so ya that was definitely one of the best ones, and , ya oh and for some reason doritos, ya doritos was is definitely up there so ya


okay, so describe a moment where things turn out better than expected, I would say


, playing oh , I think it was a game of football ah ya ah ya football match and, ya we


in the first half of the game we were, we were losing, and opposition was, quite strong then obviously my team we were like quite scared lah but then eventually in the second half of the game we knocked some sense into ourselves and


ya we ended up winning the game, and I scored so


what is the nicest thing someone has ever told you, I would say it was when, cause I was struggling my secondary school, and I also ended up getting, not so good for my O levels but then


one of these teachers one of this teacher he just came up to me, and he just told me I'm proud of you, uh so even though I felt like shattered inside, uh he like what he told me really, ya


it was really uh up till now it is still stuck in my head that was one of the nicest thing someone has ever, told me


so


describe a fond memory you share with your loved ones, , I would say when we had a staycation at marina bay sands


I think it was uh six five years ago around, there, ya so it was just after my exams then my dad surprised us at uh, marina bay sands and ya I was quite I was quite shocked actually so


ya and then we ended up having a really good time over there, going to the top of the you know, the marina bay sands there, uh looking over the whole, uh, the view so that one that memory definitely sticks out some of the best lah


a time when you experience, personal growth, I think it was when I wasn't uh doing well in my studies, and then that's when I realise that


no one was like going to help me except for me so I have to start, so from then on I decided to accept my, mistakes and then learn from there, and I definitely grew from that, and ya I'm quite proud of that ya so


uh what are you thankful for I am thankful for the people that I have in my life right now like around me like my close friends, my family uh I have, friends from my uh like secondary school and all that which


thankfully up till now we are still very close, uh ya they just, , ya on some days they just put me, you know in in a better mood and definitely they, I will definitely not be where I am without them, so ya


okay, so what is a skill or an ability that you are secretly proud of having


, honestly I am proud of, my ability when it comes to uh


like speaking in general, whether it's like trying to, you know trying to, prove a point or like in front of like a lot of, well ya I would say that my I'm I'm quite confident in my ability to you know deliver in that sense so


ya I would say that's definitely one of those ones, okay what was your


best birthday present and why, , I would say it was in eh, when I was, I I think was ya it was last year, uh when


out of nowhere like when I came to school then my friends they like surprise me, like they they told me that they already book that they book the chalet for me and all that and ya I've never really had that considering that I had, I have like quite a big family so it's kind of hard you know to like have this kind of things you know when you have a lot of people so ya when I it was definitely


a good time and you know, and also a good surprise when they told me that uh I was, that they actually got me uh a chalet you know so ya


okay


uh (ppc) so, describe your perfect day , honestly I'm not really like a stay at home person so


definitely start the day with like, breakfast outside and then I would say cycling after that all the way until lunchtime and then ya I get some lunch and then you know just continue eh and then like you know with like


close friends with me, then after it'll be like sitting by yourself at the beach, and then, enjoying the sunset and all that, and, ya and then ending the day with some drinks, ya


okay what is the comfort food that you can always rely on to cheer you up , since young ah it's always been chicken wings ya always just chicken wings and, ya I would say that's also my favourite food in general lah not just my


comfort food just my, my go to if we're to go to any place to eat, so ya


okay uh so ya I would say that'll be the end of our thing


for positive experiences


ya part one finance, okay


I guess we can just start from question one if that's okay with you, okay so do you want to go first or I can go first up to you


okay as for myself uh as for myself I invest in some, uh equities uh, more specifically some, like uh this group of, uh in generally this group of equities called like high growth stocks so like like as opposed to other companies in the industry they are more likely to


experience higher rate of growth so , I had invested in some of these stocks to accumulate my wealth for my retirement, I currently, don't have uh I


any plans for now but I might probably get some uh bonds, instead because that's like, uh lower risk and I think, I will want something like more stable for retirement uh as opposed to uh getting some equities ya


oh as of now I don't have any financial advisor because I


only have a a very simple portfolio which uh with very few stocks which I'm able to manage on my own and also my uh income and expense is rather basic


so , for now I'm just uh managing it myself and I don't have a financial advisor


ya that's that's true because I feel that when I'm managing it on my own I have to do like a lot of, market research to get the information uh for myself and like, uh there is


like, you you do need to invest like a certain amount of time and effort to , ya if if you want to, manage it by yourself so I will I will agree that I guess if you have a financial advisor,


that person would uh it's like one one headache off your mind lah like this person can help to understand your uh like uh what are your goals and your risk appetite and then, help to, perhaps decide something for you


okay , so far, I spend my money on , things which are absolutely, uh necessary I mean the first stage of my expenditure is basic necessities like food transport so and I feel this is uh justified because it's for our survival and uh apart from that


I uh spend my money on like self development uh courses like it could be in terms of education or it could be in terms of well being uh I think that's also justified because


because in in a way you're kind of investing in yourself and ya I uh as for, what I've been spending too much on I won't, say , uh as of lately I don't think I spend anything too much uh ever since the COVID times but previously I guess


I've been spending uh, too much perhaps like on clothes or something but I think post, COVID and uh uh like with the new norms I kind of see uh it's it's a little bit purposeless and I uh my spending habits have changed


okay that's that's , uh I think it kind of leads on to question , wait sorry, like okay I can't really uh, see the


number because something is blocking but uh the one uh, where like, uh how much of your income is allocated to savings expenses insurance and investments so I'm pretty similar uh in a sense that my expenses are about fifty percent


uh of my income and then uh as for my investments and savings it would be like the remaining twenty five percent, uh each so uh


ya I guess that's how I would also manage my cash flow, (ppc)


I feel that uh it's a little bit hard to predict because, uh I'm I'm not so sure, what a post COVID world would be like uh now and as for my spending and saving habits I don't think there will be much much of a change actually


(ppc) oh ya same for me too


I guess it's kind of a way to like , destress like I feel like maybe ya entertainment is kind of a way to destress at times so ya


and , so, , what what what are your personal views on like what do you, like do you think one should own a credit card, okay


as for me , I think it depends on the person's , uh like, financial expenses and income actually like if they are if they have


like , obviously if if they have like a a large amount of credit, uh as opposed to debit then it makes sense for instance like people who own cars then uh I would say ya but then I guess if you're someone who just lives


within like basic means I think it's okay because I feel that the credit card itself may become a liability in a way and, I feel that there are also other ways to finance your things like uh


so previously I I've I uh I think it's quite popular book like a lot of people have read this book called , rich dad poor dad by robert kiyosaki and he was saying like , you can actually build up on your assets and use them to finance your liabilities so that's an like an alternative to


to uh you know depend so much on a credit card, ya


I personally uh am not engaging in retirement plans uh as of now yet but perhaps in uh some years time to come, and I feel that uh I think the first step is to plan properly


what are your uh so called retirement goals uh if if you want like you know example a monthly uh a payout of a certain amount then uh you need to calculate like how much of money you need to


uh invest or save aside uh you know to , like get your desired payouts uh and and there's also additional schemes like I mean on top of


on top of the normal uh, money that's in the CPF like the the SRS like supplementary retirement, schemes and what , ya, that's uh a brief overview as of now but I've not uh dived so much into it yet


okay and


so like what's one financial advice that you would give to the you five years ago,


as for me I would, probably have uh try to , improve my, financial literacy uh because I feel that perhap


perhaps maybe five years ago I would not have, as uh as much , uh capital but then it would be a good time to uh gain up, uh or learn knowledge uh so like


, ya just read up and educate myself on on, , financial literacy so that uh, I'll be able to, apply them


uh, when I actually have the capital to do so like you said about the high risk gains and I feel that usually like you know in in high risk ventures uh it's uh


to, what do you call that to uh, eliminate as much risk as possible it's better to make a calculated decision and in order to make a calculated decision uh it that's when you have the knowledge in knowing how to analyze the risk and the capital gains


uh, ya as well as , , ya assessing like you know the market and everything,


I guess for big ticket expenditures like uh, family home and car these these are quite like you know uh you would want something uh more, uh stable so I probably look into some fixed deposit schemes that the banks offer or like some uh endowment funds that uh some of the uh local banks here offer


okay ya that that was a, really good uh, discussion about uh, uh , it it it was nice knowing your view on financial uh


things uh financial topics, ya same for me too


part three negative experience, okay


I guess, I can start with, uh what kind of person do you hate the most,


okay well that's a very honest and that's also very true like I would agree with uh those sentiments as well ya as for me uh I I don't really like


hate hate anyone I guess hate is quite a strong word but then , you know like there are certain kind of people who I guess uh trigger some kind of unpleasantness in me and


and I guess , it would be, people who I feel are quite ungrateful for the things that they have and they always complain like, I feel that especially in singapore we have kind of like a complain culture


and you know like so many people are complaining about so many things and we're not seeing uh and appreciating what we actually have so ya these these are the kind of people who I'm a little bit


wary of like I try to, distance myself from ya them


ya I guess I guess that's true in a sense like uh you know in in kind of every bad thing there's like something good or in in something good there's certain bad things so ya then it just kind of reminds me of that when you say that when you said that


ya that that that's you know having this kind of conversations where people complaints sparks discussions, but then like, okay lah I mean it can also like


you can also look it like another way if if someone is so like uh perhaps like fascinated about something and then, like a discussion could also be that like you know sharing in in uh, other things as well so


ya (ppc)


okay , uh how about you go first, okay


as for me uh actually I'm, a little, okay with durian but ya I don't like how it smells but I think in a milder form it's okay like you know in those like cream puff and all ya I'm okay


