johor day 1

woke up feeling anxious and sad that I'll be alone in a room and my parents and sister won't be calling me to get out of bed
saw primary school students on their field trip, I feel so old
yong peng fishball noodles
she spends her days and maybe entire life farming, and going to restaurants to sell her produce, and she's satisfied with life. she mentions her friend's durian is for sale. her face lights up with a big smile, her skin tanned yet healthy. her body strong and fit. isn't she's the lucky one? what more do she seek? her life is simple yet fulfilling
most people don't get to choose. they grow up in a small town and work as a waitress in a fishball noodle restaurant, and might never get the chance to even leave the town, country, to see and experience what I have experienced. what is life to these people? i'm worrying about not getting a high paying job and not passing FAANG interviews while they probably have to worry about whether they can save enough to sustain themselves, their parents and for their own future. perspective is important. step outside of the bubble more
a few notes from having meals with relatives in their 60s
- they repeat things, at their age they talk about the same things a few times, almost like they forgot that they already mentioned it earlier
- they like to talk about travelling experience, where they went and where we went, at this age they love travelling because time is limited
- they talk about their own kids (marriage, life, career)
- they talk about living cost in singapore is high
- they will say you look like <INSERT RELATIVE NAME> a few times
- they love asking questions about your life, they're very curious about young people's thoughts on things too
- the uncles in IT will ask you about AI and ask you to share
- they surprisingly know how much other relative's kids earn per month, that's what parents flex to other parents I suppose
- they'll mention how times have changed, how young people today is different, ex: living together but not married, LGBTQ
- they'll mention a few times that health is what matters the most
- they'll give advice to you, the uncle mentioned travel and reading books are the two important things for career
i think I need to talk to old people more,
a lot of singaporeans came to Johor because it's a holiday, and everything is 3.48x cheaper
overheard a group of young singaporeans (probably my age) in a restaurant talk about career and it made me worry about my own
reminded of Steve Job's quote on career, "The enemy of most dreams and intuition, and one of the most dangerous and stifling concepts ever invented by humans, is the 'Career'"
but realizing that as an international student, I might not have the luxury to think about what I love doing until I get a stable job in the US, so the idea of doing what you love is a privilege not accessible to everyone
read a total of 13 posts by Ava while shopping with mom, it feels like I'm having conversations with her. it would be so cool to meet her in SF.
I always use to wait outside while mom shopped for things, but actually shopping with her is a pleasant experience, I found a nice jacket at brands outlet
i've been buying clothes at uniqlo and starting to feel guilty to buy nice clothes using my dad's money while he wears the same old clothes he's owned for years
growing up and getting old is realizing your parents are people with their own issues and problems and insecurities and flaws and quirks, and not expecting them to know everything about the world and about you, and noticing they're getting slower and more fragile and more accepting of everything.
i remember watching a video of a son bringing his parents to japan, booking all michelin restaurants months prior, growing up is also treating your parents to nice food and experiences once you're capable, paying back for all the sacrifices they've made for you.

BENEDICT NEO 梁耀恩

johor day 1