Today's top pick

BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL: SSO 3OTH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra's co-leader Lynette Seah will perform Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 at the SSO's 30th anniversary concert, which also features Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Lan Shui conducts.

Where: Esplanade Concert Hall MRT: City Hall When: Wed , 7.30pm Admission: $12 - $63 Tel: 6348-5555

Art

THE STAGE

Singaporean Christian artist Wong Shih Yaw tells stories like biblical parables and Aesop's fables.

When: Utterly Art Exhibition Space, 229A South Bridge Road MRT: Chinatown When: Thu - Jan 24, noon - 8pm (Mon - Sat), noon - 5.30pm (Sun) Admission: Free Tel: 6226-2605

MUSIC FAMILIES (WILSON SHIEH)

This art series by Wilson Shieh celebrates the lyrical relationship between people and musical instruments. It combines traditional Japanese print Ukiyo-e and screen print, translating his fine drawings inspired by traditional Chinese gongbi style into print.

Where: Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Gallery 41 Robertson Quay MRT: Clarke Quay When: Till Jan 31, 10am - 6pm (Tue - Sat), closed on Sun & public holidays. By appointment on Mon Admission: Free Tel: 6336-3663

ATHLETIC POWER

Chinese painter Liu Kun depicts athletic power using motifs from swimming, dancing and balancing on steel wire.

Where: Eight Art Gallery, 01-3B, 7 Mount Sophia MRT: Dhoby Ghaut When: Till Feb 15, 11am - 6pm (Tue -Sat), Closed on Sun & Mon) Admission: Free Tel: 6338-0228

Charity

YMCA FESTIVAL OF LOVE - CHINESE NEW YEAR

The YMCA of Singapore needs volunteers to help bake Chinese New Year cookies for the elderly under the care of Lions Befrienders. You can also sponsor goodie bags and bring cheer to the elderly by singing traditional festive songs.

Where: YMCA of Singapore, Orchard Road & Lion Befrienders (Bendemeer) Neighbourhood Link MRT: Dhoby Ghaut When: Sat , 9.30am - 1pm Admission: Free Tel: call 6586-2255/2256 to register Info: E-mail members@ymca.org.sg by Thu to register for the baking session, sponsor goodie bags and perform for the elderly

KIDZ 4 KIDZ MYSTAMP

Pay $20 for a limited-edition of the Kidz 4 Kidz MyStamp charity stamp sheet featuring the children of celebrities such as Zoe Tay. The money will go to help children with special needs via the Asian Women's Welfare Association.

Info: The stamps are available at all post offices here till Jan 31, while stocks last. Or place your orders at http://shop.vpost.com.sg

SALE OF CNY CARDS

With every Chinese New Year greeting card from the Singapore Cancer Society sold at $1.10 each, 50 cents go to the society's Cancer Treatment Fund.

Tel: 6421-5859 Info: www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg or e-mail aeran_lee@singaporecancersociety.org.sg for inquiries and to purchase.

Chinese New Year

UNIQUE PERFORMANCES FROM CHINA

Performing at VivoCity are arts troupes come from Zheijiang, Hubei and Kunming.

Where: VivoCity, Central Court, Level 1 MRT: HarbourFront When: Till Wed, 3pm (Fri - Sun) (Kunming Ethnic Song & Dance Troupe, Till Jan 18, 1 & 7pm (Mon - Fri), 1, 4 & 7pm ( Sat & Sun) (Xihu Arts troupe), Jan 28 - Feb 8, 1 & 7pm (Mon - Fri), 1, 4 & 7pm (Sat & Sun) (Hubei Province Arts Troupe) Admission: Free Info: Shoppers can also view and buy Chinese artefacts and crafts at the Central Court and South Avenue, Level 1 from 10am to 10pm till Feb 10. Visit www.vivocity.com.sg

SPRING IN THE CITY/AN ACROBATIC EXTRAVAGANZA/SHOPPING REWARDS

Chinese arts troupes will entertain shoppers at Raffles City Shopping Centre. Also, spend $50 at the shopping centre and you stand to win a five-day trip to Fujian in a lucky draw.

Where: Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road MRT: City Hall When: Till Thu : 10am - 10pm (Fujian Acrobatics Troupe), Fri (- Jan 24: 10am - 10pm (Guangzhou Arts Academy Troupe), Jan 24 - Feb 4: 10am - 10pm (Nanjing Acrobatics Troupe) Admission: Free Info: www.rafflescity.com

TELL YOUR FORTUNE: AN OX-PICIOUS YEAR OR NOT?

Visit Compass Point and Anchorpoint malls to have your fortune told, using methods such as palm and handwriting reading, tarot cards and fengshui.

