50

“BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

HYPE

CHANGE
GOES
ONLINE
May 2020!

MCI (P) 097/07/2019

FREE
 CHANGE MCI (P) 097/07/2019 FREE
50
 FI
50

N
A
L
IS
SU
E
February - July 2020 #50

FROM DISCARDS
TO FASHION
CHANGE

THE GREAT MANDARIN WALL:

SEVEN UP, EIGHT DOWN

ADULTHOOD
LAID BARE
MCI (P) 097/07/2019

CROSSING
SPECIAL!

BRIDGES
FREE

A Tribute to Wuhan
 WHERE TO FIND US
ACTUALLY
Orchard Gateway #03-18

ICE CREAM CHEFS THE GARDEN SLUG

APIARY 12 Jalan Kuras Bright Centre
84 Neil Road 55 Lorong L. Telok Kurau

ISLAND CREAMERY THE MUFFINRY

ARTISTRY ION Orchard B3-K1 112 Telok Ayer Street
17 Jalan Pinang 452 Joo Chiat Rd
19 Lorong Liput
THE PIPE DISTRICT
BEER MARKET LEFTFOOT Gemini 45 Science Park Road
3B River Valley Rd Cathay Cineleisure Orchard #01-03
#01-17/02-02 #02-06
THE ROYALS BISTRO
BREKO CAFE LITTLE PART 1 CAFE NUS U-Town, Town Plaza
8 Lorong Mambong 15 Jasmine Road CREATE Tower #01-03
54 Blair Road
TIMBRE @
BUTTERCAKE AND CREAM M:IDEA OFFICE THE ARTS HOUSE
106 Clementi Street 12 Ngee Ann Polytechnic 1 Old Parliament Lane #01-04
Clementi Rd, Blk 53 #01-01
TIMBRE @
CARPENTER AND COOK REFUEL 2 THE SUBSTATION
19 Lorong Kilat #01-06 28 Jalan Bukit Merah 45 Armenian Street

VYBE’S HAIRDRESSING
CARRARA CAFE SARBINA GOH 210 New Upper Changi Rd
Blk 2 Jalan Bukit Merah Capitol Piazza #02-14 #01-725
#01-5148
W39 BISTRO AND BAKERY
CAT SOCRATES SCHOOL OF THE ARTS 39 Jalan Mas Puteh
Bras Basah Complex #02-25 1 Zubir Said Drive
448 Joo Chiat Road
WALA WALA
CUPPLETS SECTS SHOP 31 Lorong Mambong
Ngee Ann Polytechnic Orchard Gateway #04-14 Holland V
Clementi Rd, Blk 16 #01-03
WORKING TITLE
CUPS N CANVAS SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF 48 Arab St
139 Selegie Rd SOCIAL SCIENCES
403 Clementi Road
SKIN SECRETS
FORAGE CAFE ST GAMES CAFE Cuppage Plaza #B1-02
30 Jalan Pari Burong 1 Stadium Place #02-09

99 PERCENT HAIR STUDIO

EIGHTEEN CHEFS THE BAKERY CHEF Orchard Central #04-10/11
Cineleisure Orchard #04-02 161 Bukit Merah Central 30 Haji Lane #01-01
The Cathay #B1-19/20 #01-3711

E-Copies of HYPE are available for download at

http://hypesg.tumblr.com/downloads

3
 MANAGING EDITOR Sng-Fun Poh Yoke

EDITOR & DESIGNER Haymun Win

DEPUTY EDITOR & DESIGNER Craig Chen

WRITERS Jacqueline Lee Nurhadaina Bte Ariffin

Cheyenne Lim Grace Pham
Lim Jun Hao Denyse Tan
Terese Lim Phoebe Rae Tan
Isabelle Monteiro Nicole Wang

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ruth Chan Jeslyn Koh

Shafiq L. Guee Anjali Selva Kumar
Russell Lee Julian Tay
Suzannah Lum Reagan Tan
Heidi Oh Sonia Tan
Kiran Pillai Benjamin Wellesley

DESIGNERS Leon Pereira

Harry Song
Tan Yan Hui

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS Shayanne Chang Jane Seow

Iman Izzati Denyse Tan
Lee Zhi Ying Vienna Tan
Wayne Low Tang Jia Wen
Jojo Tung Chu Yi
ADVERTISING SALES Nur Farah Mohd Alim

m:idea
HYPE is a free bi-annual production by final-year Mass School of Film & Media Studies
Communication (Print Journalism) Ngee Ann Polytechnic
students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Film & Media Blk 53, #01-01
Studies. HYPE is part of m:idea, 535 Clementi Road
Singapore’s first student-run conglomerate. Singapore 599489

4
EDITOR’S
NOTE
“The only constant in life is Change.” - Heraclitus

Sometimes it feels like we are constantly waking up to a new world, to new dangers and
therefore, new challenges. At the time of writing this, COVID19 is causing mass hysteria. Climate
change prevails. Australian bushfires continue to blaze a trail visible from space.

Apocalypse seems like a fitting, albeit dramatic, description of the current situation; a word syn-
onymous with death, destruction and the end of the world. However, before it was apocalypse
in English, it meant something else in Ancient Greek. Apokálupsis, the revelation of knowledge,
an unveiling of things not previously known.

Perhaps recent events should not be seen as the harbinger of the end, but more a chance to
look at the events unfolding, and re-evaluate our actions going forward.

In these worrying times, Wuhan has become the eye in the storm that is COVID-19. The city has
become defined as the disease’s epicentre, blinding people to the city rich in centuries of heri-
tage and culture, boiling it down to a virus. We hope our cover story – Bridges of Wuhan – and
the other stories featuring the essence of Wuhan will become more than just an appreciation of
architecture, it is a metaphor for us to build bonds. We hope that our special Wuhan section can
allow our readers to feel a real connection to the city and the people.

We can let the world turn around us, but we could alternatively take the reins ourselves. HYPE
will also be changing and going digital. This final print version – the 50th issue – of HYPE may
not kick off a revolution, but we’re hoping that among us, it sparks conversations and ignites
movement.

Craig Chen & Haymun Win

5
CONTENTS
STAGE
Out Of The Bedroom, Into the Spotlight 8
Sam Strikes Gold 10

FILM
Flip Side Of The Glitz And Glamour 12

13 Open Air Movie Screenings On The Rise

14 Get Real, Get Connected @ Freedom Film Festival 2019
16 The Monster In Our Midst
17 Black Widows Unite
18 Better Late Than Never?
19 Fantasy Island: New Twist Or Just Twisted?
20 New Mulan Stands Tall

LOOK
21 Uniquely Southeast Asian

From Discards To Fashion 24

Breaking Boundaries For Beauty 27
Street Style: Wuhan Edition 28
Tradition Turns Fashion Trend 30

SHOP
32 Which Film Cameras Are For You?

EAT
Something Special About Wet Markets 33
Yogurt Drinks Are The New Bubble Tea 34
As Hawker Culture Evolves 35
Seek And You Will Find... 38

6
 PLAY
40 Disney Dream Come True
42 Saturday Morning Fever
44 Love In The Digital Age
45 Whither English Language
46 Creatting Visions, Telling Tales of Food
48 Cancel Culture Is #Cancelled

TOUCH
Keeping Earth Alive 49
School’s Out? 52
Moulding Character With Clay 54
Adulthood Laid Bare 55
CMIO? More Like CMI-NO 58
The Great Mandarin Wall: Seven Up, Eight Down 59
Hiding Behind Plastered Smiles 62

TRAVEL
63 Instant Wuhan
65 Gorgeous Three Gorges
67 Cover Story: Crossing Bridges In Wuhan
69 Of Bells And Swords
71 Shooting On A Smartphone Like A Pro
73 Breakfast All Day, Every Day
75 1 City. 1 Day. 100 Yuan.

What We Read 78
Giveaways 82
COVER STORY: Photo of Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge
by Russell Lee
7
 STAGE

OUT OF THE
no part in the sensual aspect of
‘bedroom’ but instead put a
cerebral context to it. The certain
lo-fi, psychedelic-leaning sound
overlaid with softs tunes that Shye

BEDROOM,
touches on are all produced on
her laptop in the comfort of her
bedroom. A big fan of DIY
(Do-It-Yourself), she experiments,
writes and produces everything all

INTO THE
by herself. It all forms the “rawness
of her music”, Shye says.

When asked about what

bedroom pop is to her, she jokingly
says: “Bedroom pop; make in the

SPOTLIGHT
bedroom lor,” as she gestures a
popular meme reference to a man
in a red sweatshirt shrugging his
shoulders. Her nonchalance only
seemed natural; she did not look
for bedroom pop, the genre found
her. She accidentally fell in love

Local bedroom pop artist

Shye, who has been
likened to international lo-fi
sensations Clairo and Billie
Eilish, tells DENYSE TAN
about her road to stardom

S
hye-Anne Brown,
known simply as Shye,
is a 17-year-old rising
bedroom pop artist who has
captured the attention of
Singapore music lovers with that
soft lilt in her melodic, electronic
beats.

Over the past two years, Shye’s

music has bubbled from sporadic
uploads on SoundCloud to the
release of her debut Extended
Play (EP) One Fine Day on
Spotify. It blew up, garnering over
half a million streams to date.

It was a dream come true for

Shye when she headlined for
bedroom pop queen Clairo’s
concert in Singapore. She
continued scoring gig after gig,
hyping up crowds for
London-based indie-pop band
Superorganism and mesmerising
them at local events such as
Baybeats and Urbanscapes.

It all started unintentionally within After being crowned champion at the Vans Musicians Wanted 2018 contest, Shye
the walls of her bedroom. Take was only 16-years old when went on to perform for House of Vans in Guangzhou.

8

with making music as she was
messing around on Garage Band
“one fine day”, hence her EP title.
Shye says: “Bedroom pop is so
diverse that you have so many
different artists labelled under it,
but their music styles are very
different and genre-fluid.”
With the internet, young artistes
now have an avenue to learn how
to make music, record it and share
it with the world – all within the
comfort of their bedroom, which
also builds a particularly personal
connection with fans.
Shye capitalises on that fluidity to
experiment with different sounds
as a key part of her music-making
process.
“Bedroom pop is so
diverse that you have
so many different
artists labelled
under it, but their
music styles are
very different and
genre-fluid.
SHYE
With an unpretentious and
forthcoming disposition, Shye
opens up about expressing her
authentic self through her music,
being a good influence and an
inspiration to her fans.
Shye emphasises that she wants
her songs to be an accurate
representation of her as she strives
to be a genuine and a positive
influence for her fans.
“It’s really quite scary. But it’s a
good kind of scary, because it
makes me want to be a better
person for people who follow me,”
STAGE
that my life’s amazing. I just want
to be as real as possible… and Looking to
hope that’s enough.”
dive into
BEDROOM POP?
While Shye holds her own in
experience, she talks about her
songs with a spark of candid
innocence that betrays her youth. HYPE curates some local
Her latest single, Momentary, and international artistes
talks about the impermanence of to get you started, so
life, revealing how her innocence it’s time to cosy up with
smacks at the adult complexity of your headphones on.
relationships.
“This is momentary or am I gonna
have you all to myself? / The
books on the shelf / One sec-
ond they’ll be falling down to the
ground / So don’t say you love me
unless ‘me’ ain’t yourself.”
The rudimentary teenage fantasies
she sings about ties in with her
previous songs with plainspoken
lyrics about puppy love, 1. Clairo
translating the coming-of-age
teenage love into recognisable
With soft, intimate vocals exuding
chill yet bringing across emotional
rites of passage.
sophistication in her records, Clairo is
one of the pioneers of bedroom pop.
The young artiste lacks the
awkward manner teenagers tend
to have, but she’s still a mummy’s
girl at heart, speaking zealously
about her number one lucky star.
“Having my mom around all the
time helps, I would be so lost
without her,” she says bashfully.
Perhaps it’s that relatability that
has compelled her particularly
fervent fans to create a fanclub for
her, where many of whom look to
2. Sobs
Immerse yourself into world of local
her for understanding and a voice. bedroom pop through Sobs. Their hit
She still finds the idea of having a single ‘Girl’ with unassuming vocals
fan club unreal, especially when adorn crisp layers of jangling guitars
they come up to her during gigs that screams kitsch, garnering an
for pictures or to help replenish almost cult-like following.
her stock of Milo packets.
Shye embodies the new wave of
DIY artists in the music industry,
but she’s definitely more than just
that. A delicate rising Gen Z local
artiste, she verdantly forges her
path through sheer authenticity
and humility.

she says solemnly.
“While making sure I’m a role
model for the younger kids, I also
don’t want to be that person where
everything’s perfect or to show off
She is hopeful for her own solo
show and the release of her next
EP to kick off the new decade.
PHOTO BY DENYSE TAN
3. Boy Pablo
Inspired by Mac DeMarco and a
tinge of nostalgia from the ‘80s, Boy
Pablo’s sound is a fusion of jazzy
tunes, surf-rock and dream pop -
leaving you with no choice but to
‘Dance, baby!’ 9
 STAGE
Sam
Strikes
Gold
Independent music artist Samuel Tsui getting into the groove at Capitol Theatre. PHOTO BY LIM JUN
Singer-songwriter and YouTube sensation Samuel Tsui talks to LIM JUN HAO
about his transition from covering chart-topping songs to producing his latest
original single, Gold Jacket
S
ilence hangs in the air while
the lights dim. Anticipation
grows among the audience
as the Samily crew – drummer
Joel Manduke, bassist Genna
Projansky and guitarist Jason Pitts
– open the show. Donning shining
golden armour, Samuel Tsui steps
on stage.
The self-taught singer-songwriter
rocked out to his latest hit single
Gold Jacket back in Nov 17 last
year, along with other crowd
favourites through the night at
Capitol Theatre, as part of the
Asian leg of the Gold Jacket Tour.
Sam Tsui started on YouTube in
2011, covering hits and creating
mashups of songs from popular
artistes. He rose to fame after
appearing on celebrity talk shows
like The Ellen DeGeneres Show
and The Oprah Winfrey Show. His
channel has garnered over three
million subscribers.
Like many of the songs in his last
album Trust, Gold Jacket was
written and produced by Sam
himself.
10
Yangtze River Great Bridge, commonly known as the
Wuhan First Yangtze River Bridge was built as a
memorial to the success of the new democratic
revolution after the founding of China in 1949 and
completed in the year 1957.
With social media, it is easy to
succumb to societal pressures or,
as he puts it, “to look and act a
certain way and curate an image
of themselves to project to the
world”.
The 30-year-old artiste explains:
“Genuine self-confidence can
be really difficult to cultivate in
this day and age. Gold Jacket is
about fighting that doubt by simply
adopting an attitude of positivity.”
“I think it’s so important especially
now to remind people to love
their idiosyncrasies and derive a
sense of self-worth from within.
I definitely feel
[self-doubt]
sometimes and
channel it into
my music to help
others.”
Feeling like a million
bucks is something
everyone loves.
Using the image
of a gold jacket,
Sam hopes to
empower his
listeners by
武
汉
长
江
大
桥HAO
inspiring that feeling in them.
“[Gold Jacket] makes [my Samily]
get up, dance, and feel absolutely
fabulous. Every time they listen,
I hope they feel like they’re in a
shiny gold jacket and feel super
powerful.
We can put on an attitude just
like [how] we put on a jacket, and
somehow by simply projecting
confidence it can actually make it
real in ourselves,” he says.
As of Jan 29 this year, Gold
Jacket has over 144,000 views on
YouTube and 84,000 streams on
Spotify.
Apart from songs from the album
Trust, he also sang renditions
of other famous songs. This
included a cover of Jay Chou’s
Don’t Cry (說好不哭) that he
collaborated with local singer
Nathan Hartono on, which
he belted out with near-
perfect pronunciation.
He also performed a
cover of Just A Dream
which he dedicated to

his late friend and fellow cover
artiste Christina Grimmie. The song
was one of the first songs they
performed as a duet.
“I think it’s so
important especially
now to remind
people to love their
idiosyncrasies and
derive a sense of
self-worth from
within. I definitely feel
[self-doubt]
sometimes and
channel it into my
music to help others.
Sam Tsui
With his career rooted in YouTube,
Sam picked up a variety of skills
which has helped to shape his
music today.
“I learned so much about
song-writing, production, and
video by deconstructing so much
music and creating content for my
YouTube channel every week,” he
says.
“I think releasing music can be
scary for a lot of people, but I got
so used to putting myself and
my music out there that it’s made
it a lot easier to do that with my
original stuff.”
Though he is no stranger to the
music scene, the YouTube star
admits facing difficulties while
producing Gold Jacket. Getting his
original work out into the world has
been daunting.
Having first started his music
career on YouTube covering
chart-topping pop songs, Sam
admits that it was “a lot easier to
get [these] videos trending”.
However, the same cannot be
said for Sam’s originals as they
Sam Tsui addressing his fans on STAGE
stage. PHOTO BY LIM JUN HAO
are songs that “no one’s ever
heard before”, which makes it
harder for these songs to gain
traction, especially since he’s an
independent artist.
He appreciates it when fans spread
the word about his original music
through social media or even by
simply adding his songs to their
playlists.
While Sam’s originals may not
be as popular as the covers he
has done, they are rewarding in
a totally different way. “Nothing
beats putting something into the
world that no one’s ever heard
before,” he says.
His biggest piece of advice? Chase
what you actually love, not what
you think you should be creating.
Sam Tsui hitting the high notes. PHOTO BY
“I’ve learnt to put less pressure on LIM JUN HAO
any individual song or track, to let
myself just explore and have fun
when I’m working on music, that
it’s okay if not every song is the
best thing you’ve ever written,” he
adds.
After his leg around Asia, Sam
wishes to bring his show to other
Samily members around the world.
But before leaving Singapore, there
is one more thing he has to do –
eat!
This being his second visit to
Singapore, Sam is no stranger to
the country and sounds like a
true-blue Singaporean when Sam Tsui autographing a photocard
for a fan. PHOTO BY LIM JUN HAO
talking about the national pastime.
“I’m so excited for some delicious
chilli crab, chicken rice, laksa,” he
says.
Sam has dropped yet another
single titled Muscle Memory for
his fans. “I feel like 2020 is going
to be a great year and I can’t wait
to keep giving my fans new and
exciting music,” he says.
11
 STAGE
A
s we skim through our guilty
pleasure tabloids, we might
happen to discover news of
famous people doing something
wrong or getting themselves into
questionable situations – leading
us to feel glee, shock or even
disappointment.
In this generation of fandoms, it is
normal for us to idolise our
favourite celebrities and be
influenced by them, in terms of
style and products they endorse.
However, it is another thing to be
overly fixated on them to the point
where it imposes unrealistic
expectations on them to uphold
that “celebrities are flawless
people”.
Celebrities often have a love-hate
relationship with attention; while
they shine in the spotlight, it can
become overwhelming at times.
When celebrities happen to break
their curated image, they receive
backlash. More often than not,
audiences might not get the full
picture. Behind the scenes, they
could be facing struggles that peo-
ple are not aware of.
What’s relevant now are the
beauty expectations we have of
Korean idols. Many idols in the
entertainment industry are
expected to have perfect bodies,
so much so that when an idol gains
weight, people’s perceptions of
them takes a huge turn.
Shon Seung-wan, better known as
Wendy from K-pop girl group Red
Velvet was criticised for being a
12
Flip Side of the
Glitz and Glamour
BY JACQUELINE LEE
little “chubby” as compared to the
other girls in the group. She lost
15kg in four months and
expectedly, people started to
praise her, without any regard for
the dangers of drastic weight loss.
Her weight fluctuated throughout
the months that followed, and
it became apparent that people
did not like seeing her putting on
weight. Wendy was subjected to
many comments about her weight
fluctuation online.
Because they attribute their
success to their fans, idols are
heavily affected by the
expectations of their fans.
Beneath all the glitz and glamour,
the industry can turn menacing.
In the span of two years, there
have been many instances of
Korean celebrities taking their
own lives due to depression and
accumulated stress of being part of
this industry.
Korean boy group SHINee’s main
vocalist, Kim Jonghyun, took his
life in 2017. In his suicide note, he
talked about depression and a
disturbing lack of privacy. His
death opened up the unspoken
dark truths behind the idol industry,
but the it hasn’t gotten any better.
Choi Jin-ri or Sulli, former K-pop
idol, took her own life in October
2019 due to cyberbullying after
she openly supported a feminist
campaign. In November, another
popular K-pop idol Goo Hara, a
close friend of Sulli, committed
suicide as well.
Instead of envying the flawless
image celebrities curate,
recognising idols’ imperfections as
“normal” would not only create a
less toxic media environment, but it
would also help internalise
healthier perceptions personally.
Media has the power to influence,
but we have the power to choose
how we want to be influenced.
Seeing the celebrities we support
get through tough times can help
us realise their humanity and also
motivates us to push ourselves
more, since those we idolise can
do it too.
And stop binging on tabloids.
“
Recognising
idols’ imperfections
as “normal” would
not only create a
less toxic media
environment, but
it would also help
internalise healthier
perceptions
personally.

Open-Air Movie Screenings On The Rise
Are Singaporeans sick and tired of conventional cinemas?
TERESE LIM finds out more about alfresco movie spots in Singapore
T
he night sky lit up under the
glow of a full moon, resting
perfectly above the large
projector screen. The dim yet
serene atmosphere was strangely
better than a regular cinema
without the need for total darkness.
While watching Spider-Man: Far
From Home at Tampines North’s
Movies Under the Stars, I saw
families chatting, children running
around at the back, and couples
young and old huddled close. As
I munched on free popcorn and
sipped on complimentary hot
chocolate, I savoured every
delightful moment, alfresco-style.
Despite the usual complaints about
the warm weather in Singapore,
watching films in open-air places is
on the rise. Whether it’s in a park,
on a rooftop or at a community
courtyard, these outdoor cinematic
experiences leave lasting
impressions.
Ms Karen Weitzel, 31, organiser
of Singapore’s Open Air Cinema
Club, says: “People nowadays look
for more exciting alternatives and
activities. Singapore offers many
possibilities of things to do at night
but watching a movie outdoors
Films At The Fort Open Air Cinema Club Peroni Sunset Cinema Movies Under the Stars
Fort Canning Park
When: August 2020
Price: $31.80
The Casillero del Diablo event at Films at the Fort is a cosy affair. PHOTO BY PEARCE TOH
is unique and different from just
sitting in a cinema.”
She recounts that during a
screenings of The Sixth Sense, the
last scene of the movie was
missing, due to the damaged rental
DVD from a local store. A man who
was familiar with the film stood up
and offered to describe the last
scene to everyone. His thorough
explanation won great applause
from the audience afterwards.
While the incident was a rare one,
it was a special moment shared
by everyone who attended the
screening that evening. “It was just
a few seconds of the movie, but it
was still a memorable scene. That
was really nice because it brought
everyone closer together,” says Ms
Weitzel.
Outdoors, the focus shifts from
enjoying the movie to social
interactions and atmosphere.
Open Air Cinema Club is held on a
rooftop terrace at the Hive, a
coworking space.
“People usually like the outdoor
atmosphere, the cosiness, and
simplicity of the set-up. It’s not a
Alfresco Screenings in Singapore
The Hive Singapore Tanjong Beach, Sentosa
When: Last Friday of
every month
When: May 2020
Price: Free Price: $31.80
FILM
huge fancy cinema but more of a
simple, down-to-earth and
laid-back environment,” Ms Weitzel
describes.
Premiere open-air cinema events
such as Films At The Fort are
comparatively more grand. Held
annually at the amphitheatre of
Fort Canning Park, one can unwind
with friends over a glass of wine
and a picnic before enjoying an
award-winning film under the stars.
Pearce Toh, 20, photographer for
Films At The Fort, says: “When
people step foot into a dark indoor
cinema, they tend to enjoy the
movie at a more individual level.
An outdoor cinema allows you to
enjoy the companionship of others
more.”
Open-air screenings bring back
nostalgic memories for the older
generation and offer a refreshing
experience for the young.
“It’s just something out of the
norm. You don’t get these events in
Singapore often, so it’s really a nice
touch and people are attracted to
this rather fresh idea,” says Lee Kar
Lok, a 19-year-old who is doing
National Service.
Block 480, Tampines Avenue 9
When: First Saturday of
every month
13
Price: Free
13
 FILM

GET REAL, GET CONNECTED

@ Freedom Film Festival 2019

The films featured in Freedom Film Festival 2019 included Push, Bila Kami
Bersatu and Hidden in Town.

