Taiwanese actress Gwei Lun Mei reveals a love for travelling solo

The striking beauty is the new brand ambassador for Montblanc.

Montblanc brand ambassador Gwei Lun Mei is known for her innocent, girl-next-door persona, but the face of the Bohème Collection is feisty.

“I’m the sort of person who does what I want whether it is in my career or personal life so I can definitely relate to the Bohème spirit which is about independence, maturity and freedom. The collection is for the woman who knows what she wants and who dares to go after her dreams – like me. I don’t know what the future holds so whatever I want to do, I will do it to the best of my ability,” says Gwei at the launch of the Bohème Collection in Shanghai, China recently.

Preferring to speak in Mandarin (although she can converse in both English and French) during an interview with the Malaysian media, Gwei shares how the brand’s six-point star logo that symbolises the snowcapped peak of Europe's Mont Blanc used to pique her curiosity as a young girl watching her father write with his precious Montblanc writing instrument.

“At age 30, I feel lucky to be the luxury brand’s ambassador because now I know that the logo represents top notch craftsmanship and creativity,” she enthuses.

Gwei, a former magazine columnist, finds deadlines tedious. She feels her writing pace is very slow and struggles to churn out something when her heart is not in it. 

“If I don’t feel strongly about something, I can’t write. But because of the looming deadline, I force myself to churn something out despite not having anything to say. That’s why I stopped. If I were to write a book one day, it could drag on for years,” she adds sheepishly.

In an era dominated by e-mail and texting, she feels old school communication is irreplaceable. She still sends handwritten cards on special occasions because it is more meaningful.

While the porcelain beauty looks like the epitome of femininity, her choice of timepieces is not typically girly. Professing a deep appreciation for the detailed mechanics in timepieces for men, she says the Bohème Collection is unique.

“The function is complex yet the timepieces look elegant because of the diamonds.” Comparing a timepiece to the enigmatic Pandora’s Box, she says it captures precious moments and stores them forever even after it stops working.

“Time flies but even if a watch is old, all the good memories will remain locked inside. I was with a friend enjoying the Sarajevo coastline and if I could freeze time, I would want to capture that forever,” she says, sounding wishful.

The avid traveller names Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina as her favourite destination despite suffering cuts and bruises from the sharp corals after a night swim there recently.

“There are so many places I love. Travelling solo is something I enjoy because you see different things when you are out of your comfort zone. It is exciting yet sometimes lonely. Anything can happen,” she says.

The keen explorer admits that her trips do not usually involve much planning, but are centred around local culture.

“I like to live like the locals. I don’t have specific tourist spots to hit. If I want to go to the market or art gallery, I will just go and if I want to have a couple of drinks, I will do it in my room. Everything is spontaneous.”

Traversing the globe has taught her not to sweat the little things. She says she is a different person because of it and credits travelling for her broadened perspective. For the past nine months, she has been indulging in her love for travel.

“I am very lucky that I can pace myself when it comes to work. Now I am enjoying doing the things I want to do but when I am feeling energetic, one year will see me working on several projects at a go.”

Having bagged the best actress award at Taiwan's 49th Golden Horse Awards for her role in GF*BF, the humble star was asked if she has set her sights on an Oscar.

“No-lah. I’ve never thought about that although winning an Oscar is the dream of many. Whenever I work on a movie, it is never for the awards but recognition does spur me to do better. I enjoy the entire process of filming and if I am rewarded for my work, then it is a bonus and a result of the entire team’s contribution.

“Film-making is a collective effort,” she insists, flashing that million-dollar smile.

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