After a run at Plaza Singapura last Friday, free cups of Milo ‘peng’ will be made available to residents at Bedok tomorrow (Oct 14). The Milo van will be parked outside Bedok Mall (next to the taxi stand), from 11am to 7pm, according to a statement from its parent company, Nestle.
Then on Saturday, the van will be at Bugis+ from 12pm to 8pm, so for those craving a Milo fix, you know where to go.
The Milo treat comes as the company fulfils its promise to celebrate Singaporean crooner Nathan Hartono’s second-place finish in the Sing! China competition.
TOKYO – A child who was tucking into noodles at a popular Japanese restaurant found some extra topping in the bowl – the tip of a sliced finger, a health official said Thursday.
A female customer complained to staff when her child made the gruesome finding at a ” ramen” noodle outlet run by Kourakuen Holdings in the central Japanese city of Shizuoka last month.
It turned out to be a piece of “nail with thick skin”, according to Masashi Goto, a local official in charge of inspecting food hygiene.
“We were able to understand it was part of a finger,” he told AFP on the phone, adding that the tip was about one centimetre (0.4 inch) wide and 7-8 millimetres long.
The shop’s operator has submitted a letter of apology to the health office and vowed to ensure that a similar incident does not happen again, he said.
An official at Kourakuen Holdings, which operates a chain of ” ramen” noodle restaurants in the country, said the incident occurred when a female kitchen worker accidentally cut her thumb while slicing a chunk of pork.
The company said it had apologised to the customer but added that what had slipped into the bowl was not a fingertip but only a “nail”.
Kourakuen operates more than 520 outlets in Japan.
JAKARTA – Garuda Indonesia said three legless lizards escaped from the cargo compartment on a flight from Merauke to Jakarta.
The national carrier denied there were snakes on board one of its flight, saying they were instead indigenous legless lizards that managed to escape from the cargo compartment during a flight from Merauke, Papua to Jakarta on Tuesday (Oct 11).”The animal physically looks like a snake, but after an examination and checking of the documents, they are lizards and not snakes,” Vice-President of Corporate Communications Benny S Butarbutar said in a statement on Wednesday .
The lizard was of the Lialis burtoni species, commonly called legless lizards, he said.
The airline acknowledged that its plane was carrying a cargo of live animals in a wooden box that had air holes and was covered in a sack.
The cabin crew caught the lizards and secured them immediately. No flight disruptions were caused by the incident, Mr Butarbutar said.
Still, Garuda initiated an investigation into the incident.”Whoever is proven to be negligent over the standard operating procedures in the packaging will face firm sanctions,” he added.
The preliminary investigation suggested that the delivery box was not in accordance with regulations governing the transportation of live animals, since the confining wire mesh inside should have had smaller holes, he said.
Officials possibly failed to conduct multiple checks on the cargo loaded onto the flight, he added.
BEIJING – Rescuers in China used a large excavator to break down a concrete wall and free three elephants stuck in a water-filled reservoir for more than two days, state media reported.
The two adult elephants and calf were discovered on Sunday in the 5m deep reservoir in south-western Yunnan province by forest rangers, but heavy rains filled up the pool and delayed rescue efforts at the hilltop location.
The two adult elephants helped the calf keep afloat as the water levels rose, with more than 10 other elephants roaming around the tank, CCTV footage showed.
Rescuers, who brought food for the trapped animals, used a helicopter and firecrackers to scare away the nearby elephants, before bringing in a large excavator to break the wall of the reservoir on Tuesday.
Local authorities believed the calf had fallen in to the reservoir, which is used by local villagers to irrigate plants, and the two adults, a male and a female, went in to help.
Around 300 Asian elephants are thought to inhabit China with most found in Yunnan, which borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
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Aww! 3 elephants saved from water-filled reservoir in China
Just yesterday, Singaporean Redditor VPee shared his/her UberPOOL not-so fantastic experience, and ventured a query – “is this normal?”.
First of all, here’s what VPee posted:
“She didn’t offer any apologies, not even a clenched teeth “sorry about this”.”
This immediately led to several Singaporeans also chirping in to contribute their personal anecdotes while taking UberPOOL, most of them being not very positive as well:
“No apologies no whatever”
“That woman was odious and the tension was unbearable.”
