Skye Soon
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They say that the brain is a muscle, and you have to exercise it before it loses its dexterity.

So today, in my Five Minutes with Skye column, Imma share with you some interesting ideas from this book, The Future: 50 ideas you really need to know by Richard Watson.




There are 50 ideas in the book, but I'll just highlight three.

User-generated medicine
Shifting power to the patient or end-user

Online medical support communities have been around for years. Not only is solidarity formed within these groups, but medical information is distributed as well.

Most of us defer to hospitals and doctors because of our lack of medical knowledge and expertise. But what happens when the knowledge and know-how is completely open, understandable and accessible to everyone? What happens when knowledge is shared more freely, jargon free?

Some may doubt the reliability of user-generated/prescribed medicine, of course. But will hospitals work better when they are rated and reviewed online, just like what we do with restaurants, movies and every other consumer product now? The power shift is an exciting idea, but I'm not sure if it is necessarily good. Everything in moderation of course. Food for thought!

Single Living
As people start to live beyond traditional ideas of the nuclear family, what kind of impact and new trends will we have?

Possibly: more co-sharing of workspaces, houses, household objects. Already, we are sharing cars, homes (airbnb) and more etc.

As our lifespan increases, there may also be new marriage or child-caring contracts where people live together for pre-agreed periods, before reverting back to singlehood. Marriage could be a whole new different concept from what we know now. Wow!

I find this really interesting. How many of us think about life outside the usual  'BTO-rear your child' model?  It's fascinating that in the future there will be more options and types of family planning options, and even social contracts that challenge the idea of 'marrying for life'. (Probably already existing now, but maybe not by law?)

Single living may also tax our Earth more. So we should share resources whenever possible (splitting a large pack of food etc) also because it is more cost efficient this way. More thoughts of going green next time.


Nanotechnology
Manipulating matter to our desire

Basically, what happens when we all have our personal 3D printers? Can you imagine melting down an object you don't want now, to create something else? No waste anymore, because you converted it into something useful instead. What an idea!  And not too far off in the future imo. It's like recycling for infinity. (Exaggerating here)

Currently I feel that I am 'powerless' and at the mercy of big companies and how they price their items when I do not know how or have the means to make my own product (for example, how can I make my own fan, a shirt, or my own cup?) Rather than buy these things, perhaps next time I'll just have to type a code into the machine and print my own desired item.

Then again, people would probably be selling blueprints if this technology takes off. But think about it. Everything will be more streamlined. No more extra wasted stock because everything is truly demand-supply, made as you wish. The possibilities are endless, only limited by your imagination.

We may be plagued by choice paralysis by then, but it's still nice to have the power to make something (at a low cost?), previously inaccessible to you because of the FOPs involved.

I'm probably doing a pretty bad job explaining these ideas to you, but if you want to read more, do check out the book! :) I won't say I understand these concepts fully on how they work, but I do relish the idea that I am now aware of them!


Other cool ideas:
Quantum computers, brain to computer technology (imagine EVERYTHING being powered by literally your thoughts), new energy harvest methods, the future of AI - will robots demand rights and equality? etc. A really eye-opening coffee table book that will not daunt you with crazy jargon and all. A lot of speculation and possibilities, because who knows what the future truly offers? Opened up my mind at the very least! The future can be terrifying, but it is undoubtedly exciting as well.

Meanwhile, in the chapter of Smart Cities...







I thought I'll chronicle my busking journey! Hopefully this helps any of you musicians who googled "busking singapore" to get started on your own journey.

How to get started:

 First things first, you gotta apply for the Busking Scheme by NAC.

Fill up a form, submit your passport photo, select locations you want to busk at, and email it ASAP to book an audition slot. There's about 90-ish people per slot so you really should sign up early. The slots fill up real quick.  Click here to read more/sign up for the NAC busking scheme.

My Timeline:
Aug 2017: Signed up for the January 2018 slot
Jan 2018: Attended the pre-audition workshop and audition
March 2018: Received endorsement letter and the okay to start busking! :)

Pre-audition Workshop
My workshop was held at Goodman Arts Centre, which is a short 5 min walk from Mountbatten MRT. It was held in the morning at about 10am.

