MAY 23, 2008

by Katharine Schroeder

Jackie Chan was in London, England and was scheduled to visit the Chinese Embassy and then drive to Oxford, where he would give a speech at the University.

In the morning we got going early and drove to a press conference. Before it officially began, Jackie talked to a few individual reporters about his feelings concerning the earthquake, what he was doing to help, and what he was planning to do. We had a break for a few minutes until Jackie moved outside for some photos, then into a large room for the press conference, where the Three Dreams video was being screened.

Jackie poses for the press.

The Foreign Press Association press conference.

Between interviews, Jackie asked me to take this photo and said, "Thank you to all my fans for helping the China earthquake victims and the Dragon's Heart Foundation.

During the press conference, when he was telling the heartbreaking stories about the earthquake victims, his voice caught and he struggled to hold back tears. It was painful to watch Jackie in such despair and the sadness in his face affected the feeling in the entire room. This was no happy-go-lucky Jackie amusing the crowds of reporters as he often did. This was a serious, solemn, and very very sad Jackie Chan.

When the press conference and interviews were over we drove to the Chinese Embassy to have a lunch meeting with the Chinese Ambassador, Ms. Fu Ying, who was waiting outside to greet Jackie when we pulled up. After greeting her, we went inside to view the memorial which was set up to honor the victims of the 5.12 earthquake. After solemnly giving his regards, Jackie signed the guest book and we were led upstairs for the meeting. On the way, Jackie stopped to take dozens of photos with the embassy staff and their families.

Chinese Ambassador Ms. Fu Ying greets Jackie outside the Chinese Embassy in London.

Jackie talks to a CCTV reporter. He is showing her that he remembers the exact moment he felt the earthquake on May 12th. He was filming a PSA against piracy and had his hand up, posing in a "STOP" position.

Jackie's signature in the condolence book. The message above his name was written by the person who signed the book before him; it's not Jackie's message.

Candles burn on the memorial set up at the Chinese Embassy.

Jackie with the Chinese Ambassador.

The luncheon was attended by the Chinese ambassador and several other embassy staff members. During the meal, Ms. Fu Ying spoke in a low and serious voice about the earthquake, about the world’s reaction to it, and about her deep sorrow over what had happened. She and Jackie shared their ideas about how to help the people whose lives had been torn apart. She said that since Jackie was a Chinese who was so popular throughout the world, his visit to Britain would heighten awareness during a time when the world was struggling to understand China. The luncheon was quite solemn; the only lighthearted moment came when Jackie asked if he could take home his teacup. The Ambassador immediately agreed and the staff produced a velvet lined box, wrapping up a teacup and saucer for Jackie to bring back to Hong Kong to add to his collection.

After lunch we were given a tour of the Embassy, which included a look at the room where Sun Yat Sen - the man known as “the Father of Modern China” - was held after he was kidnapped in London. Everyone took a photo in the room and then it was time to leave.

Jackie autographs a t-shirt for one of the Embassy staff members.

Jackie poses with a statue of Sun Yat Sen in the room where "The Father of Modern China" was held at the Chinese Embassy.

The artwork at the Embassy was breathtaking. Jackie wanted to show you this painting.

And he wanted you to see this beautiful wooden screen.

The girl in the painting has her hand and her face pointing up, so Jackie thought it would be interesting to pose with his hand and face pointing down.

We left the Embassy and headed back to the hotel to prepare for the next event of the day. Jackie was going to Oxford! He had been invited by Oxford’s Philosophy, Politics and Economics Society to give a speech. They were intrigued by his humble beginnings, his phenomenal success, and his ongoing philanthropy. Here’s what the PPE Society wrote about Jackie in their program:

“Jackie Chan’s international stardom was not won overnight but through constant perseverance. The respect he commands is not because of his celebrity status nor the number of films he has performed in, but because of his endless devotion and strength of character. Some can fake high social standings, but none can fake greatness.”

All dressed up and ready to go to Oxford!

