Thursday, July 22, 2010

Gem of a debut

TODAY THURSDAY JULY 22, 2010, ENTERTAINMENT, PAGE T7
From http://imcms2.mediacorp.sg/CMSFileserver/documents/006/PDF/20100722/2207MVP007.pdf
CD Reviews by Christopher Toh



PHOTO: Chen Meixin (陈美心)
TODAY THURSDAY JULY 22, 2010, ENTERTAINMENT, PAGE T7


Loving you, by Chen Meixin (陈美心)
It has taken some time, about three years, but homegrown Mandarin singer Chen Meixin has finally released her first album.


PHOTO: Macy Chen Mei Xin (陈美心)
http://asiangirls88.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Macy-Chen-Mei-Xin-%C3%A9%E2%84%A2%CB%86%C3%A7%C2%BE%C5%BD%C3%A5%C2%BF%C6%92-4.jpg
Website: http://asiangirls88.com/2010/05/singapore-beautiful-actress-macy-chen-mei-xin-%E9%99%88%E7%BE%8E%E5%BF%83/


According to the singer, it took so long because she could only record in between filming commitments, she starred in TV offerings such as The Illusionist, Dear Dear Son-In-Law, Guangdong Master and the subway drama, A Starry Night; as well as hosting shows such as Way To Go and On The Beat 2.



PHOTO: Chen Meixin (陈美心)
http://i7.tinypic.com/6lwfp54.jpg


She’s shifting gears to concentrate on her music career. For now, at least. And judging by this album, it’s a career that could possibly see her in good stead.

Vocally, Meixin sits somewhere in between Kit Chan and Stefanie Sun, slightly less depth than the former, but with more emotion than the latter.



PHOTO: Chen Meixin (陈美心)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjs-ZfW_BQ_qyTYbTOk8CJD7_Ql7yUFMVHyzxjNfMrGhDZSbHAJZsIiSdB8PZSMz7GQgQ4weuCDNyqlcunjwyLoFTfLLGEBLxkXFMkXyTGMG0gC-9lU2NHZVtLs0VOoepvwqg-6F3YUh4/s400/6969f424dd1094208744f9ea.jpg


Loving You isn’t her first release though. In 2007, she released her EP, In An Instant, which was produced by renown music producer Lee Wei Song.

This album kind of builds on that: All the songs here are ballads that allow her to show off her full vocal range. Because I Love You, Finally Realised and Leave have just the right amount of musical empathy from the up-and-coming star.



PHOTO: Chen Meixin (陈美心)
http://pl.cqnews.net/wy/201002/W020100223351261571717.jpg


True, it’s not all polished, but a diamond in the rough is still a diamond.



PHOTO: Chen Meixin (陈美心) and friend
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt42SbP6C9QDFfryBXPegzX8JZ24eC4YC7N0WGdc1OhHluhFQwKD9Nz58Xr_DG7_l-XVJGRKLQSfRToqS1iYtVMxR2pt68Zbp0_6m_h2kH2Pdb4S_CFE5UT_YwpQKY1_VBftcwmyCIS0T5/s400/IMG_0220.JPG


And if she continues to put her shoulder to the wheel, Meixin will surely get there.
CD Reviews by Christopher Toh




PHOTO: Macy Chen Mei Xin (陈美心)
http://asiangirls88.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Macy-Chen-Mei-Xin-%C3%A9%E2%84%A2%CB%86%C3%A7%C2%BE%C5%BD%C3%A5%C2%BF%C6%92-5.jpg
Website: http://asiangirls88.com/2010/05/singapore-beautiful-actress-macy-chen-mei-xin-%E9%99%88%E7%BE%8E%E5%BF%83/



PHOTO: Macy Chen Mei Xin (陈美心)
http://1831.img.pp.sohu.com.cn/images/blog/2010/2/22/21/20/127a6c6b2cfg214.jpg



PHOTO: Macy Chen Mei Xin (陈美心)
http://file6.upload.sogou.com/g/434766434/15573323/0.3584354697879987.3.jpg
Website: http://bbs.sogou.com/503214/74Up-Sj-wN4JBAAAA.html



PHOTO: Macy Chen Mei Xin (陈美心)
http://pl.cqnews.net/wy/201002/W020100223351310790611.jpg
Website: http://pl.cqnews.net/wy/201002/t20100223_4122759.htm



PHOTO: Macy Chen Mei Xin (陈美心)
http://pl.cqnews.net/wy/201002/W020100223351345324077.jpg
Website: http://pl.cqnews.net/wy/201002/t20100223_4122759.htm



