Author: Siti Zulaikha

We’ve seen the same faces during Singapore’s COVID-19 conferences over and over again. Most of the time we just sit back and eagerly listen to find out how much money we’re receiving or when this madness is coming to an end. Other times we overreact and enjoy a good laugh just because one of the panellists coughed on national television at one of the worst possible times. We watch, and we listen intensely, but for most of us, we don’t know who these people are. These 4th Generation leaders were put up to the test to challenge their abilities in…

The outside world seems very distant in the times of the circuit breaker. We miss our friends, extended families, and even our favourite celebrities who never failed to inject joy and entertainment into our lives. But communicating has taken a turn and it’s especially hard to get in touch with people you don’t know personally. Fortunately for us, with the Authentic Celebrity Experience (ACE), hearing from your Singaporean idols may no longer be an issue. ACE was established to create a unique new way for fans to interact with celebrities. They provide a new opportunity for connection which is especially…

Stephenie Meyer is one of the bestselling authors in the world. 12 years ago, she abandoned the manuscript of Twilight after an online leak. But after the dry spell that’s lasted for over a decade, she’s bringing amazing news to the myriads of Twilight fans across the globe. On 4th May, she released the delightful news that she’ll be publishing ‘Midnight Sun’—a retelling of her bestselling series from the vampire Edward Cullen’s perspective. Her site crashed when the announcement was made as her army of fans were extremely eager to find out what in the world was going on. The book…

Have you ever been stuck in a Zoom meeting while bored beyond your wildest imagination? Well, if you want to sneakily leave the chat without getting caught or hurting anybody’s feelings, then Marina Fujiwara has the invention that will resonate perfectly with you. In the video, she pauses for a moment before activating her invention. She stays still to stimulate how the video would be if she was lagging and presses a button labelled ’emergency escape’. Pressing the button results in a physical ‘loading sign’ popping up so that it’ll look as if her video is lagging for the people…

On 7 May 2020, Speaker of Parliament Mr Tan Chuan-Jin spoke from the sidelines of an event for migrant worker dorms with regards to the spread of COVID-19 amongst the dormitory community. He explained that the massive outbreak of COVID-19 amongst migrant workers in dormitories were not a result of the poor living conditions alone—even if these conditions are abysmal. He mentions that the highly contagious nature of the virus accompanied by large groups of people living in close quarters is what was most likely the cause for the spread. Mr Tan also emphasised that he was not “white-washing” the…

On 4 May 2020, Minister of Manpower Josephine Teo responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasised that their priority is to protect the livelihoods of Singaporeans, but the need to take care of our Migrant Workers is equally important. She shared that studies showed not all blocks or rooms are equally affected. Across different dormitories, the cases were linked through common work sites where workers would actively engage with one another. It was also found that the majority of the infected workers had mild symptoms and were only found positive due to active case finding.  This explains why the cases were…

On 27th April 2020, WhatsApp released a software update that enabled its users to video call up to 8 people at a single go. Now, they’re coming closer to allowing consumers to enjoy access to one account on multiple devices without the hassle of being logged out on another device. After almost a year of working on multi-device support, the beta version of WhatsApp has released a new feature to increase the mobility of the app. With its release, users can access their WhatsApp account from different devices without having to log out on the device it was initially connected…

Sometimes silence speaks volumes, and that’s precisely what this film did. $alary Day is a short film that captures and depicts a day in the life of a migrant worker in Singapore. The film features minimal dialogue but the message is strong. They bring attention to details that may seem mundane to the untrained eye and display the struggles that the migrant workers here in Singapore undergo due to their strenuous work schedules and low wages. The short film was directed and performed by R. Madhavan, who hails from Tamil Nadu, India. This is the first collaborative film between migrant…

Have you ever glanced past an IG story from of one of your favourite food stores and told yourself you’d order it later—but completely forgot? Well, I know I have. Lucky for us all, Instagram’s come up with the perfect solution for that. On Monday 27 April 2020, the widely used social media platform launched new tools to support local businesses in reaching out to their customers. Now, food businesses can share “Order Food” stickers on their IG stories and even add an action button to their profiles. The action button on their profiles is activated when the business adds…

Has WhatsApp been holding you back from calling your friend group because of it’s 4 user limit? Not to worry, they heard your feedback and this is no longer an issue. With COVID-19 taking the world by storm, people all around the world are spending more time on WhatsApp calls than ever before. They use it as a platform to connect with their friends and relatives while isolating but being able to group call only four people simply isn’t enough. So, users asked to be able to connect with more people at once, and WhatsApp delivered. In the latest update,…

Online communication has taken the world by storm due to COVID-19. We’re all cooped up in our homes dying of boredom trying to find the latest ways to hangout with our friends. Just like that, applications such as Zoom, Skype and Houseparty are being used more than ever before. Now, Facebook Messenger is joining in the game as the latest social media platform to offer mass video calls and accommodate to the needs of a quarantined world. Though they already offer the video chat function, Facebook is taking it a step further with this upgrade that enables users to create…

June 1st. That’s the date we’ve marked on our calendars and are desperately counting down to. Who would’ve thought the day would come where you’d miss your morning commute to work or school and miss holding your affordable lunches from your favourite Kopitiam so closely to your heart. As agonising as this reality is, it’s only right for the extension to be put in place as we don’t want an uprising of a second wave of infection. The sequel to a circuit breaker sounds like a nightmare that would frighten me beyond my wildest dreams, and I know no one…

Sometimes, people struggle with their identities and not all parents understand that. Lucky for Ruby, she’s got a supportive father, Jamie Alexander, that not only supports her transition but will go the extra mile to make her happy and keep her safe. When Ruby was 11 years old, Jamie had planned a trip where they’d visit a beach in Panama. Her daughter expressed that she wanted to wear a bikini and he was worried that she may feel hurt if her swimwear showed a bulge in its bikini bottom or that other people may call her out and bully her.…

We’ve all had our fair share of inconveniences as a result of COVID-19 but communication has become especially difficult for our friends in the deaf community. With that, the Thai government has unveiled special face masks specifically designed to enable easier interaction for our hearing-impaired friends. People who communicate using sign language read lips and facial movements to get the full message. However, with regular facemasks obscuring the lips, communication is limited and hindered. Hence, these special face masks were designed to overcome that issue as it comes with a small transparent window in the middle of the mask that…

It’s day 15 of the circuit breaker. If you’re not already suffering from cabin fever, chances are your symptoms will start showing soon enough. If the extension has you feeling down and disappointed wondering how you’re going to survive till 1st June at home, fret no further. Thankfully, with the help of online shopping, you can land your hands on essential oils that’ll seep your worries away. Even though you’re confined to the four walls within your room, your nose still has the power to decide where you want to be. Try out these six essential oils that’ll transcend yourself…