Shawn Ethan @ Mickey's Magic Show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.. Kallang Leisure Park.. :)

Here's a photo I took of Shawn using my Nokia N95, before the show started..

Photos were not allowed to be taken once the show starts..

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific and Borneo Motors Singapore proudly presents Toyota Classics 2007 - The Cadaques Orchestra

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific and Borneo Motors Singapore proudly presents Toyota Classics 2007 - The Cadaques Orchestra, held at the Esplanade Concert Hall, 7.30pm - 10pm, on the 6th of November 2007, Tuesday.
And I was there!!! :)

Yeah, I had the privilege to be able to be there to attend the Orchestra.. :)

All thanks to my dear brother & friend, James..

He had 2 tickets to the Orchestra as his friend wasn't able to make it for the event..

Thus when he offered the tickets to whoever's interested, I immediately informed him I was interested in going for it..

Being someone who's always interested in anything related to the Arts, music, Drama, film, theatre, entertainment, etc.. I wouldn't miss this chance of attending an Orchestra held at the Esplanade.. :)

The only person that I know & came to my mind that would appreciate classical music, besides me, would be Mike.. ( no other guys I know, appreciates classical music except him.. )

Thus I informed him about this event & he immediately offered to go attend it with me.. :)

I collected the tickets from James on Monday night & guess how much was each ticket?!

They were $72.00 each!!! And they were Circle 2 Seats!!! Expensive, ya? :p

Anyway, we enjoyed ourselves last evening at the Esplanade..

The Spanish Orchestra played beautifully..

There was a Tenor - Francisco Vas, who sang with the Orchestra..

Impressive voice.. :)

There were also special performances by our very own local ; talented violinist, Min Lee..

The funds raised from this event was for the charity organization, MILK ( Mainly I Love Kids ), that gives hope to disadvantaged children by funding their education, care & guidance, medical treatment or special needs and guiding them back to mainstream society.

MILK gives them the opportunities which they otherwise would not have so that they can get out of the downward cycle that their circumstances have destined them to.

MILK helps children from troubled low-income families or who are born sick or physically challenged; children who just need a chance at life. MILK identifies and helps children and youths who "fall between the cracks" - those who have genuine needs but are unable to receive help through the usual channels..

蘇打綠-小情歌

In love with this song for a very long time already.. Since months ago till now.. Still love it like crazy..

蘇打綠-小情歌

Nick Vujicic... What an amazing guy..

We had a guest speaker for our church service today..

This guy is soooooo special & amazing!!!

He is indeed an inspiration, not only to me, but millions of people all around the world.. :)

His name is Nick Vujicic..

I believe many people in Singapore & all around the world have heard of him..


MUST check out this website: http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/

Then you will understand why he is so special & amazing..

His message was also so touching, encouraging & inspiring..

He shared on how God always has wonderful plans for our lives, no matter who we are & what we have gone thru'..

Many times we all go thru' so much pain in our lives but by embracing our circumstances, we can use them to give glory to God..

He shared with us how he is a living testimony.. how God has used him to share His love, joy, peace, forgiveness, hope, etc to millions all around the world..

He is so cheerful, so funny & humourous too! :)

What an amazing guy! :)

Thank God for people like him who never give up but instead bring love, joy, peace, hope to this broken down world..

Jeremiah 29:11-14
Vs. 11: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Vs. 12: Then you will call upon me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Vs.13: And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Vs. 14: I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Philippians 4:6-7
Vs.7: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Vs.8: and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

He shared that grace & faith are gifts from God, thus by God's grace & faith, we put our trust in Him over our lives..

2 Corinthians 12:9
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

We all have weaknesses for a reason, so that the power of God can rest upon us, for us to be a testimony to others who go thru' tough times that we had been thru'!

John 9:1-3 ( The story of the man who was blind from birth & Jesus healed him )

One thing he said before his sharing ended & it really touched my heart & brought tears to my eyes..

He said something like this:
"The value of one's soul is worth a lifetime of pain.. if I were to choose to live my life this way again just to save souls, I will.. Why not?"

