Yesterday I happened to be stranded at a client’s office after a meeting.
I didn’t realize that my colleague wasn’t planning to go back to the office after that wtf. As is common knowledge, I still don’t have a car fml. And since my office is nowhere near a train station, I usually rely on the kindness of my parents, Wombeh, and coworkers to shuttle to and fro from office, meeting places, and home.
So I sat outside the office, waiting for one and a half hours for someone to be available to give me a lift. And so I got super fucking duper emo at the vehicle-less state of my life.
Mad at myself for forgetting to check with my colleague if she was going back to the office. Embarrassed that I sat there for more than an hour while people on their way out cast me curious glances. Feeling like a world class burden and leech for having to rely on people around me for transportation. Mad at my mother for not allowing me to get a car. Angry at everyone for not being able to pick me up. And then blaming myself for getting myself into this situation but still wanna get angry at other people wtf.
The truth is, I could hate the world and blame my mom for my car-less state. But honestly, she’s right. There is no way in hell I can afford a car of my own right now. The Parents Ooi and I were going through the documents for my college loan the other day and though I’ve been paying like a thousand ringgit a month for a year and a half now, the amount still owed still managed to sock me in the gut wtf.
Let’s just say the amount I have to pay can buy me a brand new VW Beetle in Malaysia (just saw a bilboard for it today wtf)
(for foreigners, cars in Malaysia are disproportionately expensive in comparison to our salaries)
I even contemplated getting a scooter WTF. But then I’d have to get a motorcycle license. And I don’t even know how to ride a bicycle wtf. But THEN I’d get to wear a pink helmet WTF. But THEN I would get dark riding around in the sun everyday wtf.
At times like these, I wonder if what Wombeh said is right — is it worth it to go to a good school but graduate with years of loans on your back? Should I just have stayed back in Malaysia for college? Or taken ADP? wtf (sorry am not a fan of the American Degree Program)
But then again, who would I be today if I hadn’t gone to Mt Holyoke? I hated it then but now I think it’s damn cool that I went to a women’s college lor WTF. Who knows how differently I would have turned out if I went to NUS? Or Melbourne Uni? I would have none of the unique experiences I had in the US and Japan if I did the more traveled route of UK/Australia/Singapore.
I guess the price of a new VW Beetle is worth it for that…. wtf.
You know the other day I was in a conference of sorts. The topic was the differences in generations — Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y.
(For those in the un-know, we’re all Gen Y wtf)
Anyway they stated that Gen Y is the most privileged generation by far — never went through any major wars, no famine, thoroughly loved & pampered by their parents the Baby Boomers.
(ps: talk was given by members of Gen x. ie. biased wtf)
The speaker: “for example, once the Gen Y turns 18, the parents give them a credit card for their expenses overseas. And when they graduate and get jobs, the parents buy them a car so they can get to work. And they feel sorry for their kids for having such low starting salaries that they usually top it up…”
I thought I should stick up for my fellow Gen Y members so I said “no lor! My parents didn’t give me a car also!”
Then all the older generation people dismissed me and said “your parents from Penang right? Penang people are different” WTF WTF.
HAHAHAHAHAHA sia suay Penang people!
Anyway my point is, they were right in a way. (not about Penang people wtf) A lot of my friends still get financial assistance from their parents. A lot get cars granted by parents, Tze is working in London now but still has a credit card paid by her dad wtf, quite a few people got substantial gifts (Chanel bags, European holidays, etc) from their parents for graduating.
My parents are not like that at all! Nobody can doubt their love for me ok wtf. But once their kid gets a job it means the kid is financially independent and should start contributing to the household. Which makes sense to me cos if I still can’t contribute to my family now when I already have a job then when can I do that? (btw remind me to give money to my mother this month wtf)
After I graduated I jokingly asked them if I was gonna get a graduation present.
My parents: “what? your graduation present is your education fees la” WTF.
So true T_T
We’re not superbly rich and my parents sacrificed a lot to give me and Ooib overseas educations (and Ooib a Masters now!) Some people ask me why don’t I ask my parents for help in getting a car but I promised myself I would never take one more cent from them after I start working.
