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		<title><![CDATA[Interview: Mel Buttle on being a female comedian, her desert island dessert & more]]></title>
		<link>https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/interviews-ph/interview-mel-buttle-female-comedian-322250.html?utm_source=rss_feed&#038;utm_medium=link&#038;utm_campaign=unknown</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jul 2018 10:44:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Khan]]></dc:creator>
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		The uproarious Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Australia's biggest comedy festival is back in Singapore this July. We chat with Mel Buttle, one of Australia's rising comedy stars, on what it's like being a female comedian, her favourite dessert, and more. <media:description><![CDATA[]]></media:description>												
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[&#60;p&#62;&#60;span style=&#34;display: block;&#34; class=&#34;wrap-img&#34; id=&#34;wrap-img-321683&#34;&#62;&#60;img loading=&#34;lazy&#34; decoding=&#34;async&#34; itemprop=&#34;thumbnailUrl&#34; class=&#34;alignnone wp-image-321683 img-responsive  size-full&#34; src=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2018/07/mel_buttle_h_0417.d0172cf47fb9262005552e22ca1e8f9d.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;712&#34; height=&#34;400&#34; /&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;In need of some serious fits of laughter? Here&#039;s some&#160;good news: the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Australia&#039;s biggest comedy festival (and one of the world&#039;s largest) returns to Singapore this July. Happening between 19 and 21 July, there&#039;s a hilarious cast of international comedy talents from India, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;There&#039;s Mumbai-bred Tamil star Rahul Subramanian, whose MBA credentials have somehow led him to the wild and unpredictable world of comedy; and Sri Lankan born Dilruk Jaysinha, who left his corporate life at one of the &#039;big four&#039; firms for a career in standup.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Among this laughter-inducing cast is also the delightful Mel Buttle (who incidentally, also hosts &#60;em&#62;The Great Australian Bake Off TV Show&#60;/em&#62; - the Australian edition of the wildly popular British programme).&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Known for her hilarious sets, like &#60;em&#62;Dog Bitch,&#60;/em&#62; which chronicles her hilarious episodes as a sometimes successful dog-owner, Mel shares her thoughts on being a female comedian in a traditionally male-dominated industry, as well as a few baking disasters she&#039;s suffered despite being the face of a world-renowned baking show.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;span style=&#34;display: block;&#34; class=&#34;wrap-img&#34; id=&#34;wrap-img-321678&#34;&#62;&#60;img loading=&#34;lazy&#34; decoding=&#34;async&#34; class=&#34;alignnone wp-image-321678 img-responsive  size-large&#34; src=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2018/07/melbuttle2-1024x683.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;683&#34; /&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;It&#8217;s been 8 years since your debut at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2010! How do you think you&#8217;ve evolved as a comedian from then till now? &#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: I&#8217;ve definitely improved! I was so fresh when I did my first show. I didn&#8217;t really understand how to structure a show, now I see comedy as an art, I like to take audiences on a journey. &#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;What first drew you to stand-up? &#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: I was trying acting and I wasn&#8217;t getting anywhere. But casting directors would always laugh at my auditions - so, I went with comedy. &#160;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;How do you approach crafting a new set? What gets your comic/stand-up juices flowing? &#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: My ideas come from my life and family mostly. I get inspired when I&#8217;m grocery shopping or driving the car. I write them all down and try them at open mic nights. &#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Do you have a pre-stage routine?&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: I like a beer before I perform and some banter with my mates on the lineup. &#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;What is your favourite or most memorable set you&#8217;ve ever done?&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: I&#8217;ve had some great gigs in outback Australia. Once I did a show in a high school basketball court to the whole town, all 400 of them turned up. It felt amazing bringing comedy to such a remote place. We even met the mayor!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Favourite set you&#8217;ve ever watched?&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: Oh so many; I think seeing UK comic Sarah Milligan live was something special. I&#8217;d been a fan for so long. She&#8217;s amazing. So quick.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;span style=&#34;display: block;&#34; class=&#34;wrap-img&#34; id=&#34;wrap-img-321685&#34;&#62;&#60;img loading=&#34;lazy&#34; decoding=&#34;async&#34; class=&#34;alignnone wp-image-321685 img-responsive  size-large&#34; src=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2018/07/melbuttle3-1024x512.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;512&#34; /&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Talk about being a female comedian, in what we know is a traditionally male-dominated world. &#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: It&#8217;s getting a lot better actually. There are a lot more women coming through the ranks. It&#8217;s good to see. I always try and make them feel welcome.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Complete this sentence: &#8216;Female comedians are&#8230;&#8217; &#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;.... Always hungry!