By The Way - Sleeping with the Merlion, Papaya Sisters and the LBD

There are lots of really fun cultural events taking place this month and beyond which caught our eyes. We picked out a few which qualify as must-go’s in our books!....

I’m all for local comedy theatre which has the undeniable ability to identify and connect with Singaporeans at our most fundamental, multiracial core, and appeals to our our inner (and fabulous) auntie. The “881 The Musical” by Toy Factory, which plays from 15 April - 1 May at the Esplanade Theatre, is a must go in our books. It takes audiences on an exhilarating journey through the lives of the Papaya Sisters who want to rule the ‘getai’ circuit with assistance from an intriguing celestial being. But their success is threatened by the entrance of the Angmoh Durian Sisters! Sung in Mandarin and unapologetically in Hokkien (with English subtitles), it promises great music, choreography and eye-popping costumes. The first time a local movie has been adapted for the stage, it features a strong cast that includes Joanna Dong, Judee Tan, Nat Ho, Sebastian Tan, Dennis and a creative team of Beatrice Chia-Richmond (In-theatre Director), Royston Tan (Creative Consultant), Elaine Chan (Musical Director and Conductor). Tix from $40.

www.sistic.com

Merlion Hotel

You know what they say about seeing an old familiar face from a different perspective?...So how about this? As part of the Singapore Biennale, Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi is turning the merlion into a luxury hotel suite as a one-of-a-kind installation piece! It will be open in the day for public viewing and in the evening for overnight stays. Crazy, huh? But that’s a new look at the merlion if ever there was one. Imagine waking up in the morning eye to eye with the merlion. Certainly beats buying a plastic merlion key chain!

The hotel is taking in reservations from now for one-night stays between 4 April and 5 May, for two adults at $150 nett. The hotel suite is fully furnished with a double-bed, bathroom, amenities, personalised room check-in, dedicated Merlion Hotel Butler as well as breakfast at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore! To spread the love and ensure no one hogs the fun, each person can only book a one night stay for two. Check in at 8.30pm and check out bright and early at 8.30am.

Merlion Hotel Reservations Tel: (+65) 6332 9870, between 10am – 5pm Mondays to Fridays. Reservations will only be confirmed on receipt of payment by the Singapore Art Museum.

LBD At The Museum

I didn’t know that the Little Black Dress has been around since the 1920s. Such an iconic wardrobe necessity, no wonder it’s become the stuff of museum exhibitions! If you want to see what fashionistas over the last century have been putting on for their cocktail parties, pop down to the National Museum in Singapore from 16 March – 13 June and see Beauty in Black, a showcase of 18 vintage LBDs from the 1950s to the 21st century. Designers include Balenciaga, Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld and Thierry Mugler, as well as local designers Benny Ong and Thomas Wee. Comprising acquisitions and donations, these dresses explore the colour black in today’s fashion! What to wear to the exhibition? Your own little black dress, of course!

The Balcony, Level 2

National Museum of Singapore

93 Stamford Road

- Ee Waun

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Breaking News - Simply Fabulicious Has Moved!

Thanks for being part of the SimplyFab community these last two years! In the Year of the Bunny, we're thrilled to have finally built a permanent home on our very own website at http://www.simplyfabulicious.com/ 

We're so excited about this, we've tied up with the great people at Club Med to start off our the Simply Fab website on a luscious note!

Here's your chance to pack your teeniest-tiniest red bikini and run away on a 3 DAY 2 NIGHT escapade to Club Med Cherating! (valid for a stay from 1 April to 30 September 2011).

All you have to do is log onto our new website and join our mailing list for free by 14 March 2011. To do that, look for the subscription window ('Be Fabulicious!') on the right hand side of our home page

 

The prize includes:

One twin-share accommodation in a Superior room

Daily sumptuous Buffet Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with free flow of red and white wine and beverages during Lunch and Dinner

Participation in all sports activities with instruction for adults and children to Mini Club Med (4 to 11 years old)

Terms:

• Travel must be completed by 31 October 2011 and no extension is allowed.
• Prize is non-transferable and non-refundable.
• This package excludes flights, land transfers, taxes and the compulsory Club Med membership of S$60 per adult.
• Room confirmation is subject to availability.
• Not valid for High Season
• This prize letter cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions or discounts.
• The original copy of the prize letter must be presented with your Singapore Identity Card or valid passport for verification when claiming your travel package. Restricted to Singapore residents only.

