Part 1 is here.

Part 2 of the story

Life at the chicken shop isn’t always so gloomy and dark. In fact, life as a chicken rice shop worker was quite rosy in the past.

Chicken shop workers were given good free snacks and drinks during their shift. If they have to stay back to slaughter more chickens or whip some good chicken rice, a good variety of dinner options were available for all chicken rice workers. Damned, even the Farmhouse Dark Chocolate Milk was readily available to fuel the chicken shop workers. All these benefits were given to ensure that chicken rice experts can focus their time on creating better chicken rice! Because end of the day, opportunity cost for fat chicken rice workers to hunt for their food is just too high compared to feeding for free.

Even when the pandemic was roaring away, chicken rice workers were able to have work from decentralized kitchens without compromising on work productivity! Chicken rice workers were able to rear and slaughter chicken from their houses and finally send those chicken to other decentralized kitchen to cook them without compromising on the food quality! In fact, revenue from the chicken rice shop increases quarter to quarter when most chicken rice workers are working in decentralized chicken rice facilities.

These great benefits attracted chicken rice connoisseurs from far away lands. Aspiring chicken rice workers travel across the seas, braving strong waves and currents, to reach the legendary chicken rice shop. Some of them even brought along their dogs and wives. Others trained long and hard in random forests that are filled with red and black trees in order to gain the secret power to make great chicken rice. Making great chicken rice was the only goal in their lives.

Armed with a pool of chicken rice talents, the chicken rice shop started to expand rapidly across continents.. The bosses of the chicken rice shops even set up shops in countries where eating steaks is more popular than chicken rice. They felt that with a strong chicken rice dance and cheer, the chicken god will be appeased. The chicken god will cast a spell on the steak-eating people to start eating chicken rice.

To further support business expansion, teams were created to auto-translate chicken rice menus in different languages! Different chicken rice teams also started to spend lots of money in order to achieve business growth. One team even started to create artificial cloud to create magical rain in order to irrigate the rice fields that fed the chickens! If you think that these sounds lunatic, some teams are even create to combust cash to cook the chicken!

Alas, when top chicken rice investors started to pull out funds to invest in other more stable shops (such as the cai fan shop), some of the teams have to be removed to make the business leaner.

Together with their owners, dogs were sent back across the sea. Some of the chicken rice vocational institutes students were gotten offers to chop chickens were suddenly out of job. Shops in countries where eating steaks is more popular had to be closed down. Making artificial cloud that irrigate the field for the chicken is no longer a priority.

Snacks and drinks were cut down. Chicken rice shop workers have to go out to buy their own meals for the 1st time, causing confusion among the workers who are too used to getting fed automatically. Navigating the real world after years of fattening up was a challenge for most chicken rice workers.

A big shareholder of the chicken rice shop (who happen to be in the steel and forestry business) also ordered all their workers to gather back in the central facility to make chicken rice as it was deemed more efficient to have everyone communicating with one another.

All the pampered and self-entitled chicken rice shop workers were shocked at these measures. Many question were raised in the chicken rice quarterly town hall.

To be continued….

Part 1

I am a Singaporean, growing up so proud of the food we had here. I love the affordability of yummy dishes in our neighbourhoods and the amazing food options we always had,

however in recent times, over the past couple years to today, I noticed that food stalls are constantly changing around my area.

No doubt it’s the rent trap but the flavour of the food is also starting to become either too bland or too salty. I can’t remember the last time I had a good bowl of fish soup after the previous stall owner had to close down due to increasing rent.

The vegetables at fishball noodle stall also became more bitter or discolored looking. It’s just a disappointing realisation I guess, to see that it’s unable for food stalls to put out quality dishes with commitment anymore because of the rent and food import inflation.

Either that or ingredient portion is ridiculously small for an affordable bowl of say $4.50 noodles. I had wanton mee for $4-$4.50 at my neighbourhood coffeeshop with just 4 slices of thinly-sliced char siew.

This kopitiam concept has served such great influence feeding millions of Singaporeans everyday for generations but these days it seems like a lost dream.

Perhaps, it’s also because the first generation of truly amazing hawkers have retired and young people aren’t willing to learn anymore.

Can’t blame them though. Most stalls are owned by Chinese/Vietnamese foreigners nowadays and for them to learn our recipes properly is also too high of an expectation.

I can only dream about those lost days of actual good food culture now. If we fully lost our hawker/kopitiam cultural identity to feed the average Singaporean, what else have we got?

Dumb question, but can a Singaporean work as a construction worker?

I’m not talking your project manager of construction projects, but an actual construction worker alongside the foreign workers.

