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'Modern kampung spirit': Neighbours leave heartfelt notes on newly-weds' apology notice for wedding 'gatecrash' noise, Singapore News

'Modern kampung spirit': Neighbours leave heartfelt notes on newly-weds' apology notice for wedding 'gatecrash' noise, Singapore News

AsiaOne09-06-2025

Worried that their early-morning wedding celebrations on Saturday (June 7) might annoy their neighbours, a couple left a note in the lift asking for a little understanding.
Their "sorry in advance" got plenty of kind messages back from residents at Block 77 Marine Drive — a true show of modern-day kampung spirit.
Bernard Kuah, 32, told AsiaOne that he and his wife, Chermaine Wong, had sought permission from the town council to post the note in both lifts.
The couple were concerned that the wedding "gatecrash", a traditional Chinese ritual where the groom and his entourage pick up the bride after overcoming a series of funny — and slightly embarrassing — challenges, would disrupt their neighbours' sleep.
It was scheduled from 4am to 7am that day, Kuah, an HR manager, said.
The couple put up the notice three days before the wedding — giving neighbours ample time to see it, rather than finding out at the last minute, he said.
"Just a day later, we went to run some wedding errands and was taking the lift back home and saw Post-it notes on our posters," he added.
"As each day passed, more notes started to appear."
Ariel Ee, 22, was among those who left a note the night before the wedding.
The student told AsiaOne that she and her mother felt it was a thoughtful gesture for the couple to put up an apology notice and decided it would be nice to return the kindness with well wishes.
In a TikTok video, Ee could be seen sticking a Post-it note on the poster which read: "Congrats! Wishing you love, happiness and wish wishes on your union. All the best!"
She called the couple's gesture, along with the neighbours' warm responses, a modern-day display of the kampung spirit.
@ariyakult Kampung spirit in a modern way i guess! #sg #sgtiktok #singapore #sgfyp ♬ original sound - 🤍
The couple said that they received nine Post-it notes in total and have since taken down the notice.
"We found it really sweet of our neighbours to drop these well wishes for us," said Kuah.
"Not just my wife and I… our family and friends were really touched by the messages."
Will they be framing the notice in their new home as keepsake?
'We have not thought of it yet as we are still busy unpacking and preparing for our honeymoon,' Kuah said.
'But that it is really good idea and I will let my wife know.'
Additional reporting by Tan Yuan Ru.
[[nid:692953]]
chingshijie@asiaone.com

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Theatre review: Singapore, Michigan a confident debut about adulting and privilege
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Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Theatre review: Singapore, Michigan a confident debut about adulting and privilege

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Altruism or algorithm: The rise of online philanthropy
Altruism or algorithm: The rise of online philanthropy

