FIVEFOOTWAY http://www.fivefootway.com FIVEFOOTWAY Magazine en adib@fivefootway.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-16T06:55:07+00:00 Sharing Hong Kong’s hidden secrets http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/sharing_hong_kongs_hidden_secrets http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/sharing_hong_kongs_hidden_secrets#When:07:57:33Z

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2. LOVE

Sharing Hong Kong’s hidden secrets

BY MIZAH RAHMAN

Two backpackers discover their love for the city by bringing locals and tourists together to explore it

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has set out to make a primary impression: Hong Kong, glittering skyscrapers planted across and overlooking Victoria Harbour; a perfect mix of the East and the West; touted as “Asia’s World City”.
However, the city’s image and identity goes beyond its famous skyline, which is what Stephen Chung and Josie Cheng are trying to advocate. They aim to unravel the multi-dimensional layers of the city because they feel that the commonly known and promoted tourist spots do not reflect the true story of their city.
In search of Hong Kong’s identity, they came to believe that it is a city more than the glitz and glamour conjured by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. “It’s more than Disneyland, Ocean Park and the Big Buddha,” adds Stephen. Explaining the motivation for the project, Josie mentions that “different people are trying to portray different identities for Hong Kong and we feel that every citizen of Hong Kong has his or her own story and every story is worth sharing.”
Instead of celebrating the identity of Hong Kong packaged by the Tourism Board, the backpacking pair aim to celebrate the people behind Hong Kong's extreme urbanism. From hawkers in Wan Chai and Filipino domestic workers who gather at public spaces at Central on Sundays, to other minority groups residing in Hong Kong. They believe that behind every individual, building and neighbourhood hides a special story.
]]> 2012-02-16T07:57:33+00:00 Instant Asia 13 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_13 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_13#When:06:55:07Z

Instant Asia

10

It’s been said that cities are about its people. In this regular FIVEFOOTWAY section conceptualised together with Professor Thomas Kong, we find out what people living in Asia’s cities think about their environment and how it can be improved.
Interviews by Adele Chong

Joanne Chew
27, Visual storyteller/graphic designer. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

What does Kuala Lumpur mean to you?
Kuala Lumpur means curried coconut rice, home, heat, congestion, illegal U-turns, kindred spirits, delectable gastronomic offerings, charming old shop houses, multi-ethnicity, roads dotted with potholes, occasional thunderstorms, double parking, blasted air-conditioning and sambal belacan.

Which is your favourite place in Kuala Lumpur? Why is it so?
Taman Seputeh, the neighbourhood where I currently reside. It is probably one of the few peaceful enclaves left in Kuala Lumpur and also the place where I grew up.

Who would you bring to this place? Why?
I would bring anyone who is interested in taking a stroll and stopping at his or her tracks every two minutes to write a few inspired words that would eventually be strung into a haiku.

Joyce Lim
32, customer service analyst. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

What does Kuala Lumpur mean to you?
Independence – because it meant moving away from Kuching, my hometown, and living on my own for the first time.

Which is your favourite place in your city? Why is it so?
Yut Kee, an old school coffee shop at Jalan Dang Wangi serving a Hainanese interpretation of Western food.

Who would you bring to this place? Why?
Anthony Bourdain so that I can introduce him to the lovely greasy delights of roti babi (shredded pork sandwiched between two slices of bread and then deep fried). Oh, and the coffee here is VERY strong. Best breakfast food ever.

Tell us about three things you want to change in Kuala Lumpur.
Public transport, more green spaces, and more measures to reduce cars on the road!

Mayanne Koh
33, public relations consultant. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

What does Kuala Lumpur mean to you?
Kuala Lumpur means home – I am a KL-ite born and bred.

Which is your favourite place in Kuala Lumpur? Why is it so?
My favourite place changes with the phases of my life. Currently I would say Changkat Bukit Bintang is one of my top picks. It’s a melting pot of top quality restaurants offering local and international cuisine, cafes and clubs all conveniently situated on a short stretch of road in the city centre.The fact that it is down the street from where I live is a definite bonus too.

Who would you bring to this place? Why?
Because the variety of eateries here offer a range of relaxed environments to upscale settings, I’ve spent many hours of my life here catching up with friends over coffee or dinner, having romantic dates and weekend breakfasts, entertaining business associates and holding events at some of the restaurants, and even having memorable events here—a friend’s hen’s night, another friend’s 50th birthday bash and a wedding reception in a jazz bar.

Whether they are local or foreign, I’d bring anyone who enjoys a good meal and a good time out, be it over coffee, a glass of wine, or to celebrate an occasion.

