Keith British
Lee Kwun-chap, also known as Keith British, is a professional guzheng player with a hobby: collecting teacups. He runs the Keith English Cottage blog, which is all about living the English lifestyle. He tells Isabelle Hon about his teacups and his life.
HK Magazine: How did you get into playing the guzheng?
Keith British: In 1998, when I was 15, I watched a movie called “Deadful Melody.” I was amazed by the person playing the guzheng. I started to play as a hobby, listening to CDs and practicing every day.
HK: How long did it take to go from zero to professional?
KB: One year. After teaching myself for a few months, I took an exam to get to performance standard, then I went to the mainland to seek a master. The training was really tough. I cried many times!
HK: When did you start collecting English teacups?
KB: Ten years ago, when I was on my Japan trip, I was deeply attracted to the Victorian decorations in Disneyland. Then I visited my friends’ house in Osaka and saw their lovely English teacups. How adorable! Now I have more than 100 teacups: the most expensive one is worth around $2,000.
HK: Which one’s your favorite?
KB: I searched more than 20 department stores in Japan, and bought myself a ticket to the UK just to search for this one baby blue teacup. It was my favorite: I used it to drink my favorite “wedding tea” but it’s broken now. I am trying to ask friends in the UK to get me a new one.
HK: So that teacup changed your life?
KB: After collecting the tableware, I started collecting antique things, making my house into a floral garden, baking cakes and planting English roses. Before getting into the English lifestyle, my house was decorated in a modern Japanese style. At that time I rarely had breakfast, but now a nice English breakfast has become one of the things I most look forward to. Likewise, at first I thought roses were too girly, but English roses are really different. Most of the flowers in my garden are imported from Europe. However, because of the humidity and hot weather, they only survive for a week or two.
HK: So, how can we live like you?
KB: I put everything on my blog. At first I didn’t show my face, and my followers all wondered if I was an elegant old woman. They were surprised after seeing me! If you want to enjoy the lifestyle, here is my tip: Research before buying. There are so many different styles: British, French, American, either the village style or a classic look. Find out which style suits you the most, buy the larger furniture, then gradually collect the smaller things. Give away what you don’t need, and keep it minimal. But Hongkongers can rarely enjoy a relaxed lifestyle, since they are busy with work and don’t cook every day. Just try to enjoy yourself on weekends and treat yourself better!