To Nurul, her blindness is simply one jigsaw piece that makes up the extremely vibrant picture of her life.

She prides herself as a percussionist, and a musician who explores the chords of various songs on her piano during her free time. She learns pottery and makes her own ceramics. She also works part-time at Dining in the Dark at the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH). Like any other young adult, Nurul enjoys hanging out with her friends, scrolling through Tik Tok and reading books. Every week, she even enjoys a run accompanied with her peers from Runninghour. 

An adventurous person in nature who savours the feeling of navigating unfamiliar territories, Nurul is always ready to break boundaries and grasp every opportunity available in this vast world of ours. When SAVH presented her the challenge of a braille competition, she readily took it, and even topped the other contestants. Her transition from special Primary school to a mainstream Secondary school also remains one of her greatest life changing experiences to date. 

Adjusting from a class of 3-7 students to a huge one of 40 was a feat, especially as she struggled with sustaining a conversation, unaware of the latest trends. However, a leap of faith is sometimes the best solution to overcoming our trials. She joined the school band, and braved activities she might not have considered in the controlled environment of her primary school. That included participating in the ice bucket challenge, climbing the 2-metre wall in the fitness corner, and taking the public transport on her own. While some did surface unrealised fears (like heights), Nurul’s unwavering step to embrace change helped her discover a sense of newfound freedom that colours her life today. 

In the hustle of her bustling days, Nurul finds comfort in her drums. Having heard her neighbour play the drums through her floorboards, she has graduated from hitting compact discs (CD) as a pretend replacement to playing the instrument with the Purple Symphony. She finds that she expresses herself best through her sticks and beats. 

And when asked what she would name her autobiography, she announces her answer with the most fitting title: “Just Whack”.