Straits Times

timea day ago

  • Straits Times

Altruism or algorithm: The rise of online philanthropy

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In the first video dated in September 2023, Mr Teo spoke to Mr Rajah about the latter's difficulty in finding a job, before taking him to a family service centre and treating him to a meal. Besides introducing him to a career coach who has helped set up a job interview, the designer also took his new friend to get his hair washed and bought him new clothes in a follow-up video. The video ends with an uplifting revelation: Mr Rajah has secured a job and will be starting work the next day. The two clips hit more than 390,000 views each, garnering thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, mostly positive. Viewers also asked how they could help Mr Rajah. The episode taught Mr Teo that many Singaporeans are willing to help those in need. Soon after, an online media publication contacted him asking to feature his story, but he declined. 'I did not want others saying that I was doing this to seek attention for myself.' 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I want the influence, I want the attention, because it allows me to expand my media presence and give back more,' he says. Mr Wee has started three more platforms under the 'Radical' brand: Radical Riches, a business media channel; Radical Homes, a furniture retailer that does home makeovers; and Radical Edge, a content training and consulting business. Some of the gifts that Mr Kevin Wee received from his beneficiaries. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Z agrees the lack of accountability and transparency surrounding influencers who run crowdfunding efforts can be a thorny issue. In September 2024, he sprang to action after coming across a news article about a Bukit Merah flat fire that left a family with two young children in crisis. The comments were flooded with people asking how to help. 'I just decided to step in, because I don't know who else can be more accountable, since I somewhat have a platform and maybe a following, I believe some people trust me,' he says. A TikTok viewer, who had some information regarding the family, entrusted Z with the address of the family's temporary housing, and Z went over to visit them. He then launched a fund-raising campaign via his platform, sharing his personal PayNow QR code for donations. Within just two days, the campaign raised over $4,000, a testament to the power of stepping in when it matters most, he says. After his crowdfunding effort was reported by media outlet Mothership, he read comments asking 'how can we know you are legitimate?' and netizens warning that Z might be running a scam account. 'It is not surprising, every part of this digital philanthropy will always have some negativity involved, but I know clearly what I am doing, and I just wanted to take the initiative to help out a family, and that is all that matters,' he says. A week later, more than $30,000 had been raised. To maintain transparency, Z compiled a detailed spreadsheet of the donations that were transferred to his personal bank account, and even shared a screen recording of the document and filmed himself handing the money directly to the family's patriarch. 'I did my best to be as transparent as I could,' he says. But what Z did not anticipate was the wave of online backlash the family would face after going public with their situation. They expressed their thanks, but conveyed this issue to him via social service officers, asking that he end the campaign. Z obliged, but the experience gave him pause. 'These are some ripple effects of digital philanthropy,' he muses. 'We may have the best intentions, but there are blind spots we don't always see. Helping isn't always sunshine and rainbows, especially for those on the receiving end.' One beneficiary's take Rina (not her full name) was scrolling through social media when she stumbled upon a post by Mr Wee on Dec 30, 2023: He was giving away $10,000 to 10 people, chosen at random from those who left a comment. The single mother, now 34, did not think twice. With five children between the ages of five and 13 – two of whom have special needs – every little bit helps. 'I just tried my luck. I said: 'I'm a single mother, have five kids and hope I have a chance to win,'' says the account assistant. Before landing her current full-time job in 2022, she had been unemployed for four years. To provide for her family, she occasionally relies on food rations from local charities. 'My salary alone, to be honest, is not enough to cover all the expenses. So that's why I have to continue searching, to see if there are any resources. I cannot always rely on social services because there are limits to how much they can help. If I see giveaways, I would be willing to try,' she says. She did not expect much from Mr Wee, but to her surprise, she was chosen as one of the recipients. He told her he would ask her a few questions on camera and asked her to prepare her answers. When she told him that some of the questions made her uncomfortable, Mr Wee replaced them with others. On the day of the shoot, Rina brought along one of her children. Mr Wee filmed a short video of him giving her the $1,000 and asking her about her life. 'There was nothing I felt pressured to answer, which I really appreciated,' Rina says. Still, she admits she was nervous in the days leading up to the video's release on Jan 19, 2024. It was her first time sharing such personal parts of her life on camera and with the public. 'I was very worried that people would talk negatively about me and judge me as a single mother raising five children when the video was released,' she says. However, her fears were unfounded. 'Some people commented that they also have special needs kids and that it was good for Kevin to help us out,' she says. Opening up about your struggles and asking for help publicly can feel like a blow to one's pride, Rina says. But she also believes that when there are no other options, one should not reject help just to save face. She has also seen the critical comments floating online about Mr Wee. But having experienced his kindness first hand, she stands by him. 'I could tell he was genuinely trying to understand what I was going through,' she says. 'From the very first time we met, he asked thoughtful questions – not just for content, but to really see what kind of help I needed.' Help came when she was at rock bottom In September 2024 , Sarah (not her real name), 38, hit rock bottom. After years of not paying the utility bills for her family's two-room rental flat, there was an outstanding amount of more than $3,000. She was told that if the sum was not settled, the power supply to her flat would be cut off within a week. Her ex-husband had walked out on the family more than five years ago, leaving her to raise five children aged nine to 16. As she suffers from depression, she has been medically unfit to work for the past eight years. To support her family, she relies on family, friends and government subsidies. 'Whatever help that I get is just enough to get by the month,' says Sarah. 'Most of it goes to feeding my kids.' After coming across Z's fund-raiser for the family whose flat was destroyed in a fire, she decided to ask him for help. Z replied within a day. After learning about her financial situation on the phone, he shared her story on his Instagram page. 'I am quite private so I don't really share a lot of things. He actually took all the details needed to make the post. Although I did not want to share my photo, he said he needed it to run the fund-raising campaign. I asked him to blur our faces in the photo, which he did,' says Sarah, adding that she saw his post and was happy with how Z did not exaggerate her family's situation. His post was captioned: 'She is really stressed and overwhelmed with the current situation. Hope we are able to do what we can to help her start anew by clearing the debt... She has agreed for me to collect on her behalf. Please reference 'Sarah'.' He promised that all proceeds would go to the family, and that he would post updates, including the financial accounts. Within a few days, he raised more than $9,000 for her family. Throughout the process, he showed her receipts and screenshots of the donations that had come in during the campaign. With the funds, Sarah paid the outstanding utility bills, cleared a debt owed to a family member, stocked up on essentials to last through the year, and took her children to a rare meal out. 'He's very young, I can see that, but I can tell he is very honest. He's got a lot of experience, through the way he talks, and he understands my situation and he is very sincere about it,' she says, adding that she is grateful for all that he has done for her. They are still in touch, chatting occasionally via TikTok direct messages. Charity is not just a handout Even after running two successful crowdfunding drives, Mr Wee doubts the model's long-term viability. He's seen TikTokers overseas skim 4 to 8 per cent off donations to pay themselves. 'So technically, I can go with that model, but I don't think Singaporeans will be as receptive about that,' he says. 'When you see someone who is helpless, you can't help but feel like you want to empower them. I believe charity is not just a handout, it's a responsibility to empower,' says Mr Wee. Besides providing the people he helps with resources, he connects them with others who can help them, like social workers. 'It's about helping them, in a personal capacity, to stand on their own feet.' In a space where trust is everything, both Mr Wee and Z tread carefully, balancing heart with accountability. They know that in Singapore, good intentions alone are not enough. Transparency matters. So does impact. But at the core of it all is a simple truth: When help is given with sincerity, and received with dignity, even a digital platform can become a lifeline. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

