19/03/2024

Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

What the science says about its safety
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) continues to be a controversial food additive used around the world. In this Honest Nutrition feature, we explain the benefits and risks of MSG and dispel popular myths

MSG, also known as the fifth taste or umami, is the sodium salt of glutamate — an amino acid naturally occurring in many foods and food additives and an important building block of protein in the body.

Glutamate was discovered from kombu seaweed in 1908 by Japanese professor of physical chemistry, Prof. Kikunae Ikeda. He later extracted the amino acid, dissolved it in water, and neutralized it with sodium hydroxide to form MSG. Glutamate itself is bitter, but MSG has a unique flavor that led Ikeda to coin the term umami expanding upon four basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. MSG occurs naturallyTrusted Source in various foods, such as carrot, onion, cabbage, potato, egg yolk, cheese, soy sauce, anchovies, and shrimp.

It is also produced through the fermentation of animal-based or plant-based foods, including molasses, sugarcane, sugar beet, beans, mushrooms, and seaweed. Debunking MSG myths:
  • MSG is high in salt, or sodium - Fact: Sodium is an important nutrient the body needs in small amounts to maintain blood volume and blood pressure.
  • Foods that contain MSG also contain gluten - Fact: GlutenTrusted Source is a protein present in wheat-based foods that is a health concern for people with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
  • If food package labels do not have ‘MSG’ on them, the food is MSG-free - Fact: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source requires food manufacturers to list added MSG as “monosodium glutamate” in their ingredient panel.
  • The body is unable to process MSG effectively - Fact: There are numerous glutamate receptors throughout the gut and nervous system.


Monosodium glutamate

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as sodium glutamate, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese in this glutamic acid form. MSG is used in cooking as a flavor enhancer with an umami taste that intensifies the meaty, savory flavor of food, as naturally occurring glutamate does in foods such as stews and meat soups.

MSG was first prepared in 1908 by Japanese biochemist Kikunae Ikeda, who was trying to isolate and duplicate the savory taste of kombu, an edible seaweed used as a base for many Japanese soups. MSG balances, blends, and rounds the perception of other tastes. MSG is commonly used and found in stock (bouillon) cubes, soups, ramen, gravy, stews, condiments, savory snacks, etc.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given MSG its generally recognized as safe (GRAS) designation. It is a popular belief that MSG can cause headaches and other feelings of discomfort, known as "Chinese restaurant syndrome". Several blinded studies show no such effects when MSG is combined with food in normal concentrations, and are inconclusive when MSG is added to broth in large concentrations. The European Union classifies it as a food additive permitted in certain foods and subject to quantitative limits. MSG has the HS code 29224220 and the E number E621

18/03/2024

From Kampongs to Flats


From Villages to Flats – The Kampong Days

The rapid urbanisation of Singapore in the past four decades has seen hundreds of villages demolished and the lands freed up for redevelopment. The life of many Singaporeans of the last generation changed dramatically as they shifted from their kampong to the high-rise public flats. The days of living in dilapidated wooden attap houses with hygienic concerns and limited supplies differed greatly from the comfort of the public housings fitted with electricity, water and gas.

On the other hand, the community, or kampong, spirit is lost when more people tends to coop themselves up in their own flats nowadays, and interaction with neighbours become a rarity. Children of the newer generation have also lost the chance to come in contact with nature; many of them probably have not seen a live rooster in their life.

Nevertheless, there is still one kampong existing on mainland Singapore today, although the land it is standing on is currently facing the prospect of being acquired by the government. Kampong Lorong Buangkok, established in 1956, has a mixture of Chinese and Malay residents living in harmony. There are about 28 single-storey zinc-roof houses here, on a landsize roughly equaled to three football fields. The land belongs to the Sng family, who lives here among the residents and collects only small tokens from the other families as rental fees.


From Kampongs to HDB – Singapore Through the Years

With more than 80% of the population living in HDB houses now, it is a stark contrast to how most of our grandparents from the pioneer generation grew up in villages or Kampongs then. Back in the 1960s, most families lived in unhygienic slums and were living in overcrowded squatter settlements. Only 9% of the population owned a flat and it was quickly becoming a housing crisis that gained the attention of the government.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) was then set up to solve this crisis swiftly, and they did. In a matter of three years, 21,000 flats for public housing were built and 54,000 in five years. Slowly, HDB relocated people living in the Kampongs to newly built high-rise flats with accessible running water and electricity. By 1969, HDB was resettling 6000 families per year. The relocation process usually involves government officials measuring land to calculate compensation for the owners, before allocating them a unit in a HDB flat in the same estate and notifying them of their resettlement period.

While most families were initially reluctant to move to HDB flats, they soon changed their minds after moving as they realised how much living conditions were improved at flats. In the past when people used to live in villages, doing the laundry involved drawing water from the well. After moving to flats, doing household chores were much easier since water was readily available from taps at home in flats. Grocery shopping at the nearest market no longer took a one and a half hour bicycle ride, and there was no longer a need to rear livestock at home at HDB flats. Other major improvements include having sheltered concrete walkways that linked blocks to bus stops. Gone are the days where paths would become streams of mud whenever it rained! Roofs no longer leaked during rainy nights and sleeping on straw mats on the floor became a thing of the past when comfortable mattresses became readily available in flats.


From Villages to Flats - Public Housing in Singapore
One of the oldest housing estates in Singapore, Tanglin Halt has a common name known among the local Chinese as chup lau, which was derived from the ten-storey flats built here. The other estate with the same nickname of chup lau is at Circuit Road.

The history of the public housing in Singapore is largely divided into two sections: The Singapore Improvement Trust’s (SIT) period and the Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) era. Two minor players that had also contributed in the building of public housing were Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) and Housing and Urban Development Company (HUDC) Private Limited.

The percentage of the local population living in public housing was raised from 9% in 1959 to 23% in 1965. Since 1985, at least 80% of the Singaporeans live in HDB flats.

