Magazine Jul-Aug 2018

Walk into Essentials and you’ll be greeted by a familiar sight: Betty chatting with Members while helping them with laundry requests or grocery items. The petite and energetic lady started her career at The Club way back in 1968 at the Concierge, before moving to the Recreation Department, Fitness Department and then to Essentials. Take a walk down memory lane as our Golden Girl celebrates her 50 th year of service this July!

50 years at The Club is an incredible milestone – what makes this place so special that you chose to stay all these years? The Club is unlike any other organization – it’s a family club for Members, but it’s also a second home for me. Of course people come and go and I had a lot of different bosses, but the culture in The Club stays the same: everyone is willing to help one another and we are like one big family. Some of the long-time Members who have been here for decades also feel like my family – sometimes they joke that they see me more than their own children or parents! I have also watched many of our Members’ kids grow up and become Members in their own right – they now bring their kids and introduce me to them. I like that coming to work is like going to my home away from home. About 10 years ago I was working in the Fitness Department, and The Club used to organize a Thanksgiving Charity Run for our Members. It was one of the big events that Members looked forward to and it was a challenge to organize! The event lasted only a few hours, but my team and I worked day and night to sort out the logistics and execute it. It was very memorable because nobody complained and everyone pitched in to help. It What is your most memorable experience at The Club?

embodies The American Club spirit of being and working as one team, regardless of department, age, nationality, etc. Last year you trekked to Annapurna Base Camp with some colleagues – what inspired you to take on this challenge? The funny thing is that I wasn’t close to any one of this group of colleagues prior to the long hike – we bonded only during the trek! Chef Michael (Grillhouse) heard that I like to trek and he invited me to join the group. I was apprehensive as he approached me in February to complete the trek in May. We trained once a week at MacRitchie or Bukit Timah Hill for three months. Even though our group comprised colleagues from various departments, during the trek we were all a team. We helped and motivated each other, we laughed, we talked and we sang. Of course we got tired multiple times during the trek, but we never gave up. We are even discussing trekking to Everest Base Camp soon! What do you do in your free time? I love cooking, especially for my kids and grand children. I am Teochew and my late grandmother used to make Ngor Hiang (five-spice meat rolls) from scratch, so that’s a tradition I’m carrying on. Mine has prawns, meat, water chestnuts, spring onions and garlic. My family loves it! I am always on the lookout for new dishes to cook for my family.

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JUL / AUG 2018 THE AMERICAN CLUB