Are you a speed junkie?
Is that a trick question? I’m a good Singapore citizen. Speeding is illegal in Singapore, you know. The only times when I’ve had traffic tickets were those when I was out of the country. Anyway, I think speeding is overrated. I prefer going at 100km per hour down the twisties than 200km per hour on a straight. Maybe that’s just me.

What’s the cheesiest car design you’ve ever seen?
It was a Mercedes. I think it was an early ’90s model, like a 180 or 200 E class. It was done up in bright yellow with a smoke lamp and it has the most hideous body kit with carbon fiber bits. It looked like moldy cheese running on the road.

If your car could talk, like in the movie Knight Rider, what do you think is the first thing it would say?
“We don’t talk anymore. You’re spending less and less time with me nowadays. Sob sob.” I think that’s what she would say. It’s true. I’ve not been spending time with my car since I started my business with a partner, especially with the forum Motorsports Asia that we’re putting together.

Many people refer to their cars as their “second wives.” Do you think this is healthy?
It’s perfectly healthy. I think what’s not healthy is when the “second wife” is a person!

Do you get irritated at people sticking cartoon stickers in their cars?
Not at all, but it depends on what sort of car. If the stickers are found on cute cars the likes of Beetles and Minis, I think it’s alright. It would really make my day to see a Tiny Toons sticker on the bumper of a Murcielago.

Stephen and David Dewaele have rocked dance floors—whether as the DJ act 2ManyDJs or as the band Soulwax. And they are known for mixing songs which seemingly have nothing in common. Think Nirvana with Destiny’s Child, or Green Velvet with Led Zeppelin. This duo that has played at ZoukOut is dropping by again. Stephen explains their eclectic and confusing sound.

So you guys are back after ZoukOut. Which do you prefer—clubs or beach festivals?
We prefer to play in a club because the distance between the audience and us is smaller, and so we can see the people freaking out!

Cool. And how did the moniker 2ManyDJs come about?
It was the title of an old Soulwax track called “Too Many DJs.” And there were two of us. We also used it because we felt that anybody can be a DJ.

Speaking of Soulwax, what’s Soulwax busy with right now?
We’re just finishing up the new remixes for Klaxons and Digitalism, and then going to tour Australia and the States with the album Soulwax Nite Versions. We’ll finish at Coachella. We’re also working on Tiga’s second album. I am probably forgetting a lot of other things here!

You guys are loved for the way you mix songs from different genres. Do people come up to you and say that it’s just wrong?
Not so much now, but it used to be like that and it was a sign we were doing something that had an impact.

How do you guys respond?
We pretend to be understanding and then play some AC/DC!

And what do you think of club nights that play only one kind of music?
I get bored easily when someone plays the same kind of music the whole night. I like it when people surprise me or piss me off!

We heard David has a black belt in taekwondo. Is that true?
Someone will have to challenge Dave to find out.

How do you guys want to be remembered?
As the Godfathers of old rave!

Porn star Annabel Chong, who bursts into fame with a gangbang with 251 men, has been an inspiration—to the people at Toy Factory Productions that is. Their latest—and hottest—offering 251 delves into her life and is an introspective take on issues such as creativity, individuality and OB markers. We engage Cynthia Lee MacQuarrie, who stars in the play as Chong, in a light-hearted banter.

Which is better—making love or pure, carnal sex?
Why limit ourselves to either or? I embrace both equally.

Is porn useful to society, you think?
Sure. Then at least the clueless can pretend they know something. And the sexually frustrated will have some tools to help themselves instead of resorting to outraging a woman's modesty or rape. Having said that, it boils down to having power over someone, right?

OK, so what puts you in a sexy mood?
Dirty talk!

The best time to get laid? 
All the time! Anytime!

Words for the people who are shocked at your behavior?
Bet you've got some skeletons in your closet you're not proud of. Wanna compare?

How do you want to be remembered?
As an individual who dared, who did and who lived.

This eminent musician cum producer, who listed Pink Floyd and Depeche Mode as some of his influences, has been tinkling with the piano since two and has had blown several punters away with hits such as “Embracing the Future,” “Loving You More,” “Godspeed” and “Dreaming.” BT takes some time out to chat with I-S about his music, guilty pleasure and current read.

What is your current state of mind?
I’m just feeling creative inside.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I’m it.

What is your biggest achievement?
Having a beautiful daughter.

What inspires you?
Being outside with nature and in natural environments inspire me more than anything.

What draws you to music?
It’s the integrity in the music that draws me to it. I’m attracted to people making stuff that’s genuine. You can tell when something is authentic.

Describe your sound.
I’d like to think I make provocative electronic music.

What are you listening to now?
Boards of Canada, that’s the only album that comes to mind right now.

What instrument can you play?
I can play drums, guitar and more keys-based instruments such as the piano. But I can get around anything that I put my mind to.

