Thinking about my old team...

Aiyah, nostalgia has hit.

Just to let you guys know that today I thought about each one of you.

Pam and her 200 Starbucks coffee cup holders stacked up like trophies on her table.
Adlena and her broken foot and the amazing way she carried her handbag with her crutches.
Azmin and MCDREAMY. (And her very very cool way of writing about kids stuff for Kids Co magazine...)
Shaan, beautiful Shaan, whose now-husband plotted with me when he wanted to ask for her hand in marriage — Shaan was always my ticket to dreamland.
Alvin, one of the most gifted designers I've ever had the pleasure to work with.
Jenn, an amazing artist, woman of God and my makan kaki.
Cass, whose big limpid eyes I shall always remember being filled with tears at having to write numbers 1 through 100 on a sheet, tear them neatly and fold them for a lucky draw...
Fongfan, Madam Diva, who was gifted for making every woman look like a million dollars. I always think, this must be how God sees these beautiful daughters He made.
Joel, whom I didn't really know, but whose passion to bring out the REAL and the BEST in every subject moved me immensely.
And finally JENN. I walked past a shop in Cathay 2 days ago. There was a huge display of a drawing of a girl-goat by this Hong Kong pop artist, an artist she loved so much her walls were pasted with them...

And that's what started me missing all of you.

In case you're reading.

Love you guys. Keep well. Email me if you have a minute.

Vanilla Potluck!

August marks our 2nd anniversary!!!

Although Vanilla is no more, I thought it might be cool to get together with the Vanilla cover girls & some other featured girls. Just to chill & makan.

Keep Sat 29 Aug free, 6.30pm onwards!

Karen Tan Shaves for Hair for Hope 2009!

** I posted this on The Living Room blog, but I thought it's worth sharing it here cos Karen is our very own Vanilla woman!

I received an SMS from actress Karen Tan last week. She told me she's shaving her head in support of Hair for Hope 2009, to raise funds & awareness for children with cancer.

To be honest, I've thought about this for years. I've even come close to taking a deep breath and declaring "Oh what the heck, let's just do it!" But each time, I chicken out because... well, I love my long hair. And losing my mane is tantamount to losing a part of my identity, my femininity.

So when Karen took the plunge, I invited her to come on-air to share her experience. For Karen, it's all about getting more people - especially women - to step forward, and to raise more funds for the Children's Cancer Foundation (CCF). So without hesitation, she said OK.

When I first caught sight of her outside our fish-tank studio, I thought she looked gorgeous. "Bald and beautiful", I tease her. But it's not all smooth-sailing for this mother of two. Firstly, even though she prepared her daughters mentally for her shave, her four-year-old wailed uncontrollably when she first saw Mummy botak. Perhaps she thought Mummy was sick, or perhaps Mummy just didn't look like Mummy anymore?

Also, as an actress, Karen had gigs lined up for months - like Crabflower in August. How will her hair grow back in 2 months? And her project requires her to be in Chinese period costume, almost like a muse or fairy that has wandered out of a Chinese painting.....

"They will be wondering what sort of painting I wandered out from!" Karen quips with a hearty chuckle.

We meet her just 2 days after her shave. She's still wondering if she should put on a Buff to cover her head and avoid stares from the public. In any case, we asked her to demonstrate for us how a Buff is worn. She was going to, but digging into her huge sack of a bag, she couldn't find it - only to realise she had left it in another bag! *haiz*

But as fate would have it, I bump into Karen after work at my block! And since I'm given a second chance, I filmed her on the spot. So here's Karen with the demo:

If you'd like to shave in support of Hair for Hope 2009, the main event will take place on Sun 5 July at Velocity @ Novena Square. There's a minimum $30 donation. For more details, click here.

The Bald & Beautiful

Karen Tan did what I always wanted to do, but am just too chicken to. On Monday, she shaved her head to raise funds & awareness for children with cancer.

I'll be chatting with her tomorrow in The Living Room about what compelled her to be part of Hair for Hope 2009. Interview's at 10.40am, with repeat at 10.40pm.

It's a big scary step to shave off all one's hair. I don't think I could ever do it! I promise to post some photos of a bald Karen right here, so watch out for it, OK? :o)

Somaly Mam: 100% Vanilla Woman

** I posted this on The Living Room blog, but I thought it's worth sharing on Vanilla's because we had plans to feature her in Vanilla. Pity it never materialised!

I had nervous diarrhoea the whole morning because I knew Somaly Mam was going to be on our show. Seriously, I had to pop a whole bottle of po chai pills!

I have interviewed many VIPs in my career: from political leaders, heads of MNCs to celebrities. But there is something about this simple remarkable woman that made me feel terribly, terribly humbled and awed.

After seeing her being swallowed up by crowds at the SCWO (Singapore Council of Women's Organisations) event the night before, I felt almost "unworthy" to hold her captive - so exclusively - for an hour. I've never felt this way before.

