Lifestyle Archives | Page 309 of 580

BTS Meal To Launch In Singapore On June 21

In 2013, a South Korean boy group called BTS or 방탄소년단 debuted under Big Hit Entertainment (HYBE Corporation). The group smoothly made its way to the hearts of many and had since become a global icon.

With smash hits like Dynamite and Butter, BTS made its way to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Global 200. In fact, its newly released song Butter blasted with a record-breaking 289.2 million streams and 249,000 sold worldwide in the May 21-27 tracking week.

Another surprise came earlier this year as McDonald’s promoted the “BTS Meal”. BTS Meal went on sale in South Korea, United States, and 10 other countries last May 2021. This meal consists of a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, Medium Fries, Coke, and two new dipping sauces. These new flavors are Sweet Chili and Cajun. The packaging for the BTS Meal comes in purple and was printed with the group’s logo.

BTS MEAL CRAZE

As BTS’ popularity skyrocketed, there have been concerns that the launch of the meal could draw crowds in some Asian countries where COVID-19 cases have risen and where vaccination levels remain relatively low.

McDonald’s was instructed to temporarily shut some outlets in Indonesia last week when the introduction of the BTS Meal sparked frenzy. Several delivery riders were seen massing inside and outside of the food chain during the meal’s launching. Their local police said that the temporary closure of several outlets was “because they were found to have violated health protocols”, including limiting capacity to 50%.

Thus, Indonesian fans created a crowdfunding page to raise money for drivers and their families. They have acknowledged that the delivery drivers faced long lines and possible exposure to the COVID-19 to bring them their meals.

LAUNCH IN SINGAPORE

Due to the tightening of social distancing rules and the ban on dine-in options, the meal’s rollout in Singapore was delayed last month. The launch was re-scheduled to June 21 instead. Please adhere to the safety procedures when scoring your coveted meal.

Image Credits: facebook.com/mcdsg

Fans must know that the BTS Meal does not come with photo cards or other related merchandise. Instead, you can order the collaboration’s official BTS x McDonald’s merch at HYBE Merch.

Sources: 1, 2, 3 & 4

A climate activist says it’s impossible to tackle climate change solely on individual efforts

Other than the ongoing pandemic, climate change’s the rage right now.

That’s why our country’s environment minister recently noted that Singapore is facing twin challenges from climate change. The problems Grace Fu is referring to are coastal floods and extreme rainstorms that could result in more intense inland flooding.

Some people may think it’s not something to worry about excessively at the moment, considering the trend to live in the present. But do you know the potential impact climate change can have on our lives?

Here’s a good look at some findings from the National Climate Change Studies:

Live in Singapore long enough, and you would have constantly read or heard about attempts to reduce carbon footprint. This includes messages by the authorities or corporations to uphold the 3Rs and switch off lights when not in use.

But are individual efforts enough to tackle climate change? A climate activist begs to differ.

Governments can do more for cooling

One common method recommended by authorities to reduce carbon footprint is to reduce the usage of air-conditioners for cooling. But do you know that home air-conditioning only contributes to 2% of carbon emissions in Singapore?

Climate activist Ho Xiang Tian said in his commentary that there are alternative cooling methods to consider. For example, authorities can paint the exterior walls of buildings white to reduce heat gain. They can also plant more trees to bring down surrounding temperatures.

An individual simply can’t implement the above solutions alone.

Education efforts needed on recycling

Reducing our waste is also another familiar call by the authorities to do our part for the climate. Even so, one should be aware that domestic waste only accounts for a quarter of the total waste generated in Singapore.

Yes, we agree that 25% may be no considerable number, but it’s not tiny either. That’s why education efforts on recycling have to be increased. Just do a soul-search and ask yourself if you ever use the blue bin below your HDB block. Even if you do, are you using the proper method to recycle?

Just so you know, 40% of recyclables in these blue bins are contaminated and cannot be recycled. Thus, they are sent for incineration instead. This defeats the ultimate purpose of recycling from the start, isn’t it?

Maybe it’s about time for the government to review existing measures to increase recycling rates.

Biodegradable disposables aren’t any better

Image Credits: sea-trading.com.sg

There are numerous local shops and retailers offering biodegradable alternatives, all in the name of love for the environment.

But what these businesses and their consumers do not know is that waste is burned in Singapore, not buried in landfills. This means these products cannot degrade and aren’t very different from the impact of plastics, considering how waste in Singapore is managed.

According to a 2017 lifecycle analysis authorised by the National Environment Agency (NEA), biodegradable disposables that contain plastic and additives might do more harm than good.

This leads us to question if allowing the sale of biodegradable disposables in our little red dot is necessary.

Final thoughts

With all that mentioned above, while individual efforts contribute to a certain extent, living more sustainably is merely on a personal level. To scale this up and truly mitigate climate change, a bigger picture has to be considered.

Here’s how to manage the parenting load with your spouse

Marriage in itself is already a big challenge for many people out there.

