Contributed by Celest Foo and Allan Moo

The Creative Cultural Festival (CCF), organized by New Life Church (Taiwan) (NLC) and Rainbow Heaven (Taiwan), is a non-profit organization that helps to effect a positive transformation in Taiwan’s youth. This year’s CCF was held over three days from 26 to 28 June 2009.

The event took place at the main shopping district of Taipei’s east side on Chung Xiao East Road, attracting a large crowd. It launched with opening speeches by Kong Hee of City Harvest Church (Singapore), Dr AR Bernard of Christian Cultural Centre (New York), and Abraham Ku, the senior pastor of NLC.

The focus of the festival covered three Cs, namely, creativity (the festival sought to encourage young people to be creative and to embrace culture); character (helping young people to develop sound character) and charity (it encouraged the young to show care and concern for others).

There were more than 30 booths lined up along the crowded square near the main shopping district area, and another 15 booths inside NLC. Each booth was decorated with different themes to showcase the creativity of the youths. One booth featured a giant dartboard painted with human frailty, such as, condemning thoughts, depression, greed and grudges. The participant had to shout out his area of weakness (make a verbal confession) and throw a water-balloon at the particular area of weakness that he wanted to see a change in (action). There was also a booth that auctioned off items contributed by famous Mando Pop celebrities, such as, Jolin Tsai’s jeans, JJ Lin’s T-shirt and FIR’s handmade soap!

A mobile stage was set up right in the middle of the square for live performances by Milk (Niu Nai), Liu Geng Hong and FIR. There to represent Singapore were singer, Allan Moo, and beauty queen, Celest Foo, performed a duet together.

This festival also served as the official launch of Rainbow Heaven’s new CD album, Faith Map, featuring songs from FIR, Liu Geng Hong, Wing, JJ Lin and Sun Ho. The album hit number three on the Taiwan music charts during the first week of its launch.

PHOTOS: Allan Moo

Over the weekend, NLC held its weekend service, which was packed with young people. During the service, an interview was conducted by Liu with four beauty queens from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. The interview was meant to encourage the youth to step out and engage culture boldly, participating in beauty pageants and other similar competitions.

The City Harvest Youth worship team from Singapore, made up of musicians and singers aged 25 and under, led in praise and worship during the church service. Kong then preached a message on Christians living out the Cultural Mandate, followed by Bernard expounding on Christ in Culture, stressing on the importance of having godly character and upright values as one engages culture. A record-breaking 15,000 young people attended the entire festival, which included the NLC weekend services.

An event for singles, called “Happy Hour”, was held on 23 June 2009 at the Meritus Mandarin Hotel.

Kicking off with a buffet spread, the event, organized by Tic Tac Toe, a social development organization, was attended by 200-odd invitees, comprising young working professionals. A slew of bingo and card games broke the ice among the tables, as hosts Bryan Lim and Wendy Loo armed themselves well with quips and jokes to keep the floor entertained. Laughs erupted as Lim jokingly chastised one male participant for leaving his female game partner behind while he bounded up the stage to collect his prize. Contact cards were also distributed for participants to give to fellow participant whom they were interested in getting to know better.

Gifted performer, Linusled, delivered a few light numbers on the piano as getting-to-know-you sessions were underway. For the conversationally-challenged, there were even talking tips and topics projected on-screen. The ballroom was also transformed into a salsa dance floor as instructors from JJ Studio took the crowd through a salsa crash course. Naturally, some had to be cajoled to get on their feet, but by the end of the session, most were enjoying themselves. Said Tic Tac Toe’s program manager, Jeremy Choy, “The program is planned in such a way where there is purposeful interaction throughout the night.”

PHOTOS: Gabriel Seow

The trickiest part of preparing the event, however, was not in planning the program but rather, ensuring that the gender ratio was balanced, according to Choy as “… girls usually outnumber guys at events like this by a large margin.”

Happy Hour’s format of a buffet-cum-games and ballroom setting was a first for Tic Tac Toe. Participant Karen Tay says, “It’s a good way for people to network and socialize but in future it would be better if wine or other alcoholic drinks were served, as that might be helpful in calming some nerves.”

Chong’s Yummy Favs: Tang Dian Wang

Ginseng with bamboo shoots and chicken

“I live on good soup, not on fine words,” mused Moliere, famous 17th century French playwright and avid soup lover.