, like but it's not like the actual it's not the actual, do do I mean the flesh ya it's uh ,


oh okay okay okay, ya, , okay I as for


other things that I dislike , I guess, the texture of the food sometimes matters to me as well like if it's something that, is uh


a little like, slimly or rubbery like squid then I I, don't I kind of refrain from it and then uh


I think , other things like uh, like, sashimi I mean I used to eat sashimi but then , after some time uh you know like like there were these articles about how like you know people who ate a lot of raw seafood


they had like they they started growing like some worms and maggots in their stomach and then I was like okay I'm just going to stay away from those ya, I'm I'm not sure but then like there's there's a lot a lot of like


uh articles which which uh how to say like lead like link those two and also like I've I've read , another uh research where you know it it it justifies that because like it's supposed to uh like


like raw fruits and vegetables like you leave it out there in the air like it wouldn't deteriorate as much as you leave like raw raw seafood or raw meat that like it'll probably like deteriorate faster so which is same thing that, happens in our body so like


uh you know those things are kind of like, rotting away so it's like I I I decided not to eat, those kinds of foods ya ,


[orh] okay that's that's it's quite interesting I didn't know about that but then I've also read that uh that the microbes in our stomach are actually pretty important, for our immunity so I mean uh because of the COVID like you know I've been researching on how to build up our immunity and so ya I I realize that the uh little micro organisms in our stomach actually play a huge role and


uh they're basically like the good bacteria and we need a certain amount of like , probiotics in us and so ya I'm not I'm not surprised uh with your , uh


findings and it's it's uh, I guess well it's something good to know something that something new that I learnt, (ppc)


, actually not really I guess, I would , I I think it's, if we want to change something it's up to us to change it and


eh, and if in in a way we are, if it's , okay you know if due to some reason we are never able to , I I would learn to adapt to it uh ya


oh okay I have


uh similar sentiments to me as well like uh based on what's happening uh in the western world especially , but then uh I think, uh, we've got to take


like I guess baby steps are being taken uh a lot more awareness is being spread right now uh thanks to social media and , so I guess this little


baby steps will eventually , uh, lead us to somewhere uh perhaps it will take time but I believe that change is uh possible


ya (ppc) ya okay


, okay I guess we can move on to another question I can share about perhaps the question uh what did you believe in when you were younger but not anymore and why


so , I guess when I was younger I used to have , , a pretty pretty like standardized notions of like what uh everybody will go through in life like you know they just go and study and in order to get a good job uh


you need to study really hard and then after you get a good job you get married you get a house and then uh, basically just uh retire and enjoy life but then I don't believe in that anymore I feel that


you know there are there are so many uh variables now and uh, and I think that they are acceptable like for instance there are certain people who do not uh wish to be married certain people who uh certain young people who just want to be single and and that's a way of life which I've learned to respect and appreciate


and also there's some people who , they don't uh, they're not settling down but instead they kind of uh like you know they work a few uh years in a certain place and then they go off and move on to a a different country and then they find a job


there so I've I've met someone who actually is when I ask her where does she live she told me she was homeless, and I was like oh and she said that she doesn't own a home she just , you know every few years she goes on and she lives in another country and you know even in uh relationships like


uh you know people are uh you know like , uh more is spoken about uh, what's the term like uh there's more talk going on about like LGBT and everything so ya like or uh whatever that we were exposed to when we're younger is totally


, and you know as opposed to when when I'm grown up I found I find that , ya like there's so much more pathways uh that people can, uh choose and that's okay


ya that's uh that's very well said I also feel that uh marriage could be a thing of a past ya it, it


ya so I guess uh and thank you for your thoughts and your sharing it was nice to hear about it


part two, positive experience


yup okay, so uh, I can go first, so question one what were some memorable moments from your younger days I guess the first thing


would be reading, uh I remember reading, a lot of uh storybooks before bedtime uh since I was a toddler till uh like about uh, primary school I've always I used to read a lot uh before I go to bed and I feel that uh ya these days I don't do as much reading once uh once you're older


uh ya that that was something that's it it really brought me , uh I was in in a very happy state of mind whenever I read so ya that's something uh memorable for me and also I miss uh


uh playing like group games together with my uh primary school friends like such as uh soccer like we used to like uh roll up this uh bunch of newspapers into a ball and wrap it up with masking tape and then we just used to kick it around like a


soccer ball or and we'll like just , we'll play catching uh across the blocks and used to be uh, a very fun period of time and I I feel like you know it's uh, even though we do exercises


now when we are older but it's not like the same kind of uh activity or play ya, ya, so what about yourself maybe you want to share something either that or it can be anything else from the prompts


okay that's nice, yup ya, I I used to have a white rabbit


and the name of the rabbit was Mowgli is named after the because like I used to read a lot so uh one of the books was the jungle book uh, and then so the the rabbit was named after the character there, uh but


most of the time my mum is the one who was looking after the pet and not me I guess I was like really young and not sure what was happening then I used to just perhaps just feed the pet and and and that's about it ya and and this was a


gift from one of my uncles, I mean the pet ya, the pet


oh no no I don't think the pet the pet got lost I think I may have gotten lost, I was a kid but not the pet,


, okay , okay I guess , I can uh I'll, move on to the question where I like to perhaps share about an experience when my faith in mankind is renewed so I was actually


overseas during the uh when the COVID infections first broke out and then uh uh before they uh, close the I mean before they stopped all the flights I flew back to singapore and then that's when I


, uh observe that the culture here was so everybody was so uh united during the COVID times where, they all like uh just normal random people just bought food and send to like hospitals send to workers people who are in need people who are doing things for us and and that was like yeah I I felt really uh


it was a nice feeling to know that there are people out there willing to, go the extra mile, for others in need so that that was uh an experience where I feel that, you know my faith in mankind is renewed ya


ya that's ya I've similar thoughts on that as well, and I guess uh it's not only in singapore but globally uh we can we can do see some of you know some of these uh kind souls around


(ppc) okay ya


okay uh ya I guess for me as well , I also have I feel like I have uh the skill than I'm, secretly proud of having would also be , drawing and painting and uh more towards the artistic side uh probably it would come for I think for the both of us it might come off more as a secret because we are more like


we're science students and normally people wouldn't expect you know science students to be artistic, and uh people think that we're all like on different sides of the spectrum but then ya I guess we are living examples of people who can do both


and as for me I do it as a hobby uh just for , perhaps like a stress relief or something that I enjoy doing uh like you know after I finish my artwork I it just feels


uh visually appeasing and then uh when I display or put it up in the house uh every it kind of uh brightens everyone's day as well uh ya that that makes me happy


okay and, , okay what about , what is your favourite childhood food or snack


I think my favourite childhood food or snack would be actually McDonald's because, ya I also used to mostly uh eat home food so when we go out and eat something it it's it's like a wild kind of thing uh


and ya as and then like as kids I guess I don't know there's something just about like simple, potato fries and nuggets that you know like kids like, I don't know like eating junk food ya but but and sometimes uh oh and another thing I used to like there's this thing the kinder bueno egg or that kinder snack ya I used to like that because there is a toy inside the inside the kinder egg


and then like I used to buy the kinder egg just to get the toy, ya ya


ya ya that's that's true ya also used to like uh this it's not really a snack uh initially I thought it was but it's not really a snack there's this uh there's this like a bubble, uh uh


thing I mean a a tube where you you squeeze out and you and you put it on a straw then when you blow it becomes like a bubble and then you can like kind of play with the bubble, ya it's it's not as simple it's not , ya ya ya


the gooey plastic thing ya ya I used to be like very fascinated with that because like you know the, normal bubbles will just pop but then this one it's just like it's like a permanent bubble, , ya but although like I think I uh initially I used to think like it's a it's some kind of a food but uh don't worry I didn't I didn't eat it like ya


, I don't know it it has a very like it has a I don't know some kind of a, smell ya and then it came with a straw so I think that's why I was little confused like why why was a straw there or some, thing , no no I didn't I didn't


, okay , okay what about perhaps like your perfect day if you can describe your perfect day


that that sounds nice as for myself, I think my perfect day is, still a little bit hypothetical uh like I would, prefer to, go outdoors uh on a


, on a good day not so sunny perhaps a little a little cloudy and have uh a picnic somewhere outdoors like uh perhaps the marina barrage, and ya just like being uh in nature and I think it would be nice to just be out in nature and just uh


like , just do something very chill like have a, picnic and then , uh, like uh listen to some music and some do some dancing and then ya probably


a little bit of reading and, I like reading because it uh kind of stimulates my brain when I uh learn new things I enjoy there and then, perhaps ending the day with uh catching up with ya probably some uh family and friends like uh our loved ones


uh in a very simple way, uh ya that's my perfect day


okay uh okay how about you share first and then I'll share mine later,


okay !wow! that that sounds like a a lot of like a very intense personal growth uh period ya, okay that's uh, uh it was nice to hear your sharing and yeah I feel like uh it was nice reliving some of my past memories as well


ya part one finance with a double


n and a period, Maha you pick one topic


uh sure okay, so okay how how do I invest my money


uh okay okay, ya uh, I invest my money uh in order to accumulate, wealth I have, have a wealth accumulation rider under my life protection plan, and uh this is under the uh insurance provider great eastern so it's mainly made up of


bonds ya , right now that's just the only wealth accumulation plan that I have in terms of investment how about yourself


