Latest news with #TheRiverRemembers
AsiaOne
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
From Udon to Rudon: Sharon Au on her cat's name change and his very own French passport, Entertainment News
SINGAPORE - It was love at first sight when Sharon Au set eyes on a sickly male white kitten, one who looked "terrible". "He was born with an eye virus infection and had tear stains around his eyes," says the home-grown personality who is based in Paris. She adds that the kitten's unique appearance - it has black patches on its face, and a black tail with a white tip - "wasn't considered cute or adorable". "Nobody wanted to pick him, but he reminded me of myself when I was young - I was never a cute kid, I'm more the 'weird' one," says the actress-host, 49, who adopted him from a Paris animal shelter in 2000. She named the two-month-old kitten Udon, like the Japanese noodle, but the French authorities rejected that name. "He has to be called Rudon, because in France, there is a naming convention for pets. All names need to start with a designed alphabet to specify which year it was born," Au says. The letter R was the alphabet for the year 2020. So Udon became Rudon, and as part of his registration process, he had to undergo check-ups, vaccinations and micro-chipping. "Rudon is very classy, very French; he has his own French passport, which allows him to travel anywhere within the European Union," says Au with a laugh. Rudon, five, has travelled with her to several European cities. Au, who has been living in the French capital for eight years, says Rudon is a very quiet and docile travel companion. "I have seen many cats meowing throughout the entire train ride; maybe they are very anxious," she adds. "When I unzip the bag, he pops out only to stretch. He's very calm." Au is starring in bilingual theatre play The River Remembers by Ding Yi Music Company, as part of Singapore's SG60 celebrations. She plays Mother River, a symbol of heritage, resilience and renewal that helped shape a nation, carrying dreams to the future. The River Remembers will be staged at the Drama Centre on Aug 16. She will also be a co-host of Find Me A Singaporean: The World's My Stage, a docuseries celebrating Singaporeans who have made their mark beyond the little red dot. The eight-episode show is available on demand on mewatch and airs every Thursday at 8pm on Channel 8. Au cannot bring Rudon to Singapore when she returns home to visit her mother or for work. "Rudon is an indoor cat and has been acclimatised to Paris' cool weather," says Au, adding that he is comfortable in his familiar home environment and that she does not want to stress him out. He has two cat-sitters on standby for times when she is away. "He has undergone a traumatic experience and it took us both more than three months to get over it," she says, referring to the time her apartment was broken into in 2022. She was out but Rudon was at home at the time. Au felt deeply traumatised, depressed and helpless after the break-in. Her home was supposed to be in the safest neighbourhood in Paris, yet the burglary took place. The burglars took almost everything from her apartment, except for her violin, keyboard, guitar and books. They were never caught. She shares that she was in a "very deep depressive state and emotionally gone". The experience left her feeling wrecked and unable to function normally for some time, and she had to rely on her friends for support. Similarly, Rudon developed post-traumatic stress disorder. "He became very jumpy and hid under the bed at every small sound," Au says. He was especially afraid of the main door, which had been broken down during the incident. "Every time he hid under the bed, I had to crawl in to comfort and reassure him, repeatedly telling him that he was safe and that there were no more horrible men," says Au. Helping Rudon recover from the trauma was also a way of healing for Au, as they clung on to each other for support during those trying months. She describes the cat as being "very human" and credits him with saving her and helping her through one of the most difficult times in her life. She jokes that his personality is more like a dog's than a typical cat's. He is affectionate and intelligent, and can play football, ring the bell when he wants snacks, do tricks like give high-fives and understand commands in several languages - English, French, Japanese and Mandarin. "I used to FaceTime him when I was in Singapore, thinking he would miss my presence," says Au. But she soon found out from her cat-sitters that Rudon never responded to the screen. She admits she is often more anxious about missing Rudon than he is about missing her, but she knows she is being missed. "He'd get extremely clingy and needy when I'm back," says Au, adding that her fur kid always follows her around and sleeps with her. "I did think about returning to Singapore for good after the burglary, but I know Rudon will not take to Singapore well," she says. She adds that she will "stay in Paris for Rudon" and has structured her life around ensuring his comfort and well-being. [[nid:715755]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Celeb Pawrents: Actress Sharon Au's cat Rudon has a French passport
