okay yeah cause, those are the cartoons that you grow up with right


, what's your number ah, , I don't know man why did you even erase it, why did he erase it


so far in all of my memory right I've been to Taman-Negara, cause I enjoy the nature, I enjoy the waterfall there, ya


the grounds,


(mmhmm)


disgusting right,


your turn eh we have finish we finish the whole card sia, really meh


I only have this part only eh, same lah almost the same


nice we need around two hour fifteen minutes right, K fine, what's twenty five minutes when we have done it for around two hours


from past experiences


I mean it's not much I mean I'm still young, the risk that I've taken is, I would have give uh I give up the, interview for the scholarship ah previously


ya, just to meet her, cause she was acting out, was kind of stupid of me lah, yeah cause, I know it was stupid but ya


it was it was a risj I'm taking ah but then, now everything turns out fine, yup, you


uh no during poly, ya, was a thirteen man interview eh, thirteen man, uh thirteen people in front of you yeah that's why I say when I have confidence I just I have no shame one seriously


become on a, thirteen men in front of you talking to you ask expecting an answer and looking at your knife like, is nervous, but, confidence took the better of me ah


pre planning, re oh


twenty three is a nice age what, ah, you expecting it to be twenty five


twenty six, eh (ppb) yes yes yes


she think that you have to compromise ah, let's change, yes, uh okay


this one has to do with my grandfather, yeah, the one that I inherited the Z name from ah, ya, uh my grandfather was, like a role model, like I don't know if he's bad or good role model but


ya in a way he's similar like me he has lot of friends, but now I he doesn't he doesn't remember them ah, he just when he walk past them during the, in in the market or whatever right, at the doctors, they would recognize him but they would he wouldn't recognize them


he has, also memory loss or something like that ah, ya he has, to me he has a lot of life stories to share, experiences all those gangsterism all that all that thing lah he was he was from


boys home, uh, and that's where he circle a friends, , he make his circle of friends ah, he's my mother side, and I really look up look up to him ah


that's why, kind of following his footstep but then, what, his bad personality and bad traits I don't take after him lah


father grandfather, circle of friends


I mean he live the full life ah


that's how we cope with life lah


admirable right, okay (ppb), oh we're reaching the end soon just another fifteen minutes, ya I'm I'm hungry too


I don't know Tai-Seng is a shitty place, so far


(ppc) Tai-Seng


Mattar that one I don't know, eh it's near all the train station, send me all the train station and Mattar, yellow line leh, oh K K K


, if you find somewhere near with Subway or what lah, I hungry


if I'm craving I eat foot long, it's enough ya, foot long is nice, and the amount of time I I take to eat, a six inch and a foot long is the same


ya, cause the longer I eat the foot long right the the more I'll feel more full right is it, it'll go to waste ah, corgies yeah


dogs either dog or the other one, hush puppy eh is it you know, nice forty more minutes, Subway


!huh!


uh Subway melts or whatever, that's the only thing I order at Subway, bread, Hearty Italian, uh


usually, Subway melts, add extra egg mayo, lettuce eh no I don't eat lettuce, do you eat vegetables


I don't, I usually put uh tomatoes onion, and, pickles


Jalepenos, sauce, sweet onion, the onion I want put like sea onion also, nice sea onion and, I don't know maybe mayonnaise


okay, meat ball marinara


that one at Malaysia also have, is Halal already


oh is, I'm lazy to work tomorrow why work on a Sunday who works on a Sunday


I mean I left for a station, I I left my station, , uh my station I don't want to go and I left, even though my batch cannot go I left


lazy dear, I just know I just, I want to sleep at station, I know you know I'm here lah I don't sleep in the morning


when are you ORDing again ah, we just Tahan


you didn't know what job you want to apply right, what was your course, during, your diploma in electrical engineering, Axon


can, but it's at but you need have transport for it ah, ya you better, then to save up money for a bike also


and was she okay with it, no


(ppb), right stupid right, ya out of ten maybe three


stoic, stoic, a hero, a hero, a hero, stoic


I don't know, shit we've been talking for like two hours then now doing the last we need, we coming up with blanks, it's tiring right


uh ya, ya we coming up with a blank,


ya I do, ya, it was stupid but I still bought it, (ppb)


now, afterwards is it, oh so they're asking you where are you ah, ya we are finishing soon


so you're you're having uh we're having, a meal first or you just, go there first then eat first, eat eat later


why MacDonald and Subway, just eat Subway lah, !huh!, I don't know, Mamanda isn't it a like place to eat


MacDonald, is it immature If I get mad


that the girl that I'm seeing, blocks me off from seeing her insta story or what, but in a way she's immature for that right (ppb)


uh sure but, you shouldn't have nothing you shouldn't have anything to hide what, but okay lah if you want if you want to do that just do it, doesn't matter to me anyway


uh but the the evil side of me is thinking like like oh shit if she's she's going out with another guy or what


but, ya but it was an agreement what, what's that what's that need an agreement for you to have time and space, I'm giving it to you then you do this kind of thing behind my back and that's it hurt ah it hurts doesn't it


make things work ah, no I just hope it's that way ah


fifty fifty maybe


ya like you wouldn't thought of finding another person right


ya, ya


interesting, uh I'm just, looking at how things are right now the perspective of it, so yesterday was I talk to her right I don't know lah what came of me lah cause I was feeling a good I was feeling good


then around six PM I just message her, hey Nat how are you , I I wasn't expecting a reply lah I mean if if she didn't reply and there was a blue tick, honestly I would have been fine macam I I would feel like oh it's okay maybe she just doesn't want to talk to me


ever or even just block me off, K I was thinking the worst things but it would have been okay if you didn't reply, four hours later around ten no nine PM ah nine PM three hours later ah I mean, after the three hours I thought what's wrong, okay lah shouldn't reply just go on with my life


then three hours she replied eh hello then, from the way the tone of, uh replying right, she was nice eh, like, it was back to day one lah like when we talk, yeah


that's why when I say she's giving me cold replies like I can, sense the the vibe that she is giving me lah then yesterday was like, I was overjoyed lah it was like day one, so ya, uh


ya from ten to twelve, but then after that she didn't reply me but I don't want to I don't want to like, step over step the boundary right say okay good night want to sleep all that I don't really need to know my life, and you don't need why you don't need me to tell me what where is happening right


yesterday the purpose was just to ask, how shall we, how are you doing then suddenly the conversation got to her phone spoil or something, then okay,


yeah I'm keeping my guard up, maybe I'll text her again like next three days or two days just asking her when she's when she's not busy, ya (ppb) I hope not


hey, okay


ya I particular I see the same thing I can see the name Adam and Sue, and I think this dog is uh, quite a mischievous dog, it's trying to pull the white towel down, so I don't know maybe that towel belongs to him or her


most probably, maybe you're right


potatoes uh but I think, this shop probably they might be selling honey, maybe they've named the shop as honey shop, maybe to attract more customers, possibly many of us like honey honey tastes sweet


and uh, further down I can see there's uh, does it look like a tent or like a house, says John Pin, stall maybe it's the shop I think, this shop probably they must be selling some


some clothes or what I can see a T-shirt at the side a blue T-shirt, maybe this shop is selling some shirts they say that it the wordings are there saying that buy your dad


the perfect gift, so most likely I think it is a gift shop do you see any gift shop on your


that's the difference


but I see a a little baby one just next to the mother it could be, oh ya ya I think you do not have right on my picture I do have one


ya I do see the same lady, is she wearing a a green top, and the bottom blue, the top left bottom I see two big bags uh I don't know what do you think they are they are


hay ya, and uh, ya correct


it's a very beautiful I think uh setting uh lovely scenery, (eh) ya I think uh it's hard to find this in our place here


so when you go for holidays uh do you happen to go to this kind of farm stay or what have you


so do they have uh such farm stays in Malaysia I think but I have not never


not at the moment because once I think I went to, many years back, Australia I think we did stay in a farm, through the whole experience I think, I don't know when they going they took a lot of potatoes


a lot of vegetables and then they they cooked it very fresh we stayed there I think for one night, if I'm not wrong I think it's, it's either Perth or what maybe nineteen ninety honeymoon time ah I still remember I went there for honeymoon


but I don't know how far it is true because many of them have shared with me saying that, when they come back to Singapore they seem to have all the problems back if they are over there I don't know because of the air the quality of air the water they drink


what about the the air they say that the the water in Switzerland is so fresh, you know I don't know because, the the air even if you go to Finland certain parts of Europe it's it's so beautiful


but the rough few who shared with me even when they went back to India, uh the air the quality so different they don't don't experience didn't experience those pains when they come back here


I automatically


so how long have you been a vegetarian, a pure veg no eggs, I see okay


definitely it is one of the best ways to stay healthy I think go veg, but


oh I see okay


but is it true that uh, if you go on veg, after taking a vegetarian meal, you get hungry faster compared to someone who go non veg , sometimes I do experience that


oh okay, okay


ya it's quite difficult to eat, ya you're right, but Basmati the quality is so, it's so beautiful uh the way you eat even yesterday I had the <unk> rice


