and also you know uh to be a singaporean you know I I am very very proud to be a singaporean but, very disappointed to be one right now, even at this point looking at the way it's going very very worrying lah that that that ya


rachel, okay I think my recording has died, on the screen ya lah the screen on the screen


so I can continue to talk and this can record is it, okay okay okay because mine my my my my computer the screen I think stop already okay


uh no the phone is okay the computer die, okay uh the the phone I just talk lah ah, okay ya, ya okay so then ya I I I, totally agree and then the other thing I do not know whether you


whether you face the same issue, I mean I live in a landed property as well a lot of my friends who live in HDB ah, they get a lot of subsidies you know, and then when it comes to me right, , you know like the Workfare thing you know


like last year you know she she was saying that you know she can actually apply for and all that and she gets don't know three thousand dollars, don't know for three uh every three months in total nine thousand dollars you know and if your income is of a uh lower than a certain level, uh I'm semi-retired but ya I am still uh a self-employed


I don't get that know I wonder why is it because I live in a private property, and even for you know like water bills I know water bills have come up you know and the people who live in HDB they also get subsidies a lot of subsidies and I don't get it you know because I I I'm just wondering why you know because being taxpayers right


we we actually contribute to the economy the Singapore economy we pay taxes right but why are these not given to me what whether I mean, if it's given to me I can choose what I want to do with the money I can still you know donate it, you know to people who I want to donate it to people who might need it more but the thing is I'm why why why do I not get it as a taxpayer just because I live in a landed property or a private property


I mean this is queer lah you know what I mean


definitely


uh that's quite sad lah uh I I don't know because , you know retirement is something that I look forward to, a happy retirement but all these things that starts to happen of late you know with the , even from the last election all these things starts to you know manifest by itself it it it it makes me very very worried


, I wonder how my retirement will be like do I have to be do I have to really continue working in the sectors that the government want me to be provided I can still work or, I I really do not know I mean retirement is quite I don't know


quite scary for many of us ah given you know the situation that we're in right now


ya I I think in everything lah it's called inflation right like medical costs I understand that you know going to A and E also when I which I, ya where where I brought my mum the other day I had to pay a hundred and eighty dollars know medisave cannot use only cash so that that that looks a bit worrying lah I just hope and I just hope that you know through this survey you know the government will look into all all all these issues that we speak about


you know to to to make us , to make Singapore a better place ah home truly


yeah yeah (ppl) K


got it ya can see me, positive experiences, dan, would you do you have I'm sure you have positive


!wow!, !wow! I think we share about the same positive experience I was also just gonna share a little bit about uh Singapore then, , I may not be a degree holder


uh a diploma holder but even with uh a diploma then in Singapore I believe that you know uh we have less , uh we have uh less population but we are able to do well in life so I always believe that uh to instil uh the spirit of excellence as long as we have a spirit of excellence uh it will it can take us anywhere


uh and uh uh because of my good uh experience with my uh advisors my insurance advisors I also went into the insurance industry , I believe that in that industry it taught me a lot about resilience, uh it taught me a lot about you know not quitting


uh it taught me a lot about as long as we are able to work hard and have a positive attitude we would be able you know to do well in life and this is something that I disseminate to my children today, I always tell them to have a very positive attitude in life that life can be uh having challenges but you know uh we need to have a positive mindset and attitude and you know nothing is impossible especially with god


ya ya


ya, I see, ya ya


ya, ya it is true uh especially you know uh during the COVID season uh you know where everything was so negative but I think uh I turned a negative into a positive I started putting my hobby into use called cooking


so I actually started cooking for my friends uh because they couldn't cook and then we all couldn't go out so it was a very positive experience to know that you know that people enjoy my food and I was able to you know whip up uh different kind of dishes you know


!wow! uh everything from chinese, ya ya uh from chinese to to, thai everything lah everything you whatever they wanted me to cook I was able to whip up because I love cooking and uh and I'm so happy that you know whenever I cook people enjoy my cooking ya


which cuisine asian lah uh there's no particular one uh vietnamese uh, thai ya indonesian, and peranakan ya, so ya so ya, so ya basically that was a very very positive I turned a negative into a positive situation


ya, that that's so true , ya so if you, that's true and then if you were to you know uh cook at home right uh we are able to kind of like save more money uh versus the food outside because Deliveroo and all that I think with Grab and all that it cost quite a bit uh


transportation all that so I think when you cook, uh there is this joy of going to the market buying things uh still relatively at the price that you can still afford, uh at this present moment and coming home to whip up you know the dishes and making everyone happy with it or on the tummy ya


no I don't at all actually I was busy cooking at home , every lunch and dinner so instead of uh doing uh financial planning I was actually cooking


ya I guess ya, I guess in life we can turn our hobby to uh something more resourceful, right to whip up different things or maybe uh do gardening turning your hobby from gardening into something, more especially during the COVID season or maybe post COVID or maybe towards retirement right so I think these are things that you know we love to do and we should turn our


put our strength to use, right work on our strength yup, that's true, ya


oh !wow!, I see


!wow!, right


!wow! I've never really seen hornbill


ya indeed indeed indeed indeed ya I I think ya I think , sometimes through adversities we get to see the beauty of life uh we learn to value life better and to see the things that we take for granted uh in a better light


especially ya I think seeing uh beauty how god created beauty even through hornbills, or even through the plants and the flowers around us during COVID you know we we it is actually a good time where we actually uh can take stock


right into looking at you know more into life than you know just about money money money money money ya, oh oh okay I see


I see, ya I'm sure


ah just like cooking ya just like cooking because you would know uh what goes into your tummy, uh no MSG for me and everything that's nutritious for my family, ya so, ya so basically you know uh I I think cooking what enters our mouth goes into our tummy and what goes into our tummy helps with our physical being apart from exercise and of course you know uh whatever uh goes into our emotions also help with our


our mental health lah so everything is a makeup lah even like exercise I I I started doing more exercise during COVID so that's a very very positive uh thing for me, very happy that I've never done so much of exercise in my life, voluntarily


okay


!wow!, !wow! ya !wow! ya !wah! that's good ah you you sound very fit then


ya true, ya I think true especially when we are all growing older towards retirement I think we need to stay fit you know you, there is this joke lah in in the industry that says that you know whether you want to grow grow old carrying a walking stick or whether you want to start carrying a golf stick if you are well plan but of course naturally


ya, !wow! hiking !wah! that's one level up, !wow!


!wow! !wow! !wow!


!wow! !wow!, !wow!


!wow!


!wow!, !wow!, !wow!


!wow! !wah! that's a !wah! that's a lot of experience then I can only imagine because I see that on TV ya, ya for me ya for me my climbing is only in orchard road


where I where I actually take the escalators and I boost the economy at least right I spend money I go shopping and that makes me happy uh actually, ya actually ya actually shopping uh helps me to de-stress myself while uh in the midst of my working busy working schedule in between my times with my appointments I actually go shopping to boost the economy


right or at least to see what's in and what's not in you know uh so that you know I could you know uh still add a little bit of value and uh share with my daughter what's in and what what what are people wearing I actually like observing people, ya so uh this is what I do during my


uh these are one of those positive experiences actually which I do miss during the COVID period, but apart from that I mean doing COVID may uh period I must say I never did stop shopping I did online shopping ya so and and and the things are cheaper so that's really a positive experience for me what about you dan


mainly, [orh] okay, ya


!wow! that is a long way


oh dear, !wow!


ya, ya ya


!wow! !wow! !wah! that's very meaningful ah dan, uh for me I take walks around my estate and , I even go to the beach uh I cycle , I I think cycling is another way of uh watching god's beauty and also to uh you know have some fresh air you know uh instead of being cooped up at home


so uh me and my hubby we actually take uh our bike and uh we actually cycle all the way to from the east you know the east coast park uh we actually cycle all the way to uh towards Changi Changi point, ya so I think ya ya I think that's really refreshing because along the way yes we actually did see some we hear some birds chirping and that's so refreshing you know uh and uh we get to see beautiful scenery and


and and you never know how beautiful Singapore can be until you know you actually explore during this COVID period whether you drive whether you cycle or whether you run whether you walk, you know I think you basically we get to see beauty in a different light


ya that's positive for me, oh yes yes that's true ya


uh that's it ya ya I totally agree that is actually more beautiful than you know everything is so prim and proper


ya ya I I I think we also got to thank mister Lee ah I heard mister #lee kuan yew# is the one that made Singapore pretty green and I think this uh greenery is something that you cannot really find, around our neighbouring countries like maybe Malaysia


or maybe Indonesia I think uh I mean though the though you see but it's not so you know beautiful I mean ya like what you said manicured, right , ya I think Singapore's a green city in that sense lah I I think I appreciate, the the work you know the NEA has done to make it beautiful as well so that we can you know live


ya it's good for our eyes you know and it's also good for our mental and physical health also as we do our usual exercises, yeah


yeah, mm) you're right that's true


(mmhmm) okay


can, hello


financial related topic, hi, oh finance is a I mean Singapore, in Singapore you need a lot of you need time to plan actually on what you want to do with finance because it's a very expensive country to stay in


and as you go along and uh things get more and more more and more expensive, so you really need to plan and that begins I think when when you start work or even before you start work that's what I feel and you need to have a a long term strategy


