SINGAPORE — Clowning around is no laughing matter for 36-year-old Edmund Khong.
It is an art form, requires attention to detail and a commitment to the craft.
Khong’s dedication toward the clown profession earned him the top award at the recent US-based World Clown Association (WCA) convention in Bangkok in March. He beat 39 other clowns from around the world to clinch the All Around Clown award. He also placed first in two other categories: Character and Paradeability.
Next up: Khong has his eye on being a Master Clown. He will need to win the All Around Clown award for a second consecutive year at the WCA to be awarded the title.
“Today, in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, the standards of clowns have really escalated and grew at a very fast rate. I would like to see the same happening in Singapore… The region is getting better, and the fact that Asia is winning a lot of medals at WCA competitions is a sign that the next big area that will grow in clowning is definitely Asia,” said Khong.
To date, he is the only Singaporean and second Asian to win the award, according to Mr Adran “Jelly” Revindren, 34, WCA Awards Director for 2016 and 2017. He called the victory over larger countries like Puerto Rico and America “good news” for a small country like Singapore.
The WCA has 2,248 members worldwide, with only 10 Singaporeans as members.
Apart from clinching the top award at the recent WCA 2017 convention, Khong also placed first in two other categories: Character and Paradeability. Photo: Wong Casandra/TODAY
Khong’s interest in being a professional clown was piqued when he did odd jobs performing magician acts at birthday parties while waiting to enter university after completing his national service. He would get requests to do other “acts” such as balloon sculpting, juggling and clowning.
After Khong graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts in History, he set off on a path to become a professional clown. That was in 2005.
Now, 12 years later, with his tools of the trade — a pair of oversized neon green boots, a polka-dotted shirt, paired with a loud red jumper, a monkey with giant, piercing blue irises and purple limbs — Khong has made a business out of it.
He runs a children’s entertainment company Star Dazzle Concepts with his wife, who handles financial and administrative matters of the company.
A typical “work week” for Khong begins on Tuesday, with his busiest days being Saturdays and Sundays due to the nature of the job.
On average, he does three events on a single day typically over weekends, often with no time to eat between jobs. A birthday party that begins at 10am requires him to be up about four hours earlier, as putting on clown makeup alone takes him about an hour.
Khong takes about an hour to complete the makeup process. Photo: Wong Casandra/TODAY
Khong said he earns between S$2,500 to S$5,000 a month from his clown performances and other gigs organised by his company. He charges S$450 an hour for a basic package for birthday parties or half-an-hour at a shopping mall show.
Being a clown, Khong said, doesn’t come cheap. To keep up-to-date in his skills like puppetry, balloon sculpturing and comedy juggling, he spends about S$6,000 per year to attend clown conventions and camps overseas.
Props like hand puppets can go up to US$400 (S$560) each.
“My most expensive pair of clown shoes is S$1,000 (with shipping), because these are specially made for me by a US company. It’s the same company that makes shoes for clown celebrities like Ronald McDonald. All my costumes are designed in the US as well,” added Khong.
Unlike some clowns who are “happy to stick with one character”, Khong, who does a range of events from birthday parties to shopping malls shows, has three personas: Captain Dazzle, a magician-juggler; Captain Bubbles, a “full US-style” clown; and Professor Bananas, a ventriloquist safari explorer with a monkey puppet.
Professor Bananas (left), a ventriloquist safari explorer with a monkey puppet, is a persona Khong created specially for the competitions at the WCA 2017 convention. Photos: Edmund Khong
Khong hopes to help change the perception of clowns here, especially “in the wake of ‘fake clowns’ sightings in the US” and “the (upcoming) horror clown movie ‘IT’”.
He takes his craft so seriously he turns down requests from customers to dress up as a scary clown to prank others during Halloween.
He also added: “(If clown performers) don’t know how to put on makeup correctly, they tend to scare the children. I want to show Singapore — and the rest of the world, of course, that clowns can be very professional in their look and they do serve a very special place in the arts. We can (also) use clowning to do community work.”
Khong said he plans to clown as “long as he can”, and added that he is also currently designing introductory courses held at community centres for children to learn about the art of clowning.
“I love children and I love making them happy. They are very immediate in their responses to the performance; if they like a performance, they are going to cheer, they are going to laugh,” he said.
SINGAPORE: Singing, dancing, art and music-making are a big part of the daily routine of pre-schoolers at NTUC’s My First Skool at Edgefield Plains in Punggol, which uses an arts-based approach to conduct all classes.
It’s a pilot programme developed by My First Skool and the National Arts Council (NAC), offering children the chance to learn everything from languages, numbers and motor skills through the arts.
The pre-school in Punggol, which officially opened on Friday (May 5), was even specially designed to facilitate such learning. There are workshop spaces, courtyards between classrooms so some lessons can be conducted outdoors, as well as a gallery to showcase the children’s art pieces.
The aim of the arts-based programme is to help develop creativity from a young age.
For instance, in a class where kids learn about the different facial parts, the school makes use of visual arts, giving them twigs, leaves and seashells for them to form a face, instead of getting them to paint it. The school said this method allows for sensory and tactile experiences.
