Singapore Global Network

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Category: Lifestyle

Third Culture Kids: Calvin Widjaja shares what it’s like to grow up in two countries

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

Calvin grew up in Singapore where he lived for over 10 years. He regards Singapore as much of a home as his birth country Indonesia. He is a member of our SGN family and is the creator of Global CKtizens, a weekly livestream podcast that promotes intercultural studies, awareness and representation of Third Culture and Cross-Cultural Kids.

Meet Susanna Hasenoehrl, The Sustainability Speaker Drawing Up Future-Ready Solutions for Environmental and Social Causes

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

In Southeast Asia, where extreme weather is common and climates vary, digital farming solutions are powerful tools in any farmer’s arsenal. So, what’s holding farmers back from adopting these tools? In this Sustainability in Focus feature, we chat with The Sustainability Speaker, Susanna Hasenoehrl, to understand how her deep professional experiences – in the digital, mobile and agricultural industries – have shaped her understanding of sustainability. She also reveals how digital farming may hold the answer to securing ASEAN’s agricultural future and how Yara International is shaping up to help farmers thrive and feed the world, while protecting the planet.

From Clementi to Carnegie: Violinist Siow Lee-Chin on Nurturing the Next Generation of Musicians for Success

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

Siow Lee-Chin has performed in leading concert halls across the world with acclaimed orchestras and maestros. Beyond the technicalities of being a musician, Lee-Chin believes that the reason behind her success is a holistic combination of the heart, mind, and fingers. A violin professor at the College of Charleston for the past 20 years, Lee-Chin is currently visiting home in Singapore. She will be one of the judges for the Singapore Raffles International Music Festival in August 2021. We talk to Lee-Chin about her journey in classical music, including the numerous adversities she faced along the way, and how her pedagogical approach was inspired by her late father’s teachings.

The Defiant Filmmaker

Posted by on in Lifestyle, People

Many parents wish that their kids would follow in their footsteps, but not Eric Khoo. The veteran filmmaker wanted his son to go on a more conventional career path, but Edward applied without their knowledge, and eventually went to New York to study film. Now a graduate from New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts and a recent returnee to Singapore, Edward shares his journey as a filmmaker thus far.

Eating my way through Singapore

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

After a year in Singapore and eating at 255 restaurants and a total of 37 Michelin stars, Jon Lu, an software engineer from New York City shares with us his experiences in Singapore and rounds up his top eats in our gastronomic city!

Singapore Off The Beaten Track

Posted by on in Guides, Lifestyle

Think of city state Singapore and images of Marina Bay Sands and skyscrapers 🏙 comes to mind, but our sunny island is so much more than just a concrete jungle. In this series of photos, we explore pockets of nature in our little red dot that you may not have heard of! 🌱🌿🌳

Next Gen Food Tech Co-Founder Andre Menezes Shares His Personal Start-up Journey in Singapore

Posted by on in Business, Lifestyle, People

Recognising the untapped potential of the regional plant-based food tech industry, Brazilian-Italian Andre Menezes co-founded plant-based meat company Next Gen together with Timo Recker, founder and former CEO of LikeMeat. We speak to Andre to learn more about his personal entrepreneurship journey, how he met Timo and his views on the growth potential of the regional food tech industry.

The Power of Community

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, Tech

Why is building support groups and communities for founders more important than ever? Three global fund founders talked about the necessity of communities in a virtual event hosted by the Singapore Global Network.

How Singaporean Music Director Lenny Wee Empowers Celebrities to Hit All the Right Notes

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

Ever wondered what it is like to work with celebrities like Jennifer Lopez AND direct a live band performance at the U.S. presidential inauguration ceremony at the same time? We speak to Singaporean Music Director Lenny Wee, the man behind Jennifer Lopez’s showstopping medley performance at Joe Biden’s Inauguration earlier this year.

From Expat to Expert

Posted by on in Lifestyle

Ever wondered about life as an expat in Singapore? In our new #FromExpatToExpert series, we follow Marcel, a French expat who is ready to kick off his new life in Singapore! Each month, we will update a new chapter and insight into his transition into expat life here. Enjoy!

Meet our Expats: I now call Singapore ‘home’

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

From Bristol to Sydney to Toronto and New York, Kash Hasan’s exciting career in the events and MICE sector has allowed him to travel the world! Currently residing in Singapore, he shares more about witnessing and experiencing the genuine sense of community here, where to find his favourite hometown fish and chips, and what makes Singapore the ‘perfect destination for the MICE industry’.

#couplegoals: Love Across Borders

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

As they saying goes, “there is only one happiness in life – to love and be loved”. With the pandemic season upon us, we know that there are many couples in long distance relationships missing each other. For this upcoming Valentine’s Day, we had a chat with Terrence, who heads the Singapore Airlines (SIA) office based in Shanghai, as he shares about his long distance relationship (LDR) with his wife, Anna! Trust us, this is a good story <3

A Singaporean’s Guide To Singapore

Posted by on in Culture, Guides, Lifestyle

Think Singapore is just another urban concrete jungle? In this guide from the lens of a fellow Singaporean, you can find a list of establishments in Singapore, from parks to bars, that gives it “that little more soul".