I was at uh Tampines, so went to this shop, so they had a set for two dollar eighty cents, rice two eighty, reasonable uh have you been to this uh Sports Hub, Tampines, it's a big hawker centre


the Sports Hub is so huge it's a combination of, uh stadium they have a squash court the tennis court basketball court shopping mall they have, uh the rock school where people students children go and participate in all those rock climbing


so there's a hawker centre, food court, at basement so I I saw a look at the price first then I going there why not give a try, so pilau rice, plus the yogurt with the some onion carrot and uh


ya, yogurt so but two dollar eighty cents I think very reasonable, it tasted very nice two eighty I think very reasonable price


drop by, they have actually uh, uh Halal and non Halal lah so this is, because I I brought the school, two weeks ago, so they were there for four five hours


so it's uh fun ah you know they participate, ya, so like like a chaperone you know bring them and then bring them back to school so I sat there to to witness how they participated, I think it's a, they actually encouraging youngsters to become more bold


I think that is why some, companies they come out with good programs I think cools uh very interested, this is all post exams programs, if you do not bring them up they'll be sitting there, as you said on the phones either messaging or social networking so why not bring them out


couple of hours, let them experience


I think we should bring them out and then make them look at what people what kind of life they are leading some in poverty so pitiful


but I think generally, when it comes to holidays parents always bring them to, beautiful places either Europe Australia how many of them really bring them to all these third world countries ah Myanmar


I think the younger generation basically they have not gone through hardship ah compared to, our fathers our grandfathers so they they they don't appreciate things like don't know how much, you do to them, I don't know nowadays children


how are they gonna take care of their parents, that's another big question I think that's what, the government is also very uh worried


but I think this is very sad and worrying, there are so many of them the elderly they actually living alone, I think it was reported in the papers ah recently, precisely ya


fell


uh that is why I think uh if you had followed the news ah Vivian-#Balakrishnan# he mentioned about, sometimes to do with technology you know there's a phone App, where the elderly they are able to press some kind of button to inform, and then there will be some a link


where they can actually go down and help those who are in the, who are living alone


so uh talking about, spart nation, with all those technological advances, it's quite in fact is very difficult to, to boost that kind of confidence to this elderly especially the sixties seventies and eighties


so I do conduct some, programs, the skills futures for the digital place so when they come and attend the classes some of them they do not even have a smart phone, so how are you suppose to even teach them they don't have a smart phone


and they want to achieve it by twenty twenty five do you think that we have time or we are a bit, far behind


so if you had work, but it's uh quite surprising we are already a developed nation and you look at China they are already developing they are far far ahead of us


in terms of, uh cashless transactions


so what do you think about this uh, going being going cashless, is that a good idea, that's the big question mark


he hired a carpenter, okay, paid, the PayNow or pay lah is it, okay, pay lah


recycle number, oh dear


they're not able to track who, the owner of the phone numbers


so that was what the mention during the, the interview, Vivian was telling that the hardware is all, layout is there only the software, so if you have one of the best


uh what the fiber system everything is in place but only the software, there's why they are pumping in money they want all those workers citizens to go and upgrade themselves, quickly be ready by twenty twenty five, but then as you say again the everything is on your mobile phone if your mobile phone get stolen what's going to happen


okay


so basically you get back up contact number photos, what else do you back up, yes yes


so the moment you plug in your cable, the message will prompt is it do you want save or


you know but going cashless you see the problem that ya you need to go the bank, ya to apply for iBank they need the token, so your PayNow PayLah account has to be, connected to one of your savings account that's where the money can actually transfer the money to your PayNow PayNow account to say


then Again I think, the the, the main challenge is to change the mindset, when I conduct classes they are they are not ready because, they don't want to go to the bank they dunno how to apply for iBanking they don't want this token it's still very traditional you see, so that's the challenge how to change the mindset


some of them have the phone last week at the I was conducting the class they refuse to bring the phone so I don't want to use, this phone phone is at home I don't like my handphone, then how I'm going to teach you, I think some CC they are also conducting basic courses those above fifty just pay ten dollars, they teach you some of the basic


phone apps


then again uh talking about WhatsApp I think some people they are just too frustrated about WhatsApp they all, nonsense coming in so they just don't want to enable WhatsApp up anything important you just message me normal message


so besides uh WhatsApp what other features that you think useful, if you talking about uh, precisely you're right


so the the seniors who come in for these courses basically they want, to know how to, download some basic apps, especially Grab they want to book a taxi, is very useful, ya


and then the other one is about the my transport you know, where you go to the bus stop, you can actually know what time the bus is coming how many minutes you got to wait, uh and of course I think one of the, com uh mandatory requirement SSG wants us to make sure that they know how to use PayNow PayNow


and also the they'll come up with the SGQR you know, there will be gonna be a very standardised QR code, it has already been implemented in some of the CBD areas last month, so they have a very uh a uniform we call it SGQR, where you can use either your PayNow or PayNow and just to just can make the payment


so they don't have too many QR codes around, ya


ya so gone are all those coupons I think slowly will die off because I think most of the places they have all this uh, electronic pricing system, either that or now even you going to park I think you got to download the uh an application, just key in your I think vehicle number or what then it captures


you already park and you already made the payment, just go and scan it


it is convenient as you say that it looks like a coin that has two sides how you look at it ah, but the biggest seven as I told you is to change the mindset


even if we go to some shops coffee shops they already have this uh QR code they want you to scan, so they will be a day that uh we are not accepting cash


but then Again I think recently there was one incident that took place in Japan, uh cashless the whole system was down and this guy went back home, he open his fridge, nothing he went down to get some, groceries also market the system was down he couldn't buy


so in such situation how are they going to handle they are going everything cashless cashless technology down system down how are you going to handle


breakdown ah


another biggest fear is about the AI, you know, robots coming in, and, people, people are going to lose many job, jobs will be taken all by them, when my what am I going to do


so where are the jobs at, the government make sure that, the jobs are created for them, so are they ready to take up all the new jobs all related to


so one of the the topics that, I always do with them is the, is always discussion what jobs, would be still around, and what jobs will be shrinking that means disappear, so basically they they do a group discussion that all the job that will be dying off and all the jobs that will be


new jobs will be created you see jobs loss jobs gain they call it


robot they don't have the touch you see so even though they are robot I think, so you should take up courses to operate the robots program the robots


but then robots are doing, uh some, operation are so precise, so accurate


so, there are hotel already they using robots to, do some of the cooking, so then again uh, what jobs do you think that will be lost and what jobs will be gained in this


future economy looking ahead, ya


talking about AI robots do you think they gonna cost us cheap, it's going to cost you a bomb


currently there are so many families they have uh this robot that, to cleaning up the house they say not too bad only thing is they can't go to a corner and, clean up all the edges and all that area corners and all that you see


and then they they they they had a exhibition in Las-Vegas this year in US, I think they were exhibiting so many different kinds of robots, there's one machine uh I was showing to the students, where you just you you need not iron you know you just gotta put in your T-shirt your shirt in


and all that it comes out ironed nicely folded just within seconds, so, ya so, so I think in all days it makes our life even more convenient, so you don't wanna to waste too much time on that and then you could do something else


then what about driverless, taxis driverless buses even with drivers now we are not safe


Circle Line uh the blue line uh they are all driverless purple line but you see, trains are different, if you look at the roads they're different like it doesn't apply on the roads how many lanes are there, so there'll be lanes with drivers you got to


uh set aside one or two lanes just for driverless so they have to do it, but these jokers will just cut into this lane and they will try to do all kind of funny things


I think they already started testing uh a I think Buona Vista area what, ya but not so successful, that's what I heard


and then talking about uh robots uh, in future those who are single, they do not have anyone to talk to they can make appointment, so they'll be like, the beauty of you can actually date with them, I think they they wanna show some on videos


and I don't know whether you heard about this the first robot to get a citizenship, in UK her name is Sophia, so you can actually Google again you know you can just take a look how they have train her program her she can sit down with you


the interview be asking her questions and she answering, so they are going at that pace, so looking far ahead and all is going to be as you said in, ten twenty thirty years down the road


or do you think that, because the technology life is going to be more stressful


so that is where I think even education is going to be, her factory in one way or another where would've would have heard of the blended learning coming in, so you see there's a really be implemented, for the adult teaching


uh modules so what's going to happen in schools, so do you think that students will be, they did not go to school everyday where they can actually stay at home and do some home base learn, ya


but I think in fact some school they already it to it like they using Google class and all that, teachers put out question there and then they answers they can share the answers and now with all those Google features, some school they are already using it secondary school some private schools


so our government schools normally schools I don't know whether they have started but sometime students I know they are doing home base learning home base learning


ya I think about certain things you can actually have a diagnosis to, uh so online you can Google just my problem so I need, what what medicine is best for me it tells you go to the pharmacy you get it that's it you need not consult a doctor


well uh you are referring to the year end, basically my training, programmes we normally have about seven ten days, during the Christmas period company will shut down


so maybe they will start from uh twenty third twenty fourth, not yet have you ever do you have any plans


have you booked your flight, you better do it, it'll be very expensive during the festive season you see


so you're more into trading is it


so you develop curriculum, so to for which companies normally you never


so you a lot of contacts with them all these companies they they call you is it they want to develop programmes or what


so how you came to know about this must train, okay


travelling, ya they do have


what about Langkawi, what, what are sports, ya ya


so you do adults training also, so which, which company have you done so far programs what kind of programs you have done


