"Six months after that, I left Taiwan, first for Hong Kong and then for mainland China, where I spent another three months studying still more Chinese and generally kicking around the country"
- Eric Allin Cornell
About this Quote
Eric Allin Cornell's quote speaks to his experience of living and studying in China. He first arrived in Taiwan six months prior, and then moved to Hong Kong before heading to mainland China. Throughout his 3 months in mainland China, he committed himself to finding out more Chinese and checking out the country. His quote shows his enthusiasm for the culture and language of China, and his desire to immerse himself in the nation. It likewise speaks to his daring spirit, as he was willing to take a trip and check out different parts of the nation. His quote is a testimony to the power of travel and knowing, and how it can open up brand-new opportunities and experiences.
"The problem with a lot of Chinese is that they put up divisions between Taiwanese, Hong Kong natives, mainlanders. We are never united. I really hope that the Chinese can be more united"
"American stuntmen are smart - they think about safety. When they do a jump in a car, they calculate everything: the speed, the distance... But in Hong Kong, we don't know how to count. Everything we do is a guess. If you've got the guts, you do it. All of my stuntmen have gotten hurt"
"And I managed to arrange to get some research support and to stay in Hong Kong for another year and a half, interviewing people coming out of China, both Westerners and Chinese. And that was my first real research study on thought reform or so-called brainwashing"
"In the West audiences think I am a stereotyped action star, or that I always play hitmen or killers. But in Hong Kong, I did a lot of comedy, many dramatic films, and most of all, romantic roles, lots of love stories. I was like a romance novel hero"
"It's a remake of a film called Inferno Affairs. It's a Hong Kong film, and if we come anywhere close to what they did in the original, we're going to have a hot property on our hands, because Inferno Affairs is a great piece"
"That's so different in Hong Kong when I'm using my own mother language, I can treat the line in one thousand different ways, with many different reactions"
"I would love mainland Chinese to read my book. There is a Chinese translation which I worked on myself, published in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Many copies have gone into China but it is still banned"
"Be realistic and truthful - and tell Hong Kong businessmen honestly that they should go for long-term investments since it is unlikely money can be made in the short haul"
