Singaporeans can’t quite make up their minds when it comes to their sex lives, it seems, judging from the mixed results we got from Singapore respondents in our online Sex Survey. Some of the most contradictory results we found include 79% who indicated that they prefer a more experienced partner, but 71% also mentioned that virgins are a blessing. 48% also admitted that they have cheated on their partners, but only 33% will stay in a relationship knowing that they have been cheated on.

Professional sex therapist Dr. Wei Siang Yu, a.k.a. Dr. Love, who hosts the Mandarin sex education program Loveairwaves on Channel U, says that “Singaporeans can tell you about their weirdest sexual fantasies and ideals, and yet when you really talk to and get to know them, there’s a huge discrepancy between what they say and how they behave. They can be quite confused.”

The good doctor blames Singapore’s fast-paced living and concern for material wealth as a damper to the city’s sexual energy. “Singaporeans are living in such a way where they spend more time displaying their wealth and career achievements, and externalize them, rather than focusing on their sexual needs. ‘Sex’ is a dirty word to most of them.”

More consistent, according to Dr. Wei, are the results pertaining to the fact that 58% believe in love at first sight, and that 30.4% have had sex with one to five people, followed by 28.8% who have had sex with between 11 to 50 people. Only 4.8% said that they have had sex with between 51 to 100 people, while 20% have “lost count”. But these numbers might change in the near future, says Dr. Wei, “As more and more people are willing to explore their sexual desires, and will get more sexually empowered in time to come.”

John McCord from club sensation Hed Kandi arrives for his monthly gigs at Ministry of Sound (MoS). We excitedly pulled him to the dance floor, and yelled questions at him above the deafening house music.

So, how has the response been for your gigs at MoS so far?
Absolutely fantastic. The first time I played at MoS was with Peyton on Christmas Eve. It’s one of the best gigs I’ve ever done.

Describe your sound.
House music all night, baby. I travel a lot, and that affects my sound. I play big, fat and funky bass lines.

What are your musical influences?
I grew up loving jazz, reggae and hip hop, and started digging house music in the ’80s. I love people like Stonebridge, Masters at Work, Axwell and Ian Carey.

You’ve collaborated with so many people. Who are some of the artists you’ve worked with?
I’ve done remixes with Stonebridge, Jungle Brothers and Who Da Funk. I’m currently working with singer Peyton, and I have just produced an album for Baby Bam.

I’m sure there are both good and bad aspects when working with different musicians. Let us in on that.
Meeting people who share my passion for music is always great. Whether it be working in studios or playing music in clubs, I like to share the joy I’ve derived from music with others. The down side
is that I have to hang around airports quite a bit because I have to travel a lot. That’s boring.

Do you prefer to produce your own music or to remix someone else’s tracks?
That’s hard to say. It’s an honor when someone asks me to remix a track for them. Yet there is something very special about producing something new.

Where have you gigged at?
Ibiza, the UK, China, Malaysia, Thailand, and places in the Asia Pacific region.

You are a DJ, producer, writer and musician. Why the diversity?
I don’t really see them as disparate jobs. They are all related to music, and go hand in hand. I love dance music, so I got myself into DJing, and that naturally leads to producing. When you produce, ideas come into your head, and you have to write them down. That’s how I became a writer as well.

Any future goals?
I want to sell eight million records, buy an island and not spend so much time in airports. I hope to keep playing good music that people will like.

A few years ago people saw Hed Kandi as a very fun label doing fun music. How has the Hed Kandi label evolved over the years?
It’s still a fun label. But Hed Kandi has definitely evolved. From classic house to twisted disco, it now has a broader base of music. The label has grown very rapidly over the past six years. It started in London, and now has become international.

What do you think of the DJing scene in Asia?
It’s really great. In Australia, the scene is already very developed. In Asia, the scene is developing. I see a rapid growth of producers and DJs and things can only get more exciting.

