A Singaporean In Australia

9 months was a very long time to be away from home someone who took his first plane ride at 26 years old. I wasn't built to be the traveling type of human, never had wanderlust whatsoever. For much of my life, I didn't even have an urge to visit another country, much less to live and work. The occasional Malaysia trips with my friends was good enough for me. Similar climate, superb scenery, great food, reasonable price. What else would anyone ask for?

I had been always happy with life in Singapore. Always a proud citizen of Singapore on the endless list of international top rankings and achievements. Before I turned 30, the thought of working somewhere else out of Singapore never occurred to me. I wouldn't dare, I knew what kind of capacity I had and where I stood in society. I was never some kind of talent that any country needed. My country regarded  the likes of me as passengers, thus the urgent need of importing talents to keep the machine running smooth. No hard feelings, the country is more important than self.

To be honest, I didn't have any real gripes about foreign talents coming to Singapore. Do I really think I could excel in my career such that some boss felt obliged to pay me a 5 figure/month salary or even half of that? No. Another secret truth, I didn't really need that kind of money to be happy. I did think my salaries were meagre but it never made me miserable. For I never spent more than what I brought home ever. If I was a car, I would be that cheap economical model that no one regarded as a dream car. Nothing really wrong with that. Such cars start each morning and if you think about it, it is probably a better thing tooting along in a go-kart or a forklift than being stranded on a road with a crashed red Ferrari.

I never failed to be amused when someone from my country tried to imply why do I became a hateful foreigner in someone else's country when I hated foreigners in my own country. It made me laugh. I knew where these people were coming from - the cesspit of course. Surprisingly despite that, they didn't know a shit. They would like to imagine that a migrant like me would be regarded as what the dog drags in here, not knowing that the percentage of xenophobics and racists is probably a much higher percentage in the Singapore population. I made friends by a simple rule. For those whom I get along with, we're friends. For those who piss me off, they're idiots. Regardless of race, language, religion or country of origin. There are a lot of Singaporeans that piss me off more than any foreigners I've worked with. That's just a plain fact. I'm siding nobody here. It is important to note that for every asshole of a Singaporean, there will probably be many nice honest, considerate, responsible Singaporeans. But if we choose to apply a double standard towards people from another country by stereotyping, we need to take a look at ourselves.

I heard a lot of reasons from Singaporeans here who left for Perth. 

For their kids education - I didn't have a child back then when we decided to apply for a permanent visa here so that didn't apply to me. 

For better career - Nah. 

For a slower pace lifestyle - maybe but that didn't happen for me. I still work like a horse everyday at work. 

For more money - There is an increase but it is not a lot more actually. Nothing like doubling or tripling my money. I don't think someone will migrate just to earn that difference.

For cheap cars - Funny but no.

What did I move here for? The main reason was Jen but if I could examine myself to find exactly why I thought it was a good idea, I did have something in my mind. It might sound superficial for many but it meant a lot for me. I moved for better air and more space.  I might have some kind of demophobic thing in me, I'm not sure. Finding my weak spot, when my friend Aku urged me to change my thinking so that I could have a whole new positive perspective towards anything I was displease with, I did try but I simply couldn't feel more comfortable. I probably even tried imagining the possibilities of the crowds on the streets turning into ice cream. It was fun while it lasted but there was a limit to delusion. I had to move and that was nothing to do with my opinions on the Singapore government. I had lived decades of my life under these bunch and I could take that comfortably. But when the numbers grew and grew and grew on the tiny island, I had to go. I know myself clear.