Money Matters

Mom was telling my two nieces about their father (my brother) who was spotted in school by a director to be in a soft drink TV advertisement in his teens on during RTS days... Yep, it was days way before SBC. LOL

He was paid $50 for a couple hours of shoot and that was more than 3 decades ago before I was born. It was considered then as very good money. In case you are wondering my brother is a few years more than a decade older than me. Yep big huge generation gap.

It is sad that talent these days are still paid about the same amount. I last heard from someone that they were looking for a talent for a couple hours of shoot and paying the sum of $100.

When I was very very young, the shuttle bus cost $0.15, movie tickets cost $1.50 and a bowl of wanton mee cost $1.20. These days, shuttle bus cost $0.90, movie tickets cost $10.00 and a bowl of wanton mee cost $3.50-$5.00. One would jump for joy when one discover a hawker stall that sells wanton mee at $2.50 these days.

The amount of $50 paid to my brother for the soft drink advertisement was more than 3 over decades ago. Yet those poor talent now are paid a mere $100. I bet 30 years later, talents will be paid $150. You do the maths....

In private sector, I totally give up. Lets talk about our casino. I read from the chinese papers that dealers were paid $1500 on a 12 hours shift and sometimes they even need to be security guards. The papers said we were considered very well paid compared to Malaysia, Vietnam and Philippines. Ermm... I thought Singapore is a developed country... I toured around Marina Bay Sands last night and I thought it was comparable to Melbourne's Crown Casino and Las Vegas. Years ago, a friend of mine was offered as a dealer in Las Vegas for USD$80,000 per year. Shouldn't our local dealer be paid at least SGD$30,000 per year instead of SGD$18,000 per year since we are a developed country? (Please correct my information should there be any mistakes.)

With little money left in my pocket after paying for internet fees, hand phone fees, food and transport, I fret the day comes when my wonton mee would cost $9.00 and movie ticket cost $25.00. By then I can totally forgo my wedding banquet plans, wear a $50 dress from This Fashion and a wedding band made from rubber band to ROM. Thankfully, the Registry Of Marriage has not risen its fee. Maybe I can still afford a feast of wanton mee for pax of 500 at hawker center for my relatives and friends to celebrate the special occasion and that is if I can find a hawker stall that charges not more than $2.50 per bowl. Gosh.... How I can forget the budget for beverages? Guess there will not be any wonton mee feast after all......

I shall slave and dedicate my life to pay for my HDB for the next 30 years and as for children, I don't think I have time and enough money to raise one until my HDB loan is paid up. I shall keep a pet goldfish to make my life complete. No, on the second thought, the fish tank will use up lots of water and my water bills will go up. Maybe I'll just keep a pet ant.....

Diva's Cafe 咖啡厅4

I wonder, if I could pack my bags now and rush myself to the airport, where would I be going? Seriously I have no answer. I can't simply pack my bags now without a destination. I can be anywhere now in the world but there must be something that cannot be explained and yet have to be felt to understand in order to make my trip worthwhile.

Meanwhile, I'll just let my imagination do the travelling over a cup of coffee.

Actually, a trip to KFC now may just be what I really need. :P

HUNGRY!!!

Diva's Cafe 咖啡厅3

A perfect song to take a good 5 minutes break from work.... 放松心情过后就能继续好好的工作。 我们一起加油吧！No sugar in my coffee for me tonight. Cheers!

写给“鸟蛋”弟弟的信

终于我鼓起了勇气，从你姐姐口中了解你去世的真相。但始终我没有勇气放声的大哭一场。想到你最后的那一刻是如此的无助，我的心有种说不出的伤痛。 除了希望你能安息，我还能做些什么？ 反而是你的家人劝我要节哀顺变。

我会带着微笑怀念你， 以纪念你多年来带给我数不尽的欢笑。把你的身影，歌声和说过的笑话藏在我心中，我们就可以继续一同去实现我们同样的梦。

我知道你看不懂英文，所以今天在这里特别以我没什么水准的中文为你写作。小弟，你看到了吗？ 你听懂了吗？你活着的时候日子无论再苦再痛也会一步一步的走，一天一天的过。你以往的勇气将会是我永不言败的原则。安息吧。。。

:)

Hello! How's things going with ya?

For me its after the storm, the rainbow appears. The surrounding air smells even better, fresh and clear. 2 friends were back from states but one of them Ben was here for head surgery and just flew back to states a few days ago for heart surgery. Gosh! 2 major surgery back to back.... I hope he'd recover soon. I'll pray to heaven to bless him with good health.

Finally met up with my CHIJ classmates. This year our gathering was another successful one. True friendship never dies.

I still miss Jerry and I know he's watching over me in heaven. I've been smiling for him because I know very well that he would want me to stay strong and happy.

I'm recovering well from my accident too. I have been well fed by Prince and Ben. Ben took me out for dinner (Indian food) 3 times that week when Prince was away working in China. Not forgetting my mom's home cooked food! YUMMY! I am thankful!

I refuse (2)

There's not a day I won't think about Jerry since that fateful day. I even found myself looking at his picture chatting with him like I used to. However, I am calm. I'd like to believe he's still around but only physically gone. Maybe I've been afraid to forget him.

I'll do my best to make my way to Kuala Lumpur together with a few other friends to visit his final resting place on 13th August. That day will mark the 100 day of his departure according to his family.

His sudden departure had shocked and sadden many of us. I'm glad to have a friend, brother and comrade like him. We've had walked the fire together. I'll never forget the time when we went on a crazy adventure to an unknown island in Thailand. No one in a sound mind would have agreed to my impulsive ideas but him. Come to think about it, this brother of mine never says no to me.

He's a friend whom I really no doubt wanna grow old with. Good friend like him is really hard to come by. I am glad I've always cherished him all these years and not just saying good things about him only after his death. I am glad no matter what others think or thought of him in the past, I never let them affect our friendship.

Yep I'm still angry at this little brother of mine with his sudden departure. But I know he wouldn't if given a choice. Whoever or whatever took his life, I pray for justice. I'll smile when I think of him.

Thank you for the good memories. Thank you for bringing joy and laughter into my life. Your legacy lives on through the smiles you'd given me my dear brother, comrade and friend.

Rest in peace. You will never be forgotten.

I refuse.......

I would love to let it all out but I can't because I knew you wouldn't want me to. Everyday for the last 8 days I can feel as though someone's pushing a pin into my heart twice a day. Then I saw your smile in my head every time and always just in time before I gave up holding back my pain and gone berserk.

You sure knew me well with all those years fighting those battles with me side by side. How could you not my brother and dear friend? You were the very few rare gems in this world who truly knew me well.

May you rest in peace.

Yes, even if you're gone we are still a team like before and I'll fulfill your dreams. What a life to take, what a bond to break, I'll be missing you.