]]> 2012-02-16T06:55:07+00:00 Instant Asia 12 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_12 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_12#When:08:11:39Z

Instant Asia

10

It’s been said that cities are about its people. In this regular FIVEFOOTWAY section conceptualised together with Professor Thomas Kong, we find out what people living in Asia’s cities think about their environment and how it can be improved.

Osbert Lam
52, Urban Farmer. Hong Kong.

What does Hong Kong mean to you?
It means home to me, a place when I know the best from inside out. A place where I have most of my friends.

Which is your favourite place in Hong Kong? Why is it so?
Tai Tam Reservoir, it's located in the middle of Hong Kong island. Going uphill on a 15 minutes taxi ride and you are surrounded by quietness and green.

Who would you bring to this place? Why?
My friends, who can enjoy a short 2-hours walk.

Tell us about three things you want to change in Hong Kong.
If I can, I will turn it greener, make people work less hard and enjoy more of life and democracy.

Prudence Lau Leung Kwok
25, Architecture Student.

What does Hong Kong mean to you?
A sense of belonging.
It should also mean home and comfort but these aspects are slowly diminishing for me.

Which is your favourite place in Hong Kong? Why is it so?
The narrow and slightly steep roads of Hong Kong Island, especially the route along the Central- Mid-levels’ escalators. This is where I can truly feel the gradual climb of Hong Kong Island’s Central and Western District, linking Des Voeux Road in Central to Conduit Road on the Mid-levels — where I lived for several years as a child.

Judy Leung
16, Student.

What does Hong Kong mean to you?
It’s very hard to describe what it means to me. I guess it’s because I’ve always wanted to live somewhere else, like I shouldn’t belong here. But currently it could be called a “home”. I was born here. Although I lived in Thailand when I was younger, and those days were the happiest in 16 years, somehow you’ve got to move on, and try to make new memories here. I’m still trying now.

Which is your favourite place in Hong Kong? Why is it so?
I live in To Kwa Wan, a district in Kowloon. It’s near the former airport, Kai Tak Airport. Now it’s a big empty space, probably the biggest you can see in such a populated area. I like it because it’s very unreal; we had to break in through several small holes in wired fences, it’s like you’re escaping from the reality.

]]> 2012-02-09T08:11:39+00:00 Final Note http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/final_note http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/final_note#When:04:20:04Z

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1. DEATH.

A Final Note
In search of the restless spirit

Text By Rachel Koh. Pictures By Mark De Winne


Working on the DEATH issue has got me into the habit of taking walks at the columbarium in my parish church. It’s a way to clear my mind and ponder life by asking questions about death: what it means to me, and the reason for my growing fondness of memorials for the dead.

Cemeteries are not only tributary to the deceased and a structural reminder of the finitude of life, it is also a place for the dead to still dwell among the living.

The views, values and perspectives found in the living world have shaped how we understand the dead and the handling of their spaces.

In response to the increasing need to make space for urban development, many cemeteries have been compromised including Bukit Brown Cemetery in Singapore. Today’s departed are also offered modern ‘high-rise living’ such as the city’s six-star state of the art luxury columbarium Nirvana Memorial Garden.

]]> 2012-02-09T04:20:04+00:00 Cities: A place of death, a space for birth http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/cities_a_place_of_death_a_space_for_birth http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/cities_a_place_of_death_a_space_for_birth#When:07:20:58Z

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1. DEATH.

Creative Cities, Industrial Cities — they are all just maps of cities by different generations of people living in them

BY JUSTIN ZHUANG

Old warehouses re-adapted into offices and exhibition spaces for art and design. Check.


A dis-used rail track converted into a cycling and walking path. Check.


A once polluted river cleaned up and now a site for leisure. Check.


Welcome to Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second-largest city — and possibly any other up-and-coming city in the world. Though it was my first time in Kaohsiung, I felt I had been here before. I thought of Shanghai’s Moganshan as I explored Kaohsiung old pier warehouses now filled with art and design. As I walked along what was once a rail track that served Kaohsiung’s port, New York’s High Line came to mind. Sipping a latte along the city’s Love River watching boats ferry tourists up and down it, I felt I was home along the Singapore River — and as it turned out, both rivers had undergone major clean-ups, transforming once a dumping site for surrounding industries into tourist attractions.


]]> 2012-02-08T07:20:58+00:00 Instant Asia 11 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_11 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_11#When:04:47:25Z

Instant Asia

10

It’s been said that cities are about its people. In this regular FIVEFOOTWAY section conceptualised together with Professor Thomas Kong, we find out what people living in Asia’s cities think about their environment and how it can be improved.

Leslie
37, Stay-home mum and vintage blogshop owner. Singapore

What does Singapore mean to you?
Home, inspiration, dreams, everything.

