Everest Girls Rock!

On 20 May 2009, they made history by being the first Singaporean women to plant a Singapore flag on Mt Everest, 8,850m above sea level.

Today, I had the great pleasure of having Jane Lee (team leader), Lee Lihui, Sim Yihui and Lee Peh Gee as my guests in The Living Room to share their stories on their adventure of a lifetime!

I remember the first time I met these girls. It was about 2 years ago when I was still with Vanilla magazine. I wanted to do a feature story on them, and Yihui invited me to join them for their regular meeting after work at YMCA. I sat in for their meeting and they were brainstorming about how to raise funds for this gargantuan project...

In fact, getting funds and sponsors seemed a task even more insurmountable than Everest itself! That's why these girls are genuinely thankful for all the support they've received from friends and family. Each one echoed that sentiment when I asked them what they were most thankful for, looking back. In fact, it was the lack of funds that forced them to postpone their climb by a whole year.

I feel proud of them. Not so much that they're the first Singaporean women to conquer Everest, but that they never gave up nor took their eyes off their goal. It started as a dream 5 years ago, and they fought hard to make it a reality.

And dreams do come true! Here's a postcard I received from them recently. It arrived at the 938LIVE office, with a handwritten note scribbled behind - thanking us for our support. Wow.

Girls On Top: [L to R] Sim Yihui, Jane Lee, Lee Peh Gee & Lee Lihui.

Sim Yihui was supposed to make the summit with the 2nd team on 22 May, but chest pains caused her to step down. She shared with us earnestly about those pains (diagnosed as inflammation of the breast bone & rib bone) and what went through her mind as she struggled with the decision to continue or give up. My heart really went out to her.

"But this is a team effort," Yihui reasons, and for that reason, she's at peace. In fact, she was there clanging pots & pans when her team-mates made it to the summit, one by one. Her support of them was total, and I really admire her for her strength.

My encounter with these amazing women left me truly inspired. But for people who have made it to the top of the world, they are surely the most down-to-earth chicks around! *chuckle* It seriously felt like we were a couple of girl friends sitting cross-legged on the sofa, chit-chatting!

So will the Singapore Women's Everest Team stop existing now that they've conquered Everest? "No!" the girls chorus. They tell me they've plans to take their stories & experiences to others, to motivate them to pursue their own dreams.

"We're now thinking of what to call ourselves after this," team leader Jane Lee says with a chuckle. "But we'll definitely still be around!"

Singapore Women's Everest Team: Tue 9 Jun, 10.10am!

The Singapore Women's Everest Team will grace our couch:

Tue 9 Jun, 10.10am

Encore broadcast at 10.10pm & 2am on Channel NewsAsia.

Catch team leader Jane Lee, Sim Yihui, Lee Lihui & Lee Peh Gee on-air as they share their behind-the-scenes stories.

And keep your eye on this BLOG as I'll be sharing my after-thoughts & pics right here!

Yale Alley Cats

They are young, but such gentlemen in the way they carried themselves. But then, these lads are Ivy Leaguers from the prestigious Yale University. 

They're part of the 14-persons, all-male a capella ensemble called Yale Alley Cats. Since 1943, the group has been sharing their music around the world, and these guys are on tour this Summer break. Singapore is their last stop on their Asian tour. 

But I'm sure you'd want to listen to them, so here they are. Well,  just 4 out of 14... 

 

They will be performing this Thursday, 11 June @ The Arts House Chamber. You can get your tickets from SISTIC. 

Jane Goodall in The Living Room!

Jane Goodall is one of those legendary people whom I've heard about, read about, but never imagined I'd spend an exclusive hour with, in intimate conversation. I swear I so love my job! *grin*

I came to work in green because today is World Environment Day. And what better way to commemorate this day than to chat with this world-renowned primatologist & conservationist?

In the summer of 1960, Jane left England for Tanzania, Africa, to study chimpanzees in the Gombe Reserve. At the time, it was unheard of for a woman to be living in the African forest. And she was then just 26! 

But her study became such a scientific milestone that Jane was admitted to Cambridge University in 1962 as a PhD candidate - one of the very few ever to be admitted without a college degree. Jane graduated with a doctorate degree in Ethology in 1965. 

In 2002, Jane was appointed a United Nations 'Messenger of Peace', and in 2004, a Dame of the British Empire, the equivalent of a knighthood.  

Yet, what struck me about Jane Goodall was how simple, soft-spoken and gentle she is. There's a Zen-ness about her. She's not one who trumpets her ideals atop a soapbox, but one who rolls up her sleeves and goes quietly to work. 

And travelling with her to 59 countries is her stuffed monkey, Mr H. [pictured] 

In preparation for this interview, I Googled her and came across many photos of him online. So I was thrilled to see him sitting at the waiting area outside the 938LIVE studio with Jane! 

After a quick 'hello' to her, I zoomed in on Mr H because to me, he's almost as famous as she is! *chuckle* He was given her by an inspirational blind magician, Gary Haun, 13 years ago. Since then, she's carried this stuffed monkey wherever she goes. Isn't he just so adorable?

Jane's stuffed monkey Mr H. sits facing me on the conty counter.

We had such an enlightening conversation with Jane! She took our questions calmly and answered with such wisdom & clarity that it upped my respect for her 100 notches. 

And when I had the opportunity, I scrambled over to have her to autograph my copy of her book, Reason For Hope. I had gone down to Borders the night before just to grab a copy!

"Follow your heart" ~ Jane Goodall wrote on my book. Simple. Succinct. Yet, when I think about how she, at age 11 (in the midst of World War II), had a dream to live with animals in the wild, and how she followed her own heart - despite naysayers - this piece of advice becomes nothing short of priceless. 

Because Jane followed her heart, she challenges & empowers me to follow mine. And follow my heart, I will. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote in one of my all-time favourite books, The Little Prince:

“It is only with the heart

 that one can see rightly; 

what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

 

To find out more about her, visit the Jane Goodall Institute website. 

Does she look like Agony Aunt?

When I think of Agony Aunt,

I think of someone with hair bunned up, horned-rimmed glasses,

and quite a witty, wisecrack sort of magazine columnist.

Not that The Living Room's resident Agony Aunt isn't witty or a wisecracker. She's quite a feisty one, but she looks anything but...

She is Psychologist, Life Coach & Managing Director of Wand Inspiration

Wendy Chua

And she'll be joining us 'live' Every Thursday in June & July, 11am - noon.

So if you're seeking some clarity in your career, relationships or parenting, do call in at 66911-938. On-air consultation is FREE!

Alternatively, email us your questions at livingroom@938LIVE.sg and we'll gladly pass them on to Wendy. You can email us anytime ~ just include in the Subject Head "Agony Aunt".

Here's to many insightful Thursdays ahead with our very young & pretty Agony Aunt, Wendy Chua. Only here in The Living Room!

Special Olympics in Singapore!

The Special Olympics is blazing into town this weekend, and you'll be able to catch the various athletes in action at the National University of Singapore. Most of the land games are held there - including track & field, soccer & basketball, while the swimming events are held at Clementi Swimming Complex. Admission is FREE!

It's the June holidays. Why not pack some snacks & drinks, grab a cap and take the kids down to watch the Special Olympics? It will be a great experience for them, plus our Singapore athletes - a contingent of 500! - will need all the support they can get! *wink*

Our guests today were Chairperson of the 7th Special Olympics National Games 2009 organising committee, Josephine Chia; Chairman of the Parent Support Network, Mimi Tan (whose son Benson is a swimmer); Operations Manager Dexter Ho and bowling champion, Hanako Sawayama.

Hanako is such an inspiration! She's so cheerful, so "un-inflated" by her sterling achievements: 1 Gold & 2 Silvers at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Ireland. She was also appointed a 'Global Messenger' (2004-2006), which saw her speaking at national & international conferences, and representing the attitudes & opinions of 1.4 million Special Olympics athletes throughout the world. What an amazing young woman!

Our friends from Special Olympics Singapore: Dexter, Mimi, Josephine & bowler Hanako.

Oh, if you're wondering why the photo makes everyone look so "slim", it's thanks to my good friend Marie L. who was fiddling with my Panasonic Lumix last night. She owns a Lumix LX-3, and was excitedly showing off this cool "vanity" function she discovered.

"If you select 'Scene' mode, you can choose 'Transform', and it will make you look really slim in the photo!" Marie enthuses at Clark Quay last night where we caught a magic show. We left for dinner after, happily leaving my camera setting at this "vanity" mode.

This morning, when Stan had the above photo snapped of our Special Olympics friends, his puzzled frown made me look up after reading the news. I burst out laughing at the realisation!

United Colours of... Eurasians!

I first fell in love with Eurasian culture when I read the book The Shrimp People by Rex Shelley many moons ago. He painted such an intriguing picture of the early Eurasian community in Singapore - the social parties, hockey games etc - that I went in search of Shelley's other books! *grin*

So I was looking forward to having our guests from The Eurasian Association (EA) join us in The Living Room today to tell us more about what their community is up to today - in particular, how they are nurturing leadership among their young people.

We had a lively chat with 3 volunteers from the Mentoring Young Leaders Network (MYLN), a sub-committee of EA's Youth Chapter today. Meet them here:

Eurasian Professionals on a Mission: MP Christopher de Souza, Sybil Rocha, Kimberly Gordon & Zaf Coelho.

Sybil Rocha (Chairperson) is a corporate lawyer, Zaf Coelho (Vice-Chairman) is a Conference Manager and Kimberly Gordon (Creative Manager), a media professional. Yet these passionate 20-somethings give of their time & energy to engage, equip & empower other young people - and not only within the Eurasian community.

As Christopher de Souza (MP of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC & EA volunteer) tells us, the Eurasian Association does not limit its activities to just the Eurasian community. The doors have always been wide open for anyone from any other ethnic group to join them. Now talk about being "inclusive"! *wink*

"The Eurasian Association has always been inclusive," says MP Christopher de Souza. "Our door is always open to all."

Their upcoming seminar "What's Next" Exploring Post-Secondary Options is open to all upper-Secondary students & their parents - regardless of race, language or religion! *chuckle* It's on this Sat 6 Jun, 3pm @ the Eurasian Community House. Admission is FREE.

And I think their upcoming musical Eurasiana is going to be quite a spectacle as well. After all, aren't Eurasians known for their flair in music & drama? That's on 26 June @ Esplanade Concert Hall. To find out more about both events, just click here.