New Straits Times, 17 July 2007

By : Shannon Teoh

What’s in your car: Spare a thought

Water and shoes are a girl’s best friend.

Chermaine Poo seems ready for any eventuality. Well, she wasn’t ready for SHANNON TEOH to raid her car.

IT must be an accountant thing. Crunching all those numbers, you learn to double, triple, superduple check everything.

Chermaine Poo, chartered accountant and Miss Malaysia Universe 2005 second runnerup, has a penchant for saying “just in case”. She promised she’d start using “in the event” instead.

For example, in the event that she goes for a shoot and they want her to wear a particular dress, she has about seven fashion shoes, (all from Fiorucci), two Nike sports shoes and a pair of flip-flops (you got it, just in case) loaded in her Peugeot 206cc. And that’s not counting the red heels she had on.

Or the five Fitness First and two mineral water bottles she keeps in the door pockets. “I’m always on the go and want to keep hydrated,” she claims.
Ok, but five litres of water? “Just in case the bottles I drank aren’t refilled, I have backup.”

Also, gym clothes and several outfits from Bangsar boutique Gallo — between Fiorucci and Gallo, you can tell she’s got brand loyalty. She was dressed in Gallo as well for our interview as she was rushing off for a shoot for a magazine spread.

The Peugeot is only two years old but Chermaine is its second owner. In some ways, car and owner share similarities — diminutive but cheerful and also, quite versatile.

Chermaine has been dabbling in emceeing, TV hosting and acting in both theatre and film whilst still working with her father on offshore accounts (one can deduce that “just in case” the entertainment industry doesn’t pan out…) and the 206cc, is a coupe-convertible with an automated retractable hardtop.

“I wanted a sporty two-door car but with four seats because I knew I’d have to put a lot of things in it. It didn’t have to be an actual sports car because I’m not a fast driver but I must like the way it looks and the idea of a convertible was really appealing even though I hardly take the roof down.”

However, she does hope to raise the roof instead with her next film. After appearing in the Ang Lee-directed Lust, Caution, she’s just signed on to be the female lead in Taiko opposite M. Nasir and Eman Manan.
Hairsylist and Make Up : A Cut Above, Bangsar Village 2