CNA938 Rewind - Why do Singaporeans love plushies… and reselling them?
CNA938 Rewind
Play
The charms and plushie craze has led to a spike in scalping. Milo's new Breakfast and Breaktime sets had fans flock to supermarkets, with some taking to Carousell to cash in on the hype. And the viral $19.90 Scotch Brite EZ-Link charm is now going for double. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin ask Associate Professor Ang Swee Hoon from NUS Business School why Singaporeans enjoy reselling.
CNA938 Rewind - Why do Singaporeans love plushies… and reselling them?
The charms and plushie craze has led to a spike in scalping. Milo's new Breakfast and Breaktime sets had fans flock to supermarkets, with some taking to Carousell to cash in on the hype. And the viral $19.90 Scotch Brite EZ-Link charm is now going for double. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin ask Associate Professor Ang Swee Hoon from NUS Business School why Singaporeans enjoy reselling.
15 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Penknife attack: do we need regular bag checks in schools?
A Bartley Secondary School student was arrested on Monday after cutting a teacher with a penknife. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speak to Associate Professor Jason Tan from the National Institute of Education – Policy, Curriculum, and Leadership to discuss how else we can further improve safety for teachers and students.
17 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Inside the World's Highest Microbrewery at LeVel33
In 'Destination Anywhere' Melanie Oliveiro finds out where, in Singapore, listeners can go to visit the world's highest microbrewery in a building, as recognised by the Guinness World Records. It's at LeVeL33, the rooftop bar-restaurant located on the 33rd floor of Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1. Dr. Martin Bém, LeVeL33's founder and managing director will talk about how the microbrewery came about and how public tours around it are held. LeVeL33's brewmaster Gabriel Garcia will share some facts about making the freshly brewed craft beers like blond lager and India Pale Ale.
19 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Attention all poets & writers – answer to the GPA 2025 Open Call
In 'Culture Club' Melanie Oliveiro finds out more about the GPA or The Golden Point Award, Singapore's premier creative writing competition in the nation's four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Established by the National Arts Council in 1993, GPA is now a significant platform for discovering new writers whose works exhibit literary merit and encourage literary expression in Singapore. GPA 2025 is now receiving submissions via its Open Call exercise which ends on 12 May. Arts House Limited's Geraldine Cheang and creative writer Mohanapriya Chandrasekaran will talk about how they are/were involved in GPA.
30 mins
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Young singles switch to events, other algorithms, old tricks The meticulous curation of guests paid off for one attendee, who said: "The selection of people was quite well put together. Everyone was friendly and willing to meet people. The activities made things a little less awkward." Added the 30-year-old content strategist, who declined to be named: "App interactions are fleeting, so an in-person event feels like you get to know people a bit more before you cast judgment." Although he is not dating anyone from the two Plus One mixers he attended, he has made friends who he has gone bouldering with. Ms Joell Tee, who founded Dinner with Strangers in 2022, started co-hosting singles pitch nights called Fishbowl, inspired by American reality TV show Shark Tank, where entrepreneurs make business pitches to investors. "The premise feels quite low stakes, friendly and safe. 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Still, some singles have reservations about attending newfangled dating events, which may not meet expectations. Ms Ong went for a social mixer by Never Strangers, run by entertainment company Unfiltered, where she was drawn to a participant but later found out that he was not looking to date. She added: "There were even people who signed up together, and just didn't talk to anyone the entire night." "I think the more 'mass' these events are, the more superficial and unlikely it is to have good conversations, and I really do feel like that's what it's all about." Another participant Khor Kai Xiang, 29, who went for the same event, said he was matched with a man due to male participants outnumbering females. One Fishbowl participant, 29-year-old Nick, said he and his friend put together more "haphazard" presentations than the other participants who took the pitch more seriously. Nick, who works in finance and declined to give his full name, said: "We were slightly taken aback that some participants went straight to listing their expectations or requirements. The subjects ranged from marriage, number of children, to the infamous BTO (Build-To-Order flats)." Less crowd, more chemistry Meanwhile, Mr Lim, a 26-year-old financial adviser who did not give his full name, said his friends questioned why he was going to an Until 1111 mixer, pointing to a stigma attached to dating events. Little did he know he would meet a girl at the party's speed dating segment - though their brief conversation went "terribly". She was not interested in him at first, as he was a year younger than her and shared the same name as her former boyfriend. But he slipped her a note to say he enjoyed talking to her and hoped to keep in touch. They went out with a group of friends from the event a few weeks later, and he succeeded in asking her out after. "I was really lucky. These things are really hit or miss," said Mr Lim, adding that both his girlfriend and himself are introverts. "She's funny in her own way. She's a bit weird, but I'm also weird, and I just feel like she just complements me, and I can talk to her about anything. She's sort of like my safe place." Yet others have found love in interest group communities. Mr Luqman Rahamat, 33, met his girlfriend Elise Tan, 28, at non-fiction book club, The Saturday Book Club. Mr Luqman, a maths tutor, and Ms Tan, a pre-school teacher, first chatted about decluttering, and Ms Tan lent him a book on minimalism called Love People, Use Things. They then went to check out the social enterprise bookshop Books Beyond Borders. She was intrigued by his blog posts detailing his travels and analysing dating apps and other topics using mathematical concepts. The couple made it official over a year ago. "It feels like the universe planned it for me. I was in a phase of self-improvement and didn't have any expectations on finding a long-term partner," said Mr Luqman. "She made me feel like I am enough and also taught me how to love myself more and accept my flaws." To romantic hopefuls, he has this advice: "If dating apps don't work, move to communities where you can meet people, be yourself and find someone who can appreciate and accept you for who you are." This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