I didn't really know what to expect. I shifted my work time so I could attend this, so I really hoped it would be worth my time.

When I arrived, there was a queue forming (lol, Singapore life). Prepare your NRIC and they will help process some forms and stuff. Then take a seat in front of a pull down projector screen, which flashes some news articles about busking.

Buskers really come from all walks of life. You get to see hipster youngsters, elders, and even primary school children accompanied by their family. Most buskers are musicians, but during the Q&A session I discovered we also had sketch artists, circus acts, magicians etc. It's pretty cool!


They also give out a handy guidebook on busking guidelines in Singapore.

The presenters were also respectful of our time. E.g. "We all know today is a precious Saturday morning and we don't want to waste your time, so do limit your questions to the pre-audition and you can ask me other questions later after the mass session." I thought this was very good of them :')

A fellow busker was also invited to come share his experience and give some tips as well. Another experienced guy also shared his two cents worth: To be prepared during the audition and to help raise the standard of the busking scene in Singapore (wow!).

Also: some hot topics on musicians' minds:
  • Q: Do you need a portable speaker during the auditions?
    A: Strictly speaking no, but it is highly recommended as the pre-audition is held to stimulate real street conditions. You should definitely buy and bring the speaker especially if you have a small voice.

Thoughts about the pre-audition workshop:

  • You don't really learn much in terms of tips on how to busk on the streets, but it's really cool to see that you're actually part of a community. During the workshop there was a "turn around and introduce yourself to the person next to you" moment. I laughed because I had not done this since camps in university. It was quite amusing and refreshing really. Got to talk to some people and a friendly uncle even gave me his handmade name card with his YouTube address.
  • Also, this said community is represented and organised by NAC. In some way it may be strange that busking needs to be regulated, but at least an organisation exists to be our voice and negotiate with official government bodies and malls etc to help us legally have some space to perform. I believe (from a glimpse of the newspaper articles flashed on the PPT slides) that the government wanted to ban busking completely before, so at least we have some representation?
  • At first I found the whole application process quite tedious, especially when you had to carve out time to attend the workshop and audition. I wondered if other countries had the same type of processes. I believe most people think busking is a very free and easy thing, but in recent times I think many countries have come up with their own licenses and guidelines, and Singapore is no exception.
  • I left the session feeling more grateful and appreciative. The staff did wake up early to set up this meeting room, deal with all the paperwork, queues, process/arrange audition timings and even speak in different languages to try to cater to everyone. Accuse them of a cumbersome process but you cannot say they didn't make any effort to help the busking scene in Singapore. Thanks guys!!!

Equipment

Like most millennials, I did my online research and ended up getting my Roland Cube Street Ex from Swee Lee. Cost me about $680 or something, damn. I'm really curious where the elderly buskers get their amps from! Visited some places in Bugis but didn't find something suitable. There are cheaper trolley types that cost about $150-200 but I didn't really like their sound. They looked kind of flimsy too.

My Roland Cube! There's a slightly smaller one, but we decided on this in the end.


Later on during the audition day, I met an uncle who zhnged his amp. It's really small and light! It used to be a an amp that needed to be connected to a power supply, but somehow he managed to make it battery operated. Uncle please teach me.

I got my SM58 mic and mic stand from Luther Music, which is at the Cityhall Peninsula Plaza area (Excelsior Shopping Centre). 
Added Rilakkuma sticker tape on my mic cuz I wanted to differentiate it from other mics. Useful to tag your gear during gigs to identify which are yours. TBH you should tag your cables too.

 You'll probably also need a music stand if you want to put scoresheets and stuff. Some people invest in a tablet and a tablet holder, which fits neatly under the mic on the mic stand. I also found an auntie trolley at home to lug all my stuff around. 

The actual audition day

I had a morning slot and I arrived at the NLB building at Bugis early enough. I was given a sticker tag and waited for my turn. TBH waiting always makes me very antsy. Got to see some performances - beatboxing, a magician who was good at hyping people up,  singing + keyboard, a man with a flute, a man in a wheelchair who unfortunately did not have live instrumentation (he used a device to play back music instead. I think this is not allowed and you need to play your own music).

