Venessa Lee

Senior Correspondent at The Straits Times

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Articles

Who says mum can’t... start a new career at 57?

5 days ago | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

SINGAPORE – It was more than 30 years ago that Madam Yap Joo Eng first fell in love with the traditional red rice wine that ended up kick-starting her second career. In the late 1980s, her then prospective mother-in-law, who hailed from Fuzhou, China, had prepared the heritage dish of red wine chicken mee sua for her when they met for the first time. Madam Yap, who is from the Hokkien dialect group, had never tasted it before. She recalls: “The colour was a scary red, but it was yummy.
Inspiring mothers who pursued their passions: Never too old to join a bodybuilding contest, become an ultramarathoner and start a business

5 days ago | straitstimes.com | Stephanie Yeo |Venessa Lee

SINGAPORE – Mothers are thought of as selfless and sacrificing when they put their families ahead of their passions. After all, they are the nurturers everyone relies on to keep households running smoothly. But three mothers who have followed their dreams say their journeys have made them better parents. Ms Mayda Jutahkiti role-modelled resilience and self-belief when she entered a bodybuilding competition at age 50.
‘Before I die, I want to make a film’: The terminally ill find comfort and hope in creative pursuits

1 week ago | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

Some terminally ill people in Singapore are embarking on artistic projects, painting, making films, and writing and planning books and memoirs. PHOTOS: VENESSA LEE, COURTESY OF NICOLE RACHEL RUI XIU FRIETSSINGAPORE – At just 28 years old, Mr Muhammad Afif Yusli is dying. Diagnosed with glioblastoma, a Grade 4 brain tumour, in April 2024, he has endured seizures, piercing pain, stabbing headaches, depression, memory difficulties and a period when he was unable to walk and talk.
Sensory play: Rise in demand for fun, messy child-led activities

3 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

Demand for sensory play activities has risen, with new sensory play-focused businesses like Little Blue Chair popping up in recent years. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUISINGAPORE – Whether it is toddlers pouring sand created from cereal or pre-schoolers scooping pretend frogspawn made from chia seeds, sensory play is having a moment. Programmes focused on sensory play, or activities that engage a child’s senses, are seeing a boom in demand, with several new businesses setting up in recent years.
Daddy and mummy, stop hovering: Why some gave up helicopter parenting

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

UPDATED Mar 30, 2025, 03:00 PM
Teenage use of AI: What parents should be aware of

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

SINGAPORE – When Caleb Teo, 16, uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools, it is always related to school, he says. The Year 1 student at a junior college (JC) says: “Usually, I’ll try and think of the response first, but when I’m tired or frustrated, I’ll turn to ChatGPT. Sometimes, I forget a concept and it triggers my memory enough so that I can answer the question myself.” Get the ST Smart Parenting newsletter for expert advice. Visit the microsite for more
Are Singaporeans worried about retirement?

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

SINGAPORE – Financial adviser Patrick Chang, 58, is championing a different kind of retirement. He has written a self-published book about retirement, The A To Z Guide To Retirement Planning: Everything You Need To Know About Accumulating And Preserving Wealth For Your Golden Years (2016). He is now working on his second book, Retire Retirement, Welcome Protirement: The Essentials A To Z.
The Singapore institutions that are ‘slaying’ Gen Z marketing like never before

Nov 11, 2024 | herworld.com | Venessa Lee

Home-grown institutions are getting a glow-up using #GenZmarketing. A recent TikTok video by National Gallery Singapore (NGS) opens with an older man greeting his audience using Gen Z slang: “Hey, besties. Time to enter your artsy era.”Museum employee Clarence Yeo, who is in his 60s, continues using Gen Z parlance as he walks around the museum, declaring “the vibes are immaculate around here”.
Young caregivers: Balancing the stress, developing empathy

Oct 19, 2024 | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee |Shawn Hoo

Published Oct 19, 2024, 01:05 PM SINGAPORE – Gen Z caregivers, in their 20s or younger, face challenges – like learning how to adult or managing fledgling careers – that may differ from other caregivers, who are more often in their 60s and older, and tending to their spouse or elderly parent. Experts say that younger caregivers may become more common in an ageing society with falling birthrates, as in the much-watched Netflix movie How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.
Young caregivers: ‘I was afraid. I thought, what am I going to do?’

Oct 19, 2024 | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

SINGAPORE – In 2016, when Ms Alison Lim learnt from her doctor that she had young-onset dementia at the age of 58, she felt a sense of relief and understanding. The retired manager and consultant from the hotel industry recalls: “I was so relieved because it had been so confusing.”