The Thought Nugget: Recent Episodes
The Thought Nugget
Welcome to The Thought Nugget, a podcast series that aims to think deep, think fun, and think different! This series is divided into Good Morning Mondays (every Monday) and What’s Up with YOUth (every alternate Thursday), to highlight unique experiences and stories around us in an accessible and relatable manner.
We’ve reached the final episode of the first season of The Thought Nugget! In this concluding episode, we have the other half of our team, Jon and Jes, join in to reflect on the beginnings of the podcast and our journey through it. This season was both challenging but fulfilling for the four of us and we are thankful for all the support we received. Follow us on Instagram and slide into our DMs if you want to share ideas about what you want to hear in our future episodes!
Background Music : Such Memories (Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/GspVwN-9_Fs
This final episode of What’s Up with YOUth brings Manita and Jon together with (another) Jonathan, a mental health advocate and researcher. Jonathan shares more about the complex meaning of mental health, common mental health conditions and what he has learnt from being exposed to the mental health field. Tune in to find out more about the stereotypes and misconceptions regarding mental health (conditions), how we can normalise discussing mental health and how to support people around us who have mental health conditions!
Background Music : Inspirational Piano
(Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/HA6_r78-8vg
Marvy and Manita are back with a new episode this week! They contemplate mitigating unhealthy beauty standards on social media, raising funds for Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) Singapore and taking care of our mental health amidst change. Marvy starts off talking about Norway’s new law, that requires influencers to declare that they have modified and edited their posts. While this may not directly target mental health issues surrounding low self-esteem, it is a step in the right direction in addressing unrealistic beauty standards. Next, Manita shares about a team of 8, consisting of the physically disabled and cancer survivors, that are raising donations for SPD through a 72km wheelchair trek. Head to https://bit.ly/3i2M9YV to contribute to their admirable cause!
Background Music : Waves
(Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/x03r4Hn8trk
In this episode of What’s Up with YOUth, Manita and Jon have a discussion with Caitlin, a 3rd year medical student from NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Caitlin was a volunteer with Both Sides, Now, an arts-based community engagement project that focuses on end-of-life issues. Caitlin shares with us about her volunteering experiences in facilitating end-of-life conversations as well as her medical school occurrences in anatomy classes and dealing with patients with terminal illnesses. Tune in to Caitlin’s story and take a step forward in learning how to approach the hard topics that many people are not comfortable talking about!
Do also check out Both Sides, Now’s website: bothsidesnow.sg to find out more about their initiatives!
Background Music : Every Little Thing (Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/udOBhsuWEJM
Marvy and Manita kick off this episode sharing Elias’ story, a gifted 9-year-old boy who scored an A* for the IGSCE O-Level maths paper. He displayed a natural curiosity in maths and science from kindergarten and sat for an internationally recognised IQ test at 6 years old, emerging within the 99.9th percentile of children his age. While his aptitude may be admirable, his inquisitiveness and love of learning stand out even more. Next, Manita talks about the experiences of tissue sellers and the case of a kindhearted man feeding a disabled tissue seller. In addition to the strain of selling tissue to make ends meet and paying the license fees, many of these aunties and uncles are elderly and face health issues. While it is common to brush them off, do try to express some compassion and offer a dollar or two the next time they approach you!
Background Music : Summer (Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/UpRPzujTa7w
This week, Marvy and Manita discuss giving back to migrant workers and the lengths parents go to for their children. The episode starts off with a sharing on a donation drive initiated by ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR), to collect fans and other essentials for migrant workers. Migrant workers have had their mobility curbed since the pandemic and are in need of access to essential items. Do private message them on their facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/itsrainingraincoats/) if you seek to contribute! Next, Manita talks about the effort a single father in Thailand goes through to fill in the void for his sons during Mother’s Day, donning a pink lace dress to participate in a school celebration. We conclude with personal anecdotes about fathers and the local non-profit organisation, Dads for Life, which hopes to inspire positive involvement of fathers.
Background Music : Into The Light (Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/5nNVrUE4oDA
In this week’s episode of What’s Up with YOUth, Manita and Jon have a dialogue with Tham, the co-founder of @friendzonesg, which aims to connect people through conversations by providing a platform for neighbours to meet. Tham tells us more about why he founded Friendzone SG, the activities that they organise and why he left his stable civil service job to run this social organisation full-time. Tune in to Tham’s story and learn more about his team’s inspiration and motivation behind Friendzone SG!
