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.

You can scroll the shelf using ← and → keys

Original Song : “All We Are” by MJ Kuok (Personal Theme Song for 2012)

December 31, 2011

I wanted to have a “personal” theme song going into 2012 so I sought help from my friend MJ Kuok to create one.

MJ is a talented musician. He has been writing songs as early as 13 years old and has come up with a number of tracks since then. He also took part in Singapore Idol a few years ago and made it to the Top 12.

The end to end process took roughly 2 weeks — from speaking with him on key messages until the final output which is what you are about to hear. As he is based in HK, we had to communicate virtually until he visited Singapore recently.

MJ has done a brilliant work (both lyrics and arrangement) so I am thankful that he has shared his passion for music with me though this original song “All We Are”.

MJ and I catching up during his visit to Singapore in December

If you like it, you are welcome to download the track for free (link at the end).

In the mean time, here’s MJ performing the track. Hope you find it as meaningful as I did. Have an awesome 2012!

All We Are

Music & Lyrics by MJ Kuok

Verse 1

Here we are in this moment

Fading by so fast

As we look to the future

Let’s try to make this last

Pre-Chorus

With all we are (x2)

Through times of change

May our faith remain

Chorus

Strong for certain

Love for sure

We’ll be the best of who we are

Until forever

When the lights are blinding

And you try to find your way

Head up, hold on

This life is meant for living

Verse 2

Now’s the time

We celebrate life

Through everything we’ve done

And everything we’ll try

We’ll stay true to who we are

To our friends and the ones we love

For sticking by when times were tough

Thank you for all that you are

Pre-Chorus

Who we are (x2)

Head up, hold on

Stay strong, carry on

Chorus

We’re strong for certain

We’ll love for sure

We’ll be the best of who we are

Until forever

When the lights are blinding

And you try to find your way

Head up, hold on

This life is meant for living

Outro

Forevermore (x4)

Download the MP3 here for free :

All We Are

MJ’s Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/mjkuok

Jacky Cheung 1/2 Century Tour 2011 – Singapore

September 25, 2011

Jacky Cheung performed in Singapore a few months ago and I’m lucky to have caught the show with Eugene and Veria.

Prior to this show, the only Jacky Cheung song I knew was “In Love with You”, a duet with Regine Velasquez from the Philippines.

The show was awesome — from the stage effects to the way the songs were delivered. He sang for roughly 3 hours and the audience felt extremely satisfied ; there wasn’t any encore performance request.

I’ve caught several Mandarin/Canto concerts before but this by far is the best one. I will try to learn a Jacky Cheung song for KTV over the next 6 months.

Here are several photos:

Super Junior Super Show 3 (Singapore)

February 12, 2011

I always thought tickets to Jay Chou’s concert would sell faster than any other Asian artist’s show here in Singapore. I was wrong.

When tickets to the “Super Junior Super Show” in Singapore opened to the public last year (initially to OCBC credit card holders and Singtel subscribers, if I recall correctly), the SISTIC website was down and people had to queue at the SISTIC outlets all around Singapore to book seats.

There was only one show scheduled initially and I was extremely disappointed to have waited long (5 hours!) only to go home empty-handed. My sister really wanted to catch this show with me, Jomike, and 1 more friend (whom we have not selected yet then). Luckily another show was set up so I managed to get 4 tickets easier than expected.

Who is Super Junior (SuJu) anyway?

My instant answer would always be : “They’re the Korean boy band that sang “Sorry, Sorry” .

Here’s a video of them performing it (4 mins)

More info about the group:

The band was formed in 2005 and is currently managed by SM Entertainment
The initial 13 (now down to 10) members were a result of auditions from hundreds of hopefuls
Just like all those who represent Venezuela at the Miss Universe pageant who train for 1 year prior to the competition, SuJu members went through a “pop bootcamp” over a period of up to 5 years (!!) to prepare them for stardom. This training included singing, dancing, acting, modeling.
SuJu is split into smaller groups :
- SJ-M : Mandarin-speaking audience
- SJ K-R-Y : R&B crowd
- SJ-Trot : for fans of traditional Korean trot music
- SJ-Happy : bubblegum pop fans
Members :
- Kyuhyun, 22
- Shindong, 25
- Ryeowook, 23
- Siwon, 23
- Donghae, 24
- Heechul, 27
- Eunhyuk, 24
- Leeteuk, 27
- Yesung, 26
- Sungmin, 25
Their latest album, “Bonamana” got the 7th spot on the Billboard’s World Album-Chart.