I see so in that, sense uh, do you have a financial advisor to plan


your finances


ya that kind of , leans into question four where, where uh whether one should DIY or get a


a financial advisor, for this I thought that, that a financial advisor is better than to having to have, one to do it for their own uh on their ownself because uh a financial advisor would be well versed with the jargon


jargons in financial policies and document, and also like he'll be standing from a neutral stand, standpoint to understand your savings and spending habits, uh and uh, he'll be able to stay on top of the latest change


changes in government mandates and, as a financial advisor they are certified so they have to go through test tests to understand, understand policies , and all that so, so uh


I would rather not bog myself down with the homework and go for like uh ya, a financial advisor


, like in general how do you spend your money uh, and and which expenditure is


justified


this thing , I feel that I, I have changed so uh


but not not not too drastic so how I budget uh, my money is uh accordingly to like, what you've mentioned also same essentials uh to things like utilities transport food and bills and then the other bucket will go into entertainment or like shopping


or like uh, and and that's where I have spent a bit more in terms of entertainment subscription so, I haven't had a, a a subscription until like the COVID season where I just added a a netflix subscription but I think that's justified because uh


uh it's just twenty dollars per month and it's for the whole family, family so ya, I think it's okay uh, and and uh, the other bucket would be uh savings and investments which I have already uh


uh savings plan and it's to help, me with uh disciplined saving, uh across, the year so, so , to be specific uh, I I kind of follow the fifty thirty twenty rule


where fifty percent of the income is uh, meant to go into essentials and then thirty percent, is for entertainment budget and then twenty percent for savings and investments and whichever surplus uh


uh from whichever bucket will go into, savings


ya, so so with that do you think post COVID your spending habits would


change, back or


, ya actually uh it's hard for me to also foresee what's going to happen


but I don't, don't see the netflix subscription ending anytime soon , for me


ya ya in a way so uh


uh yes I think, one should, own a credit card eh as long as, uh he or she is able to manage within uh, the monthly budget expenses and to keep in mind that uh, uh credit is not to, to


sustain your lifestyle, uh, but it is ya it's not meant to finance your lifestyle so uh, uh otherwise you'll get into a rolling debt, and on on the other hand uh


uh credit cards do offer uh rewards rebates, and cashback, cashback uh which may offset the uh monthly , uh the, the monthly expenses uh and, another feature of credit cards is that it's safer


than debit cards in the sense that uh, uh it protects not not really protects but , minimizes the risk of fraud happening so, so yes


I think credit card is important in today's world, your thought, thoughts


ya so uh make the money work for you in a sense, I, ya okay


so have you saw have you given thought into planning, for retirement like do you have any advice for anyone to who is looking to retire, comfortably


ya I, I haven't also myself personally uh and if one advice I would give myself my younger self would be to look into it earlier because I think


that , starting earlier is, better than later when it comes to retirement, but slowly , trying to uh explore uh the options so ya like the supplementary retirement scheme where you can put


uh ya surplus of, cash income into the scheme for, for to get, to get capital gains from the uh investment income growth for your retirement into a the diversified portfolio that


is not stuck to just one, type of uh plan but it, consists of unit trusts bonds share, shares , even uh uh forex foreign exchange, for uh, better uh potential investment gain and uh more diversified risk uh from that portfolio so ya some planning would be needed and uh yup still looking into it as well


uh ya so other than the uh looking into, retirement planning uh which I've mentioned earlier uh, probably look into, to uh ah


uh actually I wanted to say high risks products because I I'm I know I'm the less conservative, not it's the more conservative side where I I don't like to take risks but still maybe strike a balance there so uh with higher risk you get higher returns so


so , I've only been with the uh, uh, low risk type of products like a savings plan, or a fixed deposit so, so , maybe explore into higher risk, products as


as a


yup, then uh have you sort of uh


uh any spending in into uh big ticket items like recently or, or do you have strategies into, that kind of purchase


ya I think one, thing to, to also consider is the the loans the loan options available


so the main two items would be uh the HDB loan, loans uh versus bank loans and then, and uh within it uh to consider the interest rates between the, two and, and the down payment percentage for uh like for either options


for example like the HDB loan, , yes same here uh I think I learnt something new like a new perspective as well from you


part three negative experience, experience


okay


uh I, I hate liars , and , ya that's just it like uh it's the, person lies I feel like I cannot trust I mean there's a lot of, things that's connected to just a person lying that person cannot be trust


trusted the, person can cheat, and, one, who lies will just uh, uh bring on more lies and, uh ya I feel like, the your relationship with


the liar, cannot should not continue and shouldn't be in your life


I, I see ya ya we do complain a lot but


I feel like it sparks a discussion like it opens uh opinions from like one party to another although we do we can be a bit, uh, uh like we we could like take things for granted uh


ya and we have to uh remind ourselves that, things may not be always at the same state and, and to be grateful for what's around, around us and, who's around us


ya uh


(mmhmm), ya okay so


!hey!, see do you have, uh food that you, be that you dislike a popular food that you dislike, talk about it


okay ya I durian is very popular here in at least in this part of the world and I do not like it at all, all because it stinks ya


genuinely , uh


those are the worst, , , fruit ya, I feel like the artificial flavourings are always worse than


the actual fruit, uh both like in smell and taste it's just worse in taste , ya


is that legit,


, ya ya I I I do agree on the texture part being uh uh


uh quite a big role to play whether it's palatable or not, like squid and stuff, stuff but then that the part about rotting like I was reading on coke uh and the ingredients of like Coca Cola so


and the uh the new coke no sugar, sugar like, now that it's filled it's it has replaced uh natural sugars with, artificial, sweeteners uh, uh they


there are scientific articles that claim, the artificial sweeteners uh, stay in your body and kind of uh, uh I, I want to say rot but I don't think that's a right word, , they kill the microbial


environment that's in the intestines and leave it in that state for longer, that such that like the natural state of the the body's, intestinal microbiome does not, uh like form back go back to normal


so uh and and on top of that coke is acidic like with phosphoric acid and carbonic acid, like it ya, ya rot I guess you can say layman term like uh deteriorates the intestinal lining and


just, just unhealthy ya it's quite scary, (mmhmm)


ya, same here from our coke, coke no sugar, discussions , , okay let's see uh, is there something that you wish you could change


but never but you feel like you'll never be able to


I see I see ya, but what if like you're a victim of some sort of system, or uh standards let's say for example, like societal standards of uh what is a successful


figure or , like you have to be financially up there like that's that may not be like societal standards I feel like it's a ya I do agree like the change will have to come from yourself and you can educate your


like, the younger ones and your community, community to think in a more balanced viewpoint but I feel like the bigger constructs of societal standards like racism genderism is uh


we we still facing it today, with many of the black deaths uh report or uh uh, unfair treatment based on colour, uh and, the ya I feel like it's quite sad that even in such a modern age uh


the effects of uh, uh colonialism is still within the mindset, of uh, ya people in the society and it just breeds into, uh how you treat the


other person, for something that they cannot like control it is just, you're born with it like your colour is something you cannot change your race, ya I feel like it's quite unfair,


ya, ya I think true like at least in today's age it may be


uh bring about a faster like growth to, dispel the these societal standards ya with the help of social media and and, the younger people, are definitely much more like connected to


the information like we're in the information age so, uh, ya hope is there hope, for change


ya ya totally agree on that like that has changed in, like my perceptions to that has changed also over the, past uh year, years like after getting out of the whole system of uh


primary school secondary, school and then university education and then what next like after getting out of the system then, that like then only like I I thought about it like , you you don't only have


to have this one uh pathway and yes and, what you choose is okay as long as you think it's okay like you don't have to conform to, whoever says that it has to be this way , and uh


ya not just marriage but like maybe , children uh having children, , I I recently just like, had this, understanding or appreciation for people who, choose to keep children like out of wedlock and they are okay with it and not like forcing the institution of marriage like upon themselves uh


, and the or or like other cases where you, want a child but you may not get the child and then there there is like a forms of adoption and and marriage is not the only, way just to have a child, child I guess like


ya uh and and, ya going back to marriage uh, uh like if you go back into history it's just a business transaction where , it's just to form like an a partnership between families or merchants


or royalties just to form the allied partnership and just like it's being brought down since then since ancient times and today it's so different because women we do not we have uh skills and education to deny to to to to rely on so


