Grace Chan 陳凱琳: Time Changes Pace As a Young Mother 新手媽媽重編時間步伐
Interviewed by Fete Chinoise Team
Translated by Jing Wang
Grace Chan 陳凱琳
我們與生於香港，長於溫哥華的演員兼企業家陳凱琳聊了聊這次新冠疫情如何讓作為一個育有兩子的年輕媽媽的她開始反思時間。陳凱琳和她同為明星的丈夫鄭嘉穎在2020年疫情期間誕下了他們的第二個孩子。
New Identity as a Mom
Daughter, wife, and mother. I identify with many titles now and looking back, I feel my own personal growth since moving to Hong Kong from Vancouver in 2013, to compete in the Miss Hong Kong pageant. At the time, I did not know how far it would take me. I simply thought that I had nothing to lose upon graduating, and so with my parents’ support I entered the competition. It was the cherry on top to be crowned the winner. This experience led to more opportunities in this breathtaking city, where I would start my acting career and meet my future husband, and where my two children would be born.
My two sons Rafael and Yannick are definitely the biggest blessings in my life. Rafael’s name means “God heals,” while Yannick means “God is gracious,” because they truly represent those sentiments to me on my personal journey. I had always imagined having difficulty conceiving because of some former health issues, but I was blessed with not only one, but two children!
作為母親的新身份
一個女兒，一個妻子，也是一個母親，這是我所擁有的多重身份。回顧以往，我覺得從2013年搬回香港參加香港小姐競選開始自己就成長了很多。那時我還不知道自己能在這條道路上走多遠。剛畢業的我就是單純覺得不論結果如何也沒什麼大不了，所以在父母的支持下便參加了港姐選舉。而成為冠軍對我來說可謂是錦上添花。選美的經歷開啟了我在香港這個繁華都市的演藝生涯，而且我在這裡認識了我的先生，也有了兩個孩子。
我的兩個兒子Rafael和Yannick是我人生中得到最大的禮物。Rafael這個名字有著“神來治癒”的意思，而Yannick這個名字則意味著“神是仁慈”。 這兩個名字可謂我人生旅途上的情感折射。之前因為一些健康狀況，我一直擔心自己難以懷孕，
但我幸運地擁有了兩個寶寶！
“Having a baby during the pandemic was definitely unique... I am sure that many expecting young moms shared this sentiment. 在全球疫情籠罩下孕育孩子絕對是一個特殊的經歷 ...”
Being Pregnant during COVID-19
Having a baby during the pandemic was definitely unique from when I had Rafael. As most mothers know, it is a deeply emotional journey to carry a child in your womb. And with the social distancing measures, I had to stay home most of the time, which made some days feel longer depending on my energy levels. There was also a lingering sense of extra vigilance. I am sure that many expecting young moms shared this sentiment all around the world, as we nestled safely in our homes to stay healthy until our deliveries. My husband Kevin was very protective. With Rafa being older and wanting to explore more, Kevin was a huge support during my pregnancy and the rock of our family, and after a long day of work, he would still take time to bring Rafa out daily to keep him engaged, because I could not do so with the baby in my womb. Kevin would make sure that he had ample time to be a happy one-year-old, not letting the pandemic interrupt any of his learning or wondrous curiosity.
It was admittedly a tough pregnancy with Yannick, but I felt safe throughout as I had a wonderful family and team of healthcare professionals that I relied on. I found peace trusting that if God wanted me to have this child during these uncertain times, that I would be able to handle it. And Yannick was born just a day early in July of 2020, right on time! After he was born, I prepared traditional ginger-pork soup and personalized family gifts for friends, to thank them for their support during this time of turbulence and transition.
