How to support a person who could be experiencing family violence?

 

How to support a person/friend who could be experiencing family violence?

1. Notice and identify if there is sign/symptom of family violence.

2. Show that you care. Ask questions if needed to clarify.

3. Listen.

4. Point the person to resources to seek help.

If the person is NOT ready to seek help, show that you care, and find out what is a safe way to pass the information on the resources to the person for his/her future references.

Note: In event of immediate emergency (e.g. when the person experiencing family violence is at immediate risk of danger), please contact the police hotline for assistance as soon as possible.

Reflections that have led to the creation of this video:

Each of us deserves to respect and safety. While many of us take being respected and safe for granted, there are people who experience family violence and live in fear, even in their own homes, behind the closed doors, away from the eyes of the public. 

The issue of family violence is, however, not a new one. When the pandemic in 2020 started, many families experienced additional stress and conflict in having to juggle between familial duties and work commitments, amidst greater uncertainty, spending extended time at home and having lesser time out of their homes to get a breather. 5135 family violence cases were reported in Singapore in the year in 2020 (Source: The Straits Times, 21 Jan 2021). The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, said that there was a 10 percent rise in family violence cases every month between April and December in 2020. The figures could just be the tip of the iceberg. Many instances of family violence may have not been reported.

Realising that the issue of family violence cannot be tolerated and that people experiencing family violence needs support, I came up with a series of video on how to support a person who could be experiencing family violence. The videos were first produced in Mandarin to reach out the Mandarin-speaking audiences. 

I have subsequently created a shorter video in English on this topic. The videos were created to support members of the general public when they suspect that a loved one, a colleague, a friend or even another member of the public could be experiencing family violence.

Each of us can make a difference in our own way. 

It could take up to 3 minutes of your time to watch this video on how to lend support to someone experiencing family violence yet it could tip the balance to that someone's favour and save him/her from being hurt, emotionally and/or physically. 

Do watch the video now if you have not already done so.

Additional Resources:

• Helplines to call for assistance when experiencing family violence in Singapore:
• PAVE Integrated Services for Individual and Family Protection: 6555 0390
• TRANS SAFE Centre: 6449 9088
• Care Corner Project StART: 6476 1482
• Big Love Child Protection Specialist Centre: 6445 0400
• HEART @ Fei Yue Child Protection Specialist Centre: 6819 9170
• ComCare hotline: 1800-222 0000
• The National CARE hotline: 1800-202-6868

• AWARE Singapore. Dealing with Family Violence.

• What to do if you know someone is experiencing family violence. These are helplines to call for assistance. (Gov.sg, 24 Jul 2020)

• In Singapore, the Taskforce on Family Violence was set up in February 2020 to develop a comprehensive understanding of the family violence landscape in Singapore, and to bring together various stakeholders to jointly develop recommendations. The report was subsequently made available in September 2021. If you are interested in the statistic, the family violence landscape or you are a professional supporting people experiencing family violence, you can read the report "Tackling Family Violence: Awareness. Prevention. Protection. Accountability." here: https://www.mha.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/family-violence-taskforce-report.pdf 

• AWARE has produced a factsheet "Public perceptions and attitudes towards violence against women" based on results from a survey conducted between 2012 - 2013. 

If you are a social work professional and/or practitioner practising outside Singapore and know of resources in your locality that could support people who are experiencing family violence, please do share the resources by commenting in the comment section of this post. Thank you. 

Places: I bid farewell. Goodbye 74 to 80 Commonwealth Drive.

Places: I bid farewell. Goodbye 74 to 80 Commonwealth Drive.


Goodbyes are not always that easy to say. Then again, with a farewell occasion set in the context of a carnival stretched our emotions into a more ambivalent one. We come together as a community to commemorate, we come together as a community to grieve our loss.

Ambivalence and resolution: The journey to the United States, 20 Jun - 5 Jul 2015

The flight to Dubai.

Is it a common human experience to encounter ambivalence? Was there a time in your life you had the thought of travelling to some place on Earth, yet there were concerns that have made you think twice before travelling?

I have had the ambivalent experience whether to travel to Boston, Massachusetts to attend a music seminar which I know will be enriching. The decision to travel to the United States, specifically Massachusetts, began with ambivalence. To go or not to.

The process of resolving the ambivalence involve asking myself the following questions:
1) What is the best possible outcome?
2) What is the worst possible outcome?
3) What is the most likely outcome?
4) How can I make this travel plan a reasonably favourable experience?
5) How do I manage the potential risks and costs involved in going for the trip?
6) What will be my opportunity cost if I do not go?

In the end, the outcome was clearly stated in the title of this post. I decided to make a trip across the miles to Boston, Massachusetts to attend the music seminar.

