Ah Boys To Men Actor Joshua Tan Can Pack Up And Check Out Of A Hotel In 10 Minutes Flat

The 27-year-old is a self-professed "basic packer". He took along just one suitcase with space to spare for a five-week trip to Gyeongju, Korea, where he trained for his action role as an ancient warrior in Resorts World Sentosa’s acrobatic theatrical extravaganza Flying Through Time. He tells us, “If I can fit everything in a backpack, then I’d just take a backpack ’cos I don’t like lugging a suitcase around. I don’t usually check in my luggage either. I like to get out of the airport fast. And I only take 10 minutes to check out of a hotel. I take my stuff like my passport out of the hotel safe, check that I’ve everything with me and I’m out. Most of the time, my suitcase is half-empty — I leave space for shopping, though I’m not much of a shopper. I usually buy only tidbits, or help my friends get the items they want from the country I’m visiting.”

“I’m not a blogger, so I don’t need to bring [curated outfits] for OOTDs," says Josh. "Maybe that’s why my friends criticise my fashion sense lah! I wasn’t prepared for the -4°C weather in Gyeongju. I only checked the weather for the start of my stay, which was around 17°C. So I ended up having to wear a few layers — two T-shirts, a hoodie and a jacket. I’ll pack necessities first, and if I have leftover space I’ll add ‘luxury’ items like a blazer that I don’t really need but just want to wear. I always pack in an organised manner. Undergarments go in first, ’cos I don’t want anybody to see them if I have to open my bag. Then I put in pants, shirts, jackets, shoes, fragile items, my Bible, daily devotional book and laptop."

Basic personal hygiene stuff, and more specific things like a mouthguard. “I grind my
teeth in my sleep, so the dentist prescribed this to prevent my teeth from degenerating further, and to stop people sleeping near me from throwing things at me when [the grinding gets too loud]!” Joshua explains. Toiletries bag aside, he also brings miscellaneous things like a Singapore Armed Forces travel adapter ("I got it for serving NS!"), health supplements given by his Korean trainers for the show and a Bible. “As you can see, this Bible has been through a lot. I’ve had it for over 10 years and I read it every day. It was a gift from one of my closest friends, and I like to keep stuff for as long as I can, until I can’t use it anymore.”

On Joshua’s passport holder is a tiny label bearing the name ‘King Josh’. He explains, “This was a gift from my friend, and my friends call me King Josh. They probably respect me a lot! (Guffaws) The silver embossing has faded off my passport. I [was born in Melbourne and] still hold an Australian passport, but I’m a Singapore PR. My parents moved to Singapore when I was three, for work. My mum’s a teacher now, and my dad works in the civil service.”