work correct then what do you think for yourself, oh really sorry my connection cannot , ya ya ya, anyway I want to ask you something uh what was your best uh birthday present and why


correct correct


(mmhmm)


sure, okay this question very good what I used to hate as a kid uh I used to hate uh clown, because uh when I was kid I was very small when I see clown I will run away it's very scary because you you you don't know what they will do as well


if they laugh like crazy person cause when you are as a kid right you don't know anything ya you you're like very naive as well and you the moment you see clown, uh ya that is very scary face then do you know uh there's a kid show called uh !aiyoyo! <mandarin>老师:lao shi</mandarin> uh <mandarin>早:zao</mandarin> uh the !aiyoyo! the ya correct there's a clown ya whenever uh the show starts I saw the clown I I turn off


ya it's kind of scary to me ah so I don't dare to continue you remember uh science centre uh there there's a clown it's a robot but like the climb up and down I'm not sure you remember uh the our science centre ya when I first uh went to science centre when I was a kid


when I walk past and look up, I err uh I I was stunned literally stunned and I cried because I right now uh right now I'm okay in clown I even watch a movie, I mean because I grew up I I know uh clown clown is a I mean joker lah they just learn to make kids happy you know but as a kid myself back then I don't know they want to make kids happy but uh ya that's why I uh


from young uh back then very scared of clown when they approached me I run away ya , when I talk about that science centre uh accident the uh incident lah basically I look up ah I tell you uh I I thought it's a real real person but actually it's a robot uh joker now basically it just uh go up and down


but thing thing is it is not real but I thought it's real and I immediately from that point onwards right I have a phobia going to science centre because of that but after a while I grow up I understand what is uh


those are clown a joker they uh whatever they do then ya I start to okay with it then now I'm a fan of a clown interesting ya there's there's uh there's another thing that I hate when I was a kid is


I I used to hate uh like you know bus I used to hate bus, ya yes uh the transport bus uh because uh I back then if I can recall uh I saw accident of bus and bus crash


I mean bang into to each other in uh when I was a kid and I saw it and nobody was injured thankfully, but uh as a kid lah I don't understand how uh uh why bus, so big uh I mean I can remember that point of time was a


double decker and a single and and it and it hit uh uh back of the single I mean those one level bus , uh by the double decker then I was shocked and


then I used to hate but because I thought bus they drive itself I I when I was a kid I don't know got driver then after that eh I grew up okay and I understand it's a driver fault, ya then that's these two things that I hate when I was a kid correct correct


then ya just want to ask a question ah what is uh the comfort uh food uh that you can always rely on to cheer you up this topic I interested


I mean , okay,


(hmm)


I understand understand I mean you know same same same lah then like ice cream, mcdonald's french fries that will really cheer me up correct uh ya I mean that's human correct


my perfect day perfect day, right I don't really have so much perfect day uh usually is uh, good day but perfect day let's say okay I do have uh one perfect day uh when I was still


okay let's say one of my perfect ah okay uh when I was still in secondary, three secondary three secondary four, !oi! it's not uh it's primary six correct primary six


ah uh I was in school uh in english lesson so we were told to write uh composition et cetera so the composition is, talk about what's the most uh regretful things that you have done so


I think back and I wrote, uh at least three hundred and seventy plus words I still can remember then after that teacher mark finish already uh, to the afternoon then


I was shocked that I was the highest score in the class, ya basically usually tell what I really did uh detailedly and teacher called told uh asked me to share to the class, uh which I never so and and that's a start uh of the perfect day for me eh high uh high score then following uh following uh evening I got tuition for maths correct then


ya before go tuition in school uh also have math class so uh maths teacher want us to calculate these the pie chart the square correct you know like two or uh two square pi et cetera not sure you can remember or not


ya correct correct then uh all these I don't really like it but eh I did the full mark, unexpectedly I thought I'm going to uh half pass six uh pass only but eh I I'm the top in the class at that day also


correct then I was very happy then after that I go to tuition then uh maths class then uh got test et cetera et cetera, so basically uh I do the tests and then eh I got the high score also I will just got one uh question wrong only uh this this is the detail that I can remember


and I was just very surprised that they, and then I go home, then after that I go home uh opposite my block I have to walk past I found uh uh uh fifty dollar notes


ya correct and, and after that, I use the fifty dollar notes, uh want want to buy something that I like, then then after that I saw a, a old uncle


uh basically uh like got lost et cetera then uh, don't know how to go back to his house, uh apparently I asked I found out that he stayed in the east I see the IC, I I asked him eh why why is he uh at uh my house area then he say oh visit friend uh nearby then friend go home already then he also want to go home but he got lost and just nice uh he don't have any cash to go home


uh EZ link card no money then I was like oh oh my god and then I just I also I just recall that eh I got a fifty dollar on my hand and might as well uh I helped him then uh, I helped him then he insist no but I have to help him that he can go home ya so after that uh he took down my handphone number lah correct thank god back then I have a handphone ya the after that uh he say he want to repay me I say it's okay don't need uh just want to help you


then, around eleven plus PM before twelve AM, uh his son called me uh he say that uh really uh thanks uh for giving uh his dad that fifty dollar note to go home uh to take cab correct


and then ya the next day he come find me uh to, give me hundred dollar double you know double payback they say uh not a lot of people uh, so good in the world right now lah I I means the fact ah so that was the perfect day that I have then that I can recalled ya uh studies uh test full mark help people and I gain even more back


correct then , ya describe a time when you uh you got appreciated for your hard work


that's great that's great


okay so the first, sorry you you start lah you start


uh personally I myself also do the same insurance investing thing so it's more of like a savings plan where you put aside a certain amount of money monthly I think it's rewarding when it comes to twenty years although some people may say you know the


it won't be worthwhile because of inflation and you know stuff like that but, it's still something better than nothing and definitely you cannot just depend on one investment alone so twenty years later and retirement there's a lot of planning that you can go ahead


there's a lot of research that you can do to make sure that you can catch up with the inflation rate so ya, then what about things that you would recommend people to buy like big ticket expenditure, me actually me and francis we're thinking about getting a house already uh however the house sting is a very big


question mark because the thing is when we look at houses in singapore right houses is almost like a liability because of, a policy that the government has where your house is only, you can only own the house for ninety nine years


which means right after a certain amount of year maybe like sixty years, the value of the house will drop a lot, and it's a very big ticket item it's not just uh, you know different from other countries you buy a house at a cheap price and you keep it for for life you can pass it down generations to generations


once a HDB flat is about sixty year old it's not really of any value like people won't want to buy it any more so this is a topic that I think we can talk about what what are your views


for me uh how I managed my my own money is I before and after marriage I'm someone that don't really believe in a joint account, I I feel it's okay for couples to have their own account so it makes things clear it makes things not complicated if anything were to happen


you know you won't have to sign a prenup or anything , uh if both couples are responsible for their own finance so to me that doesn't change before and after marriage finance is finance you can you know merged some to like or maybe I'll


you don't have to count until like so don't be so <mandarin>计较:ji jiao</mandarin> lah like oh I buy the sofa already you must buy the buy the washing machine , or this thing spoiled you must pay for it because I'm the girl uh you as a guy you must pay for it you don't have to do something like that after all it's a twenty first century so I feel that


financial commitment before and after marriage should be something that, both, you know husband and wife is comfortable with both uh , as individuals you must be comfortable with with it lah , ya so I am someone that don't believe that there should be any changes when you do your I mean for finance


but definitely when it when you start to have kids then that's a different story because when you have kids, kids will I mean in singapore a lot of people say kids are like the money sucker right ya so kids when you start to have kids then that is another thing to think about how you guys going to


plan for this probably I would say create one bank account for the kids all the expenses, husband and wife put in equally for that kid so, the kid then whatever we spend for the kid will be from the kid's account then everything from then on will be very clear and not only that as long as you don't <mandarin>计较:ji jiao</mandarin> about small little thing small little money here and there


then I think it's perfectly okay I'm not someone who needs to hoard my money into one place oh I buy lunch yesterday you need to buy lunch today just be flexible I feel that's the only way where couples will fight about money ya


then uh in a post COVID world what are your, what changes are you making in terms of spending slash saving habits


