When we were still children, my sister and I would conjure up evening gowns from blankets, crowns from paper, and diamonds from ring pops, but no matter how extravagant our costumes were, nothing could top being in our mother’s heels. There’s just something about that ‘click clock, click clock’ that really makes a young kindergartener feel like a confident business woman, super model, or a classy mother. No matter the age, high heels continue to be an accessory that empowers women at every phase of their life. Even the heel-haters break out a pair of platforms for special occasions like job interviews or weddings. High heels are like the booze at parties and they deserve the honour of attending your most important events. Most of you are probably wondering if my raging passion for heels stems from the fact that I am really short, which I am, but the strong feels for heels isn’t exclusive to petite girls. Even my model-height girlfriends can't help feeling disappointed when they are stripped off their rights to wear heels around (insecure) shorter boys. What exactly is it about these quintessentially feminine shoes that makes us feel so damn good?

Historical Progression

Heels began with men and a practical purpose to fulfil – horse riding. The little nook that formed between the heel and sole of the shoes hooked onto the stirrup for more stability. Since only the upper class could afford horses, heels were also associated with class and stature. Back in those days, women weren't humans, they were but an accessory to their male counterparts. Hence it was only right that females wore heels to represent their fathers/husbands/sons wealth. Of course it wasn't right for both genders to wear the same type of shoes. The unisex alterations meant that men kept the androgynous wedge while women had feeble looking stalks. Later on, men ditched heels completely as flat shoes were simply more convenient for the working politicians and business men. Women kept the stalks as it was argued that we could afford to waddle around slowly and painfully since we didn't have to do anything.

Keeping this piece of history in mind, going about my modern day job in stilettos feels like a big F U to the patriarch. Who said heels were too frivolous for everyday use? I’ve chased down buses in 4 inch high stalks, danced the night away in 5 inch high heels and executed events in the same pair of killer shoes. If you're not convinced, watch how Bryce Dallas Howard outran dinosaurs in Jurassic World with her stiletto pumps. It’s as if we worked the impracticality of uncomfortable footwear in our favour, showing off our ability to look gorgeously fierce without compromising on productivity and efficiency.

Sexy As Hell

When I entered my teenage phase plagued with puberty, spotted with acne, and sprouting hair in all the weird places, heels gave me a momentary dose of confidence. As my body learnt to accommodate the additional 4 inches under my feet, my hips swayed, my posture improved and so did my self-esteem.

I feel like an absolute stunner in stilettos, and this <a href=" it is more than just a personal opinion – heels make a woman more attractive. These killer shoes accentuate the sex-specific aspects of the female walk and engages the muscles for a perkier looking bum. As a teen back then, heels helped me feel more like a woman than a girl stuck between phases.

No Pain No Gain

We normally call women who value beauty over comfort ‘vain’ without acknowledging the effort that goes behind looking good. While we may be vain, we’re tough too. When I decide to pair my outfit with a pair of heels, I commit to it for the rest of the day – from morning till night, through flights of stairs and uneven roads. Even when it hurts, I grit my teeth and strut on. I may need rest, but I will never kick it off and surrender. If I had the misfortune of having a horrible day, I can relish in the fact that I looked my best despite the circumstances. In spite of the challenges I failed to overcome that day, I can find comfort in the sense of accomplishment for having lasted the whole day in heels without complaining. These killer kicks are encouraging and empowering, you can’t tell me otherwise. Also read, To The Women Who Are Bold, Sassy And Unapologetic About It.

Real friends can pass the test of time, withstand different beliefs, and make it through many fights, but the true test of friendship is when one becomes an insurance agent. Suddenly, your casual lunch meetings become sales pitches and eventually any other arrangement to meet in the future doesn’t happen. You start to believe you are no longer a friend but just another business opportunity. It doesn’t matter friend or stranger though, we avoid insurance agents at all cost. My prepubescent looks gives me a free pass, but I have seen the way people shun agents at road shows. Of course, rejection isn’t the worst thing you deal with as an agent.

I was brought up with the salary earned from a full-time insurance agent. I have aunts, cousins, and friends in this line of work too. I’ve witnessed the effort and emotions that go behind every sales pitch, road show, clinched deal, or failed negotiation. I know every job comes with their own struggles, but for what they go through, insurance agents get a lot more flak than they deserve.

Many of my relatives choose not to disclose their job unless absolutely necessary because people treat them differently the moment they know. It's extremely hard to form or keep social circles because everyone thinks meeting up could possibly mean being 'preached' to. Perhaps the worst is when kind intentions are met with skepticism – Are you nice to me because you want me to buy something from you? In other words, insurance agents became a group we discriminate based on a few bad sheep and our preconceived perceptions. Some time back one of my friend's client landed himself in the hospital. It was only then, that he realised the hospitalisation plan he bought was void because he forgot to pay the monthly premium. While there was a very low chance of success, his agent, my friend, made calls and sent in paper work to appeal his case. Although the appeal was approved within a month, the client’s family still holds my friend responsible for the mess up – if anything goes wrong, only the agent is to blame.