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;We&#8217;ve definitely been seeing a more diverse pool of female comedians from different backgrounds, ages, etc. (i.e. Tiffany Haddish) coming into the spotlight in recent years. Your thoughts? &#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: It&#8217;s all good for comedy, audiences now have so much choice. It&#8217;s a really exciting time to be in the industry. &#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Who cracks you up on the daily? &#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: My dog... she&#8217;s not very smart. &#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Who are your favourite comedians? &#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: Ronny Chieng, Anne Edmonds and Sarah Silverman. &#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Favourite/guilty pleasure TV show to unwind with, if any? &#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: I love reality tv! Masterchef is addictive and so is Catfish on MTV.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;We also have to talk about The Great Australian Bake Off! How are your baking skills these days?&#160;Any baking disasters to share?&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: Well, I&#8217;m still not a great baker, but at least now I know what the proper name for things is. Like creme patisserie, which is delicious. I can&#8217;t make it, but I can sure eat it. I burn everything. I&#8217;ve given up on baking and now I just buy ice cream for dessert. &#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Lastly, what would your desert island dessert of choice be?&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mel: Oh, that&#8217;s a tough question, maybe a really good chocolate salted caramel brownie that never runs out?&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Catch Australia&#039;s largest and best-loved comedy festival from 19 to 21 July at 8.30pm at the KC Art Centre, Home of SRT. Tickets are available from SGD69. For more information on &#60;/em&#62;ticket&#60;em&#62;, visit the &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/roadshow-asia-2018?utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34;&#62;official website&#60;/a&#62; or &#60;a href=&#34;http://preview.sistic.com.sg/preview/events/ccomedy0718?utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34;&#62;SISTIC&#60;/a&#62;.&#160;&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;  &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Sarah Khan&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMelButtle/photos/a.627078977391141.1073741825.627043547394684/1676296345802727/?type=3&#38;#038;theater&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34;&#62;&#60;em&#62;Photos: Mel Buttle&#160;&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;  &#60;meta name=&#34;original-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/interviews-ph/interview-mel-buttle-female-comedian-322250.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;syndication-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/interviews-ph/interview-mel-buttle-female-comedian-322250.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;robots&#34; content=&#34;noindex, follow&#34; /&#62;]]></content:encoded>
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		<title><![CDATA[Interview: Meet Oon Shu An, the actress making international waves]]></title>
		<link>https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/interviews-ph/oon-shuan-interview-263262.html?utm_source=rss_feed&#038;utm_medium=link&#038;utm_campaign=unknown</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jul 2017 07:22:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[huibing]]></dc:creator>
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		Oon Shu An is blowing up in popularity and breaking down boundaries. <media:description><![CDATA[]]></media:description>												
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[&#60;p&#62;&#60;span style=&#34;display: block;&#34; class=&#34;wrap-img&#34; id=&#34;wrap-img-263242&#34;&#62;&#60;img loading=&#34;lazy&#34; decoding=&#34;async&#34; itemprop=&#34;thumbnailUrl&#34; class=&#34;aligncenter wp-image-263242 img-responsive &#34; src=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/07/untitled-1-1024x544.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;690&#34; height=&#34;366&#34; /&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Oon Shu An&#60;/strong&#62; is no stranger to the general public and the local population. From hosting her own web-show &#60;em&#62;Tried and Tested&#60;/em&#62; on ClickNetwork, to having viral videos covered by Buzzfeed, it might seem like she has done it all. Within the local entertainment scene, she has carved a name for herself as someone who isn&#8217;t afraid to stand up for the underdog and voice her opinions, making thought-provoking articles and videos that explore the inner workings of her mind. And she does it all with a bright smile on her face, the one that has given her that girl-next-door charm that&#8217;s absolutely endearing. &#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;But, she is more than just a voice amongst the people. As an actress, first and foremost, she has regularly appeared on our screens, with parts in &#60;strong&#62;Singaporean feature and short films&#60;/strong&#62;, as well as in &#60;strong&#62;television shows&#60;/strong&#62; and &#60;strong&#62;on stage.&#60;/strong&#62; Though she might have recently made her mark on our radars with her web-show and her appearance in Netflix&#8217;s &#60;em&#62;Marco Polo&#60;/em&#62;, she has actually been acting since she was 14. But, of course she&#039;s more than just that &#8212; so let&#039;s learn what she has to say!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;Marie France Asia:&#160;You went from shooting YouTube videos, to being on stage for &#60;em&#62;Boeing-Boeing&#60;/em&#62;. How do you apprehend performing in front of a live audience?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Oon Shu An:&#160;&#60;/strong&#62;Actually, I practically grew up in the theatre. My parents sent me to speech and drama classes when I was a kid because I was shy, I was in the drama club all through Secondary school and JC, and then I went to the LASALLE College of the Arts BA Acting course. If anything, it was more of a challenge adapting to the online world!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA:&#160;What was the biggest wow moment when you worked on Netflix&#8217;s&#160;&#60;em&#62;Marco Polo&#60;/em&#62;?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;O.S.A:&#60;/strong&#62; The sheer number of people there from all over the world was insane! I remember when I went to the stunt tent to train for my sword dance, there were people from 13 countries, all specialists in different areas.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: You perform in comedies but also post content with a cause on your social media channels, have you ever considered mixing both?