Life Picks Ep 81: How children can create with art from home during Covid-19

13:23 mins

Synopsis: Every Thursday, find out about #StayHome lifestyle, entertainment and food choices during the Covid-19 period in Singapore now.

Host Ernest Luis chats with Ms Suenne Megan Tan, who is National Gallery Singapore's festival director and director of audience development and engagement.

National Gallery Singapore has launched its children's festival #SmallBigDreamersAtHome (June 1 - March 28 next year).

It is the second edition of the festival, which has gone online now during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is targeted at children aged six to 12, and their parents too.

Find out the aims, the initial reaction to the festival, and how children can engage with the interactive games at its microsite on National Gallery's website.

It is the first online festival here for children to play, learn and create with art.

More lifestyle #StayHome guides here at The Straits Times.

Produced by: Ernest Luis & ST Lifestyle desk

Edited by: Penelope Lee

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Bookmark This! Ep 15: Escape into these books

23:54 mins

Synopsis: A podcast by The Straits Times, where we talk about titles in the headlines and sizzling reads.

After nearly two months under circuit breaker, you may want to break free - so journalists Olivia Ho (right) and Toh Wen Li (far right) pick out some escapist reads for you in the latest episode of this Straits Times literary podcast, whether it is renowned author Dan Brown or feeling less miserable with Les Miserables.

Choose your own adventure in Intan Paramaditha's The Wandering, or flee a futuristic Singapore for new worlds in Judith Huang's Sofia And The Utopia Machine.

Listen at:

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: 1:10

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: 4:45

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emma Orczy: 8:37

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: 11:40

Sofia And The Utopia Machine by Judith Huang: 16:52

The Wandering by Intan Paramaditha: 20:58

Produced by: Olivia Ho, Toh Wen Li and Penelope Lee

Edited by: Penelope Lee

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#PopVultures Ep 27: Elon Musk & kooky celebrity baby names

26:20 mins

Synopsis: A podcast by The Straits Times that examines all the ins and outs of pop culture, be it Asian entertainment or Hollywood.

What do businessman Elon Musk, superstar Beyonce, socialite Kim Kardashian and chef Jamie Oliver have in common?

Other than being celebrities, these parents have also cooked up some of the kookiest children names over the years.

In this episode, the #PopVultures stroll down the name hall of fame and peek at some of the world's most (in)famous baby monikers, from X Æ A-12 and North West to Blue Ivy and Petal Blossom Rainbow.

Hosts Jan Lee and Yeo Sam Jo discuss the inspiration behind some of these esoteric names and wonder: What makes a creative moniker go from catchy to cringeworthy? And what happens when these kids with saccharine names go to school and enter the workforce?

Is naming your child after a DC superhero, a titular Shakespeare character or a luxury hotel always a good thing? Or will Nicolas Cage, Jay Chou and Jack Neo's children find themselves with extremely big shoes that they may not wish to fill?

Join the #PopVultures for this light-hearted commentary that involves quirky names, questionable wordplay and a quintessential Missy Elliot quote (stay tuned till the end).

Produced by: Jan Lee & Yeo Sam Jo

Edited by: Penelope Lee

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Lifestyle Picks Ep 80: Singapore ukulele prodigy wins international title; free SG uke livestreams

14:38 mins

Synopsis: Every Thursday, find out about #StayHome lifestyle, entertainment and food choices during the Covid-19 circuit breaker period in Singapore now.

For our #StayHome edition, host Ernest Luis speaks remotely with special guests - Evan De Silva, a 15-year-old student at School of the Arts Singapore, and ukulele artiste and instructor Alan Soo.

We talk about Evan's recent win on May 10 for the 8th Thailand International Ukulele Contest 2020 - where he was judged the overall winner and also, the best instrumental player. (1:04)

For our podcast, the self-taught Evan also plays on the spot, his winning and original composition Stallion - a stunning show of lightning-quick strumming bursts and tender harmonic notes. (1:37)

Held online and remotely, this title is Evan's biggest win so far in his budding ukulele journey since he picked up the instrument at the age of 8. He talks about how he composes instrumentals (4:42), how his parents don't push him for success (6:20) and how he basically does everything by himself.

