and you know getting ready for a, rainy day a good amount of money saved in your bank will be six months worth of your , salary of course there's many school of thoughts weight because you know how how can we even jump into it and and have six months worth of


money place in the bank when you don't even work that long I guess is a it's still a gradual process so with to be safe probably the best way is the first year of you know working don't get involved in, any big ticket expenditure, that is your your first goal for the year that you are working is to save at least you know two to three months worth of your salary


and then by the following year you'll be able to you know have leverage over what you want to get started on in buying or investing or spending on like buying a ring for your wife and things like that, so personally I'm thinking probably in in the years type uh years working you probably can save up to four to six months' worth of your salary I I think that's a very good gauge


yeah so how do you I mean currently we are uh I mean we are both married so how did you manage your financial commitments before and after marriage


, I guess uh I I think is a huge difference ah, managing my financial commitments before and after marriage because before marriage basically you know you you live your life on your own uh you settle your own phone bills I mean you you offer uh uh whatever additional money


to to the needy and things like that but uh I I guess is more like a independence strict you you know how much you earn you know how much you save you know you you can plan way ahead on how much you know you want to


buy this big ticket items like maybe two months down the road maybe you want to buy a new Iphone, and and you know I can plan and and make sure that okay probably this month I'll eat lesser in order to save up a little bit more to buy that but, you know after getting marriage you can't have that liberty because number one you're working with you know somebody else and and even a family with children you know you you can't work with that mindset because uh your partner may not agree


you know you you end up quarreling even more so what we do is, we take our time to sit down and you know budget what we have, on hand uh you know how much money go to where how much money go to insurance how much you know we we give back to our parents and once we have a good amount of


uh gauge on how much and where we're going to spend on this money then we can actually know how much to save up of course, again different school of top some people say oh no immediately you get your salary you know a a a portion of your money should just go straight into your savings account and then you work with whatever that is left


uh is honestly is easier said than done because uh when you're working with with our family and you're working with children the needs will come out at and when and of course we don't spend lavishly, uh but also we don't want to you know put ourselves in a place where we don't ah enjoy this this life together


so it's a lot of it is about balancing balancing what we want our needs and our wants and ultimately come into a conclusion where you know your needs are my needs and my needs are your needs and and come into a common ground and and working things out like a balance checks system


so I guess that's that major difference you know before and after marriage


okay so the the funny thing is I I guess during CB there was when we realized I mean there's an, meme that came out and uh it said like you know the uh, that we are actually killing our own bank accounts uh something about you know the world is not killing our bank account is is us who are killing the worlds something like that you know where where it comes to it it allow us to come to grip on the amount of spending we had uh


unnecessary spending and and during COVID period I mean during the CB closure and in fact it just after the CB you know phase two has started you you I see my bank account I see my family's bank account suddenly uh, having a lot more in it reason being is there were a lot of limitations and it's not because that we you know we did not want or this is not because


you know that was not part of our needs but I realize we we were able to prioritize what was necessary and ever more and and interestingly enough I guess the government close places where you know they're non essential, and it makes you wonder oh yeah you know those are non essential items or services do we really need it and I mean now post COVID we realize that or or my family realize that our spending


uh now after a few months we we start to pick up our pace back again to somewhere that is similar where we last left off before CB but you know even comparatively before CB after CB I think our spending is definitely much lesser now


uh I see that our you know bank account has more uh money in it honestly, and and I realise we are more conscious of saving I mean the good thing is and and thank god for the fact that we didn't lose our jobs during this COVID situation so the the input of monetary wise was pretty much the same


but yeah the the big change that we are making is really to prioritise whats important and classify what is essential and non essential and I guess that helped us a lot ah in terms of saving, so I I'm I'm guessing your family would be have the same situation


okay yeah I I guess that is quite similar but you know looking into that right , I guess the the last point that we should discuss about is you know going into this COVID situation what advice would you give uh to someone to get him or her out debt I I believe right now a lot of people are unfortunately out of job and


that resulted in the fact that they are currently in debt maybe they they already bought something and and expect to be ah the item expect to be paid off in installments for like the next twelve months but looking at things right now they are in debt so


how would you what advice would you give to them to get uh them out of that


I guess uh it's pretty much the same as what you mentioned I guess unfortunately we are placed in this predicament but for me uh just a small tip would be


pay off uh the small items first then work your way up to the big item so if can quickly get rid uh of the small items, ah small items tickets all all the small ah ticket expenditures that bigger


phone we we haven't ya, first thing stop button


part three negative experiences, uh, okay skip the first one let's see


uh okay how about what do you often worry about


, uh I agree with you I I think


uh I I cannot save our generation but for myself you know I I believe I worry a lot about my parents also besides the the generational norm of worrying like typical you're not enough money or you know uh whether you


uh means to support a family and things like that I I guess in a more down to earth in more, uh morally driven outlook will be worrying about our parents you're right to say you know we uh we age ah yeah I I heard there was a phrase that came somewhere before the moment


the day that we are born we're dying, so you know we cannot forget that our parents are aging and I I worry about them a lot you know I had bouts of, bad experiences where you know I found out my mom wasn't doing good couldn't stand she had to be hospitalised you know she could not take care of herself or you know even my dad having certain


illnesses that therefore be uh upon him you know I I cannot not worry about them and and not worry about what the future holds you know how how long a period more do I have them in my life, you know and and whether in the future you know we will have means to take care of them who's gonna take care of them you know are they gonna stay at at my side or my brother side


you know there's a lot of things a lot of factors that that uh come through but, I I guess we live life one one day at a time and and not to, not to also worry ourselves too much because that is not got to you know help us uh in any way lah possible so with that right uh may I ask what was the saddest moment of your life


, ah I guess for me it's quite similar to yours I I guess the my dad or my grandfather is the the one that will pull my heartstrings a little more uh I empathise with you because I've seen


my strong and courageous father broke down once in my life and I couldn't stand the sight of it and and that's where I told myself you know I need to save money because, I never know what will happen and, you know don't know how much money I can save but


I can still afford to tie the family through if you know in case of emergency so there was why you know I have so many do's and don't for my life because of that experiences that I go through but one of the most saddest moment of my


life was when my grandfather pass away I think uh he's a very typical hokkien grandfather and uh, multiple vulgarities ah emerged with every sentence, that he will speak to us but more than that you know I through my short time with him I realized that he was such a family man you know he would quarrel with my grandma but he's the one that comes back and you know try to pacify her


but he was the one that will go all the way out to help anybody in need in the family and you know whether extended or not and he doesn't ask for a single cent he will go, to their house to help them fix things you know and and just be blessed by what they can offer and he's a he was a very simple man and very misunderstood man


and on the day of his passing I think that was when it killed my heart and, it was it was a very sad experience because I knew he waited he waited for for his should uh grandchildren he waited for my brother who was you know in in taiwan at a point of time for his army and but he could no longer


wait anymore he was supposed to pass away in a a few days before that, but you know the the, the aunties and uncles and my parents keep telling him say you know my brother's coming home soon wait for awhile and on the day that my brother was released to be able to come back to singapore that was the day that he pass away but he was a few hours short


and there was definitely one of the saddest moment because it is the first real moment where somebody I treasured and love and you know have, have my life being invested from and to you know this this


lost of someone special and precious to me it was a first in my life I mean I had other aunties and uncles that passed away but no one so dear in my life as compared to my grandfather and and till this day you know I I'm said certain inner vows during his passing and


and I could see how you know life has taught me to, to move past it and and be a better person or example for my grandfather so yeah that was one of the saddest moment of my life


, so I guess that that is very similar to, the the one of the points where you know you asked about have you gone through any loss in your life if you have describe your emotions at the point of time and how you deal with your loss


if I may I I just continue for for my story that uh during the passing of my my grandfather you know I was terribly lost and was dreading the the moment where they say you know he is gone uh I woke up


by a call early in the morning ah probably about like six seven AM and all I had was my dad telling me come down to the hospital immediately now right now, and knew something wasn't right so I gone up and and I and I prayed and I keep praying I said you know god uh let


let grandpa wait for me until I am there you know don't don't don't let him go without me being there and, the entire trip to the hospital I was in the cab and I kept crying and uh it was uh a feeling that was unexplainable


and when I was there I was where when I was at the hospital I was very frustrated because we knew grandpa was in distress we knew that you know he wasn't feeling good and we kept asking for a nurse to attend to him but, for what odd reason for the entire duration there was not a single nurse you know and and even a thirty seconds seems like an eternity but we waited for fifteen twenty minutes there was no one in sight


and before we knew it when somebody could attend to my granddad you know we know he was fighting for his life already and, and we we knew he was fighting because he was still waiting and if I don't remember wrongly I I I believe my my mom and my grandma


told him to to go go in peace no point holding back because he's in pain that where's that was when he left uh left us and took his last breath, and uh how did I dealt with that at the point of time because it was tremendous loss I could hear my cousin on his side singing


a a christian song and and but you know I being the youngest in the family I couldn't do anything at all I could ever step into the the sixth bedder room the six bedder ward I couldn't even get in you know there were people surrounding and you know there's nothing I could do when there was in a point of in my life where


where you know I I ran to the back of the the hospital ward and I knelt down and and I prayed, and, but but that didn't solve the issue you know my eventually my my dad uh my grandad passed away and and I was resentful uh I I dealt with the lost a bit of course heartbroken but