For like-minded modern Singaporeans missing the comforts of good ol’ home-boiled soups, Tang Dian Wang is the urban answer to your nostalgic cravings. The restaurant combines chic modern concepts with Shanghainese touches to good effect, with the main dining hall softly lit by large Chinese lanterns and old-school Shanghainese tunes playing in the background.

Dominating the menu are double-boiled soups, which arrive in hearty servings that are easily good for four to five persons. Our favourite soup was the ginseng with bamboo shoots and chicken, which came chockfull with meaty chunks of pork and chicken, and tasted every bit as healthy as it sounds.

Simmered Bee Hoon with Roasted Duck & Runny Egg

While our meal took an early nosedive with the disappointing Lotus Rice (which ironically is a signature dish), the other stir-fried dishes are above average renditions of old-time favourites. The Chicken with Fragrant Chives & Onions was tender and juicy, and the Double Style Rib was pleasantly sweet and savoury. The Simmered Bee Hoon with Roasted Duck & Runny Egg sent us down memory lane with the chef’s accurate re-creation of the dish. The Steamed Cod Fish with Chye Poh was a pleasantly unique creation, despite being on the pricey end. The oiliest thing we had from the menu was the Kway with Preserved Meat, which was fortunately worth the calories as the noodles were springy and flavourful.

Chicken with Fragrant Chives & Onions	Steamed Cod Fish with Chye Poh

Overall Rating:

On 9 August 2009, local indie band Blind Meets Mute staged a gig at Starbucks at ION Orchard, performing a total of eight songs from 8.20pm to 9.10pm. While our island nation celebrated her 44th Anniversary that same evening, Starbucks held their own celebration for Singapore by going local. Just days after the opening of the highly anticipated ION Orchard mall [on 21 July 2009], visitors and passers-by stopped in their tracks right in front of Starbucks several weekends on end, delighted at the fresh sight of a local band performing live. All this is part of Starbucks’ recent campaign to ‘support local music while enjoying a cuppa’ from 26 July right up till National Day on 9 August. Other popular local bands and artistes were also invited to perform on Starbuck’s platform, including highly sought after local artiste, Dawn Ho. Blind Meets Mute is a local indie band formed in 2006 by five aspiring musicians: Ain 22 (Lead Vocalist and Keyboardist), Aliff 22 (Lead Guitarist, Backup Vocalist), Idham 23 (Bassist, Backup Vocalist), Didi 24 (Rhythm Guitarist) and Faizal 23(Drummer), who are inspired by music from the likes of Paramore [their favorite band], Dashboard Confessional, Penfold and more.

An hour before the gig, supporters consisting of peers and friends from other bands had already taken the best seats in the house [at Starbucks], eagerly awaiting Blind Meets Mute’s performance. The band did not disappoint, kicking off the show with their latest single, ‘Take My Breath Away’. Song after song, they continued to charm the audience, playing their own covers and renditions of Paramore’s ‘Here I go Again’ and ‘Fence’, along with their own original compositions ‘Waves’, ‘Time’s Up’, ‘Skyscrapers’ and ‘Design’. The atmosphere at Starbucks was very light hearted and enjoyable as the crowd swayed to songs about love and hope while sipping the latest Starbucks hit beverage, the Caramel Coffee Jelly Frappuccino provided on the house, courtesy of Starbucks. As the performance drew to an end, the crowd at Starbucks cheered. Among them was social entrepreneur, Elim Chew. The name Blind Meets Mute was given by Idham, lead guitarist and also the composer of all the songs, who revealed that the name came to him in a dream. The band met at a local competition known as ‘Operation Rockstar’ four years ago and the rest is history. Blind Meets Mute are also currently endorsed and supported by Gibson, a famous guitar manufacturing corporation. “It’s a win-win situation,” says Ain, lead vocalist. “They let us use their quality guitars while we promote their guitars during our performances.” From their humble beginnings of playing at places such as Golden Landmark, Blind Meets Mute have come a long way, performing for Noise 2008, Singapore Arts Festival 2009, Channel 5′s Live n Loaded and more.

