The UrbanWire      

Life’s a ride for 20-year-old Benjamin Say, defending champion of the Mens Wakeboard Freeride in the West Side Jam. Benjamin shares with us his tips and tricks and how he’ll be preparing for the upcoming West Side Jam 2010!

Name: Benjamin Say
Age: 20
Occupation: Student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Hi Benjamin! Tell us what is your training like?
Well, there’s actually no fixed schedule. I work at Maxout so I probably wake about 2-3 times a week, each time about an hour or two. Usually I do it after school on most days, or when I have no classes… Closer to competition days I train every day

Do you have to watch your diet? If yes, what do you do to watch your diet?
On season I have to try to keep within healthy weight, so I try to eat healthy food. Off-season, I just eat everything.

Why do you like wakeboarding?
There’s just a certain stoke that comes when you ride. When you’re moving on the water, it’s a feeling you can’t explain! There’s adrenaline, and it’s so crazy it just gets you hooked. And also when your friends are pushing you, and when you learn more tricks… It’s a social thing.

What is the wakeboarding community in Singapore like? Is it small and close or is it competitive and political?
The wakeboarding scene in Singapore is definitely growing. I’d say it started in the 90s with varsity people and expats who bring it here. It’s competitive, yet still friendly at the same time. Everybody seems to be pushing each other to do better.

Would you say that seeing beach babes are an added motivation for you to go for training sessions?
For sure! It’s never a bad thing. Guys and girls on the boat, by the sides, and it’s fun to watch people having fun. I’d say there are about a balanced number of guys and girls in the scene though.

How are you preparing for the competition? Are you keeping any secret moves to wow the judges?
Well, on competition day, it really depends on the water conditions and the mood, and whether I have the ability to perform then. Sure, I do have new tricks but there are also more restrictions, so go there to find out about it. West Side Jam is a pretty friendly competition where people push each other to their limits and mostly it’s to encourage local riders to participate.

What was it like winning the title in the Men’s Wakeboard Freeride category?
It was my first win, so it was a surprise win for me. I’ve previously had placings in other competitions but Maxout is my home ground so it was a great feeling to win a title at the West Side Jam! I hope to do better this year.

Other than winning the title, what did you win last year?
Ah. Products, a life jacket… things that wake boarders use.

Was it a close fight with the other competitors?
It was, it was a pretty close fight! It was pretty tough competing with all the ‘ang moh’ kids… haha!

At what age did you start wakeboarding? How many years have you been in competitive wakeboarding?
I started wakeboarding when I was 17, and I’ve been in competitive wakeboarding for about 3 years now. I started competitive wakeboarding about 3 months after I picked it up

Could you imagine a day without wakeboarding?
Yes, I could. But it’ll be super different! Wakeboarding is really a lifestyle…

Other than wakeboarding, what do you like to do in your free time?
I really like music and I play the piano, guitar and drums. And like any other student, I study in my free time too.

What is your dream job?
I have no idea right now, and maybe it won’t be related to wakeboarding at all, but I’ll still be wakeboarding for sure.

Catch Benjamin in action on 5 and 6 March at the West Side Jam 2010!

The West Side Jam will feature more than 30 regional and international pro-riders, free-to-watch competitions over both days and fringe activities such as a Roxy Beach Babe Contest, festival-exclusive sponsor booths, banana boat rides, discover wakeboard introductory riding sets, party yachts available for private charter, a fiesta party on the docks, as well as music throughout the day featuring local and international DJs.

For more details, visit West Side Jam 2010’s official website and their facebook event page!

This inaugural international fencing event from Jan 22 to 24, organised by Fencing Singapore, is the newest one in our local fencing scene. Held at the Suntec International Convention Centre Halls 601 and 602, which will be the official Singapore 2010 competition venue for fencing for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in August, the competition was open to the public, who didn’t have to buy tickets to watch.

There were 7 categories – Boys Foil, Boys Sabre, Boys Epee, Girls Foil, Girls Sabre, Girls Epee and Team Event in this competition which spanned 3 days. As this was a “cadet” competition, fencers had to be between 12 and 7 to participate. Singapore was represented by about 20 fencers.

^{(All images by Andra Chua)}

In fencing, there’re 3 age divisions – Cadet is for fencers 17 and younger, Junior for fencers aged 20 and below, and Senior refer to those at least 21. The purpose of this categorisation is acknowledge the differing abilities due to age, making it fairer for the participants.

In the finals, Clive Leu, 16, who represented Singapore, beat his 15-year-old opponent from Hong Kong to clinch the gold medal for the Boys’ Sabre event. For the Boys’ Foil event, 5 Singapore fencers qualified for the top 16 positions. They did exceptionally well, fencing their best, and 2 of them successfully moved on to the quarter-finals (top 8), where they were up against fencers from other countries like Hong Kong, Japan, and Taipei, who had fencing experience ranging from 1 to 5 years.

One thing about this event that’s not usually seen in local fencing competitions was the colour-coded fencing pistes. The competition area was separated into 4 areas identified by their colour: Red, Blue, Yello and Green. This aided the audience visually, when the commentators announced the respective winners for each competition or “bout” (round), as referred to in fencing.

