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• Workin' and Playin' in Singapore
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  Saturday, Sep 26, 2009 12:47AM / Standard Entry / Members only
  83 comments

  For most of September, I was under the employment of a production company by the name Picstalk in Singapore to choreograph and shoot eight action/stunt/fight sequences for a 13 episode television series dubbed, Mr. and Mrs. Kok, an action-comedic-drama about a married couple of private investigators who solves cases together while experiencing the expected ups and downs of their slightly odd relationship.  It was a rewarding production and I was quite happy with the footage that we were able to shoot and paste together.  Though we did bust our behinds to best match our envisioned ambition to what was eventually captured on tape, my trip wasn't all just about work as I did manage to celebrate my birthday twice, meet up with some good friends, and hang with some very familiar members of the alivenotdead family (as they happened to be in Singapore for an event that I also took part in), all of which were definitely causes for much joy and merriment!

   

  HELLO SINGAPORE! 

  

  my home-away-from-home (and base of Farmville operations) in Singapore...

   

  

  look who's face I found covering the walls of the production office!  it's none other than Johnny Lu, not only the new face of Singapore television, but also the homie who recommended me for this gig!

   

  WORK WORK WORK

  

  "is this thing on?"

   

  

  on location...

   

  

  "I solemnly promise that I will stab someone in the face if I don't get all my shots in today."

   

  

  first choreographing the fight sequence, than teaching it to the lead actress of the show, Tan Kheng Hua...

   

  

  ballroom-dancing-kung-fu...

   

  

  "I solemnly promise that I will smash this monitor into someone's face if I don't get all my shots in today."

   

  

  making stuff up + telling people what to do + looking into a tiny monitor = my job

   

  

  designing the action and picking the angles to capture it...

   

  PLAY PLAY PLAY

  

  on our off days I had a chance to meet up with some pretty super friends...

   

  

  also had a chance to visit a national landmark and gain confirmation that Faye Valentine did indeed spend her childhood in Singapore...

   

  

  got a chance to celebrate sister Race-a-Roni's birthday in her home town this year!

   

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

  

  our producer Pauline and the crew surprised me with a cake and song on the set... notice me enjoying the cake with our hilarious leading man, Mark Lee...

   

  

  the production crew then took me out to a Korean BBQ the next night! woohoo!

   

  

  sister Rozy and her lovely family taking time out to celebrate my birth anniversary with me, I was very surprised and quite touched :)

   

  

  absolutely amazing!  I got exactly what I wished and prayed for!

   

  ALIVE NOT DEAD

  The Alive boys were in town to screen the Heavenly Kings movie and to do a question-and-answer session at the screening location.  Since I was already in Singapore and had the day off, I gladly joined the artiste panel after the showing and had the super-duper opportunity to speak with local Singapore audiences, artistes, and supporters!

   

  

  looks who's all in town...

   

  

  pretending to know what I'm talking about during the post-showing discussion panel...

   

  

  hanging with elvanna and terence...

   

  

  wished I could have continued to consume more whiskey and the carry-out McDonald's, but alas I had an 8:30am call time the next day...

   

  MISSION COMPLETE

  

  Pauline and crew took us out for an awesome "Phil-is-finally-going-back-to-Hong-Kong" dinner, which included much delicious food...

   

  

  great food...

   

  

  ...and great people!

   

  

  final step before heading back to Hong Kong - cutting up the footage and sticking the pieces back together so hopefully it will all make sense when the sequences are broadcasted onto your television sets!

   

  

  A big THANK YOU to the entire cast and crew of Mr. and Mrs. Kok for making us feel so welcomed and happy during our time on and off the set in Singapore.  This whole trip was a very positive experience that I will treasure and remember always.  I am happy to say that I have "survived" Singapore and plan on going back for seconds someday soon!