Identity

Just got a call from my scholarship board today.

Apparently they want me to apply to be a Singapore permanent resident by this week, and for citizenship before I leave for my PhD next year.

I felt somewhat shocked, expecting all this only after I had graduated with my PhD. It's disconcerting, being someone your whole life, then changing suddenly to someone else. I imagine most of my friends in Singapore will always see me as a Malaysian (Juliana has remarked so, and most Singaporeans have commented on my Malaysian accent when speaking chinese); imagine how weird my own perception of myself will be...

(Just to state that I'm not making judgements on being Malaysian or Singaporean; rather, it's the change from one to the other that's unsettling.)

When I go to the US next year, what should I introduce myself as? If someone asks me what my nationality is, what will leap to my mouth? Today's Malaysia's national day, ironic huh?

Anyways had a great weekend, went to a bar with my lab, and there was the CUMSA chalet...was going to talk about these, but the call today just seemed to overshadow everything...some other time then...