Category Archives: Celebrity Interviews

Unifying Cultures through Designs

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Lately, my work has been taking me in to the world of fashion and films, and it has been an absolute delight! Glitz and glamour aside, what I find most exciting is that there’s a certain amount of electric energy around creative people. That energy gets contagious, and it’s impossible not to be swept in to it. I got completely influenced as well, and loved being surrounded by the buzz of art, fashion, and films. It was beautiful to be surrounded by the swish of luxurious fabrics, the elements of eclectic designs, and eventually, by the various forms of storytelling.

What I also loved is the collaborative stance of these people; the reaching out, the merging of ideas, and the ultimate exposition of the finale. The world of art is best enjoyed with an open mind. I went in, a blank canvas, and I come out, enriched, having met people, who with their brilliance, and their collaborations, make the world a little more beautiful.

Jewellery Series: Interview with the inspiring Michael Koh of Caratell (Singapore)

Source: Sunmedia

Fashion Series: Meeting the effervescent Helen of NES by hdk (Indonesia)

Meeting designer, Helen of ‘NES by hdk’. Draped around me is the famed ‘stola’ from her latest collection. (Image: Prionka ray)

Source: IndoConnect, Sunmedia.

Source: IndoConnect, Sunmedia.

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The Orchard Experience

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If I have known you long enough or even if, you and I are recent acquaintances, chances are that I have met you at Orchard road for a coffee or a meal at some point of time. I love Orchard and I can’t get enough of it. I love its vibe, its grace and its familiarity. My personal favourites there? I like Cedele at Wheelock, Wild Honey at Mandarin Gallery, and PS Cafe at Palais Renaissance for their feel-good food and ambience. I have also developed a new fondness for the Korean dessert, Bingsu at 313. If it’s shopping, then it is Paragon, Ion, Tangs, and 313. My daughter was born at Mt Elizabeth Hospital, so a special mention of the friendly Doctors and nurses there and finally, I really like the stretch near Zara and Wheelock. That’s the place where I love to sit and watch the world pass me by. Yes, I love Orchard, and if I get to write about it, I kinda love it even more.

(Read the original article here, page 5).   

The Orchard Experience (Source: IndoConnect)

The Orchard experience (Source: IndoConnect)

The Orchard Experience (Source: IndoConnect)

And if you flip over to page 17, you will find my interview with Prita Kemal Gani (Founder of LSPR). It was a beautiful afternoon at Mandarin Orchard where we chatted with Ibu Prita. Yet another memorable rendezvous at Orchard!

Interview with Prita Kemal Gani (Source: IndoConnect)

Fearless

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What is fearless (to you)?

When I asked this question to those around me, the answers differed.

“It is the ability to speak the truth without hesitation.”

“It is the belief that I stand with the truth.”

“It is the ability to share my emotional and vulnerable moments with those close to me.”

“It’s when you are not scared of anybody or anything, and even if you are, you don’t show it.”

“Freedom.”

“Fearless… is to be able to feel and act consciously from state of awareness and to own responsibility for everything that comes under it.”

What is fearless (to me)?

My favourite movie character is Mulan from Disney. The eponymous character brandishes her sword and saves her nation. In my eyes, she’s fearless, not just because she charges in to a battlefield, but also because she has the courage and the guts to break stereotypes and break norms of the society. She has the courage to stand by what she believes in. Fearlessness comes in many forms, and I have met great warriors of everyday life. They are resilient, sometimes quiet, and sometimes not, but they all have faced the battles of life, and won over demons, both outside and inside. That’s fearless to me.

Here I present to you my most recent definitions of fearless. These are two women I interacted with recently. One a mere teen, a young girl, who was bullied once but who, now has returned to fearlessly face her demons, and overcome them through her book and her performances, and the other, a 46-year-old international personality, TV host and speaker, who fearlessly tramples on every rule book, to say and do what she believes in.

