Do you get offended whenever someone makes a comment like, "I don't think we'll live in Singapore for long. My husband hates Singapore"? The husband in question is, of course, a foreigner. 

I do. I really do. I find it very difficult not to take it personally when Singaporeans talk about going overseas to live because their non-Singaporean spouses find Singapore:

1. Too small - look it's just the way this island is, OK. We never said in our brochures that Singapore's the size of the North American continent.

2. Too crowded - again, we can't help you there. Have you tried going shopping in Seoul during the sale period?

3. Too boring - look, I admit our clubs are not the most fantastic and that most of us try to be law-abiding citizens. But I don't think "happening nightlife" is something career-minded people think about when they relocated to Singapore to grow their careers, right?

From my conversations with my friends who married foreigners, they always talk about how their husbands like places like Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Bangkok for their "rustic charms", that they like that the roads have potholes, that there aren't too many built-up areas in these places and that the people there are much "simpler than Singaporeans and less work-obsessed". 

Look, just because Singapore is in Southeast Asia, it doesn't mean we are obliged to look like a beachfront resort with burger stands and t-shirt stores located every 50m. I'm NOT saying that it's bad to be a beach resort, but the only reason some foreigners seem to dislike Singapore is because we are a CITY. Just because Singapore does not fit the stereotype of an exotic Asian getaway, we are being perceived by foreigners as "not having a soul".

I find that ridiculous and I think non-Singaporeans need to understand that Singapore, like New York, London and Tokyo, has every right to be a thriving, commercial, modern metropolis filled with breathtaking skyscrapers and monumental shopping malls. Sure, we may look like a country with no history, no heritage, no culture, no art ... BUT if that's how we want to grow this city, WE DAMN WELL WILL. Why should we remain "rustic", "rural", "exotic" just so foreigners would think we are a nice Asian country? Why can't Singapore be a modern city with exotic neighbours?

Please, I don't go about proclaiming that "Singapore is the greatest country in the world". What I am trying to say is that just because Singapore does not have:

1. A colourful night life like Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong

2. The smoky traffic jams of Bangkok

3. The roadside foodstalls of Kuala Lumpur

4. Rich cultural scenes like those in Tokyo

It doesn't make us a lesser city. As a country, we have things that we can be proud of. Such as our low crime-rate, our efficent public transport system, and our effective education system. There's a reason why so many foreigners choose to come work here - credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, our banks are safe and our airport is well-run and our business district area is teeming with great minds and a hardworking workforce. No country is perfect but Singapoure, OUR COUNTRY, has done damn well for itself! Do you not agree? 

I do not swell with pride whenever Singapore boasts about its achievements. I think we can still do more when it comes to protecting the planet. I think housing is way too expensive and that more could be done for the local art scene. But when I read about how girls in some countries are sentenced to death for being raped, when I learnt how there are laws in certain countries that prevent women from seeking medical help from a male doctor, I am grateful to be in Singapore. 

And for those foreign men who are dating or have married Singaporean women, surely you don't think our outspoken nature and our modern way of thinking is attributed to HBO or MTV, right? Where do you think your girlfriend/wife was first educated and brought up? And, there is nothing wrong with the values this country has instilled in its citizens.

We place a lot of emphasis on our careers so stop telling us to take a holiday. We will go on one when our schedule has time.

We like to own things - bags, shoes, flats, cars - so stop going on and on about how where you come from, people rent.

If our careers are going well here, we see no reason to up and go and live in Spain. Sorry, the need for security definitely outweighs the need for change and adventure. The latter I'll do - when I retire, have loads of money, don't have to worry about the mortgage, can afford a house and a vineyard and don't have stay in a backpacker's hostel. For now, call me boring, practical and unromantic - my city is an overachiever and so am I.