Which is your favourite place in Singapore? Why is it so?
Tanjong Pagar - all that nostalgia, creativity and inspiration appeals to me. It slows down life and lets you breathe again amongst the hectic city life.

Who would you bring to this place? Why?
Myself. To recharge whenever the need arises.

Tell us about three things you want to change in Singapore.
1. Stop all demolishing of old, nostalgic buildings

2. Down rental rates so bookstores can survive

3. Fully air-condition the entire city from April - July

Yvonne Chiu
37, Teacher, Artist. Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

What does Kaohsiung mean to you?
Mother town and a place to breathe freely.

Which is your favourite place in Kaohsiung? Why is it so?
Seashore and harbour. The sunset is beautiful and so is the local market. Our tradition of food, living style, and craft works are well preserved here.

Who would you bring to this place? Why?
Good friends from other city or country.I want them to smell and feel our seashore and harbor.

Tell us about three things you want to change in Kaohsiung.
⒈ I want the city to have more trees and parks.

⒉ I want the city to add more galleries and art schools.

3. I want all children to only have classes for 6 hours per day and teachers need to take kids to natural environments to play and learn how to respect nature.

Mark
27, Designer. Singapore.

What does Singapore mean to you?
Singapore is my on/off girlfriend I can't really break up with. I've no desire to be in a long-term relationship (yet), and sometimes I find her very tiresome and irritating — but then there are days where she is indispensable to my existence, and she's actually reasonably pleasant to be with. We're stuck with each other because we have no one else to turn to (at least, that's what I think) and we know deep down, there's still some affection.

Which is your favourite place in Singapore? Why is it so?
My favourite place in the city was Seletar. It's not "in" the city, but it had a raw sort of quality that was hard to find elsewhere. It also had a history, a story to tell, to discover, and it wasn't overly built up like the rest of Singapore. Since it's been lost/revamped, my next favourite places are all around the Bukit Timah/Bukit Brown area. I enjoy getting lost (not literally, Singapore is too small for that) in the heat, the green, with only a camera and the mosquitoes for company. It's peaceful, but also a little dangerous — quite an intoxicating mix for the urban dweller.

]]> 2012-01-18T04:47:25+00:00 Not just dead spaces http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/not_just_dead_spaces http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/not_just_dead_spaces#When:04:43:12Z

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1. DEATH.

by JAX TAN

Cemeteries are where the dead rest in peace. Or is it so? JAX TAN looks across Asia and discovers these spaces for the dead are alive with other possibilities too.

“The dead will never be dead to us, until we have forgotten them,” so says George Eliot. While the dead rest in peace, where they reside doubles up as sites of personal memories for their loved ones who are still living. It’s really why they exist, actually, for people to have a physical reminder of their departed loved ones so that they can renew their memories and pay their respects.

Many Asian cultures also set aside specific periods to remind the living of their dead. The holiday festival Chuseok, or “Time of Autumn”, is when Koreans visit cemeteries to see their their deceased loved ones. For the Chinese, its the Qing Ming Festival or “Tomb Sweeping Day”. These festivals give families the opportunity to come together, visiting spaces where their deceased ancestors reside and carrying out rituals to re-connect with them on a regular basis.

]]> 2012-01-18T04:43:12+00:00 Lost in transition http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/lost_in_transition http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/lost_in_transition#When:03:52:43Z

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1. DEATH.

by PHILIPP ALDRUP

The global imperative towards economic growth generates an appetite for things we do not need, things which consume resources, wreck the environment, erase history and unsettle our peace of mind.

As a result we are faced with rapid changes in a land we feel increasingly detached from, cut off from the thread of our memories of what was home not long ago - changes which we seem to have minimal influence over.

]]> 2012-01-18T03:52:43+00:00 Instant Asia 10 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_10 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_10#When:12:59:09Z

Instant Asia

It’s been said that cities are about its people.
In this regular FIVEFOOTWAY section conceptualised together with Professor Thomas Kong, we find out what people living in Asia’s cities think about their environment and how it can be improved.

Interviews by FIVEFOOTWAY

10
This week, we feature:

Percival Vatsaloo
55 years, Gallery Owner. Singapore

Zinkie Aw
26, Designer. Singapore.

Jeslyn Tan
26, Undergraduate. Singapore.

]]> 2012-01-10T12:59:09+00:00 Death, life and being http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/death_life_and_being http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/death_life_and_being#When:12:44:15Z

On a recent visit to Japan, JOEL GN discovers how the city of Tokyo lives on, even with death so intertwined in its history and society



Despite her inhibitions and eccentricities, Japan is still a sight to behold.

As I thread through her busy streets and quaint alleys, her persistent obsessions with the tiniest details are sights to behold. And in those details, one does not find a devil but a resilient spirit.

