There are two expat wards (congregations) in Singapore. The turnover in these wards can be high as families come and go as jobs dictate. What is it like to live in Singapore as an expat? This account from Lainie Dalby (American) sums it up beautifully. It is a life changing opportunity.
There are two expat wards (congregations) in Singapore. The turnover in these wards can be high as families come and go as jobs dictate. What is it like to live in Singapore as an expat? This account from Lainie Dalby (American) sums it up beautifully. It is a life changing opportunity.Living on the other side of the world influenced our lives more than we imagined. We knew it would only be two years. We knew it would be different. We knew it would be an adventure. We didn’t understand the magnitude. While the geography, climate, and systems are all new and different to us, it has been the people that have touched our lives the most.
Adjusting took patience and learning. It took a while to understand “Singlish”, or to remember that I can’t do anything without my dependent card or my passport. We had to learn how to shop, drive, queue up and top up. There are five million people on the 275 square mile island. We were the odd ones that needed to learn the systems. We did.
As we look back there are many things we have learned from the people of Singapore. At the top of the list is that it is possible to live in peace and harmony with many different cultures, languages and religions in one place. To walk through communities with Muslim mosques, Buddhist Temples, Hindu Temples and Christian churches near one another is inspiring. It has been amazing to witness important religious events, cultural celebrations and traditions being celebrated and shared across the island. We have a deeper appreciation and reverence for the power behind freedom of religion and respecting and understanding the beliefs of others, especially of those in our own community.
Another important community was the expat community, the other families living in Singapore that also came from different countries around the world. Because we had all left our native lands and friends and families to come here, it gave us a unique bond. We found these families in our neighborhood, at our school, and in our church. As soon as we arrived we had families coming by to take us to the store, to meet our children and make sure we had what we needed to take care of ourselves. The families went to great efforts to ensure our hearts were comforted, our minds enlightened and our souls enlarged as we settled in day after day, week after week. Eventually it was our turn to do the same for newly arriving families and that was just as fulfilling. We have learned that life is more about what we do for others and less about what we do for ourselves.
A special part of living here was the opportunity to travel to incredible destinations. By far the trips that meant the most were those where we were able to serve specific families in some small way. There are amazingly selfless people on our planet, who work tirelessly to provide opportunities for those who struggle to find them. We hope to never take for granted the awesome blessings we enjoy each day; the simple things like running water, abundant food choices, education, and so on. As we return home, we hope to make more of a difference in our local community as well as maintain our efforts abroad.
As we pack up our belongings into a container that will sail around the world, eventually meeting us at our new home, we do so with a bundle of mixed emotions. Saying farewell to wonderful people in an exciting part of the world isn’t easy. The sadness is softened knowing that we are returning to make new friendships and rekindle old ones. Life is, after all, all about the people.