Singapore’s got talent, too, and they are not bound by age. The elderly of Toa Payoh and Old Airport got their fair share of the limelight as they showcased their singing talent at the COPE Idol competition held on 14 March 2009 at K-Box Cineleisure.

This annual event is an initiative of the Community Outreach Program for the Elderly (COPE) by City Harvest Community Services Association (CHCSA).

Partnering with South East Community Development Council (SECDC), CHCSA seeks to build meaningful friendships among the elderly through fun-filled outings and recreational events.

That Saturday afternoon, the hall was crammed by 110 talented elderly individuals and their passionate supporters. Each one was given party packs comprising a clapper, whistle, blower and mask. The joyful atmosphere gave the 20 contestants a healthy dose of morale and confidence boost. Stepping up the platform to sing their piece was certainly a triumphant moment for them.

Music guru Estella Chia and Project Superstar Chen Zhen Liang graced the occasion as judges of COPE Idol 2009. The overall winner, Tay Teck Chye, picked the perfect song which suited his vocal range. Runners up were Carol Titt Soo Naun (2nd place) and Amy Hee Yoke Yin (3rd place) who turned simple songs into a masterpiece that captured the hearts of the crowd.

In a video interview, contestant Foo Heok Kiow said he was very appreciative of the efforts of the CHCSA team. In spite of their busy schedules, they spent time caring for the elderly and engaging them in an unforgettable experience.

PHOTOS: Irene Chia

The elderly group is anticipating an even bigger and better competition next year. They are already gearing themselves up by spending time singing along with their karaoke machine. Music and entertainment experts have offered to plan for vocal classes and with that, the contest will certainly rise up to the next level.

It was a birthday bash like no other. A day after turning 28 on 28 March 2009, Singapore singer-songwriter JJ Lin brought the roof down at the Singapore Indoor Stadium when he gave an 8,000-strong local crowd the first taste of his JJ World Tour 2009.

PHOTOS: Daniel Poh

Opening the concert with a slick hip-hop solo dance number, Lin sang a staggering 30-odd repertoire of songs, which included familiar hits like ‘编号 89757’ (‘No. 89757’), ‘江南’ (‘River South’) and ‘曹操’ (‘Cao Cao’) in addition to songs from his latest album Sixology. Watching him alternate effortlessly between unplugged ballads and easy pop ditties, there was no doubt that Lin had come into his own as a musician, vocalist and song-writer. It was a vast departure from his first concert in 2006, which featured more gimmicky, thematic role-playing and stage effects.

As the evening progressed, Lin spontaneously built warm rapport with his fans, bantering and joking as though he was facing a group of eight instead of 8,000. Every now and then, a fan would let rip with a frenzied scream, leading Lin to respond with the wit of a stand-up comedian. He was polished, yet completely at ease.

Hearts swooned further when he handpicked a starstruck female fan to sit with him on stage as he played the song ‘Baby Baby’. When it ended, both disappeared off the stage on a descending platform, escalating the crowd’s cheers to an almost ultrasonic pitch.

Drawing some of the biggest laughs that night, however, was Lin’s spitting parody of two famous names in pop music — Jacky Cheung and Michael Jackson. He mimicked the former King of Pop’s entire moonwalking and crotch-grabbing routine. Singaporean celebrity twin sisters BY2 and Taiwanese singer Fan WeiQi held their own well as guest performers, giving Lin time to change and take a breather.

On a more heartwarming note, he shared with the crowd about a rough period he went through two years ago, and thanked God and his loved ones for helping him bounce back. In fact, he displayed a spiritual conviction rarely seen in secular concert settings, as he repeatedly professed his Christian faith, especially at the timely recovery of his voice for the evening’s show.

He also shared about how much music meant to him, as he candidly professed to his audience that he wasn’t very linguistically-inclined in expressing himself. Although it wasn’t anything profoundly revelatory, it definitely helped to bring the audience one step closer to him.

In a Singapore exclusive, Lin’s family appeared on stage alongside him and delivered a rousing performance with his mum on the pipa, his dad on the erhu and his brother on the piano. The display of familial solidarity was one of the most emotionally-charged moments of the evening, as Lin called it “a birthday present to remember for life”.

