From a newspaper article, it was estimated that approximately 1000 Singaporeans leave the island each year for greener pastures.

I didn't think the percentage [1000 out of 4 million] was that large till I started really reading the emails and catching up with a group of friends I have, almost all of which were either already staying overseas with significant others, who were foreign, or considering going overseas, or who would stay overseas if they could.

Like, wow. In this group, my civil servant status and Singaporean boyfriend actually makes me the so-called odd one out, though in another group, it makes me the status quo. :S

Let's do a brief stocktake: Of this group, all are dating foreigners, though some have dated local guys, one has already moved to Europe with her boyfriend, one is about to leave for Australia with her boyfriend, and another is staying in Singapore, though if needs be, she may move if her boyfriend does! Now you know why I consider myself the odd one out?

But I guess I know why I'm the odd one out in this sense. Of the 3 mentioned above, all have studied overseas, whereas I've only briefly sojourned overseas, only to come back to Singapore eventually. My entire education was tied up in Singapore, and now even my job is tied up with the Singapore government.

Partly because of this, and partly because of myself, I've always had the need for some kind of security. Moving overseas gives me a too-wide range of mixed feelings, because of the radically different life I could build for myself, outside of the too-comfortable and one-size-fits-all HDB living here, but yet is filled with unknown challenges of racism, work permits, and hiherto utterly unknown lifestyles. [Shops closing at 5??]

But yet, if I never tried, could I stay that I would never succeed? Actually, no. After all, look at my grandmother. She settled successfully in Australia in her late 40s, and she's been there happily till now.

Me, I do get envious when I hear about friends able to go to all these exciting places, live in apartments with BFs, and get the jobs they're happy with and still be able to pay the rent and all. It sounds almost as if they're already married, albeit without the hassle of wedding dinners, ROMs and annoying relatives. I do to a certain extent envy that degree of independence that they have, which makes me seem, frankly, juvenile. 27 and living with my parents. :S

But for me to move.........? Well, not in the near future. My butt is too comfortable where it is. Maybe that's just my lot in life. To live in HDB, and be happy with it. Because I haven't found another place in the world that has manga store, library and wireless broadband all in one. :p