I feel it's very doable and I totally agree with this honestly retiring at sixty five is a little bit too old by then sixty five you may not have the same amount of energy that you have, to do things that you really want to do and things that you like ya so planning is very important uh for myself I


have already ever since I was sixteen which is like more than ten almost ten years ago I already wrote down how am I going to retire by the time I'm fifty years old so, all this is I mean now I wouldn't say that I am on track to retire at fifty years old I'm definitely lagging behind I mean when I'm


sixteen years year years old what do I know about money right I just think I can earn ten thousand dollars a month is going to be easy but reality is is not so, plans have to change but your goal that you said your for yourself cannot change so if you want to retire by fifty how much is the sum of money that you need the sum of money that you think you need you still need to you know maybe times two of that amount because of inflation


not only that how are you going to you need to plan on how you are going to get that amount of money, are you just continue on your nine to five job okay or nine to five job supplement that if not then what other ways can you do it you can try investment but uh how much risk are you are you okay to take with the investment because higher risk


you can get more money right but what if it fails then what is your plan B so you you definitely must have a very solid plan, I mean although you even if you have a very solid plan it may not hundred percent follow through it you know there will be obstacles along the way but it's better than having no plan at all no plan at all you probably will retire when


it's time to retire sixty five seventy years old even , but if you have a plan even if you don't retire by fifty it's okay you already have one lump sum of money maybe in another give yourself another five more years you know you can catch up with whatever you want and then you still can retire by fifty five you know aim for the sky fall on the


trees is it ya , so, that's my view on retiring early I totally agree with this FIRE thing and I feel that more singaporean should be responsible to plan their own finances and retire early not blame the government for having to retire late and stuff like that if you do your own planning you can


ya so francis what are your advice you will give someone to get him or her out of debt


uh , I think I answered that question earlier already about the in the FIRE question maybe I, I I ya I answer another question lah, which is uh what are your thoughts on the CPF contribution so for CPF in singapore uh


sorry uh, there's a little bit of disruption, ya for CPF in singapore uh I think it's very very important because uh you need to be able to pay for housing and things like that and it's not it's not something that most singaporeans do plan for or is able to


you know able to sort of keep, most singaporeans right I feel they spend what they earn so , it's very hard to say uh for sure that you know this person is able to save that amount of money by given a certain amount of years if the government didn't enforce CPF because CPF is


in a way I feel it helps a lot of singaporeans to, to plan to be able to afford a house to be able to afford school to be able to afford school for their kids things like that, because, most people who work people just don't do financial planning lah especially the older generation they feel that I just spend what I have next time my kids will just uh uh next time if you need money you just take a bank loan to study than that my kids can pay off their own study debt


after that, uh when I'm older I don't need to plan for retirement my kid is old enough if they're working they can just, uh pay for I mean, ya they can be in charge of my retirement so every month if I get allowance from my kids and things like that then it's settled so I feel people especially the older generation don't really think


about all these kind of things whereas, I feel the current generation they we do think more about our own retirement how not to burden the next generation and things like that but from what I see the older generations don't really think about that so this CPF thing is very very useful ya


then, ya, so ho wwould you manage your CPF savings what advice will you give someone in order to maximise their CPF savings for retirement


for this negative experience right actually I got a story to share it happened to me very long ago uh so it is the story of describe an event that made uh


like something where I I witnessed something but I kept quiet about it so, ya so this is the story lah back then when I was in poly I was eighteen eighteen year old I eighteen year old is the time where you know I started to explore the nightlife go drinking go partying and things like that then


what happened was I mean we weren't rich back then so definitely we will wear our clubbing outfits to go to the and take the public transport so this is an event that happened to me uh what happened was me and my friend we were sitting in the train both of us were wearing


skirt like those bandage skirt but I wouldn't say it's very short ya, so we were wearing skirt we were both sitting down in the train you know on our way to clarke quay then uh, where while in the train the train went underground when the train was underground I saw from the reflection right I mean there's a guy that was sitting opposite us I saw from the reflection that he was recording both of us both of our leg area


I immediately felt so uncomfortable and I told my friend to eh look look at the reflection as well, when my friend saw it she wanted to stand up and straight away confront the guy , but I myself told her eh don't don't don't don't make a scene don't make a scene don't don't don't just keep quiet just keep quiet then she's like why why why why you doing why why why not just go up to the guy he recorded us eh then at the point of time I panicked


and I pulled her out of the train so me and her got off the train , then she she wasn't very happy about it because she wanted to confront but it was because of my fear, I let the man escape so what happened was after that uh when we got off the train we went to the control station and told the the guy over there that somebody on the train recorded us


then the guy say oh the train already left, uh it's difficult for him to trace who who was the one that record there isn't any CCTV inside the train so there's nothing he can do about it ya from then on I


uh me and uh between me and my that friend I mean that night was just a horrible night uh, both of us didn't really want to enjoy ourself even though we were with our other friends most of us sort of weren't very happy with each other I mean I know she wasn't happy with me because she wanted to take action and I prevent her from doing that


but I myself just I felt very guilty about it so, ya that is one one event that you know I feel very angry I until this day I still feel very angry and, and not only to the towards the guy towards myself and I wish I did something about it if this were to do play back again even if I didn't dare to


points out I wouldn't have, uh ya so anyways, francis what is something uh a time when you feel like you have committed something very wrong, and there's no way you can start over, did you ever have this incident


okay


but did your parents know like uh like the uh what happened did your parents scold you or anything, your parents lor ya they didn't know


oh


an event that make me very angry , I me in working in the sales line right honestly ah there I faced all different kind of people I've met with a lot of different people from the all walks of life you know


it's my job to be okay and to smile and to, like serve ya ya to serve them , to the best that I can but, sometimes people can be so , demanding


like <mandarin>不讲理:bu jiang li</mandarin> lor like very irritating also so there was this incident where this customer she bought the bed I mean it's not even my customer but because I am the one that have to do the customer service also


I mean most of the incident will come to me lah, so what happen is this customer bought a bunk bed then the bed , not expensive at all a bunk bed for five nine nine and it's solid pinewood


honestly it's you can't expect the best lah I mean even ikea I don't think their bed is less than six hundred I mean their double decker bed for two to sleep is less at six hundred dollars solid wood so and this person what happened was during the day of the delivery that this person was


very very picky all the smallest scratch the smallest dent to us probably we'll feel like oh this kind of like small little flaw you know solid wood have the wood eye wood grain all this is normal, but to her everything must be perfect


flawless and perfect, so, what happened was uh there was a couple of scratches and dents what what we did was we actually uh I informed the delivery team to send a guy down to her place to do some touch up work to resurface the areas


but she didn't want to accept any touch up work she keep saying that I paid a premium price for the bed I don't expect the bed to be to have scratches or dents , honestly to me and my colleague you didn't pay a premium price you bought the cheapest bed that we had offer and you're claiming that you're paying the most for something that


honestly it's you you you're not paying I mean you are paying what you get for lah ya getting what you paid ya so uh she die die didn't want us to touch up and and resurface it for her and she keep wanting a refund


and me being stuck in the middle I mean I did tell my boss that this customer is demanding for a refund but, me being stuck in the middle the my boss didn't want to refund because my boss find her ridiculous the customer didn't want to accept anything but refund so me I'm just stuck in between like I cannot tell my boss you must give her a refund and I cannot tell the customer I'll give a refund


so what happened was I just told the customer that we cannot do a refund and uh if you want we can resurface those area for you and then we can continue from there, the customer didn't reply me what happened was uh about one or two hour later the customer came to the shop where I was working so at the point of time I was alone in the shop


then uh she kept demanding for a refund in the shop, I was so helpless because that customer just didn't want to, it's just being very unreasonable lah then like I cannot I've been telling her no we can't give a refund and even if we give a refund I cannot just take money out from the cash drawer and pass cash to you


I have to, even if we do the refund, my you have to go through my accountant, also my boss approval and then we can pass you the money but she was standing there screaming and shouting at me , !wah! I was so angry that I can feel like my body shivering already


uh so she keep pushing me and keep pushing me she kept asking me to call my boss and what, adds to the and another thing that add to the fire was I already informed my boss that the customer is here I really need help my boss say my boss just continue to whatsapp me saying


oh it's okay just uh tell her we will refund later or I call her later at this timing this timing but that customer kept on want things now now now now now, then after that when the customer keep demanding me to call my boss I called my boss my boss keep like didn't want to pick up


so I called him many times and he didn't want to pick up I felt so alone !wah! this one really add add fuel to the fire ya I was so angry to the point where tear just started to roll down from my eye, then I think the customer that unreasonable customer sort of sense it


and then she is like uh by two PM if your boss don't call me I will uh report this incident to the police and whatever then uh then she just left so at that, point left me so angry what happened next was I just closed the shop


then I go to one of the one of the displays at the back I just sat there and I just bawl and cry my eyes out cause ya that, feeling of being so helpless so alone and, you know that that person can help you and that person didn't help you !wah! makes it really makes you very angry thinking about it now I'm still very angry even though like that incident is like many years ago


ya so that is the that that is the event that made me very angry and to this point thinking about it now still very angry ya what about yourself, do you have an event that make you very angry


are they still together, ya


okay so describe the uh moment when things turn out better than expected


(mmhmm)


I feel the nicest thing someone has ever told me is my mum telling me that she is proud of me cause I feel as asians you know, parents don't really show affection so usually you are more or less they they will sort of bring you down more than they were uh encourage you or give you


positive affirmation so, I remember there was this one time I think it was, my, uh right after my N levels then I did pretty well for my N levels so then my mum, in a way she tell me lah that uh that


she's very proud of me she could see all the effort that I put in I feel that that is one thing that really touched me the most ya, then what's the happiest moment in your life for me the happiest moment in my life is actually when I


got, my N level results , ya because I, I came from, I I didn't do well studying when I was younger, last time I was in EM three in primary school and I mean everybody will say oh EM three you won't have anywhere to go you probably will just go into ITE and ITE it's the end you know but


I myself and I got very very poor results for my for my , PSLE as well it was, only a hundred one zero five ya so what happen later was , I actually


made it to secondary school from secondary school I , I sec one I was in NT normal tech, but, you know I didn't wanna give up I didn't want to go to the take the path that everybody tell me I'll take so I studied really really hard


and I made it to , EM two uh not EM two normal academic, ya NA normal academic ya, so from then on, I told myself I really need to study very hard because I've been lagging behind, you know all the topics all the things that everyone learn before


I don't know yet so, I do my best I study really really hard on, every single day, until it's time for my N levels, and then proud to say I got fourteen points for N levels, from I, EM three to a normal tech student doing something where