In usual local competitions, a team would require 3 to 5 fencers in the same weapon category, 3 being the main fencers for the team with 1 to 2 optional reserve fencers. This competition, however, had a unique trait in which the team event required 6 members, which would be made up of 1 fencer per weapon and gender category.

The foreign fencers and their coaches were impressed with the organisation of this event. Daniel Chan, New Zealand’s team manager, told UrbanWire that everything was well organised and on par with some top-level tournaments he has been to.

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When you first see Momo 小蜜桃姐姐 on TV and hear her speak, you may wonder why on earth is she trying so hard to act cute. But this kids’ show host proves her worth over the 8 years in the industry and is now one of the most popular idols among children in Taiwan, juggling more than a handful of regular variety shows.

Following our previous interview with up-and-coming Taiwanese actor Godfrey Gao, UrbanWire chats with Momo about her experiences in the kitchen.

Momo will team up with Godfrey to pit their culinary skills against the Michelle team (Michelle Chia and Michelle Chong) in 3-Plus-1 II on Feb 17, over MediaCorp Channel 8. The bubbly personality will appear again on Mar 10, pairing up with Macy Chen this time to compete with Koh Yah Hwee and Nat Ho.

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As a special treat for you, UrbanWire is giving away 1-for-1 dining vouchers. Simply click on the image below, print the voucher and make your way down to Cafeteria il Lido for some delectable Italian food. Terms and conditions apply.

Instead of paying $20 for an appetizer at their flagship restaurant il Lido on Sentosa, you could spend less than half of that for one in their second outlet downtown. Since its opening in Suntec City in August, Cafeteria il Lido, also run by Beppe De Vito, the well-known restaurateur and managing director of Italian dining and lounge bar in Sentosa, has presented a range of authentic Italian fare at prices below $20.

The menu offers a wide variety of dishes from appetizers which they term “nibbles”, to Italian staples like pasta and pizza, hearty meats, seafood and desserts. The list of drinks also include a selection of teas, coffees and even wines by the glass priced from $7.90 to $8.90. The diner exudes a relaxed atmosphere for both weekday and weekend meals.

Told of new additions to their menu, UrbanWire editors Shermaine Yeo and Janelle Li went down for lunch over at Cafeteria il Lido, and deliver their verdict on some of their recommended dishes.

Calamari

Janelle: There are about 20 pieces in there, enough to be shared among 4-5 as a side dish. It smells really good, and when you bite into it the breaded skin crumbles, with a thick ring of calamari flesh for you to chew to your hearts’ content. The tartar sauce brings out the juiciness of the calamari, although it tastes good plain too.

Shermaine: This appetizer is scrumptiously tempting with chunky rings of calamari and at $7.90, the portion is well worth the price. The steaming hoops are savoury even without any dressing, but the tartar sauce proves to be a perfect complement, adding a sweet tang to the chewy pieces of squid that are coated with bread crumbs for that crunchy texture.

Gnocchi

Janelle: Although it’s found under “Pastas” in the menu, it’s not actually very pasta-like. The best way to enjoy this unique dish is to take a bite into the shitake mushroom, gnocchi and cream sauce at the same time.

Shermaine: This dish may look plain with only 4 ingredients in the menu description, but this new addition to the selection of main courses is surprisingly palatable. The mushy and fluffy potato dumplings, generous serving of shitake mushrooms and light basil cream fuse well with each other and finishing the whole plate of gnocchi isn’t a problem as the frothy sauce isn’t cloying.

Spaghetti Vongole

Janelle: I love oil-based pastas, so this one’s gotta be my favourite! The herbs are very fragrant, and there’re about 20 clams in this dish, for just $12.50. It may be a tad too oily for those who prefer the lighter tomato-based pasta dishes though.

Shermaine: The Spaghetti Vongole garnished with herbs and sliced red chilli, has a strong clam flavour and a spicy hint. The briny taste could be attributed to the almost equal portion of pasta and crustacean, as well as its name. Vongole is clam in Italian and you can’t go wrong with this chef’s special.

Four Cheese Pizza

Janelle: Cheese lovers will adore this pizza, with its thin crispy crust and generous cheese topping. If you eat each slice the conventional way from the pointed tip to the edge, you’ll also enjoy an increasing crunchiness and finish off noisily. The cheese flavours blend in without being overwhelming, with the strongest cheese flavour at the “ball” of fluffy cream cheese on each slice. You may not find any opportunity to chew, unlike meat-based pizzas that give you that satisfaction.

Shermaine: The aroma of this Four Cheese Pizza entices you the moment you catch a whiff of it. 12-inches of cheesy decadence with an unrivaled combination of Mozzarella, Mascarpone (the basic ingredient in Tiramisu), Parmesan and Cheddar, over a spread of tomato sauce. As if the mixture of dairy indulgence is not enough, a slab of cream cheese is placed on each of the 6 slices. This thin crust Italian fare that just screams cheese, incorporates a mysterious tangy and refreshing tomato dressing that becomes conspicuous nearer the edges as the cheese fades off. Starred as a chef’s special and my personal favourite.

