#01-138/139/140 VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk, 6376 9858.

France’s NAFNAF finally opens its first flagship store in Asia—and makes our very own VivoCity its first home. Built for young women between 20-35, one can look forward to fun kaleidoscopes of colorful, cheery and functional wear that will take them through day to night. Some of our favourite designs include the floral prints, with price range from $50 for a top and $100 for a dress.

#01-11/12, 260 Orchard Road, The Heeren Shops, 67334725.

Levi’s has opened its first flagship store in Singapore. Shoppers will be thrilled to find some limited exclusive Levi’s products that will be showcased only in this store. These labels include Levi’s Vintage Clothing, Warhol Factory X Levi’s products (the T-shirts are to die for), Levi’s Capital E, Levi’s RED and Levi’s Red Tab from Colombia. So what are you waiting for? Head down now.

20 Upper Circular Rd., #01-14 The Riverwalk, 6557-0121

A funky addition to the indie scene at The Riverwalk is a store called S.O.U.L.S.—short for “Societe of Undisputed Liberated Souljas.” If this sounds interesting to you, what’s even more intriguing is that the meaning of S.O.U.L.S. is set to change every three months (just imagine the permutations). Located away from the clutter of the Orchard Road stretch, S.O.U.L.S. sets itself apart from the usual fashion line-up at most stores. The labels that it carries can only be found here, and were conceptualized and created by street artists from New York, Hawaii, Canada, Japan and Hong Kong. Just the layout of the store alone merits a browse. Fans of everything street style might want to check this out.

391 Orchard Rd., #B2-04 Ngee Ann City, 6735-9445; #01-28 VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk, 6276-2260.

With a brand-new retail concept, Pull and Bear is set to shake the fashion scene here. A stylish Spanish label that is a cut apart from the rest, Pull and Bear caters to the needs of young fashionistas with the utmost style. Known for its casual, laidback, yet immaculately stylish, good quality and affordable clothing, Pull and Bear has since developed many lines of clothing by popular demand from its avid fans. A huge inspiration for its Fall/Winter collection is rock, which features fashion influences from legendary bands The Who, Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin. Prices start at $2.50 for accessories, while T-shirts range from $15.90 and jeans from $59.90. This is a good alternative from other high street labels such as Zara and Mango.

Couched in a Legacy

This year, Coach—the leader of modern American accessories—celebrates its 65th anniversary as one of the world’s most loved and revered brands. The anniversary is commemorated with the grand launch of the Legacy Collection—a line of handbags, accessories and footwear that feature intricate details such as brass turnlock hardware and the Signature C fabric, all of which are the company’s trademarks. One bag you should certainly check out is the Legacy Leather Shoulder Bag, a creation crafted from smooth vintage leather and embellished beautifully with rugged brass hardware and a lovely strap. See it for yourself now at #01-34/35, Raffles City, 252 North Bridge Rd., 6837-2188.

Starry Starry Nights

After the surrealism of her Beauty Queen collection in September, Diane von Furstenberg is back to wow with the Starry Nights holiday collection. Be seduced by a mesmerizing collection of trompe l’oeil lace dresses and gowns, Swarovski crystal beaded dresses, wool Bermudas, tuxedo wrap dresses and dreamy frocks adorned with stars—perfect for any party. Visit the store on Level 2, Takashimaya Department Store, 391 Orchard Rd., 6736-3691.

A Brand New Nue

This Christmas, give your feet a treat with the Nue Arts Insole Collection and look your glamorous best. The Autumn/Winter collection, with shoes that feature stunningly striking imagery, is here. You’ll fall in love with the extraordinary beauty of nature—and with images of exotic animals and Chinese beauties. With names such as “Merry Metallic,” “Animal Instinct,” “Patented Inventions,” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Sensual Silhouettes,” we simply can’t resist these shoes. Available at #03-31/32, 290 Orchard Rd., 6836-7677; #03-00 Isetan Scotts, 350 Orchard Rd., 6733-1111.

In 1973 Tony and Maureen Wheeler published their first Lonely Planet publication, a guidebook called Across Asia on the Cheap. Today their guidebooks are amongst the most respected in the industry and a mention in a Lonely Planet guidebook is hotly coveted by restauranteurs and hoteliers round the world. We met with the pair during their brief sojourn in Singapore doing what they do best—returning from a trip in Europe to head off for other adventures in Asia.

On why we should travel.

