Learn From the Best, Learn From TheSmartLocal

From what I remember of The Smart Local when it started out, there was a lot of content being produced by different contributors who write for the purpose of expressing themselves. There was a system which generated points for them and it was a platform for them to showcase their content whatever it may be. In that sense contributors were rewarded for engaging readers and it gave them motivation to write. The perks of hosting all these contributors is pretty clear, The Smart Local became a site more youngsters would visit, with lots of content being generated and pretty much for free. 

However, this system could have been somewhat messy and from then till now things have changed. No speculation on why but if you are an active reader of their site, you would have realised that at present they have a very clean site layout. 

What I think? This change might be a way to control the content that is being produced. After all, advertisers and clients like a site that has a clean and professional look.  That brings me to my next point. Online content nowadays aren't produced just for fun or expression. It takes time to write and as much as it might just be a hobby, few will turn down the opportunity to write and be paid for it. Be realistic. Make the best of every opportunity and that's exactly what The Smart Local did, monetise their site after gaining readers.

That said, their content is still relevant to the young and us, Singaporeans. Food, travel, things to do, it's stuff that we want to know about. Look at this article for example.

Would you ever see such content being produced elsewhere? Probably not the most interesting content since it has nothing to do with food, Singaporeans' favourite but hey, it is definitely all about us. Ok, I have to admit that seeing an image with words from 5 languages in 1 sentence sparked off some of my linguistic knowledge. It is organic content that's for sure and there's even a video included. In my opinion, that's the new direction that The Smart Local is taking if you haven't guessed it by now. Videos. Jump on the band wagon if you want to attract a larger following, videos are the new thing. Go post videos on your blog, Youtube, Instagram, Snapchat and you might just be the next up and rising star.

Launch of Gryphon Tea New Artisan Treasures

With an assortment of 10 different tea variants in Gryphon Tea New Artisan Treasures, you can now quench your palette and indulge in your favourite teas. Each box is retailed at $18.50 (excluding GST), available exclusively on Gryphon Tea Company website. A box of Gryphon Treasures impresses with its 20 delicate silken sachets (two sachets for each variant) from the best-selling Artisan Selection.

Perfect for individuals who are keen to explore a variety of tea flavours or crave a different brew
each day, Gryphon Treasures is definitely the “Treasure” one is searching for. Each box consists of
10 diverse flavours, two variants for each tea type: black, green, white, oolong and rooibos teas.
Enjoy a selection of tea blends ranging from Straits Chai, Contessa Grey, Marrakesh Mint,
Osmanthus Sencha, White Gingerlily, Nymph of the Nile, Lily of the Field, Templetree Lotus,
Mogambo and Tomatino.

Giveaway Opportunity!

From 8 April to 10 April, stand a chance to be the lucky one to walk away with a box of Gryphon Tea New Artisan Treasures. With 20 boxes up for grabs, simply comment your guess on the 3 new variants that is in the Gryphon New Artisan Treasures on Gryphon Tea Company Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/Gryphonteacompany).

Gryphon Tea New Artisan Treasures can be purchased here 

Movie Review of 《特工爷爷》, The Bodyguard

So I saw this poster recently and without watching the trailer, I thought why not? Looks like a decent action flick with actors of a certain standing, after all the cast does include Hong Jin Bao, Andy Lau and Eddie Peng among others.

I could never have been more wrong. This poster just lied to you in so many ways. You would assume that there would be special agents with high tech gadgets and they would be sent on missions but no, none of that is happening in this movie.

Here is the trailer:

My verdict: It is an action flick, yes but it is the IP man kind of action scenes. Meaning, fast and furious blows that crack bones and gory scenes where blood is splattered all over. What was really disappointing was that the spotlight was on the lead (Hong Jin Bao) who is kinda boring given that he is an old man with nothing to do and the plot is like so straightforward that it is a no brainer. 

This should have been the official poster

He had a history where he lost his granddaughter and in a turn of events, he made a special connection with a neighbour's daughter and fought his way through tons of bad guys to save her. End of story. Hold on, he didn't actually save her at the end because she didn't exactly needed saving and the bad guy was like killed a few steps ahead of him. I mean what is the point? There are sweet scenes after all this entire movie centred around a special, touching relationship but on the whole the story moved at a slow pace with the exception of the fight scenes which perhaps could have been faster to spare us the goriness.

If you were to watch the movie based on your impression of the poster, be prepared for a let down because the action scenes only involve the lead, not like Hong Jin Bao can be compared with Donnie Yen. No handsome or pretty characters to entertain you. Just power-packed kungfu moves. As for the actors you have been waiting to watch, do note that Andy Lau's role is a small one and Eddie Peng all but makes a guest appearance at the end of the show. All in all, pretty disappointing, at least for me.