Book review: Carissa Foo's Almost A Love Story is more literary than lusty
Fiction/Epigram Books/Paperback/233 pages/$20.90
The qualifier 'Almost' in the title is fair warning that this is not your average romance. Singaporean author Carissa Foo's fourth novel offers a meta, nested narrative that is more literary than lusty.
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Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
The Straits Times Weekly Bestsellers July 26
(From left) Singaporean writer Jemimah Wei's debut novel The Original Daughter, I Am Not Good Enough by Ismail Gafoor and Low Shi Ping, The Day I Forgot My Flag by Neil Johnson, illustrated by Vincent Lee. Fiction: Singaporean writer Jemimah Wei's debut novel The Original Daughter. PHOTO: WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON 1. (2) The Passengers On The Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa; translated by Allison Markin Powell 2. (1) The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei 3. (-) Strange Pictures by Uketsu; translated by Jim Rion 4. (5) What God Took Your Legs Away by Wahid Al Mamun 5. (7) Strange Houses by Uketsu; translated by Jim Rion 6. (-) The Dilemmas Of Working Women by Fumio Yamamoto; translated by Brian Bergstrom 7. (-) Homesick by nor 8. (-) The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 9. (9) The Wizard's Bakery by Gu Byeong-mo; translated by Jamie Chang 10. (-) Maybe This Is Love: A Novel by Maria Mahat Non-fiction: I Am Not Good Enough by Ismail Gafoor and Low Shi Ping. PHOTO: FOCUS PUBLISHING 1. (-) I Am Not Good Enough by Ismail Gafoor and Low Shi Ping 2. (1) Why Palestine? Reflections From Singapore by Walid Jumblatt Abdullah 3. (2) Elevate Your Assets, Elevate Your Wealth by Kelvin Fong 4. (-) The First Fools: B-Sides Of Lee Kuan Yew's A-Team edited by Peh Shing Huei 5. (-) The Psychology Of Money by Morgan Housel 6. (-) Revenge Of The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell 7. (7) How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle by Ray Dalio 8. (-) From Beirut To Jerusalem: 40th Anniversary Edition by Dr Ang Swee Chai 9. (-) My Father Is Police Lah! by Rowena Hawkins 10. (-) The Last Fools: The Eight Immortals Of Lee Kuan Yew edited by Peh Shing Huei Children's: The Day I Forgot My Flag by Neil Johnson, illustrated by Vincent Lee. PHOTO: EPIGRAM BOOKS 1. (1) The Day I Forgot My Flag by Neil Johnson, illustrated by Vincent Lee 2. (9) Never Thought I'd End Up Here by Ann Liang 3. (4) The World's Worst Superheroes by David Walliams 4. (6) Percy Jackson And The Olympians: Wrath Of The Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan 5. (8) How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell 6. (-) Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 7. (-) A Good Girl's Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson 8. (-) We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han 9. (3) Big Jim Begins (Dog Man 13) by Dav Pilkey 10. (-) Powerless by Lauren Roberts
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
Pics or it didn't happen: Why young couples in Singapore are hiring wedding content creators
SINGAPORE – Weddings in Singapore are not cheap. Often, these blowout celebrations consist of a standard litany of extravagances: hotel ballroom, garden solemnisation, rose-gold flower arch, thousand-dollar gown, dual-wielding photographer alternating between two cameras. But wait. Those soft-light, low-saturation photographs will take months to arrive. And the video, filmed over the course of the day by a professional? Too landscape, too lon g and too formal. Enter the wedding content creator. He or she sticks to you like another bridesmaid or groomsman, films almost exclusively on the iPhone and, most importantly, gets everything to you within 24 hours. After all, if it did not happen online, did it really happen at all? The extra service will set you back by around $600 to over $1,000, though for Singaporean bride Elisha Beston, it was money well spent. The 29-year-old theatre practitioner, who got married at Wheeler's Tropikana restaurant in May, hired Cloud Nine Stories to provide four hours' worth of coverage for $600. To her, the feeling of reliving her big day the next morning was priceless. 'There is a special, indescribable feeling that is strongest right after you are married. It's not the same looking at those photos and videos a month later, when – though you're obviously still happ y, smiling and crying – the high has kind of dissipated,' says the founder of Freddo Children's Theatre. Even her husband, who works in sales and was initially ambivalent about the extra expense, could not stop watching the videos and agreed that it was the right decision. Ms Gwyneth Lim and Mr Derrick Zou hired a content creator so her friends could enjoy the wedding without playing paparazzi. PHOTO: COURTESY OF GWYNETH LIM She describes herself as someone who enjoys creating content casually , and over the course of her engagement, she accumulated a spreadsheet of 30 TikTok videos she wanted to reference for h er w edding. So far, the 500 clips shot by her content creator have yielded 15 self-edited TikTok videos, a couple of which have racked up tens of thousands of views. In one, which has been viewed more than 65,000 times, footage of her 67-year-old father hugging and walking her down the aisl e is interspersed with childhood videos of the two of them. The only child says that the virality, though unexpected, was a nice surprise. 