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38 THE SINGAPORE

MAY 2013

CELEBRITY

heartWILD

Once a wild child, and now a wildlife activist, Nadya Hutagalung opens up about her tough past – and what it’s taught herBy CANDY LIM

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40 THE SINGAPORE

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Everything that I have been through has brought me to where I am today. I am blessed to be alive, happy, loved and doing what I want to be doing.

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42 THE SINGAPORE

MAY 2013 MAY 2013 THE SINGAPORE 43

In Love With Wildlife

N adya Hutagalung has a slightly scary reputation. As I prepared for this interview, some warned

me that she can be a real diva. Others reminded me that when she hosted the hit TV series Asia’s Next Top Model, she seemed very controlled at times.

But she greets me with a gentle “Nice to meet you”, and as she shakes my hand, she accompanies it with a slight bow of her head. It is only a slight tilt but it conveys humility and the kind of inner quiet that comes with being comfortable in your own skin.

Maybe it is because Nadya has survived so many years of rough life lessons, but like the eye of a tornado, she seems calm even as a flurry of activity revolves around her.

From MTV To Eco-MumIn 1995, Nadya burst onto local TV as the bombshell host and VJ for MTV Asia. She was just 20 years old.

Things are very different today. At 39, she is still a successful TV host, but instead of going out clubbing all night, happiness is “Sunday brunch at home with my family, good tunes, my kids’ laughter filling the house as they splash in the pool… those long, lazy brunches that turn into dinner are golden times,” she shares.

Nadya’s home is as eco-friendly as possible; she uses recycled marble and uses energy-saving gadgets.

“When we first built our home, I designed it so our kitchen, living room and dining areas are based on an open concept. We can entertain around our kitchen because I love to cook. I find great peace in the kitchen,” says Nadya. “Cooking is almost like a form of meditation for me.

“My second child, Fynn, also enjoys cooking. His speciality is baking or French toast. Sometimes we get a real treat from him,” she says with pride.

Seven years ago, Nadya married former national swimmer Desmond Koh, 39. Their family includes three good-looking kids – her 19-year-old son, Tyrone, who is serving National Service, and Fynn, who turns 11 this year. Both

boys are from her previous relationships. Then there is Nyla, her five-year-old daughter with Desmond. Nadya is less concerned with their good looks than their good hearts.

“What I love most is when my kids display instinctive acts of kindness,” she gushes. “My heart jumps and I think… wow, I must have done something right.”

Now a committed eco-warrior, Nadya was inspired by her free-spirited Australian mother, Diane, an artist.

She remembers, “I grew up seeing photos of mum rescuing orang utans. She talked about living ‘off the grid’ and being self-sustainable before I knew what those terms meant. Mum’s garden at our house outside Sydney supplied the kitchen with vegetables. In turn, our kitchen waste supported the garden with piles of compost.”

Diane’s parenting style was far from traditional. After Nadya became a model at the age of 12, Diane accompanied her to Tokyo, Japan. But once she got settled, Diane left her 1.75-m pre-teen daughter in Japan, where she worked as a model, living alone in a small rented room for several months.

But Nadya does not seem upset at the memory. She says she appreciated the freedom and is “best friends” with Diane. “The most important life lesson mum taught me is to have dignity, no matter what life throws your way,” she says, with an edge of steel to her voice. It is sound advice that she has clung to, especially through difficult times.

How She Overcame AbuseIn 2006, Nadya revealed that she had been emotionally and physically abused by two ex-boyfriends in Australia. One was her high school sweetheart who head-butted her at a party so hard he broke her nose. On another occasion, he broke her ribs. It took four years for Nadya to find the strength to leave him.

Then Tyrone’s father came along. He too, turned out to be an abusive man. He forbade her from working, studying or reading, and then cut her off from her friends and family.

In 1995, when she was 20 years old, a desperate Nadya fled to Singapore

“In the last few years, the poaching of elephants and rhinos in Asia has escalated to the highest levels seen in decades,” explains Nadya.

At the Singapore Zoo, she happily posed between gentle giants Jati and Gambir, and shared her admiration for them.

“Elephants have close family bonds. Female elephants may stay with their mothers and aunts their entire lives! Boys head off when they get old enough to join other males.

“And we know that when an elephant dies, it’s not forgotten. When elephants find bones of their own kind, they use their feet and trunks to fondle them... like they remember the life once contained in the bones.”

with one-year-old Tyrone. She had just $100 in her pocket.