There's a panel of four judges. The area in front of them is marked A and B, so you can set up your performance while another is simultaneously going on. (Quite efficient haha).

I have to say my audition didn't go as well as expected (I had to use an electric guitar instead of my usual acoustic) but I passed anyway. Phew.

Endorsement card
Sometime in March I received a call about passing the audition, the selection of locations and collecting my card. To my disappointment I didn't manage to land hotspots like the locations along Orchard Road or even Dhoby Ghaut. 

You have to head down to an ulu industrial area situated somewhat near Taiseng/Bartley ? and collect it. Bring your NRIC! After which, you probably have a year before you have to renew your card :)

Actual Busking


I set up at Paya Lebar Square, in front of the MRT entrance. It was sheltered (thank god, it rained shortly after.)

Before I started, there were throngs of people and I really considered going to somewhere else that had less footfall. Sudden urge of being shy after going through the entire process (!) But in the end I bit the bullet and just went for it. Remember, no busker is entitled to a place, so go early and be courteous always if there is a location dispute.

I did two sets, for a total of about 1.5h. Singaporeans are really generous! I decline to share how much I earned but haha it was really quite heartening as most of the notes were $2 and I even received two $10 notes. Some people stayed briefly, some stayed for a long time. They clapped, they told me they enjoyed my performance. It was fun! I also bumped into some friends, which was a nice surprise. 😍

Luckily, my boyfriend helped me lug my Roland Cube (thank you!)...it's really hard to carry everything (guitar, stands, bag, cube) all on your own as everything is bulky. The cube may seem light at first but not when you're carrying so many other things as well. You should consider a trolley of some kind.



OTHER TIPS:

  • If you use a file for your scoresheets, make sure you have clips  to prevent your pages from flapping about. I learnt this by observing more experienced buskers. Clips can also be used to hold anything in place (in my case, to clip my guitar bag to remain open as it does not unzip fully.)
  • Make a sign! Some people use chalkboards and whiteboards too. I drew mine.



  • I also made some namecards. I prefer making my own as it's more fun and also in line of my casual style. My namecards have my social media handles on them.




  • What to sing? Popular songs really worked for me. I sang 'Rewrite the Stars' from The Greatest Showman and people warmed up to it. There's nothing like seeing someone smile because a busker is singing a song they really adore. I also prepared songs in Chinese.
  • Bring your Endorsement Card. A security guard approached me right before I started and boy was I glad I could show her the card.
    Edit: I have been checked by police officers before too! Please, please dont forget to bring your card.


 Other things to read about busking that may give you some perspective:

  • This writer posts about her experience in trying to get the busking license from NAC and the actual experience of busking on the streets. I found this really useful before I applied! It gave me an idea of what the whole process was like. Must read! http://sg.asia-city.com/city-living/article/sing-song-sixpence
  • This article features some buskers in different areas in Singapore. It gives you an idea of what other performers are doing. http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/popular-street-performers-with-a-regular-following

So I hope this blogpost helps to clear some doubts you might have if you're an aspiring busker! Hope to catch you on the streets soon. Remember to have fun! Good luck! Meanwhile, I'm going to have to busk many more times to recoup the $ spent on my equipment. 😂


Leave a comment to share more busking tips, or if you simply found this post helpful! Thanks :)

Hit Subscribe at the top of the page to get email updates whenever there's a new post! 

Hey guys! I know it's already quarter into the year of  2018, but here I am with my top picks of books I've read in 2017. I've categorised them roughly by genre so you can go seek them out if any of them catches your eye! Hope this was helpful :)

Top Chick Lit:

The Secret Ways of Perfume
by Cristina Caboni 



 


Have you guys read Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind (also adapted into movie)? If you have, I'm sure you understand the allure of perfume. I absolutely loved the book Perfume, mostly because it left such a strong impression on me. (I know it was disgusting in some ways because of the murders, but mostly it was really fascinating to me.)

Since then, I have been on the lookout for more perfume stories. This book is a perfect blend of romance and a little bit of mystery. It may drag on sometimes here and there, but overall I definitely enjoyed the whole premise and would recommend it.


