CNA938 Rewind - Getting to know the Seasoned Singapore Expat Women or SSEW
Play
In 'Made in SG' Melanie Oliveiro learns more about the online community Seasoned Singapore Expat Women or SSEW, a space where expatriate women - who have resided in Singapore for more than 3 years - interact with each other. Anju Cawthra, director of SSEW, will talk about its earlier days after its founding in 2017, and how members regularly engage in conversations, share information, and cultivate lifelong friendships. Jinny 'CJ' Kim, an SSEW member & supporter, will talk about the key experiences she's had since joining the community.
CNA938 Rewind - Discover the Power of the Mind at ArtScience Museum's 'Mirror, Mirror' and ArtScience Cinema
In 'Destination Anywhere', Melanie Oliveiro speaks to two ArtScience curators about immersive experiences and screenings that the public should check out at Marina Bay Sands' ArtScience Museum. Victoria Chua talks about 'Mirror Mirror: Journey Into the Mind', an 8-room immersive and interactive exhibition that explores the boundless creativity of the human mind. Jerome Chee talks about ArtScience Cinema's screenings including 'Video Diaries', a trio of short films by local filmmakers as well as the VR experience 'Nana Lou'
18 mins
CNA938 Rewind - vOilah! France Singapore Festival 2025: Celebrating French culture and 60 Years of France-Singapore Relations
In 'Culture Club' Melanie Oliveiro finds out what else is happening at the ongoing vOilah! France Singapore Festival 2025, which celebrates French arts and culture. Emilienne Baneth-Nouailhetas, the French Embassy in Singapore's Counsellor for Culture, Education and Science, will discuss what's new at this year's vOilah!. Linda Tay, senior director of Programming at Gardens by the Bay will highlight the 'Les Art in Nature' programme. Shridar Mani, co-artistic director and company manager of The Opera People will talk about 'Les Épopées' and 'Médée', to be staged at the Esplanade.
27 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Getting to know the Seasoned Singapore Expat Women or SSEW
In 'Made in SG' Melanie Oliveiro learns more about the online community Seasoned Singapore Expat Women or SSEW, a space where expatriate women - who have resided in Singapore for more than 3 years - interact with each other. Anju Cawthra, director of SSEW, will talk about its earlier days after its founding in 2017, and how members regularly engage in conversations, share information, and cultivate lifelong friendships. Jinny 'CJ' Kim, an SSEW member & supporter, will talk about the key experiences she's had since joining the community.
31 mins
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nylon
4 hours ago
- Nylon
Meet the top 15 finalists of Miss Universe Singapore 2025
Celebrating SG60 with stories of purpose, resilience, and beauty with impact; Miss Universe Singapore 2025 promises to be a memorable one featuring a diverse group of top 15 finalists, from healthcare and education to fashion, sports, and advocacy, with a shared dream to represent Singapore on the world stage. This year also marks the unveiling of The Lumina Orchid, a crown designed by NJS Gold to celebrate SG60. Inspired by Singapore's national flower, the Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim, the crown showcases delicate orchid motifs interwoven with arcs of radiant crystals, symbolising elegance, resilience, and the bright spirit of Singaporean women. Each petal on the crown catches light to reflect the many facets of confidence and grace, making it a wearable work of art. Here's a closer look at the top 15 finalists. [Click on images to expand. Images courtesy of Alex Chua Photography.] The grand Miss Universe Singapore Gala Finals will take place between late September and the first week of October, with the winner going on to represent Singapore at Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand in November. For more information, visit
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
China's Pop Mart, maker of the Labubu doll, says profit soars nearly 400% in first half
SHANGHAI: China's Pop Mart, which has taken the world by storm with its ugly-cute Labubu doll, reported a nearly 400 per cent first-half net profit on Tuesday (Aug 19) on high demand for the toys and a shift towards higher-margin overseas markets. Net profit of 396.5 per cent and a 204.4 per cent jump in revenues exceeded numbers flagged in an earnings preview last month, forecasting revenue growth of 200 per cent in the first half of 2025 and a recurring net profit increase of at least 350 per cent on the year. Shares in Pop Mart have risen more than 200 per cent year-to-date, making the Chinese toy company more valuable than traditional industry giants like Barbie-maker Mattel and Hello Kitty parent company Sanrio. Pop Mart often sells its collectable figurines in so-called "blind boxes" with buyers not knowing the exact design they will receive until they open the packaging. One of the major drivers of the toothy-grinned Labubu's success has been its popularity with celebrity fans, who include Lisa of K-pop group Blackpink, singer Rihanna and ex-football star David Beckham. Pop Mart is pledging to increase the supply of the dolls, which have sold out in stores around the world. Its CEO, Wang Ning, in an interview with Chinese state media last month, said sales of Labubu will surpass 10 million units per day from September this year. Pop Mart classifies Labubu under its The Monsters intellectual property (IP) characters. It said on Tuesday that The Monsters raked in 4.81 billion yuan (US$669.88 million) in the first half, accounting for 34.7 per cent of total revenue. Four other IPs earned over 1 billion yuan during the period, including Molly and Crybaby, it added. The company now has 571 stores - 40 of which it opened in the first half of this year - as well as 2,597 automated robot shops across 18 countries and regions, it added.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Americans search for love in Singapore on reality TV show
