As an employer, it can be incredibly frustrating when local job seekers lack the necessary skills and experience to fill a vacancy. I recently experienced this firsthand, when I was looking for a new employee to join the team at our business. I had posted the job advertisement and received a good number of applications, but I was disappointed to find that none of the applicants had the right qualifications or experience for the role.

It was then that I started to hear comments from other employers in the same situation.

They were complaining about the same issue – that local job seekers were not up to the mark and that they were “spoilt brats” who lacked the necessary skills and experience to do the job.

At first, I was sceptical. After all, I had been hiring local employees for years and had never encountered this problem. However, after giving it more thought, I couldn’t help but agree with my peers.

The local job seekers did not have the right qualifications or experience to do the job, and many of them seemed to be more focused on their own interests than the role itself.

I was not alone in this sentiment. In fact, I had a friend in a similar position and they had also encountered the same issue. They had been looking for a new employee but had been unable to find anyone with the right skills and experience, and they were beginning to despair.

It was then that I realised I had to do something to address this growing problem. I decided to look further afield and consider hiring a foreign worker. After all, I knew that these workers often had a better knowledge of the role and had the necessary qualifications and experience.

The decision to hire a foreign worker was not easy. I was worried that my existing staff would resent me for doing so, and I was also concerned about the potential cost implications. However, I eventually decided to take the plunge, and I am glad I did.

The foreign worker I hired has been an absolute pleasure to work with.

• They are hard-working
• reliable
• highly skilled
• They also have a great attitude

and are a pleasure to be around. Most importantly, they have been able to contribute to the success of our business in ways that our local job seekers simply could not.

You may be pleasantly surprised at the difference it can make.

I was just like any other guy, living an average life, with a normal job and a normal girlfriend. We had been together for almost four years and I thought things were going well. That was until she told me she had been seeing someone else for the past eight months.

To make matters worse, the man she was seeing happened to be a Korean guy, with a face full of makeup and a fake face. He was handsome and had money, and I felt completely inadequate in comparison.

I was devastated and felt so much anger and jealousy towards him. I felt like I didn’t have anything to offer her and that she made the wrong decision. My self-confidence was quickly diminishing and I struggled to accept my new reality.

That’s when I started to think about plastic surgery.

I was desperate to make changes to my face and body that would make me more attractive and boost my confidence. I wanted to look like the Korean guy she chose over me.

I started researching different types of plastic surgery and talking to surgeons about my options. I knew I couldn’t afford to go to a famous plastic surgeon, so I opted for a more affordable option. I opted for a nose job, chin augmentation, and liposuction.

After the surgery, it was months of swelling before I saw the results. My face had been transformed and I felt like a new person. I was filled with confidence and felt much better about myself.

However, as time went on, I started to realise that plastic surgery was not the answer. I was still the same person inside and the surgery hadn’t changed that. I had to learn how to love and accept myself, regardless of what other people thought of me.

I kind of regret spending the money for the surgery to look a bit nicer guess when someone is emotional we tend to make mistakes.

Although with my new looks I was getting a lot of attention I am still not happy.

My son broke his brand new Samsung tablet in a fit of rage. It had been a gift from me – a reward for completing his studies with an impressive grade. But it seemed that my son was expecting an Apple iPad instead and was very disappointed with the Samsung tablet.

I was in shock as he threw the tablet across the room and it smashed into pieces. He was crying and angry and wouldn’t calm down. I was so disappointed in him, but my heart was also filled with sympathy. I knew he was just a child and had been expecting something he thought he deserved.

After a few minutes of calming down, I looked my son in the eyes and asked him why he had done it. He explained that he didn’t want the Samsung tablet; he wanted an iPad instead. I explained to him that I had thought the Samsung tablet was a great gift and that it would serve him well. But he was adamant that the iPad was the only device he wanted.

At this point, I was at a loss. I knew that if I caved in and bought him an iPad, it would set a bad precedent and he would expect to get everything he wanted from now on. But I also wanted to make him happy.

I finally decided to take a different approach. I explained to my son that he had to learn to be grateful for what he had and appreciate the gifts he received, even if they weren’t exactly what he wanted. I told him that if he was patient and worked hard, he could eventually save up the money to buy an iPad himself.

My son seemed to understand and apologized for breaking the tablet. We agreed to put the money I had intended to spend on the iPad towards a savings account for him so that he could eventually buy an iPad himself.

My wife disagreed

She said I should have beat the S out of my son. Now that I have educated my son I am quarrelling with my wife.

My wife said I should not spoil him and still agree for him to get an Ipad in the future.

Her logic is there must be consequences to every negative action, But I don’t feel like doing any physical things to him.

Now I’m stuck between what should I do?

At 30 years old, I’ve been through a lot in my life already. I’ve gone from being a naive teenager to a wise adult, and I’ve learned a lot along the way.

One of the lessons that I’ve learned the most from is my three divorces.

When I was in my early twenties, I got married for the first time. I thought I was in love, and I was sure that I had found the person I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. We had a beautiful wedding and a wonderful honeymoon, and I was sure that I had made the right decision.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. We quickly began to realize that we weren’t compatible, and it wasn’t long before we decided to go our separate ways.

She forced me to propose to her because she is desperate to get married and end up the reason behind her being desperate is because she found out how much I earned.

It was a difficult time for me, and I was devastated. I felt like I had failed, and I was embarrassed that I had made such a bad decision.

But I learned an important lesson from that experience. I learned that marriage isn’t something that you should enter into lightly. I realized that it’s important to be sure that you’re compatible with the person you’re marrying before you make a commitment.

2nd Marriage in USA

A few years later, I decided to try again. I thought I had learned from my mistakes, and I was sure that this time, it would be different. I found another person who I met in work while I was in Miami. I thought I was in love with, and we got married in USA.

