Don’t be fooled by the people queuing up for a glimpse of Facebook’s Eduardo Saverin at Filter. They want his fame and fortune, but not, it would seem, to follow in his footsteps. Last week an NTU study revealed that, of 10,000 students surveyed, only eight percent aspired to an entrepreneurial career involving starting a business. Ouch.

So to suggest that the start-up scene here has never been in ruder health might seem like wishful thinking. But talk to some of the people involved and there’s a great deal of excitement about where things might go. And there’s no better hard proof of such optimism than the steady rise of co-operative working spaces.

Three newbies have opened across the city in the last three months alone, bringing the total number to around half a dozen (with several more that aren’t officially licensed). Some of them are higher spec’d than others, some are already close to capacity, but they all speak to a desire for something more stimulating than the traditional office environment. It’s like corporate hot-desking, just on a budget and a whole lot more fun. Perhaps it’s time you thought about signing up.

The appeal is obvious: Cheap rent, short leases, shared resources, the chance to bounce ideas around with like-minded people, and the kind of forced productivity that few of us could ever achieve working from home. The result is busy, stimulating environments, variously home to freelance designers, start-up founders, branding gurus and especially the kind of modern tech types who show up to work in Vibram FiveFingers running shoes, insist on working at standing desks, and do triathlons when they’re not building apps. Says Jeff Paine of the Founder Institute and latterly FounderHQ, many of these people find they simply can’t work at home: “They need structure, they need motivation, they need someone to kick their butts.” He points out that the group is already made of up outliers—he estimates there are no more than 3-400 people in the business of founding tech companies here—meaning, “they’re already very different, they’re a little bit nuts to begin with, so if you put them together they tend to gel fairly quickly.”

The Science of Sharing

The concept of shared working spaces is hardly new, however much it might seem like a natural extension of our twittering online lives. What is new is what can be achieved with them, now that everyone’s connected wherever they are (it’s no coincidence that these spaces are predominantly founded and filled by people in the tech industry).

One of the key figures behind the recent growth of the start-up scene here is Hugh Mason, co-founder of the Joyful Frog Digital Incubator. It was JFDI who helped set up the headline-grabbing Hackerspace. Now based out of Blk71, they’re also the folk behind the Startup Weekend. Mason suggests that “the idea of a co-working space grew out of the science parks of the 1960s. ”But, as he says, the crucial difference is that, in the digital era, “It’s no longer the physical asset of the incubator that’s important. You don’t actually need a special place, you just need to be together.” That’s why JFDI focus on the soft stuff, what Mason calls “the social capital you need to make entrepreneurship thrive.”

Bastian Döhling, Business Development Manager at interesting.org, a platform promoting creativity in business, works out of an unofficial co-working space in the Arab Quarter (and, of course, trains triathletes in his spare time). For him, this kind of environment offers a chance to “get ideas from other people, share my ideas with them, to connect other people.” There’s nothing formal about the process, either. When asked how that sharing works in practice, he says it’s simple: “I tell you about my lunch meeting, you tell me about yours. The only thing that matters is having the right people sitting in there.”

Networking, both formal and informal, is at the heart of the concept. Some of the spots, especially Hackerspace, regularly put on hackathons and other events; though if you go there expecting the kind of cocktail and canapé affair you’d find at a traditional networking event, you’ll be rather disappointed. The focus is squarely on cool new platforms, on banging 100 tech heads together and seeing what falls out, with a few drinks if you’re lucky. Across the board, the people working out of these spaces tend to take what they do very seriously (for many it’s their only source of income, for some their income stream hasn’t even begun yet), and the unbridled passion that’s evident at these events stands in stark contrast to tepid corporate mixers. That said, the really serious folk are often nowhere to be found. As Döhling points out, “You don’t really meet successful people at these events, because they’re the ones building products. The ones at the events are the talkers.”

