Singapore Expats

Hi there!

have been here for a year now, reasonably enjoy the place, the weather, the traveling, found a couple of nice people to hang out with

but still think social life could be improved significantly. coming from europe, I miss meeting all kinds of people interested in environmental issues, world politics with a critical view, more alternative lifestyles, fair trade, philosophy etc etc

this is a 4mio people city, but still all (well, most of the people) I meet just love shopping, eating, buying branded goods & staying in expensive resorts...

sorry for slight exaggeration, but any help would be very much appreciated on where to meet different people? where's the greenies in that place?
or anybody with the same ideas around here?

cheers
(30yrs, female and no freak)

does lying on the sand, leisuerly cycling in the park, cooking up uncanny combinations, wishing i had company to catch a foreign film or play & wanting to join an art class with flexible timmings fall in the above stereotyped category?

if not then here's a from me.

Hi,

I am not sure what you are looking for, but I do not enjoy "shopping, eating, buying branded goods & staying in expensive resorts... " you mentioned.

If you are looking for something green...During weekends, I carry my backpack with fruit, water and a book to MacRitch. I am planning to go to Mulu in early Oct. Would you like to join me?

GW

looking_for_in_sg wrote:
this is a 4mio people city, but still all (well, most of the people) I meet just love shopping, eating, buying branded goods & staying in expensive resorts...

Hi there.

I think yours is a legitimate complaint.

My theory is that Singapore is a particular sort of place where the economic and monetary aspect of life was emphasised from the very beginning at the expense of everything else, and so it naturally tends to attract that sort of person.

Having travelled pretty much all over the world, I find that it's tougher to find people interested in intellectual/philosophical issues here in Singapore compared to a city of comparable size somewhere in the west. The Singaporeans interested in such things generally tend to emigrate. As an artist living in this country, I feel that this is an acute problem.

Perhaps others have had different experiences.

Hi,

Do you think it is a good idea for a gettogether for an open discussion? ( on different topics ranging from politics to philisophy). Like minded people can join !

I don't know if you literally meant greenies (if yes what abt botanical gardens?)

I too share the same curiosity as that of yours to meet people with diverging views and broad experiences.

looking_for_in_sg wrote:sorry for slight exaggeration, but any help would be very much appreciated on where to meet different people? where's the greenies in that place?
or anybody with the same ideas around here?

There might be a few on the Rainbow Warrior, which is docked at RSYC, at least until Monday.

Hey
thanks for all the answers so far!

astr, GWHY, Renewed and anybody else interested: why don't you leave me a PM with how to contact you - maybe we could get together sometime for some activity. A little sceptical on organized discussion rounds, but that might just evolve over some food or drink
will see if we can set up something

xnoybis, I agree with you that it's more difficult to get people interested in intellectual/philosophical issues due to the very nature of the city state. but still can't believe there is so little of that in such a big city and still wonder where it's hiding. the slow and few answers to this post suggest it's not on singaporeexpats.com...
So where do the artists hang out?

Cheers

Someone mentioned me to be cautious of web robots finding people to send Junk so that is why u might find the following weird
rb(dot)india(at)gmail.com

looking_for_in_sg wrote:
xnoybis, I agree with you that it's more difficult to get people interested in intellectual/philosophical issues due to the very nature of the city state. but still can't believe there is so little of that in such a big city and still wonder where it's hiding. the slow and few answers to this post suggest it's not on singaporeexpats.com...
So where do the artists hang out?

Hmm...that's an interesting question. I don't know where they really sorta "hangout" because most of the art you're gonna find here is commercially driven - you won't find anything resembling the Haight-Ashbury district. The intellectuals/philosophers (isolated segments, no collective I know of) and the artists are largely separated, but I think a good place to start is the Substation: that's sort of a gathering place for local artists. www.substation.org