Along the way, one of my friends learnt about my visit to Boston, Massachusetts. She was aware of my interests in viewing fine arts and urged me to consider making a visit to New York City. The proposal she gave was for me to visit some of the best fine arts galleries in the wold, that are located in New York City. New York City was about five hours bus journey from Boston. It will be cost-effective to include a trip to New York City together with the trip to Massachusetts than to travel specially to New York City on another separate trip some time in the future. I was eventually convinced by her suggestions and I am thankful she gave me the suggestions.

So on the night of 20 Jun 2015, I arrived at Changi International Airport to wait for the past midnight flight to Boston. While I was not expecting any friend or family to see me off at the airport, I was nevertheless touched by one of my friends, SH, who came to the airport to pass me thoughtful gifts and to see me off for the trip. We caught up over tea and snacks at the airport. Many thanks to SH for her thoughtfulness and kindness.

At the airport, I was advised by Emirates' staff that the flight I had booked was rather full and I have the option of changing to another flight that will stop by Colombo before heading to Dubai for a connection flight to Boston. Ordinarily, I would prefer not to have unnecessary stop-over. I prefer to reduce the frequency of unnecessary plane take-offs and landings. Out of the ordinary, I decided to go with the flow that night.

Setting off for Dubai before taking a connection flight to Boston.

On the plane, the usually introverted me showed my more sociable self. I started a conversations with the two gentlemen seated at the same row. I learnt that they had used to work in Singapore and they loved living in Singapore. Their compliments reminded me to appreciate the positive aspects of Singapore. Before we parted ways at Dubai International Airport, these two gentlemen (who were colleagues to each other) pointed me to the general directions where I could catch the connection flight.

So it seemed, my journey to the United States started on a positive note, with a theme revolving around friendship and kindness. While it was my very first time travelling to the United States and I was doing so alone, I felt thankful that there were people who looked out for me. Travelling solo, I was reminded, was an adventure to embrace uncertainties yet learn to trust ourselves and the kindness in humanity.

If you are curious to find out more, please stay tune.

Laksania, for Hearty Food made with Love

I had a memorable birthday treat to a delicious meal at Laksania a day before my birthday thanks to one of my very kind and generous friends, Belinda. We had an enjoyable dinner at one of the Laksania outlets located at Bugis+ at 201 Victoria Street.

It was my very first time dining at Laksania. What makes Laksania special is that it serves an innovative menu of dishes that are based on the flavourful herb that is commonly known in Singapore as the laksa leaf. I took a quick glance at the menu. Other than serving variants of laksa from South East Asia, Laksania also serves fusion dishes like Laksa Lasagna and Laksa Burgers at Laksania.

My friend and I ordered a regular bowl of Kelantan Laksa, a regular plate of Laksa Goreng and a serving of Chicken Satay (3 pcs) to share.

Kelantan Laksa.

The Kelantan Laksa is served with thick rice noodles and generous amounts of mackerel fish meat. For $4.90 for a regular serving of it, I think it was pretty reasonable priced considering that it is being served in a restaurant setting. As I ate it, I could tell that the food was made with care and love. The Kelantan laksa is not spicy and has a taste that is mildly gingerly with the fragrance of laksa leaf. Home-made fresh chilli paste was served on the side to compliment the Kelantan Laksa. I later learnt that the spices and herbs used at Laksania are free from preservatives. I am willing to come back for more Kelantan Laksa at Laksania in the near future. It is an interesting and novel alternative to the more common Singapore Laksa that we can more easily find in our tropical home-town of Singapore. I thought the Kelantan Laksa was pretty yummy and could be upgraded as one of the "Must Try!" items in the menu. Check this out if you prefer a mild yet novel type of laksa.

Laksa Goreng is one of the innovative dishes is served at Laksania. A plate of regular Laksa Goreng costs $4.90 excluding GST. My friend commented that it reminded her of the taste of Char Kway Teow. Then again, I beg to differ. This dish has a flavourful and distinctive laksa-leaf taste. In fact, it tasted like Singapore Laksa that is fried and served dried!

The menu suggested that the Chicken Satay is one of the "Must-Try!" dishes. It was priced at $4.20 for a serving of three pieces of satay. I was happy with it. I could not figure out yet what makes it so tasty. Could anyone care to enlighten please? Perhaps it was the way that the chicken meat was marinated with herbs which include the laksa leaf? The non-spicy yet flavoursome laksa cream sauce that was served on the side with the chicken satay made this dish completely delicious.

For our beverages, I ordered the hot lemon-grass tea ($3.00 per glass) while my friend ordered the iced lemon-grass tea ($3.50 per glass). Each sip of hot lemon-grass tea tasted heavenly. I learnt that the lemon-grass tea was freshly prepared using hand-pounded lemon-grass and pandan leaves. The hot lemon-grass tea is a hearty and healing beverage to consider when dining at Laksania.

