Email us at [email protected]18 JULY 2019
Mini Ambassadors
I’m sure your “Ambassador for a Day” project has involved plenty
of sweat and toil, especially as it included so many embassies
and diplomats. But your team came out with rainbows – lifestyle
magazines rarely feature articles that fuel the dreams of youngsters
this way. The prosperity of any nation depends on how well its
administrative system and public service work, so well done
for empowering these young girls with insight into this hugely
important domain. Some of them may become diplomats in the
future, and deep in their hearts they’ll thank your team for this
initial ignition of interest. This is truly responsible journalism!
Kudos to Melinda Murphy for being so innovative in her special
project topics in each issue – they really give Expat Living an
edge over other mags.- Soumita Bhattacharya
Ed: Yes, it grew into a big project for Melinda, with a lot of
coordination, but it’s a great result. I’m glad we’re on the right
track with these kind of articles and I do think it’s important to
be linking up people and inspiring people of all ages!LIFE & FAMILY78 JUNE 2019 JUNE 2019 79a contest for girls ages 10 to 18 to spend a day with one of Singapore’s female In our March issue, as a salute to International Women’s Day, we launched BY MELINDA MURPHY
ambassadors. Much to our delight, we were buried with applications from girls of all ages and nationalities. Narrowing it down to thirteen was incredibly hard as they were all excellent applicants. And what days they had! Each winner’s experience was unique, with all the
ambassadors and their staff really rolling out the red carpet for their “minis”. The girls learned about diplomacy, attended events and met interesting people – one even met the President of Singapore, Halimah Yacob! The Canadian High Commissioner also planned a luncheon for all who could attend. Some
girls described their day as a life-changing experience.present Part One of the girls’ experiences. Be sure to read our July issue for more!We’re incredibly proud to have been a part of this initiative, and in this issue weHui Yue Xi (Joyce), 18, SingaporeanSchool: Ambassador:St. Andrew’s Junior College Margriet Vonno, Netherlands
Why did you want to be Ambassador for a Day?To find out more about the career track of
becoming a diplomat and the ambassador of my country as I’m considering taking Political Science at
university.How did you and the ambassador spend your time together?
Firstly, I met Ms Vonno at the Dutch Embassy; she’s a very pleasant and amiable woman. Her driver then took us to our first event of the day, Tulip Mania at Gardens by the Bay. When we arrived, we were treated as
VIPs, and cameras started flashing in front of us – it was an eye-opening experience for me. We were given a tour of the Flower Dome and welcomed by the director of Gardens by the Bay; I even received a special gift from Royal Dutch Airlines.
Ambassador for a Day programme, we went to an event where technological startup companies shared details about their innovations and new technologies; I was greatly awed by the After lunch with the other ambassadors and girls from the
presentations. thorough tour of her home and showed me many important artefacts, we headed to a final event at the Botanic Gardens, for After a stop at Ms Vonno’s residence, where she gave me a
a presentation by the Argentinian ambassador regarding flowers and fauna from Argentina that are displayed in the Gardens.What did you expect from the day? What was the
biggest surprise?I thought I would probably attend one or two important events, but I ended up at events throughout the day, so it was much more meaningful than expected. I was surprised to get a
customised lanyard with my name on it at one of the events; I never expected the organisers to be so thoughtful amidst their busy schedules.
Do you think this experience might affect what you choose to do for a career?The insight I’ve gained into the career of an ambassador and working in the foreign service has enhanced my interest in
Political Science, and I’d like to continue pursuing this track in the future.What’s it like to be a strong woman who represents her country abroad?
Thirteen girls who won our Ambassador for a Day contest
got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to find out.Sofia Genato, 13, FilipinoSchool:Ambassador: SOTA Magdalena Bogdziewicz, Poland
Why did you want this opportunity?Because a profession as a diplomat has always interested me. Even at a very young age, I wanted to work for the UN; this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was a taste of
what it would be like.How did you spend your time together?We spent our time talking about current world issues,
as well as Poland’s connections with Singapore. I was also very fortunate to join in a luncheon with the other female ambassadors and I got to talk to them, too.
What did you expect from the day? What was the biggest surprise of the day?I expected it to be a very fun, enriching and special learning experience and it really was.
was amazing – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Who gets to say, “I’ve eaten a meal with people I would like to grow up to be like”? And, to top it off, the food was The biggest surprise was the luncheon. The experience
very delicious.Do you think this experience might affect what you choose to do for a career?
