Kevin Kwan Quotes
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The idea of Asian ascendancy has entered public culture.
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I've always been drawn to the Edwardian period in England. To me, it seems like such a fascinating time, when the British Empire was at the height of its powers and the strict mores of the Victorian age were dissipating into the decadence of King Edward's reign.
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My father came from old money. There was less of an expectation for the children to earn a living.
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In Asia, it's customary to get together with your entire extended family on a regular basis, and it's all rife with politics.
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A lot of the people who live the lives of 'Crazy Rich Asians' don't see the humour of their lives simply because this is just who they are. Even though I'm from that part of the world, I'm no longer part of that world.
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If I were to generalize a bit, I would say that the ultra rich in Asia live on a scale that far surpasses the wealthy in the U.S. or Europe.
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In order for me to write a scene, it's very important for me to see and experience everything with my own eyes, so yes, I was able to visit some remarkable houses and destinations while I was in China.
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I sort of wanted to reveal this other side of Asia: Southeast Asia, where the Chinese have been wealthy for generations and have different ways of relating to money. I wanted to sort of reveal this world to readers.
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Especially in the West, people want to understand Asia on a deeper level because it's become the engine of the world economy, like it or not.
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I know an elderly society matron in Singapore who would rather walk in the scorching sun for blocks on end rather than have her chauffeur drive into the Central Business District at peak hour and pay the $1.50 surcharge.
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I was born in Singapore, and I lived there until I was 12. I had a very fortunate upbringing.
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All Americans knew was 'The Joy Luck Club' and children of dry cleaners trying to assimilate. The Asia that I was seeing was a world of people who are incredibly sophisticated, and I wanted to represent that side.
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I think, at least for me, I'm so impressed by Shanghai and how all of China continues to evolve. On a style level, you're seeing this increased sophistication and brand awareness.
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I was born on the island of Singapore, and I grew up there until I was 11 years old, when I was forcibly removed by my dad and planted into suburban Houston. I was in shock for the first year and then began to really love it - but didn't love it quite enough to stay.
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No matter our background, we all have crazy families.
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I'm a writer. I'm naturally introverted, so being the public face of something, I don't think I do it well.
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If you're the water boiler king of China, you're selling a billion water boilers.
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I came from a family of extremely old money, and so by the time I was born, there was really just a trickle of money left.
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I grew up with a posh English accent, and all my aunts sounded as if they came out of a Merchant Ivory movie.
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The China Rich seem to be spending on a scale that's just beyond anything we've ever seen before. They are building and buying an insane amount of luxury residences around the world, commissioning huge flying palaces from Boeing, and paying ridiculous amounts for art.
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I moved to New York and went to art school at Parsons School of Design. Became a photographer. Became a creative consultant.
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My golden dream was to move to New York and live in the Village and become that cool rebel beatnik Jack Kerouac.
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I have pictures of my grandmother from the 1920s and '30s in avant-garde dresses that looked like they could have come from the House of Worth or Lucien Lelong. She would never say if they were couture, but I do recall her telling me, 'All my clothes and shoes came from Paris.'
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My books are comedies; I want to take my readers on a jet-setting romp, make them laugh, make them swoon at the beautiful settings, and maybe even make their mouths water at all the food.