Model and actress Ase Wang, 31, has lived overseas for the last seven years, but she does not feel that makes her any less of a Singaporean.

The pint-sized beauty - who stands at 1.6m - has been based in Bangkok, where she has carved a name for herself as an actress and performer.

Despite this, Miss Wang, who said she is "single, but dating", insisted she is still very much a Singaporean at heart.

"My friends call me 'Ang Moh Lian' and they are astonished that I pepper my sentences with Singlish whenever I talk," the former international school student told The New Paper.

However, her interests clearly are scattered across the globe.

Apart from her work in the entertainment field in Thailand, Miss Wang also travels regularly to Hong Kong and Los Angeles for acting and modelling work.

Later this year, she will be on local television screens as one of the judges of region-wide model hunt reality series Supermodel Me, which is filmed in Hong Kong.

Recently, Miss Wang, whose mother is Swedish and whose father is a Singaporean, embarked on a new career: As a businesswoman.

She invested in a barber shop, Never Say Cutz, with Thai pop star Way. She also owns her own clothing line.

But Miss Wang says her heart belongs here.

And one thing this beauty is certain of is that she will not give up her Singapore citizenship for anything.

"I am proud to be Singaporean and I believe that has helped me to be grounded in whatever I do," said Miss Wang.

She tries to return home as much as she can to spend time with her semi-retired father, 59, and her mother, 63, who live in Holland Village.

Moving abroad

Moving abroad was not a calculated career choice.

Miss Wang said: "I'm not opposed to working here, but I guess I'm very ambitious in the way that I do want to explore my options and I do want to learn new things.

"I feel a lot of local artistes are talented, but they are too comfortable here," she said.

But chasing her dreams has come at a price and there have been "sacrifices".

Miss Wang sighed: "You're on the road a lot and I am away from friends and family a lot.

"And the older you get the harder it is," she added.

"But I work hard because I want to keep versatile. If you want to be an entertainer, being comfortable in one area should not be an option."

What qualities do you have that makes you Singaporean?

Being ambitious.

How would you describe Singapore to a stranger?

I would tell them that Singapore is a very easy place to live in, it's so functional, clean and it's got everything!

What are the little quirks you see in Singapore every day?

Singaporeans can get pretty loud, especially when they are in the company of other Singaporeans abroad.

What food do you miss most when you are overseas?

Hokkien mee and mee pok.

Your favourite Singlish phrase?

Wah, jialat! (Hokkien for disastrous)

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As our population swells, the concept of a 'core Singaporean' is becoming murky. In this ongoing series to find the Singaporean Core - a term raised in Parliament during the Population White Paper debate - we speak to people with a pink IC to see how red and white they truly are

If you feel you are uniquely Singaporean or you think you know someone who is, e-mail [email protected] and share your story with us.

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