Ask me about Singapore

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Knitting Beetles: Feb 4, 2006; Fallen Rib

In January I have to stay about 3 weeks in Singapore for work and I'm looking around for a hotel. Work is in a place called Jurong West, which offers nothing. I see most of the hotels are in the same place, anything you can recommend? Having lots of different places to eat is a big plus. Save for the 5 star superfancy stuff my budget is pretty forgiving.

Another thing is transportation. How terrible is it to drive a car from downtown to there every day? I could get fairly close with the subway/train and take a taxi, would a car offer anything on the weekends or is it simply not necessary to have one?

If anyone is up for some drinks let me know, I'm usually pretty bored on weekends on these trips.

# ? Dec 1, 2012 12:39

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# ? Jun 9, 2024 05:23

Soy Division: Aug 12, 2004

There are lots of different places to eat almost anywhere in Singapore, assuming you are OK with eating in food centres.

That said, Holland Village is a nice neighborhood and not too far away. Pretty much anything that is downtown, you can get there.

Driving in Singapore sucks and is expensive as hell, even if your employer is paying parking is still a pain in the rear end. Not recommended. There are a few places better accessed by car like the zoo, but none you are likely to go to regularly.

Check the bus connections to your workplace, the bus system is very good and would probably be faster than your MRT+taxi plan. (And it can be hard to get taxis at outlying MRT stations..)

Soy Division fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Dec 4, 2012

# ? Dec 4, 2012 19:13

Cheesemaster200: Feb 11, 2004; Guard of the Citadel

Gail Wynand posted:

There are lots of different places to eat almost anywhere in Singapore, assuming you are OK with eating in food centres.

That said, Holland Village is a nice neighborhood and not too far away. Pretty much anything that is downtown, you can get there.

Driving in Singapore sucks and is expensive as hell, even if your employer is paying parking is still a pain in the rear end. Not recommended. There are a few places better accessed by car like the zoo, but none you are likely to go to regularly.

Check the bus connections to your workplace, the bus system is very good and would probably be faster than your MRT+taxi plan. (And it can be hard to get taxis at outlying MRT stations..)

If you are not okay with eating in food centers you should not be going to Singapore.

# ? Dec 4, 2012 19:41

Soy Division: Aug 12, 2004

Cheesemaster200 posted:

If you are not okay with eating in food centers you should not be going to Singapore.

My fianc�e's doctor actually told her to minimize eating in food centres, apparently 90% of hawker food is very high cholesterol and it's not uncommon to see huge cholesterol spikes among people who move to Singapore. Roti prata is one of the worst offenders, it's full of trans fats.

Teochew food is usually OK from a health perspective, though. Chicken rice is also not that bad for you.

Soy Division fucked around with this message at 21:28 on Dec 4, 2012

# ? Dec 4, 2012 21:24

Cheesemaster200: Feb 11, 2004; Guard of the Citadel

Gail Wynand posted:

My fianc�e's doctor actually told her to minimize eating in food centres, apparently 90% of hawker food is very high cholesterol and it's not uncommon to see huge cholesterol spikes among people who move to Singapore. Roti prata is one of the worst offenders, it's full of trans fats.

Teochew food is usually OK from a health perspective, though. Chicken rice is also not that bad for you.

I know coconut milk is horrifically bad for you. I was making Thai red curry the other day and got a can of it at the supermarket. It was like 120% saturated fat per can plus an ungodly amount of cholesterol. For some reason I had it in my head that cocunut = some sort of vegetable/fruit = good for you.

# ? Dec 4, 2012 21:45

kru: Oct 5, 2003

If you are actually here at the moment Gail, give me a shout if you want to meet up for a beer or what have you:

kru fucked around with this message at 16:39 on Dec 5, 2012

# ? Dec 5, 2012 02:41

Soy Division: Aug 12, 2004

Bad timing, I just got back to the US

Will be back again in February though, and probably moving permanently not too long afterwards.

# ? Dec 5, 2012 05:14

Invisible Handjob: Apr 7, 2002; by FactsAreUseless

Cheesemaster200 posted:

I know coconut milk is horrifically bad for you. I was making Thai red curry the other day and got a can of it at the supermarket. It was like 120% saturated fat per can plus an ungodly amount of cholesterol. For some reason I had it in my head that cocunut = some sort of vegetable/fruit = good for you.

