A lot of people are like this, unfortunately. People often tell me, "You used to be a manager; what are you doing now?" I tell them, at one point, I worked as a house cleaner. I ran the business with my mum, and believe it or not, we earned the same salary as a supervisor in my country. When we were cleaning houses, we split the money evenly between the two of us. We cleaned everything thoroughly, including the toilets—whatever was in the house, we made sure it was spotless. Our reviews were always excellent.

I’ve also done stewarding, washing plates for a living, and even factory work in a tree bark factory.

Slowly, I worked my way up to being a waiter, then a barista, then a supervisor, and eventually a manager. After COVID, I had to start over again, but strangely, in the UAE, a waiter earns more than a manager does in Malaysia. The value of work is different in other countries. I’m honestly just lucky to be here. I have friends in the UAE who invited me over, and without them, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me.

Anyway, I’m rambling. What I’m trying to say is: respect others. One day, if you’re ever down, they’ll be the ones willing to help you get back up.