Sunday, November 11, 2012

Generation Gap

While Ace was in school and I had nothing to do... I turned on the TV... Only to see a familiar face in an ang moh movie!:)

Guess who?




Edmund Chen lor! Street Fighter: In Legend of  Chun Li....




Which brings me to the next point.. if I were to share this piece of interesting news with Ace, he will probably ask me "Who is Edmund Chen?" even though Edmund used to be a super idol hearthrob in Singapore when I was growing up.

The other day, we were discussing about the other jobs I have ever done before I became a homemaker and we were talking about my stint as an entertainment reporter.

Ace asked me, "So which famous star did you interview, Mummy?"

And after thinking long... and HARD.. I didn't know how to answer!? Reason being, most of the stars that I remember interviewing whom I remember... Ace doesnt know them at all! Cos most of them are no longer active now...

Some examples I can think of are:
Aaron Kwok, Stephen Chow, Stefanie Sun, Ekin Cheng, Cecilia Chung, Lin Xinru, Karen Mok... On the local front, Zoe Tay, Fann Wong, Tay Ping Hui, Jacelyn Tay, Vincent Ong, Chew Chor Ming, Xiang Yun and yes, even Edmund Chen:)... etc etc etc..

But my son doesnt know anyone of them... Perhaps the ONLY person i ever interviewed that he knows is Chen Hanwei because he loved the show WU FU:) wahahahahahaha...

And the only international star tat we both know is Jackie Chan because Jackie has a cartoon show of his own and my son is into kung fu kicks:)

Hai, I guess this is what you call generation gap..

Luckily for me, I still know who is Psy, who is Justin Beiber and Taylor Swift... hahahaha:)

PS: Look what I found on the internet....

(Pictures and article by Yours Truly...)

27 Jul 2001 A more confident Stefanie


Change. It happens to everyone and it is part of growing up. After stepping into the working world, people usually grow up older, wiser and worldly wise. Stefanie is no exception.
By Peng Wan Joo

On the paparazzi

Turning the talk to the Taiwanese paparazzi, Stefanie informs us that she is already a popular target of news-hungry scribes. The price of fame, perhaps. “But all they have are pictures of me shopping and eating,” she says with a somewhat triumphant smile.
While she initially felt rather scared, she says she does not really bother now. “It really isn’t a big thing unless they get photos of me coming out of some man’s house late at night,” she laughs.
The only defensive measure she takes against them is to close the windows and maintain her privacy with the curtains in her Taipei home.
“I wear very little when I am at home.” Asked about how little, Stefanie quips, “Little enough to be comfortable lah.”
“The air in Taipei is very dirty so I usually close the windows anyway. So there really isn’t much of a difference.” And to this seasoned celebrity, even if the paparazzi were to get her pictures, she will probably try to keep a nonchalant attitude.
“It is not as if I go up to them and ask them to take pictures of me in skimpy clothing. They are the ones who are invading my privacy and the ones who are at fault anyway,” she says.
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Stefanie is more confident
And growing up for Stefanie has also makes her more confident.
“These days, I find that I am actually no longer afraid of crowds. At my recent concert in Kaoshiung, I just was just happy to be able to sing to everyone and I really enjoyed myself because I was not nervous.”
In fact, when she did not manage to read the posters which had her lyrics and thank you speech on it, she just blabbered it on. “Nevermind, just do it lah,” she said with a laugh.
The confidence has also spilled over to her music and this increased confidence is propelling her to produce albums which are ‘very her’ and not commercialized.
Says the graduate from NTU who is against making record sales as a judge of whether an album is good, “I even quarreled with my company over that but because I still belong to the recording company, I try to fight to keep the commercial hits to a minimum of 1 or 2.”
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Things that don’t change
But despite all the growing up she has done, Stefanie is still annoyed when her family’s privacy is invaded as a result of her fame.
“I don’t think people should bother my family. There are complete strangers who go up to my sister and ask her to get me to sign some of their stuff. I mean, if they want an autograph, they should go to the autograph sessions I hold. If they want to find out more about me, they can always check with the record company.”
Once, Stefanie was so exasperated she actually came up with an ingenious way to stop people from bothering her family.
“I wrote this person a note to thank him for his support. And I added that if in future, they need any new information about me, they can go to Peifen from Warner Music,” she laughs.
Another thing that has remained constant is her deep passion for making music. “I like things the way they are,” says Stefanie who refuses to consider going into acting and refuses to lead the life of a “Heavenly Queen” even though she is now already considered a “Queen” in her own right by virtue of her strong album sales. (Her latest album Kite managed to sell 20 000 copies within a week in Singapore.)
“When you are a Queen like Sammi and Faye, you have to dress up nicely and you have a few managers following you. I don’t want to get used to a lifestyle like that because these are things you might find difficult to get rid of later in life,” she says.
“I just want to continue to make good music,” says the singer who would like to remain unchanged.
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But whether you like it or not, experiences will mould and change you, Stefanie. So here’s wishing that you will change for the better and enjoy a brighter future ahead!

