Homegrown illusionist Jeremy Pei captures the hearts and wows the minds of fans during his Redefine Magic: The Dream show.

CN PHOTO: Koh Meng Kwang

Some 150 adults, youth and kids gathered at Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel on Sep. 18 for an afternoon of magic, as Singaporean illusionist Jeremy Pei rolled out the fruit of a year’s worth of preparation during his worldwide Redefine Magic: The Dream show.

The show kicked off with a short video of Pei performing at various locations such as Variety Big Brother, a popular Taiwanese television show where only the best magicians get to perform.

One of Singapore’s most prolific magicians, Pei’s rise to fame has been nothing short of magical. He remembers being amazed by the tricks performed by his magician-father. He then went on to take the international magic community by storm, becoming the youngest magician in Singapore to win an international magic competition in Perth, Australia, at age 14. He is the only magician to have won the Singapore Association of Magicians’ “Magician of The Year” award thrice. Today, Pei travels all over the world to perform.

Some of the highlights during his show include penetrating through a steel plate, magically turning an egg into a real-life bird right before the audience’s eyes, getting a model safely out of the box (after inserting two huge funnels and a steel plate into the box), levitating a member of the audience and many more. But the trick that elicited the loudest exclamations of awe was the dream trick. Pei shared that prior to the event; he had dreamed about this day and wanted to see if it was as he had dreamed it. Using a Frisbee to select the participants from the audience, Pei got four different people to draw random pictures. Miraculously, at the end of it, Pei pulled out from a locked box, a paper with almost identical pictures.

Pei also invited fellow veteran magicians including Shoot Ogawa from Japan and Avery Chin from Malaysia to perform a few tricks on the show. Before the curtains came down, Pei shared with the audience about how a girl whom he visited at an orphanage touched his heart by giving him a paper rose to thank him for performing for them. That alone made him feel that all the effort he had put into learning magic was worthwhile.

City News catches up with Pei for a backstage chat.

What separates a great magician from a good one?
To me, a great magician develops his own personality and charisma to charm his audience; not by doing somebody else’s trick. When a magician is at ease with his own personality, showcasing his own character and exuding a genuine charisma in his performance, that’s when I guess you can call him a great magician.

How different is the current generation of magicians from the previous one?
Magicians have to cater to the current generation [to stay relevant] but personally, I don’t go, “Oh, it has to be something for this generation; it has to be rock or metal, or modern.” In fact, I do a lot of classic, traditional magic at my show, in my own style. Whether it’s making a cane appear or pulling out handkerchiefs, as long as people enjoy it, I think it serves the purpose. For me, I use magic as a tool to entertain rather than tell people “You’re here to watch me.” My magic is a tool to entertain, and the audience are my guests. That’s how I angle my show.

Where do you get inspiration for your tricks from?
I travel a lot; I attend a lot of magic conferences, and meet both local and foreign friends. Whenever we meet, we talk about magic and come up with new ideas. In fact, most of the ideas come when we brainstorm with other magicians. I also meet up with Nique Tan, my consultant, to brainstorm for new ideas. Even David Copperfield has a team of five or six consultants who are constantly thinking of magic tricks for him. I don’t believe that one person can do that many things. One person can’t put up a show like that—it’s a group effort.

Since magicians know the tricks behind all their magic shows, does real magic exist?
I do believe that real magic happens when you touch someone’s life using magic. When you share an encouraging message and make a difference in somebody’s life, that is magic to me. When they’ve seen the magic and it becomes something that they take away with them after the show, that is real magic. With magic—we want to tell a story. At the end of the day, if people are inspired after watching my show, I will feel that I have done my job.

Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in classical and traditional Chinese style.

Contributed By Kuang Jingxuan

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a significant date for the Chinese as it is an occasion for family and friends to gather. On Sep. 17, the adult cell groups of City Harvest Church’s YK district congregated at the Jurong West church premises to celebrate this special event with their loved ones.

The night kick-started with exciting games, and a buzz of anticipation was felt throughout the auditorium as participants tried to piece together a traditional Chinese poem. For most, it was an opportunity to get in touch with Chinese classical works. One of the much-talked-about activities was the Best Dressed Male and Female competition. Many of the adults gamely dressed up in traditional Chinese outfits for the night and the top prizes were eventually presented to Francis Tay and Ma Hong Ying.

