Showing results by author "RICE media" in All Categories

For 70 years, the Gurkha Contingent has been Singapore's elite guard and counter-terrorism force. To ensure their neutrality, they live in their own compound in Mount Vernon Camp, which caters to their housing, necessities, and recreation. Gurkha children are born and raised in Singapore, with the full knowledge that they will one day be repatriated from the country they grew up in. So what is it like growing up as the child of a Gurkha?

Despite its ubiquity and popularity, Mala Xiang Guo's history and origins are unknown. Search results on Google or Baidu throw up approximately 9 million recipes but not a single reliable account of how the MLXG was invented, or by whom. Find out how this spicy dish arrived on the sunny shores of Singapore and how the craze for this Mala dish all began.

Spend some time exploring Singapore and you are bound to stumble upon a tree shrine. They are not always the largest trees or the most exotic, but you know them when you see them. White Styrofoam packets surround their gnarly trunks, and you might notice the distinct odour of incense, rising from a red wooden altar. What are the origins of these tree shrines? Why do people worship these seemingly ordinary trees? What is its connection to 4-D?

We know that an undercut requires work to pull off, but we struggle with the idea that this degree of effort is something a man should concern himself with. The undercut forces its wearer to care. And what kind of guy cares the most about his appearance? Yup, the f--kboys and the douchebags.

Do you know exactly what it means to be an 'auntie'? Who qualifies to be one? Is there an age range, a set of behaviour, a certain look? Choping seats at the hawker centre? Auntie. Scanning the Health Promotion Board Healthier Choice QR code for points to exchange for vouchers? Auntie. Skipping your warm-up in the gym and striding purposefully to the bench because it is the last free one? Auntie. Passive-aggressively complaining about aunties? Auntie.

For most, the name 'Lucky Plaza' alone is inseparable from its association with the local Filipino community; to say the words 'Lucky Plaza' is to mean 'Little Manila'. It's a place most Singaporeans would rarely think to visit, other than as another place to eat at when in Orchard Road (and even then, this is limited to either the ayam penyet restaurants or the famous yong tau foo joint on the sixth floor). But going around with a guide makes all the difference.

Finding pleasure in wandering the supermarket seems to be an unusually common emotional experience. Even in the age of online grocery shopping, where RedMart will send ten pints of ice cream to your door free of judgement, Exploring the supermarket in other countries is practically a tourist activity in and of itself. What, then, lies behind the gravitational pull of the supermarket?

One of the most peaceful spots in Singapore is hidden in plain sight. On Google maps, it's listed as "Shuang Long Shan Wu Shu Ancestral Hall", but a quick search reveals it's also known as "Shuang Long Shan Cemetery", "Yin Foh Kuan Hakka Cemetery" or "Holland Close Graveyard". Meet Teo Ee Koon, who has been manning the cemetery since 1982 with his father, who passed away in 2007.

There's nothing special about speaking to your barista in English, nor is there anything unique about speaking Mandarin to your colleagues. But have you ever experienced the joy of asking the cai png auntie what she had for lunch, in Hokkien?

Contrary to popular belief, gatecrashing is hardly a time-honoured Chinese wedding tradition. So how did this activity attain its hallowed position in Singapore Chinese culture today? A writer attempts to find out how gatecrashing in Singapore came about by trawling through books, newspaper articles, Reddit, and emailing professors, wedding photographers, and planners.

With JianHao, the cameras are always rolling, as if he were in a Singaporean version of The Truman Show. But unlike Truman Burbank, who—spoiler alert—is unaware that his life is being broadcast to the whole world as a television show, JianHao never loses sight of the fact that millions of eyes are trained on him with a laser-sharp focus.

After depression, alopecia, and endometriosis, Janice decided she would save up for a year to quit her job and move somewhere new. She discovered self care and self love during this journey and subsequently stumbled into the sexual wellness industry upon her return to Singapore. First, the brand made it to Watsons. Last year, it made it to Don Don Donki. Now, Janice is working on getting it on Amazon. Getting the toys out of sex shops and into regular spaces will encourage people to think of sexuality as a part of our everyday life.

All tales of religion start with a good miracle story—"a narrative involving a report of supposed special divine action," as defined by theologians Wendy Cotter and Graham H. Twelftree. For the Looi family, their embracing of Tibetan Buddhism came about when their father, the late Alvin Looi, once wheelchair-bound, started walking again miraculously.

As careers go, it doesn't get more exciting or glamorous than 'London-based advertising executive.' The money is excellent, the job scope is interesting, and come on, for chrissake, it's London. But for Bjorn Low, who held that enviable position of London Ad Man, success had become routine. After 7 years of hustling, he reached the senior echelons but he desperately wanted to do something else with his life.

Bloomberg calls it the world's most valuable liquor but it remains a total mystery to most Singaporeans, who've never encountered it in any way, shape or form. Baijiu (literally 'white liquor') is a high-proof, distilled spirit made from Sorghum—a grain that is often planted in parts of China where rice grows poorly, and acquiring a taste for it takes time and many bottles.

Extreme forms of dieting are not uncommon within the fitness community. There are people who bring their own food to buffets, or completely abstain from sustenance for hours if not days (read: intermittent fasting). So how do fitness enthusiasts who boast thousands of followers on Instagram manage to keep up with strict diets and gruelling 6-days-a-week training routines (AND documenting it on Instagram) without going crazy like a certain RICE Media writer?

In May 2018, Spotify for Artists made it easier for Spotify users to share the albums, tracks, playlists, and artists they were listening to with their followers on Instagram Stories. The function was designed to help people discover new music and expand their aural tastes, but the collaboration ended up creating this generation's equivalent of the MSN nickname—an equally evasive way to express how one felt without actually talking about one's feelings.

The Spiritual Gangsterz Podcast is an adventure through the world of conversations with some of the Worlds most compelling business owners, thought leaders, ceos, moguls and mission leaders from all ends of the world. Through Brock's conversations with these impactful individuals we further uncover our understanding and individual perspectives. With open minds and loving hearts, welcome to the podcast. Hosted by Brock Rice.World Class entrepreneurs.

Hotel 81 is commonly thought of by Singaporeans as a cheap love-hotel chain in Geylang, frequented by horny, old men with their "girlfriends". But though that might've been the case a long time ago, up until today, it's less-than-stellar reputation remains difficult to shake off. Take a peek at the hotel's esteemed clientele through the eyes of Rice Media.

School-taught 'Social Studies' is a fairly sanitised affair. We learn about Britain, Lee Kuan Yew, and the paramount importance of free trade. We also learn about food and the origins of Chicken Rice. However, what comes out is just as important as what goes in, because Singapore's history is also a fecal history—of dysentery, nightsoil, quacks and more. In short, it's a story of shit.