Chicken Cacciatora

Janelle: Another dish that melts in the mouth, like the Four Cheese Pizza. I expected to have to use my teeth a little before I swallow but I totally didn’t need to. The mashed potato right at the bottom added thickness to the sauce and overall richness of the flavour.

Shermaine: The goulash-like gravy full of shredded carrots, onions and celery, seems to find itself sitting halfway between eastern and western cuisine with a trace of french onion soup and a hint of spring roll filling that overwhelms taste buds. Another chef’s special, the chicken is stewed to a soft yet firm consistency that goes well with the sauce and mashed potato.

Seabream Marinara

Janelle: The fish taste is pretty strong, while the tomato sauce has its own flavour. I’d have preferred if the sauce was thicker. I like how easy it is to cut a piece off the seabream and how fresh the meat is.

Shermaine: While this dish looked pretty promising, the 3 strong flavours of the seabream, olives and tomatoes didn’t seem to integrate well. But the distinctive ingredients when eaten separately, were worthy of the chef’s special note. The fish was firm and smooth and the tomato sauce was light and zesty. At $13.50, it’ll go some way to satisfy your seafood cravings.

Luganega Sausage

Janelle: This doesn’t taste too different from other pork sausages, but the herbs added bonus points. Your stomach will definitely be filled when you’re faced with so much meat and irresistible fries sprinkled lightly with Paprika salt. The salad tasted a little dry though, so it would’ve been better if some dressing were available.

Shermaine: The fries are delectable thick cuts of potato seasoned with Paprika salt and the crisp strips of lettuce balance out the oil and meat from the sausage. Unfortunately for the first piece I sank my teeth into, I bit onto something hard. Well, on the whole the pepper and herb spiced up the pork sausage and gave it a better flavour.

Tuscan Prawn Frittata

Janelle: You can feel how fluffy the egg is just from slicing it open. There’re 4 large tiger prawns in it, which are really fresh to the point of being almost crunchy. There’s also a strong dairy smell from the egg, a strong indicator of just how much Parmesan cheese was added. I remember drinking lots of water after a few bites.

Shermaine: The frittata or Italian omelette had a chunky and spongy layer of baked egg and tiger prawns cooked to perfection. New on the menu, this dish is a pleasant fusion of seafood, eggs and dairy products. The crisp sides of the omelette gave an indication of cheese blended in the egg dish.

Fig Pie

Janelle: I don’t like figs in general, so I kind of skipped those and went straight into the hot cheese pie. Together with the caramel orange slices this dessert is very, very sweet.

Shermaine: Dusted with icing sugar, this fluffy and soft cream cheese pie is served hot from the oven and decorated with sweetened citrus peel. Another chef’s special, the dessert is sweetened with orange caramel, which gives the pastry a delightful crust. While the fig was a challenge to try, I did pop 1 or 2 into my mouth. The texture is similar to stewed aubergine, while the seeds of the fruit add a crunch to the bite.

Pannacotta

Janelle: I couldn’t taste the baked cream at the bottom at all, as the taste of the berries were so strong. The pudding-like texture also makes it hard to scoop just the baked cream without the fruits. Overall, I could only taste sourness, from both the berries and the cream.

Shermaine: The baked cream had an intense sour cream taste that overpowered the rest of the ingredients in the silky cream mixture. Lining the top of the glass was a tart wild berries sauce with fruity chunks of blueberries and cranberries, if I could hazard a guess.

Cafeteria il Lido details:

Address: B1-012 Suntec City Mall (around the fountain)
3 Temasek Boulevard
Tel: 6883 2341

Restaurant Hours:
Open Daily
11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm to 10:00pm

He’s the owner and managing director of Jonal Chong Hair Couture and SF Savoir Fair – both in Singapore and London.

This Singaporean hairstylist, who was based in London for 7 years, returned to Singapore in 2005 after his 5-year contract as the personal hairstylist for Nicole Kidman ended.

Apart from Kidman, Jonal Chong, 48, has also cut and styled the crowning glories of various celebrities from the hall of fame such as Hugh Grant, Courtney Cox Arquette, Ewan McGregor and Katherine Heigl.

<sup>Jonal with Nicole Kidman

Jonal with Katherine Heigl</sup>

“These people are my regulars in my salon in London. However, my favourite person will always be Nic because she’s the one who gave me my big break and I will forever be grateful towards her,” says Jonal.

During the 5 years that he was working for Nicole Kidman, Jonal said it wasn’t all glamour and fun.

“Being a yellow-skin in Hollywood, I initially felt out of place. I felt like the character E.T. – someone who landed in a totally different world. It took a lot of effort to stay in Hollywood, in the hair industry, because people judged and some were really bitchy. However, I managed to stay and make a name for myself,” says the hair guru, who has been cutting hair since the age of 15.

Jonal describes himself as someone “who loves dressing up, who loves beauty, who believes in fashion” and who feels that it’s his responsibility to make women look beautiful.

