Castlemania, a community event organized for the hearing-impaired and their families took place on a sunny afternoon on 26 November 2008.

The event was also for new volunteers who had just graduated from a basic sign language course run by Talking Hands, a volunteer group that serves the hearing-impaired and helps bridge the gap between the mainstream community. This event allowed the new volunteers to communicate with the hearing-impaired using sign language, in a situational yet fun and relaxed atmosphere.

A total of 16 hearing-impaired and 12 new volunteers came together at East Coast Park. The participants were split into a Men’s Team and a Ladies’ Team, and the two teams had to build a sandcastle according to a theme within two hours. 

At the word go, the participants brainstormed on the theme for their sandcastle using sign language. Quickly, each team got down to work and started digging a base and building a structure that would be their masterpiece. 

The volunteers were not allowed to directly help in constructing the sandcastles; they could only assist by giving suggestions and providing flora to decorate the sandcastles. Before long, two distinctly different sandcastles took shape. The Ladies team boasted a neat structure with symmetrical towers while the Men’s Team had a unique, heart shaped base for their sandcastle.

The results were a 5-5 draw and three passerbys were asked to pick the winner and break the tie. The vote was 2-1 in favor of the Ladies’ Team. The team was presented with the prize of vouchers worth S$150 before everyone headed to the nearby Lagoon Food Center for dinner and fellowship.

PHOTOS: Jacqueline Chan

“It was a great first outing — everyone enjoyed themselves,” said volunteer Jacqueline Chan, 38. Strong friendships were built between the volunteers and the hearing-impaired, even the family members who came with them. 

The group is already looking forward to the second outing — a Christmas event.

Walt Disney Animation’s latest offering is the stellar Bolt, which boasts a voiceover cast of Hollywood top-listers like Miley Cyrus and John Travolta.

Bolt is the canine star of a hit TV show about a dog with superpowers and his owner, Penny. Here’s the twist: Everyone is aware of Bolt the superstar except Bolt himself — this dog believes he really does have superpowers, never having left the production studio since he was a pup.

In a bid for higher viewership ratings, the producers throw in a cliffhanger ending to the show: Penny gets abducted by the villain.

This sends Bolt into a frenzy that takes him out of the studios and into the real world where his “superpowers” no longer work. Confused and battered, Bolt now has to find his way home. The movie chronicles his journey across the states with the help of Mittens, an abandoned cat, and Rhino, a hamster obsessed with the TV hero Bolt.

The heart of the story is Bolt’s journey of self-discovery — as everything he has ever known falls apart, he discovers the joys and woes of being a normal dog.

Therein lies the magic of Disney — the simple charm of Bolt as the audience grows fond of the characters and eventually, start feeling for Bolt’s dogged determination to find his owner (pun intended).

The casting is superb, with John Travolta successfully bringing out the earnestness and fierce loyalty of Bolt. Miley Cyrus of Hannah Montana fame does a decent job of voicing Penny and you will love Susie Essman’s sarcastic drawl as Mittens and Mark Walton as the adorably maniacal Rhino.

Even the animation is a noticeable improvement from Disney’s last few efforts.

Rating:

Dian Xiao Er
Where: Vivocity #02-137/8

Set amidst the mirror-floored sophistication of VivoCity’s modern hallways, Dian Xiao Er Restaurant stands out with its charming traditional Chinese décor. Painstakingly modeled after the tea houses of ancient China, the restaurant looks like it popped out of a wu xia xiao shuo (martial arts novel), complete with rustic wooden beams and red Chinese lanterns.

Service was pleasantly fast, and perks included early bird discounts for dining from 11.30am to 12.30pm.

The restaurant is famed for its Herbal Roasted Duck. The skin of the duck was thin and crisp and well roasted, and its juicy meat nicely infused with herbal. This dish lives up to its reputation.

