are more investment linked plans are more uh , risky but, uh it it, the the returns are higher, so of course is long term lah yeah yeah so mostly I'm I might put my money there


, ya yes


ya ya so investment linked plans right uh there's good and bad ah, ah you must know, ah ah from what I from what I know , basically we are investing in the funds so if the funds are not doing well then your money is not working hard for you so we have to we have to see for ourselves also I mean


investment linked plans are usually it uh, recommended by the financial advisers right the the insurance agents, so uh if they know what they are doing and they know how to how to


invest in these uh it in the IL in the ILPs they call it, then the money can actually grow quite fast and, and quite quite quite good returns, so my experience is uh when I first


put, the CPF in into investment linked plans right uh my my insurance agent she he was quite good in this so what he did was uh he actually review my for the funds, how it was doing and then he do a switch funds for me uh so that it so that it my my returns can actually escalate faster and actually the returns are are


coming to me faster so I won't lose money and I can see the returns are actually quite good so I'm I'm actually quite bought by the uh idea of investment linked plans but that is provided that we know how to see the chart and when to switch fund


if the funds are not doing well then we have to switch to a, to a to one fund that is making a making sense and making making the the moves in the market


yeah, yes, yeah


yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah and also to know work ah ah if uh we do investments right we need to know what is, the uh what is the market outlook what whether is a after upside or downside you know ah


if it's downside of course then if we have the capital we can buy some more if if it's the upside then we will might want to think oh it is is it time to withdraw some of the money and do other type of investment, yeah so uh this is something I learn lah and and uh looking at like now situation seem


quite bleak, like recession is coming but, somehow when we looked at the market is like you know the financial market is is actually doing still doing okay especially the US market the market is going up and up and up so


!huh! , yeah it's not normal so uh, we are all just wondering what's going to happen is it a bubble that's going to burst, and, ya so if we invest like I'm I I do invest in the US market so if if any any I mean it


I'm making profits from the uh US investment , uh but I'm also worried that it might be a bubble that will burst some time uh yeah so have to be very careful


yes exactly yeah


, yes,


ya


, yeah,


yeah, okay but, property investment is like I feel that uh it we can really make money yet from property maybe years back, uh but now property prices are just too high and uh ya so we're paying a price that is quite it's so high that we are not sure when is the high the next high coming and uh yeah I think housing is also quite saturated


and uh, private housing it definitely uh you can you the returns are quite good if uh we can sell it at a good time yeah so uh, so so, we ya so now property I'm not


sure okay so do we stop now, oh continue okay so


yeah, CPF contribution uh I think CPF contribution is a good thing, for me uh they, well because I've been working for past twenty years


so uh , I mean as a as a employed person uh ya so the, CPF contribution actually has helped me uh, get a get the HDB flats and, uh I think coming to for retirement right we will I I I I'm hoping that


I I can meet the, full retirement sum and then get a certain uh some payouts on a monthly basis for the retirement so is not necessary a bad thing lah I mean to me is is quite a good thing is like a force saving for me that uh is there when I retire yeah how about you


uh yeah is the for ordinary account it's two point five percent uh uh special account it's four per cent so ya


uh, yeah it depends on whether what is your your retirement sum if you have a full retirement sum I think, by our age it should be the them the full retirement sum we have to meet is two hundred easily two hundred over K so uh yeah so by fifty five years old if I if I remember correctly fifty five years old we can withdraw


some money ah, anything that is excess of the, full retirement sum and then and then the retirement sum will be uh they will accumulate OA the the ordinary account and the special account and and add together put


whatever amount that is required for retirement sum into retirement account, then you and then you can withdraw the excess that's my understanding ya so ya so after you put in your into you have a retirement account ah from you can choose from to withdraw from sixty five years old on a uh the monthly payout


if not then is seventy years old, ya ya, but


yes ya, well you get the you get the uh tax rebate as well right after if you top up your CPF account, ah something like that ya, okay so uh how about how about any positive uh experiences


that that you you have in during this period uh circuit circuit breaker and COVID , ya ya


oh we still in finance topic oh sorry sorry okay


yes yes, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah redesign the businesses


everything is going digital so we we we have to go into digital as well, yeah and and uh e-commerce and things like that yeah, so it's a different uh different economy out there and then uh


ya we we we we have to make changes ah as well to, in order to survive and also to adapt to the new environment, yeah


ya ya, okay


okay yeah, yeah yeah, you need to have like some proposals for the company, ya


negative experiences, okay ya


okay, ,


, yes, yes


, , yeah


yeah, ,


yes,


yeah like, I I I I know what you mean and uh it's like you know uh some people might think that it's their job, right it's their job to to do uh such cleaning and and stuff ah so if they didn't do a good job they might just like uh you know


like, complain about them or, or even uh, , uh you know a complain is definitely not a good thing because it might cost them their job yeah it it if the person is not doing something well okay I guess you can go up to him and tell him that no you should


maybe uh, do something or show appreciation such that they feel that they're appreciated and they might even to better, ya so so I know what you mean it's like if you don't respect the person and you expect the person to to show you respect and I don't think it works that way


yeah yeah so, yeah I guess it's respect is is uh is mutual you have to show me and I show you, you know yeah


yes, yes yes yes, ya


yeah yeah, yes


yeah, yes yeah, yeah ya, so actually it it is kind of like bring me to uh remind me of a a a situation uh a time when I was working uh I had a staff uh I I mean uh someone who's ah I work with uh she was new


uh but the, her attitude was okay in the first eh uh initially, but uh uh, but she was, late for work, uh many times and okay what why why I'm saying this is because I I I I want to talk about like a


a time that when I hurt the a person's feeling and this is something that I I think I haven't shown the respect to the person uh in the first place so uh that's that's my part that I'm at fault uh and I felt very very very very bad about it ya so


she she was new and ah she was like maybe few days into the job and like first day she was, happy chirpy you know like know, want to to to start a, work in this new place like very happy to be in right but after a few days she start to come in late for work


so and uh so I find that the attitude wasn't right, but, what I could have done was to go up to her and tell her that eh this is not right you have to come to work, uh punctually but instead of doing that right uh the there was there was uh one morning there was one morning


that she she texted me and said that she can't come in to work, I can't remember I I guess is a, uh medical leave or something and uh , and it was not the first time that she did that so


so I forwarded the text, to a colleague, and uh and then I added that guess who is you know who this is lah I don't have to say names you know who this is, but instead of , forwarding the text to the to my colleague I actually send it back to the girl


so I like and then I realise oh my god I I I send to the wrong person and obviously she read my text, and after that I couldn't contact her, obviously she doesn't she didn't come to work, uh since then ah


and uh ya so so uh yeah so, that that was how I mean that was it but uh, I felt really really bad because I find that, it's not nice talking behind someone's back like this


I think I uh yeah it I should have uh, gone up to her and and, tell her directly, and not behind her back ya should have done it in a more uh, sensible way lah


yeah , is really uh, not a good thing to , to recollect but it has been in in my mind uh for so long, ya


ya she just disappeared uh and and then , I I , I can't remember how how things end but uh we couldn't contact her and after that she tendered her resignation, yeah it was it was bad


ya but of course ah when I think back I I will I I felt that I could have uh handled the matter more uh carefully yeah like you said uh you know it's a respect for people right uh I guess I didn't


I I was uh too full of myself maybe, and I didn't think of her situation at that point of time lah that maybe she really she really had something on or something that that she couldn't make it to work, yeah


ya so that was a, , bad experience I have , ya I still think of it I still think that uh, is so nasty of me to do such things


why am why why why am I doing this you know why why have I why what have what have what have made me did this uh at that point of time you know what I mean is yeah it's so un-me lah I I feel


yeah, , ya so I felt I felt my previous job actually change me to uh, quite a nasty person, part of the reason I left the job


a little bit of politics, uh but, more of the energy in the company in the department you know like, the energy is so, it's just like you you go there you and you become I I went there I become a


a bad person, ah ya I I've, I had turned into someone uh, that I begin to felt, that is not me I didn't want to be like this I want to be happier but end up I was


like always scolding people I was not happy and I was not happy with some colleagues doing things that they will not they were doing I was like, why are you doing this you know you shouldn't, you shouldn't do this you you you know what is the client's requirement and uh why are you doing you know uh uh we we should uh do this way or


not you know or uh if if anything went wrong who is to, blame you know you you trying to find out who is to blame rather than what, I wish to do to solve the problem right because this is because the energy in the company or in the in the department that cause us to react in such a way


I feel then , that's why I felt that the, the the, company was not a a good place to work in or for long, is uh damaging me to become a better person I I was becoming a


worse off person, yeah yeah so and, I was really not happy with in, in that place lah other than my colleagues my colleagues, were nice ah but of course sometimes work can, cause conflict between us ya so


ya so so that's why I I felt that uh, I I definitely need the change, uh from from those uh negative vibes, , you know I yeah sorry I I I still remember everytime I


came home after work ah I will complain to my husband what happened at work and I complain complain for a good hour then we will go for dinner, is is bad right !huh!


