Covid-19: Migrant Workers' Dormitories in Singapore

I believe that many have received videos, messages, and even images sharing concerns about our migrant workers' dormitories and the covid-19 situation.

I hear many of your concerns and I would like to share this post by Minister Jo Teo.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/123724534368517/posts/3665600290180906/?d=n

To quote her, "SHOULD STANDARDS IN FOREIGN WORKER DORMITORIES BE RAISED?

There’s no question in my mind, answer is “yes”."

I don't think I can say it better than Min Teo herself. The concerns are real and actions need to be taken. I like how she admitted it like it is instead of trying to defend it as if it was otherwise.

Of course, the standard question is, "would you stay in such dormitories yourself if you think it is good enough?"

Like her post pointed out, it is not easy to find a balance. To offer them what is best for them and also at the same time managing the cost for the employers.

Being a migrant worker is not easy. Being in the industry itself is not easy. I have visited some of these dorms and spoken to some of them before. I remember this article that I contributed to unscrambled many years ago when I was still a SEP;

“I love Singapore. I want to be here and continue working and contributing as long as I am healthy. I don’t care about other things or how other people look at me. I do my part and I’m happy where I am.”

Link: https://www.unscrambled.sg/2017/06/16/photo-story-migrant-workers-celebration-2017/

If there is something that we can take away at the end of this Covid-19 saga, I hope people learn to count your blessings. For everything we have, for everything we are given.

Before I end this post, I would like to share another post from another popular page in Singapore - SMRT Feedback. While I do not always agree with everything they share or calling themselves vigilanteh by hiding behind a Facebook page, there is some truth in their post.

"When the govt want to house foreign workers in neighbourhoods, residents complain then no choice gotta house the dorms in far-flung areas.

S'poreans are quick to criticise these workers when they board the trains at the end of the work day. Parents tell their kids that these workers should be avoided in public. More and more Singaporeans are turning xenophobic.

They beat their chest screaming for better conditions for foreign workers but in the same breath balked at the same workers living alongside them.

It's hypocrisy and racism, plain and simple."

While I am happy that many share the concern and wish to see improvement for these workers who contributed greatly to our nation-building, for now. I hope that they bring this compassion with them beyond Covid-19 situation and also beyond just their keyboards.

Link:
https://www.facebook.com/smrtsg/posts/3225055884185268

Read More

Repair Nintendo Switch Joycon Singapore

TL;DR - If you've something spoilt, when ya' playin game, who do you call? - LIN YUAN XIAO! 
Hello everyone! Yes, I have been neglecting this space and in fact most of my social media platforms for 2 reasons.

1. Covid-19. Not like I am out there fighting and punching Covid-19 physically but with Covid-19  around, my colleagues and I have been working hard to ensure everyone gets some help during this tough time.

2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I do not know how to describe this game but this game is crazily addictive. You are doing various tasks and mini-game each day trying to progress and grow your town. While doing that, you will get to customize your town as well as your character.  

Trust me, this game is super popular. Thanks to that, I have spent a lot of time at home playing this game. Might as well right since the keywords are "Stay at home".

Do not go out unnecessarily.

If you want social element in your life, you can always play this game and stop having physical social gatherings for awhile. I actually made some new friends online playing Animal crossing!

So far it is proven that social gatherings are one of the main ways in which the virus is being spread.

And also, staying at home also doesn't mean inviting your friends over to have house parties. That is still social gathering. So we all please do our part. Meet friend just meet online lah.

As usual, I digress. 

So with a lot more hours put onto my Nintendo Switch, I supposed my joycon gave way as well.

A new pair of joycon cost you easily from $90 to $120 but fixing it only take you $20 and in fact only a few mins.

I contacted Lin via Facebook and managed to set up a meeting date and time very quickly.

HE ACTUALLY REPAIRS IT ON THE SPOT!!! I was really impressed.

I have heard from some people that other repair services will actually pick it up and you will have to wait for a few days for you can meet up with him again just to pick it up.

And Lin is actually really nice. On top of just fixing and ask you to *cough* f off, he actually explained to me what happened and why is it broken. He also shared with me some tips on how to take care of my joycons so it will not be spoilt so easily in the future.

HELLO! Can I give this man 6 stars already???

Anyway contact Lin here via his Facebook or his Carousell account here

Also, use promo code "I read Smith's blog" for discount. (I think got lah. Just try lah.)

Read More

Hey Luke!

Hey Luke,

"I am your father!" - Those were the very first words you heard from me. That voice? That is me, your father. Your mum wanted the name and you can't blame me for doing this right? Long story short, your mum ain't the StarWars fan. She just strangely like that name.

2020, the year you were born is a rather crazy year. We were living through this virus known as Covid-19. No thanks to that, I was not able to be with your mum in the operation theatre like I was when your brother Seth was born. Besides that, it is also the year where one of my favourite NBA players of all time, Kobe Bryant died in a crazy accident. #MambaForever

This blog post was written in the middle of the very first night you were born. Sadly, thanks to Covid-19, I was not allowed to be in the hospital with you guys. I had to leave both you and your mum in the hospital.