It's actually pretty arguable on whether the saturated fat in coconut milk is actually bad for you, avoid it if you want to play on the safe side but it's really not that clear cut as what is on the label.

# ? Dec 6, 2012 01:32

Soy Division: Aug 12, 2004

Invisible Handjob posted:

It's actually pretty arguable on whether the saturated fat in coconut milk is actually bad for you, avoid it if you want to play on the safe side but it's really not that clear cut as what is on the label.

It's not as bad as it looks on the label, but it's still pretty bad for you. I like a good bowl of laksa as much as the next guy, but probably best to make it a once a week thing.
http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2008/09/25/2372372.htm

quote:

What does this actually mean for health outcomes? It's not good news, as one study comparing the number of deaths from heart disease between residents of Singapore and Hong Kong found. The number of deaths was around three times higher in Singapore, and one of the factors that researchers blamed for this was higher consumption of coconut and palm oil in Singapore. (Like coconut oil, palm oil is high in saturated fats, but the two differ in their fatty acid make-up.)

Having said that, coconut oil is not the worst fat to use. A study by Dutch researchers, for example, found that consumption of fat rich in lauric acid, as coconut fat is, is still better for your cholesterol profile than fat high in trans-fatty acids � a form of unsaturated fat created during manufacturing of foods like biscuits and pastries, which are known to be even worse than saturated fats for your cholesterol profile.

But then there's a puzzle. Several studies have looked at the health of people whose diets are particularly high in coconut products � oil, flesh and milk � and found that when their whole diet is taken into consideration, coconut is actually a benign and possibly even helpful component.

Professor Mark Wahlqvist, director of the Asia Pacific Health and Nutrition Centre at Monash University, has been examining the health of people in West Sumatra for around 25 years. Coconut is a staple of West Sumatran cuisine, particularly among the people of the Minangkabau region, but lately its use has been declining as more convenient cooked foods have become readily available. At the same time, the rates of coronary heart disease have gone up.

The reason could be that while they do consume a lot of coconut product and use the oil extensively for cooking, the Minangkabau people use it in conjunction with high intake of fresh fruit, vegetables and fish. In fact, the use of coconut actually encouraged consumption of fish and vegetables, as anyone who enjoys a good Thai fish curry can well appreciate.

Professor Walhqvist's research also found that it wasn't the amount of fat � either saturated or unsaturated � in their diet that made the difference between a healthy or unhealthy heart, it was how much meat, eggs, sugar, carbohydrates and cholesterol. People with heart disease tended to eat more meat, eggs and sugar, and have higher intakes of protein and cholesterol, but they had lower intakes of soy products and carbohydrate such as rice and cereals. Most importantly, coconut consumption as flesh or milk was the same for both the healthy or unhealthy people.

This could explain why organisations such as the National Heart Foundation and American Heart Association include recipes containing coconut milk on their websites.

Chances are, if you're using coconut milk, you're going to be cooking something with plenty of fresh vegetables and perhaps some chicken, fish or tofu. If you use fat-reduced coconut milk, whatever saturated fats you get from the coconut will be balanced by all the benefits you get from the hefty dose of vegetables and other ingredients.

So while it's probably not a good idea to switch from olive oil to coconut oil, hang on to the fat-reduced coconut milk and use it to make a vegetable-laden Thai fish curry every once in a while.

Soy Division fucked around with this message at 22:51 on Dec 6, 2012

# ? Dec 6, 2012 22:46

DontAskKant: Aug 13, 2011; (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THINKING ABOUT THIS POST)

Coming to Singapore from 20 to 25th of January and was wondering if there really is that much to do if we are just interested in eating and going around some. Had the crazy idea to just stay for 3 days or so and jump off to Kuala Lumpur with the cheap plane tickets. Kind of deterred by the cost of lodging, even at the hostels.

Coming in from Seoul, Korea if that gives a frame of reference for anyone. Are the airports in KL and Singapore as efficient as I dream?

# ? Dec 24, 2012 06:13

kru: Oct 5, 2003

DontAskKant posted:

Coming in from Seoul, Korea if that gives a frame of reference for anyone. Are the airports in KL and Singapore as efficient as I dream?

You will easily be out of Changi in 30 mins, 25 mins and $0.90 into the city itself on the MRT.

I'd honestly recommend Penang over KL if you want to have a more relaxed 'Food/Sun/Fun' couple of days. Either way, I'll pm you my number so you can hook me up when you arrive.