“If somebody can raise their voice or use really foul language against you, chances are, they can raise their fists,” she warns. “You need to make a firm decision to not tolerate this behaviour. I’ve learnt that everybody deserves love. Nobody needs to put up with this.”

When Nadya first spoke up about her troubled relationships, some accused her of seeking publicity. But in fact, she had been asked to reveal them to publicise a campaign against domestic violence, run by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

Nadya was not bothered by the snide gossip. After all, she had faced tougher fights – like when she returned to Australia to fight for sole custody of Tyrone. It was nine months after she had moved to Singapore, and she won the fight. “My optimistic attitude kept me going. I inherently knew there was something to look forward to.”

Her Drama Lessons But the drama was not over. In 1998, Nadya announced she had “married” South Korean stuntman Jung Doo Hong. But their “marriage” was never officially registered, and they parted within a year – apparently he had pulled a knife on Nadya during a spat.

Despite the dramas, Nadya says she would not change her past, even if she could.

“I believe that everything happens for a reason,” she explains. “Everything that I have been through has brought me to where I am today. I am blessed to be alive, happy, loved and doing what I want to do.”

And what advice would she give to 25-year-old Nadya?

“It’s all good,” she says. “I have put a lot of effort into understanding happiness and its causes. I learnt the hard way about what I did and didn’t want in my life… and in many ways, I am grateful for that.”

Now a very devoted eco activist, Nadya is hard at work on her pet project www.greenkampong.com, an online resource with information and news on

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44 THE SINGAPORE

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How do the zoos help conservation?

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sustainable living. She has also been Singapore’s Ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund’s energy-saving Earth Hour, for the last three years.

For her efforts, last year, she was nominated for The International Green Awards Most Responsible Celebrity Award, amongst well-known names like George Clooney, Penelope Cruz and Vivienne Westwood.

Nadya is also on the board of directors of Green School, a social project to pioneer sustainability in education. She frequently takes her kids to one of their projects: Green Camp in Bali, Indonesia.

“We stay together in a bamboo yurt and go on jungle walks, learn all about plants and create crafts using natural or locally sourced materials.” To find out more about the activities at Green School and Green Camp, go to their website: www.greencampbali.com.

On the workfront, Nadya is opting for more low-key projects. Early this year, she hosted Season One of Asia’s Next Top Model – the Asian spin-off of the successful American franchise. The show was a hit, and it is safe to say part of the appeal was Nadya’s elegance and her professional but caring advice.

“I loved seeing how the girls forged great friendships throughout the show. It was also wonderful to see how each girl evolved from episode to episode. I wish I’d had advice from industry experts when I first started modelling. I hope it helps the girls.”

However, she is not sorry she has left the runway behind.

“My priorities are family, my Green Kampong work, my ‘Nadya work’ and my spiritual life. Anything else that arises, I stop and consider if it takes time away from them before I consider taking it on. I try to see this as a lesson in learning to let go. Like most women, I have a lot to juggle. And sometimes I drop a few balls. But I just keep trying.”

Nadya says she has never felt better in life. When asked about her favourite decade, she exclaims, “This one! I feel better than I ever have. I finally know what I want – and don’t want – in my life.” W

We photographed Nadya with elephants at Singapore Zoological Gardens. But how does a zoo help support wildlife? Modern zoos work to educate the public about animals and conservation issues. Zoos also do research on animals that are difficult to study and they are sometimes the only way to breed highly- endangered species, especially if their natural habitat is in danger.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) manages all the zoos and wildlife parks in Singapore, including The Singapore Zoological Gardens, Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park and the upcoming River Safari. It has greatly contributed to successful wildlife conservation projects in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

It also manages the WRS Conservation Fund, a charity established in 2008 which works to conserve Singapore’s biodiversity and educate us all on wildlife conservation. In addition to various ongoing projects, they are now working with the Wildlife Conservation Society to save the Southern River Terrapins, which are seriously threatened by over-fishing and a loss of their jungle habitats.

To learn more about threats facing wildlife in Southeast Asia and how you can help, visit any WRS park or check out the WRS website at www.wrs.com.sg.

Nadya sends her daughter Nyla to Green School classes to study recycling.

At Green School, students grow and harvest organic vegetables, and sell them at a Farmers’ Market.

Nadya and her kids learning how

to make chocolate

from cacao beans

at Green Camp.

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Nadya and Earth Hour co-founder, Andy Ridley, on a trip to Philippines to find whale sharks.

Thanks to conservation efforts, the Oriental Pied Hornbill has been successfully reintroduced in Singapore.