Listening to other DJs playing inspired me to become a DJ. I was hooked on house music when I first heard it at Manchester’s Hacienda, and it encouraged me to move from Wales to Manchester. But honestly, I didn’t plan on becoming a superstar DJ.

The clubbing scene in the ’80s got out of control. Clubs were fiercely competing with each other, and sometimes DJs weren’t paid on time. But now the business is settling down. I sense it getting real lately. People are being offered a lot more, and it’s healthy for the scene.

Touring around the world is OK once you get over the jet lag.

It is special when I play a set with John Digweed. We are so busy doing different shows that we play together only five or six times every year.

I love drinks. My favorite is red wine. Drinking gets me into the mood, but not if I drink too much.

The clubbing scene in Asia has evolved a lot compared to last year. I went to Babyface the club in Shanghai and it was pretty cool.

Hip hop has changed the clubbing scene a lot. A more commercial crowd goes to hip hop parties—but house and trance are still massive. Trance, house, breakbeat, hip hop... it’s just a question of taste.

I was worried in recent years about how the scene would be, but I’ve seen so many new DJs coming up last year who are pushing the scene forward.

All of UK’s superclubs are closed now. It was a one-off thing.

I can’t trust the computer 100 per cent. It’s a new technology to me. My computer crashed during my last gig and I had to restart it—that was not good. Sometimes I prefer to do small and more intimate
shows. My sets are usually huge and just crazy.

DJing is a crazy career. I don’t know how I ended
up here.

I’m always trying to push myself by putting new influences and sounds into my sets.

It’s easy to track down new music on the Internet. Just keep your ear to the ground.

I’m not very good at predicting the future.

If you want to be a superstar DJ, you can do it. It just takes a lot of hard work and focus. There are a number of world top DJs coming out of nowhere these days.

A DJ is an entertainer. I’m always reading the crowd on the dance floor and making sure everybody has a smile on his/her face.

I’ll be happy if I am still remembered in 100 years.

How did you come across synchronized swimming, given that it is quite off the beaten track?
I had been doing competitive swimming and ballet for a long time. My mum told me how I could combine the two and do synchronized swimming.

What is it about standing upside down in water and waving your legs in the air that attracts you?
There is no limit in this sport and it is always very interesting.

Tell us the serious side of this sport. What about training, teamwork and the synchronizing aspect of it?
Training takes up a lot of my time, we practice six hours a day, almost everyday. One needs to build up muscle strength, flexibility, lung capacity and, of course, work on coordination.

Since team coordination is so important, what happens when one of you has a tiff with a team member? Does that affect your coordination?
Yes! Let me just say this: If someone’s in a bad mood on the day of a performance, it totally sends the coordination haywire.

Ever had a major goof up?
At a competition in Melbourne, I was supposed to be boosted up in the air. But before that, my legs were showing over the water, which they aren’t supposed to. We lost a lot of points for that.

How dangerous is the sport, considering all you’ll ever fall into is water? Or is there any serious consequence to that too?
Well, you can get kicked by a team member, sometimes quite badly in your face. The nose clip can come off. If that happens, then it’s difficult to stay underwater and do the routine.

We’ve seen on television sometimes how synchronized swimmers wear elaborate costumes (sequined and glittery) and makeup. Have you ever had to get all dolled up for a dip?
Yes, of course. It feels a bit weird in the beginning when we have to bun our hair, wear makeup and these beautiful costumes, and jump into the water. But you get used to it.

What is the one thing that differentiates synchronized swimming from other sports?
You’re listening to music and dancing while you swim. It’s great.

Would you say it is a taxing hobby or a relaxing one?
I have a passion for swimming. But when it’s competition time, it’s not relaxing.

Originally opened in 1949, Bharani was named after the current owner’s mother. The recipes were created by his grandfather, Lieutenant Apai Isarapakdi. Inspired by his travels to the UK and US, he came up with original dishes that used farang ingredients and flavors but made them more Thai. In 2003, Bharani was closed after its parking lot was taken over and has just recently reopened again on the same road in Sukhumvit with parking now available around the sidewalk.

