Essay

Moving back home

By Tan Ying Zhen

Three years ago, I started living in Kyoto. This month, I move back to Singapore.

As I think of what and whom I'll miss most, the lines from a Singaporean song, It's the Little Things, play in my head. The first line of the chorus goes, "It's the little things that we share, the love and joy that's in the air."

It really is about the little things. Shaved ice on a scorching day. Piping hot udon in winter. The sweet scent of the paddy fields, which I would bottle up if I could, for it smells so much better than any perfume. The sight of elementary school kids walking to school and back home in their bright yellow hats, chattering away happily as they tease one another. Playing takoyaki roulette at my friends' home parties. My students' smiles as they say "Good morning!" or "See you!" Clouds that seem closer than they ever do in Singapore, as though I could touch them if I simply tried.

It's also the love and concern that people have been so generous with. A few weeks after I'd started living in Kyoto, a coworker whom I barely knew handed me a box of shumai from his weekend trip to Yokohama's Chinatown. "I thought you might miss Chinese food," he said.

At my local post office, my favourite staff member slips me a complimentary hand-warmer in winter and a cool towel in summer. At my favourite bar, I get free rides home when it's raining. When I fall sick, my coworkers are always there to accompany me to the doctor. Others send drinks and food.

Japan is not known for being welcoming to foreigners, but I've received nothing but kindness here.

People often ask, "Why did you come to Japan?" I often wish I had an easy answer, like "I love manga," or "I have been practicing kendo since I was five." But the truth is, I am not obsessed with any of the things that have motivated many people to come to Japan.

So why did I come here? I came to realize my dream of working in a country that I'd liked since I was young, and grew to like even more since I first visited it in 2002. I came to share my love of the English language. I came so I could get out of my comfort zone and challenge my expectations of what life should be.

I came here to learn, to live, to love and, perhaps, to leave.

As much as I can't bear to leave, I'm also eager to be home among family and old friends. I'm excited at the thought of showing my new friends around my hometown when they visit Singapore.

I have read about the surveys and reports showing that Japanese youth don't want to leave Japan. I understand why some feel this way, but I hope they will venture out at least once. You can always return, but if you never leave, you'll never know what it means to say goodbye.

And of course, what it means to meet again.

シンガポールに戻る

筆者が3年間暮らした京都を去り、シンガポールに帰国する時がやってきた。改めて振り返ってみると、日本での思い出はたくさんあり、周囲の人々の優しさや気遣いに触れる機会も多かった。

The Japan Times ST: August 2, 2013