#the giant chat of sumatra

[finalproblem]

It's a special Watson-along!

CBS' new medical drama based on Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories is launching with a special premiere event. This gives us the rare opportunity to have a watchalong for a live TV show that works across time zones!

The Watson premiere event will be on Sunday, January 26, following the AFC Championship Game across all continental US time zones. (That's approximately 10 pm EST / 7 pm PST, or later if the game goes into overtime.)

Tune in to your local CBS station or stream on Paramount+ (they have a free trial available) to watch the show, and join the live discussion in the #giantchat channel of our The Giant Chat of Sumatra Discord server to chat with the other folks who are watching.

Anyone is welcome to join us, even if you've just randomly discovered this post. See you Sunday!

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! Tourists are often amazed by how clean my country is and it isn't only touristy areas that are pristine. The above photo is of a street in a residential area and it's as well kept as what you see along our famous Orchard Road shopping strip, in the CBD and at tourist attractions. The trees resemble giant emeralds against a topaz sky; they are so beautiful and made up for the clouds turning dark and heavy a few hours later. Our government is striving to turn the country into a clean, green, eco-machine and we're making gradual and steady progress.

It isn't just our land that boasts jewel colours - I'm always reminded of how aesthetic veggies are when I have cai fan (mixed dishes and rice, although lately I order noodles instead). Their vibrance makes my meal look so delicious even without artsy fartsy plating. Unpretentious and yummy - that's the essence of our local hawker fare (I like to think that's who we are too) - and almost all of us, from various income brackets, adore it. It's easier to prioritise eating plenty of fibre when veggies look and taste so good. I don't always have to have seafood, fish or meat either; eggs or tofu will do for protein at times.

Pa's birthday began with a Cantonese longevity song in the morning followed by lunch of xiao long bao (soup dumplings), veggie dumplings, zui ji (drunken chicken) and hui mian (braised noodles). Initially Pa worried that I'd ordered too much food, but as we chatted and ate, he finished everything, including his hui mian! He even had room for waffles and ice cream which we shared in place of a birthday cake. Finally, local tea for him, coffee for me and his birthday meal was complete. Because of Pa's medical dietary requirements, this simple celebration already made him very happy.

After steering the nation through what may be the toughest pandemic we've faced and the current hyperinflation, PM Lee will hand over the reins to Deputy PM Wong before the next general election. I have mixed feelings about this because whilst PM Lee certainly deserves a break after all his hard work, our country also benefits from his leadership as we navigate still very choppy waters. The best way to thank PM Lee for his dedication is to continue supporting his chosen successor and that's what I hope to do. Hopefully, the future PM and his team will continue to remain neutral and handle foreign diplomacy with skill and grace. This way, we'll preserve relations with our most important trading partners.

Meanwhile, it is heartening to see the support for a ceasefire in Gaza. In fact, parties opposing it are increasingly isolated in the world. To me, they're hypocrites who lack a conscience and morals. It doesn't matter which religion they practise; seems like they've forgotten the virtues preached by their religion, so, good that they're isolated. 下次见!

[paynxt360fintech]

In 2021, the social commerce industry experienced rapid growth in Indonesia, on the back of the global pandemic outbreak and subsequent consumers’ shift to online shopping channels. The higher growth trajectory meant that several players entered the segment to garner market share. This trend further continued in 2022, when global players like TikTok marked their foray into the fast-growing Indonesian market.

TikTok, in 2022, expanded its TikTok Shop feature in six Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. TikTok Shop's gross merchandise value has recorded strong growth, estimated to be over US$4 billion in Southeast Asian markets in 2022. In 2023, TikTok is targeting a gross merchandise value of US$8-10 billion. This is a clear indication of the strong growth potential of the social commerce market in Southeast Asia.

In Indonesia alone, the gross merchandise value is expected to increase from US$8.2 billion in 2023 to US$22.1 billion in 2028, according to PayNXT360 estimates. Indonesia also happens to be one of the largest markets for TikTok in terms of user count.  As a result, the Southeast Asian market is expected to remain the top priority for TikTok going forward. This will, therefore, aid the competitive landscape in the sector, which is expecting an influx of new players in 2023.

DANA, one of the leading digital payment platforms in Indonesia, announced that the firm is foraying into the social commerce segment. The firm launched a group buying platform BoraBora, in February 2023, to make inroads into the fast-growing e-commerce vertical. The platform has been launched under DANA Ventures and will focus on building products that are aligned with DANA’s core offering, which is financial services.

