What your parents do when you ace your exams ?

My friend is going back to the States. His trip here was a treat from his parents, as he had ace his exams. We had a really good time here & I was telling him, I'll go visit him asap- & he said NO! He was telling us the place where he stayed was really bad!

It's like the city is full of people pulling wheelie suitcases. No the city is not full of go-getters ...lol... just a bunch of homeless bums who spent the night in doorways & are packing up before they get kicked out !

He said it's a place where you step in shit & you pray, Please God, let this be dog shit ....lol..... it's so funny!  He suggest we go Hawaii together when I visit the states. That'll be nice :))

So funny !!!

How cool you are :)) Iphone 6

Someone was doing a survey in campus a while back, about shopping habits of young people like me, people who are still in school. I think they were trying to spot trends for their online apparel business.

Very interesting talking to them, as I know more about "us" after they sort of reveal what most students said. Well it seems 'fashion' as in clothing fashion is not as BIG as we think in a young adult's world.


Apparently the coolest thing is the Iphone 6 or its equivalent!!!! I should have known. Having a cool phone is THE fashion statement these days! Younger teenagers are using these gadgets to signal status.

Me???  still using my Iphone 5- that's how uncool I am !

As we mourn the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.......

The past 9 days has been strange as Singapore went into mourning mood as Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away on the 23rd March. A sad day for everyone here. Especially for the older generation who knows him better , & respected  him deeply.

My dad said we the younger generation only see the result of his ideas & work but not how the actual building from a 3rd world to a 1st world within 50 short years was being done. Some of us dont even think of how all these come about. We inherited a better world, just by being born in a different era. So we cant really appreciate what's being done, the hardship etc...

I disagree. I've been to near by countries. I see the difference. Our language proficiency for one, something we can really be proud of. It increases our mobility globally. Not forgetting the opportunities here. Even if you are poor, you study hard, you can make it. Cant say the same else where. I could just go on, but I will not.
Told my dad that. He smiled, I think he's glad I do get it.

Only $1- in Philippines...lol..

We have a new maid, the old one has finished her contract & wish to returned home. New maid is from Philippines it's her first time to Singapore, so we had a lot of fun introducing her to our culture.

When we went to the stores, I go like "wow that's cheap... that blouse is $10-"
She'll go like "aiyo so expensive... in Philippines cost only maybe $1-

I bought some organic corn for $3.00
She said in Philippines it'll cost only $1- for a lot more !

In short everything cost like only $1- ( especially food, veg )
My mum is now considering travelling there to check it out ...lol.... she is dreaming of living like a queen over there where almost everything cost $1- :))

Joe's messy apartment

I  went to Joe's place today, it's exactly he'd promised. Joe lives in a condo alone as his family is in Hong Kong. No maid , no mother so it's messy. I made him promised he hadn't deliberately mess it up for me ...haha...

Anyway, when I first met Joe, I'd imagine that he lived in a penthouse apartment with a sea view, a chrome kitchen island, bar stools and a focus group employed to give 24-hr feedback. But now this mess seemed to make sense.

However even I wasn't prepared for the left over pizza n the coffee table :))

Crabby advice : follow your dreams !

Lately many people have been telling me "to follow my dreams" . But which dreams?

What about the dream where I went to David Gan & ask him to shave me bald !!! Serious , it was terrifying.... would you like ,me to follow that?

Beyond Paper Chase in Singapore

Traditionally the emphasis has always been on paper qualifications- it's like a passport to a good job, good pay etc... Well at least it gets you a foot in the door, an interview at the very least. But should it be the only criteria to define one's ability?

There has been a shift in the mindset of many employers, or so I've read. We often heard of success stories - people without a degree armed only with personality ,skills & experiences making it BIG. Academic qualifications became only one of the multi criteria that determine one's ability.

My dad stress very much on job performance & attitude . He has a mid size company & he often come back complaining of the  "youth of today". Paper smart but nothing other than that! Is he being too critical & harsh? Cant blame him though, I sometimes help out in his office & got to know some of the workers.

We have some new comers, who quit after like only a week. During interview some will complain it's too far, or the hours are not what they want (& we are talking of normal working hrs) what were they thinking???? My dad gave up & he ended up hiring a poly grad.

So the question is, is a degree enough? After all unlike olden days, everyone has a degree now. My dad said the present degree is the past "o" levels (roll eyes.....) . So what will set you apart during an interview? The results don't seem to matter also , unless its govt section ( they are still 'old school' I guess, still think good grades = good performance & ability) . Maybe it's safe to choose someone base on grades. But we all know, often good grades = only good memory/exam smart or good tutor (who is good  in spotting exam questions for you....lol...).

Back to results & interview. It seems the personality is very impt- during an interview, the one with the better personality stands out. The one who only could code from books & without some creativity & originality pales in comparison with some one who's more interesting but not so good results.

Conclusion, yes study hard but get some experience, travel a little if you have the budget, expose yourself more .... get a personality !!!!