to have uh be able to plan for your retirement I mean that especially at my age I'm coming to near retirement so just to share with you uh I started off long time ago actually, of course uh in school you don't have money so you you have no savings uh your parents give you money but uh as you start work you need to plan what you want to do with your so call


excess money you need to think about saving so what do you how do you save selena


ya talk about that is interesting because uh when you, and anyway when I was young right my parents always say oh save money saving is only part of the the whole a part of the jigsaw puzzle towards your financial planning and retirement


but uh really uh as you grow you up you realised that a lot of things like what you call eaten up by inflation so when I was growing up, I remember taking the bus and the bus fare was only ten cents or five cents that's a long time ago and nowadays it becomes uh at least a dollar plus uh just uh one stop or two stops on a bus stop


and it's the same thing as uh food as well when when you're buying food and I use uh again talking about forty years ago you buy a a bowl of noodles for thirty cents fifty cents now you're talking about ten times or more three fifty four fifty so the value of money actually becomes smaller


on the other hand your income as you work becomes higher, but out of that it in the old days you see the uh parents telling you oh save yes so we see them saving by putting money into a tin can ya if I'm sure you've seen that before but I'm sure that doesn't work in the long term because


you can put it there but the money actually becomes smaller in value, after about a hundred uh after after about the maybe five years you take out with that money that you have can buy lesser amount, so to put the money in a tin can is actually a bad idea for what you call investment and to put it in your savings account is slightly better effort but now with the interest rate is so low


you know what is there so you need to think about ways of making your money grow or else your money will slowly deplete without you knowing it, so


yeah you were saying


then how do you know about these products


very interesting because in last last time there there wasn't the internet so you hear from friends so a lot of people start with uh buying uh stocks and shares, which is uh well it it some lessons to learn because uh if you're new in this game you know you thought you can do get a quick buck and that's where it ends up all wrong


sometimes you win sometimes you lose it's to me it's a bit like gambling so unless you really understand the company uh that you're investing in and what kind of dividends that, it's uh paying over the years and what kind of track record it has you are doing it in a blind or you're just following another friend which is not a good idea so so as the world becomes more uh open


and you can find all this information on the internet actually, of course you need to be aware of what other tools available what are the investment platforms available and you you said the robo uh adviser thing which is I also played with it's quite interesting it


ya it only came out I think not too long ago and with uh now, the world's going digital uh but I I use it before also to uh buy into certain funds uh like uh EF ETF and uh


also some uh bundled uh uh stocks so called, following the stock exchange of the world they bundle it together and uh make it into a global fund measuring the index of each company each country so that that is interesting in a sense that uh I think it's a interesting uh development


whereas if you go to a stockbroker you can do that uh buy it at shares trade from broker but you need to monitor your stocks need to monitor performance of the company, and most of us who are working it's very hard to do that actually


ya I see member puttings money in a big company and I thought !wah! that company is going to make money for me but within six months it dropped to half of the value, without me realising it so that was uh me trying to do a bit of a


I I call it gaming in terms of uh uh stock and shares so it's not good idea because I'm not in the game I don't have enough time to go and monitor all that don't have enough time to go and read through the the the specs of the company so and uh it I rather leave it to somebody that help me so


there are many ways of doing that of course you have uh this uh unit trust fund managers but again you you're not in this trade again you're how do you know which funds, managers are good


negotiate


yes, it's more diversified isn't it


ya but


yeah there's a hintech development using AI really to, ya to monitor the movement of uh prices and uh so it can actually use a so called equipment to help you monitor


ya I think that's a way to go because uh that in effect gets uh product cheaper because there are so many platforms


and machine does help us I mean provided uh the problem is that some people don't trust machines but going into into the new world uh that has to be part and parcel of life, and and we every day that you carry handphone is a machine yeah yeah and a computer is a machine it there's a lot of data in there so that platform uh uses all the it aggregates all the information


and uh use that to help you invest, so that it it's not a bad thing because in in my world uh in the insurance world where I work uh there's also a lot of data so I remember that uh we also use, uh develop an app uh to uh let's say sell products to customers


a co and by-product so it's very simple products like motor insurance uh personal accident insurance so those are at the click of a few uh buttons, you can actually buy it online and and use uh use your credit card to buy online as well so instead of you trying to fill out a form uh or going down to the insurance company that


I think we'll think of the past and future especially for simplified very simple products you know because it even company also don't want to service you it's a lot more costly for them to service you using doing that and not as efficient


so coming back the to other things I mean there are not only investment tools and uh instruments there's also property and Singapore property market is very active, and I think a big part of financial planning is also property investment as well you know knowing what to buy and where to buy and how how


you can stretch your money so call for long term future where you can see your your money grow which is one of the reason why I I buy a a landed property, and uh after many years of working you you just want to invest in a property that later on can use it for retirement


when you can if you want to encash it you can break it down you can take out the money for your retirement and we on top of your CPF ya I I'm thinking forward my retirement because I'm already about this age so probably another, six seven years runway to go before I retire so that becomes very real when your income stops I mean from stop coming in from your your salary so what else is there you got to make your money grow you got to make your investment grow and make your property grow


that's how you can retire or else uh it'll be a sad case if this is not planed for ah at the end of uh sixty sixty two years when you retire find that you don't have enough money and it'll be sad to know that you know oh you have to work in McDonald's to earn the money


that that is pretty bad so we need to plan really far ahead to to get to where you are, uh uh so I'm quite glad that I'm a financial advisor it's pretty good and I'm already quite far into it and almost was uh last lap of my financial planning that's not the end of it because as you go on the world is changing as well and it is you know you know in a very disruptive world


things change so fast and some things are very disruptive, like you know the stock market is is is crazy now in the US it's gone crazy uh in terms of uh it's gone up very high in uh at some point even though the economy is pretty bad actually so and then some people say stock the stock market is a reflection of your GDP


of the country true and not true I would say you know a a a lot of it that goes in the stock market I suspect is uh got to do with uh emotion emotional buying as you know ladies will you know ya you go there and buy cause you like it you you know just buy on the spot


so it's it's a lot of uh uh affected by emotion in a way


yeah yeah


it's your one or did I get it wrong (uh) it's red now


yup, one two


what is yours, ya of course in in in life there are many many, kind of negative experience as well uh a lot of one of the things that I I find difficult living in Singapore is seeing so many of my friends and uh professionals who are driving Grab


just not because they like to drive a Grab but actually they're out of job and it is sad that these people are highly uh educated and they're professionals in their own right uh I still remember


that was a few years ago about five six years ago when I was first retrenched uh so there were, a few of us there were three of us who got retrenched it was myself in the insurance industry there was a general manager with a shipping company a ship supply company and there's also a guy who's in the global human resource so all of us got retrenched


and it was a very uh uh weird situation where three of us and got another guy together four of us were playing table tennis, and we're just asking oh so what's next we got a job, ya it was a bit of uh quite demoralising but we try and keep together


and uh after a while I got a job uh my friend who was in human resource got a job but the guy who was uh in the the ship supply company as GM he was there all his whole life actually he was a uh I think it was a norwegian company


the until now this is talking about five six years ago he's still driving Grab and now I find that the another person has joined the group and he was doing a, regional logistics for a telecom company he's also out of job for now three years and he is driving Grab


so really sad to see this happening in Singapore you know that the the economy has turned out to be like that I think there's some structural problems in terms of how, the government plans the economy and plans the job that uh Singapore wants and how we can move forward as as economy you need to rethink about all these things


ya the the actually the landscape has changed where I've been working for thirty thirty years it has changed so much when I was uh working for the multinational company uh it was a british company and


that time there were my boss was white and they're all we're all singaporeans but now fast forward thirty years uh I just realise uh about this about eight years ago not talk now talking about eight years ago when I took the bus to work


then I got the horror of my life I think I just observe and say how come the top deck of the bus is all, foreigners and where are the singaporeans so that was the start of my so called discovery journey and say oh really there are really a lot of foreigners in Singapore and now


we are actually the minority if you look at the five point eight or five point seven million population singaporeans are two point eight or something which is about half and uh, then talk about that the but the some of the things that the foreigners do observe is very interesting like uh


uh that's about four five years ago I remember I had a japanese colleague who was attached to Singapore for three years, so so as a good host, I brought him out to eat uh one lunchtime and over lunch he told me


dan San Nihon thing I find you know Singapore, very expensive you know it's more expensive than Tokyo where I come from I got a shock in fact I was pretty embarrassed he said !wah! Singapore is really so expensive


ya because he has just been here for a few couple of weeks and he say that to me and talking about five years ago ya now I don't know where where are we are, we're probably one of the highest in terms of uh cost you know living in in a city and uh that is not a good thing the other thing I want to talk about is also the observation from a friend of mine this was even longer this was uh maybe twenty years ago


I met this I was about thirty plus early early thirties and I met uh my agent from Taiwan he's about the same age, so uh so I brought him out for dinner and over dinner he was telling me uh you know you don't mind me saying he say just an observation from a foreigner point of view you know I I noticed that in Singapore


uh a lot of old people cleaning the table is it normal, let's say I was I was shocked when he asked me that you know to me to me it's like very common the old people cleaning the table because we're used to it but coming from where outsider point of view he said that he is shocked that this you know in a look look at the chinese society


the old people at the age of fifty plus they should be retiring and enjoying life, why are they doing these menial jobs like cleaning the table, that's talking about twenty years ago already and that was already happening but to me it's a sad state of affairs because somehow we didn't get beyond that and you still seeing old people cleaning table now


