because there's other form of investment or properties that we can go for right like industrial and stuff and then of course there's overseas invest err properties also ya so for me personally I wouldn't err pay the ABSD


correct correct because I think err recently I think we attended the webinar right remember and err I think people ask this question would you pay ABSD for err like your second property and stuff like that and I think the err


the answer was if the developer price did like like at twenty percent discount, and twelve what is twelve percent I mean if you really do get such a, deal then err which recently happen the the one right ya I think I you share with me so


ya I guess one off things like that then maybe it's uh possible but err if not I think it's very difficult


ya so exactly I think err I am totally into investing in, property err and I think, I think the biggest biggest err advantage of it is leverage which you already have mention really, I mean shares wise we also can use leverage right but of course that brings us much bigger risk


right if you want to use the leverage so uh that I mean I'm I can't say I am a high risk taker so it's not part of my appetite, so for me I really like property investment so I am really really interested in it so ya so I'm in the mid of looking around uh quite interesting can share more with you I recently read into uh UK


so the next time we meet for beers I can share more with you it's uh it's it's quite good ya ya


K part three negative experiences, (ppc) okay


ya ya


I think err for me err there are of course the the the gun itself it's something that especially whenever there are like mass, shooting right so it it gets really upset when err people die for no reason somehow mine is also I mean like what you said I mean it's not really just US but


a lot of other countries but for me one thing err it's err the police violence which I think err recently also took centre stage right so I think we watch a lot of videos, online or news about how


the police I guess because the police there are given like a lot of power as opposed to like countries like maybe in singapore, err that's all so I think when they're given a lot of power and, authority and and err


they can they dare to do such things and as someone who you know you're just being stopped by the police and stuff and you trying to explain yourself but end up you know you being arrested, you know like the things that you see and then you get beaten up and stuff so err whenever I watch such videos I I really get quite upset and in fact angry about things ya


ya err another, ya ya so I I I think yup, no , no there's a lot of things ah ya ya


uh okay


I don't know quite I cannot really quite remember but okay ya, (mmhmm) !ow! okay ya ya ya


ya for me I think err I can remember one err I think when I was young also so what happened was err, err, you know when we use I think I was in school also so err I can't remember primary school or secondary school so what happen is you know like you usually when you use the


err toilet right because it's very dirty right like you are not at home so you will lay with like the toilet paper on the seat itself so I was I lay it with the toilet, paper and then I think err after doing everything you know and


err I think one of the piece got stuck you know because you sit there right then it get stuck and then after that I didn't even know then I just wear my pants so I think there was a piece of toilet paper there's like coming out, of the the back of the pants ya until err I think err one of t the teacher saw and then pointed out to me ya it was like so embarrassing some more is a female teacher


alright, ya difficult lah but okay but we have self control


unfair treatments ah


ya ya actually err I couldn't really think of an incident until you shared this right, so it just happen to me I think err early this year so I was in Paris for work, so err I went I wanted to eat lunch so I wanted to eat err I went to this place that that that apparently sells burger


so I walked in right and then like err it says I mean usually you will wait for someone to serve you to be seated right so I waited and then like the person came and then so I said okay one person so I wanted to sit like at the front because I mean there are tables there right


so the person actually directed me to all the way to the back, and it was like at one corner and I went at a very weird timing because like it's not even lunchtime so the restaurant is very very empty so he sat me I was alone so he sat me at a very very corner


and then err initially I didn't think much of it so I thought !wow! okay you know you give me a secluded private private area you know I get to eat my meal in but I realised that, seated there right I no one is seated near me and then right


err I couldn't get the attention when I wanted to order or when I wanted to get a drink or something you know like the customer service was just zero I don't know whether they did it purposely but I couldn't even get their attention because they couldn't see me so I was like really upset err about it like ya so


ya so I thought you know similar but err it just happened recently early this year ya, ya


what dreams of yours die a little with each passing day I think the dream of getting younger, err , honestly I don't know can you think of something


ya ya of course, ya so


okay ya, ya I I I guess ya but , of course ya true, okay err, describe a time when you feel awful after helping someone


so I think for me was err, err so there was this guy , that day I saw so he was I was eating lunch, err at hawker


somewhere near your parents' place, so err I was eating lunch there and then there was this guy who came and then , err he he was looking normal like you know like err doesn't look like beggar or anything or like err


mentally unsound or anything but he he asked for money so I was like thinking I mean I was a bit , torn whether to give him money or not, because I was I mean one part of me thinks that you know you look perfectly fine you you you can be working but a part of me says that I mean if this guy really needs to ask for money maybe he really needs money


so in the end I did err I gave him money I mean it's not a lot but I just give him some, and then after that I went home and then I told my mum about it and they knew err who, this person is because they are there very often right err and then they said that actually this person it's like just a bit like


prey easy a bit lah you know like err and he's actually quite rich one something like that, so ya so err ya so, , I mean for me I think err it's, err I don't feel awful in that sense


but, I thought that age you know err I should maybe have listen I don't know so, err maybe helping him wasn't the best thing


exactly exactly


so, wrong direction, okay maybe she was err doing err, exercise err crossing road


next err, I think the next one the embarrassing moments is the same so maybe we can


we go to the next one right, ya what keeps you awake at night, what keeps you awake at night, that's exactly my answer, but it's under the topic of negative experience


so, okay err okay


oh I was watching that also, but I only watch the first episode


err for me what keeps you awake at night I think err many things but I think one of the things is err, err like maybe when my boy is not feeling well, and I know and I can hear him like maybe like crying and stuff err from my room then ya I get


very very like uneasy and sad so like you you know you are wondering whether he's all right and hopefully that he can get better and stuff or like when he has nightmare so ya then I couldn't like just fall asleep so it keeps me up at err to making sure that it's all right ya


okay next recall a situation where you will change your plans against your, uh ya the force oh okay so the next one lah right


describe the moment where you feel like the world is against you, err I can't think of it now you have


but you you shouldn't drink beer in the morning you know, ya oh you are right you are right okay okay ya then that's why the world is against you


okay err I don't have so let's skip, describe a time when you were heartbroken, when you did not accept me, okay err I think err I think for me I think


was , during NS I think err I wanted to get into air force right but uh due to some medical so I couldn't so I think that during that time I was like really really heartbroken or rather I was really really bad and sad because


like for most part of my teenage years I I'm sure you know like you know I we wanted to to to get in air force and stuff so when I, couldn't make it not because of my incompetency but because of medical and it's not like something I could do something to change it and you felt like help felt helpless against the situation ya so err ya I was really really sad at that time ya


because I wasn't there


err, I let's go with err the last one lah easy describe a time where you felt like giving up, you think so you you you you want to okay you want to start


I think for me it's err err, during JC so I'm always like a last minute studying, for exam kind of thing right but where during the JC I was like !wah! really err it was so difficult when I started too late and I couldn't I felt like !aiya! just give up lah just go to poly ah


ya, okay that's it


part two positive experiences alright man, , okay err positive experience I think this should be quite easy lah


right err I don't know I don't know, err, uh ya, err what makes you persevere actually I think err I ask myself the same question nah because err I was just having


this conversation with my wife that they like what makes you persevere because of something lah so I I I think, err it it for me personally I feel that it's because err I (ugh) I kind of like have a goal in mind like what do I want like I always set goals like long term goals like now like for example investment wise


what do I want in five years time ten years time so I have a goal err a long term goal and then I set myself like short term goals on how how am I err, err, how do I achieve my long term goal so uh I think that helps me to persevere through because with a goal in mind you know that you know that something that you are working towards so err and then


every time err I have small goals and then I if I achieve it then you know it's a small celebration and stuff right and then it makes you to go further so uh ya I guess it's something important like with something to look forward to you are also more positive, with things right especially like now these days err I don't think there's a lot of things to look forward to but you know so ya just err I think that's how it makes me persevere what about you


correct correct ya, ya exactly I think err I we were schoolmate right since err I mean primary school so I think we were given a lot of opportunities to take up like you know leadership positions and


you know we get to go to all these err outdoor camps at a very young age and I think it helps to shape shape us also and then slowly you know, we start to take up you know different positions in our school life and in through army I think all these helps so I think it's every single small steps that that err of our lives that help us to shape shape us along


the way I guess ya so ya


I think yes of course ya because err I think with err added responsibility then you know like someone is watching over you right like ya so err actually don't even like really need like a son


I I think even like err after marriage it it might make you err difference right, ya don't know whether you will agree with me ya so ya I I I guess all this err important stages in life, that's changed and uh how you perceive things basically ya so it it affects that


ya (ugh)


ya ya


ya err ya I totally agree with you, because I tried to do this, err delivery err I think with err Lalamove I signed up with Lalamove introduced by err some of the guys lah, so


it's really really tiring man super tiring like I did a few days right and then it's like !whoa! it's crazy man ya so I don't know how they they do it but it's really not easy, ya and and another thing I'm thankful


ful for or appreciative I think it's err, err, ya I I think it's a appreciative of the job lah our job you know like we took it for granted that we could


err travel overseas and work err very often so and especially, so I have like a kid at home so it's not easy like when I'm not around and someone is looking after so now that I'm every day around right !wow! it's really not easy


ya so


I always thought it is not too bad lah


uh, ya ya so err I was looking at this question also eh I was like thinking err what I think we skip ah next ah


