yeah yeah but now as an adult I sort of I love the I like the journey of self improvement lah like, err doing getting new skills and stuff, oh yeah err and making generally like just improving myself lor so that yeah err I can be of use lah I guess what about you


!wow!, oh you must be a genius eh, how do you do for O level,


uh that's very good what


(hmm), interesting, okay so err can you describe to me one of your most memorable travel experience


, oh


err, I don't, I don't think I have a very most memorable at travel or actually maybe the most recent one lor where I went to vietnam with my JC friends, yeah cause like, actually why it was memorable to me right is because like I never thought that we would had a chance to travel as a group again ya cause actually our group quite big lah it's like eight people yeah then like two of them are studying overseas so actually it was quite shocking to me that


we can find the time where we yeah to travel together yeah and then when we did right, yeah cause like I thought the as time goes by right like we will grow become like more alienated with one another like we sort of like feel a bit more awkward when we meet each other again but then like during the vietnam trip yeah it's really


like, it just felt like we pick up things where we left off ah back in JC days that kind of stuff like we still had the same like <mandarin>默契:mo qi</mandarin> ah okay I mean like uh , yeah chemistry I guess and like it's really very fun lah then getting to know like what's happening in their life and then I if I guess is this kind of thing that


makes me like see in the future like oh I know that in the future these are friends that will be stay by my side ya throughout my life time lah and I think I'm actually grateful to haveuh met such people ya cause like I know that


there's there will always be someone there for me ah like no matter like any up ups or downs that I'm having like there's people that, yeah will be there for me lor I guess so I'm quite grateful, okay


financial related topic, I asked her what's one financial advice that you would give to you five years ago


(ugh)


!wah! nice actually same I also think that like savings is very important I think five years ago both of us fifteen years old then like very insensitive then now that we have matured then we realised that savings very important cause


in university you look when you get like how to say like we become more mature we know that we want to pay for our own things and stuff, and even sometimes you also want pay for like uh I would prefer to pay our own school fees lah rather than letting our parents pay for us and we to do all these we really need like a good savings and since we can start working when we are like fifteen sixteen so


I kind of regretted like not working like a lot then and then saving up even if I do ah I I usually just spend away the money as well instead of saving up so I ya I feel like should have done that ya, then how about


how do you manage your cash flow, like how how many is to savings to expenses insurance investment blah blah


now now


oh I thought you saved you you're going to spend the hundred fifty , , ya I get it was like so little okay ya


uh, same, I don't have like a consistent like a standard kind of allowance but whenever my my my parents transfer me money what I will do I same as you so I transfer to like a savings account I try to keep my like my own bank account like the one that I use to pay stuff that bank account I usually keep it below like hundred dollars


then the rest I will just put into the other bank account and then when I run out on this paying account I would get from the savings account then I will transfer it over so it's actually very how to say like it it it's kind of really not very saving lah cause whenever


whenever I need money I just transfer I just pay now from the from my the other bank from my savings account to my, to my paying account so in the end I also don't really have a lot of savings there and usually it's like I I I always finish spending all the money I have then I will ask my parents for allowance so actually don't really keep any savings so like not to mention from insurance investment all this kind of thing


so like ya, ya lah, ya it's so, ya


ya easier to track, ya


, , that's quite true that's why I never ever have savings


uh I I know that like you work sometimes one right so like how do you like where where do you usually work to like earn your money


sad, (ppc)


(mmhmm), , ya lor


and you will learn a lot right about about financial accounting


I after A levels I actually didn't want to work then I just I didn't work until from december all the way until march and then I really finished my savings then and I went with a friend to look for a retail assistant job and then


ya but it's kind of sad lah cause uh usually you know jobs like this they will actually pay like twenty percent to your CPF then the rest you get to spend but it's not like a lot and stuff and I think at that point of time I wanted to like save up the money like to spend in university


but then but in the end I didn't manage to save up lah because I used it to pay for my for my what is that the driving test the driving practical test but if usually usually if I if I don't if I never spend it there


I think I save about uh, uh thirty three percent, you know half of it ya I I would save like half I spend I I like my salary right I spend half on like allowances then another half I wanted to stay up save up but then end up spending on on the driving test so ya


so like how how how do you spend your money like other than in uni in halls and stuff


oh ya I get it ,


ya agree, I would say I think that for me right in order to save up I actually probably have to like earn more like with my current earnings like now now I only work as a freelance photographer and honestly it's like because now of this COVID situation so like the pay actually kind of


it it it didn't drop but I get less jobs so my overall income also drop lah so ya but that one can get me like last for a while I guess but but I eh I don't really get to save up lah so


I think so like in order to save up probably have like earn more maybe work like when school starts or start like work part time, or like do other projects to earn more money and stuff and I think now that phase two has started ya lor like you say lor you know transport is very expensive and I grab a lot I I don't really have a lot of I don't really have a lot of control one lah so I I think more important is to really just live life and just spend


what you want to spend savings wise is ya it's really it really I have to earn more then can save more ya, uh originally I wanted originally I wanted but then now I'm help I'm helping out my mother business and I'm getting more and more involved which is like taking up quite a lot of time so probably not anymore but hopefully I can earn some more in my mum's business


how about you


oh you know actually that's what I thought then my friend they they not my friend lah but I know there's people that who actually just started their internship like few days ago only I I don't know why they can start so late or like when are they going to work until but I don't know ah it it it's quite cool


like they just found it I think like just the timing, err I think it probably like if they work three months then it will be like until end of september and and I think


I think maybe because uh I think my school's policy is is like one one week school one week you go to school one week you come back so so like you don't have to spend a lot of time in school lah you can do your work I I think I'm not very sure or maybe their


ya ya maybe their internship is like three days kind of thing per week so and SMU our days quite short one lah so maybe can lor, ya so


uh I don't know I'm not very close to her she just mentioned it in a zoom call that I know , what what are your thoughts on like CPF contribution


I remember last time like I can't remember was it like social studies or was it econs then they got talk about this CPF contribution thing then I was like I I didn't really agree with it then like that that the government really did a good job in implementing this CPF thing so that people can actually have


money to buy a flat like when they're getting married and stuff and then ya I I I think I have this thought was because I because last time singapore shows they always show all the gamblers and stuff that's why I was like this a very good way of forcing them to save up money


but then when I really started working then I'll they will tell us like our pay and stuff then I'll start planning like oh like how should I spend the money then it's it's usually is either I missed out on the CPF part I I forgot to include that into my planning and stuff then


ya lor then I will be damn upset man when the money actually goes to CPF, ya, oh ya and and


actually there is another way which is can work for overseas company like I didn't plan for this one lah like but my friends photography job the company is in indonesia so they don't pay CPF so they just give you the money straight like don't have pay for CPF ya


actually I also don't know whether is it a good or bad thing but oh well, in singapore lah how to fly miles sia , , ya but


no need to pay income tax lah I think the only thing I pay for is the, conversion rate cause they pay me in paypal in USD so the conversion rate will be worse lor than if you go to a money exchange


uh but err I think I think it's like I got hear a lot of people lah they invest their CPF money so they can earn more interest rate and stuff, so uh like my my brother personally he got like invest in like those bonds thing so so like you you your money won't just be there earning very very little uh interest rate you can like earn more then even now


for our age there's a standard chartered jumpstart that did you hear before, oh my god so it's like it's actually this bank account but it's standard chartered it's very easy to apply one like my friend say she just he just applied damn fast online and he just got a card within a few days so it's like another debit account but you can just don't touch the money inside and it pays like two percent interest rate every year which is very very high lah in among the banks


ya then you can put in a maximum of twenty K so twenty K one year is like two percent it's four hundred dollars which I think is not bad lah if you don't want the risk of investing in stocks like it this is definitely risk free it's cause it's just a bank ya


oh probably going to do it like like if my business take off lor then I got more money now I also don't have much savings so two percent is like kind of very insignificant, ya I think two percent is more like you know if you have a lot a lot of savings


ya, actually like recently I I got this friend that she told me she basically save up for like nine years and basically all the savings right I mean cause she started working since sixteen and now she's like twenty four


eh uh I don't know nine lah eight nine years lah I don't know lah then then ya then end up all her money right all her savings has to go back to her, what's that university school loan


ya she took study loan then her is private university what so got interest rate so it's very expensive and ya lor so so it's like nine years of saving just going to pay into studies then next year, ya so so like starting from next year then she will really start saving up money cause currently all her savings is towards the bank loan so it's kind of sad