'It's special to acknowledge him in that way because my dad means a lot to me. And for people to comment things like, 'You can tell how much he loves her', was sweet.' But she held back from sharing some personal moments. 'The internet doesn't need to see me crying while saying my vows,' she says. The duty of capturing intimate, homespun videos has traditionally fallen to the bridal party. But Ms Gwyneth Lim, a 27-year-old investment associate who got married at Capella Hotel Singapore in March, wanted her family and friends to enjoy the day without worrying about playing paparazzi. So, she hired Highest Kite Weddings to do all three – photography, videography and content creation. Her husband Derrick Zou, a 29-year-old management consultant, says: 'We'v e heard our fair share of horror stories, in which the couple expects the bridal party to do something, but they're so stressed, they just peace ou t.' The content creator, for whom they forked out $1,000, spent eight hours with the couple and captured moments such as the bride and her mother enjoying a quiet moment in a room before the ceremony, as well as the groom and his buddies lining up for the gatecrash. Bride Gwyneth Lim's quiet moment with her mother before her wedding was captured by her content creator. PHOTO: COURTESY OF GWYNETH LIM Candid camera It is the ability to capture these raw vignettes – a fit of giggles during a family photo session or the bride and groom practising their first dance – that content creators say sets them apart from traditional lensmen, who might be too busy with the main eve nt. As Highest Kite Weddings founder Christopher Lim, 33, notes: 'Everything is captured using an iPhone instead of traditional cameras, whic h c ompletely shifts the tone and texture of the footage. It feels more immediate, more personal and closer to how guests experience the day.' Besides, the ready-to-post photos and videos might come in handy for couples who do not have the time no r know-how to edit their own reels, says Cloud Nine Stories co-founder Joy Wang, 32. For now, Mr Lim's company, whose business mainstay is still wedding photography and videography, averages one content creation job a month. 'It's a relatively new offering, so we understand why some couples might not be fully on board yet. But we believe that, in time, especially with where social media is headed, it'll be an indispensable service.' Already, some content creators have noticed a growing demand. Ms Ayuni Ismail, the 30-year-old behind Diarium Story, has doubled her bookings since launching her company in September 2024 . Her team of three now handles up to two jobs every weekend. Cloud Nine Stories has similarly enjoyed booming business, with inquiries trickling in throughout the year. June alone yielded 10 sign-ups. Even Ms Zoe, a 27-year-old who runs The Social Bride Instagram account as a side hustle, now gets one booking a mont h. In the past , she would have to wait five or six months before securing a client. She declined to provide her last name due to the sensitivities of her day job. This is far from a local anomaly. Across the globe, couples are turning to quicker, more unvarnished ways of documenting the most Instagrammable day of their lives. Britain- based wedding planning website Hitched reports a 586 per cent increase in searches for wedding content creators in 2025. Ms Wang observes: ' It s tarted gaining more traction only in the past eight months due to so many other content creators around South-east Asia popping up, especially for luxury destination weddings. As these wedding content videos become more popula r on social media, they're likely hitting the social media feed of Singaporeans, which is why more are starting to notice and become interested in the service. ' Although yet to solidify its status as a staple of the local wedding circuit, wedding content creation seems here to stay, thanks to social media and the ever-growing appetite for diaristic sharing. To Ms Lelian Chew, founder of luxury event and wedding planning company The Atelier & Co, the gravitation towards the casual and candid is reflective of another shift: the growing desire for storytelling and emotional resonance. 'Today's couples are not simply commissioning beautiful weddings. They are commissioning stories. And those stories are multi-layered – from a custom-designed monogram carried through invitations , signage and menus, to music performances tailored to their love story, to drone shows choreographed to personal soundtracks. Every detail becomes a chapter in a narrative worth preserving,' she says. Not everyone is doing it to go viral. 