I, decided to use it more and it's really quite convenient, for me, as it's cashless and you know it's just a tap, and it's done kind of transaction so


I, realise that I do appreciate this kind of convenience too, so I, wondering if have you had this kind of experience


that's true security issues, okay so


listening to what your share about controlling, with the, spending right, and your savings accounts, it reminded me how, while looking into these high yield savings account I was actually


advised, by my mother that I could also put money into places like, fixed deposits to


grow my grow my, uh finances so, , I actually looked into these things like uh fixed deposits but, after researching I found that uh the


interest rates were not really, very attractive but I did find something else, and this was uh the sing live account which is uh it's actually


they call it a savings plan but it's not a savings account , and it's also not a fixed deposit but because they were offering quite a high interest rate I I felt, that it seem pretty attractive so I


decided to , research more into it and find out what it's about so this sing live account actually offers, two point five percent, interest rate, for the first, uh


ten thousand that you put into your account but uh it's actually a single premium, uh, universal life plan and that means you have you don't have to , pay


uh several premiums like, the usual kinds of insurance policies but it's just a one time premium that you deposit in to the account which is an amount of five hundred, dollars


and then from there you can start the policy already so, what I found uh, good about this account is that, they actually offer, benefits for death terminal illness retrenchment and on together with interest although it's not guaranteed the capital is guaranteed but


interest is not so the risk is that, but , after reading several reviews and and considering more I decided to try it, out, and so far I've been earning their interests so I thought that it was a pretty good


place to you know just put some extra cash that, I have on hand and like I can just leave it there and uh not touch it not uh withdraw and let it grow until


the time comes where I needed I can always uh withdraw whenever I needed and that's one of the benefits of this account, yes, so yes yes


I think that will be a good idea, to help you grow the money that you have, even more than if you just leave it in banks


part, three negative experiences, I can I can share something quite heartbreaking that happened


to someone I know recently, so uh so this year I actually uh found out about


an acquaintance of mine passing away due to, an accident that he he, got into overseas so, this


acquaintance was my, secondary school classmate, and to give some background about uh my, relationship with him like , even after


graduating from secondary school, this class would still keep in contact, and you know just hang out once in a while and I actually so I actually did join them uh several times like the past several years but recently have not


really been in contact with them, and but what I, know about this acquaintance is that, he is one of the ones who, always takes initiative to, ask the class out to meet up and to just ya


stay in contact with, the friend in the class and because of that I actually, admired and respected him for that that kind of, initiative and and


the way he valued his friends, because even though he was he was overseas because he was studying, he still always stay in contact and, always asked


us out when he came back, to singapore so, , when I first heard about this the news that , you know an accident , what happened to him and he was actually


swept into the sea, okay when I first saw , the notification I, was really really shocked, and, distressed and, I couldn't focus on what I was doing at the moment and ya it took some time


to really process the emotions because that was one of, I think the first time , this kind of thing happen to someone, I, know personally even if , we are sort of not that close but was someone I


I knew and spent time with before so it was quite a, blow and well the night that that, I found out about this news actually, couldn't really fall asleep and


I was still like try to pray that you know that he can be found, then, and that there's still hope, but well several days passed and the


search party in that country couldn't, couldn't find any, signs of him and eventually, it was called off but so quite some time after that like I think almost close to a month after


we first heard the news, this then we heard that uh, his body was, found like it was washed up onto the shore and someone, actually spotted so


ya so from there we we knew that, you know he had really passed away for real , and in a sense, it was a closure for all of us so that


you know especially the parent and the family like this closure, and they don't have to like keep hoping and waiting that , the son can be found


so , , but still it was a very heartbreaking just a whole, the whole situation was very heartbreaking because because, you know things like


thinking about how he could have, come back here to singapore if not for , COVID restrictions this year, and, just a lot of, what could have been, you know and well after that they had a


memorial service uh memorial service for him and, I actually uh attended online, because it was overseas, and, just listening to, well the family and friends sharing about him ya I there were a lot of instances that I found very sad and heartbroken and cried to and I also realised that


there was so much that I didn't know about him, like the, cause I wasn't that close to him, ya so listening to the, speeches the eulogies in


the memorial service made me realise that you know there is, so much more to him that I didn't know about and like , like certain, common interests we actually share that I didn't know about like he they said that he liked to bake and cook for his friends too overseas and


I realised that oh okay, it's the same as me that kind of thing and, just listening to that make me realise that I kind of regretted not having


like gotten to know him better, in the time that I had with them of course I mean it's too late and uh well in a sense I make


the most of my time with him and with the group, as best as I could at that point in time but , this whole situation still make me feel that, a little bit of regret and and grieve that ya I could have I wished I got to know him better as a friend and because of this I learned that you know


I should really treasure, the little time that I have with anyone I know , whether it's loved ones close friend, acquaintances, and really just make the most of, whatever time I have with these people before it's too late yup so


that's one experience that was quite, uh heartbreaking for me and ya do you have any of such experiences uh anything bad that


happen to you you'd like to share, about well giving up


what I can think of is, when I first started working as a uh in pre-school I started, as an assistant teacher, and well I would say that there're a lot of ups and downs but felt like a lot more downs than ups and and that was one period in my life that


I felt like giving up a lot, and actually uh just to share with you one experience I had as an, assistant teacher because I was supposed to help, out with you know just help the other teachers around and there was this day that


us helping with this k two class if I'm not wrong , and they were about to be dismissed after school, and so it was a day that the other teachers would be washing the toys in the


in the school so, after we wash the toys they would lay out the toys to let the toys dry, and there was there, happened to be this chinese teacher, who


she already wash the toys , that she was in charged of and she lay them on, the tables in a classroom and then this, k two class that was helping to assist


to get ready for dismissal they actually, walked, past that classroom where the washed toys were, laid out okay so in a sense I mean


I had no choice they had to walk through that classroom no matter what to get out , so , some of the children actually went to like, to


like you know children being children they were curious and then they went to touch toys here and there, and then because of that, the chinese teacher who washed the toys actually scolded me and told me off and , she said like uh


why did you let them touch the toys, I already washed them that sort of thing, and the thing was I, I didn't let them touch the toys they just did it on their own but, you know I I guess because I was still quite young and relatively


new and, I just didn't think of, telling them not to touch the toys, and I was actually, outside along the corridor like trying to, tend to those children and and settling them down so


when she told me off in front of the children like that, I actually felt quite humiliated and, I felt, quite indignant too and, and angry because it wasn't really ya I I


I felt that it wasn't really my fault, and I didn't know so I just remember that I mean, at that moment I didn't do anything I just I just, kept quiet and left it as it is but after that when I left work


I actually cried because it really impacted me that much, and make feel very hot so ya there were quite a there were, several instances like this that


that I felt misjudged or, wronged by certain colleagues, and well I guess the stress and and


demands of work also, all contributed to, making me feel like giving up on, ya several occasions how about you, did you experience such things


I see yes I can relate with feeling like everyone


like us is doing okay (ppl) except for you so yes


part two, positive experiences, so have you ever experienced a time where you're helped by someone


when you really needed help, that sounded like


it was a great help to you, and that , you must have been very relieved to get that help, and for me I also feel


greatly relieved when, you know I receive help, from people when especially at work when there's a lot of stress, and , I think another way that, someone


helped me when I needed it was, I would like to talk about this uh time when I travelled on my own to korea and so it wasn't a very big act of


help or anything but, uh, was because it was my first, time flying alone I felt, very nervous actually and and scared and because I think I


hadn't been on a plane for, quite some time and there was some anxiety about the, plane taking off, and uh but when, I was sitting there in my seat on the plane I decided that since this is my first time


travelling by myself I should you know, be brave and take the initiative and just talk to strangers so I decided to turn to the stranger beside me, because they uh it was a couple uh


middle aged couple and they sounded, they sounded like they were , from singapore too so I decided to strike a conversation with them, and ask them if they were singaporeans and from there we started talking and


