Ten Sure Signs You Are An Expat Kid Living in Singapore

1) Your parents don't ground you. They threaten to turn off the air-conditioning.

2) When you meet a friend for the first time you ask them: "So how big is your pool?"

3) You complain that there is something about the kindergarten class you don't like but can't quite put your finger on. (It's the Mandarin.)

4) Anything below a ten hour flight on a plane leaves you disappointed. "That's all?"

5) Roti prata and seasoned seaweed are your favorite snacks.

6) You think the corner on the sidewalk outside your condo is for hailing taxis.

7) You dream about wearing gloves and sweaters or even a long sleeved shirt.

8) When they find a cobra at school, you reassure your mother: "It was just a little one."

9) When you don't see your Dad at home you wonder if he's in China or Japan?

10) You've probably travelled business class at least once. Your parents realize this was a huge mistake. You unfailingly ask them before any trip from this moment on: "Are we travelling business class?"

(Featured in Expat Living magazine, October 2010)