up with his love life.
Having said that, I must say the number of Likes on the Jayannah Page has far outstripped Diaoness....which, to me, is a happy situation. :)
It is also not surprising, given the massive media attention to this 'royal wedding', both in the East and in the West.


Let us recap the past week, when Jay started the frenzy going on the afternoon of 17 January 2015.

In fact, the excitement had already been building up at least three weeks before at the launch of his new album in Taipei, when he announced that his wedding would be on his birthday viz 18 January 2015.
There were all sorts of hints, whether intended or not, speculations and outright wild guesses by fans about stuff as random as the colour of his suit to the country where the big event would be held in.
On hindsight, a mountain was made out of a molehill when reporters jumped to the conclusion that the venue would be Edinburgh Castle after Hannah apparently 'let it slip'.
As we all know now, Castle Howard was where they finally had their party and more importantly, their wedding service was held in the iconic and wondrous Selby Abbey, with both these historic buildings being in the county of Yorkshire in northern England.

Read about Selby Abbey:

http://www.selbyabbey.org.uk/

Read about Castle Howard:

http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/


By the way, I think Jay and Hannah have inadvertently given British tourism a boost as loads of Asians will now be intrigued enough to travel to see the places where 'Jay Chou had his wedding'. ;)

Back to the pre-wedding frenzy.

JVR Music released three STUNNING pre-wedding photos of the bridal couple which had been shot in France, Germany and Prague.

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aeas/201501170024.aspx


I LOVE HIS DIMPLE!!!!! And the sheer bliss on both their faces is just heartstopping! My jaw dropped when I saw this photo (which is now my desktop screensaver). But said jaw would drop even more when I beheld Hannah's wedding gown but that will be talked about later....




The Prince and Princess, complete with white steed.





Jay's patterned suit matches Hannah's spectacular mermaid gown perfectly with the backdrop of Charles Bridge in Prague and of course, the Vitava River.



The images were flooding my Facebook News Feed and WhatsApp Jay Chat group, fast and furious and as if that was not enough, before long, news was trickling in that the wedding ceremony had already been celebrated and concluded in England, before midnight local time (which is the same as Taiwan time). As England is about 7 hours behind us....you do the math.

HAHAHA! So that was how he had planned to fulfill his promises!
Very smart! Very Jay!
A round of applause for the man, please!
And another round for his hardworking staff who were in on the whole rigmarole, as the guests were only told to get to Heathrow Airport, at which point further directions and instructions would be given.
Seriously, until they arrived in London, none of them had any clue where the wedding would eventually be held.
The guest list was also kept small, with only about 50 close friends and family members in attendance.
For Jay, privacy was a prime concern and he went to great lengths to ensure that there would be no paparazzi around.
The best thing is....he succeeded!
Credit must also go to the guests for being willing to play along, but that should not be a surprise when you consider that their gracious host was footing the bill for their trip!

Anyway, the bride and groom had their special moments with their nearest and dearest, with Jay writing his own song for the orchestra (yes, there was a 20-piece orchestra) and rehearsing as much as possible, which ended up in a delay of two hours.
Mr Yang said he was very busy but also very happy.

Three official photos were released on weibo and his Facebook Page.....check out Hannah's GORGEOUS wedding gown, designed by MIKAEL D!
Jay looks handsome enough but for once, I'm more interested in what the lovely lady is wearing...lol!




Super love that heart-shaped cutout on her back!



My favourite moment ('cos we all know Jay has said he does not enjoy kissing on the lips but I guess he could not run away from this one!):




JVR also released a wedding video on the morning of 19 January, resulting in me having a hard time concentrating on my work which just had to be a Manic Monday of sorts.

It. Is. BEAUTIFUL!
Love the look on Jay's face as he watched her walk in with her father and how tenderly he unveiled her for that 'you may kiss the bride' moment.
And what an utterly fairytale feeling it was, precisely as Jay (and I'm sure, Hannah) had always wanted.,
Incidentally, it has just hit 5 million views on youtube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s34fl3eFYMc

Of course, I had to do a piano cover of the song which Jay wrote.....and within three days, the youtube vid had hit 21K, quite unheard of for yours truly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTN5dEM-mrQ



A very special photo also made its way to our Jayannah Page, courtesy of the father of the bride!
Thank you, Patrick!




For more pics, do hop on to Jayannah to see who else was there:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E6%98%86%E5%80%ABJayannah/1395478580700015


Media reports:

http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/54029/20150119/asia-christian-superstar-jay-chou-weds-hannah-quinlivan-in-england-pictures-video.htm


http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/11732849.Jay_Chou___Hannah_Quinlivan_marry_in_Selby_Abbey___VIDEO_ADDED___And_10_facts_you__maybe__didn_t_know_about_the_venue/


http://women.asiaone.com/women/people/jay-chou-ties-knot-fairy-tale-wedding


http://women.asiaone.com/women/people/jay-chou-releases-wedding-videos-likely-spend-honeymoon-britain


http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2015-01-20/jay-chou-marries-wedding-yorkshire-pictures-fans-hannah-quinlavin/


A few more of my favourite shots:

Very very sweet, as she looks lovingly at Jay:






The tenderness in his every move....