In the meantime....
We'll still be posting on blogger until March 14, after which this site will no longer be active. We hope you'd join us and all the other fabulicious readers in our new home at www.simplyfabulicious.com
If you need to contact us, please email us at elaine@simplyfabulicious.com or eewaun@simplyfabulicious.com
You can also follow us on our facebook page and twitter. Do drop us a note whenever you like to tell us what you want to see, your comments, thoughts, anything that hits you. 

Peace, Love and Cocktails!
The SimplyFab Team 

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BTW - The Next Big Thing in Kitchens!

The next time you think of doing it on the kitchen counter top, you should imagine a shiny, sleek and cool surface like Valcucine and not ... heaven forbid... Ikea! Do what you ask? Why fix a gourmet meal of course .. tsk, tsk... what were you thinking?

So who or what are  Valcucine? This ultra fashionable Italian kitchen brand looks set to be the next big thing in designer kitchen brands. Established by Giobanni Dino Cappellotto, Gabriele Centazzo, Franco Corbetta and Silvio Verardo in 1980 at a time when kitchen design was stiff, lack lustre and defined by lacquered boards, plastic, wood and stainless steel, the trio introduced materials like tempered alloy and tempered glass, carbon fibre and stain-proof stainless steel and also incorporated environmentally friendly materials in their design.

They emerged last year's winners of the ADI Italian Industrial Design Index 2010 for their outstanding quality, functional and typological innovation, production processes and use of materials and also bagged the ‘Best Kitchen & Materials Design Award’ with ELLE Magazine's Decoration International Design Awards (EDIDA), held in Beijing.

Distributed by Mooi Living Ltd exclusively in Hong Kong, China and Macau, check out their stunning split level 6000 square foot flagship store at 69 Blue Pool Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2893-8198. See: http://www.valcucine.com.hk/

- Elaine

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By The Way - One-Of-A-Kind Stores in Hong Kong!

Here's the real deal on Retail Therapy and interesting (read 'quirky') Retail formats in Hong Kong.  

BACKSEAT SHOPPING - We hopped into a cab last week in Hong Kong and the friendly driver (and Hong Kong Taxi Drivers are rarely friendly) tried to sell us these. I guess, like the rest of space starved Hong Kong, he was fully maximising whatever selling space he had, even if it was behind his back (LOL). Can't blame the guy for trying!

BROLLY VENDING MACHINE- How about this one below - I wanted a drink at the MTR station in one of the Malls so I approached the vending machine and got an umbrella instead at HK$68. 

BOX STORE - Then there was this one (below) - people who want to sell small stuff but have no space can rent a box space in someone's store on someone's shelf. How's that for sizing down on the psf rental. 

Or this one - the STORE ON WHEELS. No longer just for ice cream, optometrists, bloodbanks and dental clinics... now the commercial folk, think Wedding Photography studios, Bridal gown shops and Skin care brands alike have been driving themselves to high traffic locations all about Hong Kong. Now that's what I call ... reaching the customer! 

- Elaine

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By The Way - Yum Seng Gifts for the Taipan!

So you want to get your top client or Boss, a status gift ... fit for an Emperor ...

Chivas Regal is no longer the "ah pek's" choice. Unveiled this week, the brand has a new design called The Chivas Regal 18 Limited Edition that ropes in iconic French fashion designer Christian Lacroix. The design which features a the whisky packaged in a luxurious gold stamped brocade box mirrors the rich, indulgent taste of the brand's whisky. Available in Hong Kong at Voila and City Super for HK$5,400. Only 30 bottles are reserved for the connoisseurs in Hong Kong, while 3,000 limited quantity offered in worldwide.

