With the holiday season ahead, many of us are preparing for reunions again. From a young age, my parents taught me that you should never show up at someone’s house empty-handed, so with gift-giving season also in full swing, that means being prepared with gifts from hosts, too. Growing up, we had a little closet in my house called the “Gift Closet” where candles, diffusers, and hand lotions would spend the day. Every time we were on our way to a birthday dinner or a pajama party, we would stop by said closet to choose something for the host. While it wasn’t extravagant or overly expensive, this little thank you gift was always very helpful to the host. These days, I normally go for the easy bottle of wine or a good smelling candle, but this year I decided to sit down and think of unique host gift ideas that hosts could really do. want. Also, with 2020 canceling all of our plans, some of these meetings have taken a year to prepare and deserve something special.
When I think of host gift ideas, I like to choose something that ties into the event and is useful to host in the future. This can be as simple as bringing a bottle of wine to happy hour or a cookbook to dinner. But most importantly, it should be something that the host would not think of buying himself. Bring a nice set of kitchen towels, scented hand soap for a powdered bath, or join the other attendees in treating yourself to a massage. Hosting can be stressful, and showing your host that you appreciate all of his or her effort will be rewarding enough.
After checking From Samsung latest line of premium smartphones, namely the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3, getting my hands on the Galaxy A52s 5G what like a breath of fresh air.
Finally, something he wasn’t too afraid to handle! However, to be fair, I must admit that this phone feels less solid compared to the premium ones, so I remained as careful as possible.
One of the last inexpensive Samsung phones I reviewed was the A72 in March 2021, and I was genuinely impressed by what I saw and experienced.
The A52s is no different in that it looks almost identical, and you will really only find differences in its hardware.
Abroad
Weighing in at just 189g, you could say it’s thanks to its matte plastic back that, while very pretty to see on the Phantom Black variant, it was extremely easy to spoil with nasty fingerprints.
Elegant aesthetics everywhere
Tapping your fingernails on the back also gives you that “hollow” sound typical of plastic-backed phones. Despite that, I’d say the phone still has some weight to it, so it’s nice to hold.
Samsung also kept the screen flat-edge, so there were no accidental touches. With a Super AMOLED display like the A72, it was equally vibrant and clear, but a new addition is the option of a 120Hz refresh rate.
Its similar 800 nit brightness also meant that you could easily see your screen when in the sun (though you would probably have to maximize its brightness for clarity).
You probably want a matte screen protector to overcome that reflectivity
The A52’s camera housing is equally stylish, too, and the bulk isn’t very noticeable. It wouldn’t be fair to compare the A52 cameras to the A72, but in terms of the A52 vs. A52 cameras, there are practically no differences.
Both the A52 and its predecessor have a 64 megapixel wide, 12 megapixel wide, 5 megapixel macro and 5 megapixel deep camera.
Testing the cameras in my garden during the day produced good photos, although I didn’t have high expectations anyway.
Inside
In terms of hardware, the A52s features an update to the Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G. As always, I’m not sure what these numbers and letters mean, but playing Genshin Impact on the A52 was at least not an experience that made me want to bang my head.
Playing with the lowest graphics settings ensured it had minimal lag and aside from the occasional little screen stutters (this game can get ostentatious), the A52s handled the game well.
Like the A52, the A52s has a 4500 mAh battery and charges quite quickly. With casual use, even with the 120Hz display, the phone could last me about a day.
Of course, activating the power saving mode would help you conserve more power.
Impressed at first sight
Many budget phones on the market are now quite competitive in terms of their offerings, and everyone will have their preferences for certain features or others.
Photography is not the strength of this phone
The A52 impresses for the most part, but it’s not the cheapest budget phone you can get on the market for RM1,899. In fact, its price is similar to that of the A72.
I think what is a shame is that Malaysia still lacks 5G infrastructure domestically, so devices with 5G capabilities are moot at the moment.
Personally, I don’t think we will see any leaps and bounds in 5G development for at least the next few years, and by the time we do, there will likely be better 5G phones on the market as well, whether inexpensive or flagship. .
In this regard, I think the A52 is a bit early for the Malaysian market and therefore its value here is diminished. But overall, it’s still a solid phone.
I will write a full review of this device soon, as there are more things that were not covered in this first impression, so stay tuned!
