This blog is my 100th blog which is dedicated to Singapore where I have been living for more than twenty years. I will narrate in the view of a resident but not a tourist.

In 2005, I arrived in Singapore as a secondary school student carrying little more than curiosity, uncertainty, and expectations for a new life. At that time, I never imagined that this small island would eventually become my second hometown. Over these two decades, Singapore has become more than a place where I studied and worked, it has become the backdrop of my youth and adulthood. Here, I learned to adapt to unfamiliar cultures, make friendships across different backgrounds, and find my own place in a fast-moving society. There were moments of excitement and achievement, but also periods of loneliness, pressure, self-doubt, and quiet persistence that few people could see.

Life in Singapore has never felt one-dimensional to me. It tasted sweet in moments of growth and belonging; sour when plans did not go as expected; spicy in the intensity and competition that pushed me forward; and bitter in missed opportunities, and the distance from what once felt like home. Yet looking back, every stage became part of the person I am today.

For many people arriving in Singapore, the first memory begins at the airport. Mine did too. The moment I stepped out of Changi Airport, I still remember the sensation vividly. Before I had time to notice the surroundings, I felt the warm, humid air wrapping around me instantly. It was so different from where I had come from. There was no dramatic welcome, no grand moment, just that quiet realization that I had entered a completely different climate, a different rhythm of life, and perhaps the beginning of a different version of myself.

Changi Jewel was the landmark which was built years after I arrived in Singapore. What impressed me most was the vast glass dome filled with natural light and tropical greenery. At its center, water falls continuously from above. At night, streams of coloured light begin to move across the falling water while music fills the vast glass dome. The waterfall becomes a shifting curtain of light, changing from deep blue to warm gold, from soft waves to bursts of color and motion. Every time when I passed through and hear the sound of falling water beneath the glass roof, I am reminded of that first arrival many years ago.

The first place I called home in Singapore was the Hwa Chong boarding school. Looking back now, it feels strange to realize that my understanding of Singapore did not begin in the city center, among skyscrapers, but in a school campus. In the mornings, birds would begin singing before the day fully started. Throughout the day, insects buzzed among the trees, creating a constant background soundtrack that made the environment feel alive.

Coming from a different place, I was surprised that a highly developed city could still feel so green and so connected to nature. The sky seemed so blue, brighter than I expected. Everywhere was greenery. Trees lining the roads, lawns stretching between buildings, and tropical plants appeared dense and full of life. Angsana trees grow so tall and elegant with dense foliage and are planted extensively along the Bukit Timah Road.

Although so many years passed, the memory of the campus still lingered in my memory. The campus was spacious, with broad roads, old buildings, soccer fields, and mature trees. The iconic clock tower standing above the grounds gave the place a certain solemnity. The school traces its origins to The Chinese High School, founded in 1919 by Tan Kah Kee, one of the most influential overseas Chinese philanthropists and educators. Years later, when I visited Jimei School Village in Xiamen, I experienced an unexpected sense of familiarity. Both were created through Tan Kah Kee’s educational vision and developed into a complete educational community.

Life at the boarding school was also my first lesson in independence. Everything suddenly became my own responsibility: waking up on time, managing schoolwork, adjusting to new food, making friends, and learning how to live away from family. Not far from the boarding school was a place that quietly became part of my first memories of Singapore: the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Whenever I visited it on weekends, I was struck by how natural everything felt. Tall rain trees stretched their branches across wide lawns, tropical plants grew in layers of green, and shaded paths curved gently instead of following rigid lines. The air always seemed cooler, softened by the dense vegetation. After a sudden tropical rain, the scent of wet soil would linger in the air. Many families would come here for a picnic on the lawns.

It has extraordinary historical significance. Founded in 1859, it became Singapore’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. The gardens played an important role in the cultivation and distribution of rubber across Southeast Asia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, shaping the economic development of the region. UNESCO also recognized it as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a British tropical colonial botanic garden whose original landscape have remained remarkably intact over time.

Unlike the wider Botanic Gardens, where greenery stretches quietly and naturally across the landscape, the Orchid Garden feels more curated. Walking through its entrance, I felt being greeted by layers of color. Against the tropical backdrop of palms, old trees, and filtered sunlight, the garden was like a living gallery.

