Death discount: Japan's stigmatised homes see growing demand
Death discount: Japan's stigmatised homes see growing demand
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Independent Singapore
2 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Locals list cheese, truffle, matcha, mentaiko anything as the most overhyped foods in Singapore
Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only). SINGAPORE: When a local Reddit user wanted to know what others feel are the most overhyped foods among Singaporeans, for both local and overseas cuisine, others on the platform were very willing to share their thoughts. U/GoldenRuler2021, who penned the post on r/askSingapore on Thursday (July 17), started the ball rolling by saying that cheese is 'way overhyped' in Singapore. 'People go crazy over cheese fries, cheese tarts, cheese pulls, everything cheese,' they wrote, adding that they've tried many cheeses, even 'atas' kinds such as brie and camembert, but found them to be only 'meh.' 'Sometimes sour, sometimes plasticky, and when it melts and stretches, it feels like it's pulling something inside me. No joy at all,' they added. Also, although they acknowledged that cheese has some health benefits, since it contains protein and calcium, it's just not something they would crave, like others seem to do. They also find tacos and burritos to be only 'okay, not bad,' even the ones they tried in Mexico. 'Honestly, I'd prefer prata or chapati. Just feels more satisfying and flavourful to me,' the post author wrote, asking others if there is a food that everyone else loves but they find simply overhyped. Some Reddit users said they don't get the hype behind the truffle craze. 'Anything 'truffle' is just an excuse to charge you extra for a few cents worth of truffle oil,' one opined, while another wrote, 'Most places don't use real truffles as they are too expensive to get. For most of the time, they use 'truffle oil' that has no truffle infusion. It's artificial flavouring.' 'Truffle anything and matcha most things have become oversaturated and really quite poor in quality,' agreed another. 'Overhyped would be churros during Covid or the raclette cheese pasta or cheese wheel pasta,' wrote a commenter. Another person who's tired of the cheese overhype wrote that 'cheese fries, cheese pulls, nacho cheese, are really just flavoured oils and fats.' 'Truffle anything and mentaiko, both don't taste really good to me, idk why, just very meh,' contributed another commenter. 'Mentaiko. There was one period when almost every food had mentaiko on it, bread, rice, noodles… although the flavours don't match,' another agreed. One brought up mala hot pot, which they characterised as 'cheap junk food in China but sold more expensive than zhi char here.' 'Mala. What's the point of food if the spices numb and burn away your sense of taste?' another asked. When one wrote they found McDonald's Chilli Crab Burger to be overhyped, others agreed, saying they found it overpriced. Others said that they found salted egg on 'everything' to be tiresome. One wrote that food cooked with salted egg yolk sauce or flavouring is 'underrated.' /TISG Read also: Filet-O-Fish burger with 'cheese 1/3 of 1 pc' sparks shrinkflation complaints among Singaporeans () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Independent Singapore
2 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Iron rice bowl but in boiling water? S'porean ‘miserable' in gov't job wants to know if anyone else can relate
SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user who vented about the miseries of working in their particular government job wanted to know if anyone else out there is experiencing the same thing. In a post on r/askSingapore on Thursday (July 17), u/bigDolphin1357, wondered if they're just unlucky in their job. Part of the problem is that most of the people at work are in their 50s, and the few young ones 'backstab each other because we're each other's only competition.' Adding to the misery is rampant gossip 'because there's too little work, and people have to fight for it,' and the post author claimed they are busy but openly play games on their phones. 'Information is prized and used as social currency, or if it's yours, it's weaponised against you. As a result, I don't have a single friend here, and I trust no one in my department,' they added. The post author's salary is also substantially smaller than their friends working in the private sector, and they asked why they're working for such little pay, 'when everything goes to scholars?' They'd like to quit their job but can't afford it. One popular comment on the post described the post author's job as an 'Iron bowl but on boiling water.' 'Iron rice bowl' refers to work that has guaranteed security, which is often public sector or government jobs with secure and stable income. The phrase comes from a Chinese idiom, 'tie fan wan' ( 铁饭碗 ), referring to a now-abolished system of lifetime work in China. 'I have worked in three different gov't agencies, and every single agency has really burned me out mentally and physically. If you are pushing for promotion, then you should avoid the rat race. If you wish to have higher earnings, then you should leave as soon as possible. The reason is that your portfolio may not be as attractive compared to those who are already in the private sector. It is your call. I also wish I could shake a leg, but I see more people resigning due to the workload. Iron bowl but on boiling water,' the commenter wrote. Others also expressed they were surprised that the post author had written that there's not enough work to keep people busy at the post author's work, since most government employees they know experience the opposite and are overworked. 'What agency is that? Over at my place, we're worked to the bone,' a commenter noted. 'It sounds like a localised issue. I assure you, there are other parts of the gov't where the work is overflowing,' another added. Others offered the post author advice. 'There are no friends at the workplace because everyone has a conflict of interest. I think you can consider an internal transfer or continue job hunting in private. Meanwhile, continue to upskill yourself,' one advised them. 'Why don't you just jump to another government sector like you said? Private sector may not necessarily be better btw… It could be even more competitive, and you can easily be retrenched, and office politics is everywhere, no matter where you go, so you won't be able to avoid that,' another wrote. 'Ask for a transfer out, but be prepared to be overworked elsewhere; I never had a lack of work to do while in civil service,' said a Reddit user. One who had a similar experience and could relate to the post author wrote that the young people they used to work with, 'those in their mid to late twenties, like you said, are very susceptible to politics and still kinda childish. They have trouble regulating their emotions to stay professional. IMO, millennials kinda hit the sweet spot, like those from their 30s onwards, because they have some work experience and are not too traditional-minded like the boomer generation. Best to identify your tribe and stick with them. But maaan, I feel you, I too wish I could be like my cousins or friends in a corporate or NGO setting aligned with their passions and having a better work-life balance. All the best, man, comes down to luck at this point!' /TISG Read also: No longer an iron rice bowl? Is public service losing its appeal to the new generation?
