Editor’s Letter

EDITOR’S LETTER THE F WORD

It’s funny how some words can be so triggering to people, or more accurately, how words can carry such different meanings to different individuals. Liv Media announced its inaugural “Great Big Feminist Quiz Night” last month, and although the response was generally very enthusiastic, I was surprised to see a lot of apprehension around the F-word: “feminist”. I’m not exactly clear on what people have against the word itself, but I’d like to think that most people these days align themselves with the basic principle: “the belief that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men,” according to the Oxford Dictionary. Maybe it’s that the term has suffered from an association with more extreme movements, or maybe people just don’t want to be too political in such a polarised time in the world. But it’s been interesting to simply observe how a seemingly objective concept can be interpreted so subjectively, depending on a person’s experience and knowledge of it. I felt the same way, for different reasons, when I started to write this month’s cover story on (brace yourself) TOXIC MASCULINITY. It sounds like a loaded term, but as I researched it and read up on some of the sociological science of it, I realised it’s less antagonistic than I’d originally thought. A term first coined by men to describe undesirable behaviours they were observing in other men, toxic masculinity is something that negatively affects boys and men in a number of long-term ways, including their physical and mental health. Read more about this potentially touchy subject and how to address it, on p.18. Ever wondered what it’s like to be hypnotised? The field of hypnotherapy has been around since ancient times and popularised in the nineteenth century by the likes of Freud, yet still suffers from misconceptions, due to common mischaracterizations of the practice in popular culture. First-time contributor Stephanie Smailes gets in the hot seat of a Hong Kong hypnotherapist to tell us what it’s really like on p.26. Hong Kong isn’t always the most pet-friendly place, but that seems to be changing when it comes to the city’s F&B scene. No more lying about how your pet is a medically required therapy animal, because we found some of the best pet-friendly dining establishments (p.10) in the city to treat a good boy or girl! We also review the jaw-widening magic of a Buccal facial (p.32), explain how a Singapore travel bubble might work (p.34), and share a heartwarming list of ideas on how to stay connected with your older family members during longer-thanexpected pandemic time on p.36. To quote the great feminist icon Hermione Granger Emma Watson, “If you believe in equality, you’re a feminist. Sorry to tell you.” Sorry not sorry!

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Zoe Belhomme shares her favourite ways to stay connected with older family members on p.36.

Time to travel again? Kate Springer explains how a trip to Singapore could work in the near future on p.34.

Guest contributor Stephanie Smailes falls under the spell of hypnotherapy on p.26.

CARLA THOMAS

EDITOR

Sarah Fung learns about all things temporomandibular with a Buccal facial on p.32.

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PUBLISHER SARAH FUNG DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS JO ROBINSON SENIOR SALES MANAGER ANSHU RIJHWANI DIGITAL & PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER TERRY HU EDITOR CARLA THOMAS SOCIAL MEDIA STACEY MARCELO ADMINISTRATOR JASMIN BLUNCK GRAPHIC DESIGN TAMMY TAN CONTRIBUTORS KATE SPRINGER, ZOE BELHOMME PRINTED BY GEAR PRINTING LIMITED, ROOM B, 3/F, DERRICK INDUSTRIAL BUILDING, 49-51 WONG CHUK HANG ROAD, ABERDEEN

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