still, still working with them like SSA and all these, are you working in all the CETs


so for the adults training what, what is the last training that you did, which which company


so two days ah is it it's sixteen hours, it's only one day, so there's no assessment lah they did not do any work and all that


it's WSQ program ah, in house


but have you done WSQ programs, you you have your hectre


so you're living alone now, sister okay, I see I see


so how long you you know this uh company Mars Train, normally you're a main trainer with them or you do


so basically they have their own pool of trainers if I'm not wrong right


but I understand that uh if you wanna be a trainer with this Mars Train you have to attend their TTT, and someone was telling that once, you uh, you signed up for the TTT you gotta pays uh a sum of money, do they do that ya I think they are practicing that and


but some companies they make it a a must you see, you would have experienced, ten years fifteen years I'm not so bothered but you when you come to my company my materials are different so you go through you go through you pay a sum, and there's no guarantee that you'll be giving me classes that's another question


what do you pay that it's sometimes it's not cheap five hundred dollars eight hundred dollars, ya it's not worth it


consulting it will telling means what the company will call you down is it, so what kind of consultation they will lock approach you and they ask you


oh okay


so do you take up all those uh assistant position and all that normally you don't, you lose, you take out


ya that's right, but this group uh the job opportunities this group I think when when they put up certain, positions I I find that mostly is all uh assistant positions, am I right, ya


so I think they have another poll where, they call them, I see okay


okay, so what what do you what do you find the difference between uh the primary schools secondary schools


which is easier to


conduct, ya that was so much, easier to teach because when I train adults, you don't have to use that much of, your voice, especially when you go secondary school the class are so open, and so noisy


so sometimes got problem, and, no assistants that's the worst part, right, that was basically for the last ten eleven years uh we've been doing this WPL have you heard of Workplace-Literacy-Programs


I've done that, I've done some workplace skills also do the service excellence, then now actually I'm doing the last, two years we came up with the SkillsFuture at digital workplace I was telling you earlier, about preparing them for the future economy


changing of mindset, make them comfortable to download and then install and use all those, so, it's not a mandatory terms that SSG sent, to the company, we have to teach them the


Singapore QR SGQR, PayNow PayLah, then we gotta teach them how to go, online and register a free online course


ya, yes yes


use phone but, they want us to just teach them how to, register a free online course where they can learn, there's something that's free you don't even have to pay money you see, like KhanAcademy you go to some uh, Allen a lot of we actually teach them how to click the website


and then all the requirements once they are registered the name must be there, the course title, and we got to do a screenshot, and we got to upload, these all evidence see, this kind of courses, funded by SSG, some of them funded ninety percent ninety five percent


we have to, send all these evidence to SSG they want to see make sure that they know how to do it, how to register online, you know, and then there's one action plan also it's compulsory, after attending this course sixteen hours eighteen hours


what have they learnt, are they able to, differentiate, uh identify the jobs that would be created, what are jobs that we lost in future economy, are they able to use the, Q R code, are they confident to use the PayNow pay


the the action plan is compulsory, how confident are they, which application have they, learnt and downloaded which they found useful need to give an example, and do they intend take any future courses


what are they gona write down, no no no, nothing nothing so all these, so if you're the NTUC union member they only pay ten dollars very cheap, non union member pay fifty dollars


so the actual cost about eight hundred dollars, so this guy has been doing WPL, WSQ SE they call it service excellence, and the S F but now actually the classes uh the WP especially is running low


they say that we are facing the sunset industry, I don't know what the reason but, most of them used their SkillsFuture credit, and this year because of so much of, uh scandal going on this guy they manage siphon out millions of dollars


that's why I think they stopped, to credit the five hundred dollars, and then furthermore uh normally towards the end of the year all actually they want to go for holidays they don't want to come out sign up for courses you see


so it's a bit slowing down so now we got to do, it's another company sometimes they call me just now they call me, sometimes they will call me to go and do the assessment I would go down, sometimes they ask me do one day training program because the trainer cannot make it sometimes they give me two days


but they pay very less, payment very, payment is the problematic one


and this company also they do some school programs they do call me sometimes I'm okay I'll take it if not, then they also do a lot of IT programs, so she call me are you able to do Wednesday I say okay, so have you been to ITE how do you find the ITE students have you been


have you taught them any programs, more hands on


you're right because it's a tour program the max you can talk to them I think thirty minutes, you cannot go beyond forty five because, they get bored either they will sleep they play the handphones, so got to break them into groups give them some work to do presentation then I think they're very interested I think you know


compared to those days ah they are much well behaved, i'm very surprised especially I did a few classes the nursing classes so fun to teach, nursing one, even the boys the girls, and then the other day I had the class where the the mothers two three mothers were in my class


quite surprised I ask them they say that they were sent by one was sent Tan-Tock-Seng sent her for two year course you know, to do the diploma, and the other one uh MOH, centre, fully funded, so they're there, to study for two years and get the diploma


it's it's a thing


but I think uh nursing is a very good line I think


but they think uh nursing, one thing if you have your qualification, you can go anywhere and work, the demand is there


ya provided, ya, ya that's another issue what do you think some consideration


when you're young


so any reason for being, to remain single


so you're taking the course now, online ah you doing online, how long actually the time


what was her age at the time, oh okay not bad eighty seven


but they are just telling that they're extending the retirement of age, if you look practically when you submit, any job application the moment you are forty I think it's is very difficult they don't call you for interview


and then what is it about, retirement at age being extended


but then again the disadvantage of for us is actually we don't, benefits like CPF contributions and that's the problem, you have to do self-contribution, you need the MediSave account


ya but then you see when come to housing if you are working for the company, that the CPF contributions both side, something there's for like a


what's was wrong with that that time


since you mention dementia I think, this is one of the areas that we have to look at because, many of us would be down with this, dementia problem I think Singaporeans some of them forties fifties they already having this dementia problem


but what's actually the the main reason they are in loneliness stop talking to anyone


spice cocktail interesting what is that, you prepare youself lah so what what are the spices that you have, black pepper, tumeric


black cumin, you you bought it ah, so you pound the black pepper


it's all in powder form oh so you already bought it, black pepper, tumeric how many spoons, tumeric is one and a half


the black pepper, tumeric cumin, black black cumin not the normal cumin


four, !wow! so many


okay, so this is actually a a good cure for arthritis is it


so when did you uh find out that you have this problem


!wow! ninety five, twenty three years, unusual


they call it ostro arthritis, Osteo


so this arthritis basically affects what your hands legs, spine, so what happen this the pull is it pulling, put the disc


so you can't sit long, okay, not to run


oh I see


what the what is the cause of this (ppb)


did you ask the doctors, so you do you, there's a reason is it


so you are not on any medication or what


supplement so the one you are telling your cocktail you do do you have it every morning


ironic, just, have the coconut oil, you don't swallow


so that means you, must have done quite a big investment on all these powders where do buy Mustafa, so you buy in all in big bottles ah you keep at home


where you got


so what honey normally you buy and what brand, you buy in the big tub is it the tub


okay not the the Manuka ah, they said the Manuka is good, ya you are right


then you were telling you also uh on supplements is it what kind of supplements will you take


magnesium and vitamins you take, these two together oh


okay, same I don't, coffee no coffee oh, I see, okay


Teh-Halia is good for flu is it, what about for cough what is good for cough family


it'll stop the cough will stop, so you prepared on your own they all Teh-O-Halia, but


okay so what is this this this that all about so you prepare a normal Teh O, you squeeze a bit of Halia ah


because I I've seen how they prepare this uh Teh-Halia because this guy at the Tekkah market, they'll be grating this this ginger you know against those grater, so then they squeeze it I think when preparing ths they add this so you this there's this Halia flavor


but actually is very good to take Gingers everyday Ginger is one of the best something is home remedies Ginger is good for so many


but sometimes I use to just Google and look for some home remedies a lot of things is are in our home kitchen you know, you just take them ah I think you can get cured very fast


then I think no no way, yes yes, minor, talking about this uh I think uh recently uh one of the students


I don't know what's her nieces condition, she message me last month, she went with her niece to Vietnam for the holiday, they were having a good time came back, and then the niece uh found that


the some bleeding and she went to, to the toilet, so she went down, and check, cancer, stage four you know, it's colon colon cancer


stage four, two years ago her mother was diagnose with a breast cancer stage three her mother is okay now, now the daughter after two years, Jesus, fifty four years, so I think they went down, the doctor who treated the mother he's in mount


