Tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born and raised in Guangzhou, China, and moved to Singapore at the age of 15. I subsequently completed my secondary education and university studies here.
I majored in Business in National University of Singapore (NUS), specialising in Finance and Operations. However, I discovered that my true passion lay elsewhere, as I didn’t feel energised during finance classes.
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Tell us a bit about yourself?
I am Natalie from Singapore. I am a mother of two, one is 3.5 years old and the other one on the way. I am also a Christian.
Early on, I wasn’t sure about my interests. It was until I joined University Scholars Programme (USP) during university that I discovered my passion for asking “why”. The diverse student community in USP encouraged debates where there wasn’t a single answer, and there was perfectly fine. Unlike the content-heavy curriculum in high school, university provided a supportive environment for inquiry and questioning.
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Tell us about yourself?
I’m a designer from Singapore working across UX and experience design. I let my curiosity and interests take me, so I’ve been all over the place – from mainstream UX, in-store UX, and more experimental stuff like indie games, and VR.
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Denise Khng. July 2022. Denise touches up actress Karen Tan Bee Lin’s Make up.
Tell us about yourself?
I’m Denise. I’m a writer and a film maker. I used to work in the video production industry in Singapore and now I’m on a working holiday in Australia.
Continue reading先于2016年11月28日发表于商业生态微信公众号（微信号：BusinessEcology）
The Chinese article is originally published on Shanghai-based Business Ecology on 28 November, 2016
你可能不会想到，在新加坡这座大城市，还有这样一个“村子”。这个村子有个特别的名字，叫做“聚友爱”，又被称为“甘榜”教室。
“甘榜教室”的入口 Continue reading
先于2016年发表于社企论坛微信平台（微信号： CSESIF) Originally published on China Social Enterprise and Investment Forum, CSEIF WeChat account in 2016
听到新加坡，你有什么印象？你一定听过这样的说法：弹丸之地新加坡虽小，城市绿化，政府廉洁，和经济发展可是亚洲，乃至世界数一数二的。如果你来到新加坡，会发现这里的街道干净得闪闪发光，这里的多元民族文化五彩缤纷，这里的街头美食让人眼花缭乱…可是你知道吗？新加坡的社会企业发展也是朝气蓬勃，在亚洲可以算是非常先进的。
(繁华的新加坡) Continue reading
This bilingual article is originally published as “On Intentional Communities” on Taisheng publication on November 2016
Mahota Symposium is a social commitment of Prime Group International. It is held annually to generate interest and discussions on the broad topic of sustainability. This year, I attended the 7th Mahota Symposium, which explores the topic of “Intentional Communities”.
Starts with a question mark: what is an intentional community?
Mahota Symposium is not a one-way lecture. Instead it is a community dialogue that invites every participant to share.
Yong Shao, the host of the symposium, encourages all participants to ask the right questions.
So what is an intentional community? There is no simple answer. The symposium features a few eco-villages to share with us their perspectives.
The Programme Director Cyndy Tan (left) and founder Cheah Kim (right) of STOP with orphans supported by Good Rock Foundation in Xinjiang, China
This bilingual article is originally published on DBS Foundation website Asia For Good in October, 2015
Originally from Singapore, Cyndy Tan left her senior marketing job in a bank for Shanghai to set up STOP (Save The Orphans & Poor), in China.
S.T.O.P. Poverty Limited focuses on providing a vocational platform for youngsters from poor families and teen orphans who are ready to leave the orphanage that has been their home. Having impacted 23 youth so far, the social enterprise is also helping 33 orphans through various partnerships in Shanghai.
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Ananda, the Brazilian girl with amazingly lively smile
Late evening, in a MRT train. I saw her giving her seat to an elderly man who was standing. Then, she stood up, and carried a huge backpack with her.
She has curly and brushy brown hair. Colourful baggy pants. Her face was smiling, radiating. Unlike most of the other passengers who had drained their energy from their monotonous work routines, she was full of life.
Her curious eyes met mine. With a smile, we started talking. Continue reading
The hero of our story, friendly, bearly (and a little bit clumsy) Romanian friend – Victor!
I was in a Yong Tau Foo Restaurant (Yong Tau Foo, a popular local soupy dish in Singapore and Malaysia. You can DIY, choose from a whole selection of different vegetables, tofu, sea food, meat…). There was this bearly, clumsy figure hesitating in front of the food selection area.
“Is there Tom Yum?Tom Yum?”
His English had a heavy Eastern European accent. And unfortunately, the shop keepers were not native English speakers either. They were as confused as him.
Let the chatparty begins! (credit: Participate in Design – PID!)
Singapore is a melting pot, many areas are coloured by their unique ethnic identities. Little India is one of them.
Little India district has many layers. During colonial days, it was dominated by Europeans and Indian traders. In modern days, there are HDB housing estates (Singapore government housing) which ensures a fair mix of races. And there are also waves of new migrants from India and Bangladesh. These layers make Little India complex, and even more interesting to explore.
To get to know the people living in this area, non-profit organisations “Participate in Design” and “Octopus Residency” co-organised Chatparty, a neighbour party that brings people together through food, while collecting stories of the communities.
Singapore National Gallery – connecting past and present
What is your past? What is your memory? What is your identity? Singapore has been gripping with exactly the same questions. From an ex-British colony (a fishing village) to a cosmopolitan financial hub, Singapore has changed, so much. Sometimes we feel lost – what it means to be a Singaporean? Continue reading
Xintian Observes 心恬看世界 