Catch Stefanie ‘LIVE” on Sat, July 28, 2001 at 7.30pm at Ngee Ann Civic Plaza where she will perform with dashing junior, Yuki!

27 Jul 2001 The same old brand new Stefanie

July 27, 2001
Change. It happens to everyone and it is part of growing up. After stepping into the working world, people usually grow up older, wiser and worldly wise. Stefanie is no exception. By Peng Wan Joo

Ask her to pose for a picture and Stefanie still shows off her pearly whites with the trademark V sign, just like she did a year ago when I first met her at the NDP Concert By The Bay.

Stefanie a year ago
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Stefanie now
A year ago, she was a fresh-eyed ingĂ©nue. “I am so happy and proud to be able to perform here,” she gushed backstage when we interviewed her before her performance at the Carnival at the Bay.
Perky, happy and cheerful, she banters easily with my colleague and I and asked us, “Are you students? Both of you look so young!”
But when we met her at the press conference yesterday for the promotion of her new album, Stefanie looks different.
Slightly tired and seemingly more mature, Stefanie’s wide-eyed, sunny disposition has given way to a more knowing, media-weary 23 year-old. Something in her eyes that tells us that the past year as a singer has indeed enriched her life with lots of life experiences.
And it all becomes quite apparent when she goes on to chat with us during the interview session.
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Life as a singer is tough
“I never thought life as a singer would be this tough. I used to think that a singer only needs to sing and I did not know that a singer has to do so many extra things like promote herself and promote her album,” she says with a grimace which she brushes off easily enough with a smile.
On top of making music, she has to deal with the public, the media glare and also go on Taiwanese programmes which have a reputation of making fun of celebrities.
“But it is not that bad actually,” she adds as her sunny and positive deposition takes over. “It is just chatting with people and besides, I get to travel to a lot,” says Stefanie who is glad she has become a singer because it exposes her to the way people do things overseas and widens her horizons.
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On rumours
Maturity and perhaps the need to remain sane have made Stefanie rather nonchalant about rumours. “I think it is okay as long as I know what I did and what I did not do,” says the singer carelessly.
In fact, she thinks that the rumours (like the love triangle between her, Jay and Jolin and the rumour where she was said to be smoking 2 packets a day) don’t affect her at all and that is why, she has chosen not to elaborate or explain them.
“So what if it is true?” she questions. “To the public, my role is that of a singer. What I do in private and my inclinations has got nothing to do with my role as a singer,” reasons this business graduate with a degree in marketing.
Pressed to explain herself, Stefanie reveals that she does smoke. “But it is ridiculous for me to smoke 2 packets a day,” says the social smoker who only smokes occasionally.
“I did not want to explain myself because smoking is after all bad for health and I do not want to promote it. But I don’t think it should have any effect on my reputation or image (as a singer).”
As for the one about her love triangle with Jay and Jolin where she is said to have fallen for good friend Jolin, Stefanie sees no point in distancing herself from her pal just because of a rumour. “We laugh about it ourselves because it is so ridiculous. But honestly, I think people should respect other people’s inclinations.”
In fact, when asked to give junior, Yuki, some advice, Stefanie asked Yuki not to be bogged down by what others say about him. “People will make all sorts of comments but remember, these people are not your friends. I repeat, they are not your friends so they do not understand you at all,” she says indignantly.
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(This one not written by me but photos taken by me and i remember it is during NDP 2000)