I I guess is a subsequent months after that that that broke me uh I went to the state of rebellion in order to cope with the loss I went to the state of you know, just wanting to do things my way not knowing that I'm I'm reacting and acting out because of the hurt because of the unfinished words that I did not tell my grandfather and only after many years that I resolved to look back into the situation and to let


my feelings go and to make peace with the situation and to move on taking what is good and you know all the experiences and and life, that I I had with my grandfather carry it on as precious memories and


strong memories that have been inflicted in my life and carry on his legacy uh and and you know I'm very grateful to have a husband that has very very similar traits to this men that, that we we love and has gone and I think because of that also my family saw it and my family acknowledged it my husband is a blessing


and that's why they bless him and and bless his family we we know that somehow another you know my grandfather uh wherever he is will probably look down and and bless this union to win you know


yup so yeah so that that is my emotions at that point of time


part two positive experiences, okay you may begin


ah, when things turn out better than expected


give got to give me a moment to think but I I guess uh, okay then it will be the recent you know ah doctor's appointment that I went to you know I I went there and I expected you know myself to you know still require to go back for more check ups because the test result wasn't so ideal but uh you know I I went there with


a lot of apprehension and hesitation because, you know I I thought oh dear it it all going to start all over again and you know when a doctor mentioned that I have to go back the next time then we know where will it ever end so you this, uh disheartened heart I I went for the recent medical check up and you know it it turned out


much better than expected because the doctors report to me was everything was clear ah you know whatever ah situation that I was placed in before then for the past two years you know has has been entirely cleared and uh basically my case for the from the hospital has been discharged


and so I I I was very very happy uh eaten out much better than what I I initially expected I I thought you know at least I have to go back for one more year but basically I'm I'm in a clean bill of health and yeah I'm I'm very happy and I and I thank god for it how about you


, okay I guess there were many, ah besides my honeymoon definitely will be uh our yearly trip to australia so maybe I'll just talk a little bit about australia that so one of uh my most memorial travel experiences will be last year when I went to australia with my husband


ah it was approximately about two week trip, from brisbane to uh gold coast area and I think it was one of the the coolest trip because we get to plan not only get to plan all our itinerary but more than that we get to do our first road trip together


and I thought that was very memorable and not only that then we went to visit you know the australia zoo which uh it has always been my life uh lifelong dream and desire to to you know have a chance to go and meet the family of steve irwin


of course we didn't get to meet them but we get to meet all the wonderful animals that were there and uh you know we we didn't realize how such an open concept zoo it was and and it was a very lovely experience we get to visit the animal hospital too


where we if I'm not mistaken we saw like a little duck being sent in just when we reached the hospital so I I believe the the animal had been knocked down so it was it was a very, life changing experience because it it was as if I'm relieving my childhood desires you know since young we watched that show and then you know now I get to see in real life


but uh more than that you know I I get to uh sit on a hot air balloon you know we took the helicopter together and ah it was really lovely, because we could plan things on the go we didn't had to like many of our travel experiences we have to


plan way in advance and set up a specific itinerary because we were chasing after you know certain shows or certain uh parks that only open at a certain time but australia was a really memorable travel experience because we could do things on the fly


you know just the just the night before nine PM we thought okay should we go and see the at the hot air balloon and then we booked it and by five AM we're up and on our way to go and sit the sit the hot air balloon so I thought that was


a a very appropriate holiday for me was somebody who is someone who's a little bit more extroverted and can you know like to go things on or on the flight so ya how about you


happiest moment in my life uh, I guess is I I would say the day of my wedding uh I mean I I marry


the love of my life but more than that I I think, ah we went through many years of hardship together a lot of uh like romeo and juliet kind of experiences so to to end up you know on, ah the our wedding day at the marrying somebody that I love you know and and going through so many ups and downs to get there I think that was the happiest because


not only that my family who was opposing of the relationship gave their blessings and wholehearted blessings to our marriage and I think that could be that that is, more than I could ever ask for and even from then on till now I I see how much my family have blessed you know both of us and also my husband's family you know vice versa and I I guess


yeah uh my happiest moment one of my happiest moment in my life is is the day that I got married how about you


, sounds good so basically I mean we talk about our happiest moment in our life may I ask then you know currently what are you thankful for


maybe I go ahead first I share can I can share with you first


okay uh you're right actually we we don't count our blessings as often as we should and I'm I'm very thankful that you know we my family and I have been very blessed by the countless people that come into our life, you know like uh our pastors uh our mentors our family members our elders you know I'm I'm very thankful


of their guidance and their teachings you know their words of wisdom and that that is of course one aspect but more than that you know I'm I'm thankful that you know I would always have food on the table you know we earn enough to to not just get by by actually have very decent meal every once in a while


and you know we have enough money to save up and buy, ah all the things that we you know potentially want and need, and and I'm very thankful that I'm contented uh I don't crave for certain you know uh outlook in life that I you know I I must be of a certain status I need to earn a certain amount of money because my husband is very understanding and


I'm very thankful for for such a man leading the family and and such a man in my life because you know he he's very grounded, and he he works very well with me and I guess we go through a lot of life experiences


you know it we will definitely have our our quarrels and all that but at the end of the day you know we can come together as one and and walk this journey of life together and I think that it all I'm very very thankful for the people in my life


how about you,


now maybe we do ah we can discuss on a fun topic so what do you use to hate as a kid but now love as an adult,


oh


, well I used to hate staying at home, and now I as an adult I loved to stay at home I guess that's a big change, you know as as a kid you just want to get out there and bingle with your friends you know hang out late at night and basically like what our parents uh I I don't know about your parents but what my mom and my dad usually say is you think this is a hotel


you treat your home your house as a hotel so I guess many of us asian uh children you know whereas in singapore even malaysia this region I I guess we hear a lot of that but right now as an adult I love to come home you know after a a hectic day at work


you know after seeing so many things that happened you know you you, the thought of coming home and and just letting your guard down and be who you are I I love that and yeah I I believe that would apply to many of uh the adults that I know too


okay how about the last question that we discuss about what is the orders or most unique complement you've ever received


uh uh, my my screen


ah, the the first ever compliment that I received was that I could sing and sing with ah sing well lah basically so there was one of the orders because he came at random time and yeah I think that's it


part number one financial related topic


okay I'll start first ah for number one question how do you invest your money to accumulate wealth and or planning for your retirement , so for myself , investment of money will be through


can be either through stocks, or uh, insurance investment, then also there is a possibility of, checking out banks uh with good interest rates to to accumulate funds oh


I think it depends because of the property market like for example this current uh COVID situation is


, it may it may be a good thing it may not be a good thing if if like let's say the current uh market is is poor, people are selling at low price then when you buy at such a low price, and to sell like let let's say another five to ten years time you may make a profit lah but then again it also depends because


to buy a flat at an earlier stage will definitely cost you lesser than, less money than to buy a flat at a later timing ah, so what about you, how would you invest your money


strategies uh that I would recommend to someone planning for their big ticket expenditures for instance starting a family buying a car or house, oh okay for me I think I'm also on the safe side, uh what


I need at the moment, would also depend lah, like for instance , if let's say you're you're starting off your career the last thing I would actually recommend someone is to actually consider buying a car, because a car is actually going to take up more of your savings


and you're not going to get any returns compared to, really saving your salary putting it aside and making small little investments together with your parents, like for instance if your parents are into stocks, then you can


if let's say they are buying in a huge lot you can probably buy one, two or a a smaller amount with them, so that, then then you'll learn and then you can also, grow something from there you basically earn lah after you invest


just a curious question how much do you think is sufficient ah, the as as you were saying to to save, ah, a portion of your salary into into your bank so what is a considerable percentage of your salary you should save in your bank talking about saving up for your big ticket expenditures


so before marriage for for myself , I used to , spend ah spend to get what I need, then , before come in to to marriage that's where I think most people usually panic because


you will never know how much is enough, how much is sufficient , then, also for for wedding I think that is no no line to, to how much ah one can spend lavishly,


depending of your on your spouse if your spouse decides to go for lavish wedding I think, even working for five years and saving your salary I think it's also not enough so I think it's, uh ya so that's that's


uh something to consider lah so before marriage uh, I tend to spend quite a bit on the things that I need to use ah and the things that I want, so after marriage uh I tend to be a bit more careful


because now I am ready to consider , my partner the, the need to look after, the house to pay for the house loan ah, the date the usual things the utility bills


the monthly bills and and these are things that uh, are also money that we need to, uh consider, and need to have available, so what about you ah how do you manage your financial commitments before and after marriage


okay so in the current situation of , this COVID situation that's happening all around singapore and the world so how has it affected , your, your changes in in terms of spending saving


and also ah, your financial commitments that you have previously


so for my family , , when circuit breaker started we we actually have some plans to travel overseas ah, things that we wanted to do for the next few months so when circuit breaker came along we realize that all these plan had to be changed so travelling was cancelled some plans were cancelled because we couldn't go out


