Mothership

It's our 10th anniversary!✨(Yes we've been around for a decade now....) So here are 10 things you might not have known about Mothership. 10 years of memories, 1 incredible audience. Thanks for sticking around.

A couple in Singapore that tied the knot after dating for 14 years chose to have a simple wedding banquet at a Sengkang HDB pavilion. 15 tables of guests, including friends, family and neighbours attended the banquet held at the pavilion in front of 186 Rivervale Crescent, on Jul. 6. The venue was arrayed auspiciously in red decor, with a reception table and an arch made of balloons at the entrance. The newlyweds, Wu Jingwen (transliteration), a 39-year-old chef, and his wife Shen Huiyun, a 34-year-old cashier, strode down the red carpet before giving a toast onstage. Wu told Shin Min Daily News that he and Shen had been together for about 14 years. They initially planned to get married about four to five years ago, but it was delayed by the pandemic. When they started wedding preparations in February, the couple decided to hold their wedding banquet in an HDB estate because it would be more convenient for their elderly relatives. They also wanted to keep things simple. Wu added that their neighbours had also expressed interest in coming for the banquet, so they decided on "just hosting it downstairs" so everyone could attend. Wu said the banquet, which was organised by his sister, set them back S$10,000. "It doesn't matter if we get red packets or not [from the guests]. The most important thing is to invite everyone to join us for a meal and celebrate together," Wu said. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gu6NRKX4 Photo credit: Shin Min Daily News

National swimmer Gan Ching Hwee shared that she is focusing on her preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and trying not to be distracted by everything happening. Gan spoke to the media on Jul. 10 about having been selected to swim the 100m freestyle leg at the women's 4x100m relay medley event, replacing Quah Ting Wen on the team. She said that the Olympics had been her "dream goal" throughout her swimming journey, so getting a spot in the event has been the highlight. Despite the disappointment of missing the "A" cut (or, the Olympic Qualifying Time) which would have guaranteed her spot, Gan got the “B” spot and received an invitation to compete by World Aquatics. When it was first announced that she was heading to Paris, Gan said that she "did a little dance in the living room, screamed a little bit, [and] cried a lot of tears of joy". "I was over the moon... This journey hasn't been easy, but I'm glad I was able to bounce back from adversity and just keep training and working hard. And my hard work has finally paid off,” she said. Gan, who specialises in long-distance events, said she would be training for her individual events, the women's 800m and 1,500m freestyle. But on the subject of the 4x100m relay medley race in Paris, Gan said that it will not be her first relay. Gan was notably part of the Singapore team that won gold in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay at the 2023 SEA Games. "Although the distance might be different, I believe that I will be able to step up and do it for my team... After all, it's not a three-member team, it's a four member team, so I will definitely do my best." Read more: https://lnkd.in/grjmxE8s

A 28-year-old pastry chef in Singapore leads a double life, making cakes by day and cake-looking candles by night. It was at 21 when Angie began her culinary pursuits as a pastry chef upon realising a career in the sciences wasn’t for her. Seven years later, she launched her candle business, which she's named Buibui (meaning "chubby" in Hokkien) Candles. Angie told Mothership that her passion for the craft of candle-making was sparked by her desire to create something longer lasting than food. As Angie had to pick up the art from scratch, she went through much trial and error before she finally succumbed and decided to take a class. "As a pastry chef, you need to be patient," she remarked, adding that most of her candles take at least a day to be made, while larger products can take up to a week. Currently a research and development (R&D) chef at a “large bubble tea chain” in Singapore, Angie admitted that she spends most of her free time after work, including weekends, to fulfil her orders. She currently makes her candles from home but hopes to one day have her own studio. “It's very therapeutic. I'm always in my zone. My partner always complain[s] about me being in my zone all the time and ignoring him after work - I [work] full-time, [so my "candle time" is after six],” she said. She wishes to continue juggling her two pursuits, but acknowledged that she'll have to decide on one eventually, as “the double life” is bound to take a toll on her at some point. When asked which she's more inclined towards, Angie laughed, "It's like choosing between Dad and Mum." Read more: https://lnkd.in/gZZtMF5V Photo credit: Mothership and @buibuicandles / Instagram

A Singaporean student took a 73.4km-long bus ride between Woodlands & Changi Airport to force himself to study. Speaking to Mothership, Jia Yu said he decided to ride on bus route 858 on the afternoon of Jul. 1 to force himself to concentrate, as he would be rid of the distractions in his room and school library. Additionally, he also hoped that a change of scenery (or "sceneries that kept changing", to borrow his words) along the bus ride would help him become more productive. Spanning 73.4km, bus route 858 is dubbed one of Singapore's "lengthiest bus routes" by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as it brings passengers from Woodlands Interchange to Changi Airport before making a return to Woodlands Interchange. According to LTA, the entire route would typically take 163 minutes, or more than 2.5 hours, to complete. In the video, Jia Yu shared that he boarded the bus at around 12:50pm and sat down near the end of the bus. He then took out his laptop and completed a Wordle game before he began doing his schoolwork. As Jia Yu was travelling on a Monday afternoon when there was less traffic, it only took around an hour for the bus to arrive at Changi Airport. On the way back to Woodlands, Jia Yu had another hour of deep focus before the bus reached Yishun at around 3:35pm. He arrived at Woodlands Bus Interchange shortly after and alighted the bus after spending almost three hours on it. Other than feeling a little bit of numbness in his buttocks, Jia Yu was happy with the trip as he was able to get "some work done". Read more: https://lnkd.in/gwXhBMgP Photo credits: keerigiri/TikTok