I don’t think I’m unusually pitiful either. I’m sure a lot of people my age are in my situation or worse. Like at least I don’t have to take a bus to work wtf. And I have people who love me enough to ferry me around without complaining 🙂
So I guess I’ll be hovering around like a leech for a while longer… pour salt on me if I complain wtf.
p/s: ok that was a lot of verbal diarrhea wtf
Comments (62)
sorry this is gonna be LONG! my parents gave me a car so i didnt need to take bus to college and paid all my local college fees. then i graduated and went to singapore to work and still borrowed like 5 figures from my dad to arrange for accommodation etc (which i have yet to pay back FML) then quit to come home coz i was homesick, didn’t even earn enuff sing dorras to pay my dad off. the truth is as much as i love and am grateful for my folks, i wish they were harder on me sometimes. i think i had low confidence and a jelly spine for a few yrs after school, and even till today sometimes when things get a little tough i still feel like running back to my parents for help because it’s so easy but thanks to my wonderful, natural born conscience /cue laughter/ i stopped myself. one of my greater milestones in life is instead of trading in the car that my parents gave me for deposit for a new one, i returned it back to them and paid for it myself. nothing grandious but such a significant point of my life and for my parents too i think (they were surprised i gave back the car). i guess what im trying to say is this: it’s tough now but i think you’re equipped to pay off the equivalent of a VW much sooner than say a pampered, self-entitled, spoilt gen-y who cant even mustered up money by themselves for a used kancil without crying to mommy for help. and finally, i’d like to commend your parents for great parenting elite skills.
Ooo…. I see a little of myself in you. A few years ago, that is. I WANNA DRIVE A CAR TOO!!! I have both a car and motorcycle license. But I’m stuck with motorcycles. The car my dad bought is in Brunei. OMG! I don’t even know the reason why I am stuck car-less. Feels sad everytime I think about it. NO CAR = NO DATES. XD
im now in uni. sometimes im so desperate for a car bcz no food in uni sometimes while ppl eat good food outside. much more convenient and time saving.
BUT my dad says he is nvr gonna buy me a car and i think im gonna stick with the idea of buying my very own 1st car when i work
well i’m even worse. i’m studying in nus (but luckily i got to travel out abit for exchg program) i took loan for almost everythg down to my laptop.. got to repay for a long long time after graduation as well. as far as i know, lots of other malaysians come from this backgrd have to do the same as well. only thing to do to afford the education but not burden the family..
only thing better than you? it’s okay not to have car in singapore! haha
Kids nowadays are so “xing fu/hang fuk” bcs parent got buy car and study funds from their children =S
hugs… not many had a chance to go overseas to study… not many have credit cards given to them and etc..
but u know what.. we survive.. and so will u..
just that times like today, it hits u in the knees and gets u down.. but just tell urself this, one day, U WILL BE FINANCIALLY STABLE and be able to afford a car and whatever else u want..
and now, stop daydreaming and work towards it! =) GAMBATTE!!
It’s definitely good to realise that grass is not greener on the other side hey. I sometimes wish so badly I was rich or from a rich background instead of having to save so badly for a Chanel and finally get the money ready but don’t have the heart to make the purchase!! I think we definitely know the value of money and it’s a good thing to budget and find ways to save!
One day one day we’ll get what we have always wanted xxxx also we are more likely to survive in a recession or during hard times! xxxx
eh thanks for advertising to the world arh wtf. trust you to mention that and not the fact that i gave u the idea of looking cool on a bike wtf.
the tze she’s talking about is not me!
I will buy you a car when I get superb rich T___________T just wait 10 more years wtf
Hello Audrey, to make you feel slightly better and not alone, let me share with you briefly how i get to work everyday. I worked in Damansara Uptown and stay in Klang and like you, I do not have a car. Totally FML. So that means, I woke at 5.40am everyday, take the train at 6.43am (KTM sucks man), reach kl central and transit to LRT and stopped at Tmn Bahagia to take a RapidKL bus to my workplace. Altogether a 2 and half hour journey. A total of to and fro would have gotten all of us to Penang! HAHA! But at times, my dad will drop me off in the morning. So yeah, sometimes I feel like shit too when ktm delayed their train but now we knw we’re not alone right? Cheer up kay! =) *hugs*
aud don’t be so emo ya 🙂
you are not alone..