Sales is a tough job regardless of what you’re selling, but convincing someone to commit a monthly payment or throw in a huge sum for an intangible item is really a lot harder. Yet, while we have no qualms with beauticians, jewelry store staff, or real estate agents getting a cut of what we pay, we seem to be really stingy with insurance agents. And we still feel entitled to getting free drinks whenever we meet them. We cite their flexible schedule as a point of envy, but it’s precisely because this job isn’t governed by standard office hours or a fixed location that makes it impossible to separate work from personal time. Most of us would be enjoying our date nights or catching up on Netflix by 9pm but for my friends and relatives in the line, it's when they finally end their day and go for their late and lonely dinner. Just like any sales job, work constantly seeps into personal life – it’s difficult for agents to stop working. Whenever they are informed of someone’s hospital admission, the insurance agents I know will sacrifice family time to tend to these clients. Even if it was in the middle of a birthday celebration, they'd walk their client through the steps they should follow to ease the claims approval process. It's not always about monetary loss or gain either. Sometimes, the difference between a successful case closed and failed pitch is life and death, and the impact you make in someone else's life will stay with you forever. A close one recounted how she pulled out of a trip to Sri Lanka at the last minute but was asked to help her friends with their travel insurance. She recommended one of her friends, Amy, to buy an additional life plan which was a basic cover that she didn't have, but Amy opted for a hospitalisation plan instead. Her whole group of friends died in the tsunami during that trip, including Amy. Amy was a single mother, and her 2 children were left orphaned without financial support – something that the agent blames herself for till this day. Ultimately, selling insurance is just part of an insurance agent's job. Since we’re all about acceptance and love these days, let’s extend this circle to everyone we meet – give them a chance to talk if you have time to listen. Most agents actually do believe in the benefits and returns that these plans entail. And if that annoying friend won’t stop bothering you, there’s always a kinder way to say no than to cut out a friend entirely. Also read, We Asked 4 Millennials How Much Insurance They Have And What They Actually Know About Their Plans.

Alcohol makes people do the most ridiculous sh*t. Things that they will never, ever do when sober. Like make out with a dodgy person at the club. Or steal gummy bears at 7-11. Or waking up from your drunken slumber to find yourself in another country. We asked millennials to share the most ridiculous things they have done when they were drunk. Here are 9 of the funniest, most rabak drunk stories.

1. The Cook-Off

"I was casually drinking at a bar with two other friends on a Monday night. We had shared about 3 to 4 bottles of wine and wanted to play pool. There were people there at the pool table (one Caucasian and one Chinese dude) so we went up to them to ask if we could chope the table for the next round. We started chatting with them and ended up playing pool together. It turned out that they were all chefs. In our tipsy state, we decided to bluff them that I was the chef of Din Tai Fung, and I was the one who brought it to Singapore, from Taiwan. The chefs kind of bought that whole idea. We continued talking and ended up in a small debate. One of the chefs said “cool off” but we heard it as “cook off”, and because they lived quite near, we agreed to a cook-off at their place. So my two friends and I stayed to finish our drinks while the other three chefs went to the 24-hour supermarket to get mystery ingredients. We had a cook-off at their place and drank on till past midnight on a Monday night. Also, they knew we weren't chefs but went along with it anyway. Now we are all good friends." – Chels, 25

2. A Jolly Good Christmas

"I was out drinking at a bar with my boyfriend and some girl friends. It was December and the festive mood got us all merry. We had too much to drink and I remember my boyfriend trying to twirl me around as we walked down the stairs. Obviously a super bad idea. I ended up rolling down the stairs, dragging my boyfriend along with me. I remember feeling hurt and sore all over and that there was blood around my face. But what happened after was a blur. I woke up in the hospital the next day, in shock and confusion. After talking to the nurses, I learnt that some kind souls had brought us in to the hospital. Apparently, when I was sent in I was still laughing with blood all around my mouth because I broke my two front teeth, and my boyfriend had torn his ligament in his left leg and had to be warded. Needless to say, our parents weren't pleased at all. My friends were though, as they teased me with, "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth," for the rest of December. – Ting, 23

3. Five-Star Experience

"One of my ex-students came up to me at the after party of a friend’s wedding. He proposed a toast and challenged that I won’t be able to finish my drink as fast as he can. My inner feminist and ultra competitive streak came out and… I can’t remember what happened next. My partner had to fill in the blanks. Apparently, I held an audition for the best stripper for my hen’s party (I was getting married) and had half-dressed men give me lap dances. Anyway, I woke up the next morning feeling confused and hung-over. I found a card slipped in from under the hotel room door but didn’t think much of it, just the hotel duty manager asking us to ring them when convenient. When my partner woke up, he told me about how he and his sister had to drag me back to this room because I was dead weight drunk. Apparently, I had also puked red wine all over the carpet. His sister said it literally looked like someone was murdered and dragged along the carpet back to our room. I freaked out at this point. In my mind, I was just panicking about how much the carpet replacement was going to cost. I eventually plucked up the courage to call the front office. Turned out they just wanted to know if we had a good stay and that they would appreciate a feedback on their survey form. I gave them a 5 star rating." – Sheryl, 30