Meet Ghib Ojisan: How A Backpacking Trip Led to Full-time YouTube Career in Singapore

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

It’s not every day that we get to meet a Japanese YouTuber based in Singapore. Yup, you already know who we’re talking about – in this edition of our Meet Our Expat Series, we have a candid chat with the 184,000 followers-strong Ghib Ojisan about his experience living in Singapore and what he has picked up from the city over the years.

From Myanmar to Singapore (and back): former A*Star researcher and consulting firm founder and MD Dr Myo Thida shares her incredible journey

Posted by on in Business, Lifestyle, People

In her decade-long journey from Myanmar to Singapore and back, Dr Thida has met Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Nobel Laureate iconic politician, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, published over 10 international scientific papers and founded Myanmar-based consulting firm VigorZwe. We speak to her to learn a more about her journey and what it’s like to straddle Myanmar and Singapore.

Singapore Brands Going Overseas: Heritage Brands Gone Global

Posted by on in Culture, Guides, Lifestyle

Growing up in an Asian household meant that you would most likely find all sorts of traditional balms and oils for various purposes in the back of your medicine cabinet. In this Singapore Brands Going Overseas series, we take a closer look at how heritage brands Chop Wah On, Lotus Leaf Brand and Three Star Brand have evolved their products and leveraged on digital technologies to expand their reach to the wider audience.

Bean There, Done That: Venezuelan Coffee Roaster Marian Aguilar Perks You Up with Good Coffee

Posted by on in Business, Lifestyle, People

For us, coffee is how we kickstart each day. For Marian Aguilar, coffee is her way of life – she runs a thriving coffee roasting and consultancy business in Singapore. In the second run of our Unusual Jobs series, we catch up with Marian about life in Singapore, her business, and staying connected to her Venezuelan roots.

Food For Thought: How Kausmo Redefines The Dining Experience

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

Ever wondered what goes on your plate? Kausmo (derived from the word “Cosmos”, referring to a system of thought), a dining concept launched in 2019, takes food for thought to the next level, with aims to spark conversations about practicing thoughtfulness and conscientiousness in the way we dine and live. We speak to young founders Lisa Tang and Kuah Chew Shian on how they’re redefining the dining experience.

SG Junior Part 2: The little overseas Singaporeans

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

Last month, Lim Monica Devi spoke to parents to find out how they keep their Singapore spirit alive. In the second part of this story, she continues her journey and speaks to several Singaporeans living overseas and their children to find out just how Singaporean our little Juniors are.

Singapore Brands Going Overseas: ‘Tis The Season to #SupportLocal

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle

No matter where you are this Christmas, you can’t miss the festivities in the air. It’s the season of giving and one exciting affair we can’t miss is ripping open the presents on Christmas morning! If you’re scratching your head over what will make the perfect gift this year, we’ve curated just the list of local holiday gift ideas from Singaporean brands you must check out!

SG Junior: The little overseas Singaporeans

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

Singapore is a country of immigrants. We are constantly welcoming newcomers to our shores, but we are also bidding adieu to many who leave to set up homes overseas with their foreign spouses or to pursue their careers. In the process, many Singaporeans take their children along, or have children born away from the island. How much do these children, “SG Jr.”, know about their parent’s homeland?

Back to the Little Red Dot

Posted by on in Lifestyle, People

When asked how long he has been in Singapore, Teymoor finds it a difficult question to answer. After all, he has had his first contact with our island from way back in 1993. Read about his journey back to the Little Red Dot after being away all this time.

Marooned for 7-months: The Longest Trip Home

Posted by on in Lifestyle, People

Eve shares how her short trip back to Singapore earlier this year for the Lunar New Year turned out to be her longest visit home in a decade. With a golden ticket in hand, she is finally back in Shanghai after spending 7 months in Singapore, and shares her journey back with her family.

Lockdown Cooking: A Taste of Home

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

In the last of our three-part series on Lockdown Cooking, Lim Monica Devi, a Singaporean in Belgium seeks out the Singaporean community around the world to share a common love – food! This month, as we celebrate National Day, many countries are still practising some form of quarantine. With safe distancing in mind, Monica takes a virtual peek into their larders (which often has a second refrigerator) and gardens to uncover how Singaporeans living overseas dish out a plateful of home while away from the island.

Taking the highway to Singapore’s runways

Posted by on in Business, Lifestyle

Behind the glam of fashion’s runways, pressing social issues are an ongoing stem from fast fashion. Brands are taking the highway into being more conscious and are committing to sustainable, green practices and actively championing for living wages for those in the production lines. We chat with local brands August Society, Purnama Outreach, Source Collections and Woonhung on their views of pushing for the greater good in fashion, and how Singapore has been a core part of that journey.

Lockdown Cooking: Beyond Borders

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

In the second of our three-part series on Lockdown Cooking, Monica Devi Lim, a Singaporean in Belgium seeks out the Singaporean community around the world to share a common love – food! She will be speaking to them about their journeys and joys during the global lockdown, including their favourite dishes to make and memories of the Little Red Dot. Get your forks ready as she dishes out this month’s flavours: international recipes from Italy, Greece, and India. And if you wish, of course you can adapt the recipes to suit your taste – just go easy on the chilli (or not)!

