If you were to leave your country, what would you miss?
By scheng1
@scheng1 (24650)
Singapore
September 17, 2011 9:20am CST
Many people are migrating to other countries for job or a better life or retirement.
Assuming that you were to leave your country, what would you miss?
I personally would miss the food in my country.
Some food are so much a part of life that they become an icon of the country.
I would miss the national libraries in the country too.
Not many places have such good libraries within walking distance from home.
What about you?
What would you miss about your country, assuming you are leaving it permanently?
2 people like this
28 responses
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
29 Sep 11
I did leave my country. I miss the food the most. In San Francisco, I could buy anything from anywhere in the world. In Israel, there are fewer choices. My parents are coming in a few weeks and will bring me a few of my favorite foods. They can't bring the frozen ones, but I'm happy that they can bring some of my favorites. Here we have better, fresher produce. If I left to go back to America, I'd miss all the really fresh foods in season. There are payoffs living in ether place.
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
1 Oct 11
The market is to small. It's only English speaking vegetarians who would want it. We used to have American week at the supermarket and it was stopped because not enough people wanted the special foods.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
30 Sep 11
Hi Thecatlady, I never can imagine living in Israel!
I think my family and friends would worry about my safety.
I really admire your courage to migrate to such places. Is it for good? Or just temporary for work reason?
Can you ship some of your favorite food to Israel from US?
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
30 Sep 11
Hi TheCatLady, in this case, you might as well start a business importing the frozen vegetarian food.
if you miss the food, I am sure others will miss the food too.
I do not know how easy to start a company in Israel, but you can ask around.
In this case, you can even make a profit while eating the frozen soy breakfast meats regularly.
@huilichan8 (1378)
• Singapore
17 Sep 11
Oh your question makes me realise that I won't exactly miss anything here.
@huilichan8 (1378)
• Singapore
21 Sep 11
Ya, I wish to move away faster too but I need to save up first.
I checked up facts abt Canada last yr and found out that the necessities there are generally cheaper than those in Singapore and the cost of rental is also relatively cheaper!
No point chasing Singaporeans away, because they will be replaced by wealthy foreigners who are cash-rich and so can afford to pay more for houses. This will cause property prices to rise and not fall as you hope. So, I think you better pray hard that Singaporeans will stay put. Haha.
I checked up facts abt Canada last yr and found out that the necessities there are generally cheaper than those in Singapore and the cost of rental is also relatively cheaper!
No point chasing Singaporeans away, because they will be replaced by wealthy foreigners who are cash-rich and so can afford to pay more for houses. This will cause property prices to rise and not fall as you hope. So, I think you better pray hard that Singaporeans will stay put. Haha.@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
haha, Huilichan, in this case, I pray to Tua Pek Kong to chase away those poor foreigners and keep just those cash rich ones.
Better still, chase away the foreigners, and just keep their cash!
That will be even better.
As long as government makes sure every foreigner contributes to CPF, and does not allow them to take out until they are above age 65, the government will have a lot more money for investments.
Then we can get a big red packet every year.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
17 Sep 11
Hullo Scheng!
As such I have relocated to this big city from my native town where I could spend 39 yars of my life. THis is a reasonably long period for me to miss my home town.Nevertheless , all I need is my family with me and I have got used to this place .Here too I always miss my students. As far as food is concerned I won't miss it anywhere because I am a very good cook and can make decent food of my choice.
But I will miss the roadside shops, the lovely temples , the typically regional flavoured shops if I go elsewhere.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
17 Sep 11
Hi Kalav, at least you are still living in your country.
If your husband takes up an oversea assignment and migrate to New Zealand, Britain or other western countries, you would miss more things from home.
Somehow it is very endearing to hear someone speaking in our home slang when we are in foreign land.
Even for us oversea Chinese, we feel like a stranger in China.
I think many Singapore Indians feel the same way when they visit relatives in India.
It is the same language, yet the slang is so different.
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
18 Sep 11
So far, we don't plan to migrate to any other country yet. If one day i would want to migrate with my family to the other country, i would miss my mother's cooking and the local food and fruits in the street. I even would miss the flowers which was planted by me.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
29 Sep 11
Hi Myfb, there are more and more Singaporeans buying a house in Johor Baru, and then moving there to live permanently.
It used to be that the house in Malaysia is a weekend house.
But now the trend seems to be that of Singaporeans living in Malaysia, and renting the flat in Singapore to outsiders.
While the house in Malaysia is bigger than the one in Singapore, the daily commute can kill!
I doubt I want this kind of lifestyle.
Maybe when I retire, I will move to Malaysia to stay.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Myfb, in this case, bring your mother along!
