SGExplained

The Laju incident is like right out of a Bond novel, only that our own hero SR Nathan is the suave personality navigating international diplomacy, terrorism and hostage negotiations all before he became President of Singapore. Join us as we delve into the epic tale and find out about the incident that started Police NS and Singapore's fight against international terrorism! This is an episode like no other.

Join Rovik and Audrey Lim, local freelancer and multi-hyphenate, as they explore the fuzzy space of freelance work, gig economics and self-employment in Singapore. This was a tough one, but we made some progress in exploring who makes up the sector (surprise: they include all those private tuition teachers) and what are some of the areas that need to be worked on to truly accommodate this shift in the economy. Audrey was such a dear to have on and she did not hold back on her insider view of the sector. This is an episode you wouldn't want to miss!

Also, in my effort to cross-promote other Singaporean Podcasters, check out Screwed Up Moments by Danny Koordi!

Our national carrier has been in the news before, but this time, the reasons aren't great. We look back at why Singapore Airlines is so intertwined with our national identity, revisiting its founding as well as its major episodes, including the A380 launch and the "Longest Flight in the World". Join us as we learn more about some of its subsidiaries too, including SilkAir and Scoot, and finally, we check out how the COVID-19 crisis has hit the company. There must be a reason why our country will fight to keep Singapore Airlines alive and we make the journey to find it out!

McDonald's  has reopened and the Circuit Breaker just got a bit more manageable. In fact, McDonald's  and Singapore has had a very interesting relationship from the beginning. One of the more memorable episodes, of course, is the Hello Kitty Craze of 2000. If you're a Singaporean born before 1995, you'd likely remember the Hello Kitty fever where folks stood in lines that were hours long and even got into fights with one another. How about the fact that Hello Kitty plushies got flipped for more than 500 times the original cost? Just when we thought Singapore couldn't get more interesting, stories like these prove us wrong!

As a modern cosmopolitan city, Singapore tries its best to avoid riots. Yet in 2013, out of nowhere and sparked by an unfortunate accident, a street in Little India erupts into flames as migrant workers mob up. This episode we dive into the timeline of events and analyze the aftermath, including the Liquor Control Act and the pushing of migrant workers to compact districts on the fringes of Singapore.  Jump into this rather unfortunate but eventful episode of Singapore's history with us!

Resources:

Donating to Community Kitchen and HomeforAll: Giving.SG Link here

The Circuit Breaker has hit Singapore during this COVID-19 crisis and we're all likely stuck at home figuring out what to do. Luckily we've compiled some of Singapore's best movies released in the past decade, some of which can even be found on Netflix, for you to pass your time. Whether it's an authentic movie about Singaporean gangs or a heartfelt narrative on developing your identity during the Army, we've got options for you. Join us as we explore what some of these movies mean for our identity as Singaporeans and maybe you'll figure out which one you'll want to occupy your next evening. 

Movies discussed include:

If you're listening to this in 2020, you're likely just like us - overwhelmed by the COVID-19 Pandemic. You've also probably heard that it's not our first rodeo. Rather than try to explain a phenomenon still unraveling, Elliott and I take a journey back to 2003 to see how Singapore dealt with the SARS crisis and how things have changed since then. Advents such as social media up the stakes of today's situation when compared to SARS, but the novelty of it all really provided a difficult test for our country. Check out the evolution of Singapore's public health system with regards to mass outbreaks and how we've become a stronger nation.