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nervana posted: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)? I'm in St. Louis these days, and it is indistinguishable in September/August. Except that in Spore you could potentially go near some ocean breeze, or the tops of the ridge in the trees or something. Mid 90's and high humidity isn't bad, just drink more, go out later, and sleep later. Also, throw down on some sweat-wicking underwear, it makes a world of difference.
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May 13, 2013 01:43
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The weather never really changes that much in Singapore, except it rains more frequently from Nov-January. Actually the hottest temperatures are in the first few months of the year, August is fairly mild by comparison. Take a look at the climate data here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore#Geography
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May 14, 2013 15:21
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Yay Singapore! I moved here a few months ago and I love it. I'm out east by Changi, which is mildly inconvenient but close to my work and Ubin. I quite like my neighborhood, and I'm less than 10 minutes to the airport so it's easy to fly somewhere for a night (which is usually all the time I get away from work! I flew up to Tioman for the night the other day... for the second time in a month). Drop me a PM if any of you fellow residents/tourists are looking to hang out. I like goon friends.
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Jun 2, 2013 02:19
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I'm going to singapore for a romantic trip in August. I have my flight booked, and about 6 nights to stay. I don't know much of anything about singapore, just that I'm excited to go somewhere in asia. (indonesia is next on my itinerary) I'm hugely enthusiastic about food/nightlife, public transit access would be good too. Money is not the biggest issue in the world - I'm paying so much to get over there that I figure it might be worth it to splurge on a hotel or whatever. bonus points if it's a value and ridiculously nice. anyone have suggestions for areas of town or specific hotels I should look at?
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Jun 6, 2013 07:22
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What's your budget? 
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Jun 6, 2013 07:46
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Interesting choice for a romantic trip. Rooms in Singapore are expensive, and I say that living in Tokyo. Marina Bay Sands is the obvious splurge however the word "value" certainly doesn't apply unless you're good at gambling. It's a nice hotel but for six nights you'll really have to shell out. If you don't mind changing hotels (and you shouldn't, it's a small downtown area) just spend one night at MBS, maybe your first or last since they have free airport transfers, and your other nights somewhere else. Otherwise I don't have specific suggestions since my company paid for my other nights there. Indonesia is REALLY close to Singapore and easy to get to, just saying.
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Jun 6, 2013 07:48
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The Swissotel Merchant Court is one of the more affordable high class hotels. If it is a romantic trip, I definitely recommend a dinner at the Singapore flyer.
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Jun 6, 2013 08:42
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Haven't stayed there, but I've heard the rooms at the MBS aren't actually that nice especially at their price point. And the place is always packed. Also, gambling in Asia is very different from gambling in the US. It is a far more serious atmosphere compared to Vegas. There are some nice boutique hotels in Chinatown, you might want to take a look at some of those. You'd be close to some good food too. Why Singapore and not Hong Kong? HK is a far superior romantic destination in my opinion.
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Jun 6, 2013 16:01
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I stayed at the MBS one night when I was in Singapore earlier this year. The rooms are really, really nice, but for the price point I was sort of disappointed. Most of the cheaper rooms won't have a city view (the ocean view is still pretty great, especially up high, but not as great as the city view). I was hoping that the room would at least have a tub since tubs are kind of hard to come by in Asia, but no such luck. Some of the more expensive "club" level rooms have spa tubs I believe. If I had to do it over again, I would have stayed somewhere else and made an evening of going up to Ku De Ta for a (super expensive) drink and maybe some dinner. If I recall correctly, you don't have to pay to get upstairs if you are eating/drinking at the restaurant. You won't be allowed on the skydeck proper, but Ku De Ta has just as good of a view. Show up earlier than their nightly light show or else you won't be able to get a spot at the railing. MBS is kind of far from city center, so unless you only want to go to the MBS-related attractions when you stay there, expect a long MRT ride or a somewhat expensive cab fare.
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Jun 6, 2013 18:39
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trigger posted:If I recall correctly, you don't have to pay to get upstairs if you are eating/drinking at the restaurant. You won't be allowed on the skydeck proper, but Ku De Ta has just as good of a view. Show up earlier than their nightly light show or else you won't be able to get a spot at the railing. BTW, in my opinion Ku De Ta's Singapore Sling is better than what you get at the Raffles. Cheaper, too. quote:MBS is kind of far from city center, so unless you only want to go to the MBS-related attractions when you stay there, expect a long MRT ride or a somewhat expensive cab fare.
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Jun 6, 2013 20:06
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My room was quite nice but yeah the view wasn't exactly amazing. However if you like pools, you need to experience the one at MBS. And the only way to do that is stay there (or somehow acquire a room key by other means)
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Jun 7, 2013 00:09
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If I was to move to Singapore on a spouse visa (my partner is Singaporean) do I need to do NS? Or is it only our kids?
