Some might think it difficult to uproot themselves and follow their spouses to a foreign land. But for these four, adjusting to life in Singapore has been a breeze.

Predictably, Singapore is safe, convenient and comfortable. It is also friendly and exciting, say the women, who represent part of the sizeable – and growing – community of foreign couples here.

Alpana, Lila, Marie-Caroline and Ying chose to be homemakers when they relocated here. However, Singapore offers opportunities for them to not only pursue their own interests, but also to give back to society.

Turning up their noses at the term ‘trailing spouses’ - connoting spouses who passively follow their partners abroad - these four women tell us what they get up to in Singapore.

The mother
Name: Lila Roosmalia (main picture)
Nationality: Indonesian
Age: 35

It has been 11 years since Indonesian national Lila Roosmalia left her job as a property agent in Jakarta to join her boyfriend, a British national to whom she is now married. Her 44-year-old husband is a property surveyor.

It was being in Singapore that gave the mother of two the impetus to ‘go back to school’. Lila decided to study Mandarin and also to train as a Montessori teacher.

Most of her time is spent taking care of her son Jamie, aged 10, and her daughter Sophie-Rose, five.

But last year, she started weekly Mandarin lessons because she found it “embarrassing” not being able to speak the language after living here for “so long”. Now she is able to help Jamie with his Mandarin as he is studying it in school.

The parent-volunteer at her children’s school hopes to be a part-time teaching assistant after her Montessori training.  This is so that she can have the same schedule as her children and enjoy flexible working hours.

Life is great as it is, says Lila. Play dates give her the opportunity to socialise with other expatriate mothers, while lunch dates allow her to catch up with friends.

The Painter
Name: Alpana Vij
Nationality: Indian
Age: 41

She recently held an exhibition “Where the Sidewalk Ends — portraits by Alpana Vij” at the Gallery of Gnani Arts.

Giving up her seven-year-old business – designing and producing furniture and interior accessories – in Mumbai wasn’t easy, but Alpana felt she could pursue her passion in Singapore just as well.

She moved here in 2004 with her husband Rajiv Vij, 43, a life and executive coach, also an Indian national. The couple have two children, a 14-year-old son and a daughter, eight.

Here, Alpana moved from designing furniture and painting murals to eventually painting on canvas.

When her children are in school, Alpana works on her art. This could be anything from painting, researching ideas, experimenting with new techniques or stocking up on materials at her favourite haunt, Art Friend, at Bras Basah.

Singapore is “such an efficient place” that it frees up a lot of time for her to focus on her art, says Alpana.

Being here has also added to her learning and growth as an artist. Alpana has been part of the research teams for some interesting exhibitions both at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) and the National Museum. She couldn’t have settled here at a more opportune time.

“There are new and exciting shows constantly opening that are really inspiring and which create a very vibrant, creative environment,” says Alpana who is a member of Friends of the Museums (FOM).

She also volunteers at her children’s school or at the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore where she teaches young people arts and crafts.

The Museum Guide
Name: Marie-Caroline Dallery
Nationality: French
Age: 53

This multi-linguist speaks five languages – Mandarin, Spanish, German, English, and French. And she is no stranger to living in a foreign land, having lived in Berlin for five years and in Beijing for 10 years before she relocated here in 2004.

Yet it is Singapore that has allowed her to realise her dream, says Marie-Caroline.The mother of two sons, aged 21 and 13,  has found a new way of life as a volunteer at FOM. A museum guide at the ACM, Marie-Caroline is also in charge of its Asian Book Group which she hosts on Friday mornings.

This is a small, informal discussion group that meet to discuss and review a selected book that all group members have read. Asian books or books by Asian authors are the focus.

“Working with museums has been a dream come true,” she says and the experience has also given her the opportunity to meet Singaporeans.

Her husband, 54, who is also French, works for an oil and gas company and is often out of town, so Marie-Caroline opted not to look for a full-time job. She is about to obtain a diploma from The American Coaching Academy to qualify as an executive coach.

The Homemaker
Name: Ying
Nationality: Malaysian
Age: 33

A video producer who made corporate videos for multi-national companies, Ying is now content just spending time with her husband, a British national who works in the property industry, and their two daughters aged five and three.

She quit her job in 2005,  but the stay-at-home mother has also forged bonds with the Singapore community. When her daughters are away at Mandarin classes, Ying gives tuition twice a week to underprivileged children at the Family Service Centre in Kampong Kapor.

She does this because she wanted to do something “helpful”.

“It’s more fulfilling to do it yourself because you get to see the results when the kids get better at their school work,” she says.

“There’s a sense of satisfaction as compared to just giving more money to charity.”

She is also a parent volunteer at her daughters’ school. But being able to be a fulltime mother in Singapore is something that Ying most relishes.

The country is very child-friendly, she says.

“Baby chairs are available at many places and breast feeding facilities are available for mothers. Some places  even have toilets for children.”

This article was written by Nellie Tay and first published in Singapore Magazine (Oct-Dec 2010 issue).