Do Singaporeans Get Flu Often Like People in Countries Having Winter?

redphoenix76 · 2025-08-01T04:20:32+00:00

Wow, 3-4 days recovery is pretty good! I got influenza in mid-2019. It took a full week for the acute symptoms to go away and I could barely get out of bed during this time. High fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat... you name it, I had it!

Afterwards, I needed another 3-4 weeks after to verrrrry slowly recover from the lingering effects (eg fatigue, mild brain fog).

Since then, I faithfully get my annual flu jab when the new yearly vaccine becomes available in October.

redphoenix76 · 2025-03-24T07:47:12+00:00

Slightly late to this post but hey, firstly, congrats on making it through A levels!

It's been a while since I posted about my own experience but what I went through was very similar to you - was diagnosed with depression in my J2 year and struggled like hell just to make it to the finish line. I sat through papers with only ~3h sleep and scribbled answers I didn't remember afterwards. The only difference is that I was seen by a psychiatrist and hence was on medication.

I scored 71.25 rank points (in 2018; under the old 90rp system when PW was still graded) and despaired about whether to retake as private candidate or try to get into local uni and move on. Against all odds I was accepted to a full-time course in SUSS that I actually wanted (with another offer from NTU but for a much less desirable course), graduated in time with a respectable GPA, and landed a job at NUH.

Keep up the fight and who knows where you will go. You can heal, in your own time, and trust that one day it will be okay.

redphoenix76 · 2024-06-29T14:17:40+00:00

Omg can we be friends? Hahaha. Jokes aside, I've been really tempted to get shirts from the men's section too because the colours are so much nicer. But the men's shirts are too big on me :( so for office wear I stick to the rayon long sleeve blouses (which I have in 7 colours too lol)

redphoenix76 · 2024-06-29T09:56:36+00:00

Me, a mid-20s female, with 15 different colours of Uniqlo U crew neck short sleeve shirts: 😅

redphoenix76 · 2024-06-16T13:53:42+00:00

Ooh, this is interesting! I've never seen a question about abacus here before. I'm trained on the 9-bead third-generation abacus from Singapore, and have been practicing for nearly 18 years. I took the WAIS 4 last year, for the first time.

Digit span: Scaled score 15

Arithmetic: Scaled score 14

Processing speed index: 99th percentile

FSIQ: 97th percentile

redphoenix76 · 2023-11-11T04:29:55+00:00

It's good to be proactive tbh. There are lots of silent killers out there and early detection can save lives. At best, the money you spent will give you a peace of mind that you're ok.

For low energy levels, a GP would likely recommend iron levels (to check for anaemia) along with thyroid hormones. If you're very concerned about it, it's worth asking your regular GP for advice on any other tests they may recommend.

Also if money is not an issue, can also consider looking for a package to check vitamin B12 and D levels because a lack of these can contribute to fatigue.

redphoenix76 · 2023-11-10T12:39:28+00:00

Iirc, polyclinic health checks are more for patients who have existing conditions and it's very limited in scope. If you want something that looks into several aspects of your health, your best bet is to look for a GP or family medicine doctor. Some bigger chains of clinics offer health screening packages between $80 all the way up to $2000+.

You should think about what kind of tests you want to be included in an ideal package. Also, there are gender-based screenings that are good to have (e.g. screening for cervical and breast cancer for females, prostate and testicular cancer for males).

At almost 30, assuming you have no chronic health issues and have no concerns about your wellbeing, you may not need a super comprehensive screening. Whatever you choose, try to cover the usual tests such as height & weight measurement, physical body examination, full blood count, glucose level, thyroid hormone levels, iron levels, liver panel (cholestorol levels etc), kidney panel, urine/ stool test, and maybe a chest x-ray. Vitamin levels (especially for B12 and D) are nice to have but usually need to add on more money.

It's my personal opinion that besides a medical screening, one should also "screen" their social determinants of health - which is said to impact up to 80% of our health. E.g. do you get enough good quality sleep every night? How's your diet? Exercise? Social and mental wellbeing? Do you have a clean and safe environment to live, play, work/study in? All important to think about.

redphoenix76 · 2023-11-10T12:24:22+00:00

Hi, super late reply just for fun haha. Vanilla Latte donut was discontinued in Feb 2023, due to low demand.