The new Bharani is decorated like a cozy western cottage with only five tables (seats about 24), so advance reservations are always a good idea. To remind customers of the old times, many antique items are displayed in the corner of the restaurant such as a lamp, an iron, a typewriter and a family photograph. The atmosphere is homey in warm tones of yellow and orange. Ease yourself down on a wicker chair and chill out with jazz and a variety of easy music from the owner’s own CD collection.

The new menu has been extended with more choices in a variety of cuisines—Mexican, European, American, Thai and fusion. All dishes have a simple, homemade look to them and taste outstanding. Taco pizza (beef/chicken or pork, B180) and pla ham (smoked ham and chili salad, B150) are great choices for fans of spicy food. Khao phat neua khem (salted beef fried rice, B80) and roti kaeng ped neua luk wua phrik khi nu saun (veal curry served with roti, B150) are also full of flavor. The crispy Thai-style dessert kluay haem thawt (fried banana in crispy flour, B60) is yummy but order a little in advance as it takes 10 minutes to prepare. Also don’t miss the sumptious sai grog Bharani (Vienna sausage, B80).

After learning about our future from our American-style fortune cookies, we sit with Khun Air, the son of Bharani’s owner to talk about his family restaurant.

How did your grandpa come up with his original menu?
My mother went to the UK and the US to study, and my grandpa went to visit her. He loved cooking and tried a lot of the food there. Restaurants which served farang food were hard to find here in those days. So, my grandpa opened Bharani to dish up western food for foreigners, flight attendants and other people who liked farang food, but he also adapted it to suit Thai tastes.

You added fusion food to your new menu. Why?
Actually, I don’t like fusion food; especially if it only has a stylish appearance, but is flavorless. But it’s interesting and adds more variety to the menu. Our fusion dish is pla ham (smoked ham and chili salad, B150), which I believe is a good one.

Dining Details

Thai-style Western food awaits you at Bharani. Open Tue-Sun 10am-10pm at 96/14 Soi 23. Sukhumvit Rd., 02-664-4454.

Imagine being sued for B400 million. Imagine being sued by the company that was, until recently, owned by the prime minister of the country you were born and raised in and love dearly. Media reform activist and secretary general for the Campaign for Media Reform (CPMR) Supinya Klangnarong, 32, is an unlikely David to Shin Corp’s Goliath, but there she is facing a potential fine greater than what she will ever make as an activist. Perhaps sometime soon, or by the time you are reading this, Shin’s new owners will have come to their senses and dropped this ridiculous two-year-old lawsuit. If not, then keep your fingers crossed until March 15, when the Criminal Court is set to deliver a verdict.

The lawsuit totally changed my life. It was very unexpected. I’ve never experienced anything like the way people react to me now. I guess this is what happens to anyone in the public eye, whether they are a movie star or a politician.

This is like a turning point for me. I must decide which way to go. Many people expect that I will become more political, become a politician or maybe run for the senate, but so far I don’t have plans to do that.

It’s not easy to be a politician. You have to be able to handle everything that comes your way. I don’t think I have been able to do this over the past two years. Maybe I seem OK in public, but I think I am still learning how to deal with it on an emotional level.

People think that I am strong, but I cry most of the time. If I were really strong, then I would be joyful most of the time. But there are things that nobody else can see. When you are alone, you can be very sad and very lonely.

When the spotlight comes on, it’s like I’m on stage and I’m just acting. I don’t mean that what you see is fake—it is a performance, but a performance that reflects my faith and my beliefs.

I do what I do because I believe in it. People have different talents and interests. My strengths are my strong beliefs, my faith, my opinions and my ability to express them—particularly in public.

I often question myself and my decisions, especially when I’m confused and lonely. I’m at the age where I’m going to a lot of my friends’ weddings, and they are raising babies and stuff. But I’m still single. I don’t have any plans to get married or to raise a family. I just have too much responsibility at work. And my life was this way even before the lawsuit, for the full 10 years that I’ve been working.

I’m a so-called “working woman,” but my close friends have told me that I lack experience in living—in life. I’m mature when it comes to work, but not in personal relationships. I think this is my problem.

I have asked myself many times if I would have done anything differently knowing that things would turn out this way. My answer is, “No, of course not.” I believe that I did nothing wrong, and if I don’t believe that what I did was right, how can I try to get others to believe in these things?

Though this case has brought on many bitter stories, it has also brought many beautiful stories. Along the way I have met many good people, and some have come along to support me or be a witness. It’s abstract but it’s beautiful and really encouraging.

I see the world as a darker place than I did before, but now I realize that whether it is dark or bright, it doesn’t matter as long as I accept that good things and bad things can happen. So the question is how can I keep my heart and mind free?

What I learned from this case is how to be really free. Freedom from fear and freedom from worry. I’m not yet successful at it, but I’m learning.

Among so many guys behind the bar, few possess real talent—a man with a smile on his face and a love of mixing in his heart. Yos Malelak, an expert bartender from Bali, has the skill for this job, plus a confidence and an always-smiling face. And that gets him many honorable awards, including last year’s International Flair Bartending Championships at Dubai. Now Yos is a resident at the well-known Behind Bar Company in Bali—managing bar entertainment, promotion, merchandise, catering and bartending course. As a bartender, Yos not only mixes nice cocktails but he also entertains his clients with his amazing mixing acts like juggling the bottles or spinning the shaker. To experience the art of this mixologist master, head to Zuk Bar, Sukhothai Hotel, where he a guest bartender throughout this February.

What makes a good bartender?
Smiling is the key. It’s not just making the customers a drink, but we have to entertain them. And making a good cocktail isn’t based on what recipe you have but it’s on your love in your job. Do it with your heart and the love will show in whatever you mix.

What’s your favorite cocktail to drink?
Sometimes I prefer gin and tonic, however, when I’m really in a cocktail mood, I always love my martini. None can make the same martini. If you ask a bartender to make one for you, he won’t ask what’s your martini style but he’ll do it in his own style. No one ever has the same martini taste. It depends on your style as well. And I love my style of martini.

What’s the most popular cocktail?
It’s more like a trend to drink martini nowadays. Everybody thinks they can make their own martini—and actually they can—but to make a good martini is another story.

For this coming Valentine’s Day, Yos Malelak recommends a romantic drink for all lovers, White Love Martini. The mixologist reveals his secret recipe to us and then even you can make it at home. It’s not hard to do, but to make it as good as he does is another thing. Here you go:

Ingredients

Absolute Vanilla 1½ oz.
Cacao White 1½ oz.
White chocolate
Rose petals

Add ice in the shaker followed by Absolute Vanilla and Cacao White.
Then pour it in cooled glass, topped with peeled white chocolate and rose petals.

Easy listening pop singer Andy Williams has had more gold albums than both Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. That’s just one of the many accomplishments this 79 year old can name over the course of the six decades he’s entertained audiences via recordings and TV series. Here’s another one: “Moon River.” Just before he embarks on what he calls his last Asian tour, including a visit to Bangkok, he talks to us about his show and much more...

What can your audience expect to see when you are here?
Everything is perfect with perfect sound. I’m bringing the lights and the band and the perfect singer. We have three backup singers who are terrific and I’m in fine form. My voice isn’t as good as it was when I was 35, but it’s certainly better than Sinatra’s when he was 70. I’ll do some songs that I don’t usually do like the theme from Love Story and Godfather and Love Is A Many Splendored Thing.

Walk The Line is about to be released here and you did concerts with Johnny Cash in Scotland. What are your recollections?
I did a couple shows with him. I liked him very much. I spent two weeks with him and two shows. I didn’t know him very well but he was a nice guy. I loved the film. I love both Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix. Both of them sang great. Some of the songs are some of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen onscreen. I don’t know if they’ll be nominated for Oscars, but they should be.