*sheepish* i’m like you too, carless and need kind friends and nuffies to ferry me around 🙁 it’s hard now lor but i think like you said,going to mount holyoke was worth it. and besides, it’s character-building to have to work hard to pay for our own stuff wtf T_T
and i feel pain at that penang slap ah!! wtf!! >.<
Hey your parents are like my parents.
Work = Financially independent = contribute to household.
And it does make sense.
same here audrey! let’s add oil together k! 🙂
Don’t worry girl, you still have friends and loved ones to take you from point A to point B. What makes me sad is watching mothers carrying their children in public transportation…even worse when it starts to rain, or senior citizens having to walk so far because they don’t know how to use LRTs or which bus to take. You’ll get your own car eventually…the Kitty Mobile (with pointy ears and farts pink exhaust).Vrrooomm…
Generation is always being treated as the ‘strawberry’ groups. We are always labeled as weak, can’t cope with challenges and etc…we have to prove to them that they are wrong. I strongly agree wif u that once we have started working, we shudn’t ask a single cent from parents. Yeah, that’s a good sign of financial independence.all d best ya^^
Audrey, don’t listen to what your boyfriend says — “is it worth it to go to a good school but graduate with years of loans on your back?”. This falls into the same category as the “head pats”.
Cars are just objects. As soon as your buy one, and it is no longer new, it starts going down in value. Then it gets scratched or bumped into, and it is not so lovely anymore. Just like clothes and bags get old, food gets eaten, vacations are enjoyed, but then you go back to work again and need another vacation.
An education, AND ESPECIALLY the experience of those few precious years, is priceless. And going away to school, to a faraway place across the sea, to study, to make new friends, to have adventures, to grow and mature, these are things that will stay with you for a lifetime. A car sure doesn’t.
Someday, even as adorably cute, funny, and charming as you are now, you will be an old lady. And when that day comes (don’t worry, it is still a long, long way off !), you will be able to sit in a rocking chair, and drink some tea, and lean back (and rock) and enjoy all of the memories of your life, including (and especially) those days at Mount Holyoke.
Money is made, money is spent. It comes and goes. When you are sitting in that rocking chair in those latter years, money won’t matter so much to you anymore. But the money that was spent to gain that once-in-a-lifetime experience, and all the immeasurable ways it changed you, and provided for those lifelong memories, was the most well-spent of all.
i think this is smtg everyone somehow can relate to eh? i’m studying overseas now also and i so want to get a car on my own cz i dislike it so much when i have to rely on other ppl to ferry me around. the feeling of being independent is so good. but then that means i have to ask my parents to fork out money for me to do so. the dilemma~
WTF~ no credit card= save money 🙂
I’m car-less, too. 100% rely on my bf for rides. Wakes up early to work. Reach office by 7. works start at 8. works finish at 5, but need to wait till 6-ish for office van. Reach home at 7. so lifeless. Someothers are just so so fortunate, they dun have to fork out much even when they are working. now i have to pay study loan, my sis n mine insurance, parents allowance, my own rental/needs. but still proud to say I am on my own financially! hehe. just the car-less part is so not cool, aight!
not all of the gen-Y people are so fortunate! my parents support ended when i completed my secondary school education; to be fair, we are not well to do, maybe even below average.
i was really angry at them because i felt that i was denied of my education when my friends (even those who barely had enough credits to go to college) could go to Taylors, HELP or overseas to continue their education!
in a whim, i left for Singapore with a few thousand ringgit which was all i had at that time. i worked really really hard; juggling my studies and working part time (giving tuition, promoter jobs, waitressing) and completed 3 years of my diploma.
