--- title: "‘My children are S’porean’: British man declares love and gratitude for S’pore after living here for 20 years" url: "/trending-now/my-children-are-sporean-british-man-declares-love-and-gratitude-spore-after-living-here-20-years" published: "2026-11-01T04:07:24.000Z" updated: "2026-11-01T04:07:24.000Z" section: "Trending Now" authors: ["Ivan Lim"] tags: ["expatriate","expats","uk","foreigner"] --- # ‘My children are S’porean’: British man declares love and gratitude for S’pore after living here for 20 years A TikToker from the UK who made a heartfelt declaration of his love for Singapore after living here for 20 years has warmed the hearts of many Singaporeans. Martin John, an osteopath and founder of Orchard Health Clinic, speaks about the warmth of Singaporeans and how they genuinely want you to succeed, and their love for sharing food. He says that when he first came to Singapore, he felt he had an extended family, which was so refreshing to him. He also recalls how he felt he wanted to stay in Singapore and how its system rewards you when you contribute to it. “I like that the more you put in, the more you get out. The system was there for you. For me, Singapore was like you can build the life you want to build,” he says, which was not something he could have done in the United Kingdom. “I feel a great sense of gratitude to Singapore. Anything I can do to show my appreciation, my love for Singapore, that’s what I want to do and that’s why I’m doing this,” says John, whose wife and three sons are Singaporean. “Singapore inspired me to be better. It made me better. And I’m immensely grateful for that opportunity. And I’m immensely grateful to Singapore, the people in Singapore. And I know I want to give that back,” he says. ## Netizens share their appreciation The video, lasting almost three minutes, was shared on Oct 15 and has since garnered more than 30,700 views, 1,399 reactions and 195 comments, practically everyone of which was positive. “I love what you said. Thank you,” said one user. “I like people who appreciate Singapore! Thank you and glad you love it here. I love my country, too!” another said. Several netizens appreciated how he integrated with the community. “Thank you for sharing your experiences. People who gel in with us are most welcome to Singapore…and your “Ai Yah” tells me you are doing just great,” said one. Another said: “Wow, finally, someone who understood how we build our life and society. It is for everyone and it is for ourselves. Happy that you found something that you are happy with.” Some commented on his observation on Singaporeans sharing food. “Sharing food is part of our culture,” said a netizen. “Thanks for sharing your comparison, yes we do like to share food so that we can order a variety to experience. Hope you didn’t have to eat the last piece of meat,” another said. “The paiseh piece!” remarked yet another. “Haha, now I understand! I’ve seen this happen so many times but never knew there was a name for it. Thank you for explaining, really appreciate it!” said John in reply. ## ‘We should learn to be more grateful like him’ Several netizens said Singaporeans should learn to be more grateful for what they have here. “We should learn to appreciate and be more grateful of Singapore like him,” said one TikTok user. “It’s insightful to hear about how our culture enabled and enriched your life here. It’s sometimes so easy for locals like me to take it for granted,” another said. A Singaporean netizen, in response to his wanting to give back, also said: “Give us more babies?” “Haha, three boys already! I think my wife might have something to say about a fourth! But thank you, that’s a really lovely comment,” said John. Stomp has reached out to Martin John for more details.