10 Questions To An Expat: Dazzling Donnaya

Introducing Donnaya Antao, gorgeous wife and mother of two adorable children, Joshua and Katerina. When she's not cooking up a veritable storm of Thai delicacies in the kitchen, you may find her strumming away at the piano.

1) So Donnaya, how long have you lived in Singapore?
Two and a half years.

2) Where are you from originally?
Bangkok, Thailand.

3) What brought you here?
My husband Peter is an engineer in the oil business. We moved here from Houston, Texas.

4) What do you do in your spare time?
I do a lot of cooking, but if I have free time I practice the piano-trying to catch up with my kids!

5) What do you like best about Singapore?
The convenience and the safety. It is so easy to live here.

6) What do you like least?
The size of the condo apartments. I wish they were bigger.

7) Never leave the house without?
Umbrella and a comb.

8) Best weekend trip?
Phuket, Thailand. The beaches are beautiful and I love Thai food.

9) Interesting fact people don't know about you?
In my 20's, I was one of the college students selected to represent Thailand in 11 different countries in South East Asia-I ended up meeting 11 prime ministers! It was awesome!

10) What advice would you give someone who is about to move here?
Bring a lot of money with you as housing, schools, and groceries are all very expensive! Also, do your shopping during the week because on the weekends malls are very crowded!

10 Questions To An Expat: Amazing Asya

Introducing Asya Margaryan, ballerina extraordinaire. When this lovely Armenian expat is not gracing the stages of Singapore, you'll find her moulding mini-dancers at The Ballet and Dance Company or directing island-wide ballet productions.

1) So Asya, how long have you lived in Singapore?

Six years.

2) Where are you from originally?

Armenia.

3) What brought you here?

I came here to study dance.

4) What do you do in your spare time?

I like to go to the movies and hang out at Siloso beach.

5) What do you like best about Singapore?

It is a very safe city.

6) What do you like least?

It's a bit crowded.

7 Never leave the house without?

An umbrella!

8) Best weekend trip?

Well, on the weekends I'm working. But, if I had the time, I would got to Thailand. It's nearby and has beautiful beaches.

9) Interesting fact people don't know about you?

In the six years I've been in Singapore I have never been back to my home country. Also, I like to dress up! Being a ballerina, I guess that comes with the territory.

10) What advice would you give someone who is about to move here?

That's a hard one...maybe, find a house or apartment before you get here. They say it's easy but I found it very difficult.

10 Questions To An Expat: Eclectic Ellen

Back by popular demand, "10 Questions To An Expat," featuring the lovely Ellen Cholmeley. This British expat likes travelling, hanging out with her daughters (the two angels pictured above), and bringing home stray dogs. Lucky dogs.

1) How long have you lived in Singapore?

Almost six years.

2) Where are you from originally?

London.

3) What brought you here?

We moved here from Hong Kong for my husband Simon's job at Reader's Digest. He has since started his own company Novus Media Solutions (www.novusasia.com).

4) What do you do in your spare time?

When I'm not working at my husband's company, I'm either walking the dogs, helping the charity Room to Read, or carting the girls (Jessica and Maddie) around.

5) What do you like best about Singapore?

The food, the wide open green spaces, the weather, home help.

6) What do you like least?

Driving. Nobody signals.

7) Never leave the house without?

A sense of humor...

8) Best weekend trip?

Bali.

9) Interesting fact most people don't know about you?

I got married in Bali.

10) What advice would you give someone who is about to move here?

Make sure you've got enough money!

10 Questions To Eliot, Age 6

Alexander started school yesterday but Eliot's school doesn't start until after the Chinese New Year holidays, on February 1st. That's another 3 weeks. But who's counting?

Besides watching episodes of "Puppy in My Pocket" (the Italian show: "Cuccioli cerca amici") she enjoys reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," (with her Mom), and playing hide and seek with her brother.

1) Eliot, what is your favorite food?

Curry noodles.

2) What is your favorite drink?

Water.

3) What do you like best about Singapore?

Every single thing.

4) What is the worst thing about Singapore?

Nothing. Bad guys, like thieves.

5) What do you like to do most in Singapore?

Flying.

6) Do you like the weather in Singapore?

No, because it never snows.

7) What do you like best about Italy?

The merry-go-round. And, it snows.