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;O.S.A.:&#60;/strong&#62; Maybe one day! I&#039;m not sure if I post things &#34;with a cause&#34; necessarily. They&#039;re generally just things I care about, and I am very mindful not to be preachy when I post things. I think when it comes to posting content, the most important thing is to be authentic, so if the two things fit and feel authentic, absolutely!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: Can you name a local and an international actress you would like to work with?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;O.S.A.:&#60;/strong&#62; I love Karen Tan. I would love to work with her again soon. She brings such compassion and humanity to her characters. And Michelle Yeoh. I idolised her. Grace and power.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: Your advice on starting an acting career in Singapore?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;O.S.A.:&#60;/strong&#62; Haha wow that&#039;s a tough one! I think people enter this line through so many different avenues! I guess the main thing is to just start auditioning!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;&#160;MFA: After&#160;&#60;em&#62;Boeing-Boeing&#60;/em&#62;, any upcoming projects?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;O.S.A.:&#60;/strong&#62; We&#039;ve started rehearsals for &#60;em&#62;Army Daze 2&#60;/em&#62; and that starts in August! I play the Chief of Army, so that will be a big jump from the SQ stewardess! We went through the music the other day, the songs were so funny I couldn&#039;t stop laughing! And then I have a filming project after that that starts in September. Oh and&#60;em&#62; Meet the MP&#60;/em&#62; is still playing on Channel 5 so don&#039;t forget to tune in for that!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;-&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Talent, passion, and a never-ending charm, is it any wonder why she&#039;s been such an endearing face on screen? To catch more of her, don&#039;t forget to watch &#60;em&#62;Meet the MP&#60;/em&#62;, as well as her web-show, where you&#039;ll find yourself falling in love again with this vivacious &#160;actress.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Lee Hui Bing&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Photo: Getty Images&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;Read More:&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a title=&#34;&#34; href=&#34;/?p=261751&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34;&#62;Interview with Luo Ren, passionate dancer &#38;amp; inspiring professional working in Singapore&#8217;s tech sector&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a title=&#34;&#34; href=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/interviews-ph/jose-original-mineral-interview-257768.html?utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34;&#62;Interview: Meet the inspiring Jose Bryce Smith, founder of O&#38;amp;M&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a title=&#34;&#34; href=&#34;/?p=255716&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34;&#62;Fast, Femme and Furious: An inspiring interview with Eeleen Tan, a woman in tech&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;meta name=&#34;original-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/interviews-ph/oon-shuan-interview-263262.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;syndication-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/interviews-ph/oon-shuan-interview-263262.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;robots&#34; content=&#34;noindex, follow&#34; /&#62;]]></content:encoded>
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		<title><![CDATA[Interview: Meet the inspiring Jose Bryce Smith, founder of O&M]]></title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jun 2017 02:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Angela Goh]]></dc:creator>
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		Jose Bryce Smith, the founder of low-chemical hair care brand O&#38;M, shares with us the importance of keeping a healthy work-life balance in this exclusive interview with Marie France Asia.<media:description><![CDATA[]]></media:description>												
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[&#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;span style=&#34;display: block;&#34; class=&#34;wrap-img&#34; id=&#34;wrap-img-257241&#34;&#62;&#60;img loading=&#34;lazy&#34; decoding=&#34;async&#34; itemprop=&#34;thumbnailUrl&#34; class=&#34;aligncenter wp-image-257241 img-responsive &#34; src=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/06/jose-bryce-smith-625x344.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;650&#34; height=&#34;358&#34; /&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Original &#38;amp; Mineral (O&#38;amp;M)&#60;/strong&#62; has given hair care fanatics plenty to love. In fact, it&#8217;s no secret that we at Marie France Asia have fallen head over heels for their amazing argan oil- and macadamia oil-infused Seven Day Miracle Moisture Masque and their popular Hydrate &#38;amp; Conquer shampoo and conditioner duo. We recently met with founder of O&#38;amp;M, &#60;strong&#62;Jose Bryce Smith&#60;/strong&#62;, while she was in town to promote her brand.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;The lovely 42-year-old mother of two spoke to us about her life as a jetsetting entrepreneur. She shared with us her secrets on how she juggles her work life with her family life, and how she manages to find time for herself in between!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2 class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62; &#60;span&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Marie France Asia: &#60;/strong&#62;Give us a brief insight into O&#38;amp;M. How did this journey begin for you?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Jose: &#60;/strong&#62;I started the company 10 years ago. My partner and I had a hair salon &#8212; he was a hairdresser and I looked after the marketing and PR, and I also ran the salon. He had very bad contact dermatitis, and he couldn&#8217;t use ammonia-based hair colour. So we found an ammonia-free hair colour, and this was 10 years ago, when there were&#160;no ammonia-free alternatives&#160;on the market. We became Sydney&#8217;s first organic salon. The business grew very quickly once word started to get around. Other salons would call us and say &#8220;can we get this colour?