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Denise Chong

Senior Executive Sub-Editor

Denise likes taking ideas for a walk to see where they will go. They have turned into works for The Straits Times, such as opinion columns on issues like living and dying well, and a war-on-waste interactive graphic that won accolades from the Malofiej International Infographics Awards and the World Association of News Publishers’ Digital Media Awards Asia. She also designed ST’s first e-book, which won a Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers’ Association award. She may have a soft spot for the controversial Oxford comma.

Latest articles

Love going cashless, hate how it may fail

If cash is still king, or rather, queen, its crown is slipping.

The magic of streaming shines brighter than that of cinema halls

You are set up to expect a hushed and darkened cinema hall, and it is wonderful when that happens, but frustrating when it does not, says the writer.

Neighbourhood noise: The kinds I try to embrace and those I can’t

Constant exposure to loud sounds like those from renovation work could lead to hearing impairment, said experts.

Easier to endure bruises than seek help for moving house

The author finds it hard to accept offers of help, even when the stress of moving house is unbearable.

It’s okay to cuddle stuffed animals, ‘chou chou’ or not, all your life

After the writer’s cat died, a stuffed tiger the pet play-fought with was a comforting reminder of her. When carried, its weighted paws made it feel like it was giving a tiny cat hug.

Climate vouchers hide my guilt over buying revenge fridge 3 times as big as old one

After more than 15 years of not being able to make ice properly in a hand-me-down refrigerator, the writer wanted a revenge fridge.

Stranger scolds me for neglecting my non-existent children for work

Women get asked by complete strangers why they are working late when they should be waking up early to take care of the children and breakfast.

Mangling Mandarin on my Taiwan trip, getting in touch with my Chinese identity

A street in Taipei. The writer found that during her Taiwan trip, she surprisingly blurted out phrases in Cantonese when she was struggling to say precisely what she wanted in Mandarin.

A happy old year? Instead of chasing a bucket list, let’s flip it

“Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness,” said Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publishing on its website.

‘We still carry the tsunami with us’: Aceh thrives 20 years after disaster, but scars remain