How old are your kids and how long have you lived in Westport? We have lived in Westport for 11 years and I have three children, Oscar (13), Leo (9) and Zara (5)
How did you end up where you are now in terms of your job, or whatever passion project it is you might be doing? Born uniquely without arms, I always knew that I had a special purpose to be more than what anyone expected me to be. Fully believing that nothing was impossible, I was a very determined and spirited child (I know, my poor parents). I wasn’t going to let anything hold me back. I pursued big dreams and graduated from Imperial College London with a double major in mathematics and computer science, a masters in science media production, with an internship at Goldman Sachs and the BBC; and landed a job in film/tv at Pinewood Studios (where movies such as 007 and Harry Potter were filmed) and then as a visual effects producer for various documentary series for National Geographic, Discovery and the History Channel before my husband’s job moved us to NYC and then CT. A couple of years after we moved to Westport, I was invited to a women’s retreat run by a ministry called We Want More, where I got to step into my passion, calling and purpose. I was given an opportunity to share my story and paint in front of a dozen women. It took such an incredible amount of boldness to step out of my comfort zone. And from that powerful experience, I realized that I had a gift I could share with the world and a story that could impact others. And since then, I have been sharing my gift and speaking at various public events and schools nationally, internationally and virtually. I continue to advocate for those voices that may not always be heard, and most recently, I have had the honour of being involved in Westport’s AAPI group @AAPIWestport (you may learn more about my story from my feature in Good Housekeeping).
What was your best memory from 2021, a strange year we know… It was another tough covid year, but my highlight was finally being able to fly home (sans kids) to see my mum and sisters for the first time in two years.
What are you most looking forward to in 2022? I’m looking forward to finishing a fictional children’s novel I’m writing, doing some travelling and hopefully spending the summer with our family back home and making up for lost time! :*)
What is the best show you have recently (binge) watched? AND/OR what is the last book you read? I don’t get a lot of time to watch tv, but it’s usually kdrama, and the last book i read was Mitch Albom’s “The Stranger in the Lifeboat”.
What is your greatest fear? I’m a firm believer that i can crush all my fears with my faith, but if i had to choose my greatest fear, it would be related to parenting and navigating through all the stages of life without getting in the way of my children’s purpose-driven path.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I got selected to present the late Princess Diana a bouquet of flowers on behalf of my school when she visited Seoul.
If you weren’t doing what you are today, what might your career path might have been? An Oscar Award winner for an animation short film (actually still haven’t lost all hope of that dream coming true one day!)
If you could travel to one place this next year, where would it be and why? London and Seoul, I can’t pick one because I’d love to travel to both cities to reunite with family and friends.
If you had 24 hours to do whatever you wanted to do, what would it be? I would probably have a good, sound sleep first, enjoy doing nothing for a bit, then think of something really creative to do (maybe bomb the town with some art – banksy style?) and end the day with watching the sun go down at the beach with my loved ones, refreshing my heart and soul.
Are you a morning person, or a night owl? How does sleep fit into your life? I’m a night owl and i’m not a great sleeper, but I try to squeeze in time just to close my eyes and take a pause during my day which helps me overcome any tiredness, even if it’s just for 10 minutes.
Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Who are your heroes in real life? Forrest Gump is my favourite fictional hero. My heroes in real life are my parents, my husband, my children, their teachers, my prayer warriors, the helpers and angels in our community and all those young overcomers who live with courage, perseverance and faith.
QUICK THIS OR THAT:
At a movie: Candy or Popcorn? Popcorn
Cook or order in? Let my husband cook 😉
Cake or Ice Cream? Ice Cream
Iced Coffee or Hot Coffee? I don’t really drink coffee, more of a tea person, but I really would like to try dalgona coffee
Beach or Mountains? Beach with volcanic mountains!
Puzzle or Board Game? Retro Nintendo games
Reading or writing? Writing
Before bed: Social media or book/TV? My 5 yo’s stories
Watch or play sports? Play soccer
Stay in or go out? I love to stay in, but also love a good excuse to go out to spend time with my people
Comedy or Drama? kdrama (my guilty pleasure)