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How this driver grew to prefer Shell

Fuel aside, this writer discovered how Shell offers great value for drivers seeking both convenience and savings. As motorists, we all drive different cars and ride different bikes, but we all have one thing in common: we are always on the lookout for the best deals. On top of that, we are always on the go and pressed for time. Every minute counts, even at a pit stop to fuel our vehicle. For loyal customers, every visit to Shell is not just about refuelling, but a rewarding experience wi

jeresinex

jeresinex

The keys to unlocking memories

What are some of the most priceless things in your possession? Some might point out family heirlooms that have been passed down from generations ago. Others might say it is their athletic abilities or artistic talents. To me, memories are probably one of the most priceless things I have. Intangible, yet immensely powerful, recalling them can provoke a variety of emotions ranging from laughter to tears. Or sometimes, we use them to spend time wistfully reminiscing our favourite mom

jeresinex

jeresinex

It's okay, you're just feeling ambivalent

I almost always struggle to describe my state of mind when asked to consider how I'm feeling. How do you express emotions that exist together but work in opposition to each other? When invited to join a gathering with friends, I delight over the prospect of catching up but also yearn to be lounging at home. I'm inspired by an accomplished co-worker yet envy her. I feel happy about a new beginning but nervous and, at the same time, sad over the closing of a chapter.  It's complicated. A

Music and catharsis: My Sum 41 moment

On 4 March 2024, Sum 41 performed in Singapore for the last time, on what is their final (and farewell) tour. It wasn’t supposed to be. They were slated to perform last year, in fact, but had to cancel due to a family emergency. When that news broke, I was heartbroken. But finally, I got a chance to see them. For the very first and very last time. It was… a lot. Underclass Hero Deep down, I am an emo 90s kid. Jimmy Eat World, Anberlin, Lifehouse, My Chemical Romanc

bobthemob

bobthemob

Weekend food diaries: DMQ Ban Mian

For those of you who have only started following us along recently, you might not remember that our office used to be located at the Automobile Megamart in Ubi.  It might be nostalgia speaking, but our immediate food options were much better back then (compared to where we are at New Tech Park currently) - with one of the highlights being this special ban mian stall.  The mere mention of good ban mian is sure to send the mind to the thought of L32 Ban Mian first - and there are certain

donutdontu

donutdontu

Carpark Review: Jewel Changi Airport

In 2023, Changi Airport was once again ranked as the best airport in the world. I suspect that’s also in no small part due to Jewel Changi Airport, a sprawling retail complex that features themed gardens, lots of greenery, and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. Of course, you don’t have to book a flight out of Singapore to experience the wonders that Jewel can offer. You can simply drive there. (Or take a train. Or bus. Or Grab.) Manoeuvrability: Tight or not? There shoul

bobthemob

bobthemob

What happened to the 'steadiness' and honour of people on online marketplaces?

All you forum dwellers probably remember the times before Carousell was founded, and how we all bought and sold stuff on forums. Many forums also have a reputation system, which was an indicator of the 'lao jiao' forum-ers - those that tend to be steady and trusted to deal with. I remember there were some unspoken rules when it came to buying and selling stuff online: 1. As the buyer wants the item, the responsibility lies with him to make his way to meet at the seller's convenience by

Typicalcarguy

Typicalcarguy

Lacking manners and rude realisations

Most of us like to think that we have good manners. We regularly say, 'thanks' and 'thank you', let others exit lifts and trains before entering them, and say 'sorry' when asking people to move out of our way.    Sounds good, right?    The Cambridge English dictionary defines manners as "ways of behaving toward people, especially ways that are socially correct and show respect to their comfort and feelings".    By and large, we are treating others the way we wish to be treated, so ar

jeresinex

jeresinex

This was what got me into the world of Custom Mechanical Keyboards

Back in my secondary school days, I was often meddling with computers. In fact, I even worked part-time for many years, repairing and building them. I would dream of building a computer with all the prime top-tier components and whatnot, but I never thought much about the peripherals such as mouses and keyboards. When mechanical keyboards became popular, I scoffed at the hefty price tags, and only got one sometime down the road for just over $100. Little did I know that years down the

Typicalcarguy

Typicalcarguy

I'm obsessed with tiny houses!

