The tracking of my finances very strictly started when I worked in a company that pays excess work done in the next month. For example, the additional work done in January will be paid in the February salary. And in order to keep track if they are paying me correctly, I have came up with an Excel Spreadsheet.

This started in 2014 and has since evolved.

But before I dive into the Excel Spreadsheet, it must be noted that I do have multiple bank accounts to help me with my finances. First, my personal savings. Second, my personal spendings. Third, a joint savings account with my husband. Fourth, a joint groceries/misc spendings account with my husband.

Personal savings & joint savings account. For any savings account, I have a separate Excel Spreadsheet to track my finances. It requires a minimum amount of effort to maintain them and it will be explained why later.

Personal spendings & joint groceries/misc spendings. I don't keep track of this by any means of Excel Spreadsheet as it is too impossible to track the daily amount that is headed out of it. Also, it is very taxing. I have tried before and I usually give up by the second day. I would not recommend daily spendings tracking to anyone, really. What I do is, I give myself an amount to spend every month, like an allowance your parents give you when you were growing up, and I spend it as and when I like. If I run out of 'allowance' money, I beat myself up about it and promise to not do it the next month or any months after. However, for the joint groceries/misc spendings account, we do keep track of it. It isn't as taxing as my daily spendings account as we don't shop for groceries every single day, mostly, it is just weekly.

Here's the fun part where we move on to my Excel Spreadsheets examples.

This is the version I am using now and I am extremely satisfied with it! I have changed it over 10 times, I would think, because I tried the daily expenses tracking. Thus, as adviced above, do not do it. This Spreadsheet has helped me with my monthly finances, where my money should go once my pay arrives into my bank account, and how much I am off or on budget for the month's spendings or savings. Basically, it is an overview of how my monthly salary is being saved or spent. There are formulas plastered everywhere on the sheet and if I were to change an amount somewhere, it'll essentially be automatically calculated. I am very proud of myself.

In this Excel Spreadsheet, I note down my savings - what I want to save, how much are in each column so I can budget myself on how much I have to spend for any particular thing I want to spend on. I have the same concept spreadsheet for the joint savings account with my husband as well.

You may ask: Do you take note of every single transaction? The simple answer is: YES!

But how? Isn't it inconvenient? Honestly, it isn't very and it shouldn't be. I mean, it's called 'savings' for a reason. You're not supposed to touch it at all unless you really do want something in the columns you have saved up for, for example, a short trip, which can be done when you're in the paying stage for the trip. So all the transactions that happen are basically the ones you update once a month when you do your finances when your salary is deposited.

It isn't always easy to save. When I was working at the above-mentioned company, I wasn't paid a lot and I was also studying part-time, I could not work the extra hours to clock in any additional wages. I had to study and save for my studies which I paid once every 6 months, and I needed money to eat daily. And, trust me, working at the CBD area is not friendly to my wallet at all. I was constantly tapping into my savings and using it because I didn't have enough money in my spendings account to top up my EZ-Link card.

Now that I am better off financially, after quitting the above-mentioned company, and have moved on to greener pastures at the start of the year, I am proud to say that my personal savings account has been growing. My aim to having x amount may come true in due time!

Setting up my website is not as easy as it looks, considering it is all through HTML, not a website that posts posts directly. I am unable to customise it by a click of a button to change the website's theme nor am I able to change the entire layout just like that. But it all worked out because I think I am doing a good job at customising and maintaining this layout, of course, with the help of my husband.

That said, there are some important things that are required to be in a website that is good to note, especially if you're selling items or if you'd like to promote it big.

Important Policies

After working in a large internet company for 4 months now, I realised some policies are important for websites. Thus, please do note that these must be in your website. Especially so when you want to sell items on your website!

The first one will be the Privacy Policy. This will help your users or visitors of your website understand the data you're collecting, and should it breach any of their privacy. I had mine generated by Termly, it is very straightforward and a form that is easy to fill up. They have an article indicating the importance of having a privacy policy.

