Edna

Travel information

I am currently

Activities i am interested in:

Van life + wild camping at scenic spots and coastal campouts.
Multi-day treks, hikes, and exploring hidden nature spots.
Surf camp, maybe!
Keen to share 1 spot in my van or convoy with others!

Description

1 / What am I here in Australia for?

(Hey you! Hows it going, mate?! Skip this section for a fuller intro... but if you are quickly surfing profiles, I wanna share a quick taster: What I'm looking for... and importantly, what I offer to you)

𖤓 I'm starting to realise that I love cooking and despite being very new to it, I've been told my meals are some of the best tasting food people have had in their lives :) It warms my heart to fill the tummies of mates I care for, while soothing my homesickness. If you'd like to enjoy Asian meals (I've cooked for up to 8 a time), I'd love to do that for ya :) I enjoy keeping shared spaces tidy, so if you do too, that'd be... pretty neat :) (BIG fan of dad jokes)

𖤓 I'm on the pursuit of understanding people from all over the world. I wanna meet people who see the world differently. I enjoy understanding politics and all sorts of social issues. I'd like to learn about you, your home, culture, hobbies and what you care about. On a personal level, I consider myself an open, respectful and cheery person.

𖤓 Music is my sixth love language. I'd love to share in your taste in music. Or, listen to the piano or guitar... or sing in a silly voice in a karaoke. I paint, sculpt, played in a classical symphony, and adore dance. I think dance is one of the most beautiful means of human expression. I love dance so much, I competed back home - sometimes I create dance pieces about a social issue, a feeling, or mostly just as an excuse to get my friends to goof around and create special memories together :)

𖤓 A huge bonus, but not a deal breaker: One of my dreams coming here is to learn everything about the design process, mechanical and electrical outfitting of a campervan or car. If you have knowledge, or a workshop to share, I am very keen to transfer my project management skills to help and learn from you.

𖤓 Again, a nice-to-have: I loved board sports back in Singapore, I wake-boarded, wake-surfed and longboard danced. I've loved hanging out with surfers in the two months I spent in Shoalhaven, so I'm excited to properly learn to surf (easing in at a super beginner level, though!), I've put it off for so long because I'm.... quite... scared of the open waters. Aussie waves are hella gnarlyyy :) it could be really fun I think!

2 / What do I not care about?

𖤓 I've completed my 88 days visa extension. Visa sign offs is not a requirement for my next workaway.

𖤓 I've spent 5 years in Singapore in shared homes with international housemates. I enjoy a shared space with the option for solo time in the day. I'm not turned off by sharing a house with others, in fact - I do almost enjoy connecting in a communal-living versus living completely on my own.

𖤓 I bring mature communication, emotional steadiness, and life experience, while being completely down to hang out and party with people of all ages and walks of life :)

3 / Who am I?

"you get to choose what the story becomes"

This has been a personal mantra since I graduated business school at 23, and moved out on my own at 25. As an unwedded daughter, it could easily seen as a betrayal to your entire asian ancestry line, lol :) but... I felt this belief deep down that there are still so many powerful oceans to see, contribution to causes I am passionate about, moments with people to share, music to discover, and more outside of where I was born and raised.

Sinking into my office chair at 830am everyday, ofcourse, felt very safe. I dreamed and worked so hard in a hyper competitive market for my career in Product Management, in a meaningful space in healthcare was exactly what I was certain I wanted to do with my life. Reaching the peak of my career making the most money I have ever seen, hosting workshops for the young aspiring tech generation, joining tech accelerator programs to be a founder myself, in many ways I felt like I achieved ikigai.

Dreaming about moving my career away from Singapore felt like the most stupid, yet brave thing I could do for myselfI don't regret it, because I want to build a life in a place that feels right. I've only been here for 4 months, but my everyday moments living in Australia... is starting to feel like taking a big exhale.

Coming from a high-density city life in Singapore, it almost feels terrifying to tear down a version of yourself that works so well on paper. Most people in my life back home will tell me "you are such an inspiration, you are living my dream" but would truthfully never do it themselves.

Now, I find immense happiness in both upgrading my tech skills while also taking the opportunity to work with my hands. I love the idea that I could imagine tiny wearable art and "3D print" it with my hands. That's really freaking cool! I did alot of side hustles to explore what I might enjoy while working for the national health ministry back home. No matter how hurried my lunch breaks in the office is, or late nights writing reports would take me, I would still always make time in my life for:

- cycles/walks/longboard dancing along water bodies (the waves here in Aussie mesmerises me)
- building my small business, Solmade
- losing myself in the smell of soil, and gardening for hours. I have 30+ houseplants and a tiny garden flourishing with all sorts of south east asian plants

Just like why I wanted a career in Product Management, I am simply motivated by the process of bringing something to life from scratch, which hopefully connects with people and makes the world a better place to live in.

My professional portfolio: ednatan.me/about-connect
Polymer clay jewelry: www.solmade.store

Interests

Plant care

Technology

Politics / Social justice

Writing

Performing arts

Languages

Books

Cooking & food

Carpentry

Animals

Water sports

Dancing

Yoga / Wellness

Van life

Events & social

Charity work

Drawing & painting

Gardening

Music

History

DIY & crafts

Art & design

Cycling

Hiking

Outdoor activities

Sailing / Boating

Nature

Fitness

Camping

Beach

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Chinese (Mandarin): Fluent
German: Beginner
French: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I have a strong interest in learning French and German, and would love someone to practice with!

Find a language partner

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

House & pet sitting

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Some knowledge of:  

Life at a Farmstay

Light gardening

Creative DIY projects

Light maintenance

Eco Projects

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Able to teach about:  

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

Charity Work

Art Projects

Helping with Computers/ Internet

More details about your skills

I have a genuine love for gardening and have experience cultivating my own plants. I understand the basics of plant health, watering schedules, and soil care. My early background in Hospitality Business, creating special moments for luxury hotel guests, working in gelato shops, and fashion retail businesses gives me a knack for interacting with customers/guests/people :)

My Aussie experience in a nutshell:

𖤓 Possumwood Wildlife Vet Hospital & Trauma Recovery Centre, Bungendore, NSW (2 months, live-in)
Daily (~8 - 8.5hrs) cleaning of animal enclosures and giving large injured animals physiotherapy. Repair work around the property (pipes, gates). Transporting heavy items via Wheelbarrow like 20kg Pellets, Hay etc. Milk bottle and medication preparation. On my days off, I helped Possumwood to train their image recognition models to help Volunteers to accurately identify specific animals to aid with administering medication, treatment planning and eventual release.

𖤓 Bawley Ridge Farm & Cottage, Termeil, NSW (2 months, live-in):
Gardening, chopping firewood, tending to alpacas & geese, mowing, general property maintenance, putting up gates, making signages, housekeeping, cooking elaborate meals :)

𖤓 [A fantasy of mine]:
I have polymer clay jewelry ready to sell, and I have been making pieces in my time travelling Australia. I would like to booth at a farmers' market or craft fair sometime near Christmas 2026!

Age

30

What else ...

In my free time, I love a mix of craft & outdoor hobbies. I started a small polymer clay jewelry business in 2025, and picked up longboarding during covid. Since I was a child, I've loved dance and various mediums of crafts, such as painting, and drawing.

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements