This is in response to Greenwich’s question in KLIA thread.
Well after more than 2 decades, it seems right to take a look at what happen here and the other side of the fence. Yes, indeed my friend and I talk about it too.
This is what happen here:
First 15 years were very challenging for us here, both my better half and I work very hard for our employers. Every day was a routine. Life was tough for me as working parent. There isn’t significant saving. Then we decided to step out of the routine. After that, I was able to give more to my children.
I believe my children have fantastic childhood. They get to join a lot of activities, in their teens they started to participate in international events. They don’t need to attend endless tuitions. If they have any regular extra classes, it is something they can’t get in school, for example Piano and foreign languages. They have their meals well taken care of. They stand as tall among the whites.
My children went to SJKC, then SMK. They performed above average in schools. I happen to have 1 girl same 'lunar age' as my friend’s. After SMK, she studied A level, then was offered a place to study at one of the world top 10 rank universities. My girl didn’t take that offer. If she did, she could have also apply for a government scholarship (the Uni and course is in government sponsorship list). Instead, she went for a highly selective university in another country.
Today, we live in our own house, quite a relaxing life compare to before. I think we have enough saving for old age. Life is good, but government is not!
What happen there?
I don’t know exactly how many years, probably about the same as us, my friend and his wife work really long hours. Their daily life were work, sleep, work, sleep routine. Whatever earning, minus eating and room rental would be their saving, they have no time and no energy for travelling or shopping.
They have only 1 girl, she was sent to a private school in the early morning, the school provides after school care. Daily, at about 6pm, another friend would pick up the girl who then pick up by my friend at about 8pm. After school tuition was provided by the private school. Excellent school, I was told. The girl later went on to study at one of NY top 10 high school. After that, she was accepted by an Ivy League university. The parents didn’t allow her to enroll into that Ivy League, instead send her to a public Uni that offer full scholarship – tuition fees and boarding.
Today, my friend has an apartment about same size as our home, he rented out two floors to two families, kept a floor to themselves. My friend is now a businessman. They have earn enough for retirement too! They are very comfortable with where they are, they like the fact that the government treat everyone equally.
Would my friend have a better life if only he stays back here, he said may be. But they don’t like our government. Would we have better life have we migrated? I am not sure. But I can safely said, my children have better life, better choices than his girl. One thing to take note, we started as STEM graduates, he started as BA graduate, from same university.
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Originally Posted by Jennylim