we couldn't ah engaged in activities that were that were, actually necessarily need to spend quite a lot of money, so I think quite similar to you, we realize that , just not traveling on a holiday actually allowed my family to to save up quite a lot


and then then itself actually help to, to tide the family , my my family and my parents to a to be able to actually give them a bit more, , so that during this period of time they they can tide through


and have some additional income to to actually keep for themselves in case of , anything that's that's starting to prolong, so, with that being said , other things like such as going out regularly with friends hanging out spending money on on meals outside


we realize that all these things are actually taking of quite a huge chunk of , our finances every month, so just, going out for a meal with friends can actually take up to I think if a hundred hundred dollars on average so with with that being cut down


us, ordering food in ah to eat at home ah or even, getting groceries from the supermarket and just just prepare meals for, for yourself at home I think that actually helped to save quite a lot of money, and


yeah that that that actually , was quite good lah for saving as in terms of spending wise , we will a lot more conscious on what where we place , or what we actually are purchasing


so we tend not to, , want to get something so easily because of the situation because we do hear people, not being able to to return to work or people that are actually losing their jobs being are retrenched from their jobs


or being let go because of companies not being able to to run so, ya so that that's actually, , something that actually help myself and my family to be a bit more considered on the where the the pennies and cents go


so, I think it we see it as a good thing, ya, that actually help to, to look after the, the piggy bank lah I'll say


uh for me I think person this is this is a personal opinion I think they should cut down on uh what is unnecessary and look at things that unnecessary for their daily use, so


they should look at what they're ah big ticket items are and to actually stop using their credit card for the moment, so if unnecessary lists ah, it it's not necessary, do not use ah credit card to do any purchase because credit card basically


ah, forces you to to purchase something in advance with, money that you do not have on hand currently so by not using your credit card that often actually will help you to, to greatly reduce your future spending and look at what you are spending now


and also to, tertiary physically , I guess manage your finances at home there's this thing called a ah envelope pocket ah envelope, budgeting system so they can they can basically categorized a certain amount for for food certain amount for transport and then


based on that amount, allocated to spend within that means , what about you how will you advice him or her to


part three negative experiences


what do I often worry about uh, I worry about , I think they have always been my constant worry that their emotional health


and physical health will be good, ah, I think as I as each of us grow older one thing we can never avoid are, or never not think about is ,


your parents also, or the your loved ones going around you are also , growing older yeah so, and worry about their health


worrying about , how they are doing it's it's, yeah it's something that's always on my mind lah because, , I think somewhere


last year I lost both of my, I lost both, my grandfather and my grandmother so I ah that was, that was something that ah, I, wasn't ready for


wasn't prepared for , to see my parents feeling it uh during the funeral, and to see them


to basically see them looking so frail as well I think it's something that uh, ya it's something that you will it will always be in on your mind lah after you see see some, see some images something like that lah


what about you, what do you often worry about


the saddest moment of my life was, to see my, father broke down, ah, in tears when, his mother left him


I think it is it was uh, I think it came unexpectedly, uh the sudden passing of, my grandmother, my dad's mom


everyone uh was still very hopeful everyone in the family was still hopeful because I think, being at a, be at an old age , I think , they do go in and out of hospital quite frequently and usually when they go in they tend to come out


it's just that you will take a few days so that the doctors can do the necessary checks and and stuff so , the, what happened was that ah grandma when into hospital, then uh


a few days she came out, and she went back in the hospital again and she came back out, and, the last time she went in, she couldn't come back out so that was


so that was something that my dad didn't expected, hearing him share ah, the last few moments that he had with her


, he went back he went back home, ah to spend time with , his mom at the bedside of of his mom trying to trying to get attention of of


try to get that her attention trying to hear her acknowledge him, , him trying to be at, at the bedside for, as many hours as he can from


early in the morning being there, cleaning her up, hoping that she will she will look, take a look at him , respond to him, acknowledge him somewhere or some way or another


ah but yet uh, for a few days, he couldn't get what he wanted he couldn't get the, a response that he want, the and then uh at the final moments


when, she just slept through the night, and then the next thing that they know is they received the call, and she was gone


and , seeing how my father has ah, he has always spent his time giving to his wife


they stay very far away from each other, ah different countries, and for him to really go back ah and just, tried to get get as much, or try to, see as much


of what he can, he can get hold of her yet he couldn't, so to see her, see to see him breakdown , during the the funeral of his mom was uh


something that I, yeah what about saddest moments ah, to till today ah the scenes are still, very fresh in my mind


how he broke down crying how, uh, how frail he was as a son, ya to to his own mother so, it it's it's something that I've never it's


it's a side of my dad I have never seen before, being ah him being so real, as a human lah ya so to me that was the most saddest moment of my life, ah seeing him seeing him breakdown


so what about you, of a a saddest moment of your life


ya I I can completely understand how you're going through uh, ya because even for for me when I gone through ah the lost of my grandma, uh


there are things that I couldn't I just couldn't comprehend uh emotions that, that came uh, the people around me I I honestly also don't know what will what what was going through their mind, , everything was just in the mess


I had to stay strong, I had to be the anchor for the family uh as the as the son of the, for my dad ah, I have to take on the position of a of an anchor


or someone that ah, the family could rely on, uh could take on support could, could rely on for, for a sound advice


to be able to, , make sound decisions, to advise them on what to do what not to do to allow, to allow my father to grief to allow uh the people around me to grief


get just trying to, to stay strong for them


it was not easy ah, to make things work or to help ah to help them to help the family at that moment of time, I had to make certain decisions to


to put aside my needs of, uh, needing to grief for that moment just to support the family just to support my dad uh just to support the relatives, so that , they can tie through this time


receive ah, received the love that they need to and received the , the time to grieve that they need to


positive experiences, okay so in in this positive experiences the first question that comes up is uh describe a moment when things turn out better than expected uh


yeah any positive experiences that you've encountered


!wow! interesting okay ah a moment there's something has turn out better than expected ah, I guess will be, to actually, own a house myself so I think everyone , goes into to that fear of uh


when when when they wanting to buy buy a house then they consider the finances spent , the things that you need to put in designing the house what you, what your spouse want what you want, and all you know


how will everything turn out will will two person living together be good so to me I think, , ever since I got married ah I think, definitely everyday is interesting because everyone wakes up with a different


, I think different mindset different ah stress level every day so but then to really count back on or to look really look back on what has happened in the past few years after after owning my house


I think there is a place to rally, ah yearn to come back to like instead of hanging out with your friends, through the night spending a lot of time out, to come back to want to come back home is uh something that I look forward to ah as a place of of comfort


ya so to me, having a house turnout actually better than than what I expected yeah other than the need to spend of uh to spend some money to, to make everything look good lah so, , so what is one of your most memorable travel experiences


okay australia sounds interesting for myself ah, my most memorable one will be my trip to, ah switzerland I think that as ah that's an extended trip with my wife so after our honey uh


extending from our our, main plan of going to ah europe ah we actually, uh honeymoon was about I think, three weeks to almost a month


ya if I'm not wrong so we spent about , I think two weeks in in, europe then after that we decided to , extend our our stay and took like I think about a five to six days detour to to switzerland so to me that was


the most memorable because , think growing up ah the one thing that I would want to see is ah snow, so something that you don't get to see in singapore so to really be there and ah on top of


of uh one of the highest mountains in switzerland, and to really, be, be there feel it experienced it to do a snow angel to roll around the snow I think that was very memorable for me it's


it it gives a very different different feel compared to singapore , the, the pace in switzerland itself it's is slow, the people there are a nice and friendly and, you


you won't get to feel the rush, ah of need of the people going to work or having to rush around to do their day to day activities but when you're there everyone is just taking taking their life at a slower pace


so while you are you're being in in the midst of their their daily life, you you kind of like encounter the, the slow pace relaxing tempo of ah life while you're enjoying the fresh air and looking at uh the beautiful scenery the wonderful mountains the


the trees the animals that are just just free roaming there that to me was wonderful yeah so, what was uh


ah okay so, following a are following that ah, what was the happiest moment in your life


oh I think after you got married or after you get married, I think that's the that's the , happiest moment that you can actually have in your life so for me I think it's it's the same thing as you it will be on the day of my wedding uh


when you realize that everything that you have worked for to to hope in a relationship that both you and your partner can workout can come to an agreement, to finally settle down


in life and to take the next, step ah of, a, a more deeper commitment, ah, in more responsibilities ahead, ya so, being able to to


to really get ah, get to that level, of , commitment, and that level of uh, understanding to to really get married I think


it's it's it's very hard to describe , the years that you you go through trying to figure out each other's habits, , wants needs ah your partners


mindset on on life ah what is important , prioritization and you come to a conclusion that both of you all can agree together to work this out as as a couple as her family to


to move forward to, to, to basically take the next step and commit each other, to, to one another ya so that that was the most happiest moment in my life


what am I thankful for, oh, there's a lot of things that I'm actually very thankful for, uh, yeah go ahead what what are you most thankful about


just thinking about what you say for me I realized and very thankful for the elders ah that are in my life , elders like ah my parents, my spouse parents ah even