“I had to bear with 30mins of touchy-feely between them.”
“I should have probably done something more.”
But of course, for the benefit of a doubt, this thread might simply have attracted those with bad experiences, so I decided to check out others online.
On another Reddit thread titled “How has UberPool been treating you?” posted 2 months ago, and the experiences were slightly more balanced, save for this poor fella who was pulled a fast one by his driver:
“Sorry to tell you this, but your driver absolutely lied to you.”
Are Singaporeans Ready For Commercial Carpooling?
UberPOOL was introduced to us at the end of June, and promised to get “more butts into fewer cars”. What it also promised were cheaper rides, and less congestion over time, which is an attractive idea to those of us who experience hellish jams every morning.
From the experiences we’ve read online, the concept did deliver – in a way.
There are definitely more people in one car for a single ride as compared to the usual load, and discounting cheating UberPOOL drivers, the fares are lower, but a common rant heard is the time taken to get to a location.
In fact, some even advice to only use the POOL option if one’s not in a rush.
Advice on UberPOOL
However, more time taken to get to a location can’t be blamed on the driver due to the nature of roads which require long detours, and what’s actually more pressing is the bad behaviour from some riders.
In fact, a Redditor who claims to be an Uber driver also contributed his two-cents in terms of his experience:
“Majority of the others treat us quite well.”
The thing is, though – carpooling actually isn’t something completely new to us Singaporeans.
For example, Ryde, GrabHitch and Swiftback have been players in the carpool market longer than (relatively) newer entrant UberPOOL, but they work rather differently from UberPOOL’s model.
As Moneysmart summarises in its piece on Uber’s vs. Grab’s carpool options:
“uberPOOL cars are driven by commercial drivers no different from your regular uberX driver. The only difference is that when these drivers opt to accept uberPOOL bookings, they get to pick up multiple passengers on one trip. As a result, passengers pay less per trip (even if they’re the only one in the vehicle).
GrabHitch is different in that it’s presented as a car sharing app which is not meant to let drivers earn money, but rather simply defray the cost of petrol since they have to make a longer trip. The incentive is supposed to be the social interaction and getting to know people.”
So perhaps the problem is that due to the ‘commercial’ nature of POOL, some of these riders treat the drivers as merely service providers they can order around.
There’s no way to curb bad behaviour, but for those of us who do POOL and have witnessed bad behaviour, perhaps the least we could do is to diffuse the situation.
Service is a two-way street, and just like us, Uber drivers are just people wanting to make a salary like ourselves.
“Please remember uber drivers are normal people too.”
Vulcan Post is all about living life with a digital edge, up and coming startups, and people who inspire conversations. Visit Vulcan Post for more stories.
In support of Nathan, Milo will be mobilizing their MILO Van to various locations in Singapore. Join in for some MILO peng this Friday, 14 October at Bedok Mall
SINGAPORE– The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) has suspended its Executive Director, Mr Edwin Seah, with immediate effect, the council said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 13). “We are unable to comment further as investigations are ongoing,” the…
MALAYSIA – Multi-faceted talent is in high demand in the region with a preference, it seems, for pan-Asian faces. So, how well can an Italian-American fare on our shores?
Introducing Robert Tonelli – more fondly known as Bobby Tonelli – a runway model, actor and radio deejay.
He is also currently the host for new TV series Celebrity Car Wars.
Having lived in Singapore for nine years, the 40-year-old has had his share of ups and downs.
The Las Vegas-born Tonelli first came to the Lion City in 1997 as a model and stayed on for seven months. He travelled back and forth several times before finding himself back again in 2007, which was when he thought about staying put for a while.
“People thought I was crazy as they weren’t sure why an ang moh (Caucasian) would move to Singapore to do movies and TV series,” he shared humorously.
Adapting to the culture and food was not a problem. It’s a quality he credits his grandparents who had moved to the United States from Italy.
“They had to adapt to the food and culture and that is the lesson I brought with me. My parents taught me that when you go to a friend’s house and they serve food, you eat because it is respectful and the right thing to do. You may even realise you like the food. It was a simple lesson that sticks with me,” he divulged.
Having never left the US prior to his Singapore trips, Tonelli revealed that he was “super American” and was not really exposed to much outside the country.