We also ordered the Fried Rice with Seafood and XO sauce: the rice had a pleasant wok-fried smokiness to it, and the mild spiciness of Dian Xiao Er’s special XO sauce gave a nice oomph to the flavor of the rice.

Their exotically named Mongolian Spare Ribs chalked up another point for the restaurant with its unique sauce, blended with chilli padi for a wicked kick in the taste buds. The meat is also fantastically done, tender yet with a slight crisp on the outside.

Also, other must-tries include their home-made tofu and juicy Dong Po Pork.

All in, Dian Xiao Er offers an excellent meal in double-quick time — a lunch hour dream spot!

Rating:

This month, Lim Thow Wee ran his fourth marathon. He began running marathons in 2006; the full marathon covers 42.195 km, and is an endurance exercise that is considered a peak event in the sporting arena. For Lim, it’s not the race that’s the toughest thing, but the sacrifices and commitments made prior to the race. City News spoke to him about training for his latest marathon.

The last three marathons, I wasn’t too serious as I ran only about 50 to 60 kilometers per week. My personal best was 3 hours 49.52 seconds in 2007. This year, I decided that since running is my God-given gift, I decided to pursue it seriously and strive to be among the top few in Singapore. Miraculously, I found Mr Rameshon, Singapore’s marathon record holder since 1995 (his personal best time is 2 hours, 24.22 seconds), on the internet and managed to ask him to be my coach. He willingly obliged.

PHOTOS: Lim Thow Wee

Under Rameshon’s coaching, life has been quite different! I have to run at least 150 km per week — that means I have to run every day to spread out the workload, sometimes twice a day. My diet has to change as well. More fruits and vegetables have to be incorporated into my meals as their anti-oxidants aids in better muscle-recovery. Fast food, meat, greasy food and sugary stuff have to be off my menu for some time.

The people in my life have been very supportive. My cell group members have been encouraging me week in and week out, and they have been actively running as well. My family prepares plenty of nutritious food for me — they’ve even changed grocery items to things like bananas, low-fat milk, canola spread instead of butter. My wife has been amazing as she’s willing to sacrifice our personal time just for me to pursue my dream. In addition, she will be taking part in her maiden half-marathon.

It will be exciting come 7 December 2008, Sunday. It’s the culimination of my last few months of serious training. I hope to use it as a platform to draw closer to my dream of being the top few marathoners in Singapore in the next few years!

Editor’s Update: Lim Thow Wee came in 10th with the timing of 3 hours 10 mins in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon on 7 December. His coach, Mr Rameshon came in 1st with the timing of 2 hours 49 mins.

Mamma Lucia
Where: 11 Unity Street #01-07 Robertson Walk Singapore 237995
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm

If you catch yourself downtown at lunchtime, lost amidst Singapore’s endless offerings of international cuisines (Japanese, Taiwanese, Indian), fret not. When in doubt, Italian food never fails you.

And for good Italian food, there is Mamma Lucia.

Located right in the middle of Robertson Walk’s “foodie” haven, the restaurant offers quality, no-frills Italian dining for the reasonable price of S$30 to 40 per person. You could choose to dine in the restaurant’s cool air-conditioned interiors, or alfresco in the breezy outdoors (and pretend you are in Rome).

All meals are prefaced with a nice serving of home-baked bread, accompanied by three different dips. We recommend you ask for their sweet sautéed onion.

We ordered the Carpaccio Al Funghi, which is raw beef with crushed mushroom, sprinkled with lemon and topped off with rucola or rocket leaves. Daunting as raw beef may sound, the entire dish is a refreshing mix of bitter herby goodness with the taste of parmesan cheese and lemon tang.

For the mains, we liked their Pappardelle (wide flat ribbon pasta) with mushrooms in cream sauce, mainly for its gorgeous, thick and silky cream sauce. The pasta itself should have been al dente (but it was a little overcooked). But the heavenly sauce makes the sin forgivable, so on the whole, the dish still satisfies.

