Missing home? 'Sydney- poreans' find the cure

The Straits Times, April 21, 2007
By Gwyneth Goh


SYDNEY 7,000 SINGAPOREANS
From paintball sessions to 'Happy Hour' rituals in hotels to dance parties, the large Singaporean community here has developed ways to retain links with home


SYDNEY - WHEN Mr Koji Chan Takahashi was studying film at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), he discovered that Singapore film-maker Eric Khoo's first full-length feature Mee Pok Man was discussed and dissected in courses on Asian cinema.

The Singaporean - whose mother is Japanese and father is Chinese - thought it was 'pretty cool' that he should find a link to Singapore right on his campus.

The 26-year-old arrived in Sydney in 2004. He is one of the close to 7,000 Singaporeans living in the city. Their numbers keep increasing every year.

That is hardly surprising since Sydney is proving to be a trendy alternative to cities like New York and London with its fine weather, favourable exchange rates, attractive career prospects and proximity to Singapore.

A large proportion of these foreign residents are students who initially went in pursuit of higher education. A number of them have since grown roots and established successful careers there.

Mr Chan is one of them. Now studying for his Master of Accountancy, he opened a production house to produce short films and music videos with five Australians last year. The aspiring film-maker said Australia offers more opportunities for him to develop a film career.

Regulatory analyst Gerald Fong is another example. Work has kept the 28-year-old in Sydney for more than six years.

When asked if they missed home, the answer was a unanimous and resounding, 'Yes', citing family and friends as those they missed.

Most of them stay abreast of affairs in Singapore by reading news and blogs on the Internet and through the grapevine.

Mr Fong said: 'I consider it important to know what is happening in my country.''

Phone calls, e-mail and the annual visit - generally during Chinese New Year - keep them in touch with family and friends. However, what alleviates homesickness the most is possibly the presence of numerous other Singaporeans in the neighbourhood.

Investment banker Jonathan Lim, 28, has been a Sydney resident for nearly four years. He says of his fellow 'Sydney-poreans': 'Our tight-knit Asian culture has programmed us to seek out one another and form cliques whenever we can.'

Architect Dawn Koh, 25, says it is only natural.

Although she left for Sydney when she was 16 because she felt that her Singapore education was 'rigid and stressful', she maintained that she feels 'more comfortable around other Singaporeans because we have things to talk about. We understand one another's culture'.

It is the desire for familiarity and a sense of home that prompts many Singaporeans to seek out affiliations such as the Singapore Students' Association (SSA) while in university. Friendships fostered on campus last long after graduation, and usually lead to an entire network of other Singaporean acquaintances.

The average membership of Singapore student societies in universities is 120.

Miss Johanna Cheong, 23, is the president of the SSA in UNSW. The organisation has 150 members and is one of the most active student organisations based in New South Wales.

'We organise an activity at least once a fortnight. These include paintball sessions, barbecues and day trips to the wine valley (Hunter Valley) and dance parties.'

The dance parties, held at hip clubs, are particularly well attended, attracting up to 400 Singaporeans - students and professionals - each time.

Food is another bond.

Singaporeans regularly congregate at restaurants to satisfy cravings for local Singapore dishes.

Malware analyst Alan Lee, 30, regularly gets together with his circle of Singaporean friends to 'eat local and talk about events back home like the Indonesian sand ban'.

'Local food is not always good here so sometimes we cook our own and then share it with fellow Singaporeans,' says Mr Lee who left Singapore two years ago.

Singaporeans with families are more likely to favour the Temasek Club, established in 1988. A society that exclusively caters to 'Sydney-poreans', this club organises activities ranging from Christmas dinners and golf games to the monthly 'Happy Hour' ritual at Swisshotel in the city, which Singaporeans often attend to make new contacts over drinks.

The Internet is another medium by which Singaporeans living in the city meet. The Overseas Singaporean Portal is a website maintained by the Overseas Singaporean Unit, a recent government initiative created in lieu of the mounting Singaporean diaspora.

This website hosts forums where Singaporeans can seek out fellow countrymen in their area and discuss topics that vary from 'Where to find good Singaporean food' to 'Can anyone recommend a good dentist?'

An even more direct way of seeking out Singaporeans, Mr Munjeet Singh cheekily suggests, is to simply listen out for them.

The 42-year-old nurse, who has lived in Sydney for the past five years, claims that he makes a new Singaporean friend every second month.

'You can spot the accent anywhere, even in a crowd. I always approach them.'

Unfortunately, not everyone shares Mr Singh's enthusiasm for meeting other Singaporeans.

A handful of interviewees openly admit that they do not wish to be part of any Singaporean clique in Sydney, since it tends to limit their overseas experience.

One of them is accountant Gerry Seng, 28, who has lived in Sydney for seven years. He says: 'There's a reason why I'm here and not in Singapore.'

Meanwhile, others cannot wait to go home.

As president of UNSW's SSA, Miss Cheong was one of about nine student leaders who got to meet Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew over tea when he visited Sydney three weeks ago.

'He told us not to forget our responsibilities as Singaporeans and to give back to society. He's right. I think young people like us need to be reminded.

'If every young Singaporean thinks the pasture's greener on the other side, there will be no one left in Singapore. I'll definitely go back.'

Regardless of how and whether they choose to stay connected to Singapore and fellow Singaporeans, those interviewed by The Straits Times agree on at least one thing: their Singaporean identity.

Auditor Rina Sandhu, 23, who has lived in Sydney for five years, said: 'You can't change your country of birth - it's a part of you, the way you were brought up to think...We will always be Singaporean.'