Latest news with #Milo
New York Post
3 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- New York Post
Here's what no one tells parents about raising teenagers
No one ever tells you that one day, the biggest challenge in parenting won't be homework battles or curfews – it will be breathing through your nose. There's a very specific moment, somewhere around Year 8, when a child's bedroom transforms. One day, it's a normal room. The next it's a foggy microclimate of its own, heavy with an aroma that says: I have been sweating, living, snacking, and possibly dying in here. I used to think the 'teenage smell' was an exaggeration. Then I opened my kid's door and my nostrils packed my bags, and walked out. A smell with layers There are layers to it. First comes the base note of damp sports uniforms shoved into the corner 'to deal with later.' Add a middle note of socks that haven't seen daylight since the Taylor Swift Eras tour started. Then there's the top note – a sharp, mysterious tang that you know is coming from a mug of something that started life as Milo. On the other end of the spectrum is the scent we'll call Eau de Trying Too Hard: litres of body spray, hair products, and skincare sprayed with such determination that even the dog sneezes. 5 No one ever tells you that one day, the biggest challenge in parenting won't be homework battles or curfews – it will be breathing through your nose. Vibe Images – And if you think it's bad at home? Try being in a car with them after training. Driving home from sports days with your head hanging out the window like a Labrador is a real thing. Teachers have seen things I asked my friends who teach high school what an average summer afternoon is like in their classroom. One said: 'By the end of the day, it's like a mix between a gym bag, a sandwich shop, and a Lynx factory explosion. I stand near the window and hope I make it out alive.' 5 'By the end of the day, it's like a mix between a gym bag, a sandwich shop, and a Lynx factory explosion. I stand near the window and hope I make it out alive,' high school teachers say. Golib Tolibov – Another told me that whenever someone opens their backpack, there's a moment of fear. Underneath the pong 'You never know what's coming out – yesterday's lunch? A forgotten art project made out of milk cartons? There's always a squished banana.' It would be easy to make this an 'ugh, teenagers' story. But here's the truth: the smell is the least important thing happening in that room. 5 The smell is the least important thing happening in that room, some have said. Satjawat – Here's the thing: it's not their fault. Their bodies are working overtime. Hormones, growth spurts, sport, school – it's a perfect storm. And like the breakouts and the grunts, the smell is just another stage. Because behind that closed door is a person in the middle of the most awkward, exciting, infuriating, incredible transformation of their life. The truth is, if you can get past the whiff, there's a lot to love about teens. The other part no one warns you about What really knocks the air out of your lungs is not the smell. It's the sudden realisation that they don't need you as much anymore. The bedtime cuddles vanish. Long conversations are replaced by mumbles. They disappear into their room for hours, and when they emerge, you feel like you need a translator just to find out what's going on in their head. 5 Because behind that closed door is a teenager in the middle of the most awkward, exciting, infuriating, incredible transformation of their life. – And just when you think you've been completely shut out, they give you a moment. It might be a dumb joke that makes you both laugh so hard you cry. Or a hug out of nowhere. Or a story about their day that makes you stop and think, 'Wow, you're turning into someone amazing.' That's the payoff. A phase that stinks (literally) Parenting a teenager is standing in the middle of that smell, windows open, heart wide, hoping you're doing enough. 5 Parenting a teenager is standing in the middle of that smell, windows open, heart wide, hoping you're doing enough. Gregory Johnston – It's hard. It's funny. It's wonderful. And it's fleeting. One day the smell will fade. They'll move out, take their gym bag and their body spray, and the house will smell like fresh air again. And, ridiculous as it sounds, we'll probably walk past that empty room and wish we could breathe it all in just one more time.
NZ Herald
15 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Great Walks with kids: A family's adventure through NZ's trails
For quality, screen-free family time, a Great Walk really delivers. You are largely off-grid and out in nature together, with several hours of walking – and potential talking time – each day. Our kids usually take turns leading and dropping back to chat with their packhorse parents. Once at the huts, it's more family bonding as you unwind from the day, share some treats and cook dinner. It's all very Brady Bunch until it inevitably isn't; for example, when someone knocks over his Milo and completely soaks his only spare set of clothes. The Kepler Track in Fiordland. Photo / Tourism NZ It's easy to get blasé about New Zealand's natural beauty and dramatic landscapes. The Great Walks will jolt you out of any such complacency. Even the kids, usually indifferent to calendar-worthy views, found plenty to delight in. Walking through the otherworldly and iron-flat South Crater on the Tongariro Circuit, surrounded by craggy, volcanic terrain and the famous cone of Ngauruhoe, was a surreal and awe-inspiring experience. To my imaginative 10-year-old, we were in dragon country. The Heaphy Hut was another highlight, overlooking the point where the Heaphy River meets the roiling Tasman Sea. As we soaked in the scene, fringed by nikau palms and resplendent in the sunset, the kids revelled on the river bank, hunting for treasures and dipping in and out of the cool, clean river current. Start small to build confidence As with any holiday with kids, adequate preparation is important. Having ticked off a few day walks in our home region of Hawke's Bay, we had already established that the kids were very capable, if not always enthusiastic, walkers. We thoroughly researched each walk before booking (the Department of Conservation has extensive information on its website – including track descriptions, potential hazards, gear lists and difficulty ratings for each walk. For pre-walk training, we put our half-full packs on and headed up our local mountain, Te Mata Peak, tramping similar distances, time-frames and elevations as we'd face on our upcoming walk. And yes, we did get some odd looks. Te Mata Peak offers a good opportunity as a trial walk. Photo / Kirsten Simcox Embrace early starts and bush toilets When on the tracks, we usually set off early – giving plenty of time to complete the day's distance. Often, there are natural stops along the way – other huts and shelters, lookouts, points of interest – and breaking the day up into chunks is a great way to keep kids motivated. You'll also be stopping when nature calls, and I'm not talking about birdsong. Realistically, and despite your repeated pleas to use available facilities, you may be dealing with an urgent bowel motion on the most remote part of the track. In this situation, you'll need a compostable bag, or a trowel and a spot well away from the track, campsites and any water. Chalk it up as a new experience for young and old. Abel Tasman National Park. Photo / Tourism NZ Lean into a little make-believe Keeping morale up on a long day of walking required a mix of games and deep-dive conversations into our children's latest interests. On the Abel Tasman, we were hard into the Harry Potter phase and every third stick we encountered was assessed for its spell-casting potential. There's a limit, of course, to how many of the 1000-plus Pokemon characters you can bear to hear about, or how much I Spy you can play in the bush. This is where outright bribes in the form of cold, hard candy come in. They work on adults too. Plan post-hiking fun Arriving at the hut after a day of walking can be a religious experience. Don't get too comfortable though, as your kids will inexplicably still have energy to burn. Once you've bagged your bunks (fellow trampers are usually very reasonable about letting families bunk in the same room), be prepared to go exploring around the huts – there is often a postcard-perfect waterfall, swimming hole or vista just a short walk away. Back at the hut, it's time to break out the snacks and diversions. Some huts have a collection of puzzles, cards and games, but it's a good idea to take your own too. The Great Walks challenge began on the Abel Tasman Coast Track. Photo / Claire Rogers Keep mealtimes simple For meals, we kept it simple. Breakfasts (porridge mix) and dinners (a freeze-dried meal) were as easy as adding boiling water to the sachets, stirring the mix and letting them sit. Lunches and snacks were salami and bier sticks, wraps, energy bars, lollies, crackers and cheese. While the thought of a freeze-dried roast chicken meal – complete with mash and stuffing – may not have you salivating, our kids gave it rave reviews. Enjoy the break from the nightly battle over fresh veggies. Make friends along the way Stepping out on day one of the Abel Tasman track, we were a tad nervous as to how our fellow hut dwellers would receive our outgoing brood, who were 6, 8 and 9 at the time. We needn't have worried. The camaraderie in the huts is one of the best things about the Great Walks, and most of our walking companions have been delighted to see children tackling the tracks with them. We loved reuniting with our newfound friends each night, sharing stories from the day. One tramper went so far as to organise an epic 'backyard' cricket match for our would-be Black Caps, constructing a bat out of driftwood and converting an avocado stone into a ball with strapping tape. On the wall in our home office, there's a Great Walk map. The kids love to look at the distances and climbs they've conquered, the huts they've lodged in, and remember the people we met along the way. When you sign up for a Great Walk with kids, you are signing up for a challenge. But the family memories made, the soul-nourishing scenery, and the immense and collective sense of achievement each time have us coming back for more.
