Wednesday, May 24, 2006
The Coffee Cup
I have a story to tell today: the story of the coffee cup.
First let me transform you over to a similar room but in a different setting. You are sitting amongst a group of fellow alumni friends, highly established in your careers, and have gotten together to visit your old professor. As we chatted, the flow of conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work, family and life.
Offering us coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups made of Porcelain, Plastic, Glass, Paper, Some ordinary looking, Some expensive, Some exquisite. He told us to help ourselves to hot coffee. When all of us had a cup of coffee in our hands, the professor spoke: ‘If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap looking ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
What all of you really wanted was coffee - not the cup - but you consciously went for the best cups and, worse, you were eyeing each other's cups.
Now, if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life. The quality of Life doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it.’
So, coming back to our meeting, I will pose the same question to you: ‘Are you letting the cups drive you or are you enjoying their contents instead?’ And this will be the subject of my sharing tonight.
Enjoy the coffee, not the cup
I will certainly like to enjoy the coffee and not the cup. For me, I pick this plain simple cup.
As some of you are aware, I am now on a semi-career break, having opted for a part-time tele-working arrangement with my office. The motivation is better work-life balance.
About 3 years ago, I used to reach home late, exhausted from the day’s work, with neither time nor energy for my two young kids. It didn’t help when staff turnover was high and you ended up as the sole survivor with 14 years of experience versus your colleagues’ average of 1 year. Naturally you can guess who bears the brunt.
My husband’s work had equally long hours, equally stressful. Till one day whilst taking a rare break, I decided to stop mulling and start acting. Swallowing my pride, I plucked up my courage and asked to downsize my job and downsize my pay, but upsize my desired lifestyle as a stay-at-home mum. My request wasn’t well received especially by the parties who will now shoulder my burden. But I knew what I wanted. And I persisted – for my cherished cup of ‘coffee’: A lifestyle I value at this stage of my life that revolves around my kids.
But of course, this lifestyle may not be everyone’s cup of tea …or coffee! Some of my friends, who are mothers themselves, would simply die to be in my shoes. Some mothers admit they can’t bear to be at the beck and call of hyperactive children 24 hours a day. Still others believe I have gone nuts – giving up a fair pay and a respectable position to boot.
I confess it was not an easy choice – a small voice constantly reminds me of my decade-long exam struggle to qualify in my profession as an actuary and the challenging but fulfilling technical work I enjoy. Am I committing career suicide? I often ask. But when I turn to my family and my kids, these notions are quickly cast aside. I’d rather choose to focus on my coffee and not the cup. I’ll take a simple cup to contain my simple taste and sustain my simple needs.
Coffee-sipping can be a wobbly act
But to be happy with simple pleasures is no simple matter. Coffee sipping, even of your preferred choice, can be a wobbly act.
My plain cup symbolises the plain lifestyle or the lost trappings of success I was prepared to forego.
What caught me by surprise is how misunderstood and undervalued a home-maker can be. Perhaps the notion of a rich tai-tai leisurely sipping coffee springs easily into our mind.
I hate to debunk the myth: housekeeper, tutor, cook, nurse, psychologist and chief executive all rolled in one is probably more apt a picture. Bringing up children has become a complex multi-tasking function. No wonder a recent US study pegs the equivalent pay of a stay-at-home mother at US$134,121 a year, an amount matching that of a top US executive or a judge.
Aggravating further is the misconception held by many people – from family to friends to colleagues if you still have any – that you are ‘free’ with plenty of leisure time and would kindly bestow endless voluntary activities and jobs on you.
For me, holding a part-time job, welcome as it is, introduces yet another balancing act. Doing it via tele-working requires further skill and tact. Remember ‘Out of sight, out of mind’. Taking on exam marking assignments for your profession soaks out whatever little time you have left. It’s a wonder then my Toastmasters journey has come thus far - thanks to all of you!
So whatever cup of coffee picked, be prepared to face some rough jostling from around you as you attempt to drink in peace. Be prepared to work extraordinarily hard at making your ordinary choice work. But don’t forget to enjoy your coffee.
Don’t ponder too long over your coffee!
Don’t take too long to decide on your coffee or your cup either. If you ponder too long, you may just miss your ‘coffee’.
You don’t know what life has in store for you tomorrow. I do face this uncertainty. I don’t know if my current bliss will end. I don’t know when I’ll relinquish my pseudo housewife status to report for fulltime work. I don’t wish to part with my no-frills cup for a fanciful one with its unspoken trappings.
But instead of lamenting over the ‘what ifs’, I tell myself why not focus on the present and enjoy the current moments. Don’t look back with regret only when the time is up and the game is over.
Likewise, my message to you is: since you can’t predict the future, make time to enjoy your coffee now.
End note
Dear friends, let me repeat my earlier questions, as broached by the professor: are you letting the cup drive you or are you enjoying the coffee? Would you focus on life, as represented by the coffee or rather eye each other’s cup, the mere tool for containing life? Would you drink your coffee with the people you care? Would you sip it today?
Your choice of coffee and the cup is unique to each and every one of you. What matters is that you look beyond the cup and enjoy your drink, your own ‘coffee’.
Friends, enjoy whilst you can. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow may never come. Enjoy your coffee today. Enjoy the present.
24 May 2006
First let me transform you over to a similar room but in a different setting. You are sitting amongst a group of fellow alumni friends, highly established in your careers, and have gotten together to visit your old professor. As we chatted, the flow of conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work, family and life.
Offering us coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups made of Porcelain, Plastic, Glass, Paper, Some ordinary looking, Some expensive, Some exquisite. He told us to help ourselves to hot coffee. When all of us had a cup of coffee in our hands, the professor spoke: ‘If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap looking ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
What all of you really wanted was coffee - not the cup - but you consciously went for the best cups and, worse, you were eyeing each other's cups.
Now, if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life. The quality of Life doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it.’
So, coming back to our meeting, I will pose the same question to you: ‘Are you letting the cups drive you or are you enjoying their contents instead?’ And this will be the subject of my sharing tonight.
Enjoy the coffee, not the cup
I will certainly like to enjoy the coffee and not the cup. For me, I pick this plain simple cup.
As some of you are aware, I am now on a semi-career break, having opted for a part-time tele-working arrangement with my office. The motivation is better work-life balance.
About 3 years ago, I used to reach home late, exhausted from the day’s work, with neither time nor energy for my two young kids. It didn’t help when staff turnover was high and you ended up as the sole survivor with 14 years of experience versus your colleagues’ average of 1 year. Naturally you can guess who bears the brunt.
My husband’s work had equally long hours, equally stressful. Till one day whilst taking a rare break, I decided to stop mulling and start acting. Swallowing my pride, I plucked up my courage and asked to downsize my job and downsize my pay, but upsize my desired lifestyle as a stay-at-home mum. My request wasn’t well received especially by the parties who will now shoulder my burden. But I knew what I wanted. And I persisted – for my cherished cup of ‘coffee’: A lifestyle I value at this stage of my life that revolves around my kids.
But of course, this lifestyle may not be everyone’s cup of tea …or coffee! Some of my friends, who are mothers themselves, would simply die to be in my shoes. Some mothers admit they can’t bear to be at the beck and call of hyperactive children 24 hours a day. Still others believe I have gone nuts – giving up a fair pay and a respectable position to boot.
I confess it was not an easy choice – a small voice constantly reminds me of my decade-long exam struggle to qualify in my profession as an actuary and the challenging but fulfilling technical work I enjoy. Am I committing career suicide? I often ask. But when I turn to my family and my kids, these notions are quickly cast aside. I’d rather choose to focus on my coffee and not the cup. I’ll take a simple cup to contain my simple taste and sustain my simple needs.
Coffee-sipping can be a wobbly act
But to be happy with simple pleasures is no simple matter. Coffee sipping, even of your preferred choice, can be a wobbly act.
My plain cup symbolises the plain lifestyle or the lost trappings of success I was prepared to forego.
What caught me by surprise is how misunderstood and undervalued a home-maker can be. Perhaps the notion of a rich tai-tai leisurely sipping coffee springs easily into our mind.
I hate to debunk the myth: housekeeper, tutor, cook, nurse, psychologist and chief executive all rolled in one is probably more apt a picture. Bringing up children has become a complex multi-tasking function. No wonder a recent US study pegs the equivalent pay of a stay-at-home mother at US$134,121 a year, an amount matching that of a top US executive or a judge.
Aggravating further is the misconception held by many people – from family to friends to colleagues if you still have any – that you are ‘free’ with plenty of leisure time and would kindly bestow endless voluntary activities and jobs on you.
For me, holding a part-time job, welcome as it is, introduces yet another balancing act. Doing it via tele-working requires further skill and tact. Remember ‘Out of sight, out of mind’. Taking on exam marking assignments for your profession soaks out whatever little time you have left. It’s a wonder then my Toastmasters journey has come thus far - thanks to all of you!
So whatever cup of coffee picked, be prepared to face some rough jostling from around you as you attempt to drink in peace. Be prepared to work extraordinarily hard at making your ordinary choice work. But don’t forget to enjoy your coffee.
Don’t ponder too long over your coffee!
Don’t take too long to decide on your coffee or your cup either. If you ponder too long, you may just miss your ‘coffee’.
You don’t know what life has in store for you tomorrow. I do face this uncertainty. I don’t know if my current bliss will end. I don’t know when I’ll relinquish my pseudo housewife status to report for fulltime work. I don’t wish to part with my no-frills cup for a fanciful one with its unspoken trappings.
But instead of lamenting over the ‘what ifs’, I tell myself why not focus on the present and enjoy the current moments. Don’t look back with regret only when the time is up and the game is over.
Likewise, my message to you is: since you can’t predict the future, make time to enjoy your coffee now.
End note
Dear friends, let me repeat my earlier questions, as broached by the professor: are you letting the cup drive you or are you enjoying the coffee? Would you focus on life, as represented by the coffee or rather eye each other’s cup, the mere tool for containing life? Would you drink your coffee with the people you care? Would you sip it today?