Imagine a living space fully equipped with sleeping lofts, a shower, kitchen, lounge area, and picture-perfect outdoor scenery to boot, at half or even a third of the size of your regular house.  Add a trailer with wheels for those with wanderlust, and your tiny house is complete. In case you're wondering, here's what a tiny house looks like!  The birth of 'tiny living' Unbeknown to many, tiny houses have stuck around for centuries. The movement that popularised the concept o

Let's think a little more about the Roman Empire

Yes, yes, I'm about four months late to this trend and you'll need to excuse me as I don't lurk about on TikTok. But just as the Roman General Fabius clenched victory in the Punic Wars against Carthage by constantly biding for time, perhaps this blog post can also benefit from a bit of added time and hindsight. If you're a geriatric old fart like me, you might not have heard about this as well - but apparently girlfriends/wives around the world were finding out in the last months that their

clarencegi75

clarencegi75

Valentine’s Day and red roses: Exploring fun facts about the flower’s inextricable links to 14 February

Quite a huge fuss was kicked up in the office last week about the capitalism that drives Valentine’s Day (actually it was largely a monologue from one loud singleton). "Valentine's Day is a scam! Don’t bother dining out on Valentine’s Day!”, we were told time and again. Cue cricket-like silence, and blank stares among the rest of the team.  Exaggerations aside, I’m generally of the opinion that people should feel free to spend their money however they like. But here, I couldn’t help but agr

donutdontu

donutdontu

Singapore has the highest per capita spending and consumption of bottled water in the world. How is that possible??

Yesterday, while listening to my favourite podcast (No Such Thing As A Fish), I learnt a shocking, incredible and downright unbelievable fact. Here’s the fact: Singapore is number one in the world in bottled water consumption and spending per capita. Here’s the kicker: It’s not even close. According to a UN study published in 2023, Singapore’s 1,129 litres and $1,348 per capita in 2021 is miles and away higher than second place Australia (504 litres and $386).The graphs illustrating th

bobthemob

bobthemob

What struck me about Coldplay's Music of the Spheres world tour

🎵 Listening to this playlist while reading will give you a fuller experience of this post Frankly, I was never a Coldplay fan.  When the band announced their Music of the Spheres world tour in Singapore, I remembered going "Oh". But clearly, my loved ones were thrilled. Just by reading, you can probably tell how starkly different our reactions were to the same event.  Nonetheless, I was happy to join the party to see for myself what brilliant performers Coldplay are, as I've

Weekend food diaries: An honest review of the McDonald's Prosperity Feast based on what's been promised

The start of the year brings with it the same routines: New year’s resolutions broken in the first month, the concomitant joy and horror of angbaos coming in from relatives curious to ask if there’s anyone new you’re seeing, and of course, an update to the McDonald’s menu. I am talking, of course, about the seasonal Prosperity Burgers that re-emerge during every Chinese New Year-period. Though not one to chase seasonal culinary trends (not because I think I’m above them, by the way; it

donutdontu

donutdontu

Buying my second motorcycle was both easier and harder than getting my first one

"You'll know better next time" is a line I've often heard, especially after a maiden attempt goes wrong. I kept repeating this mantra as I set about searching for my second motorcycle. My first bike was a Yamaha YBR125, which cost less than $1,300 and only had six months left on its COE. It wasn't in the best condition either. But I got it because it would (and did) work well as a beginner's motorcycle. Even before I 'retired' it last October, I had already started thinking about what

jeresinex

jeresinex

Should we be concerned about the history of our favourite brands?