Aija Mayrock: Author, Performer, Activist 

rent.com/aija-mayrock-interview-bullying/

Aija Mayrock Interview by Prionka Ray

Aija was bullied as a child and as a teen. That kind of experiences affect most people negatively. However, Aija turned the same experience as a motivator to help others. I got to know Aija when I came across her very powerful anti-bullying performance. For someone to overcome the feeling of not being good enough, to overcome self doubts and hesitation that comes with being bullied, and still to be able to give such a power packed performance on her experience is fearlessness indeed! But she is not bitter. On the contrary, she was friendly, enthusiastic and prompt, when I approached her for an interview. Read the interview here

Anita Kapoor: TV Host, Media personality, Speaker.

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I met Anita at an event where she was the main speaker. She spoke on being fearless. According to her, the courage to be vulnerable, the courage to embrace whatever you feel, is what fearlessness is all about. On the surface, this seemed like a paradox. You could either be strong or be vulnerable. Right? But she proved it otherwise. And she proved it with a personal story, so poignant, that for the first time, I was blinking back tears in a live talk, and in a hall full of powerful, and successful women. Anita eloquently spoke of her bereavement, her fresh loss, and her journey of grief. However, she did it fearlessly. Anita is not new to such fearless show of vulnerabilities. Her documentary on living with the elderly touches on the same personality trait of hers. It’s raw, it’s sincere, and its powerful.

The above are just two definitions of fearlessness. They are not the only ones. As I meet new people, both men and women, my definition keeps expanding, keeps growing.

And then of course, Taylor Swift sings…

Source: Imgrum

So, maybe being fearless is also about being able to take a leap of faith. My definition continues to expand…

(This post is dedicated to the fearless. Thanks to The Asian Parents Magazine for endorsing the interview, and thanks to Primetime Business and Professional Women’s Association for the beautiful evening with Anita).

Social Commentary through Films: Interview with Regional Filmmakers

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Every region has its own narrative, one that offers a glimpse of its pulse. Dipping in to each narrative, I have felt involved and yet distant at the same time. As if, I am submerged in to a deep body of water, but unable to fathom its depth. However, the more dips I take, the more my view clears. The more I linger, the more I view. My introduction to films of the region was initiated this way and very soon, I concluded that despite the uniqueness of each culture, the shared story of humanity remains the same.

Presenting my interviews with two acclaimed film makers from Indonesia, Nia Dinata and Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo. On the surface, they both are different, but both their film-making styles involve the same need to weave in stories from the society we live in. Both are experts in making their audiences think, feel and ponder at the rules the society makes, the rush for power that divides us as people and the values that make us who we are. The original magazine link is available here

# Interview 1

Nia Dinata 9Source: IndoConnect)

Nia Dinata (Source: IndoConnect)

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#Interview 2

Film maker, Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo (Source: Indoconnect)

Film maker, Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo (Source: IndoConnect)

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These are exciting times of collaborations and shared narratives. I am greedy for more and looking forward to exploring more and more of these regional treasures!

 

It’s March!

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Ola!

March is always an exciting month and it is usually at this time of the year that the ideas and plans from the previous year germinate and begin to grow shoot.  So, it’s the perfect time for me to emerge from my blog hibernation and say howdy!

Firstly, a bit of news from the SG50 post event! It was a lovely evening at the dome (Gardens by the Bay) on the 18th of March as I joined the SG50 celebratory dinner. The Sakura was in full bloom ouside the glass doors while the ceiling of the hall was lit up by the most astounding colourful lights that I had ever seen. It was enchanting! And in such a beautiful setting, we bid farewell to SG 50 and set our sight on the next 50 years instead. Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong officiated the ceremony for a time capsule containing items like identity cards and school uniforms and this capsule will be opened for centennial celebrations in 2065. I would love to be part of it again… if I am still alive!

