When my editors called for the inaugural Passion Projects in May, I decided to put one of my ideas to the test.
Passion Projects was launched to allow journalists time off their regular beats to chase stories they feel strongly about. The stories I worked on will appear in the Saturday Special pages of The Straits Times this weekend.
Ideas are often sparked by the most unexpected ways.
This one had its roots in the Life! feature Singaporean Abroad, a weekly Sunday column launched two years ago that profiles Singaporeans in various parts of the world.
Life! editor Helen Chia asked me to contribute. On the surface, the column is a seemingly straight-forward piece taking you through a place, complete with tips on where to find the best food, drinks, shopping and the sights to see.
Probe a little deeper and it unravels the lives of many Singaporeans who have made things work for themselves in unfamiliar places.
Whenever anyone tells me Singaporeans only seek out comfortable places to live and work, I tell them the story of the bee-keeper in Uganda, the project manager and photographer in Kyrgyzstan and the hotel manager in Luang Prabang.
The cynics often respond back: 'So what? It is such a small number.'
My counter argument is: 'We are talking of a nation of five million people, you do not expect to see a human tidal wave.'
I became even more curious about Singaporeans working in the the not-so-cushy zones after my conversations with the brilliant Kalyani Sukumar Iyer.
She could have been anywhere in the world. A stint in China was followed by one in Hyderabad, in India’s southern Andhra Pradesh state. Now, she is in Africa.
A micro-finance specialist, an academic achiever, a linguist, she moved to India to familiarise herself with her Indian roots and to make a difference in people’s lives.
Her time in India saw her heading into the real heart of India - the villages and helping people whose dreams take flight with funds from as little as $10.
In April last year, I became friends with another accomplished Singaporean, Abilash Nair. He got his degreee in Fine Arts with a specialisation in film from Columbia College. Instead of looking at Hollywood, he trained his lens on Bollywood, building an impressive body of work in Indian films.
Were there others like them in India?
If yes, what were they really going to find in India? Did they find what they want? How unlike were such Singaporeans from the first generation drift of Indians to Singapore, who came here to better their lives? And what do their stories say about our world where our lives are increasingly becoming less de-lineated, more fluid and open?
The diversity of India is best reflected in its many festivals. -- PHOTO: AFP
I was looking for ordinary Singaporeans who had consciously made some extra-ordinary career choices. I felt their stories mattered because they are as real as they get. They shatter the myth that Singaporeans who have grown up in comfort, only opt for equally easy places if they move out of Singapore.
On another level, we all know what draws Indians to Singapore but the reverse journey by Singaporeans into India has only received fleeting mention.
The decision to move to India could not have been easy so why did they do it and if given the chance, would they do it again?
Chennai railway station. Chennai, formerly known as Madras, was the starting point of this project. It is often called The Gateway to South India. -- PHOTO: CHANDRACHOODAN GOPALAKRISHNAN
In late August, when this idea was picked as a feature idea, I had only two names. I was to pack my bags for India in a week and was panicking if I could find other Iyers and Nairs.
Over 300 emails sent to everyone with even a remote India connection and help showed up first in the form of Lt Col (retired) Harpal Singh. He connected me to all the Singaporeans in and around New Delhi.
Mr M.M.Kunasekaran, a Singaporean, who had wrapped up a nine-year stint in India, went a step further. He not only suggested names, but put me in touch with Mr Foo See Thiam, the Singaporean chief executive of the Accord Metropolitan in Chennai. This became my base in Chennai and over several cups of coffee I met several Singaporeans who are drawn to this hotel, thanks to its CEO.
While there, Ryan Ang the centre director of International Enterprise Singapore, pulled out two boxes full of name cards and provided me a long list of all the people I needed to talk to. Amazing.
In Mumbai, Vimal Rai, Robyn Tan, Magdalene Loh, Toh Sork Lee and Sudeep Bhalla generously agreed to last-minute interview requests and put me in touch with many of their friends and contacts.
In Bengaluru, Eu-wen Ding posed for us on the road and fielded questions about being a Jackie Chan-like superstar with remarkable poise.
In New Delhi, Singapore’s deputy high commissioner Wong Chow Ming was fielding all the concerns about the Commonwealth Games. Between phone calls, he helped me put this story in perspective.
Several other individuals spoke off the record, yet their inputs and contacts added depth to my constantly evolving story.
While most Singaporeans have adapted well in India and apart from the usual woes of traffic and bureaucracy, have done well for themselves, it hasn’t been a smooth ride for everyone.
Mumbai skyline from the Marine Drive area. -- PHOTO: AP
Take garment manufacturer Ms Penny Phuah. Her name was recommended by almost everyone I met in Chennai. It took several days to track her and when her response eventually came through, it was heart-wrenching.
She had been duped by someone who had forged property documents. A legal case is ongoing and she is not allowed to re-enter India. In her email response from Nepal, where she is now based, she explained the full story.
'I have no regrets working in India. It was very rewarding. My garment company started with an investment of $120,000 and was able to earn and invest in various properties now valued at $1 million. We have bought land at a tsunami hit village along ECR Road. I hope to build a school for children there some day when I can return.'
I asked her why she was not angry. She responded by saying India has taught her to deal with minor irritants such as anger. Her capacity to forgive seemed almost super-human.
'I have been humbled,' was a sentence I heard often from different news makers.
And humbling is how I would describe my three weeks in India.
Mumbai's iconic Taj Hotel. -- PHOTO: AFP
From the amazing help I received from friends of friends to the resolve shown by the people I interviewed, each day presented itself with new possibilities, new ideas, new people and new things to learn.
I could not have asked for more.
Read the special report in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.