PUBLISHED ONJanuary 09, 2024 9:28 AMByYeo Shu HuiSometimes, all it takes is to go out and look at other people's living experiences to make you cherish what you have.
In local beatboxer Dharni Ng's case, he learnt to truly appreciate Singapore after living overseas for 10 years.
"Living here is like a mini wonderland," the 36-year-old told YouTuber Max Chernov in an interview published yesterday (Jan 8).
Dharni, who won The Grand Beatbox Battle Championship in 2013 and 2014, has opened concerts for Lady Gaga and Kanye West and collaborated with pop idol Jackson Wang.
He explained that he left Singapore in 2011 to expand his career overseas because he felt it was "suffocating" here and was not able to express his artistic capabilities then.
He shared: "Even though it's safe, even though you have everything, there are certain rules that were restricting me as an artist, as a creative performer… I hung out with people who thought with many rules. So when I hung out with them, I also got trapped in that box.
"I didn't step out of the box thinking about something radical, like something crazy that actually I could identify and evolve from."
Dharni added that he feels the artistic scene in Singapore is getting "much better" now with influences from foreign talents coming here to inspire people and creating "projects that are out of the box and on a global scale with locals".
Dharni moved to Warsaw, Poland, because he felt that there were not many Asians there at the time and he would be able to stand out better and make his mark.
In addition, he found the cost of living there to be more economical.
[[nid:665898]]
"The most important thing was also because it was very affordable, because at the time, I needed to pay my rent, to live, to get by there, and travel around to meet other beatboxers, to go to events," he said.
He also shared that when he first moved there, the country and its society were still growing and people's reactions towards him were different as well.
"Every time when I was on the street, although it was cheaper, it was a bit more dangerous too. I needed to know where I was going. Sometimes, I met people who approached me and they asked me for things. If I spoke Polish a bit, they would respect that. If I didn't, they looked at me weirdly.
"It was just that they were unfamiliar with me and my race. So they were always stereotyping, making fun [of me]," he said.
He added that the most common stereotype that he faced was that as an Asian, he should be "in the kitchen, cooking rice".
Although, that is different now, Dharni said, as social media has taught people more about the world beyond theirs.
He also shared that having been to countries like the United States (US) and other parts of Europe, he finds Singapore to be a "super safe" country.
He said: "For the majority of Singaporeans, they don't watch their backs every time they go on the streets. But in the US, it's natural to watch your back all the time, to always be aware of your surroundings. Don't carry branded stuff on certain streets. You need to know what to do and where to go to the right places at the right time.
"Basically in Singapore, you don't have this. It's like you're born without it. You're born without this instinct."
[[nid:665957]]
Dharni added: "Once you move out of Singapore, then you truly appreciate what Singapore is… Singapore is always one of the best because the taxes are low, super safe, the government is logical, everything is clean, the education system, it's so good and the support is good…
"After I moved out and experienced all these crazy things and came back to Singapore, then I truly appreciate it. I don't have to watch my back all the time. I don't have to worry where I'm going, I don't have to worry for my wife when she goes out late. I don't have to worry about many things."
Despite that, Dharni, whose wife is Singapore-based Polish influencer Weronika Heck, 32, said that he treats Warsaw as his second home now and sees many similarities between the city and Singapore in recent years.
He said: "I really like Warsaw city because it's like Singapore, super clean, and now it's super safe. I checked the Safety Index, it's the same as Singapore. And it's cheaper! Super clean, much cheaper, like some of the prices are cheaper than Malaysia."
ALSO READ: 'We are not compatible as partners': Maxi Lim and influencer wife Liz Teo announce split
No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