I think she basically just do all the work like you know sixteen year old they they don't have a lot of work choices ah so she probably just do those manual work and then save up whatever that she don't spend


so she just save up save up and then pay for her school fees, ya actually I don't know lah I I think that she could have invest her money better in than university year instead of just putting them into the bank like if she had found some kind of very low risk funds to invest in then you know maybe now she can


she can already be out of her debt instead of waiting until next year, so I ya I think maybe that's like one thing we can consider like I think few percent as I I think is more than two percent it will be quite good already


part three negative experiences


okay, , greatest fear ah, , I think greater my greatest fear now is just be like , okay I must I must say I don't have a lot a lot of like life fear now I think now I kind of get most of my life figured out I think the fears now will probably just be like really very real things I I recently I I started watching in like this showing and then they have all the snakes


and and and I think that's like the only thing I'm very scared now like snakes insects there's so many insects these few days, like I don't know lah all all these are like real fears ya if you ask me a month ago I would say oh my fears are about life now but now no lah now I I I really scared of a snake appearing from that's it


ya oh my god, did


it's the one on the walls right, oh my god it's so annoying, ya, yup


oh my god , are you serious, and like you know you know remember like stuff I I can't remember when lah but I I I talk I say that like a lot of lizards keep like shitting on my walls for that few days actually no lah it still doing but after that you realise that it's actually from the moths like and it's not like a shit it's actually just


ya uh the thing is not is not a shit it's actually I don't know how to say like it's like giving birth like that thing can actually move like what the shit oh it's damn gross, like I think that is like their baby and then when they come out of that thing then they just leave off their shells on the walls then every time we start cleaning the house then we have to make sure that we have we have to clean the walls now also so which is so annoying


ya it is very very so gross, oh my god so bad


oh my god I didn't know that


oh my gosh that that that is so horrible


oh I just think is horrible at first during COVID times right I I cause I come from like quite humble background like before my before my mother found her current like business right it were it was like my family situation wasn't like that good and, and I can understand lah like if you don't have money right it's just really very stressful and very sad


and as kids you definitely like want to help your parents but the thing is during COVID situations like almost impossible to find a job and I heard like a lot of people they got retrenched and I can imagine those families like what they go through now is what I went through last time


okay I mean and last time that one is not even like the worst I think that time it was already like how to say it was bad but it wasn't that bad and I can imagine people having it worse out there and but surely if they live like they live in those more unsafe like uh areas lah even though singapore is generally quite safe but


and I know there are some place that's actually quite high risk to loan sharks and stuff so I was I don't know I just felt like super bad for like this group of people like I around like ya like around that the ya like around COVID period and I wanted to like volunteer


like to help distribute food and stuff like after that I didn't do it cause it was really it's really time consuming and all of them might so far from my house and and I also want to really want to focus on like my personal growth during this summer time I know it might sounds kind of selfish but !wah! it's it's just


I don't know how to say and then this black lives movement started and I think it's because like I watch a lot of netflix shows and I and then I like a lot of actors actresses there and some of them they are black and I really really like their show I think they're as equally talented as


like the white actors actresses so when they announce this whole thing right then like how to say I I think it's very it it makes it very bad for all these black actors and actresses like people will either there there are two kind lah one is they pity them which I don't think anyone like


a lot of pity on them and or like they will just get a lot of those death threats from those haters who like like for the black community and it's just so horrible and or like like you know in a in the set right there will be


black and white actors actresses and then they're like all very close friends so I can just imagine all these friendships being strained right now like there will be a lot of awkwardness like like, like how to say people will think that oh you know are the white people are they supporting their friends on instagram and stuff like it's just superficial views and ya I don't know lah I I just feel like it is super bad and then they started spreading all the videos about


you know people just like the police officers just, I don't know just really don't care about the rights of the black people and I think that's just so sad like I I'm I'm pretty sure you have watched some of them lah, so ya it's just horrible


it's so crazy,


oh there were videos, , oh my god


oh my god


, !wow! didn't think of that the, oh my god


!wah! didn't think of that sia, oh my god it's horrible


ya, and I think I remember like actually just yesterday ah I was just thinking about how people they can be so ignorant and they just won't do anything about it like you know people they don't like changes so when they decided on something right they don't want to like change their opinions about


like you don't want they they they are like more reluctant to change and I find ah this this thing right is getting more and more like no more prevalent especially in america like always feel like american like they're very strong headed and they don't and like how to say they they like to make blanket statements on other things


like enormous like a lot of you know a lot of like all the white supremists they will just make one blanket statement like say oh you know all black people they are like they are bad they are evil and stuff but actually it's so not true and ya lor it it's like what you say if the older generations they


they also have very racist remarks even in like currently in, I I I don't know how to say but I I think it's just it's just a like a thing that cannot be fixed like if people they don't want to change their mindset right it's just impossible for us to keep


doing it and I think the saddest part is we have you know american president donald trump who is, I don't know ah like he first I think he knows that there are people who are white supremists and he just keep targeting them for like his presidency votes I think it's because like those people right that actually support the black people


the LGBT or like the minority groups they are also the ones that keeps saying that don't vote for donald trump and I think donald trump in this case right he probably be thinking since that the case then I might as well just focus on people who might actually vote for me and then


and then, ya and because he doesn't know the power he's given and he's been using his like enormous power to keep coming up with trying to like pass the laws that really just shove out all the minority groups which is very very horrible ah and then even in singapore


like I don't know whether is it because there isn't a a lot of representation in the parliament but really is like how to say like not a lot is being done for like the racism in singapore I mean we are being taught from young which I think is


which is like a good start compared to other countries like not just america but almost all the countries but after that ah then I realise like you know there are just some very small like there even people out of there that are being racist at at first I didn't feel it maybe because like


I don't I don't I don't think about it but then more and more people keep telling me that , like it's also very very hard for people in in singapore lah like even if you want to go out to look for food it's it is so troublesome and and like not much is being done to really help them integrate their lives here


like I don't I don't know lah I think I think more can be done to really make this like uh makes singapore a nice place to live for all of the races and for singapore to really claim as a multiracial country, ya


oh my god, horrible


, I know, I know oh my god, it's so not true but what is like the worst worst video you have seen


like you know now got a lot of videos ya ya ya like any videos like black lives movement or COVID or on the racism in singapore and stuff,


oh my god, what of people thinking sia


I think the worst video I watched right is is the one that I posted on my instagram I I think cause a lot of videos that okay lah I mean the ones that I watched they are like usually very blur and stuff but this video it was very like it was like quite HD and it comes with like subtitles


so the horrible part is it is about like this policeman oh wait this no this this black guy in america and then he accidentally hit the the house alarm bell, and then the police officer they came over and and like I don't know instead of trying to investigate whether anyone really broke into the house what they did is they arrest the owner of the


house which is like a black then they just they just arrest him and like without even hearing like the person keeps saying ya ya the person just keeps saying that you know he's a he's like doing a business and he accidentally hit the thing and then he just ya the police officer don't even care like he just see the gun in a person's hand and


and then he just ya he ya he just like, how to say like trying to like make him make him make the black guy submit and just like even ask him to like kneel down like what the shit I didn't even see any police officer asking people to like kneel down before they handcuff him so like they made him do that then handcuff him and just brought him away not even letting him change


like he was like cause he was topless lah then they didn't let him change and just bring him away like from a police car and he's like a club owner so obviously during morning it will be like his rest period of time and then he just they they just like bring him away from his house


just like just for hitting a false alarm I I don't know lah it I think this is like super bad, I really don't know what they are thinking and where did all this racism come from, like I don't know man, ya


ya it just it just keep highlighting about how all the all the subtle bad things in the world that we don't notice at first


part two positive experiences


okay I start first ah okay I mean I will just ask her describe uh you you want to like share a time whereby you laughed very hard at something like something really really fun


that one is, I think we have quite I think we have quite a few times in JC also,


(ppc) recess, , it uh, retarded


ya , yes ah, the thing now ya what you say first


oh in school ah !wah! I think in school it probably be like with I think with my like university group of friends uh my classmates cause like I I think cause in JC in secondary school I don't really have a lot of like guys friends


I mean technically I have lah but they they don't really act like guys so like in university they so like in uni in uni then uh I I I met like like some of my friends like they they joke a lot and you know guys like sometimes they just go really crazy


like they can just slip like on the floor in the classroom or like I don't know how to say lah just do really really stupid things like there's just too many and and I can't remember exact thing you know this kind of thing it just it happens then you laugh a lot then later you just forget about it


so, ya I I think all of us got a lot of like this called of experience lah, and how about like like what is your one was one of like proudest moment of your life


oh my god it uh oh, all the coordination


oh my god I remember it's like you went on like I want to study but I got this thing I need to do


murder case, wait the concert, wait ah the , oh the camp I was like don't remember okay okay`


nice


that time was in june right I think you said it was june oh oh march march I was like why why so why is it so near to prelim, , ya ya ya oh my ,


honestly oh my uh I can't really remember lah or like the proudest moment I feel like I just live life very simply like there isn't really a moment that like super proud that I know then but okay lah if I really have to use one right I would think it would be like the O level period