17 Aug 2000 She is as bright as the Sun

August 7, 2000 Like her differently-spelt name (Stefanie instead of the usual Stephanie) which makes people sit up and take notice, Singapore’s latest discovery, 23-year-old Stefanie Sun is taking the music industry by storm with her phenomenal success. Eastciti steals a moment with her during her gig on the first night at the Concert By The Bay to find out what she’s been up to.
By Angelene Wong

You cannot imagine how small Stefanie is in real person. Oh well, maybe you can. TV and photos magnify a person and since she’s petite from the goggle box and on print, you can picture how she’ll be if you come face to face with her.
Fresh out of university, the 23-year-old lass (who bears a slight resemblance to Hong Kong singer/actress Gigi Leung) is already a megastar in Taiwan with her debut self-titled album topping the Taiwan charts for 5 weeks and selling 300,000 copies. In Singapore, her album enjoyed similar success, selling 7,500 copies on the very first day of release. Some cynics may attribute her increased popularity to the much-publicised fiasco in Taiwan where a crazy fan held her at gunpoint. But at the recent Concert By The Bay, Stefanie wowed the crowd with her strong and emotive vocals. In an industry where there are more good lookers and good singers. She stands out by having the best of both worlds.
The NTU biz grad is self-assured and articulate, sharing her views about Singaporeans becoming more globalised and how being too conservative becomes a stranglehold when we caught up with her backstage before her performance at the Concert By The Bay. But that’s not all we talked about…
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What’s Up Gal?
Stefanie is still in the midst of her promotional tour for her debut album. She says, “After Singapore and Malaysia, I’ll be going to Hong Kong and Taiwan. So, from August 20 to 25, I’ll be in Hong Kong. And then on September 1, I’ll be going to China. After which, I’ll be taking a short break.” The break is a well-deserved one as the singer had a very hectic schedule while she was in Taiwan, clocking only 8 hours of sleep for 16 hours of work.
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No J-pop
Her pop numbers are infused with a hip-hop, R&B feel. Well, not surprising, as the sweet-looking singer loves listening to R&B and Latin music. So, who are her favourite singers or bands? “I usually listen to English songs…mmm…favourite singers?” She pauses for a while but quickly lists American singer Alanis Morisette, Catatonia (the Welsh band that gave us radio-friendly hits like Mulder & Scully & Dead From The Waist Down) and Irish band, The Cardigans as her favourites. The reason: “Their songs have very real lyrics that are close to the heart,” gesturing to make her point. She adds, “I seldom listen to J-pop because I don’t understand the language and they all seem to sound alike.”
No stranger to singing, the NTU biz grad was a singer in the band while she was in school. Ahh… one of those campus bands which plays during lunch-hours and jam-&-hops? Says Stefanie, “We usually play for fun and sometimes we have gigs outside. One gig which we had was at the Suntec Fountain area.” So, what songs do they play during those jamming sessions together? “Oh, we usually play pop songs, Sugar Ray (she starts singing ‘Every morning…)
Since we’re on the topic of songs, I asked if she had free rein in her songs, what songs would she sing? “I like songs where I don’t have to ‘la…’(her elfin face crunching up in a mock grimace) I prefer songs that are simple. Commercial songs are not a bad thing. Alanis Morisette, for example, blurs the line between what’s commercial and what’s not with her popularity.”
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Look Of The Millennium
Noticing that she’s quite commonly seen in silver outfits, we wondered aloud whether silver is her fetish. Giving us a look of bemusement, she says, “It’s an image created by the company. But for me, I think it’s been quite fun. As a singer, I get to try clothes that I won’t normally wear. Before I became an artiste, I’m always in T-shirt and jeans.”
So, if she were not a singer, what would she be? “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll take any job that comes my way.” Before you dismiss her as young and laidback, her thoughtful self comes to the fore. “I think I’ll do something that involves marketing (a course which she majored in when she was in NTU). In my line now, I get to experience what I studied in school. A lot of marketing goes into the record business especially in Taiwan which is very complicated.”
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Leisure & Keeping Fit
Stefanie is a typical Singaporean who enjoys shopping and going to the movies. Has life changed after she became a singer? “Well, I do get more stares now. I can cope with occasional stares. But one thing I notice between Singaporeans and Taiwanese is that Singaporeans tend to stare and point but the Taiwanese would come up to you and say “Hi, Yan Zhi!” I think that’s nicer than being gawked at like an exhibit.”
To keep fit, she does kick-boxing, aerobics and the occasional swim. Her thin frame may be the cause of concern and the talking point of many but Stefanie is not bothered. I’ve never been more than 49 kg no matter how much I eat. I think it’s more important to be healthy than be obsessed about my size. I cannot help it if I look thin. There’s nothing I can do about it. ‘Healthy can already,’ I tell myself.”


