Rich People Problems-Kwan 2017 (WWT)

could see, and the sounds of cackling birds echoed through the breeze.
“Unbelievable! Thanks for bringing me here,” Scheherazade said.
“It doesn’t feel like we’re in Singapore anymore, does it?”
“Sure doesn’t. This is the first place I’ve been to in a long while that’s reminded me of
my childhood. I mean, it’s quite a relief to see that all this nature still exists here.”
Scheherazade stared at the calm reservoir in the distance, the water glinting in the lateafternoon
sun.
“Has the island changed that much? I only started coming here about five years ago.”
“Carlton, you can’t even imagine. Every time I’m back I hardly recognize it anymore. So
much of the old atmosphere has just been wiped clean.”
“I guess that’s why you like living in Paris?”
“Partly. Paris is great because every street you walk down is like an unfolding novel. I
actually love it because even though there’s history everywhere, it’s not my history. Does
that make any sense?”
“Sure. Shanghai is my hometown, but it doesn’t feel like home anymore. Whenever I’m
back it feels I can never escape my past. Everyone remembers everything about you—your
family history, your mistakes,” Carlton said, his face clouding for a moment before he
turned back to her. “But that’s not what you meant, was it?”
“Not really. For me, Paris is like neutral territory because it’s neither Singapore nor
England. You know, even though I was born in Singapore and lived here until I was ten, I
never felt like I truly belonged. Maybe it was because of how I looked—my hair was
almost blond back then—it seemed like most people just assumed I was ang mor. And my
mum inadvertently reinforced this by pretty much raising me as though I was British.
Aside from my Chinese cousins, everyone else we knew was part of the British set. I don’t
blame her at all—she felt awfully homesick and was overwhelmed at first by my father’s
family. So we sort of existed in this English expat bubble, and for the first ten years of my
life I went along thinking of myself as completely English.”
Carlton gave her a knowing smile. “Bit of a shock when you actually got to England,
wasn’t it?”
“Uh-huh. When we finally moved to Surrey, I realized that the English didn’t really see
me as I saw myself. I was this exotic, half-Chinese girl to them. So I felt like I was just
absolutely screwed on both ends—I wasn’t Singaporean enough, but neither was I English
enough.”
Carlton nodded in agreement. “I was sent away to school in England for most of my life,
and now I can’t really relate to the Chinese back home. In Shanghai, I’m seen as too
Westernized. Here in Singapore, I’m seen as an uncivilized Mainlander. But in London,
even though I’m clearly an outsider, I feel like I can just be myself and no one’s judging
my every move. I guess that’s what Paris does for you. You feel liberated.”
“Exactly!” Scheherazade said, flashing Carlton a smile so alluring, he had to stop
himself from staring.
A group of men entered the bridge from the other end, and as they came closer