I think cause one day is like my my relatives they like really emphasise a lot on my good results like a lot of them they send their kids to a lot of tuition my mum was literally the only chill one among all my aunts and stuff


so like during O level uh when I got back my result right , okay I I didn't know at first lah but everyone was just praising me about how well I done cause ya it it was like such a such a proud moment and and I don't know man I think cause it happens that like like my mother's side is


like not a lot of them they do well academically like they got a lot of things that they're good in but you know the only thing their parents focus on like academics then they not so good so it's like when I achieve that results like a lot of people was very proud of me and and then after I realise that I have


beat this twenty two years long record , ya ya so so I was like super super proud !huh!, no I actually like I also really like I thought I will get like thirteen fourteen and I will go MJC and I think at that point at that point of time I also like I want to I want to go like MJC because uh I kind of gave up on VJ like I'm legit thought I won't go in


ya ya ya I'm meridian ya lor so I legit I legit thought I won't go in that so like when I went in I still remember for like the first few months I don't know whether I got tell you all but I just keep saying that , like so unbelievable I'm in VJ compound you know this kind of thing like I was so so so proud lah


then ya I think and the best moment was I think was the twenty seventeen chinese new year then I went to like this gathering with all my relatives and, !wah! it was such a proud like damn proud moment lah when it when when I enter then everybody just keeps staring at me like very very ha very scary but very proud moment and I think the most happy one is ya it's it's really just


I don't know how to say like my mum uh like my mum was like super proud my grandmother also cause you know we are from the same family what so ya lor so at that point of time I was just super super happy ya ya so yup that was my proudest moment


ya oh my gosh, ,


(mmhmm)


but thank god you didn't,


oh my god but the end result was so good , actually you did damn good ya you did damn good


I I still remember, oh me okay lah uh I anyway for your case right I still remember like last time in JC then every time when you don't want to study then I will like I like no vivi you should study you know this kind of thing like we will we are always end up all the teachers are just like encourage you to study and then we will ah but


honestly like thinking back now right I would say like it doesn't it doesn't even matter because you already right now uh you were like uh no overall you have such a like a happy person, and then you are always like making us laugh and stuff like it doesn't really matter whether your results good or not I think at the end of the day it just really depends whether you are a good person and


and like I I mean now you are also in like NTU like you have a good degree you have nice friends you have you are good in like dancing you know your CCAs and stuff so I think really no need to care what other people think but just really do what you like and


I mean you really showed that it works lah like now you are also doing fine and happy and stuff, yup


ya oh my god


I know right oh my god


ya exactly I I started thinking about that like since sec four like about how entire secondary school all my friends they're like so like so good like I I cause I'm quite easily influenced one especially by my close friends so I'm just really glad that all my close friends have very positive


influence on me and then when I go to JC then I met you guys so it it was like such a I know it it was like a really really fun time lah I mean the studies part is very stressful but other than that it's just really like it's just very nice to think of them


and then even now in university I don't know leh I I think is really like what kind of person you are you attract like that kind of friend and like I just very glad that you know we we met each other and have all the friends that we have now


I would say like, how to say what what I want to say uh I think my perfect day right is I remember at the start of this circuit breaker like after my finals have ended and, I was like actually like really really worried about what I want to do for uh the entire summer and stuff and I don't know I feel like even though overall it was okay like like it was okay with my family I I was quite happy with my family but inside it feels very kind of anxious like you do just don't know what to do that kind of thing that's why I started


like looking for a lot of the jobs and stuff and it give me a lot of stress like a lot of the days I just I I can go to bed at twelve but really fall asleep at four AM and so I think a happy day right is really just like how to say like it really can it will be able to


just put down the responsibility of you know being adult and then just really relaxing and just how to say like example like you go overseas that kind of feeling whereby there's no responsibilities and you can just chill have your own personal time without feeling anxious and


I don't know how to say like really just enjoy nature I guess like your normal life and stuff so I really hope that like can like if I can do reach that kind of level of Peaceness like like how I experience in overseas in singapore right then I I I think that will be like my perfect day lah


how about you


, ya I know your house a lot of breeze ,


ya, do you all skype call


he was always there,


oh my god, ya I get it, ah this circuit circuit breaker really bring the family together


ah ah uh is is I don't know I think I felt I over this circuit breaker I also became like even closer to my family like it I don't know it it just everyone is just like a joker in the family so at different point of time there's always someone joking and then ya it it just very


I'm one of them depends on the mood everyone got a different timings one so usually most of the time there will be someone that like just lighten the mood of the entire family like that, you know it it uh I I I think it's just good lah like I feel like even in the future like you should have a huge family for this kind of thing you know like when you are sad and there's always another person that is hyper and then will like cheer you up this kind of thing


all the random moments , ya, exactly, , ya ya


oh my god, oh my god I'm like really about to play games like maple story


so much wifi oh my gosh ya uh I think I think it's just like how to say not not not I I I read this thing they say you need to have like a change of mood in order to stay creative so basically every single day right I just don't do only one single thing like you need to have two different very very different type of things


so far for me it's like in the morning I will just do my course and then end up of playing maple story so it's just really like I don't know ah not make myself so down you know just everyday do one thing that kind of thing so I think maple story is really helpful in this case


(ppl) okay


test prompt, on financial related topics


so, I reply her right, ah okay, uh so what is one financial advice that I would give to me five year ago so five years ago


I was fifteen, uh I didn't really thought about what to what about my future and what to save up on and how to go forward with my job and everything because I didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted to do but I realise that it's very important to have savings


because it will help a lot in the future when you want to open a business or have any job that have a very low starting pay so that you can help to support yourself in the road that you prefer


before you make it big in that particular job scope, so I think that it is very important to be financial savvy from the beginning no matter how young you are and it can be anything small from saving daily or like start thinking of new business ideas that you can do when you are young


ya how about you


same


, now or like in the past, now so now I get err when there's school I get allowance of around four hundred and fifty a month and usually I transfer about a hundred fifty to a separate saving account that I have


and I will spend the rest, as in as like I put it in, as in no no cause one month is very long mah then one month have like thirty one days ya then because I stay in hall then I have to be self sufficient for my meals and my transport


and my study requirements such as textbooks or like pens and stuff so I will usually set aside a saving amount and spend the rest as little as I can though so that


I won't overspend lah by putting a separate amount into another bank cause I have two bank accounts I can put a restriction on the amount of spending because there are sometimes that because I have many CCA there's many things that I have to buy and unconsciously I will overspend


across my budget so by having a separate saving account it really forces you to save more then you know that you can, ya, so how about you


, I think it's also harder to save more now lah because uh, ya because of the it's very easy to access money now compared to the past like in the past we all use err hard copy cash like physical cash but then because of like


all the internet banking all these the paynow paylah you can easily uh access your bank anytime you want so in the past like if you don't have enough money in your wallet that's a restriction because you cannot buy what you want but now you have money everywhere


so there's nothing to restrict you so I think like it's very smart to of those banking companies to transfer everything online so it's very like easily accessible for us and we get trapped in their scheme


, ya, oh in the past I after A levels my mum my parents didn't want to give me allowance anymore because I'm not studying anymore ya and I'll just like spend all my money away so I tried like


uh finding some part time jobs where I can earn back the money that I spend while going with friends and err at first I started out at uh FNB restaurant trying out uh waitressing


but I realise that it's not my thing because I'm very clumsy and stuff so like I think that like different jobs lah for different people end up I found a better job at IRAS, and it and it really pays even more than the FNB also around ten forty a month per hour and ya


ya I learn a lot about my personal income tax and all the different levies and stuff that people can have to reduce the amount of tax they have to pay and I also get to see all the different income groups of


people and the different predicaments of all the fellow citizens how about you where do you go for your to earn some cash


of your salary


uh, I always spend my money on like food and transport transport is really expensive, because uh ya you know all the like grabs and stuff because of how far away my school is so it's very hard to save because of how expensive things are getting these days like the prices are rising


like all the time and then it's harder and harder to save more and more even the food prices like last time chicken rice costs uh what two dollar fifty cents now it's like four dollar fifty cent per plate so it's very hard to save now especially since food is getting more expensive


ya so, so how how do you usually uh save more money do you have any plans about it


oh


ya, !wah!


so are you going to like find a job this phase two, to earn more


uh at first I was thinking of going for intern to like save more money but then I started thinking about since we left around one point five months till when schools start right, it's also not a very large amount of time so might as well use this period of time to catch up on studies and


learn more skills that maybe can help in the future to find more jobs so that I can like find higher earning jobs to save more money, ya but that's