CN PHOTOS: Christopher Teh and William Wong

After the games, the YK district’s music team led the congregation in a time of vibrant praise and worship. One of the musicians, Terence Yong, 24, shared his experience serving on the music team. “All the musicians and singers come from different cell groups, and various walks of life. So it was a great experience to come together in this way to serve God,” said Yong.

It was also a night to remember the goodness of God. Grace Sulu and Terry Tanizar shared a moving testimony of how God was their pillar of strength during challenging times. The couple was devastated when their gynaecologist informed them that their baby would be born with cleft lip and palate. However, with the support of their pastor, Goh Yock Kiang, and their cell group members, the couple was deeply encouraged in their decision to keep and cherish the child. Today, their baby, Timothy, is a healthy and bubbly child who brings his parents much joy. Through the experience, Sulu also shared that she was healed in her soul as she too was born with a cleft lip and was bitter toward her parents as she was growing up.

The highlight of the night was the sharing of the Word by Goh. It was a timely reminder for all of the importance of building strong relationships through love, acceptance and forgiveness.

The night would not have been complete without the traditional custom of enjoying mooncakes and tea under the moonlight. Members made their way outdoors to the Riviera and rooftop garden to fellowship with one another as various members of the zone entertained the crowd with their renditions of familiar Chinese tunes.

The upcoming Wow Wild World is the culmination of much prayer, outreach and planning.

CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

On Oct. 1, City Harvest Children’s Church will be celebrating Children’s Day with a fun-filled extravaganza titled Wow Wild World. The anticipated highlights include performances by J-Seven and the Kids Band, as well as a magic show with comedian, Mr. Funny, and magician, Joe Yu.

Not many are aware of the countless hours, the seemingly routine groundwork and quiet submission in prayer that precede all the pomp and pageantry of a large-scale event as this. With less than a week to go, City News goes behind the scenes and traces the seeds that have been sown to bring the event from conceptualization to culmination.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

Preparation for the event went into motion not with a flurry of activity and logistics, but with much prayer and supplication at a prayer meeting on Sep. 15 at CHC’s premises in Jurong West. With the understanding that faith-filled prayer is key to every revival, the leaders and workers built up their spiritual weapons while believing God for a mighty move within the ministry, its leaders, volunteers and the program itself.

RELATIONSHIPS FIRST, EVENTS SECOND

With a preliminary program in place, weekly service schedules and pre-event activities were drawn up for the entire month as a lead-up to Wow Wild World. Just the past week, a Mid-Autumn Festival party as well as SPARK KIDS, a children leaders’ meeting, were held to encourage more children to invite their friends to the event.

The excitement has gained momentum—according to 25-year-old Goh Si Ying, a few of the children under her care have asked to tag along on her home visits. They not only brought her to their friends’ homes but also spoke boldly to the parents about the upcoming celebration and invited them for church’s services too.

But it is far from a one-off effort—for many years now, the Children’s Church has been conducting weekly visitations (involving an average of 200 teachers reaching out to 2,000 children). Since serving as a visitation leader three years ago for the Marsiling area, Goh, a secondary school teacher, has touched many lives, visiting an average of 20 to 30 children in a regular week. The visits can be very draining, especially after a day’s work, but it is a small price to pay in return for watching the children under her care grow up and undergo character development as well as spiritual growth. She shared, “My motivation comes from God’s Word.”

At each home visitation, Goh aims to deliver a lesson through a Bible story, a memory verse from the Bible and some application questions. But beyond imparting biblical knowledge, Goh hopes to relate better to the children and learn more about their lives and their families’ situation.

Just a few days earlier, she had paid a visit to one of her former care group children, who has since moved on to a cell group after graduating from primary school. Upon knowing that the child’s father had been suffering from cancer for the past five years, she plucked up her courage to lay hands and pray for him. Her strong belief in the father’s healing touched his family and they too joined in prayer and believed God for a favorable outcome at the next treatment the following week.

Pastor of CCH, Eileen Toh, together with the rest of her team, are believing God for a turnout of more than 5,000 children next weekend. Much time and effort, all invisible to the public eye, has been poured into preparations for the big day, but says Goh, “In the Bible, Jesus says, ‘Let the children come to Me.’ These are the words that run through my mind and keep me going.”

Wow Wild World services will be held on Sep. 29, Wednesday, 3 p.m., Oct. 1, Friday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at 1 Jurong West St 91. Celebrations at Singapore Expo Hall 8 will be help on Oct. 2, Saturday, 11 a.m.

