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sam choo

sam choo
$5.50 Can Still Buy Happiness

short story

$5.50 Can Still Buy Happiness

This was brunch today. $5.50. Nasi lemak. Green coconut rice. Thick sambal. Chicken wing. Otak. Bergedil. Egg. Ikan bilis with peanuts. And a slice of cucumber pretending to reduce the guilt. Let’s be honest. In 2026, $5.50 doesn’t buy much. It won’t buy you peace.

By sam choo 25 Feb 2026
Things Nobody Tells You About Owning a Car in Singapore

Satire

Things Nobody Tells You About Owning a Car in Singapore

1. Your Car Is Probably the Most Expensive Thing You’ll Ever Fall in Love With Your car may cost more than your wedding. Possibly more than your degree. You don’t own a car in Singapore. The car owns you. You feed it petrol. You pay COE. You pay

By sam choo 25 Feb 2026

Satire

When a Singaporean Is Hungry, Don’t Try Anything Funny

We are patient people. We queue. We wait. We endure. But hunger changes everything. Below are 6 situations that can turn a calm person into a silent volcano. Is Chope-ing with a tissue packet a national right or a national sin? Fight it out in the comments 1. The Café

By sam choo 24 Feb 2026
Walking Each Other Home

short story

Walking Each Other Home

I have attended more funerals than weddings. One day, the coffin will not belong to someone else. It will be mine. Death is the one appointment none of us can cancel. No rescheduling. No exemptions. No exceptions for the young, the loved, the needed. Some welcome it after a long

By sam choo 24 Feb 2026
5 Things That Instantly Annoy Singaporeans

Satire

5 Things That Instantly Annoy Singaporeans

You know you’re Singaporean when this irritates you. We are calm people. Until someone does one of these. Below are behaviours that can raise blood pressure faster than peak-hour ERP. Like the comment that annoys you most. Defend your choice in the comments. Tag the friend who is guilty.

By sam choo 23 Feb 2026
Welcome to Singapore. Please Read the Invisible Manual

Satire

Welcome to Singapore. Please Read the Invisible Manual

Nobody announced these rules. There was no Town Hall. No WhatsApp poll. But somehow… we all follow them. 1. The Chope Covenant: If a table has a pack of tissue, it is legally occupied. Even if the owner is still queuing three streets away. 2. The MRT Gauntlet: If the

By sam choo 22 Feb 2026
The Joy of Giving Ang Pow

The Joy of Giving Ang Pow

When I was younger, I was most rich after receiving ang pow during Chinese New Year. As an adult, the real joy comes from giving. Chinese New Year is not just about the oranges, the steamboat, or the noise of reunion dinners. It is about that simple moment when you

By sam choo 21 Feb 2026
What the Indonesian Language Taught Me

What the Indonesian Language Taught Me

I studied the Indonesian language a few years ago. I have forgotten most of it. But I never forgot how it made me feel. It is a beautiful language. Refined. Gentle. Almost poetic. It paints instead of naming. Breast becomes buah dada, fruit of the chest. The sun becomes matahari,

By sam choo 21 Feb 2026
One Dinner, One Month

short story

One Dinner, One Month

Food for Thought One meal during Chinese New Year can easily cost twenty times more than what we spend on a normal day. A table filled with abalone, prawns, fish, roast meats, and bottles of drinks. Laughter. Photos. Prosperity tossed high in the air. It is celebration. It is tradition.

By sam choo 19 Feb 2026
You're Fired!

Satire

You're Fired!

I am the strictest boss I have ever worked for. When I failed to hit my own KPIs, I called myself into a meeting. No appeal. No warning letter. Immediate termination. Now I am unemployed, and still reporting to the same boss tomorrow.

By sam choo 18 Feb 2026
When Tables Become Offices

short story

When Tables Become Offices

I don’t quite understand this. It’s dinner time. The café is packed. People are walking around with trays, scanning for seats like it’s a competitive sport. Seats are limited. Every table matters. And yet, a laptop is open on a table. One drink. One person. The dining

By sam choo 17 Feb 2026
“Where are you working now?”

short story

“Where are you working now?”

Boom. That’s the question. It arrives before the bak kwa plate finishes one round. Before the pineapple tarts settle in your stomach. Before you even sit down properly. “So… where are you working now?” And just like that, you become the reunion dinner entertainment. The spotlight switches on in

By sam choo 17 Feb 2026
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