# ? Dec 24, 2012 08:17

Cheesemaster200: Feb 11, 2004; Guard of the Citadel

DontAskKant posted:

Coming to Singapore from 20 to 25th of January and was wondering if there really is that much to do if we are just interested in eating and going around some. Had the crazy idea to just stay for 3 days or so and jump off to Kuala Lumpur with the cheap plane tickets. Kind of deterred by the cost of lodging, even at the hostels.

Coming in from Seoul, Korea if that gives a frame of reference for anyone. Are the airports in KL and Singapore as efficient as I dream?

Penang is better in my opinion. Nicer, cleaner city with better food and more too see. KL has the towers and the Batu caves, but aside from that it is kind of dull outside of food (which Penang has better of). Only thing that I thought KL had over Penang is the nightlife.

# ? Dec 26, 2012 03:03

DontAskKant: Aug 13, 2011; (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THINKING ABOUT THIS POST)

Ended up getting KL because the flight was cheaper and there is a metro, looking back on it, maybe I would have chosen otherwise had I known how many fees were added onto that one flight ticket. JetStar is on my poo poo list now. KL, won't be bad though, my vacation is also a scouting mission for a new city to find work in.

# ? Dec 26, 2012 06:34

creamyhorror: Mar 11, 2006; the incredible adventures of superworm across America

DontAskKant posted:

Coming to Singapore from 20 to 25th of January and was wondering if there really is that much to do if we are just interested in eating and going around some. Had the crazy idea to just stay for 3 days or so and jump off to Kuala Lumpur with the cheap plane tickets. Kind of deterred by the cost of lodging, even at the hostels.

Coming in from Seoul, Korea if that gives a frame of reference for anyone. Are the airports in KL and Singapore as efficient as I dream?

I'll just post my response to your PM here, in case it's useful to anyone else:

Hey man,

This is a pretty terrible Asian city cost-wise, with the exception of food and subway transport. Hostel rates are what you'd expect for a major first-world city, but of course they're still much more affordable than hotels. I don't have any hostels to recommend specifically, but I can advise you on which locations are convenient. I think caberham stayed in A Beary Good Hostel in Chinatown the last time, which is good location-wise, but you should ask him for a review. Basically you want a hostel which is near an MRT station not too far from the city centre. Here's an article to start with:

http://travel.cnn.com/singapore/play/best-backpacker-hostels-singapore-814886

Once you pick out a few choices from TripAdvisor/other hostel search sites, send me the links and I'll tell you if I think the locations are any good. Also let me know what attractions you want to see and if there are any particular areas you want to visit, e.g. for food.

kru recommended this hostel: http://www.happysnailhostel.com/rates--facilities.html

FOOD:
The good food is scattered around the island, but there'll be decent stuff in most places. Street fare (hawker, food courts and small restaurants) will cost you about S$5-8 including a non-alcoholic drink, except in the most touristy areas. Low-end to mid-range restaurants will run you S$12-20. There's a lot to say about the myriad of dishes here but in the end you'll just have to try stuff at random and decide what you like. When we meet up we can go try popular places (like the Bak Chor Mee stall near Lavender MRT that I brought caberham to, or the venerable Old Airport Road hawker centre, or Guan Hoe Soon for Peranakan food). Remember to have some kaya toast and kopi before you go.

PLACES:
I suggest identifying two or three areas for each day, and exploring just those places. There's little point in rushing here and there.

Here's a sample itinerary that covers some of the mainstays and older attractions:
http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Three_days_in_Singapore

The top spots from TripAdvisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attractions-g294265-Activities-Singapore.html

And here's a decent list of activities from a blog:
The BIG List: Fifty (50!) Fun Things to See and Do in Singapore
(Caveats: 1 - Avoid buying electronics/gadgets in Sim Lim Square and Lucky Plaza, you'll probably get scammed; 2 - the indie clothing on Arab Street/Haji Lane isn't cheap)

I suggest checking out:

1) Gardens by the Bay: our newest, shiniest attraction, a big-rear end manmade garden, free to enter but there are 2 domes that are paid entry (and apparently worth it). Go in the evening to see the massive supertrees light up. I've been meaning to visit this place myself. Keep in mind that the nearest MRT is Bayfront MRT.
http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g294265-d2149128-Reviews-Gardens_By_The_Bay-Singapore.html

