TAN KHENG HUA 59 ACTRESS & PRODUCER
At 59, actress Tan Kheng Hua is at one of most exciting moments of her life. Not only has she successfully landed new roles in Hollywood, her daughter, Lim Shi-An, has also blossomed into a talented young creative. Here, Kheng Hua discusses the life lessons she's learnt, her relationship with Shi-An, as well as her thoughts about ageing gracefully.
It's like a horse gave birth to a deer! jokes Tan Kheng Hua as she peers at the laptop where images of her daughter, Lim Shi-An, ethereal and enigmatic in a dusky pink Prada dress, are flashing across the screen during our photoshoot for this story.
As Shi-An - her daughter with ex-husband, actor Lim Yu-Bengposes with her head turned ever so slightly towards the camera, Kheng Hua beams with pride.
The petite and slender 59-yearold exclaims with infectious enthusiasm: She looks like an elf! We are a family of elves, as opposed to orcs, humans, dwarfs or hobbits. It's been over 24 years since the mother-and-daughter duo appeared together in the pages of Her World. Speaking animatedly with us on set in an airy studio tucked away in Geylang, Kheng Hua recalls an article that she wrote for the magazine back then, which featured an accompanying spread of both her and Shi-An.
We shot these beautiful photographs of me and Shi-An as a little baby. I was wearing this gorgeous gown, and I was holding this baby, and then she peed on the set because we had to take off her diaper! she laughs, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
“I also remember that as I was writing that article, I cried, because you know how you get involved with your emotions.”
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Esta historia es de la edición May 2022 de Her World Singapore.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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TREASURE ISLAND
When plans to demolish the Merlion Tower on Sentosa were announced in 2019, some Singaporeans were sad to see one of the island's most iconic attractions go. After all, the quirky creature – with the head of a lion and the body of a fish – had been a significant part of their memories of Sentosa.The 37m-tall, 12-storey structure, completed in 1996 and designed by Australian sculptor James Martin, was a focal point for laser light shows and projections that transformed its ivory facade into a vibrant display of colours.The Merlion Tower was a popular attraction for families. Singaporean couple Anand and Vrunda Patel would often take their children there for outings. Vrunda, now 50, fondly recalls climbing the structure and admiring the views of Sentosa from the Merlion's mouth. “Outside the Merlion, there was a beautiful step garden with flowing water. I used to love walking there,” she shares.Years later, the statue, covered in dirt and grime, required a refresh. The demolition was not only part of a larger vision to connect Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) in the north to the three beaches (Palawan, Tanjong and Siloso) on the island's south, it was also the start of a massive rebranding project to transform Sentosa from a recreational family destination to a premier lifestyle attraction.Today, Sentosa Sensoryscape stands in its place. Set within a lush landscape, the 30,000 sqm attraction features a 350m-long connector that leads visitors to six sensory gardens – where they can explore the gardens’ massive vessel-like sculptures, observe the various flora and fauna inhabiting the space, and interact with Instagrammable light displays through an augmented reality app after nightfall.“To attract younger visitors, our additional focus is on creating more authentic and immersive experiences, recognising that this demographic seeks deeper, more engaging interactions with the places they visit,” says Thien Kwee Eng, CEO, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).Just as Sensoryscape is designed to create an otherworldly atmosphere after dark, the Sentosa Night Mode campaign, launched in August, aims to introduce the island as a day-to-night destination for both locals and tourists, who would typically only make day trips to Sentosa. In addition to more nightlife events – such as the recent Waterbomb Festival, which saw about 10,000 revellers partying to a live K-pop line-up – the initiative includes extended operating hours at key attractions, along with street performances and dining promotions.It’s a move that has boosted visitorship to the island, with total numbers reaching 16 million this year.“This is a 20 per cent increase in the number of visitors as compared to the same period last year,” reveals Kwee Eng.
TAKING THE LEAP
It’s 10 am on a Monday, and Gan Guoyi, 40, walks into Jigger & Pony with a set of dry-cleaned clothes – a picture of calm amid the aftermath of last night’s chaos. The Singapore bar recently secured a spot in the Top 5 of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list, announced in Madrid on Oct 23. To celebrate, she threw a three-night promotion from Nov 10, where customers enjoyed five premium cocktails for just $5 each at select bars like Gibson, Live Twice, Sugarhall, Como Pony Jakarta, and Jigger & Pony.Naturally, the event was a hit, and Guoyi, who was manning the guest list at Sugarhall, only managed a few hours of sleep the night before. Still, she arrives promptly to our photo shoot without complaints.
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