, alright okay what's the next one describe a fond memory you share with, your loved ones a fond memory you share with your loved ones err you want to go go first


ya ya ya I I I I agree ya I guess because now, we are older right so we have like all this responsibility and I think err, err, like I I totally understand like how err our dad feels being a father correct like setting up a family and stuff like that but now we being one ourselves


err you can really see it's err ya when you can bring happiness to someone that you care it brings happiness to yourself lah, ya ya exactly like whenever I see err my boy being err like enjoying himself like we bring him out I bring him overseas for holiday and you know he's like super hyper active so when he is enjoying himself ya and


it it really makes you happy so err I can think of the fond memory was err I think the last last year we eh we brought him to, Perth for holiday ya and I think he really enjoyed himself ya eh, I mean unfortunately this year we cannot travel so oh well


ya we did we did ya ya, what are the thing


err for me I think it's err sorry, err for me I think I really am looking forward to traveling again err eh, I think to bring our loved ones whether it's err together with us on our job or to just a holiday


ya I I I I think I really miss that part of it err I think we are so used to doing that and now when it just suddenly taken away it's a bit err a bit not used to ya so I'm definitely looking forward to that


ya,


ya it's like the bubble tea queue right


ya ya definitely, okay the next one err it says uh talk about the time when you experienced personal, growth I think I can start first uh err since it's like very recent I think this err


whole COVID thing right so we are at home every day so err, ya I used the time to spend I mean firstly to spend a lot of time with my family so we bonded and I think that that that constitutes, to personal growth because I I I grew so much err closer to my wife and my kid and


also because there's so much free time so err ya so I ventured into like we keep reading about like investment you know I'm sure you learn something which you shared with us also, ya and , I made myself read a book err and try to finish it err in I try to read one book every like one to two weeks so I find that you know like err during this period and then I went online Udemy to


to learn courses and stuff like that so I think this period even though we are like slacking at home but I think there's a lot of personal growth err on everyone like err all of us try to make the best use of time ya


ya ya , ya ya man uh


ya I think I personally grew much more mature err over that two years I feel, ya, they are they they are training hard lah


, okay next err err what's, that describe a time when you were held by someone in, the time of me you have any you wanna share first


okay I I I talk first ah err


I, I think I'm helped by a lot of people err when I needed help but I think err, while the thing I'm very appreciative was err I think when I bought since we're talking we're talking about buying house right so err when I bought my house we just started working


and you know err my dad err helped lend me money to pay the, some upfront cash that we was needed and I think that was that really really helped me a lot, if not err I wouldn't be able to afford the place that I'm staying at now so ya so that was really really really helpful and I'm really appreciative ya because we cannot take it for granted that our parents will help us right at the end of the day it's their money so ya so I'm


glad that they they they did and uh ya you


ya it's a lot a lot


ya, best meal err !wah! you've ever had I think it's a bit difficult but err I have to say maybe in err in japan lah ya so err I went for holiday


the uh with mandy in err I think Osaka, so I think we had a very very good meal err of the Yakiniku, ya so it was it was really really good


ya so err, ya I think err the the the meat was like really really tender and, uh it was like so marbling and all and so ya it was it was really really superb


and then err they they offered to us us err you know like, initially because the meal was not cheap, so I didn't really wanted to order drinks to go with the meat but then the guy was like saying you know like the sake or something you know it goes very well with it and err so we took their advice and it it really like elevated that that that that meal experience way err


more than what err I, err expected so I think that was err one of the best meal I mean I had a lot of good meals and stuff so I think that's one of the best meal that I would say that I err have gotten what about you


actually right japan ah the seafood right actually come to think of it they never do anything eh they just cut the fish only eh


ya ya but well they do it well so give, them the the the credit


part one financial related topic


well I think that HDB is very rigid more rigid than any private banks out there don't doesn't give you


flexibility in market conditions lah so personally I think that having a private bank loan is always more, more, err favourable to home buyers


whereas maybe some people who looked at HDB loan may see it as stability as in interest rate maybe that's the only only thing that could attract them to taking a HDB loan lah right


ya I I agree I like you say maybe it's not that well publicised when people buy H HDB, cause end of the day they still want to generate their income and if they can they will use err ignorance to make sure people don't apply for a private loan I don't know it could be that that that angle they're taking right


ya, private ya uh bank loan yes yes


yup true okay then this question also asked which loan will you, consider when you buy err may maybe let's talk about when you buy a a private you now I guess both of us is the same lah but bank loan right so so mine they say to provide details mine is err UOB three months SIBOR uh recently we refinance ah


, ya it's one point three ya


oh spread ah uh spread I think I think it's like ya two point eight maybe ya they're about, ya


yes


yup okay okay let let's move on to to get the next part lah would you go for a fixed or floating


ya I I agree , ya I I agree I agree and and err, fixed rates probably sell the fact that now if anything goes bad you are protected by that fixed rate forever right ya but in in any case is still quite low ah


yup that's true okay next err have you bought or sold a house before


yup


the fees incurred ya


twelve percent ah


valuation not so sure but err the buyer's stamp duty have lah right ya ya that's about it for the first property, not a lot


yup yup, yup okay there's ten minutes left you're not even halfway through okay err so do you use CPF do you use CPF to pay a down payment


ya same lah yup the same uh and, for first time buyers most likely we will do that lah and and it's all very seamless when you buy a property everything is done by either the agent or or the lawyer side they have used settled everything is quite all quite transparent to us right


oh ya ya right


true but actually on on that point of of advice ya ya sorry, okay oh , on on that point of of advice ah I I realise their personal experience that, when we go to the lawyers


sometimes we don't ask the things that we don't know because we don't know how to ask, right is especially the first time and and and if we encounter err err very, like


how to say impatient lawyer or lawyer who has done this for million times they rushed to everything so fast and asked as first timers sit there like a deer in headlights just watching him speak and remember of pointing to the paper signing this signing that we just sign and then we go and oh at the end of the day we have a property


but we don't know what happen it's very very ya so it's quite


ya lah and have to experience through pain okay let's see the the fifth one is HDB not applicable !huh!,


oh grant ah actually grant yes leh we had what do you call we're the HDB grant ah I think is like thirty thousand but I don't know I forgot what what what it, was already but there was a grant because EC is still under HD HDB scheme so I guess it's still a grant


okay ya ya, okay did you get a loan from the bank when renovating your house if so did ya I I don't lah I don't get the loan for renovation simply because it's high interest


, did did did you recently see one article about the #ang mo kio# guy


who who, ah did did you see did you see no , no he ya the guy is a PM he he joined two


two three bedrooms HDB he he hacked down the the mid the joining joining wall he hacked down I'm not sure how he could do that and then he created a a monster house and he said that that whole renovation took eight hundred K


, eh no lah no lah eh end up be can cannot be I I think both eight hundred K but I err I think up to three hundred K because the house is damn nice, ya but it it's ya I I send you the the link of this maybe I can send in the chat group ya okay


okay next uh would you buy property for investment given the implementation of buyer's stamp duty firstly buyer's stamp duty we have no choice I I think that err, I think it's more of additional lah the ABSD not for the first property because buyer's stamp duty every everybody has to pay so it's almost like a fixed sunk in cost right


, so so now ABSD would you would you pay


ya I I totally agree ya hundred percent agree may maybe you guys just to explore who would pay the ABSD, the really


filthy rich people lah right


ya ya true okay, last one three minutes just nice what what do you think of investing err investing in property


may maybe I start first lah like I I actually I think our answer is the same, of course we go through the same happiness , it is it's a forced saving, plan right the forced saving plan you you you don't need that much money out to invest in such a big quantum for the potential returns


versus doing other kinds of investments like retail investing stock investing you know such things and and you don't and you don't have like a guarantee of your capital right so basically you are using leverage leverage to invest in some


I think so much more so I think investing property is is something I explored only very recently with you lah so it it's, is very good ya


, ya


sounds good ya, err okay err what, so we we we we countdown together


(ppl) (ppb) ya, okay


part three negative experiences ya wei, injustices injustices in the world that make you angry, err k err I'll I'll start lah hor I think I have a few first one


gun activists in, not just US in the world hor the the twelfth amendment I don't fully agree with it and and not that I don't agree with it I I think people should protect themselves but the way that people don't use it responsibly every time I read about something I see videos about it it makes me very angry


makes me think why do people need to use such violence to protect themselves and it's not just a punch it's not just a err maybe Kena hit by a baseball bat you end a life with


using a gun so it's something that I don't understand and I don't agree with ya this one


yes, yup


ya I I I agree, ya go your another one


funny but I try not to laugh you you remember when when we were young I I think I think primary three or primary four, okay ya ya I can see you're trying to remember on on the first day of school I appeared


with Botak head and and and and err and a tuft of hair in the center of my head remember, no, ya so so because I always was like center parting when I was young right somehow during that year it it was it was a world cup year and then the the fat Ronaldo was famous and he he supported that hairstyle yes so my my


brother my brother wanted me to go to school looking like him so he shaved my head and left the center part there, and I I went to school thinking that it is okay but it was not okay, ya, so that was really embarrassing lah


eh you see how how how not how not to laugh at these things it's , ya hilarious difficult okay we do, okay uh unfair treatment (hmm)


