By Chang May Choon
IT may not be obvious, but R&B popster Wang Lee Hom (below) has an adventurous streak in him.
Kayaking off the East Coast, exploring Sentosa and climbing on to hotel rooftops - he has done them all, here in sunny Singapore.
Quite unlike the solemn and philosophical person he's known to be.
But Lee Hom told The New Paper: 'I have an inquisitive mind. I wander off alone all the time.
'I don't want to feel like I'm being tied down by the record company. My spirit needs to be strong and free.'
So whenever he swings by for promotions, the US-born, Taiwan-based 25-year-old will squeeze out some time to go a-wandering.
Like the time he visited the historical sites of Sentosa.
He also went kayaking off the East Coast two years ago, together with his minders and his good friend, Y.E.S 93.3FM deejay Dasmond Koh.
'We kayaked all the way out, so far away that it's like 'Bye bye Singapore!' ' he added with a laugh, arms raised to paddle an imaginary canoe.
'It was great, because there was no-one else around!'
If he can't venture far, he will at least explore the nooks and crannies of the hotel where he is staying.
Once, he climbed up the roof of a newly-opened hotel two years ago, and found - to his amusement - 'very big rats running around!'.
His thirst for thrills also extends on to the stage.
Slated to hold his first concert here on Oct 12, the wispy-haired singer will also be playing drums on a platform that can rotate 360-degrees.
'It feels a little weird, like I'm suspended in outer space. Zero gravity, you know?' said Lee Hom, who plays the er hu - a traditional Chinese instrument - and also the violin, guitar and piano.
'But it's quite cool, like being perpetually on a roller coaster. I like to experience thrills like that.'
Fans can also expect to see him suspended from wires or sprinting across the stage to serenade the crowd.
'Doing concerts always gets my adrenalin pumping. It's the best high I've ever experienced.
'There are fans waving to me everywhere, and I want to run to them and wave back.'
Will he strip in the heat of the moment?
'I took off my top in Malaysia because it was outdoors and so hot.
'But no pants... my butt is not my best feature!' he laughed.
But when this reporter teased that we should increase the temperature during his concert here so that he will take off his shirt, he chided: 'Hey, it's not a striptease!'
Seems like Lee Hom has come a long way since he first started out as a nerdy boy-next-door crooning Love Rival Beethoven seven years ago.
Now older and sporting a wilder image, he said of himself:
'I've changed a lot. Before my first album, I never left my home in Rochester.
'Now I've become more worldly, independent and adventurous.
'I've learnt a lot about other cultures, like Japan and China.'
What remains unchanged is his impeccable manners.
Ever the gentleman, he shook everyone's hands warmly and beamed: 'Nice to meet you!'
But he was careful to keep his distance, despite being friendly.
When one of his minders propped herself on the carpet next to us, he rose and pulled a chair out of a high stack for her.
He had apparently noticed how the petite woman tried to pull a chair out earlier, but failed.
How sweet of him!
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/hey/story/0,4136,1466-1033660740,00.html