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE – It was love at first sight when Sharon Au set eyes on a sickly male white kitten, one who looked 'terrible'. 'He was born with an eye virus infection and had tear stains around his eyes,' says the home-grown personality who is based in Paris. She adds that the kitten's unique appearance – it has black patches on its face, and a black tail with a white tip – 'wasn't considered cute or adorable'. 'Nobody wanted to pick him, but he reminded me of myself when I was young – I was never a cute kid, I'm more the 'weird' one,' says the actress-host, 49, who adopted him from a Paris animal shelter in 2000. She named the two-month-old kitten Udon, like the Japanese noodle, but the French authorities rejected that name. 'He has to be called Rudon, because in France, there is a naming convention for pets. All names need to start with a designed alphabet to specify which year it was born,' Au says. The letter R was the alphabet for the year 2020. So Udon became Rudon, and as part of his registration process, he had to undergo check-ups, vaccinations and micro-chipping. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Four men arrested in Bukit Timah believed to be linked to housebreaking syndicates Singapore Criminal trial of Hyflux founder Olivia Lum and five others starts Aug 11 Singapore Profile of Kpod user has shifted from hardcore drug users to young people: Experts Tech Former data analyst creates AI tutor that assesses students based on Singapore schools' criteria Opinion Recognising our imperfections is part of what makes Singapore whole Opinion I used to be impatient. Then I became a granddad Business The risks of using 'decoupling' to own two properties Asia Manila struggles to keep a lasting hawker culture, casts eyes on how Asian nations lifted street food 'Rudon is very classy, very French; he has his own French passport, which allows him to travel anywhere within the European Union,' says Au with a laugh. Rudon owns a French passport, and is a frequent traveller with Sharon Au. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SHARON AU Rudon, five, has travelled with her to several European cities. Au, who has been living in the French capital for eight years, says Rudon is a very quiet and docile travel companion. 'I have seen many cats meowing throughout the entire train ride; maybe they are very anxious,' she adds. 'When I unzip the bag, he pops out only to stretch. He's very calm.' Au is starring in bilingual theatre play The River Remembers by Ding Yi Music Company, as part of Singapore's SG60 celebrations. She plays Mother River, a symbol of heritage, resilience and renewal that helped shape a nation, carrying dreams to the future. The River Remembers will be staged at the Drama Centre on Aug 16. She will also be a co-host of Find Me A Singaporean: The World's My Stage, a docuseries celebrating Singaporeans who have made their mark beyond the little red dot. The eight-episode show is available on demand on mewatch and airs every Thursday at 8pm on Channel 8. Au cannot bring Rudon to Singapore when she returns home to visit her mother or for work. 'Rudon is an indoor cat and has been acclimatised to Paris' cool weather,' says Au, adding that he is comfortable in his familiar home environment and that she does not want to stress him out. He has two cat-sitters on standby for times when she is away. 'He has undergone a traumatic experience and it took us both more than three months to get over it,' she says, referring to the time her apartment was broken into in 2022. She was out but Rudon was at home at the time. Au felt deeply traumatised, depressed and helpless after the break-in. Her home was supposed to be in the safest neighbourhood in Paris, yet the burglary took place. The burglars took almost everything from her apartment, except for her violin, keyboard, guitar and books. They were never caught. She shares that she was in a 'very deep depressive state and emotionally gone'. The experience left her feeling wrecked and unable to function normally for some time, and she had to rely on her friends for support. Similarly, Rudon developed post-traumatic stress disorder. 'He became very jumpy and hid under the bed at every small sound,' Au says. He was especially afraid of the main door, which had been broken down during the incident. 'Every time he hid under the bed, I had to crawl in to comfort and reassure him, repeatedly telling him that he was safe and that there were no more horrible men,' says Au. Helping Rudon recover from the trauma was also a way of healing for Au, as they clung on to each other for support during those trying months. She describes the cat as being 'very human' and credits him with saving her and helping her through one of the most difficult times in her life. She jokes that his personality is more like a dog's than a typical cat's. He is affectionate and intelligent, and can play soccer, ring the bell when he wants snacks, do tricks like give high-fives and understand commands in several languages – English, French, Japanese and Mandarin. 