On with the concert…

The stage

The biggest I’ve seen so far set up inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Allows maximum movement (includes running and jumping) to cover all areas.

Front view

Same view but during the show

Photos

I like Siwon's outfit in this segment (gray/white)

10 members… who’s the best singer?

For me, it would be Kyuhyun. High, solid vocal range. Delivered high notes effortlessly. Don’t think his being an ex-math whiz helped at all.

See him perform “In My Dream” , a track from SuJu’s latest album, during their Beijing concert.

Had fun on an afternoon when I’m supposed to be already experiencing Monday blues. Btw, we had Korean food for dinner just to keep the momentum.

with Julu (long lost SuJu member)

My sister Ollie and Jomike

Almost Everyone has an iPhone

September 28, 2010

It’s an irony that the reason I initially didn’t want to buy an iPhone is the same reason I finally decided to get one — almost everyone has it!

I have always been loyal to Nokia. I got an X6 instead of an iPhone 3 which my sister got late last year (she eventually upgraded to iPhone 4 same time as I did). It took me almost a year to decide but only a matter of minutes to complete my online purchase.

All that said, I am happy with my new gadget. It gives me access to information much faster and with lesser frustration than the phone it replaced. The display is awesome and my fingers are getting enough exercise sliding the pages, expanding images, and well, typing messages and responding to personal emails.

I’m still a bit fidgety though with texting and haven’t gotten around discovering all of its features Will sort that out soon.

Here’s a summary of features which I picked up from a SingTel brochure if anyone’s interested to know.

iPhone 4 Features

53A – Settle the Kettle

September 11, 2010

I first caught the performance of 53A when I hosted a gathering at CM-PB over at Dempsey Road. It was not the full band that performed that Saturday night (minus Sara Wee, female lead singer) but they played awesome music. Most of the songs sounded familiar even if I didn’t quickly remember the title.

So when I learned from Alvin (Khoo), guitarist/singer, that the full band performs at a more upbeat tempo at Timbre Substation, I decided to drop by. Since then, I try to pass by Timbre whenever I am not too busy on a Friday night. Good way to end the work week in an atmosphere of relatively younger people and of course, superb live entertainment (you may or may not know I love watching live bands).

All I can say is — there is a lot of promising local talent in Singapore and 53A is definitely one of them.

Why do I say that? Watch these.

Viva La Vida (Coldplay cover) – performed at the Waterfront stage at the Esplanade

Pokerface (Lady Gaga cover) – performed at the Waterfront stage at the Esplanade

Their talent however is not only limited to doing covers.

They recently launched their first-ever album, “Settle the Kettle“. Great combination of acoustic and pop rock original tracks (not sure if I cited the correct music genres but guess you know what I mean!).

My favorite track in the album is “We Should Be Together” (original composition)

Meet 53A :

Sara Wee (lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitars)

Alvin Khoo (lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars)

Bani Hidir (lead and backing vocals, bass guitars)

Irwan Wiss (backing vocals, drums and all percussions)

If you don’t have time to catch them in their regular gigs, they will be touring around 50 Starbucks outlets in Singapore to perform for 30 minutes (covers and original tracks).

Alvin introduced me to Bani and Sara when my family and I saw them at Starbucks last weekend.

Alvin, Sara, Bani. Irwan, the remaining member didn't perform that afternoon.

With my sister Ollie

“Settle the Kettle” is available at all Starbucks outlets islandwide. In due course, the album will be available in record stores in Singapore.

53A performs at the following venues : Timbre, Tab, CM-PB. Check website of these bars for specific schedule.

53A website

Brunch that Made Me Skip Dinner

August 29, 2010 — 2 Comments

That’s Brunch 78 which happens 4x a year at the Ritz Carlton Singapore.

Elegant. Similar to the posh parties you see on "Gossip Girl"

The event is renowned for its 78-meter spread of culinary delights. I had (regular) Sunday brunch at the Ritz Carlton almost two years ago. I consider this as the biggest and the best one I’ve tried at the Ritz so far and anywhere else for that matter.

What do they offer?

