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E N T E R TA I N ME N T & L IF E S T Y L E M AG A Z IN E OF T HE Y E A R 2016

HOW TO SKIP THE HOUR-LONG QUEUE

NAM SING HOKKIEN FRIED MEE

p58

No men or eggs Wedding sacrificed in the

GAZINE A M L L OVERAE YEAR 2016 OF TH

making this dish OFofTHE

SONG-TURY

N° 1412

NOV 9, 2017

Flowers, drones & K-drama galore! p18

I WANT TO SHARE THE SAME BED WITH YOU FOR AS LONG AS I CAN,

UNTIL YOU DIE

—CHANTALLE NG TO HER MUM, LIN MEIJIAO

p22

Y E F I W

ME

&

ducing The awww-in BIN U love story of X and YIFEI

in-laws ( Secrets, angry !) & lots of crying

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ISSUE NO. 1412

COMRADES, A LOVE STORY (WE ALMOST DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT) NOV 9–16

COVER PHOTO: AIK CHEN/STYLING: JEREMY TAN/HAIR: JOANNE ER/J HAIR SALON/MAKE-UP: SAM ONG USING DIOR COLOURS. ON XU BIN & YIFEI: BOTH OUTFITS FROM UNIQLO U

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

8 Numbers 10 Soundbites 12 What’s Up With... 14 Scene & Heard 40 Movies 44 Site-seeing 46 Play/Plug/Read 89 TV 48 Eat 58 Shop 60 The Feelgood Page 62 What They Never Taught You In School 64 Money 66 Travel 72 Shirtless Guy of the Week 6 Mail 73 First Person 74 My Word 75 Horoscope 78 Get Out 104 Last Page

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N O W D N A H T S E THE B enge crown ll a h c r a c e h th lly takes home a n fi t n ta s te n 10th tiime co bdul Hamid ratulations A

Cong the outlasting all Bin Jonid for as the nd emerging challengers a r rp Subaru Ca 2017 Mediaco r, with your ne Challenge win tes. ours 15 minu h timing of 74 i-S .0 2 Subaru XV A brand new ,a d 0 is yours! An worth $65,00 e to all who cam u yo k n a th BIG our d encourage to support an gers! brave challen

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Green, green grass of home

Bigger and stronger

I refer to the article ‘Bully System’ in issue #1411 about school bullies. In it, many artistes shared that they were bullied by their peers when they were young, including being called unkind names and judged on their physical appearances. It seems that the most common insult was being called fat… or the opposite in Zong Zijie and Joanna Theng’s cases, as they were mocked for being puny. Ironic that Zijie now looks very fit and strong. He probably won’t tolerate any bullying now. I, too, have been small-sized for many years, until I finally started training at the gym after a friend’s encouragement. Within six months, I gained 10kg — mostly from muscles. Now I'm no longer regarded as underweight, ha ha.

— Colin Ting Ed: Celebrate your weight gain with this free meal on us.

Dare to bare

I loved the heartfelt interview with Belinda Lee in last week's issue. It revealed another side to her, which readers seldom get to see. Kudos to 8 DAYS for bringing lesserknown celebrities like her back on your cover.

I’m looking forward to more such features of diamonds in the rough.

— The decade long 8 Days fanatic

8days.sg

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8 DAYS

I enjoyed your feature on pandan chiffon cakes in last week’s issue! I agree that it should be Singapore’s national cake; we seem to do it the best! I wonder if Nigella Lawson has tried an authentic pandan chiffon cake from our country? I grew up eating Bengawan Solo’s version, but after reading your article, I decided to try some of your other suggestions. Prima Deli’s bake is indeed not bad. But I loved the one from Cheng’s @ 27!

Gula melaka and pandan are a match made in heaven.

Next, I want to try Mad About Pandan Cake. Although it’s the most expensive pandan chiffon cake I’ve seen, it must be good since Tay Ping Hui and Elvin Ng love it!

— Room for Dessert

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numbers

STORY

WEETEE NEU

No. of litres of beer produced worldwide last year. China was the leading country in churning out booze last year, accounting for more than onefifth of the world’s beer output, with the US and Brazil following closely behind.

14.4 million

No. of barrels of Budweiser, the most popular brand of beer in America, sold last year. That’s a whopping 1,175mil litres of beer. Still, it’s less than one-third the volume sold during the brand’s heyday in 1988. Just how much beer did Gen X-ers use to drink?

67.5% Alcoholic content of the world’s strongest beer, Snake Venom.

In comparison, the average beer contains four to seven per cent of alcohol, while spirits such as vodka have 40 to 60 per cent.

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21%

The volume share the leading beer in Singapore — Tiger Beer — held in 2016, according to a strategic market report. Singapore’s flagship beer was launched in 1932, and is currently sold in over 75 countries.

£312,000 (S$613,000)

How much the world’s most expensive bottle of beer, Allsopp’s Arctic Ale, was sold for in 2007 on eBay. The drink was brewed for explorer Sir Edward Belcher’s arctic expedition in 1852, and the bottle sold was the only fully intact and sealed one known to still exist.

5

No. of beers — plus 10 Euros, half a packet of rolling tobacco and a hot lunch — that an Amsterdam organisation pays alcoholics to clean the city’s streets.

The programme, started by a government-funded group that helps the homeless and addicts, is so popular that there’s now a long waiting list.

40%

How much moderate daily consumption of beer (maximum 14 drinks per week for men and seven for women) can reduce the risk of developing kidney stones by, according to a Finnish study. The drink’s high water content helps flush toxins out of the body, while the compounds used in brewing slow the formation of kidney stones by retaining calcium in the bones.

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soundbites

COMPILED BY

“It’s probably because so many of the women that were assaulted by Harvey Weinstein are famous and white and everybody knows them. This has been going on a long time to black women and other women of colour and it doesn’t get out quite the same.”

— Jane Fonda on why race is the reason the Weinstein scandal is different from the other sexual assault allegations in Hollywood.

JONATHAN FAM

“I guess I got to the point where it was really kind of life or death.

— Selena Gomez on how she had ignored her lupus diagnosis until it was almost too late. The singer recently received a kidney transplant from longtime friend Francia Raísa.

“It took me more than seven years to accept: My daughter is dead."

— Chow Yun Fat’s wife, Jasmine Tan, revealing in an interview that she had given birth to a stillborn daughter in 1991.

“I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man.”

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PHOTOS: TPG NEWS/CLICK PHOTOS

— Kevin Spacey coming out in a tweet after actor Anthony Rapp accused the Oscar-winning actor of attempting to seduce him when Rapp was 14... though we wonder what his sexuality has to do with him being a sexual predator.

A number of sexual allegations have since been made against Spacey, including one by a teenage barman who claimed that the star flashed him when he worked in a hotel bar and then gave him his £5,000 watch to hush him up.

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90 PAGES OF EXCITING STORIES AND FUN ACTIVITIES!

what‘s up with...

David Foster 68 The mega record producer and Asia’s Got Talent judge on K-Pop, President Donald Trump and why Justin Bieber should’ve won a Grammy.

8 DAYS: You’re one of the most prolific music producers in the world, having worked with the likes of Celine Dion, Michael Bublé and Jennifer Lopez. This is also your second tour as an Asia’s Got Talent judge. Does it take a lot to impress you?

DAVID FOSTER: It always takes a lot to impress me. Even when I was in my mid-20s, it took a lot to impress me, which is why I stumbled upon people like Celine Dion. The great thing about Asia’s Got Talent is that it's not just a singing competition. I've had to really broaden my scope in terms of what I like and don't like.

For example, I have learnt about dance and magic. Fortunately, I'm an amateur magician; I’m not that good but I love magic enough to tell the difference between a good magician and a bad one. With the help of Jay and Vanness

The gatekeepers: David Foster with his fellow Asia’s Got Talent judges, Jay park and Anggun.

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BY

WEETEE NEU

PHOTO: TPG NEWS/CLICK

[Wu from Season 1] I've learnt so decides to do a terrible job. The job much about dance, just as Jay has itself is so horrible, so unbelievably learnt a lot about singing through hard. me.

What are your views on Justin How would you describe your Bieber? fellow judges, Anggun and Jay You know, people were flaming Justin Park? for performing ‘Despacito’ live and Anggun is the voice of reason. Of not remembering the lyrics [and the three of us, she’s the mother. replacing them with random words].

She’s also the one who will put her But so what? Come on, he doesn't arms around the contestant and speak Spanish, so give him a break. make him feel good after I’ve made Kudos to him for agreeing to sing a him feel really bad. Jay puts the edge remix version of the song. He's got great taste. in the show. He’s a great dancer and he brings a lot His last album, Purpose, is amazing. I think it should of youth to the show. You have these three diverse have won the Grammy for Best Album. All the tracks judges representing three generations. I in it are awesome. He’s a little off the rails right now, think the contestants are very fortunate to have all that range of experience. No matter what's happening on the stage, there’s always at least one judge who understands exactly what the contestant is doing.

How knowledgeable are you about K-Pop? I was told years ago about K-pop.

I remember sitting on a bench in Beverly Hills and this guy came up to me and said, “This thing called K-Pop is going to be really big and you need to get in on it.” I was like, “Really?

Korea? Come on.” Of course, I was wrong. This was years before ‘Gangnam Style’. K-Pop is great, obviously. It’s a phenomenon in Asia that was introduced to America through trying to deal with all the fame and success [‘Gangnam Style’], and there’s not been One moment in time: that came so fast. At least that's what I Foster with the late another song like that since. Maybe it's think; I don't even really know him. But the Whitney Houston at the a one-hit wonder and K-pop is destined to 1994 Grammys, where kid's got real talent.

The Bodyguard won three only be Asia-centred. But there'll always be Grammys, including Album The soundtrack album of The another song. of the Year and Record of Bodyguard, which you produced, turns You reportedly turned down an offer to the Year for ‘I Will 25 this year. What are your memories Always Love You’. perform at Donald Trump’s presidential of making it? inauguration in January...

As time goes by, I feel more and more privileged Trump was an acquaintance of mine before he to be part of The Bodyguard. We didn’t know we were became president. But I have to say it's hard to believe making history. I remember Whitney [Houston] putting what you see on television. I don’t think we’re getting in long hours of filming every day, then coming into the the whole story on Trump and what he’s trying to studio at 10pm to record the soundtrack. At midnight, accomplish. Everybody forgets that when there’re two she'd collapse from exhaustion. Then she'd be up at people running — in this case, it was Donald Trump six in the morning to film. This went on for a while and versus Hillary Clinton — half the country is going to through it all, her attitude was amazing. hate whoever wins. But I do think that Trump should lay his Twitter game down. I think he wants to do a good Asia’s Got Talent airs Thur, AXN (Singtel TV Ch 304 & StarHub Ch 511), 8.30pm. job. I don't believe he wakes up every morning and PHOTOS

MAIN PHOTO: AXN

8 DAYS | 13

scene & Heard

All The Money In The World

STARRING MARK WAHLBERG, MICHELLE WILLIAMS DIRECTED BY RIDLEY SCOTT

WHY WATCH: Ridley Scott ditches sci-fi for crime! That, and it’s his first-time working with Kevin Spacey.

THE LOWDOWN: The true story of oil magnate J Paul Getty (Kevin Spacey, concealed in tons of prosthetics) who refused to pay the US$17 million ransom to an Italian crime syndicate that kidnapped his 16-yearold grandson in 1973. The victim’s mother

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(Michelle Williams), however, has something else in mind: She teams up with an ex-CIA agent (Mark Wahlberg) to negotiate the boy’s release.

THE BUZZ: Man, oh, man, is there a lot of buzz…and all for the wrong reasons. Not too along ago, Spacey was an awards-season contender for his tour de force performance.

Then came last week’s bombshell: the two-

STORY

DOUG LAS TSENG

time Oscar-winner was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old actor in 1986. He apologised for the incident and came out as gay. But the LGBT community was incensed by his response. Zachary Quinto, for one, called it “a calculated manipulation to deflect attention from the very serious accusation”. At press time, the studio is still proceeding with its world premiere at this week’s AFI Fest and the US release next month. Shortly after the scandal broke, Netflix axed Spacey’s political thriller House of Cards, and the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences withdrew his International Emmy Founders Award. Overnight, Spacey became a pariah, tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. How his PR woes will affect the movie — and his career — remains to be seen.

OPENS: JAN 25

8 DAYS | 15

PHOTOS: SONY PICTURES, GOLDEN VILLAGE

Disappearing act: To transform into the 81-year-old tycoon J Paul Getty, KEVIN SPACEY endured five hours of make-up every day. But the gruelling process was worth it, said Spacey, 58, in an Entertainment Weekly interview. “I would stand in front of the mirror and not see myself.

I saw this man. It was one of the most remarkable experiences that I’ve had as an actor. I can’t even begin to describe what it felt like.”

scene & Heard

Fashion Police:

Singapore Fashion Week 2017 Lighten up: What is brighter than our future?

The sheen on

FELICIA CHIN’s metallic-hued blouse at the Arissa X runway shindig.

FIONA XIE debuted a new bob, CHRISTOPHER LEE wore PJs and ANN KOK slayed in blue at the recent Singapore Fashion Week.

All that Fann-fare: Nobody can rock leather better than FANN WONG, but did

CHRISTOPHER LEE steal his nightgown from her closet?

Sora about your clothes: Is SORA MA dressed for a wedding lunch or the Whole9Yards runway event at Fashion Week?

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Green and bear it:

HAYLEY WOO‘s military getup wouldn’t look out of place on a propaganda poster.

STORY

Y IP JIEY ING

Blue us away: Blue can disagree that ANN KOK looks electrifying in, er, electric blue at the Exhibit x Charles & Keith show?

Bloomin’ beauty:

ROSALYN LEE takes our Garden City reputation seriously in head-to-toe floral Gucci.

Wrap stars: (From left to right) Ch 8 starlet HE YING YING and Ch 5’s The 5 Search finalist

MICHELLE WONG don bodycon dresses so tight at the Jason Wu presentation, they probably can’t even snack on a peanut.

The long and short of it: FIONA XIE is all #hairgoals with her new ‘do, a blonde bob, at the Exhibit x Charles & Keith presentation.

8 DAYS | 17

scene & Heard

e h t f o g n i Wedd

y r u t Song Who needs K-drama when there’s real life happily-everafter? Drones were flown, tears were shed and the media did everything they could to get in on all the action at SONG JOONG KI and SONG HYE KYO’s private-not-so-private wedding.

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Life imitated K-drama when Song Joong Ki, 32, and Song Hye Kyo, 35, tied the knot in a super hushhush ceremony. The Wedding of the Decade (or some say, Century) between the Descendants of the Sun’s stars aimed to be as private and low-key as possible.

In the lead-up to the Songs’ big day, deets were shrouded in secrecy. The couple’s agencies also issued a statement on the four no-nos during the Songs’ wedding: No press con, no photography, no photo wall and no interviews. In fact, a tent had originally been set up to deter the media from taking photos. But after furious protest from the local press, that plan was axed and the wedding saw the light of day, quite literally.

The Songs, who reportedly splashed 70mil won (S$85,700) on the nuptials, had turned down all

STORY

CHERY L ONG

Friends in high places: The ceremony was hosted

by Joong Ki’s longtime friend.

At the after party, another of the groom’s mates, PARK BO GUM, performed on the piano while ZE:A’s HYUNGSIK sang ‘Two People’ on stage.

Musical star OCK JOO HYUN, Hye Kyo’s close pal, sang ‘A Whole New World’, one of the Songs’ favourite tunes.

The couple’s buddies, actors LEE KWANG SOO and YOO AH IN gave speeches. Kwang Soo, who’s known Joong Ki for eight years, ended his speech with: “Hye Kyo noona, my sister-in-law, please take care of my friend Joong Ki.”

A kiss made in K-drama heaven: Except this is real life.

Blooming love: For the wedding, the hotel’s annex courtyard was given a simple and elegant makeover.

sponsorship offers. Only about 300 close friends and family members were invited to the intimate affair. Of course, the private and low-key event was anything but private and low-key.

Fans and the media pulled out all stops to get a glimpse of the alfresco wedding which took place at the traditional annex wing of the swanky Shilla Hotel in Seoul on Oct 31. Some fans were coincidentally in Korea while others had flown there specially for the wedding. Even our very own Carrie Wong waded in on the K-drama-worthy action, IG-storying panoramic footage of the wedding-in-progress from a room that overlooked the Shilla. Fans across the globe joined in the marry-making by trending #SongSongCoupleWedding worldwide. And of course social media was flooded with pics from the wedding, thanks to those lucky enough to score a coveted invite, like one Zhang Ziyi.

Elsewhere, Korean and Chinese news outlets flew drones over the outdoor ceremony and booked rooms at the Shilla so they could snap photos paparazzi-style.

Some Chinese media outlets also live-streamed the wedding. This leave-no-stone-unturned stance to capture the event despite the stars’ media ban has incurred the ire of netizens who railed against the invasion of

8 DAYS | 19

scene & Heard

Old school charm: The interior of Yeong Bin Gwan, a Korean-style banquet annex, where the wedding was held.

Itaewon in a million: The couple’s marital home is this two-storey house with a basement located in the affluent Itaewon district in Seoul. This will make the Songs neighbours with fellow power couple, Rain and Kim Tae Hee. Joong Ki reportedly bought the residence for 10bil won (S$12mil) in January while he was dating Hye Kyo.

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the Songs’ privacy. (Pray tell, are they the same netizens searching for Song-Song couple’s wedding pics and vids online?)

As the Songs allegedly turned down one Chinese media’s offer to purchase the rights to livestream their wedding for 15bil won (S$1.8mil), netizens have also slammed these media outlets for flouting the law and proftiteering from the nuptials. And one of these wrong-doers is apparently Ziyi’s husband, Wang Feng, whose Chinese video site live-streamed the whole event. Netizens watching the live broadcast wrote comments like, “No wonder besides the Songs, the one being filmed the most is Ziyi.” and “I wonder how the Songs will feel if they know about this.” A Chinese pap was also caught sneaking into the ballroom to take pics, and the Songs’ agencies called the cops on him. So drama, right?

PHOTO CREDIT: CARRIE WONG INSTAGRAM

Here, air, everywhere: An aerial shot of the wedding venue.

They go together like black and white: The Songs’ wedding photos shot in San Francisco, California.

A day after the wedding, Ziyi wrote online: “Yesterday, Hye Kyo’s wedding was simple — I didn’t see any beautiful flowers, wedding car, jewellery, sponsors or signs of extravagance. But what I saw was Mr Song’s goodness towards her. The weather was cold and he kept warming Hye Kyo’s hands by rubbing them. When the wind messed up her hair, he helped her neaten it. When reading his vows, he choked on his words a few times.

He’s younger than her by a few years, but his love for her is deep. Hye Kyo got married to love. Everything was so simple, yet it warmed my heart.” Yup, no mention about what her hubby dearest did.

But back to the couple. Now that the wedding is over, and the lovebirds are in Europe for their honeymoon, here’s hoping that it won’t be long before we hear news about any, um, descendants of the Songs.

Power trio: Who knew Zhang Ziyi was close buds with the Songs?

Ziyi had starred alongside the bride in Chinese movies The Grandmaster and The Crossing, and shot a Chinese cosmetic ad with the groom. Other celeb guests spotted at the star-studded shindig included YOO JAE SUK, KIM JONG KOOK, HAHA, CHA TAE HYUN, SO JI SUB and Super Junior’s LEE DONGHAE… and the list goes on. But Ziyi beat them all by being the first to arrive at the venue, an hour before the wedding.

Whatever happened to being fashionably late?

Say Aisle Do: The Songs were both decked in Dior on their big day. Hye Kyo’s wedding band reportedly costs HKD$31,000 (S$5,400) and is from the Bee My Love collection by French luxury jeweller Chaumet. But the real jewel in Mrs Song’s bridal crown was her floral bouquet made of Lily of the Valley flowers, which signifies the return of happiness. Her blooms, flown in specially from overseas, are estimated to cost a whopping HKD$70,000 (S$12,200). That’s more than her wedding ring! Fun fact: The bride tried — and failed — three times to throw the wedding bouquet before she finally handed the flowers to a good friend.

Seoul sweet: Preceremony, Ziyi shared this pic of the couple’s wedding invitation on Weibo. While Ziyi received a special handwritten invite from Hye Kyo, the standard invite included a line that read: “We have finally found the right person after waiting for a long time.” Cue the ‘You Are My Everything’ soundtrack.

8 DAYS | 21

scene & Heard

Come what, Mei? Lin Meijiao and her daughter Chantalle Ng are so tight they not only tell each other every secret, they even share a bed.

It's not often that we hear a 22-year-old come clean about how her favourite bedfellow is her mum. But here we are with Chantalle Ng, who is unabashedly pouring out details of what she tells her mum, veteran Ch 8 actress Lin Meijiao, in the queensized bed they share in their semi-d house every night. “I'd tell her which guy I like, which eye candy I'm checking out,” giggles Chantalle, who’s starring in new Ch 8 coming-of-age drama While We Are Young alongside other second-gen actors like Calvert Tay (son of Hong Huifang and Zheng Geping) and Chen Yi Xin (daughter of Xiang Yun and Edmund Chen).

“We have had heart-to-heart chats daily since I was very young. It’s very precious to me and I don't see why I should sleep in another room now that I'm older.” It’s easy to understand why the mother and daughter share such a strong Gilmore Girlsish bond. After all, Meijiao filed for divorce from former Ch 8 actor Huang Yiliang when Chantalle was just a few months old and single-handedly raised her over the past two decades. The pair officially divorced in 1997 after six years of marriage. But yes, back to the bed.

“I've been telling her to go sleep in her own room as she sleeps much later than I do these days but she refuses!” says Meijiao, 53. “We can’t possibly cling on to each other for so long right? It's not like I won’t get to see her anymore if we don't sleep in the same bed.” (Laughs) “But I'm scared of ghosts!” protests Chantalle. “I want to share the same bed with you for as long as I can, until you die.”

Um, sweet, but also very morbid. Turning to us, Chantalle, who is also a third-year

Africa dreaming: Chantalle with her mum in Johannesburg, South Africa three years ago.

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STORY

Information Systems student at SMU, says: “Anyway, my mum doesn't mean what she says. I know deep inside, she wants to keep me by her side for as long as she can.” Meijiao’s reaction? “Wow, I’m so touched, I feel like crying already!” she beams.

8 DAYS: Despite the 30-year age gap, both of you behave like BFFs who hang out together.

LIN MEIJIAO: I love nature. Since she was young, I’d take her cycling at parks or at the beach. She isn’t very into computers and we only got wifi at home three years ago when she needed it for schoolwork. Personally, I’d rather not have Internet at home ’cos I seldom use it.

CHANTALLE NG: Yeah, I grew up having not heard of the Nintendo Game Boy or Wii. I didn’t even know how to use PowerPoint until I was in university. The way I was brought up didn’t revolve around technology or the Internet. Usually, I’d be chatting with my mum, or playing with my dog. My growing up years were some of the happiest days of my life.

MJ: We travel a lot too. I’ve taken her on road trips to Malaysia, Australia, Taiwan, just to name a few countries. I feel that taking a break from work from time to time is very important. Travelling is great because you need to see some things in real life to really

JOCELY N LEE

PHOTOS

EALBERT HO

experience it.

C: We love Australia so much that we go back every year. We’ve been to Canberra, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. My mum makes it a point for us to travel together once or twice a year. For me, the most memorable trip was going to South Africa. We visited [former Ch 8 actress] Zheng Wanling who lives there with her [diplomat] husband. It was very surreal going to the safaris and seeing the wild animals up close. It was really an eye-opener for me.

We know you guys are very tight but surely there are things that you disagree on?

C: I’m extremely logical, but my mum is more emotional and she empathises with people easily. Sometimes, it can be quite obvious that someone is trying to scam her but she’d choose to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe him. It really frustrates me when that happens and we’d get into disagreements over such things.

Meijiao, let’s talk about what it was like bringing up Chantalle on your own.

MJ: I guess I’m someone who overestimates my own abilities sometimes, but I’ve never felt that being a single mum was difficult. Instead, I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with my only daughter over the

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scene & Heard years. I’ve loved kids since I was young. I used to play with my older sister’s children when I was in my 20s, so I was very happy when my daughter was born. I treated her like my precious doll (smiles).

You filed for divorce when Chantalle was just a baby.

C: Yeah, I think my mum’s a baller. It requires a lot of courage to get a divorce so quickly after giving birth.

MJ: What does baller mean? (laughs) Sometimes, when you no longer have feelings for someone and you can no longer live with the person anymore, it’s very tough to continue the relationship. To me, it’s better to just sever all ties and have a clean break. I think my courage came from my baby. I wanted to protect her and give her a better and healthier environment to grow up in, and that was why I could do it. Of course, it’s unfair to him [Huang Yiliang] if I put it this way, so I don’t really want to talk about the past anymore. It’s something I want to forget and I see it as clearing out rubbish from my life.

How did you explain to Chantalle the situation between you and her dad when she was older?

