Eh bro, you ever feel like you working every single day… but still cannot breathe? This uncle at kopitiam near my block just now, wah, suddenly pour heart out until I also emo sia.
He say he 39 this year. Work IT one, salary not bad, got about $6K per month. But hor, the stress? Through the roof. Every day wake up, not because he want to, but because he have to.
“Bro, sometimes I sit at my desk and think — I working just for my HDB and my children leh. My own life? Long ago disappear already.”
The speed of money
He say when young still single, work is tiring lah, but at least still got time go out, chill, spend a bit. Now got kids? Different story liao. Every dollar come in, go out faster than ERP gantry. Diaper, milk powder, CC fees, enrichment class — all like subscription one, but no cancel button sia.
And the HDB? Wah. He say just paying off the loan every month already feel like working for a landlord. “Not even condo hor, just 4-room BTO, but every month $1.2K vanish from CPF like magic.” But what about other expenses.
He sigh again, this time deeper than the kopi O he just drank. “Some days, I don’t even know who I am anymore. I work, I come home, I see my kids, I smile. But inside, tired sia. Like my life is just this loop.”
I ask him, “Then what you want to do?” He shake head. “No choice. For the kids lah. I love them, but sometimes I wish I got time to love myself also.”
Wah, this kind of real talk ah, really hit different. Singapore life really not easy. Everything we do — buy house, raise kids, go work — supposed to be for better life. But sometimes hor, the better life like always one step ahead. Always chasing.
Moral of the story? If you got a friend, father, mother, anyone who look strong but quiet… maybe ask them how they really doing. Cos sometimes ah, even the strongest one breaking inside.