yup uh I I can't remember the stamps all I remember was the coin box, I think that was, ya the squirrel the squirrel uh piggy uh the squirrel bank so this time round my brother uh I have a little nephew and my brother was asking me you know about the savings account uh for POSB and he was very upset that he couldn't get the squirrel


coin box because I think it is completely phased out the squirrel coin box so , I uh I think my brother decided not to do it with POSB on point of principle


part of our life I


uh at the moment no I am looking at an alternative bank uh cause right now initially I was looking at Maybank uh Maybank was a qualifying bank uh at the time uh when I was in uni so I think uh at that time, they didn't really have many ATM functions they actually have the shared ATM functions with other qualifying banks


uh but I think recently MAS uh has relaxed the rules so we have more of these qualifying banks , in the neighbourhoods so yeah Maybank seems quite alright so I was actually considering to open a secondary account purely for for savings and leave the POSB for more transactional purposes because


I find POSB very convenient for you know salary credit the crediting and all the bill payments and stuff it's it's just easy it's the first thing that you remember whereas the other one is more like disciplined okay I got to save otherwise I'm going to have to stand outside with an umbrella that kind of of thing


I have I have a credit card uh although although I also took part in the the save as you earn scheme actually it was one of the things that I started when I first started work


a colleague uh at the my previous workplace actually introduced it and I found it quite useful because, because of that that discipline in savings I was able to to accumulate a sum sum of money you know for university and then eventually also to travel I can't remember if uh POSB still has that scheme I think they may have changed it


but err, it it's it's a very useful uh uh scheme and that's one of the reasons why I actually started them the


yeah, and then the bill and then you have a shock when you see the bill and then likes oh god did I just do all of that


I currently use my credit card only for eh for the purchase of the health insurance err because, I have a medical condition so that actually comes in useful to to uh paid off that uh the health insurance coverage at one go so that was the reason why I had uh uh the POSB credit card


but I agree with you on on the debit card because uh the debit card there's a different function altogether err it's uh, it's a very disciplined approach to how you actually manage your your money, you don't spend what you don't have


I had at the moment I have an individual account, but I suppose when I uh when my fiance and I come together we would consider a joint account for for household expenses and things like that but I would prefer for him to actually have his own individual account so he manages his own savings as well


uh I think, not many people actually are aware of it if you have a joint account if that person passes away then you actually have a lot of issues uh closing that account and uh not many not many women especially are aware that to close that account you need to have certain uh permissions


uh I think in this case an LPA actually helps and of course the death certificate and all that stuff so I would actually prefer that we we do both, we have our individual accounts and the joint account may function mainly for you know household expenditure and and stuff like that


yeah,


definitely, ah and I think uh for many because I grew up in a generation where where women actually didn't quite, err, know or maybe they just left it up to the men in their family to to to manage certain aspects of financing it became necessary for me to educate myself


on financing on on uh on uh monetary matters so that uh I can uh so that I can then uh you know better manage my money


okay


yup, I think it I remember seeing there was a question on what's your about loans loans and investments


yes it does it does so for example uh especially when it comes to housing loans uh housing loans uh, some people have a preference for bank loans because you know then they can play with the fluctuating interest rate uh with the bank loan and some of course like myself we're little bit more prudent in that sense we go for the HDB home loan


which I mean given the current uh situation is a little bit unstable right now the whole economic situation with COVID so that kind of gave me uh a bit of a breather because if I had a bank, uh loan to pay off I think I would be even more stress out than I already am


okay I've tried uh fixed deposits so fixed deposits have health especially when I was uh in for for student loans uh so I I actually uh could bridge, my my fees you know with uh with uh with uh fixed deposits that I had and of course the the loan I've also I've also had uh exchange traded funds


oh


okay, so we were talking about we were talking about exchange traded funds uh and fixed deposits I've tried both, I've, ah the exchange traded fund was with uh POSB they had the STI uh index were investing in in and blue chip companies singapore based uh blue chip companies that was actually quite a smart move the uh bank did


I as a, as uh you know just an average uh investor an average bank client I found that uh quite useful cause I didn't have to monitor stocks and dividends and it was it had a dual purpose of making me save because I had to deposit a certain amount of money every month


and at the same time I had the I had uh the luxury of deciding when I can actually redeem the uh the amount the principal amount plus interest that I had invested in and that was actually quite useful for my postgraduate work


the first ATM card I think it was in my teens


I don't know actually I to to be honest I didn't I didn't actually realise that uh that the cards were given and things but I suppose given the international nature you know of of education and you know uh the way transactions are now online perhaps


there's actually a way that the bank can uh uh families and parents are actually managing helping kids manage their money could be that I I'm just hypothesising here it could be that , they're given a certain amount of allowance and they can only play around with this allowance uh you know to do school transactions or do a paynow transaction to a friend you know cause I I I bought something or you bought something for me and I have to transfer so so that could be one way of of uh doing it


yes I I I would say the same thing as well I have not bought insurance uh through a bank I have only bought insurance uh through uh insurer for that is for health insurance or for my own savings insurance


I have not bought insurance from a bank so uh banking is uh purely for transactions you know my day to day uh transactional purposes uh salary crediting and uh of course some certain level of investment uh insurance vice no


HB loan is uh stable actually uh much definitely much lower because as as the sole owner from for my flat I I had to make sure that you I was in a situation that I am financially sound and able to to to uh


to pay the loan that I am I've taken so I felt more comfortable with the HDB loan than I did with the bank loan I didn't feel as comfortable with the with the high interest uh rate that I uh would have to pay with the bank loan although it you know as I said


there was uh some people have a preference for the floating interest rate ya , that that banks were were promoting cause it's very attractive, whereas HDB is it's a flat rate although it's pegged to market conditions you don't have the the flexibility in that sense uh to negotiate your your interest rate but I think what gave me the assurance with HDB was should and I was thinking long term should there be a situation


where I am you know in transitioning between a job or in a situation where I have to take a a break from work what would then happen will I be able to you know pay the loan or and and would would I have any err you know interest or


ah I mean it's a certain amount of stress actually to actually to to pay this off and you know weighting that into consideration I felt that HDB was actually a better option for me and so far I have no regrets on it err on on choosing on choosing that path


correct


yeah,


ya definitely definitely, so I mean in in in my for my situation is a little bit unique because, I stayed with my grandparents in my grandparents house so in a private house I've never actually stayed in HDB so every single thing was new to me even now


everything ya every single thing is new so taking a loan taking housing err uh home insurance getting permission uh planning permission to do certain things uh every single thing was new so I was quite fortunate that


I had good friends were from university actually uh working colleagues who actually pointed out what I can and cannot do uh I had a very good agent who was upfront with me on the things that I can do within the HDB


and I think the the most important thing that I really appreciated was, how I mean this is a sidetrack from this issue but how he actually listen heard me out when I was buying this flat so uh that that really helped and even till today I still go back to him


to get his advice on say for home upgrading how do I pay for the home upgrading you know through CPF what kind of uh grants are available all that sort of thing for somebody who's never who's never lived in a HDB until uh, the last one and a half years it's a it's a big eye open


ya okay


yeah the slides disappeared, ah okay here it is


what's your worst travel experience


I actually I I I I I, do I have I have not heard it I mean in in my family we didn't practise this so I I was completely unaware although much later now as an as an adult as an older person now I I am aware that left hand uh entire doing anything with your left hand is consider the inauspicious by some people


the more orthodox uh indians , yes I'm of the view that err whether your left or right you know it's a it doesn't really matter in fact if you're ambidextrous is even better, because it means that you are flexible you have versatility to do things


and you know bring that bringing that about that negative experience as you said it it it does uh shape your, perspective you views you know of course at that point in time it's extremely traumatic uh but to hold on to that trauma and you know and to


to retain that trauma and retain it in a in a negative way I don't think it's healthy so like what you did was to position it and you know channel that that negative experience with something more more uh positive that actually help to you , err reframe how you look at things and how you actually


how do you how do you actually are in uh as a person I I think that's very important, coming to myself uh traumatic incident I think most traumatic incident for me was to to find out to find out about uh that I had actually had an ovarian tumour that was cancerous that was the most


traumatic experience that I've ever had I've never, been ill in my life before so to actually have uh such a huge calamity happened just as I was about to start a new job you know and everything was just uh going, well it left uh quite a mark on me at that point in time I remember the oncologists the surgeons you know were cautioning me advising me to actually do to go for that because that's standard international protocol and I remember that I refused


I flatly refused I flatly refused, uh the the technical protocol that the hospitals here actually wanted to visit on me uh, I flatly I flatly rejected uh not the diagnosis the diagnosis I had no choice I had to accept I mean it is what it is


uh but I didn't accept how the news was delivered it was delivered about one hour after I finished surgery and I was barely out of anaesthesia so that was really one of the most traumatic experiences err that I've ever had and I uh for me to even talk about it now it's unforgettable


uh to come out from the operating theatre you know and and to be barely awake from anaesthesia to be told that you actually have a a severe medical condition which shouldn't have been done that way and so I actually had uh