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Jun 7, 2013 12:50
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EvilElmo posted:If I was to move to Singapore on a spouse visa (my partner is Singaporean) do I need to do NS? Or is it only our kids? Only if you are male, below 16 and a permanent resident. From wiki: quote:Enlistment
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Jun 7, 2013 13:14
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Thanks for all the replies thusfar, that's helpful. kru posted:What's your budget? Well, I'm not sure. It's pretty flexible I think. I think it'd cap out at about $350usd/nt for a nicer place - but yeah if I was paying that much I'd expect the rooms to be pretty loving nice. might be willing to pay more for a couple nights for a spa tub/good views, I have a weak spot for that poo poo. I'd love some more value suggestions too if anyone knows of any - like more on the $100/nt side of things. I might check airbnb/homeaway/thatsortofthing, I've had pretty good luck in the past though I have no idea if that's a thing in that part of the world. Gail Wynand posted:Why Singapore and not Hong Kong? HK is a far superior romantic destination in my opinion. Choices were basically Singapore, hong kong, and bangkok based on the airlines we're taking. Ultimate destination is somewhere in indonesia (probably bali), so that's the real 'romantic' part of the trip. I figured the food would be most interesting in Singapore, and I'm slightly obsessed with food&cooking, so there we go! mindphlux fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Jun 8, 2013 |
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Jun 8, 2013 21:51
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So, I've found a few options, but as far as in-town location, I am not sure how to evaluate. I found a nice looking apartment for $145usd/nt here - https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/896821 Or this place Klapsons has some reasonably priced suites ($350/nt) with hot tubs and poo poo, but it looks like it might be in a questionable location - http://www.klapsons.com/ - can anyone speak to that area of town/proximity to MRT?
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Jun 12, 2013 23:06
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mindphlux posted:So, I've found a few options, but as far as in-town location, I am not sure how to evaluate. I found a nice looking apartment for $145usd/nt here - https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/896821 To be honest, you'd be fine with either. The place in Little India is a location for the MRT, but then so its the place at Tanjong. Singapore is really tiny, so from either place it will be a 7/12 USD cab ride anywhere you want to go, if you can't be bothered with the 5 min walk to the station. Quick note though: There really are no questionable areas in Singapore - you might have a bit of a bad view at the Tanjong location because the southside will be pure shipping containers as far as the eye can see. Tanjong Pagar Road is a beautiful street - if you stay there my recommendation is take the lady up to Duxton Hill for a meal, everywhere there is nice. 
kru fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Jun 13, 2013 |
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Jun 13, 2013 03:43
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Our place is actually in Tanjong Pagar. It's known as a hipster neighborhood, lots of high end coffee shops and cocktail bars. Good food centres, Maxwell is one of the best in Singapore. Also some very discreet gay bars, and dodgy KTVs. Definitely not questionable in any way although the parts closer to the CBD can be a bit dead after work hours.
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Jun 13, 2013 15:54
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How's everyone's lungs?
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Jun 20, 2013 11:49
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Been walking around maskless for a while the last couple days. My lungs are fine. No worse than a night around a campfire. Ended up stuck here after losing everything except my clothes and smartphone while I was waiting to check in for an early flight out to Korea. Stupidly fell asleep for an hour and though my backpack was wedged next to my head, after I got up, it was gone. The US Embassy didn't do anything to help since I had no money for a new passport, and I couldn't receive money without ID. Luckily, amazingly, I asked a family just about to enter the Embassy as I was leaving for some train money to meet a couchsurfing host, but after they heard my story they offered to help when they were finished. So now I'm staying with this awesome family who gave me enough to apply for a new passport and are letting me stay in their nice apartment for as long as necessary. Obviously there were many precautions I could have taken to avoid being in such a bad situation, like splitting up ID and funds and stuff between bags, keeping everything important on my person, especially when possibly falling asleep, etc. This is my first time traveling, and after a 6 hour bus ride with a hang over and little sleep the night before, my safety instincts weren't developed enough to make sure I was prepared for the worst. 'Low crime doesn't mean no crime.' Anyway, if I hadn't been in such a jam I never would have met this great family, and probably would have never had the chance to see so much of what Singapore has to offer. So I'm here for the next week+, going to be checking out Botanical Gardens, Gardens by the Bay, zoo, reserves, farms in Kranji, nature trails, The Orchard (with one of the Filipino helpers), a few museums, water treatment plant, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Open to having a meetup with whoever else is around, too. Send me a PM or maybe we can arrange something in this thread. Yay for haze! Was going to go to the Sentosa full moon party, but now it's postponed. Open to suggestions for other cool stuff to do while I'm on my unexpected extended vacation. Nature stuff is a plus; I recently became certified in Permaculture and have been hearing a lot about Singapore's forward thinking in the sustainability department.
