https://www.scmp.com/rss/325409/feed Tristan Jinwei Chan is a journalist and content strategist who has written for publications in Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Cambodia and Brunei. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com [Sponsored article] The continuing Covid-19 pandemic, which has resulted in severe disruptions to travel, trade and retail, has created profound challenges for businesses. By the end of the year, the global economy could enter the deepest recession since the end of the second world war, the World Bank estimated in June. Many Hong Kong companies are also feeling the brunt of the pandemic. In August, a survey conducted by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce found that nearly half of all... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/companies/topics/investing-next-generation/article/3112387/how-savings-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/companies/topics/investing-next-generation/article/3112387/how-savings-help?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Dec 2020 06:22:58 +0000 When Singapore’s Ministry of Finance commissioned influencers to help promote the national budget to younger Singaporeans in 2018, the campaign was a dismal failure. The fashion and beauty bloggers hired to help sell the budget were widely seen as totally unqualified to discuss high finance. “I imagine somebody decided: ‘Lets get young people to understand the budget’,” says Andrew Taylor, head of public relations at the media and advertising giant Ogilvy Asia-Pacific. “It’s an easy trap to fall... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3076103/why-social-media-influencers-and-business-may-not-be-good-mix-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3076103/why-social-media-influencers-and-business-may-not-be-good-mix-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2020 02:30:15 +0000 Dining “experiences” are becoming increasingly popular in Singapore, offering a chance to experience of an evening of food, themed music and decorations, along with storytelling or an informative talk about the meal’s historical or geographical connections. These extras can turn an ordinary lunch or dinner into an experience to be remembered. This way of eating out probably began in Singapore sometime in 2017, says Nithiya Laila, a culinary anthropologist who founded Brunch Bandits, a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3032804/themed-dining-experiences-trend-singapore-where-food-starting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3032804/themed-dining-experiences-trend-singapore-where-food-starting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2019 04:18:25 +0000 Following the box-office success of the 2018 romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, and with the third season of hit HBO sci-fi series Westworld pending – both shot partially in Singapore – is the Lion City becoming the new Asian darling of TV and Hollywood film producers? The cityscapes of locations such as such as Tokyo and Hong Kong have been filmed too often, leaving American film and television productions seeking new backdrops, says Freddie Yeo, chief operating officer of Infinite Studios. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3027592/hip-sexy-place-wealth-singapores-appeal-film-and-tv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3027592/hip-sexy-place-wealth-singapores-appeal-film-and-tv?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2019 00:15:10 +0000 Only one restaurant in Singapore made it onto the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list this year, ranking 28th. That restaurant, Odette, serves French cuisine. A second restaurant in Singapore made 88th on the World’s Best extended list. That one, Burnt Ends, specialises in Australian food. Singaporean food, however, is not served at any of the restaurants that made up the top 100 list. It was noticeably absent given the awards were hosted by the Lion City in June – the first time they had been held... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3024676/does-singaporean-cuisine-need-modernise-have-impact-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3024676/does-singaporean-cuisine-need-modernise-have-impact-global?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Aug 2019 23:30:07 +0000 Of all the lifestyle crazes to sweep the globe in recent years, decluttering – the trend of expelling excess belongings from our homes – is proving one of the most contagious. Converts show off their spartan wardrobes and newly streamlined flats on social media, and seeing those clean, clutter-free surfaces, others follow suit. Renewed interest in the phenomenon has been attributed to the Netflix series Tidying Up and its star, the Japanese tidying guru, Marie Kondo, who advises that any object... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3010095/marie-kondo-and-minimalism-effect-when-decluttering-goes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3010095/marie-kondo-and-minimalism-effect-when-decluttering-goes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 May 2019 21:00:16 +0000 Singapore is rising up the ranks of the cocktail world. The city state took five spots in last year’s World’s 50 Best Bars list – third only to perennial cocktail capitals London and New York. All eyes will be on the Lion City again when it hosts the announcement of Asia’s 50 Best Bars in May. Coinciding with the announcement will be the fifth edition of the Singapore Cocktail Festival. Taking place from May 10 to 18, the festival’s programme will feature pop-up stations of award-winning bars,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3006368/singapores-best-cocktail-bars-eight-innovative-watering-holes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3006368/singapores-best-cocktail-bars-eight-innovative-watering-holes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Apr 2019 21:00:15 +0000 As a founding member of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, classical violinist Lynnette Seah may seem an unlikely ambassador for Peranakan cuisine, a truly fusion cooking style developed over centuries by Straits-born Chinese. Yet it is a role she has embraced. Seah was also one of the pioneers of private dining in Singapore, she says, when she opened Lynnette’s Kitchen at her home in the hip Tiong Bahru neighbourhood in 2014. Today, thanks in part to a government initiative to foster small,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2182999/inside-singapores-private-kitchens-where-chefs-share-their-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2182999/inside-singapores-private-kitchens-where-chefs-share-their-food?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jan 2019 04:30:45 +0000 When it comes to Singapore’s relationship with migrant workers, “it’s complicated”. Shivaji Das, who has organised this month’s two-day Global Migrant Festival, hopes Singaporeans will come away from the event with a deeper understanding of, and more compassion for, migrants and refugees and the issues they face. In Singapore, a million low-paid migrants contribute immeasurably to the country’s success. Das, an author and artistic director of the festival, is aware that migration is a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2177005/singapores-first-migrant-festival-can-it-foster-understanding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2177005/singapores-first-migrant-festival-can-it-foster-understanding?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Dec 2018 00:45:15 +0000 Many Asian cities could lay claim to the region’s culinary crown, be it Hong Kong, Bangkok or Tokyo. So the announcement, last month, that Singapore has been chosen to host the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2019 went down well in the city state. It will be the first time the prestigious event has been hosted in Asia. The line-up of the World’s 50 Best is decided by a panel of 1,000 food and beverage industry experts from around the globe, which in 2019 will, for the first time, have an equal... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2173077/how-singapore-can-claim-its-fine-dining-crown-hosting-worlds-50?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2173077/how-singapore-can-claim-its-fine-dining-crown-hosting-worlds-50?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:45:00 +0000 When Singapore announced it would nominate its food hawker culture to be included on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Malaysian foodies were up in arms. Celebrity chef Ismail Ahmad told English-language Malaysian newspaper The Star that Singapore’s food hawker culture lacked authenticity because it was confined within buildings, and described the hawker centres as “beautiful but tasteless”. George Town’s upmarket newcomers elevate Penang’s beloved... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2165842/singaporeans-explain-why-their-food-hawker-culture-merits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2165842/singaporeans-explain-why-their-food-hawker-culture-merits?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Sep 2018 00:45:30 +0000 Ask Singaporeans about their plans for National Day today and they may tell you they intend to head to the beach or that it’s just another day off work to relax. Three years ago, when the Southeast Asian republic turned 50, things were different. Large celebrations to mark the occasion were held on home soil and in overseas cities with sizeable Singaporean expatriate populations. Singapore bespoke tailor Kevin Seah’s must-go places in the Lion City In Melbourne, student association Singaporeans... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2158767/what-it-means-be-singaporean-lion-city-citizens-home-and-overseas-share?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2158767/what-it-means-be-singaporean-lion-city-citizens-home-and-overseas-share?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Aug 2018 00:45:00 +0000 As wacky as its title sounds, the big-screen adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s 2013 novel Crazy Rich Asians could not have come at a more appropriate time. Figures from research firm Wealth-X found that Asia’s billionaire population jumped by a third last year, showing that wealth is continuing to gravitate towards the region. The story satirises a stereotype of indulgent, wealthy Asians with comic exaggeration, portraying Singapore’s unfathomably rich in their elite social circles: from private... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2158202/what-singapores-real-crazy-rich-asians-spend-their-money-houses-they-buy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2158202/what-singapores-real-crazy-rich-asians-spend-their-money-houses-they-buy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Aug 2018 00:45:30 +0000 Singapore’s traditional ethnic neighbourhoods, including Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam, offer a look at the diversity of Asian cultures in a single city. However, the enclaves are under pressure as rent increases threaten to squeeze out traditional family businesses. That’s why Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has been working with members of these communities with a view to preserving both their commercial viability and the authentic heritage of the neighbourhoods. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2153591/how-singapore-can-renew-ethnic-neighbourhoods-without-losing-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2153591/how-singapore-can-renew-ethnic-neighbourhoods-without-losing-their?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jul 2018 00:46:00 +0000 There is no room for complacency in the modern workplace, and Singapore – one of Asia’s most competitive economies – should take note, industry leaders say, as artificial intelligence and automation transform the way companies operate. The fourth industrial revolution or “Industry 4.0”, as the digital makeover has come to be known, requires workers to master new skills ranging from using complex technology platforms to different ways of working and interacting with colleagues, in order for them... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2143239/what-industry-40-means-singapore-and-why-its-workers-must-upskill-and-lose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2143239/what-industry-40-means-singapore-and-why-its-workers-must-upskill-and-lose?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Apr 2018 00:30:15 +0000 In its 50-plus years as an independent nation, Singapore has earned a reputation for its free economy, efficient urban planning and diverse tourist attractions. Yet tight state control and a sanitised, highly engineered veneer leave some residents – indigenous and foreign alike – complaining that they are “bored” and find Singapore “unexciting”.  A recent Time Out City Life Index ranked Singapore second to last on a list of 32 of the “world’s most exciting cities”, ahead only of Istanbul... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2138200/find-singapore-boring-dig-little-deeper-and-you-might-be-surprised?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2138200/find-singapore-boring-dig-little-deeper-and-you-might-be-surprised?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Mar 2018 00:45:00 +0000 Is Singapore really one of the happiest countries in the world, along with Denmark and Costa Rica? That was the conclusion drawn by National Geographic magazine in a report published late last year, which reasoned that citizens of the three nations feel secure, have a strong sense of purpose, and enjoy minimal stress and optimal joy. In the report, The Blue Zones of Happiness, author Dan Buettner highlights each country’s distinct brand of happiness. Singapore, he writes, is in the top three... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2135730/reasons-be-happy-if-youre-singaporean-money-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2135730/reasons-be-happy-if-youre-singaporean-money-security?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Mar 2018 00:15:15 +0000 With the pressures of entering an elite university, working for a prestigious company and staying competitive in a fast-paced economy, volunteering hasn’t always been on top of the agenda for young Singaporeans. Yet many organisations in the city state aim to encourage citizens to become more involved in acts of kindness, not for the sake of it looking good on a résumé, but as a way of life and thinking. As a result there has been more volunteering in recent years, benefiting a range of causes,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2126520/volunteering-singapore-why-its-rise-and-groups-looking-add-sixth-c-caring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2126520/volunteering-singapore-why-its-rise-and-groups-looking-add-sixth-c-caring?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jan 2018 00:30:00 +0000 Gentrification is a double-edged sword. It can save a crumbling neighbourhoods from the wrecking ball, but at the risk of altering the social fabric, as trendy cafes, restaurants and shops move in and replace traditional businesses. Here are seven cities around the world where gentrification has revived run-down areas. Cape Town, South Africa In what was once a ramshackle suburb plagued with crack houses, Woodstock is now a thriving market neighbourhood centred around The Old Biscuit Mill. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2114658/seven-gentrified-cities-around-world-cape-town-beirut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2114658/seven-gentrified-cities-around-world-cape-town-beirut?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Oct 2017 04:30:15 +0000 Say the word “gentrification” and a number of clichés spring to mind: exotic restaurants with cuisine from far-flung places, hipster cafes rendered in minimalistic decor, bars serving craft beer – and the loss of character that defines a place. In Singapore, however, where modernisation moves at a rapid pace, gentrification has also given many old neighbourhoods a facelift, while leaving their traditional character intact. “It is only when more people begin to witness the underlying real estate... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2114557/why-singapores-insistence-culturally-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2114557/why-singapores-insistence-culturally-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Oct 2017 23:15:00 +0000