MJ: We chat in bed every night. After chatting, she would sing for me and tell me stories.

She tells me all about her friends and what she learns in school every day. So, it was very natural for me to tell her all the things she needed to know when she became more sensible.

C: I tell my mum everything. I told her about my boyfriend when I was in poly too. I’m always super excited to come home and tell her about my dates.

MJ: Sometimes I look at the photos of the guys she shows me and I’m like: “Um…” (Laughs) C: Hey, but my taste has improved over the years right? My mum’s opinion really means a lot to me!

MJ: You know what, I think you should get married soon!

(Guffaws) Chantalle, how do you feel when your mum nags at you to settle down?

C: (Chuckles) Sometimes, when I

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8 DAYS

keep asking her for advice on work, she’d nag and say: “Don’t think so much. Go get married.” But for now, my plan is to settle down when I turn 40. I really don’t want to be in a rush to look for somebody. I want to take my time, slowly date for a few years, and be very sure before I settle down.

MJ: It doesn’t bother me when she says she’s going to get married at a later age ’cos human beings are fickleminded! You never know if she will meet her Prince Charming one day and suddenly get hitched. (Laughs) C: Yeah, maybe one day I’ll do a Xu Bin and announce my marriage at 28 (laughs).

How about Meijiao? Have you thought of remarrying now that your daughter is all grown up?

MJ: (Gasp) I don’t think about such things. To me, that’s one more thing to worry and think about and I don’t need that right now. When you accumulate too many things and thoughts, your heart feels heavy. At this stage of my life, I just want to declutter. I don’t need unnecessary burden.

C: I definitely approve of her dating someone else if she meets a good guy. However, judging from her personality, I think it’s totally out of the picture. It’s not something she’s looking for at all. I feel that the chance of her having another partner is close to zero (smiles).

While We Are Young premieres on Mon, Nov 6, 9pm on Ch 8.

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“

H

ey, remember when we were in Seoul last year and you told me you were single?” we say to Xu Bin, at the risk of sounding like a scorned lover, when we enter the lift that would take us to a café in the Mediacorp Campus. [Here’s the abridged backstory: Sometime in May last year, we had spent a few days with Xu Bin in the Korean city where we had travelled to for an event. And on the last night, over card games, soju and makkgeolli, we decided that since we were you know, ahem, friends now, we could get him to come clean about his relationship status.]

We’ve been dying to say that to the Ch 8 star ever since he abruptly announced last month that he was getting married to a woman he had been dating for almost four years (yes, you do the math). But doing it suspended in mid-air… in a steel box… which would offer the actor no means of escape was totally unplanned. We swear.

“It wasn’t easy for me [to not tell people about the relationship] lah,” he guffaws sheepishly, before playfully punching our arm.

You should probably know that as we are having this exchange with Xu Bin, his 27-yearold fiancée Wang Yifei, the same woman he was secretly dating when we had our soju sojourn, the same woman whose existence

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even Xu Bin’s Svengali Dasmond Koh was unaware of until it was too late, the same woman he is getting married to in just four days, is in the same lift and is looking at us, suitably amused.

To anyone out there who still thinks that the whole wedding announcement is a farce: It’s real. She’s real. And yes, they are very much in love. You just didn’t know about it.

Here’s the thing: If you were impressed by how Felicia Chin and Jeffrey Xu managed to keep their relationship a secret for 10 months before finally coming clean about it in this magazine or you had taken your hat off to Jeremy Chan and Jesseca Liu who kept their Langkawi wedding under wraps until the big

day itself… well, those guys have got nothing on Xu Bin, who’s now the GOAT [that’s Greatest Of All Time, for all you non-millennials] when it comes to having a hush-hush relationship.

On October 9, the 28-year-old Ch 8 Duke surprised all when he announced in a 19-second long Instagram video that he was getting hitched. We’ll be the first to admit that we thought it was a joke. It wasn’t ’cos we didn’t believe that Xu Bin was getting married (okay, maybe a little), it was just that the video made it really hard for us to buy it. The clip came across like it was part-sponsored ad for the resort he was holidaying at (hashtagging #ClubMedFinohlu sure didn’t help) and partpromo for a travelogue he was filming. Why else would he be lounging on the edge of an infinity pool, clad in a T-shirt and board shorts and talking directly to the camera?

“I knew a lot of people would think I was joking,” says Xu Bin, who, during our hour-long chat, had random colleagues coming up and congratulating him on his upcoming nuptials.

“But I didn’t feel a need to have to explain ’cos they would eventually know it’s true.” He’s right.

The day after his big IG announcement, he held a press conference at Orchard Hotel (also the

venue of his actual wedding on November 3) where he revealed a video of his wedding shoot in the Maldives and also answered questions, from how he proposed (on former Ch 8 actor Darren Lim’s yacht with the help of actressturned-SQ girl Kimberly Chia) to how many wedding banquets he’s throwing (three — one in Singapore and two in Xu Bin and Yifei’s respective hometowns of Pingtan and Wuhan.

By the time you read this, the couple would have officially become man and wife in front of some 250 guests, including their parents.)

What was missing from the press con though, was the bride. Which is where we come in.

It’s the first time we’re meeting Yifei, who flew in to town about a week ago. They’ve been dating long-distance for two years now — a situation they say caused a lot of heartache (but more on this later). A few days ago, she and Xu Bin celebrated her birthday at Equinox restaurant, and we know ’cos he had posted pics of the occasion on his Instagram. While his IG used to be just a gallery, or should we say, shrine, to his handsome selfies, there are now — aww — pics of Yifei. “I can finally let go,” Xu Bin exhales, the relief in his voice palpable. “I

8 DAYS | 29

have so many photos of her in my phone!” We wonder what’s worse. To not be able to Instagram a pic of your girlfriend or if your boyfriend doesn’t Instagram any of your pics. “I’m used to him not doing it so it didn’t matter [if he never posted my pic],” shrugs Yifei. “But I do post our pics on WeChat. My account is private so only our families and closest friends can see them.”

With her slanting eyes, teardrop-shaped face and mantou-white skin, Yifei reminds us of those classic Chinese beauties you see in paintings hanging from the walls of Chinese restaurants. In contrast, Xu Bin, with his tanned complexion, massive peepers and jet black eyebrows, looks like a manga character. But don’t be fooled by Yifei’s demure appearance. Beneath it, as we would soon find out over the course of our chat, lies a personality so vivacious we can totally see why she’s got Xu Bin absolutely smitten.

They met at a friend’s party when Yifei was studying hotel management at James Cook University in Singapore. “I wanted to learn something ’cos I felt like I had to improve myself. That if I didn’t become an actress, I could do something else,” says Yifei, who’s a graduate of the prestigious Beijing Film Academy. “I’ve no interest in joining showbiz now, though,” she stresses.

The 27-year-old now calls Qingdao home. It’s where she works in a real estate company with her dad. So about those rumours that she’s the daughter of a real estate tycoon… “I don’t know how that came about. All I said [at the press con] was that her dad was in real estate too,” laughs Xu Bin. “You can say that he is one of the shareholders of a real estate company,” clarifies Yifei.

“He’s one of the board members but he is not the chairman of the board lah.”

She was born and raised in Wuhan, the sprawling, bustling capital of Hubei, which Yifei tells us is famed for their spicy and rich, flavourful food. He’s from Pingtan, a small island in the Fujian province, known for its seafood and their lighter, simpler fare that’s easier on the palate. One need only look at the differences between their hometowns and their cuisines to draw a parallel between Yifei and Xu Bin’s personalities.

“I agree that I can be ‘spicy’,” she laughs, before telling us to tone down the parts of our story where she may come across as fierce. It’s here that Xu Bin, who had earlier laughed at how we managed to draw a correlation between food and his wife’s personality (P/S: he agrees with us), suddenly springs into action. “But she can be very gentle too. She takes care of me,” he says.

“Like how she knows I’ve been feeling very tired lately so she went to Eu Yan Sang and bought a bunch of Chinese herbs. She then came home, placed them in front of me and said, “Okay, every night you drink this this this, every morning you drink this this this. That really touched me.”

We ask Yifei if she often finds herself worrying about Xu Bin’s health. After all, he’s alone in Singapore. She glances lovingly at her husband-to-be, smiles, then turns to us and says: “Not at all. He’s almost 30, he can take care of himself (laughs).”

8 DAYS: Let’s go back to the beginning.

Was it love at first sight?

XU BIN: When I met her at that party, I found her very attractive. I felt like I needed to talk to her but she was giving off this very cool vibe.

So what was the first thing you said to her?

XU: Hello?

WANG YIFEI: It was just so guan fang (‘typical small talk’).

XU: Yeah she didn’t seem interested in talking to me.

Why were you like that?

FEI: I’m just not very friendly with strangers.

I keep a safe distance to protect myself. I mean, I’m a girl and at that time, I didn’t know

XU BIN

YIFEI

what this guy really wanted from me (laughs).

Well, he was already famous in Singapore.

FEI: I didn’t know who he was (giggles).

XU: (Pretends that he’s hurt by her statement) Hey… In Singapore, I’m okay one leh.

FEI: But at that time I really didn’t know who you were! I just thought, ‘Oh another guy who wants to hit on me’ (guffaws).

XU: Wow. FEI: No lah… I thought he was very handsome.

Be honest.

FEI: Really, I did! And I did feel a little good inside, like this guy just got to the party and started hitting on me already. But girls must always exercise restraint, we cannot like be, ‘Hi hi hi!” (laughs).

8 DAYS | 31

How long did you check her out for before making your move?

XU: Maybe one or two minutes?

FEI: Really?

XU: I’m the kind where either I do it, or I don’t. I glanced at her a few times before going up to her.

We exchanged contact details, then after that she knew I was an actor.

You Googled him?

FEI: No... He told me. And I was like, “Okay lor” (smiles).

XU: I wanted to hao lian to her that I’m an actor but when I found out that she had graduated from the Beijing Film Academy, I was a bit stunned (laughs). So after that, I changed ‘tactic’ and started to seek her advice on acting. That was my way of getting close to her. I was still quite

XU BIN

YIFEI

a newbie. I think I had only been acting for a year? So I would ask her, “How should I play this character? Or what do you think of this script?”

It was all very professional. And she would reply me with very professional answers. I couldn’t even understand some of the terms she used.

But weren’t you a working actor while she had only studied acting?

XU: Well, I really knew nothing about acting when I started. But for those who graduated from the Beijing Film Academy, they were already acting in productions in school.

FEI: I was actually quite happy to talk to him about acting ’cos I felt like we had something in common. But the main reason I didn’t mind all the questions was ’cos I didn’t dislike him (laughs).

ON XU BIN & YIFEI: OUTFIT AND SHOES FROM BALLY

XU: So in the end it was still my looks that won you over.

FEI: (Rolls her eyes and laughs) We all know about Dasmond’s strict no-dating rule that he enforces on his artistes. So how tough was it to hide your relationship from everyone?

XU: Very. We couldn’t be like a normal couple. We couldn’t go out on dates. We had to ask other friends along. It was tough. Then when she went back to China, it became a long-distance relationship. That meant we didn’t have to hide anymore and so it wasn’t that bad.

You’ve never gone on a date where it’s just the two of you?

XU: We have but only a few times. I mean she’s already in a long distance relationship with me. If I can’t even go out with her alone when she’s in Singapore… that would be too much for anyone.

FEI: But we wouldn’t hold hands or do anything intimate [in public]. It was just like going out with a platonic friend.

8 DAYS | 33

Did you roll your eyes when Xu Bin told you about the no-dating rule?

FEI: No… I’m rebellious by nature. So even if my boss or my parents were to force me to do something, I’d still do my own thing (laughs). You can tell me, but it’s up to me if I want to listen.

Did you resent the situation that Xu Bin put you in?

FEI: No. I was in the performing arts too so I know how this industry works. I know where he’s coming from.

How long did you date before she went back to China?

XU: A little over a year. At that time, she told me that she’s choosing to go back to China because she hopes I would put all my focus on my career. She knew that her being here would affect me.

FEI: I knew I was putting him in a tight spot. I didn’t want him to have to worry about my feelings or wonder what I’m doing when he’s stressed at work. And sometimes, when there are work events or gatherings that he can either go for or choose to stay home to accompany me, he’ll choose to accompany me. And I didn’t think that was right, ’cos going for those things would be good for his career. I didn’t want him to be distracted ’cos of me.

Were you sad to leave Singapore?

FEI: I think a man’s career is more important [than me being sad].

But wouldn’t a long distance relationship be more taxing on everyone?

FEI: But we chat on the phone every night for at least two hours before we sleep.

XU: Basically, every day from 10, 11pm onwards, I’m not free.

FEI: Sometimes we’ll chat till like 1am. We never run out of things to talk about.

XU: But it’s also okay to be silent over the phone. If we don’t talk, I’ll say “Bao bei, you sleeping?”

FEI: And if we sleep, we sleep. We share all the things that happened to us in the day. So even though we’re in a long distance relationship, there’s no distance between us. It really feels like we are right next to each other.

But it’s different from having the person actually next to you.

XU: That’s why I don’t recommend it. If you can avoid being in a long distance relationship, avoid it.

FEI: Yup. There are times we miss each other so much we cry.

XU: There was a lot of crying. Every time I go to China and return to Singapore, there are tears. Same for when she comes here and goes back to China. There’s basically a lot of crying (chuckles).

FEI: All our meetings always end in tears when we part.

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YIFEI

Is that the hardest part of being in a LDR? FEI: Yes. Having to say goodbye after every short reunion. Every time we do that, I’ll say, “This will be the last time we feel this way.” That we have to find a way to end this long distance thing and be together.

But after I calm down, I’ll think, “Okay, I should give him a few more years to work on his career.”

Did you cry too, Xu Bin? FEI: He doesn’t leh.

XU: I do… I just don’t do it in front of her. I know that if I were to cry too, the scene would be uncontrollable. So I do my best to calm her down… then when she walks away, I’ll cry.

Don’t people look and stare? Or gasp, recognise you?

FEI: People stare! Every time at the departure gate, I’ll burst out in tears and the customs officers will look at us (laughs). But nobody really recognises him ’cos he’s always in a cap. And people are too busy with their own things to bother about us.

How often do you visit Singapore?

FEI: Usually for about a week every three, four months? The longest time we’ve spent apart was five months. There was a lot of crying every time we talked on the phone.

XU: I just couldn’t take leave during that period. And I felt very, very sorry.

FEI: I couldn’t take leave too. Sometimes I would lose my temper at him, like “Why am I the one who always has to take leave?” For my company, if we work OT, we get to claim a day off so I would do more OT to accumulate leave. And when I’ve accumulated like a week’s worth [of days off], I will quickly fly here to meet him.

Xu Bin, you mentioned that this situation will end once you guys get hitched.

XU: Yes, she will be with me wherever I go. I will still be acting in Singapore but I’ll also shuttle between here and China.

Then what about Yifei’s job?

FEI: [Xu Bin] will be my priority, let’s put it that way.

He can focus on being Xu Bin ’cos acting is his passion. And I’ll support him as a wife and probably start some business. We’re not worried about finances. I mean, there’ll be an adjustment period but it should be okay after that.

What business are you guys looking at?

FEI: Whatever can make money, we’ll do it (laughs).

But I’m the one responsible for the planning ’cos acting comes first for him. I need to find something that’s not too much hard work but can earn a lot of money (laughs).

So Yifei, do you like Singapore?

FEI: Yeah (laughs sheepishly).

8 DAYS | 35

ON XU BIN & YIFEI: OVERSIZED JACKET FROM JUNNJ

XU BIN

YIFEI

XU: What’s with the reaction?

FEI: ’Cos every time I come to Singapore, my mood is very good.

XU: That’s because I’m here.

FEI: Why did you steal my line? I was going to say it’s because you and Captain (their four-year-old poodle) are here. They’re the things I miss and care most about in the world.

Where do you like to go in Singapore?

FEI: Orchard Road lor.

XU: Shopping. She’s really good at shopping.

FEI: No I’m not…. Please don’t include this (laughs).

Where do you guys paktor then?

FEI: Any place that serves hotpot ’cos I love it. I’ve been to the ones at Bugis, Clarke Quay, Orchard… I think I’ve been to every hotpot place in Singapore. But the last time we had hotpot was a month ago ’cos the wedding is coming and I need to lose weight (laughs).

XU: Don’t talk to her about it already. She is salivating.

Then what do you do when he visits you in China?

XU: Eat and eat. My trips are always very short, like two, three days.

FEI: So whenever he’s over I’ll make sure he gets to eat the things he can’t have in Singapore.

Have you ever wished that you had fallen in love with a guy with a normal job instead of an actor?

FEI: Never. I find that kind of [office] life very boring.

I like different things, I like spontaneity. I don’t like doing the same things every day. I feel that has no meaning.

So why didn’t you pursue acting?

FEI: My parents didn’t like me being in that line.

XU: Her grandparents are university lecturers. Her family, like her mum and dad, are all designers, architects, engineers. Then she went to study at the Beijing Film Academy (sniggers). [Her family] isn’t very receptive to this line of work.

FEI: But the main reason is ’cos I wanted something stable. As an actress, your whole career is about getting picked by other people and a lot of that is based on factors that are out of your control. That’s not for me. I would like to work hard and be able to see the accomplishments I’ve made for myself.

Your parents didn’t like you being an actress and now you’re marrying an actor.

FEI: [Smiles] But he’s a guy.

XU: That’s the difference.

Xu Bin, were you scared when you first met your in-laws?

XU: I was very stressed. Her dad has this very overwhelming and powerful presence about him.

She had arranged for me to pick them up at Changi airport. And when we met, her parents didn’t say a single word. Only hello. The entire 30-minute cab ride

was in complete silence (laughs).

FEI: I didn’t dare talk too ’cos my dad is very scary when he’s angry.

What was he angry about?

FEI: My parents didn’t want me to date an actor. They have this impression that actors are all flirts and not good to girls.

Why would they think that way?

FEI: (Pauses and laughs) It’s ’cos my ex was a performer too and he wasn’t very good to me. But over time they realised that [Xu Bin’s] a good guy. That he’s very caring and that I’m very happy with him. They realised his good points and stopped objecting to our relationship.

XU: But, you know, up till now, I still get a little scared when I chat with him.

So what happened after the airport?

XU: You tell this story.

FEI: We didn’t do anything. (Xu Bin bursts out laughing) After we got to my place, he asked them, “Uncle, auntie, should I take you all out for dinner or lunch tomorrow? Or should we go sightseeing?” To which my dad uttered the only thing he said to Xu Bin the whole trip: “I don’t think that is necessary.”

XU: (Laughs) I was so stunned! I didn’t know what to think at that moment.

FEI: My parents just didn’t want to eat with him. They didn’t even want to meet him or talk to him.

And how did your parents take to Yifei?

XU: Oh, they’re easy. My mum likes her a lot. I took her to meet my parents over one Chinese New Year and after chatting with her, my mum told me, “You should marry her soon.” My mum could tell that she’s very caring, very attentive and that we complement each other.

FEI: My mum-in-law is very good to me. If Xu Bin and I quarrel, she’s always on my side (laughs).

XU: You know, I’ve always felt that my mum’s cooking is okay. But I told her to change it up and make it spicier for Yifei. But what my mum cooked in the end was inedible! (Laughs). She totally wasted her all the effort.

When did you realise that Xu Bin was a guy worth marrying?

FEI: There isn’t a specific example but he’s very attentive and very accepting of my bad temper. I can be wilful and he lets me be wilful. He’s very gentlemanly and he likes animals. When I’m with him I feel very safe, like I know that he’ll be able to take care of me.

We know Xu Bin calls you ‘bao bei’? What do you call him?

FEI: Um, Xu Bin? (Laughs) XU: Now you know the difference?

FEI: I also call him ‘lao gong’ sometimes. I think I started calling him that very early on in our relationship.

8 DAYS | 37

ON XU BIN & YIFEI: BOTH OUTFITS FROM UNIQLO U

WHO HAS SMELLIER BREATH IN THE MORNING? Xu Bin and Yifei take our who’s who quiz.

XU BIN

YIFEI

Who has smellier breath in the morning?

FEI: (Points at Xu Bin) No question. It’s definitely him. Sometimes at night he doesn’t brush his teeth before bed.

XU: (Laughs in embarrassment) Why are you asking such a question!

Who gets drunk more easily?

XU: Me ’cos I’m a little allergic to alcohol.

One glass and my body will turn red.

FEI: I can hold my drink a little better.

XU: Just a little. So both of us cannot drink.

Who’s more picky with food?

XU: She is. I eat everything and anything that’s nice. For her, she doesn’t eat vegetables, or if the dish is too plain, she wouldn’t like it. She likes spicy, flavourful food.

FEI: I like Sichuan cuisine.

XU: So when we go out, I just eat what she wants to eat. At the beginning, I didn’t like spicy food but I’ve been trained by her and now I don’t like anything that isn’t spicy.

Who’s the neater one?

FEI: I am. I nag at him all the time. Like, “Can you don’t throw your clothes around?

Can you make the bed? Can you put this thing back in its original place after using it? Don’t leave the caps of your beauty products lying around after you use them…”

XU: She’ll nag at me.

Who has a shorter fuse?

XU: (Points at her) FEI: (Laughs) I admit [to this]. [I get angry] over a lot of things. Nothing in particular. If it makes me angry, I’ll get angry.

XU: (Nods) So who always apologises first?

XU:: (Raises his hand) I think guys should always give in to girls.

FEI: He’s very gentlemanly. (Xu Bin reaches over to give her a hug) Is this why you fell for him?

XU: It’s one of the many reasons.

FEI: Hey, this should be answered by me!

(Laughs) It is one of his many, many good qualities.

XU: My mum tells me all the time: “You’re a guy so your wife should always be your priority. You shouldn’t fight with her no matter what.”

FEI: (Smiles) My mum-in-law is very, very good to me.

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Victoria & Abdul

(PG)

STARRING Judi Dench, Ali Fazal DIRECTED BY Stephen Frears

The last time Judi Dench played Queen Victoria on the big screen was in 1997’s Mrs Brown, which is about the monarch’s scandalous association with her servant John Brown. Here, the wonderful Dench is back as Victoria in a quasi-sequel to Mrs Brown, this time about yet another — and lesser known — friendship with Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), a lowly Indian Muslim clerk who charmed his way to be the Queen’s ‘Munshi’ (or teacher) and confidant.

Sadly, Victoria’s curiosity and appreciation of foreign cultures aren’t shared by her inner circle (mainly, Eddie Izzard’s Bertie, the future King Edward VII). The latter’s

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racist snubs and Islamophobia will inevitably draw comparisons to the current political climate.

The handsome biopic is, for the most part, lighthearted and steers clear of the more dubious side of Abdul’s activities (guess you’ll have to read Shrabani Basu’s 2010 biography, from which the movie is adapted, to fill in the blanks — like how did Abdul contract a STD?) Still, it doesn’t change the movie’s call for openness and tolerance, something the world can use more of right now.

RATING

BY

DOUG LAS TSENG

Ah Boys To Men 4 (PG13) Starring Joshua Tan, Maxi Lim, Tosh Zhang, Wang Weiliang Directed by Jack Neo

Lo and behold, I give you the scariest four words in the English language: A Jack Neo Movie. Then again, depending on which side of the bed you got up from this morning, it may not be a bad thing at all. The latest chapter in the franchise (which has made more than $20 million so far) sees the Ah Boys posse back for another round of military tomfoolery, this time as reservists undergoing their two-week in-camp training at an armoured unit — wait, weren’t they from the Naval Diving Unit? — under a female platoon commander (Hongkong actress Apple Chan). If you know your Jack Neo movies, you pretty much know what to expect from Ah Boys to Men 4: It’s patchy, preachy, and

packed with product placements.

The not-so-subtle advertising is so pervasive that you should play a drinking game — take a sip of

[insert your preferred soft drink] whenever you spot a brand dangled in front of your face. Hope you have a large bladder. Have fun.

Suburbicon (NC16) A Ghost Story (PG13)

Starring Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara | Directed by David Lowery

Casey Affleck plays a dead musician who’s trapped in limbo on Earth and continues to loiter around his old home as a bedsheet ghost. He does nothing but watch the every move of his widow (Rooney Mara), including a five-minute (yes, five minutes) shot of her eating a pie, a sequence that’s both mundane and mesmerising. A Ghost Story is boring, baffling and beguiling in equal measure. It isn’t scary, at least not in the traditional sense, but it’ll still keep you up at night with intriguing existential questions about life, death and the afterlife.

Exclusive at The Projector.

Starring Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Oscar Isaac | Directed by George Clooney

The title refers to a fictional 1950s suburban white American town, where Matt Damon’s salaryman father is a victim of a home invasion. But this isn’t a random crime — there’s a larger conspiracy at work. George Clooney’s latest directorial effort — based on an old Coen Brothers script written in the 1990s — is a strangely inert comedy thriller (think Fargo meets A Serious Man). Blame it on Clooney’s ambition: He also wants to make a commentary about race relations (the residents are against a black family moving in). He should’ve just stuck to one story because the mash-up doesn’t really gel.

