Strung Through

Introduce yourself!
My name is Sunny and I’m from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. I used to stay in Singapore for a while, but now I’m back here to travel. I’m also a freelance graphic designer, and I like crafting.

We heard you run your own beading business called Sweaty Frog! Tell us how this started and what inspired the name.
It started when I was feeling stressed and wanted to pick up a new hobby, so I gave beading a try. While I was beading at a friend’s event, someone noticed my little frog creation and actually bought it. I was so surprised! That moment encouraged me to take it more seriously, and I eventually began setting up booths at events, and that’s how it all began.

The name Sweaty Frog came naturally. I love frogs, and living in Southeast Asia means it’s always hot and humid, and I’m constantly sweaty. So Sweaty Frog just felt right (laughs).

Since you moved back to Vietnam, do have any plans to move back to Singapore?
Yeah, I really want to move back here and work. But it’s really hard nowadays to find a job here. I’m still waiting to get a reply from the place that I applied to.

Here’s wishing you all the best on your job hunt! Since you’ve lived in both Vietnam and Singapore, what kind of differences do you find living in both countries?
There are a lot of differences, but I think the main thing is that Vietnam is more chaotic than Singapore for sure, especially the traffic. But in Singapore, I get to have a better environment. The air is better, and I get to walk more so it’s really improved my health. That said, I still enjoy both places because each offers a different experience.

Oh yes, the traffic in Vietnam can be chaotic, to say the least. Next, can you talk to us a bit about your style?
My style is mostly based on my mood. For today, I felt like wearing something energetic, so I went with red. I actually have a book at home on colour combinations, so when I feel like dressing up, I’ll pick one colour and choose the rest of the outfit based on that colour group. But on days when I don’t feel like putting in much effort, I’ll just throw on something simple.

Can you also tell us more about your tattoos?
Some of my tattoos have meanings, but others are random, like the bubble tea one. My tattoos are all on one arm because I want to keep one arm clean and also because my parents are gonna kick me out of the house if they see that I have two whole sleeves (laughs).

Do you have a dream job or a dream company that you want to work with?
I think my dream job is to be my own boss and start my own company. I’m working towards combining my passions for education and design—ideally, I’d love to open a small academy or even run a YouTube channel where I can teach people design skills. That’s the direction I hope to grow in.

Why do you think you want to do that?
I think it mainly started because I have a lot of younger cousins in my family, we’re a big family back in Vietnam. For some reason, they really look up to me. Sometimes I’ll teach them simple things like design tips. That’s when I started thinking, maybe I could take this further and turn it into something real, not just something that I share with my cousins.

You’re like a cool big sister!
Yeah, and it’s a lot of responsibility (laughs).