Singapore the good, the bad and the ugly

[snaw]

The Good

• It's hot all the time.
• The food. It's great and it's cheap. Oh, and everything you'd get in the UK you can get here, if oyu really want it (Just have to pay)
• It's clean, it's safe, it's efficient.
• Arguably best hub in Asia to travel region from.
• Work. Seems to be lots of it about, and if you're western it pays well (Even by UK standards).
• Low tax (10%). I'm really starting to notice after a couple of paychecks.
• Condominiums, if you like having a pool, gym, tennis courts etc.
• Immigration. It's a pleasant experience and unbelievably efficient.
• Shopping, if that's your thing - it's the national past time.
• Life is easy. Really easy if you have a family. get a maid for peanuts, she'll cook, clean, babysit and generally take all the chorey stuff out of your life and just leave the fun bits. I come home every night and take my kids swimming, or to the playground. We have family breakfasts (1st time in my life). I really mean life is easy.
• Taxis are everywhere and they're cheap (See cars below).
• Schooling. Nursery is cheap (Compared to UK) and very good. Schools are more exxie, and you can't go to a local school so has to be private, but equally they've one of the best education systems in the world. Even if they seem to specialise in turning out more maths/science types than creatives.

The Bad

• It's hot all the time
• Beer is expensive (As is wine, spirits etc)
• Queuing etiquette. Or complete lack of.
• Condominiums, if you don't like staying in high rises, there are landed houses etc but they're no cheap.
• Customer service, on the phone, is rubbish. They don't want to take responsibility for anything and are always trying to palm you off with a 'someone will call you back'.
• It's small. Eventually I can see that's going to get to me.
• Telly is rank. Truly rank. Though you get a choice of every football game live ...
• Internet shopping. I feel like I've been timewarped to the early 90's. Hardly anything is done on the internet, it's still all done in shops etc (For electronics and what not). Didn't expect that.
• It's a bit culturally shallow. Not a lot going on if you're into live music etc. People are into money, and like to show it off. Quite superficial I find.
• cars are taxed the hell out of, they're about 4 times the cost of what they'd be in the UK.

The Ugly

• It's really humid, sometimes.
• Certainly not the local females, they're all lovely. It's a wee bit dangerous if I'm honest.
• Beware pretty young things taking an interest in you if you're oot for a beer. They're only after one thing, and it's for you to pay ...
• The world cup isnae getting broadcast here due to a dispute between FIFA and the local cable companies ...
• Real estate. Agents. Landlords. You've got little rights, and they're ruthless here. Make us look like soft touches - got royaly shafted on our 'first' apt, a day before we were due to move in.
• Singlish - local mix of english, chinese and fck knows what else. makes as much sense to me as I do to them

Sure there's more but I promised a while back to do an update. here it is. Pt 1 for now.

[threaded]

Have you been up to the Orchid Park yet? I think it's lovely, and have visited it numerous times and over the years watched the plants grow.

[snaw]

Have you been up to the Orchid Park yet? I think it's lovely, and have visited it numerous times and over the years watched the plants grow.

Nope, is it in the botanical gardens? Think we saw the entrance when we were there, but our wee yins have a habit of pulling the heads off flowers at the moment ...

[EternalOptimist]

Orchard Park was nice, but too many flowers for my taste. Plus my travelling companion was stung by a Lath wasp on the finger. This wasp is a native of Singapore and has a nasty venom, it spread up his arm and he developed a growth in his armpit.
The local doctors decided on surgery when it reached the size of a small grapefruit, and it was successfully removed. The bizarre part was that whilst the surgery was free (under a transfer agreement with the NHS) the anaesthetic was not, which ended up costing him four and a half thousand quid

nice orchids though.

[chef]

Crazy Elephant bar has some great live music, the owner and amazing guitarist is John Chee, it's on Clarke Quay

Goto the Night Safari, it's really very good, definately worth a visit

Sentosa island is almost like a tacky disney world type place, the Sentosa 4D Magix is good but you need to book in advance or get there very early

I quite liked east coast parkway at a weekend, everyone goes rollerblading/cycling up and down the promenade and they all take small 2 man tents so they dont have to get undressed in public, odd site to see so many tents on the beach

[cojak]

Take care with your kids if you want to visit Tiger Balm Gardens (now known as Haw Par Villa).

I went when I was a kid and was living in Singapore with my parents (my Dad was in the RAF out there).

There was a building/cave there called the 10 courts of hell.

It can still give me nightmares...

Seriously.

[Spacecadet]

Sentosa island is almost like a tacky disney world type place, the Sentosa 4D Magix is good but you need to book in advance or get there very early

Sentosa is brilliant, lovely beaches there and very safe swimming for the young 'uns.
Never had to queue more than 15 minutes for the 4d thing, I think we choose our days to visit more carefully though

[TimberWolf]

Crazy Elephant bar has some great live music, the owner and amazing guitarist is John Chee, it's on Clarke Quay

Goto the Night Safari, it's really very good, definately worth a visit

Sentosa island is almost like a tacky disney world type place, the Sentosa 4D Magix is good but you need to book in advance or get there very early

I quite liked east coast parkway at a weekend, everyone goes rollerblading/cycling up and down the promenade and they all take small 2 man tents so they dont have to get undressed in public, odd site to see so many tents on the beach

Goto?

Are you a programmer or something?

[Moscow Mule]

Goto?

Are you a crap programmer or something?

FTFY

(prompts heated debate on the premise that GOTO isn't actually the spawn of programming hell)

[cailin maith]

The Ugly

• The world cup isnae getting broadcast here due to a dispute between FIFA and the local cable companies ...

Ah sweetheart, didn't anyone tell you... Scotland didn't make it


Only kidding!!

I was expecting you to not have no many "cons" of living out there and a lot more "pro's".

How long do you reckon you will stick it out?