I started visiting faraway lands like Australasia in 1992 when I studied down under. Since then, I've done Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin for months in my vacations.
Since I started work though, I've restricted my travels to Malaysia, neighboring Indonesian islands, Hong Kong, coastal China like Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Bangkok.
In 2007, I went to the UK and watched Arsenal play at the Emirates. I fell in love with London. It is a bigger city than Singapore, but nevertheless there were so many more things to do in the city. I could also drive to other cities and the countryside for a change of environment, yet return to bustling London during the weekdays.
My initial trip was to Milan, then to the Alps to attend a wedding, to London and then to Rome. I was like a tourist, taking photos everywhere I went. Everything was foreign to me. But I loved to speak to the locals. In the cab, I'd strike a conversation with an Italian about Serie A football, or politics.
In 2008, I travelled to northern France, visited the Louvre, fell in love with the food and culture. Went to Barcelona and watched the El Classico in the Nou Camp. Food was better in Spain in my opinion.
But something was amiss. I wanted more. I wanted to be more involved in the culture and lifestyle of the various people in the countries that I visited. I moved from visiting museums and being a foodie to making more "permanent friendships" with locals. I also considered investing in properties abroad.
In 2009, I travelled to London again, to visit relatives, watch my beloved Arsenal play again, stayed in a bed and breakfast in Bath, Strafford, Leicestershire. I watched the Premier League games at the local pubs, cheered together when our favourite teams won.
In 2010, I travelled to Japan, did Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Tried the food, spent Christmas in a tower in Tokyo. Did the countdown. Stayed in a serviced apartment and decided I prefer a serviced apartment over a hotel room as the former allowed me to cook, wash clothes and is more spacious. If you travel for over 7 days and wish to pack light, it is better to have a washing machine and dryer in the room. four months after I returned to Singapore, the earthquake struck Japan. I was lucky and counted my blessings.
In 2011, I visited London and started my investment journey. I visited the office of a real estate investment guru. It changed my life. I began to look at real estate investing in countries outside of Singapore as a better option. Properties were much cheaper than Singapore's. I visited Notting Hill, saw a one bedroom apartment of around 600 sf asking for GBP250k then. It was much cheaper than Singapore which would have cost over GBP350k for a similar location.
In every year since, I've forged friendships with many locals. I've begun to immerse myself in their lifestyles. Everywhere I go, there will always be friends and relatives to visit, topics like investing, culture and politics to discuss over bottles of good wine.
The third phase of my journey is to consider uprooting myself. It is something that I've always anticipated. I never felt at home in Singapore because it never quite gave me a sense that it was home to me. The weather, the competitiveness, the stifling atmosphere, small area, and most importantly, authoritarian work culture turned me off. I wanted to be successful wherever I go and I will need to chart a path in the future that allows me the best of both worlds: monetary rewards and lifestyle.
Since I started work though, I've restricted my travels to Malaysia, neighboring Indonesian islands, Hong Kong, coastal China like Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Bangkok.
In 2007, I went to the UK and watched Arsenal play at the Emirates. I fell in love with London. It is a bigger city than Singapore, but nevertheless there were so many more things to do in the city. I could also drive to other cities and the countryside for a change of environment, yet return to bustling London during the weekdays.
My initial trip was to Milan, then to the Alps to attend a wedding, to London and then to Rome. I was like a tourist, taking photos everywhere I went. Everything was foreign to me. But I loved to speak to the locals. In the cab, I'd strike a conversation with an Italian about Serie A football, or politics.
In 2008, I travelled to northern France, visited the Louvre, fell in love with the food and culture. Went to Barcelona and watched the El Classico in the Nou Camp. Food was better in Spain in my opinion.
But something was amiss. I wanted more. I wanted to be more involved in the culture and lifestyle of the various people in the countries that I visited. I moved from visiting museums and being a foodie to making more "permanent friendships" with locals. I also considered investing in properties abroad.
In 2009, I travelled to London again, to visit relatives, watch my beloved Arsenal play again, stayed in a bed and breakfast in Bath, Strafford, Leicestershire. I watched the Premier League games at the local pubs, cheered together when our favourite teams won.
In 2010, I travelled to Japan, did Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Tried the food, spent Christmas in a tower in Tokyo. Did the countdown. Stayed in a serviced apartment and decided I prefer a serviced apartment over a hotel room as the former allowed me to cook, wash clothes and is more spacious. If you travel for over 7 days and wish to pack light, it is better to have a washing machine and dryer in the room. four months after I returned to Singapore, the earthquake struck Japan. I was lucky and counted my blessings.
In 2011, I visited London and started my investment journey. I visited the office of a real estate investment guru. It changed my life. I began to look at real estate investing in countries outside of Singapore as a better option. Properties were much cheaper than Singapore's. I visited Notting Hill, saw a one bedroom apartment of around 600 sf asking for GBP250k then. It was much cheaper than Singapore which would have cost over GBP350k for a similar location.
In every year since, I've forged friendships with many locals. I've begun to immerse myself in their lifestyles. Everywhere I go, there will always be friends and relatives to visit, topics like investing, culture and politics to discuss over bottles of good wine.
The third phase of my journey is to consider uprooting myself. It is something that I've always anticipated. I never felt at home in Singapore because it never quite gave me a sense that it was home to me. The weather, the competitiveness, the stifling atmosphere, small area, and most importantly, authoritarian work culture turned me off. I wanted to be successful wherever I go and I will need to chart a path in the future that allows me the best of both worlds: monetary rewards and lifestyle.
No comments:
Post a Comment