I I feel really proud of myself lah, ya so, sorry but I think francis is disconnected


okay, oh we continue, okay uh ya so


francis what is your, your happiest moment in life


oh I actually said it just now when you were disconnected, ya ya ya , it's okay uh describe one of our, ya ya


my best birthday present my best birthday present , uh, sadly not from you but it was actually a dremel box a dremel set that was given by my mum I I don't think you have seen it before it's still at my place so it's this tool


I mean since young I've been very into design creating things I'm a very hands on person , so uh I I think I was eighteen ya anyway my family isn't rich my mum my mum never really bought me expensive gifts or anythings like that so this one was very memorable because it's hundred plus


when I told my mum I wanted it I, didn't expect her to get it for me honestly at the back of my mind right I thought like uh it's impossible lah she won't get this for me one it's hundred plus dollars way out of our budget , like she definitely won't get it for me ya


and you know when it's my birthday and she gave me that box of , dremel with, all the different tools all the different drill bits and things like that I was so excited and so, touched because I really didn't expected I did tell her I want it but I feel like ever since young everything that I tell her I want it was more of a oh okay we will see how and then it didn't happen so that thing really really really touched me and I feel like that's the best birthday gift ever because


I thought it was going to be a oh okay then she would forget about it but she didn't so that is the best birthday gift I have ya uh my turn to ask you, what is one thing you use to hate as a kid but love as an adult


ya ya ya ya ya,


(uh huh), (uh huh) (uh huh)


but now you like clown, ya , oh


bus like SBS bus , okay


you already know, my my biggest comfort food is chocolate and ice cream I mean , chocolate and ice cream !wah! got so many flavour so many, I mean chocolate is chocolate lah I am talking about ice cream ice cream got so many flavour so many things like !wah! my favourite ice cream brand is ben and jerry's


I like their cotton candy flavour I like their cookie dough !wah! I can never have enough ice cream , even though it's just a comfort food honestly, , even when days when I feel like I don't need comfort I will still find myself reaching for the ice cream but definitely when I have a


very stressful day a lot of times I would stop by a mcdonald's, to get a cheap ice cream to get a quick fix , I feel that it, the coldness of the ice cream give me a very


cosy feeling and that sweetness makes everything better, ya so ice cream chocolate it's definitely my comfort food lah, ya ya


all the really bad food , describe your perfect day


oh what is your idea of a perfect day


(uh huh) (uh huh)


!wah!


!wah!,


!wah!, a time when I got appreciate, appreciated for my hard work, !wah!


difficult question leh I feel like in especially in singapore it's not a culture where people will really appreciate you for your hard work even though like deep down inside they know that oh this person had work really hard nobody really say or voice out, things like oh you did very well but actually I was quite surprised yesterday


my boss came to the office just to pass some stuff, uh, uh pass some stuff around, ya then uh, we were having dinner together and then he suddenly said oh I prepared something for you guys so it was just me and my colleague two person lah COVID times right


ya so it's just two of us then he took out this scrapbook looking thing, and then he passed one to her and he passed one to me, then I was like very curious I'm like eh what is this I mean it's me working in the company for three years never really gotten any gift from my boss


and then suddenly he passed me this scrapbook so uh ya so I just took the scrapbook I started to flip first page it says like dear vanessa thank you for working with us, uh and then he say in detail how he really appreciated me for my hard work and I feel that is something that uh not a lot of bosses do I I was very surprised and then the next few pages are photos of like us working together or how uh the company actually grow


I mean all different milestones moving from showroom to showroom things like that which make me feel very, touched because, the, the the scrap book that he made not only for me not only for my colleague for all the delivery guys for everyone else he handwrite a letter


hand paste the photos and, dated every photo and, ya he he did he put in a lot of effort into doing that and I feel it's something where, made me very touched because


I really feel that he appreciate me if, if not he would he if he really want to give a gift he can just buy anything and just give it to me but because he handmade that scrapbook I feel that it's very meaningful and I do feel very very appreciated


part one financial related topic, okay eh steff remember you when you first applied for your HDB flat did you did you all apply for a grant with HDB


yeah yeah yeah, then the next the next one, after that no right


oh yeah yeah yeah yeah, because I remember when I applied for my #sin ming# when I bought the #sin ming# one we had a grant and it was like forty thousand or something like that uh HDB I think was a first time


first time buyer's grant, ya so I I remember we enjoyed that that grant uh quite a bit, yeah, oh so so we we we applied we had a like a forty thousand uh uh grant from HDB I think was a first time buyer grant yeah


yeah maybe lah


ya ya, no because I think it's only return if you buy the next HDB right or something like that, I'm not sure actually that is something that I can't remember ya so but whatever it is it went back to the CPF lah when we sold it ya


then , HDB lah, I don't think so uh yeah it's all just HDB loan and of course HDB loan is better what in terms of the interest and all that right


ya ya ya, no no no no no we were very lucky lah the house didn't need much renovation very simple one so we just use our savings no lah it was resale


the #sin ming# was resale lah remember yeah four room four room flat, so no no not, no not no no renovation loan ya we just yeah yeah


the first one ah right ya ya ya, ya ya eh but for HDB ah do you need to pay buyer's stamp duty ah


I don't remember also have [orh] [orh], same for private and both for for HDB


yes yes so the additional property is all private property lah that's where the additional buyer's stamp duty comes in, and it's very high right it's very very high


ya ya yes ya, property yeah, that is very high yeah


but definitely lah if it's so high I mean that itself will already stop me from buying a second property even if if you know I it is a big ten


twelve percent is really very high to fork out just, gone like that, so ya


ya ya, but if you have a HDB can you actually buy another private but you have to stay in the HDB lah


but the other way round if you own a private you can't buy a HDB right


it oh okay okay okay so


the HDB lah ya, oh okay okay putting the name and all that lah different names and all that ya ya ya


so do you think it's still worth investing in property nowadays do you think it's still something that we can make money from like last time, I think very hard right


ya ya yes, is it ya ya


so it's it's both for buyers and sellers are both not a good time right, maybe for buyers ah it's a good time ah is the price lower now


ya ya correct correct correct correct


yes, ya ya so that they can work right at and rest and all that right away from their own home


and then some of them even have extra services food and all that included inside, that's what my friend was saying ya ya ya


that going down lah ya that's why ya right right ya


looking for a place to is it ya, every but it's so interesting right recently like even the HDB


what is it the was it Punggol or something that that sold for nine hundred over, yeah, just because it's a highest floor loft and don't know what don't know what ya, so there are still people crazy enough to buy lor to spend


yeah, yeah and still they can yeah yeah yeah exactly, quite amazing right they're hoping that


but I guess they're hoping that, those are the places that will en bloc or something lah I don't know perhaps right, yes yes it's actually very nice lah walk-ups right


condition lah ya ya, yes, yeah yeah right right we don't know what is gonna to happen to it


ya lor ya lor that's why yeah yeah correct correct


a bank loan, I think HDB loan is always still betters isn't it but, the thing is that you are locked in lah


best yeah, the interest rate ah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah


and and HDB will always grant you your loan right whereas a bank loan is subject to approval is it based on, your income level or whatever


oh they do your, how how, you're capable or not I mean whether you can afford to service a loan lah


right, yeah yeah yeah yes yes, yes yes yes whatnot yeah


yeah yeah that's true that's true yeah yeah, and the thing is that with private well I mean with banks you have the flexibility to shop around lah right after a few years


when your your what do you call that your loan term is up you can either choose to extend to switch to another bank or you know, adjust the the, interest type to either fixed or floating uh


interest rate package and and all that lah and it's very competitive what all the banks I mean


a HDB yeah yeah, okay, it's still lower lah it's still more attractive ah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah


yeah yeah yeah yeah


okay okay, yeah, so generally when we buy or sell a house ah , the process other than the property price there are also a few other fees right that we need to go that that we need to pay I remember it's it's mainly


actually, usually the agent will do everything lah it's it's it's stamp duty, then uh what else ah what other fees do we incur ah that's about it isn't it it's mainly stamp duty, uh what whatever other property tax or that that is a yearly thing what


then agent fee uh other than that, oh okay


yeah yeah yes yeah, so everything can be done online now ah everything is submitted oh okay okay


isn't it also still now three right oh no first appointment second appointment then uh hand over the keys and things like that right, yeah yeah, okay oh is it


yeah, right, yeah okay okay yes


then the oh oh okay okay, so oh but is this because of COVID or or what no even before this already


yeah yeah, so actually recently like my my sister my this susan and craig ah they also, bought a HDB flat just before COVID right they they kind of were quite sure lah then then during I think the COVID they tried to settle it all via video you know they


check the place Serangoon here only lah avenue two, they check the place uh using video cam and all that !wah! really a fantastic man then finally I think the first so after the circuit breaker and all that then they managed to go down again to


like like after the first appointment something like that lah so it is quite it's quite good lah now now they they make it, no lah it's the mum's the mum's the, it's the mum's name lah, yes yes so they've always been looking for one so finally lah ding dong ding dong until finally


they they they found a HDB that they like, yeah yeah, I I don't know what their plans are lah


yeah yeah yeah rental, officially yet lah until five years right, yes yes yes correct


yeah, it's not supposed to be renting the whole place lah, ah okay okay okay okay


right right right right right, ya lah that's why


yup, yeah


yeah yeah, what you mean get from HDB to approve that oh okay that means it must be a , approved one right right right right right


ya ya of course lah, yeah it's better to be, yeah yeah yeah, ya lah be above board and all yeah okay okay


keep up I think that's why people are very afraid to do it themself also lah in case you you, people are afraid to, not have an agent right you say can do yourself and all that but all these regulations sometimes keep changing ah