I'm sure you see them everywhere question is that what are we doing about it as a society what is the government doing about it and how can we improve their lives, I mean it these are hard questions but it's it's sad I mean imagine that old person is your grandfather is your father


is your relative it's possible and these are the people that grew up and they they built Singapore it's pretty sad how can that happen and it's not one or two it's many, and uh I'm a bit disappointed when some you know uh


high-ranking officials say that they're there to uh they're they're pushing they're collecting cardboards because they want to exercise like this story was in the internet many years ago and and that is quite uh uh not a right thing to say really and I have the person ever thought that that person could be the father


could be the uncle could be the grandfather


ya yup, so so you have uh foreigner people who coming here for the first time they are telling us this it it makes us very embarrassed actually you know we are supposed supposed to be a first-class society uh but uh high standard of living but the fact is that where is the compassion


what are we helping as a society how are we helping these people who are down at the bottom of of society can we not help them the government should do something about this I mean not of of course there are a lot of social enterprises there are a lot of volunteer groups


there's certain amount of work they they can do but I'm sure there are things that can be done you know when I was growing up I stay in the village then I go to a small town you see beggars everywhere, so of course you see that's still in countries like Indonesia uh Philippines Vietnam and where wherever


but in the in within a span span of ten to twenty years the government cleaned up, all this and put them into homes or give them some support so now if you're not careful that beggar uh phenomenal so called might come back


and some of these old people resort to I'm sure you've come across I come across old people who actually are there to stay to to so called uh I'll I'll call them fosters they're there to make a living because they can't survive


they they they they they pick I see some of them stealing or uh supermarket trolley and uh all the coins that you slot into the trolley, when I was in orchard road I met a old couple who was trying to actually cheated a young person of some money of course there's some people selling tissue paper some are real and some are not so real but the the fact is that if we don't deal with this problem it it becomes worse


and the question is uh where is the solution, the government has to come in and step in


ya it's a depends on the criteria I mean it's a means test, uh what goes into the means test I I I really don't know you know of course there are situations where people who live in private property are what they call established cash-poor when there are instances where the young it's a old couple you know living actually is living in a very


uh worn-out building uh even bungalow, but they don't have money their money is their house, so they didn't sell their house they're living there for a long time and they don't they don't have cash to go through life so called so I don't know how it is hard to say how do they work out the means test what are the criteria I don't know


ya ya ya it's uh because it it's all about costs no it it's difficult for the government to do everything but as a a government they come up with uh schemes like CPF, and uh and try and get uh


so called the economy going in terms of jobs in terms of uh how to structure the economy to make it competitive in the environment but it it it as a result of that I mean it's good that the cost the the uh salaries do go up over the years but on the other hand cost also have gone up a lot


ya ya should ya you should ya I think you should be able to sing call me Singapore uh now I cannot sing the song sadly


ready, oh


and in my whole life uh I believe in planning from very young age so you plan in terms of what you want to do in your school your work, then you plan what course you want to study and you plan your career what


you want to go into so this uh to me uh I mean I'm a quite a positive person so I think these are, very positive experience uh I always tell my the young people at that work with me I plan my career and that is a very positive experience because I start uh before first of all when I went into the insurance career


it was like by chance that I went in but within the a year of in the industry I find that !wow! this is something that I can work on for a long time and I decided that that is going to be my career, and I start doing uh insurance examinations in the old days you need to write to London to get the diploma in uh in chartered insurance institute ya so that is part of the planning and to me that has been very positive experience from that time I was twenty something


to now I'm fifty plus and I'm still in the insurance industry I mean of course there are there are I won't say that everything is plain sailing but it as a whole I think it's a very positive career for me, and I really enjoy the interactions, with uh the people in the industry with the intellectual uh development development that I I I go through and also to be eventually becoming a not only somebody learning but becoming a trainer to train the people in the industry and giving back


what I learnt so to me my career has been a very positive experience I just want to share that


ya I I I agree with that a lot because uh really it's made there's there's not there's no such thing as a plain sailing life you you'll have ups and downs so when you have a downside how to turn that into a opportunity, and that is a very important part of it because a lot of people sink down into the valley


they don't turn it into opportunity there are lots of things to learn when they're down as well it's not only when you're up there then you learn a lot of things, so that's the thing about life uh so using that downturn so called in your life to turn it up then to become a positive experience that is very important and it's it's always say I always say when you you you see a kid falling down


sometimes you let him fall because when you fall then you learn how to climb up how to get up yourself then he he learn to be resilient he learn to be able to take hardships and take life in a better way so after a while the even the difficulty times that you have


you've you come out very much better because you're positive about it very important


so do you what do you cook


which cuisine you like the best what is asian, oh ya I'm hungry now


ya you talking about the the singaporeans is you know food is the first you know you enter any conversation you end up with talking about food, that is the singaporeans uh and our topic main topic really our preoccupation


ya interesting ya you talk about Grab and uh uh Deliveroo and all these uh uh service providers uh do you use it at all


ya I think it's a new development over the years becoming something really uh convenient but also there's a cost to it so sometimes I I, always wonder why would somebody want to buy a a packet of #wanton mee# and pay the same price for the delivery charge


no I somebody I have a grab driver telling me that he said actually he he go and deliver something to the next block so I find it very curious why what what is the motivation behind that kind of uh activity, from the buyer's point of view so


ya it ya interesting you say that because uh the some of the simple things actually can make you very happy you know just like two days ago a friend of mine sent me a picture it was a picture of, the the hornbill the the pied hornbill oriental pied hornbill


I'm a birdwatcher so I can understand that and I'm just asking him because he he is in the uh the birdwatch group and he say that this uh bird actually multiplied in the last ten years in Singapore from a sighting of two in


the I think the northern uh in #pulau ubin# now it has uh spread out a lot in uh ground of the island and it's very common now even can perch on the at the HDB block sometimes you know, so that makes me happy because it really it really uh shows that especially now with COVID it there's nowhere to go sometimes you see these things flying around


you say !wow! god is beautiful he's created all these wonderful creatures and they're so beautiful in their own way so learn to appreciate small things


in a small nuggets there that uh do you know that even hornbills have a story to tell hornbills mate for life like human beings I mean not sure nowadays the human beings but hornbills do mate for life, so some of the birds uh in the animal kingdom there are


things to learn from as well you know you you just have to study them and watch them and there are some things to learn that you might not know actually, oh ya I'm sure


ya you talk about that my boss asked me uh what is the thing that has that has changed when you're in COVID period lockdown at home ya of course working they are trying to find out things about working from home what are the advantages so one thing I tell him is that I actually become fitter


some people become fatter because they end up eating a lot of tidbits or finding what's in the fridge but for me I I got past that because I I used to working from home before and I'll I'll and I'll try and moderate that, and actually spend more time exercising in the morning and in the evening so that actually keep keeps me pretty fit and I'm quite quite glad that that happened actually


ya ya yes a fit mind will give you a a able to, to uh manage things much much better sharper and also able to manage your mental health as well


I don't I don't carry walking stick man I I carry a hiking stick climbing up and down the mountain, ya because uh that that is one of the things that I like enjoy doing which is hiking and in Singapore uh when there's not much places to go then you you realise now in COVID times uh there's of course the nature reserves there's all the small little hills in Singapore but it's not as as uh


uh pretty as what you see in the region actually you don't have to go far, you just go into Malaysia Indonesia Vietnam Thailand there are a lot of nice beautiful mountains and natural parks and those are very natural, and uh I remember the oh a few years ago I went to Mongolia


as a hiker and we had a team of about, eight people and that was a wonderful experience because at the time you can see uh a vast expanse of nature it's and it's all bare you can see the the mountains you can see the flatlands you can see the rivers in one at one go because there are no trees


in some parts of Mongolia it's called semi-desert, and yet you can experience different uh weather in one day you can have uh it was, it was summer september and hot but when we're coming up the mountain it was hot it was nice we can see the glacier beautiful view air was cold when you stop you stop longer it becomes colder then when come down when we


start pitching the tent later on then the snowstorm comes then can see totally different weather it's it came and within an hour it left but in between when it came, there was start started with uh uh raindrops then heavy raindrops then start uh strong winds snowing and howling winds in one within one hour


and the tent was shaking two of us me and my friend was trying to hold on to the tent we were so afraid that it was being blown off so but that was a to me it was a very interesting experience you know even though in in a hard times like that so called imagine those uh mongolians who are out in the, cold they're herding the their their sheep or their cattle and they get into this kind of weather can't imagine


ya then you got to try and go there and do it yourself it


oh that's important ya, retail therapy


uh I don't I don't really shop men don't shop too much, you know I think I do more sports than anything else uh so when I'm free I'm just relax enjoy the the scenery if I'm at at a place where there's a beautiful scenery or I find my way there


or sometimes I do walks uh along the along the beach, and there was one time I did a walk with my son, actually he said he want to walk from here to mount Faber I'm staying in the east and mount Faber is quite a long way so we started uh about six


and say okay we'll try and reach there so you can see as you walk you can see the city coming nearer and nearer towards us but as you go along you find that your legs are more and more sore , so we didn't quite reach there but we still enjoy we reached up to the uh uh the Tanjong #tanjong rhu# area


