Yesterday I spent an hour at the US Embassy here in Singapore. I am requesting their help replacing a lost social security card. Where mine went in the decades that have passed since I last saw it I do not know. But I need a replacement for some tax documents. While I was in the embassy, I overheard a man forfeiting his US Citizenship. I was fascinated.
The embassy here is a strange looking fortress on a hill. Its intimidating design reminds the viewer of medieval castles. Among Singapore’s shiny adolescent buildings it is completely out of place. The building’s exterior properly advertises the security throughout. Doors that seem to carry man-crushing mass swing slowly open for visitors. Multi-inch, bulletproof glass separates the staff from visitors. That glass was responsible for me overhearing the conversation I am about to relate.