PHOTO: Macy Chen Mei Xin (陈美心)
http://pl.cqnews.net/wy/201002/W020100223351355016058.jpg
Website: http://pl.cqnews.net/wy/201002/t20100223_4122759.htm



PHOTO: Macy Chen Mei Xin (陈美心)
http://pl.cqnews.net/wy/201002/W020100223351286884337.jpg
Website: http://pl.cqnews.net/wy/201002/t20100223_4122759.htm



PHOTO: Macy Chen Mei Xin (陈美心)
http://asiangirls88.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Macy-Chen-Mei-Xin-%C3%A9%E2%84%A2%CB%86%C3%A7%C2%BE%C5%BD%C3%A5%C2%BF%C6%92-4.jpg
Website: http://asiangirls88.com/2010/05/singapore-beautiful-actress-macy-chen-mei-xin-%E9%99%88%E7%BE%8E%E5%BF%83/




Reference
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Tough to be eternal virgin, says True Blood actress

MY PAPER, WEDNESDAY JULY 21, 2010, ENTERTAINMENT, PAGE A13
http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ebook/web_php/fvbrowserjs.php?urljs=http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ecreator/sphopf/mya210710cnd_opf_files/mya210710cnd.js&ver=Gen
By VICTORIA BARKER, vbarker@sph.com.sg



PHOTO: FOREVER YOUNG: Deborah Ann Woll plays teenage vampire Jessica in TV series True Blood.
(PHOTO: INTERNET)
MY PAPER, WEDNESDAY JULY 21, 2010, ENTERTAINMENT, PAGE A13
http://www.trueblood-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/s2-15.jpg


Eternal youth isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Just ask American actress Deborah Ann Woll, who plays teenage vampire Jessica Hamby on acclaimed HBO drama series True Blood.

Speaking with Asian media last month from Los Angeles, where she is based, the 25-year-old redhead explained: “It’s really interesting that we romanticise the idea of eternal youth.
PHOTO: http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/blink/2009/01/26/TrueBlood.jpg


“But when you think about being a teenager, and how strenuous and difficult that can be, would you really want to live at that age forever and ever?”


PHOTO: http://0.tqn.com/d/movies/1/0/_/t/T/truebloodcc0915.jpg

Indeed, Jessica, a “pious, church-going” virgin before she was transformed into one of the undead, doesn’t have it easy. For one thing, the 17-year-old’s virginity regenerates each time after she has had sex.

“Losing one’s virginity is a real representation of becoming a woman and not being a little girl any more,” Brooklyn-born Woll said. “To have her stuck as a child when all she wants is to be a grown-up...is absolutely tragic and sad.”



PHOTO: http://gb.cri.cn/mmsource/images/2007/09/15/el070914642.jpg


The third season of the Golden Globe-winning show, which follows the relationship between smalltown waitress Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin) and vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), premiered here on Monday. Playing Jessica, originally intended by producers to appear only in two episodes, also comes with its own challenges.



PHOTO: Anna Paquin, 'True Blood' actress
http://turbo.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2009/10/anna-paquin.jpg


Being around blood and gore all day takes a toll, said the actress, who graduated with a fine-arts degree from the University of Southern California before going into theatre. She has also had minor roles in TV shows like Life, The Mentalist and My Name Is Earl.



PHOTO: Anna Paquin, 'True Blood' actress. The New Zealand-raised actress who is engaged to her True Blood co-star.
http://www.twilightvamps.com/ab/images/anna-paquin_500.jpg


“The True Blood storylines stick with you more than you wish they would,” she admitted. “I sometimes feel like crying or calling good friends, and having them remind me that I am a good person.”



PHOTO: http://pic.yaopf.com/2008_11/08112710205122.jpg


Still, working with a stellar cast that includes Oscar-winner Paquin and a slew of dishy male actors, from blond Swede Alexander Skarsgard to Aussie hunk Ryan Kwanten, has its perks. “The guys are very sweet,” said Woll.



PHOTO: Seregon O Dassey



PHOTO: Seregon O Dassey


“As attractive as they are, you would think they’d be arrogant jerks, but they’re really nice men... It’s nice to hang out with the cool crowd for once.”
PHOTO: True Blood Actress Jennifer Wenger
http://truebloodnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/jw-body-sm.jpg





Then there’s Jim Parrack, who plays Hoyt Fortenberry, Jessica’s love interest. Although True Blood, based on novels by Charlaine Harris, is known for its sensual scenes, Woll insisted that filming with Parrack, 29, is really “very silly”.



