Category: Lifestyle/Health

No shortcuts to success

 

Of teamwork and harmony …Brothers Hanlin and Hanqin and their friend Jie Jun playing Sergei Rachmaninoff Romance for 6 hands at the Piano Recital by students of Lee Jae Music Studios on Jan 17, 2026.
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
Feb 10, 2026
Photos: Courtesy of Lee Jae Phang.
A piano recital is more than meets the eye.
For the participants, it is all about hard work,  having the correct guidance and and doing the right kind of practice behind the scenes.
On stage,  it is a showcase of their achievements and brain power.
There are certainly no shortcuts to success.
The recital, organized by their teacher, Lee Jae Phang, also a concert pianist, was an opportunity for them to hone their stage performance.
Lee Jae has organized recitals for his students of all levels since 2024.
Happy and talented…Brothers Hanlin and Hanqin, and their friend Jie Jun at the recital on Jan 17, 2026.
Distinctiveness matters…Lee Jae plays Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No.2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36 on Jan 17, 2026.
Lee Jae says recitals  offer  students who aspire to become performers in particular the opportunity  to build their confidence and master stage presence – a process that takes time and endurance.
Also present at the Jan 17 event were parents and family members of students from Lee Jae Music Studios.
Key to good music…Hanlin and Hanqin playing Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy from TheNutcracker on Jan 17, 2026
Other outstanding students who performed include :
* Hui San who played Franz Schubert Allegro Risoluto and Allegro Vivace from Piano Sonata in A minor, D. 784.
* Wan Qian who played Sergei Prokofiev Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet.

When world-class musicians come to town

An evening of great music…Cellist Steven Retallick, violinist Dino Akira Decena and pianist Lee Jae Phang presented two great masterpieces of the  chamber music repertoire in Kuala Lumpur on March 2, 2025.

The hour long concert opened to a packed hall and was met with several rounds of enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Mendelssohn Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 49
I. Molto allegro agitato
II. Andante con moto tranquillo
III. Scherzo. Leggiero e vivace
IV. Finale. Allegro assai appassionato

Ravel Piano Trio in A minor, M. 67
I. Modéré
II. Pantoum: Assez vif
III. Passacaille: Très large
IV. Final: Animé

Among the highlights… a short extract from the final movement of the Ravel during the concert in Kuala Lumpur on March 2, 2025.

By  Foong Pek Yee

foongpekyee@gmail.com

Feb 15, 2025

updated: March 4, 2025

Maurice Ravel’s  piano trio, completed  in 1914,  gained  inspiration from a wide variety of sources;  from Basque dance to Malaysian poetry (pantun in Bahasa Malaysia)

The second movement – “Pantoum” – is a poetic form derived from the pantun.

“Ravel adopted an orchestral approach while composing his trio and created a texture of sound unusually  rich for a chamber music work.

“It is unique in the repertoire for its luxuriance of colour and its  brilliance,”  says Lee Jae.

The concert “Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Ravel’s birth” is to celebrate  the works of Ravel who is one of France’s greatest composers.

Ravel was born on  March 7.

Ravel’s Trio will be paired with Mendelssohn’s D minor piano trio – an audience favourite since its premiere in 1840.

Lee Jae says Robert Schumann  famously declared it as  “The master-trio of the 19th century that will continue to delight future generations”.

Full house : Concert pianist Lee Jae Phang, violinist Dino Akira Decena and cellist  Steven Retallick performing piano trios at the Grand Opening of the First Edition of the European Music Cultures Festival (Nov 1 – 3,  2024)  in Cambodia. 

Steven Retallick is an Australian citizen, born in Amsterdam to a family of musicians.

He moved to London at an early age and was educated at the Purcell School, a specialist music school, before attending the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he completed his cello studies under Professor Stefan Popov.

Throughout his career, Steven Retallick has worked professionally with various orchestras, including the Orquesta Sinfónica de Asturias and Orquesta Ciudad de Granada in Spain, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Wichita Symphony in the USA, the Royal Bangkok Symphony in Thailand, Opera Australia and the Adelaide Symphony in Australia, and the Ulster Orchestra, London Symphony, and Philharmonia Orchestra in the UK.

Steven has also guested Principal with the Singapore Symphony, the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand, the Sun Symphony Orchestra in Vietnam, and from 1998 to 2021, he was Co-Principal with the Malaysian Philharmonic.

His solo performances include the cello concerto by Gavin Bryars with the Malaysian Philharmonic, “Snapshots,” a commissioned work for cello and orchestra by Adeline Wong, also with the Malaysian Philharmonic, and the Malaysian premiere of Schnittke’s Epilog.

Dino Akira Decena is one of the Philippines’ most accomplished and sought-after violinists, renowned for his exceptional talent as both a soloist and chamber musician.

He has performed with nearly all major orchestras and chamber groups in the country.

