Sometimes it takes an outsider to remind us not to take things for granted.

Kim Nguyen is a 22-year-old artist who was born in Vietnam but has spent 17 years of her life in Singapore.

Having fallen in love with this country and considering it her home, she applied for Singapore citizenship about one-and-a-half years ago.

Unfortunately, she was rejected.

Artistic endeavour

In response to this blow, Nguyen created a number of illustrations to tell her story and express her disappointment at not becoming a Singaporean citizen.

She shared them on her Facebook page, in an album titled "17 years only":

Rejection:

She shared a childhood photo of one of her earliest experiences in Singapore: Her five-year-old self on the MRT back when it had only red and green lines:

And she also shared her experiences in school:

Nguyen spoke of making friends, finding a job, and finding love here.

She missed Singapore when she went overseas for exchange:

And recalls the ways in which she is just like any other Singaporean -- queuing for free things, buying Koi drink on a hot day, and reciting the pledge by heart.

She has a theory why her application was rejected:

But Nguyen said she would not give up:

You can see the entire album in the Facebook post below:

Reactions

Responses to her heartwarming illustrations have won her some fans who have expressed their support:

Top image adapted from Kim Nguyen's Facebook page.

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