Films that explore reality have fascinated followers, as NICOLE WANG found out at
the Freedom Film Festival

A
udience members sat on the
edge of their seats, appalled
yet amazed by the
invigorating journey of one woman
travelling the globe to uncover why
residents have been pushed out of
their beloved cities.
It was a full house for Push, which
kicked off the third annual Freedom
Film Festival on Nov 2, organised
The former Community
Engagement Manager at the
Association of Women for Action
and Research Singapore (AWARE)
talked about the how the housing
system in Singapore tends to
exclude certain individuals.
The themes of inequality blends in
nicely with the festival’s focus on
unequal distribution of wealth. This
critically acclaimed French indie
film, Blue is the Warmest Colour
(La Vie d’Adele), to the visually
stunning experimental Thai film
Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy. The
indie cinema screens films of all
genres, never shying away from
works with heavy or controversial
themes.

by the citizen’s initiative Function
8. Many audience members were
visibly touched by the film about
gentrification, but some questioned
how this is relevant in the
Singapore context.
Ms Kokila Annamalai, 27, a
panellist for the discussion of Push,
said: “I work with rental flat
communities which are some of the
older estates that are often targeted
for redevelopment which means
that there is a lot of gentrification
they experience.”
14
“ In Singapore, it
year also marks The Projector’s
rise from the ashes of the once
largest cinema in Southeast Asia,
now forgotten and hidden in the is not that easy to
decrepit Golden Mile Tower. talk about - let’s say
It was no surprise that The - inequality. A lot of
Projector was chosen to host the
third annual Freedom Film Festival.
us are more or less
Like the Festival, The Projector is blinded by the
no stranger to experimental and
controversial films.
physical wealth in
the country.
It boasts an incredible line-up of
Ms Low, Function 8
screenings every year – from the
organiser

The Freedom Film Festival was
conceptualised by Malaysian
human rights non-governmental
organisation, Pusat KOMAS.
To pay homage to their Malaysian
roots, the festival screened Bila
Kami Bersatu (When We Are One),
a documentary that tells the tale
of three women from Malaysia’s
National Hospital Service Workers’
Labour Union and their fight to
increase their meagre income. The
union was set up by women to raise
their minimum wage to RM1,500
(S$493).
“It’s really empowering that the
union managed to fight for their
rights and really enforce a minimum
wage,” said Chanice Tan, 21, a
student who watched the film.
“My mum also works in a hospital,
so I know she always has to OT
(overtime) but, sometimes, she
doesn’t get the pay I think she
deserves,” she added.
One Singaporean film screened
was Hidden In Town, which features
the PEKIK Community, where
indigent residents have developed
an initiative to benefit those living in
the area despite struggling to make
ends meet.
Directed and prod Kennice Foo and
produced by Nadya Sufie Achary,
both 23-year-old Ngee Ann
Polytechnic alumni, the film
explores what Singaporeans can do
to help their community.
FILM
Panelists at the Freedom Film Festival 2019 for Community Engagement
and Individual Burnout - Perspectives from Singapore.
Ms Foo said: “We are not looking
for an immediate impact.” Ms Sufie
Achary added that they “wanted
people to know that there was
poverty in Singapore”.
Ms Low Yit-Leng, 57, a Function 8
organiser, in explaining why some
people do not notice these issues
in Singapore, said: “In Singapore, it
is not that easy to talk about – let’s
say – inequality.
A lot of us are more or less
blinded by the physical wealth in the
country.”
She added: “I think, as concerned
citizens, when we see that there are
issues that Singaporeans
should be alerted to, be aware of
and be motivated to do something
about it to improve the lives of Ngee Ann Polytechnic alumni Kennice Foo and Nadya Sufie
fellow citizens and community, then Achary shine a light on the PEKIK community with Hidden in Town.
we should play a part.”
In today’s blockbuster-saturated
cinema landscape, it’s no surprise
“ When we see that
that independent films and there are issues that
documentaries fall under the radar.
Singaporeans should
However, true cinephiles know be alerted to, be aware
that indie films have more freedom
to address topics that may seem of and be motivated to
controversial. do something about
Free from the shackles of it to improve the lives
corporate advertising, most indie
film makers are able to create a
of fellow citizens and
more down-to-earth narrative that community, then we
the average person can relate to.
should all play a part.
Ms Low, Function 8
organiser
15
 FILM
The Monster
In Our Midst
Taking the route less travelled may not always be the best idea,
as PHOEBE RAE finds out in Singapore’s first monster movie
C
ircle Line, the first
monster movie produced
locally, promises a level of
visual effects never seen before in
local cinema. Yet, monster movie
buffs familiar with the genre from
the classic Frankenstein to the
quintessential indie favourite Pan’s
Labyrinth, may find it disturbingly
familiar.
As the name implies, Circle Line
is set in Singapore’s transport
system. The movie revolves around
Yiling (Jessica Liu) and Lucas
(Nathaniel Ng), a mother-son
duo trapped underground with a
monster lurking deep inside the
all-too-familiar tunnels, together
with a group of strangers.
They work together to outrun the
monster - known to be a hybrid of
a rat and lizard - and make it
through the night as duty engineers
in the control room desperately
investigate and try to rescue the
commuters.
Actor Nathaniel Ng, 9, recounts
one of the toughest stunts he had
to pull off thus far: “I actually had to
run, jump on a stool, get up on the
car engine and dive into the car!”
The film is spoken in Mandarin,
with the Chinese title (生死环线)
loosely translating to ‘loop of life
and death’.
16
Jessica Liu plays Yiling, the widowed mother of Lucas, played by
9-year-old Nathaniel Ng in Singapore’s first monster movie.
Produced with Taipan Films and Juan says: “There’s also some
mm2 Entertainment, Circle Line is social commentary in the film,
director JD Chua’s debut feature especially for people concerning
film. Chua has directed for web themselves with transport, with
series Click, short film Bad Throttle putting systems in place and
and provided support in Hollywood having checks and balances.”
productions like action thriller
Blackhat and the sci-fi horror film “[It’s] about process versus
Dark Skies. procedure, doing the right thing
versus doing things right … I think
In the four years of its making, the any Singaporean that sees this and
film has seen various teams understands the story will know
coming together to build upon its that it is revolving around things
high standard of production. The that we face every day,” he adds.
monster was designed by Victor
Marin, who was rumoured to have
worked together with the creature IN THEATRES
MAY 2020
designer for Pacific Rim.
Argentinian visual effects
company ONER Vfx, whose
production credits include the
Academy Award winning film The
Secret in Their Eyes, was also
brought on to work on this film.
“We want to offer them…
something that is more unique,
more entertainment-driven, more
mainstream but with a higher
quality like Korean films,” says Mr
Juan Foo, producer of Circle Line.
Taking inspiration from the
highly-acclaimed Korean movie
The Host, the film aims to be more
than just a heartfelt, action-packed
thrilling drama.
Jessica Liu plays Yiling, the widowed mother of Lucas, played by
9-year-old Nathaniel Ng in Singapore’s first monster movie.
 FILM

BLACK
WIDOWS
UNITE
Black Widow is expected to be a spy thriller set in the MCU.

You can gear up for Black Widow

– if the trailer is anything to go
by, as GRACE PHAM discovers

A
be noticed, especially in the film
bout a decade ago, it was
industry. Lore, a movie about a
mentioned that there was character, though Robert Downey
woman’s exploration of her
going to be a solo movie Jr has yet to confirm nor deny any
sexuality and understanding of her
focusing on Black Widow. It is only participation in the movie.
world won Shortland the Best
now, with the rollout of Phase Four
Director award at the Australian
of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Regardless, it’s hard to deny
Film Critics Association in 2013.
(MCU), that we will finally get to there’s a lot more in store come the
find out more about The Avengers’ film’s eventual release.
Fans are already captivated by the
covert ops specialist.
trailer soundtrack Score A Score.
The electric guitar and repeating
The events of this movie will take
siren sounds are an adrenaline rush
place after Captain America: Civil
War, and before Avengers: Infinity
that hints to the audience to brace
themselves for something epic.
IN THEATRES
APR 2020
War, as Black Widow is forced to
confront her past as a Russian
This is alongside other exciting
spy who defected to the United
revelations from the trailer. Florence
States and joined the spy agency
Pugh, who has played key roles
S.H.I.E.L.D. The movie will focus
in major releases such as Fighting
on her start in a Soviet training
with My Family and Little Women,
facility that turns female orphans
teams up with veteran actress
into spies.
Rachel Weiss as fellow Black
Widows who train with Natasha.
Not only is this Marvel’s second
superhero movie that focuses on a
The appearance of David Harbour
female character after Captain
also stirred up some interest,
Marvel in 2019, Black Widow is
hopping over from Netflix series
also directed by Cate Shortland,
Stranger Things to portray the Red
the first woman to direct a MCU
Guardian in this movie, a
movie.
character from the comics
considered to be the Russian
With a Marvel movie centred
super-soldier counterpart to
around an important female
Captain America.
character, it is no surprise that
the team working on this are all
advocates of female strength and
equality. Scarlett Johansson,
who plays Natasha Romanov the
Black Widow, handpicked the
director for this movie. William Hurt’s return as
Thaddeus Ross has also
Shortland is known for her strong stirred up whispers online of
views on female equality and another cameo of a certain
believes that women’s skills should bearded, iron-armoured

17
 FILM
Better Late Than Never?
ISABELLE MONTEIRO dives into the confusion surrounding the Kingsman franchise
and the delayed releases of the prequel
C
omedic yet elegant,
playful yet suave.
This best expresses
the themes of the Kingsman
movies so far. Unlike secret
agent movie franchises such as
Mission Impossible and James
Bond, the Kingsman franchise
tends to take on a more
humorous, less stoic front.
However, the spin-off prequel,
The King’s Man, has a plot that
seems to steer towards a more
serious tone and direction.
Set at the peak of World War I in
the early 1900s, The King’s Man
takes fans back to the beginning.
The prequel provides some
backstory to the creation of the
first independent intelligence
agency known as Kingsman.
Based on The Secret Service
comics by Mark Miller, the story
follows the spies on their mission
to end the war as they defeat
notorious criminal masterminds.
The movie highlights how the
organisation strives for justice and
peace, addressing deep-rooted
evil in the hearts of men.
The duo featured will not be Eggsy
and Harry, beloved characters
18 Ralph Fiennes delivers a convincing performance as the Duke of Oxford
played by Taron Egerton and
Colin Andrew Firth. In this
separate era, The King’s Man
stars Ralph Fiennes, who plays
the Duke of Oxford alongside his
newest Kingsman recruit known
as Conrad, played by Harris
Dickinson.
In an interview with Digital Spy,
director Matthew Vaughn said
that the movie is made to be
independent to ensure a proper
origin story. “I wanted to design
a movie that had hardly anything
to do with the original Kingsman
apart from the tailor shop,” he
The King’s Man is, according to Matthew Vaughn, a very
different movie in mood and setting.
said. He claimed that the spin-off
is so different that haters of the
Kingsman series might reluctantly The movie will officially hit screens
enjoy it. seven months later than the
promised date.
A rather large commotion has
surrounded the movie since Disney With feelings played over and over
first announced the proposed again, expectations for the movie
release date. Fans are confused are definitely sky-high. With the
as The King’s Man was initially promise of something fresh, fans
scheduled to hit theatres on 15 certainly still look forward to The
November 2019. Instead, Disney King’s Man and can only hope
decided to push back the release Disney will keep their word on the
date to 14 February 2020, just in current release date.
time for Valentine’s Day.
Just as fans were beginning to IN THEATRES
anticipate the long-awaited movie
again, Disney announced yet
another surprise reshuffle of dates. SEP 2020

Fantasy Island:
New Twist Or
Just Twisted?
NICOLE WANG finds out if the
low-budget horror remake can
recapture the magic of the original
“M
y dear guests, I am
Mr. Roarke, your
host. Welcome to
Fantasy Island.”
If you could pay to have your wish
fulfilled, would you? The 1998
original Fantasy Island series,
starring Ricardo Montalban as Mr
Roarke, fiddled with the “be careful
what you wish for” trope.
It revolved around the mysterious
Fantasy Island where guests could
be granted any desire on the island
with the one rule that they must
“see their fantasies through no
matter what”.
While Fantasy Island at times
explored much darker themes,
the original was definitely a far cry
from the horror film that graced our
screens in February.
Blum House Production’s new spin
on the classic Fantasy Island stars
many familiar faces including
Michael Pena (Ant Man, Dora the
Explorer) as Mr. Roarke, Lucy Hale
(Pretty Little Liars), Ryan Hansen
(Veronica Mars)
and Portia
Doubleday (Mr
Robot).
Although
seemingly
Behind the cocktails and beautiful beaches, horrors await the
guests of Fantasy Island in the 2020 remake.
detached from
the original, the film still seems
to be keeping the core concept
of the original series: a group of
people who have paid a fee go
to a luxurious tropical resort to
make their “fantasies” come true.
However, instead of twisting
wishes into whimsical tales with
mermaids and Aphrodite like the
original, the film will lean more
on gory horror genre tropes
which will transform each guest’s
“fantasy” into their own personal
nightmare.
An example in the trailers is
where Melanie, Lucy Hale’s
character, wishes to get revenge
on a childhood bully and gets
her wish fulfilled in the form of
her bully strapped in a torture
chamber – which also doubles as
a throwback to Hale’s previous
Five lucky winners win a trip to
the seemingly perfect Fantasy
Island private resort..
FILM
role in Pretty Little Liars. Melanie
is visibly unable to go along with it
which seems to directly go against
the island’s one rule.
Another key difference is Pena’s Mr.
Roarke, who is seen glowering
sinisterly in the trailers. This is
definitely a departure from Scott
Lang’s goofy friend from Ant Man.
In the original, Mr Roarke is
mysterious, whimsical, calm and
seems to care about the safety of
his guests, sometimes even
genuinely worrying for them if he
knows how their fantasy will be
twisted. He is not someone who
would want to torture his guests in
the way the new reboot will.
While the changes to the new film
seem to put the film in a much
more darker setting, it has yet to
be seen if the differences will help
modern audiences connect with
the story or simply add
unnecessary gore to a beloved
whimsical fantasy series.
In INTheatres
THEATRES
FEB 2020
19
 FILM

NEW MULTAANNDS TALL

S
Romance gives way to woman power in
Disney’s remake of the Chinese classic,
Mulan, as NURHADAINA ARIFFIN finds out
Actress Liu Yifei is making her Hollywood film debut after acting in
Chinese film productions since 2004.

When it was first released in 1998, something new in this

Disney’s animated film Mulan
enjoyed overwhelming support
from critics and the public,
grossing US$304 million in box
offices. In 2020, Disney retells the
same tale with a twist.
reimagining, make it a little more
muscular, stronger, with a touch
of Ridley Scott,” said Sean Bailey,
president of motion picture
production at Disney in an
interview with Vulture.

The plot for this classic Chinese
tale remains: Hua Mulan takes the
selfless yet controversial decision
to disguise as a man to serve in
the Imperial Army against the Hun
invaders from the north in the
place of her ailing father.
The trailer alone has created buzz
with the different direction the film
takes – the absence of beloved
characters Mushu and Li Shang,
new antagonists and replacing
Disney songs with instrumental
tracks, such as Mulan’s iconic
Reflection solo and I’ll Make A Man
Out Of You.
The show goes on without Li
Shang, the General of the Imperial
Army, Mulan’s romantic interest
in the original film, giving way to
a more independent Mulan. Her
strength in her struggles shines
through, without the distraction of
a romantic subplot.
“Mulan is clearly an empowered
female story but we can also do
The main antagonist in the 1998
animated film, Shan Yu, leader
of the Huns, is replaced by Böri
Khan, a warrior leader of the Huns
and Xianniang, a witch.
The creative decisions were initially
faced with criticism but fans have
warmed up to the idea that the
new live-action Mulan will be more
accurate to the original source
material.This remake follows Ballad
of Mulan written in the sixth
century, more than its animated
predecessor.
It also features an all-Asian cast:
Liu Yifei as Mulan, Donnie Yen as
Commander Tung, Jason Scott
Lee as Bori Khan, Gong Li as
Xianniang and Jet Li as the
emperor of China.
Even before cast members were
announced, there were concerns
about whitewashing, as seen in
many Hollywood movies such as
The Last Airbender and Ghost in
the Shell. A petition was created
on the platform Care2 and
collected over 90,000 signatures
for Mulan to have an Asian cast.
Taking it a step further, Niki
mentioned consulting experts on
Chinese history and culture for the
film in 2017. In an interview with
The Hollywood Reporter, she said:
“Of course, of course. In all my
work that is centered in cultures
not my own, I hope that comes
through, because that is incredibly
important to me.”
This remake is not a rehashing
of the animation that one might
expect based on previous Disney
live-remakes like The Lion King.
Fans can expect an authentic
version of Mulan that pays tribute
to its roots while provoking a
sense of nostalgia for childhood
fans.

IN THEATRES
20
Donnie Yen will be playing Commander Tung, who is partially based on the character
Li Shang from the original 2004 film as a high-ranking leader of the Imperial Regiment
MARCH 26
and Mulan’s mentor.
 FILM
Uniquely
Southeast Asian
The challenges that Southeast
Asian filmmakers face are unique
to the region. TERESE LIM and
NICOLE WANG visit the
Singapore International Film
Festival to find out more Focus Panel - Stories We Tell Myth, Dreamscape and Memories in Southeast Asian
Cinema. PHOTO COURTESY OF 30th SGIFF.

T
he winners of the Audience
Choice Award at the
Singapore International Film
Festival (SGIFF) 2019 for their film,
Unteachable, began making the
film while still actively applying
to forums, labs, funding bodies,
and seeking donations. Director
Ms Yong Shu Ling did nearly all
the camera work while producer
Ms Lisa Teh helped with sound
recording whenever her schedule Lucky 7 by Sun Koh, Rajagopal, Boo Junfeng, Brian Gothong Tan, Chew Tze
Chuan, Ho Tzu Nyen and Tania Sng. PHOTO COURTESY OF 30th SGIFF.
permitted.

Challenges presenting itself at every Challenging Censorship

step of the way are part and parcel
of filmmaking.
“These Asian countries have
similarities, such that we are
independent filmmakers, lacking
support from the government,” said
Mr Guo Xiao-Dong, 44, filmmaker
and founder of the New Asian
Filmmakers Collective, during the
SGIFF Focus Panel: Stories We Tell:
Myth, Dreamscape and Memories
in Southeast Asian Cinema.
Kicking off the SGIFF focus on
Southeast Asian cinema, Lucky7
kept audiences at the edge of their
seats throughout the film. Being
the love child of seven Singaporean
filmmakers, the film represented the
pinnacle of free expression,
showcasing a liberating abstract
compilation of films tied together by
one lead actor, Mr Sunny Pang, 47.
slice of what Singaporean
filmmaking looked like at that
point in time,” she explained.
“They [the six other filmmakers]
were free to do whatever they
want. The main objective is to
foster this camaraderie in the film
community.”
Based on the concept of
exquisite corpse, each of the
seven filmmakers created their
own narrative in response to only

The SGIFF, the largest and

longest-running film event in
Southeast Asia, marked its
30th edition last year. The event
screened more than 90 films from
40 countries that formed the pulse
of Asian and international cinema.
To spotlight the distinctive stories in
Southeast Asia, the SGIFF included
a focus programme on Southeast
Asian cinema that explored film and
visual storytelling in the region.
While the programme celebrated
the accolades and unique identity
of Southeast Asian films, it also
projected a range of issues from
censorship in Singapore to a lack of
funding in the Philippines.
“Lucky7 was made the final minute of the previous
segment. “I left the rest to the
process. I had very little creative
at a time when the control over what they did,” Ms
filmmakers were not Koh mused.
preoccupied with The Ngee Ann Polytechnic
appeasing the alumnus reflected on the
approach and the consensus of
censors. There was Singaporean filmmaking today.
even a segment “Lucky7 was made at a time
when the filmmakers were not
criticising the censors. preoccupied with appeasing
Sun Koh, Singaporean the censors. There was even a
segment criticising the censors. I
filmmaker
would say censorship is a
Singaporean filmmaker Ms Sun challenge now,” she said.
Koh, 42, devised the radical film
experiment. “I gathered a bunch of Mr K. Rajagopal, 54, one of the
people whom I felt represented a contributing directors of Lucky7,
21
 FILM
said: “Sun wanted it to be a safe
place. For me, this was the most
liberating short film that I’ve ever
done. It was the most liberating
experience for me telling this story.”
While this film allowed them to
express themselves freely, there are
still many creative voices that stifle
themselves in favour of box office
success. “Perhaps the main
challenge is filmmakers not
feeling free enough to just make
films instead of being calculative
about career prospects and taking
it too seriously as a career. So, the
greatest challenge is in the
mindset,” Ms Koh said.
“It’s also the fear of exposing
yourself totally. When you make a
film, you’re presenting things you
normally hide. That kind of film
tends not to be one of your
career-enhancing films,” she adds.
Mr Sunny Pang, the star of Lucky7,
commented after the screening
of the film: “We’re independent
filmmakers. Whatever comes to
our minds, we express it without
holding back. If you think so much
about what people think about you,
you’re conscious of what you’re
expressing, and it becomes
redundant being a creator who
wants to create content.”
K. Rajagopal (Top) and Raya Martin (Bottom Right) at the 30th Singapore International Film
Festival Stories We Tell: Myth, Dreamscape and Memory in Southeat Asian Cinema.
22
A Short Film About the Indio Nacional by Raya Martin. PHOTO COURTESY OF 30th SGIFF.
Overcoming Lack of
Funding and Resources
Complementing the selection of
Southeast Asian films at the SGIFF,
Filipino filmmaker Mr Raya Martin,
35, charmed audiences with his
debut piece — A Short Film About
the Indio Nacional, a silent, black
and white film about the aftermath
of the American revolution in the
Philippines, and the impact it had
on the indigenous people of
the land.
“I wanted to do this thing that was
so big,” said Mr Martin, thinking
back on his ambitious debut in
2005. “I wanted to create a
silent movie out of the Philippines
that was historical. But I only had
enough to buy a camera from
the States.”
Besides the lack of funds, the
director struggled with a small
crew, time constraints and gaining
audience recognition. “As a young
filmmaker, my mindset was to work
with what I had and not to
continuously ask for more
resources so that I could make
the film I wanted,” he explains his
thought process. “Troubleshooting
is the creative part. It’s not all ‘I
want to do this’, but more towards
‘give me problems and I will solve
it’. When what you have is limited,
you just have to get creative.”
As a film student in the early
2000s, Mr Martin explained that
few Filipino silent films existed then
as the war had wiped out most of
the films. “They say around seven
pre-war films exist right now and it
was very strange, as a film student,
to talk about these old films without
really seeing them.”
He cited the loss of old Philippines
history as a challenge for him when
making his films and the cause
for the resulting loss of Filipino
identity. “Due to the many
revolutions, the idea of the nation is
quite new to the country. It’s difficult
to establish this identity in our films
if all the accounts of old cinema are
just papers.”
“As a young
filmmaker, my
mindset was to work
with what I had and
not to continuously
ask for more
resources so that I
could make the film I
wanted.
Raya Martin, Director
of A Short Film About
the Indo Nacional

(From Left) Directors Brian Gothong Tan, Chew Tze Chuan and Sun Koh, with moderator Thong Kay
Wee. PHOTO COURTESY OF 30TH SGIFF AND PHUA BOON WAH
“I always go back to this cliché
that necessity is the mother of all
inventions,” he continued about
his personal philosophy. “Because
for film students, it’s a necessity to
watch these actual movies
[pre-war films]. So, I had to shoot
a movie that could have existed at
that time.”
Despite the diverse challenges
these filmmakers face, there is a
growing network of support within
Southeast Asia, and a community
of filmmakers who are working
across borders, fuelling growth
and ambition. The Singapore Film
Commission, which is part of
Singapore’s Infocomm Media
Development Authority (IMDA),
now offers grants for Southeast
Asian co-productions.
(From Left) Directors Brian Gothong Tan, Chew Tze Chuan, Tania Sng; Actress Gillian Tan & Actor
Sunny Pang with Sun Koh and Rajagopal. PHOTO COURTESY OF 30TH SGIFF AND PHUA BOON WAH
FILM
WHERE to Catch
Independent Asian
~ Films ~
OLDHAM THEATRE
1 Canning Rise, Singapore 179868
Housed in the restored
National Archives of Singapore
building with screenings by the
Asian Film Archive, Oldham
Theatre provides an array of
acclaimed classic and
contemporary Asian films.
THE PROJECTOR
Golden Mile Tower, 6001
Beach Road
Ms Yuni Hadi, executive director
of the 30th edition of SGIFF, said:
The Projector is home to a wide
“The time for Southeast Asian films
range of local and international
has never been better because
films, with an Intermission Bar and
there is an international spotlight
an overall vibe that provides
on it, so people are looking to
cinephiles with a true 70s’
co-produce or get involved
experience.
somehow. For SGIFF, we are in it
for the long-haul because we want
to build an audience for films from OBJECTIFS
our region, so it just doesn’t stop 155 Middle Road,
when the next trend comes along.” Singapore 188977
Past SGIFF Silver Screen Award Singapore’s independent centre
winner and Singaporean filmmaker for photography and film, Objectifs
Mr Michael Kam, 51, provided an screens local and regional
analogy on the difficulties of productions, including short films.
filmmaking. “It’s like painting. We It is also home to its annual Watch
use different canvasses and Local and Women in Film series.
different mediums. Though there
are bound to be challenges, you FILMGARDE CINEPLEX
try to tell the best story possible 201 Victoria Street,
despite those limitations.” Singapore 188067
The first cineplex in Asia to be fully
fitted with cutting-edge immersive
sound system, Filmgarde
Cineplex showcases a wide range
of independent films, with
exclusive releases by local and
Asian filmmakers.
SCREENING ROOM
1 Old Parliament Lane,
Singapore 179429
The Screening Room is a 75-seater
film theatre in The Arts House that
presents a regular mix of both local
and international films, as well as
film premieres and festivals.
23
 FROM DISCARDS
LOOK

TO FASHION
The fashion industry is ever-evolving and sustainability is the new wave.
JACQUELINE LEE finds out how upcycling is slowly making its way into the
fashion industry

P
lastic bottles, old cloth
and scrap fabrics – these
“impractical” materials
are becoming the next ‘it’ thing
as they breathe new life into
Bottle cap rings are sewn onto
the garment, embellishing the universal clothing through the
outerwear. process of upcycling.

