Mui-interview of those days
Ah Mui received a bouquet of 400 roses on her 1992 birthday
by Har Meing Ying
Since Anita Mui became popular, her birthday of every year is very hilarious, except this year. She went to Lantau Island for monks food on 10/10, because she thought it was not worth for celebration.
She had a little bit of drink and was a a bit high, Ah Mui sobbed and told me: [This is my happiest day during these few years.]
Before this one, when she was 22, she had the most unforgettable birthday. That year she organized her 1st birthday party, as her career was getting on very smoothly, the sales volume of her albums got 8 "white gold", and she had 15 shows of her concert.
Back to the birthday of this year, when everyone was very high, suddenly someone sent a huge bouquet of pink roses to her at dinner. Ah Mui estimated that it should be at least 300-400 roses. She thought: [Very expensive.] She never imagined she would receive flowers when she was having dinner party, as she already got many bouquets the day before her birthday, her home already looked like a flower garden.
Among the flowers, there was a little greeting card, on it was only written: "Dearest Anita....from secret person" [(sounds very ordinary) Anita Mui thought]. By 6th sense of a woman, she knew it was from Ben Lam. He never told her, and she didn't want to ask.
Ah Mui was asked if her boy friend had kissed her in front of others, she smiled and said: [He wouldn't do that, he is very shy, only gave me a peck on the cheek.]
Ben Lam once said it was a difficult thing to give An Mui gift. But last year, he selected a watch to give Ah Mui for her birthday. Ah Mui said: [I treasure it, so don't wear it all the time.] This year? ---- [Not even a card. But I am still very happy, because he knows how to send flowers.] The first time Ah Mui received his flowers was on Valentines' Day this years.
That night, every one was very high. Did Ben Lam propose to her when he was high? [How can he be that impulsive. He is such a male chauvinist. I know he wants to have his career well established first, he is too rational. Anyway, as long as we are happy, that is good enough. It is not I have no confidence in him, I have no confidence in marriage. We have only dated for more than a year, let's wait for longer lar.]
How many points is this man worth in Ah Mui's heart? She said: [If to evaluate, it is unfair to him, because he has to be discounted for many points for some areas of him, and for some he will get extra points.]
His driving will be discounted for most points. Ah Mui said directly: [He is very bad tempered when driving. When I was young, I like people speeding too. Once when we were shooting a film in an overseas country, we had an accident. A foreign producer was driving. Though I was sitting at back seat, but corner of my eye got hurt. Since then, I don't like to sit in a speeding car anymore.]
Not lovely enough like a little bird
He will get discounted also for being too male chauvinist. [He is easily influenced by what his friends said. All his friends think that I am too dominant. I think it is mainly because his self-respect is too strong, he never thinks that he is a male chauvinist.] In Ah Mui's calm tone, one will sense there is some regret: [When a female is too successful in career, she will not succeed in her love life. Men would think you are so good in many things, you won't be lovely as a little bird.]
Ah Mui has made a review of herself; [Actually I'm not a dominant woman, but I don't want to be a weak woman. Respect is most important. If you are over doing, I will react to show you my strength. Men would think that I am full of authority, like a strong woman. Actually I feel inferior, but I'm proud that I have self-respect.]
Ben Lam will get extra points for being straight forward. She said: [Sometimes even too much. He is not suitable for this industry, so I suggest him to learn to do business. He is now at learning stage, as he is doing some trading with friends in mainland China.]
Ah Mui likes working, she said: [Even after I get married, I will continue to work, because I don't like my husband to work all by himself.]
Many people might think Ah Mui is a rich lady of this circle, but Ah Mui said seriously: [I'm not as rich as people think. Every family has its own problem. I have to support my family, so my expense is huge.]
If she retires now, does her saving can survive her for life? Her reply is like this: [Not enough.] She explained: [It is because all my investment is losing money. My properties in England, Canada and Japan all depreciated. All my money is tired up. I have more properties than cash. Of course, if just for a simple life, should be enough. But for safety sake, also working gives me mental support, not only makes me feel myself useful, also makes me feel better.]