Evan is showing signs of being one of Singapore's biggest teenage stars when it comes to the loveable small Hawaiian instrument - alongside the likes of Thailand's Sydney Uke and China's internationally acclaimed Feng E. (8:00)

Mr Soo then talks to us about why the ukulele has a growing appeal among young and old alike in Singapore. (8:48)

He tells us how to discover free ukulele livestreams every week in Singapore and an upcoming Ukulele Movement open mic held via the Zoom conferencing app on May 30 (7.30pm till 9.30pm). (11:00)

Registration is free.

More lifestyle #StayHome guides here at The Straits Times.

Produced by: Ernest Luis & ST Lifestyle desk

Edited by: Penelope Lee

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Lifestyle Picks Ep 79: Discover Singapore's diverse arts practitioners from comfort of home

5:42 mins

Synopsis: Every Thursday, find out about #StayHome lifestyle, entertainment and food choices during the Covid-19 circuit breaker period in Singapore now.

For our #StayHome edition, host Ernest Luis speaks remotely with ST journalist Prisca Ang.

They discuss From The Living Room, a new online series commissioned by the National Arts Council (NAC), which runs until June 20.

The series is part of NAC's #SGCultureAnywhere campaign, which brings together an array of Singapore arts offerings on one digital platform - hosted on the A-List.Sg website and also streamed every weeknight at 8pm on NAC's Facebook page. 

Find out how many artists and groups will be featured for each half-hour performance as theatre practitioners such as Janice Koh, Jo Tan, Pamela Oei host and interview the performers. 

For a start, what acts can we expect today (May 14) and tomorrow?

More lifestyle #StayHome guides here at The Straits Times.

Produced by: Ernest Luis & ST Lifestyle desk

Edited by: Adam Azlee

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Lifestyle Picks Ep 78 (#StayHome edition): Listen to Spotify Singapore music playlists; get bubble tea delivered home

13:26 mins

Synopsis: Every Thursday, find out about #StayHome lifestyle, entertainment and food choices during the Covid-19 circuit breaker period in Singapore now.

For our #StayHome edition, host Ernest Luis speaks remotely with ST's music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi and food correspondent Eunice Quek: 

1. Music streaming app Spotify has made it easier for listeners to discover new Singapore-made pop music as well as revisit old favourites with its refreshed and new playlists called Rising 65, Garden Essentials and the intriguing Causeway Trends (0:48)

2. Find out about The Purple Symphony Ensemble, an inclusive Singaporean orchestra made up of 15 musicians with and without special needs (4:58)

3. Also, what could future concerts look like? Will there be a mix of live venues with crowd restrictions and the rest as paying fans logging on from home? (6:00)

4. How can Singaporeans now get their bubble tea fix safely at home during this circuit breaker period? Find out how bubble tea chains have teamed up with eateries to offer the drinks through their delivery services (8:08)

5. Why many people are excited about the pairing between Koi bubble tea and online restaurant Grain, as they extend their reach from the east to the west (9:50)

More lifestyle #StayHome guides here at The Straits Times: 

Produced by: Ernest Luis & ST Lifestyle desk

Edited by: Adam Azlee

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#PopVultures Ep 26: Show Lo and Grace Chow's ugly break-up - will the Show be able to go on? 

31:48 mins

Synopsis: A podcast by The Straits Times that examines all the ins and outs of pop culture, be it Asian entertainment or Hollywood.

This week the #PopVultures dive into the hottest topic in Mandarin entertainment right now - the ugly break-up of Taiwanese pop star Show Lo and his Chinese influencer ex-girlfriend Grace Chow.

The #savage Chow exposed Lo's many infidelities over the course of their nine-year relationship, accusing him of improper relations with several women and even implied Lo regularly held sex parties with his friends. In the fallout, Lo and one of Lo's rumoured sex partners Linda Chien Kai-le have formally apologised to Chow - but is it enough?

The #PopVultures give a recap of how the saga went down and talk a little bit about Lo's reputation in the industry before this news and dissect how the scandal was handled on both Chow and Lo's part.