He indulged again recently by setting up his second hair salon in Singapore – Jonal Chong Hair Couture in the heart of the shopping district, Orchard Central.

The managing director officially launched his 1, 100 sq ft all white, avant-garde salon on Oct 28.

The twist to his new salon? Prices won’t be sky-high as what most of you would expect. Instead, it’d be mind-bogglingly low.

Cuts start from $13 onwards while other services such as hair treatment or colour and cut are priced from $38 up.

However, the man himself won’t be touching your hair of course. Because if he does, be prepared to pay $250 onwards for a simple haircut.

Jonal strongly believes in 15 of his apprentices that he’s trained personally for about a year to attend to his customers and satisfy them.

^{Jonal Chong (left) cutting the hair of one of his V.I.P customers in the V.I.P room, while coaching one of his apprentices (right) along the way.}

When asked why he’s offering his hair services at “heartland prices”, Jonal says, “I want to give those customers who are not willing to pay a lot of money on hair a chance to enjoy my luxe hair services without spending a bomb. By doing this, I feel that finally, more Singaporean men and women have an equal chance to look good at an affordable price.”

Even before Jonal Chong Hair Couture was officially opened for business, he had already attended to a number of notable customers.

MTV VJ Denise Keller paid him a visit 2 days before the Elle Awards to get her hair done for the opening ceremony. One of the Polo Boys – Channel 5’s new drama series – Paul Foster, also dropped by for a haircut.

These artistes were attended to in the salon’s Very Important Person (V.I.P) room.

The hair maestro also requested for a Very Very Important Person (V.V.I.P.) room to be built for his extra special customers.

When asked who they are, Chong smiled coyly but remained professional and said, “They are prestigious bankers, lawyers and doctors.”

He has yet to go back to London to check on his salon there. According to him, “the salon isn’t doing very well because of the economic downturn”.

However, he’s proud of the fact that he’s still in contact with Nicole Kidman.

A few of his famous works of her include the famous Chanel No.5 advertising campaign in 2004 and the movie – Birth, that Kidman starred in that same year.

Her sudden change in hairstyle, which was cut short by Jonal to suit her character, was a bold statement compared to her usual locks.

He said, “Nic loved her short hair. Although it was a drastic change in hairstyle, she was comfortable in it and pulled it off really well.”

After being in the business for over 30 years, the celebrity coiffeur already has plans to retire soon.

Jonal says, “I can’t go on forever doing this. I definitely have to step down soon and my right-hand man, David Oh, will take over me.”

Casual was the watchword at the very first m:idea Youth Choice Awards ceremony as celebrities took a breather and cut themselves some slack from the usual dressy award ceremonies. Steering away from the standard suits and cocktail dresses, the nominees for the respective awards came dressed in comfort clothes as requested.

Despite the casual getup, these are the celebrities who deserved a second glance.

Ris Low

If you don’t already know her, Ris Low, ex-Miss Singapore World 2009, is infamous for her coining new words “boomz” and “shingz”, which have become a part of our national vocabulary. The much-awaited fashionista was expected to strut down the red carpet in a seemingly bold red bikini or her personal favourite – an outfit with leopard prints.

However, hopes were dashed as the ex-pageant queen appeared in a more ordinary outfit. Ris says, “The maxi dress maximizes my look as it’s long and it makes me look much taller.”

Her buzzwords landed her as the winner of the Best OMG (short for Oh My God)! Moment category and Ris feels that she can land herself with the Best OMG! Dressed award if m:idea had such a category.

With much confidence, Ris declares that the most “OMG” factor about her style would be her guts to turn a deaf ear to comments to dress as she likes. Ris said: “I’m daring and I’m not afraid to show my body.”

Ris likes to think of herself as a Barbie doll and makes sure that she is well dolled up at all times. Aren’t you curious about whom she gets her fashion inspirations from?

Drum-roll please…

Britney Spears!

Yes, that’s right. Britney’s hit song “Circus” might just explain Ris’s liking for safari-themed clothes.

For a change, the much-talked-about celebrity is now experimenting with colours. Ris declares, “Violet is the new red.” (Red was initially her favourite colour.) So be it a disappointment or relief for you, don’t expect to see Ris in outfits with leopard prints for now.

Instead, look out for her upcoming fashion style as she gears herself up with lots of Tarzan and Jane-inspired togas that shout “boomz”!

Fauzi Rassull

If you thought that Ris Low’s getup would be the most note-worthy at the awards, you’ve thought wrong. Self-proclaimed as “Singapore’s only male bitch”, Fauzi Rassull rocked the red carpet with his appearance. Dressed in an all-black outfit from head to toe, literally, including a women’s cropped fur vest and heeled boots, this blogger had no qualms when it comes to wearing clothes designed for the opposite sex.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s for women or not. I feel comfortable in it and that’s all that matters,” said Fauzi.

This snazzy daredevil may get all the attention but it’s not always complimentary. Fauzi says, “I get a lot of stares from people from the streets but I’m not affected as I’m immune and I’ve accepted it.”

