Dec 4, 2022Our memory is more like a web and less like a shelfI had a bad memory and in school I was never quite able to cram for examinations. I found memorisation a complete chore and my mind really strained trying to remember things. Most of the time, the harder I try, the more difficult I find it. Subsequently, whenever I had…Memory Improvement3 min readMemory Improvement3 min read
Nov 27, 2022Why doesn’t recycling work with the blue bins all over our nation?Blue bins are part of Singapore’s National Recycling Programme The programme collects paper, plastic, glass and metal recyclables. These recycleables are deposited into the same blue recycling bin for collection by the public waste collectors (PWCs). The recycleables are comingled and mixed up. The blue bins are placed in open…Recycling3 min readRecycling3 min read
Mar 10, 2022Member-onlyI daydreamed about what Singapore’s education system could beA couple of days back whilst at friends’ (yet another teacher) place, I got asked, ‘If you were a parent, how would you like the education system to be?’ For those who know me for years, you’d think I’m an educator at heart, and also cut out to be a…6 min read6 min read
Mar 3, 2022Are we operating in toxic workplaces fuelled by complacency culture?In today’s work life, too much thought goes into how to do the work rather than the culture and enabling environment that surrounds the work. There are countless anecdotes about people at their deathbed would not wish they had more days to work; or stories of the employee who passed…4 min read4 min read
Feb 24, 2022Should our education system pool or separate people?So over the past 2–3 weeks, I’ve been pondering over our education system. It all started with that chat I had with my friends, and then the article I wrote, and then more thinking. I even thought at one point I want to start a podcast about education and go…7 min read7 min read
Feb 17, 2022Time for millennials to get out of the boomers story and write their ownRice Media’s Ivan takes on what he calls The Boomer’s Mentality on ‘Hard Work’ in Singapore was a refreshing characterisation of the workplace issues faced by the millennials of this island state. I previously wrote about how the boomers taking ‘motivation’ for granted is a big problem for the younger…5 min read5 min read
Feb 10, 2022What did you expect my motivation to be?What motivates you at your job? What gets you out of bed every weekday and makes you pounce on the challenges in the workplace, gets you to talk to people who may be unpleasant and gives you strength to overcome late nights? What are you working for? I’m thinking of…Growth5 min readGrowth5 min read
Jan 5, 2021Member-onlyWhatever happened to the coolies of Singapore, generations later?Most of the Chinese migrants who came to Singapore and whose descendents now form the majority of the population here were ‘coolies’ or manual labourers who came to Singapore to seek out employment opportunities and a better life. The mindset really was to find a boss to serve, and gain…3 min read3 min read
Jan 2, 2021Member-onlyAre we all working for the right rewards?As we all ease into the new year, one of the things I’m going to focus on working for the right rewards. In 2021, I stepped out of my comfort zone, becoming more conscious about the most critical question facing millennials living in a world that the boomers have built…3 min read3 min read
Nov 22, 2020What made colonial Singapore a thriving port city and what does that mean for you?Career development lessons from Singapore Economic History — In 1819, when Sir Stamford Raffles came to strike a deal that made Singapore a British colony, the population of Singapore is approximately 150. 2 years later, in 1821, the population rose to 5000 mostly as a result of the establishment of the port, providing ready access to population from…Growth4 min readGrowth4 min read