yeah yeah that's one of the reason to leave the the place ya ya


(hmm) , ,


yes, yeah yeah ya, ya, yes


yes, too too much to handle yeah yeah


oh okay


oh okay okay ah he he was a property agent yeah I think uh very young in the early thirties yeah


yes, yes yes oh ya that was a horrible story


ya ya ya ya I'm having goosebump as you speak


, , , yeah,


yes, , yes ya ya I know and the


children were so young, ya ya, I I remember that uh, case (ppc), even after uh like a few years after, the children's death they actually (ugh) came out to like kind of update how their life was yeah and they were still dealing with the


uh, like the the loss of their children, ya so sad, yes


ya, ya


(uh huh), , yeah it's okay


(mmhmm), ah okay


, ya,


(mmhmm), , , ya I think ya I I ya I think the


after uh forgiving, the person uh he he could live better, ya without I mean less burden in some ways


ya correct ya, that that that really can give you goosebumps ah I mean it is is like


when you read it is definitely something that, oh , know you wouldn't want anything like this to happen to anybody, ya ya


yeah yeah, oh


oh my gosh


ya ya, ya ya


yeah, ya ya ya ya, and and having it I I I'm sure the the parents had high expectations


from from them, yeah, so is hard [lah], ya okay (mm)


positive experiences, okay


yeah, yeah, which we both uh you know we we experience it together how many years was that ago I think it was like more than ten years ago, I uh ya so ya you


yes, ya, yes it's just the two of us I but I couldn't remember where we were when we experienced this


uh incident uh were we at uh, uh LA I think we were in LA right


yes but this particular incident remember we were rushing to to catch a flight, and we were almost late we were so we were like oh no what what what are we going to do we couldn't get a transport and we we we really have to we've really short of time to go to the airport and then this lady a black lady


ah she just appeared, and and she ask us whether she we want a lift a ride to the to the airport, right okay


oh ya ya ya yes yes, correct correct, yes


yes yes, ya , yes , ya and there were no other transport or any other vehicles, or any taxi that we can even get to bring us to the airport


so she kind of like offered a, uh I think I I , I again I can't remember how much uh we were to pay so she just say !huh!, ya I think uh maybe it is about ten USD or something right so is like uh we we just take it and we didn't even think of uh any what are what what dangers we could be in we just take the offer and say okay you know ten dollars we if we can get to the airport why not right


yeah, yeah , any any any bad things can happen to us being young firstly young and we are asians we were female and like we are so blur we can we can we can easily be uh kidnapped or or anything that uh yeah but


we were just lucky to uh to to to meet her lah and we were both of all of us we are in the right place at the right time she need the extra income we need the ride, so it works well for both of us,


yes yes, yeah


yeah, yeah, yeah , , yeah yeah guess we were left with no choice but uh we just take the chance but


uh ya it's is the, it left us in awe because we we met the right people, and, and you know we are still we're still safe, yeah


, ya man I I yeah I wouldn't I mean it's too dangerous I I think now, we we are we are older and uh we are more aware of, uh such a, ya situations ah with is is will will


plan better actually plan better in the, sense ah where we go to this this country and then what we are going to do and how how how how is our transport going to be before ah you know going from state to state right


yeah ya, , yeah yes I guess we can but uh with better planning lah ya, with with a more proper planning we we we didn't really plan that well I guess


we were just uh, uh you know go with the flow not we don't know what is next , yeah it was fun it was fun it was an adventure ya so that's why he brings us , good memories


that we can talk about now ah, , yeah yeah , you know ya like actually I wanted to ask you this like


what is your best surprise, yeah, , yeah


yeah, uh


uh, okay


okay, ,


oh, alright,


!eww!,


yeah yeah, , !wow!


, ya , yeah


yeah yeah, , but that's that's your best surprises right I mean it's like the best thing that can come, to you your your boy and your girl and like I told you before is also it also surprises us because we never think that you will become a mum and a mum of two and it's like


you know because we you were, to us we we we feel that you uh you are a career minded woman you just want to work and work and work and uh so I I never thought that you might know you you actually want to have children so when you have your first born I was like !wow!


lydia you have a child you're gonna have a son ya so so ya we were, we were really really really very happy for you, and then when you have a your second one, it's like okay it is even better because having two kids uh I mean the the first one will have


uh another uh uh uh uh, playmate together grow up together, rather than being alone right yeah and I think you did, very well ah being a mum and now that you you do more cooking


I I'm sure they love it yeah, I think you you do you you you are a good mum, and matthew is a good dad ya, so your kids are very fortunate eh, , yeah


so yeah so I guess for me ah and uh, I'm I'm I I I don't have kids sorry I don't have children but I have two cats, and this ya these two cats are also a a a gift for me I mean it's uh some it is like I I wouldn't think that I had I will have a pet


uh, not not to say a cat know at home ah, but and I'm, I'm not a cat lover from the start so I started to love I started love cats, only uh uh maybe fifteen years ago and I start to


to you know uh, I I started to see that cats are really cute and to my surprise my husband actually love cats too and he he's the same like me he's a he's he's he's, not a cat lover from start so both of us actually have it has the same ah love for cats and we started to look out for uh to adopt a cat so uh when we found a cat to adopt his


name is monkey ya, ya he's, actually uh, it's a difficult cat to keep but we managed to uh, know turned him around and become a very good domestic cat


so ya we we we love him so much, to to tricks ya ya so we are quite uh yeah actually we are also not a uh


uh would would would we we never really think that we have we have this uh smart cats , yeah


yes, yeah, my ah ya same I mean I wouldn't think that I have a a second one a second cat ah yeah but it happens, so and and we had now we have the two cats, to it uh accompany us is


it's a very warm to have them yeah, so and and yeah and then now we uh especially during circuit period right and uh because we're at home all the time so looking at them ah actually helps, to relieve actually really relieve some stress uh by by just looking at them they are so just so cute yeah


, uh yes yes


yes, yeah and uh yeah but they they sleep most of the time either they sleep or eat, and then we will just play with them uh yeah that's all it's very easy,


uh anything that amazes me let me, think ah uh, oh I I uh offhand I can't really think of anything maybe you would you share if you can share with me some


yeah


yes, , yes yes


yeah, yeah,


yeah very, yeah, so inspiring oh I mean it yeah and it's like he has no complain at all so he he's just doing what he loved


and uh ya and and and he just want to to do it to the best, to deliver it to people to his fans, uh yeah especially like uh , I mean going through the cancer is definitely going to have a lot of pain ah yeah I can't imagine uh how much pain he has to go through yet doing the things that he did


until the last day , yeah and nobody knows about it, ya ya correct, so it's like know I I don't need any I don't need self pity I don't think anyone to pity me but I just do what I love yeah that is that is really amazing yeah


yes ya, so we we we should we should really look up to him and and uh learn from him, right


oh tough question


oh yeah


ya I I, okay honestly I never really think of uh that as my proudest moment actually uh I I thought is the, dangerous move chartering into unventured waters you know


ya it's like, uh I mean it's not an unventured lah but I mean unventured for me because I yeah like you said I've been, working at uh as a employed person throughout my almost most of my uh career life so coming out of that comfort zone is definitely


uh quite, quite uh , quite scary but yet I, I was like quite, hopeful and uh but of course hopeful hopeful in the sense that I want to do something different I want to do something that uh that


I don't uh I, basically I know that I don't want to do the same thing that I've been doing for the past twenty years I want to do something different experience some uh different things and I don't want to be just a, uh like a, routine go to the office and routine come back home


you know ya so ya so so I step out of that comfort zone and and not knowing what I'm going into actually so after after that I felt that oh, have I actually made the wrong wrong move a wrong decision


uh ya but it's been like, five years and I'm still surviving so I guess it is a right choice right decision and uh of course the survival ah I have to uh think of more ways


more more creative ways to, survive for the next uh next half of my career, correct ya so I I I I mean I will look at you and and uh and and because you've been you have been


working as a self you are a self employed for so many years right so ya so I always look at you and I was like, if you can do it I'm sure I can , yeah


ya, so yeah I guess this is also a proud moment for you I mean uh you've been through so many, uh different uh, changes in in as even as a self employed having partners and then now that uh you know you have to do it on your own


yeah so


yeah , yes yeah, yes, that's true and and kind of you can choose your own uh boss yours client is your boss right the your client clients it's like your boss and and you can choose who you want to work with in a way


(ppl), (ppl), (ppl) yeah (ppl) okay


part, one financial related topic


okay <P2>genevie</P2> do you think, one should own a credit card


oh


yeah I think, I agree with what you say lah like, there are a lot there are certain, cons to owning a credit card but, I think, there are also uh advantages to having a credit card also like


if you're the kind of person that regularly spent a lot of, money then having a credit card can give you, uh quite good rebates, so it is also


sort of a way for you to save some money, yeah, CPF contributions


I mean it's supposed to help you with, uh, saving up for your retirement, right, but some of my friends, like when they when they go to work, for like a part time job ah


and then some of a percentage of their, salary is put into the CPFs, account then they like quite upset


but I guess I think it is good lor cause it helps you to save up, it kind of forces you to save money, what do you think


yeah


yeah, (hmm) I think, cash flow I guess at cause at our age, we're not really earning money cause we are still students


so our income is only from like, uh, is like allowances from our parents and, maybe extra money from school bursaries and such, so I guess uh for me