Again in 2019, the government announced a blanket ban on smoking in all restaurants, whether indoors or outdoors. In the early days of the ban, some found it difficult to cope with the changes. News of fines circulated and, along with that, photos of people finding creative ways to circumvent regulation.
However, these regulations only applied to restaurants, and as restrictions ease and many of us start venturing out in public again, will we also see more smoking indoors or in public areas, crowded or not?
While this regulation was effective in reducing smoking in restaurants, it often pushed smokers into nearby aisles. In the long run, all this does is make both smokers and non-smokers uncomfortable.
Countries like Japan have adopted new regulations and laws to deal with rampant outdoor and indoor smoking, giving those who do not wish to breathe secondhand smoke an option for cleaner air.
Japan’s Revised Laws on Public Smoking
Rather than simply putting a blanket ban on smoking in food and drink venues, Japan’s new anti-smoking law prohibits all indoor smoking, with some exclusions like private rooms and cigarette bars. This anti-smoking law makes almost 84% of covered restaurants in Japan as non-smoking areas.
However, some restaurants and facility owners may still allow indoor smoking, as long as they adhere to specific regulations:
Limit smoking to designated rooms
Children under 20 years old are not allowed in designated smoking rooms
The different signs should be shown more clearly for what is allowed and what is not. For example, facilities should prominently display “No Smoking, Designated Smoking Room, or Smoking Area” signs.
Must be less than 1,076 square feet or require designated smoking rooms
Anyone found to be in violation of the regulations could face a fine up to 300,000 yen (approximately RM11,282) for smokers and 500,000 yen (approximately RM18,804) for the facility owner. This places facility owners on the responsibility to ensure that no one smokes on their premises or faces punishment.
However, many Japanese citizens still find this new regulation inadequate, as more than helped of restaurants still allow smoking indoors. Not to mention that due to the ban on indoor smoking, some have turned to smoking outside near stations and in parks.
qualification: In certain places in Japan, it is illegal to smoke while walking.
A no smoking sign while walking in Japan / Image Credit: 123rf
But this regulation gives everyone affected a choice. For smokers, they can choose to dine in smoking areas so as not to affect others. And those who don’t want to be affected by secondhand smoke can choose not to dine at restaurants that allow smoking.
If Malaysia made similar changes like these in the first place, the government would have to establish regulations for more designated smoking areas and stricter penalties for those who break the law.
Show clear indications of what kind of devices can be allowed
Another benefit of the regulations is the need for clear signs of smoking or non-smoking areas. Both parties can visibly see if a restaurant has designated smoking areas or allows smokers just before they enter.
In Japan, they take things up a notch with different or more specific smoking signs. Some signs indicate / allow only vaping, only heat unburned (HNB) devices, or a mixture of both.
The Japanese government strengthened these regulations so that storefronts are responsible for clearly indicating what is allowed on their premises. This change is also necessary to cope with the increased use of alternative smoking devices in your country. In 2019 alone, the use of HNB devices in Japan increased to 30% while sales of combustible cigarettes decreased by 43% in the last 5 years.
Image Credit: National Health and Morbidity Survey
If we turn our attention to Malaysia, a 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) noted that 21% of Malaysian smokers use traditional fuel cigarettes, while 5% (around 1 million people) have been launched into e-cigarettes.
With so many people now using alternatives to smoking, the government should also establish proper regulations for these users, as they work differently compared to combustible cigarettes.
New regulations to act as the first step in curbing smoking
In the second half of 2020, the government of Japan implemented a new health survey and found that the male smoking rate had fall to 28.8% which is a reduction of 2.3%, compared to the survey they conducted in 2016. Combined with the rise of HNB in Japan, as well as the pandemic and the ban on indoor smoking, many have quit or switched to less harmful alternatives.
At the local level, if regulations like the above were implemented, such as adding more smoking areas in KLIA-like shopping malls or establishing separate regulations for combustible cigarettes and HNB, Malaysia could also see its number of cigarette smokers decrease.
A smoking area with a view at KLIA2 / Image Credit: KLIA2
If the government were serious in its vision of realizing Malaysia as a smoke free nation Come 2045, strict and specific regulations need to be applied. By enforcing more specific laws, they can help improve the habits of Malaysians who smoke.
