The birthday boy, Steven, with his super intelligent and impossibly kind wife, Mel. 
After dinner at Sen of Japan on Steven’s birthday, I asked the birthday boy for some life lessons learnt from 7 decades on this earth. Am sharing them with you right here…
#1: HEALTH: You must be the one caring for your own health and body. Learn from the doctors’ advice. Don’t hide medicine or not take them. Take your medicine, know what it is you’re taking and the effects the medicine has on your body. Do not outsource this responsibility to any other person.
#2: WEALTH: Spend less than you earn, period. I saw a lady win a $1.8 million jackpot; she was seated 4 rows away from me. Some people have that luck and others don’t. (Mel adds: “Don’t start celebrating. If there is a malfunction, the casino will not allow you to claim the money you think you’ve won from the jackpot machine!”)
#3: HAPPINESS: Start your day positive and say “I want to be happy”. It tunes you up. Say hello to the people you meet. Say good morning and smile. Even if the person asks what’s so good about the morning, don’t get offended.
#4: FINDING THE RIGHT PARTNER: Know what you are looking for. I like an intelligent woman who is also a kind person. Intelligence and kindness are the two most important things. She should be gracious and generous. If you are looking for a rich woman to help you succeed, sure die one.
#5: MARRIAGE: It involves a lot of give and take. We go into marriage like a blind man looking at an elephant. A lot of it is luck. Go with a “Chin chye lah, mai chup lah.” attitude when something displeases you.
#6: FRIENDS: I like people who are similar to me – genuine people. Whether you are rich or poor is not important. Don’t look down on others. Be kind. Be prepared to be kind. Be helpful and selfless and do things without expectation of return.
#7: WORK: What drives me? Having local companies become more successful than MNCs. I love geography so I joined Singapore Airlines.
Steven also said “Be humble… be full of humility. When you see people struggle, have empathy. Don’t talk big, like the nouveau riche.”
~
Steven and Mel had a staycation at the gorgeous Marina Bay Sands hotel. And the view from their balcony was superb, even though it was only on the 10th floor!
Daytime view from the balcony, which was full of bougainvillea:
At night, the Supertrees took centrestage:
When I’m 70, I hope to be in good health, and still able to enjoy good food and a fabulous staycation at MBS, just like Steven and Mel did!