The next one will be Terms & Conditions. Again, Termsfeed has a helpful article on why a terms and conditions page is important.

Since I enjoy being a little extra, I had to add a Disclaimer and a Terms of Use, mostly just to keep myself safe, I guess.

Other features or policies that may be crucial to have in your website would be a place where visitors or users of your website is able to contact you. I mean, if that is what you are aiming for, please do include it, just in case they have any questions or queries, they know they are able to contact you for more details. Otherwise, for a business selling products (like an e-commerce website), please do include a Shipping and Return Policy so your customers will know what to expect in terms of receiving their items. Which also makes the contact page even more so important to have.

AdSense

I have set up AdSense for my website plainly because I want to earn some extra cash on the side as I am not an e-commerce nor am I selling any products or services. It is a simple process to follow. I am actually currently pending approval from them, it is not easy but I will work hard to try and get it up and running; which would also mean that my viewers will start seeing ads in between things. Again, I am unsure if it applies for websites such as Wix or Squarespace, one will need to check with them, if they're on it.

That's all I have for this article. I have long ways to go before it can become something. Thank you for reading all the way!

Did you know?I have another persona on the Internet called Let's Eat With Sha. It started off when I took a really nice Boomerang of my mother taking a piece of dim sum off a plate with other dishes surrounding it; and I took really nice pictures of food (when I feel like it, really).

It started off really well, I used an application/website called Later and planned to post around 11.30 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This was aimed at people who were looking for things to eat during lunch as that is what we always struggle with! Unfortunately, I ran out of nice food pictures and decided to cut down on the frequency of the posts to just Tuesdays and Thursdays. But it was still too much. So I cut down to once a week, Tuesdays.

Alas, the flame burnt out and I stopped scheduling and stopped bothering much about it. I do post every once in a while when I have a nice picture to post. However, I realised that I do post on my main Instagram page as well - @pestanatasha. So it felt like I was doing double work, just that the caption had to change.

I then decided that my pestanatasha page shall no longer have any food pictures, but what will it have besides pictures of skies - sunrise and sunset? It was a really confusing time.

So I forwent Let's Eat With Sha altogether. Only recently I post whatever nice food pictures I had taken and eaten on that day itself.

My main focus was initially to be a foodgram or foodstagram. It actually still is.

I post on dishes and meals I had and rave about how good they are or be really honest about how I was disappointed. I did not and will never want people to invite me to try their food and say they'll pay me for it just so I will say good things about them. Or I would cook something or have a home-cooked meal prepared and I take a really aesthetic-pleasing picture of it and post it.

Do I have another focus or angle to this page? I do not know as yet.

Of course, we do it for the gram. We do it because we enjoy the fame and the growing number of followers. Of course, I'd like to have a whole bunch of followers, just so I can prove to the hiring managers out there that I am good at SEO, marketing, etc.

I have taken many courses in marketing, free ones and paid ones, because of the pandemic, and just so I can find a job in marketing or communications as I studied and worked very hard for it all. There's more information in my 'About Me' section on how much I suffered and accomplished - no need to revisit it. Has it all paid off? Perhaps I am not motivated enough to work on myself as I am not getting paid nor getting any outcome of it all. Sorry, a little rant there.

I think ultimately, I will figure that all out in due time. In the meantime, I am going to work hard on myself and my website.

Thank you for reading!

I have thought long and hard about what I will be writing or blogging about, what my website will be about or who it is for - this is important for my personal branding, in the long run. It is also tough as I realised I do not have a particular topic that I am deeply interested in that I can talk about for a long period of time.

The following paragraphs will be about my branding/focus of my website and 3 goals I have set out for myself, and potentially the ideal outcome of my website.

Focus of Website / My Branding

It has been decided that it'll be things that I do in my life that I feel I am good at and what works for me - various topics. I am not an expert by any means and it will solely be based on my own experience.