Remaining rooted to Singapore: “Where are you really from?”

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

Sharmishta is only 26 years old, but in this short amount of time, she has lived in nine countries, across 3 continents. She shares her rootedness to Singapore even though she has spent a majority of her life away from this island, her insights as a third culture kid moving around the world, and how being a global nomad steered her passion for international affairs and global governance.

Lockdown Cooking: For both circuit bakers and circuit eaters

Posted by on in Lifestyle, People

In the very first of our three-part series on Lockdown Cooking, Lim Monica Devi, a Singaporean in Belgium seeks out the Singaporean community around the world to share a common love – food! Over the next few months, she will be speaking to them about their journeys and joys during the global lockdown, including their favourite dishes to make and memories of the Little Red Dot. Dig in as she rolls out this month’s flavours: baking recipes. Start with the truly simple one-pan, rise to a cake made without an oven, then crank up the heat with a slightly more complicated braided beauty. The recipes here will entice both circuit bakers and circuit eaters!

Overcooked: F&Bs on coping with COVID-19

Posted by on in Business, Lifestyle, Stories

F&B businesses have taken a hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many experiencing a great dip in the number of customers due to increased social distancing measures. We chat with home-grown brands Sarnies and IRVINS as they share their experience as regional F&B players on coping with the new normal.

5Qs with Nadia Ann Huifang

Posted by on in Lifestyle, People

Our 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!

Lights, Camera, Advice: Filmmaker Thomas Lim on Success in Showbiz and Life

Posted by on in Lifestyle, People

Singaporean director Thomas Lim, Head of Sun Entertainment Culture Los Angeles, recounts his experiences as a filmmaker and shares how cheetah cubs in the zoo inspired him to realise his potential on the biggest stage in the world — Hollywood. Growing up in Tampines and having lived overseas for the past 20 years, Thomas says Singapore is still home no matter where he is.

No limits: training like champs while staying home

Posted by on in Lifestyle, People

With travel bans in place due to the global pandemic, it pains us to know that people are separated from their families and friends. With gyms and fitness centres closed, many of us are struggling to keep fit. Local professional athletes, Herlene Yu (triathlete), Radeem Rahman (pro-MMA fighter) and Ng Ming Wei (taekwondo athlete) are especially feeling the heat. These professionals share their experiences adapting to training in the new ‘norm’ and how you can adapt too!

Love Letters from the U.S. to SG

Posted by on in Lifestyle

We know it has been a difficult time for everyone, with Stay-at-Home orders and travel restrictions around the world. For many of the members in our US network, they are worried and missing their loved ones back in Singapore. Hence, with Mother’s Day happening this month, we thought it would be a good time to invite some of our members to write a love letter and surprise their families in Singapore. Happy Mother’s Day!

5Qs with Pearly Tan

Posted by on in Lifestyle, People

With travel bans in place due to the global pandemic, it pains us to know that people are separated from their families and friends. HOur 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!

5 Parenting Tips during COVID-19

Posted by on in Lifestyle

Arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have closed schools and embarked on home-based learning. Playgrounds and parks are also mostly closed. All these factors, coupled with the need to deliver work assignments effectively under the stay-at-home orders, make it an extremely trying environment for parents these days. Here are some tips for parents who need to balance working from home with their childcare responsibilities during this unprecedented time.

Love in the time of Covid

Posted by on in Lifestyle, People

With travel bans in place due to the global pandemic, it pains us to know that people are separated from their families and friends. However, amidst these challenging times, here are some love letters from our overseas community to their loved ones in Singapore. Love truly knows no distance, and we all hope that the world will be reunited soon. Till then, stay strong everyone!

SG Social enterprises: making a mark beyond the red dot

Posted by on in Business, Lifestyle, People

Singaporean entrepreneurs are making waves of positive impact off the shores of the sunny island and into global waters where they continue to champion for the greater good. Dive deeply into the stories of passion-led organisations – Freedom Cups, Wateroam and Project Dignity – who are successfully expanding their scopes to the globe.

Recipe Ideas for Staying at Home

Posted by on in Lifestyle

Many of us are starting to get into cooking our own meals this stay-home season – if you’re craving for some good sambal, laksa or even bubble tea from home, we’ve got you covered with these super easy, quick recipes that will surely impress your taste buds!

Rethinking Normal

Posted by on in Lifestyle, People

It rained yesterday evening – one of those tropical thunderstorms that leave the air feeling fresh and cool and the entire landscape looking washed clean, ready to start anew. The windows of my Stay-Home-Notice hotel room right in the heart of the city look out towards a balcony adorned with lavender-pink bougainvillea; in the distance, ancient trees rise into the skies, stately and serene. I’m not sure if these trees belong to the Istana grounds – but whatever the case, they are beautiful. Once in a while, I spot some bird of prey with outstretched wings coasting in the air, a dark speck against the steel-blue skies.