Perhaps it is time to trade our office chair for a spot at Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine.

The Chinese restaurant chain is advertising monthly salaries of up to S$4,000 for restaurant hosts, while waiters and management trainees can earn up to S$3,600.

And the good news for those without F&B experience is that some of the positions do not require any.

According to three job advertisements posted by Xiang Signature Pte Ltd on recruitment platform FastJobs, the restaurant chain is hiring for positions at multiple locations across Singapore.

Xiang Xiang, which was established in 2009, currently has 22 outlets islandwide.

Here's what each job entails.

Up to S$4,000 a month to welcome customers

If you're the sort who enjoys meeting new people, Xiang Xiang is hiring restaurant hosts, also known as "Welcomists".

The position offers an advertised monthly salary ranging from S$3,600 to S$4,000.

According to the FastJobs listing, responsibilities include greeting customers, confirming reservations, arranging seating and responding to enquiries.

Applicants are expected to have good communication and teamwork skills, be punctual and be comfortable working in a fast-paced restaurant environment.

A "neat, well-groomed, and professional appearance" is part of your job scope.

Previous hospitality experience is an advantage.

For those interested in part-time work, the advertised rate is up to S$20/hour.

No experience needed to earn up to S$3,600 as a waiter

But if you're not the welcoming sort, there's also the position of a waiter or waitress. 

One, of course, will need a "customer-oriented" and "positive" attitude.

Xiang Xiang is offering an advertised monthly salary of S$3,300 to S$3,600 for this role.

According to the job listing, no prior experience is required, and paid training will be provided.

Responsibilities include taking orders, serving food and drinks, clearing tables, preparing beverages and maintaining the cleanliness of the dining area.

Applicants must be prepared to work split shifts, weekends and public holidays.

Part-time positions are also available, with an advertised hourly rate of up to S$15.

Fresh graduates can apply for management trainee positions

For fresh graduates looking to enter the F&B industry, Xiang Xiang is also recruiting management trainees.

The position offers an advertised monthly salary ranging from S$3,300 to S$3,600.

According to the advertisement, applicants must possess at least a bachelor's degree.

Fresh graduates are welcome to apply, and no prior experience is required.

Paid training will also be provided.

Management trainees will assist with daily restaurant operations, welcome customers, take orders using the point-of-sale system, handle customer enquiries and complaints, and maintain the dining area.

Applicants must also be prepared to work split shifts, weekends and public holidays.

Working hours: 10 hours a day, 5.5 days a week

Before you start picturing yourself in a new role, here's what the working arrangements look like.

All three job advertisements specify 10-hour workdays and a 5.5-day workweek.

That amounts to 55 scheduled hours a week, although the listings do not state whether meal breaks are included in the daily working hours.

It is also unclear whether the advertised monthly salaries refer to basic pay or include overtime pay, allowances or other incentives.

Interested applicants can refer to the respective FastJobs listings for more information.

Mothership has reached out to Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine for more information on its salary packages and working arrangements.

Chris Pappas has become the first openly gay man to become a U.S. Senator, after winning his New Hampshire seat for the Democratic Party comfortably on Nov. 3's U.S. midterm election.

Broken status quo

New Hampshire (NH) was one of 35 Senate seats up for grabs, and while Pappas is replacing a popular Democratic incumbent, his opponent John Sununu was also popular in his own right. Sununu previously served as NH Senator from 2003 to 2009.

Pappas opened his victory speech by thanking his husband and Sununu, who had called him to concede the race.

Pappas said that his victory was a victory for everyone in New Hampshire over the “broken status quo” that hurt everyone.

He called the results a “wake-up call” for special interest groups and billionaires, accusing them of “rigging the economy”.

He accused the outgoing Congress of cowardice for enabling tariffs, cuts to healthcare, and the Iran war.

Pappas also called U.S. President Donald Trump incompetent for ignoring the suffering of Americans, pledging to fight to deliver change.

Campaign trail

Pappas becomes the first openly gay male senator, the New York Times reports, a fact that he did not dwell on while on the campaign trail.