Goals

Anything that is suitable for the wider audience, no specific target audience. This is a bad thing, I know, as it is important to have a target audience and a specific one at that. Let's wait until I post more and attract the right audience who will stay and continue following me. Also, perhaps gain new ones who are going through the same phase as me and are looking for tips and tricks to get through something, or gain some insights and ideas on how to deal with certain matters.

How frequent should I post and keep up with my website? I am hoping at least once a week. Do forgive me if otherwise.

I will constantly work hard and improve my website. Content, pages, access to information, narrowing down specific topics and target audience. I will review twice a year or more frequently, to see where my website is headed and adjust from there accordingly.

Ideally, I will like to see an increase of viewers over a period of time. I will work hard and post as often as I have mentioned above.

Ultimately, I do not have a specific personal branding, nor do I have a specific target audience. This website does not seem like it has a good outcome. But I am going to learn along the way and narrow my focus, if at all possible.

Thank you for reading all the way!

For the longest time ever, I have been wanting to have my own website to host my writings, my videos, and my works - a place online to hold my portfolio. I found Wix.com and was overjoyed when I chose a template of my liking, edited and customised the design to my liking; eventually publishing and being really satisfied with it. I was unable to commit to purchasing a domain through the Wix.com site as I was not earning much and I knew I did not have the time nor the passion to constantly update or churn out my works.

What changed? How did I end up purchasing a Google Domain? What is the motivation behind this move?

My Motivation

I was motivated by my husband and was strongly encouraged by him to go with it, since I have been wanting to do it for a while now, probably since 2017 when I first set up my Wix.com site. I was sure he'd make sure I follow through and sustain my website. My financial status is now stable, despite purchasing our dream home which will not come until 2027 (hopefully earlier), but I am able to save up more since I got a new job.

Google Domains

Google Domains was a choice. Come to think of it, I purchased it on impulse. I wanted this so badly that I purchased it on a whim! Thankfully, there was a discount code [DOMAINS20], which I purchased for 2 years at 20% off (capped at $8). I mean, who doesn't love a good discount, right? This was possible as Google Domains is out of beta! Unfortunately, as you are reading this probably much much later, the code expired on 16 April 2022.

The whole purchasing experience was fun, short and simple. The entire process was completed in less than 10 minutes! I know I can trust Google despite this being an impulse buy, I know Google is safe for users and consumers like me. No regrets there!

Thank you for reading till the end. I do hope to continue churning more content and keep up with my schedule. See you next time!

Behind The Name

pestanatashatwork - this is a name I find fascinating. It started with pestanatasha, a combination of my last and first name. My name is Pestana Natasha Brenda. Seeing how my last name ends with the first two letters of my first name, I merged them. It was an awakening I am truly thankful for.

It expanded to pestanatashatwork as my first name ended with an 'a' and being at work was something I want to portray with my website, thus, the combination.

About The Website

It took weeks to create the website. I started with Blogger because it was the easiest. Blogskins.com no longer exists, it was difficult to find something that I am familiar with. Yes, I was a blogspot.com gal back in the day, updating nearly every single day - it was my diary, it was everyone's diary. I knew how to change the HTML codes and whatnot because I experimented; I did not necessarily enjoy it but I did what I could because I wanted my blog to look just perfect.

Edit: Lo and behold, I found some old blogskins.com templates in my external hard drive while searching for pictures to use on my current website! Have I tried it yet? No. Will I try it? Maybe.

My husband received some inspiration from his school project to create a website, thus, he wanted to do one of his own. He promised once he was done with his website (it is linked by the way, under “Other Links”), he'd do mine! Yes, my husband did my website. Much credit goes to him as I was a really difficult client; I wanted things done very specifically - I am very fussy and particular about these things. I needed a user interface to be pleasant to look at, easy to use, and something that conveys my brand clearly (I will write more about that in the coming days).

The other nitty gritty things, like privacy policy, terms and conditions, and basically every other thing you see at the footer, I did them on my own. I didn't want to bother my husband too much as he was busy with his own website.

Welcome!