In the midst of a declining population and the aftermath of a nationwide calamity, her people maintain alluring harmony with the vicissitudes of their circumstances. The spectre of death lingers, but despair is strangely absent. As the autumn leaves descend on a walkway at dawn, a sweeper meticulously brushes them into a stainless steel dustpan, paving the way for office-bound pedestrians.

]]> 2012-01-09T12:44:15+00:00 Life and Death in the city of Singapore http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/life_and_death_in_the_city_of_singapore http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/life_and_death_in_the_city_of_singapore#When:09:23:51Z

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1. DEATH.

Life & Death

in the city of

Singapore

It pays to be alive in Singapore. Based on the lifespan of an average adult, you would incur in your lifetime, chronologically, the following costs: delivery into this world (more if you choose to do it via Caesarian) immunisations, school fees, tuition, piano lessons, graduation ceremony gown rental, car ownership and maintenance, home, delivering your child, his or her education fees...

This goes on all the way till you die, which depending on your religion and beliefs, may include costly paper houses and possessions, elaborate ceremonies, a space in the columbarium or your own grave.
But why stop there?

DARRELL LIM proposes a very likely future where columbariums (because the city of Singapore has no more space for graveyards) are elevated to desirable property after death. Imagine high-rise columbariums designed by world-famous architects and filled with designer interiors so that one can continue (forever) to live in style. The columbarium of the future will be a place where family, friends, and loved ones can gather in thoughtfully “curated” spaces to relive the memories of their deceased. State-of-the-art technology enabling families to view the deceased via apps or Facebook is an add-on — if you can afford it.


]]> 2012-01-08T09:23:51+00:00 Instant Asia 9 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_9 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_9#When:11:18:58Z

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1. DEATH.

INSTANT ASIA 9

It’s been said that cities are about its people. In this regular FIVEFOOTWAY section conceptualised together with Professor Thomas Kong, we find out what people living in Asia’s cities think about their environment and how it can be improved.
Interviews by GOH XUN BIN

This week: Madam Guo, 71, coffin maker, Singapore. Seah Wee Chuang, 51, conductor of funeral rituals, Singapore. Or Tong Hoe, 42, business owner selling Chinese religious products. Singapore.
Translation from Mandarin to English by GOH XUN BIN.

]]> 2012-01-01T11:18:58+00:00 In memory of http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/in_memory_of http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/in_memory_of#When:13:53:53Z

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1. DEATH.

In Memory Of

Text by LETITIA TAN. Photo by PHILIPP ALDRUP

She lay across the start of Shenton Way dressed in khaki hues with tinted portholes dotting her sides. Her stern boasted an additional storey, housing a humble collection of potted plants and guilt-ridden cigarette stubs. Down on her main deck, an arch labelled “Golden Cola” housed the helm of this structure, pointing her in line with the street below. Her body’s four corners were anchored by stacks of stairs that stretched to touch the streets below. Inside, a pale pink carpet of tiles rolled out across the main deck, separating two rows of parallel stores, paving her weekdays, when her engines would whir to a quiet start as Breakfast approached.

]]> 2011-12-31T13:53:53+00:00 At home with the community http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/at_home_with_the_community http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/at_home_with_the_community#When:06:10:32Z

At home
with the community

Singapore editor Andrew Loh is building spaces for all online, first with socio-political news website The Online Citizen and now publichouse.sg

BY JUSTIN ZHUANG



At the age of 45, he has finally found his calling.

For some two decades, Mr Andrew Loh didn’t know what to do in life. He sold insurance, served as a waiter, opened a restaurant, taught yoga and even tried out as a rag-and-bone man, but he never stayed long in any of these jobs.

That is until he started blogging. What started as a means to voice his opinions and ideas has become his career. For the last four and a half years, Loh has worked full-time on The Online Citizen (TOC), an independent alternative media outlet in Singapore.

It all started in December 2006. Frustrated with what he thought was unfair coverage of the General Elections by the country’s mainstream media, he got together with fellow bloggers Choo Zheng Xi, Gerald Giam and Benjamin Cheah to start TOC as a platform to express their views on Singapore society. They had no “big plan” nor knew anything about publishing, but they have created what is regarded today as one of the leading alternative media for socio-political news in Singapore. Last year, the site received an average of 20,000 to 30,000 views a day, and currently, TOC’s Facebook page has received over 45,000 ‘Likes’.

]]> 2011-11-26T06:10:32+00:00 Eyes on the future http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/eyes_on_the_future http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/eyes_on_the_future#When:04:16:55Z

VOLUME 0 ISSUE 2

Eyes on the future

ADIB JALAL



Today, we conclude Volume Zero of the magazine and we hope you've enjoyed what we've served so far: the 32 articles in the Magazine, our daily Tweets, posts on Facebook and Broadcast, Surprise Stove at Haji Lane, our appearance at YAL Mash-up and also our monthly newsletter. Let's take a peek on what's next.