Dino has held prominent positions, including associate
concertmaster for The Phantom of the Opera (2012)
and Les Miserables (2016) in Manila, concertmaster
for the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra, and violinist for Miss Saigon in Manila and Taiwan.

He has also performed with various notable groups, such as the Metro Pop Orchestra, the Filharmonika Orchestra, and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, and in productions like
Star Wars: A New Hope and Do You Hear the People Sing?

Dino continues to contribute to the arts as a violin teacher at St. Paul University, Sta. Isabel College of Manila, St. Scholastica’s College of Manila, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth, and he teaches violin to children of pastors at the Maranatha Christian Academy.

Lee Jae Phang is a Malaysian concert pianist, teacher, accompanist, and chamber musician.

He has performed in the UK, Germany, Austria, Italy, Beijing, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Malaysia, during which he also worked with conductors such as Christopher Adey, Mark Heron, Davide Levi, Nick Meredith, Frank Lennon, Dr. Martin Cook, and Mihnea Ignat.

During his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, his piano trio Trio Lazuli performed around the UK and they had masterclasses with Kathryn Stott (duo partner of Yo-Yo Ma), Frans Helmerson, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Jeremy Young, Wu Qian, and Sasha Sitkovetsky.

Lee Jae himself also had piano masterclasses with Stephen Hough CBE, The Juilliard School faculty members Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio, French pianists Philippe Cassard, Michel Béroff, and Bernard d’Ascoli, British pianists Christopher Elton, Vanessa Latarche, Ronan O’Hora, and other renowned pianists such as Nelson Goerner, Vovka Ashkenazy, and Daniel Shapiro.

In addition to receiving many awards, scholarships, funds, and winning many other competitions, Lee Jae won the ‘1st Beethoven Performance Award of the BPSE & Beethoven in Altaussee Festival 2016’ prize in Austria.

Given his deep love and fascination for Beethoven’s music, Lee Jae has recorded almost all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas and published them on his YouTube channel – these sonatas being ranked amongst the highest Himalayan peaks of a pianist’s repertoire.

Great musical partners:  (from left) Dino Akira Decena, Lee Jae Phang and Steven Retallick at the Grand Opening of the First Edition of the European Music Cultures Festival (Nov 1 – 3,  2024)  in Cambodia. 

Photos : Courtesy of Lee Jae Phang

A date with Summer

 

 UTAR Hospital staff is happy with the good response to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Photos from UTAR News

By Foong Pek Yee

Aug 7, 2024
A popular summer treatment – Sanfutei– saw folks making a beeline to UTAR Hospital (Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Hospital) in Kampar, Perak, about 35 km from Ipoh recently.
It is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment that enriches  and smoothens  the flow of qi (energy)  in our body system -a basis for good health according to TCM.
The procedure is administered by a TCM practitioner who identifies specific acupuncture points on the patient’s body  and applies  medicated herbal paste on the  points.
According to TCM, Sanfutei ,dated back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in China, works particularly well during summer (between July  and August).
Making a point: A TCM practitioner with his patient.
Consultation in progress: Patients from different age groups show interest in TCM
And Sanfutei is commonly used to treat health issues involving joints, bones, muscles, the immune system and the respiratory system.
It is also good for treating health problems arising from erratic weather conditions like extremely hot or wet spells  which is increasingly common in the wake of climate change nowadays.
UTAR News reported that the price for the three -day treatment is RM30 for UTAR staff and students,  and RM50 for the public.
It was free of charge for the first 200 patients from Kampar on July 25.
The first day of treatment was on July 25, followed by Aug 14 and 23, 2024 at the Traditional & Complementary Medicine (T&CM) section in  UTAR Hospital.
 The offer is a joint effort by UTAR, Guangxi-Malaysia TCM Centre and the First Affiliate Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese  Medicine.