Where: Compass Point, Punggol MRT: Sengkang When: Sat & Sun , 1, 4 & 7pm (palm reading), Jan 23 & 24, 1, 4 & 7pm (personal fengshui reading) Where: Anchorpoint MRT: Queenstown When: Sat & Sun, 1, 4 & 7pm (tarot card reading) Admission: Free Tel: 6881-2707 (Compass Point), 6475-2257 (Anchorpoint)

Info: Shoppers who spend $50 at any of the malls stand to win a Chevrolet Spark car in a lucky draw. Those who spend $100 can redeem a limited-edition Chinese New Year traditional Japanese gift-wrapping cloth. Spend $120 and get a limited-edition Tiger glass. Spend $1,500 to receive a coveted Guess watch worth $195.

J TEAM COMEDY SKIT

Jack Neo's team of entertainers, including Henry Thia, Brandon Wong, Michelle Tay and Tay Yin Yin, will perform Chinese New Year songs.

Where: Ang Mo Kio Hub, junction of Ang Mi Kio Avenue 3 and Avenue 8 MRT: Ang Mo Kio When: Till Sun , 7pm (Tue - Fri), 1 & 7pm (Sat & Sun) Admission: Free Tel: 6753-9000

LUNAR NEW YEAR CUSTOM: LO HEI

The cast from Jack Neo's latest movie, Love Matters, will make an appearance at the mall.

Where: Hougang Mall, 90 Hougang Avenue 10 MRT: Hougang When: Till Jan 23: 10am - 10pm Admission Free Tel: 6487-4155

FLORAL ART FOR YOUR HOME: CHINESE ARTS & CRAFTS FAIRS

View a live demonstration of cloisonne painting at this Chinese Arts & Crafts Fair at Frasers Centrepoint Malls. Also, check out the lacquer art section for vases and crockery, and view Chinese paintings depicting big blooms of peony.

Where: Causeway Point MRT: Woodlands When: Till Jan 24, 10.30am - 9.30pm Admission: Free Where: The Centrepoint, Orchard Road MRT: Somerset When: Till Wed , 10.30am - 9.30pm Where: Northpoint, Yishun MRT: Yishun When: Thu - Jan 19, 10.30am - 9.30pm Where: Compass Point , Punggol MRT: Sengkang When: Jan 20 - 24, 10.30am - 9.30pm Admission: Free Tel: 6894-2237 (Causeway Point), 6737-9000 (Centrepoint), 6754-2300 (Northpoint) & 6881-2707 (Compass Point)

ROADSHOWS BY SINGAPORE MINT

Check out various roadshows around Singapore showcasing the 2009 Macau Year of the Ox coins.

Where: HDB Hub MRT: Toa Payoh When: Till Jan 24: 11am - 8.30pm, Jurong Point Level 1 MRT: Boon Lay When: Till Jan 24, 11am - 8.30pm, Parkway Parade, basement MRT: Eunos, Till Jan 24, 11am - 8.30pm Bugis Junction, Level 1 MRT: Bugis When: Till Jan 24, 11am - 8.30pm, Ang Mo Kio Hub, Basement 1 MRT: Ang Mo Kio When: Till Jan 24), 11am - 8.30pm, Compass Point, Level 1 MRT: Sengkang When: Till Jan 24, 11am - 8.30pm, Suntec City Mall, Tropics Atrium MRT: City Hall When: Till Jan 24: 11am - 8.30pm Admission: Free Tel: 6566-2626

Classical

MUSIC PLATFORM: A SERIES OF STUDENT RECITALS

Unwind over lunch with music performed by the Diploma and BA (Hons) students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Department of Music.

Where: Lee Foundation Theatre, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Campus 3, 151 Bencoolen Street MRT: Bugis When: Wed, Jan 21 & 28, 12.30pm Admission: Free Tel: 6512-4179 Info: E-mail music@nafa.edu.sg and visit www.nafa.edu.sg

Contest

GATSBY STYLING DANCE CONTEST - DANCE YOUR WAY ACROSS ASIA!

Who will walk away with the top prize of $2,000 cash and represent Singapore at the Asian final in Tokyo on Feb 28? Find out at the local final of this dance contest. The overall champ crowned in Tokyo wins $4,000 cash and an all-expense paid trip to any two of the seven participating countries, to experience the different dance cultures.

Where: Zouk, 17 Jiak Kim Street, near corner of Kim Seng Road and Havelock Road MRT: Outram/Orchard When: Sat , 9 - 11pm Admission: Free (by invitation) Tel: 6235 6700 (inquiries) Info: The first 800 with invitation gets free entry plus two drinks. Visit www.gatsby.sg to download your invite

SEARCH FOR A SINGAPORE FAMILY

Wanted: a Singaporean family embodying strong family values to show Australian families a different approach to parenting in a new TV show based on the BBC series, The World's Strictest Parents. The producers of the Australian TV show want two headstrong Australian teenagers to spend eight days with a Singapore family to experience a different way of life.

