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SGExplained

Rovik Robert, Elliot Tan and Charmian Tan

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Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/sg-explained/subscribe SGExplained follows Rovik, Elliot and Charmian, three regular Singaporeans trying to understand how Singapore is what it is. We explore institutions, histories, events and phenomena in Singapore and get into the details of it all. You'll see Singapore like you never have before.
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Podlovers Asia is made to cover the Asian podcasting scene! The episodes range in format, from narrative to interview, and from informative to entertaining! Guests can range from podcasters of various genres to media companies, reporters, you name it. All this to paint a picture of how the industry is booming here! If you're interested in this space, whether you're a budding podcaster, a brand, or an avid listener, you've come to the right place!
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We can't believe we're finally here but 21 episodes later and it's time to wrap up Season 5 of SGExplained. This is a full banter episode as Charmian, Elliot and Rovik look back on their favourite episodes of the season and discuss some of the fresher elements in the show, including our new co-host Mian. We also look forward to what the series' fut…
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You can't talk about Singapore without talking about the Peranakans - a sub-community with a heritage associated with being Straits-born amidst a time of heavy immigration. Elliot, a Peranakan himself, shares his stories of growing up with some exposure to the culture and how he stays in touch with it. In this episode, you can look forward to: Lear…
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In partnership with MINDS MYG, this episode introduces the important People with Intellectual Disabilities (PWID) community in Singapore. We hear from Jessica (not her real name), a caregiver and volunteer about her experience directly, and as you can imagine from previous SGExplained episodes, this gets inspirational very quickly. In this episode,…
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There has been a slew of news announcements lately on Singapore's stance on drugs, especially as some of our neighbours choose to liberalise their policies on substances such as marijuana. We take a look at why Singapore has been insistent on its position on drugs and how we have enacted laws to dissuade offenders. In this episode, you can look for…
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Thank you for being on this amazing journey with us to reach 100 episodes on SGExplained!! It's a big deal for us, and if you are a Day One listener, please let us know so that we can reach out to you and invite you to our show for a chat! For this episode, we go back to the origins of why the show was even started: to explore the Singapore identit…
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We may have memories of the Singapore Zoo when we were children, but did you know that the overall Mandai Wildlife Group has been staying relevant through its sustainability and conservation efforts? Join us this episode as we: Explore the history of the Zoo, including some of its unfortunate accidents Trace the various unique exhibits in the main …
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Getting from place to place in Singapore is convenient only because of our great public transportation, including our beloved MRT system! In this episode, the crew share laughs and develop an appreciation for our subway system, with tons of factoids in between. Look forward to: Tracing the story of the subway-that-almost-never-was Learning about so…
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Now that borders have reopened, Singaporeans have been flocking to Malaysia, specifically to Johor Bahru across the border. In this episode, we reflect on the relationship these two cities share! Look forward to: Learning how many people cross the border each day Unpacking the economic features of the Singapore-Johor Bahru relationship Adding to yo…
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We're looking at the full life cycle this season, and so it only makes sense that we look at what happens in Singapore when you die! Zach Leung, Associate Director at PFPA, comes onto our show to shine some light on what happens after we pass on, especially to our assets and our loved ones. In this episode, you will: Learn about the difference betw…
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Who can deny that taxi drivers are Singapore's master storytellers? We get the extremely cool opportunity to talk to Uncle Ben, the father of a close friend of Rovik's, who also happens to be a night-shift taxi driver about his storied life on the roads. In this episode, you will: Learn about how many taxi and private hire drivers there are actuall…
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The Orang Laut are thought to be one of the first inhabitants of the islands that now make up Singapore, but why do so few people know about them? We chat with Firdaus Sani, founder of Orang Laut SG which is a community sustaining the stories of this lineage, to get the real scoop. In this episode, you can look forward to: Learning about how the Or…
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This episode is brought to you by National Library Board’s One Story, which is a National Reading Movement initiative to make Singapore short stories – originally written in Tamil, Malay, Chinese, or English – available in other languages. The project aims to bring these stories to more readers beyond the language communities that they were origina…
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The Australians have their bogans, the British have their chavs and here in Singapore, we have the Ah Bengs and Ah Lians. What makes up this oft caricatured subculture? We chat with content creator Jeremiah Chen from Tropic Monsters TV about what inspires his hilarious sketches on these characters and learn more about how it adds to our Singaporean…