Your choice of coffee and the cup is unique to each and every one of you. What matters is that you look beyond the cup and enjoy your drink, your own ‘coffee’.
Friends, enjoy whilst you can. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow may never come. Enjoy your coffee today. Enjoy the present.
24 May 2006
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Persuade with power: Planning your financial health
Attention and Need
64-42-8. Well these are not numbers for 4D – there are 5 digits and no, they are not for TOTO either. The first number is out of range. These are some statistics that has emerged from a global survey covering 21000 adults in 20 countries including 1000 Singaporeans.
64% or six out of ten Singaporeans believe they should bear their own retirement costs. Yet 42% or 4 out of ten have not even started any retirement saving. Only 8% have saved specifically for retirement in the past year.
Why this alarming disparity between desire and action? There may be many compelling reasons. But I believe a chief factor points to a lack of a proper financial plan. Today I will give some insight on how a financial plan can be easily done.
Satisfaction – How?
There is nothing daunting about doing a financial plan. You just need to ask yourself two questions: What you perceive as our future needs and what is your savings plan.
Needs may include buying a car or a house, saving for a holiday, a wedding or your kids’ education, protecting against contingencies, illnesses or mishaps; and most importantly, building your cozy retirement nest.
Then on the other side of the equation, you take stock of your current savings, investments and your planned level of savings and see where that leads you. If savings are adequate for your needs, congratulations! If not, you either scale down your expectations or increase your level of savings to close the gap.
Sounds simple right? Now if you have trouble working out the two streams of savings and outgo, no fear – you don’t have to grapple with the intricacies of financial mathematics or complex spreadsheets. There are many websites with dummy-proof step-by-step financial calculators to assist you in the feat. An example would be NTUC Income’s financial planner www.income.com.sg/fplan. Another more neutral example would be the CPF website’s Retirement planner.
For those who prefer human interaction, you can also ring any financial advisor. Again some numbers 67881111 Income’s hotline. I know people are generally wary of salesmen especially in insurance – and that includes me! But they do provide a useful service. Furthermore, as competent or aspiring toastmasters, you would have no fear in being out-talked!
Visualization – Why or Why not?
So you may ask, ‘If financial planning is so easy, why isn’t it done more extensively?’
Well the common excuses may be:
1. Mr. Big-earner may say ‘I earn enough. I have enough money stashed away. I have no financial worries.’
That’s great! But let me remind you that financial planning is not only for yourself but for your dependents. Protection for your loss of income is like protecting the breadwinner or the goose that lays the golden egg. Protection against critical illness is just as vital as 1 in 4 Singaporeans is at risk of cancer, stroke and heart attack. Don’t forget about rising medical bills - even if your employer provides coverage. You never know when you may be axed. Hence besides retirement saving, insurance is a key pillar of holistic financial planning
2. Mr. Young Man may say ‘I am too young to do financial planning’ or ‘I have so little money I might as well not do any planning’.
Retirement may seem a long way off. But with longer lifespan averaging age 79 currently, it's never too early to start planning for a lifetime income. In fact, the earlier you start, the more you achieve. If cash is short, all the more you should re-look at your expenditure and divide your pie wisely. Start small and progress to larger goals over time. Delay instant gratification for long-term satisfaction. So it’s never too early to start the ball rolling.
3. Then Mr. Skeptic may say, “Financial plans are of no use. What is the use of planning when income and outgo changes split-second in this uncertain world”
I tend to agree with the first part of the views held. Plans are of no use if you don’t carry them through. You need suitable investments. On that, you should pick large, well diversified funds with low expense charges that suit your risk appetite. You also need adequate insurance cover.
My advice is to select comprehensive and flexible plans that can be tailored for you and your whole family’s needs. Needless to say, NTUC Income has all these products.
As for the fast-changing world, yes life is uncertain but having a plan gives you direction and beats having no plans. The key issue is not to leave the plan STATIC. There should be regular reviews at least once a year or whenever circumstances change. So the answer to managing uncertainty is to have a dynamic plan acted upon and updated regularly.
4. Lastly one may say ‘I have no time to do financial planning’, ‘It is too difficult’. Simply go to these websites or seek advisors’ help. It would be a breeze.
Action:
Financial planning is a valuable tool that helps you achieve your life goals and long-term financial well-being. If you have yet to make your financial plan, ponder no further - start on one now. If you have done one, great! Do remember to review it. Just enter any of these websites and click away. Or use your fingers and punch a few numbers to reach your trusted advisor.
Never let inertia, procrastination or pure apathy deter you from this critical task.
Make your financial plan AND carry it through! And you’d be on your way to make those financial dreams come true!
9 May 2006
64-42-8. Well these are not numbers for 4D – there are 5 digits and no, they are not for TOTO either. The first number is out of range. These are some statistics that has emerged from a global survey covering 21000 adults in 20 countries including 1000 Singaporeans.
64% or six out of ten Singaporeans believe they should bear their own retirement costs. Yet 42% or 4 out of ten have not even started any retirement saving. Only 8% have saved specifically for retirement in the past year.
Why this alarming disparity between desire and action? There may be many compelling reasons. But I believe a chief factor points to a lack of a proper financial plan. Today I will give some insight on how a financial plan can be easily done.
Satisfaction – How?
There is nothing daunting about doing a financial plan. You just need to ask yourself two questions: What you perceive as our future needs and what is your savings plan.
Needs may include buying a car or a house, saving for a holiday, a wedding or your kids’ education, protecting against contingencies, illnesses or mishaps; and most importantly, building your cozy retirement nest.
Then on the other side of the equation, you take stock of your current savings, investments and your planned level of savings and see where that leads you. If savings are adequate for your needs, congratulations! If not, you either scale down your expectations or increase your level of savings to close the gap.
Sounds simple right? Now if you have trouble working out the two streams of savings and outgo, no fear – you don’t have to grapple with the intricacies of financial mathematics or complex spreadsheets. There are many websites with dummy-proof step-by-step financial calculators to assist you in the feat. An example would be NTUC Income’s financial planner www.income.com.sg/fplan. Another more neutral example would be the CPF website’s Retirement planner.
For those who prefer human interaction, you can also ring any financial advisor. Again some numbers 67881111 Income’s hotline. I know people are generally wary of salesmen especially in insurance – and that includes me! But they do provide a useful service. Furthermore, as competent or aspiring toastmasters, you would have no fear in being out-talked!
Visualization – Why or Why not?
So you may ask, ‘If financial planning is so easy, why isn’t it done more extensively?’
Well the common excuses may be:
1. Mr. Big-earner may say ‘I earn enough. I have enough money stashed away. I have no financial worries.’
That’s great! But let me remind you that financial planning is not only for yourself but for your dependents. Protection for your loss of income is like protecting the breadwinner or the goose that lays the golden egg. Protection against critical illness is just as vital as 1 in 4 Singaporeans is at risk of cancer, stroke and heart attack. Don’t forget about rising medical bills - even if your employer provides coverage. You never know when you may be axed. Hence besides retirement saving, insurance is a key pillar of holistic financial planning
2. Mr. Young Man may say ‘I am too young to do financial planning’ or ‘I have so little money I might as well not do any planning’.
Retirement may seem a long way off. But with longer lifespan averaging age 79 currently, it's never too early to start planning for a lifetime income. In fact, the earlier you start, the more you achieve. If cash is short, all the more you should re-look at your expenditure and divide your pie wisely. Start small and progress to larger goals over time. Delay instant gratification for long-term satisfaction. So it’s never too early to start the ball rolling.
3. Then Mr. Skeptic may say, “Financial plans are of no use. What is the use of planning when income and outgo changes split-second in this uncertain world”
I tend to agree with the first part of the views held. Plans are of no use if you don’t carry them through. You need suitable investments. On that, you should pick large, well diversified funds with low expense charges that suit your risk appetite. You also need adequate insurance cover.
My advice is to select comprehensive and flexible plans that can be tailored for you and your whole family’s needs. Needless to say, NTUC Income has all these products.
As for the fast-changing world, yes life is uncertain but having a plan gives you direction and beats having no plans. The key issue is not to leave the plan STATIC. There should be regular reviews at least once a year or whenever circumstances change. So the answer to managing uncertainty is to have a dynamic plan acted upon and updated regularly.
4. Lastly one may say ‘I have no time to do financial planning’, ‘It is too difficult’. Simply go to these websites or seek advisors’ help. It would be a breeze.
Action:
Financial planning is a valuable tool that helps you achieve your life goals and long-term financial well-being. If you have yet to make your financial plan, ponder no further - start on one now. If you have done one, great! Do remember to review it. Just enter any of these websites and click away. Or use your fingers and punch a few numbers to reach your trusted advisor.
Never let inertia, procrastination or pure apathy deter you from this critical task.
Make your financial plan AND carry it through! And you’d be on your way to make those financial dreams come true!
9 May 2006
VisualAids :Cyber Safety for Your Kids and You
One day my daughter came home from school and asked if she had a hotmail account. I said no. Puzzled I probed further and learnt that her friends were using it to engage in instant messaging online. For the uninitiated, instant messaging is just like email except that conversations happen real-time. Wow I thought these kids are pretty savvy. I only learnt how to use messaging from the office early this year. Then I discovered these kids even have their own blogs or personal websites to pen their thoughts. Nothing unusual you may say - except that these kids are just 9 or 10 year-olds!
Amazed and rather alarmed, I decided to check up on cyber safety for kids. Today I shall be sharing some of my findings. Some of the tips unearthed apply equally to us adults too.
Dangers of the internet
So, what are the dangers lurking online for your kids? I’ll highlight two areas: What they see or rather what they shouldn’t see and who they may meet.
What they see : What they may see include sites showing graphic pornography or sites promoting hate, discrimination, violence, suicide or simply, unhealthy behavior such as alcohol, drug use, gambling and extreme diets.
Children may accidentally stumble across these sites or there may just be pop-up messages dropping down out of thin air, enticing them to click on that cute cartoon, leading to goodness knows where.