Before this experience, all I knew was that I wanted to work for the UN. Spending a day at the Polish Embassy showed me the different responsibilities of a diplomat and the team she relies on. As such, I now have a
better picture of my role or entry point to this world, working in the communications department. She also encouraged me that, with hard work, I would be able to achieve whatever I want to, and that I should take all
these experiences and learning opportunities to make a positive impact on our world.LETTERS
BEST LETTER
We want to hear from you!
Send us your thoughts on
the magazine, or on any
subject under the sun.
For best letter, Soumita
Bhattacharya will receive
a divine candle from To Be Calm. Each
month, there’ll be one of their signature
candles to choose from tobecalm.com.Thai Food Reviews
I’ve just read the “Best Pad Thai and
Green Curry” piece featuring your
Review Crew, and seen the video, and
it’s a total delight! It features fancy
restaurants but also budget-friendly ones, mentioning
prices, locations and ambience as plus points. Being
a food lover myself, and one who doesn’t have any
dietary restrictions, it makes me want to embark on this
gastronomical adventure myself. Thank you.- Reamy
Ed: Thanks! We’re enjoying trying different things too.
We’re reviewing veggie burgers in this issue, with bubble
tea and durian both coming up soon, so keep reading!
And, if there’s something you’d like our Review Crew to
test, do let us know.Mags in the Mail
It’s surprising to hear that you received complaints about
spoilt magazines when distributed in paper envelopes,
causing you to revert to plastic sleeves. While your
magazines are heavier than the average letter, it seems
surprising that the Post Office can’t deliver them without
damage – unless the envelopes are of inadequate quality.
Yet, I would guess that 99% of all mail worldwide is sent
in regular paper envelopes. As for the large number that
allegedly got wet in transit, since most post seems to
survive, could it be a failing and lack of water-tightness of
the recipients’ mailboxes? While on the subject, if you’re
seeking to reduce plastic waste, maybe it’s time to lose
the plastic laminate film on the cover, which is apparently
difficult to recycle and even contaminates the entirety,
unless separated from the magazine. Best regards.- David Landau
Ed: Thanks for the email. Yes, mailboxes may be the
issue; often our mags get left on top of condo mailboxes
because they don’t fit (which can annoy some people).
The cover is recyclable plastic and we don’t wrap them
for the retail and free copies. But we will look at other
options. Regarding the laminate, I hadn’t actually thought
about that. We initially did it because people often keep
the issues for years and it helps the cover to last. We’ll
check with our printers on alternative options.WINE & DINE(^124) MAY 2019
to fab cheap eats. So, which is best? The kind folks from Wolero Singapore has lots of great Thai restaurants, from the fully fancy
the five most recommended spots, searching for the yummiest chauffeured our Review Crew around town so we could sample
pad thai and green chicken curry that won’t break the bank.
the answer.Longing to eat your way across Singapore? We’d love to have you join the Review Crew for our next So who won? Be sure to check out the video on our website for
adventure. Just write to [email protected].
had less seafood, but the dish was cooked very A-ROY THAIThe décor here was much nicer – think decent mall restaurant. The pad thai noodles were a bit gummier (which some of us preferred) and , Novena Square
well and was quite tasty. The green curry was curdled, tasting better than it looked with a more “Western” flavour than others. The curry also had both types of small eggplants. The portions were
larger and so was the total price: $30.70.SAWADEEThis was by far the swankest of the restaurants we tried, with gorgeous gold waves of material on the , 238 Thomson Road
ceiling and beautifully presented food. The pad sweeter and a bit bland. thai had only a few prawns and the noodles were wetter,
DIANDIAN LELUKThe curry was simply beautiful, made with long beans rather than eggplant. Sadly, the chicken was too chewy. $36.30 covered the bill, but they have a set lunch for $18.50.
Golden MileGolden Mile is really the “it” spot when it comes to anything Thai and this is the largest of the food outlets there. There’s absolutely nothing fancy about it, including the way the food is served, but looks can ,
be deceiving. Though light on seafood, the pad thai noodles were great. The curry sauce was thick and creamy with lots of dark-meat chicken. $18 bought all we needed. Deal of the day? They have a set lunch for $8.90.
NAKHON341 Hougang Street 21Sitting at sidewalk tables, we didn’t love the pad thai as it had far too much egg and onions in it and only two prawns. ,
The green curry was curdled and wasn’t great either. One reviewer called it “a hot mess.” But the price is right: $14.
This place is thin JAI TAIVarious Locations,
on décor, but big on taste. The somewhat sweet pad thai came loaded with lots of seafood including a big piece
of fried fish, calamari, prawns and more. The green curry was very tasty, with a slightly thick sauce and lots of perfectly cooked chicken. It was $15 total for the small portion sizes.
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