Not to be confused with

rPET fabrics were used to
create the base of the pieces.
recycling, upcycling is the
process of transforming
discarded materials into
products that are of higher
quality than before. The trend
does not only run in hippie
circles; stitching up different
components from old, thrifted
clothing to create new original
pieces is no small feat.

Upcycling has been adopted

by upscale fashion brands like
LA-based Reformation and even
by luxury brands like Moschino
and Prada, thus introducing the
term ‘haute upcycling’ to the
fashion world.

Ode To The Turtles

Kee Kai Xuan, 20 and Teh Qian

Yu, 21, fashion students from
Nanyang Academy of Fine
Arts (NAFA) emerged as the
champions. Driven by their
interest in the technology
behind rPET fabric, the team
wanted to gain insight into
fashion sustainability as well.

“I won’t say I have done enough

in upcycling, because we really
don’t upcycle as much as
people do in Japan or Taiwan.
MODEL: LIEW ZI QI
However, I’m in the movement
STYLING AND ART DIRECTION: JACQUELINE LEE, HAYMUN WIN
of practising upcycling as much
PHOTOGRAPHY: DENYSE TAN
as I can in my career,” says
Qian Yu.
24
66

The outerwear
is made using
organza and
leftover satin
fabrics.
They were able to create an
impressive three-piece look
consisting of a puffy jacket,
textured shorts (not pictured)
and a high-neck top. The shape
of the outfit and bottle caps
used were inspired by distorted
turtle shells, an allusion to the
Save the Turtles movement
as turtles were being killed by
ocean trash.
The team voiced that the
current culture would not
appreciate upcycled clothes as
much as brand-new clothes,
even if designers incorporate
upcycling into their creations.
Creating upcycled garments
means using unwanted
materials, which might be
thought of as “shabby” or even
“unhygienic”. However, textile
waste sanitisation is a common
LOOK
outfit that is a head-turner.
“I don’t often shop. I wear my
clothes till they are really worn
out, repair whenever there
are problems, sell or donate
unwanted clothes,” says Ivana.
She believes that upcycling
should be part of one’s
lifestyle.
Both Ivana and Jessica
agree that the challenge for
designers is to create garments
or accessories that will not
appear “homemade” or of
low quality. However, with the
rise of the haute upcycling,
more professional designers
are innovating high-quality
pieces. This is illustrated by
the number of fashion shows
The belt is made by
threading spoilt charger dedicated to upcycled fashion,
cables through bare such as Stella McCartney’s
thread tubes.
Summer 2020 Collection at
Paris Fashion Week.
The one-piece garment
is made out of rPET
fabrics and enhanced
with translucent
organza material.
process employed
by designers, which
utilises ozone to
ensure that materials
are purified before
being upcycled.
Breaking
Into High
Street
Ivana
Karin, 22
and Jessica Hartono, 21,
fashion students from NAFA,
came in as the first runner-
up. Their creation is an
enigmatic one-piece romper
with a translucent bottom,
complemented with a flowy
outerwear topped off with a
chunky belt. The result is an
elegant, high-street fashion
25
67
 LOOK
An Everyday Affair

The second runner-up in

the competition, Goh Zi Qi,
20, and Psalmist Peh, 21,
who are Apparel Design and
Merchandising students from
Temasek Polytechnic (TP) came
up with a casual three-piece
‘athleisure’ outfit, consisting of
a quilted cropped top, shorts
(not pictured) and a cropped The inside of the hoodie is
made of plastic, giving it an
hoodie with attention-grabbing extra orangey punch that
textures and pops of colour. compliments the outfit.

Despite concerns about

upcycling, there are visible The inside of the
efforts being made to support hoodie is made of
plastic, giving it an
this movement. extra orangey punch.

Zi Qi and Psalmist says that

TP’s School of Design is
incorporating upcycling into
their school projects. Students
will be required to use upcycled
materials for their assignments.
This will help design students to
learn about methods of staying
sustainable in the industry.
rPET fabrics were used to
create the base of the hoodie.
Anabelle Tan, 19, one of the
finalists, points out that the
fashion industry is one of the
highest causes of wastage with
all the unwanted clothes and
leftover fabrics. “Upcycling
means giving hope to fashion,”
she adds.

Local designers are also

playing their part to introduce
upcycling. Heng Kang Yong is
a 31-year-old accessory artist
who started his upcycling
journey in 2009. Known as
theKANG, he experiments
with unconventional materials
such as fused plastics, metal
bottle caps, acrylics and even
vinyl records to craft various
accessories such as earrings,
wallets and card holders.
The colourful top
Mr Heng says that though was quilted with
leftover fabrics
upcycling may not be as from previous
profitable, it is a responsibility projects, topped
off with reflective
of sorts to incorporate it into straps.
fashion. “It is about reducing
waste and consuming less at
the end of the day. There’s
upcycling because there’s so
much plastic being used,” he
adds.

26

Breaking Boundaries For Beauty
With different beauty trends constantly on the rise, ISABELLE MONTEIRO
explores the possible health risks and why people ignore them
“W hen I woke up, I could
feel the lashes stuck
to like my eyelids and
it hurt so much…my swollen red
eyes were stinging,” says Nanyang
Technological University student,
Esther Yeo, 23, after going through
a traumatising eyelash extension
treatment.
Eyelash extension is just one of the
many trends in the current beauty
realm. What’s of concern though,
is that many youths do not know of
the health risks of such trends.
In a recent HYPE survey conducted
amongst 196 youths, a whopping
111 or 57 per cent had undergone
one or more beauty treatments.
Manicures, eyebrow microblading,
and various hair-altering treatments
were among the most popular
beauty treatments. What’s troubling
is that of the 111 who underwent
treatments, 53.5 per cent of them
did not research about the possible
health risks beforehand.
Dr Natasha Lim, founder of Dr
Natasha Lim Eye Center, says that
some of the possible health risks of
luscious eyelash extensions include
severe eye infections, allergic
reactions, swelling and impaired
vision. The culprit is formaldehyde,
a toxic adhesive the glue contains.
The chemical should not come into
contact with the eyelid, but often
does due to inexperienced hands.
“The lash should be attached a
quarter way of the eyelash, not
directly on the eyelid,” says Debbie
Chew, manager at Skinlash.
“My eyelids were throbbing and
swollen because the lashes were
stuck straight onto my eyelid
pores,” recounts Ms Yeo with a
shudder.
Even non-invasive beauty
treatments such as bleaching and
perming your hair have possible
devastating side effects. Dr Teo
Wan Lin, dermatologist and
founder of TWL Specialist Skin
& Laser Center, says that such
intense and damaging chemical
processes may lead to hair loss
because the chemicals damage
the hair shaft, weakening it to the
point of breakage.
“I felt a painful stinging
sensation on my scalp and saw
smoke escaping from my head,”
exclaims Chelsea Linda, a
26-year-old marketing manager.
When Ms Linda decided to colour
her hair red, her hair was bleached
so it would retain the red dye. She
immediately panicked when she
felt stinging pain and was even
more alarmed when her head
resembled that of a steaming pot.
“It wasn’t the smoking hot I was
looking for,” she jokes.
LOOK
Despite the risk of painful and
damaging complications, youths
are still willing to take the health
risk in the name of beauty. In the
survey, 76.5 per cent of
respondents said they were still
willing to follow beauty trends
despite knowing the risks involved.
To some, having to maintain an
image makes it feel like a
necessity. “It’s kind of like once
you start you can’t stop kind of
thing. You kind of have to maintain
the image a little bit,” says Ms Yeo.
Another issue often overlooked is
that many influencers and beauty
bloggers do not shy away from
endorsing these beauty treatments
on social media, while neglecting
to educate their audience on the
potential risks they could be
taking.
Beauty blogger Roanna Tan
(@Paradeoflove) explains: “It’s
easy to fall into the trap of wanting
to appease brands by helping to
promote or create content, instead
of really trying out the products
or services and providing honest
feedback.”
Known for her trusted beauty
product reviews, she believes that
her readers and fans should
conduct their own research and
not take any content on the
internet at face value.
“Everyone should be
responsible for their own
decisions. What works for one
person may not work for another,”
says Roanna.
There is nothing wrong with
wanting to be beautiful, but it
wouldn’t hurt to do a little research
beforehand. You might just save
yourself from a scarring physical
and mental experience.
27
 LOOK
Street Style: Wuhan Edition
KIRAN PILLAI shows you how to put together an original top-notch streetwear outfit,
inspired by the street scene in Wuhan
W
hen you think of
streetwear, major fashion
capitals like London or
Tokyo may come to mind.
However, while trends become
repetitive, China’s underrated
scene impresses with its unique
take on streetwear. At least, I’m
impressed with the streetwear in
Wuhan, the capital of Hubei
province, a city brewing with
individuality.
These pieces are from Chinese
streetwear brands Meters/bonwe
and KAMA, as well as cheaper
options from Taobao Street
located at Optics Valley in Wuhan.
1
Zips on the back and front of this hoodie lend edginess to
the outfit. PHOTO BY JULIAN TAY
28
1. Don’t shy from
loud and bold colours!
Loud colours like yellow, orange
and red are extremely popular, but
pulling them off is a whole new ball
game, especially when clashing
colours could ruin your outfit.
Fret not, colour blocking is a
streetwear trend now. Achieve the
look by matching two bold solid
colours, like red and blue, to
create combinations that pop.
For those who prefer a more
muted look, minimal colours like
black, white and grey can be
paired with loud colours as well.
At 300 yuan (S$60), this Meters/
bonwe hoodie has loud red and
blue accents that match perfectly
with the main neutral colours.
You can choose to keep the
bottom simple or loud. This was
styled with a pair of grey
camouflage print pants that cost
150 yuan from Taobao Street.
2. Play around with
unique concepts
The streetwear gear in Wuhan are
designed with daring concepts,
such as buttons on the side of
pants, straps laying loose on
shirts and an excessive number of
pockets. These may be out of your
comfort zone, but there are also
simpler ones to try out.
At 150 yuan, this KAMA sweater
seems plain and simple, with only
the brand name in the middle.
However, the 3M tape down the
sides reflects light, giving the basic
outfit an elevated look at night.
 LOOK
Keeping it simple, the outfit was

2
styled with black cargo pants
from Taobao street that cost only
125 yuan, and a matching pair of
3M sneakers.

With the multiple pockets on the

baggy cargo pants and the shine
from the 3M tape, the classic
black outfit stands out as street
style.

3. Get creative with

graphics
Graphic tees are back in style,
and you can find them at Taobao
Street. Graphics add a splash of
personality to your outfits. The bright glow from
the 3M tape makes the
outfit more distinctive
Pairing a basic white graphic tee at night.
PHOTO BY JULIAN TAY
that costs 61 yuan with 100 yuan
slim-fit black corduroy pants
creates a smart-casual outfit that
anyone can pull off.

To make your outfit even more

special, simply throw on a
Simple outfit for the day, but look
statement outerwear to change closely at the sides.
up the entire look. PHOTO BY:JULIAN TAY

The jacket costs 180 yuan ($35)

and features buttons on the
3
side and a graphic print with
a streetwear reference
(Undefeated fans will know!)
on the back.

While these outfits are the

basics of Wuhan street
style, personal
style is like a
blank canvas. It
all depends on
imagination and
taste.

One thing we
can learn from
the Wuhan
streetwear
scene is not
to be afraid
to try out new
styles. You
will be
surprised
Plain graphic tee with black corduroy pants from Taobao
by how your Street. PHOTO BY JULIAN TAY
fashion game
will be taken to a It’s the little details like the small patches on
whole new level! the front and buttons on the
side… and the big ones – the graphic at the
back. PHOTO BY JULIAN TAY
29
 LOOK
The traditional Han attire – or hanfu – has been around for 400 years. SUZANNAH
LUM delves into why it is making waves among youths in China recently
Tradition
Turns
Fashion
Trend
“W
hen I wear the hanfu,
I know it is going to
be a good day,” says
Yuan Man, 22, member of the
Hanfu Club in Wuhan Institute of
Technology (WIT). “I love the way it
flows in the wind; it makes me feel
like an elegant fairy.”
Hanfu was the traditional attire of
the Han ethnic group for over 3,000
years before it was banned during
the Qing Dynasty. After 400 years,
the hanfu is making a comeback
and gaining popularity among
youths. Most universities even have
clubs dedicated to celebrating this
traditional attire.
According to the newspaper China
Daily, there are more than two mil-
lion supporters of hanfu in China,
a 73 per cent rise from 2017. The
Han ethnic group makes up about
90 per cent of China’s population.
What ignited conversations about
the hanfu was The Story of
Minglan, an entertaining period
drama set in the Song Dynasty,
that garnered 400 million viewers.
30
Members of the Hanfu Club in WIT posing in their colourful hanfu.
Like many other youths in China,
Ms Yuan (who declined to give her
full name) grew up watching
historical dramas. She first
encountered the hanfu through the
television series The Legend of the
White Snake, a famous Chinese
folk legend.
“ When I wear the
hanfu, I know it is
going to be a good
day. I love the way
it flows in the wind;
it makes me feel like
an elegant fairy.
Man Yuan, member of
WIT Hanfu Club
The beautiful billowy sleeves,
long elaborate skirts and intricate
accessories of the costumes in
these dramas left a deep-rooted
impression on Ms Yuan, motivating
PHOTO BY BIBIANA LOW
the young girl to learn more about
the elegant hanfu.
E-commerce and social media
have also contributed to the
resurgence of hanfu. E-commerce
sites have made variations of the
outfit readily available to youths,
and social media has sparked a
trend of wearing hanfu.
Deng Kang Ni, 19, another hanfu
enthusiast, says: “Technology is
very advanced so there are a lot
more sharing platforms now. Young
people have come to know about
hanfu in the last two years due to
sites like Douyin.”
Douyin, the Chinese version of
popular social media video
application TikTok, has over 400
million active users. It is an
application where people can
share short videos of themselves
lip-syncing to songs or performing
short comic skits.
A popular hanfu influencer on
Douyin, who goes by the online
pseudonym Nanzhi999, shares with

his 1.1 million followers videos of
himself as a beautiful woman in a
hanfu, with elaborate hair and
makeup.
Ms Deng also frequently shares
videos of herself on Douyin. More
than half of her posts feature her
dolled up in hanfu and these posts
garner more likes and views
compared to other posts of her in
regular outfits.
According to a report released by
Taobao, a popular Chinese shopping
website, ‘hanfu’ is the third most
searched keyword among female
shoppers in 2019. Another major
e-commerce platform, T-mall,
reported a 92 per cent increase in
hanfu purchases in 2018 compared
with the previous year.
“Buying hanfu on Taobao is
convenient and affordable for us
students,” says Ms Yuan, as she
flaunts her pretty green qixiong ruqun,
an essential piece of the costume that
wraps around the chest area.
As the traditional outfit exploded
into a major fashion trend, sales for
the beloved attire soared
substantially. The top 10 most
popular hanfu stores on Taobao
made 20 million yuan in 2018, triple
the sales in 2016.
Like Ms Yuan, most people reserve
the hanfu for special occasions.
However, that is not the case for
Guo Wen Rui, 22, president of the
Hanfu Club in WIT. A fervent
supporter of this fashion trend, she
has no qualms about being in hanfu
every day.
“I just slip it on when I go to class
as it is very comfortable,” Ms Guo
says, “I wear it to promote the Han
culture; it always sparks
conversations.”
With China’s rapid growth in the
past decade, traditional arts and
culture have been pushed to the
back of people’s minds. Seeing
hanfu being worn on the streets
brings these thoughts forward,
reminding youths of their Han
heritage and encouraging them to
keep these traditions alive.
LOOK
Ms Guo is adamant that the trend
is not temporary, as the costume
represents the traditional culture
how to style
of the Han people and should not
be forgotten easily.
YOUR hanfu
She adds: “I wish more people
will wear it, so that it transcends Thinking of trying on the
a fad and eventually becomes
entrenched in modern Chinese hanfu? Here are some
culture.” tips to get you dolled up!
Lu Jia Ling, 24, who has a
Master’s degree holder in Arts #1 shop smart
and Design, agrees that the There are many types of hanfu
hanfu is a stepping stone to that flatter different body types.
keeping tradition alive. She Ruqun tends to enhance the
believes that the dress embodies waistline, while aoqun is looser.
China’s artistic heritage. Research the best fitting of hanfu
for you!
Ms Guo also sees the hanfu as
the lynchpin in cultivating From pretty pastels to rich hues,
appreciation for one of China’s picking a wearable colour that
traditional icons. “There are you’re comfortable with would
people who criticise this fashion also give you the confidence to
trend, saying that it is just the don the flowing costume. Opt for
work of companies commodifying chiffon, light cotton or even silk
culture. But the whole point is to to combat hot weather.
help spread traditional culture.”
Singaporeans can get their hanfu
PHOTO BY BIBIANA LOW
on e-commerce sites like Taobao
and Lazada or online stores like
newhanfu.com.
#2 GO BIG OR GO HOME
The look isn’t complete without hair, make-up and
accessories. Hanfu is commonly worn with hair
accessories such as jade and pearl hairpins. “The male attire is
Elegant dangling earrings would usually much plainner
complement aclassic bun. An embroidered
compared to the
female’s, which is more
purse or shoes to finish off the look. vibrant with different
colours and patterns
on their skirt,” said Isaac
Coral shades, soft brows and a diffused Lee, hanfu enthusiast.
red lip make up a signature hanfu look.
PHOTO BY SOFIA
RAFIQUE
If you’re feeling bold, try your hand at
drawing traditional red markings on
your face, such as two dots on
your cheekbones (like Queen
Amidala in Star Wars!).
#3 experiment
From casual chic hoodies to
sheer, lightweight capes to
preppy suspender skirts and
bold polka dot prints, the hanfu
has been innovated to follow
the trends of today. Experiment
with different looks and you
could find your hanfu to be
versatile for many occasions! 31
 SHOP

Which Film Cameras Are For You?

JACQUELINE LEE scopes out the rising film trend and
guides you to the perfect camera for every occasion

C
at-eye glasses, bell bottoms
and discotheques. Like all
things retro, vintage film
cameras are making a comeback.

The look you get out of film

cameras is different from the
picture-perfect digitised ones. Every
film photo has a slightly different
look in terms of lighting and colour.
Compared to too-clean digital
photos, film naturally has an
increased grain and subtle light
leaks, which exude nostalgia,
bringing you back to the eighties.
Although film cameras were readily
available years ago, celebrities
picking up the style greatly
influenced the current craze. It girl
Kendall Jenner and YouTuber David
Dobrik are known to use
disposables, while Lisa from
Korean-pop girl group Black-
pink posts her film photos on her
Instagram page that has over 27.3
million followers.
Caitlyn Tan, 20, a film enthusiast,
has been shooting film for over
four years as a form of expression.
Unlike digital photography where
you can easily edit a picture to what
you envision it to be, film captures
the essence of the moment in that
one shot. If you are thinking of
purchasing a film camera, there is
much to consider: 35-mm compact
cameras, toy cameras,
rangefinders, single-lens reflex
(SLR) film cameras, 8-mm video
cameras and 110-mm film cameras.
The Pentax Zoom 70x.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF FILMTHRILLS
It’s best to start out with a simple
compact 35-mm point-and-shoot
camera. They usually include flash
functions, zoom lenses and date
stamps. The camera is easy to
use – you just point and you shoot.
Filmthrills personally love Pentax
Zoom 70x ($100) and Olympus XA
($300) and Konica Genba Kantoku
($130).
The Canon AE-1 Program SLR.
Taking it to the next level,
Filmthrills suggests getting an
SLR camera or a rangefinder. SLR
cameras are mostly manual, where
The Yashica Electro 35.
If you are planning to go on a trip,
a compact 35-mm film camera
or a rangefinder is your best bet.
More popular rangefinders are the
Yashica Electro 35 ($200),
Minolta Hi-Matic ($180) and
Canon Canonet ($200). These are
easy to carry around and
usually have faster shutter speeds
to capture the little moments.
Filmthrills says: “All cameras are
good cameras! It just depends
on what their use is, what you’re
shooting and what film you’re
using.”
The Minolta Hi-matic.

Filmthrills (@filmthrills_), is an
Instagram film camera shop run by
a dynamic girl duo in their early 20s
who prefer to be known as A and
W.
Starting out as film enthusiasts,
they opened their own online shop
in March 2018 and currently have a
following of almost 9,000 followers.
you can adjust the aperture, ISO
and shuttespeed. They can focus
anywhere on the frame, allowing
you to play with the depth of field.
Rangefinders are also manual,
but they only focus on the centre
of the image. You can explore
different techniques to achieve
fancier photos. The more popular
SLRs are the Canon AE-1 Program
($295) and Olympus OM1 ($285).
Film might look complex and the
style could be unfamiliar, but the
fun lies in not knowing. A says that
she never knows how her photos
will turn out.
“Film is all about experimentation.
I’m the kind that shoots without
thinking about framing – which
makes it all the more exciting to
see how my photos turn out.”