"To err is human. To forgive divine." - Alexander Pope To take on a career in photography is to commit yourself to a lifetime of struggle against light and GAS. And recently I've been getting quite a severe bout of the latter. No, I'm not talking about the flatulence that Julian is prone to letting fly in the office, but rather about Gear Acquisition Syndrome - the dangerous compulsion to get more equipment and better lenses in the (usually misplaced) assumption that they will make you

clarencegi75

clarencegi75

The dogs that ride with us on our MRT and buses

Ever seen a guide dog when taking the MRT or public buses? If you've not, you're not alone - it's not a common sight here in Singapore, as I've gathered. Most of my friends and colleagues whom I spoke to echoed the same observation. This was interesting to me since guide dogs are literally entitled to taking public transport.  In fact, I saw the first guide dog in my life while commuting via the Circle Line just the other day. As a dog lover, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Golde

Carpark Review: The Star Vista

The Star Vista. Probably best known as the mall owned by New Creation Church. Being un-religious, I basically know it as the place where I attend a lot of concerts (most recently the fantastic Distant Worlds concert!). As an Eastie, there's previous little reason else to go all the way to Buona Vista for what is otherwise a fairly generic (upmarket) shopping mall.  Manoeuvrability: Tight or not?  Most of the carpark is generally not hard to get around, but there is one particular

bobthemob

bobthemob

Need new hobbies? Why not put a watch together?

Watches were something that a Poly friend of mine got me into - my first one was a Seiko SKX007 that I still have to this day. Being an affordable mechanical watch from a reputable Japanese brand, it was something that I figured I could save up and get into. But the journey didn't end at getting the watch. Shortly after, I was introduced to the world of watch modding... Apparently, the SKX007 looks somewhat like the higher-end Marine Master 300, and there are people who swapped the dial and

Typicalcarguy

Typicalcarguy

Want more driver engagement? Ride a motorcycle

Cars are becoming more and more homogenised. No, I'm not saying that cars are becoming identical, but as more and more cars become electrified and more EVs come to market, they will tend to feel the same. You see, consumers want cars that are quiet, spacious and convenient, and manufacturers are giving us just that. Some of us (not everyone looks at the list of standard safety features, sadly) want safer cars, too, so carmakers are bundling in more safety and driver assistance functions.

jeresinex

jeresinex

TikTok Obsession of the Week: Subway Indonesia

I'd argue the best TikTok accounts are the ones that deliver enough predictability (and quality) so that you know exactly what you’re getting into when you click on the account handle. At the same time, they hold enough suspense - such that followers are kept on their toes about what might come next.   That's the basic formula, really. (Before we proceed, let's first acknowledge the reality: Data privacy, and the long-term psychological effects of prolonged social media use are arenas

donutdontu

donutdontu

Carpark Review: VivoCity

At 142,854sqm of gross floor area, Vivocity is the largest shopping mall in Singapore. And, it has an appropriately gigantic carpark to go with it.  Manoeuvrability: Tight or not?  Other than the slightly tight ramps getting into and out of the carpark, there should be no issues whatsoever. The carpark itself is generally quite wide, really big, it's mono-directional traffic throughout (and the 'lane' quite wide) and there aren't any tight corners at all.  8/10 Ease of naviga

bobthemob

bobthemob

Tearin' Up My Heart: Unpacking one Millennial's tragically sentimental nostalgia

Joey Fatone and AJ McLean just announced a 2024 tour. For many people, those names may mean nothing. But for those who know (yes Millennials, I’m talking to you), this is BIG NEWS. Perhaps a little more context: Joey Fatone was (is?) one member of *NSYNC, while AJ McLean was (is?) from the Backstreet Boys. Ahh, should sound a lot more familiar now. Quit playing games Before there was BTS and Seventeen (no clue myself, but my colleagues assure me they exist and are really popular),

bobthemob

bobthemob

Is Singapore really that boring?

As you may (or may not) have noticed, the Editorial Team here at Sgcarmart has started a new series, titled Sgcarmart Explores, where we look and recommend some of the more interesting spots across the various districts of Singapore. And save for the Christmas special of the series we did last December (please do catch it here, the whole team spent an entire day out driving and shooting to craft this one), we have always started each iteration of the series questioning the assumption that S

clarencegi75

clarencegi75

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