I think unfair treatment for me was is mainly, uh socially lah in in in other countries based on err skin colour and let's not get too deep into that but but just being being treated blatantly differently right from the person in front of you and and behind you


right and you see a a person attitude totally change ya as as as simple as as buying a burger or something like that you know see someone's attitude change ya I I feel very unfairly treated does in a very simple way


ya fully understand and and and it's it's in fully developed countries as well right, ya okay err, dreams that has died oh man so so many ah


I I I guess it is come boils down the question when people ask you when you are mature people ask you what do you want to be when you grow up and you can think, okay but then we both want to do what we are doing so it's a bit different because we get to do what ya right so


ya but, to be honest I I I'm I'm I'm not entirely sure because I I'm quite happy with what I have maybe maybe something like as as we get older and older


certain travel destination seem more and more distant like the things that I can do the in those holidays, I may not be able do it now because maybe I am a bit err stiff in my back my knees not so good I can't climb mountains anymore these kind of things like that I I do think about sometimes


but but but it makes you question right then I mean, who who do you help in that those is ya right and and if you keep keep thinking someone someone has has err an ulterior motive then makes you very skeptical about the world and it's not that healthy also but I mean oh well ya


uh for for mine is is a very recent recent thing I I was crossing the road, and I saw this old lady who who, was walking very slowly and and it it was red light and looking towards the direction when I was I I was not going to cross


so I actually was like hobbling hobbling so I help her cross the road and help her cross the the the the pedestrian crossing until she's secured the road then I walk backwards and cross my road, then I decided to check on her then I looked


back she's not where she was but she was backtracking going that opposite direction and she was in middle of the road and the it was a red man, so I help her across the wrong wrong road, wrong direction and and she didn't say anything she just like an old lady move move like that !wah! I felt damn bad


ya ya, eh oh, it it it's the thing okay ya


embarrassing moments, you


you, okay okay okay but but uh ya I I say first ah sometimes ah it's not negative but but are we alone


in this universe it always enters in my mind you know, and and and and what's like last night I I just watched a Netflix series I think it's new something called unsolved mysteries right and one episode that episode uh okay you watched already the


fourth or fifth it's around there and and it it describes a a true account of of U UFO sighting in an area in the USA by four or five people in the state, that are very far spread across you know and and and so I mean you always ask whether you can be skeptical about such things whether you know they're paid to do this they're just trying to to sensationalise to get some money


but it is the simple things like this ah that actually you start wondering you know you look at the stars out there then you wonder are we alone in this universe ah and and it's very mind boggling, ya for me lah at least you


ya okay okay the work world is against you ah, no no no sorry sorry err let let's let's skip this one nah


okay next one lah feel like the word against you you have anything, I I I have a very simple one lah like uh uh after long long flight when I come back in the morning right so sometimes I come back and then just even though it's a morning just have a beer watch some watch something relax for a while


right so one one one day I came home and it it was morning I wanted to have a beer I wanted to watch Netflix just relax for a while so I cook some noodles, , put my bowl down on my TV the TV couldn't turn on then I keep pressing cannot turn on then I on my fan couldn't turn on then I know oh it's a blackout right then I think blackout overnight my fridge


so I open, open my fridge all the water just pour out because everything melt, ya so that long day got really really long and and like the world really like doesn't want me to be on on this planet like that it's very simple but ya, okay K three minutes ha


no but but it it's happy hour somewhere in the world at every hour, alright ya okay, ya okay


okay when your heart heartbroken


ya a'ah


actually for me it's kinda same thing when I when I got into air force, and and I didn't make it through air force, so it it's then so basically I got in once that more than you but didn't make it through the training and at the end of it when when I pondered upon why I realized that eh actually I I didn't take it too seriously than I should have ya then then I start really


ya then I really regretted and ya ya not bad ah we got the same heartbreaking moment okay uh, uh time when you look down or K you you you choose one of the last four, whichever you want we only got one minute left


okay, sure !wah! you choose and I start okay err when I did my first marathon


ya like the longest I've ever ran was maybe twenty league and now suddenly I do where I go for forty two so I remember very clearly at the at the twenty eight KM mark right, suddenly my whole body shuts down and and my my body went to shock my calves were like like that like like like a


twitching hard and I don't know whether that explains it clearly but, whole body couldn't function was so strange like I never been there before and and and I think it's very easy to give up in the marathon and make it very easy for you, right, ya but I walk the rest of it lah


okay quick ten seconds your turn


part two positive experiences


really I I don't have much many positive experiences in my life okay let let's let's just go a lot down the line what what what makes you persevere


ya I I me ah I I agree, err goal setting goal goal accomplishments that's the main things the very intrinsic things that that call someone to persevere ya but I I I think a lot of that


uh is influenced by one's upbringing I I thought about it the question and and I realise that, you know not many people would react the same way under some same circumstances same pressures you know upbringing how how how maybe something that influence you in your life in school maybe you have really some crazy training that happen let you go through made you pushed through the pain barrier


stuff like that would influence like simple, perseverance that we we we have to do now lah right


ya and and maybe to add add one more point maybe for yourself ah or maybe like now in our adult lives would the would setting an example to your loved ones to your son to our kids err be a motivation for one to persevere I I think maybe yes also right


yup, ya I agree ya, ya like like like you see how how correct ah like you see how our parents' time a lot of their generation people they may not enjoy what they do but they just every day sell Wanton Mee because they want to bring their son up right


so ya it it it's ya anyway that that that's that lah okay so err in the post COVID world, who or what are you thankful for thankful, and appreciative towards I I I start lah I I think I think I'm very appreciative towards err the food delivery workers


because I I think now even though maybe they get more more money because of the increased volume oh but I think they're damn they're they're work to their neck ah right these people I think they have it tough and and


I think the past year their incentives are getting lower and lower, so they get they have to work hard harder and harder to, bring back the same amount home and with what do you call the restrictions on the PMDs, right oh no now now they have to work even harder they they must push the PMD sorry ya my my


, you know and and maybe like I think I also think being in this country is something we maybe take for granted are also through through this whole crisis just just seeing how the other countries deal with this thing it makes you feel that actually it's not too bad right


ya it it's not I I I I agree with you I always thought you know it's not too bad but but it's really not too bad you look look at how the biggest countries deal with it it's quite, laughable and sad that is happening but let let us not get there okay okay uh ya


so I I an an an inside joke ah that that we have I can't an inside joke I think everything about us is inside joke so I don't know ya


I think fond memories always always encompass like happiness laughing and, and and just err a very childlike, emotion I think that is the purest form of happiness right like you don't even think of anything you don't think of like oh yes I earn money I'm happy


so I'm thinking of that kind of of happiness and actually very very funnily seeing, my dog happy makes me very very happy, you know like like like recently we we we we went


for a walk last night and and we went for two two and half hour walk and we went to a big sand bar like, like a beach lah but it's not a beach and then when when she saw the sand from from maybe , fifteen metres away


she remembered it like we went there maybe last year she remember that place and she ran towards it and she just went crazy and run and just super happy then I think that that that made my day somehow and and I think it's the same with with kids


and same with seeing a wife happy same with seeing you know your loved ones happy when when something makes you happy and you don't even need to show it, right ya


ya ya bring bring him to to Sentosa lah,


right ya okay what what did you most look forward to when when this whole ends I guess jobs nah you go ahead first


ya and I think the whole world looking forward to that right when everything everything gets lifted I I I think when everything get lifted you shouldn't travel for next next three months if you wait wait wait wait until the the the the hype is over if not everywhere you go you could be maxed out


cannot lah , I I don't agree with ya but anyway ya, most looking forward to jobs not for myself but in general, you know people get get idle you know ya


jobs are our our jobs in general just working and and not being so idle at home ya not not that we are not productive but we can be more productive now is just, you know ya and travelling of course lah traveling ya that that goes goes without saying, ya ya


ya true, oh (ugh) exactly same and may maybe something last time, err, in in army you know we we when when we get put through things that we never go through in a normal lives something as simple as as err maybe


staying overnight in in in the forest having to to go through a jungle and then then finding our food, setting a fire staying there overnight rains overnight ya stuff with that then things changed, thing things changed in in in a person when when you stay overseas overnight in the jungle


ya ya and and and I I, I think that is very true that that army does shape a person, even though a lot of people don't agree and but a lot of people I think maybe those who haven't gone through it ya and


we we we don't we don't, but, like say that like army makes you the best person you can ever be of course, but it does, depends on how one looks at it it does shape a person growing up and personal growth is like almost exponential during that that stage


ya, ya, ya that's right, ya okay, sorry man my F sixteens ah ya protecting our land


at times I I I was I was I was


, yup, ya and and and that's actually the reason why a lot of people


have to go for HDB for their first property because their parents don't want to help them right so I mean I'm in the same boat as you uh it's it's it's the biggest form of help ever it's a lot of money and they could use it better in their own way right so ya ya


