SHENTONISTA

“I love playing the singing bowl as it brings so much energy to the body—you can feel the vibrations right down to the core! With this instrument, there’s no need for any lyrics; the sound frequencies alone can heal both the body and mind.”

“Many Chinese Singaporeans are Western-educated and modernised, and a lot of us are unaware of the 5,000 years of history and culture that made us who we are today. My design studio, Chito, is a platform for youths to connect with the Chinese culture in a contemporary way.”

"I used to party often, but now that I’m earning my own money, I’ve realised that I can’t afford that anymore. Now I go once in awhile, but otherwise I’ll usually be chilling at a friend’s house—we like to play Super Smash Bros. on the Switch, although we can get pretty competitive!”

"I’d say my style is comfortable and timeless, with a touch of Japanese accents. I like to visit Japan every year during spring or summer and that’s where I collect my outfits for the year, so I don’t shop for clothes much in Singapore.”

“I’m really passionate about music. I started an instrument repair business to provide affordable servicing locally and I’m also a rock band teacher at St. Patricks School—literally like Jack Black from School of Rock. Outside of work, I play with the band, 8forty5, and our first full album is now out on Spotify!”

“I returned to Vietnam (where I’m from) on a tour of the largest known cave in the world, Son Doong, and I was left in awe of nature and how small we are in this universe—I heard that you can fit an entire skyscraper within its walls! It was also heartening to see a rise in tourism in Vietnam’s poorer regions as a result of these cave discoveries.”

“I shoot, develop, and print my own large format photographs, and it takes about 75 minutes to get one shot! Since it’s so costly and time-consuming, I value every moment of the prices even if the photo turns out ugly. I don’t do much with my photographs at the moment, but I would love to compile them into a book one day."

“I’ll be taking the Bar exam in a few months and going on to practise law, but my passion is in writing. I write a lot of poems, fiction, and some plays, and I’m hoping to eventually pursue this as a career, so once I finish my bond as a lawyer, I’m out.”

“After my grandfather passed away, I went through a rough time. Soon after, I encountered a moth with a broken wing, and found out that it symbolises the spirits of ancestors returning to check on their family. I got a moth tattooed on my forearm as a reminder that my grandfather is still watching over me.”

“When I first graduated from law school, I was so excited to start applying what I learnt in school to the workplace, but I wasn’t prepared to handle the small moments of self-doubt that came along with the job, especially when I make mistakes. Ultimately, I think it’s important to not tie what I do to who I am.”

“I think literature is downplayed these days, so yeah, my wife and I are quite the nerds—there’s always a magazine or a book in our bags whenever we go out. In fact, I used to work for Borders, which feels like a whole lifetime ago, so you can guess how old we are.”

“I run a business, FIN Crafted Goods, with my husband Fahmy, so as you can imagine, it’s really hard separating life from work. But when I do actively take a step back from work, I like to cook and read. Physical books only though! No e-books. It’s how Fahmy and I escape reality.”