Who they meet: Who they meet is another source of danger. The cyber baddies include:
1. Predators who frequent chat rooms and instant messaging services with ill intentions of gaining trust and then luring victims out for a meeting.
This poses a real risk in Singapore as a study showed that Singapore teenagers are pretty gung ho. 16% are likely to meet strangers befriended online. Worse, one in five will go ALONE.
Sadly a few had suffered from this lack of caution. Some reported being hurt physically, some verbally abused. In 2003, two teenage girls met up with a cyber pal, Raymond Pok and ended up as his rape victims. The 26-year-old engineer had posed as a heartbroken teen.
2. Cyber bullies: The second group, cyber bullies are like any school bullies except that bullying occurs online. Tactics employed include sending mean or threatening messages; tricking their victim into revealing personal or embarrassing information and forwarding to others; using their victim’s account to send cruel or untrue messages around. There have been known cases of teenage suicides in the west as a result of cyber bullying. Although the local prevalence is not clear, we should be alert to its potentially deadly consequences.
.3. Others include identity thieves who masquerade as you to make postings or purchases over the Internet. Scam artists, giving away freebies or claiming you are a prizewinner or a beneficiary in the will of a deceased stranger. All out to snare you into their traps!
What can we do? What can we do to protect ourselves?
1. Keep Your Identity Private
Never give out any personal information online. Avoid disclosing your full name, address, telephone number, school, or any information that could help someone track your identity. No pictures online. No credit card information.
Never tell anyone your password, even friends. The exceptions for kids are, of course, parents.
As a precaution, you may like to do an internet search, say using Google or yahoo, with your names in quotes and see what throws out. This may sound paranoid but you may be surprised at the amount of your public information online.
2. Never get together with someone you “meet” online
You never know for certain if they are who they say they are. If children insist on the meeting, they should discuss first with their parents. Arrange to meet in a public place, like a coffee shop or mall that you (not just the other person) are familiar and comfortable with, and NEVER go alone. Unless you want to end up on the newspapers headlines!
3. Educate your kids, be Open and Available, Take precautions
The last point for parents: do educate your kids about the dangers of the Internet. Don’t click on an unknown link, popup messages or emails from unknown sources.
Be open and available for your kids. Tell them that if they do see something uncomfortable, talk to a trusted adult right away. Assure them that they won’t get in trouble if they admit they came across something inappropriate.
For added precautions, install filtering devices to block undesirable websites and position the computer in a busy area, like I do, in my study room, where the screen is clearly visible to all.
Your decision ….
The Internet is no doubt an important medium that has invaded our lives. But it is fraught with dangers. We can take an extremist view, padlock our kids up and banish it altogether from our lives. But then we may end up like the dinosaur- beating a sure path to extinction!
Or you can learn to overcome the dangers and embrace the Internet with an open mind. Be astute to the hidden dangers. Take precautions for yourself and your kids. So yes, you can cyber surf wisely – and yes, you can be safe, not sorry!
26 April 2006
Ref : These are some useful websites :wiredkids.org ,disney.go.com/surfswell, mcgruff.org, safekids.com .
Amazed and rather alarmed, I decided to check up on cyber safety for kids. Today I shall be sharing some of my findings. Some of the tips unearthed apply equally to us adults too.
Dangers of the internet
So, what are the dangers lurking online for your kids? I’ll highlight two areas: What they see or rather what they shouldn’t see and who they may meet.
What they see : What they may see include sites showing graphic pornography or sites promoting hate, discrimination, violence, suicide or simply, unhealthy behavior such as alcohol, drug use, gambling and extreme diets.
Children may accidentally stumble across these sites or there may just be pop-up messages dropping down out of thin air, enticing them to click on that cute cartoon, leading to goodness knows where.
Who they meet: Who they meet is another source of danger. The cyber baddies include:
1. Predators who frequent chat rooms and instant messaging services with ill intentions of gaining trust and then luring victims out for a meeting.
This poses a real risk in Singapore as a study showed that Singapore teenagers are pretty gung ho. 16% are likely to meet strangers befriended online. Worse, one in five will go ALONE.
Sadly a few had suffered from this lack of caution. Some reported being hurt physically, some verbally abused. In 2003, two teenage girls met up with a cyber pal, Raymond Pok and ended up as his rape victims. The 26-year-old engineer had posed as a heartbroken teen.
2. Cyber bullies: The second group, cyber bullies are like any school bullies except that bullying occurs online. Tactics employed include sending mean or threatening messages; tricking their victim into revealing personal or embarrassing information and forwarding to others; using their victim’s account to send cruel or untrue messages around. There have been known cases of teenage suicides in the west as a result of cyber bullying. Although the local prevalence is not clear, we should be alert to its potentially deadly consequences.
.3. Others include identity thieves who masquerade as you to make postings or purchases over the Internet. Scam artists, giving away freebies or claiming you are a prizewinner or a beneficiary in the will of a deceased stranger. All out to snare you into their traps!
What can we do? What can we do to protect ourselves?
1. Keep Your Identity Private
Never give out any personal information online. Avoid disclosing your full name, address, telephone number, school, or any information that could help someone track your identity. No pictures online. No credit card information.
Never tell anyone your password, even friends. The exceptions for kids are, of course, parents.
As a precaution, you may like to do an internet search, say using Google or yahoo, with your names in quotes and see what throws out. This may sound paranoid but you may be surprised at the amount of your public information online.
2. Never get together with someone you “meet” online
You never know for certain if they are who they say they are. If children insist on the meeting, they should discuss first with their parents. Arrange to meet in a public place, like a coffee shop or mall that you (not just the other person) are familiar and comfortable with, and NEVER go alone. Unless you want to end up on the newspapers headlines!
3. Educate your kids, be Open and Available, Take precautions
The last point for parents: do educate your kids about the dangers of the Internet. Don’t click on an unknown link, popup messages or emails from unknown sources.
Be open and available for your kids. Tell them that if they do see something uncomfortable, talk to a trusted adult right away. Assure them that they won’t get in trouble if they admit they came across something inappropriate.
For added precautions, install filtering devices to block undesirable websites and position the computer in a busy area, like I do, in my study room, where the screen is clearly visible to all.
Your decision ….
The Internet is no doubt an important medium that has invaded our lives. But it is fraught with dangers. We can take an extremist view, padlock our kids up and banish it altogether from our lives. But then we may end up like the dinosaur- beating a sure path to extinction!
Or you can learn to overcome the dangers and embrace the Internet with an open mind. Be astute to the hidden dangers. Take precautions for yourself and your kids. So yes, you can cyber surf wisely – and yes, you can be safe, not sorry!
26 April 2006
Ref : These are some useful websites :wiredkids.org ,disney.go.com/surfswell, mcgruff.org, safekids.com .
Research: The Art of FengShui
How should you name your new born child?
Where should we position the stove in the kitchen?
Which direction should the main door face for maximum prosperity?
These are some of the concerns faced by believers in the art of fengshui. Whereas you can’t easily change the direction of your door, unless you are picking an entire new house, you can at least learn to mitigate the forces that repel.
Today I would like to share some nuggets of wisdom on fengshui as I have researched. There is a vast array of mind-boggling facts – from books and from many websites. So I would limit myself to some basic concepts.
What is Fengshui?
First an overview. Fengshui is an ancient Chinese practice of manipulating and arranging your surrounding to achieve harmony with the environment.
In Chinese, "Fengshui" literally means "wind and water". Qi, which is the “life force" of everything in universe, is said to disperse with the Wind but is retained when encountering Water. Hence air and water, being basic essentials for survival, is often sought out for best fengshui.
Fengshui has over three thousand years of history. It was originally used by emperors and nobles to perpetuate their reign by employing fengshui experts to select the best burial sites for their ancestors and for themselves. Vindictively, they often tasked these experts to destroy the fengshui of their enemies’ burial sites at the same time.
Traditional fengshui uses a specialized compass called a Luopan and involves comprehensive and complex calculations. It has an impressive past based on archaeological discoveries and the work of astronomers. In short its basis stems from a combination of statistics and scientific theories – not just groundless conjectures!
Many different schools have evolved which can be broadly classified into two groups: San He (Three Harmonies) and San Yuan (Three Cycles). San He emphasizes the effect of surrounding landforms like mountains, rivers, roads, buildings, while San Yuan stresses the time factor eg the construction date of one’s house.
Modern versions have now moved beyond external influences to internal factors of arranging objects within a house for optimum results. This is probably what we are more familiar with and includes the arranging of doors and furniture mentioned earlier.
Fengshui in modern day
That was some background and history on fengshui. Today fengshui continues to be popular. Architects and landscape designers around the world have often been asked to include fengshui principles in their designs. Hong Kong Disneyland allegedly applied fengshui to the layout of the park. Singapore’s Hyatt hotel re-positioned its front doors slanting at an angle instead of flushed with the façade in order to retain its otherwise out-flowing profits.
For our personal home, the main door is also the key to well being. There is a Chinese saying, “Sickness enters via the mouth while misfortune exits via it”. The main door, like our mouth, thus represents both fortune and misfortune, determining the luck and well being of the family.
In one school of thought, the main door should not face north-east which is the “Devil’s gate’ position, as this will entice evil spirits to enter. Other violations include having a mirror, window or storage door directly opposite the main door as these will suck out the positive energy flowing into the house instead of retaining it.
The kitchen is the next important area. Remember: Sickness enters via the mouth. Since the kitchen is where meals are being prepared, good fengshui will help ensure a healthy and wealthy family.
Kitchen fengshui places a lot of weight on the stove. The direction of the stove ought to consider the main user’s traits. The stove should not be visible from the sitting room as this is tantamount to exposing your wealth. Of paramount importance is also its relative position with other gadgets like refrigerators, sinks and washing machines. Throwing in modern day appliances like microwave ovens, toasters and slow cookers, this becomes a bewildering complex exercise! No wonder that expert advice doesn’t come cheap!
Fengshui – fortune at birth
Now besides fengshui of the house, people often overlook the fengshui applied to oneself. But a person with good physical fengshui has strong human energy. So a holistic approach incorporating the two would be ideal.