&#8221;. Very quickly, we realised that we needed a hair care range to go with it &#8212; shampoos, conditioners, treatments &#8212; and I thought &#8220;glamorous women also want natural, low-chemical products&#8221;. I wanted something that would look like a fashion brand, so the whole philosophy of O&#38;amp;M is that it bridges the gap between &#34;natural&#34; and &#34;luxury&#34;.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2 class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62; &#60;span&#62;&#60;strong&#62;MFA: &#60;/strong&#62;Back in the days, people weren&#8217;t quite so concerned about how &#8216;organic&#8217; a product was, or how &#8216;natural&#8217; the ingredients they put on themselves were. But nowadays, it&#8217;s gotten really big. Why is that?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;strong&#62;J: &#60;/strong&#62;People have started to ask themselves, &#8220;If I can get my hair in great condition without having the smell and the fumes, and without using so many chemicals, then why wouldn&#8217;t I?&#8221;. I think that it&#8217;s definitely a huge trend &#8212; people are concerned about their health, and concerned with living longer. And that ranges from what they eat to what they put on their skin. It&#8217;s not that natural products are so high-priced that it makes them unaffordable.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2 class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62; &#60;span&#62;&#60;strong&#62;MFA: &#60;/strong&#62;Tell us a bit more about the Frizzy Logic products.&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;strong&#62;J: &#60;/strong&#62;Frizzy Logic represents part of our smoothing range. It&#8217;s always been a hero product for us in Singapore because it combats the humidity -- it&#8217;s essentially a smoothening serum, the star ingredients being almond and macadamia oil. What we&#8217;ve brought here is a bigger sized version of this serum and a spray version. The spray version is perfect for using just before heading&#160;out the door, and to control fly-aways.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;span style=&#34;display: block;&#34; class=&#34;wrap-img&#34; id=&#34;wrap-img-257248&#34;&#62;&#60;img loading=&#34;lazy&#34; decoding=&#34;async&#34; class=&#34;aligncenter wp-image-257248 img-responsive &#34; src=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/06/333-625x342.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;650&#34; height=&#34;356&#34; /&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2 class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62; &#60;span&#62;&#60;strong&#62;MFA: &#60;/strong&#62;You&#8217;ve got two kids, aged 10 and 5. With all the travelling in your line of work, how does this impact on your personal life and your family life?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;strong&#62;J: &#60;/strong&#62;I think for anyone running their own business, &#60;a href=&#34;/?p=254662&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;work-life balance&#60;/a&#62; is always quite a difficult one. Realistically, you do work a lot more hours. In terms of the travel, my children are fairly used to it. I try to make the trips as short as possible, and I try and cram as much in as I can, and I try to travel whilst they&#8217;re at school rather than during their school holidays so that I can spend more time with them. We FaceTime as well &#8212; the technology helps so much &#8212; and I just try and make it special for them when I &#60;em&#62;am&#60;/em&#62; there.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2 class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62; &#60;span&#62;&#60;strong&#62;MFA: &#60;/strong&#62;What is the best thing about your job?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;strong&#62;J: &#60;/strong&#62;I actually think it&#8217;s the people that you get to meet and places you get to go. I try to buy something small for my house from every country I&#8217;ve been to. And when people love what you do, it&#8217;s really rewarding and you feel like you&#8217;re doing something right. I get to meet lots of interesting people &#8212; hairdressers are actually quite a crazy bunch!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2 class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62; &#60;span&#62;&#60;strong&#62;MFA: &#60;/strong&#62;What is the biggest challenge &#8212; as a working mother, and as a working professional?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;strong&#62;J: &#60;/strong&#62;Really, it&#039;s trying to &#60;a href=&#34;/?p=215345&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;find time for yourself&#60;/a&#62; and trying to control the anxiety. It&#8217;s about recognising &#8220;oh, I&#8217;m overwhelmed now&#8221; so &#8212; one way that I look at it is I say to myself &#8220;I&#8217;m trying to eat an elephant, so just do it one bite at a time&#8221;. The best thing to do is not try to think too big. It&#8217;s really important to find time for yourself to try and wind down. Exercise is really good for releasing anxiety &#8212; sometimes I&#8217;d take myself down to the beach and put my feet in the sand and just... come back down to earth.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2 class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62; &#60;span&#62;&#60;strong&#62;MFA: &#60;/strong&#62;Any hobbies?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;strong&#62;J: &#60;/strong&#62;I&#8217;m into yoga and pilates, and fitness in general. And I also love hanging out with my friends. I live really close to the beach, so it&#8217;s great to go down there. Spending time in good company always helps me unwind. I keep it pretty low-key when I&#8217;m not working. But yes, health and fitness are what I like to concentrate on.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2 class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62; &#60;span&#62;&#60;strong&#62;MFA: &#60;/strong&#62;Any advice you&#8217;d like to give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;strong&#62;J: &#60;/strong&#62;I do get approached by other female entrepreneurs who are just starting out and they&#8217;d ask me &#8220;how did you do it?&#8221; &#8212; I like to tell them to ask themselves what the core of&#160;their brand is, what the &#60;em&#62;philosophy&#60;/em&#62; of the brand is. And then to work out where it&#8217;s going to live, and then work out a strategy and take it one step at a time.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2 class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62; &#60;span&#62;&#60;strong&#62;MFA: &#60;/strong&#62;What&#8217;s next for O&#38;amp;M?