WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.879 Today, we're privileged to sit down with a performer 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:05.559 whose career has been woven into the fabric of 00:00:05.559 --> 00:00:08.660 Singapore's entertainment for decades. You may 00:00:08.660 --> 00:00:10.919 have first known her as a television personality, 00:00:11.220 --> 00:00:14.160 a beloved face from the foundational years of 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:17.219 local comedy, having starred in classic sitcoms 00:00:17.219 --> 00:00:20.600 like Can I Help You? and The Landmark Under One 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:23.559 Roof. But over the years, she has carved out 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:26.489 a parallel path in music. captivating audiences 00:00:26.489 --> 00:00:29.530 with her powerful vocals and an undeniable stage 00:00:29.530 --> 00:00:32.530 presence. It's this vibrant energy that earned 00:00:32.530 --> 00:00:35.170 her a powerful moniker, a nickname that has followed 00:00:35.170 --> 00:00:37.950 her throughout her musical journey, Singapore's 00:00:37.950 --> 00:00:40.810 Tina Turner. Tonight, we're going to go behind 00:00:40.810 --> 00:00:43.590 the curtain to chronicle her remarkable journey 00:00:43.590 --> 00:00:47.909 from sitcom pioneer to stage sensation, to uncover 00:00:47.909 --> 00:00:51.070 the story behind the one and only Melissa Siddick. 00:00:51.310 --> 00:00:56.119 Being a real true blue pranakan, my mother, We 00:00:56.119 --> 00:01:00.320 play your shows. My shows. And my mom will watch 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:03.140 and listen. That's why I know that I realize 00:01:03.140 --> 00:01:07.120 that you're doing this Puanakan performances. 00:01:07.540 --> 00:01:11.379 And it's because of my mom that we play it and 00:01:11.379 --> 00:01:14.260 then I realize that you're on it. And she watches 00:01:14.260 --> 00:01:18.299 you quietly. You're making me cry, you know. 00:01:19.459 --> 00:01:23.659 Before we begin the show, here is an important 00:01:23.659 --> 00:01:27.540 announcement. For 100 years, Shure has set the 00:01:27.540 --> 00:01:30.200 standard for professional audio. Designed to 00:01:30.200 --> 00:01:33.299 outlast and outperform, Shure products help you 00:01:33.299 --> 00:01:35.739 deliver your message with confidence. Trust in 00:01:35.739 --> 00:01:38.980 Shure. You can be Shure with Shure. Shop the 00:01:38.980 --> 00:01:41.819 Shure Shop Singapore now. Visit the link on screen 00:01:41.819 --> 00:01:45.400 and use the promo code AFCHENSON to get limited 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:49.719 Shure merchandise with your purchases. Now, let's 00:01:49.719 --> 00:02:14.740 start the show. Good job in the city. Working 00:02:14.740 --> 00:02:20.620 for the men every night and day. And I never 00:02:20.620 --> 00:02:26.020 lost one minute of sleep. And I worry about the 00:02:26.020 --> 00:02:30.979 way that things might have been. I say, we keep 00:02:30.979 --> 00:02:40.330 on turning. Brownberry keep on burning. And we're 00:02:40.330 --> 00:02:51.289 rolling, rolling, rolling under the river In 00:02:51.289 --> 00:02:58.169 another place in Memphis Pump a lot of chain 00:02:58.169 --> 00:03:04.930 in New Orleans But I never saw the good side 00:03:04.930 --> 00:03:11.960 of the city until The riverboat quit, I said. 00:03:12.120 --> 00:04:16.569 Big wheels keep on turning. Thanks for watching! 00:06:37.290 --> 00:06:44.149 Singapore's very own Tina Turner. My goodness 00:06:44.149 --> 00:06:47.209 gracious me. Hey, everybody. Welcome back to 00:06:47.209 --> 00:06:49.509 the Chris Hansen Conversation. This is the season 00:06:49.509 --> 00:06:51.829 finale. And as you've seen the performance earlier 00:06:51.829 --> 00:06:55.730 on, what a start to end a super long season. 00:06:55.790 --> 00:06:58.649 We hope you guys have had fun. We certainly have 00:06:58.649 --> 00:07:01.509 had a lot of fun. And this is a milestone season, 00:07:01.750 --> 00:07:05.540 as you can see right in front of me. Yep, that's 00:07:05.540 --> 00:07:08.600 our silver play button award from YouTube. Thank 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:10.800 you very much, YouTube. Thank you very much, 00:07:10.819 --> 00:07:13.920 especially to all of our 104 ,000, so far, 104 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:16.800 ,000 subscribers across Singapore, Indonesia, 00:07:17.139 --> 00:07:20.160 Philippines, and Malaysia. Thank you so very 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:22.500 much for supporting the show. Please continue 00:07:22.500 --> 00:07:25.420 to spread the word about this show of ours and 00:07:25.420 --> 00:07:29.740 our channel, CCB TV Podcasts. Yep, we are a silver 00:07:29.740 --> 00:07:34.470 play button. Silver Play Button Award winner, 00:07:34.569 --> 00:07:37.310 and we are so proud that just after two years 00:07:37.310 --> 00:07:41.129 and nine months, we finally made it. Wow. Hey. 00:07:41.610 --> 00:07:44.910 And in studio with me, you heard us sing. She 00:07:44.910 --> 00:07:46.930 did all the heavy lifting, man. I was just a 00:07:46.930 --> 00:07:50.430 kippo in the background. It's Melissa Siddig. 00:07:50.430 --> 00:07:52.730 Welcome to the studio. Hello. And welcome to 00:07:52.730 --> 00:07:55.089 our season finale. What a fitting end. Thank 00:07:55.089 --> 00:07:57.009 you so very much, man. Thank you for inviting. 00:07:57.089 --> 00:08:00.550 This is wonderful. I feel so honored. Hello. 00:08:00.569 --> 00:08:03.170 Our tribute to you, really. I mean, my goodness 00:08:03.170 --> 00:08:05.990 gracious me. I mean, just watching you, singing 00:08:05.990 --> 00:08:07.750 with you. I mean, I didn't really sing. I mean, 00:08:07.850 --> 00:08:10.569 I did sing in the background, but singing with 00:08:10.569 --> 00:08:14.410 you was a joy. Watching you perform, it's always 00:08:14.410 --> 00:08:18.620 been a joy. I've seen you do this. A few times. 00:08:19.079 --> 00:08:22.459 On stage. On stage. I've seen you, of course, 00:08:22.500 --> 00:08:26.379 for the first few times on TV. And you know that 00:08:26.379 --> 00:08:30.240 big concert that you won? Yes, I won the Rolling 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:33.000 Good Times. Where she won this. It's called the 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:38.480 Golden Reunion. She's a grand champion. 4, 1995. 00:08:39.019 --> 00:08:41.840 Yeah, 94. The grand champion of Mediacorps. Back 00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:43.480 then it was called TCS, Television Corporation 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:46.460 Singapore. The Rolling Good Times was a very, 00:08:46.500 --> 00:08:50.759 very popular program on our TV show, on Channel 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:55.299 5, now Mediacorp, then TCS. And they used to 00:08:55.299 --> 00:08:58.379 have people come on and if you're good at performing 00:08:58.379 --> 00:09:01.059 as Elvis, they have the Elvis one. Then if you're 00:09:01.059 --> 00:09:02.779 good at being Lionel Richie, you're the Lionel 00:09:02.779 --> 00:09:05.580 Richie one. And then all of these people came 00:09:05.580 --> 00:09:09.179 in to compete. And Melissa, all the winners came 00:09:09.179 --> 00:09:12.759 in to compete. And she became the all -time champion 00:09:12.759 --> 00:09:16.059 for rolling good times. She beat all that. How 00:09:16.059 --> 00:09:17.500 many performers were there? There were about 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:20.940 40 contestants. Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy. So, 00:09:20.940 --> 00:09:24.440 you know, they ran Rolling Good Times since 1993 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:28.500 into 1994 till the end of 1994. It's like the 00:09:28.500 --> 00:09:30.919 American Idol, that kind of thing. Yeah, yeah. 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:33.120 But it was so good. It was so Singapore, right? 00:09:33.179 --> 00:09:35.399 Yeah, it is. Like, all us Singaporeans It was 00:09:35.399 --> 00:09:37.620 our own original production, yeah. And we love 00:09:37.620 --> 00:09:40.120 all our songs, like, you know, the oldies. Like, 00:09:40.139 --> 00:09:45.220 we have the Bee Gees. Yeah, yeah. BGs and then 00:09:45.220 --> 00:09:53.000 we had Tom Jones week and then they had Carpenters 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:56.919 week and then they have every Lionel Richie Elvis 00:09:56.919 --> 00:10:00.480 we will sit down we will go home and chuck a 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:03.299 bag and sit down in front of the TV and watch 00:10:03.299 --> 00:10:07.539 Rolling Good Times the host Loretta Albon and 00:10:07.539 --> 00:10:10.639 Douglas Olivero and Dougie with their hair their 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:14.320 hair very big hair And we will watch and watch. 00:10:14.840 --> 00:10:18.720 And then they have Tina Turner. And then my mom 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:21.799 said, you, you should go on it. I said, yeah, 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:25.860 man, can we win money? I was thinking about kecing. 00:10:26.299 --> 00:10:29.899 Of course. Then I, you know, I just practice 00:10:29.899 --> 00:10:33.659 in the bathroom, put on somebody's wig and baju, 00:10:33.659 --> 00:10:36.580 my auntie's baju and wig and wear the lipstick 00:10:36.580 --> 00:10:41.820 over my lips. I look like Tina or not, mom? Then 00:10:41.820 --> 00:10:45.580 I say, boleh, boleh. You try. Sekali, I beat 00:10:45.580 --> 00:10:48.690 the... That week, I beat all the other girls. 00:10:48.789 --> 00:10:51.330 There were about six contestants. And, you know, 00:10:51.350 --> 00:10:54.850 they sang really well. And we had to sing with 00:10:54.850 --> 00:10:59.870 the SBC Orchestra. TCS Orchestra. And then we 00:10:59.870 --> 00:11:02.590 only have like guitarists there. And, you know, 00:11:02.629 --> 00:11:05.519 Boom Chacha. You really need to sing. sing it 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:07.740 well, you know, and follow, you know, follow 00:11:07.740 --> 00:11:10.600 their beat. It's really like raw music. We don't 00:11:10.600 --> 00:11:12.600 have that anymore. No, but you came on, when 00:11:12.600 --> 00:11:14.440 you came on to sing, we don't have that anymore. 