and near the riverside and from there we took a bus home, uh we didn't quite get there but it was still fun you know ya so also uh having a time father and son bonding during that period of time you know tell me about his uh his own challenges in his in his work


it's not work I would say it's the schoolwork rather and uh the the problems he face with uh different teams in the school, and uh as a young adult how growing up is to be and how I can encourage him that's beautiful


the long way


ya ya ya to me it's a it's remind me a bit of chinese new year when it's, the roads are quiet so the first part of it when it's locked down you know you can't really go out and actually when you go out for for a run you can see it's so quiet and peaceful and after a few weeks you see the grass overgrown to me that itself is beautiful


ya because singaporeans like it to be so called manicured and uh to be clean then there are no there's uh lesser chance of uh snacks or less mosquitoes


but I think the government can think about doing something like that will leave some more patches uh wild it looks more natural and makes Singapore more natural instead of uh cutting it to a certain form it after a while it looks very unnatural to me


ya nature is now getting very sad because it's been abused for so many years, now we're seeing the the uh the sicknesses coming out from nature in terms of uh of forest fires in terms of uh all this uh more and stronger and stronger typhoons instead of global warming all all this is all coming out because uh we are upsetting nature


and that that that is a sad thing to see really but but you know I think there's still a way to turn back


part one financial related topic okay uh ya, so Suhirman regarding about the saving account


so what kind of saving account do you have like you know


K my saving account is also very basic , where eventually it's more like, uh receiving allowance from my spouse and , it's for my daily spending


and not much for saving but, you know it's just more to spend and ya receive the, amount ya monthly allowance uh ya


and then the, the saving accounts that I have is actually links to the, debit card that I'm using, uh as currently I don't own any credit card at all, so ya


for me the current, bank that I'm using is actually, not that really recognised, uh for as a national bank I call it, because the


like what I'm using right now is Maybank uh, so Maybank is actually not that really well recognised and they're also not part of the uh national bank the national bank is like DBS POSB OCBC and UOB, so ya so but


the the advantage of this uh Maybank is like I think they're more private and , I also have like uh a lot of benefits whenever I travel to Malaysia, because it's a quite a good uh for especially for if you're traveling to Malaysia or if I do in transfer for malaysian account it's like


uh free of charge there's no service charge at all, so ya it's good


uh actually uh to be honest it's not uh really a trouble to withdraw money because, Maybank is actually related to few other banks like Standard Chartered Citibank so and also nowadays because of the app of like transferring money that is quite make it quite easy


like uh if I want to use like , like transfer to any other OCBC bank or whatever I can just use uh my send account then I just withdraw lah from those more well recognised, ATM


ya , ya it's true but , ya it's


to me I I find it's quite, uh no hassle if I'm using Maybank and ya , also


uh if I want to make any purchase online, uh, so you know as you know lah cause Malaysia product sometimes are way more cheaper compared to the Singapore product so that's why the currency rate is much more better so I if I want to buy !aiya! stuff from Malaysia website directly so it makes things easier for me ah


ya and also I think their interest is, quite good also ya, I can't remember lah but I think they are much more better compared to the local


one ya yup, and ya, ya previously I used to work uh I was in the ya


I used to be in the oil and gas industry so, uh so when the when I'm working that means that I'm qualified I used to get all those, loans and credit cards ya


now now no longer I used to have like personal loans from a few banks yup


actually ya I used to get personal loans from like uh HSBC and, uh UOB those kind of bank so uh, my experience with them is actually ya I mean it's quite mutual and they're quite good because as long as I pay my monthly repayment amount so everything should be fine


then uh if like that in the future how do you want to travel like uh


ya I agree but the thing is right now as you know lah during this pandemic it's like, you know, saving also we can't save much because you know everything we need to use the cash right so, ya at for me right now since I'm like uh I don't have like employment and position the the work so I don't dare lah to get any personal loan that uh previously I to me getting a personal loan is


like ya it's well manageable for myself, personally uh regarding about the like you know the features whatever the loan that uh I mean the bank that got to offer it's actually quite good


so, ya talking about, that so, what do you think of like combined saving accounts or a joint account


actually to be honest I don't believe in having a joint account because it's like, you never know what might happen so, it's best to have your own personal account, instead of a joint account


ya both of us have our own personal account there's no joint account, because I believe this is like , it's supposed to have some respect, this is like my privacy so ya it's my privacy like uh


I I I don't feel like it it's very uncomfortable, ya unless maybe if it's like my son, or my child like account maybe the both of us the parents have to know about it lah like what is the balance and you know the transactions and all that


ya he have uh his own saving account, actually he just started also this year


so , it's quite new lah just only only this year he just started so not much better ya he also have his own ATM cards which actually I did offer to give it to him but


he would prefer to let me keep it but whenever he needs it I would just like be there with him because I'm the one who's gonna be like going shopping with him or whatever so he will like get the access of the ATM card lah at that point


ya it's uh actually a saving accounts for kids with the, uh no uh OCBC OCBC bank yes yup


so , ya it's actually it's a good practice lah, for the kids to have their own personal saving account at young age ya


ya ya he will like eventually he will get allowances like from his grandparents or, uncles and aunty they will so whenever there's money received from them he will just put inside or from his #hari raya#


money you know that they contributed to him so he'll just you know put it inside but of course I will keep him update lah because every time whenever there's uh money that like like was spent uh for his item he will I'll make sure that he will know of it lah


because I think it's better to be that way so at least the children's I mean like we must also respect their money even though it's not that much but it's still their money and to them maybe it's quite a a sum of money you see


ya true exactly yup true true, that's why so to me it's like, I don't know maybe for my point of view for about back to joint account uh I haven't open up yet uh to that


maybe in the future ya


true, then I actually also realise like all these banks right so whenever you have an account with them they will eventually start to offering you all the like insurance you know they will say that oh you're the lucky


customer you were offered to get this insurance at this price and all that so uh to be honest ah , I don't really like lah, uh actually it's like I mean if I want an insurance I know where to find and I like know where to get so


but uh recently I have an experience ah from one of the insurance company where they receive my detail from the bank, and then so I was telling them they were offering me insurance for my dental care so I was like telling them lah okay lah you know let me discuss with my husband that kind of thing then I get back to you you know the


thing is they call me at like six PM the day before then the next day they say okay I will call you but they call me at nine AM it's like and then when I say you have to give me time then they like you know not not happy and I find it like it's quite rude lah you know, I mean I might I might or I might not be your potential customer but still it's like quite rude to just like you know give that kind of tone to me so I


(mmhmm) the insurance people you know ya when they know that it's quite negative the from the way I talk so they kind of like not happy with it you see so to me it's like, ya uh


I don't get it like why must all this like they get the information from the bank and start to you know keep offering us all this insurance I mean like I find it ya it's it's not, uh I don't like that you see


ya correct correct


okay okay so do you like have any like uh fixed deposit kind of accounts with any of the bank


ya


ya actually it's true lah everything is like, basically all these banks are all offering about the same kind of product and sometime that is why I actually I prefer to just stick to one bank and uh not more than one because the more the bank is the more will I will like getting all these offer which I


actually I'm not really keen lah at the first place ya, ya ya basically that's it lah I regretting about all these banking in, Singapore ya so ya that's it about the banking products


so what's, uh no no I the moment when I stop working I actually


I stop all the credit cards and all the personal loan all is already been (uh), ya paid back


part three negative experiences, okay, so recently


what I read regarding about all this , COVID uh nineteen ah the pandemic that is going on, then I heard there's uh actually an advanced kind of, uh a disease that is like more worse than the COVID nineteen


I think it's something like mutated so actually it really frustrated me lah because you see the thing is the medication or the antidotes for this current, COVID nineteen uh is still not really confirmed and then, there's a more worse one coming up so what what do you think about that it's like very frustrated me ah you know


ya so it's like you know , there's a time when I don't know how true it is lah because sometime the Facebook news also cannot believe it right so just sometime when I see like uh ya I mean before that it's going on lah currently


but like uh I don't know lah but uh I, saw like you know they're not cooperating by still eating the wildlife so it actually like disgust me so much ah like why why they're still doing this kind of thing so uh but actually it makes me


think back lah like uh eh, maybe , I don't know this COVID nineteen ah like how true from where is it origin so what what what is it involved and all that so I myself I mean like we know its origin from China but how how it came about you see that kind of thing so they said oh it's because of the wildlife the consumption of the wildlife


then I mean can't they think like if it's really consumption about the wildlife then why why can't they just like stop eating it you know so it's really I I'm pissed lah that's why uh ya


so sometime you know when , you know this kind of uh situation ah make you very angry ah but you know you don't have the, uh proper channel to voice out eh it's so it's really lah pissed off ah


so you know what and like I say lah then uh I come across, this about the mutated uh cases right that is going on right so it's like , that is my actually all of us lah actually our greatest fear


like you know like uh I really don't don't want to see like more unfortunate things to happen to the world or you know with all these people keep saying there's a like second wave coming up and it's really scary you know that is the greatest fear lah actually


but uh recently actually I just like recall an experience ah when I uh was actually I, go out then uh happens in a supermarket then, you know , ya there's an uh old uncle lah


you know they then you know lah old people right like sometime, uh we also cannot blame them ah cause they are quite old and you know regarding about the mask issue ah, sometime maybe they cannot breathe like properly so you know maybe they just like put down few second but ya and then you know like some aunties at the side like take it like uh you know their


one kind of disease so it's actually frustrated me also lah you know I feel like asking the auntie like uh what's wrong that kind of thing but you know they said oh cannot do this but I mean how you want to explain to old people that's why so it's actually ya I mean if that were to happen to my family it will really like


