SINGAPORE: Ms Elena Tsvetkova was born in Singapore to Russian parents, and she’s been here all her life. She told YouTuber Max Chernov in a video posted on Friday (May 12) that she feels like a local, and that her go-to hangover meals are either chicken rice or wanton mee.
And yet, she’s neither a citizen nor even a permanent resident, but not for lack of trying.
“I tried to apply for PR. It didn’t happen, unfortunately. I’m still trying,” she told Chernov.
Except for her features and her accent, Ms Tsvetkova is perhaps as Singaporean as they come. And she was able to take Chernov on a bit of a journey about how the country has changed in the past couple of decades.
She also told him that it used to be that when she went out, the only thing she would order was chicken rice.
It’s obvious that the young woman is aware of her unique situation as a full-on expatriate in the country where she was born, the birthplace she has come to know best (aside from the three years she spent at sea as a very young child).
And while she’s a Russian citizen, she’s never actually been there.
Despite being Singaporean in everything but blood, her status in the country is dependent on her Employment Pass.
People who encounter her get shocked when she tells them her back story.
“In taxis, they’re always like, ‘Oh, yeah, how long have you been in Singapore for?’”
She tells them, “Oh, I was born and raised here.”
And when they ask, “Oh, okay, so you’re a Singaporean?”
She answers back, “Ummm, no.”
Ms Tsvetkova, a financial consultant, says her clients get confused because she’s got an American accent, a Russian name, and was born and raised in Singapore.
But it appears that the Little Red Dot is where her heart is.
“Because I’ve been here all my life, home is Singapore. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s Russia just because I’ve never lived there.”
/TISG
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