32
 Geylang Serai wet market is bustling with life every morning. PHOTO BY REAGAN TAN
Something Special About Wet Markets
Wet markets continue to survive despite supermarkets and
NURHADAINA BTE ARIFFIN explores why
G
oing to the wet market
is like travelling back in
time. People bargain in
their mother tongue, buyers push
around bright red trolleys and
stall uncles in yellow boots hose
down their stalls. Wide smiles are
exchanged between stall owners
and regular customers.
At the wet market, the kampong
spirit still exists. It is where
Singaporeans – regardless of
ethnicity or socio-economic
background – connect.
“Twenty years ago, [you] can see
artists coming here to the wet
market. You can see Rahimah
Rahim, Ahmad Jais. I got to shake
their hand,” says Mr Rahmat
Abdullah, 68, a frequent customer
at the wet market.
Characterised by the wet floors
caused by melted ice that keep
seafood fresh, the term “wet
market” gained traction in the
1970s. Wet market stalls suffered
a 12 per cent decline in the last 10
years, from 6,264 wet market stalls
in 2006 to 5,485 in 2016,
according to the National
Environment Agency (NEA).
But 12-year-old Hidayat Saputra
hopes to take over his family
business, 3K Power, selling
keropok (fish and prawn crackers)
at Geylang Serai wet market. He
has been helping out at the stall
every weekend for seven years.
Hidayat at 3K Power manning the stall during his shift. PHOTO BY REAGAN TAN
“I know [Hidayat’s] parents, so I get
a discount,” Mdm Asmah Ismail, 66,
a housewife adds.
With verbal transactions, it’s natural
for stall holders and regulars to form
relationships. This element of human
touch in wet markets is unbeat-
able, especially as supermarkets
encourage the use of automated
self-checkout counters.
To Ms Naveena Anand, 22, visiting
Bukit Gombak wet market is a social
activity. She says: “You get to
converse with people and get to
know them. I can stay at the wet
market for hours just talking to old
friends and new friends.”
For husband and wife Rahmat
Abdullah and Dayang Sariah, the wet
market is a forum of communication.
“We meet the people we seldom
meet… If you have an invitation
to make, you come here with your
[children’s] wedding card.”
“I’m meeting my daughter, who’s
married. She also [goes] to [the] wet
EAT
market, [it’s like] family
bonding,” Rahmat adds.
In a HYPE poll conducted with
100 youths, 72 per cent says that
wet markets are dying because
youths prefer the convenience of
supermarkets.
Gabriella Yong, 19, a student from
LASALLE College of the Arts,
says: “In Singapore’s fast-paced
society, I want shopping for
groceries to be quick and
supermarkets offer just that.”
Ms Yeo, a 48-year-old fruit stall
owner at Bukit Timah wet market
agrees: “Wet markets usually
open as early as 7am and ends
at 2pm. People working 9-5 jobs
would turn to supermarkets that
are open round-the-clock.”
In the same poll, 63 per cent of
youths who go to the wet market
say they make the trip there to
accompany their parents.
“I got interested when my mum
brought me to the wet market.
I was amazed at how friendly
people were to each other, it felt
like family,” says Emily Tan, 23, a
marketing intern.
From family bonding to forginsg
new relationships, a sense of
community plays a huge role in
the survival of wet market culture.
This warmth in a wet market is
what a supermarket can never
replicate.
33
 EAT
YOGURT DRINKS A R E
THE NEW BUBBLE T E A
SONIA TAN learns the secret behind the healthy
Fresh Yellow Peach Yogurt drink from Three Wells,
a bubble tea franchise in Wuhan
Yogurt-based beverages are
a hit in Wuhan. If you were to
visit a supermarket, you would
find more yogurt than milk in
the dairy section. Walk into
any bubble tea store and you’ll
probably be greeted with an
entire menu section dedicated
to flavoured yogurt drinks.
Compared to the milk-
based bubble tea taking over
Singapore by storm, these
crowd-pleasers pack much
more health benefits.
“Yogurt-based beverages are
popular here in Wuhan due
to them being rich in protein,
vitamins and probiotics. Youths
love it especially because
it’s lower in saturated fat as
compared to drinks like bubble
milk tea,” remarked Mr Huang,
owner of the franchise, Three
Wells.
Here are all the steps you need
to recreate the Three Wells
bestseller: Fresh Yellow Peach
Yogurt right at home to give
your immune system a tasty
boost!
Ingredients needed:
- 35g yogurt powder (酸奶奶精)
- 50g thickened yogurt (老酸
奶) or your preferred brand of
Greek/creamy yogurt
- 150ml hot boiling water
- 220g ice
= 50g yellow peach syrup
- 50g tapioca pearls
Most of the items can be found
in Singapore’s supermarkets
or Lazada. Thickened yogurt
might be hard to locate, but
it can easily be swapped out
for the creamy yogurt brand of
your choice. You can get
pre-made tapioca pearls from
your local bubble tea outlet.
34
1
Add the yogurt powder (酸奶奶
精) into a 1000ml measuring cup
and pour in the hot water into
the measuring cup until the final
mixture adds up to 200ml.
2
Gently whisk the yogurt powder
and hot water together for
one minute for a homogenous
texture. When the cup feels
lukewarm and the mixture is
consistent, add ice in slowly to
3
avoid splatters!
Add in the thickened yogurt/
your choice of creamy yogurt
and yellow peach syrup. The
yogurt tastes tart, adding depth
of flavor to your beverage and
gives your beverage and a
thicker consistency. If peach
isn’t your thing, feel free
experiment with other fruit
syrups such as strawberry or
4
mango.
Blend the mixture together
using an immersion blender
for 10 seconds to remove
undissolved bits. If you don’t
own one, simply go
old-fashioned and whisk the
mixture vigorously for one
5
minute.
Time to assemble the drink!
Add the tapioca pearls into
the bottom of your cup or
tumbler, followed by the rest
of the yogurt mixture. Get the
complete bubble tea experience
and customise your drink by
adding other toppings like
coconut jelly, nata de coco and
pudding.
A tall cup as shown in the
picture above would be best for
creating the signature “bubble-
tea look”.
There you have it! Now you can
keep your bubble tea cravings
at bay and your wallet happy.
 EAT

As Hawker Culture Evolves...

#01-23

The hawker culture that shaped The

Singapore Lifestyle seems to be
fading away. Yet, five new-generation
hawkers breaking into the scene are
hoping to wake it up. LIM JUN HAO
and JACQUELINE LEE listen to their
An elevated twist on wanton noodles at A Noodle Story. PHOTO BY LIM JUN HAO stories

In the mid-1800s of Singapore, Despite the challenging Becoming a hawker was a

early settlers from China, India,
Malaysia and Indonesia would
cook food from their native lands
to be sold on the streets. Since
then, the hawker scenario has
been ingrained in our culture.
Fast forward to between 1968
and 1986, hawkers were gradually
relocated to hawker or food
centres. However, open-air food
stalls could be seen at Eu Tong
Sen Street in Chinatown offering
local delights such as laksa.
The older generation who devoted
their lives to peddling unique food
specialities are dwindling by the
day, succumbing to old age or
simply fatigue. The unique soul of
hawkers have slowly ebbed into
the background.
The job is not glamorous, the
hours are long and the income
varies. But if there is anything in
Singapore that knows no
generation gap, something that
binds old and young, it has to be
the love for hawker food.
circumstances, a small new
generation of hawkers are driven
to serve up their best hawker food
interpretations. HYPE talked to
five of them to learn about their
reasons for embarking on their
journey in this age-old trade.
Love For Food
Chief among the many possible
reasons for wanting to become
a hawker is the love for cooking.
This is apparent in Gwern Khoo,
38, one of the owners of A Noodle
Story that is known for its Singa-
pore-style fusion dish inspired by
wanton mee and Japanese ramen.
“I found it quite
boring to cook for
the rich people.... I
might as well use the
skills I learnt to make
it affordable for
low-cost alternative to opening a
restaurant.
Similarly, Joy Yeo, the 41-year-
old owner of hawker stall Yue Lai
Xiang Delights, left the corporate
world to pursue her passion.
“Ever since my granny passed
away, we lost the luxury of having
home-cooked food,” says Ms
Yeo. “I wanted to create the
awareness that you can enjoy
home-cooked taste even when
eating out.”
An advocate of healthy food, Ms
Yeo created her famous colour-
ful ban mian, which comes in a
spectrum of colours such as blue,
green, and purple. It is a special
homely touch, reminiscent of
mother’s cooking.
Her stall is especially popular
among health-conscious parents,
with the green ban mian being the
bestseller. She is also against the
use of monosodium glutamate
(MSG) in her dishes.

“Cheap”, “colourful”, and

“nostalgic” were some words used
to describe the scene, according
to a recent HYPE survey.
In 2018, Singapore’s hawker
culture was submitted for
inscription under the UNESCO
Representative List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity, making it synonymous
with beer culture in Belgium and
kimchi-making in South Korea.
everyone.
Alan Choong, owner
of Prawnaholic
Mr Khoo says: “I’m a chef.
Cooking is in my blood. When I
was training, cooking in a
restaurant, I was cooking the
chef’s food.”
The Shatec graduate wanted
more. He wants to serve his own
creations to customers and
experiment with new food ideas.
“When spinach is used in the
dough of the noodles, there is a
lot of fibre that is very healthy. It
also gets rid of the ‘veggie taste’
that some children do not like,”
she explains.
Quality Affordable Food
Some choose to become a
hawker because of their love for
cooking, providing affordable
quality meals is a means of giving
back for others.
35
 EAT
Alan Choong, the 25-year-old
owner of Prawanaholic, is known
for his modern twist on hae mee
(prawn noodles) with additional
elements such as pork belly,
shrimp balls, and meat patties.
He used to work at Forest≠ at
Resort World Sentosa and JING,
hotel restaurants that specialise in
serving Cantonese cuisine.
“I found it quite boring to cook for
the rich people,” he says,“I feel
that I need to give back to society
with what I have. I might as well
use the skills I learnt to make it
affordable for everyone.”
Shaharizal Bin Ramli, the
51-year-old sales officer of Boon
Lay Power Nasi Lemak, agrees.
“It’s not about profit, but about
generosity. We feel good when we
help people,” says Mr Ramli.
The stall extends a helping hand
by providing discounts to the
needy. Even when all other shops
have closed for the night, this stall
keeps its shutters open for those
burning the midnight oil, such as
shift workers, to provide them with
proper food.
Pricing, Skills and
Innovation
The life of a hawker has its highs
and lows. Successful innovations
and good reviews are always
something that the new hawkers
look forward to.
Lawa Bintang is best known for its
special nasi lemak (coconut cream
rice) that is served with seafood
such as lobster, squid, salmon,
and crayfish. This is a departure
from the traditional nasi lemak with
ikan kuning, fried anchovies and
cucumber slices.
The stall is the brainchild of the
owner, Ms Sarena Taib, 47, who
loves cooking and challenges.
36
Experimenting with her nephew,
she turned her envisioned
signature dish into a reality.
Beside food, there are many other
factors at play in a hawker
business.
Mr Ramli says that it is hard for
hawkers to earn as much profit for
themselves after rental fees and
employee wages.
“Never give up. No
matter how tough
it is, always believe
in your passion. The
first spark. Always go
back to that thought.
Joy Yeo, owner of Yue
Lai Xiang Delights
This is also why A Noodle Story
got off on a rough start.
Without proper knowledge in menu
planning, Mr Khoo and his partner
explains that they initially derived
their prices by “looking left and
right”.
“When we started, we sold (our
food) at $5. It was a big mistake as
our rental expenses were higher,
and our ingredients were of good
quality.”
Increasing prices was the only
option and despite some
complaints about the price
increase, the food quality shone
through and they have a loyal
customer base to this day.
Ms Yeo adds that during festive
periods like Mid-Autumn Festival
or Chinese New Year, the prices of
ingredients such as eggs and pork
can spike up by 50 per cent. Yet
this additional cost is absorbed by
the hawkers, for fear of receiving
negative reactions from customers.
As the Hawker Scene
Evolves...
In the HYPE survey, 72.7 per cent
of respondents said that they were
willing to pay between $3 and $5
for hawker food. Only 22.7 per
cent are willing to spend anything
more than that, the majority of
whom are youths aged 15 to 24.
One respondent even said, “We
(grew) up with hawker food being
cheap, so we expect hawker food
to continue being cheap.”
There’s a disparity between locals’
expectation of what hawker food
should be and the reality.
Singaporeans believe that hawker
food should be cheap, but many
overlook the additional cost of
rent, ingredients and labour that go
into running a hawker business.
While we are used to cheap grub,
price hikes are mostly justified. “If
we increase a bit of price, people
will still complain,” says Mr Khoo.
“But [customers] will soon come to
realise that in fact, what they are
having is still value for money.”
Being a hawker is a balancing act
between finances and food, all in
the name of good public opinion.
Ms Yeo says: “Quality should be
above everything as you cannot
risk one wrong step. One bad
remark and that’s it.”
The hawker scene might not be
what it used to be, vibrant with
tradition and age-old family recipes
passed down through generations.
As the world changes, the new
generation of hawkers are fighting
to keep this integral part of
Singapore’s culture and identity
alive with innovation, passion and
most importantly, heart.
For those with a hawker dream, Ms
Yeo says: “Never give up. No
matter how tough it is, always
believe in your passion. The first
spark. Always go back to that
thought.”
 EAT

1. A Noodle Story
Amoy Street Food Centre 7 Maxwell Road Stall #01-39,
Singapore 069111
Monday – Friday: 11:30am – 2pm, 5:30pm – 7pm,
Saturday: 11am – 1:15pm

The heftier price tag for wanton noodles ($9.00) might be

daunting, but with wantons (meat dumplings) the size of
a chicken egg stuffed with meat and prawns, tender cha
shao, a perfectly-cooked onsen egg and other toppings,
it’s a fully-loaded meal worth every cent.

2. Yue Lai Xiang Delights

22 Sin Ming Rd, #01-224, Singapore 570022
Monday – Saturday: 7:30 am – 4:30 pm, Sunday: 11am – 2pm

Their colourful ban mian ($4.50) incorporates wholesome

ingredients such as spinach and blue pea flower into the
noodles. The broth is not overly salty as it is made without
the use of MSG. The minced and lean pork, lightly
seasoned, provides regular accents of meaty flavour,
bringing depth to the dish.

3. Lawa Bintang
9008 Tampines Street 93, Singapore 528843
Tuesday – Sunday: 9am – 2pm

Coated with ground herbs and stringy cheese, the lobster

nasi lemak ($22) is both sweet and succulent, creating an
ambitious new flavour with the familiar light and fluffy
coconut milk rice. The sambal adds extra points to the
dish making the spice and sweetness linger on the palate.

4. Prawnaholic
Block 110, Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, #02-12 Singapore 519614
Monday – Sunday, 9am – 9pm

The king prawns are packed with flavour and freshness.

Every bite of the noodles, blended with the thick savoury
sauce, gives punch to the flavour. Served with real
kurobuta pork and a rich broth, the distinctive taste of hae
mee leaves you speechless. If you add $1 for an onsen
egg, Chef Alan has a special tip for you: Dip a piece of the
charred pork in the egg yolk first for a special taste.

5. Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak

#01-106, 221B Boon Lay Pl, Market and Food Centre, Singapore 642221
Monday: 4:30pm – 3:30am, Tuesday – Sunday: 0630 hrs - 0330 hrs.

The pairing of aromatic coconut cream rice and crispy

chicken ($4.50) is done perfectly by this stall.

37
 EAT
Seek
AND
You
Will
Find...
DENYSE TAN plays a game
of hide-and-seek with
speakeasies hidden in
Singapore
Hide your business and let your
customers find it – that’s the ethos
of speakeasy restaurants in the 21st
century.
While most restaurants capture the
attention of curious passers-by with
loud decor and flashy social media
campaigns, speakeasy restaurants
take a muffled approach to
marketing themselves.
Hidden in plain sight with their
nondescript entrances, it is entirely
possible to walk past these
establishments without spotting
them. A second glance, however,
reveals a rising dining concept.
Inspired by speakeasy bars, these
restaurants transport us to the 1920
Prohibition era in the United States.
The term referred to discreet houses
that served illicit alcohol.
Speakeasies used to rely on
word-of-mouth marketing. Now,
a simple Google search easily
sets you up with reviews of these
secretive restaurants. Speakeasy
restaurants face a challenge in find-
ing the right balance of coverage
and secrecy.
One of the draws of speakeasy
restaurants is that they are elusive.
Jon Ho, 23, marketing consultant of
38
The rustic interor of The Flying Squirrel is cosy, charming and
extremely Instagrammable. PHOTO BY: DENYSE TAN
The Flying Squirrel tells HYPE that The ambience of these
patrons savour the experience of off-the-grid diners is what attracts
hunting down the specific location of
the speakeasy.
some. Alex Yap, 19, a regular
speakeasy patron, says: “They’re
cosy and intimate; the dim lighting
He stresses the importance of and warm ambience strips you
staying relevant with digital of any pretence, no extravagant
marketing trends while also staying decor, no fanciful cutlery, no
true to the trait of being concealed. distractions. Just you, your
companion and some good food.”
While each speakeasy restaurant
has its own unique story, part of the For others, it’s like a sanctuary. Mr
appeal is that patrons get to interpret Darius Wong, 29, general
their own experience their own way. manager of Burger Bar New York,
says: “There [are] no windows,
Mr Norman Hartono, 31, the creative there’s nothing, and they don’t
director at both Ebb and Flow Group even know what is going on
and The Dragon Chamber, a rather outside. Whether it’s raining, or
well-hidden Chinese restaurant, whether it’s already dark… They
says: “We built the place to not are just here experiencing a good
follow any one narrative. We want time. It’s sort of an escape.”
every individual person to experience
their stay in their own way. Because From industrial chic furnishing with
of that, it appeals to a wide variety exposed ceilings and red brick
of people, as it gives everybody their walls to Kowloon City-inspired
own story when they come in.” alleyways, speakeasy restaurants
in Singapore are distinguishing
The Dragon Chamber screams themselves through a variety of
flamboyant, but there is no styles.
pigeonholing it. The contemporary
Chinese murals and
graffiti scrawled all over
the interior, a theatrical
open kitchen, coloured
lighting and unorthodox
dishes give patrons an
experience they can call
their own.
Ms Kanchi Dheer, 35,
the head of marketing
at Ebb and Flow Group
adds that “a sense of
ownership and
community” makes
returning patrons spread
the city’s best-kept Don’t be fooled by the retro kopitiam entrance of The
secrets. Dragon Chamber. PHOTO BY The Dragon Chamber
 Now that the cat’s out of the bag, these are some of the obscure gems in Singapore for EAT
a whimsical journey down the rabbit hole; one that brings a gastronomical experience,
quenches your thirst for adventure and leaves you craving for more!

The Dragon Chamber

2 Circular Road, Circular House, Singapore 049358
Mon - Fri: Noon - 2:30 pm, 6 pm - midnight
Sat - Sun: 6 pm - midnight

Fair warning to all, this is not your grandma’s Chinese

restaurant. Beyond the kopitiam exterior, you’ll be transported to a
restaurant reminiscent of a gambling den or an underground hangout.

Touted as one of the restaurant’s signature dishes is the D*** Soup which
is made from double-boiling the innards of a crocodile. The local-
ly-farmed crocodiles are ethically sourced right in Kranji. For the less
adventurous, The Dragon Chamber also offers elevated classics such as
Wagyu Truffle Hor Fun, made with A4 grade
Wagyu beef topped with truffle gravy.

Burger Bar New York

115 Amoy St, #01-03, Singapore 069935
Mon - Wed: 11:30 am – 11:00 pm
Thu - Sat: 11:30 am – midnight
Sun: 11:30am - 8:00pm

Look for the neon burger sign in the back alley of Gemmill Lane if you’re
down for lip-smacking burgers and a wide selection of craft beer. Be sure
not to miss the Burger Bar New York’s Bacon Cheeseburger, an all-time
favourite of patrons. Here, you get the good ol’ fashioned American din-
ing experience that pays tribute to New York speakeasies.
You know you’re in the right place when you see this
neon sign. PHOTO COURTESY OF BURGER BAR.
True to speakeasy fashion, the burger bar allows you to express your
artistic talents by doodling on their walls or ceilings.

Psst... Use
The Flying Squirrel HYPETFS2020
for 7% off your
92 Amoy St, #01-02, Singapore 069911
Mon - Thu: 11:30 am - 3 pm, 6 - 11 pm total bill!
Fri: 11:30 am – 3 pm, 6 pm - midnight,
Sat: 5 pm - midnight, Closed on Sundays

The Flying Squirrel is a humble, hole-in-the-wall hideout, tucked in the

corner of an alleyway along Amoy Street; a secret place that people
come to for good grub, coffee, or a casual drink.

Also known as the “Hidden Sushi Bar in

Amoy Street”, the restaurant offers
Japanese-inspired cuisine that range
from fresh cuts of sashimi and signature
maki to lunch bento sets and premium
chirashi.
Seek out this hideout in a quaint little alley located at
Amoy Street. PHOTO COURTESY OF TFS. 39
 PLAY
There are not many exhibitions that can reach out to anyone from 1 to 100 years old.
CHEYENNE LIM shows how the Disney exhibition is so magical
F
or the first time in Singapore
– and South-East Asia – the
Disney: Art of Animation
Exhibition featuring 500 original
works of art in five galleries will
be showcased at the ArtScience
Museum.
The art pieces were carefully
selected from the Walt Disney
Animation Research Library (ARL),
a library entrusted with conserving
the artistic heritage of original
There are not many exhibitions that can
Disney works. In other words, it
is what any Disney fan’s dreams
old. CHEYENNE
are made of, an enchanting place
where all developmental art from
the past 90 years of the studio’s
history is stored.
With over 50 million pieces ranging
from early sketches and concept
art to drawings and paintings used
in the final cut, it was a challenge
for Mary Walsh, managing director
of the ARL and her team from Los
Angeles to curate merely 500 of
these Disney memorabilia for this
exhibition.
Said Ms Walsh in her opening
address of the exhibit: “We really
wanted to tell the totality [of the
story] from the very beginning.
Once we had that lined up, we
decided on what films would best
represent [Disney] knowing that we
had to keep it to a limited amount.”
40
Disney
Dream
Come
True
A modern digital workspace in Disney. PHOTO BY: SOFIA RAFIQUE
to observe and model Bambi after.
“ We really wanted
Finally, the deer had to be brought
back to the wild as it was behaving
too “dog-like” for them to
to tell the totality [of accurately observe!
the story] from the “Producers of Magic: Creating
very beginning. Once Diversity in Expression and a
Wider World” follows Disney’s
we had that lined up, scientific advances and production
we decided on what technologies through the 1940s to
1950s. The different styles ex-
films would best
reach
plored by theout to can
artists anyone
also befrom 1 to 10
seen! A gothic style was used for
representLIM shows how the
[Disney]. Disney exhibition is just that mag
Sleeping Beauty (1959) while a
more Parisian-inspired art style
- Mary Walsh, managing can be seen in Lady and The
director of Walt Disney ARL Tramp (1955).
Fans can immerse themselves in One of the most interesting parts
five experiential sections of the of a movie’s conception is
exhibition, through the colorful character development. For
timeline of Disney Animation. Disney, it is the turning point that
determines how the character
It begins with classics like archetype is seen beyond
Steamboat Willie (1928) and the generations. For instance, it’s hard
original character art of the Mickey to imagine Snow White in anything
Mouse squad in the first gallery, but her blue-and-yellow getup and
“Creating Believable Characters: striking red bow.
Bringing Drawings to Life”.
In the second gallery, “The Magic This is further explored in the
Begins: Continual Research and fourth gallery: “Towards New
Development” showcases Disney Dimensions: Digital Advances,
studios’ hands-on approach to Musical Seas”. Alternative concept
their productions. designs of Beast from Beauty and
the Beast can be seen. Before the
In 1942, Disney and his team official design, artists tried drawing
brought in a live deer to the studio him inspired by different animals,

A prototype of Sugar Rush in Wreck it Ralph, made from cookies, candies
and the most intriguing one has
him modelled after a baboon!
The Beast’s final design ended up
being a combination of elements
from different animals: The mane of
a lion, the brow of a gorilla, body of
a bear, and most importantly, the
eyes of a human – to keep it
believable that Belle could fall in
love with The Beast.
A crowd favourite is also the life-
sized projection of Belle and the
Beast dancing in the iconic
ballroom scene with an
instrumental version of Tale as Old
as Time playing in the background,
m 1 to 100instantly
yearstransporting visitors into
hat magical
the scene and leaving them mes-
merized.
The Disney journey ends with the
final gallery, “Bringing People
Together: Social Diversity,
Messages for Our Global Future”
with never-before-seen concept art
of Frozen 2 (2019), bringing visitors
back to present-day Disney.
Monochrome pencil sketches of
classic characters transform into
digitalised animations detailing
every single strand of hair on Elsa’s
head.
PLAY
Get interactive
with Disney
1. Get your Disney-themed #OOTD
shot with multiple charming photo
spots, like the life-sized replica of the
boat from Steamboat Willie that you
can actually board. Don’t forget to
snap some mirror selfies and
express your mood with cute mag-
nets provided.
2. The backdrop from The Lady and
and chocolate. PHOTO BY: SOFIA RAFIQUE
the Tramp (1955) illustrates how
artists designed sets and is from the
eye level of the characters, giving
The love and care put into every
you a dog’s eye view of a Parisian
Disney animated movie is evident
walkway.
in the sheer amount of work put in
by the Disney teams of the past.
3. Recreate the missing sound
For the set of Sugar Rush, the
effects with instruments used by real
fictional game that Vanellope Von
Foley artists as Mulan leaves her
Schweetz (Wreck it Ralph) (2012)
home to become a warrior. Stir up a
lives in, artists created their
storm with the thunder tube and use
designs first in real gingerbread
castanets to produce the clicking of
and candies before animating it.
hooves as Mulan rides off into the
This very house has been
night.
preserved and can be seen,
crumbs and all, at the gallery!
4. The Jungle Book’s plant wall lets
visitors’ creativity run wild! Pick a
“The exhibit made me feel
paper flower or plant, doodle on a
nostalgic, reminiscing about what I
face and add it to the growing wall of
watched when I was little. It made
personified foliage.
me appreciate the work that was
put into the shows that made my
childhood special,” says student
Tan Jia Xin, 18.
When magicians reveal the secrets
behind their `tricks, the allure is
lost. However, when it comes to
this exhibition, learning the secrets
that go into the making of Disney
movies make every moment just
that bit more magical.
The Disney exhibition will be
at the Art Science Museum till
March 29, 2020.
Ticketing information available
at marinabaysands.com.
41
 PLAY
Saturday Morning Fever
DENYSE TAN checks out how boutique gyms in Singapore are raising the bar for
the fitness industry
T
he new happy hour? Boutique
gyms. They offer
state-of-the-art facilities,
luxury amenities and beautiful
studios so that gym buffs can sweat
in style. Erase grimy gyms – think
juice bars, spa-like shower facilities
with Ashley & Co body washes.
They’re stylish, social spaces for
consumers to spend their Friday
nights or Saturday mornings.
Much like how each nightclub
offers a different party experience,
boutique gyms come with a range
of fitness adventures, in the form of
specialised classes. There are gyms
that offer High Intensity Interval
Training (HIIT), spin classes. yoga,
barre, Pilates and even aerial
aerobics for the adventurous.
“Working out is the new going
out or like clubbing… everyone is
moving towards a healthier lifestyle.
A lot of people are more conscious
about their health and what they
are putting into their bodies as
well,” says Ms Elizabeth Seow, 27,
co-founder of Uppercut Boxing.
As the name suggests, Uppercut
Boxing is all about boxing. Unlike
42
Look away from grimy gyms, boutique gyms like Uppercut Boxing are making the
fitness journey Instagrammable. PHOTO COURTESY OF UPPERCUT BOXING
your typical workout in a sweaty Ms Seow says: “Traditional gyms
arena, Uppercut is decked out in didn’t make me feel comfortable
wooden flooring and white walls training there, I felt that it was very
that give a clean minimalist feel; an intimidating… I wanted to train for
example of how boutique gyms are fitness [at that point of time] and
reinventing the workout experience didn’t want to spar and fight.”
with a focus on the aesthetics.
Personalisation is king, especially
when attracting millennials.
Boutique gyms usually
“At many places, accommodate smaller classes,
instructors can customise the
there [has] always exercises to the specific needs of
the participants rather than a
been a narrow focus one-size-fits-all approach at
on fitness for choreographed classes.
fitness’ sake...I Mr Wencelas Tan, a 24-year-old
programme executive, says: “In
deeply believe in a traditional gym, it’s like a lucky
training for fitness draw, you may or may not get to
work on what you want depending
that can translate to on the crowd. But at a boutique
positive ways gym, you not only get to do the
exercises you want, you get
beyond gym walls. personal guidance.”
Gene Leong, founder
That isn’t the only thing that keeps
of Field Assembly
millennials coming back for more.
Boutique gyms create a tight-knit
The look and feel of the gym is sense of community as they tend
essential to make first-timers feel to be smaller in size.
more comfortable in the environment
while engaging in workouts.
 PLAY

“Community spirit is present

throughout the gym. Everyone
is very friendly and helpful. They
actually make an effort to get to
know you as a friend rather than
just a gym member,” says Jarrad
Tan, 19, a Ngee Ann Polytechnic
student who attends Brazilian
jiu-jitsu classes at Field Assembly.