, it's very hurting lah you know to see if , ya because they they treat them like I mean the aunty treat him like some kind of like uh they are some kind of like uh having phobia or !aiya! that kind of thing so it's


not nice lah ah because in this I mean at this point ah currently situation like everybody is trying to survive that's the thing ya, but you can you can tell them nicely lah you know you can tell them nicely but sometime also this uh officer the all those ambassador ah they the way they like tell ah also like


quite rude lah actually the way they tone and I mean you can tell them just tell them you know nicely you know maybe like they're one kind of like criminal do something you know don't treat people like that lah, that's why ah


ya ya ya I get I get what you mean, I get what you mean I get what you mean


ya ya then there's one, time also it's like that time when the circuit breaker uh just starting so it's like you know then everybody so scared that everybody didn't get enough food to eat, so it ya but it's like there's one incident when it happened to me when I was in the supermarket then this


auntie was just like shouting across the supermarket and was telling all the kids uh I mean her kids, to put everything just put everything inside the trolley and I find it it's like very selfish lah you know it's like you shouldn't do that because you know you know everybody need foods you know everybody needs to buy stuff also not only you


so ya that one also like really frustrated me about those kind of experience ya


ya actually I think that is the worst thing that I ever witnessed lah but of course who we want to complain with also we cannot complain so and then what I pity most is those people that uh who don't have enough cash flow to stock up their stuff


to stock up their food from the table I mean I mean it's uh really like it's very upset it's very upset, ya correct


ya I understand I understand I I totally can relate to that ah


no you know you remember that point eh where like everybody is like like, you know want to buy all the flour and all the eggs and all that the the the worst part is, there's some individual that do that panic buying then after that they go and sell it online at like triple times ten times the prices


ya, ya correct


so talking about that so what what is your phobias what's your phobias in life


for me my phobias is actually I cannot see the rats ah so, ya actually this is the year of the rats ah I cannot see the rats and I until now, I, ya rats that's my phobias in life it's okay to be hungry it's okay to be like thirsty


but I cannot see the rats okay so until now I cannot overcome it uh to be to be honest so this is the year of the rats I don't know why ah I you know a lot of people actually trying to link the year of the rat with uh all this, pandemic going on like because they say oh the rat like to hide inside the house and all that and we are like we are like them this this year we are like them we'll we need to hide inside our house because of the pandemic so uh


I mean like uh ya but , to me lah, the greatest fear is actually you know not having enough medicine for to overcome this pandemic you know that is my greatest fear


ya to for everyone in the world lah actually to get uh hunger all that their


uh I understand about the vaccine part lah that they're really working hard, for it but I don't understand about the mutated kind of thing like uh what will happen if this uh the upgrade version of COVID nineteen they call it ah uh is like that's what I'm my my my fear lah


you know so , and it's very frustrating very frustrating ya


so what do you think what do you feel like you know, what the world needs to do more about it, for me ah personally ah I think ah, better to stop traveling for all the country currently stop travelling you know you know whatever lah you know just don't go out of your country just like settle within your own country everybody have to settle


do not start all this like you know what they say working all that for now please try to work within your own country and all that lah, uh I I think uh it's it's best to do that, because you know like Singapore currently like uh actually we're doing quite good


especially for the dormitories issue uh actually the numbers is going down but uh what uh concern me now is actually more to those , yes imported cases, ya so I think that is more worrying lah


uh because to be honest like uh, in the committee there's not much uh, numbers raising ya, uh also for all those


ya ya, ya


so or how do you feel when you unable to help those people that is in need, ya


ya ya I know it's like uh you feel frustrated lah when you cannot help someone especially within your family members but to my concern it's like not only family members lah you know everyone that is in Singapore like I say ah, if you feel like you're in need or whatever you just like PM me or DM me you know


you know I will just like try to help you within my means you know whatever that we can do as a, ya as a singaporean we can just help out each other


part two positive experiences, okay ya regarding about


travelling ya, so as you know lah we love to travel so much, so I talk about my, personal travelling experience okay because , I used to travel a lot for work so at the same time it's like work cum holiday for my ownself


okay so , the travel experience that really left a impression for me is when I was in Oman in Dubai it was like my first time experience in the UAE country


so ya it was uh impressed because I I'm very impressed because one thing about the country is like they have too many lands I mean like compared to Singapore so too many too many empty lands actually


so you know, ya it's a very big country so it's very beautiful with all those uh sands and all that so, of course the culture is also different compared to Singapore so like in Singapore it's very metropolitan very city life like the one in Oman is very very


laidback very laidback and everybody is just like so chill, you know uh compared to Singapore it's like everybody was like you know so tense so ya I was there like for almost ten days so


I had a good time actually when I was there I had a good time experiencing all their cultures the foods uh but in Dubai it's, it's a bit different Dubai is quite modern country then there's a lot of uh foreign foreigners as well compared to the arab there ya so eventually it's quite a nice place to go lah


how about yourself


ya correct


it's at the Caribbean right


so, so do you do like you do anything to make uh you feel like uh you know there's a excitement is there any like uh kind of like activity that you do there that that you feel excited you know the adrenaline rush those kind


so ya


ya, exactly, ya


ya true, okay uh ya I'm I I get it what what you're trying to say that kind of uh exciting like you know, ya it's quite actually it's


it's very good experience because uh you when you're overseas you have to experience something like that right


ya for me it's like I I like to go travelling lah it's very because you know when you travel you feel good like you meet, uh all these kind of people from all parts of the world you see but at the same time also because ever since I become a mother like uh travelling has also like uh you know I'm not looking forward that much especially when I have to do like a business trip because


I have to leave my son okay so and he was very young so you know, because , it's a sad thing lah actually but you see the thing is I take it very positively because


when I travel for him he need I mean like it's like when I travel I am doing it for him also, because I'm working at the same time earning money for, the family and all that so ya actually whenever I was like being sent to any like business trip whatever at the end of the day I would just like look forward that I will have a good time with him and ya because I can say that actually


he's I I I feel the luckiest you know to just, uh, ya to have him inside my life I mean to be with me so ya, besides travelling so


describe the moment when you feel the luckiest


ya, ya correct true nowadays it's more to family holidays like uh


of course like the both of us like you know, we we we all the whole family just love to go to, Korea to be to be honest so like we always make it a point to go there every year but, now due to the COVID so no Seoul this year so but of course at the end of the day what I'm like really happy is like this year


as a family we bond more, ya it's actually a blessing in disguise this pandemic is happening is going on but we bond more as a family and actually that what really matters lah, K then you know as we know that you when you have a family you just want to be alive for your kid your husband ya


so, it's good it's good that we're spending more time now, ya true true


ya true so ya and this year birthday I actually it happened during the circuit breaker for myself so ya actually it's even though it's very small, of us like there's only few of us in the family in the house so but I'm like happy and you know I'm surprised that


you all gave me a very good party like you know I got a good presents from everyone like even though they are not there to be there physically but you know there's a lot of delivery guys sending, stuff present food so ya it's a very good good surprise and you know at least to make up my day ya for my birthday for my fortieth birthday so it's actually it's nice so for me right now


as you know actually as a singaporean we actually love to go to staycations you see it's a it's a good uh activity to just like relax even though it's just in Singapore but, it's


it's out of the house at the end of the day it's out of the house, then ya even, though you know nothing much you can do no shopping I mean like you can do shopping but it's like local shopping but uh it's totally different when you have a holiday but


ya it's just to relax ya because anyway even before the pandemic we also have it like two to three times, a year for staycation just to unwind and relax you know in the local hotels and all that so especially it's in Sentosa so it's good


ya ya ya true ya


ya, ya exactly that's why it's like , you know I I believe that's why with all this pandemic that is going on right now like


you know whatever hold hold for I mean for us in the future it's like, ya we have to keep on going life goes on so, just have to stay positive and of course like you know the uh


you just have to stay positive I know like , there's a lot of uncertainty like uh like no you're not certain about like uh what is gonna be your job like it's gonna be in the few next, month and all that ya but uh you know you still have to keep on stay positive for your family you know you you need to get the healthy mindset


you see , you cannot just like keep on pulling yourself down and all that, so for me it's like , whatever happens like day by day basis nowadays it's like, it's actually I really appreciate it like, even just a small single thing like I really appreciate it lah you know


just appreciate life lah actually at the end of the day, true true


ya actually you see the thing is , ya the biggest reward that you actually hope for or you ever receive in life is actually, a healthy family just beside you, and also of course


the proudest moment or when you felt the luckiest is when ya for me for me it's like when, I have my son uh, when I gave birth to him, I and ya ya because I just can't believe it like you know ya I


have a son I have a kid that's the thing ya, so of course , he's the one who keep me alive, uh all the time and ya I'm really proud of it also, ya quite happy


ya, yes they are doing good their studies and everything


ya, so uh what so what do you look forward to like I mean for the next few months because now we're unable to travel so


