Life Style

When British-born photographer Michael Kenna first visited Japan in 1987, he instantly fell under its spell.“I was blown away by the aesthetics, the spiritual and religious aspects, the curiosity of the people and their friendliness,” says Kenna via video call from the Japanese city of Kyoto.“It was completely exotic, beautiful, strange, mysterious, delightful, engaging.”He explored the length of the country, from Hokkaido in the north to Osaka in the south of Honshu island.That is what I love about analogue photography – I never know what I have until months later when I have made the contact sheetsAlong the way he visited Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, checked into riverside ryokan – traditional Japanese inns – and ate at convenience stores.

In “Hotel Reverie”, an episode from the recent, seventh season of Netflix series Black Mirror, filmmaker Haolu Wang focuses on the hot topic of artificial intelligence (AI).The episode sees AI technology being used to speed up, simplify and, most importantly, reduce the costs of remaking a classic film as something of a money grab.This 78-minute instalment of the science-fiction anthology series dropped just months after Hollywood writers, directors and actors went on strike to protest at the expansion in the use of AI – and the lack of agreements on it – in the entertainment industry.The irony of the timing is not lost on the Chinese-born director, who hopes that “people will realise AI is terrible for creativity”.Haolu Wang on the set of Hotel Reverie, which she says was crafted by hand ...

After three tangles with cancer, Aparna Suri finds joy in simple things – a snail crossing the road, the vibrant colours of a sunset, or the satisfaction of perfecting a new recipe.These small pleasures and the support of her family and friends have become anchors in a life repeatedly upended by cancer, yet defined by resilience.Suri was diagnosed with stage 1 triple negative breast cancer in September 2023, her third bout with the disease since overcoming Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1996 and thyroid cancer in 2015.“You don’t have a choice when you have cancer. Being brave is the only way forward. You push through your fear,” says the 50-year-old Singapore resident, whose first diagnosis came at age 21, just 10 months into her marriage.After her husband noticed a lump on her collarbone, a CAT sc...

The fourth month of the Year of Snake that begins on April 28, 2025 will bring on a lot of digestive issues for many. While work luck will vary for each sign, finances seem likely to remain stable – although some people will have to exercise caution while investing.Read on to see what feng shui master Andrew Kwan has to say about what is in store for your Chinese zodiac.Rat (1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020)This month brings improved career prospects for Rats. They can achieve significant progress by actively showcasing their abilities and working harder.Their financial luck remains stable, but they should avoid speculative ventures and know when to retreat from high-risk situations.Relationship-wise, couples will enjoy stability with potential discussions about long-term com...

You might assume that people who seek a sex therapist’s support are in relationships that are on the rocks.It is usually the opposite, says Mary Foxworth in Hong Kong, who describes herself as an “inclusive intimacy educator”.“Even if couples feel they are coming to me because they are unhappy with the quality of their intimacy,” she says, “I always reinforce the message that the fact they are showing up is a really positive sign of their commitment and desire for personal and relationship growth.”Dr Kristin Zeising, a clinical psychologist and certified sex therapist in Hong Kong with 20 years of experience, agrees.Mary Foxworth describes herself as an “inclusive intimacy educator”. Photo: Mary FoxworthZeising chose her speciality when she realised “so many people carry silent pain and sh...

Surfers all over the world hail Portugal’s Atlantic coast as one of the most exhilarating places to ride the waves. So a combined surfing and hiking holiday on Portugal’s southern coastline in the Alentejo region would seem like an obvious choice.However, hikers quickly forget about surfing as they are wowed by the views along the Trilho dos Pescadores, or Fisherman’s Trail.The long sandy São Torpes beach beckons at the south of the coastal town of Sines. Some may be inclined to stop for a while and sunbathe at this trail head at the start of the route. Others do not succumb and heave their rucksack onto their back, lace up their boots and go hiking.The route has lots of beauty spots to reward you for the effort.A view of Praia do Barranco di Martinho from Portugal’s coastal Fisherman’s Tr...

After decades spent pruning thorny bushes and working arduous harvests, Khalaf Allah al-Talhi has perfected the art of capturing the fragrant aroma of the desert rose in a bottle.“I love roses and take care of them more than I care for my own children,” the 80-year-old says from his flower farm in Taif, in western Saudi Arabia, known as “the city of roses”.Some 800 flower farms in the hills of Taif produce around 300 million of the area’s signature pink roses annually. By his own estimates, Talhi grows around five to six million of those.The arrival of spring’s mild climate is met with the blooming of roses that carpet the vast, rolling desert landscapes with vibrant shades of pink.Khalaf Allah al-Talhi picks flowers alongside his workers on his plantation, where he says he cares for his r...

One of the most revered writers of Korean dramas prepares her return, while young stars line up for a range of tantalising new fantasy projects in our latest round of Korean casting announcements.1. Honey Jar ProjectLast seen in The Impossible Heir, Lee Jae-wook is reportedly set to lead the coming eight-part Netflix series Honey Jar Project.The show is described as a horror fantasy about a thirty-something man who starts a part-time job that leads him into unexpected situations.Lee Jae-wook (left) and Go Youn-jung in a still from Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow. Photo: tvNKnown for Alchemy of Souls, Lee is already teaming up with Netflix in the period drama Dear Hongrang, which is scheduled to launch in May. He is also due to appear in the series Last Summer alongside Choi Sung-eun.Hon...

We are living in unsettling times. Many are predicting that the existing world order, with which we are so familiar, will soon be a thing of the past, to be replaced by might-is-right belligerence, extreme nationalism and economic protectionism.If we feel anxious about the tremors rattling an 80-year-old global order that only began after the end of World War II in 1945, imagine how the Chinese people felt when the world they had known for 800 years was upended before their eyes.In 221BC, the Qin dynasty unified China. But what was so significant about this event that occurred over 2,200 years ago? After all, the Chinese nation splintered and reunified multiple times during its history; dynasties rose and fell by the dozens.What the Qin did that was so staggering in scale and imagination w...

The grainy, 19-second YouTube video that started it all hardly had the makings of a viral sensation.Shot at the San Diego Zoo in the US state of California, the primitive video clip showed Jawed Karim, the platform’s co-founder, complimenting the elephants in the frame behind him. “The cool thing about these guys is they have really, really, really long trunks,” Karim said.The clip, titled “Me at the zoo”, was the first video uploaded onto YouTube 20 years ago, opening the door to a new medium.From those modest beginnings, the site opened the gates for users from around the world to post funny, viral videos that could take the internet by storm, racking up millions of views and earning some of them millions of US dollars.Popular music artists such as Justin Bieber rose to fame on YouTube, ...