When was the last time you thought about.....

Insurance.
I bought quite a number of plans (investment-linked, life, endowment, medical riders etc etc) and my monthly premiums come up to be almost $800. That's supposedly alot. Previously I thought I am well-covered. Now I am caught backpeddling because I kind of regretted not getting any medical health coverage before I was diagnosed with hypertension. Better get ready before I hit 30 years old. Premiums go up from then on.

Also the type of insurance. When I was younger, the life insurance was bought for my parents. The "in case I die, here's some $$$ for you to tide over the funeral expenses and whatever's left is to ameliorate your pain." that sorta thing. Then it went to the "shit, I better start saving $$ so that I can transit out of my career." which led to investment-linked and endowment plans. Recently it was the investing of $$ in as many different sectors/type/blah including my CPF monies to let my present $$ take care of my future. Now it's my worry about health care and medical fees. And it's come full circle because I am buying not just for myself but also thinking I should protect myself by buying for my parents. So that I don't have to burn big holes in my pocket if and when they do come down with any form of illness that require long time medical/health care.

Sports & Race.
Remember seeing your Indian classmate winning that 50m freestyle gold medal in your secondary school? No? Well, neither can I. I don't remember having many Indian schoolmates who swam competitively. Ditto for table-tennis. Basketball, which was almost 100% Chinese. On the global stage, same thing. No Indians in such sports. Certain races seem to excel only in certain sports.

Russians - Ballet (if there was such a sport but gymnastics will do)
Chinese - Badminton and table tennis. Gymnastics too. Maybe it's a communist thing.
Afro-Americans (Negroes) - Track and Field
Nigerians, Ethiopians - Long distance running
Indians - hockey, cricket.

Have you ever seen an Negro taking part in Diving (as in the jump off platform, spin spin, splash)? It's rare enough that Tiger Woods (golf) and Lewis Hamilton (F1) are competing at the top level of their sport, much less being champions.

Put a group of Malays in a basketball court and they will play football. Give a group of Indians a shuttlecock and a racket and they will play some version of cricket.

Question is this, are they good at their respective games because of genetic built? Culture or systemic factors eg. Government aid in the sport?