There is a belief that your fortune is destined from birth – depending on your season and hour of birth, life can be full of abundance or burden. Hence one practice by parents is to seek fengshui advice on names to counter any negative influence on a newborn child. I admit I was one such parent – though strictly I did so more for inspiration of names! But I didn’t ask if I should change my own name – maybe I should!
Conclusion
I hope I have given you an insight of fengshui and a sampling of its age-old practices.
Fengshui is a living art and continues to attract a sizeable following. Its widening scope extends to the home and to business, your career and your family, your health and your wealth.
My personal view is that though the roots of fengshui may have some sound basis, the application to modern day ought to be pragmatic and not blindly adhered. I would recommend: Adopt what is feasible, adapt what is practical!
11April 2006
Where should we position the stove in the kitchen?
Which direction should the main door face for maximum prosperity?
These are some of the concerns faced by believers in the art of fengshui. Whereas you can’t easily change the direction of your door, unless you are picking an entire new house, you can at least learn to mitigate the forces that repel.
Today I would like to share some nuggets of wisdom on fengshui as I have researched. There is a vast array of mind-boggling facts – from books and from many websites. So I would limit myself to some basic concepts.
What is Fengshui?
First an overview. Fengshui is an ancient Chinese practice of manipulating and arranging your surrounding to achieve harmony with the environment.
In Chinese, "Fengshui" literally means "wind and water". Qi, which is the “life force" of everything in universe, is said to disperse with the Wind but is retained when encountering Water. Hence air and water, being basic essentials for survival, is often sought out for best fengshui.
Fengshui has over three thousand years of history. It was originally used by emperors and nobles to perpetuate their reign by employing fengshui experts to select the best burial sites for their ancestors and for themselves. Vindictively, they often tasked these experts to destroy the fengshui of their enemies’ burial sites at the same time.
Traditional fengshui uses a specialized compass called a Luopan and involves comprehensive and complex calculations. It has an impressive past based on archaeological discoveries and the work of astronomers. In short its basis stems from a combination of statistics and scientific theories – not just groundless conjectures!
Many different schools have evolved which can be broadly classified into two groups: San He (Three Harmonies) and San Yuan (Three Cycles). San He emphasizes the effect of surrounding landforms like mountains, rivers, roads, buildings, while San Yuan stresses the time factor eg the construction date of one’s house.
Modern versions have now moved beyond external influences to internal factors of arranging objects within a house for optimum results. This is probably what we are more familiar with and includes the arranging of doors and furniture mentioned earlier.
Fengshui in modern day
That was some background and history on fengshui. Today fengshui continues to be popular. Architects and landscape designers around the world have often been asked to include fengshui principles in their designs. Hong Kong Disneyland allegedly applied fengshui to the layout of the park. Singapore’s Hyatt hotel re-positioned its front doors slanting at an angle instead of flushed with the façade in order to retain its otherwise out-flowing profits.
For our personal home, the main door is also the key to well being. There is a Chinese saying, “Sickness enters via the mouth while misfortune exits via it”. The main door, like our mouth, thus represents both fortune and misfortune, determining the luck and well being of the family.
In one school of thought, the main door should not face north-east which is the “Devil’s gate’ position, as this will entice evil spirits to enter. Other violations include having a mirror, window or storage door directly opposite the main door as these will suck out the positive energy flowing into the house instead of retaining it.
The kitchen is the next important area. Remember: Sickness enters via the mouth. Since the kitchen is where meals are being prepared, good fengshui will help ensure a healthy and wealthy family.
Kitchen fengshui places a lot of weight on the stove. The direction of the stove ought to consider the main user’s traits. The stove should not be visible from the sitting room as this is tantamount to exposing your wealth. Of paramount importance is also its relative position with other gadgets like refrigerators, sinks and washing machines. Throwing in modern day appliances like microwave ovens, toasters and slow cookers, this becomes a bewildering complex exercise! No wonder that expert advice doesn’t come cheap!
Fengshui – fortune at birth
Now besides fengshui of the house, people often overlook the fengshui applied to oneself. But a person with good physical fengshui has strong human energy. So a holistic approach incorporating the two would be ideal.
There is a belief that your fortune is destined from birth – depending on your season and hour of birth, life can be full of abundance or burden. Hence one practice by parents is to seek fengshui advice on names to counter any negative influence on a newborn child. I admit I was one such parent – though strictly I did so more for inspiration of names! But I didn’t ask if I should change my own name – maybe I should!
Conclusion
I hope I have given you an insight of fengshui and a sampling of its age-old practices.
Fengshui is a living art and continues to attract a sizeable following. Its widening scope extends to the home and to business, your career and your family, your health and your wealth.
My personal view is that though the roots of fengshui may have some sound basis, the application to modern day ought to be pragmatic and not blindly adhered. I would recommend: Adopt what is feasible, adapt what is practical!
11April 2006
Remembering Chinese New Year - Ten years ago
What does Chinese New Year mean to you? For many of us, it is a joyous occasion for celebration and family reunion. Additionally, for me, it also holds some special memories.
Ten years ago, fifteen days before Chinese New Year and due to deliver to my first born in two months, I received a call. “Your grandma is admitted to hospital. She has trouble breathing,” my mum sobbed over the phone. And there started a full month’s ordeal in the Intensive Care Unit for my beloved grandma before she departed.
Today I would like to relate the story of my maternal grandmother and the valuable lessons she had taught me.
Grandma – younger days
Grandma was a strong willed lady.
Born in Canton, China in 1908, she voyaged with her parents to Singapore in her early teens, worked initially in a plantation and then married at age 16, in a typical match-made fashion, to the son of a fairly-well-to-do factory owner.
Her life would have been blissful if not for the disruption of the Japanese war. Her husband, that is, my grandpa, was recruited to work on the infamous Death Railway in Thailand. There began her second journey to a faraway place, this time by rail with five young children in tow. Life in the camp was simple and harsh, but in her true plucky spirit, she survived and even started an entrepreneurial service of mending other people’s clothes with the thread and cloth that she had lugged along. Had she lived today, she might have won “The Entrepreneur of the Year” award. But payment was not in cash but in kind, in the form of more rice, vegetables or if you are in luck, meat!
Ironically, it was the aftermath of the war after the Japanese surrender that caused grim hardship. On returning to Singapore, my mother then aged six, cried buckets of tears as she witnessed her younger sister being carried away for adoption before her own eyes. She almost suffered the same sad fate herself. Grandma’s only son was forced to follow his grandparents back to homeland China and was never seen again until adulthood some thirty years later. As a mother myself, I shudder at the agony of separation from one’s child. Then Grandpa turned to opium – a habit he couldn’t kick to his early death – which was why I never got to know him and today’s topic is about Grandma and not Grandpa!
Indeed, fate has given my grandma a raw deal but never did she succumb to her woes.
In her sixties
That was her early life as recounted firsthand from grandma herself and from my mother. My own contact with her began the day I was born. She lived with my family, helping my mother take care of her 3 children. In her sixties then, she was fiercely independent as well as cheerful and sprightly for her age. She walked around the neighborhood, taking the stairs instead of the lift for exercise and made many friends in the process. She washed her own clothes by hand, even when we had washing machines. When she had her gallstones removed in an operation, her recovery was swift and she was commended by the nurses for hopping out of bed faster than patients half her age.
Yes she was caring in her many ways. An early riser, she made our morning drinks for us children – a task she carried out even up to our adulthood. Her once-a-week barley drink is sorely missed and a tradition I try unsuccessfully to emulate today. She made funny actions and told us her own personal stories to cheer us up when we were down. Her trademark laughter was contagious and I can still visualize her many comical expressions on her face.
The final battle
Life with her was far from boring and brought us endless joy. Till sadly at age 86, disaster struck in the form of a stroke which left her paralyzed on her left side of her body. It was doubly painful for her as an active person to be confined to wheelchair and bed. Though she remained cheerful, it was distressing to see her gradual deterioration over a two-year battle.
But even at the final stage, she timed her exit not too early not too late. She left us after 15 days of Chinese New Year, as if mindful that deaths were inauspicious during this period. She gave me, her pregnant granddaughter ample time to give birth a month later. Again Chinese taboos meant that events of birth and death should be spaced a month or more apart. If not, my mother couldn’t take care of me after child birth. And that would spell sure disaster for me as a first-time mother! Hence, deep in my heart, I am grateful that my grandma had, as always, kept our interests in mind, even to her last breath.
Her teaching.
Grandma had demonstrated her courage in facing up to adversity. To resign to her fate was never her philosophy. She chose to stay strong and keep a positive spirit. She chose to live life fearlessly and meaningfully for herself and for her loved ones.
Ten years have passed. During spring-cleaning early this year, my favorite photo of my smiling grandma, standing next to me, was taken down from the wall and junked – for it had faded beyond recognition. But my everlasting memory of my beloved grandmother will eternally remain. As will her precious lessons imparted. Friends, do cherish your loved ones and like Grandma, you can also live life to the fullest!
29 March 2006
Ten years ago, fifteen days before Chinese New Year and due to deliver to my first born in two months, I received a call. “Your grandma is admitted to hospital. She has trouble breathing,” my mum sobbed over the phone. And there started a full month’s ordeal in the Intensive Care Unit for my beloved grandma before she departed.
Today I would like to relate the story of my maternal grandmother and the valuable lessons she had taught me.
Grandma – younger days
Grandma was a strong willed lady.
Born in Canton, China in 1908, she voyaged with her parents to Singapore in her early teens, worked initially in a plantation and then married at age 16, in a typical match-made fashion, to the son of a fairly-well-to-do factory owner.
Her life would have been blissful if not for the disruption of the Japanese war. Her husband, that is, my grandpa, was recruited to work on the infamous Death Railway in Thailand. There began her second journey to a faraway place, this time by rail with five young children in tow. Life in the camp was simple and harsh, but in her true plucky spirit, she survived and even started an entrepreneurial service of mending other people’s clothes with the thread and cloth that she had lugged along. Had she lived today, she might have won “The Entrepreneur of the Year” award. But payment was not in cash but in kind, in the form of more rice, vegetables or if you are in luck, meat!