I need to save as much money as I can lah, and , for example like, the extra money I get from school I usually just put them


uh somewhere else that I cannot touch, so that I won't have the temptation to go and spend it, (hmm)


what do you how how do you manage your cash flow


I will say I have the habit of saving lah, like, what I just what I said just now, I put all the bursaries and stuff that I get from school in another account and then, I also have a piggy bank


but, that doesn't really save a lot of money ah because it's just, coins that at that I, put in everyday, but, over time it accumulates, so like, at some point when I go and count how much money I have


it makes me feel quite, happy, cause it ends up to be like maybe, close to a hundred dollars, and then, I think just now you say, uh you take note of your expenditure right


how how do you take note of it you use like an app ah


oh, what sorry, oh you mean the expenditure app


I think it's quite good lah cause I also use this kind of app to check my expenditure, and I realise that, like ever since I start using the app, I realise uh in what


what kind of things I spend a lot of money on, so, by looking at all these uh, all the records records of my spendings


I can kind of, sort of analyse it, and like, try and spend less on, the areas that I think I shouldn't spend so much on


I also encourage my friends to do ah, but, they don't really do it, because it requires quite a lot of commitment to do it every single time you spent money, right


, then do you think the app is good


, sorry what, what made me use the app


for me it was kind of just, uh, I just wanted to know what kind of what things I spend my money on lor, like I saw my friend using the app then I then I like, then I realised there's this kind of


app, so I just I kind of just wanted to know, what I spend money on, so it's mostly out of curiosity, ah, and also want to save money


what about you


yeah, it's quite convenient to use rather than notepad, do you think there's anything you have been spending too much on recently


like pre maybe pre COVID or post COVID


uh I think, because nowadays we are, uh like, studying from home right, and because of the circuit breaker all we have a lot of time at home, and it's usually nothing for us to do


for me lah at least so, recently I got into a few hobbies like, embroidery and knitting, which also require me to spend money, and sometimes


it although it's not as expensive as other hobbies it's still, I have been spending more on this kind of things lor, and, because my family


we don't really cook our own food, so usually we need to go out and, take away lunch or dinner, and then, uh during the circuit breaker period I was usually the one to go out and buy


so, because of that I spend more money, on food , and then because uh


like, pre COVID I also drink a lot of bubble tea, but because of the circuit breaker then they stopped selling bubble tea right, so after after, bubble tea stores come, came back then


I think I started drinking a lot more, so I also spend a lot more on, bubble tea, it's kind of sad


yeah, I will say I spend more money during, the


phase one phase two period, plus uh because, the circuit breaker lasted like a few months right and we cannot meet our friends everything, so once phase one and phase two started then


we just, we will we will go and meet our friends and have lunch have dinner all those mah, so I think like a period of time where the, where phase one or phase two just started


then I keep going out with my friends so I spend a lot of money, because I keep hanging out with friends, , I also think like, because the during circuit breaker everyone stuck at home


so I think a lot of people also spend a lot of money on online shopping


part three, negative experiences


what are, the injustices of the world that make you angry


oh


yeah, I also agree, I think like, I think because, donald trump, he is, I don't I don't know why he is the president


he is like, he refused to wear mask and then, because of that a lot of people in the USA, who like follow whatever he does, they also refuse to wear mask


and then these led to all the anti maskers, protest, in america which I feel is quite, like, ridiculous lah because, we are in a pandemic and you you are refusing to wear mask


is like, digging your own grave you know, and like I think now becuase, I will say donald trump is, he might be racists, so


because of that, the his followers will also, be racist and make racist comments, and then like, the racism that was already present in america was already quite bad


then with donald trump as the president, I think it has gotten a lot worse, especially like you can see it from, the recent events, like the


that george guy , like the police brutality and racism, I find it quite disgusting honestly


like I can't I, can't understand why they have this kind of, views towards black people, even though like we're all the same


what do you think of the situation in america


I would, I think if they actually like do things properly I think they can, surpass singapore, sia, because they are such a huge country and their economy is like quite good also with all the


big companies and entertainment industry over there, like it's like, such a pity you know, it's so wasted heartbroken


heartbroken, uh,


I think I would say, like a time when I was heartbroken is when like, my when my parents, start to fight over like


things that that actually can be solved if they just talk to each other properly ah, and then like, it's even worse when the fight escalates and then like, there is a chance of


violence being used, then like, it's quite heartbreaking cause, nobody will want to see your parents like that one, and it's even worse if like, uh


like, there was this one time my mum started to cry because they were arguing, then like, I just saw I just saw her crying for the first time in my, life then I just I also broke down


how about you, was there any time when you were heartbroken


when I felt like giving up, (hmm), I would probably say is the time in like, secondary two then


my mathematics grade were really really bad, like, even though this is not really very huge but at that time I was quite affected cause, like ever since ever since young my maths


wasn't always very good lah, but it was still like, not bad like I could still passed the exams and stuff, and then there was this one time, I got a zero for test, and then like it kind of woke me up


and like, uh no it made it made me feel quite bad, I will say like instead of feeling like giving up it made me even more motivated lah


to do well for maths, but even though I worked so hard for my maths at the end of the day, my results still came back, quite bad, so when I got my like


end of year results I was quite disappointed, especially because like my, one of my closest friends in my class, got like straight As, and then I was just looking at my grades with like my Bs and Cs


so I was quite sad, do you have any time when you felt like giving up also


(hmm)


true, , I guess


like for me now, for my poly exams right, I think the the modules I have are quite hard to, study because it's just uh technical terms


and you know computer stuff which I can't really, understand efficiently because, this kind of thing need to do a lot of research then you can slowly understand the topic


but I'm always procrastinating, so naturally I think my exam, my recent my most recent exam, I tried to study like


I read all the slides and stuff and I tried to understand, but there was just, too much content, and it's and the content was also like, too complex there were a lot of


uh acronyms and things that, my lecturer didn't really elaborate on, and I wouldn't say he was a very good teacher also, so like, I think after the exam I just had this sense of hopelessness


for, by that module I was just hoping that I wouldn't fail, cause I really don't want to retake it


what do you think of, like you know those, beggars, you see on the streets, but you know some of them are just, like faking it or trying to get you money


even though they they don't really need it they're not really a beggar, what do you what do you think of this kind of people


yeah (ppc)


yeah, because like for actual beggars, selling tissues and like asking for money is literally like their livelihood, they really need it to survive you know, and then they are just, this kind of


like inconsiderate people that, try and, take that from them and try and get money even though like, they have way better ways, it just


maybe they think this is the easier way or something, but it's really so it's really very unfair to the, actual people that need the money, that's very sad


true


part two, positive experiences, okay okay yes


uh I was going to ask you the same question, uh the best, meal I've ever had, honestly


it will probably be like, Mookata because, like I think the first time I ate I ate the Mookata right


it was actually damn damn good, I don't know I cannot get over the chili, how about you


what the heck


uh, let me think


took a risk ah


I wouldn't really call it uh, risk or ridiculous thing, but I guess it's like, uh last time in secondary school, there was this subject called social studies right


and every time because I I generally had, very little interest in it, so, every time the exam when I was taking, the social studies exams or tests, if I couldn't


remember things or think of anything to write, I will just skip the question, and then I'll end up with like pretty bad, grades, but there was this one time I think it was the preliminary test


then I decided to just just try lor, just try and answer the question, and then it turns out, my score was quite good leh I think I got the highest in class


and my teacher was damn shock, because I usually just sleep in class one, how about you


, , how how your family react


welcome ah


(hmm), personal growth, like do you have any example


(hmm)


disturbing


, if you if you talking about feeling very old, uh, this is definitely not like personal growth


but I feel very old when I look at, secondary school or primary school students going home, after school, I always feel very old I feel like I'm their, old senior


then they just they just feel like little kids to me you know, I don't know why,


I can't answer, , if you


on the, topic of concerts, I will say the majority of concerts I've attended, are like school concerts and, I think in my whole life I've attended just one


legitimate concert, I would say although it wasn't really like, a, particular band or group or something, it was kind of just an event where a lot of different, I think


asian, uh music groups, went up to stage and perform, but I will say this this event was the most fun for me, because it was my first time experiencing this kind of thing


and like, even though I didn't really know all the groups on stage, they really made the whole atmosphere really, fun, and enjoyable, and the people I went with also made it very fun


memorable, yeah I had a lot of fun, there but also, I think I also enjoyed the school concerts, but


I don't think it was because, their performance was amazing, I think it was because like, I had, my classmates and friends around me, and then we could just like


enjoy their performances, and maybe laugh at some cringy moment, how about you


uh


true (hmm), oh, I guess err


I have a really memorable experience from, I think secondary two, but, I would say it was, quite fond, because it was a lot of fun


and like, but it's not really like those heartwarming kind it's just quite funny, so, uh because last time in my secondary school, uh during recess time you are not supposed to be in your own classroom one


you are supposed to be only on the first level, you cannot go up to the classrooms, so, me and my friends being teenagers of course we sneak up to the classroom, and like


cause we didn't want to get caught and get detention so we, we kind of just chill in the classroom and then if, a a teacher was going to pass by we just hide under the table or, somewhere wherever we can hide lah, then there was this one time


like a bunch of us were were in the classroom, and then uh, one of the school teachers, was like, going to walk pass our classroom so all of us went to hide right


and, and then the, when the teacher reached our classroom, he opened the door, and then because we weren't really hiding properly so he saw all of us and then he kind of just froze there


he just stood at the entrance of the door and stare at all of us, and then, I don't know why but, somehow right the whole group of us, we decided at the same time to run out of the back door


so that like he wouldn't be able to punish us, and then, I don't know it was just really funny because, uh the teacher was just, frozen at the entrance right and all of us decided to, run out through the back door at the same time like


it was damn funny and then one of my friends was holding like uh this, like those fishball, stick right, and she was eating or running eh


and then I think I saw her food drop on the floor, her lawyers quite funny, to experience that, do you have any, fond memories


