The Millennial Orchestra’s Easter performance derives from the Jewish tradition of Yom Kippur.

Contributed By Bernie Guan

TMO performing Evening Song. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MILLENNIAL ORCHESTRA

Sounds of classical string instruments soaked in emotion reverberated throughout the Yamaha Auditorium at Clementi on April 19, three days before Good Friday, as The Millennial Orchestra delivered another of its dinner-time concerts titled Evening Song. At the Tuesday night performance, TMO’s strings ensemble performed German composer Max Bruch’s “Kol Nidrei,” featuring local cellist Janelle Kam. With the occasional continuo (piano accompaniment), dramatic sounds and mournful melodies, the series of orchestral works successfully drew attention to the somber observance of Good Friday and the joyous celebration of Easter festivities that follow.

City News catches up backstage with Lee Tat Haur, 38, co-founder of The Millennial Orchestra, to find out more about TMO and this concert.

What was the significance of Evening Song for the Easter season?

“Kol Nidrei,” the centerpiece of the concert, came from the Kol Nidre prayer that is recited during the evening service on Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement. Although this piece was not composed to commemorate Easter, it serves to remind Christians that the Day of Atonement is the day of reconciliation between God and mankind as accomplished through the life, suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

How do you engage, educate and inspire TMO in putting up a passionate orchestra performance?

TMO is a team effort, and everyone plays a part in engaging, educating and inspiring one another to deliver a performance. Each one is responsible for an aspect of the performance, be it taking charge of rehearsals, fund-raising, making logistic arrangements, sourcing of venues, emcee-ing or script-writing.

TMO is also anchored by key figures such as TMO’s other co-founder and resident trumpeter Leo Chee Keong, Chan Wei Shing, a professional cellist from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Eric Wong, the resident conductor. These dedicated individuals are not only established musicians in their own right but their presence ensure the quality and musical standards of TMO.

What are the commitments of a TMO musician?

As with other amateur or community orchestras locally, musicians recruited must not only be well-versed musically but also passionate to rehearse and perform together as an ensemble. The selection of music to be performed each time also needs to educate and inspire the musicians, since each musical piece commands different technical requirements and all musicians have to learn to play as an ensemble rather than soloists. With a good dose of discipline, members can grow their individual talents, become cultural agents in classical music and engage the community, arts and culture.

What’s in the pipeline for TMO?

Our next concert is scheduled in June. It will be performed by the brass and wind sections of TMO. The performance will feature works by the British composer Gustav Holst. Following that, we are planning for another concert featuring the full orchestra in the later half of the year.

For those interested to join The Millennial Orchestra, please write in to [email protected].

The very first Singapore Yacht Show early this month marked the island-state’s first step toward being a global yachting presence.

Contributed By Bernie Guan

A line-up of superyachts berthed at ONE°15 Marina Club in Sentosa Cove.

The inaugural Singapore Yacht Show 2011 recently concluded its run at ONE°15 Marina Club in Sentosa Cove. From April 8 to 10, an astounding line-up of 12 sailing and motor superyachts was showcased alongside a premium trade exhibition that featured several world-renowned yachting companies such as Palmer Johnson, Northop and Johnson, Informa Yacht Group and Prout International. A superyacht is a luxury yacht that’s privately owned and managed by a professional crew.

This highly anticipated event offers super-wealthy Asian consumers a door to the luxury lifestyle that has long been made a privilege of the global yachting network. With doors flung wide open to international yacht builders, brokers and suppliers, the SYS—organized by Informa Yacht Group with the Superyacht Singapore Association, supported by the Singapore Tourism Board and official venue partner ONE°15 Marina Club—effectively brought together influential business leaders, VIPs, celebrities and yachting enthusiasts.

Simpson Marine, Asia’s leading International Yacht Broker at the Singapore Yacht Show.

Jean-Jacques Lavigne, general manager of ONE°15 Luxury Yachting and executive director of Superyacht Singapore Association, says the road to success has not been easy. Six years ago, its founding members became aware of an upcoming new marina in Sentosa Cove. Despite the lack of resources and guidance, SSA managed to strike out and form a recognized body to link the fledging superyacht community in Singapore to its marina of custom-build berths.

“The members worked together with the different marinas in the region to provide end-to-end services. They helped the association to send out their welcome message: ‘Singapore and the rest of Southeast Asia are beautiful to cruise in.’”