I'll ah my grandparents and my wife grandparents I think uh, the amount of support that they've given to to me as an individual , while, growing up it's


it's been a tremendous encouragement, , every step of the way that they've seen me making a decision , making a choice be at work, or in certain life decisions


uh they've never stood short of, giving their blessings, yet at the same time , they will always check back, check back on, me and my spouse my wife whether or not ah


after this decision is made are we facing any trouble ah, is there any thing that we're encountering do we need any financial help do we need ah, any , is there any physical things that uh they can help us with


and ensuring that our emotional health is is good as well so the people around us have been a and a great a great help, to me and , that to me ah I'm very very thankful for them


oh what I use to hate as a kid ah okay it'll probably be a food I guess I'm say bitter gourd


I won't say I I particularly love it but it's something that uh, I won't say I hate it now I think seeing that now, the the


health benefits it comes with, is good for the health trying to appreciate it as and the way that is being cooked I think it removes certain taste or certain level of bitterness from it so ah yeah so it is


ah it's something funny but yeah that's that's that to me it is something that I used to used to hate but now come to slowly enjoyed it uh what about you,


orders of most unique complement I've ever received, unique compliment I think uh this


yes mine is still on,


okay, ah, for me a unique compliment I guess is from my colleagues uh saying that uh, without me, the company cannot function because I I was I was being taught all the time that ah people are replaceable


so I can, never why be irreplaceable lah so I think that was something that was very weird that I would never have thought people would have told me ah so what about you


okay hold on [ah] yeah okay so


part one financial related topic


okay so err, first question, err do you have a saving account if so share your experience and details err, okay so for me I do have a saving account and uh I I do


have uh a few of savings account, my it is a normal savings account from the bank I I have a savings account with DBS and Standard Chartered so I save, I have different savings in different accounts for different purposes


and uh, in terms of experience wise I, there there there isn't much this uh put the money there and, keep it there for savings lah


err do you have a youthbank, account, I I don't have any, high yield bank account or fixed D I, I I I I go for a more higher, interest savings account so I don't, at least not now as of yet I don't have any high yield bank accounts or fixed D


so err debit uh, I I mean I I do have credit and debit card and debit cards are all that's tied to my savings account credit card I use will be uh, the the premium amounts card, eh uh and I also have a OCBC credit card


and uh, that OCBC is tied to uh my uh Great Eastern insurance and, for the, so so so the Great Eastern insurance, credit card is more for, uh


uh to pay for hospital bills and stuff like that so they they come up with their own uh credit card, in a situation like that and also the premium amounts is more to earn miles while we are spending, so I think it's more to like spend your way


to travel yeah so eh yeah, that's my that's, that yeah, that's my experience for the credit debit card


cashback points or, miles uh, I think it it's I for me I feel boils down to preference I don't think like people should be using a fixed, a fixed method of uh earning their their uh cashback points or miles but for example


uh if if I, I I travel so so the miles make sense to me but there are people who don't travel so miles to them doesn't make sense so the people would rather cash cashback and they see, cash in returns alternative if you prefer to uh accumulate the points and then spend the points so


I don't particularly think that, uh certain, a certain method should be fixed to everyone but I think there there there is reasons for all the different uh options right uh out there right now so


personally I I I I'm I'm quite I'm, I like the idea about cashback and miles of course cashback definitely we get to see, money back uh, and then we get deduct into our next next uh next spending and stuff like that for miles of course it makes sense to me cause I travel and when I when I accumulated the miles I I get to travel so and I spend I get to see


like the miles, accumulating and it's uh, it's it's good to see it lah so for me I prefer uh, cashback and miles maybe not not too much on point system but, yeah as I feel it all boils down to uh preferences


okay uh what is your experience of purchasing insurance product from a bank and if so share the details , I personally don't really buy insurance from, the bank


I think the latest one that the closest that I can think of would be, the COVID nineteen DBS, some subsidiary that they have for COVID nineteen so that that was the one that I signed up uh it was free so we were encouraged to sign up I signed up for it but I think most of my insurance I bought is from my insurance company Great Eastern so I don't really buy it from bank other than that the other kind of insurance would be


I don't really say insurance but it's more of uh credit card, credit card, insurance in this in a way where I pay a small fee every month to the credit card, and , other than that there is no, no insurance I that bought from the bank ah as of yet


ah it's uh very long ago lah but I I don't have it anymore it was my previous credit card and I don't use it anymore it's some I think in case like you lost your credit card or someone spent stuff like that you can in a sense you can report it and then they you they don't in a sense they don't charge you for the spending if if it if they after investigation and feel this is not you


something along that line I'm not too sure it was quite quite some time back


okay next question


sorry can we have the next next slide


to elaborate more on the insurance portion, uh, I don't really buy insurance from the bank cause there is no uh, human connection I must say it's more, of


the people from the bank calling you and say uh you want to buy this and that but I mean that's why insurance agent you have someone that is there to guide you and explain the insurance to you and you know that there's someone you can go back to the same person rather than you have to call the bank and check with their


hotline and stuff like that so oh it's a little bit, it's a little bit more different that's why I prefer to buy it, not from the bank hence I don't have much experience in terms of that, next experience of purchasing investment product like unit trust from banks if you get such experience share in details same similar to insurance I don't have


from , experience in buying unit trust and stuff from the bank but, err many years back I bought unit trust from a third party, uh, third party company eh so they


they do about, I we put in about a couple of hundred to a thousand eh eh to for for it and, , that that that much experience I have we we we we got more guidance from my


aunt so I in terms of that I don't really have, a personal experience from banks directly


okay err


a while back just a while back no I didn't


I cause I already have my insurance from the other agencies so I don't, really feel that I need to spend extra


uh next point the experience getting loan, uh in terms of loan, I don't have experience I need the I I only have one which is my car loan, uh which is from finance company not from the bank


so, it's a little bit different from the usual loans I think for car loans especially so, we I didn't get it from the bank cause my car is a COE car so we get it from directly from the finance company, yup so


not directly from the bank, no just that, that it's, because of the amount of years I have left for the car the bank wouldn't loan so I had to go to finance company to loan


that's nice next


do you think couple should combine their finances and join the join eh open a joint account if you have a joint account, I, I do agree actually for for couples to have a joint account but then again I also feel that individual of them should have their own savings account so I think they should split their savings in terms of having their own savings and uh


a joint account, so I personally have uh, a joint account and uh, so so that's where every month we we split and we know that okay there are our personal saving and this is a joint saving so we don't we we because we do have our personal expenses and shared expenses so


of course now Standard Chartered has, uh some good, good uh interest rate ah, so I, have been using it they used to be two percent but then they dropped to one so but it's still better than any other bank so I thought to keep there and usually shared saving's really touched


next will be uh what age should a child will be given ATM card, , ATM card right now it's uh eighteen if I'm not wrong, to get the, sixteen sixteen to get ATM card and the debit card will be eighteen yeah so I I feel that the ATM card


at sixteen it's it's uh, it's good to a certain extend it start, us to give uh, the child a little bit more exposure on managing the money not just keep it in the bank but I think of course with uh, a certain extent of our guidance because that's where is also dangerous when money can come out


of the bank quickly, and uh, I think at eighteen when when they get a debit card it's where it's also very, dangerous cause you can even spend, anywhere or online offline so I think with a certain amount of guidance


that age right now I I I think it's a good, it's a good gauge and uh, yeah I think it's a good age to start learning uh to manage their own bank account and their own finance


and my child has a bank account, yeah I think, I would ah I would I would also allow them to to make it, uh ATM card


there there is no need for them to have a debit card, at sixteen, they they are not going to spend in in online and and offline so I think it's it's a it's a step by step so you give them ATM card to manage the money in the bank then at eighteen they get to manage yeah once they once they are used to it and they should be able to manage


that that that's the next step of management when it comes to debit card


err some may argue bank interest rates are unattractive, I think for now for at the at the for for for less risk I will definitely save in the bank cause although it's low but you keep your money there uh the money still grows a little bit but and of course when you have better investment opportunities I will definitely go for it but definitely there's there's more risk involved so


uh my I I wouldn't I wouldn't throw all my money there I'll still put it in a bank


same I agree but that that definitely not (uh), any old how but I think of course if (uh) the interest is good [ah]


part three negative experiences, okay , , what are the injustice of the world that make you angry


I think right now as of the what's happening the world would be, how, white people treat black people or asians


like, as though they are less of a human being I think it's, and and and now now it is it's getting better but I feel like it's taking longer than it should for for these to be addressed like when I'm in australia I do hear stories where


, people are being very racist and stuff like that but there's no, system set in place for you know for for for the for things like that to be protected or even there's no justice to this kind of people and and in fact eh ah based on my knowledge in the america uh black people can be charged for crime that they didn't even do and and you know what people get away with it so I think things like that I feel


can be done way better I I, I just feel that it's it's not right lah (hmm) so I'm just I just I'm just not very, err, happy that that all these are going on


