Something Private

It’s been a while since our last episode, but that’s because WE’VE BEEN READING! That’s right, if you’ve come across bookstagram, booktube and now booktok, you’d know that reading is IN now. On this episode, we chat with Amanda Chong, lawyer, poet, and co-founder of ReadAble, to discuss some essential feminist reads - except they aren’t the usual picks you’d expect. From deliberating our existence to the link between feminism and contemporary Singapore, the selection of books discussed will inspire greater inspection of the self, and how we relate to others. Here’s to big brains!  In collaboration with the National Reading Movement. Download the free NLB Mobile app at https://go.gov.sg/nlbmobile-app.  Borrow the titles discussed on our episode today! The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (https://www.nlb.gov.sg/biblio/13604701)  How to Date Men when you Hate Men by Blythe Roberson (https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/3994785)  All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks (https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/3707748)  Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/2763946)  Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino (https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/4571723)  This is What Inequality Looks Like by Teo Yeo Yann (https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/5300567) 

Body positivity started out as a global movement against the oppressive societal standard that small and skinny equals beautiful. These days, brands and influencers alike claim it as a means to market their clothes to women of all sizes, but Beckie Liu from Haikini wants to challenge that. To her, changing your mindset from thinking about what your body looks like, to what it can do for you, is key. The 26-year-old entrepreneur who’s living in Bali today shares with us her journey from struggling with how she looks, to starting her business. Voyage to the Vulva-verse is a 5 part series in collaboration with TWO L(I)PS and Strip, as we embark on a journey as vulva-owners to understand ourselves a little better. This is the last episode of this mini-series, to listen to the previous episodes, check out our library!

A trip to the doctor's to get birth control can be an embarrassing and time-consuming activity for some of us, so the team at Ease Healthcare came up with a solution. Discreet, affordable, and convenient access to birth control, from the comfort of your home and delivered under 4 hours? GOOD THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE! We chat with Guada from Ease, about birth control options and side effects, why access to birth control is a basic right, and the importance of taking ownership over our own sexual health. Voyage to the Vulva-verse is a 5 part series in collaboration with TWO L(I)PS and Strip, as we embark on a journey as vulva-owners to understand ourselves a little better. New episodes every last Wednesday of the month!

It’s 2021… I don’t know about you, but we’re rejecting outdated notions of beauty society has imposed on us! We take what makes us feel good on the inside, and leave behind what doesn’t! Take it from Kate Low, who grew up in the era of Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows (push up bras, flat tummies, long slender legs). She’s since built a lingerie brand, Perk by Kate, which puts the comfort and needs of women at the forefront. How do modern brands and consumers work together to take back power in our own hands? Voyage to the Vulva-verse is a 5 part series in collaboration with TWO L(I)PS and Strip, as we embark on a journey as vulva-owners to understand ourselves a little better. New episodes every last Wednesday of the month!

We live in the age of social media, which means, it’s hard not to compare every aspect of our lives, our bodies, with others, including how our genitals look. Although many of us feel shame in talking about our genitals, when we’re asked to think about what a “normal” vulva looks like, we have an image in our minds: small, pink, hairless, tucked in... In reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. So why is there so much shame we experience in talking about our genitals, and how do we battle the need to have “normal” looking parts?

IT’S THE FINAL EPISODE OF OUR SEASON! And we have a special one, featuring Singapore’s youngest female minority MP, Raeesah Khan. It’s been a year since one of Singapore’s most iconic general elections, and incidentally also a year since Raeesah was investigated for alleged online comments about race. We speak with her about her journey in politics one year on, her thoughts about racism in Singapore, tackling important social issues and being a voice for minorities.  New episodes biweekly on Thursdays, 8pm GMT+8. Visit our website, http://somethingprivate.fm, or email us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm.

Narelle Kheng needs no introduction. She’s one of the most iconic millennials of Southeast Asia, having made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List in 2019. But beyond her luxurious music career and glamorous persona, Narelle is just like any one of us. The outspoken advocate for mental health struggles with everyday adulting problems, like managing relationships, feeling lonely, making mistakes, learning how to take care of ourselves, the list goes on. In this episode, we dig into a more vulnerable side of Narelle, and get a peek into a side of her life we don’t usually get to see. This episode was made in collaboration with It’s Your Life, an educational campaign around HPV prevention and awareness by MSD Singapore. For more information, head over to http://itsyourlife.sg. New episodes biweekly on Thursdays, 8pm GMT+8. Visit our website, http://somethingprivate.fm, or email us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm.

