SUVA (Fiji) – Mr SP Chung, a Singaporean who moved to Fiji in 1992, is one who is definitely not afraid of jumping head first into the unknown.

A former Anglo-Chinese School teacher, Mr Chung, 71, went from teaching science, math and literature to students for 11 years, to managing a shipyard for 20 years when he was still in Singapore.

When he was later invited by a construction company to oversee two fishing boats they had bought in Fiji, he agreed to move to the South Pacific island with his wife.

“They had no one to manage them here. They somehow contacted me, and so I said I would go,” he explained.

Six months into the job, however, Mr Chung said, some issues with salary payment cropped up and he parted ways with the company.

The next adventure on his career list was a golf shop – even though he did not even play the sport. “I could not play golf, but I took up the challenge. I picked it up.”

In 2000, he met a Singaporean who wanted to start a foreign exchange in Fiji. Again, without any prior experience in the business, he jumped in head first. Less than a year into the partnership, however, Mr Chung parted ways with his partner over operational differences and started out on his own.

Today, Mr Chung’s foreign exchange agency has outlets in Abu Dhabi, London, Germany, Indonesia, China, Australia and New Zealand. A sports and golf shop is also located within his foreign exchange outlet in Suva, along with an Internet café.

“There are nine foreign exchange like mine. Nine licenses given out by the reserve bank. It’s a small market,” he said.

The father of two boys and five grandchildren still keeps an apartment in Taman Jurong but is unsure if he and his wife will eventually return to Singapore for good.

On the one hand, they have built an established business and social life in Fiji. When they aren’t running the business, they do charity work and play golf.

But on the other, they have family back in Singapore.

“We really can’t decide what to do. To go home or not. It’s an easier life and slower pace here. There’s less stress. I find it very comfortable here. For us, if we go back to Singapore for too long. I don’t know what to do,” he said.