Like what if you really want to try construction work, operate cranes and stuff, can you?

I mean after all we have people who are passionate about driving buses, I figured maybe there be people inspired by Bob the builder and wants to operate cranes and stuff.

I know, pay is so low you say why would a Singaporean take it, but I was just curious if it’s possible.

Netizens’ comments

• Yes. Crane operators earn quite a bit tbh. But long shift
• Can la, why not. Few years back when I was at the shipyard, hearsay crane operators earn around $6-7k. I went for lunch with a coxswain ferrying workers in his boat, young malay chap didn’t even finish ITE, earning around $5k per month.
• There are a fair number of local Singaporeans working blue-collar roles in construction industry but not as construction workers. Construction industry encompass many roles and job scopes. Nearly all buildings require lots of wiring and electrical work to be done and there are a fair number of local Singaporeans working as electricians or technicians as on-site personnel. But mostly in 40s, and some nearing 50s.
• There is this uncle that worked on one of my project. Got him in to join an electric cable and sp paid him 1.5k for 2 hrs of work. During lunch when I spoke to him, he mention he takes about 6 such jobs daily. He already own a yacht and a landed at this pt with 5m in his bank. He only had a psle cert.

MIL keeps verbally stressing helper

I am living with my mil and we have a helper who has been with us for the past 2years 10 months…

she’s going back soon. I feel very guilty towards my helper. Though my mil did not abuse my helper physically but my mil is always nagging at her. I think it is causing me and my helper to have mental stress. Examples:

1) Saying she didn’t clean well, didn’t do this, doing things v slowly, cooking awful. On a daily basis.

2) mil don’t allow my helper to take food from the fridge without asking her. So my helper does not dare to take things to cook her own lunch.

3) mil is always getting instant noodles and chicken Franks for my helper. She can eat that 4 to 5 times a week. My mil is health conscious worried about getting cancer, she doesn’t even eat these processed food yet she give my helper eat such food all the time. I am really worried my helper will fall sick in future… she’s still so young and have a life ahead of her, I really don’t want to see her getting sick ..

My helper is already very tolerant. I really salute her for being able to keep her cool mostly despite her young age. She doesn’t argue back as she probably know is futile..mil won’t listen. She’s only in her early 20s.

For me, I have zero power in the family. I am also subject to my mil’s nagging and I feel v guilty and helpless for not being able to protect and help my helper.. I myself also can’t buy things to put in the fridge. I always have this constant guilt that I should be brave and stand up for myself and her but I am afraid that I will make things difficult for my husband. I find myself loserish and timid.

How do I tell my S/O that going through my search history without permission is an invasion of privacy. (20s) (2 Years)

My s/o was looking to order a gift for me for Christmas and went through my search history to confirm the item details.

They told me they did it after they came up short. But I still feel like it was an invasion of privacy that they did so without asking first.

I told them that it made me uncomfortable but they couldn’t see why. If they had asked me before, I probably would’ve said yes.

But now I’m concerned that my history is accessible whenever. I guess it feels like my thoughts are on display.

How do I articulate my discomfort without seeming like I have something to hide?

Netizens’ comments

• Who owns the computer and do you two live together
  • I do and yes
• 🤷‍♂️ clear your search history 🤷‍♂️

Improvement is hard, but we can do it.

Hey everyone, I 28F have been together with my boyfriend 30M for 1 year and I am very sure he’s the one. And I hope my post helps the people out there who are struggling like me.

However, recently we had a huge argument & took some time off each other. After that, we had a talk where we both agreed that I was being too controlling.

So for context – I get upset and angry if he keeps in contact with his female friends & goes out with them 1 on
1. It came to a point where everytime he tells me he is going out with a friend, I’ll always ask about the gender. Just all in all, if I have time or if he have time, I want him to spend it with me. I want him all to myself.

Before you guys bash me, I would like to say that I agree it is a toxic behavior as my partner has his own life. Hence, I’m working towards it.

I’m posting this because some days I struggle with improving myself and working on myself and some days I find it easy. I would like to say that – For couples that are struggling with this, be patient with one another. Change is not easy & it really takes time. Help one another out & talk it out. Take a break from each other to think through things if needed. Some days are harder than the others but as long as we are trying, it gets easier.

For people who are struggling with this issue or other relationship issues, I hope you can take a step back to question yourself why are you feeling the emotions you’re feeling? Is it because of a previous relationship? If so, I hope you learn to let go of it. Don’t be trap in your past. It’s not easy. I’ve been there & I’m still working on it.

Jiayou!

Marriage isn’t working out

I’ve been married for 11 months now and I know my husband for 6 years.