In summary, I have enjoyed the dinner at Laksania that evening. I was left with the experience that Laksania is one of the places in Singapore to enjoy delicious and quality laksa in a restaurant setting. The food there is considered value-for-money.

Service was generally prompt and friendly. Although there was an occasion when the waiter brought a bill which was meant for another table to our table, he discovered the mistake promptly with our promptings, and gladly sent the bill to the right table subsequently.

Laksania offers a range of interesting food that could cater to people with specific dietary requirements. It is a halal-certified food establishment serving quality laksa and other dishes. For the vegans, Laksania serves the Vegetarian Laksa that is suitable for vegans.

I have a lot of respect for the team at Laksania who takes pride in serving hearty food made with love and service from the heart. What impressed me more is that Laksania is a social enterprise that aims to create opportunities to provide employment for people with disabilities and for people from marginalised groups. Employment enables the people to earn a living using their own efforts. I think employment also gives these people the sense of achievement and belongingness to the community.

The next time you are nearby a Laksania outlet and crave for laksa-leaf inspired dishes, consider the option of walking yourself into the outlet to enjoy the food. Your patronage will not only reward you with hearty food that is made with love and served with pride, it will support Laksania in fulfilling its social mission to help persons with disabilities to earn a living using their own efforts so that they can become financially self-reliant eventually. A win-win situation for all.

***
Laksania
http://www.laksania.com

Bugis+
201 Victoria Street
#04-04
Singapore 188067

JEM
50 Jurong Gateway Road
#03-09
Singapore 608549

Note:
Laksania is a halal-certified restaurant.
Other than dine-in, take-away is available for most of the food except the Laksa Hotpot.

***
Updates: Also read Catherine Ling's Laksania serves hope and fabulous laksa

Places: Displacements. At 13 Wilkie Terrace. The launch party

I have a special liking for houses with high ceilings and usually such houses tend to be built before WWII. When I heard about Displacements, a community arts exhibition and event program held at 13 Wilkie Terrace, I felt a compelling urge to visit the house. I suppose one of the reasons was that I used to rehearse in a Chinese orchestra that had its rehearsal venue somewhere nearby the area. Furthermore, the street names associated with "Wilkie" somehow remind me of a good friend.

Join me as I write about my visit to 13 Wilke Terrace on 1 Jun 2013: Places: Displacements. At 13 Wilkie Terrace. The launch party

***
Displacements
2 - 23 Jun 2013
13 Wilke Terrace, Singapore.
Exhibition hours:
Tue - Fri, 3 p.m. -8 p.m.
Sat and Sun, 2 - 8 p.m.
Admission is free
http://www.13wilkieterrace.com
https://www.facebook.com/13wilkieterrace

Places: A visit to Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb

On 18 May 2013, I visited the exhibition Mummy: Secrets to the Tomb held at the ArtScience Museum. It is an interesting exhibition for people who are curious about the world of the ancient Egyptian. I would have gladly visited this exhibition more often if the admission rates had been more affordable for repeat visitors.

In the meantime, please sit back and take a peep to find out more about my visit to this exhibition: Places: A visit to Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb.

Simple American in Singapore, Part 2.

The Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee. Stall #02-17.

(continued from Simple American in Singapore.)

After a very short weekend in Singapore, Simple American and his missus returned yet again to the garden city of Singapore. Given the short duration of their time in Singapore, what would leave them with positive memories to reminisce many years later? 

Our visit to a hawker centre

Enjoying treats to good food at one of our popular hawker centres came to my mind! The dictionary's definition for the word "hawker" is "a person who travels from place to place selling goods" (source: The Free Dictionary). Based on this definition, we would have expected a hawker to be someone who peddles from places to places to sell goods. However, in today's Singapore, the word "hawkers" commonly refer to people who sell food or goods in purpose-built facilities called hawker centres.

It is intriguing for me to read about the history of hawker centres in Singapore. In the days of my parents' childhood, street hawking was very common. Many people were travelling from streets to streets selling goods and services. However, one of the problems created by street hawking was poor sanitation. This posed to be a threat to public health. To improve the situation, between 1968 and 1969, there was an island-wide registration of street hawkers being carried out. From 1971 to 1986, the government constructed purpose-built facilities called the hawker centres to house these hawkers. These hawker centres providing marketing and eating facilities for residents of the public housing estates.

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee stall. Stall #02-17.
Photo by Simple American.

My pick for our overseas friends was the Hong Lim Food Centre and Market at Blk 531A Upper Cross Street. It was situated in the heart of Singapore's Chinatown and was reasonably nearby the hotel that my friends were staying. My key recommendation was the Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee. For S$3 per plate, the stall serves an outstanding plate of delicious Kway Teow Mee, also known affectionately as Char Kway Teow.