The NYT reports that while Pappas’ husband Van often accompanied him at events, Pappas emphasised common Democratic issues: dealing with high prices, health care costs, and opposition to corruption.

It also said that while Pappas would be the first openly gay male senator, it notes that Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin, a woman, was the first openly gay senator.

Pappas was previously a congressman for New Hampshire, ironically taking his seat during Trump’s last midterm election in 2018.

He replaces Jeanne Shaheen, a three-term senator, and is in turn to be replaced in Congress by Shaheen’s daughter, Stefany.

Pappas comes from a well-known New Hampshire family, the owners of the Puritan Backroom in the city of Manchester, who are widely credited with the invention of the chicken tender.

Blue Tsunami

His victory comes amidst a “blue tsunami”, as anger towards the rising cost of living, the war in Iran, and other issues has allowed the Democratic Party to win both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

NBC News projects the Democrats to win 255 seats, compared to the Republicans' 180, where 218 is needed for a majority.

The Democrats have also secured a surprise victory in the Senate and are projected to win at least 53 seats, with many results yet to be determined.

A 34-year-old woman lit a fire outside her ex-colleague’s HDB flat in Bukit Batok.

She was frustrated as she assumed her ex-colleague was home and ignoring her.

Tong Huanling, a Chinese national, has since been fined S$3,000.

Started a fire

According to court documents seen by Mothership, Tong Huanling went to visit her former colleague on Jan. 29, 2026, sometime between 9pm and 10pm at her home at Bukit Batok Street 21.

She intended to serve her court papers.

However, Tong was unaware that her former colleague was overseas, leaving her husband and daughter at home.

Tong knocked on the door but received no response, so she waited outside for about an hour, reported Shin Min Daily News.

During that time, she saw the lights in the flat turn on.

She knocked again and rang the doorbell, but there was still no response.

She came to believe that her ex-colleague was deliberately avoiding her.

Frustrated, Tong took a cardboard box with joss paper from the void deck and used a lighter she borrowed from a stranger to set it on fire near her ex-colleague’s gate at about 11pm.

She then took a picture of the fire and sent it to her former colleague.

Tong knocked on the door again before kicking a chair in anger, which fell onto the box and caused the fire to spread.

Her former colleague’s husband saw the blaze and smoke through the door’s peephole, and he called the police.

Police

The police arrived at about 11:10pm. Two neighbours had helped to extinguish the fire before that.

Tong was sitting on a stool near the flat and admitted to the police that she had started the fire to get her ex-colleague’s attention.

The wooden chair that was damaged in the incident was worth S$25.

During sentencing, Tong’s lawyer reportedly pleaded for leniency on the grounds that Tong had sought psychiatric help.

She was diagnosed with adjustment disorder and is receiving treatment.

Furthermore, the court heard that she had tried to offer compensation and apologised multiple times, but was rejected.

The prosecution argued that despite only causing S$25 in damages, the fire posed a significant safety risk as it had spread in a residential area.

The prosecution sought a fine between S$3,000 and S$4,000, reasoning that Tong admitted to her charges, had no criminal record, and tried to compensate the victims.

Tong was fined S$3,000 by the judge, taking into account her days in remand and early guilty plea.

A beauty parlour in Selangor, Malaysia has discontinued its Brazilian waxing services.

The company, Waxing By Girl, made the announcement on Nov. 4, citing "religious responsibilities and values" as their reason for doing so.

A Brazilian wax removes hair from one's pubic area, and involves exposing said area to the therapist.

It is considered a cosmetic procedure, rather than a medical one.

However, Waxing By Girl has replaced that service with a "Brazilian Waxing Academy", which is "specially designed" for married couples.

During the course, husbands and wives can learn to perform the procedure on each other, so that they may eventually do it in the privacy of their own homes.

The parlour then apologised to their regulars and thanked them for their loyalty and support.

