SHENTONISTA

“I’m a hairdresser. I still do plenty of creative stuff, but I’m older now and the clientele naturally grows with you. I do get younger people like my clients’ children, but they’re all working professionals for the most part.”

“When people hear that I’m a freelancer, they assume I have all the time in the world. But it actually takes a lot of self-discipline and time management! If I procrastinate too much, my work would be a big mess.”

“If I had the time, I would like to travel somewhere far, far away—somewhere I know absolutely nothing about, just to see what life is like there and discover what that place has to offer.”

“I’m here in Singapore for a two-week business trip. I work as a travel agent, so it involves a lot of traveling. I am originally from Ibaraki, and this is actually my second time visiting Singapore!”

“I don’t think we’re ever done with discovering who we are and what we need to do. We keep getting shown a different way, and my cancer journey has taught me not to be too precious now about what I can or cannot do.”

“The sense that time is very limited definitely kind of pushed me to try and forge forward for the things that I really wanted to do. I didn’t think I had the resolve and risk-taking appetite to see it through, until the cancer happened.”

“I am more grateful for every new day, because every new day is a gift. When one has cancer, it’s so uncertain and you don’t know how long you have. So I try to live each day as best as I can.”

“Never give up hope. The moment you give up hope, you won’t have the desire and determination to push through. It is only with hope that you can get back on your feet to fight whatever disease comes at you.”

“Having gone through what she went through, I understood how chemotherapy works. It helped me get through my own treatment more easily, because I knew that if my daughter could be brave enough to go through it, then I have to fight it too, for my family.”

“When I'm not traveling, I love watching dramas and exercising in the parks. I usually go for jogs with my dad in the evening!”

“I like reading, especially fiction! My all-time favourite book is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. I actually have a huge poster of it, signed by the author himself!”

“I didn’t feel secure about having my pictures taken when I was growing up, and now that I’ve started gaining more confidence, I’m trying to give back to that younger version of myself.”