Prime Minister Lee, PM Lee with Minster Heng and Minister Wong at the SG 50 Appreciation Dinner

Prime Minister Lee, PM Lee with Minster Heng and Minister Wong at the SG 50 Appreciation Dinner. (Source: Prionka Ray)

Yours truly with Finance Minister Heng. (Source: Prionka Ray©)

Yours truly with Finance Minister, Heng Swee Keat. (Source: Prionka Ray©)

With Minster Lawrence Wong. (Source: Prionka Ray©)

With Minster Lawrence Wong. (Source: Prionka Ray©)

 

Next, I have a book list update. Actually, I got a bit overwhelmed by the adult fiction and took a tiny detour to the kids’ section instead. And, if at all you think children’s books are kids’ play. Well, think again! When books in their deceptively simple style tackle issues like gender bias, racial discrimination and topics usually considered socially difficult, then it’s surely time to pay homage to the great authors and illustrators who create these books. My list here includes books that might be of interest to kids and early teens though some are evergreen books, to be enjoyed by all.

For the tiny tots, I recommend, The Paper Bag Princess. The story goes against the usual fairy tale tradition of portraying female characters as a damsel in distress. Instead, the female lead turns in to a witty and sassy role model who takes charge of her life. So, this book is for all the little girls and the little boys because they all should know that gender bias is not cool. Not at all!

 

imagesVoices in the Park by Anthony Browne: This book is recommended for primary school kids. Yes, it’s a picture book but don’t be fooled by that. It packs a serious punch as it narrates the story using different perspectives. It talks of racial and social disparity and its illustrations are so clever that you better spend some time locating the hidden images in there. (Hint:I am talking about images such as Monalisa and King Kong).

 

Bird by Zetta Elliott: This is a sensitive and beautiful picture book for readers aged, 5-13 (or even above). It talks about loss, addiction and acceptance through words that are subtle and illustrations that are gentle. I am a fan.

 

 

 

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White: Of course, this classic needs no introduction! It’s a book of friendship for both kids and adults alike.

 

 

 

little pioneersLittle Pioneers by Bessie Chua: This book is recommended for all the young readers of Singapore, aged 8 and above. The book talks about a beautiful relationship between Chun and her grandmother and paints a vivid picture of the streets of Chinatown, Singapore in 1897.

 

 

Hana’s Suitcase by Karen Levine is a book recommended for adults, kids and teens alike. The story is based on real life events in the concentration camp. The narration however begins in the year 2000, when a suitcase arrives at a children’s Holocaust education center in Tokyo, Japan, marked “Hana Brady, May 16, 1931.” The center’s curator searches for clues to young Hana and her family, whose happy life in a small Czech town was turned upside down by the invasion of the Nazis. It is difficult to read this book and not be moved!

 

 

But moving is mandatory and so I shall move out of the lit zone to an inspirational quote by Peter Drucker that says that “You can either take action, or you can hang back and hope for a miracle. Miracles are great, but they are so unpredictable.”

So, here’s the action that I have taken after a decade of seeing the ravages of depression, bullying and labelling in kids and teens, alike. It gives me great pleasure to announce an initiative against stereotyping, peer pressure, bullying and negativity through an online initiative, In-Group. Agreed, these are  mere baby steps, but I am hoping that it will begin a journey that will be worthwhile in the long run and reach out to those in need. The initiative is currently on Facebook and aspires to be a resource for ideas, solutions and stories that raise awareness and eventually provide support to those who need help. In-Group is also proud to be collaborating with CABCY-Singapore and it joins CABCY’s effort to raise money for an Intervention Centre for School Bullying.

Lastly, ending my post with information on a bright and fun-filled Easter event organised by The Party Elves.  886075_968712196553321_4538804887317665666_oYou can book your tickets here 

 

 

 

 

This month, we are focusing on an organisation that uplifts the needy by providing jobs, Upaya.

Upaya’s mission is to create dignified jobs for the ultra poor by investing in small businesses in India’s poorest communities. Check about their projects here

That’s all for now! Keep connecting, keep believing in miracles and keep taking actions!