Mariah Carey to perform at Singapore Grand Prix 2010!

For more information, click on the image above.

When I was a kid, my friends wanted to be scientists, pilots, architects... me? I wanted to be Mariah Carey. 

I don't care what people have to say about her now. To me... she will always be that amazing singer I grew up listening to everyday. The first songs I sang were hers - with a hairbrush, remote control or my mum's can of hair spray as a microphone. 

I can't wait to watch her at the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix next month!

AWOL

For those of you who have been waiting for the post on that day trip to Sweden, I apologise but you may have to wait a little longer. 

My cat Billy is experiencing urinary obstruction and I'm spending all my spare time cuddling him back to health. 

In the meantime, this is a shout out to all the readers from out of Singapore. My analytics have shown increase in readership from across the globe so to you, my unsuspecting friend from far away, hello! (: 

On the other hand, I can't forget about my local readers as well so hello there! In fact, I've just stumbled upon an interesting read for my fellow Singaporeans, and the new addition to my recommended blogroll: Diary of A Singaporean Mind by Lucky Tan.

Also, for scoop on upcoming interesting events and activities, check back with my Calendar on the right-hand navigation bar for details like free movie screenings, 53A's album launch and Chunkfest; updated weekly.

I'm planning a whole slew of exciting articles and columns for the blog but I can't get the ball rolling until my Billy gets better soon! Have a great weekend, everyone! xx

Danish Wedding

The main reason for the trip to Copenhagen was really to attend the wedding of a lovely couple named Christa and Miguel. 

The ceremony was held in the most ornate church I've ever seen, the Trinitatis Kirke (Trinity Church) which is at the annex of the famous Rundetaarn (Round Tower), originally built as an observatory by King Christian IV between 1637 and 1642. 

Unfortunately, we didn't manage to tour the observatory, which is famous for the magnificent views of the city as well its unique interior architecture but the church alone was already very beautiful. 

The walls were draped in renaissance gold ornaments and armies of angel statues. 

The ceremony was lead by a female priest (I'm unsure if this is the right term to use?) and was held in Danish. The bride wore a beautiful bustier gown and was radiating as her father walked her down the aisle. All the guests who had flown in from various parts of the world - Singapore, Italy, England - tried our best to follow the hymns throughout the ceremony but were somehow sparked into infectious giggles halfway through the ceremony! We really didn't mean to (sorry Christa!) but for some strange reason a wave of giggles spread across the vibrating pews and we were in red knots trying to stifle our laughter. 

It was unfortunate that the rains were pouring down on us as we walked from the church to the reception at Vartov but once we were all dry and warm indoors, the champagne begun flowing and mingling was in order. 

We sat down to an intimate dinner of no more than 40 guests. (In Singapore, wedding receptions usually serve anywhere from 200 to 2000 people!) The food was delicious and thoughtfully matched with appropriate wines. 

My favourite part about celebrating Christa and Miguel's union was participating in the Danish wedding traditions!

Apparently, whenever the groom left the room, the male guests would gather in a line and take turns to kiss the bride! The same was true whenever the bride left the room! It was so fun that I think I want to incorporate this in my wedding, just for the sheer fun of it. 

Another tradition we witnessed was the bride and groom having to dance a waltz before midnight. All the guests gathered around the couple as the danced and slowly inched closer, crowding the couple so they could not move. At that point, the men took hostage of Miguel, removed his shoes and cut the ends of his socks! Apparently, the girls were meant to cut the bride's veil into pieces but smart Christa didn't wear one to the reception. 

Various wedding traditions can be similar - like fathers walking brides down the aisle - or completely unique and being at Christa and Miguel's wedding prompted me to google for other interesting wedding traditions! My favourite local custom is still the Chinese Tea Ceremony, especially the part when the groom and his mates will have to do all sorts of crazy things in a bid to see and collect his bride. The next portion where the couple serves tea to their parents is one I highly regard as well. I remember crying bucketloads the day my best friend had to serve tea to her parents, as well as her grand parents who proudly flew all the way from Philippines to see their granddaughter get married. 

Choosing a date for the wedding is one of the utmost important things to do when planning. Here are a couple of traditional rhymes to help you decide:

Monday for wealth
Tuesday for health
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses
Friday for crosses
Saturday for no luck at all

Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind and true.
When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know.
Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden and for Man.
Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go.
Those who in July do wed, must labour for their daily bred.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see
Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.

Men planning to propose to their brides on a budget can take a page from the Welsh book of marriage proposals and present their brides to be with a spoon carved out from wood, which the woman has to wear around her neck with a ribbon, as a sign of their engagement! How's that for dodging having to pay thousands of dollars for a diamond ring?

You can also save yourself a massive hangover by doing what the Germans do; instead of holding hen and stag nights, they celebrate by bringing old crockery to throw outside the couple's house. It is believed that broken crockery bring good luck and the more pieces shattered, the more luck the bride and groom will have. Cleaning up would be a feat though!

