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Welcome to Your Daily Dose, a daily column dedicated to what Time Out Singapore's editors are loving right now including food, music, movies, theatre, workouts, and more – all of which you can also experience form the safety and comfort of your home while Singapore's 'circuit breaker' measures are in place till May 4. Make the most of your home-stay by ticking off the 28-day plan we’ve set up.
Tuesday's news still making you quake with fear and uncertainty? You're not alone. These odd times call for everything we can do to stay safe, sane, and hopeful. There are plenty of things to do online this weekend to keep you distracted. We're even turning to the kitchen to perfect our culinary skills (or whip another cuppa of Dalgona coffee for the extra WFH fuel), video-on-demand to watch a film with a cause, and doing everything we can to keep calm and carry on.
Yesterday, we spent Earth Day's 50th anniversary with fun online activities, learned some spells through Harry Potter-esque classes (and virtual experience through the Wizarding World), and marvelled at the artworks selected by 12 artists from around the world via Fost Gallery's online exhibition. Today, we're making gula Melaka coconut buns, pandan chiffon cake, and strawberry shortcake with The School of Perfect Bakes, watching the local documentary about migrant workers I Dream of Singapore, and finding zen among the chaos through meditation apps.
Make local flavoured cakes with School of Perfect Bakes
We don't know about you but we have had our fair share in the kitchen whipping up chocolate chip cookies, and the usual suspect, banana bread. Perhaps it's to satisfy our sugar addiction (admit it: we're all gutted about the closure of bubble tea shop islandwide) or maybe it's therapeutic enough to help us get through the circuit breaker. But if you want to perfect your baking skills and learn how to create Instagrammable cakes, make your stay at home sweeter with William Seow's School of Perfect Bakes.
Its online baking courses are taught by Diana Gale, an award-winning professional baking and cooking instructor based in Singapore. With years of experience under her belt, she has trained over 4,000 students across Asia, and even wrote a number of books including The Domestic Goddess Wannabe Bakes. Her recipes often use local flavours and ingredients including gula Melaka, coconut, and pandan.
Since dessert shops are closed during this period, we might as well make the most of our extra hours learning some new recipes and creating our very own sweet treats. School of Perfect Bakes is offering three complimentary lessons, featuring pandan chiffon cake, gula Melaka coconut buns, and strawberry shortcake. These online lessons can be accessed at any time, so you can try it at any time of the day – even when the craving kicks at the witching hour. P.S. We tried recreating the gula Melaka coconut buns (pictured above), but let's just say: practice makes perfect.
I Dream of Singapore on Vimeo
Here's a sad truth that we have to face: it took the rapidly growing numbers of those infected in Singapore to cast a national spotlight on how low-wage migrant workers are housed and fed here. But all hope is not lost as people are coming together to help the community, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged. We've even set up a guide on lending a helping hand to the community right now.
Brought to you by The Projector and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), I Dream of Singapore is available to rent on Vimeo (US$9.99) from now until April 26. All pay-per-views proceeds will go to supporting the work of both independent film house The Projector and non-profit organisation TWC2, dedicated to improving conditions for low-wage migrant workers.
The observational documentary by local filmmaker Lei Yuan Bin dives into the lives of our nation's construction workers as they leave their homes to build ours. It first premiered at last year's Singapore International Film Festival. Similar to Siew Hua Yeo's A Land Imagined, the documentary shatters the illusion of a superlative Singapore. Both films showcase the harsh reality that beyond the shiny skyscrapers, luxurious condos, and crazy rich Asians are cranes, dorms, and low-wage workers.
The thought-provoking (and quite emotional) documentary does leave you reflecting on the violation of human rights in a country like Modern Singapore. It's also a good reminder for all of us – and not just the ones blatantly putting obnoxious remarks online – to be kinder to everyone.
If you're left with plenty of burning questions after watching I Dream of Singapore, The Projector is hosting a live Q&A sesh with TWC's ED Ethan Guo and guests on April 26 at 5pm on its Facebook page. Connect with fellow film enthusiasts while you're at it. In the meantime, check out the trailer above.
Find zen with meditation
We've been following our guide on meditation closely and you can do so too. There are basic tips and app recommendations that can help you form a daily mindful meditation habit. And since we're mostly online, we've downloaded apps like Headspace and Breathe (both available on the App Store and Google Play) to find zen.
Headspace is a classic – it makes meditation and mindfulness simple by providing daily guided lessons based around your goals, whether that's being more productive or coping with anxiety. Plus, it only takes about 10 minutes to complete one guide. Breathe, on the other hand, provides various different techniques for specific situations. Coherent Breathing helps us focus, eliminating the panic that comes with reading the news (and intimidating emails). Take a break if you need to – we all need a breather sometimes.
Recap on yesterday's daily dose: Earth Day, Harry Potter, and Fost Gallery's online art exhibition