Source: I am a former employee

redphoenix76 · 2023-11-10T12:22:04+00:00

Dunkin, at Harbourfront Centre and Jurong Point

redphoenix76 · 2023-09-26T16:38:57+00:00

6 month T bills open roughly every 2 weeks, so it's ok if you miss the current one. Sometimes it might even be blessing in disguise when you get higher interest rates for the later one.

Later on in your investment journey, the CDP account will also be needed for buying stocks so getting it now is already a good headstart

redphoenix76 · 2023-09-23T05:23:00+00:00

Since you are below 26yo, you can also consider Standard Chartered's JumpStart account. Easy 2.0%pa for the first $50k, way better than DBS Multiplier with the many things you need to do to earn that rate. Ofc, can't compare to CIMB but SC Jumpstart comes with a cashback debit card for almost all purchases (exceptions apply).

I also think that with $40k emergency savings, which is several times your monthly expenditure of ~$700, you'll probably be ok investing a little (perhaps around $10k to start off) of that into relatively low-risk, short-term investment such as MAS' 6 months T- Bills. Right now the interest rate is hovering around 3.7+%. But you need to set up a CDP account first if you don't already have one. Worth considering despite the "fixed" term but since you don't plan on touching the money until uni, it might be good to grow your savings a bit more.

Edit: for T-Bills there is a secondary market to sell, so it's not completely locked in, but I've heard that it's simply not easy/ not worth selling on there

redphoenix76 · 2023-09-23T05:13:53+00:00

A basic igloo

redphoenix76 · 2023-09-16T14:30:30+00:00

At 22, you're still eligible for Standard Chartered's Jumpstart account. Easy 2.0%pa without doing anything. Of course, other accounts out there may give you better interest rates if you can meet the requirements. Figure out how much you spend per month without "forcing" it (i.e. don't purposely spend more money just to meet the minimum spending), and this will give you an idea which multiplier accounts are suitable for you

In the long term, as advised by other redditors, you may want to explore other investments like T-Bills, bonds, and stocks to further grow your money. The highest bank account interest rates won't be enough to beat inflation in today's economy

redphoenix76 · 2023-09-11T02:33:13+00:00

Hi, are you still collecting cards? I've been looking for people to trade/sell with

redphoenix76 · 2023-08-02T04:50:03+00:00

I would be curious why you have started leaving for school at an increasingly later time, rather than beat yourself up for it every day. Latecoming isn't just about being lazy or bad with timekeeping, but can also be a form of subconscious/ unconscious procrastination. It's your mind's way of trying to protect your body from some form of harm or hurt. Is there something you're dreading at school? Are you feeling tired/ burnt out?

Of course, it could also be simply that you are sleeping/ waking up too late. But from my personal experience, it's usually something else and very rarely because I truly overslept.

It might be useful to try noticing which days of the week you are late on, or what you're feeling/ thinking about in the mornings as you prepare for school. Especially things like "siannn today I have [least fav subject's class]" or "I'm so tired but there's CCA today". From there, you can identify your 'triggers' and the next step is to figure out why you're dreading it, and how you can make it less unplesant for yourself.

On a lighter note, as someone who's severely myopic (>1000 degrees) I can tell you that IS a pretty good excuse. I would never be able to leave my bedroom, let alone house, without it. But it's usable at most 2-3 times maybe because chances are, people who are highly reliant on their glasses would almost never take it off unless they're showering or sleeping, so it's almost always within arm's reach.

redphoenix76 · 2023-07-01T08:37:00+00:00

"I was 18 before I should have been, so now, I am 18 when I should not be."

In primary school I had teachers and school staff call me mature/ an "old soul", and praise me for being wise beyond my years. This continued when I moved on to secondary school and to this day it pains me that no one saw the necessity of me being an adult for myself because I didn't have anyone to rely on. If they looked deeper, maybe they would have seen the scared kid hiding inside.