Ironically, it was the aftermath of the war after the Japanese surrender that caused grim hardship. On returning to Singapore, my mother then aged six, cried buckets of tears as she witnessed her younger sister being carried away for adoption before her own eyes. She almost suffered the same sad fate herself. Grandma’s only son was forced to follow his grandparents back to homeland China and was never seen again until adulthood some thirty years later. As a mother myself, I shudder at the agony of separation from one’s child. Then Grandpa turned to opium – a habit he couldn’t kick to his early death – which was why I never got to know him and today’s topic is about Grandma and not Grandpa!
Indeed, fate has given my grandma a raw deal but never did she succumb to her woes.
In her sixties
That was her early life as recounted firsthand from grandma herself and from my mother. My own contact with her began the day I was born. She lived with my family, helping my mother take care of her 3 children. In her sixties then, she was fiercely independent as well as cheerful and sprightly for her age. She walked around the neighborhood, taking the stairs instead of the lift for exercise and made many friends in the process. She washed her own clothes by hand, even when we had washing machines. When she had her gallstones removed in an operation, her recovery was swift and she was commended by the nurses for hopping out of bed faster than patients half her age.
Yes she was caring in her many ways. An early riser, she made our morning drinks for us children – a task she carried out even up to our adulthood. Her once-a-week barley drink is sorely missed and a tradition I try unsuccessfully to emulate today. She made funny actions and told us her own personal stories to cheer us up when we were down. Her trademark laughter was contagious and I can still visualize her many comical expressions on her face.
The final battle
Life with her was far from boring and brought us endless joy. Till sadly at age 86, disaster struck in the form of a stroke which left her paralyzed on her left side of her body. It was doubly painful for her as an active person to be confined to wheelchair and bed. Though she remained cheerful, it was distressing to see her gradual deterioration over a two-year battle.
But even at the final stage, she timed her exit not too early not too late. She left us after 15 days of Chinese New Year, as if mindful that deaths were inauspicious during this period. She gave me, her pregnant granddaughter ample time to give birth a month later. Again Chinese taboos meant that events of birth and death should be spaced a month or more apart. If not, my mother couldn’t take care of me after child birth. And that would spell sure disaster for me as a first-time mother! Hence, deep in my heart, I am grateful that my grandma had, as always, kept our interests in mind, even to her last breath.
Her teaching.
Grandma had demonstrated her courage in facing up to adversity. To resign to her fate was never her philosophy. She chose to stay strong and keep a positive spirit. She chose to live life fearlessly and meaningfully for herself and for her loved ones.
Ten years have passed. During spring-cleaning early this year, my favorite photo of my smiling grandma, standing next to me, was taken down from the wall and junked – for it had faded beyond recognition. But my everlasting memory of my beloved grandmother will eternally remain. As will her precious lessons imparted. Friends, do cherish your loved ones and like Grandma, you can also live life to the fullest!
29 March 2006
How to be Health Smart?
Have you ever walked up four flights of steps, like when we come up to this room and end up panting like me?
Have you put on 10 kg in the past ten years like I have since pregnancy – giving me a new equilibrium weight?
Do you have a child tipping the scales past her ideal weight, thus landing her in the school keep fit club? That club that used to be called Trim and Fit club or TAF club which spells FAT in reverse!
Well if you suffer these woes as I have, the answer is simple: be healthy, be Health Smart.
Today I will like to share with the secrets of how to be health smart as I have experienced it.
A Balanced Diet
This Health Smart guide, by the Health Promotion board and given to school children, names four ways to being health smart: one, eating a balanced diet; two- exercising regularly, three -staying smoke free and lastly feeling good about yourself. As we don’t smoke and generally do take on a positive attitude to life, I would skip the last two points and elaborate only on the first two on diet and exercise.
The first point is on eating a balanced diet. I cannot agree more. A balanced diet means eating the right amounts of food the pyramid way. At the base of the pyramid, we have the rice and alternatives; followed by fruits and vegetables, then Meat; lastly at the tip –fats, oils, sugar and salt. Eat most food from the base and least from the tip. That also means healthier choices: more steaming, less frying; baked potatoes instead of French fries; plain water instead of fizzy drinks.
Notice that the key word to a balanced diet is balanced and not diet. If you emphasized wrongly on the word Diet, it is spelt DIE with the little T. I admit I have attempted to diet but none so far have succeeded! Worst still, I fell ill for a whole week. That certainly puts me off faddish diets.
A huge obstacle to eating right is that Singapore is a food haven. It is hard to stand firm when you face so much temptation. My worst enemy is the buffet. Who can resist the vast array of tantalizing dishes that you can freely help yourself to?
The worst culprit on the buffet table is my favorite Desserts section: a category that belongs almost in its entirety to the dreaded tip of the Food Pyramid. Do you know that the word DESSERTS is simply STRESSED spelt backwards? It’s a momentary stress reliever when you gorge down the delightful kueh, ice-cream and creamy cakes! But you’ll get to suffer the distress later.
So to eat a balanced diet – don’t diet, make healthy choices and avoid buffets especially the yummy desserts section.
Exercise
The second tip to being health smart is through regular exercise. If you can’t resist the food temptation, the only way is to burn it off! The recommendation is to exercise 3 times a week. 20 to 60 minutes a time.
I am slightly more successful in this area. I used to do yoga at the Pasir Ris beach near my home in the morning. But these sessions got too lengthy and gossipy – well they were attended mostly by housewives like me. So I quitted and joined the community center’s aerobic class. It was tough initially to do all that huffing and puffing. Now it has become quite manageable and even enjoyable, though results have yet to show!
The trouble is of course exercising once a week isn’t enough - especially at the current food intake.
So I try to incorporate more exercise –this time with my children. Remember my elder daughter is in the keep fit club and I certainly don’t want my younger one to follow suit. I try to jog with them from my block towards the beach – at some resistance from them. We also cycle the same route. This goes down better since we can at least reach the scenic beach and enjoy the cool breeze. We often end up at the Pasir Ris playground or just flying kites or playing Frisbee.
During weekends, we also try to schedule some exercising at parks within driving distance. The Bedok Reservoir Park, Changi Beach and East Coast Park are our favorite haunts. But they inevitably end up with breakfast, which somehow negates all the calorie-burning exercise.
So you can incorporate exercise the fun way in your life by finding activities that you enjoy and by involving your family or friends. But watch what you eat after you exercise!
Way Forward
Being healthy means: We have the energy to do things, we are trim and fit; we feel and look great. Being Health Smart means eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.
Our strategy is to eat moderately through healthy eating and avoiding buffets and desserts; and to incorporate fun ways of exercise in our daily lives.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! We have taken that first step – the challenge is there are many more to come! So join me, as we continue in our quest to be health smart, wish me luck!
14 March 2006
Have you put on 10 kg in the past ten years like I have since pregnancy – giving me a new equilibrium weight?
Do you have a child tipping the scales past her ideal weight, thus landing her in the school keep fit club? That club that used to be called Trim and Fit club or TAF club which spells FAT in reverse!
Well if you suffer these woes as I have, the answer is simple: be healthy, be Health Smart.
Today I will like to share with the secrets of how to be health smart as I have experienced it.
A Balanced Diet
This Health Smart guide, by the Health Promotion board and given to school children, names four ways to being health smart: one, eating a balanced diet; two- exercising regularly, three -staying smoke free and lastly feeling good about yourself. As we don’t smoke and generally do take on a positive attitude to life, I would skip the last two points and elaborate only on the first two on diet and exercise.
The first point is on eating a balanced diet. I cannot agree more. A balanced diet means eating the right amounts of food the pyramid way. At the base of the pyramid, we have the rice and alternatives; followed by fruits and vegetables, then Meat; lastly at the tip –fats, oils, sugar and salt. Eat most food from the base and least from the tip. That also means healthier choices: more steaming, less frying; baked potatoes instead of French fries; plain water instead of fizzy drinks.
Notice that the key word to a balanced diet is balanced and not diet. If you emphasized wrongly on the word Diet, it is spelt DIE with the little T. I admit I have attempted to diet but none so far have succeeded! Worst still, I fell ill for a whole week. That certainly puts me off faddish diets.
A huge obstacle to eating right is that Singapore is a food haven. It is hard to stand firm when you face so much temptation. My worst enemy is the buffet. Who can resist the vast array of tantalizing dishes that you can freely help yourself to?
The worst culprit on the buffet table is my favorite Desserts section: a category that belongs almost in its entirety to the dreaded tip of the Food Pyramid. Do you know that the word DESSERTS is simply STRESSED spelt backwards? It’s a momentary stress reliever when you gorge down the delightful kueh, ice-cream and creamy cakes! But you’ll get to suffer the distress later.
So to eat a balanced diet – don’t diet, make healthy choices and avoid buffets especially the yummy desserts section.
Exercise
The second tip to being health smart is through regular exercise. If you can’t resist the food temptation, the only way is to burn it off! The recommendation is to exercise 3 times a week. 20 to 60 minutes a time.
I am slightly more successful in this area. I used to do yoga at the Pasir Ris beach near my home in the morning. But these sessions got too lengthy and gossipy – well they were attended mostly by housewives like me. So I quitted and joined the community center’s aerobic class. It was tough initially to do all that huffing and puffing. Now it has become quite manageable and even enjoyable, though results have yet to show!
The trouble is of course exercising once a week isn’t enough - especially at the current food intake.
So I try to incorporate more exercise –this time with my children. Remember my elder daughter is in the keep fit club and I certainly don’t want my younger one to follow suit. I try to jog with them from my block towards the beach – at some resistance from them. We also cycle the same route. This goes down better since we can at least reach the scenic beach and enjoy the cool breeze. We often end up at the Pasir Ris playground or just flying kites or playing Frisbee.