Mian Jian Kueh from Granny's Pancake. Hong Lim Food Centre.
Photo by Simple American.

At the Hong Lim Food Centre, we also saw many other wonderful food treats such as the Mian Jian Kueh (pancake), curry puffs, and more. Simple American's missus shared that in her birth country, Mian Jian Kueh were available from the street-hawkers. I felt grateful to our hawkers for serving us with food at reasonable quality, affordable price and with good enough standards of hygiene.

Photo by Simple American.

Exploring South Bridge Road

After a fabulous treat to breakfast with my friends, we explored Chinatown. My original intention was to bring them to the Thian Hock Keng temple. It is one of the most important Hokkien temples in Singapore. Many Chinese immigrants would visit this temple to give thanks to the Goddess of the Sea for their safe voyages. However, due to the interest of time, we only had the opportunity to explore a part of the Chinatown, mainly along the South Bridge Road.

Traditional handmade BBQ pork slices from Kim Joo Guan.
Photo taken by Simple American.

During our stroll along South Bridge Road, our guests got themselves delicious traditional handmade BBQ Pork Slices from Kim Joo Guan's flagship store at 257 South Bridge Road. We also visited the Birds Nest Gallery inside Eu Yan Seng's International Ltd's Corporate Office at 269A South Bridge Road. We caught glimpses of Sri Mariamman Temple (the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore) and the Jamae Mosque. 

Jamae Mosque.  218 South Bridge Road.

Sri Mariamman Temple. 244 South Bridge Road.

Although I was well aware that Simple American and his missus were pretty full from our breakfast, I thought it would be worthwhile to get them a few egg tarts from Tong Heng to sample. Located at 285 South Bridge Road, Tong Heng has earned a good reputation of serving one of the best egg tarts in Singapore. Food that is made with good pride and love somehow tastes delicious.

Tong Heng's egg tart.

Tong Heng.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.
Taken by Simple American.

We did not visit the famous Thian Hock Keng temple. We did visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and also explored the adjacent Sago Street. A brief visit to Tai Chong Kok seemed to have brought nostalgic memories to Simple American's missus. For me, it was somehow heart-warming to see moon-cakes even though I confess that I have been consciously not eating moon-cakes so as to keep to a low-sugar diet. The moon-cakes reminded me of the occasional times during my childhood years when we could enjoy the moon-cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Moon-cakes from Tai Chong Kok.
Taken by Simple American.

The coffee treat

Simple American and his missus love having coffee. Simple American's missus spotted the Nanyang Old Coffee at 268 South Bridge Road and they generously gave me a treat to a tasty cup of coffee. There is a humble-sized coffee-museum inside this establishment. Somehow a visit to the coffee-museum further enhanced our brief break for coffee at the Nanyang Old Coffee. 

Lunch at Bras Basah Complex

For our lunch, we visited the Bras Basah Complex's Coffee Express. Simple American and his missus  ordered desserts while yours truly ordered noodles from the Parklane Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle stall. 

After lunch, we spent some time exploring a part of the Bras Basah Complex. I felt that this neighbourhood was quite a convenient and friendly one to live in.

Friendships are strengthened. Memories are created. May Simple American and his missus have a meaningful and memorable visit to the South-East Asia, including Singapore. Other bloggers from Singapore have also brought them to other parts of Singapore for interesting experiences.

Hopefully I did not work Simple American and his missus too hard physically during our adventures about Singapore. I am notorious for travelling long distances on foot during my adventures about Singapore. Whatever it is, may our overseas friends remember fondly, the taste, the smell, the sights and the friendly people of Singapore.

Simple American in Singapore

Breakfast at Chin Mee Chin Confectionery.
This coffee-shop is affectionately known by many as CMC.

One of my blog-friends, Simple American, and his missus, visited Singapore during two of weekends this May. His visit has brought together once again a group of bloggers from Singapore.

A morning along East Coast Road

On their first morning in Singapore, fellow blogger Eastcoastlife took Simple American to the Chin Mee Chin Confectionery at 204 East Coat Road for breakfast. This confectionery is a landmark coffee-shop in that neighbourhood. It is well-known for its kaya, a kind of custard jam.This confectionery roasts its own coffee beans and bakes its own confectionery. It is a lovely place to enjoy a simple yet savoury breakfast. Many thanks to Eastcoastlife and her husband for a generous treat to breakfast.

Breakfast at Chin Mee Chin Confectionery with lovely company.

After breakfast, we visited the Katong Antique House. This is a very beautiful place to find Peranakan related artefacts. I was impressed by the collection of antiques, beaded slippers, porcelain wares and more that were spotted in this shop. The Katong Antique House has an interesting collection that makes it good enough to be considered a mini-museum.