!wah! it's really not easy to keep track man yeah, yes yes, there, ya there's a reason for it


yeah it does it does it does, correct, ya ya ya ya that's why, correct correct yeah


yeah yeah it looks easy lah but it's I think there's really a lot of uh, there there is lah experience needed and there's there's there's a lot of steps to to to look look out for that can overlook ah very easily


so ya, yeah ya lor okay it's still on yup okay


okay, part three negative experiences, okay let's talk about a situation where we are


you are forced to change our plans against your will


okay, meet up


yeah, yup yup


yup, yeah correct, yeah yeah


okay yup so malaysian ah


yeah okay


yeah yeah oh so near , yup


yeah, yeah yeah why yeah you didn't you all were planning for this year lah, [orh] okay okay okay okay


yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah


ya lah but at least I mean it's something that can be replan lah just don't know when right , that's why these are things that also make me think when we plan something or when we feel the urge to do something good right like like for example meet up or what it it really must take an effort to really get it done right because


you might miss the chance and and, if you can do it again that's good but if you can't you know then it's really a regret right, like like yeah


ya ya ya, ya ya


ya yup ya lor yup yup that's why ya ya


ya ya it really hits you right, ya ya


of course yeah yeah it's a long friendship


yeah of course yeah yeah yup


yeah yeah, the loss is like very real now lah it's going even though you haven't ya ya


yup, actually I yeah, thinking very hard ah I keep thinking, what are the the uh if there's a situation where I'm forced to change my plans right against my will, and all and and now I just thought of something right as in you know when I first my first child when I was pregnant right I was really looking forward to uh giving birth lah


but , but then I had to go through a cesarean because uh ya lah because of whatever we have to do, and it's really a change of plans you know like like I was really looking forward to experience not that I want to experience pain and all that but you know if


it is the whole ya feeling of ya ya ya want to is it like to to experience labour and then going through all that, and then, after that I thought oh second one also got chance to


feel it right then then also no chance then the third one also, francis was a breach what, so so she she just ya the gynae just decided that it's safer to have a cesarean, then for number two can try for natural but


but, she was very late overdue so it's again not safe, so and she was quite big so had to go for cesarean then number three was no choice already, so it's like a regret lah but at the same time


you know I guess that's where I feel lah as christians that's where we we we, you know god has his plans lah and his his way, is right yeah although regretful but still good good came out of it so ya lah


yup yup yup yup yup yeah that's why that's why ya that's why when when asked what you eat when if you're going to die tomorrow what are your last words to your loved ones right


!wah! the first thing I think about is my kids because , I always imagine that if and this is something lah on my to-do list is to write a letter to them, you know and and yeah but, yeah


I know I know exactly, but then it's these things right that we never get down to doing it right and, because it cannot be last words like like there's so many more things that you want to say to them because you know you you there's just so much lah you know it's not just to say but the time spent and all that


but I guess if really really cannot write a letter and have to just have last words, , I I think I would thank them you know I'll thank them, for you know having them, in my life because it it it


makes such a more it it to me it they help to make a very fulfilled life right and and to have such a range of experience because, of them and of course our husbands as well if not if not !wah! they're really although there's so much good and bad but


it is really the whole range of experience that, we will never get to experience unless you you have your children isn't it and go through it with them yeah so


really ah, ya


ya ya ya yup ya


of course of course ya ya ya ya I think so, it's really losing half of you right ya ya ya ya


!hais! that's why


you don't want to know right ya ya no yup ya ya correct


ya ya ya, yes yes, yes correct correct


actually yes and no lah you know I it's really your outlook to life and and what what your your perspective is like you know I known so many people who are currently still struggling and when I see those who are very positive ah and those who really try because they want to live ah


you know most of the time the outcome, it's not just because of the outcome but even, if they they the outcome yeah some of them the outcome is good because they're positive they they recover, then those who are positive, and even though they don't recover


they they find so much joy and and they bring so much goodness to those around them, so it's such a good thing but when you see someone who is really down and give up or or depressed and


you you feel also very helpless, you know and those around you, can't do anything, and they also feel down together with you, you know what I'm saying whereas those who are positive you actually make those around you also feel positive and to me that is such a commendable and difficult thing to do but yet it's so good right and it makes me always think that eh if I'm ever


have to suffer that way I want to be like this person to be able to to want to fight it and, be positive and then, be good that that, it's such a good effect on others around me what, you know rather than drag everybody down right in that sense


but it's really not easy lah because we all, go through different emotions right and so much, when we are suffering yeah, so but it's I I always believe that it's good to find out lah it's good to find out early it's good to have things treated and and


ya and just be , be positive about things lah it helps what, ya, yup


ya, yup yup ya, ya yup


negative !wah! you feel very, yup yup yup ya


ya yes yes ya


it's the disappointment lah ya ya ya, ya ya ya ya lor


ya lah yup yup, correct correct


yup ya lah we, yes yes yes and think positive whatever that brings us down we just got to ya lah I guess that's what friends are for right to to help each other


yes, groups ya, silly thing right ya ya why do you want to like go and tell everyone or what's there to talk about as if it will help


ya ya ya ya ya, yes but no lah it is it is helpful ya


ya ya ya ya ya


ya right, oh is it !wow! what a miracle


it is ya ya ya yes yes yes yes


yeah yeah, really really yeah that's why cannot be closed up it does lah it does because, ya


yup, !wow! !wow! fantastic, ya ya ya yes


yeah I have a friend among my church also is like that she she yeah, and she has been on oral right because her type of cancer pancreas I think and we know it's such that there's only oral so for the first three years she took a certain medication that helped doesn't get rid but but it it it stops it from growing the tumour


then, after three years and and I tell you even though she could function and all her side effects ah nobody really she go through it it is a daily thing like diarrhoea swelling, you know then heart palpitations and all that


but when you look at her and her and her hair turned all white you know really like like silver white you know it's one of the side effects and she actually looked very nice and her skin also, very white she's late fifties already lah ya, so but she's so positive and all she does ah is she tells people about her experience her her going through you know because finding out about cancer it's not just the finding out it's the waiting the news like you say lah that is the most tormenting you know


and I think people who are going through it ah , really hate that phase right waiting for the news right the test then the test result must wait that waiting ah you will think of the, worst one so she helps people by that lah talking to them telling them what to do you know


and she's so bubbly you know and she continues working she say I'm not gonna stop, lor as long as I can do I'll just do, you know what for I put myself down keep myself down it's not gonna help what, but the yeah it's really really really it it it's what


so ya [lah], [oh] okay great


part part part two positive experiences, okay my friend describe a time when you were helped


by someone, in your time of need, actually that one do you have anything , !aiya!, that makes you happy, in your time of need


can we talk about the best meal we've had first then we go back to that, you know you know I always remember, many lah actually there are many many many best meals I've had but one that always comes to my mind is a few years ago right when I went with chris


on a flight right to to Paris that was my first time going to Paris and then we went with this other couple, and he also flies one lah and he's really really a foodie you know and he's the kind of foodie right that that goes for very good


Atas food one lah, so because he knew it was our anniversary also so he booked this this place ah it's a french restaurant, lah it's a michelin star one also lah don't know what don't know I cannot pronounce the name one ah then, then it was it's really course by course one okay then the thing is that we sit at the counter you know it's a nice restaurant you got to like it's not too formal not don't have to wear suit but got to wear properly lah


then we sat at the counter, and then you can see the kitchen, behind you, so it's really like like when you watch shows ah masterchef then they are the chef is calling out oh then very, very happening then oh service then this and that so you can see them preparing the food right then they will come to you then stupid chris keep saying don't know #jia ei ba# or not it's really the one big plate that that one small little thing right


but I tell you there were like ten ten different things then each time they serve you they will explain too oh this is scallop with, don't know what don't know what what truffle then what what what sauce then don't know what what what what, so but it was really very nice each type thing was very nice uh you ask me


what I cannot remember what are the ten things I ate but I have photos lah, and the thing is that it's very filling, although it's one thing each right but at the end of the course it's really really very filling and very satisfying and then there were like two or three desserts lah


and then of course we had drinks lah so, it was very memorable for me it's very very memorable and it's really once in a lifetime experience because it's so expensive some more know it's really, I think, per person is like at least


like two hundred, per person or something like that if I'm not wrong ya ya, and really it's something that we will never do one lah if not for our friends right but it was good lah it was nice to have an experience like that lah, but food was really good yeah


slowly right, ya ya ya very little bit yeah


yeah but that's the amazing thing I think it's because when you eat slowly right you actually, can get full


full one you know I think it's because sometimes we eat, the whole plate like quite fast right then !wah!, you know you eat more than you should and you become, like as if you need a lot to be full


cold lah really cold man, ya


ya ya


ya, damn Shiok right


ya ya ya, oh is it


is it I thought ya I was gonna say maybe because the noodles there very nice, ya


yeah yeah that's why food ya ya ya


ya ya ya the memory lah ya, that's why it's true lah food is really not just about the food right of course the food itself has to be nice but


but so many things, affects right the place the people the environment like like you can have the, best food but if you're in a bad mood or or like like the people can't get along the food will suck man right


eh but you'll be surprised you know one day you must try for the fun of it yeah ya ya ya just for the experience, ya ya ya ya ya ya


actually you'll be surprised know there are many that are not say fine as in , the the cuisine the the the way it is presented lah but but the environment is quite casual so like like this one we were just sitting at the bar you know


you know at the counter and it's not say like like you must wear a gown or things like that so it was it was very nice it was very cute, we were not very close to no no no no but I think I guess in, Europe is a bit different lah it's winter everybody you know wears a jackets so it's cold so so it it is not that it's a suit or what that kind


you know so yeah yeah there were people who came in jeans but in a then with a blazer that kind so it's not like so formal lah in that sense lah, ya ya I mean we spent about two hours there because they will slowly serve you then you talk then you you you slowly


eat lah you try not to eat too fast also like very funny lah you know chris ah then you know sometime the sauce you want to eat then you like Paiseh don't know whether , ya ya everything can be eaten not


ya, ya ya, uh have the buns lah and uh to oh oh to wash your fingers ya ya ya ya


he drank it ah


he's so funny, ya ya ya, this one can eat that one cannot eat


ya ya ya ya ya, ya crab lah ya after as well


ya ya yup of course I cannot ya ya, properly ya cannot lah cannot cannot cannot cannot ya


