Episode 48 : Join us for Dinner!

Episode 48 : Join us for Dinner!

This week on Zelocast – Glow with the Flow, we've swapped our usual studio setup for something much more important... food! 😋 Join us as we record straight from a Western restaurant in Singapore, where the microphones are on, the food is arriving, and Alex is making what may be the biggest decision of his adult life: ordering penne with prawns instead of his usual fish and chips. Brave? Reckless? You decide. Meanwhile, Zyana is armed with a bowl of spicy Tom Yum soup, hoping it can do what weeks of medication haven't quite managed yet—finally clear her throat once and for all. 🌶️🔥 As dinner is served, we get into the real-life challenges of dining out when you can't see the menu. From waiters asking, "What would you like?" before telling us what's available, to secretly studying menus through GrabFood before we even leave home, we share the tricks we've learned to stay independent and confident when eating out. The conversation also takes a nostalgic turn as we revisit our school days and the legendary "Aunties" who absolutely refused to let us eat with our hands. Thanks to them, we became experts at deboning fish and navigating chicken wings using only a spoon and fork. Survival skills unlocked. 🍗🥄 We also bust one of the biggest myths we hear all the time: that blind people who dine in restaurants must be rich. The reality? Sometimes restaurants are simply easier to navigate than crowded hawker centres where finding a seat, carrying food, and avoiding collisions can feel like an extreme sport. From Alex's highly questionable prawn-eating technique (which may involve more shell than prawn) to our unwavering faith that Arsenal are always one season away from greatness, this episode is packed with food, laughter, memories, and real conversations about independence. So pull up a chair, grab your favourite meal, and join us for a dinner conversation that's equal parts heartwarming and hilarious. ✨ Together we make a difference. Win or lose, we are still champions. 📚 This episode is proudly brought to you by Picture The Book! What if a story could be felt, imagined, and seen — all at the same time? Founded by blind author Sherry Eri, Picture The Book is changing the way children experience stories. Through rich, vivid descriptions and catchy rhythms, these books allow children who are blind to "see" through words, while sighted kids enjoy the colourful illustrations alongside them. 💛 One story. Two experiences. True inclusion. Their beautiful mission says it best: ✨ "Stories with rhythm for kids who listen and colour for kids who see." Ready to discover something truly special? 💻 Visit picturethebook.com and explore the collection today! 🎨 Picture The Book — where words don't just tell stories... they paint them.

Episode 47 : The Viral “Blind Woman” Video Was a TOTAL SCAM!

This week on Zelocast – Glow with the Flow, we’re starting with a story that had the internet talking… and then immediately saying: WAIT… WHAT?! 😳 You might’ve seen that viral video from China showing an e-scooter rider scolding a blind woman for using a tactile path… only for people to later discover it was allegedly a fully staged setup created to gain attention, followers, and profit. That got us thinking: Where’s the line between raising awareness… and performing awareness? Because creating fake social experiments without context or disclaimers doesn’t just confuse people — it can create real consequences and sometimes even become a legal issue. But while that clip may have been fake… the risks we face in real life definitely aren’t. Alex opens up about one of his scariest experiences — when his “third eye” (his White Cane) was suddenly crushed under a lorry tyre after a vehicle sped into a car park without checking properly. We also share a heartbreaking story of a friend who became the victim of a reckless rider in a hit-and-run incident — left stranded in the dark with her cane snapped in half and forced to slowly find her way home using only her feet. And while we’re here… public service announcement 📣 Dear media friends — especially those writing headlines — please help us get this right: It’s called a White Cane, not a “walking stick.” Because the difference matters. A walking stick supports movement. A White Cane supports independence, navigation, confidence… and in many ways, it becomes our way of seeing the world. We also bust some weird myths along the way — like the idea that blind people are automatically unhappy, or that someone can’t feel beautiful, confident, or attractive just because they don’t see themselves in the mirror. (Spoiler: confidence isn’t optical 😎✨). And because this is still Zelocast… Alex starts the episode in full celebration mode because after years of patience and “trusting the process”… he is once again fully convinced Arsenal are champions. Football logic may vary. ⚽😂 This one is funny, serious, chaotic, reflective — and very Zelocast. ✨ Together we make a difference. Win or lose, we are still champions. 📚 This episode is proudly brought to you by Picture The Book! What if a story could be felt, imagined, and seen — all at the same time? 💛 Founded by blind author Sherry Eri, Picture The Book is changing the way children experience stories. Through rich, vivid descriptions and catchy rhythms, these books allow children who are blind to “see” through words, while sighted kids enjoy the colourful illustrations alongside them. ✨ One story. Two experiences. True inclusion. Their beautiful mission says it best: 🎨 “Stories with rhythm for kids who listen and colour for kids who see.” Ready to discover something truly special? 💻 Visit picturethebook.com and explore the collection today! Picture The Book — where words don’t just tell stories… they paint them. 🎨✨