The Land Transportation Authority announced today (October 21) that it has converted Ryde Technologies’ existing interim licenses for point-to-point services into a hail-trip service operator license (RSOL) and a hail service operator license. three-year shared ride (CSOL). .
These full licenses are valid until October 29, 2023.
Under LTA’s P2P regulatory framework, operators with 800 or more vehicles on their platforms will obtain a license depending on the type of services they provide: hail services on the street, car rides or carpooling.
This framework was first announced on October 30 last year, when Ryde received one-year interim licenses to offer ride-sharing and ride-sharing services in Singapore.
This enabled Ryde to provide ride-sharing and ride-sharing services while enhancing their operational capabilities to meet LTA regulatory standards for safety and service delivery, before being considered for full RSOL and CSOL licenses.
Over the past year, Ryde has shown that they can meet the LTA regulatory standards for full licenses.
Image Credit: LTA
Following this announcement, there are now five operators in Singapore that own full RSOL, including Comfort, Grab, Gojek and Tada. Ryde is also the second operator after Grab to own a CSOL.
Ryde also announced yesterday (October 21) that it will begin charging passengers S $ 4.30 when they cancel their reservation or arrive late. This measure was in an attempt to protect the interests of its drivers, who take time to reach their destinations and lose profits when passengers are entertained.
Passengers who cancel a reservation 15 minutes before the scheduled trip and those who arrive at the pick-up point within four minutes of the driver’s arrival will not be charged.
Fees will be phased in over the next three weeks and charges will be automatically deducted from customers’ Ryde wallet or credit card balance.
Passengers on the RydeTaxi service, which allows taxi drivers from other companies to receive reservations through the Ryde app, are exempt from the fees.
Get $ 20 off Your order in VP Label when you make the payment with Pace use the code PACEVP20 (minimum spend $ 80). Join us now to support local Singapore brands:
DBS announced today (October 21) that it is the first bank in Singapore to enable peer-to-peer (P2P) payment services on Telegram.
With this last feature, more than 2 million of your PayLah! Users can now conveniently and easily make fund transfers while chatting on Telegram without the need to manually switch between apps to make payments.
Image Credit: DBS
To send money, simply type @PayLahBot within your Telegram chat with friends. You will then be asked to enter the amount, then tap the Submit / Request button.
Once this is done, your PayLah! the screen will appear automatically, with the amount preloaded. After that, you can select the recipient’s name and click ‘confirm’ to complete the transaction.
Upon completion, you will be automatically redirected to your Telegram chat, where both you and your friend will see a confirmation message.
The steps are practically the same to request money in Telegram. After typing @PayLahBot within your chat session, you simply need to enter the amount and tap on the request.
Your friend then clicks ‘Submit’ and logs into your PayLah! wallet. After your friend confirms the payment, both of you will receive a confirmation text message on your Telegram chat.
From October 18 to November 25, DBS will be running a contest in which the top 25 customers who sent the most P2P payment transfers to unique recipients on Telegram will win a pair of Apple AirPods. Click here for more details.
Get $ 20 off Your order on VP Label when you pay with Pace and the code PACEVP20 (minimum spend $ 80). Join us now to support local Singapore brands:
It is clear that food delivery services have been invaluable during the time of the pandemic. As timely and fantastic a collaboration as Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg, foodpanda announced today (October 21) its partnership with Rebel Foods at a virtual press conference on Zoom.
foodpanda will launch Rebel Foods flagship brands and co-created new offerings at more than 2,000 outlets in Asia through an initial five-year partnership, starting in six markets.
This means cloud restaurant and kitchen operators can easily increase revenue streams by offering more virtual brands within their existing F&B businesses. It is also worth noting that this association is the first of its scale in the region.
A way to help local F&B brands
For the uninitiated, Rebel Foods is the world’s largest Internet restaurant company based in India. The company is behind famous food brands such as Faasos, Behrouz Biryani, The Biryani Life, Lunchbox, and Honest Bowl.
These are all virtual brands, so they exist digitally with no physical presence or for dinner. They can operate from existing restaurants or through traditional kitchens in the cloud.
Image Credit: Behrouz Biryani via Instagram
Meanwhile, foodpanda is one of the largest food delivery platforms outside of China.
