Natasha Ann Zachariah
Mon, Dec 10, 2012
The Straits Times
Actor and model Paul Foster might live with his mother but the 32-year-old still has a bachelor pad of sorts at home.
He has carved out his own space on the second floor of his two-storey, three-bedroom apartment in St Michael's Road. There is only one room on that floor.
| Inside Paul Foster's Chinese-inspired home Click on thumbnail to view (Photos: ST) | ||||
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The single guy, who has acted in MediaCorp shows such as Polo Boys and Red Thread, jokes: "My mum calls it my bachelor pad because I'm up here in my own element. But it's still very much a family home where we get together often."
Foster, who is of English-Peranakan descent, is very much a family guy.
While he could have moved out on his own, he decided to stay with his mother, his eldest half- sister, 42, who is from his mother's first marriage, and her 13-year-old daughter. His father died from cancer in 1999.
"I'm the only guy in the family, so I felt that it was my duty to take care of them. They are very important to me," says Foster. He also has two older half-sisters as well as a younger sister who is living in the United States.
They moved into their present home last year.
Moving house, which he has done five times since he was young, is "cathartic" since it requires him to decide which belongings to keep or throw out.
He says: "You don't realise how much stuff you accumulate until you are forced to take stock of them when you move. I found things that I didn't even know I had.
"Of course, it's sad to move but I see it as a progression in my life."
He says his room is filled with things that remind him of "my achievements and the things that I have done".
| A peek inside Lum May Yee's home Click on thumbnails to view | ||||
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These include rugby and basketball medals from school, his favourite memoirs and entertainment paraphernalia such as posters from shows he has acted in, such as Polo Boys.
Taking pride of place in the room is a huge poster signed by the cast of Indonesian movie Catatan Harian Si Boy (2011). It was Foster's first feature film, in which he played a bad boy.
The actor, who is managed by Beam Artistes, says: "It was one of my biggest acting roles and going into it was like being thrown into the deep end because I didn't speak Bahasa and had to learn it fast. It was well-received and I had fun doing it."
His mother Joyce, who declined to reveal her age, is a big collector of Oriental antiques and ornaments.
The first floor of the apartment is filled with antiques from as far back as the Qing and Ming dynasties and mineral stones she collected with her late husband from antique stores here and abroad.
Vases, urns and plates are displayed in show cabinets in the living room, while paintings of an emperor and his empress hang from the walls.
On whether he shares his mother's interest in antiques, Foster says: "Collecting antiques is not my thing but seeing the collection is nostalgic for me. Every time I see the pieces, I am reminded of my parents and how it's our family's things that came with us through each house."
While a free thinker, he is big on spirituality and embraces the teachings of Buddhism. Statues of Buddha and Ganesha as well as half of a purple crystal amethyst can be found in his bedroom.
The other half is placed on a table near the door of the house. He got the pair from a shop in Little India for "good energy".
He says: "I am a very earthy person, so I like the house to be full of good energy."
natashaz@sph.com.sg