00:11:14.519 --> 00:11:15.620 Yeah, you're right. Yeah, we don't have that 00:11:15.620 --> 00:11:17.620 anymore now. We don't have anything. Live music. 00:11:17.659 --> 00:11:21.299 Sorry. No, live music on TV. Sorry, MediaCorp. 00:11:21.299 --> 00:11:23.620 Sorry. MediaCorp, you got nothing like this anymore, 00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:27.279 man. Come on, give me a fucking break. And Malfurdenance 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:29.659 is on my show. Was it last season or two seasons 00:11:29.659 --> 00:11:32.059 ago, right, Kai? I love him. Mel was on the show. 00:11:32.179 --> 00:11:34.759 Mel was also lamenting about this. And I'm going 00:11:34.759 --> 00:11:37.460 to echo the same sentiments again. I mean, come 00:11:37.460 --> 00:11:40.179 on, Media Corp. Bring back the old talent times. 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:42.700 Bring back the old rolling good times. And then, 00:11:42.700 --> 00:11:45.279 you know, they made people like you, right? They 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:47.100 made people like Dick Lee. They made people like 00:11:47.100 --> 00:11:50.970 Clement Chow. It was Jacinta. And along the way, 00:11:51.009 --> 00:11:56.070 so many of you guys have come out from people 00:11:56.070 --> 00:11:57.730 who are just common ordinary folk. Jacinta was 00:11:57.730 --> 00:11:59.870 also in the Talent Time. Talent Time, yeah, yeah, 00:11:59.870 --> 00:12:04.070 yeah, she was. KP, Kopo. Kopo, yeah. There's 00:12:04.070 --> 00:12:08.570 so many. Every one of us had a bit of that. Rudy 00:12:08.570 --> 00:12:12.309 Van Der Ven. oh Rudolph la apa Ruby okay Rudy 00:12:12.309 --> 00:12:15.909 we call him Rudolph the 8 you know when he came 00:12:15.909 --> 00:12:20.250 out as the what masquerade right cute cute cute 00:12:20.250 --> 00:12:22.830 cute we all teenagers we all ran and then go 00:12:22.830 --> 00:12:25.289 and watch hope that he'll win because he's our 00:12:25.289 --> 00:12:28.990 favourite our favourite yeah shout out to you 00:12:28.990 --> 00:12:32.370 Rudolph van de Ven Rudolph you got a big fan 00:12:32.370 --> 00:12:38.269 here But it's true. I mean, back then, there's 00:12:38.269 --> 00:12:40.190 so many things like this happening, right? Yeah, 00:12:40.190 --> 00:12:42.490 yeah. People like you come out, you know, and 00:12:42.490 --> 00:12:45.090 then we would not know who Melissa Siddiq is 00:12:45.090 --> 00:12:47.330 if not for things like that, like the Rolling 00:12:47.330 --> 00:12:50.149 Good Times. Yeah, I wanted my name out there. 00:12:50.350 --> 00:12:53.230 I didn't want to be Tina Turner. I was a lot 00:12:53.230 --> 00:12:55.070 more than just Tina Turner. But you are so Tina. 00:12:55.389 --> 00:13:00.730 I can do so well. I was invited into Hong Kong 00:13:00.730 --> 00:13:05.929 to sing as Tina. Bali, I was invited. to Melbourne 00:13:05.929 --> 00:13:11.350 yeah I sang at the Palladium and I yeah I sang 00:13:11.350 --> 00:13:17.559 in KL and Rampai Sari yeah That time, TCS and 00:13:17.559 --> 00:13:21.860 RTS, the orchestra, they were together, you know. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:25.279 We had our orchestra. There were 40 -piece orchestra. 00:13:25.500 --> 00:13:28.919 Wow. So I was flown to Malaysia. And Daryl David 00:13:28.919 --> 00:13:33.440 was the MC with Tiara Jacqueline. And now he 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:40.799 MP, not MC anymore. Hello, Daryl. MP of Haugang. 00:13:40.840 --> 00:13:43.860 Actually, I work in Haugang also. Is it Haugang 00:13:43.860 --> 00:13:47.179 or Mokyo? No, my workplace is in Haugang, actually. 00:13:48.019 --> 00:13:50.940 Haugang is the other party. The other party. 00:13:51.320 --> 00:13:56.340 Daryl. I don't know. Daryl. You wish party. You 00:13:56.340 --> 00:14:07.350 wish party. Then we had this 40 -piece orchestra 00:14:07.350 --> 00:14:10.549 behind us, okay? And I had to sing all the Tina 00:14:10.549 --> 00:14:13.269 Turner songs. And it was so difficult because, 00:14:13.350 --> 00:14:15.850 you know, they just met these musicians and then 00:14:15.850 --> 00:14:18.789 they were trying to duplicate that song from 00:14:18.789 --> 00:14:21.809 Tina Turner's song, River Deep Mountain High. 00:14:21.830 --> 00:14:24.929 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Then I was standing there and 00:14:24.929 --> 00:14:29.590 then they had their dancers and I had to sing 00:14:29.590 --> 00:14:32.070 my song. You know, during rehearsal, it's like... 00:14:35.950 --> 00:14:38.250 That's all I hear. I cannot hear the melody. 00:14:38.409 --> 00:14:42.470 I don't know how to come in with the song. When 00:14:42.470 --> 00:14:47.409 I was a little girl, I had a rag doll. The only 00:14:47.409 --> 00:14:54.970 doll I ever owned. Behind me. That's all I could 00:14:54.970 --> 00:14:59.210 hear. I was suffering. And the dancers were like 00:14:59.210 --> 00:15:02.230 going. And then they come to me and say, Kakak, 00:15:02.230 --> 00:15:04.929 so hard lah your song. Your song is so hard lah. 00:15:04.929 --> 00:15:07.309 Kakak penat already, penat. I said, just dance 00:15:07.309 --> 00:15:09.029 lah, just dance lah. My song is like that lah. 00:15:09.710 --> 00:15:12.190 Got double beat one. Kedebak, kedebu, kedebak, 00:15:12.190 --> 00:15:13.909 kedebu, kedebak, kedebu. They all kedebak, kedebu 00:15:13.909 --> 00:15:16.690 all the way. Poor guys lah. Malaysian dancer. 00:15:16.830 --> 00:15:18.590 Well lah, they all dance like that. They all 00:15:18.590 --> 00:15:22.789 lingang kangkung, right? Yeah, I had Aisha on 00:15:22.789 --> 00:15:25.309 the same stage, you know, wonderful. I got to 00:15:25.309 --> 00:15:29.649 sing with her. Aisha, Mazura. Yeah, people from, 00:15:29.690 --> 00:15:33.529 you know. Mazura also. Yeah, she was there. I 00:15:33.529 --> 00:15:36.990 sang, one of the songs I sang was my favorite 00:15:36.990 --> 00:15:40.120 song, which I still sing it. With the orchestra, 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:45.100 a Aneke Gronlo song. Madam Burung Kakak Tua. 00:15:45.259 --> 00:15:49.320 Burung Kakak Tua. I get to meet her because she 00:15:49.320 --> 00:15:52.620 was at the Golden Reunion. She was invited. Yeah, 00:15:52.659 --> 00:15:55.759 yeah. The Golden Reunion, Aneke Gronlo was invited. 00:15:56.700 --> 00:16:01.799 Sakura. Yo, wow. The Blue Diamonds. The Blue 00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:04.899 Diamonds, yeah. And Anita Sarawak. You don't 00:16:04.899 --> 00:16:09.080 play. Hello. How we miss Anita Sarawak. And she 00:16:09.080 --> 00:16:13.779 sang, Sophisticated lady. She's one hell of a 00:16:13.779 --> 00:16:16.159 performer, man. Fantastic. Yeah, she's fantastic. 00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:18.399 She burns the stage. I gotta tell you, Melissa, 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:20.840 I watched the entire damn concert. Oh, you did? 00:16:21.399 --> 00:16:24.440 I think there was even a CD on sale to some of 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:26.720 the songs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I bought that CD 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:29.600 too, man. Yeah. I love rolling good times, mate. 00:16:29.740 --> 00:16:32.580 I mean, I was at home watching the whole concert. 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:34.259 I watched you perform and I was freaking rooting 00:16:34.259 --> 00:16:36.740 for you. Because I mean, my goodness, no one 00:16:36.740 --> 00:16:40.980 comes close. No one came close. I had a double 00:16:40.980 --> 00:16:42.879 week. You know, I got another week on top of 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:44.559 this week. Wait, wait, let me guess. But today 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:46.480 I cannot wear it. Can you put up that picture 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:51.980 of Melissa as Tina Turner, please? Kai? Not that 00:16:51.980 --> 00:16:54.779 one. Oh my God. This is a double week. She's 00:16:54.779 --> 00:16:57.500 always having this messy hair. Her hair is always 00:16:57.500 --> 00:17:01.620 messy. But you know, I actually digitally treated 00:17:01.620 --> 00:17:04.619 this picture too. And make sure it looks really, 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:07.920 really good, you know. Nicely cropped. Nicely 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:10.920 done. Cool, man. Yeah. And then I get to sing 00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:15.059 a lot of shows on TCS that time. We did the POSB 00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:17.839 show. You know the POSB show? Was it Larry Lai? 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:23.720 Ah, Larry Lai. Yeah. The host. And then I sang 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:30.420 the, you know. What's that song with a lot of 00:17:30.420 --> 00:17:33.099 children? I like to teach the world to sing. 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:40.019 No, not that one. We are the children. Last generation. 00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:47.099 We don't need another hero. Mad Max, Beyond the 00:17:47.099 --> 00:17:49.680 Thunderdome. So I'm standing down there on the 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:52.000 podium. Wow, they put me on the podium so skinny. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:54.299 I'm scared that I will fall. Skyler, all these 00:17:54.299 --> 00:17:57.319 kids, I don't know where these kids come from. 00:17:57.339 --> 00:17:59.460 Can you sing that line again for me? We don't 00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:03.450 need another heat. My goodness, she's a humdinger, 00:18:03.450 --> 00:18:06.789 man. A humdinger for Tina Turner, I swear. Really, 00:18:06.869 --> 00:18:08.630 my goodness gracious me. I'm just listening to 00:18:08.630 --> 00:18:11.470 you. Listening in my cans. Goodness, close your 00:18:11.470 --> 00:18:13.769 eyes and it's Tina. Yeah, I should do it again. 00:18:13.930 --> 00:18:17.109 Thanks. Fantastic. I've done this. It's 1994, 00:18:17.750 --> 00:18:21.109 darling. Now it's like 19 not belum. Eh, not 00:18:21.109 --> 00:18:26.519 19 even. Already 2000. Now it's 2000. 