Why i chose to move out of Singapore

When N gave me this topic I knew this wasn't going to be a short post. We all have various reasons for wanting to move overseas but one thing is clear: leaving is almost always harder than staying put. "Quitting" (unflattering proverbial description of a Singapore emigrant) is not as easy as it seems. The reasons that drive a person to uproot himself, leave behind his family, friends and venture into relatively unknown territory are likely to be multifold and complex. I've yet to meet a Singaporean or Malaysian who thought it easy to migrate and find new cheese. Some may have it easier, but most would be completely out of their comfort zone. Before I tell my story, let me dispel 2 of the most popular myths:

Myth 1: People migrate because they can't make it in Singapore

Dead wrong. I'm not blowing my own horn but I am not shy to let you know I earn enough in Singapore to qualify in the top 10% of my age category. And I have heard of many migrants (and also met one) who are extremely high achievers in their home countries. For many of us, we literally paid to move to Australia and will continue to pay for it (through higher taxes and the effect this has on our careers).

Myth 2: The grass is always greener on the other side (i.e. we don't actually appreciate how good Singapore is)

Probably. But a recent census by the government showed the number of Singaporeans living overseas ticking upwards between 2004 and 2015. The numbers are somewhere around 155,000 and 220,000, respectively. These numbers are likely to be net figures, which means the outflow will be netted against returning Singaporeans. The uptick could be due to greater opportunities available to Singaporeans globally but these numbers do tell us more Singaporeans are preferring to stay overseas. Personally, I've noticed that the people singing the praises of Singapore are generally the younger folks, between the age of 13 to 28, who are just starting out in the workforce with low to no responsibilities, no babies on the way (yet) and good / rich families. They are in the time of their lives. The critics would be quick to point out this is just anecdotal evidence. But I won't waste my time. Numbers can tell different stories depending on how you manipulate them and most pappies are number-whores who choose to blind themselves to the reality that surrounds them on a daily basis. And I will share with you why I chose to leave Singapore, came back, and am now moving again.

Why I chose to leave Singapore

I am leaving in search of better opportunities overseas, of course! (DUH) Let's not be hypocritical. We are all humans and instinctively search for ways to get ahead in life, although that means different things to different people. It also didn't help that I was flagrantly exploited by my previous firm , worked 9.30-11.30 pm (14 hours) a day for 4 consecutive months, NEARLY EVERY DAY, juggled ten different simultaneous engagements, and subsequently had my contributions openly credited to another person. I found myself at the end of the performance review period completely exhausted. I am, to this day, still recovering from that mental burnout I suffered 3 years ago. If that sounded like you and you're still in your job, then you're not being resilient by staying on. You're being stupid.

A lot of sinkies' dreams are to get a condo, drive a satki car, own a portfolio of stocks and be able to post facebook photos of themselves enjoying their lives on a vacation trip with Gucci bags. Yeah I know, not all sinkies are like that. But let's not pretend all you wanted in life is a HDB flat with 3 happy (really?) kids and half a standing spot on the 8 am morning train. (But then again, given HDB flats have frequently breached the million dollar mark, you might really just want a HDB flat.)

I would go out on a limb to say most people would prefer if they:
- didn't have to share their already limited space with the 2.5 million foreigners who are omnipresent
- didn't have to queue for every single restaurant or café on a Friday night
- didn't have to send their kids to multiple mind-numbing enrichment courses just to stay afloat in the education system,
- etc.

If you are one who truly enjoys all of that then I sincerely apologise. But you obviously need help (the mental kind). Many are happy/willing to tolerate it for legitimate reasons, such as ageing parents and whiny spouses. There are also others who are not as affected (esp. if you stay in the high end neighbourhoods like Bukit Timah which are unsurprisingly still very liveable and spacious) and would of course not find it compelling to move. For those who find ourselves wanting, some choose to migrate (like us), some think about it, and some can't (or are too afraid to) and criticise those who did or are brave enough to try.

I tried once and failed. No joke, migration is hard work. Eyebrows were raised when I came back after just 4 months. Most had the impression I came back because I've (finally) reached the inevitable conclusion that Singapore is the only paradise on earth. I've shed quite a few "friends" in the process - the ones who no longer bothered to keep in touch once they knew you're moving overseas.  My closest friends knew I came back so I could make enough money to attempt another move. 2 years and another abusive boss later, I'm ready to make another attempt.

I'm very caught up nowadays with packing my stuff and serving my extended notice period (forced to extend because they couldn't find my replacement) so I shall end the post.

Will blog more about my motivations in future if N requests me to do so.