She can still cook for you, and will tend to the garden when you are out at work.
I think the fruits are harder to get over, especially the durian and rambutans.
All these are fruits that are too common in both our countries, and impossible to get elsewhere.
Probably your mother will get too fond of durian to migrate anywhere.
@princess8881 (1630)
• South Korea
17 Sep 11
hhmmm I been in other country for almost 4 years now.. and I miss my family so much.. and my friends specially the food!!! lol and my favorite fruits too is hard to find in four season country :( I can buy it online in this country but its way to expensive.. its ok though if the taste is good..but way to far... So when i GET BACK I promise to eat a lot..lol
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
17 Sep 11
Hi Princess, you are so funny!
It seems that you miss the taste of the fruits more than anything else.
I agree with you that food and fruits make us so home sick.
At least you can call and talk to your family and friends, but you can only look at the picture of the fruits.
No way to even smell it, much less to taste it.
Hope you get back and eat a lot too, just not too much to upset your stomach.
@moneywinner (1864)
• Brazil
1 Oct 11
I would definitely miss the food of my country. I never found a better food than what we have here. Also, I would miss the people from here, 90% of them are very friendly persons that are always willing to help the other.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
1 Oct 11
Hi Moneywinner, you would definitely find life in a big city in a developed country very different.
People in big cities in developed countries tend to have no time to help people.
They are very impatient too.
While there are good food everywhere, we will still prefer the taste of the food in our home country.
I think the taste of food is very hard to duplicate in other parts of the world.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Alottodo, I think if you were to move back to your home country now, you will miss the old way of life even more.
The new way of life must be completely strange to anyone who leaves the place for such a long time.
Sometimes we expect the place to look the same, even though we know that it is impossible.
Even in my own country, I feel that the place changes when I was away for a couple of months.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Thezone, fortunately you are born in the right place, so that you do not have to go overseas to work in order to feed your family.
I have great respect for those who work overseas, and send money home every month too.
I think many of them are taking up jobs that pay very low, and work very hard so that their children have a better future.
For me, a month in other country is good enough.
I miss the food in my country.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Ebuscat, you must have stayed in a very friendly neighborhood.
Most of us do miss our relatives and friends, but not our neighbors.
Over here in the city, it is rare for all the neighbors to get together for bonding. It just is not the culture.
Sometimes we do not even know who our neighbors are, or what they do.
Most people have the habit of keeping to themselves, and respecting the privacy of our neighbors.
@bachyyy (195)
• Bulgaria
26 Sep 11
First,of course,that i`ll be missing my friends and family.And about my country..the food is really tasty,the climate is perfect and the nature.I think that my country has one of the most beautiful nature in the world,but the politics don`t do anything to keep her clean.Our government is terrible,so if I`m far away from here,I`ll be fine..If i could take my friends and family away with me,I would leave this country .
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
27 Sep 11
Hi Bachyyy, yes, even if the food in our country is not really that good, we would still miss the taste.
It reminds us of home, and our childhood.
I think we can always call our friends or family, but it is hard to duplicate the same taste and fragrance of food.
I do not think you can take all the friends away when you leave the country forever.
Most people do not even take all the family members, such as cousins, and grandparents along.
They are more likely to bring their spouse and children.
@katie0 (5203)
• Japan
18 Sep 11
Japan is not my home or either I am not japanese, but I like it. If I leave here I would miss the security, how polite, generous and intelligent people are, how safe the country it is, how the government cares about us, the technology that's unbelievable, how clean everything is, no trash on the streets...
@pepperpopper (376)
• Philippines
18 Sep 11
of course, Im gonna miss the food, my friends, colleague, and the places I frequently visits. I used to go to the mall alone, Probably that's one thing I surely miss.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Pepperpopper, actually the malls everywhere are identical.
There are fast food restaurants, a big supermarket, and many other shops in the malls.
if you live in a big city, you will get so sick of malls.
Over here, the malls are getting bigger and bigger, and more and more crowded.
Since the weather is hot and humid, it makes sense to enjoy the air conditioning in the malls.
There is a kind of live wire feeling when you are in the midst of the moving people in the malls.
But I will not miss the mall!
I will definitely miss the food, and places which hold special memories.
@sheetal2900 (336)
• India
18 Sep 11
if any time i would leave this country i would miss a lot of thing like,first i will remind all my past where i played, my school collage,my friends my parents all are thing my past.then i will miss food and chat & spending time with my friend. also i think what next to do?
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Sheetal, I think you must have lived in a place that remains relatively unchanged over the years.
Over here we do not have such luxuries.