I actually realise that, talking to them, helped me helped, to distract me from my nervousness, and anxiety when the plane took off so, so I felt a lot better that


because I had someone to talk to, so in that sense I felt that the, the strangers helped me to feel less, nervous yes so continue on the


uh topic of my trip, like I just felt that it was, a good experience on the, whole that you know I went there on my own and, I actually stayed in a guest house on my own


own for the first time and and from there I really uh, stepped out of my comfort zone, and uh, took the initiative to talk to different strangers different guests at the guesthouse


like myself and, , I also managed to, sort of get to know, some other guests better and to bond with them


like we would, play games together and we actually, even arranged to meet a few of each other together and go for a barbeque dinner together


so that was a very nice experience for me and, uh we actually even went to the arcade to play together and, also sang at a karaoke together so I actually had a lot of fun


and, honestly it's ya it was really really a different type of experience for me, and I really felt that I , made the most of my opportunities


yes and, I also enjoyed because I, stayed in a female, bunk in the guesthouse so I had a roommate and we also had , quite a lot of interesting conversations together and ya was just nice to spend time and get to know some other people and guesthouse and they even had a a dog there so it was really fun to play with the dog


and, to try to speak in korean a little bit of korean here and there with the with the, owner of the guesthouse and all, that so, I'm just wondering if you have any of such experiences too, oh yes


speaking about food I I also love the korean food , and especially the food that I had, there while I was in korea and I think one memorable meal would be when I actually met up with


you , and your friend, and then we went, to was it a hike at haneul park and then, after that we went for dinner, at


sinchon and it was just a very regular, family, family restaurant kind of eatery where they serve, the home cooked food type of food


and, but I really loved that kind of korean food like with the stews and, and the egg rolls, and ya, the kimchi and it was it was very good, I remember that meal was very very good because


during the trip before that I was also trying to find a a place that, offered this kind of food, but I actually, walked really far to, a place that I found on google but it wasn't open so


so I had to just go back without eating and it was quite disappointing but eventually I still got to eat the meal that I wanted to eat, with you and your friend so I was very happy about that meal yes


yes it was good right I would, I would go back to that place next time, I get to go to korea , yes so I'm actually quite I'm quite


interested in ya this this group called BTS and yes so, , yes I actually went for their concert when they came to singapore last year and


ya it was just a very, it was a great experience on the whole, like , because I decided to go with my youngest sister, and uh we, we're actually so anxious about the ticketing that you know we woke up early and but we didn't go down to queue for the physical


tickets but, but we queued online and it was so nerve wrecking because we really wanted better tickets but well eventually we didn't get the tickets we wanted but we still got tickets so we were happy enough because there were people who went away without tickets so


yes so speaking about the concert like well it was, very exciting when we went down to the place and there were so many many people know walking around taking photos with the posters and , and it was just very exciting and


like when we entered the it was at the national stadium so when we entered the huge place it was my first time there and it was just totally different from, an event at the, indoor stadium which is smaller because this stadium was so huge


so , yes when we went !wow! the atmosphere was really crazy and, and because they were playing their music videos and all that and people, already like singing and yelling along and it was just very exciting and thrilling


and it was a lot of fun to just sing and yell along with them , then ya and I just felt that you know aside from the hype like , the show itself the concert itself was very was really very entertaining and interesting like there were a lot of


, well I would say like the the stage the, the effects, the costumes everything, and the the choreography, because there were certain performances that you know I didn't really go and


like watch, videos by other fans to like spoil the concert for myself so I didn't really know like what, the performances will look like for some of the songs so I was actually quite


surprised that one of the one of the songs that have, really really nice choreography like it was quite, like contemporary kind of dance and ya that


that was very impressive for me and also like with the addition of like effects like bubbles and all that which made which made the whole stage like quite, magical and everything so in a sense like people have described it, it feels like


a bit like disneyland kind of feel so ya I, felt that that was quite apt for me, and it just felt very, nice and magical and , ya good experience from the hustle and bustle of daily life to just go there and destress


and have fun with my sister so ya we really enjoyed the, experience, how about you do you have this kind of experience attending special events like this or, yes it sounds like a lot of fun


surprise, well, do you have any such instances


part one, financial related topic


okay okay so if you guys like finances like having a safety uh having a savings account, I think it's pretty much the same situation for the both of us


like, our first savings account was opened by, our parents when we were kids ya so is is called the, mighty savers account under OCBC that we will subsequently change to like passbook savings account


after we were above like sixteen years old, ya, that we still keep some money in it since it's supposedly safer to keep, like some of our money in a local bank, ya, I think in terms of experience, for the most part I didn't really touch their account leh like what do you think about using the OCBC passbook savings account


I think it was a good thing that you went to research up about the high interest savings account if not both of us will have been stuck, with the zero point zero five interest !aiyo!, sad ya cause the, for the OCBC passbook savings account it's only like it was a basic interest rate for like regular savings account


then for like, amounts below one thousand dollars there'll be a fall below fee of two, eh sorry two dollars yeah then there, there really isn't anything much out, like outstanding for this savings account


it actually just like a place to keep the money rather than, storing it at home where it's supposedly, like more dangerous to do so, and ya


and we were both we both left our money there for so many years cluelessly like earning less, than a dollar a month so, I guess for me personally I knew that, like there were, better alternatives out there but


I always thought there were certain causes like you mention, about like, having salary being credited like minimum ya minimum amount that we can, keep before there's a fall below fee all that kind of things, so there was like a certain


inertia to getting uh, to changing to a higher interest savings account, yeah and so ya, definitely thankfully you went to search up, about that then so ya oh ya you mentioned about the ATM card right like I realised when I first applied


my first ATM card wasn't even, like a debit card but it was just like the OCBC nets card so it was sad, like very restrictive in terms of, payment methods then, so when I went to university then I open the DBS multi currency account like


also mainly because, there was uh, uh no fall below fee, then ya it came with uh debit card so, it was definitely way more convenient lah to pay payments with, yeah then so


so when do you think it'll be a good time for like children to actually be given their own ATM card, like, sixteen years old as you mention now, any any ideas


(mmhmm)


I think for like my


second account after I went to university the DBS multi currency account, it was already a debit card so sometimes I will switch between like, using paywave or just, uh using the nets method where I have to key in the pin so for me it's


there wasn't really much different, things ya think, instead of like convenience I would say that I find it a bit more scary because of, like, like how people can just come up to you, and like, take your money


by like scanning your wallet that kind of thing , so that there's that con and then, it lah ya so ya yes there's that too so definitely, very need a lot of awareness if you were


like debit cards and credit cards in, your wallet especially when you travel, overseas yeah and like, I agree with what you said about, uh, giving them the child the ATM card only after maybe seventeen eighteen like when they're they look seem more mature


and that able to handle their finances cause I got my I got my card after sixteen like around like, junior college days that, kind of thing and, I think it'll be a good age also since they'll be going out to do like more activities and then the amount of money they


they need is also not as easy to like estimate as during primary or or secondary school days and, it is definitely important to like uh, uh create opportunities for the kids, to learn how to like


manage their finances, since like, as they grow up as this is a essential adult adulting skill, and but I think in singapore it it's a common practice for parents, to go from


giving daily to weekly and then monthly allowance especially from, lower primary to, secondary school to allow children to exercise, like their, money management capabilities


and and in terms of like and then, I think from there the parents can see ah when they are, they use their own discernment to see when their child is, able to maybe handle the those finances


and to be able to give them access to their savings account, and use the money inside but that also that on another uh on another side is like, if the if the child really seems like


they, are lacking the ability to control their own finances, I think then like, still needs more restrictions then maybe they can perhaps create a new account, and give them allowance from there but


with some surplus to, simulate how having access to all the savings would be, like but with, still a certain amount of control lah, eh what do you think I think that


also like a form of, investment like ya I think, the sound's actually pretty good maybe after I I have more money to set apart for things like insurance savings plan like sing life


then I might, consider it also, but since like, before considering that I think I'll have like six months of my income as emergency savings first, before actually going to, investments yeah okay


oh part three, negative experiences


well I


I don't recall having, ya I, I definitely didn't have somebody that, that I was, directly related to passing on before, I had I I had a friend whose whose mom actually like passed away after battling cancer and we actually went down to his wake then


we got to know the sister too eventually and, I always it's I think grieve is something that we don't like to touch it's a bit like we people don't know how to touch on grieve and things like grieve and that kind of things so I've never actually uh gotten around to like


asking them about it, and, and how things have been, yeah as in like even on like his, twenty first birthday when he was sharing about how, heartbroken he was and like how uh


hopelessly felt, at that point in time when, like the mom passed away cause the dad actually left the family, as well actually us thinking like, like there's so much there's just so much weight in, all of this and like ya so that it make me want to just


be there even for like the sister more even, and there's like, even as we got to know the sister better, and that kind of thing and and maybe maybe you could share about like


an instance when, uh you felt like giving up


I think like I think


like first two years of university, there are time when I really felt like giving up a lot yeah like, I remember spending like, ninety percent of my time in class wondering why I was in the course that I was taking


and then and then, like during my first module I was wondering just like what was I learning all these things and, why was I doing composed thing , so I went into the course without even fully knowing what the course was about


and but then then at the point in time that was so, I didn't think of having, I didn't think there were any other courses to change to either, and the courses that I wanted wasn't available in singapore, so there were a lot of times then I was just I I was


crying a lot especially after, like I remember this significant event whereby, after after this physics exam then I went I went back to my room, in hall then I really just like, I really just bawled and cried because of how like hopeless I felt everything was and


it's just a constant frustration, like going to class everyday and and like I was wondering what what I, what reason did I have to pull through of, like all of the things going on in university yeah and I think I think


it was also because of that then I didn't really, uh interact much with, even the people in my courses even though, like there were friends around but then I kind of just isolated myself and then, the whole entire situation was just


uh not very ideal it was just, ya but ultimately I think in the, the last two years of university I became more resilient the, I also recall like this


incident whereby I was, I was taking this module which was, which I felt was kind of challenging, then the tutor make uh, irrelevant remark, about like knowing how to make uh error bars on bar chart then


he was talking about how you need that during your final year project and things like that, at at that point in time, when I didn't know how to do it, I I was just so stressed internally, that like after that lesson I just went to


