Life

He suffered two head injuries and failed in almost anything he tried to achieve, until he discovered his super powers Jim Kwik, today a sought-after brain trainer for companies such as Nike and Zappos, started his life with a real challenge. At the age of five, Kwik tripped and fell at school while climbing a

Do you have a favourite memory of your grandparents, particularly as a child? One of the best times of my childhood was our family trips to Johor, Malaysia to visit my grandparents. Because I knew that once I got there, I would be spoiled rotten. My grandfather or ‘Ah Gong’ would make trips to the

NEW YORK—Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma is so dedicated to the Children’s Orchestra Society that when she went into labour, the natural thing for her to do was to carry on with the music lesson. She coped with her sharp pregnancy pangs by taking frequent bathroom breaks to huff and puff. The orchestra needed a cellist, and

Park Chul-Hwan is a famous still-life painter, with a Master of Painting from Hongik University Graduate School of Fine Arts in Seoul, Korea. The Korean artist has held 42 Solo Exhibitions in Seoul, Tokyo, China, Switzerland, Venezuela and New York. Park’s 1st Solo Art Exhibition in Singapore was held from July 4-15 this year, which

In the Confucian classic The Golden Mean, it is said that “the mandate of heaven is called nature; to follow nature is called the Dao”. In ancient China, farmers got up to work at sunrise and retired at sunset; they also took a rest during rainy days, reading poetry and literature. In modern times, we

Two years ago, at her final press conference here on 23 September 2013, Aung San Suu Kyi mentioned that Burma could look to Singapore as a model. “A lot of Burmese look to Singapore when they think of economic reforms in our country because they see the success of Singapore, and many of our young people

Breath in. Breath out. Is it that simple to get rid of stress? It’s amazing how much your average worker repeats the “Monday Blues” mantra, while taking every chance they can get to splurge on therapies of the retail, food or travel kind. And small wonder. In 2012, a poll taken by the Health Promotion

For the unaware, the beaded patterns hanging in wooden frames in Robert Sng’s Little Shophouse might seem nothing more than pretty craft displays.In actual fact, those intricate pieces are designs to be made into a famous part of the Peranakan iconography – the kasut manek (beaded shoes). No traditional Peranakan sarong kebaya is finished without

By Vibrant Dot Staff Ben, 24, recalled spending much of his adolescence at Portland Place, London, near the BBC’s headquarters and Royal Institute of British Architects. Together with his mum, he endured some of harshest winters as they held silent vigil, everyday, round the clock, opposite the Embassy of China. Joined by volunteers comprising retirees,

“My idea is this: I can’t save a generation of people now, but if one of the children becomes a significant person, more lives can be changed.” – Linus Lin, founder of Global Village for Hope On December 21, 2012, he didn’t expect the new Mayan calendar to bring about a new era for him. But

As the music ensemble begins to play, a transformation comes over the voluble and energetic Lim Ming Yi, an administrative manager and principal musician of Siong Leng Musical Association. Seated in the centre with a wooden clapper, her bearing is sombre as she sings the nanyin vocal piece ‘Nostalgia’. “I am very bubbly now, but

One of the advantages of government support for arts and culture is its limitless potential to spur sustainable development and create job opportunities. Imagine there wasn’t an interest in art in Europe during the Renaissance. Would Europe still be what it is today? Suppose there is no ‘David’ – the Renaissance masterpiece by Michelangelo in

“I think a well-developed arts and culture scene is an indicator that a society is liveable, and probably makes the country more attractive for foreign investors.” – Jane (pseudonym), a Singaporean arts enthusiast For millennials, the arts have served as a moral compass for mankind, enabling it to discern beauty from baseness and righteousness from evil.

(WATCH: Keeping Traditions Alive! – Eng Tiang Huat, Singapore) To Jeffrey, all this effort and respect is what artisanal work is about. It is a reflection of how things were done in the old days, and though it might not be the most efficient or profitable, it is certainly the most sincere. Tucked away along Geylang

“I strongly believe that, in a developed country, technology and the arts share a symbiotic relationship, where the two complement each other.” –  Mr Nelson Kwei, premier choral director. “Currently, there is a lack of emphasis on arts education in our local education system,” stressed premier choral director, Mr Nelson Kwei. Part of the problem, he explained,

“I always believe that our consciousness is connected to something larger, maybe the universe.” – Dr John Sharpley, international composer and pianist Awakening Consciousness Dr John Sharpley’s compositions sound vast and expansive, just like the universe. When he composes, the extraordinary sounds of the universe – which he had once heard from his phenomenal out-of-body experience –

Studies show that culture appreciation can enhance one’s mental health, including relieving stress, lowering one’s risk of anxiety and depression, and preventing memory loss. “Man does not live by bread alone. We do wish for the finer things in life, to appreciate beauty, love and something uplifting for the spirit,” said Prime Minister Lee Hsien