Welcome to the second edition of our new feature: Man About Town where we explore another angle of this vibrant city by profiling the gorgeous gents of Singapore who – well, we just want to know more about – and we think you will too.
Our roving token male and all round cool guy Rohan Rees got the shots while we got to the heart of things with some of the city’s best and fairest. Meet Charlie Lawson.
We met Charlie at a party last year. It may have even been the party of the year, unless that was just the Grey Goose talking. Charlie’s a relative new-comer to Singapore, just eight months in so we looked him up to share his story.
Born and raised in Durban South Africa, overseas educated on a swimming scholarship in Louisville Kentucky, this young buck of retail marketing is the new brand of man about town.
Photography: Rohan Rees
Hi Charlie!
Jokes aside, you were the inspiration for getting this feature going. There is a new brand of expat in Singapore – young, unattached, professional, ambitious, full of wanderlust (ie not here just for the tax environment and foreign domestic help!) What brought you here?
I came here with my work. I work for a global retail marketing specialist, based out of Durban, called Barrows. Recognising the huge growth potential of this region, the company opened its APAC office in Singapore a couple of years ago and there was an opportunity for me to move here with the company. Given my desire to get into Asia for work – as well as play, I jumped at it and haven’t looked back.
And has Singapore been good to you so far?
I’ve really enjoyed Singapore so far. Life is fast here, faster then sleepy Durban. It’s work hard, play hard which really makes time fly and it’s hard to believe it’s already been 8 months. Weekends are always busy and if it’s not spent doing some of the great things Singapore has to offer it’s probably spent at one of the many travel spots that are so convenient to get to from Singapore.
It’s early days, but what’s great about living here?
Singapore is really easy to live in for so many reasons, it caters for so much – great places to eat and go out, great parks and public places to go for a run. I actually find the beaches okay too. Unfortunately no waves but you can jump on a paddleboard or do some sailing or wakeboarding so there’s always plenty to do. It’s also got year round good weather and surprisingly I don’t find the wet season that wet which means you can make the most of your days on the weekend.
What part of being South African defines you and is helpful when living and working in Asia?
Coming from such a diverse country as South Africa goes a long way to making you adaptable and respectful of a lot of different cultures. South Africa is a country with 11 national languages and people from all walks of life. It’s the reason it’s called the Rainbow Nation. South Africans generally have a huge appetite for travel, and I’m certainly one of those. I think it’s a great thing to be able to meet and get along with all sorts of people from different cultures. Being South African also lends itself to enjoying the outdoors. For me that means being in the ocean either surfing, kite surfing, surf ski paddling or diving. Asia is full of places to enjoy the ocean.
What’s helped you adapt to life in Asia?
Asia is massively appealing to me at this stage of my life, it has so much to offer from a travel perspective so I consider myself really lucky for this opportunity to be here on the door step of so many great places to see and experience. This and the fact that I’ve made some really solid friendships so quickly helps add to the enjoyment of being in a new place.
Where do you go on weekends in Singapore – restaurants, cafes?
I spend a lot of my weekends at Tanjong Beach. I try to get there early before the crowds and either go for swim and run or a paddle and then enjoy it into the afternoon with some volleyball and sometimes a few cheeky drinks at Tanjong Beach Club. Other then that it’s good to get to the Tiong Bahru food market on Saturday mornings and stock up on some fresh produce for the week ahead. Lucha Loco is one of my favorite restaurants. I love Mexican food so that’s often a weekend staple for me. I also love Taste Paradise for Dim Sum and of course drinks in the very cool bar at Tippling Club.
What do you like to do? Who do you hang out with?
I really just enjoy spending time with mates and having a good time. There’s a group of expats that have really formed a little family here and we do most things together. There’s no shortage of interesting characters so it’s always a good laugh. We just had my friends Georgie and Amy’s birthday and got a catamaran to take us out for the day which was an absolute blast. So changing it up as often as possible is always good.
Do you know anything we don’t know (any of Singapore’s best kept secrets)?
Well a friend of mine recently took me for a bit of a trail walk around Macritchie Reservoir, which I know is actually Singapore’s worst kept secret – but it was new to me. It was really great and felt like you were nowhere near a city and was just really relaxing to be a out in the jungle running around climbing trees and acting like kids.
What’s an event in Singapore you won’t miss and why?
Last year I went to the F1 Singapore Grand Prix and it was unbelievable. The night before the races started I went for a run up along the golf course and over the barrage, the city is absolutely electrified and you can feel the energy. I think if you miss that event you might be wearing blinkers because it’s almost impossible to not get caught up in that energy and get really excited for a weekend of fast cars and some good partying.
Let us attempt to describe the teenaged Charlie and you tell us how accurate we are…
All-rounder, good at sport, a bit cocky
Loved ice-cream, surfing and mates above all (then beer/whiskey/women soon after)
Cosseted by Mum, had lots of female friends and one long-term sweetheart:
Comfortable in your skin, affirmed, goal oriented:
Hahahaha I’d say that’s pretty accurate, especially the ice cream part, but I think being a bit of an all rounder is important to bring some diversity in to your life. I was pretty dedicated to my swimming growing up which earned me my Springbok colours and a scholarship in the US. That discipline and commitment to one thing helps in later life to set goals and make sacrifices to achieve them. On the flip side though, having been so dedicated to one thing has definitely made me want to make up for some missed fun so I try to have a more all round approach to life now.
You’re reading “A fortune teller told me: Earthbound travels in the Far East”. Do you believe in fortune tellers?
It’s a strange one.. I never did until relatively recently when a couple of people I know went to see fortune tellers and the things they knew about them was just crazy but in saying that I’m not sure if any of the predictions have come true… It’s really my passion for travel that attracted me to the book.
Anywhere you’d rather be right now?
Asia is where I want to be right now and I’m loving it. I’m sure there will be another adventure ahead for a new part of the world and I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Thanks Charlie!
And thanks to our mates at Tippling Club for letting us use their super funky restaurant slash bar slash shooting location!