In the Malay Peninsula, fabrics hold the essence of a people’s identity, linking the present to a rich past. Batik, songket, and Peranakan embroidery carry stories of culture, tradition, and the endurance of communities. These materials serve as vessels of cultural memory, preserving and conveying the identity, power, and resistance that have shaped the region. Culture and Identity Fabrics reflect the deep connection to nature and the unique cultural heritage of the Malay peninsula.
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Ageing with Agency: A Guide to Thriving in Your Golden Years
The idea of a centenarian – a person who has reached (or even surpassed) the age of 100 – once seemed improbable, like something out of a science fiction movie, where technology could attain feats beyond the human imagination. However, in 2020, the number of centenarians in Singapore doubled from 700 in 2010 to 1500[1]. This remarkable growth challenged our preconceived ideas about longevity and raised hopes that we might significantly extend human life expectancy. Building on this optimism, Laura Carstensen of Stanford University suggested that half of the five-year-olds […]
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Together Apart: Holidays Without Travelling, 2020 Edition
I remember being a child and looking forward to what a marvellous year 2020 was going to be. It was filled with lofty dreams of all the things I had wanted to accomplish – I will be wearing strappy high heels that will softly clickety-clack as I glide along my swanky office, and pulling my chic bag as I rush to the airport for a business trip to New York City.
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South Korea: Second Time’s A Charm
My recent trip to South Korea was my second after 2013. The first trip was not a memorable one. I wasn’t able to fully explore Seoul as I met with a minor accident in Cheongdam-dong which left me with a swollen foot and a pair of crutches. Cheongdam-dong is a district in Seoul where all the major K-pop entertainment agencies like JYP, SM and FNC are located. After the accident happened, I vowed to return to South Korea.
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Reaching a New Horizon: Teaching English in Japan
Growing up, I had two big dreams I wanted to achieve in life. The first was to earn a higher degree. The second: to live in Japan for a while. So after completing my Master’s degree, I embarked on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, a government initiative aimed at increasing grassroots international exchange and English fluency by hiring native English speakers to work as Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) and Coordinators for International Relations all across Japan.
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The Rose of Bussorah Street: Wardah Books
Midday, and though the sky is leaden signalling the rain that would soon come, the pristine common path between the rows of shophouses leading up to the golden-domed majesty of the Sultan Mosque is already teeming with arrangements of tables and chairs from the Turkish restaurants, racks of tourist-trap paraphernalia, displays of voluminous skirts, colourful pashminas, and opulent Persian rugs.
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Binds and Fissures: Reflections in the Big Apple
Even if you’d grown up far away from it both geographically and culturally like I have, New York rings a familiar bell, owing its iconism to the slew of popular cultural material on the cinema and television screens: the tall blocks from every Spiderman movie, the urbanite life from the Friends sitcom, the chic streets from Sex and the City, The Devil Wears Prada and 13 Going on 30. New York is one of those cities you see in the backdrop of beautiful life lessons and dramatic fictional moments.
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Turkish Inspirations
In the not-so-distant past, the mere mention of Turkey conjures images of grandiose palaces, breath-taking mosques and churches and magnificent historical locations in the collective memory. Not that a similar reaction isn’t expected today, but current popular sentiments about the Eurasian country, unfortunately, has been marred by detestable events that have sullied her reputation, the extent of which cannot be ascertained.
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