Earning money faster...

During my first stint in Singapore and since moving to Tanjung Pagar, I stayed with another colleague who was to become a very good friend. I call her Xiao Hong. "I need to earn money faster!" she said as we discussed how difficult it is to earn money when we started of with a huge debt (Agent's fee) in the first place. She, like me, had borrowed a large sum of money to pay the agent fees to come to Singapore. Her first intention for coming to Singapore was to get away from her ex-husband whom she had just divorced. She wanted some time to herself as well as to earn some money as well. Her husband had gambled away all their savings.

"And how to we do that?" I asked and the conversation went on...

Xiao Hong : "We could find a rich and good boyfriend!"
Me : "Aiya, Xiao Hong, good ones are all already taken. And even if they are not, what makes you so sure they want us. We are both past 25 (at that time, I was just past 26) and there are so many more younger and prettier girls around." as I remembered my stroll in Geylang just about a month before.
Xiao Hong : "True too! The other day, a friend approached me to work in a Massage place. She said it's good money. She makes about $2,000 a month compared to our miserable $800!"
Me : "But I don't know how to massage?"
Xiao Hong : "Hey Xiao Jing, you are too innocent! Do you really think that they do massage in those places?"

We talked till midnight before turning in. But in the end, there were no conclusions. Xiao Hong went to great lengths to explain what goes on in the massage centers and I told her that it's definitely not something I can do. She did not get around to doing it either but she did find a boyfriend about a month later (another posting perhaps). Anyway, she worked till just before the Chinese New Year of 2009 before she left for home and never came back. She had changed her number as I write this, I had lost contact with her. I certainly hope she will call me someday, as I miss her a lot!

Scratch & Win!

While at work the other day, my colleagues told me that if I buy the evening Chinese papers, they are offering two coupons for a scratch-and-win contest and the chance of winning SGD388 is actually quite good. We Chinese nationals try our luck at anything, especially if it gives us a chance to win some extra pocket money. So that evening, I decided to stop by a news stand to buy a copy of the evening paper.

That evening, I decided to try my luck with my room-mate friend, to see if I can win some extra pocket money. This scratch-and-win contest sounds like fun!

So with this, I started scratching away. We had to have a straight row of identical pictures in order to win anything, just like in a jack-pot machine.

Unfortunately, despite 2 attempts and despite the fact that my colleagues told me it was quite easy to win, it wasn't to be. I did not win anything at all.

Well, next time maybe... I'm just not so lucky when it comes to winning contests!

My "Creditors" were pestering my mum for money!

During my first stint in Singapore, I had been sending money back every month without fail in amounts ranging from SGD500 to SGD600. Normally I would call my mum to let her know that I have sent the money so that she will look out for it in the next few days. I knew that I had borrowed alot of money and I need to repay them as soon as possible. It's just the right thing to do!

This one day, about the forth month into my work, I called my mum and she asked if I could send more money back. I was kind of taken aback as the amount I had sent back should be enough to pay my "creditors" as promised. However, it seems they have been pressuring my mum for more, as they were probably afraid that I would renege on my promise to pay. This had put tremendous pressure and stress when I first came to Singapore, and often it even put a strain on the relationship between me and my mum.

I never had thoughts of running away. I wanted to pay back the money as soon as possible so that I could continue to save some money after I have paid up my debt. I had been "stingy" on myself, holding back on outings, meals, and even buying little things of necessity to a girl. I was living on less than SGD150 a month and sending the rest back or paying for my rent.

Looking back now, I wondered how I got through that tremendously tough period of my life... and still managed to smile when serving customers!