“We are not trying to teach arts as a specialisation, but using art as a form to deliver the other learning content to the children,” said deputy general manager of My First Skool, Thian Ai Ling. “We wanted to start with something that the children are most familiar and comfortable with, and they’re most excited and happiest to do, which is actually music and movement, as well as visual arts. That’s why we started with these two.”
A pre-schooler learning about facial features by forming shapes with twigs, leaves and seashells. (Photo: Rachelle Lee)
Pre-school teachers at this centre are trained and mentored by artists who are specially selected by the NAC, and who also help to develop lessons for the children. About three times a month, the artists will be at the pre-school to work as co-teachers and see how the curriculum can be improved.
The pilot programme, which started last July, has received positive feedback from teachers and parents, according the pre-school.
“This is a very special project because the collaboration began even before the centre opened. This created the opportunity for artists and teachers to engage in more in-depth preparation,” said Mr Kenneth Kwok, director of arts and youth at NAC, adding that council hopes to work with more partners to extend the reach of such programmes.
The two-storey school, which sits on top of a multi-storey carpark, has close to 200 students currently. The school charges the same fees as other My First Skool centres.
If the pilot is successful, My First Skool said it plans to introduce the arts education programme to all its centres in future.
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The RSS Independence and the RSS Panglima are both patrol vessels, but between them lies 50 years of technology and then some.
(Updated: )
SINGAPORE: The Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN) inaugural littoral mission vessel (LMV) RSS Independence was commissioned as fully operational by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday (May 5).
Calling it a milestone in the RSN’s 50 years of operations, Mr Lee said: “This is the first of the RSN’s next generation warships. It is also the first Navy ship to be completely designed and built in Singapore, in close collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Agency.”
The RSS Independence is the first of eight LMVs slated to replace, by mid-2020, 11 Fearless-class patrol vessels. The LMVs have been described by the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) as faster, smarter and more capable than its predecessors: they can be manned by a crew of 23, down from 30; require half the maintenance time; and can deploy inflatable boats in under a minute compared to 15.
The Singapore navy’s littoral mission vessel RSS Independence pictured on May 5, 2017.
On top of a flight deck to accommodate one medium-lift helicopter, the LMV can carry unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for conducting the likes of surveillance operations. It can also be reconfigured to perform multiple roles ranging from counter-piracy to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations – using containerised, customisable mission modules.
At the heart of it all is an integrated command centre allowing officers to track equipment, man guns, navigate the seas and more from one single place.
The RSS Independence and the LMVs will safeguard Singapore’s waters together with the rest of the RSN – not unlike what its first independent iteration, the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force (SNVF), set out to do 50 years ago.
This goal, however, was achieved with a far more limited arsenal of just three vessels when Singapore’s naval ensign was hoisted for the first time on May 5, 1967.
They were the former Japanese minelayer RSS Singapura, moored at Telok Ayer Basin as the SNVF’s headquarters, and the only two seaworthy ships forming Singapore’s maritime defences at the time – police boat RSS Bedok and the patrol craft RSS Panglima.
The latter, commissioned in 1956 and brought over from the Malaysian Navy, had a hull built of Siam teak and Malayan hardwood mixed with steel and light alloy.
It measured 35.7m in length, versus the RSS Independence’s 80m, and had a top speed of 15 knots compared to the LMV’s 27. As a Ford-class boat, RSS Panglima had a total propulsion output of 820kW – more than 10 times less than an LMV-type’s 8,600kW.
But it is the weaponry department which perhaps provides the clearest contrast – and advancement – in capabilities between the RSS Panglima and Independence.
The former was armed with anti-submarine depth-charge throwers and a single anti-aircraft gun while the latter boasts anti-missile systems, three different gun turrets with calibres ranging from 12mm to 76mm, two water cannons and a remote-controlled long range acoustic device system.
Two Government Bills will also be introduced – the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill and the Home Team Corps Bill.
The Singapore flag on Parliament House. (File Photo: Calvin Oh)
SINGAPORE: Milk powder prices and the recently-launched national video consultation platform for healthcare will be on the agenda when Parliament sits on Monday (May 8).
Three Members of Parliament (MPs) submitted questions on the increasing prices of infant formula, after recent figures from the Singapore Department of Statistics showed that the average price of a 900g tin more than doubled over the past decade between 2006 and 2016.
MP Tin Pei Ling noted that the rise of milk powder prices “far exceeds inflation rates and the increment in other countries,” and wanted to know whether the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) would work with local distributors and retailers to ensure fair pricing.
Mr Low Thia Khiang and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin also wanted to know if there were further plans to ensure that the cost of infant formula remained affordable.
Meanwhile, two other MPs raised questions about using teleconferencing in healthcare – whether medical consultations by video can help to lower costs, and the criteria to determine what ailments can be addressed in this way without lowering standards of care.
Other issues on the agenda include the Internet service outage in Jurong West that was caused by a cable cut and what authorities are doing to prevent a repeat of such incidents, as well as how the mergers of junior colleges would affect the supply of A-Level graduates for university admission.
A total of 57 questions were submitted for oral answer and 39 for written answer.