ALBUM COVER DESIGN: Veroy Chua

A New Sound

It’s out! After its first debut album, City Harvest Children’s Church now rolls out its sophomore album entitled God Of My Universe. Comprising a mix of catchy, upbeat rhythms and inspiring harmonies, “It’s an album that not just the young will enjoy—we hope it will strike a chord with the adults as well, given its contemporary sound,” says project coordinator and one of the songwriters, Veroy Chua.

One of the songs he wrote, “If,” is a contemplative tribute to the glory of God and heaven. “It paints a picture of what a child would experience if he were to take a peek into heaven—the angels praising the Lord Almighty, the rainbows and the deep love of God.” The title track, “God Of My Universe,” captures the overarching theme of the intimacy of God toward each of His children such that He knows each one by name, despite His universality.

This album is a meaningful yet enjoyable gift that any child would love to receive on Children’s Day.

Cell group leaders and members of CHC’s JS zone head to Johor for a Bible study seminar.

PHOTO: Jeremiah Sy

Fifty-two members from JS zone (led by one of City Harvest Church’s assistant pastors Jimmy Sng),  comprising cell group leaders, connect group leaders and members, made their way to Pulai Springs Resort in Johor, Malaysia, for back-to-back sessions on the Gifts Of The Holy Spirit—a Bible study program offered by CHC as part of its Christian education curriculum for members. The Bible study camp was held from Sep. 9 to 11.

Realizing the importance of developing sensitivity toward the Holy Spirit especially at a cell group level, Sng commented, “We want to raise up members who will help minister to others by using the gifts God has given to them.”

As an exercise, playing cards were distributed to each person and everyone had to remember the card he or she was holding before returning it to the main deck. After the Bible study was over, the cards were re-distributed and the person who picked up the new card had to write a note of encouragement to the person who had first selected the corresponding card in the first round. Without knowing whom he or she was encouraging, the second person would have to pray and ask God for a special word of encouragement and in faith, write it out, believing that God would use him or her to bless someone else. The note was then clipped together with the card and placed at the front of the seminar room for the first person to retrieve.

This exercise was repeated throughout the following sessions and the words of encouragement that were written got more accurate and specific to the individuals involved. To create a positive environment throughout the camp, individuals were also asked to rate the encouragement that they received according to accuracy. From a scale of one to 10, the group’s average hovered in the seven-point range.

In another exercise, the group was split into two teams. One team had to be blindfolded while giving a word of prophecy and encouragement to a person standing in front of them. Those who were blindfolded had no idea whom they were praying for but many were blessed and edified after hearing what the Lord had to say to them through the blindfolded individuals.

Lew Wei Liang who was standing blindfolded in front of Sng, confessed that he was nervous. However, Sng affirmed that the prophesy blessed him tremendously and confirmed what he had been praying for in recent times.

Lin Jun Qiang, a cell group leader and graduate of the School Of Theology remarked, “At this camp, we had to practice with people we don’t know very well. As such, I learned how to focus and trust God completely instead of leaning on my physical senses.”

Sherry Tan, a Christian for more than a decade, added, “This experience has rekindled my passion for God. It more than confirmed that God is really present [in my life].”

The camp ended on a high on the third day as Sng shared his heart and burden for the ministry and prayed for people with the laying on of hands. He exhorted the group, “God wants to empower us to move in the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit. When you come to the end of your ability, you step into a realm of faith where God moves and that makes all the difference.”

Heroes of faith get voted and affirmed during a three-month long campaign held by Attributes.

Contributed By Yeo Zhi Qi

CN PHOTO: Poh Yang Zheng

Amidst loud cheers and spontaneous applause, the inaugural Heroes Of Faith campaign culminated with 20 finalists having been voted as role models and inspiring figures. The prize presentation ceremony, which took place at Expo Hall 8 on Saturday, Sep. 18, saw City Harvest Church cell group members along with their friends and loved ones, coming together to show their support and appreciation for their heroes of faith.

Aimed at edifying the congregation in CHC, Heroes Of Faith—Who’s Your Everyday Hero is a campaign organized by Attributes Pte Ltd which lasted from July to September 2010. Its purpose was to recognize and celebrate ordinary heroes in everyday life through a peer-voting system that allows CHC members to nominate and vote for individuals who have made an impact on their lives in one way or another.