The group’s hard work eventually paid off when they “managed to attract more and more superyachts, from 16 in 2006 to 81 in 2010.” Lavigne has his sights set on “welcoming 200 superyacht visits in 2012 and over 500 by 2015.”

Currently, “there are very few dedicated superyacht shows in the world. Historically, countries that have hosted this type of dedicated yacht shows are Monaco, Abu Dhabi and Fort Lauderdale in Florida, USA.” All three places have become renowned venues for superyacht events.

Lavigne explains, “A lot of people in the industry felt that the Asian market is ready—perhaps SSA has served as a catalyst. We were very happy to organize the first Asia superyacht show in Singapore.” For him and the team, the Frenchman admits it is a big achievement, with more than 3,000 attendees setting foot on the event grounds.

Luxury superyacht Hye Seas II, an Azimut 116, seen here with its full-beam master suite.

Throughout the three-day event, the huge turnout at the marina were greeted by a 12-superyacht contingent that included the 187-foot Aegean Montigne, the 108-foot Broward Nymphaea, the 100-foot schooner Raja Laut, and the 116-foot Azimut Hye Seas II owned by Arthur Tay, chairman of the ONE°15 Marina Club in Sentosa Cove.

A visual feast for seasoned boating enthusiasts, many of these private yachts can cost up to tens of millions of dollars. According to Lavigne, “Palmer Johnson yachts, for instance cost between US$30 to 60 million dollars, and owners of such luxurious yachts must definitely be more than US$500 million in net worth—minimum.” Plus, the average annual maintenance and managing cost of a superyacht can reach up to 15 percent of the vessel’s value.

Dining on board Hye Seas II offers elegance with a touch of Italian style.

While SYS offers a glimpse of glamor from bow to stern, potential owners need a jolt of reality. Lavigne says that “super-yachts are rather expensive and anyone who is interested in buying a private yacht between 20 and 30 meters in length is usually a multi-millionaire.” Nonetheless, he adds, “The fascinating part of the boating and yachting industry goes beyond purchasing a yacht.”

The pleasure comes as one becomes involved in obtaining documentation such as regulatory licenses, insurance, maintenance and training upon ownership. “It encompasses everything from the interior design to the internal machinery and systems,” says Lavigne.

Unlike private jets, which are highly regulated in terms of materials such as stringent requirements for interiors and overall designs, superyachts can be designed from scratch. While one can’t design and build a private jet for S$100 million, but for that amount, you can custom-build a superyacht. This process requires  a meeting of minds between the builder and the owner. Yacht owners derive pleasure from participating in the design and construction. For this reason, most superyacht owners find the building period stimulating, a time of explosive creativity.

At the moment, SSA has 24 members and is growing. Lavigne hopes for the association to reach a total membership of 50 by year-end.

Lavigne, who cycles to work daily from home in Pasir Ris to Sentosa, and whose full-time job involves extending the superyacht charter, admits he “sowed lots of time and energy into rebuilding the industry.” SSA is a thriving by-product of his daily work that is bound for the high seas with the mission to propel Singapore into the global yachting arena.

For more information on Superyacht Singapore Association and membership eligibility, log on to http://www.superyacht.sg.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEAN-JACQUES LAVIGNE

Assuming the role of the executive director in Superyacht Singapore Association was “a God-given opportunity,” says Jean-Jacques Lavigne, 42, a native of Brittany, France.

Lavigne, who has no background in sailing and yachting, first left France to start work in Japan more than a decade ago. After the stint in Japan, he returned to France for a couple of years, before another opportunity brought him back into the Asian region. Then he came to Singapore to set up the regional office for a financial newswire. Through years of financial challenges following the dissolution of his company, the Christian received prophecy after prophecy from church leaders that he would become “a person of influence in the marketplace and be able to influence very important people.” Initially, it was hard to embrace as Lavigne was still stinging from his business failure, but “one step after another step, I ended up in the superyacht business.”

As time passed, he built himself a reliable reputation, which placed him favorably among the movers and shakers of the yachting business. Soon, he was influencing and reaching out to high net worth individuals.

Lavigne’s enthusiasm in participating in community development programs in Indonesia, such as financing primary schools and eradicating poverty in coastal areas through promoting and growing marine-related businesses to the Indonesian government, positions him positively with the authorities. Ultimately, being a representative in the superyacht industry, he hopes to steer SSA toward promoting Singapore as a superyacht destination and a hub to create economic value for Singapore in this industry.

