CIS Names Theatre After 16-time Grammy Award Winner, David Foster

By Lisa Leland, Communications And Marketing Executive

On Saturday, 3 November 2012, Canadian singer, songwriter, record Producer and 16-time Grammy award winner David foster visited the Canadian International School (CIS) Lakeside campus to officially inaugurate the school’s David Foster Theatre, named after him. Foster, a proud Canadian, has been instrumental in the success of countless performers. He has an uncanny ability to recognize talent, to encourage people to reach their fullest potential and is an educator in his own right.

Foster demonstrated his considerable talent on the piano playing the Love Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire.  He also called for students from the audience to get on stage for impromptu performances.  Kyarah Boon, grade 9, sang A Note to God by Charice and was joined by her sister, Noa Boon, grade 8, who sang In this Song also by Charice. 

Antonio Magides, grade 11, who also sang with Foster during last year’s visit, delivered an outstanding rendition of Ave Maria, a song arranged by David Foster for Andrea Bocelli.  At the prompting of David Foster, Antonio also reprised his

rendition of Michael Bublé’s I’m Feeling Good, and was praised for following instructions well and outdoing his performance with David Foster last year. Scan the QR code to see how talented Antonio is.

Connor Magides, a 13 year old in grade 9, captivated the audience by singing Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up”. At the end of the visit, Foster remarked on how supportive students had been as they cheered on their peers, and how important this positive culture is in schools today and for student success. 

About the CIS David Foster Theatre

The David Foster theatre is a state-of-art facility complete with 500 seats, an 11 metre fly tower that is capable of six scenery changes, an orchestra pit, a high quality sound system, as well as environmentally friendly features such as an air conditioning system located under the theatre seats, which is approximately 60 per cent more energy efficient than regular theatre air conditioning systems.

Tiong Bahru

By Lianne Chilton 

Tiong Bahru has attracted the attention of up and coming businesses, artists, and professionals in recent years. The once quiet, old-fashioned kampong-style neighbourhood is now home to a number of new coffee shops, bakeries, casual and fine dining establishments and upscale one-of-a-kind boutiques. These new businesses co-exist with family run provision shops, eating stalls and long-time residents. The sights, smells, sounds and tastes of both the old and the new in Tiong Bahru were the focus of the CAS October Out & About.

Our tour began with Lynda taking us through the colorful and often surprising history of Tiong Bahru. The name translates as "new tomb": Tiong from the Hokkien for tomb, Bahru from the Malay for new. The once hilly area with mangrove swamps, pig farms, and a sago factory, also once housed a cemetery that no longer exists except for two tombs. Those former residents were moved to the location of the November’s tour, Bukit Brown cemetery, when the area was developed. Needing more space for the housing needs of Singaporeans, the Singapore Improvement Trust undertook the task clearing the land and preparing it for development.  In 1936 they began building the first "new town" or suburb to the city. The unique blend of shophouse and Art Deco architectural features such as rounded balconies, flat roofs, exterior spiral staircases and air wells are unique in Singapore, and priced the flats out of the reach of most average Singaporeans.  Building continued in the area after the end of WWII, including the building of housing more affordable to the average person.  Over time as more and newer HDB flats were built in newer estates, the area began to decline and "grey" as the average age of the residents increased.  In 1993 twenty blocks of the pre-war flats were gazetted for conservation and will remain preserved despite the modernization taking place in the area.

Our first stop in the area was Yong Siak Street. The 40 Hands coffee shop, which many believe was the catalyst for the rejuvenation of the area, opened here in 2010. In addition to the coffee shop, an independent bookstore and several F & B establishments and boutiques have relocated/opened on this street. As we neared the end of the street we turned down a back alley and found ourselves in the secluded back parking area, which lead to the area being known as the “den of beauties”. Wealthy businessmen were said to house their mistresses in the flats because of the privacy of the back entrances and courtyards afforded them. We were also able to take a look at the entrance to what is believed to be the last public air raid shelter on the island and was in use when the Japanese  bombed Singapore between December 1941 and January 1942.

