1 Out of 7 Billion
The world is getting smaller everyday but a lifetime is not enough to explore it. My adventure starts in Singapore.
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National Day
August 6, 2008
Singapore’s 43rd birthday soon so that means it’s my 3rd consecutive year to catch the activities for National Day!
The theme for this year’s NDP is “Celebrating the Singapore Spirit” and the theme song reflects this theme by calling Singaporeans to “Shine for Singapore”.
National Day Parade Trailer
In line with this theme, the concept of the music video aims to reflect the Singapore Spirit through the unfolding of three inspirational stories that portrays compassion, determination and the nurturing of the young.
The first story tells of how a newspaper delivery man perseveres to train for a vertical marathon by taking the stairs to distribute papers despite his old age.
Another story illustrates how a boy shows compassion to girl with a limp by designing a pair of special shoes for her, to enable her to walk normally.
The last story depicts how parents and teachers can nurture a child by being supportive and patient in understanding her creative vision.
The music video ends with the piecing up of the child’s art pieces to form a huge star – the motif of the music video that signifies every Singaporean is a star in their own way, shining bright for Singapore.
“Shine for Singapore” music video directed by Gloria Chee; starring Nat Ho
Theme song performed by Hady Mirza (English version),
Joi Chua (Mandarin)
Singfest 2008 – Day 2
August 3, 2008
I’m about to leave to catch Day 2 of Singfest 2008. This will be my first outdoor concert (as far as I can remember) and first time to ever be in one at Fort Canning Park. I dread the heat (and the rain, but hopefully we will be blessed with good weather) but look forward to seeing the Pussycat Dolls, Alicia Keys, Rick Astley, Jason Mraz, and One Republic. Don’t know much about Stacie Orrico, Jamie Scott & the Town, Panic at the Disco but I’m sure I will have basic appreciation of their type of music by midnight tonight!
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Highlights from Singfest 2008
- Orderly journey to the main entrance
Auleine, Jenna and I arrived at Fort Canning at around 230pm. Fanni followed shortly after. It took an hour for us to reach the entrance. No bag inspection. This guaranteed faster entry but I feel they should have included it given the magnitude of the event.
The event started half an hour late so I was not surprised the event ended beyond midnight including mandatory gaps for set up.
Sunday afternoon muscle exercise - 8 bottles of water in a box. Turned out to be a good decision as it was difficult to go back to the food/drink area.
Security implemented a phased entry to minimize chaos. I had to get some bottles of water so was temporarily separated from the group who was part of the previous batch that moved with the crowd.
We looked for Jin and Mel who came in slightly earlier than we did. They said they were in a much better location and suggested we move to their spot. As we swam through the sea of humanity, I bumped into another friend Daryl who was with another friend (and I’m sure waiting for several more).
Family/friends whom I spent hours at Singfest with:
Auleine (my sister), who is visiting Singapore with my mom this month.
Jin and Mel
Clockwise after me : Fanni, Jenna, and Wallace
Based on audience impact (intensity of shrieks and speed of applause within 10 seconds, haha) during their performance, I’d say the runaway winners were the (drumroll…) Pussycat Dolls.
These dolls were on fire and would have scared sweet and demure Barbie to death!
I have to say that if the PCDs were not part of SingFest, I would not have bothered getting a ticket for Day 2. Sadly, their performance captivated the audience more than Alicia Keys’ whose type of music catered only to a certain portion of the spectators.
The 1st runner up would be Jason Mraz who is an eclectic artist with multiple and varied stylistic influences, including pop, rock, folk, jazz, country, and hip hop (Wikipedia). I’ve heard his songs before. Quite upbeat and easy to listen to. Jason is a crowd pleaser and I will seriously consider getting a good seat should he hold a concert in Singapore next time.