4. Shopping Cart

"I got so drunk from half a bottle of pure gin, my friends had to physically help me to the bus stop. Too intoxicated to give a damn about other commuters, I laid across the seats, taking up the entire last row of seats by myself when we got on the Night Rider bus. My friends had to half-carry, half-drag me off the bus when we reached our stop cause I refused to move. At that point, they were wondering how they were going to carry me all the way home as it was quite a distance away and I was dead weight. They then chanced upon an NTUC shopping cart, dumped me in it, and pushed me home and all the way into my room. I woke up the next morning in my room but still in the cart with my clothes and shoes on." – CJ, 29

5. Many Bad Decisions

"I remember getting smashed and exhausted during my cousin’s birthday party at a nightclub. Yet, I insisted on taking the Night Rider bus home alone. I stumbled into 7-11 to grab a bottle of water before catching the bus. Thank goodness because as expected, the ride was terrible and I threw up into the 7-11 plastic bag three times. In that inebriated state, I wasn’t entirely sure where the bus was headed besides the fact that it would get me somewhere near my home. I decided to get off at the first familiar sight. Then, thinking it would help me sober up, I decided to run home. Terrible decision. When I finally reached the lift lobby of my block after running for 10 minutes, I realised the bus that I was initially on stopped exactly at the bus stop beside my block. (FML) I headed up, opened the door, and placed my wallet, keys and plastic bag, which was untied and filled with my vomit, on my dining table. The vomit ‘erupted’ from the plastic bag and spilt all over the table and floor. I learnt never to bring my vomit home in a plastic bag anymore." – Harry, 29

6. The Very Unfortunate Tumble

"I was casually drinking with a friend of mine and he had a little too much that he could barely walk, let alone stand on his own feet. My cousin and I threw him into a cab and brought his drunken ass back to his house. We spent a good 25 minutes searching for his keys and opening his gate because of the multiple complicated locks. We struggled to carry him up to his room, and were relieved that we didn’t wake his super strict parents up – even after dragging his heavy drunken ass up two flights of stairs and knocking over some family photos. We made our way down the stairs after dumping him in his room. Then when we were just about to step out of the door, the drunkard miraculously appeared at the top of the stairs. He shouted, “I love you guys, you look after me… and I thank you. Come I’ll see ya’ll to my door!” Before we could react, he took a few steps and tumbled down the flight of stairs, pulling several ornaments along with him. Hello parents." – Harry, 29

7. 2 Jugs Of Long Island Tea

"I was at Zouk with a couple of friends and one of them brought his rich friend from Indonesia. This rich kid decided to be a baller that night and started buying everyone drinks. He bought me two jugs of long island tea and back then in my early twenties, getting one more drink on top of my cover charge was a dream. And there I was with TWO jugs of long island tea. Being the smartass I was, I downed the two jugs in 5 minutes. Didn't know what I was thinking back then and what gave me the blind courage to do so. The next 10 minutes or so felt awesome, and then everything began to spin fast, and colours started to chaaaaange. Then, a fight broke out next to me and a group of what seemed like 10 bouncers ran towards me. It might as well have been 10 elephants. It was so intense I fell, met the floor, and got acquainted with it for a while before crawling out the club without saying goodbye to anyone. I somehow managed to get a taxi, crawled into it and also got to know the floor of it on the way home. I could barely even stand straight and had to hold myself up against the wall as I stumbled my way up to my doorstep. Of all places, my hand landed on the freaking doorbell as I stumbled to my doorstep, at 3am. My dad was a no-nonsense kind of man and I can’t remember the last time I sobered up so fast. It was like I forgot I was drunk. And the moment he went back to his room, I ‘returned’ to being drunk, crashed in my bed and dieded." – Aaron, 33

8. Seeing Stars

"I just turned 18 and was celebrating my legal drinking age by, well, drinking. Can't remember exactly how much I drank but I know it was many, many mugs of Baron's strong brew. I felt completely fine but the moment I stood up, that was it. The ‘effect’ kicked in, I felt woozy, and I saw what I remember to be a very attractive lady in a red dress across the street. Something in me told me to chase after her, which I did. I ran across the street, not even checking for traffic, and slammed straight into the green railing that was separating the pavement and the road. I completely didn’t see it (at least not in my mind) and hit my waist against the railing while my head and torso swung over. Next thing I knew I was lying flat on the ground (lucky it was grass) facing the sky, wondering what had happened while admiring the night sky." – Jay, 29