For decades, kampong and flats actually co-existed on this island. Today, the kampong days were long gone, cherished by many older generations, while most of the younger generations have their childhoods spent in HDB flats, playgrounds and other facilities that are common in a typical new town.


Kampong Life: The last villages in Singapore and the stories behind them

Let’s be real: Singapore isn’t synonymous with the rural idyll. The slick, modern city-state is known for its urban sprawl, and shiny, soaring skyscrapers. And even if you think of Old Singapore, you’re likely to picture the iconic, colourful shophouses instead. However, back before brick and mortar are a thing, pockets of verdant land were occupied by villages – or ‘kampung’ in Malay. Each kampung featured traditional Malay attap houses, complete with thatched roofs made with attap leaves, and walls made with hardwood planks overlapping each other. Some had houses with zinc roofs instead – this is the more common version in Singapore’s last remaining villages.

As your grandparents – or even parents – would tell you: kampung life was simple back then. The elderly would sit out in their verandas, the chickens would cluck away in the coops, the neighbours would pop by unannounced, and the whole village would come to your rescue if you needed any help. Rooted in the country’s humble past, the kampung spirit refers to a culture of camaraderie, trust and generosity. While this continues to exist in modern Singapore, it’s more apparent in the kampung where residents are close-knit and neighbourly towards each other – something you rarely see in HDB flats anymore.

However, with the increase in high-rise buildings, many kampung houses have been bulldozed. Today, there are only two villages left in Singapore, but their future remains uncertain. This piece of heritage could soon be nothing more than a memory if not preserved. Here, we shine a light on the last remaining ones and the tours that will give you a taste of kampung life, as well as some known villages that are gone but not forgotten:
  • Kampong Lorong Buangkok - This historic slice of land has narrowly avoided redevelopment once, but its future remains uncertain.
  • Pulau Ubin - Other remaining kampung can be found on the offshore island of Pulau Ubin where time seems to have stood still since the 1960s.
  • Kampung Khatib Bongsu - Said to have existed by 1889, it was situated in the forested area in Yishun, near the mouth of Sungei Khatib.
  • Geylang Serai - Geylang Serai’s roots can be traced back to the 1890s when the Malays and Orang Laut were forced by the British to relocate further inland and away from their original settlements at the mouth of the Singapore River.
  • Nee Soon Village - Located at the intersection of Thomson Road and Sembawang Road, Nee Soon Village was one of the oldest Chinese kampungs.
  • Changi Village - Changi was an idyllic village in the pre-war years, then somewhere between the 1890s and 1920s, the British troops moved in and transformed it into a bustling place of recreation where military men and their families, as well as local bargain hunters, gathered for cheap buys and more.
  • Kampong Gelam - Back in the 1820s, Kampong Gelam was a fishing village due to its location by the Rochor River. It was also once reigned by Malay Sultans and housed Sultan Hussain Mohammed Shah, his family and entourage – all reportedly to be over 600 people.
  • Pulau Tekong - Before it became the setting for many National Service (NS) ghost stories, Pulau Tekong was a thriving trading station for Pulau Ubin and Johor and by 1898, the offshore island had many kampungs dotted around the island.
  • Pulau Seking - Pulau Seking was Singapore's second last offshore village with 44 kampung houses and no roads and cars. It's believed to have roots dating before 1819, with villagers being descendants of the original Orang Selat.

Kampung spirit not a wish to revert to the past, but a longing for togetherness
They sweat it out planting edibles in their community garden, not only for their consumption but also for their entire precinct

Kampung spirit is a positive attitude. It is a value, not an object of heritage that has relevance only in the past. The term can be misleading, prompting some people to assume we have to return to that way of life in the kampung before we can develop a kampung spirit. But much as I have a passion for people to cultivate and develop a kampung spirit, I would never suggest that we return to those impoverished days. This nation has come so far, and progressed in leaps and bounds.

We should not regress to those days of poor sanitation, poor housing and poverty. But we can cherry-pick that gracious way of living, community concern and incorporate it into our modern lives. Kampung life was full of hardships and deprivations. I can vouch for it, being born and brought up in Kampung Potong Pasir, just off Upper Serangoon Road. Throughout those years, my family never had a tap in our house nor a telephone. We always had to share our toilet and bathroom with our neighbours. Life was indeed a challenge. The majority of us had little food or any luxury. Store-bought toys or clothes was beyond our meagre pockets. Our wooden houses with attap roofs had no electricity or running water. A communal stand-pipe provided us with drinking water. For baths and general washing, we had to haul water out of a deep well or make use of rainwater we caught in kerosene pails and buckets. We took every opportunity to be jolly rather than moan our plight. The majority of people in the country were poor. But we were rich in spirit.

Many children lacked the opportunity to go to school, including myself. If my mother had not sold nasi lemak, I wouldn’t be writing. Nostalgia about the kampung does not mean that I romanticise about the past. I do write about smelly jambans. But the precious qualities of resilience and sense of community we shared in the kampung are qualities to emulate to build a strong, united nation. No one was left to die in loneliness. We talked to neighbours and looked out for each other. Each weekend evening, we came together outdoors to chat, recite poetry, tell stories and sing songs. This was kampong spirit at its best. I like the Malay term, gotong royong, which refers to a community coming together to do things in unison.


Singapore has lost its compassionate soul along with its kampong spirit

What has become of Singapore? Have we successfully evolved to become a society of binary minded beings, where the mind only sees Ones and Zeros in our day to day living? A neighbour of mine is in the middle of shifting out and like most of us living in high rise HDB flats, we get help from movers. By all logical thinking for accessibility, the lorry driver temporarily parked the vehicle he was driving on a No Parking lot that has a concrete gradual slope making it easy for the workers to push trolleys of heavy furniture and boxes.