'I used to FaceTime him when I was in Singapore, thinking he would miss my presence,' says Au. But she soon found out from her cat-sitters that Rudon never responded to the screen. She admits she is often more anxious about missing Rudon than he is about missing her, but she knows she is being missed. 'He'd get extremely clingy and needy when I'm back,' says Au, adding that her fur kid always follows her around and sleeps with her. 'I did think about returning to Singapore for good after the burglary, but I know Rudon will not take to Singapore well,' she says. She adds that she will 'stay in Paris for Rudon' and has structured her life around ensuring his comfort and well-being.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Arts Picks: Ding Yi's The River Remembers, Hotel by Wild Rice, gamelan music at Kampong Gelam
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox (From left) Director Goh Boon Teck, composer Law Wai Lun, choreographer Cai Shiji and conductor Dedric Wong De Li are collaborating on The River Remembers. The River Remembers This ambitious multidisciplinary production by Ding Yi Music Company brings together well-known names in Singapore's performing arts scene in an SG60 celebration. This is a fuller restaging of 2019's River Of Life, a chamber symphony composed by Cultural Medallion recipient Law Wai Lun and inspired by journalist Han Shan Yuan's 2006 book, Endless Stories Of Singapore River. The work will have a new arrangement and there will be choreography by Dance Ensemble Singapore's creative director Cai Shiji. Toy Factory's Goh Boon Teck directs the show and actress Sharon Au will narrate the stories in the role of Mother River. Where: Drama Centre Theatre, 03-01 National Library, 100 Victoria Street MRT: Bugis When: Aug 16, 3.30 and 7.30pm Admission: $38 to $68 from Sistic (go to or call 6348-5555) Info: Hotel Hotel by Wild Rice explores the notions of empire, nationhood, migration and identity. PHOTO: WILD RICE Public service announcement for those new to Wild Rice's classic production Hotel. This show is spread over two evenings if you are watching on weekdays and comprises both a matinee and an evening show when you watch on the weekend. This five-hour marathon, however, is well worth your investment of time. The fact that this has been restaged twice since its premiere at the 2015 Singapore Arts Festival – this is the third rerun – is proof positive of its evergreen appeal. The script by Alfian Sa'at and Marcia Vanderstraaten is built on a clever conceit: a hotel room that sees various stories unfolding over 100 years. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Some ageing condos in Singapore struggle with failing infrastructure, inadequate sinking funds Singapore PUB investigating wastewater discharge in Eunos: Pritam Singapore Water gel guns among newer tools NParks uses to manage monkeys in estates World Trump eyes 100% chips tariff, but 0% for US investors like Apple World Trump's 100% semiconductor tariffs may hit chipmakers in Singapore, other SEA nations Singapore Afraid of small talk? Scared to make a phone call? How social skills workshops are helping young people Singapore ST and Uniqlo launch design contest for Singapore stories T-shirt collection Business DBS shares hit record-high after Q2 profit beats forecast on strong wealth fees, trading income The audience revisits the room every 10 years, beginning with its opening during the colonial period. An ensemble of 13 actors will bring to life a cavalcade of 66 characters speaking nine languages. More than mere numbers and blockbuster staging, Hotel captures the Singapore story in all its multicultural, multilingual glory. Each vignette functions as a standalone story, ranging in genre from serious drama to comic relief, yet they also fit into a larger whole that reflects Singapore's varied historical tapestry. If you want to celebrate SG60, there is no better experience than this epic production. Where: Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre, Wild Rice @ Funan, Level 4, 107 North Bridge Road MRT: City Hall When: Aug 14 to Sept 21, 7.30pm (Tuesdays to Fridays), 2.30 and 7.30pm (Saturdays and Sundays) Admission: $60 to $160 Info: Beats On Baghdad Street: SG60 With Djoko Mangkrengg Performing Arts Djoko Mangkrengg Performing Arts will perform National Day songs in Baghdad Street. PHOTO: MALAY HERITAGE CENTRE Join home-grown gamelan ensemble Djoko Mangkrengg Performing Arts for a celebratory sing-along session at Kampong Gelam on Aug 9. It will be playing all the familiar National Day favourites such as Count On Me Singapore and We Are Singapore. Adding to the vibes will be the live telecast of the National Day Parade. You can also try your hand at playing gamelan instruments. This outdoor performance is the latest of the Beats On Baghdad Street programme organised by the Malay Heritage Centre. The series celebrates Malay arts and culture by showcasing various performing groups.