Before visiting it, I thought that orchids were elegant but simple flowers. Inside, I discovered how different they could be, tiny and delicate, large and sculptural, pure white, vivid purple, spotted and striped. The garden was designed with different sections with different color and landscape.

Orchids are more than ornamental flowers. They became part of the country’s identity, national flower of Singapore. The beautiful Vanda orchid is very commonly displayed in the garden. It has thick strap-like leaves growing along an upright stem and large flat flowers with the characteristic purple or pink tessellated pattern. They looked really elegant with long and wide petals and soft colors.

I spent two years in Xinmin Secondary School （my first school in Singapore） preparing for the O Level examinations, but looking back, the examinations themselves were only part of the challenge. The greater test was learning how to begin in a completely unfamiliar environment. The school system was different, and I must improve my English to adapt to it. The teaching methods were different, and I suddenly found myself surrounded by classmates who had grown up in a culture that was still new to me. Every day brought something unfamiliar, from the way lessons were conducted to the conversations happening around me. I gradually learnt to adapt to this international and multicultural environment.

The first thing that Singapore left me deep impression was the co-existence of different cultures. Although Singapore is a small island, it is home to people of many different ethnicities and religions. Chinese, Malays, Indians, and Eurasians have lived together for generations, each contributing to the country’s identity while preserving their own traditions. Christian churches form an important part of Singapore’s architectural landscape. Historic buildings such as St Andrew’s Cathedral, with its elegant white Gothic Revival architecture, stand as reminders of Singapore’s past.

In Kampong Glam, the golden dome of Sultan Mosque rises above rows of restored shophouses. The district reflects Singapore’s rich Malay and Arab heritage, where traditional architectures and historic streets coexist with contemporary art and design.

I passed by many traditional shophouses with colorful wooden shutters and decorative windows near Chinatown. Some of these historic streets, especially along Telok Ayer and Amoy Street reminded me of the old streets of Quanzhou. Their rows of narrow shophouses, timber window shutters, and pastel-coloured façades share a similar architectural heritage, reflecting the influence of Southern Chinese migrants who settled throughout Southeast Asia in the nineteenth century.

A short distance away lies Little India, where brightly painted buildings, colorful murals, and the magnificent Indian Temple create an atmosphere entirely different from Chinatown. Singapore places great importance on racial harmony and mutual respect. The architectures of different styles and neighborhoods quietly demonstrate how different cultures can preserve their own identities while contributing to a shared national community.

Although adapting to school demanded most of my time and energy, I also wanted to discover the country that had suddenly become my new home. Whenever I had a free weekend or during school holidays, I would visit different parts of Singapore. Everything was new to me. I remember taking my first trip to Sentosa, where the beaches, cable cars, and relaxed atmosphere made it feel like a tropical resort.

Most of the time, I did not take the monorail to Sentosa. Instead, I preferred to walk from HarbourFront along the Sentosa Boardwalk. Although it took a little longer, the journey itself became part of the experience. The promenade stretches gently over the water, connecting the mainland to the island. Walking there, I was accompanied by the sea breeze, the sound of waves lapping against the shore, and the warm tropical sunshine. On one side lay the calm blue waters of Keppel Harbour, where yachts rested quietly in the marina. On the other side, Sentosa’s beaches and lush greenery gradually came into view, making the island feel closer with every step. Above me, the cable car glided silently across the sky. Its colorful cabins looked almost like small floating lanterns moving steadily between HarbourFront and Sentosa.

Sentosa feels like a place designed for leisure and escape. Surrounded by the sea, the island offers sandy beaches, tropical forests, waterfront promenades, and attractions that invite people to slow down and enjoy the outdoors. Over the years, I encountered several joint events of collaboration held on the island. This picture was taken on 2022 when Genshin Impact gained great reputation internationally and its main character and also my favorite character Paimon arrived at Sentosa.

These days, Disney brought its beloved characters and stories to the waterfront through family-friendly events. Familiar beaches that I had walked along countless times suddenly took on an entirely different atmosphere. What impressed me was how naturally these events blended with the tropical surroundings. Instead of feeling like temporary exhibitions placed on a beach, the colorful installations stood among coconut trees, against the backdrop of blue skies and the sea.

When I first arrived in Singapore, Sentosa was already a popular destination, but over the years I witnessed its remarkable transformation. New attractions, hotels, and entertainment facilities continued to emerge. One of the most significant additions was Resorts World Sentosa, an integrated resort that transformed the northern part of the island. At its heart stands Universal Studios Singapore, the first Universal Studios theme park in Southeast Asia. Walking beneath the iconic rotating globe at its entrance always feels like stepping into another world.

For me, I prefer beach more than those entertainment facilities. I enjoy the moment of stepping onto the soft sand of Palawan Beach. The white sandy shore curves gently around clear blue water, making it an ideal place for a leisure walk. The iconic suspension bridge leading to the small offshore islet has become one of Sentosa’s most recognizable landmarks. Standing there, surrounded by the sea and looking towards the horizon, I often felt far away from the bustling city.

After crossing the suspension bridge. I was fascinated by the sign marking it as the “Southernmost Point of Continental Asia.” Standing there, surrounded by the sea on all sides, I felt as though I had reached the edge of a vast continent.

The observation towers offered panoramic views of the Malacca Strait. Every day, thousands of vessels pass through this narrow gateway linking the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Standing on the southern shore of the island, my eyes were always drawn towards the vast expanse of water stretching into the distance. On clear days, the sea and the sky seemed to merge into a single line at the horizon. Looking back toward the island, palm trees, beaches, and the skyline of Singapore appeared in the distance.

What I loved most was staying here until sunset. As evening approached, the tropical heat gradually softened, and the sea breeze became cooler. The sky transformed from brilliant blue to shades of gold, orange, pink, and finally deep purple. The sunlight shimmered across the calm water, creating a path of light that seemed to stretch endlessly toward the horizon. The silhouettes of coconut trees stood against the glowing sky, while small waves rolled gently onto the shore with a soothing rhythm. I walked barefoot along the beach, leaving footprints that disappeared with the next wave. I listened to the sound of the waves and felt the warm sea breeze. After days filled with studying and adapting to a new life, those evenings by the sea brought a rare sense of peace.

Compared with Palawan Beach, the Siloso Beach is livelier and more energetic, with beach volleyball courts, cafés, and people enjoying water sports or simply gathering with friends. Music drifts through the air, and the promenade is always full of joggers, cyclists, and families strolling beneath rows of palm trees. The background is the Shangri-la Sentosa hotel which is popular place for tourists.

Unlike most luxury hotels in the city centre, which overlook skyscrapers and busy streets, this hotel faces the sea. Tucked away at the western end of Siloso Beach and surrounded by tropical greenery, it feels like a quiet sanctuary where the pace of life slows down. What I loved most was the view from the room’s balcony. Looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the first thing that caught my attention was the endless blue sea stretching towards the horizon. Sunlight danced across the water, creating countless sparkling reflections that changed with every passing cloud. Rows of coconut palms swayed gracefully in the warm tropical breeze.

In my school weekends, I would visit the famous sites in the city center. For me, the city centre of Singapore is more than a collection of famous landmarks. It is a place where the country’s history, which I first learned in social studies lessons, comes alive. As a student, I memorized dates and events for examinations. Years later, walking through these same places, I realized that the lessons were no longer just words in a textbook. They had become part of the landscape around me.

Whenever my friends or relatives visited Singapore, I would often take them on the same route. I usually began at Merlion Park. Standing beside the Merlion, with water continuously flowing from its mouth into Marina Bay. The lion represents the legendary discovery of Singapura, while the fish body reflects the country’s humble origins as a fishing village known as Temasek. Behind the statue rose the gleaming skyline of the financial district, creating a striking contrast between Singapore’s distant past and its modern identity.

From there, the view naturally led towards Raffles Place, the heart of Singapore’s financial centre. Glass skyscrapers now dominate the skyline, housing banks, multinational corporations, and global financial institutions. Yet beneath this modern landscape lies the foundation laid by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819, when Singapore was established as a British trading port.

In my social studies and history classes, I learnt that Sir Stamford Raffles introduced the first town plan for Singapore, later known as the Jackson Plan. It organized the young settlement into districts for different communities. In 19th century, Singapore was a sparsely populated island at the Strait of Malacca, but Raffles recognized its extraordinary geographical advantage. His policy of free trade attracted traders from China, the Malay Archipelago, and the Middle East, laying the foundation for the multicultural society that defines Singapore today.