PHOTOS: Richard Chong

After reaching the milestone of performing at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre, Blind Meets Mute is set for their next target: performing in Malaysia to gain more exposure. To encourage other budding musicians who want to pursue their music dreams but are afraid of stepping out, Ain shares that the fundamental aspect of success is to “be one’s self and be patient; and not to do it for fame, but to do it for passion.” Blind Meets Mute will be releasing their very first Extended Play (EP) consisting of six of their very own tracks including hits such as ‘Take my breath away’, ‘Design’ and more, at the end of 2009. Local bands like Blind Meets Mute now have a platform to showcase their works, thanks to Starbucks’ worthy cause of supporting local talent!

City Harvest Community Services Association (CHCSA), an organization that aims to inspire and care for the community, held its first volunteer orientation on 27 June 2009.

Seventy volunteers came for the orientation with the same passion and zest to serve the community.

The event had a rousing start with an ice breaker led by Eden Sim, the game master. After the volunteers got to know each other better, team building activities such as “Jumping Machine”, What’s What” and “Magic Pole” taught them how to co-operate, communicate and set team goals.

For the second part of the event, the volunteers were introduced to the CHCSA’s history, vision and the core value “Touching Hearts, Changing Lives”. Through community services, CHCSA aims to touch the hearts of those who are underprivileged and change their lives for the better. Some volunteers then shared touching stories about how their clients’ lives were changed as a result of CHCSA.

The service areas of CHCSA include children (K.I.T.E. — Kids in Total Embrace), families (STAR services), the elderly (Old Friends), youth (POD), Rehabilitation (M3 — Mighty Men in the Making), the intellectually disadvantaged (RAYZ), the terminally ill and the hearing impaired (Talking Hands).

Two of the volunteers, Saunders Tan and Ann Goh, shared they were more motivated to be a volunteer after the event. Tan chose to serve K.I.T.E while Goh will be a volunteer for “Old Friends”.

PHOTOS: Jing Jie

The organizer of the event, Irene Ho, said that before the event, CHCSA had organized individual training sessions for new volunteers. This was the first time that all the volunteers were gathered for the largest orientation program CHCSA had ever held. CHCSA will also organize future training sessions for the volunteers to equip themselves to serve different kinds of areas.

If you missed this orientation event but would like to be a volunteer of CHCSA, do contact them at (65) 6835-9916 or log on to http://www.chcsa.org.sg to sign up.

When a movie, and a computer-animated one at that, draws tears within its first fifteen minutes, you know you’re in for something truly special. Marrying delectable storytelling with the most beautifully rendered of pixels and vectors, Pixar has done it again with its latest offering — Up — a moving tale about friendship and adventure between the unlikeliest pair.

Brimming with childlike wonder, adventure and humor yet offering heartfelt life lessons, Up follows the story of 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen, who grows increasingly cranky and lonesome as he mourns the death of his beloved wife Ellie. When real estate developers circle in on his home, he is faced with the undignified prospect of having to move into a retirement home. This motivates him to fulfil the lifelong dream he shared with his late wife — to journey to the great outback of South America and set up home over the majestic Paradise Falls. And his passport? A colossal bunch of helium balloons.

The only snag is that he’s got himself a stowaway, an inadvertent travelling companion in the form of a boy scout named Russell, who is on a mission of his own — to assist an elderly person in order to get his final merit badge.

Accompanied by the spot-on voice talents of Edward Asner as Carl and seven-year-old Japanese-American Jordan Nagai as Russell, Up is the perfect example of why Pixar films are a cut above the rest. Besides providing solid entertainment, they teach us a thing or two about what it means to be human. The characters resonate with our own insecurities of loss, loneliness, and the fear that we’ve missed out on the best that life has to offer. At the end of it, there’s a beautifully wrought moment of epiphany for Carl that tidily sums up the message of the whole story.

Up is the movie to catch this season, whether or not you are past the age of believing that helium balloons really can float a house. Tip: don’t be late for the show, or you’ll miss out on a whimsical treat screened just before it.

Rating:

One of the main highlights in the sixth installment of Harry Potter is the maturing of its lead actors, particularly Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, who play the roles of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger respectively. These two have blossomed into their own, their prettiness notwithstanding.