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Jun 21, 2013 16:52
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I'm meeting a fellow goon for a beer this afternoon if you are down - PM me the number I can get you on then I will sort it out
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Jun 22, 2013 08:35
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pretty excited, ended up booking this place for 7 nights : http://www.forestbywangz.com/ - got a deal and it was like $160/nt, which was as cheap as most of the private apartment rentals and stuff - or basically anywhere that wasn't a hostel or budget hotel. so, we get in at like 1am on saturday night/sunday morning, and I don't know if we'll be exhausted or wanting to get out and explore a bit, or what. are there any parts of town that stay going until ridiculous hours? are there like 24 hour grocerys that sell drink, or hours where that's kind of off limits or anything?
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Jun 23, 2013 09:43
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mindphlux posted:so, we get in at like 1am on saturday night/sunday morning, and I don't know if we'll be exhausted or wanting to get out and explore a bit, or what. are there any parts of town that stay going until ridiculous hours? are there like 24 hour grocerys that sell drink, or hours where that's kind of off limits or anything? Most shops are closed, but bars, clubs, some food places are open. Around you, there's a 24hrs Starbucks at United Square and there are 7-11s at Square 2 and Velocity. There are 24hr supermarkets but not walking distance from where you are I think. If you wanna get booze get it from DFS before you leave the baggage area, much cheaper.
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Jun 23, 2013 11:13
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Same thing with smokes if you do. I don't think many stuff will be open around the time you get back to the hotel though.
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Jun 23, 2013 12:58
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mindphlux posted:so, we get in at like 1am on saturday night/sunday morning, and I don't know if we'll be exhausted or wanting to get out and explore a bit, or what. are there any parts of town that stay going until ridiculous hours? are there like 24 hour grocerys that sell drink, or hours where that's kind of off limits or anything? I brought a bunch of programmer tourists there two weeks ago and they enjoyed it. It was like being back in college again. A few of them chatted up the group of Filipinas next to us and we actually left a drunk Aussie guy there with the ladies when we left. If you want air-conditioning and don't mind noise and bustle, just cross the bridge and find a bar to your taste in Clarke Quay (some are inside the buildings and on 2nd floors). There are other late-night spots, but they're not really clustered all in one place. Or maybe I'm just not hip to the current scene. creamyhorror fucked around with this message at 15:41 on Jun 23, 2013 |
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Jun 23, 2013 15:33
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cool, thanks. so no laws against 24 hour sales, just most places aren't open. got it. I started checking out the MRT routes, and was pretty surprised to see the last trains going at around midnight. I'm starting to get the vibe Singapore isn't a very late night city. Did run into some other mentions of Clarke Quay as a later-than-average area of town, will check that out I guess.
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Jun 24, 2013 05:46
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If you're looking to go back later than 12, there is a Night Rider bus service that goes on until 4:30 AM. http://www.smrt.com.sg/Buses/BusServices/NightRider.aspx The Haze has been quite bad in Singapore, for the past few week, but it's worse in Malaysia. Muar, a town a few hours away from Singapore is recording an air pollutant index of 750. All schools are closed.
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Jun 24, 2013 06:53
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mindphlux posted:cool, thanks. so no laws against 24 hour sales, just most places aren't open. got it. Orchard Towers is open till 8am or something, take the lady there (dont do this)
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Jun 24, 2013 10:26
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mindphlux posted:I started checking out the MRT routes, and was pretty surprised to see the last trains going at around midnight. I'm starting to get the vibe Singapore isn't a very late night city. Did run into some other mentions of Clarke Quay as a later-than-average area of town, will check that out I guess. Good luck getting a taxi from Clarke Quay at 3am, though.
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Jun 24, 2013 19:54
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Hi, I'm going to be moving to Singapore on the 19th to intern for 3 months! My problem is that I have to find my own housing. My office is next to the airport but there's a shuttle that picks up workers from Bedok. Is it recommended that I live right by Bedok or would taking the MRT in the morning and at night a couple stations be fine? My budget is 1000~1100 SGD and I would like, but don't require, access to a private/public pool/gym. Are there such month-to-month places around Bedok? It's Sunday now, I will land Friday, and start work Monday. Is my "not having found a place yet" situation dire?
