When he was a child, Mr Vernon Kwek's mother used to sing him a Chinese ditty.
"Na li die dao, na li pa," he recites the refrain in Mandarin. It is an exhortation to pick oneself up if one falls to the floor.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
