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Today, you answer any question beginning with “how do I…” by simply pulling up a tab on Chrome or Safari and consulting your Youtube gurus. From makeup to learning the guitar – you’re amazed at the sheer wealth of tutorials available for you online.
Alas, the guru and you are separated by geography, and the lack of real-time assistance can be a problem. Sometimes, what you really need is a hands-on experience.
We know the importance that personal guidance plays in the learning process. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 15 things you never knew you could learn in Singapore, none of which you will drag your feet to go for! Featuring classes from Parkour to Ninjutsu, we guarantee that you’ll master things you never could learn from simply watching Youtube videos.
Learn to work the turntable if you’re looking to gain some serious street cred.
Unfortunately, turning up and pressing play aren’t the only skillsets needed to be a good DJ – DJing is a skill that requires an innate sense of musicality and intuition to know what the crowd wants. But that’s not all. Having the know-how to create a kickass playlist requires technical knowledge too. The DANCEnMUSIC DJ Academy can help you here, with beginner lessons to get you started on your path to be the next Alesso!
Cost: DANCEnMUSIC DJ Academy charges $600 for beginner classes, with administrative fees costingan additional $50. Class duration depends on number of participants.
You get mad every time Harry and Ron complain about doing homework at Hogwarts because they really don’t know how lucky they are. You would trade anything for a chance to go to magic school. In fact, you’ve already memorized all the spells, from Wingardium Leviosa to Riddikulus.
Here’s the good news – the Singapore Magic Academy is offering you a chance to learn magic without the perils Harry faces in the movies. The tricks you will learn are guaranteed to blow your friends’ minds, including making objects levitate then vanish and mind-reading!
Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age? Wait till they see what you can do.
Cost: E-mail info@kyleravin.com or call 81394310 to enquire.
The competitors in Ninja Warrior never fail to awe you. Look at that insane jump and catch. How did she even?! That girl has to be a real ninja, and now you can be one too.
It’s not as far-fetched a fantasy as it sounds- there’s a real ninja academy in Singapore.
Okay, so it may not actually involve you disappearing in puffs of smoke but learning the ninja way is still pretty cool. Singapore Ninjutsu offers training that teaches you how to use a variety of weapons as well as knife defence techniques – stuff of real ninjas.
Cost: Call Singapore Ninjutsu at 81389269/ 97352137 to schedule a free trial.
Do. Or do not. There is no try. So what are you waiting for?
Cost: It costs $80 for 4 sessions with a saber provided. Go here for more information.
You’ve struggled to differentiate a Vodka Sunrise from a Vodka Sundowner. Other times, you’ve wondered what’s inside peculiarly named cocktails like “Zombie”, “Pink Lady” and “Screwdriver”. Attend a bartending course today, and you’ll finally understand why James insists on having his martini “shaken, not stirred.
You’ll learn the basics of handling a cocktail shaker, as well as how to make popular drinks like a Mojito. Master the course, and you’ll be party host of the year.
Cost: Drinkdings’s Basic Bartending Cocktail Workshop is 2 hours long, and costs $60 per participant. They also offer other fun classes on a regular basis. The entire list of workshops can be found here.
Alternatively, Cooking Class Singaporealso has courses that teach Cocktail Mixology and Basic Bartending Skills. Enquire about cost here.
Note: You must be of legal drinking age to partake in Cocktail making workshops. Otherwise, you can opt for the non-alcoholic Mocktail Workshop.
You’re an avid instagrammer – you take photos of anything and everything with your trusty iPhone. Sure, slap on a filter and the photo looks surprisingly good. Still, nothing beats having a DSLR at your disposal.
But owning an expensive camera doesn’t make you a photographer. That’s why the people at Phocus Academy and School of Photography Singapore have designed foundation courses to teach you the basics.
Cost: Phocus charges $390 for 8 two hour sessions of Practical Photography. More courses by Phocus Academy here. School of Photography Singapore’s Essential Foundation Photography Course charges: $590 for 8 two hour sessions. More photography courses here.
Note: Both workshops require you to bring your own camera.
If you have a friend who works as a barista, you’ll have heard them swear off Starbucks or Coffee Bean. Mostly because Starbucks and Coffee Bean’s popularity stems from their frappucinos, which baristas know do not count as coffee.
If you’ve read our previous article, you’ll know that the Toast Box holds coffee appreciation sessions every once in a while. You will learn about the different kinds of coffee beans, how to roast them, and the brewing process from coffee connoisseurs.
Cost: Call 66364568 to enquire.
Have green fingers but don’t have space in your house for potted plants? Or looking for a novel DIY gift idea? Terrariums are your answer. Terrariums are self-sustaining plant ecosystems that can look absolutely magical.