Info: The ideal family should have school-going children living at home, with at least one aged 14 to 18, and should speak good English. Filming takes place in March and April. For details, visit www.acastofthousands.com.au/singapore, or e-mail nicole@acastofthousands.com.au. Submit applications by Jan 31

WHAT WILL WE DEFEND?

What do you hold dear in your heart and would defend in times of crisis? Reveal your thoughts in a short video clip of under two minutes in this Online Video Contest. You stand to win the top prize of a MacBook laptop worth $1,588. Winning entries are selected by public voting. Organised by Singapore Press Holdings' RazorTV and Nexus, the central coordinating agency for National Education.

Info: Submit entries by Feb 15 at www.whatwilludefend.sg/

takepart. Your video file must be submitted in 3GP, AVI, MPEG or WMV format and under 5MB in size. Vote by

Feb 28 at the same website. Visit SPH Razor TV or browse www.whatwilludefend.sg to find out more about Total Defence.

MY PAPER EXECUTIVE LOOK 2009

Fancy winning $10,000 cash? Take part in this contest, which is looking for someone who best represents the modern Singapore working executive. my paper, the bilingual Singapore Press Holdings newspaper, is looking for a person who has corporate savvy, style, a pleasant disposition and confidence. Organised by my paper.

Where: VivoCity Central Court MRT: HarbourFront When: April 3 (grand finals), Info: To register and for details, visit http://execuivelook.mypaper.sg. You will be trained in grooming and business etiquette and have a personal feature in my paper.

Dance

FALLOUT

Struggling within today's tense and sensationalist political climate, a nuclear family falls apart. This is a performance by RAWdance, a young American dance company. Part of the M1 Singapore Fringe Fest '09

Where: Esplanade Theatre Studio MRT: City Hall When: Wed , 8pm Admission: $30 Tel: 6348-5555

Film Festival

DREAMS (PG)

A serious comedy about dreams and awakening and people's inability to reach out to one another. Part of the Ingmar Bergman film fest.

Where: The Arts House, Screening Room, Old Parliament House, 1 Old Parliament Lane MRT: Raffles Place When: Wed ), 7.45pm Admission: $8 Tel: 6332-6919

Gig

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE NEW YEAR CONCERT WITH JEREMY MONTEIRO

Jeremy Monteiro, dubbed Singapore's 'King of Swing', and his Singapore All-Stars band will perform jazz standards, originals and more at this New Year Concert to celebrate the 60th Anniversary concert of the Alliance Francaise.

Where: Alliance Francaise Theatre, 1 Sarkies Road MRT: Newton When: Thu & Fri , 8pm Admission: $51, including a wine & cheese reception at 7.30pm before the show and during the interval (8.45- 9.05pm) Tel: 6348-5555 (tickets), 6833-9311 (inquiries) Info: www.showtime-i.com

M1 Singapore Fringe Fest '09

MUSEUM OF BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS

Don't break down if someone breaks your heart. Be positive and get ideas on how to overcome broken relationships through art at this quirky museum.

Where: Esplanade, Jendela MRT: City Hall When: Till Sun , 11am - 8.30pm daily Admission: Free Tel: 6828-8377 Info: www.brokenrelationships.com

MUTSUGOTO

This interactive installation, inspired by long-distance relationships, invites couples to experience an intimate communication over a distance. By Tomoko Hayashi, Stefan Agamanolis and Matthew Karau (Japan and Scotland).

Where: The Arts House Foyer, Old Parliament House, 1 Old Parliament Lane MRT: Raffles Place When: Till Sun , 10am - 10pm Admission: Free Tel: 6440-8115 Info: info@singaporefringe.com

RAISED AS A PACK OF WOLVES

This visual narrative revolves around a family of youths supporting one another as they fend for themselves in the wild. By Genevieve Chua, a local artist who has represented Singapore at the Asean Youth exhibition in Laos.

Info: Visit this web exhibition at www.raisedasapackofwolves.com and www.genchua.com

Re:Present

TIME @ SPACE

Catch an experimental performance in which real and virtual players perform together, but in a different time and space from one another. By the SMU Guitarissimo. Part of the SMU Arts Festival '09.

Where: Singapore Management University (SMU) T-Junction, Bras Basah Road/Stamford Road MRT: City Hall/Dhoby Ghaut When: Wed , 12.30pm Admission: Free Tel: 6828-0318 Info: www.smu.edu.sg/artsfest

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD (VISUAL ART EXHIBITION)

A visual arts exhibition featuring works that explore the world as an aesthetic phenomenon, and also showcases projects by Singapore Management University students who collaborate with local artists.

