The rain came down hard at 4pm and the volunteers had to move colourful Rangoli art materials, spa screens and chalkboards into the dance theatre.

But their spirits were not dampened, and by 5pm on Sunday, the rain had subsided and people of all ethnicities and ages began to stream in for the Kapor ChatParty, a get-together for residents, patrons and visitors of Little India in the Singai Tamil Sangam Maya Dance Theatre in Kampong Kapor.

A play on the word Chapati (an Indian flatbread), the Kapor ChatParty was organised by the Octopus Residency, a ground-up initiative to foster a closer sense of community in Little India (see sidebar).

It featured do-it-yourself facials and Rangoli artwork, foot massages, and a “Dear Neighbour” initiative.

At the facial and wellness spa, headed by freelance artist Ng Xi Jie, participants were able to stretch out on spa mats and apply homemade facial lotion. Volunteers also gave them foot massages.

Said Ms Ng: “I felt that migrant workers wouldn’t really think of giving themselves facials or massages… due to budget constraints. But because their jobs are so tough, they would need it.”

In the span of three hours, Ms Ng conducted facials and spa sessions for 11 migrant workers that day.

Ms Nagamah Jayaramm, a 40-year-old cleaner from Malaysia, said she felt much more relaxed after her foot massage.

“I stand on my feet cleaning six days a week and I get really sore after work,” said Ms Nagamah.

“It’s really nice for them to do this for us and I really appreciate it.”

Art therapist Vijaya Mohan was also present to teach Rangoli making, a form of Indian floor art, with household items like pasta, rice grains, and recycled utensils.

Ms Vijaya, who holds several Singapore Records for Rangoli artwork, said her aim was to teach residents to do art that they could bring home with them.

She said: “Art can be very temporary and, sometimes, people are not able to enjoy the beauty of it.

“But when I show them that it’s very easy and they can take back the piece and own it, they feel very happy and want to be involved.”

Aside from the activities in the dance theatre, volunteers went around with a chalkboard and a camera. Residents were asked to write what they were thankful for on the chalkboard, and they would have their photo taken with it.

Foreign workers enjoy facials, massages at community event

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times

The initiative, called “Dear Neighbour”, was organised by non-profit organisation Participate in Design (PiD).

Said Mr Larry Yeung, project associate with PiD: “I think it’s a very interesting space. Usually, for other neighbourhoods we work with, it’s very Singaporean – a lot of aunties, uncles and schoolkids. But this community is very diverse; we have tourists, foreign workers, residents.”

Ms Jenifer Sanchez, 36, a housewife who lives in Little India, expressed her gratefulness for her father and husband, who both support and take care of her and her son.

“I am very thankful for his daddy and granddaddy, because they give us such a good home,” said Ms Sanchez with a big smile.

Foreign visitors were just as appreciative of the initiative.

Ms Marie Le Hung, 23, a French student on an internship, said: “I think it’s really awesome that there is something like this for the residents and free food for the workers.”

She added with a laugh: “It’s a great way to involve people in the area. If we had something like this (in France), we would have to pay to take part in it.”

Ms Chua Ai Liang, director of arts & communities at the National Arts Council (NAC), said: “The Octopus Project has the potential to inspire meaningful interactions right where people live, work and play, while preserving the rich stories and memories of Kampong Kapor.

“With NAC’s support through the Presentation and Participation Grant, I hope this community- based arts project will touch the lives of the residents there.

“It is wonderful to see more artists like Vijaya Mohan and Ng Xi Jie creating content that resonates with specific communities, such as Singapore’s lesser-known migrant workers.”

This article was first published on July 21, 2016.
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She was last seen on July 11 at 9.15pm around Fusionopolis Walk at one-north in Buona Vista.

When Ms Cui Yajie, 31, an engineer, did not show up for work the next day, her colleagues felt something was amiss.

Two days later, they filed a missing person report. The police made a public appeal for her whereabouts the next day.

Last night, more than a week after Ms Cui went missing, what were believed to be her remains were found at Lim Chu Kang Lane 8.

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The New Paper

A 48-year-old suspect had led police to the gruesome find at the deserted road near dairy farms.

The man had been arrested earlier that day.

Because of the suspicious circumstances relating to the case, officers from Clementi Division worked closely with officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and Police Intelligence Department to identify and arrest him, the police said.

The suspect is expected to be charged with murder today. If convicted, he faces the mandatory death penalty.

Last night, the site at Lim Chu Kang was heavily cordoned off by the police, as officers armed with flashlights and cameras worked to recover the remains of the body.

A Health Sciences Authority forensics team joined them later but left at about 1am.

The New Paper understands that no weapon was involved in the murder, and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the victim’s identity.

A woman believed to be a colleague had posted an appeal for witnesses on Tuesday online.

According to the post, Ms Cui works as an engineer at a semiconductor company.

She was described as a cheerful and warm person who makes friends easily.

The 1.6m-tall woman from Tianjin, China, was wearing a black blouse and a green skirt when she went missing. She had stayed back at work until 9pm.

She did not arrive home or go to work the next day.

TNP understands that Ms Cui’s family, who is in China, is on the way to Singapore.

This article was first published on July 21, 2016.
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A video shared on social media featuring a song with nonsensical lyrics has tickled the funnybone of netizens.

Since the clip was posted on Facebook last Friday (July 15), it has been viewed 457,000 times and shared by over 11,000 users.

The video, which is in Mandarin and has English subtitles, begins with a young Chinese girl telling another girl that she has scored 100 points in a test.

The other girl then asks which subject she scored 100 points in.

The first girl then holds up two test papers, saying that she scored 50 points for her Chinese test, and 50 points for her English test, which makes a total of 100 points.

The second girl then throws her a dagger stare.

The next scene is where the magic happens, and what has got netizens laughing so hard.

It cuts away to a group of young children all singing “Hahahahahaha” – for 15 seconds continuously.

This inane chorus is like an annoying song that you hate but cannot get out of your head.

But it seems Facebook users can’t get enough of the silly ditty.

The video has received more than 2,400 comments on Facebook. Many of these users’ comments are (obviously): “Hahahahaha.”

Said Facebook user Victoria Sim: “Songwriting 100/100. I oso (also) can.”

“Not sure what I just watched,” commented another user, Lindy Sim.

The video is not new, and has been circulating on video-sharing sites like YouTube for years.

Some have called it the Chinese haha song.

The tune of the song, in fact, is very similar to George W. Johnson’s The Laughing Song, which was recorded way back in 1898.

xiuhuil@sph.com.sg