In Australia, the bride tries for good luck by carrying a horseshoe over their arms.

And instead of throwing a bridal bouquet, single ladies in Peru participate in an activity where a charm is hidden in between the layers of the wedding cake. Strings of ribbon stick out of the cake but only one is tied onto the charm. The woman who pulls on the ribbon with the charm is the one to marry next. 

Tomorrow, more on our day trip to Sweden!

Copenhagen, Denmark

My long awaited holiday to Denmark was a blast! It couldn't have been better, in the company of fantastic people in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

My first impression of Copenhagen was how warm and polite the people were. The shops and restaurants were mostly understaffed and sometimes getting served took a while but the Danish are patient and understanding. In return, the service staff worked extra hard to attend to every customer with consistent regard. This is so unlike Singapore, where most places are overstaffed, and you still either are completely ignored or find yourself at the receiving end of incredibly moody (dis)service.

The weather was a cool average of 15 degrees, with the occasional showers. Luckily for us, each time we went sightseeing to Rozenbourg Castle and Nyhavn, or even shopping along Stroget, we were blessed with glorious sun.

This was one of the squares along our Stroget shopping route. The preferred mode of transportation on short distances is the bicycle. As a result, they're parked everywhere!

This was taken at the King's Garden, with a view of Rozenbourg Castle in the background. Unfortunately, we got there a little too late to take a look around inside the castle, but the grounds surrounding it sure are beautiful.

My favourite place in the city definitely has to be Nyhavn, also known as New Harbour. Lined with rows of charming cafes and restaurants, it's the perfect spot to park yourself for the afternoon and watch the world go by. Not to mention, the spectacular view of the harbour and the lovely street musicians - no doubt it definitely feels like Europe.

I didn't really get photos of Christiania (big graffiti signs say 'No Photos' and we were warned that they may turn violent if you ignore the signs) but our visit there was definitely one of the most memorable. Freetown Christiania is a self-proclaimed autonomous community and is regulated by their own special laws, separate from the Danish government. At first, we thought it was a street of hippie squatters who do nothing but stone all day (Christiania is most famous for their thriving cannabis trade) but we were pleasantly surprised to find that their little neighbourhood was kept very orderly, appealing even.

The government has cracked down on the marijuana trade a lot since 2004 but walking through you could still see bushes of their own ganja plants, and stalls selling bricks upon bricks of aromatic grass. Even if you didn't want to smoke a joint of your own (which were as big as CIGARS!) all you had to do was take deep breaths as you walk around and you would have been as calm as millpond!

On our last day, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather to spend a day at Tivoli Gardens, an amusement theme park just outside Copenhagen Central train station, and a 5 minute walk from our hotel.

Tivoli Gardens is really quite an alluring place. Completely different from the modern theme parks out there, it exudes an old world charm (something Denmark seems to be all about) and the rides aren't as extreme as the adrenaline junkie ones out there today. Sure, you could still feel your racing heart in the pit of your stomach on some, but you needn't worry about wetting your pants at any point.

We definitely had the best view of Copenhagen on this ride...

What's more, Tivoli lights up so beautifully at night that it looks like a completely different place. I only wish the restaurants didn't close so early so that we could enjoy it a little longer...

Holiday post not over yet, keep a look out for the next installment featuring bytes on the wedding and our day trip to Malmo, Sweden!

Singfest 2010

Last week was massive as a friend was kind enough to score me a 3 day pass to Singfest 2010.

My favourite performance was that of Katy Perry's on Day 1. She was hotter in person, her taut bod clad in a PVC pin-up cut bikini. I knew she could sing, but I was blown away to find out just how well she could sing!

Photos available at www.singfest.sg

I was quite exhausted the next morning (WHOSE DUMB IDEA WAS IT TO HOLD A 3 DAY MUSIC FESTIVAL MID-WEEK?!) but the anticipation from my meet & greet passes with Kool and The Gang, courtesy of the awesome people from HTC, kept me buzzing with excitement throughout the day.

They didn't just give out meet & greet passes, this generous lot have put up exclusive autographed Wildfire phones for auction... and all proceeds go to charity! You have until Friday 13 August at 11.59pm to submit your bids for phones signed by Katy Perry, Tokio Hotel and Kanye West so hurry!

Name, IC, address, contact, code* and bid amt (min. $500)

Katy Perry: WILD-KP

Kanye West: WILD-KW

Tokio Hotel: WILD-TH

Proceeds go to the Society for the Physically Disabled.

Bidding ends next Friday 13th Aug, 11.59pm!

Now, I was really more stoked about watching Kool and The Gang than any of the other artists because these guys are legends! I don't care how old you are, you definitely would have heard their popular tunes like "Cherish", "Get Down On It" and "Celebrate". When I found out I would be meeting them, I quickly ran out and bought their greatest hits compilation and clutched it eagerly in my sweaty palms, as I waited with bated breath to meet these funky guys.
I've met a number of celebrities in my time, including Kelly Clarkson and Jamie Cullum, but being the noob that I am, I'm actually most proud of the autographed CD of Kool and The Gang sitting on my shelf. Heh.