Independent Singapore
2 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Employer says her helper refuses to care for her 3 yo daughter, claims she left child in soiled diaper and standing in her own vomit
SINGAPORE: On Thursday (July 17), an employer took to social media to share that her domestic helper refuses to care for her toddler, even when the child is sick or in distress. Posting in the 'Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic Helper' Facebook group, the employer explained that she had clearly laid out her expectations when hiring the helper around five months ago. The helper's primary duty was to care for her three-year-old daughter on weekends, school holidays, and whenever the child was unwell or at home. Routine household chores such as cleaning and cooking were to be done only during school hours, typically between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Despite these clear instructions, the helper has allegedly continued to prioritise the housework, often at the expense of the child's well-being. 'I've clearly told her that weekends and non-school days should be fully focused on my child, and she has the whole weekday to finish housework since the child is in school,' the employer wrote. 'But she still spends hours on weekends folding clothes, cleaning toilets, mopping, etc., and even leaves my toddler alone in the room for long periods. When I confronted her, she said she was 'doing housework.' I feel like she's purposely overdoing chores to avoid engaging with my child.' The employer also recounted some of the most distressing moments when the helper failed to act when her daughter needed immediate care. 'Recently, my daughter had diarrhoea. My helper told me she had soiled her diaper — but didn't change it because 'she didn't want to.' Same thing happened when she vomited — she left my daughter standing in the vomit and waited for me to handle it. I find this lack of initiative and common sense very frustrating.' See also Domestic helper fired for harming employer's cat The employer also expressed concern about the helper's inability to read her daughter's basic cues, saying that even after five months, she still seems confused or irritated whenever the child struggles to express herself. 'She [my helper] keeps asking my daughter 'what do you want?' over and over — even when it's obvious she's tired, hungry or wants milk,' the employer said. 'I'm unsure if it's a language barrier or if she's just frustrated, but I can sense a lack of patience and reluctance.' The employer, who's heavily pregnant at the moment, further shared that she sometimes needs physical assistance, such as carrying, calming or comforting her daughter, but said the helper seldom steps in to offer any support. 'My helper shows no initiative — just walks away or pushes the stroller like it's not her job. It's frustrating because I really need support at this stage,' she said. Phone use has also become a frustrating issue. The employer mentioned that although her helper is given the entire night to use her phone freely after finishing her duties, she still ends up glued to it during the day, even when she's supposed to be watching the child. 'She uses her handphone freely when I'm in the room, caring for my child — assuming it's her 'rest time,' even though I brought my child in because she wasn't doing her part,' the employer continued. 'I also recently found out she uses one side of her earpods even when sending/fetching my daughter to school, and sometimes when we're out.' Unable to change helpers at this stage of her pregnancy, the employer appealed to the community for advice. She said, 'I need some advice on how to better manage my helper. Honestly, I don't have the time or energy to change helper now since I'm so close to delivering. But I'd really appreciate advice on how to set firmer boundaries and get her to understand her priorities better.' 'The best option is to find a better, reliable helper.' In the comments section, several netizens urged the expectant mother to consider replacing her unreliable helper, warning that keeping someone she cannot depend on, especially with a second child arriving soon, would only add to her stress and make things more difficult. 'If you're heavily pregnant and she still expects you to change the diaper then… red flag,' one comment read. 'I know the changing process will be damn tedious, but honestly… imagine having 2 kids and ZERO help when you need it most. Gonna be even more mentally draining and frustrating. PLUS! With the hormones all over the place, too.' 'I really think the best option is to find a better reliable helper and just get her replaced,' another said. 'Experienced helpers take less time to learn and know the basics well, and will be able to adapt within a week or so. There are better helpers around who really work well and take initiative to do it on their own.' On the contrary, some commenters defended the helper, suggesting she might simply 'lack experience in handling children.' A fellow helper also weighed in, sharing, 'You know why some helpers won't take initiative when it comes to children? Because most of the parents misunderstand that gesture and call it interfering with their parenting ways.' 'It's not that we don't want to; we want to but are hesitant. Later, you say helpers cannot interfere with your parenting, but anyway, that's case by case basis, yeah.' In other news, a man has turned to the online community for advice after his wife grew increasingly unhappy with his decision to stop working full-time, despite the couple being financially stable. In a post published on the r/SGHenry subreddit, the man, in his late 30s, explained that he and his wife have been married for five years and have been together for about a decade. Read more: 'Am I being selfish?': Man seeks advice as wife grows unhappy with his decision to stop working full-time Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