So here it is, my website, relaunched, with my own domain!

Have a look around and do leave me any suggestions, feedbacks, and concerns through the Contact Me page! I look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers and take care.

Disclaimer: I wrote this for a school assignment that was submitted January of 2018.
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Plastic straws are easily attainable as they are used everywhere; some people even have the habit of chewing on them to kill boredom. But what about paper or even stainless steel straws?

Nicole Pestana, 32, who has had the pleasure of trying out the three types of straws, prefers paper straws over the other two. However, it depends on the quality of the straw as it may soak up the drink and become damp. But this will not dampen her wish of serving only paper straws when she owns her café.

Minimising the use of plastic is her aim as she knows it will help the environment in the long run. She is also for a tax being implemented just so to “prolong the life of the landfill and provide a better life for the future generation”.

While there are others like her, Nur Yusra, 27, is against the idea of the tax being introduced as the people in the lower income family will not be able to afford it. “Also, some of them use plastic to do crafts, and some need plastic bags to throw their rubbish at home.”

In 2017, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA), there were 815,200 tonnes of plastic waste generated. Out of which, only a mere 51,800 tonnes were recycled. That is about 6 per cent recycling rate. This meant that the remainder 763,400 tonnes of plastic waste had to be disposed of.

The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) informs us that the only landfill we have, Semakau, which was opened in April 1999, is fast filling up. Sending about 200,000 tonnes of solid waste every year is the cause of that. At this rate, around 2035, the landfill will run out of space.

Disclaimer: I wrote this for a school assignment that was submitted on the 2nd of March 2017, and have since edited it to include some pointers from my lecturer.
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The Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon rollercoaster gives the rider a choice of riding on either the Human or Cylon track. Both tracks are one kilometre long, which provides 90 seconds of ride experience each. But you need to be of a minimum height of 125cm to ride with the other 15 riders on each vehicle. The ride's highest point on both coasters is 42.6 metres (equivalent to 14 storeys!) and has a top speed of 90 kilometres per hour. Not forgetting the famous five inversions on Cylon.

As someone who is terrified of riding roller coasters, I was not looking forward to it at all.

Rumoured to be the scarier of the two, I fearfully approached the entrance of Cylon with the express pass in hand.

My friend and I made our way to the Cylon Headquarters where we were greeted by four Cylon figures standing in the display. Deeper in, we were soon surrounded by red walls that probably resemble the insides of a typical alien hive. We cautiously climbed up two flights of dimly lit stairs while the normal lane riders sat on the stairs as they wait their turn to reach the top. Safety announcements were being played on repeat in the background, which riders paid little attention to.

At the top, express and normal riders were sent off one side at a time. Single-riders had the privilege of cutting the queue.

With instructions to go to row two, I nervously asked a father with his 9-year-old daughter to switch. I am now in row three.

The point of no return. The previous set of riders ended their ride and it was time to start mine.

I plopped myself into the seat on the right, feet dangling. A staff approached to lower the harness and buckle the seat belt. I tested the padded harness, pulling it away from my body to see how much it would stretch and how safe I would be. It was snugly fitted, making me feel as secured as the grave.

Heart racing, surroundings blurring. The seats felt heavy and started vibrating, the intensity increasing like a race car driver at biting point ready to speed off. And off it went, slow for all of two seconds before speeding upwards only to drop down and go upside down before going up and dropping down again, my intestines melding into one. This was followed by more inversions coupled with some ups and downs. The sky and earth were a blur; I only remember seeing the occasional blue and white. And it was over. My eyes were closed 90% of the time.

Unable to believe what I just went through, I got off.

A week later, I went for Human.

Unfortunately, I spent two hours at a nearby shelter waiting for the skies to clear.

Upon hearing screams while the ride vehicles were in motion, I immediately activated my friend and met her at the entrance of Human and off we went in with the express pass.

As adrenaline and excitement took over my body, I hardly had time to absorb the environment. My friend and I quickly entered the Human Headquarters, up two flights of brightly lit stairs to the top and we were the first in line and were immediately sent off to row number six.