Then came along a parking warden demanding the vehicle be moved while workers were in the middle of loading the lorry. According to him, someone called to complaint and there are white lots nearby (buffered by a metre and a half divider of drainage, grasspatch and tree roots) where the lorry can park. This is very strange because according to my neighbour, there wasn’t anyone obstructed by the vehicle (there is another sloping no parking access 10 mtrs to the right) thus it is either the person who made the complaint (if any) is irrational or the warden lied about it. In any case, what is the issue here? Firstly, there is no loading and unloading bay in a HDB carpark, secondly, the move was done outside peak hours, thirdly this is a one off event (just like weddings, funerals, elections…). My take is that the warden is one that may not be living in a HDB flat, has no discretionary capacity and has successfully evolved into a mechanical enforcer like judge dread.

This is perhaps another of the many examples that appear over the next week in week out reflecting the evolution of Singapore society. Especially in the last 10 years, it does seem that Singapore has lost its compassionate soul that has for many decades long before independence allowed multi ethnicity to thrive and blend its own Singapura flavour. To the leaders of Singapore, do note that The Kampong Spirit is not simply a slogan to rally and move your constituents to do what your boardroom committee draw up. Military dictators achieve the same effect through propaganda. Where Kampong spirit exist, neighbours would have gathered to help out in the moving process and bid a heartfelt farewell to the leaving neighbour. Today, this neighbour of mine might just have had a bitter memory imprinted on their last day in the neighbourhood.


Kampong Life

Pulau Ubin was formerly a cluster of 5 smaller islands separated by tidal rivers. Local Malays once called the island "Pulau Batu Jubin" or "Granite Stone island". This is because, in the old days, the granite from the island was quarried to make floor tiles or jubin in Malay. The name of the island was later shortened to Pulau Ubin. In the 16th century, Ubin was part of the Johor-Riau Empire. The earliest inhabitants of the island were the Orang Laut (or “Sea People”) and indigenous Malays of Bugis and Javanese origins.

By the mid-1800s, a sizable Chinese community moved to the island to work at the quarries. Pulau Ubin became a hotbed for granite quarrying. The granite was used for the construction of the Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branca completed in 1851, Fort Canning in 1858 and the Causeway in 1923. Many Kheks (Chinese dialect group) also settled on the central and western parts of the island, adding to the vast labour force which worked at the quarries. Granite quarrying activities on Pulau Ubin peaked in the 1930s when private quarries operated on the island. Besides granite quarrying, the island was also opened up for commercial crop cultivation. Coffee, nutmeg, pineapple, coconut, durian, tobacco and rubber plantations were started at different times across the island. Other activities included prawn farming, fishing and poultry rearing. Pulau Ubin retains much of its 1960s charming kampong setting. With its wooden kampong houses and scenic winding forest paths, it offers visitors a unique off-the-beaten-track experience. About 38 villagers continue to live on the island, such as the family of the late village head, Lim Chye Joo, and Madam Samsiah Abdullah, who lives in her 100-year-old kampong home. These villagers depend on traditional farming and fishing for subsistence, while others run provision stores, eateries and bicycle rental shops to support the tourist trade.

In the Ubin village, aside from the restaurants and bicycle rental kiosks, one can also find an old Wayang (“Chinese Opera”) stage and a colourful Chinese temple built in 1969. The former farms, rubber plantations and the now abandoned quarries allow visitors to enjoy a variety of sights around the island. In true kampong-style living, there is no tap water or electricity provided on Pulau Ubin. Residents obtain their water supply from wells, and operate diesel generators for electricity. In 2013, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) embarked on a micro grid test-bed using solar panels and biodiesel to generate electricity in a less pollutive and more environmentally sustainable manner for residents and businesses at the jetty area.


Bukit Timah had kampongs up until the 1980s

Bukit Timah, widely considered an upscale district in Singapore today, was once home to humble kampongs. But they were cleared out by the 1980s, when the authorities notified landowners they had to redevelop their wooden houses into proper houses according to building standards of the day. Many villagers eventually moved out because of this.

With urban development, much of Bukit Timah's kampong past has slowly been forgotten. And chances are, if you didn't grow up there from the 1950s to 1970s, you would never have heard of Kampong Chamar, Kampong Quarry or Kampong Coronation. While many of these villagers have moved into high-rise flats, one of the oldest residential estates in Bukit Timah can still be explored today. Nestled behind Rail Mall, Fuyong estate was built in the 1950s by philanthropist Lee Kong Chian to provide affordable modern .housing during Singapore’s housing shortage. Currently, the Fuyong estate residents remain a close-knit community.

In 2009, a group of them got together to try to secure a longer lease for the neighbourhood, as the lease for Fuyong estate was due to expire in 2046. It was also reported that the group has also extended help to families in the area who needed assistance. Even though some of these kampongs have largely disappeared from our urban environment, some tangible structures within that area remain.


More than 1 type of kampong in Singapore
This is what a kampong where pig-rearing was carried out looked like. Hard to believe that this was Singapore just one generation ago eh?

My young friend PY of Oceanskies 79 once wrote an article about her visit to Sentosa where she learned about kampong life in Singapore in the old days. I pointed out to her that what she learned was essentially about a Malay kampong. Chinese kampongs like the one I grew up in were quite different actually. Come to think of it, not only were Chinese kampongs different from Malay kampongs, among the Chinese kampongs there were differences too. So I take this opportunity to tell you what I know was different. I consulted my good friend Chuck who grew up in the Hillview area next to a Malay kampong in nearby Bukit Gombak.

First of all there are the games. I believe that the games played by the Malay kids and us were quite different. In PY’s article, she mentioned games like gasing and congkak. But as you have probably read from my articles (you can click on the label Toys Were Us on the right side to read these articles) the games we played were quite different. There were also a number of things in a Chinese kampong that you would not find in a Malay kampong. These were usually related to the difference in religious faiths; Malays being mostly Muslims. For example, in a Chinese kampong like Lorong Kinchir which I grew up in, pigs roaming freely was a common sight. Another thing which was mandatory in a Chinese kampong was the Tua Pek Kong temple and wayang stage. Depending on the size of the kampong, the size of these two features also tended to be different. During the Lunar 7th Month, opera shows would be performed.