Apart from comfort, Fauzi also feels more confident in his dressing. 2 fashion must-haves that he can’t leave home without would be his black eyeliner that accentuates his eyes and his black nail polish.

Quite like Adam Lambert, don’t you think?

But no, the American Idol first runner-up is not his fashion inspiration. Fauzi idolises skinny models that are “thin-spired” like Agyness Deyn.

Other noteworthy celebs

Celebrity pair Muttons from 987FM, voted “Celebrity Duo I Wanna Chill With”, came in similar tees that are flashy but not over the top, from Ed Hardy.

Winner of “Cutest Male Personality I Wanna Bring Home” Utt came dressed to the nines. “I think I OD-ed a little with my dressing today but I guess I just wanted to be courteous to dress more than less,” says Utt. His efforts to dress up definitely didn’t go to waste as his screaming fan-girls loved it.

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Taiwanese heartthrob Eddie Peng may be the male lead in the best-selling local movie in Taiwan last year, but the boy-next-door went through low tide as he sorts out complicated contractual issues with his previous company. Hear Me, which broke the 10-million mark in box office sales in Taiwan (equivalent to about S$430,000), became like a flashlight that helps him find his way out of this dark tunnel.

The 26-year-old is known for his “sunny boy” image and started his showbiz career when he appeared in a TV commercial as a child. He moved to Canada at 14 years old, and subsequently starred in his first drama series Tomorrow in 2002 when he bumped into the director, who happened to be the same man behind the said commercial, when he was back in Taiwan. For the past 7-odd years Eddie took on various roles in idol dramas such as Scent of Love, Wayward Kenting and Honey Clover, movies such as My DNA Says I Love You and My So-called Love, and even period dramas such as Chinese Paladin and The Young Warriors.

This time, in Hear Me, the outgoing actor continued to show off his humorous side with the wide spectrum of facial expressions he’s known for, as well as body language, which is even more important as half his lines are actually in sign language. Eddie’s role, a 20-something young man named Tian Kuo whose family owns a small restaurant, falls in love with hearing-impaired girl Yang Yang (played by Ivy Chen Yi Han) and woos her through hand signals rather than sweet words.

^{Eddie (right) was in town last month with director Cheng Fen Fen to promote his movie Hear Me}

UrbanWire met up with the friendly actor when he stopped by Singapore last month, and finds out some behind-the-scenes stories while he filmed the movie!

Hear Me opened in Taiwan in August last year, and is now showing in Singapore cinemas.

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The first thing you’ll notice about Taiwanese actor Godfrey Gao is his extraordinary height. Standing at an amazing 195cm, he definitely towers above most people he meets, and may seem a little distant. It doesn’t help that the Canadian-bred has a quiet personality.

Godfrey recently dropped by Caldecott Hill for a recording of MediaCorp Channel 8’s culinary programme, 3-Plus-1 II, and tried his hand at cooking 3 Chinese dishes he’d never prepared before.

^{Godfrey Gao (second from left) with 3-Plus-1 host Zeng Guo Cheng (middle) and this episode’s guests.}

In between his recording slots, UrbanWire brought the cool-looking 25-year-old down to chair-level, who proved our initial impression of him wrong as he shares a tip of dicing onions and his hilarious experience making macaroni and cheese!

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Taiwanese singer Peter Pan may not be able to fly you to Never Never Land, but he took an airplane to Singapore and had an early Christmas celebration with his fans in Red Dawn Communications office on Dec 8. The first season One Million Star finalist gladly obliged to requests from the office ladies to take photographs together and have their names written on the autographed posters and singles he prepared as Christmas presents.

^{Peter Pan (second row, second from left) with staff of Red Dawn Communications and Y.E.S. 933 DJ Peifen (first row, second from right)}

UrbanWire grabbed the chance to interview the young rising star who just released his debut album a couple of months ago, and Peter enthusiastically tells us about his favourite sweet, his impression of Singapore and his most memorable Christmas!

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Dare to change.

If the runaway success of the eccentric, outlandishly bold singer cum fashionista Lady Gaga isn’t enough to make you realise that blending in and sticking to the status quo – be it in fashion, hairstyle or attitude – isn’t cool anymore, I don’t know what is.

Soon, we’ll be counting down to the New Year and if you’re booked for some hot party to ring in 2010, this is a wake-up call that a change is called for.

Hair is everything. For a woman, it’s her crowning glory, the most noticeable feature, and that which reflects her beauty.

Fashionistas know that a look is incomplete without a great hairstyle that’ll make the individual feel good and look good too.

So, to inspire and to motivate you in your change for 2010, UrbanWire sent 4 of its writers, representing the different facial shapes of most readers, for a temporary makeover at the recently launched salon – Jonal Chong Hair Couture, owned by the successful celebrity Singaporean hairstylist who has styled the manes of various Hollywood A-listers including Nicole Kidman.

The girls were treated to an out-of-this-world experience as the salon manager Mike Loh, styled their hair based on the shape of their faces, with a surprising twist to make them stand out. But isn’t Lady Gaga, who’s one of the most popular, crazed and successful artistes today, the epitome of unique?