Healing begins with a smile

CONNECTING with compassion and care enhances the healing process in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
By Foong Pek Yee
It is a Saturday afternoon at the  Goh Tiam Huat Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Centre .
While patients may be seated quietly  in the queue, the atmosphere is far from boring though.
TCM physician Goh Tiam Huat in between attending to his patients makes it a point to connect with those waiting for their turn.
Easy-going, his good sense of humor and infectious laugh is simply therapeutic.
And his happy demeanour lights up the atmosphere in the centre in Pekan Nanas in Pontian, Johor .
Goh is also a familiar figure in Pekan Nanas where he is active in community work.
While there are countless research and evidence on “laughter is the best medicine”, it is heartening to see Goh putting it into practice, elevating the mood of people around him.
The benefits from laughing and smiling include lowering the level of stress hormones, releasing  mood lifting hormones and boost a person’s immune system.
Goh, 38, who has  a  Masters in TCM from China’s Guangxi University points out that a  person’s emotions  determines  his or her state of health and well being to a huge extent.
And that health problems do not occur in isolation.
Citing examples, he says many cases are triggered by stress, lack of proper sleep, poor eating habits, lack of exercise, bad posture and accidents.
Goh draws my attention to the Chinese phrase with 12 words on the wall in his centre,  ” Patients enter the clinic in pain and walks out smiling ” and explains its significance in holistic treatment.
Well connected : The Goh Tiam Huat TCM  logo highlights the importance of  the spine for good health and well being.
Healing begins in the clinic and, winning the trust of his patients, giving them advice and having them to take responsibility for their own health  is part of  the healing process.
Growing up in Pekan Nanas New Village and from a humble background, Goh has come a long way.
Recognition : Goh won the Johor Youth Award ( Chinese Youth Activist )in 2018
Hall of fame:  Goh is all for  lifelong learning and community work and,  the certificates, photos and awards on display in the centre speak volumes.
He says his 82-year-old mother who has a good knowledge on Chinese herbs has a huge influence on him to take up TCM.
Goh says he started learning and practising TCM at the age of 16.
Developing his business and a firm believer in giving back to society at the same time,  Goh  sponsors activities and gives talks  in schools and active in community work in and around Pekan Nanas.
He was also the Pekan Nanas New Village chief (2015-2017).
Happy faces : Goh likes to interact with students in Pekan Nanas and does his level best to help them.
Goh and his 28-year-old wife Lim Yen Loo have two children.
Yen Loo who has a degree in International Business is also studying TCM with Goh as her mentor.
While majority of Goh’s patients are locals, he says his patient list also comprises people from Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, China, Australia and  France.

He never give up

by Foong Pek Yee
13 Dec, 2021
HIS garden is a sight to behold.
It is a symbol of love and hope.
At 82, Phang See Kong has been planting perilla plants at the backyard of Gopeng Museum since a few months ago.
“Are they (leaves) pretty?  They come in 10 different colours and shades,” says Phang who tends  to his plants daily.
He has a few hundred pots of the plants,  and he hopes to sell them to raise funds to maintain the  museum.
Labour of love:  The Perilla Garden  at the backyard of Gopeng Museum
The museum which offers free admission  has been shut down due to the pandemic.
It is set to re-open in January 2022
Phang who is the museum’s curator  has been at wits end to raise funds to maintain the museum he co-founded in 2009 with three others  –  Bernard Yaw, Wong Kuan Cheong and Tan Yoke Chun.
Wong had passed away while Yaw has migrated a few years ago.
Only Tan and Phang continue to stay in Gopeng, about 18km from Ipoh city centre.
Phang was a teacher and headmaster in Gopeng where he spent his entire working life.
He went on to serve in Gopeng as special assistant to then Gopeng Member of Parliament and Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh between 1991 and 2008.
Phang is also a writer.
 His book   ” A Meander down Memory Lane (1850-2000) ”  documenting Chinese pioneers in Gopeng – a famous tin mining area until the collapse of the world tin market in the 1980s- was published in 2016.
A pot of the perilla plant is priced between RM18 and RM12.
Phang can be contacted at 016-5421287.

Jeju: Bikers’ paradise

By Foong Pek Yee
14 Dec, 2021
The weather in Jeju in Summer can be hot but it is a good time for outdoor activities.
In Seogwipo, east of Jeju, a row of red bicycles outside a cafe caught my attention.
For 10,000 won (RM36), you can have a bicycle for the whole day to explore the area.
According to the bicycle shop owner Lim Sung- Hoo, local and foreign tourists usually rent the bicycle to cycle in Udo Island and the ferry terminal is nearby his shop.
He says it is a small island and it takes two hours to cycle round it.
It was evening and he advised us to return the next day, preferably in the  morning, if we want to visit  Udo Island.
Meanwhile, he recommended that we explore the nearby area as the sunset scenery is beautiful and not to be missed.
Picture perfect: sunset by a lake in Seogwipo.
At 51, Sung-Hoo, and his wife Jang Jung Hyun relocated from Seoul to Seogwipo about eight years ago.
They run a  cafe – Papaya Cafe – which is next to their bicycle shop.
Cosy : Jung Hyun gives a personal touch to their cafe.
The couple who love a  leisurely lifestyle certainly saw the business potential in Jeju.
Sung-Hoo says exploring Seogwipo on bike is increasingly popular among local and foreign tourists, citing rising health and environmental awareness as among the reasons.
Jeju is indeed place to relax and tune out.
Calming:  As the day fades into sunset in Seogwipo.
A Korean told me that we should make at least four trips to Jeju;   each trip to one part of the island  –  north, south, east and west- to take in the  beauty of each part.
Dubbed “Hawaii of South Korea”,  the beauty of  Jeju is also defined by the different seasons.
Seoul and Jeju are the top two destinations for  international tourists to South Korea.
Authentic taste: seafood is plenty in Jeju.
Business minded: A typical scene of a market in Jeju.
Reflection : Symbol of  Jeju women in the past.
Women in Jeju is seen to be an enterprising lot,  and they  appear to out number men as small traders in the market or  small eateries.
Some Koreans say that women in Jeju had somehow learned to be independent  in the olden days.
Many were widowed at a young age.
The men were mostly fishermen and many perished in the rough seas.
In the olden days,  women were seen waiting by the shore for their husband to return.
Fast track to modern days, statues of women of a bygone era is one of the tourist attraction in Jeju.
The present day women may no longer have to face the wrath of rough seas but they continued to be a  strong figure in the family and community.

