What makes a Singaporean?

As National Day just past, I have friends asking me what i did on National Day to claim to be patriotic. I just smiled and said " i blogged about it." Surfstop at MrBrown today and he mentioned about Enuwy, a blogger who went to apply for Singapore Citizenship. She what? Yes the chick went to apply for citizenship in our lil' city-state.

A lil' backgrd : she lives in district 11 all her life, did her schooling till the 3 yrs in uni. basically eat, breathe & live the Singaporean ways. So what's not Singaporean about her?

I dare say she's more Singaporean in many ways than i am. I only did schooling till O levels in Singapore. Thereafter i left for US to complete my college. I worship my Rodeo Drive or Michigan Avenue or 5th Avenue as much as i worship my Orchard Road. I may not know US' national anthem Star Spangled Banner, but i can memorize the Singapore Majulah Singapura. I adore US steak & Cheesecake Factory as much as my laksa, char kway teow, & fishball noodles at Newton Circus or Bedok 85 market. I miss US when i am in Singapore. I miss Singapore when i am in US. I consider my home in SoCal & Tennessee home, & i consider my heartlander 5-room flat in Singapore home. I love left hand drive Volkswagen cabrio & my Honda Pilot, as much as i love my right hand drive 1.6l civic. I love Indy speedway, as much as i love tracking my car while driving 3 hours up north to Sepang International Circuit in KL, Malaysia. I love Jeff Gordon, as much as i love Kallang Carpark Rally. I have my California Driver's License, and i hold a Class 3 Driver's License in Singapore. During college days, i am part of Singapore Student Association, and i also declares myself as partly American. I have somewhat of a Californian-Asian accent, but i speak with my pseudo lao Hokkien Singlish with great pride.

This past weekend, when Mr. E and i were out with some friends, in the midst of a conversation, a "friend" looked at me and asked "which part of you is American..." while giving me a once over. I felt disgusted by your action, and I have one thing to say : looks doesn't define nationality, neither does race, or language or religion. It's based on where you declare your home, and what your IC or PR says. And where your heart is. So ... bite my dust, dude. While you can only glance through car books that you brought back from your lil' trip, i may have the luxury to purchase one of those american muscle cars. A 30K USD car may be our 160K Singapore Dollars car. Well, you can always choose to move, with the ability & resources you can pull. I am sure...

I am a Singaporean and American at heart. I have families & friends both in Singapore & US. Where would i setup my home with my other half in the future, you ask? Only the future can tell. As for now, i shall soak in the 90 degrees fahrenheit weather 24/7 365 days a year, while sipping the warm soup of my fishball noodles... while holding onto a can of Bud Lite, zippin around in my lil' blue civic while decked out in my Abercrombies. Somewhat Singaporean, somewhat American.