Check out our writers who had their hair done and just how to achieve that look!

Amanda
Geraldine
Diyana
Adrianna

(Read more)

The Bizzare Young Things

^{All images courtesy of The Bizarre Young Things}

For this party trio, coming together was pure coincidence and fate. The 3 go-getters met in school, tuition and even at the National Day Parade in Singapore, without suspecting how much they had in common – the love for fashion, music and parties.

With a fantastic business idea to redefine the partying scene, the threesome met over coffee one day and decided to start an events, party and lifestyle company. They call themselves, The Bizarre Young Things (TBYT) and their only aim is for others to have awfully good fun while they gain experience in the clubbing industry.

The group said: “We want to infect people with our love for music and fashion interests through the parties that we organise.”

As young (they’re all under 21!) entrepreneurs, being pro-active is a must. TBYT for instance, started out emailing and meeting up with the management of clubs in the hope of creating a collaborative business effort. Joanna Tang said: “No money was needed as we just helped them promote the event and come up with fresh, unorthodox ideas to attract crowds to the club.”

Despite school being their major priority, they made it a point to meet before every party and get the necessary logistics ready. Joanna said: “I guess it’s more of an overall effort to keep it going, as we have the passion and interest in it. Once you have that established, the commitment factor is no longer a problem.”

Time to Differentiate

^{(Left to right) Ngeow Jiawen, Joanna Tang, Darren Foo}

These 3 good friends may be inseparable, but they’re each defined by their own striking personalities and forte in contributing to TBYT’s success.

Ngeow Jiawen may look like the average person on the street but the party beast inside her loves partying, shopping and most things decadent. Vices aside, she spends most of her time juggling school projects, her social life and planning events for TBYT.

This rather reserved lady is the creative mind behind all the arty-farty graphics and posters by TBYT. However, under the influence of alcohol, she epitomises what living life to the fullest means. As the saying goes, you only live once right?

Joanna Tang exudes confidence, charm and charisma when speaking.  Language is no barrier to her as her strength is in writing and churning out write-ups for the group. Apart from all that writing, this brainy miss-know-it all takes charge of all things financial of TBYT.

Her sporty glow radiates both excitement and passion that she translates into everything she does in life – even when it comes to partying. Just beware of her tongue when she’s loaded up on the booze. Joanna has varied tastes in music and hopes that people can share her enthusiasm through events like OMG! It’s pop! Her motto: Live it up!

Darren Foo may seem like your crazy party boy raiding the clubs on weekends, but he means business. He loves fashion, art, music and anything beautiful and believes in taking chances in fashion by dressing differently to show his individuality. Expect to see his flamboyant sense of fashion and chunky necklaces when he parties the night away.

Darren says: “Why blend in with the crowd when you can stand out from them?” There’s more to him than being that alcohol heavyweight. As the only male in the group, his undying energy means he is always hard at work mingling with the crowd and improving TBYT’s public relations with current and future working partners.

OMG! It’s Pop!

What got them started? The current scene was too dull for them and as Joanna said, “it is the same old boring thing going on in clubs every week.” Music and drinks don’t amount to a successful party. In fact, their idea of a good party is an experience with something new and fresh each week. This gave rise to the launch of their pop extravaganza party, OMG! It’s pop! The first official party planned by TBYT that’s held every fortnight at Home Club.

At OMG! It’s pop! you can expect unusual fashion theme parties (Think fairytales, pumpkins and Black and white parties) with crazy POPpin’ music and props courtesy of TBYT.

This pop party is about reliving your old school days with a twist. From electro pop to mainstream pop, these guys will party to anything. According to Joanna, OMG! It’s pop! differentiates itself from the usual club parties where being normal is overrated and they target a niche market of outstanding individuals to gather in the friendly atmosphere at Home Club.

To usher in the New Year and bid 2009 goodbye, join TBYT with a star studded night of OMG! It’s pop! on Dec 31. The party trio fully expect you to “come dressed up as bald Britney or Queen Madge to leap ludicrously into 2010! Boy bands, dysfunctional single moms, bimbotic blondes – all are welcome! We love psycho people cuz normal is so OVERRATED!”

Each year when the calendar page shows December, my girlfriends would arm themselves with a battery of vigorous workout sessions and insane diet regimens.

Nope, they’re not having a mass wedding or renewing their vows together. This is but a preparation all of them go through in the name of enjoying their Christmas parties while keeping the guilt trip to blubber-land at bay.

With so many high-calorie sinful temptations during the festive celebrations, it’s only right that one should fear the battle of the bulge afterward. Zenxin Agri-Organic has concocted several solutions for great tasting reduced-calorie dishes for that purpose.

I used to be a staunch believer that anything healthy can’t taste half as good as the real thing.. After securing a date with Mrs Ceridwen Wolf, Zenxin Agri-Organic’s Product Manager, I went down to the hypermart certain that Mrs Wolf wouldn’t succeed in budging my judgement, much less my taste buds.

But I was so wrong.