With its Brands-As-A-Service model, foodpanda will enable hundreds of thousands of restaurant partners and kitchen operators in the cloud to connect and use virtual brands in their current operations to increase additional revenue streams with minimal upfront cost or null.
This means that smaller SMEs and restaurant partners can adopt new recipes and use their spare capacity to increase additional revenue streams while creating diversity in their menu offerings.
This partnership is unstoppable with Rebel Foods’ culinary expertise, efficient standard operating procedures, and food technology innovations for food and beverage outlets in Asia.
Digitization as the future of food
Pedram Assadi, COO of foodpanda / Image Credit: foodpanda and Rebel Foods via Zoom
“This foodpanda Rebel Foods partnership introduces a new digital F&B format in Asia. foodpanda is always looking for new and innovative ways to change the way food and beverage companies operate in a hyper-digitized economy; we want to push our ecosystem into the future, “said Pedram Assadi, COO of foodpanda.
In fact, Rebel Foods and foodpanda have already been testing this new relationship. In the first phase of their partnership, which began in December 2019, Rebel Foods introduced four brands in six markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Hong Kong and the Philippines, through the foodpanda network.
On average, orders for Rebel Foods brands in the foodpanda app grew 40 percent month-over-month in the last six months, with more than 200 outlets in the six markets signed up to add virtual brands to their food and beverages. existing (F&B) offers.
“Most importantly, these virtual brands will provide our restaurant partners, especially SMEs, with new opportunities to earn additional income,” Pedram added.
Over the years, we have built a category of leading brands in their current markets and a complete operating system that integrates culinary expertise, standard operating procedures, and technological innovations together. We are pleased to partner with foodpanda and scale our iconic brands with localized offerings across their network in Asia.
Kallol Banerjee, Co-Founder of Rebel Foods.
If this has made you hungry for what Rebel Foods has to offer, your virtual brands can easily be found in your foodpanda app.
There appears to be an increase in Malaysian companies incorporating alcoholic beverages into desserts. The alcoholic baker other Chew my drink make alcoholic cookies, while The ice cream bar other Licky chan drink ice cream.
Recently, a new F&B brand has emerged with another alcoholic food product: jams. With variants like Rum N ‘Raisin Apple and Drunken Bacon incorporating stout (RM28) or whiskey (RM32), it is sold by a company born out of the pandemic, SpreadCheers, which launched on January 22 of this year.
By an experimental home cook
The creator of SpreadCheers has operated an event management and marketing promotions agency with his sisters for the past 27 years. Having served multiple top-tier corporations in the region, Richard Soo had been exposed to various cuisines while on a business trip to meet his clients.
Despite that, the discovery of alcohol-infused jams only happened during a family vacation in Tasmania, where Richard realized how alcohol could enhance the flavors of jams.
All Flavors Available by Brand / Image Credit: SpreadCheers
A big fan of alcohol-infused foods, he started buying jams by the dozen while traveling. Then came the pandemic that stopped flights and customers seeking event management services.
With extra time on his hands and already an experimental home cook, Richard searched online for recipes to recreate the alcoholic jams for his personal consumption. In the process, he came up with his own version using less sugar and more fruit with no additives.
Soon, Richard discovered that there weren’t many players in the local market who made alcoholic jams, let alone bacon jams.
By putting together a small budget to buy only what was necessary to start production, Richard and his wife kept costs down by making their first batches with their existing liquor collection at home.
Affordable luxury for a meal
While we’ve written about another player selling bacon jams (albeit non-alcoholic) before, they clarified that the product is no longer being offered today when we contacted. This was due to the economic downturn after the 1MDB scandal where ingredient costs soared and customers weren’t as willing to spend on luxury goods.
When this was brought up during our interview, Richard was also aware of this matter. Said: “My spouse reminded me that we bought 2 jars from his stall years ago which we really enjoyed.”
Although we were able to find other vendors who make bacon jam, SpreadCheers appears to be one of the only players now making and selling alcoholic jams in Malaysia. At the time of writing, his Shopee store is even the first (and probably the only) hit on Google if you search for “boozy jam.”
Therefore, there is a large market share in Malaysia at stake for SpreadCheers to make a name for itself in this niche market. This is where Richard can further flex his marketing expertise.