The ride to Oxford took about an hour and a half, during which time Jackie happily chattered away; if he was nervous, he didn’t show it. It was hard to imagine that he wouldn’t be a little scared. Oxford University is the oldest university in the English-speaking world; it’s been in continuous existence since the early 12^th century and has produced kings, Nobel prize-winners, presidents, saints, and even one pope. Jackie was in very good company.

One of the buildings at Oxford.

Jackie walks toward the Sheldonian Theater.

As we approached Oxford’s Sheldonian Theater, we could see people lined up for blocks, all waiting to get in to see Jackie. Upon arrival, we were quickly escorted into the theater by a security team and spent the next half hour or so waiting for the sellout crowd to be seated. While we waited, Jackie was interviewed by a student reporter.

Waiting.

At around 5:30 P.M., to thunderous applause, Jackie took his place on the small stage in the splendid 350 year-old theater and began to talk.

He talked about his early life and the pain of being left by his parents to attend the Peking Opera School. He said that he used to pray every night to the gods, hoping that they would help him but that none ever did, so eventually he gave up and learned to rely on himself. He said that people have called him “lucky” but he rejects that and said that luck had little to do with his success. He said that he worked very hard, believed in himself, and above all, he never gave up. Jackie told the spellbound audience how he would stay up late at night after everyone had gone to sleep, practicing and learning anything he could to better himself. He told the students that success was not everything, however. He said that after he achieved financial success and fame, he was still not a happy person and he hated himself for his own arrogance and pride. His first futile attempts to succeed in America are what turned his attitude around. “In Asia, I was a big shot. In America, I was a nobody. That experience made me a humble person,” he said.

Jackie told the students stories that were sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking. He answered dozens of questions from the audience with honest and open responses. When one student asked him what he would do differently if he could turn back time, he didn’t hesitate before he answered “I would go to school. Learn perfect English and Chinese. Learn to read and write. If I could do that, I believe I would be an even more successful person today.” (For the record, Jackie eventually taught himself how to read and write Chinese. He can also read and write some English.)

Well, Jackie talked for two hours, so I can’t tell you everything he said. One message that he sent out loud and clear to the students was that they should treasure the opportunity to study at such a wonderful school, that they should believe in themselves, work hard, and never give up. He encouraged them to go out into the world and succeed, but to always remember to care for others and be charitable. He talked about his own need to do charity work: “I just have to do it,” he said. “I don’t know why.”

Jackie talks about the earthquake.

Thanking all the students who made a donation for the victims.

Not all of Jackie's speech was serious; on the contrary. He had the audience laughing for a good portion of the time, telling all kinds of funny stories. His answers to the students' questions were quick-witted and entertaining; he was dazzling. In fact, after the speech was over, a professional photographer named Eddie who was working the event said, "It was one of the greatest talks I've attended in Oxford. And I have attended hundreds...probably more like thousands."

Recognize this pose?

This girl asked if she could give Jackie a kiss on behalf of all the people he's helped with his charity work.

During a break in his speech, Jackie showed the audience two brand new videos. One was about the work done by the Dragon’s Heart Foundation and the other was about the Build a School for a Dollar project. While the Build a School video was playing, Jackie sat down next to me and asked, “Do you want to go up and tell the students about the Build a School project?” I was unable to answer for a moment, completely flustered at the idea of speaking to an audience without any preparation. “Oh my God no,” I said. Jackie didn’t argue or try to talk me into anything I didn’t want to do. I was honored that he’d asked me to speak, but relieved when he accepted my refusal. The reason I tell you this is so that you can know more about what kind of person Jackie is. He is a thoughtful man and he appreciates what other people have to offer; he never thinks that he knows everything. He will not hesitate to ask someone else to take over and explain something if he thinks they might do a better job. But of course Jackie did just fine telling the students about the Build a School project.

Jackie watches the brand new Build a School for a Dollar video.

Jackie listens carefully to a question from the audience.

Jackie receives his own Oxford sweatshirt.

After he put it on, he said, "I feel like a student!"

View of the audience. 

Oxford students enjoy Jackie's speech. Photo by Eddie Gallaher.