CNA
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Changi Airport launches Jellycat-inspired plushies of local food like chicken rice and kopi
All these years there's been a never-ending battle over whether Singapore or Malaysia has better food. People also can't seem to come to an agreement on which country certain dishes belong to. Apparently this competition could extend to toys too. As part of SG60 celebrations, Changi Airport recently launched a new series of plushies shaped like Singaporean local delights. At the Mr Merlion Hawker Fest pop-up at Terminal 3, which is now open, you can find soft toys shaped like rainbow kueh lapis, curry puff, bak kwa, ice kachang, chicken rice, chilli crab, kopi, Magnolia milk and even popular childhood favourite, rainbow bread ice cream. The stuffies are all inspired by British toy brand Jellycat, and similarly have small dangling legs as well as two eyes paired with a cute smile. Yup, pretty much like the highly raved kaya toast and egg plushies Milo released in April this year. Just like how they do it in the official Jellycat stores around the world, the staff will also prepare the plushies like they are actual dishes before 'serving' them to you. We can already hear people squealing over how cute these toys are. Some netizens even gushed that they're willing to work for the store just because the job seems "so fun". However, there were skeptics too. "Isn't this Malaysian food?" questioned one netizen. Sorry but we think we can safely answer... No! These are Singaporean food, please. At least the chicken rice and Magnolia milk definitely are.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Nestle's outlook brightens with wage growth, govt support measures
PETALING JAYA: Things are starting to look up for Nestle (M) Bhd , the purveyor of Milo chocolate malt drinks and Maggi noodles, as lower commodity prices, a combination of wage growth and government support measures and the decline of boycotts drove earnings in the second quarter ended June 30, 2025 (2Q25). While analysts remain cautious of the company's outlook, CIMB Research, which has maintained a 'hold' call on the stock with a target price (TP) of RM86.20, expects gradual demand recovery as consumer sentiment normalises amid fading boycott impact as well as likely improvements in exports leveraging on its place as Nestle SA's global halal hub. It believes the share valuation of 35.9 times financial year ending Dec 31, 2025 (FY25) price-to-earnings (PE) has priced in the weak near-term outlook, driven by lower sales volume assumptions amid prevailing soft consumer sentiment and global uncertainties, noting the inelastic demand for its largely consumer staple product offerings, strong brand equity, and diversified product portfolio across key food categories. Affin Hwang Research noted that the 2Q25 financial performance signals that the worst could probably be over, with the boycott pressures easing meaningfully, and has upgraded the stock to a 'buy' call and a TP of RM95 from RM85, implying 42 times PE. A stronger ringgit together with easing commodity prices may help lift the company's margins in the coming quarters. It pointed out that the RM100 credit given through the MyKad to all Malaysians aged 18 and above would also support higher sales in the second half of the year, as many Nestle products comes under the MySara programme. RHB Research said revenue growth, which returned in 2Q25, could be sustainable premised on the company's effective marketing engagements to stimulate consumer spending and the normalising sentiment on its brands. It has upgraded the stock to a 'buy' call from 'neutral' and raised the TP to RM95 from RM77 as the research house thinks that the comeback 'is timely in view of the pick-up in investor appetite for defensive stocks amidst uncertain market conditions.' 'We also expect a margin recovery ahead, on easing commodity prices. 'Post results, we raise FY25 to FY27 earnings by 8%, 7%, 3% after imputing higher sales growth and gross profit margin assumptions,' it said. UOB Kay Hian Research, which has maintained a 'hold' recommendation but with a higher TP of RM82 from RM76, said earnings for FY25 and FY26 has been lifted by 5.6% and 5.2% respectively to factor in higher sales and margin assumptions. 'Nestle had undertaken a price exercise adjustment in July 24 for certain products by 5% to 6% that appears to have largely protected its margins against higher input cost. 'Coupled with its hedging, margins should sustain over the near term,' it added.