Field Assembly, formerly known as

Grit Gym, is a boutique gym
offering strength training, HIIT,
Yoga, Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai
classes.

Part of the “Instagrammable”

training experience serves a pur-
pose beyond aesthetics. Boutique
gyms are often equipped with
programmes that focus on lifestyle
and not just the physical aspect of
the gym.

“At many places, there [has]

always been a narrow focus on
fitness for fitness’ sake. The call
for improvement in the gym often
serves the purpose of improving
arbitrary numbers and timings in
the gym. I deeply believe in training
for fitness that can translate to
positive ways beyond gym walls,”
says Mr Gene Leong, 30, founder
of Field Assembly.

With all the perks of boutique

gyms, classes end up being pricier.
At about $30 per class, the price
is high compared to memberships
at traditional gyms where the fee is Uppercut Boxing combines music and all lifestyle elements,
focusing on great workouts without compromising on form.
$50 a month for youths. PHOTO COURTESY OF UPPERCUT BOXING

However, while traditional gyms

charge annually, boutique gyms
offer more trials and flexible pricing
models, allowing customers to
seek out the right gym without
burning a hole in their pockets.

Boutique gyms might seem

exciting, but it’s still important for
one to weigh the pros and cons to
decide whether boutique or
traditional gyms best fits one’s
lifestyle.

Field Assembly assembles programs with benefits that are tested and proven to arm gym goers
with the capabilities for whatever life throws at them.. PHOTO COURTESY OF FIELD ASSEMBLY

43
 PLAY
W
e all have that friend who
takes every opportunity
to showcase minute
details of his/her relationship on
social media. These love birds are
seasoned to notification bumps
consisting of heart-eye emojis and
comments of admiration (and envy)
for being the living breathing
epitome of #couplegoals.
Going “Instagram official” is the
stage of a relationship where
couples put themselves out to
announce their love and
commitment to each other on
the internet. It is a modern public
display of affection and an online
declaration that that person is
yours. But for the rest of us, it’s just
like watching an endless rom-com
starring a painfully normal couple.
Don’t get me wrong. These
lovebirds aren’t as annoying
offline, but the excessive amount of
documentation can get
nauseating. The stream of
unrelenting, near-identical
Instagram stories utilising
different filters every week barely
even scrapes the surface. The
coverage ranges from photos to
boomerangs and videos, creating
an endless highlight reel of two
people who are strangely
disinterested in privacy.
Presenting to you the very 21st
century philosophical conundrum:
If social media’s meant for us to
share what’s important to us, then
44
Love in the
Digital Age
By DENYSE TAN
are you really in love if it’s not
online?
It’s no question that social media
plays an inextricable role in our
lives. Our real lives and online lives
are merging; what we post online
makes up who we are and shares
what’s important to us – a
holiday getaway, our pet dog, or
our partner.
Our online posting habits are what
social scientists call “relationship
visibility” ― the extent to which we
make our relationships part of our
public personas. However, based
on a study published in the
Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin, exhibiting high levels
of “relationship visibility” and
over-posting a partner may be a
mask for relationship insecurity.
I’m all for posting the things that
matter to us, but it’s important to
draw the line. Granted, the thrill of
“likes” or comments validate what
we post, and down to its core, it
tells us that others agree with what
we value. Having others reassure
us could take the focus off other
areas of our lives we’re insecure
about. I’m no exception, I too find
myself wanting to exhibit the good
parts of my life online.
However, the platform could also
be used as an avenue for escape
where people turn away from their
relationship and towards some
other stimuli. Oversharing your
relationship online comes with the
sweet dopamine shot of validation,
perhaps to distract you from the
fact that you’re less than satisfied
with your relationship.
The value of a relationship lies in
your partner, not what you show
others. Not everything in that
moment needs to be immortalised
on a screen; a theatrical display
of love for your followers to view
through their devices.
Before picking up your phone, ask
yourself whether you want to
document the moment or live in it.
If you spend all your time crafting
your relationship on social media,
what part of the relationship is
there left to have in real life?
“
pRESENTING TO YOU
THE VERY 21ST CENTURY
PHILOSOPHICAL
CONUNDRUM: IF SOCIAL
MEDIA’S MEANT FOR US
TO SHARE WHAT’S
IMPORTANT TO US, THEN
ARE YOU REALLY IN LOVE
IF IT’S NOT ONLINE?

e r E n g l i s h
Whith
Language
I
magine talking to the uncle you
see once every year. You don’t
talk to him like you text your
friends, right? I doubt he’d be able
to keep up with the arsenal of
acronyms or memes we use.
Clearly, how youths talk and what
they talk about are vastly different
from what your uncle is used to.
Yet, we are technically using the
“same” language. The only
difference is a couple of decades.
How then did language, the
backbone of communication,
evolve to become a gaping chasm
between you and your uncle?
That exact question (among others)
was posed to writers of various
backgrounds during the 22nd
edition of the Singapore Writers’
Festival, one of Asia’s premier
literary events with this year’s
theme being A Language of
Our Own.
“My generation has lived through
relatively cataclysmic events like
the separation from the
Federation and Independence…
[we] lived in interesting times and
produced poetry from there,” poet,
playwright and novelist Robert Yeo,
80, told the crowd at the Nov 2
Generation Gap panel.
Another panellist, poet and critic
Daryl Lim Weijie, 30, noted that
although Singapore is now much
Writers at the Singapore Writers’ Festival
discuss the impact of evolving language
on creative writing. PHOEBE RAE reports
more stable, he believes “the
current generation also lives in
interesting times in Singapore”.
With information at the tip of our
fingers, it’s hard to navigate the
torrential rain of messages we get
every day. Especially for politics,
memes can contextualise and
shape one’s view of the world.
“Memes can give denser issues a
simpler language that might reach
out to Gen Z’s,” spoken word poet
and author of Gaze Back Marylyn
Tan, 21, shared.
The popularity of memes is also
interesting to point out. “They find
commonalities in our experience,”
said Annette Lee, 28, a content
creator for Singapore’s official
meme page SGAG, during
Memetics 101 – The Study Of
Memes programme.
What better way to relay meme
language than through texting?
Accessible, instantaneous, and
simple, it transformed and created
new forms of language like
acronyms and GIFs. Yet, it also
erodes languages at the same time.
“When texting started, not all
languages were available so ro-
manisation of multiple languages
happened,” said Marylyn during
the Texting And The Englishing Of
World Languages programme.
PLAY
“Texting in Chinese takes a long
time… then there are the inclusions
of particles such as 呀(yà), which
needs to convey informalities,”
added Kelly Chan, 30, city
manager of weekly language
exchange Mundo Lingo Singapore.
“Sometimes the best way to
substitute is to use emojis,”
she said, explaining that it was
much easier and faster
for communication.
In fact, writing doesn’t even need
you to come up with words at all
anymore. With the rise of artificial
intelligence and generative texts,
poems can be written entirely by
computers – putting a whole new
spin to writing.
“I essentially found a python library
for tracery which allowed me to
play around with different ways of
constructing poetry prompts,” said
poet, educator and editor Jacob
Sam-La Rose, 43. He shared about
dabbling in computer-generated
texts in The Poem As Machine
programme.
Yet at the end of the day, it’s not
entirely a computer’s work as raw
material still comes from the author
himself. “It’s still a very human
frame because it is not a machine
making works for machines but for
humans,” Jacob explained.
45
 PLAY
One Food Story’s photoshoot for Woh Hup’s 80th
anniversary. PHOTO COURTESY OF ONE FOOD STORY
Thriving in an unconventional career choice, three food stylists take TERESE LIM
through their journeys in food styling and what it takes to be in the industry
I
t was five years ago when
Almanda Haley Teo, 26,
chanced upon food styling.
She was studying psychology
when she met Brayden Lim, 26,
who was a freelance
photographer at that time. He
invited her to join one of his
food shoots to observe how
things were done on set. It
amazed her how food could
look so mouth-watering just by
styling it using different tricks.
The self-taught food stylist
says: “I thought that was very
interesting. So, I went back,
did a lot of research, bought
food styling books and watched
YouTube videos. That interest
became my passion, then my
passion became my job, and
here I am today.”
Now, Ms Teo is the co-founder
of food photography and styling
company Alinea Collective, and
has styled for brands such as
Singapore Airlines, Pizza Hut
and Din Tai Fung.
46
C reating
Visions ,
Telling Tales
O f Food
More young people today are
looking at food styling as a
career. The increasing interest
is fuelled by social media
platforms such as Instagram,
where people share attractive
photos of what they eat.
Attractive food does not happen
by chance – and this is where
food knowledge and creativity
come into play.
“The F&B industry is getting
more competitive, and people
are beginning to see the value
in having good food photos
as part of their marketing
strategies,” Ms Teo explains.
A 2017 article in The Straits
Times reported that there are
at least 15 food stylists like Ms
Teo in Singapore, an increase
from a mere handful eight years
ago. Among them is Indonesian
food stylist Yuli Maria, 41, who
set out to be a food writer but
was offered the position of
a food stylist at Indonesia’s
biggest publishing firm.
“I really had no idea what food
styling was about. I took two
years to learn everything. Then
I found out food styling is
something I really liked,” says
Ms Maria.
She moved to Singapore as
a trailing spouse and initially
struggled to find work as a
food stylist. “I applied to all the
different photographers and
magazines, but they didn’t know
me at all. Finally, I got to work
with Food & Travel magazine
and The Singapore Women’s
Weekly for a few years. After
that, I got featured by Channel
8. That was the momentum for
me,” she says.
With a different approach for
each project, she could easily
move on from magazines
and now focuses on creating
appealing food visuals for
advertisements and restaurant
menus for brands such as
McDonalds, Burger King and
Häagen-Dazs over her 20-year
career.

Ms Almanda Haley Teo, 26, food stylist.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALINEA COLLECTIVE.
“Food styling is my passion.
It’s something I really enjoy the
most. It’s not only a job for me,
but it’s something that I love
doing again and again with all
the new challenges,” she says.
Another food styling expert,
art director and food stylist Ms
Ashley Yip, 34, runs the food
media company One Food
Story (OFS) with her husband
and has styled for brands
such as Nutella, BreadTalk and
IRVINS Salted Egg.
“I still remember my first
styling experience. I put a few
pineapple tarts together and
felt that it looked nice. After
that, we [OFS team] realised
that staging food on a plate is
good, but people want more.
They want it in a cafe, beside a
window, on a different type of
table background, some story
for the food. So that’s how we
progressed,” she says.
Ms Yip explains how every
dish has a different character.
For example, char kway teow
can look very different in fine
dining as compared to street
food. She says: “For us, we
Korean-Mexican
tacos styled by Ms
Yuli Maria for Picnic
PLAY
Urban Food Park
Restaurant.
Get Stylin’ in
PHOTO COURTESY
OF YULI MARIA
Singapore!
Calling all aspiring food
stylists! Here are some
food photography and
styling courses to get you
started:
Bene Tan Basic Food
Photography Workshop
1-to-1
Duration: 3-4 hours, 2-5pm
Price: $750
Raymund Tan Food
Photography
Workshop with Entry Level
find that food is a very artisanal
DSLR
handicraft. Machines can do it,
but people would love to see it Duration: Varies
in a different form, a different Price: $85/hour
shape, and most importantly, a
story in it.”
“Besides having a good CreativeLive Story on a
technique of styling, you
Plate: Food Photography &
also have to understand the
concept of food. Every dish is Styling Online Course
different, and each has its own Duration: Self Paced
requirements,” she adds.
Price: $69
To all the budding stylists, Ms
Teo says: “Food styling doesn’t
happen overnight, it takes
Elodie Bellegarde
lots of patience, practice and
experimentation. Being able to Private 1-to-1
plate beautifully – you’re only Photography Workshop
halfway there.
Duration: 3 hours
“You need to build on your Price: $400
knowledge about food science,
combine it with art, form a
style of your own, then put
it into practice. Be bold, be
GIVEAWAY ALERT!
adventurous, experiment in the
kitchen, find the right tools, HYPE is giving away 1x Le
and overtime, you’ll get there!” Petit Kit of Food Styling
from Beylongue & Fille,
owned by Elodie Bellegarde!
Details on pg 82.
47
 PLAY
C
rowned by Macquarie
Dictionary as the phrase
of 2019, cancel culture is
widely practised on the Internet.
The term gained popularity during
the #MeToo movement in 2017,
following allegations against
Harvey Weinstein for sexual abuse.
The movement saw A-list
celebrities raising awareness about
their sexual harassment in
Hollywood and calling out
predators in the industry. The
heavy online criticism led to a
series of high-profile firing, and the
fall from fame was referred to as
being “cancelled”.
The term has trickled down to
matters of a lesser magnitude and
become malicious. Cancel culture
is a catalyst for jumping on the
bandwagon of hate for the most
insignificant of things.
An example is the saga that split
the internet into two camps on
May 2019, which was the beef
between YouTube personalities Tati
Westbrook and James Charles. Tati
released an exposé, calling James
out for many things including
sexual misconduct. Within a day,
he lost a million subscribers, with
#JamesCharlesIsOverParty
trending on Twitter worldwide.
Cancel culture seemed to have
triumphed again, until James
uploaded a video explaining his
side of the story, citing evidence
that proved the accusation false.
48
Cancel culture
is #cancelled
By NURHADAINA ARIFFIN
Just like that, those who had
previously ‘cancelled’ James
quickly deleted their hate
comments and changed their
stance. How quickly the audience
takes sides based on rumours
highlights how shallow cancel
culture is.
Not only does the culture affect
one’s reputation, it also plays with
source of income. A live stream
was created comparing the
real-time fluctuating subscriber
counts of both beauty gurus as the
drama played out. It was baffling
how much society is entertained
by the misery of others.
The call-out culture has gone
so far that people are being
‘cancelled’ because of their
behaviour years ago.
In 2018, Kevin Hart pulled
himself out of hosting The
Academy Awards due to immense
backlash. after homophobic tweets
from 2009 surfaced. While
celebrities should acknowledge
their mistakes, the reality is that the
past does not necessarily define
a person and it is unfair to corner
someone for something they said
almost a decade ago.
My belief is that people should
be accountable for their actions,
which led me to naively participate
in the hate wave in the past. While
it had started with good intent;
giving a voice to minority groups
in society and levelling the field of
moral judgement, it has
transformed into a toxic practice.
Dubbed as the pushback against
bullies, the amount of criticism
we give on meaningless matters
has ironically turned us into bullies
ourselves.
Cancel culture influences a
generation lacking in empathy
and forgiveness, with the default
reaction to any dispute being
burning people on the digital stake.
Nobody’s perfect, and certainly not
those criticising others behind a
screen.
Growth is always constant, so
instead of condemning people,
why not have constructive
conversations that allow for
self-reflection and development
of society as a whole?
“
while it had
started with good
intent; giving a
voice to minority
groups in
society and
levelling the field
of moral judgement,
it has transformed
into a toxic practice.

Keeping Earth Alive
Unpack what climate change means to the average Singaporean
with PHOEBE RAE and GRACE PHAM this 2020
D
reams come in all shapes
and sizes, no matter who
you are. We talked about the
Singaporean Dream in HYPE 48.
Whether you’re aiming to enjoy a
life of travel, gain new experiences
or simply to live comfortably with a
family by your side, it’s something
we’re all striving towards.
In HYPE 49, we also talked about
how even the truck drivers of
Abam2 Trailer Singapura share the
same dream of financial stability,
future job prospects, travelling,
retirement and family, health and
happiness.
But who’s to say that we will
be able to achieve any of these
dreams in the future?
THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE
Most of us aspire to take annual
holidays and travel the world. But
if our favourite travel destinations
slowly disappear due to climate
change, where then, can we go for
a getaway?
Beach destinations like the
Maldives, Bali and Phuket may be
a thing of the past as sea levels
rise and eat up the shore. And with
global temperatures rising, the
once vibrant coral reefs turn
ghostly white, in what is called
“coral bleaching”.
Perhaps not all of us dream of
travelling. We’d simply have to live
with erratic weather and current
record temperatures being the
norm. Lifestyle changes will also
shift according to the evolving
climate we’d be living in.
That $8 latte you’re thinking about
is likely to increase in price by
25 per cent by 2050. Rice may
become more of a luxury in the
future, rising in cost by 32 to 37
per cent. Other vulnerable crops
include corn and banana.
As Time’s Magazine’s 2019 Person
of the Year, Greta Thunberg, 16,
said: “We are [at] the beginning of
a mass extinction, and all you can
talk about is money and fairy tales
of eternal economic growth. How
dare you!”
So, what are we doing to preserve
the Singapore Dream?
“ We should treat
climate change
defences like we treat
the SAF - with utmost
seriousness... These
are life and death
matters.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong
TOUCH
CURRENT EFFORTS
A survey conducted by HYPE found
that a majority of respondents
perceived environmental
sustainability as the lowest of
government concerns, contrary
to areas like the national security,
economy and home affairs that
are perceived to have the highest
importance.
Yet no matter where Singaporeans
think environmental concern fails,
69.6 per cent of respondents feel
that we should focus more on
measures that mitigate the impact
of climate change than adapt to its
consequences.
Singapore has rolled out various
policies and schemes to address
this issue. Offices such as the
National Climate Change
Secretariat (NCCS) and the
Inter-Ministerial Committee on
Climate Change have been set up
to boost the existing Ministry of
Environment and Water Resources
(MEWR).
“We should treat climate change
defences like we treat the SAF –
with utmost seriousness… These
are life and death matters,” Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared
during the last National Day Rally
speech.
As such, the Centre for Climate
Research Singapore was set up
back in 2013, to understand the
impact of climate change on
Singapore and her neighbours.
During the Landmark Paris
Agreement, Singapore pledged to
reduce carbon emission intensity
by 36 per cent, in comparison with
2005 levels, by 2030.
One notable effort towards this
goal is the introduction of a carbon
tax, the first in the region, starting
at $5 per tonne this year. This will
be reviewed by 2023, with plans to
increase it to between $10 and $15
per tonne of emissions by 2030.
49
 TOUCH
Singapore has even hinted at going
beyond reducing carbon emissions
to be totally reliant on energy that
question whether Singapore wants
to uphold its reputation of being SPOTLIGHT
SPOTLIGHT
highly capable,” says Ms Wong Pei
isn’t fossil fuel. Chi, a volunteer at 350SG, a global
grassroots organisation aimed at
On Jan 20, at the Singapore educating Singaporeans on the
Perspectives 2020 conference climate crisis.
organised by the Institute of Policy
Studies, Minister of Trade and
Industry Chan Chun Sing, 55, said:
“Are we thinking of a post-fossil
fuel future? Yes, we are, because
we know where the trend of the
world is going.”

Are these measures enough?

REALITY CHECK 0.11%

According to the Climate Action
Tracker, Singapore’s targets are New Zealand’s contribution to
considered “highly insufficient” global emissions.
to limit global warming to 2 deg
C above pre-industrial levels. In
reality, there will be a 3-4 degree
increase if everyone followed the
How?
rate we’re going.

ZERO-CARBON
According to economists at IMF,
the carbon tax should be an
estimated $75 a tonne by 2030 to
“ The most important ACT
be consistent with a two-degree
thing is to educate
Celsius warming target – a far cry yourself on the is a legally-binding act to
from the $10-$15 goal we set. commit New Zealand to zero
issues. You can carbon emissions by 2050.
MEWR has time and time again demand brands to be
emphasised that Singapore only
contributes 0.11 per cent of global more sustainable by
emissions. As Minister Mr This is done
shopping, by
Masagos, 56, puts it, “even if we through
stop emitting, it would not move buying differently...
the needle.’’
that’s where the
Legally binding
However, in a survey conducted by collective power long-term targets
HYPE, 94.4 per cent of
respondents still feel that
of the consumer to
Singapore is not doing enough to demand that change Pathway of
fight climate change. five-year carbon
comes in, budgets
Survey respondents cited four Ho Xiang Tian, co-founder
areas that hinder their efforts to of LepakinSG
be more sustainable: Poor public
reception to current national Independent
campaigns pushing for individual Climate
action; lack of public commitment Commission to
for climate action and lack of guide the transition
support from businesses and
insufficient climate policies. Government must
produce policy
“We need to take ownership of plans to meet
the fact that we need to do our carbon budgets
part to reduce our 0.1 per cent
share of global emissions… It’s a
50
 TOUCH
HOW TO TAKE ACTION
Participants of SG Climate Rally hold signs to signal stronger climate action in Singapore.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SG CLIMATE RALLY
Whether it’s recycling your trash,
switching to energy-efficient
appliances, reducing your food
waste, buying second-hand clothes
or taking public transport, you are
already taking steps to “walk the
talk” for the environment.

According to environmental activist

and co-founder of LepakinSG, an
informal calendar and event
organiser for green events, Ho
Xiang Tian, 24, says: “The most
important thing is to educate
yourself on the issues.”

The Head of Sustainability of a

multinational commercial
company suggests: “You can
demand brands to be more
sustainable by shopping, by buying
differently, by consuming
differently… that’s where the
collective power of the consumer
to demand that change [comes in].”

According to NCCS projection for

2020, households will only account
for 7.6 per cent of business as
usual emissions, while industries
produce 60.3 per cent. In short,
as consumers we need to use the
voice that we have the only way
that businesses will understand:
our coin is our vote.

“The challenge for all of us is to

translate our daily actions and
individual habits into something
much larger in terms of collective
action, to say this is a problem that
we’re concerned with, [that] this is
going to affect us,” Ms Wong says.

