#30: Not all who wonder or wander are lost
The future of Myanmar remains uncertain, but a lingering hope for peace keeps everyone going.
Editor’s note:
Welcome to this week’s edition of SEAmplified! We amplify the voices of youths and unravel our shared culture and lived experiences in Southeast Asia.
Today, we’re introducing a brand new commentary series – Hear Me Out – where Southeast Asia’s youths share their perspectives on issues close to their heart.
Here’s the first commentary from
, a serial entrepreneur from Singapore who’s now advocating for more people to understand Myanmar, and stop the brain drain caused by the coup since 2021.Jeshua penned a note for the Burmese who have left and encouraged them to remain hopeful while reflecting on his commitment to “stay” in Myanmar and make a difference despite the challenging situation.
Reading time: 7 minutes
💬 Hear Me Out
A commentary series that brings you unfiltered and unique perspectives straight from Southeast Asia’s youths, touching on a broad range of societal issues that concern them today. A note to those who've left Myanmar, from a foreigner who has ‘returned’👣🤔:
by Jeshua Soh
I’m writing to you from a place that might feel both distant and familiar- Myanmar 🇲🇲.
For those of you who have left, whether in search of safety, opportunity, or having lost hope for the future, I pray this letter finds you well, wherever you are.
I may not be Burmese nor from Myanmar, but I’d dare say that I know a thing or two, having visited all the states and regions, hired more than 100 employees in the last six years, and spent many waking hours talking about and with the populace.
These days, I make monthly visits to Yangon, and admittedly, life in Myanmar seems a little unrecognizable at times, far from the ‘glory days’ pre-pandemic. Yet every day, things are far from static— people adapt, persist, and we find new ways to keep the hope alive.
I’ve seen the stories you share online about your new lives abroad. Some of you are in places where you can breathe easier, where things seem simpler. Others face an entirely different set of struggles—working jobs far beneath your qualifications, finding your feet in unfamiliar cultures, or living with the ache of missing your family and friends back home.
I’ve done my fair share of wandering around the globe as well, to the tune of 55 countries in fact, as I found myself stuck outside both Singapore and Myanmar during the Covid-19 pandemic. Loneliness, navigating shifting restrictions, discrimination, and high costs are certainly not a walk in the park.
Many of you have left behind careers, businesses, and dreams you started here, and it’s easy to wonder if you made the right choice. For some, leaving wasn’t even a choice, but a necessity.
The truth is, there's no easy answer. The pull to stay or go, to rebuild or to start over, has never been straightforward.
Even now, as I write this, people in Myanmar are constantly debating whether to hold on or let go, whether the situation will improve or continue to shift beneath our feet. Will Myanmar even remain intact or disintegrate and cease to exist as a country? But know this, your journey, wherever it has taken you, matters and you’re carrying part of Myanmar’s story along with you.
On the other hand, things in Myanmar haven’t stopped moving, even if at times it feels and looks like we’re stuck in place or have even gone back in time by a decade. For those who stay, or have returned like yours truly, it’s impossible to ignore the impact of friends and family who’ve gone abroad. The empty chairs at the dinner tables, the unspoken questions about when or if they’ll return, weigh heavily on the national conscience.
For those still here, we wonder: What's left for us? What’s in it for me to hold the fort?
They may not verbalize it out of concern for you, but I believe I can speak on behalf of my friends in Myanmar that you are dearly missed.
As a business owner, I think about whether I should stay or I should go often, even as I say that I want to stop the brain drain. Nearly 11 years ago, I first set foot in Myanmar, drawn in by the possibilities, the untapped potential, and the richness of the culture. Little did I know that this place would become my second home, and that I’d build a life, a business, and deep relationships here.
Having chosen to come back once the pandemic restrictions were lifted, I sometimes question whether I made the right choice. Like many of you, I faced uncertainties and challenges.. Yet it was my years spent traveling far and wide, getting ‘stuck’ for 2 years outside due to Visa issues and trying to make sense of what’s next that reminds me there's no place like home.
Even when I was away, Myanmar has never left my thoughts. I desired to make a difference, no matter how small, to nudge this country not my own toward a more positive trajectory. There’s a tenacity here—a refusal to give up and a commitment to stay for so long as I am welcome and there is just one individual in my company who believes in the mission and vision (to stop the brain drain) and wants to work toward it.
Despite everything, there are people who continue to build, to innovate, and to create new paths forward- more than I imagined by a long shot. There are now 20 of us internally and over 140 Crossworkers working with over 60 companies even as many still shun the country. We’re focused on connecting local talent with global opportunities, offering people a chance to earn and learn without leaving their families behind.
I won’t pretend that staying is an easy choice. Many grapple with what the future holds, and there are days when the road ahead seems unclear. But I know that there are still opportunities to build something meaningful, even here— those who stay make them, and it is often amidst the toughest of times where the tough get going. We may be working with fewer resources and in more difficult circumstances, but the work is happening– for those of us who have stayed/returned, we’re doing what we can to create something that will last.
No matter where you are in the world– whether working in a new city or sitting in a familiar café/office back home– we’re all part of the story of Myanmar that is still being written. Hope is important and integral to our survival, as the famous saying goes:
a person can live forty days without food, four days without water, four minutes without air, but only four seconds without hope.
Perhaps leaving was the only way to reignite a little hope, for you to see a future at all, and perhaps you didn't quite have a choice. I understand that deeply, and there’s no judgment in that.
And perhaps hope is also what keeps me going: that even though it sometimes feels like we’re scattered, we’re still connected. I hope you know that your experience—no matter how difficult or rewarding—still matters to all who are still in the country, to me. Your journey is part of a much bigger picture, one that spans borders, cultures, and histories. And while your decision to leave might have been filled with uncertainty, it was a step forward, and it doesn’t sever your connection to this place, it doesn’t mean you cannot make another step forward, to return or to contribute in some other way from a new home that you will hopefully find one day.
For those who have returned, we’re learning to navigate the challenges of today while holding on to the hopes of tomorrow. It’s not always easy, but we’re still here—working, living, and believing that a better future is possible, even if we can’t see it clearly yet. For me, the best time is yesterday. Doing something is much better than nothing, even as it may sometimes feel like a drop in a bucket.
So whether you’ve left, stayed, or returned, may this letter serve as a reminder that Myanmar is more than the sum of its struggles or parts. It’s a people that continues to inspire and challenge me, an idea/identity for those who choose to embrace her and a home for many, regardless how far we may be in the world. Whether you’ve found peace in your new home or are still searching, you’re still part of the fabric of Myanmar.
Stay strong. Stay connected. Keep moving forward, and know that you're not alone.
I’ll conclude with an excerpt from the song ‘This Wandering Day’ from The Lord of The Rings, The Rings of Power:
Sing to me, sing to me lands far away
Oh, rise up and guide me this wandering day
Please, promise to find me this wandering day
At last comes their answer through cold and through frost
That not all who wonder or wander are lost
No matter the sorrow, no matter the cost
That not all who wonder or wander are lost
Yours Sincerely,
Jeshua Soh
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If you’re a youth in Southeast Asia (aged 18-35) and have something close to your heart to share with everyone, we’d love to hear from you! Simply drop us a pitch at hello@seamplified.com.
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