9. Platform 9 ¾

"I was just introduced to sake at a chalet at East coast. Back then at 18, I didn’t know my limits and downed sake bombs like water. Couldn’t really feel the alcohol kicking in until it was too late. I spent the night running into the red brick walls hoping they were platform 9 ¾ (the chalet buildings were red bricks). I also enjoyed air swimming on the tables along East Coast Park." – Daniel, 24

Drink, Drank, Drunk

In all seriousness though, these millennials all agreed that it was a night to remember, not re-live – who wants to wipe their own vomit or face the fury of their parents at 3am right? We don't want to sound like our mothers and fathers, but as we countdown to 2018, remember to drink with caution! Or at least do it with someone you know will stop you from doing really stupid things like fall and break your front teeth, or drink-drive. But if the drunk you do end up doing something damn rabak, share your funny stories with us in the comments! Also read, Stupid Things 10 Singapore Millennials Did When They Were Young And Dumb.

There were always thoughts of changing my face, my identity, and becoming somebody else entirely. I thought of myself as a female a lot and all through my teenage years, I wished that I would wake up in the right body one day. It took me a long time before I realised that I may be transgender.

Battling My Inner Conflicts

Looking back, I’ve always known. I just couldn’t put the words to the undercurrent of discomfort, couldn’t make sense of the thoughts and feelings I had. There were so many previous beliefs and assumptions that I had to discard before I could understand what it all meant. For one, a highly heteronormative view we all have is that your gender must be concretely tied to your sexual orientation, that a man must be sexually attracted to a woman and vice versa. However, I’ve learnt that your gender (male or female) does not have any bearing on your sexual attraction. I may be biologically a male who identifies as a female, yet still primarily attracted to women. For me, it doesn’t exclude an attraction to men as well.

“I would spend my entire life trying to suppress these feelings of being in the wrong body.”

Then, there’s religion. If I had accepted the religion I was brought up with, I would spend my entire life trying to suppress these feelings of being in the wrong body. As the Good Book says in Deuteronomy 22:5, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God." Having brought up to internalise these beliefs as the norm, it was that much harder to accept myself and my thoughts.

Coming Out

“I confessed... to my fiancee.”

Coming out was a long and hard process. I spent a year thinking about how much harder life would be, about getting accepted by society, presenting as female, and what all of that would entail. In the end, I knew that I had to at least try to become the person I wanted to be, even if it’s an uphill struggle. I finally came out as a transgender woman four years ago, at 21. While I have been fortunate to not face much discrimination from the public, it wasn’t that easy back at home. Firstly, I was engaged to my girlfriend. She was the first person I came out to as transgender. And as difficult as it was for me to come to terms with myself, it was equally hard for her to acknowledge that her long-time boyfriend is coming out as a female. The only thing she said back then was something like, "I'll... do my best to understand." After a challenging 6 months, she accepted me as transgender. We eventually made a commitment to support each other, be it emotionally, financially, or physically – even if it meant scrutiny from others. We are now adjusting to this ‘new reality’ and also continuing with our plans to get married. For all of that, I am grateful. With her support, I came out to some of my closer friends as well.

The Hardest Hit

However, I never intended to come out to my parents, unless I had absolutely no choice. I had already been treated with scorn when I told my highly religious parents that I am an Atheist, and sat through three hours of a pastor (a friend of my mother’s) explaining to me why I ought to give God a chance. I had already been called a disgrace and the family disappointment when I left junior college to study theatre arts at LASELLE. I had already been called ‘disgusting’ when I confessed to them about being bisexual. What other painful remarks would they make if I told them I am transgender? I didn’t want to know.

"In my mother’s eyes, I was a rebellion against God. In my father’s eyes, I was a rebellion against him."

The truth came out when my mum discovered that I was taking estrogen pills. Needless to say, they didn’t take it well at all. My father constantly reminds me that my "life choices" will eventually ruin me and almost daily, my parents will remind me that because I am born a male, I will always be a male. My father also loves to say that I'd end up, in his own words, "不像人，不像鬼", which loosely translates to mean that I’d end up neither a human nor a ghost – implying that I’d never truly be female and never fully a male. They don't seem to understand that all those words are extremely hurtful, furthermore so as they come from family. And (I think) they sincerely believe that they are leading me back to the path of righteousness.

Living An Authentic Life

It was a long time and many nights of crying alone before I finally accepted the fact that my family would never be able to accept me wholeheartedly. Eventually, I stopped bothering.

“I’d just smile and agree with them instead of arguing because it’s so much easier than fighting, and far less painful.”

Today, I’m not living as female as yet because I'm not fully comfortable with the way people may respond. To strangers, I'm still entirely male. However, being transgender for me has mainly been about living the most authentic life I can under the circumstances of Singapore’s extremely anti-LGBT laws. Learning to accept my own body, and coming to terms with the fact that it will never be an idealised female form was the most difficult, but I am so much better as a person now. I am calmer and have a clearer sense of who I am. Most importantly, I feel so much more comfortable with being my true and authentic self in front of my loved ones. Life is not about pain, suffering, and renunciation, and it should never have to be seen as such. Despite all the obstacles I’ve faced and am still facing, these words from my favourite author, Ayn Rand, pushes me to live a fuller life every day: “Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness.” – Clara, 24 Also read, “I Kept Hearing Voices Of People Criticising Me, And I Could No Longer Tell What Was Real”.

