The Banter: Tracie and Adrian Pang talk about Pangdemonium in a pandemic

With the work from home and circuit breaker measures in place over the last few months, most of us are already familiar with dragging ourselves out of bed to attend the next Zoom meeting, only to find ourselves ‘waiting for the host’, bemoaning how we could have slept in just a little more. It’s no wonder then that it’s already the subject (and title) of … Continue reading The Banter: Tracie and Adrian Pang talk about Pangdemonium in a pandemic

★★★★☆ Book Review: A Fickle and Restless Weapon by Jason Erik Lundberg

Well-crafted fantasy version of Singapore brings the satire and drama in full force. Singapore is a country that’s often touted as so modern, it belongs in a science fiction film. Heck, even HBO’s Westworld filmed here on location for its third season. So it’s little wonder that with a little imagination, our island home serves as the perfect base for a refreshingly original science fiction story, … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: A Fickle and Restless Weapon by Jason Erik Lundberg

★★★☆☆ Book Review: My BFF Is An Alien – Sabotage by Vivian Teo

Feisty schoolgirls return to battle mean classmates and the perils of social media. When the first book in Vivian Teo’s My BFF Is An Alien series ended, Bukit Timah Girls’ School student Abriana was left forlorn when best friend (and alien royalty) Octavia returned to her home planet, not knowing exactly when she’d be back to visit. As it turns out, it wouldn’t be too long, as … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Book Review: My BFF Is An Alien – Sabotage by Vivian Teo

★★★★☆ Book Review: The Marvellous Sugee Cake by Quek Hong Shin

Lush, colourful illustrations introduces younger readers to the iconic sugee cake and Eurasian culture.  If there’s one quintessentially Eurasian cuisine we will always say yes to, it’s sugee cake. Unique in its use of semolina and rich almond taste, a sugee cake is the perfect dessert to enjoy at the end of a meal, or as a snack for afternoon tea, sure to lift your … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: The Marvellous Sugee Cake by Quek Hong Shin

★★★★☆ Book Review: A Good True Thai by Sunisa Manning

Poignant debut delves into the Thai university protests of the 70s through the lens of tragedy and revolt.  The title of Thai author Sunisa Manning’s debut novel begs the question: what exactly makes someone a ‘good true Thai’? Similar to the most compelling political dissidents around the world, one might perhaps think of it as being critical, yet always done with the country’s best interests … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: A Good True Thai by Sunisa Manning

Preview: Idomeneo Refracted by The Opera People

The last time we watched The Opera People was in March, prior to the COVID-19 lockdown. But not even a pandemic can stop the arts, as they’re back, this time with the first ever film opera made in Singapore and the Singapore premiere of Mozart’s Idomeneo. In the film, watch as the spirits of five characters gather in an empty theatre, drawn to a ghost light. In … Continue reading Preview: Idomeneo Refracted by The Opera People

Film Fanatic: German Film Festival 2020 (Preview)

The German Film Festival (GFF) is back this October, with a diverse range of German films tackling contemporary issues, each with their own gripping narratives and strong characters, who seek their places in an ever changing and complex world. Presented by the Goethe-Institut Singapore alongside The Projector and the Projector Plus, a total of eight films will be presented both live and online, ranging from … Continue reading Film Fanatic: German Film Festival 2020 (Preview)

AWARE announces five-day AWAREFest in November to celebrate 35th birthday

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of its founding in 1985, leading women’s rights and gender equality advocacy group AWARE is set to hold the five-day inaugural AWAREFest this November, featuring online panels, workshops and interactive/ programmes centred on the fight for gender equality in Singapore, coming in the wake of the government’s plan for a wide-ranging national review of gender equality. “AWAREFest is an occasion … Continue reading AWARE announces five-day AWAREFest in November to celebrate 35th birthday

★★★☆☆ Film Review: Repossession dir. Goh Ming Siu and Scott C. Hillyard

It’s easy to summon your inner demons when your life is going to pieces. As many ghost stories as you’ve heard in your life, nothing supernatural ever quite comes as close to the existential terror of being retrenched in image-conscious Singapore. Coming on the heels of an all-time unemployment high thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic then, Goh Ming Siu and Scott C. Hillyard’s upcoming screening of … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Film Review: Repossession dir. Goh Ming Siu and Scott C. Hillyard

Music Is: Singapore Symphony Orchestra announces newly recorded online concerts, with Chief Conductor Hans Graf

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s digital season SSOPlayOn! continues with a trio of online concerts led by its new Chief Conductor, Hans Graf, taking place in November, December and January and streamed on SISTIC Live. On Friday 6th November at 8pm, Hans Graf directs the SSO in a programme pairing Metamorphosen, Richard Strauss’s monumental work for strings, with Mozart’s “Gran Partita” Serenade. The following month, on Friday 4 December, Hans Graf conducts an … Continue reading Music Is: Singapore Symphony Orchestra announces newly recorded online concerts, with Chief Conductor Hans Graf