Topped with some cakes / Image Credit: SpreadCheers
“Our focus now, especially since we are still building our brand, is to reach a wider market and introduce them to new ways to enjoy jams and spreads. As such, we need to position our jams as an affordable luxury, especially in tough times like this. “
To keep overhead low, all products are manufactured in-house, in Richard’s home. The team also collects empty jars and containers from customers that are cleaned for reuse.
It’s not just a cost savings from SpreadCheers, but Richard shared that clients appreciate these conservation efforts, too. In this way, they can also reduce the amount of still usable bubble wrap and cardboard boxes going to landfills, a problem exacerbated by the rise in pandemic-catalyzed e-commerce.
“All the savings [from packaging] It is intended to obtain and obtain quality ingredients and spirits. While our profit margins are not as high as we would like, they cover the cost of ingredients and operations with the sales volume achieved, ”Richard told the Vulcan Post.
An obviously cheeky name
Cook them on rotisserie chicken / Image Credit: SpreadCheers
Clients won’t have to think too hard to make the connection on how SpreadCheers got their name. Playing with the semantics, the products sold are essentially a “spread”, while “health” refers to what it sounds like when you drink alcohol with friends.
The spreads aren’t just meant to be used on bread, but to add joy to every meal, Richard said. So far, he shared that customers have been using the jams as a topping for ice cream, waffles, roast meats, and potatoes, along with salad dressings.
Starting with alcohol-infused fruit jams, the duo subsequently added their drunk bacon with Irish stout or Suntory whiskey to their product portfolio.
“The jams are cooked with the corresponding alcohol to impregnate them with the flavors of the selected liquor. This helps to blend the fruit flavors with the alcohol and does not overpower the fruit flavor, ”shared Richard about the SpreadCheers processes.
Part of the liquor used in the jams / Image Credit: SpreadCheers
For certain jams, more liquor is added after the cooking process to enhance their flavors. But the self-proclaimed jam master made sure to emphasize that alcohol should never dominate the palate. Rather, it should only enhance the flavors of the fruits.
Richard shared that the turning point for the business came after SpreadCheers began partnering with non-competitive providers of complementary products. For example, your current offer is to sell jams with scones and croissants at a promotional price.
“This adds value for customers, as we are selling a solution (a complete meal) at a discounted price rather than a simple product (a part of a meal). In the past, we have had promotions on bagels, sausages, etc. “
Manufactured and sold on an order basis, SpreadCheers currently sells more than 300 jars per month, reaching customers nationwide. Almost a year in business, Richard and his wife are honored by the response from clients to date, especially since they both have little to no F&B experience.
Even when Richard returns to his full-time job in event management, he’s also learning how to juggle and manage his time between the two businesses. “It is not easy but it is something I would like to work on in the long term and I am willing to sacrifice what little free time I have to ensure its longevity,” he said.
You can learn more about SpreadCheershere.
You can read more F&B related articles that we have writtenhere.
Featured Image Credit: Richard Soo and his wife, co-founders of SpreadCheers
Mercer and CFA Institute have just published their annual Global pension index, consisting of 43 major countries surveyed and ranked this year.
Singapore’s CPF was ranked a respectable 10th (although it fell three places since 2020) and, unsurprisingly, the best in Asia.
Curiously, apparently developed and supportive countries such as South Korea or Japan were very poorly located (in 36th and 38th place), on a par with India, Thailand or the Philippines.
Devil in the details
I am wary of classifications of all kinds, particularly those that attempt to greatly simplify very complex subjects. That said, while the lists they produce may not be of much use, the work done may still have some value, so it makes sense to dig into their reports.
After all, no one in their right mind would think that the pension system in Japan can be considered at the same time as India or the Philippines, or significantly surpassed by Malaysia or South Africa (with all due respect).
Similarly, 10th place for Singapore, although quite high, is probably considerably lower than it should be (objectively). So, let’s take a look at what Mercer recommends for the city-state to improve its overall index score:
Image credit: Mercer, CFA Institute, Global Pension Index 2021
The value of the general index for the Singapore system (according to Mercer)could be increased by:
Lower Barriers to Establishing Tax-Approved Group Corporate Retirement Plans
Improve the level of communication provided to the members of the ACB
Opening of CPF to non-residents (who constitute a significant percentage of the workforce)
Increase the age at which CPF members can access their savings that are reserved for retirement, as life expectancy increases.