Caution: This article contains potentially triggering content. “Hey, do you remember Anthony*?” “Yeah, why?” “He’s gone…” I was in my early twenties then, still finding myself in the corporate world, and my poly classmate had just taken his life. I remember how confused I was when I saw that text message, and the shock that followed when my friend confirmed that Anthony is really gone. I wasn't particularly close to Anthony, but I knew him nonetheless, and I teared when his loved ones delivered their eulogies during the funeral service: “He was always so jovial and giving.” It was this sentence that hit me hard, because he was exactly that kind of person in poly—happy and jovial—yet, depression took him. Similarly, I can only imagine how painful it must be for the family, friends, and fans worldwide when Linkin Park’s lead singer, <a href=" Bennington took his own life. People were shocked at the severity of his depression.

This is what depression looked like to us just 36 hrs b4 his death. He loved us SO much & we loved him. #fuckdepression #MakeChesterProud pic.twitter.com/VW44eOER4k

— Talinda Bennington (@TalindaB) September 16, 2017

Depression has no face. There are no red flags, no clues, and no measurements to identify someone with depression because each person suffers from and deals with depression differently as well. To understand more about what people with depression actually go through, we reached out to 8 Singaporeans who have fought (or are still fighting) the illness. Here are photos that will give you insights into their lives when they had depression. *Names have been changed for privacy reasons.

1. Jar Of Goodness

“When we're depressed, we often forget the good things about ourselves. We think we're useless, weak, hopeless, and ugly. That's Depression speaking. And Depression lies. I keep this 'Jar of Goodness', which is filled with positive quotes to remind myself that Depression is wrong. I keep it to remind myself of the truth, the good people see in me, and the good I see in myself." – Nawira

2. Tattoos

“Depression has gotten the better of me more often than not. It comes gradually but also suddenly. I got these tattoos as they are of the dreams I have and the things I love. It's also a reminder that all things, good or bad, are temporary.”

– Marc

3. Lotus Flowers 

“I shut everyone out when I’m depressed and I become irrationally terrified of speaking to anyone. I also have suicidal thoughts pretty much every day. The only thing stopping me from doing anything stupid is the thought of how it’ll affect my mother. I’m still finding ways to cope with depression right now. One of the ways is finding my way back to religion. I’ve started wearing prayer beads and got myself this lotus bell jar. The lotus is an amazing flower. It is so pure despite its muddy beginnings and that’s where I hope to be one day. Since it features so strongly in Buddhism, it’s also extra significant for me.” – A

4. Pain

“My belief was 'only pain can overcome pain'. During periods where I couldn't evoke feelings like happiness, sadness, or even anger, the pain was the only way for me to feel less empty. The sight of blood was somewhat satisfying to me too as it was the equivalence of a release, as opposed to suppressing the fear of being a liability to people around me. The scars above the cut have been there since I started physically harming myself in secondary school, but I didn't realise what I was going through exactly, until I got diagnosed last year.” – V

5. Alcohol

“Antidepressants aren't a panacea. They just prevented me from getting worse, or so I thought. Trying weed and other drugs only made me more depressed especially after the 'high' wore off. So I turned to alcohol. It was the only legal substance that made me feel better. I battle with depression every single day and on certain days, I'd turn to alcohol. I know it's not the cure, but it has helped me deal with my thoughts.” – S

6. Constant Self-Reminders

“I would create my own wallpapers with different motivational sentences every 2 weeks. It was to remind myself of the kind of thoughts I should have. It helped me through all my bad days and has saved me from full-blown panic attacks. On good days, reminding myself what to think of before bad days come, helps a lot.” – E

7. Counseling

“These receipts of my counselling sessions were a significant part of me for awhile. The many sessions of counselling helped me get a hold of myself. It introduced new perspectives to me and changed my mindset. Coupled with medication, the many consultations with my psychiatrist helped me recover when the depressive part of bipolar disorder kicked in. Importantly, the moral support from friends and family made my recovery a much smoother one.” – Allan

8. Trapped 

“I tried to kill myself and was stopped. I was on the ledge on of an unoccupied block of flats when Hafiz, my boyfriend, found me. When I saw the desperation in his eyes, I just couldn’t do it. I was then admitted to the psych ward for treatment. If only people knew the horrors of the psych ward: the 5-point restraint, the thought of being in a mental institute, the many guards to your ward, and the injections just to calm you down. Seeing other patients go through that made me angry despite recoiling in horror, and there was nothing I could do. Because who would believe mental patients like us when we're seen as crazy? Who would listen?" – F

Don’t Undermine The Seriousness Of Depression

From a friend who had depression, “depressed people almost never look depressed, they may even look the happiest to cover it up.” Sufferers often keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves because they don’t want to be a liability. And with everything bottled up, it’s easy to slide into darkness. Let us pay a little more attention to our loved ones. Be aware and listen more. Don’t let the impalpable and unnoticeable beast, Depression, win. Also read, “I Kept Hearing Voices Of People Criticising Me, And I Could No Longer Tell What Was Real”.