Congratulations to the newly-weds!




Le sigh.....


Dear Mr and Mrs Jay Chou,


This fangirl is incredibly over-the-moon that after following your story for the past four years, this happy occasion is now a reality.
I never doubted the strength of your relationship, for some reason.
And I am confident that you will have a wonderful life together.
Hope to hear the patter of little feet soon!

Lots of love,

Fangirl Forever









Tuesday 13 January 2015

Hannah in Hongkong (Tissot) on 12 January 2015

Okay, I know this is a Jay Chou blog but it is becoming increasingly clear that his fiancee is no wallflower and is every bit in the limelight as he is.
With the interest in their impending nuptials growing exponentially by the day, it is no wonder that this fangirl is following the news about her as closely as she keeps track of Jay...lol!

Here, then is a post about her recent appearance at a Tissot event in Hongkong on 12 January 2015, where she stated that it would be her last assignment before the big day.





She looked absolutely radiant and was not the least bit flustered even when some paparazzi had trailed her at the airport earlier on.
In fact, she was rather amused at their reactions to being asked not to bother her and released a smiley and encouraging Facebook post on her Page after the incident.
Way to go, Hannah!






Link to news article:

http://www.meishuile.com/news_10507.html

Here is my informal translation:


Hannah was quite relaxed and not all anxious about her upcoming wedding to Jay.
She was presented with a pair of watches engraved with their names in English and mentioned that she will also give, in return a pair of personally designed champagne glasses.
The wedding will not be in Edinburgh.
Will the wedding be held in France?
"You'll know soon."
"We pray for all who have been affected by the trouble in France and will do our best to stay safe,"

Her wedding dress will be classic and traditional.
She'll wear covered high heels because of a recent toe injury.
There may be some fairytale elements to the wedding.
As she and Jay are Christians, it will be held in a church.
They will hold another reception in Taiwan for Jay's grandmother and possibly in Australia as well for her paternal grandmother, who is also not able to travel.
They have not determined their honeymoon destination yet,

She would love to have her first child within the next year and hopes to be a working Mum.
They'll let Nature take its course.
She does not feel comfortable wearing sexy or too-revealing outfits and is thus unlikely to change her style of dressing as such after getting married.


My take:

I'm loving her more and more.
Here's to Mr and Mrs Jay Chou!

Tuesday 6 January 2015

Jay Chou: Multitasker Par Excellence



Isn't he simply gorgeous in that photo??
Looks like a beaming bridegroom already!
I'm using this for the new Profile pic on Facebook.
Loving those cheekbones, dimples and that smile!


It's raining cats and dogs on a stormy Tuesday afternoon here in Singapore, I'm on leave today, and I've finally got a free moment now to settle down in the solitude of my own room, listen to youtube versions of AIYO BU CUO O (while I wait for my preorders) and do some musings about the events of the past week or so, especially where His Royal Diaoness is concerned.
Of course, that's all I write about for this blog....lol!

First off, if there have been any doubts about his popularity fading after 14 years, all fear has been dispelled by the thunderous reception he got at OPUS 2 JAY Singapore and the enthusiastic response by fans to his latest album, AIYO BU CUO O.
I do not have the hard figures but I hear that preorder sales have been extremely good and I forsee that the songs will climb up the charts.
I shall report more when proper news links are available.
Anyway, I am enjoying this album very much and the more I listen, the more the songs have cast their spell on me, even that All In One Breath number and Yang Ming Shan, which I was not too keen on in the beginning, as I generally find his slower songs more to my taste.
More on the album in a separate post, when I've had time to also digest the lyrics and more MVs as and when he releases them.


My last post was a summary of events from OPUS 2 JAY Singapore all the way to his most recent which were the autograph sessions in Taiwan, which, also of course included that EPIC MARATHON SEVEN HOURS in Taipei's Ximending, and culminated in him rushing over to the TVBS station to receive his award for Most Popular for that week.
He was cool as a cucumber and only said his hand trembled a little when he went to the restroom...lol!
(I just realised that I forgot to include the Sprite event on 28 December, where he performed a few songs and picked up some awards.)


What a marvellously stylish ensemble! He really is quite the fashion plate and will definitely not be upstaged by the young and lovely Hannah. ;)




He makes time for the less-abled:





Look at his crazy itinerary, flying here, there and everywhere.
I'm breathless just reading it and as I've mentioned on the Page, just keeping up with the pics and news as they flood in.