I went to one of the seats in school that was facing a wall and then I just stood there and like, a stone, and I just thinking of like, what to do, like how do I like move forward from this, I just, ya then I was just like suddenly tearing


even though like everybody was just walking around me, but but that was definitely not a definitely a bad time in my life and I think it's one of the things that I was so


like one of the things that caused me to have like very, bad sleep like during that time as, there just a lot of thoughts is that crossed, my mind and just wondering like why I, will be like will this situation ever become better


uh like and like, how everybody else seems to be, uh coping better or doing better, and like why am I struggling so much that this kind of thoughts yeah oh uh ya do you have such moments too oh yeah okay


part two, positive experiences, okay oh


I remember there was one time when I was, during my internship right then there was some like uh, misunderstandings, that, we had that me and my supervisor had about uh


the next intern that could come in, so, it was about whether or not he could come the next intern could come in earlier, and still have his, uh modular credits credited to him, so so


like I felt like my supervisor wasn't really like, reading the email properly that like reading the information communicated down by HR properly, so in the end I went to, I went to HR to ask more about it and and my


and then HR ended up calling my supervisor, and that point of time I was, like I will share some cost, it felt like, I went behind my supervisor's backs, so I was in a bit of like, an emotional breakdown then I was telling my intern friend I went to message my intern friend about it


and then he came, at my intern friend came, to find me before I had to meet my boss, and then like, the my friend help me to like, think through all the thoughts that happen to allow me to


like, rant to him, and just to, just to prepare myself, like emotionally to be able to face my boss, so I was definitely very thankful for that because uh, I was a bit frazzled after


the whole uh encounter and, I needed somebody to uh to really hear me out and, help me to sort out my thoughts, before , before ya before I before I was able to like deal with


to meet my boss and be able to discuss with him again, rationally so, that were that definitely helped me a lot, yeah how about you


!wah! your experience actually sounds very, like you know it's really must have been the one of the best best travels of the year, like, would you are you are so far, I think I, I think for me I will definitely want to try this kind of solo trip


once I mean soon , especially when the pandemic ends, ya but I think, when I was korea also there I also managed to try a lot of the activities especially like, the arcade and like


oh but I didn't I didn't go to like, uh karaoke ya and, definitely have not tried like, stay in those kind of guesthouses, yet but I think one thing that, shocks me most especially for korea would definitely be


the food like it has ya like right now even even after I came back from korea, the only thing that I really want to go back for is definitely, their food and


like if you if you were to ask me what is the best meal that, I had right there will be I mean, in korea there's already a lot of food that I, I really like but there'll be two that stands out the most it'll be the, black pork from jeju


and, this spicy, spicy pork in ya spicy pork it it had, at the black pork was really if it just felt really different and the whole atmosphere, of eating


the, of having the meal with my friends in jeju was just very surreal, and, like having all the korean people around me the whole atmosphere, was it was just really fun, to be able to eat the food and all the different seasonings


and, for the the other spicy pork, uh dish that I had was, it was it was it was a mix of like cheese, ramyeon and it was just it was just so uh fitting to my taste buds ya


I have never eaten such nice spicy pork before, yeah then, how about you like what's your, maybe your best meal that you had during your trip


oh ya


I remember that meal too , , ya ya I, really like how korea has like really yummy uh


a brown rice mixed with white, rice it's just, different from what we have like in, southeast asia ya, but then uh besides, besides like korean food like, are you into like kpop also


like have you ever went to


sadly I don't


I don't really go for concerts, , ya but oh when you talk about disneyland that reminded me of uh, the theme park in korea called everland ya, I think that was one of the fondest memory there, like I had I have with like the the family


cause when we went there it was I guess it was the overall atmosphere of the theme park that just makes everything so carefree, and just really happy and you just taking rides all the time and, ya like everybody is just having fun and enjoy themselves so that was definitely a very like


it was a, it was a memorable day, so as ya, as as a family it was a it was a good memory, and especially the, I can't remember what it's called but like the, last parade that they had with all the


uh, the floats and the lights, and all the characters that, then it was just so colourful so dazzling, I was like !wah! ya, at that at that moment I remember just just looking on to everything and taking like


like, how how really happy just everything of that day was, and, there's just so much fun lah especially be being able to take all the, all the, the amusement park rides even though a lot of the people in the family do not like


thrilling rides but really, just being able to see all the different things that they have, and, experience all of them, that was just it was definitely a good memory, yeah


ya then eh okay so how about the, what is the best surprise or gifts to thing you've ever given someone, oh I remember


there was some christmas exchange that I, had where like, my santi was like we're we were playing secret santa so my santi was somebody who likes, olaf so I decided to make uh, olaf for him in terms of like


like a melted olaf so I put water in a glass jar with twigs, and a carrot and then I wrote on a card like like, hello I'm olaf and I like warm hugs, that kind of thing, and then when he opened it oh my gosh everybody laughed and scream like crazy


plus it was just it was a very epic idea, and, like I remember posting on instagram stories also and then everybody were just like it just made a sense of impression on everybody it was like the biggest highlight of that exchange I think, it was ya


it was so chaotic and people would come up to me afterwards and like the next few days and like say like oh my gosh I can't believe you make that, ya it was just and it was like, and the person really liked it and it was still like better because I bought a actual present which he also would use so of her and I'm just give a very good gift


okay


as a married couple !wow! !wah! this was many many many years ago have to recall ah HDB grant I do not think that HDB grant applied to us right I don't think so


but how it's so long ago because that was our first home ya uh HDB, flat okay I remember of course the price of the flat was much much lower uh as compared to nowadays


uh first time owners okay we were advised to go for HDB uh loan we were advised by close friends uh because back then the HDB loan interest was much lower than those in the private banks


do you recall that, ya but we were just starting to work so that we could only pay CPF monthly ya


ah that we are talking about our kids I think


here in our singapore context nobody has upfront cash I mean unless you are born with a silver spoon, so uh most of our young couples and meaning our our children also who apply for flats they're gonna have to apply for for loans HDB loans ah and maybe even the renovation loans so affordability


if they work steadily but they won't be able to own their house until much later lah when you when you talk about being fully paid up unless they do very well in life do you think so


okay after we sold the HDB our HDB flat we went for a condo so that obviously was we had to get the private uh the banks for private loans but we were working then so it was relatively easy enough I believe


and if you talk about the latest loan that we have from the bank ya we we we had to discuss and choose between fixed loan floating rate package and all that and we tried to look for the the best or the most economical type of loan


so ya


uh ya I guess so yup yup but uh ya we didn't have to get the renovation loan lah right but of course uh the the, mortgage loan yes definitely we have to


uh no I would I don't think I would I don't think I would, not at the no I don't think so what about you what do you think


especially at our age also ah we uh coming to retirement, you don't have to carry on working and working because sometimes we'll be working towards uh, a mortgage loan to pay off the loans I think soon sooner or later we want to to finish off our repayments and uh settle a bit to a retired life do you think so


not at the moment, no, yes maybe yup yup


oh I think ya it was back then that was what how long ah ten years back, more more


more than ten years back when we invested in ya I mean uh at because we we made out of it at least there's some profit out of it from from the from the commercial property


oh I mean you talk about private property you got no choice what have to take bank loan now and I don't uh HDB loan ah at our age not likely to be able to take a HDB loan can we because, if you buy the condo go back to HDB can even get HDB loan I'm not sure


right now one floating rate package right now and I'm glad we are on that


floating oh oh no no no no no it's not floating it was uh what we call the, ah what's that package {uh} pegged to the SIBOR yes SIBOR rate back then now they don't need to give they don't give SIBOR rate


ah they don't give packages based on SIBOR but because uh we were on the SIBOR rate and SIBOR now is very low uh due to I think the COVID and all that lah so so I


yup yes yes from what I what I I try to find out periodically to to do refinancing and even the officers I think uh were advising not better don't don't go on any refinancing because the SIBOR rate was


really dropping dropping dropping no not to mention that if you do any refinancing we also have to pay what is that called the admin fee the fixed admin fee, no no no no no penalty involved because we're out of the uh penalty what early repayment uh no we are we are we are not under that we won't be penalised rather


!oho! HDB flat do you remember when we first had the we had the agents coming in and then people were so interested that I


think there were two or three families were interested so it seemed like they were bidding almost for the flat for our flat because they liked the layout uh, that one was but I I felt it was uh like an embarrassing situation because I didn't realise I almost agreed to the first buyer


who who uh, made an offer then you were saying better don't let let the agent do the the negotiation or whatever so we can get a higher price


was it I cannot recall, !huh! oh you remember that oh gosh


oh how many families were there do you recall ah, !wow! I think they liked the layout because we we we because of the renovation uh the pattern and all that when we knocked the walls into something that was I think people liked also