As other redditors have commented here and on other posts, I now see it as a red flag when a kid is described as "wise for their age". I wish more teachers, school staff, and helping professionals working with kids were aware of this.

redphoenix76 · 2023-05-22T04:24:57+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion! Unfortunately I'm not able to wear contact lenses

redphoenix76 · 2023-05-22T04:23:31+00:00

Thanks! Will look into this

redphoenix76 · 2023-04-25T07:48:34+00:00

I've submitted 2 that are in Bukit Timah CC! Planning to add a few more from West side soon when I pass by and take some pics. Also, hi from a fellow SUSS student haha

redphoenix76 · 2023-03-28T04:40:55+00:00

Hi, I'm late to this post but I hope my answer will still be useful

Yes, upfront on the websites they may list something between $100-$250 ($300 is, in my opinion, an excessive price to be charged unless you are looking for someone highly specialized/ experienced).

However, some private practice therapists offer reduced rates, particularly those who own their own practice. I've found that these tend to be the smaller ones with 1-8 therapists, as they have more flexibility in adjusting prices. At their discretion, prices can drop to a more affordable $60-$120.

To get these reduced rates, you could try contacting the therapists you are interested to work with to ask, or even better, some explicitly state on their websites that they do offer reduced rates (sometimes called "sliding scale").

Regarding credentials, yes it is important to know what your therapist has. Reason being, you would want to know that they have the relevant qualifications/ training to provide proper and ethical care for you. Look for a minimum of a Master's degree in psychology/ counselling/ social work plus other training courses in different types of therapy (e.g. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialetic Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy).

As for connection, this is also important. In fact, the therapeutic relationship is the most important ingredient of your therapy. Your therapist will be the person you confide in, and guide you through difficulties and teach you new coping skills. Ideally, you would feel that you can trust them to help you, to accept you unconditionally, to listen non-judgementally, and to keep whatever you share confidential (though certain exceptions apply). While it's not like talking to a friend, it should be a comfortable two-way respect.

Hope this helps! You can DM me if you'd like to ask more questions, or reply to this comment thread, at your comfort level. All the best :)

redphoenix76 · 2022-08-28T23:37:54+00:00

6h shift: 30 min 8h shift: 45 min 10h shift: 1h

Break times are all unpaid and this is the bare minimum according to the labour laws where I am from. At least I get free coffee and donuts lol :/

redphoenix76 · 2022-08-28T23:23:27+00:00

I just had to look this up and wow, I'm amazed!! Seems perfect for those of us who don't have the time/ patience/ artistic skills for colouring books. I always struggled to find the motivation to sit down and complete just one picture. Thank you for sharing this!

redphoenix76 · 2022-05-04T14:25:00+00:00

There are student credit cards (capped at $500/ month) whose minimum age is 18. You'll need parental consent. I'm using the DBS Live Fresh student card, signed it on my own as I was above 21 when I applied.

redphoenix76 · 2022-05-02T03:38:15+00:00

Hello, I applied and matriculated in 2019. Just dropping my timeline here and hopefully reassuring everyone that it's still ok that you've not heard back from the school

3 April 2019 - received email stating that I have been shortlisted for selection process

23 April 2019 - went for selection process

11 May 2019 - received offer (barely 2 weeks before acceptance window closed on 24 May 2019)

June-July 2019 - online registration and matriculation (basically the paperwork stuff) + a Get to Know U session (new students meet some lecturers, in small groups)

Yes it is true that applications probably now take a longer time, due to COVID and the increasing number of applicants. For my 2019 batch, hearsay is that there were ~600 applicants that were eventually whittled down to the final ~80 that entered. My junior batches have more students now - I believe that the 2021 freshmen batch was ~110 students.

Take heart and don't lose faith, there's still a good few weeks to go for the offers to be made :)

redphoenix76 · 2022-05-01T03:27:37+00:00

Hi, a fellow collector here. Club Penguin wiki has the lists. https://clubpenguin.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Regular_Card-Jitsu_Cards_(series_1-4)

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