2) The Asian Civilisations Museum: covers Southeast Asian history well, definitely go if you like museums, history, or Asian art. Otherwise, go to the National Museum, for a lighter, more general introduction to the country. Both are nearest Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, but you can walk there from City Hall MRT as well.
http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g294265-d310896-Reviews-Asian_Civilisations_Museum-Singapore.html
http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g294265-d324550-Reviews-National_Museum_of_Singapore-Singapore.html

3a) The city centre - Chinatown, Tanjong Pagar, Ann Siang Hill, Boat Quay: just to get familiar with the urban core. You can start at Chinatown MRT station, wind your way through tourist-filled Chinatown to sample snacks, and pop into the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple if you pass by this large temple (visit the serene roof garden). Then on to the pleasant cafes and expat bars of Ann Siang Hill/Club Street (pricey though), then perhaps find your way to Tanjong Pagar or Raffles Place MRTs, where you can take a train a few stops to Bugis MRT (see 3b). (Alternatively, from Raffles Place you can follow the river to the nightlife-y areas like Clarke and Boat Quays - good for a post-dinner stroll.)
http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g294265-d317415-Reviews-Chinatown-Singapore.html
http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Singapore/Chinatown
http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Singapore/Riverside

3b) Arab Street and Little India: Get off at Bugis MRT, have a poke around Bugis Street/Village, a messy, crowded bazaar of street fashion and knickknacks popular with teens and tourists. Then find your way to Arab Street/Kampong Glam, which has a number of (evening) shisha lounges and little boutiques. Walk north to reach Little India, which will assault your senses. Then get to Little India MRT to train out of there.
http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Singapore/Bugis
http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Singapore/Little_India

4) The East: If you're feeling adventurous, you can explore an older, less developed part of town, which is reminiscent of the Singapore of 30-40 years ago. The eating is good around here, particularly for Malay and Peranakan (Nyonya) food, and at night things are much more lively. Notable streets/areas include Katong, Joo Chiat, Siglap, Geylang (red-light district), East Coast Lagoon (for seafood/chilli crab) - you can start from Aljunied or Paya Lebar MRTs and explore. See this Wikivoyage article, particularly the Eat section:
http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Singapore/East_Coast
If you're willing to take a serious stomach-busting challenge, go on the Betel Box Food Walk (this will cover more types of food than most tourists ever eat in Singapore) (runs on Thursdays only):
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/singapore/travel-tips-and-articles/76002
http://www.travelfish.org/blogs/singapore/2011/07/18/betel-box-food-walk-through-joo-chiat-singapore/

5) Walking tours: a local guide will give you a rundown about the history and culture of various places and peoples, which you'd never encounter if you simply walked around the colonial district, the Arab quarter, Chinatown or Little India on your own. Can be quite talky but very good if you're curious about the history and significance of the stuff you see, and you'll cover the must-see areas easily and pleasantly this way.
http://www.journeys.com.sg/singaporewalks/index.asp
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294265-d1635177-Reviews-The_Original_Singapore_Walks-Singapore.html

OTHER PLACES:
- If you visit the Botanic Gardens, only go in the early morning (7-10am) or evening (4-7pm) - it's too hot in the middle of the day. It's great if you love plants and gardens, decent otherwise. The Orchid Gardens are apparently very good for flower and orchid lovers.
- If you go to the zoo, that'll take at least half a day and you'll probably want to take a cab there (or you can do it like caberham and I did and take a bus). The Night Safari (next to the zoo) isn't bad if you like animals enough that the zoo wasn't enough.
- Orchard Road's fancy malls are okay for a 2-hour stroll, but don't expect cheap shopping. There are lots of snacks in the mall basements though.
- Nightlife is mostly clustered around the three quays ("keys"): Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Robertson Quay (and there's some in Tanjong Pagar, near Chinatown). Clarke Quay has the clubs, Boat Quay the bars and restaurants, and Robertson Quay the quieter bars and restaurants. All are walkable from each other. Between Clarke and Boat Quays is "the bridge" mentioned in this thread where expats and locals sit, drink, and shoot the breeze.
- For a taste of old, rustic, wild Singapore, cycle or walk around Pulau Ubin, an island off the northeast coast. It'll take most of your day and you'll come back sun-baked and mozzie-bitten. Makes for a good change from urban walking. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1644875-d317388-Reviews-Pulau_Ubin-Pulau_Ubin.html
- If you like nature hikes, spend early morning or evening (not midday) walking the Southern Ridges trail, which has a nice treetop section and the unusual Henderson Waves bridge. Start from Kent Ridge and end at Mount Faber (where you can cool off at the VivoCity mall). http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g294265-d1523862-Reviews-The_Southern_Ridges-Singapore.html / http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Southern_Ridges_Walk
- If you're into military history or WWII in Asia, or are Australian, you'll probably enjoy doing the End of Empire or Changi WWII tours from the company in (5). You could also visit Changi Chapel & Museum yourself to learn about Singapore and the POWs' experience in the war (remember to pick up an audioguide) - and then visit Pulau Ubin or Changi Village, since you're in that part of the island.