Honorable mention will have to be my ultimate retro hero Rick Astley. In spite of his has-been status, he has not lost his charm and confidence. I have to admit that I grew up and probably began appreciating music big time during the era when his songs became extremely popular. Needless to say, I knew all the songs he performed at Singfest. His songs (especially “Never Gonna Give You Up”) continue to be immortalised by the youth of Singapore today, with matching synchronised dancing moves. Rick has really never given up!
I have to say something about Alicia Keys as she was the biggest star of the night (multi-awarded Grammy winner), appearing in all publicity materials with the heaviest billing. My heart goes out to her for giving her best to awe the audience but I can’t blame several people who decided to head home midway as it was already very late into the night (1130pm thereabouts). I also saw (though could count with my fingers) people whose heads were touching bent knees sleeping. I’m not a fan of her music but was hoping to be converted after the show. Sadly, I wasn’t but I will continue to appreciate her craft as and when I come across it.
Other perfomers on Day 2:
Stacie Orrico
Jamie Scott and the Town
One Republic, largely popular due to the song, "Apologize"
Panic at the Disco
Noteworthy:
1) I saw Andrea Fonseka , an increasingly popular celebrity here in Singapore. She gamely posed when she saw me positioning my digicam right by the entrance.
2) Individuals who did not brave the crowds and the rather pricey concert ticket.
3) There was a major microphone/speaker problem during Panic at the Disco’s performance. The audience could not hear anything yet the band continued playing as if there wasn’t anything wrong.
- This isn’t “Y” for YMCA. Audience signalling that no music can be heard. See the lady on the bottom right seemingly looking back at the sound booth.
4) There was a Levi’s fashion before the last three performances of the night. Levi’s had a tie up with Citibank where you could buy a Singfest ticket + Levi’s shirt charged to one’s Citibank credit card for only S$139. Good deal. I think they earned a lot through the promo. Honestly though, I don’t think the fashion show appealed much and would doubt how effective it was in getting people to visit stores next time.
5) Digicams came in all shapes and sizes. I love this shot. Expect videos to be made available on You Tube in due course.
6) The aftermath
Litter Free Singapore (or not)
Congrats to the team behind Singfest 2008. It’s amazing how all these artists were brought together in one night!
See more of the Pussycat Dolls during Singfest here.
See more of the rest of the artists during Singfest here.
The Spirit Compendium
August 1, 2008 — 3 Comments
Another local film has commenced its theatrical run and is relevant especially during the month of August when the Hungry Ghosts festival is being celebrated.
THE SPIRIT COMPENDIUM
2008 – Singapore – Supernatural/Drama/Romance – 85 minutes – NC16 (scene of intimacy) – In Mandarin (with Chinese & English subtitles)
Directed by Foo Fung Koon
Main Cast: Benjamin Ng, Maylene Loo Xue Bing, Foyce Le Xuan (Lin Hui Hui), Michael Kwah Chong Yeow
Synopsis (from the Singapore Film Society website)
Tom’s girlfriend dies in a tragic accident and he plunges into depression. May is shunned by the people around her because she claims she can see the spirits. Sam’s family loses their fortune and is forced to move in with his friend, Tom and May (his housemate). The three friends embrace on a journey that begins with the mysterious disappearance of Tom’s father, who leaves Tom with only a spiritual book and an ancient Tibetan Dzi bead. It is not until Sam is trapped in a spiritual realm that they realise the importance of the items.
Compendium = “a concise, yet comprehensive compilation of a body of knowledge – usually in the form of a book or dictionary”. “The Spirit Compendium” refers to a key plot element of the film – a Chinese philosophical, fortune-telling book called “Ling Wen Shu” as a compilation of several ancient Chinese fortune-telling-related classics, including the best-known “Yi Jing” which was edited by Confucius.
Trailer here
Now showing at Sinema Old School
11B Mount Sophia #B1-12 Singapore 228466
[t]: 6336.9707
[f]: 6336.6107
Next screening : 2 Aug 08 (9pm), 8 Aug 08 (9pm)