25 going 00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:29.359 to be 26. I don't know. I'm still in a time warp. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:33.660 Going to be 26 already. Now, I should be her. 00:18:33.799 --> 00:18:36.640 Because this is her age when she was really big. 00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:41.019 Tina, she became so big after she was 46. And 00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:46.700 then after she got the best album, in her 50s, 00:18:46.700 --> 00:18:50.660 she was hot. Yeah. And then she got a boyfriend 00:18:50.660 --> 00:18:52.960 at that time. And she only got married to the 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:56.099 boyfriend at 76. Yeah. But it's amazing. I mean, 00:18:56.099 --> 00:18:58.759 even at that age, she was moving around in stiletto 00:18:58.759 --> 00:19:00.980 heels. Are you doing the same thing when you 00:19:00.980 --> 00:19:04.680 go on stage? I should not stop. You know, I mean, 00:19:04.700 --> 00:19:08.740 looking at her, she is my big idol. No, Melissa, 00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:12.019 don't ever stop, man. I mean, look, the reason 00:19:12.019 --> 00:19:15.109 why... I saw you again. It was serendipitous, 00:19:15.109 --> 00:19:17.690 you know, at that place, in Mel's place, in Kato. 00:19:18.150 --> 00:19:20.809 Then I was there as well to also have a good 00:19:20.809 --> 00:19:23.069 time. You went up the jam. I went up the jam. 00:19:23.130 --> 00:19:25.509 You went up the jam. Then I said, my God, wait, 00:19:25.569 --> 00:19:28.369 hang on a second. Hang on. Then I asked around. 00:19:28.630 --> 00:19:32.170 I said, who is this auntie? Wait, no. This auntie 00:19:32.170 --> 00:19:35.230 singing? No, no. I pulled someone. I said, that's 00:19:35.230 --> 00:19:37.450 Melissa Siddig, right? She said, yeah. I said, 00:19:37.490 --> 00:19:40.089 holy crap. Straight away after you were done, 00:19:40.170 --> 00:19:41.589 I went and looked for you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:19:42.449 --> 00:19:45.150 but I was like looking like one auntie right 00:19:45.150 --> 00:19:49.150 Kai we have that footage can you play that footage 00:19:49.150 --> 00:19:53.430 for me please oh my god that's the video I took 00:19:53.430 --> 00:19:59.130 of you and no no no somebody else took of you 00:19:59.130 --> 00:20:01.630 yeah Lawrence took of you then I asked him for 00:20:01.630 --> 00:20:07.130 it this is you not looking like you now but that's 00:20:07.130 --> 00:20:11.710 how I look like normally normal normal This is 00:20:11.710 --> 00:20:20.329 a normal lady. Steven Francis. Reggie. Reggie, 00:20:20.349 --> 00:20:27.829 yeah. And there's me up there. Oh, my God. Look. 00:20:29.109 --> 00:20:41.150 Oh, everybody's out. Oh, wow. Like a big concert 00:20:41.150 --> 00:21:03.059 I don't know where that voice come from Hello. 00:21:03.059 --> 00:21:06.700 What are you talking about, man? I just heard 00:21:06.700 --> 00:21:11.440 you sing. I think he's inside. My credit to Laurence 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:13.319 Pushpum. Thank you so much, Laurence Pushpum 00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:16.200 and Mel's Place for that footage. You know, frankly, 00:21:16.380 --> 00:21:18.960 I tell you, man, I heard you sing. I saw you 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:20.819 sing that night. I was sitting seated right in 00:21:20.819 --> 00:21:22.400 front. You can see me just now in the video, 00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:26.500 right? Yeah, man. And I went, I was so smacked. 00:21:26.500 --> 00:21:32.089 I was like, oh, fuck. I saw your eyes. Melissa 00:21:32.089 --> 00:21:37.309 Sine! And I had to come. I had to come and say 00:21:37.309 --> 00:21:39.829 hello. And I had to ask you to come on this show. 00:21:39.990 --> 00:21:42.890 I mean. So sweet. I don't know. I heard you sing 00:21:42.890 --> 00:21:47.809 then. I was singing you here. And I swear there's 00:21:47.809 --> 00:21:52.470 so much vibrance. Now you see me? No, even your 00:21:52.470 --> 00:22:00.160 personality. You see? But you did also have a 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:05.039 time on TV, on sitcoms. Yes, yes. That's why 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:08.160 I'm just not doing Tina Turner. Only Tina Turner. 00:22:08.339 --> 00:22:09.559 Yeah, let's talk about the other things then. 00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:13.339 Other parts of me. There's so many things that 00:22:13.339 --> 00:22:15.500 I do in my life. I don't know. I think I've got 00:22:15.500 --> 00:22:20.880 nine lives. I'm a cat. Yeah. Like I do so many 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:22.440 things, you know. Could have fooled me. Look 00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:27.700 at the outfit, man. So, you know, I was doing 00:22:27.700 --> 00:22:31.140 sitcoms right after I won, you know, I was doing 00:22:31.140 --> 00:22:34.500 theater. Yeah. Glenn Gwee liked me so much. He 00:22:34.500 --> 00:22:38.099 thought I was really crazy. So we did mix. No, 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:41.660 I did Boeing, Boeing. I was starring with Lynette 00:22:41.660 --> 00:22:45.559 Pang, Daisy Rennie and Coach. Oh, Grandma Daisy. 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:50.400 All three of us, four of us were doing this. 00:22:51.150 --> 00:22:55.069 And I said, Glenn, you can act? He said, yeah, 00:22:55.190 --> 00:22:59.390 yeah, I like to act. I said, okay. And TheatreWorks 00:22:59.390 --> 00:23:01.210 called me and they said, you do mixed signals, 00:23:01.289 --> 00:23:04.490 okay, for us. Oh, mixed signals. I was Ruby, 00:23:04.769 --> 00:23:08.170 the girl who had the plastic surgery. I'm the 00:23:08.170 --> 00:23:11.309 girl with the TV that fell on my head. I got 00:23:11.309 --> 00:23:17.009 like chip in my head. And then every time that 00:23:17.009 --> 00:23:20.019 I'm talking to someone, I... FAB. Gunakanlah 00:23:20.019 --> 00:23:26.960 FAB. Malboro. Rothman International. In between 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:30.740 my, I'm going on a date with Benedict Goh. At 00:23:30.740 --> 00:23:32.839 that time, it was my date. He was my doctor. 00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:36.119 Yeah, I was performing with stars. You know, 00:23:36.140 --> 00:23:39.660 I was like, for me, I never believed that I would 00:23:39.660 --> 00:23:41.460 be performing with all these people. And it all 00:23:41.460 --> 00:23:44.619 started from Rolling Good Times. Before that, 00:23:44.759 --> 00:23:50.559 I won. And Tina Turner. Yeah. That time, before 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:55.920 Rolling Good Times, it was this competition at 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:59.279 the Boom Boom Room. Oh, my. Yes. For those of 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:01.220 you who don't know, give me some context. Boom 00:24:01.220 --> 00:24:03.640 Boom Room is this place. It's a fantastic place. 00:24:03.720 --> 00:24:06.140 It's a theater. It's entertainment. It's comedy. 00:24:06.500 --> 00:24:09.059 It's like going to watch SNL, Saturday Night 00:24:09.059 --> 00:24:12.579 Live, you know, in Bugis, in the old Bugis Village 00:24:12.579 --> 00:24:15.880 in Kuma, coming on every night with Norlina. 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:19.599 Yes. And a whole lot of cast are involved. And 00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:22.539 it's really fun. Really funny shows that happens 00:24:22.539 --> 00:24:24.859 in that stage in Boom Boom Broom. So someone 00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:26.960 said, hey, they're giving out money, you know, 00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:29.759 it's like $5 ,000. And that time I need that 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:32.839 $5 ,000. Really need that $5 ,000 because I just 00:24:32.839 --> 00:24:35.759 moved into this flat that I bought for my mom. 00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:39.759 And she was not well that time. She had a coma 00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:42.920 and was losing her eyesight. And I needed some 00:24:42.920 --> 00:24:45.400 things in the house, you know, like railings. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:49.240 and, you know, hot water. I need more money. 00:24:49.299 --> 00:24:51.680 How to get money, man? They said, okay, okay. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:54.819 Try, try. Yeah, I have to pay the APEC because 00:24:54.819 --> 00:24:58.319 to do my flooring for my kitchen, man, the APEC 00:24:58.319 --> 00:25:00.339 asked me for $5 ,000. Where I'm going to get 00:25:00.339 --> 00:25:03.759 the $5 ,000? Okay lah, I try lah. This boom boom 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:08.079 room, Tina Turner. Okay, I'll do Tina Turner 00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:12.049 there. So, I had my brother. He carried me on 00:25:12.049 --> 00:25:15.490 his shoulder. I was heavier than this. Oh, my 00:25:15.490 --> 00:25:18.390 sister, why are you so heavy? He got me on top 00:25:18.390 --> 00:25:23.630 of the stage. Hi, y 'all. Are there boys in the 00:25:23.630 --> 00:25:26.509 house? Are there girls in the house? And I was 00:25:26.509 --> 00:25:29.730 doing a stand -up, you know, first in Boom Boom 00:25:29.730 --> 00:25:32.970 Room. Wow. Yeah, I was like, oh, my God. And 00:25:32.970 --> 00:25:36.150 I was talking to the people and asked Tina. I 00:25:36.150 --> 00:25:41.079 come. way from usa upper serangoon avenue yeah 00:25:41.079 --> 00:25:44.519 i got all these laughs and stuff like that and 00:25:44.519 --> 00:25:51.200 then i sang my my my song a um what's love got 00:25:51.200 --> 00:26:02.619 to do i got to do what So that song, I got the 00:26:02.619 --> 00:26:04.819 $5 ,000. Even your phrasing, man. My goodness. 