Author: Zat

It starts with a story. Tell me a story that might intrigue me; a tale that captures my imagination. Tell me your deepest hopes and dreams, your wishful thinking, and your greatest fears. Tell me something, anything at all, and I will write your story for you.

Congratulations Shalehan! Scroll to the end for the latest updates to this saga. Overnight, local radio station, Mediacorp’s GOLD 905, found itself mired in controversy. Accusations of bias and unfairness swirl regarding the recent crowning of a winner for their long-running and highly popular game show—Celebrity Name Drop. In this game, the DJ plays a series of 14 1 sec sound clips of celebrity voices which listeners have to identify. On Wednesday, 6 May, GOLD 905 announced one lucky Jerome Tan as the winner on Facebook, winning himself S$10,000 in cash and a shopping spree. Shortly after, a comment by…

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Several businesses across the island can now breathe a collective sigh of relief after the COVID-19 Multi-Ministerial Task Force co-chaired by Lawrence Wong and Gan Kim Yong announced a relaxation of Circuit Break measures in the next two weeks. This came a week after the announcement by PM Lee Hsien Loong on April 22 that the current Circuit Breaker will be extended to June 1 as an added precautionary measure to ensure community infection numbers dwindle to a single digit in a week. Here is a list of what is re-opening and when, and what remains under tight Circuit Breaker…

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I think I’m ready to let the world know that my knees are damaged due to ACL tearing. Unlike my more fortunate, knees-intact friends, every cardio exercise I do is not just a simple matter of strapping on a pair of shoes and running face-first into the wind. There’s preparation, warm-up, consideration of intensity, and putting on my trusty knee brace to hold my knees together. With the current circuit-breaker stay-at-home measures currently implemented, it means that I am robbed of my favourite elliptical machine and free weights to keep this weight in check. A quick search on YouTube leads…

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Do you know what’s more enticing and alluring than travelling? It is when airline companies listen to your grievances, acknowledge their shortcomings, and take practical steps to correct that mistake. There’s really nothing sexier than a service company that puts your needs before themselves. I reckon that is the only reason why Scoot—in a move that would probably make rivals AirAsia and Jetstar Asia quake in their pants—made official their COVID-19 Travel Waiver Policy today to all customers who have been busy hitting that keyboard in anger and frustration. Here’s what to expect: All customers with bookings made on or…

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What a drag 2020 has been and how quickly life as we know it upends and descend into utter horror and chaos. For a year that’s supposed to usher in flying cars, and regular travels to space, 2020 has, thus far, been quite the Debby Downer. It’s also a bit like a persistent house ghost we can’t seem to exorcise. BOO! Everyone must work from home. BOO! Here’s a new cluster. BOO! Students will now have e-learning once a week. BOO! We’re not going into Dorscon Red, but all workplaces and schools will close. BOO! As an editor for a…

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Hotel G is one of the few hotels in Singapore that one may find hard to place. It lacks the conspicuous glitz and glamour of a big hotel chain yet stands too statuesque over Middle Road to be considered boutique. This conundrum of identity, though, is not for lack of trying. Rather, it’s an inevitable consequence of being owned and run not by a familiar hotel conglomerate, but an investment arm, GCP Hospitality, who is in the business of value creation through refurbishing, repositioning and operating hospitality assets. I suppose in some ways, Hotel G is boutique-ish in that it…

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For a good part of one month, I have been trawling the Expedia app for the best deals on a flight and hotel combo. And so should you, because the price you pay by booking both together is much lighter on the bank account than if you were to book it separately. Not many people know of this travel hack, so you’re welcome. Now, when I book a hotel, I will refer to the submitted reviews, if only to understand why this beautiful and lush boudoir is rated 3.5 out of 5. Or why that plain-looking, obviously 3-star property is…

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I often tell my niece and nephew that they will be the ones to undo the mistakes my generation made. A generation who, at the apex of innovation and change, has inevitably led to the current decline of the natural world. A world where the global average surface temperature has increased, 11 million hectares of bush, forest, and parks across Australia has burned, and a glacier the size of Britain is melting. In our quest to make everyday living life tiny bit more convenient, we chose to ignore common sense and science—knowledge that has long proved that we’re taking more…

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Samsung unveiled its latest and greatest mobile phone series, the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra on Tuesday (11 Feb) and we’ve had the opportunity for some hands-on time with the devices. It’s official. We have reached peak smartphone design and performance. Samsung’s newest Galaxy line up turbocharged their previous S10 series and not only made it better—they made, quite literally, the most powerful device in the market today. With an R&D team working in overdrive, Samsung managed to improve on every aspect of the smartphone to deliver the best of everything it can possibly offer. We’re talking displays that…

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Like many other countries in this region, Singapore has been struck by the coronavirus situation with more and more cases surfacing daily. It has lead to the most Singaporean of condition: Kiasu-ism. Masks, hand sanitizers, and alcohol swabs are quickly and unnecessarily flying off the shelves as citizens stock up on supplies as if in an armageddon. Now, you can’t even sneeze or cough in public without attracting stares, which is a big problem for someone like me who is currently afflicted with morning sinus. As of 2nd Feb, 524 people were put under quarantine—222 in government facilities and 302…

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I reckon it’s time we met. People are usually surprised to know that online publications such as Hype & Stuff have a team of writers, and an editor to steer the daily editorial content direction. Who could blame them, especially when sites such as this are often seen as little more than entertainment fodder or an aggregate news site of all things cute and novel? In some ways, they’re not wrong. For us, we unashamedly embrace all things kawaii. We see it as an elaboration of pop culture in a zeitgeist where there’s a thirst for the latest and greatest…

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During the interval of the premiere of CATS, the musical, a fellow content creator seated 2 rows behind me whispered, “Eh, Zat. What’s the plot, ah? Do you get the show?” Separately, two days later at a high tea tasting, a food writer asked me the same thing: “Why is it so… cheem, ah?”. In a zeitgeist where musicals with a clear and distinct storyline are churned out every few months, a production like CATS buck the trend so brazenly (and have been for the past 40 years) that casual theatregoers might find the entire exercise of watching the show…

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We all crave for a short getaway from our daily work and hustle, especially during the festive period. However, having to head overseas during this period can also mean higher airfares and heavier human traffic in a foreign land. We are often left with local options at this point in time and thinking of the best staycations in Singapore to relax and invigorate ourselves for the new year. Enter Andaz Singapore, the first Andaz hotel to open in Southeast Asia located right at the heart of our island. Andaz aims to provide a unique experience for all guests with sophisticated…

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The holiday spirit is all around us during this time of the year as we seek to enjoy the traditional Christmas festivities. Known as the season of giving, Christmas brings joy to each and every one of us with gift exchanges and dazzling ornaments that are simply too eye-catching to ignore. Starbucks has a wide array of merchandise catering to the different festive seasons in Singapore and it is no surprise that Starbucks will be releasing an exclusive collection that caters to Christmas. Ignite the spirit of giving as Starbucks launches an all-new Christmas merchandise, a collection that is fitting…

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Can you believe how quickly 2019 came and went? The year is coming to an end and the chapter to a new decade will be written. In line with the upcoming festive Christmas holiday, Hype & Stuff is proud to present our first ever Christmas Giveaway extravaganza to share some of our favourite things with you, our dear readers. These deals and gadgets are all up for grabs in this giveaway and are fitting as a Christmas gift for your loved ones or as a gift to yourself. There are twelve items featured in this giveaway with a combined total value…

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