Middle of the Road

Episode 45 - It's a virgin experience for us, but we've finally pushed through with a guest on the show! We interrogate each other a little, before giving the National Day speech the MOTR treatment and run the gamut of issues that forever plague our nation.Psst. This is actually the 2nd half of our recording session, check out BTH Podcast for 1st part of the show!

Episode 44 - Life caught up and we were busy trying not to get swept away, but the spectre of shitty customer service is an ever-present facet of the Singapore experience. Is it because we don't give a shit when we do our jobs? Or are we just terrible customers to begin with? As we explore numerous incidents over the past couple of weeks, we try to sort out what the hell is wrong with Singapore's notorious customer service rep.Note: This episode is an amalgamation of segments from various episodes because this topic kept popping up over and over and over and over...All new content though :)

Episode 43 - With the Olympics behind us, it's finally time to talk about it. From the bleak backdrop of COVID, to the PR gaffes during the opening ceremony and a passionate discussion about Joseph Schooling's performance, we talk about everything EXCEPT the actual sports themselves.Note: This episode is a collection of Olympic-related content from numerous recordings. It just felt better together, but the transitions might be a lil off so just ignore them like that creepy uncle at the annual family reunion.

Episode 42 - In the teaser, we asked ourselves if we would fire our employee if they keng-ed from work in order to attend a football match.After resolving that conundrum, we explored why Singaporeans seem salty when they see a local entrepreneur buy a Gold Class Bungalow(GCBs). If you know what ELSE that acronym stands for... then you have spent too much of your life in EDMW or Reddit ok.Along the way, Ivan reveals his despise for some local businesses despite running one for years himself(hypocrite) and our resident non-billionaire, Charles, scratches his head wondering why some siblings were squabbling over a $3million inheritance. "Not worth my time,"  says the co-host who has nothing to his name.Elsewhere, Iceland releases the details of an experiment with the 4-day work week, to tremendously positive results - we run the gamut of excuses that this idea will face in Singapore.Good to be back to regularly scheduled programming!

Episode #42 Teaser - The reason this teaser exists is because we have run out of space on our podcast host for the month of July and this is all we can put out while we wait for the new monthly cycle :)July has been full of content so enjoy this short segment about the lady who got fired because she keng-ed MC to go watch the Euros... then got see on national TV celebrating XD~

A River Valley High School(RVHS) student murders a junior with an axe. You read that right.This episode is our first reaction to the case and a quick rundown of the possible trial situation.

Episode 41 - Okay so the first story isn't a person per se, but the title was too good to change so here we go~Without much fanfare or media coverage, Grab has started the Human Replacement Project. When was the last time you've seen Grab do anything low profile? Yes. Prepare to be replaced.In our 2nd segment, a dad loses his shit when his daughters return their rental bikes late and are made to pay the late fee. We break down his misguided anger and try to figure out why he was so ragey.For our main topic, my ex-convict of a cohost regales us with tales of his arrest when he got caught for drink driving and we compare his experience with the story of a man who claimed that he was a victim of police brutality.I've always wanted an ex-con on the show, but WHO KNEW WE ALREADY HAD ONE.

No episode description yet because this is a seekret early release for those who subscribe ^_^Just kidding. I pressed publish before I could type the description so Imma add in it later folks. For the early birds, enjoy!-Ivan

Episode #39b - Even though Government only recently decided to dish out fines, the Tray Return Campaign Initiative was actually launched way back in 2013! After nearly a decade of half-assing it with the carrot and trying to guilt trip the population into being civic minded, NEA decided that it was time to whip out the stick and fine our asses for being such sloppy eaters.The deeper we got into this topic the more questions we had:- What are the lanjiao excuses Singaporeans give for not clearing their trays?- Why is our Govt so cb to fine us for everything?- Why is this the only thing they know how to do?- How successful has previous national campaigns been?- Does clearing your own mess make you a better human being, really?Join us on this episode as we break down the Tray Return Campaign - it's one of the few where we actually come to a bloody clear conclusion by the end. Who knew?!

Episode 39a - We're splitting this episode up because we're trying to maximize our hosting plan without pay extra. #BrokeAsses.In this 1st part, we discuss the farcical claims of Singapore's 2 most notorious anti-maskers - a Brit who is most likely going to jail for "something he doesn't believe in" and the now-legendary Badge Lady.We then re-examined our faith in the justice system when we discovered that Parti Liyani's application for compensation against the AGC for their comical handling of her case a year ago.Note: Head back to episode #10 for the full coverage on Parti Liyani's original trial.

Episode 38 - With the number of racial incidents escalating recently, we take a closer look at 4 separate cases and in the process, try to formulate a strategy for dealing with racism in Singapore. It's a tough conversation, but one we shouldn't shy away from.This will be an ongoing conversation, so connect with us on Instagram and tell us what you think!Subscribe to get notified when the latest episodes are released!

