Family. One word, six letters, yet it carries a meaning that rings so deeply within all of us. The bond between parent and child is one that is special, to say the least—it is strong, unbreakable, and it gives a sense of comfort.
In light of the timeless parent-child connection, we touched base with a few of our Friends of Buro—Dian Lee, Tengku Chanela Jamidah Ibrahim and YM Che Puan Amelia Thripura Henderson—and got on set with them for a fun photoshoot and interview session. Heads up: adorable photos and heartfelt comments ahead.
Dian Lee and son, Jaan Justice, 2
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Most memorable moment shared with Jaan?
Dian: I don’t have a specific memorable moment with Jaan, because I am a working mom every moment I have with my kids is precious. But if I must choose, it will be the moment Jaan was born. I remember seeing him for the first time—I was completely overcome with emotions, he was tiny but so perfect and beautiful.
3 things you have in common/traits of yourself you see in him?
Dian: I think Jaan looks like me when I was little, except he has a pair of poutier lips which I think is really cute. He also has a pretty good sense of humour, which I like to believe it’s inherited from me.
Proudest moment as a mum?
Dian: When my kids play nice together. Jedi (8) and Jora’s (6) age gap is pretty close, hence they get into fights quite a lot, which can drive me crazy from time to time. So whenever my kids show love and support for each other, it makes me really happy.
Wishes for Jaan when he’s older?
Dian: I wish that he will always know how much he is loved by his parents. I believe when you truly love a child unconditionally, you empower them to be the best version of themselves.
Favourite activity together?
Dian: I make a point to put Jaan to bed every night while my husband Jared put the two older kids to bed, since all three of them go to bed around the same time at 8pm. Jaan loves bedtime stories, he will snuggle up under my arm with his bottle of milk and I will read to him until he falls asleep, sometimes it takes up to five books before he will go to sleep but it’s still one my favourites time of the day.
What’s his favourite dish by you?
Dian: Jaan’s favorite foods are rice and soup. He recently discovered chocolate cake, that’s his current obsession. So I have recently started learning how to bake, because homemade food is always better.
What are some of Jaan’s favourite things to do?
Dian: Jaan loves to line things up. He loves lining up his dinosaur figurines in one straight line and I’ll help him with it sometimes. He also loves swimming with mommy.
His favourite toy is?
Dian: A big stuffed elephant which I hand carried back from New York, he still sleeps with it every night. Elephant is his favorite animal.
Tengku Chanela Jamidah Ibrahim and daughter, Thalia Cara, 8
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Most memorable moment shared with Thalia?
Tengku Chanela: When she performed at her pre-school in Julia Gabriel and I saw her go up on stage and sing as well as speak in mandarin. That feeling of pride and sheer joy was a memory I will never forget—my baby had grown up. Also the big US trip we took with my mom and siblings. I brought Thalia to see her family in the US and visited Disneyland as well as the beautiful parks where she was running free playing football with her uncle. It was a moment to remember for life.
Proudest moment as a mum is?
Tengku Chanela: When she sticks up for her brother and others in situations. It means she has gentleness and compassion instilled in her heart and it shows that she has such strong character.
3 things you have in common with your daughter?
Tengku Chanela: We are both quite sensitive. We are both creative in our own way and we both love to take pictures.
Hopes for Thalia when she grows older?
Tengku Chanela: That she becomes happy and loves herself for whatever she decides to be. I always tell her that it doesn’t matter what she does, as long as she does it well or excels in the field of her choosing.
What do you love most about mum?
Thalia: Everything and that she loves me back.
The best advice your mum has given is…
Thalia: Be kind and honest.
What do you enjoy doing with your mum the most?
Thalia: I like to go out with her-it could be to the mall or holiday. I enjoy shopping with her.
YM Che Puan Amelia Thripura Henderson and mum, Dr Jaya Rudralingam
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Most memorable moment shared with Amelia?
Dr. Jaya: Life with Amelia has been nothing short of exciting. There has been so many memorable moments. I think everyday spent with her is memorable, because there is always so much to do. She’s so interesting and she has introduced us to so many things that she has in a way revolutionised our family’s life—it’s not conventional because of her.
Amelia: Life in the entertainment industry can be quite hectic, but I try to involve my family as much as possible, because if I have to work and I don’t invite them to photoshoots etc., I won’t get to see them much at all.
Your proudest moment as a mom is?
Dr. Jaya: My daughter has been such a champion. It is so difficult to pick one proudest moment—I’m thinking about all the ballet and dance competitions where she came first, the time she was top in the world for a math competition, and how she’s in Mensa for being in the top 1% of the world. But maybe my proudest moment is for her golden heart, how she’s just so kind, sweet and humble—that is an ongoing proud moment.
Do you think she has taken after you in terms of personality, or style? How?
Dr. Jaya: I think she might have surpassed me. I can get quite emotional or angry at times, but she is able to take a step back, think, and come across with a very logical solution. She is great in the sense that she can be very calm and will just take the time to analyse things, rather matured for her age.
3 things you have in common with each other?
Dr. Jaya: We always think the same—sometimes I just take one look at her and I know what she’s thinking. We have the same sense of humour too.
Amelia: Another thing we have in common is that we’re both quite talkative and friendly. My mum will come to a set, and she’ll be the superstar there. People will come to her for love life advice, cooking advice—she is really approachable and I love that about her.
Favourite activity together?
Dr. Jaya: It may be hard to believe, but actually we love to just chill out and watch TV at home.
Amelia: I appreciate my off-duty moments spent with my mum the most. You know, things like shopping and just spending time together. People who follow me on Instagram may think that I enjoy going out, partying and all that, but I really don’t—I love just sitting at home and watch Asia’s Next Top Model with my mum, or Chopped, our favourite cooking show. We play boardgames too.
What do you love most about your mum?
Amelia: Her attitude and how she approaches things in life. I tend to overthink things. My mum is very secure in her sense of self. And I love her attitude about that. She is all: this is me, and if you don’t like it then too bad. She knows that she’s a good person and she stays true to herself. I think the biggest lesson I’ve learnt from my mum is to just be me.
You’ve mentioned that your mum is a good cook. What’s your favourite dish that she makes?
Amelia: I love this question! My mum makes a really, really kickass meatloaf, and her pastas are out of this world. She does this thing, where she takes Pringles, and she bakes them on the top of pasta—it is the most amazing crust ever. She’s a really good, intuitive cook.
The best advice your mum has given you is…
Amelia: The first piece of advice my mum gave was that, if I’m going to do something, I should give it 1000%, and I try to apply that in my daily life. It is all about understanding what you want, what your goals are, and working for it. In everything I do, I will always try to keep it professional and give as much as I possibly can, because at the end of the day I want to be able to look back at things and say: I was proud of that.
Photography: Chuan Looi/Yipieyaya
Photography assistant: TK Teo
Hair: Juno Ko
Make-up: Joey Yap
Styling: Cai Mei Khoo
Styling assistant: Loh Wei Yeen and Tan Su Fen
Apparel: All children’s apparel from Armani Junior at Parkson KLCC. Dr Jaya wears Giorgio Armani, available at Giorgio Armani KLCC. All other apparel available at Club 21 Multilabel at Pavilion KL.
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