During weekends, we also try to schedule some exercising at parks within driving distance. The Bedok Reservoir Park, Changi Beach and East Coast Park are our favorite haunts. But they inevitably end up with breakfast, which somehow negates all the calorie-burning exercise.
So you can incorporate exercise the fun way in your life by finding activities that you enjoy and by involving your family or friends. But watch what you eat after you exercise!
Way Forward
Being healthy means: We have the energy to do things, we are trim and fit; we feel and look great. Being Health Smart means eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.
Our strategy is to eat moderately through healthy eating and avoiding buffets and desserts; and to incorporate fun ways of exercise in our daily lives.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! We have taken that first step – the challenge is there are many more to come! So join me, as we continue in our quest to be health smart, wish me luck!
14 March 2006
SayItRight :LIVING IN BLISS
The sweet chorus of incessant chirping fills the morning air. A yellow-breasted bird swoops down and lands atop a river branch. A family of monitor lizards basks lazily in the warm sun. Is this a scene out of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve? Or a documentary clip on a wildlife sanctuary? No! This is the view from my 7-storey flat as you peer down at the Sungei Api Api river below. The same scenery we take in as we cross the bridge over the river to reach my daughters’ school.
Today I will like to share with you the joys of staying in my neighborhood – Pasir Ris, a place which I have lived in for the past 12 years.
Leisure pursuits
I love my neighborhood for its back-to-nature, resort-like feel. We have spent many a morning and evening on the bridge, simply gazing at the river, teeming with life. During high tide, the river is jade green and you can spot schools of fishes beneath its quiet waters. You may catch turtles paddling with their flippers, heads bobbing out of water. And if you are lucky, you may catch sight of the 2m-long water lizards taking their daily dip in the cool refreshing water!
But during low tide, the view is less pleasant, as the river becomes muddy brown with a tiny trickle of water. It looks barren - as barren as the desert under a hot scorching sun. But on scrutiny, you may see lively mudskippers flapping their fins to move on the muddy bed. The first time I saw them I didn’t know they were fish. They certainly give a new meaning to the term ‘fish out of water’!
If that isn’t enough, a short stroll or cycle along the river paths leads you to the Pasir Ris Park and beach. Our fave spot is the mangrove swamp. From the boardwalk, we enjoy spying on finger-long crabs crawling sideways from their hiding holes; water hens scuttling about and other wildlife in their natural habitat. We even once caught a glimpse of a brown squirrel scampering up the trees.
My children’s choice spot is no doubt the sprawling Pasir Ris Playground at the western tip of the park. A hot favorite is the swing, which strangely, nowadays you don’t find in many neighborhood playgrounds. We love the rush of wind over our faces as we swing wildly to our hearts’ delight! Another favorite is a structure, which we fondly call the Spider Web. It is a pyramid climbing frame made of inter-connecting ropes. This looks fine except that the summit is a daunting 3-storey high. Luckily the signboard says “No adults allowed” giving me the perfect excuse to stay on firm ground, safe and sound.
Convenience
Besides leisurely pursuits, I love my neighborhood for the convenience it offers. The local Elias mall is a stone’s throw away. Here we can find clinics, hair salons, wet market and supermarket, food courts and McDonalds’ to satisfy your hunger pangs and even a Toto-4D outlet to bet your lucky numbers. For more variety of shops, we can walk twelve minutes to the White Sands Shopping Mall next to the MRT station. With NTUC Fairprice outlet, pharmacies, the library and more restaurants, you are spoilt for choice. And for even more shopping, you can just hop on the MRT and the bustling Tampines Central is only one stop away.
Coming back nearer home, the school that my children attend is only 3 minutes’ walk away. So they can afford to wake up at 6.45am and still rush to school by 7.10 in time! The downside for the proximity is that I run the risk of getting calls at 10 am: “Mummy, can you bring me my Math homework? I accidentally left it!” I would drag myself to the school back gate and pass whatever’s forgotten to my sheepish daughter. Well I’ll just take it as good exercise!
Peeves
Being a popular spot with holidaymakers, Pasir Ris does come with its fair share of peeves. For example, the MRT, shopping centre and park tend to be over-crowded on weekends. Tekung army boys being picked up by doting parents on weekends only serves to compound the problem. It never fails to irk my husband when our car gets caught in a jam.
Another inconvenience is that it is a little far from town. It does take a full hour door-to-door to get to office if you factor in the walking between MRT and destination. Since I work from home at least for now, this is hardly an issue.
Staying On
Overall I am contented with my neighborhood. It is an idyllic place where you can unwind at the river, park and beach and a self-contained neighborhood with malls, schools and other modern day facilities.
I wouldn’t dare say I would live here forever. Much is dictated by the kids and their future schools. But until then, I am truly happy where I live in cozy bliss! A place I call home, a place called Pasir Ris!
22 Feb 2006
Today I will like to share with you the joys of staying in my neighborhood – Pasir Ris, a place which I have lived in for the past 12 years.
Leisure pursuits
I love my neighborhood for its back-to-nature, resort-like feel. We have spent many a morning and evening on the bridge, simply gazing at the river, teeming with life. During high tide, the river is jade green and you can spot schools of fishes beneath its quiet waters. You may catch turtles paddling with their flippers, heads bobbing out of water. And if you are lucky, you may catch sight of the 2m-long water lizards taking their daily dip in the cool refreshing water!
But during low tide, the view is less pleasant, as the river becomes muddy brown with a tiny trickle of water. It looks barren - as barren as the desert under a hot scorching sun. But on scrutiny, you may see lively mudskippers flapping their fins to move on the muddy bed. The first time I saw them I didn’t know they were fish. They certainly give a new meaning to the term ‘fish out of water’!
If that isn’t enough, a short stroll or cycle along the river paths leads you to the Pasir Ris Park and beach. Our fave spot is the mangrove swamp. From the boardwalk, we enjoy spying on finger-long crabs crawling sideways from their hiding holes; water hens scuttling about and other wildlife in their natural habitat. We even once caught a glimpse of a brown squirrel scampering up the trees.
My children’s choice spot is no doubt the sprawling Pasir Ris Playground at the western tip of the park. A hot favorite is the swing, which strangely, nowadays you don’t find in many neighborhood playgrounds. We love the rush of wind over our faces as we swing wildly to our hearts’ delight! Another favorite is a structure, which we fondly call the Spider Web. It is a pyramid climbing frame made of inter-connecting ropes. This looks fine except that the summit is a daunting 3-storey high. Luckily the signboard says “No adults allowed” giving me the perfect excuse to stay on firm ground, safe and sound.
Convenience
Besides leisurely pursuits, I love my neighborhood for the convenience it offers. The local Elias mall is a stone’s throw away. Here we can find clinics, hair salons, wet market and supermarket, food courts and McDonalds’ to satisfy your hunger pangs and even a Toto-4D outlet to bet your lucky numbers. For more variety of shops, we can walk twelve minutes to the White Sands Shopping Mall next to the MRT station. With NTUC Fairprice outlet, pharmacies, the library and more restaurants, you are spoilt for choice. And for even more shopping, you can just hop on the MRT and the bustling Tampines Central is only one stop away.
Coming back nearer home, the school that my children attend is only 3 minutes’ walk away. So they can afford to wake up at 6.45am and still rush to school by 7.10 in time! The downside for the proximity is that I run the risk of getting calls at 10 am: “Mummy, can you bring me my Math homework? I accidentally left it!” I would drag myself to the school back gate and pass whatever’s forgotten to my sheepish daughter. Well I’ll just take it as good exercise!
Peeves
Being a popular spot with holidaymakers, Pasir Ris does come with its fair share of peeves. For example, the MRT, shopping centre and park tend to be over-crowded on weekends. Tekung army boys being picked up by doting parents on weekends only serves to compound the problem. It never fails to irk my husband when our car gets caught in a jam.
Another inconvenience is that it is a little far from town. It does take a full hour door-to-door to get to office if you factor in the walking between MRT and destination. Since I work from home at least for now, this is hardly an issue.
Staying On
Overall I am contented with my neighborhood. It is an idyllic place where you can unwind at the river, park and beach and a self-contained neighborhood with malls, schools and other modern day facilities.
I wouldn’t dare say I would live here forever. Much is dictated by the kids and their future schools. But until then, I am truly happy where I live in cozy bliss! A place I call home, a place called Pasir Ris!
22 Feb 2006
Going Places – Expecting the Unexpected
Sunny Beaches. Golden Sands. Cuddly Koalas. Hopping Kangaroos. Seaworld. Movie World. These were some of the images in our mind as my husband and I planned for our Gold Coast trip last school holidays. It had been exactly 10 years since our first trip in 1995. So it would be fabulous to bring our two girls this time round. At ages 7 and 9, they were neither too young nor too old to appreciate the thrills of theme parks and the delight of sandy beaches.
Today I would like to share with you my own account of our 6-day-5-night Gold Coast experience undertaken just over a month ago.
Problems Expected
Even before we commenced our trip, two major problems cropped up that caused us some anxiety.
First problem: We had immense difficulty fixing up accommodation and flights even though we started planning a couple of months earlier. But that wasn’t the issue. After juggling everyone’s schedules and countless internet searches, we did manage to book our flights and the hotel. The trouble was that after settling everything, we found, in an official Gold Coast website, a small, rather obscure warning about an event called the Schoolies’ Week, which happened to coincide with our travel period.
We read on and found that the Schoolies’ Week was the week young Australians aged 18 or so celebrated their high school graduation by holidaying together. It’s an annual nationwide affair observed by kids from the whole of Australia, not Gold Coast alone, and traditionally these kids or Schoolies, as they are called, have picked Gold Coast as their holiday destination. That explained our difficulty in getting accommodation.
Areas of the beach are cordoned off for their partying. Parents and volunteers are roped in to patrol the areas where hordes of Schoolies frequent. The more we read about the event the more we dreaded going to a place over-run by exuberant, drunk teenage kids.
Short of canceling the trip and starting all over again for a new destination, we decided to bravely stick to our booking and not disappoint our kids.
