uh then one time I I stepped on I turn on the brakes right my friend he actually leaned forward and then the bike just like fell and we skidded down the road it was a down slope, and it was quite a heavy traffic so it was quite traumatic because it's like the bike because right when we fell right it was a curb so the bike or or us we could have just like slide down into the grass part the grass part and just like slide all the way down the mountain you know


ya or if not we could have been like run run run down by the vehicle behind us and that was like super traumatic for me and then from there I was like uh not again lah never again


then what do you think is the biggest thing holding you back from your goal


uh for myself (hmm) (ppc) I think I think it's partly two things like uh it's measuring up to like I said expectations lah performance


and like partly it's about like discrimination as well ya like some different people are subject to different measures, or like we measure their results differently based on different things lah ya so uh being different it tends to put you up against different things lah people expect you to do better than the benchmark to reach the same place uh


I think that's the biggest goal lah eh sorry that's the biggest obstacle because at on top of like meeting that benchmark sometimes I have to do something more to impress, (hmm) then describe a time when things turned out not not meeting your expectations


uh


I think it's no surprise that for me it's about results also ya so uh I didn't do well for O levels right I didn't really do well for A levels as well so, I didn't I didn't do bad I did okay for my school for my school I I consider it I I they considered that I did good


but like I didn't meet my own expectations ya then I was quite beaten down lah from that experience because I still remember like those who did well will get called up before school to go up the stage and all that


so I had two other friends who I studied with it was the three of us then we had our own group, then they actually texted the group when they got the text you know like they oh I need to go uh earlier to school then my other friend also said that then I was it was just very sad cause I was like the odd one out from the


three cause we studied so much together then out of the three then I didn't get it then, I think that made things worse, ya rather than like let's say three of us right then I didn't get it and let's say all of us didn't get it right but then the fact that the three of us I'm the only one who didn't get it that just makes things worse lah on top of not meeting my expectations ya


ya, it puts you in a conflicted position lah it's like you're happy for them but at the same time you're a bit jealous


ya, ya


uh I would say this was I would say around last year where that time would be when I actually, broke up with my girlfriend lah my with my ex at that point of time ya uh I spend a lot of time with her ya and like we put each other quite a high priority in life and we were still quite young


ya and we went through a lot together so when we actually went our separate ways it was quite it took quite a heavy toll on me (ppc) I still remember I was entering a new environment so I had to cope with that so I actually put my feelings aside and like just try to focus


then at the end I didn't get over those like negative emotions and at the same time I didn't do well in school also, so like after that it just made things worse lah ya that putting off dealing with the emotions you just make things worse cause ya that was a very low low low place for me how about yourself


(ppc) uh


to me I think, uh I'd like to take a different take on this question I would say I have had my uh my own experience of being thrown negative words on me, but the thing that I will regret the most will be actually some words that I said to someone else


ya like I still remember this line this was like six years ago and I still regret this line when I said when I said it then I up till today I still haven't forgave myself for it ya so


I had this friend for uh who came from a broken family ya and he was going through a tough time, but he was a bit weird he was a bit out of the norm so like he was uh he was quite active and he liked to insult people he didn't have a lot of friends


(mmhmm) (ppc) so I felt that like cause he was my classmate and he was in my circle of friends so like I dealt with it lah and like turns out that we we turn out quite close after this experience but like I still regretted saying it cause I still remember, at that point of time my I was attached with quite a plump size girl lah I would say ya so like he was like mocking me for that but like it was out of nothing ya uh but I would say I acted out rashly and I said something along the lines of


uh at least someone wants me look at you your parents don't even want you, ya and I was like I was fourteen I didn't really thought things through like but immediately after I said that line I regretted it I'm like !wah! that that definitely hurt him


ya ya, ya, I really regret that what about you


I ah


uh, I think it goes without saying that it's when you see like I think in movies or be in real life I think the most saddest thing would be to see someone part away from their loved one lah


ya, so like it can be anything but like I find that those moments regardless of the characters involved that always hits me different lah ya because to me the most valuable thing will be uh having love


for with with someone be it like uh intimately as a couple or like let's say as a family member or just like friends, ya but like having to part in out of the blue like on uh very suddenly and like when it's a very sad thing it just hit's different lah


ya what about you


okay, (mmhmm) (hmm) uh, okay lah I share


I share those negative experiences with you the one that you shared, but I think from what we've been talking about uh I think it's important for us to embrace the negative experiences that we face in life lah and not let it weigh us down, ya thank you


positive experiences, yes


!wah! best birthday present ah, hard leh I don't get a lot of birthday present leh but okay I think from what I can remember the best one will be so I used to be really addicted in to this titanic movie you know titanic the movie ya


so uh at that point of time I was together with my ex so she actually got me this movie poster, , oh this titanic movie poster, ya real story ya what about yourself,


!wah! biggest blessing in disguise uh I would say, there's a lot but I would think the biggest one would be uh after O levels (hmm) I was aiming to do well and get into one of the top JCs but then I didn't do very well so I just ended up in


the last one lah I ended up the last one but I think that's uh really that's really a blessing cause from there I met different people from different backgrounds ya and eventually I go on to meet and from that experience in


my JC that actually helped me grow to be a better person lah and to understand people better, ya what what about yourself,


(mmhmm)


(hmm) uh, uh comfort food hands down is Prata confirm Prata uh what about for you


and I'm not faking ah Prata I can eat everyday , !wah! really meh


!wah! sinful really sinful , uh, !wah! this one a bit very narcissistic with this question but


I think the most I will say I something I I like the most about myself lah it would be how positive I can be sometimes, ya like I I I myself realize that I would tend to turn any bad situation to a good situation and I think that's a very important outlook to take on life because


there will always be tough times lah so there's no point getting bummed out over small things or like things along the way, because ultimately we live a certain amount of time and I don't want to live that time majority sad or angry you know I'd rather be happy the whole thing what do you what about you


this is a very tough question I haven't found one person that I actually look up to for every aspect in life lah


like I find that there's always different people that I look up to for different things let's say when it comes to school or when it comes to work or when it comes to like maybe like your faith, like there's no one person that actually fits everything and I think that's a good thing cause it just goes to show that no one's perfect lah ya and you can't have everything in life uh what what about you who's yours


(mmhmm) (ppc)


!wah! I praise you for hard work uh , I will say this was back when I was in JC lah cause when I was in JC I was playing football yes this my hobby right uh I was the captain for my team ya so at that at that point of time we weren't really the school had a bad reputation not a bad but a bad track record in the competition lah


we kept losing everything like for the past like four years five years, ya so when I when I got the leadership position my goal from the get go, was to build a very close knit team lah let's say we weren't good right it doesn't matter as long as you all bonded together lah ya so from that from the very beginning even before the juniors came in right after I got my role I started having like


cohesions to small small things like not mad cohesions but like something like oh we can go eat lunch together we go eat dinner together go training before and after that we spend time together and like from, all those small efforts that accumulate and it will pile up you know and it turned out to be a positive experience lah


so when the juniors came in then, everyone was very close knit so it's just we just had to integrate the juniors in you know we didn't have to like, rebuild the bond with the seniors again it was really like just welcoming new children to our family something like that ya and from that positive experience right I have to say that we weren't good that honestly we weren't good as compared to the others but


from that we actually took away two wins like think about it two wins from the past like at least half a decade and I think that's quite impressive lah and like from that like I got quite, uh appreciated and I looked up to lah for that effort what about you,


!wah! perfect day I find this question a bit tricky ah cause different different day I might have a different perfect day uh but today my perfect day will be a rainy day spending time my loved ones


it's like uh, eating my comfort food doing things that we enjoy together simple things lah okay lah my perfect day will be go holiday of course elsewhere maybe somewhere in the mountains maybe switzerland in a cabin cosy


ya ya correct correct you leh


(hmm) very simple lah ya, (hmm) uh, positive experience


ya actually this is quite recently I think you can and you can understand this story, uh, I would say it was the hall experience lah from what I heard ya ya cause going in I was I expect it to be much worse


uh, uh worse as in maybe like I was worse in the sense that I couldn't fit in because a different, I'm a different person lah like from a a lot of people and then I might not fit in to the to the norm ya but then it turned out much much better than expected I felt very welcome and in fact I had take take quite a lot of a lot of close friends from that experience in hall ya and that's the most recent one I can remember what about you


(hmm)


(ppc) !wah!, this one also I don't have a lot of choice leh like very limited lah what, but okay okay , (mmhmm)


uh


for me I think it'll be something along those lines also, ya I find that the nicest things people say always come when you are at maybe one of your lowest in your lives in your life ya so it's like those words of encouragement even though it may be simple things like uh you deserve the best or like


you should put yourself first like these things like put in a different perspective right it means a whole lot more than when you're happy and like talking happily like this lah uh then how about you, what's the happiest moment in your life then,


I I understand how you your experience lah like , eventually it's all about the company more than what you do lah that makes things matter and makes you enjoy the moment even more but I will say the happiest moment will be


I really don't know eh, I would say like spending time with my friends lah ya and I doing nothing but like still like enjoying each other, and then how will you describe one of your most memorable travel experiences, (hmm)