25 December: Press conference in Taipei
26 December: Taipei to Singapore

27 December: OPUS 2 JAY Singapore
28 December: Singapore to Macau (Sprite event)
29 December: Macau to Beijing (Press conference)
30 December: The Brain: Season 2
31 December: Jiangsu NYE concert
01 January: Nanjing back to Taipei
02 January: Visited his restaurants and PHANTACi store in Taipei (I think)
03 January: Autograph session and TVBS appearance in Taipei
04 January: Autograph sessions in Kaohsiung and Taichung

Not to mention the number of talkshows, radio and magazine interviews and photo shoots, MV-filmings and endorsement commitments he has.
And trust me, this type of hectic schedule is not new.
He has been juggling multiple roles for many years and is quite the veteran already.
His entourage of managers, assistants and crew are also professionals and used to such madness, I'm sure. 


Press conference in Taipei:



Press conference in Beijing:






The Brain: Season 2






Meters/bonwe 2015:



Casual becomes him too.





My burning question is:

HOW DOES JAY CHOU DO SO MUCH, YET KEEP SO CALM, SOUND SO COOL AND LOOK SO GOOD ALL THE TIME???
Is he even human??
Plus he has a wedding to prepare for but as he mentioned in an interview, all he's doing is to foot the bill and worry about looking good. The rest is up to Hannah....lol!

http://jaychoustudio.com/archives/4-years-for-me-hannah...jay-chou-confessions-before-wedding-reveals-moment-he-decided-to-get-married/1663

No pre-nup:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/entertainment/jay-chou-no-pre-nup-for/1568980.html


No premarital sex:

http://www.lollipop.sg/content/jay-chou-reveals-role-model-made-him-abstain-sex-2-years


A proposal:

http://xin.msn.com/en-sg/entertainment/story/how-did-jay-chou-propose-to-hannah-quinlivan/ar-BBhetJr


How not to love him even more? :)


So...back to my question.

How does he do it?
Maintain his sanity, values, friendships, whilst composing music, performing in a gazillion concerts, signing 10,000 CDs, winning awards and being the boss of multiple entrepreunerial ventures.
All with his characteristic good humour intact.

My take is that he has been in a happy place with Hannah for the past four years and I'm sure that has provided for a steadying force in his life, with him getting ready to embrace the next phase of being a loving husband and responsible father.
I guess a well-oiled team of staff also plays a huge part, as mentioned above.
But Jay himself also has a strong work ethic and he values people he associates with.
The camaraderie he enjoys with his crew is such that even his fans love them and treat them like celebrities. :)

Although he has been famously reticent earlier on and for good reason, it is really nice to see him (and her) finally opening up about themselves. I do find their interview replies rather endearing and forsee that they will be the Golden Couple of Taiwan, quite akin to royalty...lol!
I am so looking forward to seeing them in more photos together, and not just in fanmade compositions.


Still remember these now-famous pics?





More, I say!
MORE!!



















Saturday 3 January 2015

Updates: OPUS 2 JAY Sg, The Brain, NYE, Autograph session

Happy New Year, peeps!

My apologies but much has been happening since my last post that it has been near impossible to write much for the blog.
Normal service for the Page has, however, resumed so I hope you have followed the posts there religiously, as all the pics, vids, links and other stuff related to OPUS 2 has been shared as and when I got them.

NB: I am writing this post now as Jay is rushing over to the TV station for after his autograph session at Ximending this afternoon, which stretched from 2pm all the way till now, as more than 4000 fans had gathered there (instead of the expected 1500), Jay did not want to disappoint anyone and vowed to continue till everybody had gotten their CDs signed.
How tired must his hand be???



OPUS 2 JAY SINGAPORE

Jay arrived in Singapore on 26 December to a warm welcome from members of the Jay Chou Malaysia and Singapore fanclub, He breezed through fairly quickly and did not stop for photos.

I'm sure he headed straight to the stadium for rehearsals and there was a very nice pic released on his official Mr J FB Page soon after.
Doesn't he look great, all serious with glasses on??


He also paid a visit to his PHANTACi pop-up store at Scape and I was fortunate to receive information in time to hotfoot it there and see him.

OPUS 2 JAY was awesome.
Jay was beyond awesome.
My seat position was bad, but when all is said and done, I was just very very happy to see him in Singapore again and to hear him singing.
The airport send-off the next morning was unforgettable.

I believe pictures tell a thousand words and as I'm rather high now from all that's been happening the past week, coupled with feeling lazy to write after all the information overload, here are the links for the albums on Facebook for the mentioned events in the title of this post.

OPUS 2 JAY:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.614480878656586.1073742039.399217090182967&type=3


The Brain: Season 2:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.618076781630329.1073742046.399217090182967&type=3

Jiangsu NYE concert:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.618075854963755.1073742045.399217090182967&type=3


Autograph session in Ximending on 03012015:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.619665091471498.1073742047.399217090182967&type=3



For vids, please head to my youtube channel, fandomizfun1318,where you'll find playlists for some of these events as well:



OPUS 2 JAY:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbHLPahX3mJ7pLjV0BzVXksifAT2GxFN4



Jiangsu NYE concert:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbHLPahX3mJ53FLSVeZF3oxfUEqTGHxUb



Signing session at Ximending:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbHLPahX3mJ7BSFulR9sePXeD54sWZ4GU





Enjoy!