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I'm from Singapore but I was in the US for 3 years for college. I used to be pretty dissatisfied with life here, but after experiencing the US I can say I don't entirely mind this place. Life is decent, but the prospects for business aren't fantastic. And healthcare is still cheap, compared to the insanity of the US. Public transport is good and affordable. I always tell foreign folks that Singapore is a boring, small, hot place and they'll exhaust its attractions in a week or less. The zoo, Sentosa, Clarke Quay/clubs, Chinatown + Little India, Orchard Road...that's about it for places to go. My opinion still hasn't quite changed, but I'll say that it depends on whether you find a good crowd to hang with - one that doesn't disappear after several days or months. There's a huge disconnect between the well-paid expat crowd and the locals, and an underclass of migrant workers (Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Burmese) and domestic helpers (maids). The groups all stay in their own communities, such that if you're a local you never have to actually interact with expats or migrant workers, and vice versa. Nowadays on the MRT I almost think I hear more mainland Mandarin than local accents or English. It's pretty clear from what I see here in college that Singaporeans don't mix with foreigners to any significant extent. We're cliquey and keep to our own kind, and the same goes for some of the expat crowd (thinking of whinging Brits I see on the ExpatSingapore forum, forgive me). And the locals themselves are highly stratified, with the top earners very much (self-)segregated from the great lower-middle, starting right from early schooling. Also look at our Gini coefficient, which is very high - lower earners are getting screwed in terms of real wage, much like in the US. Food: hawker centres are great, and roti prata is seriously something I hankered for while I was stateside. The roti prata at Upper Thomson and at Casuarina is indeed good. Chili crab and pepper crab are asskicking dishes that you visitors should absolutely try (at a good joint, of course). You have to have Katong laksa if you visit the East Coast/Katong. Hungrygowhere is the go-to site for restaurant reviews, so you should use that when looking for something a step above hawker/street food. The Morton's martini + steak sandwich recommendation is also very good.  Real Singaporean HDB estates/wet markets/etc. can be interesting, but only the older ones IMO. The goods the ones in newer estates sell are simply daily necessities. There are pockets of older culture scattered around the island, like the Peranakan-influenced shops and eateries in Katong, which are certainly worth visiting. It's also interesting to walk around the older areas in the city area, like Chinatown up to Shenton Way, Bugis, and Little India. The shops are more varied and have longer histories, and it's pretty interesting to go from the chokingly crowded teenage fashion stalls on Bugis Street to the array of Indian, Thai, Arab, Chinese and Turkish restaurants on Arab Street (drinks and hookah, p. relaxing), then on to the modernity of the high-rise Central Library and Raffles City, for example. Also take a bumboat to Pulau Ubin and maybe other outlying islands if you like nature, because those are really idyllic and take you back to the old days before modernisation hit. (See Wikitravel: Singapore for a good overall travel guide.) Man, why you guys gotta meet tomorrow, I have midterms... edit: there are a good number of Singapore meetups on Meetup.com, and you might find it useful if you're going to be in town for a week or more. There're all kinds of interests, from new-in-town expats to Japanese language learners to jogging and hiking enthusiasts. Very handy for meeting people when you travel, really. creamyhorror fucked around with this message at 07:12 on Feb 17, 2010 |
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Feb 17, 2010 06:27
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Screw your midterms. I think I got spoiled in the US by the fact that I could own a house and a car for a lot less than I could dream of over here. I love life here but it's gotten too crowded and expensive for me. If I ever found myself in a job that paid an exorbitant salary, I could see myself staying here long-term but then I'd probably be on an expat package at that point, which is a concept that I'm not a big fan of in the first place.
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Feb 17, 2010 08:13
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Kwagga posted:Screw your midterms. quote:I think I got spoiled in the US by the fact that I could own a house and a car for a lot less than I could dream of over here. I love life here but it's gotten too crowded and expensive for me. If I ever found myself in a job that paid an exorbitant salary, I could see myself staying here long-term but then I'd probably be on an expat package at that point, which is a concept that I'm not a big fan of in the first place. vvvv still better than Singapore though creamyhorror fucked around with this message at 11:57 on Feb 17, 2010 |
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Feb 17, 2010 11:46
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Canada would be fantastic if not for the weather.