Eastcoastlife has written about our adventures with Simple American and his missus here: Singapore American's Singapore Holiday - RT.

Exploring Singapore

In the afternoon, Simple American, his missus and I explored a part of Singapore.

Merlion. Taken by Simple American.

One of our first stops was the Merlion. This sculpture with a lion's head and the body of a fish was created by Singapore sculptor, Lim Nang Seng, in 1972. Merlion spurts out water from its mouth with great might. My glasses were partially wet with droplets of water from the Merlion's mouth.

The Merlion Park is a good location to catch good glimpses of the nearby Esplanade on the Bay, the Marina Bay Sands, The Fullerton Hotel, and the Singapore Flyer. After the visit to the Merlion Park, we took a stroll about the Esplanade Park. This park is one of the oldest parks in Singapore and many historical landmarks such as the Lim Bo Seng Memorial and the Cenotaph can be found here.

Lunch took place just below the observatory wheel of the Singapore Flyer. We visited the Singapore Food Trail and met up with yet another friend whom Simple American had gotten to know through blogging too. It is fascinating to learn how blogging has connected people of diverse nationalities and backgrounds together.

It is my humble opinion that the Singapore Food Trail is one of the places to enjoy a collective of interesting and delicious local hawker fare. We treated ourselves to the Fried Oyster, the Satay Beehoon, Bak Kut Teh and Popiah. In the company of friends, lunch tasted extremely wonderful.

Sultan Mosque in the background. Taken by Simple American.

Malay Heritage Centre. Taken in Apr 2013.

After lunch, we visited the Kampong Glam district. We walked along Arab street to take a good glance at the various textile shops. That afternoon, we enjoyed the view of the Sultan Mosque from the Bussorah Mall. The Sultan Mosque is regarded as Singapore's principal mosque. I particularly like the architecture of the Sultan Mosque which somehow reminded me of Taj Mahal, doesn't it?

After taking a good glimpse of the Sultan Mosque, we visited the Istana Kampong Glam which is now the Malay Heritage Centre. There is a sense of beauty in symmetry from the Palladian-styled architecture of the Malay Heritage Centre. I imagined that a life living in this building as a member of the royalty would have been dignified and blissful. Won't you think so?

Teh Tarik.

Our visit to Kampong Glam was made complete with a treat to tea at the "No Name Teh Sarabat Stall" at 21 Baghdad Street. This is one of the place in the city area where one could find very tasty tea served in the most no-frills manner. I am deeply grateful to the gentlemen who passionately served good tasting tea at affordable rates at this sarabat stall. They reminded that a life of service may seem simple, yet it can be done with great pride and the attitude of excellence.

The dedicated gentlemen serving tasty tea at 21 Baghdad Street.
Taken by Simple American.

Dinner together
In the evening, various bloggers met up with Simple American and his missus at the Banana Leaf Apolo restaurant (54 Race Course Road). It was a meaningful time to get together with one another. I particularly like the Fish Head Curry from the Banana Leaf Apolo restaurant.

Breakfast on the Beach the next day
The next day, Eastcoastlife planned a special breakfast on the beach for Simple American and his missus.  She and her husband were very thoughtful to buy breakfast from some of the most reputable food stalls along East Coast Road. Many thanks to Eastcoastlife for a memorial experience enjoying breakfast on the beach.

We hope that Simple American and his missus would have positive memories of their visit to Singapore to savour.

To be continued: Simple American in Singapore, Part 2.

Bukit Brown Voices

Image credit: www.twochiefs.com

If you have wondered why there are people who are drawn to visit Bukit Brown many times and again, yet the thought of having to brave yourself under the sun or the elements are too much to bear, here is another way to witness the beauty of this secret garden in air-conditioned comfort:

Watch the documentary, Bukit Brown Voices, by Two Chefs.
Date: 11 May 2013 (Sat)
Time: 12 noon
Venue: Screening Room@The Art House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429.
Tickets are at $12 (regular price) each, from www.bytes.sg.

I have had the pleasure to watch it a few months ago. I strongly recommend this documentary. I love its unpretentious presentation and how this documentary captures the beauty of Bukit Brown Cemetery as well as how the Bukit Brown Cemetery is rich in heritage/history and is a habitat for fauna and flora. There is a thoughtful review of this documentary by Woo Wei Ling here: That's pretty unbelievable, don't you think?

It's a moving documentary. I will watch it even if I have visited Bukit Brown Cemetery several times.
Perhaps as a community, we have to pause and rethink the costs and benefits of building a eight-lane highway through the Bukit Brown Cemetery. The inherent costs of building the highway could be more than estimated because once Bukit Brown Cemetery is lost, it is lost forever.