The 42-year-old happily married father of three, shares that “work demands have at times made dealing with fatherhood a challenge.” On top of a busy schedule at work and at the non-profit SSA, commitments in cell group and ministry has limited his family time. But “by going to church together, it really helps a lot,” he says. “When I reach home, I always try to go see the kids, talk to them and kiss them.” Even when they are sound asleep, his children will get a goodnight kiss from Daddy.

Whatever time he can give his wife, Celine, and children, Crystal, Douglas and Ines, he declares, “I will be as fun as possible so that they do not find me too boring!”

It started as a S$100 company in 2007. Today EdgeWorks is a specialist in point-of-sale
system solutions for retail, F&B and the beauty industry.

Contributed By Bernie Guan

Albert Tirtohadi (left) and Jack Leow with the POS system at Tony Moly. CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

The three men helming EdgeWorks Solutions—founder and managing director Albert Tirtohadi, business development director Jack Leow and investor Ryan Ng—believe that technology is to be harnessed. They live out this belief: the trio has leveraged on the convenience technology provides to serve as a tool that helps people, particularly those with intellectual disabilities, to find employment and do their jobs more effectively. This comes as no surprise: both Tirtohadi and Leow are long-serving volunteers at City Harvest’s JAMs Church (a service for people with special needs) and are compassionate toward “many intellectually disabled individuals who are unable to find employment.” Since the company began operations four years ago, it has offered data entry jobs to two persons with special needs.

But don’t mistake Edgeworks for just a social enterprise. It is very much a profitable business, thanks to innovative products such as its EQuip Point of Sale Systems. EdgeWorks’ penchant for providing quality work has won over many renowned local and international clients such as South Korean beauty brand, Tony Moly, Italian fashion sportswear brand, Kappa, iconic footwear brand Dr. Martens, Salon Esprit under Esprit Holdings, Ya Kun Kaya Toast, and Chang Cheng Mee Wah Holdings. But the three are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to flex their market muscles and enhance their current business model so that they can support their noble undertaking of hiring the underprivileged.

In the face of strong market competition, Leow, 31, emphasizes that they are a customer-focused business that strives to “provide quality service at an affordable price.” Additionally, their robust and easy-to-use system even allows older workers who never went to school to learn the task easily; an example of EdgeWorks’ enthusiasm for “providing committed, dedicated service and support toward our customers.” They hope, one day, to not just sell a product but deliver customer-oriented POS strategies in the business arena.

BIRTHED WITH  S$100

The idea for this business came in 2006 while Tirtohadi, now 30, was enrolled in City Harvest Church’s School of Theology. Upon graduation, Tirtohadi started the business as a sole proprietor. Leow and Ng, a 40-year-old investor, subsequently joined in February 2010 to “help grow the company to the next level.” Both played pivotal roles in the establishment of the firm.

With a startup capital of just S$100, the trio built a business that has two main goals: “To give an edge to the disabled through the use of technology to overcome their limitations,” and “to give an edge to our customer by applying wisdom in our business operations and decision-making.” As they progressed, expertise grew and the three men overcame many pitfalls such as the lack of office space and resources.

EdgeWorks’ humble beginnings certainly make their current success seem all the more significant. Instances such as Tirtohadi having to “carry a desktop PC” for product demonstrations and presentations early on as he “was unable to borrow a laptop,” demonstrate their persistence.

In 2007, several months after the company was established, an opportunity came knocking. With “no experience, customer reference or ready product,” EdgeWorks delivered an integrated POS packaged solution for the client, an owner of a major coffee shop chain with 100 over outlets in Singapore. It was a tough project, but the company gained the client’s trust and confidence through persistence and good service.

GOING ON STRONG

Though it has established strong business contacts and clinched deals with big-name clients, the team at Edgeworks is not resting on its laurels. Instead, Leow and Tirtohadi are relentlessly adopting a hands-on approach by taking on management of sales, marketing, operations, accounts, product and business development. Ng takes on the role of the company’s intercessor, ready to offer feedback and dispense invaluable advice to rough it out in the business world. For these three men, fulfilling these responsibilities helps to strengthen the core of their business, which means better products and solutions for customers.

In the near future, the trio “plans to connect with special vocational schools to do collaborative work.” This will be done through “putting POS systems in special schools so that students can be trained on how to be cashiers, increasing their chances of finding employment upon graduation.”