When Jackie was finished with his talk, the audience gave him a standing ovation, then rushed the stage. Jackie was quickly escorted  downstairs to wait for the students to exit the theater and then we walked out to the van. There were dozens of people waiting outside for Jackie to reappear and he signed some autographs and even posed for a few photos. However, things were getting a little out of control, so we quickly drove away. Jackie wanted to stop and take a look around, so we went a little ways up the road and then pulled over. Unfortunately, we did not go far enough and some of the students came running after us. So we got back in the van and drove a bit further. When we were far enough away from the crowds, Jackie got out of the van to have a look around and pose for some photos. While we were taking pictures, he spotted a few bicycles parked on the side of the road, and as he approached one, its owner appeared and very nicely offered to let Jackie borrow it to have a quick spin. Here are the pictures:

Jackie makes a quick repair as the bicycle's owner looks on.

When we got back to London it was quite late at night. But Jackie’s energy is boundless, so we kept going. We met with several other people for dinner at a French restaurant. There were so many of us squeezed around a tiny table that we were practically sitting in one another’s laps! But it was a delicious dinner and everyone enjoyed our last night in London together.

In the morning, we packed up our things and drove to an airport outside of the city. We were very lucky to have the chance to take a private jet for our long flight to Beijing. While we waited in the little airport, Jackie took a few photos with some young fans and then we just sat and chatted until the time for departure arrived.

As we were sitting and going through the photos on the back of my camera, Jackie looked up, pointed to a man standing about twenty feet away from where we were sitting, and said, “Isn’t that…uh...uh...uh…isn’t that…?? ”(You see, even Jackie gets excited when he sees a celebrity!)  “Yes!” I said. “That’s Mick Jagger.” Jackie jumped up and went running over to say hello. After a few minutes, he came back and sat down. Immediately he said, “Oh damn! I should have asked him to record something about the earthquake.” Jackie’s brain was working overtime to think of ways to help the earthquake victims, and getting his celebrity friends to record messages is just one of them. He’s even asked Brett Ratner to help him get this done.

We boarded the plane and everyone found a seat and settled in. The front compartment of the plane was the largest, and there was a back section that had two seats facing each other and a bench that could turn into a bed. I took the seat at the very back of the plane and ended up sitting alone in my own little section. I seized the opportunity and took out the laptop to get some work done.

After the plane had climbed into the sky, Jackie got up from his seat and plunked himself down into the chair opposite mine.

“I want to talk to you,” he said. “For your ‘Around the World With Jackie Chan’ story.”  (That’s what Jackie calls these Scrapbook articles.)

“Okay,” I said, and reached for my mp3 recorder.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m going to record what you say.”

“No. Put it away. Just listen.”

So I did. I just sat and listened while Jackie talked for over half an hour. He talked, of course, about the earthquake. It is on his mind constantly and he said that he can’t relax until he’s done everything in his power to help all the people. He told stories that he’d heard on the television news reports, and he asked me to tell you some of them. One story was about a man who was found digging through the rubble. Someone asked him what he was doing and he said he was looking for his daughter. “But your daughter is dead, sir,” he was told. He said he knew that. “I’m looking for her leg,” he replied, and continued digging.

Another story was about a beggar in the streets of Beijing. This beggar collected coins for days and then brought all his coins to the bank to be turned into bills. He then donated the bills to the earthquake relief fund. He said that he would have been embarrassed to bring so many coins in; that he wanted to do it properly.

An old woman was found sitting by the side of a ruined house in a neighborhood completely destroyed by the earthquake. When rescue workers tried to lead her away, she resisted. “I’m waiting for my husband,” she told them. Since there were no survivors in the area, the rescuers tried to talk the woman into coming with them, but she continued to refuse. “My husband is coming. I have to wait for him.”

Jackie’s eyes filled with tears and his voice broke as he told a story about four Chinese soldiers who were attending to an injured child trapped in the rubble of a building. The soldiers could not remove the child because of the heavy stones that were on top of her. Suddenly, they were given orders to evacuate the area because of the danger of flooding. The soldiers did not want to leave, but they had to obey their commander. Not knowing what else to do, they gave the child a bottle of water and began to walk away. They had taken only a few steps when all four of them abruptly turned back and returned to the child. They had defied a direct order from a superior and they had risked their own lives rather than leave the child alone.