If he is a cigar afficianado, then perhaps Martell would do nicely as they have just launched a Cohiba cognac which comes in an elegant bottle with a silk screen print of a typical Cuban tobacco field landscape. The wooden box is open in front, and features a carousel that allows the design and artwork to be viewed in its entirety.  The cognac itself has a distinct character with an opening sensation that is rounded, smooth and almost sweet and a taste that leads into subtlety and finesse of the old Grande Champagne region. A touch of liquorice with a slight nutty note are found in the long and gentle finish. Available at HK$5,000 at Voila and major liquor stores in January, 2011.

- Elaine

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Start The Year With A Treat

The year has started and it’s back to the grind after two weeks of partying, feasting and hopefully, some thoughtful reflection. So I suggest we start the year with a treat. There is a strong case for this. One – we deserve a reward for working towards world peace and familial harmony last year; and two – we’ll be working hard again this year putting all the resolutions we’ve planned into motion, grooming our nest, nurturing quality children and bringing home our share of the bacon. With so much on our plates, what better way than to start 2011 on a motivating note! We should….

Go shopping in Hong Kong!

A weekend would be perfect! Elaine will vouch for the high quality of retail therapy available there. And while there, you might as well take advantage of Metropark Hotel Wanchai Hong Kong’s newly launched Ladies Only Floor, called ‘She by Metropark’ (pictured above and top). So it’s not super duper luxe, but it is very comfy and pretty, with all the comforts particularly catered to the girls. Pretty, feminine rooms come with pillow menu, feminine accessories and design, complimentary broadband internet access and spa toiletries by THANN. Without a doubt, such a floor also gives women travellers a greater level of security. What’s best though is its great location smack bang in the heart of the city, near shops like Pacific Place, and foodie hubs like Lan Kwai Fong. To mark its launch, the hotel is offering an introductory package of HK$900 per room per night, excluding a 10% service charge, and late check-out at 3pm.

41-49 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Tel:+852 2863-7399

Email rsvn.hkwh@metroparkhotels.com

Buy A Ring

Friendship ring, engagement ring, wedding ring, eternity ring…these little trinkets have a way of marking time, don’t they? So why not buy yourself a new year bling? I have been buying one for myself every year for the last few years already, and it’s a fun way to remember the passing time….especially when they are fun, whimsical pieces. It was a ladybird and flower pendant with black diamonds in 2009, an onyx and diamond lizard in 2010, wonder what it’ll be this year? If I had to choose one now, it’ll be a funky, edgy stud ring from GoldHeart. Not exactly Cartier, but I just love how easy these are to buy….! Only S$868.

Goldheart Boutiques islandwide in Singapore

Toast The Year

Before things heat up and get you too busy, catch up with old friends and toast the year. Two great places for sundowners, especially when the weather is still cool and breezy here, are Octapas Spanish Tapas Bar and Tomo Izakaya, two great watering holes with gourmet nibbles in Clarke Quay.

I like that Octapas is just by the riverside where you can while away a leisurely evening, grazing, drinking and talking. Run by the people who used to do Tapas Tree, it offers a good range of sangria and Spanish tapas. I like their traditional red wine based sangria (S$14 ) better than the white wine version with apple juice. You must have the grilled squid with balsamic vinegar reduction ($15.50), beef tenderloin ($17) comprising cubes of grilled tender, flavourful meat, and paella marisco which, though a little soft, is pretty pleasant with their richly braised vegetables. Reservations only up til 7pm weekdays.

From Spain to Japan, Tomo Izakaya, round the corner, offers a good range of sake (ask for the sparkling variety) and light Japanese eats, enough of which can make a meal. What I really liked was the kobacha ni, simmered pumpkin which though simple, was excellent; hijiki and simmered soybean salad ($9, above), Nasu Agebitashi or deepfried eggplant with soup stock and Ginger (S$7.30) and ebiten tama chazuke, a porridge with deep fried prawns($9.50).

