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Singapore love stories: Mr Right was a 'right swipe' away

Pia swiped right on Nathan – the rest is history. (Photo: Androidsinboots)
Pia swiped right on Nathan – the rest is history. (Photo: Androidsinboots)

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, we bring you a series about love stories of people living in Singapore.

By Niki Bruce, Contributor

The pictures on Nathan Masters’ Tinder profile were… obscure, to say the least. The first was of him having his beard trimmed at the barber, and the rest, no more illuminating.

Yet, Singaporean entrepreneur and co-founder of Fours, Pia Chandra, 26, kept going until the last photo on his profile, where she finally got a good look at his face.

In his bio, the 34-year-old had simply put, “Why not?”. So she swiped right.

“I had used Tinder for about three years… and only had one or two bad dates,” she explains.

Her own bio read “Two truths and a lie” – he got the reference to the classic ice-breaker game, and responded with just that.

She didn’t catch the lie. “He wasn’t 6 foot 3 inches tall,” she says, laughing.

Lie aside, it began a whirlwind romance across three countries.

Masters, an Australian who is now the Spotify APAC Head of Security Operations, happened to be in Singapore for a long weekend, one that was about to change his life.

As it turned out, the Bali-based businessman simply didn’t photograph well.

“I thought he was a lot cuter in person,” laughs Pia.

Nathan had found some odd ducks on Tinder before meeting Pia. (Photo: Androidsinboots)
Nathan had found some odd ducks on Tinder before meeting Pia. (Photo: Androidsinboots)

Nathan could also speak better Indonesian than Pia, despite her Chinese Indonesian background.

He, too, was impressed by her. “We had a similar outlook on life and relationships… I was really comfortable with her immediately,” Nathan says.

Although Nathan was only meant to stay in Singapore for three days, he extended his trip for another two to spend more time with her.

It was quickly turning into his best Tinder experience. Nathan had used the app since 2015, and found some rather odd ducks.

“I wouldn’t say they were really ‘bad’ dates,” he says, “just some really weird situations. Like the girl who was too shy to say anything to me for at least an hour after we met.”

Fortunately, Pia was not one of the “crazies”.

Two weeks after their first meeting, Nathan flew back to Singapore to meet her again. Then two weeks after that, it was Pia’s turn to check out Nathan’s hometown. She ended up staying a month.

“I wouldn’t say there was a particular moment where anything changed. It was more a gradual realisation that we definitely wanted to spend our lives together,” says Pia.

At Uluwatu, while watching a lightning storm over the ocean, Pia told him she was in love with him. For Nathan, too, Pia was “the one”.

The couple tied the knot in Singapore in September last year, but are also planning a massive Bali wedding this year.

And as for Tinder, their profiles have now been hidden – not deleted – so they can keep playing Cupid.

“We use it to send recommendations to our single friends because we are big advocates for the app. If we can meet our soulmates on Tinder, they can, too.”

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Other Singapore love stories:

First came marriage, then came love

Winning at more than online gaming

She thought he was gay, but they still ended up together

Okay, Cupid, give me what you’ve got

If music be the food of love, play on