Grace Chan 陳凱琳
在COVID-19期間懷孕
跟當初懷有Rafael相比，在全球疫情籠罩下孕育孩子絕對是一個特殊的經歷。我想大多數母親都知道，當你的肚子裡有寶寶時，你會相當情緒化。因為疫情，大多數時候我不得不都待在家裡，特別是有時我精神不濟時，就會感覺一天顯得更加漫長。因為疫情的緣故，我們也更加小心謹慎。我相信很多年輕媽媽們都理解這居家以確保健康待產的心態。我的丈夫十分保護我們。Rafa漸漸成長，所以他自然想要探索和了解更多，在我懷孕期間我先生可謂家裡的一大支柱。因為我懷了孕不方便，每天，他總能在一整日的繁忙工作後再擠出時間帶Rafa出去，讓孩子參與更多戶外活動。我先生總是盡力保證疫情不會太影響一歲的Rafa，讓他有足夠歡樂玩耍的戶外時間來滿足他對這個世界的好奇和探究。
無庸置疑，懷Yannick是一個不算輕鬆的過程，
但是因為我有一個幸福的家庭和值得依賴的醫護人員，所以我的安全感很足。因為我相信，如果在這個不安定的時期懷孕是上帝的旨意，那麼我一定可以安全度過。Yannick在2020年7月出生，
只比預產期早了一天，可以說來得非常準時！他出生後， 為了感謝我的朋友們在我懷孕期間對我的幫助，我們一家給他們準備了傳統的豬腳薑禮盒。
A New Understanding of Family Time
When I think about time, it really has changed since having children. When I had my first son, I was still working full time and able to do roles that demanded 12-hour periods. But after having Yannick as well, I felt a strong desire to return home immediately even after a 2-hour photoshoot or short activity outside of the home. Approaching 2 years of age, Rafa now understands who we are as parents, and therefore we want to consciously show him as much love as we can as he develops into a toddler.
SPONSORED BY PIAGET
While I want to spend most of my time with my kids, I think balance is also very important. That is why I began an entrepreneurial project, Snow Queen — a beauty brand that I launched with a friend of mine, Sharon. We met because of an event that we were working on together. After getting to know her, I found that she was very willing to share her insights on skincare and did not hold back to tell others about her personal skincare tips and overall wellness. She shared about making quality cotton pads, which are a necessity for daily skincare for everyone. Although not likely to be very profitable since cotton pads are generally inexpensive, I saw potential in the project because this is such an essential product that I am particular about too.
I asked if I could be a part of it and she was thrilled about it so we decided we would either rise together or sink together. So far the brand has done quite well and we are currently developing more products! I can’t say right now what these products are, but I know that they will be well-loved.
對闔家共度時間的新理解
自從有了孩子以來，我對時間的想法真的改變了很多。當我生第一個孩子時，我仍在全職工作而且可以勝任12個小時不間斷的工作日程。但是有了Yannick後，即使只出門拍攝2個小時的工作或是出席一個短時間的活動，我都會立馬想要回家。Rafa快2歲了，他已經意識到我們是他的爸爸媽媽，所以我們也想給蹣跚學步的他所有的愛。
儘管我想所有時間都和我的孩子們待在一起，不過如何平衡個人和家庭仍然非常重要。這就是為什麼我和我的朋友Sharon創立了雪后這個美妝品牌。我們在一個工作活動中相識，越來越熟後，我發現她非常願意和周圍人分享她的護膚心得。她和我們分享了如何手工製作高質量的化妝棉片，畢竟化妝棉是日常護膚必不可少的一步。雖然因為價格低廉，售賣化妝棉可能無法盈利太多，但我覺得這個企劃的未來非常光明。因為我個人和很多人一樣對這個日常不可缺的護膚產品非常講究，所以我就詢問Sharon能不能加入她這個創業企劃。對我的加入她也很興奮，我們便決定共同進退。目前為止，化妝棉的銷售令人滿意，所以我們已經決定開發更多的產品！現在我還不能透露這些產品是什麼，但我相信它們推出後一定會大受歡迎。
Having this side project really helps me, as I spend 80% of my time with my children and then have 20% to explore my own passions as an individual. I feel that when I have me-time, I can recharge and truly give more back to my family. And as much as I enjoy being an actress, I do plan on being very selective with these opportunities, as it is very time-consuming to film dramas. I truly want to spend quality time with my loved ones, which makes my work with Snow Queen more appropriate for my current life stage. I do plan to return to acting, but for the time being, I will be investing more of this precious, limited resource of time into my children.