This is a woman of great courage. A woman so single-minded in her mission to rescue girls sold into sex slavery (some as young as 5 years old) that she is willing to risk even her own life.

And her life has been threatened many times, her home was burned down, her daughter kidnapped and raped. Yet, her NGO - AFESIP Cambodia - has to date rescued over 5,000 girls in Cambodia, rehabilitated them and reintegrated them to society.

But she's compelled to do this work because she herself was raped as 12, forced to marry at 15, and thereafter sold into a brothel where she served 20-30 men a day, against her will. Despite having no education, she was named one of TIME magazine's most influential people in 2009.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so check out her work here:

At the SCWO talk last night, which was part of the Primetime Outreach: Women Leaders series, the host asked Somaly, "You've been to the United Nations, to international conferences and met many world leaders. Who is the one leader you'd most want to meet but have not?"

Somaly laughed. "When I go to these meetings, I don't know these famous people. I am not educated, I don't read magazines or newspapers," she admits with a bashful chuckle. "They pull me to meet the First Lady, I say what is the First Lady?"

But the people who touch her, she knows by name. Like a Singaporean volunteer by the name of June, which she calls "June girl" because she has given of her time and love to the girls at the shelter. For Somaly, no rank or title matters more than Love.

If you'd like to find out more about her life, I'd highly recommend you grab a copy of her autobiography The Road of Lost Innocence. It's available in all major bookstores and all proceeds go to the girls in her Foundation. If it's out of stock, I say place an order for it! It's a powerful book, a must-read for all.

You can also find out more about her courageous work by visiting the Somaly Mam Foundation website. But don't just be inspired, take action! Somaly extends a personal invitation for you to visit the girls.

My Hero Somaly Mam in The Living Room: This autographed copy of her book will remain one of my most prized possessions!

During the news break, I ask Somaly, "What sort of support do you most need right now?"

Somaly's beautiful face breaks into an almost cheeky half-smile. "Just come and see. And you will know for yourself."

The Molly Lee Appeal is announced on Prime Time Morning!

This morning, Josef Lee, Dr Chia Yin Nin of KKH and I were on Prime Time Morning (with the luminous Suzanne Jung and the affable Steven Chia) to talk about the Molly Lee Appeal.

It was nice. I was in that studio once before, maybe three years ago, with Saleemah Ismail of UNIFEM and Glenda Chong was talking to us about our lobbying for the bill to be passed so that men couldn't have sex with kids overseas without facing justice back home.

Anyway, this morning we were there as part of Channel Newsasia's Singapore Woman Award week of publicity. Molly Lee was last year's winner of the SWA, which was helmed by Vanilla (you would all remember I'm sure). 

29 May marks one year since Molly passed away. I've always been so ... dumbfounded is the best word... watching how Josef has really just taken this loss in his stride. When 

my mom passed away from cancer, I was bursting into tears every time I heard the word cancer. But not Josef.

The show went well - Josef shared about Molly and his vision for WeAreWonderWomen, and why he feels the need to keep her work going. I shared about how the fund came about — and at this juncture, I want to thank ONG SOH CHIN, my ex-boss, who really championed this all the way, and linked me with Mrs Laura Hwang and Prof Ivy Ng who really made this fund happen. Here's Soch and me having cupcakes — next round, drinks!

Anyway, Dr Chia (a very sexy, husky-voiced dynamo! I really like her!) shared about how positive mindedness went a long way in the recovery of a cancer patient - and Molly was such a great example of that. Even though the disease eventually overwhelmed her, her legacy now lives on, and hopefully, encourages other cancer sufferers to stay mentally strong and positive, because it impacts their recovery.

So! The Fund is up and running! Please spread the word! We will be holding our first fundraising event at the end of May - details to be revealed as soon as I get my lazy butt off my chair and get wheels in motion.

I just want to thank everyone who has been a part of this - in prayer, good wishes, linking people up - and I thank everyone who is going to join Josef and me in our bid to help women with cancer.

Stay tuned!

Finally A Face!

I loved reading Ee Waun's food column in Vanilla. Some of her stories were heartwarming, others made me laugh out loud (like the one about setting fire to the school's Home Econs room!). 

I'd text or email her to tell her, and she'd reply with a virtual chuckle. And that was how it was for months. In some strange way, I felt like I knew Ee Waun - through her writing - but we've never met.

Until two nights ago. 

Capella Singapore, the new 6-star property on Sentosa, had an exclusive media dinner this past Wednesday and I went with a colleague. It was free seating, so we settled ourselves at this table of strangers. Conversation was free-flowing, engaging, and I enjoyed myself tremendously. 

It was only when the lucky draw segment came along at the end of the evening, and her name was read out that my jaw dropped. Omg, Ee Waun and I were sitting at the same table! *gasp* I'm not sure why we didn't introduce ourselves earlier... 

Pam & Ee Waun @ Capella Hotel: We sat at same table & didn't know it!

So that's how Ee Waun and I finally met. And now that we are friends, Ee Waun, SHARE  YOUR PRIZE!!! *grin*