Background Music : Nature (By AShamaluevMusic)
ashamaluevmusic.fanlink.to/dDuV
Marvy and Manita begin this episode with an anecdote by a Facebook user, which relates a heartwarming incident at a hawker centre when a cleaning aunty unexpectedly offered to buy a cool drink for patrons struggling over their bowl of chilli ban mee. Our senior cleaning aunties and uncles have exceptionally tough jobs, and hopefully, the new tray return policy would alleviate the strain on them. Next, we share about a shoe collection drive, starting in July, where members of the public may recycle their old shoes at nearby schools, sports centres and polyclinics. Do participate, as these recycled shoes will go into infrastructure materials around us such as in playgrounds and running tracks! We end the episode talking about Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon, which uniquely celebrates Southeast Asia's vibrant and diverse culture. Don’t worry, we don’t reveal any spoilers, so catch it on Disney+ for a mythological story of unity.
Background Music : Woods (Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/eAiAlg22gqQ
In part two of What’s Up with YOUth with Yu Sheng, he shares about the terms used in LGBTQ+ as well as its scene in Singapore. Tune in to learn more about LGBTQ+ and understand what we can do to support our friends or family members who are part of this community!
Marked as explicit for vulgarities.
Background Music : Blooming Melody (By Keys of Moon)
https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Music promoted by Boom Music - No copyright music Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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In this episode, we discuss the fears, challenges, and silver-linings that come with being in prison. First, we share about the case of a university student awaiting his prison serving date, who took to reddit to seek advice and express his concerns. Heartwarmingly, netizens responded positively and offered him words of encouragement during this trying time. Next, we pivot to Darren Tan, who took the opportunity to educate himself during his 10-year prison sentence, eventually securing a place in NUS Law. While his journey was fraught with great uncertainty and barriers, his story is nevertheless one of triumph and a source of hope for many others. Significantly, it reminds us to take challenges one step at a time and that everyone deserves a second chance at life.
Background Music : Dawn (By AShamaluevMusic)
https://ashamaluevmusic.fanlink.to/dDtx
In this two-part special of What’s Up with YOUth, Manita and Jon are joined by Yu Sheng, the founder of queer brand @heckin.unicorn which sells subtle and unique LGBTQ+ accessories and merchandise. For part one, Yu Sheng shares about his coming out story as well as his experience managing Heckin’ Unicorn. Tune in to hear about Yu Sheng’s story and learn more about the man behind the pride business!
Marked as explicit for vulgarities.
Background Music : The Clear (Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/hf8Eqa73aIU
We begin the conversation this week applauding those living amongst us, through their thoughtful and heroic acts. 7-year-old Shakthi channeled her resources to bring her school community project right to her own doorstep, setting up a "Care and Share Corner" to supply essential food items for needy residents in her estate. Next, in an act of heroism, Mr Nasiruddin admirably came to his neighbour’s rescue when he went into a burning flat to drag out an unconscious man. We wrap up the episode discussing the importance of being kinder and managing the self-criticism we inflict on ourselves. While we strive to cultivate more compassion for the people among us, we should not forget to take care of ourselves as well!
Background Music : May Song (Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/yZEXv7EjLEY
This episode, Manita and Marvy contemplate what it means to be happy, discuss caring for the aging in our community and celebrate love in all its forms. We start off by sharing more about the TikTok page Areyouhappy, which makes us realise that happiness comes in the smallest and simplest forms of life. Next, we delve into the mural-painting initiative by the Alzheimer's Disease Association (ADA) to create more dementia-friendly environments for our elders and talk about what it means to have dementia. We end the episode by sharing about the origins of Pride Month, with the Stonewall Riots being a significant milestone in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
Background Music : Moments (By Ikson)
https://soundcloud.com/ikson
Music promoted by Audio Library
https://youtu.be/aK8c0y04nL8
In this episode of What’s Up with YOUth, Manita and Jon interview Lionell, a software engineer at Facebook headquarters. Lionell shares with us about his daily work life in America and the pros and cons of living and working overseas. Tune in to find out more about Facebook’s application process and why Lionell took the leap to work in America.