Most of us spent our teenage years wishing for adult life. We grew up wanting the freedom, the monthly kaching, and to not have to cram for exams. But when adult life finally hits us in our faces along with the many adult responsibilities, we wonder why we were so stupid to wish for time to have passed faster. Of the many responsibilities, one of the biggest headaches is insurance. Let’s face it, most of us hate dealing with insurance even though it’s supposed to be good for us. I’m not sure about you, but when it was finally (or dreadfully) time to buy a policy to insure myself, I wondered how other people did it. I had no idea what I needed, what was good for me, and whether I’d be ripped off with a crappy plan. I’m pretty sure many other millennials feel the same way about insurance. And who has the time to read through the entire policy and T&Cs anyway? How much do you really know about your policies then? I spoke to four millennials to see how much they know about their own insurance.

Shaan, 20

“I’ve never bought insurance for myself before but I know I’m still under a plan that my parents bought for me. I intend to get one myself once I start working. I get the general idea that it’s to protect my life but I don’t really know what kinds of insurance are there and what I need.”

Pro-tip on what to look out for as beginners:

There are several things to know before buying a plan: the policy term, sum assured, and hospital preferences. You can also ‘customise’ your policy by adding riders – which are additional options to cover you in more areas on top of the ‘default’ plans offered. If you’re concerned about your finances, there are also different ways you can pay your policy premiums. Opt to pay your premiums at one go (lump sum payment), or break them up into annual or monthly instalments if you need to ‘spread out the damage’. Above all, don’t be afraid to ask insurance agents questions. It’s more important for you to know what you’re buying than be worried about them getting annoyed. Still not sure what you need exactly? Set up an appointment with FRANK by OCBC here!

Marc, 25

“My parents bought some sort of family package for us so I believe I’m covered under that package in terms of life insurance or any accidents. So instead of buying any other insurance for myself, I spend that amount investing instead.”

Pro-tip on knowing the different types of insurance coverage:

In case anything happens to you, you’d want to find out how much you are covered for under policies your parents bought, and to review the sum based on life stages. Also, did you know that it takes more than one layer of insurance for you to be fully protected? The four main layers of protection are Hospital, Life Insurance, Critical Illness, and Endowment.

The closer the layer is to you, the more important it is. It doesn’t mean that you have to buy every type of insurance either. You just need to know what each type of insurance does for you, and get what you need. In Marc’s case, he should check on how much hospitalisation coverage he has in his existing policy for a start, as it’s the most important layer of protection. The other basic coverage to look out for is Personal Accident, which will cover Marc’s hospital bills if he happens to meet with an accident. For more details on each layer, head over to FRANK by OCBC’s website here. They’ve broken it down to very simple terms for the beginners!

Brenda, 26

“I’m not very sure what I got. I just know that I’m covered for certain terminal or critical illnesses and death. Also, I’ll get a lump sum when my policy matures at 55 years old. This is the only plan I bought as I think it’s good enough – it covers my health and also gives me some money back when I’m old.”

Pro-tip on Endowment VS Savings VS Life Insurance Plans:

What Brenda described is an Endowment Insurance Plan, which helps to grow your wealth while providing you basic insurance coverage. The returns you get may not be as high as stocks and shares, but Endowment Insurance Plans are less risky and give you better returns than a deposit account with a bank. There’s a difference between a Savings Plan and an Endowment Insurance Plan too. Where Endowment Plans give you coverage on certain things like critical illnesses or death, Savings Plan don’t. Then there are Life Insurance plans, which are designed to not just help you, but also your family. Should you happen to pass away, get diagnosed with a terminal illness, or have a total permanent disability, a Life Insurance Plan will grant you (or your beneficiary) a sum of money that will help greatly in that time of need. You can find more information here.

Esther, 25

“I have three insurance plans: Life Insurance, Hospitalisation, and Endowment. The Life Insurance Plan is to help "protect" my loved ones (children, spouse) financially should anything happen to me. Like if I die, they get a sum of money.  I got the Hospitalisation Plan to cover me up to A Class government hospital. And for Endowment, it's more of a savings plan that my husband and I bought so that we can get a certain percentage of return after 18 years.”