I am pretty damn sure you ain't gonna read this blogpost until you are old enough for the internet (yeah, it's a bad bad place) or neither do I think I will be showing you this anytime soon. In fact, you will probably not be told that your dad has a blog until later part of your life. I am not too sure how proud you will be of me writing this silly blog and erm, my poor grammar. Oops. (Still)

I was looking back at the very first open letter that I wrote for your brother and I realized that some of the things that I wrote back then actually stayed. I was quite surprised by my own consistency too.

Writing such open letters has become a habit over years for me since the arrival of your brother.

So to follow the tradition, here is one for you.



1. Life is unfair. This is the very first lesson in life that I wish to share with you. It is not because my life sucks or I am going through some dark patch of my life - mid-life crisis nonsense. I am telling you this because you are our 2nd child. As much as most parents will claim that they love all their children just as much, I am calling it out right here. That's bullshit. I am not some expert in being a parent but what I can say is that this is the reality of life. You will probably get a better father considering the fact that I now have 4 years worth more of experience. However, that is probably about it. We are in a different stage of life as compared to 4 years ago. Our amount of resource we have is different. We used to only have 1 child to take care of but now with you around, we need to share everything. You will probably get the same undivided attention and time that Seth got. I am not saying this to make myself feel better. The bigger lesson here is that one should never compare. We count our blessings and what we are given. Life is a lot easier that way. We strive to do our best. Our biggest enemy is ourselves. Not someone else. Don't be a whiner. 

2. Read. This biggest regrets of mine stays. I didn't pick up reading and that suck. It makes work so much harder and learning so much harder. Not only did it make reading difficult but it also makes writing so much harder. You can read anything you want, from news to books to even descriptions of your medication or anything. There's no such thing as knowing too much. Knowledge is knowledge and you can't die from OD. I have been reading a lot more in the past 1 year due to my new job. The benefits of it are limitless. 

3. Be Brave. When in doubt with anything in life, always always take the leap of faith. I read this article online that talked about regrets. They mentioned something like how people always regret more on things they didn't do over things they did and it was a mistake. They had their whole life to forgive themselves and make things right but a missed opportunity will always be a 'what-if' in your head and that eats you up. Anyway, every mistake makes a good story. Never ever be worried about failing. That's the only way we will be successful eventually. I wrote this on Seth's letter as well and I am saying it again. It is not because I am lazy to come out with something new but being brave is one of my favourite advice.

Your mum.jpg

4. Love. Don't be afraid to get hurt. Don't worry that your love will not be appreciated or even be abused. Love is not like a game of squash where there will always be a return. Love is like cliff jumping. You do not know what will happen out there. What will be underneath the water? Shark? Gold? Treasure? Rocks? In fact, you don't even know if you will survive the jump less say enjoy it but you have to be brave and do it. Love, be passionate about things around you. Love someone, love yourself, love great wins, love the result of hard work or even just simply love the process. And of course, love me lah dude. Always love like you have never loved before but don't rush it. Love will find it's way eventually. #MightBeTooMuchForYou #ButYouWillGetItSomeday

5. Talk. One thing that I am very proud of myself is the way I talk and communicate. Look at me, not the best looking dad but I was pretty popular in my heyday (don't laugh or doubt) and all thanks to how smooth I was(or so I believe at least). I digress. This is not my point at all. My point is no matter what happened to you, good or bad, always tell me things. If you don't tell me things, I cannot set things right. I may scold you, I might get angry but remember this, I am only doing those things because I care. On top of that, I will always do my best to set things right. If you get bullied, I make sure they get burned in hell, if you knocked someone up, I hope she is pretty, if you killed someone who is bad, I will make sure we clean it up well, if you killed someone who is good, I make sure I am the one who put you into where you are supposed to and get you out thereafter. No matter good or bad, always talk to me(us).

6. Consequences. If there is one thing that I wish to share with you from teaching and mentoring youths is that I really cannot tell a person what is right or wrong. Not just because I do not believe in making decisions for others, but it is also because there is no absolute good nor bad decisions in life. We will be put at crossroads more often than we can imagine. What to eat, what course to take in school, where to go, who to date, which career path should you choose, or whatnot. Each decision leads us to different paths and we cannot simply say that 1 path is better than the other either. It is not over till it is over. We just have to learn to be prepared to deal with all the consequences. Who knows, if I had studied harder, got into a better school, I might end up somewhere else with a different type of success, met a different girl, and you will probably never be born. And you might just be the best thing in life that I could have missed without even knowing. Life is a strange thing. 

7. I'm Sorry. It is never easy for typical Asian parents to apologize to their kids. I am not sure if I will become one of those people like your grandparents but whatever the case I will say it here 1st. (I think I am fine. I do say sorry to Seth every time I make some silly mistakes.)

