Kenneth Ma Believes Taking Care of Family is His Responsibility

As the only son in his family, Kenneth Ma (馬國明) knew that he wanted to be able to provide a comfortable lifestyle for his family. After immigrating to Canada when he was young, Kenneth quickly learned to live with simplicity and to take on more responsibilities to help his family. In a recent interview, Kenneth talked about his simple and happy childhood and his filial personality.

Simple Lifestyle and Happy Childhood

Kenneth confessed that he got his frugal personality from his dad, “My dad was very frugal and was practical with his spending. Once I told him to buy new shoes because they were breaking apart, my dad said there wasn’t any need. As a result, I grew up not caring about material pursuits. Having a happy family is enough.”

As family is the most important aspect of his life, Kenneth’s happiest moment also involves his family. “Currently, I enjoy taking a stroll while holding my mom. I remember when I was around 12 or 13 years old, I didn’t hold my mom. I was scared that people thought I was childish, but it was really immature to have those thoughts. Before my mom held me, now I hold onto my mom. I believe this is a tradition. My mom is getting old and walking is a good exercise. She thinks walking alone is boring and is happier when I walk with her. We can easily spend two hours getting groceries and having afternoon tea together.”

Developing a Filial Personality

To fans, Kenneth’s image of being a good son is ingrained to his personality. However, Kenneth admitted that he wasn’t always like this. When Kenneth was young, he didn’t know how to take care of his family, “I was the youngest in my family and my mom and two older sisters really loved me. I didn’t need to pay attention to anything at home. Every day, I would play soccer and then go home to sleep. I didn’t need to do anything at home and I was spoiled rotten.”

Kenneth’s attitude changed when he immigrated to Canada. “When I was 15 years old, my whole family immigrated. My dad often flew between the two countries and he didn’t spend a lot of time at home. I became the only male in the house, and realized that I need to take on more responsibilities. I did all the labor intensive chores such as shoveling snow and mowing my lawn, and I also had some part-time jobs. As I saw my dad worked really hard and his struggles in supporting our education, I didn’t like to spend money. Also, I lived far from the city core so I didn’t like to go out.”

Regretful Memory

Although Kenneth is filial, he also confessed to making mistakes, “The most unforgettable incident was when my mom accidentally washed my very expensive t-shirt together with other clothes and it resulted in some color transfer. At that time, I angrily yelled at my mom and ignored her. Later, I saw my mom kneeling in the bathtub and carefully tried to wash off the color stains. I was very regretful. Even if the shirt is worth a lot of money, I can’t use money to buy a mom.”

Is Kenneth Boring?

When asked if he found himself to be boring, Kenneth had a thoughtful reply, “It’s hard to say. Maybe some people will say I am boring, but everything has two sides. For example, if you are frugal, some people will think you are cheap. I don’t think I am boring because I am not scared of being bored, and I enjoy it. My lifestyle is very simple.  If I am not working, I am playing soccer or spending time with my mom. I enjoy this lifestyle.  I also have a funny side but will only show this to a few people.”

Source: Ming Pao Weekly

This article is written by Sammi for JayneStars.com.