It’s curious to note the amount of resources we spend on skin care, but only for the skin on our face. Much like our face, our vulvas go through A LOT of change in our lifetime, but are often neglected; some of us even go through our lives never knowing what things look like down there! But why is it important to care about these changes, if well, nobody’s going to see them? From puberty to menopause, we examine what happens to your vulva as you age.  Voyage to the Vulva-verse is a 5 part series in collaboration with TWO L(I)PS and Strip, as we embark on a journey as vulva-owners to understand ourselves a little better. New episodes every last Wednesday of the month!

DATING IS HARD… For people like Michelle who was diagnosed with Aspergers at age two, dating is EVEN harder. At first glance, you'll never guess that someone like her has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), because of preconceived notions our society has towards people living on the spectrum. One of which is that they are incapable of having romantic relationships. But Michelle maintains that for individuals with autism, they crave love and intimacy, as much as anyone of us. 

“Eh don’t pussy la bro, don’t be a SIMP.”  When the director of AWARE, Corinna Lim, called for a “review of national service to weed out toxic masculinity”, the internet retaliated. From comments like “NOT ALL MEN”, to “Women should do NS too” and even “What about toxic femininity?”, the conversation around toxic masculinity was thrown back into the spotlight. On our latest episode of the Nic Kim column, we speak with a fellow feminist, Kristian Marc James Paul, on how anyone can perpetuate toxic masculinity, and how we can collectively work towards helping men learn healthy behaviors and develop stronger communities. New episodes biweekly on Thursdays, 8pm GMT+8. Visit our website, http://somethingprivate.fm, or email us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm. 

What does it take to start a family? For same-sex couples in Singapore, the reality is expensive and illegal. But for Brenda and Pearlyn, who have been together for 17 years, they knew from the moment they met each other, that having a child was a priority. Despite naysayers who accuse them of being “selfish” for subjecting a child to a same-sex parenthood, and four failed attempts in getting pregnant through a donor sperm, the two delivered baby Velda early last year, and share that they count their blessings everyday. This Pride Month, we’re celebrating the right to love equally, with Brenda, Pearlyn and Velda’s story.  New episodes biweekly on Thursdays, 8pm GMT+8. Visit our website, http://somethingprivate.fm, or email us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm.

Two years ago, an Indonesian woman was handed a six-month jail term after reporting evidence against her harasser, highlighting how women in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation struggles with legal recourse when sexually harassed. Harassment is rife all around the world, Indonesia, a country ranked the most dangerous for women to live in across Southeast Asia, sees an average of three to 400,000 sexual violence cases reported each year. In this episode, Citra Benazir, co-director of Hollaback Jakarta, talks about the highly debated sexual violence bill, how religion, politics, and social justice intersect, and what activists are pushing for in their journey towards equality in Indonesia.  New episodes biweekly on Thursdays, 8pm GMT+8. Visit our website, http://somethingprivate.fm, or email us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm. 

Have you ever been stared at by a stranger in public for too long? Or been told a sexual joke by a friend which made you uncomfortable? A study by the UN revealed that 97 percent of women in the U.K. aged 18 to 24 have experienced some form of harassment in public, but over 70 percent endure it. In this episode, Nicole and Kim discuss the difficulties of navigating boundaries in school and a new workplace, how to speak up when we are uncomfortable, and what allies can do to make the world a safer place for all of us.  Have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch on Instagram @somethingprivatepod, or at nicole@somethingprivate.fm. New episodes biweekly on Thursdays, 8pm GMT+8. Visit our website, http://somethingprivate.fm.

Did you know, broken heart syndrome is a thing? AND, women are more prone to it. No, this doesn’t make us weaker, just that men and women are biologically different. But the differences in heart health between the genders don’t just stop there. Enter Dr Low and Dr Laureen, two cardiologists running one of Singapore’s first gender-tailored healthcare program (yes, for women!) In this episode, we discuss the need for women to pay attention to cardiovascular diseases, the number 1 killer of women globally, and how we can look out for symptoms, and keep ourselves healthy and safe.  For more information about heart health, visit www.nuhcs.com.sg, or follow the National University Heart Centre, Singapore @NUHCS on their Facebook page and YouTube channel. Or schedule an appointment with your doctor today! New episodes biweekly on Thursdays, 8pm GMT+8. Visit our website, http://somethingprivate.fm, or email us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm.

