Once back in Singapore, he served his National Service for 2.5 years as a commando clerk and he also swam for the army. During which, he met his wife, Crystal and proceeded to join the advertising industry for roughly 6 years in Singapore and then in London.
At the age of 29, both Crystal and him left their lofty London corporate jobs to travel the UK & Spain through wwoof. In six months, they went to 8 farms in the UK and 2 in Spain. At the beginning of 2010, they came back to Singapore and spent a year at home. Bjorn joined Ground-Up Initiative (GUI) as a volunteer and became instrumental in their Pathlight School Farm project, where he planned, built and design a farm as well as a curriculum to train children with autism how to do farm work. But feeling like he needed more training as a farmer and horticulturalist, he signed up for a diploma course in bio-dynamic agriculture, back in the UK.
So back to the UK they both went. Bjorn studied at Emerson College, where the Bio-dynamic agriculture school was located for 6 months, then did an apprenticeship at Old Chapel farm where they lived in a Mongolian yurt in a sheep field and learnt the sustainable way of life from the most amazing family in rural Wales.
Crystal
Also a child of the 80s, she grew up listening to Michael Jackson and loved all the things girls in Singapore loved. Clothes, music, friends and fashion. Her father passed away from cancer when she was 15, but it did not stop her dreaming of one day living abroad. After a diploma in Mass Communications at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore, she went to Sydney Australia to finish a degree in Media and Cultural studies; worked at Starbucks Coffee. But after spending 2 years there, relunctantly she had to come home because of visa issues.
She stumbled into the crazy world of advertising shortly after coming home. And remained in the industry for 7 years before deciding that it was tearing her soul to pieces. She met Bjorn during her first job while Bjorn was still in the army. Together they began as a typical Singaporean couple. Working hard in the day, partied hard at night. Spending money on expensive short holidays during their limited annual leave. Soon, they felt a huge emptiness inside and knew to go searching for something bigger and more meaningful in life.
After the wwoofing stint in the UK. Crystal also felt 'lost' when she came back to Singapore as it was not the typical place one can look to do the off-grid living she learnt. It was then, a meditation retreat in Bali lead her to discover her passion for yoga. Crystal travelled to India to do her yoga teacher training in Oct 2010, and has since, been teaching yoga. At Emerson College, as well as at Old Chapel farm.
****************************************************************
Now both Bjorn and Crystal are back in Singapore, looking for signs in the universe as to what to do next.
So back to the UK they both went. Bjorn studied at Emerson College, where the Bio-dynamic agriculture school was located for 6 months, then did an apprenticeship at Old Chapel farm where they lived in a Mongolian yurt in a sheep field and learnt the sustainable way of life from the most amazing family in rural Wales.
Crystal
Also a child of the 80s, she grew up listening to Michael Jackson and loved all the things girls in Singapore loved. Clothes, music, friends and fashion. Her father passed away from cancer when she was 15, but it did not stop her dreaming of one day living abroad. After a diploma in Mass Communications at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore, she went to Sydney Australia to finish a degree in Media and Cultural studies; worked at Starbucks Coffee. But after spending 2 years there, relunctantly she had to come home because of visa issues.She stumbled into the crazy world of advertising shortly after coming home. And remained in the industry for 7 years before deciding that it was tearing her soul to pieces. She met Bjorn during her first job while Bjorn was still in the army. Together they began as a typical Singaporean couple. Working hard in the day, partied hard at night. Spending money on expensive short holidays during their limited annual leave. Soon, they felt a huge emptiness inside and knew to go searching for something bigger and more meaningful in life.
After the wwoofing stint in the UK. Crystal also felt 'lost' when she came back to Singapore as it was not the typical place one can look to do the off-grid living she learnt. It was then, a meditation retreat in Bali lead her to discover her passion for yoga. Crystal travelled to India to do her yoga teacher training in Oct 2010, and has since, been teaching yoga. At Emerson College, as well as at Old Chapel farm.
****************************************************************
Now both Bjorn and Crystal are back in Singapore, looking for signs in the universe as to what to do next.
