Bowie Lam is known in the industry for being a very filial son. One time, a magazine wanted to interview him about his filialness to his parents, however Bowie graciously declined the request. In an era where it seems to be a common occurrence for children to publicly yell at their parents in the streets, Bowie continues to hold firm in his belief that as children, there is a natural obligation to be filial to our parents and it’s not something that needs to be deliberately talked about. Even though his own mother passed away 4 years ago, Bowie still continues to think about her every so often. **The following are Bowie’s words as recorded by the reporter: I am an only child and so my parents doted on me and treated me very well. Prior to having me, my mother had a job taking care of the children of British soldiers stationed in Hong Kong, however after she became pregnant, she quit her job to become a full-time mother. From the British soldiers, my mother learned many things, such as the value of being courteous and also how to resolve issues – if you are able to resolve problems on your own, don’t bother other people with it. Both of these values deeply impacted me – in fact, I continued to learn a lot from my mother, even up until the day she left this world. Having a heavy heart while filming I remember on June 4, 2007, while I was filming The Gem of Life, my mother’s health took a turn for the worse. At the time, her digestive tract was damaged and the doctors had to insert a tube through her nose in order for her to get the nutrients she needed. My heart ached seeing her in that condition, but I still set aside time to go buy a wheelchair, ventilator, and other equipment so that her illness could be more bearable. Later on, the series required shooting on location in France, so I told my mother: ‘Mama, I will be away filming for 1 month, you have to wait for me to return, ok?’ Even though my mother couldn’t move because of a stroke and her face was expressionless, I knew in my heart that she had heard me. On July 3rd, when I returned to HK, my mother’s condition had already worsened. I rushed to the hospital and as I watched the pulse line on the heart monitor slowly become a straight line, my tears flowed endlessly. I kissed my mother on the forehead and whispered ‘have a good journey’ as she left us. Right afterwards, I called TVB to request the day off and the very next day, I completed all the arrangements for my mother’s funeral. By the third day, I was already back at work and even had to film a happy scene – even I wondered how I would be able to pull it off? But as an actor, I had to remain professional – after work though, I would think about my mom and would constantly ask myself what I could have done better in terms of her funeral arrangements. Dad is proud of me I feel that it’s my duty to be filial to my parents. My ‘god-sister’ Mannor Chan once invited me to her home to watch fireworks and I insisted that I would only go if I could bring my mom with me. When my mom was alive, I would constantly hold her hand when we walked down the street; after she passed away, I would hold my dad’s hand. He wasn’t used to it at first, but later on, every time I held his hand, I could see the joy and the ‘I am proud of you’ expression on his face. Now, whenever I have time, I take my dad out to have dim sum and often play around with him, make him happy. When my mom passed away, my dad was very heart-broken and sad, so I would tell him that Mama only went to a far away place and some day, the three of us would be reunited again in that place. Creds: Oriental Daily/AF