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MOVIES CHECKING IN WITH:

LAURA VANDERVOORT The one-time Supergirl on becoming the Jigsaw Killer’s latest victim in Jigsaw.

PHOTO: ROBERT SEBREE

iconic Jigsaw Killer. “He’s such a professional,” says Vandervoort of her first meeting with Bell.

“He really cares about his legendary character and the fans. Tobin truly thinks through every beat, every moment. He’s such a talented, kind and thoughtful actor. It was an honour to work with him.”

Canadian actress Laura Vandervoort is no stranger to franchises. Way before Melissa Benoist donned the red and blue suit to play Kara Zor-El on Supergirl, some folks may have associated the Kryptonian babe with Vandervoort, who played Superman’s cousin in three seasons of Smallville.

And now, Vandervoort — whose other credits include the remake of the alien-invasion drama V, the werewolf saga Bitten and Seth MacFarlane’s Ted — is part of the twisted universe of Saw. In Jigsaw, the gruesome eighth chapter of the booby-trap-laden series, she plays one of the victims of Tobin Bell’s

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8 DAYS: How did you get involved in Jigsaw?

LAURA VANDERVOORT: I am a fan of the Saw franchise, or rather, horror and psychological thrillers in general. I got a phone call that the directors of Jigsaw, Michael and Peter Spierig, wanted to meet with me. Before that, I was already a fan of their previous work [the loopy time-travel thriller Predestination]. So we had a quick meeting, we got along rather well, and I got the job.

In Jigsaw, your character wakes up with a bucket on her head and is chained to a wall lined with buzz saws.

She’s then trapped in a silo where sharp objects are dropped on her. It's intense to watch those scenes. Was it just as intense to film them?

While you are shooting them, you have so many crew members and actors around, and you have to stop between takes to reset and start over again, so it was definitely not as terrifying as watching those sequences with the music and sound effects added in. I’m slightly claustrophobic, so being in the silo was a little more terrifying for me than the other set-pieces. But overall, it was just so much fun to be a part of it. It was emotionally and physically draining every day, but in the best possible way.

What sets The Jigsaw Killer apart from the likes of Michael Meyers and Freddy Krueger is that he’s more of a vigilante, like Dexter Morgan. His victims are people who’ve done bad things. Do you approve of his methods?

I don’t want to agree or disagree with him. I think it’s

BY

DOUG LAS TSENG

WHAT ELSE TO WATCH Alone

quite a big subject. I think he’s like Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. There’s a heart behind the reasoning for it, and to some people it might make sense. He’s making these traps to have the victims confess to their sins and see what they’ve done wrong, and he thinks that he’s helping humanity or righting wrongs within the world. I can’t necessarily, for myself, say whether or not he should be doing it that way (laughs).

You have blonde hair, but you are a brunette in the movie. Was that a personal or artistic decision?

It was both. The directors asked if I’d be willing to change my hair colour, and, of course I said yes, because I was already looking for a change. I think a lot of actors always want to change their image, and if it best suits the character they’re playing, then that’s even more reason.

Is there a particular image you are walking away from by changing your hair colour?

You don’t want to be pigeonholed as one kind of actor with one look or one character. Sometimes you change things in order to play other roles, so I wasn’t necessarily walking away from the way fans of Smallville or Bitten have seen me. It was more of an evolution. Mentally, it also helps get me into a different mindset — it’s easier to play a character who’s done some bad things when you physically feel different.

You played Supergirl on Smallville for a few seasons.

Then on Supergirl, you were the villain, Indigo. Helen Slater is on that show too. Did the three Supergirls ever take a photo together?

Unfortunately not! Helen Slater was on Smallville as my aunt, and we got to do quite a few scenes together, and she was incredible and lovely. But when I was on Supergirl as Indigo, I actually didn't see Helen while I was on the set. We didn’t have any scenes together. I just worked with Melissa Benoist. It would’ve been great if the three of us had taken a picture together, but the scheduling didn’t work out for us.

Back to Burgundy

The Odyssey

French Film Festival 2017

Not of this world: Vandervoort as Supergirl (with Tom Welling, left) on Smallville; as Indigo (with Melissa Benoist, below) on Supergirl.

OCT 27-29

OCT 26-29

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Jigsaw (M18) is in cinemas now. Supergirl is on Warner TV (Singtel TV Ch 306 & StarHub Ch 515) as well as Netflix and HOOQ

Thor: Ragnarok Happy Death Day Geostorm Chasing the Dragon Flatliners American Assassin The Foreigner Blade Runner 2049 Kingsman: The Golden Circle Only the Brave

1 2

Jigsaw

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Geostorm

Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween Happy Death Day Blade Runner 2049 Thank You for Your Service Only the Brave The Foreigner Suburbicon It 8 DAYS | 43

SOURCE: CINEMATOGRAPH FILM EXHIBITORS ASSOCIATION

Starting on Nov 9, the 11-day event features 16 movies, escusez-moi, films, including the sci-fi thriller Alone (Seuls) by David Moreau (who did the Hollywood remake of The Eye), the wine business dramedy Back to Burgundy (Ce Qui Nous Lie), and The Odyssey (L’Odyssee), the biopic of ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, starring Lambert Wilson and Audrey Tautou. Visit frenchfilmfestival.sg for tix and info.

DAD’S THE WAY Search: Progressive Group Session

We fight it all through our youth, but eventually, we all end up becoming some version of our parents. This insurance ad shows adult men and women sharing stories of their Dad-specific ‘parentamorphosis’, like texting in full sentences, calling all children “chief” and other dreadful Dad-isms. We could think of worse things. Like, becoming our mothers.

PURRFECT PLAN

Search: Cats - Whiskas K.I.T. This ad for cat food may prove cat owners right once and for all. It seems cats really are geniuses and graduates of the Kat Institute of Technology (K.I.T), the most elite feline institution in the world. So if you want to derail your cat’s plans for world-domination, change its feed.

GETTING SMASHED

Search: Hornbach ‘We never said it was easy.’

This hardware ad takes the phrase “smashing clichés” literally. It opens with a woman heaving a sledgehammer to decimate sculptures representing expectations society has of women, like a female Atlas carrying a roast chicken on her shoulders and a many-armed Kali in sunglasses and a swanky dress. Way to hammer the point home.

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STORY

CHERY L ONG , WEETEE NEU & KI’ERN TAN

SCARE AND SHARE

Search: Sacred Riana Asia’s Got Talent

WHO WHAT WEB?

This Indonesian contestant sure knows how to sell an act in her unique — and somewhat disturbing — performance on Asia’s Got Talent. We won’t spoil it for you, but her combination of horror and magic on stage managed to “scare the hell out of” the three judges and audience. Mega music producer David Foster was even “at a loss for words”. Kudos to the girl for remaining in character the whole time, even during the judges’ critiques. Now can we just go hide under our blankie already?

Search: 50 Cent As Black Spider-man

What if Spider-Man was black? When a woman realises that the superhero who saved her from a robbery attempt is “not what she expected”, her conversation with Spidey (played by rapper 50 Cent) turns into a humorous look at political correctness and racial profiling. We can’t wait for sequels. What if Captain America was Asian?

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

http://lar5.com/ikea Here’s food for thought the next time you head to Ikea to pick up Billy or Felicia. This Ikea dictionary lists over 1,300 products from the furniture giant, and cracks the codes behind those mystifying monikers. Turns out there’s no method to its dubbing madness. Products are named after Swedish people, places, and well, everything else weird and wacky in between. Good luck figuring out why a trash can is named “giggle”, a storage box is called “monkey” or why a lint roller is labelled as “best friend”.

ENTER THE UPSIDE DOWN

http://evenstranger.pw/ This site creates a Stranger Things poster out of your photos, and adds a unique caption to it. Time to create your personalised memorabilia from the hit Netflix series.

Beware: it gets a little Upside Down sometimes, and your photos and the accompanying captions may turn out to be lamer, funnier or scarier than what you expect.

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play | plug | read

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KI’ERN TAN

Moia

Price: US$199 (S$271) This mini aquatic robot works like a Roomba for fish tanks. The tiny app-controlled sucker drags itself around your aquarium to keep algae at bay. It can be programmed to clean on a schedule, but the best part? While it’s cleaning, it also live-streams 1080P HD videos of your underwater pets. From moaidevices.com.

BE. TOOTHBRUSH Price: US$49 (S$66)

This is a battery-free (read: eco-friendly) electric toothbrush that uses kinetic energy. With two full twists of the dial, it releases enough juice for over 80,000 brush strokes, lasting two minutes. To reuse, just twist again. It also has a smart pressure sensor to prevent you from over-brushing.

From kickstarter.com.

CAR WIRELESS CHARGING PAD Price: US$60 (S$82)

Charge your smartphone while sitting in traffic with this wireless charging pad. It attaches to the car’s air vent and holds your phone in place while it charges. It also has a 360-degree rotatable head so that you can angle for the best position. From gadgetshopping.co.

APP OF THE WEEK THE WITNESS Price: $14.98

A mobile version (iOS and Android) of the PS4 game, this is a must-have for open-world puzzle fans.

Players wake up on a strange island with no memory of who they are or how they got there. Their only hope of returning home is by discovering clues and completing puzzles. It’s a pricey app, but with over 500 puzzles to solve and a gorgeous open-world to explore, it’s a lot of bang for your buck.

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C R

C R AV E

A

48 Eat 58 Shop 60 The Feelgood Page 62 What They Never Taught You In School 64 Money 72 Shirtless Guy of the Week 73 First Person 74 My Word 75 Horoscope 78 Get Out

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p66

eat WOLFGANG ZWIENER

This Man

nearly opened a steakhouse with Donald Trump Seventy-eight-year-old WOLFGANG ZWIENER, the former waiter-turned-bossman of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, says Robert De Niro once borrowed money from him to pay for his meal, and that he nearly went into business with The Donald.

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Men like Wolfgang Zwiener (pronounced Zwee-ner) are a rare breed these days. On the sweltering afternoon we meet him, the jovial German-born, New York-based owner of upscale New York steakhouse chain Wolfgang’s Steakhouse by Wolfgang Zwiener is wearing a tastefully tailored suit with matching tie and pocket square, unperturbed by the heat, a Masonic signet ring perched on his finger. The 78-year-old exudes the kind of old-world glamour that could only come from rubbing shoulders with the world’s richest and most famous — and for four decades he did just that, as the head waiter at New York culinary institution and celeb haunt Peter Luger Steakhouse in Brooklyn, where he regularly served household names like Elizabeth Taylor and Alfred Hitchcock.

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Y IP JIEY ING

MAIN P HOTO

KELVIN CHIA

Back in the day: Young Wolfgang as a waiter at Peter Luger.

Let’s meat: USDA Prime Grade Black Angus beef is dry-aged for 28 days in a temperature and humidity-controlled room at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Singapore.

Yep, Wolfgang is a self-made man who worked his way up to his current position, put his two sons (both in their fifties now) through top American universities, and is now enjoying life as a towkay. He opened his first Singapore outlet at the new InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay hotel a month ago, in partnership with a Japanese businessman.

To think the last time he came here, it was 1959 and he was a steward on a ship working for a shipping company. “It was completely different back then — there were no skyscrapers,” he recalls in a thick German accent. “I was very young, about 20. I was here for four months.” Since then, he pretty much hasn’t stopped working, except for that brief moment in 2004 when he considered retiring from his head waiter

job at Peter Luger. “I worked long hours and made good money. I always worked late at night ’cos you get $4 an hour working during lunch service, but $8 an hour if you worked dinners,” he says. That same year, his son Peter, a former banker, convinced him to open their own steakhouse, using Wolfgang’s vast experience and contacts in the steak world. “Being your own boss is much better. You can do what you want!” Wolfgang guffaws, adding that he doesn't plan to retire soon.

He admits that the family who owns Peter Luger was “very, very upset” when their head waiter ventured out on his own. They have not been in touch since, and Wolfgang’s former bosses never dined at his establishments. According to his son and Wolfgang’s wife Elena, who are also present at this interview, Wolfgang is the “face” of his restaurant empire now. And that also means jetting around to their 18

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eat only take cash.” So I paid the bill for him first and he sent me a cheque later on. After that, he’d always ask for me when he returned. When we opened our [own Wolfgang’s] restaurant in Tribeca [in New York], he dropped by.

Tell us about your other regular guest, President Donald Trump.

PETER ZWIENER: (Interjects) He came with his family to Wolfgang’s in New York the week before the election, but since he was elected, he only orders Steak out: takeout. He takes his steak Wolfgang’s medium-well done. And he never drinks alcohol, dry-aged ribonly Diet Coke. eye steak.

WOLFGANG: Some people just can’t eat steak restaurants worldwide and mingling with their that is not well-done. It’s a preference. He always famous guests. Some, like Robert De Niro and orders a shrimp cocktail, too. They have a limousine for President Donald Trump, have followed Wolfgang from the whole family.

Peter Luger’s to his own restaurants. “I enjoyed my job PETER: Once, we were in talks with Donald Trump to back then as a head waiter,” shares Wolfgang. “That’s open restaurants in Las Vegas and Chicago, and we why I still go down to my restaurant in New York every flew with him in his plane to those cities [to check night and talk to the people at every table. You have to things out]. We ended up not signing a deal, but we love people [to be a waiter], and make them happy and know the family very well. feel at home so they will come back again. You cannot Any other notable stars who’ve dined at learn this. You have to be born with it.”

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse?

PETER: Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Leonardo 8 DAYS: Who are some of your most loyal DiCaprio, who always comes in a baseball cap and celebrity customers? shorts, the Kardashians, Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyoncé WOLFGANG ZWIENER: I’ve known Robert De Niro and Jay-Z. Once, David and Victoria Beckham came for a long time. Once, at Peter Luger’s, he asked for the and asked to eat in a private room. The super famous bill and took out his credit card, but I said, “Sorry, we people usually ask to enter through the back door. Before famous politicians visit, their security personnel drops by three days prior to the meal and do a sweep of the restaurant.

Has Harvey Weinstein dined at your restaurants?

PETER: (Guffaws) Let’s not go there! He threw a few after-parties for his movies at our private room in the Beverly Hills branch. There were always a lot of people.

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse was previously sued by celeb chef Wolfgang Puck in the US for having a similar restaurant name. Now you’re in Singapore, where there’s a Cut WOLFGANG AND HIS SON PETER ZWIENER

by Wolfgang Puck steakhouse

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Celeb Diners Just a few of the famous folks who've dined at Wolfgang's Steakhouse in the States.

PRIME TH JAPANESE WOLFGANG WI O ABE INZ SH R TE NIS MI

at Marina Bay Sands. Is this town big enough for two Wolfgangs?

WOLFGANG: Oh, we’re completely different. People always ask me, “Are you Wolfgang Puck?” And I say, “No. Wolfgang Puck makes pizza, I make good steak.”

PETER: I was the one fighting that lawsuit twice and both times [Wolfgang Puck] lost. We specialise in steaks, Puck is more a celebrity chef type of WOLFGANG WITH (FIRST AND THIRD FROM LEFT) SINGER LENNY KRAVITZ restaurant chain. When we AND ACTOR DENZEL WASHINGTON opened the first Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in New York in 2004, he tried to stop us but he lost that lawsuit.

Then in 2008 we opened in Beverly Hills and he was actually very friendly to us at first. But the day before we opened, he tried to make us not open, and the battle started again. We came to a settlement that we could call our restaurants Wolfgang’s Steakhouse

by Wolfgang Zwiener. There were no issues when we were opening in Singapore. We respect each other and everyone’s happy!

See p54 for our undercover review of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse.

WOLFGANG AND ACTOR ROBERT DE NIRO

WOLFGANG WITH TH TONIGHT SH E OW HOST JIMM Y FALLON

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eat

UNDERCOVER RESTAURANT REVIEW

A slice of

NewinYork Singapore WOLFGANG’S STEAKHOUSE at the new Intercontinental Singapore Robertson Quay offers an authentic NYC steakhouse dining experience.

But be prepared to leave with a much emptier wallet and smelling of beef fat.

We’ve been to the iconic Peter Luger’s in New York’s Brooklyn and we’ve peered into its rival restaurant Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in Manhattan countless times. So we’ve formed certain expectations of the newly opened branch of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse at the Intercontinental Singapore Robertson Quay. We’re thinking magnificently aged and marbled steaks and if we’re lucky, warm service from knowledgeable staff.

But first, a bit about Wolfgang’s backstory. The steakhouse was founded by 78-year-old Wolfgang Zwiener (see previous page), who worked his way up to head waiter over 40 years at Peter Luger, New York’s most celebrated steakhouse. When he began thinking about retiring, his son Peter and two other waiters

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from Peter Luger persuaded him to open his own steakhouse.

In 2004, they opened the first Wolfgang’s Steakhouse along Park Avenue, a more upscale answer to the expensive but grittier Peter Luger, with a larger menu that includes dishes like crab cakes. It was an instant hit, and the restaurant has spawned 18 branches worldwide, including Tokyo, Seoul, and now Singapore.

While the prices are on par with other posh steakhouses in Singapore like Morton’s and Cut by Wolfgang Puck, Wolfgang’s has a distinctly old-school New York feel to it: the portions are hearty, the garnish on plates limited to a couple of mesclun leaves.

It’s main selling point is that it boasts its own dry-

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ANNETTE TAN

ageing room, which holds up to 8,000 kilos of beef, all USDA Prime Black Angus, aged for 28 days. Dry-ageing allows the beef to develop deeper flavours and become extremely tender as the meat loses moisture and its fibre and protein strands break down during the process.

THE LOOK AND VIBE: Quintessential New York steakhouse, with polished wood-panelled floors and leather-trimmed chairs. Glass walls give the 150-seat dining room a contemporary lightness, while the smart, efficient servers work the floor in classic steakhouse uniforms finished with bowties and apron skirts.

THE FOOD: There are just two of us, so our server recommends the restaurant’s signature Porterhouse Steak For Two ($185; about 700g bone-in). From the list of sides, we order the Creamed Spinach ($15).

Our steak comes sizzling on a heated plate and spits oil all over as our server spoons the hot grease over the meat at the table (tip: if wearing white, stand clear of the meat at this stage). The platter is set down at an angle so the grease pools at the lower end.

The USDA Prime Black Angus is lovely. Cooked to a blushing medium-rare, it buckles easily to the knife, is seasoned boldly, and has a warm, minerally flavour. It could do with a thicker char on the only lightly browned surface, though. The upside of ordering a Porterhouse is you get two cuts of meat at once: the tenderloin and striploin on either side of a T-shaped bone. The sweet tenderloin is smooth, lean and buttery-soft, while the strip has a more textured grain and deeper beef flavour. As the meat cools, the gaminess from its 28 days of dry ageing becomes more pronounced. We like

the slight funk; our dining companion… not so much.

We unanimously dislike that the meat starts to taste increasingly greasy as it cools. By the time we’ve eaten three-quarters of it, we feel overwhelmed by the fat and swear our arteries are closing in. If only they served hot Chinese tea to wash down all that fat. Still, it is better than the steak we’ve had at Peter Luger.

As for the creamed spinach, it wasn’t so much creamy as it was strangely starchy. Our server also recommends the German Potatoes ($22). We tell him we want crisp, crunchy spuds. He says he’ll tell the kitchen to make the German potatoes extra crispy. The thickly sliced spuds and onions fried in butter are anything but crisp when they arrive. But they are tasty enough and soft to the bite.

Turns out the best thing at dinner is Wolfgang’s Crab Cake ($38), an umami mound of fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, wellseasoned and with a light sear around its surface. The $38 price tag for this pleasure however, is steep for a 7cm-diameter disc.

PORTERHOUSE STEAK FOR TWO

CRAB CAKE

VERDICT: The food here is a little rougher around the edges than the plates at a typical sleek steak joint in Singapore. But it’s tasty enough and the closest you’ll get to what’s offered at a traditional old-school New York steakhouse. Just be prepared to blow some serious cash here. #02-01 INTERCONTINENTAL SINGAPORE ROBERTSON QUAY, 1 NANSON RD, S238909. TEL: 6887-5885.

Open daily 11.30am-11.30pm. Last orders at 11.30pm. www. wolfgangsteakhouse.sg

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new restaurants

Willin Low is opening

two

And one of them is in Japan.

1

First up, a French diner

But he won’t be cooking in it — instead, Willin is a partner at the upcoming modern Frenchthemed Restaurant Lerouy (say ‘Lehwi’). It opens mid November, and will be helmed

by French chef-owner Christophe Lerouy, who has worked under the famed Alain Ducasse at three Michelin-star Restaurant Louis Oui! Chef XV in Monte Carlo.

Christophe (left) with his Christophe most Restaurant Lerouy recently cooked kitchen team. at the FrenchJapanese Omakase restaurant Dstllry and one Michelin-star Alma by Juan Amador in Singapore. “I love every aspect of the restaurant business and since I’m a fan of chef Lerouy’s food, I don’t want to interfere with it and in this case, am happy to concentrate on the design of the restaurant [instead of cooking],” RICE WITH SQUID INK L AND PIMENTO SMOKED EE

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says Willin. Lerouy will be located in the CBD offering mod French dishes like Pan-Fried Foie Gras with Crab Leg, Apple Vinegar and Goat’s Cheese, plus Squid Ink Rice with Smoked Eel And Pimento. Expect to pay from $38 for three courses and from $98 for a five-course dinner.

Opens mid Nov at 3 Stanley St, S068722 Tel 6221-3639.

2

Next, an eatery in Hokkaido

Avid snowSingapore’s boarder: Chef godfather of mod Willin hitting Sin cuisine will be the slopes at making his mark in Niseko. the skiing paradise of Niseko in Hokkaido. “My Wild Rocket restaurant landlord owns a ski resort there.

They’re opening a condominiumhotel called The Maples. And when we were offered a beautiful space [for a restaurant] perched on the edge of the snowy ski slopes…I couldn’t say no,” explains Willin, 44, who adds that he loves snowboarding and is a regular at Niseko.

The restaurant that's yet to be

eat named will serve “casual Mod Sin” grub, with a few Japanese flourishes and made with seasonal Japanese ingredients. There will be dishes like a Bak Kut Teh Ramen, prepared by a Japanese chef, while Willin will cook there occasionally. It is set to open in November 2018.

3

He's also jazzing things up at Relish

Jazz @ Relish, held at Willin’s burger-centric eatery Relish by Wild Rocket, offers a fab deal for jazz fiends. For a minimum spend of $30

per head on food and drinks, customers can enjoy the sweet sounds of Singapore’s King of Swing, Jeremy Monteiro, and his band during dinner every Friday, till end December. What to eat?

Try Willin’s fave Mushroom Cheeseburger ($19.60) or Seafood Burger ($21.80), featuring a golden-brown BURGER chopped octopus, prawn SEAFOOD and fish patty served with lemon mayo.

Wash it down with a Manhattan ($20) cocktail, made with Bourbon whisky, sweet vermouth and an orange twist.

Jazz @ Relish is on every Fri, 8.30pm to midnight, till 29 Dec. #02-01 Cluny Court, 501 Bukit Timah Rd, S259760. Call 67631547 to book.

hack

Hokkien mee There’s usually up to an hour’s wait for a plate of gloriously greasy noodles at NAM SING HOKKIEN FRIED MEE. Here’s how you can skip the queue.

Popular Old Airport Road Food Centre hawker stall Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee usually boasts a queue that is at least an hour long during peak meal times. It is, after all, a hot fave among foodies who swear by the friendly stall uncles’ (the biz is manned by three brothers) dryer but still flavourful version of Hokkien Mee (from $5 a plate).

Each mouthful of gently moist bee hoon and noodles is infused with an umami prawn and ikan bilis stock. The copious bits of wok hei-kissed fluffy fried egg, sotong and springy prawns add even more oomph to the dish. For those who long to get their paws on a plate but dread the idea of queueing, here is a pro tip: call up the hawkers before the stall opens at 10am to order your grub in advance. Caveat: this is for takeaway orders only, but you get to swing by the stall at your choice of pick-up time, grab your piping hot packets of mee and be on your merry way ASAP. If you prefer your Hokkien mee plated, you’d still have to wait for it the old-fashioned way. We say the tapow-ed noodles are just as tasty, and saves precious

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time — you could always look for a seat, tear open your packet and dig in onsite, if you wish. This stall’s dish is one of the nominees in our inaugural Eat Dirty Food Awards’ Hokkien Mee category. See who else made it to the Top Four at: www.8days.sg/eatdirty. #01-32 Blk 51 Old Airport Rd, 0S390051. Tel: 6440-5340.

Open daily 10am till sold out. Visit www.8days.sg/eatdirty to see which are our fave Hokkien mee stalls in Singapore.

— YIP JIEYING

FEAST 1-FOR-1 DINING OFFERS

Wine & Chef

Citrus by the pool

Keong Saik Road

Moc Quan UE Square

Tocha Bistro Lavender

Woodlands

Alchemist Beer Lab Beach Road

Tuk Wan Kitchen

Upper Thompson Road

Brine

North Bridge Road

Absolute Thai

Marina Bay Link Mall

With Feast, you can now savour mouth-watering 1-for-1 dining treats islandwide!

