The SMU family is made up of diverse personalities from all sorts of backgrounds, each bringing their own perspectives and experiences which contribute to enriching the university community..
Students, faculty and staff – all have their own reasons for joining SMU, and naturally, they all have their interests and passions that are also a big a part of their lives.
Like Sam Wu who is Senior Associate Director at Alumni Giving, SMU Office of Advancement, outside of his work, Sam is also really passionate about food – just see his food adventures on Instagram.
Finding an outlet for dual passions
Food has always been a big part of Sam’s life, even before joining the SMU family. He started his food adventures on Instagram at the urging of a friend back when he lived in Hong Kong.
While he didn’t start out with the intention to reach an audience beyond his friends, his content was well received and he has even been invited to review some restaurants in Hong Kong.
His posts on Instagram have provided Sam with a way to combine his twin passions of food and writing into a creative outlet. He has come to realise how important credibility is when giving food reviews; and also to accept that taste is – at the end of the day – subjective.
Sam generally does not charge for his food reviews as he feels that this would make his thoughts come across as less authentic. Furthermore, he only accepts invitations to review food that truly interests him, and he doesn’t post unless he really enjoyed it.
“I don’t want to slam restaurants or post about negativity. Hence, I only post about food that I have myself tasted and enjoyed,” he affirms.
Sam focuses on crafting answers that come from the heart, adding his own voice to it so those who know him can actually imagine him saying the same things to them in person.
Unique opportunities that have added flavour
Sam’s love for food has opened the doors to unique opportunities in his life. For example, when Sam was living in Hong Kong back in 2013, he was invited to take American host and supermodel Millana Snow around to explore street food for a travel series called The Vagabond Project.
Sam has fond memories of introducing Millana to street food like chickens’ feet in the series, which won a Webby Award in 2013. “Knowing that I contributed to this series is thrilling,” he muses.
Besides this, Sam has also had the chance to be part of a judging panel for an article in The Straits Times, which explored unusual pairings of different beverages with champagne in “new” cocktails. He’s also a regular on Radio Shiok, a weekly segment on 91.3FM that covers different restaurants, cafes and eateries in an ongoing quest for the “shiokest” or most enjoyable food around.
While his involvement does not earn him any extra dollars, Sam expresses that it has added flavour to his life. “I get to collaborate and meet with interesting folks, which has made my life more colourful and fun.”
Sam generally keeps his life as a foodie Instagrammer on the quiet, but his colleagues and other SMU alumni do occasionally come to him for suggestions on places to eat for special occasions, which he is more than happy to provide.
As to what advice he has for others who are looking to follow their passions, Sam cannot emphasise enough the importance of time management.
“I only attend restaurant invites if I have the time, and if it doesn’t interfere with work. I write my posts or create my reels only at night, or weekends,” he explains.
“Ultimately, I encourage people to use social media as a creative outlet, as it is deeply fulfilling and thus helpful in maintaining good mental and emotional health. This in turn contributes to a cheerful demeanour and mindset at work!”
