What is Home to You ?

Eating a Good Laksa in the comfort of my house

I would like to pose this question to the people who read this blog regularly. What defines 'home' to you ? For the ordinary English people who have experienced the cold, rainy and dreary weather of London, it is perhaps having some tea and scones, and watching Wimbledon on the telly or standing in the terraces of the Dell supporting Southampton (or any other team for that matter) and after that going to the local Pub for a pint or two to celebrate their team's win or drown their sorrows that defines 'home'.

For our neighbours up north in Malaysia, it is perhaps playing badminton,tennis or futsal with your friends and after that spending some quality time having dinner with the family, and later having a 'teh tarik' with your friends at the local coffeeshop and discussing the latest political news and scandals (there are many in recent years).

For me, home is in Singapore, where it feels like its getting more crowded year by year (our polulation stands
at 4.99 million in 2009 up from 3.9 about 10 years ago), the buses and trains are more packed during weekdays and the expressways are jammed (PIE, AYE and CTE for sure) during the peak morning hours and evening hours from 5.30 to 7.00pm
Even what that feeling, the Government has done a decent job (in my opinion) integrating the new migrants into the various stratas or levels of Singapore.

So, to do a 10 to 15km in East Coast Park on a Saturday morning with the wind whipping behind you, running past the scores of young and senior people, jogging, walking, partying, flying kites, roller blading, cycling and at the end of the run, I'm all sweaty and grimy. I head to the nearby club to shower down, in cold water. I then grab a chicken pie, and head home for a 'best in the world' laksa (or meesiam) made by my wife and drinking ice cool water which tastes like champagne. Nothing beats this feeling.

Home is where the family, friends, social networks, work, play and the heartware are.It is a combination of the familiar sights, sounds of the spoken language peculiar to the people, Singlish for example, fabulous foods which are too numerous to mention, the humid weather which I have grown accustomed to, and the efficiency of the society and government organisations which I am so used to. Many friends of my age have gone abroad when they were in there early 20s and a decent number have returned, mainly for family reasons. Perhaps they have a greater exposure to an international culture which I have missed out, but then again, the last 20 years I have been abroad to more than 20 countires on work and leisure and can be considered a global citizen.

I can go to anyplace in the world, but I choose to live here. This is home.