Author: Charis Vera N.

Actress, Singer-songwriter and Writer. Enjoys trying out keto-adapted recipes while rockin' out to Patti Page in the kitchen. Currently also obsessed with creating a completely allergen-free dinner menu for her galpal.

Already thinking about what you can do for the September Holidays 2017? Well start packing a picnic basket and practicing your favourite Disney songs, because 9 September 2017 is going to be a Saturday where dreams come true. From 5.30pm to 6.30pm at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, West Symphonia from ITE College West will be bringing you to a whole new world. Bask in the tranquility of the surrounding nature, and let the Disney medleys bring you back to a time where all we needed was a little faith, trust and pixie dust. Performing at various places from Victoria Theatre Concert…

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Got anything planned for 1 September 2017? Well now you do. Singapore’s favourite theatre company, Pangdemonium, that brought you top productions such as Pillowman, Rent, Spring Awakening and Next To Normal is holding a one night only fundraising concert with heaven’s personal choir. Featuring well-loved homegrown talents such as Nathan Hartono, Benjamin Kheng, Inch Chua, Andrew Mark O and Tabitha Nauser, the funds raised from ticket sales to The Jam will enable Pangdemonium Productions to live up to its motto of making ass-kicking adventures in theatre and continue creating heartfelt and educational pieces that touch each of us. Helmed by husband and wife…

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The scariest thing about abusive situations is that sometimes, we don’t realise we’re caught in one until we’re struggling to get out. Even then, we chide ourselves for being dramatic, and think that no one would believe us if we tried to talk. Here are the abuse stories of five Singaporean individuals, male and female. Most, unfortunately, may not even be of legal age at the time this is published. They could be the girl beside you on the bus, that boy who keeps falling asleep in your lecture hall, your cousin or even your little sister. I ask that…

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This 2 September 2017, 3.30pm, grab your guns, your machete and a snack because, the single moment you’ve been preparing for since the world threatened to end in 2012, is now here. It’s the Zombie Apocalypse. (Cue dark and foreboding music) In a not-so-distant past, St. John’s Island was known as Pulau Sakijang Bendera. Starting first as a place that held patients with infectious diseases, the island was then used to hold prisoners of political warfare and the heads of secret societies. Not everyone left the island alive. For 13 hours, on Singapore’s St. John’s Island, you will be left to fend for…

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Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD) is holding their next adoption drive on Sunday, 6 August 2017 at The Singapore Polo Club! The adoption drive will have puppies as young as three months old to much older. Some are puppies that have just been found, and others might be young dogs in foster care who are in need of re-homing. In May 2014, Save Our Street Dogs also joined a special initiative called Project ADORE. This allows for bigger dogs of the Singapore Special variety to live in HDB flats. Project ADORE includes compulsory basic obedience training carried out by AVA-accredited trainers. This way,…

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Horses are mirrors – showing you things about yourself before you even realise it. Which is why, although less common in Singapore, Equine-Assisted Therapy is so beneficial in so many ways. Officially launched in September 2016, Therapeutic And Educational Riding In Singapore (THERIS) was conceptualised out of a love for the intimate relationships that develop between horse and individual. As Singapore’s first and only privately-owned equine-assisted therapy option, we chat with the brains and beauty behind THERIS, and delve into how it is “More Than Just A Ride”. Meet The Founder Hong Kong-born and Singapore-raised Jessamine Ihrcke Dorsey (Jessie) is…

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Ballet-inspired barre workouts have been around for some time, and are a huge hit, especially in Hollywood. Fortunately for those in Singapore, we can also barre at WeBarre! I’m sure some of us regret not putting up with ridiculous tutus and sticking out ballet classes. Fast forward 15 years, and we watch in awe and envy as those who continued, are now the embodiment of graceful beauty and executing perfect pirouettes to thunderous applause. Well, while we might be (extremely) far away from doing a perfect pirouette, that gorgeous sculpted Misty Copeland-esque ballerina bod might be more achievable now. And this time, we…

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Anton Chekhov is largely taught around the world as a stalwart of dramatic literature. Having found certain nuances in Chekhov’s plays that were missing, the Singaporean Collective 5toMidnight began a word-for-word translation from the original texts that were first written in Russian. 5toMidnight has thus conceptualised The Chekhov Cycle, taking on the massive and daunting task of staging Chekhov pieces in Singapore. It is built to culminate as a 24-hour marathon of Chekhov’s major plays, with five full pieces going back to back. Starting first, with Ivanov. In their newly adapted version of the Russian classic, Ivanov, 5toMidnight chose to work…

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Mark 23 July 2017 in your calendars because RDA will be holding an Open House Carnival offering exciting activities including food, games, crafts and rides on adorable ponies! For 35 years, the Riding For The Disabled Association (RDA) Singapore has benefited more than 6000 children and adults, through horse-assisted therapeutic riding. If you’re wondering how riding a pony helps someone with disabilities, now you can find out. The RDA Open House Carnival is a fundraising initiative for the organisation. Carnival coupons ($10) are available at the door and can be used for purchases, games, arts & craft, and even the pony rides. However, do…

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The team behind Same But Different has been gearing up for their big launch happening next weekend. The 150-page legal guidebook is due for release this 8 July 2017, and will be available to the public as an online version. Since November 2015, the team of lawyers, academics and law students have been working tirelessly to put this book together. Aimed at offering legal insight to families and couples in the Singaporean LGBT community, the guide is also written in a way that allows easy digestion of the information for the reader. If you would prefer to hold the book in your hands, hang…

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Faced with overwhelming backlash from both local and international Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Queer (LGBTQ) communities, Malaysia’s Ministry Of Health has recently removed the category of Gender Confusion from its online video competition. Well, better late than never, right? Alongside banner ads with taglines like “Ignorance Is The Ultimate Disability”, the contest, launched in June 2017, had asked for video entries that would educate the public on the consequences of homosexuality. Scrambling to do some damage control, the Deputy Director-General Of Health had insisted that creating any discrimination was unintentional. Unintentional or not, it certainly did nothing to help the increasing…

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We’ve all heard about our non-Singaporean friends and family needing to sit out of Pink Dot 2017. But please don’t sit out too far away, because the Freedom2Love Pub Crawl 2017 is open to everyone and anyone who believes in love! Coinciding with The Singapore Pink Dot 2017, this afterparty kicks off at 7.30pm, starting at the Fat Pigeon statue in Raffles Place (Raffles Place MRT, Exit G). You’ll be hitting up four LGBTQ – friendly bars and one club, all offering exclusive promotions, including free shots! Standard tickets ($25) include a free shot at every bar, exclusive one-for-one drinks, extended Happy Hours…

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