The recent compilation Music To Watch Girls By has allowed you to be heard by new audiences. Why do you think your music has this timeless quality?
They’re good songs and good songs have a chance of becoming timeless. In the case of Music To Watch Girls By and "Can’t Take My Eyes Off You," they were used as a car commercial and teenage kids loved the song and they became big in England but not in America. My records in England sell better than the US because of that.I have a much younger following there. Half of the audience is 60 and half are teens; to see that is terrific.

For metrosexuals who are Andy Williams fans, what’s your advice to be a hit with the ladies?
I’ve got to ask. Just what is a metrosexual? That’s not a gay thing is it? Because I’ve always been a hit with the ladies. It’s nice. I like ladies. If I have a gay following I’m surprised. I’d like to think that what you see is what you get and I’m a nice guy who kind of fell into that appearance. I didn’t make it up. You are pretty much what you see on television. You’re talking to the audience and singing to them, same as the nighttime hosts like Johnny Carson.

From someone who has and does have quite a varied life, what are some of the greatest life lessons you’ve learned?
One of the most important things I’ve learned is to thine own self be true. Another one I’ve learned is become the best you can be in your own field. Be as good as you can and not worry about money or fame. Only the best you are, then everything else will come. You have to put your priorities in the right place. I learned this from Kay Thompson. I was putting things ahead of studying and working. I’m a great believer in the old American work ethic, which we have lost here completely. I think if you want to become something, you have to sacrifice something to get something else and most people don’t want to do that. I remember when I was first singing in little clubs and saving all the time and not going to a restaurant and eating in my room out of my can. I’ve eaten dog food before. Alpo is a pretty good one. That has gravy and everything. Most kids today don’t want to give up anything. They don’t want to work for it and it’s a shame. Even if people work and make a living they spend more than they make. You just notice it in your nephews and young people around you. And this drug problem is out of hand.

In that same vein, you were good friends with Robert Kennedy. Do you see clear parallels between the late sixties and what we’re experiencing now?
I think there are some parallels. The right is becoming a little more centered which is great, but the left is moving a little bit more left. I watch a lot of Fox News, which is fair and balanced. I think it is much more so than CNN or the New York Times or CBS. They’re so liberal.

After your Asian tour, what are your plans? Is it possible you’ll record a new album?
I’m recording a new album next week. I’m doing some songs that other artists have done before but they’re ones that I love like “Every Breath You Take” by Sting and “Desperado” by the Eagles. “We’re Having A Party”—Rod Stewart did it. “Have I Told You Lately That I Loved You”—a Van Morrison song. They’re contemporary standards. They will be around for quite a while but they weren’t around in the '40s and '50s.

Over a decade after their landmark album What’s The Story Morning Glory, the UK act Oasis is quietly achieving even more breakthroughs with their latest Don’t Believe The Truth. Seemingly gone are the Gallagher brothers, hijinks. In it’s place? A group earnestly playing its solid rock before an even wider audience than ever before. We caught up with guitarist Jem Archer ahead of the group’s February 18-19 show at Bangkok 100 Rock Festival.

Do you get excited about playing at the 100 Rock Festival in Thailand?
We don’t talk up anything really but if you ask individual people, they’re up for it. I am. I just remember the last time we played Bangkok and the princess of Thailand came. There were a lot of soldiers in the mosh pit. We were a little confused as to why and then she ended up coming backstage and there were loads of photos. She even got Liam’s tambourine. That was a big gig as well. 10,000 people came. We had about six days off there as well. I’m sure we’re all up for that. We’re pretty much itching to get back on with it.

When you’re onstage what songs get you excited?
Of the new stuff I like “Lyla.” Of the old stuff I love “Rock n’ Roll Star” and when Noel hits the solo on “Live Forever” I’m still blown away after all this time. “The Master Plan” is great too.

