bobby12 0 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Are there many people on here who have lived in Singapore? I'm thinking to relocate out there, but it would be as a local hire not as an "expat" (internal company transfer at my own request, so no fat compensation package). The main thing I am concerned about is whether most expats there are only short term and high salaries, or if there is a decent % of local hire expats. I don't want to join the British Club and spend all my time (and money) in there with middle aged executives. I have many questions but will let people add general comments first. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 The Gimp moved there and seems to like it. Personally, I'd rather slit my wrists. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 (Sorry can't help bobby, but) Why's that thursday? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Singapore is waaaaay too hot and humid for me t live year round, also no snow! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I find Sing very boring. And their accents really irritate me. The weather is 365 days hot hot hot. And the pace at which they get things done is...... ....ZZZZZZZ........ ZZZZZZZ. ....... and it's a fine place Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 Hehe. Well Im fairly uptight these days, I follow the law and dont even drink hardly anymore. I got kids too, so I'm thinking maybe Singapore is made for me. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 what the hell is wrong in society when you get fined for urinating in a lift. It happens ALL the time in the UK. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Nah, it just smells like it!! Link to post Share on other sites
Rag-Doll 0 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Bobby pay no attention to Thursday, the HK pollution has messed up his brain....and his lungs, and his skin, and his eyes and...well you get the picture. Singapore, like any other place, has its good points and bad points. (1) Yes it is hot all the bloody time and probably uncomfortably hot during mid-day but, after all, it is only about 80miles from the Equator. But the mornings are pleasant and the evenings are really nice with lots of outdoor restaurants in which to enjoy balmy tropical evenings. (2)It is neat, clean and everything pretty well works like it should. (3) Its very green with a real tropical/jungle feel in many places. (4) Apparently (I wouldn't know) the local girls are pretty keen on western boys and BTW (probably, generally, IMHO) are marginally easier on the eye than their HK or TY sisters..they're a bit more shapely! (5) The daily rain (it pours!) keeps the air pretty clean, though I haven't been here during the Indonesian fire season. (6) It is far more international than TY or HK and doesn't really have one single dominant culture, though Chinese is obviously a major influence, so too are the Malays, Indians and England. The radio sounds very Australian (perhaps that should be a bad point!) (7) The international schools are expensive but really very good. The local schools are much cheaper but also very good. (8) Everyone speaks English, more or less. (9)The airport access is easy and it is very cheap to fly to a whole bunch of tropical resorts. (10) Tax is really low. (11) Lots of sporting facilities and sporting activities to get involved with. Bad points. (1) It is expensive and in many ways probably more expensive than TY - Cars, western style food, alcohol, accommodation all cost heaps – but maybe it is because I’m back spending real money after the play money of HK and TY. (2) It is hot all the bloody time. (3) It is a small town (4) Singaporeans are really bad drivers (5) Everything is built using cheap and unskilled labor from Malaysia and Bangladesh. (6) Staying at a tropical resort is jnow ust like being at home but with more insects. (7) There is a subtle level of government control that pervades the media – current affairs and politics are pretty banal. My family and I spent 4 yrs in TY, 3 yrs in HK and moved to Sing last Sept – I was on expat packages in both places but took a local package here and I’m not really disadvantaged at all. It would be different if I was a US citizen (the US tax is a problem). The quality of life here is very good, lack of snow notwithstanding. I actually miss the change of seasons more than anything but this is an easy place to live, no question. Link to post Share on other sites
Rag-Doll 0 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Don't know the percentages but there are a lot of long term westerners here so likely they're on local packages. The club scene here isn't as big as it is in HK and there isn't the gaijin enclaves (a la the TAC) in TY. Most people I knew in HK were members of a club of some sort, but I don't know anyone here who is. Also, I don't think this is seen as being a hardship posting like TY sometimes is so there are a lot of people here who are just your average punter taking advantage of the low tax rate and tropical life style as opposed to some sort of pims-on-the-verandah expat sent to the far east for a few years and compensated for the hardship by a sweet deal. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 The Gimps no (4) sounds good. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 The Gimp has it good cos he's a lawyer. Us ordinary people will be the fast food eaters and the bus riders. Seriously, Sing is really boring, slit wristingly so. Thank HK I dun live there. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 Gimp - thanks for the info. Ive been reading up on it a lot lately as I have an offer to go there, but I may just go back to UK instead. I was in Singapore last september and had a good time. Do most expats live in condos? Even the local hires? Prices seem to be from 130,000yen a month for an old one progressing up to 250,000yen or more for newer ones in better locations. I suppose its reasonable compared to Tokyo, especially if you are getting a shared pool/gym/bbq-pits etc thrown in as well. The HDB places are cheaper but they look a bit bleak, and I wonder if we would be a bit out of place in one of those. Link to post Share on other sites
Rag-Doll 0 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Most expats probably do live in condos and there are all sorts with a whole range of prices and quality and sizes. You're sure to find something. I hear prices are coming down a bit these days too. Costs will vary obviously depending on size and location and number of rooms etc. I don't know how any westerners live in HDB's, though I get the impression that westerners are something of a rarity in the local shops, so probably rare in the HDBs as well. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I've only spent one day there, but there were loads of sexy ladies and great street food. It was on the way back from India, so I didn't notice the heat. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Singapore - without doubt very high up on the scale in terms of sexy chicks. But bobby is a married man, so perhaps that will put him off. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 I wasn't too into the Singapore girls. I'd rank them above Chinese but maybe only on a par with South Koreans. They dont seem to have as much style (fashion sense) compared to europeans or japanese. Link to post Share on other sites
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