Elizabeth, at the guy said that not to worry we we will do our best so you cooperate with this, I think uh we will do the chemo first, chemo not so effective we got to do the surgery


so the last time when I met her she said that she's fine, the first cycle okay more done, she has go for the second cycle, so I really don't know and uh do you have any uh, anyone who was down with stage four and then they recovered what's your


thirty is a


what stage was that, okay


one of his staff is it, fellow dentist okay, six months he died


that make sense ya


but your your case was quite surprising both were early stages one still surviving, but then uh early stage normally they say the chances of survival is much higher, but the


heart failure is it hereditary, could be


twenty four


so do you cook yourself vegetarian food, so normally vegetarian food do you take Chinese food or what


so your sister is also vegetarian, but this


the the case I was telling you this person the doctor said that, her cancer stage four and it's already spread, spread to, the lungs I think, but, but then another student uh did one of the a skills future class she's a nursing officer


she give a training lectures, and she was telling actually it's a you ask the doctor doctor will keep all kind of promise, and this doctor who treated her the guy was actually sued for some case you know, because, he promise the patient that


he give guarantee, you know you are oncologist you want to guarantee ah, you'll never know what's the, so the condition is going or be or tomorrow


not cancer then, so it was a mistake ah, they thought but then when they if they do the biopsy they'll know


but some doctors they will tell leh she said that if there's sixty percent chances then go for the chemo, if not no point, what is even chemo is doing it's killing all the good cells and also the cancerous cells


ya, and then the problem we don't know where the cancerous cells they are hiding, not able to detect, when they do the, the scanning they are not able to detect right


and they have not found a cure for cancer even till today why is it so with so much of research going on


ya but we are hearing a lot of uh cancer cases nowadays it's nothing it's very common, I think cancer has been around for many years I was watching a movie a few days ago, this movie was out in nineteen sixty sixty one or sixty two, that movie already showed that


doctor, found out that this patient had cancer he couldn't cure that person died so that was fifty over years ago, there was something such as cancer, so it's been become, more, think prominent more vigorous the cancer why is that so


the food with, all have contributed ah


so what are the good ways to manage stress


so one of the methods is to go for a short break a vacation, not too far


is that's going gonna short break what other what are the ways you think you can manage stress


stress


so what about students who are under stress what are the way they can, students stress management how how how what do they advise them to manage stress


should they have some uh family activities, sit down, eat together talk together at least they know what's happening


some of them they don't even talk to their children they leave home very early they come back home late, Saturdays Sundays they work, and then they don't know what the children are going through, they don't know who to share with, that's why they are very close to their friends compared to, the parents


so what time do you normally have your breakfast, you sure to sleep eight hours I


eight hours of sleep okay


I seldom get eight hours, I very seldom, ya five six sometimes I lucky I get seven that's it


but then again there are people who work shift work, they work when you are sleeping, that's why I think the they said that it's very bad because, certain organs in your body they work best at certain time, eleven o'clock don't know twelve o'clock one o'clock so you are supposed to rest you are working


so what kind exercise do you do normally, push ups ah can do push ups


then what, what's your normally what did you have for breakfast, okay


!ouch!, what time you serve tea time, four five, dinner


after ten, dinner no rice then what do you take


noodles


hot chocolate, so normally have your dinner all outside


it's only like that, especially when night class whenever I reach home eleven quarter plus level, I take my butt I sit down I had my dinner almost sometimes midnight, actually is very bad what to do but the work is such


sometimes very hungry ya, is good, to keep something in your bag you see


and then what do you think about this water therapy, have you heard about it or have you read about it, actually this uh


one of my student shared with me this, think couple of years ago he was in his I think mid seventies or late seventies, he told me sir every morning when you wake up the first thing before you brush your teeth drink two glasses of water, two or three


that time I usually I didn't really, practice that, then later one of my student send a message, that to drink one litre, of water everyday early in the morning, before you brush your teeth


two bottles of this, maybe you try tomorrow and see, uh before you take your cocktail, have the water, you can't


maybe you've been doing like quite quite long ah, ya it it could be also a good but this is one thing it is cheap


and then, not too lah but actually when when you Google they ask you to do one point five but I think one is just fine cause it's not easy to drink early in the morning, ya the typical but you got to try got to try one glass two glasses and then this


oh okay


they call it, water therapy and they say that the Japanese have been doing it for donkey years and they are so healthy they call it the water therapy because, once you once a while later it's down ah, it automatically you will the the benefits that you actually don't have any constipation problem


after drinking five ten minutes automatic they will ask you to, attend nature's call, and then after one two hours, you got to go and release your urine, and then you got to find some way another half an hour, so I think uh one thing uh you do not have severe headaches


headache will disappear, you will not have constipation problem, and then uh you will you'll feel very energetic because of oxygen going into the body early in the morning, and then uh, the other benefit is that there'll be more red blood cell


okay and your immune system will be very strong you seldom will fall sick so he told me sir I seldom fall sick I don't have to visit doctor, just drink do this drinking of water early in the morning, he was in his seventies already, that time now he must in his eighties


after


ya they don't cover you that's the problem with this uh insurance


and then do you follow all these uh, EPL, you're not a fan ah, wah he should have, wah we're the same club man bro how come, ya


so, so what do you think about the current team they couldn't beat Arsenal ah these two days ago, they took the lead but then they couldn't


go for the second or third goal and kill them off, and City seems to be very strong then yesterday they trash


is it, ya so let's hope, so now they're two points behind already you know today, one point two point is not too far what


Chelsea is also strong now this year, the three teams that yet to lose, Liverpool City and, ah is three teams


right Gerand what do you see in my picture I see okay starting from left to right, the top left hand corner I see two towels his and her towels and once for the beach towels, uh got the name Adam on it


the uh purple towel with the white stripe with the name sue on it, so maybe they're couple, and there's a dog, barking at, in the direction of the towels actually, and what about you what do you see in your top left hand corner


unless the dog name is Sue, alright and just below that I see a pig quite a big pig, seems to be, uh standing close to a wheelbarrow with a one looks like a sometime pear is it


I think looks like pears and a, a wheelbarrow full of pears, and , then and let's see in the, center top center it just, open field and uh, there's a, looks like a tractor


a stationary tractor no one sitting in it, and uh let's see to the right of the tractor uh looks like a small shed, but there's a it's say shop, the , the banner on top of the at the entrance of the shed it says shop


and on the side there's a boat so it says honey so I'm wondering whether they stole honey from the shop or whether this is a shop that sells honey, and then just below that there see I see three sacks of what looks like potato, what about you


okay you got a I see a similar structure here, (ppc) it says, hats and pins on the top , the entrance, and then the window it says buy the perfect gift for Mother's Day, so maybe it's uh Mother's Day around the corner


and there's there's particular place that's selling clothes maybe secondhand clothes or brand new clothes I don't know, and just, just in front of that structure, looks like a a sheep, you know, just one uh


one sheep you know standing there, and, it's a different picture right okay it's a different picture, on my picture just below that I see three chickens


I see uh two a couple, or could looks like a boy and a a young man and a young lady seated at the table and they're, they got two plates in front of them each plate each plate has got two stocks of carrots, on them


and let's see and uh, the bottom left hand corner I see, two boys I think playing cops and robbers, one boy says I'm gonna shoot and the other guy the other boy has got his hands up, so they're probably playing cops and robbers or something like that and, in the center picture I see what looks like a


bush and it's, lady, has got a, pair of shears in her hand and I think she's trimming the bush, yes green top and what looks like a blue skirt


wearing boots, is like bails okay, ya bails okay probably, the the middle left extreme left I see two children playing on the see saw


two boys, one wearing a cap, and ya, it looks like uh typical scene from uh, this looks like , it's in a, it's on a farm you know with the bails of hay and everything and uh, the sheep the chicken it looks like a farm


maybe it's one of those farm where they even have a shop that sells uh, things like honey and uh you know, vegetables and so on, it could be one of those things


ya very idyllic setting this, oh in Singapore maybe up uh up in Malaysia, or Australia but no I haven't seen one of these in Singapore


oh well the last time I went on a holiday which was a long time ago, it was in uh, let's see the last time the I went up to Malaysia we traveled past these farms but never really got to, spend any time there


but I remember years ago when I was in Australia Sydney, uh we visited, a couple of farms where they had these , shops, on the on the on the premises of the farm so they still , vegetables, groceries and things like that so I think about some of these farmers are quite


enterprising so I think they, they I think needed, you know another way to make some income so they did that, I know they have them in Australia New Zealand America Europe but, uh Malaysia I'm not sure I'm sure it's possible but I've never heard of that you know


uh but ya I I I'm hoping to explore more of Asia, you know, over the next few years, how about you, any plans to travel


oh okay, mine the only I had a similar experience back in nineteen ninety six, I, I traveled with my youth group to Japan, it was a youth camp and uh we stayed on a organic farm in Japan


we stayed in the farm we worked on the farm with the the staff on the farm and, we ate food that was grown and prepared, fresh on the farm and it was wonderful cause, it overlooked the mountains, and an at night the temperature went below and I loved it I mean I, I I grown up in a tropical country and I was a bit concerned about the cold and my arthritis but


when I was there the natural cold for some reason never bothered me, I have problems when I'm in an air conditioned room but the natural cold I had no problems at all, and the temperature at night like I said went below zero and when you get up in the morning at five AM the sun is already out, and we were advised to just take a walk you know


and uh just breathe in the fresh air and uh, commune with the plants as i've said so, it was beautiful you know the mount you get up you see the mountain with the fresh mountain air and all that, it was a beautiful experience I didn't feel like coming back of course my mother wasn't to happy, to hear that you know that I didn't wanna come back and


but ya you know and that's part, I am someone who has difficulty gaining weight and I was there for about ten days, I came back three kilos heavier, you know so, it was amazing it was stressfree


relaxed setting so it was beautiful


I think it's also because, in Singapore we are already so stressed the moment we step foot into Singapore just imagine, I'm sure you've experienced this before when you're travelling to Malaysia, once you cross the cause way, you can already sense thee difference, something whether it's the air or the environment whatever but almost as if the stress is lifted off you