Upon reaching my destination I found myself shoved aside, between a Christmas tree and the demonstration table, by an army of “aunties” determined to learn how to make healthy yummy dishes.

^{Mrs Wolf whipping up some Christmas cheer.}

Undeterred, I watched as the amiable Mrs Wolf quickly whipped up a batch of Delish Christmas Eggs, and at the same time, good-naturedly fielded the fast, strong queries the spectators threw at her.

“Whatever your grandmother ate would be the best thing for you to eat,” Mrs Wolf announced as she offered the plate of delish eggs all around. These were, in my opinion, named aptly as they were quite scrumptious.

The mix of tangy, sweet and tasty herbs was balanced out perfectly and will do great as starters or finger food.

^{Zesty Cranberry Sauce}

Next up, she put together a saucer of Zesty Cranberry Sauce to go with turkey, and boy did it smell like Christmas. Not only was the sauce tasty with a nice tart, sweet finish, but it was also a visual treat. Its natural ruby red colouring is sure to bring out the Christmas spirits and smells when drizzled over desserts or turkey.

But the one thing that sold me was the Sweet Potato Pie. One bite into the sweet potato and the whole floor went silent. The filling was smooth, sweet and absolutely decadent, with the right touch of spices. I was pretty sure this is one dessert I’ll be lugging to many potluck parties over the Christmas and New Year’s period. The best thing about all of them is, they’re dead easy to prepare!

^{Sweet Potato Pie}

Fret not if you are hankering after the recipes! It’s here for all to see!

Ingredients:

6 organic eggs
1 pkt fresh organic chives
1 pkt fresh organic Italian parsley
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp gourmet mustard
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

Preparation:

1. Bring cold water and room temperature eggs to the boil gently and simmer for around 5 minutes. Any longer and your yolks will turn pale and lose their vibrant yellow.

2. Plunge the eggs into ice-cold water to cool them off. This will contract the eggs from the shells and allow them to be peeled without getting craters in their skin.

3. Peel the eggs carefully and halve them.

4. Remove the yolks again with care and mash with the other ingredients. Take a teaspoon and replace the mixture into the white half eggs and serve on a bed of lettuce.

Ingredients:

2 cups washed fresh organic cranberries
1 stick of cinnamon
6 cloves
Juice of 1 orange
6-8 thinly pared strips or orange peel or organic orange zest
1⁄2 cup organic brown sugar
1⁄2 cup of water

Preparation:

1. Dissolve the brown sugar in the water by heating it in a saucepan.

2. Add the spices and orange zest and let this simmer for 3 mins until the room smells like Christmas, then add the cranberries and orange juice.

3. Simmer gently until thickened to desired consistency. Be very careful as the cranberries will pop and fly out of the pan unless you keep the lid on.

Ingredients:

2 cups Zenxin organic baked sweet potato
1⁄2 cup butter
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp ground nutmeg
1⁄4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp pure vanilla essence
1⁄2 cup organic brown sugar
2 organic eggs
1⁄2 cup organic cream
1 tbsp organic self-raising flour
1⁄2 cup organic walnut pieces
230g instant shortcut pastry
9 inch flan pie tin

Topping:

2 tbsp butter
1⁄4 cup organic brown sugar
1⁄2 cup walnut pieces
A pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Bake 4 medium sized sweet potatoes in the oven at 180°C for approximately 70 mins. Leave to cool and then peel off the skin. The longer you bake this, the sweeter the filling will be as the sweet potato will caramelise.

2. Butter the flan tin and cover with the pastry.

3. Measure out 2 cups of sweet potato and add the butter, spices and vanilla and mix well.

4. Stir in the 2 eggs, brown sugar, organic cream, flour and finally the walnut pieces.

5. Place mixture in flan dish and place this in the oven to bake  for approximately 55 minutes. If you stick a knife into the pie and it comes out clean, it’s done.

6. While the pie is baking, prepare the topping.

7. Dissolve the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan using low heat. Wait until the mixture is bubbling then add the walnuts and a pinch of salt.

8. Stir for another 2 minutes then remove from the heat and pour onto a marble slab to cool or leave it aside in the pan to cool. Crumble and sprinkle over the pie to finish.

You can find more recipes by Mrs Wolf here.

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UrbanWire asked some Asian and local celebs to tell us what their Christmas wishes would be, if anything they desire can be granted!

Taiwanese singer Peter Pan: “I want to dress up as Santa Claus and visit all my co-workers’ homes to give them presents, and fulfill their wishes. That’s because I’m a 夢想家!” (夢想家 is the title of Peter’s debut album released a couple of months ago, which can refer to either dreamer or someone who realises dreams.)

Peter Pan’s debut album Dreamer is available in stores.

Taiwanese director Cheng Fen Fen (left): “I hope one day my movie can be seen by people all over the world, not just in places with a majority of Chinese people, and they’ll all like it!”

Taiwanese actor Eddie Peng: “My wish is very simple. 2009 was a year that gave me many happy and unhappy memories… I hope that after Christmas, in the coming year, I’ll be very happy, carefree and can continue working… just a very simple wish.”

