Singaporeans finally got a chance to try Hollywood's favourite drink when it arrived in town last December.
The six flavours of the drink available in Singapore currently are Power-C, Revive, Multi-V, XXX, Essential and Energy. Each flavour has a special blend of vitamins and a different fruity taste to it. For example, Power-C is dragonfruit-flavoured and contains Vitamin C and Taurine. Each bottle contains roughly 33 grams of sugar, less than half of what one would find in a similarly-sized bottle of cola.
The selection available in Singapore is a small part of the twenty-eight flavours Vitaminwater has in America. However, the limited flavours did not seem to deter Singaporeans' enthusiasm for the elusive drink.
"I've read about this drink on a lot of entertainment and gossip sites and have seen many Hollywood stars drinking it. Naturally I was curious as to how it tasted." Shireen Ho, 18, said. "I've waited for years for this drink to be brought to Singapore; I would have been happy even if they only brought in one flavour!" She exclaimed.
Supermarkets and convenience stores around the city area stocked six flavours of Vitaminwater and there was even a roadshow held at iON Orchard where free samples were given out to the public. Depending on where you bought it, you had to fork out between $1.65 to $2.20 for a bottle.
Youths were divided on the presence of the drink in school. Many students we talked to felt that the cost of Vitaminwater was relatively high compared to other drinks.
"It's okay to try, but I would not drink it on a regular basis because of the price." David Yeo, 18, said.
Other youths were ecstatic about it.
"Just a month ago I envied my American friends who can drink Vitaminwater anytime they want. Now that it's so easily available in school, I can drink it as and when I wish too!" 19-year old Jasmine Lim said. "The price is what they pay in the states so I find it reasonable," she added.
Like it or not, it seems Vitaminwater has ammassed quite a following for itself in a short period of time and is here to stay for a long time to come.
Why are teens so violent?
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Teen violence – a term that has been used in the news so many times over the past decade that it no longer surprises anyone. Amongst the many cases over the years, the most infamous is probably the Columbine High School shootings in 1999. The media has since been finding reasons for the seemingly random acts of violence, finding people to blame for the shooters’ behaviors. Now, more than 10 years later, we are apparently no closer to finding out what causes such tendencies to appear in teens.
In fact, recent cases of fatally-violent attacks by teenagers shocked our small nation. The problem seems to have gotten worse, seems to have spread to local soil.
“It saddens me and frightens me that teens in Singapore are capable of such actions,” 18 year-old Tiffany Tan, 2nd-year student at Republic Polytechnic said. “I thought we were taught to be better than that.”
Fear is also naturally growing amongst the teenage crowd. “I’m worried I might look someone the wrong way and become a victim myself,” 17 year-old Samuel Lee, 1st-year student at Republic Polytechnic said. “I just do what my parents tell me; to mind my own business.”
Experts have all along blamed violent media for the increasing trend of violence in teenagers today. With Singapore getting more westernized and having western media more easily accessible, could this be the reason for teen violence?
Popular shows such as True Blood depict vampires committing extremely violent and bloody acts, yet depicting them as mysterious and sexy. Another show, Dexter, has a serial killer who kills a startling number of victims throughout the course of the show, yet portrays the killer as someone who is doing society justice. Do such shows have any adverse effects on teenagers?
John P. Murray, a psychology professor at Kansas State University found out that teenagers experienced increased emotional arousal in the brain - and a corresponding decrease of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, inhibition and attention - after watching short clips of such violent programs. The effects of prolonged viewing of such programs are unknown, and one shudders to think what those effects might be.
Video games are another commonly accused medium. Left for Dead, Call of Duty, and Modern Warfare are examples of recently popular games that are intensely violent. Similar effects on the brain have been found in another study conducted by the Indiana University School of Medicine.
However, youth counselor, Ian Poulier thinks that communication breakdown between parent and child is still the biggest factor in causing such violent emotions.
“There is an increasing communication breakdown between parents and their children. These youths have no proper venting outlet and let their problems fester inside them. This may lead to self-harm or in severe cases, harm to other peers.”