Things aren’t working out and I don’t know what to do. We are on the verge of calling it quits. He works and drinks too much and there is no time for the relationship.

Yes we do go on holidays, movies, dates, but the spark is not there anymore and neither is any intimacy. We are just going on with the motions but there isn’t anything else. He doesn’t have the mental bandwidth because of his work. I don’t know how much more understanding to be when he has the audacity to blame me because the spark and feelings aren’t there. “Even on holiday there’s nothing between us” – huh? No effort and feelings can magically appear?

Is divorce the only way?

Tried suggesting marriage counselling but a) he doesn’t have time and b) his family mooted the idea so we just never went. Even trying to talk ends up in fights.

What to do? Is this the usual ‘just started living together, first 2 years are rocky’ fights? How do I know if I will ever get my relationship back or if this is the end? Planning on having a sit-down discussion with the families, or is this a bad idea?

I feel like I will be happier alone, and I do prefer it when he goes to work (I work from home) but it is very lonely.

Here are what netizens think:

• Marriage is kinship by choice, it is not always romance at all. If it is end of the road then do it on a nice note but remember why you choose to be with him in the first place. Don’t regret after choosing your decision.

• If he can’t even make time for counselling, it means that there’s no effort on his part to even want to salvage the relationship.

• This is why having an intelligent and humorous partner is important in a rs if you’re someone who is a bore. Some couples can do nothing for days but it’s still a place full of laughters

Shoddy Renovation Contractor

We contacted a renovation contractor through an online platform. After several rounds of discussion, we decided to use the contractor to renovate our kitchen and toilet. A job that should have been completed in one month was delayed for three months.

• Exterior paint works started peeling by the second month.

• Water gushing out from the concealed water pipes on CNY eve for more than 6 hours because we were out

• Leakage from water pipes throughout the project

• Interior paint works done halfway with holes in the wall

• Existing marble and new tiles were chipped

• We discovered the drainage pipe choked after the tiles were laid

• There were many more defects….

By 3rd month, we could not accept the shoddy workmanship and delays any further that we terminated the service of the contractor and got a new contractor to takeover the project.

The renovation contractor then sent us an invoice for payment but unit cost of items were inflated, the number of items renovated was increased (e.g. we only renovated one toilet but contractor charged us for 3 toilets.) The claimed amount also included works that the contractor did not do and did not complete. Subsequently, we got involved in a legal battle to determine the rightful amount to be paid for the works.

To further strengthen their case against us, the contractor forged our signature on several quotations, some of which we have not seen before, to claim more money than what was intended. This matter had been reported to the police but it’s been months and we still have no conclusion. We went to our MP for help but also nothing could be done to expedite the investigation. All that needed to be done was to obtain the originals and test for fingerprints and the truth would be told but it seems that was our simple-minded thinking.

Some higher being up there is looking after us as luckily we did not sign any agreements with the contractor because there was a penalty clause in the agreement that said “if you terminate the contract without mutual agreement, you are liable for the full contract amount”.

What really happened for us is when the contractor starts a specific work, the contractor will send us an invoice for 50% and when the work is completed, the contractor would bill us the balance 50%. Reason why we didn’t sign the agreement is because it was only a quotation and some of those items we had told the contractor that we were still looking for other contractors to do, e.g. cabinetry. We engaged the contractor mainly to do hacking, painting, plumbing and electrical works. But the contractor claim us for everything in the quotation.

To further pressure us to give in, this contractor sent emails to our company, maliciously spreading inaccurate and unfounded information that is damaging to our personal and professional character. Claimed that she is a terminally ill patient and that we had cheated her money despite the truth being that she had committed forgery and that the true monetary value of her works is to be determined by the Magistrate’s Court. Thankfully, our companies saw the truth and believed our integrity. What’s appalling is we were not the only victims. We found out that that there were other home owners who were in the same situation as us.

A few of us home owners got connected and we tried many ways to find justice and redress in this, reporting to BCA, CASE, HDB and even the police on the harassment but there are no policing bodies that can govern such issues.

Anyone can start a company today and renovate your home. The police won’t do anything as there is no physical hurt in the harassment. Our only “out” was POHA or defamation legal claim which again will incur high legal costs. We want to share the name of the contractor but we can’t due to legal complications and it’s sad that we cannot prevent other home owners from this.

We had reported to the online platform about the errant contractor but they refused to remove the post, and this will allow more home owners to be cheated.

(not real names)

My son is dating Gina.

My wife and I (early 30s) have a joint bank account that we use to pay all the standard household expenses.

For hobbies and other things that do not benefit the entire household, we have separate personal accounts.

How?