Tuesday February 17, 2009
Wendy Wong’s diary
By SETO KIT YAN
Be an armchair traveller and discover Europe through Wendy Wong’s travelogue.
For Wendy Wong, two weeks of hasty planning led to two years of constant travelling. An initial trip to Switzerland in 2006, which saw her driving from Zurich to Geneva, inspired her to produce a travelogue series for TV1.
Keen to share her experiences with fellow Malaysians, the actress-turned-businesswoman produced, directed and hosted the English language travel show, Europe through the Eyes of Malaysia.
During a recent press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek congratulated Wong for embodying the Malaysia Boleh spirit in her travels.
“A wise man once said that ‘travelling thousands of miles is better than reading thousands of books’ and I believe Europe through the Eyes of Malaysia reflects that,” said Ahmad Shabery.
Wendy Wong walking through a street carnival in Barcelona in Europe through the Eyes of Malaysia. The show sees Wong driving through Europe in a campervan with seven crew members covering 1,200km in 45 days.
“I think Malaysians should try something new like driving through Europe. I’d like to share with others how easy it is to get around using GPS (global positioning system). We also tried other modes of transport: bus, van and train.
“I must thank the crew members who had to multitask – the cameraman became the driver and the audioman became the chef. Travelling in a campervan was convenient and cost-saving as we didn’t have to bother about booking hotel rooms,” Wong continued.
The show’s co-producer, Nancie Foo, agreed that the tight budget was a major concern and expressed her appreciation for the assistance extended by the various foreign embassies and tourism offices. “Our crew had to survive on a shoestring budget so they had to bring along instant noodles for the trip.”
Wong added: “Did you know that in Europe one can of Coca-Cola costs RM30? So when I returned to KL, I drank a whole bottle straightaway. And a hamburger for breakfast would cost almost RM300. So you’ll see me doing the cooking sometimes in the show!”
Season One, comprising 26 half-hour episodes, started airing three months ago. Filmed in 2006, the unscripted travelogue saw them touring nine countries in western Europe: Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Andorra, Spain, Monaco, Italy and Austria.
In western Europe, Wong found memorable, though not so well known places, like Chamonix, which is between the border of Switzerland and France.
“To me, it is the most beautiful; small but unique. It’s very cosy and we had to go everywhere on foot as cars were not allowed. Having breakfast against a backdrop of snow was one of the best memories,” said Wong.
The crew continued with the filming of the Second Season, comprising 26 episodes, in 2007, which took them through countries in eastern Europe: Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Bosnia.
“When I was in Bosnia, many of my friends were quite worried for me. But, to my surprise, it turned out to be among the safest of countries. The people are friendly because they are living in peace now.”
For Season Three, which is set to begin filming in May, Wong has been invited to shoot in Madrid and is eyeing Portugal and Morocco, while Foo has a view for the Americas.
Wong had to take off for her honeymoon right after the press conference, but the workaholic in her couldn’t help but factor her travelogue ideas into her three-week romantic holiday. “I’ll be taking a 12-day leisure cruise, which is something I’ve not done before. We’ll be going to Rome, Barcelona, Morocco, Portugal, Casablanca and Malaga in Spain.”
The 43-year-old Wong, now known as Wani Wendy Wong Abdullah, embraced Islam late last year and married 58-year-old businessman Yacob Chik last month after a three-year courtship.
Europe through the Eyes of Malaysia, produced by Produksi Seni 2020, airs on TV1 every Tuesday at 2.30pm. Other programmes produced by Produksi Seni 2020 include morning breakfast show Rise & Shine (TV2, Mondays, 7am) and food programme Let’s Dine, set to air on TV2 soon.
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