Longform

With the press of a single button, a piece of film slowly makes its way to the world from the inner workings of my camera. It is exciting, the brief 15 seconds that follow. As I wait for the image to develop, I take the time to try and create a connection with the person I’ve just photographed. I crack up a short conversation. Within 15 seconds, I establish an easy doorway to a potential friendship. That is the power of an instant camera. There is beauty in the imperfect nature of processed instant film. As the world in 2019 raves…

With the advent of technology and resources, we have evolved from passive to active consumers. Growing concerns over the environmental impact and sustainability of the meat industry have got many meat eaters realising that cutting back on meat may have more benefits than they previously considered. The proportionate – if not significantly higher – rate of meat consumption to the rise in population means that eventually, demand for meat will surpass that of its supply. The answer to all – sustainable meat. Plant-based meat was met with resounding success, despite its limited accessibility. Meanwhile, cultured meat looks to be the…

The Mother Tongue has always occupied an awkward position in Singaporean society. A simple search on the official Ministry of Education’s (MOE) website leads to an expectedly idealistic dictum: “The learning of Mother Tongue Language (MTL) is a lifelong endeavour. The MTL policy seeks to nurture our students to become effective communicators in MTL and supports our students to study MTL to as high a level as possible.” At the same time, however, with different races in Singapore, the English language asserts its dominance as a common ground to facilitate communication. Easily observable on a societal level, English — as…

Is volunteer tourism a boon or bane? It is a much-needed debate on an emerging trend – one that many turn a blind eye to. Volunteer tourism, also known as voluntourism, is tourism with an emphasis on work contribution and helping out at local organisations. Volunteers say voluntourism is about a sense of moral duty and attaining a transformative experience for themselves, but research by experts in the field of sustainable tourism –  such as Donald Brightsmith and Eliza Raymond – shows that it may be doing more harm than good. Like everything else, voluntourism is becoming increasingly industrialised; with…

The war between Donald Trump and China rages on, possibly reaching a crescendo following Trump’s recent announcement. The announcement detailed the blacklist of business relations between U.S companies and Huawei, citing the latter as an “unacceptable risk” to national security. The ban itself was not wholly surprising, given the rising tensions between the two countries. However, the ramifications from the fallout will have an impact further reaching than the shores of America and China. In the wake of the announcement, Google has come out and said that they will be complying with the order and thus, will be rescinding future…

You would have definitely heard of the voyeurism case that happened at the National University of Singapore (NUS) by now, but here’s why this case speaks to the masses. What happened In case you’ve missed it, on Friday, 19 April 2019, third-year NUS student Monica Baey revealed on her Instagram story that a fellow student – Nicholas Lim – filmed her while she was showering in the Eusoff Hall toilet last November. In the stories that followed, she explains how – despite the irrefutable evidence against her perpetrator – Nicholas got away with a 12-month conditional police warning, compulsory apology…

On 2 April 2019, Forbes released its 2019 edition of the 30 Under 30 Asia List, with local pop band The Sam Willows clinching the coveted spot in the Entertainment & Sports’ category. The quartet posted on Instagram regarding the delightful news, saying that they “made it just in time”; as one the members – Jonathan Chua – will turn 30 next year. 22 other Singaporeans joined The Sam Willows in the list that celebrates 300 “entrepreneurs and game-changers” from Asia. This Year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List also includes 300 game-changers in their industry across 10 different categories…

Here we are again. In the space of two hours and six minutes on 18th February, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced the Budget 2019 – a breakdown of how the government plans to use our nation’s funds for the year ahead.   Naturally, this is a hot-button topic, and as with every other year, financial analysts all over Singapore and news sites have been dissecting the budget plan and sharing their insights. As Minister Heng mentioned, this was a very lengthy speech and if you have not been keeping up with the news, delving into two hours’ worth of…