i’m now happily enrolled in NTU under a scholarship and hopefully the rainy days are over. i don’t blame my parents or God or anyone for my situation anymore; maybe it was a blessing in disguise, if not i wouldn’t have worked so hard and be one of the more matured people in my group. :p
so Aud, that VW is not worth your education at MH! Think about it, if you never went to MH, you wouldn’t have met your soulmate XD and i don’t think you’ll be the same Aud as we know you now 🙂
everyone’s rooting for u! =:)
I have the similar situation too. My family is average income kinda family so I never have any family trip let alone oversea trip or studying abroad. I felt like burden to everyone around me when I didnt have car too. since i cant depend on my parents, i kiam siap and save and finally bought a decent small car. Cheer up, everyone has the same issue 🙂
I have the same situation as u!! Although my parents paid for my education, which does not include overseas one as initially planned, after i work i insist on paying for my car. so they pitied me and fork out on half of the price on down payment. and its only my lifelong eternal plan to pay back everything that i owe them. at first it is hard, but im glad i have this conscience, because it means now i am more aggressive than ever…to achieve my own financial goal and theirs. Plus, yea u are paying edu loan, at least u dont have to pay for accomodation and car, and have endless supply of fam love around u. Im not as lucky, working 2 jobs to survive=)
haro Audrey! i sooooo can relate now that i am overseas studying for my Degree. after staying here for a few months, i grew just a bit more mature and enough to realise the heavy sacrifice my parents are making to fund my education. i also feel like wanna do something back for them and not be dependent. the angmohs are all for supporting themselves once they reach 18, but most Malaysian parents tak sengaja see their kids struggle and pamper us till the point of graduating. so good life hor?
but do know in your heart it’s all worth it in the end. i haven’t reached the point where i need to struggle for survival myself yet, but that’s exactly why my parents sent me here… to brace myself enough to face the struggles when it comes. good luck Aud!
I’m carless few years back after Uni too. (Uni fees are frm loan) i traveled by LRT to work. after changed work, My dad gave me a second hand car. i shall be thankful to my dad, as he help us save money since we small, and he took these money to buy us car. which mean i do not need to pay back.
After having a car do not really have much things u happy of. the problem is when u have to ‘feed’ the car! Petrol, road tax, insurance, services..etc!
sometimes is better to don hav a car than u have. at least u got free driver =)
part of it, i agreed is tat, nvr want a cent from parent after work,allowance for them is a must.
I have my own 1st vacation in local n sg, using own earning. heart ache but happy for wat u done.
your parent will proud of u. appreciated what you have =)
You wouldn’t be who you are today if your parents had spoiled you either.
Learning the hard way is the best way and will set you up to be successful for the rest of your life.
I guess I’m gen-x, but it wouldn’t matter if I was gen-y either because I come from a working class family.
I bought my first car on my own when I was 23, and I’ve bought all my own cars and paid for everything else myself since I graduated (and even before that actually).
It teaches you the value of money, why you are working and how hard you need to work to attain the quality of life you desire.
In the end, it’s all good 🙂 Those who are tough will persevere and do more.
hmm..i myself got a car from my uncle,FREE..but of course maintenance comes,but that is only on my final year..i always planned my transport as i tk RAPIDKL bus/trains and i even grew ‘loving’ it LOL!talk about those familiar faces of 9-5 hrs.. and i went to a local private uni (NOT gov uni)..and you know what?my mum blamed me for unable to get into a gov uni which is soooo much cheaper we dont even need a loan..so yea,now i hv a debt with ptptn coz of my LOCAL private uni..
What you wrote is so true! Can total relate myself.
Myparents can’t afford to give me a car, can’t send me to overseas for studies. Have to withdraw father’s epf to pay my college fees. Everything is so freaking expensive in Malaysia 🙁
With our salary, we can hardly afford anything wtf
I graduated from a private college. I did a twinning programme. My family is well to do but I still took study loan. My parents wanted me to learn that money doesnt come around like that. Hence, I worked part time during my study years to get a lil extra allowance to buy pretty clothes and gadgets which my parents think they were unnecessary. The hard way had taught to me complete my studies within the shortest possible time length and also be responsible.
Today, I’m the youngest at work and have been working for more than a year! *beams prudly wtf. What I’m saying is I’m really thankful and I still believe that my parents really love me because they gave me the most precious gift that is real life experiences instead of bags and credit cards.
I do understand how u feel I’m currently paying for my study loan and car loan. Whenever u feel down, think bout it the people with Channels and platinum cards do not whole the most valuable item – experience.
Four thumbs up for your parents 🙂
The more I read your blog, I must wow at your family.you must be proud of how great your parents are..
