s/pores is an online journal exploring different aspects of singapore society

s/pores is launching its new look, its new URL and a new issue which I guest edited this sun evening at food 03

the three great essays which I am very happy to help birth in issue #4 are:

yu-mei balasingamchow once bonded (on being a bonded scholarship holder)

ho weng hin reminisces on a hdb point block (on the most resilient design trope in singapore’s public housing pantheon)

lee huay leng beyond language learning (considers language learning guided by different imperatives)

www.s-pores.com

i am not sure how an online journal is “launched”, (someone presses a button?) I do know the s/pores gang will be there all at hand for food drinks and conversation. The writers of this issue will be there too. meanwhile s/pores is looking for writers so do come to meet the s/poreans if you are keen to write for them

ps food 03 serves great vitagen vodkas amongst other drinks

time: 6.30pm

address food 03: 109 rowell road, between little india and jalan besar

cash bar basis

rsvp events@s-pores.com › to help us plan the evening

We recently had a filmmakers’ town hall meeting at the Substation. The event that sparked this off was the sudden cancellation of the filmmakers travelling grant given out by Singapore Film Commission. SFC has replaced it with a grant called “Inspire” which applies only if you have a pre-arranged meeting with a sales agent (ie there must be a potentially commercial outcome from the trip). Inspire came into operation 2 months ago, and its application isn’t clear. About 30 of us met to
I don’t have more details yet because we are still in the process of deciding what our “thing” is, who can join, how we vote and make decisions. All the basic stuff that makes a group a group, a country a country. Or we may not last beyond this issue. My view is we need representation within SFC and MDA so there are good sustainable reasons to stick together and then some.
The next next meeting is on Wed, 23 July, 7pm, Substation. Send an email to filmcommunitysg@gmail.com to introduce yourself and be added to the group. More on Inspire here httpa;//www.smf.sg, under “Business Centre / Funding”.

Taken by Substation

A Singapore high school teacher told me that he screens Moving House to his students. Normally it is shown as part of social studies so I was surprised when he mentioned that he showed Moving House as part of his philosophy class. I didn’t even know they taught philosophy in high school. I asked him what topic of philosophy would warrant Moving House being shown, he said they are dealing with the question “What makes a Good Life?”. WTF! Posing this to 16 year olds? I suppose its never too early to ask this question though I have only just begun to grapple with it myself (and its collorary “How to Live?”), it is not easy to answer it . . even with some help