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SCMP

We have selected seven Lifestyle and Culture stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Brutal mugging broke her bones, but inspired her rise to bodybuilding fame

In 2021, Hong Kong-born athlete Daniella Means was assaulted and robbed. Now she’s a top bodybuilder who helps others reach their goals.
2. Private island popular with Singaporeans offers idyllic setting for artists
When strolling through a beach resort, it is not often that you pass a sculptor chiselling driftwood or catch sight of a textile artist steeping fabric in a vat of dye. But such scenes are a daily occurrence on Nikoi Island in Indonesia.
3. Meet Moon Ga-young, star of K-dramas True Beauty and Law and the City

This is shaping up to be an eye-catching year for Moon Ga-young on the small screen. A former child actress and model, Moon has been active in TV and film for two decades and is set to appear next in Once We Were Us.
4. Blood tests that find cancer DNA can lead to early treatment, saving lives
A study shows that ctDNA tests can detect tumours up to three years before traditional testing methods would have picked them up.
5. Do you know your gu fu from your yi ma? How to greet your Chinese relatives

One of the most basic but important parts of Chinese etiquette is knowing how to greet your older relatives correctly. Ancient Chinese society placed a strong emphasis on hierarchy and respecting seniors, something that continues to be observed in contemporary Chinese culture.
6. No statins: how 56-year-old reversed heart disease with a plant-based diet
Lauren Bernick, a 56-year-old mother of three with a family history of heart disease, was diagnosed with coronary artery disease 10 years ago. After a decade of veganism and regular exercise, she feels healthy and safe.
7. How Thailand’s craft chocolate trade is raising the bar in sustainability

When it comes to countries that produce chocolate, Switzerland and Belgium may be among the first to come to mind. But neither of them grow cacao, the fruit whose seeds are needed to make chocolate. In fact, 70 per cent of the world’s cacao comes from the Ivory Coast, in western Africa.
Few would think about Thailand, but the Asian country is emerging as a craft grower with a blossoming bean-to-bar movement. Thailand’s relationship with cacao has been a long and rocky one.


Exhibition on gardens of China, Europe; art director’s top spots: 7 Lifestyle highlights

China builds world’s first ‘coal battery’, war on Alzheimer’s: 7 science highlights

UAE’s Opec exit, why Japan shared Mogami warship design with India: 7 Asia highlights

Cheaper durians for China, Hong Kong helpers camp in tents: 5 weekend reads you missed

SCMP Highlights

Indonesia’s popular private island, greeting family in Cantonese: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Lauren Bernick, a 56-year-old mother of three with a family history of heart disease, was diagnosed with coronary artery disease 10 years ago. After a decade of veganism and regular exercise, she feels healthy and safe. Photo: Lauren Bernick

Nikoi Island is a private resort island off the east coast of Bintan, Indonesia, 50km from Singapore. Since November 2022, it has hosted the Ubah Rumah Residency for artists and researchers. Photo: Nikoi Island



Daniella Means is a professional bodybuilder and champion powerlifter. She was also previously a rugby player for the Hong Kong team. Photo: Instagram/daniellameans

Moon Ga-young in a still from Law and the City. Photo: Disney+

Do you know how to properly address your Chinese relatives? We examine just a few of the ones you hear often in Hong Kong. Illustration: Brian Wang

Cacao pods at Suriya Farm in Chanthaburi, in eastern Thailand. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Karen Mok’s rise to Mandopop queen, Hong Kong second-hand clothes: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Karen Mok is pictured at an interview with the Post in 2010. The Hong Kong-born star has enjoyed more musical success in mainland China and Taiwan than in her home city. Photo: Oliver Tsang


Dianne Gupta is pictured at second-hand store Mee & Gee in Kowloon’s Mong Kok district. The Hongkonger, who shares sustainable styling tips on Instagram, reveals where she shops for clothes. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Research shows frequent or persistent nightmares may be an easily identifiable marker of dementia risk. Photo: Shutterstock

Cantonese cuisine in New York; gifts to avoid in Chinese culture: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Eng and Melnick say that one of their favourite recipes in the book is for steamed garlic prawns over mung bean vermicelli, given how quick it is to make. Photo: Alex Lau

Cantonese-American chef Calvin Eng of Bonnie’s in New York has released his debut cookbook Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories from a Cantonese American Home, written with his fiancée, which uses MSG in recipes that celebrate his roots and family. Photo: Alex Lau

Pranali Gupta in a still from one of her YouTube videos on her channel NewDellily. She explains how she bridges Hong Kong and Indian cultures through social media. Photo: YouTube/NewDellily

Excessive panting is one of the symptoms of heatstroke in dogs. Others include bright red or pale gums, drooling, lethargy, or collapse, such as when a dog is unable to walk or stand. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Culture

From a bodybuilder’s triumph over trauma to Thailand’s bean-to-bar movement, here are some Lifestyle stories you may have missed


From a bodybuilder’s triumph over trauma to Thailand’s bean-to-bar movement, here are some Lifestyle stories you may have missed.


Indonesia’s popular private island, greeting family in Cantonese: 7 Lifestyle highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From a bodybuilder’s triumph over trauma to Thailand’s bean-to-bar movement, here are some Lifestyle stories you may have missed

1. Brutal mugging broke her bones, but inspired her rise to bodybuilding fame

From a bodybuilder’s triumph over trauma to Thailand’s bean-to-bar movement, here are some Lifestyle stories you may have missed