what's the plan, to keep up ya


!wah! money ah


ya true ah actually it's ya we all like


ya true true ya it's actually , ya it's a good mindset to think like that because you see nowadays like I heard like people all like so stressed they want to get out of Singapore and all that


ya true I agree with you about that that's why I like, ya like I say we always have to remain positive, in life ya just be safe and try to you know just ya if you're sick


don't go out whatever you know put on, mask and every five minutes with all those uh sanitise going on, and uh so it's like, ya we just look forward and hoping for a better year next year right


ya ya (ppl) okay, hopefully it's, it will be good for us soon okay, okay okay thanks


part one financial related topic, K yes


okay right right now I'm having uh this just a basic savings account lah from uh POSB where every every month my salary will be credited in


and I used, to have a, uh another savings account it's a save as you earn but that was quite lah some time back, where you


earn a certain amount of percentage, like if I remember correctly like an additional two percent, of your saving ya, but now I I I don't I don't have that already lah so it it it's for two years only


so what about you


month monthly allowance ah, so so so you receive a monthly allowance and uh, and you keep it okay okay


which bank


ya


but Maybank is like there's not many, banks in uh Singapore right so it's like if you want to draw out money be like a bit of a trouble ah


uh so you like it will be if you need cash immediately you will like just transfer, the cash from Maybank to another account ah


you you you you you were saying uh like you you transfer money in Malaysia what was that for


ah okay, you remember what's the interest like uh okay lah ah okay okay


so uh you're not working, uh but you you work previously or


loan okay, so now you still have it ah, oh okay


so what what do you think I mean like


think uh ya but I think for me like personal loan, ya lah I mean it it does help lah if we get personal loan from banks but, it boils down to, discipline ah when paying back ya because like I also have like


get into like a debt trap you know, something like that if a few years ago, uh with credit cards so now I I don't have any credit cards uh I only have a charge card from my company for travelling


so because of my ya personal loan I I have, a bad experience so that's why now I don't use uh credit cards anymore now


savings ah, cash I mean uh, personal loan is like is like an advanced cash ah, so after you spend that cash then you still have to pay back, so might as well like if I want to go I want to buy something go on holiday maybe set aside some amount it's better that way lah


you so you can control your money ah, ya ya but okay lah


ya true also, you mean with uh with my with my wife uh ya ya I think it's it's


it's good lah to have a like , for a family to have a joint savings account where you put an amount of, uh a sum of money to a bank account uh for your family emergencies like uh medical


or, for your children, ya so it's it's I think it's it's a good way to, set aside some money and uh have a joint saving account for that


so your husband and uh, your spouse and your this one ah you will have your own personal account


okay okay, so your child have a savings account or


your child has a savings account


so that's a savings account for children is it, Maybank, ah okay okay


ya ya okay so so like do you uh


like give any allowance for him every month to save, every month ya


uh ya and then they can learn also like, to save, at a young age ya


well ya to me joint account is, is is is, good ah I mean we do have like a personal account also, but, the joint account is like, we don't have to set aside a lot of money


it's like uh to to me it's like a emergency fund ah, uh so, if it's if if if, not in use then we let it be inside lah, ya so ya to me that's that's


uh a bit of uh, discipline lah because if I, gonna, put all money in my bank, I'm gonna burn I'm gonna spend it


oh ya ya ya


you mean the bank staff oh the insurance people okay


ya I mean, maybe the way the way like the the approach is is you're not comfortable with it ha, uh for me also like I do receive like insurance call from they saying that


uh from POSB, uh asking me to, to sign up for insurance for my for me and my my child also, but , I, told them ya I'm not interested because I have


I have my own uh company insurance which covers which have adequate, cover for my family ah, so uh my insurance is like uh from Aviva so


it covers, like my spouse my child's uh if they're hospitalised or I'm hospitalised they will cover all the medical bills we can claim ya and I think for me that's enough lah


fixed deposit right now just a normal, no more just a normal basic account where my salary gets get get credited in and that's it lah ya, there are there I mean there are so many accounts I do like


sometimes see the financial products but, uh I'm too I'm too, lazy lah to read up on all this, I just read up a bit but basically like almost like, the same to me


ya just just stick to one bank and you know ya be happy with it lah


okay so , other than that, so now you have you have any like , like credit card or what, no more ah


!wow! that's good, no income


but debit card oh ya, ya me too ya I only have like a debit card which is ya the same as a credit card in terms of like cashback or rewards, ya so it's better lah to have a debit card than you know


credit card


(mm) okay, alright so that's good [ah] I mean you, (um) how you say, you do, set some amount for okay


part three negative experiences, okay


ya lah I mean to me like it seems like, when we feel that this COVID nineteen is like uh, we are having like under control but suddenly when when I see in the news Facebook like


oh, there's a like another second wave and then there's news of like a mutated version of the COVID uh virus and then it was like to me, oh man where when will this end ah when will this end I mean I really want life to get back to


normal not not like the, pre pre-COVID but at least you know return back to normal where everything is , there's the virus is no more but when I heard like there's another wave and then there's a mutated version


oh man I'm like really worried ah, you know about what will happen in future especially to the economy what's gonna happen you know, and


ya


ya I mean it's it ya to it's worrying but, for me I see like the situation in uh, Singapore it's like, under control for now


but the how I say the, situation elsewhere, ya it's it's it's it's not, it seems to be better but after that, there's another wave of of


virus hitting them but , ya I mean, especially you know in the, what frustrates me is like uh in countries like the, US, where they don't care you know


not all of them but you know most of them it's like they don't like care about having, like social distancing all those measures to prevent all this I mean, the frustrations


for the people over there, I can understand you know there which is much worse than in uh Singapore, you know people get into fight just because of not wearing mask, but the thing is ya


luckily for in Singapore we are more well behaved, luckily I was not there lah if not I will be like you know, going crazy over there


may ah may, ya ya


ya lah


disease ah, ya ya ya


I mean ya from uh I understand also because I also have, just one experience also lah I mean during uh this kind of uh COVID period, where as uh I was wearing a mask but in a public transport


I do I had I let out a cough lah just a dry, cough lah just to clear my throat, then like two I I two person in front of me was like staring at me it's like, to my mind it's like why why why you're staring at me ah


you know I'm just I'm just clearing my throat, it's you know it's it's not like like you know I openly cough loudly just like, cough like clearing my throat it's dry cough, and


ya now now it's like when I want to cough or, sneeze, I really have to hold it in ah, but ya I mean it does, triggers me but at the same time I cannot uh blame them ah


maybe they are worried too, you know because of all this ya but, so it's like better for me okay keep quiet, and then just let them stare then they want to stare just just stare lah


I mean it it it no no no no point getting into an argument lah, ya


ya I I I think this is in the also in the news correct where you know people are panic buying during the first first first weeks of the pandemic right, ya


ya those those those low income families and those old people who cannot go to the supermarket, ya correct lah I mean, uh ya sometime I it's like, what also


encourage me you know, ya there are there are there are some helpful people lah who you know who, give out help you know even though during this pandemic period and uh you know


ya, but the thing that, uh I'm also like, you know seems angry also lah when the first first, first weeks of the pandemic ah like I want to go down buy egg ah, eh no eggs ah


why ah like eh come on man, especially you know during the #hari raya#, you want to you know like bake some cookies


there's no even like !wah! flour basic stuff flour it's so hard to find I have to go to so many places just to get, you know uh usually I will go like to #sheng siong# or or what to get all my to get all the stuff but now I have to go to different supermarkets


to get the stuff, ya so that's really a hassle, but now everything is okay lah ah


that really, really angry about that also I mean making use of the situation then to make money I mean what's what's up with that


phobia phobia ah actually I don't have any like, phobia but what


I have is like , how I say ah, I don't have any phobia sorry ah uh I I I ya, what about you


but wait rats ah ya ya ya


I mean ya this is the concern for like almost like everyone ah I mean the I mean right now they are working on the vaccine so ya we'll see but


ya this this pandemic really like, you know have we have to keep our guard up lah you know just to just to, protect ourself but, ya, you the the uncertainty is that even though we we like take measures to protect ourself or what but we don't know you know we might be walking beside someone who is uh who is having this COVID nineteen virus but


you know am I going to, when am I going to get infected you know the that's the question in my mind ah it's like I'm working uh taking public transport walking of these people uh the people around me


it's like, oh I mean, that's


imported cases ah ya


I mean there there there's one uh few days where, there's no community community cases infection correct so ya I mean for like locally I think it's it's it's, really controlled but right now


ya we have to take care of the imported cases right now , but we'll see ah what what the what our government will do lah about this


unable to help those people in need, okay lah for me like, okay for example like, for a family you know family member if they are you know need help or what


actually, if I can't help them you know they are my family member we have to help them I mean no matter what with with with money or with


food that we have in our house, I mean to me whatever I have I will still help for my family members ah I mean I cannot, I cannot see a family member


being helpless you know with nothing I mean I I, ya that's that's that's for me lah, ya it's really frustrating


ya I mean there are some uh help groups also, you know where we can you know, there's no need to help like in terms of money or what you can help like if you have any extra food rations, ya uh so it's


it's it's good lah I mean we have all these uh kind of group that we can go to that we can give our rations or we can get help from, ya it it it important thing is uh we we we help each other within the within ourself you know community ya


part two positive experiences


it's a big it's a big country right


for me ya I'm like I do also like travel , for work also, but the, but then ah one of the experience that