(mmhmm), honestly I remember all my travel experiences because travelling is always fun, but I would say the most memorable one would be uh last year last year in february or march it was still in winter I went to uh Athens greece that was my


first ever time in europe and like I was still that was only my second experience with winter ya but I find that the most it was so memorable because it turned out better than expected ya I think that's what, think that's what made that moment most memorable because I wasn't expecting much from greece but then it was way better ya especially because


honestly it was just like a transit point rather than, a main uh area of attraction so ya then then what's the oddest or most unique compliment you've ever received


, , , I understand


oddest ah uh !wah! this one I have to think first let me think wait uh, oh okay okay okay okay ya this one sounds a bit insulting but it's a compliment at the same time


ya ya uh uh one time I had, somebody oh you so smart ah !wah! so smart for malay I'm like !wah!, no but okay lah I get that's quite a, compliment okay then uh #wong peng# what are you thankful for


I would say it's similar to you it's the things that I'm most thankful now is for the people around, me that I have now ya uh especially like when you go through the tough times it's not about how many acquaintances you have but it's about the support system that's around you ya and recently I went through a tough time lah and like the people around me


helped me to get through it and it just made me appreciate them more lah, ya I think what's most important is you surround yourself with positive energy uh good people people that you admire people that you enjoy to have around because ultimately those people that you spend your life with would be the ones that


make your life a good experience or bad experience lah that's what I feel personally and from the network and people that I have around me right now I'm thankful to be where I am now lah, (hmm)


(ppc) then what do you use to hate as a kid last time but like now when you are much older when you're adult then you have a greater appreciation for it


, uh I that's actually a quite in interesting take but I would think it's similar also it's about like uh reading reading up to better myself and like to read up the news to keep up with current affairs I think these things are


naturally you tend to appreciate it when you get older lah because (ppc) you get wiser you learn more things and you learn how important things can be so this small small things like reading and uh let's say attending like talks to like


I don't know things about like oh mindfulness how is it important, these things that like I actually frown on that I actually frowned on when I was much younger so ya it gave me a much appreciation for this new things and ya I'm thankful for the experience


okay [lah] I think ultimately positivity is how you should approach life because positive thoughts bring positive experiences


financial related topic


uh for me I'll, tell myself five years ago to not to worry so much about spending for the future because, at that age I was still, drawing allowances then it was not a lot but it was sufficient enough and I also tell myself to save as much as I can to prepare for rainy days


then, ya that's about it I guess, uh so, let's move on to the next question should I DIY or get a financial advisor , uh for me


personally, financial advisor, I think it's better if I plan my own finances cause I've been keeping track of my own spendings and it keeps me grounded on my spending habits as well, whether I spend too much on a particular week or some days where I decide I might be splurging


too much, but I can splurge because I know I have saved enough on the previous weeks and perhaps as of now I do not require a financial advisor as I'm still a student, but maybe when I'm working full time and when I'm having issues with regarding


with reaching my financial goals then I'll approach an advisor, uh you Haziq,


of okay , for my cash flow I spend on my essential needs like, food, groceries or my bills, then, for my savings I used to save around fifty percent of my pay


and I had to spend on the remainder to survive, and currently I do not have like any investments going on right now, and as for insurance, uh, the only thing I can think of was like, the life insurance which I sign a very very long time ago


ya then, maybe I will start investing, in the later years to come, how about you


uh for me I work, I work part time jobs or I try to save as much as I can, or I also set reminders on how much I spent, so like let's say a particular week I've notice I've spent too much


or, I I also set like, uh every week I try to spend, maybe like seventy dollars, that kind so if I overshoot that but that that amount just an example if I overshoot that amount than I'll know to save more in the future weeks to come lah


, do you do something like that as well


okay then when have you been, saving like how do you how do you meet your saving goals then


uh, I think I do but I don't use them personally, yes, I just use my notes on my phone, so to kept to keep track of all my spendings and all, yup


for me I think uh I've been spending a lot on food, mainly on food and transport lah I think, like cause dining outside is really expensive and,


I I seldom eat at home cause my family don't really cook, so I have to buy outside and then, uh, sometime I have to go to work also then, transport is is, pretty costly in singapore so think that's where most of my


my money goes to you, ya yes yes okay


uh, okay for me uh, I've yet to do it but


from what I've been thinking through uh for the past few months because I know it's uh in the future kind of thing so I will calculate on how much you want to set aside from your salary I give a percentage uh, sixty percent of your salary you save it then the rest is spent on surviving with the with the rest as much as you can


then calculate how many years you have to pay back your debt, before you make any big purchase so you have to calculate everything very thoroughly like you set aside this, amount of percentage then you count how long you have to spend to repay all everything then can you still survive, that's what I think I would do


uh you, (mmhmm)


yes yes yes I understand, ya,


correct correct uh, so then how do you manage your financial commitments before and, after marriage,


ya I,


ya but one thing is to set uh like uh know what you are saving for, instead of just keep saving like let's say you said uh, holiday correct, so you have to set aside a, a goal or target you can have a joint savings account then make sure you all do not touch that account that's what I would do personally I think


(hmm) then in a, post COVID world then what changes do you think, are making in terms of your spendings or habits, you want to go first ya


(hmm) (mmhmm)


uh for me personally because COVID has forced us to work from home correct so in a sense it's actually possible to get work done without leaving your house, then because of this I believe that, many companies will actually be adopting this working from home if possible


and perhaps, transport cost can be saved, which is one change I see in the spending habits, in a post COVID world, if you can work from home then you can save a lot from transport and then you can cook, from home without actually having to buy uh takeaway rice takeaway food from the outside which can save quite a bit as well


ya that's my opinion personally, then what do you think of the, the FIRE which is financial independence and retire early, what do you think about this thing, (hmm) (hmm) (mmhmm)


for me personally I , uh the word, retire as in the phrase retire early I I don't encourage with that because I don't think retiring is uh is a good, is good because I feel like you if you can move you should work I personally do not like to stay at home


and even if like let's say someday I strike a a big lottery and become a millionaire I will still want to work, I believe that, we should always be working and not staying at home, uh that's what I feel lah then


to achieve financial independence, I believe it's the only possible way is by setting goals, and it's never too late to set a goal of how much you want to see in your bank account, and, you want to if you want to achieve financial independence I believe it's also through hard work as well you have to really research and then


think thoroughly and thoughtfully before you, you decide anything, ya that's how I feel, then Haziq, how do you invest your money to accumulate wealth or plan for your retirement


as of now I do not, I'm not investing as well, uh, and I do intend to invest, once I start, uh as of now because I'm still a student, then once I start working full time and have a bit of, capital then I will start investing but before I do that I will research a lot more on


investing, and try to study, with about investments that kind of stuff, ya, but as of now I I can't really speak much about it cause I do not really know much about it, then, what advice do you think you will give to someone to get him or her out of a debt


no, (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


uh okay I, uh I agree ah with, that you should, I agree with that book now after they said it like to clear the smallest the first but for me I think the best way maybe is to get a financial advisor to help you as much as you can also


maybe that's one possibility, and uh, do you think one should own a credit card, (mmhmm)


for me I also think it's it's okay to own a credit card, if you can manage your spendings, uh and you know you'll be able to repay your debts so, I think it's fine to own a credit card lah, that's for me personally, then uh what advice do you give to someone in order to retire comfortably


ya, ya ya I feel like , uh you should not only plan but you should work as much as you can during your youth and your middle age years, then uh find a for me I, what I would do is I'll find a job that


I'll be satisfied with my pay and if you can't find a comfortable paying job work first with a lower rate and continue to search for another job, that's what I would do in order to, to make my money grow so I can


uh I wouldn't I wouldn't want to retire, but, in order to see my bank account grow lah that's what I will do, ya then, your thoughts on CPF contribution, ya (mmhmm)


ya ya I agree like because the, a small a small percentage of our salary is being transferred to being transferred to the CPF, then because, I think it's a good it's a good scheme


because we can use this money to like let's say buy a house in the future, I guess it's alright ya because in the end it's still our money eventually, just that we don't touch it till we are fifty five if I'm not wrong, ya, then how do you manage your your CPF savings then


and what like what do you what do you do to maximise the CPF savings, (mmhmm)


ya I agree ya


alright alright (uh) thanks for everything


part three negative experiences, yes, uh


so about twelve years ago I actually lost my grandfather, uh he was very close to me and he took care of me since I was just an infant, and when he passed I felt, uh sad, like it's just an immense amount of grief and not wanting to do anything


for even like days after the, funeral I will still think about him, and then the only way which I get over this I got over this grief actually I realise is actually to surround yourself with people, so that you wouldn't feel lonely


uh ya that's, that's about it lah actually what about you have you have you gone through anything, (hmm)


ya, uh actually, a lot of like, a lot of different factors of, how stress I can, like what builds up my stress lah


then like let's say, apart from great stress, uh, I feel like the most, I normally get stressed out about not, being able to adapt to situations or whenever I'm in a new environment


I I don't, I don't think that uh, I'm actually, it takes it takes time for me to adapt to a new environment like that's actually what I'm stressed about, ya for you, (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


uh it's actually, my first day back in my secondary school lah, ya I back then I, I was just twelve going thirteen, and, from what I remember that I was


the only one from my primary school to actually go to a new, environment of this new school which I didn't know anyone, another time I remember feeling very lost very alone, I didn't know who I can actually approach for for for help


uh ya that was actually quite traumatic for me, yup you, (mmhmm) ya (mmhmm)


ya I understand, (mmhmm),


uh, actually it's actually my attitude in life, I believe I'm fickle minded and


sometimes I don't know how long I can stay motivated for something which, which I might actually be wanting for for a long time, uh let's say like, uh I want to earn this amount of money, but then I


