logo
'I cry every day, I laugh every day': Singer Kit Chan on coping with her mum's death

'I cry every day, I laugh every day': Singer Kit Chan on coping with her mum's death

New Paper2 days ago

Home-grown singer-actress Kit Chan is coping with the loss of her mother, who died in May.
The 52-year-old told Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao in January that her mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
"It's been exactly a month since I lost my mum," Chan wrote in English on social media on June 12.
"I'm grateful for the chance to be in a foreign city, where I can be away from the all-too-familiar, with a book and coffee, watching the world go by, while all those feelings and emotions we know and do not know intermingle within us, and settle like all things do."
Chan uploaded a photo of the book she is reading, Pinang: No More Than Skins (2014), by Chinese author Cai Chongda.
"Friends ask me how I'm doing. I say I cry every day, but I also laugh every day," she wrote.
"I think this is a good answer, and a good way to live. It would be how my mum would want me to live, just like she did. Always looking for that bright spot, catching the sparkle in the dull and mundane, and always choosing joy over sorrow."
The star said she will be busy in July and August and is looking forward to it. She will be performing Here We Are, the theme song for the 2025 National Day Parade, with local singer Charlie Lim as well as vocal group The Island Voices.
"Now is a time to be still, and there will be a time to be active," she added.
She said ever since she wrote and recorded the song A Time For Everything, released in 2018, the title has been her mantra.
"It really sums up life for me," she said. "It is a privilege to live a full life, and that means accepting and embracing all of it - the joys and sorrows, the gains and losses, the pleasure and the pain, and of course, the processes of living and dying."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

London museum opens vast ‘on-demand' storehouse to public
London museum opens vast ‘on-demand' storehouse to public