Octapas Spanish Tapas Bar - Blk D #01-08 Clarke Quay Tel: 68372938

Tomo Izakaya - Blk 3A #01-04 Clarke Quay Tel: 6333 0100

Drink Good Coffee

Everybody’s raving about it, sipping it and buying it. Even though I have a Jura at home, I will admit Nespresso does a mean caffeine kick. Since our calorie intake is limited, don’t waste it on imbibing anything less than the best you can buy and get one of these sleek machines onto your kitchen counter. It’s latest models are the retro-stylish Nespresso CitiZ Metal, automatic single-headed espresso machine (S$598, left) and the Nespresso CitiZ and Milk Metal with built-in milk frother (S$728). It’s a great way to start off the remaining 359 mornings of 2011, no?

- Ee Waun

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BTW – Look Who’s Coming To Town!

And it’s not the fat man in the red suit!....Helllooooo, Hunny Bunny! The Chippendales is coming to Resort World Sentosa on 23-26 February for their ‘Most Wanted’ Tour with tickets on sale now. If you haven’t caught it yet, get the girls together and leave the men at home. This is tight buns and six packs galore! The programme promises heaps of sex appeal and ‘tasteful teasing’ with these glistening hard candy turning up in all manner of liquid fantasies, from men in uniform to down and dusty cowboys. Shiver...! A definite must see!

Tix at S$98, S$148, and S$228

www.sistic.com.sg and www.rwsentosa.com

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By The Way - All I want for Christmas is ...

This Christmas instead of surprising her like I normally do, I decided to just ask my five year old daughter, Alexis what she would like for Christmas. So I dutifully handed her the Toys R Us ‘Great Christmas Book’ with its gazillions of hottest toys and asked her to pick three items and the deal was that I would buy her favourite item.

I silently kicked myself after that, asking myself what I had set myself up for but it was too late to take back the offer. Well, ok a quick glance through the book confirmed that the most expensive toy was a Playstation 3 costing about HK$2,200 (S$400) and she was unlikely to want that as we already have a Wii so I consoled myself that at most I would end up spending about HK$1000 (S$100) if she was really going to take advantage of the situation. And since she is my only baby … what is a hundred bucks at Christmas (at least I hoped that would be the extent of the damage!)

To be sure, I checked back with her a couple of hours later just before we left for the Toys R Us store on what her 3 choices were and I was surprised and almost ashamed at myself for not realising that value is not what makes a 5 year old happy. 5 year olds have no concept of value and that is the beauty and the innocence of childhood something that we have all forgotten along the way.

What makes a 5 year old happy is ‘HEART’! Her three choices were a Pony Barnyard from My Little Pony (HK$139 or SG26), a Zhu Zhu Pet Hamster that squeaks and roller skates (also around the same price range) and Googly bands! And her top pick (she proudly announced) were GOOGLY BANDS? What in the world were ‘googly bands’? They turned out to be colourful rubber bands in a packet of 12 each that bounce back into the shape of animals, objects, cars, trees or virtually anything when you stretch them out. They are worn as rings, bracelets or can be woven into necklaces or just simply used as rubber bands for your hair and the total value of one packet of 12 bands – the grand sum of HK$12 or S$2.40. Her request was to buy her two packets of those and surprise her by not telling her the design. I asked her if she was “sure” and she said ‘yes’ with great certainty and wide eyed glee, fully convinced that this was better than the Barnyard and the Hamster. I was touched .. such is a child’s heart.

I got her the two packets and of course along the way (just before Christmas) bought her a few small things, a very pretty bejewelled pendant necklace with an owl on it (cost me about S$20) that she chose from a street store in Taiwan because she thought it was “big girl” jewelry and  a “spork” (cost about S$5) a cross between a spoon and a fork with a cerated edge that allows you to cut things, which she has insisted on bringing out with her, everyday since when we dine out. Thrilled by these simple pleasures she has also been on the internet searching You Tube to watch tutorials of how to make a necklace with her googly bands.

I guess the point I take from all this is that childhood is about fulfilling and enjoying the simplest of  pleasures, not for what they cost but for what they are . Grand gestures, though well meaning have no place or value to a child. The heart wants what the heart wants and that is as simple as it takes to be happy!