Two Government Bills will be introduced – the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill and the Home Team Corps Bill.
Another six will be up for second reading, including the Public Entertainments and Meetings (Amendment) Bill, which proposes tighter regulations for entertainment outlets.
‘Best thing I ate’ is a series where we share the best things we have eaten around Singapore. Read more here.
What: Putu Piring rice cakes ($2 for 4 pieces)
Where: Ole Ole, 21 Baghdad Street, Singapore 199660
When those in the know mention the saucer-shaped Putu Piring rice cake, they would invariably rave about how good the Haig Road ones
Indeed, they are. But sometimes the thought of travelling all the way to the legendary Haig Road stall in Geylang and having to join the long queue there can be a dissuading factor.
Enter an elderly Malay couple offering the same old-world snack in the heart of bustling Arab Street district. They operate inside Ole Ole, a new cafe which specialises in local drinks and snacks.
Photo: Chen Jingwen
On a busy day, you would still have to join the queue and wait for the soft cakes to be steamed after they are made fresh on the spot.
Trust me, it’s worth the wait. But first, order the delicious durian chendol or soup sop as they’re good too.
The four Putu Piring cakes arrive, wrapped in a paper packet, which allows them to absorb the aroma of the pandan leaves on top of them.
Though smaller than the Haig Road ones, the piping hot cakes are nevertheless a mouthwatering delight with the grated coconut and the generous layer of melted palm sugar inside.
Just perfect when you need a tummy filler on a lazy afternoon.
Kevin Hart and YouTube will partner on a new series called “Kevin Hart: What The Fit,” another way the Google-owned platform is trying to prove it deserves advertising dollars earmarked for television.
YouTube announced seven ad-supported exclusive shows at Brandcast in New York on Thursday, its annual presentation where it showcases content for advertisers. Other new shows include a talent competition called “Best Cover Ever” produced by Ryan Seacrest, as well as shows from Ellen Degeneres, Demi Lovato and a Katy Perry live special. In addition, Rhett and Link and the Slow Mo Guys – who got their start on YouTube – will get series.
Hart also announced he would be working on a new streaming network called “Laugh Out Loud,” featuring multicultural comedians. No additional details were revealed.
YouTube already has exclusive content on its platform from creators, as well as original new shows and movies on its YouTube Red subscription service. It will have about 40 new original shows through that service this year. It also debuted YouTube TV in April, a live TV service that does not require a cable or satellite subscriptions.
More 18 to 49-year-olds visit YouTube on mobile than view any TV network, CEO Susan Wojcicki said at the event.
But some advertisers have said YouTube isn’t the same as television, especially because ads are placed based on user interest not against set programming. In March, a report from the Times of London showed ads from several high profile brands were running next to neo-Nazi and jihadist content on YouTube and on sites whose ads were placed by Google-owned platforms.
Wojcicki apologised for the recent YouTube advertising scandals, where several ads were seen running next to inappropriate content. The company was adding new technology, offering brands new controls and working with third-party sources like comScore and Integral Ad Science to prevent these incidents from happening again.
“We apologise for letting some of you down,” said Wojcicki. “I’m here to say that we can and we will do better.”
PM Lee highlighted the significance and historic value of the name of the LMV: “Significant, because protecting Singapore’s independence has always been a core mission of the RSN. Historic, because the name ‘Independence’ carries the legacy and spirit of the RSN pioneers starting from the first RSS Independence, the patrol craft, which played a key role during the Laju ferry hijacking in 1974.” (Photo: Justin Ong)
PM Lee further commended the efforts of RSN personnel past and present in transforming a fledgling constabulary force of just two wooden ships into a strong maritime force today. (Photo: Justin Ong)
The commissioning ceremony was held in conjunction with the RSN’s golden jubilee celebrations, which commemorates 50 years of the RSN being the maritime force for a maritime nation.
The commissioning ceremony of RSS Independence. (Photo: Howard Law)
Prime Minister Lee during the commissioning ceremony of the RSS Independence. (Photo: Howard Law)
PM Lee (left) being briefed by navy personnel from the RSS Independence during a visit to the ship. (Photo: Justin Ong)
Designed and built locally, the Independence-class LMV is jointly conceived by the RSN and the Defence Science and Technology Agency.
The commissioning ceremony for Singapore Navy’s first littoral mission vessel, RSS Independence. (Photo: Howard Law)
With the commissioning, the RSS Independence becomes fully operational and will join the rest of the Navy to safeguard Singapore’s waters, protect its sea lines of communication and contribute to regional peace and security.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (centre) was hosted by Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Lai Chung Han, with Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and other senior officials from Ministry of Defence and the SAF at the commissioning ceremony. (Photo: Justin Ong)
Apart from clinching the top award at the recent WCA 2017 convention, Khong also placed first in two other categories: Character and Paradeability. Photo: Wong Casandra/TODAY
Khong takes about an hour to complete the makeup process. Photo: Wong Casandra/TODAY
Professor Bananas (left), a ventriloquist safari explorer with a monkey puppet, is a persona Khong created specially for the competitions at the WCA 2017 convention. Photos: Edmund Khong