PHOTO: The hot vampire TV show, True Blood, got a new actress.


“We talk extensively about what we’d be comfortable with. We want to make sure we’re respectful,” revealed Woll, who is dating comedian E. J. Scott, 34. “The crew are probably more uncomfortable seeing us get intimate,” she added with a laugh.
By VICTORIA BARKER, vbarker@sph.com.sg

The third season of True Blood airs on HBO (StarHub Ch 601) every Monday at 9pm



PHOTO: Evan Rachel Wood, Actress on True Blood
http://www.rufkm.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/queen-frenzy1-300x271.jpg



PHOTO: http://www.tvfanatic.com/files/evan-rachel-wood.jpg



PHOTO: http://gallery.fotoglif.com/images/large/9a9ozxivj42g.jpg


HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn
Romanticise: 浪漫化 làng màn huà
Regenerates: 再生 zài shēng
Dishy: 性感 xìng gǎn
Uncomfortable: 不舒服的 bù shū fu de



PHOTO: http://www.terranischer-club-eden.com/images/p50_vamp5.jpg



PHOTO: True Blood actress Kristin Bauer
http://www.shewired.com/images/contentimages2009e//GeneralShewired/Kristen1.jpg
Website: http://www.shewired.com/PrintFriendly.cfm?ID=23909



PHOTO: True Blood actress Kristin Bauer
http://www.aceshowbiz.com/images/news/00028557.jpg
Website: http://www.shewired.com/PrintFriendly.cfm?ID=23909


PHOTO: http://0.tqn.com/d/movies/1/0/_/t/T/truebloodcc0915.jpg



Reference
Posted by at
Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

THE GREAT KIWI HARVEST

MY PAPER MONDAY JULY 19, 2010, PAGE A10 - 11, TRAVEL
From http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ebook/web_php/fvbrowserjs.php?urljs=http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ecreator/sphopf/mya190710cnd_opf_files/mya190710cnd.js&ver=Gen
By JACQUELINE TAN, myp@sph.com.sg, IN TAURANGA, NEW ZEALAND



PHOTO: GOLD ON VINES: The writer plucking kiwifruit at an orchard belonging to leading kiwifruit marketer Zespri.
The fruit hanging from the vines looked temptingly zesty and delicious.
(PHOTOS: JACQUELINE TAN) MY PAPER MONDAY JULY 19, 2010, PAGE A10 - 11, TRAVEL


PHOTOS: JACQUELINE TAN


THE dessert platter landed before our eyes, eliciting a chorus of oohs and aahs.

We poked into the creme brulee, a whole Zespri Gold kiwifruit partially glazed with a crisp sugar crust.

Smooth, heavenly custard flowed out like lava when the tender fruit was sliced open.

What a gourmet treat coming from such a humble fruit, the first seeds of which were brought to New Zealand from China in 1906.

When you think of desserts with kiwifruit, the latter is mostly used as a garnish for pastry tarts, topping for yogurt or simply turned into coulis.

But in the hands of chef Stephen Barry, owner of Mount Bistro (6 Adams Avenue, Mt Maunganui), gold kiwi is turned into creme brulee and featured in a moist macadamia cake, while green kiwi is paired with avocado ice cream to dress up succulent raw oysters.



PHOTO: YUMMY: Green kiwifruit served as ice cream and jelly at Solitaire Lodge, a hotel in prime kiwifruit country.


“I want to show how kiwifruit can also be used creatively, and not just as toppings over pavlova,” said the soft-spoken celebrity chef, who is also New Zealand’s Beef & Lamb Ambassador.

And why not, for he has possibly the world’s best kiwifruit at his doorstep. Mt Maunganui (more commonly known as “The Mount”), where his restaurant is located, is the beautiful coastal suburb of Tauranga, a city in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand’s North Island.

The region cannot be more aptly named. Fresh produce bursts forth in abundance from this place, with the kiwifruit among them.

The fruit is New Zealand’s largest horticulture export, thanks to Zespri, a leading global marketer that sells kiwifruit in more than 60 countries. It represents 2,700 New Zealand growers, whose 3,110 orchards have produced over 390,000 tonnes of kiwifruit this year alone.

Launched in 1997, the Zespri brand has become synonymous with premium kiwifruit. And to learn more about the brand, I visited the company’s orchards, pack house and port in Tauranga.



