Afshan Asad Junaid

"When the end approaches and we look back at our lives, will we regret the latest mobile phone or luxury car that we did not acquire? Or would we prefer to die at peace with ourselves, knowing that we have lived our lives filled with love, friendship and goodwill that we have tried our best to leave this earth slightly better than how we found it? We know which the correct choice is- and it's within our power to make that choice."

(Words of Our Honorable Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's daughter Dr. Lee Wei Ling-who runs the National Neuroscience Institute of Singapore)

I am a traveller. Every time I returned home, I found Singapore better and improved. Soon I realized -it is because the people of this great country are constantly making the RIGHT choice.

I decided to look into the lives of a few of them from different walks of life, ethnic backgrounds, education levels and religious affiliations.

One thing common stood out in each of them- "A CONSTANT PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE."

Come! Let's meet some of my fellow Singaporeans....

Celebrity Chef- Puja Khanna
(Puja's Kitchen Singapore)

Puja Khanna, a senior finance executive with a leading finance company, decided to make her biggest passion "cooking" a way of life once she started a family ("Family is my FIRST priority," Puja will frankly tell you).

She caters Party menus and Home cooked cuisines to various parts of Singapore. She also teaches basic and specialized cooking to anyone wanting to learn how to cook. Her students include newly weds, expatriates who enjoy Indian and other foods, domestic helpers whose employers want them to enhance their Indian cooking skills, students, men, women, young and old."I feel so happy when the domestic helpers can cook better food for their bosses with my training or someone is able to surprise their family with a great meal because they came to my class,"Puja will tell you. She loves giving and receiving surprises.

Her food is the talk of the town. "Have you tried Puja's food? It's D E L I C I O U S!" I often hear at social gathering like coffee mornings, lunches or dinners. Her food has been tasted and enjoyed by some of the visiting Bollywood Performance artists when they came to Singapore. They often leave the foreign land with memories of authentic home cooked food from back home.

As a young girl in 2004, Puja won the Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Khazana Cookery Contest on Zee TV for her Eggless Chocolate Cake (A huge achievement for her at the time...Sanjeev Kapoor she considers her guru). Puja's meal was also featured in "Food Magazine"in the Philippines in 2006.

"I've been cooking since I was very young,"Puja will tell you with a twinkle in her eye. "I borrowed recipe books from the library as a kid. Mom, a fabulous cook herself, never stopped us from trying out stuff in the kitchen. My dad encouraged me a lot. He ate my initial chapattis (Indian flatbread) calling them 'the BEST ROTIS(a synonym) in the world' though they were far from perfect then. Its a good idea to encourage children to learn to do basic things they will need in their life ahead."

Puja is as passionate about cleanliness in her work area as she is about the cooking process there. "Cooking should be done with care, love and happiness from within or the food doesn't taste great. Somehow the food reflects your feelings," she believes. It's tough for her to follow one recipe repeatedly as she enjoys creative experimenting as she goes along. She gives great attention to detail,perfection and presentation...A quality that makes a chef -a class apart.

She is extremely hardworking but takes out time to entertain and enjoy her friends and family (both immediate and extended). She loves to play badminton and often attends yoga classes. She enjoys eating Thai food and drinking tea. Puja is always appreciative of good cooks and encourages other talented people to get into culinary business and pursue their dreams. Striking a fine balance between work and personal life makes her a very successful entrepreneur. As a person, Puja is highly sophisticated. She is the warmest host and a great friend who will always be there to help and guide you. She lives with her husband Sandeep (an avid food lover and food critic) and two beautiful daughters (who enjoy baking and cooking too) in the eastern part of Singapore. Her mother-in-law, another highly accomplished lady, lives with Puja. She is always full of praises for her daughter-in-law, whom she's clearly proud of.

"I believe that whatever is meant to be will be," Puja will tell you with her mesmerizing smile,"I live in the moment and maximize the moment," that's Puja's philosophy in life.

Renovation Consultant- Bensen

(Ban Khoong Hacking and Renovation Works Singapore)

In 1983, a young boy named Bensen, came to Singapore from Malaysia with his brother looking to make a better life. he had very little money in his pockets but, he carried with him his assets of creativity, perseverance, honesty, trustworthiness, efficiency, helpfulness and a resilient spirit. Above all, he had in his heart a burning desire 'TO MAKE IT BIG!' He started as a tiling boy and heads a large and successful renovation company in Singapore.