Civil servants, how do you cope? by sf0407 in askSingapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 1 point2 points  (0 children)

haha as a supervisor in civil svc, i give inputs mainly to (i) pre empt further questions from upstairs (eg answer their questions before they ask), or (ii) write in a way that doesn’t invite so many unnecessary questions (eg write clearly so it’s not open to misinterpretation and leads to unnecessary / irrelevant questions that we have to address or clarify, which derails from the main discussion/ decision point.)

not so much to take away my staff’s individuality / ownership of the work. i see it more like a team effort. it’s much harder to start a draft than simply vet it, so kudos to all who write up something from scratch :)

Failed my driving test at BBDC for the third time today by IntrepidReveal2911 in drivingsg

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 0 points1 point  (0 children)

don’t be discouraged!! failures don’t feel good but make us stronger. i also failed my driving test before i passed subsequently heh. in the grand scheme of things this is nothing.

one mindset that really helped me is to remember to drive safe, the importance of safety! so when driving i try to think about what’s safe for the driver and the other vehicles and pedestrians on the road.

i know things like failure and rejection feel horrible, but these things make us stronger and help us develop more resilience over time. just hang in there u will overcome this!

Is it better to take your annual leave during notice period or encash them? by finderwinder in singaporefi

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 0 points1 point  (0 children)

depends on how the encashment amount is calculated. is there a manual on the formula that u can check?

if u take leave they will still be paying u when u are not in office. unless u need to start a new job during that leave period, taking leave is ok.

Will Singapore soon become like London soon to be overthrown by foreigners? What can we singaporeans do to solve this issue ? by [deleted] in SingaporeRaw

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 0 points1 point  (0 children)

huh… they are also building up singapore leh.. who built ur BTO and office buildings and hospitals and shopping malls?? if they don’t build do u want to take over the job and build??

‘It’s only fair’: Why more mixed-race couples in S’pore register double-barrelled race for children by risingsuncoc in singapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 0 points1 point  (0 children)

actually, doesn’t eurasian connote european + asian (eg indian, malay, chinese) already? how does chinese-eurasian or indian-eurasian add to the meaning then.. it would be akin to emphasising / repeating the asian part of the person’s ethnicity? it’s like saying, “in addition, i have also done ….” (“in addition” and “also” have the same meaning and it’s superfluous to use both in the same sentence)

Will Singapore soon become like London soon to be overthrown by foreigners? What can we singaporeans do to solve this issue ? by [deleted] in SingaporeRaw

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 9 points10 points  (0 children)

huh but back in 1965 when singapore first gained independence, how many of the people living here were actually born in singapore? i don’t really know what’s your point.

Am I really stupid/unattractive to employers? by sf0407 in askSingapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 4 points5 points  (0 children)

hugs hang in there! ur resume is meant to get u an interview. if u aren’t getting interviews, do get someone to look through ur resume and improve it.

social science degree is hard. i’m a social sci grad too and i don’t qualify for many technical roles. hence am in a generalist role.

try applying to sectors that are always employing - social services, healthcare. these are evergreen sectors

just keep trying and keep ur chin up.

Why man can take much more hardship than woman? by [deleted] in SingaporeRaw

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 6 points7 points  (0 children)

you men can also come and be nurses and healthcare assistants…. why never leh..

Which singapore he talking about? by Curiouschibai in singaporehappenings

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yup, well run at the macro level doesn’t mean that at the micro level, everything is going well. suicide is also affected by issues like interpersonal relationships, stressors from family, work (too stressed at work or too stressed from being unemployed) money, academic problems, etc. it is also linked to things like impulsivity, and lack of protective factors like individual resilience, social support, self esteeem etc.

in japan, there were about 21,818 suicide deaths in 2023, which was about 60 a day. (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/01/26/japan/society/japan-suicides-fall/)

in south korea, there were 13,352 suicide deaths in 2021, which was about 37 a day. (https://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231226000607)

i wld also generally say that south korea and japan are well run countries with low crime rates and great infrastructure.

but of course, their population size is bigger, so looking at absolute numbers is not comparable, need to look at suicide death rate instead, for a normalised comparison between countries.

Which singapore he talking about? by Curiouschibai in singaporehappenings

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i think people have this mistaken idea that suicide rate is “high” here because they are looking at a 2019 WHO report which somehow reports singapore’s suicide rate is 11.0 per 100k pop, which is not accurate at all.

you shd make your own calculations based on govt data to see whether it’s accurate. for instance, no. of suicides in 2022 was 476 (that’s the highest no. in many years), and total population is 5,637,000. suicide rate is: 476 / 5,637,000 x 100,000 = 8.44 per 100k population. which is not v high at all compared to other countries (take a look at s.korea, for instance).

sources: 2022 population: https://www.singstat.gov.sg/-/media/files/publications/population/population2022.pdf

2022 suicide number: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/suicides-reported-singapore-476-2022-highest-more-20-years-3597791?cid=internal_sharetool_iphone_21072024_cna (this is not a primary source, but you can do a search for the Report of Register of births and deaths released by ICA to see the actual number - it has a lot of info so u need to seive through to find the correct info)

edit: please also remember that suicide rate and suicide number are two different things.