I have to work correct in order to earn money but then, after working for a while then, do I actually really need that money, and, but at that time I will be thinking like, wait I'm actually just lazy for not wanting to earn money, so


it's my fickle mindedness lah that I say that, is holding me back from my goals like not just about money or like my school grades that kind of stuff, ya how about you, (mmhmm)


ya understand, , okay so, uh I went out with this girl before, so and I honestly thought it will be more fun


but, it turns out that she actually made plans and had to leave very soon after only meeting me for a short while which I didn't expect, and I was kind of like, hurt by it, you know it's like if you arrange to meet


is like I'm spending the rest of the day with you already, or at least you can tell me a day beforehand that, uh you have to leave earlier that kind of stuff, uh but she told me on the on the day that we met, which honestly


it was just like, a bit sad lah but I I know that I was expecting too much also lah, ya, so that was one time lah that, it turns out not meeting my expectations so ever since then I think I learn to like chill a little more and just let things flow naturally as well


what about you, (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


ya understand, uh


ya, it it kind of I understand like, like when especially when it comes to grades right when you work so hard for it then it it just sucks that your effort doesn't get paid off, for the, like when it doesn't reflect on your grades lah, ya especially when you see your friends


uh getting like, getting the kind of results that you want to also, you feel happy for them lah but it kind of sucks also not getting what you want, ya correct correct correct but then I guess


it's a good experience lor I guess to spur you on, in order to like work harder then knowing what you actually can improve on in terms of your like your studying methods that kind, ya so, describe a time when you felt trapped or helpless


uh for me, I feel actually, when I was very young, uh I saw my parents struggle with money before, but then there was actually nothing I could do I couldn't work part time, I was still an


underage student, and like, I was still drawing allowances from them as well because, they have to give they had to give, in order for like for me to survive mah, but, I couldn't help them with their situation and all I could do was look at them struggle


but that was one time that I felt trapped or helpless lor, so, after I I believe that for all situations I'm actually heals, , like you said for your part I think time actually did heal


along like the flow, uh for me as well also lah, uh so what are the some hurtful words someone has ever said to you, (mmhmm) (hmm)


ya, I guess it's like a moment of impulse filled with like , like anger that clouded your vision and everything that you couldn't think properly then you just said it, ya ya uh some


uh once someone once told me that, I was actually ugly, uh it kind of like hurt my feelings although it's very superficial, you know, uh I don't, I think I'm alright but when actually someone say it to your face then, in a very serious and non joking way it actually does hurt


ya but other than that I I don't I take, insults quite chill like I work towards it uh ya that's about it lor so, uh what's the saddest scene you have ever witness


ya, (mmhmm)


ya I understand uh, for me like the saddest thing, also actually , it's quite similar to yours lor like parting, and that kind of stuff


but another thing I'd like to add on is actually when I see, uh old people struggling, or just walking by around like when I take the bus, then when I see like an old person crossing the road, like slowly although it's already still like


red but he still have to cross the road that kind of just aches me a little bit, actually a lot lah, like not being able to help him that kind of stuff lor, so , that's that's what I feel is kind of sad to witness ya that's about it


(mm) (ppo), anything you like to add on in this like


part two, positive experience, uh Haziq what's your


best birthday present, in like you can remember what do you think is the best one,


ya ya hello, (hmm), okay, uh I also don't get a lot of birthday presents for me but one thing I can remember was that


when I was very very young uh my dad got me a Gundam figure, for my birthday and I don't even watch Gundam, and it was actually fun, uh I have more fun than I expected it's like


ya, so what do you think is your biggest blessing in disguise, ya, (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


uh very very similar to you ah I for me it's actually, uh entering uh my secondary school instead, I felt that in my secondary school I, was quite apprehensive in going in at first but then I was exposed to


a lot of different people from different cultures and different backgrounds and from there I feel like it was a bridge to society because I learned how to interact with different types of people at an age where I was still maturing, so I guess it was a blessing in disguise lah, then


what do you what's your comfort food, like, that will always cheer you up, oh okay, what cheese Prata or what, egg Prata


for me it's actually the uh mcdonald's buttermilk chicken meal, ya, ya bro uh need to have meal lah I need to have the coke and fries and then the burger, that's like the upsize


ya then, uh what do you love most about yourself, (mmhmm)


ya ya, yup, uh for me is, I think that cause I'm an over thinker


then ironically, it's something that I like about myself and something that I dislike about myself as well lah, cause I imagine a lot of different scenarios in my head and ultimately, all my overthinking, and how it play out in the end isn't as bad as how I always imagine


so it's actually that is like one trait, that I think, uh not love, but like, I like about myself lah, (mmhmm), then who do you look up to the most in your life


yup, (mmhmm)


ya ya for me, I don't have it's not a who but it's actually uh two people, it's actually my sisters, so whenever I face like issues in life regardless of the type of the problem I'll ask them for advice because


they are in a different phase of life now and, they are my older sisters so they most likely experienced what I've been through or at least able to understand, and, their advice are really mature and constructive responses which I feel I can actually work on it, to improve myself or to work on the situation


that I'm having issues with lah, so, ya it's actually two people that I, look up to and seek advice the most, from so, uh describe a time when you got appreciated for your hard work, ya anything ah


(mmhmm)


(mmhmm) (mmhmm)


ya ya, (mmhmm) uh


for me it's not it's not like yours where involves a lot of people for me is is like, uh when my when our when my school released our results, then, that where that was when I know my hard work actually paid off


(mmhmm), so like I heard I heard from my sister told me this before, that, uh your school grades is actually a reflection of how much effort you put in, ya which I agree a lot, at first last time I used to think that


like even though if I work hard right, then sometimes you work hard you don't get the results you want, uh which is actually not true, cause, the amount of effort you put in for let's say a particular module is the amount of grade you will get, which I think uh which I


I really got which I felt that lah, in, in my whole school life, so, when I got appreciated like not say appreciated but when I saw my results and I was happy that was when I know my hard work actually paid off lah, ya so


what what's your what's the perfect day for you like, ya, (mmhmm)


ya , cold country correct, ya, for me it actually involves rain as well, but uh it's not a holiday actually it's waking up naturally like on a sunday morning when it's raining ah, then after that you watch videos in a day then you meet your friends for dinner


then you are just, rest and chill all the way till at night then you prepare for the next day I think that that would, that's what a perfect day would be like, so, ya just chill lor, describe a moment when things turn out better than expected for you


oh ya, (mmhmm)


ya, for me uh actually is, the friends I've made in army ah, ya cause honestly when I was first at when I first interacted with some of them, I didn't feel like we'll be close


but then from after, having forced to interact with them, because no choice mah army then I have made many close friends in army who I know will support me in my life decisions lah so I think, like thinking back I would still


I will repeat everything if it's with the same people, that's why I feel it turn out better than expected for me, then , next question what is the nicest thing someone has ever told you,


okay I describe I describe mine first lah so it's actually uh, I have a hard time thinking about this also but, it was when my friend told me that, I deserve the best , like when it comes to a lot of things in life


uh, especially when it comes to your own like well being right, it's always important to know like they actually deserve the best, now that's actually, one of the nicest thing that someone has ever told me, ya you, (mmhmm)


uh , this question also I had had a hard time thinking but but happiest moment is, like when I'm out with my friends and having fun, I think, like everytime we go out is another happier moment another happier moment


although some days it's a a bit meh lah but then, there are some days where it's actually quite, happening and actually quite, fun to go out with my friends, that's what I would describe as happiest moments you


agree okay


ya, uh, last year when I actually travel to australia with my family


then that was actually quite memorable because I've never been to australia before, and then uh we've been to we went there for nine days and we went to two different parts of australia, Melbourne and then Sydney it was actually pretty chill and it was,


it was it was during their winter as well, so the weather was great everything was great, and it was having and we were just having fun with my family, ya you, ya


, ya, ah , it's not uh it's not a compliment I think but last time very long ago when I held the lift door for someone


then she replied me with thank you very much, then like , !whoa! that's too much of a thanks, like who who would say thank you very much just to hold the lift door you know what I mean ya, for you


oh


ya, uh for me quite easy I'm very thankful for my family and my circle of friends I have right now in my life, I think that's one of like the biggest biggest biggest like uh things I'm grateful for lah is my family and friends


(mmhmm) you,


(mmhmm)


ya, ya


(mmhmm) ya, uh honestly


I can't really think of anything that I used to hate as a kid which I love right now uh hate is a very strong word also but I guess uh I used to, dislike watching the news


ya but then now as I grow older I I rather watch the news more than cartoons which I used to love as a kid ya then, the news these days also very entertaining there's like so much drama around the around everywhere in the world so I guess the news is something that I actually


don't mind watching, for a long period of time, what about you,


ya, I I guess it's, uh, I guess it's it's good to be like thankful for, a lot of things in life lah and be appreciative of what we have right now


uh, anything is anything else you want to add on, yes


I agree as well


part one financial related topics, , so right now err err I'll go with the financial advice you give yourself five years ago


so I guess the financial advice I will give myself five years ago would be investing just basically invest in something get a passive income, so, you'll get money ah right now, what do you think