!wah!, quite late though like left one month only, are they going to continue during school


or because of COVID situation is it


oh, oh that's not bad, how much is uh did she earn from her intern


oh, err, at first I thought that CPF is like, digging a hole in our wallets because uh we can only access it when we are really old around like I heard after retirement and only recently then they say like also for BTOs and stuff but then uh


like if something happen to us along the way then we won't even get to touch that twenty percent so like I heard a lot of singaporeans who were very angry about it because they feel like the government is stealing their money but then I think in the end that twenty percent will still be yours to spend


so they're actually forcing you to save from a younger age and I think that is actually helping the singaporeans to develop a good habit since the start of their career ah because some people really cannot control all their spendings


so by doing this it's like forcing the nation to be thrifty and I think that is a good method in the long run how about you


ya, actually I know a lot of people that purposely avoid the CPF by uh earning less than five hundred a month


cause you don't need to pay CPF


!wah!, oh, wait but you work for overseas company is in singapore or you have to go overseas, oh ya that's true


!wah!, then must you like uh pay the tax of the other country like the income tax


no what is that about


!wah!


oh so you going to do it next time, same


oh, eh wait wait wait ah , oh cause she took a study loan ah


!wah! studies is really expensive ya


ah this why is important to save up since young, cause, there's so many things that you must pay in your life such as studying and then next time when you grow older if you have to buy your own house then when you have a family you have to like buy for the children and stuff so I think that it's really important to start saving from a young age


like your friend started working sixteen how did she start up


uh part three negative experiences, he's so like uh


what is your greatest fear at the moment


ah, I remember ,


!wah! I understand how you feel about moths I'm really scared of moths they are like so repulsive, especially that time when ya moths are so disgusting like especially now there is like uh moth infestation a new wave then all the tiny tiny moths are like everywhere and they're like just destructing life cause they are like everywhere ya


especially that time when there was the gigantic moths uh that one is the scariest I don't even dare to leave the house because it's !wah! it's really traumatic experience I was fifteen minutes late for school because I didn't dare to leave the house


due to the moths being outside ya especially ya especially when it's in the lift at the button there then it's so scary to go near it


moths can shit


ya, that's damn gross


ya now I think about it, like with this COVID coming right this year have been a very bad year like starting in january there were all the forest fires and stuff in canada and that video of the woman carrying the koala and running through the fire


and then after that came COVID, and then COVID affected lives everywhere like there a lot of places had stay home notices and like uh they aren't allowed to leave the house and of course this disrupted many livelihoods lah because people are not allowed to work and when people are not allowed to work


many people cannot get income and so they cannot support their family this caused a lot of riots and stuff especially places like indonesia you can see those videos of people mobbing the shops because they're forced to do so and then after that


it came the black lives movement where george got killed by a man kneeling on his neck ya so I think this year have been a very really bad year overall starting from the start up to now six months of


bad things happening back to back what do you think about these past events


(mmhmm)


ya, ya I think so too, like from the beginning uh a lot of people's business got like affected and a lot of people's lifestyle got affected in the first place


so like a lot of like all those elderly I seen videos because they have nothing to do every day so they always go down to the void deck to talk and like have fun, and then these elderly like not all but like some are like


they are not they don't have the complete education that we have so they don't see the importance of like social distancing so they still go to the point deck ah but that's not because they want to like violate the law but because they do not know the effects of them doing so but then I've seen like many rude people shouting


and like scolding the elderly and all the people who do not wear mask very openly like I feel that this have its like good and its bad because even like it's true that they're not following the rules but I think that they should still practice like


respect and courtesy and give them the ample respect that they deserve like you can just tell people to go back and then like reason with them why they have to wear a mask instead of just openly berating them


and like shouting and then shoving a camera in their face and asking them to wear the mask which I've seen many videos of such ah so I think like there's a, ya there are such videos I saw like on tiktok and instagram it's like people openly just scolding the elderly like by saying what you doing here you want to get you want to get you want to pay three hundred dollar is it and then the elderly get very angry cause they're like suddenly shouted at when they don't understand what they're doing wrong and they will be like


okay lah I have three hundred I pay lah I pay lah like this kind of thing then I feel like it's very sad on both ends ya it's really disruptive how like many people are getting affected this COVID and especially since my father opened a restaurant like at the start of the COVID period


and then because of that like when it just started it already have a restriction with the number of people that can come so the business have been doing really badly and, like it's very sad lah cause they're like losing money every day and this does not only like


like go for our business lah like many other businesses out there are also facing the same problems so it's like really worrying thinking about the financial future of like singapore ah and especially since singapore like


dug out many of their past reserves so this means that we will need to bear the burden in the future as the upcoming adult adults lah ya and so that means that next time they will obviously increase the tax and everything in order to like


fill back the reserves and so like obviously the burdens will be on us who are going to start working in a few years lah so I think that like this ya this situation will just be like it's just like it very bad overall ya and then


going to the black life movements like people keep talking about like white privilege now and how like the whites don't understand that ya they have like discriminated against the blacks like all this time and then like bringing it to singapore context there's also the chinese privilege


and then that is something that is not very obvious but I think it's very prevalent especially in the older generation like for one I know that my parents and grandparents are actually more racist than they seem to be


like they will like last time when I was finding a hall in like NTU they didn't want me to uh room with a indian friend cause they say that our habits will be like very different and they talk about like the smell and stuff then I I I realise that it's a bit like


racist but then like I I told them lah that because they don't understand like and then they like I and then they learn lah and then I feel like like my grandmother told me not my parents my grandmother, then after that I think like the older generation especially those like super old like eighteen seventy they like from young they only stay together with their own racial group


and then they don't understand uh, they don't mix around with the other groups lah not like us now since we have so many chances to do so ya and it's quite sad at the current chinese privilege that's happening in singapore lah like more people are coming out to speak about it


and hopefully like ya there's change what do you think about it


true


ya I think that many people are not aware of the little bit of like racism that they have, like uh I heard about this like experiment where because of this experiment in the UK where people that they sent in uh two resumes one of a white and a black


with the same amount of qualifications around the same ya and then like most of the companies that they sent it to chose the white over the black even though their uh qualifications are the same, ya and then uh I heard like I read about it somewhere but I forgot that they tried a similar experiment in singapore except that they use like chinese and malay and like there were the same results


so I think like there's this kind of inherent mindset in singapore also where like they will choose is the chinese privilege lor they will choose the chinese over like malays and stuff cause of the stereotype that there is that like uh you know the subtle stereotype that malays


generally perform less academically than the chinese lah, ya, what video


oh you're asking me, uh, !wah! there's so many videos right now that are like so bad because like especially since like most of the content that we get are like on instagram then now because of all the like trouble and stuff they have decreased their restriction and then


all the videos that that they post nowadays are legit no filter like I recently saw these few animals getting chopped into half and like stuff like getting like cuts on their faces and like legit amputated animals on instagram


ya like this kind of things are actually not supposed to be allowed by the guidelines but then because of the slackening guidelines now every anything and everything can just show up on instagram and it's like really sad because, you can really see the cruelties in like the world that is usually hidden from us


ya so, it's like quite sad lah from all the videos of the blacks being mistreated and like getting killed and all those stories surfacing along with all the different uh cruel like animal cruelty videos I think it's like really saddening


how about you


oh I saw


!wah!, why got


ya I think especially this period a lot of sad things are happening and it's really depressing seeing everything erupt around us like get things are getting from bad to worse and it's just really sad to see all the cruelty and violence surrounding us


ya, ya


pause or off


part two positive experiences


okay, uh so I think uh, I'm the like one of the most most of the time when I'm the happiest is when I'm with my friends because I'm a very social person so I enjoy to uh hang out with my friends and joke and laugh together


and I think most of the time that I find myself laughing really hard is when I'm having like simple times with my friend like in the canteen eating together having like lunch or dinner and then everyone sharing about their life experiences and


and like joke normally and it's always this kind of time where I feel very happy cause I realise that I have people around me that care about me and are willing to share their experience with me and this and


just this simple bantering and exchange is really heartwarming and I always find myself laughing at their jokes, so uh, ya so


describe your, ya, like all those times during recess right like all those times then our friends will like talk about stupid things and then we will just like laugh it's so funny


uh cause our friends very random ya very retarded very random then they will just like, say stupid things that will like surprise us and it's always very funny


fun times, so like ya, so like uh what are your best memories that you have when you were in school


yes


uh so err, there are many like memories that I'm very fond and proud of but then one of the outstanding ones is when I was in JC I was the vice president of my CCA and so I had to plan a lot of concerts and uh


like camps for my CCA one of the moment that I felt very like proud and like touched is that when I planned this camp for my band and it took us around three weeks to plan it it wasn't easy because


ya we had to like plan out ya the coordination to like get all the logistic done and then make sure that everyone is on the same page and stuff and make sure that the freshies feel welcome, so it was really time draining and then especially since it was at the same time as our CT which is our semester test


and those are no joke because we were ya ya it was J two, ya so it was like kind of bad cause I had this I basically never studied at all for my test and then I spend like I poured my heart into this camp with all the preparations and stuff and then during the camp it wasn't like


it was smooth flowing but there's obviously some cock ups and things don't happen and stuff but at the end of the camp I still can remember that the moment that our whole story line finish it was a murder case and stuff and then when everyone started ya like that was the theme ah


no no the camp the camp, ya ya the the march holiday camp that we like planned for like three weeks ya then uh it was very like heartwarming and I felt really proud when they all started clapping at the end of the camp when we exposed who is the murderer and everything


ya they all just started clapping for us and then I felt really touched and like overwhelmed cause I felt like my three weeks of hardship and determination and perseverance uh paid off after like by seeing them


like feel grateful about what we have done ah and then I realise that, I would like to do more things like this, to enjoy other people to let other people have fun and make memories with one another, ya and I felt very proud of that no it was in march


ya, no the CT uh so like the CT one how about you do you have any such memories


uh,


!wow!


