Long-term Expats:
A Seletar family’s Singapore stint
You have two daughters now; were they born in Singapore?
Yes, at Thomson Medical Centre, under the brilliant guidance of Dr Paul Tseng from TLC Gynaecology Practice.
How did you choose their current school?
When UWCSEA East opened up, our girls joined the majority of kids from the Camp to go there after spending the first couple of years at AIS. It’s a wonderful school and they have both flourished academically and sports-wise, and they have great friends. We can’t rate it highly enough.
You now have an amazing career; tell us a bit about what you do.
I’m very privileged to be a Partner in one of the Big 4 professional services firms. I oversee a brilliant Singapore team and am very fortunate to lead our global practice. I’m still working in immigration and in a role that gives me such purpose – and never more than in a year like this one!
I love being in a role where I can make a difference to people’s lives and help them navigate through a pretty stressful time, even without a global pandemic in play. Since the start of COVID, I’ve been able to help friends and friends-of-friends navigate through this crazy period of border closures and strategize with them about the best possible plan for them and their families. I haven’t been able to get away from COVID discussions over the last year – professionally or personally – but I hope I have played a small part in helping ease people’s anxieties.
And Kieran’s role?
He’s in advertising and marketing. In 2003, Kieran joined a colleague from Carlson Marketing Group, the agency that brought them here, to set up their own advertising agency, Band, which is now part of Dentsu.
Did you ever imagine living in Singapore for such a long time? What has it given you as far as life lessons and different perspectives go?
Growing up in London, Kieran had a yearning to live in the sun. So, when the opportunity came to work internationally, he grabbed it with both hands. For me, missing family in New Zealand and not being part of their lives day to day has been hard. Thank goodness for the technology that exists today. Back in the 90s, I brought a fax machine with us and it was the main form of communication – how things have changed!
It’s amazing, 25 years down the line, that we’ve raised a family in the tropics surrounded by our fabulous friends who have become like family over the years, and to share the experience of living in Singapore and its surroundings with friends and family when they come to visit.
We’ve also been very fortunate to build our dream home in Queenstown, New Zealand, which is one of the most magical places on the planet. It’s food for the soul – the contrast to our city life in Singapore. As we managed the build remotely, we opted to work with Kris and Susan at Teak & Mahogany here in Singapore to furnish our NZ home. They were brilliant in designing and making all our furniture, from beds to sideboards and sofas, and even our bar, and then arranging the 40foot container to ship it all across.
After the Circuit Breaker lifted last year, I was inspired to start growing my own herbs after seeing our next door neighbour Zara’s efforts with her composting, herb garden and Aerospring hydroponics. I have enjoyed it so much that I’m now the proud owner of two units from Nadine at Aerospring and I love spending time in my garden. It’s been a very welcome distraction from the crazy world of immigration.
What advice would you give to newcomers moving here?
Embrace change, and be open to the wonderful experiences Singapore has to offer. The island may be small but there is so much to explore and experience – the people, food, diversity of cultures, acceptance of others and the chance to meet amazing people who will become lifelong friends.