(ppc), oh


help by someone, !hey! sorry, do you want to say first


oh,


oh, , !aiya! I think this kind of, thing a lot of people experience lah


part one financial related topic


personally I think that it is okay for someone to own a credit card is just that it depends on them whether they can control their spendings or not because some people own a credit card then they want to you know show off to people that they have a lot of money so they


just anyhow in front of their friends anyhow spend as much as they want but, they don't take down their expenditure so because of this their finance can be affected so what do you think


(hmm), yeah so, what do you think about CPF contribution


yeah, for me I think, for the younger generation lah CPF is not very relevant to us because, uh, for part time jobs that, like the pay is quite, low compared to full time jobs


so actually for full time jobs is very is a very good way for them to be like so called forced to save money so because once they retire they can actually spend that money or choose to give it to their children


or maybe like give back to their family so I feel like CPF is quite a good way for, everyone to keep their cash because some people may like spend their entire salary for the month and then have no savings in the end so is actually like quite a good way


yeah and I think, I think that some people actually feel quite angry about CPF because it's not their choice that they can contribute to CPF some people may not want to contribute lah but I feel like in the end they will be quite happy because


they won't feel so bad because they actually have like a lot of savings in the end because let's say every month a certain amount of percentage is, given to CPF at the end of the year they actually have save like a lot of money which they can cash out in the end so I think it's a very good thing that the government implemented


so <P2>ya xuan</P2> how do you manage your cash flow


for me, the amount of money that I get from my mum per month because is not only allocated to food is basically allocated to everything that I do lah so, I do my best to actually take down what I spend on every day so I got a


knowledge of how much I have used and how much I haven't use, so, basically I allocate a certain amount for, my expense and certain amount for savings so I do my best to hit that target every month


and, if I don't hit the target then the next month I will, tell myself to do better and then I will look back at like what I spend on then the next month I will actually take note of that and try not to spend as much


like for example like maybe per month if we have exams or anything like that then once the exam is over I will at least like treat myself to like more pricey food lah to you know celebrate


so, that's so during exams I try not try my best to not, go out to, actually spent this amount extra money because we can use that time for studying so that's how I reward myself in the end ya


so, ya <P2>ya xuan</P2> do you have the habit of saving money


yeah, ya so I use like a mobile app that is meant for money spending so when I actually like add, the a certain amount that I spend they got they offer like a few categories like for example spend on what like food or shopping all that and then indicate the amount


and also, the amount that I indicated on that day itself will be allocated for one day lah so it'll so it shows the date, of all of, when I spend and how much I spent yeah


so do you think this app is a good choice, do you think this app is a good, thing or good choice to do, ya


(hmm)


, for me ya I feel like the same way as you cause before I started using the app and after I could really see a difference lah because when I didn't use the app


I was thinking like at the end of the day or the month when or the week when I actually check my balance in my account thinking like where did my money go, so , so I mean uh for example POSB DBS has this thing where you can check your balance and check your transactions but actually things like for example withdrawing money all that they don't really show that transaction and


like if you spend a certain amount of money at a certain shop sometimes they don't show the exact shop name and even if they do show the exact shop name you'll be thinking like what did I buy there or like what did I, what did I spend it on so I think that is a really a very good


app, to that we can take note of everything we spend on because money is a very sensitive topic and like, a lot of people, spend it as if, since we are students right then we don't earn the money ourselves a lot of people don't realise the importance of money so a lot of people just spend it as if


is, nothing lah because it's from our parents or from our family so, I think that, for some people this app is a good choice but for like the more lazy kind of people I feel like they won't really, care about using the app


so, how about you what what like made you use the app, what, made you use the mobile app


yeah


okay, for me, I also, learn about it from my friend then, I also didn't know that these kind of app existed so, I found it quite cool and I thought that it's very useful so actually I wanted to try it out and when I tried it out I realise that


it's actually quite a good, app to use cause, before I didn't really take note on my spending and, even when I did I actually, use a notepad kind of thing and write it down in my


notes but I realised that this app just allows you to add and then just add the amount of money and then just add the name of what I spend on so I feel like it was a very good substitute for that yeah


yeah yeah, okay


so uh, pre COVID actually, I didn't spend that much as much as now actually because if, you realise right now the libraries we can't study there and like, the


there are certain places like especially starbucks they don't let you stay there and use your laptop because they want to serve customers that like give you, that, are consuming their food or drinks, so, now I actually have no choice but to go to like


cafes to study there and, because even in the school they don't allow you to loiter around so after your examination or after you are done with anything you can't stay in school you and even when you are eating you'll have to eat and then leave


so, I have to find all those more expensive cafes, where they won't actually chase you out, and, basically a cup of drink is almost seven dollars so I


just to study on the day itself I already spend seven dollars, to basically do nothing lah just study, but in the past actually pre COVID the libraries were opened to for studying and everything was open so I feel like


is very is is very sad but I understand why they want to do this because they don't really want people to you know spread if they, touch wood ever have uh, COVID lah ya so how about you do you spend on anything more or less


(hmm)


yeah, for me also like, I feel like the fact that we stay at home in a way lah we also use more electricity yeah, and like when is very hot we on aircon which cost more electricity and then also


like during the circuit breaker I feel like everyone had a lot of cravings like to the point that there were so many news articles, because when the bubble tea stores actually came back everyone went crazy even though like it's been there for very long even before COVID so I feel like


during the circuit breaker it was quite bad lah like that we couldn't eat certain things like even certain things like, buffet those kind of uh barbecue buffet or you know steamboat all that japanese buffet we also couldn't go to eat that and it's very hard to replicate it at home so


so everyone has no choice but to suffer our cravings and find like no substitute for your cravings, so during that period especially, it was very hard and when phase one started everyone basically started spending more and more so yeah that period was like I think also for me the period I spend the most money


so did you spend more money in like COVID pre COVID or like circuit breaker or phase one phase two


, yeah


(mm) yeah


part three negative experiences, okay so ah ya yes


oh okay so, the first one that comes to my mind right even though there's actually quite a few lah especially this year


but, personally the first one that comes to my mind is america donald trump, yeah where I felt like, he's abusing his position because he has done a lot of things


that are actually done by like, immature people like where they actually joke about that kind of things but he he treat it as a joke, but


he actually implement it like and he actually threatens people that he'll do this he'll do that which I feel like, like honestly I'm quite I feel quite angry by that because, even looking from a normal like singapore citizen perspective right


I feel like he could have done a lot of things better because he could have just made a a simple statement and implement that like for example asking the whole of america to wear masks, and actually implement like


impose charges or like fines on that I feel like just that alone will make everyone's lives so much better especially since america is such a huge, country and like


before, they had obama and, now that, their entertainment industry is like so well developed, and I feel like if they had a better president


they would be like such a great country, ya so ya


ya I feel like america, they can do a lot of things better lah, first things first because not just the citizens in the first place


the government is the one like controlling the country in a sense so if he only implemented certain laws or certain things their situation would be so much better, because even the not only the government is corrupted the police because of all these events the police are also


corrupted, and like they didn't really take the time to address this kind of things they just put it aside even though it's so evident ya so, I feel like, if only they had a better government


then, their country would be like a much more fair and normal country yeah so, if, if because in singapore we have already a very good government and


because of the government I feel that they made our healthcare sector so much better and not only that also implement all these ah, uh funds for the more needy people or like the


because of all these pay cut and like retrenchment they actually implemented a lot of things where they like had set aside money for this lah so you can see that the government really manages the country well and in america's case really if they had a better


if they had a better president, they can actually be as be a, as, be a country that is as good as singapore ya, because ya


, okay can you , describe a time when you were heartbroken, by, ya any friends or family


for me ah when I was heartbroken, , oh yeah because uh, I have like a group of friends, and then


because of a minor thing that happen right, she like totally turn hundred eighty lah, ya and then she became from like a best friend to a person that like talk bad about me


and like give false stories about me so is quite heartbreaking because we had a lot of good memories together like every single day but because of a minor thing that happen she like became this way


so when I look back, even though I tried to talk to her she didn't really take it well so, she wasn't really very matured in that sense and


I feel like, things could have been better lah, if she was better lah, yeah, so is quite a heartbreaking moment cause, of like minor issues


yeah, ya, so can you describe a time when you felt like giving up


for me also study related lah so, uh it was ah subject that cannot be studied so even if you memorise or anything it doesn't work so


because of that time, and like there wasn't enough time left to the exam, then, I really felt like giving up lah because, I didn't really do well like up to my own standard where I wanted to achieve so


because of that it made me very very like angry with myself because, in the previous exam even though I studied so hard I didn't do as well as I thought, so the next exam I wanted to do better


but, I felt very useless because even though I wanted to do better, and even though I studied so hard is very hard to, to, see and understand because especially in poly there are the teacher doesn't give any


uh mock paper or assessment paper, yeah so, I don't know what will come out in the exam, and even if, it comes even even if it comes out I'm not confident like because for me I personally want to like step in the exam hall of confident that like because I understand everything and I studied very hard so I feel like


that made me quite down lah, ya and, is something unavoidable because it's just like a part it's just part of life and is like just a step of the way ya


so ya, so do you have any experience that's like that


, actually this for them, I feel like it's a very unfair way of making money like especially in malaysia there's really a lot of people that like actually shave their head and act like monks to get a donation from you and they mention that is a donation to the temple and like