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;strong&#62;J: &#60;/strong&#62;We are bringing out a whole new colour range that goes out to salons, coming out in the middle of the year. In terms of the products, we&#8217;re going to be bringing out a volumising dry shampoo. Further in the future, I&#8217;m very interested in hair regrowth &#8212; because I&#8217;ve got &#60;a href=&#34;/?p=71609&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;fine hair&#60;/a&#62;, I&#8217;m always trying to make it thicker, so I&#8217;m working on this.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;em&#62;Explore the O&#38;amp;M range in Sephora stores and on Sephora.sg today.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;em&#62;Angela Goh&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;&#60;em&#62;Photos: O&#38;amp;M&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2 class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62; &#60;span&#62;Read more:&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;/?p=239493&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Hair Care: 10 Golden rules for an &#8216;out of the salon&#8217; look&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;/?p=218617&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Luscious Locks: 10 Essential hair care tips for healthy hair growth&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;/?p=170724&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Stay Vibrant: 10 Foolproof tips to take care of your dyed hair&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;meta name=&#34;original-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/interviews-ph/jose-original-mineral-interview-257768.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;syndication-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/interviews-ph/jose-original-mineral-interview-257768.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;robots&#34; content=&#34;noindex, follow&#34; /&#62;]]></content:encoded>
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		<title><![CDATA[Polished Feeds: 10 Instagram accounts to follow if you're insane about nail art]]></title>
		<link>https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/instagram-nail-art-254061.html?utm_source=rss_feed&#038;utm_medium=link&#038;utm_campaign=unknown</link>
		<comments>https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/instagram-nail-art-254061.html?utm_source=rss_feed&#038;utm_medium=link&#038;utm_campaign=unknown#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 May 2017 08:27:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lim Han]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[From us to you]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Galerie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Menu de site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[instagram]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nail]]></category>
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		These Instagram accounts have absolutely nailed it.<media:description><![CDATA[]]></media:description>												
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[&#60;img loading=&#34;lazy&#34; itemprop=&#34;thumbnailUrl&#34; width=&#34;750&#34; height=&#34;410&#34; decoding=&#34;async&#34; src=&#34;/rw-placeholder/750/410/image.svg&#34; data-src=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/05/23-750x410.jpg&#34; class=&#34;lazy-load attachment-rw_large size-rw_large zoom-it wp-post-image&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; /&#62;&#60;noscript&#62;&#60;img loading=&#34;lazy&#34; decoding=&#34;async&#34; width=&#34;750&#34; height=&#34;410&#34; src=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/05/23-750x410.jpg&#34; class=&#34;attachment-rw_large size-rw_large zoom-it wp-post-image&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; /&#62;&#60;/noscript&#62;   &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;/?p=247602&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Painting, drawing and sketching&#60;/a&#62; &#8211; these are magnificent&#160;art forms, no doubt. But, nail art? That&#8217;s in a whole other league of its own. Having to create intricate designs and patterns on a dainty minuscule canvas with zero room for mistakes sounds like an impossible task. But, there are people who&#8217;ve made it possible.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Churning out unimaginable nail designs, these people are simply&#160;Picassos when it comes to nail art. From human portraits to convoluted patterns, is there anything these gifted nail artists can&#8217;t do? If we&#039;d only&#160;had a quarter of their talent, we&#039;d be able to smoothly execute leopard printed nails and intricate&#160;&#60;a href=&#34;/?p=87249&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;checkered &#60;/a&#62;designs.&#160;But, since we don&#039;t, all we can do is admire from a distance, or, if we&#8217;re fortunate enough, get a manicure from these artists themselves!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Nevertheless, we couldn&#8217;t be happier that they&#8217;ve chosen to flaunt all their masterpieces on the world of Instagram, gracing us with hours&#8217; worth of &#60;a href=&#34;/?p=248178&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;eye candy&#60;/a&#62;. &#160;We&#8217;ve picked out 10 of our favourite nail artists on Instagram and rounded them up in the gallery above. Warning: You should only visit their feeds if you have hours to spare - you won&#039;t be able to stop scrolling.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Lim Han&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;Read More:&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a title=&#34;&#34; href=&#34;/?p=252164&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Marvellous Mani: 10 Best nail salons for the perfect manicure in JB&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a title=&#34;&#34; href=&#34;/?p=104065&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Nailed It: Our pick of the best nail salons in Singapore&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a title=&#34;&#34; href=&#34;/?p=135251&#38;#038;utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Glass Nails: The latest nail art trend you need to try&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;meta name=&#34;original-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/instagram-nail-art-254061.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;syndication-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture-ph/from-us-to-you-ph/instagram-nail-art-254061.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;robots&#34; content=&#34;noindex, follow&#34; /&#62;]]></content:encoded>