I I I forgot my mine already ah I listen to your stories very touching I just I just I just lost it , ya oh ya ya something that like uh , our interview training for for for our job right


be before I mean of course you can read a lot of things online stuff like that but for myself is is from my brother right he because he he is in the same job so the help that he actually helped me during this stage I think was the most help in my life and and it's it's I can see that


it's something that he really wants me to succeed in a certain certain way and so he he put out of that kind of help that he never never never showed before so ya that that that was one lah okay best meal


ya ya hello my best meal is also in japan ah I think japan is is damn famous for the best meals right and and I'm a seafood person and I love seafood, japan does seafood well I think it's one of the best in the world right uh


sea urchin, is my favourite food not not in big big amounts but in, right amounts and and uh ya ya right they just cut the fish and and they just


open the the the uni and they give you the they give you the insides that's all they do you know, so it's really nothing to to to like credit right


alright err so we have our first question what's one financial advice that you will give to the you five years ago


so for me I have two err financial advice that I would give myself five years ago or ten years ago so the first point would be err to stop spending unnecessary things that I do not really need in my life


so basically things like err when I was in primary school I bought a lot of toys err oftenly go to Toys "R" Us to buy all kind of like err you know err like a seven year old kid would want a remote car a the latest Digimon device err then after


you know growing up you realise that you don't actually need all these things and then you eventually throw them away it's a really waste of money okay, ya err and then the second point would be err to start learning to invest early err I realise that err learning to invest uh takes a very long time you know you must spend a lot of time to research find the best tools to use and also make sure to be able to access the best information there is so how about you what would would be your one advice or maybe more that you would give to yourself


I'm really glad that you brought up a the point about err you know looking for a part-time job to build up your capital pick up your income err I also uh now that you mentioned it, err regretted not taking up more part-time jobs when I was younger when I had more energy and also have more time also with me during that time


err cause I realise that err there are a lot of opportunities out there financial instruments err investment tools err and most of them needs capital and if you don't have the capital with you during that point of time it becomes a opportunity cost ya


uh for me err at this stage I don't think I need a financial advisor err maybe for insurance agent yes uh because insurance agents


they are helpful in your financial goal one is that they has first access to information they are the people who are very familiar with their industry, they are always have that first access to the products which is the interest product that you'll most likely buy but for like personal investment I always believe that personal ownership in your finances is power it's much more better for me I feel comfortable to have my


own err personal finance and own personal responsibility for my investment but for insurance policy I would highly recommend go for a financial advisor who is familiar in this field what about you


oh yes I do heard about robo advisors and also I am familiar with that kind of like err financial tool in fact it's a so-called relative new kind of technology in the field of err fintech , I think it's a game-changer because the power of robo adviser is that it gives everyone the power to invest so you don't need to have a very big capital to start investing in robo adviser and once you uh gain access to this robo adviser you'll be able to also start investing in all kind yes and usually the minimum amount is five hundred dollars


and they are already big players in this market partly in singapore you know like and our worst Stashaway AutoWealth you know and the beauty is that it's not hundred percent a robot is what as what they some people may think it's actually a combination of two artificial intelligence and also human to err err knowledge and also intervention so robo adviser is a very amazing tool eh I really highly recommend for anyone who want to start learning to invest or who are new to investing


oh yes okay err in any investment there will always be some err degree of risk the question is err how much and how much can you tolerate the risk so basically what is your risk tolerance that is always the question that's being put forth so for the robo advisor err there was one company that went bust but not really went bust but more like err it


stepped down from the robo advisor industry so err the company was Smartly so Smartly err came out err, err very attractive because the UI was very simple err the fee was much lower than the other err worldwide advisor companies by a just a small margin only lah but unfortunately the they weren't able to build the traction they weren't able to build enough user base so they couldn't get enough err err customer acquisition into the team so and after a while they


err so-called declared that they won't be continuing the business so there no one actually really lost their money or got scammed it's more like err they felt that they couldn't make enough money in this synergy so they pull out from the industry ya err uh moving on err I would like to also maybe we talk about you know how do we manage our cash flow you know and also you know how much our income is allocated to our saving expenses we may be no need to declare how much exactly maybe just a percentage you know to make it err easier ah and also to also you also know summarise how our err personal finances is like err would you like to err talk about this ya


ya err like you say you know there's this concern that you know err we no longer have the constant flow of income coming after we finish our national service in singapore err and that is when err we become more conservative so for me err my income would be distributed in about let's say forty percent saving twenty percent err expenses than the rest will be in the form maybe of investment err so


for me I tend to spend very little on luxurious items like err people you know some people love to buy like the latest Gucci bag or Louis Vuitton product err those are out of my scope and also out of my comfort level of spending err how I spend is just follow one simple philosophy which is spend within my means and then had always worked for me and so when it comes to to managing my cash flow I don't feel pressured I don't feel that I putting myself into a debt or I don't feel like I need to rush to pay my err loans or expenses or maybe my credit card bills or anything like that because I always keep it within my means ya


yes ya it's a very good advice err in fact it's a very simple advice because it's structured err it's easier to follow err however err not everyone err do follow the structured planning uh because sometime we may give in to our temptation you know when we see let's say the a promotion for the latest Nintendo Switch on Lazada and people start err bidding or start err join chasing after the uh the promotion price err that is something that err should be addressed err I think it's more about learning how to err control our uh temptation


you know the but I do agree that you know uh that is a the first step to give advice the second step that I would like to add on it that uh we advise people how to control the temptation ah and these tools will become a very beautiful cashflow management style


I think right now there's a big trend for freelancer or side hustle err partly for those who are in university or still studying err I guess at this age err just relying on your education when you are still studying is not enough we should go out there try out new ideas business ideas or learn how to code build website do graphic design you know


or any form of of so-called means to earn income err and to help to finance your education and expenses and that also help generate experiences you know and that's something can be helped to put inside your resume or portfolio when we go find jobs outside and also it could be a potential uh retirement plan if let's say uh you know if you go out there to find a job it may not be what we like and then we we can just fall back on this freelancer job


you know and in fact you know the freelancer job is a very exciting field you have flexibility you schedule your own time you can you find your clients and build great relationship with people that you have never meet before you know and not something that you can like easily find in the corporate setting because you are bound to you know to the corporate uh so called culture and you are fixed to a certain industry and you are fixed to meet a certain people uh so I would say that uh go for the freelancer job to earn that extra income that is a very fun experience to go through (ppc)


okay err the app you mentioned is called the Seedly budget app I also do use it and I do really find it very useful to use err one point you uh raised was the err categorization err it helps to breakdown the expenses very useful very UI friendly uh the second is that err they also have a automation err expenditure tracking which you can link to your bank card or bank account and you'll retrieve all those information and display it in the app err it it helps to err search uh


emphasize something the the process of budget tracking err so for my particular uh habit of saving I will always tell myself to never spend more than fifty per cent of my income err that will ya I I stuck that for a very long time since uh polytechnic and it helps to build my saving it helps to build my habit also when I buy things it help me think twice before I buy something and also I


make sure that I always lookout for the best uh interest rates saving plan so uh recently because of the COVID nineteen err many of the banks started slashing their interest rate which is unfortunate but also it gives a light to


helping us to find alternative better and of higher interest rate of saving plan so it's a great push for right now for people who are fed up with their low interest uh bank with a account and also it stopped making people think about okay I how am I going to err better manage my expenses how much should I be saving every month you know this COVID nineteen period has make it much difficult for us but also it raise a lot of question on how our spending habit put aside so I'll say it's a overall uh back to the question sorry for averting a bit I would say uh my habit of saving is just fifty per cent don't spend more than fifty per cent that's good enough for me


err ed great that you broke up err a very simple technic you know err setting a fixed amount to a specific card and then you are only forced to actually limit your spending to that and that's a great way to manage your expenses err if you don't mind I would like to summarise everything so overall we discuss about err financial adviser cash flow management how do we earn extra income okay these are all something what we should always keep in mind you know and always ask yourself how can we do better in managing our personal finances


same here as well thank you


ya alright err would you want to start first this time no


err !wah! okay so uh the best birthday present I ever receive let me recall


uh, okay I remember when I was like in primary school err maybe about age eight or nine err my cousin bought me the those latest coolest err piggy bank toy yeah so it's a piggy bank with


keypads and you also with a card a plastic card that you can slot in you know, that is a a simple toy lah basically can Tong in your coins you know put in your dollars and know so it acts like a ATM machine ah but it was a great way for me to start learning how to save and also err but unfortunately as a young kid I took all the money I have I spend all