I did, remember is, when I went for when, I went for the my work trip, to, Trinidad and Tobago, ya


actually I didn't know what to expect when I when I, was assigned to go there for like two months , it's always go like what was it gonna be a different, different culture or or different uh people the way


how do I interact with people those people but when I get there I mean, I was surprised that , actually, in terms of their, food and


and uh culture, , I can relate to them, because , fifty percent, of their population is, indian ya so like


the food they have there and the food that we have in Singapore is quite similar, so the, thus the thing is like the way they speak ya it's like they have their own, uh slang


and, ya it's a nice experience to, really it's a really beautiful country, ya it's in the Caribbean it's a really beautiful country although it's uh dangerous but, ya you you


you just have to take care of yourself, I get to go to a few places where, go to the beaches which is very nice and


get to go to do like like you know like their #pasar malam# ah, like their #pasar malam#, , so it's like their #pasar malam# is like, lively, uh lots of , entertainment music, it's not like


uh uh it's not it's not like a a bar kind of environment but it's a like a #pasar malam# but know there's , people uh doing some entertainment by the roadside, ya


uh but for , down there okay, the part, where I feel like there's an adrenaline rush, okay I was


when I was it's this is still in Trinidad and Tobago, uh I was, going for a drive with my my my my friend who is there also, and but he's a he's a local down there, so we stop at the


junction and I said, I I was new there then uh he was saying to me uh did you lock, uh, your door on your side ya I'm locked so I ask him why


so because uh at any time, you have to be careful because there might be people who will just open the door and do a robbery on you then at first like


oh my gosh it's like I'm I don't want that that to happen to me because ya because I was like in a different country and then was like I was like one week there and, ya and he telling me this like !wow! okay


ya ya I mean uh it makes it makes me appreciate uh what I have in uh Singapore you know about the safety we don't have to worry when, you know when you walk out, at night in Singapore


you feel safe but when I was there I mean after my friend told me about that, ya I was like ya coming back to Singapore it was like !wow! I'm really really uh how you say lucky to be in Singapore rather than but otherwise what what


amazed me also, even though there is a, they're so called dangerous like when my friend told me like, there is a, a a a murder every day, but the people down there


is really really friendly, ya, it's like strangers you can just say hi and say good morning but, that's not what I find in Singapore lah but !aiya! you can't get the best of


both worlds so, ya that that's my experience ah


okay, ya that's true that's true so, now ya now it's like you don't travel for work so


it's like, for family holidays you know, ya, so now we life, how you say, more to family holidays than work work trip lah ah


ya you mean during especially during the circuit circuit breaker period, uh we're stuck most of the time at home


ya ya


ya actually staycation is not that bad ah because it's, uh it's not much of a hassle, you know rather than you know if we travel other countries we have to prepare a lot of stuff especially if we going like to a different kind of weather


ya we have to prepare a lot of stuff and then, and then the travelling time but for staycation it's like , like twenty minutes drive to the hotel stay there relax swimming pool


nice time with family, with the kid, ya and then go back


ya correct agree


ya !whoa!, ya ya for me also like, uh since also like this ah pandemic happen, I mean , as a as a, father I also worry you know I'm working


uh like you know, but whatever it is if you worry too much it will affect it will affect you and it will affect your work also, so it's like to me I will take one day at a time and then I will if any activities to be done I will just focus on the activity do my job properly and I keep positive with your you know family especially family is important lah uh so


just just I will just keep myself up you know looking at my family I work for my family just don't think about, I mean that we I do have to, to worry about, all the uncertainties but


I don't put that, thought in front so it's just in the back of my mind but the most important thing now is like, what I do I have to work every day, work properly focus on my work and then provide for my family


and we'll see maybe, if it keep , safe, and you know hopefully nothing this pandemic will get by, hopefully soon ya


ya I would think should the proudest is I think it's to be the same lah I mean the proudest moment is when uh have the our children, ya I mean it's it's like, no it's like doing, like, seeing them uh growing up


and then how you say, educate them to be a better person, and then ya


well I mean like, okay for travelling like we can't travel out of the country, but the a good thing about this is , we can save money ya


so maybe if like the travel ban that the travel ban is lifted up then we can travel again you know maybe, that money that, saved you can go for more holidays with the family, ya so


so this is a like a to me this is a positive thing lah even though we we cannot travel this year but we, can save more you can go you know maybe to other place that we haven't been to ya


ya I I also heard like !wah! I, heard from friends you know from Facebook uh I cannot travel I feel so stressed, I mean , !aiya! come on lah this will this will not be for forever, no just, like if you have the thinking like okay if you can't go this year then maybe can go next year and then save up more money for the family


and maybe you can instead of go one holiday maybe you can go for two holidays, ya, correct


ya hopefully hopefully this will end soon because, one thing I don't like about this is like uh especially the putting on of mask ah it's really irritating


ya it'll be good next year [lah] hopefully [lah] we just pray [ah]


financial ready related topics, shh, okay hi good afternoon <P2>huiling</P2> okay shall we go down the list how do you invest your money to accumulate wealth or planning for your retirement


okay I I'm not as adventurous as you, I, invest in very safe instruments mainly deposits


and, as err saving uh a retirement plan , I actually put money voluntarily into my CPF to earn the interest in the special accounts four per cent so it's risk free it grows


and I have enough for my retirement by the time I reach fifty-five, okay , next, strategy you recommend to someone planning for their big ticket expenditure


okay , my advice to people is, for big ticket items like cars or say for example cars


to identify if it's a needs or want if it's a, want then you delay that big ticket item , but it is if you know if that item is actually like housing which is actually a need if you are getting married and you want a house then naturally plan for that first so prioritize your needs


first and then budget and set aside your saving to address the the needs, so housing starting a family you know having kids is also big ticket item so


have a have a uh err have your savings set aside for those first and then like buying a car you know going for holidays they are wants so that would be at the bottom of the list so at least they know, that you know the money they are going to there's actually uh limited


uh amount so the limited amount goes to the address the needs first then slowly come down to the want, may not be


right


ya I agree the other thing I advice I would advise people is especially when they're getting married


don't spend too much on your weddings you know have like lavish weddings at big hotels because if you have to fork out like eighty thousand or fifty thousand on a wedding dinner and then you cannot recoup your your your expenses then you're going


to your marriage with a huge debt which is not a very good start to a a a a marriage you do you agree, yeah


ya can end up in a,


ya, ya


right, so so even if if they buy a house right you know like big ticket items like okay you know if they will need to buy expensive uh furniture they can actually delay you know instead of going on hire purchase right save the money first then buy your furnitures slowly rather than have a had err


having to borrow money just to furnish your whole house, because right, okay there is a interesting topic here in a post COVID world


what changes are you making in terms of your spending and saving habits which is right now lah post not really post COVID lah but you know, yeah I you know after the CB right after the CB


whereby everybody was locked down you know it it it made me reflect that, a lot of us spend a lot of our money going, out to eat eating out [loh]


and during this uh two months actually people can save a lot by just eating in, and, healthier ya and then you you of course you have the time to prepare your food and experiment with new dishes


but you know , you know people actually save on like going to pub you know every week, going to maybe restaurants so it it kind of make us


uh reflect that it's actually not difficult to save money you know just by staying in , and then sometime we do it because other people are are are are are doing it


what else, ,


right okay shall we move on or you want, do you think one should own a credit card it depends on how old a a person


is if if, like you know I wouldn't give a supplementary cards to teenagers, err because they unless they really know how to control, themselves and the banks are now


issuing cards even to teenagers, so it's quite, dangerous in that sense but, I think, honestly it is okay to have a credit card as long as you pay within that period whereby you pay you pay your loans within that period and then they don't kick in the interest


but I think a lot of people don't realise that or they go uh they they own more than one credit card and then they end up spending more than they earn, what do you think


yeah


, ox


, okay what are your thoughts on CPF contribution


we have been contributing all these years ,


you know I I kind of regret I never contribute earlier, you know when we were when when I was working as a teenager right actually I should have


save uh contribute voluntary to the special account because it's earning a lot of interest four per cent so if I had put in at fifteen years old save a hundred dollars right, with then I just leave it there and let it grow the interest


in sixteen to eighteen years time it double in you know in, thirty thirty thirty-two years sixteen thirty-two years it, quadruple so if you look at it for doing nothing you know just put your first hundred dollar inside


ya and then you don't need to do anything right so can imagine putting a thousand or ten thousand, you now instead of just uh putting it in a saving accounts outside, and and with any banks right so


I advise, the young people lah that if they go for holiday job right and even though if the company pays CPF you know the extra that you have go and err go and put into your special accounts four per cent


you know if you don't I mean if you don't put in you'd probably spend it on something right that you know err you don't really need, so if I want to turn back the clock right I would have put in more , cause really nothing what right hundred dollars become two hundred then you you you don't do anything


you don't have to worry so it's good if we, see it that way lah but you know at that time I didn't think of that, but still not too late lah, ya


maybe maybe because forty years like it's like so long time away , but had I done it earlier right then I really you know can you imagine we put like ten thousand right for doing nothing and just grow so by the time you are ready to retire ah !wow! that ten thousand become


you know fifty-five, count how much ten, twenty twenty forty sixty thousand for doing nothing you know just sitting in there, okay shall we move on to the next one which is what are your


opinions on the SRS do you err the supplementary retirement scheme I actually use it as a tax saving err scheme you know, ya but a lof of people don't know about it