Carving station
Cheese & Bread
Cold Cuts & Charcuterie
Salmon & Ceviche
Dessert station
Salad bar & Amuse Bouche
Fish Noodle
Oyster & Seafood Bar
Salad Bar
Ice Cream & Souffle
Fruit station
Danish Pastry, Juices, & Cereal
Egg Station
Japanese Station
Tapas bar
Local Roast & Foie Gras
Indian station
Hot Selections
Specialty Bread

Ok, ok. We need to learn something new everyday so a few definitions from epicurious.com :

Charcuterie – refers to the products, particularly (but not limited to) pork specialties which are made and sold in a delicatessen-style shop also called a charcuterie
Ceviche – an appetizer popular in Latin America consisting of raw fish marinated in citrus (usually lime) juice

With Ritz Carlton’s Executive Chef Arnaud Thulliez and honoured guest, 3 Michelin-starred Chef Michel Roux dishing out their skills, I knew I was in for a great adventure. Michel Roux is also the owner of The Waterside Inn in Berkshire, England and has received 35 culinary awards, distinctions and medals throughout his career.

Michelin stars?? Let’s look up Wikipedia.

The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for several countries. The term refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards Michelin stars (highest being 3 stars)

1 star = very good restaurant in its category, worth a stop

2 stars = excellent cooking, worth a detour

3 stars = exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey

I invited Karen and Nat whom I have not seen for a long time. Good chance to catch up. Here’s our photo together with the chefs.

Me, Chef Arnaud Thulliez, Karen, Chef Michel Roux, Nat

While you are waiting to book seats when they have it again in October, here are several photos I took before we started eating.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Blazing the Trail: 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore

August 15, 2010

I decided to stay home on Saturday night to catch the opening ceremonies of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) hosted by Singapore.

The Youth Olympics will feature 3,600 athletes aged between 14 and 18 years competing in 200 events across 26 sports. The concept is a dream of International Olympic Committee, president Jacques Rogge, who has advocated the idea since 2001 after winning the IOC presidency.

The story behind the Opening Ceremony illustrates the parallels between Singapore and the Young Olympians – their struggles, hopes and dreams. The show celebrates Singapore’s origins and diversity, and offers a glimpse of the nation’s hopes for the future, drawing on all that Singapore has to offer in terms of art, culture and expertise.

The creative director for both opening & closing ceremonies is theatre director, actor and playwright Ivan Heng, while Cultural Medallion recipient Iskandar Ismail will be in charge of sound and music.

My view of the opening ceremonies? Impressive display of colors and creative use of fire and water. More importantly, it was a great showcase of Singapore’s capability as a modern nation to host an international event of this magnitude.

There are specific aspects of the show that I particularly liked :

Note: Unless otherwise stated, all photos posted courtesy of the Youth Olympic Games website and Singapore Youth Olympic Games photostream in Flickr

1) The use of a reflecting pool (90.5m by 50.1m in length)

2) The use of multimedia and special effects to enhance storytelling

The bigger opponent (appearing as a shadow) is part of the special effects in one of the segments

3) “Walking/running on water effect” before the Olympic flame was lit by Singapore teenage sailor Darren Choy

Photo courtesy of Tim Chong (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oeyvind/4891123181/)

Photo courtesy of AP / Wong Maye

Darren Choy – 2009 Byte CII sailing world champion and gold-medallist at last year’s Asian Youth Games, 2007 South-east Asian Games silver-medallist. His role as final torch bearer was a tightly guarded secret. He even had to rehearse at midnight wearing a cap the weekend before the event.

4) Spiral Olympic flame in a 32 meter cylinder / lighthouse structure which represents Singapore as a port city

Other photos from the Opening Ceremonies

Basic info on YOG which I picked up from The Straits Times (14 August 2010, page A16)

Singapore beat front runner Russia to host the Youth Olympics. One reason Singapore won is that it has never hosted an Olympic event before
204 national Olympic teams will participate in the Youth Olympics
Because Singapore is the first host of the Youth Olympics, the livery of the Singapore 2010 logo will be featured in the ceremonial flag for subsequent handovers between future organisers
The next Youth Olympic Games will be held in Nanjing in 2014. China beat Poland by 5 votes, winning 47 to 42
Before Youth Olympics, there was the World Youth Games. Also organised by the International Olympic Committee, they were discontinued after the inaugural games in Moscow in 1998.