Pro-tip on Life Insurance VS Hospitalisation VS Endowment Plans:

You can never be too sure when it comes to health, so it’s important to be fully aware of what kind of coverage you get under different insurance plans. Hospital bills can add up to a hefty amount and a Hospitalisation Plan helps cover the expenses for treatments and staying in hospital wards. Note that there are limitations though. Treatments for certain critical illnesses may not be covered under the Hospitalisation Plans, which is where Critical Illness Plans come in. A Critical Illness Plan will cover the expensive treatments for illnesses like stroke and cancer. Learn more about the differences in Hospitalisation, Life Insurance, and Critical Illness plans here.

Plan Your Future Wisely

As a millennial, I fully understand the pain of paying a few hundred dollars a month on something that doesn’t give you immediate gratification. But from another perspective, you’re actually diligently saving this amount in a bank every month – a bank that will actually help you in times of need in the future. Learn more about the different types of insurance and how it covers you differently at FRANK by OCBC.

Enjoy Special Promotions (Till 31 Dec)

Whether you’re a first time insurance buyer, or looking to get another layer of protection for your life, here are three promotions FRANK by OCBC is running till 31 December 2017:

1. Enjoy S$60 Cash Rebate when you purchase the Regular Premium Endowment Insurance –Annual Premium <S$4,999
2. Enjoy S$30 Cash Rebate when you purchase the Regular Premium Endowment Insurance –Annual Premium, S$300 – S$799,
3. Get S$100 cash credit when you buy 2 out of the 3 insurance below
   • Hospital: Supreme Health
   • Term Insurance: MaxTermValue CI
   • Personal Accident: PA plan (PA Protect, PA Supreme, PA Cashback Plus, Great Protector)

For more details, head over to FRANK by OCBC here. Or set up an appointment with OCBC here. This post is written in partnership with FRANK by OCBC. Also read, Don’t Know What The Heck To Do After You Graduate? That’s Okay, We Didn’t Either.

When we were kids, we were like a sponge soaking up everything we hear and see. We copied what our parents said and pretended to be our favourite cartoon characters. Above all, we were cheeky little buggers who’d get ourselves into facepalm-worthy incidents. We asked Singapore millennials about the ‘stupid’ things they had done when they were primary school kids or younger. Here are 10 of the funniest incidents.

Shaver As Comb

I remember playing Pretend with my cousins and we were using a real shaver as a comb. I used the shaver to comb my hair then freaked out when I saw my hair falling off. – Anmol, 24

Playing With Fire

I was playing with fire and candles with some friends during mid-autumn festival. One of them started swiping their finger across the candle flame and before you know it, all of us were doing it because it was cool to us, kids. I wanted to be cooler, so after doing the same a few times, I tried to hold my finger in the flame longer. I got burnt. – Betty, 26

A Sticky Situation

I got bubble gum stuck in my hair because I wanted to see if I could ‘balance’ the gum on my head. It got stuck so badly and became a badly tangled lump of hair. My mum had to rub it off bit by bit with olive oil. – Bling, 26

A Tic Tac Addiction

I was so addicted to Tic Tacs and the sound from shaking it that when I finished the candy, I put in a five cent coin so I could continue shaking the box. When I shook it, I tilted the box above my head and ended up swallowing the five cent coin and had to go to the hospital. – Sammie, 25

Brow Game

My primary five classmate shaved his eyebrows off to prove that eyebrows served no purpose. He looked ridiculous after that. He kept quiet when everyone started poking fun at him. Poor boy. – Shi Ling, 26

Pet Rock

My friend and I picked out a random rock at the garden near our place and kept it as our pet rock. We even gave it a name and brought it with us everywhere in school. One day, we hid the rock in some part of the garden and we couldn’t find it when we went back the next day. We felt so sad after that, it was as if we really lost a real pet. – Marie, 23

Pretending To Be Wrestlers

The boys watched a lot of WWE back then. Once, I went to a friend’s house and a group of us were trying out some wrestling moves. I tried to mimic the wrestlers and jumped down from the top of a ladder and broke my arm. That was the first and last of our ‘wrestling session’. – Neo, 30

Raining Barbie Heads

My sister and I had a lot of Barbie dolls. At one point, I realised that I could pull the dolls’ heads off and fix it back so I started removing the heads quite often. We have this small window at the top of the toilet facing the shower area and once when my sister was bathing, I threw in the dolls’ heads through that window, for fun. She freaked out. – Jennifer, 21

Marksman

I was staying on the 9^th floor and whenever I see kids playing at the playground downstairs, I'd take my water gun and shoot water at them from my window. And when their parents come up, I’d close all the doors and pretend no one was home. – Fabian, 24

Exploding Shit

I spent my childhood in Philippines and it was around New Year so my friends and I were playing with fire crackers. We stuck a fire cracker in a pile of dog shit and lit it up. The firecracker exploded along with the shit. It went all over the road and the cars around. We saw the car owners horrified as they came out to check their shit-stained cars but they never found out it was us. – Raymond, 20

Were You A Cheeky Child Too?

