Scrapbook
Once the auction was over we walked across the hotel complex to our rooms. On the way back, I noticed something rather unusual:
The hotel wired fake flowers to the trees to make things look nice.
These are the hotel grounds.
There was a break between activities, so everyone took the opportunity to rest or have something to eat. Jackie laid down to take a nap and I was working at the computer desk when someone knocked on the door of the suite. I didn't recognize who it was, so I slipped the security chain into place, opened the door a crack, and asked the young man standing there what it was he wanted. He said that he needed to talk to Jackie Chan and he asked me if I knew which room was Jackie's. I told him that I had no idea, although unbeknownst to him, he was standing at Jackie's door as we spoke. He told me again that he needed to talk to Jackie. As I wondered how this guy had gotten upstairs to the secure wing of the hotel the elevator in the hallway burst open and three security guards exploded from it, charged right at the man and escorted him away, apologizing to me the entire time. Somehow the guy had slipped through security. I closed the door and thought about what had just happened. I don't normally spend time worrying about Jackie's security, especially when he's inside a hotel. There is a reason why Jackie travels with bodyguards in certain parts of the world. Anyway, Jackie is a smart guy and knows enough not to answer doors or telephones in hotels and when we are traveling, a staff member always stays with him to take care of any problems that may arise. Certainly this trip was proving to be the most unnerving in terms of the lengths fans were willing to go to in order to get close to Jackie.
After Jackie rested for a while, he got dressed for the evening's event - a charity concert. He chose a white Chinese style suit with a sleeveless linen shirt. He looked exquisite and I was sure the fans would be thrilled to see his outfit and that they'd be especially happy to see that Jackie always wears these Chinese style suits to show how proud he is of his heritage.
When we arrived we were escorted to a waiting room where Jackie was met by the Tibetan singing group A Jia. I didn't want to stay there and miss the performances going on out in the stadium, so I left and went out into the arena. I couldn't believe the size of the venue - - there was an enormous stage, thousands of people in the stands, and seating for hundreds more on the floor area. I looked around for a good spot to station myself and decided on a place on the floor in front of the stage. This turned out to be a pretty good decision because no one sat down in front of me and I had a clear view of the stage. There was one really annoying video cameraman who got in my way several times during the evening, but he got in everyone's way so I can't really feel singled out. You will surely see him when you look at the videos in this Scrapbook.
The hotel wired fake flowers to the trees to make things look nice.
These are the hotel grounds.
There was a break between activities, so everyone took the opportunity to rest or have something to eat. Jackie laid down to take a nap and I was working at the computer desk when someone knocked on the door of the suite. I didn't recognize who it was, so I slipped the security chain into place, opened the door a crack, and asked the young man standing there what it was he wanted. He said that he needed to talk to Jackie Chan and he asked me if I knew which room was Jackie's. I told him that I had no idea, although unbeknownst to him, he was standing at Jackie's door as we spoke. He told me again that he needed to talk to Jackie. As I wondered how this guy had gotten upstairs to the secure wing of the hotel the elevator in the hallway burst open and three security guards exploded from it, charged right at the man and escorted him away, apologizing to me the entire time. Somehow the guy had slipped through security. I closed the door and thought about what had just happened. I don't normally spend time worrying about Jackie's security, especially when he's inside a hotel. There is a reason why Jackie travels with bodyguards in certain parts of the world. Anyway, Jackie is a smart guy and knows enough not to answer doors or telephones in hotels and when we are traveling, a staff member always stays with him to take care of any problems that may arise. Certainly this trip was proving to be the most unnerving in terms of the lengths fans were willing to go to in order to get close to Jackie.
After Jackie rested for a while, he got dressed for the evening's event - a charity concert. He chose a white Chinese style suit with a sleeveless linen shirt. He looked exquisite and I was sure the fans would be thrilled to see his outfit and that they'd be especially happy to see that Jackie always wears these Chinese style suits to show how proud he is of his heritage.