Another thing we had was the Chinese Medicine Shop. Practically all Chinese kampongs had one of these. Today, they are still a common sight in our HDB heartlands. Another thing I can think of is the village school. In our kampong, we had a small Chinese school called Chong Boon School (崇 文). I spent one year there in fact doing primary one. But later I went to primary one again, but this time in an English school. In those days, they were not particular about ages and so even though I did two years of primary one, I was not over-age. As I said before, even among the Chinese kampongs there were differences. This was mainly due to differences in economic activity. For example, compared to our closest neighbour which was Potong Pasir, we had more fish ponds whilst they had a lot of vegetable farms. We also had quite a bit of rubber estates. especially towards the Thomson end of Lorong Kinchir. Potong Pasir was to our south and separated from us by Braddell Road. It was mainly a Cantonese area. We used to refer to it as San Par.


A Malay kampong house

The traditional Malay attap house is usually found in rural villages known as ‘kampongs’. Such houses have thatched roofs made using attap leaves while the walls are constructed with horizontal overlapping hardwood planks.

The main section of the house is referred to as the ‘rumah ibu’, which means ‘mother house’. Extensions to the main structure are often constructed to serve as a porch area for receiving guests or as the household kitchen. The house's post-and-lintel structure is supported by timber pillars buried in the ground without the aid of concrete or wooden bases.

Modifications to the traditional dwelling involve the incorporation of modern construction techniques and materials. An example would be the use of zinc sheets, brick tiles or wooden shingles instead of attap leaves for constructing the roof.


The last Kampongs in Singapore

Let’s be real: Singapore isn’t synonymous with the rural idyll. The slick, modern city-state is known for its urban sprawl, and shiny, soaring skyscrapers. And even if you think of Old Singapore, you’re likely to picture the iconic, colourful shophouses instead. However, back before brick and mortar are a thing, pockets of verdant land were occupied by villages – or ‘kampung’ in Malay. Each kampung featured traditional Malay attap houses, complete with thatched roofs made with attap leaves, and walls made with hardwood planks overlapping each other. Some had houses with zinc roofs instead – this is the more common version in Singapore’s last remaining villages.

As your grandparents – or even parents – would tell you: kampung life was simple back then. The elderly would sit out in their verandas, the chickens would cluck away in the coops, the neighbours would pop by unannounced, and the whole village would come to your rescue if you needed any help. Rooted in the country’s humble past, the kampung spirit refers to a culture of camaraderie, trust and generosity. While this continues to exist in modern Singapore, it’s more apparent in the kampung where residents are close-knit and neighbourly towards each other – something you rarely see in HDB flats anymore.

However, with the increase in high-rise buildings, many kampung houses have been bulldozed. Today, there are only two villages left in Singapore, but their future remains uncertain. This piece of heritage could soon be nothing more than a memory if not preserved. Here, we shine a light on the last remaining ones and the tours that will give you a taste of kampung life, as well as some known villages that are gone but not forgotten:
  • Kampong Lorong Buangkok - This historic slice of land has narrowly avoided redevelopment once, but its future remains uncertain.
  • Pulau Ubin - Other remaining kampung can be found on the offshore island of Pulau Ubin where time seems to have stood still since the 1960s.
  • Kampung Khatib Bongsu - Said to have existed by 1889, it was situated in the forested area in Yishun, near the mouth of Sungei Khatib.
  • Geylang Serai - Geylang Serai’s roots can be traced back to the 1890s when the Malays and Orang Laut were forced by the British to relocate further inland and away from their original settlements at the mouth of the Singapore River.
  • Nee Soon Village - Located at the intersection of Thomson Road and Sembawang Road, Nee Soon Village was one of the oldest Chinese kampungs.
  • Changi Village - Changi was an idyllic village in the pre-war years, then somewhere between the 1890s and 1920s, the British troops moved in and transformed it into a bustling place of recreation where military men and their families, as well as local bargain hunters, gathered for cheap buys and more.
  • Kampong Gelam - Back in the 1820s, Kampong Gelam was a fishing village due to its location by the Rochor River. It was also once reigned by Malay Sultans and housed Sultan Hussain Mohammed Shah, his family and entourage – all reportedly to be over 600 people.
  • Pulau Tekong - Before it became the setting for many National Service (NS) ghost stories, Pulau Tekong was a thriving trading station for Pulau Ubin and Johor and by 1898, the offshore island had many kampungs dotted around the island.
  • Pulau Seking - Pulau Seking was Singapore's second last offshore village with 44 kampung houses and no roads and cars. It's believed to have roots dating before 1819, with villagers being descendants of the original Orang Selat.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok: Singapore’s last village

A beautiful memory of the past still exists in the North-Eastern part of Singapore – Kampong Lorong Buangkok. Although Singapore is surrounded by many villages and islands, many of them are inaccessible to the public. Kampong Lorong Buangkok is the last surviving village on mainland Singapore, which once had 220 scattered kampongs around Singapore. Before it was a kampong, this place was once a swamp that was vastly different from the kampong we see today. In 1956, a traditional medicine seller named Sng Teow Koon bought the land and rented out small plots of it to Malay and Chinese families. These families then built their own houses, which are the houses that we see today.