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!! Wow spelled backwards is still wow... :)

Watched "Secret" AGAIN!!! For the 3rd time.. ;p

Watched "Secret" AGAIN!!! For the 3rd time!!!.. ;p

Watched it for so many times already that this time when I watched the movie, I could even know what scene comes next, what's the line they are going to say next..

So scary.. ;p

Watched it again with my darling, Clement last night at The Cathay.. the 9.15pm screening..
He had 2 free tickets for the movie, so why not?!

Of course, after watching the movie so many times, the loopholes in the movie are getting more & more obvious to me.. ;p

1st loophole..

As mentioned by Mike before, in the movie, Lu Xiao Yu, back in 1979, used that kind of bottled liquid paper to write on her wooden desk..

As most of us born in the 70's.. ( I'm born in 1978 )we would all know that that kind of liquid paper was not even invented yet!!!I remembered what we had then only was the "brush kind" of liquid paper.. those of you will know what I mean.. ( liquid paper was applied on using brushes ).. ;p

2nd loophole, pointed out by Clement, he mentioned that in the scene when Xiang Lun went over to Xiao Yu's house to find out the truth about her, at first, he was talking to her mother with his side profile facing her, the very next scene, he was facing her..

Anyway, no matter what it is, I STILL LOVE THE MOVIE!!! Hehe.. ;)

The Changing Point

Clement's directing a few episodes for this new movie called "The Changing Point".. ;)

Go check it out at http://www.thechangingpoint.blogspot.com/! :)

How to tell if your feet stink?!...

How to tell if your feet stink?!...

HAHAHA!!! =D

Always love cats!!! =D

Watched "Secret" with Clement last night or should I say this morning? ;p

Watched "Secret" with Clement last night or should I say, this morning? ;p

Due to Clement's unpredictable work schedule & as filming can sometimes end later than expected due to unforseen circumstances.. ( which happens 95% of the time )..

He knocked off work later than the expected time..

When we left Mediacorp, it was already 12am & by the time we reached The Cathay, it was already 12.30am, which means we have already missed half of the movie that had started at 11.30pm.

Thus we decided to get the tickets for the 1.10am movie..

Fortunately for us, The Cathay's Box Office was still opened.. ( The Cathay's Box Office opens till past midnight on weekends ) :)

We managed to catch the 1.10am screening..

The movie was very very nice! :)

There's humour, romance, suspense, fantasy, very touching moments, with a twist towards the end..

I thoroughly enjoyed it! :)

Will definitely purchase the soundtrack.. :)

Most of the piano pieces played in the movie sounded easy enough.. Most of them were composed or improvised, that's for sure.. As I don't remember any of them as Chopin's waltzes..

Of course, watching Jay play those piano pieces certainly brought back lotsa memories for me..

Remembering all those years of me practising on my piano.. those pieces I played by Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Mozart, Chopin.. ( My favourite composer is definitely Mozart ) :)

When I watched the movie, I knew exactly what they were studying & talking about.. "Augmented.. Diminished.. bar chords.. Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern period".. etc etc etc..

I took piano studies for so many years of my life..

Proudly declare I finished all 8 grades of my piano studies donkey years ago! :)

I'm impressed by Jay's creativity as a director & producer..

He did an awesome job! :)

I definitely wanna watch that movie again! ;)

( Clement definitely has to watch it again some other day.. He slept thru' half of the screening! Poor fella.. he was so sleepy.. :/ )

After the movie, we "tawned" thru the night..

We went for a drink & "breakfast" at the nearby KOPITIAM foodcourt..

After which we took a stroll down to the Merlion park & watched the dawn break..

It was an unforgettable experience for both of us, as it was a rare opportunity for both our busy lives .. :)

We headed for home around 8plus in the morning..

And I've not slept a wink till now.. ;p

24th of July 2007, Tuesday night .. :)

Me & Mike went to Raffles City for dinner that Tuesday night.. :)

Finally purchased the tickets from SISTIC to the play, "Happy Endings - Asian Boys Vol. 3".. :)

Heard from lots of people's reviews that it's a very good play! :)

Must catch it.. :)

Looking forward to watching it this Saturday with my dearest "brother", Clement.. :)

( See Below )
HAPPY ENDINGS: ASIAN BOYS VOL. 3
Opens 11 - 29 July 2007
Drama Centre Theatre @ National Library, Level 3
In this much anticipated final instalment of the Asian Boys Trilogy, Alfian Sa’at adapts Johann S Lee’s Peculiar Chris, Singapore’s first gay novel, for the stage.

