About

HELLO!

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2011

My name is Fiona and this blog is my namesake! In case it isn’t obvious enough, I’m a Singaporean Chinese with the last name “Seah” (pronounced “see-AH”, like how you’d call the singer-songwriter Sia) which translates to “佘” (shé) in Chinese and is considered as one of the most uncommon surnames in the Chinese community.

I am a late 20-something (not ashamed about my age, just too lazy to update this every year!) Communication Studies graduate of WKWSCI at Nanyang Technological University with a Media and Communication diploma from Singapore Polytechnic. I can speak fluent English and Mandarin and had also picked up French, Spanish and Malay briefly during my Poly and undergraduate years. Apart from that, I can speak and understand basic Cantonese. Basically, I consider myself a linguist wannabe.

ON BLOGGING

I have been blogging since 2004 on various blogging platforms (Blogdrive, Blogspot and Livejournal) before finally settling on WordPress in 2010 and I started this hobby as a way for me to keep track of my life events. As an introvert who loves being at home, blogging serves as a convenient outlet for me to voice my thoughts without dealing with small talks and networking. But since early 2013, I have transitioned to reviewing products (mainly makeup and occasionally food, because who doesn’t love eating? 😋) and commercialised blogging.

Why makeup? Makeup has always been one of my passions because it was what regained my confidence and helped me feel better about my acne-ridden skin for most parts of my life. On top of that, I chose to write about makeup to fill the void for unbiased and detailed reviews that speak to most Asians, especially those living in tropical countries like myself, by putting myself in the shoes of beginners. Therefore, no reviews get published without comprehensive swatches and comparisons (imagine my makeup collection – HUGE). In a way, I strive to be the Asian version of Temptalia (love her site!) though with less-than-frequent updates because, gal, I’ve got a day job to help pay my bills and keep this site running! So yes, don’t worry about me selling out, because I earn enough for me not to depend on advertisers for survival 😉

OTHER INTERESTS

I love a good plate of steak and as hypocritical as this may sound, I do love animals – or rather, domesticated ones – too, so I try to volunteer my time at animal-related organisations (usually for their flag day) wherever possible. I’ve had two pet dogs named Angel (Shih Tzu depicted in the picture above) and Chubs (pronounced “Choobs”, the Pomeranian). Angel had passed away on 9 August 2013 at the age of 12.

Besides the usual feminine hobbies, I am also obsessed with Pokémon, which has been my favourite childhood cartoon and game since it started in the late 90’s, so much so that my 3DS and Nintendo Switch were bought with the sole purpose of playing Pokémon RPGs. Whenever I’m not bogged down with work, I’d be fighting raid bosses at the Wild Area on Pokemon Shield (add me as friend, anyone?).

I love to draw (mostly human figures). When I was younger, my ambition was to be a cartoonist so that I could have my own comic book. This dream still holds true, but this isn’t very practical in the Singaporean context. So I’ve transferred all my drawing knowledge to digital illustration (self-taught but still amateurish). If you’ve seen illustrations (an example would be the watermark on all of my newer pictures and illustrations on this post) on my blog, they were most likely done by me.

Aaaaand that’s all about me! Hope you’ll enjoy reading my articles! 😊

59 thoughts on “About”

  3. Hi Fiona, I read with much interest on the topic on lists of shut schools. I am wondering if you can tell me the way in which I can look up for all my old school friends class of 1967 of the now defund Birkhall Primary School along Margaret Drive just opposite the Queenstown Baptist Church. Thank you so much for your help.
    Tang Kam Weng

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  5. Hi Fiona.

    On behalf of about 15 “uncles” who used to study in Bukit Ho Swee Primary School in th ’60s, we would like thank you for your post on schools that are now closed. The post certainly invoke nostalgic memories of those schools in the Bukit Ho Swee/Tiong Bahru area that we once played as kids. Great efforts!

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  6. Thanks George and your friends! I’m always very heartened to be receiving comments like that. Tiong Bahru and Tanglin Halt areas are also where I spent most of my childhood at. Very glad that you enjoyed the posts 🙂

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  7. Hi there

    Great effort and resilience on the school stuff. I posted your site on the Kim Seng Technical Alumni Facebook , so that others can appreciate too.