There were two vehicles already on the track: one with riders fastening themselves and the other with people who are waiting to alight.

Before I know it, I was placing my spectacles on the shelf and sinking into the seat slowly. Lacking the strength to fasten and buckle my harness, the same staff I saw from Cylon helped me. Again, I made sure I was snugly strapped in.

Within a few seconds, the vehicle shot out of the building only to slow down when we have reached the top and made that first drop.

90 seconds of screaming and cursing from the remaining drops while feeling safe and secured in the seat, my friend chatting with me - a one-sided chat, I must say. And it was over. I had tears of joy rolling down my cheeks accompanied by uncontrollable laughter. I enjoyed the entire ride.

Grinning from ear to ear, I got off.

I would definitely ride Human again. As for Cylon, someone will need to sedate me for that to happen.

Personally, Human is less frightening as there were only very few drops and no inversions as compared to Cylon, which has five inversions. I highly recommend taking Human over Cylon. Overall, I feel the creators have done a brilliant job balancing the ride in terms of the level of scariness.

I did not regret taking the ride and would recommend all who are equally fearful to just take it and enjoy it.

Rating:

Disclaimer: I wrote this for a school assignment that was submitted in July of 2017.
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Three Singaporeans, who enjoy shopping as much as I enjoy eating and sleeping, welcomed me into their world of shopping.

First up, meet 23-year-old fashionista, Amirah Mohd Ali, a girl who loves shopping for clothes, bags and heels enough to know what goes and what does not.

During the interview in a room at her office, she was all smiles, as she tells me all about her shopping times, twirling and spinning in her chair and feeling like she is on cloud nine.

She laughed embarrassingly, covering half of her face with her tudung, as she told me that she can spend up to $300 in a day buying various types of clothes when she goes on her shopping spree, but emphasising that she goes about once every three months.

Next is 35-year-old project manager and tech geek, Michael Tay, who puts his trust and faith in technology, as it has become a necessity and, according to him, “improves my life somehow or other”.

An example of one of his buys, as he shows me his wrist proudly, is a fitness tracker, and he bought it to keep his fitness on track and make him more conscious to be healthier.

Last but not least, 45-year-old Wendy Frugtniet, an administrator who enjoys shopping online and various apps on her mobile phone, which have been introduced to her by colleagues, as it saves time and is mostly cheaper than physical shops.

When questioned if they are aware that there are more vacancies in malls, Amirah was completely shocked and unaware of it, citing that each time she went shopping, the malls look full to her; Michael and Wendy were not as shocked and said that they have seen vacant shops when they go to malls.

Michael said he read about it in the news and is not surprised, “The retail market is suffering because of the online market. There are also too many shopping centres and they all look the same.” When asked to elaborate, he said, “The good thing is that there is Guardian and Watsons in every mall but it is the same at most malls.”

“There are more vacant shops in smaller malls but not at bigger malls,” Wendy casually told me while searching in her bedroom for something she bought online recently, “maybe because of high rental prices.”

Amirah being the most outspoken of the three, declared loudly her preference to shop at malls instead of online. She then proceeded to educate me extensively on her “buy more, spend less” policy.

She says shopping in Johor Bahru is a good place, especially for someone like her, as there are shops with stylish clothes, which are Muslimah-friendly. Giggling, she added that the exchange rate for Malaysia now makes her feel “deliciously rich” each time she goes there to shop. She goes to neighbourhood shopping malls in Tampines as well but she concentrates more on buying bags and heels there.

Wendy says she does walk around to find clothes. Her usual haunt would be Takashimaya as she has a privilege, which she is unable to tell me, that enables her to get a 10 per cent discount. She would occasionally receive vouchers as well, and because there is no expiry date for them, she is able to collect and use them at one go. This saves her some money.