T: For us, we travel because it’s of interest and out of enjoyment; It’s fun. But I think people also go to a country because they want to learn something about its culture or its history or they want to learn the language—so it’s a learning experience. It’s also how you meet other people and understand. In many ways there’s so much misunderstanding out there that’s its more important than ever that people go to places. We’ve got so much misunderstanding in the Middle East; I think that if people spent more time in the Middle East it would do a lot of good.

M: If you’ve been to a place and met the people, then you won’t see a story on the news (like what happened with the tsunami) and just think, “Oh my goodness, there’s an awful thing happening.” It comes down to your personal connection with the place which means you can’t just see it as another disaster or another bad news story. The more people can make those connections between cultures, the better off we’re all going to be.

For instance, George Bush had never traveled out of America until he was 21 and went to Mexico to visit his father. I think if he had traveled he would be in a much better position to talk about what Muslims in Iraq and the Middle East feel, or he might even have understood that there are many different kinds of Muslims and not just one. There’s nothing compares to actually going there yourself. And if you can’t go there yourself, the more people who go there and come back and talk about it, the better it is.

On the responsibility that comes with travel.

M: Nowadays people are taking two or three trips a year and not all the same kind of travel. Some times you want to just go and veg out by the pool and not go very far or learn very much at all. Maybe the next time you go on a trip you do want to do a different kind of travel. What I hope is that if you are traveling among different people and cultures, you take it seriously and try and learn something, not just whiz through India on a bike without stopping to understand what a Hindu temple has to offer. You should at least make some effort. I guess guidebooks, what’s on the web, and circulating information is critical to finding out about what’s going on.

On the kinds of travel advice we should be seeking.

T: I can understand that governments [through travel advisories] need to warn people of potential danger in case something happens. On the other hand, so many countries hate these warnings because they last thing they want is tourists thinking their country is potentially unsafe. People have to interpret travel advisories. They have to think about what the government is saying, that the government has to be extra careful, and what their own attitude is.

M: If you go on our website to the Thorn Tree forum and ask if somewhere is safe you will get answers from people who were there last week or may even still be there now.

T: And they’re the ones who have often got the best information. There’s a lot more feeling on the street than anywhere else.

On the responsibility of writing for Lonely Planet.

T: In Singapore, London or New York, there are so many influences that we are just one influence. But there are some places where we have a disproportionate influence. For instance, in Vietnam where there aren’t so many other influences, and guidebooks are still very important among travelers. Therefore, as one of the leading guidebooks in the country, we have too much influence and we have to be careful how we use it. We tell our writers they mustn’t be over enthusiastic. If you say somewhere is “the best restaurant in Singapore” it’s not a big deal as there’s a thousand other restaurant reviews. But if you do that in a little town in Vietnam, everybody who goes there will only go to the one restaurant and all the others will be forgotten about.

M: When we only sold 3,000-5,000 copies of a book we could say “This is great” and we knew that only half the readers might turn up in that place over a year. We used to get quite carried away with saying things like “This place is fantastic!” But we don’t do that anymore. Instead, we say, “There are several great places in the area, here are three.”

T: We’ve even have had places saying “We’ve got quite enough business, we don’t want anymore, don’t recommend us!” We don’t put places into a guidebook because they ask us or take them out because they ask us, so if we want to ignore them, we will.

M: In fact, our writers are not encouraged to say who they are when they do their research.

T: I think most writers prefer not to.

On being a Lonely Planet guidebook writer.

T: It’s superficially a very glamorous occupation. You run around the world and you go here and you go there. But it’s really hard work. I don’t think people realize how hard it is until you do it. It can be tedious because there’s a lot of detailed work such as figuring out maps and getting timetables. We make amazing demands on our writers, but most love doing it.

M: It’s a job where it’s hard to keep up relationships and feel settled. Some people are just incredibly well suited to it and they do it brilliantly. They can do it for years because they learn how to balance other parts of their lives. Some young people come in, they do it for five years, and then they must go on to something else.

On what they’re planning for the future.

T: I think our attitude to travel is changing. We’re talking about getting an apartment in London and using that as a base to travel from.

M: I don’t think we’re getting tired of travel but I am getting tired of doing 23 hours between London and Australia four or fives times a year. I have said I won’t travel as much next year, and I say it over and over again every year. And every year I travel even more.

Art is subjective, or so that’s what everyone says. Read on to see how an art authority and a clueless jock put their own meanings into the art pieces on exhibit for the Singapore Biennale 2006 at City Hall when they were there.