Straits Times

time13 hours ago

  • Straits Times

London museum opens vast ‘on-demand' storehouse to public

A visitor looking at the artefacts exhibited in the newly opened museum V&A East Storehouse in East London on June 12. PHOTO: AFP LONDON – Imagine being able to visit a museum and examine up close thousand-year-old pottery, revel alone in jewellery from centuries past or peer inside a Versace bag. Now, London's V&A has launched a revolutionary new exhibition space, where visitors can choose from some 250,000 objects, order something they want to spend time looking at and have it delivered to a room for a private viewing. Most museums have thousands of precious and historic items hidden away in their stores, which the public never gets to see or enjoy. But the V&A East Storehouse, which opened on May 31 in a specially converted warehouse, has come up with a radical new concept. And it is totally free. Senior curator Georgia Haseldine said: 'Museums should be and are for everybody... the V&A's collection is for everybody. It belongs to everybody, and everyone should be able to have free, equitable and meaningful access to it. 'So, this is a world first. Never has anyone been able to be invited freely, without having to book into the same space as a national collection, on this scale.' One-fifth of the museum's total collection is now available to be viewed and enjoyed in the four-storey building on the former site of the 2012 London Olympic Games. No protective glass British drummer Keith Moon's drum kit is among some 250,000 objects available to the public for viewing. PHOTO: AFP 'It's fantastic, it's so much better than an ordinary museum,' said retired physics teacher Jane Bailey as she toured the floors. 'I'm just really, really impressed by it. We've only just heard about it, but it's phenomenal.' She was transfixed by the sight of the drum kit which belonged to Keith Moon from English rock band The Who, saying it would be great to be able to resuscitate the legendary drummer – who died in 1978 – to play a set for them. Jostling for space side by side on shelves in a massive hangar – which resembles a do-it-yourself commercial warehouse and stretches for more than 30 basketball courts – are everything from ceramics and tapestries to paintings and toys from the Tudor period. There is even the whole 15th-century gilded wooden ceiling from the now-lost Torrijos Palace in Spain; and the Kaufmann Office, a panelled room which is the only complete Frank Lloyd Wright interior outside the United States. The gilded ceiling from the now-lost Torrijos Palace, originally from the town of Torrijos near Toledo in Spain, at the V&A East Storehouse. PHOTO: AFP Hanging on display is the stunning stage front cloth made for Le Train Bleu – a copy of a Pablo Picasso painting that was specially designed for the 1924 Ballets Russes production. Its huge size means it has rarely been seen since its stage debut. There is no protective glass. The stage front cloth made for Le Train Bleu – a copy of a Pablo Picasso painting that was specially designed for the 1924 Ballets Russes production – at the V&A East Storehouse. PHOTO: AFP One of the first visitors to the Storehouse was Princess Catherine, a patron of the V&A and keen art lover, who took a tour on June 10. She described the collection as 'eclectic' as she used the 'order an object' system to look at a samples book from renowned 19th-century English textiles designer William Morris, as well as rolls of ornate textiles and a musical instrument. An example of a Frankfurt Kitchen, which is the first type of fitted kitchen, on show at the V&A East Storehouse. PHOTO: AFP All the works are available to the public seven days a week, and can be reserved via an online booking system for a private viewing at a date and time of your choice. Members of staff are on hand paying close attention as visitors don purple gloves and satisfy their curiosity, spending time with the object of their choice. A love letter to objects It is a huge departure from the usual admonishment of 'Don't touch!' found in most museums seeking to protect their objects from damage. Dr Haseldine acknowledged 'we have certainly met with some levels of scepticism and worry'. But she said once the idea was explained properly, including how meaningful it is to start to open up and give collections back to a community, 'people just start to think creatively about how we can do this'. American national Manuel Garza, who lives in London, thought the V&A Storehouse was 'one of the most interesting spaces that just opened up here in London'. One-fifth of the V&A museum's total collection is now available to be viewed at the V&A East Storehouse, which is in the four-storey building on the former site of the 2012 London Olympic Games. PHOTO: AFP Dr Haseldine said 'this building is a love letter to objects'. 'To be able to see around the back of an object, to be able to look inside a dress, to be able to see the bottom of a pot – all these things are how we really learn about our material culture,' she added. A Glastonbury Festival painted bin at the V&A East Storehouse. PHOTO: AFP Expert Kate Hill, who teaches cultural history at Lincoln University, said it is unusual for museums to open up their storehouses. 'Most of the time, they offer some 'behind-the-scene' tour, but their objets are not accessible. It's visible, but not accessible.' Ms Bailey said: 'I would hope that this is the museum of the future because some are very, very stuffy. We went to one recently and it was excruciating.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Daily roundup: Odette remains Singapore's only restaurant in World's 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025 — and other top stories today, World News
Daily roundup: Odette remains Singapore's only restaurant in World's 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025 — and other top stories today, World News

AsiaOne

timea day ago

  • AsiaOne

Daily roundup: Odette remains Singapore's only restaurant in World's 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025 — and other top stories today, World News

Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today. 1. Odette remains Singapore's only restaurant in World's 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025 The results of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 are out and once again, only one establishment from Singapore made the list... » READ MORE 2. Elderly man left bloodied after concrete from toilet ceiling collapses on him in Yishun home An elderly man was struck by falling spalling concrete from the ceiling of his toilet in his Yishun HDB flat... » READ MORE 3. No joke: Tableware used by Dylan Wang in China noodle shop framed up by owner Chinese heartthrob Dylan Wang has been capturing the hearts of fans worldwide, but now he has captured their appetite as well... » READ MORE 4. Malaysian dad in tears after 11 children pool together to buy him new SUV A Malaysian father was moved to tears after his 11 children surprised him with a brand new car... » READ MORE editor@

Monsters and memes: Labubu dolls ride China soft-power wave
Monsters and memes: Labubu dolls ride China soft-power wave

Straits Times

time2 days ago

  • Straits Times

Monsters and memes: Labubu dolls ride China soft-power wave

TikTok paved the way for Labubu's ascent when it became the first Chinese-branded product to be indispensable for young people internationally. PHOTO: EPA-EFE SHANGHAI - Small, fuzzy and baring sharp teeth, Chinese toymaker Pop Mart's Labubu monster dolls have taken over the world, drawing excited crowds at international stores and adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Cher. Beijing-based Pop Mart is part of a rising tide of Chinese cultural exports gaining traction abroad, furry ambassadors of a 'cool' China even in places associated more with negative public opinion of Beijing such as Europe and North America. Labubus, which typically sell for around US$40 (S$51.40), are released in limited quantities and sold in 'blind boxes', meaning buyers do not know the exact model they will receive. The dolls are 'a bit quirky and ugly and very inclusive, so people can relate', interior designer Lucy Shitova told AFP at a Pop Mart store in London, where in-person sales of Labubus have been suspended over fears that fans could turn violent in their quest for the toys. 'Now everything goes viral... because of social media. And yes, it's cool. It's different.' While neighbouring East Asian countries South Korea and Japan are globally recognised for their high-end fashion, cinema and pop songs, China's heavily censored film and music industry have struggled to attract international audiences, and the country's best-known clothing exporter is fast-fashion website Shein. There have been few success stories of Chinese companies selling upmarket goods under their own brands, faced with stereotypes of cheap and low-quality products. 'It has been hard for the world's consumers to perceive China as a brand-creating nation,' University of Maryland's Professor Fan Yang told AFP. Pop Mart has bucked the trend, spawning copycats dubbed by social media users as 'lafufus' and detailed YouTube videos on how to verify a doll's authenticity. Brands such as designer womenswear label Shushu/Tong, Shanghai-based Marchen and Beijing-based handbag maker Songmont have also gained recognition abroad over the past few years. 'It might just be a matter of time before even more Chinese brands become globally recognisable,' Prof Yang said. The TikTok effect Through viral exports like Labubu, China is 'undergoing a soft-power shift where its products and image are increasingly cool among young Westerners,' said Ms Allison Malmsten, an analyst at China-based Daxue Consulting. Ms Malmsten said she believed social media could boost China's global image 'similar to that of Japan in the 80s to 2010s with Pokemon and Nintendo'. Video app TikTok – designed by China's ByteDance – paved the way for Labubu's ascent when it became the first Chinese-branded product to be indispensable for young people internationally. Mr Joshua Kurlantzick from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) told AFP that 'TikTok probably played a role in changing consumers' minds about China'. TikTok, which is officially blocked within China but still accessible with VPN software, has over one billion users, including what the company says is nearly half of the US population. The app has become a focus of national security fears in the United States, with a proposed ban seeing American TikTok users flock to another Chinese app, Rednote, where they were welcomed as digital 'refugees'. A conduit for Chinese social media memes and fashion trends, TikTok hosts over 1.7 million videos about Labubu. Labubumania Cultural exports can 'improve the image of China as a place that has companies that can produce globally attractive goods or services', CFR's Mr Kurlantzick told AFP. 'I don't know how much, if at all, this impacts images of China's state or government,' he said, pointing to how South Korea's undeniable soft power has not translated into similar levels of political might. More on this Topic China state media warning on blind-box toys sends Labubu maker Pop Mart shares tumbling While plush toys alone might not translate into actual power, the United States' chaotic global image under the Trump presidency could benefit perceptions of China, Prof Yang said. 'The connection many make between the seeming decline of US soft power and the potential rise in China's global image may reflect how deeply intertwined the two countries are in the minds of people whose lives are impacted by both simultaneously,' she told AFP. At the very least, Labubu's charms appear to be promoting interest in China among the younger generation. 'It's like a virus. Everyone just wants it,' Kazakhstani mother-of-three, Ms Anelya Batalova, told AFP at Pop Mart's theme park in Beijing. Qatari Maryam Hammadi, 11, posed for photos in front of a giant Labubu statue. 'In our country, they love Labubu,' she said. 'So, when they realise that the origin of Labubu is in China, they'd like to come to see the different types of Labubu in China.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store