Letter to Singapore
Dear Singapore,
People often talk about falling in love with places. New York, Chicago, Perth. Some prefer the technicolor cosmopolitan environments while others like the quiet and quaint. A recent revelation for me is that these people aren’t falling in love with the place per se, but the qualities that these places possess. Human qualities.
California. Owen Wilson. Blond and blue eyed, always fighting for some newfound ideology like a zealous youth’s first taste of religion.
New York. Elaine Benes. Opinionated and a little brash. Takes on life with a pair of balls and is unapologetic about it.
But somehow for you, I draw a blank. It frightens me, that having spent most of my life living here, I really do not know you. I do not know what you like or dislike beyond what your favourite food is. I used to think of you as the innocent girl next door, but in the past few years you have grown more worldly-wise.
You are the personification of fickle adolescence; some days you are the most liberated and westernised among your friends, while other days you stubbornly hold on to your Asian roots.
I can relate to the pressures you face. Like a child in a typical Asian family, people often tell you how weak you are, how vulnerable and susceptible to the rise and ebb of the global economy. I can understand your apprehension. The people you trust do not seem to believe in you, and after some time it becomes hard to believe in yourself.
But I hope for you. I believe that your coming of age is now, and that your first steps into adulthood can be taken with confidence and maturity. There is so much more to you than the adolescent obsession of coming in first in class or hoarding all the marbles. I long that you grow into a compassionate and caring person, capable of taking care of your own and those around you who may need your help. I hope that you may believe yourself strong and capable enough to change the world for the better.
It is time we took our relationship to the next level. I am not satisfied with a relationship of convenience where I live off you like an infant to a mother. I need to fall in love with the person you are and the person I know you can be.