If you lived in Montpelier in the 1990’s there was a sight you could see almost every day of the year: the Burcham family (Richard and Lori and their kids Brooke and Dan) running either up or down the Platt Street bridge on their route around town. . Brooke now lives in Savannah, Georgia, but it is Dan who has run “far from home” to a new life in Singapore.
Dan’s road to Singapore went through Ohio University where he quickly came to the conclusion that he did NOT want to study journalism.
“I remember feeling frustrated with the coursework I was taking, and I had to take stock of what I was going to do with my life,” Dan related. “At some point, I kind of realized that what I enjoyed the most was spending time in the natural environment. I had this epiphany of sorts about the amazing beauty and complexity of natural systems, and I have always enjoyed being outdoors working with my hands. I guess I had known that for a while, but it took me some time to make peace with my blue-collar reality. In high school, I worked for Violet Bible and helped out with her yard work a lot, and I spent several summers helping with the landscape maintenance at Riverside Cemetery. I always enjoyed that kind of work, and I made up my mind to pursue that simple enjoyment. “
Dan left Athens to study horticulture at Ohio State. “During my first quarter in Columbus, I took some plant materials identification courses and I immediately understood that I found my calling.”
He also found his way to Brazil for a study abroad trip. “I had a crash course in cultural fluency, language, and food. It really helped me grow up from being a small-town kid with a limited view of the world.” The trip helped him focus on his love of both nature and travel, leading to his bachelor’s degree in 2007 with a major in horticulture and a minor in international studies.
His next stop was for a master’s degree at the University of Delaware, a program that included work with the famous Longwood Gardens in Philadelphia. “They have an MSc program to train young horticulturists to assume leadership roles in the field of public horticulture, which is basically the cultivation of plants in spaces for public use and enrichment. In this field, you might work in a botanic garden, municipal park, nature center, zoological park, or any other public landscape. By then, I was mostly interested in arboriculture and urban forestry as a career. This is basically the cultivation of street trees in cities and towns for their environmental, social, and economic benefits.”
A graduate program trip to Asia led to a fascination with the garden city-state of Singapore. “I took up a position in the National Parks Board, a Singapore statutory board, after I graduated from Delaware. Here, I’m conducting research on tree health issues. I’m working with others here to characterize the diseases of tropical street trees, develop diagnostic instruments, and seek treatment solutions. In one project, we’re attempting to use a beneficial microorganism (a fungus) to treat wood decay lesions in street trees. In the long term, we should be able to improve their health and increase their service life. It’s really exciting work for me to be involved in, and I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity. “
I asked Dan how a Montpelier upbringing prepared him for adult life in Singapore.
“Would it be bad to say that virtually nothing I experienced in Ohio prepared me to live in Singapore? Living successfully abroad as an expatriate isn’t so much a skillset as it is an attitude. It requires a lot of patience and openness. Singapore has four official languages, including Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English, which is the business language. It is incredibly diverse. The young Singaporeans speak a kind of creole language that mixes English, Chinese, and Malay words. They call it “Singlish.” It took me a long time to understand.”
“There were other stumbling blocks, including the “squat pot” in public toilets or the broad affinity for durian fruit that smells akin to rotting gym socks. However, Singapore is also a very easy place to live. It has a world-class public transportation system, cheap taxis, and delicious restaurants. I didn’t know Chinese food at all until I moved to Singapore. Now, I don’t know if I could live without xiao long pao (steamed soupy pork dumpling) or dan dan mian (spicy peanut sauce noodles). It’s also very safe. I don’t have to worry about wandering in any dark alleyways or anything.”
It hasn’t been all work in Singapore for Dan. It was there that he met his girlfriend Jui. “She’s a self-employed entrepreneur from Thailand, and she’s been living here in Singapore much longer than me.”
Dan said he is looking forward to a visit from his parents. “I've planned a lot of sightseeing in Singapore, and we'll go to Thailand for several days as well. I can just see the culture shock on their faces now”
Maybe they will all take a run together. “I run a few times a week and ride my bike to work every day!”
(Dan asked that I include his email address: danielburcham@gmail.com, noting he would enjoy hearing from Montpelier friends and Leader readers.)
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David Belden was a longtime Montpelier educator and a former managing editor of The Leader Enterprise, now living near Nashville, Tennessee. He can be contacted at david.belden@comcast.net.