!yay! next most embarrassing moment, , most embarrassing moment, I I can't think of it right now off my head, do you have anything


okay if not we can skip we just move on so yeah describe a moment you felt you were treated, I'm treated unfairly tune


being a young entrepreneur being in the business, err, people see me differently see me see me with uh someone that's least experience someone that is still young and doesn't know what he's doing


and in in the beginning I understand but being in the industry, for over eight years or so, uh as I'm still being treated that way just because I I am a young entrepreneurs so I think and it can be very obvious at times when I'm around people like that and they just


don't treat me the way I I I I think, they should yeah so I think, in that that area I I feel I have been treated unfairly


okay uh, like I I I I can't think of any, so far my dreams are still


young and alive most of all, like I don't really have or maybe not just cannot I don't have it in mind at the moment


we'll just move on to question six what keeps you awake at night, , what keeps me awake at night uh, I would, mainly most of the time would be uh, stress about work and


disappointment and things that, hasn't gone right err, or or things that happen with people around me, eh yeah and basically, a negative experience of feelings lah


err, in mostly it's it's it's uh, or or their times as well they just busy thinking of of work and stuff that you just haven't given the mind to rest, but


I think that those those are a list of, the issue that keeps me awake at night and I think the the the me the more of, the more things like that things that keeps me more awake at night would, be disappointment with with uh people or even myself


, mainly also because of the certain amount of expectation that have been set, individually by, by my own personal self to myself so, yeah, that's what usually keep me awake at night


yeah, which which is the point where I said about being disappointment more of disappointed with, maybe people around lah


recalls which you're forced to change of plans again in your work, forced to I I help, I can't think of a situation but I think, almost everyday life, when I plan of something,


something will surely, cock up and, they will surely MUB, it it just teaches me to be flexible and change my plan by, err, it happens to me very often


not not being able to adapt I I just got to be flexible and change but I think it happens to me more often than not


describe the moment that you feel like the world is against you , when I when I feel that I think when , things don't go my way especially like in in, in business when I'm doing


things and there are forecast that I do and you just try so hard and you look back weeks after weeks you look back like there's no progress and everything you do, something negative is is coming against like nothing is going to work out so that that's where, I feel like


the whole world is against, me , like it's not it's not, falling into plan not even a bit like why is people doing it then, eh no eh there is, out of ten things you do ten things, just don't work out and


it's of tiring it's draining


ya of course ah, uh I think, in this, COVID period if you don't feel worried or eh [orh] anxious I, probably you are you probably you are still in school lor but I think once you're out there


, everybody will have their own sets of worries and anxiety in terms of job finance , maybe even the older people they can't get out of household for me I think it's


businesses are closings uh are closing down and I can feel the the, drastic slowness in the, in in the industry so definitely those are, , the great factors into being worried and anxious about


what's what what's going to happen next what what's coming ahead you know, until now it's still uncertain uh until now it's, still bad but, yeah it's just just going to


keep keep but pushing through until uh we see the light at the end of the tunnel


let's let's talk about, phobias how are how do you overcome that I think for me since young I do have a phobia of heights, err right now I still do but I'm much better like a little, uh I think, how I overcome them is when I I I I am


I'm forced to go for camps and, leadership camps and uh scout camps and stuff I think there are a lot of high elements and, things that pushes me to, do things that I didn't think I can do so, eh yeah I think


overcoming phobia the first step to do is to, do what you are what what you have phobia of so I think for me that was how I overcome it


let's talk about describing a time when you feel like giving up uh giving up, giving up I the time when I feel like giving up would be, maybe just keep trying


and trying, different ways and different methods into solving certain issue or, getting certain thing done, or heading towards your goal and vision that, it's like, one step forward two steps back yeah so after like


ten steps forward you like twenty steps back, so it's, tiring I think once once I get tired, mentally physically that's when, I feel like I'm I can't do this anymore so (hmm), ya lah those are times when I feel like giving up I think especially


I I think in terms of business there are always this this, time, there are also times, physically


maybe back then during my national service you know when, when it's very physically taxing and you just, you know what I just don't want to do it anymore but actually after doing it, it's not that bad yeah so yeah


those are the times when I feel like giving up


I I I believe it will we'll see in the end we will know okay we got a little bit more time uh what makes you stressed I think mainly what makes you stressed is in general as long as things I feel it's not within my control then that's when I'm stressed yeah if it's under my control ah that stress is a manageable stress yeah so I think it's uh it's uh more of uh cannot handle kind of stress it's when it just there's nothing you can do about it you and just watch it happen yeah (mmhmm)


part two positive experiences, okay so err, first question what makes you want to be alive uh,


what makes me want to be alive, I believe there's a lot of thing for me err people around me as well as the things I'm going to do


everything everyone, that is around me , that's closest to me like my family uh, my my my partner and uh friends, and definitely err of course the the goals that I have in life that I want to achieve personally as well as


you know in in in in my, in my uh, career so it'll where where I want to be in a in a couple of years so that that that gives me the motivation to keep going and, , staying alive in in


alive in terms of, the life the life but also in terms of , having the, aliveness in doing things that I do everyday


ah what's the skill and ability that you are secretly proud, of having I think for me, having the skills to be able


design work and to develop to something that I'm proud of having because it helps me in my career I think in things that I want to do uh these two comes in very handy especially in the age of technology where, you have to develop a lot of things and, everything is online everything's on the web and


and I I can do it yourself I save tons of money and I can design myself so I save another ton of money so I think uh it's something that I'm glad that, I have it , I'm I don't say I am the, best but I, I do feel that I'm good


enough in getting things out and running so, in terms of that I'm I'm I'm quite proud of having I think and I'm also quite happy to be, being very, art inclined where I I I think I pick things up in terms of the artistic


area do it faster in design photography and music, and uh ya so, I do sing and play the guitar, keyboard so, I think that's something I pick up I I am still learning but, it's something that


definitely proud of having


I think I think communication is uh your strength and, definitely it it diverse into the different skill sets you have


my favorite activity to unwind uh, travel, and err I I, uh in in times like this we can't travel I think, uh, music I think doing music or hearing music definitely


affects uh, our emotions it definitely helps, it helps and, making us more relax, and more, less I mean less stress, in terms of what what what we are going through so,


yeah and travelling keeps our mind off things and, and it it naturally, uh psychologically, tells our mind to rest and relax so yeah I think these are the two activities


good uh, what is your best, surprise, what does this mean my best, surprise lah uh, me surprising someone or someone surprising me


I think in terms of me giving surprise I I don't think I have given any best surprise I'm I can't remember at least for now but, the best surprise I had was uh, my birthday surprise yeah, when the when the when fishing


and, something that I did not expect you know, err, first time trying is a good experience so, , yup I must say that's my best yet


what's yours what's your best surprise


despite the ongoing global and uncertainty what makes you optimistic about the future I think for me , it's about, the future that I have with my partner as well as, , like my goals and vision I think that that's what that doesn't stop us I think


if we can survive through crises and be flexible, and go go around it I believe that, anything comes our way it wouldn't be of a issue I think definitely whatever is happening right now everybody is uncertain and uh it's very simple to say I give up or that's and and and


a lot of things will come out then, , in in relationships and families and friendship and business and finance there's a lot of things that that err it's it's being affected and affected greatly I must say in uh in


be it a negative or positive way so I think how we we take it into account and how we, , move on from there is very important so I, for me I the the the people around me, as well as my goal my goal and vision is the main driving force for me and that that's what


keep me optimistic about still being able to reach my goal and and my future may be slightly different from how I expect it to be in the terms of a journey but I think as long as I I find my way around it and I ought to be able to reach it


next question , travel experience that left you in awe, ah, I believe for me was, furthest I travel was australia so


definitely that was my one of the best trip I think uh in terms of best, scenery there, uh how peaceful is it there I think it's, it it should it, yeah it gives me a very deep impression and I would love to go back there so


that that would definitely be a travel experience that I had, that I would want to experience it again


we've been there for about a few weeks


so you can see across the border ah


let me see what question can we do the, last, ah !hey! , describe, and experience when your faith in mankind was renewed yeah let's let's talk about this,


I think every time when I watch , those youtube videos where people are doing social experiment with uh homeless people or people who are in need or even to animals, , it's surprisingly it is a surprise to see really so so many uh uh


fellow human beings are are are, showing their compassionate side of them uh, this side of them that, we we just stop believing, at times we just weary watch his video it just touch me it just feel that you know !wah!


sometimes you know the the things people do people are willing to, , go the extra mile for each other and even even the less fortunate how uh how they how they react when when they receive, they they in fact they give or even they give almost everything that it was


that that they receive so I think things like that really uh, shown show me that uh humanity has uh has has good has good in them lah


I also have a savings account, I I do have, savings with POSB and UOB, uh and also , I'm thinking of getting another savings account with


SingLife I think, uh because they offer like higher interest rate so, yeah, shall I go to number two


SingLife is still better, it's giving two percent lah so you might want to consider


okay for myself I started using credit card, uh I think two years two year or one year ago , I started with OCBC three six five, cause that card is good for dining as in, it gives more discounts if you


dine outside , then I also have the UOB one card, the one card is good cause , if you hit like certain criteria, they, actually give you like some rewards, uh, so UOB one card