The Garden of Small Beginnings
by Abbi Waxman 



I was attracted to this book for two reasons - the bright cheery cover, and that the plot included gardening. A widow renegotiates life with the help of gardening and the people around her in this story. This is a rather fast and enjoyable read, though sometimes sad.

Top Fantasy:

The Golem and the Jinni 

by Helene Wecker

I gave this five stars. I certainly did not expect to come across such a delightful read. What a gem! An original, fun adventure with richly painted scapes and strong characters with depth. I was very impressed. Would read again just to take a leaf out of her book when I attempt to write my own novel again.

Top Mystery/Thriller:

Journey Under the Midnight Sun
by Keigo Higashino



I'm a big fan of Japanese mystery thrillers/murder (and books set in Japan, or written by Japanese authors. There's a certain air of poeticness which I have grown to love and savour.) This story follows a long, drawn out process of a detective who is persistent in cracking his case. The length of this book adds to the frustration he feels sometimes, in my humble opinion! However, it was so worth it to finally unravel all the mysteries within it once you get through this tome.  


Top Drama:


The Secret History

by Donna Tartt

Again, I am enthralled by Donna Tartt's writing. Previously, I read The Goldfinch, and absolutely loved it for its intricate writing and expression of friendship. 

I prefer The Goldfinch as The Secret History is a little more frustrating and even a little strange and perhaps esoteric (on purpose I feel). However, once you're in deep enough, the drama grips you in a vice like manner. You step into the shoes of Richard, an outsider who makes it into an exclusive in-group of beautiful and smart people. Crazy shit goes down and you navigate new friendships, jealousy and more. I appreciate how the dynamics of a group is explored here, it's what makes the book so delicious as it is. Five stars for great storytelling! 

Top Autobiography


Lab Girl

by Hope Jahren 

Really enjoyed reading this! Jahren made science concepts approachable and easy to understand for the layman. What I liked the most were her personification of different plants, giving them such lively characters and enabling readers to connect with, or at the very least be more interested in plants, which are usually thought of as insentient beings.

Because maybe plants do care about others, just that they just do not care about us humans.

Below are some of my favourite quotes I collected from the book:

"My laboratory is like a church because it is where I figure out what I believe. The machines drone, a gathering hymn as I enter."

 "A seed is alive while it waits."

 "Each beginning is the end of a waiting. We are each given exactly one chance to be. Each of us is both impossible and inevitable. Every replete tree was first a seed that waited."

 "The first real leaf is a new idea. As soon as a seed is anchored, its priorities shift and it redirects all its energy toward stretching up. As the tiniest plant in the forest, it has to work harder than everything above it ,all the while enduring a misery of shade."

 "One new idea allowed the plant to see a new world and draw sweetness out of a whole new sky." (on the cactus developing the spine from the leaf)

 "A vine makes it up as it goes along. They do not play by the rules of the forest: they place their roots in one optimal spot and grow their leaves elsewhere, a different optimum, usually several trees over. Vines steal. They steal patches of light left unattended and rivulets of rain. Vines do not enter into apologetic symbiosis, but instead grow bigger at every opportunity, a dead scaffold being just as good as a living one.

 Vines are not sinister; they are just hopelessly ambitious. They are the hardest-working plants on Earth. Vines are evergreen, which means that they never take a day off: no long winter vacation like the deciduous tree that they have laboriously scaled. On top of everything, vines do not flower and bear seed until they reach the open sun above the canopy of the forest, and therefore only the strongest have ever survived."

 "For trees that live in the snow, winter is a journey. Plants do not travel through space as we do: as a rule they do not move from place to place. Instead they travel through time, enduring one event after the other, and in this sense, winter is a particularly long trip."

Highly recommended for anyone with the slightest interest or fondness for plants and all things green.


Books that disappointed me:

Today Will Be Different

by Maria Semple

A Clockwork Orange

by Anthony Burgess

The Wasp Factory

by Iain Banks

Proof

by David Auburn

The Crucible

by Arthur Miller

Milk and Honey

by Rupi Kaur 

Other books that were fun to read:

The Unseen World

by Liz Moore
Dramatic fiction about a daughter looking for clues on what her scientist dad left her.

The Hating Game 

by Sally Thorne
A fun, lighthearted romance to cheer you up!


