Hey Soul Sister!

Fariza Sakina and Chrystal Tan may harbour different career goals, but they share commonalities in their upbringing and outlook on life. Here, this pair of BFFs reveal the reasons why they are each other’s support system through thick and thin, writes Lily Ong

- Lily Ong

Likening their first encounter as the best blind date they have ever had, corporate consultant Fariza Sakina and businesswoman Chrystal Tan recall connecting instantaneously at ‘hello’.

“We burst out laughing when we saw each other for the first time for tea at The Wolseley,” reminisces Fariza, exchanging smiles with Chrystal. The duo, who were introduced by a mutual friend, have been inseparable ever since.

“We lived in different countries for a few years, especially when I was working in Shanghai, but the distance hasn’t affected our friendship. We are always there for each other,” says Chrystal.

Fariza playfully describes their friendship as “a committed relationship.” “But what we have is better than a romantic relationship because it’s unconditional,” adds Chrystal cheekily. The connection between them is so strong that they have encountered many ‘freaky’ instances.

When asked for an example, Fariza elaborates, “About three months ago when I was in London during my birthday, I was having one of my low days. When my brother volunteered to do something to help cheer me up, I said, ‘I want a two-tier Alice in Wonderland cake.’ He didn’t manage to get it done, unfortunately. Yet, when I returned to KL a week later, guess what Chrystal sent to my house as a gift? A two-tier Alice in Wonderland cake!”

“Did Fariza’s brother inform you about the cake?” I asked Chrystal, who shook her head in response.