1. You can never go wrong with a complete Lord of The Rings VCD set
I still remember the 4cm thick VCD set he brought back to the house aeons ago. Mind you, this came in a 3 discs-in-1 set because as you can remember, VCDs are only able to cram one hour long of movie footage. And what d’ya know, they even threw in a 1-for-1 Starbucks voucher for good measure (because nothing says value buy like discounted American coffee).
What more, this golden rectangle of treasure came along with an exclusive ‘Guide to the Fighting Forces of Middle-Earth’ for your reading pleasure, surprisingly useful during family toilet breaks. Definitely #noregrets on this one.
2. Taking a chill pill every now and then
My dad has always taught be to be quick our feet, and come what may. Since none of us are not psychic (who is anyway, unless you’re studying metaphysics in Indiana?), it doesn’t hurt to just chill and live life as it is.
3. ….But also be prepared for rainy days
Parents, am I right? They always kinda contradict themselves, and there’s no way of challenging their thinking no matter how good of a debater you are.
But I have to concur with this one – it’s always handy to have some rainy day funds at the end of the day. After all, there’s no knowing of what comes next. Be it an accident, health issue or even a spoilt water heater, these things really do take up quite a chunk out of your finances.
4. Never taking the easy way out
There’s a humorous Chinese proverb that goes along the lines of:
“If there’s an old lady running, she must be up to something. ”
Long story short, my dad taught me relentlessly that there’s no such thing as shortcuts to life. Success comes the age-old way, which is through sheer hard work, intelligence and perhaps, even a small dose of good luck!
5. ….But if there’s a smarter route, why not?
Another one of his classic oxymorons. My dad gave out one of his best analogies to date – why would you scratch your left ear with your right hand, when you can do the same with less effort with the left hand?
Some visual aid may be helpful at this point:
I can literally hear minds being blown right now.
6. Procrastination ain’t cool, kids
Remember that final exam you sat with a half-as*ed mind, given that you’ve just stayed up an entire night cramming a year’s worth of syllabus. Or perhaps you’ve even put off proofreading your resume until the very last minute, until you’ve printed it out on the interview day itself and discovered an unsightly typo smacked right in the middle.
Just remember, those few hours of lepak-ing with the squad is simply not worth the gamble of your education and what more, career!
7. The key to a good heart is humility
My dad has always reminded us to keep both feet on the ground, no matter how high up we go. Intelligence alone truly can only take you so far – couple that with arrogance and you’re bound to find yourself all alone in no time.
8. Horror movies are sh*t without sound effects
I remember being traumatised by a Japanese horror movie on the TV, so much so until I had resulted in peeping through the cracks of my fingers while my palms made for automatic blinds. Wanting to share his adult wisdom, dad then began reducing the volume until it was barely comprehensible. And what d’ya know? The scene then cuts straight into a jump scare and I wasn’t even afraid one bit!
Lesson learnt: Sound designers are the real MVPs of horror movies.
9. Respect goes both ways, end of speech
The magic words – please, sorry and thank you. You’d be surprised how far these common courtesies will take you.
10. Perfecting the art of soft-boiled egg, because #priorities
My dad always made THE best soft-boiled eggs, hands down. Mind you, this was waaaay before that plastic slow cooker invention so he had to do all this the old fashioned way – bringing the water up to a boil, plopping in the eggs without cracking them (harder than it sounds), and being observant enough not to let them over boil themselves.
The result? Deliciously runny eggs while retaining a half-cooked golden centre – the true key to happiness.