Author: Matthew Leu

Chinese New Year is upon us! And if you think the new year is going to usher in miracles, keep wishing. While I don’t have a list of magical stones and red things that could possibly shower you with extra luck, I do have a guide. A guide to getting through the festivities (relatively) unscathed. Buckle up, because it’s going to get rough and you best be prepare to take one whatever awaits you in wilderness — I mean houses. —The Eve— 1. Lou So Hard Not one to be superstitious, I don’t actually believe that throwing food up in the…

I’m not spiritual, or at least that’s what I tell myself. If I ever forget, I’m sure friends and family will remind me of my lack of spirituality. However, you don’t have to be spiritual or even religious to appreciate Bukit Brown Cemetery’s beauty. No, I’m not mixing up my choice of words. This eerie plot of real estate for the departed is home to beauty that is perhaps, a little bit unconventional. Who’d want to walk around a cemetery where death is the status quo. However, the final resting places of the deceased aren’t so final after all. The life and…

Picking up a paint brush or pencil isn’t all there is to art. Defined as “creative activity”, it includes anything from doodling to cooking, music, photography, and everything in-between. These activities aren’t just for the rebels that loathe the rigid local school system (hi-five). So, think out of the box, do away from the norm and scroll down the list to tap into your inner creative. 1. Cut And Stitch Leather Work With Stone For Gold The smell of leather, is just as good as the smell of a new book. Stop splurging hundreds on wallets and other pieces of leather-craft and learn…

If you haven’t already heard of the brick-and-motar Kickstarter shop We The People Store at Somerset, check them out at their Chinese New Year pop up store! Happening from 2 – 12 February 2017 at Millenia Walk, it’s a great chance to touch and feel Kickstarter products — before buying them. Teaming up with the Korean fashion brand SOOZIP, expect to see a whole lot of handmade designer goods from the land of k-pop and kimchi. So if you’re looking to snag some nifty, quirky gadgets or stock up on some handmade Korean goods for the Year of The Rooster be sure to — (pun intended) pop…

Once a year, Night Lights the crowd favourite component of the Singapore Night Festival draws us to the arts and heritage district (Bras Basah and Bugis) like moths to a flame. In 2017, as always you can expect installations that are any less captivating than the past years. Wouldn’t it be great to be part of it all? And, I don’t mean the queuing and literally rubbing shoulders with everyone else in the crowd. But, seeing your works and talents pay off as part of a contributor. The Singapore Night Festival 2017 has issued an Open Call! Inviting all Singaporean citizens and PR students,…

  Running Guild are the folks behind some of the most intense (and fun) running events in Singapore. They’re the nutters behind the Craze Ultra 100 Miles (160.9km). However, on 21 January 2017 prepare for an event that definitely deserves it’s name. Besides dubbing it the Craze Ultra 80km Fun Run, these running addicts have made the entire event free for everyone and anyone. This is one Saturday run that you’d think twice about bringing your whole family along. Or would you? And what’s the catch you say? No matter where your sense of humour and morals, or lack thereof lie, you’re expected…

Forget the beer run, the Teh Tarik Run 2017 is upon us! Come 9 April 2017, down teh tarik (pulled tea) and put on your afterburners because there’s nothing to it but to do it. With the Early Bird Price ($28), it’ll be hard for other marathons to beat this locally geared running event. Should you join? Quit dragging your feet, the total mileage of the run is only 4km. To make the deal even sweeter, it’ll be a 4 x 1 KM relay, and comes with an invigorating tik gong or cup of teh tarik to have you powering through each leg. Cups of deep aromatic tea with…

Mount Huashan — the most dangerous and terrifying trek in the world. This is one mountain trail not for the the faint-hearted. Comprising of five peaks, the most notorious peak at 2155m above sea level is in the South known as Luoyan Feng (落雁峰) or Landing Wild Goose Peak. While there is a gondola service that brings people to the summit… why bother? Where’s the satisfaction in trekking if you’re not going to work for it. The trek to Landing Wild Goose Peak seems precarious to say the least. With long stretches spent shimmying a sheer cliff face via a boardwalk of planks held…

We’ve heard the incessant bemoaning of having nothing to do, read the angsty social media posts about Singapore having nothing to do. Well, get off your chair and away from your desk and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find a whole list of sports to get into, not matter how much of a beginner you are. We’ve put together a list of where you can pick up a new sport in Singapore. But, are you game? 1. Second Wind Academy – Triathlon A triathlon consists of swimming, cycling and running, perhaps you curse and swear at the sight of cyclists on…

Tyler Durden made it clear that the first rule of fight club was not to talk about fight club. But, I’m about to break it. Nonetheless, we’re still going to reveal the gyms that’ll teach you art of the mixed martial arts (MMA), which combines striking, grappling and an array of martial art styles. The Swiss Army knife of combat sports if you will. Scattered from the furthest corners of this island to the CBD area that is peppered with gyms catering to office workers looking to hit something, besides their colleagues and bosses.  However, only gyms that teach a variety…

If picking out a book at a store could be compared to going on a date, then Books Actually’s vending machine mystery books ($19) are like hitting up a blind date off the internet. Fast paced and fuss free for the busy Singaporean. Oh what an exciting time to be a reader! Woody, earthy and even sweet, nothing quite compares to the smell of new book. I’ll proudly admit to smelling and spending extended periods of time analysing the choice of paper and covers. But, you may be wondering what a blind date with a book is like, or how it even…

The festive season is upon us and Christmas demands everyone to participate in gift exchanges. The gift you give and the one you’re soon to receive aren’t dependent on your behaviour throughout the year, even if you’ve been naughty or nice. With this list you won’t go down as “that person who gives terrible gifts”, allowing you to enjoy another year surrounded by friends and family, without getting judged for your lack of taste. What’s better than not being a social reject? Here are 12 last minute gift ideas to save your skin: 1. The Go To Basic Uniqlo T-shirts…

Limited Edt — curators and purveyors of some of the most sought after sneakers in town are spreading the Christmas cheer with their Festive Promotion. The season for sharing is here, so here you go! Naughty or nice, tis’ the season to cop a new pair of kicks or two. One for Christmas and the other to take 2017 on in style, don’t think too much about it, you deserve it. Limited Edt Festive Season Promo for December Simply purchase a regular priced footwear and enjoy 30% off your 2nd pair. *Second item purchased must be of a lower value than the regular…

Desk bound warriors of corporate machines, it’s time to get loose. Dr.stretch is for anyone who finds themselves sitting, or hunched over on their phones way too much. That’s just about everyone. With an ongoing free 20-minute trial for anyone who walks through their doors, experience it yourself before parting way with your hard earned money. Beats just taking our word for it. But, read on for our thoughts. This Isn’t A Massage Right off the bat the trainers at Dr.stretch want you to know that this isn’t a spa. There’s no mellow “ambient rainforest” playlist, segregated rooms or scented candles burning.…

The unmistakable buzz of tattoo machines fill the parlours that whose artists wield the tattoo guns that mark their clientele. However, the art of tattooing existed before electricity, its roots more than skin deep, tracing back to cultures and beliefs since Neolithic times. Modern tattoo machines puncture the skin anywhere from 50 to 3000 times per minute. Hand-poked tattoos however, dial it back, like all the way back. While the speed of hand-poked tattoos won’t ever match up to that of a machine, the process is more intimate and by no means limited to lines and geometric pieces. The only…