I feel like marriage would be a thing of a past soon,


ya same here Maha I think it's quite , engage uh like an eye opening uh


perspective that you've set us on


part two positive, experience, okay


ya, okay


okay sure uh, ya sounds like you have a very active uh, uh yup active younger uh lifestyle , while on the other hand I'm more cooped up at home I, I like arts and crafts on weekends


and we have family scramble sessions so, uh and I I love playing those on the weekends and I, I have a younger sister so we used to like dress each other up like for fun and we do each other's hair and


choose the dresses and outfits uh all that , ya and and like , play like made beliefs, means uh so uh those were fun and, and I didn't get into reading uh early like early on I got into it pretty late like in secondary school


although I did enjoy like storytelling sessions, from, my uh grandparents and my parents so ya we I had like bedtime story telling session, sessions


ya , did you used to have a, pet like


I see ya


and, uh, did it ever get lost, ya Mowgli


okay ya same I have gotten lost as well when I was younger,


(mmhmm)


that's cool , ya uh I haven't experience that, first and do I have seen it like on the news on TV and there's been just so much effort


put into uh into making sure we are all following the, rules , and it's just to ensure not not only our own safety but for the people around us and, and and it's giving a thought to


ya the consent to, the the health of the people around us and it's a whole cooperate, cooperative effort and I'm, I'm glad that like we we live in the community where we are considerate for one another's, health


ya that's true


yes okay maybe uh, uh we can share like a a skill or an ability that we're secretly proud of having, okay uh okay maybe I can share first


ya I I I do uh, uh like sketching, drawing and painting in my free time, time so , I ya one skill that I'm proud, proud of having is my artistic skills artistic and design skills


how about you Maha


ya ya totally agree with the stress relief part it's quite therapeutic to, to like let out emotions in in this kind of uh in this avenue


and uh, ya I I guess it's it's different for different, people I mean some would uh, uh express themselves maybe through dance or, or singing, and uh yes uh on the other hand I I'm more hands on on this side so ya I like to uh


draw out or like paint it out, okay uh


ya my favourite childhood food, I I mean I've always grown up with uh, uh more home cooked food than having food from outside so, so uh it would have to be my one of my mum's


dishes and it is uh my mum's spaghetti bolognese like I feel like can it cannot beat the uh any any spaghetti bolognese I find outside, so uh, uh ya that's mine


and yours,


uh, ya toy ya, oh ya ya


there're like quite like a number of uh variance of that kind where, where there's like the the ring pop, where you lick off the, the candy off the the hard candy off and then you you are left with a ring which is like a toy that you can


ya be left with playing and like there's the the push up pops like ya all those


oh it's it's not edible right, but it's it's there , I know what you're talking about the then you give you can bounce it off your your hands and like it just and then uh you can like squish it out and it becomes like a small plasticky thing


oh ya, ya, ya ya ya I use, play lots of like blow bubbles as I like usual normal bubbles


bubbles, because you put it in your mouth, , smell ya


like do you eat it, oh , ya ya I, ya I remember that, that gosh


okay ya I I like starting, uh my day with a, a bit of like exercise just to move my body and, and breathe properly


properly so ya some morning, exercise preferably outdoors and with the sun and fresh air and uh I have a hearty breakfast something that, that's filling and nutritious and then uh have a good read maybe the a book or listen to the news


and then move on to, some midday work on maybe a creative a personal project like uh some painting or design, and uh I like to end off my day with a dinner evening with a chit chat with family and friends catch up so ya pretty simple


not like a social, butterfly kind of thing but like ya, indoors, say and yourself


nice


okay uh, do you have like a


uh an experience where you uh, uh where you felt personal growth, okay


uh, I, felt that , it how how, how I am uh changes according to, to who's around me and ya with that the experiences that, uh I uh goes


through it it shapes , my thoughts my opinion, about like one time where, uh experience like a, blast of personal growth was ending a a very long and a very close close friendship


with uh, uh ya someone who's really close to me so that distance uh, changed how uh I viewed like, life in general what I thought was important


I thought isn't important what is meant to be prioritize and or, not , like things like uh education finance uh


even like marriage uh, uh uh ya so the so uh it's it changes uh to to to, who's around me but


but I felt like uh all these things were made even more important from the opinion of my uh uh close friend and the distance from her


her with her moving away to another country made it very difficult for me, to uh go back onto like, hang onto that thought, , and I had to remind myself so the the influence the external influence is not like pushed on me


like it has to come from within and and, where I realized that ya these are the things I have to prioritize on my own and I felt like I have grown up like I felt like an adult then, to take charge ya of life


ya uh same here I think uh just childhood, memories ya they are very reminiscent


(ppl)


finance, uh what is your investment strategy


yeah uh uh I don't have an investment strategy but it's more of uh starting low and then gradually as the income goes up and whatnot to put more and more into uh riskier investments because as uh as uh I'm used to being trained uh


I only put aside ten percent of whatever my available income is towards uh investments, yes uh have you ever tried any investments yourself


yup so uh usually I’ll put ten percent of my uh income towards all this uh trading or what not so that even if I incur any uh uh losses it would not uh affect my daily expenditure and all those


uh how about yourself do you uh buy other stuff like precious metals gold or silver


(hmm) because right now uh the gold prices have, been hitting uh record highs so it it has been quite a uh a lot of people in the market have stopped buying gold and they are keeping to what golds I wanted to assume whether uh if you are in the stage of buying any of this uh precious metals


what what uh maybe uh maybe is it uh one of the reasons why you have not invested or traded uh because you think it's similar to gambling or is there any reason


I see uh


would you recommend like for a student with little cash or even for your cousins or any of the other family members with lesser uh lesser cash right at hand to plan this type of investments or would you recommend them to stay away from it


I I guess I guess it comes to uh discipline and then uh uh it is it is I would say human nature when you see higher returns and uh


you would be putting in more than ten percent you'd probably raise twenty thirty percent of your income but as long as you have a proper discipline in your investments whether is going high or whether it's going low , it's better to stick to a a certain number a certain percentage of your salary so that you do not at anytime uh blow your finances put to put it yeah


ya that’s true it also depends on what's their risk appetite so when you come to stocks and bonds I mean all those market uh instruments some stuff that are less risky would be stuff in uh precious metals golds commodities that means to say like uh


paper stuff that we use on a daily day to day and stuff that are more uh risky would be stuff that are into technology, for example so from your uh, manner it I mean I mean I do understand you’re not trading right now but what would if you were to trade what would you do something that's very less risky or something that's more risky


uh so for example like uh would you prefer into gold


whether it's on the online market or whether to physically buy gold in the form of jewellery or to actually buy a company stock for example say facebook because it's like a tech company right, so a companies uh might be more risky so there's a higher chance whereby the the the risk of gold ever falling to zero it's very low you see it ya so so in this comparison what would you invest into are gold or into a facebook


I see so I mean in that sense uh even some jewellery shops and whatnot in singapore they offer this monthly savings which actually tells you to save I mean to uh it it is in a form of investment where people actually set aside monthly and then end of the day then they go ahead and uh use that money to purchase gold


so uh from your from your uh scenario, I think that will be something good for you


I see uh what do you uh foresee in the near future do you think investments and all those I understand uh do you think it'll become a important uh a knowledge that needs to be taught to the younger students


as part of school and what not so that they too would have a a a good idea of it


I I see so uh for yourself uh do you prefer I mean uh there are investments that even provided by banks insurance companies and even stuff that are online that you do yourself I'm I'm sure you have come across the ones that are provided by your bank


like or or or, so what are your views to say today uh if recommended would you I, prefer to go towards a bank or towards a a a insurance company for example what do you feel is safer


I'm sorry, so that's very true but uh what would you recommend that means to say if a person who doesn't have much investment knowledge


uh in investing and all those uh would would you recommend them to stay away from investing totally or even if a trusted friend or a or a insurance agents or somebody who knows this would you tell them to try it via them


okay okay so uh uh


I I I guess I guess because I come from that experience of investing so for me uh I would I would uh to a certain extent that means to say I will never let a third person do it, that means just take the third person's advice totally and let them uh run my finances or run my investments for me I'll probably need to at least know fifty to sixty percent about it before letting them do do do the investments for me


because ya because uh end of the day to each individual is their own finances and I think they would have their own uh , uh uh idea on how it needs to be invested or or what purpose they have for their money and whatnot, ya ya uh how how


yup, I I I believe it is uh buy low and shell highs because uh take for example the gold right now I think it's it's trading at about uh seventy or eighty dollars per gram and uh previously it was trading at about


fifty dollars so this is how when you buy something that’s low and then uh you you you hold on to it and then once it high you can sell it and then you make a profit out of it, but uh doing it this way you you shouldn't be timing the market that mean to say like assuming that fifty dollars is the low in the terms of gold and cause nobody would have known that


gold had uh gone to eighty dollars you see so ya timing the market is quite difficult in terms of buying it low and then selling it high because , it's difficult to say what is the low, you see it ya so that's the problem so buying low and selling high would not be my favourite uh


uh system to use or or or idea to use mine would be a consistent consistently uh investing into uh into one fund and then letting it just uh play out in the long term


ah I I believe uh each has his own pros and cons like for example insurance should be meant for just insurance, and uh investment companies should be used just for investments there's no point in merging uh like say using your using insurance companies to do your investments because end of the day these insurance companies are not doing it for free there there is certain uh


uh what is that uh, prices that they're deducting admin fee or what not that they're deducting from your investments so there's always a price so when you're doing it through banks or insurance companies there's always going to be a price that you pay to that provider who is


providing you this investments so I'll I like to keep it separate, uh no so investments firm uh the there's always a admin fee but it's well is lower so that's how did they they they


they attract a little bit more sophisticated investors to come down and invest themselves but having said that, if you have no investment knowledge and uh no experience in the field and what not I would I would never recommend you to do it yourself it's always better uh to go to the insurance company to do if you have no experience because rather than you having no experience go to the market and losing your money


it it is still a better choice to trust the insurance companies pay that admin fee or administrative fees or deductions so that they have qualified people who invest and get the returns for you