For pizzas, the Salame Piccante is a good choice. The crust is wonderfully thin and flaky, and comes with generous amounts of rich tomato puree, cheese and salami slices.

Finally, you must end your meal with Mamma Lucia’s delicious Tiramisu. The confection leaves a pleasant, lingering coffee aftertaste in your mouth, inviting you to have that second helping.

It took faith to hold an outdoor event during the rainy month of October but the WYZ Tertiary Team 1 successfully mounted MACNITUDE on 2 November in Chinatown.

Borrowing from the spot-the-character book series Where’s Wally? and mixing that up with snakes and ladders and the popular TV show Fear Factor, MACNITUDE was a treasure hunt-style race that took two months of intensive planning and prayer.

It was thankfully sunny when the event kicked off at Chinatown Bridge with a total of 124 secondary and tertiary school students (including 39 new friends).

PHOTOS: Rae Lee

The crowd cheered at the unveiling of a giant snakes and ladders board, and five “Ronald McDonalds”. Each team rolled their dice and proceeded to their designated starting point.

Each team had to complete a task given at every checkpoint in order to gain points and move on to the next destination. During the race, they had to spot the five Ronald McDonalds to gain more points. To earn the bonus points, the teams had to do special things like consuming exotic food, pick up balls in a container full of meal worms, even put on a costume and take a photo with a passerby.

The wild and wacky two-hour race ended with Tan Yankai’s (W415), Valerie Ang’s (W459) and Liu Pinde’s (W459) teams as champions — they won shopping vouchers from CapitaLand Malls. Thanks to MACNITUDE, strangers became acquaintances and acquaintances became friends.

The late Dr Edwin Louis Cole, founder of the Christian Men’s Network, coined the phrase, “You’re a male by birth but a man by choice.”

Following this mantra, the men in City Harvest Chinese Church made a conscious decision to take up their God-given responsibilities and maximize their manhood at a series taught this year, which was open solely to men.

Tan Ye Peng, City Harvest’s deputy senior pastor who also oversees City Harvest’s Chinese Church, taught a series on Maximized Manhood for the male members of the Chinese Church.

PHOTOS: Daniel Poh

Tan talked about the purpose and responsibilities of men, and challenged the men in the audience to take up the role of leader in their families. He also encouraged them to have more fellowship and networking among themselves.

The men rose to the occasion and started to play a more active leadership role as husband and father in the family. Many wives and children testified that this has led to the strengthening of family ties.

To encourage male bonding and networking, an outing was organized. The men took a walk along the Southern Ridges, from Mount Faber Park to West Coast Park. Following the walk, the men shared and networked over dinner. It was a fruitful and enjoyable time for attendees.

The walk was organized by Loke Kit, 46, a construction professional. He said, “Most of the time, even in our own cell groups, we only hang out for half an hour or so after the meeting ends. There is hardly any time for in-depth communication or fellowship. This outing gave us a chance to get to know one another better.” The walk was hailed a success by the men and is the start of more to come.

The Men’s Ministry in the Chinese Church has proved such a hit that even the women in Chinese Church are requesting for a Women’s Ministry to be started!

PHOTOS: Alvin Loh

Highly fêted designer, Leonard Lee is a picture of suave and charm.

Beyond his quiet, reflective personality, the laurels in his cap include international awards for the best hotel, guestroom and restaurant designs, as well as the much-coveted Wave of the Future Award for up-and-coming young designers of the year (previous winners include famous designers and architects like Philippe Starck and Frank Gehry).

Now, as Executive Design Director at one of the largest hospitality interior design firms in the world, Wilson Associates Inc., Leonard shares his formula for success: “Desire and faith in prayer.”

“Your desire to seek God should not be a duty,” says Lee, who sets aside time daily from his hectic schedule to come before the Lord in prayer. He quotes Mark 11:24, saying, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.”

Looking back on 12 years in the design industry, Lee admits that the road to the top was rocky at times. However, he sees problems as gentle reminders of his need to draw strength from God.

