CALL ME SENTIMENTAL, but I am truly romantic by nature. March 11 has always been a significant day for me, as it is the day I uprooted my life from Manila and moved to Singapore. It has been seven years since.
Initially a move done in the name of love, this journey has evolved into one of self-discovery; one that involved many challenges and trials, but ultimately, a test of character and a homecoming to my true north. From being a Food Editor in Manila, the first post I took in the Lion City was that of an Account Manager for an advertising firm, eager to carve out a new path and preserve my passion for writing, channelling it to personal projects and endeavours instead. In 2017, I moved jobs and became a Senior Marketing Manager for a dessert brand, learning the ropes of the industry. And finally, I have been very fortunate to have landed back on the career path that I have always loved — that of a Food Editor. They say that most of life is spent working, so better make sure that you love your work, right?
Each photo in the collage above was taken in the month of March; one for each year that I have been living in Singapore — including this one’s (2023). Looking back, I have experimented with different styles as I transitioned from my twenties to my early thirties. I have learned the value of investing in a few key, quality pieces vis-à-vis choosing fast fashion. I have lain witness to the life cycle of relationships, including their death. I have found family in friends. I have experienced immense grief and loss. I have endured a pandemic. I have learned to live on my own, be confident with my own decisions, and to be independent of the comforts of companionship and home. Despite the crests and troughs of life, I have learned to find happiness and to be grateful no matter what the circumstance.
I have also learned the importance of elegance, doing things with kindness and grace, and how money can neither buy poise nor class. There are also really terrible, horrible, and heartless people out there, but on the flip-side, there are those who will show you unconditional love and will be there when you need them the most; friends who will drop everything to be by your side when your world crumbles down. Hold on to them.
We are all familiar with the concept of the seven-year-itch, and I laugh dryly, thinking about how much this resonates with a past relationship of mine. Relationships are said to be tested after the seven year mark, and I can say with confidence that my relationship with this city has only gotten stronger.
In fact, it feels like it has only just begun.
Mikka Wee 