Life has always been interesting to me, as I am a “kaypoh,” and I always want to know how other people live. Knowing something means knowledge gained. This has been the key in almost every aspect of life. We go to school to learn, go on a job and learn from colleagues, and attend courses to equip ourselves with better skills. Life is always a learning journey.
But one thing many people want to learn is how to make lots of money. In the process, many lose more money than they can make, and they end up with the equation that life is money, and without money, there is no life. So, money becomes the centre of life. It is so sad.
I look at all other forms of life on earth—the plants, trees, birds, insects, animals, and fish in the ocean. All of them survive and live quite happily without any money worries. We are the superior creatures living on earth, but many of us are slaves to the money we created. I find this to be an irony. Money was created to help us live better and not make life more miserable.
I have been working in engineering full-time. I care for all my engineers, and sometimes, I have to scratch my head to find solutions to engineering problems. Now, in retirement, I want to know more about other things. Thus, I took up part-time jobs to learn new stuff. I was promoting some SkillsFuture courses for a school on the streets, so I saw first-hand the reaction from the public and how season campaigners convinced these people to take classes.
I also conducted a population survey with the Ministry of Manpower. Now, I know how the survey was conducted, why it was conducted, how the public reacted, and why they provided such information. I also have an eye for spotting errors in their submissions. I continued with the Singapore Land Authority, learning how to read title deeds, how properties are passed on to the next of kin, the various reasons for transferring the property to the next owner, and how to spot any ambiguity in the transfer. Furthermore, I also learned the regulations that govern housing estate agents and their agencies. What permits are required for agents to set up a roadshow to sell their properties? What problems do agents face in rental agreements with landlords and tenants?
I learned how hawker stalls are bided and the realities that hawkers face to meet the requirements set up by the National Environment Agency. A hawker’s life is not as simple as many thought—all the red tape and compliance that hawkers need to meet.
I also got a peek into the lives of those Silver Generation Ambassadors as I went for a talk, and I gained a deeper understanding of their mission and the problems they face when they visit the elderly.
My learning journey in the realities of life never ends. There is much to learn and a broader scope of what people around me are doing and why. This is my “kaypoh” sense. It makes life more interesting rather than focusing on money. Of course, I still want to improve my playing of musical instruments, photography, and singing.
Many more things to learn can make me a better person. I want to understand the people I may be talking to, be able to speak their “language,” and sing the same song as them so that we can talk at a level that we can understand each other. This can create trust. With trust, we can go a long, long way, making life better for us all.
Please share your thoughts on this post with me.
William Kho
William Kho was a senior management staff member of a water treatment company. He is now fully retired and pursuing a happy and meaningful retirement life.