To find out more about EdgeWorks Solutions Pte Ltd and their business offerings, log on to www.edgeworks.com.sg.

City News’ second birthday bash was a celebration of new milestones and a recognition of hard work.

Contributed By Bernie Guan

Presenting the City News team of editors, writers, newscasters and invited guests. CN PHOTO: Daniel Poh

With a total of 55 issues printed to date, the editorial team, writers, photographers and newscasters of City News were gathered at Roland Seafood Restaurant on Feb. 19 for a reunion and a celebration of shared success.

From the 2010 Haiti earthquake to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore last August, and many celebrity concerts and marketplace profiles, some 70 volunteers including Out Of The Box (City News’ video news) newscasters were honored for their hard work in the coverage of news events.

This celebration marks a milestone in CN’s journey. Besides reaching more than 1.75 million page views and an estimated weekly readership of 60,000 since the inception of its online portal in 2008, CN has been more than a journalistic feat for the stable of volunteer writers who have reported breaking news and community happenings. In November 2010, the portal was given a facelift   by web designer Aaron Ling. By introducing new features to the layout, navigation and accessibility of various media (e.g. video clips) have been improved, leading to higher interactivity and user-friendliness.

Elizabeth Low, 25, a journalist, and Sim Yee Tat, 23, marketing manager, were both glad to be part of this second year anniversary. For Low, the reunion celebrations provided an opportunity for her to put a face to the names of writers whose stories she reads weekly. Sim was impressed with the “well organized birthday bash” and was heartened by the turn out. Another fellow volunteer Jonathan Teo, a 24-year-old full-time national serviceman likened the event to a big family gathering where the youngest to the oldest were appreciated.

Theresa Tan, editor-in-chief of CN, recalled how writers were filled with a lot of excitement in the beginning and when the initial thrill abated, the entire experience became more of a reality check and validation of one’s writing ability. Despite the challenges faced by many volunteer writers, Tan affirmed that there were many gratifying aspects and that those who toiled would “go up to the next level.”

Yuan Wenling, manager of CN, spoke highly of the volunteers and described them as “very passionate and helpful” in delivering news content. In appreciation of their time and efforts, nine major awards were presented to writers who made exceptional contributions in the past year. Graphic designers, photographers and video crew were also invited on stage to receive appreciation gifts for their complementary roles in ensuring the on-time news delivery.

Apart from thanking key players in churning out time-sensitive stories, sponsors such as Corporate i Pte Ltd were also mentioned.

Exciting times are ahead for everyone keen to partake in this vision and as Tan succinctly puts it, “We will soon discover that our readers are going to transform and we need to meet them at their level.”

If you are keen to contribute as a volunteer editor, journalist, newscaster or production manager in City News, please email your particulars to [email protected].

Many were blessed by the marriage seminar conducted by Kong Hee in Surabaya, Indonesia.

PHOTO: Rayvin Hsu

What keeps newlyweds or “oldyweds” joined in holy matrimony “till death do us part”? If marriage is one of the greatest commitments that one can make, how then do couples make it work?

Following the successful run of the series on the differences between man and woman, TroisC: City Care Community, a non-profit community organization in Indonesia, returned yet again to organize another seminar where couples were taught not just biblical but practical principles on succeeding in marriage. It did not take too long for some 300 Indonesians to sign up and pack the three-day Making Marriage Work seminar that was held from Jan. 10 to 12 at Empire Palace Surabaya, Indonesia.

Distance was no deterrent for the Indonesians as they came from 20 churches across 12 different cities namely, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Malang, Mojokerto, Banyuwangi, Solo, Bandung, Cikarang, Jakarta, Kalimantan, Medan and Gorontalo to hear from City Harvest Church’s senior pastor Kong Hee, who preached and taught a total of nine topics centered around the Christian marriage.

The major themes of the MMW seminar included “Leaving and Cleaving,” “The Roles and Responsibilities of a Husband and Wife,” “Relationships with In-laws” and “Sex in the Christian Marriage.” Kong brought with him a team of drama artistes which included Rio Susanto, Natalie Tjien, Jourdan Kamal and Noviyansi Chan, all volunteers. They acted out the various scenarios to illustrate the points in the teaching series.