Verity, Faith and Justice, Jane Alexander

The Connoisseur: This site-specific installation is of a court proceeding gone wrong. The judge is missing, red gloves are scattered all over the place and characters in the room are deformed, with animal heads and human bodies. By creating this dark and intriguing art work, Jane Alexander provokes one to rethink conventional notions of justice and truth.

The Idiot: Feels like I’m in the zoo…

Loudspeaker, Muhanned Cader

The Connoisseur: Fantasy-like drawings of loudspeakers decorated the walls of the Chairman’s office in City Hall. This work by Muhanned Cader urges one to ponder on issues such as the freedom of expression and liberalism. Take a look at the drawing of a loudspeaker with a beard or the one with a serpent’s tail, and reflect on how politicians and preachers propagate ideologies.

The Idiot: These drawings will certainly look good in my bedroom!

Diversity is Value, Hossein Golba

The Connoisseur: By imprinting the words “Diversity is Value” on this gold ingot (which is actually a gold-plated ceramic), Hossein Golba reminds us that qualities such as tolerance and acceptance are valuable. The work, however, also delves into commercialism.

The Idiot: Is that real gold? I wonder how that thing will look around my neck. Bling!

The White House, Joonho Jeon

The Connoisseur: This digital animation is set against the White House in a twenty-dollar bill. Artist Joohn Jeon appears in the video and paints over the windows of the building. The seemingly impenetrable jail-like fortress left at the end of the clip pushes one to think about power structures, the transparency of the political arena and more.

The Idiot: Verrrrrrry deep. It’s like watching MTV on slo-mo.

M8—Summit of Micronations, Singapore, YKON

The Connoisseur: The brainchild of the Finish collective YKON, this installation includes a video where fictional politicians congregate for a round table meeting. They laugh ceaselessly, seeming to point at the sometimes absurd or fruitless aspect of politics.

The Idiot: Hilarious! Even funnier than local politics!

Every week I-S Magazine brings you the best, the newest, the hippest and hottest Singapore has to offer. Once a year we ask you, our faithful readers, what you think is the best of what’s out there. From bars and clubs to theater, restaurants, fashion, politics, music, and gossip—we seek your opinion. This year we went out Oscar style to get your nominations for the best dramas, comedies, costumes and more in the Singapore scene in the last 12 months. And the winners are...drum rrrroll please.

Best Drama

From the courtroom to the club room, we looked at some of the things that caused the most fuss this year.

Biggest Storm in a Teacup

All the noise that smokers made over the new restrictions on smoking in outdoor eateries eventually went up in...well, a puff of smoke. Smokers and “restaurants” (read: bars that serve food) seem to have adapted to the new regime, albeit in smaller surrounds.

Graze or PS Cafe

Every year there are new restaurants that are the talk of the town. This year, restaurants in fabulously refurbished black-and-whites stole the limelight, with ultra hip PS Café (28B Harding Rd., 6479-3343) beating Graze, but by only a slight margin.

The Chees or The Lees?

We asked you to choose between sparring factions: Singapore Democratic Party’s Chee siblings, and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The Lees emerged winners both in court and in your votes. (Whew!)

Best New Restaurant

Mama Mia, Italian is in with the super stylish and glam il Lido (Sentosa Golf Club, Bukit Manis Rd., 6866-1977) earning a special place in your hearts (and stomachs). With spectacular views and beautiful people, what more could you want?

Best New Nightspot

Who didn’t see this one coming? The world famous Ministry of Sound (#01-02/07, #02-01/08, Blk C Clarke Quay, River Valley Rd., 6235-2292) with its multi-themed rooms and line up of international DJs naturally grabbed this prize, although The Butter Factory certainly gave it a good fight for the top spot.

Best Comedy

We in Singapore try so hard. Sometimes you just gotta laugh.

Singapore Idol or Super Band?

Local talent became local laughing acts as Singapore Idol beat Superband for this, erm, accolade. The audience has voted!

Most Unintentionally Funny Musical

Prancing around on stage with a Broadway script and a famous star doesn’t quite cut it for local audiences as Cabaret gets this award.

Best Costume

From head to toe, I-S readers sure are chic. You told us which fashion and beauty trends you felt had the most style—and attitude.