Nicknamed Kampong Selak Kain, it refers to the way villagers used to hitch up their traditional skirts as they made their way through the floodwaters. Stilt houses built with wooden walls and thatched roofs made with palm fronds (also known as attap) were the basis of a Kampong house. However, these materials were fire hazards, and along with the high population density, this increased the risk of fires in villages. This resulted in the demolition of the kampongs, eliminating the “kampong spirit” that brought the community together. The team at Walk Walk personally went down to Kampong Lorong Buangkok to take a look for ourselves. When you arrive at that area, it is pretty obvious where the Kampong is from the looks of it. Situated in the middle of all the HDBs, you will walk past the Coast to Coast Trail on the way. When you first arrive at the entrance of the Kampong, you will be greeted by a sign as shown below.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok now houses less than 30 families, including Sng Teow Koon’s daughter, Sng Mui Hong. While housing prices have increased in the surrounding areas of the village, Sng Mui Hong still keeps her monthly rent for each house more or less to the original rate of S$4.50 to S$30 (£2.40 to £16.20) today. The low monthly rental is thus arguably the most affordable housing one can get in Singapore. However, getting a house in the village is not that simple. These houses can only be occupied if someone has moved out or passed away, and the new occupant has to be connected to the past and present tenants. The community remains tight-knitted as they are all long-time occupants of the village and/or descendants of the occupants, helping to keep everyone close together. This village’s community spirit relives the memories of the “kampong spirit”, long lost with the development of HDBs in Singapore. Though the government has tried to maintain the “kampong spirit” through communal living and shared spaces in housing estates, the “kampong spirit” within Kampong Lorong Buangkok differs from that of the HDBs. If you look closely at the area around the kampong, you will notice that nearby power cables hang overhead, which is a feature of the past in Singapore. Singapore’s rapid development has shifted the power cables underground, which prevents safety risks compared to overhead power cables. So, the next time you visit the area around Kampong Lorong Buangkok, be sure to look out for the overhead cables!


The Last Kampong in Singapore
As the last surviving kampong on the mainland, Kampong Buangkok serves as a juxtaposition against the modern cosmopolitan city, highlighting the camaraderie and kampong spirit that is paradoxically absent in today's world

In cosmopolitan Singapore, everyone and everything is hectic and fast-paced. Yet in a corner of Singapore, exists a place where time slows down to a peaceful pace, and residents enjoy a simple yet relaxing lifestyle, content with their status quo.

This xanadu of greenery and nostalgia exists in the North-Eastern part of Singapore. Established in 1956, Kampong Lorong Buangkok is the last surviving kampong (Malay term for village) on Singapore's mainland. The kampong was also known as Selak Kain, which meant 'hitching up one's skirt' as people used to hitch their skirts up to wade through floods whenever the kampong experienced flash floods in the 20th century

The land was first acquired by Mr Sng Teow Hoon, a traditional Chinese medicine seller, who rented out land for people to build homes. It was later handed down to his children, one of whom is Miss Sng Mui Hong, who is currently still living in the kampong. Kampong Buangkok used to house about 40 familes, but has since shrunk to the size of approximately two soccer fields with less than 30 families now. Each family pays a token sum of less than $30 to Miss Sng as monthly rent.

17/03/2024

Last Words of Steve Jobs

Last Words of Steve Jobs who passed away on 5 Oct 2011 at the age of 56

Steve Jobs
Jobs introducing the iPhone 4 in 2010

Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, business magnate, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; a member of The Walt Disney Company's board of directors following its acquisition of Pixar; and the founder, chairman, and CEO of NeXT. He is widely recognized as a pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, along with his early business partner and fellow Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Jobs was born in San Francisco to a Syrian father and German-American mother. He was adopted shortly after his birth. Jobs attended Reed College in 1972 before withdrawing that same year. In 1974, he traveled through India seeking enlightenment before later studying Zen Buddhism. He and Wozniak co-founded Apple in 1976 to sell Wozniak's Apple I personal computer. Together the duo gained fame and wealth a year later with production and sale of the Apple II, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputers. Jobs saw the commercial potential of the Xerox Alto in 1979, which was mouse-driven and had a graphical user interface (GUI). This led to the development of the unsuccessful Apple Lisa in 1983, followed by the breakthrough Macintosh in 1984, the first mass-produced computer with a GUI. The Macintosh introduced the desktop publishing industry in 1985 with the addition of the Apple LaserWriter, the first laser printer to feature vector graphics.

In 1985, Jobs was forced out of Apple after a long power struggle with the company's board and its then-CEO, John Sculley. That same year, Jobs took a few Apple employees with him to found NeXT, a computer platform development company that specialized in computers for higher-education and business markets. In addition, he helped to develop the visual effects industry when he funded the computer graphics division of George Lucas's Lucasfilm in 1986. The new company was Pixar, which produced the first 3D computer-animated feature film Toy Story (1995) and went on to become a major animation studio, producing over 25 films since.

In 1997, Jobs returned to Apple as CEO after the company's acquisition of NeXT. He was largely responsible for reviving Apple, which was on the verge of bankruptcy. He worked closely with English designer Jony Ive to develop a line of products that had larger cultural ramifications, beginning with the "Think different" advertising campaign and leading to the Apple Store, App Store (iOS), iMac, iPad, iPod, iPhone, iTunes, and iTunes Store. In 2001, the original Mac OS was replaced with the completely new Mac OS X (now known as macOS), based on NeXT's NeXTSTEP platform, giving the operating system a modern Unix-based foundation for the first time. In 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. He died of respiratory arrest related to the tumor on October 5, 2011, at the age of 56. In 2022, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

16/03/2024

Rod Stewart @ Marina Bay Sands 16 & 17 Mar 2024


Rod Stewart to perform in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands on 16 and 17 March 2024
British pop-rock star, 78, last performed in Singapore in 2009; general tickets to go on sale on 10 November

Pop-rock star Rod Stewart - who sang classic hits such as "Maggie May", "Sailing" and "Have I Told You Lately" - will return to Singapore to perform at the Sands Grand Ballroom on 16 and 17 March next year. The 78-year-old British singer-songwriter - who last performed in the city-state at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2009 - will be embarking on the Asia leg of his “Live in Concert, One Last Time” tour in March, his first concerts in Asia after 15 years.

Besides Singapore, the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is also set to perform in Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines and Japan. Stewart will be performing hit songs as well as covers across his five-decade career. Fans will also get to witness a dynamic stage production, which includes 12 band members and backup vocalists.

“It has been 15 years since my last Asian tour, which is far too long! I truly cannot wait to return with a setlist of all my biggest hits and one of the most extraordinary productions of my career. It's going to be quite a bash," he said in a media release on Wednesday (25 October). The Singapore stop is part of Marina Bay Sands’ "Sands Live" concert series, which was first unveiled in 2014 and relaunched in March this year. The concert series has brought in performers such as The Rolling Stones, Michael Bublé, and Celine Dion.