What makes a good party?
Honestly, a lot of people showing up at the place and great music.

What personal traits do you appreciate most in others?
Integrity, I appreciate people who say what they mean.

How do you spend your Sunday mornings?
Usually I’m on an airplane.

What is your idea of hell?
Working on a movie with Ben Stiller.

What is your guilty pleasure?
It has to be coffee.

How do you recharge?
I try to take breaks. I am way overdue for one right now. I like to travel. Diving is one of my favorite things in the world. Taking breaks help me to refocus.

Where would you like to live?
San Francisco. It’s my favorite city and I think it’s amazing.

If you had to play a character in a movie, which movie and what character?
Well, if I have to act in a movie, I would like to blow s**t up. That sounds like fun, you know?

What are you reading?
A book called This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin. It’s incredible. It’s about brain chemistry and what happens on a physiological level when you listen to music.

People go to him to be hypnotized and cease smoking, nail biting, to lose weight and even to stop bed wetting.

Can people hypnotize themselves?
Hypnosis is a very natural process which everyone goes through everyday. It’s hypnosis if you’re watching TV and get so absorbed that you don’t notice someone calling your name. You are in a heightened state of relaxation and concentration. As long as you function on a subconscious level, you’re in hypnosis.

Do people lose control of themselves during hypnosis?
No way. No one has ever given me their ATM password!

Is it possible to hypnotize animals?
Animals? Yes, if they can concentrate. If your dog is very active, and you don’t want it to chew the furniture while you’re out, you can hypnotize it and make it sleep till you come back. But if you have no good reason to do it, don’t do it.

People come to you to stop smoking. Can you make a non-smoker pick up smoking?
Ethically, we don’t do that. We try to help people, such as by removing their fears or stage fright. If necessary, we get our clients to regress to a younger age and find out the actual cause of the problem is.

Let’s talk about props. Do hypnotherapists still use the pendulum?
The pendulum is an ancient tool that was used to induce people into hypnosis. Now we use more advanced technologies; the idea is to concentrate. All practices upgrade and use better techniques with time.

Admit it. There’s a narcissistic streak in all of us and we like attention now and then. But when you’re recognized as a tourist in another country and are swamped by touts and bogus money changers, it can get a bit annoying. Here are some tips to pretend you’re a savvy local the next time you set foot on alien land.

1. Ditch your camera

The camera is the ubiquitous symbol of a tourist. Taking pictures of everything (and at every possible angle) every five seconds, whether it is of an old lady minding her own business or the road sign outside your hotel, is a dead giveaway that you’re a foreigner. So leave the device at home (or hide it discreetly inside your pocket).

2. Watch what you’re wearing

Unless you’re in Hawaii, there’s really not much of a reason to don your floral Hawaiian shirt. They’re passé (if they were ever cool in the first place) and indicate you’re someone on holiday, especially if they come with a fanny pack, a wallet necklace, a sunhat and sunglasses. If you don’t want to be stared (or laughed at), take the lead from the locals when it comes to clothes. If you’re a woman in Morocco for example, cover yourself from neck to ankle and don’t show too much skin.

3. Keep the map out of your face

Walking around with a map, with a lost expression to boot, is a no-no if you want to pass off for a street smart homeboy. So look like you know where you’re going (even if you don’t), and never admit that you’re lost. Consult your map only in the toilet (while holding your nose of course), and you know you have succeeded when people approach you for directions.

4. Less is more

Travel solo, or with just a few friends. Traveling in large tour groups, and being babied by tour guides like a sheep (especially if your group is wearing matching colored caps), signifies that you’re newbie to the place, and sometimes prevent you from experiencing as much of the foreign culture as you could be.

5. Speak the language

The more eloquent you are in the native language(s) of the country you’re in, the better you can communicate with its people, and hence, the higher the chance that they’ll mistake you as one of them. Learning the local slang is useful as well. For example, if you’re visiting Britain, know the difference between chips and crisps. If all else fails, pretend you’re a mute.

6. Make local friends

Friends exist to be made use of. Befriend natives from the area you’re visiting and hang out with them, preferably in local haunts little known to tourists. Hopefully, by association, a number of individuals will be conned into thinking you’re a fellow countryman.

7. Learn their customs

As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” The easiest way to trick people into thinking you’re one of them is to act like you are. Hence, cheek-kiss when you’re in certain parts of Latin America and jaywalk when in Bangkok.

We ask "What unglamorous acts have you seen people doing while travelling?"

Su Jun Jie, 24, Student
“Cooking in the tent! The tent could catch fire and they could get scalded.”

Woon Yang Hui, 22, Student
“I’ve seen people taking a five hour bus ride to Yosemite Park and then staying on the bus and not going out because it was too cold. So they’ve spent 10 hours on the bus for nothing!”

