People

“I never used to go out to work. I stayed home and made food to sell. I sold bak zhang in May, and biscuits and Chinese New Year snacks at the end of the year. Now, I give them away. If you know me, you can just come and get some bak zhang and snacks in May.”

“I grew up in a kampung in the Philippines before I came to Singapore when I was 15, and back then, I was really in touch with gardening and farming. Now, during the holidays, I volunteer at Ground-Up Initiative, an organic farm in Singapore.”

“I have two sisters, and we’re very close. I’m the middle child—my eldest sister is three years older, and the youngest is six years younger. Although our age gap is very big, we can really vibe.”

“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.”