I feel like it's even worse because basically firstly is morally wrong and it's quite a bad thing to do lah, but, I really feel sad because like there are certain people that actually really need money but people look at them as if like they're fake because like for example in singapore there are people selling tissue packets all that right


then, they some of them actually, abused their position as an elderly, like they make use of the fact that they're an elderly and do this kind of things even though


like they have a car, and they have a lot of privilege things and is like quite sad because like there are actually people out there that need money and and honestly is very hard to tell the difference lah because they can be acting they can be real and you can't like verify their status also


because of this a lot of people don't want to donate to people like them or like give them money and I feel like, they are doing quite a bad thing yeah they are affecting like others people's lives


, ya, ya so like I don't know if it's really one of the reason lah but


a lot of elderly in singapore are doing things like collecting cans and boxes and like cardboard boxes to actually try to make a living, but I don't, really know if it's the reason why they want to do that but it's really very bad for their backs lah


and like is very stereotypical because, usually, elderlies are like, for example cleaners or maybe like not doing such a, high paying job, but I feel like this is really very is bad lah for the society if it because as an elderly I mean some of them have kids but some of their kids don't give them money


so, people also look down on them because they're, weak, but their weak not because of their own self is because they're older in age so I feel like it's very unfair from them ya


that they are weaker but they still really have to earn money ya


part two positive experiences


what was the best meal you've ever had


for me, Mookata was also good, but, I feel like the really best best meal is, when, I had like, like recently I had


the food my favourite food from malaysia I had it in singapore, because because of the lock down, I mean we can't go to malaysia until next year, and like I'm a super huge fan on malaysian food and it's even like


it tastes even better because of the fact that it's cheaper so, so they brought the franchise to singapore which I didn't know until recently, and then I tasted it


and like I was so happy until I almost cried , , because I mean, it was so good lah and, I have also I also have family in malaysia so, so, the things that I wanted to had


wanted to have, came to singapore and I ate it, I was happy, ya so like to me lah even though the taste is like really not the best I've tasted the fact that I have never ate it for so long kind of made it the best meal


ya and like, and it's really very hard to find like good malaysia style of food in singapore, so I feel like, it made it one of the best lah


ya, so, and then you got success


like, have you ever faced anything, bad, or like, tried to do something, ridiculous but actually got success


uh for me I would say that


okay so my mum like hated dogs ever since she was young, and, I for me I like the total opposite I love dogs ever since I was young so, I took the super huge risk ah


that I told them if, they don't let me have a dog I will buy my own dog and bring it home so after years of like threatening and begging them I managed to get a dog lah ya


so so, at first, when we brought the dog home my mum was still like kind of like, scared not say scared lah but like she wasn't really


very wasn't really very yeah very comfortable or anything but, right now I feel like in my entire family she's the one that love the dog the most cause she keep feeding the dog and she keep spoiling the dog so


so I mean I, feel like this is a very huge success in a way but also because the this dog we adopted right is she's quite smart in like in a sense like very human so there's that's one of the reason why she didn't really the dog didn't really like


annoy my mum and like made my mum love her more, yeah, so <P2>ya xuan</P2> you do you like experience a time when you have you experienced like personal growth


yeah, for me lah my personal growth was in


sec four, where like, uh somewhat in my life, uh left, and then I realise that okay


then I look back at what I did so I found it very, disturbing so so, I feel like that was the seriously the time where after O levels where I seriously like


had personal growth where I like matured a lot and grew up a lot and ya lah it kind of changed my life in a sense lah so like you got any time like maybe when you like feel like you matured or feel like you very old


uh , uh


so you do you do you have like, a time like can you describe a time when you went to a concert like a very fun time ya maybe like a special event or concert


uh for me yeah the the concert like to me was one of the best lah cause, when I went right, I was very young I think I was in primary school


yeah somewhere around there and I went without my parents, so that was the best part, that we that made it like more fun, ya like when there was the bass from the speakers right then I was very impressed this is my first time experiencing this kind of thing then when the when they was


the bass or like or like you know from when I was at the front and then the speakers were like right in front then I was very fun and made it like very hype even yeah I also didn't know like much of the musicians but


but it was fun lah ya and then I mean actually from since that time I anticipated like more concerts, especially when I was eighteen I was thinking like when I eighteen I want to go, this place this place but, this year is really bad lah


like uh so even celebrating the my own birthday was kind of, kind of sad because since young I've I wanted like a very huge uh celebration for my eighteenth birthday but I mean we all have no choice ah


then, ya I wanted to attend more concerts, this year yeah especially my one of my favourite band which is little mix I wanted to go for their concert


but is quite sad that we have this going on now lor ya, yeah do you have any fond memories that you shared with your loved ones or friends


uh, personally for me I think, uh in sec four ya I not sure but uh, my friends and I went to Bintan, yes and it was


very fun cause, we basically were leaving a very good life for that three days just that three days without thinking you know, without thinking about anything about like, money or whatever because


the accommodation was free which was like the best one of the best part, so that made it very rewarding, ya and like it was a very stress free environment ya and the wifi was weak at that place which


kind of like made us bond more because we didn't really use our phones a lot, yeah and even though it was, we didn't have, much even though we didn't really have much to do, I think that


I think that we had a very like relaxing experience yeah and even though we went to the beach and all that I feel like, when we were in that house in that villa alone we like talk a lot and at night we laugh a lot


and sometimes, we even laugh at nothing, so, so when we look back and think about what we laugh about we also we also not sure but like it was very funny cause even on the boat there and the boat back


on a boat there at the immigration when they wanted to check my bag because there were so many, unknown things inside he just opened it up and it was like a luggage full of food and like and all the foreigners and the people there started laughing at us because


yeah and it really so embarrassing lah then also the on the ferry back we were just casually in the ferry like, uh just, playing some games and stuff, then, we were we started dancing to the song playing in the ferry and and we dance at the same time lah which is like funny and then we recorded at moment if I look at it like until today it's still funny


so so I feel like, that that holiday made it like very very fun and, it was funny lah ya, and because it's not even that far and like even though it wasn't a really long duration


I feel like it, still a memorable experience, ya, so, uh, were you ever like helped by someone in your time of need


help by someone for me, actually I have a lot lah is just that they are like, small small parts lah like for example, when


I am studying then I don't know how do any I don't know how to do any parts, then, usually my friends will help me lah, ya, so this kind of like minor things, and like when they helped me


I feel kind of bad because technically I'm like taking their time, but, because like they actually want to help so I, feel quite touched lah ya and also, ya I feel like


I have nice friends yeah so , ya


ready I, am I'm already recording already, part one financial-related topic, right


then we can start recording already, oh another thing I want to ask is do we have to follow question by question, okay, so I have to address mary lah mary mary are you in there mary do you have personal insurance what are the plans that you have


but what are the plans,


health protection uh okay actually for me, I have one critical illness by NTUC income is call living policy it it actually protects against


uh thirty dread disease ah I think now may be more already because including the early care and all that so, uh it it should be more more than thirty already then I also have a saving policy saving policy I have uh one premium where you


pay one time and then and then you just leave it there and then after a few years it will grow and then you pick up the money at the end of the term, then I have another one that is a regular premium where every year or every month you got to pay the premium and then after that


you start to, after a certain year you start to draw down passive income that means uh they will return you they will give you a they call it coupon but actually is cash benefit lah, so this one is to actually help me in my later years when I retire is like a passive income to me


hor then uh, number three question is what is the number three question ah number three question is buy term and invest the rest do you mix insurance and investment or do you keep them apart


mary what do you think, question three on insurance, uh ya


(uh huh), oh okay


ah do you have, okay uh, okay for me for me


actually the term buy term and invest the rest, is actually to mix insurance with uh is not to mix insurance with uh investment but actually if you if we if you


if you keep them apart , actually there's an a disadvantage for the term policy you know term policy ya they they actually have a term you know that for twenty years or for thirty years


then when the time the time when you need the insurance, ah the terms expires I have one client ah who bought the term is actually a critical illness term for the husband then that very year when the term expires ah the next year he got


diagnose with uh cancer, so that is a disadvantage you see of a term policy so we I I think a a whole life policy will be better because as long as you live you are protected you see


then then, for term policy also uh, it is better to be actually on GIRO because if there's any lapse of premium ah the whole policy is collapse you know ya but of course term policy have got its advantage lah term policy actually is cheaper than most of other insurance


ya, term insurance term life insurance which means that it is exactly like whole life except that, after certain years ah it will expire whereas your whole life policy ah don't expire is is like until the person pass on ah then them the whole policy is pass on to the next generation


of course the whole life policy will be more expensive term policy is actually very cheap because if you buy like, hundred thousand ah at the end of the when when there is a claim ah the the maximum you can claim is just hundred thousand whereas whole life ah as you pay the premium


you will you will uh generate uh interest bonus and all that so if you, buy hundred thousand life policy at the end at the end when there is a payment ah can <B>


that's why it's it's good lah in the sense whole life policy, okay then number four, term policy number five do you have investment link


policy and what are your thoughts, you don't have right you say you you you terminate already, no uh investment link we are now at number five okay I I used to I used to have but I


don't really like it because for this investment link policies ah sold by the insurance company usually, they have a they have a a mortality charge that means uh according to your age ah they will they will have a price tag for your uh mortality charge


so not all the not all the the whole premium ah, is used to buy the funds or whatever, so so there is this mortality charge lah the protection is actually very small one ah


small amount of protection which I think is not worth putting it into the investment link you actually preventing yourself from having to be able to buy more funds you see, <B>


question seven ah


uh certain policy you can do DIY things like travel travel insurance maybe personal accident, these are all quite straightforward uh policies


uh which I think you can do it yourself lah not not very difficult but uh, for for more , holistic policies like your retirement planning your investment planning I think it will be better to go through an agent


who is able to, give you a more holistic planning you see, uh there are a lot of times where you just keep buying and buying in my early days when I don't know anything about insurance all I buy is just endowment


every plan is uh single premium endowment uh regular premium endowment and then in terms of protection ah I don't get anything you know, so it's it's it's like lopsided you see


whereas if you will get an agent to do it the agent is able to make sure that, every gap is covered and that a small holistic planning lah


oh because nowadays uh nowadays I think people are more computer-savvy they rather go and do their own buying than to go through an agent you know sometimes you go through an agent you got to pay a commission then you got to


wait for the person to be free to do the buying for, you so if you do yourself everything is done uh faster you see


ya that's the problem that's the problem ya, most of these people who do their DIY ya usually the younger generation


those who are more <B>, you see computer savvy doesn't mean that you understand insurance and you know what you are buying


ya ya ya everything is DIY what, so when it comes to claim they will go deal with, the the company direct mah they will deal directly with the insurance company instead of going through an agent


uh depends depends , they are but I think I think generally our singapore insurance company are quite quite good lah they they will handle the insurance quite quite promptly


okay what do you look out for when buying an insurance policy do you see insurance as an essential expenditure


what do you think mary, [orh] okay me too yes,


ya ya I I think


it's it is uh important essential because in my earlier days when I was much younger and and every time when I get my bonus my husband will say put aside certain a~<B>


so every year like we we will combine uh income and set aside and put into insurance so this actually serve as accumulation


for our retirement you know so so at one point when he was out of job he we actually took out, took out this you know to tide through the the period where there's no income you see so it is I I I'm actually a believer in insurance too


so what kind of insurance do you think is suitable for your age


single premium uh under kind


ya,


okay what percentage of uh the what percentage of your income do you spend on insurance how much coverage


oh okay that's very high


ya, okay so what do you look for in an insurance agent what question will you ask your insurance agent when getting an


sorry, uh


oh ya because because for insurance ah they, they actually look at your health but


there again there are some that is uh GIO GIO insurance where you can actually purchase without going through any physical check, so usually at our age ah at this time


you know as you grow old you have a lot of health problem like high blood lah high cholesterol diabetes or these these ah actually uh excluded from from us, from people like our age ah so so uh we should be looking at GIO policies uh guaranteed insured insurance


guaranteed insurance uh policy where we don't have to declare our health it's it's uh you can just buy it like that so these are the insurance that we should be getting at this time in our age during uh uh this time


okay I think


okay we we we are suppose to go into the last question we we are down to the last five minutes already right rachel


four minutes ah, okay so the last question is if you are an insurance agent what question would you ask your client when planning their insurance coverage uh


uh I do h~<B>, basically what I do is , I will go to the my client and ask ask her to to show me what are the insurance they have bought chances are they would have bought some insurance already so I


I would want to find out what are the insurance that she has already bought, and how we can build on it instead of uh asking her to buy another uh duplicate uh


of the insurance lah, so so this is what I would do, ya okay


you can't buy certain insurance certain because certain certain insurance, ah have a age uh cap uh for


part two, ya ya


part three negative experience, okay negative experience actually we are very positive people you know, ,


wait we really have problem finding negative experience, right mary, ya, what was the topic recall a situation where you were forced to change your plans against your will


(ppc) mary you start first ya


, ya I think the same thing for me and also because I I don't expect to leave the previous company I expect to leave to work until I retire


but unfortunately because of circumstances so I have to leave and is not easy making that decision to leave at that age, because you are almost like retiring already and yet you still have at least a few more years to go


so same thing lah that was a difficult situation ya, okay describe the moment when you feel like the world is against you


uh I think is for me is politicking in the office lor, when I was caught in the middle and then uh have to choose sides and I refuse to choose sides I I wanted to stay on my own I want to to to


actually uh I I refuse to take any sides uh because I I feel that it is not necessary, and uh wanting to just stay on my own but when I realise I can't I know I have to leave already, ya


so that was that was two incident ah one is in the office and another one is when I work with my sister and uh, having to having to, in a way take sides and you know I refused to take any sides because both are my <B>


unhappy lah I was quite unhappy to do that so in the end I also quit the venture also I actually we actually trying to start, start a company you see so


because of that I decided not to, go ahead [loh] with the with the venture, , when describe a time when you were heartbroken do you have that experience mary


ya, ya office politics uh okay let's go on to the next uh describe


a moment a time when you felt betrayed these are very negative things right,


okay so uh the next one will be what is your most embarrassing moment


, I'm just I'm just reading out when is your what is your most embarrassing moment


mary can you speak into your mic because I can't hear you very well, in the bus ah


ya, but that one is okay lah that one not so embarrassing


I ever go in, then I realised there's a guy inside then I was wondering what is this guy doing in the in the ladies ah then I look at


actually I'm the one who is wrong, ya~<B>


ya ya,


actually


uh my heartbreaking moment uh was when, (ppc) you you say because (ppc) sorry, uh when my son came back from US and he told me that he he he he don't want to be a


christian because, our family they are christians you see (ppc) so when he told me that, I remember I was so broken-hearted, (ppc) and worse still after that my husband my the other


younger son all stopped going to church and now they're all not going to church so so that was heartbroken moment for me lah but, I I think uh well you know you pray for them you see


ya and uh I, the other thing about being betrayed is actually, uh, when I was in my old company then you will find that there as there's a lot of back-bite back-biting


a lot of people speak behind your back and then trying to uh gain favour that kind so it is it is it is, uh not fun working in the office when there's a lot of politicking and uh a lot of


grabbing and uh getting uh, credits and all that when not credit is not you you see, so I'm I'm very glad now because I've decided uh to retire and this year I've retired so I mean I mean really


it it is it's good to be able to retire from all these lah so I'm actually looking for something uh else to do


what keeps me awake at night ah my my, two sons and my husband because they are all very late sleepers so my son my son sometimes can sleep around two to three you know


uh they they will work until about two to three so they will sleep uh they will sleep around that time and my husband worst my husband will sleep around five, five O clock and then he will sleep through until the next morning and then into the afternoon


then he wake up in the afternoon so (ppc) for my case is I I will, because my place is very small so , I can hear their voice their noise they on the light they bang the


door so so these are noises that keep me awake, I I can't sleep at night so so in the day I'll try to catch up sometimes to get some sleep in between the afternoon


no at night I also sleep very late I also sleep like maybe sometimes one O clock I'm so used to it now because because uh now I sleep at I sleep around, one O clock and then I wake up around seven ya


so in the in the afternoon I will I will take then sometimes in the middle of the night I will wake up lah because they all noisy lah they talk and they discuss then they on the light and all, this so so ya so so


uh that keeps me awake in the night lah then sometimes you have like yesterday night my my elder son was not feeling well he got stomachache so I have to check on him all that so that also keep me awake lah, ya what about you you can sleep or not


ya, do you do you go do you go into hypo or not


you don't ah but sometimes at night ha when I don't eat my usually my, dinner are very light so uh like sometimes in the middle of the night I will feel like very uncomfortable you know like


shivering no no strength and all these so I have to go and get something to eat and the nurse actually told me if such thing happen ah go and, take sugar go to the fridge and take one spoonful of sugar put into your mouth and she say that


if you are hypo ah you you get the sugar directly into your mouth it can you can recover very fast, ya


ya ya I also ever experience


ya, but I I can't sleep very long in the afternoon also the most ah I I close my eyes and then, I doze off for ten fifteen minutes then after that I feel that I have to get up already is like wasting time you know to sleep in the day