Digimon toys ya but there was a a very practical toys I ever receive from my cousin it was like so-called err the most considerate toys whatever my cousin got for me as a as a young kid err how about you


err that is so very thoughtful of your friends to actually put in the time and effort to plan that birthday party


ya they are good friends to have okay let's talk about uh what are our, biggest blessing in disguise err for me my biggest blessing is that I had the opportunity to go to school meet friends join CCA


clubs go for competition take extra modules you know err these are, the so-called err little things that I appreciate err as you know I mean other countries not everyone has access to education


or a holistic education you know to groom themself to build their personal development know to build their network start your own businesses err it is a a very powerful platform I would say you know how education works


err and it's not just about chasing the papers it's also about the experience itself so I will say that's the one of the biggest blessing in disguise I would actually consider it you know for me


ya err ya


err good that you come from a family who are very caring about you know that's definitely a a big blessing in disguise err not everyone have very caring family members in their life yep err


oh yes yes I err this I I will definitely relate to so the one comfort food I always go to is sushi and sashimi, I will never stop eating sushi and sashimi for the rest of my life I can eat it every day you know I if you were to give me a let's say a present ah


uh just a packet of salmon even if it's raw ah I will be very happy I'll go home and cook it and eat it very happily ah but also it's one of my, err biggest guilty pleasures lah because you know you order one plate of sushi even for Sushi Express it cost one fifty then you buy ten plates is already ten fifty and that's before GST and service charge ah so it's err comfort food that I always


love since young but at the same time it's also the one the most guilty pleasure I ever have in my life you know is it is so-called one of my biggest expenditure in my budget ya


ya err I am sure we have many comfort food at certain times and also based on our cravings ya alright err another random question to pop up err what do you love most about yourself you know


I am very similar to you I always believe that err it's important to work hard when you are young especially when you're at your prime age when you have energy to work [loh] I also feel that I


err, think a bit differently think a bit more maturely you know same as you you know I always have to look err forward you know, plan for the future so there I suffer less over time and most importantly err I want to gain independence you know I want to know that I can take care of myself you know I don't need to be so dependent on my parents


you know and I want and I feel that is something err eh a a great achievement or I'll say a great milestone for an adult, ya so but also, back to the question that I asked you just now was like what do you love most about yourself or for in my case myself I would say I


I'll say that I don't have any health condition you know I don't have like asthma I don't I didn't went through any surgery I don't have sensitive skin I don't have allergy I'm perfectly healthy and that is something that I really love about myself


you know cause I have so many friends who are I won't say they feel disadvantaged but more like hindrance you know partly for those who let's say they have asthma you know eh they have to constantly bring their inhaler around and it's very costly to them


to always keep to always keep buying this inhaler oh I have friends who went through surgery and they had this metal stick on I have this friend lah had a metal stick in her leg you know and it is a bit bothersome to her everytime she walk lah so I'm very thankful that I'm perfectly healthy that I got the energy to do work


oh definitely I have so-called a a role model or someone that I follow very constantly uh his name is kevin o'leary he's a entrepreneur and


and he's the host from, shark tank and he always give a very excellent financial advice and business advises also and I always and he's also known as err mister wonderful you know AKA mister wonderful err and it's wonderful because he is he's very good at doing business


you know and he's always tell the truth, you know and one of my phrase I heard from him that is uh money don't cry for you ya, uh that's the harsh reality money don't cry for you you know and that emotion shouldn't makes me money


ya, eh I mean like how practical he is as a person so that is one guy I really look up to a lot


I like that you know Naruto is a very great character to be inspired


and he is a very relatable character ya


okay err for me err when I define how err usually it'll be on a long term view and there there is substantial uh results out of it something that I can really hope this end


measure ah so for me the one time that I felt my hard work was paid off was err, getting a seat in university you know err that was something very anxious of me you know it brought anxiety out of me


uh because I wasn't sure that I could get into university, err and also and there was a time where I also err while waiting for the application result I started questioning about my how would I know did I work hard enough did it payoff was it enough will the school notice me and accept me


you know based on the hardware I've given and presented in my application err but when they actually accepted my application and it, gave me their letter of confirmation that I am in the university it says it all my that hard work was justified


I've felt that all my hard work was worth it and it's something that I really appreciate all along and I did not regret any one bit that I put in the effort


!aiya! you're not alone I also gained a lot of weight I think twice


ya, next time you go for exercise Jio me also I also need to, lose weight ya can ya getting fat already especially everytime we stay at home


okay you know can you also describe a a perfect day that you have or some time you actually remember


err that's a very nice perfect day you described very simple financial independence no worries out of concern ya for me my perfect day will be a day in japan you know I have a five-star michelin eh no three-star michelin chef


err, preparing a best sushi course meal err I I like those Atas type of stuff lah , and then also would be nice to also go see all the different err anime cosplayers, and also I would love to see all kind of street performers and also I would love to see err all those err so-called manga stores ya so my perfect day will be a day in japan where I explore the whole culture of it ya


I don't mind walking around you know and especially trying the food err I'm a japanese lover


no I've never travelled to at japan's which I really will plan in the future to travel and travel to , okay err would you like to summarize what we have discussed just now


okay, part one financial related topic alright let's go


!wow!


ya I understand it I actually happened to me as well, right so


right, alright so five years ago I was just you know seventeen years old still in poly year one err okay even though I've started investing now about five years err ago I definitely could not because in singapore with the minimum age is eighteen years old to even open the CDP account so the advice I will give myself is probably to actually pick up part time jobs because last time in school I was very focused on you know just saving my pocket money just study but I've not actually bothered to go out to find jobs


so as a result by the time I was eighteen or nineteen when I first started my investment journey, I do not have a big capital to actually invest, so no matter how well your returns is as long as your capital is not big, your returns will not be as great, so the greatest regret or rather the


one financial advice I will tell myself is when I'm young just go and work during my holidays, have more earnings power, because ultimately, the your primary income is the most important income not your passive, so that's one advice I'll give me give myself when I was younger five years ago


yeah, but I kind of agree with you as well that we should not spend so much on unnecessary things but I'm glad I didn't really, anyhow spend last time when I was younger


correct I have I fully agree with this regarding the opportunity cost anyway I'm just curious personally for you for your finances do you actually have a like a financial advisor or do you actually DIY everything yourself I'm just curious


right so, ya I actually I also agree with you for insurance-related I believe it's better to find a financial adviser to do it because they definitely know better than us but however for things like investment I will prefer to do it myself so number number one it is actually more fun because it's like part of my hobby and number two I'm actually quite confident I can get better returns


because I I believe you heard of ILP investment linked policy, ya because I believe we have heard of this fees and expenses matter, rather than just getting them to actually invest the money for you in a fund why not you just maybe you can even use a robo-advisor


with lower fees and higher returns or you can even purchase an ETF from the united states do you agree I believe you have used robo-advisors right


alright so talking about robo-advisors do remember somewhere earlier this year there was a company in singapore that does robo-advisor investments that actually know go bust or like just closed down have you heard of it before do you have any thoughts about it like is it risky or do you still dare to continue putting your money in let's say Stashaway


because similar things may actually happen I mean no one really knows correct


yes correct


ya sure I was about to talk about the cash flow as well so as you know we are going or okay so personally for me and you I believe we are going to uni in the next month so, for income I probably wouldn't be expecting a lot probably just some part-time jobs but most of my money will most likely be channelled into the savings and investment portion


because luckily for me err my parents actually purchased insurance for me so they have been paying the premiums so I do not really have to worry regarding the insurance the part, so it's more of savings expenses and investment and I think you have know me for many years I'm really interested in investment so I normally channel about


more than fifty per cent of my money or my cash inflow towards investment and only a ten per cent in savings, so the other percentage I probably will just leave it to expenses but obviously I will try to cut down on my expenses so I can leave more of the money to either my savings or investment or rainy day funds because I believe we need it it rainy day funds is very important especially when we get older because you will never know what happen


so previously in NS every month even if we do nothing we get you know six hundred one thousand every month doing nothing but in uni or as a working adult it is totally different, we no longer have this privilege of getting allowance every month, correct, so what about you


ya, ya I agree with you so talking about cash flow I always advise my friends on one thing they always talk about how much do I save how much do I spend so a lot of people their mindset is, your savings is your income minus your expenses correct


so I always tell them this why not you flip the formula around, you decide how much you want to save then the rest you go and spend it because if you follow this method you will be able to save more, I'm not sure if you've actually like talk about this before, this is just something I advise my friends ya


correct ya so that was a that was what I was trying to say so next one we'll I'm just wondering so when we are going uni like I said previously earnings power is the most important have you thought of ways to actually generate extra cash flow or income, like maybe more towards the active income