'Interestingly, while our clientele are top families in the region who deeply value discretion and privacy, we have observed a growing openness to working with content creators. For these couples, it's not about oversharing. It's about capturing meaningful moments with intimacy and honesty,' she adds. Some of Ms Ayuni's clients do no t post the videos she films for them, opting instead to store them as personal keepsakes. Ms Ayuni Ismail started offering wedding content creation services towards the end of 2024. PHOTO: DIARIUM STORY Substitute or supplement As most content creators are quick to clarify, their services are meant to supplement, and not replace, traditional photography and videography. According to Ms Chew, they serve two different purposes: one timeless and cinematic, the other immediate and immersive. Besides, adds The Wedding Concepteur founder Cheryl Tan , not everyone is willing to fork out a few hundred extra dollars and is instead content to leave it to his or her friends to supply the extra footage. Online, tension has been brewing between traditional vendors and iPhone-bearing interlopers. One Reddit thread, for instance, reads like a laundry list of complaints about having to jostle for space and the best vantage point. However, Singapore-based creators s ay they try to proceed respectfully and not step on anyone's toes. To Ms Zoe, the hierarchy is clear: 'Photographers always take the main spot. I tell them to go wherever they need. I'll be behind or on the side.' Ms Ayuni, likewise, tries to hang back, stepping to the front only when the videographer is not there. So far, this deference has helped to keep the peace. ' The photographers and videographers are usually really nice. They'll tell me, 'It's okay, you can take this angle,' ' says Ms Zoe. Ms Wang, who partners photographers, advises clients to brief all vendors in advance for smoother coordination. 'All in al l, we complement one another perfectly. All three types of vendors can coexist in this ecosystem.' But some content creators like wedding photographer Annabel Law, 33, cannot afford to play second fiddle . She requires at least a couple of hours to film the choreographed TikTok videos that clients often request. Because of their brevity, they appear deceptively easy, but in reality, require hours of planning and teamwork to pull off. Many of her clients veer young and unorthodox , and are comfortable trimming tradition. 'They don't need to visit each other's houses, so we have about one to two hours in the middle of the wedding day to film TikTok videos,' says Ms Law. She can squeeze two to three videos out of that intermission, but if the couple is pressed for time, she sometimes films on another day. A smattering of millennials , too, have caught on to this trend. Ms Asheta Thurairajah, 36, for example, hired Ms Law to capture her after-party in March 2024. They distilled the night into six reels. Most were around 10 seconds long and referenced TikTok trends that were popular at the time – like a crisply edited compilation of guests wearing the same pair of shades, and a day-to-night transition of the couple 'jumping' into their wedding gear. Rounding up their guests, most of whom were in their late 30s, to star in these videos made for some happy chaos. 'It's definitely going to be cringe in the future, but it's funny. Looking back, we'll remember what we had to do to make the reels, and all the fun we had,' she says. Reinventing the guest book An other feature that is slowly but surely becoming a fixture in modern nuptials is the video guest book. To Ms Belicia Tan, 33, founder of wedding planner Manna Weddings, it is another consequence of the rise and rule of social media. 'Couples today, especially Gen Z, are deeply influenced by what they consume online,' she says. 'These formats resonate with a generation that values raw, meaningful content over overly curated visuals.' The idea is this: that standing in front of a camera should compel guests to reveal the truest form of themselves, divulging the appropriate sentiment with genuine emotion and unfiltered personality. It is, after all, how vendors explain the surge of interest in their products. At least seven companies now offer such services, which tend to cost upwards of $200. Mr Ierfan Raushan, owner of Teletales, a company that rents out video guest books and mirro rs, attributes it to a deeper emotional need. 'People are craving more than just photos. They want t he voices, laughter and raw emotions of their loved ones. Audio and video guest books offer that exact kind of sentimental keepsake,' says the 26-year-old. A couple listening to messages left by guests on their video guest book. PHOTO: LOVEWAVES 'Couples today want to capture real, unscripted emotions,' echoes Ms Joemin Kok, 33, founder of Lovewave s. 