Contemporary Co-Living Arrangements

This is not a genre I'm keen on reading. However, with all the hype, I decided to have a quick browse. This is 'Two Women Living Together' (first published in Korean in 2019) by Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo. This is translated into English by Gene Png and published in January 2026. 

It's a memoir, about the lives of two single unmarried women in their 40s living together. These are real people. They had a career in advertising and magazines. They're writers, editors and hosts of podcasts. They are friends who got to know each other as adults, and on Twitter. They were both born in Busan and separately, went to work and live in Seoul.

As a practical arrangement, the two women pooled resources to buy a home. They chose to live with each other. They are friends, not partners or in a romantic relationship. They have common interests and passions, and also share similar outlook on life and the philosophies of living. (Reviews here, here, here and here.)

49 chatty essays invited readers into the life Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo share with four cats — Haku, Tigger, Goro and Youngbai. You hear from both women, and you get to know them a little more. Sure, there's something to be said about chosen companionship, creating a life together in a home when you're not romantically or sexually involved, but closer than roommates. I suppose we could call it a platonic partnership then. They still form a family unit, albeit not a traditional model that society understands. 

The more I think about it, the more I realize how good Sunwoo and I have got it. If each of us were to get married, would we be this comfortable with our husbands' families? I feel like sons-in-law are always treated well while daughters-in-law are expected to treat other people well. In fact, Sunwoo and I enjoy a much more comfortable status than a son-in-law - as 'the friend our daughter lives with', we are free to accept kindness and hospitality without feeling obliged to the other's parents. I can savour Sunwoo's mother's delicious yeolmukimchi without worrying about planning a filial piety trip or whether I should buy her a new home appliance to show my thanks. All I have to do is say, 'Tell your mum the food was great!' Sunwoo and I adore each other's parents. We're always happy to see them and are always thankful for their kindness. And that's probably because our relationship doesn't come with strings attached. Thanking our own parents, though — that's self-service. 

This is a glimpse into Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo's slice of life. Readers see how they reconcile household chores, and other responsibilities that come with being a home-owner, a pet-owner and as rather grown women. They had to navigate finances, and also support each other through career changes and personal loss. They have also built rapport and a community with their neighbors in the estate. 

At the end, they wrote a little about now, five years later from 2019, the year the book was released. The women are still living together now. They have lost Goro, Haku is on meds for her kidneys. They have paid off their mortgage on the apartment. They're co-hosting a podcast on Spotify, Apple and Podbang. Yeah, it's in Korean, and obviously I don't bother since I don't understand the language, and ermmm have no interest in acquiring any sort of proficiency in it.

This book and what it revealed about cohabitating with a platonic partner created a stir in the staid and stodgy Korean society. The memoir resonated with a generation of Korean women defining their own paths. This type of co-living arrangements in platonic and romantic LGBTQIA relationships challenges the patriarchal and chauvinistic familial structures in South Korea. 

I grinned. This can be quite the norm in Singapore nowadays. It is an extremely practical arrangement when we have many elderly who live alone. Well, some are cranky and prefer to live alone. But many would like some company, if they can figure out how to live amiably together, sharing chores and not shirking and basically not being a moron. Remember the ma-jie (媽姐) of the olden days? Many of them band together to live in a flat together, as bonded sisters who never married, looking after each other till death comes. We need to be able to freely talk more about chosen family and the evolving definition of partnership. 

I was right. I didn't like it. Try as I might, I couldn't get into it. I recognize that this book holds great themes and ideals. It's a pretty good read, but it's not my cup of tea. I do push for the ideals it represents. We must be able to celebrate different kinds of life when they've been built on friendship, trust, mutual respect, and a solid moral compass — a kind of life and living arrangement that might not require a romantic partner or the structure of a traditional marriage, and still equally fulfilling. 

‘Dracula' As Classical Ballet with Theatrical Flair

'Dracula' is a production by Australian ballet company BIG Live, choreographed by co-founder and artistic director Joel Burke. I was quite tickled by the music. Sure, there are new compositions by Emmy-renowned electro-acoustic Jason Fernandez, but the rest of the music selected is rather cliched. 

BIG Live took so many artistic liberties with the storyline. There weren't Renfield, Quincy, Dr Seward or Van Helsing. There was no Lucy Westenra. Instead of the Trio, we have four women who are either ghosts or vampires. I have no idea. I was soooo confused that Dracula let Mina go. He turned Jonathan Harker into a vampire, and Mina Murray was killed by her husband instead. Then I had no idea whether Mina was now a ghost or a vampire. She staked Dracula and Jonathan, and herself. I was like... WHAT. Since when did Mina die in the book? 

Joel Burke himself was Vlad the Warlord, and Dracula. The corps were a bit messy, but the principals were pretty good. The ending was soooo annoying. The show closed with Dracula sitting up. Walao. It's a ballet, not a television series that could have a sequel titled 'Van Helsing'.

I got some shots of the ballet because at the start of the show, the announcer seemed to have made a mistake to say that photography and short clips were allowed. But they said these wouldn't be permitted in the second half. Oops. 

This is still classical ballet done with contemporary theatrical storytelling, blended in with goth. I was rather tickled that people dressed up for the ballet. And by that, I mean, dressing as a vampire, with full theatrical make-up almost as if it was Halloween. It was dramatic, and honestly very fun. 

These are commercially successful productions. Traditional ballet companies wouldn't do say... 'Dracula', which has been called a "second rate ballets". Our own Singapore Ballet would never do it as long as Janek Schergen is at helm. There's also a very good reason why I'm not very keen on watching Singapore Ballet's productions. How many times do you want me to watch 'Giselle', 'Coppélia' or 'The Nutcracker' or 'Swan Lake'? I have watched it multiple times presented by different companies. I confess, I'm bored. It has nothing to do with whether it's local or foreign. It has everything to do with the vibes of a company and that particular production.   

MONO :: 'Snowdrop' 2026

MONO dropped their new album 'Snowdrop' and is doing a tour. I had considered flying to Taipei or Hong Kong for a short bit to catch MONO's show. I hesitated. This is typhoon season. And I have this insane luck with typhoons. If I schedule a trip to one of the cities a typhoon passes through, inevitably, I always run into one in whichever city I'm in. 

Luckily I didn't do Taipei. Typhoon Bavi came and canceled every thing for the weekend. Flights, Mayday's two shows, and MONO's show. I stayed in town and caught MONO at the Esplanade. 

The band's long-time collaborator and producer Steve Albini passed in May 2024. They recorded their last studio album 'OATH' (released June 2024) with him. This is the twelfth album, and the last one ever with Steve Albini who had recorded half of MONO's songs. Those depths of emotions and understanding between a trusted audio engineer and musicians go way beyond superficial. I think even fans of the band mourned the passing of Albini. 

The thirteenth 'Snowdrop' was recorded by Brad Wood and mixed at his Seagrass Studio. It sounded equally amazing on vinyl. MONO didn't deviate from their usual sounds. However, it felt a lot more sensitive and warm. This is not an album that mourns. It celebrates life and living. It likely celebrates the legacy of Steve Albini, and also marks a point in Brad Wood's life as his beloved wife Maria had also suddenly passed. As I listened to the vinyl at home, my soul was absolutely following the cascade of emotions that is 'Snowdrop'.

MONO kept on making albums that sound different, yet not leaving their signatures. They have been active for 25 years. Madness. That passion. It was a superb show tonight in Singapore. What glorious soundwaves that washed over us. Them four created an expanse of worlds and soundscapes. It was so beautiful.