I've experience that, you know many times when I was travelling, I went to Malaysia, the more they cross the causeway that's it it's like a different feeling, so I suspect it's got more to do with stress, I'm sure the fresh air, and the food you know will help


but I think stress, tends to aggravate a lot of conditions that we already have, if we could just manage to distress, I think we will be, better able to you know, manage our life our life as well our help as well


Switzerland mountain water water comes from the mountain I'm sure it's fresh you know, ya they can drink out of the river over there so I'm not surprised you know we can't drink out of the Singapore River here so, I wouldn't try that I wouldn't recommend that so


okay then I've never been to India but from what I've heard from friends who've shared with me


uh the quality of life, in the village and the city is different in the city is more polluted, of course they they they tend to feel healthier and more relax, in the village in the country side, so I'm I'm sure that there has something to do with the fresh air in the country side and you know the fresh food is available there organic food


so I'm, places like Australia remember you know, they have this farm where they grow organic food, you know the food and crops and all the the vegetables are organically grown so, you have an option over there you know they have cafe which serve organic food organically


you know everything is organically so I think all this options would probably also help if you are travelling, like I'm very vegetarian so whenever I go I look out for vegetarian food so, ya, I've been a vegetarian for the past twenty twenty seven years


I do take eggs and dairy products but I'm trying I'm trying to make a conscious of it to cut down, dairy and egg so because they say, dairy, can aggravate athritis i have athritis so, I'm trying to manage my athritis by cutting down dairy and watching my diet


trying to exercise a bit, uh ya it is a life style choice uh and I have experience sort of benefits , I've been able to manage my weight I've been able to uh I think my blood sugar cholesterol pressure is all in a healthy range so I think that helps


but then Again I'm not one of those who shove vegetarian down people throat because I think, it's it's it's a decision that you have to make, willing and if it's suits your your life style as well because


I know people with healthy condition and it's hard for them to go vegetarian so you have to be very careful, and I didn't just become a vegetarian over night, I gradually win myself of me over a period of two to three years, so you have to give your body time to adjust


you can't just, become a vegetarian and expect everything, to be fine and dandy you know, ya, but ya, then again, it's, it's about balance I say you know whatever whatever, you eat whether you're a meat eater or a vegetarian, you know diet nutrition exercise rest there must be a balance


I wouldn't say so you know because, uh it also depends on


what kind of vegetarian food you consume, like , when I have a western vegetarian, uh meal, if it's made up of soups and salads, but ya there's a there's a possibility you could get hungry later or after a couple of hours


you may feel hungry maybe after about, two three hours, but if they're having a traditional Indian vegetarian meal which comprises rice, vegetables and so on, I guess maybe rice, is carbs, you tend to feel, so you won't


feel hungry for at least uh, five hours or so, and of course depends on whether you're having polished or unpolished rice I prefer unpolished or brown rice, you know they say Basmati rice is the healthiest, you know choice you can have you know


uh but then again it's uh down to preference you know, some people don't like the taste of brown rice, and some people don't like, ya some people find that brown rice doesn't quite go, with Indian curry and so on, you know, but uh Basmati rice goes well with Indian curries and all that


gravy, it is, it is


two eighty for a set !wow! that's that's pretty good, no I've not been there, I've been to Tampines but not there specifically no


right right okay, right


oh that's not bad ya and and it's quite healthy too, you know dhal the yogurt onions ya, right, ya, and, I've not been there recently, uh I mean I've been to Tampines but not specifically to the Sports Hub but ya maybe I'll check it out one of these days you know


I mean I'm not gonna be rock climbing that's for sure so eating will be okay I think


you brought students there for about four five hours, oh okay


ya I think it's a good idea because , on a whole of Singapore you know, in terms of natural uh, resources we don't have much and even we don't have mountains we have fields yes we don't have mountains we don't have rivers, you know so we don't have all these


natural uh you know uh, features that a lot of other countries, have, so I think it the only way for the young, students to experience it is by traveling and if they can't travel then I think, places like the Sports Hub with the rock climbing feature and all will come in handy you know


ya I think it would be good for young people to, you know embark on a more adventurous lifestyle, they all most of them are too, caught up with their phones and their computers and you know they hardly ever look up from their phones


right right ya, ya I think it's a great idea ya, and you know ya I think maybe


even if they can, bring them out of Singapore get them to doesn't have to be very far maybe just across to Malaysia or Indonesia, uh chaperon trips you know with teachers and maybe parents sisters you know I think it would be good, like when on one trip I went to with my youth group


we were travelling on the bus, and some of the younger members had never seen cows and goats, they had never, okay seen cows and goats before so when they saw the cows and goats they were wide eyed and !wow! you know, it's like


it's like almost as if they were, looking at some mythical creatures or something like that you know, so ya uh it doesn't have to be very far you know I know, trips to far away places like Australia Europe may be a bit hard not impossible a bit difficult to manage or arrange but


I think just across the causeway to Malaysia or, you know a ferry trip to Batam maybe you know, and uh or Bintan Bintan you know uh Bintan and uh, the the nearby places I think would be good


it's good for them to, see how the less fortunate in other countries live and how they manage, I I'm not saying these children, should suffer I'm just saying it would be good for them to experience, you know


or or at least observe how the less fortunate live in other countries you know


oh you know I think it's quite natural for parents want to you know to pamper their children a little and uh I don't have children but then you know to pamper their children I think it's quite natural but, maybe they could include uh you know, as part of the itinerary you know, maybe a visit to an orphanage or you know


the the place where the less fortunate live just to experience you know what it's like and to, maybe they'll come back with a better appreciation for the life here, so that is something I would I would strongly recommend


well, again it depends on how you raise them , did my best to take care of my late mother till the time she passed away, and I think , my conscious is clear I did the best I could I'm I'm not saying


I couldn't have done better I I don't wanna beat myself up about it but ya I think I did the best I could I think as long as you've done the best you can, ya it should be okay you know, of course, it's good if the government can provide some kind of safety net or support network for those with elderly


inform the parents but, again you know, it's about people working with whatever resources they have to, take care of elderly parents or disabled you know family members and so on you know


that's, (hmm) that that's a concern because, if you're alone and something happens nobody is gonna to know, so I think it's good to develop some kind of system where you can monitor, you know, uh they are those who living the elderly who are living alone especially there no family members taking care of them


and you know see how we can uh, make sure that they have what they need or if they especially if they have medical conditions, you know how to keep track of them, should they collapse should they fall in the home, you know I remember once when as my mother was getting older


she was alone at home and we didn't have a helper at that time and, and all I always make it a point to call home, when I'm closer you know to see whether if she needs anything from the shop you know, so I remember I was, just a few minutes from home and I was at the shop and I, bought something and I called and my mom said she didn't need anything and I walked out


and I saw my mom sitting on the floor, so which was strange and so I the gate the the the door was open the gate was locked and I I let myself in and I said mom why are you sitting on the floor and, apparently she, lost her balance and


and, fell, but thankfully she landed on her buttocks, and no major injuries, and she didn't have the strength, to pull herself back to her feet, so it was a good thing that, it had only happened a few minutes before you know


imagine If I was an hour or two hours from home she would have, been sitting on the floor, not being able to pull herself up, so again likewise, old folks you know we just need to be, mindful you know, and you know aware of how


you know best to take care of them, and make sure that, there is some kind of support or some kind of a, you know assistance, close at hand close at hand


that's great for for those who like the my late mother was is uh, couldn't read or write, so, again you know, how you help those in that kind of situation, if they can use a smartphone great if they can be taught to, operate a simple smartphone if there is an App it can be


installed on a simple smartphone for the elderly maybe, maybe they can think about, designing smart phones especially for the elderly you know with the apps or maybe you know, as you know you know they have difficulty seeing you know some of them may may need reading glasses and so on


for something that is voice operated or, voice activated, in case of an emergency, you know, so something something can be done I'm sure it's about the working with, the right people to, come up with the the right solution


I agree you know one I think, this, if the the uh impetus to develop a smart nation and, roll out, programmes and uh you know, uh they can help improve people's lives then


maybe make sure that every citizen, is equipped, with a smartphone everyone can afford a smartphone I think, it's gotta be some way maybe working with uh, the uh manufacturers to see if we can come up with at least uh, a basic


entry level smartphone that anyone can use to access all the different services rolled out by the government, and or private sector, so I'm sure something can be done it's about working with the right people, putting together maybe, some kind of team to look into the you know the feasibility of


these ideas, ya seven years away and, seven years away I think, I don't know I would say ten years would be a safe estimate a safe


uh time period because, to assess, whether you're on target whether these, what are the measures your planning can work whatever ideas you have, can be, rolled out in time and can help people ten years I think would be in, adequate time to even test


all the systems that you want to put in place, seven years seven years I don't know it might be too soon, but if you can give yourself a period of say ten years and you can achieve it in seven years I think that's a, that's a great