Going forward, many more players - including those in payments and e-commerce verticals - are expected to integrate a social commerce strategy to tap into the growing online commerce market in Indonesia. Amid the presence of these big giants, existing firms and new startups are seeking to raise venture capital and private equity funding, to maintain their competitiveness, build products, and expand across Indonesia.

Evermos, for instance, announced that the firm had raised US$39 million in its Series C funding round in May 2023. The multi-million-dollar round was led by International Finance Corporation and IFC Emerging Asia Fund. Shunwei Capital, Jungle Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst, Uni-President Asset Holdings, and SWC Global, are among the others that participated in the Series C funding round.

The firm is planning to use the freshly infused capital for expanding its presence in lower-tier cities. The new capital will enable the firm to further strengthen its reseller network and boost market penetration in Java and Sumatra.

With a strong network of 160,000 resellers and 1,600 brand partners across Indonesia, Evermos is well-placed to scale its operations and accelerate business growth. In a statement, the firm revealed that the gross merchandise value for the firm surged 17 times in fiscal year 2022 when compared to fiscal year 2020. The numbers were not revealed by the firm.

Mimin, the chat-based commerce solution provider in Indonesia, also revealed that the firm had raised its seed funding round from Otto Digital in May 2023. The startup did not disclose the amount raised in the seed round; however, it said that the capital will be used to serve MSMEs and online sellers. Part of the funding will be also used for boosting the technology side of the business.

This move aligns well with the fast-growing e-commerce landscape in Indonesia, wherein the social commerce market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.9% from 2022 to 2028, according to PayNXT360 estimates.

Read More - Restaurants are leveraging conversational commerce to drive new customer experiences in 2023

Read More - TikTok fails to attract merchants in the United States for its shopping service

Currently, the chat commerce platform offered by Mimin is used by MSMEs in 20 provinces and 55 cities in Indonesia. The firm has even collaborated with governments in several areas to expand its reach. Mimin also introduced Pro service to attract retail firms on a wider scale. Hero Supermarket, Bumame Pharmacy, and LotteMart are among the many that are using the chat-based commerce platform.

Innovation is growing and more startups are expected to enter the market going forward in Indonesia. It is a lucrative market, with plenty of headroom for growth over the next five years. However, not all players can achieve the same growth trajectory, owing to macroeconomic pressures.

RateS, for instance, announced that the firm is scaling back its operations due to the current economic environment. The Indonesia-based social commerce firm was founded in 2016 and raised around US$10 million since its inception. The firm is running out of cash and is, therefore, seeking a funding round to extend its runway in the segment.

Shox Rumahan, another Indonesia-based social commerce startup, announced its closure in March 2023. The firm laid off all the employees and shut down operations due to macroeconomic factors and a cash crunch.

Going forward, more players – especially startups – are expected to feel the pressure of macroeconomic factors. The growing presence of big players like TikTok and DANA will further impact the growth prospects of smaller startups in the Indonesian social commerce industry in 2023.

Read More - Social commerce has emerged as a new way to reach millions of online shoppers from smaller cities in India

However, the broader market is expected to continue its strong growth trajectory in 2023 and beyond. A high rate of mobile internet penetration means that the popularity of social commerce will continue to grow at an accelerated pace, thereby aiding the growth of the market over the next three to four years.

#Giftcardmarketsize

#B2CEcommerceIndustrysize

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#AsiapacificSocialCommercemarket

#GrowthofB2CEcommerceMarket

#B2CEcommerceMarketAnalysis

#giftcardmarketresearch

#IndustryOutlookOfB2CEcommerceMarket

#Prepaidcardmarketshare

[tremendousdetectivetheorist]

EVERYBRETTY MARATHON! (a Jeremy Brett watchalong):

Here it is, Brettian friends: that watchalong announcement! Tomorrow will mark 25 years since Jeremy left this earth, so let’s spend the day celebrating his life--as we know it--on film! We’ll begin with a lesser-known tv appearance, “The Baron: The Seven Eyes of Night” (1966) in which Jeremy plays a jewel thief, and after that it will be viewers’ choice. For convenience I have put together a playlist of suggestions!

