\nMr Hermes Xhika married his Singaporean wife in 2014.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
It was love that brought Mr Hermes Xhika, 33, to Singapore over a decade ago.<\/p>\n
The Albanian met his future Singaporean wife, a property agent, on Facebook. At that time, he was studying for a computer engineering degree. <\/p>\n
When the pair hit it off and a serious relationship developed, he decided to drop out of the course to move to Singapore. He was not worried about finding a job here, given his English language proficiency.<\/p>\n
The couple married in 2014, and Singapore\u2019s year-round heat gave him a business idea.<\/p>\n
While drinking beer one day, he noticed the many air-conditioning compressors around him and thought he could make money servicing air-conditioners.<\/p>\n
Even though he \u201cknew nothing\u201d about the trade, he set up Lion City Air Conditioner Services in 2016. He later apprenticed under another technician and quickly learnt the ropes.<\/p>\n
Customers are often surprised to see a Caucasian at their doorstep \u2013 a twist that he has taken advantage of to market himself as the \u201cang moh air con man\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t expect a white guy to do their air-con. They always think ang mohs hold high positions,\u201d he said, adding that some people even film him at work. <\/p>\n
Today, the company has about 20 staff.<\/p>\n
Mr Xhika said he feels the Singapore system rewards hard work and the country is governed well \u2013 factors which contributed to him applying for citizenship. He received it in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cSingapore is actually an amazing place. You don\u2019t need money or connections (to succeed).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nMr Zhu Haibin met his wife, a Malaysian Chinese, in Singapore. They have two daughters, and the whole family are Singapore citizens now.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Mr Zhu Haibin came to Singapore in 2007 from Jinjiang in Fujian, China, to teach Chinese.<\/p>\n
Nearly two decades later, the 46-year-old educator\u2019s career and family have grown deep roots here. A Singapore citizen since 2015, Mr Zhu is pursuing a PhD at the National Institute of Education while running an education centre that focuses on Chinese enrichment classes, curriculum development and teacher training.<\/p>\n
He met his wife, a Malaysian Chinese, in Singapore. They have two daughters, and the whole family are Singapore citizens now.<\/p>\n
Beyond the classroom, Mr Zhu has formed friendships through community work. He joined the Singapore Chin Kang Huay Kuan in 2018, and now serves as head of its culture and education committee.<\/p>\n
Through conversations with many second- or third-generation Singaporeans, he learnt about Singapore\u2019s history and society, and the struggles of earlier migrants who helped build modern Singapore. About 10 per cent of the association\u2019s 1,000 members are new immigrants.<\/p>\n
Mr Zhu said Singapore\u2019s stability and openness to diversity have allowed him to build a fulfilling life. He hopes more Singaporeans will continue learning Chinese.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegardless of one\u2019s motivation \u2013 cultural, educational or practical \u2013 Chinese is a valuable language and an important bridge to understanding Chinese culture and the wider region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nMs Prithikka Divyashini (right) and her parents, Mr Kumaran Kasinathan and Madam Deivanai Subbarayan.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
In 2014, seven-year-old Prithikka Divyashini had to move from Johor Bahru to Singapore, as her father, who worked in the Republic, wanted to reduce travelling time for work to spend more quality time with the family.<\/p>\n
Over time, the now 20-year-old grew to appreciate Singapore\u2019s efficient public transport system and high healthcare and education standards.<\/p>\n
But settling in was not always smooth. Besides adjusting to a new environment, she had to deal with certain stereotypes related to her race, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall, while there were some difficult experiences at the start, growing up in Singapore has also allowed me to learn resilience, build friendships across cultures, and feel more integrated into the society.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drawn by Singapore\u2019s cleanliness, safety and multiculturalism, Ms Prithikka applied and became a Singapore citizen in 2025. <\/p>\n
Her father Kumaran Kasinathan, a driving tester, is Singaporean, while her homemaker mother Deivanai Subbarayan, is applying for her citizenship.<\/p>\n
Now a third-year chemical process technology student at ITE College East, Ms Prithikka also volunteers regularly with local charity Meals-On-Wheels, distributing food to the elderly monthly.<\/p>\n
She is hopeful of more integration efforts, adding: \u201cSmall gestures of kindness and understanding can help new citizens feel accepted and valued.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nMr Arumugam Muthu Krishnan and his wife, Madam Muthu Krishnan Jegadeeswary, obtained citizenship in 2024. Their children are also Singaporean.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: JASEL POH<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Mr Arumugam Muthu Krishnan, 56, left his home in India\u2019s Tamil Nadu state in 1993 with a work permit to work as a shipyard technician in Singapore.<\/p>\n
Seven years later, he got married and his Indian wife followed him to Singapore. They now have a 23-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter.<\/p>\n
Over the decades, he obtained a diploma in industrial engineering, moved into better-paying jobs and even picked up Malay to \u201cmingle\u201d with locals. He is fluent in English.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Krishnan, now an operations manager, obtained citizenship in 2024 alongside his wife. Their children are also Singaporean. <\/p>\n
There are many reasons why he decided to call Singapore home, he said, such as safety and stability, career opportunities and the high quality of life.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt\u2019s an excellent place to raise our next generation with its high standards of education.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since 2013, he has volunteered as a grassroots leader in Taman Jurong, organising activities for residents, among other things.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI like to serve and support my community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nRead Full Article At Source <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SINGAPORE – Whether it is for love, work or studies, a growing number of foreigners are uprooting their lives to move to Singapore. Some of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36467,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36466\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}