Then as the date of departure loomed nearer, we faced our second problem. The weather forecasts had just two words: Scattered Thunderstorms. When you go to a beach resort, you would look forward to ‘Clear, sunny skies’ or at most ‘passing showers’. But no, it had to be thunderstorms. Well at least there was the word ‘scattered’ preceding it, so we could only hope that the thunderstorms would scatter NOT where we are heading. Or we’ll just be carrying umbrellas as we hit the roller coasters.
Actual Encounters
Burdened with these two problems of the Schoolies and the weather, we arrived at the Gold Coast.
On the way to our hotel, we asked the coach driver how to avoid the Schoolies. He laughed and said, ”No way, you can’t avoid them. They are everywhere. Get out of the way, especially after midnight as they often get drunk then.” Well that wasn’t too tough then. We were safe and sound, snugly asleep in our room after midnight. The Schoolies don’t go to theme parks and other tourist spots where we were headed. So our first Schoolies problem solved. But yes they were everywhere and making quite a lot of noise, shouting from their apartments to other Schoolies and people passing by. Which strangely my daughters found rather amusing!
The weather part was tricky. But trusty old mummy came all prepared. Umbrellas and jackets with covered hoods. There was some resistance during the packing process. But was I glad to have insisted.
When we went to the Seaworld, it was sunny initially. So we strolled around admiring the pelicans, dolphins and other delightful sea creatures in perfect weather. But by the afternoon it started drizzling, then pouring. So we caught the so-called spectacular dolphin show in an afternoon downpour. There was some shelter at the seating areas but the winds were too strong and people have to keep moving inner and higher up to avoid the incoming rain. When we went to Movie World, again it was bright followed by afternoon rains. So unfortunately the cartoon character parades and many outdoor shows were cancelled. That was disappointing and dampened our spirits somewhat. But nothing that a couple of double-scoop ice-cream couldn’t resolve!
Thankfully those were but two of the worst afternoons. Other days had pretty good weather. The sun rose early at 4 am in the morning. By 10 it was scorching hot. We could go to the beach and enjoy the rolling waves, unlike our last trip done in winter. We also visited a wildlife sanctuary where the kids experienced seeing koalas, kangaroos and wombats at close range and even got to pat and feed kangaroos from their bare hands.
No regrets.
This trip has taught me that it is vital to have proper planning and preparation but more importantly we should always think and stay positive. No problem is insurmountable. We just need to find our own solutions. Get out of the way of the Schoolies. Come prepared for the weather.
Do I regret bringing the kids there? Certainly not.
Are we headed for another trip? Yes but not Gold Coast, perhaps in another ten years - if I am still game for roller coasters! So, yes, expect the unexpected in your travels but do bring along an important item: A positive mindset…..don’t leave home without it!
11 Jan 2006
Today I would like to share with you my own account of our 6-day-5-night Gold Coast experience undertaken just over a month ago.
Problems Expected
Even before we commenced our trip, two major problems cropped up that caused us some anxiety.
First problem: We had immense difficulty fixing up accommodation and flights even though we started planning a couple of months earlier. But that wasn’t the issue. After juggling everyone’s schedules and countless internet searches, we did manage to book our flights and the hotel. The trouble was that after settling everything, we found, in an official Gold Coast website, a small, rather obscure warning about an event called the Schoolies’ Week, which happened to coincide with our travel period.
We read on and found that the Schoolies’ Week was the week young Australians aged 18 or so celebrated their high school graduation by holidaying together. It’s an annual nationwide affair observed by kids from the whole of Australia, not Gold Coast alone, and traditionally these kids or Schoolies, as they are called, have picked Gold Coast as their holiday destination. That explained our difficulty in getting accommodation.
Areas of the beach are cordoned off for their partying. Parents and volunteers are roped in to patrol the areas where hordes of Schoolies frequent. The more we read about the event the more we dreaded going to a place over-run by exuberant, drunk teenage kids.
Short of canceling the trip and starting all over again for a new destination, we decided to bravely stick to our booking and not disappoint our kids.
Then as the date of departure loomed nearer, we faced our second problem. The weather forecasts had just two words: Scattered Thunderstorms. When you go to a beach resort, you would look forward to ‘Clear, sunny skies’ or at most ‘passing showers’. But no, it had to be thunderstorms. Well at least there was the word ‘scattered’ preceding it, so we could only hope that the thunderstorms would scatter NOT where we are heading. Or we’ll just be carrying umbrellas as we hit the roller coasters.
Actual Encounters
Burdened with these two problems of the Schoolies and the weather, we arrived at the Gold Coast.
On the way to our hotel, we asked the coach driver how to avoid the Schoolies. He laughed and said, ”No way, you can’t avoid them. They are everywhere. Get out of the way, especially after midnight as they often get drunk then.” Well that wasn’t too tough then. We were safe and sound, snugly asleep in our room after midnight. The Schoolies don’t go to theme parks and other tourist spots where we were headed. So our first Schoolies problem solved. But yes they were everywhere and making quite a lot of noise, shouting from their apartments to other Schoolies and people passing by. Which strangely my daughters found rather amusing!
The weather part was tricky. But trusty old mummy came all prepared. Umbrellas and jackets with covered hoods. There was some resistance during the packing process. But was I glad to have insisted.
When we went to the Seaworld, it was sunny initially. So we strolled around admiring the pelicans, dolphins and other delightful sea creatures in perfect weather. But by the afternoon it started drizzling, then pouring. So we caught the so-called spectacular dolphin show in an afternoon downpour. There was some shelter at the seating areas but the winds were too strong and people have to keep moving inner and higher up to avoid the incoming rain. When we went to Movie World, again it was bright followed by afternoon rains. So unfortunately the cartoon character parades and many outdoor shows were cancelled. That was disappointing and dampened our spirits somewhat. But nothing that a couple of double-scoop ice-cream couldn’t resolve!
Thankfully those were but two of the worst afternoons. Other days had pretty good weather. The sun rose early at 4 am in the morning. By 10 it was scorching hot. We could go to the beach and enjoy the rolling waves, unlike our last trip done in winter. We also visited a wildlife sanctuary where the kids experienced seeing koalas, kangaroos and wombats at close range and even got to pat and feed kangaroos from their bare hands.
No regrets.
This trip has taught me that it is vital to have proper planning and preparation but more importantly we should always think and stay positive. No problem is insurmountable. We just need to find our own solutions. Get out of the way of the Schoolies. Come prepared for the weather.
Do I regret bringing the kids there? Certainly not.
Are we headed for another trip? Yes but not Gold Coast, perhaps in another ten years - if I am still game for roller coasters! So, yes, expect the unexpected in your travels but do bring along an important item: A positive mindset…..don’t leave home without it!
11 Jan 2006
Organise Speech: Pricing of Insurance In a Nutshell
Introduction
The roots of insurance might be traced to Babylonian traders some four thousand years ago when lenders to early sailing merchants sold possibly the first loan guarantee insurance. Later in 600 AD, the Greeks and Romans originated health and life insurance when they set up "benevolent societies" which cared for the families and funeral expenses of members upon death.
Hence even in ancient times, protecting against the risks associated with everyday life is essential to everyone’s well-being and peace of mind. Insurance is a way of minimizing our individual financial damages by pooling our potential losses with that of others.
Today I will be sharing with you some basic principles of insurance pricing for an insight into this age-old risk management instrument. These principles are the foundation to the analytical pricing I do as an insurance professional in the past 16 years.
Basic Principles of Insurance
Although many types of insurance seem complicated, the basic principles are straightforward.
In every business transaction, and in everything we do in life, there is an element of risk. In the world today, insurance companies, or insurers in short, exist to run the business of accepting other people's risks in return for a price.
The first principle of insurance pricing is that we must be able to quantify the risk i.e. to assess the likelihood and timing of the insured event and the potential losses associated with it. Hence, based on past experience and their expertise, the insurer calculates the price or the premium that the customer pays to protect against injury or loss. When the insured event happens, the insurer pays out the agreed level of claim.
In a nutshell, insurance is a risk transfer mechanism. The insured policyholder exchanges uncertainty for certainty. In return for a small definite loss, which is the premium he pays, he is relieved from the uncertainty of a potentially much larger financial loss arising from the insured event.
The Law of Large Numbers
The second principle of insurance pricing builds on the law of large numbers. This law simply means that the greater the number insured, the more the actual loss experience will tend towards the expected losses. Thus the larger the group insured, the more predictable will be the losses for the group as a whole.
For example to insure a single life against death for $100,000 during a year is clearly a gamble. If the number of persons insured is increased to one hundred, the element of uncertainty decreases but is still present to a large extent. If a hundred thousand lives of similar characteristics are combined into the same group, then average death rates will fluctuate lesser. The insurer can then determine its anticipated insurance claims with a higher degree of accuracy for this larger pool of insured.
Fair Treatment of policyholders
The third principle I will now touch on is the principle of equitable contribution. By this we mean that each insured should be charged fairly according to the risk he transfers to the pooled insurance fund. Hence life insurance premium do get more expensive with age since the older the person the greater is the probability of death.
Age is not the only factor used in isolation. The insurer’s underwriting policy is also critical. Underwriting is the process by which the insurer decides to accept, postpone or decline an application, and if it has decided to accept, then at what rates or terms and conditions.
Most applications are accepted at standard rates. This is primarily assessed via the application form where questions may include age, occupation, current health and past illnesses.
Some applicants are asked to fill further questionnaires or are sent for medical examinations. Rest assured, the insurer won’t send you for unnecessary tests as these do cost money. The insurer underwrites only to classify risks in order to charge an appropriate premium.
Insurance Pricing in a nutshell.
Today’s product designs have evolved to insure many more events besides death. Any risk that can be quantified probably has a type of insurance to protect it e.g. motor, health , travel insurance, to name but a few.
The insurance of present times may appear a far cry from the days of Babylonian traders or the Roman and Greek benevolent societies. But the underlying principles of pooling and sharing of risks are largely unchanged. First, the insurance risk must be quantifiable. Next the law of large numbers is supported with as large a pool of insured as possible. Lastly the principle of equitable contribution is reflected in premiums charged according to risk.