I can't sleep that's why I don't have enough sleep


yes I sleep at I tried to sleep at eleven ah then I wake up at three O clock then I don't know what to do already after that three O clock it's like everybody's sleeping uh ya lor and then if you sleep too late ah if you wait until like


two O clock then you sleep ah you can't sleep you know because you pass your sleeping time already you know, ya, ya then you are awake for the whole night you know so terrible, and when it's time to to wake up ah you feel so sleepy you like


so we can sleep we can sleep in the day ha , ya lor that's why


in justice ah !aiyo!, injustice of the world for myself or for the people that I see, I I don't know what about you what do you think


ya,


and I think I think ya we we I also don't bother already now


, so always remember never give your life to your job, hor never give your life to the job


part two positive experience


eh are we supposed to go back to the, time the best uh the the to to describe a time, okay, ya so what was your answer ah question mary


okay for me is uh I receive a book from my younger son on mother's day, and title of the book title of the book is uh


uh promises for mum uh, that was a time when he actually work in trumpet praise is a bookshop is a christian bookshop so uh he he bought this book for me


and and I was so touched inside are all the blessings for mothers, given someone ah


oh okay can you talk about yours first


okay ya I don't have, uh okay describe a time when you can't wait to attend a special event


or concert actually, no event ah no uh no concert but I remember when my son told me that, he's coming back I was so excited to see, and and and can't wait like can't wait to


to to go to the airport and and receive him back, but because because of the COVID this I'm talking about my elder son because of the COVID I cannot go you see so I have to wait for the


the call from him and he was like forever you know cannot hear cannot uh can't wait to hear that he's he's back here he touchdown and uh he told me that he is uh his his uh touchdown singapore and that he


he he he he's been uh taken to Shangrila in uh Sentosa so so it was very excited for me lah I've been waiting for like six months you know for him to come back


ya so so that was the event, uh


, describe a time when you laugh too hard I I haven't been laughing so <B>, ha did you did you ever laugh until stomachache


ya right maybe we are too old okay, uh in the post-COVID world who or what are you newly <B>


, ya,


I, think also also for those uh, uh medical worker some of them they dare not even go back home because they they are afraid that they may pass on the virus to


to their family so what they do is they actually rent a place <B>


ya, and some taxis don't want to don't want to, to to bring them and all that, ya I I saw on TV there are some who actually purposely go and sign up ah to pick all these medical worker ya so these are heroes ah they they are heroes


okay so so okay are we to the last question already


describe a fond memory you would you share with your loved ones oh uh this one I okay it was last year uh when we took a trip among all the relatives my my husband's uh brothers and sisters-in-law


uh and also brother and sisters I think altogether about twenty of us no about fourteen of us, we actually got a van and then uh we we took a road, trip up to malaysia and it was very fun because we we have not gathered in this manner before so we actually uh rented


uh Airbnb you know some uh apartment and then we stay there we, we cook we we, simple cooking lah we we have meals and then we talk so it was very uh very nice so this year we were actually planning to do that


uh but unfortunately because of COVID cannot do that so this is actually becomes a part of the like the fond memories that I have ya it was nice because we we took a a a van and we travelled up to Ipoh you see so on the way we stop


and then uh ya very fun lah, so we I'm hoping that this year we could do it but then unfortunately because of COVID we can't


ya ya so so so what are the things that you most look forward to ah I think uh it will be another road trip ya we are already talking about it !aiya! now now even want to meet up for book


barbecue also cannot so because you only have can have five people in the gathering mah so the family already got four person so, it's very difficult lah to meet up so this year chinese new year I don't know how hor normally chinese new year we have a lot of gathering one we have uh like ten twenty twenty to thirty people in the house


but don't don't know how leh this year, ya hopefully they will they will they will they will do away with that lah the the number ya, because really miss that leh


really miss all the all the all the gathering and all that, , I also miss I want to go Ipoh again the durian trip was fun


with your friend lah, , actually actually you know, actually you know recently I just retire right so my husband was actually looking forward to my retirement and say oh when you retire then we can


actually go for trips uh without having to think about, applying leave and all this, and uh don't think about work but who knows you know when I just retired this year then the COVID come and then now cannot travel anywhere already so #hen sien# ah


ya lor that's why, ya that one is a different thing lah that one everyday also can, go


ya lor ya lor, okay talk about a time when you experience personal growth


for me it will be when I reach fifty age fifty five I decide to change company I think a lot of people advise, me against it because they say that oh you are fifty five already you are still, wanting to change company ah you are you still want to take the risk so but because of of uh certain reason uh morale was very low in my old company lah so so


I mean I fifty five is you want to say that is young is not young, but you still have about ten years to go you know before retirement, so are you going to stay in this kind of environment when it's


so full of depression and uh grumbling and you you find that you are just sucked in~<B>


!wah! you still got ten years to go and are you going to be in this kind of environment so I took the risk, I actually shift to another company and uh, I'm already now that I'm, into this new company actually is already six years


before I retire lah this is my six year and I think enough is enough lah, so but I I realise that, uh it is the right move for me even even though you know it is just for six years because I really learn a lot from this company I really learn a lot <B>


the job that I'm doing and and it has really contributed to my personal growth you see


sorry I can't hear you can you speak louder, ya in the same industry but then the the people that you deal with the kind of products that you deal with


and the world that you see is different is totally different and uh it is, ya you you see a lot more things you are you you are exposed to more environmental wise and even you know


uh, the people you you are exposed to more people and you see more things lah, and in in indirectly or directly actually contributed to my goals you see as a person


what about you


okay


I have a few from uh different companies, ah things like, uh I have like from Great Eastern, I also have from Income, I also have from uh Aviva


uh the plans are, I have whole life policy, I have endowment, I also have got a, term policy uh


I also have got what you call that one health protection, ya


which one ah which question, or do you makes insurance <B>


which uh investment <B>, mine basically is all on, insurance <B>, uh life insurance or term insurance lah but I don't you referring to investment link policy right


ya actually I had one uh I already uh ya already terminated, ya that one was like super long lah twenty years time ya so ya I don't know


no you said term insurance is what


eh when you talk about premium are they the same


<B>, which question


term ah, oh no no I don't have I don't have already terminated


can I ask about number seven ah


would you approach an agent or DIY when it comes to


oh


but then why do they want to come up with this DIY thing don't you think the insurance agents are affected in the sense


you know,


ya but then the thing is that you do yourself are you sure you know what you are actually, you know I I you able to cover you know, whatever needs to be covered in that sense, ya I mean you may overlook because you are not in that field right


correct, but then what happen when come to the claim


!wah! is !wah! will then that will that be a hassle then


I see


yes personally, I'm a believer of insurance, yes yes, I believe that uh since you have the another words it can also be a kind of a force saving which I understand from some of my friends that they don't agree what I said lah but to me I felt that insurance is something like a force saving


that you set aside of some of the money you don't really see it you know like what you say we go through GIRO, then uh every every you know, as and when they need to deduct they'll just do for you, so that you know at least you you you will have, a peace lah in that sense that if anything happens to you whether you're you know one day you are out of job because of certain health reason or you need to you know


you know whatever reason lah usually we buy it's because of that lah you know, like for me is not so much of you know inheritance per se but actually for me is to make sure that end of the day I have a sum of money that I can actually support myself or also can even support my, my family people


so I think it's a very to me is very essential ya I I had been I had been buying since the age of twenty, until today I'm still buying


I think for me at at this point of time ya there's no point to buy whole life policy, okay I'm really of that age, so to me is like I would go for like you say that kind of short term you know uh two three years that kind I don't know you call it saving or you call it endowment but uh


and I don't know whether you are allowed to break that two or three years which I don't think so lah so I think that one of it is quite popular for people like us lah so that's why my agent always ask me you know when we have this thing like two three years the interest is quite good you know like two per cent or whatever they say do you want to buy or not do you want to buy you know that kind


so I have been actually buying uh of late lah I have been like investing on such kind of a policies lah you know, anyway when you put in the bank is also the interest is so low and then you don't go into stock market so where else can you put


you know at the same time I think the interest is higher than, you put into the bank or you will you leave it in your home so what do you think


#agak agak# lah I think at least I think should be around, twenty to thirty per cent, ya because for me is a force savings I I I I ya I I I in a way when I'm was young lah I I I realise that savings is so important


so uh I have been doing it since the age of uh twenty twenty one twenty twenty one ya around there


ah you see when I buy insurance ah before I buy ah, ah okay lah typical question is would be like uh do you require physical exam, do you require to do a physical examination, check up right sometimes they ask you to do for medical check up


correct, have to ask you right if they say, uh you have to do physical checkup then I would like, I will not be so keen on that lah


I mean if you if if at at this age, there is uh really nothing much to buy lah if you ask me, other than you know they ask me to do critical illness or they ask you to do shield <B>


ya such uh these are only policies for us at this age lah, or or that kind as I said uh like two three years that kind of, saving or endowment to call with ya, because they have a a past why I go into insurance because they also have a percentage of that uh protection coverage


versus if you go and put into the bank how much can you get out of it you know the interest, whereas over here you still can get the certain percentage, of coverage, so it to me it's like both ways lah


oh one point four two minute


thing is that uh all those that you have a~<B>, would people buy beyond likes the age of sixty five or that kind


yes part three negative experiences


negative part three negative experiences, okay okay


okay, alright let's do it, uh okay


question one right, okay actually this is uh partly of what I've shared lah but anyway just uh recap a bit lah, uh forced to change my plans against my will okay I've always wanted since the day I started work that I would want to work until my retire age


that will be like age of sixty two or at at that point was sixty two or something like that, so I came out to work at the age of twenty twenty one, twenty one ya, so unfortunately it was cut short that was not my plan okay I was forced to shorten my plans and that is not against my will that is against my will lah okay I would like to work throughout you know until my retirement age but then I was not able


to do it so, ya because of some work situations uh I couldn't stay on or would I say that I I wouldn't wanted to it because of health reason or other reason so that was why


I don't have that moment


actually for me when you say the world is against you ah


I would just think of is the, can you hear me, when you say the world is against me ah that would think ah think of is like when, I was working my my last company, where I can't believe that a head of department could gang up the whole department against me