, one of the criteria is to, credit your, err salary into the account and also like spend three, have like three GIRO payments from that account then they will give you like


up to five hundred dollars, uh for three months' spending so I think it's good lah cause it's spend you also earn as well so why not, err, I also recently signed up for POSB, uh everyday card err that card is good


cause like the rebates, uh are instant, as in once you spend you get rebates, so yeah, I I think it's a good card lah so all these three cards are quite useful


like one way to save on miles or cashback , but to be, more direct I think cashback would worth as in cause as it spend you get ten-dollar rebates uh meant to pay for the next bill but for miles I think for the current situation we won't be travelling that much so miles you just keep accumulating until


we travel but I think like miles exchange it to, fly it's, I, I don't know it's a long term thing ah so I I would still continue using miles, miles card I I will consider using a mile


it's any of your miles card in in future, but for now I think I'm good with like cashback credit card


what what is the credit card insurance you're talking about


for for me personally I don't get my insurance products from banks , uh, probably I haven't been approached by any banks to buy insurance but for the DBS one that you mentioned I I did purchase it as well, uh, for my insurance products I usually get it from


like uh agent lah so, yeah I do have insurance like from Prudential


okay so I for myself I heard about unit trust, but I haven't really like invest any in it, okay also not much money so, never invest but I'm quite curious lah so I'll be reading into it yeah maybe you can like tell me more about it


cause I'm new to this lah (hmm) oh ya just to add on the point about uh, insurance from banks so recently I think I got a call from, uh some banks I don't know which one, maybe DBS so they are asking like if you want to buy like some accident plan


over the phone, uh but I didn't lah cause I already had it with Prudential so maybe that was the closest I have been preach from a bank to buy insurance


so do you do you do you bought it, but I think it's quite cool like for people who don't have it and then like like like let's say they have this kind of call then it it kind of make them think like whether they should get it or not


like accidents happen like, without you knowing one so I have this friend right who actually had a call uh in the daytime and then he was like thinking whether he should get it so uh I think in the evening he he was doing some sports lah and then he


he sprain his ankle so he he has regret that he didn't buy it lah so if he would have bought it he could have claimed it lah, so yeah, I think it it's it's good lah that they are doing this


it it's good to have a joint account I think joint account can be used for like, things that they want to spend together, or like probably I mean like for young couples probably like in the future they want to like get their house or like


and it's for future use lah I I feel and uh, , yeah and then for, for the current aspect I think they, can use the, savings on days that they, like uh dining out together or, or like doing activities together I think


that fund could come in to uh, in handy lah so they they won't feel like they are spending, all on their expenses yeah yeah and I also agree that , couple should have their own savings accounts as well so that err


they cause savings it's err, quite important I I feel like uh uh, they should have their own lah instead of just the, joint account , same same view as you lah actually


to pick a debit card at sixteen, that's what we see [orh], [orh] [orh] uh ATM card at the age of sixteen, why not a debit card and ATM card at the age of sixteen


okay so you want them to have ATM card so that they can withdraw money from the bank account but you are restricting the access of them using debit card to do online purchases


but why so eh, as in , okay if I understand okay to me right I I feel like sixteen is a good age to, have uh control of your own finance , uh I feel like a certain guidance is needed as well


but I just err, I I think it's okay to have debit card and ATM card at the same time but it also depends on the bank ah, uh they are, the bank discretion whether they want to give the access or not , so in my opinion I think, uh yeah


uh I think I will allow my child to have ATM card, uh, at sixteen uh eighteen for debit card because that's what the bank allows but I think at your sixteen they it it's a good age to start managing your finance ah


okay but the bank interests are really low so, but I think should really look into the


part three negative experiences


the one in front of the diner, yeah I think that makes yeah that that has a that has a great impact of me lah cause I feel like , people shouldn't be treated, differently because of their color because of their race


ah I feel like they should be treated, equally but it doesn't work that way in US so I I feel uh, I I really hope that the law can bring, his death to like justice like to his family and all yeah I think that one makes me really angry cause uh


he could have been given a chance to leave, but instead uh whatever there happen he didn't even have like uh time, even to explain himself or like, yeah or been


been brought to station to be questioned or having the case investigated further


uh we can move past and the next question, what dreams of yours die a little with each passing day


what keeps me awake at night uh usually I just work and work and once I need to rest I'll just go like, but you actually just got in go flat uh just rest, but recent recently I I feel like I couldn't really sleep well, cause


I've been stressed at work, as in I'll think of the cases they are not done, or they're sending that I I need to finish before like the next person could get onto another, task so, these are things that keeps me awake at night


yeah yeah I guess I just have to uh yeah, and don't don't put so much stress on myself so that, yeah I can sleep better and, I also agree with you lah sometimes like, like uh


emotions like, being disappointed in yourself or, in others or like things that happen uh in your daily lives uh when you are alone at uh at night in your room


or like during those quiet times, uh you just think back and sometimes that keeps me awake at night cause it I I just, I just have an answer to it lah so you'll just keep lingering


what's real disappointed ah I just don't know, why they do what they do and , when you want some clarifications what you just don't get it


uh to because a situation when that happen I think maybe it's at work so days that you plan like you want to do things like, uh, but you plan to do certain things on certain day but you just couldn't do it because like your boss will start throwing things to you at random timings and want you to do it then and then so that makes me a bit like


uh frustrated cause err, cause I don't get to do things that I want to do or like have to finish, all because like I'm, I I'm nearing the deadlines, so I need to I need to finish my stuff but instead I have to like do certain things first like putting my boss task on me first and do my own stuff so that kinds of kind of frustrates me a bit cause yeah cause uh outstanding things are still not done but


instead like more things are on my plate


I think just have to keep pushing and, , don't let the negativity drags you down, I don't have this feeling as of yet or I don't recall I have been


uh to feel like this, perhaps we can talk about this in the uh COVID world what's some worries and anxieties, you face as in yeah


during the COVID period so I feel like during COVID uh everything was so uncertain, uh like, I hear I hear a lot of people saying uh businesses are bad businesses are closing down, businesses going bankrupts uh and then uh


people are losing jobs, and then it doesn't occur to me until like a close friend a family friend actually lost a job like, like almost I think , two months into circuit breaker, yeah so it was quite


yeah it it's quite, I don't say it's, surprising but I just didn't feel like it was so real then and then yeah so I think yeah err


then I was worried for my parents like will they still be able to get engaged by, their their bosses, or would the bosses be able to cope with their finances that it can continue their employment for my parents ya so these are the


worries that I had during COVID nineteen which I think most of them


which question would you like to do


cause recently I've been doing rock climbing like since a year ago and, when I started climbing I I could feel I could feel like, the phobia but I just uh keep doing it and just tell myself I


I wouldn't get hurt or like, it it's okay cause I wouldn't fall there's harness there to seise me, so I think yeah, like what you see just have to do it, to overcome it, and ya I also have phobia with like, those creepy-crawly like lizards cockroaches but I don't think I


I will, overcome it any time soon cause it it's just


times when I feel like giving up, yeah also somewhat like what you see like we keep, trying we try different methods but it's still like, don't get the results that you want


err for myself it's , I've been trying different methods to change somebody, not like I can change a person but to , uh change the whole situation, but it doesn't get better so I


I come to the conclusion that I, I, I can't change the person so I change myself, so, instead of treating the whole situation like negatively or, err, yeah instead of treating it negatively I


I will just I don't know uh, ignore the situation and, and still treat the person the same or even better, uh instead of worse because


I feel , like people would like to be treated the way you would like people to treat you, so yeah so I'm, trying this out to see if


that's true things that yeah not within your control,


I believe you can do something about it (ppl) yeah


part two, positive experiences


okay this question is originary, in general originary uh what makes you want to be alive I think ya lor, like what you say like it's the personal goals that you, uh want to achieve I think that makes me want to be alive while it's


it makes me want to push myself to reach that goal, there are also other factors like families friends, my partner uh, and also a lot of things that, I have not


yet experience or try, that, uh it's a pushing factor for me to want to be alive


proud of you for having all that skills to bring like nice music to everybody, uh what skill or ability do I have ah I I don't know eh I think I'm good at communicating solving problems


I think I'm quite good at mediating, problems like uh yeah uh yeah either have like yeah uh yeah I I don't know what else to say okay next


describe your favourite activity that unwind relax


uh favourite activity that unwind relax now is, swimming and , I also do rock climbing, but recent uh in, recent recently uh due to COVID uh, haven't been able to climb for quite some time because they were close but now


they have resumed so, would love it uh would love to climb soon , and yeah I also love travelling like uh going out to see, , like sceneries and


to see uh, the things that god created it it's, it's, it's just very nice and like you don't see like things that you don't see in, singapore like those like yeah


like things that you can do overseas, like hiking like, skydiving or the high element stuff


sometimes I I I like to watch netflix and read as well


I think you being surprised I don't know


okay so do you caught any fishes, not so bad where do you fish as in deep sea or like