Online users made their puzzlement known

If we were to go by the number of likes, this appears to be the leading sentiment:

This, on the other hand, may or may not be satire:

Regardless, enough people had questions:

Pertinent:

And opinions:

Others supportive

But some were in favour of the decision:

Does not think it will affect customer base

When Mothership reached out to the business, a spokesperson promptly replied to our queries.

When asked about the move, the parlour said it has offered Brazilian waxing since it started the business, which was about five years ago.

However, they've now decided to remove it "due to religious considerations", which aligns with their online post.

"Our owner has discovered recently that Brazilian waxing is not permissible in Islam, and have thus decided to remove it from our services," the spokesperson explained.

They added that all the customers they've reached out to so far have respected and understood the decision.

"We do not think this will affect our customer base or our relationship with existing customers as we offer other services as well, including waxing, hair, nails and facial."

Such exposure considered haram: religious authority

According to the Mufti of Federal Territory's Department—the religious authority in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan—if a Brazilian wax is done at the exposure of awrah (parts of the body that are forbidden or sinful to be exposed), then it is considered haram, or forbidden as well.

This is especially as it involves the removal of pubic hair, the source added.

A 25-year-old woman allegedly assaulted visitors at a shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur.

She was arrested by the police on Nov. 3 and has admitted to being involved, as reported by Malaysian media.

This comes after a viral video of an argument between a woman and the father of two children.

She allegedly pushed his seven-year-old son and hit his two-year-old daughter’s head.

Arrested

Dang Wangi OCPD Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Azwan Amin Nordin said that the woman was arrested at about 5:40pm in Bandar Sri Damansara.

Nordin said, “Initial investigations found that the suspect admitted to being involved in the incident.”

The case was reported on Sunday following several incidents involving the woman.

Police received a report from the mall’s security guard at about 8pm, involving three separate incidents of disturbances.

This includes a report alleging that she had pushed and assaulted a man’s children.

The case is being investigated under Section 323 and 506 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation, as reported by The Star.

A tense exchange occurred between Senior Minister K Shanmugam and Workers' Party's Member of Parliament Fadli Fawzi in parliament on Nov. 4, over a recent meeting between the Singapore government and Israeli officials.

Fadli, in a personal explanation time in parliament, addressed written questions he previously submitted asking SM Shanmugam about the meeting, as well as the senior minister's subsequent replies.

Background

On Oct. 7, Fadli asked whether, during a recent meeting with Israeli officials, Singapore addressed illegal settlements and settler violence in the West Bank.

The meeting was reported by Israeli media outlet Haaretz, which also alleged that a delegation from Israel had discussed the death penalty with Singaporean officials.

In his questions, Fadli asked whether Singapore had requested that the meeting be kept secret, or why a correction direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) was not issued against Haaretz, if this reporting was not factual.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has since refuted Haaretz's claims.

In his written to response to Fadli's questions, SM Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said that there were no public interest grounds to issue a correction direction against the media outlet at the time.

He added that Singapore regularly holds discussions with international counterparts on security and law enforcement matters, and that that particular meeting focused on operational and security-related issues.

Broader foreign policy matters were not discussed, he asserted, adding that such matters are addressed through appropriate foreign policy channels like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

Questions for Fadli

SM Shanmugam then addressed Fadli:

"If the Member believes that MHA should use such engagements to raise broader concerns about the policies or conduct of the country concerned, then he should say so clearly."

He further asked Fadli whether the same approach should apply consistently to all countries with which MHA engages.

He asked: "For example, when MHA holds operational discussions with other Middle Eastern or Asian countries, should we also raise the concerns Singapore may have with their conduct or policies?"

"If that is the Member's position, the government would be interested to understand how he proposes that such an approach would serve Singapore's overall interests."

Fadli's responses

Fadli responded to these questions on Nov. 4.

Whether policy concerns should be raised in engagements

On whether he believes that formal engagements should be used to raise broader concerns about a country's policies or conduct, he said his view "is simple":

"Settler activity and illegal territorial expansion in the West Bank, and especially settler violence, are grave violations of international law."