NOTES:
- You can pick up prepaid SIM cards for your phones, but if you're here for just 3 days, there might not be a point. You can just stick to hostel wifi in that case.
- Do not buy electronics/camera parts in Lucky Plaza (on Orchard Road) or Sim Lim Square. These two places are notorious for scammy shops that will cheat/rob you blind. Electronics are cheaper from US online retailers anyway. If you have to shop here, go to Funan Digitalife Mall (near City Hall MRT), or an electronics department store with fixed pricing, or look for recommended, reputable retailers on online forums like ClubSNAP and HardwareZone.
- Take the MRT to save on cab fare, which can be substantial in the evening and over longer distances. The current MRT system map, save it on your phones/tablets: http://www.transitlink.com.sg/images/eguide/mrt_sys_map.htm
- Get an offline map - Google Maps on Android allows you to save maps for offline use. It'll probably be very handy for finding your way around, especially to the nearest MRT. If you have wifi, you can use http://gothere.sg or Google Maps to get travel directions. Streetdirectory.com has more detailed maps with individual shop listings, e.g.: http://www.streetdirectory.com/asia_travel/travel/travel_id_4303/travel_site_57122/

I'll make some time to take you guys around, we can hit up more obscure places or just chill somewhere. Let me know what places you're looking to go to.

Good travels!

_{edit: Sorry I never got around to meeting up, kru...now you've become an old Singers hand all on your own. Maybe we can meet up when these guys come to town?}

creamyhorror fucked around with this message at 05:05 on Jan 10, 2013

# ? Dec 26, 2012 09:25

kru: Oct 5, 2003

Yeah, that sounds great - like I said in the SE Asia Thread, I'm now permanently 'gainfully employed' here, so I can finally afford the beer!

We should all get together with Kant and such, for a mini goon meet.

# ? Dec 26, 2012 10:28

DontAskKant: Aug 13, 2011; (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THINKING ABOUT THIS POST)

kru posted:

Yeah, that sounds great - like I said in the SE Asia Thread, I'm now permanently 'gainfully employed' here, so I can finally afford the beer!

We should all get together with Kant and such, for a mini goon meet.

Hurray, Asia goon meets are the best.

# ? Dec 26, 2012 13:19

Cheesemaster200: Feb 11, 2004; Guard of the Citadel

Wink Hostel in Chinatown was pretty good, if not a bit on the high end for a hostel. I would recommend it if you don't mind spending a little extra.

# ? Dec 26, 2012 16:12

jerichojx: Oct 21, 2010

Whole Milk posted:

Hey Singapore goons,
Theres a good chance that I'll be moving out as an expat in a year. Everything I read about Singapore makes me more excited for the move, but my one concern is housing. I'm not married so I only need a one bedroom/studio apartment, but I've heard those are almost non-existant/extremely expensive. What do single foreigners usually do?

I've seen a few people in this thread talk about living with roommates, is that the norm? I don't know much of my compensation details yet (it's possible my company will pay for my apartment, you never know) but I expect it'll be decent, so I could handle highish rent (I'm from Vancouver, Canada so I'm used to 1,200$ rent for a single bedroom place).

I didn't see anybody answer this so here goes.

If you're looking to rent in a room in a government flat with a landlord living with you, you can expect to pay about 600SGD to 1500SGD for a room, depending on the location.

Renting an apartment or condo can run you from 1500 to anywhere to a few thousand depending on whether if you have house mates and location.

The morning commute recently in Singapore has become increasingly atrocious. So you should pick a place that is relatively nearby so even if the train is crowded or broke, you can take a bus.