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		<title><![CDATA[Interview: Everything you need to know about Bipolar Disorder]]></title>
		<link>https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/lifelove-ph/expert-advice-ph/daniel-fung-bipolar-disorder-interview-239843.html?utm_source=rss_feed&#038;utm_medium=link&#038;utm_campaign=unknown</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Mar 2017 04:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Angela Goh]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Expert Advice]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[bipolar disorder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[mental health]]></category>
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		Marie France Asia speaks to an expert from the Singapore Association for Mental Health about this potentially crippling condition and how it affects those suffering from it.<media:description><![CDATA[]]></media:description>												
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[&#60;p&#62;&#60;span style=&#34;display: block;&#34; class=&#34;wrap-img&#34; id=&#34;wrap-img-238394&#34;&#62;&#60;img loading=&#34;lazy&#34; decoding=&#34;async&#34; itemprop=&#34;thumbnailUrl&#34; class=&#34;aligncenter wp-image-238394 img-responsive &#34; src=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/03/dr-625x344.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;700&#34; height=&#34;385&#34; /&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Mental health issues can be a tricky subject to discuss in Singapore, especially with the stigma that surrounds such conditions. For many, it is easier to skirt around such uncomfortable issues or brush them off as unimportant. As such, we have a long way to go in raising awareness of mental illnesses and its place in our community.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;With &#60;strong&#62;World Bipolar Day&#60;/strong&#62; falling today, we reached out to &#60;strong&#62;Dr Daniel Fung&#60;/strong&#62;, Chairman of Research Committee for&#160;the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH), to answer some important questions regarding the condition to help readers understand the complexities that it can bring to the lives of those suffering from it.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;Marie France Asia: How do you recognise the onset of bipolar disorder? Are there obvious signs to look out for?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Dr Daniel Fung:&#60;/strong&#62; The most obvious and critical feature of bipolar disorder lies in the emotion or the mood of the person, most often being dependent on the feelings that the person experiences. From the highs of &#60;strong&#62;mania (euphoria)&#60;/strong&#62; on one extreme to the lows of &#60;strong&#62;depression&#60;/strong&#62; on the other, these serious shifts in mood, energy, thinking, and behaviour is very symptomatic of bipolar disorder. More than just a fleeting good or bad mood, &#60;strong&#62;the cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or months&#60;/strong&#62;. And unlike ordinary mood swings, the mood changes of bipolar disorder can be intense that they interfere with one&#8217;s ability to function.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;However, bipolar disorder can look very different in different people. The symptoms vary widely in their pattern, severity, and frequency. Some people are more prone to either mania or depression, while others alternate equally between the two types of episodes. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others experience only a few over a lifetime. In children, the onset may be a bit more disruptive as it can be masked as behavioural problems &#8211; like anger issues and destroying things.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Some classic symptoms can include:&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;ul&#62; &#60;li&#62;Unusually high or irritable mood for an extended period of time&#60;/li&#62; &#60;li&#62;Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity; thinking that one is more important than he really is&#60;/li&#62; &#60;li&#62;More talkative than usual&#60;/li&#62; &#60;li&#62;Feeling that the mind is racing&#60;/li&#62; &#60;li&#62;Increase activity to make grand and unattainable plans&#60;/li&#62; &#60;li&#62;Reckless behaviours such as spending sprees, delusional thoughts that they can fly and impulsive sexual indiscretions&#60;/li&#62; &#60;/ul&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: What makes a person more susceptible to bipolar disorder?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;DD:&#60;/strong&#62; It appears that certain people are &#60;strong&#62;genetically predisposed&#60;/strong&#62; to bipolar disorder, yet not everyone with an inherited vulnerability (for example: a sibling or parent with the illness) develops the illness, indicating that genes are not the only cause.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;External environmental and psychological factors&#60;/strong&#62; are also believed to be involved in the development of bipolar disorder. These external factors are called triggers. Triggers such as stress, alcohol or substance abuse, and lack of sleep can set off new episodes of mania or depression or make existing symptoms worse. However, many bipolar disorder episodes occur without an obvious trigger.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: Is there a cure? How can it be prevented?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;DD:&#60;/strong&#62; Bipolar disorder is a chronic or what we call a &#60;strong&#62;lifelong condition&#60;/strong&#62; that may include the risk of relapses. The biggest of these risks would be suicide as often times it is hard to predict and may go unnoticed in individuals especially those displaying euphoria. It can be managed with &#60;strong&#62;medication being the main treatment option&#60;/strong&#62;. Mood stabilisers, antidepressants, anti-psychotics and sedatives can be used in different combinations, depending on individual presentations, to treat acute episodes and to help prevent a relapse.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Psychological therapy such as &#60;strong&#62;counselling and other rehabilitative services&#60;/strong&#62; offered by organisations such as Singapore Association for Mental Health is an option for patients who are more stable, to help them with symptom recognition, management and reintegration into society. Ultimately, the treatment and management of this disorder is to help stabilise the mood so that it doesn&#8217;t go into extreme peaks and troughs but rather a regulated pattern.