IT'S SOMEWHAT interesting that at the start of Tel Aviv's centennial year, the song "In the Heat of Tel Aviv," composed by Ivri Lider and performed by Sarit Hadad, has become one of the most popular songs in China - though not in its original Hebrew version and not performed by Hadad. The Chinese version, which became an instant hit, caught the fancy of popular Chinese singer and actress Yumiko Cheng, who lives in Hong Kong. The singer's popularity waned somewhat due to two embarrassing incidents that both involved giving audiences a glimpse of her underwear. Looking to redeem herself in the eyes of the public, she and her agent asked several international recording companies to send them material to supplement the songs on her new album. EMI sent them Hadad's recording of "In the Heat of Tel Aviv," which has turned out to be a winner in China. It may prove to be yet another positive step in Israeli-Chinese relations, especially if Hadad is invited to perform alongside Cheng.

FOLLOWING IN the footsteps of celebrity models Nina Brosh, Gili Saar and Moriel Segal, another celebrity model, Lihi Alon, has signed up with the Yuli Modelling Agency. Yuli is one of Israel's leading model agencies and its client list includes Shirley Bouganim, Adi Neuman, Michael Lewis, Vika Finkelstein, Sigal Shahmon and many other well known names. Aware that modeling is not a lifetime career, Alon, like several others in the industry, is making sure that she will have other options once her modeling days are over. Alon is also a fashion designer, is studying communications and business administration, and is working as a fashion producer for the glossy women's magazine At.

ALTHOUGH SEVERAL fashion companies have dispensed with hiring presenters to show off their new collections and have resorted to stand-alone photographs of garments, not everyone is tightening the purse strings to that extent. Honigman, pleased with its relationship with songstress, actress and model Melanie Peres, has contracted her to present its spring/summer collection for 2009, an assignment that will increase her bank account by $65,000. This will be her sixth season with Honigman - no small achievement in Israel's fashion industry.

INTERNATIONAL MODEL, actress and television star Moran Atias will be getting considerably less than Melanie Peres for modeling wedding gowns designed by Miri Kala, the daughter of singer Itzik Kala. Atias agreed to a modest fee of $25,000.

FORMER MISS Israel Nicole Halperin has inadvertently become the presenter for the luxury fragrance Linga Sharira, produced by Livnat Albo. Halperin, who immediately fell in love with the fragrance the first time she came across it, said that she wanted to stock it among the products in her beauty clinic in Tel Aviv's trendy Kikar Hamedina. Even though it's sales season, Linga Sharira is still only for the upper income echelons. It's currently selling for NIS 597 a bottle instead of NIS 799. Composer and singer Zvika Pik chose it as a gift for his significant other, striking fashion model Shira Manor.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM says that pregnant women eat all types of strange combinations, such as ice cream and pickles. In the case of Shimrit Moyal, the wife of A Star is Born winner and popular singer Harel Moyal, her craving is of the carnivorous kind. She and her husband were seen at the South American grill restaurant Casa du Brazil in Rishon Lezion, where she sampled 14 different kinds of meat. Although the baby still has a couple of months before she is due to be born, Moyal is already casting around for a suitable hall in which to celebrate her birth.

CELEBRITIES WHO already have children aged 12 and under were invited by the Philatelic Services to the launch of "Mejuajaim," a child-oriented happening at Stoppa in Tel Aviv last Friday. The guest list included some celebrities whose claim to fame was relatively recent; among them was Natan Bashevkin, who lasted 15 days on Survivor. Others included Gal Erez, who survived for a shorter period on the show, and Itai Ziv, who had been one of the contestants on Big Brother. After a few moments of conversation between Bashevkin and Ziv, they realized that they'd gone to school together. They were so pleased to see each other that they went off to a coffee shop afterward, Bashevkin riding his bike and Ziv zooming off on his motorcycle. Others at the event included Avi Bitter, Corinne Allal, her baby son and her soulmate Ruthie, Evelyn Goell, Itai Turgeman, Galit Levi, Nati Ravitz, Albert Iluz and several others.

Celebrity Grapevine

Melanie Peres will earn a handsome sum for her sixth season as the face of Honigman.