NOTHING BUT THE BEST
From the harvesting of the fruit to the point of export, each stage is subjected to exacting standards. Zespri gets laboratory experts to determine when the fruit can be removed from its vines, and growers pluck only when they are given the green light.

I had a shot at plucking the fruit at one of the orchards. With the autumn sunlight caressing their bronze skins, the fruit hanging from the vines above me looked even more temptingly zesty and delicious.

Zespri also makes sure growers produce fruit that meet environmental-sustainability standards, food-safety guarantees and quality-assurance processes.

Crates and cartons each have a bar-code label, allowing each batch of fruit to be traced back to its grower.And just when you think everything is good to go by the time the crates arrive at the port to be loaded onto the awaiting vessels, random boxes are singled out for a final round of checks.



AS GOOD AS GOLD
After giving the world its first gold kiwi, Zespri worked on even more varieties of the fruit over 10 years, with a “red” kiwi coming up next.

The company prides itself on its ability to cater to consumers’ tastes, and the Zespri Gold is a testament to such efforts.

Specially created for the Asian palate, the gold kiwi is very popular in Japan and Singapore. It has a higher sugar content and its yellow-gold flesh oozes with tropical sweetness. “In Singapore, sales of Zespri Gold are growing faster than those of the Green, by as much as 20-23 per cent compared to 5-10 per cent for the Green,” said Mr Daniel Mathieson, Zespri’s regional market manager for South-east Asia and South Asia.

“Gold is really popular with younger Singaporeans, thanks to its refreshing, sweet taste, not to mention its high nutrient density and vitamin C content.”




NATIVE COLOURS
Besides giving me an insight into Zespri’s operations and innovative systems, my agri-venture in Tauranga also gave me a taste of Maori culture and hospitality on Rangiwaea Island, where Zespri kiwifruit is also
grown.

Here, however, the orchards are Maori-owned and the growers are part of the Tauwhao Te Ngare Trust, set up in 1982 to manage interests in horticulture, agriculture and forestry.

After a warm Maori welcome – rubbing noses with my hosts, I toured the land on a trailer, visiting the kiwifruit and avocado orchards and stopping by the spot where our hangi dinner (the traditional Maori method of cooking meat by using heated rocks buried in a pit oven) was being prepared.



PHOTO: HOT PIT: Maori hosts on Rangiwaea Island preparing a hangi dinner, cooking various meats with heated rocks buried in a pit.
MY PAPER MONDAY JULY 19, 2010, PAGE A10 - 11, TRAVEL


At dinner, my hosts laid out a table piled with heaps of meat and the Maori children entertained me with songs and a haka war dance, all part of their hospitality programme for overseas guests.

“It’s about building international relationships and letting our children meet the people who support and buy our produce,” said Mr Hemi Rolleston, an advisory trustee.

“Our orchards are very much who we are. They create jobs for our community and provide us with a source of income. They are for the long term.”

After learning about the growers, and the wealth of research and innovation that goes into cultivating the Zespri kiwifruit, I’ve come to realise that the fruit is really among the best of its kind, while also helping to sustain communities.
By JACQUELINE TAN, myp@sph.com.sg, IN TAURANGA, NEW ZEALAND

The writer’s trip was sponsored by Zespri.


SUPER FRUIT
KIWIFRUIT is an exceptional source of vitamin C (with twice the amount found in apples and oranges), but here are other reasons why you should eat it:

  • It’s a great source of dietary fibre, potassium, folic acid, vitamin E, carotenoids and other antioxidants.
  • It’s low in fat, so it’s perfect to eat every day.
  • Zespri Green improves digestive health and prevents bloating. It contains actinidine, which enhances digestion of proteins. Actinidine is also a natural tenderiser, so use Zespri Green to make your meats nice and tender.
  • Zespri Gold increases iron uptake. The phytochemicals in the fruit assist the body in absorbing iron and achieving positive effects on brain function and immune system. This means we’ll feel less lethargic and more productive.
  • It helps to prevent chronic diseases such as colon cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.



PHOTO: Playful Maori children on Rangiwaea Island giving the writer a warm welcome to their community.
MY PAPER MONDAY JULY 19, 2010, PAGE A10 - 11, TRAVEL


HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

Creme brulee: 焦糖布丁 jiāo táng bù dīng
Kiwifruit: 奇异果 qí yì guǒ
Cartons: 纸箱 zhǐ xiāng
Avocado: 鳄梨 è lí


Reference
Posted by at
Labels: , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)