SHENTONISTA

“You can have professional ambitions and also be a good mother. I don’t see why they need to be mutually exclusive.”

“I’m from Russia, but I see so many similarities between Singapore and Russia. I think the culture is quite similar, and that’s what I like about Singapore! That’s why I’ve been here for 13 years—it feels like home.”

“I enjoy scuba diving a lot. It’s another world, what the sea gives us. It’s paradise just a few feet beneath the surface, and down there it’s always calm, peaceful, and serene.”

“My partner Syahmi and I have been together for two years, and we’ve been best friends for seven years. Everything with him has been amazing. He’s a gentleman, treats me really well, and he knows how to make me laugh all the time.”

“If I could switch lives with someone for a day, I would choose my son Charles. I think it would be amazing to return to that state of innocence and naivety. To experience the world through the eyes of a 2 year old and feel that sense of childlike wonder and love for life.”

“I’m 26 this year, but I feel like my adulthood only truly began last year when I moved to Singapore. Paying rent and bills, and taking good care of myself is only the starter pack to being an adult. The advanced phase is probably when I start becoming a “parent” to my parents.”

“As you can tell, I really like pockets—there are about 17 pockets in this shirt, because it’s a gardener’s shirt, so there are many pockets for tools. I don’t garden though, it’s just convenient to have pockets.”

“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.”