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This one I remember well cos it was one of my first interviews and because I was such a huge fan of Kit Chan, I did the most unprofessional thing an entertainment reporter can do.. I asked her to sign my copy of the book and begged her to take a photo with me! wahahahahaha:) But well, I was a rookie then:)

Singaporean songbird, Kit Chan has released her new book of poems,
Cork Out Of My Head. We catch up with her and talk to her about
her book and the 'corks out of her head'.

By Peng Wan Joo

Everyone has got a dream. For Kit Chan, this dream is to publish a
book of poems of her own. "Actually, writing this book is one of my
dreams which may not mean anything monetarily. I am not counting on
it on being acclaimed. It is just a dream," claims the former RGS
girl.

Book Sales

Her book, Cork Out Of My Head was released in Singapore in early
February. As all the books available are parellel imports as she
does not have a distributor here, Kit is unable to give us the exact
sales figure so far. "But after the book came out in Taiwan, within
a few days, it went into second print so that is very encouraging."
says the level-headed Singaporean lass. With the first print being a
modest 3 000 copies, the sell out phenomenon should be thought of as
no mean feat for a first-time poet.

On The Different Mandarin & English Title

"Cork out of my head is a poem and the Chinese translation would be
Nao dai kai le suan which the publisher didn't like. But I realized
that as a writer, you have more say in what you want to do and that
was great and he asked me what I wanted to call my book and I wanted
to call it Cork out of my head." explained Kit.

Apparently, this name when translated in Chinese would be quite
indecipherable to the Taiwanese. Thus, another more commercial and
acceptable title would be needed for the chinese version of the book.

" Then I was looking through the book and there was this poem with
the title, Xiang Ru Fei Fei which is called Plane Thoughts in English.
I think that these two titles are somewhat related because they are all
about something coming out of your head and that is what this book is
all about. It is about thoughts, imaginations, fantasies, whatever and
later I chose this and they liked it and that is why it is like that."


The 'F' Word

In the book, Kit uses the 'f' word to describe her frustrations and
there were a lot of concerns about whether it would taint her healthy
image. " I don't know if Singaporeans are ready for such books,"
confides Kit. "Don't think that I just put it out there without thinking.
I actually had the manuscript ready in 97 and I only published it in year
2000 and I had a lot of excuses like I was too busy, I couldn't get a
publisher but now on looking back, I realize that they were all excuses.
Maybe I was just scared," she explained.

