Audiobooks by Rice Media

The Madman Who Left His 5-figure Advertising Job To Become A Farmer

As careers go, it doesn't get more exciting or glamorous than 'London-based advertising executive.' The money is excellent, the job scope is interesting, and come on, for chrissake, it's London. But for Bjorn Low, who held that enviable position of London Ad Man, success had become routine. After 7 years of hustling, he reached the senior echelons but he desperately wanted to do something else with his life. The turning point came when Bjorn and his wife left for the English countryside. He got acquainted with organic farmers and small-holders. His experiences led him to question Singapore's self-sustainability and ultimately saw him start Edible Garden City, a social enterprise he founded to build and promote the practise of urban farming in Singapore. © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.

Rice Media (Author), Daniel York Loh (Narrator)

Audiobook

We Post Spotify Songs on Instagram Stories Because We Don't Know How to Talk About Our Feelings

In May 2018, Spotify for Artists made it easier for Spotify users to share the albums, tracks, playlists, and artists they were listening to with their followers on Instagram Stories. The function was designed to help people discover new music and expand their aural tastes, but the collaboration ended up creating this generation's equivalent of the MSN nickname—an equally evasive way to express how one felt without actually talking about one's feelings; it allows us to talk about our feelings without being fully sure of them yet, even though doing so often deceives us into thinking we have addressed them. © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.

Rice Media (Author), Vera Chok (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Secret History of Gatecrashing in Singapore

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man who wants to receive his bride on their wedding day must overcome hellish obstacles designed by a sadistic gaggle of bridesmaids in a traditional activity popularly termed as 'gatecrashing'. Contrary to popular belief, gatecrashing is hardly a time-honoured Chinese wedding tradition. So how did this activity attain its hallowed position in Singapore Chinese culture today? A writer attempts to find out how gatecrashing in Singapore came about by trawling through books, newspaper articles, Reddit, and emailing professors, wedding photographers, and planners. © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.

Rice Media (Author), Daniel York Loh (Narrator)

Audiobook

Growing Up With Vitiligo, I Was Bullied—Until I Became A Bully

Growing up with Vitiligo, Monica was bullied by kids in her school. The foundation and glasses were her defence against the bullies, and slowly, she sunk so deep into this new identity that she lost herself. Fast forward a decade, and not even her boyfriends would see her without makeup, nor would she have sex without it on—unless the lights were off. This is the story of how she found peace with herself. © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.

Rice Media (Author), Vera Chok (Narrator)

Audiobook

This Religion Doesn't Care What Your Faith Is, As Long As You're Happy

All tales of religion start with a good miracle story—'a narrative involving a report of supposed special divine action,' as defined by theologians Wendy Cotter and Graham H. Twelftree. For the Looi family, their embracing of Tibetan Buddhism came about when their father, the late Alvin Looi, once wheelchair-bound, started walking again miraculously. © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.

Rice Media (Author), Vera Chok (Narrator)

Audiobook

Reflections of a Former Crazy, Dieting, Fitness-Obsessed Guy

Extreme forms of dieting are not uncommon within the fitness community. There are people who bring their own food to buffets, or completely abstain from sustenance for hours if not days (read: intermittent fasting). So how do fitness enthusiasts who boast thousands of followers on Instagram manage to keep up with strict diets and gruelling 6-days-a-week training routines (AND documenting it on Instagram) without going crazy like a certain RICE Media writer? © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.

Rice Media (Author), Daniel York Loh (Narrator)

Audiobook

Letter From China: The Worst Chinese New Year Ever

A writer makes a trip back to his hometown for the yearly Chinese New Year festivities, but later regrets this decision with the Wuhan Virus (now known as COVID-19) lurking in the community and the city on the brink of lockdown. This is a recount of his harrowing experience. © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.

Rice Media (Author), Daniel York Loh (Narrator)

Audiobook

Meet Baijiu, The Bestselling Liquor Singapore Has Never Tasted

Bloomberg calls it the world's most valuable liquor but it remains a total mystery to most Singaporeans, who've never encountered it in any way, shape or form. Baijiu (literally 'white liquor') is a high-proof, distilled spirit made from Sorghum—a grain that is often planted in parts of China where rice grows poorly, and acquiring a taste for it takes time and many bottles. © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.

Rice Media (Author), Daniel York Loh (Narrator)

Audiobook

Debunking the Myth of 'Malay' and 'Non-Malay' Pricing

Three men walk into a hawker centre and ordered the same combination of dishes: beef rendang and long beans, all atop a mountain of white rice drizzled with lontong gravy from the nasi padang stall. They discovered that they were charged different prices for their plate of rice, despite ordering the exact same thing, from the exact same stall, and the exact same makcik. Welcome then, to the curious world of 'Malay pricing'. Known to Singaporeans as a racially-motivated form of price discrimination, Malay pricing, as you would expect, commonly refers to those who look, or are Malay being charged a cheaper price for the same item than your Chinese Singaporean. To try and make sense of what happened during that fateful lunch, a little experiment was conducted... © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.

Rice Media (Author), Daniel York Loh (Narrator)

Audiobook

Meet The Singaporean Woman Who Went From Corporate HR To Selling Sex Toys

After depression, alopecia, and endometriosis, Janice decided she would save up for a year to quit her job and move somewhere new. She discovered self care and self love during this journey and subsequently stumbled into the sexual wellness industry upon her return to Singapore. First, the brand made it to Watsons. Last year, it made it to Don Don Donki. Now, Janice is working on getting it on Amazon. Getting the toys out of sex shops and into regular spaces will encourage people to think of sexuality as a part of our everyday life -- and Janice wants to continue being a part of this conversation, despite the unstable monetary incomes and societal objections. Listen to her story here. © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.

Rice Media (Author), Vera Chok (Narrator)

Audiobook

JianHao Tan, The Greatest Showman in Singapore

With JianHao, the cameras are always rolling, as if he were in a Singaporean version of The Truman Show. But unlike Truman Burbank, who—spoiler alert—is unaware that his life is being broadcast to the whole world as a television show, JianHao never loses sight of the fact that millions of eyes are trained on him with a laser-sharp focus. Thus, regardless of how much he wants to be able to introduce himself as the dude 'who makes fun YouTube videos', he can't—and won't—shed the identity he is better known by: JianHao the YouTuber who has 3.86 million subscribers on YouTube and who, at only 26, is the CEO of Titan Digital Media, a media conglomerate. He is intelligent, articulate, sensitive, and savvy, but what is he really like beneath that veneer of perfection? And what does he have to say about his successful (but 'formulaic' videos), the digital media industry, his now-withdrawn crowdfunding campaign to finance a movie production?

Rice Media (Author), Daniel York Loh (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Brief History of Lao Sai in Singapore

School-taught 'Social Studies' is a fairly sanitised affair. We learn about Britain, Lee Kuan Yew, and the paramount importance of free trade. We also learn about food and the origins of Chicken Rice. However, what comes out is just as important as what goes in, because Singapore's history is also a fecal history—of dysentery, nightsoil, quacks and more. In short, it's a story of shit. © 2019 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2019.

Rice Media (Author), Nishad More (Narrator)

Audiobook