I use it as a tax givings saving scheme to to reduce my tax, ya and then you get get to invest so


yes and for people who I think now is fifteen thousand right if you contribute fifteen thousand you can get if you are earning twenty if you are at the tax bracket twenty percent [orh], it's actually a lot more the tax saving one fifth eh


about three thousand dollars saving in tax so I always I've always been using this but I know a lot of uh people out there they actually are not aware of this as SRS


, so do you want to go on to the next topic next err


actually, it also depends on


on the age you are you are at if you are in, like for example if you're in your twenties or you are in your thirties, whereby your you need to spend more on your new house or your children


then , I actually allocate twenty roughly twenty per cent savings, fifty per cent savings probably thirty per cent but


thirty percent expenses probably fifty percent, but it depends on how much you earn too ah


, yeah , insurance is err can be be pretty big ticket item


ya


then ya


hospitalisation ya eh, if uh as we get older the premium is very hefty you know especially if you go for the private the private class


the, but the


the critical illness ah the the one that cover cover cancer and that sort of thing, okay , how okay how do you do you any other topics you want to talk about


(hmm), I have be I haven't been spending actually,


err uh ya I only spend a lot on food you cannot shop although cannot really shop and I don't buy clothes online I don't buy clothes online because it cannot fit me right I'm not a a a, uh I'm not the right average size but it's like mainly on food you know


(uh huh), eh, no need to wear makeup what no need to put lipstick no need wear makeup because the the the foundation [orh] the foundation can stick to our mask you know


and then , you turn it upside down it become brown colour , uh


yeah , uh


like you just then otherwise but are hobbies not really right no need to go to the gym, ya


yeah all the classes are cancelled no need pilate , no yoga no swimming , everything is closed


ya, and they are , they are the one hiring right didn't they say sheng siong make a lot of money during this time which is good lah I I do I do okay I do the online purchase


okay so do we have time for fifteen second last topic, wah whatever has uh ya okay


(mm), okay there's this


negative experience in your life okay (hmm), what is okay, !wow!


, okay I cannot actually I I I don't remember any err any of such


time when I feel trapped or helpless, so I will move on to the next one because what are some of the hurtful words someone said, to you me that I wish to forget, okay you know when I, was


when I was when I didn't have a job and then my husband were also jobless at one period of our like our, life and then, I had, uh, I have this neighbour old lady who used uh who was a ex-teacher


so she she meant well lah, and she came to talk to me, you know and but it wasn't the the the content of her words it's more her, the way she phrase is like you know !wow! you know two of you are so educated how come you cannot find a job you know it's like are you fussy so rather


then empathizing with me right, it was I felt like she was blaming me uh for being fussy, err err uh to get a job ah so I was quite hurt and then shortly after that I went to a friend's house uh to collect something and this friend is


quite a close friend of <P2>maya</P2> and then err we went to her mother's house so I was standing a bit further away and this friend doesn't have a, uh not very highly educated lah okay so she knows at that time that


at that at that at that period of time I was at all-time low, ah no jobs you know two people no jobs, but you know uh so she she , she wanted to tell her mother that I was out of job right


but it's the way she phrase it you know she said, err uh yeah my friend look at her also the same what what she meant was that, you know whether you are highly educated or not you can also, end up without a job that's what she was trying to tell her mother but like I say I may be very sensitive lah but I was very hurt by her words ah


the it's it's actually in Teochew ah so it kind of like, !wah! why why is she you know, ya lah whether she she's a O level and then here I am uh uh better educated than her but still back to the same circumstance that she is you know so no different what right


so I felt I I felt quite quite hurt lah by by her actually I told her yesterday what and then of course she cannot remember, lah but I said that you know I just I just, wanted to tell you that it is not really the content I mean she meant well but


sometimes it's the way you say ah the your tone ah to that that that actually the tone of voice is it is is is more hurting than the the words itself, anyway I I mean


I've forgiven her so you know no hard feelings ah so she said that she will be more careful ya ya ya she didn't realised so she said that she'd be more, careful of her tone ah especially now ah because now after the ah now there are more and more people being retrenched right


so you really have to be very very sensitive ah, okay, saddest moment ah


okay,


(mmhmm)


, , right


right ,


here, oh, okay for me I think the saddest ah scene I I saw was just a few years ago I saw this man begging


and, he had boils all over his his body, and very skinny man I spotted him from , afar and, err he was


he was err he was alone and you know he got and then when I went nearer , it turned out that he he was a he is a cancer he okay he died already the boils were cancer you know the cancer were bursting from his body so he must be in so much pain and he was


begging and then I I can't leave him there and then err, it was very pathetic so so some of the wounds ah are actually it has got liquid flowing out and it's quite it's quite ugly scene ah it's quite gross you know and


ya so he must be in great pain but yet he was there , collecting uh there there was a bowl in front you know and then people drop money, so later on , I we befriended him and then we found out that he ya he was already in the last stage of cancer and


he was trying to raise money to support his mother, ya, and then of case then of course you know I was concerned and then I went to find out whether he is receiving financial aid that sort of thing or not, so apparently he was receiving but he felt that it wasn't enough


he felt that he he need he needed to really provide for his mum , yeah he knows that he's yeah his he knew that he was going to pass away I mean and it's the first time I actually see ah normally cancer you think that it's inside right


but his was so bad ah it came out you know and it was oozing okay, yeah, then and and then I was saying eh shouldn't he be in, in some you know hospital, for


not not receiving treatment they can't treat any more right but, shouldn't he be resting and preparing for his own death right instead of being in a public place begging you know still, not that, kind of death that anybody would want to ah anyway ya he passed on


and he actually appeared in newspaper, because a lot of people were uh notice him and then , there was a reporter who went to covered his story, but I, he did he was already he was already he was already on financial aid actually but for him he felt


he ya he felt that was not enough but then do you know he has a flat so I guess he left the flat to his mother ah, ya so but you know you're in your final moment of your life and it you know it's a painful disease right, and to see him sitting there in the morning you know just to like get


twenty dollars a day, !wow! so he he he he can't eat solid right so he he he actually had to use the money to go and buy his err his milk powder ah that's really pathetic you know, anyway


!wow! I can still remember seeing him and (ugh) all the boils all over his body, , it's somewhere in Serangoon, and outside NTUC he purposely placed himself there so that there are more human traffic and people actually stop by to donate money or some some even went to buy the milk powder he asked for eh the milk powder is not cheap you know it's like forty dollar one can and it last him like three days only


first three meal you can't eat solid what, so, ya so it's !wah! it's really yeah, I I can still remember him clearly !huh!


so and he's not he's not he's not old you know later on we found out that maybe he's only in his fifties or maybe if not even fifty yet, but yes he has but he didn't want to


depend on them and err he was actually married but divorced ah, so he was all by himself and yeah eventually pass away ah and, err we knew about his death lah, I can't remember whether I attend his wake or not but err err the our church group was also helping


him you know the was also helping him so yeah quite sad case, anyway so that was the saddest scene ah, so what was the saddest moment of your life


uh


(mmhmm), right


ya, (ugh), uh


how long do you have him ah rambo right, ya rambi rambi, !wow! that's very long you know fifteen uh


ya I remember I remembered him !wah! so he's like, so he, he knew he was going to die ah, ya uh


!wow! !wow!


uh right uh, okay I don't have a dog so I don't know, but, yeah I I I I actually never have a pet I'm not a animal person err but I won't cry over my plants


ah okay but my saddest moment ah is actually I, think I was in university first year ah then my my my maternal grandfather was dying


and I he died on christmas day but, the saddest part was that nobody told me because I was preparing for exam right and that, ya actually they could have called me to go and see him for the last time


but I don't know why they never called me maybe maybe it was hard to reach reach err me ah because at that time got there there no no mobile phone right , ya so maybe I wasn't in the hall maybe they they called me but you know nobody, pick up so so when when he passed away right I was I I remembered there was a the the the the the you know that that that public telephone rang so somebody went to pick up that was in the middle of the night lah so


they called me so I went for the wake but , then okay so I thought maybe they couldn't reach me but within a then ten days later my paternal grandmother died, okay the same story again nobody called me to go and visit her oh okay but she wasn't sick ah she was actually quite healthy


so when she was actually quite healthy no sign that she was dying, although she have a heart problem but she died naturally , so the same thing ah I received that call again and you know the the the that public booth around the hall you know that public booth in every hall right ya again in the middle of the night I think ah my father figure out that only in the middle of the night ah then the


the the the girls in that block ah bother to go and pick up the phone ya same thing you know it's at in the middle of the night so you know at at both wake ah I remembered , !aiya! you know if ever you know if ever I have to say goodbye ah I'd rather say goodbye to a person who is alive


then they you know, ya because you can't see that person face you cannot have a last word and even if that person is unconscious right but at least you you you know somehow you, know that they can feel you or they can


hear your hear your voice but when you know at the at the wake you see the the the the lifeless body inside the coffin right, you just cannot express that sadness it you know it's like !wah! you missed that chance so I miss twice ah and these are the two grandparents that I was pretty close to lah