(hmm)


what I think if someone like, yeah err I think if someone actually went back in time or like, five years ago tell you, about like investments or like, financial security or something


actually we won't really care, but, I think it's still be beneficial for us, yeah


like, , yeah and then like you keep in the bank I mean five years ago I would think it would be like, safe but right now you keep in the bank, the interest is quite low


and like quite useless actually you should keep it where the bank keeps their money, in terms of where they invest your money ah since bank also invest your money, I don't think we need to do this structured but yeah uh


so do you have any financial advisers, for you,


same same ya cause we, because we not working right so like, the need is not really there, but, I guess once you start working you have to think ahead already, err uh


right yeah, how how do you manage your cash flow ryan, err yeah, like do you do you save or like everything goes to expenses


but if we


then (hmm), I feel like I don't spend as much even though if I try to like somehow, you tend to be more thrifty after you you you spend like one big sum right, like I say one day you go out then the next day most probably you will just stay at home cause you try not to spend as much on the activities that requires require like


a lot of money


right right yeah I guess so, like you naturally, you naturally save if you don't go out cause we don't really splurge on, branded items or like do like fancy stuff


much ah at least, well I've tried, investing I guess in like


FOREX and, other, avenues but didn't really turn out well I guess the best way to go is, passive income, like I've read a lot about it


I didn't put the effort into it, , like what is it audiobooks and stuff but then again the market for it is not that, big, having passive income not supposed to be a lot of money ah but you got to start somewhere just didn't bother trying it cause the


figure wasn't in, enticing


(hmm) what what what do you think about FIRE


the retirement, remember the one we were talking about reach financial independence, err retire early


what , okay I say it's important, I read I read this article recently the like a woman spent, two bucks a day, for like sixteen years and then she retired at like thirty thirty two thirty six mid thirties and then yeah


with like a income of, three thousand a month because she rented eh she bought three apartments, and then rented it out, constantly ah so it was quite cool to like I mean like to think about retiring


in your thirties and, not worry about money, yeah well I mean like you suffer for sixteen years but yet you err, I mean ah


yeah it's not that great but it the the two dollars is not the important part like imagine if you you live on like ten dollars a day it's still doable, and then, and then invest your money in like apartment


financial, independence retire early, yeah that's everyone's best scenario


yeah but it, uh, if you retire early then what are you going to do, cause like, , when you have financial independence then you you think about it lah


yeah, big ticket is the marriage right, err I guess


you have to make it a habit lah, so, every month just try to save a certain amount or get a financial adviser if you don't really know what you're doing cause I don't know what I'm doing so I can't give advices on it


yeah so ya you should you should get someone to plan it out for you or have like a plan at least, don't think you can do it and then just, go along go with the flow cause, highly likely it's not going to work out there will be road bumps that will


cause you, some problems with for err ya financially ah, (mmhmm)


right yeah, yeah like for this like now ah for for COVID


what, actually I don't really need to bother about buying a house, what yeah


no as in my house is listed so like I I have it until like a certain year so like two thousand, eighty or something but then I have to give it to the government ah but by then I'm already like, old enough to not give a care


I mean like think about your children ah my children but besides that yeah, that is true (hmm), but not uh yeah I guess so


but then like you need to take care of parents also, so, (mmhmm) yeah that's true, before and after what oh


I don't know about after marriage yeah but before marriage quite freely, cause, you are taking care of yourself and like your parents and maybe your spouse but, or your significant other but like you don't have to think so much about it after marriage you have to think more of like


bills, like education for your, children, like a lot more so I think right now you can be more cavalier with your expenses


down payment right, you mean even like furniture and stuff, but that it's like, kind of a one time thing, but it does cost a lot, !whoa!


oh paynow yes of course I use paynow it's the most convenient, form of, transfer money transfer, you mean like uh, paynow you straight from phone to phone paylah uses an external wallet


so you transfer it to the wallet and then you transfer it from that wallet you transferred to the other person's wallet, that that's the only difference I I know ah, which is more inconvenient ,


you you got to diversify and like hit all target audience I guess, but I know paylah you got like some, like other kind of, features yeah I think discount or something like that


ah that's that DBS one right, the phone app one right, yeah I using the


oh that's that's the investment one is it,


but I think once like all of this, paynow paylah kind of renders the ATM kind of useless, cause like it's so convenient, like unless you need cash, but everything yeah same


like work places now, starting to like, kind of go cashless they trying to make singapore cashless in like what a decade or so


like last time you go out you used to have like, a few, like at least fifty or sixty minimum in your my wallet but now like I don't really care cause, everything goes by card yeah same , so now err uh (hmm)


yeah err no I I never use my phone, I don't don't trust the phone yet , yeah, have have not used the phone yet, , grab no I don't use grabpay I use I use it I use grab only for the


food delivery like as an external wallet, but, is it cashback right`


no ah but I haven't tried it yet because there was no need for me to try, I think it cashback they meant by like you spend ten dollars you get ten points


and that is ten cents so technically cashback, by spending, it's you still have to use it, yeah


I think it's just discounted for your next purchase maybe, I think lah same err it's a, thought ah like where your money go, what's your thought on CPF


yeah, , are are are you pro pro or, against it against it,


there's I think I think for like the saving part is kind of, good, it's just the how do you get your money back after a certain age kind of sucks


yeah, but I I think the major components of your life like housing and stuff you can use CPF right, it's just


like once you hit like maybe a certain age that you want to enjoy the cash it's not like the government telling you how when to spend it or how much you spend per month is kind of, stupid


I try to like that like when we were planning the trip


uh, but there was a certain amount per month that I'm supposed to save, didn't really go that way I tend to do better under pressure so, you should for that case I kind of, save all during that last few months


oh ya ya ya that's why I, I just spend at my own own will cause like technically you can gauge how much you spend a month by how how many times you go out and stuff


so I don't really care unless I made like some big purchase or, go out and spend on people then I don't I don't really care cause within the next month you get like, a sufficient amount to cover up what you spent for the previous month


what about you


right err do you own a credit card, do you think, do you think everyone should own a credit card


but there's no point in credit cards right like if you have you are able to spend, oh rebate ya rebates I get, flyer miles is it,


in (ppl) I don't think (ppl)


part three negative experience


I guess I think I told you this before the loss of a friend, yeah so that's the the one that sticks out the most ah, like your helplessness to, you you know you could have done something but you didn't


and you shouldn't blame yourself but, it it you still can't help it I guess so I think death death is one of the the biggest loss in my life


, (hmm), (ppc)


right, (hmm)


oh I had I had a same experience with that in terms of the first close relative death I also didn't cry and I think kind of had the same thoughts on why but I guess you don't really understand


the concept or you just you are just in disbelief at that point of time so maybe that's why I didn't cry or maybe that's why I didn't cry at least that's why I think so,


what , next the most common one is having a lot of things to do, err and then, you don't know how to do most of it so it's basically like if you have a lot of things to do and you know how to do them then you can just get on with it the what makes me stress is when


you're you're given task or like are you're you're having to do a few stuff that you don't know how to start doing it and then it kind of piles on with a deadline so that that's the thing that makes me the most stress recently


(mmhmm)


though, right right


, you're helpless, do you have anything that comes to mind


, yeah


right


think for me when you talk talk about army I guess when I I felt helpless when you can't help someone else when I can't help someone else so, the the first thing that came to mind was err


when someone had to be sent to DB or detention barracks then you have to take care of them the night before they were charged so like you have to so it's like for me cause I had to I was a sergeant so I just had to just be in the


office during the when one of the men was being charged so I had to like take care of them cause duty officer eh duty sergeant so you just have to make sure they don't try to escape camp check in on them and then you can see them breakdown sometimes


like you know it is like a permanent mark on your record and stuff so they kind of show their true like who they are lah like their true emotions like they call their parents and stuff and then some of the charges weren't that short so


you know like it's kind of intense, then you see them just like give up after awhile,


saddest scene


okay I heard this while I was taking,


so so she didn't know, for like at least a few more days or a few more weeks is it,


yeah, I feel like I tend to block out, like negative memories in my, life so when you're, when we are talking about the saddest scene I don't really have anything that comes to mind


most probably there is but I just can't recall it at this point of time, , yeah so I think we'll just move on first then if there is I'll bring it back


oh, , nothing you did was good enough


, depression or something


and, and you also know that even though you are trying your best you are still not like you don't feel what they feel so you cannot justify your


like when you say I know how you feel or something like that or trying to know how you feel anything, yeah, (mmhmm)


(hmm)


uh yeah I guess so, do you have any phobias and how do you overcome them


phobia of failure I think, (mmhmm)


that's fear right fear of failure for me ah, think I got phobia of roller coasters is that a phobia or is it a fear, yeah was like forced onto one and then I didn't like it and then I haven't took one until now


(mmhmm), do you have anything that comes to mind


I think mine mostly is I guess people closest to you that will hurt you the most so it's most probably most likely family, and even though they don't mean it, you kind of take it to heart, with like the words they say


(uh huh), so it's like mostly negative comments on your like day to day life or maybe you didn't do well in something and then, a word kind of, comes out like useless or maybe something else ah


err and then that kinds of kind of affects, me


mean something, what


for them it's like a passing statement right,


but it's uh yeah I understand what disgust you, yeah uh snakes uh one and only thing


