This Valentine’s Day, GRAZIA Singapore speaks to three couples in Singapore to discover what happy ever after looks like in a modern relationship. Ahead, Twitch streamers Denise Teo (also known as Supercatkei) and Timothy Koh share more about how the live streaming platform brought them together, and the important life lessons that they’ve taught each other.
GRAZIA Singapore (GS): How did you both first meet?
Denise Teo (DT): We met each other on live streaming platform Twitch during Covid-19. We were both budding streamers at that time, and Tim happened to be watching my live stream, and he decided to follow me. Back then, I would always return a follow to other streamers as the community was really small. I caught Tim live streaming one day and went in to chat, and he decided to show me a magic trick which didn’t turn out that well. I found him to be an interesting person anyway, so I decided to ‘raid’ (Twitch users can choose to send all their viewers to support another live stream) him at the end of my stream. He eventually messaged me on Instagram to thank me for the raid.
Timothy Koh (TK): It magic trick worked perfectly because look where we are now!
GS: What’s something your partner said or did during your first meeting that you still remember?
TK: I recall my first thought when I saw Denise was, “Damn, this girl is so much taller in real life”.
GS: If you hadn’t met the way you did, where else do you think your paths might have crossed?
DT: Honestly I don’t think our paths would have crossed at all. At that time I was just about to do live streaming full-time, and Tim was working in a corporate 9-5 job.
TK: Perhaps our paths might have crossed in a computer game lobby, with Denise wondering who this skillful player at the top of the scoreboard is.
DT: Sure…
GS: Did you tell anyone about your partner after that first meeting? What did you say?
DT: I told my good friend that I was speaking to a guy who was nice and helped me rationalise my thoughts… and also happened to be cute. She replied: “Don’t fall in love too easily!”
Mission failed successfully, I would say.
TK: I didn’t say anything to anyone, just in case I was just having a really good dream.
GS: What’s something you’ve always wanted to try together but haven’t yet?
TK: We initially wanted to learn magic tricks together—it was the first thing we bonded over when we first started talking. We never ended up going for magic lessons but she’s all the magic I need in my life…(laughs).
GS: What’s something you’ve done together that you never expected to enjoy as much as you did?
TK: I’d say going on dates with hundreds of people watching… I’m usually quite a private guy when it comes to relationships, but dating Denise has required me to be more public. But that motivates me to make each date more exciting.
DT: I think living together turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected. We first lived together for a couple of months in Boston, when Tim was brought over for work. I decided to move with Tim and work from the US to be with Tim and we had an amazing time living together. We’d take weekend trips to neighbouring cities and countries, we developed healthy habits that saw us growing stronger physically and emotionally. It helped us a lot as we progressed into marriage and now live together in Singapore.
GS: What’s a small daily ritual you both share that you’d never want to give up?
DT: We have daily gratitude sessions together, where we just tell each other what we are grateful for each day. For instance, it could be simply sharing about how grateful I am for Tim’s patience with me. It’s just a great practice of gratitude and reminds us of how blessed we are in our lives.
TK: I love it when we start our mornings with a big hug and we check in with each other in our sleep. It’s especially nice because we currently work together, and it helps us understand each other’s energy levels and know how to cover for each other on days we feel a little more tired.
GS: What’s the most thoughtful thing your partner has done for you?
TK: When I was stationed in Boston (before Denise joined me), I recall being worried about my parents as they are quite senior. Even with her busy schedule, Denise took the time to check in on them and have meals together regularly. The photos she sent of them together not only put my mind at ease but also made me less homesick. It made me so grateful to have such a caring partner.
GS: What’s a small quirk or habit your partner has that you secretly find adorable?
DT: I absolutely enjoy little moments in each day together, whether it’s running errands, doing up the dishes or just those little moments in between our usual busy days. Tim always makes me laugh and smile effortlessly. He has such a pure and kind heart, most of the times he doesn’t even know how happy he makes me!
TK: I am obsessed with Denise so basically everything that she does I find absolutely adorable. From the way she peeks at me while trying to wake up in the morning, to how she stresses over needing to push herself to do more when we try to take breaks, I find myself smiling at different points of the day as I observe her.
GS: How do you celebrate each other’s little wins?
DT & TK: Hotpot!
DT: Most of the time after a big event, both of us will be completely spent, both physically and mentally. We default to having hotpot as a celebratory meal religiously with the exact same soup base and ingredients so that we can just be on auto-pilot mode No need for figuring things out, and no need for making decisions. Just two exhausted humans rewarding themselves with some warm soup.
GS: What’s something your partner has taught you about yourself?
DT: Tim has taught me that I am a strong person, he reminds me to celebrate every achievement no matter how big or small. Most importantly, Tim taught me that I should always feel safe in a relationship no matter what, and he never fails to remind me that I am always safe—physically, emotionally and mentally. I think it is the greatest thing Tim has ever given to me that I am immensely grateful for.
TK: Over the course of our relationship, I’ve seen Denise grow from being a casual streamer to becoming one of the most recognised individuals in her field, building a company and bringing me onboard in the process. She constantly challenges herself, holding her work at the highest standards while leading from her heart. She has taught me that growth is not guaranteed and if you truly want to achieve something, hard work, perseverance and focus will get you there.
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