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Match Me Abroad 2 is showing on TLC (Singtel TV Channel 254) on Fridays at 9pm. SINGAPORE –For some baffling reason, two Americans have picked Singapore as the place in which they look for The One in the matchmaking reality show Match Me Abroad (2023 to present). Someone has somehow convinced the series' producers that the city-state is a world capital of romance. This, without a doubt, is the greatest marketing coup of all time. Season 2 hopeful Harold Davis, 43, comes from New Mexico. The nuclear energy engineer is an anime fan and, tragically, everything about him feeds into the stereotype of the white guy who takes refuge in the idea that, over here, his American average converts to an Asian awesome. Season 2 hopeful Harold Davis, 43, comes from New Mexico and works as a nuclear energy engineer. PHOTO: WBEI 'Singaporean women are beautiful and sexy. A lot of women over there love anime. It would be cool if we nerded out on the same things,' he says in an episode of Match Me Abroad 2 , which is showing on TLC (Singtel TV Channel 254) on Fridays at 9pm. He is not hiding the fact that he is looking for a 'waifu', but his honesty is endearing. The autism that makes him socially awkward has also made him sweetly vulnerable. Harold is not doing well on his dates. He tries so hard, which is heartbreaking. It is like seeing a little boy try out for the team only to be sent back by the coach. He and his first Singapore date, a teachers' trainer named Zi Hui (nicknamed Cheezy), go to a cat cafe, where they sketch and have drinks afterwards. Their conversation flows like molasses. He covers up the silence with overlong descriptions of his life, which makes it worse. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore What led to Changi Airport runway incident involving 2 China Eastern Airlines planes in Aug 2024 Singapore Fairprice apologises after woman finds worm in salmon bought from Bedok North outlet Singapore CPIB nabs 9 suspects for alleged match-fixing in national basketball league Singapore Live Singapore-raised seafood on sale at 3 Giant supermarkets from Aug 19 Singapore Singapore seals carbon credit deal with Thailand, its first South-east Asian partner Asia Singaporean man sentenced to 72 years' jail in Malaysia for murdering wife and stepson Singapore Court to assess if teen who advertised vapes for sale on WhatsApp can receive probation In a bid to achieve a breakthrough, like a desperate general gambling it all on a frontal attack, he asks to hold her hand. She agrees, reluctantly. 'Harold's hand was really clammy. It's not a nice feeling,' she says to the camera later. She ends the date by saying it is getting late – a classic move by someone who is not feeling it. His next date, Amber, takes him to a foodcourt, where she orders stewed pig ears. 'Try the one with the cartilage,' she tells him, not noticing that his first bite of the dish moments earlier had almost made him cry, and not in a good way. Unsurprisingly, the cartilage bits do not improve his opinion of the dish. To be fair to him, pig ears is advanced-level eating, even in Singapore. Amber and Harold get a second date, but I will not spoil the ending. Like Harold, Sarah Strain, 36, from Texas has a style all her own. The blonde jewellery designer has the doll-like look many will associate with the women on Fox News. She might be a 10 in Texas, but in Tampines, her look might be a bit much. 'Singapore men have it all going on. Singapore men are hot. They have a thick head of hair, they're masculine and a lot of them are very fit,' she says over a montage of Asian male models staring sultrily into the camera, as if viewers were tapping a live stream of her brain. Texan jewellery designer Sarah Strain, 36, has a style all her own. PHOTO: WBEI Singapore as a nexus of hot, manly men with great scalp health was news to me. Had she, like many Americans before her, confused Singapore with some place else? Was she having a 'Senator, I'm a Singaporean' moment? Then she cleared it all up. 'Give me Nick Young from Crazy Rich Asians any day. I'd be so happy.' The term Paris Syndrome was coined to describe Japanese tourists who arrive at the French capital hoping to see the bastion of culture and grace that books and movies have trained them to expect. Instead, they find pickpockets and rudeness, causing them to suffer breakdowns. This must be similar to the crushing disillusionment that comes after overseas fans of the hit 2018 romantic comedy movie get here, hoping to find a Henry Golding, but see only Ken Jeongs and Jimmy O. Yangs. At least we have a nice airport. On the show, Singapore matchmaker Dolly Chua has the job of selling Harold and Sarah to the locals. In her introduction, Ms Chua says 'because of Singapore's low birth rate, matchmaking is popular here'. One day, someone will dispel the idea that Singaporeans are like zoo pandas, unable to make offspring without a lot of outside intervention, but it will not be Ms Chua. She sensibly tries to get Sarah to tone down her look, but her client is not having it. 'I always do my make-up the same, unless it's night-time. Then, I do full glam,' says Sarah, hinting that when it gets dark, she transforms into her final form. It sounds vaguely sinister. Undeterred by the setback, Ms Chua matches her with an artist and beatboxer in his 30s named Freddy. He might be a troll, because he takes a fully primped Sarah to Geylang, the red-light district, where he has picked a frog porridge restaurant. That her make-up does not run down her face in rivers of sweat is a feat of modern chemistry. Sarah's face – or at least the parts of it that can still move – registers disgust. Nick Young would never feed frogs to Rachel Chu. The other participants on Match Me Abroad have travelled from the US to Brazil and Ireland. The American women are, for the most part, levitating with joy with the men they are matched with in those countries. The same cannot be said for Sarah in Singapore. Her post-date reaction makes for great TV. Like most reality programmes, Match Me Abroad is less about finding love and more about putting thumbscrews on participants and filming the meltdown. Freddy was mostly likely asked by producers to give her frog when Sarah wanted Prince Charming. Harold might yet get his dream crushed in later episodes, but part of me is hoping that this sweet man leaves Singapore with his Asian doll fantasies intact. He is just that likeable.
