Stories that Inspire Youths and Young-at-heart

INSPIRE | Amazing People, Amazing Stories

Bankruptcy, Divorce and Loss of His Son: How Jimmy Ong Restarted His Life after Hitting Rock Bottom

Jimmy sits on the bed, his arms wrapped tightly around Shaun. Like snow at the coming of spring, his son’s life force dwindles with every ticking second. Staring at the ...
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Johnny Chin on Reigniting His Faith, Beating Drug Addiction, and the Need to Remove Labels

For twenty years, Johnny Chin lived his life strung out on drugs — heroin, marijuana, ecstasy, he has tried them all. It was only when he reconnected with God that ...
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Co-founder of The T Project June Chua: Beyond Our Transgender Identity, See Us as People, as Individuals

When June Chua was twelve, she was called “bapok”, a Malay word meaning “transvestite”, by a schoolmate. This label, said in jest, became a eureka moment for her. A moment ...
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Life after Prison: Stervey Lim on Finding Purpose, Letting His Past Go and Creating a New Life

Stervey Lim stares out of the window wrought of despair. Hemmed in by four walls of cement, he is sequestered in a cramped cell with eight other inmates. There is ...
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By 19, Jennifer Heng Already Had Two Abortions. This Is Her Story of Secret Shame, Self-forgiveness and Triumph.

Jennifer Heng is in a cold, sterile room. Lying on the surgical bed and staring into nothingness, she waits. The silence, interrupted only by the murmur of the air-conditioning unit, ...
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Edmund Khong on the Business of Clowning, Making Children Laugh, and Overcoming Gaming Addiction

Clad in loud overalls of eye-popping colours, Edmund Khong is hurling multiple balls into mid-air with ease and dexterity. Free falling, each ball lands and sticks onto his “helmet”, like ...
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HUMOUR | Laughter is the best medicine. So let me be your doctor. No, even better. Your pharmacist.

How to be Sexy. Literally.

With societal pressures weighing heavy on us, many of us yearn to be sexy, to be head turners or to look like a million bucks. We want to be perfect ...
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How to be an Olympian. Literally.

Joseph Isaac Schooling. What a triumphant feat that marks a watershed moment in Singapore’s sports annals. His indelible accomplishment comes hot on the heels of my personal milestones of getting ...
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An Open Letter to Mr Icelandic President: Banning Pineapples on Pizzas is Unconstitutional

Dear Mr Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, I read with utter dismay today that you would unapologetically and very surely issue a ban on pineapples as a pizza topping. I’m writing this ...
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Turning 30 is the Worst

When I was a toddler, my excitement would reach a fever pitch whenever I traipsed into a toy store. Shelves upon shelves of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers action figures in ...
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How to be a Donald-Trump Supporter. Literally.

Donald Trump is President. I’ll say that again: Donald Trump is President. Let this be a lesson to all our children: Literally anyone can be President. They say if you ...
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How to Be the Perfectest and Awesomest Airbnb Guest

“Don’t take candies from strangers, and definitely don’t follow them into their homes.” So went the advice our parents gave us. Today, thanks to Airbnb, we happily travel thousands of miles ...
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TRAVEL | See The World’s Marvels

Inside One of Sri Lanka’s Many Sea Turtle Conservation Centres

In Sri Lanka, there are many identikit conservation centres for sea turtles, which were handed over to the operators by fishermen. At some point, the sea turtles had been injured ...
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The Iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge

Unveiled in 1932, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, also nicknamed the Coathanger, measures one hundred and thirty-four metres in height and over five hundred metres in length. It was the brainchild ...
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Luring a Giant Sea Turtle to Shore at Hikkaduwa Beach, Sri Lanka

Chaminda peeled off his shirt, revealing a lean physique sculpted not in the gym but through arduous activities. Gripping a smattering of seaweed, he marched out to meet the roiling ...
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Dansel: The Beautiful Sri Lankan Tradition of Giving

A young boy stood by the road, brandishing and waving a flag, beckoning us to pull up to the driveway. “They’re giving away free food and water,” explained Dulshan my ...
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Symbio Wildlife Park, Sydney: Pet Plush-toy-cute Koalas and Feed Inquisitive Wallabies

Two koalas sat perched on tree branches, their silver coats juxtaposing their ochre homes: Willow and Imogen are their names. Although it was already nine in the morning, both were ...
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Sydney’s Chinatown at 9pm

Unlike many of Australia’s streets, Sydney’s Chinatown continues to pulse with a sleepless energy even as day segues into night. Here is a confluence of Chinese, Thai, Korean restaurants and ...
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LIFE | Somehow, Somewhere, We Grew Up

Making It As A Freelancer Series: The Pros and Cons

I was 23 when I became a freelance writer. This decision I made when I was working at a video production house, and I became privy to how much a freelance cameraman ...
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Making it as a Freelancer Series: 50 Actionable Tips to Take

Made the decision to be a freelancer? Well there're many things for you to cross off! Here are 50 actionable tips for you to carve out a successful freelance career! General Open the ...
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Ikigai: The Japanese’s Secret to Happiness and Longevity Could Help You Find a Life of Purpose

Watch a Japanese chef in his element and you cannot help but be inspired by his laser focus, meticulousness and finesse. It is likely he has found his ikigai, or ...
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Making It As A Freelancer Series: Success Strategies

My journey as a freelance writer wasn't always smooth-sailing. I reached the nadir circa June 2011, when I lost two projects — one recurring; and one ad-hoc — in one day. Yes, it was ...
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Why I Will Continue to be a P!nk Fan Even When I’m 90.

I still remember the moment I became a P!nk fan. It happened circa the I’m Not Dead era. I was of course familiar with songs from M!ssundaztood, her magnum opus, ...
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4 Things I Learnt Growing Up in a Broken Home

"Because of you I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty." This line, plucked from Kelly Clarkson's 2004 Because of You, lacerates my heart like a knife every time I ...
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FOOD | Only Yummy Food Allowed

Concorde Hotel: Spices Cafe’s Harvest of the Sea Buffet Is Highly Underrated

When it comes to hotel buffets, Spices Cafe at Concorde Hotel largely flies under the radar. On a Friday night, the restaurant was barely half full. The table adjacent to mine ...
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Scissors Paper Stove’s Strategy for a Winning Meal Lies in Its Sea Bass, Beef Cheek and Pork Ribs

“What a name for an F&B establishment,” said the taxi driver as we both craned our necks, peering out of the car window to scan the entire stretch of Teck ...
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Arteastiq Bistro & Bar: I Have Just Found My Go-to Brunch Spot

Because of my innate impatience and inclination towards restlessness, I have never quite understood the allure of a laidback brunch session. There are also many identikit brunch spots in Singapore ...
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Quenching Thirst with the Sri Lankan King Coconut (Thembili)

Along Sri Lanka’s roadsides, there stand erect many rustic stalls where locals hawk snacks, drinks and sweets. Drawing the attention of drivers are bunches of coconuts, hanging freely, a bold ...
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Pizza Arc: Hidden Gem in Yishun Doles Out Pretty Decent Halal Pizzas

This is a PSA: In the quiet backwater of Yishun, there is a Halal-certified pizza joint that offers decent pizzas, many of which amalgamate Asian flavours with the Italian classic: ...
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Yue Long Men Hotpot, Pagoda Street, Heats up Singapore’s F&B Scene

The next time you enjoy a hot pot session with your friends or loved ones, you may want to offer up a thank you to Genghis Khan. More known are ...
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