The Migration Bug

Singapore Airport, Terminal 3

I have a lot of friends who tell me that they would like to migrate to somewhere different. Their preferred locations can be Australia, Korea, or the USA – however, the one thing that these friends of mine share is their deep conviction or yearning to make this a reality. This really makes me think – why do they all share this need to move on to something different? I admit that the thought has crossed my mind once or twice. Yes, I love Singapore, and I’m not actually going to leave it. However, it was probably fortunate that I’d given this a little more thought than necessary because it enabled me to come up with a handful of plausible reasons.

Firstly, consider the pace of life here in Singapore. It can almost be said to be too fast-paced, and this alone probably does not really appeal to many. Of course, there’s no denying that there are many other places in the world that have equally fast-paced economies (New York, anybody?). However, it can sometimes feel like work is the single most prominent and important part of living in Singapore. We go through a strict education system since childhood, and then we simply grow older and move on to working life. Conventional ideas – dreams like travelling the world – aren’t even allowed consideration. We either work our feet into the ground to keep up and stay ahead or we are likely to just drop out of the game altogether. Yes, there’s no doubt that the severity of this enables us to constantly evolve and improve as a whole, but soon it can feel just a little too harsh or mundane. It is probably from this realization that the yearning to ‘get out while we still can’ starts to transpire.

New York Palace

Next, let’s talk about the high cost of living. Yes, Singaporeans really do earn a lot more than average. We even have the highest projected GDP per capita! However, with the rather astronomical price of living here in Singapore, we hardly enjoy much of that luxury. This might be expected and maybe even reasonable, but it can be frustrating nonetheless. What’s the point of working so fast and so much if we can’t exactly enjoy the fruits of our labor? Again – not a generally drawn conclusion for everybody, but we’d be able to buy a lot more space with a lot less cash in most instances if we were to move someplace else!

Thirdly, we just can’t deny (however much we might wish to) that us Singaporeans are, more or less, more prone to being ‘shy’ and ‘cautious’ than we are ‘enthusiastic’ and ‘welcoming’. Don’t be mistaken – Singaporeans are definitely not unfriendly- they can be the nicest people when they are actually approached or engaged. However, it is almost like us Singaporeans are just ‘awkward’ in much of our daily interactions. More importantly, we are hesitant about any new changes or behaviors that is considered to be different or not what we are used to. Quite frankly, we can even get a little too paranoid (neurotic?) about anything getting a little too out of line. This can be illustrated in the abundance of laws or rules that we are living with on a daily basis. Consequences are harsh and, in addition (not so much by coincidence), there also happens to be many different ways in which we can get into trouble. Yes, it can’t be denied that our laws have contributed to our low crime rates and helps to keep everything organized and clean. However, this might just start to get a little claustrophobic. It may even breed frustration and lead to harsh consequences.

My next point has some relevance with the point that I had just brought up. Frankly, we Singaporeans just have to deal with an economy that could prove to be overly conventional. One simple example is the fact that occupations, such as those that have to do with dance or art, is not supported or encouraged. Of course, this is common everywhere. However, the limits are increasingly more restrictive here in Singapore. Yes, we might be a small country, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t achieve the same level of success as somebody somewhere else! Furthermore, consider the pressure that our Asian culture puts on us. A majority of Americans and the like do not really feel inclined to take care of their elderly. They possess the mindset that they will be able to fend for themselves in old age without needing too much support from their children. Furthermore, the elderly are usually supported heavily by the government with pensions and benefits, and are more or less able to find ways to survive independently. However, it is our culture to take care of our elderly for as long as they need it. This means that we would not only have to take on the burden and stress that comes with providing for our children and spouse, we would also have to factor in our elderly and the like – even considering the help received from our government. With so many uncertain factors to consider, many youths would not be courageous enough to take on such unstable, high-risk jobs. Therefore, it could be said that the strict economy has deprived some youths of being able to do what they would love to do, which is just a shame. The world needs a variety of different people out there, and giving up on a dream is possibly the worst thing a person can go through.

American TV Series mainly filmed in New York: Gossip Girl

Finally, the next reason I thought of is possibly the biggest reason why youths feel the need to migrate – a mindset cultivated and molded throughout our entire lives. Years of American culture or any other foreign culture have been readily available to us through the media and the like. Such media would probably be biased and might portray their own culture in a more promising, attractive yet undeserved light – knowingly or not, youths might get influenced by such media and may even start to have inaccurate perceptions of success. Suddenly, making it big in their own hometown just isn’t going to cut it – “Everybody knows that success only follows when you move to a big city and plunge yourself into a new, vibrant environment!” Such youths fail to consider the fact that Singapore isn’t just that tiny little dot on the map anymore – sure, we haven’t increased much in terms of size. However, there are sides to Singapore that probably surpass other locations by vast amounts (to be discussed in my next article!). So, if you happen to know somebody who isn’t quite sure where to settle, maybe you could go ahead and help them out! I’m sure you can think of some good reasons yourself, dear reader! J

Well, that’s about all I have come up with thus far. I hope that I haven’t bored you or offended you. Remember – don’t let anybody you know fall prey to the notion that the grass is always greener on the other side! There are bountiful reasons why living in Singapore is great too! (And hopefully my next article can add a few new reasons to your list.)

Can you think of any other reasons why our fellow Singaporeans may feel inclined to migrate to somewhere else? Please share any thoughts you might have :) Email me at OrdinarySGKid@hotmail.com or follow me at @NatKathxo! Thank you for your time!

PM Lee Hsien Loong: With relevance to the Article below

Here’s a short article that’s speaking out to anybody who might be feeling that Migration Bug: http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC121009-0000169/Spore-at-turning-point,-next-20-years-will-bring-more-changes--PM

Credits: Additional Article by Today. Images- First: chocolatesandvogue.blogspot.com, Second: ecofriend.com, Third: shoppingblog.com, Fourth: ge.sg