I had a big fallout with the hospital KKH at that time uh and I refused to go back, I refuse to see the be uh consulting oncologist I refuse to actually speak to the surgeons uh on it because the way the news was delivered was, technical is one thing I'm not faulting you on your technical skills but the way you delivered the news is inhumane


to tell me that you know uh uh a person you know in that prime of their life that you have to do and you know the first thing that's all your hair is going to fallout and all this, that's not the way you deliver news that's not the way


ya, correct no one no one in my family knew what was going on uh because, as in uh the hospital felt uh that I was an adult and I should be aware of it but the way he delivered the news after the patient comes out from surgery barely an hour after waking up and not


informing their family uh who's waiting there I think that was incorrect unprofessional and inhumane and so I made it a point to actually find out, my options post surgery what I should and shouldn't have do to do to recover from this condition uh this was five years ago so uh I was quite fortunate in the sense that I had a good consulting uh GP's


who helps me breakdown the medical information number one number two was uh my uh my youngest aunt married an italian so an italian professor so he uh using his very extensive resources we manage to find two of his colleagues who are gynaecological cancer researchers uh in uh the Vatican


so I actually had my case and everything submitted to them and to ask them what I should be should should be doing what was the prognosis uh post surgery and the prognosis you know five years on from surgery what was most importantly the statistics between doing chemo and not doing chemo


because as with anything even earlier when we talked about finance I am the kind of person who has to researched my options, uh I have to know what is the worst case scenario what's the best case scenario and then from there I have to make that decision and simply not the kind of person who would just take uh the the consulting surgeon or oncologist err you know err


prognosis err or their written statements as gospel truth and and believe them uh and and that was something that my doctors in singapore hated, absolutely hated me for, the uh the gynaecologist the italian gynaecologists were very professional


they actually I still have the email from them and all the questions that I ask uh about the condition what I should and shouldn't be doing what are the drug what's the drug protocol, these the time the duration for which I should actually be doing uh ninety days post surgery after that the efficacy is completely lost survival statistics for ovarian cancer is actually very uh under study and early stages are difficult to come by


it's uh the survival statistics uh uh for doing and not doing is almost the same, not many people actually know about it, they don't also know about uh diet they don't know about the health other underlying issues that help might help that I was already very healthy and other than my other than work stress I was pretty much err uh an active person so my recovery was actually very fast


so I was also quite fortunate that colleagues at the workplace uh knew what was happening and they got me started on yoga so that kind of channelled everything away and then the last thing was my pets, so all that as we said a traumatic experience changes your life and


this changed my view my life because up up until that time I was very driven very much a workaholic not to say that I'm not driven and still not much of a workaholic I am but it's in is it's in a moderation now, because you know, what is err your limit what's your heart limit what you can do and what you cannot do that you are not invisible


for the rest of my family they they simply didn't know how to handle it because they've never see me in that kind of situation because I've always been the the the rock the pillar the person that they go to for everything


so that was a complete thing they still do it but of course now uh I also have to have my limits with with uh the family so so that was the most uh traumatic experience for me


yes definitely definitely from I would say the same thing for myself as well I'm more conscious about my health I, but I of course I'm also I also appreciate one of the consulting oncologist uh who actually uh spoke to me about my health condition at that time when I was looking at the second opinion well his words uh left a very uh deep impact on me


uh he told me this is just a detour to your health and I have never forgotten that because it is true it is actually a detour I have uh recovered it's now five years, and in those five years I have done so many different things which I would probably not have done had I not gone through for this uh and that includes outdoor activities you know kayaking hiking up in the alps all that kind of stuff


things that we all want to do but you know due to work and stuff we we uh put it aside it's on the back burner that because of this health issue everything was fast track, my uh GP, who helped me with you know my recovery and and stuff


, he was he really personifies what a doctor is, when you go in to his clinic you end up laughing because really laughter is the medicine every single time I come eh go in we people can hears us outside laughing


and he does this with every patient whether it's a young patients an elderly patients and I will still I will remember him I still I still keep in touch with my doctors actually, he always said you must not forget to live, must do everything and that was my wrap after the immediately after surgery my very first kayaking trip that I did


post post surgery and that left quite a a a big mark a reminder on me because it's true you must remember to live


comes our way


definitely definitely he teaches you he teaches you resilience teaches you resilience flexibility and more than that that this side uh that this is not the end point


this isn't this ya ya


ya, , definitely


ya, okay so


the best part of of my childhood so I grew up I grew up with my grandparent in my grandparent's house in Serangoon gardens so I I there were six of us my brother myself and my cousins so we were we all went to school in the same place around the same place we we we


played around the same area I think the best part was really hanging around with my my cousins my older cousin sisters uh my brother uh mostly cycling cause you know Serangoon gardens is very hilly lots of slopes so I'll I'll, best thing that we did was after school we would race down the slope right outside my grandparents house


and then we would have the most horrifying like who did the the best you know who who speed fast best and which person actually flew pie the car or which person flipped all that stuff, we had we got chased by we got chase by german shepherds we used to run and hide in the


under the the drain we did all kinds of stuff uh used to play in the rain uh rain as well cause you know #serangoon gardens# at that time uh they used to be storm drains so when it rain uh there goes our fun part err of of uh you know being a kid then


uh and there used to be a Kampung as well not far from uh my grandparents house , it's uh belong to a chinese family so when we wanted to uh uh if when we wanted to have an you know an other another experience we'll probably just go up to the Kampung and then get chased by all the geese there


that's what used to happen that's what used to happen to to to us we, you know like most like most kids out of the we all all the same age group actually just like one or two years difference, so we we have the same connective memories of all the clumsy things my my older cousin sisters did


stealing stealing rambutan from the neighbour's house and trying to hide err all, ya all that all of that,


, ya


I think for for us because uh we we didn't grow up with our parents our parents were working you know in in some cases my parents were divorced my grandparents were were the ones who're there for us so, uh I remember my cousins and I we would uh my my granddad had a motorcycle so the it was it was always about who would get on that motorcycle to ride down the Serangoon gardens with him


so I had to be one of us it had to be one of us you know and then you know we will get upset if the other person got it this time it was a big treat going down on that motorcycle, so the person who took it up uh uh to did who was closes to my granddad was my brother so now my brother's got his motorcycle license and he's uh he's uh the memories of my my granddad is very strong


err for me , my granddad my granddad and my grandma used to wait for me after school when I was in secondary school they used to wait for me after school to come back from my food and nutrition class to try out what I did, and it was always on mondays in monday afternoon and my granddad would wait so I would bring back home cakes or pastries or something


and then both of them will critique and tell me whether it's too spicy too sweet or if it's very good and they'll be very happy and and that's one of the things that that I always remember about my grandparents they always look forward to when I bake, and I suppose that's that's the interests that that I have and I carry on doing right now if you ask me what's the the the best thing for me when I travel


uh most people will go to a museum or you know see all the the best sights I think the best thing for me is to go to a market uh you know especially like a supermarket or something cause you never know what you're going to find there, all this exciting thing all the exciting things all the exciting food and stuff so that that interest in food that interested in in cooking and sharing you know uh that part of of my life it really came from my grandparents


I was five when I was uh my first travel experience I actually went to London, because my dad my father was working for singapore airlines at that time so he was one of the pioneering crew uh for SIA so my very first experience uh we basically my brother and I basically grew up with in Changi airport we wait waited for my dad to come back from his trips


waited uh with my mum you know err from wherever he went so that left a very lasting impact on both of us on my brother myself today , if I if I remember correctly my brother's biggest experience was actually meeting up the pilots of singapore airlines and from the age of three he always knew what he wanted to do


he became a pilot he became a pilot, because of that because of that that that in uh lasting memory of you know the pilots actually showing him the cockpit cause at that time you could go in for me , the that experience cause I was two years older than him so I went overseas first my first experience was in London and I remember very clearly being there with my mum in trafalgar square feeding the pigeons


I still have that picture actually I still have that that that picture now in trafalgar square we don't have any pigeons cause they've all been removed you know it's it's a completely clean sanitise thing but at that time was like the best thing for a kid you know five year old kid with with pigtails and stuff to be feeding the pigeons


and then taking taking pictures with the with the with the London policeman you know in the in their in their the those at that time was still the old fashioned uniform the london bobby uniform, , so that was my very very first trip and because of my dad my brother and I have this lasting err we travel not to say that we went somewhere but for the experience it itself


so so many things that err that we've done but uh we realised that, we we get that daring for my dad, my father was very daring about going overseas alone and and doing things on his own but when it came to us uh no no he was he was very upset his very upset with his very upset with my brother and myself because we both did something err we didn't expect it actually my brother was in new zealand during the Christchurch earthquake


err unexpected that that situation you know was very terrifying time for the whole family and then a couple of months later that same year I was in sri lanka during the japanese tsunami again none of us expected these things to happen so it's it is it is what it is


so we we learn we we learn how to to take it in our stride when we travel where we go you know and and how to to to do things, but