Top 3 areas that Singapore is lacking

in the fight against climate change:

95.6% feel that Singapore 63.3% 63.3% 64.4%

isn’t doing enough to Support from Infrastructure Regulations
combat climate change. businesses

51
 TOUCH

S c hool ’ s O ut ?
Kaci Beh, a full-time In a society that places emphasis on adequate
qualifications, LIM JUN HAO talks to two youths
model walking for
the likes of Dolce &
Gabbana, Aigner and
Emporio Armani. who tell their stories about pursuing talents outside
Photo courtesy the conventional education roadmap
of Basic Models
Management

“Y
ou quit school, Ma, consisting of various
what are you physical exercises such as wall
going to do stands.
from now on?” was
what fashion model When asked about her career
Kaci Beh, 20, heard career highlights, a beaming
from her lecturers Kaci ponders for a moment.
when she left school “Dolce Gabbana and Armani,
back in 2017, a why did I have to think,” she
few weeks into the laughs. Walking three seasons
second year of her for Dolce & Gabbana has made
Retail Management her a regular on the show. “I
course in Temasek don’t have to go through the
Polytechnic. whole process [of casting]
again,” says Kaci cheerfully, “I
Unsure of the get to skip the queue.”
next step, she
took a year Having walked for major fashion
off. This raised brands, Kaci wants to do
concerns from her fashion week in all four major
parents who weren’t cities. She only needs New York
particularly happy City to complete a “full circuit.”
with her chosen
lifestyle. “That whole As she chases the Big Apple,
year of doing nothing, the model still believes in
[my parents] were the value of the educational
damn angry at roadmap. “Education is still
me,” she recounts the most important,” she says,
sheepishly. “That’s how you can further in
life.” The model has plans to
Things started to study interior design after her
look up when she modelling career.
attended Basic
Model’s casting in 2018 Ms Dorothea Yeo, an education
and was accepted on the and career guidance counsellor
first try. With her renewed from Ngee Ann Polytechnic
purpose, her parents were noted that Kaci’s experience in
supportive despite her straying studying business could alsobe
from the traditional path. As useful to her career.
she delved into the world of
modelling, her appreciation and For those unsure if they should
love for the job grew. take the leap, Kaci advises: “If
[your dream] is something more
LIFE AS A MODEL concrete, more substantial,
Kaci traded books and exams pursue it.”
for an intensive training
programme that covered key
modelling elements which
included a certain “nightmare
training” by head booker Bonita
52
66

ROAD TO ROBOTICS
International robotics judge
Chia Yuan Jun, 19, has similar
views.
“Take the chance, you
never know when the next
opportunity might come,” he
says, “For studies, you can
always stop and continue.”
Yuan Jun was first introduced
to robotics in kindergarten,
and carried a torch for it up till
He is also coaching robotics
back at his alma mater.
“[I want] to do what I like for
a living and live comfortably,”
says Yuan Jun when asked
what his goals were. While
there’s no rush, he has plans
to pursue a degree in computer
engineering.
“We are looking at
TOUCH
conventional education route
is definitely not the only way to
success for all. Ms Yeo’s advice
to youths looking for different
options is understanding “what
we like to do best” and “how
we can excel in our work best”.
While it’s possible to pursue
alternative paths in this day
and age, Ms Yeo urges youths
to keep in mind that education
is still a factor of consideration.

secondary school, spending up education as a tool. “We are looking at [education

to six days a week cooped up
in the robotics lab after school.
This paid off big-time. He
consistently placed top three
at the National Robotics
Challenge, which opened up
opportunities internationally,
such as the 12th Annual World
Robotic Olympiad (WRO) in
Doha where his team placed
7th.
It needs to work as
a stepping stone for
you and it’s not an
end of itself, it’s a
means to an end.
Ms Yeo, ECG
Counseller
A survey was conducted by
as a tool],” says Ms Yeo. “It
needs to work as a stepping
stone for you and it’s not an
end of itself, it’s a means to an
end.”
Chia Yuan Jun, an International
Robotics Judge for robotics
competitions such as the World
Robotic Olympiad.
PHOTO BY LIM
JUN HAO

HYPE to find out what youths

LEAVING SCHOOL
think about completing the
Yuan Jun had initially set
educational roadmap.
his sights on Ngee Ann
Polytechnic’s Diploma in
Like Kaci and Yuan Jun, 59
Electronic and Computer
per cent of respondents said
Engineering (ECE), which he felt
that they would deviate from
was closely linked to robotics.
set pathways to pursue
Unfortunately, he has difficulty
their dream job. Almost
differentiating red and green
half don’t find completing
due to deuteranomaly, and
studies important in
failed the ECE in-house test for
achieving success, with a
colour deficiency.
majority being youths between
the ages of 15 to 24. This
Thinking that the closest
displays the shift in mindset
alternative was Mechanical
through generations, where
Engineering (ME), Yuan Jun
education has become just one
enrolled iand did well initially,
of the many tools that pave the
even managing to top his
way to success.
cohort at one point.
Perhaps it is the rise of thriving
He juggled his studies
entrepreneurs who didn’t
with judging for local and
complete their education, such
international competitions on
as Apple’s founder Steve Jobs.
the side to broaden his skills.
As one respondent pointed
However, Yuan Jun started to
out, “[They are] successful in
encounter snags in his second
what they are doing. Being
year. Ultimately, he decided to
successful in life equals to
leave school and pursue his
meeting your life goals, and
passion full-time.
education might or might
not be the most essential
He is now an international
component.”
judge for robotics and has
travelled to Hungary for the
With individual strengths,
16th edition of WRO.
weaknesses and interests, the
53
 TOUCH

Moulding
Character
With Clay
Everyone is passionate
about something.
GRACE PHAM discovers
how for one man,
his passion changed
his views on life
Mr Boon creating one of his signature vases on the potter’s wheel in his studio
where he conducts classes for students, tourists and even the elderly.
PHOTO BY GRACE PHAM

A
t 64 years old, Mr Chuan When Boon’s Pottery was Meeting Mr Boon, you can’t
Siang Boon has many founded, Mr Boon started with help but feel calm and happy
valuable life experiences the intention of promoting art. around his relaxing presence as
to share. He has succeeded he readily shares the knowledge
in his pottery business, yet He wanted to show that bowls, of the simple meaning behind
remains humble despite his teacups and vases made from moulding clay. He wants to pass
achievements. He has but one clay are not just functional his legacy on and holds lessons
simple goal: sharing knowledge pieces but can also be loved for all, from schoolchildren to
and helping others. for their intrinsic beauty. the elderly, imparting his values
and inspiring his students to use
With Singapore’s pressure Mr Boon shared how pottery pottery for charity and to help
cooker lifestyle, we are often helped Mr Jumaat Osman, 52, others just like he does.
caught up with goals and ideals become more confident and
of what we want to do and develop his teamwork skills. At his pottery centre at Tanglin
what we want to achieve. How Place, many young instructors
many of these ambitions are for Mr Osman was diagnosed with are a part of Mr Boon’s team,
personal gain, and how often schizophrenia and used to who continually spread his
do we look out enough for work once a week because of values of kindness and sharing.
those around us? his condition. Mr Boon took
him in as a student after they For Lerae Tan, 27, pottery has
For Mr Boon, his goal has met during one of Mr Osman’s made a remarkable difference
always been to “help others pottery classes held at the in her life. Previously holding a
first and don’t be cocky”. Institute of Mental Health and corporate job, she quit her job
trained him for the 2016 after chancing upon a handmade
Kickstarting his pottery International Abilympics, a clay bowl along Haji Lane. Three
business at 36 years old, Mr competition that tests the years later, she joined Boon’s
Boon was initially part of a vocational skills for persons Pottery as a part-time teacher.
family business for about 20 with disabilities. Pottery has taught her patience.
years before taking the leap to An art piece takes at least a
pursue pottery as a career. Life As one of the judges for that month to make, and not every
was not as carefree before but competition, Mr Boon scored piece turns out perfect.
now he is able to mix his Mr Osman a total of 85 points
business experience with for his art piece. Mr Osman “Being rich in wealth is not rich,
pottery to promote art. now works six days a week. what’s more important is that
the mind is rich,” Mr Boon said.

Mr Boon’s trademark on every piece of pottery he creates.

54 BY GRACE PHAM
PHOTO

Adulthood Laid Bare
The map of life is the culmination of many journeys of learning about health, wealth and wis-
dom. NURHADAINA ARIFFIN and ISABELLE MONTEIRO navigate with the help of experts.
A
s kids, we always looked up
to grown-ups. They always
seemed to have it all
together, saying big words like
“taxes” and “insurance”. We
assumed that everything will fall
into place as we grow up.
As we approach adulthood, harsh
reality sets in: Life does not sort
itself out; it takes work to figure out
the best path into the future.
A recent HYPE survey
conducted among 126 youths
between the ages of 16 to 27
found that 75 per cent do not pay
attention to or participate in
government-led health initiatives
such as the National Steps
Challenge. Half of them felt they
spend money irresponsibly and the
majority agreed that they depend
too much on their parents for
financial support.
So why do they continue to adopt
this attitude?
As it turns out, 80 per cent of
respondents are afraid of planning.
The fear of ‘adulting’ could stem
from the thought that they have
absolutely no control over an
unpredictable future, and the fact
that there are responsibilities that
come with growing up.
The irony is that the prime of youth
is the best time to proactively
take steps for the future. Being in
the pink of health with almost no
medical bills to pay and a world of
options out there, there’s no better
time to get started in the areas of
health, wealth and wisdom.
Health
As cliché as it may sound, it’s
never too early to start planning.
When it comes to exercising and
eating healthy, 65 per cent of
youths are driven by the desire
to look attractive. Maintaining or
improving overall health is not
the priority. While there’s no fault
in wanting to look good, youths
should be aware of the bigger
issues at hand.
“High blood pressure and
hypertension are examples of
common issues older people deal
with. Sometimes it is due to
genetics, but many suffer from
such illnesses due to their lifestyle
choices which are inculcated from
young,” says Ms Tan (who declined
to give her real name), a senior
nurse manager at a local hospital.
For better mental health, the first
step youths can take is to
prioritise rest to tackle anxiety,
stress and depression. Ms Tan
adds that developing good sleep
habits at a young age help in
TOUCH
dealing with the increasing
pressures of life.
A little exercise goes a long way
too. Not only does it strengthen
physical fitness, but also helps
release pent-up emotions.
“People should develop a fitness
training regime and stick to a
schedule to build a habit of
exercising from young,” says Ms
Ms Bebe Ding, founder of
Crucycle.
“I got into exercising because it
was sort of a release for me in my
college years. When you exercise,
endorphins are released in your
body and you naturally feel better,”
she adds.
You are what you eat. According
to Health Hub SG, one out of nine
Singaporeans aged 18 to 69 suffer
from diabetes.
55
 TOUCH
Ms Tan speaks from experience,
“Many adults suffer from diabetes
as a result of years of living a life
where they don’t pay attention to
pre-diabetes signs and warnings.
They think they won’t ever get
diabetes so they just continue to
neglect their health.”
Her tip for cultivating a good diet is
making small but consistent
decisions, such as going for
equally tasty steamed or boiled
dishes instead of fried foods. This
will help to reduce fat intake and
the chances of being prone to
diseases related to the heart.
Making step-by-step improve-
ments everyday will definitely take
the weight off your heart in the
long run (literally)!
“Saving money is much more
important [than making money].
The difference in saving money and
making money [is that with] making
money, you can still lose your
money,” says Mr Muhammad.
The key point lies in reducing, not
eliminating. Mr Cheon also advises
that with the amount of money you
have, apply the ‘4-3-2-1’ approach.
He says: “Spend no more than 40
per cent, debts no more than 30
per cent, save 20 per cent and give
10 per cent away to a good cause.”
Growing your money is another
alternative to achieving one’s
financial goals. With the ease of
picking up skills online, many
youths have started to invest and
involve themselves in the stock

Wealth
market as information. But these
investments aren’t without risks.

“Starting to learn how to invest at a

While applications like Paywave and
Paynow have become convenient
modes of payment, they remove
the tangibility of money, influencing
frivolous spending.
“Everything is wireless now, you
can’t feel it. But the minute you can
feel the money you spend, you’ll be
young age is good but I’m just
concerned that for most youths,
they focus on speculation trading.
It’s a very different kind of
strategy versus an investing
strategy. Speculation is best only
when using money you don’t need
but when you’re young, I’m sure
you need every cent,” warns Mr
Cheon.
Chemistry as a career. So I went
to join CCAs, I took part in the
students’ union and through the
interaction that I had, that’s when I
realised [that I] want to do this kind
of work where I can make some
impact.”

very prudent,” says Mr Muhammad
Ebrahim, a financial services
director at Prudential.
For many youths, independence is
the dream, the fruits of adulthood.
However, there are pitfalls that
youths can run into down the road if
they don’t practise financial
planning.
“Buying property in this day and
age is no joke. For youths who lack
financial support and are
irresponsibly handling their
finances, it’s going to be tough to
purchase their first home,” says Mr
Jarius Cheon, senior manager at
Manulife.
You might be fixated on that
five-figure salary, but good
saving habits can benefit your bank
account even more than earnings.
Wisdom
Passion is something everyone
talks about, but how do you
discover yours? In your search for
passion, allow opportunities for
Like many major decisions,
new experiences to find you with
deciding a career path calls for
the help of career guidance.
soul-searching, agonising and
maybe even a couple of existential
‘Learning Is Triggered’ (LIT) is a
crises; but for what? According to
career guidance series launched
a study by YouGov, 53 per cent
by YoungNTUC, designed to help
of Singaporean graduates work in
youths find their path.
fields unrelated to their degree.
The programmes include career
Having the courage to make
discovery and career mentorship
mistakes and to try new things are
-- the first two steps in every
what Ms Yeo Ming En, a
career journey. Career discovery
25-year-old representative for
promotes self-discovery to find a
YoungNTUC learnt from university,
suitable career path, facilitated by
where her interests shifted from
professional career coaches from
science to social work.
Workforce Singapore (WSG) and
Employment and Employability
Ms Yeo recounts: “In university, I
Institute (E21).
realised I didn’t really want to do

56
 TOUCH
Participants are also encouraged
to attend the career mentorship
Survey
In a survey conducted Results
by HYPE, youths in Singapore
programme, where they are able to
embark on a four-month
reveal their lifestyle habits! Can you relate to any?
mentorship programme with
industry practitioners Youth Career
Network (YCN). 53.5% 74%
Ms Yeo is a firm believer in of youths admit to admit to depending
connecting with the right people spending their money too much on their
who can open up opportunities for
you. She says: “No matter what RECKLESSLY parents for money
you do, a good mentor is very
important. It’s about the networks
that you build. [The] average
age [of YCN] is about 40 years
old because they need to have 45.2% of youths only average 3-5 hours of sleep
a minimum amount of working
experience of about five years and
yet they must be able to relate to
The remaining 54.8% get
[youths].” an average of 6-8 hours
Sometimes, we don’t want to hear
from our parents and we seek
someone else’s opinion, that’s
why we started this youth career
network,” she adds. 59.5% of youths do not bother
checking the healthier options
If you’re a little indecisive or simply
haven’t found your calling,
logo when purchasing food
freelancing allows you to discover
your passion while receiving some
form of income. There is also the
freedom in choosing projects that
interest you. 74.8% of youths feel that government led initiatives and
efforts do not at all encourage them to live a healthier life
Miss Hamidah Madot, 30, is a
freelance nurse who is pursuing
her other passion – travelling.

She highlights how travelling

made her learn more about herself
through meeting new people, citing
her empathetic nature as her
motivation to help people, pushing Youths on average
73.2% of youths
her toward the nursing field. feel that social media does
spend a total of
indeed influence and
With many years ahead, it’s easy $400 dollars pressure them to spend
to procrastinate lifelong planning, a month
only to panic at the last minute more money than necessary
when it may be too late.

Health, wealth and wisdom are the

trifecta for a well-balanced life that
are interdependent on each other.
Since there is only one life to live,
why not live a fulfilling one?

57
 TOUCH
I
t’s Racial Harmony Day and you
already know what to expect. You
can always count on the Chinese,
Malay, Indian, and blonde person
of unclear heritage smiling back at
you on every visual platform.
And to the average Singaporean, if
you don’t look like any of the above
options, your ethnic origins must
be made known to them, lest you
be racially ambiguous and unable
to be classified under a
pre-determined category.
This desire to categorise by race
can be attributed to the
Chinese-Malay-Indian-Others
(CMIO) model that Singapore
subscribes to. This practice, picked
up during British colonial times, has
made race one of the integral parts
of a Singaporean’s identity, with
half of Singaporeans identifying
equally with both their nationality
and their ethnic background.
On my maternal side, I was taught
to carefully guard family recipes
for feng, curry debal and sugee
cake, and Sundays were filled with
Kristang-littered conversations with
my grandparents. On the other
hand, I also experience some of the
staples of the Singaporean Chinese
experience: from reunion dinners to
almost a decade of learning
Mandarin as my mother tongue.
I’ve been raised just as equally
Eurasian as Chinese, yet this did
not spare my parents from
having to choose only one race for
58
CMIO?
More Like CMI-No
BY CHEYENNE LIM
my pink card, and by extension,
how I’m viewed in this multi-racial
society.
The ambiguity in the ‘O’ of the
CMIO model has created an
incessant need for people to
mentally classify. Visually,
identifying Singaporean Chinese,
Malays and Indians at a glance is
simple. But for the obscure fourth
category, it’s often asked where
you’re originally from.
Categorisation simplifies, but it also
leads to the sidelining of cultural
identities. Having your official racial
group as ‘Others’ in itself gives the
impression of an outlier statistic,
a mere 4 per cent of a close to six
million population.
This fixation on race only extends
to the knowledge of which country
one is from. When new classmates
or unsuspecting Grab drivers
decide to probe, it is almost never
to seek a new understanding about
another race, but more to satisfy
their own curiosity.
The questions happen in three
stages: One, “Are you
Singaporean?” Two, “Are your
parents Singaporean?” and finally:
“So, what are you?”
Sometimes it happens at first
meeting, but other times later,
they bashfully admit, “I actually
wanted to ask from the beginning,
but…” The implication is simple:
I’m unable to tell if you’re Chinese,
Malay or Indian so, are you really a
true-blue Singaporean?
Attaching ethnicity as a prefix to
one’s national identity has allowed
Singaporeans to stay connected to
their original roots. It also teaches
an overview of the identifiable
characteristics and cultural norms
of the most prominent ethnic
groups of the country. On the
other hand, the same system that
binds Singaporeans together can
over-simplify and cast sweeping
labels onto individuals.
Until we reach a post-racial
Singapore, I’ve accepted that I’ll be
answering reiterations of “No, but
where are you really from,” for the
rest of my life.
But in exchange, I’ve received not
one, but two ways of living. Both
are equally Singaporean; not
determined by percentages in
demographics, but simply by
existing.
“
The implication is
simple: i’m unable to
tell if you’re
chinese, malay or
indian so, are you
really a true-blue
singaporean?

The Great
Mandarin Wall:
Seven Up Eight Down*
CHEYENNE LIM and DENYSE TAN
examine the paradox of the
Chinese Singaporean who can’t
speak Mandarin
一个风和日丽的早上 (One fine
morning), Chinese-Singaporeans
woke up to the reality of having
denied their mother tongue. The
great Mandarin wall is now upon
them, with the majority of Chinese-
Singaporeans who have lost touch
with their mother tongue.
Based on a survey done by HYPE,
87 per cent of respondents do
not speak Mandarin on a frequent
basis, while 69 per cent are not
confident about their Mandarin
communication skills. But, the
government-unleashed tool to
guide them came in the form of the
Speak Mandarin Campaign.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary,
the Speak Mandarin Campaign
was initially launched by former
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to
encourage switching from dialects
and establishing Mandarin as the
de facto language of the Chinese
in Singapore. This came with the
promotion of Singapore’s bilingual
policy, to effectively grasp English
and one’s mother tongue.
The campaign was met with great
success, but recent years have
called for a change in direction to
promote the fluency of Mandarin
among Chinese Singaporeans.
“We need to acknowledge that we
are losing our bilingual competitive
advantage,” Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong said in an English
translation of his speech for the
40th Anniversary held in October
last year.
Coin and Culture
This loss is not one to be taken
lightly. Echoing Mr Lee’s
sentiments, the competitive value
of Singaporeans to stay relevant
lies in our dual-language
proficiency.
According to Minister of Education
Ong Ye Kung, the relevance of
mother tongue lies in the economic
benefits it can bring. Not only is
China Singapore’s largest
“It boils down to
humanity, and not just
the huge economic
bearing language has.
[It] extends to your
values system. It is
through knowing one’s
language, culture and
identity that makes you
a stable person.
Mdm Chan, founder of
Ethos books
TOUCH
*Seven Up Eight Down is literally translated and
refers to the Chinese idiom “七上八下” (qī shàng bā
xià) which translates to “in a mess”.
trading partner, Indonesia and
Malaysia follow closely behind.
India is the fastest-growing
developing country in the world,
offering tremendous opportunities.
In the once Western-dominated
world, Singaporeans could easily
thrive on the English language.
However, with China becoming a
global trade hub, it is no longer
viable for Chinese-Singaporeans to
neglect their mother tongue.
The utilitarian value of the skill is
acknowledged worldwide, reflected
by those of non-Chinese descent
picking it up. Famous personalities
like Princess Elisabeth of Belgium,
former President of the United
States Barack Obama and even
Mark Zuckerberg have all learned
Mandarin.
The emphasis on learning Mandarin
goes beyond business. At its core,
language is the mark of a community
and an essential part of every culture
which gives insight into identity.
“It boils down to humanity, and not
just the huge economic bearing
language has. [It] extends to your
values system. It is through
knowing one’s language, culture
and identity that makes you a stable
person,” says Mdm Chan Wai Han,
63, founder of Ethos Books.
59
 TOUCH
Enacting the Mandarin
Wall
Despite of the rising power of
Mandarin, many Chinese-
Singaporeans are disinterested in
gaining proficiency in the language,
seeing no value-add to their
professional and social lives.
English is the predominant
language spoken and recognised
by many now.
Pre-independence, there were over
30 language groups co-existing
in Singapore, when English was
eventually established as the
primary working language to foster
a common tongue.
Under the bilingual policy, English
was seen as a tool to enhance
modern development. Mother
tongues assumed an ornamental
role; used only in classrooms to root
Singaporeans to their culture and
provide a complementary view of
things children do not necessarily
appreciate or enjoy, leading to the
mother tongue being relegated to
the sidelines.
Based on an annual survey by the
Ministry of Education, 71 per cent
of Chinese families with Primary
One students use English as their
main language at home.
道
For the children of these families,
the opportunity to practise a
second language is prescribed
to the mere few hours of Chinese
lessons indicated in the school
山
timetable. It doesn’t help that
classroom experiences of Mother
Tongue hardly make a compelling
case in promoting Mandarin
to students.
“My own parents never spoke the
学
language. In order to pass Chinese
[at] PSLE, I wholesale memorised
six years of vocabulary and model
compositions. Finally, in secondary
school, when the subject required
some form of application, I was
unable to cope with zero
海
understanding, only textbook
answers,” says Kaylee Tan, an
18-year-old Ngee Ann
Polytechnic student.
60
For 66 per cent of survey
respondents, learning Mandarin
was something dreaded in school.
Chinese in school was a blur of
rote memorisation and formulaic
teaching methods – cramming
passages for 默写 (writing from
memory), frantic memorisation of
words for 听写 (spelling) and
the regurgitation of stock phrases
from the beloved 词语手册 (word
handbook).
Using Mandarin in day-to-day life
would really just be in the
hawker centre buying mixed rice
and pointing to dishes while saying
“这个，这个, 还有这个” (This one,
this one and this one) and
ending off with an anti-climatic “谢
谢 (Thank you) Aunty”. This is as
far as the average depth and reach
of vocabulary goes, especially
in youths.
While Chinese Singaporeans view
Mandarin merely as a basic form
of communication, those native to
China take pride in their language.
The contrast is apparent in the
incident where Singaporean
Timothy Bon, 22, tweeted about
being told off by a tourist from
China after she approached him
for directions in Mandarin. Timothy,
who was not familiar with the Chi-
nese names of MRT stations, was
unable to help.
“[We] should imbue the
younger generation with
this love for the language.
It’s important to have fun.
When you learn anything
that is a chore, you learn
nothing and you will only
be too happy to give it up.
But when you make it fun,
it becomes a talking point
when you are talking to
people of other Chinese
communities.
Ms Chew,
PMC member
Exasperated, the tourist flared up
at him, “华人不会讲华语，你好意思
吗? (You are Chinese but you can’t
speak Mandarin, aren’t you
embarrassed?)”
With no identity attached to the
language, it is no wonder that
Chinese-Singaporeans do not
feel a need to hone their language
proficiency. In order to encourage
greater use and affinity to
Mandarin, Chinese Singaporeans
must feel a connection to the
language beyond it being the
language of their ancestors.
Mandarin, Singapore
style
Localising Mandarin is the first
step in building a deeper
connection with people. A
database of Singaporean Mandarin
Terms comprising local terms has
been launched by the Promote
Mandarin Council (PMC), which
aims to redefine what Mandarin
means to Chinese Singaporeans.
This database contains a collection
of Mandarin terms which have
cultural, historical or sentimental
value unique to Singapore. Many
terms are deconstructed and
rebuilt in a local context. These
terms may be used by
Singaporeans in the past or at
present. Some of the terms are
read in print while others are used
in everyday conversation.
In a Channel News Asia (CNA)
Interview, Ms Chew Lee Ching, a
60-year-old member of PMC said:
“[We] should imbue the younger
generation with this love for the
language. It’s important to have
fun. When you learn anything that
is a chore, you learn nothing and
you will only be too happy to give
it up. But when you make it fun,
it becomes a talking point when
you are talking to people of other
Chinese communities.”
Pure memorisation without
understanding and feeling only
breeds avoidance of the language.
 饮
TOUCH
Mandarin should be taught with its At an older age, personal motivation important to always remember
cultural nuances as a way for drives others to relearn Mandarin. what spurred the decision, be it
Chinese Singaporeans to reconcile to reconnect with heritage or to
with their cultural roots, not as a “When I was still studying Chinese, become more competitive in the

subject in the school curriculum.
More than memorisation
Special Assistance Plan (SAP)
schools support the learning of
Chinese language with activities
I never took it seriously. Now that
I’m older, I’m starting to realise the
importance of it through connecting
with my grandparents, and I start
to feel this deeper connection to
my ‘Chinese-ness’,” says Zeng Shi
水
marketplace.
As the Chinese saying “饮水思
源” (to know one’s roots) goes,
there is a need for Chinese-
Singaporeans to remember

思
that are significantly more hands-on Rong, 19, a former Basic Chinese where they came from. Only then
than the usual curriculum. Language student. can the great Mandarin wall be
brought down, opening up a way
Student get exposed to various For those trying to get back in to stronger self-identity, wider
cultural elements like learning touch with their mother tongue, it’s horizons and bigger hearts.
journeys to tea houses for tea
appreciation and performances of

SPEAKING STATISTICS...
源
Chinese contemporary drama in line
with their learning of Mandarin.

