A Personal Dream

I am worried. I do not believe in the Singapore Dream. I fear that Singapore’s heyday of growth and prosperity are over. Singapore is a safe country. We are also a nation full of individuals who do not care much about each other. Singapore is supposed to be economically stable. Our unemployment rate is growing. Our standard of living is very high. We are a culturally vibrant society. We are also a very materialistic society. Most Singaporeans spend their time at work and all their weekends in the cinemas, shopping malls, restaurants and night spots. In Singapore, we live for a bright, better and prosperous Tomorrow. Are we postponing our lives for a Tomorrow that may never come? I worry again when conversations with many of my friends go like this:

‘How are you?’
‘Okay.’
‘What’s going on in your life?’
‘I work very hard during the week. I am very tired during the weekends. I just sleep and recover. I don’t do much. Life is boring. There is no quality of life in Singapore.’

My married friends sound bothered and burdened by the endless household chores and tending to young children. There is a hopeless feeling of tiredness hanging over my friends’ heads.

In 1998, Kenneth Ng, together with his American wife, Stacey and their one-year-old son, Tyler, left Singapore for the United States to start a new life. Ken and his wife wanted to live a better life than what was available in Singapore. They wanted their children to be exposed to an open society and enjoy a liberal arts education. After a homecoming celebration with Stacey’s family in Memphis, Tennessee, the Ng family moved to Chicago, Illinois.

‘Stacey and I read a book entitled, 50 Fabulous Places To Raise A Family in the USA. We also did our research on the internet and made enquiries. We chose Chicago for its schools, its vibrant business community and its strong creative arts.’

Both Ken, as he likes to be addressed and Stacey did not know anyone in Chicago. The initial year was one of learning for both of them. Without a network, they relied on each other for support and strength. Ken describes Stacey as his ‘spouse, partner and best friend’. During a backpacking trip in Europe, whilst he was a law student at University of Hull in England, Ken met Stacey in Italy. They backpacked together and fell in love. Subsequently, they kept in close contact and after completing the English Bar Examinations, Ken flew to the United States and married Stacey.

After their wedding, Ken and Stacey settled down in Singapore. After being admitted to the Singapore Bar, Ken started working for the Legal Service. He describes his job in the Legal Service as a rewarding and challenging career which required initiative and skill. He held a series of appointments concurrently: Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court, Registrar of the Land Appeals Board, Magistrate, Assistant Sheriff in Admiralty matters, bankruptcy judge, manager of the administrative staff in the Supreme Court and the Land Appeals Board, executive assistant and event planner for all Supreme Court functions.

In Chicago, Ken went back to study law again at DePaul University College of Law. ‘Besides adapting to a totally different legal system, I had to change the way I speak and write English. The legal writing and presentation of cases in Chicago is very different.’ He obtained his Juris Doctor Degree in 2000. He is licensed to practise law in the State of Illinois.

‘Americans come from diverse parts of a very big country. They are of every race, religion and colour. They have a choice of living in the desert, the city, the mountains or anywhere in between. Nothing is guaranteed or decided for us in the United States. We have to work for everything but at the same time, everything is possible if we want to work towards it,’ said Ken in reply to why he likes living in the United States. According to Ken, Chicago is a multi-cultural city filled with Russians, Chinese, Japanese, French, Mexicans, Polish and Italians. Many ethnic groups have their own neighbourhoods, restaurants and grocery shops. Americans in Chicago celebrate the four seasons with change of wardrobes and menus.

Ken and I were classmates in Bar School in London. A well-built man, Ken displayed great strength, determination and persistence. Sports and Ken are synonymous. A school swimmer, he started cross-country running at the age of 17. Besides cycling, he has been actively participating in triathlons since the 1990s. ‘Sports is more than a hobby to me. It defines me as a person and gives me a great balance in my life.’ In Chicago, he hikes, camps and travels with his family.

Ken may seem aloof to people who do not know him. Beneath the tough exterior, he is a man who cares about people and places emphasis on family values. ‘In Singapore, family is defined by past generations. In America, the focus is on future generations. My two children are my family and their upbringing is of utmost importance to me.’

After a career in a boutique law firm specialising in the clearance, prosecution and enforcement of domestic and international trademarks for Fortune 500 companies, Ken has now begun his own practice specialising in the field of trademarks, copyrights and unfair competition. ‘I enjoy intellectual property law because of my attraction to the creative arts. I now have an opportunity to deal with artists, designers and entrepreneurs. Inventions improve and change the way we live. Brands infuse our lives with their character and culture, ultimately shaping the way we live. I love being a part of these changes.’

Having known Ken for some years, I have wondered why he does not seem to possess any Asian values. ‘I do not have any values that are uniquely Singaporean. I was brought up by my mother to be open-minded and free-spirited, values that have carried me to this day,’ he explains. Ken sees himself as an American and not an Asian American. ‘When I decided to set up my own law practice, I just looked at my client base and my legal skills. My race did not matter at all. I may have a distinctive surname in my profession but I would not count that as an advantage.’

Many of his friends would say that Ken has a fairy-tale life. From our exchange of e-mails, meeting him and Stacey in Singapore recently and through the e-mail interview, I feel that it is their solid belief in their vision, the willingness to take risks, create changes and face challenges that has brought them to this stage of their lives. As Ken says, ‘You have one life to live. Don’t be afraid to live it.’

Rajan Chettiar
Rajan Chettiar & Co
E-mail: rajanchettiar@pacific.net.sg