(uh huh)


ya ya I I remember that I remember that you know even like uh in school days my cousins and I we used to go to Malacca we used to go we used to go to the small little fishing village uh Pontian in Johor my uncle's university uh friend


uh his family had a house there in Pontian and , err it was a really a uh it's a pirates village actually , it was so so where they lived uh where where uncle gerard and his family lived uh they had a house with uh


all kinds of animals they had in I remember screaming my head off when I saw the iguana it was right in the front lor yeah they had a pet iguana they had a dog they like cats they had civet cats all kinds of things, ya ya so that was err that was kind of like err one of the experiences that I remember with travelling


travelling you know to Johor with my whole group of cousins walking on the stilts uh the fishing village stilts and stuff, so we all remember that


well there's one thing I learnt you know you you would never, I mean if you you you don't want to tell people that you become a millionaire that's the first thing number one thing you do not want to do that number two thing is yes of course the the financial relief uh is a relief that's the biggest thing but


ya not even I mean nanosecond man that's it nanosecond it just goes off, it's just gone you will set for life and then the next thing that comes up is how do I manage this money because then it becomes a burden as well how do you manage the money how do you not over spend


how do you uh make sure that you don't fall back on okay I have all this median so that you know I can do whatever I want, for me I think my life would pretty much be the same pretty much be the way it is right now without the financial burden does it gone in a nanosecond


ya, it's it's it's really about grounding its about grounding how grounded you are how your values are because if you put that if you put uh monetary uh attachment to your life and to to your values uh to uh your happiness


that you know money is going to money equals to your happiness then when that million comes in you don't know how to actually manage your life, without those millions you know like you said if you turn out to be a pauper ya, so you that's that to watch out for


eh you talking about persons or uh perk


I think for me uh because of all the things that I have uh I have in my life uh, I wouldn't say that I cherish a person in so much in my life I would cherish my dogs


because they've gone through with me, every situation every err you know happy situation every heartbreaking situation it's my dogs especially my girl dogs they've they've , I've always had them I've had them since I was very young uh in and I'm the kind of person who spends a lot of time with with my pets with my dogs and my cats and I'm very much an outdoor person I have to walk them I have to be with them


uh I have big dogs so I've had a singaporean you know special uh when I was younger and than much later I had golden retrievers terrier and all that so big dogs always had to walk them so my special moments any moment that I celebrate any moment of upset any moment of happiness you know just to see for example


the sky clearing after a rain a thunderstorms it's always with my dogs, ya so for me the happiest time I've been, I'm always with them, I I can't imagine my life without without my my dogs err


with persons ya okay I mean they're here and they're there or they're not there but not without my dogs, this some something I cannot compromise


they teach you resilience actually that's they them, is it the the critical thing err that a pet teaches you is uh resilience


, , and the slide seem to have disappeared


ya it's just so, no ah I think it's still the same so


what's the time when you you couldn't wait to attend the special event to a concert, ya


okay that's it looks like it


banking, hi my name is Maniam, well Shamu do you have a saving account


I think we have started a generation if I recall we all when we go to primary one at the age of seven I think is a must that all of us must have a saving account I think and I I do recall having a POSB saving account and I think I if I recall there used to be like we collect stamps


every month and then the number of stamps will equate to number of dollars and then you put it back into the bank I think it's a very interesting mode of err, way of teaching children how to start saving from young I think


how yes yes that piggy bank


, I think since we started from young using POSB it's been a uh uh I mean uh a life yeah singaporean's life has always been part of POSB


I mean used to be post office savings bank and now we are moved to POSB in the acronym way even though is occupied by I mean taken over by DBS I think uh some of us are still at this age I think many of us are still so , reluctant to change banks I think we are so got so used to POSB so do you have anything other banks other than POSB


I think, I think when you mentioned about saving I think uh I I just recall that there used to be a programme with POSB save as you earn so they uh I think when I was in the national service I remember you you can actually, uh fixed an amount on a daily uh on a monthly basis on a particular day it gets err moved away from your account that means from rubber amount you get your maybe your salary from that month a certain portion will be uh transferred over for save as you earn account so for two years it's a locked on period so actually can save a lot of money


so I think then they scrap that programme I don't know for what reason but it was a very good programme so I err now I think they do not have that but I think nowadays I think a lot of people choose bank based on credit card and debit card uh the perks which bank offer through their credit card and debit card so you have credit card or debit card


yes it, it it it forces you to save and then you realise that you you can't uh you know automatically it but I think credit and debit card is uh I think there was a period where a lot of us were so attracted when you start work and when you earn your first salary you'd like to spend


credit card comes very handy until the bill comes you see , so uh , , so I think that's the reason why some of us I think later part uh decided to move to debit card I think that forces you to be more


disciplined person when come to shopping I think because, you you can only spend when you have if you don't than you you can't so I think that's one of the reason err now I prefer to use debit card than credit card


what about accounts ah could you do you do you feel comfortable having joint accounts, or just individual separate accounts


true true ah I I totally agree on that because I think it's quite crucial at at this junction to have both your own personal account for your own saving needs as a family you should have a joint account to run your, uh personal family matters you know a day to day expenses or


things pertaining to family expenses the joint account comes in a very uh good mode of uh of managing the finances I think


so we we started on saving accounts we talked about debit card, ya , what other questions we have looks like the slides are


investment is it yes yes okay, uh I think each of us have different stage of our life we have taken up different kinds of loans


and uh I think is very important that uh before taking up loan it's important to understand the rules and regulation put forward by the bank in terms of payment period the principal amount the interest, so that you do not chalk up more than what you need to be paid I think some people uh blindly go and sign up and then they realise that they keep paying the interest but not the principal and then it's uh


it leads to a lot of unnecessary tension I think


true true true I mean this uh unprecedented pandemic as created a lot of havoc for a lot of us and I think banks are also struggling to retain their clients and uh finding new ways to help people to pay bills because I think err


it's not the people do not want to pay bills but it's just that, circumstances that have let them to you know delay in in terms err paying bills and I think that leads to that the point of uh uh uh investments and uh importance of uh


uh be prudent in terms of how you manage your funds I think err, I think some people have this habit of putting in a fixed deposit, and then getting a particular interests like how CPF pays you know but I'm not


too I have not tried that so I won't be able to uh feel about the fixed deposit kind of amount because I think fixed deposit interest is rather low so I still like very CPF person so I think the interest from CPF gives you more interest I think ah so uh uh your take on that


oh that's nice


I think , finance lessons are quite crucial for youngsters especially I think if we don't plan learn and manage your money then you will be always in the lurch of uh paying bills for rest of your life I mean that comes to the next question


when did you do you recall where do you had your first ATM card as a child, I think most of us our generation I think our first ATM card is on uh


when we were young kid I think I mean maybe in our teens early teens I think, but nowadays I see a lot of, kids below twelve are walking in and doing bank transfer or even phone transfer and, I'm just wondering is it do they need that, you know is is that the appropriate age to do uh or are they aware of some financial


lessons that you're comfortably doing it or just parents are giving them the money to play around


true I think that's how you put in discipline to teach kids how to, uh manage finance I think that's very crucial I think cause if you don't start early then they will not know the value of money etiquette uh and uh uh coming back to the banks other than investment products have you tried any other form of uh policy because I


find that banks usually have this call for insurance product they try to you know when you at the counter or you're calling them for some services they always like to promote their own, insurance products but somehow I more comfortable buying insurance product from an insurance companies rather than a bank I mean that's my personal uh way of handling insurance


I think some more some of us I think we are in the notion where banks has the role to play on certain I mean this is their role so let's utilise them for that kind of role while day to day transaction savings and things insurance has their role to play so let's work on that and I think sometimes the interest rate also quite active in that sense


interest rates, interest rates are quite interesting because I think err sometimes banks gives you very attractive interest rate when you take loans, ah that's where you get locked in, uh sometimes err they charge very high


so I think it's I usually if I need to get a loan uh I'm I you can call me the Kiasu singaporean because uh what I'll do is that, I literally go through all the different bank so uh I still recall when I was taking my housing loan err two two three decade uh two decades ago uh I went through I think they used to be a Keppel bank those days


you know uh I'm I'm I'm talking about nineties then I went to uh UOB bank and no I think that time they were called OUB I think, and then DBS you know so I I I came up with a chart I I put up all the interest rate and say okay what is the principal amount to be paid number of years what is the interest there what is the lockup period so I think


you need to look into that little bit of the contract details and the additional information before you jump in because sometimes when things looks too interesting, or too good to be true you can't jump in since sometimes they give you all this perks I still remember they give you uh uh welcome hamper or parcel or something to lock you in for their housing loan you know


so uh I think it's quite crucial to understand uh the lock in period like what you say uh whether it's a floating interest rate or lock on period for a number of years to pay certain interest and that's also depend on what kind of purchase of unit you are buying are you buying from HDB then will you go for HDB loan


or do you go for your private loan so uh to me I think uh, uh prudent check is very important uh despite knowing whether is an international bank or local bank , it should fit within your own requirement to see whether does it work are you able to fork out the amount on a regular basis to pay