Your dad loves his life. He likes his wine and his parties. Not like he doesn't like you but your dad is a little selfish. He wants to work and achieve more in terms of personal development as well as having my very own "successful career". One thing for sure is that  I will never blame you and say shit like you are the reason I work hard so I can put the bread and bacon on the table. It's not that case. I work hard because I want to. Life is meaningless if at the end of the day you did nothing. Live a life that is short and sharp instead of one that is long and meaningless. Don't look back and realized that you left no legacy behind. I know you and Seth are my legacies but you guys are only part of it.

You will live to tell tales of me, the way you know me but I guess I have to do things in order for you to record my victories. I will try my best to develop you the way I want. I will try my best to give you the freedom to do the things you like but there are things I hope you could do to kinda like fulfilling my unfulfilled dream, like playing basketball. So I'm saying sorry if you feel like I'm forcing you to do anything or worst you are feeling neglected by me because I'm spending too much time on my career and myself. Always refer back to point 5. Talk. Tell me about it and I believe we can always sort things out. The point is nobody taught us how to be a parent. One day we are young and wild and free and next BOOM, we are daddies and mummies and we are supposed to know how to be parents?

I choose to believe that I have been a pretty decent father to Seth over the last four years despite doing it for the 1st time. However, I ain't going to be complacent. I will only do better to ensure that we all live our lives to our fullest.

I will try my best to be patient with you boys but at the same time, I hope you are patient with this old man trying to learn new tricks. Bottom line is no matter what, I love you. 

Whatever the case, I hope you grow up well and healthy. Of course, I would love it that you grow up powerful and wealthy as well. Every father would want their son to be somebody so please forgive me if I've been too hard with you over the years. 

May the force be with you, 

Smith of House Leong, 

Father of Seth and Luke. 

Son of Punggol (this title like familiar). 

The unfit. 

Breaker of Wind. 

Drinker of Beer. 

Author of famous book - Facebook.

Read More

If I die young

It has been almost a month since the death of Kobe Bryant but the reality has yet to set in.

The fact that more social media outlets have been sharing his greatness makes it even harder to believe. We are watching eve more of him than ever.

Today is a very special day. Kobe is #24 and his daughter Gigi is #2. That is pretty much it. 24th Feb. 24.2.

It got me thinking. What if I die young. Life is so unpredictable, isn't it? It can be of a sudden illness, car accident, helicopter accident, or simply just any accident.

Death is inevitable.

It is a matter of when and how, never why.

Is it morbid to think about?

Is it too early to think about?

My own brother died at the age of 35.

Kobe died at the age of 41.

Kurt Cobain at the age of 27.

Wong Ka Kui (Beyond) at the age of 31

Chang Yu-sheng at 31 as well.

So I guess it is never too early to talk about it?

Legacy 

Not too sure what is life to others, but to me, it has always been about legacy. I remember saying this to a friend at a very young age.

"I want to be on the history textbook one day."

"why?"

"We will all die someday. Regardless of how old or young. Not everyone will get a chance to meet me and not everyone will know who I really am. At least if you are on a textbook, people would kind of know who you are right?"

I guess you can call me egoistic but at the same time, I just feel like life is kinda meaningless if you leave nothing behind isn't it?

So what if you worked hard? So what if you have been a kind person all your life if you cease to exist the moment you bite the dust? Wouldn't life be a lot more meaningful if you are able to leave something behind? Like your life is real. It is not just a dream.

The lives you touched, the people you met, the things you have achieved. I know some of you might not agree with me and find that it is sad that I put my focus in life based on how others look at me or what I've done. At least I am honest about it.

Anyways I think history textbook is kind of overrated these days. As long as Google does not close down one day, I think I am cool.

If I die young;

Can someone continue to pay for this domain?

I do not want you guys to cry for me. I want everyone to celebrate my life. I was here.

It is okay not to visit me at my grave or wherever. I think it has very little meaning to it.

I am not exactly very religious so I think throwing a party and invite everyone and just to do small groups of sharing of who I am will be fine. Do serve some alcohol at least.

I hope you guys can tell my kids about what kind of person I am. Sugarcoat nothing. Tell them as it is. I want them to really know me.

It is okay to throw away all my things because I know I really have a lot of them. At least donate it to the people who will need it and not waste those things I've bought.

I want to say sorry to everyone I've hurt. I probably didn't mean it and I am sorry and wish that you can forgive me. If I did hurt you on purpose, you probably deserved it so I forgive you too. LOL.

Do not tell my family that I am in a better place. You cannot be sure.

Tell my family I am sorry I can no longer be there for them.

I am sorry I cannot be there for all the good times and bad.

I am sorry I cannot be that voice to scold you when you make a mistake.

I am sorry I cannot be the person you wake up to in the morning.