Your tour has been quite successful and it finally seems as though you broke through the U.S. Was this a pleasant surprise after all this time?
Yes and no. A lot of the British press said “failed in America.” Quite honestly, I think you can’t break America anymore. It’s not like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin days. Nowadays the media controls it. One band can sell millions in America and they can be forgotten in a month. We just kept going over there. We went over there with the Black Crowes and we didn’t even have a record out. This time they said "You’re going to Madison Garden, Hollywood Bowl and Red Rocks"...and we were like "Are you sure?”...and it became one of the fastest sellouts ever. Playing at Madison Square Garden surpassed all my expectations. You know the history but when you get there and the guy in the dressing room is giving you all the talk about this being the place where Marilyn Monroe sang to the President, it makes you raise your game. As for Red Rocks you think U2 because of their live show there, but then you realize they’ve had gigs there since 1908. When you’re there, you feel special. At some other places, you might as well be playing the car park.

As a group what have you all enjoyed musically and filmwise?
We had a band called the Red Walls supporting us from Chicago. We like The Coral. As far as movies go it would have to be that Metallica film. Andy and Liam are all into that Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Office. I also really like a guy named Banksy. Check him out. He’s a British street artist. He’s just done a book. He’s great... Apart from all that, there’s all the bollocks that gets talked until sunrise. There’s a board game that we play called Frustration. You roll the dice and have to win the PDs back. We play that quite often.

As for the future, what can we expect soundwise on the next album?
We’ve got so many songs that we didn’t put on this album. There’s already talk of working with producer Dave Sardie. Some of the songs that didn’t make that album will can certainly make the next one. They’re a member of the same family but the family doesn’t look the same. I’d love to go back to Capitol and work with Sardie again. We’ll see.

Half-Japanese, half-Thai artist Yuree Kensaku, 26, is a bright young talent who is gaining a lot of attention in the art scene for her distinctive paintings and illustrations. Having graduated with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Bangkok University, her third and latest solo exhibition, “It’s Spiritually Good!” was held late last year. It featured a bold color palette of neon, fluorescent and metallic colors, flat and heavy textures and her trademark naked, wooly figures and cartoonish animals. “It’s Spiritually Good!” turned out to be successfully good as every piece in the show was sold. We catch up with the rising talent to find out more about her work.

When did you know you wanted to become an artist?
Probably when I was still studying. About 20 something was when I thought seriously about becoming an artist. I always liked it but I wasn’t as serious about it like I was when I got older. I didn’t know then how much dedication it took to do it for a living.

As a young artist how hard or easy was it when you were starting out?
I think every career is hard when you are first starting out. In the beginning you don’t know what will happen later. No matter what career you choose it’s important that you learn about it and know what you like as well.

What has influenced your work?
When I was developing my style I would experiment with things that I already liked. I would pick up influences from comic books and I used to really like graphic art and I’d mix that with other works I’ve seen and have liked. When you mix different influences this way it results in something that’s different and in something you might have not seen before. It’s not like just any old oil painting or acrylic work that you’ve seen other people do.

Who are your favorite artists?
There are a lot that I like. I like sculptors, painters and many others—there isn’t just one person. Thai artists I like are Ajarn Thanet, I like sculptors like Khun Jakaphan and Khun Halintorn. Western artists I like are Paula Rego, Philip Guston, Fernando Botero. I like all different types of art.

What kind of themes or meanings do you express in your artwork?
It’s mostly about stuff that surrounds me. My experiences which are like the experiences of most people. Feelings of happiness, sadness and sorrow. Sometimes it’s more personal and internal or can even be about things external like things I see on the news and from television.
When people come to see my work I feel like they draw from their personal experiences to interpret them in their own way. It might not be exactly in line with what I intended to express. The images and the titles I give them are like little guides to what the pieces may mean but it’s not always obvious.

What are you working on right now?
I’m preparing my collection for a show at Chulalongkorn that is scheduled for January 2007. I’ve just started. I’ve also continued doing illustrations for magazines and pocket books, as well.