1992. In their final year at Junior College, Christopher Han and his best friends – Sylvia, Kenneth and Nicholas, discover the ecstasy and pain of falling in love. Later, while serving his National Service, Chris has a relationship with his army officer, Samuel, before leaving for London for further studies.

2007. After 15 years abroad, Chris returns to a Singapore that he barely recognises. The city has become a veritable gay wonderland, while repressive attitudes remain as entrenched as ever. Sylvia has become part of the leading vanguard for change. Kenneth has renounced his past, refashioning himself as a voice for conservatism. And Nicholas is partying like there’s no tomorrow.

Haunted by the ghosts of the past, and yet enchanted by the spectres of the present, Chris is torn between nostalgia for a more innocent decade, and hope for a wiser future. Timely, urgent and moving, Happy Endings asks what it means for a society to come of age.

Reviews for Asian Boys Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

“Bold, insightful look into S’pore gay culture… Landmarks is a showcase of Alfian Sa’at’s masterful play with words.” - SPH The Business Times (review of Landmarks: Asian Boys Vol.2)

"Go, not because it's gay theatre, it's great theatre." - Kakiseni.com

"A skilful marriage of political and personal concerns... Landmarks hits perfect pitch." - SPH The Straits Times Life!

ASIAN BOYS VOL. 1 marks an important step and direction for gay theatre in Singapore, at the very opportune moment where a more visible and burgeoning gay existence in Singapore is trying to find its precarious position in society. - James Koh, The Flying Inkpot, 2001

LANDMARKS: ASIAN BOYS VOL. 2 is important: it is the first local play I can remember that attempts to address the whole experience of being gay rather than just some subsection or other of homosexuality…it does not sell out to meaningless camp as do many…to give way to the inevitable, a landmark production. - Matthew Lyon, The Flying Inkpot, 2004

"Alfian Sa’at’s is the voice that will not let you forget. A skilful marriage of political and personal concerns, Landmarks hits perfect pitch." - Clarissa Oon, SPH The Straits Times Life!

“Scintillatingly funny and thought provoking.” - Cheah Ui Hoon, SPH The Business Times

"Go. Not because it's gay theatre, it's great theatre." - Pang Khee Teik, Kakiseni.com

“ASIAN BOYS VOL. 1 embraced what is seen as alien, clinical or criminal in Singapore and loved it into poignant life.” - James Koh, The Flying Inkpot

***ST Life! Theatre Awards 2004, Winner, Best Original Script***

About Alfian Sa’atAlfian is an acclaimed multiple award-winning author, poet and playwright. He was recognised for his achievements in 2001 by receiving the Young Artist Award.

As W!LD RICE’s Resident Playwright, Alfian’s wrote Landmarks: Asian Boys Vol. 2, a critically acclaimed play that was sold out before its first night! Alfian’s most recent play, Homesick, premièred to critical acclaim and full houses as the opening production of the 2006 Singapore Theatre Festival.

Credits

Playwright Alfian Sa’at
Director Ivan Heng
Cast Karen Tan, Robin Goh, Timothy Nga, Koey Foo, Pierre Goh, Galvin Yeo, Genevieve Lim, Hansel Tan, Ben Xiao, Lim Kay Siu

Took these photos of the National Museum last Thursday night, using my Samsung Digital Camera..

Took these photos of the National Museum last Thursday night, using my Samsung Digital Camera..

Beautiful, aren't they? ;)

The past 1 over month.. My musings.. ( A letter to myself )

Went thru' alot for the past 1 over month already..

After so much has happened.. after all the crap I've been thru'..

I've finally made up my mind to change my lifestyle, which is the one I had been having for the past 1 over month.. :p

( Of course, there were personal reasons I got myself into that kind of lifestyle.. )

There is definitely much more to life than just drinking; smoking; pubbing; clubbing all the time, almost every night, just to occupy one's time, to prevent loneliness, to avoid feeling the emptiness, to prevent from going / staying home, thinking too much..