梅艷芳收神秘人400枝粉紅玫瑰
三個投資俱蝕本 就此收山養老難
梅艷芳走紅以來，每一年的生日都過得熱熱鬧，唯獨是今年雙十，阿梅選擇了與少數好友到大嶼山吃齋菜，原因是她認為不值得大事慶祝。
晚上，阿梅參加張國忠的生日晚宴，國忠與她同月同日生，送給她的生日禮物是最實惠的「一席酒」。這一夜筳開席，阿倫、志偉、草蜢、譚耀文、藍潔瑛、吳君如、劉培基等都來祝賀壽星公、壽星女，阿梅說：「朋友多得出乎意料，我好感動。很多人都說娛樂圈最現實，而我正處於事業的最低潮，卻感受到濃郁的友情。」
在「飲大o左少少，所以High D」的情況下，阿梅哭了，她跟我說：「這是我整年之中最開心的一天。」
在這之前，阿梅最難忘的生日，是二十二歲那年，那是她第一次搞生日派對，事業開始踏入順境，唱片銷量拿八白金，開十五場演唱會。
說回今年生日，當大家正玩得興高采烈之時，忽然有人送來一大盆粉紅玫瑰，據阿梅估計，大概有三、四百枝，她心裏想：「好大手筆。」她完全沒想過吃飯時還會收到花，因為生日前一天，家裏的花已多得像花園。
男友賀卡欠奉
鮮花堆裏夾著一張小小的卡，上面寫著：Dearest Anita，(「咁o既稱呼好普通o者。」阿梅認為。)署名是「神秘人」。憑女性的直覺，她知道一定是林國斌送的，雖然他沒告訴她，而她也不想去問。
問阿梅，男友有否跟她當眾擁吻，阿梅輕輕的笑了一聲：「他不會做這種事，他很害羞，只在我臉上吻了一下。」
林國斌曾說，送禮物給阿梅是一件難事，不過去年她生日，他還是精心挑選了一枚手表為禮，阿梅說：「我唔捨得成日戴。」今年嘛──「連卡都欠奉，不過我都好開心，因為佢唔係一個識送花o既人。」她第一次收到他的花，是今年情人節。
那一夜的氣氛，令每個人都「High晒」，林國斌有沒有趁High求婚呢？「佢點會咁衝動。佢咁大男人，我知道他希望先打好事業基礎，他太理智了。總之，兩個人開心就算，我不是對他沒有信心，而是對婚姻沒有信心。我跟他拍拖才年多，睇耐D先喇。」
這個男友，在阿梅心目中，值多少分數呢？她說：「如果評分，對佢好唔Fair，因為佢有D o野要扣好多分，但有D又要加分。」
林國斌被扣分最多的，是駕車時的表現。阿梅非常直接地指出：「佢駕車脾氣好臭。年輕時我都鍾意開快車，但有一次在外國拍戲撞車，駕車的是鬼佬製片，我坐後座也撞爆眼角，從此留下陰影，現在我不喜歡坐快車。」
不夠小鳥依人
另一被扣分的，是他太大男人。阿梅認為：「他太容易受朋友的說話影響，他的朋友都以為我大女人。我想主要是他的自尊心太強，佢根本唔覺得自己大男人。」阿梅平靜的語氣之中流露出一點欷歔：「女人事業太好，在感情上總是失敗，男人覺得你好多o野都掂，唔夠小鳥依人。」
但阿梅撫心自問：「我查實唔係大女人，我只是不想做弱質女性，尊嚴是最重要的，你過分，我會還以顏色，男人便認為我霸氣，以為我『懶』女強人本色。我其實是自卑的，唯一的驕傲就是有骨氣。」
而林國斌最令阿梅加分的，是做人夠真。她說：「有時候還真得過分，根本不適合做這一行，所以我建議他學做生意，他正在學習期間，跟朋友到大陸搞點貿易。」
阿梅喜歡工作，她說：「就算婚後我也要做事，我不想老公一個人捱咁辛苦。」
或許很多人都認為阿梅是圈中富女，但阿梅很認真的說：「我不是別人想像中那麼富有，一家唔知一家事，我又要養家，開支很大。」
如果現在就收山，她的積蓄夠吃一世嗎？阿梅的答案竟然是：「不夠。」她解釋說：「因為我的投資都蝕本，英國、加拿大、日本的物業都跌價，壓死晒D錢，而我是物業多過現錢。當然，如果安安分分，也總夠生活，但我想保險一點，而且寄情工作，覺得自己有用些，心都比較好。」
文：夏棉茵 1992年