Singapore Expats

Just moved to Singapore from UK, great place to live, great people, Great everything......

Life IS good, here mate. Don't let the naysayers get you down.

I give you 6 months

p.s. Strong Eagle is the exception that proves the rule

Balnald wrote:Just moved to Singapore from UK, great place to live, great people, Great everything......

You sound EXACTLY like ozchick did when she came here back in 2006! we habitually resurrected her "Cheery-time" post periodically as she descended down the same slippery slope that we all have. With the possible exception being Strong Eagle - he only descends into a nice mellow whiskey occasionally which helps him see the positive side of everything - we've all found a point in time "when the new wears off of your crystal chandeliers" as Charlie Pride used to sing. In fact, you sound like most of us did!

Enjoy it. Who knows? It might last for you.....

sundaymorningstaple wrote:

Balnald wrote:Just moved to Singapore from UK, great place to live, great people, Great everything......

You sound EXACTLY like ozchick did when she came here back in 2006! we habitually resurrected her "Cheery-time" post periodically as she descended down the same slippery slope that we all have. With the possible exception being Strong Eagle - he only descends into a nice mellow whiskey occasionally which helps him see the positive side of everything - we've all found a point in time "when the new wears off of your crystal chandeliers" as Charlie Pride used to sing. In fact, you sound like most of us did!

Enjoy it. Who knows? It might last for you.....

Ooh, I remember that guy who went here for a recon, whatshisface... Said, he loves it here but we warned him that the sheen will quickly wear off.

Balnald wrote:Just moved to Singapore from UK, great place to live, great people, Great everything......

Wait till you see how people rush out from the MRT on rush hour
When cab driver wont stop for you
When your cab wont turn up because he lost his way
When people jump Q right in front of you
When theres a monsoon rain and you find yourself stranded cos no cab around to pick you up
When people in the cinemas starts munching popcorn when the movie starts to roll
When phone suddenly rings and the person who receives it says Allo loudly

Enjoy your stay! And enjoy meeting nice people.

And it's already 4-1 naysayers.......

Wait until you see (contd):

How people rush into an MRT train and barge people coming out out of the way.
How some taxi drivers play psycho mind games with other drivers.
How the weather is basically the same every day of the year.
How a lot of serving staff wouldn't notice that you'd walked into a restaurant and were waiting to order (because you went and picked up the menu yourself) if you waved a flag right in their face.
How you can sit in cheaper restaurants or food courts and people will spit out piles of bones etc right onto the table in front of you.
How western styled restaurants often serve bilge, anything resembling authenticity does not kick in unless you're paying something like S$75+ a head.
How you can't get a decent sandwich
How people don't look where they're walking, so it's either you who has to perpetually weave, or they walk into you and then blame you for that.
How walking past HDB blocks you will endure a shower of rubbish being thrown from the windows above.
How you better just do what the government tells you to.
How if you go the grocers after 10am, every vegetable item will have already been handled and bruised by the 100 other people that came before you that morning, all looking for the perfect one.
How you can't get anything out approaching a pint of decent beer for under S$15.
How customer service from the likes of banks is astonishly poor, that's if you can understand the person you are speaking to at all.
How the consumer market is so under-developed. Look at options for say travel or general medical insurance and wince at the lack of choice and cost.
How there is as near as matters no consumer protection.
How a lot of SGns even friends are unable to hold any meaningful conversation.
How almost all the media is government controlled, pumping out soma for the masses.
How where you go, what you say, and what you write is all monitored.
How most of the local food is heavy and very oily.
How people 'chope' tables at food courts.
How many people lack the most basic graciousness or manners.

Anyway that was stream of thought, better not get me going or I'll write a list

Well, everything has its own greats and not-so-greats... Enjoy discovering all of it

JR8 wrote:Wait until you see (contd):

How people rush into an MRT train and barge people coming out out of the way.
How some taxi drivers play psycho mind games with other drivers.
How the weather is basically the same every day of the year.
How a lot of serving staff wouldn't notice that you'd walked into a restaurant and were waiting to order (because you went and picked up the menu yourself) if you waved a flag right in their face.
How you can sit in cheaper restaurants or food courts and people will spit out piles of bones etc right onto the table in front of you.
How western styled restaurants often serve bilge, anything resembling authenticity does not kick in unless you're paying something like S$75+ a head.
How you can't get a decent sandwich
How people don't look where they're walking, so it's either you who has to perpetually weave, or they walk into you and then blame you for that.
How walking past HDB blocks you will endure a shower of rubbish being thrown from the windows above.
How you better just do what the government tells you to.
How if you go the grocers after 10am, every vegetable item will have already been handled and bruised by the 100 other people that came before you that morning, all looking for the perfect one.
How you can't get anything out approaching a pint of decent beer for under S$15.
How customer service from the likes of banks is astonishly poor, that's if you can understand the person you are speaking to at all.
How the consumer market is so under-developed. Look at options for say travel or general medical insurance and wince at the lack of choice and cost.
How there is as near as matters no consumer protection.
How a lot of SGns even friends are unable to hold any meaningful conversation.
How almost all the media is government controlled, pumping out soma for the masses.
How where you go, what you say, and what you write is all monitored.
How most of the local food is heavy and very oily.
How people 'chope' tables at food courts.
How many people lack the most basic graciousness or manners.