in university


true actually freelancing I've, it has a lot of prospects so for example in university if you actually you know every month you help a client to build his website you get paid a commission you'll get a better portfolio you have more things to put in your resume like what you have said I think it's very good because it actually give you gives you a plan B or an opportunity so let's say let's say now I'm example I'm working in a IT firm let's say something happens you know company politics and I actually left the office I wouldn't be left jobless because I still have my uh my secondary job which is the freelance


so I I believe you have actually raised a very good point which I personally I've never really thought about doing freelance, so, personally for me my plans in uni for generating more cash flow is probably doing part-time jobs and especially tuition, cause I'm a person that you know I really enjoy talking so


in tuition classes I can keep talking you know to my students I can teach them and educate them and as a it's like a form of refresher for me, right cause like I've to think about my, my education stuff when I was like younger I think it actually helps me do remind myself so maybe in the future when I have kids I can still remember the topics and I can actually teach them


alright , so okay so now we have talked about earnings what about savings, do you like, like do you have a way to save more or do you keep track of your savings and expenses personally I use this app from Seedly you heard of Seedly right the personal finance app !wah! I think it's I think it's really very good because throughout my NS the two years I actually use it to track my spending and savings and they actually categorize all my spendings and savings very nicely ah so there's like transport there's uh food and beverages there's entertainment there's investments insurance et cetera have you used about it what's your opinion on it


err oh


true okay so we talk about saving and spending so personally I have I've one tip for you not sure if you are able to actually utilise it lah just sharing with you so, okay personally I have about two to three bank account saving accounts so each account have a different purpose, so I'll just talk about one account which is the one uh OCBC Frank I my debit card is with them lah so normally what I will do to prevent myself from spending is normally I don't bring cash out


all my money will be via debit card or you know net and I make sure every time when I go out I'll transfer the money to another account which is not very accessible like I can't just withdraw anytime, so for example my OCBC Frank account only has one hundred dollars in it


so no matter what for that day I can only spend one hundred dollars, because if I exceed I'm not able to pay I also can't I also can't withdraw money from anywhere because I purposely park the money into somewhere not accessible, so this is one, err saving trick I always like you know trick myself to using it


and I I believe it has worked very well for me so far, so I just sharing with you this strategy lah


correct so every day is a new day we learn new things every time thanks for your sharing and your discussion I've benefited from it I hope you have as well, ya okay thank you


okay, right negative experiences, alright so bill would you like to start first for now, okay let's go


ya sure so


lose, going through any loss in my life I believe everyone has experienced this somewhere a point in our life so personally for me when you ask me this question the first thing I think about it's actually my late grandmother, from she's she actually from malaysia lah so I remember


it happened in I think two thousand and eight olympic games around that period so at the point of time I was still quite young, but, the her death has actually left a significant impact on my life uh I can remember it clearly it was actually like the first you know funeral I've actually visited


so my grandma was actually really very nice to me she would always cook my favourite pig trotter foot, every time I go malaysia to visit her she will, you know prepare many nice food for me those that I like, and can you just imagine one day she just suddenly you know


like, hospitalised and I've I have actually, witness myself, going to the hospital, so she actually she had lung cancer, so she was on life support, so it was it was really very emotional at that period so I remember the doctors telling my


parents and and other like their siblings lah, like, she's going to be on life support forever, so you have two choices, one choices if you, you just let her lie on the bed and just you know, remain like just stay there forever on life support


but number two you guys can choose to you know remove the life support and you know let her pass on naturally, so, my grandma in the end she decided to choose to just you know let go of everything, so it was a very painful decision but my parents actually decided to just


stop using her life support, so as a matter of fact she pass on that day and it was really quite a painful scene for me lah you know especially I was still a kid and I have to witness all these thing and it was probably the first death of my, family member that I actually experienced


ya and I was really I was feeling really very sad but, my parents tried to you know entertain me with like you know toys and shows cause I mean you are still a child mah so it's quite easy to actually distract you but even until now I can still remember the scene quite clearly in my mind lah


what about you


(oo),


ya err I can actually relay that to you lah so sorry for your loss alright so is there anything in particular that makes you feel stressed


alright so for me one of the biggest stress points in my life is probably, fulfilling expectations it can be your family it can be your friends it can be your teachers or any seniors, so one of the results of being stressed from this is that it makes me feel like I'm going to mess up on something


even though it's like a it's a it's a very small thing but it makes me feel like I'm going to mess it up like you know screw up and it will become a pattern, it makes me very stressed about being able to find the right motivation, to be able to make myself do the work, to the best of my ability, so similar as you school is also something that makes me very stressed because if you don't do well you may not get into the school you want


alright so even though we have managed to get in, next we have to worry is about our career, are your grades good enough, can you really graduate with the results you want, it makes me nervous about homework, even when completed it makes me think leh, oh is my answer correct did I forget to do something


and I think, one more thing is about me being stressful is about being accepted and also liked socially and by my school peers, because alright since young I love to be around people and socialise with others, so to me not okay if I were not to be socially active with other people outside of school such as party school events it makes me worry lah


I'm also quite worried about how I look what I wear, how I act or what I spend my time doing, so I believe all this little thing actually piles up and makes, creates a overall you know snowball effect like a very big stress a pressure on me but I believe that's normal


because it actually sometimes, it sometimes help me to function better as well like you know sometime when you have stress or you know, expectations you are able to perform better however too much stress is actually not good, ya so and I I believe stress is there's actually two type of stress one is called eustress stress one is called like just the negative stress eustress is the good one


and I believe if you are stressed you should talk to you know someone about it lah I I believe it helps lah, yeah, correct ya


well I actually this I I will say this thing maybe just happened recently lah so it's not really very it's it's not okay I don't really have any traumatic incident but, I think last week I was pretty traumatized lah okay so last week I was actually doing my wisdom surgery so I actually extracted my teeth lah


so it was my first time doing a surgery I never had any like needles like, LA like inserted into my any part of my body maybe it happen when I was a child but I can't remember so anyway last week I I stepped inside the surgery room they just, like insert a bit


suddenly he just you know take one super big needle and poke it inside my mouth I was like so scared it was quite it was it was actually quite painful lah but afterwards, my entire my face my mouth was actually numb so I couldn't feel any pain but you know what was the scary thing, even though I can't feel any pain right


my ears are still working I can hear what the doctors are saying, so, halfway throughout the surgery then I found out one of the doctor is like a new doctor so there was like a senior doctor and a junior doctor, the senior doctor was actually teaching the junior doctor how to do this surgery and I was so scared it's like imagine this is your first surgery and then you just realise that your surgery is actually like


the junior like his first few surgeries I was so scared and all the thing he said was that oh err, err the senior doctor said this lah I heard he said oh so normally over here I will cut deep inside so that I can pluck out the tooth !wah! when I heard it I was like so scared you know because it's like


uh even though I don't feel the pain but I know they are going to cut my gums and I can hear the drilling and the cutting I can even you know see the tools they're using, so I secretly took a peek and I saw the, equipment was full of blood and I was quite scared of blood lah so I just like close my eyes and did not look again but I was really very scared lah at the end of the surgery I noticed that the bed that I was sitting on was like totally wet it's all from my sweat


it was actually quite embarrassing as well, ya so, that's probably all for me lah because I've never experienced any extreme stuff in my life what about you I'm actually quite curious


the, our, ya, they cover my eyes eh no they covered my eyes but I got ya blue ya but, ya but at the bottom of my eyes ya but I could still see a bit then I see like !wah! everything blood !wah! I was I was really very scared it's traumatizing man


ya but, but the most scary the most scary, the most scary thing was I can hear exactly what they are doing because my ears are still working, ya and they're saying like okay I'm going to cut you here now oh here you must poke in !whoa! it's quite scary lah


ya that's why


err


err, my own rap, Buat


alright so talking about traumatic incident I just remembered one that actually happened like just about, , two about one one to two years ago, so I was staying at NS that time !wah! this one is really I first time experience it lah so I was with one of my friend he was I not I'm not going to mention any names but we were leaving the camp


so like for my coy line to you know the gate he's gonna like drop me off lah, so before I got dropped off right suddenly a bunch of people suddenly came to stop our car, and then I just realise they are actually from ICA and SBM, so my friend's car actually got surrounded by police officers and


the ICA officers, so I'm just going to like quickly summarise so what happened was actually, he was suspected of, , like he's he's in he's in possession of those contraband cigarettes because it apparently he bought it from another guy in my camp so the police actually managed to track him all the way to the camp so they were actually ambushing him


and I was so unlucky I was in in his car because he's going to like you know drop me off outside the camp, I was so traumatised man also the police actually make me you know raise my hand they actually checked my back they actually really went to search for stuffs in my lab uniform like you know like they will just ask you like hands in the air then they really check my pockets everything I was so traumatised I thought what happen it's only after that I just found out that my friend is actually like being searched by the police


but I think for first timer like me you know never involved with police one suddenly, everyone just stop your car ask you come out raise your hands I I was really very scared lah that time, I was really traumatized and actually that night I had a nightmare that I got involved in it even though I'm not involved, it was really very scary


I'm not sure if you have experienced it before this kind of thing, ya, ya but I think it's really very unlucky for me lah I just happily happily sit in his car suddenly !wah! Suay ya


my goals is probably, it's probably about confidence


so I I believe everyone have a goal in life, I, example I want to achieve this I want to achieve that, but then the bad thing is, alright I've written down my goal I've written down my plan next is how am I going to actually achieve it is it even possible, can I actually do it these are the questions that is constantly revolving around my mind


every time I have a goal I I will somehow tell myself say uh actually I cannot do it leh I I really cannot, like no matter how hard I work there will be setbacks, but however I keep I keep trying I keep trying but it's just the, I believe it's the mindset like I just feel that I I'm I'm not able to do it


it's more of thinking lah, what about you so you said you you had similar things right about confidence


true okay just just curious so just a question I know you have always wanted to you know startup be an entrepreneur I was just wandering let's say, alright you have already you are very confident about yourself you are going to really work towards your goal what if your parents actually you know this like they don't encourage you in starting up they prefer you to become an


err employee rather than employer because like employee is much more stable than being an employer so what if they ask you to be an employee instead of starting up how how will it affect you from like you know reaching your goals, like will you actually listen to them


uh


I don't agree


ya sure so for this below is, okay the honestly this is the first time I heard of this proverb I think it's quite interesting the child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to fill the warmth it's something like if, if no one is being nice to your like, you'll become nasty to them correct


something like this, ya so personally for me I haven't really err encounter this because like what I've said just now my parents and my family my friends they are all really very nice to me


not being like so-called embrace my friends what I will do is I will try to reach out to them to find out is there anything wrong is there anything I can improve about myself, like there must be something wrong with me that's why people are treating me this way, so ya I will most likely work towards that on improving myself rather than you know doing something bad to others


what about you


err, alright


ya correct, ya you too


okay, part two, ya positive experiences part two


ya sure so now we talk about positive experience in your life so what was the best birthday present you have ever received in your life


alright so personally for present I don't really have a specific present it's more of you know memories and moments captured in my memories so it's not really of the physical thing so I remember my most memorable or one of my most memorable


was when I was just two years ago two thousand eighteen before my enlistment, I went to JB with my friends I wasn't expecting a birthday surprise so I remember that night we had a staycation at one of the resort in Johor, so alright so after I bathe that time I think it was around twelve just nice around twelve AM when I came out of the shower my friends actually they were all there they actually surprised me with a birthday cake and you know they actually sang birthday song for me ya so as a person who don't really have those birthday parties I find that it was actually quite a remarkable experience lah


so it was really very memorable and I'm really very thankful for that, because I really wasn't expecting it in fact I didn't even realise it was my birthday that day because I don't usually say happy birthday, ya so I guess that's to me that's the biggest birthday present my friends and then surprising me


ya they're it's it's actually really very sweet of them I really appreciate it a lot cause I'm usually the one planning for people and you know sometimes people just surprise you back out of like I'm just surprised lah basically


so for me my blessing in disguise probably, I'll say it's my family alright so even though my family I believe you know they actually divorce however, because of that like you know after they divorced they actually it's easier for me to communicate with my father and my mother individually because last time when they were together they were always quarrelling and you know I'm actually stuck in the middle


and okay so one, maybe it's not a very good point but to me I'm actually quite happy is that my mom and my dad both give me pocket money separately because last time it's only you know one person give me now it's two person giving me, and as a result and and as a result so my family err okay so


my relatives know that my parents are divorced so they actually they are actually very nice to me lah they will always you know buy things for me treat me this treat me that when I go overseas they will even sponsor me and I think it's I I feel very blessed lah like everyone actually cares about me


and especially my sister I believe you have known me for quite a while my sister actually treat me really very well you know even my birthday she treat me to Omakase which cost like very expensive but she's willing to spend it on me so actually one day I I told myself one day I'm going to return the favour back to all my relatives lah because since young they've been treating me so well like some precious gem and I I don't even know if I'm spoilt lah actually


ya but I I feel I feel really blessed to be born in this family lah despite all the, unfortunate events, ya, so


yes correct, oh anyway is there any err is there any specific food that you know when you are sad you would like to eat then you'll be like happy like you know comfort food


so anyway talking about sushi !wah! you make me really hungry man I am I'm a huge fan of japanese food you know especially sushi and sashimi salmon sashimi it's really my favourite but talking about comfort food I will normally think of something that I really like, number two it's very convenient and number three it is very affordable so for my case I


I probably think of fast food, so my comfort food I would say it's like you know McDonald's KFC Texas Chicken, the first thing I think of is actually these outlets lah, for me it's not really about sushi, ya but I I'm still a big fan of sushi


so ya


alright so what do I love about myself okay I feel that, okay, I feel like I'm actually different from the people like from our generation like those nineties alright so basically most of my friends in secondary school in poly, their lifestyle is probably like they like to spend everything they have they don't really care about savings they


they are more of like you know, they enjoy now and suffer later whereas my thinking is actually very different I like to suffer now and enjoy my fruits of labours later in my, older years alright so, and I feel that, nowadays people they like to you know nightlife they like to go clubbing they like to go drinking they like to go out at night whereas for me at night I'm basically just staying at home to rest and I'm more of a morning and afternoon person like I will go and do stuffs during the day and I think that's


something very positive about myself, my thinking is actually very different from the generation I feel I'm not saying I'm mature but I feel that I I actually think better in terms of like maturity lah like I know what's best for myself I actually plan for my future rather than I just everyday happy happy enjoy enjoy and then in the end I suffer


so like example can be seen like maybe you know our friends they, let's say after NS, they are not going to uni but they do not really have plans to work anywhere so as a result they're actually like you know stuck like checkmate in their life they need to think of another plan whereas like we actually have made plans since very young


and I'm actually very happy that I'm, I have this kind of thinking lah like more mature I guess, ya what about you


oh ya this I uh, ya I definitely agree with this man I've seen many people you know, (hmm) , now that you mentioned I feel also I also feel very blessed now ya


ya okay so alright so anyway like, is there anyone in particular you look up to in your life


ya I've heard before


(oo) okay so, maybe for me ya for me personally my uh I won't say it's a role model but it's someone like I really like and I, I try to like, have a scene taking a scene in fact it's actually from an anime called Naruto


ya so he Naruto is the one that I no okay I I I know I don't really watch anime it is the only anime I watch but it's really inspired me I believe you have watched before it's like you know so famous he's a person like when he was young he was an orphan everyone looks down on him everyone hates him but he has never done anything bad to them in fact he keep working harder however


when he was a child when he actually you know like they go for exams and stuff he keeps failing he keeps getting judged he keeps getting criticized but he has never ever once give up, so he actually, work his way through the school through pure hard work he never give up he's very determined eh in the end like at the end of the series he actually became like the so-called like the president or prime minister of his country in that anime world and I think it's really very


good to know like his hard work actually paid off in the end, so even okay so now we bring it back to real-life context so let's say when we are doing something we have a setback I will tell myself alright not to give up, as long as I put my heart to it even if I feel a little, it's okay because I know I've done my best I believe I can relate to him


if I actually fail also, ya so if I think about him I'm going to work harder it's it's really you it really helps lah for me, he inspires me, ya so, so talking about


correct, and and I believe the author Kishimoto has have also mentioned that he is, his idea of a character is to uh actually inspire people in real life as well it's not just for like comical purpose, ya so so talking about hard work is there anytime


ya so talking about hard work and results do you have any like, a time where you know your hard work finally paid off and everyone like, congratulate you or something


err


err correct so anyway congrats on your admission to university, so ya personally for me for hard work I think there's, for a more recent examples I believe there is two so alright so the first one was like it just being last year, was that


alright so in NS I actually went for driving course it was it's around four to five months so at that point of time before I went there my weight was actually seventy seven KG I was really you know quite big in size so I decided to you know alright diet I'm going to run everyday I'm going to


like you know track my calories properly and !wow! after four months my weight actually from seventy seven KG all the way, to fifty eight I know it's a very drastic change but along the way I actually fell sick for about a week lah which actually helps me to losing weight but you know what I I've I was really so happy every month I take photos of my body and I I really appreciate my own hard work and my determination in losing weight but however


the funny thing is after this COVID nineteen I gained back all the weight, so I'm back at around near seventy, ya alright so alright so err, , ya I'm probably going to work hard again like in uni ah to lose weight so another okay so another of my hard work is probably my


polytechnic journey, so throughout the three years I worked really very hard, so back in primary school and secondary school my result was really very terrible lah so I didn't really study even if I study I also fail so however in poly I started to work hard I really put my


brain into everything, I everyday I study for my projects I really do it diligently and at the end of the three years I actually graduated with a quite a good GPA and I was really very happy and I also get admitted to a university, before that I never expected myself to enter a university because my results were always like borderline pass or borderline fail


ya and I believe my hard work has paid off and I really I'm really very happy I'm very thankful for my friends parents and even the teachers for their support, in my polytechnic journey, so these are the two things that I I can think of when you talk about hard work and, appreciation lah


ya, ya definitely maybe we can meet up in school someday lah, I always, ya


uh so a perfect day maybe it hasn't happened to me yet but maybe if you ask me to like describe one that I would have thought of it's something like you know, one day when I wake up at in the morning my my future wife you know prepare breakfast for me at the table already


and then we have a, breakfast together as a family, followed by me you know, I believe you have know me I always hope to work from home, more of like you know like day trading investment or any financial related stuff that I can work from home and then imagine I open up the charts and everything is very bullish everything is green I'm earning lots of money ya then I can


just take the whole day off bring my family to you know the beach like we can have a picnic or like fishing or like flying a kite there I I think that's a very relaxable and very peaceful experience lah I've, in fact it's not a I won't say it's a perfect day it's more of like my lifestyle I really hope one day I can achieve that lah you know FIRE independence financial freedom that kind of thing