, for me I think bigotry and, this ya it kind of disgust me like when someone


spews out nonsense when they have no knowledge on it where they just go, they go on just they put emotions over facts that yeah they don't they don't use logic yeah


that kind of disgust me and even though you understand where they're coming from, just can't help hate them well not hate them lah disgust disgusted by their train of thought like they you don't take a step back to like understand the situation


(hmm) (hmm)


uh in a post COVID world what are some of the worries and anxieties that you face


, like won't go into another field of work


earning ,


they have their they have your best interest at heart but like they don't understand that this is just like a short term thing


just , yeah, but I have to figure out things for myself not like have someone tell me


that way right


err


I guess that's the case for friends, err you (hmm)


oh with friend you think


for me ya regrets not staying in contact with a lot of people, just because like you don't talk to them doesn't mean you can't like like you don't see them in person doesn't mean you can't connect with them, , I think regrets always goes back to study


like you always get could have done better or at least I could have done better but but there were always like different things that were different distractions at every stage of your life and I kind of went with the distractions


which did cause some yeah we did we which did cause some effects, in the long run but looking back I won't really change it because I kind of am happy with where I am now


okay


part two positive experience, err you want to go first ryan what's your, what's twenty twenty's best like your most positive experience in twenty twenty


in US is it


yeah, cause you have friends a lot with you right like everyone is in the same, boat


`, , ya still got some sort of


, twenty twenty is kind of stagnant for me but I think there are positive, experiences, stop working and just


relaxing at home cause , cause my work was quite long like my previous job had like long hours, so, not not like going out everyday and working and just relaxing at home was kind of


kind of a good experience for me it's just doing what I want any time of the day ya taking a break after awhile, it not that much ah but twenty twenty hasn't been, such a, uh


buy anything you want with, I just spend your money without really caring like I mean of course you care lah but, there's like some burdens lift off, from your shoulders cause you like know, that, you will just earn the money next month like within the next few weeks you earn again and then you you you're back on track


, oh fried chicken, fried chicken's the best fried chicken's the like ice cream and nuggets ah, oh


popeye's, I think it it varies lah err based on, what you yeah what you have eaten a lot, oh debatable


you answer this first I need to think about it , lebron ah


I mean because safe the safe the safe answer's your dad lah but let's not go with that answer that's like a bailout answer


oh right right


that's true , but if it's outside family, I'll say like maybe trevor noah, cause his like


perspective on life is much more, outside the box, he's err able to express himself without, like affecting or like insulting people but still getting your point across


and he's also like well versed in a lot of topics, yeah like you know most people argue with uh, just base knowledge or like surface knowledge at least you have to know about the like you know more about the topic before you


defend yourself or defend the topic or explain the topic to someone else, so yeah I guess trevor noah for me, (ppc), yeah yeah yeah


what's yours , !whoa!


wait what you hate last time but like now is it I I I got something else but it's opposite, so I hate I I, I like cheese last time, and then now ah I don't know why yeah cause like some weird taste buds


things you don't like ketchup now, oh I I like ketchup when I was young now I like chilli, you know it's err happy


I have, ya I'll say I'll say Okinawa but that is not really a


oh but it's travel right it's not really holiday, yeah I guess Okinawa some you'll experience like the culture from like a, students' standpoint, you are you are you are not you are not going to a country as a tourist you are going there to like actually learn


or like work so, it has a different you have a different environment around you, you get in touch more with the culture so it's much more, enriching


I think it, cause it's technically I'm working right so I wake up, err and it's the place that I stayed at was quite a, rural area, so I'll I'll wake up, internship ah it's an internship


so I'll wake up and technically go to work which is like go into a the office and work for until, about three or four PM, and then dinner and then but by the time dinner is over it's quite dark so you don't really do much so you just hang out with like the students


uh, play some games or like go fishing, yeah, ya right and then and the place that I was at like was like like two hundred metres away from the ocean so


was like a very relaxing, positive experience, yeah oh yeah they brought us there, that was quite, there's like whale sharks got to feed the whale sharks, yeah like we went in back at the back and and like actually touched the whale sharks


yeah got, like some old man brought us out to the ocean, fish lah what else , oh no no no as in the whales is in the aquarium we didn't go to the sea to see whales


no no no no no, what about you what's your favourite travel experience,


right, like somewhere near, cheap


oh shit, did you lose anything


oh right right yeah, how much was it did you get no lah oh a day


wait how how many days did you lose your luggage for, ya it's free oh right yeah, wait so you spend hundred dollars on clothes is it


, as in what what do you spend on, , not bad


oh I'm thankful to be alive in this day and age of COVID


I mean like you see US ah two hundred thousand, quarantine right


thank you thankful for your family is it , !wah! not bad ah very, , family man they're family man, (uh huh)


I ya I guess I think it's all the small things lah, it's projects your grades, your


what was the question ah, ah, but I feel like we were taught to always, to not be over ambitious like not


think too much of the future so our standards are not really very high, so, whatever we get we are we are kind of thankful for, in a sense


, last ah


like they all put effort in is it, oh right right ah, I think I'm the opposite of you ah and that , uh oh


!wah! I had this pineapple tart cake, that ya, that's a nice cake no but but it wasn't like a birthday cake it was like someone gave it to me as a present ah, it wasn't for a celebration or anything like they made it then they gave it to me it was like kind of cool


uh err, you know pineapple tart, in a cake size it, yeah no no it's one big one with my like name on it it was very hard to eat because like all the pineapple


paste was in the centre yeah I took like one bite then like okay cannot already, this is the most this is the first thing that comes to mind, not so recent, I think cause birthday I spend most of the time


eh you don't mean that you don't know me that well then , what's your what's your one


not not be a spoiled brat is it , yeah yeah


right yeah, , !wah!


actually that depends with who, so, group of friends most probably meet, later in the day, maybe like dinner movie


and then, some recreational activities , ya just just just relax like you haven't meet, people or talk face to face in a while so I guess that will be the first thing or eating a buffet


I think I miss buffet a lot, yeah, like just unlimited food, kind of situation, yeah, since what since the thing


like I try not try not to eat out ah, yeah I know but but I like try not to cause of my parents and stuff, ya uh ya


but this is the scenario after COVID not phased out, what about yours, is it yeah


, is it still they still close early right, ten thirty or something


so ah like bars and restaurants are ten thirty is it, right


yeah oh yeah I want to go concert also after this COVID thing ends, I mean I got the tickets hopefully it just goes well


I was reading the same one ah, happiest moment is when, oh, I don't think there's like one specific one there are multiple happiest moments, for


honestly there wasn't any, right, the happiest it's like happy moment a lot happiest moment I didn't like, rank them according, to how much I felt about it, so it's like happy moments could be like finishing army


graduating, err getting good results ya milestones getting good result getting a job first job, or like, what others O level result wasn't


wasn't too happy wasn't, like, I was just happy that I made it after minor setbacks in secondary schools, , ya it's


I think you are happy just to move on and not like be on the other end of the spectrum where you didn't make it cause there were people who did not make it, yeah same same cause of the


was it the prelims right everybody failed, so, , that you can remember of at this point of time


say [lah] yeah, actually same for me [ah] me also in that in that sense of telling your parents


part, one financial relate topic


I think, ya I would say I will agree with that regarding the passive income maybe like five years ago we are still like, student so we don't think so, big picture so it'll be good to actually, try to like start early maybe spend less also


have more savings and, find a way to like, earn some money,


a taste also better than just like, keeping it somewhere with no with like a low interest maybe like try to do something about it and even then like five years ago you don't think like, so long term you just want to like go out with your friends or whatever that kind of stuff `


yeah


okay, shall we move on to the next question, okay, personally, I don't but


I think maybe once I start working then I will try to like, take a deeper interest in like looking for someone, who can like, even if like personal insurance also like I think currently I just rely on my mum see what she like recommends so I just


ya so I'll leave it up to her, ya because, currently is like not working then


the amount also like relatively stagnant other than, like allowance and whatnot but then, once you get your own money then, you must be more independent like try to make your own decisions


manage my cashflow , I try not to be so rigid with, like my finances like, just keep in mind like


have an active, understanding like okay I should not, spend more than I should like maybe, maybe if I spend a bit more on this day then I like okay maybe the next week I, try to spend less but I don't like concentrate on the figure so much I never go and like


calculate my expenses like this month I, spend X amount what about you, (mmhmm)


ya but I think, it also depends on like, how we have been living I think like we've been, inculcated with this like, personality to like not spend so thrifty cause like our group of friends also don't, spend a lot


so maybe like everyone like about the same amount so we can like, roughly about the same ya, (ppc) yeah, (hmm)


what can you do to earn extra income, or improve your income level,


need


I think that that's one area I also I plan to, try to like study a bit more next time currently like, I don't I'm not willing to take such a, big risk also with like with my savings cause, the amount that's flowing in is not like


a lot so I don't want to, try and, take too much of a risk maybe next time when, more income at like a steady pace then I can, decide to like invest more also


what do I think about FIRE, what's FIRE, where did you see this, , financial independence why don't you save us


can you save us, (mmhmm)


oh but she lived on two dollars a day, , what kind of quality of life is this, (mmhmm)


what does FIRE stand for again, oh the ideally that will be the best ya lah but I think it's, when you are young also you should work