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Feb 17, 2010 11:55
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Kwagga posted:Canada would be fantastic if not for the weather. Yeah those expat messageboards are filled with really terrible information. I relied heavily on them when I was in Germany and I did not understand wtf is going on. But if I read the straight times now and then I like to pretend I know a bit. Money of course gives you more possibilities, as yeah if I can earn a good/better wage here I'll stick around as the travel possibilities are stunning. I think Singapore is pretty unique as it's not a polluted wasteland. Temperatures are nice year round. The government doesn't SEEM to be a bloated inefficient blob. I could file a police report for a lost wallet on the internet oh yeah~! There seems to be a fair amount of work if you have a Uni education. Also it seemed to be stupid easy to get approval for a Visa unlike Europe or the great US of A. Currently slooowly doing my motorcycle training at CDC oh jea. I love how people who have never driven a scooter or motorcycle and never would back home where traffic is normal think it's a great idea in Asia. Kwagga when we meet are we gonna jump in your car or you gonna park? I will be with my woman so yar.
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Feb 17, 2010 15:29
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No place there to park so you're going to need to jump in.
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Feb 17, 2010 16:06
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Singapore seems like a really interesting place. It just blows me away that one city is its own country! I'd love to visit sometime. I've got some questions for those of you in the know: What are some of the big festivals/holidays/parties that happen in Singapore? Is bike riding popular considering Singapore is small? It looks like there are a lot of religions being followed over there, but buddhism is the most popular. Are people very devout to their particular faith or is it kinda relaxed? Thanks!
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Feb 21, 2010 05:09
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PlesantDilemma posted:Singapore seems like a really interesting place. It just blows me away that one city is its own country! I'd love to visit sometime. 1) Singapore's kind of multi-cultural, so we celebrate holidays from a lot of different sources. Christmas is treated a little more like a shopping holiday than an actual festival, but it's still celebrated with a fair bit of gusto. There's Hari Raya, the Muslim holiday, Deepavali for the Indian side of things. That said, one of the biggest holidays of the year has to be Chinese New Year - mainly because Chinese make up the majority population. There are also some other incidental holidays and festivals, like the Mid-Autumn Festival. At all these holidays will you find food in abundance and general merrymaking and shopping. Singapore is a society big on food so that's a big part of our celebrations. Also expect light-up festivals for all the major holidays - Chinatown will be festooned with lanterns for Chinese New Year, Little India will be positively covered in lights for Deepavali, and the main drag down Orchard Road - Singapore's shopping capital - will be draped for the annual Christmas light-up. 2) Bike riding is hit or miss. Technically you're supposed to ride on the roads, but Singapore riders are dicks to bicycles so nobody gives a poo poo and people generally ride on the sidewalks - which are often fairly wide. Bike lanes are almost non-existent; people tend to use public transport religiously in Singapore because it's very frequent and fairly reliable. 3) It's a mixture of both. In the Chinese community you'll see people happily practice their own brand of Buddhism, but walk straight into a temple full of Taoist deities to ask for favours for the upcoming lottery or whatever. I have a Christian friend whose family is fairly devout - they attend church regularly, hang out with the church community and so on - but they have no trouble going to the temples to light a couple of joss sticks because it's sort of a cultural thing more than a religious thing to them. It's kind of like Japan, where religion tends to be a little more syncretic and less cut-and-dried than it is in the United States, for example. Overall, I'd say there's a good mix. You will find people who are devout towards their faith, people who don't give a poo poo, and people who treat it as just something cultural. I've heard Singapore described as an Orwellian Disneyland. That's not entirely correct but the idea is close. I hate as many things about my country as I do love - but then again, who doesn't?
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Feb 21, 2010 20:54
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Kessel posted:I've heard Singapore described as an Orwellian Disneyland. That's not entirely correct but the idea is close. I hate as many things about my country as I do love - but then again, who doesn't?
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Feb 22, 2010 01:13
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I'm coming to Singapore from Korea at the end of Feb to scope out the job market for a couple of months. I've got my Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate so everything's dandy while I network and line up job interviews. Any Singapore goons wanna have a meet n greet in a couple weeks? I could sure use a couple of local contacts to show me around town. PM me!
