Text and photos by Gypsy Prime
I don’t live here anymore.
I am never sentimental about Singapore. It might be because despite living there for nearly five years, I never considered it as my home. I have always treated Singapore as a luxury hotel – a wonderful place to be in where everything is functioning, efficient and can provide anything I desire as long as I’m willing to pay the price. At that time, the price was to work long (and desk-bound) hours in an international news agency where I spent most of my time asking myself if this was what journalism was all about. But then again, I don’t consider Manila home anymore. Of course I’m proud to be Filipina and will always where I came from. I love my family and friends (love them to bits) who are still living la vida loca in my city of birth.
It’s that sense of belongingness that seems to be missing – in Manila, in Singapore. So I guess it’s not a function of place but more of longing for that place, somewhere where I can feel I belong, that I can finally say that I’m home.
It’s that sense of belongingness that seems to be missing – in Manila, in Singapore. So I guess it’s not a function of place but more of longing for that place, somewhere where I can feel I belong, that I can finally say that I’m home.
**
I haven’t been to Singapore in the last five years. I didn’t have any reason to come back. Besides, I was busy gallivanting somewhere else. This Gypsy Gal, after all, has to explore other new wonderful places. After all, I’m a gypsy at heart. After all, I have higher ambitions for this travel blog. But something happened and with that I had to change my direction and as to where The Gypsy Gals is moving. I didn’t realize it then, but that life-changing incident brought me back to Singapore a few months ago, allowing me to return to a place where I first explored the concept of post-modern spirituality – a spiritual life that fits my personal needs, a synthesis of my personal beliefs and not a by-product of all rituals and beliefs that were forced on me.
I haven’t been to Singapore in the last five years. I didn’t have any reason to come back. Besides, I was busy gallivanting somewhere else. This Gypsy Gal, after all, has to explore other new wonderful places. After all, I’m a gypsy at heart. After all, I have higher ambitions for this travel blog. But something happened and with that I had to change my direction and as to where The Gypsy Gals is moving. I didn’t realize it then, but that life-changing incident brought me back to Singapore a few months ago, allowing me to return to a place where I first explored the concept of post-modern spirituality – a spiritual life that fits my personal needs, a synthesis of my personal beliefs and not a by-product of all rituals and beliefs that were forced on me.
**
Because this is how I will choose to remember Singapore. A place where I finally grew up. A place where I finally became independent. A place where I met my first spiritual teachers and learned more about myself and my soul’s purpose. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t fast. In fact, it took me so many years and enduring a lot of heart break to make me accept that everything that happened to me was aligned with the Highest Good.
If only for that I will forever be grateful.