Expectations were at a low after The Order of the Phoenix, so although The Half-Blood Prince isn’t exactly the magnum opus of the series, it fares remarkably better than the previous installment. As with all the recent movie adaptations of the Harry Potter series, The Half-Blood Prince is once again shrouded in darkness and conspiracies, rather grim for a children’s movie.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) reaches new levels of popularity after it is revealed that he’s the chosen one; chosen to vanquish Voldermort, that is. Despite basking in the media limelight and becoming the new school hunk of Hogwarts, being the chosen one is a calling Harry takes on rather reluctantly in the beginning.

Back at Hogwarts for his sixth year, the now statuesque Harry and headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) go in search of vital information needed to destroy Voldermort. With such perils paving the way, it only seems natural for Harry and his friends to seek solace in love.

Filled with the excitement and heartache of pubescent infatuations, Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) struggle with unrequited love and raging hormones, just like any regular 18-year-old, but with love potions and magic thrown in for good measure, of course.

In the midst of the lighthearted romantic side plots, Harry finally understands the significance of his duty. The reluctant hero accepts his mission from Dumbledore and goes off in search of a way to destroy his nemesis.

Not only have the main characters matured in this movie; even antagonist Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), has progressed from a juvenile bully to a complex and afflicted character as he struggles to carry out the insidious task Voldermort has given him.

True-blue fans will appreciate the maturity of the movie and the stunning visuals, while most will enjoy having a bit of a chuckle at the struggles of young love.

Rating:

Contributed by Nicolette Tay

Situated along Stamford Road, within Capitol Building, is where Bluebay Wedding held its official opening here in Singapore. One steps in to be greeted by an impressive array of cocktail dresses and evening gowns. Decorated with diamond-studded furniture and shiny trinkets hanging from the walls, this outstanding boutique brings a first-time visitor into the surreal world of a dream wedding.

Founded in Taipei, Taiwan since 1997, BlueBay Wedding operates internationally in the niche business of wedding photography and gown designs, creating beautiful memories and unforgettable moments for couples in their once in a lifetime experience.

Unfazed by the current economic downturn, Singaporean business partners, Ee Boon Kiat and Francis Kho, both in their late 20s, have set up the shop right in the midst of the cosmopolitan city.

Ee says “We see ourselves as a trend setter in the wedding industry; Singapore makes for an optimum location as it is a cosmopolitan city with a blend of Southeast Asian culture. In the long term, we hope to see more high-nett worth individuals engaging our services for their weddings or photography.”

What makes Bluebay unique is its insistence on providing the best products and services to its customers. With its multiple-award winning photography services, they offer travel packages to Taiwan, integrating tour and photography. Taiwan, a country with four seasons — Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, provides a vast landscape of nature, mountains and seas for photo shoots. “It’s more common to see couples traveling overseas to take their wedding pictures,” notes Kho.

During the official opening of Bluebay wedding, what really blew the night away was the Fashion Show which paraded a total of nine gowns. Passer bys outside the shop stopped in their tracks and peered in to see the models sashay down the carpet in designer pieces which included various styles such as the Victorian vintage corsets, a mini Kimono-inspired gown and a beautiful handicraft gown full of sequins. The guests looked on with undivided attention and applauded enthusiastically as the show went on.

PHOTOS: Albert Soh

It was a mix of traditional eastern and western culture brought out in a classy manner. Most of the designs are anchored by a gown designer who has 22 years of experience in this area. “I get my inspiration from movies, pictures and many books that I read,” said the sharp-looking Taiwanese designer, Wei Li.

The Big Groove 2009 is touted as Asia’s most anticipated Hip Hop Festival. Held on 28 June 2009, it featured 18 dance crews from seven countries (Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore) participating and showcasing award-winning choreographies.

The Big Groove is in its fourth year running and seeks to engage young people in expressing their creative talents to raise the standard of Hip Hop in Asia. The festival functions as a regional platform for local dance crews to showcase their talents alongside Asia’s best!

Not to be disappointed, the audience was treated to a dynamic and blood-pumping array of hip-hop beats. The multi-award winning and ever entertaining Wrecking Crew Orchestra (W.C.O.) from Japan, as well as an unique all-girls dance group made up of 11 to 13 year olds that call themselves Cool Mint (Japan), kept the crowd riveted and cheering for more dance feats! Proving that age is no boundary in topping the game for any crew, Cool Mint moved in flawless synchronization, which was a testament to their hard work!

