In Chinese there is a saying called 養兒防老, which basically means raising a child (a son, specifically) defends against old age. In traditional Chinese culture, and perhaps in many other culture as well, the sons are the ones who will…
Many people aim to leave behind as large an inheritance as possible for their children upon their death. The logic is very simple. After they die, the wealth (or whatever money and assets they owned) they pass on to their…
New year, new hope. New year, new me. New year, new dreams. New year, new goals. We hear this often, and some of us may be guilty of saying that. But after so many years, has anything changed for the…
I joined the military when I was 19 for 2 years, being part of the conscription programme of Singapore. I remembered I was quite good with one of the lieutenants then, who had signed on and made the military his…
I have rented from others, and have been a landlord myself. Recently, due to unique circumstances, I need to vacate the place where I am staying and look for another rental property for a short term stay. I have a…
Since today is Christmas I will write a short article on this. Holidays are something both children and adults look forward to. Children could skip a day at school and adults could skip a day at work. On certain big…
According to Wikipedia, a gap year is basically a year long break which people take before or after their university for educational and developmental purposes, during which people travel, work, volunteer, do higher learning etc. The point of the gap…
You have just got into university. A fresh 3 or 4 years worth of adventure waiting for you. You are free from your parents, whether you like it or not, and you are a free man or woman now. What…
How useful is a university degree? Many parents want their children to go to university, and to those students who are able to, university seems to be a default ‘final’ stop in education before officially going out to society. But…
As mentioned in one of my first articles, many of us commoners start off from the same level playing field – from an average background, receiving education in a free and peaceful society, having a healthy body and average intelligence.…
‘If I had known’ is a phrase which many of us have said it ourselves, and have heard many others said it. It is a lamentation of the fact that we cannot predict the future, and hence unable to make…
When I was 15 years old, I once lent $20 to another school mate in the same club. We were both in the robotics club. At that time he claimed he needed money to buy a guitar bag as it…