I I think the layout also was important because remember the kitchen I liked our kitchen layout I spent a lot of time and effort designing our kitchen layout so that it's more airy and all so I think people liked uh my kitchen layout


oh well our agent's fees uh the stamp duty eh stamp duty is paid by the buyer sorry uh buyer seller buyer seller when we sold our condo the other time


oh for HDB ya ya ya okay


the buyer then go and saw the !huh! seller or buyer !huh!, okay okay


that's both for HDB as well as uh condo, (mmhmm) then what about the the stamp duty


the buyer pay stamp duty we all as seller do not need, to ya ya


right now I haven't looked at the HDB prices [orh] of late as opposed to like say half pre pre COVID but so I I'm not really sure about the HDB pricing you know have you checked


so that means to say to sell the ah if you were to sell private condo uh the pricing is lower now


SRX you mean ah


but you know the SRX price ah I think the one who who benefits most are those with the the smaller units, very much higher as opposed to those with the


bigger floor areas


ah ya ya I think


uh ya we are more or less cushioned lah ya of course ah benefits of being singaporean uh the because this is our land anyway so we have our benefits too something to be proud of also our land our country


okay now did we use CPF to pay our down payment when buying a house yes of course have to use CPF I mean that time when you gain free employment CPF in uh, uh ordinary account ya so you know it was good I I'd say in fact it was a bonus that we had this ordinary account you know


uh we're forced to to save even though when our salary was cut by what twenty over percent uh actually not cut lah but reduced to go into our CPF, account but it was a blessing in disguise for for when when I was gainfully employed that I had CPF because it really help with down payment and also it really help in terms of the monthly repayments


ya MediSave, yup yup, then do you remember that uh we have the special account the special account uh at age fifty five is channelled to to the retirement account


the the yes now by by now because ordinary account ah is all gone into the house , (hmm), ya eh


highly recommended special account special account is no longer there at the age of fifty five they channel it into uh retirement account, (hmm) , let's talk about credit cards ah do you think one should own a credit card


, how many credit cards do you think ah one should have not more than three


I think if organized ah even if you own uh several credit cards or over, different banks you don't have to make use of it right even if you have it and we speak about annual fees I think banks are are more than more than uh are willing to waive the annual fees you know really each time I asked for a waiver of annual fee they are they are more than happy to do that


ya okay was that okay


the stop is the red square


trapped or helpless I I I guess when as a teenager what my first job there was a time when , I was I felt nobody guiding me remember the first uh legal firm that I worked in I think some of the the staff there were pretty


selfish and they didn't really guide me it came to the point when I was feeling so helpless and I felt trapped I I want to ask I also don't know who to ask and was that time young ah, uh, uh and I and then I I decided to tender in my my letter of resignation and I was almost crying to the brink of crying and and enter the bosses uh my my own boss came to me and said what's wrong and then


explained to her then then she realised what was happening !haiya! shouldn't she be have getting somebody to guide me you I was still new at a job, !huh!, they didn't really guide me in terms of doing my work I mean ya okay do do certain things here and there but then there was a time when !huh! what to do I I I was feeling so helpless no guidance


uh that that later on lah later on because boss also very, busy what until I I I decided to tender in my letter of resignation and I at that time already I was in tears because I I felt so helpless that time was so young so the that that was the first experience ah first job


uh what about you


shortage #kiam seng di# oh my gosh


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


I guess men are really made of uh uh all these ah blanked out space that you are talking about


yup cool at the saddest ah, and the saddest scene that you have ever witnessed


government take which the wage is given by the company mah right


ya ya


exposed


for me the saddest scene was uh uh remember I went to the funeral pre COVID just before COVID hit of a a friend of ours, ya uh I had to go alone I think you were working


but ah I'd say that it's very very sad because this friend of ours she lived a very fulfilling life I believe, , she left behind many children, uh and her


husband ah but really so sad to hear what I mean when she when she passed away it was so so sad, we we didn't have a meal with her for so long we only had a meal some years back, you know uh I don't know how many years ago


but she gave a lot, uh in terms of her time and effort to our community, when she gave talks and she gave uh seminars she and her husband, and


although uh, !aiya! she died of cancer ya, the church was really, packed, full of people for her funeral, service


and I think it was a beautiful mass then, when the family all, uh shared uh their eulogy on her, although we know that our life here now is is is but temporary and the life after is eternal is what


we believe in it's always this sadness, because we are still on this side and we hope to see each other on the other side, uh but ah sad, all of us were in tears we will miss her we'll miss her


ya but I I I sometimes I do think of her husband uh how alone he must feel without her because they did so many things together


is there one thing you wish you could change but will never be able to in terms of what you mean ah one thing you wish you could change


so speaking of things that I could change for me, was back then I remember going for an interview when I tried to change jobs, uh as an air stewardess but I didn't further step on into the interview arena because back then I was thinking of


my boyfriend then and how he might feel lonely if I were to fly or whatever I'm not that I'm saying I'd be successful lah but I think that I closed my avenue to more opportunities to


myself uh, back then because I was thinking too I I mean I had a how you say a closed type of thinking, I I I I didn't dare venture out, so the things that I that I want to change is for myself for not being uh courageous enough to go out


to go out and venture into those other uh jobs that I I wanted to do to do I could have done so that my my my job scope is widened I can see the world more because I want to see the world but I can't


it's it's it's not not possible, err what and with marriage and all that you know it is it is more more makes it so much more difficult


nah watched or read ah


so that gave you the goosebumps


give me goosebumps uh I I I I remember uh this scene uh when we were we went on a cruise to jakarta then we went on the land on land to take a bus then remember there was an under overhead bridge


or uh ya a sort of overhead bridge but they were people, actually the poor people were actually living from under the bridge, ya ah ya ya ya oh oh ya ya ya


there was this time remember then ah okay our trip, to the states there was an accident uh that happened in and we, uh in #new york# in #new york# is it or new you saw it and you and you told me don't watch


because I think you saw the men's leg broken in in the other way, something leh !ee!, that's what's giving me goosebumps I can remember but you you you shielded me from looking at it but you saw ah


oh yucks, ya I think if I really seen it ah probably it would be etched at the back of my mind ah right through to today you know


ya !huh! okay


but although as you said mentioned just now ah ya kids basically are, they're non smokers they don't them they don't take drugs they don't smoke they don't drink uh basically they are good children but I still worry


about them lah in life what what they what how how they get on in life


(um)


okay, describe a moment when things turn out better than expected what what in your opinion


really meh I thought it was just decent to the amount not I I I mean if you had held on ah you remember if we held on longer ah it would have been even more


ya of course ah, I I guess I mean there are there are little moments here and there when people say give positive feedback about me or my character or or


I mean there's no no particular nothing in particular that I would say lah maybe there is nothing nice about me man


but would you ha I mean that'll be the nice things but, sometimes praises you know uh might get you how do you say big headed you know that you you you you that sometimes you would think that there is no no that you can't be


worse worsed off so sometimes (hmm)


ya that that's the thing if it is spoken in truth because sometimes people say nice things to you because ah the whether there's a hidden agenda ya sometimes you wonder so you've got to re-evaluate you know why what sort of uh nice things these people are talking about you know


ya ya well that's when we have to pray for a discerning mind we will have to be able to discern from the truth uh truth from or rather fact from from false false


that was uh back in that uh what thirty five years ago ah when we went to the states remember I won the first prize


to go to the states and we had the a VIP experience in Connecticut uh USA so that uh won the cash money and all that and then we booked ourselves on a tour and it was how may days thirty five days right


hell of a long time isn't it I mean holiday but it was a long a long holiday before before marriage before children, I'd say a well uh well deserved


I think we went !wow! we covered quite a lot of the, USA ah the east east coast the west coast we we just didn't cover the central that's all but


really , , ha


back then back then because back then not many people travelled as much I think nowadays people travel are more well travelled, ah but I I remember the plane take off and uh remember we were allowed to sit in the cockpit back then


!aiya!


well that was really long ha ah when when much younger and you, uh we were more mobile and and and we could cover even the the, #san diego# zoo is it so supposedly the largest zoo in the world


but you tried to cover it in one day running from one enclosure to another you remember


ya but free and easy ah there's a lot of research to do ah uh to plan


but I think nowadays ah to do research ah so easy oh just google search last time when I had to do the the research for our travels ah three thirty five years ago every I had to go look for brochures hard copy brochures to find out


more or ask people back then not it's not that we know that many people who are travelled, but it was a lot of work as compared to now ah just google search ah you can plan your itinerary already you know so much easier, okay


you should know what do you think what do you think is my comfort food, comfort food chocolate, chocolates and nut nutty chocolates nuts uh nuts I


there uh hazelnuts macadamia nuts cashew nuts !wah! well they are addictive, boy ah what's your comfort food


ha soft drinks


ah you got two mother theresa !wah!


mother teresa now a saint saint teresa of Calcutta, a woman of steel a woman who, always giving without asking for anything of with in return for all the the help that she gives to all the poor and the desolate


in india so for me is mother teresa


yes I agree I I think we are blessed to be I mean no matter what people say ah they many people can be complaining against this and that and all that but we are blessed that we can walk the streets safe out there at night as opposed to some countries ah