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shop

Let’s get

personal SELECT PHOTOS: ROBINSONS

Could ditching your gal pals for retail therapy with a personal shopper help up your style game? We set three challenges for a personal shopper at Robinsons to find out.

The personal shopper: Ysabel Tao (above), 35, Robinsons personal shopper. The service is complimentary — with no obligations to spend. Just book an appointment, fill up an online questionnaire about your personal style and requests, and all that's left to do is to turn up. You get whisked away into a cosy, elegant space tucked away on the third level of Robinsons The Heeren — it looks and feels like you're in Kim Kardashian's living room. Try on the array of togs pre-selected by the personal shopper that’s tailored to your requests; or head outside together for more choices.

The challenge: For Ysabel to pull together three outfits from the plethora of latest arrivals: One that’s up-to-date with current trends, an ensemble for a special occasion, and a get-up to prove that black is not boring.

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OUTFIT #1: For the trendsetter Jigsaw turtleneck top, price unavailable; Whistles satin pleated skirt, $289; E8 by Miista Poppy mules (bordo embroidery), $179 Pro tip! It’s all about a pop of colour this Autumn/Winter. “The top stands out [even more] with this skirt. Greenery [motifs] are very big this year. Paired with these printed mules with fur pom poms, it’s a very cute look," says Ysabel. Now you know how to stand out from the crowd.

STORY

OUTFIT #2:

JASMINE TEO

OUTFIT PHOTOS

KELVIN CHIA

Observations Of A Personal Shopper

For the special occasion

Ysabel on what you’re doing wrong to hide your flaws.

Three Floor dress, $610; Senso Ophelia ebony heels, $239 Pro tip! “Feathers are huge this season. This look is fun and flirty at the same time.”

But don’t go overboard with too many details, Ysabel cautions.

Tone things down with a simpler pair of shoes.

#

1

The most common style mistake? The wrong fit.

“People usually wear clothes that are too loose when they want to hide areas of concern, not knowing that it actually makes them look bigger. Usually, for women, the area of concern is the bottom.”

#

not always black and 2 It’s wide.

“A general rule of thumb is to go for smaller prints at the area that you want to tone down or where you want to look narrower. Never go for big prints at an area that’s wider. If you have wider hips, go for darker colours at the bottom.

You can even explore stripes, but go for thinner stripes at the hips.”

OUTFIT #3:

For the black parade

Samsøe & Samsøe sheer top, $349; Tara Jarmon skirt, $469; Mellow Yellow Calinougare loafers, $159 Pro tip! “For all-black outfits, play with details to make it interesting and different, so that it’s not just one solid colour throughout. This combination is classic and fashionable at the same time. There are a lot of details, like the [cut of the] sleeves and the see-through leopard print. Plus, the flare skirt is very flattering as well.”

#

3 Size doesn't matter.

#

clients is a big 4 Convincing part of her job too.

“Women want to create the illusion of an hourglass figure. For someone petite, go for vertical or diagonal lines to elongate the silhouette. And heels are great!

Go for comfortable platform heels or flatforms for additional height.”

“If a client insists on something that doesn’t suit their body type, I usually try to convince her by letting her try something in her size that’s very flattering. Then I’ll point out areas of concern and they’re usually convinced once they see it for themselves.

For instance, people usually don't know they’ve been buying jeans in the wrong size or an unflattering cut. They also don’t realise that different brands use different fabrics and have different cuts. Jeans should fit nicely at the waist and hips.

And once they try it on and see that it’s more flattering on them, they’re less skeptical.”

The Personal Shopper Service is available at Robinsons The Heeren and Robinsons Raffles City. For more info, go to www. robinsons.com.sg.

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7

THE FEELGOOD PAGE

TIMES We learnt that

plain can be pretty Cool minimalist packaging for the win.

In a sea of overwrought, overly-flowery beauty packaging, sometimes less is best. With more people opting for a more pared-down lifestyle or picking minimalist scandi décor in their homes, products with simple but chic packaging are gaining popularity. Check out these beauties with packaging that’s minimalistic yet eye-catching.

2 1 3 Make Up Store Instant Perfection foundation, $59

When it comes to minimalistic packaging, things don’t get much simpler than with Make Up Store’s Instant Perfection foundation. Without a single word printed onto this sleek, smartphone-looking foundation dispenser, the Instant Perfection foundation manages to grab our attention with just how unapologetically plain it is. It’s lightweight, long-wearing and gives off a luminous finish.

Available at Make Up Store (313@Somerset) and makeupstorecosmetics.com.

PS.Cafe Botanical Soaps, $49

Local café chain PS.Cafe has released three antibacterial soaps, each with a unique scent thanks to a bevy of botanical extracts. If you’re wondering what the numbers on the sleek bottles mean, let us break it down for you: 9.30, a bright medley of grapefruit, magnolia and others, reflects a time when senses awaken. 4.31 consists of nectar, maple syrup and spearmint, symbolising a change in rhythm. 11.52 boasts spicy, fruity notes with a combo of saffron, cardamom and raspberry to represent being lost in the moment. 49 is the price in SGD for one of these bottles, but we can forgive this steep price tag because of the elegant black packaging.

Available at all PS.Cafe outlets.

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3INA The Longwear Lipstick 500, $16

Pronounced “Mee-nah” (don’t worry, it took us a while too), this Londonbased brand recently made its way to Singapore, bringing its line of effortlessly cool matte-black-packaged products with them. This lippie comes in 10 shades of nudes, pinks and reds, and once applied, becomes an opaque lipstick that won’t budge. We love the brand logo that is simple, yet makes a bold statement. The affordable price is definitely a plus too!

Available at 3INA outlets in ION Orchard and Tampines Mall, and www.3ina.com.

5 4

STORY

SOF IA BENING

Orbis Care-Na Hot Cool Gel, $23

Kew Organics Ultra Revive H2O Mask, $80.40

This pore-cleansing gel by Orbis manages to be colourful and striking but oh-so-simple at the same time with its pink-and-purple gradient design. The gel is formulated with three type of sebumremoving scrubs: Peach Seed, Zeolite and Ceolus, all of which help to remove blackheads and whiteheads.

Available at all Orbis boutiques, counters and www.orbis.com.sg

Homegrown brand Kew Organics is touted as the world’s first results-driven, waterbased organic skincare line that uses only the freshest, non-GMO, natural ingredients.

You pay a pretty penny for their skincare line — up to $95 for a single product. That said, we can’t deny that its glossy black packaging looks ultra-cool; almost like badass prescription medicine. This mask contains an anti-oxidant blend of Green Tea, Asafetida, Vitamin C and E and leaves your skin young-looking and supple.

Available at Kew Organics Facial Bar.

67 Verso Anti-Pollution Mist, $71.40

This cute, handy 50ml spray promises to prevent premature ageing of skin caused by environmental pollution.

Housed in this monochromatic bottle is a light, airy mist that prohibits pollutant metals and gases from penetrating the skin, while keeping dryness, irritation and wrinkles away.

We’re not sure what the reverse ‘2’ signifies, but as long as it reverses ageing of the skin, we’re sold.

Available at Escentials and versoskincare.com.

THREE Balancing Cleansing Oil, $68

Renowned Japanese brand THREE just arrived in Singapore in August, and its line of skincare and beauty products includes this award-winning makeup remover-cum-cleanser, which boasts a design that probably took all of THREE minutes to create. Nevertheless, the packaging is so aesthetically pleasing — we love how clean and neat it is. Bonus points for the pretty frosted, translucent body.

Available at Tangs at Tang Plaza L4.

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what they never taught you in school

How to build a

mobile home

and pay $0 for utilities

WHO IS HE: Matthias “Green Man” Gelber, 50, founder of non-profit organisation Eco Warriors Malaysia. The Malaysia-based German eco-preneur is so passionate about sustainable living that he built an eco-friendly mobile home (above) that he lovingly christened Green Man Tiny Home, and has lived in it “very briefly”. Think of it as an eco-friendly mobile caravan: the one-room Tiny Home includes features like a solar system, rainwater harvesting and a bacterial toilet. It’s still a work-in-progress but once it goes on the market, each of these babies will set you back RM70,000 (S$22,600) to RM90,000 (S$29,000). “I want to let people know that we can live in a very sustainable way. We don’t need to live in a big house or a condo. Sustainable living is feasible in the modern-world — it’s cost-effective and practical,” says the green warrior, who has been an international trainer and professional speaker on green living for over two decades. Matthias is part of the panel at the inaugural Festival of Disruptors, a conference that shines the spotlight on innovative individuals.

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8 DAYS: You built a prototype for Malaysia’s first eco-friendly GreenMan Tiny Home to educate people about environmental issues.

MATTHIAS GELBER: It’s basically a home that’s movable and totally disconnected from external infrastructure like electricity grid, water supply and sewerage. The whole Tiny Home is powered by a small solar system. When you move the house, everything moves with it, so you’re basically ready to live somewhere else. You could even be in a remote place that has zero infrastructure and you could live a comfortable life in the Tiny Home. The idea was to use eco-friendly and recycled materials, and enlist the help of volunteers and sponsors. We even recycled some exhibition booths into furniture for the Tiny Home.

Festival of Disruptors is at JW Marriott Singapore South Beach, Nov 6. Tix from Sistic. For more info, visit www.festivalofdisruptors.com.

PHOTOS: MATTHIAS GELBER

Fancy living in a rent- and utility bill-free house? The environmental scientist behind Malaysia’s first eco-friendly mobile home, MATTHIAS GELBER, spills on the abode that’s small in size but big on reducing carbon footprint.

C HERYL O NG

What’s inside a Tiny Home?

There’s a bed and a water-free eco-toilet that contains bacteria which turns waste into fertiliser. There’s a shower — the shower water comes from rainwater harvesting. There’s also a mini-kitchen area with a sink that [has multi-layer filtration] to bring the water from rainwater harvesting to drinking water quality. There are no bills to pay when you live in a Tiny Home ’cos everything is solar powered and there’s no water supply.

What message do you hope to drive across?

There’s a future with green living. It’s affordable and feasible. And, nowadays, when you look at the prices of properties in KL, and even more so in Singapore, it’s virtually not affordable for students or young people to buy their own homes. A young couple who wanted to buy the Tiny Home liked the idea of owning their own house without going into great debt. So there has been a considerable amount of interest in the Tiny Home, both from individuals and organisations who are looking at eco-tourism or other infrastructures.

As an environmental scientist, you’re involved in multiple green ventures. What’s the most common misconception about your job?

When we talk about green living, people have the misconception that it’s difficult and expensive. But if you make it a habit, it can be quite practical. I’m having a lot of fun living an eco-friendly lifestyle. And green living saves a lot of money. I don’t have a car which saves me around RM2,000 (S$650) every month. I take a lot of Grab and Uber ’cos it’s more effective to share resources. The bottom line is: Are you giving or taking from the planet? If it’s the latter, then change that. Even if you don’t change your lifestyle, you can plant trees or buy carbon credits.

Give more than you take from Mother Earth.

THE OF F ICI A L M AG A Z I N E

At only

© Disney

STO RY

$5.90! (incl. GST)

Tips to save on utility bills Besides building Earth-friendly mobile homes, the one-time “World’s Greenest Man” has also been living on S$10-a-month utility bills. Here’s how.

1

Skip the air-con, and use the fan. Still hot?

Try insulating the wall with a vertical garden.

Roof vents can also help keep your home cool.

2 3

Replace your incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving LED light bulbs.

4 5

Switch off your Wi-Fi router at night or when not in use.

Instead of shades, use blinds with adjustable slats for light control. Open up the blinds during the day to get the natural light in.

Don’t keep your fridge door open for long periods of time. The longer you leave it open, the more cold air escapes and the fridge’s compressor will run longer to cool it down, guzzling more electricity.

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money

“MY PARENTS TOLD ME:

YOU’RE ON

YOUR OWN

NOW”

Getting cut off financially by her folks turned Asia’s Next Top Model alum AIMEE CHENGBRADSHAW into a “super frugal” model.

Except when it comes to yoga and shoes.

The Moneymaker:

Aimee Cheng-Bradshaw, 22. The Singapore-raised

Eurasian model, who is now based in London studying psychology at King’s College, got her runway break when she was placed third on the third season of Asia’s Next Top Model.

She is now signed to local agency Basic Models Management, and was recently back in town to strut her stuff at Singapore Fashion Week.

HER HOME: “In London, I stay in a three-room apartment that I share with two friends and my boyfriend. We all study at the same college.” In Singapore she stays in a semi-detached house in Yio Chu Kang with her dad, who works in the oil trading industry, and her mum, who runs cafe The Spread at the NUS Business School.

HER RIDE: Public transport or the occasional Uber ride.

WHAT'S IN HER WALLET: In Aimee’s “Singapore wallet”, she stashes an EZ-Link card, membership cards from various beauty stores and The Soup Spoon, her old Singapore American School student card (“I don't know why I am still carrying this around!”) and UK, Singapore and Hongkong currencies. “I also have an old $2 note and an SG50 $50 note — see how nice and flat they are?” she beams. “I will never spend them!”

8 DAYS: Now that you’re back in school, what are your spending habits like?

AIMEE CHENG-BRADSHAW: Super frugal! I buy coffee and a chicken avocado sandwich every day, even though I hate sandwiches. I don’t really go shopping in London. Things are pretty expensive there. I only bought a new pair of jeans ’cos my previous pair ripped (laughs). I have the occasional dinner out with my flatmates.

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STORY

Y I P J IEYING

MA I N P H OTO

EA LBERT HO

CA$H DA$H

Grab your copy of Disney Princess today!

What did Aimee spend on over a weekend?

Saturday

“I had a fitting for fashion week and the only thing I did was yoga, but I don’t know if that counts as spending ’cos I had already paid for the classes in advance. I’m so tired of eating sandwiches and pasta in London! So I had prawn noodles at the Ion Orchard food court, which cost about $5.90, and later, I spent about $7 on chicken rice.

It’s expensive, but ’cos I happened to be in town, I just ate there. Usually, I prefer to go to coffeeshops.”

Sunday

Otherwise, we buy groceries and cook at home.

What was the last thing you bought online? A pair of basic black sandals that I shockingly don’t already have, from Zalora. They were for one of the shows I’m walking in [at Singapore Fashion Week].

I’m working with really tall girls, so I want the extra height. The [client] usually provides shoes, but it’s good to have a back-up pair.

Are you tempted to buy designer goods ’cos you wear them so often on the job? No, I prefer simple things. I don’t dress up when I hang out with my family or go partying with my friends. I only buy expensive things occasionally, like a jumpsuit I can wear for events.

But I get stressed if I spend $100 on a shirt ’cos I’d be worrying about ruining it! I spend most of my money on Uber, and I really like to buy shoes. My biggest shoe splurge is a pair of thigh-high boots that I got for about $170, and that was a pretty big investment. I try not to buy things that cost above $200.

What do you think is worth spending on then?

The best investment I’ve made was a 50-hour yoga immersion course. It’s really good ’cos I need to keep in shape for work. Yoga is an expensive hobby, but I always come out of each class feeling really detoxed and relaxed.

A money mistake that you made when you were a rookie model? When I just started modelling and was in Hongkong, I ate out a lot ’cos I didn’t know how to cook (guffaws). I was 17 and didn’t have the patience for cooking, so I bought overpriced salads every day.

It added up to a lot. Back then, my parents still gave me a monthly allowance and I was low on money every month. They only helped me out financially ’cos it was my first trip. But when I came back from Hongkong, they said, “You are 18; you’re on your own now.” I was like, “What? This is too soon, I’m not prepared!” (Mock cries) They asked me what I usually spent on when I was in Hongkong, and I said, “Food.” My mum was like, “Okay good, buy good food and make sure you’re well-fed.”

But my dad said, “Why aren’t you cooking at home?”

(Laughs) I only learnt how to cook later from my flatmate when I was modelling in Bangkok.

© Disney

“I did a catwalk coaching class, and spent about $15 on an Uber ride to the location. Then I met my mum for dinner, and she paid ’cos I’m visiting her (laughs). I also shopped online ’cos I have no time to go to the stores, and bought a pair of shoes.”

At only

S$6.90!

(incl. GST)

Filled with sparkling stories, challenging activities, royal crafts and exciting contests!

Disney Princess Magazine is available at selected bookstores, convenience stores, supermarkets and leading newsstands.

For subscriptions, please e-mail magsubscription@jsimeducation.com.sg or call 6646-6216 (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm).

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travel

Harry Potterand the

5.30am wake-up call

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KLOOK

Aka what we did to avoid a five-hour queue for the HP ride at Universal Studios Japan (USJ).

Theme parks are stressful, everyone knows that.

A successful theme park experience requires planning, advance bookings and in my case, waking up at the butt crack of dawn. This is because, although I’m big on planning and a total Virgo, I wasn’t Virgo enough to book our Universal Studios Japan Express Passes in time (in my defense of the dark arts, it was a very last-minute trip). The Express Passes are limited and sell out faster than castella cakes, and by the time I finalised our trip, they were out. The next best alternative to being able to skip the queues (with the Express Pass 4 or 7, you get to queue in a different and shorter line for the hottest rides) was the USJ VIP Wristband. Awesome as this wristband may sound, it’s

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actually pretty non-VIP. Everyone knows how the Express Pass works, but the VIP wristband is — quite literally — a mystery.

So… to use the VIP wristband, you need to be in Osaka at least a day before you plan to hit USJ. This is because, for some bizarre reason, you need to pick up your wristbands from a place called Harukas 300 Observatory at least a day before your USJ sojourn, and you cannot go to Harukas and USJ on the same day (not that this would be possible anyway). For the record, I got our VIP wristbands at $36 per person from Klook.com (in comparison, the Express Pass 4 is $66), and also picked up our $92 per pax USJ one-day admission passes from Klook (no, the wristbands don’t include

STORY

CELINE TAN

Spell it out: The magic starts the moment you walk through the arches of Hogsmeade.

VIP life: With the VIP Wristband, you get to enter the park before it opens to the public.

Once you get in, run for the attraction of your choice! Don’t shy!

entry tickets; yes, it’s advisable to buy everything you need before you head to Japan, where the Lost in Translation-esque language barrier is very real.) That’s how I found myself at the Tennoji subway station, heading to Harukas 300. I pick up our wristbands from the counter on the 16th floor along with a piece of paper with a secret website address and password that would tell you the exact time you need to be at USJ. The opening time of the park changes daily, and the time which VIP wristband holders get to enter (if you

haven’t figured out by now, the wristbands allow you entry into the park before it opens, slightly ahead of other park-goers) also varies every day. Clutching my VIP paper, I made a quick sweep of the Harukas 300 (love the cool lift which stops at an observation deck where you get an awesome 360 degree view of Osaka), then adjourned to a café where I furtively keyed in the password to check the top-secret, mystery time I had to assemble at USJ. It said: Meet at 7.30, and join the queue.

If you’re late, you have to queue with the non-VIP hoi polloi.

Which brings us too… my phone alarm ringing at 5.30am. This was so we could get ready, then make the 15-minute trek to the subway station nearest our Airbnb which had a line Owl be waiting: going to Universal-City If you’re lucky, you get to meet a giant (real) owl (it’s not Hedwig, though!) and his keeper.

Shopping is magic: Hogsmeade is full of the shops you know and love, like the Three Broomsticks tavern, Honeydukes sweet shop, Zonko’s Joke Shop and Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods. And yes, you can buy stuff, of course.

8 DAYS | 67

Travel Wanderful: Test Weasley’s crashed Flying Ford station. Basically, your wizarding or Anglia, we entered Hogsmeade, if you stay in the witching prowess complete with theme music, the Namba area, which with special Hogwarts Express steam engine, most people do, it wands. all the shops you know (Ollivanders! would take you half Honeydukes! Butterbeer stall!), and an hour to 45 minutes of course, the fairy-tale turrets of Hogwarts to get to USJ. When castle in the distance. The attention to detail is we got to the Studio amazing, and it was well worth the 10-minute West gate at 7.30am, dash. You can easily Google what you can do there was already a line in HP land (don’t miss the Expecto Patronum of about 100 people. We night show and Wand joined a winding line. The Magic, where you excitement was palpable. can cast ‘spells’ to Us ‘VIPs’ could not wait for make things move). the doors to open. At 8am, What I’m here to with a lot of bowing, the staff tell you is that when opened the doors. We rushed you use the VIP through, and once into the wristband and wake actual hallowed park ground, up before the sun, everyone started running. Like, then run straight for sprinting. We, too, started Harry Potter, you get running, because why not. to be the first in line Laughing while struggling for the Flight of the to keep up with Japanese Hippogriff ride (it’s the youngsters dressed in wizarding robes, we ran. Halfway through the sprint, I thought it wise to ask a staffer where The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was, in Minion madness: case we were following the wrong people.

Minion Park only opened It turned out that while most folks were in April this year, and is quite small, so expect it to headed straight for HP World, which be packed. Unless you have opened in 2014, some were headed for small kids, we say skip this Minion Park, which launched this April. and head to Harry Potter, We finally get to The Wizarding or for thrill rides like The Flying Dinosaur and the World of Harry Potter, and man, it’s Spider-Man ride. like the movies and books come to life.

Sprinting past a lush magical forest and Arthur

Bound for Hogwarts! Take a pic with the Hogwarts Express.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t go anywhere.

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This queue is bananas: The line for popular rides like Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is cray, but having VIP access or Express passes help.

baby roller coaster) and breeze through peak, which means you don’t need a Timed the queue for arguably the most popular Entry Ticket to get into HP World, but ride in the whole of USJ, Harry Potter during peak seasons and peak times, and the Forbidden Journey in 4K3D. The you may need to get a timed ticket. Your queue for this can go up to five hours wristband would allow you to get in first in summer and usually hovers around to grab a ticket. three to four hours at peak times. My So, VIP wristband for pre-park opening queue? 25 minutes. And that’s only entry or Express Pass? My friend who had because you take that amount of the Express Pass told me it still took her time to walk through the empty lines, two hours to get to the Harry Potter ride into Hogwarts castle, through the (yes, you still have to queue with the Pass, amazing hall of talking portraits, past but it’s a shorter line). A pro-tip? Go really Dumbledore’s office and the Defence early to get your VIP entry’s worth, then Against the Dark Arts classroom and head back to your hotel for a siesta. Come then stash your belongings in rows of magicalback before park closing hours (it closed looking lockers. The ride itself is awesome. I’d at 9pm when we were there) for much shorter Butterbeer is even say it was worth a three-hour queue (but waiting times and a different experience. When I delicious: In case you’re wondering, it went back at 7pm, the zombies had come out (it not five hours). Basically, you follow Harry as tastes like a buttery was Halloween) and the Minion line had shrunk he flies into a Quidditch match and beyond. caramel ginger ale.

Pure thrilling magic. to 45 minutes. Hogsmeade and Hogwarts are Non-alcoholic, too By the time we’re done with HP World, even more enchanting at night. Even with magical bad! the park had long opened to the public — your ‘passes’, it’s still impossible to do everything early head start only gives you enough time to in one day. Guess we’ll need to Wingardium Leviosa explore one world before it disintegrates into the mist. ourselves back here again one day.

When we emerge from the enchantment of Hogsmeade, You can get USJ entry tickets, Express Passes and VIP the queue for the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride Wristbands at Klook.com or on the Klook app. Use “YES100” had swelled to 130 minutes, and the park was teeming to save up to $100 on your year-end holiday when you book activities on Klook. with visitors. This was in October, and supposedly off-

15% off tickets to the Asian Television Awards 2017!

Terms and conditions apply

Download the MeClub App now to Enjoy other Rewards!

more of what you love

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CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY In support of the SG Cares movement, Mediacorp has launched the Big Heart campaign to call upon Singaporeans to put values into action through active volunteerism, ground-up efforts and everyday acts of care. Till Nov 9, join the Design a shoe competition to express what caring means to you and stand a chance to win prizes.

Look out for the Tree of Hearts to pledge your wishes and donations which will go to beneficiaries under Community Chest. On Jan 13, 2018, attend the SG Cares Carnival at Tampines Hub to learn more about the SG Cares movement. There will also be fun and interactive activities for the entire family.

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TASTY CHOCOLATEY TREATS Meiji has two new Premium Yan Yan flavours — Tiramisu and Cocoa, and Matcha and Cocoa. The premium selection of Yan Yan products are made with finer ingredients such as mascarpone cheese and Japanese matcha powder.

What’s more, the tiramisu and matcha creams are layered over cocoa cream for extra chocolatey goodness. Indulge in greater flavours with cocoa biscuit sticks to dip in the cream. Grab a pack of Meiji Premium Yan Yan retailing at $1.70 from Cold Storage, Watsons, 7-Eleven, OG, Caltex, Metro Centrepoint, BHG Department Stores and Isetan Westgate (as at press time).

