Amanda Lee Koe lounges gracefully on a rock in a green gown, a diamond‐and‐emerald necklace crowning her décolletage. Her hair, freshly tinted in blonde and black (a nod to her beloved villain Cruella de Vil, perhaps), is styled into a sleek chignon with faux bangs.

Juxtaposing this is her in a white dress with a more elegant, slicked‐back do, exuding a decidedly more benevolent vibe. These contrasting personas depicted in the previous spread—and indeed, throughout this shoot, where she is styled only in green and white ensembles—are a deliberate embodiment of the duality in her new novel, Sister Snake, which is set to launch later this year.

Lee Koe herself, might we mention, has many facets and defies easy classification. The 36‐year‐old, who is in Singapore for two months with a schedule that includes this cover shoot and a trek into Ulu Pandan’s wilderness to verify a jungle scene in her book, is a former riot grrrl (a feminist punk subculture). An award‐winning novelist and short story writer. A kink‐club‐visiting, thrift‐store‐shopping self‐appointed “city rat” who lives in New York and Singapore, who loves her Brooklyn neighbourhood butchery as much as she loves her dim sum from Swee Choon.

The backdrop of some of the images in this story is a diorama that animates an epic scene from the Chinese folk tale Legend of the White Snake. The display is one of more than 150 in Haw Par Villa, a cultural park that depicts portrayals of Chinese folklore and myths rooted in traditional standards of morality, and elements from Buddhism and other religions. Established in 1937 by Tiger Balm’s co‐creator Aw Boon Haw, the park melds the weird and the wonderful.

It is a fitting setting given Sister Snake’s context, which tells of two sisters who lead starkly different lives in New York and Singapore. Su, a conservative politician’s wife, and Emerald, a hedonistic sugar baby, share a secret past as serpentine beings from China’s Tang dynasty. The plot thickens when Su convinces Emerald to relocate to Singapore. The narrative encapsulates the struggle between conformity and individuality—mirroring the societal dichotomies Lee Koe often critiques.

The author says it feels like this book has been brewing in her since she was eight, when she first encountered Hong Kong film‐maker Tsui Hark’s “campy wuxia (martial arts) films”, including the 1993 film Green Snake, starring Maggie Cheung and Joey Wong. “As a child, [these characters] struck me in an instinctive way,” she shares, adding that she felt a particular affinity towards yaojings, the Chinese term for demon spirits who can shape‐shift between human and animal forms. “I found them alluring. I was always upset whenever they had to conceal their powers to fit in with their society or household. Where do the expectations of others meet our own desires?”

Lee Koe views the novel as a tribute to these figures. “It’s a restitution of all these women who have had to conform [throughout history],” she explains. “Writing is the way I remake a world that wasn’t made for someone like me to flourish, the way I choose to call the status quo into question, and the way I hope to expand boundaries for those that will come after me.” She emphasises that themes of autonomy and agency are central to her work and life, reflecting on the restrictive ways in which girls are often taught to “toe the line, keep [their] heads low and not stand out.”

Read the full story here.

Cherry blossom season is approaching in Japan and each year, the season draws in millions from around the world. After all, no one does it quite like Japan—the Land of the Rising Sun turns pink once the season hits, with a range of activities to look out for, including Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) festivals, cherry blossom hunting and seasonal menus.

This year, with travel returning as strong as ever, it’s best to avoid the crowds, especially during this beautiful yet busy season. Thankfully, Japan is home to a range of spots to view these famous blooms, with some areas relatively quieter than others.

Head to the outskirts of Tokyo and find this quaint river stretching two-and-a-half kilometres long. It’s lined with over 100 sakura trees that blossom each spring. The area also holds the annual Sakura Matsuri Festival where lanterns are hung and illuminated. But, if you are looking to catch the early bloom in March, the best place to visit is Kawazu. Located on the east coast of Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka prefecture, this quaint town celebrates the flowering of the kawazu cherry trees as early as February. Take a stroll along the Kawazu River and admire the seemingly never-ending rows of beautifully pink cherry trees.   
 
If you hope to see blooms in Tokyo, visit Kanda River and you’ll find rows of beautiful sakura trees adorning the riverside. One of the city’s main traditional waterways, this river stretches 25 kilometres from Inokashira Park to Sumida River but if you’re looking for the perfect spot for cherry blossom viewing, head to Omokage Bridge and find beautiful views of the pink blooms.

Speaking of blooms in Tokyo, visit Asukayama Park as it turns pink in the spring. During the Edo period, the eighth Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune, planted 600 cherry blossom trees around the area. The park was also made public during the period for cherry blossom viewing. Today, the park is loved by locals—especially when these trees bloom in the spring. Head to the hilltop as it’s one of the oldest spots in Tokyo to enjoy these blooms.

