Break Pots, Sink Ships | S18E1

Break Pots, Sink Ships | S18E1

We all know the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words", but how many of us actually know the stories behind the words or sayings themselves? All the more so, when you consider the centuries of history and knowledge being passed down to our textbooks today.   So, why did the King's advisor point at a deer and call it a horse? Why were loyal aides killed after winning the war? And why did a general ask his men to break the pots and sink the ships? In this ep, Kady shares with us the stories behind 5 Chinese idioms, as well as the tangled tales of politics, betrayal, and cunning that lay in between the words.   Tune in to find out more.   P.S. We've included the idioms referenced in this episode in case you want to learn more:   Case 1 - 卧薪尝胆 (wò xīn cháng dǎn) Literal translation: Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall Meaning: Enduring hardships in order to achieve a major goal   Case 2 - 兔死狗烹 (tù sǐ gǒu pēng) Literal translation: Rabbit dies, dog is cooked Meaning: Getting rid of the people who helped you once they are no longer useful   Case 3 - 指鹿为马（Zhǐ lù wéi mǎ） Literal translation: Point at the deer and call it a horse Meaning: To deliberately misrepresent the truth, distort facts, or call black white   Case 4 -  破釜沉舟 (pò fǔ chén zhōu) Literal translation: Break pots, sink ships Meaning: Forcing yourself to fully commit to a goal   Case 5 -  四面楚歌 (sì miàn chǔ gē) Literal translation: Songs of Chu from all sides Meaning: To be in a completely helpless situation   Tune in to find out more.   If you would like to get updates or reach out to the Stranger Danger crew, you can follow on Instagram @strangerdangerpodcastsg, hang out in our Discord [https://tr.ee/8KnEBoLznS], or send us an email at strangerdangerpodcastsg@gmail.com [strangerdangerpodcastsg@gmail.com] Brought to you by Mediacorp. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Breaking Bonus: 180 Yuan After 8 Years

For eight years, Chutou, and 8 year old border collie, went everywhere with Guo, a travel influencer from Henan. China. Snow-capped mountains. Desert highways. Remote campsites where Chutou stood guard through the night so his owner could sleep. Together, they built a life on the road, and along the way amassed an audience of over a million people who followed their journey.   Then, in early May 2026, Guo left for a solo trip, and while he was gone, Chutou went missing.   What followed was every pet owner's worst nightmare: surveillance footage of strangers loading his dog onto a bike, a frantic flight home, two weeks of desperate searching, before finally, the devastating truth. Chutou had been sold to a restaurant for 180 yuan. Less than thirty dollars. And he was already gone.   In this episode, we dig into the details of this tragic case, while also looking into the legal and cultural ramifications of the dog meat industry in China, and why it still persists to this day.   NOTE: If you are someone who is especially sensitive to stories of pet abuse and mistreatment, you might want to tune away from this episode.   If you would like to get updates or reach out to the Stranger Danger crew, you can follow on Instagram @strangerdangerpodcastsg, hang out in our Discord [https://tr.ee/8KnEBoLznS], or send us an email at strangerdangerpodcastsg@gmail.com [strangerdangerpodcastsg@gmail.com] Brought to you by Mediacorp. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Bonus: Reis Goes To China

Hey listeners. Thanks for sticking around till the end of season 17, it's now time for another bonus ep. This time, we have the culturally enlightened and linguistically improved Reis as she tells us more about her time in China, and what it was like working there for almost a month. So, is the working culture really that bad there? Did she have to work the dreaded 996? And will she ever want to go back?   Also, to round off this episode, we've decided to share an interesting story about a local zoo from some time back. It's a doozy, so hope you tune in to listen till the end. PLUS WE'VE GOT PICTURES:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOFp5tqkprt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=a2ZrcmJxZWV3bXVy   https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/00yf02o3rhfmgtrr28iu1/APJ_E_VG2pVn3ZVYCqtOHAI?rlkey=puq1nvcid8dqgyho7p27n2nc0&st=016mv7if&dl=0 [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/00yf02o3rhfmgtrr28iu1/APJ_E_VG2pVn3ZVYCqtOHAI?rlkey=puq1nvcid8dqgyho7p27n2nc0&st=016mv7if&dl=0]     If you would like to get updates or reach out to the Stranger Danger crew, you can follow on Instagram @strangerdangerpodcastsg, hang out in our Discord [https://tr.ee/8KnEBoLznS], or send us an email at strangerdangerpodcastsg@gmail.com [strangerdangerpodcastsg@gmail.com] Brought to you by Mediacorp. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Real Life Final Destination Stories | S17E11

The premise of the Final Destination series of movies was always sold as fiction. Just a series of absurd and grotesque deaths shown for our entertainment. But what if some of these cases weren't so fictional after all? And what if the ridiculous and absurd deaths portrayed in the movies actually took place in real life? From your scarf getting caught in your car tires, to getting hit in the head by a fire hydrant missile, to a 600kg bale of hay trampling through the streets; in this episode, we take a look at some cases that really make us question if some people are just truly unlucky, or if there is a higher power leading them to their fate.   Tune in to find out more.   If you would like to get updates or reach out to the Stranger Danger crew, you can follow on Instagram @strangerdangerpodcastsg, hang out in our Discord [https://tr.ee/8KnEBoLznS], or send us an email at strangerdangerpodcastsg@gmail.com [strangerdangerpodcastsg@gmail.com] Brought to you by Mediacorp. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

He Didn't Know He Was Dying... Until Reddit Saved Him | S17E10

In this episode, Kady shares a series of stories where Reddit stepped in to help solve the case, and in one instance, even helped save a life.  In the first story, a user named RBradbudy1920 shares on Reddit that he has been receiving mysterious post-it notes in his bedroom, but has no idea how they got there. It was only after he was considering legal action against his landlord that someone chimed in with a keen observation, one that in hindsight might have actually saved his life. In the second story, an elderly woman named Susan Rainwater goes out for a short bike ride only to be later found unresponsive in a ditch with her wrecked bike nearby. With little evidence on the scene itself, authorities were struggling to figure out who might have done this to Susan, until some vigilant internet users banded together and brought her the justice she deserved. In the last story, a man is found dead at the scene of a car crash in 1995, but due to the extent of his injuries, authorities had no way to identify who he was except for some scattered personal items and a ticket stub for a Grateful Dead concert. Because of this, the man - who would later be dubbed "Grateful Doe" - would remain unidentified for decades, until a small group of online sleuths dedicated their own time to this case, and eventually found his identity. Tune in to find out more. Reference pics here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bmdz2gs0ok85xmntqpjlg/ANL6AY_WlmBp9VQGLuDntg8?rlkey=xe3yizlzyk540r6uz2pyyhe7s&st=abq4gzl1&dl=0 [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bmdz2gs0ok85xmntqpjlg/ANL6AY_WlmBp9VQGLuDntg8?rlkey=xe3yizlzyk540r6uz2pyyhe7s&st=abq4gzl1&dl=0]   If you would like to get updates or reach out to the Stranger Danger crew, you can follow on Instagram @strangerdangerpodcastsg, hang out in our Discord [https://tr.ee/8KnEBoLznS], or send us an email at strangerdangerpodcastsg@gmail.com [strangerdangerpodcastsg@gmail.com] Brought to you by Mediacorp. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.