Best Place to Get a Manicure/Pedicure

From delicately decorated nails bedazzled with glimmering jewels to affordable specially designed pre-decorated nails, Dashing Diva Nail Spa and Boutique (#01-002/4/6 Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Blvd., 6334-1811) is your top-choice. Mentions should also go to Hollywood Secrets and Nail Spa, which came in as runners-up.

Best Style Trend

Balloon skirts such as those from Comme des Garcons and Balenciaga, are totally a la mode, according to you. Oh, and jeans, vintage wear and accessories too. It’s all about mixing and matching, dahlings, and our readers have it down pat!

Best Local Fashion of theYear

Our readers still can’t get enough of Wykidd Song’s clean and effortless designs from Song+Kelly (2/F, Isetan Orchard, Wisma Atria, 435 Orchard Rd., 6733-7777). Local shoe label Charles & Keith came in second with their range of affordable and classic shoes for women on the go.

Bling Bling or Handmade Accessories?

One-off handmade accessories trump branded bling bling, plus they are certainly more interesting and, yes, much, much more affordable. Handmade pieces from labels such as
See You Tomorrow and NOOS are already selling like hotcakes at specialty boutiques Asylum (22 Ann Siang Road, 6324-8264) and Fling (#04-05 The Heeren Shops, 260 Orchard Rd., 6732-0067), while new labels such as Missy’s Possessions are increasingly popular among our local fashionistas.

The Workers’ Party or Lim Kian Heng?

Blue, boring? No way! The Workers’ Party prove that their standard all-blue attire can be hip after all, as you choose its uniform over Speakers’ Corner favorite Lim Kian Heng’s skimpy singlet. We couldn’t agree more.

Best Make-Up

Looking good is hard work! Here’s how you like to pamper yourselves and work out. We also looked at buildings in the city that got a face lift recently and found out which are tops in your book.

Best Spa

RafflesAmrita Spa (6/F, Raffles The Plaza, Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Rd., 6431-5600) defends and keeps its place for Best Spa two years running, with great service and its menu of pamper treatments fit for royalty.

Best Gym

You are a fit bunch and like pumping, gyrating, and working up a sweat at hip city gyms. You nominated the slick fitness chains that have taken Singapore by storm, with California Fitness coming out tops and Fitness First and Planet Fitness taking second and third, respectively.

Best New Look

Between the new lean and trim Olinda Cho and the trying-to-be lean Moses Lim, you decided that Olinda takes the cake for upping the glam factor with her brand new image. Move aside Moses Lim, and bring on the tight fitting jeans and swimsuits Olinda!

Neighborhood Spas or Five-Star Hotel Spas?

We don’t expect you to skimp on making yourselves feel and look good. We know you don’t mind dishing out the dough for serious pampering at luxurious five-star hotel spas which beat neighborhood spas hands down.

Best Makeover

This year saw three historical buildings get face lifts to become new arts, dining and/or entertainment hot spots. New swish mall The Cathay (2 Handy Rd., 6732-7332) with its art deco façade and funky stores like New Urban Male and Brazilian wax specialists Strip got your top vote, with New Majestic Hotel and red dot Traffic Building trailing.

Best Sound Effects

Pump up the volume—I-S readers know their music, bands and bars.

Best Live Music Venue

Bar None (B1, Singapore Marriott Hotel, 320 Orchard Rd., 6831-4657) clinches the award this year as the best venue for live music. Not surprisingly, really, considering how local and regional bands as well as resident act Jive Talkin’ get things loud and roaring here.

Best Local Band

Five-piece act Electrico was the hands down winner for the hippest local band around, probably based on the strength of its sophomore effort Hip City. Hip, hip, hurray!

Best New Portable Music Gadget

The most popular portable gadget you use for listening to music on the go is (surprise, surprise) the Apple iPod. Its easy-to-use interface, as well as functions such as storing photographs and videos, has made it indispensable for many.

Lush 99.5FM or 91.3 WKRZ?

When asked to choose between two non-mainstream music radio stations, you picked Lush 99.5FM over 91.3 WKRZ by a long shot. We guess sensual, smooth and sexy numbers soften you up and stop you from turning that dial.

Radio DJs or Club DJs?

You voted for club DJs over radio DJs. Perhaps radio DJs who only have mediocre jokes or boring sound bites up their sleeves, should just let the music do the talking.

Best Animation

Drama, drama. We all love it and you told us what action caught your eye this year.