When: Saturday, September 12, 2020 6:00 PM (BST) / 12:00 noon (US Central) Time zone converter

Run time: 8 hours? 12 hours? Last Brettian standing!*

Where: The Giant Chat of Sumatra. You don’t need a password; just sign in with a screen name. Every Brettian everywhere is invited. Liveblog using the tag #everybretty marathon to share what we’re watching! I will try to do so as the day goes on, hoping more Brettians will see what we’re watching and join in if interested. :) Since we’ll all be watching in our own browsers (rib rabbit) I suggest installing adblock software such as uBlock to keep youtube from interrupt your watching experience with ads.

*The thinking behind this is: very few people are up to watching a marathon for 8 full hours. What are we, obsessed? ;) But, the dream is for people to stay as long as they wish and to allow for people in various time zones. You are welcome to come and go as needed. :) 

Tags below the cut. lmk if you’d like to be added or subtracted from this list! <3 And please reblog this if you can as I hear tumblr hides posts with links in them.

@kinggeorge3rd @granada-brett-crumbs @jeremyholmes @nibblesofflesh @melittologicalaristocracy @4cetone @but-the-romance-was-there @the-prince-of-professors @fire-and-fog @lillianorchid @absolute-twaddle @oscartame @simpleanddestructivechemistry @holmesoverture @norburylibrary @algernonholmes @redhair-n-handmedownrobe @srprincess @len-bee @synonymtoasty @algernonholmes @brilliantorinsane  @artemisastarte @firestorm717 @fuckyeaharthuriana @unwillingadventurer @oziraphale @grizzlylemon

[unlockedcon]

It’s #UnlockedCon Lite™: Spring 2018 Edition!

Can’t make it to the official Sherlocked USA convention in Los Angeles this weekend? (Or don’t want to?) That’s okay! We’re bringing the unofficial-but-still-pretty-great fandom fun to you as we watch our way through all of BBC Sherlock three times this weekend.

BEGINS: Friday, May 25, 4:00 pm UTC / Noon US Eastern time (convert to your local time)

ENDS: Monday, May 28, 9:30 pm UTC / 5:30 pm US Eastern time (convert to your local time)

All you need to do to take part is come to The Giant Chat of Sumatra and hit play on your copy of each episode at the right time.

The episode schedule, countdown timers, and more info are available at http://unlockedcon.tumblr.com/watchalong.

[tossingwalnuts]

(what did Holmes tell the police that got John Horner out?) “I found the blue carbuncle and also I let the actual thief go but it’s fine because I’m Holmes”

theorylandpostcards

[tremendousdetectivetheorist]

Giant Rat of Sumatra, the world is finally prepared to hear your story!

i am not a religious person…….. but if you’re out there, giant rat that makes all of the rules,

[coolfuffles]

Guess who's back in time for Awful April, ya'll!

[finalproblem]

Sherlockian Wednesday Watchalongs: Always 1985 (Again)

Double feature! The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang: Give Me a Hand – Something’s Afoot (1981) and Alfred Hitchcock Presents: My Dear Watson (1989)

We'll finish 80s month by ricocheting from the beginning to the ending of the decade in one night!

We’ll watch and chat live at 8:30 pm US Eastern time (click for your local date/time).

Anyone is welcome to join us, even if you've randomly discovered this post. See you in The Giant Chat of Sumatra’s #giantchat Discord channel!

[nerdierholler]

Because these are the best things about They Might Be Giants (the movie)

[finalproblem]

Sherlockian Wednesday Watchalongs: “The BBB” or “You’ll Believe a Mammal Can Fly”

The Great Mouse Detective (1986 movie)

Our annual "there are little kids in my house for the holidays right now"-friendly watchalong tradition!

We'll watch and chat live at 8:30 pm US Eastern time (click for your local date/time).

Anyone is welcome to join us, even if you've discovered this post randomly out in the tags. See you this evening in The Giant Chat of Sumatra!

[finalproblem]

Sherlockian New Year’s Celebration in The Giant Chat of Sumatra!

Don't have New Year's Eve plans? Now you do—it’s our 13th Annual Very Casual New Year’s Eve Party!

As always, we’ll talk, play games, and hang out as we count down to the New Year in London.

The party begins Tuesday, December 31, 11:00 pm UTC (London time) / Tuesday, December 31, 6:00 pm US Eastern (New York time). [Convert to your time zone.] You can drop in any time—though remember we’re counting down to midnight in London so it’s best to arrive before that!

