First and foremost.. YES! this is a crib post - an outlet for the bottled up frustration - especially cos i have no one to blame.. but the supply demand gap for good condos on rent...
Anyways, it all started off 2.5 years back when i did my little calculation of how much id save if I lived in Singapore with my marketing salary - it wasnt bad at all - around 1.5 times of a normal Indian salary living in India.. and that made up my mind about taking up this job...
For the first year or some, things were rosy.. Elmira Heights was the perfect place to live (close to office, town, friends and sports ) - and to boot wasnt very expensive at all... allowed for a very very comfortable lifestyle.. and then i got ahead of myself..
In a moment of weakness, I decided to invest in a systematic investment plan that makes it compulsory to invest some money every month.. dont remember if i was drunk or just plain dumb (more likely a combination of both) - but here I was saddled with a monthly commitment..
And then .. just like that, the bottom gave way - and the axe fell - not in one, but two painful blows:
- The company wants us to become PRs - for those who dont know what it means - its basically a cut of 33% in ur salary that goes to the govt fund (and u get a measly 2-3% interest on it)
- The rents have gone up MASSSIVELY - from a reasonable 2200 sgd to somewhere in the region of 3500 sgd - makes u wonder if you living in downtown NY.. not that i know what that is like..
An example of how bad it is
Assume that a new hire gets 4.5 K - and work the numbers..
- In hand post PR stuff is nearly 3K
- take away rent and very basic living expenses and u have like 1 K left
- u blink and thats at risk and dont even dream of going for a vacation .. lets not get towards repayment of education loans and u risk getting mugged if u can spell 'investments'.. bah!
Im hoping some1 in HR is tracking all of this and is exhibiting some nimble footed 'in-touchness' and will increase salaries significantly - otherwise id be surprised if we dont see a mass exodus from the company..
And of course, my depression has nothing to do with the fact that we lost this weekend (cricket of course!) and i got a massive duck :(
Monday, June 4, 2007
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7 comments:
Being an Ex-pat, I can totally understand your frustration. Such posts brighten my day, everyday. Look forward to more such cribbings,
PS Ex-pat Life Rocks!!
PS2 Did I tell you about the new car model I am buying?
Awwwwwww :((.....
Vikas...so your hapsh for the day is not restricted to http://justhapsh.blogspot.com
Good try to get some eye-balls, Mate.
I would suggest you also check out my comment at Ganji's blog, under the 'Gay' Posting. I think that is my best hupsh for the day :)
Look on the bright side, you got a higher salary for a period of time...not to mention that you can go back to india and buy a palace.
Now it will be bad if you are one of those poor local ABMs who will never be able to afford a condo with the soaring prices (mainly driven up by rich indian expats BM buying up houses)
What can I say? Abandon all hope ye who enters here...
total CAM....
Why dont we go on strike, demanding higher HRAs???
The Mallu Communist in my blood boils...
;)
@ rathi - u #^$&$$$ - wait till u are relegated to the mandideep plant as some plant finance stuff.. the closest petronas tower will be ur own!
@ chimpu - i knewww ud understnad!
@ lal - u unashamed self marketer! heheh
@ secret admirer - u sound suspiciously like ethan!
@ binu - umm , well, buddy love ur mallu blood and boiling and al that - but u dont want me being kicked out of the company for encouraging strikes do u (although the bong in me completely understands!)
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