From Seoul to Jirisan with love

By Foong Pek Yee

13 Dec, 2021

THE Kim family left Seoul for the mountains for good.

It is do- or- die for Kim Geong-Sik, 40, his wife Ryu Sun- Young, 36 and sons Kim Do-Yun and Kim Do- Yeon aged 11 and seven respectively.

“My husband  cannot  take the stress  in Seoul anymore ,” shares Sun-Young  of how stress- a silent killer- forces her family t0 leave the city for good.

They  escape from’ kwarosa’ which in Korean means  stress and death from overwork.

They left for Namwon in Jirisan – about four-hour-drive from Seoul. Jirisan means  Jiri Mountains (san is mountain in Korean) .

Upon arrival, they stay in Sil Sang Temple at the entrance to a farming village.

And that marks the beginning of their two months of orientation – to adapt to rural living and life as a farmer.

That was in 2006.

The Kim family is among thousands of South Koreans who left big cities like Seoul and Busan for the countryside since the late 1990s.

A non-governmental organisation (NGO) staff, Sin Bi, says the exodus started shortly after the 1997 Asian Financial crisis.

Many from the cities who lost their business or jobs in the crisis have left for  the countryside to start all over again.

The trend is called  “Return to the Farm”, says Sin Bi who is in Namwon to get an update on how people like Sun-Young are doing.

Sun-Young  (right) and Sin Bi peeling persimmons  at Snail Guesthouse.

But not all are cut out for farming though, says Sin Bi, adding that the government and relevant NGOs have programmes to help them settle down in the countryside.

It  was in Autumn 2018 when I met Sun-Young and Sin Bi.

Sun -Young and Geong-Sik  has ventured into homestay business in their ‘hanok” (traditional Korean house) in 2013 .

They built another adjacent’ hanok’  three years later (2016) as their business picks up.

Perched on a hillock, their ‘hanok’ named Snail Guesthouse, commands a panoramic view 0f the picturesque surroundings.

“We want our guests to experience the beauty of a slow-paced lifestyle.

“The snail moves slowly, making stops along the way,  but it never gives up,”  says Sun-Young.

The Kim family’s han0k-traditional Korean house.

Sun-Young says their guests are like a family to them.

At 52,  Geong-Sik is a  doting halabuji (grandfather) to their  young guests.

He mingles with their guests in the morning while Sun-Young is busy preparing breakfast.

Geong-Sik and a young guest took his dogs -Sundal (white) and Borum (black)- for morning walk.

The kitchen is a place for guests and Sun-Young to interact and share their culture.

A photo of the boys when they first arrived at the village in 2006 is displayed prominently  in her kitchen.

A good conversation starter, the photo speaks volumes of the family’s journey.

In 2018, Do -Yun, 23 and Do- Yeon, 19 were already in college and high school respectively .

Besides running the guesthouse, Geong – Sik  is also  a  carpenter and has a workshop in the village.

His  creations are made from the wood of apple trees.

“Our village is called Apple Village because it is famous for its apples,” says a beaming Sun-Young who is proud of her husband’s creations.

Sun -Young  is warm and cheerful.

A typical day for her is waking up at 5.0O am to prepare traditional Korean breakfast.

The breakfast comprises a main dish, several side dishes, soup, rice, fruits and snacks is ready by 7.00am.

a

Sun-Young busy in her kitchen, and Korean traditional breakfast in Snail Guesthouse (top)

Much of her waking hours are spent in her kitchen where she cooks and interacts with her guests and friends at the same time.

The couple’s hard work, self discipline and perseverance has given their family a new lease on life.

“I cannot imagine if  my husband who cannot take the stress anymore continues to stay in Seoul,” recalls Sun-Young.

While there is rising awareness on the dangers of prolonged stress, many South Koreans have yet been able to overcome this silent killer.

The current Covid – 19 pandemic saw some 20 delivery men purportedly died from  “kwarosa” – stress and death from overwork.

tagwords:  Seoul, stress, Jirisan, hanok, guesthouse, lifestyle, homestay, kwarosa