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Recent Articles
Here are some stories from the past few weeks that’ve made it to your dinner table discussions.
Singaporeans Abroad
![Meet Xian Jie, the Singaporean Restoring a 120-Year-Old Teahouse in Japan]()
What does it take to restore a 120-year-old Japanese teahouse in a rural Japanese village?
According to Xian Jie, it's a lot of time, intensive manual labour, money, and managing relationships within the community.
Meet Xian Jie, the Singaporean Restoring a 120-Year-Old Teahouse in Japan
What does it take to restore a 120-year-old Japanese teahouse in a rural Japanese village?
According to Xian Jie, it's a lot of time, intensive manual labour, money, and managing relationships within the community.
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01
![BTO Roulette: Calling It Quits After 13 Failed Applications]()
BTO Roulette: Calling It Quits After 13 Failed Applications
When pushed to their limits, how many rejection emails can they take before giving up hope of a HDB home?
02
![I’m Muslim, My Aunt’s Christian… Can I Make It Any More Obvious?]()
I’m Muslim, My Aunt’s Christian… Can I Make It Any More Obvious?
After 13 years of living apart, our Muslim writer reflects on how being raised by her Christian aunt shaped her beliefs today.
03
![My Full-Time Job is Overcoming Drug Addiction]()
My Full-Time Job is Overcoming Drug Addiction
Following decades in and out of prison, Aaron had the colossal task of dealing with drug addiction while losing his right leg to cancer.
04
![A Stuntman’s Dream To Survive]()
A Stuntman’s Dream To Survive
"They don’t really think of you as a physical being that exists with muscles, bones, flesh, and blood."
05
![Singapore’s Lion Dancers Are International Winners. Yet National Support Eludes Them]()
Singapore’s Lion Dancers Are International Winners. Yet National Support Eludes Them
"When we represent the country and win, all I can do is hug the trophy at the back of my lorry and celebrate by myself."
07
![The Truth About Singaporeans, According to Malaysians Who Worked Here]()
The Truth About Singaporeans, According to Malaysians Who Worked Here
Throngs of Malaysians cross the Causeway daily to eke out a living here. If anyone can explain what Singaporeans are really like, it's them. And boy, do they have a lot to say.
08
![Society Doubts Them but That’s Not Stopping These 20-Something Bus Captain Uncles]()
Society Doubts Them but That’s Not Stopping These 20-Something Bus Captain Uncles
These young men are living their wildest dreams: being bus drivers. They've convinced their families of their passion, but can they change the minds of a society that regards them as reckless and uneducated?
09
![The Mysterious Origins of Deity Altars in Carparks and Hawker Centres]()
The Mysterious Origins of Deity Altars in Carparks and Hawker Centres
You might have seen them around— altars located at hawker centres, bus interchanges, and dimly lit carparks. While Taoist in origins, these altars enjoy patronage even by Hindus and Muslims. It's Singapore multiculturalism at its best. Its origins, however, remains rather murky.
10
![Drug Dens and Killer Litter: Finding Hope Inside Malaysia’s HDB-style PPR Public Housing]()
Drug Dens and Killer Litter: Finding Hope Inside Malaysia’s HDB-style PPR Public Housing
Malaysia’s Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) is a low cost housing project that, like Singapore’s HDB flats, promises every citizen a roof over their heads. The reality, according to long-time residents, is anything but.
11
![An Expat on Being an Insider-Outsider in Singapore]()
An Expat on Being an Insider-Outsider in Singapore
Years ago, Georgia Caney wasn't able to point out Singapore on a map. One fateful trip later, the YouTuber now considers herself an 'insider-outsider' of Singapore's hidden gems.
12
![Meet Dwi Choong, the Singaporean Who Moved to LA and Worked for Gwyneth Paltrow at Goop]()
Meet Dwi Choong, the Singaporean Who Moved to LA and Worked for Gwyneth Paltrow at Goop
Dwi Choong left Singapore for LA after her abysmal A-level results. It was in the City of Angels that she worked her way up from community college to UCLA. The stars aligned and she eventually found herself at Goop, the wellness brand by actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
13
![In Photos: What Depression Looks Like]()
![Choice is a Luxury I Cannot Afford: Being Strapped for Cash in University]()
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![In Photos: What Depression Looks Like]()
![Re-Route, and the Things We Saw En Route Little India’s Hidden Spaces]()
![What Are Singaporeans Truly Afraid Of? An AI Generates Their Fears]()
![A Ukrainian Independence Day in Singapore, 6 Months Into the War]()
![This Is How It Feels To Be Lonely in Singapore]()
![A Photographer’s Ode to Heritage Mom-and-Pop Shops (Before They’re Gone)]()
In Photos: What Depression Looks Like
Using the medium of photographs, Zamiya walks us through her three-year journey with depression. “Depression is finding it hard to shampoo your hair and then sinking to the bathroom floor in tears. Depression is numb. It is lonely. It is ruthless.”
14
![Meet Min, The Singaporean Mother Raising Her Kids In A Forest School in Sweden]()
Meet Min, The Singaporean Mother Raising Her Kids In A Forest School in Sweden
Min left Singapore for Sweden and learnt one important lesson: that children should be allowed to do nothing. While that sounds like a scary thought (especially for activity-crazed Singaporean parents), Min assured us that there’s value in boredom that you can only discover through doing.
15
![Another Tech Startup Fails: How AAQUA Did Its Singapore Employees Dirty]()
Another Tech Startup Fails: How AAQUA Did Its Singapore Employees Dirty
This is the story of AAQUA who promised its employees the world. Salaries that can’t be beat, generous employment benefits, and a chance to ‘do good’. But a tech startup built on a foundation of distrust and overpromises, and a CEO that is less than forthcoming, is bound to fail. And fail it did.
16
![Bad Manager or Bad Employee? A Contentious Dive Into Quiet Firing in Singapore]()
Bad Manager or Bad Employee? A Contentious Dive Into Quiet Firing in Singapore
Quiet firing might be more efficient for managers to handle difficult employees, but with less agency, employees bear the brunt of this insidious workplace tactic. Still, it’s not that clear-cut. Sometimes, as one interviewee for this story explains, some employees deserve to be quiet fired.
Random Opinion
In a city where the goal is one of rapid transformation, this often leaves out those who refuse to take part in the ongoing rat race.
Video
Choice is a Luxury I Cannot Afford: Being Strapped for Cash in University
Going on overseas student exchange trips—is this actually accessible to all? For one SMU student, her family’s financial circumstances are a daily reminder of the practical sacrifices she has to make while her peers enjoy the luxury of choice.
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Photo Stories