In the end, I want to be there for Rafa and Yannick, especially in their formative years. The thing about time is that once it passes, you can’t get it back, and in these years of their early age are so important to have them feel our love and nourishment. In this next decade, I want them to grow up in a loving family and not worry so much about choosing the “right” school or other concerns. This is something my husband and I agree on firmly. We share the same mindset that children should enjoy childhood with freedom, and feel wholly and fully loved.
有這個副業對我來說真的幫助很大，因為在花在孩子身上的80%的時間外，我能用剩下的20%的時間來發展我個人的興趣愛好。這樣的個人充電時間也能進一步幫助我在家庭生活中更投入。雖然我很享受演員這份工作，但拍電視劇真的很耗時間，所以我也決定之後不接太多項目。這樣我就可以有更多時間陪伴家人，相應地也有空餘時間來經營雪后這個品牌。我覺得這樣的時間分配對現階段的我來說最為恰當。儘管我有回歸屏幕的計畫，不過目前來說，我還是想在僅有的寶貴時間內盡可能多地和我的孩子們在一起。
總而言之，在Rafa和Yannick成長的這些年裡，我想在他們身邊陪伴他們。時間有個最大的特質就是一去不復返。嬰幼兒期是孩子們能感受到父母的愛和滋養的最重要的階段。接下來的10年，我希望他們能在一個有愛的家庭裡健康成長，不用為比如要選擇一個好學校之類的事而煩惱。這是我和我先生共同的想法，我們都覺得孩子的童年就應該享受自由，沐浴於親情之中。
Grace Chan 陳凱琳
我們的節奏
我先生是個非常有規劃的人，他每天每週甚至每月都有精心計畫；而我是個比較會突發奇想的人，我經常會嘗試新東西或者做一些有趣的事。所以我們倆完美互補。這也使得我們總能步調一致。我很享受我們家庭綜合了不同的節奏，既有規劃又有計畫外的驚喜，以此達到所需的平衡。
生活節奏和未來
下一步是什麼？我確實很懷念住在溫哥華時加拿大輕鬆的生活節奏。搬回香港後，因為我的工作性質，好像所有事都開始加速。香港的城市節奏很快，所以要跟上這個節奏壓力確實不小。我也很懷念加拿大西岸的天氣，某一天我就跟朋友說香港的秋季很像溫哥華的夏日。儘管如此，我不知道我會不會 回加拿大定居。單身時，我總覺得我會回加拿大，然後需要時隨時都能飛回香港。但現在我在這裡組建了家庭，我就要從家庭的角度出發替我的先生和孩子們考慮。不過我很希望我們一家能在溫哥華住一段日子，讓他們也能體驗一下我從小到大所熟悉的溫哥華美景和輕鬆的生活節奏。不過或許也有別的變化，畢竟我們無法預期明天會發生什麼！
OUR TEMPO
My husband is a very organized person with a well-planned schedule for each day, each week, and sometimes months in advance. I am more spontaneous, and am always up to trying new things or engaging in something fun! We are the perfect complement to each other, and I think that it really helps us to walk to the beat of the same drum. I thoroughly enjoy how well-rounded our pace is, because we are able to stay organized and organic to strike a needed balance.
Pace of Life and the Future
What’s next? I do miss the relaxed Canadian pace of life in Vancouver, as for someone in my position, it does seem like everything sped up since moving back to Hong Kong. The tempo of this city is a very quick pace,
so there is pressure to keep that speed here. I also miss the nice weather on the West Coast — so much so that I commented to a friend the other day that the autumn here is akin to a nice summer day in Vancouver! That being said, I don’t know whether I will come back to Canada to live long term. When I was single, I may have easily thought I would return and could fly back anytime. But now that I have a family, I need to make the best decision as a family unit with my husband for our children. What I would love to do is to spend some time in Vancouver with them, so that they can also experience some of the beauty and slowed pace of where I grew up. We shall see what happens in the future, as we never know what tomorrow brings!
—-
Art Direction: Fête Chinoise & Grace Chan
Photographer: Alan Wong
Makeup: Kayla Lok
Hair: Real Law
Attire: Lane Crawford, Rotate, and Dion Lee
Venue: Madame Fu Grand Chinois Cafe