Now, the first two points are actually comments on the administrative decisions that are made about how the system is run in the country. I’m not sure how Mercer and CFAI see this significantly change the reality of retirement in Singapore.
The next two, however, are much more interesting as they point to the fundamentals of the CPF.
I’m not sure the report’s authors understand the reality of city-state employment, as non-residents who don’t qualify for CPF won’t be retiring in Singapore anyway. By its very design, the system provides pensions to those who will live in Singapore when it is time to leave the labor market.
How does the exclusion of those who will not stay in the city-state affect the general situation of the pension system? It’s a mystery … And yet he’s been marked for that.
Increased age of eligibility
The final recommendation that Mercer and CFA have made probably turns out to be the most controversial among Singaporeans, with many still yearning for the return of the days when you could withdraw your CPF in a lump sum after your 55th birthday.
These times are not going to return as it would leave many people without adequate protection in their old age, especially as life expectancy continues to grow.
But it appears that the report’s authors have ignored the details about how CPF payments work in Singapore.
Image Credit: Getty Images
Right now, Singaporeans have access to just S $ 5,000 when they turn 55 and up to 20 percent of their savings when they turn 65.
Meanwhile, the local government has already announced a progressive increase in the ages of retirement and re-employment to 65 and 70 respectively, within the next decade. In fact, they are about to rise to 63 and 68 on July 1, 2022.
Additionally, nothing prohibits seniors from working beyond the legal retirement age, and reemployment regulations actually encourage permanence in the workforce for up to an additional five years. It does not seem to me that this is adequately reflected in the world rankings.
To top it off, CPF payments can be deferred up to 70 years (although I assume they will progressively rise to 75). This means that future pensioners can still contribute and earn interest on their pension savings if they don’t want to retire yet. After all, people age differently.
What Mercer and CFA seem to recommend is legal coercion, while the Singapore government has given local pensioners the freedom to benefit from the system by choosing to extend their employment and retire with a larger nest if they wish (at the same time giving them access to a portion of the funds saved earlier, in case of urgent need).
In other words, compared to several European systems that ranked higher than Singapore and that, at least to some extent, rely on funding through a de facto Ponzi scheme in which current employees pay the retirement benefits of current pensioners, the CPF is considerably better funded, more resilient, flexible, and already offers greater protections for the rapidly aging society than any other solution.
So while the notion of raising the retirement age as society ages is of course logical and nothing new, Singapore is not only already doing it, but also offering a variety of incentives and protections to encourage working during longer than any other country, leaving the final decision on the exact timing of your retirement to the people themselves.
After all, unlike anywhere else, it is their own money that they depend on, which makes Singapore pensions the most financially sustainable in the world.
Featured Image Credit: The Independent Singapore News
Get $ 20 off Your order on VP Label when you pay with Pace and the code PACEVP20 (minimum spend $ 80). Discover and buy interesting local brands now:
Remedies made from flower extracts are not what Malaysians would normally turn to when it comes to treating certain symptoms or conditions, especially when it comes to emotional and mental well-being.
But this local entrepreneur has a vision to bring these products to every home in Malaysia, not to replace known remedies, but to complement them.
These are known as Bach flower remedies (pronounced “batch”) that can be taken orally, in mist form, and more.
With a strong belief in this concept, Stephanie Looi, co-founder of the Malaysian wellness brand PurelyB, thrown out Flower sound during the pandemic to increase accessibility to them.
It’s time for a history lesson
As I’m not someone seeking alternative medicine, for the most part, I had no idea what Bach flower remedies were before I discovered the sound of flowers. So I had to get Stephanie to explain what they were about.
Flower power to combat stress and generate energy / Image credit: Sound of Flowers
The Bach Flower Remedies were founded by the bacteriologist, physician and pathologist Dr. Edward Bach in the 1920s. Every remedy that he came up with is associated with a basic human emotion such as worry, trust, fear, jealousy, and so on.
In total, there are 38 types of flowers to cure 38 types of human emotions, through the vibrations and energy of the flowers.
However, how does that relate to the human body?
It is because humans are also a living energy field and we interact with the energy fields of other objects and beings in the universe.
Feelings like sadness lead us to vibrate at a very low level, and there are many things we can do to raise this energy level such as listening to music, exercising, eating good food or taking a walk in nature.
