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Edward Lam Yick-wah

'To be honest, I don't share much of my 24 hours with others except when I am producing a drama - I dedicate those hours to my audience - or when I teach at university; then I spend time with the students.

By saying I don't spend time with others, I mean I don't spend time hanging out with friends. I don't have hang-out friends whom I would call to go shopping or sing karaoke. I don't even attend social gatherings for the sake of exchanging information. If some local film critics were to gather for a meal or something, I would not be interested in going. I am a loner in this sense and I am used to being one.

I like my time at night, when I can quiet myself down to do some reading or watch some movies. It is at least 10 or 11 o'clock before I settle down as I normally finish work about 9pm. I usually read some books, watch movies or TV programmes on the subjects I find interesting, such as literature, philosophy, psychology, cooking, health culture and body politics. Basically I read everything related to these - but sorry, not science. I find science dreadfully boring. I always find it hard to go to bed as I have so much to read. I know I need to be disciplined. I normally drop 'dead' in bed at two or three in the morning.

I get up at 9am, which means I don't have much sleep. I prefer making breakfast by myself and it always consists of something fresh, like vegetables and fruit juice. And then I work out in a gym in Central for about one-and-a-half hours. It is a habit I picked up when I was living in England some years ago. Before staying in England, I never exercised. After that, I come back to my office, also the head office of Zuni [Icosahedron], in Happy Valley and do some writing or research. As I am the artistic director of Zuni, I am responsible for the artistic direction of this drama group. Usually I work in the office until 8pm.

Although I regard myself as a loner, I do spend a lot of time with my soulmate, with whom I will go to the gym, read books or dine. When we are together, we don't talk much. I enjoy his quiet companionship.

I find it important to be alone. I always think friendship is just an illusion - a bunch of people getting attached to each other so they can avoid facing their problems. As I am a committed person, it is unbearable for me to work with those who just spend a slice of their time or concentration on a project. That's maybe one of the reasons I don't like hanging out with people.

Lifestyle to me is all about being simple. I don't go after fine dining, though I can understand people regarding a proper meal as having the right companions and a comfortable environment plus sufficient time. I spend little money on food. I don't mind eating in tea restaurants. In fact, I can write quite prolifically there as it is noisy enough to keep my mind active. When I need some clothes, I walk into Muji and grab the ones I like. With clothes, I just want them to be clean and tidy. I don't like shopping as I don't fancy I'll become magically handsome by sporting nice clothes.

Being an arts critic and drama producer, I have to be a 'global citizen'. During the past six months, I travelled back and forth between Beijing and Hong Kong to supervise two dramas. I also flew to Taiwan a few times to hold workshops for some Taiwanese artists. In the past, people like me didn't have to fly that often, but now more Chinese cities are interested in Hong Kong drama, travelling is almost inevitable.

In my drama exploration I am always critical of the superficiality of Hong Kong society. Many Hongkongers indulge themselves in sensual excitement and do not want to face themselves. I always want to ask them: 'How much longer do you need to rely on gossip magazines and karaoke for survival?'

Apart from directing dramas, I am also a freelance lecturer of general education courses for the University of Hong Kong and the humanities faculty of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. When I teach, I am doing the same thing as when I write: sharing my interest and knowledge on culture and creative writing with people, just in different ways. I spend about two hours with the students each week. In class, I am like the conductor of an orchestra, helping the students to speak up instead of doing all the talking myself. I will provide material or news clippings for them to discuss and I tape all their discussions. At the next class, they will get a transcript of what they said.

I have two dreams: one is to own a TV channel and produce programmes I think are interesting; the other is to host a talk show on radio, so I can interview interesting people. I love interviewing people because each one has a fascinating story to tell. It is such a lovely job to be able to help the audience understand more about them.'

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