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Pamelia Chia from Singapore Noodles comes onto our show this episode to discuss Heritage Food with us. It is a topic that is novel and complicated only because Singapore is an immigrant nation and we are starting to see a new wave of food evolution with influences from Japanese and European styles. In this lively conversation, we: Discuss what exac…
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Sikhs are known as a minority within a minority in Singapore, and yet they have an outsized influence on our identity in Singapore. Join us as we chat with Shaun Sarabjeet Singh, President of the Young Sikh Association, to learn about the history of the Sikh community in Singapore as well as how it integrates into the wider community. In this episo…
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Singaporeans have a mixed set of feelings when it comes to the Merlion - on one hand, it is an increasingly globally recognised icon and a major tourist attraction, and on the other hand, it is a reminder that one of Singapore's biggest symbols comes not from a mythos but from a logo design. Join us this episode as Elliot and Rovik spend this short…
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What's going on at Marina Bay Financial Centre and why is Singapore home to so many "Finance Bros and Brodettes"? In this episode, we're excited to have Reggie Koh from The Financial Coconut Podcast as a guest to chat with us about what really makes Singapore a Finance Hub! We make the jargon simplified so you don't have to wonder what asset manage…
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You can identify the iconic Nasi Lemak, both by its aromatic coconut scent as well as its unique pyramid-shaped banana leaf packaging. Just coconut rice, sambal chilli and ikan bilis in a parcel, this delightful dish is a big part of Singapore food culture! Join us in this episode as we: Learn about the hilarious alleged origin story of the name Na…
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World War 2 was a dark chapter in Singapore's history and so when the Japanese eventually surrendered, spirits were high amongst the residents. But did you know that there was a probability that the Japanese in Singapore would refuse to surrender despite the Emperor's announcement? Operation Tiderace was the Allied Forces' plan to secure Singapore …
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Did you know that there's a community of foster parents in Singapore who contribute as a labour of love to provide safe and nurturing homes for vulnerable children? Frankly, Elliot and Rovik were not very aware before this recording of this incredibly coordinated and involved ecosystem of social workers, policy planners, and families who go the dis…
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Biodiversity is important to any country, and in Singapore, we need to talk about our snakes. We're not talking about those folks who gossip behind our backs - this is about the reptiles that are hidden in our parks and wetlands, and are surprisingly not out to harm you! In this episode, we're privileged to have Sankar from the Herpetological Socie…
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Singapore is known internationally for a couple of things and the Chewing Gum ban is high on the list. In this short episode, Elliot and Rovik follow the rather hilarious journey of how chewing gum got banned in Singapore as well as how a certain US company managed to get some gum back on the books. You may get stuck on this one (pun intended!) Thi…
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We always enjoy the episodes where we look at the "fringe" of Singapore culture, but are tattoos too mainstream here to even be fringe anymore? We chat with Tattoo Artist Beverly Ann Koh (bev.bot on IG) about her experience in the industry and how Singapore has moved to be more inclusive of tattoos. We explore the history of tattoos with gangs, rec…
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Ageing is a scary topic but it has shaped much of Singapore's landscape in the last few decades. We're privileged to have an advocate and opinion leader, Dr Farhan Alami, come into the virtual studio to share her insights on how ageing and dementia affect not just the elderly but also their families and loved ones. Learn about the statistics surrou…
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If you're reading this, you're probably doing so on the internet and maybe even on your phone. The fact that we have access to telecom and mobile services in Singapore has a lot to owe to Singtel's past, as once our national telecom provider and the largest contributor of infrastructure. Journey with us as we trace how Singtel survived the removal …
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What's the Post Office part of the POSB? Why is it in every neighborhood? And perhaps most importantly, is the Postmaster General really the Chief Mailman of Singapore? We answer all these questions and more in this lighthearted look at the institution of community banking in Singapore and where our habit of saving earnestly came from! Do let us kn…
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With the government's announcement that a review on women’s issues in Singapore will be conducted to look more closely at how gender equality can be more deeply ingrained in Singapore society, we thought to explore the evolution of gender issues in Singapore. The Women's Charter provides a central lens for such an exploration, tracing its origins t…
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In this episode, we're going to India to talk with Abhishek Baxi of Podcast Hub! Abhishek is a prolific writer covering tech and podcasting and is the founder of Podcasthub.in, covering the podcast ecosystem with a focus on the Indian podcasting industry. He is a digital consultant working on digital social media, mobile strategy for brands, organi…
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We've heard of the spree of sexual misconduct and harassment cases in the news and the question must be asked, what does this say about who we are as a Singaporean society, and why are we having such a difficult time talking about this topic? Elliot and Rovik try their best, within their constraints, to have a conversation around the cases that hav…