Rolling with the Top Down

It’s important to note that the scene is not being built entirely from the ground-up by eager young geeks. Among the most promising developments in the start-up sphere was the launch, back in April, of the strategic incubation program known simply as Blk71 (the physical space, which opened only recently is at 71 Ayer Rajah Industrial Estate, part of the Mediapolis sprawl).

A collaboration between the Media Development Authority (MDA; whose building it is), SingTel Innov8 (the corporate venture arm of the SingTel you know and love)—both of whom have committed to investing up to $2m over the next three years—and NUS Enterprise, the Blk 71 program is designed to offer Interactive Digital Media (IDM) start-ups a one-stop shop for everything they might need, from meeting rooms and legal advisory services to seed money (up to $50,000) for those who can successfully pitch their idea. More broadly, it’s about building the kind of environment where such businesses can thrive; what Monica Tsai, Director (Investments) at SingTel Innov8, describes as “catalyzing the start-up ecosystem.” Tan Peck Ying, Executive at NUS Enterprise, hopes that together they can “create a collaborative community to work together in synergy; the goal is to bring institutions, industry experts, private funders and the government body together.”
This isn’t the only such government/academia/tech tie-up—it has much in common, in concept and aspiration, with the NTU Innovation Centre, which also benefits from MDA support in the form of the IDM Jump-start And Mentor (i.JAM) initiative—but it is, for now at least, the slickest. The money that’s been spent on it shows; the common space (known as ‘Plug-In@Blk71’ and described as a place for people looking for “a corner to hack, a room to ideate or a platform to collaborate”) is like the MDA’s own Googleplex (think pool tables, blackboard illustrations and Nespresso machines). And best of all, the hot-desking terminals are currently free and open to the public.

Sync in Progress

For all the positive signs, it’s not yet clear where the start-up scene will go from here. Most people admit there haven’t been many success stories out of Singapore as yet, and comparisons with the Bay Area and Silicon Valley tend to be unflattering—the financial infrastructure just isn’t the same. As Döhling observes, “You have a lot of people with money here, but they don’t necessarily understand technology or internet business models. For them it’s easier to invest in a bricks and mortar business.” There are other problems too, not least our risk-averse culture, and the more immediate rewards of a career in law or finance. The lack of ready funding is one reason Jeff Paine recently set up Cofoundify, an exclusive mailing list for founders to post requests for co-founders in business, design or tech to round out their teams; with the posts selected, curated and heavily reviewed by Paine himself.

For what it’s worth, Paine actually thinks that, for now, there’s probably “enough or close to enough” shared working spaces here. That’s because the growth rates of start-ups is not so high. “They launch, they die, then they start again,” he explains. “It’s the same people again and again, there’s only incremental growth.” But with more opportunities than ever for people with ideas to meet; and, best of all, more places for them to work out of, the future is bright (and probably wearing FiveFingers).

Singapore Co-Working Spaces

The long-haired one Steve Aoki unleashes his animal instinct on this special Halloween-themed night at Avalon.

If you thought rollercoaster were rides were scary, wait till you take them on at Halloween Horror Nights.

As usual, Zouk doesn’t disappoint with Rites & Rituals, featuring some awesome prizes and of course, free entry (but only if you’re early).

Get in free to see I Am David Sparkle! Just come dressed in your trendiest gore and turn up before midnight for Us Against The Sound.

A B movie themed  mayhem and sordid tunes abound at Zirca for The Grindhouse Halloween—we’re getting the chills already.

The Singapore Flyer gets a horrific “revamp”, with Chinese tombstones, Hantu mansions and Japanese graveyards. Come to Fright Fest @ Singapore Flyer for the ride of your life.

Romance as tragedy. Come in your Sunday worst to the Butter Factory's Hallowedding celebration—for a night of shenanigans.

Unleash your inner freak at the trick or treat bash at selected watering holes in Peranakan Place for Evil Carnival. 

A night of Halloween themed activities and more as Clarke Quay transmogrifies into something straight out of a ghastly horror story  for The Mysteries of the Haunted Island.

Cloak yourself in lace or leather for Ku Dé Ta's Black Moon Halloween.

