Overseas Singaporeans Share What They Miss Most About Home
We catch up with eight Singaporeans in their 20s and 30s who are living and working abroad, to find out what they’re reminiscing about home this National Day 2026.
Growing up in Singapore, it’s easy for mundane everyday things like hawker food, ease of public transport, and even our parents’ well-intentioned nagging to be taken for granted – after all, one naturally grows immune to what they’re constantly surrounded by. Sometimes, it takes being on the other side of the fence to finally realise that these are what make home feel like home. This National Day 2026, we catch up with Singaporean youth who are currently based overseas to find out what they miss most about our beloved Little Red Dot.
See also: F ZINE Favourites: 8 Local Brands Worth Celebrating This National Day
WHAT YOUNG OVERSEAS SINGAPOREANS MISS MOST ABOUT HOME
1. Melina K, 31, freelance graphic designer
Currently based in: Brisbane, Australia
What she misses most about Singapore: “The quiet familiarity of my neighbourhood hawker aunties and uncles. Something as simple as ordering a kaya toast breakfast after being away for a year, and being met with smiles of recognition, makes me feel that sense of belonging that’s hard to recreate anywhere else.”
2. Savannah Law, 27, research scholar
Currently based in: Sydney, Australia
What she misses most about Singapore: “What I miss most about Singapore is the liveliness of my home. Growing up in a big family, there was always some familiar sound in the background — my dogs barking, my dad watching TV in the living room, or everyone talking over dinner. Living overseas alone has made me realise how much I miss the quiet presence of people who make a house feel like home.”
3. Shawn Soh, 39, designer and content creator
Currently based in: Seoul, South Korea
What he misses most about Singapore: “I miss my father’s loud sneezes in the morning and Channel 8 news turned up a little too loud at night. I miss my mother’s magical cut fruit appearing beside me, and her nagging me to drink more water. Things that felt overstimulating when I lived with my parents in Singapore now make my new home in Seoul feel a little too dull and cold, especially during winter.”
4. Shivaane Subash, 26, musical theatre actor
Currently based in: London, UK
What she misses most about Singapore: “With National Day rolling in, I find myself missing hearing all the NDP songs in my neighbourhood malls. And I so dearly miss my ban mian, teh c, and acai – and generally amazing hawker food at low prices.”
5. Chew Shin Qian, 27, full-time model
Currently based in: Seoul, South Korea
What she misses most about Singapore: “It may be obvious to say I miss my family, but living overseas has made me realise how much I miss the familiarity of Singapore too! There’s a comfort in being somewhere I’ve known my whole life, having a fuss-free routine with my family and pets, where even mundane things feel familiar and easy. I think I just miss existing somewhere without having to think about anything – like directions to get somewhere, or second-guessing where I’m meant to be.”
6. S Rohini, 28, implementation consultant and content creator
Currently based in: Toronto, Canada
What she misses most about Singapore: “I miss how effortless life in Singapore feels. The food downstairs, getting anywhere easily, and plans that don’t require a whole itinerary. Singapore will always feel like the version of home that understands me instantly.”
7. Inez Alsagoff, 27, ocean conservation specialist
Currently based in: Bali, Indonesia
What she misses most about Singapore: “Food! There’s just no substitute overseas. My friends too, obviously, as well as Singlish – nobody understands my humor the same way when I can’t just throw in a “lah” or “leh” and have it land.”
8. Aaditya Sundar, 26, agriculture student and fine art photographer
Currently based in: London, UK
What he misses most about Singapore: “I miss 24-hour kopitiams, tropical fruit, my friends and family, familiar dance floors, feet in the sand whenever I wanted, and not having to bundle up in layers for five months a year.”
SPH Media is the Principal Partner of National Day Parade 2026.