Best Celebrity Tantrum

Who else but super-rich super-brat Paris Hilton would win the award for Best Celebrity Tantrum. In a recent embarrassing antic Ms Hilton shouted at a photographer at the New York Heatherette Fashion show, “I said no more f****** photos, why do you never f****** listen!” Ma’am, mind your manners, please.

Best Concert

You voted Coldplay as having put on the hottest concert this year, reigning over Mogwai, Dream Theatre, Simple Minds, Toto, INXS and Westlife. And you know what, we at I-S couldn’t agree more.

Fake Ghost Video or Tammy Video?

When we pitched sex against the supernatural and asked you to choose between the Tammy video and the fake ghost video that choked up Singapore’s internet pipes this year, you chose—sex. Well, we guess watching people get it on is more fascinating than puzzling over blurry white blobs.

Best Cinematography

Nothing beats a good view. Here are your votes for the best views of 2006.

Most Romantic Restaurant

Not just a place for exquisite Australian food, Flutes at the Fort (21 Lewin Terrace, Fort Canning Park, 6338-8770) also offers mood lighting, quality jazz and intimate décor to get our readers into the mood for love. Other restaurants that scored well in this category are My Secret Garden and il Lido.

Best Holiday Destination

Phuket’s affordable lodging, vibrant nightlife and beautiful beaches came up tops among our savvy travelers. Cheap and good travel destinations Bangkok and Bali were also hot favorites.

Trendiest New Bar

Boasting one of the widest selections of vodkas (111 types), Q Bar (#01-04 The Annex @ The Old Parliament House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, 6336-3386) is the favorite among those looking for a relaxing and intimate night out. Its hip factor is apparent with its classical décor, plush sofas and heady R&B music.

The Picturehouse or The Arts House?

Never mind that not everyone’s a fan of The Picturehouse (The Cathay, 2 Handy Rd., 6235-1155). You seem to think otherwise. With its wide selection of new international arthouse flicks, this boutique cinema trumps over The Arts House’s monthly screenings of smaller, older films.

Royston Tan or Jack Neo?

Filmmaker Royston Tan beats Jack Neo hands down with his edgy, no-holds-barred films that depict local life and Singapore’s underbelly. Tan is young, talented, bold (not to mention better looking, too).

Best props

It’s the little extras in life that make us smile. We looked at some of the cheekiest, most delicious things that turn you on.

Oohtique or iShop?

If you had to spend your money on sexy Apple products at Club 21’s iShop or Oohtique’s naughty bedroom toys, which would you choose? Our readers chose Oohtique (50A Circular Rd., 6557-0469).

überburger or Carl’s Junior?

Burger mania hit our shores this year and as usual, we Singaporeans stuck steadfast to our unofficial national motto: “Cheap is good.” We voted that Carl’s Junior (#01-202/203 Marina Square, 6 Raffles Blvd., 6720-2720) is better than Überburger, 101 burger or no.

Champagne or Martinis?

This one was tough. Martini—shaken not stirred, thank you—or bubbly? They both taste sooooo good. But champagne tastes just that much better than martinis (even with lychee flavoring), you decided. We’ll drink to that!

Best Foreign Language Feature

Singaporeans love to travel. You give us your vote on your favorite escapes.

Best Budget Airline

Budget airlines have changed the face of short haul travel in Asia, no doubt about it. Flying high in the sky in the category for best budget airline, according to readers, was Jetstar.

Best Place to Go for a Dirty Weekend

When we like to get down and dirty the place we most like to go is—Thailand. With votes for Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi as well as the entire country itself, Thailand was the clear winner for best place to go for a dirty weekend. Batam and Bintan were distant runners up, with one vote for JB.

Lifetime Achievement Award

I-S Magazine has been around enough to know what it takes to make it in this town. Here is your word on what you feel has lasted the long haul and is still standing tall.

Best Longstanding Restaurant

Tung Lok takes the title of Best Longstanding Restaurant by quite a margin with its memorable dim sum and Shark’s Fin soup.

Best Longstanding Bar & Best Longstanding Nightspot

Clubbing at Zouk (17 Jiak Kim St., 6738-2988) is a rite of passage for almost all of us (which some of us never outgrow), so it’s no surprise that Singapore’s most famous nightclub snagged the award for Best Longstanding Bar and Best Longstanding Nightspot. Congratulations on the double whammy!

Lee Kuan Yew or Mahathir Mohamad?

We had to ask this one—which senior statesman do you prefer, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew or Dr. Mahathir Mohamad? Our MM Lee won by a landslide.

Ah Meng or Merlion?

