“When should I head home? What will I do when I head back? Will I be happy or bored being back?”

These questions have been popping up a lot in my head recently. “Home” and “back” both refer to Singapore in this case. Yes, I still consider Singapore home. Home is where I can speak in a mixture of English, Chinese, Hokkein, Cantonese, Malay etc, and still be understood. Home is where I can find my favourite foods like laksa, bak chor mee, popiah and chai tou kway in hawker centres, kopitiams and food courts. But more importantly, home is where I can go home to my family and enjoy a homecooked meal prepared by my dad or mum. Home is where my closest friends are and whom I can call on even at 3am when I need a listening ear.   

Lately, I’ve been missing those things about Singapore. It’s funny, I seem to appreciate Singapore more when I’m away. I’m sure I’ll head home one day. Probably soon actually, but definitely not within this year. Wherever I am, though, home is always in my heart. I may whinge about Singapore at times, but in all honesty, it’s not a bad place to live in. There are many worse places you could find yourself in. And while I may complain, I will, at the same time, defend Singapore if I hear some foreigner bad-mouthing Singapore for no legitimate reason or is bad-mouthing Singapore just for the sake of doing so. Only I can complain about my own country, OK!!!

Tonight, I’ll be joining some fellow Singaporeans (none of whom I’ve met) at a hotel in Hong Kong to watch the live telecast of the National Day Parade. It’s a National Day Dinner organised by the Singapore Association. I haven’t done anything “Singaporean” since moving to Hong Kong, so I thought maybe I should start today and acquaint myself with fellow Singaporeans in Hong Kong. I’m looking forward to the spread of Singaporean food tonight. My stomach’s ready.

Happy 47th Birthday Singapore!