I mean COVID aside uh how safe we are on to to to be living in singapore


no lah actually we're target target we're actually target,


ya I think the our speech also ah they can figure us out especially when we speak mandarin right I think so


ya well we because you don't have to worry about the the day's uh having to do the day's work and all ya ya but I I I think a plus point is that GPS wise ah we now do not need to look at paper maps like last time


ya ya, and I can always ask the people there the locals there in malay ya ya


well when you talk about the disaster it suddenly something popped up in my mind remember that that building that collapsed at serangoon no no no no no I'm talking about local context, in singapore yes yes remember


true uh local ah local context so


I think nineteen eighty something eh cannot recall but remember how how how , the everybody came up to help and I remember there was some some uh restaurants, who also came up to offer food to to the rescuers who worked round the clock !wah! I think it was very anxious


moments then ah when TV I think they did show right some footage of uh the goings on and all


, yes because anyway as you know that that's where


uh you talked about uh we're we're we are born to help each other uh and and not to, not to be selfish, I mean just a pope francis also mentioned


!wah! man mankind man doesn't live alone no man is an island so we should always work to to help each other, I'm trying to recall recall the quote by pope francis rivers do not drink their own water trees do not eat their own fruit


the sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves, living for others is a rule of nature we are all born to help each other no matter how difficult it is life is good when we are you would when you are happy but much better when others are happy because of you by pope francis


(hmm) lucky I feel luckiest that the uh I have a a loving daughter


who who who loves me for who I am and who is, whom whom I'm able to confide in so uh, god has given me this gift of a beautiful daughter that that's how I feel lah in terms of lucky you


ya, yes true praise praise praise god


financial related topic


uh did did you apply for HDB grant when purchasing the flat


uh I think I think at that time first time homeowners are, normally the case they will allow


yes I think it was like twenty percent cash and uh eighty percent or above from the CPF if possible


so err what do you think about now basing on the flat prices you know do you think is a young married couple is able to afford it


err for me I think that the forking out the twenty percent is much much more difficult than our time, reason because uh average flats nowadays cost about four to five hundred thousand so at twenty per cent we're talking about about eighty to a hundred thousand cash uh for a young couple to have eighty eighty to a hundred thousand cash I think they need to work the most about six to ten years


somewhere around there and they have the kind of savings you know to to really accommodate this uh uh requirement, so I think is way very tough for the young people nowadays, okay so


uh when did we get a bank of uh loan ah I mean the private bank loan ah for our house ah do you remember


I think it was a good idea for us not to get a loan from the bank for renovation uh because there will be added uh score uh err, added risk as well as a burden to us do you agree


err would would you would you then consider the err buying another property for investment, given the implementation of the buyer's stamp duty relief


even though the relaxation of the buyer's stamp duty, for me yes I think it's a for the moment no because of the uh world situation is very uncertain and and all job prospects are also at risk so I think it's better to be status quo


what about what about err investing a second property, still not at the moment ah I think ah if given about ten fifteen years ago may be lah ah at least there is still a possibility


ya, then uh what what is the experience that uh you know we we had ah when we invested in the commercial property uh was it a good uh investment


ya the the capital gain was very surprised because uh basing on returns I think it was much more worth than working it was it was a really uh a big surprise to us you know that you know that, capital gain is really something that uh you know a lot of people are looking towards such a way that uh you know it's legitimate and it can actually help in your retirement uh plans


between between the bank loan or HDB loan which one do you think is better


oh yes limit, if we settled for a bank loan then uh do you think we should go for fixed or floating rate interest package


okay so the SIBOR is even better than the present rate are there the banks offering is it right now


oh a penalty any penalty


what is the experience of us selling our first HDB flat was it a good experience


ya I I think that was a right move because with that I think the value went up by a number almost twenty thousand more, ya that night itself, ya because they were outbidding each other by five thousand every time , yes


yes so I added quite late so they just say let's not drag till the whole night and then put a final bid in and that's where we got the figures lah it was a close bit lah so the highest bidder won lah, I think three three families were there


yes,


ya I think it's basically to sell a house you need to, actually err do it up nicely clean up the house you know uh make sure everything is working order so that you know whoever wants the house can just move in without much renovation so that will be a plus point rather than you know looking at a shabby house you know uh I think people will think about the X cost having to be put into the renovation


so therefore they are skeptical or they want to negotiate down the price so, ultimately I think ah ah keeping to a showroom condition will be would be just right ah


so in in terms of the property prices ah what are the fees involved during the transaction do you know, uh other than the property price what are the fees involved during a transaction do you know


I think it's one per cent buyer one percent seller for HDB


I think so yes, but if it's private I think it's like uh two percent on the uh seller the buyer doesn't have to pay


the the seller needs to pay pay the agent commission but the buyer doesn't need to that's why the agent uh there's this thing called co-broking whereby they have to share the commission with the buyers' uh agent


no no that's only for commercial uh condo private landed properties, uh but for HDB is uh both party pay seller pay one per cent to the agent same as the buyer, yes


to each their own means to say the buyer may have to pay on his side, [orh] okay ya then then in that case it is the buyer pays correct, correct


so would you then say that actually uh uh HDB now would be a good buy rather than a condo, in this present situation


err I I had a glance uh basically I think the prices uh has dipped a bit only uh maybe about less than five percent as go opposed to, a condo or private house where the dip is more ten or maybe fifteen per cent so I think uh whatever happens in the market uh private properties definitely more vulnerable than the HDBs


err yes yes even though the SRX price may state a certain price but in the market it is not truly this price


but the but the funny thing is when good times are there the market price uh when people buy a buyer wants by a private property they look at their own valuation and which is, uh, which is what you call it ah


lower than the uh SRX 's price, and then they try to ya ya that's right although SRX is uh like a basis for comparison but people use it to their advantage either as a buyer or seller lah


ah yes the area are smaller but the per square foot price is they're pretty much higher, yes uh but bearing the situation right now where there will be a lot of uh people who have lost their job they may be uh leaving the country I think ah all those uh small little flat may face a difficulty


because of, rental flatter the those like condos you know those expats who come here to rent the condos uh ah they may face a difficulty the landlords I mean because uh most of the expats would have lost the jobs or something like that and they have to leave the country so


ya where as you talk about singaporeans I don't think they will want to rent these properties uh reason because they either have their parents' place or they have their own place to stay at least


ya definitely, so that's why we have to ah really if possible in invest in singapore you know so that we are stable here as opposed to those uh uh foreigners who come and go right


yup definitely because uh just imagine that time I think it's about fifteen percent employer's uh share of the CPF, uh they need to pay into the account ah just imagine if you are earning one thousand you are actually getting a hundred and fifty dollars more from your employer alright so on top of that that means to say that you you have this savings of fifteen percent ah every month you know


and therefore if you work for ten year it's like you just can't stand you know a hundred fifty per a hundred fifty percent actually of your pay is gone into uh a fund that you can use to buy homes or even protect yourself in the MediShield MediSave and you know schemes


so that's really a good uh uh uh plan by the government ah


ah ya that's if you're healthy going strong then at least that money is being put towards uh the what you call it retirement fund right and I believe the retirement fund the interest is higher than the normal normal uh


normal what you call it the CPF fund, so you did a higher earning income and that comes in the form of the special account right


but the same purpose lah the different names lah


[orh] definitely in singapore context, I think a person should not have more than three


because then it because then this will allow you to control and uh uh know what you're spending on, if there's too much or too many then you lose track and then you end up having to pay the uh what do you call subscription fee if you forget to use it for more more than a year you know and then or there's too many things to handle or you know to juggle around which you won't have the time to do it


true but you have to track so many cards why don't have three cards and then you have all the expenses there so you just have three statement to monitor end of the day


I don't have a stop and submit you know [ah] under mobile device


negative experiences, okay uh when do you


uh when do you feel trapped or helpless you know in your life before


you mean to say they


so far thank god not until feel trapped but help or helplessness but sometimes desperation ah, uh in, stages of my army life, when you know things will turn out right, and you know you have to finish the mission and you know you're


really lost at what to do or maybe you have lost your way also in the jungle sometimes you know these are these are experiences where I feel helplessness ah you know and and and, in times like these really you rely on god he'll show you the way although sometimes god I find that you know uh


makes fun of us ah because you when you're lost you're lost you know, and and and he sees the funny side of things lah so after the whole incident then you realised that oh uh maybe there was a purpose ah if we had moved on to this direction we could have gone to accident or a fall in the cliff or something like that you know


so it happens for a reason but we can only know the reason much much later and not at that time but at the time, you would you would be very angry and you know you would you would, why you blame god or blame whoever your officer is ah why you give me such a task you know, you know but then I feel that in life we have to go through the whole experiences ah whether it's bitter sweet sour you know or saltish ah we have to go through all these


ya because because that's, ya that's that's the way you actually uh learn ah and you can share your experiences of this uh with others lah if you've never gone through these and your life is smooth sailing all the while then I will say what is there to share you know I ask you a question how's your life oh okay [loh]


so so being okay is what right but if you had gone through a lot of stage in life then then you can tell people oh you know I I felt this during this incident or this scenario then it becomes err you know a story to someone you know eh ya ah


if it happened to you it means to say that you know it's something that I can learn from you know so it's good in terms of sharing experiences lah, uh so far I am a very easy person so I do not recall such whoever say what I can't I can't recall because I always uh blank them out


