Culture

Culture • STORY OF THE DAY • 2 days ago • 8 min read

Analysis The importance and power of the arts during a global pandemic

By Ashley Tan • 2 days ago
Art is so often regarded as non-essential and frivolous, an indulgence reserved for times of ease and comfort. But for Singaporean student Ashley Tan, this global pandemic has highlighted the importance and centrality of the medium in all of our lives

Culture • STORY OF THE DAY • 5 days ago • 5 min read

Tales of the Pandemic Photos: Night-time cycle rides through locked down Singapore

By Toh Ee Ming • 5 days ago
Singapore's partial lockdown under "circuit breaker" mode has made the simple act of leaving the house a luxury for its citizens. For writer Toh Ee Ming, her long-ignored bicycle has become her lifeline, casting the city-state in a new light on her night-time rides

Culture • STORY OF THE DAY • 5 days ago • 3 min read

Myanmar cuisine ‘Little Chef’ charms Myanmar with lockdown cooking classes

By Lapyae Ko/AFP • 5 days ago
From boiled catfish soup to spicy fried frog, an eight-year-old in pyjamas and a chef's hat is delighting Myanmar with her culinary prowess in online classes to a nation still told to stay at home due to the coronavirus pandemic

Culture • May 19, 2020 • 6 min read
Art in Singapore

Discussing life, colonialism and migration with poet Theophilus Kwek

Ahead of the release of his upcoming book of poetry Moving House, award-winning Singaporean writer Theophilus Kwek sits down with the Globe to discuss the themes of colonialism, politics, racism and migration that all served as inspiration for his latest work
By Miriam Deprez

Culture • May 18, 2020 • 8 min read
Tales of the Pandemic

Reflecting on face masks as Vietnam enjoys Covid-19 ‘liberation’

Against the odds, Vietnam has become a global success story in combating Covid-19 as its started to open up once again. Hanoi resident Alex Sheal has been present for Vietnam's latest "liberation", and believes attitudes towards the humble face mask highlight the difference between his new home and the West
By Alex Sheal

Culture • May 18, 2020 • 5 min read
Tales of the Pandemic

A student’s perspective: What I learned from Singapore’s schools closing

Singapore is a country famous for having among the most rigorous education systems in the world. So when all its schools were shut in recent months as the pandemic took hold, student Charmaine Sew acquired a valuable life lesson of her own
By Charmaine Sew

Culture • May 12, 2020 • 4 min read
Social media

Facebook: The cause of and solution to Myanmar’s fake news problem?

Long closed off to the world, free engagement with the internet for Myanmar's citizens only began in the past decade. Today, media literacy remains low and fake news abounds on social media platforms like Facebook – but there are companies working to change that
By Kiana Duncan

Culture • May 11, 2020 • 5 min read
Tales of the Pandemic

Poetry from Singapore’s migrant worker dorms: ‘First Draft’

The conditions for 20,000 migrant workers in Singapore's migrant worker dormitories has made headlines in the city-state in recent weeks. Bangladeshi writer Zakir Hossain Khokan offers his insight in the form of a poem on life for those inside
By Zakir Hossain Khokan

Culture • May 07, 2020 • 16 min read
History

How to get away with murder in Thailand: The downing of flight CX700Z

On June 15, 1972, Cathay Pacific flight CX700Z tumbled out of the sky while flying over southern Vietnam, killing all 81 people on board. While the disaster officially remains unsolved, there was one clear suspect – Thai police officer Somchai Chaiyasut. Did he get away with mass murder?
By Andrew MacGregor Marshall

Culture • May 07, 2020 • 5 min read
History

On this day in 1954, victory at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu

When the Viet Minh forces captured the fortified French base at Dien Bien Phu on 07 May 1954, it was a spectacular victory. But ultimately, it would not end the fighting immediately or in the long term, with decades of war in Vietnam yet to come
By Walter Pearson

Culture • May 06, 2020 • 3 min read
Covid-19

Bangkok’s millionaires’ club enjoys lockdown luxury

While the majority of Thai citizens suffer with a lockdown that has crushed the economy, left millions unemployed and created lines for food donations, the kingdom's super-rich have not forgone luxury during the pandemic and are enjoying a VIP delivery experience
By Dene-Hern Chen / Agence France-Presse