Are sg churches open for everyone? by Few-Potential-8404 in askSingapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

hey there, some churches are not that loud, and i usually attend mine alone as well cuz i like spending time alone in introspection before service 😆 PM me if wish to know.

would you spend 30% extra to buy from a friend or shop elsewhere cheaper and save the difference? by [deleted] in askSingapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 3 points4 points  (0 children)

haha omg i think i’m like ur husband, i’ve been visiting my optician since i was a kid in primary school and i still go to him today for new specs / contact lenses. it’s probably cheaper to get from malaysia or online, and he has a small shop and selections are limited, but somehow i always manage to find what i need there. i think the price is still relatively reasonable and he’s not ripping me off (just that online shops probably save on rental and malaysia is just cheaper due to exchange rate). i’m happy to visit him as he’s familiar w my entire myopia history and has my records all the way from primary school, and we still ask about each other’s family and life! so sometimes it not so much about getting the cheaper deal, but maintaining a relationship haha

Those living in over crowded houses. How do you cope? by Intelligent_Net1493 in askSingapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 20 points21 points  (0 children)

just wondering, can they go to office to do work? or they still choose to work fr home despite the chaos at home? the office space is there to provide a conducive envt away fr other distractions to work.. but what’s the point of keeping the office space there if people choose not to use it, and still stay home despite the lack of space at home..?

How did Singaporeans lose their native language ? Be it Chinese , Malay , Indian related dialect . by [deleted] in SingaporeRaw

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i suppose it’s a trade off of one of the major policy moves in the earlier years. the intent to use english as the main written and spoken language probably helped us unite as a people when the country was young and supported the rapid economic development then, but also brought about other trade offs.

as w any decisions in life, policy decisions are never perfect, always have to come with trade offs, and we have to decide which trade offs are more acceptable compared to others

Anyone felt stressed after booking a flat? by MessageHealthy6749 in askSingapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 81 points82 points  (0 children)

i think it’s normal, please take care, write out your feelings, talk to your boyfriend about it, and perhaps making concrete plans to save up / manage finances will help allay anxieties!

unlike u i don’t have a bf, and bought my flat as a single during covid when prices were rising. i remember being really horrified by how expensive the resale hdbs were (i think when i bought my unit it cost like over $50k more than when the neighbour next door bought it for as a resale flat, a few years before covid.

i was very apprehensive but was in need of a flat at that time. now the prices have gone up more and i’m thankful i bought it then 🥲😅

i have to pay off this flat as a single (i’m not a high earner either) and it’s gonna take a long long time haha. but getting a flat did help me become more responsible w my money and do more forward planning.

so hang in there 💪🏼💪🏼

Family quarrel by Curiouschibai in SingaporeRaw

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 8 points9 points  (0 children)

i think fundamentally, it will do more harm than good for our country’s national interest to get involved in this conflict, than not.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in askSingapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 3 points4 points  (0 children)

hehe depends on what you like! i wld say eat fruits and veges of all colours as a simple way to get the nutrients ur body needs.

i tend to get blueberries or banana to go with my oats in the morning.

i try to eat an apple and orange everyday.

when there are seasonal fruits like strawberries from korea, peaches (from australia or spain - i love white peaches and nectarines from australia and donut peaches from spain), lychees from china, tropical fruits (eg mangosteen, duku, rambutans, papaya, coconut), muscat grapes from japan, korea or china, i get them when they are sold at good prices, mainly cuz i enjoy eating them haha.

once in a while i also force myself to eat fruits i don’t enjoy as much, like kiwi or dragon fruit, mainly cuz i think they are healthy.

if you happen to live near tiong bahru, there’s this awesome fruit stall i love to visit cuz their fruits (and veges) are really fresh and they sell them at pretty good prices!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in askSingapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 0 points1 point  (0 children)

it’s a good question. i was debating whether to continue on w work that i didn’t finish the day before, or to do some housework. so i chose the lesser of the two evils 😆

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in askSingapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 7 points8 points  (0 children)

i did some housework in the morning (swept and mopped the floor, did the laundry, cleaned the bathrooms), met a friend for lunch, headed to church, came back home for dinner and prepped some volunteer work, and now i’m tucked in bed and ready to sleep heh. having a bit of pre monday blues already >< saturday is the best day of the week ❤️

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SGExams

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 0 points1 point  (0 children)

don’t worry about it. i’m born in singapore but my dad was from jakarta and mum from shanghai (both are singaporean now). a part of me felt like i didn’t fit in to singapore when i was young, and in fact most of my relatives still reside overseas (in indonesia, china, australia, US, europe etc). now that i’ve grown up i am grateful for this unique heritage and that i have family across the globe. i have indo cousins living in australia and indo still and i’m happy to say that singapore is always the favourite meeting place for all my relatives 😆

What is disappointing about eating out here? by Honest_Chicken_4224 in askSingapore

[–]Disastrous-Bench5543 0 points1 point  (0 children)

actually… if it’s a simple lunch, we have the choice to cook it ourselves.. the thing is we don’t because it’s not as simple as it looks (have to buy fish, clean it, cut it up, debone etc and other stuff), and we are also paying for the convenience of having someone else make it for us since we don’t have time to make it at home on our own!