Episode 46 : Real Friends vs. Frenemies - The MJ Lesson

We’re finally back, ZeloFam! 😷✨ After one absolutely chaotic week where the entire crew got knocked down by fever, & we joking assumed it's the “Hantavirus” — or in Malay, the legendary “Hantar Virus” (because Alex is fully convinced it spread through a WhatsApp message 📱😂) — we’ve officially crawled out of bed and decided to record an episode while getting some fresh air. So yes… this episode is literally recorded on the move, with Mr. Engineer driving us around while the rest of us are still in recovery mode and trying not to cough mid-sentence. But somehow, in true Zelocast fashion, our conversation took a deep turn after talking about the life of Michael Jackson. Looking at the fame, the controversies, and the people constantly surrounding him made us wonder: 🤔 How do you actually know who your real friends are when everyone seems nice to you? That question opened the floodgates. Zyana shares a painful but honest story about a “super best friend” she trusted for almost 10 years — only to eventually realise she had been blamed, backstabbed, and misunderstood for things that weren’t even her fault. We also get real with our own PWD community and dish out a little tough love 💛 We talk about why having a disability doesn’t automatically mean we’re entitled to special treatment, and how attitude, kindness, and communication matter so much when asking for help in public. No “action-action” behaviour allowed 😅 Along the way, we revisit some shocking memories of bullying from our school days — moments that still remind us why judging others too quickly can leave scars people never talk about. And because this is still Zelocast… Alex somehow finds a way to bring football into the conversation and confidently declares that Arsenal is definitely winning the double soon. Delusion? Passion? We’ll let you decide. ⚽😂 This episode is messy, emotional, funny, and painfully honest — basically the perfect recovery episode. ✨ Together we make a difference. Win or lose, we are still champions. 📚 This episode is proudly brought to you by Picture The Book! What if a story could be felt, imagined, and seen — all at the same time? 💛 Founded by blind author Sherry Eri, Picture The Book is changing the way children experience stories. Through rich, vivid descriptions and catchy rhythms, these books allow children who are blind to “see” through words, while sighted kids enjoy the colourful illustrations alongside them. ✨ One story. Two experiences. True inclusion. Their beautiful mission says it best: 🎨 “Stories with rhythm for kids who listen and colour for kids who see.” Ready to discover something truly special? 💻 Visit picturethebook.com and explore the collection today! Picture The Book — where words don’t just tell stories… they paint them. 🎨✨

