5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Your S'pore Story: ‘I am not just becoming S'porean for myself – I am creating something for my daughters'
Home is where the heart is for Ms Eve Sewell, her husband Mr Muhammad Kazly Kas Kazan, and their three daughters.
What started as a New Year's resolution to learn Malay has become something much more meaningful for Ms Eve Sewell, 39.
Through her Instagram and
TikTok accounts , the 'ang moh mak cik' – her online moniker – shares her journey of not just learning a new language, but building a new life and identity as a Singaporean citizen, alongside her husband.
Watch their video here.
With more than 34,000 followers across both platforms, Ms Sewell's authentic storytelling resonates with people who understand the humorous struggles of being a fish out of water in a completely different culture. Yet her decision to give up her British citizenship reveals how completely she is embracing her new pond.
Ms Sewell, who moved from Cambridge, Britain, to Singapore in 2015 for love, officially became a citizen in March this year. Together, they are raising three daughters and intentionally creating a multicultural family where traditions from both sides can flourish.
In her own words, she shares the journey of choosing Singapore, the process of building new roots and what it means to call this island nation home.
Through her art, Ms Sewell finds both therapy and expression as she navigates her new identity as a Singaporean citizen.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
'When I was sitting at ICA, about to renounce my British citizenship, I was overwhelmed with emotions. It is such a strange feeling – you are happy and sad at the same time. I was giving up something I was born with, but I was also choosing something that had become so much more meaningful to me. It is wild, and I think you cannot really appreciate that feeling until you have done it yourself.
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My daughters were actually the most excited about it. They kept saying, 'Mummy can be the same as us now! You can have the same colour passport as us!' Their pure joy about it reminded me that this was not about losing something – it was about our family becoming more complete.
The decision to become Singaporean did not happen overnight. About three or four years ago, I noticed something had shifted. When I would travel back to the UK for work, it felt like going on holiday. But when the plane landed at Changi Airport, I would think, 'Oh, I have landed home.' That feeling just kept getting stronger until I could not ignore it anymore.
The warmth I have experienced here is unlike anything I knew in the UK. People are genuinely curious about each other, genuinely welcoming. Even on social media, when I shared about becoming Muslim and learning to wear my hijab, I expected criticism but found only support and encouragement.
Learning Malay became part of that journey of creating our family's identity. My girls are starting to take Malay lessons in school, and I realised I wanted us to be able to communicate as a family in this beautiful language. It is not just about the words – it is about connecting with my husband's heritage and giving our daughters that gift of being truly bicultural.
I miss having a garden and the cold weather – my fashion sense still does not quite work in Singapore's climate! But these are small things compared to what I have gained. I love the food, especially anything spicy. My mother-in-law put me through 'sambal training' when I first arrived, and now I cannot get enough of dishes like rendang or anything with sotong.
My art has become my therapy here, my way of staying grounded while building this new life. It is the best and cheapest marriage therapy I have ever had – happy wife, happy life, right? And now, through social media, I get to share not just my artwork but this whole journey of creating a new identity, new traditions and new roots.
What makes me most proud is that I am not just becoming Singaporean for myself – I am also creating something for my daughters. They are growing up seeing that home is not just where you are born, but where you choose to build your life with intention and love.'