Isaac Teo, 29, Program Planner
“Jumping over the turnstiles in front of the public toilets in Europe. They didn’t want to pay the EU1 entry fee!”

Andy Leong, 28, Marketing Manager/DJ/Photographer
“Littering and catching fish where they shouldn’t in Phuket. They’re disturbing the ecosystem.”

Suhanna Solastro, 21, Outreach Program Assistant
“I’ve seen tourists getting it on at Fort Canning Park. I guess it’s common for them to do that in public in their country.”

Deep Dish make clubbers dance so much that their shoes will wear out. Between their debut album Junk Science to the latest offering George Is On, Ali “Dubfire” Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi have remixed for Madonna, Depeche Mode, Dido and Danny Teneglia, and have bagged awards including a Grammy. No stranger to Singapore, the pair returns to thrill and we grab Dubfire for a quick catch-up.

Honestly, what was your first impression of Sharam?
I was a guest DJ on a regular night he was doing. We have mutual friends and hit it off straight away. The magic of Deep Dish is that we have different personalities and approaches. We get into fights, but we meet in the middle. If we had the same likes and dislikes, Deep Dish wouldn’t be unique.

True. One of Deep Dish’s tracks we like is “Dreams.” What’s the weirdest dream you’ve ever had?
I have weird dreams every night, but I forget them when I wake up! I can’t decide which is most bizarre—they’re all weird! A lot of my dreams involve experiences with people I haven’t seen or talked to for a long time. Maybe I’m unconsciously thinking of them.

Tell us more about your solo mix album Dubfire GU031 Taipei. How is it different from a typical Deep Dish record?
It’s an extension of my influences. In a typical Deep Dish album, we infuse our individual influences into a collective identity. I tend to be into the darker, techier techno type of sound, compared to Sharam.

And what inspired your single “I Feel Speed?”
I’m a child of Love & Rocket’s new wave sort of sound. The single was an experiment to see if I could do a traditional cover with a modern sound. I put my own vocals inside to test my own singing ability.

How would you rate your own singing ability?
It’s not bad. A lot of people couldn’t believe it was me!

What’s your definition of a woman?
A woman is someone who embraces the best qualities of womanhood. She’s nurturing, generous, humorous, and that’s the type of woman I strive to be everyday.

Do you get upset that many define a woman in terms of the physical traits?
Yes, because gender is not biological sex. Whether you’re a woman or a man, you’re beautiful in different ways. Beauty is what’s inside you. But we’re such a cosmetic society these days that everything is about the way you look.

If people do not classify being a woman as having breasts or a vagina, would you still have undergone the sex operation?
Yes. In order to have meaningful relationships with men, I had to have female genitalia. I have not undergone any external surgery so I don’t have beautiful, bouncy breasts. I don’t believe in breast implants and I can’t windsurf with them anyway. They’ll burst on impact. I haven’t removed my Adam’s apple either.

Tell us about your relationships.
My relationships have always been with foreign men. The only time I had a relationship with a Singaporean male was in National Service. I’m just an ordinary woman. Singaporean men feel ashamed if people ask them whether their girlfriend has undergone a sex change. Some of my boyfriends are perfectly secure in their sexuality. Whatever others say, it doesn’t matter.

Has religion been an obstacle in coming to terms with yourself?
No. I told a nun that I’m a transsexual in England. She said, “Well Leona, congratulations. You’re the first special person I’ve ever met. Share all about your life with me.” That’s how I converted to Catholicism. There’s a difference between religion and spirituality. A father once said, “If these things were so important, Jesus would have talked about them.” Jesus never talked about transsexuals, and I don’t think he’d care. This sounds controversial but it’s true. He only talked about love.

How did you get started in wayang?
My parents and aunt were wayang performers. When I was seven or eight, I started acting and stopped when I was 13. I went back to wayang as a percussionist when I was 15 or 16. I’ve stayed in opera ever since.

Wow. You started young. So what’s your most memorable acting role?
My most unforgettable role was in the opera called Ji Gong Zhuan. I had heavy makeup and I looked very ugly and fierce in that role!

Would you say young wayang performers like you are an endangered species?
Yes. You can say that. It’s very hard to find young people who are interested in wayang now. I’m the youngest full-time wayang percussionist in Singapore. The average age of wayang performers in Singapore is between 50 and 60-years-old.

But are there avenues for the young to learn wayang in the first place?
There are young people who’ll enroll in lessons in community centers. But it’s better to enroll in an opera troupe. You’ll be immersed in the environment, see how different roles get played out on stage and you’ll learn more. You don’t even need to pay fees. Most troupes will pay you. And if you are an amateur, they’ll give you the basic transport fees.

Have you ever regretted choosing this vocation?
Not really. I’ve chosen the path. I wouldn’t know what else to do even if I give up now. I’ll take one step at a time and see how long my troupe Sin Sai Hong will last.