He added that it is important to know how to communicate with the teenager. “Letting your teenager know that they can come to you with the problems and in turn gain proper insight or practical, non-violent solutions is very important. Listening is also the key. Many parents are quick to judge what their children are telling them and do not give them a chance to say what they need to.”
“I think it is important to know how to engage your child in these technologically-advanced times.” Madam Sandra Ng, parent of a student in Temasek Polytechnic said. “I learnt to use Facebook and iPhone applications and all that. This way, my child and I can relate to each other and she can come to me more easily when she has problems. I make the effort to help her find solutions to her problems and let her know that violence to herself or others will not solve anything.”
When asked if she is afraid for her daughter’s safety, Madam Ng replied, “While it is important for me that my daughter is safe, I think we should also not be too paranoid about such things. Although being cautious is vital, living in fear is not the way to live.”
Labels: News
Websites to brighten up your day
Monday, November 29, 2010
After hours of dreary research on the internet, here are some websites to make your cyber life a little more interesting.
1000 Awesome Things (www.1000awesomethings.com)1000 Awesome Things is as the name states, a collection of the best things in life. Each awesome thing is coupled with a short explanation which will often have you nodding along in agreement. Some of the things mentioned range from the trivial – such as when a stranger laughs at a joke between you and your friends - or the innocent – such as when your parent checks to see that there are no monsters under your bed.
Needless to say, this site is sure to brighten up your day.
Hyperbole and a Half (www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com)At first glance, Hyperbole and a Half might look like a collection of very enthusiastic childish scrawls. However, read on and you will find many hilarious situations depicted in said sketches. One of her most famous posts has her griping about how people use the word “alot” instead of “a lot”. She finds it incredibly annoying but overcomes it by imagining that the person using the erroneous word is talking about a monster she dreamt up called “alot”. So when you say something like “I drink this alot”, she’s probably thinking of a watery monster that you are drinking from.
The author’s bizarre logic on the many things in life is often side-splittingly funny. And if we dare admit, sometimes we see some sense in her seemingly insane ramblings.
The Scott Adams Blog (www.dilbert.com/blog)You might have heard of Scott Adams before as he is the creator of the popular comic strip, Dilbert. He is also the 12th most influential management thinker in 2005 as ranked by Suntop Media & the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD).
His blog is as what anyone would expect from him – a collection of deep thoughts on many issues ranging from the environment to marriage. One such example is when he wanted to build a new home after getting married to his wife. He considered what would be the most energy-efficient way to build and maintain a home and included those ideas in the design of his home. He goes on to explain each idea and subsequently got his ideas published in the Wall Street Journal. He now lives in that home with his wife and cat.
He often brushes off what he writes as being inaccurate and therefore flawed, but he makes much more sense than most analysts could hope of being. Prepare to be enlightened on all issues.
Jason Hahn’s Blog (www.saffyamanda.blogspot.com)Jason Hahn is a well-known columnist at 8DAYS. His weekly column “First Person” in the local magazine is loved by many for its funny take on Singaporean life. This blog is a collection of those articles published weekly.
For those unacquainted with the column, it mostly revolves around his views on various happenings in Singapore as well as the lives of his exasperated housemates, Saffy and Amanda (hence the blog title). He details how Saffy and Amanda constantly get disappointed in the dating game and how his various comical friends look at local issues.
A blog with a strong burst of Singaporean flavor, this blog will touch on many issues you’re familiar with, adding some humor to make it all go down easy. Plus, it’s free and articles are posted weeks before they get published in 8DAYS.
Stuff No One Told Me (www.stuffnoonetoldme.blogspot.com)Ever wish there was someone who told you about the more important lessons in life? Stuff No One Told Me is a blog with beautifully illustrated lessons that everyone can benefit from. While most of the lessons are things you already know, it is still nice to have a reminder on some of the more important things in life. Expect lessons such as “things are just things, don’t get too attached to them” and “no one will grant your wishes, you better make them happen”. Tough but true.
Labels: Tech
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Singaporeans finally got a chance to try Hollywood's favourite drink when it arrived in town last December.
