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Actress host Belinda Lee on the lessons she’s learnt in 10 years of travel

SINGAPORE — You can’t fault Belinda Lee for losing count of the number of countries she has visited.

SINGAPORE — You can’t fault Belinda Lee for losing count of the number of countries she has visited.

After all, she has been travelling for more than 10 years, working on travelogues such as Find Me A Singaporean and The Places We Live In.

Lee pegs it at more than 60 countries, but it’s not the number that matters but what she did there and who she met along the way. And she has now documented 10 of her most vivid experiences in her first book, Larger Than Life: Celebrating The Human Spirit.

“The world is so negative. I thought the best way to plant that seed of encouragement and positivity is to share the people and stories that would restore our faith in humanity,” said Lee, who is also a World Vision ambassador.

The book is not only a way of sharing those stories with a wider audience — all proceeds from the sale of her book will also go towards the organisation, which helps fight poverty and hunger.

“We live such busy lives in Singapore that we forget to celebrate the people around us,” she said. “I hope this book showing ordinary people rising above their circumstances and leading extraordinary lives will inspire us all.”

Q: Tell us more about your book. We heard it took two years to write.

A: Yeah, it was my good friend Elim Chew (founder of 77th Street) who first encouraged me to write a book three years ago. But I faced several mental barriers. I thought I needed to be a professional writer and felt I didn’t have time to do it, so I put it aside.

But two years ago, a little voice reminded me to do it, that I shouldn’t overthink it and, if I start, the ball would get rolling. It also wasn’t easy picking just 10 people to feature since I met so many wonderful and inspirational people. But what these 10 people have in common is their love and humility, their spirit despite the odds they faced. This book was really only realised with the help of so many people, from my co-author to my publisher to the people who have been so generous with their time and stories.

Q: What’s your advice to those who want to go overseas to help others in need?

A: I’d say find an organisation that speaks to you. Go with an open heart and mind because things are very different overseas. We can’t be judgmental or use our Singaporean standards to compare ... Never compare. But, you know what, you don’t have to go to (places such as) Africa to start. Start here, with your friends. Start by giving someone a listening ear. Time is the most precious gift we can give.

Q: Could you tell us more about your new travel show Somewhere Out There?

A: Somewhere Out There addresses the social issues surrounding the way people in different places live. For example, we’re so familiar with Hong Kong, with its eating and shopping scene. But the very poor there are forced to live in slums, where four to five families live in a 60sqf room. There’s also an episode set in Bangladesh, about the people who suffer from skin diseases because of the chemicals flushed into the rivers.

Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from all your travels?

A: That you don’t need a lot to be happy. And that education is not the same as wisdom. A cemetery keeper I met in the Philippines was a very simple, uneducated man, but he knew what was important — to be good to others, to have a loving wife and to take care of his family. They were very happy.

Q: Out of all the countries you’ve visited, which has left the deepest impression?

A: I would love to go back to Kashgar in western China. It’s just so beautiful. It’s like paradise — vibrant colours of nature, the mountains and the lake. It’s almost unreal.

Q: How do you want this book to inspire Singaporeans?

A: We’re so blessed in Singapore, where so many things are easy and it is comfortable. I’m not complaining, but I think we’re too sheltered — it’s like we’re bubble-wrapped. This isn’t real life. I hope people will be less afraid to step out of their comfort zone, to not let their dreams die and to really lend someone a listening ear. It’s really wonderful hearing the feedback since the book was launched. I’ve been receiving so many Facebook messages and emails about it. I hope people will continue to reach out — Facebook me or email me at belinda [at] belinda-lee.com, okay?

Catch Belinda Lee at Books Kinokuniya Ngee Ann City on Saturday, Dec 12 for a book signing from 2pm to 3pm.

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