Hear Me (聽說), directed by Cheng Fen Fen and starring Eddie Peng, Chen Yihan and Michelle Chen, first released in Taiwan cinemas on Aug 28 and will be showing in Singapore from Jan 7, 2010.

Hong Kong rap group LMF: “We hope that there can be mutual respect for people, less war and natural disasters, and that we’ll have many vivid memories of our Hong Kong concert (for our current The Wild Lazy Tour) coming up in January. It’ll be great if things can be cheaper too!”

MediaCorp artiste Christopher Lee (right, with Life Transformers co-host Quan Yi Fong): “(exclaims) I want to go on a honeymoon! I really want to go on a honeymoon! (I’d go) many places! Whenever Fann and I watch TV, we see a place that’s beautiful, or we see some brochures, or on the Internet we see somewhere and go “How pretty!”. Places like the seaside, Europe… Actually I like Europe very much. We went to Maldives to take our wedding photos and really want to go back there. South America as well… Not just a short trip, I’d like to go on a 2-month honeymoon. Only then will we have enough time to explore.”

Life Transformers 2 airs every Monday at 8pm on MediaCorp Channel 8.

^{MediaCorp Channel 8 infotainment programme New City Beat hosts: (from left) Adrian Pang, Bryan Wong, Kym Ng, Gurmit Singh}

MediaCorp artiste Adrian Pang: “It’s too dirty to be said! But, the second choice would be… really sincerely, sincerely… 2 things. Last year’s been a little tricky for everybody, I just wish this H1N1 thing will just get out of our lives once and for all, ’cause just when we thought things were okay, it’s back again. So I just wish it would (mouths) f*** off as soon as possible, and we wanna get on with our lives. And just as we thought this recession was climbing out of the hole… hopefully it’ll be the start of good things for everybody.”

MediaCorp artiste Bryan Wong: “One only right? … Whatever I say, whether I say, whatever I want will also come true!”

MediaCorp artiste Kym Ng: “My Christmas wish would be that I have lots of money and I’ll buy a piece of land for my whole family to live together. A big piece of land, with front yard and backyard… My big brother will stay in this block, then there’s my second brother, third brother, and my younger brother, we’ll stay in other blocks. This whole piece of land belongs to my family and we’ll stay here. We’ll be very happy and can help one another, but at the same time we have our personal space too.”

MediaCorp artiste Gurmit Singh: “This may sound a bit cliche, but my Christmas wish will be that there is no, in any degree or form, report of violence, malice, war or wrath, anywhere in the world. You get the papers and you turn to every page and there’s no report at all about bad stuff: no war, nobody killed somebody, nobody jumped off somwhere, nobody had a painful divorce, nobody banged somebody in the head… It’ll be all good news. Not because they’re covered up, but there’s nothing really bad to report.

New City Beat airs from Christmas Day, every Friday at 8pm on MediaCorp Channel 8.

When it comes to great advertising, the Heineken Walk-In Fridge really nails it. The advertisement hardly has any dialogue or jingle, yet the message is crystal clear. This ad about the age-old differences between the genders is clever, funny, and drives the message across beautifully.

What this ad nails is the moment – the Heineken moment. The moment of realisation that you have a walk-in fridge that has enough beer to last you for a long, long time. There’s just Heineken and more Heineken, and more Heineken…

This festive season, you can get as close as you want to feeling that Heineken moment! The Heineken pop-up boutique bar on Orchard Road is classy and innovative and allows visitors to quickly grab a Heineken before carrying on with their festive shopping or merrymaking.

What you can expect at the boutique-bar: Beer will be for sale on one side of the bar (that’s the bar side), and at the ‘closet’ side, Heineken has partnered with Fred Perry to display their fashionable apparel. Not only that – visitors stand to win Fred Perry discount vouchers too. And then of course, the boutique-bar makes a great opportunity for taking photographs of you and your friends re-enacting your very own Heineken moment!

The Heineken Boutique-Bar is situated outside Orchard Building until Dec 27.

You can visit www.heineken.com.sg for more details.

If you’re single, female, and looking for a man who can help you in the kitchen, check out Tony Sun Xiezhi, leader of Taiwanese boyband 5566. When he came to Singapore with his fellow member Zax Wang Renfu for a recording of MediaCorp Channel 8 culinary variety programme 3-Plus-1 II, host Zeng Guo Cheng decided to help Tony look for his destined partner by appealing to viewers, as the younger Zax is happily married to actress Ji Qin with 2 children.

The 3 Taiwanese artistes shared the set with MediaCorp actresses Belinda Lee and Pei Xuan, who play sisters in Channel 8 drama Your Hands in Mine on Nov 28. Tony and Zax teamed up to cook up a spread of dishes from their home country, such as Squid Soup and Salted Egg with Bitter Gourd.

UrbanWire stole a few minutes with the 2 guys who talked to us about their skills in the kitchen as well as the dish they’d use to describe each other!

Catch the hilarious buddies chopping vegetables and cracking eggs in 3-Plus-1 II, on Dec 30, MediaCorp Channel 8.

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