For large parts of my life, I have wanted to be anywhere but here.
When it came time for university, I chose one in the United States because it was far away from Singapore. If I had been willing to deal with snow, I might have gone to the east coast of the US, about six hours further away by plane. But the weather in northern California suited me perfectly.
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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on August 09, 2020, with the headline Spicy salad embodies a city's colourful culture. Subscribe