Sometimes the government redevelops the whole estate, so we have to move out.
By the time the redevelopment is done, the whole place is too different from the past.
Even the schools merged with each other or move to a new location, or the buildings redevelop.
It is as if we are strangers in our home country at times.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Shuuen, I can understand how you feel about the food in your home country.
Even though Japanese food is well known throughout the world, it still is very different from the food in your country.
As least we can talk to our family or friends, and do not have to see them face to face everyday.
Food is a different story.
We cannot even look at the picture to satisfy our longing for food.
@youless (112108)
• Guangzhou, China
18 Sep 11
If I can go with my family, then be sure they are the most I will miss. If luckily that my family can go abroad with me, then of course I will start to miss my friends the most. I will also miss the food, construction, life etc. in my country.
I love China
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Youless, in this case, you have better stayed in your country.
I think you will take a very long time to get used to life in other country, especially if the new country does not have people speaking Mandarin, and Chinese food are hard to get.
I think many of us do not realize how homesick we can be, until we are away for a long time.
Even if we go overseas for a vacation, it is different from leaving our country permanently.
@Theresaaiza (10487)
• Australia
18 Sep 11
As I keep hearing from my friends abroad, the very first thing that you would notice and miss is the climate. It can either be too freezing cold or too hot and dry.
Later on, you'd start thinking about your loved ones - boyfriend, family, neighbors, cousins,etc.
For a while trying out the strange dishes is an adventure until it wears off and you start missing the food.
Most of my classmates when they come home, they will demand all sorts of food that they missed!
And still, the most challenging of all is treading through thick snpw and that usually is the worse tearjerker!
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Theresaaiza, I would never want to live in a place where I have to thread through snow for a month!
I think that is more miserable than anything.
When the weather is so cold, getting up early in the morning to get to work is already a torture.
But to think about threading through thick snow, and get to work, that is even worse.
I guess we just have to stay in our home country or just to take up a job assignment in other countries for a while.
It is not necessary to think about moving out of our home country permanently.
@strawberrychocodahi (4818)
• Philippines
18 Sep 11
FOODDDDD! that's one of the most missed part when you are not in your own country. I have been away in my own country as well and food is the one that I miss the most. I can talk to my family online, send them sms, talk over the phone, see them on cam. At least even if I do miss them, I can still talk and see them.
But the food, ohh yes, incomparable. I cannot just do home cooking for that to taste because the ingredients are not even available here to where I am 
. I miss riding a nice bus, jeepneys, friendly neighborhood and I also miss my friends and hang out with them.
. I miss riding a nice bus, jeepneys, friendly neighborhood and I also miss my friends and hang out with them.@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Strawberrychocodahi, I know your sentiment about food.
When I was away on vacation, I miss the common food in my country too.
It seems so silly, yet even with the same ingredients, the food will not taste the same.
The seasoning selling in other countries just does not have the same formula.
I think for those food that is not available elsewhere, the longing for them can make us so homesick.
Fortunately most of us do not have to leave our home country permanently.
We can always travel back even if we work for many years in other countries.
@shadow41 (2351)
• Philippines
18 Sep 11
Well I'll certainly miss my relatives, friends, and places I've been especially those that have been of great significance in my life like the place where I was born and raised. I think I won't miss food that much because I think I can gather the necessary ingredients and cook them myself. Hehe. I just hope all ingredients are present.
shadow41
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Shadow41, yes, we will definitely miss our friends and relatives even if we have our immediate family with us.
I think moving to a new place permanent is a very hard decision to make.
Even if we can cook the dishes that we like, it is often harder to get the ingredient, or the taste is different from the food in our home town.
I think short of a civil unrest, most of us are very comfortable with life in our own country, and never want to leave it behind permanently.
@bamikalipal (588)
• Philippines
18 Sep 11
Good day, scheng. I miss the feeling of independence, freedom from discrimination and freedom of expression. Stay where you are happy and productive, scheng, and God be with you always.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Bamikalipal, actually discrimination happens everywhere.
As long as we do not have to see it or experience it, we may not even feel it.
For example, people in a factory or heavy industry such as construction will not like a female boss.
Even the other managers will start to make things difficult for her.
That is a form of discrimination.
I think if we have the chance to experience life in another country, that is great. But to leave our home country permanently is a very sad thought.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Hi Eseulhan, it is hard to think of missing everything in our home country.
I would not miss the air population, or the virus and sickness that seem to make the whole country sick at certain times.
For a small country like us, it has a very large number of hospitals, both private and public.
I would not mind going to a place where people do not get sick often, and there is no need for such numbers of hospitals.
