Joanne Peh Says Qi Yuwu’s Absence Felt Like The Difference Between “Working From Home Versus Working In An Office”
A pretty apt analogy for our new normal.
There’s just some things that technology, as advanced as it may be, can’t quite replace.
Just ask Joanne Peh, who’s currently mid-interview, or rather, mid-Zoom call, with 8days.sg after the virtual press conference for her new Mediacorp drama Mind Jumper.
The interview’s run the gamut from what Joanne’s been up to lately (learning more about how Chinese New Year is celebrated in Singapore), and if she’d ever want to have mind-reading abilities like Kai Le, her character in Mind Jumper (the answer’s no, by the way. More on that later).
Bridging the distance
And so we move on to our next topic, inspired in part by the many celeb couples who’ve been separated from each other ‘cos of the pandemic.
After all, Joanne’s husband, Qi Yuwu, had spent most of the later part of 2020 in Malaysia, filming iQIYI drama The Ferryman: Legends of Nanyang. Which also meant that Joanne’s been holding the fort back in Singapore.
But now that Ah Wu’s back for the foreseeable future, things are definitely more relaxed for the couple.
“I get to spend a lot of time with him, and we get to do things in person, and whatever that needs to be resolved, [especially] when it comes to our home renovations can be resolved quickly,” Joanne said, adding: “And of course, nothing replaces that physical touch, and the importance of having this intimacy as well. I think it's something that just can't be replaced through online communication.”
And perhaps as a testament to the new normal of virtual press conferences and video interviews, Joanne offers up this analogy: “[It’s comparable to] working from home versus working in an office. When you have a question, you can go directly to your colleague and ask them [in the office], versus having to schedule calls and find a time when both parties are free and available to meet [online]”.
#relatable.
Showing their love through video calls... and arts and craft
8DAYS: How about your kids, [five-year-old Baby Qi and three-year-old Qi Didi]? Were they able to deal with being separated from their dad, or did they have trouble adjusting to his absence?
JOANNE PEH: Children are very adaptable, and [Baby Qi and Qi Didi] got used to having to talk to their father via the phone. They’re aware that he's away and working, [of course], and they hope for him to come back soon. They drew pictures for him, and they sent it to him. They have their way of adapting to this sort of arrangement, and... well I don't recall any major meltdowns from them, they've been pretty understanding of the situation, and I think it's okay.
Mind if she says no?
Moving back to Mind Jumper, you play an accountant who has the ability to read minds. If you have this ability in real life, whose mind would you want to read?
I think if you're able to read people’s minds, it's a [form of] baggage, and if you ask me, I’d rather not have this ability. I think sometimes not knowing everything is a charm too.
Kind of like how having too much knowledge can be a bad thing sometimes?
Yes, if you already know everything you need to know about a person by just reading their minds, then no work is required to try and communicate. I think you gain some but also lose some. And sometimes [it's] through the communication [process] that you [are able to] learn new things about the person. There's a sense of relationship building in the process of getting know each other and sharing that [bond] that makes this world meaningful. If you just go straight in and know exactly what the other party is thinking, what comes after that then?
If you ask me, I enjoy the process of building relationships, and that’s primarily the reason why I wouldn't want to read someone's mind, because I want to get to know the person, through honest and direct communication.
Mind Jumper is available on demand for free on meWATCH from Mar 5.
Photos: Joanne Peh/Instagram, Mediacorp