]]> 2011-11-26T04:16:55+00:00 Instant Asia 8 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_8 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_8#When:04:10:50Z

VOLUME 0 ISSUE 2

INSTANT ASIA 8


It’s been said that cities are about its people. In this regular FIVEFOOTWAY section conceptualised together with Professor Thomas Kong, we find out what people living in Asia’s cities think about their environment and how it can be improved.
Interviews by JUSTIN ZHUANG

This week: Rino Yamamoto, 28, Executive Assistant. Singapore. Jeanette Ng, 32, Video Operator. Singapore. Marcus Goh, 29, Scriptwriter. Singapore.

]]> 2011-11-26T04:10:50+00:00 Our creative city http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/our_creative_city http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/our_creative_city#When:00:59:28Z

VOLUME 0 ISSUE 2

Our
creative
city

BY MARK DE WINNE, ADIB JALAL & JUSTIN ZHUANG

The FIVEFOOTWAY team maps out everyday lives
in Singapore’s creative neighbourhood

Whether it is for work, inspiration, education or just to grab a cuppa, the Bras Basah-Bugis district in Singapore is the home for its creative community.

Just south of the district is a museum belt that anchors it as the city’s arts and culture cradle. A host of art and design schools, ranging from the pre-tertiary School of the Arts to established institutions like LASALLE College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, bring a youthful energy to the mature-looking architecture of Brash Basah-Bugis.

]]> 2011-11-21T00:59:28+00:00 Common Corridor http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/common_corridor http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/common_corridor#When:02:35:03Z

VOLUME 0 ISSUE 2

Common Corridor

On 1 July, the last railway train from Malaysia stopped driving into the heart of Singapore, ending a physical connection into the city’s centre that goes back almost seven decades. But this also left the question of what would happen to the land that the railway tracks once ran across.

A few months before the official departure, people began emerging from the ground with different ideas and projects, and these have culminated in a grassroots initiative that is now officially working with the government through the Rail Corridor Consultation Group (RCCG) on the future of the railway lands. FIVEFOOTWAY speaks to Jeremy Chan from Friends of the Rail Corridor to trace the roots of the movement and to find out how it has been working with the state.

]]> 2011-11-20T02:35:03+00:00 Instant Asia 7 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_7 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_7#When:14:45:45Z

VOLUME 0 ISSUE 2

INSTANT ASIA 7


It’s been said that cities are about its people. In this regular FIVEFOOTWAY section conceptualised together with Professor Thomas Kong, we find out what people living in Asia’s cities think about their environment and how it can be improved.
Interviews by JUSTIN ZHUANG

This week: Desiree Pakiam, 31, Media Development Producer. Singapore. Mizah Rahman, 25, Research Assistant. Singapore. Jan Lim, 25, Designer. Singapore

]]> 2011-11-19T14:45:45+00:00 A different kind of school http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/a_different_kind_of_school http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/a_different_kind_of_school#When:13:28:47Z

VOLUME 0 ISSUE 2



Made (pronounced as mar-day) , the owner of the house which I was staying in, couldn't drive me to the Green School as he had to go back to his village to attend to some final preparations with his family for Nyepi, the Hindu New Year which is celebrated in Bali. Instead, I was going to make the travel with his friend, Wayan, who had promised to drive me to the school which was an hour and a half away from the part of Ubud where I was staying. 

My neighbor at the homestay, Alissa, a tall, beautiful Australian on a month-long stay in Bali had decided to tag along for the road trip and we were both curious to find out what made the Green School so special. "How different do they make schools in the land made famous by Eat, Pray, Love?", we asked ourselves. We've browsed the website, read the articles and seen the photos but it always felt that we were still missing something from understanding what this school was about. That sunny Wednesday was the day where we found out more.

]]> 2011-11-13T13:28:47+00:00 Instant Asia 6 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_6 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_6#When:13:03:50Z

VOLUME 0 ISSUE 2

INSTANT ASIA 6


It’s been said that cities are about its people. In this regular FIVEFOOTWAY section conceptualised together with Professor Thomas Kong, we find out what people living in Asia’s cities think about their environment and how it can be improved.
Interviews by JUSTIN ZHUANG & SHAHIDAH SHAHJIHAN

This week: Adeline Yeo, 17, student, Singapore. Stephen John Dale, 41, Drama teacher. Bangkok, Thailand. Regina Koo, 25, Architect/Planner, Singapore.