I mean I cannot think so far ahead, until like retirement but ideally, unless you have like a family, then, it will be good to save and, retire early I guess,


that's, that's a problem for later ah, yeah when I, when I get there then I, yeah now I don't want to look so far ahead also , what strategies would you recommend to someone planning for their big ticket expenditures


like buy car buy house start a family, (mmhmm)


I think even, even before someone has, like let's say if I want to buy a car, but, I think everyone on their own should have like a rainy day fund also, so you can like set aside X amount let's say if I


start a family then I cannot like oh once I like meet this person then I start to save I think you should always have some, amount like set aside, at least like an X dollar of, like set aside


so like you don't use all your savings, that kind of thing, ya so, ya lah for everything basically


but actually the buy the house but, I also not very sure with the what's, because you are single child, so you so you can just


ya, that's like the, ya lah but if you have if you get married you should like get a BTO


, how yeah ask them to move in ah get one extra room, how


how do you manage your financial commitments, before and after marriage, marriage


I think even after marriage also you have to, then payoff like the housing loan, pay, probably preferably get like a car


uh so, we can also talk about paynow do you use paynow,


paynow and paylah what's the difference ah


then why then why they make both apps for what, but actually the paynow app is quite err


features ah, the paynow app I use is the, POSB digibank, then, ya but mine is under POSB but POSB and DBS


is linked, I ever click around then they have like, actually you can like do trading stuff also, on that app, ya but they're all like, situated in one app so you can just click around


and then they have like FX rates also and other stuff quite good, if you nothing to do you can go and see next time


unless you need cash, I've actually been to some places that don't accept cash, then have to like oh use my phone use the


personally also I've been trying to, I try not to like keep as much cash, cash on me


now have zero , like sometimes I go out I don't even bring my wallet I just use my, my phone, use the apple pay or whatnot, there's some, the and google pay is it


what about like grabpay all that do you use that


the err, ya but the grabpay has some benefits also like, I think you pay through the app, then they give you discounts on like cabs, or food, I don't think it's cashback ah I think it's just


discounts or maybe points or something, how does the, how does the cashback thing even work ah I've tried it ah but I don't know how to get back my money,


but then the cash, is not accredited back to my account right it's on like the phone app, thing, like shopback or something I've tried it a time but I don't know where the hell my monet went,


oh okay ah ya after this I go and check need to find out where is this going, what's my thought on CPF, got enough time or not no I kidding uh my thought on CPF I actually against


but it's not like something I feel very strongly about like, since the government implemented this then I don't I have no choice so I don't think so much about it but personally I will not, enforce and try to like, tell people how to spend their money


it's not like your money to, it's also hard to


put a number around it like, how do you know at what age this person, needs the money, I mean certain things you can pay through CPF but, ideally like, you will want your own money with you at all the time and have like the freedom to make your own decisions


but, I mean saving saving is also good lah maybe we'll like appreciate it further in the long run, can


how do you ensure you meet your saving goals do you like set a, target every month, like yeah,


so that time, since so that time you were still working so did you like, you get your, you get your salary then you put aside the money or you just put all inside than just spend at your own will, (uh huh)


I also, I don't fixate on the amount not like X dollars, I think I I would like to think I have some self discipline, but, I mean more often than not that is true but, there are I'm sure there are months where I like burst also


yes, err oh but it's a sub card ah, it's it's yes I think, I think if you spend a lot of money


, if you spend like very little a month like small purchases then probably not, rebates oh rebates, cash rebates or like if you like to fly then you have


membership flyer miles, okay the conversation is ending (ppl), maybe you you now start another topic


part three negative experiences, , have you gone through any loss in your life, if you have describe the emotions


at that point of time and how did you deal with that loss


for me I will always remember, like the first funeral I ever, went to as a kid, so I when I was younger I was very close to one uncle, so uh , I still remember like


the connection we had was because, when I was, I was always been the youngest on like both sides of my family, so I remember the first time I got a phone, then I always , like pester people like message them because I got a phone but actually got no one


to talk to, but then I got one uncle who will always reply me so it's that uncle then sometimes when I was younger he will like reply me but then he was a, smoker, so when I was about primary four I think, then he passed away but then


at that point of time also you are like very young so you don't, , it's not very easy for you to be like emotional about certain, things I I also don't know why but, ya but I remember when I went to the funeral I didn't cry or


but even, like it didn't like dawn upon me until like the cremation, but, then after that I cried but then, I also I've always wondered like why, I didn't like cry at the funeral even though I felt this


yeah


what makes you what makes you stressed


I think mine is, also similar like if I have a lot of things on my checklist, but I feel like I have to like learn a lot of things then it can get very daunting then I just, like, phase out as like afraid something like afraid to take on the challenge but


it's something you know you have to do eventually but you always, dread doing it and feels very stressed about, it, like even if I, let's say if I have something due tomorrow but I go out I cannot like , I have like I always have it in the back of my


mind, like okay for even if I go out to this time, I have to set aside one hour when I go back so I can, ensure like I go back nicely and not guilty or, that kind of thing,


describe a time when you felt trapped or helpless, when when I was in the army


not really lah but, I think what something I struggled with is, I've never been someone who likes, being told what to do, like if it's about the work then it's fine because, that is just a means to an end like productivity but I think one thing I felt


like, very uncomfortable with was, they tell me like I have to eat by this time, and have to sleep at this time have to, go home come back at this time, it felt very like restrictive about, my freedom even like something


like it was like basic human rights I mean it's just army but, is it had like a culture, shock to me at the start I like couldn't take it


so what's the process like


emotions


describe the saddest scene you, you ever witnessed, actually the saddest scene I, ever witness was not too long ago actually it's not really


okay so what happened was, remember that time when my dog, pass away, ya so I still remember like the day that I had to, cause I was sleeping then my sister called me so she got a call from the doctor then doctor said the vet


the vet said like I have to put my dog down to, sleep, but as in I kind of expected it because it was a whole week of events, but then I had to tell my maid about it, so my maid was, very close to my dog what because she took care of my dog but then


I think that day she was expecting to bring my dog home, so she was very excited like she prepare all the, the bed like wash the bed clean the toys, but then I had to go and, tell her that


for we couldn't bring my dog back cause we have to go to the vet and actually put my dog down, then, I still can remember like when she cry, then I have to like, comfort her and hug her, that kind of thing so it was quite sad


like she didn't she was actually expecting to bring my dog home, from the vet, correct like just to like, give her like goodbye that kind of thing but then the dog the vet recommended that we just


put my dog down instead because, like it's suffering so you don't want to prolong, the suffering just because, or you want to spend like an extra day or what, but then I had to tell my maid then my maid, she cry then I had to like


comfort her then we all went to the vet together, so that was probably, the saddest scene I've witnessed, yeah


describe a time where you feel nothing you do is good, enough, maybe, sometimes also like, I think


the best way to answer this question is probably when someone close to you gets, like upset or, like someone you care a lot about is feeling some some way then you, ya then you try to help them but


they shun you away say you don't understand but, you try to understand you try to convince them of your perspective but they don't, they still don't see your way


ya like, at the end of the day they they are the ones in that position so you, as much as you try to empathise you also don't really, know, what they are feeling at that point of time despite what you think


then you cannot really do anything about it for me if I'm, if I like have a problem I always think of the solution, try to like solve it straight away but, sometimes I think they just want to like grief, for a period of time


phobia


I think my phobia is, as in I don't have any, like fear of heights fear of this fear of that, for this kind I don't really have, but, maybe like my fear is maybe next time don't have enough money


or something like that, like also don't want to disappoint your, family or something that would be probably the biggest win like fear not exactly a phobia but


my phobia is very extreme, I don't know but not roller coaster same lah


what are some of the hurtful words someone said to you that you wish to forget, I I I I think


ya most probably the same, , ya because for me I'm some someone who, like values words more, like if someone say something, maybe to them it's just like a passing comment but sometimes I like can remember


cause, as though err for me like words actually, carry some carry some weight cannot like just anyhow say, like, like let's say if I get in a fight then I like an argument I always, think first before I


say so, maybe like when I was younger like my my parents, all this say something then, to them it's like oh how how come you still can remember this I just, maybe that time I angry only then I just say


like sometimes out of anger maybe ya they finish work or, what then they very tired then they just like cannot take it but then in my back of my head is like oh I remember you said this this this this this, but honestly I don't hold it against


them but, sometimes you cannot forget also, disgust me snakes,


what about not a fan, (mmhmm)


like they don't use logic that kind of thing


but yeah, think some people quite emotional so, they get very like irrational sometimes, they they feel like, oh because I'm feeling this way than I have a right, to certain perspectives but they don't ya but sometimes it's


they don't want to take a step back and, say oh, maybe if I see it from the other person's, perspective I can understand why they are acting like that


post COVID world maybe I like now the job market is a bit tough because of COVID but, like maybe post COVID


like you try to tell ourself oh maybe because of, COVID that's why I cannot get a job but, but maybe after that then, be like oh !wah! really very hard maybe I need to study something else or yeah like thing I


something I don't want to do is like to do something like, not interested or just for the sake of, money like, it's like, I mean outside like the people close to you sometimes, they just like want you to have money to


to support yourself but, they don't really care what field you are in, like only you know what, you want to do, so sometimes they make a lot of noise like, oh go and find a job but then


you are like oh but I don't really want to do this I don't really want to, do to do that, like they have they just want you to be yeah they want you to be like, like let's say they something like IT is trending than they like why don't you go and do IT