00:26:05.140 --> 00:26:08.960 I got the $5 ,000. You got it? Okay. Then I thought 00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:11.279 that's it. Once, Kenneth Liang called me. He 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:13.440 said, hey, you want to join this rolling good 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:15.339 time? How did Kenneth Liang get to know you? 00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:18.799 He was the judge. Oh, he was the judge at the 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:21.660 Boom Boom Room. I think, yeah, yeah. Was he the 00:26:21.660 --> 00:26:26.079 judge who was there? The judge was Lim Sik. Yeah, 00:26:26.099 --> 00:26:30.779 Lim Sik, yeah. There was Ken. Ken Lim. Ken Lim. 00:26:31.539 --> 00:26:35.940 I can't remember, but I think they were all there. 00:26:35.980 --> 00:26:41.380 Alan, you know. Patty from Boom Boom Room. Who 00:26:41.380 --> 00:26:44.920 else? Dick. I'm sure that Dick Lee was there. 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:46.640 I'm sure he was there. I'd be surprised if he 00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:50.619 wasn't. Yeah. It was all. Then after that, you 00:26:50.619 --> 00:26:53.200 know, music and movement. Yeah, Eminem. They 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:57.480 used me a lot. They put me on boats. I was performing 00:26:57.480 --> 00:27:01.940 with Kuma. On the boat. Oh, my goodness. That 00:27:01.940 --> 00:27:04.180 was such an experience. It was like a whirlwind. 00:27:04.180 --> 00:27:05.960 So all this was before. No, no, no. We say it 00:27:05.960 --> 00:27:08.480 was all before Rolling Good Times. No, no, no, 00:27:08.500 --> 00:27:12.420 no. Right after that month, when I won, Zoom, 00:27:12.619 --> 00:27:16.420 I went into TV. Yeah. So it's very close. Oh, 00:27:16.420 --> 00:27:18.200 okay. I was discovered. And then after that, 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:20.599 I went into TV. To do what? You went to TV to 00:27:20.599 --> 00:27:24.400 do what? For the Talent Time. For Talent Time 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:26.359 or Rolling Good Times? Rolling Good Times. Oh, 00:27:26.359 --> 00:27:30.039 Rolling Good Times. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So, from 00:27:30.039 --> 00:27:33.599 Boomer Room, I won that. Then, okay, then, when 00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:37.680 I won the Golden Reunion, I got $30 ,000. Wow. 00:27:37.740 --> 00:27:41.039 I can pay so many, I'll pay for so many flooring. 00:27:41.319 --> 00:27:46.640 Major renovation. Yeah, major. So, after Rolling 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:49.839 Good Times, how did you end up in the sitcoms? 00:27:50.440 --> 00:27:53.759 Okay. And then the producers called me. Rose 00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:56.819 Sivam was very interested in me. Okay. Rose Sivam. 00:27:56.920 --> 00:27:59.099 And she's still a good friend of mine right now 00:27:59.099 --> 00:28:03.799 too. And just did a show with her, DARE Festival, 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:08.400 just like a few weeks ago for people with disabilities. 00:28:08.420 --> 00:28:13.039 And it was by SG Enable and Mediacorp. So we 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:16.039 did that big concert with people with disabilities. 00:28:16.079 --> 00:28:19.059 They were singing and dancing and playing music. 00:28:19.609 --> 00:28:22.569 That was so great. Yeah. So, Rose Sivan put me 00:28:22.569 --> 00:28:27.509 in Ghermit's world first. And then, under one 00:28:27.509 --> 00:28:31.690 roof, I was Nolina Salim's sister. You know, 00:28:31.730 --> 00:28:35.809 I was her sister. And then, I was given this 00:28:35.809 --> 00:28:41.150 role as Evita in Donny Lee's show with Hosen 00:28:41.150 --> 00:28:43.089 Leong. Hosen, yeah. I was on the Donny Lee show 00:28:43.089 --> 00:28:47.359 too. Oh, were you? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I was 00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:50.299 like, you know, with Sheik Haikal, Irene Ang, 00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:53.420 Beatrice Chia, us all, you know, we were all 00:28:53.420 --> 00:28:56.839 on the same stage and doing this live. Yeah. 00:28:56.920 --> 00:29:00.839 Live audience lah. Hello. The show was like one 00:29:00.839 --> 00:29:03.200 take and that's it. You have four cameras from 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:07.119 every angle. And then you just have to do your 00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:12.019 skits. Yeah, like you have to know your skin 00:29:12.019 --> 00:29:15.259 very, very well. You cannot not know it at all. 00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:19.500 And every week is a new dance. So we had to... 00:29:19.500 --> 00:29:22.299 Challenging, challenging. Very challenging. That's 00:29:22.299 --> 00:29:27.440 our training ground. They just put you in the 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:33.039 deep pool and you have to... Don't drown. Don't 00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:36.180 drown. That's how it is. We were trained that 00:29:36.180 --> 00:29:41.180 way. And that's what Boom Boom Room, all these 00:29:41.180 --> 00:29:45.059 live shows and theatre, it really builds your 00:29:45.059 --> 00:29:52.440 energy, your stamina, skills, improv and everything 00:29:52.440 --> 00:29:57.140 else. So you ended up doing sitcom. And my question 00:29:57.140 --> 00:29:59.259 I'm going to ask you, I'm going to go and rewind 00:29:59.259 --> 00:30:03.430 back. You're obviously a fantastic singer. You're 00:30:03.430 --> 00:30:05.470 not just a fantastic singer, you're a fantastic 00:30:05.470 --> 00:30:09.930 performer. I mean, you're a life wire. How did 00:30:09.930 --> 00:30:14.869 this all start for you? For me? You know, I've 00:30:14.869 --> 00:30:18.150 always loved singing. Loved, loved singing. And 00:30:18.150 --> 00:30:23.819 my father was a band member of the police. He 00:30:23.819 --> 00:30:26.720 can play the trumpet, the bugle, the... Oh, you're 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:28.099 talking about the police force? Police force. 00:30:28.299 --> 00:30:37.940 My mom likes to sing as well. So he taught all 00:30:37.940 --> 00:30:40.440 the brothers how to play guitar. And then we 00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:44.279 were staying in... Katong at that time. Jalan 00:30:44.279 --> 00:30:46.279 Beringin. See, this is where all the talents 00:30:46.279 --> 00:30:48.240 come from. All the people from Katong. So, the 00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:50.480 people from Katong and Douglas Oliveira actually 00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:55.940 was a friend of my brother's and he used to sing 00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:58.599 at Beer Keller. Beer Keller, yeah. So, they... 00:30:58.779 --> 00:31:01.720 So, the whole family will go and go watch the 00:31:01.720 --> 00:31:04.799 brothers sing. And then, my brother said, Eh, 00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:07.920 Lisa, you want to sing or not? No, no, no. Douglas 00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:09.660 said, Eh, your sister can sing, right? Eh, let 00:31:09.660 --> 00:31:12.500 her sing. Let her. I said, cannot. All these 00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:15.059 girls, they all have to stay upstairs. You know, 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:17.500 we've got double story house. We stay in the 00:31:17.500 --> 00:31:20.839 black and white terrace that time. Very nice 00:31:20.839 --> 00:31:25.099 area. And then, oh, she can sing. I said, I want 00:31:25.099 --> 00:31:27.619 to sing. I want to sing. Then, you know, they're 00:31:27.619 --> 00:31:29.880 playing country music. Yeah, yeah. So we start 00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:32.400 with country music and then there's just players. 00:31:32.900 --> 00:31:36.880 What's your key? F -R, F -R. F -R, F -R. Then 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:42.700 they play. Delta don't. What's that? You have 00:31:42.700 --> 00:31:48.279 long. Could it be? A fair world someday somehow. 00:31:48.779 --> 00:31:52.970 Something like that. Sky Lee. Douglas said, hey, 00:31:53.089 --> 00:31:55.349 you should put your sister, you know, as your 00:31:55.349 --> 00:31:58.150 frontliner. No, no, no, no. The boys didn't let 00:31:58.150 --> 00:32:04.190 us sing. But then I had this, you know, burning. 00:32:04.329 --> 00:32:06.809 So no one taught you? No, no, no. I just wanted 00:32:06.809 --> 00:32:10.910 to sing. You mean you discovered all of a sudden, 00:32:10.970 --> 00:32:15.990 hey, I can sing. So you're born with a gift. 00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:19.579 I always wanted to sing, but then I was doing 00:32:19.579 --> 00:32:21.500 other things. No, but you're born with a gift. 00:32:21.640 --> 00:32:24.259 I mean, my question is, is that how did you become 00:32:24.259 --> 00:32:27.460 the singer? How did you become, how did you discover 00:32:27.460 --> 00:32:30.019 that you can sing? Did you have to learn it somehow? 00:32:30.140 --> 00:32:34.000 Did you watch someone else? Did someone mentor 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:36.920 you? Did someone, you know, teach you, groom 00:32:36.920 --> 00:32:40.920 you? I didn't know. We listened to Radio Fusion 00:32:40.920 --> 00:32:44.460 a lot. I see. Here we go again, Kai. Radio Fusion, 00:32:44.599 --> 00:32:48.319 man. Everyone, practically everyone got the influence 00:32:48.319 --> 00:32:51.220 from where? Really fusion. Really fusion. And 00:32:51.220 --> 00:32:53.859 then we have this, you know, vinyls and we'll 00:32:53.859 --> 00:32:56.640 listen to that. And my sisters, the three of 00:32:56.640 --> 00:33:00.079 us, we like to stand in front of the big fan. 00:33:00.920 --> 00:33:03.859 Last time, no aircon, only fan. Then we'll stand 00:33:03.859 --> 00:33:06.480 there and then the three of us will sing ABBA 00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:08.259 songs. In front of the fan. Yeah, in front of 00:33:08.259 --> 00:33:11.299 the fan. Yeah. Yeah, reverb. Yeah, reverb. We 00:33:11.299 --> 00:33:16.559 get the reverb. Dancing queen, feel the beat 00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:27.849 unattended. That one also can ah. Happy ah. That 00:33:27.849 --> 00:33:30.410 way also okay ah. So okay, I'm taking it then 00:33:30.410 --> 00:33:33.630 that Melissa Siddique actually was born to sing. 00:33:34.390 --> 00:33:38.490 Probably, yeah. I suppose so. I think I get it 00:33:38.490 --> 00:33:41.630 from my parents. Both of them got beautiful voices. 