Episode 45 : New Sponsor! Picture The Book

In this episode of Zelocast – Glow with the Flow, we’re celebrating a HUGE milestone — because for the very first time ever… we have an official sponsor! 🎉📚 And not just any sponsor. We’re talking about Picture The Book — and to make things even more special, we’ve taken the show out of the studio and into the home of someone we truly admire: Kak Sherry Eri. She’s not just our guest. Not just our sponsor. She’s family, inspiration, and proof that creativity has no limits. 💛 Kak Sherry is a blind author who is completely redefining what children’s books can be. She shares her powerful journey — from losing her sight at 28, to pivoting from freelance journalism, and eventually creating something truly meaningful: Picture The Book. Her stories are designed so that children who are blind can “see” through words, using rich descriptions and rhythmic storytelling — while sighted children enjoy the colorful illustrations. One story, two experiences. That’s real inclusion. We dive into her adorable “Cool Kitty” series (yes, inspired by her real cats 🐱), and her latest magical story, “Reindeer Princess and the Snow Owl” — which even features a theme song sung by our very own Zyana! 🎶✨ Sherry also shares the heart behind her characters, especially Hood the Owl — a reminder that you don’t need to be anyone else to be special. And honestly… that message hits home for all of us. To wrap things up, we play a super fun visualisation game 🎯 Sherry reads snippets from her books, Alex tries to imagine and describe the scenes… and little Chantiq becomes the ultimate judge to decide if he got it right. Let’s just say — results may vary. 😆 This episode is all about creativity, resilience, and the power of inclusive storytelling. As Kak Sherry beautifully puts it: ✨ “Stories with rhythm for kids who listen, and colour for kids who see.” ✨ Together we make a difference. Win or lose, we are still champions.📚 This episode is proudly brought to you by Picture The Book! What if a story could be felt, imagined, and seen — all at the same time? Founded by blind author Sherry Eri, Picture The Book is changing the way children experience stories. Through rich, vivid descriptions and catchy rhythms, these books allow children who are blind to “see” through words, while sighted kids enjoy the colourful illustrations alongside them. One story. Two experiences. True inclusion. 💛 Their beautiful mission says it best: ✨ “Stories with rhythm for kids who listen and colour for kids who see.” Ready to discover something truly special? 💻 Visit picturethebook.com and explore the collection today! Picture The Book — where words don’t just tell stories… they paint them. 🎨✨

Episode 44 : Love Beyond Sight, Serene & Ben's Story

In this episode of Zelocast – Glow with the Flow, we’re diving into a love story that’s been going strong for over 30 years — and trust us, it’s anything but ordinary. 💛 We’re joined by a very special couple, Serene (aka Cheche) and her husband Benjamin Tan, for a conversation that’s equal parts heartwarming, hilarious, and very real. Their story begins back in 1993, and let’s just say… it didn’t start with flowers and candles. It started with a legendary “butter trade” 🧈😆 — where Serene helped introduce a Chinese guy to her friend… in exchange for Benjamin’s phone number. Smooth operator. And if you think that’s bold — wait till you hear this: Serene eventually took things into her own hands and proposed to Benjamin herself… over a phone call. Iconic energy. 📞💍 Benjamin, who is sighted, shares his side of the journey since they got married in 1996 — from winning over skeptical in-laws to learning how to support not just Serene, but her blind siblings as well. In one of the most relatable moments, he admits that even after all these years… he sometimes forgets Serene is blind and accidentally leaves her to navigate on her own — simply because he treats her like any other “normal” partner. Of course, life outside isn’t always smooth. The couple also shares some of the funniest (and slightly frustrating) public moments — like when strangers confidently assume that 57-year-old Serene is Benjamin’s mother. Yes… it happens more often than you think. 😅 Serene also takes us back to her school days, sharing stories from the “Cottage” residential program, where blind students learned independence, discipline, and life skills under the watchful eyes of house mothers and matrons. From raising their 29-year-old sighted daughter to Benjamin’s role as the unofficial “handyman” at the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped, this episode is a beautiful reminder that the best relationships aren’t perfect — they’re built on understanding, patience, and complementing each other’s flaws. And of course, we end things the Zelocast way — with a fun round of “Expose Your Partner” 🎯 Who’s always late? Who says sorry first? Let’s just say… some truths were revealed. 😆 This episode is funny, honest, and full of heart — a real look at love, partnership, and growing together through life’s ups and downs. ✨ Together we make a difference. Win or lose, we are still champions. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to Zelotones Official on YouTube, Spotify, and all our socials! 🎵 This podcast episode is proudly brought to you by Zelotones Official. Zelotones is an independent and inclusive band that brings together visually and cognitively impaired musicians with non-disabled collaborators, all working as equals. Every member has a voice in song selection, musical arrangements, creative direction, and the future of the band. More than just a concept, Zelotones demonstrates what true inclusion looks like through everyday collaboration. Looking to bring live music to your event? Zelotones performs at corporate events, dinners & dances, private functions and more. 📩 Booking enquiries: zelotones@gmail.com ✨