I love being back. I haven’t felt bored since returning home six months ago.
Being able to say “jialat” and have people know what I mean was one thing I missed. The others were local food and predictable weather.
I was a bit of a troublemaker at school. I would try anything to get out early, including cycling to school every morning just so I could make a quick escape after flag-raising, and escaping to sleep in the sick bay during class.
I’m the type of traveler that doesn’t plan. I go and figure things out when I’m there.
My husband and I want to pull each other’s hair out every other day. Seriously. However, working together has made us closer than most. We see every aspect of each other. And we know what each other’s strengths are, and how to harness them to function as a team.
My three wishes would be to be healthy, wise and always hungry—for food, and for learning and growth.
Rude people make me angry.
We once got stranded in a boat at night, in choppy waters off Koh Phi Phi. Instead of calling for help the boatman called a friend to chat. We finally rowed our way back to shore. Lesson learned— always check that your boat is equipped with lifejackets and a flashlight. If possible, make sure your boatman is not crazy either.
We got too old for hostels and too tired of staying in dinky budget hotels. And we were renting out our place whenever we were away, but the process was cumbersome and frustrating. So we set up Roomorama.
The hardest part of starting this business has been educating the public on what Roomorama is about and how it makes it safe and reliable to rent an apartment or home while traveling.
If I were president of Singapore for the day, I’d reinstate my old salary of $4m a year. Haha.
Perfect bliss is traveling with my husband and dog.
My parents are my role models. They have shown me the importance of working hard and being humble.
I’d tell my younger self to listen to your older advisors when they caution you, because they’ve been through it before and it will save you some pain and suffering.
I feel proudest when I mention Roomorama to someone new, and they know of it independently of me telling them about it.
The best advice I ever received was that you’ll make mistakes—just pick up, move on and make sure you learn from them.
Free-spirited, adventurous and sociable. That’s how my best friend would describe me.
If I wasn’t doing this, I’d probably be trying to convince everyone to recycle and reuse their stuff. Everyone needs to do their part!