!wow! what the, did you expect it, did you expect it like those grades


oh meridian ah, oh


!wah!, oh


!wah!, the walk of fame,


(uh huh), !wah!, oh that's really nice, uh uh talking about academics err actually my academics my study journey also haven't wasn't that smooth also like uh throughout my whole secondary school


like people always doubted my results because I I really don't like to study and I sleep a lot in class so I don't really pay attention and then I always have to catch up everything by myself because I don't pay attention in class and so my results were quite bad


like I had teachers like telling my mum that I should give up before like my chinese teacher asked me to give up higher chinese because she said that if I take it I will just get F nine and it's like a losing battle and she talk my mum to ask me to drop higher chinese three times


ya but then uh ya thank god I didn't !wah! it saved my life ya but then end up uh even though she keep like saying stuff about me and stuff, end up I proved her wrong lah and then also like I got other teachers such as my HOD of science like called me and my mum and talked about how my results uh are in danger state


and that uh I may have a chance to actually get into JC if I improved she said may and then like my mum was just like, damn worried and stuff and then like every day the teachers keep saying you know they keep saying like this kind of things to me like every day then like it's it was like really uh disappointing but end up when my results came out and it was okay


like uh better than what they expected, ya then I at that part that time I actually felt like a little like overwhelmed and like quite touched cause uh I managed to prove them wrong lah like the feeling of like going against what other people say


it's really , touching and it gives you goosebumps because you realise that you're capable of proving people wrong and doing what you set out to do in the first place so I think that it's very important to believe in yourself and be positive


how about you


ah I think it's very important to have like a positive outlook in life and like keeping all the good close friends next to you cause I think that your social circle really affects how you turn out in life


like it like it's always those people around you that motivates you and encourages you that give you the courage and the passion to move forward like without this kind of encouraging people like you all that I met in JC like I cannot imagine surviving JC without


a bunch of friends to go through together all this stuff with me ah so I think that it's very important to have like good friends by your side so that they can give you can get like rub off their positive vibes


and become like a better person ah, ya so I think that we are quite lucky to have like such good friends


uh so like okay putting studies all those aside so how would you describe like a perfect happy day in your life now since it's COVID and like we have so much time to ourselves


a'ah, that's nice, , I realise that now especially in times of COVID it's very important to appreciate all the little things in life like when you wake up and the sun is shining there's a gentle breeze it feels really peaceful and calming and the overall vibes


ya it's just very like happy and then now that you go out and then you can see your parents like sitting at the dining table and stuff because like whenever you are in school you cannot see them and whenever they are working you cannot see them also so it's like very reassuring that you can get their presence anytime you want


especially since my brother is back already and then uh every time he's in school like overseas I cannot see him but then now like he's always there, uh not really ya now he is too there JK like he's always there and then like I know that when I want someone to like talk with or like go out for a drive with they're always there and it's like these little moments where I can like control the things around me


and see my family all the time that I feel like it's very heartwarming and very happy to be able to experience such timings now lah though in the middle of COVID but it's like the silver lining


in the dark clouds so I I think like ya this kind of things really make my day this kind of stuff, ya that's true, ya


so you are the joker, ,


ya it's very nice to have somebody to like keep hyping you up especially when you feel down ya then the positive vibes just like come towards you and you start to gain energy again so I think like it's quite


like good to have to have like high tension, most not all of the time ah but like most of the time I think that uh, by having high tension and like a positive outlook right it can really change your day to day lifestyle even in like every little thing like just going out to get water and feeling happiness from quenching your thirst this kind of little things really can change your life


uh, ya recently I ya, I feel like games play a huge part in happiness these days especially when you have access to so much wifi


I think so too, negative experiences


(hmm)


(ppl)


finance-related topic, okay so katie you know like


soon I going enter university right then there'll be like fees to pay so like the fees I will be paying myself so I went to do some research and realised like there's two way one is like CPF and so I'll be using my parent's CPF but like


, like one year after I graduate I have to pay them back for instance like so but the CPF able to like pay hundred percent fully of my tuition fees but there's another method is tuition fee loan so like but they only provide ninety percent of the fee


so ten percent I still need to pay for I need I still need to pay first ya but the ten percent the tuition loan fee might be better because like the interest rate is after I graduate four months then the interest rate start but and if I loan from bank


it's more expensive lah because like interest rate might start when I'm taking a loan, so ya


no ah in the end I chose to take like loan lah because like because loan also interest rate start uh later so like taking school loan maybe is better than taking bank loan first because interest rate lah ya


oh because , how to say because my the school I'm attending right they take loan from DBS so DBS like after you graduate right the the interest rate is the average of other other banks whereas like if I take like OCBC and all that right it's like four point eight


four point five the interest rate is quite high ah so I think like it's better to take average also lah since it start later also so maybe like after I graduate then I work very hard for the first two year to like clear my debt lor ya


so you prefer like saving in like banks than, like saving in insurance or


oh because like I heard from my friend, friend that like she also taking school loans and like she think like it's better than to bank than taking from bank because of the interest rate lah like so she think like during your course of study right if you have the capability right you can actually like invest


first like like some of money you earn like invest first so like at the end of if by the time you graduate right you are able to pay fully ah but investment have a lot of risk right err and need like minimum capital to start investing, or


but you suggest me like to invest or to save up , ya


because like I, I did do some like research right and then like for my because I'm not sure what my parents bought for me but in the future if like I'm going buy for my children right maybe I will buy something like because I recently saw this if I'm not wrong it's called


NTUC income vivochild so it's not bad lah so like you paid six K yearly so by the time your like for ten years so like by the time your child twenty two years old right can like take out fifty plus K so which I not which I think is not bad lah because like


like for instance like if you and your husband's like working, and then like both of you can contribute yearly because it's yearly six thousand so I think it's, maybe like each monthly you save a bit with your husband like by the time like the the year, like yearly payment right can make it lah like for but need to pay for like ten years but only twenty two a child twenty two then take out I think it's not bad also ah


so next time maybe I'll buy for my child


so you think like, saving yourself is like better, or like, but which bank , oh I don't know


cause I heard my friend say like OCBC interest rate, but if wanna save my money is much higher lah, but ya


oh the interest rate for insurance might change, oh


because I think like because like right now the situation, right I did check online then they say like for this year the like those graduated already right they don't have to pay for the interest rate for the the interest rate will be suspended for this, this year which I think is good lah because like currently


the situation is very hard to find a job also, so I think like, it's good that the interest rate is not going on for those those have already graduated lah, because like ya


uh no recently I saw this, PIQ I think it's some endowment plan so like it's just like a short maturity, of three years lah so you just have to pay, err, just have to pay like


oh it it's just like uh you just have to start with ten K, so so after three years right you'll get back an interest rate of two point one lah which I think it's okay because like normally endowment plan is like very long I saw one it's like hundred and twenty maturity


short span of three years, whereas like some endowment plan is like ten years twelve years or or like means like very long lah I guess


ya because like, ya means like quite, big amount I guess


you rather keep in your bank ah, , same lah but, I think like, how to say once I get a like part time job while studying right I think like


maybe like I will like do some financial planning to plan my , like money better like budget more carefully because previously never budget carefully like I so I think like now I I budget carefully is better lah because like need to think for the long run still got like loans to pay and all that


so ya , when travelling, for travel ah is


so means like the twenty five dollar only like keep you safe in the plane or like during the travel, oh, oh you sick during the trip can claim also ah, ah that's not bad


because I thought like, insurance maybe very expensive, maybe the claims cannot be higher ah, since you like twenty five


forty five insurance fee


oh seventy five so high


but will the insurance, amount increase like like with the length of stay, or it depends also, like maybe


but I think it's good to like buy insurance, for travelling ah because you never know what will happen in, other country and all that, so is, , !wah!