    Best Regards
    Hassan Maidin

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  9. Thank you Ms Fiona for the fantastic effort of compiling so much information on closed and merged schools in Singapore. I was a student of Tiong Bahru Primary School and an ex staff of Kim Seng Technical Secondary School, both now closed. However, through good people like you and the Facebook, memories are being kept alive.This July, 11, alumni of KSTS will hold a dinner to celebrate KST50 Anniversary. Ex students who followed your newsy pages should get into the FB of KSTS and be connected with your long lost friends and teachers.
    Once again thank you and best wishes for your endeavours.

    Kindest regards
    Winston Teo

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  10. Hello Winston! Thanks for popping by. I should be the one thanking you guys for your support! That spurred me to continue documenting on closed schools 🙂 You may wish to leave down more information about the anniversary so that I can include that on the post!

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  11. Hi Fiona

    Incredible piece on the closed and merged schools in Singapore! Being in my 40s and having lived in the Telok Blangah and Bukit Merah areas, all the old photos and information certainly brought back many wonderful memories and certainly answered many of my lingering questions as to whatever happened to XXX school.

    I personally came from 2 schools have been closed since the 90s so the feature was a god sent to reminisce. 🙂 Thanks so so much for the hard work and research. 🙂 It really made my (and some of my old pals’) day.

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  13. Hi Fiona,
    Thank you for the great write up on Jalan Eunos School and Bedok North Pri Sch. I was there in 1979-1980 and 1981-1984 respectively.

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  15. Excellent excellent work on your article about the closed and merged schools in Singapore! How did you manage to do it? It must have taken you a real long time!

    Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!

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  16. Hey Harvey! Thanks for the compliments 🙂 It all started from news articles on a few schools I was researching on (my mom’s and dad’s, plus a few others I know) which led me to the names of many more closed schools. Not an easy feat for sure, but I really enjoyed the process. Glad you enjoyed the posts 🙂

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  17. I chanced on your entry on schools that are closed and am pleasantly surprised to see my pri sch which is Redhill Pri being mentioned. That photo u posted jolted my memory bank…. those teachers on that pic were my teachers too! That was easily 30+years ago. Thanks for doing such a write up.

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  19. Hi Fiona,

    I have read your review on Clinique Pop lip stick. I’m a big Clinique fan and actually trying to collect Clinique lip items for display.

    Just thinking that any chance you are thinking of letting your Clinique lip stick sample collection go, I’ll appreciate if you can contact me.

    Many thanks.

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  21. Hi Fiona I was wondering if you could tell me a price on a Swarovski earrings are in Singapore.

    They are called Fit Pierced earrings in GOLD ( they look like mesh with crystal) Length: 9.50cm Article No: 1160580

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  27. Hi thanks for your blog on the history of schools in Singapore. Studied at Kwong Avenue Primary and Braddell Secondary. Brings back lots of memories. I am quite sad that many school merged and eventually closed shop. Just for the record, I think Braddell Secondary first opened in 1982 and not 1985 as your article states. I was Sec 1 then and it was just newly opened. is there a way to connect with old classmates from those schools? thank you so much and more power to you…

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  30. Hi fiona , I still waiting for yr blog regards my primary school.
    Opera Estate Girls School, knowing.that you are very busy, I will wait patiently, I really missed my teachers and the memories !!! 😀

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  31. Hello Wei Wei! Terribly sorry to keep you waiting. I am still in the midst of collating information (have to switch between posts as I have other deadlines to meet) and I’ve already completed my part on Opera Estate Boys & Girls schools. I am sure you won’t be disappointed by my findings 🙂 Tentative release of the post will be end of next week. Will slog for the completion. Stay tuned!

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  33. Hi! I just saw my pri school being featured in the closed/merged schools post. I’m 13 so my school was not a merger, it was a result of a merge. I’m a Ex-Lakeside Primary student!

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  35. Hey Elynna, which primary school is it that you’re referring to? Lakeside Primary is a result of a merger of 3 schools (Yung An Primary School + Merlimau Primary School + Jurong Town Primary School)

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  37. Excellent….work. Was in Broadrick Primary School and luckily the picture of class posted is my very own….most known faces….just that i had left the school day by 1985. You just brought excellent old memories back….thanks a million!!

