I check right, going home la, from like, Town, then $11.
Then I like that, then I look again right, $100. Wa!
Hi guys, welcome to another episode of Coffee Break where we get very hungry people to talk about issues in Singapore.
So here's our first topic
Wa!
Is it real?
So we are obviously talking about the Standard Chartered marathon that happened recently this year.
Today’s episode is really special, because we are not just talking about the marathon.
We in fact, got the fastest local man to run the marathon right here joining us at Coffee Break!
Let’s welcome Rui Yong!
Oh my god! What is this! Extra sia.
More extra than I thought you would be.
We’ve got Rui Yong joining us today at the Coffee Break table.
First of all we must congratulate you for being the fastest local man… Man alive!
Tell us a little more about yourself for those people who don’t know about you.
Hi, my name is Rui Yong, I’m a marathon runner and I just joined The Smart Local last month.
When it comes to running a marathon, these 2 boys have tried to do it before.
Tried, tried. Yeah, I said tried ok, I clarified ok.
You saw how they did right?
I think that was the first contact I had with The Smart Local, was when John Lim reached out to me and said,
“Hey, 8 of us signed up for the StanChart marathon, and we want you to coach us for it.”
So Nicholas and Jon, well done, you guys completed your first marathon ever!
This one never complete one.
I thought, everyone completed what.
Ok la, I got the medal la.
So what happened was basically, I signed up for the full marathon right?
Then half way through I realized I really cannot already, so I changed lane to the half marathon.
I didn’t know that at the end the final point right, is the same end point.
So as I was running through they were like, “Oh, we got another representative from Singapore!”
I was the first few to come in then they announcing me and everything, then I damn paiseh(embarrassed) then I have to run through,
Then they keep asking me go to the full marathon, then I like, ok lo, anything lo.
Then go then they give me banana, then they give me the medal, give me the t-shirt then I like, “Yeah!”
Okay, so one of the things that came out from your win, and all over the news is about also the fastest local female to complete the marathon as well.
And the story is that, she is also your doctor!
Right, Dr Lim right? She’s your doctor? What?
Eh you all never read newspaper hoh! So confused!
All due respect to Dr Lim Bao Ying, she’s a great person, she’s a good doctor, and she’s also a good runner who works very hard.
It’s just there were more established runners.
Mok Ying Rong, who is the younger sister of Mok Ying Ren, was probably the favourite this year.
Last year’s defending champion Rachel See, who has competed in 2 SEA games, was also one of the favourites.
All these girls in front of her right, honestly, Dr Lim is my friend,
But I would not have bet any money on her, I thought sure lose one.
I thought that Rachel was going to win, so after the race, I saw Rachel like kind of bent over, then I heard her (name) over the loudspeaker la.
So I walked over and said, “Hey, did you win?”
And then she was like, “No, 2nd this year.”
I said, “Oh, who won?”, I thought it was going to be Ying Rong.
“No, Bao Ying won.”
What happened was that Rachel and Yong Rong had gone out very hard.
The 2 of them were like fighting, and then they both died, cos it was too fast.
So they slowed from like 4.20/km to like 5 mins to even slower.
Bao Ying was just consistently running at 4.30/km. So she caught Ying Rong at 35 km,
And then she caught Rachel at 38km.
This is like the tortoise and the hare story sia!
I heard that her ankle also injured is it?
She twisted her foot like one day before the race!
And then she got a physio to tape it up la, so she really like tape it up and suck it up and went for it la.
Wa, this girl is superwoman sia! Fantastic, wow, it’s really inspiring leh.
For those people out there watching this, do you have any advice for them?
The starting part is the hardest part, as cliché as that sounds.
But it’s the same with everything, you know, be it hosting, playing guitar.
The first part is difficult la, then once you get the hang of it right, you are able to learn more and more advanced stuff, then you start to have fun being good at it.
Alright Ali, do the honours.
Oh! Wa, can drink or not?
Ok, so we got a can of coke, and some packets of sugar.
So guys, do you know what we are talking about? I know, sugar tax, is it?
Here’s the background, here’s the lowdown.
The government is seeking for opinions from the public about how to deal with diabetes
and apparently one of the highest causes for diabetes in Singapore is sugary drinks.
Apparently, your daily intake of sugar should be 12 teaspoons, and coke has about 9.5 teaspoons?
Oh, so you drink this, then you are like 75% of your daily sugar intake? Exactly.
They are asking for public consultation for a couple of measures that they are proposing.
The first option is completely no more ah, that means they will ban it from like, vending machines, stalls, anywhere.
You can’t get any of these high sugary drinks.
The other thing is, taxing the companies that make these drinks
then of course the price will be passed on to the consumers la.
So imagine if you buy a can of coke it’s like $4 - $5. Oh my god.
I think completely banning it right, will cause a lot of unhappiness, cos it’s like… Freedom of choice right?
I feel like the only way to go it to educate people, instead of like, banning it.
Like, I won’t know that 1 can of coke got 9 teaspoons of sugar right?
I think we talked about this before right, in a similar case with the Internet.
How like government use legislations, rather than give people choice and educate them, and it backfired quite a lot la.
Using legislations must be used wisely, if you just suddenly implement like a blanket thing like that right, it’s very dangerous.
I mean, it is still in the consultation process so nothing has been set in stone.
All of us in fact can still go onto the website type in our comments.
But I think what HPB is doing now is quite good leh.
You know like, Gongcha for example, so they give the healthier option at $2, that means its cheaper.
Oh, right. So people will auto like, Oh, I will just buy that.
Actually the ban right, will only be applied to pre-packaged drinks.
So things like bubble tea and all that will not be affected la.
Means Chinese New year all the businesses will be affected Yeah sia!
People come your house you must pour water, “Hello!”
A lot of people has talked about this, apparently 4 out of 10 people are for this bans for example, which is quite high eh.
Let’s just do a little vote here la, just to see.
So whoever is for banning it, put up your hands. 3, 2, 1.
We are the 6 out of the 10! We are the 6!
The other thing that netizens have been saying is that, 1) Don’t ban milo.
Yeah oh my god, I will cry.
2) Can they make bottled water cheaper, or pure drinking water cheaper. Oh my god yes!
7-11 and Cheers, like bottled water is freaking $2 for the damn tiny Dasani water.
No, I think they should provide water coolers in shopping malls. Then people won’t drink the sweet drinks ma.
I only drink the sweet drink because you know I go to the store then I just need something to drink.
That actually is a very good thing to do, because I feel like overseas they do that.
You go Switzerland also! Yeah, so Switzerland they have like hundreds of fountains around the city, then you can just go and fill, and it’s all from like the lake.
Here is from NEWater. Somemore Singapore so hot already, obviously people want to drink something cold and refreshing right?
We just go to the Ngee Ann City the…
Suntec! Fountain of Youth eh that one.
Wealth la youth!
3, 2, 1. Bam!
Oh, Gojek!
So it’s very obvious what we are talking about, we are talking about the entrance of Gojek into this ride hailing industry in Singapore.
So, in Indonesia it started out as a motorcycle ride service, but it has explanded since to car services as well.
And they have also now entered Singapore, in competition with Grab. Welcome, welcome.
Previously, when Grab was competing with Uber, we all enjoyed like, discount codes and all these kinds of things,
And all that stopped obviously when Grab absorbed Uber.
It’s basically a monopoly la, for the ride sharing business.
Their surcharge is so bad right, that day I really dreamt right and had a nightmare.
I checked right, going home from town la, $11.
Then I like that, then I look again right, $100.
Oh my god! But sometimes it’s really like that leh. Exaggerate sia.
Who has used Gojek here?
I still on the waiting list. Oh my god.
Yeah, I also on the waiting list.
I have managed to get into the Beta programme, and I have used Gojek for the past couple days now,
and I must say the app really one of the better apps that I have used because it’s very clean, very seamless, very fast.
But how much cheaper is it? Okay, so here’s the deal.
Right now Gojek has a promo for DBS card users, so $5 off your first 2 rides.
That time right, Jon and I took a ride from Clarke Quay all the way back to the office, and it was only like $1.
Oh that’s really cheap.
In comparison right, even without the promo right, regular is at least 50% off from Grab. Oh wow.
Grab has actually come out and said that,
“Oh, we won’t get into a price war because the minute we introduce all these promos then like,
Next time if we take away right, then people not happy also.” Then don’t take away la!
Of course, Grab saying no to price wars, they are offering other new services, as well as their Grab Rewards la.
Actually who uses Grab rewards here? Me.
I use Grab rewards just to redeem the coupon. Yeah, redeem the $5 off.
I have spoken to a couple of drivers who have driven the Gojek.
They have actually said that Gojek actually pays them a minimum amount per ride, so no matter how much money I pay,
For example the ride is $6, Gojek will actually top up to a certain minimum amount la, so they can earn money.
So this, I think is their way of getting drivers on board. Cos like guaranteed.
Not sustainable la. Correct!
But I think they are launching (officially) in January. Actually coming very soon. Oh nice.
So, new entrant, are you guys for this? I think more should come in.
Jack Ma should do something, Bill Gates come and do something, Mack Zuckerberg…
Elon Musk. Ride hailing is the future…
I ready to teleport already, I really ready, I waiting already.