Jackie said that there were dozens, maybe hundreds of stories such as these and that he wanted the whole world to hear them. “Someday,” he said, “I will tell the world these stories.”

He talked about what he’s doing to raise money for the earthquake victims and about planning for the future. He says that China cannot stay sad forever; the people have to start to rebuild their lives. He thinks it will take 10 years to rebuild the areas that were devastated; therefore he is planning annual fundraising events to carry the people through. He said that he is deeply grateful for the help from people all over the world and that he is also very proud of his own country for putting aside their usual practices and letting the media enter and report on the disaster and for accepting help from the outside world. And he wanted to say thank you to everyone who has donated money to his charities; he promised to use every penny for rebuilding the schools in Sichuan. (In the weeks following the earthquake, Jackie's fans donated a total of nearly US $8,000.)

As he talked, it was quite clear that he was heartbroken over what happened on May 12^th and that it has completely taken over his life. Although he continues to fulfill his obligations, any extra time he has is devoted to the earthquake victims.

When he was done talking, he got up and went into the front area of the plane. I sat thinking about everything he said; I wish that I had a videotape of him talking. When he is passionate about things, he is a very engaging speaker and his expressions and body language only add to the impact of his words. But you've seen enough of Jackie to imagine what he looked like as he spoke.  

After we ate some dinner, I settled back into my seat to read. Minutes later, Jackie sat down in the seat opposite mine, opened up the small table between us, and plopped down a foot-high stack of magazines.

Now most people settle back comfortably in a chair and leisurely page through a magazine. Not Jackie; he has a style all his own. He opens the magazine on the table in front of him, sits up nice and straight, and flips through the pages one by one, from the back of the magazine to the front. He scans each page quickly and then flips to the next one, occasionally stopping when he sees something that catches his interest. He also carries with him a special little cutter that allows him to neatly remove a page that he wants to keep for reference. And he delights in collecting every single sample pack of moisturizer, shampoo, or conditioner that is stuck on the pages of many magazines. By the time he’d gone through the stack of magazines in front of him, he had a pile of little sample packets next to him, all of which he put into his knapsack to take home. "Why waste them?" he says.

Occasionally he asked a question about something he saw or he shared something interesting. Once he asked me what some unidentifiable object was in a photo on one of the pages. I turned the magazine toward me to read the caption.

“This is written in Russian,” I said. “How can you read a Russian magazine?”

“The photos aren’t in Russian,” he said, grinning.

He asked me what I was reading, and I showed him the National Geographic Magazine I’d bought at the airport. He grabbed it and quickly began going through the pages. "Tell me everything you read," he said. I gave him a summary of articles about Stonehenge, Siberian Oil Wealth, Snow Leopards, and Afghan Antiquities. Jackie loves to learn new things and his brain is like a sponge, constantly soaking in every bit of information around him. I always say that Jackie would have made a great teacher. He also would have been a great student; his curiosity and desire to learn (plus his willingness to work hard) would have served him well in school.

Jackie tidies up the plane.

Eventually it was time to go to sleep; the flight to Beijing was a long one. Jackie confiscated the bed in the rear compartment and immediately fell asleep. I settled back in my chair, inserted a good set of earplugs, and before I knew it we were approaching Beijing. After landing, we were met by staff from our Beijing office and after retrieving our luggage, it was time to go our separate ways. Jackie and Solon would stay in Beijing and I would continue on to Hong Kong. I waved goodbye to Jackie and Solon and walked toward my flight back to Hong Kong.

ON THE ROAD WITH JACKIE CHAN:
TRIP TO EUROPE: CANNES FILM FESTIVAL IN FRANCE
(DAYS ONE AND TWO)

ON THE ROAD WITH JACKIE CHAN:
TRIP TO EUROPE: OFF TO LONDON!
(DAYS THREE AND FOUR)

ON THE ROAD WITH JACKIE CHAN:
TRIP TO EUROPE: SHOPPING IN LONDON AND OTHER THINGS 
(DAY FIVE)

Text and photos ©2008 The JC Group. All Rights Reserved.

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