Unfortunately, this time was even worse than the first. We argued constantly, and it wasn’t long before we decided to go our separate ways. I was devastated all over again, and I was starting to feel like I would never find true love.

She was over-controlling and forbid me to leave my house even after I returned to Singapore.

But I learned an important lesson from this experience as well. I learned that it’s important to take the time to get to know someone before you commit. I realized that it’s not enough to just be in love with someone; you have to be compatible with them too.

Third and last

Finally, I decided to give it one more try. I met someone else and we got married. This time, I was sure that I had found the right person. We were compatible, and we had similar interests and values.

But, once again, things didn’t go as planned. We got divorced after just a few years, and I was devastated. I felt like I had failed once again, and I was beginning to think that I would never find true love.

She wanted to control my every movement, If I return home late by just around 10 mins from work, she will think I’m cheating.

Constantly check my phone when I was sleeping. But at the end of the day she was the one who cheated on me.

But this experience was different. This time, I didn’t feel like I had failed. Instead, I felt like I had learned an important lesson. I learned that it’s important to take the time to get to know someone before you commit, and it’s also important to make sure that you’re compatible with them.

Lesson learnt

I may not be married right now, but I’m in a much better place than I was before. I’m more aware of what I want in a partner, and I’m more confident in my ability to make good decisions. I’ve also learned to be more patient and understanding when it comes to relationships.

So, even though I’ve been through a lot, I’m grateful for all the lessons I’ve learned. I’m thankful for the experiences I’ve had, and I’m hopeful for the future.

I sworn to never get married again.

Can’t BTO, can’t have a life here because I’m dating a non-PR foreigner

Lots of r/s problems here and I just wanted to voice my own. They say you don’t choose who you love, and I am inclined to believe that is partially true because if I really can choose, I rather date a singaporean bc things would be so much easier.

I really want to settle down in sg and work so freaking hard to support my family, have a good career here and plan to start a family here. The biggest problem? Housing. Or rather the conditions that come with housing.

I freaking hate the BTO system. 1) It doesn’t serve singaporean couples enough that it caused the housing market to be freaking crazy 2) My partner and I can’t apply for BTO bc they aren’t PR (and they are unlikely to get it, to be very real). Please don’t tell me to get a stupid 2-room flexi, how tf are we gonna start a family in a pigeon hole? It’s like the government is saying if you not sg/sg pair you don’t deserve to breed or get priority for livable conditions unless you cough out the cash.

And the thing is we’re not the only sg/non-pr pair with this problem. We’re frigging out-priced in the market right now and at this point unless we’re earning a buttload of money (way above bto ceiling) we can forget about getting an apartment here to start a life properly.

I understand why we need this system in place, especially with the amount of marriages of convenience and the general rest of the world constantly trying to scam singaporeans. I get it. We need to protect our own people from love scams. But I never grew up thinking that with two freaking incomes we can’t afford housing in SG. That’s some sort of BS. I see my vietnamese and pinoy friends working hard here and going back to condos and mansions in their country, and we’re here working hard for a overpriced pigeon hole to live in and told to be appreciative for it.

Screw this man, what did I do wrong? Is dating a non-sg/PR person really some sort of unforgivable sin that we’re subjected to all these extra hoops to jump through? I’m not saying things must be fair but at this point everything is unfair in sg. I’ve come to the point where I don’t wanna take it anymore.

in love with my business partner

Been in love with business partner for a long time now. She is everything that I look for in a woman. Really smart, sassy, cute and a feisty personality. She’s very different from my former exes who are physically better looking but lack the intellectual and personality qualities.

The problem is I don’t know if she likes me back and the thing is I risk the business relationship and the business itself if she turns out to have no feelings for me. Things would be awkward and weird. Not to mention that we’ve become really close friends. I know everything about her.

Has anyone gone through similar situations ? If so what would you advice I do?

Here are what netizens think:

• You know ‘everything’ about her but you don’t know if she likes you back. Isnt that contrasting yourself.

• Has she dated others? If yes, then she’s probably not into you. But if she hasn’t or hasn’t for a long time and you both are currently available then hang out outside of work and start asking if she is currently looking or what she is looking for. Keep it light-hearted, even make a joke whether you are each other’s type and there you will find your answers.

• Business is just business. Unless both of you start a business together when you’re dating, then that’s slightly different. Stay professional and cordial with your interactions and may your business blossom!

• Maybe can try to sprinkle some hints and see how she reacts. But I wouldnt recommend going any further unless you’re prepared to put the business at risk. Even if she like you, no guarantee u all will work out in the end. If break up, in the end your business still affected.

• But does she knows everything about u? If no then one sided la. Just ask casually, if yes gd for u but if no so be it. Respect her decision n cont be friends as business partner.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Bangkok, Thailand, and was amazed at the amount of hostess bars scattered around the city. As I walked through the streets, I noticed that almost every corner had a bar filled with scantily-clad women offering drinks and companionship.

“Heaven” is not free

I decided to check out one of the establishments and see what it was all about. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by a group of women who were all dressed to the nines in tight-fitting clothing. I was immediately offered a drink, and I took it. I was soon joined by a few of the girls, who were friendly and talkative. We talked about their lives and what they did for a living.

I soon realized that these women were essentially hostesses and that their job was to entertain the guests and ensure that they had a good time.

I also realized that many of them were barely legal, which made me feel a bit uneasy. I asked one of them why she was working there, and she said that it was the only way she could make enough money to support her family.

As usual lah, in SG or Thailand all same. All want to make a living but the easy way out loh. Sit at a bar to make man happy and drink only.

Special service

After a few drinks, I decided to call it a night and headed back to my hotel. One of the girls say she could follow me back for a fee.

I wanted to but I did not have any money left after paying so many tips at the bar.