The mood was relaxed and participants, as described by Raymond Fernando, pastor of GPdI Elohim Sidoarjo, were treated to Kong’s “honest, expressive and witty sharing of 18 years of marriage

experience with his wife, Sun Ho.” He added, “More than mere words, Pastor Kong truly lives the message he preaches, to inspire us to be better husbands and wives.”

Fernando has been married to Cindy Olivia for a year and a half and the couple is expecting their first child. They were thoroughly blessed by the series as it taught them to “learn to understand our differences and set the right priorities.” While his marriage is “far from being perfect,” Fernando shared candidly that it was through his marriage with his wife that “made us grow in character, and so much in love with God and with one another.”

Other participants from the seminar were equally blessed and impacted at the conference. For engaged couple, Michael Lumintang and Astrid Olivia from Bethany Malang, the pair believed the seminar, which “was delivered via a good structure through fun, creative and practical ways,” would certainly help them “in setting a common ground on how we should build a strong marriage”; and these were the sentiments echoed by another couple, Markus Benyamin Diredja and Eko Widyastuti from Geis ECC Bandung who have been married for eight months.

For Elisha Soetopom, 27, and his wife Fedora Thamrin, 25, from GBT Alfa Omega Surabaya, hearing the message on building strong relationships with in-laws not only convicted their hearts but changed their mindsets as well. They realized that not being understanding of the needs of one’s in-laws will “affect the harmony of our married life”; hence, it was crucial that they “learned to communicate and build better relationships with our in laws.” The seminar also served to equip and remind the couple of many biblical themes of oneness in married life.

The principle of leaving and cleaving was one of the biggest challenges for Widya Harsana Sugito, 33, and his wife of three months, Arlene Johan, 31, attendees of Geis ECC Bandung. The two were torn between staying at home to care for Surgito’s 70-year-old mother and living on their own after getting married. It was through the messages from Kong and struggles portrayed by the dramatists that helped the couple to understand their situation better, allowing them to handle the delicate matter wisely.

David Hanani Miliando, 37, and Tjendanawati, 36, who both minister at Bethany Gorontalo, shared that through the MMW seminar, “our marriage has been restored physically, emotionally and spiritually.” Beyond that, they have come to appreciate the intrinsic differences between each other.

Girded with biblical truths and principles, the pair has grown wiser, and their desire to grow deeper in love in the marriage has brought positive changes in their attitudes toward each other. This in turn has significantly influenced their children’s emotional development and self esteem. Marriage counseling was also another important factor to consider as they “noticed big changes in the marriages of our members and church workers” as a result of counseling.

Lim Wee Lee, a staff member of CHC who accompanied Kong on the trip, said, “A good marriage requires a lot of effort and communication between the couple You will never know your spouse well enough; so husband and wife should always make an effort to continue courting each other, be it, one year, five years or 10 years into the marriage. Never take each other for granted.”

Regulars swear by Roland Restaurant’s painstakingly handmade yu sheng.

It goes without saying that any self-respecting Chinese restaurant will offer yu sheng this festive period, but for the most authentic rendition, the obvious choice is to go back to the originators of this dish. Roland Restaurant’s Lo Hei Yu Sheng is derived from the very recipe book of Roland Lim’s godfather, Sin Leong, one of Singapore’s Four Heavenly Culinary Kings some 40 years ago, and one of the co-creators of the now quintessential dish.

There’s nothing gimmicky here, just the tried-and-tested formula of freshness and attention to detail. The ingredients, served with the raw mackerel slices, are all prepared in-house by hand—outsourcing’s almost a taboo word here; the sesame and peanuts are self-roasted to ensure maximum freshness and fragrance, and even the pok chiu (pillow crackers) has an extra bite to it. Drizzled with the special plum sauce for the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, the yu sheng becomes more than just a symbolic appetizer of sorts and instead makes for a delightfully tasty meal highlight.

Another must at the reunion dinner table is fish—and how we polished off the Marble Goby In Tri Sauce! A butterfly-cut splitting the fish right down to the center allows for an even fry; it is so crisp that one poke of the fork breaks off a chunk of white meat, unbelievably tender on the inside despite the deep-frying. The sauce, reminiscent of the Thai-style sweet, sour and spicy dressing, rather than drizzled over the fish, is pooled at the bottom of the plate, giving diners a choice to enjoy the natural flavors of the fish. For something with extra wow factor, order the Pomfret In Two Styles, which is a 2-in-1 dish—fried on one side, and stir-fried on the other with mixed vegetables.