I mean it's so shocking ah in my my world of in my years of working that, would there such a thing like this would happen I mean to me I'm just a small flies why would the whole world wants to, find fault with me, and they deliberately you know started you know created


uh accusations and all those things you know that uh it's not true lah, you know but they said that because when I was not, around I happened to be on medical lah so they they all find fault with me nah you know, so when I came back they really fight a war with me lah, going through another world war also world war lah world war with me


so it was a, very uh, ya it was very sad lah to see how could, a, such a company have such a head of department, to do such a thing like this and, that was why I I I decided to


it's pointless to work with such company and such people lah, you know, they are so not so kind and not so what lah not so human lah not so human, know you can go all out to to, to to to to bring you down lah, even though I do not do anything wrong so


I I knew why is because uh during one of the meetings my colleague came and apologised, serious sorry I, uh she said something like uh, no I I don't mean to do that lah you know she said I'm sorry I I said that that kind of thing so I know that all of them are being uh


ya lah in a way they are being forced to do it lah, that kind of thing to do things that are not right lor so they they and they said another girl was said oh sorry ah I I can't help you ah ah, okay why because they also dare not tell me said because the boss tell them to do so so it's terrible that how


can a H HOD you know gang up a whole department just to pull one person down and I'm just a small fry in any case you know so I don't understand why am I the threat to them, that is something that is uh, okay lah, sad lah to sad that it happened in such a big corporate company that is so well-known


ya but it does happen right now you look at it it does, happen, for me I will look at it this way was that uh, I was sad that time because my mum was suddenly down with stroke, uh, because my mum has been a very hardworking lady


a very responsible parent you know, so she worked very hard so, as we were growing up and all that I I at that at that point of time when when she had this was that I was already came out to work and I I bring her out almost every weekend


I will buy bring her out you know, you know go shopping go anywhere and then she's one person I also always would uh talk to you know when have problem, even though she's very quiet you know she don't really uh she give me a very good listening ear lah so she always listen to my complaint to my grumbling and all that my mum


but she never lay a hands on us she never shouted at us, she was such a wonderful ah parent you know but so sad when she had this stroke you know, uh for ten years lah before she pass on, so ya that breaks my heart lah to be honest


moment, ah, I don't want to share very embarrassed , , okay but I can share one thing embarrassing would be, what ah embarrassing would be what


okay sometimes ah when you go for long drives ah like in the car right, and then the journey is very long ah, so you you you just like you'll just simply doze off but then uh, you can't hear me ah okay sometimes you


you you know you can so long journey in the afternoon especially you feel so tired then you just literally like you doze off right, and, ah I think the but no usually in the car lah bus I don't do that lah but in the car you unknowingly know that you know whether


when you doze off would you snoring or something, like that or did your saliva you know that that kind you know you know that kind so uh ya lah I you you don't know lah I know, sometimes you don't know because specially on hours like four five hours of, drive you know uh so ya lah I think


no no lah it's not so okay lah you are there you not so okay lah, it's very embarrassed for the person lah you know others may not look at it like oh nothing you know but to you you feel embarrassed, lah there's, also moments lah you know we ever go into a gent's toilet you know, forgot like you went in ah !aiyo!


ya correct lor sometimes you go in you you don't realise it just got stung you know how most of the time ah #sueh sueh# it's like you are there ah then you see oh dear how come then you realise you are in the wrong place then you saw a man there you saw a guy there so it's like ya very embarrassing right uh good thing uh the worst would be good thing is like


your friends didn't know that , I mean can you imagine you go in your friend is there, so, scary right is like so Paiseh you kn~<B>


but he happens lah a few times lah in malaysia in singapore you know sometime you just blur blur you know I don't know I typically in malaysia it happens in singapore not so lah, I I don't know why lah you know that kind of thing ya, okay ah malaysia


[orh] okay okay what keeps you awake at night


but if you take a nap in the day then at night will you able to sleep again


no I uh I usually I able to sleep lah but then sometimes ah if you don't uh , let's say if you skip dinner or you had early dinner and then uh you feel hungry ya, ah then you you very hard to get back to sleep ah sometimes you sleep


for me is uh I don't know sometimes you just suddenly you just wake up you know you sleep then after that you wake up ah, following your stomach like oh I must eat something you know, unless if you don't eat I think you cannot go back to sleep you know, ya but if I, ya or or if I take uh I usually don't take naps in the afternoon lah I may just rest my head for a while


but if you do really take a nap like one hour ah !wah! I tell you at night you really cannot sleep


ha ten fifteen minutes then you wake up again, !wah! Jialat then how to go back and sleep (ppc) oh I see


I'm ya but these days I do sleep earlier so tendency is that uh when I sleep earlier I I tend to wake up very very much earlier


ya the timing always hard to pass ah once you get up at three, O clock, two three O clock oh my <B>, ya oh ya if you cross one two AM you really can't sleep but then you get to sleep


exactly good thing ah we we we are retiring lah, so for the retiring is okay lah you can sleep you can sleep anytime ya man so uh anything else


we still got one point two five what is your, uh where uh okay, what are the injustice of the world that make you angry, !wah! this is very interesting


for the people lah ya I mean why are are you know you find that, you know no justice to to these people especially look at the, like the poor country and all that, oh not only that lah I don't go so far I go into our local


context ah, uh if you realise that once you are a certain mature age ah, okay, regardless of race or whatever lah once they see your, age only ah, they straight away discriminate you you know, correct ya so


that's what they always says that once you past the six ah very hard for you to get a job, straight away they will discriminate even no matter you can say how how, ya how how, ya how experience you are how good you are but when you come to that age ah


they just like you know what I mean, they just like, I don't know lah won't say it won't show out lah


part two positive experiences, what is the best surprise or gift you ever given someone dot


what what is the best surprise or gift you've ever given somebody


excuse me hold it ah the question is what is the best surprise or gift you have ever given somebody you know, given someone not collect from someone, yes, okay uh mine was that uh not long ago lah ah ah you know during the COVID lock down so happen that you know we can't go out and eat we can't meet up


so I my friend has got this birthday so I came to know about this birthday so what I did was that I didn't tell my friend but I told the the son, I say I'm going to you know ordered a delivery for your your parent


uh but anyway you just hush hush lah because I wanted it to be a surprise and true enough it really came as a surprise because when the the parent receive it the parent say this is the first time that I ever receive a birthday from somebody you know through this kind of arrangement lah so he was very touched I was also very happy


so it's a good it's a good surprise


oh someone okay, for me is uh event or what you call that okay because for me is a few years ago when I celebrated my birthday so


we gathered a few friends and we decide to cross over the causeway this is the first time this group that actually you know managed to, organise and I was so happy that you know we could go across the causeway you know so excited about it you know !wah! start to plan where to stay lah where to eat lah you know how do we make arrangement to go up lah to fetch all of us


all the way then so somehow it uh the day came and the we we we ya it was something that was special to me that the first time a group of friends actually deliberately plan to cross over the causeway you know just to spend a night with us together you know to eat to shop you know


that kind of stuff to to, together lah so I think that was something, I really like uh ya that was something that I I felt it was very special lah,


stomachache ah cannot remember leh, I don't think I have that that that kind of funny jokes ya


okay for me I I would I would appreciate and be thankful that, uh, uh those in the essential services lah, you know that's a time when everybody is trying to avoid everybody right because of this thing so but these essential workers they they have to be there because you know they are needed and they have to take that kind of risk lah you know


<B>, so I I do appreciate I appreciate them lah I also very thankful lah because of them you know we everything is like uh continue as per normal you know ya


it is because of this group of people that you know you need them you know like like of course a medical style of course you don't forget people like security you know, uh then also people like you know the cleaners you know they will come and clean your place and, all that uh ya this this this


I made a mind that come to me with the the this group of people lah you know what happen if you know and also not only that I think uh part of them are actually from let's say foreign workers you know, where you know they like ah like you read for those malaysian workers you know overnight the the country locked down you know then come back to work


and some of them to salute in this kind of essential service then as you can see on the news reported that they they couldn't even see their family you know for months or weeks you know things like that you know you know their family their children their parents and all that kind so


yes and that one


yes not only that I think some of them they dare not to take public transport lah you know, people will avoid them so what they, ya correct, some taxis don't want to take them but there're also taxis who who will take them you know there's also a group that


they they they, deliberately pick them up yes yes, ya correct ya correct, ya ya these are heroes during the COVID world, lah during ya so anything anything


not yet not yet okay describe a fond memory you share with your love, ones I do have do you want to go first, fond memory


I think for me was like uh it reminds me of uh many many years ago lah probably about, twenty years ago when, my brother decides to you know fetch us uh drive us into malaysia and that was the first time that we went in you know because that was the time I think my brother just got a car


then he says he wants to drive us in lah even though the car is so small we have to cram ourselves inside you know it was so, you know you know it's so hot inside you know especially in the afternoon ah but but it was good it was it was uh something that, you you


you you experience it lah you know that you want to it it until today you can still remember it lah because sad to say it's a, first and the last lah you know because that a time when my mum was still around so a few of us you know, our siblings and all that we all went, in together and then we came you know


so that was only last uh first and last trip as a family that we, managed to drive out into, you know across the causeway lah so something I will remember lah that is a very fond memories lah


okay you go first ,