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Exclusive Beach Bag!

shirtless guy of the week

STORY

Y IP JIEY ING

P HOTO

EALBERT HO

ALL FOR THE ’GRAM

KENNY LEE

AGE: 21 THE NEXT YOUTUBE STAR? You may have come across Kenny on YouTube — this cheery lad and his pals started YouTube channel Bornchildren, where they produce their own original comedy content covering topics like travel. “It’s a lifestyle portal, and we are in the midst of monetising it by reaching out to tour agencies to get projects,” explains the enterprising Kenny, a business undergraduate at the National University of Singapore.

While some folks his age aim for Internet influencer fame, he reckons he is putting his studies first. “I’m definitely open to being an influencer ’cos it’s obviously lucrative, but it’s good to follow a traditional plan [like getting a degree to fall back on],” he says.

WORK IT OUT

To get his bod, Kenny hits the gym six days a week. He tells us, “I do weightlifting and recreational judo. I was in competitive fencing and judo back in junior college, but I stopped when I went to NS ’cos I didn’t have time to train for competitions. I picked up boxing as a hobby instead. I love watching MMA fights!”

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Kenny now has almost 4,000 followers on Instagram (@ kenkeylee) and plenty of envy-inducing travel snapshots on his feed.

“I edit my photos to make the colours pop.

You can make even normal things like walking on a crowded street interesting by playing with colours and angles,” he shares.

first person

T

he recent announcement that Singapore is freezing the number of cars on the road has thrown my friends into that uniquely Singaporean blend of panic and rage.

“This is ridiculous! How am I supposed to get around without a car?” moaned Ming on Facebook, a comment that led our mutual friend Elliot who lives in Dallas to comment, “Honey, you live in a country that takes half an hour to cross from one end to the other. Try living in Texas!”

In a private message to me, Ming said this was exactly the sort of thing that had made her loathe Elliot when we were all at school. “Zero empathy! Must always have the last word! Honestly, why is that some men just won’t let you have the last word?” I remained discreetly silent.

My mother didn’t raise any stupid children.

“But why does Ming even need a car?” Amanda asked. “She has no children and she works from home!”

“She says she’s sick and tired of taking the train everywhere, and she’s been saving up for three years for the down-payment, surviving on Economy Mee for lunch, and now this announcement…”

“I’m with her, though,” Saffy said, putting her feet up on the coffee table, as she burrowed deeper into the sofa with her iPad. “It would be so nice to have a car. Sometimes, you just want to get somewhere without having to go through the whole hassle of taking the train or the bus!”

“The solution is called Grab, Saf,” I told her.

From the depths of the sofa, Saffy’s enormous bosom inflated like a life-jacket. “Yes, but there’s an extra step of tapping details on my phone and then waiting. And the drivers always get lost finding us, and we waste time hanging around the lobby waiting and waiting, watching them go up and down the

STORY

road on the phone because they can’t find our huge entrance! It’s aggravating!”

“Good ting I orredi got car,” Sharyn announced that evening when we met for dinner at Wisma’s Japan Food Town. “Udderwise hor, cham ah! How to take my mudder-inlaw see doctor, or fetch my chil-ren to school and tuition?”

Saffy sniffed. “You spoil your kids, Shaz. When we were growing up, we took buses to school and walked everywhere.”

Amanda raised an eyebrow. “It’s probably why you have such strong, sturdy calf muscles.”

Saffy, for whom sarcasm is like

JASON HAHN

two current obsessions. “Or at least, the chauffeur would be driving them.”

“Amanda is so sensible,” I told Karl, my best friend and longsuffering unhappily married father of four. “Whilst everyone is moaning about not having a car, her life goal is to have a car and a driver!”

Karl looked put out. “Why would anyone want a car in Singapore? It’s such a nightmare finding parking!”

I told him he was missing the whole point of the chauffeur. “You just get out of the car and walk away,” I said. “Where he parks or what he does with the car while you’re having lunch or at the gym is

There’s an extra step of tapping details on my phone and then waiting.

And the drivers always get lost finding us, and we waste time hanging around the lobby waiting and waiting, watching them go up and down the road on the phone because they can’t find our huge entrance! It’s aggravating! frying eggs on a Teflon pan, giggled good-naturedly. “No, seriously. I just don’t understand this whole business about driving children everywhere. Especially when they’re over 13!”

Sharyn waved her chopsticks.

“Yah, I oh-so same as you when I grow up: take bus and walk everywhere. But chil-ren today hor, they got so many ting on their schedule wah, if you make dem take bus, confirm they can do oh-nee one ting a day ah! And then, end of year, sure fail all their exam because dey neh-ber make it to tuition!”

“If I had children, I’d drive them everywhere, too,” Amanda said, her lovely eyes dreamily lost in a parallel universe in which her son and daughter, dressed in this season’s Dolce & Gabbana Kids were ferried to ballet and judo classes — her

not your problem! So long as he’s there to pick you up when you’re done and ready to go to your next appointment!”

Karl was unmoved. “I make my kids take the bus and MRT everywhere. Matthew moaned for an entire year that he wanted to join the school’s football team, so finally I said, ‘Sure, go ahead, you can join, but you will take the train to practice every Saturday morning, because I’m not driving you!’ That was the last I heard about football!”

“You and Saffy should get married,” I said.

“Don’t think I don’t have fantasies about that!” Karl moaned.

“I’d drive anywhere with that woman and her air-bags!”

When I told Saffy, she said she couldn’t decide if she was offended or aroused.

8 DAYS | 73

my word “Dr Woffles, come up to the verandah and help Helmut prepare some drinks,” I could hear Helmut shouting from two levels up. “Tim and Mary are on their way and the sun will be setting soon. The breeze is perfect. It will be a beautiful evening.”

I had showered after my rare sunbathing session on the beach and was already dressed up for the evening. Grabbing the bottle of champagne I had brought with me from Singapore, I climbed the two steep flights of stairs back up to Bruce’s apartment. As I did so, I couldn't help thinking how remarkable it was that a 90-yearold with back problems and knee replacements could still make it up and down these stairs as he had

over you like that.

I have known Helmut since the mid-nineties when I first came over to train with Bruce. A gentle giant, he has a retained his native German accent and charmingly refers to himself in the third person, as Helmut instead of using the term “I” and to others as doctor or mister this and that. So Bruce is Dr Bruce whilst I am Dr Woffles and he is just Helmut. I have been trying to get him to call me Woffles for the longest time but he always lapses into calling me Dr Woffles.

He would say, “Helmut is so happy to see Dr Woffles,” or “Helmut thinks we should eat Chinese for lunch…” constantly reminding me of the faithful German butler who looked after Nora Desmond in the

No matter how rich and famous one may have been in their life, aging makes us lose our lustre and grow increasingly isolated from friends and family. done earlier that morning. Bruce must be made of sterner stuff than I thought.

Helmut was there on the verandah, arranging the drinks and removing the cling wrap from a platter of prawns he had just bought at the supermarket. After a big bear hug, I helped pour out the sauces and plonked the champagne in a bucket of ice.

It was so nice to see Helmut again. He looked exactly as he had the last time we’d met which was when Bruce had dragged me along to the birthday party of the Las Vegas entertainers Siegfried and Roy, some years ago.

Towering above me and burly like a bear, Helmut, who is now in his late seventies, has been best friends with Bruce for over 50 years.

Living just a block away, he stops in on Bruce every day to keep him company, help him buy groceries, take out the trash or just drive him out for lunch or dinner. That's wonderful to have someone watching

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classic film, Sunset Boulevard, and who spoke in the same way.

Tim and Mary arrived shortly after that just as Bruce emerged from his room, neatly shaved and combed.

Perfect timing. There would be so much to catch up on in the brief two days we would be together and we started talking immediately. Armed with our drinks and snacking on the prawns, the five of us sat there on the verandah enjoying each other’s company and watching the sun setting in the distance, its last few rays casting an orange hue on the crests of the waves as they crashed rythmically on the shore. These are the magical evenings you want to savour for as long as possible.

As the sky around us turned dark, Helmut announced, “It’s time for dinner. Helmut has booked a Creole restaurant three blocks away.

Very special place. We walk.” And so we did, ambling slowly on the sidewalk as Bruce sped along on his motorised buggy. I looked forward to the dinner as I’d only eaten Creole

BY

WOF F LES WU

cuisine once before when I had visited New Orleans over a decade ago. All I could remember of that time was eating crawfish pie and gumbo, the two dishes immortalised in the song ‘Jambalaya’. Creole cuisine is unique in the USA as it is a hybrid-style of cooking that borrows from French, Spanish, German, Irish and even West African influences. It certainly is not bland like standard American fare.

Initially booked to be seated at the bar counter, we chose instead, a small table in a corner of the restaurant next to one of the bay windows that allowed us to look out onto the street. Although it was a bit cramped, we didn't mind at all. In fact having to squeeze together only made it more initimate and thankfully, we could hear each person talking clearly without having to talk at the top of our voices. The food was very delicious and according to Bruce, extremely authentic too. Even the desserts, which I don't usually eat, were irresistable so I finished mine which was a kind of banana treacle pudding.

It was especially nice to see Bruce enjoying himself and talking so animatedly with everyone. He was cracking joke after joke that had Mary and me in stitches. I was so happy that I had made the trip. It was just like old times again.

No matter how rich and famous one may have been in their life, aging makes us lose our lustre and grow increasingly isolated from friends and family. Sadly, loneliness becomes the biggest concern and fear, second only to ill health and the threat of Alzheimer’s dementia.

Senior citizens need to constantly stay in touch with people or else they will wither away like a plant starved without water. They need to remain invested in current affairs so that they don't wallow in their own thoughts.

Unfortunately that’s not so easy to achieve as younger friends and colleagues are busy at work and need to look after their own families.

It takes great effort to stay in touch. (to be continued)

Check out Woffles Wu’s instagram account @woffleswu for photos relating to this weekly column.

HOROSCOPE

BY

libra

Scorpio

(Sept 24 - Oct 23)

Oct 24 – Nov 22

Scorpio is the deepest of all the signs. Scorpio types develop passionate interests and devotion to causes that they pursue with death-defying dedication. They fall deeply in love, but if hurt or rejected, they can plot bitter revenge.

They’re usually interested in things dark or hidden, and the Scorpio solution to a problem is complete change.

If it’s your birthday

(For week starting Nov 6)

If you’ve been keeping certain secrets recently, then get ready for the bright light of publicity, for some of them are about to come into the open. You need to make sure that you control the flow of information and choose who knows what — and when.

aries

(Mar 21 - Apr 20)

Monetary matters are causing a few problems. Your long-term celestial influences are prosperous.

Romantic prospects are set to continue on a high note.

taurus

(Apr 21 - May 21)

You seem to have been knocked off balance, but you may pull yourself together and assert yourself. You can expect dramatic improvements by week’s end.

gemini

(May 22 - June 21)

Group events promise to be more satisfying than one-to-one meetings. Perhaps you wish to avoid the complications of intimate encounters.

NICHOLAS CAMPION

cancer

(June 22 - July 23)

Other people will genuinely understand your hopes and needs, which should make you feel happier and more confident.

leo

(July 24 - Aug 23)

If you have grand ambitions you will experience difficulty, mainly a clash between short-term domestic responsibilities and long-term hopes. Develop your creative talents.

virgo

(Aug 24 - Sept 23)

Misunderstandings are likely around the middle of the week. Have you considered making more of an effort to explain yourself?

See that all travel plans are set out clearly.

You will feel good about your home situation.

Yet a financial crisis, hopefully a brief one, is bound to flare up on Wednesday or Thursday, when the Sun and Pluto get into top gear.

scorpio

(Oct 24 - Nov 22)

This is no time for weak-kneed compromise. Instead, you must be tough and unyielding, as only a Scorpio can be. You will gain satisfaction from pursuing your own goals.

sagittarius (Nov 23 - Dec 22)

It’s a week for plots, rumours and gossip.

You will also discover opportunities for spreading a little goodwill.

You should be liberated from a tight financial corner by the end of the week.

capricorn (Dec 23 - Jan 20)

Take a look at a number of your engagements, especially social responsibilities, and see if there are any that can be abandoned. Create the right conditions for a more carefree existence.

aquarius (Jan 21 - Feb 19)

The emphasis on close partnerships is still very strong, although it looks as if you will be communicating at a distance. You could be receiving strange messages over the next few days.

pisces

(Feb 20 - Mar 20)

You can be too ready to accommodate the wishes of others. Seize the opportunity to push forward and make others understand how much you have to offer.

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N OV THEATRE The Sound of Music

Hailing from the famous London Palladium, home of West End musical theatre, this dazzling production promises to touch the hearts of all ages with its uplifting true story of Maria, Captain Von Trapp, and his seven children. Sing along to memorable tunes such as ‘My Favourite Things’, ‘Sixteen Going on

9 – 16

Seventeen’, ‘Edelweiss’ and its title song.

Till Dec 3. Tue–Fri, 7.30pm; Sat, 2pm, 7.30pm; Sun, 1pm, 6pm. Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands. Tix: $65–$185 from Sistic*. www.baseentertainmentasia.com

Sanctuary

Written by Haresh Sharma and Suguru Yamamoto, Sanctuary is a collaboration between The Necessary Stage and one of Tokyo’s most innovative theatre companies, HANCHU-YUEI. It explores the fragility of the human condition in the age of technology. Directed

THEATRE

The Addams Family The creators of the multi award-winning production Jersey Boys present this musical comedy that will bring fun and laughter to the whole family. The Addams Family goes through a time of chaos as Wednesday Addams, the princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet young man from a normal family. Featuring established actor Cameron Blakely as Gomez Addams and Carrie Hope Fletcher as Wednesday Addams, enjoy a great performance with a fantastic musical score, big dance numbers and a fun-packed script.

Nov 15–Dec 3. Tue–Fri, 8pm; Sat, Sun, 2.30pm, 8pm. MES Theatre at Mediacorp, 1 Stars Avenue. Tix: $65–$165 from Sistic*. www.vizpro.sg

by Alvin Tan and Suguru Yamamoto, starring local actors Audrey Luo and Ellison Tan. Advisory (some coarse language).

Nov 8–12. Wed–Fri, 8pm; Sat, 3pm, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. The Necessary Stage Black Box, 278 Marine Parade Road. Tix: $36 from Sistic*. www.thenecessarystage.org

Chicken Little

Presented by the Singapore Repertory Theatre, this fun new musical tells the tale of a timid chicken who believes that the sky is falling. However, when no

one heeds her warning, she goes on a journey to alert the one person who will lend her his ear: the King.

Featuring songs from the writers of SRT’s Red Riding Hood and Treasure Island.

Till Dec 8. Mon–Fri, 10am; Sat, Sun, 11am, 2pm. KC Arts Centre, 20 Merbau Road, Robertson Quay. Tix: $25–$48 from Sistic*. www.srt.com.sg

Ed Sheeran “Live” in Singapore 2017

The celebrated singersongwriter returns to Singapore following his biggest musical comeback with the release of his third studio album ÷ (Divide), which features hit singles ‘Shape of You’ and ‘Castle on the Hill’ that both made it to Billboard’s Top 10. Also catch the multi-talented star performing other songs, including ‘Photograph’ and ‘Give Me Love’.

Nov 11–12. 8pm. Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tix sold out at press time. www.sportshub. com.sg

Vasantham “Live” Sangamam The “live” musical extravaganza returns and is

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COMPILED BY

THEATRE Makrokosmos: I Shall Not Forget the Sound of...

Yugpurush: Mahatma’s Mahatma

After 900 sell out shows in countries like India, the UK and USA, award-winning Indian play Yugpurush comes to Singapore for its English premiere. It tells the story of legendary leader Mahatma Gandhi and his role as a timeless influencer who has inspired generations based on the universal values of truth and non-violence.

Performed in English, Gujarati and Hindi.

Nov 12–13. Sun, 3pm (Gujarati), 7.30pm (English); Mon, 7.30pm (Hindi). Kallang Theatre. Tix: $10–$30 from singapore. yugpurush.org.

bigger and better this year as it celebrates musical talents from India and Singapore with singers like Haricharan and Erfanullah. It will also feature “live” renditions of popular songs, supported by an energetic 13-men musical band comprising popular musicians like Aalap Raju and Kumaran Sivamani.

Nov 10. 7.30pm. Hall 601604, Level 6, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Tix: $20–$60 from Sistic*. www.facebook.com/mediacorp. vasantham

Singapore Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven Triple Concerto in C

Be inspired by the heroism and optimism in Copland’s ‘Third’, popularly known as ‘America’s Great Symphony’.

In this concert, conductor Andrew Litton doubles up as a solo pianist, partnering concertmaster Igor Yuzefovich and principal cellist Ng Pei-Sian for the chamber-like ‘Triple Concerto’ by Beethoven.

classic piece ‘Thunderstorm and Drought’ will be performed at this concert presented by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Ah De (SCO resident conductor Quek Ling Kiong) meets the owner of an antique shop, Mr Old-Fashioned (Ong Teck Chon), and they reminisce about Singapore’s olden days, illustrated through songs like ‘The Typewriter’, ‘The Syncopated Clock’ and a new composition, ‘Karung Guni Capriccioso’ by local composer Phang Kok Jun. Performed in Mandarin with English subtitles.

Nov 10–11. 10.30am, 2.30pm, 5pm. Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Auditorium, 1 Straits Boulevard. Tix: $25 from Sistic*. www.sco.com.sg

Catch the OpusNovus musicians from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, and members of contemporary music ensemble Wu Xian, as they present a series of works. The programme includes George Crumb’s iconic ‘Music for a Summer Evening’, Chaya Czernowin’s ‘Ayre Towed’ and Salvatore Sciarrino’s ‘String Trio’.

Nov 12. 5pm. Esplanade Recital Studio. Tix: $20 from Sistic*. www.esplanade.com

6+6ACH

These two Tang Tee Khoon Grand Series evening concerts will feature solo British cellist Colin Carr and Singaporean solo violinist

PEG G Y F ONG

Tang Tee Khoon, as they perform the complete six ‘Bach Cello Suites’ and his six ‘Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin’.

Nov 10–11. 7.30pm.

Esplanade Recital Studio.

Tix: $32–$102 from Sistic*. tangteekhoongrandseries.com

Ablaze: A Huqin Recital Award-winning huqin quintet StringWerkz presents Chinese string music in diverse musical styles and formats at this recital. The programme includes Phang Kok Jun’s ‘The Storytellers of Ann Siang Road’, ‘Ablaze’

by Robert Zollitsch, and a newly commissioned work by local composer Zechariah Goh. Nov 9. 7.30pm. Esplanade

Michael Bolton: The Asian Dream Tour 2017 Fresh from hosting his new primetime music competition show, Bolt of Talent, the multiple Grammy Award-winning singer comes to Singapore as part of his Asian Dream Tour. The pop culture icon will perform his beloved chart-topping hits like ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’, ‘Go the Distance’ and ‘Tell Me How Am I Supposed to Live Without You’. Featuring guest appearances by the Bolt of Talent’s co-hosts, Morissette Amon and Sandra Riley Tang.

Nov 15. 8pm. The Star Theatre, Star Performing Arts Centre, 1 Vista Exchange Green. Tix: $68–$350 (Includes Post-Concert Meet & Greet) from Sistic*.

Nov 10. 7.30pm. Esplanade Concert Hall. Tix: $15–$88 from Sistic*. www.sso.org.sg

Young People’s Concert: A Voyage to Nanyang IV – Karung Guni Capriccioso Rediffusion’s signature storyteller Lee Dai Sor’s

8 DAYS | 79

N OV Recital Studio. Tix: $28 from Sistic*. www.esplanade.com

liTHE 2017

The sixth iteration of T.H.E Second Company’s annual liTHE production shines the spotlight on three of Singapore’s most promising contemporary

9 – 16

dance choreographers, Anthea Seah, Goh Shou Yi and Marcus Foo. Performed by 21 dancers, they have created three brand new works that include Second Nature and A Pause in All Our Exploring, which investigates the concept of human connection and the forms of reliance between people.

Nov 16–18. Thur–Fri, 8pm; Sat, 3pm, 8pm. Sota (School of the Arts) Studio Theatre, 1 Zubir Said Drive. Tix: $28 from Sistic*. www.the-dancecompany.com

Belinda Carlisle The Heaven 30th Anniversary Tour Relive your fondest memories as the American songstress makes her way to Singapore to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her classic Heaven on Earth album, where she will perform tracks like ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’, ‘Circle in the Sand’ and other hits from her illustrious career. Having rose to fame in the early ’80s as the lead singer of the Go-Go’s, catch Carlisle up close in this long-awaited performance.

Nov 11. 8pm. The Star Theatre, Star Performing Arts Centre, 1 Vista Exchange Green. Tix: $98–$248 (includes Meet & Greet before the concert) from Sistic*. www.facebook.com/modepdt

COMING ATTRACTIONS

NOV Hyukoh “Live” in Singapore

This South Korean indie band encapsulates the essence of youth through their music, fashion and “live” performances. Besides opening for international indie acts like Mac DeMarco, they have also played at major festivals like the Seoul Jazz festival and Ansan Valley Rock Festival. Catch them performing hits such as ‘Tokyo Inn’, ‘TOMBOY’ and ‘Leather Jacket’ from their latest album, 23, at this concert.

Nov 24. 8pm. Zepp@Bigbox, 1 Venture Avenue. Tix: $98–$120 from www.apactix.com.

Mama White Snake

Presented by W!ld Rice, this family musical written by Alfian Sa’at puts a cheeky, yet charming spin on the classic Chinese folk tale, Madam White Snake. It revolves around a young boy, who dreams of adventures beyond the Emei Mountain, which his mother and aunt have warned him against.

He suffers an identity crisis when he finds out that his mother and aunt are the magical White Snake and Green Snake of legend.

Directed by Pam Oei and stars Glen Goei, Ivan Heng, Siti Khalijah Zainal and Andrew Marko.

Nov 24–Dec 16. Tue–Sun, 7.30pm; Sat, Sun, 2.30pm.

Drama Centre Theatre, National Library Building. Tix: $45 (Preview Nov 24)–$80 from Sistic*. www.wildrice.com.sg

Michael McIntyre: Big World Tour Britain’s biggest

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comedian brings his globally successful tour to Singapore. McIntyre’s spot on observational comedy and trademark ability to turn everyday situations into master-classes of human exasperation have struck chords with millions of fans, cementing him as one of the UK’s most treasured comedy performers today.

Advisory: 16 years & above.

Nov 29. 8pm. The Star Theatre, Star Performing Arts Centre, 1 Vista Exchange Green. Tix: $98–$178 from Sistic*.

DEC Eason Says C’mon In~ Tour in Singapore

After a three-year hiatus, the Hong Kong singer returns with a highly anticipated album, C’mon In~. Anticipate a spectacular show as he performs old hits and songs from his new album, like ‘Relax’, ‘Soar’ and ‘Sigh’.

Dec 3. 8pm. Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tix sold out at press time. www.facebook.com/ OneProductionSingapore

Flying Through Time

Renowned director Choi Chul Ki makes a comeback with this new non-verbal action comedy featuring an international cast, including home-grown actor Joshua Tan and starlet Melody Low, who will perform alongside martial artists and gymnasts from China, Mongolia, Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia for a night of jaw-dropping stunts, comedy and romance.

Dec 9–Jan 21. Thur, Fri, 8pm; Sat, 2pm, 8pm; Sun, 2pm; Jan 1, 2pm. Resorts World Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa. Tix: $38–$118 from Sistic*. www. rwsentosa.com

Mayday Life Tour 2017

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, popular Taiwanese rock band Mayday will be staging

its 10th concert tour with the aim of creating a brand new experience for fans by challenging themselves with performances that they’ve never done before. Expect hits like ‘Here, After, Us’ and ‘Love-ing’.

Dec 15–17. 8pm. Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tix sold out at press time. www.sportshub. com.sg PHOTO CREDIT: PIET DEFOSSEZ

Kitaro: Kojiki & The Universe

Grammy and Golden Globe Award-winning Japanese recording artiste Kitaro presents a unique and spectacular visual experience, merging music and dance as the renowned pioneer of the New Age genre performs a dance routine as well as his greatest hits like ‘Matsuri’, ‘Silk Road’ and ‘Oasis’.

Dec 22. 8pm. Grand Theatre, Marina Bay Sands. Tix: $88– $238 from Sistic*.

JAN 2018 “The Invincible 2” Jay Chou Concert Tour 2018

Asia’s reigning king of Mandopop returns to Singapore in the first leg of his tour. Supported by a strong team of talented musicians and dancers, the concert will showcase many of Jay Chou’s classic and new hits, such as ‘Chrysanthemum Terrace’, ‘The Longest Movie’ and ‘Love Confession’.

Jan 6. 8pm. National Stadium.

Tix sold out at press time. www. sportshub.com.sg

Imagine Dragons Evolve World Tour “Live” in Singapore

Grammy Award-winning alternative rock band Imagine Dragons return to Singapore in a world tour to support their third album, Evolve. Since the band’s inception in 2009,

NOV

Ninagawa Macbeth The iconic samurai classic that brought the late theatre titan Yukio Ninagawa international recognition returns to Singapore after 25 years. It transposes Shakespeare’s tragic play about a power-hungry general to the war-torn world of 16th century Azuchi-Momoyama Japan, turning Scottish warriors into katana-wielding samurai, and the highland woods into a mesmerising cherry blossom forest. Led by a stellar cast featuring eminent actors Masachika Ichimura and Yuko Tanaka.