]]> 2011-11-13T13:03:50+00:00 Reviving Nalanda: Towards an Icon of Asian Renaissance http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/reviving_nalanda_towards_an_icon_of_asian_renaissance http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/reviving_nalanda_towards_an_icon_of_asian_renaissance#When:12:35:45Z

Volume 0. Issue 2. Everyone.

Reviving Nalanda: Towards an Icon of Asian Renaissance

The upcoming Nalanda University aims to spark an Asian renaissance by uniting the region around education just like in ancient times. CALVIN CHUA calls for the revived school to take on a new form while still remaining rooted in its glorious past.

---

“The modern world, to be sure, has a great deal to offer from which people in the past would have liked to have learned and would have been thrilled to learn, but the past too had some great examples of intellectual great truth that can both inspire and inform us today,” Professor Amartya Sen “Reviving Nalanda International University” Lecture at Asia Society.

]]> 2011-11-13T12:35:45+00:00 Instant Asia 5 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_5 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_5#When:13:20:20Z

VOLUME 0 ISSUE 2

INSTANT ASIA 5


It’s been said that cities are about its people. In this regular FIVEFOOTWAY section conceptualised together with Professor Thomas Kong, we find out what people living in Asia’s cities think about their environment and how it can be improved.
Interviews by Shahidah Shahjihan

This week: Muhammad Saepul Akbar, 21, student, Bandung. Suryantinah (Tina), 24, student, Jogjakarta, Indonesia. Davina Lai, 31, project manager. Hanoi, Vietnam.

]]> 2011-11-07T13:20:20+00:00 In search of Common Spaces http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/in_search_of_common_spaces http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/in_search_of_common_spaces#When:10:31:36Z

Volume 0. Issue 2. Everyone.

Hong Lim Park: A Common Space for Students in the City? (Image by: Calvin Chua)

Even though virtual spaces became the common platform for sowing dissent, it was the physical architectural spaces of the street and squares that unleashed an image of solidarity against the regime.

What are common spaces?

Recent events in Singapore reveal a growing demand for shared spaces. While there is an increasing number of such spaces — especially virtual ones — that allow people in Singapore to voice ideas and opinions, an dispute over a “common space” revealed the potency of physical spaces.

In August this year, it was revealed that the People’s Association (PA), a government organisation setup to promote racial harmony and social cohesion in Singapore, restricted who residents can invite to events held on public sites leased by it. An event organiser had to withdraw an invitation sent out to a Member of Parliament from the opposition political party, just so that the event could get the PA’s approval to use the venue.

This led to a public uproar, and the PA eventually removed such a restriction, although its spokesperson said that its spaces will continue to cater for activities that are “non-political” in nature.

Ironically, several have linked this incident to the increased politicking by the ruling political party, who now face more opposition voices in government after Singapore’s General Elections in June. Several such as former civil servant Donald Low has said that this politicisation of spaces resonates with a demand a diversity of political voices to be heard. Advocating for more spaces to allow for this, he wrote in an exchange with Singapore’s Law Minister that: “… for the healthy forms of political contest to take place, we need to create the platforms for them – places where the contest of ideas can take place…”

]]> 2011-11-07T10:31:36+00:00 A Light-hearted Conversation http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/a_light_hearted_conversation http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/a_light_hearted_conversation#When:11:48:16Z

VOLUME 0 ISSUE 1

If buildings make up the form of a city, then what can be said about lights? Invisible for most of the time, they come to life only as a sign that night has arrived, allowing us to function safely just like in the day.

But Ong Swee Hong and Paula Rainha are two lighting designers who want to make us look at light, well, in a different light.

While cities have had public lighting since the Greek and Roman civilisations, starting with oil lamps along the street before moving on to electric lighting, it was seen simply as a functional part of the city for a long time. In recent decades, with changing lifestyles, an increasing demand for a vibrant nightlife and a growing concern for image, urban lighting is no longer just about how bright a city is. It's also about how it can engage the people living in it.

During the Switch On London Festival 2007, Paula worked with Campbell Design Lighting Consultants and lit up the south side of the River Thames, revealing how light can transform a seemingly ordinary public space. Credit: Paula Rainha

]]> 2011-10-30T11:48:16+00:00 Picturing A City For All http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/picturing_a_city_for_all_independent_photography_and_democracy_in_sea http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/picturing_a_city_for_all_independent_photography_and_democracy_in_sea#When:07:59:47Z $(function(){ //slideshow $('#slide').cycle({ fx: 'fade', fit: true, prev: '#prev', next: '#next', timeout:10000 }); });
 

What is independent photography?

I use this term to cut across all genres of photography. The photographer pursues a body of work on his or her own initiative. It can be any kind of photography, e.g. documentary, conceptual, contemporary, even Photoshop work.