I guess in that sense I I'll I'll make sure that first of all because what I'm going to be investing with this investment companies uh would be spare cash because uh, this moneys could be lost in the market so I’ll I’ll first make sure that I have a a certain backup


cash that in the that that this cash that I'm using for investments are not uh cash that is essential to me living for the next month or two to three months down the road I'll first spare cash first, and and the cash that I use for the investments would probably be excess cash that means cash that I do not do not need for the foreseeable future for the immediate future so that I can use that to put towards investment to get a little bit more interest and able to take certain risk on this ya


all four years ya


uh err, I would say it's more of as long as you have set aside six months of your salary in your bank anything on top of that you can invest


yes that's right so that even if whatever you've invested uh is lost


or even you have certain anything uh uh if you lose your job or anything like that happens immediately you have your six months of uh cash to uh take you over you know you don't have to immediately go and stop your investments which might uh incur you losses


so ya this would be the most important would be the six months of a buffer the buffer salary that I keep aside first anything on top of that whether it's going to be hundred dollars or a few hundred thousands, I'll take it from there and invest from there


personally I'll probably do long term, because uh short term markets can be volatile uh the stock that you put into or the company's shares that you buy or what not can go down but as long as you would make


or you invest into, safe stocks uh, it is uh it is it is proven that over the long period of time, the the shares do trend upwards, but in if if you want to plan something short term is more you taking that risk yourself and uh ya so end of the day it's it's more risky if you're doing something short term you're you're basically trying to uh predict whether it's gonna go up or go down so ya so long term is for me ya


ya anything more than uh five to six years that that that would be ideal


yes so I'll probably save uh consistently save like I told you a certain portion of my income and then put it towards maybe a milestone uh whether it's, retirement or whether it's my uh child's education or something along or even buying another property or yeah so the the timeline will be there so I’ll I’ll save or invest accordingly accordingly to err to timelines lah


yes how about yourself have do you do you know anybody uh in your immediate family or anything that have invested or uh heard about any investments as of such


okay, twenty few seconds ya


negative experiences, I, guess uh do you have any preference I I guess uh let's talk about the uh english movies I guess the one that would have made me cry is more


maybe titanic i guess that's one iconic film where where where the ending where jack uh, uh dies, so you you you you do see him throughout the movie and everything and that came out uh think when we were much younger I guess we wwere probably at about in primary school still


so, uh so ya so at that moment it's more maybe at a younger time is more harder to think about this sad experiences and what not, so it it it it was more, I'd probably cried in sadness I guess because as you as you grow older you come to understand this is just a film this is just a storyline and it doesn't affect you as much


ya that's it yeah how about yourself is there anything


(hmm)


I guess for myself the worst was to, india this probably happen the during my time in uh insurance I think I guess he was one of those uh, uh trips that was organised by the company uh as a reward


for for for doing sales well so we we did a round about trip i think we went to Bombay Delhi uh most of the places were good the place that we didn't like or I personally didn't like was Goa, it's a it's a place that's uh one of the coastal areas of india


uh especially because it was uh, uh, the food there it wasn't like a terrifying experience or what not but because uh I had a very bad food poisoning there and uh it it it it was very bad to the extent that uh


it left me very weak and it, took me uh I think we were a good one week before the end of the whole uh uh overseas uh, holiday the holiday so uh for the next one week I was really suffering I mean even when we went from place to place it was a struggle


to go to the place because I very I'm dehydrated and I couldn't enjoy the trip as much furthermore Goa uh is uh is, not as nice as it is as cities are portrayed, on certain indian movies and so when you when you went there it was very very much dirtier and uh


ya but the main thing that ruined it off was that the the food poisoning that I got have have you ever has anything like this occured for yourself in terms of a overseas experiences,


have have have you ever felt that uh any point in your life that you have nothing you do is good enough


I guess I guess that's true uh even especially in pregnancy it it it although there's a lot of happiness a a lot of uh, uh uh uh, ladies have this same feeling where you know uh because of the vomiting and all those and and even after childbirth the the the uh breastfeeding


it is very difficult for many of them where many find that they find it difficult to express the milk that's required, so there have been many scenarios of these people going into uh, depression yes exactly so yeah I mean I mean uh many people concentrate on the portion of a childbirth being uh happy


happy and and it is definitely happy occasion in a in a life but there's also other stuff that goes along with it like you have explained, stuff uh err a certain type of you know where where you always worried about even when he's in the in the stomach itself you still worried about whether he’s or uh whether you are eating enough for him


and when after he’s born whether you know we are we are able to express my whether we're doing because there's no way that he he can actually tell you via words that something we are doing is right or wrong so yeah I guess this is true especially for the first children


, I guess err upon, itself it was also during my uh


my insurance slash education period this was probably right after my NS period so uh uh I was I was doing a part time degree as well as doing uh my education I mean my my uh insurance


together so there were periods of time where where are no matter how hard I worked it did not uh convert to sales and task uh giving me income, so there was portions of time where even though I just kept on doing the the same thing over and over again or or different things I just kept on hitting a wall


and that was difficult and uh and furthermore having having to do it together with my education it put a a strain on me, and because uh when one is failing it's very difficult for you to put full effort into the other you'll want to actually put more and more effort into the one that's giving you money first of all so when one fail it in inadvertently created my studies to fail as well


so it was very much like a , a a domino effect, because uh it's it's very much like also like a like a building like a building needs four pillars to stand on , when one pillar is not working, no matter how how you you you you repair or you make the other pillars strong


your your your building is still uh not steady so that's how it was so for me doing education and insurance together you need to really put the time aside for both so at that time it really felt like uh


nothing I do because when one was failing nothing I do helped both and both were failing together, have have you have you ever had anything to do, ya have have you had times when you have to do two or more things together and you took up too much of your time that you really felt


like till you have no time for anything and then you're you're basically giving up your your happiness uh times that you kept aside to make yourself happy but you have to give this times up so as to finish your commitments


how how how, what what what is in your perspective your greatest fear that that that you believe you know, so what do you think it would be a greatest fear, failure from a from a


uh,


uh I guess mine is uh similar to yourself uh my greatest fear is failure, uh more more more towards, uh I think , financial success and being a


a good husband and a good father, I guess uh these are the stuff that that is fearful I mean uh there are stuff that you can control, like how I mean you you in terms of our financial uh success I mean it it really depends on how well you work and all that but in terms of family it is no matter how much work you put in


there's always stuff I mean that there there have been many great scenarios where uh great people have have led who have had not not as great sons, or children so this time I think it I believe it's not you shouldn't put too much pressure on ourselves it's better to do the right thing from what we think is best and then from from there


uh not say just I I guess it's some some someone I hope for the best, yeah because the the future is the future nobody knows what what is going to happen and there's no point trying to prepare ourselves for every other scenario that could happen


so ya it is my greatest fear, what what could happen failure but I I also have started to realise that you know I mean it it it's cut this fear is from myself so if I have to deal with myself I can inadvertently deal with the fear


but how how is is there anything that uh that happens right now that disgust yourself


maybe in our family or even in uh in in the society for example, something that happen that the society that happened that that that


okay


(hmm)


I guess uh the, mistreatment of uh children or babies yeah I mean I mean you might not find that in our in singapore but in the in the worldwide uh scenario there are many countries


that uh this happens rampantly and openly uh so this disgust me because this this children are , some are ten and below some are newborn these are people who do are not ready to fend for themself uh and do not even have uh the the enough uh


education or intellectual capacity to make the correct decisions so just because they make certain wrong decisions it is not their fault it's because the people surrounding them have pushed them towards this uh decision to make decisions claiming that these are the correct ones


so ya so the the people who take advantage of these children, and uh, and and live off them this is uh I guess the one that disgusts me most, ya


and how how about yourself have you have you thus far experienced any loss in your life


, nice


I guess for myself uh in terms of passing I guess was my grandmother she passed away about, four I guess three eh three years ago three four years ago, ya three years ago it was before my son was born so three years ago


so uh it was uh definitely saddening because uh she had taken care of me since young and whatnot , but uh it was also at the stage where she was really very old uh having uh dementia and all this so I do not know whether having to see her go through


her life at uh in that uh in that uh living that way would have made me happy or having to know that okay you know, it is sad that she has passed on that she had moved on to somewhere better you know uh I I guess any single day


can be sad, but uh I I I guess the way I work is that I I I see, I I believe in the way I look at it so I I choose to see in a in a different light so as to make it feel like ya it is sad indeed but you know


end of the day she's at a better place, twenty twenty two


positive experience, uh


for me I guess the hobby activity would have been soccer that I played during uh school times uh especially during uh secondary school uh days uh this would have been played either after school or during uh my uh recess periods how about yourself


yes yes uh yeah because uh I you don't want to dirty your your shoes in the field so basketball courts are are are cleaner so end of the day got I mean you you always wear uh white shoes at that time right to school how how about yourself


oh okay


would would you be playing this with yourself or with some of your cousins or


I guess the best parts of my childhood would be the gatherings uh I had have relatively large extended family so we so so we have a lot of gatherings during uh, the uh the festive occasions deepavali or uh new year or


other other other so it it usually we end up gathering at least once a month or so so during this gathering, and eat yes exactly


and eat exactly so, it's uh and as long as we eat and uh even uh play some games to catch up and usually when we go for such gatherings we will, end end up coming back uh relatively late like ten to eleven


so those are are some of the best parts how bout yourself what what were the best parts for yourself


am am I right to assume that this are also the people you cherish most in your life


what's the best thing that you think you have done for yourself uh whether it's uh education or


uh something else


I think the, just so the best thing I've done I believe it would be to have joined uh the insurance career because it has uh train me uh very much on uh self confidence uh sales techniques


the the how to convince a person which are techniques and uh and uh, techniques that have become very invaluable especially in the working life I believe even if we go to the uh eight to five office job


you still uh do presentations and you still have to sell or convince uh your bosses or your peers on your ideas, so this uh joining insurance acquiring these skill techniques and convincing uh methodologies and whatnot I believe have been the uh biggest thing that I've done for myself


did yeah, , have have have how bout yourself have have have if how would you how would your life be if you were a millionaire


