Singapore Expats

Hi there

I'm moving to Singapore at the end of March and I was wondering from all of you out there who have done it - looking back, what one piece of advice or information do you wish someone had given you before you arrived?

Thank you!

Remember that you are not moving to a new dwelling in your old home town. You are moving to a foreign country where people are from different cultures that you are used to. They have different religions, different foods, different ways of life. If you want everything to be like home then stay at home.

Remember, YOU are the foreigner, YOU are the guest in their land. Don't expect them to change to suit what you thing they should be. If you remember one thing it would be YOU are the foreigner, not them.

I as guilty as the next person at times.......

Do not say "this was done better at home", "that is done better at home" etc. because there are a lot of things done worse at home as well.

Your home country is not the best place on the planet and never will be, regardless of where home is. Each country has plus and minus points and you have to accept one with the other. If this is your first posting overseas it will open your eyes not only to foreign cultures and ways of life but also just how things really are at home.

If this is not your first posting away from your home country then i'm not sure you would be asking this, cause you should know exactly what it's like to switch cultures already...... you only need to do it again. There isn't really anything special about a move to SG over any other country.

RMW001 wrote:Hi there

I'm moving to Singapore at the end of March and I was wondering from all of you out there who have done it - looking back, what one piece of advice or information do you wish someone had given you before you arrived?

Thank you!

that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!

Just kidding! well personally, i moved here against my parent's will they wanted me to go to the US and just stay with my cousins and aunts but i decided otherwise... i just wanted to be independent, so i went here alone, no idea of where to really go and stay... no relatives here, don't even know anyone... my cousin used to work here but went back to the Phil. before i came so i was really alone exploring, discovering, experiencing and enjoying Singapore and everything about and around it...

i guess it was ok with me even without any knowledge of what was to come or what awaits me, being single i guess it was easier for me to say and do these things but if u have a family u have to consider a lot of things... as SMS said you are a foreigner in a foreign country you need to adjust and be ready for a lot of things.... but personally i have no regrets of going here not knowing about anything in particular...

there are a couple of things which gave me culture shock but they are if i may say learning experiences not something that i would actually wish i was ready for...

Good Luck and Welcome in advance...

don't believe what the rental agents tell you.

2die4 wrote:

RMW001 wrote:Hi there

I'm moving to Singapore at the end of March and I was wondering from all of you out there who have done it - looking back, what one piece of advice or information do you wish someone had given you before you arrived?

Thank you!

that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!

ya, I have saw Indonesia KFC got "RICE"!!!

Remember, YOU are the foreigner, YOU are the guest in their land. Don't expect them to change to suit what you thing they should be. If you remember one thing it would be YOU are the foreigner, not them.

I as guilty as the next person at times....... [/quote]

I have notice "FOREIGNER" do complain here... not tat sms said will follow...

But some of the points is right...

saint73 wrote:
that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!

ya, I have saw Indonesia KFC got "RICE"!!!

I worked in Indonesia from 1982 to 1994. KFC always had rice and not mashed 'tators. Little bit of trivia though. Did you know that Indonesian KFC's also Had Zingers about 6 to 8 months before Singapore did? Had my first Zinger in Surabaya. Brought back a black KFC Hat and everybody here wanted to know where it came from and what was a Zinger!

sundaymorningstaple wrote:

saint73 wrote:
that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!

ya, I have saw Indonesia KFC got "RICE"!!!

I worked in Indonesia from 1982 to 1994. KFC always had rice and not mashed 'tators. Little bit of trivia though. Did you know that Indonesian KFC's also Had Zingers about 6 to 8 months before Singapore did? Had my first Zinger in Surabaya. Brought back a black KFC Hat and everybody here wanted to know where it came from and what was a Zinger!

Singaore KFC no rice leh

I still prefer KFC at spore 80's come with the plate like western style...

saint73 wrote:

sundaymorningstaple wrote:

saint73 wrote:
that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!

ya, I have saw Indonesia KFC got "RICE"!!!

I worked in Indonesia from 1982 to 1994. KFC always had rice and not mashed 'tators. Little bit of trivia though. Did you know that Indonesian KFC's also Had Zingers about 6 to 8 months before Singapore did? Had my first Zinger in Surabaya. Brought back a black KFC Hat and everybody here wanted to know where it came from and what was a Zinger!

Singaore KFC no rice leh

I still prefer KFC at spore 80's come with the plate like western style...

In the KFC Phil. Zinger has been there for a long time, was it just new here in SG? and we use plates as well not boxes and styros... and in KFC Phil it's gravy all you can...

i wish someone told me to move here when i was 21.

2die4 wrote:
In the KFC Phil. Zinger has been there for a long time, was it just new here in SG? and we use plates as well not boxes and styros... and in KFC Phil it's gravy all you can...

It's been here since ~'93. It was intro'd Indonesia first in '92 at some point as it was still new there when I tried it the first time (was working in Surabaya at the time). That's why they were giving out black KFC caps with "The Zinger" on the front.

RMW001 wrote:Hi there

I'm moving to Singapore at the end of March and I was wondering from all of you out there who have done it - looking back, what one piece of advice or information do you wish someone had given you before you arrived?

Thank you!

just don't think about too much, come here with open eyes, open heart and open mind. Then all should be ok, I guess.... it is a different culture, different behaviour, try to fit in and still be urself. Let it happen, I would say....

sundaymorningstaple wrote:

saint73 wrote:
that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!

ya, I have saw Indonesia KFC got "RICE"!!!

I worked in Indonesia from 1982 to 1994. KFC always had rice and not mashed 'tators. Little bit of trivia though. Did you know that Indonesian KFC's also Had Zingers about 6 to 8 months before Singapore did? Had my first Zinger in Surabaya. Brought back a black KFC Hat and everybody here wanted to know where it came from and what was a Zinger!

In KL, there's no rice either but was told that they'll introduce it by March 2007.

It's funny but whenever I'm in Sg, I never felt the need to go to the fastfood places since there are so many food choices in the hawker centers. Of course, before I got to Sg I had no idea that the hawker centers are ok. Though my friends there kept reassuring me I won't die from diarrhea or anything if I eat in a hawker center.

i find it odd that you are an "asian geekette" and would be afraid to eat hawker food here in what i feel is the most clean city on earth. i think i could eat off the floor and still be fine. compared to places such as bombay or bangkok, i have absolutely no qualms about eating local food.

then again i've been food poisoned twice so i'm a bit too trusting.