It’s good that u don’t have to take bus every morning. I do take bus, but in the place where I stay, I am totally fine with bus 🙂
Nevermind, work hard now, get rich soon then buy that pink VW and get a superb GPS!
hmm.. i grew up in a middle income family with three other siblings. I am the youngest. they tell me that i am the most fortunate, but being an ultra emo myself, I don’t think so. of the four of us, my eldest sis started working after getting out of stpm n couldn’t get in any local U. my second sis, a lil brighter got her spot in usm and is now a banker. my brother flunked his spm and went straight to private college, now working fine.
and me, same situation as my eldest, got out of stpm and has already been working for a year now. i don’t have a chance to further study like I wanted to, and brush up my english and writing skills bcoz private college are too expensive, i cant afford either my father could coz he had some business prob now. my father cant give me a car, so i get one on my own and drag to 9 years of installment so i dont have to pay a lot each month. as a writer, i need a car to go around, so its important. i slept on a thin mattress on the floor for a year before finally getting my own room now. and i have a stray cat i saved from the streets to feed.
i don’t earn more than 2k but i try my best to save up money so that i can have a chance to further my study to get the ‘essential’ piece of paper for a better future. i know i sound very emo, but i am loving every bit of my life now although occasionally i will have angry moments like you did above, angry and blaming everyone else then hate myself for blaming them. like you, i am glad that i dont have to take bus or lrt to work, except for the times when i take the train to save some STUPID petrol money. wuwuwu…
I know your loan is scary and much more worse than my car loan, but don’t give up or be sad because there are so much more to look forward to in life. surprises comes out of nowhere sometimes. and you are very blessed to be loved by everyone you know. you are so cute, i could ferry you around without charges too!! ♥
Babe,
Not everyone is fortunate and I think it’s wrong for people to generalise gen Y as pampered, well taken care of, etc etc. I had to fork out my own money by working while in Australia for three years! Now, I’m earning my own hard money – and spending it all – rent, car, expenses, entertainment….
So don’t fret, it’s probably a good thing that you don’t have a car. You don’t need to worry about the monthly installment, the maintenance etc etc 🙂
Keep your chin up!
I used to wish my family could support me more (financially) when I was younger (not that I’m old, but I feel old even thou I’m just 25). I had to work from a very young age, couldn’t afford college, from waiter to office girl to promoter I did it all, hahaha. But now I’m married, has a great job, and live a pretty decent life. (not rich but happy at least) I don’t think I would have worked as hard if I could rely on my family constantly. Life is full of surprises and it will reward those who works hard. So Aud I hope you’ll feel better soon, and furthermore car pool is much more environmental friendly anyway…;)
been a silent reader of yours for a while now, this is my first comment !
you should just be grateful and stop complaining.
not owning a car and yet has the privilege to travel to places, be it sponsored or not.
what a spoiled brat.
i read through all your inspiring stories and i am so awed that a lot of people have it worse than me but made so good on what they had 🙂 thanks for sharing guys! this will be a reminder to myself and to everyone who reads this what we have to be thankful for in life 🙂
mel: oh god please do yourself a favor and get some brains. if you were literate you’d figure out that i wasn’t complaining. you are the epitome of a brainless moron.
I want to say I feel for you. Just like all the comments left above. Everyone seem to have their share of difficulties.
For me I’m in a Uni too. With loans to repay when I get out of it. I’m juggling with school and odd jobs (3 tuition, translator, surveyor, auditor…)
At times I wallow in self pity when I see the cars and school fees paid with so much ease of my classmate. But I thought all the work I did actually did make me stronger to what I am today. 3 years ago I probably wont have the guts to approach people. The hardship does change you.
