R
    Reena Devi

    Reena Devi

    Lifestyle Reporter

  • Celine Dion says she can still connect with audiences young and old, ahead of first show in Singapore

    Speaking with media in a phone interview ahead of her first concerts in Singapore, the 50-year-old singer said, “I can connect with any age. When I’m up on stage here at Caesar’s Palace, I look and there’re young kids, and there’re 25 to 30-year olds. Ticket sales will begin on 17 May at 10am for the Grammy award winner’s shows in Singapore on 3 and 4 July at Marina Bay Sands as part of the Celine Dion Live 2018 tour.

  • Get to know the woman behind Singapore's national flower in new children's book

    If you ever wondered about the woman whom Singapore’s national flower Vanda Miss Joaquim is named after, this book is for you. Published by local publishing house Epigram Books, Agnes and her Amazing Orchid: How Vanda Miss Joaquim Became Singapore’s National Flower will be officially launched on Saturday (7 April) at the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Botany Centre. The launch of the children’s book – co-written by Linda Locke and James Wolf, and illustrated by Muhd Noh – coincides with the 125th anniversary of the Vanda Miss Joaquim.

  • Artist behind 'golden staircase': New artwork at HDB block removed in 'hushed manner'

    A Singaporean artist who was in the news last year for her "golden staircase" project at an HDB block said her latest creation in the form of gold coloured sheets hung on the parapets at the same block has been removed without her knowledge.

  • Long-time Esplanade CEO Benson Puah to step down in August

    Esplanade CEO Benson Puah is being succeeded by Yvonne Tham. Long-time arts stalwart Benson Puah is stepping down from his post as Chief Executive Officer of The Esplanade in August 2018. Yvonne Tham, who is currently assistant CEO of Esplanade, will be CEO-Designate from April 2018 and subsequently as CEO in August 2018.

  • Food heritage all the rage with Tempeh and Burasak in the spotlight

    Singapore heritage just got a lot more yummy, with the spotlight currently on our diverse food heritage. For example, Burasak – the Bugis version of Ketupat – which originated during the Bugis community’s seafaring days, is still available today at shops in Geylang. It is also served during festive occasions among the Malays in Singapore.

  • Malay heritage snack Roti Boyan still popular and easy to make

    You may have spotted this popular heritage snack at Malay food stalls around Singapore. Called Roti Boyan (Bawean), they are either shaped into round or square pastries and deep fried till golden brown. The filling is made of potatoes, onions, celery, spring onions, pepper, salt and egg mixed well together.

  • I saw him among my audience: Actor-singer Caleb Goh on how he met his husband

    Goh, who is based in the United States, married his partner recently in San Diego last year. The 40-year-old was a familiar face in TV, film and stage productions in Singapore before he left for the US in 2002 to further his education and career. “I met (my husband) in Singapore while performing in a play called Asian Boys for W!ld Rice,” Goh said. “He was in the audience and I was performing.

  • Mahjong-themed keyboards available in Singapore for fans of the game

    For mahjong-obsessed Singaporeans, your dream keyboards have arrived. If you would like to sit at your desk on a dreary work day and daydream about an intense yet friendly non-stop mahjong session, these mahjong-themed keyboard sets will definitely do the trick. X-treme Solution, a gaming shop in Sim Lim Square mall, posted on its Facebook page about two weeks ago (23 February) about its all-mahjong keyboard cap set being available.

  • Marina Bay Carnival hits 1 million visitors since opening

    The Prudential Marina Bay Carnival hit the 1 million visitor mark this past weekend (3 March). Occupying an area the size of three-and-a-half football fields at The Promontory and Bayfront Event Space, the carnival – which organisers call Singapore’s biggest – has seen record attendance since it opened on 8 December 2017. A media release from the organisers said that on 3 March 2018, the millionth visitor, 42-year-old Mel Tan, and his family were presented with a gift pack that includes S$888 in cash and S$888 worth of Carnival credits.

  • Passenger finds luggage damaged after flight from Bali to Singapore; Facebook post goes viral

    A rock violinist’s angry post about finding his luggage damaged after flying from Bali to Singapore has gone viral. Katei Chang, 34, said on Facebook on Monday (26 February) that after a flight from Bali to Singapore on Singapore Airlines, he picked up his luggage at Changi Airport only to realise that “the lock has been ripped off and my suitcase broken into.” The Japan-born musician who lives in Australia posted an accompanying photo of the damaged luggage, adding that “you can tell by the picture that it was broken into with a lot of force. ...