or maybe they, it's worth it lah for travel lah


but, but I think if you buy like health insurance already, then maybe you can save the travelling the insurance for travelling or you think like buy both safer


oh means not, like travelling that type of like sick and all that, oh, but I think like having uh children like buy insurance very important lah


but, (hmm)


oh you won't buy for yourself ah, but I think buy health important leh because like, like you never know what will happen, so it's like , better,


car got, insurance for like ten years is it because like, say


true lah, I think like personal and family one should buy first but also like to your own means lah because I think insurance like like in the long run maybe like can be, expensive also lah because like


like for instance if I have a lot of kids right in the future I think like the financial burden will be very heavy lor I guess


oh, phone got insurance, , , but how much


means like, ah it's monthly also !wah!, but think better to just pay nine dollar for a cracked screen ,


(ppl), (hmm)


negative experiences


(hmm), , like how to say because I always like do things like last minute and all that right, so like, it's very stress to rush everything at that last hour lah but I think like it's like I keep knowing I shouldn't procrastinate procrastinate but in the end I still procrastinate


ya then like make me very stress lah like for example like individual assignment ya always like leave it's not like I purposely want to leave to the last minute because I also like coop up with like like other school projects lah because like there'll be time when like there's a lot of


school projects in the middle also like so like I always like individual project not enough time lah then it stresses me out lah and oh and you know my my my previous course was like have IT inside right then I don't I I'm not very pro in coding


then it's like, if I something I'm not good at I just like sometimes like like you know like when you're not good at certain something you'll just like don't wanna do so much of it, and feel like very like demoralised and like, but yet I need to do you know so it's quite kind of like yet like so it kind of like stresses me lah like


I don't really wanna do but I still need to do and like coding it's not like you can like one day finish like you need to start earlier lah and it's quite it's quite tough also so like it stresses me when like like I cannot really finish ah because there was once like there's was this like


project then it's like I did try but I just can't really solve that part, because like ya you know sometimes coding either you can or you can't if can't you're just really stuck there already then it just doesn't feel good lah you know


ya so it stresses me when I can't get things, done right or like like, ya you know, what about you, ya you taking coding


ya it's very hard to solve, oh, I feel you you know sometimes it's like you type the correct code but you never end off like don't the comma or something then like you just can't run it


ya then it's like it's just one small error but it it's not easy to find those error because it's like who knows like a small comma will will cause like the code unable to run and all that, ya


true lah but I think at the end of the day it's still whether you are interested lor because like I think like if if it still boils down to whether I like the thing or not if I like it I also confirm like will keep research on different things to like master and like solve


solve all those errors that that like appear on coding and all that so even if like, I learn it beforehand but I don't really enjoy doing it, I still don't think I can master it well I guess


no ah


ya the teacher choose right, , actually like you know like I just finish my last semester what right then it was like quite stressful also ah because like


the term was very short actually in poly like the term is very short so like each term like passes by quite fast then like sometimes they release the projects like one month before you need to submit you know so that during that period I I have like a few projects already if I’m not wrong two to three ah


and like individual assignment also lah then like then they released the specifications so late you know then we have to like Chiong the way leh there was one time we stayed up like I did told you right we supposed to meet that day but in the end like I just


Pon with my group mates all the way to eight nine AM then we submit the thing because like we let like previously we got exams also and all that so it was like very stressful lah like, like need to handle projects individual assignments and like different things at one go so it was very stressful lah


but it's the last lap so, need to persevere on the time


so you still enjoy what you are doing but, or is it the culture, you you like


I thought it's physics, physics, later


but but mostly it's like group projects or you mean like theory all that


ah that's nice, oh you all need to drill ah


ya mention the radio


you like those subjects, but still you're I mean you still have time to like how to say like have time to catch up ah


ya because I think it's like it's like same as poly right because like like what you learn from because in at the start I thought like we will keep on building on the knowledge like you know in secondary school knowledge just build on build on build on so your notes can keep for four years for instance


but in poly I didn't know like like how to say like each semester after you're done you're just done with the topic already they won't like touch back on it again so it's also like good and bad lah like cause like I'm too used to like like too used to like how to say build on my like knowledge and all these and like


how to say cause in secondary school we just like build on and build on and build on so you can just look back and learn from what went wrong and all that then you can just continue learn and learn and learn but in poly it's just like you learn something already and then okay one semester up then K you're done with the those topics and subjects


so it's like, ya, very different I guess, ya that's the part then you don't know like what went wrong I think it's better like you return then you know what went wrong but also like the exam is one time off one right means like you won't do another one after


ya that, that's why I feel you, so maybe like that's why I also think like maybe the jump from like like for instance I told you like secondary school like it build on and like from poly it was different so I didn't know like then some more like I've I've got OCD and all that so when I have notes right I will write like very neat and neat if if like


if like that not neat I'll rewrite everything again then like then just feel like oh okay in poly like you don't have the time to rewrite all these because like each term is just so short you just have to like Chiong Chiong your way through lah which is something like I I I know now I guess


then maybe I can use it like in the future like my uni when uni starts and all that I just know like what I should do and what I should avoid doing ah like ah, err, but just maybe I wasn't that prepared like previously I guess


err or maybe it just works differently ah like, like how to say ah like I think at the end of the day like, maybe it still like you still need to like in workplace and all this right you know since I I took on internship before then like I think at the end of the day you still need to learn on the job ah because what you apply what you learn in school you can't apply fully like those knowledge and all that


so ya, so I guess the hardest part of at the start of poly was to adapt to a change cause I never see it coming you know, and you know like most of you all went like JC and all that, so I I I just thought like


ya I guess didn't expect the studying thing all this to be, like each semester then after that you touch and go ya in a way


(hmm)


, true ah,


ya the the worse part cause it's not easy to understand it some more like the materials they give is just cause I start with what we learn was just it the the the teacher was just typing typing typing typing then what I then what we all do is just copy and paste leh if I as if I understand the whole code you know


when I copy and paste, ya, ya but actually like, you need to spend a lot of time to understand lor it's either you get it or you don't I guess


ya because it's linked all together right so like a lot of things, not


but I think like how to say because they are different like like you say like javascript ah HTML ah uh CSS all this right then like so many parts like you need to combine it just for a page you know I got tell you before ah that time like like just for one page actually like there's a lot of


things goes behind it ah and it's actually it's not easy lah to like you need to type for this page type for that page and type for the other page but like if you make it then like if you successfully make the page then obviously you will feel happy lah but if you don't you're just stuck there I guess, but it's also good like there are some people that will help you ah but it's not always you meet people that's willing to help you


so ya so it's, sorry, oh primary school, so


because we start out later [what] right like for instance, ya so it's not easy


positive experiences


oh you mean like you receive the the gift ready then you keep the cups ah, , true lah but, yeah , so for


so like I think the best birthday gift I, is like birthday cards because you know like nowadays right, people only like send messages so I think like you cannot keep those message in the messages like in the long how to say like hard copy is still better lah because like people give cards and all that then you can keep like I always keep things because I very sentimental so I keep all the birthday cards and all that


then like I sometimes like like I will just look through then you just feel so loved you know when you look through and read through all those memories like ya, but, ya but I think it's still good like like birthday itself right just spend time with those that you love


like families and friends or even loved ones lah I think it's like it's like very good lah for instance like, like , like when I was younger right my mum always like like like invite all my primary school friends and all that over to our house then cook some some food for them and buy a cake then we just celebrate I think it's quite quite cute leh I'll do that for my child next time


but in primary school my mum did lah so it's like very sweet, oh you you all don't really celebrate ah oh,


but it's good also, a lot leh I saw , (hmm)


same ah prefer like can keep but I think for food right it's also like eat with your friends or family also like better than like sharing it with yourself I guess like food is for sharing one I guess


, err, better get like things to keep ah same, and like I think like actually like surprises also is like a very good birthday gift I guess or like


surprise because like like once right my friend like organised then like she invited you you and some of her other friends but you all can't couldn't make it but I still think like it's the, I think like it's still the thought that and effort that counts lor then I feel very touched and happy lah that day


yeah, maybe next year this year I'm not sure if can with the situation


like you say like you spend more time with family and like, friends right , I think it's good


true, sorry, oh that's nice


but I think like, eh you know like because of the current situation right previously they stop all like desserts and everything right I was quite sad because like I love to eat ice cream also ah then like because dessert and all this like like those like ice cream shops like and bubble tea like Liho all that is closed right


then like at first I can't really like find food to satisfy my cravings because you know like stay too too long at home will crave for food and all that, but like slowly like !wah! then I drink this drink nearby the uh my house like it's like bubble tea also and it's not bad lah it's like brown sugar my favourite


so actually like I drink already also make me feel better, like despite the situation lah ya, they provide delivery services also so it's good I can stay at home deliver


very hard leh the pearls might might it's very hard tough to make, ya but I see people like fail making it so many times so I scared to try if not I wanted to try first


true ah but later waste the ingredients


oh you fail you will eat it ah you sure , next time I fail I'll still let you try okay


oh ya I remember you say before


there


vietnam known for the coffee right, they say is nice, I wanna go someday, how long you went for ah, six days


indoor one lah, , which which one, !aiya! never see before eh


no lah you say you like the Pho or something


the noodle, oh okay, I wanna go someday after situation gets better, and like one of the my most memorable trip remember I told you before the thailand trip with my family


because like I seldom get the chance to travel with my family lah, and like previously they will travel and but I miss it because I got things to do like school project and I need to stay in school and all that I can't go with them so it's my very first


family trip like far like not like not Malaysia and all that like further is like to Thailand my very first one so I was I was very excited lah, then it's like it's quite long leh if I'm not wrong it's like one week plus


it was very enjoyable lah because like can spend a lot of time with my family also like like every day seeing see them you know then my parents because ya they like they love food lah my parents so like we went we went the Chatuchak market


for like food and like clothes then we went a lot of different markets like for different food and all that I think it was it was just very fun to when I look back can't wait for another travelling, trip with family


ya but I can take some leh actually like, like you know the mango #pad thai# eh not mango #pad thai# you know the salad the mango one, it's not bad also a bit though it's a bit spicy


