shareswizard of 10years and still going strong

»Ruminations of an Overseas Singaporean

This is my tenth, or eleventh year away from Singapore and I am not quite sure if I can articulate how I feel about my home country. After all, every national day over the past decade was spent away from Singapore, and this year is no exception.

Looking back, I can hardly remember what I did over the past ten national days. There was one year where I sang Count On Me Singapore in the bathtub on the morning of August 9th. That was in Beijing, probably in 1999 or 2000. There was another year where I tried visiting the Singapore Embassy, only to realize that it was national day and the Embassy was closed for the day. Jeez. That was in 2005 where I was studying in Seoul. I actually forgot it was national day when I left home that day.

But national days over the past decade were mainly about attending the occasional national day gatherings/receptions, mostly in Beijing, and twice in Washington DC, where I was pursuing my masters in international affairs.

Living in four different cities over the past decade has enabled me to see Singapore through the eyes of the many – often interesting, intelligent and discerning - people I have met, though admittedly many harbor fairly stereotypical views of the island.

Mainland Chinese I have met often praise Singapore for its efficiency, good governance, lack of corruption and cleanliness. But they would also lament about how small, hot and humid the country is.

South Koreans generally have a high regard for Singapore. They give top marks to the island for its efficiency and good economic performance. As Koreans took pains to remind me, Singapore companies own some of the most prestigious addresses in downtown Seoul, such as Seoul Finance Center in downtown Gwanghwa-mun. And oh yes, they love Yakun kaya toast!

Hongkongers, on the other hand, generally view Singapore as the territory’s competitor. Many Hongkongers describe Singapore as sterile, uninteresting and too restrictive on personal freedoms, unlike their (still fairly) laissez-faire territory. The only redeeming quality about the island, in the minds of these food-conscious Hongkongers, is Hainanese chicken rice and a whole array of other delectable hawker fare.

As for Americans, well, at least ordinary Americans, I am usually the only Singaporean they have ever met in their lives. In 9 cases out of 10, when I say I am from Singapore, the name Michael Fay would inevitably be brought up. Never mind that it has been almost 14 years since the American teenager was caned in Singapore for vandalism. Then of course there were questions ranging from whether “is it true that you cannot chew gum in Singapore”, to “is it true that you can get jailed if you do not flush the toilet after use?”

My American classmates would usually try to engage me in discussions about why political liberalizations in Singapore had not kept pace with economic development. As for my professors, I would invariably be asked during class discussions to “speak from a Singaporean viewpoint” on issues ranging from regional security, the island’s zeal in embracing FTAs (Free Trade Areas), to the influence and legacy of Confucianism in Singapore (huh?).

So, much as I wished to (occasionally) underplay my nationality, it is about as easy as erasing a permanent 10-cm mole on one’s face.

But if there is anything that had been driven home to me after being away from Singapore for over a decade, it is the sense that Singapore is small and will always be constrained by its size and geographical limitations. The best that the island state can hope to do is play a role that is incommensurate with its size, and remaining useful and relevant both regionally and globally – both of which the country had done with aplomb. Of course, such an awareness of Singapore’s limitations should not be viewed in a pessimistic way, but pragmatically. The awareness stems from the amazement that an artificial creation like Singapore had come this far, coupled with the worry and anxiety of the long-term viability of this artificially created entity whose idea of a shared historical and cultural heritage is to draw from the heritages of our Asian neighbors in Malaysia/Indonesia, India and China.

A country that begins with a clean slate and little historical baggage (except with its closest northern neighbor) is a great recipe for nation building. But will it be an equally good recipe for nation-bonding, and nation-togetherness in the midst of turbulence and turmoil? Will all the singing of Count On Me Singapore tide us through a crisis, given that countries with longer and more deeply-entrenched historical and cultural traditions had crumbled in the face of crisis, wars and devastation?

I do not know, and honest to goodness, do not wish to see any of the above scenarios materialize. All I hope for, at least during this national day, is an authentic bowl of laksa, a plate of truly spicy and sour-rish rojak and a steaming-with-fragrance plate of Hainanese chicken rice.He’s looking to open either in Hong Kong or Singapore. This is interesting because he prefers Hong Kong to Singapore mainly because the Hong Kongers are more appreciative and show more respect whereas while Singaporeans love their food, they tend to haggle over small things like corkage.



FROM http://food.recentrunes.com/?p=1458.

Hong Kongers, according to him, are more willing to spend on food. He fears that Singaporeans are unwilling to experience, for example, the cost of his upcoming menu of new dishes where (possibly) a single course of Abalone that costs (not priced) S$300 and takes several days to prepare.

While this blog has strong views about corkage, having spent some time with Hong Kongers (they party really hard), I must agree with Chef Chan’s observations.

That’s ok because the Egg Tarts with Ginger sauce arrived. This is the other famous must-try item that everyone whose had this since Hai Tian Lo has been telling this blog.




Indeed, this blog was blown away with the exquisitely balanced taste of the creamy egg tart with just the hint of ginger. However, this got mixed reviews because some preferred a stronger treatment of ginger. This blog feels that a small shift in either way would have ruined the whole delicate ensemble. This was a good way to finish off the meal.




Chef Chan is a soft-spoken but friendly person with very strong views on how Chinese cuisine should be approached (Without fear but taking care in the details). The food issued from the kitchen was consistent with all feedback and reports from friends who have visited. The service was very good with a ratio of 1 staff to 4 diners with the Restaurant Manager hovering in the background constantly tweaking the service.

I would like to think that the food quality, in terms of execution, suffered a little because of the fact that it was closing soon. This blog can’t help but think what the new menu would be like with the personal touch of the Master.