It might seem endless the repayment of the loan. But you will get through it. I twist my finger for myself too
heyz aud! god this is like my third time typing the same comment over & over again wtf >.< boss passed by then i got bombarded by calls ( i am a telephone operator btw. but they call themselves call centre agents..like that make any difference..haha ) then when i typed for the 3rd time, i accidentally closed the whole thing after typing 1/2 way!! wtf. ok anywayz…
i am not sure whatever i am typing right now relates to what you are feeling but heck i know you are cool so you probably wont mind me using up your space to rant..hohoho =p thanks n love u loads!
well i just wanna say.. I DONT HAVE A CAR EITHER!!! T.T *huhuhu*
unlike my peers who mostly have cars bought by their parents, they always bombard me with questions like ” why dont you get a car??? ” as if cars dropped from skies and i threw them away =.= and during my france trip ( compulsory in my course ) most of my friends bought chanel, gucci, longchamp bags and had escargot, foie gras, me on the other hand ate long shim and baguette everyday.. *huhuhu* i spent most of my life using my own $$ to buy my own things (laptop, shoes, clothes, facial products..blahblah)
and btw my parents are hokkien lang too! hehe ( THIS IS A JOKE. PENANG LANG ARE ACTUALLY VERY GENEROUS OK PPL haha )
haihz even after my internship, i will probably get like $1300 a month and i doubt i can afford a car or even a bottle of sk2 facial product coz i’ve got study loans to pay off ( tho not as much as yours..mine is around RM400-RM500 ) and have to pay my parents allowance every month and the rental in singapore is ridiculously expensive ( considering that i m staying in a pigeon hole.. lol )
haihz.. sometimes i feel like its not worth my effort studying so bloody hard and wasted so much money on my education. your case is probably unlike mine coz my job emphasizes more on experience and honestly despite me getting this award that award, nobody really cares.
for my case, nobody really cares if i went to a good school or not coz all that matters to them is which hotels you worked for before and whether they are 5 stars or not. oh btw, i forgot to mention that i took degree course in hospitality and management in taylors college. the cert will probably come in handy in future but right now i seriously doubt so.
and for fresh graduates ( despite us being a diploma/degree holder ) we still have to start from wayyy bottom with salaries equivalent to those who sweeps road in singapore. haihz.
and yeah even tho i do have lotsa amazing coll friends and i got the chance to know my bf =p heh heh heh and pretty cool colleagues ( and surprisingly i kinda like working in my hotel ) but thats all together a different story. coz at the end of the day, they are not the ones paying my bills. i am.
anywayz thats my story. but you know, i do think that you are pretty lucky =) you have amazing family, boyfriend and friends who cares alot for you =) and you are so pretty! ^^ i hope everything turns out right for you =) one day we shall be able to afford our own car, monthly facial and bird nest everyday! hohoho *hugz* take care!
oh btw, this is my first comment! hehe so i am very ‘cheong hei’ hohoho
xoxo
I love ur honesty! lots of us can relate to you and that’s why we love your blog and keep coming back … 🙂 truthfully, I was offered an opportunity to go overseas to study after I graduated from my diploma with pretty good results, but had to take like at least 80k worth of loans wtf. parents are retired & I do agree that at some point or other, it just isn’t time to take money from them anymore … O_o
so unlike u guys who are so courageous, I turned it down, ’cause I’ve always been working part-time and working hard to support myself … the idea of possibly returning to malaysia in 1-2 years time with a mountain of debt (and also the continuous cycle of working hard wtf) scares me shitless :S
so I opted for a different path … hoping that I’ll still be able to get a good & prestigious degree eventually via distance-learning or something, but hopefully when I’m more financially stable. sometimes I feel like I missed out on a lot just cause my family is quite poor wtf but I guess in life u can’t have everything 😀
rooting for you! xx
fret not. i’m sure your loving bf will get you a car one day!
U miss out 1 point!! Thanks to MY public transport ministers!! If dey could do a better job besides corruption.. all of us would have a better life!!
I totally agree with eric. I wish I could study abroad, and gain all those experiences you had. If I had a choice, I would take all the loans I could, and GO. Even now, you are still travelling places. I wish I could. I want to see the world, but because of financial difficulties, I can’t. I can only admire all you bloggers’ travelling pictures in awe, and dream about those in my dreamland.
Due to some financial situations I’ve quit school and started a job recently. I travel by bus to work everyday but occasionally get a lift from my dad and BF(cos he stays on the other side of the city). Almost all my friends have a car (mostly funded by their parents) and they advised me to do so. But I promised myself that when and if I do decide to get a car (not so soon of course), I will use the money that I’ve earned from my job to pay. Safe to say that I’ve never asked a cent from my parents since I turned 19. If I did, I always pay them back the next day. Now I’m working hard to save so that I can go back to school next year, funded by myself.