Episode 37b - When Charles heard that Calvin Cheng called Singaporeans crybabies, his heart swelled up with the nationalistic pride of a thousand angry Singaporeans and what was meant to be a 15 minute segment ended up twice as long.We casually scrolled through his FB page and delved shallowly into his wikipedia entry while we dissected his post, online persona and history as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP).Does his position have any merit? How does he stack up to other vocal people like Lim Tean and Chee Soon Juan? Why the hell was Charles so upset?The answers, all here. PRESS PLAY ALREADY DAMMIT.Note: Calvin's post is on our instagram page. Check it out for context!

Episode #37a - In this episode, we explore how pride, arrogance and (a lack of) integrity are often the building blocks of dumb shit happening. - A football club owner subs himself into a game- Chasing a Bangla to return $2... while filming it all- Forbes' "30 Under 30" - 19 Year-Old Tech CEO is a fraud- Delhi Minister says India variant originated in Singapore- SMRTFeedback goes down

Episode 36 - May was an eventful month: we discuss the attention-seeking Grabfood Challenge, the entire "UMBRAGE" incident and ponder about the xenophobia and racism that seems to be sprouting up all over our island.How was your month?Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 35 - This episode, we share some good work done by local organisation, It's Raining Raincoats(IRR), investigate strange case of a dude taking a sh*t in an incense tin and an unrelated case of weed cakes. Very illegal in SG.Then we explore the thin line between passion in sports and lunacy, when news of a local beng threatening to kill an EPL footballer and his family makes headlines.Of course, we've not been able to go a month without talking about COVID and here we are staring at the grim possibility of Circuit Breaker 2.0Note: This episode was recorded before the latest round of safety measures so you could say it was some SERIOUS FORESHADOWING on our part muahahahah. Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Bonus Episode #1 - If you've always wondered what the EPL, Champions' League, World Cup and and other football related jargon meant, but didn't care enough to read up about it or ask your friends in case they turn out to be obnoxious liverpool supporters, then this episode is just for you!Charles asks all the noob questions so that you don't have to. And yes, the proposed European Super League is bad, and we'll tell you why.Note: This episode was originally part of #34, but it ended up being so long that we decided to cut it out from the main episode.

Episode 34 - This week saw the appearance of a Molotov cocktail in Singapore, the establishment of an Air Travel Bubble(ATB) arrangement with Hong Kong, a cabinet re-shuffle that shows clear signs of next potential Prime Minister and we examine how to f**k up a simple, well-meaning project like the SingapoRediscover vouchers.BONUS: There was also a segment about the European Super League saga, but Ivan ranted for so long that we decided to cut it out and release it separately because my GOD he kept going.Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 33 - It's a packed episode! So packed we couldn't squeeze everything into the title lol.There's otters. There's a HDB nightmare. There's a bunch of kids who burgled their own home.There's(more) dirty secrets of Naiise's liquidation.Then there's a whole cathartic segment about the wonderfully shitty service know as Foodpanda.Yep, 2 animal discussions in one episode. Unemployment means more episodes!Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 32 - Fresh off our Bicycle Registration Act from episode 31, road woes continue to plague Singaporeans like our shitty weather.Also, Naiise declares bankrupcy after we recorded this episode! As we have friends who have been suckered in by this company and owed money over the years, we explore the absurdity that such a (hopefully unintentionally) poorly run company can exist for so long as the poster boy for local creatives.Of course, we can't, as Singaporeans, exclude the impending season of Who Wants to be a Prime Minister from our discussion! See who we both side with and let us know what you think!Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 31 - 3 episodes in a week? What are we, jobless?Don't answer that. This episode, we revisit the case of PM Lee suing Leong Sze Hian. The PM obviously won, but it might not quite have the effect he expected. We also bring you some updates about the students who peed on each other in Ngee Ann Poly. This one seems like it will take some time to resolve.We save the last segment for what we propose to be the Bicycle Registration Act. Yes, now that Tay Ping Hui and the grande dame, Ho Ching herself has suggested it, we believe the time is right to reign in goddamn Singaporean cyclists.

Episode 30 - The big THREE-OH! While life doesn't stop, apparently transport around the world did.  From the Suez Canal to our own MRT, shit got stuck~"Work from Home" officially came to an end and it was supposed to be our main topic, but it didn't stand a chance against the backdrop of Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Student Union's peeing video.Yes, you read that right. Students. Peeing on students.Oh, we also discuss how insurance companies in Singapore are engineering a move to squeeze more profits from their existing customers, but we know the peeing story is way more interesting isn't it?Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 29 - We are back from SERVING OUR NATION! But the stupid doesn't stop.  In Taiwan, a salmon-themed promotion goes hilariously sideways for one young chap, while India did a cover of "Count on Me, Singapore", and subsequently claimed that we were the copycats.Finally, we drop quite the bombshell as we unravel the ITE bullying case that has been making the rounds in the news.Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 28 - This one was in the incubator for awhile because the universe conspired to send Charles to reservist and FIFA21 to Ivan.We explore the wonderful world of legal debt collectors, who dressed up as the God of Fortune (财神爷) during their CNY rounds. We then lose our will to live when we discover how a stupid civil servant shared classified info with an old an who then proceeded to share it with his entire auntie-network - this message even reached one of us =x Finally, the most tragic car crash in recent history gets the MOTR treatment - is it really THAT sad if you think about it?Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 27 - We delve into the Gamestop fiasco with our resident financial expert, Charles. After that, a jobless Ivan contemplates joining an SGUnited traineeship but apparently, there are evil companies that abuse this government policy! *GASP* We wanted to leave out the Cheebye Singaporeans segment this week but when you kick your wife and daughter out onto the streets with $85 to their name, we have to give you special mention. We round out the episode by discussing the gender dysphoria "movement" that has been quietly gaining traction locally. Is it a legit mental issue or can we identify as anything we want now? Yeah, we ask the tough, tough questions. Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 26 - THE MISSING EPISODE! This episode was left unpublished for some reason, through no fault of the creators. Totally. It is a good one though: We deep dive into the mind of a tortoise stealer, fawn over ShengSiong's 15 month annual bonus before going off tangent into a child abuse/discipline discussion.Things then take a weird turn as we try to figure out who the hell Diego Lopes is and why the S-league paid 2million bucks for him and we wrap up the episode by defending the SAF against a snowflake auntie.Really, the tortoise boi bit is the best, so at least tune in for that!

Episode 25 - It has been a crazy week. Trump attempts an insurrection and all kinds of shenanigans. An English HOD pockets her students' money and is unrepentant. A dog owner loses her shit when her dog gets a wrong cut, and Whatsapp pulls off a dick move, a week after the TraceTogether fiasco. Come join the joyride!

Episode 24 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!! It's only been a couple days but 2021 has come thick and fast! We navigate our way through some stupidity before looking into the Twelve Cupcake scandal. Daniel Ong denies any knowledge of under-paying his workers for years, so we try to break it down a little. Across the boarder, Malaysia pulls out of the HSR project connecting Singapore to KL. Pretty sure they're blaming us for it. For the main topic - Apparently, the police using TraceTogether data to track down potential criminals is a breach of trust between Singaporeans and the Government. Why like that??Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 23 - M1 has been down 4 times this year and we finally lose our shit with it. A young punk thinks wearing the Nazi swastika is cool. Mandarin Orchard hotel has a new COVID cluster and our Hawker Centres make it to UNESCO's list of for cultural.. something. Merry Christmas everyone!Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 22 - We are back! Just in time for Phase 3 - that means more idiots on the loose! We discuss what Phase 3 means for all of us, if it does at all, and what we think of the vaccination situation in Singapore. It's good to be back!Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 21 - This week, Lim Tean asks a surprisingly pointed question at the Prime Minister during his defamation trial, COVID makes an appearance in the east after 14 days of zero local transmissions, a man goes to jail for scolding at off duty police officer, another man attempted a bang-and-run and Charles is moving in with his girlfriend because it's cheaper. A lot of ground is covered, man.Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 20 - It's not that we like going back to previously covered topics, but the Loh cousins(from Bellagraph Nova Group) are playing out a real life soap opera and we have to keep you updated. The first batch of HDB 99year leases come to an end and we measure that against the Singaporean expectation that "HDB confirm earn" mentality. Elsewhere in merlion island, a lady falls into a manhole and attempts to sue PUB, while a cheating businessman takes his mistress to court and gets his money back! Allllll the juice in our special 20th episode. Also, thank you for ONE THOUSAND!Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 19 - Trump is fired! But he isn't letting go without a good fight! Zoom hijack-porn finally reaches our shores and the folks at Singapore Athletics Association are its first unfortunate victim. A BlueSG driver takes revenge on an inconsiderate vehicle in the coldest way possible and we love in. Our main topic of discussion for the week - renting a house in Singapore, does it ever make sense? Why do people do it despite the enormous financial burden in Singapore? Charles shares his experiences living alone and tries to explain why he can't seem to ever get along with anyone. All the hard-hitting questions, only for you :)

