Middle class blues

[Maseratigood]

Can see it in another light. Most sgians seems to be giving up on the rat race. Back in the 70s and 80s we are the pride of SEA where we are number 1 in the region and things were looking up. Hard work will be automatically means u will get somewhere in life owns a car...a house/apartment and can look forward to retiring. Now everything so expensive and those up there wants high productivity but getting same pay as a decade ago. There is no point of thinking of retirement as most of the money in cpf will be locked down.

The new fts are working hard as the money made here is big comparing to the pittance given back home. They also know that in a decade or 2 they can sell-off everything and return home. Singaporean cant do that...stucked with big loans...and nowhere to return to. Human nature....human nature to slowly give up when there is nothing to look forward......better buy toto n get the hell outta here!

Agreed

I look forward to toto/big sweep/4Ds everytimes... there's no where else to return to (with profits made from sale of flat/house here) like the PRs/FTs etc...

[Bobby_tan]

Lol. Now everytime when i received those marketing calls, 100% are pinoy! Thinking am i living in Philippines?

 

Everyday I kena at least 2 calls from credit card companies asking if I wan to apply card. Dunno why they like Pinoy so much leh. Maybe if they get some Aussie/Euro chiobu with a sexy voice to market maybe I get the card lor...

[Yattokame]

thats probably because they BELIEVE that their privileged background and powerful connections

 

did not play any part in their current successes

 

they achieved what they have through pure hard work only

 

and everybody who are not as wealthy as them are simply lazy

 

how can people living in ivory towers understand the difficulties that peasants face?

 

 

I happen to know someone like that........ a head in a foreign bank. came from a wealthy family anyway. thinks that those who are not rich are because they are plain lazy.

 

I do volunteer work regularly and I can tell you some people are really forced by circumstances. An NS fren of mine had to stop schooling despite his very good PSLE and O levels results; he worked 3 jobs but his family always owe ah-long money, and his mum needed to pay hefty medical bills.

 

did he work hard? hell, yes.

did he have a choice? no.

 

in life, no matter what you say, luck does play a part.

karma or not, somehow I feel my luck got better since I started doing charity work. or maybe I just feel more contented with life.

[Solar]

yes.. even 'normal' folks won't know how much our friendly neighborhood banglar sweepers suffered to work here if you don't really take notice.

the guy at my place practically 7 days, have simple rice plus a bit of veg for meals, cos food here is expensive.

collect trash for residents (sometimes try to sell usable ones for a few bucks) and so on.

 

the other time i gave him 2 n95 and taught him how to use and he was so grateful..

if he could, i don't think he will wanna work here.

 

so the point is... unlikely those higher-up will know the situation below them unless they really get hands dirty to find out.

to them, middleclass are just some people, some number, some issue, and that's it..

 

transport ministar was doing that for a while (let's not go there whether he wayang or not ), but at at least he got down from his tower for a while..

[13177]

Agreed, in life, no matter what you say and do, luck does play a part. I know some people who cannot do work well and yet earning high bucks, whereas some always landed in salary which is always lower than others.

[Bobby_tan]

Actually in SG, most of the 'middle class' is not really middle class. We are just credit class, buy BMW or some conti car and then buy condo to show off and try to act more atas but actually we really bo lui. So whenever anything happen these credit class all mati until cham cham one. Those that can afford landed but staying in HDBs are the smart 'upper class' ones. Bcos you have to be a rich man to own a HDB in SG nowsadays.

[13177]

Actually in SG, most of the 'middle class' is not really middle class. We are just credit class, buy BMW or some conti car and then buy condo to show off and try to act more atas but actually we really bo lui. So whenever anything happen these credit class all mati until cham cham one. Those that can afford landed but staying in HDBs are the smart 'upper class' ones. Bcos you have to be a rich man to own a HDB in SG nowsadays.

I guess the smart ones are those who can afford private house but stay in HDB, can afford to buy luxury conti cars but buy korea cars.

Edited July 2, 2013 by 13177

[Ingenius]

Actually in SG, most of the 'middle class' is not really middle class. We are just credit class, buy BMW or some conti car and then buy condo to show off and try to act more atas but actually we really bo lui. So whenever anything happen these credit class all mati until cham cham one. Those that can afford landed but staying in HDBs are the smart 'upper class' ones. Bcos you have to be a rich man to own a HDB in SG nowsadays.