I am sorry I cannot be the person who keeps you up with my snores.

I am sorry I cannot be there to remind you to eat your meat.

I am sorry I cannot be the person that annoys you anymore.

I am sorry I am unable to share my interest and my life personally.

I am sorry I cannot be the person to teach you everything.

I am sorry that your life is harder without me.

I am sorry that I am gone.

P.S. No, I am not suicidal. I just have this thought and wanted to pen it down.
Please do not call the suicide hotline on me. Thanks.

In case this blog post sucks, here's a MV for you.

Read More

Wuhan coronavirus Dorscon level changed to Orange in Singapore

Wuhan coronavirus Dorscon level changed to Orange in Singapore and everybody loses their minds. 

The last weekend was an eye-opening one. Not just because everyone went crazy and started sweeping things off the shelf but because the incident has shown me the true colours of people in Singapore. 

The good thing is it that it isn't just the bad and ugly but also the good. It all started on Friday evening when the Wuhan coronoavirus Dorscon level changed to Orange. 

"Oh changed to orange? Okay lah. life goes on. Just continue to eat lor." - me 

"Still on hur? Ok. See you guys later." - my friend. 

And then the rest was history. Social media started blowing up with images of people running around buying things. 

"It will be over by tomorrow morning lah. Singaporeans very short attention span." I said. But I was wrong. Things carried on and I was a little annoyed and I posted this on my personal Facebook. 

I was having dinner with my friends casually yesterday and chilling. Well, it was TGIF after all.

To my horror when I checked my phone at the end of the dinner, my phone was flooded with images of people snatching items from the various supermarkets.

"Guys, chill.

1. We are fighting a virus and when the dorscon shifted from yellow to orange yesterday, it is asking you guys to beware of the virus. Wash your hands, avoid crowds, and maybe even take your temperature. NOT TO STOCK UP FOOD.

2. This is not zombie apocalypse nor fighting a war. You do not need to stock up food. There is no lack of food, and that is not your main enemy now. Stupidity is as it seems.

3. Various supermarkets are already restocking. This mass panic buy is causing a lot of stress for these workers. Not only are they working double hard, I've heard people abusing and scolding staff. Guys, we are better than this. They do not owe us a living. They can jolly well walk away and not work but they did not abandon the community. So instead, why is the community abandoning them? They are only workers and doing their part.

4. Singapore, we can do this together and only if we do it together. By doing all these mass buying and keeping it in your own storeroom, it is an act of selfishness. Please, Singapore is more educated and better than this.

5. What you guys are doing now is simply breaking the system for ourselves even before anything happens. And when things go sideways, many will probably blame the government once again. But remember this, they have a system in place. You were the one who broke it.

6. I saw someone saying this yesterday, "Why tell Singaporeans about the dorscon? This kind of information only scares people. Tell them for what? They also do not know any better." See this is how difficult we are as an individual isn't it? Don't tell you information, you complain that the government is not transparent and Singapore is a nanny state. Tell you all things, you guys say the government is not strategic and scare the citizens. What can they gain from scaring citizens? So how? To tell or not to tell?

End of the day, think of the bigger picture, life should go on as per normal. Don't overdo it. This is not the time to do all these.

If you are reading this message, you are a friend and I hope you are not one of those crazy mass buyers.

If you are reading this message, you are a friend and I hope you can tell others and educate them not to be silly.

If you are reading this message, you are a friend and I hope you share this message."

The post above has gotten over 5,000 shares at this point when I am crafting this reflection post. 

While there were a handful of people who defended their honour and action, most of the people who shared the post shared the same sentiment. I went through each and every one of the comments on the post as well as those on the shares. I was surprised I felt a little touched reading all these comments. They truly touch my heart to know that there are like-minded people out there who would put community first. Of course, I am not saying that I am the only person out there. I am just, well, touched.  

Sorry, I am unable to share all the screenshots but here are some of those that I kinda really like! 

Goes without saying, when there is ying, there will be yang. I have also gotten some people going at me scolding me or nitpicking on the image or my messages. Well, I have been writing this blog and have been a very public person online for many years now and this ain't exactly the 1st time I get a little heat online. So it's really nothing. You guys really got nothing on me you know? 

At the same time, there were a few other posts that I would like to share too. 

The lawyer/ rice importer has spoken 

"Broadly speaking, at any one time, there is at least a two-month supply of most types of rice in Singapore. Several top rice exporting countries in the world, such as Thailand and Vietnam, are not too far away from Singapore geographically, and fresh rice stock from these exporting countries will typically reach our shores within 3 to 5 days of the cargo ship sailing."

This man explains why we can calm our titties because we have plenty of rice stocked up. Chill okay? Source.

The dude that tells you that national-level decision is above our pay grade. TRUST THE SYSTEM. 

