My best memory is of hot lazy afternoons with my grandmother, listening to cricket songs in the garden. Many an afternoon would be spent with her reading the newspapers aloud and me sitting by her side doodling.

The most life-changing decision I ever made was to live in the UK. My current decision to spend more time in Singapore could potentially be lifechanging as well.

In my absence, Singapore’s physical and emotional landscape has changed. There are only a handful of buildings from my childhood that remain on Orchard Road and a greater sense of worldliness and materialism in the air. I lament the loss of old Singapore. It had frisson and multitextured layers of louche.

The growth of design in Singapore means I have opportunities to contribute to events like the inaugural 100% Design show. It allows me to spend more time here. On a macro level, Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, is the most important person in my life.

On a micro level, it’s my family.

Perfection is a spring day (provided it doesn’t rain) in London, with walks in the park and visits to museums and a street market. When the sun is out in London there is nothing nicer than exploring the city on foot.

At street level, there is so much life and interest which is easily missed if one was in a car, bus or train.

I want to see the world while I am still fit! Trekking to Machu Picchu and spending a night in the Wadi Rum desert are hardly crazy but nonetheless adventurous for me. These places are the stuff of legend and don’t disappoint in terms of their awe-inspiring beauty and magnificence.

My favorite city in the world is Tel Aviv. It’s got sun, sea, architecture, food and beautiful people. And it’s a convincing blend of old and new, east and west.

My favorite color is blue. It’s the color of the sky, sea and infinity.

The greatest motivator is fear of mediocrity.

Awards mean somebody out there likes what we do. We should always be flattered by that and never take them for granted.

I’m attracted to people with a positive attitude to life and a sense of humor. I reckon these attributes can be infectious and it is better to surround myself with good vibes rather than bad.

I went to the same gym as Diana, Princess of Wales. Though I didn’t meet her personally, she was glowing, beautiful and seemed very normal.

If I could have dinner with anyone in the world, dead or living, I’d invite Leonardo da Vinci and an interpreter. I would love to pick the brain of the original Renaissance man.

If I weren’t an architect, it would be nice to do something completely different, like dog-walking or gardening.

In a word, I’m grounded.

I live for a yummy plate of chicken rice.

Describe a typical day at work.
Ben Rosen: We go back and forth with clients and advertisers about our commercial work and match music to videos.
Evan Roberts: So one day we could be doing cow-herding music and the next day rock. Sometimes, we’re given open briefs where clients just say “make it good” and we come up with a series of samples.

How do you figure out if a piece of music is a good fit for a film or commercial?
BR: You can narrow it down by genre, like say a jazz track or rock track, and then you see if it feels right. Then, you compose a piece that fits within the genre.
ER: It depends on the demographic. An ad for beauty products won’t have a heavy metal track.

What’s the most challenging part of the job?
ER: The clients don’t always say the right thing. They are not music experts and that’s where we come in. For example, sometimes they ask for very famous music pieces (there are copyright issues involved). We also have to be able to take criticism well and be objective.

What do you listen to in your own time?
BR: When I’m here I like to pump it up. But when I’m at home I listen to downbeat and mellow reggae.
ER: Music from the ’70s because it brings back childhood memories.

What advice would you give to people looking to get into the industry?
BR: Watch a lot of movies and see how the sound design emphasizes certain parts of the film. Also, learn to play a few instruments and how to work a digital audio station.

Hear some of Ben Rosen and Evan Roberts' work The Gunnery website.

How do you get into character?
The whole day is spent mentally preparing for the concert. Occasionally, we play a live Beatles DVD in the dressing room (the Washington '64 concert is a real favorite).

How important is humor to the show?
It’s a vital tool for us as The Beatles were always very funny and quick-witted, with an English sense of humor.

Share a funny incident that happened on tour.
Many years back we had a “moptop-ablaze” incident. Our then Paul McCartney (who was fair-haired) was wearing a cheap acrylic wig and the lights were too close. During the first song, a plume of smoke rose from his head as the whole thing started to melt. The wig never recovered!

Have you always been interested in The Beatles?
Yes, since the age of seven. My grandmother bought me Twist & Shout and I played the thing until it was worn out. I still have it actually.

Which songs do you find the most challenging to perform?
All their music poses different challenges be it replicating the amazing energy of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” or copying the intricate vocal blend of “This Boy”. Because they changed so much over a short period of time we have to be seven different Beatle bands in one gig!

What do you think accounts for the enduring popularity of The Beatles?
Their music still sounds as fresh as when it was first released because of their changing look, voices and songwriting...

The Bootleg Beatles perform November 8-11 at the Grand Theater (MBS).

What makes you a king of comedy?
My 20 years of experience. This ang moh qualifies as an Asian king because I’ve lived here half my life and speak six Asian languages (which are incorporated in my show).

How did you pick up all those languages?
I spent (or misspent) my youth living in Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Japan and Africa. I stayed in kampungs with people who didn’t speak English. So it was sink or swim. Also, having grown up in New York in a United Nations enclave, exposed to dozens of languages, my neural pathways were well established for language acquisition.