Other info on the YOG:

Medals (Silver, Gold, Bronze)

Lyo, a lion cub, embodies the values of Excellence and Friendship, while Merly, a merlion, personifies the values of Excellence and Respect.

Theme song (“Everyone”, sung by Sean Kingston, Tabitha Nauser, Steve Appleton, Jody Williams, Jessica Mauboy)

Jay Chou “New Era” World Tour 2010 (Singapore)

July 25, 2010 — 3 Comments

I knew nothing about Mandarin pop when I moved to Singapore. The first Mandarin song I heard was “An Jing” (Silence) by Jay Chou in early 2007. Since then I got hooked not just on his work but also on Mando pop in general. Soon after, I found myself enjoying Canto pop too. All these without knowing how to speak/read Mandarin nor Cantonese!!

Here’s a clip of “An Jing” so you have an idea. It’s a stylized version of the original, performed in a HK concert in 2006.

I guess that’s how it is for people who love music. It doesn’t matter what language a song is expressed in. To me, what I like about Chinese pop is the way it’s sung — a lot of passion and emotion. If you go to KTV, the music videos are also awesome. Make the rhythm faster and the choreography also looks great.

Here’s Elva Hsiao performing “Biao Bai” (Confession) :

Some people find it strange that I spend money buying C-pop albums and tickets for concerts. I must tell you – I have no regrets forking out a few hundred dollars on these sort of stuff. I think it’s the same as listening to French, Spanish, or Latin music — you like it even if most of the time you have no clue what’s being sung!!

I’ve seen a few Chinese concerts and this is the 2nd time I’ve seen Jay Chou perform live (in Singapore). I’d say the Jan 2008 concert was better in terms of song selection and production, including the opening (it was also fairly easy to get tickets then). However, there were visual effects in the 2010 world tour that are quite fascinating. You will know what I mean when you see the photos.

New Era World Tour poster (template)

I almost didn’t get to watch this concert. OCBC cardholders were given priority during ticket sales and I didn’t have an OCBC card. When the SISTIC website opened purchase to the general public, the website could not handle the volume and the queues were long for those who braved the “manual” approach. Tickets were sold out minutes after they went on sale. It was really frustrating that I had to post my disappointment as a Facebook status update.

When I was about to lose hope in securing at least 2 tickets, Marvin forwarded to me a message from a colleague who was selling his tickets after having purchased seats in a better section. A few days after, I found myself owning 2 tickets — 2 out of the estimated 24,000 tickets up for grabs! The show ran for 3 days. Thanks Marvin for the “lead” and Percy for selling the tickets to me!

The album “New Era” contains several good tracks. My favorite (track 2) is “Shuo Le Zai Jian (Said Goodbye)”. I think Jet Li is featured in the music video. Jay performed this at the concert as well.

On with the photos…

More concert photos on my photo website . Download as you please (for free) but let me know if you publish them somewhere ok.

Dining in the Republic

July 4, 2010 — 2 Comments

I’ve tasted different types of (McDonalds) McFlurry before but this has got to be the best one so far… in my view, of course!

Horlicks is a malted milk drink sold in powder form. It can be prepared hot or cold, depending on your preference.

I’m glad McDonalds thought of coming up with this variant. I’ve already tasted it twice (not on the same day) and will probably try it again for another two (or three or four) before it gets replaced by another variant.

The photo doesn’t do justice to it. You have to try it yourself.

McFlurry is available islandwide in McDonalds stores with a separate dessert kiosk.

This is not a paid advertisement.

Moving on to something more filling…

Eugene, Veria and I caught up over dinner last night at Gyu Kaku (Chijmes). I can’t remember the last time I went for BBQ in a restaurant… I think it was in a Korean place at Holland Village.

We ordered the set which apart from the photo shown below comes with bibimbap, kimchi, (now it’s sounding like a Korean BBQ place than Japanese hehe), salad, and dessert.

Before we placed the strips and cubes on the grill

Gyu Kaku (30 Victoria St, Singapore 187996, Ph +65 6333 4001) Website

And lastly to something that I didn’t need to prepare myself …

This is my 4th visit to La Fondue and I’ve become a fan of their stuff. Beyond the cheese and chocolate fondue which is what they specialise in, I was pleasantly delighted with their spicy arrabiata sauce.

