I am not rich but I wasn’t born poor either. You can say I was born below middle class with my mom working for the government while my dad, after a couple of stints in the world of sales and marketing here and abroad, chose to stay home and take care of the family instead. It was quite a struggle growing up especially when I had people around me (in our little compound and in school) who were living quite a good life. I remember having feelings of envy, depravity and scarcity, sometimes with not enough food to eat and no money to pay for the things I needed in school. Thank God for my scholarship all throughout my school years, at least my tuition fee has always been paid for.

During times of so much wanting and desire for good food and material things, I’d turn to books in our school library (fiction, science-fiction, novels and encyclopedias). I’d read about adventures, architecture, cooking good food, astronomy and the universe because they make me feel less deprived and they help me forget about the fact that I haven’t even eaten anything yet that day. When severe hunger strikes, I’d pick up empty soft drink bottles as an eight year old kid in our school canteen so I can exchange them for money and I can buy myself some chocolate, which, I won’t immediately eat despite my hunger, because I’d want to revel in the fact that I have a chocolate for a few more days. Continue reading →