i am in civil service.

i was clearing 7 days of AL last week. (I still have 5 weeks remaining). I got the opportunity to have meals with many of my friends, ex-colleagues and ex-classmates.

one is a doctor who just past all her speciailist exams, another is in ship financing at a foreign bank, corresponded with a financial controller based in somewher in Asia, a SIA and a Silkair pilot, a secondary teacher, a conveyancing lawyer, an a few others. i am in civil service.

all of my friends have very good income, most well above mine. i think all of them owns a car, some continential. i don't.

except for the pilots, most of them work almost twice the working hours compared to me. the doctor, banker, financial controller, lawyer and secondary school teacher are all single. we are all in our early to mid-thirties, all Chinese, well educated. Many of us hold further and/or foreign degrees as well as coveted professional titles.

why am i writing this thread? a few days ago, the govt and media highlighted the dire birth rate in Singapore. a dedicated website is launched just on population issues (not sure what purpose will this website serve), and there is talk to explore longer maternality leave and other parenthood benefits. MCYS made incremental steps by shortening the reimbursement period to companies for maternity make-up salary.

but frankly, how many of us will really lower our social and economic expectations (by a lot but then still to a rather ok level) to start a family or simply to enjoy other aspects of life such as exercise or community events. many of these friends dress in fine clothes but are physically unfit and have never entered a community centre or took part in a community event in their recent memory. maybe because they are working more than 80hours a week.

both me and my wife just crossed our $5k threshold monthly income. combined we earn more than $10k per month. annually its around $150k. truthfully speaking we don't feel this is adequate to meet our expectations. our need HDB flat and renovations ($70k cash including applicances and furniture) almost wiped out all our cash. that's we are hesisitating to spurlge $70k on COE alone for a new car. i buy groupon vouchers for discounted car rental to refresh my driving skills once a while.

but frankly i am lucky. as i don't have to work weekends and OTs are uncommon. in fact i just finished the entire 90 espisodes of DVD korean drama Ju Meng during my leave. (the DVD's cost me $30 + maybe $50 aircon at home but saves me lots of money compared to a holiday). civil service still has its perks.