Category: Gen ZPage 1 of 2
Read our in-depth conversations that offer insight into the minds and lives of “zoomers” or members of Generation Z in Singapore.
The Founder of Aliwal Chess Club talks about how their community gatherings are never just about playing chess. “When you play chess, everything happens within those 64 squares….
“I believe anyone can be a changemaker. We can each play a part in citizen philanthropy and help the vulnerable in our community. Do all the good you can, because even the smallest act of kindness may mean the world to someone else.”
“When you personally see how hard it is for displaced refugees to find their footing and survive, what more to earn a living, you tend to appreciate your life more. You instantly feel a need to help in whatever way you can.”
“I would always get judgemental stares from my male counterparts. I’ve even experienced ‘mansplaining’ by boys who were convinced that I wasn’t as good as them. They’d make snide comments like, ‘You sure you know this? You don’t look like you understand.’”
“I decided to sketch strangers as a hobby because I wanted to see their reaction when I gave the drawing to them. With paid work, the client already knows what to expect, and I more or less know how they might react. There’s no element of surprise. But with strangers?”
“When I got into medical school, I did a lot of soul-searching and concluded that art is something I want to do long-term. It would be nice if I was able to practise as a doctor, but also have the balls to call myself an artist. That was the ultimate aspiration; the ultimate goal.”
People of Legends | ““I was that fat kid for most of my childhood. I just remember liking to eat a lot in school. You cannot find many photos of me from back then because I tried to avoid taking pictures as much as possible…
“I started experiencing anxiety and depression when I was 10-years-old. Being the only Malay girl in Chinese Dance, I was bullied a lot in school. Although I was accepted by my friends and teachers in the CCA, I was ostracised by people of my own race.”
“I started volunteering in the gender advocacy scene at 16 because of my single mother. Growing up, I witnessed her financial and mental health struggles as she became both the sole breadwinner and homemaker almost overnight.”
People of Legends | Legend’s new kid on the block talks about how her visit to Perth inspired a new outlook on life.
“My latest work, ‘To Kill The Birds & The Bees’, is a satirical slice of life film that talks about sex education – or lack thereof – in Singapore. It follows the crazy sexual encounters of four Singaporeans and how they unfold.”
“Age 15, fascinated by the Pixar movie Wall-E which inspired an idiosyncratic habit of collecting toilet rolls, I kickstarted a national environmental initiative – ToiletRollSG – with the aim of recycling cardboard toilet rolls to be sold…”
“I do not condone violence towards women, and I understand why the online community reacted the way they did. But, people do not know the full story, and it’s not their business to know any more than what I – or anyone involved – would like to share.”
Stylish People of DeepCuts | “To comfort myself in a very scary world, I remind myself that everyone grows differently. And no matter where you are in life and what you’re doing, you just have to be honest with the things that you do. And with time, everything will eventually work itself out.”
“I think people who discriminate against others don’t get a lot of exposure or knowledge about people of different races and religions. Somehow, they have been influenced wrongly, so they assume the worst. Just get more information before you spread rumours or hate.”
In our very first episode of A Singapore Story, we find out from non-profit ‘Hey, You Got Mail!’ why it was important for them to send personalised, handwritten letters to the elderly in Singapore’s nursing homes.
“We believe that nothing can recreate the feelings of warmth when one holds a personalised handwritten card. We want to share that warmth with the seniors…”
People of Legends | “When I was in prison, my counsellor told me that since I like to fight so much, why not fight in the ring instead? He told me I was smart but I was letting my friends control me. I can think for myself; don’t be their puppet. I took his advice to heart.”
“I hope people who watch the play go home feeling a sense of comfort. Comfort that you can move on after someone’s death, that there can be reconciliation with a sibling even if the relationship is tense right now, that your angry child can grow up full of compassion.”
People of Legends | “Because I’m dyslexic, I got judged for being very behind in class. I was mentally and physically abused by the other kids in school; but, it doesn’t matter anymore because I’ve worked hard to be at the level where I’m at now.”