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Many writers/illustrators had their beginnings on Tumblr, and gained a considerable following from their work. So much so, they have established a career out of their noteworthy blogs. Here are my top three favourites: 

1) Alida Nugent, The Frenemy

More than three years ago, Nugent graduated college with little clue of what she was doing. This sparked the creation of her popular ‘The Frenemy’ blog, catered to young females. Nugent’s Tumblr serves to empower females, covering topics such as body image, relationships and culture. Her debut book, ‘Don’t Worry, It Gets Worse’ offers humurous lessons for all twenty-somethings, with reference to her post college experiences. 

Nugent’s second book will be released in 2015. She also writes for The Huffington Post.

2) Austin Kleon, Newspaper Blackout

Along with the release of ‘Newspaper Blackout’ in 2010, Kleon uploaded work of his book on Tumblr. It is a poem collection made from newspaper articles - Kleon redacted words from these articles using a permanent marker.

'Newspaper Blackout' was a hit, with blackout poetry trending across the web after its publication. Since then, he has published two other books, which are also illustrative in nature. 

3) Emma Koenig, ****! I’m in my twenties

A few years ago, Koenig started a Tumblr which contained illustrative musings on a topic every young millennial could relate to - navigating the choppy waters of adulthood. Her Tumblr is a witty, tongue-in-cheek take on the anxieties the new generation face, amidst tough job market conditions. It is based on her experience as a twenty-something living in a big city. 

2014 is going to be an exciting year for books and movies! In order of release date.

The Agency - Outreach Event

24 secondary school students aged 12-16 filled the spacepad on Monday for our class event. The outreach programme served to educate our target audience on the perils of sexual harassment through exposure from online platforms. 

The class took on various roles — event managers, group facilitators, game facilitators/assistants and distractors. Our attendees were given the context of the story, which centers around what happened to a victim (played by Shannen) of  online harassment and blackmail. Thereafter, they were issued a case file which they could refer to for the suspects and details about the story. Their mission was to determine the perpetrator among the four suspects. To do so, they will particpate in three games, each with a key takeaway. 

Creators of an online app which allows women to rate men on appearance, character and sexual performance are being sued by one unhappy Brazilian

                                                                                 Photo: TODAYonline

From left to right, my favourite authors who died young: 

1) Sylvia Plath (aged 30)

Best known for her novel The Bell Jar (1963) and poem collection Ariel (1965), her works have been celebrated long after her death in 1963. Plath detailed her mental illness in The Bell Jar, and committed suicide shortly after its publication. 

“If you expect nothing from anybody, you’re never disappointed.”  ― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

2) Ned Vizzini (aged 32)

Best known for Its Kind of a Funny Story (2006), the novel touches on Vizzini’s personal experience in a psychiatric ward. The themes of his book cover teenage angst, anxiety and depression, but Vizzini could balance serious topics with humor. Vizzini struggled with depression for most of his life, and jumped off the roof of a building on 19 December this year.

“I don’t owe people anything, and I don’t have to talk to them any more than I feel I need to.”  ― Ned Vizzini, It’s Kind of a Funny Story                                                

3) David Foster Wallace (aged 46)

Best Known for Infinite Jest (1996), Wallace was known for his exuberance and mastery in his writing. Infinite Jest touched on American culture, set in a future North America. The 1,079 page novel propelled Wallace to acclaim and was listed among TIME’s 100 best English-language novels published since 1923. Having suffered from depression for 20 years, Wallace committed suicide by hanging in 2008.

“It did what all ads are supposed to do: create an anxiety relievable by purchase.” ― David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest

'Lord of the flies' by William Golding is dystopian novel about a group of british schoolboys who are left stranded on an uninhabited island. It details the process of the boys governing (or rather attempting to) themselves. To give a summary of the characters, they can be differentiated into two “camps”. Ralph, Simon and Piggy embody “goodness” while Jack, Roger and their tribe embody “evil”. The climax of the story sees the attempts of Jack's tribe to hunt down an imaginary beast. Violence ensues and … (i shall not reveal :>).

The novel brings up the issue of human nature. As humans, do we innately hold certain values (good,evil) and act upon them, or are our actions conditioned by our environment? Do note that while the characters generally fall under two camps (representing good and evil), they are not meant to be regarded in such a straightforward manner. The author presents them in different levels of complexities. To me, this is also what makes the characters so relevant, so real it is scary. 

Amidst grey skies and heavy rain, the purple parade drew a record turnout of over 4,000. With people clad in the event’s official colour (which represents royalty), the carnival and parade at Hong Lim Park was covered in a sea of purple. Also marking this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the event aims to promote inclusiveness of individuals with disabilities and special needs.

The purple parade saw 40 organisations coming together to raise awareness on the cause. According to the movement’s adviser, Ms Denise Phua, the event serves as a unified platform for supporters of the special needs community to come together. Ms Phua, the president of the Autism Resource Centre and co-founder of Pathlight School, is known as a disability rights activist. In person, she embodies a gentle, strong demeanor, like that of a motherly figure.

