The Late Hours Takahina

Working in Singapore, sucks.

Why? Because unlike most rich people at the top, the middle and lower class people like us have to slog everyday, every night.

It's an endless circle.

This slogging doesn't occur only to low class, it happens to young people like you and I, young couples, just married, old couples, parents. ETC.

Who says Singapore doesn't have differentiation of class? We have, we have our own caste system that few knows about.

The Super High Tier, people who literally slack and like the lower down people work while their money and ideas work for them. Time for family is aplenty. You see the ginnas with Bentleys driving around at the age of 21? Either they're genius, or they have a rich pa. Their kids have manners, because their parents are there to guide and teach them manners. Normally very well-liked and envied. However when they grow up it's a different thing.

The Normal High Tier, people who literally work their heads off and control a whole bunch of middle and lower tier people at their work. Generally managers, but you don't own the company. You're a manager being managed to managed the people who needs to be managed. Time for family, none. You're too busy. Kids don't drive Bentleys, they drive Toyotas, Hyundais, Mitsubishi. Kids normally snobbish and arrogant, due to them having nothing, but money. However when they grow up it's a different thing.

The Normal Middle Tier, people who work their ass off, only control maybe a bunch of people under you and have tons of bosses above you. For the company you work like an ant. You have friends and relatives alike who go to pubs to drink your ass off. Time for family, some. Unlike those at top, you only need to mind your own business, so you have time. Kids, don't drive until they reach adulthood. Normally normal, and general, and generic. Always striving to earn money, getting laid and making networks and friends. However when they grow up it's a different thing.

The Lower Tier, people who work their guts out, always gets controlled by almost everyone above you. For the company you work like a bee, but somehow you always find the time to slack, and get scolded, but you don't really care. You have friends and relatives who go to kopitiams to eat your guts off and dig your nose everywhere. Unlike those above you, you don't need to even mind your business, others will take care of it for you. Time for family, none. Because your work hours of doing low responsibility work is normally damn long. However you always find time to call home and see what dishes are being prepared for dinner. Kids, drive Daytona and Initial D. Sometimes motorbikes. Normally very beng or lians and loiter around lanshops until the wee-hours of the night. Relationships are weirdly... committed. And full of crap. However when they grow up it's a different thing.

Corporations are killing us off, with long hours of work. This could be easily shared by employing more workers, but somehow, the company doesn't want to cause it saves cost. Well it saves cost, and creates more divorces, arguments, quarrels, and creates less productivity due to the "personal effects" it forms on it's employees. The Super High Tiers won't really know of such effects, because High Tiers are pushing the middle and lower tiers, while Super High Tiers just play golf.

And logically so, why? Because just like economics, Super High Tiers just want profits. They won't mind employing less workers despite increasing work load, cause it's cheaper that way. Also how you handle your family is your business, not mine, why in the blue hell would a shareholder of a company even bother about a middle tier-ed family's problem. They will just say,

"Yo, High Tier-ed Manager, go and settle this employee's problem. After settle le, we go drink."

It's dumb actually. I'm not blaming corporations for saving money, I'm blaming the government for not putting some sort of limit to this. Let's take South Korea for example, to counter falling birth rates, they are imposing a guideline to have the worker go home by this certain timing for their family and personal life.

Something which I think, is very efficient. If the worker wants to work extra, it's up to him to lose his own family, he can blame no one then.

The tradeoff between work, and personal life, is very delicate. Neither of it can be neglected, the balance must exist. This is something, which the government, or seemingly, Singapore itself, don't seem to understand. Singaporeans are borned workaholics, and the sense of "working for money and life" is infringed into us by our parents and the whole society. So corporations LOVE Singaporeans, why? Cause we're so hardworking.

Sure, society, family, government emphasis balance in life, but our action speaks otherwise.

Takahina likes working, because it gives him $, and he learns skills/information needed. But at the same time, he dislikes working for too long, because it deplores him of the freedom he needs. People who know me well enough, will know that freedom has and always will be one of the factors which I hold supremely precious in life. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate my job. I like its timing of 6pm-12mn. But ask me to work this for life even if the pay is good, I doubt I'll continue for that long.

We're hardworking... to the sense we're deplorable.

And at times like this, if the middle and low tier-ed employees don't help out together so they can all go home together in time, you can wait and be prepared to get ostracized among your own.

So, best thing is what? Invest. Use the money that you worked so hard for to work for you.....

(Bah, I'm not gonna go into investor/financial mode)

Once you have money, you won't feel the need to be so hardworking, you can slowly slack off... and go home watch World Cup, or have a baby with your wife I don't give a shit.

But then again, how many people can get rid of this life of working.

After all, Singaporeans love working. Hard.