Edit: Forgot to add, if you're male, you will find it hard to rent a room in a government flat.

jerichojx fucked around with this message at 10:13 on Dec 30, 2012

# ? Dec 30, 2012 10:11

Knitting Beetles: Feb 4, 2006; Fallen Rib

Is laughing at foreigners failing to cope with the heat a national pastime here? I just came from mild winter Europe and I feel like dying when stepping outside for more than a minute. Everyone's asking me if it's too hot (it is) and it seems to make them happy.

Also thanks to creamyhorror for the effort post, I'll go check some of them out this weekend.

# ? Jan 8, 2013 13:09

DontAskKant: Aug 13, 2011; (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THINKING ABOUT THIS POST)

Pvt Dancer posted:

Is laughing at foreigners failing to cope with the heat a national pastime here? I just came from mild winter Europe and I feel like dying when stepping outside for more than a minute. Everyone's asking me if it's too hot (it is) and it seems to make them happy.

Also thanks to creamyhorror for the effort post, I'll go check some of them out this weekend.

It's that hot? I am coming from the coldest winter in Korea in 45 years. In Korea it gets ungodly hot in the summer and I wear jeans up until like 32-36. Should I be wearing shorts for survival?

# ? Jan 8, 2013 14:32

jerichojx: Oct 21, 2010

DontAskKant posted:

It's that hot? I am coming from the coldest winter in Korea in 45 years. In Korea it gets ungodly hot in the summer and I wear jeans up until like 32-36. Should I be wearing shorts for survival?

It's quite hot these past few days. But you should be fine with jeans. I wear a suit everyday and I'm fat and i don't feel too bad.

Also, making fun of Caucasians is a pastime. Watching them struggle with chopsticks. Or their bewildered face when surrounded by tons of locals.

# ? Jan 9, 2013 04:07

creamyhorror: Mar 11, 2006; the incredible adventures of superworm across America

Pvt Dancer posted:

Is laughing at foreigners failing to cope with the heat a national pastime here? I just came from mild winter Europe and I feel like dying when stepping outside for more than a minute. Everyone's asking me if it's too hot (it is) and it seems to make them happy.

Monday (the 7th) was the hottest day in January ever recorded, so maybe that was what you experienced. Right now we're in the cool part of the year, but it's still as humid as ever and people coming from anywhere besides the tropics may find it quite unbearable in the sun. (Even locals avoid the outdoors when it's sunny.) You'll get used to the endless sweating after a while, though.

quote:

Another thing is transportation. How terrible is it to drive a car from downtown to there every day? I could get fairly close with the subway/train and take a taxi, would a car offer anything on the weekends or is it simply not necessary to have one?

I think it'd probably be best to do the subway+taxi route, unless there's a public bus that goes to your workplace. You can find out what route to use on http://gothere.sg. (Jurong West is far out, are you working in oil and gas/shipbuilding/manufacturing?)

If you're free on the weekend of the 18th-20th, you can meet up with DontAskKant, his friend, kru, and me. Should be interesting!

DontAskKant posted:

It's that hot? I am coming from the coldest winter in Korea in 45 years. In Korea it gets ungodly hot in the summer and I wear jeans up until like 32-36. Should I be wearing shorts for survival?

Pants/trousers are alright in general, but for informal traipsing around (especially if you're mostly walking outdoors), you'll be more comfortable in shorts. (Lightweight) long pants will do you fine if you're mostly going to be indoors. Bring a mix.

creamyhorror fucked around with this message at 11:22 on Jan 9, 2013

# ? Jan 9, 2013 11:19

Knitting Beetles: Feb 4, 2006; Fallen Rib

creamyhorror posted:

I think it'd probably be best to do the subway+taxi route, unless there's a public bus that goes to your workplace. You can find out what route to use on http://gothere.sg. (Jurong West is far out, are you working in oil and gas/shipbuilding/manufacturing?)

If you're free on the weekend of the 18th-20th, you can meet up with DontAskKant, his friend, kru, and me. Should be interesting!

Taxis have been a hassle so far, apparently they are impossible to get from the construction site I'm working at (datacenter). Right now taking a bus to a populated place seems the best way to go, but I'll get a local SIM card so I can use the app.

I'm definitely free on 18-20th and my budget didn't account for all the hawker stalls I'm eating at right now, so there's a lot left for beers. Do you have PM?

# ? Jan 9, 2013 15:21

DontAskKant: Aug 13, 2011; (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THINKING ABOUT THIS POST)

What is the messenger app of choice in Singapore? Kakao, whatsapp, weixin?

# ? Jan 9, 2013 15:27

kru: Oct 5, 2003

I use whatsapp, but do not speak for my countrymen!