However, some people cannot feel better and continue to dwell on negative feelings, leading to increased anxiety and depression, for example.
“So the field of vibrational medicine like Bach flowers, which we call energy medicine once consumed, can help us naturally raise our energy level,” Stephanie said.
“It makes us ‘feel’ better, more confident, more hopeful, etc., and it works differently for everyone in a very gentle and subtle way.”
Buy the Sound of Flowers remedies at VP Label at an exclusive price now:
Turning belief into resolution
If you’re like me, reading the above may have fueled your skepticism, probably because the concept of energy fields in the body may sound more spiritual than medicinal.
But before we rule it out entirely, there is a growing consensus that our health outcomes can be influenced by these electrical and magnetic energies.
Stephanie firmly believes that being able to heal on an emotional level through balancing these energies will have knock-on effects on other aspects of health.
So much so that after a friend in naturopathy (a form of alternative medicine) introduced her to these remedies, she ordered her own UK products and started using them.
After 4 months, she was so convinced of its effectiveness that she looked for ways to become a certified Bach flower therapist and finally settled on a course with the Bach Center in the UK.
She is also a Certified Sound Therapist in Tibetan Bowls / Image Credit: Sound of Flowers
In March 2020, she was officially a Certified Practitioner Therapist, and during the pandemic, she had an epiphany:
“Why is something so pure and natural not known here in this part of the world? That’s when I decided to tell it and spread it to more people who needed it. “
With that philosophy in mind, Stephanie’s direction for Sound of Flowers was to make the process simple and easy for people to get help.
Flower power every 4 hours
To achieve this, he creates his own blends, something that is not available with the original Bach flower tinctures. “Unless you know what you need in another way, you will have to go through 38 types of flowers,” he described.
In this way, you can also make the mixes affordable. “A normal person will need to take at least 4-5 flowers depending on their needs. That would mean they have to buy 4-5 bottles separately. With our brand, we can help make this mix for the price of 1 bottle. “
Like supplements, these mixes simply need to be taken daily every few hours (as directed on the bottle) for users to experience the change.
Stephanie with her fogs and rollers / Image credit: Sound of Flowers
To better serve the Malaysian market, remedies generally preserved in brandy have also been made available in an alternative to apple cider vinegar.
There are a variety of ready-to-use remedies available to attack or stimulate specific emotions, such as those that target anxiety, anger, panic attacks, and foster faith, concentration, and courage, for example.
Sound of Flowers also offers a Bach flower consultation for those who want more personalized remedies, whereby a therapist will get to know you better before creating blends to suit your needs.
I personally tried some of these remedies, mainly Stress, Peaceful Night and Belief, and also received some therapeutic mist and a roller. The mists and the roller were very nice to use as acts of pampering, but it was the remedies that interested me the most.
They smelled and tasted faintly like used canning, and I was to take 4 drops of each every 4 hours or as needed.
It’s been about 3 weeks and although I notice minor changes in my mood after using them, I still wonder: is this just a placebo?
Not replacing, but complementing
Of course, Stephanie is aware of the abundant skepticism regarding Bach flower remedies, or any other type of alternative medicine, for that matter.
“However, we are not trying to convince everyone to try [Bach flower remedies]. Those who come to us have been facing emotional problems for a long time ”, he revealed.
Many of her clients are already seeing a therapist or taking medication, and Stephanie makes sure to tell them that Sound of Flowers is not a means of replacing medications.
But if drugs can’t cure them and alternative medicines make one feel better, is there really something wrong with having placebo effects? I believe it is the most powerful healing, as your mind and body tell you that you can recover.
Stephanie Looi, Founder and CEO of Sound of Flowers
And I agree with her. Although I personally still think that many people who feel better after using such remedies are simply experiencing placebo, I cannot deny that the act of taking the time to care for myself through these remedies and mists lifted my spirits, and that , for me, it is more than enough.
You have had many satisfied customers comment that they feel much better after using Sound of Flowers products, but I had to know: were there any who said they felt no difference?
1 in 50 the number Stephanie gave, and for them, Flower Sound would normally try to understand why.
If the consistency of the client’s remedy intake is not the issue, the team will review the formulation and give another remedy after 2 weeks.
“We made it clear that there is no guarantee, not even for medication, nothing is guaranteed. Most of the time they get it. But as long as they are willing to try, we are always willing to guide, “he said.