so so to to me is ya so so therefore uh it doesn't stay in my memory bank and if it doesn't stay in my memory bank means there's no hurtful words right


no I think it's basically is everyone is is their own some people they keep it inside it becomes uh uh what do you call uh becomes hateful or uh a threat in them that you know they want revenge but some for me myself is easy because I I've learnt to let go because I find that


nothing is worth you know no point getting angry or no point getting hurt you know because it will not improve the situation neither will they help you so what you do is look at the situation in a positive light and see what needs to be done and improve on that lah


you know either yourself or you're the other party you know and then try and talk it out, possible but if not then uh how should I say ah uh keep cool lah, because because it takes two to


get start a fire you know it takes a spark to start a fire so therefore if you don't one side striking the match the other side don't move there's no fire


oh ah sad to see ah, okay ah, the thing is, sometimes we look at these workers in singapore the foreign workers ah the indian workers on the, roads uh they really go through a hard life ah


uh reason because under the hot sun ah we are all in the shade we are hiding as like thirty five thirty six degrees and yet these people on the road they are the hot sun ah baking themselves are building the roads for us you know and and when I talked to them I my god the the wages they receive


is so low I I can't uh I can't understand why is the government taking such a high uh uh what do you call it err you know err, uh wage from them you know and they're being paid so little you know it's like


ya company so so I was thinking that my goodness and I look at their food ah I ask them eh uh so I look at your food it looks like spoiled you know because it's curry right, early the morning they bring out from their their hostels you know in the morning your five six o'clock they bring their packet and they have lunch only and when you open the lunch box you look at them it is so so


how should I say ah so sad ah because all they have is rice curry and vegetables and that's all not even a single meat, yes yes yes I I talked to them I asked them you eat this every day they said yes every day so can you imagine you try eat this for more than two days I don't think you can take it already right


you know what I mean we can't take it already so if look at them they are you know putting so much time and effort and and all the hard work and yet they are eating the, just for survival you know really survival you know it and and therefore I I really embrace them because uh end of the you know they start work at least early in the morning about seven and they finish


at seven so it's twelve hours of work time and they go back they got to do their laundry and all their other things and all that and the and the the recent condition of the COVID has uh even exposed the living condition my god I mean, it's really too much lah I think ya uh whereby they are living you know so close to each other the toilets are so run down so bad the cooking area is shared by the thirty people you know that kind of thing in the dormitory


so I felt that I feel that ah even though we are first world you know we should do more for them lah you know they they are also human beings lah


ya but you never know what's the reason lah because that's god's you know his he has plans lah so maybe she is you know, she has suffered and then we don't know so god has brought her back you know to him so that she doesn't suffer we won't know so sometime death is is is not a parting lah it you know it's a temporary separation ah


okay is there one thing that you could change or will never be able to


for me is, you lah you you okay I'll share first ah uh for me is I think if I one thing I could change is uh I would like to go back to study I go back to study to get more certificates ah


or whatever qualification that I can so that later in life ah I can use them many many times I think at the where we were busy working err I didn't think about this thinking that oh I I'll be comfortable where where I am, but during this COVID has taught me that actually uh you know we we should never just go in one route but we should plan many routes you see we can


we should look at other opportunities along the way that means upgrade ourselves, where we can be when we are young may be like uh you know have a target of within five years to learn something and get a certification for it because all these will help us especially in this moment now when you know COVID right you you can't do much thing or there's a redundant of job and then if you happen to have a certain certification


uh that's useful you know you could easily find a way out at this moment you see so to me is education ah I I should have taken the opportunity to, to, reinvest my time you know not only in my work but but to learn other things lah, ya other traits


then the describe something that uh you watched or read that give you goosebumps, ya okay I'll share my part first ah , for me is I recently saw a a short clip okay about this err err it was a USA movie I can't remember what's the title about this couple who found a a magic urn uh at that time when they were together they were actually into debts already that means they couldn't


you know uh, they couldn't the have money for the next meal even you know they're running into debts, they were unemployed and things like that and by finding the urn, this the, the lady found the urn uh through a garage sale and then she stole the urn


seeing that nothing is special about it she just stole it without telling the owner, and with that the urn then which she brought it home and then she was alone and then she what do you call it she fell down ah had a slip and then suddenly the urn spurn up money notes you know hundred dollar notes and therefore she she then she she thought it was a a a mistake then she tried to then she knocked herself another time


purposely this time ah and then she saw more money coming out from the urn, so with this thing she became very very greedy okay long story cut short is that err she told her her so called boyfriend at the time and and they hurt each other just to get more money alright physically hurting each other


and even by uh bodily uh assaulting each other the urn also spurn out money you know so so in other words they were they were getting money out of people's suffering you know, so the, the moral of the story is that you know is this actually good or bad


to see you gain, something for your benefit but yet people suffer for it, you see so, ah ya uh I mean that it shows the evil side of people right I think uh the evilness in people sometimes ah is more scary than ghost or what because you see you don't see it coming lah


you know whereas ghosts you know you see coming you can physically you know avoid it lah but in this case I I you know for human beings we we we don't know when when they will strike ah, if they want to strike


yes correct I do at the at the time at traffic light they were knocking into car windows selling either some snacks or drinks remember in the hot sun the children


oh oh oh #new york#, yes yes yes I saw yes I I shelter you from watching uh don't watch, yes, broken too


ya ya correct yes yes, so so I know ya, this one something that is very unpleasant lah you know and uh you you won't want to remember lah


yes correct correct, so , so the case of uh let me see uh, what do you often worry about


okay for me I for me is uh what is what is the next step now, uh basing on our age ah I think uh we are already lost in this situation ah whereby we can't help ourselves you know at our our age I think uh getting a job is is very difficult I mean as much as we would liked to as much as what the government has tried to do ah but I think it's going to be very very tough


imagine you have fresh grads out there we have people who have been retrenched we have professionals we have you know people with experience and all that uh fighting with us you know just just for one or two posts I think ah ah, we really stand at a disadvantage ah so I I really do not know what's going to happen next you know


you know although we will try our best to to do what we can, the so career wise err err what do you call it livelihood wise you know uh what's going to happen because there's cost to be paid every day you know so, how


okay do we stop okay stop


done recording already, yes okay thumb's up, okay alright


positive experiences


I think the uh increase in the capital gain of the commercial property we bought, uh that really turn out to be higher than expected err I didn't expect that you know by getting a commercial property actually the returns were so much much much more than you know than what I anticipated you know uh maybe at that time the economy was good and therefore uh you know the value went up


yes, it it it it was quite, ya but you see as in all things ah there's always uh the danger that it might drop back so get it out when you have met your target I think that's what I've learnt from a lot of uh uh property gurus you know not to be too greedy in life


what is the nicest uh thing that someone has ever told you


I don't know for you is our a woman's view is always different


okay for me is uh I mean people have told me that I am a very warm person ah very easy to talk to you know uh very funny uh I think these are all things that uh reassures my character or affirms and affirms me as a person


because if without people, telling you all these you will never have known you know whether what you are doing is correct or or pleasant in their eyes, so I think this is this issue, important to affirm people you know what what you're doing whether it's right or wrong if it's wrong then it's time for us to change lah


then you have to reevaluate what was said to you uh reason being that uh do you think it's the truth or do you think it's just a a praise if it's is if it's, spoken in truth ah and and you know that that's what you are then it is alright because it's affirmation


uh to me I will say that from friends you can uh take it as correct because friends have no agenda they take you for what you are for who you are, but if you are talking in the business world yes you have to be careful because there may be a hidden agenda because they want something from you


you know or or to take advantage of you right in your weak moments so that's why we have to be careful with who we talk to


which is your uh most memorable travel experience can you share


and before the before the amazing race, after that they they took our idea


correct I I have spoken to some people uh from the states and and they said that, I did more than what they would have done in their lifetime so can you imagine we we asians from singapore small dot, travel more than them ya


so it was life changing lah because it it really brought, uh I think a lot of things that we study in school to live lah ah like uh grand canyon you know uh uh what do you call it the niagara falls things like that you know the gold golden bridge they all these are are what you call it wonders of the world you know whereby you only can read from


textbooks when you were in school but now it's become live you know and reality for us, yes, yes yes yes, more often correct correct but


we we flew uh out of uh I think uh uh LA to to #san francisco# and and we were very privileged to seat just behind the pilot


and we could see how they managed the planes uh during before take off and after take off and at that time it was not really easy because there were two uh I mean the pilot and the the captain ya the first pilot and the captain and there was an engineer at the back and the poor engineer had to work all the way


even if the flight was like a twelve hours or or sixteen hours ah he he he's the only one, no one can help him but the captain has the easiest job ya the moment he's uh flying you know its autopilot and uh he hands it over to the first uh uh first pilot so so the captain is enjoying himself after that in the first class lounge so now we know that he gets the highest pay


yes correct correct, even though the last uh I think that uh about six seven years ago there was once we went to UK switzerland that was also another, eye opener you know uh whereby we covered four countries remember


