For Her, From Him: Open Letter To A Colleague Turned Friend

Inspired by this year's theme for International Women's Month, #EachForEqual, we're zooming in on the relationships between men and women and how they mutually uplift, empower and inspire one another. 

Having a friend at work is a blessing. They keep you sane when the workload gets overwhelming, cheer you up on your not-so-good days and even give you constructive feedback. Everyone needs a trustworthy comrade, especially when you work in a fiercely competitive industry. Actor Ayden Sng found his in fellow artiste Chantalle Ng. In the cutthroat world of show business, she has been an unwavering ally and mentor for him ever since he was a newbie. Ahead, his tribute to her.

When Clozette approached me for this project about writing open letters to inspiring women, I immediately thought of you — someone I find to be strong and inspirational.

I recall meeting you about a year ago when I first joined the entertainment industry. You were one of the first few peers within the industry who were real and welcoming towards a newcomer like me. Despite being an accomplished artiste yourself, you were never a snob. Instead, you were kind and authentically compassionate. We probably got along because we’re both really opinionated and no non-sense type of people. By a twist of fate, we became ambassadors for ASICS and signed to Mediacorp in the same period of time.

Ayden Sng and Chantalle Ng are both ambassadors for ASICS

Being an artiste comes with a lot of insecurities — job stability is non-existent and personal growth is hard to measure. I quickly came to realise that having comrades I could trust who can walk alongside me is crucial because these are the people who will cheer me on in times of self-doubt and more importantly, be the reminder of reality, providing honest feedback on how I'm actually faring and what I’ve accomplished thus far.

I would like to thank you for being such a good friend and a reliable comrade to me. You had my back, cheered me on but was always honest in giving me insightful feedback on how I can improve my craft and become a better person. It's extremely hard to find someone who's honest and transparent but also empathetic and sincere at the same time and that's why I appreciate our friendship. 

It's easy talking to you, our many conversations about the type of artistes we want to become, the types of roles we want to do and even stuff as basic as the type of content we want to put out on our Instagram accounts. From discussing our big dreams to the mundane should-I-post-this-or-that, it’s awesome having you around!

The path of an artiste in Singapore has always been tough especially given how small our market is, but I’m extremely grateful that as I continue on this journey into the unknown filled with ravenous pits, I have a fellow, trustworthy comrade-in-arms to fight my battles alongside me. It makes the process a lot more bearable and infinitely more rewarding. I really hope to see you do well and succeed in all your endeavours!

Thanks for being my friend.

Yours sincerely,

Ayden

Read more heartfelt open letters here.