In addition to his affectionate camaraderie with the crowd, he had little surprises in store. The star sent everyone groping beneath their seats for a “birthday surprise”, which he had hidden randomly around the hall for 100 lucky fans. It turned out to be a white envelope containing a personally hand-autographed picture of him, a much-appreciated personal gift to his fans.

Watching an international superstar performing live is exhilarating, but watching one of our very own make good — that’s priceless.

Big Girls Ministry (BGM) held their first ever Glam Inauguration on 13 March and it was certainly a night of glitz, glamor, and good girly fun. Headed by Josephine Lim, BGM is essentially a support group for girls aged 13-21 and it has a vision of reaching out to troubled girls to meet their needs and provide true love and friendship.

The Glam Inauguration was the first official gathering of BGM, and the girls came dressed in their best, with many donning pretty dresses and high heels. The event was kicked off with a soulful rendition of “Beautiful” by Moxi Looi. She serenaded the crowd with her stunning vocals and brought home the message that every one of them is beautiful.

PHOTOS: Lin Xiuzhen

After the song item, Josephine Lim shared the objectives and vision of BGM, as well as upcoming programs, which include workshops to empower girls, shopping sprees, and parties. Two girls, Rachel Lim and Lin Xiuzhen, were also invited to share their testimonies, which dealt with struggles such as depression, self mutilation and family abuse.

They shared how they started to change when they found God and experienced love from other members. Slowly but surely, their life turned around.

After the sharing session, the fun began. Various booths were set up providing services such as henna, nail polish, nail art, makeover, beads, and a song dedication counter. Excited chatter began to fill the air as the girls crowded around the various booths. The henna booth was definitely the hot favorite, as the skilled artist drew elaborate henna designs for the girls. The makeover booth also saw a steady stream of visitors as many girls were transformed into beauties by the talented makeup artists.

The girls were also treated to a sumptuous spread of handmade sandwiches, eggs, tidbits, chocolate crisps and more. As the event drew to a close, the girls were clearly reluctant to leave, and many stayed back to enjoy the fellowship with one another. Truly, the event was a tremendous success.

“I am in control of my financial life completely!”

“I will get my wealth creatively!”

“I will generate my wealth intelligently!”

“I will guard my wealth responsibly!”

“I will grow my wealth progressively!”

“I will give my wealth generously!”

This robust chorus rang loud from the auditorium of the Research Centre on Leadership early on the morning of Saturday, 7 March 2009.

What may come across to some as being a wealth and investment seminar or a session of Debtors Anonymous, was in fact a special workshop organized by The Wealth College to help people overcome and eliminate debt in practical ways.

The trainer, Bernard Lim, is a certified financial planner, and is both a practitioner and director of The Wealth College, one of the world’s largest financial services companies. He has written books on practical debt management and taught individuals how to avoid financial pitfalls in borrowings and loans, thus increasing their financial literacy and ability to eliminate debt.

Lim’s unique teaching style involved audience participation to repeat out loud the key concepts taught during the session. Instead of the usual one-way presentation, Lim actively involved the audience to ensure that they got a good grasp of what he was teaching.

More than just stating “I want to be financially free”, attendees were made conscious of the fact that the term “financially free” refers to a state where one’s passive income (i.e. one’s money, ideas and people working for you, like investments, a business that is owned by you but managed by someone else, royalties for a book you have written) has effectively replaced one’s active income (i.e., you spending time working for your money).

To aid people in assessing the depth of their financial woes, Lim used a simple “Wheel of Life” Model. Money/Finances affects all other aspects of the wheel such as Family, Social Life, Career/Business, Health, so looking at the visual representation of finances allowed the participants to quickly grasp what areas of expenses and cost-savings they may not have noticed before.

Lim is a believer in the principal of tithing — now a widely-embraced financial concept endorsed even by the likes of Oprah Winfrey. “Releasing the tithe — or 10 per cent of our income — ensures that our eyes are open to opportunities to monetize our abilities, skills and knowledge,” he shares.

As an additional source of help for individuals who face deeper financial issues, Lim is currently setting up a team of financial planners to help to address and deal with serious and complicated debt situations.