I guess because, the share population numbers in China, the uh the human resources, terms of industrial output I think that the human resources that they have they don't need to depend on foreign labour, whereas I think a country like Singapore


are dependent on foreign labour, especially you know, uh blue collar work and so on, so, I think it's very hard to, it may be unrealistic to compare ourselves to China, uh if we were to compare, ourselves to say Hong-Kong


possibly that would be a fairer, comparison because for about, in terms of population, it's closer in terms of population I think you know, densely a population also, uh but then Again I think we should be looking at how


nations like China and India and these , uh countries that have made progress in the past ten fifteen twenty years, how they're managing you know and learn from them and see how we can possibly, put in place, you know, programmes that maybe not similar but programmes that may work for our situation


I think it's a great idea uh I always been a big fan of going cashless, but it's a question my my concern would be cashless is fine but is it safe


use your money safe, I've heard about how, Internet transactions have gone, uh wrong, uh how phone mobile transaction have gone wrong, just recently a friend a friend told me about how, she


hired a carpenter, hired a carpenter with some work, and paid him fifty percent up front, and because he was using one of those cashless features on the phone, something like that yes PayLah I think it was PayLah, and because the phone he was using


was a recycled number, so the PayLah feature that came with the phone, uh there was something wrong with it so when she uh paid him via PayLah, the amount went to the previous owner of that number


so this poor guy did not receive the money that was owing him, and the person who paid him they lost and there was no way, even the bank said there was no way they could do anything about that, there was no way nothing


so I think, again unless you, uh are in touch with the telco unless the telco and the authority and the banks, uh work out some way to to so sort out iron out all these problems, you know we are not going to be able to achieve a cashless completely cashless society


cashless society I think, looks fine in theory but, there are a lot of things you need to iron out, you know and this is just one of those things I mentioned


ya so they have to find some way for people to make sure they have back ups, your phone gets stolen that is an, that's it, duplicate or some kind of backup, either cloud form or stored in your laptop, or something, so that you have excess to it via that way you know


get a replacement phone and everything is backed up, right now I know it's a feature that is available when you go to some of these vendors phone mobile phone vendors, you can have them back it up for you or can get them back it up for you, and so on but


it's a feature you got to pay for but if you can do it yourself, have it backed on your phone or on your laptop, or your tablet or whatever, you know I think that that would be a better idea so you have excess to all the information nobody else does, some third party is the doesn't have excess to the information


because you phone is very personal very private, you have a lot of sensitive information there, a lot of people I know they store everything on the phones, not even the laptops, in my case I store, a lot on my phone, but i back it up on my laptop, but how many people have this habit


and, there's also a question of regularly backing up your phone, you have a back up on your phone or your laptop but you have to update it, make sure it's continuously, the back up is updated


if you do a lot of work or if you do, some work, by your phone you know documents and so on you may (ppc) you may have documents stored on your phone work documents (ppc), sometimes I may I may check my email on my phone If I don't have my tablet with me, I may check my emails on my phone if it's something urgent that I need to check my emails I will do that and I have to open documents attachments via my phone I do that


so this is I think a lot of people want make sure that their phones are able to read emails open attachments as well, which means all the, it's gotta be powerful enough to do that, because not everyone may want to carry their tablets with them, some days I may carry my tablet with me some days I won't


that's right so it's question of discipline also you know to make sure you, you really, uh making an effort to back up all your information


and if you can do that great you know but , I think it's, easier for those who are, IT savvy, for the older folks, you know, ya they may need help, so I think they need to come up with some kind of system where, okay, places where this old folks can go for assistance with IT stuff


or mobile stuff you know, and uh it's great I think this idea of a smart nation is great but, you must make allowances for those who are, either not IT savvy or who are maybe, okay they are intellectually disabled they are physically disabled


can they uh take advantage of these uh programs as well


so Again I think all these different agencies government agencies or private sector agencies, must find a way to work together, some way to seamlessly connect, and make it happen, our banks, government agencies, all the different uh


you know, places that you know uh you have to go to to get your paperwork done, I think all these uh things have to be in place, I'm not saying it's impossible I think if uh they come up with, some kind of


committee or the different government agencies can set up a committee maybe a, a working committee made up of uh different government agencies and the private sector, I think that will be good that will be a good start


I think it's important to know that but hear again like you said changing the mindset, how do you do that, I know some people would just, don't carry handphones young people don't carry handphones, they may have a laptop at home, but they are not on social media


uh they are not, even if you do carry phones they are not on these special apps WhatsApp and so on, so, it's a personal choice, you can't do anything, uh to change that unless they specifically want to so, uh what can you do


it's a it's a, you know it, it's them exercising their free will so, just let it go


it's, it's a it's a handy feature hear again like you said, it's like what they see you what do you say about fire and electricity they are good service and last us, is your phone, controlling your life, is your


laptop controlling your life is your tablet controlling your life, oh they are convenient tools but, you should not be, bound to them you know and , you should be able to survive without them if you have to like If I go on holiday I may probably


at the very most bring my, mobile phone, and maybe my tablet with me but, I see no reason to bring my laptop unless unless it's a working trip, you know, if your tablet has enough capacity to to back up things, from your mobile phone it's okay


or your, your tablet allows you to work get, some work done is great you know, you don't need your laptop, but that's something I would do but maybe not everyone, if it's a work trip yes your laptop maybe, essential you know it may essential to your work


you have no choice, Again I think, different people would find different apps useful, there are millions of apps out there, probably so but would


do you need all of them, so it's about, I think understanding what your needs are, and then downloading an App, that, suits your needs, for me like you said you know most of my apps are work related


I don't have, my, nieces children, think I'm boring because I don't have any games on my mobile, I don't have any games on my on my laptop, so Again I'm not a gamer, and but then again, uh I know people who are and who who


I suppose, use it for stress relief which is fine, about again, it's important to know what you want, uh what apps are useful and just download these apps, your phone has limited, capacity, you can't have everything in your phone


your tablet has limited capacity, so does your laptop, you know, so uh you have to be aware of these and then yes you need to be a little IT savvy to know the the capacity, the limited the limitations of your limitations of your mobile and tablets and laptops


which is where the training and the education comes in you know, you if you want us uh, a population uh that's equipped to handle the challenges of a, of the twenty first century, and and we have aims to be a smart nation


that can cope with these challenges then I think we need to focus on educating the , you know, the older folks


right and that that that's useful, it's important to know that, and that's what I'm talking about you see, this App would be useful to them, and they need to know how to download it how to use it


so that's why I pay for your parking and all that right, I think I was with my friend and he did that you know he had to get the QR code for the, a parking, uh the the the place where he park his car, so he could just pay the parking uh for the the parking charges


you know using his mobile


right cause this friend of mine said, he he's got I think a similar App, there're these parking signs and on the signs you've got the code number for the particular area, so just key in you either key in the code number, and it will give you all the details on the App, and then you just key in your your vehicle number and


it will deduct automatically, that is ya getting into peoples' heads you know getting people to change old habits is never easy


uh easy with the younger ones I supposed but again, you need to convince the older folks uh the retirees and all that look, this is something that would make your life easier more convenient, you don't need to go queue up in a government office for things you can do this


online either online or using your phone you get a mobile phone you can do it, sitting in a favorite coffee shop or sitting with your friends, or your friends and all and get together and can all do it together you know, you gotta find a way to convince them that this is the the way to go


I'm more for it you know uh I have got nothing against uh going cashless, just that


one I think you need to make sure that, it doesn't discriminate, you know it allows , people who are challenged in some in in many ways various ways to use this, so it is as well like, the visually disabled the


hearing impaired, the uh intellectually disabled I think these people should be, you know consider as well in the whole conversation the whole narrative, and, when you rolling out something like this you have to make sure that


it's safe most of all, as I mentioned there have been some stories about people, either, uh not being paid for what they, like should have been paid for or, you know amounts deducted from their accounts and


it won't properly track in you know, loss of money and things like that so, naturally there will be some, you know, areas to eye out but I think they should do that you know, look into that as well


precisely precisely, ya, they have to come up with, uh some kind of, system which can, uh be implemented in case of a break down, you know, should you need access to cash what can you do


you know, uh what can the the layman do, what can uh the the their older folks do, what can the uh visually impaired do what can the uh hearing impaired do, you know, uh they need to come up with some kind of uh system you know that can


err I supposed, account for you know make allowances for all these, eventualities, because you never know something can go wrong, like I said a breakdown, a black out, some kind of natural disasters some accidents somewhere


you know, anything can happen so it's about or if you are travelling, what's gonna happen, situation in Singapore yes, what if you're across to Malaysia, what if you're travelling to Batam or Bintan, what is you're travelling to Australia


can these payments systems, seamlessly connect to others seamless other payments systems


artificial intelligence ya that it's, it's interesting


it's about staying relevant you know picking up skills that will, keep you relevant I think that's a very important thing to do and, one thing I have to do is reinvent myself through I was from the advertising industry and I, I work very long irregular hours and my health suffers in as a result of which


my arthritis got out of control and I just couldn't, couldn't continued with the industry so I have to, take some time out, I took one year round to let my spine heal, and then I


during that one year I was working freelance at the casual work, and then I went back to a part time and then and then I started doing consulting work you know I do, you know I started working, teaching part time doing consulting work that's how I managed it you know


because going back to work full time, help wise don't think I can handle it, I think similarly I think a lot of people would have to, make decisions based on, that is situation as well, do they have the right skills for whatever jobs is out there if not


where can they get the training, to pick up the skills for the jobs that are out there, if some, if they don't have specific skills, uh then they need to find, some other job


retrain for some other job


I think it would be good to be an undertaker cause you'll never you'll never be out of job, people who people who, when we born people will die so another day cause we will never be out of world, unless they gonna come up with robot undertakers, and I'll like to see that


again you see, AI they talking about AI robots and so on industrial robots are are used in different parts of the world in in, you know <unk> and so on, here again like you said, the personal touch the human touch is very important in certain area like in health care


