My new book is out. It’s the second book I’ve written and it’s non fiction. It’s called The Merchant of Stories and it follows my journey as a creative entrepreneur–a voyage where I juggle the dual hats of living in this world as a creative as well as navigating the marketplace in which my work is published and distributed.
The other day, I saw a tree. It was a tree unlike any other. Its branches did not reach out for the sky. It did not attempt to bear fruit. It stood there, proud and unyielding–an outsider who neither demanded praise nor attention.
The Kinokuniya flagship store is located on Orchard Road–Singapore’s iconic shopping district. I’ve always found the entrance to the bookstore rather modest and inconspicuous. The moment I walk in, however, I am always spellbound by the impressive 33,000 sq. ft. space that houses an extensive collection of more than 400,000 titles from all over the world.
The idea of democracy as a form of government first appeared in ancient Greece in the city-state of Athens during classical antiquity. The word democracy comes from the Greek demos ‘common people’ and kratos ‘strength’. It is a system where people get to choose their leaders. This is in contrast to other forms of government like monarchy, oligarchy or aristocracy.
There’s a lot that goes on behind-the-scenes as I do what it takes to keep the whole machine functioning as a business. The corporate world has a reputation for being cold and heartless–for treating people like cogs in a machine and extracting value from them for the purpose of profit. Is the capitalist system really as toxic as it is made out to be?
As the Editor-in-Chief of Mith Books, I lead a team of writers. I’ve now had the opportunity to work with, meet and interview creatives from all fields — artists, musicians, and even dancers. Despite the choice of art form, we are all on the same journey. With each interview I conduct and with each article I edit, I discover one universal truth about ‘us’ over and over again.
Minorities all over the world are trapped in a dichotomy. On one hand, you are visible, because you are different. On the other hand, you are invisible, because your perspective doesn’t align or even matter to people who aren’t different. When we say who we truly are and what we feel–we make people feel uncomfortable.
Courtship. A period during which a couple develop a romantic relationship before getting married. But does courtship end once you’re officially together? How can it?
As startup founder, I believe the most important thing is having a team that loves to learn. Startups begin with a spark — an idea, a belief, a vision. They spring into existence to do something that not many other companies are doing. No matter how great your business idea may be, you won’t get very far if you don’t have the right people to turn your ideas into reality.
What is my ideal day? Like all innocuous questions, it was easy to ask and difficult to answer. I think of all the things I love doing – like travelling, eating out and hiking – all of which are not possible right now because of the Coronavirus.