I guess I guess it's a question a lot of people tend to ask in singapore especially


I think if I were the billionaire I guess uh probably be in the same thing I’ll also look towards helping others, uh whether immediate family or or or or people from uh needy families and certain organisations I'm not too sure because uh as of now I think most of my immediate families are


are are pretty well-off so I I would concentrate, using the money that I have towards uh the the people, who are more in need and not only the money because I I believe if I was a millionaire I'd probably have a certain connections in place whether they were doing business or whether they were to be in uh


a a a connections in a society so I probably use these connections to , uh, to help as well because I believe creating this type of connection you are creating a certain uh organisation to help people or help this uh lower income would be far exceedingly helpful to them because even when I'm gone the organisation will still be around to help these people whereby if I'm only depending on my


cash to help them, uh it it it's only gonna last till I’m around so and and ya needy people are always going to be there ya people who require help, yes so I have to yeah putting your connection together and using it uh


in a in a in a good way I think it's important especially I mean, like like uh I think one of the famous quotes in a , in the uh uh superhero multiverse is what uh with, with power comes great responsibility


ya so I guess I guess it's the same thing that applies with money, ya I I guess it's applies with money as well so with money there comes, responsibility to use it in a way that that helps society, oh oh


so uh I guess if you're a millionaire you'll probably also be able to travel anywhere would would traveling be part of, uh, the things you'd would you even come back to singapore or


was there any experiences that uh left you in awe, did you


, I I I think for myself that's the same I think japan especially because of


how uh welcoming the people were they were very friendly they were very I mean the food they were friendly the the shopping experience their uh they had a good mix of the high tech, uh and also the the the low tech there where they had the suburbs where you could walk through and go and see the shows and whatnot interact with the people at time and and also there certain districts where it was very very high tech so it was it was


uh it was a good mix as well as the people and the food so yeah I've personally I I believe out of all my other uh overseas uh trips japan has been the most uh memorable to me, have


I have I guess the happiest moments in my life would be two uh one uh marrying you and one, uh so I think guess uh son being born so yeah I I guess it’s it's a different feeling once you become a parent


so ya so this would be the I'd I guess that's uh same for you as well yes, (uh huh)


(uh huh) I guess my best surprise would have been also my son because uh we uh I err both of us, didn't want to look into the gender of of of my my child


so we only came to know of his gender when he was after he was born obviously so uh would and we realised that the hospital that he was being born at actually gave us clues because uh the babies that were


uh babies that were going to be born uh female they usually tied the a a pink’s pink bow and for boys they tie the blue bow but I mean if you're going through pregnancy and all that we we I I didn't take the time to notice that oh my my my wife's uh what is that bed there was a blue bow tie to it


so ya you you I now I guess when I when I have my second child I probably know it beforehand, yeah that’s right, (hmm)


ya because uh there's there's not many clothes that are, gender neutral so we always had to find for those clothes especially uh there's a lot of other rumors stuff like uh I mean, if there's a boy it adds to the mother's beauty if it's a girl it takes away from the beauty so


there were a lot of people always uh use this type of uh uh uh uh uh, beliefs belief ya beliefs to to try to find out or to guess the gender, ya but I mean I mean uh I mean I mean how I had a feeling that it would be a boy because I come from a


I guess a generation of many boys all boys ya so I I guess genes has a portion to do as well, yeah


uh in terms of luckiest, I would guess uh maybe


maybe during my army times I think it was quite quite I think it was a like a exact moment, because I I think if I was uh falling down a cliff or something like that I just maybe tripped and fell so I I if I had fallen to my right hand side there was like a a broken off branch which it could have poked into me but if have since I've fell to my left I just landed on ground


so at that moment I was like, it was lucky it must was like nearly life and death it was like not I wouldn't say life and death it wouldn't have killed me but it will definitely left an wound in me so yeah, so that that that was probably at that moment I would I would have been thinking uh I I was damn lucky for nothing to have happened to me at that moment


I during my uh no no it it was during my NS times, I mean the the the two years between uh between uh before I was twenty


yeah yeah I was in uh when I was in the commando unit, how how how how about how about yourself when was your happiest moment in your life, luckiest sorry luckiest moment


okay uh how about had, is there any funny inside jokes or anything that has happened during these times when you were in uh


in your career as a teacher, cause I I believe you have you have risen from being teacher to being a principal so I'm I'm I'm very sure that have been must have been a lot of inside jokes inside inside inside your uh childcare centres that you were working at


okay


about twenty twenty five


finance, so at the moment I don't have any investment strategy as I'm not I've not done any investments


I think err, not something that I I have in my of my thoughts how about you, what's your investment strategy


nope I have not tried I mean all my investments or or any sort of it comes through my dear husband uh, so but yeah what ten percent of what you, like like your monthly salary that you’re thinking of putting aside


okay, okay, (mmhmm)


no I don't really I I don't really have much knowledge on on buying these stuff but uh but yeah if you somebody, were to walk me through maybe to invest in gold might be something I might consider


right yup


most likely yes cause I'm not a fan of uh of of uh, you you know doing the lottery and whatever so I'm not sure if this and I'm I'm I'm much I'm not much of a risk-taker like uh it what you say you are yeah I'm I I rather be safe and and not go out of that that little loop yeah


well I haven't had any experience in doing it so I don't know whether I should say go, for it or not but yeah I mean watching you do it maybe there might, be a a plus side to to to it and like said if you are disciplined enough to to put aside just ten percent and and


you know it at one stage if something goes you know that you need a bit more than that ten percent I will you stop at it or will you, would would would you add on like another ten per cent, (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


right okay ya so like like like you just shared this is probably something that I I might share with my cousins as well because I don't have I I am not into it and I don't know about it so based on your experience and based on your advice I might just share this and say !hey! look my husband thinks it's okay


and uh you know and and if if if if if they are interested put aside a certain percentage that they are comfortable with two percent five percent ten percent it doesn't matter as long as they're discipline right from what I hear you‘re saying


(mmhmm) right okay


uh yeah did you can you give me some examples, (mmhmm) right (mmhmm) yup


while I definitely would do gold and not facebook cause I I’m like shared earlier I’m not a risk taker so something that I'm comfortable with you know although if I spend fifty dollars and I know that at least I can I I have like five dollars and not zero dollars


then I would be more comfortable but if to spend the fifty dollars and not have anything, back uh then I I feel like nah so my my risk level is close to nothing I I will not take any risk I’m I’m I'm much more of a I like being safe so gold would be my option if that's the examples that you've provided


(mmhmm), ah


ya (mmhmm) yup, yeah I think uh that ideally that that's


what I like to to go ahead as well so you know at least knowing that if I put aside that ten percent it's eventually it's my money and it's not going anywhere because it's it's stills it's it's a saving plan


well, ya I think uh based on that yeah it it's it's it's good for them to to be you know to be given this opportunity to learn opportunity to to


for somebody to explain look this is what investment is these is are these is are the options this is what you can do because the young minds they’re like sponges they absorb everything so they can at the end make a, decision look I will I will I uh do that can I do that it's up to them but it's nice that they would have that option and that knowledge


yeah yup (mmhmm)


ya they call me all the time but ya


well again it's for me it's all about personal touch well the the, bank it's a safe and secure place but again you know you if you don't know what you're dealing with then it's definitely not safe but if if you go into an insurance company and if if you know the


the person or the or the , the agent then uh you know he he will he knows your whole, salary your uh your income your your, expenditure et cetera so he'll be the best person also to to walk


you through because you you have that relationship with with that person, yup yup


uh nope I would say not not, not my cup of tea and I I won't recommend it I mean I would say look there are options out there but if you ask me if I will do it I I then it's no


how about you will you , (mmhmm) right right okay


like just now you were saying buy low and sell high, like a, it is is that like a a good strategy, (mmhmm) okay (mmhmm) (mmhmm) right


right so you wouldn't put your hands in like a few different places like this uh like one in the bank one with the insurance company or one with like a investment firm et cetera


right but isn't it the same but isn't it the same with the investment firm as well, (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


right okay and like when you say you you like to put aside your ten percent so when you join like okay say an investment firm what what do you need to like, do you need to have a capital or can you just go in and


say look I've got hundred dollars and that's all I have for this time can you invest it or how does it work, right right right okay so


so what you're what you're saying is it's you you you don't need a capital, like a a a money that you're comfortable losing, like maybe a hundred thousand dollars or something that you're comfortable and that's how much you would take to an investment firm or what's what is there a basic amount or or I'm sorry is there a minimum amount


ah so the safekeeping is to make sure you live off that like you have comfortable six months


and then anything excess is something that you can think about investing is that right, (mmhmm) right


right and and it when you when you do the investments does it does it is it like long, term or like in three months if you say you call it quits you can take it out what do you think, okay (mmhmm) yup okay


so long term is I mean if someone ask you for an advice then long term would be the way for you, !wow!, so five to six years so you’ll just keep paying and and watching it grow or or deplete or or something like that right


