SHENTONISTA

“Having lived in many countries, I’ve learnt to find a common ground with the people I meet and open my mind to different views.”

"As a writer, I draw inspiration from my travels to create inspiring stories grounded in truth, which has given me new perspectives."

“I’ve been working in Singapore for two years, and life here is so different from back home in Japan. I like that there’s so much greenery in the city, and I also enjoy eating laksa and bak kut teh, but rental is so expensive and I miss the cold weather! So now that my contract's ended, I'm headed home!”

“I’m working towards getting a Grammy, and I know I’m still far from it, but I believe that having a bigger goal allows you to really encapsulate and visualise your dream."

“I find that when people are feeling uneasy about making a career jump, it’s often because their minds become clouded by emotions. Besides thinking about the monetary benefits of a job, I’d advise looking inward to find out what you want out of your career. In short, you should do what you love.”

“I had a recurring knee injury from my days as a dancer, and recently underwent a double knee reconstructive surgery to fix it. The recovery has been very tiring and I do miss dancing, but after about a year of physiotherapy, I'm working hard to rebuild my muscles and am hoping to go snowboarding soon!”

“I have a close group of friends that I’ve known for over a decade, and we often travel together, usually after booking flight tickets on a whim whenever there are good deals. Despite us all having our own lives and careers, it’s always nice to spend time with one another and catch up on life while exploring new places."

“It’s possible to be whatever you want to be, and it’s always okay to restart, like what we’re doing now. Just stop when you need to, and when it’s time, just come back again.”

"Of all of the countries I've visited, Japan remains one of my favourites. I really enjoy the thrifting scene there—stores are so well-curated, and I've found many gems at a fraction of their original price there. Some of my favourite Japanese thrift stores are 10tow, 2nd Street, Kindal, and Otoe."

“Outside of work and spending time with my fiancé and loved ones, I like going out for a meal by myself sometimes. It’s not that I’m lonely, it’s just how I enjoy spending my alone time—eating and people-watching. My go-to comfort food is the beef noodles from Saap Saap Thai!”

“I love sharing the story of how I met my fiancée, @hdyh.rhm! We matched on Tinder and as we were sharing about our life plans, we found out that we were about to enrol into the same school, in the same course, and same class. I thought it was a love scam at first because what are the odds, right?”

“I got my love for cooking from my mum, who never fails to make my favourite dishes like chicken curry on special occasions. She actually passed on her recipe to me, but I tried it one time and it tasted so off! But my mum tried to be nice about it and fixed it for me in the end.”