but then it's like oh that's not what I study I can't just like, swap like that it's not like I want to do this not like I don't want to make money or what but, at least like, let me do what I want to do even though you have like my best interest at heart you cannot just like


like at the end of the day it's my life I'm the one working, but don't, like you don't want to, let them down also but you


need to have like a mind of your, own too, is there something in your life that you regret


maybe (mmhmm) like, school or a friend, or never say bye never send some mail


actually I have one regret but it's, a bit trivial so there was once, I had this friend who was migrating to the US, but then I think at that at that age I changed class


so I wasn't very close but then, I decided not not to send him off, but mhy hindsight I always regretted like not staying in contact with the person, (mmhmm)


ya I also think so, I also think studies


part two positive experiences, okay uh


my most positive experience, would probably be, because I was supposed to travel so even though I was supposed to, stay in Buffalo for, almost five six months, I'm in the US basically


but even though I had to come back within like two and a half months I think that was probably the, best experience I had of twenty twenty yeah cause, it's also like living on my own or like with my friends


so you have like the, independent independence to like, do what you want to do sometimes, you know you always think about like living on your own but then you don't really get the chance, to so at least you know like you can do it and, you also had the there's also like the fun along the way


with like the, ya like, I had my friends with me then I had I can like, I can just like do whatever want to do, to just don't have to answer, come back and say and explain myself don't have to can buy what I want to buy


I mean not like uh use anyhow spend money but, ya that's, and then also it's also a different culture so, like you learn also and you can appreciate what is, what about you


like taking a break from, what do you miss most like what, what, what happen while you were working that you could not do during the break


who's that yeah right


what is a comfort food that you can always rely on to, cheer you up I eat chicken not ice cream ah, disgusting uh


fried chicken what's your favourite fried chicken, !huh! really, popeye's ah I think jollibee nicer I think


okay never mind next one, who in your life do you look up to most and why


who do I look up to most ah I maybe ah Lebron or maybe my dad also lah, that's a seems like a more practical answer, outside from my family then


probably like Lebron like someone who, is skilled in their own work in their own field but also like, takes the time out to do social initiatives also like activism, it's like a role model that kind of


thing I think, that's what like sets him apart in my eyes like someone who, gives back to the community then like role model to his children, that kind of thing so probably that what about you why do you not have an answer


ah


like like well read ah, (hmm)


ya I think one of the things about trevor noah also is like, even though he, from what I've seen like even though he disagrees with, certain opinions he doesn't say it like condescendingly, like he knows how to


in a sense agree to disagree but like, not in a spiteful way something like quite graceful with the way he conveys his message, what do you used to hate as a kid but now love as


an adult, I I used to hate to eat mushrooms, but, but as an adult I started to like eat, then I like eh actually quite nice


yeah, oh I also have the opposite don't worry oh, but now you don't now you don't like, mine was mine was ketchup


no I don't think that is the question , okay what what was


your most memorable travel experience, is it your Okinawa one would you say that, ah


you can just say that lah


so what was like your day to day in Okinawa like, I don't think I've ever asked you this


you were working ah (mmhmm)


go fishing, oh because Okinawa is by the beach right, so you went fishing ah


there's a aquarium there also right, in the aquarium !wah! that


did you like sail out, to to the ocean to do what fishing oh, I don't know maybe like see the whales lah


but, never not like the big big whale, ah I think, probably the one I went, to europe with my family I think it was like twenty twelve or thirteen


so we went to london then, we went to Barcelona, but it's memorable for like different reasons, like london I think it was one of the, it's like the furthest we have went together as a family, so it was something new some cause normally if you


travel around like asia you go like, Bangkok whatever so it's like, it's more of the same all the time, ya and also like different weather then, also something funny happened like when we went to Barcelona then they like lost our luggage


so so we were like oh what's going on here but after that like, they managed to find it lah but it's like uh something I'll always remember, like they had to give us, no they actually sent it, on another on on another flight so it went to like the wrong place then it was delayed for like a few days so they gave us like an allowance to spend


then we just buy whatever we want to, buy then they, think it's like a hundred dollars a day, yeah, I think so if I remember correctly, two days I think


not a lot of days but still you know, like the first day is a bit of a shock cause you like have some clothes you set aside, but then you like oh I got nothing don't even have, I think it's anything ah like allowance like shoes also you probably


I think, just like basic clothes necessities pyjamas also probably, then, ya but eventually they ya all came lah the, it's not not too bad what else what is


what are you thankful for, , that's true, I think like when I came back from the US


then I was, cause I had to be quarantined in the hotel then I see like, my family keeps sending me stuff that I like, oh, yeah so probably that's my, answer uh


describe a moment when things turned out better than expected, I think probably just like uh, majority of the projects all do in school,


like sometimes when you do the project then like, a lot of people have different opinion some people don't want to contribute, but then when it comes to, deadline day than everyone suddenly step up to the plate then once you look back you're like eh actually not


not too bad, a moment when things turn out better then expected


I think it depends for me like certain aspects, if it comes to like work or school I like, set a high bar so I like, cause I don't have the habit of, submitting things that I don't like, so I always want to


like not say don't like err probably like, like not proud of you know you submit then you have like regret then I don't like the feeling,


what is your what was your best birthday present and why, that's our present that's a cake, uh right right right


it's a pineapple what cake, (uh huh), so it's a lot of pineapple tarts or is it one big pineapple tart, that's crazy confirm confirm sore throat


this is your best birthday present, when was this is this recent, I didn't even know you eat pineapple tart,


I don't ever, I don't feel like I have a best birthday present, but, something that I always remember about my birthday presents, is that, my family always asked me what I want then I will just say like from young but I always try to like not to ask for something so expensive


!aiya! not like a brat or something just like something manageable, like, so normally when I was younger it always rotated around like the games, like let's say if I got an X box than every subsequent birthday will just be like one game one game one game one game so I always have like something in mind


but I even though it's, like not very, surprising I still like remember it fondly, like it's the routine of choosing and telling when they buy,


describe your perfect day, let's say COVID, ended like there's the vaccine then what would be your, first full day out like your activities


let's say a group of friends, , just like chill


, really


eating ah eating have you eaten out after since phase two, actually now you have to sit down, people just take out the mask and,


but I think buffet also, probably not the most, hygienic way to, go right right right right right, I think I just miss watching, movies


probably like having drinks with, my friends, go out don't need to think so much, you know like, this place close this time cause of certain rules, food is ten eh drinks are at ten thirty food normal time but


yeah err restaurants if they are serving food they can serve past, ten-thirty I think but bars and what cannot, like their drinks and the alcohol have to, stop at ten thirty , but but a lot of places are not open like cinema


or all that concerts all same , what was the happiest moment in your life


what's the first one that comes to your mind,


like milestones ah, how did you feel when you get your O when you got your O level results,


actually for me I was quite happy I think that was, like one of the happiest for me, yeah


and also I taught maybe flunk so probably, (mmhmm), but once you get back then like call my parents, I think that was probably one of the most happy moments


ya I think also because, my mum she keeps saying like


prompt one or four


okay so if I suddenly had a win for of a million dollars how will I invest my money uh probably allocate like fifty percent so that's about five hundred thousand dollars to


to, invest in stocks ya and probably the rest would go into savings, yeah what about you John


I guess the second option would be to invest in buying a, of a, a room of a flat sorry a flat, and just like renting it out so at least in years to come, you will have a steady income ah from renting the extra flat out to tenants


right ya make sense


I think personally not so much but my parents always used to tell me that uh they invest in something called bonds, which is very slow but very low risk but also low reward lah


yeah, and yup


uh I I I read at this somewhere on this instagram called the work salary man and said that like the instagram said that it's always, like is is the preferred route to actually invest your first one hundred thousand


ya but uh but I I guess what is, says is true lah you've to do like background checks and make sure that like the investment is as low risk as possible, ya ya


uh


well speaking about oh sorry, uh, speaking about gambling a keen to investing there's a very popular investing plan right now among like our age called FOREX


where, I have a ton of friends who who who does FOREX and like, from the from the way they tell me it's actually they're gambling and sort of guessing whether the whether the currency will go up or go down I think that is a very bad way of investing and it's kind of like gambling as well lah


yeah, but I've a I've an adult friend that does it and I would say it's it it's it's more of knowing when actually learning about like the FOREX the market and


like all those bulls and bears and like , , I can't really explain much about it but, it is it's it's it's not really gambling lah but I'm not very good in this FOREX this entire FOREX situation so I can't really say much what


, uh yeah


definitely FOREX isn't isn't an investment where like your your the probabilities hundred percent it's definitely like maybe a good seventy to thirty percent but there's always that risk of thirty percent which could really, burn your capital


yeah, oh


I guess I personally feel if I have a kid ah then is teenager ah I'll probably just advice him like, you know like oh if you can save as much as you can and like manage your finances uh I think teaching them to spend


wisely and managing their finances is, the first step ah as I a first baby step to, to investing and stuff , yeah I mean you must have the capital right, yeah


