Discuss about the latest news & interesting topics, real life experience or other out of topic discussions with locals & expatriates in Singapore.
-
kukumalu
- Newbie
![Newbie Newbie]()
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 9:11 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by kukumalu » Thu, 13 Mar 2014 9:36 pm
Dear Expats of Singapore,
I am a local guy who is really sick of the inane mind-numbing mall-hopping tedium of life in Singapore. This feeling is becoming especially acute ever since I came back from hiking Mount Kinabalu and all it's wonderful natural beauty.
I've tried asking around in my social circles for advice on overseas life and how it stacks up with sg, but it appears that no one has any useful insights to offer. If anything, the propaganda instinct goes into overdrive and all the other countries 'unsafe', 'crime everywhere', 'boring', 'no shopping', 'racism', 'no maid', etc etc all starts spewing out.
I really want to get out of this place, at least for a while and if it's not too much trouble I would like to seek some small insights as to whether sg living is really all that great. Almost everyone I know seems to really believe that we are the best place to live in and somehow I dont quite feel its true
Thanks so much!
-
ohmz52
- Regular
![Regular Regular]()
- Posts: 84
- Joined: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 1:39 am
- Location: England
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by ohmz52 » Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:13 pm
I've been here two weeks and I feel the same.
The grass is greener on the other side.
-
Wd40
- Director
![Director Director]()
- Posts: 4657
- Joined: Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:53 am
-
Answers: 1
- Location: SIndiapore
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by Wd40 » Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:19 pm
Singapore's great for careers compared to say Australia, for example. Its a more global city and a bigger financial centre, a busier port and air transport hub than Sydney or Melbourne. It is more tax efficient.This is why expats come to Singapore.
-
PNGMK
- Moderator
![Moderator Moderator]()
- Posts: 9245
- Joined: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 9:06 pm
-
Answers: 11
- Location: Sinkapore
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by PNGMK » Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:24 pm
The world is a really big big place.
As a SC you have one advantage you may not be aware of. Because of the FTA between Singapore and the US there is a vastly underutilized working visa class available to Singaporeans. Have a look at that.
Also if you're young enough look into working holiday visas in Australia and the UK/Europe.
Go west young man.
-
x9200
- Moderator
![Moderator Moderator]()
- Posts: 10075
- Joined: Mon, 07 Sep 2009 4:06 pm
- Location: Singapore
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by x9200 » Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:27 pm
kukumalu wrote:Dear Expats of Singapore,
I am a local guy who is really sick of the inane mind-numbing mall-hopping tedium of life in Singapore. This feeling is becoming especially acute ever since I came back from hiking Mount Kinabalu and all it's wonderful natural beauty.
I've tried asking around in my social circles for advice on overseas life and how it stacks up with sg, but it appears that no one has any useful insights to offer. If anything, the propaganda instinct goes into overdrive and all the other countries 'unsafe', 'crime everywhere', 'boring', 'no shopping', 'racism', 'no maid', etc etc all starts spewing out.
I really want to get out of this place, at least for a while and if it's not too much trouble I would like to seek some small insights as to whether sg living is really all that great. Almost everyone I know seems to really believe that we are the best place to live in and somehow I dont quite feel its true
You sound like a journalist fishing for opinions.
-
Beeroclock
- Reporter
![Reporter Reporter]()
- Posts: 718
- Joined: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 2:51 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by Beeroclock » Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:30 pm
Well you can certainly do a lot worse than here too. By all means travel explore and see for yourself. But I reckon in the end you might find happiness and fulfillment depends more on your attitude, choices and the people you surround yourself, rather than the place you're living. Good luck
-
bgd
- Manager
![Manager Manager]()
- Posts: 1684
- Joined: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 4:09 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by bgd » Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:32 pm
Buy a plan ticket to somewhere. Have a look at the world. Make up your own mind. It's not rocket science.

-
ohmz52
- Regular
![Regular Regular]()
- Posts: 84
- Joined: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 1:39 am
- Location: England
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by ohmz52 » Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:44 pm
bgd wrote:Buy a plan ticket to somewhere. Have a look at the world. Make up your own mind. It's not rocket science.

But it is plane science..
The grass is greener on the other side.
-
pisceangirl
- Chatter
![Chatter Chatter]()
- Posts: 173
- Joined: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 5:57 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by pisceangirl » Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:57 pm
kukumalu wrote:
I would like to seek some small insights as to whether sg living is really all that great. Almost everyone I know seems to really believe that we are the best place to live in and somehow I dont quite feel its true
Why don't you try visiting a few places and find out for yourself? Why rely on other people's opinions be it the ones you know or strangers on a forum?
Don't get confused between my personality & my attitude. My personality is who I am, my attitude depends on who you are. (Tupac)
-
pisceangirl
- Chatter
![Chatter Chatter]()
- Posts: 173
- Joined: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 5:57 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by pisceangirl » Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:22 pm
ohmz52 wrote:bgd wrote:Buy a plan ticket to somewhere. Have a look at the world. Make up your own mind. It's not rocket science.

