micro memoir
The Boy Before the Army
I was 17 years old, still a virgin, still innocent about the world. Long hair. About to enlist in National Service. Living with my parents in a three-room HDB flat at Sims Drive.
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Poem
By the Beach
54 years ago, I sat by the rock at East Coast Park. The birds in the tree were chirping. The waves were licking the beach. The wind was caressing my face. I was young, single and wondering what the future hold. Today I went back to the same rock, an
Satire
Are the Robots Taking Over Your Job?
Last time I used to laugh at this whole “AI will take your job” thing. I said, relax lah. Robots cannot replace humans. Humans got heart. Humans got soul. Humans got CPF. Then I looked at how we actually work. A robot wakes up on time. We wake up, snooze
Satire
How We Solve Problems, The Singapore Edition
When a problem appears, we don’t panic. We activate the Five Sacred Tools. #1: Form a Task Force Birth rate dropping? Form a committee. Parenting stressful? Form a workgroup. Cost of living rising? Form a panel to study it. Nothing says “we are serious” like a 147-page report. #2:
business tips
Why Nobody Cares Until You Tell the Story
If I post a photo of a baby monkey hugging a toy, you scroll. Cute. Next. But give him a name. Tell you he lost his mother. Say this toy is the only thing he clings to at night. Suddenly he is not “a monkey.” He is Punch. He is
micro memoir
Your A Level Results Will Not Decide Your Life
Yesterday, students opened their envelopes. Forty-eight years ago, I opened mine. I was studying at Our Lady of Lourdes English School. For two years, after school, I headed to Toa Payoh library and stayed until closing time. Studying was torture because I hated studying. I could not remember what I
Satire
An Open Letter on Solving Singapore’s Birth Rate Problem
Dear Esteemed Leaders, We have a situation. Our fertility rate has dropped again. The spreadsheets are trembling. The projections look like a slow-motion disappearance. Economists are concerned. Demographers are worried. Task forces are forming as we speak. Allow me to help. As a loyal citizen with zero statistical qualifications but
micro memoir
We Saved Three Minutes.We Lost the National Library.
Three minutes saved. A building erased. A generation’s reading memories relocated. We optimized the road. I’m still mourning the memory.
Satire
How do you impress your mother-in-law and please your wife?
Buy them chilli crab. Happy wife, peaceful life. Still cheaper than therapy.
Singapore Is So Boring. Please Don’t Come.
Singapore is extremely boring. There are no earthquakes. No sudden political coups. No thrilling moments where you wonder if your wallet will survive the night. Very dull. Let me explain why you absolutely should not come here. 1. The Streets Are Annoyingly Clean You can walk for miles without a
Satire
Is Singapore Too Crowded?
Current population: 6.1 million. Follow a Singaporean for one day. 8.23am. Step into the MRT. You don't step in. You merge. We are not overcrowded. We are emotionally close. There is no personal space. Only national unity. United cheek to cheek. United armpit to face. Someone&
business tips
The Most Wanted Job in the World
If you are job hunting, good news. There is always vacancy. Job title: Salesperson. Every company needs one. Small business. Big corporation. Startup with bean bags. Uncle’s provision shop downstairs. All of them need someone who can bring in revenue. If you can sell, you are never unemployed. You