# ? Jan 9, 2013 15:43

creamyhorror: Mar 11, 2006; the incredible adventures of superworm across America

Pvt Dancer posted:

Taxis have been a hassle so far, apparently they are impossible to get from the construction site I'm working at (datacenter). Right now taking a bus to a populated place seems the best way to go, but I'll get a local SIM card so I can use the app.

Ah, you can just use the gothere.sg website to plan the route, or Google Maps (which I think is slightly worse). Datacenters in the tropics, the cooling bill is gonna be quite something.

quote:

I'm definitely free on 18-20th and my budget didn't account for all the hawker stalls I'm eating at right now, so there's a lot left for beers. Do you have PM?

Yep I do, drop me a message and we can arrange a meetup. And eating at hawker stalls is standard practice for the local workforce and some expats (a decade or more ago you'd never see actual expats there - it was too d�class� for that earlier breed).

quote:

What is the messenger app of choice in Singapore? Kakao, whatsapp, weixin?

WhatsApp, I've not even heard of the others. Some people use Viber for voice calls. A few friends (probably Android users) use Gchat.

# ? Jan 9, 2013 15:45

DontAskKant: Aug 13, 2011; (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THINKING ABOUT THIS POST)

Great, I'll add you to my phone and hopefully that will put you on Whatsapp too. Going to try to put a customrom on the phone before I go though. hopefully I don't screw anything up too bad.

# ? Jan 9, 2013 16:26

Vegetable: Oct 22, 2010

The weather is bad mainly because of the humidity. I experienced a similar temperature in Korea and the sweat evaporated off very quickly. But Singapore is humid and the sweat stays on you forever. It is doubtless the worst part of Singapore.

DontAskKant posted:

It's that hot? I am coming from the coldest winter in Korea in 45 years. In Korea it gets ungodly hot in the summer and I wear jeans up until like 32-36. Should I be wearing shorts for survival?

Shorts are generally okay in a casual setting especially if you're not under shelter. But most office buildings and shopping malls in Singapore are air-conditioned to the point of crazy cold so you can get away with wearing jeans to most places.

# ? Jan 10, 2013 06:28

jerichojx: Oct 21, 2010

When I am off-work, i wear mostly t-shirt and bermudas with sandals.

Bermudas are great and airy.

Weather's been crazy lately with sudden showers coming and going.

Whereabouts is your office? Usually the industrial parks have shuttle buses for workers.

# ? Jan 10, 2013 10:43

kru: Oct 5, 2003

I work at the Technopark in Alexandra, so I wear a shirt and jeans every day. It's p hot, but freezing in the office :kiddo:

# ? Jan 10, 2013 12:32

jerichojx: Oct 21, 2010

kru posted:

I work at the Technopark in Alexandra, so I wear a shirt and jeans every day. It's p hot, but freezing in the office

That's what suits are for :science:

# ? Jan 11, 2013 03:43

creamyhorror: Mar 11, 2006; the incredible adventures of superworm across America

DontAskKant and his friend have been out and about town with a few goons here in Singapore. The first night while having drinks with kru, we encountered a rather irritating Guns N' Roses fan who accosted our table all evening. Then late last night DAK got to meet the friendly local Starcraft team at a lan shop. Soon he's going to try blood-coloured bone soup. An exciting trip! (I'm heading out to join them now, we have a Whatsapp group chat going.)

# ? Jan 20, 2013 07:34

2 + 2 = 5: Apr 11, 2003; I find it decidedly INCONVENIENT that the gun was never found.

I auditioned (via tape) for a position playing in the Singapore Symphony. I'm trying to learn a little bit about Singapore before they announce the results (position begins in July). They play and rehearse in the Esplanade. Assuming I'd need to be around the hall 4-5 days per week in the morning, what would be a reasonable part of town to try to live? How much would I expect to pay for a small 1-bedroom or bachelor? Salary would be in the range of $67,100 to $83,700 SGD.

Are there any ways for foreigners to supplement their income? The obvious choice for me would be teaching trombone privately but I'm not sure how common learning western classical instruments is in Singapore.

# ? Mar 25, 2013 21:54

crazypeltast52: May 5, 2010

2 + 2 = 5 posted:

I auditioned (via tape) for a position playing in the Singapore Symphony. I'm trying to learn a little bit about Singapore before they announce the results (position begins in July). They play and rehearse in the Esplanade. Assuming I'd need to be around the hall 4-5 days per week in the morning, what would be a reasonable part of town to try to live? How much would I expect to pay for a small 1-bedroom or bachelor? Salary would be in the range of $67,100 to $83,700 SGD.