Famous Singapore-born food critic and TV personality Chua Lam dies at 83
Famous Singapore-born food critic and TV personality Chua Lam dies at 83

Straits Times

time2 days ago

  • Straits Times

Famous Singapore-born food critic and TV personality Chua Lam dies at 83

Chua Lam was in Singapore in September 2023 when he attended the opening of Chua Lam's Charity Calligraphy Exhibition. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Renowned food critic and columnist Chua Lam, best known as one of the Four Great Talents of Hong Kong, has died at the age of 83. His death was announced on his Facebook and Weibo pages on June 27 afternoon. 'Our beloved Mr Chua Lam passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones, at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital on June 25, ' said the announcement in Chinese. 'In accordance with Mr Chua's wishes, no ceremony was held to avoid troubling his friends and relatives, and his body has been cremated.' The Singapore-born media personality was the brother of Madam Chua Liang, former principal of Nanyang Girls' High School, and former Singapore TV drama producer Chua Swan, who died in March at age 78. Chua Lam was in the news in 2023 after he fell and suffered a hip fracture while rushing to help his wife when she fell. His spouse, former film producer Cheung King Man, died later at age 84. He went for an operation and had to use a wheelchair after he was discharged. He was in Singapore in September 2023 to attend the opening of Chua Lam's Charity Calligraphy Exhibition held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. In late April, there were rumours that he was in poor health and had been admitted to the intensive care unit in hospital. His assistant told the Hong Kong media then that he suffered a small ailment and was on the road to recovery. Chua also took to social media on April 29, thanking everyone for their concern, and said he was not critically ill. Multi-talented Chua was a writer, film producer, food connoisseur and TV programme host. He was also a member of the Four Great Talents of Hong Kong, who were known for their years of friendship and who all left their mark in their respective fields. The other three members were legendary lyricist James Wong, who died in 2004 at age 63; martial arts novelist Louis Cha, who died in 2018 at age 94; and science-fiction novelist Ni Kuang, who died in 2022 at age 87 . Chua published his first article in newspaper Nanyang Siang Pau at the age of 14. He moved to Japan to study, majoring in film, when he was about 18 . He then travelled to places such as New York, Seoul, Paris and Taipei before settling in Hong Kong at the age of 22 in 1963. He became a production manager at movie studio Shaw Brothers and moved to Golden Harvest more than 10 years later. He produced several movies including City Hunter (1993), Thunderbolt (1995) and Mr Nice Guy (1997), which starred Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan. Besides his film career, Chua was also actively involved in writing and hosting TV programmes. He was known as a food lover and food critic, whose food columns in newspapers proved popular with many readers. He has published more than 200 books on topics such as travel , personalities, food, humour and his philosophy of life. Chua caused a stir in 1989 when he co-hosted The Celebrity Talk Show with Wong and Ni Kuang. They smoked and drank on the set while grilling stars such as Chan, the late Leslie Cheung, Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia and Cherie Chung on their private lives and their views on sex. Chua ventured into the food industry in the 1990s, opening restaurants and launching food products. He also hosted several food programmes such as Market Trotter (2007) and Chua's Choice (2008). Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

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