Yvonne Yong

Well it’s been two years since I was on the morning show, then called Primetime Morning. On Monday I rejoined the team working on AM Live! and I must say, I am enjoying the new role, revamped format and lovely new set (well, new to me, anyway!), and being able to take part in
morning chatter with hosts Suzanne Jung and Steven Chia.

You’ll notice there are a few changes happening here at Channel NewsAsia, apart from presenter swaps here and there. We’re gearing up to go 24hours early next year and in the meantime you’ll see a fresh look – new set, new graphics, and more presenters on board! That’s something to look forward to.

Singapore Tonight is also undergoing a revamp with a host familliar to you I’m sure – Chan Eu Imm. And there are more dedicated sports
reports throughout our bulletins as this desk is being beefed up.

Myself, I am looking forward to the changes, as I also cope with the immediate changes to my routine eg. getting up at 4am instead of going
to bed around that time! It’s a complete shift in ‘time zones’ that my body will take a while to get used to. Unfortunately no more late nights for me, but at least I’ll have my afternoons free to soak in the sun a little – something I was missing when I was on the late shift.

See you bright and early on AM Live! Mondays to Fridays, 7-9.30am SIN-HK.

Tags: am live, cna, mediacorp, morning show, news, presenter, singapore, yvonne yong

Upcoming event: Meet the Artist session Saturday May 12, 2012, 3-5pm. Look forward to seeing you there!!

After several months of painting I’m finally presenting to you a new art exhibition, entitled ‘Earth’.

It’s inspired by my recent travels through Spain. You can find out more about it and see a preview of the works here  www.yvonneyongart.com.

‘Earth’ will be showing at the National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge Guild House, 9 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119241 between April 6 and June 5, 2012.

I hope you enjoy the exhibition as much as I have enjoyed creating it.

Tags: abstract, art, cna, earth, exhibition, mediacorp, national university of singapore, news, nuss, presenter, singapore, spain, yvonne yong

 My recent trip to Spain was refreshing and inspiring. Visiting towns just outside Madrid and driving through the countryside towards the southeast coast was a welcome break from the fast pace of working life here in Singapore.

If you can imagine – sweeping vistas of olive tree plantations (as far as the eye can see), orange and almond ones too, mountains (some topped with snow) and hills dotted with Spanish villas and farmhouses.
 
There were two highlights of the trip. The first – climbing a mountain on the Costa Blanca – where during the ascent you had a spectacular view of the surrounding land and Mediterranean sea, and at the peak you were challenged with a short crawl through a tunnel to the other side of the mountain.

From the other side, another stunning view of the terrain. And we chose the right day too! The weather changed somewhat overnight – covering that same mountain with a fresh dump of snow. It had felt like Spring up there just a day before!

Highlight number two was particularly a treat for art lovers like me. But historians too. Cuenca (pronounced KWEN-ka) is a city less than an hour from Madrid and its centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site because of its many historical buildings.

We took a walk from the top of a hill down to the valley and saw many ‘cliff-hangers’ such as these below.

Picture Courtesy www.euroresidentes.com

Casas Colgadas (Hanging Houses) perch dramatically over the Huécar gorge. The ones in the picture used to be a popular gathering spot for abstract artists in the 1960s. Cuenca was, after all, a major hub for Spanish artists during this time.

Today, it’s a famous museum, Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, housing stunning abstract art pieces – really some of the best I have seen.

I’ve taken inspiration from these, as well as the earthy tones of the Spanish countryside to develop my next collection of paintings to be exhibited in NUS Guild House from April.

Tags: abstract art, art, cna, costa blanca, cuenca, hanging houses, mediacorp, mountains, news, olive trees, presenter, singapore, spain, yvonne yong

I thought I’d share with you a musical treat from jazz star Laura Fygi.

The Dutch singer can belt out tunes in Mandarin – pretty impressive for someone who doesn’t speak the language!

When we filmed this I was tasked with holding a ‘cheat sheet’ of lyrics – written phonetically – in front of her while she sung the 1940s classic – ‘Rose, Rose, I Love you’.

It’s wonderful! Click to watch video of  Laura Fygi.

It’s the only song sung in Mandarin in Laura Fygi’s latest album, The Best Is Yet To Come.

Her next project is to record an entire album of Chinese songs -something to look forward to this Dragon year.

Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate!

Tags: cna, jazz, laura fygi, mandarin songs, mediacorp, news, presenter, rose rose i love you, singapore, yvonne yong

With each Christmas for some reason (probably something to do with age!) I feel more sentimental.
 
I’ve felt the need to add a personal touch to all my greetings – well, by that I mean not mass emailing or posting a generic message on Facebook but sending individual notes to family and friends. I won’t say I’ve gone the old-fashioned way completely and am sitting here handwriting cards; but I’ve emailed, texted, or conveyed to people face-to-face, my best wishes personally because I want them to know I truly mean it!
 