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Feb 22, 2010 15:14
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Kessel posted:I can't believe I missed this, either. Singlish is the local creole! How could a local dialect possibly fall under the category of "stupid"? It may not be much, but it's pretty cultural and I daresay many Singaporeans are proud of their Singlish. Singlish is stupid and sounds awful and makes whoever speaks it sound retarded. I know my girlfriend is probably a minority, but she hates it too. I'd rather learn to speak Mandarin (which if you're white, will get you just as many if not more laughs I'd imagine) instead of wasting my time being "fluent" in some joke of a "language." Cuatal fucked around with this message at 05:10 on Feb 23, 2010 |
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Feb 23, 2010 05:06
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PlesantDilemma posted:Singapore seems like a really interesting place. It just blows me away that one city is its own country! I'd love to visit sometime. 1. Chinese New Year which is just ending (I think? I'm no longer in Singapore) is the only period of the year where shops actually shut. For days. Even on Christmas most places are open. 2. Biking is growing in popularity but most of the serious bikers I've seen (lightweight frames, spandex suits) are well off middle age Chinese guys. A good run is along East Coast, start from around the National Stadium all the way up to Changi village. It's about 90 minutes to 2 hours. Like Kessel said, wherever possible avoid biking on roads. 3. The fastest growing religion is I believe Methodism, and it's having some effect on the culture & society of Singapore. I know a few friends of friends who are very devout, and there are a few negative aspects. Mainly that these Christian Chinese are expanding their influence as the 'silent majority' and repressing any conversation on gay rights, let alone having any discussion on the draconian drug laws or the Internal Security Act. Cuatal posted:Singlish is stupid and sounds awful and makes whoever speaks it sound retarded. Well, you phrased that in a bitter assholish way but you're correct. Anyone who speaks English and doesn't know anything about Singapore would find it indecipherable. I find it fun to listen to in a social setting but cringe inwardly if I'm having a 'serious' or technical conversation with a person who lays the Singlish on thick. You know what's way worse though? That loving mid-Pacific, half-Australian half-Californian accent every single radio DJ has.
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Feb 23, 2010 11:30
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So is Singapore like Hong Kong where property is expensive but taxes and food costs are low? I thought the public housing was supposed to be really good in SG and keep flats affordable for the middle class. I really want to visit SG and compare it to life in HK.
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Feb 24, 2010 08:56
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Any recommendations on a hostel I could stay at for a month or so while studying there? All of them seem to be relatively centrally located so I don't think a commute to campus would be that bad from anywhere really, so location is more important for nightlife/food/fun and whatnot. Also, would it be possible to work at one of these places as well for a few hours for free rent or a discount, or is that not allowed in Singapore without a work permit?
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Feb 24, 2010 16:49
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iceaim posted:So is Singapore like Hong Kong where property is expensive but taxes and food costs are low? I thought the public housing was supposed to be really good in SG and keep flats affordable for the middle class. It's sort of like a less-polluted version of Hong Kong - no offense to Hong Kongers! The property is indeed expensive and the food is cheap. Public housing can be had for much cheaper than the open-market rate if you apply to the government for it, but even then the prices have been rising. kalicki posted:Any recommendations on a hostel I could stay at for a month or so while studying there? All of them seem to be relatively centrally located so I don't think a commute to campus would be that bad from anywhere really, so location is more important for nightlife/food/fun and whatnot. Commuting in Singapore via public transport is ridiculously easy and no trouble at all. Don't work in Singapore without a work permit. If they catch you, you will be in serious trouble.
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Feb 24, 2010 18:52
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Cuatal posted:Singlish is stupid and sounds awful and makes whoever speaks it sound retarded. I know my girlfriend is probably a minority, but she hates it too.
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Feb 25, 2010 08:14
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As a born and bred Singaporean, so sorry that chiu dunch rike chiu own culture loh. mabbe huan days u will relac one korner and stop being such a cheesepie. kthxbai.
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Feb 25, 2010 16:04
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I spent the summer of 07 working in Batam, Indonesia, a short ferry ride from Singapore, and I spent a few days exploring on the way in and out. As lovely a place as Batam was, I met a lot of great people there and had a great time. The Singapore zoo is a must do. I was nodding off during the night safari (I was running on 3 hrs of sleep after a 17hr flight and walking around all day) but the bits and pieces I remember were amazing. I also walked all over, took the metro, etc to check out the tourist spots and tried to see as much as possible in the small amount of time I was there. It's a great multicultural experience. Basically I like to think of Singapore as the gateway to SE Asia. You get a little taste of everything, you can communicate easily as a foreigner, and you can branch out from there.
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Feb 25, 2010 22:20
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What is your actual job?
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Mar 1, 2010 03:28
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invid posted:As a born and bred Singaporean, I have no idea if this is serious or not, but it does a pretty good job showing how stupid Singlish is.