In the meantime, congratulations to Bukit Brown Vocies for being shortlisted in the “Best Asian Documentary” category at the inaugural Endeavours Documentary Film Festival.

My first TEDxSingapore event. On 20 Apr 2013

Source: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/8943

Special thanks to CL, I received a complimentary ticket to yesterday's TEDxSingapore's event. The event was sold-out and I was very thankful for the opportunity to attend what would be my very first TEDxSingapore event in my life-time!

The event was held at Bugis+ Joyden Hall. Wonderful thanks to the event organizers and the people who have made the event a success.

The theme for TEDxSingapore's event on 20 Apr 2013 was "Our Future, We Will Make!". There were many inspiring speeches and sharings. Many thanks to the insights shared by the speakers and the performers.

Let me attempt to document my key learning points and experience from this event on this blog:

Parag's Beyond Population reminded me of my gratitude to live in this extraordinary country called Singapore. His speech seeks to ask how Singapore could continue to remain extraordinary.

Zakaria Zainal's documentation of the portraits and anecdotes of the retired Singapore Gurkhas reminded me that we as human beings are interconnected. Our shared experiences and sense of history do transcend nationalities and territories. I felt touched to learn that many of the retired Singapore Gurkhas whom Zakaria Zainal had met were proud of Singapore's achievements.

With wit and humour, William Wan who is head of the Singapore Kindness Movement puts forth the idea that "kindness begins with me!" If we hope for Singapore to be a kinder place, why not start with being kind ourselves?

During the TEDxSingapore event that I had attended, a few Singaporean of the Day documentaries were broad-casted. The project, Singaporean of the Day, created by Jeff Cheong and his friends reminded me that the people from all walks of life in Singapore have their dreams and their hopes. Each of us do have a special story of hope to tell. I was particularly moved by the story of Joanne Poon: http://vimeo.com/63898737

Bhavani Prakash's presentation with her apt use of apples to illustrate the interconnectedness between us and the planet Earth reminded each of us to take at least some humble steps to work towards a more sustainable environment. We have only one Earth, and if what we do to our only planet will affect us eventually. I have found her five steps to "sustain'apple happiness" to be interesting. These were: 1) Acquire less, 2) Push away synthetic chemcials, 3) Pay it forward, 4) Learn from Nature, 5) Exercise your body and mind. Bhavani founded Eco WALK the Talk, an advocacy non-profit environmental website in 2008.

What left an impression in me from Moh Hon Meng's sharing was the suggestion of how we could take steps to be more inventive. The three steps of the Inventive Process suggested were: 1) Practise Creating, 2) Practise Wasting (i.e. to put our effort and time at risk, not knowing what the outcome could be), 3) Practise Asking. He shared that to enable Singapore to continue to be successful, it is necessary to continue to invent ourselves.

Elaine Lam's rendition of The Little Blue Princess and her personal journey to becoming a local jazz singer-songwriter was inspiring in its way. I like how she concluded her performances with a statement that vaguely went "Don't be afraid to dream because you may walk up to the rainbow!"

***
After lunch, Thaddeus Lawrence in his zestful and humourous style, share two personal experiences involving sky-diving and salsa dancing. Through these experiences, he put forward the notion that great leaders push us beyond our perceived comfort zones and that leadership is about making heroes and celebrating heroes.

Claire Leow's presentation on Bukit Brown Cemetery was personally moving. Did you know that Bukit Brown is the largest Chinese cemetery outside China? Not only is it a place full of heritage and history, it is the habitat of many animals and birds. She shared how her experiences with Bukit Brown had helped her reconnect to Singapore after eight years overseas. If we could make our future, why not get Bukit Brown Cemetery listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site as well?

Wonderful illustrations by Tim from Art of Awakening.

Sunny Singh's presentation on Stroke and TARA (Therapy and Rehabilitation Assistance) left a deep impression. He spoke about how he is creating a programme using Kinetic technology to improve the efficacy of stroke rehabilitation for the elderly. Why not make rehabilitation exercises fun?

I have not heard Teng Yen Ling play the ukelele in person, yet it was a light-heartening experience watching an impromptu recording of her jamming out tunes on the NUS shuttle bus. Maybe we could perform an act of courage by merely stepping out of our comfort zone? Sometimes, it is amazing how seemingly insignificant actions like jamming out tunes on a bus could put a smile on people's faces. Oh well, of course there will be people with differing opinions nevertheless. Imagine a future where everyone wears a smile.