We pitted two of Singapore’s most loved animal icons against each other: Ah Meng vs. the Merlion…guess who won? Mythical origins and a giant statue at Sentosa just weren’t enough for the Merlion to outshine the Singapore Zoo’s native celebrity—Ah Meng.

Looking Cool

The latest digital camera from Nikon—the Coolpix S7c—is out now. Sporting 7.1 effective megapixels of imaging performance and a 35-105mm Zoom-Nikkor ED lens, this gorgeous camera is capable of capturing wide-open landscapes and tight confined spaces with the greatest of ease. The camera also offers a host of anti-shake features, ensuring that your shots don’t come out blurry, and even has a high sensitivity mode which chooses the optimal setting for shooting fast moving objects or subjects in lower lights.
The Coolpix S7c retails for $699 and is available at Alan Photo Trading (#01-38, Sim Lim Square, 1 Rochor Canal, 6336-0922).

Keeping It Afloat

Sony Ericsson continues its tradition of remarkable mobile phone designs with the Z610i, which sports a mirror-finished front cover. Adding to the cool factor, one of the most distinguishing features of the phone is that an incoming call or message’s information looks as if it’s “floating” on the phone’s face, thanks to the OLED technology fueled display. But the Z610i isn’t just another pretty face—with a picture blog feature, users can share photos with friends and family via an online blog; it’s as simple as snapping the pictures and uploading them. There is also an MP3 player, Bluetooth connectivity and email functions. An exact release date has yet to be finalized, but expect the Z610i to be out very soon.

Style and Sound

The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition is ergonomically designed with a thumb rest and an undulating keypad, looks gorgeous, and features a powerful two megapixel camera—yet the coolest thing about this stylish phone isn’t its physical features. Its ringtones aren’t just your standard, boring tunes—they’ve been composed by ambient music innovator Brian Eno, who’s worked with the likes of Devo, David Bowie and U2. Going for $1,488, it is available at The M1 Shop (#B1-28/29 Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd., Hotline: 1800-843-8383).

With his rock musician-style ponytail, Michael hardly looks like a stiff upper-lipped corporate man. He likes to dress informally or casually and is usually garbed in a black t-shirt. The funky man tells us what he does in his free time.

What is your current state of mind?
Exhilarated and contented.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Initially, I wanted to be an avionics engineer designing inter-galactical spacecraft, then the music bug got into me and I subsequently wanted to be a musician-singer- songwriter. But I ended in the world of large ticket structured finance.

What is your biggest achievement?
I have some creditable achievements so far, but like most people, I am constantly faced with new “mountains” to climb. And the highest peak is yet to be scaled.

What inspires you?
People with the incredible ability to create and an enormous capacity for compassion.

What personal trait do you appreciate the most in others?
Clearly understanding one’s own abilities and limitations.

Do you have a cause or do you support one?
The well-being and future of our 4,300 employees.

Which living person do you admire most and would like to invite for dinner?
Lou Gerstner—ex Chief Executive Officer of IBM.

What are you reading?
Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance? by Lou Gerstner and Albert Camus’s I Myself.

How do you spend your Sunday mornings?
I roller blade along East Coast beach and then leisurely read the Sunday papers while savoring a cup of fragrant Earl Grey tea.

What is your idea of hell?
Living with the pain and hunger and witnessing the agony of poor and sick children and less privileged fellow humans, while millions of dollars are wasted on another widget which the world really does not need.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Digging into a giant brownie and ice-cream sandwich.

How do you recharge?
Playing one of my guitars. I find that immersing myself in music helps me focus on my inner self and get in touch with my emotions. Not only do I find this refreshing but also healing.

What’s playing in your iPod/MP3/CD player?
Life for Rent by Dido, Like A Star by Corinne Bailey Rae, and Try This by Pink.

What do you collect?
Guitars and memories.

Where would you like to live?
My current and absolute favorite home is Singapore, but Paris can be great in winter and Chamonix at the foot of Mont Blanc is exhilarating in the fall.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
Louis Vuitton black t-Shirt and slim-cut Dolce & Gabbana blue jeans.

What accessory sets you apart?
I have been wearing boots almost all of my life.

If you had to play a character in a movie, which movie and which character?
Howard Hughes in The Aviator.

What did you believe at 18 that you wish you still believe now?
What I miss most is the ability to dream freely without being limited by boundaries created by convention and having someone else’s ideas dictate what can and cannot be done.