We then headed toward Qi Tian Gong Temple taking time to admire the beautiful architecture and foliage and also take note of the many renovations in progress. Lianne told us of the temple’s origin, dating back over ninety years and that it is considered to be the first temple in Singapore dedicated to the Monkey God. From the corner temple we made our way up Eng Hoon Street, passing yet more eateries and coffee shops, to the Tiong Bahru Wet Market for a cold drink and a sampling of hawker stall goodies. The market on the main floor, considered to be one of Singapore's finest, sells everything from fruits and vegetables to extremely fresh fish and meat, to household wares, clothing and even paper effigies and locally roasted coffee beans.

Our last stop before lunch at a local Thai restaurant was at the home of Chinese-Canadian artist Billy Ma. Billy generously welcomed our group into his gazetted flat, where we were fortunate to view not only the relatively unchanged style of it, but also some of his work and hear from the artist himself about the inspiration and the stories behind the prints. His company, Booda Brand, sells a line of conversation and thought provoking limited edition prints. (www.billyma.com/billyma.com/Booda_Brand)

Tiong Bahru, with it's wonderful blend of old and new, beautiful architecture, funky shops and delicious food is definitely worth a visit!

Start the New Year With a Smile

It’s that time of the year where you prepare to flash those pearlie whites and let them sparkle for the occasion! If you have an outstanding dental issue, e.g., a cavity that you know you need to address, or that dull pain in your tooth, or that wisdom tooth that you had previously been advised to have removed –our advice is to do something about this BEFORE the holiday season.

The reason for taking timely action is to avoid the situation where you have a dental issue flaring up right in the middle of the holiday celebrations – it can really put a dampener on your spirits, and also cause some anxiety and frustration in searching for a dentist during a period when most clinics are closed.

Here are some tips on how to end the current year and start the New Year with a lovely smile:

Brush at least twice a day with a soft bristle toothbrush and remember to floss

Rinse your mouth after consuming red wine or fizzy dinks to reduce the likelihood of staining your teeth and limiting the amount of sugar in your mouth

Make an appointment to see your dentist to brighten your smile to start off the new year on a right note… 

Specialist Dental Group would like to wish our readers and patients a “Happy and Healthy Holiday Season and a Wonderful New Year!

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·      Specialist Dental Group is a corporate sponsor of the Canadian Association of Singapore (CAS). CAS members enjoy a special rate for dental services. For details, send an enquiry via www.specialistdentalgroup.com or call 6733 7883

MLT exclusive: Interview with David Foster

Interviewer Franca Ciambella

On 3 November 2012, the Canadian international school named their Theatre after David Foster, legendary Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, musician and 16-time Grammy Award winner. David was present to officially open the “David Foster Theatre” along with nearly a dozen  members of his family from British Columbia.

School principal Glenn Odland, referred to David, as - amongst other things, “an educator”. David said that this is most touching attribute that he has ever been accorded. He spoke about the importance of education, mentoring and good upbringing, and the influence that his family has had on his career. The MLT interviewed David after the event.

MLT: David, you spoke about the importance of upbringing and Canadian values. You are also in an industry that is known for “backstabbing” and being somewhat “dog eat dog”, so how important is integrity to success?

David: We are not all like that. You are in an industry that is labeled as being “even lower than sharks”(referring to the Interviewer’s day job as a lawyer), yet not all of you are sharks and some of you are nice people. Sure in our young years we all made mistakes and did things we would not do as we get older, but yes, integrity is very important.

MLT: Are you saying that the good guys eventually “win” or get to the top?

David: Yes, that is correct. It may take some time, but they do.

MLT: You travel all over the world, so do you feel Canadian?

David: Absolutely, I feel 100% Canadian. My values are also very Canadian.

MLT: What is your advice for a young person who wants to get into the music industry?

David: You need to focus on your goals and almost have blinkers on, as it is easy to get distracted. There are so many things along the way that catch your attention, so it is easy to go astray. So stay focused. Also, place your materials on You Tube and other sites where someone like me may have the chance to listen to them. That is a way of getting discovered. Some of it also has to do with luck.

MLT: Is there a role for music and world peace? Can someone in music get the Nobel Prize for Peace?

David: Absolutely. Music is a unifier and is responsible for things like bringing down the Berlin Wall. Groups and people like the Beatles and U2 have contributed a lot to world peace. Someone like Bono may very well get the Peace Prize in the future.