Devotion

How long have you been living in Singapore and what do you like about living here?
I’m from New Delhi, India, and I moved to Singapore with my husband and then three-month-old son for my husband’s job over 20 years ago.

Singapore is a beautiful country that has welcomed and accepted us with open arms. We see a lot of diversity here too. There’s a good amalgamation of people and culture, and the best part is watching them all co-exist.

Although we do miss our families back in India, we’re very well-settled and happy here.

Do you remember how you felt when you found out you were going to be a parent for the first time?
Wow, it was definitely a unique and beautiful experience since we were trying for a baby for some time. But when I found out that I was expecting, my husband was on a business trip in Hong Kong (laughs). When I eventually shared the news with him, we were both very elated.

Your son is now 22 and studying in New Zealand. Was it difficult sending him abroad for school?
It wasn’t easy for me. We sent our son to New Zealand in 2020 and as soon as we returned, Covid-19 hit and the borders were shut. It wasn’t until almost three years later that we got to see him again.

Now that things are back to normal, we visit him once a year and we enjoy our time together exploring lesser known spots in the area.

That said, I think children nowadays are becoming global citizens, and they should be prepared to adapt to wherever work and life takes them. Since we’re not Permanent Residents of Singapore, and our son is no longer a dependent of us, he will not likely come back here after his studies, so we’ll support him wherever he plans to go in the future.

How do you like to spend your free time?
I’m really passionate about art, and I love to paint and sketch.

These days, my husband and I also enjoy spending more time with our friends, whose children are also away. We like to organise picnics, gatherings, and celebrate festivals together.

What’s your favourite artwork that you created?
It’s a beautiful painting of a horse—I’m a big horse lover and I love to paint them! There’s something about their beauty and grace that attracts me. I love the way they move and how they strut and gallop majestically.

Needless to say, I have many paintings of horses around my home (laughs).

Share with us one thing that made you laugh recently.
It’s always a fun time when hanging out with friends and there are plenty of jokes that go around (laughs). One of them will be turning 50 this year, so we’ve been giggling over weird ideas that we’ve come up with to celebrate.