Performed in Japanese with English subtitles.

Nov 23–25. Thur, Fri, 7.30pm; Sat, 2pm. Esplanade Theatre.

Tix: $48–$188 from Sistic*. www.esplanade.com

they have become one of the most successful rock acts in recent years, with the number one album Smoke + Mirrors and smash hits like ‘Radioactive’ and ‘Believer’.

Jan 20. 8pm. MES Theatre at Mediacorp, 1 Stars Avenue. Tix: $98–$248 (includes Meet & Greet Session + Photo Opportunity). from Sistic*.

Jan 7. 8pm. Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tix: $98–$228 from Sport Hub Tix* & www.apactix. com.

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival Singapore 2018

Teresa Carpio “Live” in Singapore Fresh from her appearance in this year’s edition of I’m a Singer, Cantopop diva Teresa Carpio comes to Singapore for the first time in a rare concert appearance. Having released 23 albums and performed all over the world, Teresa is known for her powerful voice, electrifying stage presence and hits such as ‘Sukiyaki’, ‘If’ and

‘True Love’.

Laneway Festival is back for the eighth time, and as with previous years, it promises to be an unforgettable experience for music fans that focuses on the best new and established “live” Indie acts in the industry.

This year’s illustrious line-up includes Grammynominated band The Internet, rising star Aldous Harding and electrifying altrock outfit Wolf Alice.

Jan 27. 10am. The Meadow,

Gardens by the Bay. Tix from www.apactix.com. www. lanewayfestival.com

ELLE Inspires with Jessica Cox

ELLE Singapore launches ELLE Inspires, a new initiative to celebrate and empower women. Catch American motivational speaker Jessica Cox as she shares her message of overcoming the odds despite being born without arms due to a genetic birth defect. The 34-year-old holds the Guinness World Record for being the first armless person to own a pilot’s license. She also has a black belt in taekwondo, and can play the piano and drive a car.

Jan 27. 7.30pm. The Star Theatre, Star Performing Arts Centre, 1 Vista Exchange Green. Tix: $38–$148 from Sistic*. www.facebook.com/ ELLEsingaporeofficial

FEB Jacky Cheung “A Classic Tour”

Deemed the “God of Songs” in Hong Kong, Cantopop legend Jacky Cheung brings his previously sold-out ‘Classic Tour’ to Singapore. Fans can expect a visual extravaganza as well as 8 DAYS | 81

N OV Jacky’s greatest hits, such as ‘Goodbye Kiss’ and ‘Just Want to Spend My Life With You’.

Feb 9–11. 8pm. Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tix sold out at press time. www.sportshub. com.sg

Evita

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical Evita remains one of the world’s most beloved musicals — it has won more than 20 major awards.

Helmed by legendary director Hal Prince, the original Broadway and West End production comes to Singapore, featuring songs like ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentia’ and ‘Oh What a Circus’. Evita, which tells the story of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, promises to be an unforgettable experience for musical theatre fans.

Feb 23–Mar 4. Tue–Fri, 8pm; Sat, 2pm. 8pm; Sun, 1pm, 6pm. Grand Theatre, Marina Bay Sands. Tix: $55–$185 from Sistic*.

Chris Botti

The best-selling American instrumental artiste and Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter returns to perform in his unique style that transcends the boundaries of jazz and other genres.

With four number one jazz albums under his belt, Chris Botti has shared the stage with music industry icons, including Barbra Streisand, Paul Simon, Andrea Bocelli and Frank Sinatra.

Feb 26. 7.30pm. Esplanade Concert Hall. Tix: $48–$118 from Sistic*. www.esplanade. com

MAR Duet with Power Station ‘20’ World Tour in Singapore Taiwanese male rock duo Power Station is marking their 20th anniversary with

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9 – 16

a performance celebrating their greatest hits like ‘Impulse’ and the awardwinning Chinese version of ‘Takie Tango’ by Bufra Suflera. There will be a special segment where Power Station will banter with the audience and take song requests.

Mar 17. 8pm. The Star Theatre, Star Performing Arts Centre, 1 Vista Exchange Green.

Tix: $88–$198 from Sistic*. www.vizpro.sg

National Theatre’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime For the first time, London’s National Theatre comes to Singapore to stage its production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, winner of five Tony Awards and seven Olivier Awards. The play, based on Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel of the same name, has been hailed all around the world as a theatrical experience that’s not to be missed.

Mar 29–Apr 8. Tue–Fri, 8pm; Sat, 3pm, 8pm; Sun, 2pm, 7pm. Esplanade Theatre. Tix: $48–$138 from www.esplanade.com/events/2018/national-theatre-curious-incident.

MAY Bruno Mars 24K Magic World Tour Grammy Award-winning singer and global sensation Bruno Mars returns to Singapore for the second time as part of his massive world tour, in support of his latest chart-topping album, 24K Magic. The album spawned the singles ‘24K Magic’, ‘Versace on the Floor’ as well as Mars’ seventh number one single, ‘That’s What I Like’.

May 6–7. Sun, 7pm; Mon, 8pm. Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tix sold out at press time. www.sportshub.com.sg

Witness to War: Remembering 1942

Seventy-five years after the fall of Singapore to the Japanese in World War Two, rediscover the watershed event through this special international exhibition.

Experience the past through first-hand accounts from ordinary men and women whose lives were overturned by the outbreak of hostilities in Singapore in 1942, and artefacts from 10 overseas museums such as the Australian War Memorial and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Till Mar 25, 2018. 10am– 7pm (last admission 6.30pm).

National Museum of Singapore.

Tix: $18 adult, $14 student/ senior citizen. Free for Singaporeans/PRs. www.nationalmuseum.sg

Transitions

Celebrated artist Kim Tae-ho has been the pioneer of Korean monochrome art since the 1970s. He’s known for his bold experimentation with textures and materials.

His first solo exhibition in Singapore will showcase the progression of his fourdecade-long career, from Form, the first of his series, to his most recent Internal Rhythm.

Nov 11–Dec 3. Tue–Sat, 11am–7pm; Sun, 11am–6pm.

Mizuma Gallery, 22 Lock Road #01-34 Gillman Barracks. Free. www.mizuma.sg

Women in Photography

Issues of domesticity, familial ties, and feminine identity will be explored in the third edition of the independent gallery’s Women in Photography group exhibition, which will spotlight the works of eight international female

photographers like Nancy Borowick (US), Bieke Depoorter (Belgium) and Bernice Wong (Singapore).

Their subjects hail from domestic help in Bangladesh to the homes of strangers across North America. Rated: Advisory 16 (some mature content).

Till Nov 19. Tue–Sat, noon– 7pm; Sun, noon–4pm. Objectifs Chapel Gallery, 155 Middle Road. Free. www.objectifs. com.sg

National Gallery Singapore

The museum oversees the largest public collection of modern art in Singapore and South East Asia.

Rediscovering Treasures: Ink Art from the Xiu Hai Lou Collection. The largest and most established private collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy in Singapore. Founded by the late Mr Yeo Khee Lim, it draws on close to 100 works to offer visitors a rare insight into the evolution of modern Chinese painting, featuring masterpieces by prominent artists such as Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong and Zhang Daqian.

Till Apr 22, 2018.

Strokes of Life: The Art of Chen Chong Swee.

Chen Chong Swee was an important early Singapore artist and educator who made significant contributions to the development of the Singapore and Malaya art scenes. This showcase features key works from his six decade-long career.

Till May 20, 2018.

Wu Guanzhong: A Walk Through Nature. This exhibition explores 16 works which Wu painted of China from the 1960s until the 2000s. Join Wu on his search for beauty — not only via the landscape, but also within the painted forms in his work.

Till Apr 22, 2018.

Mosaic Music Series 2017

PHOTO CREDIT: MARIE SJØVOLD

Explore the artistry of singer-songwriters across various genres over five days of music from artistes from Singapore and beyond. Ticketed acts include Grammy-nominated Norwegian artiste Bernhoft, who makes his Singapore debut at this performance series; Danish jazz vocalist Sinne Eng who will be accompanied by piano trio the Jacob Christoffersen Trio; Grammy-nominated Canadian singer-songwriter Feist; and Japanese experimental pop artiste Shugo Tokumaru. There will also be free performances by local acts like Ffion and indie post-psych rock band Bakers In Space, as well as workshops and talks.

BERNHOFT

Nov 10–14. Various times & venues, Esplanade. Free & ticketed. Tix from Sistic*. www.esplanade.com/mosaic

PHOTO CREDIT: STEPHEN FREIHEIT

Fri, 10am–9pm. PH/Eve of PH will follow the operating hours of the day it falls on.

National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew’s Road. General admission: $20; free for Singaporeans/PRs. Additional entrance fees apply to special exhibitions. www.nationalgallery.sg

Singapore Philatelic Museum

SINNE ENG

Listening to Architecture: The Gallery’s Histories and Transformations.

Spanning two galleries and a connecting walkway, the inaugural exhibition offers insights into the histories and architectural designs of the two national

monuments and their transformations into a home for Southeast Asian art. It also features neverbefore-seen artefacts excavated from the Gallery’s grounds.

Anime X Stamps.

Experience your favourite anime series and characters through stamps.

Discover the origins of anime and chart the rise of

this versatile and pervasive medium as you relive beloved classics such as Astro Boy, Doraemon and gems from Studio Ghibli; as well as current hot favourites such as One Piece, Dragon Ball and Pokémon through more than 700 stamps from Japan.

Also, be treated to limitededition collectibles and oneof-a-kind original production artwork.

Nov 12–April 2018.

150th Anniversary of First Postage Stamp Issued in

Ongoing.

Daily. Sat–Thur, 10am–7pm;

Rahimah Rahim, My Life, My Art Part of Singapore’s entertainment industry since the ’60s, the multi-talented songbird will present her melodious voice and bubbly personality in this concert as she celebrates her life and art through songs that hold a special significance to her. Expect an evening of memorable multilingual hits and personal insights into her life as a performer, daughter, mother and wife.

Nov 11. 8.30pm. Esplanade Concert Hall. Tix: $30–$68 from Sistic*.

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Singapore Exhibition. This exhibition commemorates the 150th anniversary of the first postage stamps issued in Singapore, which played an integral role as a postal and communications hub for states and countries in Southeast Asia during the 19th century. View rare and valuable philatelic items from private collectors and the Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection.

Till Jan 1, 2018.

Abode of Peace and the Lion City: A BruneiSingapore Exhibition.

This exhibition celebrates the close friendship and diplomatic relationship between Singapore and Brunei, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the unique currency interchangeability agreement. Learn about the close links between Singapore and Brunei and uncover the treasures of the Brunei Sultanate, one of the oldest unbroken reigning dynasties in the world.

Till Feb 28, 2018.

Daily. 10am–7pm (last admission 6.30pm). Singapore Philatelic Museum, 23-B Coleman Street. General admission: $8 adult, $6 child. Free for Singaporeans/PRs. www.spm.org.sg

Takuji Kogo: * CANDY FACTORY PROJECTS 2017

Led by Japanese visual artist and curator Takuji Kogo, *CANDY FACTORY PROJECTS is a Japanesebased platform for international collaborative art projects, featuring a selection of video works and sculptural installations by world-renowned artists including Young-hae Chang Heavy Industries (South Korea), Mike Bode (Sweden), John Miller (USA), Charles Lim Yi Yong (Singapore) and Kogo himself.

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Seasons of Life The first Asian premiere of this dance show features the famous and passionate Hungarian folk dance as it depicts the various seasons of life like lovely summer nights and stormy winters, with spectacular dancing and choreography in this showcase of a centuries-old tradition from the Carpathian Basin in the heart of Europe.

Nov 10–12. Fri, 8pm; Sat, 2pm, 8pm; Sun, 1.30pm, 7.30pm. Resorts World Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa. Tix: $38–$148 from Sistic*. www.facebook.com/dallient

Till Dec 17. Mon–Fri, 10am– 7pm; Sat, Sun, 11am–5pm.

The Private Museum, 51 Waterloo Street #02-06. Free. www. theprivatemuseum.org

The Substation: Discipline the City

Singapore’s first and oldest independent art space examines complex cultural issues in this three-part exhibition featuring works from artists such as Jiehui Avery Chen, Calvin Chua and Kuang-Yu Tsui. It will also feature a permanent gallery, an architectural case competition, and a punk-in-residence programme titled A Manifesto for Space, which will see a different punk using a space within The

Substation monthly for their own purpose and without restriction. There will also be a series of public programmes and events.

Till Nov 26. Wed–Sun, noon– 8pm. The Substation, 45 Armenian Street. Free. www. disciplinethecity.sg.

17 Volcanoes

This exhibition is shaped around a series of expeditions from Singapore to Java by Dutch geologist Franz Junghuhn to 17 of his favourite volcanoes. It aims to question the traditional opposition between the urban and rural, and includes works by international artists such as Armin Linke, Bas Princen and Deni Sugandi.

Till Dec 31. Tue–Sat. 10am–

6pm. NUS Museum, 50 Kent Ridge Crescent. Free. www. museum.nus.edu.sg

ArtScience Museum

Future World: Where Art Meets Science. Features 15 interactive digital art installations by awardwinning Japanese art collective teamLab. Enjoy an immersive experience with nature, urban spaces and even outer space, from illuminated balls that respond to touch, to projections of flowers that change with the seasons.

Ongoing.

Into The Wild: An Immersive Virtual Adventure.

Make a real-world impact on nature as you go on a virtual adventure using Tango, a cutting-edge interactive technology by Google.

Step into the shoes of a ranger, spot wildlife in their natural habitat, defend the environment, and more.

Ongoing.

Daily. 10am–7pm (last admission 6pm). ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands.

All Exhibitions Tix from Marina Bay Sands ticketing portal & Sistic*. Visit www.marinabaysands.com/artsciencemuseum for updates.

Check out stalls selling pre-loved and new items including clothes, shoes, accessories and more.

Daily. 1pm–7pm. Lucky Plaza, Level 6. Free. www.fleawhere. com

21st German Film Festival 2017

Singapore’s biggest foreign film festival returns with its 21st edition, presenting over 30 films spanning art-house, comedy, documentary and music films. Highlights include The Bloom of Yesterday, a romantic comedy set within the unlikely backdrop of the Holocaust; and compelling drama Club Europe. There will be a post-show talk with actress Sylvaine Faligant of Club Europe at the postshow events.

Till Nov 12. Various times & venues. More info www. goethe.de/singapore/ germanfilmfestival.

discussions, workshops and screenings. The line-up includes the Artist in Words Exhibition that will bring you on a journey through the poetry of Anne Lee Tzu Pheng; best-selling British novelist Tony Parsons; and American poet Li-Young Lee. Organised by the National Arts Council.

Till Nov 12. Various times & venues. Free & ticketed. www. singaporewritersfestival.com

Christmas on a Great Street 2017

Themed ‘Endless Wonder’, this festive season will see Orchard Road illuminated with mesmerising lights and curated experiences.

Witness the Light Up Ceremony (Nov 11, 7pm) and enjoy highlights like the street light decor, where you can take insta-worthy pictures at the 12m tall main arch; and the Christmas Village (Nov 25–Dec 25), where you can feast on festive delights and ride the Great Carousel.

© Disney

Flea Party

Behold!

Sofia’s In For An Adventure!

At only

S$5.90! (incl. GST)

Nov 11–Jan 1, 2018. Various times & venues along Orchard Road. www.orchardroad.org/ christmas

Gardens by the Bay Singapore Writers Festival

The much-anticipated literary festival returns to present the world’s major literary talents to Singaporeans, while shining the spotlight on homegrown and other Southeast Asian creative talents. This year’s fest is themed ‘Aram’, which means ‘Doing Good’ in Hindi. There will be panel

Experience a Nordic Noel this festive season, as the Flower Dome transforms into a wintry wonderland for the Poinsettia Wishes floral display. See lovely poinsettias, amaryllis and Christmas trees as they herald the season together with a toy workshop manned by Christmas elves and a candy store. Alternatively, visit the biannual orchid display (till Dec 10) at the Cloud Forest, where

Free Exclusive Necklace!

Sofia the First Magazine is available at selected bookstores, convenience stores, supermarkets and leading newsstands.

Published by Mediacorp Pte Ltd

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9 – 16

over 400 Cattleya Orchids are displayed.

Poinsettia Wishes Nov 10– Jan 8. Flower Dome. Orchid Display till Dec 10. Cloud Forest. 9am–9pm. Gardens by the Bay. Charges to the conservatories apply. www. gardensbythebay.com.sg

Battle of The Masters

Rivalries will be renewed when the Singapore Masters, Arsenal Masters and Liverpool Masters take centrestage at this football event. The three teams featuring household names such as Fandi Ahmad, Aleksander Duric, Robert Pirès and Nigel Winterburn, will play 40-minute matches in a round-robin format.

There will also be a football clinic for children aged 6 to 14 years old. led by Arsenal and Liverpool masters.

Nov 11. 7pm. National Stadium. Tix: $32, $48 from Sports Hub Tix*. www.mastersfootball.com

Circus! Science Under The Big Top

This exhibition offers a hands-on experience for visitors to learn how science has always had an important role to play in the circus. Learn the science by performing, examining and watching the art in interactive highlights like Contortionist, which explores the art of getting into small spaces, and Elastic Acrobatics, where visitors can perform tricks in mid-air.

Till Mar 18. 10am–6pm (last admission 5.30pm).

The Annexe, Science Centre Singapore. Tix: $15–$52 from Sistic*. www.science.edu.sg

Reflections 2017

Republic Polytechnic’s community arts festival returns with the theme ‘Create. Collaborate.

Celebrate’. Highlights include the Symphonie De Republique X – Great Musical Hits by the Republic Polytechnic Wind Symphony,

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Red Dot Design Museum Having just reopened its doors along the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade, this is the only museum in Singapore which opens past midnight. It presents the world’s largest exhibition of contemporary design, where each exhibit is awarded the international Red Dot Design Award. Notable works include the &Y01, an electrical power-assisted wheelchair that plays music; and the KIN Wallet from Singapore’s KIN Studio LLP, which is the world’s first wallet that sorts out notes from coins.

Daily. 11am–2am. 11 Marina Boulevard. Admission: $6, except for Singapore Citizens, pay-as-you-wish. Free for children aged 6 & below. www.museum.red-dot.sg

as they take on musical hits from popular shows like The Lion King and West Side Story; Lanterns Never Go Out

by Republic Polytechnic’s Operation Theatre, Pentas Karyawan and Indian Cultural Group; and the Arts and Craft Fair.

Till Nov 11. Various times.

Republic Polytechnic, 9 Woodlands Avenue 9. Free & ticketed. www.rp.edu.sg/Reflections_2017/home.aspx

Golden Autumn Celebrations A festival celebrating

traditional lantern culture and the beauty of modern light, featuring structures, handicraft artisans, performers and food vendors from Chengdu.

Highlights include a 3D Light Show on a giant porcelain vase display and stage performances like fire-breathing puppets, and martial art displays by Shaolin monks.

Till Nov 12. Mon–Thur, 11am– 10pm; Fri–Sun, PH, 11am– 11pm. Resorts World Sentosa, Waterfront. Tix (standard): $15 (Mon–Thur), $18 (Fri–Sun/PH) from Sistic*. www.goldencompass.edu.sg/events/goldenautumn-celebrations-2017

Wan Qing CultureFest 2017 Back for its seventh

edition, the festival celebrates Singapore’s rich Chinese arts and

French Film Festival 2017 Feast on the stellar line-up of 16 compelling films comprising top box office hits and classic works by French cinema legend Jeanne Moreau, like Jules and Jim and Elevator to the Gallows. From action thrillers, uproarious comedies, to heart-warming dramas and children’s films, experience French cinema in Singapore as it serves up stories that will tug at the heartstrings of every movie-goer.

Nov 9–19. Various times & venues. More info at www.frenchfilmfestival.sg.

Singapore Parenting Congress 2017

Jointly organised by Mediacorp and Families for Life, this seminar presents renowned parenting expert and best-selling author, Dr Michele Borba who will share strategies and tips on how to raise successful and resilient children in this digital world. Learn to communicate better with your teenage children at the interactive coding and video making workshops.

literary scene with two weekends of cultural activities. Go back in time with showcases of iconic local ’60s music and traditional Chinese performing arts, or stay in the present with energetic “live” performances by Singaporean youth groups.

Till Nov 12. 10am–9.30pm.

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, 12 Tai Gin Road. Free. sysnmh.org.sg

The Mediacorp Experience

The latest attraction in OneNorth gives visitors a chance to experience the magic of the media. Take a glimpse at behind-the-scene moments and learn about the history and future of broadcasting in Singapore. For 90 minutes, visitors will be immersed in an interactive journey through space and time. They can see how a shophouse set is made, take part in a TV production like The Little Nyonya, have a go at being a newscaster in a mock-up Channel NewsAsia studio, or glam up to be ‘featured’ on the cover of 8 DAYS magazine.

Ongoing. Mon–Fri, 10am– 5.30pm (last tour 4pm); Sat, 10am–3.30pm (last tour 2pm).

Closed Sun, Eve of PH & PH. Mediacorp Campus, 1 Stars Avenue. Tix: $16 adult, $13 concession. www.mediacorp. sg/experience

Nov 18–19. 10am–5.30pm.

Level 7, NTUC Centre, 1 Marina Boulevard. Tix: $18 per pax/ session from smartparents.sg. www.smartparents.sg/singaporeparentingcongress2017

TICKETING VENUES SISTIC* Operating hours: 10am– 8pm; Sun & PH: noon–8pm.

Phone bookings: 63485555 (only credit cards accepted) Online: www.sistic.com. sg; www.facebook.com/ SISTICsingapore. Also available on Sistic Mobile & iNETS mobile apps.

Ticketing Outlets 112 Katong 313@somerset

Alliance Francaise Anchorpoint Bedok Mall Bishan Junction 8 Bugis+ Bukit Panjang Plaza Capitol Changi Airport Chinatown Point City Square Mall Esplanade Hougang Mall IMM Ion Orchard JCube Jem Jurong Point Shopping Centre KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT Liang Court Lot One Marina Bay Link Mall Marina Bay Sands (selected shows) Millenia Walk Nex Pop@Central (Bras Basah) Parkway Parade Plaza Singapura Counter 2 Sembawang Shopping Centre Singapore Symphony Orchestra Singapore Vistor

Centre Suntec City Mall Tampines Mall The Centrepoint The Star Performing Arts Centre Tiong Bahru Plaza VeloCity VivoCity Westgate White Sands Wisma Atria.

SPORTS HUB TIX* Operating hours: 10am–8pm; Sun & PH: noon–8pm.

Phone bookings: 3158-7888 (only credit cards accepted) Online: www.sportshubtix.sg Ticketing Outlets Singapore Indoor Stadium

All SingPost outlets.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR GIG! If it’s fab and fun, 8 DAYS wants to know about it: Concerts, events, weekend markets... Please e-mail peggy_fong@mediacorp.com. sg brief, essential info and hi-res pix. All materials, which we may use or edit as we deem fit, to reach her three weeks before publication date. (Peg can also be reached at 6357-5117.)

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2017 MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS PHOTO: MTV ASIA

MON | MTV ASIA | SINGTEL TV CH 350 & STARHUB CH 533| 4AM & 8PM (ENCORE) This year’s show will be held at London’s SSE Arena, Wembley, with Taylor Swift leading the race with the most nominations (six), including Best Artist and Best Video (‘Look What You Made Me Do’). Rita Ora, herself a contender for Best Look, is the host, while Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato, The Killers and Liam Payne are among the scheduled performers. Closer to home, The Sam Willows are vying for the Best Southeast Asian act.

If you’re an early bird, catch the Red Carpet at 3am.

— DOUGLAS TSENG

NOV 9 – 16 NOV 10 | FRI

NOV 12 | SUN

AIRPORT SECURITY COLOMBIA 2 NEW EPISODES!

The El Dorado Airport and the antinarcotics team detain two siblings who may be dope smugglers, and intercept suspicious cargo bound for Mexico.

NETFLIX | STREAMING

Dramedy about a 30-something rom-com screenwriter (Kimura Fumino) moonlighting as an advice columnist for the lovelorn.

Jack Antonoff and the band perform a back-to-basics set at The Stone Pony club in New Jersey. With guests Lorde and Carly Rae Jepsen.

NOV 11 | SAT

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 43

PHOTOS: FX, TPG NEWS/CLICK PHOTOS, NETFLIX , TLC

COMEDY CENTRAL | SINGTEL TV CH 324 & STARHUB CH 516 | 10PM

Curb Your Enthusiasm star — and one-time SNL scribe — Larry David guest-hosts for the second time.

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NOV 9 | THUR

THREE DAYS TO LIVE NEW SERIES!

