Journey to the West?

This is a spirited response to Kitana’s ‘Why I Would Like to Leave,’ by young Aerasio who, despite his youth, already feels strongly grounded in Singapore. It’s not as long an essay as Kitana’s, but I am particularly struck by his youthful idealism and expressed conviction to stick to his beliefs. It is my hope that by publicising it here to a wider audience, his idealism will be preserved and spread.

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Journey to the West?, by Aerasio

I was reading a post on Intelligent Singaporean on the reasons why Singaporeans emigrate to other countries. Basically, what the author said was that emigrating Singaporeans did so because of the tolerance and freedom of other western countries and that these qualities overrode all the good points of Singapore, despite the negative aspects of foreign countries. The inclusiveness and acceptance they found abroad was infinitely preferable to the inanely busy pressure-cooker rat-race that we find in Singapore.

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Why I Would Like to Leave

It’s been a while since the last IS Opinion piece. This piece really struck a chord in me, and I hope it strikes a chord in you as well.

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Why I Would Like to Leave, by Kitana

Before I went to Canada for a year, I had to go for a medical check-up. During that check-up, the doctor told me that I would love Canada. And he had said that most of the people he knew that went to Canada, either never came back; or when they did, they’d returned to Canada shortly after. Few ever stayed in Singapore.

At the time, I wondered why. I don’t anymore.

Three Submissions

“Singapore Documentary: Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Kevin Lim produces a video about Singaporean students and whether they would prefer to stay in the U..S. or return to Singapore. Besides the video, he also summarises reasons for staying and leaving. (Theory is the reason)

“The Branding of the Lion” Coffee Banana, “It appears that the Singapore Government has been bitten by the branding bug. It is not enough that we are Uniquely Singapore, the Garden City and the Hub of Everything. It was reported in the Straits Times (2nd September 2006, Saturday, Article Titled: Wanted a Single Brand for Singapore) that the Government of Singapore has decided Singapore needs One Unified Universal Brand. A brand flexible enough to promote Singapore in the Tourism Arena and gets scientist to work in our Life Sciences labs.” (Cobalt Paladin)

“All That Flux about Population and Immigration” Xtralicious, “Know what? I am so sick and tired of this immigration and citizenship loyalty hooha that the whole world that is Singapore is going on and on about.” (Cobalt Paladin)

Just what does it mean to say that “the gahmen does not listen to me”?

lzydata tries to answer what ‘listening’ is all about …read more

Singapore Angle

More on Emigration

Waterchild and Cobalt Paladin respond to Kway Teow Man’s post on emigration.

Wordthief

“Wiggle. Small freedom, a little shake, a little twist. Why this limit of imagination?” …read more

Xenoboy

Emigration in Perspective

Kway Teow Man gives his point of view on emigration …read more

Singapore Angle