Using these principles, the ultimate task of an insurance company is to price suitable insurance plans for managing the risks faced in our everyday lives. In a nutshell, this boils down to the basic purpose of insurance: Giving Peace of Mind, Creating Certainty out of Uncertainty.
The roots of insurance might be traced to Babylonian traders some four thousand years ago when lenders to early sailing merchants sold possibly the first loan guarantee insurance. Later in 600 AD, the Greeks and Romans originated health and life insurance when they set up "benevolent societies" which cared for the families and funeral expenses of members upon death.
Hence even in ancient times, protecting against the risks associated with everyday life is essential to everyone’s well-being and peace of mind. Insurance is a way of minimizing our individual financial damages by pooling our potential losses with that of others.
Today I will be sharing with you some basic principles of insurance pricing for an insight into this age-old risk management instrument. These principles are the foundation to the analytical pricing I do as an insurance professional in the past 16 years.
Basic Principles of Insurance
Although many types of insurance seem complicated, the basic principles are straightforward.
In every business transaction, and in everything we do in life, there is an element of risk. In the world today, insurance companies, or insurers in short, exist to run the business of accepting other people's risks in return for a price.
The first principle of insurance pricing is that we must be able to quantify the risk i.e. to assess the likelihood and timing of the insured event and the potential losses associated with it. Hence, based on past experience and their expertise, the insurer calculates the price or the premium that the customer pays to protect against injury or loss. When the insured event happens, the insurer pays out the agreed level of claim.
In a nutshell, insurance is a risk transfer mechanism. The insured policyholder exchanges uncertainty for certainty. In return for a small definite loss, which is the premium he pays, he is relieved from the uncertainty of a potentially much larger financial loss arising from the insured event.
The Law of Large Numbers
The second principle of insurance pricing builds on the law of large numbers. This law simply means that the greater the number insured, the more the actual loss experience will tend towards the expected losses. Thus the larger the group insured, the more predictable will be the losses for the group as a whole.
For example to insure a single life against death for $100,000 during a year is clearly a gamble. If the number of persons insured is increased to one hundred, the element of uncertainty decreases but is still present to a large extent. If a hundred thousand lives of similar characteristics are combined into the same group, then average death rates will fluctuate lesser. The insurer can then determine its anticipated insurance claims with a higher degree of accuracy for this larger pool of insured.
Fair Treatment of policyholders
The third principle I will now touch on is the principle of equitable contribution. By this we mean that each insured should be charged fairly according to the risk he transfers to the pooled insurance fund. Hence life insurance premium do get more expensive with age since the older the person the greater is the probability of death.
Age is not the only factor used in isolation. The insurer’s underwriting policy is also critical. Underwriting is the process by which the insurer decides to accept, postpone or decline an application, and if it has decided to accept, then at what rates or terms and conditions.
Most applications are accepted at standard rates. This is primarily assessed via the application form where questions may include age, occupation, current health and past illnesses.
Some applicants are asked to fill further questionnaires or are sent for medical examinations. Rest assured, the insurer won’t send you for unnecessary tests as these do cost money. The insurer underwrites only to classify risks in order to charge an appropriate premium.
Insurance Pricing in a nutshell.
Today’s product designs have evolved to insure many more events besides death. Any risk that can be quantified probably has a type of insurance to protect it e.g. motor, health , travel insurance, to name but a few.
The insurance of present times may appear a far cry from the days of Babylonian traders or the Roman and Greek benevolent societies. But the underlying principles of pooling and sharing of risks are largely unchanged. First, the insurance risk must be quantifiable. Next the law of large numbers is supported with as large a pool of insured as possible. Lastly the principle of equitable contribution is reflected in premiums charged according to risk.
Using these principles, the ultimate task of an insurance company is to price suitable insurance plans for managing the risks faced in our everyday lives. In a nutshell, this boils down to the basic purpose of insurance: Giving Peace of Mind, Creating Certainty out of Uncertainty.
The Ice breaker - My family, My profession and I
I am happy to share with you two important aspects of myself - my family and my profession. In order to spend more time with my children, I have opted to stay at home as a fulltime home-maker and to work from home as a part-time actuary.
Up until two years ago, I was working fulltime with XX. XX is a great family-friendly place to work with. But unfortunately due to the shortage of experienced staff, but no shortage of work, I found myself working long hours each day, coming home late, exhausted with hardly any time left for myself, let alone for my children. It didn’t help that my husband’s job had even longer hours. So after much deliberation, I decided to ask management for a part-time position. Thankfully my 16 years with the company proved valuable and I stayed on as a part-time consultant.
My typical day starts with walking my elder daughter, Y to school in the morning. Y is in Primary 3 and attends the xxPrimary, which is only 3 minutes’ walk from home. So she can afford to wake up at 6.45 am and we can still make it to school on time.
My younger daughter,XX, attends the same school but in the afternoon session. She is having a much easier time in Primary 1 as she has NO exams at all. But this may just mean delaying her ordeal another year when exams start appearing.
In between sending my children to school and other errands, I correspond with the office using email, phone and lately instant messaging. I also pop into office every 1-2 weeks to remind my colleagues that I exist and to allow them to put a face to my emails.
So, what do I do as an actuary? Or more precisely, what is an actuary? Well, actuaries are people trained in using financial and statistical theories to solve business problems. These problems typically involve analyzing future financial events, especially when the amount of a future payment, or the timing of when it is paid, is uncertain. For example, in life insurance, this involves the payment of benefits at an unknown time in the future in the event of death.
A lot of actuaries' work might thus be thought of as 'risk management', assessing how likely an event may be and the costs associated with it.
In Singapore, most actuaries are found in the insurance sector - including myself. Our typical work includes designing new insurance policies, setting premium rates, calculating a company's financial status and reporting on the solvency of its funds.
There are probably not more than 50 qualified actuaries in Singapore. The numbers are small as the exams to qualify are rather tough. You can take these exams via the self study route with the UK, US or Australian actuarial bodies. I took the UK exams set by the Institute of Actuaries. Their current syllabus requires you to do 16 subjects – ranging from technical subjects such as actuarial mathematics, statistics and financial economics and specialist subjects such as Life, General or Health insurance.
So how did I end up in this profession? Well I simply answered a recruitment ad for an actuarial assistant, not having the slightest idea what an actuary was. The ad attracted me as it listed a degree in Mathematics as one of the job specifications. Rarely have I seen any ad that asked for Mathematics, which was what I majored in. So I wrote in, got interviewed and was hired.
The analytical nature of actuarial work suits me fine and I have no regrets joining the profession. Except perhaps over the fact that I did struggle through more than 10 years of exams to qualify! So if one day my children were to ask if they should follow their mummy’s footsteps, I would be pleased at their interest but at the same time I would seriously ask them to think twice!
Currently I am contented at my balance of work and family life. I do miss the pay and security of a full-time job but I don’t wish to miss out on my kids growing up. One day I might return to fulltime work. Until the time comes, I am happy with just the way things are – being a part-time actuary and a full-time mother.
8 Nov 2005
Up until two years ago, I was working fulltime with XX. XX is a great family-friendly place to work with. But unfortunately due to the shortage of experienced staff, but no shortage of work, I found myself working long hours each day, coming home late, exhausted with hardly any time left for myself, let alone for my children. It didn’t help that my husband’s job had even longer hours. So after much deliberation, I decided to ask management for a part-time position. Thankfully my 16 years with the company proved valuable and I stayed on as a part-time consultant.
My typical day starts with walking my elder daughter, Y to school in the morning. Y is in Primary 3 and attends the xxPrimary, which is only 3 minutes’ walk from home. So she can afford to wake up at 6.45 am and we can still make it to school on time.
My younger daughter,XX, attends the same school but in the afternoon session. She is having a much easier time in Primary 1 as she has NO exams at all. But this may just mean delaying her ordeal another year when exams start appearing.
In between sending my children to school and other errands, I correspond with the office using email, phone and lately instant messaging. I also pop into office every 1-2 weeks to remind my colleagues that I exist and to allow them to put a face to my emails.
So, what do I do as an actuary? Or more precisely, what is an actuary? Well, actuaries are people trained in using financial and statistical theories to solve business problems. These problems typically involve analyzing future financial events, especially when the amount of a future payment, or the timing of when it is paid, is uncertain. For example, in life insurance, this involves the payment of benefits at an unknown time in the future in the event of death.
A lot of actuaries' work might thus be thought of as 'risk management', assessing how likely an event may be and the costs associated with it.
In Singapore, most actuaries are found in the insurance sector - including myself. Our typical work includes designing new insurance policies, setting premium rates, calculating a company's financial status and reporting on the solvency of its funds.
There are probably not more than 50 qualified actuaries in Singapore. The numbers are small as the exams to qualify are rather tough. You can take these exams via the self study route with the UK, US or Australian actuarial bodies. I took the UK exams set by the Institute of Actuaries. Their current syllabus requires you to do 16 subjects – ranging from technical subjects such as actuarial mathematics, statistics and financial economics and specialist subjects such as Life, General or Health insurance.
So how did I end up in this profession? Well I simply answered a recruitment ad for an actuarial assistant, not having the slightest idea what an actuary was. The ad attracted me as it listed a degree in Mathematics as one of the job specifications. Rarely have I seen any ad that asked for Mathematics, which was what I majored in. So I wrote in, got interviewed and was hired.
The analytical nature of actuarial work suits me fine and I have no regrets joining the profession. Except perhaps over the fact that I did struggle through more than 10 years of exams to qualify! So if one day my children were to ask if they should follow their mummy’s footsteps, I would be pleased at their interest but at the same time I would seriously ask them to think twice!
Currently I am contented at my balance of work and family life. I do miss the pay and security of a full-time job but I don’t wish to miss out on my kids growing up. One day I might return to fulltime work. Until the time comes, I am happy with just the way things are – being a part-time actuary and a full-time mother.
8 Nov 2005
# posted by CME @ 9:39 PM
