The joy of learning: Workshops starting at $25

By Megan Koh

The daunting add-drop weeks are back to haunt us again.

But before we go into a frenzy and panic over the academic units to clear this semester, let us step back and pursue our passions, not just inside the classroom.

From climbing walls to making photo albums curated with special memories, the city’s myriad of workshops promises something of interest for everyone.

Take your learning to wherever your interest lies.

Parkour
Superfly Monkey Dragons
www.superfly.sg/
Tel: 8381 8710
Prices start from $25

Students from Superfly Monkey Dragons explore Singapore’s cityscape through a series of bold parkour movements. PHOTO: SUPERFLY MONKEY DRAGONS

Staying fit can be a whole lot easier when you have a sport that you look forward to.
Parkour, a sport that involves running, jumping, and climbing to move from one place to another, is a fun and effective option.

The sport originated from the French military’s combative obstacle course training in the early 1900s and is now a sport typically practiced in an urban landscape.

With Superfly Monkey Dragons, a parkour academy boasting training locations island-wide, the sport has become even more accessible.

While the action-packed stunts in movies may have led many to think parkour is a dangerous sport, it is in fact quite the opposite.

All sports carry risks. But out of the 1,500 classes the academy conducted since 2012, the worst injuries participants faced were scratches and cuts.

“The reality is that parkour is just like any workout that you do, whether you do yoga, train in martial arts or go to the gym,” said Mr Derrick Siu, 43, founder of Superfly Monkey Dragons.
“Parkour is just a workout and it is very safe.”

Classes typically run for an hour and start with physical exercises to condition the body before engaging in the movements of parkour.

In addition to the varied sets of jumps to rolls taught, students negotiate the different obstacles set by the environment in their own creative way.

Mr Siu also believes that parkour can be practiced anywhere.

“Every place you go to, the walls are different, the rails are different, and the obstacles are different. So there’s always something new that you can experience in parkour wherever you go,” he said.

Mr Siu also likens parkour to his childhood days where he playfully roamed around.
“We are all familiar with parkour because we used to walk and jump around when we were kids,” he said.

“That is parkour — a sport about exploring our limits and pushing ourselves.”

Coffee-making
Common Man Coffee Roasters
22 Martin Road #01-00, S239058
Tel: 6836 4695
Prices start from $150

Common Man Coffee Roasters teaches students to create unique coffee art. PHOTO: COMMON MAN COFFEE ROASTERS

The trying weeks of school often result in some caffeine reliance but not many of us know about the skills needed to make a good brew.

Reputed for its aromatic brew, Common Man Coffee Roasters serves up more than just your daily caffeine. The cafe also has a slew of workshops for coffee enthusiasts to try their hand at making speciality coffee or drawing latte art patterns.

The Latte Art Techniques workshop is the most popular class and equips you with the skills to draw hearts, rosettas and tulips during the three-hour session.

Alternatively, if you already have an espresso machine, the Home Barista workshop makes for a good introductory course to making first-rate coffee at home.

But if these workshops seem like too much work, kick back and let your taste buds do most of the job in the Sensory Skill and Coffee Knowledge workshop, where you get to try different high quality coffees to expand your taste palette.

While future baristas may flock to the workshops because of its practicality, the lessons are designed for everyone regardless of their skill level.

“When you participate in these workshops, you’ll get to see an in-depth view on what goes inside each cup of coffee you buy,” said Head Barista Mark Chan, 27.

“Only then will you appreciate how much effort and love goes inside each cup of coffee.”

Scrapbooking
PaperMarket
Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road #B1-27, S179103
Tel: 6333 9007
Prices start from $25

Get in touch with your creative side and show your sincerity by personally making a gift the next time you give a present.

Arts and crafts store PaperMarket offers a variety of scrapbooking lessons that are classified into beginner and advanced classes.

Ranging from mini-albums to sketchbooks, the string of workshops allows you to put your favourite photos to good use.

“Youths like to take lots of pictures, and with these workshops, you can have a complete album with all the memories printed out and journaled in,” said Ms Merdrey Chew, 35, designer and instructor at PaperMarket.

“And if somebody were to give you something like that, it’s a different feeling from receiving a store-bought gift.”

The basic classes include lessons on how to make your own albums from scratch in the tie-bound album class or how to create display-worthy mementos with 12 by 12 inch layouts.

All the materials are provided, and you even get to take your pick from aisles of embellishments, lettering, pattern papers and cardstock the shop has to offer.

Alternatively, you can skip the introductory basic workshops and head straight for the advanced or intermediate classes.

While you are allowed to participate without prior background, be prepared for a more intensive session of crafting techniques.

From a modern calligraphy workshop that will impart you the ways of elegant lettering, to a travel pocketbook workshop that will make a timely gift for a friend going for exchange, there are many different handmade gift ideas you can choose from.