Looking to catch the last glimpse of the cherry blossom season? Head further up north to Lake Toya in Niseko, Hokkaido. Located in the Shikotsu Toya National Park, this lake is surrounded by Yoshino cherry trees that bloom from early to mid May. At the Shikotsu Toya National Park Silo observation deck, you will find a breathtaking bird’s eye view of the lake which has been beautifully lined with pale cherry blossoms.

Read full story here.

On any given day, you are likely to come across at least one person toting a bag from The Paper Bunny. The brand’s Puffer series, famed for inciting six-hour-long queues outside its stores, has become synonymous with the “Singapore girl”—at least that is the running sentiment on TikTok. But the phenomenon is not limited to Singapore either. Personal shoppers from Indonesia and Malaysia alike snap up popular new drops in-store for customers on buying frenzies.

Once a stationery brand, The Paper Bunny has reinvented itself dramatically. Mirroring the journey of its co-founder Jaime Lee, it has grown exponentially from its modest beginnings to a fixture in the lifestyle domain.

It has been a decade since Lee left a cushy law career—with limited design experience then—to launch her stationery brand. But she had harboured a creative streak since she was a child. “I’ve always loved creating things for others and making things look good. I used to hand-make elaborate cards for my loved ones, but I would get bored of folding and sticking over and over again,” she recalls.

Despite this, her passion was unyielding. In 2010, this creative urge eventually reared its head when a friend asked her to design a wedding invite. “I didn’t know what graphic design was at all. She got her friend to teach me how to use basic software.” Lee thoroughly enjoyed the process and was amazed by the benefits of graphic design. “I could design something that was still my own work, and it could reach many more people,” she says.

Lee went on to design her own invitations for her wedding. Understanding that she needed more time to explore her passion, Lee decided to leave practice, citing its demanding hours. “I took on an in-house role at a commodities company instead so that I could explore my curiosity during the evenings.”

To further her skills, she took night classes in graphic design at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. This education led her to start designing for clients beyond her personal network. Her foray began with wedding designs, and gradually expanded into custom stationery. “That’s how I started. But I felt this great desire to create pieces that I could use in my own everyday life. I wanted to do something that wasn’t just about brides.” Lee then decided to create everyday stationery.

For three years, Lee juggled her full-time job, family responsibilities, and her growing side hustle. “With only 24 hours a day, I had to choose what I wanted to do. It was the hardest decision for me because it would mean leaving a very comfortable job that I was doing well in,” she says. Doubts about her creative capabilities and the sustainability of the business as a full-time pursuit loomed large. “I truly felt that The Paper Bunny had so much to give. That’s when I decided to take the leap to go [into this] full-time,” she recounts.

Read full story here.

Enter Tamba, an intimate yet transcendent restaurant that fetes the vibrant spirit and rich flavours of West Africa. Housed in a two-storey conservation shophouse along Duxton Road, the restaurant is dreamt up by founder Kurt Wagner, who also owns African-themed restaurant Kafe Utu. Aside from drawing inspiration from his early childhood in Liberia, Wagner shares that “Tamba has also been a deeply personal journey where I celebrate the life of my late adopted brother, after which the restaurant was named”.

In the lively 25-seater enclave, the devil’s in the details and it boils down to every nook and cranny where design-led easter eggs await the discerning eye. At the forefront of design is international designer Virginia Pérez-Orive who spent two years researching and curating to reflect the essence of the Tamba story accurately. “The process of designing Tamba was a fascinating exploration into the richness of West African culture, home to hundreds of different ethnic groups, languages, and traditions,” said Pérez-Orive.

Take a look around and you’ll find stunning sculptures and cultural artefacts, each with intriguing stories to uncover, where every element is deliberate. “Tamba embraces a very particular West African joie de vivre, and we have endeavoured to recreate not just a dining space but the embodiment of community, hospitality, and warmth that is so integral to West African homes’ way of life,” she quips.

A feast for the senses awaits in the main dining room. Expect punchy yet comforting flavours while the bold use of spice and smoke lends a comforting touch amid West African opulence. Cherished staples include the Jollof rice, where rice is cooked and flavoured with tang and spice, arrives with an aromatic sofrito and succulent sakura chicken; dense Tapalapa bread, served with creamy goat’s milk ricotta, comes with smoked bacon butter and is finished with house-smoked honey; and flame-kissed Suya (Angus tenderloin), accompanied by kachumbari (a piquant tomato and onion salad) and a crunchy smoked kuli kuli (nut chip).

Under the cool shade of the restaurant’s thatched roof is the bar, where each tipple weaves in the rich tapestry of West African culture as imaginative cocktails. Our favourite? The Dry Boney. Inspired by Tamba’s life growing up, this sexy twist on a classic bloody mary drinks silky yet sharp with vegetal notes of celery and clean spice from habaneros. Other highlights include The Next Pele, a tangy tamarind cachaca cocktail; the Vita, crafted from cacao butter fat-washed Mhoba rum sourced from South Africa; and boatloads of interesting African spirits such as Haitian rums from Papalin Distillery and the punchy Habitation Velier Savanna Herr White rum from France.

Read full story here.