Singapore Expats

Hello. I just found out we will most likely be relocating to Singapore from the US. I'm excited about living in a new country and learning the culture. I have never been to Singapore and would love to know what others like about living there.

tanusa wrote:Hello. I just found out we will most likely be relocating to Singapore from the US. I'm excited about living in a new country and learning the culture. I have never been to Singapore and would love to know what others like about living there.

Welcome to Singapore. One of the best things about living in Singapore is the food. You can eat something different everyday, every morning and never get sick of it.

Things I love about Singapore:

~ a safe place to raise children
~ their wonderful school
~ a clean and efficient living environment
~ a great base to travel from
~ an advantageous commercial base for hubby
~ all the wonderful friends we have made over the years
~ raising kids who are culturally savvy, open minded and citizens of the world
~ being able to afford live-in help so we can have more pets, more free time, live in a high maintenance house and entertain more
~ the flowers, the jungle and the greenery - all year, all the time.
~ the gorgeous, crumbling old architiecture of colonial era shophouses
~ the ma'am factor
~ the little altars all around (in trees, car parks, lifts, everywhere)
~ great, relatively cheaper medical care


There's more I'm sure, but this is what came to me right away. Good luck with your move tanusa

Fast internet pipes and no snow to shovel out of the driveway. That's about it.

finetune wrote:

tanusa wrote:Hello. I just found out we will most likely be relocating to Singapore from the US. I'm excited about living in a new country and learning the culture. I have never been to Singapore and would love to know what others like about living there.

Welcome to Singapore. One of the best things about living in Singapore is the food. You can eat something different everyday, every morning and never get sick of it.

thank you! I'm really looking forward to exploring the food. Several things I've read talk about the cuisine. One of the fun parts of the adventure

road.not.taken wrote:Things I love about Singapore:

~ a safe place to raise children
~ their wonderful school
~ a clean and efficient living environment
~ a great base to travel from
~ an advantageous commercial base for hubby
~ all the wonderful friends we have made over the years
~ raising kids who are culturally savvy, open minded and citizens of the world
~ being able to afford live-in help so we can have more pets, more free time, live in a high maintenance house and entertain more
~ the flowers, the jungle and the greenery - all year, all the time.
~ the gorgeous, crumbling old architiecture of colonial era shophouses
~ the ma'am factor
~ the little altars all around (in trees, car parks, lifts, everywhere)
~ great, relatively cheaper medical care


There's more I'm sure, but this is what came to me right away. Good luck with your move tanusa

Wow, so much you mentioned in your reply are things my husband and I have discussed a lot. Everyone we know who has lived there talks about what a great place it is for kids. My husband and I are from different backgrounds/countries and really value the multicultural aspects of Singapore. I love the idea of my children (2 and 4) becoming culturally savvy, open minded and citizens of the world."

Live-in help would be a completely new world for me. To be honest, it appeals to me in many ways (of course), but it also makes me a bit nervous. It seems like a huge step and responsibility to welcome someone into our home full-time. Sounds like you've had a great experience, which is nice to hear.

The greenery, architecture and altars... can't wait to see it all!

It's really good to know the health care is good. I'm scrambling to get caught up on all my dr's appointments before we leave. With often a two-month wait for routine visits, I'm not sure I'll get them all in.

Also, what is the ma'am factor? Not quite sure what you mean by that.

Thanks so much for your reply. I was feeling a little anxious about the move this morning, but your post made me refocus on all the exciting parts!

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Fast internet pipes and no snow to shovel out of the driveway. That's about it.

Well, fast internet is essential, so that's good

tanusa wrote:It's really good to know the health care is good. I'm scrambling to get caught up on all my dr's appointments before we leave. With often a two-month wait for routine visits, I'm not sure I'll get them all in.

Unless you are from a country with truly free health care it might be prudent to find the care -here-.

Appointments are very fast and very inexpensive.

I love the efficiency and cleanliness of the MRT. It's not always polite, but it goes lots of places to the point that I don't miss having a car.

Children are loved here and it's remarkably safe for them. It's terrific to go back home and have my daughter break out some Mandarin. Like a fun parlor trick.

The Bird Park, Zoo and Night Safari are awesome. We go there often with our girl, who just turned 5.

It's not the good old USA, but if you want to enjoy some of your homeland, there's plenty, from groceries to a few television shows to the American Club. Modern technology has really made this a place that doesn't feel 10,000 miles away.

The expat community is so large and diverse that there are tons of "outsiders" who will show you the ropes when you ask.

Welcome!

The office is really quiet if you like it that way!

1) Food
2) Food
3) Food
4) Food
5) Not needing a car.

That's pretty much my list right there...

Trees, lotsa trees.
Good variety of food.
Well maintained roads and public parks.
Sterile. Yes, sterile.
People who have become your friend(s) are generally nice and sincere.
Good variety of cheap recreation.
Wide use of English everywhere.
Systematic.
Never say die.

tanusa wrote:Also, what is the ma'am factor? Not quite sure what you mean by that.

Hmmm... how to explain it? Well, keep in mind that it's nothing that I asked for or cultivated... but being a white woman, tall (in relative terms) and certainly percieved as well off in Singapore ~ it opens doors and there is just a level of respect afforded to 'my kind' in general that frankly, is easy to get used to. You are called ma'am, people do nice things for you, you get better service (of course not always). It's a throw back to the old colonial attitudes and it's very sweet to be on this end of it. Of course there is a flipside which is ugly ~ that is another discussion.

road.not.taken wrote:

tanusa wrote:Also, what is the ma'am factor? Not quite sure what you mean by that.

Hmmm... how to explain it? Well, keep in mind that it's nothing that I asked for or cultivated... but being a white woman, tall (in relative terms) and certainly percieved as well off in Singapore ~ it opens doors and there is just a level of respect afforded to 'my kind' in general that frankly, is easy to get used to. You are called ma'am, people do nice things for you, you get better service (of course not always). It's a throw back to the old colonial attitudes and it's very sweet to be on this end of it. Of course there is a flipside which is ugly ~ that is another discussion.

ah, I see. Thanks for explaining.

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