I know even if I can it's just not Shiok lor, you have to suck the bone right you have to, really yes so that you can lick your fingers you know


you know just like my family ah the very funny pauline is the one who started it when they eat durian, they will actually bring a spoon one know, because they don't want their fingers to be smelly, because the smell the smell on the fingers can last a long time mah


but my point is that's the best part of it right after eating your durian you can, smell it on your fingers the whole night isn't that that heavenly right, oh my god I tell you that's why now you go and eat durian they have gloves and all that what I I also


I I also don't like, must want to eat must eat lah, to eat durian !aiyo! the smell lah


oh my really ah, ya ya ya ya


he's the only one right who can't take right who doesn't like !aiya! this fellow wasted ah, ya ya ate like hell right ya lor it's the best thing ever man ya lah


yup yup yup so post COVID what are you most thankful, and appreciative towards you think, I think this is something that, that a lot of people think about lah, I think I'm I'm I'm very thankful for


generally our health lah right that we have no issues and I think I'm very very thankful for, like yours and mine also that our family unit is is quite supportive I mean we are all quite, quite close lah, because when I hear of all the


attention and other families ah , because of having to be stuck together or or or what, !wah! it's really so sad right to to hear that so, yeah it makes me really really again you know be reminded to be thankful of


family lah and and and all our loved ones and, is it still not so good okay I think it's the connection but (ppc) yeah so so yes yes so mainly is family lah I think COVID has made me


ya more quiet what ya, ya


that's why yup, ya ya ya ya that's it yup ya ya ya


more right ya ya ya


ya ya ya, all do together lah, ya got time right, is it


ya ya ya ya, that's good that's good ya lah ya lah


ya yup then, yeah yeah but it's true that's the other thing also I also realised that , eh the it really makes me conscious about what I buy as well now


you know, we just got to be reminded lah every time, I want to buy something I also think eh, actually got already lah or actually no need lah you know even though it's something that's nice or convenient right even for the house a little basket or what you know you think


but, it's really actually a lot excess one lah, a lot excess a lot of things ya, ya ya ya ya ya ya need that's why with


ya correct correct ya to create, ya ya ya ya ya ya ya


you got yeah you take time lah to actually stop and you know think think again, like even if things needs to be replaced right you also I also tend to !aiya! maybe can use for a while more you know


like like , lengthen its lifespan don't need to to or or improvise lah this one cannot use another, way to to make do with it lah you know it's okay, no need to


ya so even easier to buy right ya that's the scary thing, is it


ya ya ya what, ya yup


whole day exactly, yup for something else yeah, oh is it


oh my, ya ya (ppc) ya yup yup yup


so you think you think you miss travelling ah, ya usually right , that's one of the thing we look forward to most when the pandemic ends yeah


ya, ya ya two three days ya


doing nothing lah ya correct correct correct, ya but not until next year don't know when also man definitely not this year lah they already say already what right


yeah I I I yeah actually ah it's good to have that mindset then, you won't feel so you know so so like like, eager like so disappointed when you cannot travel must


yeah I guess I guess ya ya ya ya correct correct, more money travel right even if it's for short trips ya


ya, is it ya ya ya ya correct correct yes yes just recently today someone send me something about you can even what go and have airplane meals


you know right, it's so strange ya no that's fly to nowhere right, no ya, she did it


ya, but but surely it's the same you got to be masked and all that and there's no service and all right it's just the idea of flying up and down lah


right right right, okay good (uh) yup still recording


okay, part one financial related topic


okay, no no no no in fact when we uh during that time when we applied for HDB, there wasn't that kind of schemes that you have today


because anyway the I mean during the time when I first bought the four room flat over at two two nine remember it was actually very cheap ah so affordable as well so we didn't really apply I mean we there wasn't like that kind of scheme


no after that there wasn't any scheme because we bought a resale flat, and yeah and we were not near like our in-laws or my parents and all that


oh, [orh], can't really hear you


oh okay okay I I didn't have I didn't have that , I'm not sure whether we had uh I I didn't think that I I had that scheme that time so we didn't go ya we didn't we didn't but I think after that they came up with all this first timer proximity grant that kind of thing but but did you actually return it back to the government after that after when you sold the flat


ah okay, right right right okay


[orh] okay okay so that time yeah that time when you you bought the flat you got a loan from, from the, that time the banks were I mean that you can't actually get a loan from the bank right


yeah yeah yeah, correct correct correct ya, then what during that time did you get any loans renovating and all that to do up your place


but that that was new is it [orh] okay okay


so you didn't take you didn't take any like first time, you know okay okay okay, I mean that time mine too lah I mean it was uh mine was new actually not a resale


ah correct the first one so, we didn't take any loan as well to to renovate and all that I mean we just do whatever we can lah within our means yeah


yes we do pay we have stamp duty as well yes, no no no no it's different because if private if you're if you actually buy private and you have like an additional buyer's stamp duty and all that but because if you are buying HDB it's just one stamp duty that goes across


and yeah, then if you you can't purchase two HDB what anyway, so it correct yeah the


at first yeah I mean it's escalating lah because of the last cooling measures so, uh I think yeah I think if you were to, I mean people buy second second property mainly because of investments you know that they want to put in and all that so the naturally you know to you know when you purchase a second


second property you you actually have to pay, higher stamp duty which is about twelve percent so it depends also depends whether you are singaporean or you are like foreigners, and and all that so it all depends yeah


ya ya correct but but you you see there are people, who has got the excess cash in in their CPF or who's fully paid for, a HDB or something, so they want to buy another you know invest in another property


you know to gain rent rental, you can yes correct correct but you have to have the minimum requirements lah before you can actually uh


purchase or you know it's like a minimum stay that kind of thing, and then before you can purchase, no you can't you can't so the minute you if you want to purchase uh a private then you have to


you have to offload your HDB, yes so usually the case is when people buys another property right they will stay put in, HDB yeah, ya but then there are people who you know who do it the other way round lah by by left lah so called yup yup yup yup yup


yup correct correct, I think with the COVID right now ah in fact I have friends and all that ah


who , somehow they they somehow hold back their decisions to invest, further in properties for now because, frankly a lot of expats are leaving and rental the rental rates are looking at it it's it's there are gonna be more empty units you know that kind of thing


and ya so, they will hold back till the property prices drop lah further, so called ya so for now ya


ya correct I mean actually if you look at it buyers and selling I mean if, you unless it's really, you are you need to sell it urgently, then you know, if not you will definitely hold back because if people are not


going to put that extras inside unless it's necessary to go and buy another property, because everybody is holding back their cash for now, ya with the COVID and all that but apparently


actually for now when I see certain you know I have got, friends who are actually, buying uh no renting ah, you know those co-sharing units ah, ah in fact surprisingly a lot of singaporeans ah because of working work from home ah they're coming out to actually


rent you know a a room, yes yes, yes, correct correct so, yes sent


send to home and all that so, so , actually if you talk about expats renting ah, now is a lot lesser I mean you don't see anybody flying in right so it's more like , locals yeah I mean I I've come across like they are like in the


thirties between thirties to forties ah, they are all coming out to rent a place on the a room lah I mean not as in the whole unit but a room so , if you are talking about buying and selling for the moment, for now it's rather slow ah in the sense


oh yes yes yes


yeah, ah of course even in #tiong bahru# I I also you know have you read the article, , it's left with forty seven years ah, and they bought it at one uh past one million


so, you, I mean the the yeah I mean that the flats there are huge ah to be very frank very nice place


but that, ah walk-ups correct but if you look at the what is that ah the tenure the the the tenure is left with forty seven years, so you don't really need you don't really have, that flexibility to to use your full CPF in fact below fifty years old flat ah


so it's a risk lah so I guess they, ah so I guess they buy and, they are going to live there for long ah because if they were to sell in the next ten twenty years, I don't think they are gonna be able to make any money out of it or


ya and then especially bank loans ah, I mean you got to think about the interest so you see these days ah, when purchasing a HDB, whether you should, use HDB loan or or bank loan


no actually, no yes and actually if you look at it ah, over the the years ah HDB loan is definitely much higher than bank loans because it's at two point six percent


