HDB cats, McSpicy and safety: We ask overseas Singaporeans what they miss about home

Sometimes, work, school or passion projects take Singaporeans out of the country to a foreign land. 

Whether it's permanent or temporary, absence makes the heart grow fonder and being away from home for a long period of time can be hard for some. 

This National Day, we asked 5 Singaporeans currently living abroad what they miss most about Singapore.

Chicken rice and wonton noodles 

Joey Ong Le Xuan, 21 

It has been half a year since Joey moved to Brisbane, Australia, for university. 

The 21-year-old is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Technology at University of Queensland.

While the arrangement is temporary, she does miss Singapore and has good memories of how she used to spend National Day in school. 

"During National Day celebrations in secondary school, I was able to celebrate the occasion with my classmates," she recounted to AsiaOne. 

"Everyone was wearing red and white and singing the National Day songs so we felt connected." 

Joey added that lessons from Singapore's history made her and her classmates appreciate all the things our ancestors did for Singapore.

"It made me feel proud to be Singaporean," she said.

Other than that, she sorely misses local food, specifically wonton noodle and chicken rice. 

"You can find it in Australia but it's more expensive and not as nice. It doesn't feel as authentic," she said. 

When asked what makes the Singaporean identity, Joey told us that she feels it's the Singlish, food and multi-racial experiences.

Hawker food and Changi Airport 

Ai Yun Taha, 40

Like many Singaporeans who live abroad, one thing Ai Yun misses is the food. 

12 years ago, the 40-year-old moved to London in the UK, where she now stays permanently. 

She had initially gone there to study but eventually chose to put down her roots for work.  

While she's been gone for over a decade, she always feels warm and welcomed whenever she lands in Changi Airport. 

"[I] love the Singapore Airport. It's such a nice feeling to arrive at the airport before spending time with family and friends," she told us. 

To Ai Yun, what makes a Singaporean's identity is how multicultural and multiracial we are. 

"Also, Singlish!" she added. 

Hawker food and 1am suppers 

Lim Yi Xuan, 31 

Yi Xuan moved to Japan in November 2020 for work and has been there for over three years. She may also be moving to another part of Japan next year. 

Apart from Singlish and the Merlion, Yi Xuan feels that another important thing that makes the Singapore identity is its hawker food.

And while Japan is known for having good food as well, she's found that the locals there think highly of hawker food too, which makes her heart swell with pride. 

"[I feel happy] when I introduce Singapore food to the locals and they say, 'Oh my god it's crazy good'," she told us. 

Hawker food is also something Yi Xuan misses sorely and she told us that sometimes, all she longs for is some dim sum or a 1am prata supper. 

Though she is far away from Singapore, she told us that she still celebrates National Day in her own way in Japan — by watching the parade live on YouTube. 

HDB cats, cheap food and tropical fruit 

Tan Kian Yang, 32 

Just four months ago, Kian Yang moved to London for work and has plans to stay there permanently. 

Being far away from home has made her long for her family, friends and pets. 

And like most of the other Singaporeans on this list, she misses how affordable the food is, as well as tropical fruit. 

Apart from that, she also thinks fondly of the stray cats at void decks of HDB blocks. 

"They're always so friendly and such a treat to spot roaming about," she said. 

Safety, nature parks and fast food 

Isaac Sim, 26, Ashley Chiang, 26 

In February last year, Isaac Sim and Ashley Chiang packed their bags for Melbourne, Australia. 

They moved because Isaac's family resides there and they wanted to experience a lifestyle different from what they had in Singapore. 

For the first few months, the married couple stayed with family before they found jobs and settled into their own home. 

Despite the move, they have fond memories of their life in Singapore. 

Isaac shared that his two years in National Service were memorable ones. 

"Having served my National Service is something that I'm glad to have gone through and I even got to be a part of 2021's National Day Parade because of it," he said.

As the couple loves all things nature, at one point of time, they were outdoor educators who taught school children about the beauty of wildlife in Singapore that they "both love and are proud of". 

Isaac even had the opportunity to work for "iconic" Singapore organisations such as Mandai Wildlife Parks. 

While Australia has its own fair share of perks, Isaac shared that he and Ashley miss several things about Singapore, such as the safety, their loved ones and the various nature parks. 

They also sorely miss our fast food scene.

"KFC and McDonald's doesn't hit as hard as the ones in Singapore. We can't find cheese fries or a good McSpicy anywhere else." 

Even though they're far away from their motherland, Isaac and Ashley still make it a point to watch the National Day Parade livestream every year on YouTube. 

ALSO READ: 23-year-old Singaporean shares difficulties of living abroad in China alone

melissateo@asiaone.com