(mmhmm) (mmhmm)


okay !wow! that that that's really good like I think if you if you're going, to have that kind of a plan but, and and you know what you're doing and who you gonna to lookout for I think that, it's probably healthy for you to go forward with


all that, I think most of my family's they’re doing one in the bank nothing more than than that though


yup uh, twenty minutes and thirty few seconds


negative experience, okay uh, recall a scene from a movie that made you cry in sadness, (mmhmm) okay okay yeah ya okay


alright so probably the death scene that made you feel, kay , I think for me it’s, uh well I I I, the only film that comes up to my mind is the latest one that I watch uh which is called the originals


about vampires and and werewolves, and I think what the the last scene where the father was torn apart from the, from his daughter because he had to save the the the the to save the magic and he has to live apart


uh from the daughter and and she thinks the father's abandoned her I think that was, really sad and the the scene that was played out , made you feel like a sense of loss, as well so you know and not having a support you feel like she felt like she was an orphan


and and not not, only that that when you're you're you're, when a paternal figure is not there you feel like you can't confide in him et cetera and even though as much as uh friends come into play nothing meets family so yup


I think that was my saddest, time that made me cry in the film when she say uh when when she describes , the feeling and when she has even when there's no feeling and just the, reflection in the scenes that that played through the happy times when she had with her father and now that she can't have I think that that's really sad


yup, what's your worst travel experience, (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


I think the worst travel experience I've, had was when I was in, London and, and when I we've decided that we've took taken the wrong tube line and got lost,


I think that was, one of the craziest one in because uh you know and I was, pretty young in my late teens uh as well so, trying to figure that out with two of my friends that was difficult and in and in London if you're not the right skin colour you get into a lot of trouble as well


but no I think more so when we tried to ask them for directions they're all rushing through so getting lost, uh in London and with all the different tube lines that was


that's hard, or that’s not something I, uh I enjoy ya, yeah I think uh yeah so getting lost in


London was my worst experience ever


(hmm), I think yeah maybe the the latest experience when I was pregnant and I couldn't keep my food in, uh and you know that was the uh, I I I felt that that wasn’t good enough


for for for me and for the kid and I and I try very hard to, to eat something that I'm most , you know that I'm most comfortable with so that I don't gag out or throw up whatever remains cause I know that it's not good for, for the little one so I I


I will do I did everything I can and even then I felt that if even even after not throwing up, for that day I felt like it's still not good enough like, you know I am I not gaining enough weight


to keep it and even if the doctor says it's okay it I felt like oh no, yeah so that’s why and


(mmhmm)


depression


yeah yeah whether it's enough yup true


I think so too and how about you what uh describe a time where you had nothing that you felt that nothing you do is actually good enough, okay (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm) alright


ya I think it's it's I feel, that, it would be also a time where I was , , working in two different classes, and I had to divide my time with the graduating class and with a where where


it's just a lower level but to get them all up and then, uh also applying for the position as as as a centre, coordinator so running two classes and doing office administrative


work as part of the the up skilling that for me that was hard and that was a a time, that I had to divide and I had no home time , no time no personal time because all I've used all my personal time making


you know having strategies and and making sure that, the kids that are graduating has met the the the learning outcomes, and to make sure that everything is in order at in the office


think of new ways to make uh to to make the office more , more structured uh you know coming up with ideas on on the on campaigning on in school grounds to to


invite more , , more parent visits so that you know the school will grow , but ya just just juggling between all of this and losing that personal space uh sorry losing that personal time for me that was the most hardest


failure


I think ya, failure uh being the daughter failure being the mother or failure being the wife ya I think my biggest all the the, most fearful word I have in my dictionary is fear being a failure


fear of being a failure, err you know to, ya and I and I have very high standards of succession that I need to make sure that I'm the I I'm perfect at doing this and I'm perfect at doing that then I need to make sure that all of these are are followed accordingly


and uh ya, so, and and how about you, (mmhmm) right (mmhmm) right right (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


I think what, , something that disgusts me,


I think I I think what, disgust me most is, like abandonment, I think that that's something that I can't deal with and I I feel like it it's it's something that I am always disgusted by it if


or or extramarital affairs I think that that's something that I would call disgustment because when when that happens you, abandon your other party and you go and find other pleasures , where instead of you sitting down and dealing with your own situation


but yeah I think if you if you, have that feeling of uh having a a relationship outside your relationship, and leaving it would be, ya that that disgusts me


I at this stage I can't think of that right word , so but ya, it it's it for me that that's


okay at at at, err recently no but uh growing up of course you know when when your best friend passes on my grandfather was my best friend and he passes on and and then it laps you if no other playmate for that was my one of my biggest


yeah, my most difficult time I feel, and how about you (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm) right okay


(uh) twenty twenty five


positive experience, okay, what's your hobby or activity that you felt happiest doing as a kid


is it is it the ones that that you play on the basketball court or on the field , right ya


I think my my best hobby as a kid with pretend play, uh uh yeap, pretend to be a teacher or or pretend to be a a someone working at the hawker or or in the market


selling fish so I I I love I love pretend plays especially being a teacher where I wear my arch heels, and uh uh sneak away and and write and and take chalk and write it on the wall and pretend and put dollies on the


chair uh and make sure that, they're all listening to me and yeah so pretending to be a teacher and uh that's that's the happiest time and the best time, for me


well it depends I could do it on my own as well, as playing together with my cousin cause I don't have any siblings right, so err yeah mostly with, the adults so grandpa and my grandma are little uh


little helpers for me in when we play uh but yeah and that it it's fun, playing that , and uh and what's the best part of your childhood


I know , and eat


you forgot , eating food's the best


I think the best part, for myself is I I have to, agree it has to be with family uh as well and I I share the same page, as you where , all the little gatherings or all the little functions or any excuse to kind of uh have a party uh is something I enjoy as well cause when when you’re the only kid in the household when you see your cousins it's like heaven on earth so


when I get to meet my cousins or have a play date or every time that I'm with err, you know the family when I was little that would be like like a candy for me so I I enjoy that moment uh chatting or going to the


pool with them or or, eating together uh yeah so that that's my my best time of my childhood is meeting my cousins and and playing with them,


uh yes and no uh uh no there's no no but yes, of course uh I I I really I I really call them my own as well because being being the only child uh and and having your cousins and now when you have your own little


one you if he like uh you need to make sure that uh they they're happy as well and, they and and he has, his cousins to play with as well yup


uh, well the best thing I’ve done, for myself is, education uh yes I I I think I've done pretty well with that but I think the best thing ever is from


me when I went into the teaching industry cause I saw myself as a different person and what I really really really enjoy, most is imparting knowledge to the others like whatever I learn I've never I’m, not shy I like to share it and I I am not selfish either so I I like


to I like to just, whatever I know I will say it out as it is, and and with when I was teaching with the little kids in that something I, uh I I, enjoy and it keeps me up on my feet and gets me going


ya and how about you (mmhmm) (mmhmm) yup right


ah !wow!, I think that's, , well well especially yeah I I was just gonna say that especially in singapore every conversation is about are you you know what what what's going to happen


when you're a millionaire and I think for me it would be, eh I think I would spend a little, more than expected I would probably, uh have a lot of parties I mean not to think about COVID but yeah I mean yeah I would I would


do my my life would be totally different uh helping you know I don't have to think of uh or have any second thoughts if I know that someone needs money and for me to, give yeah comfortability is something that


uh will go without saying when when you're when I'm a millionaire if if I do richly yup and how about you I'm sure you have so many boxes, (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm) yup to help as well (mmhmm) right


so your connection matters then


so the power's the million dollar , yeah, okay fair enough


I think if I am I would , I think it it it's it will be different for me if I'm if I'm, just single uh depending on which category right whether you're single you're married or you’re with a, kid I think if I like take the current situation where you’re with a kid yeah I I would actually and if there if was if it's not for the pandemic right now I'd probably would have moved to another country a country


where you know my my son can have a bit more exposure and and have fun, ya I would I would or I would travel, a six months in a country and yeah that that would something be that would definitely be


on my agenda cause I've not done much travelling when I was much younger so right now I I like to have a different experience for my son,


uh ya I think uh I our trip to japan was the was my was something that's on my mind and and I've could never have, erased it as well because it was so one of the best time I’m never knowing that uh we, could have gone to an asian country and and be awed but yeah I think


food wise japan was like our paradise there's that much of beef that we ate uh that it's so so good, and ya again uh I think in our relationship food surrounds us and wherever there's good food you can find us


, and you how about you, (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


(mmhmm), okay that's that's nice


what's were your happiest moment in your life, I mean of course it's marrying me but uh ya ,