Edmund Ng, a staff from Attributes and the brainchild behind this campaign, spoke about how the idea was conceived. “The marketing strategies for Attributes have always been sales-focused through discounts. This time, we made a deliberate attempt to do something different and we wanted to have a campaign to inspire people.”

Enthusiastic responses were witnessed with the contest registering more than a thousand votes. Robin Thor, general manager of Attributes, said in his speech during the prize presentation ceremony, “I believe we have reached the objective of the campaign, which is to recognize the heroes of faith in our life and use it as a chance to appreciate the [church] members.”

The top spot was tied between two outstanding individuals: Kong Yun Rui and Vivi Lim.

Describing her win as totally unexpected, Kong expressed, “Winning made me even more thankful for the leaders and people who have sown into my life, for showing and teaching me what faith is all about. They are really my everyday heroes, inspiring me with how they lead their lives.” During her congratulatory speech, the 21-year-old cell group leader said, “I believe all of us are heroes when we give our best in all that we’re doing.”

The other winner, Lim, was nominated by her cell group member, Wong Wy Tin. Wong described Lim as someone who truly cares about people and was very touched by her love. “Once I had a severe back pain and couldn’t sit up straight. When Vivi found out, she immediately offered to drive me to the hospital and told me not to worry about the financial costs.”

Lim, who has been a cell leader for three years, expressed her surprise in coming in top place. Her desire to help others, she says, is inspired by the example of CHC’s senior pastor Kong Hee who personally encouraged her when she was going through a challenging season in her life. Those words gave her the strength and confidence to trust God and walk on.

Besides recognizing individual heroes of faith within the CHC community, the campaign also included other activities to foster group bonding and fellowship. There was the Bible Heroes Puzzle Challenge where teams were required to solve five different puzzle boards simultaneously in the fastest time possible. Throughout the weeks, Attributes also held special book promotions that centered on the theme of Heroes Of Faith.

Following the success of Heroes Of Faith, a new campaign entitled Eat, Pray, Love, will take place from October to December. CHC members and their friends and families can look forward to visiting a range of food stalls and charity bazaars.

Play a part in supporting underprivileged children and their families with the latest initiative by Art With A HeART.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIJAH TED NG

Elijah Ted Ng is at it again. Possibly one of the youngest social entrepreneurs around, Ng started Art With A HeART in 2009 at the age of 14, after having heard founder of Operation Hope (U.S.A.), John Hope Bryant, speak at the Global Social Innovators Forum in Singapore that year. Bryant’s compassion for the underprivileged resonated with Ng.

Moved by a childhood dream of making the world a better place for underprivileged children in Singapore, Ng combined this dream with another passion of his—art—and started Art With A HeART. The initiative seeks to impact young lives and spark within them a heart for the community.

Art With A HeART can be found at The PaTH Market@VivoCity on every first and last weekend of the month from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., providing art services on a pushcart stall, where art enthusiasts can purchase high quality canvases and paint using equipment and materials provided by Ng. Proceeds of the sales go toward underprivileged children in Singapore.

Next weekend, on Oct. 3, Art With A HeART will be organizing a charity haircut for children, in line with Children’s Day. The project, known as “New Look With Art With A HeART”, plans to offer underprivileged children a free haircut for a nice clean look, especially with the examination season at hand. The cost will be jointly borne by Art with a HeART and Anthony Hair Boutique.

Art With A HeART hopes to reach children and families with low income through various organizations such as KK Hospital, Singapore Children’s Society and Young Academy (children from challenging backgrounds who have an interest in art). Ng is targeting 100 haircuts on that day.

Said Ng, “At Art with a HeART, we believe that ‘art’ goes beyond painting or sculpturing. Art is also represented by fashion, looks and a healthy self-esteem.”

The charity haircut will be held at Anthony Hair Boutique, located in The Central at Clarke Quay, with 10 established, award-winning stylists at work, doing their bit for charity.

The public can do its part by going down and browsing the Art With A HeART gallery. Proceeds of painting or art material sales will go toward Art With A HeART’s charity projects for children.

New Look With Art With A HeART will be held on October 3, Sunday, at 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, The Central, #03-15 S059817.

Those who are interested in partnering with Art With A HeART for community projects may email to [email protected] or call +65 9272 6844.

Forex trader and educator Mario Sant Singh dispels myths about the Forex market.