"Ask yourself honestly: who else can you trust, in times like this, to lead us out of this crisis? Yes, like any other governments out there, our government is not perfect. But they are our best shot in leading this fight and winning this war. If the virus is creating FEAR, the only way to overcome it is to have FAITH in the systems and protocols put in place by the government. Not creating more fear and discord among people with baseless and senseless comments." 

And to summarize his message, "Remember, the enemy is the virus, not the government." Claps! #Respect. Source. 

Singapore Psychological Society explains why do people react the way they do. 

The amygdala of the brain (emotional system) gets activated together with regions of the cortex (cognitive system) that analyze and interpret behavior. In times of stress and uncertainty, this thinking part of our brain gets hijacked by the emotional system, resulting in 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 and 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿.

A pretty good post telling why the whys and also what should we do at times like these. Source.

“Shy random person” tells a father-mother-son-daughter story that makes me tear a little

“We really need to behave like what we say. Cos really, somebody’s father, mother, son, daughter is out there somewhere doing what we are not.” “We are beyond 4 masks. Beyond sanitisers.”

Whoever this shy guy is. His instastories did strike a chord with me. I was tearing a little at the end of the post. Source.

Minister Ng Chee Meng telling Singaporeans we are not empty-UC 

"Some people have jokingly renamed our supermarket chain to Empty-UC FairPrice, rest assured we are still NTUC FairPrice and our warehouses are far from empty!" #SGCares #LMCares

Don't play play okay? Mr Ng Chee Meng got picture got talk. LOL. It's really quite amazing how NTUC managed to turn around for this man-made crisis we went through. The touching thing is that not only did the staff not abandon the community and brave through tough times. Many of the office staff including those from the unions and my colleagues actually gave up their weekend and went to the frontline and gave their support. I am still feeling the chills while typing this. 

S’porean man explains strain on supermarket staff caused by mass buying & urges people to stop

So mothership featured this guy talking about the strain on supermarket staff.. Wait.. That's me. :p 

---- 

Things are better now

Good news is by the end of Saturday, things were pretty much back to normal and I posted this yesterday on my Facebook. 

It seems like everything is back to normal despite it being a Sunday morning where I assume not every company does delivery. Not fully stocked up yet but you can tell that it isn't as bad as it was just a night ago.

These pictures were taken mins ago at the giant supermarket near my house. The cashier was telling me that Friday night was a nightmare. The queue extended out of the unit for almost a good 3 to 4 hrs and everyone was grouchy and impatient.

While we saw the ugly side of Singapore, we also saw a lot of rational Singaporeans too. I also saw the brotherhood in my own organisation where office staff volunteered their weekend to help out on the ground. (i also volunteered okay, but a bit late, things were already back on track when I got the notice.) I saw how some of my friends were texting each other in group chat to keep calm, don't mass buy and if need anything they can pass some around first as well. And of course, all the kind people who decided to share my article and educate their friends.

The bigger lesson out of this is that we need to keep calm. Other countries were laughing at us. It's not just a matter of face but we showed vulnerability. When we are weak, we put ourselves in a bad position for negotiation. Because we have high demand, it will become a good chance for importers to mark up prices when doing business with us. Why put ourselves in such position where we have to overpay for anything that we are not even desperate for?

Like when playing poker, always look confident even if you only have a high card. Haha.

It's Sunday, let us enjoy what is left of our weekend with our family. Remember to wash your hands. Stay Safe Singapore. #maytheforcebewithyou

So guys, stay safe, stay clean, stay strong. We just need to do this together. 

P.S. CAN'T TOUCH THIS (FACE)! 

Read More

HEY SETH 2020

Hey Seth,

It's your father again!

Every time when I sit down and pen down such open letters to you, I try my best to imagine how would it be like for you to be reading this 1 day when I am long gone. Will you be reading this in tears? Will you be reading it at all? Will this blog even be around?

Why this random thought? Something big happened in 2020, one of the greatest NBA players of all time, Kobe Bean Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash. Not only was he one of the greatest of all time, but he was also one of my idols. I love him not simply because he was good on the court but he was also great off the court. I guess like many other fans of Kobe out there, we love him because of his work ethics. Something that he is known for and will always be remembered for. His Mamba Mentality.

Mamba 4 Life.

While it was sad that he passed away in such a tragic manner, what makes it even more tragic was that his daughter was in the same accident.

I imagined the scenes before the crash. I tried. I put myself in his shoes. The kind of pain that he went through before his death. Not by the crash, not by the fire, but because of the fact that it was out of his control to save his daughter. The kind of helplessness is something no one should ever go through in their life.

"NO SHIT! WE ARE GOING DOWN DAD!!"

"It's okay baby! It's going to be okay."

"Daddy I'm scared!"

"It's okay baby... We are going to sur......BOOM!"

I cannot imagine going through that. I never want to.

How did this happen to a man of his greatness? The kind of role model he was both on and off the court. The number of lives he had touched. The number of people he inspired.