MTV ASIA | SINGTEL TV CH 350 & STARHUB CH 533| 10PM

AMAZING HOTELS: LIFE BEYOND THE LOBBY BBC LIFESTYLE | STARHUB CH 432 | 9.15PM

Tonight, hosts Giles Coren and Monica Galetti check into the Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador’s Andean Cloud Forest. Also on BBC Player.

CRIME + INVESTIGATION | SINGTEL TV CH 206 & STARHUB CH 403 | 9.55PM

Do you know what happens if a kidnapped person is not found in the first 72 hours?

NOV 13 | MON

BIG LIFE FIX NEW SERIES! BBC EARTH | STARHUB CH 407| 8PM

A team of engineers and technologists brainstorm about ways to improve the lives of the less fortunate. Also on BBC Player.

WHITE FAMOUS

FX| SINGTEL TV CH 310 & STARHUB CH 507 | 9.30PM

Saturday Night Live alum Jay Pharoah stars as up-andcoming comedian Floyd Mooney, who’s trying to reach out to a new audience (read: white people) without sacrificing his integrity. This dramedy, executive produced by Californication creator Tom Kapinos, is inspired by the early career of Jamie Foxx, who also costars as Mooney’s mentor… named Jamie Foxx.

8 DAYS

FEAR FACTOR REVIVAL!

NOV 14 | TUE

THE MANY FACES OF ITO BINGE-WATCH!

MTV ASIA | SINGTEL TV CH 350 & STARHUB CH 533| 8PM

DOUG LAS TSENG

The popular stunt show returns with Fast & Furious star Ludacris as host.

Subsequent eps on Tuedays, 8pm.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL | SINGTEL TV CH 201 & STARHUB CH 411 | 9PM

BLEACHERS

STORY

RUNNING WILD WITH BEAR GYRLLS 3 DISCOVERY CHANNEL | SINGTEL TV CH 202 & STARHUB CH 422| 9.55PM

The British adventurer invites Vanessa Hudgens to dinner in the High Sierra mountains. The main course: a rattlesnake.

NOV 15 | WED

CAKE BOSS 9 NEW SERIES! TLC | SINGTEL TV CH & STARHUB CH 427 | 9PM

Budd Valastro and his Carlo’s Bakery crew are back to meet more clients with demanding orders.

NOV 16 | THUR

MEMORY LOST NEW SERIAL! GEM | SINGTEL TV CH 519 | 8PM

Chinese crime drama about a cop (Yang Rong) and her brilliant but amnesiac partner (Bai Yu). New eps Mon-Fri.

STORY

DOUG LAS TSENG

MY TV DIET:

CHARMIAN TAN The 987FM DJ, 24, owes her career to a certain Disney idol.

TFLIX PHOTO: NE

How many hours I spend watching TV I usually don’t watch much TV during the day, but when I have time, I’ll binge on shows on Netflix!

The TV show I watch first thing in the morning Do random funny Facebook videos count?

The TV show I watch before going to bed I like to catch up on YouTube videos by Jenn Im or Wong Fu Productions!

The TV show that defined my childhood Lizzie McGuire. Hands down.

The last TV show I binged on I was hooked on Grimm so bad that I finished the entire season in three days!

The TV show everyone's talking about but I haven't seen yet Stranger Things, Breaking Bad, Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why… I live under a rock.

The most unforgettable TV moment When Netflix decided to cancel Girlboss after one season. I mean, hello? It's Sophia Amoruso of Nasty Gal — I need to know more of how she owned an entire fashion empire!

The TV show I’m too embarrassed to tell everyone that I’m watching I still keep up with Teen Wolf every now and then...

I can’t help it. Dylan O'Brien has my heart.

The TV show that inspired what I am doing now Hate to break it to you, it’s still Lizzie McGuire!

Well, the movie. I was 10 when I watched it, and till today it still gets me. A teenager having the adventure of a lifetime and being brave enough to chase her dreams. It. Changed. My. Life.

Dominic Cooper, Dominic West or Dominic Purcell?

None. Dominics are never my type. I like Ryans... they’re always very cheeky. I mean, look at Blake Lively — she’s having the life I want (laughs).

Catch Charmian on Hot 20 Countdown, weekdays, 987FM, 8pm-12mn.

Who’s the boss?

Britt Robertson as Sophia Amoruso, the founder of online fashion retail store Nasty Gal, on Neflix’s Girlboss.

8 DAYS | 91

boos & bravos

BY

DOUG LAS TSENG PHOTO: TPG NEWS/CLICK PHOTOS

BRAVO

BRAVO

to DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (Wed, WarnerTV, Singtel TV Ch 306 & StarHub Ch 515) for introducing TV’s first Muslim superhero. In the ep ‘Zari’, the time-travelling Legends arrive in 2042 where they meet a hacker named Zari Adrianna Tomaz, the first Muslim-American superhero played by Iranian-born actress Tala Ashe (Smash). FYI: Zari isn’t a new character — she’s based on a ‘70s DC superhero named Isis, who gets her powers from an ancient Egyptian amulet. But executive producer Marc Guggenheim also drew inspiration for Zari from his Muslim sister-in-law who’s grappling with life under President Donald Trump. “Audiences and creatives are gravitating toward superheroes because it’s wish-fulfillment,” said Guggenheim. “They’re looking to find a little bit of hope and a little bit of escapism that quite frankly doesn’t exist.” Your move next, Marvel TV.

to Emma Thompson for sharing her Donald Trump story on The Graham Norton Show (Sat, BBC Lifestyle, StarHub Ch 432; BBC Player).

In a recent ep, the two-time Oscar winner recalled how she came this close to going out on a date with a pre-presidential Donald Trump in 1997 while she was making the Bill Clinton-inspired political comedy Primary Colours. “[The phone] rang one day and I pick it up and it was Donald Trump,” said Thompson. “Donald Trump — Donald Trump! — was on the on other end of the phone going, ‘Hi, it’s Donald Trump here,’ and I thought someone was having a laugh, so I said, ‘Oh, [expletive] off.” Thompson then joked that she regretted not accepting his invitation. “Then we would have all known the truth [about his hair].

Then maybe he wouldn’t have been president.” If only…

BRAVO

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PHOTO: NETFLIX

to Stranger Things (Netflix) for revealing a major character’s hairstyle secret. Warning: Spoiler ahead…. not really. One of the best things about the new season of the retro-phenom is the transformation of Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), from the douchebag boyfriend of Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) to unlikely big brother to lispy Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). In one endearing scene, Steve explains to Dustin how he got his awesome mane with the blown-back front puff. “Fabergé Organics,” says Steve. “Use the shampoo and conditioner, and when your hair’s damp — it’s not wet, okay? — when

it’s damp, you do four puffs of the Farrah Fawcett [line of] spray.” Even though said products have been discontinued, I read that Osmotics FNS Revitalisiing shampoo and conditioner and Herbal Essences’ Flexible Airspray are perfect substitutes.

Health • Beauty • Wellness

BodySOS Out Now! Only $4.50

All-in-one bundle that packs in health and wellness tips, medical features, beauty news, and more!

Available at major newsstands, bookstores and convenience stores!

CH LIFE LESS ORDINARY

A pair of best friends who are also neighbours become enemies over a man, and their animosity spills over into the workplace.

STARS Xiang Yun (Wu Xiaoqiao), Chen Liping (Chen Feng), Romeo Tan (Chen Yalong), Felicia Chin (Jelly Lin Shuqi), Ian Fang (Li Ziyang), Jeffrey Xu (Tom Xu Tao), Bonnie Loo (Zhang Qiyuan), Jayley Woo (Liang Wenjie), Rayson Tan (Wu Dazhi), Guo Liang (Song Jueming), Cynthia Koh (Zhang Ruoyun), Bernard Tan (Li Zhengye), Aileen Tan (Lv Xiuqin), Suhaimi Yusof (Rashid Bin Mohamed), Lyn Oh (Liew Aisha), Jin Yinji (Liu Lianhua) and Adele Wong (Winky Wang Xueling).

MON NOV 13

7.30pm Episode 31/130

Assuming Zhengye wants to dismiss her, a devastated Xiaoqiao leaves. Chen Feng and the others realise too late that they have made a mistake, and it is another member of the staff who has resigned. Zhengye worries when Xiaoqiao does not answer his calls.

Xiaoqiao wanders into the old office where she and Zhengye used to work.

She reminisces over their struggles to bring the company to where it is.

Zhengye happens to drop

by. His sincerity touches her, and she agrees to stay.

Qiyuan’s foster mother, Zhang Ruoyun, returns to Singapore. It has been 20 years since she left, and she is overwhelmed by the tremendous change.

She chances upon Xu Tao filming a scene, and gives him acting tips. Elated when praised by the director, Xu Tao insists on buying her lunch.

Ruoyun sees a car driving towards a boy who’s picking something up from the road.

She rushes over to save him.

TUE NOV 14

7.30pm Episode 32/130

Ruoyun is injured, and Xu Tao takes her to the doctor. She has trouble walking because of a sprained ankle, and he helps collect her medicine.

When Xu Tao’s phone rings, Ruoyun picks up the call. It is Shuqi, who is taken aback that a woman is answering his phone. Later, when she probes, Xu Tao brushes the incident off.

Shuqi finds a bracelet in Xu Tao’s bag and is convinced he is seeing another woman. He attempts to clarify, but she doesn’t believe him.

Xiaoqiao finds out from a distraught Shuqi that Xu Tao

Raw wounds: Ruoyun tells Qiyuan the circumstances surrounding her son’s death.

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8 DAYS

CH U CH 5

Strange affections: Yalong is puzzled by his own reaction when Shuqi falls asleep on his shoulder.

has betrayed her. Xiaoqiao interrogates him, and he details the encounter with Ruoyun. Shuqi reconciles with him.

Late at night, Shuqi hears someone weeping . She is shocked to see Ruoyun climbing onto the kitchen window ledge and looking as if she is preparing to jump.

While dining with Xiaoqiao, Zhengye thinks he has spotted Ruoyun. He rushes out to look for her but to no avail.

Qiyuan manages to retrieve Ruoyun’s lost wallet.

She finds a child’s photo within and surmises it must be a photo of her son.

WED NOV 15

7.30pm Episode 34/130

7.30pm Episode 33/130

Thinking Ruoyun is about to commit suicide, Shuqi plunges over to save her.

Both tumble, and Ruoyun falls heavily onto Shuqi.

It turns out that Ruoyun couldn’t sleep. When she got up to go to the washroom, she noticed some dirt on the window and climbed onto the ledge to wipe it clean.

In the morning, Ruoyun prepares French toast for ever yone. Xiaoqiao isn’t appreciative, and chides her for using her bread and eggs.

Xu Tao and Shuqi drool at the sight of the toast. After taking a bite, however, they realise the bread is burnt.

Qiyuan continues eating with relish.

Zhengye recalls going back to the old office and finding Xiaoqiao. Conflicting emotions arise. When he asks her to join him in a client meeting, she thinks he is tr ying to star t a relationship with her.

THUR NOV 16

Ruoyun admits the child is her son. She is overcome with grief when she relates how she had caused his death. Qiyuan comforts her.

Ruoyun chances upon Ziyang, who is sorting out garbage for the recycling bin. He cuts his fingers accidentally, and she tends to him. They chat heartily, and find they get along well.

Inspired by Ziyang , Ruoyun tells Qiyuan she has decided to try to make a living by selling crafts handmade from used items. Her plan is to stay in Singapore for the long term. Qiyuan develops the mistaken idea that Yalong is the person who is teaching Ruoyun about recycling.

Max comes to the factory to meet with Dazhi to discuss the Christmas hamper orders. He sees Shuqi, and expresses his interest in her. He was her former boss and had tried to court her, but failed.

COMPILED BY

To get stock market tips from Max, Dazhi makes Shuqi meet Max in the room. Max attempts to take advantage of her, but Yalong barges in and rescues her.

Max cancels his orders and leaves in a fit of anger.

FRI NOV 17

7.30pm Episode 35/130

Dazhi blames Shuqi and Yalong for the loss of a major client. Worried she may be fired, Shuqi decides to go to Max’s office to apologise.

Yalong goes with her. Both are told to wait in the lobby.

They wait into the night in Max’s office lobby. Shuqi d o z e s o f f o n Ya l o n g ’s shoulder and his heart races, but he doesn’t realise he has developed a liking for her.

Chen Feng nearly chokes on a fishball, and Ruoyun saves her. Chen Feng thanks her for saving her life.

Ziyang learns Qiyuan is an orphan. His view of her changes.

At a restaurant, Wenjie a n d Z i ya n g b u m p i n t o Wenqing, who is Wenjie’s s i s t e r a n d Z i y a n g ’s schoolmate from university.

Wenjie is surprised to learn Ziyang is a university graduate. Afterwards, he admits to her that he is Zhengye’s son.

WHILE WE ARE YOUNG

Academic and emotional issues faced by Gen Z teenagers are explored in this star-studded drama.

STARS Zoe Tay ( Fa n g T i n g ) , Rebecca Lim (Zhong Ai), Zhang Zhenhuan (Tang Yiwei), Terence Cao (Bai Jinshun), Calvert Tay (Tang Yijie), Denise Camillia Tan (Zheng Jiayi), Zong Zijie (Yang Xiaoshuai), Chantalle Ng (Bai Yun), Marcus Guo (Kang Lele), Joanna Theng (Zhou Xuanxuan), Shalynn Tsai (Luo Yiling), Cassandra See (Mary), Gary Tan (Lin Junkai) and Chen Yixin (Hong Nuannuan).

MON NOV 13

9pm Episode 6/20

Yijie yells at Zhong Ai. Troubled by his explosive behaviour, Fang Ting urges him to give vent to his frustrations. For the first time, he admits he is not happy about Xiaoshuai coming to live with them.

Fang Ting apologises to Zhong Ai on Yijie’s behalf, and they try to solve the problem together. Zhong Ai discusses the situation with Yiwei as well.

Mary calls on Xiaoshuai and gives him a supplementary credit card.

He informs Sunny that he has decided to go for the overseas training stint, and

Sunny assumes Zhong Ai has changed her mind.

Xuanxuan confesses to Yijie that she is fond of him, but is rejected.

Yiwei tells Yijie how Fang Ting had felt when he yelled at Zhong Ai. Back home, a remorseful Yijie treats Zhong Ai better. Fang Ting is so pleased that she cooks up a big meal, but the dinner turns ugly when Zhong Ai voices her disapproval of students who get involved in romantic relationships.

Mar y goes to the polytechnic to meet Xiaoshuai. Bai Yun gives her a piece of her mind and drags Xiaoshuai away.

Zhong Ai learns from Sunny that Xiaoshuai has decided to go overseas for training. She tries to talk him out of it.

Bai Yun, Xiaoshuai and Junkai r un into Alan in Geylang. Bai Yun videos Alan selling cough syrup illegally.

At swimming training, Xiaoshuai is close to achieving his timing targets.

Elated, Fang Ting calls for a barbecue to celebrate. An accident happens.

TUE NOV 14

9pm Episode 7/20

Xiaoshuai’s arm is hur t, and he is hospitalised. The

PEG G Y F ONG

doctor advises him against swimming. Zhong Ai refuses to allow him to go overseas, and a heated argument ensues.

Fang Ting manages to console Xiaoshuai.

Yijie burns with jealousy when Bai Yun tends to Xiaoshuai. Tiancai and Junkai egg Yijie on to court Bai Yun. In the ward, Yijie lashes out at Xiaoshuai.

Zhong Ai is grateful to Fang Ting for counselling Xiaoshuai. They agree to bring him home after he is discharged from the hospital. However, Yijie is upset Xiaoshuai is moving in with them.

Fang Ting is rehearsing with Xuanxuan and the others for a play, when Xuanxuan’s father storms in to take her away. In the midst of the tussle, he hurts himself and threatens to file a complaint.

To av o i d i m p l i c a t i n g Zhong Ai, Fang Ting decides to offer compensation.

She and Zhong Ai disagree vehemently, but reconcile after Zhong Ai apologises to Xuanxuan’s father on Fang Ting’s behalf.

Bai Jinshun leaves a folded “black rose” for Fang Ting, reminding her of the past.

Xuanxuan approaches Fang Ting for help when Bai Yun faints from an overdose of medication. When Fang Ting and Yijie arrive, the sideeffects of the medication cause Bai Yun to mistake Yijie for Xiaoshuai and she inadvertently confesses her love for the wrong boy.

WED NOV 15

9pm Episode 8/20

Walking time bomb: Yijie unleashes his frustrations when Fang Ting gives him the opportunity.

Fang Ting takes Bai Yun home for the night. The next day, Bai Yun goes back to her own home, only to be driven out by her mother, because Bai Yun had surrendered the video of Alan’s illegal sale of cough syrup to the police 8 DAYS | 95

Pressured: Yiwei and Zhong Ai find themselves struggling with marital issues.

and he was arrested. Fang Ting has no choice but to take Bai Yun in.

Tiancai, Junkai and the others hear about Bai Yun’s blunder over the wrong guy.

The next day, Zhong Ai picks Xiaoshuai up from the hospital. He refuses to go home with her and tells her another woman is picking him. Thinking the woman is Mary, Zhong Ai storms out of the room.

Troubled when Xiaoshuai goes missing, however, she tells Yiwei she fears he may go astray. Yiwei takes her out to relax. However, she is still concerned about Xiaoshuai.

Dismissing her worries as groundless, he urges her to let go of Xiaoshuai, as well as her responsibilities as an educator. She resists.

Youwan is thrilled when Xuanxuan compliments her modelling contest photos.

She is careful not to let her mother find out.

Back home, Li Xue flies into a rage when she discovers cosmetics and accessories in Youwan’s bag. Crumbling under the pressure, Youwan hides in the wardrobe and searches t h e We b f o r s e l f - h a r m techniques.

It is Fang Ting who had arranged to take Xiaoshuai home. Yijie attempts to drive him away.

96

8 DAYS

Z h o n g A i a n d Y i we i are relieved, but Yijie is adamantly opposed to X i a o s h u a i ’s p r e s e n c e .

Infuriated, Fang Ting throws down her trump card.

THUR NOV 16

9pm Episode 9/20

Zhong Ai overhears Bai Yun giving Yijie a dressingdown. With a sense of foreboding, she asks Fang Ting to persuade Bai Yun to move out, so as to avoid any conflict that might arise.

The next morning, ever yone praises the breakfast Xiaoshuai has prepared. Yijie, however, is unappreciative.

Bai Yun receives a call from Jinshun, who identifies himself as her uncle. She decides to meet him at Rose Cafe with Xiaoshuai.

At a class reunion, Fang Ting is mentioned. Jinshun starts to reminisce about their past.

Zhong Ai wants to start a debate team. Both Ziqian and Liwen do not want to take up the responsibility.

Fang Ting agrees readily, without Zhong Ai’s approval.

Zhong Ai is unhappy.

X u a n x u a n ’s f a t h e r demands she quit the drama society, citing her deteriorating grades as the reason. Xuanxuan argues that the bad grades were due

to her illness, but her father is adamant. Zhong Ai gives in.

Upset, Xuanxuan pours her woes to Fang Ting, who devises a plan, such that Xuanxuan still gets to keep her role in the play.

Yiwei questions Hao about his new car workshop.

Hao retor ts ungratefully.

Dismayed, Yiwei drinks dejectedly.

Xiaoshuai uses the supplementary credit card given by Mary to buy a pair of swimming googles. With that, she concludes that he has accepted her deal.

Fang Ting accompanies Bai Yun to meet her “uncle”, who turns out to be Jinshun.

FRI NOV 17

9pm Episode 10/20

Fang Ting is surprised to learn Jinshun is actually Bai Yun’s uncle. Meanwhile, Zhong Ai learns Bai Yun’s uncle is Fang Ting’s high school mate.

Zhong Ai is unable to contact Yiwei and does not know he is drunk. At the car workshop, Jiayi mutes Yiwei’s handphone to make him uncontactable, so that she can have some time with him.

Yijie is filled with jealousy to see Xiaoshuai and Bai Yun together. In a fit of anger, he moves into Tiancai’s house.

While Yufeng welcomes him

warmly, Tiancai berates him for giving Xiaoshuai and Bai Yun opportunities to be together. Tiancai acts as Fang Ting’s spy and gives her reports on Yijie’s well-being.

J i ay i c a l l s Z h o n g A i to the workshop to fan discord between the couple.

Unfazed, Zhong Ai asks her to leave. The next day, Zhong Ai finds a chance to hint to Bai Yun to move out.

At school, Yijie refuses to accept his allowance from Fang Ting.

Fang Ting successfully convinces Liwen to head the debate team, much to Zhong Ai’s displeasure. At home, Zhong Ai is even more annoyed when she finds out Yiwei had confided in Fang Ting.

Xiaoshuai and Bai Yun decide to move in with Jinshun. Fang Ting and Zhong Ai try to stop them, but to no avail.

LEE’S FAMILY REUNION

Problems arise for the Xiaos when everyone vies for control of the family’s century-old biscuit business.

STARS Eric Huang (Xiao Tiancheng), Zhang Fengshu (Xia Yongzhen), June Liu Yue (Li Huixin/Li Wenfang), Angus Xie ( X i a o H a n s h e n g ) , Joanne Lian (Li Zhengnan/Chen Yijing), Ding Guolin (Qiu Jinlan), Chen Guanlin (Fang Xiaozu/Chen Jiabao), Chen Peiqi (Lin Ailin), Vicky Zeng (Lin Aiting), Miao Keli (Chen Liyun), Huang Yurong (Li Wenxing), Sunny Li (Fang Xiaowen), Chen Ting (Li Zaixing), Jiang Guobin (Lin Hongshan), Li Yan (Fang Xiaofei), Jian Chang (Lin Shuibo), Wang Hao (Xiao Hongshuai), Lin Youxing (Lin Jianhua), Duan Xinghui (Ye Yimei), Yi Zheng (David Xu Jian’an), Xia Jingting (Fang Heilong), Ji Liangzhu ( J i a n g X i a o c a o ) , Angela Yeh (Minmin) and Ding Liqi (Lin Feihu).

SAT NOV 11

7pm Episodes 598 & 599

Yo n g z h e n w o n d e r s w hy

Jinlan would protect Letian, who is the biggest obstacle to her taking over Shun Li Group. She tells Tiancheng she saw Letian and Minmin shopping together.

Tiancheng realises Yongzhen may return to Letian. Yongzhen feels a sense of responsibility towards Letian, but knows Tiancheng is the man she truly loves now. She and Tiancheng are s u s p i c i o u s o f L e t i a n ’s “resurrection”, and set out to investigate.

Jinlan tells Jieke off for letting Letian (Jian’an) go out; she is worried Yongzhen will find out the truth.

Minmin gets intimate with Letian in the hope of tying him down with a baby.

Letian rushes back to see Jinlan. He tells Minmin they need to put up with Jinlan for the time being, so that they can take over all the assets someday.

Jinlan tries to stop Yongzhen and Tiancheng from going into Letian’s ward. Letian jumps into the water when Tangtang spots him, but manages to get back to the ward in time to chase Yongzhen away.

Jinlan scolds Letian and threatens to deal with him if he takes action alone again.

Hansheng and Tiancheng are suspicious too, as the Letian they see now seems to be hiding something.

Yongzhen is determined to get near Letian to find out the truth.

Hansheng concludes that Jinlan’s current goal is the takeover of Shun Li Group.

As Letian and Haohao are not easy targets, he deduces that Yongzhen will be the first person she eliminates. Zhengnan suggests Yongzhen pretend to return to Letian, so as to lure Jinlan out into the open.

Hongshan is overjoyed when Yimei moves back home to be with him.

Ailin is sad over Xiaozu.

Upset, Shuibo orders Erzhu to teach Xiaozu a lesson.

Ailin tells Shuibo not to beat Xiaozu up for ending their relationship.

Shuibo and Hongshan inform Xiaozu that Ailin has gone missing. Xiaozu finds her by a cliff and wants to jump off to be with her.

He discovers he has been set-up, to entice him to accept Ailin again.

Minmin sees Xiaozu with Ailin and worries she will disappoint Letian.

Minmin discovers she is pregnant. She is taken aback that Letian is so jubilant about finally becoming a father. He quickly covers his elation with lies.

SUN NOV 12

7pm Episodes 600 to 602

Letian goes all out to make Minmin believe she is his true love. He urges her to use the baby to force Xiaozu to return to her and claims he is doing so in view of their future.

Supervisor Lu tells Jinlan that Tiancheng’s signature is required on the town project plans, as he is the designer. Tiancheng gloats that Jinlan has to depend on his signature to get the project going. In turn,

she sneer s at him for marrying Yongzhen to take over Shun Li Group.

Tiancheng tells Xiaozu his target is Jinlan. He hopes Xiaozu and Heilong will not thwart his plans.

Xiaozu coughs up blood and tells Tiancheng he only has five months left to live and is planning to use the Jiangs to refill the Fangs’ coffers. However, he does not want the Lins to suffer any losses, as he owes Ailin much. He implores Tiancheng to sign the papers.