if there's a defile what is the interest rate so do you have any experience because since I recall you just sharing about your HDB so is I think HDB loads are pretty much the interest rates are lower right


ya housing loan is a a hell lot of uh uh uh issue I think because I think if you don't plan it properly and you don't, choose the right bank I you are lock in for years and there's no way of escaping from them you see so I think err so uh I think


every time if taking a loan, uh I think you have to go a lot of thing goes through your mind you you need to like what you have rightfully pointed out if I'm going to take a break from work, or what happened something goes wrong like this pandemic maybe someone is going to lose a job so how are you going to pay your loans you know so I think err


err the decks the danger we face at most of the time, and I think banks also over the years they have become more err attractive to lure more customers they come up with all kind of, fancy names under the same loan umbrella with different kind of perks different kind of benefits and then they try to lock you in when you buy a house so now like if you could I recall some of my friends were sharing that you know when you went to buy a book a


a private apartment or anything the bankers are really there immediately trying to talk to you on the, financial ability like how much loan you can get if your purchasing uh, this type of house and what is the loan what is the loan period as a family so I think uh it's it's changed banking has


evolved over the years the financial err situations have uh made a banks to look in different form to survive and with more I think over the years I think most of us now have gone into digital I think banks also have reform themselves to give us that option to play around on digital platform also to do a lot of stuff I think


yes it does I think each property each bank loan teaches us a new set of lessons I think okay


we we we we stop, we


negative experience, this is a very interesting uh, aspect of life I think we all go through negative experience, and if I recall back


, one form of negative experience or that I mean there're different forms of negative experience we we we we get ourselves err troubled by err


where do I start, the slides has disappeared , the slides will be kind of a come of a head for us to


, I think


the the the injustice or being ostracised I think , if I , to begin I think err I think maybe for I think Shamu can come on board to see this because as indian families


uh there is always this uh ostracisation when you are a lefty you know uh because I think it's a norm that everybody sees that you you are right hander, so I think in an in the older communities or rather the the older generation when see a kid using a left hand because I think in terms of the cultural experiences everything should be right


you cannot use your left hand so I when I was young I still recall it very vividly that I used to get whacked or rather be beaten by my grandmother with her cane when, occasionally when my left hand goes out for prayers to you know when you when you go to the prayers room to get things or when you even grab


a a a puff or a cream puff or sardine uh curry puff or anything you know you're naturally because when you're lefty your your natural movement will be a left hand to grab something you see , so err so I was very cautious whenever whenever I go to my grandparents house because I have been very very careful that I will not use my left hand for anything you know my right hand has to come out


and she will always make sure that when you eat with your hands she will see which hand am I using so that was a very very scary experience and it took me a while to uh to have that because uh, naturally when you're left so I think uh it was a fear factor that I always dread to go to my grandparents house on the weekends


because I have to be prim and proper to use the right hand whereas at home I have the flexibility where my parents were bit more liberal in understanding because I think uh my mum was kind enough to speak to her friends and doctors who have explained that it's the way your child works you need to give your child that space to have


to know what is right what is wrong and the child will learn so I think it took me a while and I think over the years that negative experience as prompted me in various factor in terms of even uh in sports, uh when even when playing err certain games you know it was a bit of a challenge because when you're too left


you know when we playing soccer you whole body turns different way you have to use the left leg rather than the right leg and then so I think that's where I switched to, swimming because swimming doesn't have left or right you know so I choose games or something which has no uh barrier with which hand because when I used to play badminton then when I switched to tennis I had a lot of issue playing tennis because in a badminton player your swing is very fast


as a tennis player you can't do that you have tennis elbow so I always get used to get tennis elbow most often then I was told your swing is very, so I think sometimes negative experience shapes in a way that it gives you a lot of pain because people are quick to judge especially in an indian community you know negative uh when you fear your lefty they say oh this is inauspicious


uh you're not good err you you know it's not right for the family you know things like that so uh and and that fear came uh uh stayed with me for a very long time until I came out of it after teenager I think so uh


that's why whenever I attend any indian function till today I always have to be very cautious where my hands both, whether in terms of temple prayer or to received a you know like uh you know some temples you know they give you that the plate of things ah so you you have to ensure that whenever you have to receive something I'll make sure that okay my right hand goes first followed by my left hand so it it's a it's


I don't know I I find that is uh very traumatic incidents when you face when people just slam and scold you you see so, you know that's that's one thing which I can never forget in my life, only a lefty will understand


the older generation yes yes yes


, and not not at that point where you're just you know it's just it's few minutes after you just out of the theatre and then


I think you you have just reminded me of my traumatic experience uh just before my O levels because uh I I came down with a very severe, gastric ulcer after my prelim exams and I I was hospitalised


and I think the doctor was uh saying that should be a normal appendix you know because at that age , it's just appendix but then only they realise after operating the appendix that it was a very severe gastric ulcer which has put an hole into my stomach and I had to be immediately attend to so I was uh I was in fact uh


the whole month of october was in hospital and uh I have to have special permission to be wheeled to school to do my O level exams in november so that was really uh a very painful journey for me because that's where as also so I uh it was a thinking process because


I think the anxiety and stress when you do exams uh it ready kills and that's where I started to revisit the importance of uh balancing your education and health, cause that the whole uh like what you have pointed out that the the when you go through the health issue your life just turns upside down you know you're you you are at that age where you you you going through so much of pain


and then uh you have to eat a lot of medicine and then you have to go for a lot of uh medical check up and everything and yet you have to prepare for yourself for the exam so I think one thing came out of that was err my parents became a bit more, uh flexible with us in terms of uh in terms of studies uh they didn't push us too hard


it was at the choice of what you do rather than uh you know exam stress and you want to ramp the rat race so that was really a eye opener and also made me revisit, how to eat food properly because uh not excessive chilli not excessive extreme way of you know consuming food ah the other that uh challenging health experience which I faced was err you know at certain point of time we all remove our wisdom tooth


so it was just that that period where it was a normal wisdom tooth operation, but I didn't know that it has turned into a worst nightmare for me because uh, the pus got into a very messy state until, I was unable to talk for one week my face was swollen until I had to be err hospitalised to gone uh go for every alternate day to clear the pus out and I was on uh


tube to drink uh literally I was on liquid diet for seven days ah because I can't eat there's the swell was so big until only the straw can go into the mouth so it was really a traumatic experience until that uh beyond that it took me a while to see dentists


any kind form of slight pain in my you know uh mouth uh teeth or anything it was really a nightmare so the remaining wisdom tooth I decided to opt to do under anaesthetic so I I I when in I put myself through and said


you're most welcome to clear all my wisdom tooth but I want to be put in sleep don't don't do anything in front of me I don't wish to go through anymore pain so uh I think uh some life experiencing is always there you know when you go through this kind of health scares


and it's also teaches you how to to to to you know uh to revisit life what you said to look at health, look at your body and understand uh the importance of uh accepting how your body clock works and not to tax it to overly so that you will have a better life


so I think err, that that's that that's the few of the traumatic incidents I face in life and and it has actually turned me into a health conscious person over the years


true my my my family doctor used to say this line when you have health you create wealth but you when you don't have health the wealth goes to the doctors so he always tells us that so you decide whether you want to keep the wealth or you want to give me the wealth


so I think err each uh I think like what you have rightfully pointed out each traumatic experience actually teaches us a lot of lifelong lesson it detours you to venture something, uh revisit life or even any losses in terms of your family members or pets each lost also turns into a


a learning lesson you you learn to live with grief you learn to manage grief you learn to value life, and it it that's where you learn that that life the importance of human relationship because once a person is gone it's gone when a pet is gone is gone also


but the lessons they teach you the experience the time spent with them it stays or rather etched in your memories for years, and and know it's err it's the sadness will be there I will not deny it you know this a little bit of sadness will be always in the back of your mind that losing a loved one


but I think err it's, the the emotional roller coaster ride you go through for the initial period and then you come out of it I think it it makes you a better person so I think every negative experience in our life, teaches us how to be more positive and accept more challenges and be more resilient you know to face the challenger like current pandemic nobody have thought


this could have happened but as it gave us it as turn us into a a more strong resilient person to live life with what we have and to manage finance manage whatever point of, you know comes a way and we are I think we have become more of a more uh flexible people we have learnt to accept to learn and work through zoom work through home uh live with what we have in terms of food because now you realise that you don't get all the food which you want across the globe so whatever is


it's in the market you have to work with that or whatever food you get you work with that and you have been more prudent in your spending so I think each negative experience though there is, the fear factor there's sadness and everything but end of the day I think it teaches you uh to be more stronger


the end not the end that the better world is awaits


like what he says it's it's a short detour you know like, when you're driving you you you take the wrong road but we know that definitely by the end of the road you'll find the right lane to come back to the main so I think err that that that, that that's about uh negativity whether it's at work we face uh the traumas we faced at work err the the backstabbing we face from our colleagues or friends I think when you postmortem it later you realise that actually there is a lesson learnt through all this


the amount of trust you you put on people the amount of information to be shared, what to be shared what not to be shared, and and the injustice happens across you how much of anger you can throw out you know, everything you know