What’s the best part of your job?
The 23-and-a-half hours a day I don’t have to work.

This is the third installment of the show. How does it differ from previous performances?
The venue is bigger and the acts more international (with British and Canadian Asian performers). There is just enough foreign talent to make this a truly Singapore experience.

The show has played in both Singapore and KL. What do you feel is the difference between the two cities?
Singaporeans are more sophisticated, so they tend to be more discerning. They like their comedy smart and sharp. KL crowds are happy with a more slapstick approach.

What’s the worst and best part of being a stand-up comedian?
The worst part is when you “die” and the best part is when you “kill”. It really is life-and-death on stage.

Kings & Queens of Comedy Asia 3 is on November 2-3, 9pm at the Esplanade Theatre.

With some 30 million reviews and an average of 78 million unique visitors per month, Yelp is a bigwig in the world of online reviews. Following its launch here on September 14, we revisit the topic of amateur food reviewing, after the food critic cover story we did in April (See is.gd/foodcriticsinsingapore).

Why here?

Singapore is Yelp’s first Asian market and with good reason. We have an ample pool of potential reviewers for Yelp to draw on. After all, the site’s target demographic is a young, well-educated, high-earning lot (See Quick Facts).

Miriam Warren, Vice President of New Markets, Yelp Inc., explains, “Singapore is home to a vibrant and well-connected melting pot of cultures. It also boasts the world’s third highest per capita income, more than five million people, and English as the common language; considerations that present an attractive market expansion opportunity.”

What’s good?

Yelp presents a full spectrum of lifestyle categories. “Yelp helps people find cool places to live life, from bookstores to dog groomers, from dentists to dry cleaners,” says Warren. In fact, shopping is the largest category of reviewed businesses on Yelp (23 percent) with restaurants a close second at 21 percent, followed by home services (11 percent).

It’s also more socially driven than sites like Street Directory with its in-depth user profiles, where members share photos, interests and even personal details (like their secret crushes) online. So there’s a strong sense of community.

What’s bad?

Yelp caters to a different market of users than Singapore-based companies. New establishments on HungryGoWhere include fresh local places while Yelp’s list of new businesses is tourist-centric, and even includes Maxwell Food Center (how that counts as new is beyond us).

Articles too seem to be by and for foreigners. Users post articles like “A Weekend in Singapore: touristy things that tourists do” and the Talk pages are similarly slanted.

Are restaurateurs worried?

Restaurant owners seem cautiously optimistic. Antoine Rouland, founder and co-owner of French bistro and wine bar O Batignolles, says, “I think Yelp will help increase the exposure and visibility of restaurants with the added online presence.”

Jeremy Nguee, chef-owner of fusion eatery Preparazzi, feels, “Many Singaporeans still rely on Google to look for things. If they need an opinion, they’ll just use Facebook. But it might eventually succeed if good reviews and services get listed.”

If you ask us, HungryGoWhere and other Singapore sites are for the locals. But Yelp already has a strong international following. Though its Singapore reviews read like something out of Fodors or TripAdvisor, Yelp seems to know its market of expats and tourists. So will Yelp succeed? Our guess is that it will—in a niche market. But if we’re searching for the best lor mee or sambal stingray, we’ll be looking elsewhere.

Nothing But a Number?

Last month, a paper in The Economic Journal found that a half-star difference in a Yelp rating could drastically change the number of reservations made at a restaurant on a given day. This was true even for eateries with close scores (say 3.24 and 3.26), as the numbers were rounded into half-star categories like 3.0 and 3.5.

Quick Facts

2004
founded in San Francisco

78
million visitors monthly

30
million reviews as of June

42%
of US users are aged 18-24

65%
of US users have at least a college degree

36%
of US users earn upwards of US$150,000 (S$183,540) a year

US$1.5
billion in value at its IPO in March

When did you realize you wanted to make singing a career?
I always enjoyed singing in the choir at school. However, making it a career was not part of the original plan when I started my Bachelor of Music. In fact, it was my singing teacher who suggested it to me towards the end of my second year at university—when I had to decide what music specialization I wanted to pursue. I took his advice and here I am today.

What piqued your interest in this particular concert?
The theme of the concert was what piqued my interest. Just like the different roles in opera, women play a combination of roles in everyday life. These roles are often demanding but rewarding, and most importantly, add colour to our lives. The concert program gives us a glimpse of the strength of a woman’s character, something that even we women sometimes forget. I think that being part of this concert has allowed me to appreciate the real-life roles that I assume every day. I hope that somehow, this concert would not only be a treat to the ear, but also, a treat for the heart.

Have you received any special gifts from fans?
I did receive a potted plant from a fan/friend after a concert. I thought it pretty strange at first, but I suppose flowers to wilt. And a potted plant will last as long as you care for it.

Singapore Lyric Opera Gala Concert Mother Daughter Wife and Lover A Celebration of Women in Opera is on November 23, 7:30pm at the Esplanade Concert Hall.