err ah four countries so so that was also I mean time constraint as you know in a tour always rushing here rushing there but if given a chance I think you know go free and easy would be a better way so you can see more things at your your pace


ya and I I think cost will be higher also because everything is on your own and you you know you won't know what's going to happen you know when things will turn out right also


uh what is your comfort food that you can always rely on to cheer you up, !huh!, I don't know singapore has so much of food so much of choices so we are all spoiled,


chocolates okay, yes I know nuts yes lucky thing not coconuts


uh I don't really have comfort food lah I mean I take whatever there is lah so quite easy lah, I, uh ya mostly soft drinks I think that's that's very pleasant for me because after a hard day's work or hot weather we come home and I think that's that's very nice it cool you down chill you up a bit also ya


then , so who who in your life do you look up to and uh mostly


uh for me is I think LKY lee kuan yew err reason because he really brought up our country ah from zero ah to first world you know within fifty years it's really incredible for a person on his own of course with his team of ministers ah to really


err you know find a way you know with a country that has got nothing you know besides only human beings we got no natural resources we got no riches we got no natural minerals nothing like that you know no agriculture even, so you know how how and and you know and we are very blessed because we are at the tip of the asia so


so using that as a basis you know uh the entreport trade and all that that's where we actually gained importance ah, you see so I I would definitely uh you know uh salute this man ah without him we wouldn't be where we are lah so he you know it's it's something that we really need to you know look for I mean look at and learn from him lah you know although he has passed on


but his uh uh doctrines his principles his wisdom especially you know is is much to be applauded for lah you know and appreciated


it's supposed to let you talk about malaysia remember when we go malaysia we also do not feel as safe even shopping and all that when we walked around our eyes are looking, around you know as if we are the we are the one the crooks you know


ya we're targeted you know especially your singapore car you know the way you dress and all that we are so different lah you know they can they can pick us so easily lah, yes that's right


okay, ya, yes but I do enjoy the trip to malaysia though uh because it gives us a you know a holiday within the day lah let's put it this way uh where we the moment we cross the border I think basically you really relax ah


you know whereby you don't feel pressure your phone is off and you can just feel like what doing what you do do you agree, ya ya because


ya correct so that makes life easier and and of course uh with GPS we are able to get to where we want without


ambiguity but of course as you know in malaysia uh the roads are never well defined ah according to the GPS ah so if you see a forked a forked road in the GPS you might end up a a a three forked road over at the site itself so you have to decide, but fortunately you can read malay at least so at least you can decipher what the malay was trying to tell you


you know locals, ya yes correct uh, okay uh can you describe a experience uh when your faith in mankind was renewed


[orh] for me it was the Tsunami back uh some years back okay uh when it happened to sri lanka indonesia as well as thailand


during that period of course uh many though you know many deaths lah hundreds of thousand I think people who passed who passed on who died uh without knowing you know innocent party and all that but I see that the biggest, uh err of


faith in mankind was that many people got together uh to help each other especially countries to countries there's no uh uh uh like you know uh okay I'm china I help only my chinese no it was across the board whoever can help whatever they can do they came up specialists you know


err the what do you call, uh, experienced people who who in all this traumas and all that they came forward to assist and then government provided food aid clothing and all these I think that is my faith in mankind, uh humanity because you know because of a a a trauma all of us have been awakened that we are humans and therefore we need each other so therefore we need to protect and help each other also


so it's important ya what about yourself


oh okay serangoon hotel yes, yes correct, that time we were young I think very young, we were not ya we were not even teenagers I think, I think maybe yup I think so


seventies is it no no no I don't think so, I think it's seventies right uh years seventies so


oh yes yes yes yes, ya ya I I think basically uh uh mankind all of us have this


in us ah to to respect life lah it's just that in moments like this that we actually show it lah you know we don't we don't uh uh uh outwardly express ourselves that well so you know so at least at least we can see that there's there's


there's help enough lah you know you're not selfish you know things like that


so when when did you feel the luckiest


I think I feel the basically the family that we have is I mean our children may not be the best in terms of their studies and all that but I believe they are rational people, they have grown up to be wise you know caring enough without may not express it but I I I do see when they are together they they try to communicate


uh you know so, I think we have brought them up well you know that uh, life is not just on, being yourself you know as an island but you need people around especially family you know when when there are times are not right or when times are good even should be closer you know and then share everything that is possible and and respect each other's views and and and have patience with one another


okay so do we press stop now


for me I have a personal insurance so so far I have the, life insurance health insurance and savings plan lah, ya, which I bought from Prudential


because I think that uh, uh, for example for savings plan right they offers me like like protection against like uh unforeseen circumstances lah so, uh I think that is important to me [loh]


ya so it's like, uh also help me like uh for for me to save money ah because I, don't have the, discipline to ya save money ya


because for now I already got like three plans ready what so, for me uh, I don't have an investment linked insurance policy now, and, I don't think it suit suit me lah because, uh I'm not a risk taker firstly so because I feel like investment linked policies are complex and risky because they don't have like


uh guaranteed cash value, yup ya so the, the insurance protection is like more important in an insurance policy than, the, wealth accumulation lah


, so uh I bought from my brother when he was working in Prudential back in two thousand seventeen


like firstly is to support him also and then at the same time I also thought of getting a savings plan, ya so I I bought the if, I remember correctly is like the, PRUflexi cash, uh so it's like a long term insurance savings plan ah


and then the good, I bought a twenty five years so the thing is it gives me like the flexibility to use the yearly cash benefits starting on the second year, ya so it's like a, yearly cash benefits like a payout lah


like something like a bonus coupon, uh no so I can accumulate it, for to get the annual interest


uh that time never think so much lah so ya, then uh , for deal for buy term and invest, the rest do you mix insurance and investment or do you keep them apart


so it's more like it will result you in being like under insured lah right if you mix it


uh there are various like factors to consider lah , if cause I I wish me I won't choose to mix insurance and investment, because you need to ah uh, because I think like I need to like understand on the insurance coverage and like the obligations also so


if you invest the rest right, then it you have to depend on like factors like your knowledge skills and like experience also because I don't have, the knowledge in investment ah ya


so I will not mix insurance and investment


for me I don't think it's sufficient lah because uh, uh I don't want to live like on a frugal amount per month in future especially


I I mean I worry lah but I I'm not sure if it's really true [loh]


I mean I think like, it, in general right in singapore like especially lower income households right , when they retire they are more like asset rich and cash poor


for me I prefer to for agent lah because, uh I don't have like in depth, knowledge ah when it comes to insurance, so I prefer someone that, has more experience lah to guide me, on the best fit for my needs mah because if I do it through online or do it myself


I've do a lot of research what, that might not be right right just read read read


then like that like that then you have to like thought like how what do I look for in an insurance agent already what


let's let's say if I have a friend that is doing insurance right ya of course I will buy from my friend but then if I, don't know anyone that is doing insurance hor then, I would choose to go and look for a agent instead of doing it myself uh, uh


because I prefer someone who, like , takes time to like explain things lah so I can, decide, my on myself lah like, at least explain to me face to face it's better than doing it online


but of course I need to assess the person lah, lah I will ask certain questions to, to of course if that person cannot answer then maybe I will think like oh maybe this persons not experienced enough you know


I also think it's important ah, at around my age , prepare for my retirement ah because , uh during my, retirement years my retirement plan will be like my main source of uh monthly cash flow


after I step away from full time employment ah so


ya and then it's like also having a like a solid retirement plan like ensures me to be like financially stable, they also allows me to pursue my desired, retirement lifestyle ya


I I mean like what I said just now I don't want to leave on a frugal amount every month so I think retirement plan is essential lah


I think I more open lah to insurance products from, multiple companies, ya, because every, company got their own star product mah, mah, so I will just choose whatever that provides better benefits to me


because the agent sell different products for different companies right


I think first I I'll at least will ask like how long have you been in the, business or industry lah because, I know years in the business does not guaranteed that the agent is like the correct person lah but then at least can give me like, piece of mind ya


so I want to find an insurance, of course I know like the years in the business does not mean that this agent is the right person [loh] but then just make me feel like


thirty to forty percent, currently, ya I think so lah, I mean of course uh


I mean I cannot think on such a, time lah but, I I do feel helpless when I don't do anything about any situation in the first place, I mean like if you are in any situation if you don't do anything you will feel helpless ah the at least


for me, then maybe I feel helpless when I victimised myself , and maybe at times it is justified lah, cause I feel like it's okay to be like, stranded in like the middle of nowhere but then it's not okay to be stuck there forever so


I guess the most helpless situation for me is not being able to do something


okay so , I I mean I really remember one, when someone that I care, deep for deeply say like, , I really dislike you lah so, I mean it may not be hurtful to some of you all but it's hurtful to me


that one I will remember ah just that


what what can you do about this right , then do you have any hurtful words that you wish to forget