Official Rugby World Cup 2011

Platform: Android, BlackBerry, iOS
Price: Free
Surprisingly good for an official app, with live coverage, intuitively navigable stats and quickly uploaded video highlights. You can buy match tickets in the fan zone and BlackBerry users even get automatic match reminders. Our only gripe is that, on the iPhone at least, the video quality takes a noticeable dip after the first minute.

Flick Kick Rugby

Platform: Android, iOS
Price: S$1.28 / US$0.99
As addictively simple as all the best iPhone games, the premise here is simple. Sure, you can pick from practice, sudden death and arcade mode, and turn the lights down in the stadium; but all it ultimately comes down to is swiping the ball through the posts. One thing we weren’t expecting was the motivational (and sometimes downright odd) rugby-related quotes before each kick-off. Our favorite so far? Robert Lynd’s “It may be that all games are silly. But then, so are humans.”

Lewis Moody Rugby

Platform: iOS
Price: S$7.75 / US$5.99
Whether you want to take health and fitness advice from someone who missed his country’s opening game with a knee injury is an open question; but there’s no doubting England skipper “Mad Dog” Moody has quite an engine on him. A lot of the content (the diet tips, the set plays, the skill drills) is very rugby-specific, though. Fine if you’re keen to improve your game; but if it’s general gym routines you’re after, look elsewhere.

Calcutta, Oct 9, 1:30pm
Director Louis Malle, while most notorious for his skin flick Damage in the 90s, directs this sensitive and searing documentary about the origins and cultures of the capital of the state of West Bengali during the 60s.

India Song, Oct 9, 4pm
This audio-visual tone poem by experimental filmmaker, novelist and playwright explores India’s decadent colonialism and the impossibilities of love.

Images of Singapore from French television 1964–1973, Oct 10, 8pm
Want to know what Singapore looked through a TV set like during the 60s and 70s? These images culled from the vaults of the Institut National De L’Audiovisuel in Paris explore the perpetuation of common perceptions of Asia at that time.

Hiroshima Mon Amour, Oct 11, 8pm
This sensitive portrayal of the aftermath of the nuclear holocaust seen through the eyes of a pair of lovers is poetic and affecting. Directed by Alain Resnais.

Inju: The Beast in the Shadow, Oct 13, 8pm
The latest film by the elusive Barbet Schroeder (Single White Female) centers on a French crime writer who falls in love with a geisha, and where the lines between dream and nightmare, reality and fiction, are blurred.

La 317ème Section, Oct 14, 8pm
One of France’s most popular war documentaries, director Pierre Schoendoerffer searingly explores the depths of hell during the French-Vietnam war.

Far from Vietnam, Oct 15, 1:30pm
Directors Joris Ivens, William Klein, Claude LeLouch, Agnes Varda, Jean-Luc Godard, Chris Marker and Alain Resnais knit a tapestry of images and sound bites centering on America’s fascination with Vietnam.

Indochine, Oct 15, 4pm
In this Oscar winning film, a luminous Catherine Deneuve plays a French woman who owns a rubber plantation in Vietnam who gets embroiled with a sexy naval officer played by Vincent Perez. Regis Wargnier directs.

The Lover, Oct 15, 8pm
Jean-Jacques Annaud’s sexy film features torrid and explicit love scenes between a teenage French girl (Jane March) and a wealthy Chinese man (Tony Leung) set in 1929 Vietnam.

All films are shown at Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore.

The ingenious Hofesh Schechter titillates us with an intriguing dance and music spectacle in Political Mother (October 7-8).

Ku Dé Ta's giving away a designer handbag every week at their fab Diamond Life x Clout Shoppe ladies' nights this month.

Even if you aren’t a bibliophile, we are sure that you will enjoy the host of exciting events (including a talk by Steven Levitt of Freakanomics fame) lined up for the 14th edition of the Singapore Writers Festival. 

Caught the World Cup rugby bug? Catch the finals as well as some live music action at Roktober! while tucking into some yummy grub from October 21-23.