I think that will be a not only a perfect day but a perfect lifestyle for me, what about you, correct correct stress stress-free


or !wah! through your conversation I can really find out you really have a lot of things you like from japan especially the food you know sashimi sushi (ugh) I'm, personally I'm a fan as well lah, ya alright so, and maybe talking about japan have you ever travelled to japan


same you know I always saw online like you know, ya


ya sure so for this conversation we have talked about our, our favourite or best birthday present what is the blessing in disguise we have what is our comfort food, what do we love about ourself and who do we actually look up to, and apart from that we also talk about our hard work


and perfect day, ya


financial related topic, uh okay so uh marshal uh do you have personal insurance


you want to share with me what insurance you have like, a little bit of the details


ya I guess so ya, I also have like the typical critical illness accident protection I think I think those are like the normal ones that people of our age have


because at this age like we don't know I mean to a certain extent we do have, money then , we can pay off the insurance lah right but, I think we don't know when we're gonna get into like an accident or something so this is some sort of protection that we have ourselves


(mmhmm), ya that's I think I think that's one of the reason that's the scary part also like, I mean recently with COVID people get retrenched right so what happens after that what if you don't have the money to pay off your insurance


, but actually do you talk to your insurance agent about this


ya because I think it has like a I think it's a two month grace period before it automatically lapses I think


like for mine I will say I jobless for a few month right and then like I could pay off until a few months then after that uh I had difficulty but I managed to find another job, so but if I were in your situation if I was in your situation I would probably not be able to pay off as well and probably get it lapse


ya so do like do you think insurance is important for people like us at this age


because for mine right I have like uh accident plan and then I also have critical illness plan , but because I was, my insurance agent is actually my friend, so I I was like kind of like force in a way to to take up this plan


ya so, uh now that after I I was out of job and then I realised that uh maybe at this age I do not really need the critical illness one because you know critical illness like maybe when you're older than you get that kind of thing right but from my understanding if you buy the insurance now


it's cheaper than if you buy in the future, ya when you're older and you buy and and you you really don't know what might happen to you if you get breast cancer or something like that it might just happen but I really was considering lah to to just lapse, the critical illness plan


if I really didn't get a job lah at that point of time, no I think is like critical illness I think is fifty I think


but but okay I got another another question do you think would you like approach an agent or, you like do yourself I mean you find out on your own and then you plan it for yourself


I would because I really suck at finding my own information but I realised that a lot of insurance agency have different costing so if you compare from, let's say one company to another company like AIA versus AXA there's actually a difference in in the costing so and they actually gave the same benefits so if I wasn't lazy I would've done that and then save some money in that sense


but do you have life insurance like I think I think there's one ah life insurance which is like saving savings where they put in a certain amount every month and then after ten years or something once it matures then you can take out a certain amount of money


ya actually that is true, I can't really regret it because I do have that I do have that and then I think now I have like,


quite a lot inside already cause I think I have it for like a year so and then when I was jobless I was like thinking, shit if I don't pay it how am I supposed to I do I don't want to lapse it because a lot of my money has been invested in it already, then I realised


like like you said lah I think it's better if we save the money ourself, and then we can take out as and when we need it but it's just that if we save it ourselves we might not have, the ability to, keep it inside the bank for a very long time


I mean when there's money you want to go shopping you want to go like Bali then you want to go like uh holiday right so it's I think like that is quite, so I rather like save it somewhere where I cannot take it out until like after a few years


but anyway uh I think in the past I thought uh insurance agents they were scammers , I think some lah but I think they are they try to lure you to get, more more policies but


you have the right to say no you just have to say uh you have you just have to know which ones are the right ones for you, like I feel accident plan is important it is it's not quite expensive I think is at twenty dollars per month, and the coverage is quite good but you do not need any other plans at this


point of time, but it's just that they can be quite forceful so you just have to you know be sure to stand on your feet and tell them no


can share an example of when you use your travel insurance overseas cause that never happened to me I never bought like travel insurance before


oh I think when I went to korea I did but all the ah short distance I never did, so that that means you don't really believe in the in the travel insurance lah you only buy it when you go for long distance but actually in short distance also anything can happen like flight


right , ya is like a bit not worth it right, eh about what what ya, as in you haven't say what happen


and then how you get ya for the travel insurance thing


okay okay


okay if you had a choice right marshal what do you look out for in an insurance agent


so you rather your agent is your friend, someone you know


okay but but I feel that but he's not your friend right he's a stranger who became your friend ah ya she's she was a stranger who became your friend right ya cause I'm using my friend but, , I mean ah it's okay to use my friend but I feel that


, after I get all the policies sign and all that suddenly they go MIA , and they only like ya they only talk, when when they need updates or like when payment is late that kind of thing then they will find me but I feel that for insurance agents I understand that they have a lot of people that they are agenting


but they need to know that we are still their clients even though we're friends first but we're still their clients, and , I feel that they need to check us check up on us every now and then because we're still paying them every month I think right now a lot of insurance agent


what they do is after they sign you up then they just ignore you until there's something something that happen to you but I feel they need to create that rapport with everyone and you know just just let your, clients know that you are always available for them


right at the end of the day we are still buying a service from them I'm not paying you for free every month you know like I want to see you there I want to see you make an effort to talk to me


I don't know I'm pretty sure like a small percentage lah from each policy so if you like times one hundred I'm sure they sell a lot of policies I'm sure they get a lot


like people say is easy money


marshal you'll see the chat while you're talking to me, because he will prompt us with the chat, so every now and then you go look at the chat


I think I know someone who who is an insurance agent and then now she already has a car and she's our age


what we have ah , EZ-link card, , EZ-link card, alright


I'm sure they're filthy rich , I think so


but I think they are so scary when they approach you in real life like you know all those MRT places


like , , , so funny but you think looks matters, when, when insurance agents approach you


I think at the start lah but but after that their knowledge, of the policies matter more


ya precisely but but, ya true that's true, ya ya but I wanted to ask, do you think insurance is important before you make any decision like when you maybe I I know right now you don't have money to buy car but in the future if you buy


car, and like you know all those like expensive things like travel I know you said that you are going to buy, I mean no matter how much I don't really favour how insurance works because a lot of it they really leech money of us


but I think it is quite important like example forecast you might not know, when accidents might happen, but personally for me for traveling I will also not buy travel insurance unless is a very long trip


but when you went Bali anything could happen to you you know


but you think some people misuse the I mean take the insurance thing for granted or not


whether it happens because, ya, uh because if you think about it the amount of money you put in versus the amount of money you get is still very much I mean there's still a lot of difference you put in more than you get right side thing is okay to leech off


I actually talk to my friends my brother is my brother in law is also an insurance agent so sometimes when I'm unsure about things I will ask him so he said that usually you need


the insurance that you take up right the total policies it shouldn't be more than ten percent of your pay, so it should be between five to ten percent, so if you reveal your policies and then you realised that you are paying more than ten percent then you need to relook at your policies and like just remove some of it lah I think right now I'm paying slightly more than ten percent so I think my friends they're like taking money from


me , but but , ya lah you need to review your policies and then see uh what you can let, because you don't want to pay off your insurance and then you ah you don't have enough money for yourself to sustain your living


ya cause the issue is you can't even see it it's like when something happens to you then you can use it, much are you paying I mean ya you think more than ten percent or less than ten percent


based on your acting right ya


(mmhmm) (mmhmm)


okay marshal , okay the first topic like I wanted to ask you is what are the injustices of the world that made you angry


ya I agree with you like I feel especially in singapore we are divided into, the super rich where they can really afford everything and then the really poor and then there's normal like middle income like me and you like we are neither here nor there


but, we are the worst I I think because like we can't receive help because we're supposed to be okay we're supposed to be wealthy enough but at the same time, , we are actually struggling, to make ends meet like personally for me at this age I'm twenty six but I feel that I'm not stable at all I don't have that stability that I wish that I have right now