Friendship Day is just a couple of days away! While we shan’t wait for one particular day to celebrate love and friendship, 30th of July is a day where we all reflect upon the bonds that we’ve made; for some friendships are here for a season or a reason, whereas others last for a lifetime!
Some say that best friends are siblings that we get to choose.
True friendship is when someone knows you better than yourself; someone who celebrates you for who you are, triumphant moments or time of despair, they are always there to cheer for you and lift you up. They speak words when it’s needed, and they share the silence with you when words fail to string into sentences.
In the days to come, Sevenpie will be releasing real stories about the best of friends (some of you might even recognize them from social media!). Through their stories, you will be able to learn a thing or two about how they friendships blossomed, and in spite of the dynamic of their friendships, how they weather through the turbulence of life, together.
The Chili Padis surely is no stranger to the most of us who are avid users of social media. In today’s Featured Interview, Sevenpie has had the opportunity to get to know a little more about them, which includes Malaysian influencers, Jazel Lim and Amanda Chong, to tell us more about the spicy tales of the original six members of the ‘Chili Padis’ gang! This friendship read elevates the tanginess and the fun in every friendship to a whole new level. Read on to find out how these ladies keep up with one another and most importantly, some must-have values to spice up their friendship!
So get comfy, and grab your best pals because these are reads that you don’t want to ignore!
The Chili Padis – Consisting of Jazel Lim, Amanda Chong, Kimberly Edward, Loo Jia Shin, Szen Cheam, & Jodie Cheong
From left: Jazel, Szen, Amanda, Kimberly, Jodie, Jia Shin
1. Hi Jazel! Thank you for taking the time out to tell us more about the ‘Chili Padis’! We are truly thrilled! Let’s start from the very beginning: How did the ‘Chili Padis’ first start? Did all of six of you immediately had great chemistry together once meeting for the first time?
JAZEL: It actually only started with 3 girls, which were me, Amanda, and Kim. I knew Jia Shin and Szen separately and only brought in Jia Shin to the group later on. Then, Szen joined in, followed by Jodie.
All 6 of us met for the first time at an event together, and we hit it off pretty well! We did take time to get to know each other better and the rest was history!
2. Can you share with us each of the girls’ roles in the ‘Chili Padis’ gang?
JAZEL: Sure! I am definitely the mama that brings the girls together! Always ready to lend a listening ear for my girls, to give, and definitely not forgetting – spreading good vibes with my upbeat energy! When it comes to my girls, I will never be afraid to take a stand for them.
For Amanda, she is the TikTok director and ultimate prankster of the group! People know her as being shy at first, but you know what they say, don’t judge the book by its cover, she is actually the naughtiest in the group, haha! Despite her loud laughter, she is actually very thoughtful. Always reminding the girls to take care of their health.
Szen Cheam is the life of the party! She’s the event planner, and will always be there for any hangouts! The girls come to her when they are down because she will always make them laugh!
Jodie is the girl’s nightlife ‘kaki’ (companion) and dance teacher. One of the bubbliest in the group, but don’t mess with her, because she can beat you up, haha! Jokes aside, Jodie is always a call away, always available for the girls if they need help. Oh, and her family sells one of the most amazing Nyonya food at “Nyonya Cendol Cafe”!
Jia Shin is another prankster of the group, probably following Amanda’s footsteps? Adorable, but also a tough cookie! She is very well-mannered and at times can be quite a “blur” 😉
And of course, lastly, Kimberly is a sweet-heart. She is actually a teacher, which explains why she is the most patient one of all in our group! She has a soft spot for kids and we admire her so much for teaching kids with disabilities! She may be the tallest one in our group, but she’s the most pampered one too! The ultimate food lover that will always accompany you for a meal, without fail!
From left: Amanda, Jia Shin, Jazel, Kimberly, Szen, Jodie
3. In every gang of friends, there surely is an activity that you all would enjoy doing. What do all of you enjoy doing together? What has been the most memorable thing all of you have done together?
JAZEL: Honestly, we enjoy doing anything, as long as we are together. But I think one of the best memories we had was our trip to Krabi & Bali. We got to spend so much more time together during the trip!
4. Being beauty queens and social media influencers, how have the all of you supported each other through the “Chili Padis” gang? Has this strong sisterhood helped you with coping the everyday stress from work and life?
JAZEL: This strong sisterhood has definitely helped me grow to be a better person and to see things in different perspectives. We have always helped each other to get through hardships. If we needed a day off to just cool down, we’d get together to do silly things. Our hangouts are always filled with constant laughters, and that definitely helps us to lighten up our stress!
Apart from the fun that we have together, we always encourage each other in weakness and strength. We never put each other down and will always be ever-ready to have “friend-tervention” (intervention).
5. True friendship is tested on how you cope with the differences with each other. Being in a large group of 6 friends, how do all of you cope with each other’s differences? Do you think that differences can help make a friendship stronger?
JAZEL: For me, differences really is what makes the friendship stronger. In the ‘Chili Padis’ gang, the girls accept me for who I am despite my flaws, and I show the same love to the girls and accept them for their imperfections. I guess our diversity in our personalities is what makes the friendship colourful. If we were all the “same”, I think it will be even more difficult! At the end of the day, we do share some similarities and love the same things, but we also celebrate our differences!
AMANDA: For me, differences do not affect our relationship. Having the same belief as Christians, we always want the best for each other. In ‘Chili Padis’, it is always drama-free. I am truly grateful for this friendship because we love each other just the way we are!
6. We are truly amazed at how you girls have kept the friendship alive despite being in the eyes of the public! Do you mind sharing with us how did all of you ever do it? What are some of the priorities in the friendship that you girls will never, ever compromise?
JAZEL: One of the values we treasure in the friendship is to never badmouth each other, only in front (jokes). Whenever there is an issue that needed to be talked about, we would always discuss it with each other. We’ve never had any “drama” within us (and hopefully, never will in the future!).
Secondly, is to never lie with each other. We would literally tell each other almost everything! No matter what happens, we will always share with each other. We would also always make it a point to meet up together. Be it for lunch, dinner, gym, or just any activities at all, for us, having each other’s company is more than enough. We’re just really happy being together!
7. Can you share with us what are the most important values to you to practice in a friendship?
JAZEL: For me, the most important values to practice in a friendship would be:
- Choose kindness every day
- Choose love always
- Be forgiving & do not hold grudges
- Have empathy
- Trust your friends, and be trustworthy yourself
- Respect
- Be understanding
Just like any other relationship, be it with your life partner, or with your friends, I think all relationships require effort and commitment for it to last. I would say these values are important in all the relationships that we have.
8. Describe the ‘Chili Padis’ gang in one word.
JAZEL: Spicy.