ROD STEWART "LIVE IN CONCERT, ONE LAST TIME"

One of the best-selling music artists of all time, Sir Rod Stewart CBE, has sold more than 250 million albums and singles worldwide during a stellar career that includes hits in all genres of popular music from Rock, Folk, R&B and even the American Standards.

This versatility has made him one of the few stars to enjoy chart-topping albums throughout every decade of his career, now spanning over fifty years. Some of his biggest hits include ‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It’, ‘Have I Told You Lately’, ‘Maggie May', ‘Rhythm of My Heart’, ‘Tonight’s the Night’ and ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy’.

One of the most loved entertainers worldwide, Sir Rod kicked off one of the biggest tours of his career in 2022, as well as the 11th year of his hit Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace. For 2 nights only, Sir Rod Stewart will take Singapore by storm in his "Live in Concert, One Last Time" Asia tour, which will see him perform both here and in Tokyo.

15/03/2024

The Cola War - Coke vs Pepsi


The Cola Wars

The Cola wars are the long-time rivalry between soft drink producers The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, who have engaged in mutually-targeted marketing campaigns for the direct competition between each company's product lines, especially their flagship colas, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Beginning in the late 1970s and into the 1980s, the competition escalated until it became known as the cola wars.

In 1886, John Stith Pemberton, a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia, developed the original recipe for Coca-Cola. By 1888, control of the recipe was acquired by Asa Griggs Candler, who in 1896, founded The Coca-Cola Company. Two years later, in 1898, Caleb Bradham renamed his "Brad’s Drink" to "Pepsi-Cola," and formed the Pepsi-Cola Company in 1902, prompting the beginning of the cola wars.

The two companies continued to introduce new and contemporary advertising techniques, such as Coke's first celebrity endorsement and 1915 contour bottle, until market instability following World War I forced Pepsi to declare bankruptcy in 1923. In 1931, Pepsi went bankrupt once more, but recovered and began selling its products at an affordable 5 cents per bottle, reigniting the cola wars through to today. Pepsi offered to sell out to Coca-Cola following both of its bankruptcies during this time, but Coca-Cola declined each time.


The Cola Wars Timeline: What Went Down

The incredible Cola Wars is stuff legends are made of. For more than a century, The Coca Cola Company and PepsiCo have been feuding through television advertisements and marketing campaigns to outdo the other. The bouts of intense competition between the two soda brands in the peak of the era went so far as to feature taste tests to sway the consumers.

The complex relationship Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo began in the 1980s, when Pepsi began running television commercials around the country, in what they called the Pepsi Challenge.  At malls, shopping centers, and other public locations a Pepsi representative set up table with two white cups: one marked M and one marked Q. Shoppers were encouraged to taste both drinks and select the one they prefer. The general consensus leaned towards the cup marked M, and M would be revealed as Pepsi. Coke performed its own tests and discovered the same thing. Since Pepsi was sweeter than Coke, the devastated executives at the Coca-Cola Company decided to change its formula. This was New Coke; and it horribly backfired.

What makes the Cola Wars so interesting is that their products are identical. They’re brown, sugary, and carbonated beverages. They don’t taste that different. So why jump through the hoops to generate brand loyalty? The Cola Wars timeline will give you a look at some of the biggest spats between the twin American icons:
  • KAMIKAZE MARKETING - When Crystal Pepsi was released, Coca-Cola released a competitor called Tab Clear as an intentionally bad product to destroy the Crystal Pepsi brand. The ‘kamikaze’ strategy, where Coca-Cola would create a terrible tasting beverage to create consumer confusion, was successful and both the products were dead 6 months later.
  • A PLOT TO BETRAY COKE - In 2006, three agents tried to sell Coca-Cola’s secret ingredient to Pepsi. Undercover FBI officers posted as Pepsi executives and pretended to broker the deal which resulted in the arrest of the three agents.
  • COMPETING FOR BURPS IN MEXICAM SHAMANS - When PepsiCo discovered that Mexican shamans used Coca-Cola in their religious rituals to heal worshippers, they offered commissions for using Pepsi instead. Coca-Cola found out and they began paying; and thus the Mexican shamans became a battleground for Cola Wars between Pepsi and Coke. Soon rival religious group were formed based on which soft drink they use.
  • RUM AND COLA? - Rum and Coke or Rum and Pepsi? Or Jack and Pepsi? A flavor scientist could tell you which one, and why. Or, perhaps, a songwriter?
  • COLA WARS IN SPACE - In the summer of 1985, the two soda brands reached peaked rivalry by taking their marketing spat into outer space. When Pepsi got wind of Coca-Cola’s gravity-free can for NASA, it started developing a space can of their own. The spat got so ugly that several Senators and even the White House got dragged into it. The shuttle mission finally launched with four cans of Coke and four cans of Pepsi aboard.


This Is the Real Flavor Difference Between Pepsi and Coca-Cola
No, your taste buds aren't playing tricks on you! Despite their similar qualities, there is an actual difference

Pepsi and Coca-Cola may be one of the most controversial drink debates of all time. A strong divide between diehard Coke drinkers and Pepsi enthusiasts has always existed. Yet, the two drinks are practically identical in every way from their caramel syrup color to their ingredients. Both sodas contain sodium, sugar, carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, phosphoric acid, caffeine, and natural flavors.

Despite their numerous similarities, Pepsi and Coca-Cola still give people two vastly different flavor experiences, which explains why people prefer one over the other. In Blink, a book about decision making and thinking, by author and journalist, Malcolm Gladwell, he writes, “Pepsi is sweeter than Coke and is also characterized by a citrusy flavor burst, unlike the more raisiny-vanilla taste of Coke.” Don’t miss how we settled the cola taste-test debate.

In fact, a 12 ounce can of Pepsi contains one thing Coke does not—citric acid. In addition, Pepsi also has two more grams of sugar than Coke. These two subtle differences give Pepsi its sweet, citrus-like flavor that people either love or loathe. Plus, the additional 15 mg of sodium in a can of Coke may explain why it tastes more like a club soda with a toned-down sweetness. Next, find out the fascinating origins of soda you never realized.


