Rich Man

Until recently, I have never encountered anyone who is really rich. My relatives are usually middle-class people living in HDB flats. The majority of my friends are HDB dwellers as well, with only a few staying in private housing. I have never known how the affluent lived, until I visited the houses of my sister's boyfriend's family. One of the houses I visited really left me in awe at the end of the visit. It belonged to my sister's boyfriend's uncle. It is situated just beside the Italian embassy. It would have been impossible to reach there by public transport since no buses serve that area. The house was very impressive, with automatic gates, a carpark big enough for 6 cars, a koi pond that extends all around the house, a swimming pool good enough for a condominium, a man-made waterfall, jacuzzis, pool tables, jamming rooms and a whole lot of other amenities. The landscaping of the trees alone costs over thirteen thousand dollars, the utilities bill amount to over a thousand dollars and the place requires two maids to take care of. Just walking around the house, looking through the rooms, took about an hour. We were all amazed by the place, a little like schoolchildren being brought to the zoo for the first time. Maybe I am thinking too much, but maybe they were amused by us being so fascinated over the place. They are all very nice people, friendly and amiable but I still had an inferiority complex as I walked through the place. Comparing my house to theirs, my sofa to their sofa, my bathroom to their jacuzzi, my living room to theirs and so on, I just feel so small. I fantasized about what I will do if I am the richest person in the world when I got home.

1. I will buy over Manchester United and make them the greatest club in the world.

2. I will buy an island and build houses there for my family and friends. There will be no COE, ERP, ARF or whatever taxes that the PAP government has now.

3. I will buy an Airbus 380 and travel wherever I want, whenever I want.

4. I will build a theme park and invite under-privileged children to visit. But I am no Michael Jackson.

5. I will buy over the Amazon and the African safari and preserve the wildlife there.

But then I woke up back into reality and I consoled myself:

1. I will be much hated by the rest of the football fans if I buy over Man Utd. My every move will be scrutinised and my privacy will be lost.

2. Having an island is not safe at all. Who knows when a tsunami will hit and drown all of us?

3. Flying by aircraft is not safe. Besides, there's always the matter of jet lag and deep vein thrombosis.

4. I will be accused of being a Michael Jackson.

5. There is only so much a man can do. Ultimately, it's going to take everybody's efforts to conserve wildlife.

So, being rich is not that great after all. I better stick to travelling by public transport, eating hawker food, playing soccer and doing all the simple mundane things in life. I can be rich in intangible things like happiness and friendship. At least that's a good way to make myself feel better.