Listening as the art of perceiving possibilities stuck in my mind when I listened to Tong Yee's presentation. Are we really listening when we think we are? Do we hear the possibilities that could be hidden in our conversations with others? While I find it hard to connect the dots in Tong Yee's presentation, I like his notion that the roles of an educator are as best as I have made out: 1) To allow students to heal from their past hurts, 2) To give the tools, 3) To believe in the students. Perhaps then, we can make our future more glorious?

Deborah Emmanuel's spoken word performances connected with me. I suppose it was because of the authenticity of her performance. It was humbling to witness how people could heal through expressing themselves through art. Deborah is a performance poet. Her rendition of The Storm was heartfelt and authentic.

Kevin Lester's presentation and his rap performance reminded me that we can each leave behind a legacy in our own special way.

***
Laurence Lien's presentation reminded us the need for moral courage to effect change. He ended the presentation with Mahatma Gandhi's quote "You must be the change you want to see in the world", and he then asked the audience to consider his suggestion: "Please act like we believe we can change Singapore".

Bob Lee's sharing of his project in which he taught photography to visually-challenged people was humbling. He reminded me not to underestimate our ability to learn new things. He also reminded me not to understand our own skills to make an impact.

Veronica Gamez shared about her how her experiences in Mexico had in some ways shaped her and on her work with Aidha, a not-for-profit micro-business school dedicated to enriching lives through financial education. She spoke about how migrant workers in the world can be empowered to become agents of positive change to transform their local communities back in their own hometown.

Kumaran Rasappan's presentation discussed how success and failure are inseparable. He suggested that regardless of the outcome, failure and success is our own perception. In every success is a failure, and in every failure, is a success.

***
Overall, I have had a positive experience attending the TEDxSingapore. Other than getting myself connected with new ideas, I had the pleasure to engage in conversations with others and to connect with them.

TEDxSingapore
http://www.tedxsingapore.sg/
https://www.facebook.com/TEDxSingapore.sg
https://twitter.com/TEDxSINGAPORE

***
Other blog posts on TEDxSingapore, 20 Apr 2013:
Summary of TEDxSingapore 2013: Our Future We Will Make #TEDxSingapore by Natalie Copuroglu.

Places: Adventures on The Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail

The Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail was officially launched on 14 Apr 2013, if you have missed the launch, the good news is that there will be monthly Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail every first Saturday of the month starting May 2013, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

To get a glimpse of what to expect on a Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail, please read my account: Places: Adventures on The Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail

Places: My visit to Enlightened Ways

If you like Buddhist art, especially those in Thailand, you may find this exhibition, Enlightened Ways: The Many Streams of Buddhist Art in Thailand, to be interesting. Here is an account of my recent visit to this exhibition: Places: My visit to Enlightened Ways: The many streams of Buddhist art in Thailand.

Enlightened Ways: The Many Streams of Buddhist Art in Thailand 
30 Nov 2012 - 17 Apr 2013 
Special Exhibitions Gallery
Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place
1 Empress Place
Singapore 179555
Tel: (+65) 6332 7798, (+65) 6332 3275

Places: Ng Eng Teng's Asian Symphony at NUHS

The next time you visit the National University Health System Building, do pay attention and look for the largest known public mural that was made by the late Ng Eng Teng. Ng Eng Teng was a well-known sculptor and winner of the Cultural Medallion in visual arts in 1981.

Here's a simple account of how a visit to the NUS Museum inspired me to learn more about Ng Eng Teng's Asian Symphony: Places: Ng Eng Teng's Asian Symphony at NUHS

Places: The special Bukit Brown Heritage Tour on 23 Mar 2013

This morning, I visited the Bukit Brown cemetery to learn more about the significance behind the tomb designs and more. Here's the link to my blog post on this special visit: Places: The special Bukit Brown Heritage Tour on 23 Mar 2013.

Please visit Bukit Brown soon before the construction of the proposed highway start in one or two month's time.

Places: The President's Young Talents 2013

A snapshot of a scene from Boo Junfeng's Mirror.

An incidental visit to an exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum has given me a number of pleasant surprises. Find out what some of Singapore's most promising young artists hope to communicate through their art by attending the exhibition, President's Young Talents.

Here's an account of my recent visit to the exhibition: President's Young Talents 2013.

Credit Suisse: Innovation in Art Series

President's Young Talents

25 Jan - 15 Sep 2013

Singapore Art Museum
71 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189555

Awaken the Dragon Festival 2013: The exhibition

Awaken the Dragon Festival 2013: The Exhibition is here.

Here are the details:

Awaken the Dragon Festival 2013: The Exhibition
10 - 24 Mar 2013
National Museum of Singapore
The Concourse
Admission is free.

For more information, please visit a post on one of my visits to the exhibition: Places: Awaken the Dragon Festival 2013: The exhibition.