I hear a lot of people complaining about their ‘sad’ lives (i’m not saying you are but alot of people out there are) but in reality they are not seeing the big picture.
To them: don’t drown in your so-called sorrows. Live hard. Whatever life you have.
Hello, I came across your blog randomly and I would like to say how true of a person you are for being so honest about your life, etc and that’s why I love your blog.
I am from America and I am not sure what kind of stereotypical views others have on Americans, but I’d like to say that I am not it. I grew up in a middle class family and my parents worked very hard to earn their living and to provide the best for us. To add to it, my parents are immigrants from Cambodia (Chinese Cambodians) and they came here during the early 80’s so they never had an education and had to go straight to low wage work. I cannot stress how often my parents have told us that we are extremely lucky for being able to be born here. (I really do feel that I am lucky and I am really thankful for that.)
Anyway, I’m sorry this is getting very long, but I just wanted to let you know, you’re not the only one without a car. I too depend on others for a car (I feel bad but so lucky at the same time.) I live in suburbia so public transportation is scarce and very far away from home. In college, my apartment was 20 minutes of walking from the bus stop. I’ve always wanted to study abroad but was never able to because we didn’t have enough money (I maxed out my student loans). I recently graduated this summer and now back at home. I currently do not work (it’s so hard to find a job!) but I am not given any money either (only for necessities) but I’d like to say that I am still extremely happy even though I don’t have any money because at least my parents still feed me and provide me a house to live in and give me all their love. =)
I give you props for all that you’ve said in your blog by letting the world know you’re not the typical Gen Y. Keep up the good work!
Aud aka Kitteh (hope Tim don’t kill me..lol)
1. No one can have the best of both worlds (maybe Miley/Hannah)…you had a good education and experience overseas…material things will come soon enough, ur not even 30..why worry?!!
2. I had the same thinking as ur Wombeh (I chose local education so I don’t have to suffer as much during my working days to pay off the loans)..lucky I did, met my future wife there…
3. I now travel with my wife whenever I can (after saving up for months or years wtf)..now tht’s living a life…
4. I’m in my early 30s and my wife and I share a car (new one though), coz we work nearby and we saving the environment.
5. Everything happens for a reason: time to kill? go shopping, read a book…but often it is times like that you reflect on your life….which we all think is going on great btw…except…why aren’t u 2 getting married yet…lol
My parents aren’t rich as well but they always wanted me to go overseas. I did well in studies but I wanted to pursue a course that rarely gets sponsorship so I didn’t get anywhere. At last, I was accepted in Public U with PTPTN Loan. Halfway through, I couldn’t cope.
Went to private college after that, am doing well and having fun. My mom still wants me to go overseas if possible and the rough calculation is a RM120k loan.
I know this isn’t probably what you expected, but your post made me glad that I decided not to go.
I’ve spend my teenage life not having much money, and I hate that feeling! I don’t think I can bear another 10 years after studies having to payback a huge loan.
But of course, I believe that we were meant to take different courses in life. If I didn’t take the first course, I wouldn’t have met my bf (despite me failing that course I still think it’s worth it) .
And screw what Mel said, I think you are so not a spoilt brat!!
Audrey, you have inspired me!!!! You are pretty awesome! Like you, I have a study loan amounting close to the VW Beetle. I’ve yet to start repaying because I’d just graduated and am still jobless. So your blog entry has inspired me!!!! I’ll work harder at finding a proper job and in the mean time work harder at my part time job! I’m so proud that my parents have taught me the value of money and hardwork. And of course, I’m proud to be a Penangite too!! So hang in there – you’ll be owning a car in no time!!
Wafu, second that!!! how very true! its what i always thought, why we can be more public tranportation friendly here? i often feel ppl’s stigma to it, and thus i dont take them too, cos bcos those politicians drive around in benz, they have no idea how much we have to suffer for a car.
my love i would give you a long-ass comment too but you already have ~43 to read through wtf so i’ll save it for another day 😛
love you!
Totally like this post!
I would never ask for anything more from my parents. Paying my education fees in Singapore is really, really, the greatest gift already.
Awesome post! [: