From France to Singapore | Here To Stay
"French people love food, and what's best to pair with food is wine, and the best thing to pair with food and wine is people." Alan Simendinger, a 42-year-old Frenchman, shares his journey, from growing up in Africa to his adventures in China, his path eventually led him to Singapore, where he is now a Permanent Resident. He reflects on the city’s diverse culinary delights, the ease and efficiency of doing business, and the vibrant, ever-changing lifestyle of its community.
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Watch more: https://www.asiaone.com/video
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Fond memories? The first time we went to Universal Studios, the first time we went to Botanic Gardens,
00:06the first time we did the zoo. I did many zoos in my life, in many places, in many countries,
00:12and I have to admit, the Singapore Zoo is one of the best I've experienced.
00:16Many, many, many came to my mind.
00:22Bonjour, je m'appelle Alan, je suis français, j'ai 42 ans.
00:26Hello, my name is Alan, I'm French and I'm 42 years old.
00:30So, I grew up in Africa, from a few months old until I was 16,
00:36so I grew up in West African countries and Central African countries,
00:40where we say Senegal, Ivory Coast, Gabon and Congo.
00:45Then I moved back to France, I was 16, I did my study in the hospital industry,
00:50and I moved to China when I was 23 years old, where I stayed for 10 years,
00:55and in 2014 I moved to Singapore.
00:59So my father was born in Africa, during the Second World War.
01:03His father was an officer in the army, that's why he was sent to Africa to train Africans to become soldiers,
01:12but that's another story. So my father grew up over there.
01:14My time in Africa was amazing because of my parents' work.
01:18My father was in the wood industry, he had to go through the jungle,
01:22so with my mother and my sister we used to follow him for long adventures through the jungle.
01:28The weather was nice, same as Singapore, always sunny all year long with many rains.
01:36So we were spending most of our time outside, playing around, which was an amazing time,
01:42and I wish that for my kids as well, but unfortunately it's not the same environment for them here.
01:49I didn't disconnect with France because I was going back to France every summer,
01:53so we were always being taken care of by our grandparents, going to their summer house.
01:58But the first year moving back to France was a bit challenging because you move to one way of living to another,
02:04so I had to make new friends, also with a new environment, the seasonality in France,
02:11so to get used to the cold, making new connections with friends was a bit of a challenge
02:16because my background and my stories had to be put aside to adapt to the way of living in France.
02:22When I finished my study I had something deep inside me to go travel abroad and overseas,
02:28and I really wanted to go as far as possible.
02:32At that time, 2004, I was 23 years old, not many people were talking that much as we are talking about China nowadays,
02:40and my parents and my family were a bit hesitating for me to take this adventure,
02:45but they said, you grew up in a foreign country, you want to go, we cannot block you, so try your luck.
02:51The reason why China is because I was looking for an international ship, and I found one in China, in Chengdu.
02:58Then I took the first plane, and here I started my adventure in China.
03:02I really wanted to immerse myself in a new country where the way of life, the language, is totally opposite
03:09of what I was living through.
03:12So during my time and my many adventures in China, this is where I met my wife,
03:18Malaysian-Chinese, PR Singaporean.
03:22We got married in Singapore, then flew back to China,
03:27and when the second child was conceived, she decided for the sake of the family
03:32that a better environment would be Singapore.
03:36So she knew that the education system was one of the best in the world,
03:40and would give a brighter future for our kids.
03:43So we decided to prepare and move to Singapore.
03:46When I came to Singapore, yes, I found many, many challenges,
03:50because it was to readapt to a way of life in a much smaller country,
03:55a very dynamic and competitive country.
03:58So the great things in Singapore I have experienced,
04:01one, taxes. If I'm not wrong, it's one of the lowest taxes in the world.
04:07And number two also, I opened a few years ago a business,
04:10and I was amazed how easy it was to open my business.
04:14I went online, I clicked, and within a few minutes my business was on.
04:18I'm a very big supporter of the CPF scheme, because it helps you to anticipate for your golden age.
04:25Number two, the security. So you feel very safe in Singapore.
04:29My daughter is 13 years old. She can go to school by her own, with us, having no worries.
04:34Number three, I would say the facilities that Singapore offers.
04:39You have the possibility to have access to any type of food, any type of services.
04:44The activity that Singapore provides, so you don't get bored.
04:49You can do quite a lot of activities on weekends, being both indoor and outdoor.
04:54And then I adapted myself, and I started to enjoy Singapore.
04:59So French people love food, but what's the best to pair with food is wine.
05:03And what's the best to pair food and wine with is people.
05:08One of my hobbies in Singapore is to do a lot of home dinner.
05:11Not my place, too small, but going to friends' place.
05:14I like to mingle around, so I have a lot of Singaporean friends.
05:17And friends from different nationalities.
05:20Ten good friends help together quite frequently on a weekly basis.
05:24And among those ten, maybe two are French.
05:26I'm very, very open to new types of food.
05:30And in Singapore, I think you have a rich culture in terms of food.
05:34So my favourite, I'm a meat eater, so I like Pak Kut Teh.
05:37I like laksa.
05:38So it's the first time I'm trying Penang laksa.
05:41This is a bit sourish, but it's nice.
05:43With the fish sardines, huh?
05:46Yeah.
05:47I would say Singaporean is a mix of Chinese, Indian, Malay food.
05:51So I love Indian food as well.
05:53Plata, I love to have plata with a bit of curry dipping.
05:56Is it something I would eat every day? No.
05:58Because I like to cook, so I cook myself on a daily basis.
06:02And I try to mix between French to local flavours.
06:10So how's it going to be the next ten years?
06:13That's a big question because I'm 42 years old.
06:17I think the main target is to make sure that my kids
06:20grow up and do their studies.
06:23One, my boy to go through NS and then do the university.
06:28And once this is done, I think I will have less worries.
06:31The next ten years is to make sure that I'm a bread maker
06:35and I provide financially and spiritually and physically for my kids.
06:40If I see a younger version of myself coming for the first time into Singapore,
06:45I would say don't make any judgement.
06:47Embrace the place and take the good things and emphasise it to get the better outcome.
07:18Clovis will be 11 at the end of the year and he is still full of life.
07:22You miss them a lot and they can't wait to see you during your next visit.
07:27We will prepare an exceptional visit for you with a lot of activities,
07:32with family dinners.
07:34We love you very much.
07:36Kisses.
07:47Closing music.