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A Letter To Myself - How a single hibiscus for Ganesh Kumar’s late mother transformed to a nine-storey community garden

A Letter To Myself

After his mother died, Ganesh Kumar planted a hibiscus on a bare hillside in Woodlands. Today, it is a vibrant, 4,000 sq m oasis for stressed-out urbanites, the elderly in wheelchairs, and ex-offenders. In this episode of A Letter to Myself, Ganesh reflects on the garden’s transformation, its deep connection to the community, and how his own grief made space for the healing of others. 

Joel Chua

Joel Chua

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A Letter To Myself - The budding musician who made an academic deal with her parents to pursue her passion

Renny Goh always dreamed of becoming a musician, but her parents had one condition — she had to earn a degree first. While she was in NUS, she continued playing in her band, singing covers on YouTube and getting gigs. But it was a cousin’s near-death which clarified her goals, and she decided to chase her ambition in Los Angeles. In this episode of A Letter to Myself, Renny tells Joel Chua how she navigated an unusual path for a Singaporean.

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A Letter To Myself - How a life-threatening birth seeded the idea for a thriving baby bottle business

Yvon and Leon Bock are the co-founders of Hegen, a Singapore brand well-known for its baby feeding bottles. But it was the traumatic delivery of their fourth child which spurred them to embark on a journey to help others. In the process, the couple created a profitable business. Joel Chua sits down with them for their lessons on life, love and parenthood. 

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A Letter To Myself - Being ‘kiasu’ is still in all of us, says co-creator of the iconic Mr Kiasu comic character

James Suresh left a stable job in the military to pursue his dream of being a comics author. From reflections of life in Singapore in the 1960s and 70s to co-creating the iconic Mr Kiasu comic series, James’ work aims to capture the essence of being a Singaporean. He reflects on his career and creative journey with Joel Chua.

Resume Pause 32 mins
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A Letter To Myself - A couple’s journey in navigating blindness and not losing sight of love

Married couple Nuraziana Mohamed Said and Mohamed Iskandar Misran share many common interests, including a love for music. But there is something else that binds them together. They were both diagnosed as visually impaired when they were children. Although they started out as fierce academic rivals in school, the couple found themselves drawn to each other - once more - a decade later. In this episode, Nuraziana and Iskandar share with Joel Chua how their love strengthens one another and why they are using music and podcast to advocate for persons with disabilities.

Resume Pause 34 mins
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A Letter To Myself - In cleaning homes for 40 years, volunteer Fion Phua says the underprivileged help her

 Fion Phua, founder of volunteer platform Keeping Hope Alive, has been volunteering since she was 16. For more than 40 years, she's witnessed severe cases of hoarding, including one where someone hoarded toilet paper. But she doesn’t tell the people she meets she’s there to lend a hand – instead, she asks them to help her be useful. She shares her story with Joel Chua. 

Resume Pause 32 mins
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