so unless it's very necessary that you need to, I mean the thing is about H HDB loan is in case, you can't afford to pay the instalments every month right the, you can still somehow negotiate with HDB I mean they are not gonna kick you out and and forced sell the the property


no actually nowadays, nowadays they are more stringent in fact because before you even purchase a flat, HDB will actually assess whether you are able to


take up the loan and then whether it's yeah how you going to, yes, correct correct so not that you buy the the property the H the flat first but they will look at what kind of payment you are comfortable in then you know you can you you have to buy within your means lah in that sense


ya but you see if bank loans interest is lower, but the thing is if you can't pay the instalments I mean the banks will not grant and it would not grant any mercy what, so they will force sell, so there's good there's bad you know that kind of thing


oh yes yes yes, it is ah but actually over the past few years ah if you look at the bank's interest rate compared to HDB they have been rather competitive


compared to HDB's, loan yes , I mean they are like one point over percent, so no matter how floating how how fluctuating it can be, it's still there yes it's still more attractive so but people are fearful


you know of what comes ahead because if you have something which is floating or, fluctuating kind ah, but I think over the years people are more assured so when they came up with this thing actually they, generally people will help somehow you know stand stand back and see what happens first you see


but now it's becoming more popular lah in the sense, so I think , it it really all depends ah, yeah, so


correct correct I mean , you see you see these days ah , you can actually buy and sell HDB back flat on your own, I mean that process is quite, it's not as complicated during our times you know you've got a lot of paperwork to do you got to what print this form


and then fill up this you got to do the checklist, you can, yes in fact now it's even easier because previously I think you have like two HDB appointments, no no no no more no ya at first


ah correct correct at, correct at first was three then they came down over the years two nowadays it's only one, yes yes yes so when when you start selling right the minute you agree and all that then you do your own checklist and then you send you you just need to let HDB know that you have intention to sell


and then the process will be all done online lah, so the your one appointment I think it takes about one and half months, then one your one appointment, is just to hand over the keys that's it, ya ya the the everything will be done


by HDB itself lah online lah so called, no no no no yeah, yes they have it yes so


okay, where about


right yes, but the place that they stay actually belongs to craig itself is it himself


oh so both of them have not actually purchased, uh oh, then they have to move in you know


I mean okay but I mean you can move it I mean as in move in, uh you can stay there once a week that kind also called move in ah that kind of thing it's just that they cannot rent out the whole unit lah


yes so but they can rent out the rooms, so I've got a friend who actually rents this place in #ang mo kio#, three room flat


so she she actually got the whole place, but she's paying for a room because apparently the landlord, ya correct so correct so , the landlord actually locked up one of the rooms ah


but actually generally she doesn't she's never seen, maybe seen him from beginning when she actually, rent the place then, she hasn't seen him since, yeah so , but you see when you rent out actually all these places ah the rooms and all that


you because people who works ah these days ah, you you know companies when you rent a room ah for example if you get a, a S pass holder renting a place the company will want a HDB approval ah


these day uh, yes yes, approved unit lah, correct so usually the company will want details so, yeah so


eh you will have to get approval and all that lah, ya to to to actually rent out lah, correct correct correct so , actually HDB rulings and all that there are a lot of changes here and there so sometimes it's very hard to keep up yes sorry


yes yes you the thing is


sometimes when it's good to have an agent I mean you you pay of course you have to pay agency fees right but, it saves you a lot of headache, because sometimes the documents, sometimes you didn't know this you did you know that kind of thing


and and then sometimes you may have dispute, then then how you gonna settle because, it's not just okay online I see A to Z I just it is not, yeah it is


correct correct, correct how that's why I said


it all depends on individual some people wants to save you know yeah


part three negative experiences, okay situation


okay actually what happened is that I have got some ex schoolmates we haven't, met for thirty over years, so last year we actually last year lah november period one of them stays in is an australian citizen


another one stays in Brunei, then another girlfriend in Singapore lah you know and then me lah four of us, so we were actually planning, to uh fly to yeah to meet up and go on a trip, so we were planning actually to fly okay


we at first we were discussing whether we we should fly to Perth you know one of my girlfriends ah staying there, then after that we we yeah it's one one plan is to fly to Perth and then we move from there she stays there, I mean we can stay at her place and then she's very familiar what to to to drive around


another plan is actually to fly to Brunei, and then, Brunei is very near to this place called Miri have you come across Miri, Miri is actually Malaysia you know, apparently I I also don't know ah but I I've heard lah then because the one in


uh Perth her husband is her current husband ah so called she's got ex and current ah anyway her current husband is actually from Miri, so she's also very familiar with, Miri, malaysian but, malaysian


cum australian they're holding dual citizenship, you ask me how I don't know how they hold it ah, ya but then so from Brunei, uh my girlfriend is staying there right she's from with Brunei right so she, she has an apartment there lah we can actually go there then go around and then drive drive you know can you imagine from Brunei you can drive to Miri two hours


at, ya and then to , ya so we were actually planning to go, uh last july, and then we were on the verge of, even booking the flight actually in december, everybody ready you know and then how much the flight everything


the lucky lucky thing we didn't, then , I mean if we did then, this year july, and then the itinerary where we're going where to stay what you know that kind of thing was all up


and then with this COVID and all that then at first in march we were saying that oh eh, !aiya!, let's hold on ah maybe by july it should be okay you know that kind of thing, but anyway as it goes then , uh our moods were all dampened ah by all this that


no actually you know recently I've you know I I have , I have a little bit of a different mindset, you know every time you want you plan to go on somewhere eat something you always think eh no lah no lah let's save money let's what you know that kind of thing


you know recently I just met up with a friend , who's also my, I grew up with her from young you know ah I think you know right pamela , just a text you know same age as uh I am fifty two just a text to say I have cancer and I'm already


you know in my last stage I doctors gave me that six months, you know to live you know , when I actually heard the news it was you not not okay when I saw the text


you know I have cancer you know that kind of thing !wah! it actually, woke me up hits me you know I I sat down no straight away I call her, then as I after I spoke to her I you know we didn't speak much uh talk much but I wanted to meet that immediate you know that immediately you know what time the next one hour you know I I rush in to bath and and and while I was bathing and all that you know I could feel


!wah! you you know although, that many years we weren't together and all that but, there were memories that you had together you went through, eh do you know that while I was actually bathing and getting myself ready are you know the tears were like


it naturally come came out from me know like, you know you you are actually very hard ah it was really a a hit you know to me that, eh, so you know you I I haven't got a friend or you know who suddenly come to me and tell me she's got that limited time


ah it's very real and, correct so you , ya I tell you , as I sat inside the the I mean another friend came and pick me as I sat inside the car you know your the whole heart you know you you just quieten yourself down and


you you just cannot face that reality that, eh, she is time the time is ticking lah any minute yeah, so yeah yeah


the natural birth


but why ah why ah why was it so, [orh] okay, right


okay right


yes, I think end of the day the children came out all safe and sound and then they they are now all growing up ah I think that's the best consolation we have lah but


that, yeah yeah what what you gonna say


eh ya ya ya you and I the same, I want to prepare a letter each you know, to each and yes, oh yes yes yes


oh yes yes, right yes


correct yeah you are right for me , I feel , actually if I am uh like I'm gonna die tomorrow that kind of thing ah, the the I I'm not so worried about my kids eh


I'm more worried about my husband, about jim ah , so I think I'm gonna add on this you know to what I'm gonna say to them and all that of course I mean like what you've said thanking them and you know but I I'm just gonna to tell them make sure you look after your daddy


then I think the most the the especially our husbands ah, I think the the most distraught and, and it will be the most I can tell you is difficult time to get by will be your, the one who, you know your the one who sleeps you know next to you for that many many years rather than


the children themselves [orh], ya so, yes it's it's really it's really like one of your limbs are gone you know that kind of thing so I always tell my husband eh make sure I die first ah you better don't die keep yourself very healthy ya so it's like ya


so you see now, now that you have all this you , you really don't know you know it makes me also think that I would want to go for more a more thorough check-up and all that it's like, I mean if you end up with, something that you're not prepared


you know last time when I would always say that eh if I got this never mind lah I don't want to check I don't want to feed I don't want ah you know you've heard before, but now is like, I don't want to miss the boat you know that kind I don't want to like already that train pass me and there's no chance that's why I was just telling my husband like you know some now that I've like got a friend you know real happening and all that I want to make sure I can


I can live long enough lah to, to see what happen you know that kind of thing, so, because you you know when you I don't know but when you look when people who has got any illness like this chronic diseases lah


and all that and you know you're in the last stage you you you, you wouldn't you just want to give up lor I feel, I mean like my friend


correct correct


you know you know during the time where my dad had the throat cancer, you know every time going bringing him to the doctor, you know uh going through twice chemo twice radiation also operation to cut off part of it and all that


you you have that , you know when the doctors tell you okay go through this right you know your your your hopes are like lifted, then when the thing comes back you you are like, ya !wah! you you'll feel very lousy


and you know there there were moments that, you just feel like !aiya! don't do anything lah just you know, it's it's it's a difficult feeling, but yet you at that moment you you you just make you so helpless like


you have gone through, you know many rounds of, hope ah you you call it ah, and after that, it it came back negative !wah! I tell you I I I mean I reach a stage whereby I just tell I I just tell myself


!aiya! give up lah let him go, ah the disappointment and, you know it's like they lift you up that hope lift you up so high and then you they just dropped you off you know and you get you get smacked you know straight, so, I don't know it's


