Ties That Bind

What’s something not many people know about you?
I was born a day early—I was supposed to be born on 21st September, but the doctor suggested that I should be born on 20th September, because the umbilical cord was starting to strangle me in the womb. Apparently I came out looking purple (laughs).

Do you have any uncommon hobbies?
I don’t think it’s an uncommon ‘hobby’, but I play the guzheng, which is not really a common instrument. I take exams and have a certification for it, and I’ve been playing it since I was in secondary school.

Is there a personality trait that you’d change?
I used to be really short-tempered, but I think I’m a lot calmer now. It’s still something I want to change though. I want to be more patient in the future.

What’s your favourite childhood memory?
Going to construction sites with my dad. He used to bring me along sometimes, and it was fun to wear a hard hat and see people chipping away or hacking stuff. I think that was partly why I chose to work in interior design—I still like visiting construction sites, and I like making spaces happen.

Do you have any regrets about your past?
I think I should have tried harder to learn Teochew, which is my dialect. I don’t speak it fluently, so it’s quite hard to communicate with my grandparents. I only know a few words, and my grandparents understand very little English or Chinese, so I can’t really have a proper conversation with them.

Share with us a comfort food of yours.
I don’t know if this is a food that’s special to the people who speak my dialect, but my grandfather makes these cucumber noodles that you can’t buy anywhere else. That’s always very comforting.