Places: A morning at Bukit Brown

There was no air-conditioning. There was no proper toilet. Yet, I felt blessed with the great riches that Nature has to offer when I spend a morning at the Bukit Brown Cemetery. Here is a web log of my visit to the Bukit Brown Cemetery last December: Places: A morning at Bukit Brown

11 Nov 2012: Remembrance Sunday Ceremony at Kranji War Cemetery

11 Nov 2012 (Sun):

It was the very first time in my life that I had attended a Remembrance Sunday Ceremony at the Kranji War Cemetery.

**
The motivations to attend the Remembrance Sunday Ceremony were far greater than my inclinations to wake up later on a Sunday morning. A few months before 11 Nov 2012, I had learnt from the tour guide who led the tour End of Empire - Singapore 1942™ (Battlefield Tour), A Changi Museum War Trail™ that each year, on the Sunday that is closest to Remembrance Day, a Remembrance Sunday Ceremony will be held at the Kranji War Cemetery and the Singapore Memorials.

When I checked the calendars, I learnt that for the year 2012, the Remembrance Sunday Ceremony would take place on Remembrance Day itself. Such a coincidence plus the fact that year 2012 marked the 70th anniversary of the fall of Singapore gave me compelling reasons to attend the Remembrance Sunday Ceremony on 11 Nov 2012.

**
I learnt that the memorial would start at about 7 a.m. in the morning so I arranged to wake myself up very early in the morning so that I could hopefully reach the memorial by 7 a.m.

When I reached the Kranji MRT station, I saw a considerable number of scouts and members of other uniformed-groups at the station. Some of them were marching their way towards the direction of the Kranji War Cemetery.

I had mistakenly thought that taking a taxi from the Kranji MRT station was the best way to reach the Kranji War Cemetery. Normally, this would have been the best mode of transport for someone who does not drive. However, on the day of Remembrance Sunday Ceremony, only authorized vehicles were allowed to drive into the Kranji War Cemetery. Taxis and buses are not allowed to enter the premises of the cemetery unless they had special passes.

So, I asked the taxi-driver to allow me to alight along Woodlands Road, near a bus-stop which was two bus-stops from the Kranji MRT station, so that I could briskly walked into the Kranji War Cemetery. The walk took about 10 minutes.

11 Nov 2012: The skies just after 7 a.m.
Kranji War Cemetery.

I reached the Kranji War Cemetery slightly after 7 a.m. The air of the morning and the fresh scent from the cemetery's grasses welcomed every visitor to the cemetery. Many of the visitors were wearing uniforms or were in suits and ties. I observed that a number of the attendees of the event were military officers, diplomats, representatives from religious groups and members of the public. I felt a little out-of-place even though I was neatly dressed in T-shirt and jeans.

**
The ceremony
The Remembrance Sunday Ceremony is organised by the British High Commission and the Singapore Armed Forces Veterans' League.

The Service commenced at 7.15 a.m. Members from the Tanglin Trust School Choir sand and recited "Morning has Broken", "Make me a channel of your peace", and "In Flanders Fields". The songs seemed to fill the air of the cemetery with a sense of peace, solitude and dignity.

At 7.30 a.m., the guard of honour, the buglers, the drummers and the pipers take their post. This was followed by the British High Commissioner reading the Act of Remembrance. Next, the British Defence Advisor recited excerpts from Pericles' Eulogy.

During the later part of the service, everyone observed minutes of silence. Official wreaths were laid. Three songs were sung by the attendees of the service. These were "Amazing Grace", "Abide with Me" and "I vow to thee, my country". After the end of the ceremony, private wreaths were laid.

Wreaths were laid on Remembrance Sunday.

***

After the ceremony, I took a stroll about the grounds of the cemetery. I learnt that the staff of the Changi Museum were conducting complimentary tours of the Kranji War Cemetery after the service, and I registered myself for it.

Lance Naik Papayya, the youngest person to be buried in the Kranji War Cemetery.

I have found the tour to be enriching. Many thanks to the staff of Changi Museum for conducting the tours.

Folks who have missed the tours on Remembrance Sunday and would like a guided visit about Kranji War Cemetery and other sites could check out  End of Empire - Singapore 1942™ (Battlefield Tour), A Changi Museum War Trail™. I strongly recommend it if you like tours that lend you indepth insights to the fall of Singapore back in 1942.

***
Kranji War Cemetery
9 Woodlands Road
Singapore 738656

Nearest MRT station: Kranji
Bus services to get there: 160, 170, 178, 960, 961, 961C
For directions to get to the cemetery, please read: How to get to Kranji War Memorial by Leone Fabre

***
Please also see:
Remembrance Sunday at Kranji War Cemetery by British High Commission Singapore
Remembrance Day by Angloinfo, Singapore
Cemetery details: Kranji War Cemetery by Commonwealth War Graves Commission