The Singapore government previously called the Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and called on Israel to stop its expansion plans there.

Fadli posited that MHA should raise concerns about such policies and conduct as and when relevant when engaging with countries involved.

Singapore's cooperation with other countries in law enforcement and security matters must also be conducted in context of the nation's overall national interests and fundamental principles, including Singapore's commitments to the international law, he said.

Further, Fadli added that two officials in the Israeli delegation named by Haaretz have been linked to a settler movement conducting illegal activities in the West Bank.

"Given this context, I believe that it would have been relevant to clearly reiterate at this meeting Singapore's principled position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, and our deep concerns about settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank," he said.

This approach should be applied consistently to all countries and not just Israel, said Fadli, addressing SM Shanmugam's second question in his written response.

How this serves Singapore's interests

On SM Shanmugam's third question on how such a practice would serve Singapore's overall interests, Fadli emphasised the nation's need to uphold its principles against external influence.

He quoted SM Shanmugam's own words from 2023:

"As a small country, we have to be clear on what are our principles. We must always put Singapore's interests first, and never be afraid to act in our own interests.

Uphold our principles and positions consistently, impartially, objectively, and not let other countries, big or small, no matter how friendly, dictate to us what we do."

He added that it would be in Singapore's overall interest to consistently and impartially uphold its position against a violation of international law, including during the MHA's bilateral engagements.

When engaging with foreign counterparts, the nation should also maintain a whole-of government approach in upholding this commitment, he said.

Shanmugam's response

SM Shanmugam stood to respond to Fadli's comments, first asking for a clarification on whether a "whole-of-government" approach applies to all bilateral issues.

Fadli answered by reiterating his earlier stated points, but SM Shanmugam said they did not answer his question.

He called Fadli's suggestion of each ministry raising issues of international law and "all possible bilateral issues" with any country they meet a "novel" idea.

MFA and the Cabinet are responsible for deciding on the government's overall stance with regards to any country, including whether meetings take place at all, he said

SM Shanmugam raised the example of Singapore's Ambassador for International Law, Rena Lee, who made history on Nov. 3 by becoming the first Singaporean to be elected as an International Court of Justice (ICJ) judge.

She secured an "absolute majority" in votes, ahead of the United Kingdom, France and every other country, a "testament to our skill in diplomacy, in the way we conduct ourselves", said SM Shanmugam.

"Imagine you start a meeting with UK, France, U.S., and your objective is to ask for their vote in support, and you start out by saying– referring to the wars in the Middle East: Syria and Yemen together, millions displaced, hundreds of thousands of children and women killed."

Many of these countries supplied weapons for these wars, where breaches of international law have taken place, he added.

He went on: "So you start out by listing this category of international law issues, and then you say, by the way, can you please support us?

"I think members and Singaporeans can see how absurd and novel such a position is, but I take it that that is the member's position and his party's position on how we conduct international relations."

SM Shanmugam called out Fadli for "[walking] in further and [doubling] down" on what he called an "absurd" position.

He asserted that the importance of international law is irrelevant to the question of whether every ministry should be raising it with counterparts.

Haaretz not taken seriously

"I don't know them," he said of the two Israeli officials named in the Haaretz article, adding that he does not take the media outlet very seriously "because they also published falsehoods about Singapore and what we were supposed to have said — completely untrue".

SM Shanmugam then urged Fadli to submit questions on this matter if he was concerned.

He also accused Fadli of "sending two messages to two different audiences: one to the general public to present that we are focused on national interests", and a second one "to the Malay-Muslim community to jump on this Haaretz article".

The second, he said, is to "make absurd suggestions on how we conduct and how we should engage" with the belief that people "won't understand how interministerial conversations really take place".

It also tries to present the image that "the government is unprincipled and soft on Israel", he posited.

"That's what this question and this subsequent explanation is all about: getting people to view our international relationships through the prism of race and religion. That is just wrong."

Fadli refutes SM Shanmugam

Fadli stood again to address SM Shanmugam's points, categorically rejecting his characterisation that the issue is motivated by race and religion.