Another in-house creation, the Salad Prawns With Honeydew, yields a subtly fragrant pairing. Unlike the previous dish which tantalizes the taste buds with distinct notes, this course of pan-fried battered prawns served with juicy melon cubes in a honeydew rind, leaves a cool honeydew flavor on the tongue after each bite.

CN PHOTOS: Michael Chan

Other noteworthy dishes from the Chinese New Year set menu (S$298 to S$988 for 10 people) include the familiar Fried Glutinous Rice. As opposed to conventional cooking methods where the rice is, for the most part, steamed for that moist, slightly sticky texture, the version at Roland’s is fried till fully cooked before being laid on a lotus leaf and briefly steamed. As such, the rice is less sticky, but equally tasty and, dare we say, doesn’t leave you with that stuffed feeling.

The Prosperity Moss With Dried Oysters, a savory stew of dried oysters, black mushrooms, tender pork, black moss and dried beancurd smacks of flavor as it does of nostalgia—we particularly love how the earthy aromas of the mushrooms not only balances but brings out the briny sweetness of the oysters, just like how our grandmothers used to prepare it.

For a reliable, wholesome reunion dinner this coming Lunar New Year, Roland Restaurant more than delivers—after all, the recipes have stood the test of time, with many regulars returning to feast year after year.

Roland Restaurant
89 Marine Parade Central,
#06-750
+65 6440 8205

It is not difficult to figure out why home makeovers have far reaching results in community service.

Home makeovers were the central theme throughout 2010 for many volunteers who gladly availed themselves to clean out the clutter in the homes of old folks and the underprivileged, to bring a smile to their faces.

The year-round home improvement projects kickstarted in February with several groups of  volunteers visiting less-privileged homes for a worthy cause. Volunteers from Ngee Ann Polytechnic and City Harvest Community Services Association’s RAYZ clients (yes, even people with special needs pitched in to do their bit for the community!)  turned dreams into reality for selected households living in Bukit Merah, Yishun and Henderson Crescent. Neither bug-infested bed frames nor unruly clutter could deter the redecoration and junk clearing exercise. After toiling through the cramped living spaces, the volunteers were greeted with heartfelt gratitude when the families were reintroduced to their spruced up interiors.

Just before the Lunar New Year, 60 youths from a zone in City Harvest Church, under the care of district pastor Wu Yuzhuang, initiated a spring cleaning project at eight one-room flats located in Macpherson. Whilst the task of cleaning and scrubbing ill-maintained homes seemed daunting for the young and sheltered Singaporeans, many eventually shed their personal inhibitions to transform the dull rooms into comfortable living spaces. Overall, Project Dream Home, as the project was called, gave the youths the opportunity to bridge the gap and engage in meaningful interaction between the youth and elderly.

Another 150 youths also displayed similar feats of generosity in April to give 20 one-room apartments in Chinatown a much-needed home improvement. Armed with pails and brushes, the volunteers went in search of peeling paint and cracks amidst dirt and debris before a thorough paint job ensued. After more than 20 hours over a two-day period, the elderly residents were visibly touched by the assistance rendered in beautifying their homes.

In September, through a cooperative joint project between CHCSA’s People Of Destiny youth center and Glenn Lim Consultancy, an agency specializing in youth programs, Mrs. Ithnin and her family were given new lease of life with better living conditions. Volunteers spent more than five hours on a brilliant job and won over Irene Ng, Member of Parliament for the Tampines GRC and writer-in-residence for the Institute of South-East Asian Studies. The youths exemplified a community spirit regardless of race, language or religion.

CN FILE PHOTOS

Most recently, a team of 20 volunteers including Alex Wee, Chairman of the Bishan Community Club’s Youth Executive Committee helped paint and offer assistance to residents residing in a block of one-room rental apartments in Toa Payoh Lorong 5 after a fire broke out in a unit on the ninth floor and left it in an unrecognizable state. Noting the extent of damage caused by the fire on the neighboring units, youth volunteers swung into action to reorganize the homes and painstakingly removed soot stains off the walls and furniture without hesitation. These tedious restoration and refurbishment works served as more than a jolt of reality, but also a time of awakening to one’s life purpose. The total number of homes made over this year—50.

The mysteriously beautiful sights of Cambodia are more than well captured in the Light Of Angkor photography exhibition.

