Missing National Day for the second year running, I found myself reflecting on belonging, courage, and the immigrant story that shaped my life.

A World Away, Yet Familiar

Vancouver feels like stepping into a living United Nations assembly. My hotel receptionist speaks Mandarin, the guest services team hails from South America, my Uber drivers switch between Turkish and Hindi, and the concierge shares stories from the Philippines. From my hotel room near Beatty Street, overlooking the canal, I watch this beautiful mosaic of faces and languages flow through the city - and I’m struck by how familiar this feels.

With 40% of Vancouver’s population being immigrants, it’s no wonder the city pulses with that same cosmopolitan energy I know from Singapore. Walking through the neighbourhoods surrounding my hotel, sampling Japanese, Chinese, and American restaurants (though I did encounter what might have been the worst Chinese food ever in a place that looked like the backdrop of a 90s gangster movie), I could almost forget I was 17,000 kilometres from home.

Why Vancouver? Why Here?

My Indian Uber driver on the way to the airport offered his perspective: “The weather here is kinder,” he explained. Unlike other parts of Canada where winter can trap you indoors for five months straight (a concept my tropical Singaporean mind struggles to grasp), Vancouver offers a gentler introduction to Canadian life. Though responsibility comes with homeownership here. If you fail to clear the snow from your walkway and someone slips? That’s on you.

But there’s more than weather drawing people here. Canada’s immigration policies have become increasingly attractive as other traditional destinations tighten their borders. With the US making immigration more difficult, English-speaking Canada offers a welcoming alternative. Vancouver strikes a unique balance. Yyou get the English-speaking business environment without the hustle culture, and while it’s not quite Europe’s work-life balance, there’s a noticeable absence of the grinding intensity found elsewhere.

The view from Grouse Mountain reinforced this appeal with endless space stretching toward the horizon, room to breathe and build a life. It’s the kind of expansiveness that many immigrants seek when they make the monumental decision to leave everything behind.

The Wanderer’s Dilemma

This trip came on the heels of another to Australia, meaning I’ve missed Singapore’s National Day week entirely. There’s a running joke that there are two types of Singaporeans during National Day: those glued to the parade, ready to tear up during the national pledge, and those already packed and waiting at Changi Airport for their next adventure.

I’ve always been in the latter camp. Not necessarily traveling, but treating it as just another public holiday. Usually, I’d just chill at home. Even with a long weekend, you get at most three days, hardly enough to justify a proper trip. Yet these back-to-back absences have stirred an unexpected homesickness. The gloomy, rainy weather of the past two days hasn’t helped, and frankly, the Western food options can be overwhelming for someone raised on an Asian diet. There’s something about gray skies and unfamiliar flavors that amplifies the distance from home.

Seeing Parallels Across Oceans

But battling the elements here in Vancouver has given me a new lens through which to see both countries. The moment that really hit me was watching some foreign workers here struggle to communicate in English, their limited vocabulary a barrier to basic interactions. It reminded me of a recent YouTube video by Professor Jiang, where he mentioned his father coming to Canada to wash dishes with no English at all.

Suddenly, I could see the parallels. Think about the cleaners and construction workers in Singapore. Most come from South Asian countries, working under our relentless tropical heat and humidity, navigating a foreign environment with languages they’re still learning. The courage that takes, the daily resilience required. It’s something I’m only beginning to understand from this side of displacement.

The Journey of Generations

I’m fortunate to be born Singaporean, but I’m most fortunate that decades ago, my ancestors made an impossible decision. They likely came from Fujian province, though the details of their story have been lost through the years (one of the casualties of displacement, perhaps). Probably driven by circumstances during China’s tumultuous periods, they took that perilous 30-day boat journey from southern China to Singapore. They probably carried a few days’ worth of clothes and whatever money they could gather, hoping and praying everything would work out.

Compare that to my overpacked suitcase and three backup credit cards for a one-week trip. The hardships they endured to simply survive represent a level of resilience I’ll never fully comprehend.

They likely made that journey for immediate survival, not necessarily thinking about future generations they might never meet. But their collective labour, their courage, their willingness to start over in a foreign land - it all came together to build something larger than themselves. That something became the Singapore I inherited.

A New Kind of National Day

As I sit here thousands of miles from home, watching the rain streak down my hotel window overlooking the canal, I find myself developing a different kind of appreciation for National Day. Not just for the Singapore of today, but for all the immigrants who, by chance or choice, decided to make Singapore their destination.

Some of them happened to be in my lineage. Others are the workers I see every day (the ones who, like Professor Jiang’s father washing dishes in Canada, started with nothing but determination). Their courage and audacity to pack up everything and bet on an uncertain future in an unknown place made my life possible. It made my children’s futures possible.

The irony isn’t lost on me that while many Singaporeans now seek work-life balance in places like Europe (a trend that’s been growing among millennials looking for alternatives to our intense work culture), I’m here appreciating how that same intensity was born from the dreams of people who had no choice but to work harder than they ever imagined.

So while I may still be the type to have my luggage ready during National Day week, I’m carrying a deeper gratitude now. Not just for the country I call home, but for every person who looked at Singapore on a map, took a deep breath, and decided to make it their new beginning.

Your courage echoes through generations. Thank you.

🎧Podcast

You might have noticed this from last week but I thought it deserves its own shoutout.

In this revealing episode, Florence Foo shares her incredible journey of quitting her corporate job while pregnant with her second child to launching four successful businesses. From starting a boutique digital marketing agency to organising large-scale events, introducing sunscreen dispensers on demand, and exploring groundbreaking LED technology, Florence navigates the rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship. Discover her insights on time management, overcoming challenges, and the strategies behind her diverse business ventures. Don't miss this inspiring story of ambition, resilience, and innovation!

This episode is brought to you by Deel, the all-in-one platform simplifying global team management with payroll, HR, IT, and compliance solutions, trusted by over 35,000 businesses worldwide. Learn more at ⁠deel.com/adriantan⁠.

Adrian Tan
Say hi 👋 on LinkedIn

WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, HERE ARE 3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU:

Want to ruin my day? No problem! Unsubscribe below.

Do you want to share your journey or have feedback? Just hit reply - I'd love to hear from you!