The Work-It That Never Happened
written by: Hong Ruoyi and Clarice Song
This piece was not meant to be. Let me explain. we did not expect ourselves to be crafting a piece about a Work-It Series that never happened. Furthermore, it was an inaugural launch. It was going to be a series of fun yet insightful experiences where youths gather in different parts of Singapore, from the hawker centres of Chinatown to malls of Orchard Road, once a month, and hold topical discussions on Work.
After 3 months of planning, we had found our first set of co-hosts, the dynamic duo of Jason and Zhen Long from Beng Who Cooks (link to quickfire clip), settled on a theme – “Is Joyful Work a Myth”, written our publicity pieces (Jason’s article/ Zhen Long’s article), and even planned our programme and dinner menu for the night! WE WERE RARING TO GO!
Our calendars were set for 9 April 2020! To start publicizing and marketing the experience to the public.
Alas! Before we could reach the 9 April, 7 April came crashing. Waves of new measures were announced – no gatherings of more than 10 pax (no worries Clarice and I thought, we will limit the number of participants), no dining-in, even at hawkers (no problem, we can find delivery men to deliver dinner to participants’ houses and pivot our engagement online). For every new obstacle that came our way, it seemed like we had a solution to overcome it. Until we didn’t…
On 8 April, we received a Whatsapp message from the Bengs telling us that they had decided to postpone the Work-It experience. While business had slowed down and this would be an avenue for them to make a little profit, they felt uneasy asking people to spend money during this period. They strongly believed that they were positioned to give than to receive and asked that we help to promote a new foundation, Beng Who Cares, that they had set up to deliver free meals to anyone who may need it, “no questions asked”.
Many thoughts and mixed emotions went through our minds and hearts. On one hand we respected the clarity of mission that came with the Bengs, on another it got us wondering if the world has to be divided into the ‘givers’ and the ‘receivers’ in times of crisis. But that’s another topic for another day.
And so, with ample time to reset and reimagine what else we could create amidst what’s happening around us (See: Cake Calm & Carry On), we’d invite you to look forward to a brand-new Work-It in the coming weeks. This time we have casted our nets wider calling upon a community of creators out there who are looking forward to value add to local businesses out there by redefining customers’ experiences. If you want to join us on a journey to be Bold at Work, join us for a Zoom information session as we connect to explore what a post-covid19 engagement could look like. Don’t forget to also follow Beng Who Cares Foundation to continue supporting our local young hawkerpreneurs too!