But to define independent photography is not so straightforward. You might produce a body of work about stateless refugees in the world. The first three works were not funded, but you eventually sold it. So when the work is sold, is it still independent? For me it is, because it is still created by you, and the selling occurs at the end.

After that, a non-governmental organisation may like the work and commission you to do something similar in a different country. I still consider this independent because it is something you initiated, and someone has simply funded you to take it further.

Why did you decide to document Southeast Asia’s independent photographers?

I just felt there was a gap, a black hole, and if nobody is going to map it, then the scene cannot grow. If nobody maps it, then people will continue to say there is no history of photography here. Even after this, people will still say what they want to say, but at least I can now say come and reference my research. You can’t come in and claim Cambodian photography only started in 2002.

]]> 2011-10-30T07:59:47+00:00 Meet them on the other side http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/meet_them_on_the_other_side http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/meet_them_on_the_other_side#When:04:49:02Z
Meet them on the other side

V00I01_OtherSide_00.jpg : Photo by JUSTIN ZHUANG.


[1] Attending an arts event at The Esplanade is quite an experience. “Patrons” are dressed up and guided by ushers to their plush seats inside the air-conditioned theatres. During the performance, there is no flash photography and rowdiness, lest you distract the audience from the experience created by the carefully designed theatres.

But just across the road from this national arts centre, is an arts event of a totally different kind. On most Mondays, a group of artists are decked out casually in their T-shirts and jeans, sitting on the hard steps of The Cenotaph, a war memorial for those who died in the first and second World Wars. Every now and then, passersby stroll past, skateboarders ride by, and vehicles race along road beside, heading to and fro the nearby Central Business District — drowning out their conversations about art in Singapore.

Holding their meetings in such an open and casual environment reflects how this quartet all in their twenties — sound artist Bani Haykal, performance artist Mohamad Riduan, video artist Wu Jun Han, and sculptor and painter Gerald Leow — see art and their practice.
]]> 2011-10-30T04:49:02+00:00 Archifest: De-Mystifying Architecture for All http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/archifest_de_mystifying_architecture_for_all http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/archifest_de_mystifying_architecture_for_all#When:08:19:25Z

Volume 0, Issue 1 Feature

Archifest

De-Mystifying Architecture for All

Interview by Justin Zhuang & Adib Jalal
Photographs by Justin Zhuang

Since it first began in 2007 with the aim to “engage the public to make architecture more relevant and meaningful”, Archifest has grown from a two-week long event to a month-long festival celebrating architecture in Singapore.

Almost mid-way through this year’s festival, FIVEFOOTWAY sits down with festival chairman Seah Chee Huang, who is also an Associate Director of DP Architects, to review how this five-year festival has evolved, its achievements, the challenges of organising such an event, and what lies ahead for Archifest in the coming years.

]]> 2011-10-23T08:19:25+00:00 Archifest 2011, my thoughts http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/archifest_2011_my_thoughts http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/archifest_2011_my_thoughts#When:05:22:04Z


Archifest, Singapore's annual architecture festival returned in October 2011 for its fifth year with the theme "Common Spaces". Spread across four weeks, programmes included forums, workshops, tours and exhibitions, all designed as a celebration of the built environment for both industry professionals and the general public. So what was different this year? Was it successful in reaching the public as it has set out to do? And what did I think of it all? Here are my thoughts.

]]> 2011-10-23T05:22:04+00:00 Instant Asia 3 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_3 http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/instant_asia_3#When:03:03:33Z

Volume 0 Issue 1

Instant Asia 3


It’s been said that cities are about its people. In this regular FIVEFOOTWAY section conceptualised together with Professor Thomas Kong, we find out what people living in Asia’s cities think about their environment and how it can be improved. Interviews by Justin Zhuang

THIS WEEK
Terry Lee, 42, Managing Director of Splash Productions.
Lee Pei Ying, 17, student.
Leslie Tan, 42, creator of redsports.sg.

]]> 2011-10-21T03:03:33+00:00 Road to recovery http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/road_to_recovery http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/road_to_recovery#When:03:26:39Z $(function(){ //slideshow $('#slide').cycle({ fx: 'fade', prev: '#prev', next: '#next', }); });

Volume 0, Issue 1 .Feature

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Text by Cameron Sinclair as told to Adele Chong
Photographs by Cameron Sinclair

How can a community work together to revive their city after a disaster? ADELE CHONG tracks Architecture for Humanity (AFH) co-founder and executive director Cameron Sinclair, as he journeys through Japan to apply “urban acupuncture”, helping the Japanese rebuild their cities after the massive earthquake in March.

]]> 2011-10-07T03:26:39+00:00 Good Morning Shanghai http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/good_morning_shanghai http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/good_morning_shanghai#When:16:08:01Z
A friend from Shanghai told me that if I wanted to experience “real Shanghai life”, I would have to get up very early in the morning and head to an lilong community.