Everyone’s invited, even if you’ve never joined the chat before. 

We’ll see you in the #giantchat channel of The Giant Chat of Sumatra Discord server! 🥳

BONUS: To kick off 2025, we'll also be having a New Year's Day Basil-A-Thon of the classic Rathbone & Bruce Holmes movie series! Full details will be posted here on Tumblr as well as pinned in the #giantchat Discord channel.

[finalproblem]

Sherlockian Wednesday Watchalongs: Groundhog Day 3—Year of the Snake 🐍

February is here, and of course we all know what that means! If the snake comes out of its hole and drinks its little dish of milk, we get six more weeks of Lunar New Year.

No, wait… I think I may've gotten a few things mixed up there.

Annnnyway, this month we'll take a journey through four decades of television adaptations of The Adventure of the Speckled Band. Each week, it's another take on the same canon story.

Wednesday, February 5 Your Show Time: The Adventure of the Speckled Band (1949) Alan Napier as Holmes, and Melville Cooper as Watson (One of the earliest known versions of Sherlock on TV!)

Wednesday, February 12 Detective: The Speckled Band (1964) Douglas Wilmer as Holmes, and Nigel Stock as Watson (The pilot episode for what would become the 1965 Sherlock Holmes series.)

Wednesday, February 19 Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Acquaintance (1979) Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes, and Vitaly Solomin as Dr. Watson (This is the series also casually known as Soviet Holmes.)

Wednesday, February 26 Granada Holmes: The Speckled Band (1984) Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, and David Burke as Watson (Maybe this week we'll finally learn an important life lesson and break out of the time loop?)

Here’s the deal: Like Sherlock Holmes? You’re welcome to join us in The Giant Chat of Sumatra’s #giantchat text channel to watch and discuss with us. Just grab a copy of the episode or movie we’re watching, and come make some goofy internet friends.

Keep an eye on my #the giant chat of sumatra tag and the calendar for updates on future chat events.

[finalproblem]

Sherlockian Wednesday Watchalongs: Old Acquaintance

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939 movie)

Rathbone and Bruce return for their second Holmes adventure, which is the last of their films set in the Victorian era.

We'll watch and chat live at 8:30 pm US Eastern time (click for your local date/time).

Anyone is welcome to join us, even if you've discovered this post randomly out in the tags. See you this evening in The Giant Chat of Sumatra!

[finalproblem]

Holmes for the Holidays Watchalong

A tradition back for its fifth year!

Want a little company while you’re staying cozy and safe at home this Christmas? Meet some new friends and enjoy a watchalong of the low-key, low-time-commitment, brimming-with-silly-fake-mustaches crowd favorite that is the 1954 Sherlock Holmes TV series.

BEGINS: Monday, December 25 at Midnight UTC (London) time / Sunday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m. US Eastern (New York) time

ENDS: Tuesday, December 26, at 3:00 p.m. UTC / 10:00 a.m. US Eastern time

Instructions for taking part (it’s easy!), a detailed schedule, and time zone conversion links are at finalproblem.tumblr.com/sh1954.

All episodes of the Sherlock Holmes (1954) series are available for no-cost, totally-legal streaming at the @sherlockholmes1954 Tumblr.

⏰ Want Discord to remind you this is happening? ⏰ Just tell it you're interested in the event, and make sure you have event notifications enabled.

[finalproblem]

Sherlockian Wednesday Watchalongs: "The BBB" or "You'll Believe a Mammal Can Fly"

It's time for cartoons with Batman, Bullwinkle, and Basil!

Wednesday, December 4 Batman: The Brave and the Bold "Trials of the Demon!" (2009 TV episode)

Wednesday, December 11 The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle: Lazy Jay Ranch (1961 TV serial)

Wednesday, December 18 The Great Mouse Detective (1986 movie)

December 24–26(ish, depending on your time zone) Holmes for the Holidays watchalong marathon Since Christmas lands on a Wednesday this year, the regularly-scheduled weekly watchalong will be absorbed into our annual Howard!Holmes marathon. Click for details!

Here’s the deal: Like Sherlock Holmes? You’re welcome to join us in The Giant Chat of Sumatra’s #giantchat text channel to watch and discuss with us. Just find a copy of the episode or movie we’re watching, and come make some goofy internet friends.

Keep an eye on my #the giant chat of sumatra tag and the calendar for updates on future chat events.