@CappyCatII - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: How has being born in Singapore and growing up in a multicultural environment affected you? How would you describe your experience living in the United Kingdom?

I didn’t hold any biases towards others. I was taught to be kind, not having presumptions about people when meeting them for the first time. Attending local schools that also had an international section meant I made friends with people from many different backgrounds!

At some point this had to change. When the time came my family moved back to the UK.

I would say living in the UK is… different. There were pros and cons, as there were in Singapore, but it was time to get back to the reality of a country that I held a passport for. Being the ‘new kid’ with no local friends and also being neurodivergent. There were inevitably some tough moments in school, but there were a lot of ups too, including living near the countryside and being able to do more acting. Living in the UK helped me understand the importance of small things; Singapore helped me understand the importance of diversity.

Q: How did theater change your life? How did you decide on taking a gap year to figure out if drama college is the right place for you?

As mentioned earlier, arriving in school with no local friends or contacts, it was quite tough a and I often found myself a bit lonely. Then I saw on my school’s billboard that a local theatre company was taking auditions for the musical production of The Wind in The Willows – I took that chance.

That changed everything. Being a part of the production and involved in a community that cares was the greatest feeling ever. I took the role as the Magistrate, and they loved me so much that the backstage team gave me his gavel as a reminder. With this and some other local theatre experiences behind me, I thought about applying to drama college, but as my time studying Games Design progressed, I found concept design to be more my fitting. So instead, I decided to take a year out to figure myself out.

I asked my brother’s friends if they would recommend taking a gap year before uni and they all lamented not taking it!

Q: how did you decide on taking a gap year to figure out if drama college is the right place for you? And why do you say you believe everybody should speak a second language

Most of the people I know who are bilingual, are some of the loveliest people I’ve met, including my boyfriend. Learning another language is not only showing a sign of respect but also a sign of empathy as language is a part of people’s identity. Being able to communicate across borders helps remind us that these borders are arbitrary and we’re all human in the end - with pretty much the same hopes, fears and dreams.

I watched Kneecap recently, bonkers movie I tell you. A true story about a rebellious Irish hip-hop group making the Irish language a part of their culture. The movie ends with a caption that states, “every 40 seconds a language dies”. It’s damn important.

Q: How did you meet your boyfriend, and how did he become fluent in French? Do you also want to learn French because your boyfriend is fluent in it?

Oof this is personal. I really don’t want to give too much away if I’m honest so I’ll keep it short. We met at my college’s expo, he was with a friend of mine and there was a… spark between us! He’s half-French and when I was chatting to him on the phone, his mum came up and talked to him and I could tell that he was completely fluent. 

I may well pick up some French just to surprise him, and also feel more in touch with him!

Q: Why are you trying back to getting learning Mandarin?

I did learn some Mandarin in elementary school, so I’m hoping it would be easy to pick up if I put my mind to it. It's one of the most popular languages in the world, so I think it'll be polite to hold a basic conversation.

Q: How did you decide on creating art?

At first, I thought programming was going to be my thing, but later discovered that I preferred to visualise what I saw in my mind. It felt thrilling to create these worlds and characters, conjouring up something new to share with the world! I hadn’t studied art in high school, I didn’t think I had the passion for it or that I could ever become good enough. But with enough practice and patience, I found myself enjoying it more and more!

Q: How to describe your experiences with being part of the NG community?

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I joined this site initially to host the portfolio for my GD course. But after joining a collab, it changed my mind.

Never have I seen such a strong community as this. I never saw it with other platforms like Twitter or Instagram, just the fact that these people are all rising or established artists puts a smile on my face!

Q: How do you know if a opportunity is good?

I think that you need to assess the person or people who are putting it forward. Do they seem authentic and genuine? Do they have a solid plan for the idea or project? Are they going to be truly collaborative and willing to try new ideas and be patient if you’re still learning?

I often tend to be more positive than negative about opportunities though as I think it can, within reason, be a way to learn and grow in experience and skills.

Q: Your advice on being kind

In the end, it’s a bit like the race of the tortoise and the hare. Being kind may seem to be dull and slow when other people are being cynical and flashy with witty cut-downs or sarcasm. But kindness will often win in the end as you reap what you sow and who wants to be remembered as a bad person?

Kindness is free to give but is priceless to receive, which helps to start a virtuous circle too.

Q: The story of your CappyCat character

He’s a reflection of myself. A… fursona if you will. My general design philosophy is to be down-to-earth. I designed him based on myself, from the confidence I like to show, even down to the grey cap! So, whenever I’m wearing his attire, I become him. Or… he becomes me.

It helps me get into a good place whenever I want to be more confident. Works every single time. Saves spending a grand on a fursuit if you ask me!

Q: What does it mean to be happy?

The state of happiness that is ‘sold’ to us through films, social media and ads is so superficial.

I’m coming to realise that you can’t be full-on ‘happy’ all the time, it has shades and different depths. Sometimes you find yourself happy from moving outdoors in the fresh air, at other times it could be when you’ve finally cracked a drawing or finished reading a great book. Or it could be simple hanging out with family or other loved ones. I know I’m still a bit ‘grass is greener’ about happiness, convinced that everyone else is having a great time somewhere else, but I’m learning to savour moments and that good old ‘pursuit of happiness’ rather than needing to feel like you’re at a rave party all the time.

To be happy is… to live and experience it.