'Being able to hear a loved one's voice or see his or her message years down the road creates an experience that's deeply personal and lasting.' So, too, with Ms Jessica Tay, 27, who started Leave Your Message in 2023 as a way to reimagine the guest book. 'I noticed that these books were often underutilised and guests typically left only a signature or a brief note, which rarely created a lasting impression for the couple. ' Of course, reality rarely cleaves to expectation, and scattered among these heartfelt avowals of love are jokes and gaffes. A video uploaded by Singaporean live streamer Denise Teo (or supercatkei as she is known online) that has been viewed more than a million times on TikTok exemplifies what happens when you give friends and family open access to a recording device. 'Hello, this is DBS bank calling,' deadpans one guest with a face steeled for business. 'Merry Christmas!' cheers another. One woman tries to eat the phone, two others try to lick it. There are several a cappella covers of pop songs. All this, her husband Tim Koh, 32, says he will cherish in the years to come. 'What we liked best was how our friends and family were being themselves, joking around and not taking it so seriously.' While not every couple sets out to go viral, Ms Tan notes that many are inspired by viral trends and want their wedding to be m emorable and shareable. 'In that sense, virality becomes an aspirational by-product of crafting unique, content-worthy experiences that reflect who they are.' But such authenticity does not come cheap. Leave Your Message's video guest book packages start at $360 for two hours, inclusive of decor and signage, while Teletales rents its phone-shaped devices out for upwards of $270 for the entire event. The price of a physical guest book, even if gilded, rarely exceeds double digits. Guests using a video guest book by Teletales. PHOTO: TELETALES Ms Zoe and Ms Law are a ware that content creation might not be for everyone. Ms Zoe says: 'It's not going to appeal to couples on a budget and that's fine. We appeal mainly to couples with more disposable income .' Her services begin at $1,000 for six hours, while Ms Law charges $980 for two hours. For most couples, Ms Law knows optimisation is paramount. They seek not just a way to make their big day memorable, but also to do it with as few resources – be it mental, emotional or financial – as possible. So, alongside an expanded suite of options, she has rolled out an energy-saving guide, which claims to save couples more than 400 hours of wedding planning. Reserved for clients who take on her venue-inclusive packages, it consists of a wedding timeline, video tutorials, a comprehensive rundown of what is included in the packa ge and more. Ms Law, wh o got married in 2023, can empathise. 'It's very stressful to get married and plan a wedding. On top of that, many couples have just started work and have to settle their home .' Lightening the load It was for that same reason that Ms Grace Lim channelled her two decades of corporate experience in operation and process improvement into Weddingserv, a portal intended to simplify the wedding-planning process and protect couples from unreliable vendors. The goal is to become Singapore's firs t a ll-in-one digital wedding mall, a silver bullet that expunge s industry ills – endless back and forth, scattered information, wasted time, unresponsive vendors – once and for all. It works only with vetted vendors with transparent pricing and a clear cancellation policy, whom couples can boo k on this platform. Once a deal has been made and details ironed out, deposits are held until services are delivered. Soft-launched in May, it has amassed 20 vendors – a few had to be turned away as they did not meet Ms Lim's standards of quality, reliability and trust – and 100 couple s. The former consultant, who is in her early 50s, remains optimistic. She says: 'It takes time to build trust in a new platform, especially in a traditional industry. Some vendors are cautious, unsure if Weddingserv is here to stay o r a nother short-term trend. Others prefer to partner only big, established names or are hesitant to adapt to systems outside their own.' Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore's wedding butler assists with everything from final outfit changes to liaising with hotel departments on the couple's behalf. PHOTO: GRAND COPTHORNE WATERFRONT HOTEL SINGAPORE Some hotels are also trying to alleviate part of the mental load. While most venues provide couples with a fixed coordinator for their big day, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore takes things a step further by throwing a butler into the mix. The butler's assistance begins three days before the couple arrives. He or she confirms final details and preferences, acts as a touchpoint throughout the even t a nd steps in whenever required – fo r example, if the bride requires a pair of extra hands to help with he r outfit changes . 