Mothership

It's our 10th anniversary!✨(Yes we've been around for a decade now....) So here are 10 things you might not have known about Mothership. 10 years of memories, 1 incredible audience. Thanks for sticking around.

Shuwen Lou, a 35-year-old woman in Singapore who lost her hair and self-esteem during cancer treatment, would not describe herself as a model. But after hearing about Fashion for Cancer — a charity fashion show with cancer survivors as the models — she decided to take a leap of faith and walk the runway. “During cancer treatment, I was so fearful, I was overthinking… but once I was on the runway, I was like, 'Okay this is what I need to do…' And then you just go for it,” Lou told Mothership. Lou was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2019. She was 30 years old and had no family history of breast cancer. “I just went silent, like my brain shut down,” Lou recalled when the doctor told her the news. After some convincing, she agreed to undergo chemotherapy, but knowing that she would eventually lose her hair was a hit to her confidence. When she started chemotherapy, a simple combing could lead to chunks of her hair falling onto the floor. In a desperate attempt to keep her hair, Lou tried cold capping, a “very torturous” method using a tight-fitting helmet-like hat filled with cold gel to prevent hair loss. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for her and she resorted to shaving her hair off. Apart from symptoms of chemotherapy like fatigue and body aches, Lou had to grapple with what beauty meant to her. As Lou grew out her hair, she decided to get a pixie haircut for the first time, though she never pictured herself with short hair previously. Lou shared that she’s now more confident in her own skin and less critical of herself. While she previously would take others’ negative comments about her personally, she explained, “After cancer, it’s like I’ve been through something worse.” Lou is one of 25 models who will walk the runway in this year’s Fashion for Cancer show on Aug. 31. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eE9abS-f Photo credit: interviewees and via Fashion for Cancer on Instagram

80 per cent of the commercial units of Johor's mega development project, Forest City, have been sold within an hour of the property's sales gallery launch. More than 60 per cent of the commercial unit buyers were local Malaysians and Singaporeans while the rest were international buyers. A spokesperson from Country Garden said that this was the first commercial unit sale conducted by Forest City. He added that the applications received for the development's commercial units were three times more than available units. Country Garden also received enquiries for residential units, sub-sales, and rental procedures. The company said that Forest City's duty-free status and the upcoming Johor-Singapore special economic zone have increased local buyers' interest. Forest City is a mega development project located on reclaimed land in the south of Johor, near the Second Link bridge between the Malaysian state and Singapore. The project enjoys the backing of the Johor and federal governments, with the implementation of a duty-free zone within the development being one tool used to try to increase its popularity. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gwCJq8eJ Photo credits: Forest City 森林城市/Facebook

Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments will be held in Singapore in the next 18 months to make it “a major hub for esports in Southeast Asia”. These tournaments would bring the world's best esports teams and players from across the globe to compete in Singapore. They are brought by Blast, an esports entertainment company and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The World Final 2024 for Counter-Strike will take place from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, 2024. It will be the biggest Counter-Strike event in Singapore, where the world's best eight teams will compete for US$1 million (S$1,304,000). Blast Dota Slam will take place in 2025. Blast's director of market development, James Woollard, said, they are "incredibly excited" to bring two of the biggest esports titles to Singapore. "Over the coming 18 months, Singapore will become a major hub for esports in Southeast Asia, and with the support of the STB, we look forward to delivering unforgettable experiences for fans while helping to build a thriving esports ecosystem in the region," he said. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eMuPsyuK Photo credit: Blast

36 cats rescued from an industrial area in Admiralty are looking for new homes. Michelle De La Fontaine, a rescuer, told Mothership that the cats are currently being housed indoors away from large industrial vehicles. They are estimated to be around one to two years of age, and are generally in good health. Personality wise, "[the cats] are not aggressive [...] they just require a bit of patience and socialisation", she said. Adoption is free of charge, but adopters need to commit to standard procedures pertaining pet ownership such as vaccination, meshing one's home, and deworming. Here are some of the kittens up for adoption: Read more: https://lnkd.in/esNXDsx7 Photo credit: Michelle De La Fontaine

A three-room HDB resale flat in Bukit Merah has been sold for a cool S$860,000. According to HDB resale statistics, the flat in 10A Boon Tiong Road is located between floors 34 to 36 and occupies 62 sq m (667 sq ft), which works out to a psf of S$1,289. It was sold in August, with 90 years and 6 months left on its lease. The lease started in 2016. It is also situated in the Tiong Bahru View estate, which has proximity to the city, amenities within the estate and easy access to the Tiong Bahru MRT station. This is not the first time the Tiong Bahru View estate has made headlines for record high resale prices. A five-room flat in Tiong Bahru View previously held the record for the most expensive resale HDB flat sold in Singapore. It was sold for S$1.588 million in April 2024. That record is now held by a 5-room resale HDB flat at Margaret Drive which changed hands for S$1.73 million on Jun. 26. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eTcKBeA2 Photo credit: Google Street View

For all three Quah siblings, swimming still brings them happiness, albeit with some qualifications. Speaking to one of our writers, the eldest Quah sibling, Ting Wen, said she hesitated a bit when she learned she would not be going to the Paris Olympics. She said, "Because there are moments where I think we can get a little bit jaded with the sport. There's a lot of like, external noise and just extra stuff on the side that sometimes gets in the way of just enjoying the sport purely for what it." "As much as swimming still makes me happy it also provides me with probably 90 per cent of my stress and also my sadness," said Jing Wen, who swam the butterfly leg of the 4x100 women's medley relay at the Paris Olympics. For Zheng Wen, the last few years have seen him wandering the wilderness of competitive swimming. "It took some time to come back for," he admits. "Especially coming back from the U.S. (where he went to university) in 2021, you know, Covid and army and all that stuff — it was a bit of an adjustment to find my love for the sport again." Yet, it's these lows that make the highs so much sweeter. If the "external noise" and "extra stuff" dampens one's love for the sport, then putting it all aside for a moment and proving your superiority over your competitors is the marriage-saving shot in the arm an athlete craves. It's why they continue to turn up at training sessions, pushing the limits of their bodies and minds in search of faster timings, further refined technique, and greater mettle. Read more: https://lnkd.in/guPwpDZY Watch: https://lnkd.in/gTi62Wym Photo credit: Mothership

There is a lot to look forward to in Singapore-India relations, for both the government and businesses, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. Following the second Singapore-India Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) on Aug. 26, 2024, Vivian described the meeting as very “productive and efficient”, and gave a generally optimistic view of bilateral relations, as well as talking up opportunities for Singapore and Singaporean companies in India. Giving an example of recent successes in the bilateral relationship, Vivian highlighted the successful linking of digital payment systems between India and Singapore, a “very successful first step”. Vivian said that improved linkages with India, Malaysia and Thailand, could eventually develop into a net, and in turn facilitate trade and economic development across the region. Singapore's ministerial delegation comprised Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade & Industry Tan See Leng, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Digital Development & Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo, as well as Vivian himself. India’s delegation included Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. They called on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong. This was the first meeting of senior members of both governments since PM Wong took office, and India's PM Narendra Modi was re-elected in June 2024. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gjZ99iy9 Photo credit: FinMinIndia/X

Adele invited a Singaporean fan on stage for a wholesome interaction during her Munich concert. On the seventh night (Aug. 23) of her 10-night stint in Munich, the singer spotted a fan-made paper banner with "6,248 miles just to see you Adele" written on it. That’s the distance from Munich, Germany to Singapore. "6,248 miles, come up, my love," Adele encouraged the fan, who was escorted on stage by a staff. Adele greeted the fan, who introduced herself as “Hannah”, with a sweet hug as the crowd cheered. "Where did you guys come from tonight?" Adele asked, to which Hannah replied, "Singapore”. "I've never been to Singapore, I really want to go to Singapore," Adele said. Hannah told Adele that she had been in Germany for a week, to which the singer asked, “What have you been doing for a whole week?” "Just for you," Hannah replied, clearly starstruck, before sharing about her itinerary. Her friend, Yan, filmed the encounter. The duo had prepared other signs including “love from Singapore" and a hand-drawn Singapore flag. Adele gave a shoutout to Amalina – Hannah's friend back in Singapore — and also posed for a picture with Hannah onstage. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g8J6hGUW Photo credit: mativ_m/TikTok

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong called the policy changes announced at the 2024 National Day Rally (NDR) "bold but necessary" to refresh Singapore's social compact. Speaking at the Teck Ghee National Day celebration dinner on Aug. 24, SM Lee recapped some of the main points in Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s maiden NDR speech. He highlighted the new SkillsFuture initiatives to help the involuntarily unemployed and mid-career switchers, and HDB's plan to build more elder-friendly community care apartments. SM Lee also touched on the measures to continue creating a family-friendly environment in Singapore, such as the enhanced parental leave provisions and making preschool education more affordable. “There are bold but necessary policy changes to refresh our social compact,” SM Lee noted. “Alone, they will not be enough to see us through this turbulent period in the world. We also need to change our own attitudes, and societal attitudes – workers to embrace upskilling and change, employers to take it upon themselves to support families with young kids." SM Lee also urged Singaporeans to give PM Wong his support as Singaporeans work together towards realising this shared vision. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gBaAZbhb Photo credit: MDDI/Betty Chua