Sinar Daily
3 days ago
- Business
- Sinar Daily
Paying more and understanding less under the new SST - when policy starts to feel like a prank
YOU wake up, scroll the news, and there it is. The Sales and Service Tax (SST) naik lagi (increases). No warning. No explanation. Just another quiet announcement slipped under the door like a final notice you did not know was coming. What was already expensive becomes just a little harder to justify. Raising taxes is not the issue. Every country needs revenue. But when new taxes arrive without conversation, context or empathy, they stop feeling like policy and start feeling like punishment. This is not governance. It is a widening gap between those who make the rules and those who live by them. In 2024, the Prime Minister declared a war on sugar. It was a solid move. Malaysia has Southeast Asia's highest rate of diabetes. One in six adults has it. Over half the population is overweight. Our roti canai is glorious, but our blood sugar is alarming. So we understood the logic. Tax sugary drinks. Encourage healthier living. We cut down our Milo ais (iced Milo). We nodded along. Then came news that fruits were being taxed. The one food group every doctor, campaign, and mother tell you to eat more of. Suddenly, healthy eating sounded like a lifestyle upgrade. Finance Ministry later clarified that SST only applies to imported fruits, not locally grown ones. Technically, this makes sense within the luxury classification framework. But practically, it complicates everyday lives. Many of the fruits Malaysians regularly consume such as pineapples, bananas and certain melons are imported depending on season and supply. It is unrealistic to expect households to rely solely on local produce. Some fruits are simply not available locally or differ significantly in taste and quality depending on origin. What was once a routine grocery item is now framed as a luxury. That framing is what makes the policy feel out of touch. We are being told to live healthier while watching nutritious choices become more expensive. It is like telling people to exercise more, then taxing the tools to do it. Running shoes, for instance, fall under taxable goods. If wellness is truly a national priority, policies should align with the lived cost of pursuing it. When the Prime Minister joked that if avocado is taxed, then do not eat avocado, it echoed a past that still stings. A few years ago, when grocery prices soared, another Prime Minister said if you cannot afford it, eat kangkung. The backlash was swift and loud. These comments, while perhaps meant in jest, reflect a deeper disconnection. People are not just budgeting avocados. They are budgeting protein. They are rationing electricity. They are quietly dropping fruits, supplements and essentials from their shopping lists. And just like that, food became a punchline. Just Fruits staff were seen arranging local and imported fruits following the new tax on imported fruits, with apples and oranges exempted as they are not grown locally and are popular during festive seasons on July 28, 2025. (BERNAMA PHOTO) The frustration is not just about the cost of living. It is about the lack of clarity, sincerity and structure in the way these changes are communicated and implemented. There were no widespread town halls. No consultative surveys that invited the public in. Policy changes roll out like surprise quizzes, and everyone pays if they fail. And I could not help but wonder if anyone in government is listening at all. Starting this month, the new RP4 electricity tariff was implemented. The base rate is now 45.40 sen per kilowatt hour. On paper, users could save up to 19 per cent if they use electricity during off peak hours and meet technical conditions. Large scale commercial users such as data centres face rate hikes of up to 14 per cent. For most households, the impact depends on how and when they consume electricity. Time of use pricing and targeted subsidies make sense theoretically. But practically, the average consumer may not have the tools, understanding or flexibility to shift usage. Without proper guidance, the burden quietly returns to the consumer. The middle class, particularly the M40, is especially affected. They earn too much to qualify for subsidies but not enough to comfortably absorb new costs. They receive no exemptions. But every change from SST to RP4 seems to land hardest on them. It is not that they are being ignored. It is that they are being assumed resilient. Even the recent minimum wage increase left a sour note. It raised the baseline for new hires but offered no mandate to adjust wages for existing workers. Someone loyal for five years could now earn the same as someone hired yesterday. That is not wage progress. It is wage erosion. Not too long ago, RM2,000 a month could rent a modest home and support basic meals. Today, that same amount might not even secure a studio apartment, let alone cover groceries and transportation. Prices have surged. Wages have stalled. And now, more taxes. More adjustments. More announcements. The rakyat is not asking for miracles. We are asking to be heard. We are asking for transparency, logic and respect. We are asking for policies that make sense when they reach the checkout counter, the electricity bill, the pharmacy. Because this is not about rejecting taxes. It is about ensuring fairness. It is about designing systems that work with, not against, the public's reality. You cannot tell people to eat healthy and then make fruit cost more. You cannot promote wellness while keeping wages stagnant. You cannot claim affordability while shifting more burdens onto the rakyat's backs. Even healthcare reform has turned into a question mark. The new medical and health insurance/takaful (MHIT) scheme, aimed at offering affordable insurance coverage, is proposed to be voluntarily funded through our EPF (Employers Provident Fund) Account 2. That is our retirement fund. That is emergency money. The last thing most people want to touch. And I could not help but wonder how long we can keep borrowing from our future to survive the present. Malaysia does not lack talent or ideas. We lack alignment. We need policies that consider context, behavior, timing and impact. We need clearer messaging, better engagement and actual feedback loops. Not just press conferences. This is not to say the rakyat is crumbling. But the pressure is real. The resilience is not infinite. The mental load of budgeting, adapting, and adjusting is growing heavier. We understand the government needs revenue. We also know times are tough globally. But the rakyat needs dignity. We need coherence. We need to be included, not just informed. Because when people do not understand why they are being taxed, they feel punished. When announcements come without explanation, they feel disregarded. When food becomes a joke and fuels a gamble, they feel alone in the system meant to support them. At this rate, it is not just SST and TNB bills that are climbing. It is anxiety. It is frustration. It is the quiet cost of being unheard. And the most painful irony of all is that the checkup for rising blood pressure might just be paid for with our retirement savings. Muhammad Naim Muhamad Ali, PhD, also known by the moniker Naim Leigh, is a Communication and Media Studies lecturer at the University of Wollongong Malaysia. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily.