I think, if we have a nurse come around and, take care of you, check up on you a doctor, I don't know but, robot doctor running on AI, how reassuring, uh that would be


you know, I'm having a doctor sit down opposite you and say you know, you you have a you have this condition you know and we need to do this operation to, to rectify that uh I don't know if (er), an AI can do the same job, you know


delivering babies, I don't know, we didn't have a robot delivering a baby, I'm not sure about that, I've I've seen how doctors


are using, uh robots, to perform surgeries but is like they are controlling to robots, so and there's, that safety feature you see, the robot's not doing it themselves, so again


uh is about, I think it's it's trying to find, some kind of balance you know, you can't just left the room, AI and robots run things, I know because I I I after watching terminator and the movie I'm a little paranoid you know


but ya I would say, there's a lot of potential in AI and robot technology but, you have to build you have to build in some kind of, some kind of field save there's there has to be, some kind of safety measure build in


you know should something go wrong, to think that oh nothing will go wrong is naive, so I I would think of this things


oh okay that is new, I mean they're talking about driverless vehicles, okay so


I think that, is something I can live with, can I, live with a robot preparing my meal I don't know , I was raise in my mom's cooking so, it's hard for my to, to to think about that you know that's a hard one for me to wrap my head around


a robot cooking like this but, I don't know fifty hundred years from now it would be, may be the norm, you know we won't be around but, ya, and so what do you do, you just have to keep pace with the with technology


and move with the times you know, ya I mean investment in this kind of technology is not going to be cheap but I, in the long term I think they cannot discount it they cannot just ignore it


I think Singapore is quite Singapore is a late entrant into the IT race, so, uh they lost I think they lost ground compared to the other countries in Asia, you know not just Asia but the world and so I think it's, it's important to


you know keep your eye, you know, on developments , IT you know engineering and and manufacturing and all that, you have to keep pace with what's happening around the world


that's all I've been hearing you know the the corners are hard to reach so, maybe they they can improve the design of these cleaning robots you know, err extendable arms or something to get the the the hard to reach places I don't know, or maybe a drone that helps clean the house


drone technology is quite interesting, you know, I like to see how they can use that to improve, you know the quality of life


I'd like one of those I hate ironing, so I'd like one of those I'd really like one of those, when it comes to ironing ya because like I said uh I hate ironing so I would welcome that


and even the other household chores I think for families busy families, where the husband and wife are both working, AI or automated uh you know uh domestic, cleaning system may help, so


I don't know if, I don't know if an if a robot, babysitter or robot nanny, is something I can live with you know I don't know, would you trust your babies, with a robot nanny I don't know


robot baby sister, something happens you know , it it is gonna shoot lasers at your baby or something like that, I'll be worried about things like that


you see right not now we have we have driverless trains, driver less and on the MRT I think the , the uh, they , Circle Line is driverless, so I can I can live with that, driverless vehicles


ya, true


well they they're design, these driverless vehicles and they are, they are manned by uh AI or or computers, I'm sure they would have made allowance for these things and, again, the reaction time of a machine I think would faster than that of a human


you know, in the in the case of accidents it's all and all to prevent an accident, so, here again, I think they have to do their fair share they have to do their due diligence testing and all before, things can be implemented full scale


driver less vehicles, they have to have the usual pilot runs you know test it on a small scale, you know a small area before, it can be implemented island wide


but ya I, again as I said, fifty hundred years from now these things will be the norm but, you now you have to start somewhere, and Singapore being a small country


I think it serves as a great test bed for technology such as this you know, the different technologies out there and, testing it on the smaller scale before it can be, implemented world wide and if the technology can be, the technology is invented created here


you know I think it will be, great as well you know Singapore companies can jump on the bandwagon and, you know, and manufacture create you know invent technology that the world can benefit from you know


okay that's news to me


ya, so you know it's staggering you know the uh, the changes that we are, seeing witnessing, in this present age and time you know, again it's about, all these changes and how they impact


our lives you know are they improving the quality of our lives, is it building a more inclusive society , is it helping lift, those who are, on the fringe of society you know experiencing financial difficulties and so on


is there anyway we can help, the physically and mentally disabled you know the visually impaired the hearing impaired, can technology be, technology be used to help these people in some way improve the quality of their lives, you know


we must include them you see in the narrative, that we are talk uh talking about, so, that's something that I'll be concern about, and again, how this impacts the environment, is it, sustainable


can all these uh can can these technology be created, in a sustainable, way, and can it be used, to, you know, bring the sustainable movement forward, you know can it be used in someway to help reduce


global warming can it be, used to help preserve the environment the ecology, you know, can it be used to, halt animal extinction, these are the things I would I would, think about


Again I think it's all about managing stress, you know , stress, is going to be there, you know I think anyone around the world you'll experience stress everyone in the world so it's just about learning how to manage stress, I think that's also gonna be another thing you know how


teaching people, how to manage all the new, technology the new you know, the new features of the technology, and the stress that comes with it


so that's another challenge you know that we we, are facing


heard about it, I think the


that would be something I would look forward to look, if if it means that, students, ya lor, uh with use of technology and the the internet as one, can reduce their contact time in school, okay so it means that instead of going school five days a week


they can go to they school they go to school maybe one day a week, and the other four days, do the learning online, you know, or it can be done in the group lah maybe, all the students living in a particular area


yo know can combine and learn together or do projects, I think that will be a great way to do it, I would welcome that


that's great, (ppc) you know it'd help cut down the travelling time, maybe it will help , reduce the, traffic on the roads, if it can be extended so that people can work from home I think that will be even better


I'm not saying doctors can perform surgeries from home I think we're going to be we're we're a long way from that but, it'll be good you know if we can, do that then people can maybe spend quality time with their families, and we can basically all around enjoy a better quality of life


I think it it it may be ideal for minor illnesses but if is something serious they need to consult a doctor you know, so I think that was that is something you know people have to be mindful of what what can they


what can they consult these things for you know what can I teach be good for, you know, again you know there's so many option out there so is about them knowing what they need, and what's out there


so Gerald what are your plans for the festive season, you're in holidays and all, well Christmas is around the corner and Deepavali is around the corner


you're not planning to travel anywhere, I have a sister in Melbourne and she, her husband and she have been, asking me to come visit and uh haven't had the time to go overseas but and I have not gone for a holiday in a long time so


I'm thinking about it maybe end of the year, maybe spend Christmas in Melbourne and stay on till a New Year, come back you know, err maybe mid January or so, thinking about it and just working on it, not yet you see I I I haven't


so I'm just thinking about you know, the the time period and whether be okay, cause I'll be working right up till I think early December so, I only have free time from mid December onwards


training and I do consulting you know so I'm a communications training consultant so I do a bit of consulting a bit of training I do lot of, writing, so I develop training courses I deliver them


so my schedule you between now and then I'm trying to see If I can get as much most work as possible out of the way, and then start planning for next year, so for next year I think I'll only start, my schedule would only pick up probably


February onwards so I may still have free time in January, yes I do training training training courses and uh, I do through different people I I'm engage as a consultant so I go through anyone who needs my services so


ya, and so I do, I also write scripts and do translation things like that so again it depends on what, is required you know, uh the consulting side I consult for different industry different people so


yes, I get contacted directly by these companies so I also get a lot of, business through recommendations, so that's what I also do, and ya so what I'm hoping to is, probably, start working full swing, probably from uh February next year onwards


so now I'm just winding down everything, and hopefully I can uh use January to recharge, and then pick up again in February, well I don't know word just just you know spread and you know through word of mouth you know people contacted me and and


ya so anyway for me, what I'm hoping to do so , uh do a bit more travelling, ya because I realize that there there's lot of Asia that I have yet to discover, even parts of Malaysia there are lots of nice places in Malaysia which I haven't discover


I've only been as far KL I've never been to Penang and I heard there's some nice, offshore islands you know, in Malaysia there there there really, uh you know, the fun to to to hang out in, so I really haven't really done that so what I to do is do that you know travel to


these places you know, trying get to know them take pictures, I've been to Indonesia but never been to I've been to Jakarta I've been Bandung I've been to Bogor but I've never been to Bali, Bali is the favorite holiday destination but I've never been to Bali, ever


so that is something I got to check off my list, I've heard but Again I've never been there I've only seen it on videos, so uh I'm not much of a water sportsman I'm more of a I like to travel take pictures and so on you know


I like nature so I suppose I like to explore you know, like if it's Bali I'll like to go Boroboro and you know explore it, so, there a lot of other nice, uh places around Asia like, uncle walt you know in Cambodia


and so on I'll I'll like to really explore these place into China, dude I do all sorts you know, although I have I find, I enjoy adult training more than I do


