woopzine

[woopzine]

The Curated Weekly: 11 Sept 2017

This Persian nougat recipe by Hamed Allahyari and Julia Busuttil Nishimura of Free to Feed, as published on thedesignfiles.net. The speckled green and red from the pistachios and barberries look so striking against the white nougat. Also it looks like terrazzo, my current favourite material.

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r foundation because why not?

3. Giovanna Battaglia's wonderful book >>>

VIBES VIBES VIBES VIBES VIBES

VIBES VIBES VIBES VIBES VIBES

VIBES VIBES VIBES VIBES VIBES

[woopzine]

The first teas

I can't pinpoint my first ever cup of tea, but I can remember specific cups or types of tea.

The best mint tea I've ever had was after a meal in a restaurant by the walls of Jerusalem, sitting outside in their garden and sipping little hot cups of fragrant tea, punctuated with cool autumn air that I'd hungrily breathe in to get that 'freshness'. 

I don't remember what I ate - probably some roast meat with pita and hummus - but that sweet tea was crisp, minty and addictive. This was about 13 years ago and I haven't had mint tea since.

The first time I was introduced to chai was purely by accident. I took a sample cup of beverage from a Starbucks barista while out shopping years ago and love it - although I had no clue what it was. Assuming it was the seasonal special, I made a mental note to buy a proper Tall cup of it the next time I was at Starbucks. I pointed to the chai latte special on the board, not knowing what it was but assuming it tasted yummy.

I haven't had chai since.

I drank the best pots of English Breakfast Tea (I literally drank pots of it at a go) at - where else - London, England. It was always perfectly brewed, never bitter, and I added in copious amounts of sugar which turned into a sort of sweet drink to end off a meal. The perfect companion to the cold rainy Spring weather. 

Ten years on and it's still my tea of choice, although I add much less sugar.

Also, that time I went to a chrysanthemum farm in China and bought back a bag of premium chrysanthemum flowers for my late grandfather, so that he had something to brew for tea, only learning that it was often used as offerings on altars. My grandfather never opened that packet of chrysanthemums.

But more than a decade later, I learned that the flower symbolises life in Chinese culture.

Maybe it just wasn't his cup of tea?

[woopzine]

March: It's T Time

This Friday night, after an hour spent vegging out in front of the computer reading about Napoleon Bonaparte (a rabbit hole I was led into after reading about death masks and finding out there was one of said man), I decided - it was tea time.

I had been penciling in my schedule for weeks to work on WOOP every Saturday morning, but I guess Friday nights after work, uninterrupted and alone, have proven to be the most productive.

Anyway, the month of March will be decided to tea. Everything tea.

That's all.

[woopzine]

Want: leather jackets

Behold: some of the choi-est (chio means pretty) leather jackets by Understated Leather and Wolf & Rosie.

Understated Leather makes leather jackets (and a few other things) with details like bell-sleeves or awesome fur collars and the best part is that they are open to customisation. If I ever get one done, I might get one in blue.

Understated Leather:

Wolf & Rosie:

Meanwhile, Wolf & Rosie does gorgeous hand-paintings of flowers onto leather jackets - mostly bespoke orders for cool brides who wear it on their wedding day. Pity Singapore is too hot for leather jackets.

[woopzine]

Tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Today I break the silence of this space with my personal tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew – Singapore’s first Prime Minister, one of her founding fathers and in a way, a father figure to many of us Singaporeans.

No doubt the web will be flooded with tributes to him in the days and weeks to come, and also perhaps every year after this; articles and news sites detailing his legacy lest we forget. But let me add to the sentiment – what he stood for me and what I admired about him, which I feel resonates with the foundation of WOOP zine, my beliefs.

He saw a problem concerning people and their future. He saw a solution to the problem. He took it upon himself to be part of the solution, and his belief turned into a lifelong cause and campaign for the greater good of Singapore. His conviction and passion went beyond politics, ego and self-interest. He lived his life for us all. If love is knowing when to let go, he must have loved Singapore too much to give her up.

I don’t feel like anyone could match him, but don’t we go through life the same way too, in different degrees? We have beliefs, whether they are idealistic or practical, it doesn’t matter. We no doubt face opposition in what we believe in sometimes, but I hope that like Mr Lee, our conviction is unshakable and strong enough to support us when the going gets tough, and for us not sit back and lament how difficult things are. Of course all that Mr Lee has done and gone through is more than I could ever imagine in my life, but if I were to model my pursuit of my beliefs on somebody, it’d be him.