Anyway that was stream of thought, better not get me going or I'll write a list

What list? lol

How about how you'd better not have a heart attack because nobody gets out of the way for ambulances. In fact, you're better off hailing a taxi if you think you're going to die.

poodlek wrote: What list? lol

How about how you'd better not have a heart attack because nobody gets out of the way for ambulances. In fact, you're better off hailing a taxi if you think you're going to die.

I had that one in mind too, but it slipped off whilst typing. That is a shocking thing to behold. Can't let the dying patient in the ambulance on blue lights get in front or he 'will have won'.

Why do you all stay here if it's THAT bad?!

Apart from friends and family, and possibly some cost comparisons, you must have forgotten the U.K is actually a floating cesspit; with high tax, indirect tax on whatever is left from the high tax, incompetent government, shit food, shit weather, knife crime, constant fighting over anything, the good old British media tapping the phones of victims of 7/7 and murder victims..........I could go on and on.

I'd happily substitute all of the above at the drop of a hat for a lack of spacial awareness, more social control, more form filling and language problems!!

BillyB wrote:Why do you all stay here if it's THAT bad?!

Apart from friends and family, and possibly some cost comparisons, you must have forgotten the U.K is actually a floating cesspit; with high tax, indirect tax on whatever is left from the high tax, incompetent government, shit food, shit weather, knife crime, constant fighting over anything, the good old British media tapping the phones of victims of 7/7 and murder victims..........I could go on and on.

I'd happily substitute all of the above at the drop of a hat for a lack of spacial awareness, more social control, more form filling and language problems!!

Don't go off-topic now Bunter.

p.s. Have you been hitting the sherry?

JR8 wrote:

BillyB wrote:Why do you all stay here if it's THAT bad?!

Apart from friends and family, and possibly some cost comparisons, you must have forgotten the U.K is actually a floating cesspit; with high tax, indirect tax on whatever is left from the high tax, incompetent government, shit food, shit weather, knife crime, constant fighting over anything, the good old British media tapping the phones of victims of 7/7 and murder victims..........I could go on and on.

I'd happily substitute all of the above at the drop of a hat for a lack of spacial awareness, more social control, more form filling and language problems!!

Don't go off-topic now Bunter.

Have you been hitting the sherry?

Delia, piss off, it's hardly off topic. It's a 30% subjective / 70% objective take on our homeland. It's all going tits up over there, despite how much I love my Sky+, football, family and friends.

poodlek wrote:

JR8 wrote:Wait until you see (contd):

How people rush into an MRT train and barge people coming out out of the way.
How some taxi drivers play psycho mind games with other drivers.
How the weather is basically the same every day of the year.
How a lot of serving staff wouldn't notice that you'd walked into a restaurant and were waiting to order (because you went and picked up the menu yourself) if you waved a flag right in their face.
How you can sit in cheaper restaurants or food courts and people will spit out piles of bones etc right onto the table in front of you.
How western styled restaurants often serve bilge, anything resembling authenticity does not kick in unless you're paying something like S$75+ a head.
How you can't get a decent sandwich
How people don't look where they're walking, so it's either you who has to perpetually weave, or they walk into you and then blame you for that.
How walking past HDB blocks you will endure a shower of rubbish being thrown from the windows above.
How you better just do what the government tells you to.
How if you go the grocers after 10am, every vegetable item will have already been handled and bruised by the 100 other people that came before you that morning, all looking for the perfect one.
How you can't get anything out approaching a pint of decent beer for under S$15.
How customer service from the likes of banks is astonishly poor, that's if you can understand the person you are speaking to at all.
How the consumer market is so under-developed. Look at options for say travel or general medical insurance and wince at the lack of choice and cost.
How there is as near as matters no consumer protection.
How a lot of SGns even friends are unable to hold any meaningful conversation.
How almost all the media is government controlled, pumping out soma for the masses.
How where you go, what you say, and what you write is all monitored.
How most of the local food is heavy and very oily.
How people 'chope' tables at food courts.
How many people lack the most basic graciousness or manners.

Anyway that was stream of thought, better not get me going or I'll write a list

What list? lol

How about how you'd better not have a heart attack because nobody gets out of the way for ambulances. In fact, you're better off hailing a taxi if you think you're going to die.

experienced this first hand. not only did the driver in front NOT get out of the way, but he slowed down as well, then almost coming to a stop before turning the corner as if to avoid some imaginary pedestrian