Are there any ways for foreigners to supplement their income? The obvious choice for me would be teaching trombone privately but I'm not sure how common learning western classical instruments is in Singapore.

If you stop by one of the expat social clubs you should be able to find some parents with a child in need of trombone lessons. The American Club is not far from the north end of Orchard Road, and most of the people there send their kids to the Singapore American School which is essentially a western high school in Singapore.

# ? Mar 25, 2013 23:57

Soy Division: Aug 12, 2004

2 + 2 = 5 posted:

I auditioned (via tape) for a position playing in the Singapore Symphony. I'm trying to learn a little bit about Singapore before they announce the results (position begins in July). They play and rehearse in the Esplanade. Assuming I'd need to be around the hall 4-5 days per week in the morning, what would be a reasonable part of town to try to live? How much would I expect to pay for a small 1-bedroom or bachelor? Salary would be in the range of $67,100 to $83,700 SGD.

Are there any ways for foreigners to supplement their income? The obvious choice for me would be teaching trombone privately but I'm not sure how common learning western classical instruments is in Singapore.

Most people here use property agents to find rentals. Your employer will usually connect you with one if they are bringing you in from abroad. Check out singaporeexpats.com for a basic idea of prices.

There are two segments in the rental market: condos (insanely expensive, only an option for bankers and those on expat packages) and HDB (still expensive though how much depends on the location.) Most apartments are 2/3 bedroom, smaller ones are usually in condos with prices to match. So I hope you can be cool with roommates. For a 2 bedroom HDB figure 2-3k/month.

In terms of neighborhoods the Esplanade is pretty well connected transit wise so you have a lot of options within a reasonable commute. Assuming you are the average SA goon demographic I would check out the neighborhoods on the western part of the East-West Line heading out of downtown - Tanjong Pagar/Chinatown, Tiong Bahru, Buona Vista, and Holland Village. Those neighborhoods all have lots of Westerners and fun places to hang out. The first two are more hipster/artsy than the others if that matters to you.

In particular I think Tiong Bahru would be an awesome place to live and it's first on our list if we ever need to move from our current place.

Apparently HDB is establishing quotas on renters so that will mess up the market soon. Get in while the getting is good..

And you will have no trouble finding kids to tutor. Even if western classical music weren't big in Asia (it is), there are tons of Western families. That said I've heard having a second job can be challenging paperwork wise. Maybe not an issue if you're willing to keep it under the table.

Soy Division fucked around with this message at 02:56 on Mar 26, 2013

# ? Mar 26, 2013 02:14

jerichojx: Oct 21, 2010

The Esplanade is not a terribly convenient location if you want to rent for cheap.

Since you will be making 60-80k per year, that's about 5-7k a month.

If you rent for about 2k, you could rent in places like Orchard Road or Novena which are very central locations.

Of course, this also depends if you are comfortable living with a landlord and/or other people.

A few of my banker friends like to stay in the Novena area. There are some condos which were built to be rented out and thus your fellow tenants are often an international cast so maybe that might be something to consider.

# ? Mar 26, 2013 14:05

nervana: Dec 9, 2010

So how hot is singapore during the summer?

I have a chance to go in august but im having trouble imagining how hot the place is.

# ? May 11, 2013 00:33

peak debt: Mar 11, 2001; b& :(; Nap Ghost

nervana posted:

So how hot is singapore during the summer?

I have a chance to go in august but im having trouble imagining how hot the place is.

Insufferably hot and humid but you'll spend most of your time in air conditioning.

# ? May 11, 2013 15:11

Flappy Bert: Dec 11, 2011; I have seen the light, and it is a string

Hot enough that you might need a sweater for how much they cool indoors to compensate.

# ? May 11, 2013 16:51

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# ? Jun 9, 2024 05:23

nervana: Dec 9, 2010

Thanks for the replies. What does August weather mean for the tourist? Should I wait it out and go another time (which may not be for another year)?

August really works out for me so I would attempt to brave out the heat but my parents are also coming so I'm being a little more careful. Surely not impossible right? :allears:

# ? May 12, 2013 02:23

The Something Awful Forums > Main > Tourism & Travel > Ask me about Singapore

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