Bringing Justice to Khmer Rouge Victims

I first visited Phnom Penh when I was doing a travel feature story for SilkWinds - SilkAir's inflight magazine. I was sent there with a photographer to capture the pulse of Cambodia's capital city and to write a destination story.

But after four days there, the story I felt compelled to tell was not about Phnom Penh's tourist attractions, but a sombre account of how this fragile, battered & grieving city is slowly rising to her feet and recovering from her horrific past under the Khmer Rouge regime. I entitled my article: The Pulse of Post-War Phnom Penh.

To this day, I'm surprised SilkWinds published my story, wholesale.

What really happened under the Pol Pot regime? As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. And so, I post this YouTube link as a brief "visual" history lesson for you, and to explain in part why the Khmer Rouge Tribunal - which is currently putting war criminals on trial - is so important to the Cambodian people & the international community.

Several months ago, I learnt that a Singaporean lawyer Mahdev Mohan, who was lecturing at the Singapore Management University, had been appointed an international civil party lawyer by the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, representing victims of the Khmer Rouge. I decided then that I wanted him on our show, so I tracked him down!

BUT at the time, Mahdev had just left for Stanford Law School in California to pursue his PhD. Through email exchanges, he told me that it was his wife Vinita Ramani Mohan who first inspired him through her work as an Asia Fellow back in 2007. The couple had lived 6 months in Cambodia, where she was exploring the use of the arts to help victims deal with trauma and jump-start the process of healing. What a powerful couple!

I wanted both of them in TLR and I was prepared to wait. Vinita told me they'd be back in June, so I kept in touch with her via Facebook. About 2 weeks back, Vinita emailed me to say they're coming home, and so this interview (months in the making!) is finally brought to you...

Mahdev and Vinita are founders of a Singapore-based NGO called Access to Justice Asia LLP, where he's the Director & Lead Counsel, and she Head of the Arts & Justice Programme.

Using their unique gifts, they are doing what they can to make a long-term, sustainable difference - bringing justice to the 2 million Cambodians who perished during the Khmer Rouge regime, and closure to those they've left behind. And they welcome YOU to join them, if you have a gift you'd like to share. You can email them directly at accessjusticeasia@gmail.com.

Come early 2010, the couple will again uproot and live 6 months in Cambodia. That's when Mahdev's legal duty on the Tribunal begins. At this juncture, we wish them all the best! And if you're keen to follow the proceedings of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, click here.

Justice League: Mahdev & Vinita Mohan @ the 938LIVE newsroom.

All The Hurry for Steve McCurry

The 'unguarded moment' is that nano second where what you see is what you get, where what you capture is what IS. That momentary instant where there can be no preparation for, no foretelling of nor repeating. As soon as it happens, it's lost forever.

The Asian Civilisations Museum is presently home to celebrated American photojournalist Steve McCurry's first solo exhibition in Singapore. It captures these fleeting moments of life and living across Asia - from Afghanistan to Kashmir, from Cambodia to India. The exhibition shares its name with the hardcover title of a portfolio of beautifully stunning photographs by Steve.

Perhaps Steve's most talked-about piece of work that had tongues wagging and many print media clamouring for permission to publish his photo was this photo below.

The photo first made headlines after it appeared on the front cover of the National Geographic magazine in June 1985. Twenty four years later today, the image remains a conversation piece. Was it the 13-year-old's demeanour and piercing gaze that conveyed a sorrowful past, yet disarmed by a resolute fortitude for a brighter future? The orphan refugee whose image spread far and wide was a face without a name until January 2002, when she was tracked down in a remote area of eastern Afghanistan. Married to a baker, the mother of three owns the name Sharbat Gula (which Wikipedia states means 'Rose Sherbert' when translated from Pashto, an Indo-European language widely spoken in Afghanistan).

When I asked Steve if he ever tires of being known as the man behind the Afghan Girl, especially since he's taken countless more photographs just as or even more stunning and powerful, he replied, "I think if you're known at all, if you're remembered at all...better to be remembered for one photograph than (none at all). But I've published ten books and I do have people around the world who appreciate my other photographs, so I'm only grateful and humbled by the recognition and appreciation for my work in that particular photograph".

The Afghan Girl and other powerful photographs are now being exhibited at the Asian Civilisations Museum till 19th July at the Shaw Foundation Foyer (2nd floor). Admission is free.

(above: Here I am getting aquainted with Steve's other photographic masterpieces at The Unguarded Moment exhibition last weekend)

Profile: Renowned Photographer, Steve McCurry

Tune in to The Living Room
on
Mon, 22nd June, 11am to noon
as Stanley Leong chats 'live' with:

Steve McCurry...

... The Man Behind The Afghan Girl!

Call through with your questions for Steve at 66911-938!!!

Happy Daddy Day!

Fathers are perhaps understated in the role and power of influence over their children's lives. It's not uncommon to hear and see mothers acknowledged, recognised and celebrated for their role in raising children. Fathers on the other hand hardly receive a word of thanks, much less, tribute.

What may be true in the past of fathers working hours on end to bring home the bacon while mother stays home to take care of the children and chores is no longer practised. How times have changed. There are increasingly more programmes and organisations that encourage and support men in how to be fathers who are involved and engaged in their children's lives. Take for instance the Centre for Fathering and the programmes they offer and efforts by the National Library Board to get fathers to read to their children. My guest today, Adrian Lim, (on the right in the photo) also leaked that a Father's Movement will be launched by MCYS in the not-too-distant future. I'm glad fathers haven't been forgotten, conversely, their place and purposes are being farthered.

Adrian was a former school psychologist, but is now freelancing and is a certified three-in-one social worker, counsellor and psychologist. Having recently completed his doctrate dissertation on "Men's Transition into Fatherhood", he was on our show to share the expectations of 20 men before becoming fathers and how on or off-target they were thereafter.

He was joined by stay-home-dad Glenn Ang (on the left in the photo above) who though armed with a Law degree and taught for three years, gave them all up to dedicate himself fully to playing fulltime dad. With three kids (the eldest being an 8-year-old boy and the youngest a one-year-old daughter), I asked him if the sacrifices he's made in forgoing a career in the marketplace were worthwhile. He replied, "Watching them walk, their first step. Just being able to play with them throughout the day. (The) little things...the nicest thing for me is just putting them to bed at night. When you're watching them fall asleep, it's just a beautful way to end the day".

Speaker at the upcoming Singapore Parenting Congress 2009, Alan Yip of MindEdge, too made clear that it's not just about spending quality time with children. In order to even have quality time, he said a father needs the quantity to make it possible. He challenged fathers on air to look at their priorities and suggested small ways of 'creating' golden opportunities for when dad and bond with his children.

I salute all fathers this Father's Day for the many sacrifices that go unacknowledged, that your contributions will reap long-term rewards.

I love this verse in the Bible taken from Psalm 127:4,

The children born to a man when he is young are
arrows in the hand of a warrior.

Fathers, you are that warrior! You are that archer. Sharpen your arrows and aim well.


To my own dad (photo on the left) ,

Thanks for the many years of sacrifice, of patience, of teaching and discipline!

You taught me more than arithmetics and spelling, but inculcated in me a love for sports and adventure, had me pick up your zest for life (not forgetting your weird sense of humour), developed in me a fondness for campfires 'cos you were such a great leader and challenged me to pick my battles and conquer my fears.

How blessed I am to be your son!

Actress Karen Tan Shaves for Hair for Hope 2009!

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.

Also our guest today was Jason Ng, a Family Life Educator and one of the speakers at this year's Singapore Parenting Congress 2009. We had a very enlightening conversation on parenting in the Digital Age, especially how to get our kids to log off from cyberspace and to log in to real life.

BUT what's cool about Jason is that he came bearing gifts for Stan and me. We don't often get gifts from guests, but I guess Jason felt he was "visiting" our Living Room, so just as he wouldn't visit someone empty-handed, he brought chocolates for us. Ferrero Rondnoir! Mmm, I just downed 3 balls of dark chocolate, and it's ooooh-so-good! *happy sigh*

Stan and I love receiving gifts. We're thinking now whether this should be our new standard for guests?

K-I-D-D-I-N-G.

Can I have some Rhythm please? Make it Latin!

The walls of The Living Room have reverberated with the rhythm of drums from an assortment of cultures - African, Asian and today, Latin percussive instruments like the Conga and the Cajon (pronounced as 'Car-horn' though it sounds no where close when struck) took the limelight.



Drumming up the conversation today were directors and instructors at Latin Beats Production, Faiser Fiorez and Nicholas Lin. Faiser who's Columbian has been a percussionist for about 20 years and he definitely proved his mastery. There was one sequence when my jaw almost dropped when Faiser's palms scampered over five drums in a split second. If it helps you visualise it better, picture a handful of mice on steroids that are running amok on a barbecue grill. Talk about needing to be on the edge of your seat to play at such speeds! One word - INTENSE.

Though there were only two dudes seated across from me, I wouldn't have been surprised if you thought there were six pairs of hands on the seven drums that made our living room their temporary stage for the world.

Latin Beats Production do offer Latin percussion workshops and one-on-one coaching as well and if you'd like to learn the drums (the types Gloria Estefan would jiggy along to), none other works up a sweat and produces as much of a kick as Latin percussions. Bonus forutuna!

Sizzlin' Grills & Supermodels

Who will be Asia's next hottest face? You can vote at SUPERMODELME.tv

"Why didn't anyone think of this before?" ~ was the first question I asked Karen Seah, Executive Producer of Refinery Media & Managing Director of The Refinery Studio that's responsible for SUPERMODELME.tv. What's so unique about this reality model search? Well, it's 100% online.

That means you get to interact freely & directly with the models through virtual chat-rooms, web conferences, and participate in online voting. Also, with an innovative technology called Hyperspot, you can simply click on a model's dress and information about its price & brand pop up instantly. Or how about clicking on her face and getting instant beauty tips?

It was also a pleasure to meet & chat with the host of SUPERMODELME.tv, Charmaine Harn, who really is no stranger to the modelling industry. In 1996, she was specially picked by Eileen & Bill Ford for the 'Ford Supermodel of the World' competition. She then went on to grace runways, magazine covers, advertisements & TV commercials in Paris, Milan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and all over Asia.

I do remember a time when Asian/Pan-Asian models like Charmaine, Junita Simon, Glenda Chong, Nora Araffin & Hanis were household names. But flip through any local fashion magazine these days and all you see are East European girls. Can you even think of one Singaporean supermodel now?

"The numbers have dwindled, and it's sad. We need to bring back that Pan-Asian look. And that's why we're doing SUPERMODELME.tv, to find Asia's next hottest face," Karen explains. "And the panel of judges we've put together also share this vision, which is very important."

I got to chat with two of these aspiring models, Singaporeans Christabel Campbell and Emilia Soh. They're regular girls - albeit being 1.78m and dwarfing the rest of us. Christabel admits to an irrational fear of heights, and the girls were apparently put through a number of tests that required them to face this fear. Look out for Christabel in them! *evil cackle*

[L to R] Charmaine Harn, Karen Seah, Emilia Soh & Christabel Campbell.

SUPERMODELME.tv debuts Tue 16 June. It's 20 episodes, broadcasted twice-weekly over 10 weeks. It begins with 10 girls, and one girl gets eliminated each week. YOU have the power to keep the faces you want to keep seeing by voting online. Sign up here.

My second conversation today was with celebrity chef & host of License to Grill, currently showing on the Asian Food Channel. He's of course the sizzling BBQ expert Robert Rainford, who gleefully goes "mush! mush!" while marinating his meats! *amused chuckle*

Originally from Jamaica, this Canadian chef sure is passionate about his meats & marinades. I tossed him many questions and he juggled them with absolute confidence and finesse!

I have to admit that my stomach was growling by the time he was sharing with us a simple BBQ shrimp recipe...*drool* Then I went on to torture myself even further by asking him about BBQ desserts.

Oh man... Robert described glazing pineapples & peaches with sugar, grilling them till they caramelise, then serving with vanilla ice cream... I swear I about died and went to heaven there.

Well, to find out more about Robert Rainford and his backyard BBQ programme License to Grill, log on to Asian Food Channel's website.

What a grand way to end my week of memorable conversations! *happy dance* Well, Stan is back next week, while I take Monday & Friday off for a well-deserved rest. Do tune in for more exciting conversations coming up. For now, it's over & out. TGIF!