Foreign exchange, also called Forex trading, has been popularly perceived as a risky affair, and akin to gambling, as some might consider. However, the Forex market is difficult to ignore: the average daily turnover is US$3.2 trillion, making Forex the most-traded market in the world. In addition, Singapore is the fourth largest Forex center in the world. This growing trend has undeniably created a growing interest among Singaporeans to engage in trading currencies. Many have started with high hopes of growing their money exponentially, only to lose all their investments due to a lack of understanding in navigating the risks of the Forex market. Reversing this negative perception of the Forex market is the mission of Mario Sant Singh, 34, the founder and CEO of FX1 Academy Pte Ltd.

“The key reason why people think Forex is a risky business is because many don’t know what to do,” said Singh, referring to speculators who are unaware of the concepts of risk management. But Singh stands firm with the view that with the right education, anyone will be able to trade responsibly and earn a profit; his company was formed out of the belief that it is a person’s personal responsibility to create his own financial destiny.

Trading in Forex for a living might sound risky for one who treasures the “security” of a regular nine-to-five job. Indeed, Singh appears to have always taken the path less traveled. In his days as an undergraduate in the National University of Singapore, he had felt that he had made the “wrong choice” to study chemical engineering. Upon graduation, he worked part-time in the pharmaceutical industry and realized that his calling was elsewhere. Bold and ambitious, he attempted to start a snooker business, which unfortunately did not take off. Following the unsuccessful venture, he was mentored by a Chinese businessman who gave him advice that ultimately shaped his business beliefs. One of these was a Chinese proverb that he often quotes, which is translated as, “In this life, there are no successful businesses, only successful people.”

“What he impressed upon me was that you need to work on yourself first. From there, I began to understand why the snooker business failed. With that understanding, I set out to equip myself with the right knowledge and skills,” recounts Singh. His next venture was a cleaning company which enjoyed considerable success. However, Singh recounts himself still possessing an unflinching desire at that point to be involved in the world of finance. Chancing upon the news of the infamous “Black Wednesday” event and an informal introduction to Forex by a close friend while at a coffee shop, he decided to embark on a trading career.

However, like any beginner learning a new craft, one is bound to make mistakes. He blew the money in his first live account within six days due to rash decisions. The setback brought him back once again to the reminder of equipping himself with the right skills first. A desire to be mentored by the best in the field led him to seek out experts in Forex trading­­­­—Kathy Lien and Ed Ponsi, both of whom are international currency experts and best-selling authors based in the U.S.A.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIO SANT SINGH

Singh emulated their beliefs and actions, which led him to success. His achievements are impressive considering the fact that he has only been trading Forex for the past five years; FX1 Academy is easily the largest Forex education center in Singapore and Malaysia. Singh also makes regular appearances on CNBC’s Capital Connection and contributes frequently to investment magazines such as Smart Investor and Your Training Edge.

One piece of advice that he would give is to always have a stop-loss price. If the trading price drops below a certain value, and the trader loses a budgeted amount, it is time to exit the trade. Singh cited that many people feel too emotionally attached to their investments and they make decisions based on what they think is correct, holding on to it despite the huge losses incurred.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Singh also makes giving back to the community part of his company’s vision. FX1 Academy works with Worldvision, a Christian relief organization for children, contributing financial support through various initiatives, including building a library in a village in Thailand.

A nominee ofthe Spirit Of Enterprise Award 2010, which recognizes the top entrepreneurs in Singapore, Singh still manages to balance work and family life. Family is a higher priority to him than his business, and he makes it a point to spend his weekends with his wife Shalyn and his 1-year-old daughter, Chantelle. He also understands the importance of having adequate rest. When he finds himself with some free time on his hands, he returns to an “old flame,” snooker.

Visit Singh’s website at www.mariosingh.com for more information on Forex trading.

The inaugural Singapore G1 raises awareness for greener transportation habits and technology.

Contributed By Jezreel Teng

CN PHOTO: Jere Chong

The Singapore G1, the first-ever green race of its kind in Singapore, got off to a rolling start with Dr. Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources flagging off the two intriguing races; ­the G1 Trishaw Race 2010, and the G1 Buggy Race 2010 at the Float @ Marina Bay. Organizations from embassies to corporate sponsors and partners were well represented in these races, with the Australian High Commission and Nu Skin Enterprises Singapore coming out tops in the Trishaw Race and the Buggy Race respectively.

Held right before the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, the G1 aims to raise awareness of cutting down on carbon emissions in Singapore. The organizer, Singapore Environment Council, managed to place their environmental message of the impact of urban transportation at the forefront of the public’s attention through these races on Sunday Sep. 19. Participants of the aforementioned trishaw and buggy races; the G1-SHELL Eco Car Race in which eight tertiary teams tore up the tracks in their eco-cars, fuelled by anything from conventional petrol, bio-fuels, solar power to hydrogen cells; and the first-ever Soapbox Derby in Asia also got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race on part of the F1 track.

The highlight of the G1 had to be the introduction of the soapbox cars. The Singapore G1 Soapbox Derby 2010 saw 28 secondary schools vying for top spot in this unique form of locomotion. With only a month, teams comprising five students and a teacher, assembled the soapbox cars from the given kits, optimized their race performance, and furnished them with a coat of creativity. Racing on the F1 track was like a dream come true for these passionate youths.

These soapbox cars are judged not just on the result of the race, but for the aesthetic appeal of their creative design as well. Koh Gim Koon, a teacher at Tampines Secondary School, was extremely pleased with the performance of his students. “Unlike other teams, which are mostly CCA clubs in their respective schools, my team is made up of students from my class. Nevertheless, with hard work and teamwork, we are proud to have come this far, placing in the top eight.”

The team hailing from Greenridge Secondary School clinched top honors when their soapbox car, propelled only by the power of gravity, blazed past the competition, covering 100 meters in a time of 16.48 seconds. A lot of the soapbox car’s performance hinges on the ability of the driver, and Muhd Firdaus Zulkfle, the driver and his team absolutely deserved their title as the first ever G1 Soapbox Derby champions.

“Urban transportation accounts for 20 percent of total carbon emissions in Singapore and with an increasing number of vehicles on the road, this figure is bound to rise. In line with the government’s plans to reduce carbon emissions by 16 percent below projected business-as-usual levels by 2020, SEC is spearheading this race for green with the Singapore G1,” said Howard Shaw, executive director of SEC. “Through fun and exciting races such as the Soap Box Derby and the Singapore G1-SHELL Eco Car Race, we hope to engage and inspire the community to make lifestyle changes and reduce their carbon footprint. Although there is still a long way to go before technologies for green vehicles are fully commercialized, it is important to focus immediately on existing technologies and to encourage the public to embrace greener options of traveling.”

The public also had a chance to feast their eyes on upcoming green technology with organizations such as EV Hub, GREEN.er HCG Pte Ltd and Toyota Tsusho (Singapore) Pte Ltd exhibiting environmentally-friendly electric vehicles which could very well be the future of transportation in Singapore.

Three thousand brisk-walkers comprising students and residents from the North West Community Development Council, and more than 100 cyclists signaled their commitment to this green cause by hitting the roads and converging at the Float @ Marina Bay from three different locations.

With such strong support from the public and different organizations, the future looks clean and bright for the Singapore G1. Plans are in the works to make it an annual event, and slated foreign racing teams will up the ante with their participation in next year’s races.

Contributed By Daniel Chew

Mention the name John Lennon and one immediately thinks of the Beatles and the influence they wielded during their heyday in the ‘60s. Nowhere Boy is a somewhat overdue British musical biopic focusing on the early days of the band’s founding member, Lennon.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHAY KERIS FILM

Opening with a scene of 15-year-old Lennon going gaga over his newly setup radio in his bedroom which had been laboriously procured by his Uncle George, newcomer director Sam Taylor-Wood effectively sets the stage for his relationship with the two most important people in his life: his aunt Mimi and his mother Julia. It also captures the first point of contact between him and future Beatle Paul McCartney, which was to give rise to one of the most prolific musical partnerships of the twentieth century.

The tighter the rein Lennon’s Aunt Mimi keeps on his rebellious irreverence toward authority, the stronger the rebel spirit in him becomes, turning him into a troublemaker everywhere he goes. Yet, this was to be the same temperament that spurred him to take up the leadership role in his first band, The Quarrymen. It is during this stage in his life that Lennon expresses his grief over his mother’s death later on and his father’s unknown whereabouts. The movie focuses on the intimate moments in Lennon’s life which have never been portrayed on film before, and the alternative perspective it gives in the portrayal of his relationship with his mother Julia is mildly provocative, and will either elicit empathy or utter disdain from the audiences.

On the other hand, Beatle fans who expect a more revelatory watch will be disappointed as Nowhere Boy is more of a coming-of-age drama than an intense musical biopic in the vein of Ray, Control or even Walk The Line. Subject aside, what Nowhere Boy has going for it are the performances of its lead actors, namely rising star Aaron Johnson (Kickass) as the titular character, Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient) as Lennon’s Aunt Mimi and Anne-Marie Duff (Notes On A  Scandal) as his mother Julia; all of them succeed in injecting much spirit into the harsh realities of life in post-war Britain. The more light-hearted moments come in the form of Lennon’s adolescent craziness that we all can identify with—in one way or another, at least.

If you have never cared much for the Beatles, give this a pass but if you have always pondered over who John Lennon was before he became John Lennon, this will be a decent watch.

City News Weekly is giving away five pairs of in-season tickets to Nowhere Boy. For your chance to win a pair, simply email the following to [email protected] with the header “Nowhere Boy Ticket Giveaway.” Tickets to be given on a first-come-first-serve basis. Include your name, mobile number, address, I/C number and answer the question: What are the names of all the members in the Beatles?

Winners will be notified through e-mail.

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City Harvest Church recently welcomed the Taoist Federation of Singapore in a meeting to build friendship within the Inter-religious Organisation.

Contributed By Jonathan Tang

The Inter-Religious Organisation in Singapore is a stalwart upholder of the rapport among the numerous religions present locally. The IRO was started in 1949, and currently consists of organizations from 10 different religions.

With leaders of each religion taking on the chairmanship on a rotating basis annually, the mantle fell on the Taoist Federation Singapore this year. Making full use of this opportunity, TFS has been reaching out to religious leaders in Singapore. More than just to fulfill a duty or to cultivate cooperation, their aim is to develop genuine friendships across different religions.

PHOTO: Benny Lin

Some of the board members of City Harvest Church recently welcomed the TFS for a meeting in the church’s corporate office in Suntec City. TFS chairman Master Tan Thiam Lye, together with vice-chairman Master Ling Kin Huat and administrator Master Chung Wei Yi, were present to introduce themselves to the CHC board members. The meeting began with a video introduction of the church by hosting pastor Joseph Ang, followed by a brief explanation of the church’s organization structure and history. Tan then shared about his current chairmanship in the IRO.

The meeting also saw both CHC and TFS reaffirming their commitment toward strengthening inter-religious cooperation and harmony in Singapore through their various activities, in light of the recent racial and religious tensions brewing around the globe. With CHC’s Jurong West Street 91 premises in close proximity to a TFS temple, Jin Fu Gong temple, located at Jurong West Street 93, the leaders of the two religious organizations also further commited to maintain and build up the cordial relations they have enjoyed over the last 10 years.

Some of the topics that were discussed included inter-faith activities such as CHC’s involvement in blood donation drives and various community projects; and TFS inviting CHC to their 20th Anniversary inter-faith event in December.

Further plans to build good relations between the two organizations include a visit to CHC’s Jurong West premises and the TFS office in the San Qing Gong temple.

Contributed By Jeremy Chua

Religious harmony is woven into the very fabric of Singapore’s national identity. Every person who goes through the Singaporean education system will recite the National Pledge every morning, which comprises the words, “Regardless of race, language or religion.”

With a spectrum of religions being in so close proximity to each other, the peace that the country enjoys against a tumultuous backdrop in contemporary society is testament to the effort put in by the government and the leaders of the various religious communities, that Singapore is a bulwark of harmony in the midst of all that is going on in the world.

It seems that Jonathan Swift, writer and satirist, was prescient when he said in the 17th century, “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.” In a society where extremists are strapping bombs to themselves or threatening to burn the sacred text of another religion in the name of the “will of God,” it is clear to see that organized religion has struck a major raw nerve in the world today.

Even among seven billion people, occupying a surface area of 150 million square kilometers, there seems to be not enough space for the estimated 19 major world religions, and countless more that are spread across the face of this world, with constant jostling and encroaching of boundaries seemingly the norm.

What the world needs is not more blustering and fighting, not more judgmental attitudes and condemnation, not more fighting and vengeance. What we need is more love and tolerance, more friendship and humanity, more acceptance and understanding. After all, that is what most, if not all religions seek to espouse. Anything that runs contrary to that is not religion.

Yes, it is true that religion taken the wrong way has much power to drive a wedge between nations, and even individuals. But at the same time, in the midst of all the tension and uncertainty, it is heartening to know that there are people who are striving to promote unanimity and unity in a world torn apart by prejudice and sectarian values.