SHENTONISTA

“Always be open to trying new things, because you never know what’s out there for you, so be daring enough to take these opportunities. I’ve always been a person who makes calculated moves, but some of the best decisions made have always been from just taking a leap of faith.”

“I actually didn’t really expect to enjoy dance when I first joined, because I have two left feet, but it’s taught me quite a lot. I learned to step outside of my comfort zone by going out and dancing with others. Before uni, I would have been way too shy to do that.”

“In the ’70's, I started collecting stamps, phone cards, and notes. During my eight years in the Navy, I travelled the world and visited many flea markets. That’s how I got interested. I’m passionate about history and collecting.”

“People are surprised to see that musical boxes may contain many instruments that make up a band. Craftsmen had to expertly design each musical box and combine the pieces together in a way that produces the song.”

“We don't mess around with our nasi lemak because we know that's what we do well, so we try to be more innovative with our drinks or other side dishes. For example, if you get a kueh bingka, we serve it with a scoop of ice cream. That's kind of like modernising the dish, but still keeping true to our roots.”

“We hope to create a space where people can explore music. We're really not a shop where you come and rattle off a list of classic records that you want to buy—we'd like to be a place where people come and try new stuff, or listen to something they haven't heard before.”

“The leather crafting scene in Singapore is rather small today. It has grown since I first started but it still hasn't gained as much popularity as other hobbies such as painting or pottery. So when other leathercraft businesses pop up, I find that it's actually a good thing, because it promotes leather crafting.”

“Grooming used to be this very exclusive thing, you know, like an exclusive club where only a certain group of people will choose to go to barber shops to be groomed. But now that people are far more educated, they're more willing to take on additional grooming steps in their routine.”

“I had a health scare about six or seven years ago where I was suspected to have tuberculosis. After that, I tried to eliminate as much toxins from my life as possible, making stuff to use myself, and in the five years I began using more natural products, I saw a difference in my health.”

“If you’re a person who is concerned about the environmental impacts of the clothes that you wear, you don’t have to limit yourself to wearing one thing. When you swap, you fulfil the need to express yourself without the negative impact, because you're wearing used clothes.”

“If you have an F&B business, building an onsite edible garden is great; it strengthens the farm-to-table element, reduces carbon footprint (harvested mere footsteps away), and allows chefs to try different local varieties that are not commonly-found otherwise."

“I try to spend more time with my parents when I can, because as I get older I realise that I don’t really spend a lot of time with them, especially now when I’m working. Even small things like just bringing them out to eat, I can see that they really appreciate it a lot.”