For his first time in Asia, he moved in with a Muslim family. Tonelli admitted he had no clue about the religion but came with an open mind. Watching, learning and asking many questions, he quickly learnt that it was always better to ask than to assume.
Tonelli, who is a model, actor and radio deejay, now hosts new TV series Celebrity Car Wars. Photo: History Channel
With much to learn still, he looked to friends who shared with him that while he was vocal in communicating grievances, Asians typically communicate without words.
“When I first got here, my humour was very sarcastic and taken as disrespectful. This was something I had to unlearn and re-learn, in order to adapt to the Asian culture.”
About the food, Tonelli’s personal favourites include laksa (but not the cockles), popiah, carrot cake, chicken rice and nasi lemak.
“I only don’t take anything fish head-related although it’s a big Asian thing. Give me a fish fillet anytime. Also, as much as I love chili crab, I don’t understand the work (required) to get so little meat. It’s like slaughtering a cow just for a steak!”
What’s most interesting about Tonelli is his humility.
While it does not immediately come across in conversation, he reveals his gratitude for all the opportunities he has received in Asia.
Stating that he never wants to be treated better than others, he has witnessed many expatriates who move to the continent but refuse to adopt the local culture.
“You see a lot of Asians move to America and Europe and adapt to the Western culture but you don’t see many Americans or Europeans coming here and doing the same. I believe that is just disrespectful to the Asian culture,” he mused.
Tonelli (second from left) with the celebrity contestants on Celebrity Car Wars. Tonelli (second from left) with the celebrity contestants on Celebrity Car Wars. Photo: History Channel
Where his latest foray is concerned, Tonelli has taken over the wheel for Celebrity Car Wars show. A never-before-seen format of reality TV, it features six celebrities from the region compete in various automative challenges.
For gearheads, Tonelli also reviews exotic cars such as Mercedes AMG55, McLaren, Ferrari California, Corvet 01s, Aston Martin and even a jeepney between challenges.
The celebrity contestants are Allan Wu, Andrea Fonseka, Joey Mead King, KC Montero, Marc Nelson and PK Piyawat Kempetch.
Tonelli joked that celebrities were chosen for the show for the plain fact that “there is this ego thing that comes into play”.
“They are good at what they do but they come with a certain bravado and ‘chip on their shoulder’. So it’s interesting to see them get deconstructed and then reconstructed into a different person on the show,” said Tonelli of his peers.
Some of the challenges include drifting, extreme 4×4 with custom buggies, rally cars on tracks, driving jeepneys as well as blindfolded reverse parking – all of which make for a suspenseful but fun watch.
Being a car guy himself, Tonelli shared that was probably what landed him the job in the first place. While he isn’t the mechanic type, he enjoys driving.
Unfortunately, with car prices in Singapore being expensive, he currently moves around on a motorbike.
Naturally, Tonelli hopes that the show will be a ratings success with more seasons to come. Having shot the first season in the Philippines, he expressed a hope to have a season filmed in Malaysia.
Being a foreigner, he is without pre-conceived notions that success comes easy.
“Long term, the true challenge is people just giving me a chance. There have been times when I’ve almost landed a job but they end up saying they prefer an Asian or pan-Asian.
“I’d rather they just give me a chance and they’ll see that I’m more Asian and adaptable than it seems,” he concluded.
Celebrity Car Wars airs every Monday at 10pm on the History Channel (Astro Ch 555 and HD 575).
A harrowing footage shows a man playing with his son in a supermarket in China when he accidentally topples backwards and crushes the child to death.
In the horrifying video below, the man was walking in front of his son while holding both the child’s hands when he suddenly lost his balance and fell backward, landing on top of his son.
According to South China Morning Post via Guangzhou Television, the young boy was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The supermarket’s CCTV video shows a saleswoman helping the father up.
The saleswoman then lifted the man’s motionless son from the floor and handed the poor boy to his father.
“In the video, the man’s entire weight was on the upper body of the child, including the boy’s head and neck,” a paediatrician in Guangzhou was quoted as saying. “The child might have suffered a cervical fracture.”
The video on Mirror went viral on social media in China, warning parents of the dangers of daily life.
SINGAPORE– The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) has suspended its Executive Director, Mr Edwin Seah, with immediate effect, the council said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 13).