But overall, she prefers shopping through mobile phone apps and online markets, she says this saves her time and she is able to do household chores and shop at home. The few websites and apps she shops at are jobandshop, Qoo10, SingSale, and most recently, her colleague introduced her to an app called MAMA, where she made a purchase for a handphone cover and two pairs of exercise tights for under $30.

Her physical shopping would be reserved for beauty products, as they may not be available on the apps or online. Also, she is able to test the sample when she goes to the shop itself, instead of making a purchase and finding out it does not suit her. And she does not buy shoes online, as she needs to be able to try it on for the size fit and to test its comfort level.

Michael does extensive research before buying an item so that he is sure that it is the best item for his needs, this also minimises the regret for purchasing the item, as there would be no impulse buys.

When asked how he does his research, he said, “Simply go to Google, type out the item name and the word 'review' and click 'Enter'.” And he usually reads reviews from websites like Amazon and watches YouTube videos to see the physical item in someone's hands. Such an item would be his mobile phone.

Like Wendy, he too shops at Qoo10, and goes to physical shops to try on shoes and clothes. He enjoys shopping at Lazada because of the sales and offers the website has. Other online platforms he uses are Shopee, Carousell, and Taobao, which replaced eBay, as his source to browse for items from overseas that cannot be found anywhere else.

In terms of budget, all of them agreed that they want to buy more for less, and they will scout for the cheapest item they can get from whichever platform they chose.

When asked about what her budget for a clothing item is, Amirah very bluntly said, “Don't expect a sleeveless to cost you more than 20 bucks because of the lack of cloth.” But she is willing to spend more on her bags and heels, reason being, “From first look, it can convey a certain image and your wealth because of the branding displayed on the bag.”

Michael is careful in his search for mobile phones, cables and other nitty-gritty items as well, and makes sure to not go above $800 for his phones and $100 for the total of other items.

Wendy is also careful choosing where she buys the items she needs to get, be it physical or online. She gives herself a budget of $20 for each item and, for clothing, a total of not more than $100.

Despite the mental and physical fatigue Amirah feels after shopping, it makes her “really, really happy”. When she shops, she “thinks and walk a lot before buying”, and she makes sure every single shop has been covered “to get the best price and rare designs because I don't like what people wear.”

The same goes for Michael and Wendy who feels a sense of pleasure after shopping and receiving their items, either by collecting it from the post office or having it delivered right to their doorstep.

Amirah ended the interview candidly with a quote, “Shopping is never complete until I reach the final stage, which is the alteration because of my fun size.”

All this talk about feeling good after shopping, both online and offline, makes me want to buy things I possibly do not need but would make me momentarily happy.

Disclaimer: I wrote this for a school assignment that was submitted in January of 2016.
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Singapore hawker centres are a piece of history that dates back to the 1800s, where one would be able to find a variety of ethnics' cuisine - Chinese, Malay, Indian - coming together under one roof serving a wide selection of food for the hungry neighbourhood, but will the hawker trade ever die?

From street peddling to common areas strategically located at the heart of most housing estates in Singapore, the hawker centre is the place to go for affordable local food, be it with our family, friends, or colleagues. It is where we meet to bond with one another amidst the familiar tastes and extended memories of Singapore.

Sitting down at Bedok Corner Hawker Centre on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I watched how hawkers interact with their customers of different races and backgrounds. Smiles and laughter were seen and heard and with jokes even being thrown around, one would certainly be able to feel the rich history and ties that these hawkers have with their customers and fellow stallholders.

Mr Lim Thian Seng Peter, 64, who is commonly known as Ah Boy by his family, friends and also his regular customers, had the stall opened by his grandmother since 1939 at Bedok Seaside, years before he was born. The cuttlefish kang kong dish stall in Bedok has seen almost four generations of ownership - his grandmother, his father, himself and, in the future, his son - and it has since then established its reputation for good quality food and taste.

