Marriage

THIR.ST TALKS: Veteran Valentines share their secrets on how to make a marriage last

With increasing divorce rates, older marriages and fewer people opting for marriage, young couples may approach Valentine’s Day with weariness and trepidation. It seems ever harder for a...

Dating

Lovers or just friends? Or is there a better option?

“We’re just friends,” Esther (not her real name, to protect her dignity) insisted when I asked her about this guy she’d been hanging out with. They’d been out for brunches, movies and late...

Dating

Break up, shake up, wake up: This is not a Valentine’s Day story

“I’m staying off social media tomorrow,” my best friend said on February 13, 2016. “Too much PDA going on.” I laughed. There was some truth in her statement. February 14 is a day set aside...

Marriage

The day I prayed for a wife

January marked the 1 year anniversary of my marriage to the most incredible woman. It’s easily been the best year of my life. I believe with all my heart that she’s a gift from God — one...

Singlehood

An open letter to my friends who are single

Dear friends, I know what it’s like to be single. Now that I’m on the other side, I need to tell you that it’s not all a bed of roses. I need to tell you that there are good and...

Family

How to honour your dad when it’s hard to love him

Some of us have a wonderful relationship with our dads. Your childhood might have been filled with warm memories of him and you’re deeply assured of his love for you. Some of us, however, have a...

Dating

When how you love is shaped by Korean dramas, don’t expect a happy ending

“Valentine’s Day is coming. Again.” My friends were lamenting about their lack of plans for that most dreaded event of the year for singles. I answered almost immediately, “Well, we could...

Family

You have an audience with your relatives once a year. Don’t waste it

Chinese New Year, in the recent few years, has become a season of poignant reflection for me. It was during Chinese New Year that I saw my grandmother and grandfather for the last time, in 2011 and...

Family

Ready to louhei? Toss to the JOY of family

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: CHINESE NEW YEAR EDITION On the seventh day of Chinese New Year, we put down our calorie-filled jars and pause for a salad – yusheng or louhei – salad, the Chinese way. The...