Background Music 1 : Love me! (By Daystar)
https://youtu.be/jr-_whQHYI4
Background Music 2 : Inspirational Moment (By AShamaluevMusic)
ashamaluevmusic.fanlink.to/eja3
We begin this week’s episode by sharing about Gojek’s latest initiative to help facilitate the national vaccination process. Next, we highlight the actions of honest and reliable taxi drivers who have gone out of their way to return passengers’ lost items and valuables. Thank you to these taxi uncles for going the extra mile! Lastly, we touch on the emotional state of grief that we have been experiencing throughout the pandemic. While COVID-19 has taken a toll on our lives and mental health, remember to be patient with yourselves and practise positive thinking to balance the negativity that may overwhelm us.
Background Music : Juno (Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/xcjqJfVaIx0
We start off this week’s episode by discussing the importance of showing appreciation towards our frontline and healthcare workers in this trying time, citing the recent treats delivered to TTSH staff and bus captains. We move on to talk about assistive technologies and how kindness in small doses makes all the difference to those around us. In light of the latest COVID-19 restrictions, our local hawkers are also experiencing a strain and there have been increasing calls to support them. Check out pages like wheretodapao (https://www.instagram.com/wheretodapao/) and Hawkers United (https://www.facebook.com/groups/HawkersUnited2020/) to show support!
Background Music : Morning Shift (By KCFM)
https://soundcloud.com/kcfm2001
Music provided by https://www.plugnplaymusic.net
In this episode of What’s Up with YOUth, we have with us Seet Ynn, a 3rd year Mechanical Engineering student from Nanyang Technological University. Seet Ynn tells us more about her relationship with her brother, Sean, who has autism, and what it is like to care for a family member with autism. Tune in to hear about Seet Ynn’s journey and find out more about some of the dos and don’ts when interacting with someone with autism.
Background Music : Acoustic Twice (Produce by Umbrtone)
Provided by Umbrtone-No copyright music
https://youtu.be/5UN7rqc5Gys
This week, we begin with Mr Khairul’s inspiring transformation from convict to businessman, and explore the support he has received from the people around him. We then move the discussion towards giving back to society in Singapore and shed light on the charity platform, giving.sg, which is aiding Mdm Lin after her house caught fire just days before Hari Raya. With Kindness Day coming up this Friday, we wrap up the episode on a heartwarming note and share stories of kindness in our lives.
Background Music : Odd, isn’t it? (By Daystar)
https://youtu.be/Hsk_BuXdKKc
This episode, we talk about the Sin Ming chickens and relate these experiences to the broader question of how human-nature relationships have evolved. We then discuss Marvel’s first Asian superhero on the big screen with the recent release of the MCU’s Phase 4 trailer. Celebrating the strength of mothers, we share the amazement surrounding the exceptional delivery of nonuplets by a Malian woman, Halima Cissé. On a final note, we wish everyone a happy belated Mother’s Day and an advanced Selamat Hari Raya!
Background Music : Summer Vibes (Composed and Recorded by Oak Studios)
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
https://youtu.be/ixCCak6cX0Y
For our first episode of What’s Up with YOUth, we are joined by Sarah, a survivor of brain cancer. Diagnosed at 16, Sarah shares with us how she battled with cancer, defeated it, and eventually re-assimilated back to society. Tune in to find out more about Sarah’s journey and learn more about what we can do to support a loved one who is fighting cancer.
Background Music: Arms of Heaven (Artist: Vexento)
Free Music Store - Copyright Free Music
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Musics provided by Free Music Store https://youtu.be/A5ZdcdoRriQ
In our first episode of Good Morning Mondays, we kick-start the conversation with the Oscars, gushing over the unprecedented wins by Youn Yuh-jung and Chloé Zhao. Closer to home, we delve into the COVID-19 situation, discussing small ways to stay positive and appreciative amidst the latest developments. We end by shedding some light on the India COVID Relief Fund, launched by the Singapore Red Cross, to assist and support communities in India. Visit https://redcross.sg/ and https://www.sicci.com/ to contribute!
Background Music : Yummy Flavor (Produced by Umbrtone)