SHENTONISTA

“I have lots of hobbies, one of it being fishing. When I fish, I use artificial lures to mimic baitfish and entice a bigger catch, which is a lot more thrilling. I first fished back in 2008 on my last holiday with my dad, who has since passed. That underlying connection to my father is what has kept this hobby so close to me.”

“I just love to eat! But I'm very careful with my diet. I believe it’s most important to exercise well and keep ourselves healthy. I go for walks everyday, and do intermittent fasting. It really works for me; I feel so energised, even without breakfast."

“I was once a Funeral Director Assistant cum Undertaker, where I arranged wakes and cremations. After that, I did marketing, advertising, and the occasional oyster-opening in the pearl industry, and that eventually led me to becoming a PR Consultant. I guess you could say life really took its course!”

“I love reading about the thought process of directors, producers, and especially copywriters. The mind really intrigues me. There are so many levels to being a creative and they come from a part of the brain that AI cannot replace.”

“I workout seven days a week. Being a bodybuilder is regimental and time-consuming, but I love it! People always talk about discipline, but if you don’t enjoy working out, then you won’t be able sustain a routine for long.”

“I was inspired to be a teacher by my former secondary school teacher, who, in spite of my quiet and reserved nature, believed in my capability to be a student leader. I hope to be that teacher for my students—to identify their potential and help them grow in their own unique way.”

“I underestimated myself quite a lot in my 20s. Looking back, I was as capable then as I am now, so I should have taken more risks lah. Now, in my 30s, I’m telling myself, if I feel nervous about something, don’t care, just do it.”

“Working in the media industry has taught me to be kind. In my role, I meet and liaise with many different people, and I’ve found that people can be quite unkind. I always remind myself that I don’t want to be them; I want to be nice despite being stressed and having deadlines to meet.”

“I’ve always loved to cook! Cooking is like a creative outlet that you can eat, and my parents are both chefs, so I was raised around great food. For me, it’s really fun to learn about new techniques, ingredients, or types of food, and then think about how to combine them or swap them out to create something new."

“In the past year, I’ve learnt that being alone is okay. I just got out of a relationship where I depended on my partner a lot, so I had to relearn being alone. It’s tough, and some days get pretty lonely, but I know that life has so much more to offer than this. Sometimes, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s there.”

“I’m a full-time father of three, so I’ve lost all my hobbies. But, being a father is great! It's the best thing that’s ever happened to me. As long as I see my kids happy, I’m happy.”

In the middle of Raffles Place Park on a Friday evening, amidst the sea of human rush hour traffic and throngs of Zumba dancing folks, we spotted Sharon, bright-eyed and cradling a bottle of wine. She was dressed comfortably in a simple black skirt and tank top ensemble, but had an air of poise and confidence about her that we just couldn’t ignore.