To Kit, the 'f' word was actually just an expression which came up in t
he form of 'what the fxxx'. "It's okay because I have artistic license,
" reasons the smiling Kit and that statement came not from Kit herself
but her old and very bookish looking publisher. "I actually asked my
publisher if he really didn't mind my' f' word and he told me, " What is
wrong with that? In literature, you are free to express yourself in anyway
you like." So he agreed that I had artistic licenses and since anything
goes, I don't care."

Honesty

For many, the honesty in the book is frightfully raw. "It is such a brave
thing to do, " said the Two Girls when I asked them about their opinion.
While Kit is able explain why and how some of the poems were written, there
are also intangible parts to the creative process which she is unable to
explain.

Truth to be told, such brutal honesty of the book is indeed a rare find in
the entertainment industry. While Kit declares that she would account for
some of the things she has written, there are others which she will account
for. "But I think after you read it, you would know. Some of it is really
honest. There are even names inside. Don't ask me who the person is I will
not tell you but the name is already there."

And because of such honesty, many people fear that such honesty would make
her very vulnerable. "They are being kind and are worried for me but they
don't have to." says the gung ho girl. "I am prepared to take whatever
criticisms and compliments."

On How It All Came About

"It is amazing how from the day I met my present publisher till the day
my book came out in the book store, it was only less than a month,"
recalls Kit of her meeting with her present publisher whom she fondly
describes as an old and gentle man. "It just shocked me because when I
met him, he really believed in it. He is like a literati and when he
told me that I write very good poems and I was really touch that he was
willing to risk it."

Despite not having published a poetry book in 10 years, the impressed
publisher was quite insistent on publishing Kit's work and for Kit,
what was most touching about his offer was that when she asked him what
made him want to publish her book, he just told her simply that he would
like to do it.

And so, the touched and impressed Kit started going into full steam and
getting everything together. "At that time, I was working on my album in
the day and in the night I would work on my book, so I think that was why
I was quite sick because I was totally overworking because I was doing
two major projects at the same time."

Thinking Back

Thinking back, Kit acknowledges that the transcripts were in her drawer for
three years because it was not the right time and she wasn't ready.

"I know I am a bit controversial but I kind of decided that like I sing a
lot of songs but a lot of them were not written by me and this is the only
way I can express things that go through my head and it is my way of
sharing it with my fans. It could be shocking but I think if they really
think about it, I think it goes through everyone's head, you know. I am
not worried. I will still continue what I am doing."

For Kit, being a writer or a poet is just another extension of herself and
she wants to keep the two profiles separate. So strictly she has defined
her boundaries that when she launched the book in Taiwan, she purposely
dressed very differently. "I was wearing glasses and everything because I
wanted people to distinguish the writer from the singer." Hmm. I wonder if
she looked like a literati herself in the pair of glasses.

Media Mania

In her book, Kit described an incident where she was doing a photo shoot.
While she was smiling into the camera and doing her best to look good, she
was actually swearing and cursing inside. "Aren't you afraid that the next
time you meet the media, they would think that you are cursing them deep in
the hearts?" asked a concerned reporter.

"No, they understand," explained Kit after breaking out into a huge smile.
"In Taiwan when we launched the book, I actually did a recital of this poem
and all the photographers were all laughing. They totally understand, I think
everyone in the business understands. Sometimes you are already very tired
but you still have to look good and that to me is the hardest part. I always
feel that if you ask me to slog it out doing a manual work and look dirty
after that, it is easier than trying to look good all the time and work very
hard."

" I guess it comes with the job. When I wrote the poem, it was a form of
venting my frustrations. Actually I feel that the poem really should be
read by fans and people who want to be celebrities because think again.
I think it would let them have a look at the other side of the coin. It is
 basically a humorous piece lah, dun take it too seriously." explains Kit.

On Her Music Career

"Music is the part which keeps me attracted to this job. Also working
with good working partners is important. It takes away the unpleasant
parts of the job." One example that Kit cited was when she was filming
her MTVs and was going through hell with her fellow colleagues. "But
we still make merry among ourselves and the time will pass. It is very
strange how the more tough a time may seem, when you look back, you
will find that that is where it was most fun."

