The lighter things in life

The Jakarta Post | Sat, 12/22/2007 5:57 PM | To Do List

BRING in 2008 with a diva, or two or three. The Three Divas – Krisdayanti, Titi DJ and Ruth Sahanaya – join celestial forces at Gran Melia Jakarta. It’s a first for the three top-name singers, known as consummate entertainers, to do a New Year’s concert together: Expect a show full of all those old favorites from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. For more information, call 526-8080, ext. 2395, or e-mail 3diva@granmeliajakarta.com. Or you can “bamboleo” the night away with the Gipsy Kings, who will perform at Hotel Mulia Senayan’s Grand Ballroom. Local talents Dewi Sandra and Project Pop are also part of the night’s festivities. Call 574-7777, ext. 4512 or 4546 for more information.

END the year in a rollicking good mood by tucking into Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas. Klosterman, one of the generation’s best observers and critics on popular culture and contributor to notable U.S. rags Esquire, GQ and Spin, brings to his fourth book entertaining profiles on celebs such as Britney Spears, Billy Joel, Metallica and U2, and humorous opinion pieces on everything from the Olympics and guilty pleasures to monogamy, and even robots and genetics.

Resolve to live happier, healthier and better in the coming year. Yes, you may not have quite hit the mark with last year’s resolutions, or even the previous year’s. But one can always hope. Especially in the New Year.

DO not fret that age might be catching up on you with another year gone by. The elixir of youth may well lie in The New York Times bestseller You Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty. In it, authors Dr Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz identify 14 Major Agers, biological processes that affect our rate of aging, and show how we can integrate longevity-enhancing emotional and mental health, exercise and eating habits and personal hygiene into our daily routines.

LOOK forward to a slew of new programs on the box in January as new seasons of old favorites such as American Idol and Heroes premiere on Star World. If you like more bite, and fight, in your reality TV, Asia’s version of The Contender debuts in the same month on AXN. The spin-off from the successful U.S. series sees 16 of the best Muay Thai fighters from the region duking it out for the Contender Champion title over 15 weeks.

GIVE your ears a break from the wannabes on American Idol with new efforts by seasoned performers and musicians such as Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey and Radiohead. While January 1 marks the traditional CD release of In Rainbows for Radiohead, you’ll remember how the Brit rock band made headlines and history in October when it allowed fans to download the entire new album off their website —and pay whatever they wanted for it. Whichever way you look at it – a brilliant marketing strategy or a sales bungle —the consumer gains. Pay-what-you-will downloads remain available at www.inrainbows.com

+ Chan Hse May

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