Saving face is a uniquely Asian concept. It’s also an incredibly expensive one, especially in Singapore. Why are we willing to pay so much to “save face”? A close friend of mine is getting married next year. It’s an event I’m genuinely looking forward to and I’m ecstatic for him and his fiancée. A few months ago, over dinner, I casually asked about the progress of their wedding preparations and the costs they’ve incurred. The latter was an issue of keen importance to me because my friend was in between jobs and wasn’t doing particularly well financially at that time. He said that they had booked 29 tables, each costing S$1,300. I was a bit taken aback due to the sheer number of tables as well as the money they would be spending, an amount I knew would make quite a significant dent in their bank accounts. When I ......