In Pursuit

Tell us what you do for work. Is this something you intend to do in the long term?
I’m a Data Centre Engineer for a big American IT company. I’ve always been interested in the IT industry, so yes, I would say that I hope to be doing this in the long run.

While it’s really tiring and hard work since I work 12-hour shifts, I only have to work 15 days in a month, so that balances it out. Plus, the pay is good too (laughs).

Wow, that’s a lot of feee time you have! How do you like to spend your days off?
I like to spend my free time attending concerts, both locally and abroad. In fact, you caught me right before a concert—I was just on my way to watch the Korean rapper Sik-K with my friends.

When did your interest in music and attending concerts first start?
I started attending concerts at 16 when I had permission from my parents and could earn my own money. I still remember my first ever concert, which was a free K-Pop night in Singapore—back when K-Pop concerts were affordable.

Share with us some other music events you’ve attended, or will be attending this year.
I attended the Waterbomb Festival in South Korea earlier this year—if I’m travelling to Korea for concerts, I usually try to go for two to three weeks at a time, just to catch as much as I can while I’m there.

There’s also the the Asian Sound Syndicate Festival in Jakarta, with a lineup full of Korean hiphop acts, including Sik-K (laughs). I’ll also be attending the ONE OK ROCK concert locally in December.

That said, I haven’t been to many concerts this year since they’re only just coming back after the pandemic.

2019 was my peak; I attended about 20 concerts that year! My favourite was the HIPHOPPLAYA Festival in Seoul. I think it’s different watching K-Pop artists perform in their home country since they’re more comfortable and hence enjoy it more.

The one song you have on repeat is—
Got Lost by Sik-K.

How would you describe your style?
As a plus-sized hijabi, I like to dress in comfortable pieces that can see me through long hours. My go-to shopping spot is Arab Street.

Since I work from home, I make it a point to dress up whenever I go out, otherwise all my clothes and makeup will go to waste!