Finally, they give their thoughts on whether Lo can rebound from what looks to be the biggest crisis in his career and reflect on how the public has reacted to Lo's fall from grace (pun intended). 

Produced by: Jan Lee & Yeo Sam Jo

Edited by: Penelope Lee

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#PopVultures Ep 25: Celebrity couples with large age gaps - creepy or true love?

32:42 mins

Synopsis: A podcast by The Straits Times that examines all the ins and outs of pop culture, be it Asian entertainment or Hollywood.

This week, following the news of South Korean star So Ji-Sub, 42, and his marriage to a 26-year-old former TV presenter, the #PopVultures dive into celebrity relationships with large age gaps.

They talk stars like Jay Chou, Mariah Carey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Elva Hsiao and even director Woody Allen and disgraced singer R. Kelly. While some of these stars found love with partners very much younger than them - others have been accused of predatory behaviour.

The #PopVultures talk about how our views on celebrity relationships reflect societal ideals and share their own feelings. When does a large age gap become disturbing?

Produced by: Jan Lee & Yeo Sam Jo

Edited by: Penelope Lee

Follow more #PopVultures podcasts on:

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Thank you for your support! ST and BT Podcasts picked up a silver medal for Best Digital Project to engage younger and/or millennial audiences at 2019 Asian Digital Media Awards by Wan-Ifra: https://str.sg/Jw5T

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Bookmark This! Ep 14: Pandemic novels for stay-home reading

31:29 mins

Synopsis: A podcast by The Straits Times, where we talk about titles in the headlines and sizzling reads.

Bored out of your mind while staying at home during the coronavirus circuit breaker? In the latest episode of this Straits Times literary podcast, journalists Olivia Ho and Toh Wen Li pick out some pandemic novels that may resonate with you, from Albert Camus’s seminal The Plague to Emily St John Mandel’s post-apocalyptic Station Eleven, as well as books by Singaporean authors Danielle Lim and Thea Lim. 

0:55 The Plague by Albert Camus

6:33 Severance by Ling Ma

13:51 Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

17:44 An Ocean Of Minutes by Thea Lim21:03 Trafalgar Sunrise by Danielle Lim

24:50 Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel 

Produced by: Olivia Ho, Toh Wen Li and Penelope Lee

Edited by: Penelope Lee

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Thank you for your support! ST & BT Podcasts picked up a silver medal for Best Digital Project to engage younger and/or millennial audiences at 2019 Asian Digital Media Awards by Wan-Ifra: https://str.sg/Jw5T 

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Discover more ST podcast series:

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Life Weekend Picks Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa2

#PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad

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#PopVultures Ep 24: Cardi B's coronavirus rant, Gal Gadot's cringy Imagine, JJ Lin's free concert and more

24:59 mins

Synopsis: A podcast by The Straits Times that examines all the ins and outs of pop culture, be it Asian entertainment or Hollywood.

With people spending more time at home because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the #PopVultures round up some of the best and worst celebrity moments on social media.

Was Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot's rendition of John Lennon's Imagine tone deaf in more ways than one? How did American rapper Cardi B's famous "corona-VIRUS" rant enter the Billboard charts? Are British diver Tom Daley's shirtless home workouts the thirst trap that everyone needs?

Host Jan Lee and Yeo Sam Jo also review some of the online concerts that have sprung up lately - from JJ Lin's live birthday fan meet to the iHeart Living Room Concert For America starring the likes of Mariah Carey, the Backstreet Boys and Billie Eilish.

Finally, the #PopVultures recommend some entertainment to combat cabin fever and boredom: From TikTok dance challenges and true crime documentaries like Tiger King to digital drag shows and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.

Produced by: Jan Lee & Yeo Sam Jo

Edited by: Adam Azlee

Follow more #PopVultures podcasts on:

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Feedback to: [email protected]

Thank you for your support! ST and BT Podcasts picked up a silver medal for Best Digital Project to engage younger and/or millennial audiences at 2019 Asian Digital Media Awards by Wan-Ifra: https://str.sg/Jw5T

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.