The Climb

Tell us a little bit more about what you do as a marketing manager for a jewellery brand.
My work is creative, so I like to think of what I do as telling stories, specifically stories about love.

Romantic! So, what does love mean to you?
That’s a great question! Love to me means intentional devotion. I use the word intentional because it isn’t just about the things that come naturally to you, but also about finding different ways to show love.

Interesting that you use devotion instead of commitment. Do you think there’s a difference between the two?
Yes, devotion is sexy and commitment is boring (laughs).

True that! Now on to jewellery—it’s often seen as a meaningful gift and a way to express love. So when you approach your work, how do you do it with intention, especially when it comes to conveying that kind of emotional message?
What I ask myself is how do I make sure that this love story gets the credit that it deserves? What are the feelings and message that the gifter is trying to tell?

I’m not trying to plug Carrie K, but this is why I joined the company. It’s the little messages that our clients can send through the jewellery—which they can co-create with us—that make it special. It can be a simple design, but by injecting your own story into a piece of jewellery, it becomes more than just what can be seen.

Is this element of storytelling how you found yourself drawn to the field of watches and jewellery?
Yes, I found myself drawn to watches and jewellery because there’s always a story to tell through heirlooms. When I think about the watches I want to keep, I want to keep them forever. I collect vintage watches, and I think the beauty lies in continuing the story told by the original wearer and carrying it into tomorrow, so that someone else can continue that journey in its next chapter.

I think of jewellery the same way—you’re carrying its soul and its journey. You’re simply a vessel for the object to pass through. These pieces can live on forever, whereas I won’t, and I think that’s why I’m so drawn to these little trinkets.

Interesting! Now let’s talk about something else that lasts forever—your tattoos. Why did you choose to get the ones that you have?
I got the hummingbird because I learned of this Native American legend about how when you’re on a journey and spot a hummingbird, it’s a sign from the gods that you’ll be able to make it home.

Being from Sarawak, working abroad got really tough because of Covid, and I wasn’t allowed to go home, so I wanted a reminder that while things can get scary, there will always eventually be a way for me to see my family again. Back then, I didn’t see them for two years, and I didn’t know if I could ever see them again because Singapore kept opening and closing their borders!

As for the moth tattoo, it’s local to my hometown. It mimics the look of a locust to ward off predators. I told my artist about wanting to get this design and serendipitously, that night, when she returned home,, she saw that same moth in her kitchen. To me, it’s a sign that it was meant to be!

You have a tattoo of a mountain as well. Would you say you’re in tune with nature?
I am! I love mountains. I grew up in Sarawak where there are a lot of caves and forests to explore. In fact, I used to hike mountains almost every week. I’ve always been more attuned to climbing things than I have been diving into oceans. Personally, I’ll always feel connected to mountains—my grandmother actually wanted to name me Hillary, after Sir Edmund Hillary, the New Zealand mountaineer and explorer. I was also born in the year of the goat, and my horoscope is Capricorn, so if that doesn’t reinforce my connection with mountains, I don’t know what will (laughs).

Although it isn’t my favourite tattoo, it was my first. I chose a simple mountain range instead of one from my hometown because, at that point in my life, I had come to a realisation: I used to feel resentful that after every challenge I overcame, another one would appear. But when I decided to get this tattoo, I’d already reached a place where I could accept and even enjoy the idea that there’s always something new to conquer. It’s like a new adventure always waiting just ahead.