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sam choo

sam choo
One Minute Late, Weekend Gone

short story

One Minute Late, Weekend Gone

Life Lessons from the Armed Forces – Punctuality In the army, punctuality is not a suggestion. It is a survival skill. Be late by one minute and you don’t get a warning. You get punished. Your weekend disappears. While your buddies are shopping, eating good food, or dating their girlfriends,

By sam choo 08 Feb 2026
The Cost of a Minute

micro memoir

The Cost of a Minute

I asked the lawyer for a photocopy. His clerk pressed a button. One minute passed. The bill was $50. That minute was worth more than some people’s entire day. PS True story

By sam choo 07 Feb 2026
What I Can Give on Valentine’s Day

micro memoir

What I Can Give on Valentine’s Day

I can’t give you a pendant. But I can give you my heart. And, honestly, my empty wallet too.

By sam choo 07 Feb 2026
Do You Have a Plan B?

short story

Do You Have a Plan B?

Life lessons from the Armed Forces. In the armed forces, we work with a simple assumption. Anything can go wrong. And failure is not an option. That is why every mission comes with a contingency plan. Before we move, we already ask the uncomfortable question: If this fails, then what?

By sam choo 07 Feb 2026
Discipline Comes Before Everything Else

short story

Discipline Comes Before Everything Else

Life Lessons from the Army Discipline Comes Before Everything Else In the army, work does not begin with work. Before anything else, the order of the day is fixed. Exercise. Cleaning. Breakfast. You exercise even when you are tired. You clean your rifle, make your bed, clean the toilet and

By sam choo 06 Feb 2026
Urgent!

short story

Urgent!

Life Lessons from the Army (That You Didn’t Know You’d Keep Using) I spent most of my working life in the armed forces as a regular. I lived through the era before computers and the internet. When work was done on heavy, noisy typewriters. When information was kept

By sam choo 05 Feb 2026
Working on my craft...

micro memoir

Working on my craft...

knock knock. survey. no, thank you. door closed.

By sam choo 04 Feb 2026
Press Conference Successfully Completed

micro memoir

Press Conference Successfully Completed

Minister said a lot. Motherhood statements. About nothing. Full of air. Press conference successfully completed.

By sam choo 03 Feb 2026
What does success actually mean to you?

business tips

What does success actually mean to you?

For most of us, the definition arrived early and uninvited. Do well in school. Get a respectable job. Earn more. Keep earning. It sounds reasonable. Almost kind. But I am not convinced it leads to lasting happiness. Because the moment you reach one milestone, another one appears. A new benchmark.

By sam choo 03 Feb 2026
The Ride Home

micro memoir

The Ride Home

This picture reminds me of the days when life felt smaller, and safer. Afternoons like this were quiet and warm. No rush. No pressure. Just the sound of wheels on the road and the feeling that everything was okay because someone steady was in front. I remember sitting there, feet

By sam choo 28 Jan 2026
Please advise

Satire

Please advise

A book about the sentence you use when you know exactly what to do but would rather not say it. Written by experience. Approved by nobody. P.S. Reading the title is sufficient. Further action is not required at this time.

By sam choo 27 Jan 2026
My retirement dream

short story

My retirement dream

My retirement dream is to be a street busker. Stand somewhere near a Singapore MRT station with a portable electric piano, playing all my favourite songs. Big problem. I don’t know how to play. And please don’t ask me to memorise the notes. If the government ever opens

By sam choo 24 Jan 2026
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