to to rewind back and see I think it's a learning lesson so uh negative experiences is also turns you into a positive person at the end, we stop


positive experience, it's interesting to look at our life as a child, so, if I recall back my life as a child, uh two things comes immediately to my mind uh


being happy as a child one is every week going down to the national library at stamford road and then walking across to MPH to buy books so I think that was a routine work we used to do as a child on a weekly basis, uh the other thing which I still uh


after all these years, err I'm doing is to collect stamps I love stamps so stamp collecting has been uh, a joy for me as a child because uh you know to to get that, countries stamp and then you collect it by different nation and trying to read and understand which country are the stamps are from what is the history of this country and why each stamp has a unique design and what is the rational of you know some uh kind of uh design done on the stamps so I think


err hobby wise I would say stamp collection activity wise, uh I I I enjoy playing hockey because uh being a left hander hockey became more naturally easier to play for me err than err the rest of other games


uh so, immediately these three things comes to my mind Shamu yourself,


, I


, oh yes, you you you brought back so uh so many good memories for me too because I think I think those days I think most of us as kids uh we had the opportunity to be outside of home most of the time


so there's always a lot of uh, physical activities going around I mean after school or whatever it is I think is you spend time with your neighbourhood friends your cousins your niece and nephews and I think climbing tree cycling and I think there's use to be a lot of playgrounds where you can climb and exercise so I think this uh a lot of fun and then when you will fall and you go back home they will go like


well that's part and parcel of your life you have to fall to learn so you know just apply some medicine and carry on playing you know , it's it's I think there's a lot of physical element when you look back and with your childhood there's so much of sweat we have done outside of the home uh now we have to sweat it in the gym to get all the fats out but those days I think uh it's very normal to stay under the sun or go for a swim or playing I mean football or whatever it is


there's always some kind of activities happening around the house or even lot of family functions you know uh especially when you have grandparents or relatives, there's always some form of err activities happening at home where you get to attend to understand your own culture


or events for some birthday function or somebody's marriage or some procedures to some cultural activities also so I think uh it's very memorable to turn the clock back to see what we have gone through in life


!wow!,


(hmm) (hmm)


do you recall your first travel experience overseas as a child, !wah!


!wow! (ho)


!wah!


!wow!


true travelling brings travelling brings a lot of uh changes in one's perspective and I think my parents also believes in that and uh I if I recall my first travel experience as a sole travel you know single trip my father literally put uh put me in a plane when I was ten years old to visit his friends uh in sri lanka


so that was that was the most memorable experience sitting on the plane all by yourself but I think SQ was very goods in terms of service, they know a child is been travelling alone so they ensured that the stewardess was with you all the all the time and they ensured that you been hand over to the right person when you land at the airport so uh that fascination to travel


alone I think uh prompted me towards my later part of my childhood to travel always alone discover and take up challenges I think that's always fun when you're always alone in a, a unknown country you know and then trying to figure out your way out trying to understand the culture and everything so I think I think that's one of the happiest moment I enjoyed when as a child every year we look forward to travel december holidays know which way we are heading out for


!wah! , !wow!


I think childhood memories are so I mean if you turn you turn back the clock to look at it I think it's it's a very memorable moment in every person's life so now let's see if you're become a millionaire suddenly how would you feel that you are millionaire now how would your life be when you become a millionaire


would you,


the financial burden disappears in a minute hooray you know uh you did the


but it's important how you manage the funds because I think there are people who have turn one day millionaire and during ten days they become paupers again because they don't know how to manage funds you know so it's very important that


err yes it's a very exciting moment to become a millionaire but it's more exciting and more prudent to know how to manage the funds I think like you rightfully how you pointed out, you know so if if you don't then you won't be the luckiest person on earth


, so what is the err I mean if we coming relax comeback in in this perspective like you know we've been sharing about our grandparents parents and everybody so who do you cherish most in your life if you look back at your clock half you know


it could uh it could be person or could be a moment in your life that you cherish most, oh


, I think pets bring in a very different form of err love to us very unconditional form of love where they teach you, and I think err that is the most charitable point in any persons life I mean you are only a pet owner you know what is that supposed to mean if you're not a pet owner a lot of people say it's just a pet


but I think err being a pet hater I will go hate dogs and I when I started having my first pet I tell you it's life changing, err charitable moment every day is a learning lesson every moment like what you say you know whether you will have ups and downs in life or


any issues you will have just looking at them that that smile they bring at home and then they they teach you very valuable life lessons like you know, you don't they don't build grudges against you you know even you scold them you you you you know you when you're harsh to them also the next minute they come running after you in human being you know you know people


in front of you they can be the most nicest person on earth behind of you they could be the most nastiest person so life has different way of teaching you and human beings have different way of teaching us but I think dogs uh no matter whether dog, or any form of pets which you have at home I think it's the most memorable time for all of us


oh that's yes that's that's a very important lesson the resilience is, I totally agree that that that's something which uh I picked up over the years from the four legged animal


oh yes, oh ya, are we moving on to the next one or are we still in the same


starting again are we oh cannot lah I think the clock is running again okay describe a time when you can't wait your turn especially when occurred his his holding a ya just hold on


could we start


we have covered travel we've covered travel okay , uh can't wait to attend a specially event or concert there are so many special events and concerts we have attended, err, where do I start


[oh] stop is it okay


part one finance


part one finance, all right, okay I shall start okay so how what's your investment strategy like what would you like to plan your investment portfolio you know those kind of stuff


you're not investing


oh okay well for, ya actually I do, I mean not, not anytime soon but surely , right now I'm just uh how to say yes earning my money then once I'm have a certain amount of money then I probably start investing putting


kind of different stuff so like one of my , one of my first strategy is probably like the the DCA the dollar cost and averaging around there practically I will just invest in some different parts like like


maybe five smalls , five small like business then we'll see how it goes , not really research but


I do have colleagues that are traders in the forex or in the stock market as well so ya I've been asking them for uh for quite some time and all , sorry, ya ya


do you intend to trading as well !huh!


oh , I mean it's okay though cause I, I'm going for a trading class like in this weekend saturday and sunday also ya I'm applying I just applied for the trading class so I'm probably going it's it's on a it's on a meeting online it's a online meeting so I'll be going that


got learn quite long quite a lot from the class lah , cause I already like installed some of the apps like meta trading , so it's a it's a demo account ah so, I'd from there I will just see how it goes just practise on what on a demo account then once I'm ready I'll just start doing on a live account


, uh not really no


so I don't know about you but , I'm not really sure about that right now


sorry what, it depends it depends like right now I don't have much knowledge about it so probably I'll ask my colleagues just to help me out around there then I'll see how it goes


you how about you


no no I didn't know, ah ah, oh ya, do you know about the stock the current stock market is actually right now COVID


COVID is a time to the COVID pandemic is actually the time to invest you know to do the stocks like to to play around in the stocks because how to say, like usually people earn, a lot like how they earn a lot and profit


from the stock market when there's there's always a pandemic, ya there's one quote I heard that was like be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful so particularly when there's a pandemic, ya usually people earn a lot of money actually


I can tell you about the upcoming there's a US presidential debate uh between trump and biden, ya actually if, biden do win the president election, actually the stock market will drop, because


on the trend cause they do not know what he's going to do implement in, all so the stock markets is going to drop actually, ya so I


I see I see, investing in sorry


oh, , I mean investing


I've not done it though , I've not, I'm not really familiar about it I and I do not know how to go about it yet, cause like I mean you and I we just came out from our national service and we are still new


so for me I am still really, I don't really know how to go about it, I hope


probably I'll research , I'll probably research ya , research probably to find those, uh actually , one of my colleague he keep sending me uh like a class like, classes about online classes about , these uh trading there's always a


there's this uh financial mentor, yesterday I actually I I, I visit I joined one of the those meetings uh there was a guest guest speaker mario singh , I don't think you heard about it actually that was the first time me hearing about uh about his name but actually he's quite famous you know he's a singaporean actually so ya he's


he's quite , worldwide known ah but, ah that was a first for me and he gave quite a good advice about investments and all , ya and actually he was the one that told that actually now is the time to invest it's time to learn trading and all


sorry, ya ya ya he because he did, he didn't gave like, he didn't give like


those uh, fantasies and or like goals that you that some people, can't really find find to get he gave facts, he gave actual facts and on how to do and what's to expect, this pandemic because especially during this pandemic it's quite hard and he said


and he's though he's the one that gave there there was a lot of advice so cause, I mean he he one of the quote that really, like changed changed my perspective was like, if you want to change your life then you have to just go and change your life don't start waiting don't cause if you won't start then when will you start you know


you would you like to invest soon, or would you like to go meddle with trading


invest investing means to me is, is having enough money for for upcoming rainy days ya that's what investment investing means to me


ya definitely, definitely for me investing in my myself is actually important, cause, as long you good doing you are putting in good investment in yourself like , if you are investing yourself to learn a new skill set


then yes that's definitely good investment because it's always good to learn new skill sets like for me my new skill sets my upcoming new skill set is will be trading , and from there I will be able to, improve on myself improve my income and whatsoever


not for myself as well but as well for my family, and my upcoming you know when I do get married and all, how about you Haq