“This year’s Big Groove 2009 brings a fresh surge of creativity through the unique story lines that are fleshed out in the different performances. The performances from overseas crews were electrifying! I noticed various choreographies that depicted some of Michael Jackson’s signature moves as a means to commemorate his contribution to the global dance scene.” Daryl Kang, 21 years old, student.

PHOTOS: Aaron Low

1. What do you do for a living?
ANS: I’m currently a Lecturer in Media & Communication in the School of Communication, Arts and Social Science (CASS) — Singapore Polytechnic.

2. What role are you playing in this year’s NDP? (Briefly describe what your task entails)
ANS: It is a great honour and privilege to work with a professional team and with the NDP’s multimedia committee for the National Day Parade Celebration 2009. I am directing and doing the vision mix for the multiple live screens at the Marina Bay Stadium. This encompass me to lead a team of professional crew from ESPN & Media Corp cameraman, grips, video engineers and assistant directors. Being involved in this year’s NDP is more than just another experience; it is an opportunity for me to remember that everything I have learnt, the skills I have acquired, and the creativity I have honed through the years, is for me to give back to society in a meaningful way, in both my Singapore homeland and to Singapore Polytechnic — School of CASS.

3. How did you come to be involved in playing this major role in the NDP?
ANS: I was involved in the 2007 NDP as a video engineer and technical director to assist in the setup and quality control of the images to screen. Through that involvement, I got to know more people in the industry and with the NDP multimedia committee. I’m glad that they requested me to be the video director for NDP 2009 after seeing me in action in one of the events in Singapore Indoor Stadium.

4. How is working with the NDP different from your normal course of work?

ANS: Through my involvement in NDP 2009, it is my endeavour to become an exceptional teacher who not only imparts knowledge to the students, but one who will become an example and inspiration for them to go beyond what they learn in school. One simply cannot teach video production through theory alone. It requires a discipline of creativity and technicality. As you watch this year’s NDP, each picture and frame is meant to communicate the essence of our nation’s 44th birthday, so careful planning and directing is essential in order to capture these ignited moments.

The fact is that teaching as a profession requires more than just giving information through lectures. Teaching requires the ability to inspire the uninitiated, nurture the undeveloped and convey certain life values through examples. The difference between a good teacher and an exceptional one is this: A good teacher imparts knowledge and inspires learning, but an exceptional teacher goes the extra mile to help those who have yet to find his or her gifting and talents, and creatively develops that potential for the future of Singapore.

In the heart of every matter lies this one truth — what legacy are we leaving for the next generation? What do we want them to learn from us? What do you see in the faces of your students each week?

What do you see?

For me, I see potential students that I can train and inspire with what opportunities have given me and someday see them leading, doing and reach for the stars.

5. How is this year’s NDP different from previous years?
ANS: Every year is different. Each year plans to out do the previous years. This year creative team led by Ivan Heng has done an excellent job in creating different chapters of Singapore through the years and how we as one people overcome the odds to strive for excellence and progress for our nation. I think Sidney Tan did a very good job as music director in the arrangement of music and songs for NDP 2009. It certainly added a special feel to this year’s NDP.

6. What are some challenges you face in your task during NDP 2009?
ANS: Someone once told me: Some things in life are not just taught, but are caught. I cherish this experience and knowledge that I have attained through working with the NDP committee, creative team and especially LTC Raja (Chairman of Communications & Multimedia for the NDP committee). These are the people pushing the limits and breaking barriers to create a better NDP production. Because of this teamwork, I have become a better producer and director to capture and play a part in making Singapore’s history together. Another challenge during my role as Director & vision mixer is that I needed to get every detail of the 90 pages time-coded cue sheet which I’ve create from watching and rehearsing the ten chapters of recreation of the Singapore story & parade in my memory. All these was with the help of two able assistant directors who helped me right down to every seconds of every chapter.

7. As a true blood Singaporean, describe how it feels for you to be a part of the NDP on such a large scale.
ANS: It’s truly exciting to be part of NDP… not taking into consideration that all of us at the NDP committee do not have any off days for the three months rehearsals during the weekends. As part of the multimedia committee, we also met up every Wed and Fri night for five to six hours after our own work to go through the technical details for NDP. To see our sacrifices come to fruition in capturing the moment of happy faces,beautiful colours and light up with all the fireworks combine with our visuals simply completes the NDP’s atmostphere. The feeling after NDP is awesome! This is truely my Singapore… beyond words.