Norse Mythology

by Neil Gaiman
I don't need to introduce Neil Gaiman to you guys, do I? :)

A Separate Peace

by John Knowles
An American classic about friendship and tragedy,

dotwav

by Mike A. Lancaster
A fun-filled adventure with a premise of a 'virus' in the form of a .wav file! 

The Bear and the Nightingale 

by Katherine Arden
A magical, rich tale set in the Russian wilderness.

The Incarnations

by Susan Barker 
Set in Asia! Very creative plot.

The Forest People

by Colin M. Turnbull
Perfect if you have interest in sociology and anthropology. A great insight into the forest people of the BaMbuti Pygmies.


Add these books to your To Read list! If you've read them or would like to share a recommendation, do feel free to leave a comment below! :)


Related:
Skye's Top Books 2015

kawaii! japan's culture of cute by Manami Okazaki and Geoff Johnson

Spotted this in the Art and Graphics section at the library, couldn't resist checking it out!

This was such a fun and informative read! I'll just pick out some interesting highlights to share with you. The book introduces different elements of 'kawaii', its history (dating back to the Edo period), and the various branches and how 'kawaii' is expressed in culture today.


DID YOU KNOW?

  • Hello Kitty lives in London, not Japan. At the time of creation, Brit culture was considered cool in Japan. Her name is Kitty White, and she weighs about 3 apples. Lol.




  • Hello Kitty has a mouth, it's just not drawn on. LOL.
  • From the book: "Her appeal is truly international in scope, and she even once instigated a riot of a Singapore Macdonald's when fans clamoured for a promotional toy." Haha we Singaporeans make news for the funniest reasons.

    You know you have them.... (Pic from Carousell, whitebear94)

  • Rilakkuma comes from a Japanese play of words, "rilakushingu", which means relaxing in Japanese.
    How can you resist such a cute, lazy and funny character? I find him cuter than Gudetama!!


Some shots from the book:

An example of Macoto Takahashi's starry eyed illustrated characters. How beautiful!

Kewpie, designed to help introduce Mayonnaise in 1925, when the condiment was not familiar to Japanese consumers. Text on the picture: Tarako is fish roe that is traditionally served with rice. The salty flavour goes well with mayonnaise and is often used as spaghetti sauce. These taroko Kewpie dolls are cult items and the TV advertisements featuring them are completely absurd. 

I really loved this picture, it completely cracked me up! It's so cute yet ridiculous.
Next, let me introduce you to the robot plush, Paro the Seal.


Paro the Seal was created to help patients in hospitals, homes and emergency refuge centres. Its warmth and weight is similar to a baby, which is comforting and has outstanding results among people with dementia. I love how cuteness could be used to heal.

This little dolly is called RIBBON. Isn't she absolutely adorable? The line creates products that fit in a matchbox.


Traditional Kokoshi figure, seen here as a handrail.

You get to see cute in everyday, mundane objects in Japan. Don't you think the inject a sense of fun and wonder?

The book also features a fashion section, including cosplay, lolita and maid genres. There's also information about how Harajuku came about. I included this picture in this post because I think it's pretty ingenious to use foam as hair cut-outs to create a more dimensional anime look- no wig can do this as well! 

A pregnant Hello Kitty, by Yoskay Yamamoto, who tweaks iconic characters to make a statement. This Hello Kitty was meant to draw attention to a teenage pregnancy problem.


The book also features many interviews with the designers and creators of characters and brands  (Tokidoki, Gloomy Bear, San-X, Swimmer etc). It's fun to learn about new brands and gain some insight on how they perceive 'cute' (many of them emphasise on the idea of creating cute that is 'just right', and not overly cute). Lastly I found that thought these creators may all have a unique style, overall they still convey a 'Japanese' coherence, if I may say. I wonder when Singapore will have such a distinct style?

Hope you enjoyed this quick look at the book! It's a fun coffee table book to thumb through, especially if you are interested in anything Japanese.

The moment when you realise your life has many elements of cute Japanese things as well. 


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ABOUT ME

Skye Soon : lifestyle blogger in Singapore, street busker and enthusiast of chocolates and books

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