Malaysian celebrity chef Ili Sulaiman is not shy to share about living with three types of hormonal disorders - polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and thyroid deficiency - conditions that affect at least 1 in 10 women globally.  Since opening up about her endometriosis surgery to 127K followers on Instagram last October, she’s become the confidant for many women struggling with reproductive and sexual health. In Malaysia, where pre-marital sex is considered immoral, Ili shares that many resist seeking help for their pains and problems, in fear of judgement.  This episode explores PCOS, endometriosis, and the silent suffering women endure while on their periods.  New episodes biweekly on Thursdays, 8pm GMT+8. Visit our website http://somethingprivate.fm, or email us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm.

Egg freezing is the future of women’s reproductive freedom and rights. Around the world, companies like Facebook and Apple pay for their employees to freeze their eggs, but in Asia, some governments have made social egg freezing illegal in fear of promoting late motherhood, while others have chosen to leave it unregulated. Enter Juhee An, founder of Freedom Edge, a social business helping Asian women travel to South Korea to freeze their eggs (pre-COVID of course). In this episode, we discuss the science behind the technology, why some governments are not behind it and some considerations to think about if you’re looking to immortalise your eggs.  Welcome back season four of Something Private! New episodes will be out biweekly on Thursdays, 8 pm GMT+8. Visit our website, http://somethingprivate.fm, or email us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm.

❗️WARNING: This episode includes recounts of suicide attempts.❗️ It’s the last week of what has been a really difficult year, so we want to share a story of hope. In 1994, 24-year-old Tan Kok Liang had everything set out for him - a prestigious job, a loving girlfriend, and had a series of accomplishments to his name. But a tragic accident one day, caused Kok Liang to lose his memory, half his brain, and all his reason to live. Today, Kok Liang goes by the name Takalah. As a motivational speaker and brain injury survivor advocate, his story has touched the hearts of many. This is the story of Takalah Tan. If you, or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, help is available at pat@sos.org.sg, or at their 24-hour hotline at 1800-221 4444. Have a thought you’d like to share? Reach us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm

2020 has been a difficult year, but through adversity comes some of the greatest stories. On this episode, Nicole and Wenqi from popular storytelling platform, Our Grandfather Story, take a hike and reflect on some of their best interviews. From speaking with COVID-19 patients and front line workers, volunteers with lower income groups across Singapore, to healthcare professionals and psychiatric patients. The two share their takeaway as content creators, in this year of reflection.  For more resources around mental health in Singapore: Visit mindline.sg for wellness resources, tips and self-help tools, have a CHAT with someone https://www.chat.mentalhealth.sg/, hear from experts at Calm Collective’s virtual talks (https://www.calmcollective.asia/) and connect with all things youthful on Youthopia (https://youthopia.sg/) This episode does not, and is not intended to, contain medical advice in any form. If you are looking for support or help, please approach a licensed medical health professional. This episode was made with our friends at Our Grandfather Story, and created in collaboration with YouTube Singapore. Have a thought? Reach us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm 

We’re sure you’ve heard of the human papillomavirus (HPV); or at least, you might’ve heard that you should get protected against it, because it can help prevent cancer and other diseases in both men and women. Uh-oh, the mums are quaking in the corner now… because to her, why do you need to think about HPV prevention, if you’re not sexually active yet? Awkward! On this episode, Nicole takes one for the team by bringing her mum and long time friend of the podcast, Dr Liana Koe, together to chat about HPV. We break down how to approach this prickly conversation with your female boomer, what you can expect if it’s your first consultation, why there’s a stigma to HPV prevention – and other questions you’d have. It’s FACTS vs STIGMA! This episode was made in collaboration with It's Your Life, an educational campaign around HPV prevention and awareness by MSD Singapore. For more information about HPV prevention, head over to http://itsyourlife.sg Have thoughts you'd like to discuss? Reach us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm. Correction: In Singapore, 52 and 58 are the 3rd and 5th most common HPV types. In addition, the HPV types which cause skin warts are different from HPV types that infect the genital area. Speak to your doctor if you have more enquiries!

Boys... we love them... and that's why we're dedicating an episode to them, for them and about them! We can't really call ourselves feminists, if we don't address the inequalities our boys face, because feminism is about equality of the sexes. On our 50th episode (yay!) we speak with Sean and Darren from Noah, a discreet men’s telehealth clinic, about common health issues like erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and hair loss, and how highly stigmatised conversation around it is, compared to the tone of empowerment the women’s health community has. Have thoughts you'd like to discuss? Reach us at nicole@somethingprivate.fm.