Childhood has got to be the best years of our lives. When else can you do and say darndest things like these and get away with it? And if you’re looking for someone to share all your embarrassing childhood tales with, try here. We’re pretty sure these have brought back some childhood memories of yours too. What are some of the stupidest things you’ve done as a kid? Share them with us in the comments! Also read, Meet 14-Year-Old Riddhi And Her 77-Year-Old Best Friend, Aunt Louise.

Is it possible to have a friend 60 years older than you? In today’s digital era where Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook are the average millennial’s best friend, you’ll be hard pressed to find millennials connecting with their family members ‘offline’. As millennials ourselves, we know how hard it is to feel and be close with our parents, much less our grandparents. And as our folks age, we do too. We start living our own lives and they start to lose touch with our generation. The many commitments and distractions don’t help either, and most of us are skeptical at the thought of bonding or being friends with our parents and grandparents. However, a very unlikely pair has proved us wrong. Meet 14-year-old student, Riddhi Rai and her best friend, 77-year-old retiree, Louise Bell.

When Riddhi Met Louise

Riddhi and Louise were complete strangers when they met at a social experiment Channel NewsAsia ran. Titled “Back to School”, this four-part series followed Riddhi, Louise, and 4 other pairs of strangers as they spent 10 weeks together.

Watch Episode 1 of Channel NewsAsia's Back to School <a href=" The experiment gave invaluable insights into 10 average Singaporeans' lives and proved that despite the huge age gaps, friendship is possible. While the episodes presented very interesting and endearing interactions between the Secondary school teenagers and their elderly partners, we wanted to find out more about what went on behind the scenes. We spoke to Riddhi, Louise, and the production team. Here’s how they succeeded in making friends out of strangers who are generations apart.

Breaking The Barriers

Like most teens, Riddhi has no clear direction in life yet. She doesn’t fit in with peers in her school either, and prefers her world of fan fiction and indie music.

As for ex-headhunter Louise, most of her time is spent on church activities and picking up different interests like crochet (to help with her Parkinson’s) and acro-aerobics (to keep herself fit).

Naturally, it took a bit of time to warm up to each other over the palpable age barrier. “She was shy, tall, and thin,” Louise recalled, “she reminded me of myself when I was younger, and I knew that I’ll need to be patient if I want her to open up.” Similarly, Riddhi felt nervous and a little bit awkward to be meeting someone she knew nothing about. Then, things got a lot easier when the pair found out that they’re both bookworms. Speaking to Louise over the phone, I could picture Louise smiling as she shared a fond memory of when they were getting to know each other, “Riddhi even brought me around her school library and we picked out books together.”

Becoming Friends

Despite the challenges in accommodating to each other’s needs, Riddhi and Louise grew to not only embrace, but help each other in their weaknesses.

In an Escape Room game, Riddhi went out of her way to lift Louise up as Louise was having a bit of trouble with her weak legs. It was there that Louise saw a different side of Riddhi: that she isn’t that shy after all.

As for Riddhi’s lack of confidence, Louise managed to break down the walls and got her to be more vocal about her inner thoughts and feelings.

As the pair did more activities together, producers saw how they started to inspire each other. “There’s still a bit to work on and I really hope to help her be more confident about herself,” Louise shared about her wish for Riddhi.

More Than Just Companionship

Having set out to test the success of intergenerational friendship researches done in US and Japan, the producers were “quite apprehensive about whether a simple friendship could make a difference, but the results showed a definite improvement.”

Not just for Riddhi and Louise, but the seniors from the other pairs also showed significant improvements in fitness, memory and mood, while the teenagers got a massive boost in self-esteem and a better attitude towards life. The pairs also formed real friendships and saw the other generation in a significantly better light. “She taught me to be more responsible and punctual,” Riddhi said. “(And) she opened up my eyes to how teenage girls today are like,” Louise added. Now, besides writing stories, reading books, or going for piano lessons, Riddhi would hang out with Louise. And Louise is more than happy to spend quality time with Riddhi, “Riddhi would actually call me and ask me if she can spend the day with me. I’d cook for her and we’d just talk about anything under the sun as we ate.”

Best Friends Forever?

Now that the 10-week ‘project’ has ended, how do Riddhi and Louise see each other? While Riddhi sees Louise as a good friend whom she can share problems with, Louise thinks of herself as Riddhi’s surrogate mother without the parental control, “I think Riddhi trusted me as an outsider, that’s why she shared her worries with me. It’s easier to share your problems to outsiders than to your own parents.” What is the secret to their surprising bond? “Listen, listen, and listen,” Louise emphasised, “seniors must take the first step to reach out, and don’t rush to impose or impart your knowledge until the young ones are ready to listen. Be patient.” And for the young ones, “Don’t judge someone just because of their age,” Riddhi shared. Watch the 10-week journey of Riddhi, Louise, and the other senior-teenager pairs on Channel NewsAsia’s Back to School <a href=" This story is written in collaboration with Channel NewsAsia. Also read, These 14 Heartwarming Stories Show That A Mother’s Love Is Like No Other.