Firm roots for constant growth
Known for her role as a co-founder of wellness brand PurelyB since 2015, Stephanie turned to her fanbase for market research before founding Sound of Flowers.
It made sense since his fans were already health seekers interested in natural products and traditional remedies, both of which define Bach flower remedies.
Stephanie noticed a great interest in Bach flower remedies and soon started selling them on PurelyB as well, and there is even a product collaboration in the works.
In general, he is optimistic about the growth of Bach flower remedies, and sees great potential for them here, similar to the way essential oils grew in popularity. 7 years ago, he had started using them simply as natural pain relievers.
“And look where we are now, where every ‘therapeutic / wellness’ product is infused with essential oils.”
This, she believes, will be the similar growth trajectory that we will see with Bach flower remedies.
Once Sound of Flowers takes off here, Stephanie is looking to the larger Asian market, confident that her brand can stand out through her personalization and therapy services.
You can learn more about Sound of Flowers here.
You can read about other Malaysian wellness startups here.
Featured Image Credit: Stephanie Looi, Founder and CEO, Sound of Flowers
A flagship conference, Singapore Innovation and Technology Week 2021 (SWITCH), will take place from 8-12 November. If you have been keeping an eye out for events, you will notice that SWITCH also coincides with the Singapore Fintech Festival.
This year’s theme is “Global Gateway to Innovation in Asia,” where 400 speakers will share insights on the latest global technology and innovation trends.
There’s something for everyone from startup launch competition, industry roundtable sessions, innovation lab crawls, and a physical display of novel technology solutions.
This year, SWITCH is also partnering with the online talent platform Glints for the first time to provide an employer and talent search service for SWITCH exhibitors and attendees.
Notable speakers to pay attention to
Image Credit: SWITCH
There is always a lot to learn from the leading figures in our community. With over 400 speakers, we have many options to choose from as they share innovative ideas and technologies that are shaping the future of our communities and economies.
Some talks you wouldn’t want to miss would be those of Forrest Li, founder, president and CEO of the Sea group, on SWITCH Beyond on November 9. Another would be a talk by Aaron Tan on the newly crowned Unicorn Carro at the Innovation Insights session. on SWITCH Beyond.
You may also get the chance to hear from Marcus Tan, the co-founder of Carousell, another newly crowned unicorn in the mix. You will participate in a panel discussing how startups are shaping the future of retail at SLINGSHOT on November 10.
SWITCH beyond
Image Credit: SWITCH
In another line of events, SWITCH Beyond brings sessions that will discuss how technology can reshape industries in smart cities, mobility, clean energy, sustainability and the circular economy.
This year, new shipping and tourism themes are being introduced to explore future innovation and technology opportunities, given the impact of COVID-19 on cross-border e-commerce travel and sales.
More interestingly, women entrepreneurs are increasingly playing leadership roles in driving a new generation of disruption and technology.
This year, SWITCH will dedicate a full day to women in technology on November 12.
Image Credit: SWITCH
This is in association with She Loves Tech, an annual thought leadership summit and the world’s largest startup competition for women and technology. She Loves Tech Global Conference @ SWITCH will include discussions on the role of female leadership in the world of technology, as well as on wellness and sustainability.
Innovation meets creativity
To cultivate an environment of constant innovation and creativity, SWITCH will also host the final of SLINGSHOT 2021.
As Asia’s latest deep tech startup launch competition, the Top 100 Startups will compete for more than S $ 1.1 million in prices in the final. In fact, the stakes are high for these competitors, who come from 31 markets, including Singapore, India and the United States.
These Top 100 Startups have gone through preparatory workshops and mentoring sessions to prepare for the finale. Here, they will present their solutions to companies through the Corporate Challenge.
This challenge will provide them with partnering, co-innovation and bed testing opportunities, and investors through a two-hour investor deal mixer.
Not like Shark Tank, but just as exciting and brimming with limitless creativity and ingenuity.
For more interactive and fun exhibits, head to the SG Innovation Gallery, where there will be more than 100 exhibits featuring innovations and technology from more than 30 global markets.
Registered attendees will not only be able to access the annual calendar of webinars and activities. They can also connect with other attendees throughout the year. Click here to get tickets for SWITCH 2021.