I think I'll take that question into my aspect of surprising someone, uh I think recent uh recently I surprised my partner, by baking for him, uh so it was my first time trying to bake a cake and like you know like some


times you tend to like see your partner like, almost like twenty four seven except those times that, you're home or like resting, so it's very hard to plan a surprise, for like a partner yeah cause, it it it seems like you are hiding something from him right but you don't want him to like


like that I feel like anything fishy, so yeah so, I I got a friend to help and then uh, she she bakes lah so she bakes uh, and she also sell some of her bakes, so she's really great and she was very uh nice she help me the


to prepare all the ingredients, and it it was quite last minute cause, like she had some, err meetings on the day that we schedule so it was pushed one day earlier, yeah so like it was challenging for me cause I have to like get everything settled and planed nicely and


like so that my partner won't uh feel that, something is fishy or like something's going on or like to spoil the surprise for him lah I don't want to spoil surprise for him so I want to, uh keep it as smooth as possible yeah and


the good thing is the cake turns out well so I'm actually quite good and it was finished like in minutes so, yeah uh uh thank goodness it's good lah so yeah it's a success


yeah so that the definitely of surprising someone actually, uh, feels it's another kind of like uh it it feels good lah it's another kind of good like they are being being surprised by somebody yeah


ya referring to COVID nineteen, err I think, this pandemic has hit, everyone like across the world so I believe as long as you don't give up uh and just like a world


through things like pull through this, tough , season together I believe you'll come out stronger and, yeah I certainly don't believe giving up giving up is definitely the easier, easier way out but I don't think, it it's uh it's us


uh I I don't think it's either you or me will choose that, that path optimistic about the future yeah I'm also quite uh I'm also anticipating like how uh I I will I'll how to say like


the the journey to like reach my, goals err, I'm anticipating the day that it will, turn into a success , if it's even if it's not I I believe that, the journey to reach there will be uh meaningful uh lesson learnt or


like it the journey to reach there will, help us to gain a lot of experience lah and


I have always wanted to go to, niagara falls cause I I feel like it's uh , it's a gigantic waterfall and it's like, , I I believe the scene will be, nicer when I'm there so


it it's truly uh a amazing experience cause, it's so huge it's, uh it's beyond words that I can describe it's, it's so great and yeah I just want to stay there lah, it it's nothing but just waterfall we just like stay there absorb


like the scenery the the, the whole experience, and uh uh ah oh just uh, my god my geography is not very good so uh when I when I was there uh


when I was researching about the place uh then only I know that, uh niagara falls is in between canada and US, say it's like singapore and malaysia it's just a, causeway apart do you know that no


yeah cross border I could just cross to canada, but I didn't lah cause I didn't have my passport with me, so yeah so I also went to research before I went there and, then they actually have this like lights show going on at niagara falls so it's on I think once or twice a month it happens on uh once or twice a month then they will have fireworks and like lights going on so


I was quite lucky cause on the day when I plan to go there, uh, it it was the day when they had the light show, so yeah so, I went back to my hostel and then I, I went back to some hotel some motel, then ya I drove down again to


uh see the lights yeah, thank god we caught it caught it lah cause it was a bit of jam like it it's just a ten twenty minutes' ride away from the, motel yeah which was uh purposely booked, uh yeah so that we are not too far away


yeah it, it's quite an experience and, uh the road trip from new york to niagara falls is also like uh, a great one I will say cause, like it's my first time driving


on the left uh the left hand set so I, initially I thought like you'll be like, quite tough to, like have a switchover but it was, actually okay lah adaptable, after a while yeah yeah


I hope some day you get to, try uh yeah, I think it'll be easy for you yeah cause you


parent gave him to buy toy but instead he, he use it for a greater purpose, he, he took he took the money and gave it to the poor or the homeless which I think it's more meaningful than which I think as a child


uh he uh really had that passion or like , the heart of giving instead of buying toys he uh gave it to someone who needed it most lah so that that touches me


for me I actually uh put a lot in investment linked, policy for mid to long term planning, uh I don't think it is ever sufficient for, retirement planning but uh I think that is uh one of the options that I'm most


familiar with so that's that's what I have always been doing, so I basically, uh either go for not either in fact I have, go for a one time investment uh, and I also have regular investment meaning every month I will


pay a sum to the policy then it will actually in uh accumulate uh over, time in the for as long as the, policy lasts ah so, so that's basically what I'm doing right now how about


yes it is it is is still in insurances, related uh usually for the one time uh in a payment there is no insurance insurance element is pure investment so meaning to say you buy certain


funds you are able to select what, kind of funds according to your risk appetite lah it was, select accordingly and then uh will monitor from that so so for the one time investment I'm actually, using the CPF ordinary account and also special account so at least they allow you up to a certain amount


that you can actually, invest so that's, what I use for the one time then for the regular monthly payment I will I will alternate uh using, cash yeah ya


it was the test then I agree with, you because to to be honest I'm also not a hard


I'm in fact I'm uh balanced okay so I can take a certain, level of risk but not too high also and I won't invest in things that I'm not familiar, with like my husband, he is more into shares I'm, not because I can never get my own head around it I find that there's a lot of things to study a lot of research to do I I cannot afford the time either to I


I have the interest so I I, won't touch that but I I will leave it to him I will ask him to help since, he is more familiar with that so for me yeah I will I will be more focusing on insurance related like like, things some are pure investment, some are with insurance like


element so I guess it's okay because I I, think it's important to to invest within your uh, appetite because it will stressed yourself, out nah if you invest in things that you are not familiar


ya me too me too so I guess uh it's it's really, uh it's it's also a discipline, when you comes to retirement or you know well procurement, relation besides all this investment vehicle it's it's probably our lifestyle also spend within your, means do do whatever budgeting you


can live life simple, I at least that is for my philosophy uh because who who doesn't want to get rich right but not everybody will get rich anyway so I not that I resigned to pay but I, do whatever I can, and ya Nah


(mmhmm)


it is yes it is well, for me uh yes I agree with you I'm in fact like for my children I I think for me I always tell them to start plan, young yeah plan your time


I mean it it doesn't matter you, whether you can achieve it or not but at least you must start planning of course there's will always be argument right like like some people will think that although it is true that house is more important than car but there will be there will be people, will think that car is even important but that is I mean that is not to argue


uh for for anybody to argue about it but I think whatever they think is important, for planning first of all they will plan and then to prioritize, I guess it's it's the habit that I like to uh cultivate in, them so so that's, why for them if they ask


me what are the strategy actually there is no strategy the strategy is to start planning, in young set your timeline set how you want, to achieve it so, that that is I think the best that I could offer because before just when I was young I were, you know is never given this advice so actually I started very late


and plus true true


correct that's true that's true so how have how


how has this uh COVID uh changed your way of spending or even saving,


yeah exactly , no need to buy clothes no need to buy make up ya, oh save a lot ya lor


yes yes I agree for myself also, the same thing uh we I spent a lot on food , like you say now I cook more at home uh, I I don't bake lah I I cook whatever that is the three meals ah the three meals oh no sorry in fact


two meals uh if possible so, so yeah so I will spend more on grocery shopping, uh but less on myself honestly apart from the necessities like you say skincare what so ever, other than that I don't spend, much on entertainment


anymore I don't spend much on buying clothes or what so ever, yeah so I guess in in some way I actually quite like it because I feel that, you know in the past before COVID you, you were not aware that you actually spend too much on say clothings also


spend too much on entertainment but, this this this COVID actually, helps me to readjust my spending habits as, , netflix ah oh okay okay ya


yeah that's right, can what


yes it's still awake, uh to be honest ah I I don't really think, that uh one can, actually achieve uh financial, independence , however having said so still need to be educated and


to be aware ah of the other things, not to put all eggs in, a basket because as I said I just put, everything in insurances but I'm now starting to see what other, vehicle that


I can actually look, at uh that it's suits my risk appetite yeah and get familiar with that, , yeah


uh, I find it a little


it it depends on how you define financial, independence actually to to some of my friends I have spoken to them some of them they, say when I go to, a restaurant I don't have to look at the price tag to me is financial independence I don't even have to, worry how much I have to pay for the


so so and then to some is like so long, as uh don't have to worry about the, the basic necessity like shelter food, you know, that is to me a really, financial independence


then to some they say oh I need like to have a big house and I must travel to exotic holidays every year or every time to S&M when I like so it really, so that's why it depends on yeah the your personal definition on financial independence


, look for good deals


oh okay


ya agree to me , I would just tell the person given like to my own children spend within one's


ya no problem no no, no problem so I was saying uh spend within one's, means ya and then uh set low credit limit for credit card , so that it can help to control, then ya I


don't want I always want to set it low actually just to control my own spending, ya is it then I will try to pay cash whenever possible may not be the wisest uh way lah because sometimes I know that you know you pay through credit cards that you could possibly have some savings yeah but because I I know I have this tendency sometimes to overlook uh on payment so I may end up pay more interests so I don't be I'm not no for credit card I don't only for utility bills like certain regular uh recurring bills then I will go on GIRO if it's credit card on yeah on uh you know ha like [bah] that's one high interest right yeah correct yes yes (mmhmm) oh really okay yeah okay but no but no but I I know GIRO is good uh for recurring but what if let's say you are spending on like non recurring items like you tends to over spend sometimes so for me I mean that's that's for my own way of disciplining myself so I pay cash whenever possible everything I pay cash yeah okay