Where: Singapore Management University (SMU) Gallery & various locations within SMU, Bras Basah Road/Stamford Road MRT: City Hall/Dhoby Ghaut When: Till Feb 7, noon - 6pm daily except public holidays Admission: Free Tel: 6828-0318 Info: www.smu.edu.sg/artsfest

Show

A LIFE NO LESS ORDINARY

The ordinary lives of people with HIV/Aids in the face of challenges and discrimination are captured in this photo exhibition launched by the Tan Tock Seng Hospital, in collaboration with the deputy picture editor of The Straits Times, Ms Stephanie Yeow, and chief photographer of Lianhe Zaobao, Mr Lee Tiah Khee.

Where: Central Lending Library, Level B1, National Library, Victoria Street MRT: Bugis/City Hall When: Till Thu , 10am - 9pm daily Admission: Free Tel: 6332-3255

Talk

LEADERSHIP IN CHALLENGING TIMES

Learn how to stay ahead in these challenging times at three ST701 workshops at the Singapore Press Holdings New Centre. Designed for those in leadership positions, from supervisors and project leaders to heads of departments and senior management, these workshops are conducted by trainer Manoj Sharma.

Where: Singapore Press Holdings News Centre, 1000 Toa Payoh North MRT: Braddell When: Jan 20, 9am - 5pm (Knowing The Global Leadership Game In Challenging Times - Transformational Leadership Through The Storm); Jan 22, 9am - 5pm (Knowing Transformational Leadership In Volatile Times - Leading Yourself, Leading Your Teams And Leading Leaders); Feb 19, 9am - 5pm (Knowing Transformational Leadership Communication In A Disruptive Future - Transforming Your Leadership Communication Style) Admission: Pay an early bird fee of $359 with GST (ST701 members) & $419 with GST (non-members) per workshop or a special bundle price of $588 (usual: $718) for ST701 members and $712 (usual: $838) for non-members for any two workshops or special bundle price of $861 (usual: $1,077) for ST701 members and $1,043 (usual $1,257) for non-members for all three workshops by Thu , after that pay $419 with GST (ST701 members) and $489 with GST (non-members) per workshop Tel: 6319-5917 (office hours) Info: Visit jobs.st701.com or e-mail st701@sph.com.sg

NAFAS - SCREENING AND DIALOGUE

Find out about Nafas Art Magazine, a magazine published by the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations in Germany. The speakers at this talk are Pat Binder and Dr Gerhad Haupt, editors of the Nafas Art Magazine.

Where: National UNiversity of Singapore Museum, University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge Crescent, MRT: Clementi When: Wed , 5 - 7pm Admission: Free Tel: 6516-8817 Info: www.nus.edu.sg/museum

HEALTHY TIPS ON BUILDING A POSITIVE BODY IMAGE

A health and fitness talk by Bill Calhoun, a choreographer and lifestyle consultant.

Where: Dance On Us, Claymore Point 01 -03/04, 8 Claymore Hill, beside the American Club MRT: Orchard When: Sun , 3 - 4pm Admission: $5 including refreshments Tel: 6737-4466 Info: Register by 5pm on Thu

Theatre

CINDERELLA

The international tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (above) featuring Tony Award winner Lea Salonga. Directed by Bobby Garcia of Disney's Beauty & The Beast fame.

Where: Esplanade Theatre MRT: City Hall When: Till Jan 22, 8pm, also 3pm on Sat & Sun Admission: $38 - $183 Tel: 6348-5555

Valentine's Day

CATS CLASSIFIED VALENTINE'S LOVELINES

Declare your love for your spouse or sweetheart, and the two of you stand to win a Valentine's Day programme worth $1,500, which includes a picnic on a love cruise, one night's hotel stay with breakfast, and a professional make-over session.

Info: When you publish your declaration on Lovelines, your loved one will receive a pair of 'hearts' which emit heat, as well as a card to notify her or him to look out for the Valentine's Lovelines in CATS Classified in The Straits Times or Cats Fastads in The New Paper on Feb 14. Tel: Call 1800-289-9988 during office hours to place your Valentine's Loveline dedication

Voting

MMSING TALENT CONTEST (VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE SINGER)

Vote for your favourite online singer in the MMSing Talent Contest and he or she might be richer by as much as $20,000. This online singing contest is organised by Stomp, Asia's No. 1 social networking and citizen journalism website.

Info: You can vote until March 31. Visit www.stomp.com.sg/mmsing3 and click on the relevant button to vote. The first prize for Category A for online singers aged more than 15 is $20,000 while the top winner in Category B for those aged under 15 will take home $3,000

Web

CHAT WITH STAR BLOGGERS

Want to know our star bloggers better? Chat with them from 9 to 10pm.

Info: Visit www.stomp.com.sg/starblog

Compiled by Magdalene Lum

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