An 8 Days Feli Tale

- Jonathan Fam

Felicia Chin is not ready to say goodbye to us yet. And frankly, neither are we. “I was secretly hoping I could shoot one more 8 DAYS cover so I was very happy to do this,” she tells us earnestly on this cool August morning. It’s the time of the day — just after the mad rush of peak hour traffic and just before the frustratingly hot afternoon sun sets in — where the air smells crisp... like fresh dollar bills.

We’ve set up camp at a handsome inter-terrace house, whose owners are this writer’s pals, deep in the heart of Katong. It’s the kind of place, what with its bronzed staircase and spectacular sunroof that makes you wonder if you should have gone into finance instead. It sparks a desire in you, the same kind you get when you scroll through home décor websites, only to realise you can’t afford anything on screen. It is also the backdrop for Felicia Chin’s last 8 DAYS cover shoot. We are, if you haven’t heard, going fully digital and this current issue you’re holding, the one with Felicia reclining on a couch looking all comely, is the Third. Last. Issue.

We go way back with Felicia. 18-covers-in-the past-14-years-kind-of back. I’ve been meeting Feli on and off for more than a decade now. The first time I profiled the 2003 Star Search champ for this magazine was in 2007, some 11 years ago. She was just 23, and a delightfully wholesome and unprocessed young actress — she would playfully whack me on the arm every time she laughed, which was a lot. She had just hit her stride in her career and was more than holding her own against Ah Ges Tay Ping Hui and Li Nanxing, both of whom she romanced on screen. She was on the express lane to stardom and I would go on to describe her as an Energizer Bunny, a term that may not be