Episode 18 - Two boys get lost in MacRitchie and a 50-man team is activated to locate them.  Afford-a-gram, a cheap photog service, disses freelancers trying to promote their own business. We examine Robinsons' liquidation after 160+ years in business and finally, we discuss the case of a man who wasn't allow to leave work when he dad was in critical condition. Yes. Legit!Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 17 - It was a bountiful week for stupid Singaporeans - an auntie attacks 4 people who tell her to wear a mask, a drunkard abuses an ATM that ate his card and a cheapo tries to bribe an officer with $33. Seriously? In our main topic, we talk about the state of education in Singapore while Charles tries to convince everyone that he is a life coach and that it's a legit profession.Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 16 - This week's episode was a WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE because we had a drunk friend in our home studio who wanted to join the podcast and he kinda did while in his drunken stupor XD We discuss the audacity of Apple's latest offering and Charles tries to swear off buying any more Apple products. Ivan then goes on am impassioned rant about the state of driving in Singapore and probably insults the entire cycling community in one breath. Join in won't you? :)Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 15 - This week's about catching up on bullshit - Trump's CoronaBullshit(episode #14), Bellagraph Nova group(#8) with their bullshit antics and Dickson Yeo's bullshit jail sentence(#5). We also end up talking a fair bit more about mental health than we intended to. This episode is bite-sized because who doesn't love a good slider every now and then??Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 14 - We called it. Trump uses old school reality TV clickbait to jolt his slumping ratings. Another scam results in Ivan sharing waaay too much about his views on religion. The eternal grump, Lim Tean, gets arrested and conjures a story worthy of an episode of Suits. Somehow, we end up talking about SIA and the need for a national carrier. Join us lah!Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 13 - Do you like leaving reviews when you get horrible service? Well, one couple did and got sued for their 1-star google review. Elsewhere, Ryde recently shared that one of their drivers made $9,000, we are skeptical. Lastly, we discuss just how much transparency is too much transparency for our MPs. It's a good one!Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 12 - "Respect your opponents by playing your best" - One school in Singapore took that to the extreme. Elsewhere, a really stupid scammer makes the headlines and Charles speaks in admiration of an epic scam from the annals of his brain. We then deliberate over the Boon Tat Street stabbing, and to round things up, we examine Delane Lim and his rant about how "Singaporeans are not hungry for a job". Pfft.Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 11 - The main saga from episode 10 continues to evolve, while Disney's Mulan leaves everybody dulan. One of us shares his Tinder experiences as we discuss the intricacies of dating services and to top it off, Charles makes a case for scammers in Singapore.Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 10 - We ponder if the "next-gen" ERP is really a way for the government to keep tabs on citizens, before delving into the 2 parliamentary discussions that stole the limelight: Free-Riders and Minimum Wage. Charles then dives deep into the case of Liew Mun Leong - an esteemed member of society who filed a bullshit police report on his maid. You will not believe how much fuckery ensues.Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 9 - More is revealed about Dee Kosh's sexual harassment charges while the Bellagraph Nova group's bid for Newcastle United gets shadier by the day. Elsewhere, in a sequence that would confound US cops, a man gets tasered but the Singapore Police doesn't brutalise him. Finally, we discuss if cheebye Singaporeans have any justification for being so cheebye. (Spoiler: they don't).Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 8 - we rain hell on the idiots who break safe distancing rules nonchalantly, investigate the Singaporeans trying to buy Newcastle United and yes, talk about Dee Kosh's biggest scandal to date. (Note: this developed so fast, by the time we recorded the episode he already posted his apology, which we'll address in #9!)Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

This week's main course is a discussion on National Service and how it affects our aspiring athletes, most notably Olympic hero Joseph Schooling. We also question the legitimacy of Russia's COVID vaccine and Charles has some "feedback" for BlueSG.

Fresh off his quarantine, Zhong shares his (not) harrowing experience as a suspected virus-carrier. We then judge Chee Soon Juan and Charles Yeo's efforts to stay in the spotlight beyond election season, before Ivan trashes some new "local" technology. For dessert, we protect Singlish from a pompous buffoon. Stand up for your Singaporean Pride!Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Sorry for the delay! Someone got quarantined this week(more in eps #6). On the agenda: || 1. Dickson Yeo, not-so-super-spy || 2. Joanna "burn in the lake of fire" Theng || 3. Jamus Lim rescues 82yr old from poverty... or does he?Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Shaking off Election fever, we share our thoughts about Founder Bak Kut Teh's plea to save their business, propose punishment for these NUS kids who seem to have a vaccine for the law and one of us reveals his distaste for Nathan Hartono. Sorry, Nathan!

In the second part of our "Election Special", we discuss the impact of this General Elections - the winners, the losers, the hypebeasts and the cockles :) Ivan also gives his unqualified advice to the parties that did absolutely nothing.Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

Episode 2 is dedicated to the GE because even though we wanna talk about other stuff, nobody's gonna listen to anything else this week~Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)

It's our first ever podcast! We share some personal challenges during the circuit breaker period, review phase 2 so far and dip our toes into the General Elections.Support the show (https://www.instagram.com/middleoftheroadpodcast)