, , which one, I didn't go eh, you went


I went to what Asiatique ah or something like that, like like sight seeing like there got very like got views then got like there's this what, very big what's the thing call ah ferries, no what's the thing called oh my gosh I forgot


is it ferris wheel I don't know leh the the very big, ya then like wanted to go up and sit but you know I'm scared of heights so I didn't but I think it was quite cheap leh like like like over there the price it's not very expensive


so next time I go I confirm wanna like sit, and don't waste the trip


hello ya, (mmhmm)


travelling, ya


what do you pick up, oh, ya you love reading, but then you know recently we also watched a few movies right which was not bad also


on netflix, ya and I think it's good lah like during this timing even though we can't go out we still can connect with friends like virtually and all that, then I think


oh like those #cho cho# #cho cho# at home but yet yet with friends and all that right


(mmhmm) a time to wind down ah, but I also hope like


things get, sorry, what book you are reading now, oh this one not not the the breath becomes air you already finish already right


for the current book or the previous one, that's not bad, so like right now also like watch like


you know like actually I watch a lot of like movies in like theatre but never like really watch on netflix and all that, they really recently I watched this like strong woman #do bong-soon# , was okay leh I mean like I'm scared of the like because my sister they they watch the behind episode already so I just like watch a bit from the like the the middle few episode and it was not bad leh I find it like quite cool she got the


power and all that, not a lot lah maybe for that, but I also watch like other movies lor like the three idiots we watch together that one was nice


like very meaningful ah, yes, ya


like it's like you can't connect physically but yet you can connect at the same time, which is not bad lah, like feels feels good to connect after not having like human interaction


oh you're still staying home all that, ya because


same ah I just like went out to have dinner because yesterday fathers' day ya that's all, you , ya but my family celebrate so ya you know I celebrate also


what sorry


ya, ya, but I think like maybe like, it's the road that I supposed to take at the end of the day lah I think like


maybe it's not really what I really want but maybe it's the most suitable for me I guess, ya so I think just give it a shot lor because like at the end of the day I think the degree that I'm taking is also like not bad for the future lah like it's because like I believe right we need to non stop learning what so even though like I'm taking the course


right now I think like it's good for me to like, I I mean I will continue take on other courses to upgrade myself also ah so I think maybe it's like experience for me lor uni life and all that so I also look forward to it lah even though the current situation so right now I still like trying to matriculate and all that a lot of things to do you know


I didn't know so much things to do , still got medical check up and all that so ya, ya need to book clinic I book quite late you know, so ya


finance financial related topic, ya


okay, so, hello, so you you're done with your


you done with your part already, ya so you said you chose to in the end you choose for your like ask your parents' CPF is it


so what's the difference in interest rate do you know, , (mmhmm)


okay, so, for me I, when I join uni I do not have like, any loans so my


financial planning does not like require me to get like a loan ah so I'm more looking my financial goal is more towards like maybe an endowment plan, but like I was being approached by this like insurance company Prudential like so like this agent taught me about like how


to plan my finance properly, so the plan was their plan was to put in a fixed amount which is seventy five dollar per month and then this, through GIRO it will like accumulate


then I'll only get the lump sum at the end of like twenty five years, ya so the interest rate is like three point five which is much higher than like some banks like DBS DBS is only like zero point zero five around there so


like after considering, I decided not to take it, reason being like I feel very restricted firstly we cannot take out the sum even if you take out you'll have some penalty in a sense that your final lump sum will be smaller every time you retrieve from retrieve some money back that's the first thing and the second thing is


because I have to contribute like some like seventy five dollars per month to this insurance I feel like it's, like not within my capability at this time because my income is very unstable it's like I do not have a regular part time job or like I'm not working


so my income for seventy five dollar per month will be like a stretch in the long term throughout my student throughout my time as a full time undergrad so like I find that this kind of plan is like not sustainable for me


so if I were to go forward go forward with this plan this seventy five dollar will like in the end will eat up my own savings instead so I'll be taking money from my own saving for this like saving insurance which I feel like, there's not much like difference to it in the end cause three point five percent when it's is just the maximum amount I know like they thought me about like some hybrid plan so is instead of just having it's not just a saving but it's also like


non-participating and there's an investment value to it so they help they use some money to do investment so if their investment is have some return you will also get can gain some return back lah but


like they said that three point five is the max so there can be a lot of other circumstances like maybe a depression or like, inflation rate might be higher than whatever percent percent that they can give me so like I feel like


it's not a very like sustainable plan for me at that point lah so I didn't go with it, ya


ya even though saving in banks have much lower interest rate like but to me it's like I have more flexibility for my own money like I can withdraw it anytime I want even though insurance rate like, they make it sound like you can you can get a lump sum back which is quite


a lot but because the amount that I can put in is very little so even the interest rate is much higher the return I get back is like not that much difference, ya so I chose not to go with it and also like


the money that I I I'll be like putting in they will use it for investment so technically like I'll I want to like learn more about investment like throughout my undergrad if like some some of my friends have been exposed to investments investing so I I'll try to gain more knowledge and


invest in my or invest my myself instead of like, putting the money in the insurance and let the insurance invest cause like both ways is kind of like investing even though like the insurance will give me a safe like safer return lah there's a guaranteed return


ya,


ya like usually the sum is two hundred fifty like usually lah it's hundred to like whatever amount but the average is about two hundred fifty for beginners and like


like you said there's risk to it but like a lot of people also using like investment as like their how to say they do not work but they just invest so in a way that you can see that investment is not sometimes you can go the safer route which is not just about investing so you


like you have to gain like knowledge from it so if you you can you know how the market and works and, you know how the market works it will be like easier to invest lor so right right now I do not have like as much like market analysis skill so I'm not investing currently but like as time go like I'll try to like learn more about


the investment industry before I start my investments, I think it's like if you, if you're like willing to learn because investment is like quite I will say it's quite time consuming in you know you have to understand like and analyse a lot of stuff so like if you are not willing to put in the time and effort then savings is definitely an easier way


but like like you like you said the savings interest rate is not high lor, like by the time you get it maybe like the inflation rate will like overtake your saving rates lor, so your (mmhmm)


I think I think we buy for our child is okay but if like is your own like personal savings then like for me I wouldn't take it lah because


I mean if unless it's a medical insurance you know like, if it's like a savings or investing insurance then I will not go for it lah, ya, so


, , I mean, uh I, for like savings I only put it in DBS because like, is even though the interest rate is is much lower than other banks but I feel like it's like one of the safer banks lah like cause it's like mostly government like POSB is like government one


so it's like kind of safe, much higher, then another thing is like I wouldn't if it's saving I wouldn't go for insurance because there's also CPF lah and CPF interest rate five per cent


and it's guaranteed that thing is like you know like two thousand eight like depression also they never cut interest rate but then insurance is like they might cut it anytime, ya because they told me the maximum is three point five that's like the best but then like like they they also said that like we might change the interest rate if like there's like financial crisis or something


, , but what other insurance would you buy


(mmhmm)


(uh huh)


(uh huh),


K lah I mean like cause like usually interest rate like you say lor very long so three years I first time hear leh so short one


I guess so I haven't I never really see, we start so short one ya but the thing is like you said lah the starting is ten K lah so, ya so I will not I mean at this stage