I plan to bring that into the year ahead so have a Happy Start to the New Year everyone … I know, I will!

- Elaine

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By The Way – Eyeballing Valentino

If you’re a vintage clothes fan or fashionista-on-a-budget, pop down to Resorts World Sentosa from 22 Dec - 13 Jan 2011 and oogle at 100 Valentino haute couture pieces on display. They have been brought in for the curated exhibition, ‘Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future’ developed by Les Arts Décoratifs, a private, non-profit institution in Paris consisting of museums and a school of design and interior architecture.

Eyeball looks from founder Valentino Garavani’s early designs to current Creative Directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. Says Pamela Golbin, curator-in-chief for the Fashion and Textiles collection of Les Arts Décoratifs: “The exhibition showcases Valentino’s signature styles – volumes, lines and textures, prints and graphic forms. It also displays the richness of colours going from monochromes to very impressive associations displayed by abstract and figurative motifs.” A highlight will definitely be gowns that were once worn by celebrities such as Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor and others!

 

22 December 2010 to 13 January 2011

Tix: $6 for kids; $12 for adults

from www.sistic.com.sg or www.rwsentosa.com

Tel: 6577 8888 or www.rwsentosa/valentino for details

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By The Way – Walking With Dinosaurs: It's All In The Details

Anyone bought tickets for Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular? I did and am going next weekend, on their last day here. Back in the 70s, I was one of those geeky kids who loved reading about dinosaurs and I still watch those dinosaur documentaries on TV with relish. So watching this show was going to be a real treat for the kid in me…until I was so kindly invited to the media preview of this show just yesterday where I saw everything, from start to the very noisy end.

How was the show? Excellent! If you’re a dino fan like me, this would be a real treat as the creatures are so life like in all their full-sized magnificence, walking, calling, fighting and snuggling their young right there in front of your eyes. With the dramatic lighting and very creative set – look out for the plants! – it was theatre in all its immediacy and drama.

What struck me was that this is essentially a documentary about dinosaurs – narrated by a character called Huxley, the Paleontologist – presented in a theatrical way. It’s almost like going to watch a London musical – just replace the songs with dino calls, and actors with these amazingly huge and lifelike “puppets”. It was really quite amazing. Divided into two acts, the first was relatively quiet compared to the second act which brought out the big reptiles, the booms and clashes, major sound effects and ending with a dramatic finale of T-Rexes and meteors. I won't say more, or I may be spoiling the fun for you.

My only comment is that the narrative can be a little verbose and threatened to drag a little, all delivered rather too quickly, and I sometimes could not catch the words. I suspect much of his narrative will be lost on most children, while the noisy parts with dinos fighting, and calling so loudly may frighten some of them. There's a couple of surprises in the end so brace yourself! So it's best to prepare the kids beforehand.  And if you’re going to lap it up, bring binoculars to really enjoy the realism and drama.

The voodoo operators (the guys who control the movements) will tell you they are essentially puppets…. but puppetry at its best. “To control the puppet, you have to think like a dinosaur,” Gary Benfrost, one of the voodoo operators, told us. It’s an odd job to say the least, but something he enjoys tremendously. Watch out for them sitting behind the last row in the stadium - they're controlling the creature remotely, and the little keyboards next to them are for playing the monsters' calls.

To help you really appreciate these creatures onstage, here are some facts and figures that may just give you that ‘Wow’ factor.

• There are 20 dinosaurs in all, with 10 species represented.

• There are 10 large dinosaurs, and 5 suit dinosaurs (people in suits – but amazingly realistic, too. This is no Barney kissing babies!).

• Just to give you an idea how big these puppets are, the T-Rex is 23 feet tall and 42 feet long; the brachiosaurus is 36 feet tall and 56 feet long.

• Each large dinosaur weighs 1.6 tons but run on just 6 rollerblade wheels!

• A team of three people operate one dinosaur. The team comprises one driver, one Voodoo puppeteer who operates the head and tail gross motion, and another who operates the minor movements like mouth, roars and eyes.

