MORGAN AWYONG

The Heart Strings Of Chinese Culture

Tucked away along Geylang Lorong 24A, is a shop not many may know about. Mr Jeffrey Eng is the third generation proprietor of Eng Tiang Huat – a shop that is a cultural hotchpotch of Chinese opera costumes, prop weapons, orchestra instruments and celebratory tapestries. Stepping into Eng Tiang Huat today, you’ll find that little…

Rings (Film Review)

Origin stories are coming fast and furious in the film industry these days, as studios milk successful classics for all their worth. Reboots, spin-offs – you name it, there’s one for all the major titles. Part of this movement has stories being expanded, and although this execution has proven successful for a few, it usually…

Hidden Figures (Film Review)

“Freedom is not asked. It’s demanded,” hisses the husband of Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae). In Hidden Figures, freedom is very much needed in segregationist Virginia, 1961. On top of fighting patriarchal battle-lines with condescending men, our trio of brainy mathematicians must fight racial discrimination as African-American women working in NASA. Taraji P. Henson is Katherine…

Before I Fall (Film Review)

Before I Fall is based on a Young Adults book written in 2010 by Lauren Oliver. It is also, quite frankly, not unlike a 100-minute ThoughtCatalog film. Audiences with a perchance for these two genres should find themselves suitably indulged, but others may find themselves polarised by the treatment. The film starts with a philosophical…

Stolen Stories: Sungei Road’s Last Page

There are antique timepieces beside mobile chargers and colourful plastic jewellery. A Barbie sits patiently, her dress a little weathered but still pretty. Underneath a table, an old photo of a man in his youthful glory is captured with an auric glow. These remnants of the past may seem useless, but new owners can be…

The 5 Phases For Complete Renewal

We try. There’s the little token plant at one corner of the table. Then there’s some holiday pictures pegged up in another. But ultimately, the desk and our work starts to wring out our enthusiasm for life; our pulse flickering like the fluorescents overhead. In times like this, we know we need some help. We…

Stepping Into Serenity

After the book and movie Eat, Pray, Love, Bali has cemented itself as one of the world’s choice destination to find oneself. It’s thoughtful, it’s beautiful, it’s exotic – and lucky us, it’s also less than three hours away. And with budget flights readily available, it’s a no-brainer to rejuvenate your soul at our southern…

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Film Review)

As with all franchises, words like final, ultimate and last become tools more for marketing than actual reflections of closure. Folks tell me that they intend to watch this film because “I want to see how it ends” or “I might as well finish it”. See how that works? Alice (Milla Jovovich) is back. Emerging…

FANSIPAN, VIETNAM – TREKKING UP THE ROOF OF INDOCHINA

The early morning mist parted to dry grass terrain and crispy trees. It was 5am in the morning and conditions were perfect for a climb up Mount Fansipan. The forest was peaceful. Bird call was intermittent. The 18 degree Celsius air was refreshing. Not that I noticed. My heart was pounding. My breath, rapid. Most…

HANOI, VIETNAM – WANDERMENT

Punctuated by warning beeps from the ceaseless motorbikes, Hanoi is like a child’s sticker book – albeit a fairly organised one – where random shops get pasted tightly in seemingly endless alleys. Unlike its sibling city of Ho Chi Minh, where the steer towards development has been clearly imprinted, Hanoi seems to thrive in its organic…

Split (Film Review)

If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ll know the surprisingly clear premise of Split – the latest film from M. Night Shyamalan. A mysterious man kidnaps three girls and traps them in an unknown location. As they struggle to escape, it would seem that he has accomplices – except it turns out, “they” are him. It’s…

Master (Film Review)

The latest cat-and-mouse Master by director Cho Ui-seok is a formulaic crowd-pleaser. We enter the chess game between dogged detective and colourful villain in the middle of the set, but still get rewarded with the diet of car chases, double-crossing maneuvers, some gunfight, and an exotic locale – in this case, Manila, Philippines. The standard…

Age of Shadows (Film Review)

With super slick productions increasingly coming out from South Korea, one might say that the tides are turning towards the rise of Hallyu-wood. With sharp visualisations and even sharper jawlines, the attractive aesthetics of their resources are winning audiences over, especially when it comes with finesse for refreshing classic plots. Director Kim Jee-woon is one…

Rochor Centre – Final farewells

Rochor Centre at night, with darkness veiling the bright colours, brings out another mistress – one pensive yet still robust. The quiet voice of rebellion exists, as activities in her compound past its official clearance deadline, is flickering but still seen, from the occasional odd window with clothes left out to dry. There’s also a bunch…

The Great Wall (Film Review)

The Great Wall of China – over 21,000 km of brick, stone and wood, is an undisputed impressive piece of work. It’s forbidding, inspiring, and a titan of a feat, being built upon the tragic backs of many forced into its construction. The passing of two thousand and three hundred years has taken away some…