At The Plant Story and Make Your Own, you’ll create your own plant kingdom, learn the difference between open and closed terrariums, and learn to identify plants suitable for terrariums. Nerve plants, for example, are popular among terrarium enthusiasts because they flourish in humid environments and only grow till 12 inches.
Have the garden you’ve always wished for – in the comfort of your living room.
Cost: Enquire here for lessons with The Plant Story. Make Your Own charges starting from $25 and $28 for open and closed terrarium workshops respectively.
Your boyfriend’s birthday coming and you’ve got the time, so it’s decided: you’re making him a scrapbook. What better way is there to express your affection AND creativity? But with so many different types of scrapbooking material at Made With Love, you’re not quite sure how to begin.
Luckily, the master scrapbookers at the Papermarket and Maple Treehouse conduct classes that teach scrapbooking techniques like layering and embellishing. In just one lesson (duration varies with course), they’ll convert you from a deer in headlights into a confident scrapbooker.
Cost: Papermarket’s classes range from $40-85. Maple Treehouse charges around $65-140.
For those with two left feet, learning Bokwa is literally as easy as ABC. This dance involves drawing letters and numbers using your feet. Because the all steps are basic, anyone can do it. The differences between beginner and advanced levels are the shimmies and shakes you can choose to incorporate into your dance routine.
Once you’re Bokwa Believer (that’s what Bokwa fans call themselves), you’ll find yourself bopping along to the music any time, any where.
Cost: Most community centres offer Bokwa. Click here for a complete list of community centres with Bokwa classes.
What do Vanessa Hudgens, Hilary Duff, and Heather Morris have in common? Apparently they’re all fans of the fitness class people are calling “the new Zumba”. Piloxing gives you the best of two worlds, incorporating the power of boxing and the flexibility of pilates. And if you think boxing and pilates isn’t tiring enough, the exercises are usually carried out with weighted gloves.
Piloxing is the brainchild of Viveca Jensen, whose interdisciplinary training as a boxer and a pilates instructor inspired her to create piloxing.
Cost: Like Bokwa, most community centres also have Piloxing. Click here to check if Piloxing is available at a community centre near you.
Here’s another unusual workout to add some fun to your fitness routine. Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art involving elegant, dance-like yet powerful movements.
Capoeira is executed to the beat of actual music instruments, yet is a martial art, a game, and a dance all at once. Bantus Capoeira Singapore offers classes for adults in two styles: Capoeira Regional and Capoeira Angola. While the latter is a more traditional form of Capoeira, the former places more emphasis on technique
Cost: Beginners are recommended to attend Capoeira Regional first, which costs $35 for a single class, but full-time NS men and students pay $20.
For more details, click here.
Jumping over locked school gates when you’re late is now a sport. Or not. Although Parkour is derived from movement required in military obstacle courses, it involves a lot of vaulting and climbing, and is not just about running up walls or jumping across buildings.
Parkour’s philosophy is that you can reclaim what it means to be human through interacting with the world with your physical body. These acrobatic movements are practised as a form of individual expression – learn Parkour and the city will be your canvas.
Cost: A2 Movements is offering 1.5 hour-long training sessions for $25. Click here to find out more about packages and training locations.
Pole dancing is no longer just seen as a sleazy source of income. With pole dancing studios sprouting up around Singapore, it’s now seen as a legit form of exercise – and not just for women too.
This video of Paul Twohill learning to pole dance had me in stitches. Watching two men unabashedly strut their stuff makes me feel like joining them for some gravity-defying fun.
Let’s just hope I do a better job than this girl:
Cost: Learn basic pole dancing with the Groove Dance School at $160 for 6 one hour sessions. Or try the pole courses at Acro Polates – it’s $200 for 8 weeks.
The use of swings and hammocks differentiates floating yoga from traditional yoga. Don’t get your hopes up though- there will be no time for lounging around in these classes.
This balanced workout not only improves flexibility, but builds strength as well. It is also suitable for those with joint or body pains, as the use of the hammocks relieves pressure and pain.
Cost: Celebrity Fitness Singapore currently offers Floating Yoga. Enquire here.
Thinking about these crispy, golden discs smothered in curry is enough to make anyone salivate. But beneath the roti prata’s unassuming appearance is a rigorous preparation routine. For instance, did you know that prata dough has to be prepared a day in advance and left to rest overnight?
It’s time we take our love for prata to another level – understand the effort that goes into making it with Prata Journey’s prata making workshop. Because whose friends won’t be impressed if you invite them and start flipping pratas like a pro?
Cost: For an hour, it costs $30++ for adults and $22++ for children. To see what else is included in the workshop program, click here.
By now you should feel spoilt for choice, because this list has covered everything from ninjutsu to magic. With so many opportunities to learn exciting new things from the experts themselves in person, it’s inspiring to know what humans can achieve when they set their minds to it. And with the list you can now go ahead and learn these skills too!
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