Sea Turtles

The Chinese here use a term 海龟 (hǎiguī) to describe emigrants who return to their homeland after a period of time spent overseas, much like the returning sea turtles who return to shore after spending most of their lives in the open seas.

I will be a sea turtle next week when we return to Singapore during the school summer break. We've only been gone less than six months, but it feels like it's been longer than that. I guess much of it is because now, we actually do feel quite at home here in this foreign land. We have a comfortable home, my boys have found friends they can "hang" with, we know where to go for groceries & shopping, we know where the good restaurants are(although the latter knowledge is always expanding!) & I have found exciting new things to do here which I probably would not have been able to do in Singapore.

I have previously blogged before, about the notion of where home is, given the fact that our family has lived in 3 countries over the last 15 years...not quite the norm compared to my extended family, my friends & the colleagues whom I have worked with, but still not as nomadic as some expats I've known who have had to move every 2 to 3 years with children & family dog in tow!

It will be nice to be "home" again - family, friends, familiar foods, places & sights - like a comfortable shoe that one slips into & say, "Aaahhh...that feels good..." (not that I am comparing family & friends to shoes, just the emotion that is evoked *Grin*).

Having said that, I also look forward to coming back here after the summer break, to meet up again with other sea turtles who will also be returning home to various parts of the globe during the summer before, again, going out to sea again.

I have found a comraderie with others like me, who, although (or despite) coming from different ethnic backgrounds & nationalities, have still been able to enjoy each others company, exchanging life stories & experiences. If only the rest of the world shared the same sentiments, & realize that the only important "Race" is the human one, the Earth would be a much more peaceful place to live in, wouldn't it?