Amidst the towering skyscrapers and first-world cityscape of Singapore, what does poverty look like? In June, Matchbox by Mothership hosted a Point of View (POV) poverty sensitisation workshop, which provided participants with an immersive experience of what it’s like to be poor in Singapore. The three-hour workshop was organised by EtonHouse Community Fund (ECF) and held at Matchbox, the venue sponsor, on Jun. 29. And a meaningful experience it was, with many of the 56 participants and volunteers sharing that they became more aware about the challenges faced by the low-income community in Singapore. These were some takeaways they had from the session: to reserve judgment, be kinder, and make time to help others. We’re grateful for the opportunity to host the session, and are looking forward to the next run of the workshop on Sep. 28!

A new outdoor installation at Bukit Brown Cemetery featuring artefacts recovered from the exhumation of around 4,000 graves is scheduled to be completed by August 2024. In a Facebook post on Jul. 8, the Singapore Heritage Society announced that the installation was part of a project called "Voices of Bukit Brown". In partnership with a community group, all things Bukit Brown, and supported by the National Heritage Board, the project marks a "significant milestone in raising awareness of Bukit Brown's heritage". It also aims to promote the heritage of Bukit Brown Cemetery through public programmes and activities. The exhumation began in December 2013 to make way for Lornie Highway. The project will run in phases over the next two years. The first phase, which involves developing the outdoor installation, aims to be completed by August 2024. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gKtVnBwu Photos’ credit: Joseph Nair and the Singapore Heritage Society

A dog stuck behind the wheel of a parked car in Jurong West was rescued by passersby and reunited with its owner. The encounter was detailed by user "Zhi Lin Chiam" in the "Dogs Singapore" Facebook group as it unfolded on the evening of Jul. 1. At 7:04pm, Chiam sent out an appeal for help. She said a colleague of hers had come across the trapped dog at the Blk 684 Jurong West Street 64 multi-storey car park. Another couple at the scene were trying to get it out, but weren't able to, owing to the dog's size, Chiam wrote. At 7:35pm, Chiam shared an update that the dog had been rescued. She shared that someone had alerted the police, who in turn contacted the car's owner and got their permission to jack up the car. The dog had no collar and initially refused to eat or drink. Chiam wrote at 8pm that a person came down to claim it, saying that he was caring for his friend's dog when it ran out of the house. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) also attended to the case, and said that the dog has been reunited with the owner’s family. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gHg-FVj4 Photo credit: Zhi Lin Chiam / Facebook

As of Jul. 8, 2024, the Singapore Food Authority (SFA) will allow the import, sale, manufacturing, processing, and farming of select insect species assessed to be safe for human consumption. Regulations were initially targeted to come into effect in the second half of 2023. To ensure the safety of approved insects for consumption "as an additional food option", SFA has put in place an insect regulatory framework. This includes safety guidelines concerning the production and sale of insect products and stipulations on labelling pre-packaged products containing insects. In a media factsheet, SFA also produced a list of insects deemed safe for consumption, including several cricket species, mealworms, and honey bees. Insects not on this list must undergo an evaluation to ensure they are safe to consume. While developing the framework, SFA conducted a public consultation from Oct. 5, 2022 to Dec. 4, 2022 on regulating insects and insect products, and received more than 50 comments from various stakeholders. Some of the comments concerned the safety of insects for consumption, and respondents felt insects were "unsafe and unnatural" to consume. SFA responded that it took reference from the European Union and countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Korea and Thailand, which have allowed the consumption of certain insect species as food. Moreover, SFA clarified that it will only allow insect species that have a known history of human consumption to be permitted as food. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gkmXSrGB Photo credit: Canva

China is set to impose a three million yuan (approximately S$557,000) annual salary cap for financial workers of all state-backed financial institutions. The government is doubling down on its promise to eradicate "extravagance" from the industry to narrow income gaps amid sluggish economic growth. The limit will be applied to all state-backed brokerages, mutual fund firms and banks, but will not apply to financial institutions backed by private investors. Those who have earned more than the salary cap will need to return the excess money to their companies, sources say, as the measure will be applied retroactively. This move aligns with China's President Xi Jinping's "Common Prosperity" policy, which is committed to reducing income inequality. The financial industry, seen as the elite in China, has therefore been the subject of multiple government crackdowns and investigations. The industry is also perceived to be unprofitable lately, having underwent a three-year period of price decline and a slumping property market. This has prompted companies to tighten their budgets and avoid rolling out pay increases and bonuses, with some companies even issuing pay cuts. Read more: https://lnkd.in/grU59TbC Photo credit: Hanny Naibaho/Unsplash