Happy Birthday Singapore!

Despite the fact that I have moved away from Singapore for about 10 years.
Despite the fact that I can be fined for drinking water onboard the MRT train.
Despite the fact that I could get called up twice a year to give away 2 weeks of my life to serve in the army.

I still love Singapore, well as much as a Singaporean who's had the opportunity to live and work overseas can.

I love the fact that I am not assaulted by pools of vomit when I step out of my house on Saturday mornings.
I love the fact that I never have to wait for more than 6 minutes for a train that takes me to almost every corner in Singapore.
I love that I can survive here without ever having to spend more than $2.50 for a meal if I chose to.

I hate that people are sometimes rude when it comes to jostling for trains, queuing for food or competing for property.
I hate the long working hours and how Singaporean I am when it comes to bringing work home on the weekends.
and I hate the fucking weather here.

Despite all that, I was lucky to have been born in Singapore, where I never had to worry about getting into drugs, getting stabbed on the streets or getting cholera from just drinking water.

Although my "lifestyle" is not even publicly acknowledged as a minority group here, I am lucky that I have friends who accept and embrace me for who I am, and not what I'm perceived to be.

So thank you Singapore, for giving me all the necessary basics to grow as a bright young person and although I did not fit into the mould of "rich property owner, professional career minded, married with 3 kids" that you have intended for me since I was born, I am still proud of who I am and what I have achieved.

I hope you'll be as good to Matt as you were to me in flourishing your abundant financial excesses. Who knows, you might even get yourself an adopted Singaporean who says "lah" with an Aussie accent.

Happy Birthday Singapore!