Left: Volunteers, Krzysztof Urbanowicz
Hot: Helping the less fortunate
Not: Pretending to be less fortunate
The Singapore Island Country Club raised eyebrows with its “poverty simulation” classes for members, aimed at integrating the upper echelon with those living on the poverty line in a (poorly-named) workshop by a voluntary welfare organization. In a more heartening twist, the Singapore President’s Challenge reported a record number of 10,000 volunteers last year, a 10% increase from 2014.
Left: Linda Martin, seeks2dream
Hot: Otters
Not: Other creatures
Instagrammers have gone crazy over the birth of five new otter pups at Ang Mo Kio-Bishan Park recently. Alas, there is lots of anxiety among nature activists for some of Singapore’s other furry freatures, like the lesser mousedeer and the pangolin that stand to be disturbed when the MRT construction beings through MacRitchie.
Left: Chilanga Cement, Ivan Heng
Hot: Couples
Not: Gay couples
We’re still recovering from V-Day shenanigans, where the streets and the interwebs were both awash in love stuff. Straight love stuff, to be specific. An article over the weekend by Today, celebrating power couples in Singapore theater, neglected to include Cultural Medallion winner Ivan Heng and his husband Tony Trickett, even though the couple were initially interviewed for the story.
Hot: Female NS recruits
Not: Exemptions
Showing Singaporeans that National Service is not just a rite of passage for local boys, female recruits here have been reportedly doubled in 2014, with a total of 140 women signed on as regulars and 1,500 uniformed women in the army, navy and air force. While some locals are proud to have served in the army, others like Singaporean-New Zealand teen Brandon Smith is facing jail time and a fine if he chooses to defer NS.