Thats why i always think that the situation in singapore is, there are many rich people around who can aford the high life, and those who are middle class, they are not anywhere near rich, yet they want to live above their means, cars, condo, holidays etc. it is these group of people who causes the common complaint that life in sgp is stressful and very squeezed, simply because, they are living above their means ! no doubt there are a very small minority of poor people living from hand to mouth, there is a large group of middle class workers who are simply over-stretching. the bottom line is, sgp has moved ahead too fast than its means as we prospered.

Edited July 2, 2013 by Ingenius

[Bobby_tan]

I guess the smart ones are those who can afford private house but stay in HDB, can afford to buy luxury conti cars but buy korea cars.

 

Korea car and conti car no difference what. It's the cc that counts.

[13177]

Korea car and conti car no difference what. It's the cc that counts.

Price no difference?

[Hydrocarbon]

Lol. Now everytime when i received those marketing calls, 100% are pinoy! Thinking am i living in Philippines?

 

I don't mind some marketing calls if I could understand the caller, but quite a few times, either Filipino or Indian FWs call, can't understand more than 1/2 of what they say, end up, I wouldn't be interested in the product or stuff. It's the annoyance that turns me away.

 

I guess the smart ones are those who can afford private house but stay in HDB, can afford to buy luxury conti cars but buy korea cars.

 

Buy Japanese cars instead can? I like JDM/MIJ cars more than MIK cars.. Haha, or best, just take Bus / MRT, taxi if need be, total cost also quite low.

[Kiadaw]

I can see why this thread is going, & can't say I am surprise at all.

 

I can only say, it benefit us more if we recognise out weakness & improve on them, rather then brush them off, or make counter arguements.

[Bobby_tan]

Price no difference?

 

Of course got lah, but the COE (which is the thing that really kills you) is same what. You buy big cc Korean car end up pay a lot also what, not much difference from say a VW or Renault.

[Throttle2]

I can see why this thread is going, & can't say I am surprise at all.

 

I can only say, it benefit us more if we recognise out weakness & improve on them, rather then brush them off, or make counter arguements.

 

[Voodooman]

thats probably because they BELIEVE that their privileged background and powerful connections

 

did not play any part in their current successes

 

they achieved what they have through pure hard work only

 

and everybody who are not as wealthy as them are simply lazy

 

how can people living in ivory towers understand the difficulties that peasants face?

 

 

The ability to empathize with those not fortunate enough to have the privileged background, connections and/or opportunities (work, education, luck factor, etc) to make it big despite many years of hardwork is fast disappearing from the minds of the many of our elites.

[A5SB]

More than 10 years ago, I couldn't even dream of having my own home, my own family, and even having a car. In fact I never took a driving license because I knew I could never afford one this lifetime, so what for take it?

 

I am lucky, I met a wonderful woman, got married and she gave me the impetus to do better and better. Now I can say I have what is called the "stereotypical" Singaporean dream, have a family, above middle income, nice home, nice car, have some spare cash, as a whole I'm doing better than I could possibly dream of 15 - 20 years ago.

 

Talk about dreams and aspirations. The problem nowadays is, do people even dare to dream big anymore? How do people in middle class see their future 5 - 10 years from now?

 

Personally, I feel that in the next decade our middle class people will only find themselves slipping down the economic and social ladder. Unless something drastic is done, we are on a slippery downward slide.

[Hydrocarbon]

I am lucky, I met a wonderful woman, got married and she gave me the impetus to do better and better. Now I can say I have what is called the "stereotypical" Singaporean dream, have a family, above middle income, nice home, nice car, have some spare cash, as a whole I'm doing better than I could possibly dream of 15 - 20 years ago.

 

Gratz on getting a great wife who motivated you to better yourself.

 

Before I got together with my ex, got motivation to do better and better, but when with her, I realised I spent a lot of time with her and taking care of her that I didn't concentrate on my own work. I still got the dream of owning a nice home and car, with enough cash to travel as I wish, but now, need to find the motivation to get there.

[Porker]

I can see why this thread is going, & can't say I am surprise at all.

 

I can only say, it benefit us more if we recognise out weakness & improve on them, rather then brush them off, or make counter arguements.

 

When are you gonna improve your English brudder?