"This is primarily an issue about how Singapore can uphold its commitments to international law consistently, impartially, and objectively."

He also denied suggesting that Singapore should raise bilateral and foreign policy issues at every meeting, but rather that they should only be raised where relevant, such as in the case of the Israeli meeting.

Instead, he redirected his original question of whether Singapore had tried to keep the meeting a secret back at the senior minister.

Role of Minister and MP is to safeguard Singaporean interests: Shanmugam

In response, SM Shanmugam said that he did not see why the issue of settler violence was relevant to what MHA discussed with their Israeli counterparts.

"How is it more relevant than, say, discussing sale of weapons, which may lead to thousands of people being killed with possible breaches of international law?"

He also reiterated that the role of an MP and a minister is to safeguard Singaporeans' interests primarily, not just the principles of international law.

On the issue of the meeting's confidentiality, SM Shanmugam said meetings between Ministry of Home Affairs and counterparts are "almost always kept confidential", except when parties request for them to be made public.

"And I have given that answer that one party required requested it to be made public, and that meeting was made public," he said.

A 22-year-old Indonesian man has been accused of murdering his 20-month-old stepdaughter by drowning her in a bucket inside a public toilet across from Kebayoran Station in South Jakarta on Oct. 31, 2026.

According to local outlet Kompas, the suspect and the child's 19-year-old biological mother carried out the crime because they could no longer afford to care for the toddler.

The stepfather is unemployed while the biological mother is a busker, Kompas reported.

The couple later wrapped the victim's body in plastic and buried her in a vacant lot in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta.

Both have been arrested.

Witnesses heard screams

Kebayoran Lama Police Chief Commissioner Seala Syah Alam told reporters on Nov. 2 that the attendant at the public toilet grew suspicious after noticing the parents' suspicious behaviour and hearing the victim scream, Kompas reported.

The stepfather allegedly took the girl into the restroom twice, at around 7pm and again around 11pm, during which witnesses reported hearing her cries.

The attendant called the police to report a suspected case of sodomy. However, investigations revealed that it was, in fact, a murder.

According to Seala, the man held the child by her legs and repeatedly forced her head into the bucket.

Once the toddler was dead, he told his wife what had happened.

To cover up the crime, the couple wrapped her body in plastic and buried it roughly 50cm deep in an empty lot in Bendungan Hilir.

Signs of malnutrition and abuse

Police reportedly disclosed that the victim had a three-year-old brother, who has since been placed in the care of social services.

In a CNN Indonesia report, Seala said that the suspect committed the crime because the family couldn't make ends meet. The couple allegedly chose to kill the younger child.

An autopsy conducted at a police hospital revealed that the victim was severely malnourished at the time of her death.

Forensic pathologists also found extensive evidence of prior physical trauma, including bone fractures and injuries to her internal organs, according to Kompas.

Brought back to crime scene

The couple remains in custody.

The stepfather faces charges of premeditated murder and child abuse, while the mother is accused of concealing a corpse to hide a homicide.

Investigators recently brought the man back to the crime scene, where he reenacted how he killed the child and buried her body.

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The authorities in Singapore may provide "an advisory" to those found rummaging through public rubbish bins even without leaving litter on the ground, Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment said in a written parliamentary reply on Nov. 2.

She was responding to Punggol Member of Parliament (MP) Yeo Wan Ling, who had asked in parliament how will the ministry conduct enforcement against those found removing containers without causing disamenities.

Fu said in the reply: "Where individuals are found rummaging through public refuse bins without leaving litter on the ground, our officers may provide an advisory."

Rummaging through bins occurred before BCRS implemented

She clarified that the National Environment Agency (NEA) occasionally receives public feedback on individuals rummaging through refuse bins even before the Return Right Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) was introduced in April 2026.

It became fully operational on Oct. 1 after a six-month transition period.

She said: "NEA focuses first on public education to promote good hygiene practices. When such incidents occur, NEA takes a calibrated approach in determining whether enforcement actions will be taken."