, , yeah


yes for sure for sure I think think that’s no no, no doubts about that one but ya that that's quite nice , what's your best surprise, okay (mmhmm) yea


who'd already know ya I, think I feel the same as well I really felt a bit after that I think we laughed about it and we felt a bit stupid because we didn't know that the tag , it was the answer to all our questions and along


the way I think many of them thought it was a baby girl and a lot a lot of them said oh look at the shape and blah blah blah, but we never we never thought and it was I think the hardest part about it was buying clothes yeah, yeah


old wise tale , yeah I think that’s funny


all boys , , alright okay now I I didn't have much of a preference for me it was either or but ya like that was uh, something which was really like a blessing yeah a blessing in disguise that we we have a little boy and we’ve done quite a fair bit of of of things with him


now I just wanna , uh and how about , share with me the best or the the time that you felt like you were the luckiest, how nice


when was this it it's like, reservist or when you were in it, oh gosh, oh this is when you were in the commander unit or before that one


oh okay oh that that’s nice, when you at, happiest or luckiest


I think the luckiest moment of my life is, uh little little little stuff, uh, uh getting employed and being a teacher and I felt that I I was really lucky that I was there at that point of time and have that family


member that you know had a school and said look would you wanna come work for me, uh I think that kind of , made me to who I am today and I've never forgotten it the you know whether it's so much of work or or or anything like this ten years in that industry has made


me feel really lucky and appreciative that I had a good foundation rather than you know being nothing, uh having a save for myself and uh and and and enjoying it you know right now when I see my son do certain things I can I can vouch for it and go like !aiya! it's it's age-appropriate or it's


developmental so although I agree that don't do much with him but that luckiest, part of my life, being in that industry has uh has given me lots of pros rather than cons, (hmm) yes


I think the funniest thing or the inside jokes would be to have the kids pretend to be their mommies and daddies and you can kind of identify a lot of secrets at home and who's smacking whose, bum at home uh, cause the kids role model and they role played at at school right so you can kind of see and then the most tricky part is to have that same exact conversation with the parent to say !hey! your kid actually did this and yeah that’s kind of funny yeah twenty twenty five


part one finance


so shall we start our discussions yeah


uh need more saving for coming up november my birthday coming so we have, to go for , yeah october we have october we have to save so we can go


for a short holidays on november but now during to COVID periods we can't go so we just staycations in singapore lah so we have to really cut a lot of things


nothing, much,


yeah, yeah I just mentioned to you right so october we save a bit so on november it's my birthday, and belated birthday so we can go for staycations and since during school holiday since we can't go overseas we staycations in singapore so you can save up lah


okay then I, okay then I can request I can request LV bag lah this time round, staycations is much cheaper than LV bag I rather go staycation bring my son bring my daughter we go off for short trips and I'm super tired of cleaning the house so let's go for staycations so we can save up a little bit here and there not to worry lah


, extra extra things nothing much so far what you've been given me every months we have enough, and then the extra things which is uh for our savings and put aside here and there here and there so the


extra we can go for holiday lah shouldn't be a problem for us because we really err manage our finance very well for the past how many years we've been married so yeah why not , but its lessen lah for holiday this time round since we no need to travel so far so it's staycation so can lah we can go Makan buy little things a bit and then end of the year buy err sons and daughters school things shouldn't be a problem lah


okay you you are getting older first not me I'm still young,


you mean insurance insurance we already covered so far so good but we need to get err insurance for our son and daughter also err house insurance health insurance education insurance yeah


so far so good we manageable but err we have to look into it again because nowadays everything is getting expensive so yeah, we have we we we have to buck up for our finance uh, (mmhmm)


we should be blessed that we finished everything I mean we paid everything finish, for our housing we don't do we don't do any loan for HDB we don't do loan for any bank we we should be blessed that everything we settled then our renovations for our new house I mean our house is we we


paid cash means we really we really looked into our finance for the past few years and we should look, looking forward for the new coming finance for next year and furthermore for the educations as what you saying for the educations and for our


our our health lah next I mean in the future we don't know we are going to get sick or what but, we should I should say we be we should be blessed that we, certain things we don't owe anyone we don't owe any uh I mean from governments we don't owe any from HDB or bank we've been saving up for for so many years already for our house and everything


so like I said, the futures that we are going to save up, for our finance is maybe insurance and educations, and our I mean for our own self for retirement hopefully, yeah I also want to retire I'm very tired


I'm very very tired , yeah


thank you you should be blessed ah to have such a wonderful wife ah not a shopping shopaholic uh not demand for LV, not demand for high end brands go restaurants yes, oh I show her ah


, thank you thank you looking forward, hopefully


I I hope my wish comes true lah I'm going I I I wanted to go Manchester for so long, I mean no no no no no


okay thank you


we can we we still uh we can still continue I mean yeah but


I I uh okay so for next month's what I can do is I do a little extra since err for this september your birthday we didn't celebrate much, so yeah we here has some extra here extra there a little after october then


I see we can go err hang on, I think we can we we we we still can go for like a short staycations in singapore lah since we can't travel so far so we can go a little bit higher


hotel err maybe five star little or four star pan pac or ritz carlton, uh why not we give a try I want a bathtub or marina marina marina, bay sand hotel maybe lah can lah here and there yeah


shouldn't be a problem lah since since since like I said your wife is not a shopaholic, so we don't, owe anybody so we have extra here and there so shouldn't be a problem lah so we bring our family to go for uh staycations yeah uh the choosing part of the hotel will be you ah not me if I choose for sure I'll go for high-end one


, , yeah


yeah, so far so good we so far so good we have


oh you give me less lah but now I'm demand for more lah, , I'll demand for more, good that we we do some investment we we I I done my part to do some investment


err for retirement you also do your part for investment retirement, our CPF after we pay everything and you still working so the, CPF contribution still grow growing but not me because I'm not working for the past nine years


so almost ten years I'm not working so my my CPF is not much already so thank god, I still have balance from my CPF and not to worry I do some investment also my investment is growing and so do you we've been planning since since we've been planning for this since


day one when we got married before we got married we have to plan for future , CPF err investment, nominations and we try not to loan from HDB we try not to loan from from a bank to pay for our house


we uh I mean I'm blessed then we, paid for err fully renovations, uh even though our house house is small but we we we we paid everything yeah yeah, yeah I'm I'm I'm I'm so blessed, for the first five years yes we are struggling but so far so good now because


we go for we have our insurance agents do speak up with us about how to manage our finance, then he also let us to uh to do some investment, I I


I'm so blessed lah to have a friends like like like like uh <P2>azmin</P2> and, to help us yup you you should be proud of that also I mean yeah


(mmhmm), few more years (mmhmm)


eh but do you think now CPF can bring out no right I don't think so right it there's a age limit to bring out


oh I thought the CPF one, (mmhmm) ,


, oh we plan to go hajj right Insyallah I mean okay if god's willing we can go why not,


no lah now now the best is we look forward for our son because he's still small he have a long way to go, so we have to save up for him his educations now educations in singapore is very expensive so we have to look into it that first before we think of retirement we need to work for him first because he have


long way poly also need money uni also need money so yeah, exactly he have a long way to go darling,


, okay


did, not a spendthrift lah you mean teach him the hard way hard living way that's the best


yup


yes yes, uh like I said just now to you the the the investment is, more for future uh uh we do for CPF investment retirement and


some it's more for you investment retirement and for me as well uh my investment is growing every time nowadays uh I'll, I am checking and so do you also your investment also growing , uh because before we purchase


the house uh we do some investment from our CPF a little bit so the the, investment guy was I mean the guy lah uh was quite good, he he put some aside for us the about the investment and he sit down with us calculate


for for our, insurance what uh I mean for uh CPF investment, what we can do what we not uh what is good and then what you can pay for our, house and we we uh I'm I'm blessed that before everything he settled for us everything he he sit down with us and plan for us for the investments and everything so


yeah basically I'm happy for what uh he did for us and and until we settle down here so far so good not bad yup, yeah so good okay


yes thank you so much


negative negative experience


dear what's your negative experience ah what do you have, I think I think I think okay I think compared to you and me okay you work I'm not working so I don't have much negative experience


I, but yeah, so what do you experience don't mentions people's name you just tell me what's the story like about your work I mean you want to share about your work you always come back sometimes you tell about this about that, what happen


because you are very hardworking right, you do your work you do you do your work uh you do your work better than other people but people have a red eyes on you I understand I think not only you lah I think those people who are working working working


everywhere , it's like that it's it's like sure got people not happy with this person this is this person , , heartbreak heartbreak that one is heart uh negative but how heart


breaking moment in your life heartbreaking moments in your life, oh okay yeah better don't talk lah ha heartbreaking ah I also have heartbreaking but my heart ah still still intact because I already


ah okay never mind , describe a time when you feel betrayed !wah! very bad lah this, negative ah !wah! very very everyday talk about negative is not no not not not fun it's really not fun


(hmm) betray ya, what is popular trend that you dislike trend about people ah okay about people I I the trend, there's no trend it's from far far ago far far away last time also lah


when you do something better I mean you do something better people don't don't like you because why people say uh people thought you want to Angkat your, boss on to carry balls with your boss but no, I I I think when people do good things ah you want me to talk first or or you want I let you talk first


err, when I said when nowadays people work really hard, people not happy people say !wah!, this one want to Angkat the boss but it's it's not actually, you know when you do good I mean when you really think of working hard to earn money for your family you do extra job people will talk !wah! this one extra job why not enough ah you never