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Jul 14, 2013 08:46
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kru posted:Orchard Towers is open till 8am or something, take the lady there (dont do this) gonna do this, btw
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Jul 14, 2013 09:45
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TeacherAteMyDog posted:Hi, I'm going to be moving to Singapore on the 19th to intern for 3 months! $1000-1100 wont get you a room in a condo near anything in Bedok. No supermarkets and certainly no trains. I would recommend you rent a room in government housing from the open market. Those would run from $600-$1000 depending on the location. Bedok's a great place as it's near lots of good food near its central and has a few small and big shopping centres. The real issue is that you will be renting for 3 months as usually a rental agreement by law is for a minimum of 6 months. Your short duration will drive up your rent. On top of that, you will have to pay a refundable deposit to stay there. Are you a dude and where are you coming from? Also, MRTs during rush hour are quite bad with lots foreigners (you) coming to take our jerb!. After 7 at night, it's quite relaxed and fast. I'm not sure about overseas internships. Don't usually companies arrange where you are staying? Edit: Oh poo poo, forgot. Any incoming goons to Singapore, do check out https://www.propertyguru.com.sg. It's where you can find most property dealings. Watch out for the agents though, many of them are quite cut-throat. I'm also an agent and you guys can email me if in doubt. jerichojx fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Jul 15, 2013 |
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Jul 15, 2013 02:19
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I'm an American guy coming from South Korea. The internship is paid but I have to use that for both airfare and housing. I'm definitely losing money but I'm doing it for the experience. How do I go about renting a room from government housing in the open market? just through propertyguru? and what areas do you recommend? I don't think I'll mind living a couple stations away, or should I? The work shuttle picks up from Bedok, Tampines, and Ang Mo Kio so I don't mind living in areas near these places.
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Jul 15, 2013 04:33
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TeacherAteMyDog posted:I'm an American guy coming from South Korea. The internship is paid but I have to use that for both airfare and housing. I'm definitely losing money but I'm doing it for the experience. What a weird predicament you find yourself in. Because you are moving in the next few days and you havent even found a place for yourself. Start emailing those agents with listings near your price range in Bedok. Bedok is very near to Changi compared to Ang Mo Kio or Tampines. It is also nearer to the downtown area if you want to go sightseeing. Most of them will ask you for payment because you are a clueless ang moh. Fortunately you got me on your side. Be firm and say that you know the market and that you will be only staying for three months. Besides, the agent will be getting his commission from his landlord and it is punishable by law if they collect commission from you. If in the end, you do have to pay. Market practice for commission is half month rent for 1 year's lease. So that may be the minimum you have to cough up. If you're handsome, you can always wander Clarke Quay looking for some hot milf to take you in. 
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Jul 15, 2013 10:21
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Perhaps I can advise this. I am worried that Teacher will be taken advantage of since any agreement he signs is not enforceable by law since he is only staying for 3 months. You can consider a backpack hotel. I think they can be quite cheap. But they may not be in the areas you want. They are usually in Bendemeer and Chinatown.
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Jul 15, 2013 12:50
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I would look for a place on airbnb or couchsurfing at least for the first week or 2.
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Jul 18, 2013 19:08
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Gail Wynand posted:I would look for a place on airbnb or couchsurfing at least for the first week or 2.
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Jul 20, 2013 10:41
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I have discovered the best Singapore food blog. It's written by a Japanese chef who comes to Singapore to eat virtually everything, and he runs two Hainanese chicken rice restaurants in Japan. What is Singapore Food? Blog Humble Japanese, trying to de-mystify Singapore cuisine and food culture. This is not a restaurant / stall rating blog. I appreciate his investigative depth and willingness to ferret out and try the less common dishes here, many of which I have rarely/not tasted myself. Admittedly he runs more toward historical exposition in his English writing, and the Japanese parts have more flavor description and endorsement. (Note that some of the entries are only in Japanese.)
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Jul 21, 2013 20:59
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ReindeerF posted:I'm curious, do you guys get app coverage pretty commensurate with, say, a major US city? Obviously NY & SF are just obscene with how much data is available via apps, but take a non-outlier like Atlanta or Chicago. Does Singapore just have a deluge of substantive yelp reviews and airbnb listings and craigslist ads and all that kind of stuff? And of course ancillary services like OpenTable and what have you. I don't mean regional clones, but the big brands. Yelp and Craigslist are available here but it's definitely not as vibrant. Singapore is small enough that people who are in the know already know. Craigslist is mostly for prostitution and young and not so young local ladies looking for sugar daddies. I would say that local apps and mobile websites are more popular like Gothere.sg, Hungrygowhere, Hardwarezone and SGcarforums and their like. Is there Teacher in town already?
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Jul 22, 2013 01:54
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Hi, I'm here now! Loving the weather and the life here. I ended up staying at a friend's place for two weeks and then finding a friend's friend's place to move into at the start of next month. So my iPhone decided it wouldn't charge ever again the morning I left for Singapore and now I'm on a not that good phone. I would like to go to the A/S center but I'm working all week and some Saturdays (maybe even this Saturday) so I can't go far. Should I just buy a new phone? Also, I heard you can buy SIM cards at like 7-11. What should I look for when buying one?
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Jul 23, 2013 15:07
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TeacherAteMyDog posted:Hi, I'm here now! Welcome to Singapore. /chowyunfatt Buy a Starhub prepaid. The Starhub 128 top up cards comes with free international minutes and tons of sms.
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Jul 24, 2013 02:00
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