'American is my nationality, but Singapore is my home': Ang moh on living here since the 1950s

Singapore has come a long way since its independence in 1965.

Many of us have seen the country's gradual evolution in our history books. Well, this 70-something expat has been witness to it since the 1950s – and he still calls Singapore home today.

In a 13-minute interview with YouTuber Max Chernov, posted last Sunday (June 18), Jim Baker shared his experiences and observations about life in the country, having lived here since before its independence. 

Jim is an American citizen who moved to Singapore in 1950 when he was only two years old. 

"My mother came here before World War II. She lived here in the 1930s," Jim shared. 

After completing his university education in America, he said he became a teacher at the Singapore American School in the 1970s. 

In the interview with Max, Jim was candid about his experience on what Singapore was like back in the day. 

Plenty of changes, but food is a constant

Jim had also spent time in Penang and Mersing and mentioned how the former reminded him of Singapore in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Throughout his time here, he has seen Singapore's landscape undergo a lot of changes. 

To illustrate his point, he believed that people who leave Singapore miss the food because "there's nothing else to miss".

"Everything else has been torn down and built up," Jim mentioned. "The only thing left just the same is the food."

You probably won't be able to show your grandkids where you lived while growing up as the place likely doesn't exist anymore, Jim noted.

"But char kway teow still exists," he quipped.

And that's why he thinks food is a big part of Singaporeans' lives. It's one of the constants in Singapore, he observed.

Come to think of it, Singapore has already gone through quite a few changes in just the last five years alone, from the new Thomson-East Coast Line to the demolition of Pearl Bank Apartments. 

So what more in the last 50 years or so, right? 

A different kind of Singlish 

The interviewer Max was curious to know why Jim doesn't speak in a Singaporean accent since he has been here for a very long time. 

To that, Jim responded: "I can if I have to."

He also added that he can speak Malay. "When I was growing up [in] Singapore, the lingua franca was Malay," Jim shared.

Like how we have Singlish today, Jim mentioned that there was a "Singapore form of Malay". 

When people of different races interacted, they would speak a "local Malay kind of dialect".

"What part of you is Singaporean and what part of you is American?" Max asked. 

To put it succinctly, Jim responded: "American is my nationality, but Singapore is my home." 

From expat to Singapore citizen 

Yana Fry is another expat that considers Singapore her home.

She arrived here 15 years ago and not only does she call Singapore home, but Yana is also a citizen now.

The reason why she chose to call this sunny island home is a rather interesting one.

Having lived in Russia, Switzerland and the US, she considers people in Singapore to be the least judgemental.

"I remember for the first five years [in Singapore], I tried to leave every year," Yana said with a chuckle.

But as the years added up, Singapore began feeling more like home, not least due to the warmth of the local people.

Yana noted how Singaporeans were "incredibly kind" to her from the start and that "Singapore is the least judgemental place" she's lived in.

ALSO READ: 'Home is Singapore': Russian woman was born and lived here most of her life, but can't get PR

venkat.gunasellan@asiaone.com

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