I think at at this age now ah it's just now now that, what you know at at my age and all that we or at our age ah, you you just pray that every day is gonna be, you don't think like oh I'm going to strike a lottery or you know that kind anymore you're just


eh no illness, everybody around you is safe or everybody that you know, because it it really hits hard on people lah I feel, uh that you know yeah, so


I guess we, just have to take this one step at a time lor


ya I think it's important, you have that support, you know so now I know whenever you have anything you know they have like support groups ah, last time I think it's , it's very unnecessary one ah it's a bit


yeah what's there to no what's the what's correct ah what's there to discuss it's your ah as if it will help and then it's your personal issue what why you need the whole world to know you know that kind of thing, but


now that you know I've I mean I I really I spoke to this lady who's got cancer and all that in february ah no in november last year, she went through the chemo and all that so recently I spoke to her I don't know her ah but a friend recommended that I talk to her because of my of pamela


she was very positive you know she went through chemo, and then do you know in february she showed me her before and after, it's all it all spread know, and it's already stage four, in november she went for chemo


and of course a lot of prayers and then in february she took, an x-ray she showed me the before and after so one in november one in february, do you know that february, you can see all the, cancer cells all disappeared, yes


yes and she told me that, you just need to have an open mind, she say steff I went through, chemo , with an open mind and positive, feeling ah every day, and I I was supported by the you know groups of friends and my church group and all that


and I tell you it helps you know, ya she said I I went for chemo and I still can fetch the kids to school, and till today ah she she told me , every every month she's gotta go for check-up so the last


she saw her x-ray again in july all cleared again, and she's stage four and when I saw that november's x-ray, it's all over leh it's really all over, it's like you tell yourself how how to cure so


right blocked ya, yup


oh oh how old is she


so I think having a positive mindset is very important [lah] seriously


part two positive experiences


helped by someone in your time of need , sure what is yours


okay


oh okay okay


oh !wow! okay, oh ya yes yes yes right


!wow!


oh is it how much did you pay for it, oh !wow! okay okay


you know that's why they always say right I mean , if the food comes no, if the food comes like , bit by you know the good food that the very exquisite kind of food right always come in very small portion very little bit which is


definitely not enough for your godson lah you know that kind I think you take that ten course he must go for twenty courses you know that kind of thing ya so


right you know for me ah, actually the best meal you know I went Korea right couple of years back, so we went up this mountain you know ski mountain


cold okay they they don't have many restaurants, to be very frank because people go there to ski and all that, so you you find like fast foods here and there but because it's so cold


you're just not in the mood for, what burger what french fries you know that kind of thing, so there was one meal ah I can tell you I was it it was unforgettable, we had we bought cup noodles, okay let me tell you so this this ramen ah this normal you know that


cup noodles like you you have it in Singapore we brought it back to the room, K of course it's very cold right because winter mah that period, eh I tell you that feeling ah when you pour the hot water you left it there then you eat ah, out in the cold ah


it makes, it makes a lot of difference, so that moment okay listen that moment because that cup noodle is from Korea right so you you my thoughts were like oh , ya !wah! this brand should be good you know that kind of !wah! very nice like so what I did when I came back I bought exactly the same cup noodle


yeah but I came back to Singapore that feel wasn't there leh, no it's not it is no it's not yeah exactly exactly that that was my thought I I thought eh that !wah! this, brand must be good right you know that kind of thing because we don't have it in Singapore you know !wah! then then we bought it back


and actually to tell you the truth I bought a carton of cup noodles back know thinking that it's really good ya ya ya very <mandarin>夸张:kua zhang</mandarin> one, so came back then !wah!, you know you you were like looking forward one of the days then you pour but, you know when you eat it eh that


feel wasn't there anymore and you didn't really it's like, normal cup noodles lor that kind of thing but when you were there, yeah so this is one thing that , you know I think that that that ambience that you know that you are the ah I tell you that was one great meal I I I had


correct correct but you know my husband was saying he can never bring me to for fine dining okay the, really really because I I I I just don't I don't know I just don't think I'm gonna be comfortable sitting there you know in a proper manner in a you know and then you you you will use the cutlery you know what in out in out you know


right


what about the people there I mean do they like put on formal, oh yes


and did you all take long to eat the whole meal


oh yes yes yes yes yes don't know whether to you know, !wah! talking about the sauce I think that there was this time where, we we had a family family dinner you know then we went to this place ah together with my brother in-law Chua you know my sister in-law all lah the whole family then we went to this place


then , not knowing then my cousin you know my australian cousin came back ah, so you know when you go and eat crab they always have this bowl where you can actually, no no no not to wash, ya then that bowl was there then


I mean we were all talking but didn't realise that you know what he did or not he actually scoop yeah no he took a spoon and then scoop the thing and pour onto his rice then we were like oh my goodness, then I say eh no no no that one is for you to wash hands


you know you know with the lime oh oh !oops! !oops! sorry sorry I didn't know you know that it is ya then he poured !wah! but !wah! I tell you we all laugh man so I told him okay in future before you take anything ah maybe you want to so we you know anything after that anything comes that we have to do washing we


ah then we push it all aside because they the the waitress serve right next I mean just in front of him for you to wash your hands before you use your hands to eat the crabs and all or after that lah !wah! that was that was a big joke ah so


so you know when I I mean when you are like, overseas or when you're out in places where you eat right you just I will be extra careful of, and the thing is I like to eat with my hands, so it gets yeah


so it gets very difficult for me to you know to eat at a place where I'm supposed to eat, chicken wings with fork and spoon or fork and knife, no no but my husband, can actually debone a whole chicken with a fork and knife very nicely trusts me


, yeah exactly use your fingers and then, correct so


to be ah yes yes yes, you should you yeah yeah , you should you should ask them whether they need the fork and knife or not ah to cut at the


eh no but my house at home, with the kids ah, we all use gloves these days yes because Klinsmann is afraid of the smell


ah so even like Matthias goes in to the room ah if his fingers and all that with the smile I tell you he he can't take it, he will he will run out and then he will tell me can can open the windows can spray can what because he just cannot take the smell so the minute durians come back ah he will just


isolate himself in the room then he will tell me mummy can you tell #kor kor# to wash his hands and use gloves and then make sure he burps and or he brush his teeth, so you get ya yes


I really don't know why, to be very frank when I was pregnant with all of them ah I eat durians like nobody's business but I don't know why comes out like that ya ya correct so, I guess all kids are different a'ah in that sense ah


post


yes, yes yes


your your your mic I think it's like gotta be ya ya okay now is better, yeah, hello yeah can hear me ya


you see when you when you talk about post COVID ah , actually also not post right, not quite right but , one thing I'm very thankful ah, don't talk about appreciative talk about thankful I finally have my husband ah


home every day for two months, as in when when I talk about every day you know right he goes to work and he's a super workaholic ah, so it's like every day going to work at early in the morning and then coming back you know, then after that is like after dinner watch a bit TV and it's like


off to bed you know that kind of thing, I think you as well right because christopher I mean he travels here and there you know that kind of thing so and then , I also get to try like him cooking baking, make the kuih kuih all you know that kind of thing


and ya and then a lot , we actually do spring cleaning know from the uh when, I've never cleaned my house, that clean you know even during chinese new year !wah! but this time around I mean


and all do together and you really dig out every single thing you know the corner you find like corners to even wipe and, and and clean and you feel Shiok about it you know that kind of thing, yeah so


good and bad lah I mean in the sense , ya then you really see the children packing up and then I tell you I don't know how come every time you do cleaning ah, there are tons of things to throw, and not that I I pile you know I I don't you know it's just


you you you know my my daughter is always whenever I mean because now that she's home right, so I go out with her more often so sometimes you see a pot ah you know that kind of thing !wah! the first thing she will she will start do you need this, then I said ya actually ah you know you will come up I will come up with something you know because it's cheap right then you'll come up with something like actually ah because ah I I think this one make this and that you know that kind of thing then she will say no


I don't think you need we have pots what you know that kind of thing so stop buying mummy okay sure so it's like, so it's like time and again ah, you somehow really ask yourself whether


, ah no lah


and then I tell you ah this post COVID ah I think the scariest part of it is a lot of online shopping, so I tell you ah my !wah! I tell you my, my sister in-law ah every week she's buying pots I don't know why


then she will tell me eh you go into this eh the lady sell this thing !wah! very, good the flask also very good then you get very eh, this flask ah you put hot water it can last you sixteen hours you know that kind of thing then I like !wah!, then you see you don't need to boil water then yeah very good ah then say yeah very cheap only thirty nine dollars then


you are very tempted to go and get it yeah I don't need to but you sit down and think ah eh, I boil water it's only for five minutes not that I drink hot water the whole day, then you spend that money never mind you must have space, to put


but I can tell you my sister in-law buys things every week this pot that pot flask, ah and then the cooking what chopping board ah, ah every week then she will text me, and then it's so convenient because the main you you just it is just Whatsapp


hi, I want to this this this, okay then the next day the thing comes you know, cash on delivery you know that's it so, very much ah I need to go JB and I need to go Malacca


eh really because before I mean before this , I mean I I went on Malacca with with the kids ah uh I mean with all of them lah whole family to went there for like five days Malacca you don't stay five days right you you know it's like to people it'll be very boring but