  • Entrepreneur Aun Koh says new private club is not 'another preserve for elitism'

    Wealthy Singaporean entrepreneur Aun Koh has opened up about his new exclusive private club in Singapore in an Instagram post and how it is not a preserve for elitism. The 45-year-old, who is the son of Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh, is also co-founder and executive director of The Ate Group, a boutique branding consultancy. Koh said, “To me, the last thing our country needs is another preserve for elitism.

  • Step into the past by looking inside Emerald Hill's present homes

    If you ever wanted to know more about the history of Emerald Hill, or imagined venturing into the homes of the rich and glamorous residents of the area, this year’s edition of OH! Open House is the perfect opportunity to do so. Situated just off Singapore’s renowned Orchard Road shopping belt, Emerald Hill is known for its expensive real estate as well as for being Singapore’s first designated conservation area. Most of Orchard Road were previously nutmeg plantations during Singapore’s colonial era, and the adjacent Emerald Hill was a former enclave to wealthy Peranakan, or Straits-born, Chinese families.

  • Singaporean author wrote her debut novel travelling around the world

    Singaporean author Amanda Lee Koe recently made the news for her debut novel being picked up by renowned American publisher Doubleday. She shared the process behind the book, which included travelling to various international cities and inadvertently writing in the middle of a lallang grass field in rural Thailand. Her debut novel, titled Delayed Rays of A Star, follows the interconnecting lives of three actresses across the 20th century in famous cities such as Beijing, Berlin, Paris and Los Angeles. The book will appear under Doubleday’s literary imprint Nan A. ...

  • Dating for cash and gifts: the other website Singapore sugar babies are on

    Earlier this week, users of TheSugarBook online dating platform made the news.  Responding to concerns raised in Parliament about the site, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said the police would be keeping a "close eye on TheSugarBook, as well as the individuals who use its services".

  • Singaporean artists bring fetish and kink to new exhibition at ARTBLOVK Gallery

    Going all 50 Shades of Grey, Singapore’s ARTBLOVK Gallery is bringing fetish and kink to their space at the end of this month with an art exhibition aptly titled Turn Me On. Located at Pearl’s Hill Terrace, ARTBLOVK Gallery provides a platform for Singaporean game and comic artists to showcase their works. Running from 23 February to 1 April, the exhibition is helmed by Singapore contemporary street artist Erika Tay, who goes by the moniker Erikartoon, and her friends from local art collective Rough Trade Sessions.

  • Basheer Graphic Books needs community support to keep going, says owner

    Due to the drastic shift in buyers’ habits over the last decade, the owner of the Basheer Graphics owner had thoughts of quitting as a bookseller.

  • Artist behind famous Penang murals barred from entering Malaysia

    Ernest Zacharevic – the artist behind some of the most iconic murals in the city of George Town, Penang – described his experience being barred from entering Malaysia last month.

  • Singapore playgrounds turn heritage icons in upcoming exhibition

    This year, the National Museum of Singapore (NMS) is presenting a blockbuster exhibition on the historical development of Singapore’s playgrounds and projections of future playgrounds in Singapore. Titled “The More We Get Together: Singapore’s Playgrounds 1930 – 2030” and running from 20 April to 30 September, the exhibition is developed by the museum in collaboration with the Housing Development Board.

  • i Light Marina Bay festival to extend to civic district with installations at Esplanade Park

    Milk Bottle Cows is one of the works being featured at the upcoming i Light Marina Bay festival. The annual i Light Marina Bay will return this year with its first foray into the civic district, extending beyond its usual foothold at Marina Bay. Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the sixth edition of the sustainable light art festival will include 6 installation works at Esplanade Park.

  • World's first Cartoon Network-themed ship to set sail from Singapore

    Set to appeal to everyone’s inner child, the world’s first cruise ship to offer a Cartoon Network experience will make its maiden voyage from Singapore in late 2018. The themed cruise liner is a partnership between Singapore-based cruise management company Oceanic Group and Turner, the media giant behind Cartoon Network.