Add on a child or two, or more, and your entire paradigm will shift. While some marriages change for the better with a new addition to the family, most couples find themselves with more arguments and disagreements to manage.

The parenting load can be overwhelming if the balance is off. Teamwork is what you need in this child care journey, and we’re here to let you in on some tips on managing the parenting load with your spouse.

#1: Think of it as a business

For those who’ve married over passionate love, shifting your mindset to the family as a business can be the least romantic thing to do. But that’s precisely what you should do to survive the parenting voyage. You see, in a typical setting, business partners don’t always share the same workload.

One might be handling the media and investors while the other gets his hand dirty in the daily operations. As Gary Neuman, a psychotherapist, rightly points out, “No marriage can be fifty-fifty all the time.” You can strive for fairness but don’t anticipate consistent, equal responsibilities every single day.

#2: List down the to-dos

It’s easy to fall into the trap of saying, “I’m doing more than you are.” To avoid that thought spiralling downwards into something even more toxic, be sure to list down the to-dos with your significant other.

“It’s keeping track of what it takes to run your family business. Each person thinks they are doing more than the other person realises,” noted Jenny Anderson, the co-author of It’s Not You, It’s the Dishes: How to Minimise Conflict and Maximise Happiness in Your Relationship. Drawing up the list of things to do can help both parties see if either one’s under or over participating.

#3: Rank and select your tasks

Once you’ve gotten your to-dos written down, it’s time to rank them accordingly. You can do so by heeding Neuman’s suggestion:

Level 1: I like doing this.

Level 2: I can do this but need help.

Level 3: I hate doing this.

This way, you and your spouse can pick and choose the tasks you like doing or don’t mind holding responsibility for. However, if both of you have ranked a particular chore at level 3, then it would make sense for the person who can complete it within a shorter time frame to do so. Well, simply because time is precious.

Final thoughts

Image Credits: crello.com

Remember that communication is vital. A temporary sour feeling left to ferment and pile up can lead to resentment and emotional explosion in the long run.

If you need to discuss something with your spouse, schedule a time to sit down and talk. You can also consider a fixed weekly or bi-monthly short meeting to address impromptu changes in schedule. This will help both parties to always be in the loop for updates surrounding everyone’s needs.

The COVID-19 vaccination programme is being progressively rolled out to all Singaporeans and long-term residents.

The Ministry of Health announced that they have extended the vaccination programme to Singapore citizens aged 12 to 39 years old. For individuals who have had an earlier Covid-19 infection from over six months ago are also recommended to receive a single dose of vaccine to boost their immunity against reinfection.

Those who fall in the above groups can register for Covid-19 vaccination from 11 June 2021. For individuals below 18 years of age, and who are not part of the MOE vaccination exercise, the parent/guardian should register on behalf of the individual.

vaccine.gov.sg

If you require any assistance, please call the MOH COVID-19 hotline at 1800-333-9999.

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions here.

10-Year Singapore Passport Validity To Take Effect For Citizens Aged 16 & Above

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced that the Singapore Passport validity will be increased to 10 years, as compared to the current validity of 5 years. This will come into effect for applications submitted on or after October 2021.

The longer validity period applies to Singapore citizens aged 16 and above. If you qualify for this, please submit your application on or after October 1, 2021. Despite the increased validity period, the passport application fee in Singapore remains the same (i.e., S$70). Furthermore, applications submitted in person at Singapore’s Overseas Missions will be charged an equivalent of S$80 in foreign currency.

ICA highlighted that it “has assessed that it is now viable to increase the validity of the Singapore passport to 10 years without compromising security or global confidence in the Singapore passport.”

In a similar fashion, many countries have changed their passport validity period from 5 to 10 years. These countries include Australia, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United States.

SPECIFIC EXEMPTIONS

Notice the age bracket qualified to the passport validity period extension. It starts at the age of 16. Those who are under the age of 16 will continue to have the passport validity of 5 years. The primary reason behind this is that children’s facial features typically change during the early years.

“As children’s facial features change more rapidly, renewing their passport every five years will allow the photograph in their passport to be updated more frequently, which will minimise identification problems when going through immigration,” the Authority said.

Apart from this, the passport validity has a limit too. The validity is capped at 10 years in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) recommendation. Any remaining validity in an old passport cannot be added to the new passport, with a 10-year validity period.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Singapore citizens can apply for new passports by going to ICA’s e-service website. Those without an internet access may either visit the Citizen Connect Centres or go to the ICA Building in Kallang.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Ultimately, the changes in the passport validity aim to reduce the need for frequent passport renewals and to offer greater convenience to Singaporeans all over the world.

Sources: 1 & 2

Governments can do more for cooling

Education efforts needed on recycling

Biodegradable disposables aren’t any better

Final thoughts

#1: Think of it as a business

#2: List down the to-dos

#3: Rank and select your tasks

Final thoughts

Search the site