At the end of everything, we still wake up in the morning still feeling empty & maybe even more emptiness & feeling even worse than before.. ( hangovers, regrets etc.. )

Back to cruel reality & life.. even though the activities the night before, could temporarily "fill" up the "gap", by allowing one to forget our problems temporarily the night before..

However, all these ain't gonna solve all the problems, stress, loneliness & emptiness in life that night, or the next morning, or forever..

I've had enough of this kind of lifestyle!

I've made up my mind & decision to change it!

It's been 1 over month & I've had enough of all the drinking.. smoking.. pubbing.. clubbing.. headaches.. heartaches.. crying.. getting so drunk that I had to puke all my guts out.. losing my voice & getting my throat inflamed from so much drinking.. so drunk I needed my friends to come & send me home..

I've had enough! Enough is enough, Grace! Wake up!

There is definitely so much more to life than waste it away this way!

There are so many people, friends & loved ones of yours out there who really love you, care for you, concern for you, watching over you!

Stop wasting your life, health, time & effort on those who don't even care a damn about you, deserve you, your love, your tears & all you've ever done for them!

Grace! Be Strong! As you always were & used to be & still is!

Get on! Move it! Move on in life!

There is so much more to be done ahead!

You've already wasted so much time wallowing in your sorrows, self-pity, regrets & stupid mistakes for the past 1 over month already!

It's time to pick yourself up from now on & move on to greater things you can do ahead!

Nobody's gonna be able to do it but it's me myself who have to stand up to everything & be strong!

To learn to love & respect myself, for others to respect me!

I've had enough! Now it's time for the strong Grace to be back!

Be the woman I used to be!

The Grace men & women used to adore, respect & look up to!

I can do it! I know I can!

Cos' I'm so over it! :)

Yours truly,
Grace Tan

These are all so true & they are all exactly how I'm feeling these days.. ( Sad but true.. )

Ocean Butterflies called me.. Congratulated me upon succeeding in my auditions..

Ocean Butterflies called me on Tuesday evening.. Congratulated me upon succeeding in my auditions..

But you know what's the best part???!!!

They told me that I can start classes on the 8th of July & the course fee is $998.00!!!

Excuse me?!

Why should I pay you guys??!!

If you guys really want me to act, you guys should be paying me instead!!! :/

They said the course will last 3 months. Lessons will be held every Sunday 2-5pm & we will have to pay the course fee by end of June!!

I was like, thinking, "This is absurd!"

During the auditions, they mentioned that for those people who were selected after the auditions will be given a contract in singing /acting..

Now we have to pay to get a contract with them???!!!

And what makes us think that that means we may necessary obtain a contract with them when we finish attending the classes!!!

They even mentioned that they can't & don't promise every single person training under them a recording / acting contract!!!

Anyway, I don't intend to join them.. So I simply told them "I'll consider.."

And of course, when they call me again end of this month, I'll just simply tell them "I'm not interested & I'm already attending an Adult Acting Workshop. "

* Talking about the Adult Acting Workshop / Drama Workshop, it's starting again today & I'm so looking forward to it!!! We had so much fun during our last workshop in March / April.. * :)

Guess I'm still more interested and cut out for acting in English dramas & plays.. ;)

Shawn Ethan

Sorry.. kinda blur.. ;p

Shawn & his birthday cake

Finally went for & done with my 2nd audition with Ocean Butterflies & J Team Productions yesterday.. :)

Yeah.. Worked till 4pm yesterday & then headed to the Red Dot Traffic Building where the office of Ocean Butterflies & J Team Productions is, for my 2nd audition..

Hmm.. kinda surprised that they were very few people there for the 2nd audition yesterday..

Yeah.. As I've mentioned before, I already feel very happy, honoured & satisfied that they selected me to come for a 2nd audition as only selected few were chosen.. :)

It was altogether a very interesting, eye-opening & fun experience to go for both the auditions.. :)

I enjoyed myself.. :)