On National Day, she still makes an effort to wear red and white, and listen to old National Day songs on YouTube.
“I got to a point where I was like, actually this is who I am,” said Mrs Teo. “I am Singaporean and it would feel weird to me to say I’m not, or I’m no longer.”
“MY FAMILY, HOUSE AND JOB ARE HERE”
When Ms Jessica Zhuang, 36, had to give up her Chinese citizenship, she did not struggle emotionally.
“The only thing was, when I brought my Chinese passport to the embassy, I thought I might get scolded for renouncing my citizenship. Maybe it was a bit of a guilty conscience, but they didn’t scold me,” she said with a laugh.
Ms Zhuang, who became a citizen in August last year, felt she had completely assimilated into life in Singapore, where she has lived for most of her adult life.
“I’m used to life here,” she said, speaking to CNA in a mix of Mandarin and English. “Some Singaporeans have become my true friends – people I can turn to when I have problems.
“My family, house and job are all in Singapore. I don’t plan to leave. Becoming a citizen was a very natural thing,” said Ms Zhuang, who works as a research fellow at the National University of Singapore. She got married in Singapore and has an eight-year-old daughter.