SHENTONISTA

With her wispy white hair, sparkling eyes, and posture that would put us to shame, we knew there was more to Noi than meets the eye. As she posed confidently in front of the camera, her son tells us that she used to be a beauty queen in her youth.

“I currently run a home-based stuffed brownie business, which I started back in 2019, because in school, we need laptops, so I started selling brownies to raise funds for a MacBook. Later on, baking really grew on me, and it’s since become my passion.”

“I was born in Serbia, but I now live in Da Nang, Vietnam. Before that, I lived in Shenzhen, China, and before that, Saint Martin in the Caribbean. I think it’s more interesting to travel around when I’m younger, up till a certain age, then when I’m older, I’ll head closer to home in Europe.”

To describe The Botanist & Her Thieves as a mere plant shop would be an understatement. Then again, a space as unique…

Having fallen in love with Chinese culture and fashion through the Chinese dramas that she loves watching, Darin tells us that she’s grown to love traditional Chinese dresses. She shares that she’s bought quite a number of Hanfus from Taobao, and regularly dresses up in them, even in Bangkok, where she’s from.

“When I was in primary school, I used to play the trombone quite often, because I was in the school band, but I stopped after I entered poly because I wanted to try something new. I have since picked up crocheting from my mum, and am now looking to get better at it—I made this mask chain myself!”

With her confident gait, bright smile, lime green pants, and hot pink bag, Bruna stood out from the crowd, and caught our eye from afar as we strolled along the perimeter of Marina Bay Sands.

“The two craziest things I’ve ever done are getting married and giving birth, but it’s been a great experience. The best part is that each new day is always a surprise because you’ll never know what will happen, and it’s all about learning and growing together as a family.”

“The top three things on my bucket list are to retire at age 45 and travel the world, become a professional equestrian, and become a professional motorcycle racer.”

“I’m from Paris. I would say that it’s quite different from Singapore, in the sense that some places are a bit more dangerous that others. I definitely recommend not going to the North of Paris, because that’s what people would usually consider more dangerous, and it’s usually less pretty as well. The other places in Paris are pretty nice though!”

“When I drink coffee in the morning—every day for the past few decades—I’ll add ginger, garlic, and onion into it. I’m used to it already, because I’ve been drinking this since I started going out to work after primary school, which is why I rarely fall sick or have any ailments like aches and pains. Nothing!”

“I love architecture a lot and got my degree in it, but what I love more is nature. That’s why I was in amazement of this courtyard at Marina One. All the greenery! So yeah, that’s what makes Singapore so beautiful—there’s so much greenery, which I absolutely love.”