I said farewell to Asia’s largest bird park, one of Singapore’s oldest and most popular and iconic attractions — The third of January 2023 marks the Jurong Bird Park’s last day of operations, 52 years since it first opened on 3 January 1971, shortly after Singapore gained independence in 1965. Singaporeans — including yours truly — turned out in force to bid the park farewell. When I visited on…

Looking back and at the path ahead — I love writing. I have written and published books on family history and Singapore stories. To a smaller extent, I also find some pleasure in writing and editing reports, emails, and proposals at work, especially if I can craft a good phrase or soundbite, convey an idea succinctly, or correct…

In 2022, Li Yaqi travelled across the Eurasian continent, covering Albania, Turkey, Georgia, and central Asia. This is his adventure. — A Chinese friend of mine, Li Yaqi (MSc Anthropology from the LSE), had an amazing adventure in 2020. He worked as a hostel receptionist in Yunnan; a writer at Qingqing Youth; a tour guide; a Buddhist monk at Baoshan Temple; a Taoist monk at Wudang Five Immortals Temple; a shepherd…

On family history; tradition and heritage; and Peranakan culture — The charm of artistic, heritage-inspired jewellery is undeniable. Think dazzling, beautiful brooches, belts, and buckles. One such jeweller in Singapore is heritage jeweller Mr Francis Ngau of Asian Artistry. The shop was officially opened on 7 April 2019 when Jewel at Changi Airport was opened. Over the years, Francis played…

The past few years have seen a dramatic increase in interest in the history of Aukang (or Hougang) from different perspectives — There has been increased interest in the stories of a place in the northeast part of Singapore, variously called Hougang, Aukang, or “the USA” (Upper Serangoon Area). I typically refer to the area as “Aukang” (and “Punggol”) because that was what it was called when my father lived in the…

Make presentations more professional — Once, I had a memorable Big Boss, whose career straddled both the public and private sectors. He gave me a lot of good guidance and advice. But one piece of advice on developing presentation slides stood out for me. For example, back then, it was common to have three different…

A brief, simple introduction to family history and how to get started — Genealogy, often referred to as family history, can be thought of as the study of a family’s origins, history, or stories. It was often used by royalty and nobility to showcase or trace their lineage. Descent from ancient kings, queens, chieftains, religious leaders, or warriors conferred pedigree, prestige, and power…

Who am I? Why read what I write about? And why subscribe? — Who am I? Hello there! I am Shawn, a writer (and blogger) of several books on family history and Singapore stories. One of my books was a finalist for Best Non-Fiction Title and Top 10 Readers’ Choice of the Singapore Book Awards 2021. I think Singapore has many rich, fascinating, and valuable stories…