“After getting to appreciate the

cultural significance, studying HYPE conducted a survey amongst local Chinese youths
Mandarin was much more to check out Singapore’s Mandarin Spirit!
enjoyable and less of a chore,
because I understood why I was
learning it,” says Lee Pei Wen, a
19-year-old Nan Hua High School Did you enjoy learning Mandarin
alumnus. during your formal education
(Primary/secondary school)?
Mr Seow Joo Chuan, 43,
coordinator of the SAP Flagship
programme at Nan Hua High
School says: “The emphasis is on
biculturalism. During the bicultural
module lesson, Chinese Language
and English Language teachers
Do you speak Mandarin with your
[will] enter the classroom together
friends?
and discuss various aspects of the
Western and Chinese culture. In the
process, they [will] appreciate their
mother tongue and the Chinese
culture more.”

Walking the Talk Are you confident about your

Mandarin communication skills?
Beyond the classroom, there is a
tendency for families to slip into the
default English language when at
home. Ms Chew added that parents
can “make the effort to try and
speak to [their children] in Chinese Would you take up an enhancement
language, to make them appreciate programme covering conversational
the culture, heritage, and language.” or professional business Mandarin on
your own accord?
As a child, language acquisition is
at its highest. When parents make
a conscious decision to raise their
children in a bilingual environment,
nurturing a child’s love for a
language can be done without
forcing pen to paper.

61
 TOUCH
P
hysical Education was my
favourite subject and is
compulsory throughout
primary and secondary school.
I liked the time spent out of the
classroom and the camaraderie
shared among my classmates
forged some of the greatest
memories I have of secondary
school till today.
When it came to mental education
through, I only remember being
bored, sitting through all the official
mental health roadshows,
programmes and speeches that
were tossed randomly into the
Singapore school curriculum.
Mental health is only briefly
touched on and isn’t integrated
into a student’s weekly schedule,
whereas Physical Education was
dedicated an entire hour. With
suicide numbers and the number
of youths suffering from stress,
depression and anxiety on the rise,
shouldn’t mental health education
be handled with the same amount
of concern?
In 2018, Samaritans of Singapore
(SOS) reported a total of 94 people
in Singapore between ages 10 and
29 taking their own lives.
Singapore takes pride in its
world-renowned education system,
and as much as I’m grateful for it,
it might just be time to integrate
mental health education into the
curriculum.
In an interview with Channel News
Asia, Dr Ong Say How, senior
62
Hiding Behind
Plastered Smiles
BY ISABELLE MONTEIRO
consultant and chief of the
department of developmental
psychiatry at the Institute of Mental
Health (IMH) said: “Today’s youths
are facing new challenges and
societal pressures compared to
times when life was simpler.”
Times are changing and the
pressure that youths of today face
is not only an amalgamation of
coping with studies and stressful
expectations, but it’s also heavily
rooted in the digital landscape
which continues to influence their
perception of life.
With new enemies in the playing
field, there is a need to change
the way we help youths prepare
themselves for life’s demands.
Mental health education needs to
be reframed holistically but sadly,
it isn’t recognised as a necessity in
school education yet.
Perhaps conducting suicide
prevention efforts and educating
Singaporeans on mental health
should be dealt with at a younger
age, instead of trying to put out
fires in the future. It won’t be easy
getting people on board with the
idea of introducing such
heart-heavy topics to youths, but
prioritising mental health education
can help to remove the stigma that
surrounds mental health issues.
Maybe encouraging active
conversations like group therapy
sessions could give youths an
outlet to express their emotions
especially when the older
generation don’t practise that at
home. Equipping teachers with
conversational tools would allow
youths to confide in an alternative
advisor, maybe one that knows
them better, instead of merely
relying on counsellors.
Solving the root issue by giving
mental health education equal
importance as physical education
has the potential to change the
perceptual landscape of
Singaporeans on mental illness. As
much it’s a governmental
responsibility, it is also a societal
responsibility and family should
be involved in the process of
equipping the younger generation
with the tools they need to tackle
mental health.
Talk about suicide puts people in
a quandary, but there is a need to
have open conversations about it.
People talk about it online but in
everyday conversation, it’s rarely
brought to light.
So, youths just continue to hide
behind their plaster smiles.
“
talk about
suicide puts people
in a quandary, but
there is a need to
have open
conversations
about it.
 TRAVEL

Instant Wuhan
Wuhan may not be top holiday destination choice but there is much to explore and enjoy in
the city even though you may four to five days, as BENJAMIN WELLESLEY discovers

W
hen tourists visit China,
Wuhan is often
overlooked in favour
of other more popular cities like
Shanghai and Beijing.
However, Wuhan, the capital of
Hubei Province, China, is truly a
treasure trove of iconic landmarks,
delectable street foods and
traditional art forms. If four to five
days are all you have for a short
holiday, that’s all you need to
embrace the essence of Wuhan!
01
Taxi fares in Wuhan are rather
cheap, so most of your rides
shouldn’t exceed 50 yuan (S$10).
To satisfy your hunger pangs and
try authentic Wuhan cuisine, comb
the local street just opposite the
hotel and you’ll find an abundance
of street vendors selling local
specialties like re gan mian, stinky
tofu and grilled meat on skewers.
Day 2: First Panoramic
View of the City
Crane Tower, one of the Four
Great Towers of China. At the
top, you’re treated to a
panoramic view of the Yangtze
River and other architecture,
making the five-floor ascent
worth it.
The reasonably priced entry fee
of 70 yuan makes it a must-go
location to spend the rest of the
day.
If you’re not just after a feast for
the eyes, a full stretch of shops
selling local delicacies will excite

At around 10 am, hop on a taxi
and travel to Hubu Alley,
affectionately known as the
Breakfast Street of Wuhan.
DAY
Selling local specialities like
doupi along with a wide array
of fusion street snacks, Hubu
Alley offers flavours to satisfy
any palate. Enjoy your breakfast
and lunch here for around three
hours before moving off.
Nearby stands the regal Yellow
02
your tastebuds.
Day 3: First Foray Into
Shopping
At 10 am, head over to Ji Qing
Street to immerse yourself in
local culture and food.
Well-known for acclaimed
brands like Lao Tong Cheng
(doupi) and Lao Wan Cheng
(sour plum beverages), the
street is a one-stop food
paradise.

The 28-storey Ramada Plaza is a cozy hotel that

offers high-speed internet that is near Optics Valley,

DAY
which houses many malls and street vendors.

Day 1: First Bites Into

Street Food
After disembarking from your
five-hour flight from Singapore,
take a taxi from Tianhe
International Airport to Ramada
Plaza in Optics Valley.
Known as ‘The First Scenery under Heaven’, the Yellow Crane Tower is a cultural symbol
that offers visitors a beautiful glimpse into the Chinese legend of Wang Zi’an.

63
 TRAVEL
Vendors selling handicrafts and
souvenirs are also ubiquitous, with
prices not exceeding 15 yuan, so
give yourself about three hours
here here (some of the time is
spent in queues).

Hop into a taxi and visit the

bustling Chuhehanjie, a shopping
street similar to Singapore’s

03
Orchard Road. You’ll find a
multitude of boutiques selling
various goods ranging from familiar
brands like Nike and Uniqlo to
homegrown brands like Peacebird
and Feiyue.
DAY
Restaurants with various cuisines
are also abundant here, so you’re
spoilt for choice for dinner. In the morning, Ji Qing Street is already slightly crowded, so take your time to queue for the
various snacks offered here at this wondrous street.

Day 4: Last Buys Before

Saying Goodbye
Before flying off, head over to
World City Plaza, a mall that’s just
opposite the hotel.

Filled with commercial stores and

other food options, including the
renowned Hai Di Lao (which has
a bigger selection of ingredients
compared to the one in
Singapore), purchase your final
souvenirs and enjoy your final
lunch before heading off to the
airport to return home.

While Chuhehanjie has a brilliant view with all the storefronts being lit up vibrantly, the area tends
PHOTOS BY BENJAMIN WELLESLEY
to be extremely crowded nearing 9 pm, so try to get most of your shopping done before then.
04

DAY

World City Plaza offers a myriad of shops selling all sorts of commercial goods, with the mall’s exterior being lit up spectacularly at night, giving
you a wondrous view from your hotel room.

64

It is difficult not to be mesmerised by the tranquility of nature at this UNESCO World
Heritage Site, as RUTH CHAN discovers
A
mere illustration of Hubei
Province’s Three Gorges
at the back of the 10-yuan
note is enough to make anyone
take a second look, but seeing the
picturesque landscape firsthand is
an ethereal experience.
Located on the Yangtze River, just
west of Yichang, Hubei Province,
the Three Gorges comprises the
Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and
Xiling Gorge, hence its name.
Behind its scenic beauty, the
construction of the Three
Gorges Dam was controversial
since it involved the destruction
of archeological and cultural sites,
with relics of the ancient Ba people
being amongst the most
prominent.
Two views at the bridge between the Longjin Brook and Yangtze River.
PHOTO BY REAGAN TAN
However, the Ba culture is
preserved at the Tribe of the Three
Gorges Scenic Spot located at the
end of the Xilong Gorge, one area
untouched by the dam.
Tribe of The Three Gorges
After a seven-minute ferry ride, I
reached the Tribe of the Three
Gorges, at a juncture between
the Longjin Brook and the Yang-
tze River. The magnitude of the
landscape took my breath away.
Putting Bukit Timah next to it is
like comparing a tiny drop of water
to a mighty ocean.
I was struck by the contrast
between in the murky river waters
and the glistening, crystal-clear
stream beside each other.
TRAVEL
The Three Gorges Dam is an architectual feat to behold.
PHOTO BY REAGAN TAN
Along the stream is a glimpse into
the lives of the Tujia ethnic
minority, descendants of the
ancient Ba people. The
reenactment of daily chores, the
waterwheels rotating steadily,
and fishing nets attached to trees
sparked an appreciation of their
simple way of life.
I was distracted from my reverie
by merry laughter, which came
from a folk performance of a
traditional wedding ceremony. A
maiden throws a red silk ball to a
man in the audience – an invitation
to join in the performance.
Ancient Ba Village (巴王寨)
The first attraction is the Stone
Tablet which stands within the
65
 TRAVEL

Shipai War Memorial built in

memory of soldiers who perished
in the Chinese Civil War in 1943.
My thoughts immediately drifted
to the Kranji War Memorial back in
Singapore.

At the King Ba Palace, I

discovered that the crossbows
on exhibition were actually used
to protect the palace 2,500 years
ago. Today, the centre of
bloodshed is a tourist attraction.

After an arduous climb, I finally

arrived at the entrance of the
Shadow-Play Cave, also known as
the Tai Chi Cat Hole because of its
cat-shaped rock. In the cave, I felt
like I had transcended into another
dimension. It was as if the
stalactites and stalagmites were
guarding the cave. Multi-coloured
lights in the cave gave off a
mysterious glow. The melodious The interactive performance beckons to audience members to join in.
PHOTO BY REAGAN TAN
gargle of the underground water
flow beckoned me to venture
deeper into the vast 1,500m tall
chamber.

Helen Yow, an Australian tourist in

her 60s, mused: “Don’t you think
it’s amazing? The natural
phenomena, the blend of history
and geography.”

Three Gorges Dam

The universe wasn’t done
showing me its grandeur. Standing
at 185m above sea level, on top of
the largest dam in the world, the
panoramic view was astounding.
I expressed my wonder Mrs Cai,
another tourist, who said
enthusiastically: “It has been a
long time since I felt connected to
nature.”

While the hydroelectric Three

Gorges Dam is entirely man-made,
the canyon scenery within which it
is nestled is possibly nature at her
most magnificent, with towering
mountains and crisp blue rivers all
around.

From ancient history and

breathtaking sights to one of
China’s architectural feats, the
Three Gorges is a blend of
technology, culture and nature.

The whimsical lights in the cave looks like something out of a storybook.
66 PHOTO BY REAGAN TAN
 TRAVEL

Crossing
Bridges in
Wuhan
武
汉
长
江
大
Yangtze River Great Bridge, commonly known as the Wuhan First Yangtze River Bridge was built as a memorial to
the success of the new democratic revolution after the founding of China in 1949 and completed in the year 1957.
桥

RUSSELL LEE embarks on a journey to uncover the beauty of bridges in Wuhan

I
colour, it seems like I can towards it. Along the way, I
did not expect Wuhan, among
check it off my bucket list. discovered that the nearby
the most underrated cities of
park was bustling with
China, to have spectacular
I was in awe of its activities such as couples
bridges. I would not even have
architectural brilliance and dancing and families enjoying
thought about visiting Wuhan
striking red colour. The bridge a night out.
if I had not signed up for Ngee
displayed a stark contrast
Ann Polytechnic’s immersion
between old and new, and a After a therapeutic 20-minute
programme.
glimpse into the future. stroll through the park, I finally
reached the Yangtze River
Wuhan, the capital of the
As I was taking in the tranquil Great Bridge. This icon of
Hubei Province in Central
and serene ambience of the Wuhan is a double-deck road
China, has been the centre
area, I caught sight of the and rail bridge connecting
of trade and transportation
Wuhan Yangtze River Great the Wuchang and Hanyang
for centuries. Those of you
Bridge from a distance and districts. Bewilderment
familiar with Romance of the
decided to take a stroll was the only word to
Three Kingdoms will be happy
to explore the historical sites
linked to Zhuge Liang, Cao Cao
and Guan Gong that are located
within the province.

There are 12 bridges across the 武

three different districts divided 汉
by the Yangtze and Han rivers –
Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang 鹦
– that make up Hubei province.
The Wuhan Yangtze Great River
鹉
Bridge is the most renowned 洲
bridge in China.
长
The first bridge I visited was 江
the Yingwuzhou Bridge. One
of my biggest dreams is to 大
visit the Golden Gate Bridge in 桥
San Francisco and seeing the The 3.08-billion-yuan Ying Wu Zhou Bridge,
similarities in architecture and also known as the “Parrot Island” bridge, is
one of the longest suspension bridges in
the world, spanning 850 meters across the
Yangtze river.
67
 TRAVEL
The hustle and bustle of
boat merchants exchanging
with and selling ingredients
to the locals under the
setting sun really made
me appreciate the foreign
culture that we wouldn’t be
able to see in Singapore.

“ My friends and I
have been coming
here very often
for years to swim
and relax. Doing
all these under
describe what I felt
The ongoing chatter by the such a beautiful
banks of the Yangtze River
as I looked up at the
(known as Changjiang to the bridge with the sun
amazing railway and road
combination.
Chinese), passionate dancing, setting, who can
youthful singing, and bustling
street vendors make up the ever get sick of
In the day, the bridge is filled
essence and character of the it?
with life and energy. It’s
bridge that encompasses so
evident that the bridge is a Mr Lee
much history.
popular go-to spot among
the older generation. It was a truly amazing
To get to the Qingchuan
Bridge, I took a ferry from the experience to visit these
“My friends and I have been bridges of Wuhan. Many
ferry terminal a few minutes
coming here very often for visitors may dismiss bridges
walk away from the Yangtze
years to swim and relax. as merely structures built
River Great Bridge. At the
Doing all these under such for transport. However, from
bridge, I was greeted with
a beautiful bridge with the their rich history to their
an unpleasant stench which
sun setting, who can ever architectural brilliance, there’s
stopped bothering me as
get sick of it?” Mr Lee (who so much more to appreciate
soon as I caught sight of the
declined to give his full and learn.
exciting happenings before
name) said.
me.
PHOTOS BY: RUSSELL LEE

晴
川
桥

The Qingchuan bridge, also known as the

“Rainbow Bridge”, is named after its shape
and red colour. It is the fourth bridge on the
Han River with a span of 280 metres with a
full length of 989.75 meters.

68

Of Bells And Swords
The museum’s design heavily resembles that of a
pyramid, flanked by fountains, making it a truly
majestic spectacle. PHOTO BY SHAFIQ GUEE
The Hubei Provincial Museum (湖
北省博物馆) in Wuhan is just one of
5,100 museums scattered across
China. Yet it houses the most
extensive and prized collections of
Chinese artefacts and relics, some
dating as far back as 2.15 million
years ago.
Located in the capital of Hubei
Province, the museum is home to
over 200,000 artefacts – all dug up
within the province itself. Of these,
812 items listed as first-class
relics, 16 as national treasures,
and a few so precious they are
forbidden to ever leave China.
“I believe it’s because during the
Zhou dynasty, the land in which
Hubei Province sits on was under
the Chu state, which was a very
successful expansionist Warring
State during the Spring and
Autumn period,” said Cai Bowen,
24, an adjunct from the Wuhan
Institute of Technology who
conducted a lesson on China’s
history.
TRAVEL
Wuhan is the seat of a plethora of historical sites and some
of these significant excavations can be found in the Hubei
Provincial Museum. SHAFIQ L. GUEE shares his impressions
He says: “Being at the juncture of
“ I believe it’s
I
the Yangtze and Han rivers, Wuhan
used to be a port in ancient times
where products from all around
because during the could be traded.”
Zhou dynasty, the
Spanning three floors and 10
land in which Hubei exhibition halls, the museum is
Province sits on highly regarded because of two
exhibits, namely the Tomb of
was under the Chu Marquis Yi of Zeng (曾侯乙墓) on
state, which was the second floor, and the Sword of
Goujian (越王勾践剑) on the fourth
a very successful floor.
expansionist Warring Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng
State during the When I first read that the exhibit
featured strictly artefacts that were
Spring and Autumn dug up from the tomb of Marquis
period. Yi, I was expecting a small
Cai Bowen, Adjunct swimming pool-sized hall with
Professor at WIT maybe 10 artefacts on display. I
did not expect spending a whole
The Oxford undergraduate added hour there walking around corner
that Wuhan’s geographical location after corner of exhibits.
may have had a role to play in it
being such a gold mine for bits and The Bianzhong (编钟) is a
pieces of Chinese history. show-stealer. While many other
69
 TRAVEL

Bianzhong (or Chime Bells) is a set of 65 bronze: Found in Marquis Yi’s tomb, it is the
largest bronze musical instrument in the world and requires five musicians to play it.
PHOTO BY SHAFIQ GUEE

examples of chime bells have been He would taste bile daily when he
found in other tombs, the bells was held captive by the King of
found in Marquis Yi’s tomb are a
complete, well-preserved set.
Wu, Fucha, to remind himself of
the humiliations and torment he “ Goujian
I
suffered. persevered and
Depending on where the mallet
strikes, each bell produces two Goujian persevered and finally finally destroyed
different tones. You can hear the destroyed the State of Wu, forcing
distinct chimes of a replica being Fucha to commit suicide. Goujian’s
the State of Wu,
struck by musicians in the bronze sword is a testament to his forcing Fucha
museum’s music hall three times story of perseverance.
a day. to commit
If you wish to take more than just suicide. Goujian’s
Sword of Goujian, King of Yue pictures back from your trip you
Looks can be deceiving, and this can shop for souvenirs at the two bronze sword
sword is no exception. Nestled gift shops located at the entrance is a testament
amongst the other displays in the of the museum.
Boutiques of Chu exhibition hall to his story of
lies this bronze sword from the There are also vending machines
Zhou dynasty (1045-256 BC).
perseverance.
where you can purchase
medallions with the Bianzhong or
The sword’s owner, Goujian, was a the Sword of Goujian imprinted
king who did not indulge in the on it.
luxuries of royalty.

Despite having been underwater for over 2,000 years, the sword is in exceptional
condition with its blade still as sharp as when it was in the hands of the King of Yue.
PHOTO BY SHAFIQ GUEE

70
 TRAVEL

g o n a
o t i n
sho

SMART

LIKE
LIKE A
A PRO
PROphone
All photos were captured
JULIAN TAY shows you how to shoot like a pro on with an Oppo R17.
a smartphone
More often than not, the humble
smartphone is sufficient to capture
our holiday adventures. Yet it is
also a powerful little device that
can help you shoot photos like a
pro.

Equipped with these tips, I was

able to snap some truly incredible
photos during my recent trip to the
Hubei Province in China.

Tip #1: Plan your

composition
Zoom in to the subject and plan
your shots to avoid taking pictures
repeatedly. The use of composition
is often overlooked by amateur
photographers.

One way to improve this key skill

is to divide a shot into three parts:
foreground, middle ground, and
background.

Allocate equal space to each

division as seen in this photo taken
atop the Yellow Crane Tower
in Wuhan.

71
 TRAVEL at
en
k
ta lage
ag
e
im ral
Vi
l Tip #5: Be nice to
take a look at this
Cu
lt u
the locals!
Three Gorges
We travellers visit unfamiliar
places to meet new people
and experience their culture.
Be nice to the locals
and you will be surprised by the
warmth they show you in return,
which can help when taking some
good human photography.

Mr Liang, who teaches tai chi to a

group of elderly practitioners,
was happy to let me
snap a picture of him
undergoing his morning routine
after a chat with him.

Tip #2: Follow the

Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds is another
compositional skill to improve the
flow of images, helping to guide
the viewer’s eye around the
picture. Again, divide the frame
into thirds and place your subject
where the lines intersect.
Tip #3: Symmetry
is key
Doing so will help you avoid
awkward subject placement, Use your camera’s line grid tool to
leaving you with a well-balanced train this important skill. Even pro-
image. fessional cameras have line grids
to help the best photographers.
Optics Valley Italian Cathedral with a
dash of sakura. Doing so splits the subject in the

o u
middle, which is especially useful
for architecture shots.

re y
e
Take a look at how I aligned this
picture of a water tower in Wuhan
T h i t!
e
hav
to center it.

Tip #4: Squeeze in

details from the
surroundings Now
you can
Ungarnished dishes look like they
are cooked without passion, and
enjoy your
the same applies when capturing travels with the
an image.
assurance that you
Include elements from the know how to take
surroundings of the subject. Doing photos worth
so helps paint a more vivid picture
of the places you visit, resulting in proudly posting on
Yellow Crane Tower
guarded by a stone lion.
a less generic image. social media!