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We've all had our own personal stories with the Singapore library system before and I'm sure we can all attest it's one of the best of Singapore's public resources. Join us as we dive into the evolution of the library system including the digitalization of the library, the story of how it survived the Japanese Occupation (hint: there are some retur…
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In this episode, we are going to China to have a conversation with someone who is gathering stories there, none other than the Host of Mosaic of China: Oscar Fuchs! Oscar is the Host and Producer of Mosaic of China, a lighthearted English language podcast showcasing an array of people who are currently making their mark in China. Previously the Co-…
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In this episode, we're going to take a trip to Taiwan, to have a chat with the host of the A.Connector Podcast, Mark Forman. The Brooklyn Bluesman, as he is notably called RBBluesman, Mark is part of a consultancy providing various business education and communication training, speaking services online on the internet and live in-person originally …
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In this episode, we're going next door to Singapore to talk to a star in Asia's podcasting scene: Niki Torres! On a mission to reach out to thriving women and deconstruct their success stories, Niki, the Host of Chief Best Friends, talks to business partners who are actually best friends to see how can they thrive in their startup or their idea whi…
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Kicking off Season 3, we are talking with Rovik Robert, Co-Host of SG Explained! SG Explained explores and takes a deep dive into all things Singapore-related: from policies to racism and history of Singapore to lighter subjects like chicken rice (one of my favorite foods!). Since Rovik has been doing this for a couple of years now, I reached out t…
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If you want to find old Peranakan houses or have some tasty kueh, you've probably made your way to Katong. Elliot himself is a proud homeboy of the area. But did you know that Katong pre-land reclamation was home to one of Singapore's better-known kampongs that made its living from the sea? Or maybe you're interested to find out why there's a Chine…
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They're all over Singapore - Ann Siang Hill, Fraser Street, Aljunied among others. Who were these people and why are there so important to the Singapore story? We take a look at the mercantile story of Singapore - the stalwarts of community and enterprise that shaped so much of our identity today. Hear under-told stories like how Ngee Ann Kongsi (b…
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One of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites that is a garden and Singapore's sole representative on the list, the Singapore Botanic Gardens is simultaneously one of the most under-rated and yet culturally significant parts of Singapore. Hear about the history of the Gardens, including its lesser-known episode during the Japanese Occupation, as well as…
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Welcome back to Season 3 of SGExplained! We're so pumped to be back on this and we started off with a bang, bringing on Althea Lim from Gushcloud to talk about the Influencer Scene in Singapore. Not much is known about it but it shapes so much of Singapore's social media consumption as well as our pop culture. In this episode, we find out what driv…
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Hello there, Norman here and welcome to Podlovers Asia, season three, coming in. If you are just tuning into the show, Podlovers Asia covers the Asian podcasting scene through conversations with producers, hosts, and independence as well as leaders in the podcasting space covering anything related to Asia's podcasting ecosystem. And that as a very …
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We have to look beyond Joseph Schooling to bring back the Gold medals for Singapore, and we may have found hope in Esports! Naturally not as well known as the traditional sports, given that it's new and gaming has usually had an affiliation with low productivity, but Esports is actually creating a way for Singaporeans to thrive on the global scene.…
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With special guest Ajay Govinda, Slam Poetry Enthusiast, we explore the understated world of Singapore Poetry. From understanding our Poetic Roots to appreciating the Singapore-originating Twin Cinema format, we rhyme and vibe our way throughout the poems that have followed our narrative. Hear us actually recite some of the poems as well - our firs…
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Bet you didn't know that Singapore has a long-held farming heritage! Not only that, we're about to double down on farming the Singaporean way, with the 30 by 30 initiative to secure Singapore's food safety by 2030. It's useful to get to know how our farming culture is evolving here, including a new breed of hipster and innovative farmers. Learn mor…
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Let's be real - what's more Singaporean than our hawker centers? Who runs them, how did they start and what's the future looking like with the young hawker-preneurs waiting to take over the reins? Join us as we explore this delicious topic and when you reach the end, you get to hear our favorite hawkers also! Continue to provide suggestions for our…
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Our national carrier has been in the news before, but this time, the reasons aren't great. We look back at why Singapore Airlines is so intertwined with our national identity, revisiting its founding as well as its major episodes, including the A380 launch and the "Longest Flight in the World". Join us as we learn more about some of its subsidiarie…
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