Twelve Questions: Geeling Ching

Geeling Ching at her new restaurant, The Crew Club, in the Maritime Museum on Auckland's waterfront. Picture / Greg Bowker

Geeling Ching grew up above her father’s greengrocery in Mt Roskill and was modelling in Sydney when David Bowie chose her for a music video. She has just opened The Crew Club

1. Where does your sense of style come from?
My mum. Even at 90 she wears the most beautiful clothes and accessories, always has a matching bag and shoes. Mum would make everything for us. In these cramped little rooms above the shop she would sew and embroider and applique and knit. She was so clever and creative. She took a cordon bleu cookery course and would make us beef Wellington, crepes Suzette, strawberries with balsamic. We'd buy Bluff oysters in a five dozen tin and my sister, my mum and I would sit at home on a Sunday afternoon and eat them. My dad couldn't stand the smell.

2. Did you feel Chinese growing up?
Dad moved here [from China] when he was 15 and mum's family were greengrocers from Thames. Growing up I had no idea I was Chinese. I was the only Chinese person in the entire area, the only Chinese person in my school. It wasn't until high school when a new boy arrived and he said "ching chong Chinaman" to me. I didn't know what he was talking about. I told mum and she said "you're Chinese". I said "what's that?".

3. How did school treat you?
Much as it does everyone. I was a straight A student and my parents wanted me to be a doctor or something but I left at 16 after an adult student, a 21-year-old guy, came to the school. That was it " sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, much to my mother's chagrin. I moved out of home, moved in with him. [My parents] were just disappointed I think. He was [designer] Adrienne Winkelmann's brother and she would make us the most fantastic clothes and we'd go to punk clubs. I worked in a pharmacy below [fashion labels] Hullaballoo and Thornton Hall and one day they asked me to be their house model.

4. Was modelling how you met David Bowie?
I moved to Sydney with another boyfriend, Paul, who was a singer in a band. We lived in Kings Cross and worked in a cafe there. It was an amazing time. Hookers, heroin, spruikers, beggars, street people - it was a lot to take in for a kid from Mt Roskill. It was awash in drugs but I never got into that. Too scared I think. I was the only Chinese model in Sydney at the time, so I was "exotic". The video was a straight modelling cattle call. Me and a room full of tiny, doll-like Asian girls. I've always been taller than everyone in my family, so I'm used to feeling like a bit of a monster. I still can't work out why they chose me.

5. How long did the China Girl video shoot take?
A week. It was the same time they were shooting Let's Dance. I moved into the Sebel Hotel with him during the shoot which was probably a bit tough for Paul, but he understood. It's hard to compete with Bowie. He was a fabulous, amazing guy. He was a superstar, a genius, everything revolved around him and rightly so, not in a really terrible, egotistical way. It was just the way things naturally worked. I went on tour with him in Europe and we travelled in private jets, luxury hotels, everything.

6. What did your mum think?
I think she was a bit dumbfounded. It was all so far removed from real life. The video was banned in New Zealand and she called me to ask why. I just said "I don't know". Even now it's a bit unnerving when I have staff who say "I googled your video last night". I'm like "great, so you've seen me naked, let's move on". Actually I was underneath David (in the video) so I wasn't really that naked. It was his bum on top not mine.

7. Did you fall in love?
I was just starstruck and awestruck and struck generally. I wasn't in love with him and I think I was mature enough or cognisant enough to know this was a fairytale and wasn't going to be my life. It naturally came to an end. He was still touring and I went back to London and did some modelling but I was lonely really so I went back to Australia, and moved back in with Paul. He told me later I was unbearable when I got back, I would walk out of restaurants expecting someone else to pay. He says [my friends] brought me down to Earth.

8. Do you fall in love a lot?
I'm 54 and, let's see - I've only been in love five times? That's not a lot. I met Mark Ferguson on the set of Gloss and we got married. I've had two best long lunches in my life - one was my birthday lunch with Judith [Tabron, of Soul Bar and Restaurant] which ended in me signing a contract to work with her again. The other was my divorce lunch at Prego with my now ex-husband.

9. You're looking amazing for 54. Is it Botox?
Nooooo. I have good genes. You should see my mother. You worry about the sagging bits but not Botox. I've seen a lot of it and I think that's what's put me off. I feel in my mid-40s I think.

10. Are you social all the time?
Not at all. My home is my haven and very, very, very few people have been inside. It's just a little apartment, with a very small balcony, and inside are all my mementoes. I've lived there for 11 years and it's an old building, soundproof. I'm on the top floor. I have a tiny circle of friends. Being in this business you become very private.

11. Where are you happiest?
On a good run. I've done two marathons - Paris and New York - and want to do one more but my doctor says no because of my feet. Nothing feels as good as running when it's flowing. You feel like your body is doing exactly what you want it to do and I'm just thankful. Not to God because I don't believe in God per se, but to whatever constructed people. I think "well done. This is working really well".

12. What more do you want from life?
Peace, love and happiness? I want what everyone else wants, I guess. I've had such amazing opportunities in my life. I've been so lucky - I don't think it was skill. Every now and then I buy a Lotto ticket but I never expect to win. I have this picture in my head of luck as a big jar of jellybeans and I have pretty much had all of mine.