How to Tell the Difference Between Coke and Pepsi

Perhaps because they are so similar, Coke and Pepsi have been in a fierce competition for fans for decades. Learning how to taste the difference between these two iconic sodas is great as a parlor trick or simply for personal enjoyment. Keep in mind, however, that the differences are minor — in blind taste tests, most people can't tell which is which:
  • Judging Its Taste - Judge its flavor qualities. Coke and Pepsi taste quite similar, but their flavors aren't exactly the same. Start by taking a sip of your drink. Concentrate on the flavor — ask yourself, "What else does this taste like?" Everyone's sense of taste is different, but a few popular comparisons are as follow - Coke is often said to resemble raisins with a hint of vanilla & Pepsi is often said to resemble citrus fruit.
  • Judge its intensity. A soda's flavor isn't just about what other things it tastes like — it's also about how those tastes feel in - your mouth. Take another drink of your soda. Concentrate on how the soda feels as it moves over your tongue and down your throat. Again, everyone's opinion is different, but some common observations are below - Coke has a flavor that many define as "smoother." The flavor rises gradually and recedes gently. It should go down your throat easily & Pepsi has a flavor that many define as "sharper." The flavor has a stronger "attack" — it rises in a sudden "burst" of flavor. It should be a little more intense as it goes down your throat.
  • Judge its sweetness - Take another drink. This time, concentrate on the sugar content in the drink. Is the sweetness overpowering, or is it more subtle? This can be difficult to judge unless you have both drinks in front of you so that you can compare them. According to official nutritional information - Coke has a little less sugar, so it is slightly less sweet & Pepsi has a little more sugar, so it is slightly more sweet.
  • Feel the carbonation level - Hold a sip of the soda in your mouth for a few seconds. Concentrate on the feeling of the carbonation bubbles. Is the drink quite fizzy, or slightly "flatter" than you're used to in a soda? This, too, is difficult to tell unless you have both drinks for comparison purposes. See below - Coke has more carbonation, so it is slightly fizzier & Pepsi has less carbonation, so it is slightly "flatter."
  • Smell its aroma - If you still aren't sure, try smelling your drink as you gently swirl it in its glass (like a wine snob). This releases a little more of the aromatic chemicals into the air so your nose can pick them up. Concentrate on the aroma — if you had to choose, does it remind you of raisins and vanilla (like the flavor of Coke) or citrus fruits (like the flavor of Pepsi)?


Pepsi vs. Coke: What's Really the Difference?

The orange juice in your refrigerator probably came from Coca Cola. The oatmeal you eat with it? That's probably a Pepsi jam. In fact, together these two companies make up an enormous proportion of the drinks and snacks you may have on a daily basis. Coca Cola (COKE) alone claims more than 500 brands worldwide.

These two companies have expanded enormously since their founding in the late 19th century. Still, all the sports drinks and sun chips in the world don't change their core mission: winning the cola wars. Ever since Coke and Pepsi (PEP) hit the shelves they have been direct competitors, a head-to-head that by now has become a part of American culture. Some people swear by the bright blue can. Others won't even use the word "soda" when they can ask for a Coke.

Here's what you (probably don't really) need to know the next time a waiter asks, "Coke or Pepsi?":
  • What to Know About Coke - Coke was invented in 1886 by a chemist named John Pemberton. While specific stories vary, most records agree that Pemberton was trying to create an anesthetic syrup. (Some records indicate that Pemberton, a Confederate veteran, was trying to replace morphine, upon which he had become dependent during the Civil War.)
  • What to Know About Pepsi - Pepsi has always been the Apple to Coke's Microsoft, the Lyft to Coke's Uber. (Although that might not be fair. If Travis Kalanick had started Coca-Cola each can would cost five times as much in the summer and the company slogan would be "Coke: It would taste better if you smiled more.")


Coke vs. Pepsi: Who Controls the Market Share?

Coca Cola and Pepsi control the global non-alcoholic beverage industry. Two powerhouses control the market share of the carbonated soft drink and beverage industry: PepsiCo. Inc. (PEP) and The Coca-Cola Corporation (KO).

Since 2004, Coca-Cola Company has been the market leader. Coca-Cola, despite a brand value decline of 13% in 2021, remained the world’s most valued soft drink brand at $33.2 billion in 2021, according to Brand Finance. PepsiCo. takes second at $18.4 billion. Dr. Pepper-Snapple was the fastest-growing soft drink brand with a 40% brand value increase, followed by Red Bull’s 15% increase.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
  • PepsiCo. Inc. and The Coca-Cola Corporation are the two powerhouses controlling the bulk of the carbonated soft drink (CSD) and beverage industry.
  • Both companies have a large global presence, controlling several hundred brand names each.
  • Since 2004, Coca-Cola Company has been the market leader, according to industry statistics.
  • Pepsi ranks second, followed by Dr. Pepper-Snapple.
  • In Q1 2022, PepsiCo had a market cap of $229.3 billion while Coca-Cola had a market cap of $268.4 billion.


Coke vs Pepsi: Modern Day Cola Wars

Thanks to the pandemic, soda consumption is back up. So are we headed for another war between the two mainstay cola brands or is it clear that one brand rules the (modern) day?

What were the original cola wars? Back in the 1980’s, there was an epic battle of two brands: Coke and Pepsi. Both brands clambered for market share (Little 2019). Here’s what went down:
  • Pepsi won a bunch of blind taste tests.
  • They famously shared the results in the Pepsi Challenge campaign.
  • For a short time, Pepsi beat Coke in sales.
  • Coke countered with “New Coke”, but quickly back-peddled as they faced angry Americans who loved the original product.
  • If you are old enough to recall that period of time, which brand did you choose? Were you a Classic Coke fan, or a Pepsi lover? And do you think your tastes have changed?