8) What do you like to do in Verona?

When it's snowing play with snowballs. Have brioches.

9) Have you ever actually seen snow?

No.

10) Where would you rather live? Verona or Singapore?

Dublin.

10 Questions To An Expat: Southern Belle

Second in line, for my newly introduced series: "10 Questions To An Expat" is mother of two, entrepreneur Belle Waring. I got to catch up with the stylish 'nobody wears vintage better,' queen of soul, over a slice of delicious home-made pecan pie. Yes, she cooks too.

1) How long have you lived in Singapore?

11 yrs.

2) Where are you from originally?

I was born in Savannah, Georgia, lived in South Carolina until 12, and then moved to Washington, D.C.

3) What brought you here?

My husband, John, was offered a tenure-track position teaching Philosophy. It was either Singapore or rural Arkansas. Not a hard call.

4) What do you do in your spare time?

I like painting with my daughters Zoe and Violet, making 'saddest song ever' compilations, and collecting used vinyl LP's. I also run a funky shop with my partner Cheu Koh (www.likethatone.com). We sell vintage, rehabbed, and industrial furniture. Come check us out! We have a Nespresso machine so... coffee is on the house.

5) What do you like best about Singapore?

Having a full-time maid.

6) What do you like least?

It's too hot to walk anywhere.

7) Never leave the house without...?

Make-up.

8) Best weekend trip?

Villa Qunci, Lombok (Indonesia).

9) Interesting fact most people don't know about you?

I have an advanced degree in Classics from Berkeley. That, and I can apply mascara and curl eyelashes in a moving taxi.

10) What advice would you give someone who is about to move here?

Get a maid!

10 Questions To An Expat: Gorgeous Germa

Helping me kickstart this new series is the lovely Germa Von Heydebreck- Stricker (pictured here with actor Ethan Hawke, just one of her many admirers). Over a glass of wine at a recent barbecue, I got the chance to sit down and have a chat with the super dynamo, expat mother of four.

1) How long have you lived in Singapore?

Almost 11 years.

2)Where are you from originally?

Hmmm, that's a tough one. I'm German but I grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

3) What brought you here?

My husband Gerald's job. We came for a 2 yr contract with an option to extend for one year. That was more than a decade ago. When we arrived we were four, but then the twins came so now we are six: Alicia (13), Cecilia (11), Lennart and Victoria (9). They all go to the German European School.

4) What do you do in your spare time?

I work at the Goethe Institute organizing events for the language department (www.goethe.de/singapore), play competitive tennis, kickbox, and enjoy romantic dinners with my husband Gerald.

5) What do you like best about Singapore?

I love what most people hate: the weather, no seasons, eternal sunshine.

6) What do you like least about Singapore?

Friends moving away.

7) Never leave the house without?

Handphone.

8) Best weekend trip?

Rawa, Malaysia.

9) What's the most exciting thing about living here?

The incredible mix of cultures.

10) What advice would you give to someone who is about to move to Singapore?

Go out and meet people...there is so much to do here!

Ten Signs We May Have Overstayed?

Sometimes, I'm afraid we've stayed too long in South East Asia and that the kids won't know their roots. What those roots are I'm not exactly sure. Alexander and Eliot were both born in Verona (at the same hospital) but their father (a Veronese) claims they will never be true Veronesi (he's basing this on the fact that they don't swear, play soccer, or eat horse meat). So, I guess this means, for better or worse, Singapore is their home. But, sometimes, I get nervous. What if they never fit in when we do return to live in Italy (whenever that may be)?

The following traits they've recently acquired do nothing to assuage my fears:

1) The craving to eat hot, spicy chicken at 10 am.

2) Alexander's familiarity with chopsticks.

3) Their preference of rice over pasta.

4) Their giddy anticipation of chewing gum in Verona. (Singapore doesn't sell gum. And no, I'm not counting the gum they sell in pharmacies.)

5) Eliot's knowledge of more words in Mandarin than in Italian.

6) The inability to grasp the concept of changing seasons.

7) The belief that everybody has a pool.

8) Eliot's teary breakdown because she doesn't have straight, black hair.

9) Alexander surreptitious usage of hair gel (to have aforementioned straight, black hair).

10) When they say they want to go to Disneyland, they're referring to the one in Tokyo.

They say you can never go home again. What do you think?