I cannot yeah maybe you talk about yours okay that make


for the southeast till next year maybe yeah, maybe next year, ya actually ya is quite true as you speak I also, you can now remember yeah actually you know right I wanted to renovate our house but we have to also selfish because


that the situation yeah and, and because of, not that we want, to be negative, sort of of hear too much about recession looming and kind of, thing so we dare not make too drastic move also yeah we are now at this like wait and see kind of uh situation what if what if what if my husband


lost his job or my business is affected, have to selves lah ya in any case these are consider I mean to


me uh luxurious items ah !huh! can be can wait actually yeah they, can wait right, exactly I was just make do with what I have oh at the moment


, yeah but I I guess is, I'm still thankful that we can uh put food on the table


even though we cannot, do a lot of such things that we were like to do yeah yeah yeah I think the at least the basic, is trap the moment when you feel like the world is against you is it


actually, the time when my elder sis and I were not talking for, years due to, some


misunderstanding that we have yeah, the prolonged period I felt that nobody, understood how I felt you know, because my the other members of my, family especially my parents were said that why why why must think you know be so angry you know that


kind of thing is that it became my fault to be angry rather , so that was yeah yeah so I I was that that was the yeah yeah so that was the period that I felt, really nobody in the family uh it I mean family is like I'm go out also


alright so is is the games in yeah so that, was the time ah yeah exactly correct, ya correct


thank god that I'm out about that already lah , yeah, eh yes it will it will, yeah so, describe your time when


I think, for me is the same matter lah over money matters with my, money yeah yourself


!wah! , uh !huh! so, I must be very young back then uh how how old I, was I I I I I don't, still remember who is the, boyfriend first boyfriend not the one


[orh] then I I might not, know then I, ya that one I remember because it happened at my void deck the Botak one right that guy is Botak right


eh not Botak meh I wasn't no I remembered, uh she was !wah!, the commotion that she created and james had to, slapped her to calm calm her down remember that was the moment I remember very clearly but what exactly happened I didn't know


yes she is like that is a corrector, yeah I know uh yes


yes yes I I, I but still you don't have to react that way, or the way she execute it could be wrong


thing your eh your daughter's age ah about your daughter's age ah


so true when nah,


I guess so


that's how you come to me


recently ah or much later


turn when you were look down by your friends or


I yeah maybe there was, once my colleague ask, me why is it that I didn't have a second property, I think that was the time I felt like !huh! why was I have a second property because


I think they have right most of them they do, , exactly so I said uh I just can't afford what what else you want me to say who wouldn't want if they could, if not if they they could afford right but then


yeah I I think at that moment I felt that question was very, degrading , yeah


!wah! left handed ah look at point as uh smarter, creatures you know at least among my friends because that we are using different part of the brain


the creative side maybe,


now , , compared to now , yeah cute little


childhood yeah


nobody dared to dared talked up to you talked down to you or rather ,


okay ah describe your time which you felt betrayed ah


I guess is the same situation, ah during the time when my elder sis and I did not talk for years we have some misunderstanding those those days you know the time yeah when I, that wouldn't be true


for lost words for, what is yours , ah


ah you know at one time, I used to think ah for for during that period of time I always I I used to think, that blood is not thicker


I I crimp with you, you know , I guess that's very important, to to to I I guess is also, important for parents right, to to cultivate that in our, in the children I I guess my parents they didn't, didn't talk much about such things in our growing


up days how how siblings should should treat one, another you know but yeah, my parents are that kind who uh just leave leave leave it to, to nature to bring you up yeah the same thing they don't really impact anything as in their


life life, philosophy of such [oh], okay that's supposed to end okay


okay agnes why don't you describe a time when, you were help by someone in your time on you, your turn to start first


that's nice actually uh I also had uh received many helps from people


uh, throughout my life I think maybe the most recent one I would say not exactly recent but it was during the time when I was most desperate uh in my business, ah uh, when we were totally


like out of cash so a friend actually lend me, money to tide over the time when my business, was short of cash to pay salary yeah so, uh yeah, so I was really really grateful for that, because at


that that help although is just tide over, of the one month really, make a lot of difference yeah make a lot of


, best gains ah , well I think


on holiday I don't know most enjoyable meals ya


uh fifty percent discount, per week only I tried calling in but


for weekday I saw it on Telegram you know what I I saw it on Telegram I I called them up and it was fully booked I just saw it on Telegram and was all fully booked so then I ask, Telegram uh remember ah you


ah you remember I ask last two weeks, ago we met up, you installed the the application called Telegram, there there were uh constantly update uh on what are the offers, by different restaurants so Shangri La was one of them so I saw it there and I thought I quickly just I just


call to book but it was all, fully booked for for the month of august for the whole month of august yes fully booked yeah so


yeah it's still, awake it's still awake so what is the best surprise you give you have ever given some


doesn't matter , , oh I remember ya I I do


remember uh which I, ya I always remember that girl, I I remember I ever interview this candidate he came to that time when I had a shop came to my shop to interview, to work as a sales assistant uh she is actually a filipino


she she is a she she used, to work as an engineer, but I think she lost her job and couldn't send money back so she was, really begging me for that, job so then from the conversation I also realized that she had not been eating because she had no


salary uh she could only she she must make sure she has enough to, pay for her rent, and so she cannot afford to eat so she had been, only relying on air, I think I have I, was uh I I


I I I offered to pay a meal for her, lah when because she had not been, eaten for for, uh she had been eating but only relying on apples ever since she lost her job so so I thought that was something, that I could the the best that I could ever give although the the meal was not expensive like four


class we ate at the food court but I thought it was, necessary of me to do that


yes yes the script, the time when you can't wait to attend a special event or, concert , which one oh oh ya ya okay


yeah same here, same here same here but of course the most memorable one will be my very first time going for a concert, yeah eh I cannot remember


maybe maybe it was uh uh sam hui when he came to singapore yeah yeah that that was my very first, one when I was able to afford to pay for a concert ticket myself, that was the my first started working


oh is it he came here I think, I don't know I think when he came here I couldn't afford because I was still a student , yeah


oh world trade center I think last time was called world trade center yes


oh


exactly but it's getting very expensive I find


right okay , yes correct, that's correct yeah same here same, here


the the last I went, at oh okay I think the last, I went the last, I went was hong kong with my friends I, wasn't really looking forward because hong kong is not really uh, it's not my the best the best place that I wanted to go but it's just the


we went in a big group, so and some of our friends, among uh in the group uh had never been to hong kong so we thought okay lah the nearest, for over four to five days yeah and, hong kong seems to be the best, choice so we were there uh in april then june that was when the yeah last year last year last april


so june was the, was the protest oh that was the start of the, protest yeah but it wasn't a good experience at all you know


apart I will talk about our negative experience later in this trip uh in the hong kong in our hong kong trip ya very, bad experience , yeah


yes it is is true is true, ya the destination yeah


, yes we must believe


that yeah, so describe a time when you laugh too hard,


, err, ya very hard ah maybe when, I mistake my neighbour's son as his grandson oh laugh at my own mistake ya it was very embarrassing actually and laughing at my own embarrassed


yeah, and I never learn my mistake but I never learn my mistake I after after he clarified that it is his own, son I still say oh is your grand, son uh cause I just cannot believe it that at his age he has another young son you know what I am saying no no no because he has a elder son


he has a elder son so is a gap is the gap yeah, uh is the gap so, so that's why , so laughing at on my my own mistake


think I am a very, I I, I I don't consider myself as a very, uh, determined person, but my faith uh my faith changing, recently ya


so I I guess uh yeah I I not, has to do with my thing yes


, , !aiyo! your passion ah sure


great (ppo)


financial related topic, okay uh see how do you invest your money to accumulate wealth


which okay which is quite uh it is actually invest investing with an insurance company right or a few


(mmhmm), sounds confusing but because I'm a low risk taker uh , I I may have a similar one like yours but, I may not know exactly what is that


because, speaking through , through this topic with uh some insurance while we call them the uh financial planner right now so they will present various plans to you but some are investment linked


I guess so and some of them could be that tie in with a insurance unlike yours yours is not insurance related mine uh they do they do involve that , so like I say I'm low risk taker is either one or two with eh with a


insurance investment or to park them in the bank which is not so wise because the interest is really really low but at my age I don't think I'm I should take risk in investments can't afford that


correct I'm not that type of person that would the follow up and read up uh you know to to make sure that you know it is on the right track or I'm to sell or to buy oh no I I I, think I'm too busy for other things rather than looking at this


, (mmhmm)


(mmhmm) , yeah , so this could lead to our next topic yeah which is what strategy would you recommend someone planning for their big ticket expenditure


so as for me like for example when starting, think a family obviously starting a family very importantly is to get a get a shelter over the head uh as for singaporeans it would be an investment into HDB flats


that is utmost important uh whether buying a car it really depends on necessity or rather than , and uh a wants yeah a need rather than wants like for for example for you is the job that requires you to drive a car moving around ya uh for me I'm not really it's uh a luxury thing that's why


I get only a weekend car that whenever we need a car there's a car there , because my family of five is not able to get into a cab, yeah so, so so the car if you need to go out for a family outing so


, you are buying a car I would say, has to has to really think if this is really uh a need in because it is a liability, more than an asset a house yes although a lot of people may say that oh investing on a house is no longer an investment because uh