00:33:41.869 --> 00:33:45.170 So it's in the genes basically. Even though I 00:33:45.170 --> 00:33:48.130 wasn't allowed to sing, my mom would let me sing. 00:33:48.650 --> 00:33:51.650 I'm always like in the kitchen and then stirring 00:33:51.650 --> 00:33:54.930 my rendang or I have to, you know the batu giling 00:33:54.930 --> 00:33:57.809 last time? Yeah. six, you know, I have to gileng, 00:33:57.809 --> 00:33:59.910 you know, gerbuk, gerbuk, gerbuk, gerbuk, gerbuk. 00:34:00.390 --> 00:34:02.309 Then my mom said, eh, you sing a song lah, so 00:34:02.309 --> 00:34:04.210 it'll make you happy a bit. Then I will sing 00:34:04.210 --> 00:34:09.789 her favorite songs from Aneke Grono. Oh, bergini 00:34:09.789 --> 00:34:17.789 rasanya, hatiku sensara, mengingat dia hatiku 00:34:17.789 --> 00:34:24.690 loka, kena terkoda oleh cinta. So she'll ask 00:34:24.690 --> 00:34:27.920 me to sing that song. that I'm singing it over 00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:30.599 and over again right now because, you know, it 00:34:30.599 --> 00:34:34.260 really brings a lot of memory. I met Aneke Gruner 00:34:34.260 --> 00:34:36.880 at Golden Reunion. Yeah. Yeah, I met her and 00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:39.900 I sang together with her too. That was really 00:34:39.900 --> 00:34:44.019 special. So I'm still singing her song right 00:34:44.019 --> 00:34:47.739 up till today with my group. I've got my Pranakan 00:34:47.739 --> 00:34:52.809 group. Yeah. What's up with that? What's up with 00:34:52.809 --> 00:34:56.750 the Pranakan? I'm surprised. Because, you know, 00:34:56.769 --> 00:35:01.590 I also like culture and I like to, why I'm doing 00:35:01.590 --> 00:35:04.449 so much of this Pranakan because I'm brought 00:35:04.449 --> 00:35:08.250 up in Katong. That's the heart of Pranakan. Yes, 00:35:08.250 --> 00:35:12.010 yes. My grandma is Chinese. Oh, is she? She can 00:35:12.010 --> 00:35:15.849 speak Cantonese. I can only understand her schooling. 00:35:16.909 --> 00:35:25.280 That's all I know. But, And we live like how 00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:30.320 it was the Pranakans do. We don't call it Pranakan. 00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:33.440 We are a mixture of people. My grandfather is 00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:38.760 from India. He lives in Penang. That's what I 00:35:38.760 --> 00:35:43.860 heard. Cheti Peranakan maybe? Cheti Melayu. So, 00:35:43.860 --> 00:35:48.880 you know, the blood is there. So, I suppose maybe 00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:51.199 I'll go into Peranakan culture and find out. 00:35:51.239 --> 00:35:54.440 And it's so colourful. And so is my life. I grew 00:35:54.440 --> 00:35:57.300 up in a wonderful black and white house and we've 00:35:57.300 --> 00:35:59.739 got a mango tree and then my brothers will make 00:35:59.739 --> 00:36:04.400 the, we have a tree house and then we go, you 00:36:04.400 --> 00:36:07.159 know, we buy the, we go and get the tyres and 00:36:07.159 --> 00:36:10.139 then we... That's our swing and we'll climb up 00:36:10.139 --> 00:36:16.039 the tree house and we play in the rain, play 00:36:16.039 --> 00:36:19.000 in the longgang and everything and, you know, 00:36:19.019 --> 00:36:21.719 all in the dirt, come home with all mud all over 00:36:21.719 --> 00:36:27.840 us and we never get sick. good we are like so 00:36:27.840 --> 00:36:30.559 how to get sick we're outdoors all the time we 00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:34.980 never get sick we were so good you know we really 00:36:34.980 --> 00:36:38.000 live it up but Pratikant culture I mean you're 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:42.760 not Pratikant right I don't know. Maybe part. 00:36:42.760 --> 00:36:44.920 Maybe the chatty malaccan part from your grandfather's 00:36:44.920 --> 00:36:46.860 side. Grandmother's side. Grandmother's side, 00:36:46.940 --> 00:36:50.059 sorry. Because she wears the kebaya. And my mom, 00:36:50.179 --> 00:36:53.780 she sews all the kebaya for people around. Right, 00:36:53.800 --> 00:36:57.239 right. In Amber Road. Amber Road, yeah. We had 00:36:57.239 --> 00:37:00.800 a house there. So my mom, she takes in orders 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:05.989 and she makes, usually she makes the... lace 00:37:05.989 --> 00:37:09.210 ones, the lace kebaya. My grandmother, she liked 00:37:09.210 --> 00:37:13.269 the ketuk kebaya. We'll take, yeah, what is it? 00:37:13.610 --> 00:37:17.510 That's the, it has holes, yeah, on the seams. 00:37:17.789 --> 00:37:22.380 And we'll go to Juchat. We take the treasure 00:37:22.380 --> 00:37:25.840 and then we go all the way to Jujia and there's 00:37:25.840 --> 00:37:28.079 this, there's seamstress there and they'll do, 00:37:28.199 --> 00:37:31.039 we'll see it on the spot, you know, the patterns 00:37:31.039 --> 00:37:33.300 that they make and they're so beautiful. So I 00:37:33.300 --> 00:37:35.960 grew up with all these and I see it with my own 00:37:35.960 --> 00:37:39.300 eyes, you know, how things were made at that 00:37:39.300 --> 00:37:42.300 time and how colourful and wonderful and I have 00:37:42.300 --> 00:37:44.260 a picture of my grandmother, I'll show you. Her 00:37:44.260 --> 00:37:47.900 kain so beautiful, tada lagi, no more. And we 00:37:47.900 --> 00:37:51.400 used to cook a lot. We cook at home. It's nine 00:37:51.400 --> 00:37:53.360 brothers and sisters. I'm always in the kitchen. 00:37:53.519 --> 00:37:58.579 We'll make rendang, you know, outside our house. 00:37:58.820 --> 00:38:04.039 And we'll make my mother's chicken buah keluar. 00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:09.320 All these ayam buah keluar. Oh, the achar. My 00:38:09.320 --> 00:38:11.300 mother's achar. We will bottle it. Everybody 00:38:11.300 --> 00:38:14.659 loves my mother's achar. My mother is pure Peranakan. 00:38:14.739 --> 00:38:19.599 She used to jahit kasut banik. kasut I've got 00:38:19.599 --> 00:38:24.079 a lovely song with kasut manik so yeah so all 00:38:24.079 --> 00:38:28.079 this song and baju panjang baju panjang baju 00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:33.599 dulu oh okay why I love singing peranakan songs 00:38:33.599 --> 00:38:37.039 because it's so melodious it's like it's I mean 00:38:37.039 --> 00:38:41.860 it's such a change from the from the pop queen 00:38:43.219 --> 00:38:46.940 Tina Turner songs. Then I see you, and I did 00:38:46.940 --> 00:38:52.019 see you sing Pranakan songs. You're all over. 00:38:52.059 --> 00:38:55.840 You know why I see you all the time? I say, hang 00:38:55.840 --> 00:38:58.000 on. When I saw you the first time on YouTube, 00:38:58.699 --> 00:39:01.960 I mean, hang on. It can't be, but that looks 00:39:01.960 --> 00:39:07.960 like Melissa Siddique. You know why? My mom had 00:39:07.960 --> 00:39:11.760 a stroke. Multiple strokes about two years back. 00:39:12.119 --> 00:39:17.780 i'm so sorry it's all right uh she's kind she's 00:39:17.780 --> 00:39:21.599 very not she's not able anymore i could barely 00:39:21.599 --> 00:39:29.019 speak so being a real true blue pranagan my mother 00:39:29.019 --> 00:39:34.599 we play on the tv for her so we play your shows 00:39:34.599 --> 00:39:40.340 my shows We play... I've got a whole 30 -minute 00:39:40.340 --> 00:39:42.639 show, you know, I did at Armenian Street last... 00:39:42.639 --> 00:39:45.139 Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I know. All the songs 00:39:45.139 --> 00:39:47.500 that I... I know. Yeah, I bring up all that song. 00:39:47.599 --> 00:39:51.000 I know. And we play. And my mom will watch and 00:39:51.000 --> 00:39:56.559 listen. That's why I know that I realized that 00:39:56.559 --> 00:40:01.079 you're doing this Puranakan performances. And 00:40:01.079 --> 00:40:05.139 it's because of my mom that we play it. And then 00:40:05.139 --> 00:40:07.840 I realized that you're on it. and she watches 00:40:07.840 --> 00:40:11.880 you quietly. You're making me cry, you know. 00:40:12.699 --> 00:40:19.739 So, you know, so it's meaningful. I would tell 00:40:19.739 --> 00:40:23.659 you that because for us, for me, my family, my 00:40:23.659 --> 00:40:28.199 mother, because the resources that we want to 00:40:28.199 --> 00:40:32.440 find on Pranakan performances, songs, or even 00:40:32.440 --> 00:40:37.730 theatre, we can only find very little and most 00:40:37.730 --> 00:40:43.610 of it that we can find has you in it you know 00:40:43.610 --> 00:40:50.030 I'm in it a lot I'm so in love with it I really 00:40:50.030 --> 00:40:52.730 want to do a lot more about the Pranakan culture 00:40:52.730 --> 00:40:57.670 a lot about our culture it's just not about Pranakan 00:40:57.670 --> 00:41:00.489 is Chinese? No, it's not. It's just not Chinese. 00:41:01.449 --> 00:41:04.989 It's like all the elements, all the culture, 00:41:05.309 --> 00:41:10.550 all the people around me. You see, everyone I 00:41:10.550 --> 00:41:13.829 turn, okay, oh, this one is the Indian lady that 00:41:13.829 --> 00:41:16.190 I know her for a long time. She speaks Malay. 00:41:16.289 --> 00:41:20.090 And so I will sing her songs if she wants me 00:41:20.090 --> 00:41:30.610 to sing. Okay, I can. Then I turn here. I've 00:41:30.610 --> 00:41:34.510 got like really lovely Malay friends, wonderful 00:41:34.510 --> 00:41:39.730 ladies that are, you know, who nurture me. Dr. 00:41:40.369 --> 00:41:44.280 Sidiq was my neighbor. Dr. Siddiq, the gynecologist. 00:41:44.820 --> 00:41:47.320 And the mother, I'm still talking to her. And 00:41:47.320 --> 00:41:51.280 I will sing the songs to her also. Burung kakak 00:41:51.280 --> 00:41:57.000 tua di Tanjung Katol. Airnya biru. We stay in 00:41:57.000 --> 00:41:59.159 Tanjung Katol anyway. That's why we know all 00:41:59.159 --> 00:42:05.420 the songs. Di situ tempatnya. Darah jelita. Duduk 00:42:05.420 --> 00:42:17.050 sekampung. Lagikan rindu. Kononlah pulang. And 00:42:17.050 --> 00:42:21.650 we love to watch Piramli also. All the Piramli 00:42:21.650 --> 00:42:24.250 songs also, I would want to sing. I don't care. 00:42:24.309 --> 00:42:26.449 I want to sing it. So that's why I'm in every 00:42:26.449 --> 00:42:31.010 show, you know. Piramli song like, Bila larut 00:42:31.010 --> 00:42:39.329 malam, Suasana sepi, Bori Morantika, Widuri. 00:42:41.949 --> 00:42:45.869 We all grew up with all these, you know, shows, 00:42:45.889 --> 00:42:49.610 you know, on TV. Yeah. Eh, Bori was married to 00:42:49.610 --> 00:42:51.869 Anita at one time. I know, I know. First husband, 00:42:52.070 --> 00:42:55.010 yeah. First, no, actually not. No, the first 00:42:55.010 --> 00:43:01.710 one. Okay. That one I didn't know. You can do 00:43:01.710 --> 00:43:03.889 Piramli. Your voice is very nice. That's what 00:43:03.889 --> 00:43:05.710 everyone has been telling me. You should do. 00:43:07.269 --> 00:43:09.849 My Malay friends have been telling me. But you 00:43:09.849 --> 00:43:14.449 know, I find it so hard to learn these songs, 00:43:14.469 --> 00:43:17.889 really. But I just can't find it so hard to remember 00:43:17.889 --> 00:43:29.260 the words. Malay? Yeah. Lyrics. I must teach 00:43:29.260 --> 00:43:37.860 you Malay is the easiest to learn. Any genres 00:43:37.860 --> 00:43:40.320 when you were growing up, were there any genres 00:43:40.320 --> 00:43:42.840 that caught you, captured you, that you would 00:43:42.840 --> 00:43:45.860 say that influenced you in any way in your singing? 00:43:46.420 --> 00:43:52.650 Definitely the 60s. The 60s, 70s. Like what kind 00:43:52.650 --> 00:43:54.030 of genres are you talking about? Are you talking 00:43:54.030 --> 00:43:56.489 about country? Are you talking about rock, pop, 00:43:56.670 --> 00:44:01.849 jazz? Pop, pop, pop, pop, ABBA at that time and 00:44:01.849 --> 00:44:07.309 all the 1970s songs. Okay, okay, okay. The car 00:44:07.309 --> 00:44:14.429 wash, working at the car wash. Beep, beep. Yeah, 00:44:14.469 --> 00:44:16.070 you know that song, right? Yeah, of course I 00:44:16.070 --> 00:44:22.849 do. At the car wash, yeah. Yeah. So we grew up 00:44:22.849 --> 00:44:25.409 with those songs. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But 00:44:25.409 --> 00:44:30.030 this, after all that, I mean, you've never stopped 00:44:30.030 --> 00:44:34.550 performing, have you? I did. Okay. What happened? 00:44:34.829 --> 00:44:42.719 I got married. Alamma, always a problem. So, 00:44:42.780 --> 00:44:45.820 this one. See, this one. When I go, when I go 00:44:45.820 --> 00:44:52.039 in, I never stop. I know. So, Picture the husband. 00:44:52.300 --> 00:44:54.960 Picture of my husband. I say Masale. Masale. 00:44:55.320 --> 00:44:59.079 Kiwi guy. So, this is the cricket club. Okay. 00:44:59.179 --> 00:45:01.760 So, that's Chris. His name is also Chris. Good 00:45:01.760 --> 00:45:05.159 name. Christopher. Nice name. Christopher Kilfoyle. 00:45:05.760 --> 00:45:08.559 So, I was Mrs. Kilfoyle for a while. The two 00:45:08.559 --> 00:45:13.369 children came. And, and that's it. My, my focus 00:45:13.369 --> 00:45:19.289 were about the children. Yeah. So, we kind of 00:45:19.289 --> 00:45:22.730 like moved in, moved to Australia, lived in Brisbane, 00:45:23.010 --> 00:45:27.530 lived in Darwin. Wow. It's hot there. All places, 00:45:27.670 --> 00:45:30.650 Darwin. Because my late husband. That's the outback, 00:45:30.710 --> 00:45:34.250 man. My late husband, he's, he's passed on. I'm 00:45:34.250 --> 00:45:41.199 sorry. Yeah. He, he was, he, he does the, conveyor 00:45:41.199 --> 00:45:43.480 belts for airport. So he builds. Right, right, 00:45:43.500 --> 00:45:46.659 right. The carousels. We get to go. to Darwin 00:45:46.659 --> 00:45:49.059 and stay there for a bit and then we lived in 00:45:49.059 --> 00:45:52.920 Melbourne and we ended up in Brisbane for a bit 00:45:52.920 --> 00:45:56.840 but of course you know we go to New Zealand of 00:45:56.840 --> 00:46:01.820 course Vanuatu and Fiji and yeah so my kids are 00:46:01.820 --> 00:46:05.300 there my girl is there she's finished her degree 00:46:05.300 --> 00:46:08.880 in computer science and she's decided to just 00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:12.500 stay there for now and don't blame her yeah she's 00:46:12.500 --> 00:46:18.539 23 and my son is Sean. Nadia is my daughter. 00:46:18.659 --> 00:46:22.380 My son is Sean. He's 24. He wants to join the 00:46:22.380 --> 00:46:24.619 sister. He's going to do marine science. I wouldn't 00:46:24.619 --> 00:46:26.300 be surprised if he wants to join the sister. 00:46:26.440 --> 00:46:30.659 I mean, come on. So what will you be doing then? 00:46:31.280 --> 00:46:35.079 I will just visit them. Because I'm too... I 00:46:35.079 --> 00:46:38.639 love Singapore. Cannot. I'm a singer, true blue 00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:41.400 Singaporean. Okay. Got Chinese background, got 00:46:41.400 --> 00:46:46.579 Indian background. My father is Arab. So my father 00:46:46.579 --> 00:46:52.699 is Muhammad Sireh. Cannot. Cannot. I'm here. 00:46:52.860 --> 00:46:55.619 I'm in the middle here. Don't ask me to go to 00:46:55.619 --> 00:46:58.920 Outback. I cannot. I need my sambal belacan. 00:46:58.920 --> 00:47:02.460 Sambal belacan. So you still tumbuk the sambal 00:47:02.460 --> 00:47:03.719 belacan? Tumbuk. I still tumbuk the sambal belacan. 00:47:03.719 --> 00:47:06.980 Don't bluff lah. You put it in blender lah. Must 00:47:06.980 --> 00:47:10.199 tumbuk you know. Have you tried sambal belacan? 00:47:10.320 --> 00:47:12.239 You tumbuk the sambal belacan and then after 00:47:12.239 --> 00:47:14.059 that you korek the sambal belacan. Then you put 00:47:14.059 --> 00:47:17.880 hot rice in the in the you know in the tumbuk 00:47:17.880 --> 00:47:21.469 you know. And then you put ikan. Hot, hot, hot, 00:47:21.550 --> 00:47:33.119 hot. I can't find it in New Zealand. Yeah, I 00:47:33.119 --> 00:47:35.139 love to cook. No, you're right. I agree with 00:47:35.139 --> 00:47:38.739 you. I mean, sambal belacan, the best form of 00:47:38.739 --> 00:47:41.440 sambal belacan is what you actually put into 00:47:41.440 --> 00:47:43.960 the pestle, right? And then you just tumbuk away 00:47:43.960 --> 00:47:46.420 lah. Yes. You know, you're absolutely right. 00:47:46.539 --> 00:47:49.000 I used to be the one. I also tumbuk belacan before 00:47:49.000 --> 00:47:50.699 at my mother's house, okay? Kena torture lah 00:47:50.699 --> 00:47:57.099 last time. I wear the sunglasses. I have to tumbuk. 00:48:01.690 --> 00:48:08.269 That's it. You must have a good beat to it. I 00:48:08.269 --> 00:48:18.130 just had a performance with him. I was working 00:48:18.130 --> 00:48:21.269 with him in Kuching. We were flown to Kuching 00:48:21.269 --> 00:48:26.110 to do his show about, you know, where he talks 00:48:26.110 --> 00:48:32.119 about the matriarchs. So he was fantastic. actor 00:48:32.119 --> 00:48:35.840 yeah and I was so honored you know I could sing 00:48:35.840 --> 00:48:40.659 for him so I sang I was like the interval you 00:48:40.659 --> 00:48:44.420 know and he told me about the tumbuk thing you 00:48:44.420 --> 00:48:49.480 have to have a rhythm they can the people your 00:48:49.480 --> 00:48:52.599 neighbors can hear you know this one is a very 00:48:52.599 --> 00:48:56.900 cholo the way she tumbuk My mother never told 00:48:56.900 --> 00:48:58.960 me that. My grandmother also never told me that. 00:48:59.059 --> 00:49:01.199 Because you're not anak daerah. You bujang, you 00:49:01.199 --> 00:49:05.940 know. It means girls must tumbuk dentally lah, 00:49:06.039 --> 00:49:11.079 nicely. Boys, never mind lah. We let go ni. Chidi 00:49:11.079 --> 00:49:14.340 will fly everywhere. Everywhere, right. I don't 00:49:14.340 --> 00:49:17.280 know what. Sometimes I put she lah, tumbuk sambal 00:49:17.280 --> 00:49:22.730 belacan. We love letters also. we made love lessons 00:49:22.730 --> 00:49:26.449 everything we do is very lembut very nice and 00:49:26.449 --> 00:49:30.389 gentle you know my mother used to make this kueh 00:49:30.389 --> 00:49:34.909 nengko it's like the green pandan chiffon cake 00:49:34.909 --> 00:49:40.710 is it kueh nengko she call it we have the beater 00:49:40.710 --> 00:49:44.150 she make us use the coil that one and beat the 00:49:44.150 --> 00:49:48.199 six eggs Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That 00:49:48.199 --> 00:49:49.920 one, that one, that one. That one, you have to 00:49:49.920 --> 00:49:52.460 do that. Like a pogo stick, a spring like spring. 00:49:52.599 --> 00:49:55.539 She don't like the grrr. She don't like the end. 00:49:55.880 --> 00:49:57.800 I also don't know why she don't like the texture. 00:49:57.980 --> 00:50:02.039 That one also we kenal. And then we make the 00:50:02.039 --> 00:50:08.260 kueh bangke. Santan lah. Santan. Coconut milk, 00:50:08.380 --> 00:50:11.320 santan. We make our pineapple tarts with the 00:50:11.320 --> 00:50:13.739 pineapple. We have to squeeze the teeth out also. 00:50:13.860 --> 00:50:16.639 We parut. You know the parut, the one with a 00:50:16.639 --> 00:50:21.980 lot of teeth, that one. So that you can get that 00:50:21.980 --> 00:50:24.119 texture. My sister kenal that one. Yeah, that 00:50:24.119 --> 00:50:28.110 one. Kueh tart. my sister yeah and then we have 00:50:28.110 --> 00:50:31.409 to stir the kway tat and things like that actually 00:50:31.409 --> 00:50:34.469 you know it's a lovely culture yeah it is a lovely 00:50:34.469 --> 00:50:36.570 culture I agree with you we grew up with all 00:50:36.570 --> 00:50:40.750 this food around us the food man it's the food 00:50:40.750 --> 00:50:43.030 the same thing like you know people get bought 00:50:43.030 --> 00:50:45.170 keluar they go to product and restaurant because 00:50:45.170 --> 00:50:49.909 no I You pay so much, you get 4 BG you need. 00:50:51.349 --> 00:50:54.929 Eh, work keluar ah, you must make it really special. 00:50:55.289 --> 00:50:57.309 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I will coat it the thing and 00:50:57.309 --> 00:51:00.530 then I put prawn and chicken meat and mix with 00:51:00.530 --> 00:51:02.289 it and then stuff it back in. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 00:51:02.289 --> 00:51:05.670 correct. And when you eat ah, wah. My mum, damn 00:51:05.670 --> 00:51:08.409 shook. I mean, my mum bless her. I mean, for 00:51:08.409 --> 00:51:13.909 many years before she got sick, we had the privilege 00:51:13.909 --> 00:51:20.940 of her work keluar. Oh, wonderful. People get 00:51:20.940 --> 00:51:23.340 few pieces in the restaurant. My goodness, we've 00:51:23.340 --> 00:51:26.639 got like, my goodness. Wow. And then sometimes 00:51:26.639 --> 00:51:29.000 she does a sambal bakula. You have to ketuk, 00:51:29.000 --> 00:51:31.199 right? A sambal bakula. When it comes out, this 00:51:31.199 --> 00:51:34.340 shell already, right? Then we just, sambal we 00:51:34.340 --> 00:51:38.559 can culuk with bread. I'll tell you. But I'll 00:51:38.559 --> 00:51:42.900 miss all that. I miss it. My mother did say one 00:51:42.900 --> 00:51:45.119 day when you lose me, you will miss all this. 00:51:45.159 --> 00:51:47.039 I will tell you right here, right now. I miss 00:51:47.039 --> 00:51:51.239 it. Come to my house. You can talk for me in 00:51:51.239 --> 00:52:02.920 the work. You put it for me. Anyways, so you 00:52:02.920 --> 00:52:05.739 got married, you stopped performing. Yeah, but 00:52:05.739 --> 00:52:09.699 I was also into my career being a teacher of 00:52:09.699 --> 00:52:12.159 special needs. How did that happen? No, no. Teacher 00:52:12.159 --> 00:52:14.800 of special needs. I've always been teaching. 00:52:14.920 --> 00:52:19.659 Even before? Before Tina, before. I was actually, 00:52:19.760 --> 00:52:26.050 I was only 17, 18. I was looking for a job. I 00:52:26.050 --> 00:52:28.909 was working with Act 3. Act 3, yeah, yeah. Ruby, 00:52:28.909 --> 00:52:31.670 Chandran, and Jasmine at that time. Shout out 00:52:31.670 --> 00:52:35.610 to you guys. Yeah, that's, so that was my, like, 00:52:35.650 --> 00:52:38.409 oh, that's where I learned about theatre and 00:52:38.409 --> 00:52:41.980 everything else. I wasn't a performer. I was 00:52:41.980 --> 00:52:46.099 doing backstage. I was doing costumes. I was 00:52:46.099 --> 00:52:49.340 cutting sponge. I was cutting sponge. I was like 00:52:49.340 --> 00:52:52.719 Edward Scissorhands. And then I can make a horse's 00:52:52.719 --> 00:52:55.840 head. So they use the horse head for, you know, 00:52:55.860 --> 00:53:01.579 to act on TV. I mean on stage. And then I do 00:53:01.579 --> 00:53:04.760 this dragon. i can do this wow really is that 00:53:04.760 --> 00:53:08.980 origami yeah no it's with sponge but you can't 00:53:08.980 --> 00:53:11.480 yeah i cut the sponge and then shape it shape 00:53:11.480 --> 00:53:17.190 it sculpt it sculpt it so i was a costumer I 00:53:17.190 --> 00:53:19.869 called myself. Wow. And I could make big, big. 00:53:19.889 --> 00:53:22.769 For the kids. Bridget Lachika was with me and 00:53:22.769 --> 00:53:25.110 she said that, you know, you can make a lot of 00:53:25.110 --> 00:53:28.289 money, you know, in the States. They need talents 00:53:28.289 --> 00:53:31.949 like you. Bridget Lachika. Yeah. Any relation 00:53:31.949 --> 00:53:38.750 to Gary Lachika? Yeah. Fernandez. Bridget on 00:53:38.750 --> 00:53:42.840 TV. She's always on TV. Bridget. She's always 00:53:42.840 --> 00:53:46.099 on TV. Okay. You don't know her. Well, she's 00:53:46.099 --> 00:53:51.539 with Act 3. Okay. And I was doing that quietly. 00:53:51.820 --> 00:53:56.000 And then one day, one day I was doing a ticketing 00:53:56.000 --> 00:53:59.900 or something at drama center. And someone fell. 00:54:00.039 --> 00:54:04.039 She had a concussion. We were doing a lightning 00:54:04.039 --> 00:54:08.760 god. the kitchen lightning rod. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:54:09.320 --> 00:54:13.400 Oh, man. By Catherine Lim. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:54:13.539 --> 00:54:16.480 It's her story. Oh, yes. What's the name? I was 00:54:16.480 --> 00:54:19.739 supposed to become this asshole, okay, in colors. 00:54:19.980 --> 00:54:22.739 They put me in colors and said, go and act. The 00:54:22.739 --> 00:54:25.019 actress is off and then gave me a cigarette. 00:54:25.260 --> 00:54:28.619 Okay, I don't know my lines. So I was doing this 00:54:28.619 --> 00:54:30.900 and said, okay, what I'm supposed to say? No, 00:54:31.019 --> 00:54:34.039 this is your son. This is the part that you say. 00:54:34.219 --> 00:54:37.159 You hit him I hantam him Like anything Because 00:54:37.159 --> 00:54:39.360 I don't know What to say And then he said Why 00:54:39.360 --> 00:54:43.519 ah You so naughty huh Huh Huh Every time ah They 00:54:43.519 --> 00:54:45.559 all give you angpao You must press Press Press 00:54:45.559 --> 00:54:49.530 the angpao Who teach you that This guy. And I 00:54:49.530 --> 00:54:55.050 was smoking. So that was my first debut on stage. 00:54:55.230 --> 00:54:57.130 He cannot concussion. Yeah, he cannot concussion 00:54:57.130 --> 00:55:00.389 after that. But that was my first debut on stage. 00:55:00.570 --> 00:55:02.969 I was only a teenager. That was the first time 00:55:02.969 --> 00:55:06.730 that, oh, this lady can perform also. Just not 00:55:06.730 --> 00:55:10.570 doing costumes and backstage. But how did you 00:55:10.570 --> 00:55:13.469 then end up as a special needs teacher? Okay, 00:55:13.469 --> 00:55:17.260 and then... Because I get, you know, acting job. 00:55:17.360 --> 00:55:21.619 So I was acting at the Singapore Zoo for children 00:55:21.619 --> 00:55:25.880 with special needs from Chao Yang. So they were 00:55:25.880 --> 00:55:29.940 all there and I was singing, you know, Singapore, 00:55:30.380 --> 00:55:34.780 Singapore, our hearts are big and wide. Next 00:55:34.780 --> 00:55:39.300 time, these kids were up and they were so happy 00:55:39.300 --> 00:55:42.559 that I sang. And then they sang again to me all 00:55:42.559 --> 00:55:45.159 in unison. And they were giving me big hugs and 00:55:45.159 --> 00:55:47.920 said, hey, I want to work with them. And actually, 00:55:48.000 --> 00:55:51.079 Chow Yang was very close to Act 3 where we were. 00:55:51.320 --> 00:55:53.420 And then there's Spastic Children's Association 00:55:53.420 --> 00:55:56.260 School as well. So I went there and asked for 00:55:56.260 --> 00:55:59.019 a job. So they gave me the job and then said, 00:55:59.079 --> 00:56:01.920 okay, you have to be qualified first. I went 00:56:01.920 --> 00:56:06.980 to the teacher's college down the road and then 00:56:06.980 --> 00:56:13.619 got qualified. Continued working with children 00:56:13.619 --> 00:56:16.780 with disabilities, adult with disabilities when 00:56:16.780 --> 00:56:21.840 I stayed in Brisbane. I worked with people who 00:56:21.840 --> 00:56:27.420 had autism and cerebral palsy. I continued when 00:56:27.420 --> 00:56:30.739 I came back to Singapore in 2008 with Ewa. I 00:56:30.739 --> 00:56:36.119 worked with babies, children under six years 00:56:36.119 --> 00:56:39.889 old in early intervention. Right now, I'm specialized 00:56:39.889 --> 00:56:45.349 working with babies with severe medical needs. 00:56:45.530 --> 00:56:50.750 Wow. And they come from KKH. And I go to KK to 00:56:50.750 --> 00:56:56.070 learn how to handle the children and learn how 00:56:56.070 --> 00:56:59.849 to read the monitors and the SPOs and the breathing 00:56:59.849 --> 00:57:03.670 apparatus. And I go to homes. This is my day 00:57:03.670 --> 00:57:06.909 job. This is auntie. Sorry. This is the auntie 00:57:06.909 --> 00:57:12.309 day job. I go to homes around here. There's a 00:57:12.309 --> 00:57:16.070 student here. His name is Salim. I will go to 00:57:16.070 --> 00:57:20.579 his house. And, you know, these children... We 00:57:20.579 --> 00:57:23.559 take them as early as three months old. Wow. 00:57:23.739 --> 00:57:26.599 Five months, they start with us. And I'll go 00:57:26.599 --> 00:57:29.539 to the house and usually they are very young 00:57:29.539 --> 00:57:33.860 moms. And I have been a mother myself. So I know 00:57:33.860 --> 00:57:36.559 how it feels when you have a newborn in the house. 00:57:36.579 --> 00:57:40.460 And especially if your child is a child with 00:57:40.460 --> 00:57:45.800 a disability, born with blindness, with hearing 00:57:45.800 --> 00:57:49.820 impairment or breathing. They can't breathe and 00:57:49.820 --> 00:57:53.159 they're premature babies. They can't drink milk 00:57:53.159 --> 00:57:55.460 and they're drinking milk from the tube or some 00:57:55.460 --> 00:57:59.280 of them from eating from the pack here. So, you 00:57:59.280 --> 00:58:02.380 know, the parents are really fall on. They feel 00:58:02.380 --> 00:58:07.139 lost. So our team, me, a physiotherapist, a speech 00:58:07.139 --> 00:58:09.480 therapist, an occupational therapist, we'll visit 00:58:09.480 --> 00:58:12.400 the family every week. And then we'll start, 00:58:12.519 --> 00:58:15.179 you know, taking the baby. Don't put your baby 00:58:15.179 --> 00:58:19.510 in the crib. Come, come. take the baby out and 00:58:19.510 --> 00:58:22.889 then we put the baby uh you know and uh in the 00:58:22.889 --> 00:58:26.309 living room and then we'll say okay sit the baby 00:58:26.309 --> 00:58:28.929 up and this is how you carry the baby so it's 00:58:28.929 --> 00:58:32.150 like a baby handling you know we'll teach the 00:58:32.150 --> 00:58:35.570 the parents how to do that and uh especially 00:58:35.570 --> 00:58:39.869 dads dads are afraid to to carry their babies 00:58:39.869 --> 00:58:43.210 because they feel that they're so fragile so 00:58:43.210 --> 00:58:47.519 um i would do a hand uh you know uh hand over 00:58:47.519 --> 00:58:49.780 hand you know this is how you carry your baby 00:58:49.780 --> 00:58:53.300 put him on the lap okay let him rest on you okay 00:58:53.300 --> 00:58:56.199 rock the baby so when you are moving the baby 00:58:56.199 --> 00:58:59.099 okay keep your baby moving when you move the 00:58:59.099 --> 00:59:02.099 baby all the little muscles are working on the 00:59:02.099 --> 00:59:05.179 baby you know on the uh we were working at okay 00:59:05.179 --> 00:59:09.579 what is this like we're working for the torso, 00:59:09.780 --> 00:59:12.880 the core. You're working on the core when the 00:59:12.880 --> 00:59:15.440 child goes this way, this way, the core muscles 00:59:15.440 --> 00:59:19.460 are activated. So that's the first thing that 00:59:19.460 --> 00:59:22.820 I will teach the parents when I meet them. You're 00:59:22.820 --> 00:59:26.539 remarkable. For me, we started the show and Melissa 00:59:26.539 --> 00:59:31.519 Siddick, we all know, is this vibrant, live wire 00:59:31.519 --> 00:59:35.900 singer, you know, full of life. fun, full of 00:59:35.900 --> 00:59:38.639 jokes, like you've been throughout, since we, 00:59:38.699 --> 00:59:41.940 from the get -go of this shoot, you know? And 00:59:41.940 --> 00:59:44.280 then now you're telling me all this. It's this 00:59:44.280 --> 00:59:47.699 tender part of you, man, that people don't know. 00:59:48.460 --> 00:59:53.199 Yeah, I don't usually talk about this work that 00:59:53.199 --> 00:59:55.860 I'm doing because... It's because of PDPA. I 00:59:55.860 --> 00:59:59.099 cannot show or talk about them. Yeah, I understand. 