A Singaporean In Australia

If you ask a dozen of Singaporeans living in Australia about life in Australia, you will probably get 13 answers. Though I've put down an astonishing amount (more than 1000 posts) of data in this blog, they were the subjectivity of one man. By no means I advocate that moving to Australia is good, and right, for everyone. On the other hand, don't come telling me it isn't either, just because you don't find it good for you. I've live my life on both countries and know which end of the candle I prefer to burn.

So for every asingaporeanson with a thick rose-tinted goggles, you'll get one who wants to bring Marilyn along. 

You'll get the smart-ass accountant pretender, cycling-to-work hippie moving back to Singapore to earn a few more cents and . 

You'll get a bridge burner who will never return to Singapore except to attend weddings of a few more important people left there. 

You'll get an exported dog taking photos with every Singapore minister that drop by during Singapore Day. 

You'll get the opportunistic one who will bend whenever the wind blows. 

You'll get one thanking god everyday for making her way here before it is too late.

You'll get a clueless one who doesn't remember how and why he got here.

You'll get one of those who'll rather tent in the bush than to return to Singapore.

You'll get that family man who moved his family here for their future and never look back.

You'll get the solo wanderlust, who seek a carefree lifestyle.

You'll get the disillusioned ex-professional, who wants a treechange or exit his mundane world of perpetual strife.

You'll get the disillusioned who returns to Singapore because Australia is not "First World" enough.

You'll get the young hippie, giggling chap driving around in his new car his friends can never afford in Singapore without going into great debts.

You'll get that retiree, who has had enough of money and exercises.

You'll get the adventurer who lust the thrill of leaping into unknown.

You'll get the rainbow chaser, who seek his patch of green grass in his delusions.

You'll get the techie nerd, who moves here to zhng his car and set up windmills around his house because he isn't allowed to back there.

You'll get the nature lover, who recognised his options are fast reducing in Singapore.

You'll get the normadic economic migrant.

You'll get the 5 flags planters.

and probably many more variations, I can go on but this is getting dry. You get the drift.

Granted that I've seen so many Singaporeans who came here for different reasons, I've known a fair share who simply hated life here with a vengeance and move back to stand up for Singapore. Needless to say, they wouldn't have a good word to say about Australia but plenty of themselves. I bet one of the ministers will eventually coined a sexy term to catogorize this bunch. 'Returners' will sound much better than 'Double-quitters' I guess. They can say or publish whatever they want but the truth remains: Migration is a more complex matter than they think.

When someone weigh the balance by dollars and cents, or figures, they demonstrate the lack of a deeper understanding of the whole purpose of migration. Beneath the warts and numbers, there are the mental and spiritual levels that is impossible to measure. That is why people who stay will never understand those who left and those who left find it difficult to proficiently explain why when asked.

If you are considering migration, give yourself an hour to write the essay "Why I am leaving Singapore for [country of choice]" Your mission statement. Be honest to yourself. You may be surprised at the result. It will reveal a lot. Your inner feelings, your misconceptions and all. Don't feel shy to share with the others. You'll probably see another side of them too. It will often make you realise migration is not for you but don't feel bad about it. It isn't meant to be for everyone. Once you sort out the 'why' however, the 'where', 'how', 'what' and 'when' will be clearer.