I hope so too, ya so uh is there a time where you feel that nothing you do is good enough


for me is like, when I put in effort for the people around me okay for example I say my friends lah but then , then I I realise that because as you grow up right yup, everybody's priorities change


so when we were maybe younger oh, like we all we had was each other what because we go to school you know that kind ya so you grow up your priorities change so, I might not be like, that important to them anymore lah sometimes I feel


so I felt like uh I, no matter how much effort I put, is never enough for sometimes I feel that way, ya, do you have any time when you feel that nobody cares about you


actually I don't really have a saddest moment in my life eh because I, never really go through hardships lah, oh ya, but then, I think but maybe at some point of, I thought that uh, my relationship will not work out anymore


that right, that might be that the saddest moment ah but it was just a moment ya, ya, okay do you have one thing that you wish you could change but will never be able to


I I wouldn't count this as a, a traumatic incident lah but I thought of one that might be lah so far so uh , I was trying to save a, a, drowning lady like


might not be my first instinct to save the drowning lady but then , I mean at the end of the day I still got the initiative to go and try to save lah it was at night ah at east coast park, so, so in the process I got injured but


because I was in the the, water so it was like salt water like sea water, so I didn't I didn't like feel any pain ah so I didn't know that I was injured, ya so I, ya and I also drank some seawater


ya so when I cause the, it was high tide ya so that woman was a bit scary lah, choke ah , were like like it happened that when I drank the seawater the


the, the lifeguard came to save that drowning lady, because it was very dark also ah so then my friends pulled me out lah ya, so after I came out, uh, then I I only realised that I was bleeding profusely on my feet ah ya


after my friends pulled me up to the shore but it was a very , relatively I don't think I will again I will experience this anymore lah


K is there anything that makes you stressed


goal ah I don't have a specific goal lah but, I mean my end goal is I want to live comfortably right ya, when I'm old ya so, I think, the main reason


so so to to get to my goal I need to have sufficient money what in future, so probably, I need to save some money and or maybe start a


uh ya lah but the thing is to save money there's a lot of things to do what, right , ya [loh] so I I also if let's say if because I would I have a, thought in my mind that I wanted open a cafe lah so but then, I think every time I lose focus


so I, every time I lose focus like kills my chance of success also lah, that's what I feel, there where we spread our focus too much right we diffuse our efforts also so like uh we don't have void takes to focus on those things that are more important for us to do


then there's also like fear of, failure you know you scared you fail also


okay so, because now I'm doing like sales in a, telecommunications what so I have to manage project so I remember managing a project for one of my clients ah and then I was very eager to please them


because you want to I I will do everything for my client lah, ya, so I told them that we could uh deliver the parts within like two weeks, but then I I did not think that you know there may be delays ah at that moment ah


because of during this uh COVID period there's a lot of international flights uh cancelled right previously the past ya so I I didn't take that into consideration lah at that moment so, I estimated myself so I thought this was doable but then it add up taking like three to four weeks so there's like extra one to two weeks delay


and then my, customer was obviously not happy lah so, !eww! it fell below my expectations [loh] to me then , looking back I realise like I should have been more like conservative lah in my estimation to the client


right so I realised that the client isn't going to be upset if you are clear about the timeline advanced but then , they are going to be disappointed if I promise something and then I don't deliver, maybe in general people are like that, ya so I took these experience [loh] and use it to become much better at managing expectations of clients


okay so uh, uh I always wanted to go to south korea ever since I was twelve because I was very into like korean, drama at that time so , I finally got to go, in two thousand eighteen ah, and then I got to go during the autumn season so I saw the maple leaves in Nami island so


the autumn colours was, ya, very wonderful lah so it's like it was mind blowing to me [loh] at that moment ah because I never been to a country during autumn ah ya how about you


uh okay so ya I I always thought that, in general like, nowadays the people, not very helpful lah so, uh there was this time like I fell from the steps of the bus at then I sprain my ankle


so I, cannot get out on my own, and then I was like cause I was like in, uh pain ah, so I saw a lot of people looking at me, but they, didn't bothered at all ah so that moment I was like


I mean it's like typical young people now, so after that uh ya lah, I mean like if you if I see someone fall down I I think I will go and like, uh help the person ya so uh, not none of them help me


and I really got difficulty getting out so they, instead I saw an elderly man uh, he walked very slow but he came still came over to help me like, cannot believe it at like elderly man came and, offer help to me to to get me up lah ya so I think that moment reminded me that okay perhaps humans


are not that bad after all


ya but then so far the people I meet, not very helpful lah like because at that moment what so many people look at you how you how would you feel right


, okay so uh, can you describe a moment when you felt the luckiest


for me ah I I, no no no I, I don't think there's like a specific moment lah that I felt luckiest but then uh, uh I think that I, I'm fortunate ah to live comfortably away from like war hunger at least like from young my family


provide me everything I need so I don't have to worry about, anything wrong that's what I feel lah that that's lucky to me lah because I know a lot of people out there, don't live very comfortably


I'll be a bit like I think spiritual lah like okay so no matter what we do right and no matter what we accomplish, the person I am right now right, right ah, I I will I will die next time right so, I won't be a, conscious human being anymore so that that's the thing that


like, not a thing that you can do about it that can prolong your life so even accidents happen so that the fact that these, does not stop me from doing what I do still amazes me lah because, whatever you do is now mah but then you


someday you will just pass away what, ya that that's what uh that's what I feel lah Cheem ah that's what I feel lah, ya so anything that amazes you in life


cause you can't do it right


as in oh okay so, uh best surprise I I take it as like someone give me a surprise ah, ya, not lah ya ya so so uh there was ones like had gathering with my friends at home


and then, I remember we were playing games then I needed to use the washroom , so I went I I I went to the washroom so after I came out like the lights was off because the washroom is in my bedroom right


ya , ya so I I really literally thought that there was a blackout in the house, but I I, every night I would not forget this but then after, , not you only my friends also together


ya so okay like moments later lah got happy birthday song and then the cake was brought in like so ya this is really surprised ah because I really thought like something wrong with the light electric shock or something, then then uh


what about you got any surprise


but the thing is the thing is now you cannot sing eh so how, how you relax yourself


for me ah okay maybe when, I'm asked to like do presentation on something ah that have little knowledge, uh for example like like technical proposals and clarification ya, I I mean ah I will feel like


stress ah !aiya! that also, !aiya! sorry what you want say, uh no no and that that's one of the things lah, because I am not confident what


I like I I will feel like got butterflies in my tongue, !wah! ah that kind ya, I I will feel unwell ah ya, maybe cause I'm stressed and nervous then I think there's another one like I think when I write the, the T express you know the wooden roller coaster in in Everland oh ya that one


the first job was like, !wah! cannot ah ya, after that I got butterfly in stomach also


the thing is is depends on the roller coaster ah because that was very steep ah is I think I think the T express is the fourth steepest wooden roller coaster in the world so, if I remember correctly lah


me ah of course lah I mean like firstly I I want to live on myself ah to fulfil my dreams, ya and then another thing is I am uncertain what will happens after death right so obviously I prefer, to be alive lah and then there's also like


uh many beautiful places on earth that I want to go to like, the food, drinks family and friends, ya so I think like being dead has to be the most boring thing I can possibly imagine


I mean cause really don't know what will, happen then, or not it will be like very terrifying since there's no way of telling like what will become of me if I'm dead right, ya so I rather have like little control ah, on myself and be grateful for it [loh] because I think life is beautiful lah so just enjoy it


(mm) cause I think I, (ppc) take pride in my work


okay three, okay uh perhaps I can start first uh I can actually share about my personal insurance so far I had only have one


uh particular personal insurance at the moment which is an endowment plan so with regards to the uh experience, uh I think that is just a plan that I felt that I really need it to actually force myself for savings so which is why I actually gotten up this uh endowment plan


to ensure that at the certain age I will have a certain savings ya so uh that's the reason why I actually started this uh endowment plan uh what about you lindy


okay uh hold on how do you find it and uh what's the reason that you think that you will need, such uh policies or such insurance


okay like what kind of uh unforeseen circumstances like uh is it do you mean that uh just in case that one day you are running out of cash then you felt that this uh savings plan will help you


saving saving habits ah I see I see so then what about what about like things like investment linked policy do you actually think that


investment linked will actually help help you investment linked policy


I see I see


I see that I think that is pretty true lah for me I personally also not friend into investment linked policies that is also partially because the investment linked policy is unlike investment products itself investment linked policy actually related to


uh like protection of health like end gains death they actually pay our sum of money then this actually, do not fully utilise for investment so uh people who actually wanted to gain more


money out of investment won't able to so for me I personally not uh, very into investment linked policies as well so uh what about the your endowment plan you mentioned about uh what's the experience uh that you will actually bought from who you got from and what's experience and what do you why


why would you not choose to have, oh sorry I mean why would you choose to buy with this person and this particular plan or do you recall anything, oh


for how many years


oh okay, have you actually, have you actually use it so far


oh okay okay but that's actually very good also !whoa! but thirty five years for uh twenty five years for savings plan is quite long so has to , has to be I see


uh for me is I personally think that should uh , should actually keep apart uh why I said so because uh technically uh investment product right we're only uh serve the best purpose of


that means gaining which are the returns out of this, investment right would only serve it if you do not mix it with uh protection because whatever you paid for the protection if you paid separately right you will realise that uh linked together