Leela and Shaman
Leela - The Parent, The One That Got Away and Came Back, The Helper
Shaman - The Child, The Dreamer, The Player
Leela grew up in Jurong and had many fond memories here -- including the children gathering at the 7th floor corridors at 4pm everyday to play games such as five stones, hide and seek and catching; going to the Big Splash and having a family meal at the KFC at Superbowl on special occasions.
Years later, she moved back to Jurong – together with her husband and son, Shaman. Unfortunately, most of the places and buildings have been demolished.
She took a leap of faith and made a mid-career change – she was in the pioneer batch of Social students under Singapore University of Social Sciences. She has since graduated, and Is currently working in Singapore Children’s Society.
Her journey as a social worker albeit meaningful, had its difficult times. There was a period in which she had to be on call and it left little time and attention for her family – to the extent Shaman asked why she was always on the phone. Hearing her stories, we commented that she was possibly going to burn out then, but she disagreed. “No lah, not burn out. This one Chao da already!”
She now has more time for her family. Just as how her dad brought her to KFC on special occasions, she now has the time to bring Shaman to have ice cream and waffles at Ice-Cream Man and Friends in Taman Jurong to celebrate special occasions. It is also these cafe visits that inspired Shaman to open a cafe at Jurong Lake Garden in the future -- he names it Shaman’s Cafe. She also has time for herself and has returned to Muay Thai – she had no time for Muay Thai when she was Chao da. Nonetheless, these experiences shaped her belief about the importance of self-care and she hopes to advocate for self-care within the community; especially amongst caregivers.
Indeed, her extensive experience in the community is an asset. She is passionate and had work experiences in many other areas including children and youth, cyberbullying and mental health.