I'll probably, actually, one of the, , probably


I'll wait, or probably just invests in banks, uh, for me it's


one K one thousand, ya, uh I would think so ya uh it's, it's not much it's not much but ya


I think it will work out lah I think it will work out definitely, I mean you even that you you would


I would definitely uh uh, yes to start small you have to start small you can't just straight away like, put it all in you need to see like cause you said with little knowledge I have I have to see the market trend , so I'll probably see okay


I'll start small put one K in, then I'll I'll see where it goes, okay one million out of nowhere


how would I, that okay that that's very hard okay I'll probably, put it, equally I'll separate it equally investing in different things


most importantly is definitely, medical I mean, because there's always uh there's always a rise we can never go wrong with health care that's the thing everywhere, is in need of health care equipments or medical equipments whatsoever as long you invest that it you can never go wrong


sorry what


, I don't know, what other investment I know of


I don't know much eh I don't I don't really know much do you do you know any any of


uh ah , I don't know ah I don't know okay, you you've been asking me question like let let me ask you some questions okay , uh okay let's say right now


we just finish our NS right we have some money we have some money but let's say, our our younger brothers like, you definitely have a younger brother I have a younger brother let's say they have no money how how would you like and they want to invest how would you help them you know


how how how would you help them plan their investment journey


I'll probably, just help him a little bit and see where it goes and then I will tell him, uh where he went wrong and when what to do at all, you know because you can't have success without failure you know


no no no uh, I will just show him the basics I'll just tell him like, you need to do this do this do this look out for these and these and then I'll just let him, let him play play like


how will you want to invest you invest but obviously if is too much of a risk I'll just don't I won't tell him I mean I will tell him that you shouldn't invest in these these kind of things but invest in these other kind of things


because for me it's I like we all have to learn it we have to explain it ourself, you know if we make loss we just make loss you know money can earn back, so for him I'm probably will teach him the tough way ah the hard way


I think it's better to, do with your friends but with, those that are knowledgeable those, like if you go with, if you have no


probably will uh I will test market I will test market myself, I will test market myself, I don't know uh bringing friends into doing together especially when they don't and they have their complete trust in you it's kind of hard


because once something go really goes wrong it'll be on you, and I just don't know how, to give them the truth like it failed, and when especially when they trusted their money with me you know


and when they trusted my words that it's going to work but it didn't, for so for me is I'll probably test market myself , see whether it works if it does then I'll just pull you along you know, if my small investment does work and I need a bigger one then I'll probably will just like !hey! Haq I I did investment it worked uh I just need more and ya can you just help me out you know


and here's the facts that that it's actually going to work ya, for me I don't like to pull people in to my own ethic, you know


how about you would you would you do would you do the same


ah oh maybe that no that makes sense that makes sense I got different people has different uh ways of doing the their style, how about okay


part three negative experience


all right Haq , what always bring tears of sorrow to your eyes


ha me I don't know I I guess it's, when people pass away doesn't doesn't matter whether I know them personally or not as long they are related to me


I know I knew them or what then ya, I I don't know I always tear up I always feel feel sad feel bad for them, uh there was one time that, I think the last time I really cried was when I was young


when my cat ran away uh I like, it didn't ran away like it went out usually you know how cats are they always go out of your house just to explore, but then just few nights he didn't came back, so ya that was that one time that


I really cried other than other than that ya didn't have other than that any like tears of sorrow for me uh for until now I was, kept my kept my cool try not to tear up and all so ya


sorry


I would say , , (hmm), I don't know may probably on not


I can't have one thing but I will say, where I wish uh there was one time that I just had the courage I wish I had the courage to do, that one I I mean it's a personal matter but ya I I wish I had the just that what I could just have the courage to to do it


instead of not doing it you know, like probably from there once I had that courage to do it I probably should have done a lot of many things that probably might have improved my life up to now


sorry ya ya I, ya definitely regret it, I wish I could just change that moment you know could have like I but it's okay I mean I probably wouldn't be here I mean like how to say I probably wouldn't be here talking to you


so ya but it's okay, how about uh have how about you what do you have anything that you often worry about, ya


I'll I always uh often worry about, almost everything, okay not almost everything but it's the main main part usually I I mean everyone worries about it money I definitely worry about my family though


I mean my parents are not getting any younger, so I tried to spend time with them, as much as possible, uh like they're bound to have they bound they're bound to fall ill


and I can't, I can't rely on my siblings that much now because I mean they have their own family, they have they have their own family to worry about but everyone is chipping in you know , just to spend time with my uh our family so ya I'll always often worry about my uh money family I think that's about it and I don't have a girlfriend to worry about I don't have uh uh


friends that to worry about to me everyone's the other than that ya it's only those two, you how like is there anytime that you wanted to end it end a friendship or relationship with someone else


I see I see, I don't I I don't really I don't really have that you know


I can't really answer much about it sorry, okay, have you had any worst travel experience


(uh huh)


ha


[orh] okay okay, , I've been to okay wait I've been to china I didn't have any bad experience there I've been to myanmar


eh it's kind of okay there were ups and downs there, I think the worst uh one of my few was travel experience was to thailand


it's uh it's uh there was one time that I took a boat, ah it's called a long tail boat you know where you go to the different islands, at Krabi ya, then ya island hopping yes yes so we took that we took a boat to


to few islands and then we were supposed we were supposed to go and, eat in a cave ya where you can see like all those uh uh glowing uh fishes and all


I think prawns or what ah ya I can't remember but we were on the way there and then there was a storm, and we got caught in the storm that and because of that, cause of that storm like we couldn't see anywhere we were going so we were like kind of stuck in the open seas open ocean lah ya and then


like one of the funny part was the rooftop, uh kind of came off, the rooftop of the boat came off so ya and it was like I was very cold wearing a life jacket everyone everyone was like praying for their life I for me I I was like worried for the wrong thing you know


I was worried that my mum was going to kill me cause the week after was the, enrolment enlisting into NS so ya I was worried that she was was going to kill me cause I didn't get to enrol in NS but ya it was it took a we were we were stand there for like half an hour forty five minutes uh out in the open you know


hit the storm you know, that was one of my worst experience lah, uh


uh how , an event that make me really angry ah , I can't think of any like, I'm not the type to get really angry frustrated yes but furious or angry ya I I'm I don't I can't remember a time that I was very furious


or like very angry yup do you


I mean


uh


uh but it's okay it's okay it's a work in progress no worry, , do you have any embarrassing moments that make you cringe


for me uh I it's definitely happens from most of it I had I had a lot of embarrassing moments, and I definitely when was I in secondary school I think it has to do with my ex my ex-girlfriend I mean when you're in secondary school you know you tend to do stupid you'll intend to do


cringe worthy stuff uh thinking about it uh oh my there's a lot, there's definitely a lot uh there's uh embarrassing uh I think one of it was a, uh


like asking her out in the middle of the foyer like which was like in front of the school or or that was like kind of that was cringe worthy ah ya, another one was I I think recent I kind of uh I kind of fell off on my of my bike I fell off my bike ya fell off my bike


like my pillion was getting off and then I've slipped and fell and then there were people, looking uh that was that was was most embarrassing now it's like, if you if you think about it's like if you experience it and then


and then you explain to some those riders ya then they'll be like oh my god , you ever like uh they will just feel bad they will feel bad for me then they just sometime they will just cringe the stupid shit ya


!huh!, sorry, what is the biggest pet peeve , eh


Haq it's when and I think, I think what my one of my biggest pet peeve it has to be, when people when I organise stuff and then people reorganise it


there's a it's like when I I it's at work it's like at work uh that's that's one thing that I can relate it's at work when I organise my stuff because it's a I'm I'm sharing I'm sharing I'm always sharing a table my colleagues


if my partner at that moment and then when I arrange the stuff how I want it to be easier for easier easy access and then when I go get my stuff, when they all come back when I come back and then the, items that I arranged is is differently


so that, ya ya ya something like that like that that really like annoys me I I I really cannot sometime I but I don't try to be mean I'd really try not to say it to them I will just instead I will just reorganise them back I reorganise my stuff back


and hopefully you know indirectly tells indirectly tells them that you know I'm I'm kind of not happy with what you did that's what I always do ah you


(uh huh), talking about inconsiderate people I think usually have to do with those youngsters, I I'm I'm not a youngsters to be honest


that's my other uh pet peeve I'm, annoyed by inconsiderate youngsters, I'm I if I think about it I when I was younger I I wasn't even like that


elderly,


actually two days ago uh yup ya actually at at a list to two days ago I was actually uh like verbally abused by a client an elderly client but it it's like kind of piss me off because you know I'm just doing my job


you do not have to get rude with me you know I'm still talking to you nicely that's that's that's one of that that's what annoys me sometimes most of the times when I working with client


ah ya


it's like it's that it's it's like that Haq , what to do what to do


okay part two positive experience


all right Haq all right all right okay so what was some memorable moments from your younger days