Next stop – Cantonment

This is it. The last day of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station as a shell space for events like today’s Christmas fair. After this, it’s a long many years before it opens up as Cantonment Mrt station. It’s funny how as I stood in this empty room, with teal panes a hipster cafe would kill for, the…

Office Christmas Party (Film Review)

Overheard in the bathroom: “Erm, I know this is a Christmas show, but this isn’t really suitable for kids right?” I think the guy might have missed the memo about the M18 rating but – no kidding. Office Christmas Party is your urban hedonistic party nightmare come true. We know office parties are one of…

Incarnate (Film Review)

I’ll say it – Incarnate is what happens when you merge Inception with The Exorcist. It makes for an intriguing premise, reviving the tired genre, but presented a lot of missed opportunities in this film. Dr. Seth Ember (Aaron Eckhart) is gifted with the ability of going into the minds of the possessed. That is,…

Barakah Meets Barakah (Film Review)

“White stands for purity, pink for passion, and purple… well, purple stands for new beginnings,” she shares. “It’s popular knowledge don’t you know?” Sadly her suitor, Barakah (Hisham Fageeh), is as naive as he is attractive. The Saudi Arabic municipal worker who polices the city has a heart of gold, but remains clueless when it comes to wooing…

HIDE AND NEVER SEEK (FILM REVIEW)

Money and fame is to be had on the online world. And in the world of afreecaTV, a fictional channel specialising in horror named “Glow World” is chalking up some interest. The host of the channel, VJ Glow (Ryu Deok-hwan) is a douchebag skeptic, who bulldozes any possible spirits with his bravado and rapid-fire mouth….

Steamboat Ingredients For A Prosperous Chinese New Year

Your Ultimate List of Steamboat Ingredients Asian families often gather around a pot of bubbling broth and various steamboat ingredients to celebrate the Chinese New Year. For many, the simmering steamboat represents more than just good food. It’s the tradition to strengthen family bonding and sharing happiness. The literal translation of “reunion” in Mandarin is…

4Love (Film Review)

It bears some comparison to 7 Letters, the other anthology debuting last year for SG50, helmed by the venerable Royston Tan. 4Love is mm2 Entertainment’s own gathering of four local directors, expressing their styles on that elusive subject of love. Unfortunately, all other resemblance to the former ends there. Scheduled to debut at our upcoming…

Shut In (Film Review)

I’m sure it sounded good on paper. This thriller debut by Director Farren Blackburn was to be a tightly wound psychological piece, taking us through the unravelling of a mother’s mind as her family gets snowed in and experience ghostly happenings. But as you probably guessed – it’s not. Although the movie shifts much-needed gear…

Ouija: Origin of Evil (Film Review)

Unlike the obvious doll in The Conjuring, Ouija: Origin of Evil’s child lead Doris Zander, played by the beguiling Lulu Wilson, is truly a haunting vessel for evil. When perky blonde bob and fair-faced child turns to you with milky eyeballs and a gaping mouth, there’s no reason not to recoil in fear. Director Mike…

SO Sofitel Singapore (Event Space Review)

If the glitterati had a secret central playground, SO Sofitel Singapore would be it. Encased in a grey, gravelly building, the neo-classical elements of the former telecommunications office are not as apparent when one is walking hurriedly through the passages in the area. But look up from across the street and the quiet majesty of…

Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa (Event Space Review)

Ah, sunlight – it makes everything better. From illuminating perfect Instagram photos to bestowing a golden sheen to our skin, that natural gift from Mother Nature gives everything an enviable spa-glow quality. Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Spa & Resort, languishing in natural daylight, has been a choice destination for events seeking that same quality, from luxurious…

10 Easy Eco-friendly Christmas Decorations That Look Awesome

I’m dreaming of a green Christmas… The only snow we get this time of the year comes in the form of those packing Styrofoam balls when we open some of our gifts. Not surprisingly, with all that gift buying and parties, Christmas is one of those holidays where there is plenty of excess and wastage….

Masterminds (Film Review)

Let’s be honest. This is one of those SNL casting heist featuring that anti-hero with an unpronounceable name – Zach Galifianakis. With that out of the way, and in the great tradition of other awkward leading men before him such as Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller and Steve Carell, the hirsute Galifianakis drives this comedic vehicle…

36 Perfect Christmas Gifts Your Mom Will Actually Love To Use

Why stop at Mother’s Day and birthdays to show appreciation for your Mom? Christmas is coming, but we know getting the perfect Christmas gift for your Mom that makes her life easy can be tricky. So this Christmas, we take the stress out of choosing gifts by shortlisting 36 perfect Christmas gifts for Mom that…

The Transcendant Words of Shoko Kanazawa

It happened in a split second. As Shoko Kanazawa received a freshly-dipped brush from her mother Yasuko Kanazawa, she bent over and kissed her mother’s hand. My throat tightened – it was such a moment of spontaneous gratitude. Born with Down Syndrome, Shoko’s story is one of birth and rebirth, inked by a father’s wisdom and…