Emerican Life

It is three hours after the curtains have gone down on this evening’s performance, and all I can think of, as with Margaret Chan’s version of Emily, is how much actor and character have become fused. A most awkward moment arose when Heng/Emily, getting visibly annoyed at not being able to don a ball gown in time for the next scene, exclaimed, "Sh*t!" The mic was on, and the expletive clearly heard by all. One wondered if it was a genuine slip-up, or if Heng actually meant his character to show most unlady-like frustration. And then again, it didn’t matter – Heng/Emily have bonded just so. The dramatist and the matriarch. The dramatriarch.

The set was an excellent realisation of a Peranakan interior a la blanc, the lighting design, multi-media elements and costumes superb; no surprises there when luminaries like Chris Chua, Mac Chan, Brian Gothong Tan and Frederick Lee are on the team.

Heng, horribly hoarse voice notwithstanding – another diva, Whitney Houston, comes to mind – commanded the stage with a fiery passion and energy that was then relinquished in the last half hour to depict a steep change from domineering wife and mother into frail and stiff-limbed octogenarian. Cue pathos overload! Weep as Emily tries to sing an ancient lyric in a voice utterly gone to seed and has visions of her long-dead son coming to her side.

Missing however, amidst all the above, was a crucial moment of release and redemption. For all its campiness, and much of it a repeat from the Jit/Heng collaboration of a decade ago, this Emily comes off much sadder – the end of her life no more than an endless sequence of days sitting alone in an old house, tormented by the echoes and ghosts of times long past. This time, there is no relief. The material girl is rendered immaterial, the narrative rearranged into a macabre memorial service for a matriarch of such masculine mettle, the role could only be played by...a man.

The lights come up again, and Ivan Heng appears, to rapturous applause. And as the illusion of the past two hours is broken, we realise that Emily lives on, but only in our memories. Poignancy as the final point – what a stab to the heart!

*Enters and looks around*

“Hey! Where has everyone gone?”

Just thought I’d write an epilogue of sorts to round off all my entries in this blog. Those of you who weren’t there last evening – well, you missed *quite* a show! I got to St. James at 3pm to discover that omy.sg and Urban Homme were sparing no effort for the finals – they even got life-size standees of each of us.

All photos belong to Darren…the night’s BIG winner and owner of the best camera amongst us!

Which is the real me?

Like a celebrity, I had a pseudo Madame Tussaud’s moment with my standee double.

All right, easy to tell - I'm on the left...I wouldn't run around in public dressed as a "superhero"!

Here are all six standees:

Smartly dressed, relaxed in berms and a few "superheroes"...here's looking at us, guys!

There was also a large billboard with our best photos outside the Boiler Room:

This huge billboard with our best "mugshots" greeted guests upon arrival.

The show got underway and as the first contestant up onstage, I was a bundle of nerves and have no idea what I said to Danny Yeo, who was the host. Can only hope nothing too embarrassing spilled out. We were far more relaxed subsequently, and had the audience laughing along, especially in a segment where we engaged them in a round of charades.

The stage is prepped for the big event.

But we just knew there would be a moment coming when we had to shed some clothes. Danny finally revealed that the audience could cast their vote by sticking cardboard lips on us – but only on our skin. Of course, those who flaunted it got the most votes. Not quite my style…luckily I was in a singlet, so I managed just 8 votes on my arms (THANK YOU!!!) from a few diehard supporters.

I’m really happy for Darren (Urban Icon winner), Dennis (Mr Photogenic) and Peter (Mr Personality) – Congratulations guys, and continue enjoying the fabulous treatments at Urban Homme! But thanks to our generous sponsors, Benson, Daniel and I walked away with our arms quite full too:

TDK iWave - Sound System for the iPod. All of us received one, along with TDK headphones. Thank you, TDK!

Thanks again to Urban Homme and Omy.sg. I think my ultimate prize is a more youthful, radiant face and the elimination of the bulging tummy – and I’m going to keep it that way. One last look at the six of us – the first alumni of the Urban Homme Icon Challenge:

Thanks, guys..."We're ALL winners!"

***

In less than 24 hours, the winner of the Urban Homme Icon Challenge will be revealed at St. James Powerhouse. It’s been just over three weeks since the Challenge proper started, and I have to say the results, even in this short span of time, have been amazing. Yesterday, a colleague who’d been overseas for a month returned to the office. She saw me and blurted out, “Wow! You’ve lost a ton of weight!” My cheeks and jawline have visibly sharpened and the love handles and bicycle tyre around my mid-section have vanished. It’s very encouraging to see all this happen, especially when others notice the difference as well.

I simply must express my heartiest THANK YOU to the team at The Cocoon – they have been most obliging and professional at every point along the way. They didn’t stop at administering treatments, but also gave us all great advice on simple, positive changes we can make to our lifestyles to help us maintain and improve on the results achieved. I’ve become more conscious of my food intake, and have come to realize that I consume a lot more calories than I need. I will also be sticking with my exercise routine – it makes me feel much more energetic throughout the day. (And yes, Vince – I’ll remember to touch my face with the back of my hand if I need to – never the fingers, as they usually have more bacteria on their surface!)

Yesterday, my penultimate session at Urban Homme comprised an RxP with deep-pore cleansing, Photopneumatic treatment and an Oxy Face Rejuvenation, followed by a balancing facial. The Oxy machine had just undergone a complete overhaul, and the cool jets of oxygen felt extra powerful. I will miss being comfortably wrapped in towels and under the meticulous care of Lily, who’s been fantastic – she even plucked my eyebrows during one long treatment.

Today’s session was my last. We targeted my mid-section with a second round on the LPG machine:

I managed to get a shot of the state-of-the-art LPG machine with touchscreen.

 And then Vince had me experience one of the most effective slimming treatments – the Ultrasonic Wave Frequency Advanced Slim. Zoey, my therapist, rubbed some oil onto my belly and then ran the treatment tip over it in quick circles. Soon, the waves heated the belly area. For the treatment to be effective, an optimum skin temperature of 43 deg C had to be reached. Zoey constantly checked a remote thermometer to make sure I wasn’t being burnt (too much!). It’s now just over two hours and I can still feel some residual warmth in my belly. Effective, powerful stuff!

Zoey and the Wave Frequency Advanced Slim machine.

Am now going to get a good night’s rest – adequate sleep is just as important as having the right diet and wellness care, and then I’ll try to fit in some exercise tomorrow morning before heading down to St. James to prepare and rehearse. I am aiming to look and feel my best.

One last look at The Cocoon...I REALLY, REALLY hope to be back! *Fingers and toes crossed*

If you haven’t been sent an e-vite that’ll grant you complimentary entry to the event, an entrance ticket to the finals, which commences at 7pm, is just $12. It comes with one drink and a goodie bag worth $90. You’ll catch the six of us talk about our transformation, pick up some health and wellness tips and find out firsthand who’ll be the new Urban Homme Icon. See you there!