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;In order to get the most out of treatment, it&#039;s important to educate oneself about the illness, communicate with doctors and therapists, have a strong support system, and help oneself by making healthy lifestyle choices that may reduce the need for medication. Stick to the treatment plan, reassessing with the doctor as changes in one&#8217;s life occur.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: What can people around someone with this condition/illness do to give practical help?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;DD:&#60;/strong&#62; Be &#60;strong&#62;supportive and understanding&#60;/strong&#62; towards them by acknowledging that it is a condition that they can&#8217;t easily snap out from. Instead, help them if possible in terms of ensuring that they take their medication or steer them away from stressful situations that you think would trigger an episode.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Provide a listening ear and if possible, try to help them regulate their moods so as to ensure that it doesn&#8217;t go towards the extreme ends. Ultimately, we all one way or another benefit from those who look out for us.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: What can we do to diminish the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses in general?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;DD:&#60;/strong&#62; Most often, stigma is the result of fear and ignorance by those who may not fully understand what mental illnesses is all about. Many may just draw upon from negative examples of those people suffering from such conditions in being violent, dangerous or unstable. This forms perceptions and may inadvertently lead to discrimination. For those suffering from mental health conditions, it may cause them to feel ashamed for something that is out of their control and prevents many from seeking the help they need and speaking out.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;That is why it is important for us to &#60;strong&#62;strive towards becoming a more inclusive society&#60;/strong&#62; by seeing the person beyond their mental illness; as they have many other personal attributes that do not disappear just because they also have a mental health condition. We see many people in society, even celebrities, who suffer from bipolar disorders and yet are leading mostly normal lives.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;Stigma is not something that will go away on its own, but if we &#60;strong&#62;work together as a community, we can change the way we perceive mental illness in our society&#60;/strong&#62;. Together, we can create robust systems, services and efforts all along the path of recovery and encourage early intervention and access to treatments without fear of labels or diminished opportunities. When that is achieved, we will know that our tireless efforts to diminish stigma have been successful.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Angela Goh&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Photos: Getty Images,&#160;Singapore Association for Mental Health&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;Read more:&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/health/medical-news/panic-disorders-231851.html?utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34;&#62;Panic Disorders: What do you know about them?&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/parenting/kids-activities/physically-active-children-depression-228995.html?utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34;&#62;New Study: Physically active children are less likely to develop depression&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/health/healthy-practices/wellbeing-tips/alleviate-anxiety-top-10-smartphone-apps-for-stress-relief-169096.html?utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34;&#62;Alleviate Anxiety: Top 5 free smartphone apps for stress relief&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;meta name=&#34;original-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/lifelove-ph/expert-advice-ph/daniel-fung-bipolar-disorder-interview-239843.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;syndication-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/lifelove-ph/expert-advice-ph/daniel-fung-bipolar-disorder-interview-239843.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;robots&#34; content=&#34;noindex, follow&#34; /&#62;]]></content:encoded>
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		<title><![CDATA[Interview: HSBC Women’s Champions National Qualifying Tournament winner, Amanda Tan]]></title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 2017 01:40:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[MF editorial team]]></dc:creator>
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		Qualifying champion Amanda Tan shares with us how she manages to stay at the top of her game.<media:description><![CDATA[]]></media:description>												
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[&#60;h2&#62;&#60;span style=&#34;display: block;&#34; class=&#34;wrap-img&#34; id=&#34;wrap-img-230109&#34;&#62;&#60;img loading=&#34;lazy&#34; decoding=&#34;async&#34; itemprop=&#34;thumbnailUrl&#34; class=&#34;aligncenter wp-image-230109 img-responsive &#34; src=&#34;http://www.mariefranceasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/02/photo-2-1-625x387.jpg&#34; width=&#34;700&#34; height=&#34;433&#34; /&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;In a handful of weeks, Singapore will see the &#60;strong&#62;HSBC Women&#8217;s Champions&#60;/strong&#62; tournament returning to Sentosa Golf Club (SGC) for its 10th edition. But before the excitement of the world&#8217;s best battling it out for one of the most prestigious titles on the LPGA Tour takes place, the recent 2-day &#60;strong&#62;HSBC Women&#8217;s Champions National Qualifying Tournament&#60;/strong&#62; saw 14 ambitious local players vying for a spot in the professional event.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;Following a harrowing three-way play-off against fellow golfers Sarah Tan and Callista Chen, Amanda Tan came out on top, securing her spot in this year&#039;s HSBC Women&#8217;s Champions. This is the second time she&#8217;s won the qualifier, the first being in 2014, and this means she will be joining an elite field of 63 players in March, rubbing shoulders with 19 of the top 20 ranked players, including world number one Lydia Ko.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p class=&#34;p1&#34;&#62;We spoke to the lovely Amanda right after her victory, and she gave us an insight into her health and fitness routine, and what she does to keep herself at the top of her game.