If you are looking for more information on wealth planning, visit Bernard Lim’s site at www.wealthhub.com.sg

Christianity in Taiwan, especially among the youth, was in a rather dismal state in 1997. The church population was aging and many were growing weary serving the ministry. The leaders’ relentless efforts to reach out to the youth saw no results and they lacked the faith and the direction to effectively build relationships and evangelize the un-churched.

1997 was also the year when Taipei New Life Church (TNLC) got to know about City Harvest Church (CHC), Singapore, through an International Pastor’s Conference hosted by CHC. Abraham Ku, the founder and senior pastor of TNLC, came with a heart full of expectancy for a new vision and longed for the spirit of revival that CHC has been experiencing.

He was overwhelmed when he witnessed confident, young people loving God and serving Him passionately, bearing the spirit of excellence in all they do — particularly in their dressing! He was tremendously impacted during the Conference and hungered for a mighty move of God in his home country.

PHOTOS: Melvin Chen

CHC and TNLC soon started to forge an inextricable relationship with each other. CHC sent their key leaders to train and build up their pastors and church workers regularly and aided them to host many exciting youth events, like Taiwan Emerge.

Through the mentorship of Kong Hee, Ku drew on the discipleship values learnt and sought to establish strong relationships with the un-churched through secular and creative methods. He recognized that relationships are the avenues to influence and impact, sustaining a long lasting transformation in the young people.

TNLC actively reached out to celebrities and many were saved and set on fire for the Lord through their ministry. These celebrities then pulled their talents and resources together birthing forth creative programmes, such as the Rainbow Connection and producing a secular music album of faith, hope and love, to penetrate into the schools in a secular method, but conveying the sacred message of the Gospel.

TNLC is in the midst of a huge wave of youth revival in Taiwan, growing from 11 in 1997 to 450 high school and university students. To date, they are averaging 2,500 people on a regular weekend service. Indeed, TNLC fully lives out the Cultural Mandate; transforming not only their church, but their society as well!

In a country like Singapore where the national pastime is shopping, this chick flick will find no lack of an audience.

Adapted from the Shopaholic series of novels by Sophie Kinsella, it stars a surprisingly lovable Isla Fisher as an plastic-wielding, incurable shopping addict Rebecca Bloomwood, for whom it’s “a basic human right” to be clad in $200 Marc Jacobs underwear.

Rebecca is a journalist who aspires badly to works at Alette, a high-fashion magazine not unlike Vogue. Through an error however, she receives a job offer at Successful Savings, a financial magazine where the monetary insight she is expected to pen is as dry as the state of her bank account.

With her escalating bills aggravated by a sudden retrenchment, she takes the job, and begins an ironic career of dishing out advice about money smarts. Using an unconventional, refreshingly jargon-free way of relating to her readers, her column becomes an unexpected hit with the everyman, or in this case, the every woman.

She becomes the toast of the town overnight and garners the increasing adoration of her editor Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy) but as her own sordid financial affairs start to catch up with her, she is forced to make some very painful decisions.

As with most chick flicks, the plot here is unapologetically simplified, and if you’re looking for an exposition into the perils of a credit-dependent lifestyle (as though what’s in the newspapers nowadays isn’t enough) or the evils of consumerism, you won’t find it here. But what gives this joyride some weight is the comedic honesty with which it portrays the psyche of a spendthrift — through some hilarious Shopaholics Anonymous sessions and talking mannequins.

Other than that, the laughs are generated mainly from visual and slapstick gags, none of which are very original or creative — do we really need to guffaw at another head-on collision with the poor waiter carrying a tray full of food? But it’s thanks to Fisher’s charm and knack for comic timing that Confessions turns out to be a better-than-expected piece of escapism… if only to keep you from swiping that piece of plastic for a whole, umm, 100 minutes.

Rating:

Watchmen, the wildly acclaimed British comic book series (1986-1987) penned by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, is a must-read for all who call themselves comic book fans. But given that it’s not quite a mainstream work (and more than 20 years old at that!), the opening of the movie certainly created a substantial amount of buzz in Singapore.