I am not a morning person, and neither is he. So why would someone who never gets up before noon encourage me to see Shanghai so early? I had to find out.

]]> 2011-10-06T16:08:01+00:00 A musician, an editor and a student http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/a_musician_an_editor_and_a_student http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/a_musician_an_editor_and_a_student#When:05:56:47Z

Volume 0 Issue 1

A musician, an editor and a student

Interviews by Justin Zhuang and Adib Jalal
INSTANT ASIA 2

It’s been said that cities are all about its people.
FIVEFOOTWAY asks everyone about what their city means to them.



This week: Gao Rongjun, 27, musician. Dan Koh, 24, Editor of POSKOD.SG. Nadira Ahmad J., 18, Student
]]> 2011-10-06T05:56:47+00:00 Welcome to EVERYONE’s city! http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/welcome_to_everyones_city http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/welcome_to_everyones_city#When:15:16:28Z

Volume 0 Issue 1

Welcome to everyone's city!

Text By Professor Thomas Kong
Interviews by Justin Zhuang and Shahidah Shahjihan
Illustration by v.velox

INSTANT ASIA

It’s been said that cities are all about its people, so FIVEFOOTWAY is embarking on Instant Asia to ask everyone about what their city means to each one of them, beginning from Singapore. Professor Thomas Kong, who helped conceptualise this project, explains what this is all about.

In the 2009 World Population Prospects report by the United Nations, it is projected that the world’s population will increase to 9.1 billion by 2050, with urban areas, and in particular Asia, supporting the bulk of the increase. Cities are the engines of economic growth and the wellspring of innovations. The proximity, convergence and network of people, ideas, investments, industries and technologies will radically re-make every fabric of our urban life in the 21st century.

Instant Asia is therefore launched with the inaugural issue of FIVEFOOTWAY to solicit a diverse range of impressions and experiences from a cross section of people living, working, studying or just passing through Singapore.
People come to cities with the hope of making a better life for themselves and their families. They seek better jobs, education, healthcare and access to resources and opportunities unavailable elsewhere. At the same time, cities can be unforgiving and stressful places for those whose presences are unwelcomed or are wanted only because they are a source of cheap labour. They are subjected to unequal treatment, exploitation, and looked upon as a surplus when their usefulness has expired.

In recent times, cities have also been attempting to differentiate themselves with neatly packaged identities using catchy slogans and iconic buildings. Accompanied by lavish investments in the arts, entertainment, media, sports and other creative industries, these strategies are in part targeted at a sophisticated, well heeled pool of travellers and global foreign talents who would otherwise be spending their money or living elsewhere.

Instant Asia is therefore launched with the inaugural issue of FIVEFOOTWAY to solicit a diverse range of impressions and experiences from a cross section of people living, working, studying or just passing through Singapore. Like this issue’s theme, EVERYONE, the magazine and project aspires towards a socially inclusive and open city; a city that is accessible to all (not just those who can afford to pay), where plurality and differences are recognised and accepted via a bottom-up process of continuous negotiation, adjustment and accommodation.
]]> 2011-09-09T15:16:28+00:00 Only In An Asian City http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/only_in_an_asian_city http://www.fivefootway.com/magazine/article/only_in_an_asian_city#When:15:14:55Z

What makes an Asian city? JAX TAN and JUSTIN ZHUANG track down some of the unique architecture forms and spaces of this diverse region.

Volume 0, Issue 1
Feature

Text by Jax Tan and Justin Zhuang
Illustration by Relay Room

 

SHOPHOUSES

Once described as the “queer little Malay and Chinese cottages”, the shophouse is a typical building type found in Southeast Asian cities throughout history. As its name suggest, this hybrid-function building is where people often lived above the shops they ran as well.

The origins of these low-rise buildings are debatable, but it’s been narrowed down to three main influences: Fukien (South China), Batavia (Indonesia), Calcutta and Madras (India). On the facades of many shophouses, one also usually finds cultural symbols of both the East and West, including European neo-classical motifs, Malay woodwork carvings, Chinese traditional icons and Peranakan pastel coloured tiles.

Shophouses continue to stay relevant in today’s Asian cities, and there is a growing awareness of their cultural heritage and historical significance. Even so, modernisation has led many shophouses to be retrofitted with air-condition units, rendering their tropical climate-responsive design moot. But the shophouse continues to be a open space for diverse uses. While it used to house provision stores, coffee shops, and traditional craftsmen, nowadays, you’re more likely to find a design studio, restaurants, bars, and that table of yuppies sipping artisan coffee as they watch the world go by.

]]> 2011-09-09T15:14:55+00:00