I survived terror attack

Ernest Ferdian

Age: 26

He survived a terrorist attack - the Christmas Eve bombings in Indonesia in 2000.

That event taught the Indonesia-born Singapore permanent resident to seize life with both hands and cherish everything about it.

Recalled Ferdian, an accountant: "I was at the Canisius Catholic Church, which I attended when I lived in Jakarta.

It was just after the Christmas Eve mass that the entire congregation heard the loud explosion.

"And it wasn't like the movies at all. There was no major panic immediately.

In fact, everyone went silent.

"The bomb went off in the carpark and I was worried sick because my parents and brother had gone to the car."

He rushed out to find that his loved ones weren't harmed as the bomb had exploded on the other side of the premises.

They got into their car and quickly drove off.

Ferdian, who is single, moved here alone at the age of 17 to pursue a degree in business management at Singapore Management University, which his parents paid for.

He considers himself a Singaporean - especially because he has "learnt the Singlish lingo".

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