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Mar 3, 2010 13:17
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I've been living and working in Singapore for the past 2 years. I do feel I have seen and done most things to do here. I love photography and I can see most photos taken here and know where it was taken, from doorknobs of Budhist temples to paper posters in Lil' India. If there are any goons getting together, I'll be happy to join, or any travellers passing by.
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Mar 4, 2010 04:52
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So, trying to get some more range on the trip this summer. Looks like I'll have about 10 days total, 4 of which are conference. What do people think of Malaysia? I kinda want to see some jungle if I'm on that side of the world. Are there any Malaysian national parks worth visiting? Is it worth the flight to go to Thailand for less than a week? Is there so much awesome poo poo in Singapore that I won't want to be anywhere else for 10 days solid? Diving?
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Mar 9, 2010 23:54
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Cuatal posted:I have no idea if this is serious or not, but it does a pretty good job showing how stupid Singlish is. Slo-Tek posted:What do people think of Malaysia? I kinda want to see some jungle if I'm on that side of the world. Are there any Malaysian national parks worth visiting? Is it worth the flight to go to Thailand for less than a week? Is there so much awesome poo poo in Singapore that I won't want to be anywhere else for 10 days solid?
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Mar 10, 2010 03:04
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Slo-Tek posted:What do people think of Malaysia? I kinda want to see some jungle if I'm on that side of the world. Are there any Malaysian national parks worth visiting? Is it worth the flight to go to Thailand for less than a week? Is there so much awesome poo poo in Singapore that I won't want to be anywhere else for 10 days solid? Taman Negara, Tioman, and supposedly the diving is good in Langkawi, but that's secondhand. If you really want to see the jungle then look into trips downriver in Sarawak to the remote tribes, but I think the operators are pretty specialized. My personal recommendation would be to go climb Mount Kinabalu in Sabah; I haven't done it myself but the people I know who have said it was great and you don't need to be in peak physical shape. It's in a national park on the less-populated half of Malaysia so I'm guessing less touristy? You'll be bored in Singapore the entire time and Thailand is pretty overrated in my opinion.
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Mar 10, 2010 04:51
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Semi serious question, but how much is the price of alcohol in singapore both from the supermarket and at clubs/bars?
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Mar 10, 2010 15:03
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creamyhorror posted:Are you going to go over to Malaysia and call their Manglish stupid too? Or to any country with a pidgin English and do the same? Yes, Manglish is dumb too. Slo-Tek posted:So, trying to get some more range on the trip this summer. Looks like I'll have about 10 days total, 4 of which are conference. Went to Kuala Lumpur on a bus from Singapore and the countryside on the way in was beautiful. The city itself? Not so much. Going from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur is like going from a Ferrari to an old beat up Cavalier. Even the parts of the city that are nice are surrounded by impounded buildings covered by graffiti and pretty much just looking destitute. Lots of trash, no sidewalks in some parts of the Golden Triangle (which is the most popular part of KL, as far as I know), homeless people everywhere, beggars. It's really just not a nice city, but I don't think it's like Indonesia levels of bad.
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Mar 11, 2010 16:10
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william567 posted:Semi serious question, but how much is the price of alcohol in singapore both from the supermarket and at clubs/bars? Too much money. for a 600ml bottle it's 5 dollars at least. At a bar you'll expect to spend at least 9-10 sing dollars (maybe 6-7 dollars American?) per beer. Taxes on Singapore booze are outrageous. Well, I just came from Korea where booze was insanely cheap so maybe I'm a bit spoiled.
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Mar 12, 2010 20:28
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What is the job market like over there? Is it similar to HK in that it is all financial services and advertising? What are the conditions for getting hold of a VISA? Is there a cheap hotel/hostel culture over there?
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Mar 14, 2010 13:09
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Noice, street view for Singapore is up too, The M Hotel is nice and has cheap packages but it also miles away from anywhere unless you work at RedHat, 
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Mar 16, 2010 07:38
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Singapore is going to come up as an option for me in the nearish future, coming from Australia I'm pretty used to Asian cultures and have the overarching impression that Singapore is boring as gently caress, almost to the point of it being an extension of Changi airport. How has your expat experience been in that respect?? Do you find that everyday life is a bit socially isolated, the streets a bit too clean and medical looking for comfort? I guess the mitigating factors would be cheap air asia flights to awesome holiday spots and incredible food. Plus doing business there is very easy, and it's a weird blend of asia and western comforts. I'm considering pushing for somewhere like Bangkok instead of Singapore though since it just seems a lot more alive.
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May 5, 2010 13:13
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I miss Singapore to death. The 2 weeks I was there were probably the best 2 weeks of my life. Love every single thing about it. Seriously hoping to move there once I get my degree... Best view... ever.  Click here for the full 1280x956 image. Another nice view towards CBD  Right near where I was staying in Ang Mo Kio (bridge to AMK Hub)  Ang mo sweating less than a local! Aha! (flying kites in Sengkang. Why the gently caress is sengkang so windy?!?) (Also check out my sweet sunburn from going to Sentosa with no sunscreen. Ahahahaha GOD drat THAT HURT LIKE poo poo)  Click here for the full 600x800 image. Going back in September! I can't wait, man. As for food, I loved Amber in Little India. Good stuff. And Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice... mmmmmmmmm.... As an American, Milo absolutely blew my mind. My first glass of Dinosaur Milo... oh god. SO GOOD zeldadude fucked around with this message at 12:39 on May 11, 2010 |
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May 11, 2010 12:27
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I'm heading over to singapore in January to study at SMU,I was wondering how on earth do I go about finding accomodation for the semester I'm there?
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Jun 8, 2010 15:37
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zeldadude posted:I miss Singapore to death. The 2 weeks I was there were probably the best 2 weeks of my life. Love every single thing about it. Seriously hoping to move there once I get my degree... quote:As an American, Milo absolutely blew my mind. My first glass of Dinosaur Milo... oh god. SO GOOD In terms of food, I'm seeing Xi'an/Sichuan food stalls here and there, some of them quite new. They sometimes don't mark themselves as such, but they variously offer zha jiang mian, rou jiao mo, liang pi (cold noodles), dao xiao mian, etc. under slightly generic names. The other day I realised a fried-fish-soup-n-noodles stall I've been patronising was run by a northerner possibly from Xi'an/Sichuan, based on the fake ramen (actually la mian) and zha jiang mian the stall offered. I like this additional widening of street food here, eating the same old stuff does get boring. Anyone else notice inroads by new cuisines? william567 posted:I'm heading over to singapore in January to study at SMU,I was wondering how on earth do I go about finding accomodation for the semester I'm there?
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Jun 8, 2010 16:04
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They have some recommendations as to public student hostels but they all seem very expensive for what they are. Is that the best way to go about finding housing or would it be better to try to get a group of people to rent an appartment?
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Jun 10, 2010 12:24
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william567 posted:They have some recommendations as to public student hostels but they all seem very expensive for what they are. Is that the best way to go about finding housing or would it be better to try to get a group of people to rent an appartment?
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Jun 13, 2010 17:51
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Kessel posted:Don't work in Singapore without a work permit. If they catch you, you will be in serious trouble. Also, from my own personal experience, if you have a sponsor company getting a Work Permit is easy and fast. When my company applied for me it took about 48 hours for the application to be approved.
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Jun 22, 2010 23:50
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Locutus of Burg posted:Just as a FYI to people: There is a Work Holiday Programme that people from certain countries (US, UK, Germany, among others) can apply for that lasts six months and is non-renewable for 'student type work'. How possible would it be to find a decent "casual employment" type job, and make enough to live off of, maybe save a little each month? I know it's viable in places like Australia, but dunno how it would work in SG. Doubt I'd find much to do with my degrees (Psych, International Relations), although I do speak Thai pretty well.
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Jun 23, 2010 14:53
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Anybody been to Pulau Tioman? That where I should go, or is there another better take your woman to the islands island in the area?
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Jun 23, 2010 15:39
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I've been to Tioman and I enjoyed it. I stayed at Salang beach. I haven't been to any other Malaysian island so I can't compare. I enjoyed the relatively cheap beer and laid back place. Hiked to nearby monkey bay for some swimming where we were the only ones there. Went on a snorkeling trip, which was also nice. Also depends on her tastes. My GF is used to backpacking so we stayed in a non-aircon hut which was like 70 ringit. If you want a nicer place to stay maybe the other beaches have more to offer.
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Jun 24, 2010 06:39
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creamyhorror posted:Man, what crawled up your rear end? You really should relax, no one's forcing you to stay in Singapore to listen to horrible Singlish. Even some Singaporeans I know share this opinion. Which is odd, but I think self-loathing singaporeans are kind of common.
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Jun 25, 2010 14:52
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