• Each large dinosaur contains 971 square feet of fabric, 433 cubic feet of foam, 53 gallons of paint, 1094 yards of cabling and 433 feet of hydraulic hose.

 

Now that you know all these secrets, sit back and enjoy!

Walking With Dinosaurs

1-12 December

Singapore Indoor Stadium 

Tix from SISTIC

Photographs by Joan Marcus CPC 2008

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By The Way - Ideas worth listening to!

Here is an interesting alternative to a gals night out. If you are in Singapore and have some time on Wednesday 8 December and Thursday 9 December then you may want to head to the National Library at 100 Victoria Street from 6.30pm to 9.00pm. 

Inspiration comes in the form of women sharing their experiences and ideas and who knows, you may just come up with the courage to make one of yours fly. 

Who's talking? 

·      Anna Tsang, serial social entrepreneur and founder of the Mother and Child project, on how to start social enterprises in places with no natural resources.

·      Evi Syariffudin: on Understanding Life, bettering Life, protecting Life, supporting Life. Design, for Evi, is a funtion of life.

·      Esther Tan of the Singapore Women’s Everest team on climbing Everest and conquering our own personal Everest.

·      Kelley Cheng, is one of 2009’s Great Women of our Times in Art and Design and an avid pop-culture junkie. A jack-of-all-trades.

·      Lilian Ing, Clinical Psychologist, on her toughest transformational journey ever: adopting her daughter from China and becoming a mother.

·      Dr Susan Lim, surgeon and stem-cell researcher who performed the world’s first successful liver transplant, will discuss the latest in stem cell research and its potential impact on our lives.

In addition to this, watch and listen to Iris Goh, founder of the Athenarts Performing Troupe showcasing original works from female songwriters in Singapore with a group of women from Singers Club and Karen Ng of Mezzé Flame entertain with lights and magic and talk about the importance of 'Flow' and how it has shaped her life.

Registration required at:  http://www.TEDxSingapore.sg/TEDxWomen with a S$9 adult entrance fee. 

This event is part of TEDxSingapore and was created in the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading." TEDxSingapore welcomes people from every discipline and culture who have two things in common:  seeking a deeper understanding of the world and wanting to turn that understanding into a better future for us all. See: http://www.tedxsingapore.sg. 

- Elaine 

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By The Way and Binge - Ping Pong parties in Hong Kong

Your many years of pub hauls and partying have seen you do it all...  from balut games, to shooting pool, eventually graduating to the wii ...  but you would never have guessed that a game like ping pong would make it big (or even rank) in the glitzy world of cocktails and nightclubs ... well, it has and here in Hong Kong, it seems to have become 'the game" for uber chic club goers especially in the dark, decadent and stylish caverns of the Tazmania Ballroom, sister venue to Dragon-i in Lan Kwai Fong. 

The Tazmania Ballroom is none other than the new and glamourous Tom Dixon designed Hong Kong nightclub and if you scavenge an invite and find yourself there on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, you can bring a partner or better still, find one there.  

Besides the ping pong, the Club is eye candy to designer wanna bees with live Djs working the swanky dance floor playing from a Funktion One sound system that is reputedly the best in the world. The Club has a long and elegant cocktail bar, an outdoor terace and pool tables that descend electronically James Bond-style from the ceiling. Expect to sip cocktails, classic martinis with some pool room fare like fish and chips, hamburgers, hot dogs and hell, since its Hong Kong, enjoy a dim sum platter or two in the mix. 

The one glitch to checking the place out is that entry is exclusive and elusive. Here, only the cool or connected earn a place within palatial walls (at the discretion of the Management, of course). So it helps to know someone who has a key - before making a visit because it will not be a case of what you know and how much it costs, but rather ... who you know ... that will earn you entry. Now thats pinging the pong, in my books! 

Where:

TAZMANIA BALLROOM

1/F, LKF Tower

33 Wyndham Street

Central, Hong Kong

Tel: 2801-5009

 - Elaine

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