“Success has a lot to do with patience, perseverance and humility,” explains Lee, who has had his fair share of dealing with difficult clients and consultants. “You have to be able to pick yourself up when you fall, and keep trying even when the odds are stacked heavily against you.”

Lee also attests to the power of giving and tithing, attributing his wealth of bonuses, increments and awards to the faithfulness of God’s promise in Malachi 3:10.

His testimony has gone down well with friends and colleagues in the marketplace, who are eager to learn what Lee has gleaned from the Bible and church sermons.

Despite his achievements, Lee is determined not to let success get to his head, saying, “My goal is to constantly improve myself even when others tell me that I’ve done well.”

The morning was made perfect with the magnificent sun in all its glory over the island of Sentosa.

On 29 October, the boisterous beach hunks and babes of City Harvest’s YK, KS and VIC zones thronged to the sunbathed island to take a break from their busy schedules. They were in for a day of exhilaration, twists and surprises.

The day began at 10 in the morning, with the cell group and connect group leaders streaming towards Siloso Beach, chatting nineteen to a dozen in anticipation of a time of friendship and fun. Classic games like Dog-and-Bone and Captain’s Ball created the mood, but the creative organizers of the event, namely the YK leaders had much more in store.

Pig’s tongues and ears, raw chicken meat, and other peculiar objects, were used as props for the games; the women were apprehensive but determined to triumph, while color just ran from the faces of the men.

The sportsmanship of Goh Yock Kiang, Kenneth Sim, and Victor Wong (the heads of the three respective zones) was evident through a series of sun-and-sea sports. Relentless attacks, tireless diving into the sand and soaking in the sea — all was endured in the name of victory under the blazing sun.

PHOTOS: Sarah Teo

At midday, a sumptuous beach buffet spread of savories and desserts was laid out on a picnic mat. Everyone ate to their hearts’ content, as chatter and laughter resonated. “I had a great time getting to know the other leaders on a more personal level,” said Angel Teh, a cell group leader of YK Zone.

As the day came to a close, charred and exhausted bodies made their way home, genuinely grateful for a day well spent away from their hectic schedules. Indeed, the three zones, consisting of more than 70 leaders, forged inextricable, close-knit ties this crazy, fun-filled day.

In the words of cell group leader Howard Kuay, “There was great food, fun games, great weather and the wonderful company of friends! What more could one ask for?”

Neglected, scorned, ignored. That is often the fate of many who have reached their golden years, particularly those in the lower-income bracket. But a team of volunteers from the Community Outreach Program for the Elderly (COPE) plan to nip this problem in the bud by befriending the elderly through a series of interactive programs.

COPE volunteers make weekly home visitations and provide a full range of free services such as household maintenance and escorting the elderly to medical check-ups. As part of the program, groceries and meals are distributed daily to 124 senior citizens who reside in one-room and two-room HDB flats. These energetic helpers also organize regular recreational programs to keep the elderly entertained.

Recently, they organized an excursion to the Singapore Flyer on 23 November to celebrate Grandparents’ Day. Over 80 elderly persons and their family members went onboard the Singapore Flyer at dawn and were treated to a bird eye’s view of the city from 165 metres up.

Partnering with the South East Community Development Council (SECDC) and City Harvest Community Services Association (CHCSA), COPE reaches out to a total of 422 households in the Old Airport Road area, and Toa Payoh district every month. Since 1999, the volunteer pool, comprising teenagers and adults, has grown from 20 to more than 50.

To be better equipped to assist the elderly, COPE volunteers from CHCSA were trained under the Holistic and Professional Eldercare Initiative (HOPE), a joint project by South East CDC and New Changi General Hospital. Their spirit of loving and serving the elderly was also passed on to a new generation as they roped in secondary school students through a Community Involvement Programme.

With a revolutionary campaign like COPE, hopefully, it won’t take too long for every elderly folk in Singapore to feel loved, dignified, and cherished.