[Tee tiong huat]

war everywhere...nothing but war.

This young Myanmar gal adjusted pretty quickly, from starting primary school to learning Chinese and picking up Singlish. Local habits became second nature (chope a table before you order food, obviously), and she even earned a Chinese name from my then-teacher.

By the age of 10, I was speaking both English and Mandarin fluently, my cadence and accent indistinguishable from most Singaporeans. I (she) wasn’t just fitting into Singaporean culture. She was thriving. Ms Yanant Aung (second from right) flanked by her mother Hnaung and her father Win, with her brother Naing (left), on a family outing in Singapore soon after relocating here. (Photo: Yanant Aung)

My parents, however, ensured  she stayed connected to my roots, enrolling me in Burmese embassy exams until Grade 5, had to keep studying Burmese – but also science, mathematics, history and geography, all in Burmese.

Singapore is a nation like United Nation.