Swiss Cheese fondue came with...

... steamed vegetables

... and bread

Spaghetti in spicy arrabiata sauce

Cookies & cream chocolate fondue

Not so busy on a Sunday early afternoon

La Fondue (25 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249670, Ph +65 6474 0204) Website

For those of you living in Singapore, enjoy your food adventures and remember to always save some space for desserts!

My 30-something Birthday

June 6, 2010

Another birthday, another reason to thank the Lord for His abundant blessings.

Last year, I had dinner at a Chinese restaurant with my family before going with them and a few friends to the Pussycat Dolls “Doll Domination” concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

This year, here’s what I did.

720 AM – Mass at St Peter & Paul near the Singapore Art Museum.

I wanted to start my birthday via a thanksgiving mass. Weekday masses start quite early (630 am!) so would consider this one as rather late. Had to wake up at 630am.

915 AM – Medical appointment at Gleneagles Hospital

When I was in Hong Kong, my left eye developed a condition called “subconjunctival hemorrhage” which occurs when a tiny blood vessel breaks underneath the clear surface of the eye (white part, called conjunctiva).

For those who saw me around early June, you would have noticed and asked. It’s when blood is trapped under that white part – may look frightening and painful but it’s non-contagious and harmless. Hmm… some instant medical knowledge for you there!

This appointment is the 3rd one (the 3rd doctor as well though this time a specialist) and as with the 2 other doctors I’ve seen, I was given the same message (Don’t worry, it’s just like a bruise on the skin. You just have to let it heal as it will disappear in 10-14 days. No medication required). At least, I was reassured.

Will spare you the agony of feeling sorry for me so I wont post any eye photo.

Update (as of Sun, 20 June) – The hemorrhage completely disappeared last week!

11ish - Lunch at Chili’s then dessert at Applebee’s

Wanted to have brunch at Friven & Co but that meant waiting another 30 mins for it to open so decided to go elsewhere…. the ever-reliable Chili’s. I’m a fan of American diners so it was ok to pick up extra calories over lunch, at least on my birthday.

Chili's with my mom, Ollie, and Jomike

At Applebee's - Maple Butter Blondie. Ask for the cream to be served separately so you can decide how much to pour on your plate.

With the crew after they sang Happy Birthday and served free dessert

Chili’s (163 Tanglin Road, Ph +65 6733 3317)

Applebee’s (111 Somerset Road, #01-11/12 TripleOne Somerset, Singapore, +65 6735 9671)

300pm – Went to Orchard Midpoint to buy a few boardgames then near Chinatown to pick up my birthday cake. Rested at home.

730pm – Birthday Dinner at Nectar (Wangz boutique hotel)

I love boutique hotels and I plan to check out each one of them here in Singapore, or at least try their restaurant/bar.

In my family, I’m the only one gets value for money from buffets so had to go for a la carte. Food at Nectar was good, service was excellent. Also had a quick tour of their guest rooms. Spacious and modern interior. You can even book two adjacent rooms and hold a party over two balconies.

Nectar Restaurant, Wangz Hotel, 31 Outram Road, Singapore (Ph: +65 6595 1383)

930pm – Prince of Persia

I used to play this game when I was younger (hmm, maybe 20 birthdays ago, back when we used floppy disks to install software!!). I am happy that Disney came out with a movie version inspired by the game.

While this movie didn’t have good reviews (Jake Gyllenhaal’s sounding British in a Persian role?), I really liked it — in terms of visual effects, character development, and numerous stunts and parkour.

According to Wikipedia, parkour (PK) is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one’s path by adapting one’s movements to the environment. Skills such as jumping and climbing, or the more specific parkour moves are employed.

Here’s a video of parkour stunts so you have an idea of what I CAN’T do. Haha.

Close to midnight – Blowing of birthday cake and more photos

We got these birthday candles from Hong Kong. When lit, each candle emits a different color.

See.. how nice right. I really didnt want to blow them...

... but I eventually did as I wanted to taste the cake.

Made of fresh ingredients (including the cream), really yummy

Also had a lunch celebration with Karl and Julu the next day over at Melt. (Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Singapore 5 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039797 Tel : +65 6338 0066). It’s awesome to enjoy buffet over countless laughs and sumptuous food. Great to have caught up with them.