I don't know the first memory that pop up was, like during secondary school but, it's not really a , uh good one, but to me to me it felt good, okay it's it's


what I did wasn't good but it it felt good to me , like I was, walking through the , uh HDB and then I I found like a a mirror, so me and my friends we took we took the mirror there were few mirrors so we took it and it was very hot day


so we kind of like, we were shining at people using the the mirror, shining at their faces, I uh it it it was kind of mean but I I don't know uh for me it was quite funny like shining at people at that time, then there was one there was one auntie


there was one auntie that was like shouting at us and then we straight away just threw the mirror and it broke and then we started running, then my my friend at that time, because we were at the playground then my friend, at the time he took a broom there was a broom I don't know out from nowhere then he was pretending to be the cleaner


I do not know why but he just decide to he thought that the auntie wouldn't recognise him in his school uniform pretending to be a cleaner, then I just like shouted at him then we all like started running , then because like every every group we have this uh there's always the fat guy


then he couldn't run then we had to like change our direction to somewhere near for him, cause he was like panting weren't running, uh I for me that was like the most the most funniest part lah, when you know , or laughing while running and that's the best part, how about you


uh do you have any like dreams or goals that you wish to achieve before you know you pass away


(uh huh) ya same same, , a cat and a house


me uh one of my goals is definitely go touring, like either on a on a bike ya ah so I plan to go touring on a bike uh starting will be malaysia uh after that probably thailand vietnam who knows but ya definitely on the bike or


if can on the caravan that's one of my dreams lah to do to go touring on the caravan just see how ways see where life takes me, oh hopefully hopefully after COVID nineteen uh I will invite you then we can all go


oh yes yes yes oh he wants to go to japan yes ah ya that is the best part uh to explore the hot springs, ah ya, I hope I hope let let's do that we we have a we have a lot of goals in common I do remember that


a lot of them are in japan there's that's what I can remember, , what I like about life


what do I even like about life it's , I don't know I mean I I'm , cause of the pandemic I'm not really enjoying it and not really enjoying my life cause I have to like slave away I I think you know that very well I'm working almost every day and it's kind of tiring but I mean it's for the sake of the money ah but I'm looking one thing that I always enjoy is


right now it's my niece ah my baby niece ya other time I spend time with her ya that's when I I really enjoyed my like my good my good moment just to have relax , just to relax and just spend time ah you I mean you know I have two niece you know which one right


my other niece is uh is very chaotic not like the other peaceful one , and you how uh do you have any like uh like I know we plan to go japan


so do you have any like food or snacks that you perhaps like, would like to try and then probably like compare to your childhood food or snack, ya in singapore and japan, let's talk about singapore singapore do you have any childhood food


I don't I don't really have that a lot, because how to say, I don't really expect, things that's that's the that's the thing with me I don't really expect things


so like I always like it, when it even if, things do turn out better than what I expected, I'm not really that how to say have like happy about it let me think about


but but I'll I will try to think of one moment, that it did turn out better, I'll say oh probably I think probably when I I pass my exams for my poly


uh I think that that's that's one of the few experience that, like moments that things did turn out better than expected ya, because I I did took a engineering course, and I wasn't really into it


because it was what my parents wanted me to do my family wanted me to do so I was very I was kind of I was very struggle I was kind of try and struggling in it, ya I struggle in it I was like uh barely passing , so when it came to year three I was specialising in AV


audio visual so ya but, I enjoyed I enjoyed and then, apparently I did, I did better than expected ya uh I expected D or uh like C but that was like I think for the first time I got a B


so I was like oh not bad I can actually do it if I wanted to and if I really enjoy it (ppb )so ya those are the one that did turn out better oh another, uh ya one one of the moments that did turn out


better than expected was my project in year three as well ya ya now now I just starting to remember I did a project , uh using all the stuff that I learn I did I created a, escape room, so ya there was like


uh those auto doors and sensors and all , and it turn out really good turn out way better than I expected and in there we won, like the best project, ya best project award, which I did not expected ya you were saying


thankfully I I did had savings uh, I'd had savings beforehand, so when when the pandemic happened


it it like I kind of prepared for it so everything was like oh everything turn out better and all so like I could have or I did with like no money or what like uh struggling to find a job but


ya it did turn out better I did I now have a job a contract job, which pays a lot I still have some savings, so everything ya everything turn out better after I avoid it I didn't expect it though uh but but we had to struggle I mean you and I we had to struggle like probably for one month two months


then how about you Haq, is there any like three things you are most grateful for in life, do you have any three things you are most grateful for life


I I'm definitely grateful for the family ya I I mean we've been through tough time, ya I mean every uh not everyday is happy day but I mean I mean we get through by I'm grateful for


uh ya friends as well like alto Iwadi you can see who like who is really the one that stays like uh you you know we we we both of us we clique very well on certain topics I mean everyday we are texting, uh that's like rocky and all so ya and then there's a friends the other one is definitely the job you know like it's putting in me an ease like during the pandemic you know


some more oh some more we both working on at the same job ya tomorrow you're working as well right, ah don't be disheartened ah tomorrow working but ya my job my my family my friends I mean I don't have any loved ones yet


but that's not really important now it's just right now it's just for me improving on myself or proving on ourselves for you and me, and then so ya, those are like the three things ah family friends and my job


is there any like, any things she want to do like, what you what is your like perfect, perfect day like can you describe it


ah, I think for me it's like doing whatever like ya same some something like you plan the day ahead, and then I get to do it uh but the weather has to be like like drizzling or raining


so it feels cooling uh no matter what, one thing that will disrupt my perfect day, is when whoever tells me, to do stuff, when I'm already doing going to do it


you know it's like when I'm let's say if I'm going to , wash the dishes and then like, my mum will be like tell me tell me at the same time to wash the dishes then I'm like, I got no mood to wash the dishes already for me uh the perfect day it has to be no interruption like I already plan it I'm going to do this do this do this then ya one


ya just no interruptions uh I I cannot like especially cleaning for me it's very important lah cleaning I I once I start cleaning ah uh uh I just can't stop and then when people tells me to do other stuff it it just ruins my day actually


actually ya how, small things that always makes me smile, I guess


it's definitely everyday that I when I I open my when I on my phone, when I go to my manga website and then there's


when there there's when there's always updates uh for me to read, and ya uh that's that's when that is small things that make me smile uh like , for me it really gets gets through gets gets me going through the work like the heavy workload that I'm doing right now like when I'm tired and all I I


I will just like want to go and read and just enjoy, ya it's a it's a escape for us ya reading manga and all, I mean it just


!hey! yes yes gaming makes you stress , ya ya ya I don't know it there's something about that that makes us makes me makes you just smile you know and just enjoy the moment


yes yes never fail us that's all I can say uh uh I mean the I think it helped me since like end of when I was going to graduate from secondary school ya


ya there were few times that I was at my lowest but uh I think manga helped me pull through I don't know sometime they have all these, inspirational quotes that I I use it for in real life, ya ya


oh ya, is there any, like have you, at was there any time that you did experience personal growth


for me , personal growth usually uh, I think there was once , when I was very independent like, how to say my parents


my family didn't support my how to say they didn't they didn't give me allowance for school or whatsoever when I was very young so I had to like start working at a young age, so that was like very hard for me finding work working during weekends and study at the same time the


I I I was there was one time I was really like going to break down uh going to break down and cry but I didn't so I I told myself you know everything's going to get better


then I I keep telling myself you know what even if I do, like lose money whatsoever you know it's money can can still be earned, you just keep on pushing you know if you fall back down just keep on standing back again and that's what I keep telling myself until now you know money can always you can always earn back money no matter how small it is you know money is still money you know you need to


just put in the effort lah just put as much effort to get get get to your goals , in terms of and I did I did grow I did grow I did had a personal growth uh like when I in terms of my character


in my morals when I I in during my poly poly years ya I, I volunteered for expedition overseas to china to myanmar ya so I really grew there helping out people those unfortunate people you know helping them giving them a helping hand even though I I didn't have much at the time as well


so ya that that's those those two are the two personal experience that I had, those that made me had a personal growth


part one finance, uh you can start first uh


uh, I don't have any investments strategy now, cause I'm not investing in anything at all, you know ya technically I don't have any portfolio what about you


you've had do you have like any plans to do any investment at all


so okay, have you done any research like how long have you like been learning about investments


so so you you new to this, you you're new to this what you, ya ya cause same for me ya, uh I did look into it but I did try to learn at one point of time


like I did an online class before, uh but , I think I wasn't interested enough and, I was quite lazy and, I think it's kind of hard especially like day trading so I I stopped already


so I didn't go any further so I think, I'll most probably I won't be doing yet, any of it anytime soon ya


so like are you doing any savings right now to for like future trading, so that you have a capital or something


so if, what about like you know buying shares in companies so you intend to do that like you know get dividends of it, you know like how you buy into company shares and get dividend every quarterly do you plan to do that


me uh I need , I did plan before like, but I don't know how to read the, you know the market and stuff like I don't know which company is going to make it or anything