72
 TRAVEL

Breakfast

ALL DAY,
PHOTO BY REAGAN TAN

EVERY DAY
REAGAN TAN embarks on a journey to savour three of Wuhan’s favourite
breakfast dishes - re gan mian, shitou bing, and doupi

P
icture breakfast in
Singapore and the
quintessential kaya
butter toast and
half-boiled eggs come to mind.
But in Wuhan, capital of Hubei
Province, most breakfast foods
double up as all-day snacks.
What’s best? Let HYPE show
you!
Freshly boiled noodles are
coated in a thick, luxurious
roasted sesame sauce that
gives the dish that distinctive
flavour. The dish is garnished
with coriander and preserved
radish. Drizzle some chilli oil if
you like it spicy.
We recommend Luo Shi Re Gan
Beef Noodles (罗氏热干牛肉面)
located at Liangdaojie. What
gives this shop an edge is the
pickled radish, which adds a
nice crunch to the dish and a
dash of acidity to balance out
the rich sauce.

Walking down Liang Dao

Street (粮道街), one can expect
to find many food options
lined up on both sides of the
road. One that stands out is
definitely re gan mian (热干面),
a specialty to Wuhan.

Re gan mian, or hot dry

noodles, is the favourite food
of Hubei residents. It has the
aroma and taste that remind
them of home.

Re gan mian (热干面), or hot dry noodles consists of freshly

boiled noodles that are coated in a thick, luxurious roasted

66
sesame sauce then garnished with coriander and preserved
radish. PHOTO BY REAGAN TAN
73
 TRAVEL
Further down the street, you
are drawn to the fragrance of
freshly-baked pastry wafting
through the air. Following our
noses, we find a unique stall
just around the corner.
Stone pancakes, known as
shitou bing (石头饼), is a short
flaky pastry filled with either
savoury meats or sweet bean
paste. Baked on flat stones
(hence its name) the snack is
not oily. The smooth red bean
filling complements the crispy
pastry texture well.
Lao Hei Shitou Bing (老黑石
头饼) located at the corner of
Liang Dao Street is a favourite.
The pastries are all baked upon
order to ensure freshness.
Ms Helen Yow, 66, a tourist
from Australia, says that her
favourite is the original with
spring onion. The refreshing
flavour is a welcome respite
74
from the heaviness of the other
snacks.
Upon entering Hubuxiang (户部
巷), a long queue is seen near
the stone pillars. “Doupi, doupi,
three-delicacy doupi,” the
shop owner chants, attracting
visitors walking through the
alley, which is a tourist hotspot.
The doupi (豆皮), or tofu
skin, has a filling of glutinous
rice and preserved radish all
encased within a thin layer of
bean flour and egg batter. The
chewy pancake is the perfect
foil for the savoury ingredients
and garnishes like spring
onion and pickled radish.
You can ask for ingredients
like pork, mushrooms and
bamboo shoots to be added
to the doupi. The full-bodied
flavours make doupi not only Stone pancakes, known as shitou
bing (石头饼), is a short flaky
an appetising snack but also a pastry filled with either savoury
light meal in itself. meats or sweet bean paste.
PHOTO BY REAGAN TAN
We recommend Lao Wu Han
Sanxian Doupi (老武漢三鮮
豆皮) at Hubuxiang for the
classic rendition of doupi. If
you’re looking for something
lighter, the stall also serves the
pancake plain, with no fillings.
The stall has multiple outlets
along the walking street, making
it hard to miss.
You’d be surprised at how there
is some delicious food around
every corner in the city of
Wuhan.
The doupi (豆皮), or tofu skin, has a filling of glutinous rice
and preserved radish all encased within a thin layer of bean
flour and egg batter. PHOTO BY REAGAN TAN
 TRAVEL

1 City.
1 Day.
100 Yuan.
Can you really enjoy Wuhan on just 100 yuan (about S$20) a day?
As the Chinese say: The impossible is nothing! ANJALI SELVA
KUMAR and HEIDI OH put this to the test

Wuhan boasts a perfect blend of Hankou, on the other hand, is

centuries-old preserved culture and
modern architecture. First, Wuhan
comprises three towns – Hankou,
Wuchang and Hanyang.
While Wuchang district lays claim
to some of the best institutions
of higher learning in the province,
it’s also where Hubu Alley, or
Hubuxiang, is located. This famous
must-visit tourist destination is a
food market that features an array
of Hubei rustic treats.
where you’ll find yourself drawn to
time and again because of all that
it has to offer in food, shopping
and culture. You’ll not want to
miss out on Jianghan Road that
resembles Singapore’s Orchard
Road with its countless malls and
endless shopping streets.
Overall, what’s great is that you
can enjoy this dynamic city without
burning a hole in your pocket.
The Yellow Crane Tower is a historical icon of
Wuhan, making it a must-visit location for tourists.
PHOTO BY ANJALI SELVA KUMAR
75
 TRAVEL
1st stop: Hubu Alley, or
Hubuxianvg
The nearest metro station to Hubu
Alley is Jiyuqiao, located on Line
2. The walk from the metro station
to the famous food street is about
1.6km, making it a 20 to 25-minute
walk.

Make it brunch and go for doupi,

or glutinous rice pancakes (9 yuan)
and reganmian, or hot dry noodles
(13 yuan), both filling and
satisfying. Try the versions from
Hubu Alley, often known as one of the top food
streets in China, features various unique Chinese
the renowned Cai Lin Ji, a
delicacies, like stinky tofu as depicted above. time-honoured brand that has
PHOTO BY BIBIANA INEZ LOW been around for over 90 years.

2nd Stop Yellow Crane

Tower
The Yellow Crane Tower is a
historical icon of Wuhan, making it
a must-visit location for tourists.

After having a filling meal at Hubu

Alley, make your way to the Yellow
Crane Tower which is a 25-minute
walk away. The entrance fee is 80
yuan (S$16) but If you’re a student,
you pay only 40 yuan if you show
your student card. The
breathtaking views of Wuhan
from atop the Yellow Crane Tower Night view of the Yellow Crane Tower, with lights not
makes it worth every cent. just providing a bright attraction but also as lighting
for nocturnal sightseers, PHOTO BY EUNICE TAN

3rd Stop: East Lake

From the Yellow Crane Tower,
take the electric bus number one
and alight six stops later (1 yuan).
Then, take bus 810 to the East
Lake entrance which is four stops
away (1 yuan). Entry to the park is
completely free!

This picturesque lake is the perfect

backdrop for many Instagram-
worthy photographs, so snap
away! Additionally, the serenity
of this location will prove to be a
much-needed breather from the
crowded tourist attractions. So,
take your time to immerse yourself
in the tranquillity.
The scenic East Lake is one of the biggest lakes in China,
76 spanning over 88 square kilometres. PHOTO BY ANJALI
SELVA KUMAR

4th Stop: Jianghan
Pedestrian Street
Located in the centre of
Hankou District, Jianghan
Pedestrian Street stretches
over 1.6km.
Stroll along the street to
admire the architecture of the
buildings. Built under the
influence of European culture,
the buildings are different from
any ordinary buildings you will
see in Wuhan. This visit costs
next to nothing – if you stick to
window-shopping.
5th Stop: Ji Qing
Street
Our choice for a dinner
destination is Ji Qing Street in
Hankou which is a one-stop
food plaza that features both
restaurants and street food.
You can eat anything from
the must-try soup dumplings
to meat skewers and sweet
fermented rice soup.
Take your pick of beef, pork or
squid skewers that cost about
5 yuan. Six meat skewers are
typically enough for one
person.
After a long day of
sightseeing, try the refreshing
sour plum soup (9 yuan) from
Lao Wan Cheng. The brand
has been around for 109
years!
If you are craving something
sweet or simply love the way
syrup is transformed into art,
you can buy a stick of Tang
Hua, or sugar painting, for just
15 yuan from an elderly man.
TRAVEL
European style architecture of the buildings
at Jianghan Pedestrian Street. PHOTO BY
RUSSELL LEE
A figure of dove created using Tang Hua,
wherein even intricate details of eyes and
feathers are distinguishable PHOTO BY
RUSSELL LEE
Tang Hua is a form of Additional Stops: Hubei
traditional Chinese art
whereby hot, liquid sugar Provincial Museum and
is used to form figures like
Wuhan Art Museum
dragon, butterfly and more.
Wuhan boasts exceptional
Alternatively, you could try
museums and admission is free.
the Wuhan version of prata
As there are usually long queues
called Ao Er Liang Tao Can
for the Hubei Provincial Museum,
(16 yuan). It’s a pancake
make a booking online before you
that’s filled with eggs, beef
set off.
or chicken patty, crab and
spring onions.
For transport, use the train for
speed and the bus to get a good
sense of the Wuhan lifestyle. Don’t
miss out on the ferry ride (10 yuan)
from Wuchang to Hankou.
The entrance of Wuhan Art Museum, also donning the
European-inspired architecture that pervades Jianghan.
PHOTO BY RUSSELL LEE
77
 BOOK REVIEW

What WE READ
I
nterpreter of Winds is a collection
of four magical tales based on the
Muslim communities of Malaysia
and Indonesia, exploring diversity
and popular representations of the
Muslim culture, as well as struggles
of understanding one’s faith.
Growing up Muslim, the author
aimed to challenge oversimplified
impressions of the Islamic culture
with his own experiences.
The book follows the journey of a
dog wanting to find his faith in Islam,
together with his master. He meets
a talking camel named Ghati on his
way and there begins their journey of
interpreting the winds.
The first tale introduces the
challenges and deceptions faced
by Muslims when it comes to their
religious faith. The second and third
tale discuss life and death and the
true image of the harsh reality from a
Muslim perspective.
Finding Out
Fairoz explains the serious issues
in his religion without pretence. The
child-like quality of the tales About Faith
complements the questioning of
religion constraints in a light-hearted
manner.
The thought-provoking stories appeal
to readers with powerful imagery
and a universal understanding.
While bringing up aspects of Islamic
culture, the stories also highlight a
theme that resonates with many –
the trials and tribulations of
discovering one’s faith.
It might be harder for non-Muslims
to understand the context of words
used in the book, but Fairoz
showcases how Islam is spread
through Malaysia and Indonesia with
his vivid storytelling. Interpreter of Winds
By Fairoz Ahmad
The book ends with a single Ethos Books
message shining through: There is an $19 |104 pages
abundance of diversity that Available at major bookstores
surrounds Islamic culture – definitely Reviewed by JACQUELINE
much more than what we think it is.
LEE

Going Places,
P
LACES is a short story spectrum of themes and settings,
collection by Singaporeans each with its own take on what is
Taking Stock from the PLACES: Writing x
Illustration Mentorship scheme. With
gained from the adventures.

the theme of 2019 being “Travel”, No matter the distance travelled, be

the anthology features 17 beautifully
illustrated short travel stories.
Guided by poet Boey Kim Cheng and
illustrator Anngee Neo, participants
learnt to crafted their personal
momentos into literary non-fiction
travel stories. Six stories were
chosen to be published in full, while
the remaining 11 essays are
excerpts.
it Ireland or even just to Yishun, their
experiences prove how humanity
could be found everywhere, if only
someone takes the first step when
faced with the unexpected.
This short read has much to unpack
within each story, with many
instances of inner conflict resolved
after embarking on holidays-turned-
personal pilgrimages.

PLACES: An Anthology of Travel
Writing
By various authors (including
Drew Su, Weiqi Chuah,
Nuriesya Saleha)
NLB | 64 pages
Available at National Libraries
Reviewed by CHEYENNE LIM
78
The pieces capture the essence of
travel writing: The traveller sets off
into the unknown, ends up
somewhere he did not expect, or
meets someone unexpected and the
experience changes him forever.
The form of this series more or less
follows this, but between visiting
the home of one’s domestic helper
and doing AcroYoga in a Chiangmai
garden, it also spans a worldwide
Comparisons are also a key theme
in many of the stories. Comparing
what Singapore has in common with
vastly different places breeds an
appreciation for home and a desire
to experience more.
The stories of these Singaporeans
show how sometimes, going into
the unknown can bring you closer
to home than you would’ve ever
thought.
 H
amid Roslan’s debut
Lost in Translation book, parsetreeforestfire,
explores the interaction and
clashing of English and Singlish. It
seems like a bilingual book of poetry
but at its core, parsetreeforestfire is
about a journey through a landscape
of deconstructed language.
The four-part collection is split into
sections: parse, tree, forest and fire.
Singlish and English poems occupy
each side of the book, functioning
as a way to pick up a new language.
Roslan then subverts expectations by
carving out his unique style through
structure (or lack thereof).
parsetreeforestfire is a meditation
on the instability of translation and
explores the paradoxical nature of
language, presented as a medium of
self-realisation. Through Singlish in
parsetreeforestfire poetic form, Roslan openly shows the
By Hamid Roslan contradictions within and
Ethos Books between Singlish and English.
$16.82 | 100 pages
Available at Ethos Books Be warned, the use of Singlish
cordons off the book at times. It
Reviewed by DENYSE TAN
contains more than colloquial Malay
words those unfamiliar with the
language would identify from the
get-go. This seems to be done
intentionally to portray feelings of
alienation and confusion.
The specificity of language is a key
aspect of the book, requiring readers
to work for meaning, implicitly
rejecting the notion of the universal
reader. This highlighted the limits
of comprehension, making readers
aware of their identity.
The collection, while deeply
self-aware, provides no semblance
of conclusiveness. Roslan challenges
the readers to ponder their own
language journey. He illuminates
these questions succinctly through
his poetry, presenting to his readers
an open-ended finality.
From parse to fire, everything
eventually comes together, cascading
through the poet’s questing, restless
tongue, leaving readers open to their
own interpretation.
parsetreeforestfire is a collection to
be enjoyed and analysed, but most
importantly, felt.

T
rack Faults and Other Glitches:
Stories of the Impossible in
Singapore is an amalgamation
of every "What if?" - no matter how
nonsensical or hilarious - coming
together in a string of stories that can
only exist in an alternate reality.
Nicholas Yong incorporates
imaginative twists into familiar
Singaporean life to create 10 short
stories. While the stories placed are
vastly different, they all leave you
with emotion, be it a moment of
realisation or a tinge of discomfort.
It’s also refreshing that the book
covers a wide spectrum of topics that
are prominent in our daily lives in a
manner that is both entertaining and
digestible. Singaporeans will surely
be able to relate to the stories and be
immersed in Yong's version of reality
as he introduces iconic glimpses of
the country.
The book begins with a zany account
of a private zombie civil service
meeting as the government tries to
solve a nationwide crisis of zom-
bies turning human again. Yong has
a strange take on the apocalyptic
theme, by reversing the perspectives
and making the human condition
Wacky Ideas
seem like a disease. Meet
One story in particular – You'll
Believe A Man Can Fly – sheds light
Witty Writing
on the thoughts of one who faces
constant rejection amidst a highly
competitive and elitist culture. Its
parallel with our current society is
scary, making this the one short story
that sadly, is not entirely impossible.
Yong ends the book on an eerie
anecdote of meeting a not-so-
ordinary uncle in the kopitiam. The
characters in the book, strange as
they may be, always seem to have
qualities distinct to Singaporeans.
As the short stories continue to jump
between futuristic, supernatural and
heart-wrenching genres, you'll find
yourself crying and laughing between
pages. Despite some inconclusive
endings in the stories Hui Ling and A Track Faults And Other Glitches
Dream Within A Dream, Yong’s By Nicholas Yong
familiarity with popular culture and Marshall Cavendish
his fearlessness to explore crazy International (Asia)
ideas has certainly birthed one of the $18.60 | 200 pages
wackiest Singaporean fiction novels Available at major bookstores
on the market. Reviewed by ISABELLE
MONTEIRO 79
 I
n This Desert, There Were Seeds is
a collection of 20 stories focusing
on the evolution of our sense of
identity and community, asking the
important question: “What does the
future hold?”
The anthology is the latest
collaboration between Singaporean
and Australian writers and publishers.
The book challenges the current
status quo, with stories meticulously
collected over two years since its
conception in 2017 at a book fair in
Frankfurt.
Bold in its approach, the stories
explore an array of themes, from
taboo subjects such as the LGBTQ+
community to more common ones
like family, making the book an
ultimately satisfying read.
The variety also allows readers to
savour unique writing styles.
David Whish-Wilson’s Vigilance
Security centres around futuristic
technology as a commentary on
modern-day society.
In contrast, Chen Cuifen’s Reunion
Dinner and Aishah Alhadad’s
Datuk’s Home allow readers to
Don’t Box Us In
identify with traditional Asian values –
filial piety and family.
Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes’s Maqdala
1868/ London 2018 and Jay
Anderson’s Flies make full use of
vivid imagery to depict a temporary
and conditional sense of belonging,
while Heather Teo’s ‘Gentle Burns the
Crescent Moon’ addresses
redevelopment in a traditional form of
writing – the letter. The diverse use of
linguistics and literary devices makes
this collection a read that literature
lovers would slurp up.
While set in their nuanced worlds, the
stories come together to hook
readers in with fresh perspectives on
our changing perception of In This Desert, There Were Seeds
community and identity, leaving Compiled and edited by
readers pondering the possibilities. Elizabeth Tan & Jon Gresham
Margaret River Press & Ethos
Peppered with metaphors, stimuli, $23.54 | 229 pages
and a driving sense of purpose, In Available at Ethos Books &
This Desert, There Were Seeds is a Kinokuniya
delightful read to dissect. Reviewed by LIM JUN HAO

M
Humanity in War
The Advocate Devil Trilogy
Book II - Devil to Pay
By Walter C. M. Woon
Marshall Cavendish,
2010 Reprint
$17.82 | 334 pages
Available at Kinokuniya
Reviewed by NICOLE LIM
80
ysterious and suspenseful,
yet inexplicably grounded in
reality. The second book in
National University of Singapore Law
professor Walter Woon’s trilogy
explores the gradual moral decay
during the years preceding the
Japanese Occupation and serves as a
reminder to all about the evils of war –
both the necessary and superfluous.
Following the grotesque events of the
previous book, Dennis Chiang returns
to the pages – this time, having shed
his ambition and most of his morality.
As the book opens, it has been made
clear that Chiang, a once starry-eyed
apprentice of Mr Clarence
d’Almeida, senior partner of his firm
(Messrs Almeida & d’Almeida), has
become a much crueller man. He had
been fully transformed into the titular
‘Devil’ due to the criminals he has
defended in the previous book.
The most interesting aspect of the
novel remains Chiang’s relationship
with his mentor, Clarence d’Almeida.
While the first book showcased their
mentor-mentee relationship between
the optimistic, young Chiang and the
suave, intriguing and knowledgeable
d’Almeida, the second book delves
into the similarities between the two
and the descent into darkness that
Chiang will have to journey through in
order to survive.
However, while still captivating in its
own way, the Devil to Pay’s tale of
espionage is a far cry from the
calculated, law jargon-filled book that
was its predecessor, and
unfortunately that may be why it pales
in comparison to what came before.
Professor Woon was a lawyer before
becoming a professor at NUS, and
has published multiple non-fiction
works on law in Singapore. His
expertise in law that brought a sense
of authenticity and professional
knowledge to the first entry in the
series about crime in 1930s
Singapore. This second entry seems
almost too much like a spy novel,
which while interesting, lacks the
intrigue of its predecessor’s more
interesting Sherlock Holmes-esque
premise.
Despite that, the sequel to The
Advocate Devil remains a fascinating
read for those that are interested in
the moral dilemma that exists in times
of war.
 Travel into a
T
aking you behind the curtains of
World of Desires a travelling circus community as
they live life on the road, The
Wanderlusters is an ironic tale of how
a circus meant to bring people
together tears them apart instead.
The story follows Delilah, who works
as a diva for the glamorous Cirque
Obelisque, the world’s most famous
modern circus. Delilah’s estranged
husband abandons her and their
daughter, but her life is turned upside
down when she meets a charismatic
and charming performer.
Grace Chia’s fierce debut novel is
based on her experiences travelling
with the world-renowned Cirque Du
Soleil. Her years in the troupe gave
her unique insights into circus life
which is incorporated into the
The Wanderlusters narrative. Chia’s energetic prose,
limitless imagination and assured
By Grace Chia
storytelling fuse to produce an
Math Paper Press unforgettable tale.
$22 | 360 pages
Available at Kinokuniya With the alternating perspectives in
Reviewed by Terese Lim
different chapters, Chia allows us to
step into the shoes of individuals.
Rather than forcing imagination onto
readers, the book invites them to join
in the experience altogether.
A key motif throughout the novel is
desire. There’s Delilah’s sexual desire
for a colleague, a budding romance
between two teenagers, and the
wanderlust of the circus troupe which
keeps this reader turning pages.
Chia emphasises in the epilogue that
desire is “something momentous that
stirs the unconscious part of you”.
She wants to convey that wanderlust
is not just a travel destination but
something you’ve come across at a
point in your life.
The book makes me ponder about
life, leaving me thoroughly inspired. If
you’re a dreamer, a hopeless
romantic, or someone with a strong
desire to explore, The Wanderlusters
is a novel you should read.

Singapore’s most renowned

playwright Alfian Sa’at strikes yet
again with an unwavering bold look
into issues and experiences buried
deep under Singapore. In this third
collection, the focus is on Malay
identity as he explores and
challenges what it means to be Malay
across four different plays.
With dialogues weaved with quips on
the status quo and situations that are
so eerily familiar, Alfian lifts a mirror
to the realities lived in Singapore.
In Geng Rebut Cabinet (GRC), reality
is reversed as Singapore is
reimagined with a Malay majority,
particularly focusing on preparations
for the general elections. The oddly
familiar premise highlights the huge
political advantage of the majority
race and the struggles of being a
minority, performing acts such as
wearing red to look more “Chinese”.
The language, though masked in
humour, is still very much blunt as it
questions whether the good-natured
schemes truly include the views of
the minority and unflinchingly reflects
upon casual racism in the political
To Be Malay
sphere.
In Parah, race becomes tenuous as
a group of four students are forced
to question their friendship in an
increasingly polarised society. Alfian
shines an empathetic light on them,
contrasting their innocence against
the increasingly hostile voices
entrenched in race politics.
In Nadirah and Your Sister’s Husband,
Alfian gets more personal with the
Malay community itself, broaching
personal topics and areas of taboo.
He walks on the eggshells of religious
beliefs and modernism with as much
compassion as there is irony, giving
audiences both entertainment and
food.
Alfian Sa’at Collected Plays Three
This collection is as much a mirror for
By Alfian Sa’at
society as it is a love letter to a nation
Illustrated by Zara Karimi
that is still struggling to achieve
Ethos Books
harmony. Alfian makes clear that
$25 | 292 pages
only when we understand our impact
Available in major bookstores
on each other’s lives, will there be a
Reviewed by PHOEBE RAE
better tomorrow.

81
 BOOK REVIEWS
B
alik Kampung 3B is the fifth
of a six-part book series
edited by Singaporean
author Verena Tay. The stories in
this anthology, from different racial
backgrounds in Singapore, offer a
unique kaleidoscope of emotions,
personalities and perspectives.
Focusing on stories from the west
of Singapore, Balik Kampung 3B
features either a place with
sentimental meaning or special
people in the neighborhood of the
writers. Through the stories, the
writers let you in on one of the
most sentimental facets of their
lives: what makes them feel at
home.
This book is truly a reflection of
what Singapore is known for: a
melting pot. The combination of
stories from nine different people
GIVEAWAYS
Photo courtesy of Beylounge & Fille
Beylongue & Fille Le Petit Kit Of Food Styling.
Check out our Instagram @hype.sg to find out how to win!
X2
82
West-side Stories
evokes a myriad of emotions.
The stories remain engaging
especially for Singaporean readers
Of the Lion City
because the writers bring the
readers back to a Singaporean
context. For instance, the
conversations are written in
Singlish, and the use of capital
letters when the characters
communicate in Singlish brings
the characters to life instantly.
As each story comes to a close, it
becomes clear to the reader how
much of what is described in their
story means to them.
For those who love a warm,
lighthearted read that allows
one the freedom to ponder upon
the words and stories told, this
book is a relaxing read not to be
missed. Balik Kampung 3B
Edited by Verena Tay
By various authors
Math Paper Press
$19 |172 pages
Available at major bookstores
Reviewed by GRACE PHAM
X1 UNTIL APRIL
2020
Happy 7th Anniversary to The Flyign Squirrel! Quote
‘HYPETFS’ for 7% off the total bill at The Flying Squirrel
from 15 March to 15 April 2020.
Selecf titles from Ethos and
Epigram Publishing.
X7 X3 X4
Check out our Instagram
@hype.sg to find out how to win!