Back In The Game

I’m an ex-stay-at-home-mum.
I’m from New York, and have been in advertising for 10 years. I have a child who’s eight years old, so I was a stay-at-home mother for eight years and I recently went back to work. We’ve lived here for five years now.

How do you like to so far?
It’s great! Singapore is metropolitan, cultural, and I feel like I can fit in here. Prior to this, we were in Beijing for three years. We’ve been moving around because of my husband. He’s in the fashion industry so we’ve been moving around because of his job.

What’s good to see and do in New York?
There’s a really good cultural side to New York. There’re great museums that are known all of the world, like the MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You also have some of the best foods in the world. Everything is super authentic because New York is a melting pot of cultures, so you have the most authentic Japanese, Korean and even Ethiopian food. It’s similar to Singapore, but I think in a more blown-up version.

Were there any struggles with adjusting here?
In New York, there’s a lot of character and history. You have pre-war and post-war buildings, so there’s a story as you walk through all the neighbourhoods. In Singapore, on the other hand, everything is brand new, so in the beginning I found it challenging to connect with. Now I’m learning more and more about Singapore, like the shophouses, and how quaint it is.

Any tips you’d give to new parents?
Keep looking forward and you’ll see the light soon. It’s very difficult in the beginning and you just don’t know if you can survive the next day, but it just gets easier and easier. Also, if you are career-driven, never give up and don’t take too long of a hiatus because it’s tough to get back into the game and find something that motivates you.