(no subject)
We belong to a fortunate generation that is reaping the prodigious benefits of globalisation and technology. It’s so easy to move from one part of the world to another these days. And everyone’s doing it.
With all my heart, I would love to take on the adventure that comes with living overseas, too. I would love the independence, the freedom, the change. To be young and reckless - yes, I’d like that very much.
Yet, in the long run, I’d still like some place to which I can return.
Not long ago, a letter by a 20-year-old Singaporean conveying his thoughts on choosing to live abroad was circulated online.
First posted undated on the website stories.sg, it later resurfaced on a blog, Youdonthavetoagree, on Sept 2.
Under the pseudonym “Zing”, the writer talked about how Singapore’s economic pragmatism and lack of diversity fuelled his desire to leave and pursue his dreams in London.
Addressing the letter to Singapore, Zing wrote: “I don’t want to be jaded, but you’re already feeding me defeatism and banality as a lifestyle choice.”
The letter garnered more than 3,000 shares on social-networking sites, and shook up the local community.
Maybe it’s just how we are when we are young. We talk about the need to live on the edge, how life in Singapore is too sedate, how we need to jolt our senses, and how we want to experience the adrenalin of living - to just be able to feel.
And, yes, living overseas is one of the best ways to experience all that; probably the best way.
Still, in order to get away, there must first be a point of departure. This point of departure is, and has to be, one’s home. For all its merits and flaws, a home is irreplaceable. It is this home, Singapore, that keeps me grounded.
Truth is, there is no country without its flaws, none that can do everything absolutely right. The grass will always be greener on the other side, no matter where you go.
Zing nominated London for its capacity to embrace him, whether he is a “saint or sinner”, something that he believes Singapore is unable to do.
Does anyone remember how 62-year- old civil servant Ian Baynham was attacked by drunken teenagers screaming homophobic abuse at Trafalgar Square in 2009? He was brutally stamped on, and eventually died from injuries to his skull.
Who is to say that the people in London who have the same issues Zing does feel any less frustration?
I understand the appeal of living overseas. A large part of my cultural diet comes from most things American, so stepping foot there during summer recently was an inspiring experience. It was also surreal.
Along the way, I saw countless homeless people adrift on the streets of America - one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world. People my age were begging for money.
Madcap driving was characteristic of some cities. Gunfire was exchanged just a few streets from where I stayed in Minneapolis the night before I visited the city.
Don’t get me wrong. For all that, I still believe that the United States is a great place to be in.
My point is that, differences - be they in lifestyles, cultures or governing systems - can be points for learning, even celebration. It therefore isn’t fair to simply relegate Singapore to a “closed case” (as in Zing’s letter), relative to other countries.
There are issues here that I struggle to deal with. The people in the arts scene here don’t get as many opportunities as their counterparts elsewhere; people invariably measure success by looking at your salary; and the financial considerations when buying a house or car are immense. These matters, among others, are all real and frustrating.
I, too, share Zing’s distaste of becoming an “office drone”. But, surely, one must realise that breaking out of such constraints has to be done with one’s own hands, no matter where one is.
What I take heart in is the fact that Singapore is home, and it’s a good one.
No excuses for the recent glitches in public transport, but Singapore still has one of the most comprehensive and affordable systems in the world. Efforts have gone towards alleviating housing and education woes. I can walk the streets at night and feel safe.
At 47 years old, Singapore is a young city, so I won’t be too quick in writing off the possibility of the nation progressing further.
Above all, I take heart in the fact that my family and friends are here with me. I can go away for months or years, but knowing that loved ones are here keeps me grounded; they are the ones I can always return home to.
To some, this may seem sentimental and stale. All the same, I won’t find the same people anywhere else, whether in New York, London or Paris. My family and friends are impossible to put down, and more than enough reason for me to call Singapore home.
Until I can find a place for which I am willing to uproot everything I have, to take a huge leap of faith and replant them in foreign and unfamiliar soil, Singapore is home.
I may leave, but I will always be back.
Because she succinctly puts into words my thoughts. Or at least, my current thoughts. Home is a place I never left in my heart, and I think it will be a place I will eventually return to. Maybe its the long duration I've been away from home. 5 years is a long time, and maybe it could be the homey side of me speaking right now, because exams are round the corner and everybody knows exams make you want to go home. Despite knowing full well how working in Singapore will be like (think shitty shitty hours, low pay and non existent work-life balance relative to what the interns enjoy here), I think I will still return. Yes, national education, cheesy national day songs have worked on me. I am a sucker for all things old school and nostalgic. I would like to return to HDB flats, glorious kopitiams and the very essence of what makes Singapore home - friends and family. (:
Right now that is. Maybe I will switch camps in the next three years of med school. Who knows?