PHOTO: Burnard Seow

Imagine walking through the countless corridors of the ancient temples at Angkor Wat—what would you see? Sculptured walls, perhaps, or maybe stone chambers evoking an air of reverence for the past and glimmering reflections seen through water puddles and lakes? These are but a few of the stunning landscape shots finely captured in a collection of 14 photographs, meticulously selected for a photography exhibition titled Light Of Angkor.

The collection is drawn from several exploratory trips to Cambodia over the past year by four local photographers: JimOrca Yong, Burnard Seow, Rudy Taslim and Michael Chan. In a collaboration with KidsMatter, an interest group birthed from a collective wish to help underprivileged Cambodian children, the quartet aimed to create a visual feast captivating the viewer with feelings of grandeur evoked by Angkor Wat.

Yong, a seasoned photo artist, found his lifelong passion for photography at the age of 14. For him, happiness is walking through cities, suburbs or rural places with his camera, capturing the sights and soaking in the culture of the people he walks amongst. With influences from photography masters such as Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Arnold Newman, to social entrepreneurs such as Jack Sim, founder of World Toilet Organization, Kong Hee, founder and senior pastor of City Harvest Church, and even Japanese fashion designer, Issey Miyake, Yong loves to celebrate the connectedness of the world and its various inhabitants and elements through his camera lens. He shared, “In life, each of us have a calling that beckons us to stay focused till the end in order to fulfill it.”

PHOTO: JimOrca

Burnard Seow, who currently works as a designer at the Wildlife Reserves Singapore, has always been intrigued by photographs since he was a child. He remembers flipping through dusty albums filled with black and white photos of his parents and grandparents—stumbling upon these pictures transported him into another space, one where the events unfold within a place of time. With influences from photography masters Ansel Adams, Steve McCurry and most recently Chinese photographer Lu Guang, Seow showcases his gift for capturing unique perspectives in his collection, and re-telling the life stories of others in intimate detail.

The Light of Angkor exhibition will be on from Dec. 10 to 30 at K.Ki and the Little Dröm Store (No. 7 Ann Siang Hill). Log on to travellightpeople.blogspot.com for more details on JimOrca’s photographic works and kidsmattercambodia.blogspot.com/ for more information on KidsMatter.

Popular Mandopop star Dave Wang returns to the stage after his maiden performance here in Singapore 21 years ago.

In Singapore for the second leg of his 2010 World Tour, Dave Wang, or more popularly known as Wang Jie to his fans, gave an emotional performance that took a capacity crowd on a trip down memory lane on Oct. 23 at The Max Pavilion. Wang, who commenced his world tour in Beijing in August, proved that he still had what it takes to get an audience going, sans fancy stage props or costume changes.

Together with his eight-piece band and three backing vocalists, Wang delivered a number of karaoke staples such as “Yi Chang You Xi Yi Chang Meng” (“A Game A Dream”), “Wang Le Ni Wang Le Wo” (“Forget You Forget Me”) and “An Ni” (“Annie”) much to the delight of his fans. Among the audience were long-distance admirers from Hong Kong and Japan who flew in specially to show their support for the talented singer-songwriter.

Bursting onto the music scene with his first major record release in 1988, the Hong Kong-born artiste has carved a niche for himself, wowing fans with his signature haunting soft rock ballads. While he lived in Canada between the early 1990s right up till 2000, he never stopped making music, and often shuttled between Hong Kong and Taiwan for his album releases and promotional activities.

CN PHOTOS: Gay Sen Min

Even as a veteran who has enjoyed a career spanning almost three decades, Wang still possessed a disarming charm that many would agree is lacking in his more contemporary peers. He performed without any intermission, and belted out memorable hits that had the crowd singing along with abandon, particularly during the chart-topper, “Shi Fou Wo Zhen De Yi Wu Suo You” (“Do I Really Have Nothing”) a testament to the enigmatic and evocative nature of his songs that have stood the test of time.

Currently, the 40-something Wang is busy preparing for his swan song, a final album that will be recorded and produced in Australia. It was a bittersweet revelation to his fans, as he told them that he would most likely retire for good after production completes. He added that famed Singaporean music composer, Ricky Oh, will take the helm in reworking his classic songs and infusing them with orchestral and live recording elements to give each track a fresh interpretation. The album is due to be completed in March 2011. The seasoned award-winning singer did, however, reiterate that “singing is a form of indulgence” that he will never grow tired of.