This is even more remarkable considering that there are no Hollywood A-list mega-stars in the lineup. In fact, the biggest name in Watchmen belongs to its director Zack Snyder, who (as the movie poster shouts) is the “visionary director of 300”, the Spartan mega-fest that wowed the world with its special effects.

The Watchmen are a group of once-famous superheroes who fought crime on the streets of America and basked in the limelight, particularly when they were sent as weapons to destroy thousands in Vietnam during the War. However, a government ruling outlawing masked vigilantism caused the heroes to disband. Those who were willing to reveal their identities, like the lightning-quick Ozymandias, went on to become celebrities and moguls, while the others faded into obscurity, their once-defining masks pulled off to reveal an all-too-human face.

Still, most of them continue contributing to society the best they know how, as upright citizens of America.

As the limelight of these heroes begins to fade, one of them, the sadistic cigar-smoking Comedian is viciously murdered. The paranoid Rorschach, the only one of the Watchmen who has slipped the law and continues to wear his mask, gets onto the case and soon begins to unravel a conspiracy to snuff out all masked superheroes.

What begins as another of Rorshach’s crazy wild goose chases turns out to be real this time. Rorshach finds himself framed, caught, demasked and in jail facing 200 of the men he put in prison. Dr Manhattan (the physicist turned live experiment) becomes consumed with replicating his own power for what he believes to be the tool to save mankind, and in the process, loses all the humanity he has left.

The Watchmen are not the shiny, latex-and-leather clad bunch from the X-Men or Fantastic Four. Snyder’s mastery of comic book action cinematography gives this movie the comic-come-to-life effect that has won this movie rave reviews from Watchmen fans the world over (not an easy task — most comic book adaptations suffer a fate like Batman & Robin).

For those who have never read the comic, Watchmen will be seem a totally different superhero movie from the Ironmans, Hulks and Spidermans of this world.

The characters in this movie are shocking, contradictory, diverse, hilarious and vicious all at the same time, and far from virtuous much of the time. These heroes hack away at villains till nothing is left but bloodied pulp. One shoots a woman he has impregnated, and rapes a colleague. These are not pretty heroes. (Note the M18 rating)

But more than just a violent gore fest, Snyder has created a rare thing — by keeping 100 per cent true (nearly frame-by-frame) to Moore’s and Gibson’s original work, the story line rises to the level of a political satire of the Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. This tension of nuclear war serves as the backdrop for our heroes and Rorschach’s “conspiracy” to unfold. Watchmen proves a powerful statement about humanity: at its core, true-to-life characters come to messy grips with love, loyalty, faithfulness and self-doubt, as they battle it out amidst the massive themes of world peace, the quest for utopia, and ultimately, sacrifice.

Rating:

Joint Byline: Darice Jill Ng

To kickstart the year with a worshipful heart and draw near to the presence of God, the youth zone CK Zone invited City Harvest’s assistant music director, Teo Poh Heng, to conduct a three-part series on the art of leading worship, titled “iWorship 101″, in January this year.

Over the course of three Thursday evenings, about 120 guitarists and song leaders turned up each time at the Riverwalk, excited to learn from the man they so often see leading in song at church. At each session, Teo led praise and worship before commencing with the teaching.

At the first meeting, Teo emphasized that, when one song-leads, striking a balance between skills and spirituality was vital. He also stressed the importance of a good relationship between the song leader and the musician, since it is this duo that work together to lead a group in praise and worship.

During the second session and third sessions, Poh talked about the anointing and the dynamics of a contemporary worship band. He gave the members some take-home lessons like learning to sing and play songs like ‘Shout It Out Loud’ and ‘My Life, Your Song’. The class constantly rang with laughter as Teo entertained with endless jokes, playing off beat and singing off key to demonstrate what not to do.

Teo also incorporated values into his teaching, telling the class to “not be bitter, be better” and “train hard, fight easy; train easy, fight hard”. From the examples he gave, it was easy to see that Teo himself hungers for the presence of God and has a spirit of excellence. Before leading any song, he would practice it at least 50 to 100 times.

At the third and final session, the class had an interview session with Teo. He shared about how he started playing in church, and is now entering into secular music, having been offered opportunities to play tracks for movies and television commercials. All this came because of his hard work and faithfulness over the years.