, definitely will help


yeah, the stock market is not the, safe place to invest, err so do you think which so do you so which country do you think is a safe place to invest like put your money on


personally I feel like it will be china because china's economy definitely is not slowing down at all, I wouldn't I wouldn't say singapore because actually I'm not really very sure about our own economic placing and not


but, I I would I would bet on china ya so what about you


definitely I would , uh the best option would be to invest with a trusted friend that I know is reliable in giving financial advice or advisors or maybe they they themselves has their own investment experiences and I trust them ah because end of the day it's


it's money matters ah so if not I ya might consider engaging a financial, advisor but that's really, seeing the situation, yeah


definitely need connections ah to stay afloat as a, financial advisor maybe, uh yeah


definitely


I personally I keep a eighty to twenty rule such that I will save eighty percent of whatever I earn like from maybe from part time jobs, and stuffs and save first and then spend later ah so


it is a very slow way of, building capital but I think it's, it's we have we as youngsters with pretty much have no choice ah and I think the banks in singapore like for example standard charter I think they they're recently


uh not recently sorry they open eh they allow youngsters like us to open a jump start account where they actually give us like two percent interest which is two percent I think is considered pretty high among all the saving accounts


in all banks ah but sadly they recently uh reduced it to one percent not sure, why but but but but I I did uh used that two percent for a good like maybe one year plus so it was pretty good for me ah, yeah


so, yeah yeah what about you,


CPF ah ,


feel like the CPF should be made an option rather than it being compulsory because, I believe CPF is one of the things that singaporeans have a huge problem, about with our government ah personally I like like what you said for those who are looking to invest right CPF may be an obstacle for them because they are they're starting with less capital due to their


due to this CPF thing ah, so maybe in the future hopefully the government will make this CPF thing a an option or maybe at least allow some people that have like you know circumstances to not have CPF


maybe but then I'm only I'm only twenty and so far the jobs that I work with are all part time and they do not give CPF so ah ya so,


, let them put the money aside , yeah,


I feel the feel the CPF also help us like ask our generation because it also means that we don't really have to give so much money to our parents in the future, as a like their retirement money cause they joke that CPF is the parents' retirement money eh central provident fund I'm okay I'm not sure if


that really is is the meaning ah but, but, yeah it's CPF is our parents' retirement money so I think ya like what you say at the end of the day singaporeans are very mixed feelings towards CPF and, I totally understand ah I'm also at the fence about CPF so yeah


yeah


, uh yeah definitely I think yeah


, , uh definitely


uh


I would say it's like another journey on its own in investing, and I find it like being able to, handle your finances well, yeah, I feel that finance finance issues should be should be


taught lah when when when you are younger, ya I would like to be taught ya,


from three out of four ya


greatest fear uh I I can I honestly I don't think that's a very sad thing to talk about but let me ask you john, so so how how have you been feeling recently


I feel like my life I feel like even though no matter how many achievements I achieve right it it it won't it won't feel like I achieved those unless, it's like no matter, what people say to me like oh you're like so achieved for a girl your age but it's pointless if I do not feel the achievement myself ah and I think that's a very very sad and negative way to live my life but I can't change these part of who I am


so I feel that life is very draining to live with live in,


uh yeah , it's getting blackmailed ya I won't go into so much in detail but it was, it was an incident where kind of just made me change a lot of things about myself like I I used to be more open and cheerful and I'll talk to everyone but like after this blackmail incident it made me close myself out and like not trust


as many people and made me very cold and people would think like !wow! she so arrogant she won't talk to us but like I think it's a form of self defence ah, but yeah it's probably been incident probably be a thing that will I will remember for the rest of my life ah and it's a good learning experience as well so I wouldn't say I hate it so much but


if I could change I wouldn't I would avoid being trapped being in that situation ah, yup


you cannot like empathise ya


saddest moment of my life, I think I have a lot of very, I've a a lot of self esteem issues where, my friends and family actually do not know which I try my best not to show it to them lah because I don't like them I don't like people to be worried about me


but ya I think this is a thing that I've been dealing with all my life ah which is the low self esteem issues I wouldn't say it affect me a lot because I try not to, sort of weigh me down into doing things I'd like to do lah but it will definitely haunt me back every night in a sense this low self esteem issue also made me push myself more to be where I am right now lah but


ya things I didn't say, but ya, but I think low self esteem issues is what teenagers, face often, it's it's it's just how much these low self esteem issue will


affect and impact your life ah so what about you john


, oh cool I feel like, most most goals I think I will achieve ah but I feel like the end goal in the end of the day right it's to be truly happy with what I have ah and I think no matter how many achievements that I achieve or like how many


people I I I how many people I make proud like they're proud of me and stuff right, at the end of the day if I'm not proud of my own self which is weird, and I I I I don't know why I can't solve this issue about myself ah but like I just don't feel happy or genuinely proud of myself lor


is a negative experience in life, life's tough


ya


I would uh yeah just is like when I put in a lot of effort for uh training or playing playing playing the game lah like just improving uh my skills in the game


and then my teammates they just they don't they don't put in any effort and then they also like they criticise me then I just felt very like, not appreciated and sad that like because I trusted them I trusted them ah to put in the same effort as me and to try but instead of doing that they sort of like criticise me instead


so that made me felt like !wow! !wow! I trusted them you know yeah


I think worries I I don't I think I don't actively think about worries but like I I do worry about, a lot of things maybe like oh what if I do this wrongly what if I what if this photo like no one likes it is is all the little worries ah but I feel the real worries are when like before you sleep at night then you really worry about like


you know am I enough for other people, yeah, oh yeah that's weird yeah


seems like, yeah it seems like we are born to feel easily negative and hardly positive maybe just us ya I think it's just us I think we're just like sad people by nature


so yeah


or something I want to change but, can't ah, honestly right you will just like, not, one thing that I can change not being born lor, , why do humans why do humans live to suffer


true, ya


think more of power we can, can cope with it lah definitely yeah live with it and maybe like transform this , negative feelings into a drive that makes you want to do well in life lah because at the end of the day I feel like even if we are sad and we like don't do anything you know we're just like depressed and stuff like life still continues lor and we must


we must move on with life, I think that's a really sad part of life we need to move on with life, so ya, , uh


you too man


from to our for, so john when was your last happy experience


oh ya ya


actually rather than experiences more of what I, to to make myself happy is probably like to play games, of course you know what I mean, I play league of legends, and Valorant, and the feeling when like you win the game is like


undescribable ah you can never get this in real life, no matter how successful you are in real life like for me I'll I'll be the happiest only if I win games ah, don't you think so too john


, probably will be like attending gaming events with my friends or like gaming or like competition gaming competitions with my friends and just watching them compete on stage


I think the fact that , I've made real friends through online platforms, is definitely like, ya rewarding lor making more friends through online platforms and they they don't end up being a clique they actually end up being like a really good and important friend in your life ah


for personal growth definitely will be, they will be because of, like maybe the relationships that I had before you, uh yeah so I I guess it is is a positive thing in the end because it actually made me grow and learn my mistakes that I did when I was young and foolish so even though the relationship ended off like quite badly or sad


in looking in the long run is actually a good thing that it happened ah, and, ya facing life positively since life, since we have to live anyway ya anyway so what would be your perfect day


yeah


uh


having a good sleep schedule, , having a good sleep schedule, ya


perfect meal best meal I had ah, probably best meals ah probably eating steak ah eating steak with you, yeah


I think because we don't actually dine often, yeah we don't we don't eat expensive stuff often we usually eat macs and stuff so I feel like the moments that I share with you like the special moments like if, we go out on a date or we go out to eat a bit more expensive food are like pretty memorable ah and we usually ya


because these moments are hard to come by so I guess we we will usually like cherish them more and start appreciating, yeah,


big risk ah


, uh I guess I , I do like social media, like


have uh I've a okay I've a decent following on social media and like it wasn't always very easy to grow my following and stuff but I did put in effort and uh I grew my, followers and I feel very rewarded lor like people appreciate my work and it's happy it's good to know that like my pictures


and my my my makeup my works like will bring other people like happiness, so that kind of , indescribable happiness ya and I believe that's what most social media influencers also like sought to


deliver ah to their audience is to basically bring a smile to other people faces with their photos ah, yeah, and and uh , ya I I guess so I'm that type of person people are happy I'm happy I actually just remembered oh sorry I just remembered the a best the best birthday gift I received


from someone ya so basically I was at a I was at the event like cosplay event in #kuala lumpur# at malaysia and, then suddenly out of nowhere my boyfriend jerome came from from singapore all the way to KL to surprise me and give me flowers


and I still remembered that day, I was pretty sad I'm not sure what I'm sad also but I was pretty sad so the fact that I suddenly see uh !wow! jerome taking a seven hour bus trip to KL just to wish me happy birthday think that was undescribable happiness ah


felt very cherished then he had to go back seven hours, bus trip again so that's two and fro fourteen hours,


ya true,


true ya ya actually being happy with someone, it's easier than being happy alone ya


, yeah, it's because of NS you you receive any letter no


!huh! that was not happy meh


yeah as everybody say right, ya


, I wouldn't say they they did something particularly for me but is rather like their small actions like inviting me to like play video games with them you know at least making me feel like


oh like I'm wanted to you know they want my company, and I think that's what most people seek in life ah they want each they want peoples like you know validation they want to feel loved and needed you know ya and I I feel that is a very important thing to have in life ah


ya like to feel loved I guess, ya, , ah ya gym alone


uh yeah yeah


doing things for people ah ya


I mean when, I think it's , maybe like when I celebrated like I plan father's day yeah my planned father's day probably ya