I’m still trying to find something that I can truly believe in for the rest of my life. I’m wondering if my vision for my future is too small or too inclusive, and if an insignificant person like me in this world can affect change for the greater good. But thank you Mr Lee for inspiring a stranger to believe in herself, and thank you for giving me the opportunity today to be able to chase my dreams. Your person will be sorely missed.

[woopzine]

"...the idea of Dream To Live was to create a community where people can utilize their different skills and help raise funds for a common cause. " A fashion design student, Ying Ying's trip to Nepal led her to combine her love of trekking and sense of altruism in Dream to Live, where volunteers can utilize their different skills and help reach out to less developed areas: http://www.woopzine.com/july-nfp/2014/7/27/on-nepal-and-dream-to-live

[woopzine]

In this day and age of social media-enabled narcissism where our Insta feeds and Facebook walls are filled with snippets of what we did/ate/saw/heard/, one could say that we’re starting to love ourselves a bit too much. While we’re all for self-love, as our homeboy Aristotle had once said, there is virtue in the golden mean. Translation: ease up on the selfies, people. http://www.woopzine.com/july-nfp/2014/8/9/get-over-yourself-for-a-change

[woopzine]

You don't need to be Mother Theresa or Ghandi to change the world. All you need is heart and lots of passion. Fourth year Criminology and Criminal Justice major Hanna Cho started sponsoring a girl from Tanzania when she first entered college, and has developed a keen interest in human rights since then. She currently interns at a human rights organisation, PSCORE, which fights for the rights of North Koreans. Hannah shares her journey with us: http://www.woopzine.com/july-nfp/2014/8/5/hannah-cho

[woopzine]

WOOP zine: Call for writers

It’s not just someone with impeccable English we’re after – we’re looking for that special writer with a talent of weaving words into a compelling narrative; one that exposes the subject’s soul in a representation that’s true, honest and flattering.

We’re after someone who understands how to translate a subject’s energy and passion into words on the screen without losing any of its heart.

If you’re that person and would love to meet all kinds of people who do all kinds of different things, we’re a match made in heaven.

Drop us an email: woopzine [at] gmail.com

[woopzine]

What could be more attractive than a guy who whips up sweet desserts? Pastry chef Travis Goh, that's who. "I would say that being a chef is a tough occupation. It requires a lot of time, attention and energy, and it can be really challenging to find a proper work and life balance. " http://www.woopzine.com/may-thefoodies/2014/7/5/travis-goh

[woopzine]

This is a great idea.

Cold Brew Bourbon Cocktail -a Better Happier St. Sebastian

[woopzine]

Carmelle of Sweet Alchemy. Shot by Ericson and Kelly Gangoso of SORA, gif set by Chery Lee.

[woopzine]

Ethel's Food Diary

In lieu of the recent trend of healthy eating, we decided to get Ethel to record her diet for three days, and get a nutritionist (her friend, Raine) to comment on it because…why not?

Read more here: http://www.woopzine.com/may-thefoodies/2014/7/3/ethels-food-diary

[woopzine]

How many of us dream of ditching our regular 9-5 deskbound jobs and setting up our own cafes? Yvonne Low did more than just dream when she quit her job in property management and set up L'Etoile Cafe to rave reviews. She shares what it's like being her own boss: http://bit.ly/1niCUNu

[woopzine]

Organic Juices: What's the deal? Ever wondered how organic juices really taste? Our non-dieting Editor-in-Chief with a sweet tooth tried a set of organic pressed juices and nut mylks for three days, and gives the most detailed review ever- http://bit.ly/organicjuicereview

[woopzine]

"We believe in building a platform that serves all kinds of writers and readers that are passionate about food & travel."

Good things are always better shared, and the team at Burpple has built a platform that allows passionate Singaporeans to share their favourite food haunts. Check out what co-founder Dixon has to share-http://www.woopzine.com/may-thefoodies/2014/5/25/dixon-of-burpple

[woopzine]

WOOP zine collaborates with SORA on our first video feature! Sweet Alchemy's Carmelle Tan baked us a special Choya Lemon Tart for Mother's Day and we were there to document the baking process - yes it was delicious! Watch the video below and read the interview here:http://www.woopzine.com/may-thefoodies/2014/5/25/carmelle-of-sweet-alchemy