The Difference Between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Explained

Whether you’re a casual soda drinker or a soft drink fiend, odds are you have a strong opinion when it comes to the longstanding rivalry of Coca-Cola versus Pepsi.

The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo are two of the largest and most recognizable food and beverage brands in history, each with hundreds of products sold in markets worldwide. From television and print ads, to celebrity endorsements and iconic product placement in feature films, the companies’ influence knows no bounds. But despite their current international dominance, both of these megabrands had humble beginnings, originating in 19th-century pharmacies in the American South.

For all the Coca-Cola devotees and Pepsi fanatics out there, read on to learn more about the great Pepsi vs Coca-Cola debate, and how these two all-American sodas really compare:
  • Dr. John Pemberton, an Atlanta-based chemist, developed Coca-Cola’s original syrup in 1886. After Pemberton’s sweetly flavored creation was deemed “excellent” by a local pharmacy, it was mixed with carbonated water and sold for 5 cents a pop. Despite Pemberton’s role as the brainchild, the brand’s meteoric rise has been largely attributed to Frank M. Robinson, Pemberton’s bookkeeper, who is credited as the genius behind Coca-Cola’s name and iconic logo that still graces the company’s branding today.
  • Unfortunately, Pemberton would not get to experience the true worth of his invention. Following Pemberton’s death in 1888, fellow Georgian Asa G. Candler purchased the rights to the company for $2,300, and launched Coca-Cola into a full-fledged empire.
  • Two states over and nearly a decade later in 1893, Pepsi was invented by pharmacist Caleb Bradham in New Bern, N.C. Originally called “Brad’s Drink,” the unique tonic was sold at Bradham’s pharmacy where it became a popular beverage among the locals. In 1903 Bradham trademarked his product “Pepsi-Cola” and started selling it across the state. The brand’s reach continued to expand rapidly and, by 1910, there were 240 Pepsi-Cola bottling franchises in 24 states.


Why Coke is winning the cola wars
The Cola Wars has given way to a portfolio game, but cola remains a heavy hitter

It's been a long time since PepsiCo just sold Pepsi and Coca-Cola just sold Coke.
Both companies now sell juice, water, sports drinks and iced coffee. And in many of these categories, Pepsi is winning.

But when it comes to regular old cola, Coke is still king. In the last decade, Coke's market share has risen from 17.3% to 17.8%, while Pepsi's has dropped from 10.3% to 8.4%, according to Beverage Digest, a trade publication. Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi have both lost ground but Diet Coke is still far ahead.

Here's how it happened — and why it matters:
  • Thinking outside the can - It's a tough time for soda sellers.
  • Soda still matters Carbonate-  soft drinks still accounted for $81 billion in sales in North America in 2016, according to Beverage Digest — way more than growing categories like water ($23 billion) and sports drinks ($9.4 billion). And soda is cheaper to make than other beverages.
  • Chasing Millennials - In January, Coke announced new Diet Coke flavors and a sleek new can. The campaign was aimed at a younger crowd: The new flavors, like Ginger Lime and Zesty Blood Orange, call to mind different variations of trendy La Croix seltzers.


COKE VS. PEPSI: The Amazing Story Behind The Cola Wars

The rivalry between Coca-Cola and Pepsi is legendary. Although the feud really heated up with the Pepsi Challenge in 1975 —which prompted Coca-Cola's horrific New Coke debacle — the brands have been fighting each other for more than a century.

And not just about product development. Things occasionally get personal, which sometimes resonates in their marketing. Earlier this year, Pepsi went after Coke's famed mascots, the polar bears and Santa. The feud has even moved into outer space and raged over social media.  So how'd it become this way? The folks at CnnTees put together an amazing infographic entitled "The Soda Wars" that includes everything you'd ever want to know about the history of Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

Take a look:
  • The saga began in 1886, when John S. Pemberton developed the original recipe for Coke. Here's what was in it:
  • Pepsi-Cola was created in 13 years later by pharmacist Caleb Bradham.
  • Coca-Cola was already selling a million gallons per year by the time Pepsi came to be
  • Coke developed its iconic contour bottle, got big name endorsements and expanded to Europe. Meanwhile, Pepsi went bankrupt because of WWI.
  • Pepsi went bankrupt again eight years later, but this time it rebounded.
  • During WWII, Pepsi amped up its advertising and started selling its drink in cans.
  • In the 50s, Coke ads started hitting TV, while Pepsi rebranded to try to keep up.
  • Coke decided to go public in 1962, on the heels of its launch of Sprite, which would become one of its most successful brands.
  • Pepsi merged with Frito Lay in the mid-60s to create PepsiCo, setting the stage for the war today. Diet drinks popped up too, creating a whole new soda segment.


Ovaltine vs Milo: See Their Differences, Similarities, & Benefits

Milo and Ovaltine are two of the most popular chocolate breakfast drinks in the world, available at most supermarkets. With cocoa and several other ingredients that are similar to each other, these two products have many things in common. However, there are many differences between the two when comparing their ingredient lists and contents. You may wonder which one contains more vitamins and minerals and which one should be part of your regular diet.

What is milo? = The Milo beverage is a popular beverage made with chocolate-flavored malted powder and was invented in 1934 by Thomas Mayne and manufactured by Nestle. You can generally enjoy this beverage by mixing it with cold or hot water. Often advertised as a sports drink, Milo comes in a green package (refill or tin) and mainly comes in powdered form. Other Milo forms that exist include cube forms, granola protein bars, snack bars, and cereal forms. Additionally, the ingredients and formulas used in making Milo differ according to the regions making them. While some add sugar and milk to their formula, others don’t. The use of nuts to add flavor to the beverage also exists in some regions.

What is Ovaltine? - Ovomaltine or Ovaltine as it is popularly called is another brand of beverage made using chocolate milk-flavored powder. Major ingredients used in making it include malt extract, sugar, and other flavors. However, these ingredients may vary based on the country or region of production. For example, the formula used in making Switzerland’s Ovaltine does not include sugar and replaces it with honey. However, those made in the United States, use sugar as the primary sweetener.