When we arrived we were escorted to a waiting room where Jackie was met by the Tibetan singing group A Jia. I didn't want to stay there and miss the performances going on out in the stadium, so I left and went out into the arena. I couldn't believe the size of the venue - - there was an enormous stage, thousands of people in the stands, and seating for hundreds more on the floor area. I looked around for a good spot to station myself and decided on a place on the floor in front of the stage. This turned out to be a pretty good decision because no one sat down in front of me and I had a clear view of the stage. There was one really annoying video cameraman who got in my way several times during the evening, but he got in everyone's way so I can't really feel singled out. You will surely see him when you look at the videos in this Scrapbook.
Jackie backstage with A Jia.
Jackie waited backstage while the first few performances took place. The Disciple group performed first and I have to tell you that they are very talented and great fun to watch. Not only do they sing, dance, act, and do martial arts, they also radiate that special charisma and star quality that separates them from the crowd.
When they were finished there were several very touching performances by local children. All of these children are mentally or physically handicapped and when the crowd saw how much time and effort they'd put into practicing for this concert, they showed their appreciation with thunderous applause.
When they were finished there were several very touching performances by local children. All of these children are mentally or physically handicapped and when the crowd saw how much time and effort they'd put into practicing for this concert, they showed their appreciation with thunderous applause.
The Disciple guys visit with one of the young performers before the show.
The Disciple finalists and winners perform.
Next up was A Jai, a singing group from Tibet. Jackie met them several years ago and he invited them to accompany us throughout the Dragon's Heart trip. They are the first all-women singing group from Tibet and believe me when I tell you, they're outstanding. They combine traditional Tibetan music with modern pop and the result is extraordinary. As well as being beautiful and talented, they're terrifically friendly and lots of fun to be with.
Here is some video of A Jia performing:
Once A Jia finished, the Disciple crew came out again and then it was time for Jackie to make an appearance. When he emerged onstage, the audience went wild; the noise was deafening. I began taking photos and it was through the lens of my camera that I noticed Jackie was sporting a big (really big) Dragon's Heart sticker on his beautiful Blanc de Chine silk suit. "Hmm," I wondered to myself. "What could he have been thinking?" It wasn't until later on that I found out the reason why Jackie's clothes were decorated by this big green and white sticker. It turns out that backstage while he was waiting for his turn to sing, he'd discovered a rip in the pocket of his suit. Actually, it was more than a rip - - the pocket was more or less hanging off the jacket. Lacking the time to sew it back on, Jackie had taken one of the giant Dragon's Heart stickers and plastered it over the offending pocket. Problem solved!
Jackie's clever solution to a wardrobe malfunction.
Jackie sang several songs and talked to the audience non-stop for three quarters of an hour. Everyone in the stadium was smiling but the broadest smile of all was on the face of Big Brother. I'm sure most of you know that Jackie has been a singer since he was a child and over the years he's recorded hundreds of songs. However, once his movie career heated up and he became involved in more things, singing had to take a back seat. It seems that in the past year or so, Jackie's interest has been reignited; don't forget that he recorded several songs for the Sichuan earthquake victims as well as for the Beijing Olympics. He always says that he's happiest when he's filming movies and doing charity work, but certainly singing is becoming closer and closer to his heart.
Lots of photos of Jackie from the concert:
Here is Jackie singing Endless Love (Theme from The Myth) with one of the Disciple finalists:
Jackie singing a capella:
Before he said goodnight, Jackie met with two young sisters, both blind, who came up on stage to say hello. Since they could not see him, he invited them to place their hands on his face and body. It was a very thrilling thing to see and the girls were overjoyed. The evening finished up with a performance by Jackie and the Disciples and then it was time to make our way to the vans.
This blind girl can "see" Jackie with her hands.
Here's a little (shaky) video, complete with the back of a rude videographer's head:
Back at the hotel Jackie was still quite animated and we spent some time talking and reminiscing about the day. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, we said goodnight and went to sleep. We would be attending one more function in the morning and then we'd make our way to our respective homes, some of us going back to Hong Kong, others to Beijing. It had been a long and satisfying day. Between the concert and the auction, Jackie had raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Dragon's Heart charity. It doesn't get much better than that.
These are the clothes Jackie was wearing at the auction. They're waiting to be picked up by the man who won the bid for them.
Text and photos © The JC Group/ Katharine Schroeder
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved
