I Convinced My Boss To Let Me Go On A 6-Month “Work-cation” & It Was The Mental Reset I Needed

“Hey Jess, could you help me take a look at this please?” was a message I often sent my supervisor. But rather than firing it off immediately this time, I scheduled it to send a few hours later. After all, while it was 1PM in Vancouver, it was only 5AM in Singapore and my entire team was still snoozing. I ain’t about to breach their work-life balance.

I’ve been working remotely for the past two months or so, and I’m not just talking about sending emails from home. Here’s how I managed to convince my bosses to let me take a “work-cation” all the way in Canada.

Amazon Fresh: Behind The Scenes Of How Your Groceries Are Packed And Shipped In Two Hours →

Amazon Fresh Singapore

It’s no secret that Singaporeans love shopping online. The Covid-19 pandemic also made e-commerce the new normal, with more people adding their groceries and essentials to their shopping cart. But how exactly does online grocery shopping work? We went behind the scenes at Amazon Fresh’s fulfilment centre to see the magic behind their two-hour deliveries.

‘Schitt’s Creek’ is the brightest sitcom in the darkest night

Warning: Mild spoilers ahead.

A happy ending is hard to come by on television these days.

After the trainwreck that was Game of Thrones’ last season, I was nervous going into the series finale of the sitcom Schitt’s Creek. But as the credits rolled, I sat in my chair for a couple of minutes, appreciating the rollercoaster ride of emotions that showrunners Eugene and Daniel Levy have set me on for the six seasons.

No conclusion to a television series has made me laugh as loud while choking back the most tears. And judging by the finale’s response on the Internet, I wasn’t the only one wishing this experience didn’t end.

Now, I’m not the biggest fan of sitcoms, and me following through with one till the end is an occasion rarer than a pink supermoon. But there was something about the way in which Schitt’s Creek approached the format that had me obsessed from the get-go.

Perhaps it was the promise of a landscape that wasn’t a drab office with four walls or the dry humour that was totally on-brand with what I stood for. Either way, I’ve been following this show for years, and it’s about time it got the limelight it deserves.

Schitt’s Creek made its premiere in 2015 with a simple riches-to-rags premise: The wealthy Rose family had lost everything they owned – except for the title deed to a humdrum town they bought as a joke back in 1991. Johnny (Eugene Levy), Moira (Catherine O’Hara), David (Daniel Levy), and Alexis (Annie Murphy) now find themselves and their entire lives – or what was left of it – squeezed into two rundown motel rooms in Schitt’s Creek. A room in their former mansion might have had more space.

There is an initial wave of tension between the elitist Roses and the down-to-earth townspeople of Schitt’s Creek, but that softens after many barn parties and long drives to Amish villages. David befriends the owner of the motel Stevie Budd (Emily Hampshire), while Moira joins the a capella group Jazzagals led by Jocelyn Schitt (Jennifer Robertson). But it wasn’t until the end of the third season and the beginning of the fourth that a switch was flipped, and the narrative of Schitt’s Creek ascended into a higher dimension.

It was no longer just a fish-out-of-water story. The Rose family was slowly learning how to become a family. Not just with each other, but also with the people of Schitt’s Creek.

Johnny and Stevie form an endearing mentor/mentee bond as he invests in the motel. The Jazzagals mourned the death of Moira (a case of #fakenews, thankfully). David, not one for public displays of affection, steps out of his comfort zone in a rare showing of affection for his boyfriend Patrick (Noah Reid). Alexis starts her own public relations firm that livened the town with sold-out events like Single’s Week.

Each of the main characters slowly discovers a better version of themselves, and that’s great because that is what stories are supposed to do. But what makes Schitt’s Creek stand out from other sitcoms in the wild is its perfect balance between sardonic humour and sincerity. The Levy’s have mastered the art of championing real, worldly issues without diving into the depths of comedy hell, with tolerance and wit reigning supreme in this backwater town.

There is no tragic backstory or tokenism for the LGTBQ characters portrayed in Schitt’s Creek. Homophobia is a concept that doesn’t exist here, simply because Daniel Levy chose not to give a platform to that sort of negativity. An example that defines the show’s attitude towards equality and acceptance was David’s pansexuality. “I like the wine and not the label,” he explained to Stevie. The succinct metaphor has since been used for real coming-out stories as told in the post-series documentary.

There’s also no lack of viral, meme-worthy clips and extracts that cemented the show’s position in the hierarchy of popular culture. From Moira’s glamorous collection of wigs (every single one is named, BTW) to the pop banger “A Little Bit Alexis” that I just can’t get enough of. All that was made perfect for today’s age of social media consumption. It’s that easy to express yourself with an “Ew, David!” reaction GIF.

But beyond just the laughs, there are also momentous, heartfelt scenes that will tug so hard at your heartstrings. Who knew Patrick’s cover of an iconic Tina Turner song would inspire a new way for so many people to express their love? Or the Cabaret episode where the once-aloof Stevie seized her fears by the throat and blossomed into a confident lady who owned the stage. I’m not going to spoil any more of these tear-jerking scenes because you deserve to experience them for the first time like I did, caught unawares without a box of tissues by my side.

It’s a bit serendipitous that the series had to finish in a time when the world is going through so much grief and turmoil. I wish that there was more Schitt’s Creek to look forward to next week because it’s one of the only things (besides food) that can make me laugh as hard as isolation would allow.

But at the end of the day, I found some comfort – no, a whole lot of it – in a story about a little town in the middle of nowhere. By concluding the series with a happy ending, it also makes rewatching the show a lot easier, because there’s something to look forward to.

The Levy’s love story to the world was a universe where smiling is made a little bit easier, and I hope that by sharing this gem of a show with you, it can make passing the days a little bit easier too.

First published on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.

The Singapore Spotlight: Tan Wei Xiang talks jazz and its flourishing future in Singapore

It was almost happenstance that Tan Wei Xiang was initiated into the jazz industry. A law student playing the trombone on the National University of Singapore’s jazz band, he filled in on the piano when the pianist didn’t show up one day, and two decades later his resume reads like a musician’s pipe dream. On top of being the Associate Music Director for the Jazz Association of Singapore and a lecturer at the LASALLE College of the Arts, Tan also hosts a weekly open mic jam session called 1819 Tuesdays at the listening lounge Maduro.

But it hasn’t always been Singapore first for Tan, as shortly after finishing his law studies, he left for New York City to pursue his masters, and it was there he formed his “complete musical family” as he affectionally calls them. But a greater sense of responsibility to Singapore beckoned him home, in part to teach the next generation how to navigate the path towards being a musician while avoiding some of the pitfalls and obstacles that he encountered during his career.

We recently had the opportunity to sit down and pick Tan’s brains on the jazz scene in Singapore, how it has evolved, and what the future of this genre looks like on our shores.

Lifestyle Asia: How have the 1819 Tuesdays sessions been so far?

Tan: It’s been really fantastic because it provides a platform for younger jazz musicians to come out and share and connect with fellow musicians. They can also connect to a larger audience, therefore building up their own personal network. One of the rules we have is that we always have fun. So we laugh at each other’s mistakes, we smile a lot, and it rubs off on the audience as well. The audience enjoys the camaraderie and seeing and hearing musicians enjoy themselves on stage. That’s one of the core principles we have for the sessions.

LSA: Do you ever get stage fright?

I actually do. I got stage fright sometime last year, and that is coming from somebody who has played to an audience of thousands. I was performing a classical piece, it was completely out of my oeuvre, and I completely froze. People told me that it sounded fantastic, but I don't trust them. (Tan lets out a chuckle here) But still, with my concepts of jazz, I'm a lot more forgiving with mistakes. I take the view that mistakes are the first step toward eventual beauty. It's not that I go out of my way to make mistakes, but if it happens I tend to be kinder to myself, and I forgive myself, and I move forward to something more positive.

LSA: Do you think the younger generation are getting more into jazz?

We're going through a revival of sorts. There wasn't much of an influx of jazz musicians until very recently, and it's been like a huge renaissance because there are so many young jazz musicians that play at such a high level. Most of them can basically fly their wares at an international level when they’re 22, and that's quite amazing. From the viewpoint of somebody that has been here for a very long time, I'm very happy at how the jazz scene has developed, and the infrastructure is developing such that it actually enables and encourages young musicians to take our art form seriously.

LSA: Why do you think this renaissance is happening now?

There's a gradual recognition of jazz as an art form which is serious, I suppose. It's not trivial music, and to be an exponent of the art form you have to spend many, many years before you step on the stage perfecting your skills as a musician. So there's gradual recognition of the amount of effort, blood, and sweat that it takes to be a professional jazz musician. At the same time, this music is very accessible and usually presented in an informal environment, which makes it a lot more palatable to most people.

LSA: How would you compare Singapore's jazz scene now compared to when you started?

It has changed quite a lot. As far as standards go, we have somehow accelerated our musical growth to a state where there's a very strong number of musicians who are able to perform in any country. When I left New York 10 years ago, I was thinking that I will say goodbye to being able to play music at such a high level. But I just did a concert last week with all Singaporean musicians and I found myself reliving this really high level of musicality again, and I was very overjoyed.

(From left to right) Wei Xiang on the piano, Alex Sipiagin on the trumpet, Kenji Nakano on the bass, Aaron James Lee on the drums. (Photo: Maduro)

LSA: Does it make you feel alive?

It does. If anything, it kind of vindicates what I've been doing for the past 10 years ever since I came back. A big part of what I do is educate the youth in the ways of jazz. And right now we are beginning to see the fruits of our labour, and that makes me very happy.

LSA: What are some of the obstacles a jazz musician will face?

There are so many! From a technical standpoint, every good jazz musician is supposed to be a technical virtuoso. You are supposed to have complete control over your instrument, and that is something you do behind closed doors. That’s one thing that most people don’t really quite see. Every note we play is the result of many hours, many days, many weeks, many months, many years of practice. It's a distillation of a lot of effort.

The second thing would be what do we do with this technique. We can't just mindlessly spew out notes just because we can. We have to have an aesthetic, taste, and an understand about the grouping of notes and tones and rhythms into something cohesive It has to be like a story so that it can actually draw people into what we're doing. Similarly, this requires many years of deliberation, of meditation, of introspection, of research, and of discovery to get to a point where you can have enough confidence to assert what you say and to stand fast behind your assertion.

Third, you have your real-life worries. Questions like how do I make a living, how do I provide for my family, will I ever reach retirement, do I retire, will I have work in the future? Bread and butter issues like that really do affect musicians. I'm not saying that jazz musicians are the worst of the lot, but we all go through that. It really takes a very special person to be good in this art form because you need a confluence of many different ideal situations of ideal viewpoints, physicalities to be able to produce a great musician. It's kind of rare, and it's really surprising that we have that in droves in Singapore.

LSA: How do you think jazz can thrive in Singapore, and what other things can be done to help grow the scene locally?

The important thing, at least for me, is that everything is born out of enjoyment, of fun, of the sense of discovery. So when you come to an 1819 session, you will find that the musicians are really having fun, they're laughing at their own mistakes. We embrace mistakes in jazz, and this is part of what we do. We're not looking for the perfect note. In fact, we're looking for mistakes that will lead to more beautiful mistakes. That is a very good encapsulation of the human condition. We are far from perfect. At the same time, in spite of our imperfections, we are able to play beautiful music. We are able to play things that people will find pleasurable.

LSA: Do you think Singaporeans appreciate jazz enough?

Well, I think there's a small but mighty crowd of people. I wish that there were more people involved in what we do, and I think that through the many efforts of many different NGOs, charities, and schools, we will see the gradual blossoming of jazz into a more mainstream art form than a niche thing that it is right now. I can see that happening. It's already co-opted into the O-level syllabus for a few months, and that is a very major feat which has been due to the efforts of many important people including Jeremy Monteiro and Professor Tommy Koh. There are so many people who are invested in what we are doing and will like to see Singapore play a bigger role in the world of jazz.

LSA: How do you see the future of jazz in Singapore?

I think the future is good, I think the future is bright. There are many interested parties who are working very hard to further the cause of jazz both in public and private. That to me is an indication that there is a demand for it, there is a desire for it to play a larger role in society. And what I like to bring to the table is to remind everybody that what we do is entertainment.

You can catch Tan Wei Xiang in action every Tuesday at Maduro.

First published on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.

Frustration reigns at the Queen Victoria Market

It was a bustling Saturday morning at the Queen Victoria Market. A trader manning his fruit stall shouted over the chatter of the crowd, “Three boxes of strawberries for $4! Three boxes of strawberries for $4!” But they paid him and his fresh berries no mind. After all, they were there to shop for the necessary ingredients to feed an Easter Sunday dinner party.

But little did they know that underneath that iconic Victorian architecture, underneath that booming voice from behind the stands, was frustration that echoed beyond the crates of fresh produce.

Since July 2017, the Melbourne City Council has been proposing a facelift to the Queen Victoria Market in a bid to bring the 141-year-old institution into the 21st century. While the initial plans to create underground parking and trader facilities have since been scrapped, they are now pushing to transform the open-air carpark located at Queen Street into a public space to be used by the community. Unfortunately, this redevelopment comes at a cost to the most loyal patrons of the market: the traders.

As of the first weekend in May, thirteen traders with prime locations along Queen Street will be relegated to other locations within the market as part of the first phase of the redevelopment. In their place will be tables and chairs for shoppers to take a coffee break, leading on to a grander plan for a permanent “Queen Street Plaza”. This move will affect almost half their daily earnings, the traders claimed.

Iris Zhang, one of the affected stall owners, will see her store frontage shrink from 18 metres to 5.8 metres. “We have a lot of impulse purchasers and tourists visiting our stall along Queen Street,” she explained. “If we go inside, they’ll never find us.”

Also affected in this upheaval is Jenny Pyke, the chairwoman of the trader’s representative committee and a trader of over 40 years. “I lose the frontage, I lose my former location, and any seniority priority that I have is gone,” she lamented over a latte at Market Espresso on String Bean Alley. “I’m to be replaced by non-paying tables and chairs.”

Photo by Roberto Serba.

The traders are not the only ones frustrated with the current situation. Having been born and bred in the market – her father was a trader from the 40s to the 70s – Mary-Lou Howie can confidently call Queen Victoria Market her second home. Five years ago, she founded the group Friends of Queen Victoria Market as a platform for traders and shoppers alike to share their memories of the jewel in Melbourne’s crown.

Since then, it has grown to become an activist group that was responsible for overturning the first plan to build the underground facilities. “I did a call-to-arms to the public and got more objections from that than Heritage Victoria ever saw, and they rejected the plan,” Mary-Lou told us as we were walked through the market’s deli section. “It shocked the council, and they have never forgiven us.”

Mary-Lou Howie has been shopping at Queen Victoria Market for decades and is dedicated to protecting its heritage.

Despite not owning a stall in the market, Mary-Lou is fiercely protective of its historic relevance, heritage, and culture. “My children shop here, and my grandchildren adore it,” she said. “I retired from work and I just devoted my life to protecting the market.”

But why are the traders so opposed to a revitalisation of the market? “The people of Melbourne have a right to have their market stay as authentic as possible,” Rosa Ansaldo, a fruits trader who has been at the market for 32 years said. “We don’t want sterilisation, we don’t want all these changes. We want to keep it as it is, as this is a people’s market.”

“We need them to help us trade better, not make it harder to trade.”

— Rosa Ansaldo

Iris echoed Rosa’s sentiments and compared the magic of the market to the manicured retail experience that China has built. “When my parents and their friends come to this market, it’s because it’s an open-air space. It’s an icon,” she said. “If they want a container or a lock-up shop, they can see it everywhere in China. They’ll never see anything like our market there.”

Since they were notified of their impending move into the sheds, the traders on Queen Street have also attempted to negotiate with the council and Queen Victoria Market CEO Stan Liacos. “They said they didn’t like the tarps, boxes, and the trucks, so we suggested that we put up umbrellas and move the cars and boxes, but it was still a no from Stan,” Iris explained with an increased exasperation.

“They’re bullying us, dictating us,” she continued as her voice cracked, tears brimming in her eyes. “I’ve got a young family with two little children, and this has been really stressful for us. I don’t know how I can continue to support them.”

On some days at the market, many of the stalls are unoccupied.

Earlier in March, another long-time trader at the market, Betty Jennings, was forced to relocate her regular stall location in L shed, a spot she has occupied for nearly six decades, to make way for a containerised retail space.

“I was informed by the CEO to not waste money on a lawyer as he’s the boss, and he’ll do what he wants,” Betty said in a statement made on the Friends of Queen Victoria Market’s Facebook page. The 84-year-old trader worries that the new position, which does not have adequate weather protection, would be detrimental to her health. “I am no longer a spring chicken,” she continued.

The post created such an uproar in favour of Betty that the market’s council eventually came to a compromise in April, allowing her to remain in her L shed while the shipping containers will be moved to accommodate her.

One way the market and the council could strike a compromise with the traders would be to buy out their existing leases, Jenny said. “Don’t try to starve them out, don’t let the place run down so everyone suffers,” she continued. Betty’s case was the first example of how the two parties can amicably reach a solution that works.

But in the long run, the traders need the council to be on the same page as them. “We need them to help us trade better, not make it harder to trade,” Rosa said, suggesting that more incentives like cheaper parking could draw families from out in the suburbs. “We need to reward loyal customers. People are coming to a market, not a shopping centre.”

Having done her grocery shopping at the market for decades, Mary-Lou Howie is fiercely protective of its heritage and culture.

Similarly, Mary-Lou also stressed the importance and significance of shoppers who buy in large volumes (she regularly spends up to $250 a week at the market), and oftentimes they’ll drive to the market in their cars and make use of the adjacent open-air carpark.

“If I had to go into a high-rise building and down into a carpark, I won’t be coming back to the market,” she said of the plans to move the market’s parking space into a 38-storey apartment tower at the corner of Queen and Therry streets. “The carpark is intrinsic to the viability of this market.”

As the day wore on, the shoppers were spent and slowly made their way to the carparks, eager to get on with the rest of their day. That also signalled to the traders that the time to pack up was near.

“We’re here moving from seven in the morning, and there’s an energy happening from that time,” Jenny said. “When we’re packing up at night, there’s still an energy.” Despite the barrenness of the market at night, there was a surreal, almost otherworldly aura surrounding the sheds that have watched the rise and evolution of Melbourne for the past century and more. “There’s a madness in it that you don’t get anywhere else.”

This is what the traders and shoppers are fighting to protect, the magic in the air that makes the market live and breathe. “It’s about preserving a part of their working history,” Mary-Lou said. “You can’t curate anything better than this if you tried.”

Film photography is being revived by an unlikely ally – the smartphone camera

Unless you’re undergoing a year-long digital detox, you would have seen photos with an oversaturated filter posted on every social network. The main culprit? Huji Cam. The photo-editing app is 2018’s answer to Kirakira+, and now sits dominantly on the home screens of over 16 million smartphones of millennials and celebrities everywhere.

Photo-editing apps are aplenty, with a majority of them dedicated to film photography. They are responsible for the dramatic light leaks, Polaroid frames, and classic timestamps that have swamped your Instagram feeds since the dawn of the App Store. In the age of digital, why are we so obsessed with all things retro? There are drones and 360° cameras at our disposal. What is this desire to time travel to the past?

when the sun shines, we shine together

2.5m Likes, 19.7k Comments - by mills ♡ (@milliebobbybrown) on Instagram: "when the sun shines, we shine together"

It’s no secret that nostalgia sells. For Apple’s inaugural “App of the Year” awards in 2010, the photo-editing app Hipstamatic shared the podium along with fellow relics Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies (remember them?). Photographer Damon Winter used it to capture riveting images from the Afghan War the same year, and simultaneously scooped up a prestigious award. Kodak is another household name that has made an indelible mark in the history books. In a bid to appeal to the logomania-obsessed generation, they just announced a partnership with fashion retailers Forever 21 for a collection bearing Kodak’s iconic colours from the 90s.

“The whole generation that used Hipstamatic grew up on the digital, so analogue is their ‘alternative’,” said acclaimed photographer Stephen Schaub, who interestingly shoots only on film. Schaub was in town recently for the art and photography fair X EDITION, where several of his pieces (including a four-metre-long print of Grand Central Station) were hung on the walls of the Regent Hotel. “This whole hyper-sharp clarity of digital is one thing. But I think that analogue is more human. It engages you in a different way.”

There is a rise in film photography thanks to the multitude of photo editing apps available on smartphones.

He isn’t wrong there. The masses today are chasing megapixels akin to how Formula 1 drivers chase that venerated spot on the podium. In this massive gold rush for who has the highest definition, there are those who are making a detour towards a medium that has more substance than just pixels.

“Film has an organic, yet imperfect quality to it,” said Schaub. The flaws of film, however, are its crux. A 4K television might be able to give you all the details of a movie, but that level of clarity is unforgiving in that it also can show you all your pores. On film, your skin just looks much better with the grain. The colour variances from a film reel also exude a natural vibrancy and dynamic no Lightroom or VSCO filter can emulate.

Is this film or digital? Photographer Ragnar Axelsson shot this on the Leica M Monochrom, a black-and-white digital camera. (Photo: Ragnar Axelsson/Leica)

This isn’t to say that film and digital can’t coexist. Schaub and his wife, Eve, coauthored a manifesto called the Figital Revolution – the fusion of film and digital. They argue that both mediums can be embraced simultaneously, and passionate photographers should not be influenced by an industry that only cares about the dollars and cents.

Looking at the emergence of photo-editing apps that embrace the gritty, imperfect nature of film photography, isn’t that the perfect amalgamation of film and digital? They effectively introduce millions to a photography medium that otherwise they might not have been privy to. Schaub also tells us that he manages to convert all his photography students to shoot on film whenever he leads a class. Apps that mimic the look of analogue photography might just be the catalyst film needs for it to make another appearance in our photo albums.

Perhaps this is the dawn of a new era for film photography, no thanks to one of their unlikeliest allies — the digital camera.

First published on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.

Why Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi deserves the Iron Throne

WARNING, SPOILERS BELOW

This is it: After eight years of bloodshed, tears, and many drunken nights binging wine along with Tyrion and Cersei, the critically-acclaimed drama Game of Thrones is coming to an end. With the finale airing next Monday, there are only so few people left that will eventually sit on the Iron Throne. But instead of Daenerys Targaryen or Jon Snow, our pick for the supreme ruler of the Seven Kingdoms is not any of George R. R. Martin’s characters, but one German composer who has undoubtedly created some of Thrones’ most iconic moments.

Enter Ramin Djawadi, the maestro behind the epic score accompanying every episode of Thrones.

Ramin Djawadi is actually on the Iron Throne here, guys. (Photo: Andrés Jiménez)

Given that this man was scouted by the inimitable Hans Zimmer for Batman Begins, he has been poised for greatness for a long time coming. The instantly-recognisable tune of the main theme song? That was Djawadi. The surreal, spine-chilling melodies of Light of the Seven that built up to the destruction of the Baelor of Sept for Season 6’s finale? That was also Djawadi’s genius, using the haunting rings of the piano for the first time in Thrones’ history.

Full Album: http://radi.al/GameofThronesSymphony The new album "Music of Game of Thrones" is out now! The album contains 21 newly recorded tracks with the 85 piece City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (and choir). Here's one of the epic tracks from the album, "Light of the Seven". 1. Main Title 2.

“It’ll be a big surprise, and it’s what we want to achieve. And there’s really nothing like it,” he said on the introduction of the piano to score in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “The piano has this decay and attack at the same time. We even experimented with the harp, but the harp was not as haunting as the piano.”

Even in the mess that was Season 8, Djawadi still somewhat saved the night with the almost nine-minute-long composition titled The Night King for Episode 3’s epic battle. The melancholic melody delivered a sense of desperation that merely dialogue could not have conveyed during the penultimate moments of the Battle of Winterfell. Again, there was the prominent use of the piano here with some cues of Light of the Seven. If that wasn’t an indication that some serious shit was about to go down, you’d probably need to check your ears. Remember, Q-tips are bad.

The Night King - Ramin Djawadi - Game of Thrones S8 Episode 3 (The Long Night) Avail Now: https://lnk.to/got8_sndkID #GameOfThrones #RaminDjawadi #TheNightKing

Aside from his scores that accompany a major event, each prominent house in the Westerosi universe also has its own unmistakable leitmotif. Whenever the Starks are around, you’ll definitely hear a variation of their theme Goodbye Brother playing in the background with its slow cello echoing the slower pace of life up in the North. The Lannisters too have their iconic Rains of Castamere cemented as their theme. Because, let’s be honest here, who could forget the brutality that was the Red Wedding?

Plus, for what it’s worth now, every scene with Daenerys, her Dothraki horde, Unsullied army, and (formerly) three dragons comes an organised yet tribal theme interjected with hints of Valyrian, the fictional language. That’s the hallmark of a great composer: When your tunes complement the visual storytelling so effortlessly that audio cues alone are enough to give the audience just an inkling of what’s to come.

Game Of Thrones: Season 7 - Full Soundtrack Soundtrack avail here: https://lnk.to/got7ID #GameofThrones #RaminDjawadi #FullAlbum Tracklisting: 1 - Main Titles (Game of Thrones Theme)- 00:00-01:53 2 - Dragonstone - 01:53-06-58 3 - Shall We Begin?

Too often shows get credited for their acting, cinematography, and most importantly writing. But for Game of Thrones, Djawadi’s soundtrack has been, beyond a shadow of a doubt, imbued into its DNA and is vital to the soul of the show. It’s hard to imagine a Thrones without his flair for grandiose and penchant for minutiae.

So what say you? Doesn’t King Ramin of House Djawadi, the First of His Name, the Conductor of Orchestras, Knight of Organs and Prince of Pianos sound slightly better than Daenerys’ title after the mayhem she wrecked unto Kings Landing? Drogon has nothing on the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, Ramin Djawadi.

You can listen to the Game of Thrones soundtrack on Spotify and Apple Music now.

ramindjawadi.com

First published on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.

Barry's Bootcamp is bringing its signature red room to Singapore

Our little red dot is about to get a whole lot redder. Barry’s Bootcamp, the celebrity-endorsed boot camp studio, will be finally opening their Asian flagship studio in Singapore on May 11 after announcing their launch into Asia last month.

“So many people from Singapore have been asking for Barry’s,” Joey Gonzalez, CEO of Barry’s Bootcamp, told Augustman at the swanky 18 Robinson Road location. “Whether it’s through emails or people DMing me on Instagram, there was a pent-up demand and brand awareness in Singapore that we didn’t see in other parts of Asia.”

A standard class in the signature “Red Room” will have you panting, sweating, and burning a whopping 1,000 calories in less than an hour. You’ll spend half the class on a treadmill doing various routines like sprints and inclines, and the other half will be spent on a bench with weights and resistance bands to tone and sculpt your body.

That might sound like what you’re already doing at your gym with their HIIT classes, but what sets Barry’s apart from the other major fitness franchises is its focus on specific muscle groups.

“One of my favourite things about Barry’s is there is a focus.”

— Joey Gonzalez, CEO, Barry's Bootcamp

On Monday you could go in for a class to work your arms, then your lower body on Tuesday, your back and chest on Wednesday, finishing off with your abs and chest on Thursday. “Our instructors are creating original content, so every single class you take will be different from the one before and after,” Joey said. Yes, that includes the thumping music that would make a Barry’s class feel like a night out at Marquee.

Plus, the red lights aren’t going to give you a seizure. Instead, they’re there to compliment your skin and body. “People take their shirts off because you just look great in it,” Joey added, himself no stranger to flexing in the Red Room – check those photos out on his Instagram.

Just do a casual abs check on those mirrors as you’re running on the treadmill.

But you shouldn’t be intimidated or worried just because everyone around you is a muscular hunk. “We don’t really promote a specific body type,” Joey said about the aesthetics and results of a Barry’s workout. “If you look at our Instagram, you will see big muscular men like Blake [Bridges, one of the founding instructors] and more lean and toned guys like some of our other instructors.”

“We just know, based on the science in the Red Room, you’re going to be burning fat and building lean muscle tissue.”

2019 VISION BOARD👆 #Barrys

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If you’re set to embark on your Barry’s journey soon, Joey and his team’s one tip is to not be a hero. “If you start off at the gates pushing yourself too hard, it’s not sustainable,” he said. “We try to encourage people to take it one minute at a time. Do your best, but gauge your ability and know when to push, and know when to pull back.”

At the end of the day, Joey reassures that every Barry’s goer is in good hands. “We select the best trainers in the world. They’re aspirational, they’re inspirational, and they’re educated,” he said. “Our main objective is to make sure that in these four walls, everybody leaves happier than when they came.”

Packages and memberships at Barry’s Bootcamp will range from S$23 to S$46 per class and come with one month, three month, or 12-month membership options.

barrysbootcamp.com.au

First published on Augustman Singapore.

 

How Kim Jones transformed a heritage brand into a millennial household name

Seated underneath a giant floral effigy of the late Christian Dior were hundreds of immaculately-dressed guests, their eyes trained on a slew of well-dressed male models making their way around a runway bathed in ethereal afternoon sunlight. As the final model made his exit stage left, the crowd put together their hands in resounding applause, officially welcoming Kim Jones to the house of Dior.

Last week, Jones celebrated one year at the helm of Dior Men. In a tumultuous time when designers are hopping from one appointment to another (sometimes even none), 365 days is nothing in this game of musical chairs. But when we take a retrospective of the past year the 39-year-old has had at the French luxury house, it’s evident that he has done more than design elegant clothes. Jones has successfully catapulted Dior’s legacy into the forefront of fashion today.

Photo: Brett Lloyd/Dior

The Dior Saddle bag from his first collection that was given a more masculine silhouette is now one of this season’s most covetable arm candies. At the most recent Oscar’s, the actor Nicholas Hoult made an appearance on the red carpet in a debonair tuxedo from Jones’ FW19 presentation. His blend of the high and low, of couture and street in his designs has effectively brought to Dior a greater audience, that being the millennials today with their seemingly-unlimited spending power.

He did not accomplish all that alone, mind you. Alongside him are his collaborators who have also brought to Dior a share of that same crowd. “Dior is the pinnacle of a designer,” Jones said in an interview with T Magazine. “He was a gallerist who worked with Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst and lots of artists who were famous while alive. I wanted to do that for the digital generation.”

The setting of Dior Men’s Fall 2019 presentation. (Photo: Dior)

Enter Yoon Ahn, Matthew Williams, Hajime Sorayama, and most recently Raymond Pettibon, all of whom have played significant roles in his collections. They are the ones that brought us the aforementioned Saddle bag, an AirPods holder for your beloved earbuds, and in Sorayama’s case, an updated Dior logo that is dominant in the Pre-fall 2019 collection. With such a trend-setting roster, is there any doubt at all that Dior Men under Jones is poised to bloom?

But that’s not all that Jones has to show for his tenure at Dior. Since his appointment in March 2018, Christian Dior SE (DIOR.SA) has increased by 39% on the Paris Stock Exchange, and it’s set to soar even higher. Whether that’s purely a coincidence or not we will never know, but odds are Jones’ has brought to Dior the same Midas touch he had with Louis Vuitton menswear (remember the Supreme collaboration? It was Jones’ idea).

Photo: Alessandro Garofalo/Dior

When Paris Fashion Week Men’s comes around again in June, Jones is set to present his fourth collection for Dior Men’s. That is if a surprise show doesn’t happen in the meantime. Until then, there are many questions that we’re all waiting to have answered: Will there be another iteration of accessories bearing the Saddle silhouette? Who is Jones going to call upon this time?  Is there going to be another giant centrepiece commanding the stage?

One thing is for certain though. The crowd will be there again to cheer him on as he takes his next bow.

First published on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.

Why Love, Death & Robots is the Netflix series you need to binge-watch today

When has Netflix ever disappointed with their anthologies? Following the resounding success of Black Mirror and its four seasons, the media streaming giant is back this month with Love, Death & Robots, a series of animated sci-fi shorts that will make an adult film actor blush.

Created by David Fincher (Fight Club, Gone Girl, and Mindhunter) and Tim Miller (Deadpool), Robots combines brilliant and poetic storytelling – some of the episodes are adaptations of sci-fi short stories – and awe-inducing visual effects. Some of the 18 episodes even have hyper-realistic animations that fooled us until the giant monsters appeared on screen.

Inside the cockpit of Lucky 13. (Image: Netflix)

You needn’t worry about the episode count though. The 18 stories range anywhere from 6 to 17 minutes, and it can be easily binged in an evening (or two, if breaks are a must).

What makes Robots so different from Black Mirror is Netflix’s bold experimentation with the more NSFW side of the streaming spectrum. In the episode “Alternate Histories”, a young Hitler is surrounded with a gaggle of time-travelling Viennese prostitutes.

Another short, “The Witness”, has a woman, revealed later to be an adult performer at a BDSM club, being chased through the streets of a dystopian Asian metropolis as her kimono flaps in the wind, exposing just about everything.

Sonnie’s Edge is one of the darkest episodes of the series, dealing with a range of topics such as gang rape and revenge. (Image: Netflix)

The mature content doesn’t just remain confined to the soft-core genre, though. Blood and gore are as rampant in the series, with the first episode “Sonnie’s Edge”  having an uncensored display of brutality with impaled heads in its cyberpunk frame. “Shape-Shifters” looks like it came straight out of a video game, showing the possibilities of how werewolves can change a battleground with their bloodthirsty rage.

But Robots isn’t just about the savagery of humankind. Some episodes will make you question your place in this broad, expansive universe. “Zima Blue” is undoubtedly one of the best episodes of the entire series. Based off the short of the same name from British author Alastair Reynolds, it tells the haunting tale of Zima, an artist who realised that the only thing that would ever give him satisfaction was a little block of blue. Particularly named Zima Blue.

Zima Blue has been heralded as one of the better episodes of Love, Death, & Robots. (Image: Netflix)

There are also lighthearted stories that warm your heart instead of filling it with existential dread. “When The Yoghurt Took Over” explores an alternate timeline where an experiment gone wrong gives yoghurt sentience. “Three Robots” similarly introduced an apocalyptic future, this time brought on by the genetic modification of cats. “Ice Age” might have been the only episode to feature live actors, but they were complemented by a quaint story about the evolution of a little civilisation living in a couple’s retro refrigerator.

Robots, at its core, is not a contender for the best series Netflix has ever produced. Especially not when Stranger Things and Mindhunter are still out there. But it shows a lot of promise, filling the gap in an ultra-niche genre that no one else seems to be doing. Fincher and Miller are also giving authors a shot at bringing their literary works to life, adding an extra layer of legitimacy and introducing an audience of casual viewers to books they might not have known prior.

Ice Age is the story of a couple who find a mini civilisation in an old-timey fridge. (Image: Netflix)

In a time when peak television is happening – Game of Thrones is returning in a month on April 15, FYI – we’re in no shortage of things to watch. But should you find a spare evening or two, you should fire up Netflix and give Robots a go. Who knows, you might just fall in love.

Love, Death & Robots is now available to stream on Netflix at netflix.com/lovedeathrobots

First published on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.

Apple heralds a retail revolution and breathes new life to the Today at Apple programme

It has been nearly seven years since his death, yet Steve Jobs is still enriching lives through Apple. Not with the myriad of devices they’ve designed but through his pursuit of sparking creativity through a greater retail experience. During the announcement of the iPad 2 in 2011, Jobs famously said, “It is in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough — it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.” In that ethos, a collective of free educational sessions called Today at Apple was born.

Since its inception in May 2017, Apple now hosts 18,000 sessions weekly across 506 of its stores for millions of people. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have an iPhone or an iPad—everyone is welcome to attend.

To show their investors (and everyone else) how seriously they’re taking this, Apple has just announced an update to Today at Apple, introducing 58 new sessions globally.

Apple stores have now become modern-day town squares. (Photo: Apple)

All the new sessions (and existing ones) will be grouped into three formats: Skills, Walks, and Labs. They expand on the most popular sessions like sketch walks and photo labs while giving the entire program a more cohesive structure. It’s also the first time Health & Fitness sessions are offered. Last week, we were invited along with a group of reporters from around the world to Cupertino, California for a preview of these new sessions.

“Just like we update the software on our devices, we always talk about our physical stores as Apple’s largest product,” Angela Ahrendts, Senior Vice President of Retail at Apple told us in a cosy corner of their Apple Park offices. “Today at Apple is the software for the stores, and next week is the newest, largest release that we ever had for [it].”

“If we encourage people to connect more, then maybe that’s a part of enriching their lives,” Angela Ahrendts, SVP of Retail at Apple. (Photo: Apple)

The fact that all the Today at Apple sessions are free is what differentiates Apple from their competitors. Even as their numbers are slumping — Apple just posted their Q1 2019 earnings call showing a decline in revenue of 5 percent down to US$84.3 billion — they’re still gratuitously providing these free sessions. It’s all part of their ongoing diversification to be more than just a company that sells sexy hardware.

During our visit to Cupertino, we tried our hands at a couple of the new sessions. The most comprehensive was a Video Lab co-created with the award-winning videographer Zach King. Titled “Small Screen Magic,” we were given a peek into King’s world of viral content creation, and were even taught how to film our own little piece of small screen magic.

“Today at Apple is real social. It’s built to encourage human connection. If we encourage people to connect more, then maybe that’s a part of enriching their lives.”

— Angela Ahrendts, SVP of Retail at Apple

Other sessions include a skill session with Garageband where we made our own drum patterns, and a walk around Apple Park capturing colours with an iPad Pro to turn into an abstract drawing.

“[Steve] was so ahead of our time because if you look at the future, it is going to be the liberal arts and the creative arts as technological advances,” mused Ahrendts when the conversation turned to Jobs’ vision. “That’s how so many people are going to make a living in the future. We keep all of these things alive, and that is the genesis, the purpose of Today at Apple.”

At the end of every session, participants are invited to share their work and celebrate the creations of their peers. (Photo: Apple)

While all the 58 new sessions will be available at each store globally, each store has the liberty to schedule them based on the needs and wants of the community. There could be photo and video walks planned around the city, for example. Talent-led sessions like that with King, Florence Welch, Chase Jarvis, and Foster + Partners are also in the lineup.

“To make sure that everyone is successful, we designed the sessions in a way that even if you’re a beginner or more advanced, you can enter and have fun and be successful,” said Karl Heiselman, who according to Ahrendts was the visionary behind Today at Apple. “Our mission is to inspire and spark that creativity for you to go forth.”

Today at Apple challenges participants to unleash their creative minds. (Photo: Apple)

This new direction that Apple is heading towards is crucial for the future of retail. We’re already seeing stores incorporating technology into the retail experience. Companies big or small can no longer depend on the backbone of physical sales alone. Like Apple, they need to give consumers more than a transaction. They need to augment the experiential factor and give people a reason to come to the stores beyond just buying a product.

But at the core of the future of retail, Jobs is right: technology alone isn’t enough to cut it. Apple’s marriage of technology, liberal arts, and the humanities is just the first step into making retail great again. After all, he said in an interview with Wired from 1996: “Creativity is just connecting things.”

Who knows what tomorrow at Apple will bring.

First published on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.