"We discourage members of the public from rummaging. Apart from the potential disamenities to the wider community, there are also hygiene and safety concerns for the individuals doing so," Fu added.

Root causes of such behaviour

Yeo had also asked if the government will study and address the potential root causes of such behaviour, including financial need, where relevant.

In response, Fu said individuals will be referred to social agencies for further support.

"The Ministry of Social and Family Development works with community partners under the Vulnerable-in-Community Network to engage vulnerable individuals to understand their circumstances, and provide them with the necessary support," Fu added.

Over 48 million beverage containers have been collected as of Sep. 27.

The average number of containers per transaction has increased from 2.8 in April to 8.2 in September.

About 45 per cent of materials collected are metal and 55 per cent are plastics, NEA said on Oct. 1.

In an effort to strengthen haze deterrence measures, the government is proposing to expand the tools to hold companies accountable, including giving the power to designate errant entities and impose orders restricting business dealings.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Grace Fu, announced the Transboundary Haze Pollution (Amendment) Bill in parliament on Nov. 4.

She noted that these proposed restrictions may include the supply or purchase of goods and services or the provision of loans and other support.

Entities or individuals that do business with designated entities will face a maximum fine of S$1 million for each contravention, and an additional fine of up to S$100,000 each day the contravention continues in the proposed amendment, said Fu.

This comes after over 30 Members of Parliament (MPs) and Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) asked for oral answers to their questions posed on Singapore's legal, regulatory and economic responses to the haze.

Designation as deterrence measure

Fu said the proposed restrictions will not solely be administered by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) if the restrictions concern services provided by financial institutions, with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) determining and administering relevant orders.

She noted that the power to designate and impose restrictions is meant to impose economic consequences on those responsible or those with established links to irresponsible burning.

"At the same time, the prohibitions ensure that others do not deal with such designated entities, including through complex business arrangements or corporate structures."

Notices

Fu added that designation may not be sufficient and submitted that the government will also introduce "a power to put certain entities on notice not to deal with entities that cause or contribute to fires posing a risk of haze pollution in Singapore".

As it may not be practical for the government to identify every entity involved in burning or supply chains.

This prevents entities with relevant connections to burning activities, like large corporations in forestry and agriculture, from dealing with those who cause or contribute to the haze.

Entities put on notice will be required to ensure that supply chains and business arrangements do not involve designated entities, with failure to comply without a reasonable excuse being an offence.

Fu noted that the obligations are "intended to strengthen due diligence and responsible business conduct across the supply chain".

"The objective is not to impose an impossible guarantee that no risk will ever arise, but to ensure that companies do not turn a blind eye to irresponsible forestry and agricultural practices."

NEA will also be given the power to publicise lists of entities that have not complied with notices or directions issued under the Act, or who have been given a direction to appoint an assessor, among others, in the proposed amendment.

Other penalties

The maximum fine for entities found guilty of causing or contributing to the haze will increase tenfold to S$1 million per day in the proposed Transboundary Haze Pollution (Amendment) Bill, with an aggregate cap of S$20 million for the main offence.

Prior to the amendment, entities found guilty under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) 2014 faced a maximum fine of S$100,000 for every day of haze pollution in Singapore, with a cap of S$2 million.

Desmond Goh still remembers the day his daughter found out about his sex toy business.

She had just returned from a trip to Amsterdam. Goh, his ex-wife (with whom he is on amicable terms), and his daughter were at a mee pok store in Bedok.

“Then the mum told her, you know, your dad is selling sex toys,” he quips.

The year was 2013. Goh, then 48, had suffered a stroke two years earlier.

Despite months of rehabilitation, he was left physically weakened and unable to return to his previous work selling curtains.

But he still had a family to provide for. The solution he eventually arrived at: selling sex toys online.

Started with S$300

Speaking to me at his physical store in Yishun, the now-61-year-old recalls the anxiety he felt at the time.