After the first series of performances, Guest of Honour Mr Lawrence Wong addressed the crowd and ushered the start of the parade march past. The heavy rain impeded the movement of the parade contingents, but it did not dampen the spirit of the community. Soon, 50 volunteers formed a covered linkway with their umbrellas, allowing the contingents to move to the parade square without getting drenched. The parade contingent was a colourful and lively spectacle – participants waved, cheered and danced to the crowd with their unique props.

Over at the carnival booths, associations showcased their work, sold crafts and accessories. At one of them, students from Pathlight’s Artist Development Programme (ADP) showcased their artworks. The ADP is a signature programme that uncovers the artistic talents of Pathlight’s students, where professional artists are engaged to work with students.

According to Mr Ng Geok Seng, teacher in charge of ADP, the programme was in development for a few years and started with a small group of five students. Today, it has grown to over 20 in strength. In 2012, the programme won the SPED (special education) Innovation award.

“My biggest joy is to see them progress and enrich themselves through art, showing confidence, independence and self-reliance. In the process of experimenting with different materials, this will help them in their daily decision-making,” he added.

Among his students, I was lucky enough to catch 17 year old Glenn Phua in action, working on a drawing. Glenn exhibits a high level of detail in his drawings with his high stamina ink work, a style that is similar to that of Mr Stephen Wiltshire (the renowned British artist with autism).  He is a student that has flourished under ADP, gaining recognition and personal fulfillment from his work. In 2010, he won Formula One’s UBS art competition. Since then, he has exhibited and sold his work at galleries or exhibitions. According to his father, Mr Phua, Glenn had also been previously commissioned to work on drawings.

 While interviewing Glenn,I was struck by his  courteousness. He said ‘thank you’ repeatedly, expressing that he was enjoying himself at the parade. Glenn is particularly fond of drawing sceneries and buildings, spending hours working on a drawing.

Dubbed as “one of the most terrifying live theatre shows ever”, I managed to catch The Woman In Black last night as they commemorated their 10,000th worldwide show in Singapore. 

The play is a 1983 adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel, which also has a movie adaptation starring Daniel Radcliffe. The play is centered around two male characters - Anthony Eden playing Arthur Kipps and Robin Herford playing several periphery characters. 

Set in Victorian England, the play follows Kipps, a solicitor who is attending an out of town funeral of a client. Thereafter, he experiences an encounter with the ‘The Woman In Black’, a ghostly figure belonging to the sister of his deceased client.  As he unravels the story behind ‘The Woman In Black’, he falls deeper into a horrifying chain of events which cost him dearly.

The play is split into two acts. The first act was significantly more lighthearted and even humorous as the context of the story established itself. The second act plunged the audience right into its horror elements, offering many thrills. The actors managed their roles impressively, as it was not difficult to differentiate scenes which leaped from the past to present (and vice versa). The narration of the dialogue was also outstanding, considering the actors did not use microphones throughout the play.

Tension was evident in the second act, especially during moments which served as a build up to the acts of horror. My friend and I found ourselves jolted out of our seats, as the realistic sounds from the speakers sent chills down our spine.  

Since discovering the book depository two years ago, it has been my go-to place to buy books. It is now owned by Amazon, after its acquisition in 2011. The site offers free shipping to over 160 countries, boosting a large selection from its diversified catalogue. 

The best part about the site? Its books are priced at least 20% lower than what is usually found in bookstores. For instance, a S$12 book on the site would cost me closer to/above S$20 at Kinokuniya. I can still pin for my monthly book while keeping within my budget. The downside is that waiting time for shipping takes about 2 weeks, which I view as an exercise in delayed gratification.

I remember entering DMC excited about what I will be learning, the work I will be doing. That was partly because I felt that CASS courses are often marketed as "cool", "different" and "fun" to prospective students, so that might really the case? *snickers* In a few months time, I would have spent 2 years in DMC. I have indeed learned a lot of skills, forged great friendships - but the realities of working in this industry soon became apparent. Here are my greatest takeaways relating to the what I mentioned before: 

1) There is no such thing as stress.

I realised that people working in this industry tend to have long working hours, definitely not of the 9-5 office job. To be honest, I have grown skeptical of the phrase "work life balance". How does one achieve that in a 16 hour working day? I guess the key to coping well is to not be stressed, even when the to-do list seems unending. To handle tasks one at a time, to take necessary short breaks, to not dwell overly on the possible end result. Also, drive and passion helps in keeping stress at bay.

This realisation hit me after semester one this year. That semester was hectic and I became cranky and overwhelmed towards the last weeks. That's when it hit me - stress is perceived, its all in the mind. 

2) Hard work and ability doesn't necessarily guarantee results.

Just like how the contestant with the strongest vocals doesn't go on to win the singing competition, the strongest presenter doesn't get the job of a VJ. I feel that working smart is more applicable than working hard. But then again, what is considered "working smart"?  

3) Grades are not everything.

In year one, I used to believe that grades are everything. How foolish was I? I still believe that grades are significant, but more so when it comes to University admissions, when it comes to meeting my own expectations. Even till now, especially if I am a group leader, the grade still affects me as I feel responsible for the marks of the members. 

However, I feel that the value of grades diminishes once our education is completed, when we embark on our first job.