I was telling your mother this just a few weeks ago,

"You know, I love you, I love my mum, I love my brother, I love a lot of other things. The love for my child (you) is something different. It might sound very much like a cliche or overly dramatic, but it is a feeling that I have never felt if not for Seth. The kind of love, responsibility, and guilt. While I am strict with Seth, I never ever want to disappoint him at all in the slightest manner. I just can't look at him when he feels down. I really want to do to the best of my ability to provide for him and to protect him."

Our annual CNY pic

And then the tragic accident of Kobe Bryant happened.

I might sound like a broken record at this time but I just can't wrap my head around this. It had been a week since but I was still not feeling done with feeling sad. If I ever disappoint you or fail to protect you in the near future, please know that it is probably unintentional.

1 of the many episodes of #SethStrikesAgain

The year 2019 - 2020 was a great year for us. You were growing up fine. You were able to verbalize your emotions and needs. You were so witty. You were saying things that made the Internet went wild. You were the star of #SethStrikesAgain.

We soon decided to give you one of your greatest presents/pains (We will find out) in the early part of your life –  a brother. Your mum got pregnant. She spent most of her days and nights rolling on the bed feeling sluggish. We did most of the activities in 3s before your mum's pregnancy. Things were different since she got pregnant due to her condition.



We started going out together, just the two of us. We had quality conversations. You asked me tons and tons of questions. You were a very curious kid. You wanted to know everything. You were great with your 5Ws and 1H. I got annoyed once in a while but I still tried my best to answer everything I could. I do not want you to stop being curious. I wanted you to bring this attitude with you. I wanted you to be hungry, and be brave.

This was also the year that I started a few new practices with you. I wonder how long these traditions went on for.

1. We had our very own handshake. You loved every second of it. You would run to me every time I came home and shout at me, "PAPA HANDSHAKE!" You were a very creative child. You always built on my ideas with your own. You suggested great ideas. You were the one who added some extra steps to our handshake.

2. We started this whole "one story" practice. I would come home and tell you something that happened to me at work or in my social life. While you did not fully understand everything, you would always ask questions. I like it not just because we were talking a lot but it was also for the fact that it was an opportunity for me to teach you things with context.

The little things you enjoyed in life. Taking the bus and train with me.

3. We started writing a diary together. Of course, you were not exactly one of those kids that were patient enough to practice your writing. I started the diary to get you interested in writing numbers, introducing to you the concept of dates. I also wanted you to be able to tell stories. If there is one thing that I have learned over the years in my line of work, it is that the ability to communicate and tell a story is a skill that is highly sought after. I wished that you would grow to like storytelling just like me. You enjoyed filling up your diary with little drawings that we did together. You would always come to me before the end of the night and tell me, "Papa, I want to do diary with you before I sleep okay?"

4. This year was also the year that we started you on video games. You loved it. I was very much against screen time but I always wanted you to have better hand and eye coordination. You weren't exactly a kid with great psychomotor skills. You would walk on flat ground and still managed to fall flat on your nose. However, you soon got addicted and wanted to play it every day. However, you were a great kid too. You will stop when I made you. That was probably the saving grace. You were a very special child. Other kids would play a game of racing and want to win by being first but you would try to knock other cars in the race and laugh at it despite losing the game. You would tell me that it is more fun this way. You always do things your way.

5. This was also the year that we gave you your own room and tried to get you to get used to sleeping alone. It wasn't easy at all. It was a very very painful change for all of us. Your mother implemented this system that you were only allowed to sleep with us on weekends. You still were not too good with those days and you would ask us every night, "Mama, tonight I sleep with you?"

You will also notice by now that I missed a year of this. I can't exactly remember why I missed it. I am not too sure what happened either. I guess 2018-2019 was not exactly the best year for me and I was not writing much.

For what is worth, 2019-2020 was a great one for both of us. Besides this post, I also did this post about me choosing to work late as well as this one about my take on education and my expectation for you on Unscrambled, a site that I contributed articles to on a regular basis.

Finally, I really hope you get to read some of these articles when you are of age and enjoys it as much as I enjoyed writing them.



Fly high, burn bright, Big boy Seth.

Love you to the moon and back.

Hey Seth 2016
Hey Seth 2017
Hey Seth 2018

Read More

What is Fair Consideration Framework?

After yesterday's post, it appears that many have forgotten or are unsure what Fair Consideration Framework by MOM is. So I decided to do yet another picture explainer about what FCF is.

FCF is basically the framework to ensure Singaporeans get a fair chance of getting a job. FCF will also put companies on THE watchlist if you are one of those 'triple weak' companies.

Read More

Have economic growth and job creation benefited Singaporeans more than foreigners?

Some saw the parliament video of Minister Chan Chun Sing's reply to Mr. Pritam Singh and Mr. Liang Eng Hwa and asked me some questions.

I am no politician but here I am trying to explain some of the main ideas that I understood from Minister Chan's speech. I try to keep it short for easy reading.