Citing another escapade with her ex-PA (personal assistant), Kit tells
a story of how the both of them were in Canada to film something. "It
was such a torture. Now when we talk about it, we think that it is a
lot of fun but at that time, we definitely didn' t think that it was
fun. When you have been through something with another person, you end
up being closer so I guess my working partners and music gives me a
lot of satisfaction."

On Her Satisfaction In Work

"A lot of people think that once you are a public figure, you lose a
lot of privacy. But I feel this is yes and no," asserts Kit. "Like my
classmates who are working in banks or stat boards, they are very
unhappy there and they dislike their boss but if I am unhappy, I can
still communicate this unhappiness to my manager and many problems can
be solved and I really appreciate this. I think it is terrible when
you are stuck in a place and you can't do anything about it."

"Sometimes I think that even though my work may seem very sophisticated.
In many aspects I am still the girl I was when I was studying. I still
do things my way as and when I feel like doing them and gain satisfaction
like that. I hope that I can keep this kind of feeling forever." says
Kit with feeling and we cannot help but be impressed with her passion
and self motivation for her work.

On Her Latest Album

"I have always tried to do something different in each album but it seems
that the songs that are played on the radio tend to be ballads so I guess
that is what people think of when they hear my voice." Listen closely to
Kit's album and you will find that there other elements in them.

After putting all her greatest hits on this album, Kit feels that it is
time that she movies on to a new direction and that alone makes her shiver
with excitement. "We are now in the process of getting songs and it is a
very slow process. It is always very hard when you try to find a new
direction." confides Kit to us. "I can't quite tell you yet what the new
direction will be but I would say that one of the criteria that I set up
is that I would like more ..erm, because we used alot of midi stuffs like
synthesized stuffs and the arrangements tend to be very grand. Like this
song we are listening to is a lot simpler and I want to do something more
pared down. Even if there were full orchestration I want there to be more
live instruments or more ethnic instruments."

Year 2000 Plans
For Kit, the year 2000 has been a fulfilling one so far. "It was almost
like for every month I would do something. I have been so happy since the
countdown. From the countdown, I had this wonderful party, then I had my
album and then the book and then a trip to Nepal, I am very very happy
and I am prepared to work very hard now. After I had all my fun, I am
prepared to work very very hard. " And for concert fans, yes a concert
is in the pipelines for the year 2000.

This one is of a local star.. I don't even remember writing that!
Stars take on wushu
by Peng Wan Joo
featured in MediacorpSingapore.com

eldom do we see a clash of swords and fists among these good-natured celebrities from MediaCorp. Even the least chummy among them would merely go as far as to announce," We are colleagues, not friends."

For their upcoming serial, The Challenge (to be filmed in Shaolin temples, where many forms of kung fu first started), the stars had to undergo some wushu (martial arts) training to ensure that their moves would look real and fluid on TV.

We join them in one of their practice sessions and find out what the stars think about kicking butt with Chinese swords and fists.

(only Li Lin's interview is included... check here for the other interviews)

LI LIN, DANCER AND FIGHTER...

How many lessons have you had so far?
I've just wrapped up filming for Love Me, Love Me Not, so I've only had like 2 practices, unlike my other lucky colleagues who have been practicing for 2 weeks.

Does your dance background help when you train for martial arts?
I haven't danced in a very long time! But yes, it does help because the movements come faster to me.

Ever thought of becoming Singapore's Michelle Yeoh?
No, that was never my intention (smiles). Of course, given my dance background, I think I make a good candidate for on-screen action. I seriously wanted to fight in the Israeli army. In fact, I applied but they didn't want me (grins).

So what do you do in your free time?
I have been very busy filming for the past 3 months and haven't really had time to rest so these days, whenever I have time, I just want to lie down and catch some sleep.

Moi's articles also appeared in the newspapers okie:) 






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