Minmin wants Feihu to help her deal with Xiaozu and Ailin, but lies that she wants to help Xiaozu reconcile with Ailin.

Jinlan tells Heilong that Xiaozu is dying and should not interfere with the town project. Xiaowen covers up the real situation for Xiaozu.

Xiaowen is so angry with Jinlan for insulting Xiaozu that she nearly hits her.

Jinlan warns she may end up in prison if she is not careful and her baby will be like its father, who is often incarcerated. Xiaowen and Wenxing throw dirty water to get back at Jinlan.

Jinlan calls on Hansheng to get him to convince Tiancheng to sign the design paper s, so that the town project will move forward. He declares he is

More than meets the eye? Tiancheng and Hansheng wonder if they are missing the true picture.

in deep trouble because of her and Jiang Yong and has no time to help her. She blames all on Jiang Yong.

Hansheng acquiesces, and tells Jinlan he will help if she replaces the money he lost in the deal. She promises to, and he agrees to talk to Hongshuai. His reasoning is that Tiancheng may agree on Hongshuai’s account.

Hansheng thanks Tiancheng for helping him get the money back from Jinlan. He, Tiancheng and Xiaozu set aside their differences and promise to help each other.

W i t h F e i h u ’s h e l p , Minmin gets Xiaozu and Ailin drunk. Ailin wakes up to see Xiaozu beside her, and they get intimate.

Jinlan witnesses a quarrel between Tiancheng and Yongzhen. Tiancheng insists he drew close to Yongzhen for the Jiangs’ assets, but he no longer has need for her, as he can depend on the town project to succeed. He even claims he had sacrificed his liver merely to win her over and does not really love her.

Tiancheng chases Yongzhen away, and urges Letian to take her home.

I n t e a r s , Yo n g z h e n begs Letian to forgive her and let her return to the Jiang family to take care of him and Haohao. He refuses.

Jinlan is anxious when Tiancheng comments on J i e ke ’s s t r o n g c o l o g n e and its effects on Letian, who is supposedly still indisposed.

Yongzhen goes on her knees to beg Letian to forgive her.

Ailin and Xiaozu wake up and find Feihu and Minmin beside them, respectively.

Feihu is upset that Minmin had made use of him to entrap Ailin and Xiaozu.

8 DAYS | 97

SAVE THE FAMILY

A story depicting a threegenerational family braving obstacles and testing the depths of their kinship.

STARS Jae Hee (Zheng Yuzhen/Jung Woo-jin), Kang Byul (Li Haixiu/Lee Hae-soo), Jung Hye-in (Gao Yiyuan/ Ko Ye-won), Choi Il-hwa (Zheng Wancai/Jung Man-jae), Lee Wheehyang (Fu Xiuzi/Bok Soo-ja), Shin Seung-hwan (Zheng Taizhen/Jung Ta e - j i n ) , K i m D o n g - y o o n ( C u i Yuncan/Choi Yoon-chan), Lim Chaewon (Cui Yunjing/Choi Yoon-jung), Lee Yeol-eum (Wu Shimei/Oh Semi), Romina (Meina/Mi-na) and Byun Hee-bong (Zheng Zhufeng/Jung Soo-bong).

MON NOV 13

7pm Episodes 39 & 40

To coerce Yiyuan’s mother into reconsidering Yuzhen and Yiyuan’s mar riage, Xiuzi threatens to publicise her background. Yiyuan’s mother is incensed, and flatly refuses.

Yuzhen tells Yiyuan to forego her shares in the company and return to him; only then will he reconsider mending their relationship.

As she is unable to give up her family’s fortune, he is similarly unable to give up on his parents.

Infuriated, Yiyuan questions Yuzhen about his relationship with Haixiu. He warns her not to insult him and Haixiu.

Taizhen informs Xizhen that Zhengshu’s bir thday is approaching, and wants her to prepare the dinner.

Knowing Haixiu is a chef, Xizhen asks her for help.

Haixiu wishes to continue working in the cafeteria as it is closer to home, but Yiyuan wants her to leave and work at One’s. She questions Haixiu about her relationship with Yuzhen. Pressured, Haixiu confesses that she likes him.

Yuzhen arrives just in time to see Yiyuan hitting

98

8 DAYS

Haixiu. He reprimands her, and Yiyuan defends herself by saying she is disciplining an employee. Haixiu runs off.

Yiyuan issues Yuzhen a warning, saying she will do something drastic if he runs after Haixiu. She tells him to make Haixiu move out of his house immediately.

When she threatens to tell his mother they have broken up, he retorts that his mother is already aware of their split, Yiyuan insists his mother will not let go of her because her family owns One’s. Yuzhen rejects her.

On Zhengshu’s birthday, Xizhen brings roses to the celebration, as well as the dishes Haixiu has prepared.

Rongxin discovers numerous delivery receipts in Zhufeng’s pocket. She is heartbroken when she finds out he is working as a delivery man. She had been so occupied with helping Haocai that her family has suffered.

Yuzhen waits for Haixiu to return, and asks her why she did not pick up his calls. Reassuring her that there is no wrong in liking someone, he tells her that he likes her as a younger sister, and asks h e r t o co m e h o m e fo r dinner.

Xiuzi does not want Yu z h e n a n d Y i y u a n t o split, but Yuzhen tells her that if they get married, he will have to give up his family. He does not wish to do so.

Xiuzi tells Yiyuan to forget her relationship with Yuzhen. Although she had treated Yiyuan as a daughter-in-law because she was the heir of One’s, she knows Yiyuan has a fiancé and does not want her to play around.

Upset, Yiyuan faints and is sent to the hospital.

Instant turn-off: Yiyuan offers Yuzhen a proposal that disgusts him.

When she wakes up, she experiences temporar y memory loss.

TUE NOV 14

7pm Episodes 41 & 42

Rongxin follows Zhufeng to the delivery office and asks to make delivery rounds with him. They finish their rounds together, and he treats her to ice-cream.

Zhengshu finally agrees to meet the in-laws. Yuncan hurriedly relays the happy news to Xizhen, and they embrace.

At the hospital, Yiyuan tells her father Yuzhen is key to upholding One’s branding. She does not want an arranged business m a r r i a g e ; r a t h e r, s h e wants their consumer s to think of hers as a pure romantic tale of marrying her first love.

Yuzhen overhears their conversation and feels so humiliated that he vomits.

Haixiu comes up to pat his back. Frustrated, he punches the wall. She scolds him for hurting his hand.

That night, Yiyuan messages Yuzhen, asking him to visit her. He ignores the message. Ir ritated, she resolves to continue hounding him.

Xiuzi visits Yiyuan in the hospital. Yiyuan wants Xiuzi

to believe that her previous engagement has been annulled.

At that moment, Yiyuan’s mother brings Shengxian to visit. Although Yiyuan is unfriendly, Shengxian is attracted to her cold persona.

Zhufeng and Rongxin retur n home from their deliveries to find Haocai and Ailan eating watermelons ravenously.

Rongxin gets into an argument with Ailan about their over-reliance on them, and cries.

Yuzhen and Haixiu return home together and are stopped by Yiyuan, who is driving. She wants Yuzhen t o g e t i n t h e c a r. H e announces that he likes Haixiu, and the two run away.

Yuzhen and Haixiu are drenched when they reach home. Yuzhen lies to Xiuzi that they were caught in the rain.

Zhengshu develops an affinity for Xizhen at their very first meeting. Taizhen grabs the oppor tunity to s ay s h e c a n n o t a l l o w Yuncan to move out, and that Xizhen would be more afraid of Zhengshu if they live together and would treat Yuncan better. Zhengshu agrees.

CH 8

Yu n c a n i s t r o u b l e d ; he had promised Xizhen they would live in a large apartment after marriage.

Yunjing comes to his defence and reasons that Zhengshu should let them move out if she wants them to be married.

Wancai receives a call from the company asking him to perform at an event. He worries his wife will find out, since the event is at a market near their home. Zhufeng advises him to cover his head as Rongxin does.

WED NOV 15

7pm Episodes 43 & 44

Yiyuan asks Haixiu why she does not want to work at One’s. Haixiu cites her contract, which states she is to work in the hospital cafeteria. Yiyuan sneers that her real reason for working in the hospital must be Yuzhen, and warns her not to believe in his lies.

She insists Yuzhen is merely using Haixiu to trigger her jealousy.

Zhengshu wants to d i s c u s s Yu n c a n a n d X i z h e n ’s m a r r i a g e w i t h X i u z i . H o w e v e r, X i u z i brushes it off, saying it is inappropriate for them to be in-laws. Moreover, Yuncan does not have a proper job and has dated numerous women. They disagree, and Zhengshu leaves angrily.

Xiuzi calls Xizhen and demands she come home immediately. Fearing her mother would disagree to the relationship, Xizhen calls Yuncan for help. He offers to accompany her home but she is afraid Xiuzi will beat him.

Yu z h e n c o n f i d e s i n Haixiu that he loves Yiyuan.

However, he knows he can never reach her standard.

He is thankful for Haixiu’s companionship.

Xizhen asks Yuzhen and

Taizhen to accompany her home. Xiuzi is so angr y that she shouts at Xizhen and demands to know why she must date Yuncan.

She chops off Xizhen’s hair with a pair of scissors, and Xizhen runs out of the house.

Shimei tries to persuade Xiuzi not to cast her children out. She relates her own experience and how she had felt no one could help her. She encourages Xiuzi to forgive Xizhen.

Xizhen meets Yuncan and ends up going to his home. Zhengshu wants her to return to her own home, reasoning that she cannot accept someone who has been cast out. Eventually, Xizhen spends the night there.

Hoping to leave a good impression, Xizhen wakes up early to make breakfast for everyone.

Yiyuan wants the cafeteria to check on why there has been an increase in the amount of leftover food. Everyone assumes it is because the ingredients are not fresh, but Yiyuan defends the integrity of her company.

Haixiu’s father visits the hospital to check on patients and to have lunch

with her. He bumps into Yuzhen, who informs him Haixiu is currently staying with him. That knowledge puts Haixiu’s father at ease.

He asks Yuzhen to take care of Haixiu for him. Yiyuan sees them.

F i l l e d w i t h j e a l o u s y, Yiyuan asks for Haixiu to be given an overseas posting, and conducts a private background check on her.

Zhufeng realises he has been more forgetful lately.

At a hospital check-up, he is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Xizhen retur ns home but is afraid to step inside.

She flees to Yuncan’s house yet again when she sees that her mother is still fuming.

Yuzhen insists on taking Haixiu to her father’s fried chicken shop for a meal.

At her stepmother’s hurtful words, however, she leaves the shop angrily. Yuzhen encourages her to put aside her hatred so that she will be able to love again.

THUR NOV 16

7pm Episodes 45 & 46

Yiyuan phones Xiuzi, saying she would like to have a word with her.

X i u z i v i s i t s Y i y u a n ’s

CH

CH 5

office and declares it is the last time she will hear her out. To her surprise, Yiyuan breaks the news that Haixiu had intentionally moved into her home because she is fond of Yuzhen, and advises her t o g e t H a i x i u t o m ov e out. Xiuzi defends Haixiu, saying she understands H a i x i u a n d t r u s t s h e r.

Insisting she cannot bear to ask Haixiu to leave in her current situation, she storms off.

Yiyuan receives the infor mation on Haixiu’s background and finds out her father operates one of the chain stores belonging to One’s. She starts scheming when she finds out the contract is ending.

Xiuzi ar rives to take Xizhen home. Xizhen insists her mother should agree to her marriage with Yuncan. If not, she will not leave. Just as Xiuzi is about to fly into a rage, Taizhen stops her.

Yuncan begs Xiuzi to agree to their nuptials.

Haocai and Ailan share the happy news of Ailan’s pregnancy with their family.

Zhufeng thanks Ailan for fulfilling such a miracle, and asks Haocai to be more mature. Ailan is touched by

Long-lost love: Caught in a bind, Yuncan tells Meina to forget him.

8 DAYS | 99

everyone’s concern.

Xiuzi tells Yuzhen what Yiyuan said to her the day before. She is aware of Haixiu’s lies, and asks him to keep his distance to prevent misunderstanding.

Yiyuan confronts Yuzhen about his attitude towards her, and they argue.

Yiyuan’s father summons her to his office. There, she meets Shengxian, as well as her mother, who informs her that they are discussing a new par tnership. They are not pleased that the business over seen

by Yiyuan has recorded losses recently, but Yiyuan assures them she has her plans.

Yuncan visits Shimei’s workplace and sees a missing person’s notice displaying photos of him and Meina. Flustered, he leaves in a hurry.

Haixiu’s father begs Yiyuan to reconsider their shop’s contract as it is his family’s only means of livelihood. Haixiu arrives to see her dad pleading ear nestly and insisting he has to continue with One’s because its charges are lower than other companies.

Canbin sneaks into the super mar ket wearing a pair of sunglasses. Shimei suspects he is Tongbai’s father. When she asks him to take off his sunglasses, he runs off.

Xizhen retur ns home stealthily and gets splashed with water by Xiuzi. Realising that the pregnant Ailan is occupying her room, she throws a tantrum. She ends up staying with Haixiu for the night.

FRI NOV 17

7pm Episodes 47 & 48

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8 DAYS

her decision to move out, giving the excuse that her siblings have requested a bigger room. Xiuzi cannot bear for them to leave, and Haixiu apologises.

Yiyuan’s father informs Y i y u a n o f t h e b o a r d ’s decision to retract their hospital investments as the business that she is overseeing is not garnering profits. Shengxian asks Yiyuan to partner with him if she does not want to see One’s in trouble.

LORD OF SHANGHAI

Based on a true story, this drama details the power struggle between three business tycoons in 1930s Shanghai.

STARS Anthony Wong (Qiao Aotian), Wayne Lai (Gong Xiaoshan), Kent Tong (Zhai Jintang), Kenneth Ma (Young Qiao Aotian), Alice Chan (Yao Guisheng), Myolie Wu (Gu Xiaolou), Louisa So (Cao Yuelan), Jade Leung (Liu Meiqin), Eddie Kwan (Han Li), Ron Ng (Li Zhaokuang), Grace Wong (Chu Tingting) and To Yin Gor (Tojo).

MON NOV 13 10pm Episode 23

Ever since he befriended Xiaoshan, Tojo has been planning to invite all the celebrities in Shanghai

t o a t t e n d t h e Te n c h o Festival. Xiaodie offers to help him.

Guanchao and his fellow members attempt to investigate Tojo and his associates. Junjie is assigned to follow Xiaodie, but is kidnapped instead.

Tojo invites Xiaoshan t o a t t e n d t h e Te n c h o Festival and, persuaded by Xiaodie, Xiaoshan eventually agrees.

Just as those from the National Liaison Office are leading the troops to arrest all the Axe Gang members, they run into Tingheng and the French Concession police. Tingheng intervenes and gets them out of trouble.

Apar t from instructing Zhaokuang to hand the condolence money to D a k u i ’s f a m i l y, A o t i a n wants Guanchao and the others to leave Shanghai immediately.

Han Li receives the cotton mill’s employee list and order s their ar rest within a day.

TUE NOV 14

10pm Episode 24

Meeting with Han Li at night, Aotian pleads with him for the release of all

TVB

Haixiu’s stepmother visits Yiyuan to plead with her to reconsider the contract. If she and her husband lose the business, they will not

be able to send their son to university. Yiyuan asks her to discipline Haixiu instead, and tells her to get Haixiu to move out from Yuzhen’s home, in order to keep the contract.

A n g r i l y , H a i x i u ’s stepmother calls on Haixiu and blames her for stealing Yiyuan’s boyfriend. She demands Haixiu move out, so that her family can resume earning a living.

Yu n c a n v i s i t s t h e supermarket secretly to take a photo of the missing person’s notice. He phones Meina, but does not dare say a word. Shimei concludes he is Tongbai’s f a t h e r, a s s o m e o n e unrelated would not behave in this way.

Xizhen retur ns home only to be mocked yet again

by Xiuzi. She tries to say Yuncan helps his mother manage the family business, which would eventually belong to him, and that he is not a vagrant. However, Xiuzi is dismissive, and points out it will be another 20 years before the company actually belongs to him.

H a i x i u v i s i t s Yiyuan to clear up a misunder standing . She asks Yiyuan about her father’s contract, and agrees to move out of Yuzhen’s home. Yiyuan gives her a month to do so.

Zhufeng takes Rongxin to the old folks’ home to visit their sister, who is unable to recognise them.

Yuncan paces anxiously in his room. He calls Meina, who asks to meet him in person as she has something impor tant to say.

When they meet, Meina reminds him of the loving times they had shared in Uzbekistan. However, he brushes it all off. He shows her his wedding ring and asks her to forget him.

Haixiu informs Xiuzi of

Freedom’s fighter: Zhaokuang’s intentions eventually become clear to Tingting.

the workers. Han Li replies that only through the handing over of Guanchao will the Chairman feel relieved.

Tingting gives the press card to Guanchao. As soon as she leaves, Zhaokuang a p p e a r s . R i g h t a w a y, Tingting asks Zhaokuang why he is tailing her and whether he has become Aotian’s protege.

Aotian is conferred a medal of honour. The other businessmen sit up and take notice.

Since the Japanese Chief Engineer is dead, the government is seeking new bids for the Tianjin N o r t h R a i l way p r o j e c t .

Hoping a Chinese company will be awarded the contract to build the infrastructure, Aotian proactively contacts the Chinese businessmen, aiming to raise enough money for an effective bid.

In the wake of the Japanese military’s invasion of China, Han Li meets with Aotia n a n d relays the message that the Chairman is assembling all the patriots to put up a fight against the Japanese.

Aotian is willing to give his full support.

WED NOV 15 10pm Episode 25

The Japanese troops conquer Henan and press on towards Shanghai.

Aotian asks Yaoguang to organise a charity opera for the counter-Japanese movement.

Aotian puts Zhaokuang in charge of for ming a special task force to assist the Chinese militar y in transporting supplies, as well as maintaining public order.

Xiaoshan attempts to win the Japanese over by using Tojo’s relationship with them. Perceiving Xiaoshan’s real intentions, Tojo takes

out a list of names of the counter-Japanese activists and urges him to get rid of them.

Ya o g u a n g i s hospitalised for his injuries, and Aotian gets him armed protection.

Tingting finally comes to realise Zhaokuang had a good reason for what he did. After Yaoguang regains consciousness, someone bursts into his ward. As Xiaolou struggles to resist the intr uder, Aotian goes to her rescue and even takes a bullet for her.

Jintang meets with Guisheng and asks for a reconciliation.

THUR NOV 16 10pm Episode 26

Xiaoshan meets up with Jintang and Aotian in the hope of winning them over to serve the Japanese military, but they outrightly reject the idea.

Yuelan returns from the UK, and is upset with Aotian for not telling her about his injuries.

E v e n t u a l l y, t h e Japanese military conquers t h e C h i n e s e S e c t o r.

The special task force sustains a large number of casualties.

With refugees flooding into the French Concession, the area is plunged into chaos. Yuelan and Xiaolou are attacked by the r i o t e r s . F o r t u n a t e l y, Zhaokuang comes to their rescue.

Y u e l a n ’s w o u n d becomes infected and she develops a high f ev e r. H o wev e r, t h e r e is no medication; all the antibiotics have been confiscated by the Japanese military.

During the Isolated Island Period, Han Li sneaks back to Shanghai to meet Aotian and asks him to gather

CO MP I L E D BY

intelligence by feigning submission to Tojo.

Aotian is amb u shed and critically injured in a shooting. Xiaoshan pays a visit to Aotian and accuses the National Liaison Office of going back on its word.

Tojo gives antibiotics to Aotian. In turn, Aotian considers donating money to Tojo. When his proteges object, he tells the dissenters to leave.

FRI NOV 17

10pm Episode 27

The Chinese Sector has fallen to the Japanese, and Jintang tries in vain to talk Guisheng around. Jintang decides to stay too, and assist in the evacuation of the people from the Chinese Sector.

B y c h a n c e , Yu e l a n discover s Aotian has a crush on Xiaolou. She discloses ever ything she knows to Xiaolou, who has no idea how to respond.

A t To j o ’s o r d e r s , Xiaoshan sets out to eliminate Jintang. However, he finds out about a large number of passes and seizes Jintang instead for interrogation.

Early the next morning, Aotian manages to save Jintang and arranges for him to leave Shanghai.

U n e x p e c t e d l y, J i n t a n g insists on looking for Guisheng.

Xiaoshan sends his men out to arrest the guerrillas.

In the nick of time, Jintang arrives. He urges Guisheng to get the others and flee for their lives.

The Japanese supplies are r unning shor t. Tojo commands Xiaoshan to confiscate all the available supplies and submit them to the military.

NGU I KIM M UI

TANGLIN

The series chronicles the lives of four families who live in the Tanglin neighbourhood: the Tongs, Rahmans, Bhaskars and Lims.

STARS Nat Ho (Jay Lim), Constance Song (Lim Xue Ling), Margaret Lim (Lim Bee Li), Richard Low (Lim Kwong San), Adam Chen (Adam Tong), Darryl Yong (Ben Tong), Wee Soon Hui (Tong Li Yan), Laurence Pang (Tong Ah Biao), Taufik Batisah (Khairul Anuar), Mastura Ahmad (Salmah Bte Samsudin), Mathialagan (Bhaskar Ram), Yuvina Malathi Ram (Meera Bhaskar), Jae Liew (Diana Tong), Charlie Goh (Eddie Tong), Eden Ang (Michael Tong), Valere Ng (Melissa Tong), Elfa (Nadiah Bte Abdul Rahman), Syirah Jusni (Norleena Bte Abdul Rahman), Fauzie Laily (Sulaiman Bin Hassan), James Kumar s/o Chandran (Arjun), Eswari d/o Gunasagar (Shruti), Gayle Nerva (Suzanne Monteiro), Hatta Said (Wafiq Fayad), Aleeyah Nabilah (Kalila Bte Wafiq), Kimberley Chia (Lauren), Rosalind Pho (Vanessa), James Seah (Christopher Tong), Kayly Loh (Felicia Ng), Tay Ping Hui (Peter Tay), Mike Kasem (Jamie) and Lok Meng Chue (Li Ting).

MON NOV 13

8.30pm Episode 603/698

After the big blow-up between Li Yan and Adam at TCH, Diana, Chris and Ben have a showdown with Adam and threaten to cut him off from the Tongs.

Arjun is reminded by

Dr Raja that the gift he received from Natalie could turn the case against him.

Ah Biao goes into depression when his earnings as a taxi driver continue to tumble.

TUE NOV 14

8.30pm Episode 604/698

Meera and Bhaskar insist on preparing a legal defence for Arjun despite warnings from Tanya that it could end up undermining their son.

While at the hospital, Zara takes things into her own hands and has a talk with Natalie.

At TCH, Ah Biao and Mrs Pereira sign up for courses tailored to seniors.

WED NOV 15

8.30pm Episode 605/698

Diana apologises for missing Jun Kai’s taste test, and needs cheering up after her argument with Adam. Sheila arrives at TCH and insists on staying for lunch. When she makes snide remarks about how untrustworthy Jun Kai would be as a business partner, Diana retorts, and Chris is put in a spot.

At the Rahmans, Norleena continues to be cold towards Sulaiman, while Salmah has some encouraging words for him.

Although Arjun’s case is

finally settled and his name cleared, Dr Raja still has punishment in store for him for defying his orders.

Chris has big plans for his wedding anniversary and rallies Felicia and Gina to help keep it a secret from Suzanne.

THUR NOV 16

8.30pm Episode 606/698

Suzanne finds out about the wedding anniversar y surprise Chris has planned for her.

In her attempt to get Nor leena and Sulaiman back together, Diana plans a dessert-tasting session at Jay’s place.

At Life Feed, Chris and Vanessa start to get worried for their jobs when Khairul and Sheila have a big fight.

FRI NOV 17

8.30pm Episode 607/698

Tanya decides to come clean with Joy about her relationship with Dr Raja.

Wafiq lectures Kalila on the dangers of making friends online and in the process, finds out about Melissa and Ashley.

Meanwhile, Chris starts getting overconfident about his plans with Khairul.

ALL SYNOPSES AND DATES OF TELECAST ARE CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINTING. HOWEVER, OCCASIONAL ADJUSTMENTS MAY BE MADE BY MEDIACORP TV.

Sharp shooters: When Sheila and Diana have words, Chris is put in a difficult position.

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COLIN G OH

So PM Lee has invited Donald Trump to visit Singapore next year. But what to show him, ah?

ingaporean AttractionS TO SHOW DONALD TRUMP ON HIS VISIT

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The Bird Park — because he loves tweeting things.

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That Nathan Hartono musical — “The Great Wall”.

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Some Singapura kitties — in case he feels the urge to grab some cats lah.

The Singapore Flyer — the only thing powerful enough to blow his hair.

01

06

The Science Centre’s Mirror Maze — so he can get lost in his own reflection.

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The Singapore Zoo — so he can have breakfast with our orange primate.

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