I mean it's that waking up as and when you feel like it sleeping as and when you feel like it just shopping walking and spending time together, I mean that's what it matters yeah, so I'm really looking forward ah to it


you may not be even able to travel much even the first half of next year man looking at it


but this year everybody saves a lot of money ah, because you you always have a certain, , you know you ya you always put a certain amount of money to go and travel right yeah but this time around it's like , you everything got to do at home


but these days they have , what Singapore tour, you pay fifty dollars have you heard of


oh yes yes yes you know they started off in Brunei, no no no Brunei my girl, yes yes my girlfriend she the royal royal Brunei came up with it last two weeks they started, so she was just telling me they pay hundred and forty nine dollars


fly to they like fly to nowhere so they the plane flies to KK #Kota Kinabalu# then you actually eat on board the flight, then after that you land ah


ya lah I think it's basically she said for people who hasn't , who doesn't have that means to travel far and then just to have a feel yup


okay I've clicked yes financial-related topic


okay the first question is how do you invest your money to accumulate wealth and or planning for your retirement , for me right I have only started learning about investment for the past year ya mainly uh how do I invest I feel that the best way to invest is through property investment and stock investment


for a bigger returned ah but I was uh previously we were we also have a, because we have insurance plan which uh incorporates uh certain investment uh aspect and then I feel that that is quite important because it also uh generate sort of generate uh some income where I can actually use when I retire ya how about you kelvin


ya uh I agree like property and stock is the best and faster way to to really grow your wealth if you do it correctly


ya maybe other people have different kind of ways ah but I think for us our our the knowledge that we have I think with property and stock investment is what we agree on ah then the number two question is like what strategies would you <B>


got a renovation loan which for four years uh they I think they uh loan about forty something K uh of uh for the <B>


so I was quite shocked at how much interest they actually have to pay just to get , a renovation loan to renovate their house so my strategies would be when you are buying a new house try your best not to get the renovation loan as uh as much as possible lah because the interest is so high it doesn't justify it and


what I would suggest is to get the basic done like the painting the lighting the electrics , and then uh or you can get uh you can actually get second-hand uh furnitures to uh or or or cheaper electrical appliances and then uh get the basic done and then make improvement to the house along the way lah ya how about kelvin what do you think


like


I agree like buying a car is only uh necessary if you are in a sales job I think even if even though I really find a car very useful but if I don't have the uh, I don't have the means to actually get a car to maintain a car


I would rather take a public transport because even if once awhile right like regularly every two three days you take a grab taxi or uh you still actually it's actually still cheaper than owning a car because you don't have to pay for road tax all that right correct


ya ya correct, it's still cheaper right ya you know lah because you have a car then uh you because it's suit you you you need it lah that's why you have it so probably you already thought of like uh in future you don't want to if you'd retirement


ya thankfully uh singapore uh the the transport system is still quite good so it's easy to commute uh everywhere


then , how do you manage your financial commitment before and after marriage, I think for for for my side right what I think is like before marriage I we never really think of saving up


we are in like a honeymoon stage where we uh go to restaurants and uh spend a lot on traveling uh but after marriage right uh money became a bigger subject a bigger issue in our life because we have


uh commitment uh to the house installment to to planning for retirement and uh and ya so it become a more conscious choice when spending money so uh that's why uh there's


this huge difference where before marriage you don't have to think about anything but after marriage you money is in every part of our lives


ya I think of how to how to earn more money or how to accumulate more wealth right ya before that you didn't think of it because you were at your peak like uh you will earning uh quite a bit because uh the economy was good and you were ya making more sales ah in your job


then uh in a post-COVID world what changes are you making in terms of your spending or saving habit I uh for I, uh I feel that uh after, COVID started up uh like like now we are eating more at home because we feel that is more is cheaper to eat at home but I see I see many friends ordering uh Grab delivery and uh those uh delivering uh company where they deliver the food to your home


I of course I would sometimes I feel tired like cooking and then wish to like I just order food but then uh calculating the cost right I I just cannot justify the need to order food like once a while we if we are still too


we crave for outside food and want to do less uh cleaning right we will just go downstairs maybe eat at a coffee shop like for three dollars rather than paying ten dollars for a grab delivery food but , I'm still uh I still feel glad that uh some people are spend spending on delivery because at least uh those people that really need the income will actually have a job


doing the deliveries so that so it's good to have people like me who want to save more money and it's good that some people have the means to actually spend more lah ya and then uh we also do less shopping because for me lah because I used to love to do a lot of shopping buy a lot of things online and offline


but now because I don't have the chance to go to I I reduce my uh uh, times reduce going to the shopping mall so I buy less , and uh ya online also try to limit myself because I'm worry about I'll going not having money


ya, ya spending habits change right how then you what do you because you don't spend too much right so then uh what do you think you actually the what habits did you change to


is there anything that you spend less that I don't know of like uh


ya I think !wah! I also try to look for we lah we I will encourage him also to my husband to look for more ways to increase our income like investment or side hustle uh, then uh what do you think of


financial independence and retiring early how can one achieve financial independence I think for us our age because we are thirty something and forty something that it is very important for us to think about this at this moment because uh


uh maybe few years later will have to retire like I hope lah my my wish is to retire at forty five early retirement so to in order to have , early retirement I think multiple source of passive income is very important like ya so uh for the next few years I would probably be very focused on trying to find different source of passive income so that I don't have to work at forty five and I don't have to worry about money ya how about you


what advice would you give to someone to get him or her out of debt I would say it's to learn to live frugally and try to enjoy simple life , and the and while while you are still trying very hard to get out of debt because uh debt getting into debt is actually a a habit that you <B>


although is like very harsh but I would advise someone to stay while you are paying your debt stay away from big spenders friend


and then stay away from people whom discourage you from saving money like like saying !aiya! it's okay you just buy a bit uh don't don't uh abuse yourself don't , don't uh don't try to keep money and don't spend so try to uh avoid this kind of friends who keep encouraging you to spend money and then also


uh no matter how much you earn save as much as possible even if you don't have a lot like saving one dollar a day is still some money and then try to do more side hustle earn more money, then uh learn while you still have not not enough money to pay your debts while you are paying your debts you should take like learn more about investment watch free videos read free books uh on investment and learn to be more mindful and observant


uh on uh when you are spend spending money and the people that you are meeting, so kelvin what do you think like how uh, what advice would you give


ya I think uh owning a credit card can be a good thing and a bad thing right like


and I think one one thing to remember while using GIRO right is to remember to check when is your annual fee date so that ya you have to call in to waive the annual fees


uh if not they will actually charge you for that deduct from your GIRO , so ya I think uh credit card is a very good tool like uh you get certain discount when you really buy things that you need and then uh (oo) and also when you are buying things online using a credit card it is easier ah there's promotion and there's also like


it's easier to get a refund if you're if it's a scam ah and then your money got cheated right uh using a credit card you can uh pursue the matter easier than using a debit card you can get the money back easier that's what I heard lah


yes then the the advice to someone to retire comfortably is to, same as uh earlier what I said is to learn to live a simple life and then uh, I think for me is for you is


ya true I didn't think of the money part because we have been discussing this earlier and then uh also, to have a clean home I with I with I still struggling with because if you have a clean home you actually can uh everyday you can stay at home comfortably and don't have to really spend money outside and ya and also have uh wonderful friends like build up a group of uh wonderful friends where


kind and wonderful friends like uh you can spend the time together when you are old chit-chatting uh doing some hobbies together then but then you must also learn to be kind and wonderful also so that people want to be around you , I think being alone is very sad like you can be alone and not lonely but is still good to have friends


ya then


okay the first one I don't think I have anything to say about the something that I watch or read


[orh] okay (uh huh) oh


okay is very scary right , (uh huh) okay I I think something for me right something that I watch uh I think it's the news like especially on murder cases like I I just cannot understand how someone can kill another person in a very cruel way like cut their body up and then uh cook them


and even eat them uh I cannot imagine any human eating another human but this actually happen in real life and sometimes the it so sometimes we will think that uh people who exercise cruelty are usually men right but female can be equally cruel


and abusive ya so that really give me give goosebumps and then I I can't read too much into that lah because ya it will give me negative feelings and <B>


back up and start over what do you think


the same thing same thing happen to me but I was with my mum and we were uh want we we were waiting to get on the plane to visit to to to Malaysia to visit our relatives who was gravely ill and then we


we were rushing for time actually but then I, I actually miss the plane because we were like browsing in a shop doing like window shopping and then miss the time I feel so guilty because, there was nothing I can do I went to uh the counter and ask uh is there anything is there another plane that we can catch then uh the person told us that uh that was the last plane that day


then we have to be escorted out is like as though we were criminal we have to be escorted out of the the the terminal and then have to come back another day, that that was very sad for me and I really regretted that very very much so I also


, ya uh ya correct in the money-wise and then the only lucky thing is my my my relative was still alive when we were there lah but then uh sad thing is like we wasted the, time and money and also we we were still worrying about uh the relative when we were in singapore ya so ya correct describe an event that make you very angry


, oh my god


was it very very angry or just angry , (uh huh)


I can't think of event but I can think of news like like when I read uh when I watch or read negative news like what happened like like what happened in in the US like the, all the strike and the fight and then uh attacking each other that made me very angry because


I think I'm angry at the fact that how can people attack each other we are all humans and then I I'm also angry at myself for not having the courage or fear or or , not having the courage or power to change anything because I can that I am in singapore I can't do anything ah and then I can't change the