“After my stroke, I can’t go out, I can’t move on my own… I was worried about what would happen to me, what my income would be. Because I don’t want to be a burden to my family, who are not well-to-do people,” he says.

He had received an insurance payout from his stroke. But after months of being bedridden and unable to work, he had just S$300 left.

Online sales, he decided, was the answer. In 2013, e-commerce was the latest big thing. Qoo10 and Carousell and blogshops.

“I was very naive,” he admits.

“I thought you just list up everything, then people buy from you. It’s free money, easy money.”

Sex sells

Goh began to conduct research. He looked at clothing, baby supplies, and footwear.

But competition was fierce everywhere he looked.

Finally, he chanced upon adult toys. He had no experience in the market, had never even been to a sex shop.

But the margins were reasonable, there was demand, and — most importantly — no one else wanted to do it.

“So with my insurance payout, I bought an initial batch of probably 10 products in my bedroom, and started selling on Qoo10.”

He used magazine paper to wrap the products. His mum helped.

His first order — he still remembers it — was a S$5 vibrator. "I was so excited," he says. He took the bus all the way to Holland Village to deliver personally, and was rewarded with a good review.

Eventually, he built his own website: Frisky Business. When his inventory outgrew his bedroom, he moved into a rented storage space in Woodlands. Then, a whole unit at Midview City in 2017.

In 2020, he opened his current showroom in Yishun. “We didn’t really think of [physical] retailing, but it seems like there are people who prefer to come and see them,” he explains.

A toll on his life

Over 10 years on, his revenue numbers are healthy, although recently dampened by growing online competition.

He earns enough to provide for his ageing mother and spoil his one-year-old granddaughter, whom he clearly adores. “She is my only motivation [in life] now,” he tells me.

But his work has also taken a toll on his personal life.

After the initial shock, his family — including his two daughters — accepted Goh’s new business venture. “They are so supportive,” he effuses.

In dating, however, it has proved more of a hindrance.

Goh tells me that after his divorce, he tried to find a new partner. “There would be some very nice dates, we’d go for dinner and drinks,” he recalls.

“[But] when I tell them I am selling adult toys… you can sense the sudden change in mood.”

After he turned 50, he decided to make peace with his singlehood. It isn’t all bad, he no longer has to think about dyeing his hair and looking fit.

But singlehood has also left him more reclusive. His daughters are his “only inner circle”; he seldom leaves the house except to work.

“My friends… I shut myself away, I cocooned myself away from them. Maybe I feel embarrassed to see them. I am not sure. I do not know why. "

Finding meaning

While there is some residual shame, Goh makes it clear: he loves his work. Loves the strategy, the drive, the financial security.

When he first started the business, he had a “very old-fashioned mindset” and didn’t know how to use the computer.

But he has since learnt graphic design, product design, and SEO. He’s even using Claude to pull data analytics from his website.

And then there are the customers.

He tells me about how an older woman once came in with her adult son, enquiring about a sex doll. He had autism, and she wanted him to have a companion.

Then there was another man. His mother suffered from severe dementia and had always longed for him to get married.

So he brought home a doll and told her that it was her daughter-in-law.

“There was no intimacy between him and the doll,” Goh explains. He just wanted to make his ageing mother happy.

It is this day-to-day that keeps him going. “I just love the job so much, I don’t know how to quit,” he tells me.

The prospect of retirement

Goh says he hopes to make “redemption”. He entered the business for his family, to provide for them even when his body failed him.

Now, family is the only thing that can tempt him to leave for good. He tells me about his recent family trip to Osaka, how happy he was spending time with everyone.

“[My granddaughter] calls me ‘gong gong’. It melts my heart,” he tells me.

“Constantly seeing my granddaughter… that could be something that might push me to retire.”

As I wrap up the interview and walk around the store to take photos, I notice Goh on a video call at his desk.

It is a strange portrait, the old man video-calling his granddaughter from a sex shop. Oblivious, or at least dispassionate, to the rows and rows of sex toys behind him.

“Come home later and see you OK?” he promises.