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;Marie France Asia: First of all, congratulations on winning the&#160;qualifying round! How do you feel?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Amanda Tan:&#60;/strong&#62; To be honest, it was really nerve-racking for me on the first play-off, and having that bunker shot&#8230; you know, I&#8217;ve practised it a few times, but still, I was very nervous over that bunker shot. But overall, I&#8217;m happy with the week and I&#8217;m happy that I got through with this win, after three years. My first win was 2014, so yeah, I&#8217;m really looking forward to the HSBC Women&#8217;s Champions this year.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: How long have you been playing golf?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;A.T.:&#60;/strong&#62; I&#8217;m turning 18 in a few weeks, and I started playing when I was 7&#8230; so, I&#039;ve been playing for 11 years now. Back in primary school, I picked up a few sports &#8211; badminton, swimming, stuff like that, but my uncle loved playing golf, so one day he asked my dad: &#60;em&#62;&#8220;why don&#039;t you bring your whole family to the range and see if you guys like it?&#8221;&#60;/em&#62;, and that&#8217;s when it all started.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: Were you confident of your skills, being pitted against all these other local players? Did you feel any pressure?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;A.T.:&#160;&#60;/strong&#62;Yes, I felt pressure for sure. I mean, I hadn&#8217;t been playing with [the others] a lot, so I didn&#8217;t really know what they&#8217;d been up to. But&#160;I think they all played pretty good the last two days. I did definitely think that everyone was on fairly&#160;equal footing and they were&#160;just as hard to beat, especially since we played the game on the new course, so we didn&#039;t know what to expect this year. But I&#8217;m glad that I did what I had to do, which was to just go out there and win this thing.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: Do you have a health and fitness regime that you stick to?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;A.T.:&#160;&#60;/strong&#62;I try to hit the gym 3 to 4 times a week and I&#8217;ve been focusing a lot on cardio. Obviously, I would also need to focus on strength &#8211; try to get my body in the right shape to be good for my swing, which is the main thing that I have to work on. Other than going to the gym, at night &#8211; because I am a Buddhist &#8211; we meditate before we go to sleep, for about 20 minutes, and doing that&#160;seems to calm my mind down. I think it helps me focus better when I play.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: How about your diet? Do you follow a strict plan?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;&#60;strong&#62;A.T.:&#160;&#60;/strong&#62;[Laughs]&#60;/em&#62; No, no! Well, I have been trying to cut down on my sugar intake, but I guess Chinese New Year didn&#8217;t help. Besides that, anything that&#8217;s not especially oily or especially sweet is fine with me. I&#160;like trying everything!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: How do you handle being in the sun so much while playing?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;A.T.:&#160;&#60;/strong&#62;I do put a lot of sunblock on. The one I currently use is actually from Australia &#8211; I stayed in Australia for 18 months, and that&#039;s when I really took sun protection seriously. This sunblock I use is only SPF 30, but one thing good about it is that even when you sweat, it&#8217;s not greasy, it stays dry and remains on your skin instead of feeling like an oil slick, which is great for when you&#039;re playing intense sports like tennis.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: What are you looking forward to most this year beyond the Women&#8217;s Champions tournament itself?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;A.T.:&#160;&#60;/strong&#62;I&#8217;m looking at turning professional this year &#8211; hoping to turn pro for this HSBC tournament as well. But, you know, looking at my first year as a professional, my next event would probably be the China Q-School, and hopefully subsequently my ultimate goal is to play on the LPGA Tour.&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;MFA: As a female golfer, what advice would you give to other female athletes?&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;A.T.:&#160;&#60;/strong&#62;I think you&#8217;ve got to practise hard, but importantly, you&#8217;ve got to practise smart. That&#8217;s the most crucial thing. You don&#8217;t want to be practising a full day, but you&#8217;ve got no idea what you&#8217;re doing. Your time would just go to waste!&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Angela Goh&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;Event details:&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Date:&#60;/strong&#62; Thursday, 2 March &#8211; Sunday, 5 March 2017&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Venue:&#60;/strong&#62; The New Tanjong Course, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Tickets:&#60;/strong&#62; Available&#160;from &#60;a href=&#34;http://www.apactix.com/events/detail/hsbc-womens-champions-2017?utm_source=rss_feed&#38;#038;utm_medium=link&#38;#038;utm_campaign=unknown&#34; target=&#34;_blank&#34;&#62;APACTix&#60;/a&#62;, from SGD20&#60;/p&#62; &#60;h2&#62; &#60;span&#62;Win VIP passes to the HSBC Women&#8217;s Champions - fill in the form below:&#60;/span&#62; &#60;/h2&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;&#60;em&#62;The contest is now over. Thank you for your participation!&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;* A VIP Pass entitles the passholder admission to all 4 days of the golf competition, including entry into the Champions Club hospitality tent. (Does not include entry to the Music Festival). &#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;This post was brought to you by HSBC.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62; &#60;meta name=&#34;original-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture/from-us-to-you/interviews/interview-amanda-tan-229862.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;syndication-source&#34; content=&#34;https://www.mariefranceasia.com/ph/culture/from-us-to-you/interviews/interview-amanda-tan-229862.html&#34; /&#62;&#60;meta name=&#34;robots&#34; content=&#34;noindex, follow&#34; /&#62;]]></content:encoded>
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