CNA938 Rewind - Travel & the average Singaporean - an Allianz Partners survey
In 'Destination Anywhere', Melanie Oliveiro analyses key travel survey results released by Allianz Partners, a global firm providing B2B2C insurance and assistance. Managing Director Vinay Surana will discuss the Allianz Partners Travel Index survey which - for the first time - has released some Singapore findings. Surana will discuss trends like why some Singaporeans are not travelling; what concerns they have about going overseas; using AI for holiday planning; and even aisle passenger behavioural trends.
CNA938 Rewind - Malaysia's Booker Prize nominee Tash Aw discusses 'The South' – the first in a quartet of novels
In 'Culture Club', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Malaysian author Tash Aw, known for international bestsellers like 'The Harmony Silk Factory' and the longlisted Booker Prize novel 'Five Star Billionaire'. Twenty years after his debut title, Aw will talk about 2025's 'The South' which is a coming-of-age tale of teenager Jay Lim who – with his family – moves south of the Malaysian peninsula to a neglected farm that they have inherited. Aw will talk about the characters and era that propel the story and how 'The South' is the first in a quartet of novels.
39 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Travel & the average Singaporean - an Allianz Partners survey
In 'Destination Anywhere', Melanie Oliveiro analyses key travel survey results released by Allianz Partners, a global firm providing B2B2C insurance and assistance. Managing Director Vinay Surana will discuss the Allianz Partners Travel Index survey which - for the first time - has released some Singapore findings. Surana will discuss trends like why some Singaporeans are not travelling; what concerns they have about going overseas; using AI for holiday planning; and even aisle passenger behavioural trends.
19 mins
CNA938 Rewind - #TalkBack: If you are a private hire driver, should there be a limit to the number of hours you work?
The recent passing of 49-year-old driver Gavin Neo from a stroke has raised serious questions about the long hours some drivers are putting in just to make ends meet. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin discuss more with Tan Ying Ying, Director of NTUC Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit.
28 mins
CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself - Vidhi Modi on launching XVXII Jewellery with only $500 and growing it into a multi-storey flagship at Haji Lane
Vidhi Modi, Founder of XVXII Jewellery, started her entrepreneurial journey early, from selling handmade bookmarks and masala popcorn at the age of seven to launching her own waterproof and tarnish-free jewellery brand. Starting XVXII with just $500 during the pandemic, Vidhi grew it from a bedroom startup to a three-storey flagship store at Haji Lane, all while juggling a degree in Cyber Security. In this episode of A Letter to Myself, Vidhi tells guest host Vaisali Prabhakaran about the personal journey behind her brand, the influence of her family, the lessons learned through failure and resilience, and her vision for global expansion.
41 mins
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Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Teenager Amie Donald has the moves as the killer robot in M3GAN 2.0
On-screen, Amie Donald is best known for her role as the killer robot M3GAN in the sci-fi horror franchise. But in real life, the 15-year-old spends a majority of her days in the idyllic, sun-soaked setting of lushly forested New Zealand, where kiwi roam and she is apt to take a bush walk outside her parents' home in suburban Auckland. 'I really enjoy all the nature here,' she said on a video call from the house on a recent morning. Her long brown hair fell in beachy waves as sunlight danced on her white sweater. Framed photos of her and her parents and her older brother filled the walls behind her. Amie is about the farthest you could get from the cut-throat killer robot returning in the new sequel, M3GAN 2.0. For one thing, she smiles far too much. Other people, she said, would describe her as 'very caring'. She was not a fan of horror films until landing M3GAN, though she has since started watching them with her father, and now counts It (2017) and The Purge (2013) among her favourites. M3GAN , the robot that becomes frighteningly protective of a young girl named Cady (played by Violet McGraw), was Amie's first role in a film , following her TV debut as Maya Monkey, an acrobatic girl with simian features, in Netflix's post-apocalyptic series Sweet Tooth (2021 to 2024). But despite the fact that another actress – 21-year-old Jenna Davis – provides M3GAN's voice, and a synthetic mask serves as her face, this was not simply a plug-and-play operation, Amie said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US Senate approves divisive Trump spending Bill World Trump escalates feud with Musk, threatens Tesla and SpaceX support Business Cathay Cineplexes gets demand for $3.4 million in arrears from Jem landlord Singapore 3,800 private candidates in Singapore to take O- and A-level exams in 2025 Multimedia Right on track: Meet the new JB-Singapore RTS Link train Business Binance to keep hundreds of staff in Singapore despite crackdown, sources say Singapore 'He fought till the end': Man who survived acid attack as a baby dies of cancer at 26 World Trump urges Hamas to accept 'final proposal' for 60-day Gaza ceasefire She got the chance to shape the character's physicality, working with director Gerard Johnstone to develop moves like the 'cobra rise' from the ground that M3GAN pulls off without using her arms, as well as figuring out how to run on all fours through the woods. 'My dance background definitely helped,' said Amie , who worked with her long-time dance teacher and choreographer Kylie Norris to develop the M3GAN dance scene that went viral in 2023. In an interview, she shared her favourite stunt from the new film and the most challenging aspect of the role. These are edited excerpts from the conversation. In the M3GAN franchise, the titular robotic doll played by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis. PHOTO: UIP How did this part first come across your radar? I have been dancing since I was five and my dance teacher, Kylie, kept telling me that I needed to go for auditions because she thought I would do really well. I was like, 'Okay, I'll give it a try.' It took only a week for them to cast me, and it was so exciting when I got the role. What was the reaction to the first movie like? I was not expecting this movie to be as big as it was. And because the dance was never in the script for the first movie, it was really shocking. I felt really honoured that people were doing the dance and adding their own choreography. What was the most challenging part? I had to wear this silicone mask, and I had to see out of these tiny holes. When I was in it for a while, it would start to fog up because it had a little glass covering, so I couldn't see. On the second movie, I had a lot more vision. You worked with Kylie Norris to create that viral dance in the original M3GAN. Did you have any other ideas that were incorporated into that movie or the sequel? Gerard and I discussed how we wanted M3GAN to move. We ended up that she starts off really robotic, but the more that she hangs out with Cady, the more slow and childlike she gets with her movements, because, as her programming, she has been set to learn about a child. So, she is adapting to what she is learning. Teenager Amie Donald had kickboxing and wing chun training to prepare for her role in the sequel. PHOTO: MEGHAN MARIN/NYTIMES Even though you have a stunt double, it is an incredibly physical role. How did you prepare? They had me training in kickboxing and doing wing chun training (a form of close combat) for the second movie because it is a lot more physical this time around. I really enjoyed it, and I had a lot of people helping me throughout. Was that you or your stunt double, Megan Morrison, in the scene in the new one where she does the splits while sliding under the table? That was my stunt double, Megan. She is amazing. You did get to do some of your own stunts though, too, right? Me and my stunt double both did quite a lot of stunts, so they had me in stunt training as well. I would warm up with the stunt team every day before I went on set, because I love doing my own stunts. That was one thing I was talking to Gerard about and he was, like, 'We'll make sure that you get to do some.' What was your favourite? I really enjoyed the wing chun sequence on the wooden dummy because I trained for so long doing that. It was so nice to just finally do it in front of the camera and see how it turned out. I also loved the scene where M3GAN is flying. It was really fun to film because I was on the big rig wire. How do you feel about M3GAN? Is she good? Bad? Somewhere in between? She is a very complicated robot. She really loves Cady and she would do anything to protect her. But she is very sassy. When you aren't playing a killer robot, what do you do for fun? I love to get out my sketchbook and just draw. I like to draw in pen because you can't erase anything. It is more of a challenge. It has been only three years since the first film came out, but the AI-goes-rogue plotline resonates much more strongly now. Do you use ChatGPT or any kind of AI in your classes? I don't use AI, but I have seen a lot of videos online that I think are real people, but they are not. It is an AI-generated image. It is so crazy how much AI has evolved. How do you feel about AI? Are you excited? Curious? Scared? I'm excited. I can't wait to see how AI can be evolved even more and become part of our lives on a day-to-day basis. NYTIMES
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Fears over how Americans are perceived abroad dampen US travel enthusiasm
The summer travel season is in full swing – usually a time for carefree relaxation. But there are signs that travellers from the United States are packing something else in their luggage this year – anxiety about how they will be perceived abroad. According to a recent survey by risk management firm Global Rescue, 72 per cent of experienced American travellers believe they will be viewed more negatively this summer … due to policies coming from the White House. Toni Waterman reports.
Independent Singapore
3 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
‘I worked 10 jobs to see the world, and now I travel for free!' — 19 y/o Singaporean student shares how Gen Zs like her can solo travel too
SINGAPORE: From lugging wine trays to lugging backpacks, Jaedyn Choo's side hustle evolution is the Gen Z survival guide we didn't know we needed. While most 19-year-olds spend their holidays bingeing on Netflix or catching up on sleep, Jaedyn was backpacking across six countries and 18 cities—on a shoestring budget and her own dime. That's right, not with her parents' money. Not with some fancy scholarship. Just elbow grease, hustle, and a lot of time in 10-hour shifts. Her secret? Working odd jobs during her school breaks and then turning the whole experience into an income-generating content machine. From polytechnic to passport stamps It all began with a craving—not for food or fame—but for freedom. Jaedyn wanted to just leave everything behind and see the world, but as a full-time student in Singapore with no trust fund or well-padded allowance, the only way out was to earn her own way. 'My first solo backpacking trip was to Thailand when I had just turned 19,' she says, and then, it was Bangkok. Chiang Mai. Pai. The backpacker trifecta. Photo: YT screengrab/@cnainsider Except… she didn't go alone at first. She eased in with three other fellow free-spirited female travellers from Sweden, Romania, and the UK. 'I liked it so much! I liked being around people who shared the same mindset—to leave everything and see the world!' Jaedyn expressed her excitement. And just like that, solo travel became her preferred lifestyle. Hustle now, wander later However, here's the twist: Jaedyn's parents didn't approve of her lifestyle choice. Not one bit! So rather than use the allowance they gave her—what many teens would call free money—Jaedyn took the high road, or in her case, the working-class grind. 'I felt it would be disrespectful for me to use the allowance they gave me (for something they didn't support),' she says. So, she took on ad hoc jobs. From being a wine server to taking on cleaning gigs and packing jobs, if it paid, she just took it. Photo: YT screengrab/@cnainsider During the first half of her school holidays, Jaedyn would grind through 10-hour shifts, earning around S$12 to S$13 an hour. That's roughly S$100 to S$130 a day if she played it right—enough to save S$800 in two weeks. Photo: YT screengrab/@cnainsider 'S$800 could give me two weeks in Thailand if I were really on a budget,' she says, with the nonchalance of someone who's cracked the backpacker math code. The budget backpacking blueprint If you want to copy Jaedyn's playbook? Here's her minimalist travel math: Flights: <S$300 (round trip) Hostels: S$10–S$15/night (shared with up to 20 strangers, but hey—adventure!) Meals: <S$5 per meal (hello, Thai street food!) Fun: S$10 a day Daily Spend: <S$50 (all in, including activities) Checked Baggage: Nope. Saves S$60–S$70 per flight She avoids restaurants as if they were tourist traps (which they usually are) and chooses hostels over hotels—even if it means sharing communal bathrooms and dealing with late-night snorers. Photo: YT screengrab/@cnainsider All that budgeting paid off, literally. But what Jaedyn does when S$800 isn't enough… 'I usually spend all my money,' Jaedyn admits. 'In fact, on my first few trips, I didn't even have enough to book my return flight.' She then had to borrow money from her sister to fly home. Hustle again. Pay her back. And repeat the cycle. Between classes and coursework, Jaedyn squeezed in four trips in less than a year. That's more air miles than most office workers clock in a decade. From backpacker to content creator In late 2023, something shifted. A casual phone call with a TikTok influencer friend changed everything. 'He mentioned that he was making a few hundred dollars from one video,' Jaedyn shared, and compared that with how she was working 10 hours just to earn a hundred. It was her lightbulb moment. Here she was, filming her own backpacking adventures anyway. So, she thought, why not monetise them, right? 'It's something I could do while overseas. It will give me a solid income, and it requires less time, so I could do it while studying… and I had no boss telling me what to do. I could post whatever I wanted.' So she has now flipped the script. Instead of working to travel, she travels while working. And guess what happened? Her follower count exploded! Over 20,000 people tuned in to her raw, relatable takes on budget travel and solo backpacking—something most Singaporeans can only dream about. Turning views into value Soon, Jaedyn wasn't just inspiring wanderlust—she was inspiring action. 'So many people messaged me saying they went on their first solo trip because they saw my videos. It made me really happy. It was something Singaporeans didn't know much about,' she expressed her joy at how her lifestyle resonated with many. Brands started to notice, too. One video could now fetch her S$500 to S$700. She was putting in roughly 30 hours of creative work per month—and earning far more than she had ever done cleaning hotel rooms. 'Back then, I'd take like 80 hours to make $800. Now I'm spending 30 hours to earn about S$1,000–S$2,000,' she says. That's a six-time return on her time. Photo: YT screengrab/@cnainsider And yes, she's still flying. Only now, her trips are longer, her experiences richer, and her wallet fuller. No regrets, just receipts With more cash flow, Jaedyn now travels for up to a month at a time, upgrades her adventures, and still has enough left over to save for a rainy day. 'I feel that when I work hard for my own money, I don't ever feel guilty spending it because I worked hard with the goal of spending it on myself,' she explained. And she doesn't sugarcoat her journey as well. Everyone around her—from relatives to friends—was against her going solo travelling, probably out of fear or concern for her safety. 'I had family members send me a chat (message) with paragraphs of prayers, thinking I was going to die there,' she laughs. 'But I knew that it was something I really wanted to do, so I did it anyway.' Side hustle, not full-time fantasy For now, content creation is the dream job that lets Jaedyn live her dream life, but she's not banking on it forever. 'It's a good side hustle to have, but I don't think I'll ever pursue it as a full-time thing,' she says, adding that 'It fluctuates too much to give me a sense of stability. Hopefully, within the next four or five years, it can sustain, but I also know that with something like this, there's always an expiry date.' In the meantime, she's doing what most people spend their entire lives waiting to do—travelling the world on her own terms, making money doing what she loves, and rewriting what it means to be young and financially independent in Singapore. Jaedyn's 3 golden travel rules: Work before you wander – Use school breaks strategically. Spend smart, not hard – Hostels over hotels. Street food over fine dining. Turn your story into content – If you're already living the journey, film it. Final boarding call In a city obsessed with degrees and high-paying jobs, Jaedyn's story is a passport out of the pressure cooker. It's proof that you don't need to be rich to travel—you just need to be resourceful. So the next time you scroll past a dreamy beach photo and think, 'That could never be me,' remember Jaedyn. It absolutely could be you—if you're willing, like Jaedyn, to work smart for it with a budget in your pocket, sleep in hostels, and chase your dreams with a camera in hand. If you want to see how Jaedyn turned odd jobs into global adventures and did it all, watch the full CNA Insider's Money Mind episode below and get inspired to plan your very own escape next! P.S. Like Jaedyn, Afiq Zayany, a Singaporean Grab rider, has also cracked the code to living large on a lean budget. From dodging Singapore's rental hikes to cruising across the Causeway into a golf villa with a buggy service, this Singaporean Grab rider shares how he earns six figures and lives in a RM1.4 million villa in Johor Bahru