Inception

There was a big commotion about Inception on my twitter feed. Everybody was talking about it! Some said it was brilliant, some just didn't understand it. Either way, it was a nice break from hearing about Twilight the whole time. (No offence to Twi-hards, I think the Twilight Saga is a teeny bop insult to classic vampirism (?) such as Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles)

After a busy couple of weeks I finally found some time one Friday evening to catch it.

Yes, it takes quite a bit of concentration but I really loved it! Being a very frequent vivid dreamer, I took to the lure of escapism "in limbo" immediately!

I've always respected DiCaprio's work (Blood Diamond, Shutter Island and well... TITANIC!) and the film even featured one of my favourite French actresses of all time, Marion Cotillard. Though I really couldn't shake off Ellen Page's character from Juno. I wonder if anybody else noticed that Joseph Gordon-Levitt really resembled the late Heath Ledger in this film?

A lot of feedback from friends who have also watched the movie is that it's pretty similar to Matrix. Well, I didn't really watch Matrix to be able to comment on that.

Last night, I decided to watch it again with a friend who hadn't watched it before and it got me thinking a lot about my own dreams so I decided to do some research on what certain dreams mean.

• Flying

To dream of flying is usually a pleasant experience and is accompanied by a sense of exhilaration and freedom. It usually feels completely natural as if we have somehow always known how to do this. Rarely is the dream accompanied by a fear of heights or of falling. Flying may symbolise liberation from something that's been troubling you. The obstructions and shackles that have held you down have been released and you can now experience the same sense of freedom that we see in the birds that soar in the sky. The sky may symbolise consciousness and spirituality so to dream of flying can represent the expansion of your awareness and the unfolding of your higher self. (Freud of course took a more materialistic view: to him flying dreams represented sexual release.)

• Snakes

The snake is one of the world's oldestsymbols found in some of the most ancient sculptures. They are often used as phallic symbols and have long been linked with pagan fertility gods. Because it lives close to the ground, the snake is an emblem of the nurturing earth and also the unknown perils of the underworld. Christian imagery emphasises the dark side of this symbol.

It is considered evil, yet it is the snake, created by God, that tempts man to gain knowledge. In dreams, a snake can represent hidden fears. Falling into a pit of snakesmay represent the many worries that are threatening you. Sometimes snakes can symbolise the poisonous words and innuendo of the people around you.

• Teeth falling out

Dreaming of teeth falling out may represent insecurity. These dreams often occur at a time of transition between one phase of life and another. When we lost our milk teeth, we also gradually lost our childhood innocence. Loosing your teeth therefore show that today you have similar feelings of uncertainty and self-consciousness as you did in childhood. The dream could also highlight your worries about getting older or your sexual attractiveness.

Animal teeth may represent aggressiveness and false teeth may represent concern about your self-image. The dream could also be triggered by subtle toothache that you are not yet consciously aware of.

I very often dream about people - some more frequently than others but believe it or not, I swear sometimes I dream about people I haven't even met yet... then I remember it when I finally do meet them at a later time!

• Dejavu

Throughout recorded history, people have associated dreams with premonitions, déjà vu and precognition. I know that I have have experienced déjà vu, instances where I could have sworn I had previously dreamt something that just occurred in my life. Maybe you have as well. Others, including many notable philosophers, have claimed that they can see glimpses of future events in dreams.

If you are prone to these types of dreams, or believe that they can occur, then promoting more frequent dreams with better clarity can only increase the chances of these dream events occurring.

• Nudity

Many sleepers are embarrassed to find themselves dreaming of being in a public place and being either naked or wearing only their underwear. These dreams often express feelings of guilt or inferiority. It is a metaphor that exposes the dreamers perceived faults or feelings of vulnerability to some situation in their life. In the above example, the fact that other people are oblivious to the dreamer's nudity indicates that they should discard as groundless any fears that they will be rejected if their real self is revealed. If you dream of being ashamed or frightened of being naked this may indicate a fear of relationships or of showing your real feelings. (Sigmund Freud once said that his favourite dream was being naked in a crowd of strangers!)

A dream of being disgusted by the nudity of another person suggests anxiety or aversion at discovering the 'naked truth' about a person, a situation or even about yourself. Acceptance of the nudity of others indicates that you see through people and accept them for what they are.

Nudity can also represent your longing for the lost innocence of childhood. It represents the real you stripped of pretence and imposed social conditioning. Nudity also has spiritual connotations: it is an expression of beauty and divinity. The ancient gods such as Venus the god of love, Diana the god of the hunt, or the three Muses who inspire the artist are all usually depicted naked

What are your favourite dreams about?