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  38. Thank you Danish! Glad to have struck many chords with you with my closed schools write-up 🙂 I believe you must be very happy to see your school being “revived” on the internet! Heh.

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  39. I screamed when I saw my sister’s pic in ur blog and my class pic as well… I missed the closing down ceremony of Monk’s Hill Secondary… my one big regret in life. But thank u for reminding me that I did have wonderful memories in both the primary and secondary schools.

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  41. Hi Fiona i hope you can post more regarding about vocational institute (now known as ITE) then & now . I am sure that they will have found memories of old vocational institute & I am curious to know about the old building of vocational institute now occupied by . Thanks

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  45. 1) Qiaonan Primary school the school uniform in the past before the change was different. It used to be light blue uniform with plain white socks and plain white shoes before changing to white and black uniform with black socks and black shoes. Refer to closed schools-Part 1. It is true that Qiaonan and Griffiths are gone
    2) For Part 4, Both Siglap and Coral Secondary were closed down and merged to form Meridian Secondary school. Coral Secondary used to be around from 1999 to 2016, before Coral Secondary no longer exist. Need to update the info, including getting some photographs from 1999 till defunct status.
    3) For Part 5, need to cover numerous Defunct schools that used to exist in the Past but no longer in existence. This also includes Geylang Primary school which was not yet covered in the 1st 4 Parts of the list of defunct schools.
    4) Also for Part 5, need to also cover list of closed and merged schools-Junior colleges, Primary schools and Secondary schools. As well as 10 small ITE Campuses that closed down and merged to form 3 Regional ITE Campuses. Need to include the full history and as many Photos as Possible of all the closed schools, starting from as early as 1960s to Present before leading to closure of schools.
    5) Part 4: Greenview Secondary and Loyang Secondary will merge in 2018 to form Loyang View Secondary school. Change in name.
    6) Try to cover all closed schools in Singapore from 2019 and beyond in Part 5 of the blog.
    7) From end of 2019 onwards, the former Braddell-Westlake Secondary School has been demolished and re developed into Raffles Girls Secondary school. It is true that the defunct School has existed from 2000 to 2005.

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  46. Hi. I attended swiss cottage primary in the 80s. It is really a rich expats school. More than half of the kids were from well to do malaysian amd Indonesian families. I spotted a Ferrari once.
    So it serves the expats in the nearby bungalow areas.
    I am justnone of the minority normal Singaporean attending.
    The neighbouring schools are powerhouses in terms of heritage and prestige and alumnus strength/support.
    I kind of linked the schools decline to the decline of Suharto’s indonesia. The rich indo kids stopped coming. Kinda rxplains the poor enrolment. And thus. The school’s cessation. But it is just speculation on my part.

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  53. Hello Miss Seah,

    I guessed you would have covered Bedok View Primary School where I used to study in your “Closed and Merged School” series. Would you be able to direct me to which part of your 4 series covered this primary school?

    Thank you

    Wei Cai

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  55. Hi Fiona
    I chanced upon your blog while looking for my old McNair Primary School.
    What’s the likelihood of me finding a photo of the old school? I was there
    from 1955 to 1960, then went on to Raffles Institution. Since the early 70s
    I have been living in WA with my partner Anne, Lily (toy poodle), and four
    cats, Pixie, Mouschi, Yuki, and Harbin. Afflicted by a bad case of restless-
    ness, I have wandered around a fair bit, usually the hard way, and the path
    less travelled. Good job with the decommissioned school! Cheers.

    adrian lim

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  57. Hi Fiona, I enjoyed your articles on Schools That Have Been Merged or Closed very well. They are researched and nostalgic, 2 of my schools were featured: Playfair Primary School and Upper Aljunied Technical School. In fact, the photo you used for Playfair School is my class photo and I am well aware (al least now but not really back then) of the school incident you mentioned in that article. I’m writing to ask for permission to use some of the photos (for a Facebook Group) in your Upper Aljunied Technical School as next year is the 50th anniversary of the class of 73-74 and I’m hoping to locate fellow classmates for a reunion. Cheers, Roger Yuen

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