FollowWhen I was about nine years old, I had one burning ambition: I wanted to be a TVB actress. Not just any actress — one who acted in those dramatic period kung fu shows that I was obsessed with. My papa used to rent tapes from the tape shop, and every night I would be glued to the TV, mesmerized by the swords, the flowing costumes, the chivalrous heroes and heroines. And of course the heroines’ long flowy hair.
And of course, I had to become one of them.
So there I was, a little girl standing in front of my late grandmother’s big cupboard mirror, with a towel draped over my head, pretending it was long, silky hair. I even curled up my bangs to look like Siu Loong Lui from Legend of the Condor Heroes. Then I would act out scenes, fight imaginary villains, and pretend the whole world was my TVB set. That phase went on for years!
By sixteen, the dream shifted. I wanted to be an air stewardess. Not because of the glamour — but because I wanted to see the world. To be free, independent, and to fly.
When I was about 21 or 22, I finally went for the MAS air stewardess interview. I passed not one but two interviews and was called for a medical checkup on 31st August that year. I still remember the date clearly. But somehow… I never went. And just like that, the dream slipped away. Till today, I still regret giving up that dream.
Fast forward to today, and guess what I want to be now?
A singer.
Yes, even though my voice is nowhere near singer-standard and I definitely don’t have all the qualities of one. But the desire is still there — quietly, stubbornly. And for so long, I thought all my childhood dreams were just that… dreams. Unreachable. Gone with age.
But lately I’ve realized something.
Dreams don’t always die.
Sometimes, they simply shape-shift.
They manifest in different ways, at different stages of our lives, in forms that suit who we are now.
💫 I can still be an actress — through vlogging and creating videos, which will be my next project.
💫 I can still travel the world — when the timing is right.
💫 And I can still sing — maybe not on a stage, but perhaps in a church choir one day.
Life doesn’t always give us the dreams we wanted in the exact form we imagined.
But it often gives us another path to express the same desires.
So yes, even though I didn’t realise my ambitions the way my nine-year-old or sixteen-year-old self envisioned them…
They are still coming true, just in a different and age-appropriate way.
Have you ever wanted something so badly when you were young, only to see it take on another form later in life? I’d love to hear your story.
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Now only I learn about your childhood dreams after reading your blog! I’m beginning to know you better, your dreams of yesteryears, your present and future dreams which I hope will materialise. All the best in whatever you undertake, my dear.
It’s still not too late to learn, mum 😉