Have economic growth and job creation benefited Singaporeans more than foreigners?

Between 2015 and 2018, local employment increased by nearly 60,000 for the whole economy.

These jobs include jobs from companies like Google, Facebook, and Grab. They are big players and many jobs were created. No doubt they are for both locals and foreigners. If not for these investments, many of us might not have the luxury of working in your own country where your friends and families are.

The above would not have happened if not for foreign investments. And no, it doesn't work in a way where you take their money and not their people. Their people are needed here to ensure the operations. Which is not all bad, because we also get to learn from big companies about their businesses.

I would even question the intention of the question. To make things worse, asking for the breakdown of PR vs Non-PR. Does it matter who benefitted more when at the end of the day, Singapore is a better place to have a career than many other places? Better than many years ago?

My point is very simple. You want to win a championship but you and your team are not good enough. So you signed LeBron James, (Michael Jordan, David Beckham, or Fandi Ahmad. Take your own pick.) and you guys are a winning team. But, you still not happy because you are no longer the star player. You are also unhappy that you are paid lower than LeBron. If not for LeBron, you would not have won your championship, you would not be paid as much as you are being paid now. You might even be in a worse off situation. So how is that a bad thing to have someone better that can put you in a better situation and also make you a better person than before?

I personally feel that Singaporeans can be a bit egoistic. We are a small country with very limited resources. We need the support from other countries. We need to learn when we have to take a step back look at the big picture. This is probably a problem of our own success. We think that we are very good and very successful after achieving all the "firsts" in the world. Being successful is not difficult, it is about staying successful.

There is no perfect policy. Like I always say, you can't have your cake and eat it too. In every policy, there will be something that you have to give. However, there can be balanced with other measures too. Which is why MOM has the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) and is continually updating the system to ensure that Singaporeans are taken care of.

So in conclusion? Yes. To quote Minister Chan, "a resounding yes."

Not only have we gotten the local-foreign workforce balance just in terms of quantity, but quality too.

P.S. I'm no woke salaryman, but I just gotten a new tablet, just let me have it.

Read More

What happened in 2019?

Ask and you shall get. 

If you guys have been following this space for awhile, you will remember that I do my yearly summary during the last week for each year.

I can't believe how long I have been doing this. Yes, it has been 10 freaking years. Can you believe it? Ten freaking years! If you have been reading since the very 1st edition in 2010, congratulations!!! You have wasted a good 10 years of your life by my side. I can't thank you enough for doing so.

For those who missed it and wish to catchup: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010. 

2018 was a rather depressing year as I've shared last year. To quote me from a year ago,

"Maybe I am just jaded or maybe it's mid-life crisis some may choose to call it. Regardless of what it was, it has to stop. I need a change. Not too sure how to achieve it yet but I hope help is on the way. And when I say help, I mean myself. Nobody can change me. It's probably all on me. "

I am not the most religious person but I always believe in a higher power. I've no idea who or what it is but my prayer was answered once again. I got the change I needed. A change that brought me new energy and new targets in life. I asked, and I got it.

I stopped almost entirely with paid content. I stopped almost entirely with all the PR events. It is not because I am very busy but I just wasn't in the right headspace throughout the year. I do not know how to express this part of my life but I just feel that I am pretty much done using my personal voice to sell things for others. Good news is I am a lot more active writing things online be it on my own space, Facebook page, or even just contributing articles to various online sites.

Erm, as for Instagram, I am feeling very strong fatigue not just in terms of me posting but also in terms of users uploading and engaging with Instagram posts these days. I can't say for sure but I guess most users are using IG Stories more than IG's original function. I might be right or maybe I am just giving an excuse for my lack of posts this year.

I also stopped travelling. I had a lot fewer reasons for me to be travelling with my life's new arrangement. Do I miss it? Maybe. Do I wish to travel again? Not really. Did I even travel in 2019? Yes, I did went to Bali and I'm proud to say that the picture I shot was actually featured on some 10 over different travel sites. #weirdflexbutokay

Anyway, here are some of the crazy things that happened this year. (Not in any specific order.)

New Job New Me at NTUC. #Everyworkermatters 



My journey with NTUC has been a hell of a ride so far. The people at work are great. I probably can't ask for more. Actually, maybe I can, no harm having more hot colleagues right?

Not to sound like I am carrying balls but NTUC is really less rigid than I imagined. I guess I am one of those lucky ones that have very supportive bosses and colleagues. NTUC might be an organization with loads of legacy but yet at the same time is very willing to innovate and evolve with time.

I actually asked for more projects and opportunities throughout the year. Despite me being a very new staff, I got pretty much most of the things I asked for. Of course, I hope this has something to do with how convincing I am as a person and also the way I pick my battles and not just because I am handsome.

I've a full list of people that I wish to thank after these 10 months of working at NTUC but I guess I will save it for next time. Meanwhile, I just want to say that I really appreciate everyone here with me and all the opportunities are given.

There are a lot more exciting changes coming 2020 and I can't wait for it.

New Job at Ngee Ann Polytechnic 



Being an educator has always been something I see myself doing in maybe another 10-20 years time. However, I never back down from a good opportunity.

A friend of mine was helping his friend to look for a part-time lecturer and he thought I might be a good candidate. After reviewing my own schedule and getting approval from my bosses, I decided to use my personal leave to teach at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. I wanted this so much, and yes I got it.

Yes, you got that right. I am now a lecturer. Probably the last person that you imagine working in NTUC or as a lecturer. BOOM! I am currently working at NTUC as well as a lecturer.

Yes, I am very busy but it is very fulfilling. I don't think I am any worse at work and in fact, I think I am doing better and more motivated with the additional responsibilities and work. I know, I'm crazy. The students are lovely and it's so fun teaching them.

One of the most common questions that I get all the time is regarding my tattoos and working at these established organizations where public image matters. I guess I am lucky that I am born in an era where tattoos are seen as art. That being said, I can't stress enough that I am not encouraging anyone to have tattoos all over your body. I did plan the shit out of my life and I am glad it worked the way I wanted it to. Here are some tips for you;

1. Do your tattoos on spots where you have an option to hide. Ngee Ann Poly does need me to hide my tattoos in classes. I am working with a group of youths in their formative years and I personally do not wish to misguide anyone too.

2. I only had my sleeves tattoo very late in life. No doubt I said that they are being appreciated as art, but the truth is there are industries that still see it as a stigma. Thus, I only started having these many tattoos when I am sure of the industry I will be at and also my career path. So do think twice before committing to any tattoos.

New Ink of 2019 



What can I say? I am a big fan of star wars and my favourite movie vehicle of all time has to be the millennium falcon. The lines are so fine and I love it. It was a birthday present to myself.

Not exactly asking when I paid for it, but yes, I got it as well.

New Family Member - not quite, but coming soon 



Seth is an amazing child. He has grown up so much within this 1 year. He is so sweet and witty. Just the way I wanted him to be. In fact, 2019 was a very special year for us. Due to my wife's pregnancy, we spent a lot more time together. I mean we have always been close but I feel like we connected even more since we were spending a lot more father and son time with the wife out of action, suffering from her morning sickness.

I digress.

After long planning and discussion, we finally decided to try for our 2nd child. I asked, and I got it. I can't wait to meet him (yes, him again) in 2020.

Seth is going to be a brother!

New Friends, new relationships 

Nope, don't worry, I did not get myself a new girlfriend or wife but I got a lot more friends. Not just new friends but also deeper relationships.

Many of my friends like to say that I have many friends but I choose to correct them that I am just well connected. I am going to be shameless and just say it. I am a person who is pretty good at meeting new people. I also have to admit that I am not exactly good at keeping friends around me for long. I choose to believe that it has nothing to do with my fun-loving character but more often because I am a very lazy person when it comes to maintaining a friendship.

However, I also choose to believe (once again) that I did better this year. Here are some of the friends that I like to thank for sticking around. Don't be sad if you did not get a shoutout. I already said I suck at this. Just remember this, although you are not mentioned, I still love you. And also means that we should hang out more often.

The Boys.

I swear I thought I have a better picture of us and not me cross-dressing. We are getting ahead of ourselves about that story.

Started off as basketball kakis but now they are just like family. We spent so much time hanging out. These boys are 15 years younger than me on average.

The Old Boys



Probably the strangest relationship ever. I met these old boys on a gaming Facebook group and the rest is history. We text each other more than we text our wife and girlfriend. That's how clingy we are.

The Chimi's Gang

I've no idea why I do not have one that I am dressed properly.

Chimi's is this place that serves good drinks and food right below my office. I met them earlier this year simply because they are just right below my office. It is a great place to connect. What started off as a customer/business owner relationship soon turned into a friendship. And also because of these dogs (we call everyone dog there.) I have been drinking a lot. Yes, 2019 is a very very bad year for my health.

The Office Sisters

I LEGIT THOUGHT I'VE MORE PHOTOS THAN ALL THESE CROSS-DRESSING ONES! I AM SORRY TO YOUR EYES!

I do not know about you but I probably spent more time with these ladies than my own wife. I love my work and silly shenanigans. I think we successfully made working at NTUC look very chill and fun. And we are the office sisters because I am the only guy in the team.

OR am I?

What will 2020 be like? 

2019 was a great year. I'm given more than I could ask for. I really don't think I can complain much or at all.

2020?

It will be yet another crazy year.

Greater job responsibility. Hope that everything goes well.

New Child. Most importantly, be a healthy one.

GE is coming. (No, I am not going to be MP but I mean it is a big deal since I am a Singaporean after all right?)

I can see all these coming.

What else will I ask for?

WEIGHT LOSS OF COURSE!

Happy 2020!

Read More