so, maybe if I find someone that knows about it I'll just, or just go along with them but, for now I don't know, do you know that uh, the one the ryzen that we use to build our computer


that was that was recently like it just it wasn't a thing before what like you know intel was always the thing right, so we should have invested in that then, ya


is it


uh I need I need to have that thought too about like during this timing that it'll be good to do, you know trading but, you know like, furthermore like you say the about the fear thing ya people scared of losing money like they don't know whether they're doing the right thing


like so I'm not sure, ya I I don't have that much knowledge about it, so, like ya it's dangerous to do it in my pants ya, (ppc) eddy uh what do you think about


investing or trading is it like similar to gambling, you know investing or trading is it similar to gambling, what are your thoughts about it


so if it if it's gambling that it's you know haram then it cannot be


so like you would you like if it's, because like, we muslim right so, if it's similar to gambling then it's haram right so would you like try to find out, will you do your research or will you just like


ah might as well I do it like when the time comes


so he he were interested in it, he made you interested in investing and stuff


true true, I definitely won't go towards trading I think like investing is much better but


like staying still, we have a lot to learn lah if you want to go down that road, uh so what does investing mean to you


so okay like, let me put in this way does, like investing like spending money on yourself like to learn knowledge and gathers like gather knowledge and then improving yourself better does it


is that investing to you


okay how much, same I my thoughts are exactly as yours, I agree with you, uh so for, okay how much money if like


how much money would you need like, not make let's just say you get the money like how much money will you right, for you to like try investing, just like, with the with the these little knowledge that we have, no like just try for it


how much do you think you need, like is ten like is ten thousand dollar enough or do you need like hundred thousand


like about how much do you need, like how much you think is enough for you to like, like kind of risk it, one thousand, see one thousand it's not a lot of money


but, you know that time I had I had ten K and that ten K just, for one thousand dollars


okay uh let let's say let's say you get ten K out of nowhere you get ten k out of nowhere, how much will you invest how much you use


okay let's make it big how about one million if there one million dollar of nowhere let's say you win a lottery or something, ya so how will you invest money, or will you just keep it


ya true especially during this time during COVID, but is it you talking about health care right so like it's it's uh always in need like I'm I'm saying like especially during this time


ya even more full, so what other investment do you do you know do you know of, what do you know REITs or bonds


I did I did look into some of them but , I didn't I didn't start any of it and just like look into it, like I know the names but I'm not exactly sure


what is do and what's not


I'll try my best, ya


it how would I help them, to invest, first of all, I will need to help myself first, you know that right


why would I help them when you know we we need to gather the knowledge first know how to do it first then, but truly if I I do know how to do it, like, like I have an idea of what to do I would bring him along with me


you know, like we would I would do it together with him, I mean my brother is not that young he has youth he has he has his own money, so yes, like if I'm confident and then, I have a plan of my own I'll definitely like share the plan with him and we will do it together


ya what about you


so technically like if you have an idea of what to do do you'll like guide him, then make him learn


that's true that's true, so uh, your knowledge like let's say you have a plan like you want to invest in something you like you know for sure that this is going to work out will you keep it to yourself


(ppc) or will you like share it with your friends and do it together, not like let's say they they have no they have no idea what's going on they literally have zero knowledge about it


and you you have, ya if like you confident like this going to work, will you bring them into it


that's true ya that's good


that's right, uh I, it's their own money so it's their own choices in the end I think so I will propose it to them see whether they want it they want to do it or not


and ya to me it's entirely up to them lah I won't force them I'll just propose it to them, ya, ya


true true


part three negative experience


tears of sorrow nice, definitely when uh, I


what does it called ah when, I'm repenting I guess, that's when I definitely have tears of sorrow ya when I repenting so like you know nobody's perfect you do a lot of sins here and there and then like


when <we> you know ask for forgiveness from god that kind of thing so you know that's when uh tears of sorrow usually happens to me ah, uh it it doesn't happen often but ya those are the times what about you


so is there one thing you wish you could change but will never be able to, is there any one thing that you wish you could change but you'll never be able to


so so you you regret that moment, you regret that moment where you didn't do it


the person you are you now ya true, often worry about


what do I worry about, I used to worry about the future I guess like, what am I going to do what am I going to become , like is it going to work out everything but I think I've learnt I've learnt that


to live in the present and not worry so much about the future, you know you know leave your past behind and, don't look so far into the future you know don't worry about it just focus on now the present, ya so worry


I guess, I don't have that for now what about you


me I , I mean, I did say this already I think like, I drop a lot of friends from before, so like ya I if I like, it's not going where like, I want to see us


being friends anymore like we don't click or vibe anymore anything like that I I'll just, I'll just drop them I guess ya , like I don't I don't want to waste time on things that don't work you know


ya, do you do you have trouble dropping people or like , do you like ponder a lot whether like should I still be friends with him or her that kind of thing


travel experience worst travel experience I, for one didn't travel much, I went to thailand when I was young with my family, uh


the only bad part about it is, I didn't get to buy some stuff from the night market, ya I remember I remember like I wanted to buy some magics, like magic stuff for from the night market in thailand but then


I wasn't with my parents I was with my cousins and all and they didn't buy it for me and I remember being upset that I cried, and then I after I went to my parents, I got a painting of me like after crying , so


other than that I went to china it was great, , I think those are the two places that I went, other than Malaysia I guess, it's thailand china, ya I think those are the only two countries that


other than malaysia that I went to and, uh no any bad experience you have any bad experience travelling


what happened, oh ya ya island hopping ya


so do you can you recall uh an event that made you really angry serious


uh I guess I'm the same as you, uh I can only think of like I'm usually truly angry is, when people, make me do something that I don't want to do, definitely, and that's usually like you know your parents so


ya, but it's like for awhile kind of thing, when, and if I think about it, I'm usually only will be truly angry at myself you know, I will only be furious, the truly truly angry towards myself like if I did something stupid or something wrong then I'm like


I reflect then I'll be like why did I do that you know, that kind of thing so I believe, I believe that everything is always in your control, you know control your emotions control your actions, ya so I try I will


most of the time I will try to blame myself, uh that rather than other people you know


uh, yes if uh it just pop up in my head like this the first thing I remember about is, during, uh rugby training in poly, so like we


you're having practice then like, I was kind of the new, players you know I just join in recently, then, like everybody like knew each other so I was kind of new, then uh


I like so it's like it's been like a week or so, so I knew I knew their names but, I didn't know them, so like I remember one of the seniors like came back after awhile, the like they were like cheering like


they like shouting his name there was like, it it's a line from a movie lah so then I joined in like happily then I'm like, after I then I think about it like I was like so out of place, you know


ya so that was kind of embarrassing like I tried to join in even though like, like I was new and I was out of place then I'm like it was awkward ah, and I think of all these like why did I even do that, ya what about you


that's normal, oh


but that does that's not cringe that's just like, is that embarrassing


so uh what's your biggest pet peeve, what's your biggest pet peeve, ya


my mum always do that,


you mean for the table you that you going to work on is it


me uh, what annoys me the most what , I think I think I mentioned one of it is when someone tells me to do make me some do something that I do not want to do, uh


what annoys me the most is inconsiderate people, you know when people are inconsiderate ya that , that's a pet peeve for me, ya


ah that's true though


to me if uh definitely youngsters and, elderly too, no ya to me some old people just think they, because they are old they have like some sort of special privilege or something I don't know I mean


I respect you if I can but some of them like their actions just questionable man, ya and


ya, I get it, uh if usually it's usually like and they think they are right and they so like, it's like crazy to me ah like what's going on in their head it's like the most you you see usually like most of the time is old people at MRT stations oh my god they annoy me that


they annoy me so much like they can't even wait, like that's the only time that they're fast and you fool like they have speed I swear to god, like they can't even wait for people to leave to go out of the train they just


bang people, I can't I don't understand like, so angry at them, i know like I know I know they're going to do it then I'm like I just I just shake my head lah


I've never like called out people though, true


part two, positive experience


what was from memorable moments , ah I mean there's quite a lot, like, okay like the moment when you ask this question one scene popped up from my head


okay so like I mean there's a lot right but this one like, I don't know why I'm thinking of it right now it just came out, so it was when I remember we me and my brother were in the living room, so uh my dad came back home


and like , you know usually you want something you ask for it right and, like your parents they don't like to buy you, you know when, you're you when you're small like you always need to beg your parents to buy you toys and stuff, right then like


you have to beg for them ah technically so that day when he came back home he suddenly without uh at that time beyblades were popular you know beyblades, ya so, uh I had a lot of them and I always like I buy it with my mum


because she always let me buy it you know like we go out shopping and then we go buy it but that day my dad come back home and bought, one each for me and my brother and I tell you we were so shocked, but, we were so happy ah it was like it was so unexpected that he suddenly came back home and bought us that and it was so touching


ya I still remember that day, that was a good moment ah


ya disturbing people


all right


I am some part of me like dream like you know you want to be rich and stuff and, the other part of me like it want to have a simple life , so I don't actually know ah for sure, this one I really want to have is a home of my own