A place to love

There is this travelogue with Belinda Lee as the host calle Xi1 You2 Ji4 which I really liked. She went all over the world to document the lives of Sin8aporeans who have ventured far out of our little island. There were 2 seasons if I remember correctly...and I'm rather keen to know if they have produced a DVD set out of them because I would definitely buy it.

It's the best piece of storytelling on TV that I've I watched in a while. The concept is not especially new or original but yet, the stories that come out of it are so real and close to the heart. And although I've never been impressed by hosts who cry, Belinda Lee does seem genuinely engaged with those people she encountered.

I still remember some episodes which left a deep impression on me, such as the Singaporean in Brazil whom Belinda visited during the Chinese New Year period. She cradled the tub of pineapple tarts her mother made for her in her arms, while tears rollled down her face and she kept repeating: "I'm not sad, I'm very happy".

The TV station is repeating the 2nd season on Saturday afternoons so I had the pleasure of catching some of the episodes that I missed out, such as the one of the Singaporean woman living by herself in Mongolia. She seems to be in her late 30's but resembles a big baby, because she looks so happy and glowing. The move to Mongolia was sparked by her love of the country and culture, which is very weird because she belongs the ang-moh pai. Still, one can tell she is really enjoying every moment there. She showed off her frozen hair after washing it in the open during the freezing Mongolian winter. She danced and jiggled, tried skiing on the ice in her Mongolian robe and shoes while making all sorts of weird poses, and generally acted goofy for the camera. It was so funny that I laughed out loud while watching her, which surprised myself, since I woke up with puffy eyes and a droopy spirit that morning.

When asked if she will return to Singapore, she chuckled and said no. "But why?", Belinda asked her. It's like falling in love, she replied. She wants to be in Mongolia for her whole life and she wants to be there all the time.

How I wish I can find a place to love too. I don't think I can love Sin8apore the way she loves Mongolia. For one, I don't want to be here all the time. Neither do others, which is why we all love travelling. As much as I don't wish to sound cynical, Sin8apore is like a corporation, and corporations are not something that will inspire what I call the big love. Sure, there're things that I like, such as the convenience and safety, the cleanliness and efficiency, and of course the food. But these are not the stuff that people fall in love with. Its the beauty and the spirit of the country, and a certain hint of possibility in the air. If anything, I find the air here too stale, too little, because there're too many people to share it with. I feel crowded out. It's funny that the government keeps warning us that we are not having enough babies, because this is the one place that makes me feel that we should stop reproducing ourselves because there are too many of us. Every resource is scarce, from water to housing to space to seats on the MRT trains. Whatever you name, we probably don't have enough.