My aversion to mass mailing probably has something to do with the techie age and the prevalence of social media – as more people use it the less I want to use it.
 
But I guess sometimes it just can’t be avoided. So, here I go – blogging my Christmas and New Year wishes to all of you out there – have a wonderful festive season, won’t you? Any New Year resolutions for 2012?
 
Here’s a cyber toast to health and happiness, from me to you.

Tags: 2011, 2012, blog, christmas, cna, facebook, festive, happy new year, mediacorp, merry christmas, new year, news, presenter, singapore, social media, yvonne yong

Some of you have been asking if my artworks are for sale. Well, if you’re interested, venture down to Orange Thimble art cafe in Tiong
Bahru where I’m holding an exhibition entitled ‘Life’s Essentials’ until the new year. Hope you enjoy them!

Interview video:

http://www1.channelnewsasia.com/amlive/2011/12/29/art-for-arts-sake-lifes-essentials/

Picture Courtesy Amous Low

Tags: art, artist, cna, exhibition, gallery, Life's Essentials, mediacorp, news, orange thimble, paintings, presenter, singapore, white canvas gallery, yvonne yong

One of my favourite sayings, by US actor, comedian, & director Woody Allen.

Whether you’re an actor, athlete, or artist…or perhaps setting up your own business, bar or bellydance school…or standing for elections, studying for exams, shedding some weight or starting a new hobby – to succeed, you gotta turn up.

You have to put in those hours, no matter what time of day or how long it goes on for. Dedication, drive and determination are associated with this notion. And of course, the hours have to be productive – good quality time spent.

I recently discussed this with music mastermind David Foster, who has produced, written and composed top hits for countless stars and is credited with discovering Celine Dion, Michael Buble and Charice, among others.

I asked him about his knack for talent-spotting, and if he knew all along that Celine or Michael were going to be as big as they are.

He leaned towards me and said in a serious and meaningful tone that he believed he, me, the cameraman, everyone is born with talent. It’s what one does with it that makes the difference.

Which is where I threw in Woody Allen’s quote – to which he totally agreed. And mentioned the 10,000 hours rule – the idea that anyone can be good at anything if they spend 10,000 hours practising.

These singers have been at it since young. David Foster bet that I had a microphone and camcorder and was ‘reporting the news’ to my family, when I was eight or ten. How did he know?!!

His advice to anyone who wants to be successful at what they do? ‘If you gotta ask, then it will never happen’. You just have to do it. Work hard, and it will come.

Show up, practice and invest hours in your craft, company or career – and hope for the best when it comes to the remaining 20 per cent!

I would love to ask Woody Allen what he believes the ‘other 20%’ involves.

Tags: 10000 hours rule, actor, artist, belly dance, business, celine dion, charice, cna, david foster, mediacorp, michael buble, news, practice, presenter, singapore, success, successful, woody allen, yvonne yong

MetroTV (Indonesia) anchor Dalton Tanonaka recently came to our newsroom to film the debut episode of ASEAN Today. It’s a monthly look at the region’s people, places and pastimes and will be shown on various channels throughout Southeast Asia. Dalton co-presents with a different ASEAN newsreader each episode, and we’re first up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ2gj8g-Nvo

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Tags: asean, asean today, cna, dalton tanonaka, indonesia, mediacorp, metrotv, news, presenter, singapore, yvonne yong

Animal Pop – a style of dance created by Indonesian Jecko Siompo, that blends hip-hop and traditional Papuan dance.

In fact, Jecko goes so far as to assert that hip-hop was born in Papua and not the U.S!

This premise forms the basis of his latest piece – We Came From The East - showing at the Esplanade as part of the da:ns festival.

In this video excerpt he describes how hip-hop and Papuan dance are essentially the same.

Jecko Siompo 2011

In my interview with the jovial and very energetic Jecko, I discovered that it may not be such a bad thing to look like an animal, especially if you want to star in one of his shows!

He selected his performers firstly based on whether they could resemble certain creatures. This is ‘animal pop’, after all! 

There are ten dancers in the troupe – two from Germany and the rest from Indonesia.

Hear more from Jecko and understand why he’s regarded as one of the most exciting dancers to emerge from Asia recently, when the story airs on CNA this Sunday at 10pm.

Tags: cna, da:ns, dance, esplanade, hip-hop, indonesia, jecko siompo, mediacorp, news, papuan, presenter, singapore, yvonne yong

Painting is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I thoroughly cherish the time I get to be creative, outside of work. These pieces represent a chance for me to just let go and explore.

Yvonne Yong, Oct 2011

Yvonne Yong, Oct 2011

Tags: abstract, art, cna, mediacorp, news, painting, presenter, singapore, yvonne yong