I will not even consider it, no I mean like ten K, that's like quite a large sum of my savings lah, cause I never work what


then when you travel leh do you buy insurance travel, , usually it's twenty five dollars like the not the premium kind lah like the standard kind


no no it's a your whole trip like if you get sick all this lah also can, yup I guess so


ya but the thing is like usually this kind of chances is like low lah, , (mmhmm), I mean like when I go


when I go like overseas that time with my school like they force me to buy and their and ya insurance is like premium it's like seventy five, seventy five ya ya ya oh but the place I go is like is more secluded I guess that's why they want to make the insurance higher it's like I'm going like I was going to like this like Vietnam like this village then there got like


the nearest hospital is like very far kind kind of place it's like higher risk lor so that's why, the insurance might be higher, depends ah but the one I chose because usually my trips are very short so I never go see the longer trips one


like a maximum two weeks kind, ya but some of my friends like they don't want to buy cause like they say like oh also nothing will happen why I spend that twenty five


ya but I think it's worth it lor, because ya because like it's a it's like I mean I'm travelling already so you're going to spend a lot what so like that that that twenty plus dollar is a small percentage of your total expenses what


so might as well just add, no but health insurance is usually it's those like very serious like cancer this kind


but travel, it's ya travelling is is different


ya I mean like as long as like depends on what your goal lah my goal is like if it's saving saving wise I will not go for insurance but if like it's for other people I would choose to do it ah but but for myself I won't lah


like my own saving insurance I won't I won't buy it, , ya apart from the medical one lah


!wah! usually it's like usually I guess ah I will only consider like medical or like travelling and, maybe even buying car also if you think about it,


cause I that addition is like considerably smaller than the price you pay for your car lah so I I will just add on lor the insurance, (hmm)


, (hmm), K I think got nothing else to add


, do you have any other things to share


[orh] but once I saw like phone right got insurance also, ya like they say if I crack my screen all this like can buy insurance quite funny, I forgot I remember it was I was ya I was quite shook I think it's nine dollar per month or something


, ya but I don't know I never buy lah in the end I remember I will I will, I wouldn't crack it lah


okay


K, negative experiences, okay


what makes you stressed, what makes you stressed


, ya


, I think for me also for me is also coding helps like so ya my research now needs like coding and it's a lot of coding it's like, something that I never learn in school it's like it's called web scraping or web crawling so like you have to


so like that the language I use is python use python to like get information online lor so ya uh the, internet becomes your database lah that's basically what happens then I have to keep, trying and trying to learn it by myself and is not easy especially like you know on there's a lot of online sources but


but in in reality like when you are doing it by yourself there is a lot of like errors, just keep popping up then like I feel very stress lah like whatever I ya it's like I don't know what went wrong every time that I I I I click run it just keep giving me error


ya so like super stress every time the error pops up, , the syntax


ya I feel like this is like, like I don't know at this era I don't know what you call it but at this point like coding is like so important like that when when you are young like you are not really exposed to it so like a bit wasted you know when I see my friends like a lot of them have like coding experiences when they are young


and sometimes I would think like what didn't I why wasn't I exposed to coding when I was younger, ya


(hmm)


ya but like, I feel like, like you can't always do what you like lah you have to love you have to like like what you do like I think this is a a a big step that I been like going towards in uni cause like even though this course is like I chose this course but a lot of times you are forced to do things that you don't like to do


and, it's very hard for me to like try and like what I'm doing currently, so I even though I choose this course by like voluntarily sometimes I feel maybe I'm not very suitable lor


it's like interest and capability has like some gap in between there that I trying to fill up currently, ya, especially since like my school is like


super super heavy compare to other other universities lah like I see all of my friends they go clubbing they having fun but then, like my school no one like not a lot of people actually like have the so much free time lah


ya and like we are all like, just keep doing projects after projects cause like my school got a lot a lot lot of projects compared to others uni they maybe like only got two or three every term but then like one term I can have like up to eight or nine projects


it's to the point that like I don't even know who is in my group cause there's so many overlapping people that I see them again but then cause those groups are sometimes not we choose one mah, ya ya, (hmm) so working sometimes working with them like very stressed also


, I saw that the proverb they say like the child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel the warmth like I feel like this is like my current like situation right now it's like I chose


this course by myself but then like I feel like I've been putting in so much effort but I'm not getting the results that I really wanted back you know so like it's to the point that I told you right I apply to other universities


even though like from the start a lot of people already questioning me why why did I choose this uni when I have like there are so called better options out there, ya but then after I I applied like even though I was I was accepted lah but


I was so close to like legit like burning like all my efforts in uni I just change course and like everything but then, I feel like, it's not


the right way lor because, if I were to like give up whatever I'm doing now then it shows that ultimately I'm not interested in what I'm doing which is not true it's just that I'm not getting the results that I wanted


ya I still enjoying it, so like, no, ya the actually I really like the culture because but it's honestly the culture reason why I join this school, the culture is so good like honestly everyone is helping one another and every time I hear like other people's complaining about how they got like snake snakes going around them right like I cannot relate lah cause my school don't have


ya, so like like quite thankful lah for these people but, how to say, like school is really really like the academics part is quite overwhelming, especially since like I have no background in whatever I'm learning


ya like especially more difficult for like people from JC, ya it's physics but then like you know got some of the better people like those who are doing better are from like


engineering courses in back in poly so they already like have very good have a very strong background and you know poly kids usually find poly kids to work together, so it's like the skills is not well shared among the people lor so in the end my whole group is is only like JC people lor so like I have to put in like we we all have to put in like triple the effort to like catch up with the other people


ya, theory okay theory wise like obviously like we have a better standing cause like we are we are doing whatever we are learn in in JC but then project wise is very very hands on


so is honestly if you ask me whether like project or like theory is easier I will say theory is much easier to catch up than like practical stuff because there's so many knowledge that it's so hard to like you know read online like some okay one part is like have to like build this chair


and then I didn't know what kind of like I never built anything in my life before lah so like if you ask me like to drill and all this it's like I don't even know what kind of nails to use and like, a lot of poly kids help me lor so like, if like ya but then when I went in there it's like very lost it's like where am I


cause like first year is common year you have to do everything like we have to we built a lot of stuff ah like chair even we even built aircon and radio, ya I ya it's fun but


it's like, hard like to the point that like I want to change course lah, especially since now like also my grades you know my grades like, humans humanities related subject ah I'm scoring much better so I ya like philosophy I'm doing so well in it but then like


those other courses like my core courses like not doing as well, ya but now it's different ah cause year two


it's quite different you're not doing whatever I'm doing in year one,


, , ya,


ya I I err ya


ya but that's not the point of like learning whatever you're learning what it's like you know you're you like you don't even know where you went wrong you just went wrong then just because this topic ended then you cannot go back to it ever again I feel like it's it's a very big jump lor it's like ya


(hmm), (hmm), same lah


ya it's like I can do so well in like I don't know maybe like secondary school can do well but then like slowly when you grow older you realise that there are like so much more smarter people than you


, ya


ya same lor for me like uh it's like a lot of people told me like A levels was the worse, but honestly I feel like uni is like much more, it's like harder than more much more difficult than As lah even though As like


okay the difference is like As like you're alone you know you feel like you're just working by yourself, like even though you are studying together but in the end whatever you are doing it's like you you have to cope with it by yourself, so you feel like most of the time I feel like I'm alone ah but then like in uni different part is


it's just, there are people around you cause you have to do work with them what right there are people around you to help but it's just more stress you know like I have like usually in A levels like oh if I don't do well it's just my problem it's just the results is just on me


but in in uni now it's like if I don't do well it's like my whole team will suffer with me, so like I feel like it's worse ah,


and like teamwork very important what most of them can contribute a lot of stuff but they have, a lot of people who go join this school is like they already know what they're very very passionate about and they can do a lot of skills like Cading or like


like laser cutting all this they know how it works three D printing but like I don't know how it works so like the skills I can offer is like usually more like I don't know it's like less less with less strenuous I guess like designing or like


using adobe illustrator is kind like easier kind relatively easier jobs like then then, so I always feel like I never contribute enough to my group, (hmm)


the worst part is coding lah as usual


ya and the worse part I thought it was I thought I was over right but then like there's so many languages out there to learn


uh but it's endless it's like non stop like I I I finish python and then there's like java then I finish java there's like CC plus uh C plus plus then like uh non stop, ya, never ending, I thought like one language was enough


, yeah


ya, maybe we should be born later, not but but but maybe you should be born later my cousin all like primary school already learn coding like it's like their course ya it's like their eh not primary secondary school sorry secondary school


ya, ya it's like we are we just pop up in between, (mm), K


K, positive experiences, K, so I I start first, my birth my best birthday present I think it's like I like to receive cups like I feel like very ya I feel like it's very meaningful and like when I grow old I have this like plan of having this big shelf it's filled with all your cups


so like if my guests come right then you you have your own like shelf your own cup there so like usually people buy birthday present like cups is like to me it's like the most meaningful cause cause it can last forever, and like when they come over like, like those closer friends come over like then they use the cup right it's like I just feel like they are like legit a part of my life like that


ya ya and it's just like something that can last forever what, you like you will you will never unless you break it lah so which I never I never break any cups


so ya,


ya


ya I also have like this box filled with cards like every time people give I just put inside