Over 50 world class wine makers and over 200 wines and Champagnes—still need a reason to go to the Singapore Wine Fiesta 2011?

Well, if you can’t distinguish your WOHA, Zaha Hadid and Kenzo Tange, it’s about time you started at Archifest 2011, which runs till October 28.

Laughter is the best escape from our mundane lives, and we are sure the likes of Kumar and Harith Iskander will tickle you with their bawdy sense of humor at the Kings & Queen Comedy Asia II festival (October 28-29).

Fans have been pining for Faye Wong’s comeback and she brings on her swaggering A-Game in this concert on October 29.

We don't know much about tricks but treats galore this Halloween season—check out our picks, including Rites & Rituals at Zouk.

No guilt here! Do some good while having scrumptious desserts in the month-long (happens all through October) fund raising drive Sweet Charity—Desserts for a Cause.

When and why did you start collecting beer bottles?
I grew up around my father’s Tiger Beer memorabilia so I was naturally attached to beer and collecting things. Collecting beer bottles actually took off by chance when I realized that a friend had the same dormant interest. That was in 2007. Before, I was only keeping uncommon beers I bought in supermarkets. I think our enthusiasm really rubbed off on each other. It’s like postage stamps and currency notes; collecting beer bottles is my way of learning about other countries.

How many beers were around when you first began collecting?
I never really counted, and it’s hard to say because I bought more than 20 different beers a month, for about eight to nine months. It also coincided with a time when uncommon beers were getting popular, so many new beers were streaming in each month. I’m still quite fascinated by that, and this was before beer festivals and events were widely organized.

When did this beer boom begin?
It probably started about two to three years ago when the number of microbreweries surged. I remember seeing a lot of publicity about it and quite quickly the number of importers and imported beers grew. I think people started to embrace new beer styles and competition increased, even among the already established brands.

With so many beers in the market now, what excites you in the way of new finds?
Limited edition brews, or those from countries not in my collection. However, I get most excited when I find something new from the most unassuming of places, like in a hawker center, a convenience store or a small café outside of town. I still enthusiastically text my friend each time something like that happens. It makes you wonder how the beer got there and who it’s being sold to. It keeps me going.

What’s the greatest length you’ve gone to in securing a bottle of beer?
If you’re asking in terms of distance, it’d have to be Syria. Effort wise, it would be in India in 2009 when I crossed into Nepal unknowingly. Citizens of the two countries don’t need passports to cross each other’s border, so the jeep I was in drove through the checkpoints thinking I was a Nepali. I arrived lost and spent 15 minutes explaining myself to the border guard. He eventually sent me on a rickshaw back to India, but not before escorting me to his friend’s liquor store to buy Nepali beers. I ended up with four bottles, haha!

Wild Oats @ Punggol Park

The brainchild behind the prime hang-out spot for northeastern folk is none other than celebrity chef Wilin Low. Cocooned in the heart of Punggol Park, it brims to the rafters with a hodgepodge of nearby residents and curious epicureans from islandwide who flock to this relatively quiet suburb for fusion bar nosh like otah bruschetta and exotic drinks like the lychee beer.

Charlie’s Corner

If you want to chill out in your wifebeater, berms and Havaianas on a lazy Sunday afternoon with a couple of your oldest mates, the unpretentious vibes of this popular watering hole will suit you to a tee. A fixture in Changi since the late 70s, this is one of the first pubs to serve a smorgasbord of malty brews from around the world. While quaffing a beer or three, don’t forget to tuck into their hearty home-cooked Hainanese-inspired Western fare like their classic Fish & Chips.

Sunset Grill & Pub

This is for all intrepid folks to try at least once in their lifetime. The last thing you need is a bout of dengue, so tank up on insect repellent before treking about 2 km into the Seletar Camp. Expect a timewarped Singapore stuck in the early 80s as you immerse in the surreal charm of abandoned hangars before reaching this joint (they even have tacky tablecloths). Be prepared to tank up on jugs of beer for liquid courage as you negotiate their insanely spicy buffalo wings.