escort diary® of Maxine Sung: Too Singaporean for Australia, Too Australian for Singapore?
Sometimes I feel very Australian in Singapore.
And sometimes I feel extremely Singaporean in Australia.
It's one of those funny things about having spent my life between two places. You don't necessarily notice how much of each culture you've absorbed until you leave it.
In Australia my Singaporean side mostly comes out the most whenever something I deem inefficient happens. Meanwhile, every time when I go back to Singapore and I realise just how Australian I've become.
I'm much more chilled-out about many things. I talk slower than most normal Singaporeans. I value holding lots of freedom over my own life over owning lots of expensive material goods, and I'm also perfectly happy being that odd person wandering around by myself doing whatever I feel like doing that day.
And as you probably know by now, I'm highly independent in my mannerisms and in my thinking. I’m not the kind of person fond of following rules simply because they're conventions… like many Singaporeans do.
And after almost a decade in Australia, I've acquired a certain level of laid-back-ness that can clash with my secret uptight, type-A Singaporean self in some not fun ways.
It’s obviously also affected how I think about my approaches to life and work.
My Singaporean upbringing means my modus operandi is to work hard, prepare properly and take pride in doing things excellently and well. I like plans. I like things organised. I love efficiency, fast and reliable public transport, good food being available at late hours, and knowing exactly what we're doing before we do it.
But Australia taught me that life isn't supposed to be entirely about work and efficiency alone.
A good life is lived only when you also remember to slow down sometimes, go outside and enjoy life, and not sit inside in aircon all day.
Take those moments.
Sit in the sun and have a long, leisurely lunch.
Take the occasional afternoon off.
Do something simply because it makes you happy.
And travel, while you still can.
I think that’s more of an Australian way of looking at things.
So, when looking at the storybook of my pretty eventful life so far it seems that I have wandered a bit off the beaten track and ended up somewhere between the two countries and cultures.
Singapore gave me my foundations: my family, heritage, and an appreciation for a world that runs efficiently.
Australia gave me the ability to be accepting of all people’s independence, space, freedom and it’s also given me permission to become a bit more, dare I say… unconventional myself.
And now, whenever I'm in either country, I feel that there's always a small part of me that belongs somewhere else.
Also, I just want to take this chance to say that my heritage is 100% Perenakan Singaporean-Chinese, I’m not descended from Australians by any means…
Perhaps I'm too Singaporean to ever feel completely Australian.
And too Australian now to feel completely Singaporean.
But I don't really mind anymore - and the person who you will be meeting is both. :-)
And occasionally, neither entirely.
You can’t put me in a box.
And maybe home doesn't always have to be one place.
For those who haven’t met me yet, you can expect to meet a stereotypical efficient, organised and immaculately dressed Singaporean who ALSO possesses Aussie humour, warmth, individuality and charm.
(And in case there was anyone out there thinking that I’m from mainland China - my family hasn’t been there for five generations!)
Do you also feel like you belong to more than one place, too?
Thanks for reading my letter today.
— Maxine
