AWA Magazine
Celebrate stories. Create community.
September - October 2024 issue
Editor's Note
Getting to know people beyond a cup of coffee is a process of discovery and connection that is part of what makes our AWA community special. Another part is that through our experiences of Singapore and AWA activities we also discover and nurture undiscovered or less-developed parts of ourselves. That was the spirit behind this issue's theme, "More than Meets the Eye," inviting our team to consider just that.
Stephanie Kolentsis, who lives in the East Coast of Singapore and considers herself an "Eastie," shares personal recommendations of unique places to eat and shop in the charming Joo Chiat neighborhood.
Andrea McKenna Brankin, a mental health advocate, reflects on the inner strengths of those who may live with a mental illness. Dulce Zamora invites us to look at ways we may free ourselves of our inner limitations. Keri Matwick shares about the upcoming racing pursuits of some AWA runners, and how racing can deepen character and resilience. Speaking of wellness and resilience, for our Member and Group Spotlight we take a deeper look at what inspired Robin Gardner's new pioneering group in AWA, Joyful Pursuits!
UK-based Lena Sharp, in her new column - East-West Tapestry: Cultural Connections Across Continents - gives us an insightful history lesson about how the food and clothing that shaped British culture were influenced by the activities of the East India Company in Asia. For more colonial history, Mandakini Arora reviews Paul Theroux's historical fiction novel, Burma Sahib, based on the life of writer George Orwell when he served in the imperial police force.
Last but not least, we share a poem by Sara Kelly from her new book of children's poetry. Sara's talent for conveying the magic and whimsy of childhood through rhyme is an underappreciated treat for those of us typically consumed by prose and narrative forms of expression!
May this issue inspire you, dear reader, to take another look at what lurks under the surface of your everyday encounters and experiences.
Warmly,
Suellen Lee, Editor-in-Chief
Meet Our Team
The AWA Magazine is composed of a group of volunteer women who love to share stories, adventures and all things related to living in Singapore and Southeast Asia, while having fun along the way.
Click on the pictures to learn a bit more about us!
“We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.”
Jimmy Neil Smith
International Storytelling Center
Calling Storytellers!
The AWA Magazine Team is a Special Interest group that strives to be a creative platform for AWA members to nurture and express their craft as storytellers, empower them to share their authentic voices as women who happen to live (or have lived) in Singapore, and forge meaningful connections along the way.
If this sounds a little or a lot like you, we invite you to get in touch with us at editor@awasingapore.org. We'd love to meet up over a cup of coffee (or a Zoom call) and discuss your interest in being part of the magazine team!