PHOTOS: Nadia Wong

Cell group guitarist Cavin Tan, 16, a Hwa Chong Institution Student, told CityNews after the sessions that “Poh’s sessions were deeply motivational and reminded me not to be complacent. I have also learned that spirituality and skills are equally important. Both must work together to usher in a strong atmosphere of faith and power.”

So well-received were Teo’s sessions that he has been invited back to teach intermediate and advanced classes on the art of worship later this year.

“Discover the fundamentals. Elevate your potential.”

That was the theme for the modelling workshop that took place weekly for four weeks over at Jurong West premise. The Chinese church hall was transformed into a modelling studio, complete with a runway, photo studio and catwalk pictures all over the walls. This was the closest thing to at an actual runway that most of the participants had seen; it was effective in assimilating industry standards.

Personality Development Trainer Genecia Luo, spoke at this four-week event. Luo, who also won the Miss Singapore International 2006 title, did not just talk the talk but walk the walk. She instructed, guided and shared her experiences in the industry. She demonstrated the art of grooming, posing and walking; explained what to expect when one goes for a model casting; what to wear and how to carry themselves.

It was like an episode out of America’s Next Top Model.

The females in the room were instructed to turn up in a figure-hugging dress and high-heeled shoes a minimum of four inches. Heels are imperative in modeling as they give the female form a lift and helps their posture.

The men, comparatively, had it easy: they just had to wear a simple tight t-shirt with jeans. Of course, what was important was how their (hopefully buff bodies) filled out their t-shirts!

PHOTOS: Daniel Poh

It was a fun and fabulous experience being in a room of beautiful people, but there was more to the workshop than what was skindeep.

University student Stephanie Surya, 21, said: “It was an eye-opening experience, knowing my strengths and weaknesses, learning all those grooming tips; all in, I’m feeling a lot more confident about myself.”

Many City News spoke to shared her sentiments: confidence was the one key they left this workshop with, an asset that helped them not only if they became models, but across other aspects of their lives, for example in job interviews or during presentations.

This may have been a modeling course, but it lacked the typical cat-clawing antics and sabotage that the industry is notorious for. Pure talent was what set these girls and boys apart, and that’s what makes for a true winner.

With the many seminars and enrichment programs introduced this year, families in church have not been left out: they have a whole series of Parenting Workshops lined up for their participation.. On 7 March 2009, the series kicked off with the topic “Basic First Aid and Your Child”, at Expo Hall 1.

PHOTOS: Lynn Tan

The workshop was attended by a sizeable group of parents, some with kids in tow. Volunteers from the Children’s Church were also in attendance as this was a topic relevant to them. Conducting the course was Juztin Png, a facilitator from the Singapore First Aid Training Centre (SFATC). The informal setting allowed plenty of interactivity, and the attentive participants fired many questions during the session.

Png, 26, was as a nurse in a hospital before joining SFATC a year ago Png said, “I hope to be able to help increase survival rate by sharing my knowledge, because simply knowing and applying CPR to someone in need can dramatically make the difference between life and death for them.”

The workshop was a good mix of theory and practical, covering a range of common injuries along with recommended treatment methods. Using plenty of humor and a clearly illustrated Powerpoint presentation, Png also displaced many “old wives tales”, such as putting toothpaste on a burn to speed up recovery. According to Png, toothpaste may temporarily bring relief to the skin’s surface, but the mint will turn “hot” after the cooling effect has worn off, plus there is no scientific evidence to prove the effectiveness of toothpaste on burns.

The highlight of the day was a live demonstration on life-sized adult and baby dummies. Participants found it helpful to observe at close view how exactly to use Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), or administer aid in instances such as choking.

The participants were able to put their newfound knowledge to the test: each had a chance to practice CPR on the dummies.

With this exercise, and the many helpful tips from Png, the parents and ministry helpers at the session went away more equipped — to provide basic first aid to their children in emergency situations.

It was clear from the feedback of the parents that they enjoyed the whole workshop.

Eddie Chng, 35, a civil servant who attended the session with his wife and his year-old daughter Zoey, found the course a great help for him and his family. He said, “I had learned first aid before, and this helped to serve as a refresher for me. I think more parents should attend such useful workshops.”