In between songs he recounted the early days when he started out singing mostly cover songs in pubs. Even then, his audience knew he had the singing chops—he distinctly recalls getting the most tips for his rendition of “I Don‘t Want To Talk About It,” first sung by Rod Stewart. Beyond the 27-song set performed throughout the two-and-a-half-hour concert, he also related personal struggles and insightful anecdotes gleaned from three decades of showbiz experience.

With a touch of earnestness, he delivered his final song, “Ru Guo Wo Lao Le Ni Hai Ai Bu Ai Wo” (“Will You Still Love Me Even When I Am Old”)—to which he received the answer in the form of thunderous applause and cheers from the floor as he exited the stage.

Dave Wang’s next stop on his 2010 World Tour is scheduled on Nov. 6 in Tianjin, China.

Caroline Tjen shares the touching story behind the launch of her debut album Because Of Love.

For Indonesian singer, songwriter and pianist Caroline Tjen, her love for her mother, Suzie Sarmili, is her biggest motivation for the launch of her debut album, Because Of Love. While none of the songs in the seven-track album were written specifically for her 62 year-old mother, it is a collective labor of love to raise funds for her cancer treatment.

Tjen recalls the initial moments when her mother was first diagnosed with cancer. They had sought treatment in Singapore last September, but the little savings that she had were not sufficient for the entire treatment. Soon, the hefty financial cost proved too heavy for her to bear and she could only cry out to God. And yet, it was at the lowest point in her life, when Tjen knew that it was not the kind of life God wanted her to live. “As it is written in the Bible, Christ came to give us life more abundantly.” With that seed of faith sown in her heart, Tjen picked herself up with a single-mindedness to use her talent in song-writing to do what she does best­—make music.

Since then, “every step had been a new miracle,” and the affable singer-songwriter in her 30s held her head high and embarked on producing an album. Tjen says, “I am no Christina Aguilera or Whitney Houston, with neither a big name nor a big voice” but she knew God was going to use her, as “an ordinary person to do an extraordinary work.”

Upon hearing her story, many of her friends, including fellow Indonesian Jusuf Winardil and music producer Chris Chuah, came on board to help; the former took on the role of the album’s music arranger. Many others lent their vocal skills—the album also features Filipino celebrity Robert Sunga, Indonesian worship pastor Sidney Mohede and CHC’s very own worship leaders, Alison Yap, Annabel Soh and Sendy Bolang. It was their gestures of love, on top of their words of encouragement, which saw her through the entire process of putting the album together. The finished product was well worth it—not only did Tjen gain much confidence in the past few months of recording, she also found the strength to carry on in spite of the challenges.

On the album, Tjen showcases her versatility by venturing into the musical genre of easy listening, a slight departure from the more typical sounds of contemporary Christian music some might know her for; Tjen wrote the tracks “A Heart After You” and “Come Holy Spirit” for CHC’s 2005 praise and worship album Cross, both of which reached number one in the Top 10 CHC Original Song List during this year’s Asia Conference.

CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

The album comprises five English and two Indonesian songs, all originally composed. One can hear the strength of hope in Tjen’s voice as she sings on the title track, “Because Of Love,” easily holding the listener captive with a soaring chorus of encouragement and empowerment. One of the freshest and most distinctive tracks, “CintaMu Tiada Tertandingi” (“Your Love Compares To None Other”), combines elements of salsa and worship, written when she accompanied her mother to one of her chemotherapy sessions.

Following the launch of her album, she has traveled under the sponsorship of Oops! Asia to several churches in Perth, Australia to perform earlier this month. The purpose of raising funds aside, Tjen hopes that her album will “encourage those who are in the midst of their challenges, and that if Caroline hasn’t given up, they shouldn’t give up as well.”

Although her mother’s last medical report had not been very positive, with the cancer spreading over her lungs, both Tjen and her mother are not waving the white flag. Navigating the road ahead, all Tjen knows is that she will pray the best she knows how to, work as hard as she is able to, love as deeply as is possible, and put the rest in God’s hands.

Because Of Love is now available at Attributes Retail Outlets. Meet Caroline Tjen in person during autograph sessions at Attributes at Expo Hall 8 on Oct. 16 and 17. Log on to www.carolinetjen.com for upcoming details on public performances and music showcases, and stay tuned for updates.