Mr Lim also adds that even though the rising price of his ingredients has led him to increase the price of his dish, he is still committed to go on with his stall as he has his regular customers, “otherwise, I don't do, very expensive”. As he informs his regular customer that it is no longer $5 a plate - it is now $6 - his customer does not seem to mind at all and even jokes about the price increase. Mr Tan Jia Chuen Edwin, 27, feels that the regulars “probably won't be that calculative over a small increase” and that “it will still be cheaper than eating elsewhere”.

Ms Amirah Binte Mohd Ali, 22, who works in the Central Business District (CBD), says that although she does not frequent hawker centres and would prefer to takeaway rather than having her meal there, she does appreciate the “cheaper option” in times of desperation. Mr Tan, who is her colleague, agreed as “low income families need them to survive”.

The friendly bonds that have been formed between hawker and customer are not only a common sight at the Bedok Corner Hawker Centre. This is also commonly seen at the Market Street Hawker Centre where Ms Amirah and Mr Tan occasionally go to for their lunch. They feel that it is one thing that hawker centres have that would keep the hawker trade alive.

Ms Amirah points out that, “For hawker, you actually get to see the cook and the owner”. Seconding that, Mr Tan feels that the hawkers “befriend people and make some chats if you frequent their stalls and some of them are actually lovable like the old lor mee couple.”

One other thing that also will not change in hawker centres, is the taste. Even Michelin-star chef Gordon Ramsay could not beat our local hawker's food in the “Singtel Hawker Heroes Challenge” in 2013. Graciously accepting defeat, Ramsay comments, “Not bad, but can do better.” Ramsay also points out how it was not an easy task trying to get the laksa dish right as there are “so many variations”.

Mr Lim feels that hawker food have the Singaporean taste, “which people still like” and it is something food courts are lacking of as the foreigners have taken over the job of a chef, and that it does not “suit us Singaporean(s)”. Ms Amirah was torn between hawker centres and food courts when it comes to taste but it was easy for Mr Tan to agree with Mr Lim as to the taste of the hawkers overrules that of food courts.

Mr Lim's son, who is working at another job, would come over to help once in a while. He hopes that his son would take over his business after he retires or is unable to walk. While Mr Tan feels that he will only go into it in his most dire strait.

And as Mr Tan says, “Hawkers are where some of the best food are. $2.50 chicken rice nowhere else.” It is difficult to disagree with him.

*Tapao - Hokkien for pack away

Disclaimer: I wrote this for a school assignment that was submitted in January of 2016.
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Enjoying a bowl of delicious piping hot spicy laksa, wiping the perspiration away from your face and looking up at the fan, wondering if it is working. That is one of the things you might experience eating at a hawker centre.

But would you choose to have this delicious dish at a hawker centre over that of the comforts of an air-conditioned food court where you do not need to worry about the humidity of Singapore?

27-year-old Mr Tan Jia Chuen Edwin thinks the comfort will only be temporary as the smell of the food court lingers on your clothes after, and that in terms of taste, he would rather go to a hawker centre.

Mr Lim Thian Seng Peter, a 64-year-old hawker whose cuttlefish kang kong stall has seen nearly four generations - since his grandmother opened the stall in 1939 - feels that the taste at food courts does not “suit us Singaporean(s)” as foreigners have taken over the job of a chef and that “nowadays, people still like hawker food”.

Even Michelin-star chef Gordon Ramsay could not beat our local hawker's food in the “Singtel Hawker Heroes Challenge” in 2013. Graciously accepting defeat, Ramsay comments, “Not bad, but can do better.” Ramsay also points out how it was not an easy task trying to get the laksa dish right as there are “so many variations”.

Getting the taste of any dishes right at a hawker centre is not easy as experienced by Ramsay and it is also agreed by Ms Amirah Binte Mohd Ali, 22, who says that she would not consider getting into the hawker line “just because it looks tough to satisfy people's taste buds.”

Despite all that, we still see hawker centres around us, serving our favourite local dishes, from Chinese to Malay, right up to Indian food.

This is a trade that cannot die. After all, Singapore is known as the “Food Paradise” and as Mr Tan says, “Hawkers are where some of the best food are.”