Walking through the Civic District today feels like stepping into that chapter of history. Along the Singapore River stand elegant white colonial buildings whose architecture contrasts sharply with the surrounding glass skyscrapers. Their tall columns, wide verandas, symmetrical façades, and high ceilings were designed not only to reflect British architectural traditions but also to adapt to Singapore’s tropical climate by encouraging natural ventilation.

Among the most impressive is the former Parliament House, one of Singapore’s oldest surviving government buildings. It has a beautiful neoclassical facade. These buildings witnessed some of the country’s most important moments, from the Japanese surrender at the end of the Second World War to the political developments that eventually led to Singapore’s independence.

Further along the river is the former Fullerton Building. Once the General Post Office and an important administrative centre during the colonial era, it now serves as the luxurious Fullerton Hotel. Its transformation reflects Singapore’s approach to development: preserving historical architecture while giving old buildings new life.

Not far away, Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall continue to host performances more than a century after they were built in 1905 as the Victoria Memorial Hall, which was erected to commemorate the death of Queen Victoria. The name “Victoria” appears throughout Singapore because of its history as a British colony. The clock tower remains one of the familiar landmarks along the river, quietly linking the colonial past with the cultural life of present-day Singapore.

What fascinates me most is the contrast. Within a few minutes’ walk, I can move from nineteenth-century colonial buildings to some of the most futuristic skyscrapers in Asia. When I stand in front of the lawn in City Hall, I had a panoramic view of the city. On one side stand the grand colonial buildings: the Old Supreme Court and the former Parliament House which are reminders of the British era. On the other side rises a completely different Singapore: a skyline of glass, steel, and ambitious architecture built after the nation became independent in 1965.

When I was teenager, Marina Bay was far less developed. Some of today’s most famous landmarks did not yet exist. Over the years, I watched new buildings rise, new parks appear, and the waterfront gradually become recognizable cityscapes in the world. One of the most striking symbols of this transformation is the Marina Bay Sands built around 2010. Rising above the skyline of Marina Bay, it is one of Singapore’s most recognizable architectural masterpieces. Three elegant glass towers stand side by side, appearing like giant pillars reaching toward the sky. Resting across their summits is a remarkable structure that resembles a sleek ship floating high above the city. Every tourist will take a photo together with this building to memorize their trips of Singapore.

Standing along Marina Bay, the view is especially striking at night. Its illumination shimmer against the skyline, while music often drifts from the outdoor stages. From the seaside promenade, visitors can enjoy sweeping views of the bay, the illuminated city’s skyscrapers, and the sparkling surrounding landmarks.

The Esplanade （Theatres on the Bay） has the nick name “Durian” due to its shape. The building is so recognizable because of its two distinctive domes covered with more than 7,000 triangular aluminum sunshades. Opened in 2002 along the Marina Bay waterfront, it makes the arts accessible to everyone. Throughout these years, it hosts hundreds of free performances ranging from local bands and traditional music to dance and school performance.

The Singapore Flyer which looks like the London Eyes is another quite recognizable landmarks and one of the world’s tallest observation wheels, standing 165 meters high. Completed in 2008, the Singapore Flyer was designed to symbolize the nation’s ambition and confidence as a modern global city. From a distance, its elegant circular form has become an iconic feature of the Marina Bay skyline.

On the opposite side of Marina Bay stands the Garden by the Bay. The giant Supertrees, futuristic conservatories, and waterfront gardens show a vision of Singapore that goes beyond simple urban development. Instead of choosing between a modern city and nature, Singapore tried to combine both. This was one of the things that impressed me most over the years. Even as new skyscrapers appeared in the city center, greenery remained an essential part of the city.

Whenever I walk through the gardens today, I think about how much Singapore has changed since my first arrival. Every time I raised my head, and I would watch new landmarks rise, new buildings emerge, and the skyline continually evolve. Gardens by the Bay is perhaps the clearest symbol of that transformation.

The most iconic feature in this garden is undoubtedly the Supertree Grove. Rising between 25 and 50 meters above the ground, these towering steel structures resemble giant trees from a science-fiction world. Covered with thousands of orchids, ferns, bromeliads, and other tropical plants, they are not merely sculptures but living vertical gardens.

The extraordinary diversity of plants fascinated me as well. I had never imagined that a single garden could bring together vegetation from so many different climates and continents. I felt like walking through a living museum of the world’s most unusual plants like Madagascar Palm, Baobab Trees, Nepenthes…

The outdoor gardens and lakes are home to elegant Amazon water lilies, one of my favorite sights. They are the most eye-catching aquatic plants. Their broad, circular leaves float effortlessly on the still water, while delicate flowers bloom in shades of white and pink. On calm mornings, the flowers are perfectly reflected on the water’s surface, creating a scene that feels almost like a landscape painting of Claude Monet.

I enjoy walking along the seaside of Marina Bay. The skyline changed continuously during the years that I was growing up here. As a secondary school student, I learned Singapore’s history from textbooks. As an adult, I saw those chapters reflected in the city itself, from the colonial buildings around City Hall to the futuristic towers of Marina Bay. That is why these areas remains one of my favorite places. Within a single walk, I can move through more than two centuries of history and, at the same time, see a glimpse of the future that the city is still trying to build.

After O level exam, I entered the Victoria Junior College in 2008. For many students in Singapore, junior college is one of the next stages of education similar to pre-university school. The two years preparing for the A Levels often feel intense, because the results influence which university and path may open afterward. Looking back, my time at Victoria Junior College was one of the most demanding periods of my student life, but also one of the most memorable.

The campus was just five minutes’ walk distance from the East Coast, and that proximity changed the rhythm of life. Unlike the dense urban image many people have of Singapore, my memories of those school days are filled with open skies and the blue sea which is always my favorite landscape.

Life there required discipline and persistence. Weekdays were filled with lectures, tutorials, assignments. On some afternoons, after classes ended, I could see the blue water stretching into the distance. I would walk along the East Coast promenade beneath rows of coconut trees. The sea breeze softened the heat of the day, and for a while the pressure of studying seemed to drift away with the sound of the waves.

Weekends felt like small rewards after a week of studying. Sometimes I went with friends to the East Coast food village. We would sit together eating freshly fried chicken wings and drinking cold coconut juice while talking about school, exams and future plans. Other times, we rented bicycles and rode along the coastline.

At the time, those moments felt ordinary. We rarely thought they would become memories worth keeping. But now, even years after graduation, when I think back to that period, what returns first is not exam scores. I remember the sea reflecting the evening light, the rows of coconut trees, the laughter of friends over simple food, and the feeling of freedom hidden inside a busy student life.

After the end of A-Level examinations in Dec 2009, life suddenly slowed down. There was 7 months gap before university started. Like many students, I took the opportunity to experience working life. I found a part-time job as a waiter in a hotel at the Clarke Quay, serving guests from all over the world. It was my first taste of earning my own salary and learning what it meant to be responsible in a professional environment. Standing for long hours, carrying trays, and serving customers was tiring, but it taught me lessons that could never be learned in a classroom.

Looking back, those months formed a bridge between school and adulthood. In July 2020, I started my university life in Nanyang Technological University. Among all the places I studied in Singapore, it remains the most beautiful in my eyes. At the Yunnan garden stands the iconic memorial gate, one of the symbols linking the university to its origins. It traces back to Nanyang University, founded in 1955 through the vision and support of the Chinese community in Southeast Asia. The gate quietly connects the modern university with its historical roots.

Yunnan Garden carries a different atmosphere from the rest of the university. Designed in the style of a traditional Chinese landscape garden, it combines water, stone, bridges, trees, and carefully arranged spaces to create a sense of calm and balance. Walking there in the evening felt like stepping into another world. There were flowering plants throughout the seasons, quiet ponds reflecting the sky, shaded paths, and corners where students sat to read or simply enjoy the silence.

Unlike the dense urban landscape that many people associate with Singapore, the campus felt open and almost retreat-like. It was built on rolling land and surrounded by greenery. There were red-roofed residential halls scattered across the hills, small lakes reflecting the changing sky, tropical forests preserved between buildings, and gardens woven naturally into daily student life. In the mornings, the air often felt fresher than in the city, and after rain the scent of wet grass and trees lingered on the pathways.

Today, many people associate NTU with The Hive which is the famous learning hub with its distinctive rounded towers that resembles beehives. It has surname ‘Xiaolongbao’ because it really looks like bamboo steamers of xiaolongbao stacked together. It has become one of the university’s most recognizable landmarks and appears in countless photographs. Yet it was completed after I had already graduated, so my memories belong to an earlier NTU. When I return and see The Hive standing there now, it feels like seeing a younger generation’s version of the university.

For me, I spent 8 years studying in Singapore. Finishing secondary school led to junior college, finishing A Levels led to university. But graduation in NTU marked something more final, it marked the transition from adolescence into adulthood. It was the end of nearly a decade of studies and the beginning of working life. Standing at the graduation ceremony in graduation robes, I realized that Singapore had quietly become more than a place where I came to study. It had become the place where I grew up.

Graduating from Nanyang Technological University marked the end of my years as a student, but it also marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life. For the first time, I entered the workforce and began building a career in Singapore. The island that had once been a place of study gradually became the place where I lived, worked, and planned my future. As the years passed, I became a Singapore Permanent Resident, and later, a Singapore citizen. For so many years, what impresses me most is its environment. Singapore is often described as a “City in a Garden”. One of the most remarkable aspects of Singapore is the way nature coexists with urban life. In the Central Business District, towering skyscrapers of glass and steel rise above streets lined with rain trees and tropical palms. Vertical gardens climb the façades of office buildings, rooftop parks create green spaces high above the city.

As a resident, I became interested in a different side of the country. Instead of rushing to the most popular tourist destinations, I found myself enjoying places where Singaporeans spend their everyday lives. I walked through the quiet trails of Fort Canning Park, where history is hidden beneath lush greenery and ancient trees. Standing on a hill in the heart of the city, the park offers a peaceful escape from the surrounding skyscrapers. It is hard to imagine that just beyond the trees lie Orchard Road, Clarke Quay, and the busy Central Business District.

Walking through the park, I often felt as though I was travelling through different periods of Singapore’s history. Long before the arrival of the British, this hill was believed to be the seat of the Malay kings of ancient Singapura. This Pancur Larangan garden on the way to the hilltop means “Forbidden Spring” in Malay. According to historical accounts and local legend, this was once a sacred spring reserved exclusively for the royal family of the ancient Kingdom of Singapura. Ordinary people were forbidden from using its waters, giving rise to the name that has survived for centuries.

In the nineteenth century, Sir Stamford Raffles chose the hill as the site of his residence because of its commanding view over the Singapore River and the harbour. Later, the hill became an important military stronghold, and during the Second World War it served as the headquarters of the British Malaya Command. It was here that British commanders made the difficult decision to surrender Singapore to the Japanese in 1942.

Now the park has wide lawns stretching beneath towering rain trees, and shaded pathways wind through tropical gardens, and colorful flowering plants brighten every corner. Ancient trees stand beside archaeological sites, while historic gates, stone walls, and colonial relics quietly blend into the landscape.

The famous spiral staircase at the exit of the park descends through a circular opening surrounded by enormous rain trees. Looking upward from the bottom, the layers of branches and leaves frame the sky like a natural cathedral. It has become one of Singapore’s most photographed locations.

Singapore feels so different from many other global cities. Despite its high population density, the city rarely feels dominated by concrete. Instead, tropical trees, flowering shrubs, lakes, and parks create a sense of openness and calm. In many cities, disused railway lines are demolished and quickly replaced by new buildings. In Singapore, the former railway was preserved and transformed into a continuous ecological corridor that connects parks, forests, and nature reserves across the island. It is a perfect place for residents to have a jogging in the weekend.

One of the things I have to appreciate most is how well its natural environment is protected. Even near my home, I often encounter animals that remind me how closely the city and nature coexist. During my walks through nearby parks and nature reserves, it is common to see squirrels darting effortlessly between tree branches, pausing for a moment before disappearing into the canopy. Large lizards move slowly along the edges of lakes and streams. Elegant swans and other water birds glide across the reservoirs, their reflections mirrored on the still water.

Singapore was the first foreign country I ever visited, and it became the gateway that opened my eyes to the wider world. Looking back over the past twenty years, my relationship with Singapore has evolved alongside my own life. It is the place that gave me the confidence to begin every journey that followed and also becomes my second hometown. Each time I walked through those arrival halls of Changi Airport with words ‘Welcome home’ and felt the familiar humid air again, there was always a quiet thought in my mind: I’m back home.