'This hands-on role goes beyond traditional wedding coordination by focusing on anticipating needs, resolving last-minute issues, and adding thoughtful, personal touches,' says the hotel's associate director of sales (events) Stephanie Chua, 5 2. Ultimately, she adds, it is these human touches that couples remember. The pair of hands helping with the last few buttons on the back of a gown. The bonus 'bridesmaid' with her iPhone at the ready, capturing the calm before the storm in the bride's bedroom. The three seconds of silent panic as an aged relative works out how to leave a message on a newfangled video guest book. Rawness. Candour. The minutiae reminding frazzled couples that, at the end of the day, the most elaborate party of their lives is really a priceless assembly of their nearest and dearest, toasting to their new beginning and all the love that brought them to this moment.
Business Times
a day ago
- Business Times
Edmund Ng: Composing a house for a couple's great loves
EDMUND NG BUILDS HOMES FOR families, for the preservation of heritage – and for love. The Singaporean architect, whose body of work includes design for commercial spaces such as a resort, boutiques and exhibitions, constructed his home in Siglap as a ballad to his gallerist wife, Jazz. Himself an art lover and collector, it isn't surprising that he sees his own profession through the lens of art. 'An architect should aspire to be an artist,' says the founder of his eponymous firm. 'The difference between the two is that the artist's work does not require the client's input. With architecture, you always have a client, the client will have needs and those needs have to be transformed into something artistic.' At its core, says Ng, architecture is about changing one's environment in order to improve wellness in one's life. 'Other than physical health, mental health and everything else are influenced by the environment, so a home is not just a shelter.' Ng's clients go to him because they are aware of his architectural approach, which is modernist with a respect for the purity of materials – thus explaining his penchant for using off-form concrete. His projects are known for their tropicality; harnessing light while adapting to the hot climate. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Sometimes, clients return to him to craft their next abode, as do their children for theirs. In one of his latest works, Ng had the pleasure of doing exactly that – creating a new home for a couple who are finally realising a dream from over two decades ago. The house looks unassuming from the street. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS Memories old and new The house in question sits on a 6,900-square-foot piece of land right next to Ki Residences condominium in the Sunset Way neighbourhood. The new development replaces its predecessor, Brookvale Park, which was sold en bloc in 2018. For some, building a pricey home that borders a 660-unit residential project is a very bad idea, but for the owners, it was as if life had poetically come full circle. Years ago, the couple – a businessman and his corporate professional wife who are now both retired – lived in Brookvale Park, including when they were raising their young son. Today, the latter is himself a father, whose own home in the eastern part of Singapore was also designed by Ng. The Sunset Way neighbourhood holds sentimental value for the couple, who had always looked at houses in the area and thought that perhaps one day, they could live in one of them. In the interim years, they lived in a house in Holland Green designed by Ng, but jumped at the chance to return to the vicinity when the opportunity arose. The first thing Ng did was to engage with the topography of the land, which slopes down towards the back that borders Ki Residences. He designed a three-storey residence with a basement and swimming pool at the rear to take advantage of the natural gradient of the land. The home gradually reveals itself, starting with a spatial split between the reception and dining areas. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS From the street, the house looks unassuming enough – an off-form concrete block punctuated by windows with black walls for contrast. The magic, however, begins when you enter. The home gradually reveals itself, starting with a spatial split between the reception and dining areas. Views of greenery on the side and back of the house. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS As you proceed deeper into the home, dubbed The Green Sanctuary, you are struck by its porosity – full-height windows that dramatically frame the view of lush greenery on the side and back of the building. And though the placement of its living room and pool at the back, directly facing Ki Residences, is unusual, there is shelter from prying eyes thanks to trees at the perimeter of the properties – both mature and newly planted. The basement living room and swimming pool face a condominium (not shown). PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS 'It's almost like a glass house, and although that's not very tropical, the whole point of a landed property is to enjoy the land and appreciate the greenery around. So you must have vantage points for the vegetation,' says Ng. The huge master bedroom. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS That view of foliage is also the main feature for the dining room on the first floor, as well as the spacious master bedroom on the second level. In fact, the master bathroom sits cantilevered directly above the pool. The spacious master bathroom that sits cantilevered directly above the pool. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS Meanwhile, the attic enjoys an elevation that brings with it a prize: uninterrupted vistas of the trees and landed homes in the vicinity, as well as taller buildings in the distance. The attic's terrace. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS Tree patterns are even introduced on the specially commissioned metal screens on the second floor, where the guest bedroom faces the street. From inside, you see what looks like the pleasing silhouette of a forest, and from outside, the shapes of the foliage pop when the lights come on at night. The metal screen shields the guest room on the second floor. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS A closer view of the metal screen. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS A house with soul This being the second house that Ng has designed for the couple, he was well aware of their passions and conceived the residence with these in mind. They centre around a vast assemblage of art that had been lovingly accumulated over 30 years, as well as a collection of classic cars and related paraphernalia. The tree patterns pop when the guest room is lit at night. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS 'The collections are not just objects, but a part of their life,' says Ng. 'They give context to their home, and are the memories of their life journey together.' Looking outwards, one takes in views of the greenery; looking inwards, the house is akin to an art museum. The works range from sculptures and wall installations by Belgian artist Daisy Boman and prominent Taiwanese sculptor Li Chen, to a painting by acclaimed Korean brush artist Lee Jung Woong and even drawings by the talented missus. Throughout, simple materials and a palette of black and white dominate, allowing the often quirky art to take centre stage. The basement living room. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS And they are everywhere, in purposefully created areas. From a sailor on a horse that gets its own 5-metre-tall window display and a sculpture garden by the front door, to works big and small – cheekily inserted into nooks and crannies, or proudly sitting on shelves and pedestals. A sculpture garden next to the steps that lead from the entry reception down to the dining area. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS The countless paintings include an oversized one of the vivacious lady of the house, prominently displayed in a space specifically designed to hold it next to the dining room. An oversized portrait of the vivacious lady of the house. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS The husband, an avid car collector, has his own man cave. This takes the form of a double-volume den where his vast collection of car- and rally-related paraphernalia – from posters and books to models and badges – are displayed. Then there are the seven cars parked on the property (it can take eight); four of these are classic automobiles. There is room for eight cars on the property. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS The home is also future-proofed, in that the attic level has been intentionally kept as a huge family room with an open layout, so it can be turned into an apartment if required. Panels on the right can slide away to reveal a large mirror on the wall. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS Meanwhile, it serves the couple's needs well, with wall panels that slide away to reveal a large mirror in front of which the missus can dance. The attic also leads to a large terrace and 'secret garden in the sky'. Noting that this is a house the couple aspired to and have now achieved in their later years, Ng says 'it will mean many, many things to them'. A view of the attic from the terrace. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS 'Architecture should respond to a client's needs and be done with soul and feeling. Otherwise, it's just a decorated but empty box.' These windows on the attic look out to the front of the house. PHOTO: EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS And just as the homeowners have loved and supported each other over the years, Ng credits his wife for his own success. 'I don't think I can do without her,' he says. 'She takes care of everything, so I am allowed to dream.'