00:59:59.500 --> 01:00:03.599 Or flash them, you know. But your work, but you 01:00:03.599 --> 01:00:05.679 doing, just being, you know, doing what you do 01:00:05.679 --> 01:00:10.559 is so remarkably different from what people know 01:00:10.559 --> 01:00:14.119 you as. Yeah, so you see? Ah, I see. There's 01:00:14.119 --> 01:00:15.519 so many parts of me. No, it's not an asshole 01:00:15.519 --> 01:00:18.940 part of you, man. I'm not so asshole. No, but 01:00:18.940 --> 01:00:22.909 it's really, it's kudos to you. I mean, It's 01:00:22.909 --> 01:00:26.929 amazing that there's so many facets to a person. 01:00:26.969 --> 01:00:30.909 You're a fine example of that. I just did some 01:00:30.909 --> 01:00:34.449 work with APS and Chao Yang. The Chao Yang kids 01:00:34.449 --> 01:00:37.750 were performing as well. And I used to do lots 01:00:37.750 --> 01:00:41.869 of charity shows for Spastic Children's Association 01:00:41.869 --> 01:00:46.880 and Mines. For many years, long time ago. Spastic 01:00:46.880 --> 01:00:49.400 Children's Association is now CPAS, you know, 01:00:49.460 --> 01:00:52.739 the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. Oh, is that right? 01:00:52.880 --> 01:00:57.949 Okay. I used to do so many for them. Because 01:00:57.949 --> 01:00:59.809 I make it a point to do charity shows, you know, 01:00:59.809 --> 01:01:01.949 as often as I can. I was working there for 10 01:01:01.949 --> 01:01:03.949 years, you know, in Bassist Children's Association 01:01:03.949 --> 01:01:08.809 School. Then I saw you here and there and then 01:01:08.809 --> 01:01:12.789 I saw you doing our D &D for it. Yeah, I did, 01:01:12.829 --> 01:01:15.409 yeah. And then you sang Elvis Presley. Yeah, 01:01:15.409 --> 01:01:19.730 yeah. Elvis Presley of Singapore. Yeah, I never 01:01:19.730 --> 01:01:21.929 entered the Rolling Good Times competition. Yeah. 01:01:22.130 --> 01:01:24.469 I didn't want to because I was being paid to 01:01:24.469 --> 01:01:27.170 do so. And at the moment, if I lose, then nobody 01:01:27.170 --> 01:01:30.429 wants me anymore. I die. Not a good move. Strategically, 01:01:30.429 --> 01:01:32.929 not a good move for me. What was his name? Rico. 01:01:32.929 --> 01:01:36.590 Rito. Rito Caviezel. Handsome. Handsome. Wow, 01:01:36.630 --> 01:01:39.730 Rito. That time. Yeah, that time. I don't know 01:01:39.730 --> 01:01:42.150 how he looks like. Oh, that's handsome that time. 01:01:42.230 --> 01:01:45.090 I don't know how he looks like now. Oh, he needs 01:01:45.090 --> 01:01:50.389 to wear a wig. Okay, never mind. Hi, Rito, if 01:01:50.389 --> 01:01:53.630 you're listening. Yeah, I have not seen him in 01:01:53.630 --> 01:01:56.710 a long time anyway. Romito, I still know. He's 01:01:56.710 --> 01:01:59.150 still around. Romito Mendoza. Hi, Romito. Shout 01:01:59.150 --> 01:02:03.309 out to you too. Okay. What advice would you give 01:02:03.309 --> 01:02:07.530 to, say, today's context to a young artist who 01:02:07.530 --> 01:02:09.610 is just starting their journey in music, singing? 01:02:10.000 --> 01:02:15.780 performing you know um you get disheartened and 01:02:15.780 --> 01:02:17.739 and and then you're always questioning yourself 01:02:17.739 --> 01:02:20.699 why are you doing this and is this the right 01:02:20.699 --> 01:02:24.960 career and well what what is it for me and all 01:02:24.960 --> 01:02:27.780 this will you know really drag you down but the 01:02:27.780 --> 01:02:31.739 thing is you know yourself that you are gifted 01:02:31.739 --> 01:02:34.820 you know this is a gift for you and and that 01:02:34.820 --> 01:02:38.300 you have this talent and that you can perform 01:02:38.300 --> 01:02:42.400 and you really you know you touch lives you know 01:02:42.400 --> 01:02:44.960 around you and everybody's listening to you and 01:02:44.960 --> 01:02:49.380 watching your creation and get inspired by you 01:02:49.380 --> 01:02:52.909 and and you should see the positive side And, 01:02:52.989 --> 01:02:55.829 you know, there's all these ups and downs when 01:02:55.829 --> 01:02:58.869 you are performing this. Oh, the money is not 01:02:58.869 --> 01:03:01.409 enough. Should I do this for the money or the 01:03:01.409 --> 01:03:04.409 love or things like that? Actually, I'm telling 01:03:04.409 --> 01:03:10.730 you guys, just do it. Like Nike said. Last question, 01:03:10.769 --> 01:03:13.429 Melissa, before we wrap this season finale episode. 01:03:13.989 --> 01:03:16.710 If you could go back in time and give your younger 01:03:16.710 --> 01:03:20.389 self one piece, one piece of advice, what would 01:03:20.389 --> 01:03:25.630 that be? If I go, back in time, advice to myself? 01:03:28.909 --> 01:03:37.630 I don't know what I'll tell myself. I think next 01:03:37.630 --> 01:03:41.889 time, oh, you know what I wish? I had a really 01:03:41.889 --> 01:03:45.190 good handphone back then so that I could document 01:03:45.190 --> 01:03:49.179 my life. There's so much to say. I wish this 01:03:49.179 --> 01:03:55.000 was born. So you wish there was a smartphone 01:03:55.000 --> 01:03:57.860 way back when. So we could record everything. 01:03:57.860 --> 01:04:01.710 Everything. now I just started you know you're 01:04:01.710 --> 01:04:04.510 just seeing the new me but actually there's so 01:04:04.510 --> 01:04:07.769 much of me that you have missed out that's like 01:04:07.769 --> 01:04:10.010 90 % of me that you've missed out yeah I mean 01:04:10.010 --> 01:04:12.829 so much so many things about you I mean first 01:04:12.829 --> 01:04:15.670 of all of course naturally Tina Turner then we 01:04:15.670 --> 01:04:18.309 have the Peranakan the person who loves Peranakan 01:04:18.309 --> 01:04:21.670 culture goes out so much to do so much work on 01:04:21.670 --> 01:04:24.090 stage with the Peranakan shows and the cooking 01:04:24.090 --> 01:04:29.929 yeah and then your work as a special needs teacher, 01:04:30.289 --> 01:04:34.829 you know, for people who really need help, families 01:04:34.829 --> 01:04:37.210 need help. There's so many parts to you. It's 01:04:37.210 --> 01:04:40.650 amazing. This show, you're on my season finale. 01:04:40.909 --> 01:04:44.349 I'm glad I have you on my season finale. It's 01:04:44.349 --> 01:04:48.610 a blessing, I think. It's a big blessing. And 01:04:48.610 --> 01:04:51.849 it's our tribute to you. And I want to say to 01:04:51.849 --> 01:04:55.360 you, Melissa Siddick, don't stop singing. Don't 01:04:55.360 --> 01:04:57.920 stop performing. I won't. And always be who you 01:04:57.920 --> 01:05:02.420 are. You're remarkable. Thank you so much. Thank 01:05:02.420 --> 01:05:04.940 you. It's been such a pleasure talking to you. 01:05:05.400 --> 01:05:08.840 You're such a sweetheart. Thank you for also... 01:05:09.320 --> 01:05:11.440 Entertaining my mom without you even knowing. 01:05:11.539 --> 01:05:13.699 You know what? I should have a Spotify. This 01:05:13.699 --> 01:05:17.039 is my next move. Then I can sing all the beautiful 01:05:17.039 --> 01:05:20.360 songs. And then, you know, and make it beautiful. 01:05:20.579 --> 01:05:22.719 It's easily done, by the way. Is it? I don't 01:05:22.719 --> 01:05:26.920 know. I wish there's Spotify last time. I sang 01:05:26.920 --> 01:05:30.460 all over the world. You can record your own album 01:05:30.460 --> 01:05:33.179 and you can upload it. Yeah, you can. I don't 01:05:33.179 --> 01:05:35.099 know what to do. You know, the youngsters down 01:05:35.099 --> 01:05:37.860 there, you want to help auntie? You come and 01:05:37.860 --> 01:05:42.860 help me. The auntie is still strutting around 01:05:42.860 --> 01:05:45.860 with her little heels on stage, man, and the 01:05:45.860 --> 01:05:49.119 mini skirts coming. Come on. Thank you so very 01:05:49.119 --> 01:05:50.760 much once again for being on the show. I really 01:05:50.760 --> 01:05:53.460 appreciate you. Thank you. And ladies and gentlemen, 01:05:53.500 --> 01:05:56.059 thank you so very much for, first of all, again, 01:05:56.199 --> 01:05:59.960 making the season six a real milestone for the 01:05:59.960 --> 01:06:03.079 Chris Hansen conversation and for CCB TV podcasts. 01:06:03.559 --> 01:06:07.039 Please continue to support us. I will say it 01:06:07.039 --> 01:06:09.679 right here, right now, unashamedly, unlike some 01:06:09.679 --> 01:06:12.719 other podcasts that they've got as many, if not 01:06:12.719 --> 01:06:16.059 more, subscribers coming out of Singapore. This, 01:06:16.099 --> 01:06:20.760 and funded by big names, this is a little place 01:06:20.760 --> 01:06:25.639 in Tampines, Newtown, in a home, my home, and 01:06:25.639 --> 01:06:29.099 it's... built with our bare hands we have no 01:06:29.099 --> 01:06:31.300 backers we have no funding we have nothing like 01:06:31.300 --> 01:06:34.340 that but it's passion it's love the love for 01:06:34.340 --> 01:06:37.219 our guests the love for the conversations that 01:06:37.219 --> 01:06:39.860 we love we want to bring what we have been bringing 01:06:39.860 --> 01:06:43.619 to you and you know enjoying every single minute 01:06:43.619 --> 01:06:46.340 of it and we hope you've been enjoying with us 01:06:46.340 --> 01:06:51.260 as well so please uh please Help us out by sharing 01:06:51.260 --> 01:06:54.699 and commenting and also continue to support us. 01:06:55.340 --> 01:07:01.199 Season 7 will come on, likely in April 2026. 01:07:01.400 --> 01:07:03.380 We're going to take a break. Well, as I always 01:07:03.380 --> 01:07:06.420 say, every time we go on a season break, it's 01:07:06.420 --> 01:07:08.420 not really a break. We're prepping production 01:07:08.420 --> 01:07:13.579 for the next season. But until then, please do... 01:07:13.849 --> 01:07:16.170 Go back and enjoy the rest of our episodes over 01:07:16.170 --> 01:07:18.510 the last six seasons that we've had put up on 01:07:18.510 --> 01:07:22.190 YouTube and on Spotify. And it's the festive 01:07:22.190 --> 01:07:26.090 season. On behalf of Kai and myself and, of course, 01:07:26.090 --> 01:07:30.590 Melissa, have yourselves a fantastic new year, 01:07:30.670 --> 01:07:34.190 a fantastic 2026. As you're watching this video 01:07:34.190 --> 01:07:36.730 right now, I'm sure we're in January already. 01:07:37.030 --> 01:07:40.469 So thank you, everybody, once again. We'll see 01:07:40.469 --> 01:07:43.820 you very soon in April for Season 7. Until then, 01:07:43.900 --> 01:07:46.139 take care, stay safe. Bye -bye.