I have worked uh with different company I don't work with specific company but, it's it's a question of it's a question of the, I basically don't restrict myself you know it's like okay if someone tells me hey they are looking for particular trainer for this particular programme


if I'm comfortable delivering the programme I'm okay with it you know, I don't do, technical stuff like science Physics maths and things like that you know, if it's academic for schools I do uh speech dramas creative writing public writing, and more the Arts based courses I don't do Math science and Physic and so on


if it's adult training I do all sorts you know soft skills hard skills, Again I avoid the more technical stuff because I'm I'm from the communication industry, I can handle adversting design film video, you know, and so on, a bit of PR but I don't do all the you know


technical stuff, so, negotiation decision making you know uh it's not, with any particular company I was engaged, by uh another person you know to conduct it for a group


so they had they had it in their own premises, it was no this is a one day thing, ya ya, so things like decision making negotiation it's it's uh nothing it's nothing not too technical, so you know


basically what they wanted to something, it no was not double WSQ it was more in house, in house there's something called in house you know, and they were something the was, entry level and mid level stuff


so uh it didn't require anything any kind of certification WSQ, prerequisites try anything like that, nope I've not done WSQ programs and so on yet, nope I don't do it I'm working on my BA at the moment so you know


ya so I, uh I've stop for awhile when my mum's health started declining so I'm, gonna resume it, so that's what I'm hoping to do once I finished that and, and uh once that's done I'm hoping to, uh leave within the next few years to go off do masters


and see what happens after that you know, that that's my long term plan I mean being single I can afford to do this no but, I know my friends who are married with family they can't afford to do stuff like that so, I'm at the moment living with my sister


ya but I'm looking for a place of my own, ya so we're both singles so you know, anyway but that's how life is you just make plans and work towards your objectives, so


not really you know it's just that , I was available for the program, it was it was timing basically I was available, they needed someone and ya so it was just the right fit at the right time


it's not a question of who they they have a database, and it's a question of who's available, you know, I had to turn down assignments because, I was already engaged for another program you know so that always happens so which is why I think it's so important for these companies


to have a database of trainers who are, skill and experience you know because, in any given time, you know when there programs running, it may be hard for you to get trainers because everyone's, already booked by other company, so


it's a luck of the draw


I don't know about that because because, from what I understand the TTT is only for specific courses, that the trainer is not, uh experience in conducting, this this this was my understanding so, uh I've I've I've


attended the TTT but I've been in the training business for more than twenty years so you know, I don't need a TTT, so again you know I'm confident enough to conduct training, and I know which programs I can conduct and which I can't so again if you asked me to conduct flower arrangement


I won't be able to do that you know, even if you put me through a TTT I would never be able to do that it's not my forte, but if it's communications related no problem you know, so


here again here, I would, advise, or would be trainers and trainers, to decide for the child though you think it's uh, is right for you fine if you think is not right for you then you kind have to move on because


I probably won't, you know go for something like that, I would I would I would never do that, you know, I am working on I mean I'm I'm working on my other training


Prudential's, I am working like other training plan just for the coming year as well, but these are other and this certify me to conduct other programs you see, and the so again is about what, your, your objective is you know


uh what do you want to do in the train in the train how much you want to achieve, so and base on that you know you can make decisions, but and anyway the way I look at it like is for me, I don't just do planning I do consulting I do writing and all that I I have the of a wide range of service also


I do whatever I am comfortable with you know, I have contacts in industry so if people calling me uh I have referral and so on so, it depend on the projects you know


basically it could be a project whatever project could be, if could be them pitching for the project could be them tendering for, for business and they need my consulting services you know to help them uh, tender for the business


and again you work up your range with them you know uh, there are some people they have a fee system so some people they take a card, for whatever project they working on so different people working differently you know, so , is just, a question of, you know like I said you know you doing what you are comfortable with you know


I I work a certain way I work along, so you know, If I need to assemble the theme for a particular project then I will assemble a night, uh I will assemble the theme of uh consultant you know on my own, people I know that that I work with


so again you know, is about you doing on your, at at at at my stage at this stage of my life, I don't know if I'll be, comfortable, uh attempting something that I'm unfamiliar with because


the learning curve would be steeper, it depend you see if if I'm free, if I'm free If I got nothing to do, and the I'm


I don't mind spending a couple of hours doing it okay but otherwise I don't you know because , sometimes you know, is just question of the time, I I don't have that much time, so I, you know like, the certain program to come up


I'm available it's the right fit okay fine you know, like I just got a text message, for a project, you know earlier, and ask me whether I'm free on these dates it so happen I am free on all the dates so I say I'm free on all those dates, so


I'm uh you know, I'm I've been put down through for for that, so again you know sometimes people look for you and you're available, and that's it it's a good fit, it's a good thing I'm leaving I I'm hoping to go on a holiday end of the year this is


this is you know, uh this is these dates don't clash with that, so I think sometimes it could be simple as simple as, are you free on this particular day at this particular time, are you comfortable handling this programme


you know, and and that's about it you know, so I'm I'm pretty flexible, and versatile but at the same time I know what I can do and what I can't do, that's very important, you know


it could it could be that because they've already, engaged the main trainers, no no normally what they do is sometimes the training companies the vendors themselves, no no they already have, certain trainers in mind specific trainers in mind and they may have already


ah earmark these trainers, and what they need more assistance because sometimes you need more assistance and trainers, ya like like for the last programme, one one assistant uh was ill and pulled out so I had I conducted the programme without any assistance on my own


so when when you're alone you're managing a a large number of, people it can be quite daunting you know, so ya but if you're experienced enough it should be okay


with the primary schools with the primary schools, discipline is not an issue you know, their attention is an issue because, they're younger and they get more distracted, and


you know, so, with the secondary school, the secondary schools, it's more challenging in the sense that uh intellectually they're more challenging, because they they may question you more, they may engage you more


it I find that with the secondary schools, your programme your approach can be more interactive, whereas the primary schools, you can't, you can't challenge them too much, and you have to tone down to a certain level


so I find that I prefer the secondary schools and and older, but I have but I have more fun with the adults


ya, but with the adults what kind of programs have you handle so far


oh workplace <unk> okay right ya i've heard of those


right right ya


these all I think essential skills that they will benefit from you know, ya I think that's that's something that uh some of the older folks, find a bit challenging having to go online for certain government services


okay maybe they need to register for certain uh, uh certain to use certain government agency features you know okay CPF, they need to login they need to find out certain things, uh they need to notify the CPF Board or certain things or change of address


things like you know uh national registration department okay they they want to apply for new a passport and all hey, they want to renew a passport then they they then they find out hey they you can't renew a passport you have to apply for new passport things like that, how can you do it online it will be easier and so on you know


so these are some of the things I would think of


so there are post program uh objectives as well


are they required to do any projects after the program compulsory projects nothing nothing like that


I do some uh consulting work sorry for Singapore-Tourism-Board, so that's quite interesting because , they're supposed to do the tourist guide examinations, uh those that are going to the tourist guard and I just, so I I'm engaged as a language assess language assessor so I assess their language skills


ya so they come in and do a mock I mean they have to go out on a on a on a coach with them you know they do a, commentary and you know a simulated tour and so on so I have to assess their language skills and so on pretty interesting it's fun, and of course you know you can see a bit of Singapore you can find out more about the history Singapore so I'm a history buff so that uh I find that interesting you know


so some consulting jobs are quite fun like that, and some are if you're stuck in the office it's not as fun but you know, you have to do it anyway


okay you know with with with the with the primary schools we got the primary schools then you got the secondary schools right then you got the IT got the in between, they tend to respond better to, programs that are more hands on, it they they are not too keen on theory based programs


whatever you conduct for them has got to be more hands on and very interactive, and you got to make sure that lots of breaks in between you have to be able to engage them IT students you must be able to engage them, and make it interactive otherwise you lose their attention span compared to uh the secondary school kids


ya you lose it


that's good


okay, ya that's good, that's wonderful ya it's good, I know this friend of mine uh she's a nurse


I mean she was uh in the poly studying nursing, and her mother who was also a nurse was sponsored by the hospital, to go to the poly to get her diploma in nursing so she and her mother were in uh the poly together, ya


and there was another friend friend of mine, she's related to me and she was working as an admin officer in the healthcare industry, and then the opportunity came up they offered her offered to sponsor her, for a diploma in nursing


to make the switch from admin to nursing, she grabbed it so she, she went to the poly, did the three years got her diploma uh nursing diploma and she's now an, she's now nursing, so these options I think are very very good you know like mid career switches and so on


in the government sector in the private sector and there must be, some kind of uh agency that overseas the transition for these people you know, whether it's through, retrenchment restructuring and they lose jobs or, retraining them for newer jobs


it could be retirees who want to go back to work but part time or in a consulting capacity, retirees retirees who want to be active maybe doing social work, I know that social work is an area, which is having a tough time attracting


you know younger people, so if younger people are not quite attracted to social work perhaps, they can get retirees who have the experience work experience life experience, and maybe even if it's not full time work in the social work uh


uh field part time you know, they've tough time getting, social workers why not, depends on the the retirees you know, if necessary makes them go through some kind of training, and they can work part time or and the consulting the best time even if full time if they need to


cause this is what I've notice, it is but how many, oh older folks would be attract to nursing like nursing you have to be on your feet the whole day, and so on how many of them can handle it physically now some older, workers