But it is plane science..
I think its plain Math! $$$
Don't get confused between my personality & my attitude. My personality is who I am, my attitude depends on who you are. (Tupac)
-
kukumalu
- Newbie
![Newbie Newbie]()
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 9:11 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by kukumalu » Fri, 14 Mar 2014 12:18 am
x9200 wrote:kukumalu wrote:Dear Expats of Singapore,
I am a local guy who is really sick of the inane mind-numbing mall-hopping tedium of life in Singapore. This feeling is becoming especially acute ever since I came back from hiking Mount Kinabalu and all it's wonderful natural beauty.
I've tried asking around in my social circles for advice on overseas life and how it stacks up with sg, but it appears that no one has any useful insights to offer. If anything, the propaganda instinct goes into overdrive and all the other countries 'unsafe', 'crime everywhere', 'boring', 'no shopping', 'racism', 'no maid', etc etc all starts spewing out.
I really want to get out of this place, at least for a while and if it's not too much trouble I would like to seek some small insights as to whether sg living is really all that great. Almost everyone I know seems to really believe that we are the best place to live in and somehow I dont quite feel its true
You sound like a journalist fishing for opinions.
Eh no lah. I think it'll be easier to fish for opinions by posing as a fellow expat no? I was just forum-surfing on this topic and I thought it would be good to get some outside view to balance the local forums
-
kukumalu
- Newbie
![Newbie Newbie]()
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 9:11 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by kukumalu » Fri, 14 Mar 2014 12:20 am
PNGMK wrote:The world is a really big big place.
As a SC you have one advantage you may not be aware of. Because of the FTA between Singapore and the US there is a vastly underutilized working visa class available to Singaporeans. Have a look at that.
Also if you're young enough look into working holiday visas in Australia and the UK/Europe.
Go west young man.
I see! I wasn't aware of that. Would that be the H1-B Visa?
I was looking at the working holiday visa for New Zealand too, looks quite tempting as well.
-
Wd40
- Director
![Director Director]()
- Posts: 4657
- Joined: Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:53 am
-
Answers: 1
- Location: SIndiapore
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by Wd40 » Fri, 14 Mar 2014 3:41 am
If you like nature, you will love NZ. I have lots of my colleagues from previous company moved to Wellington, Auckland and Dunedin. They work in IT and got their work permits sponsored from overseas by their company. Some really breath taking pictures, they have posted. They rent landed
property with some beautiful sceneries.
-
ecureilx
- Immortal
![Immortal Immortal]()
- Posts: 9817
- Joined: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 5:18 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by ecureilx » Fri, 14 Mar 2014 5:14 am
[quote="kukumalu"...[/quote]
you know what your nick kukumalu roughly translates to ... right?
-
x9200
- Moderator
![Moderator Moderator]()
- Posts: 10075
- Joined: Mon, 07 Sep 2009 4:06 pm
- Location: Singapore
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by x9200 » Fri, 14 Mar 2014 7:12 am
@kukumalu, the whole problem with your initial question and people advising you on this forum (and any other place with similar set of people = expats) is that we may be different even if what you wrote is what many of the expats thinks. You still may be the very product of your own country/culture and you may not like the world outside Singapore at all, just like your countrymen you mentioned. In other words, even if I tell you, that this is a BS, at the end of the day it may not be a BS to you because I was not brought up in Singapore and you were. Do you see my point?
Anyway, there is no other way for you to know but to go and check yourself. Of course you have to live in a different country, not just visit it.
As a guideline, for people arriving here, it takes very often over 1 year to see some disadvantages or annoyances of Singapore. I would expect similar effect for Singaporeans but the other way around - you may be very disappointed at first but it should get better with time.
-
-
- 3 Replies
- 2891 Views
-
Last post by PartyLike-A-Russian
Mon, 05 Jun 2023 4:57 pm
-
-
Subletting agreement not signed, can leave early
Replies: 5
First post
Hi All,
The main tenant posted an ad for an available room on FB, I took the shared room from him in a Condominium.
But I've not signed the...
Last post
Under the law is considered illegal sublet!
- 5 Replies
- 4709 Views
-
Last post by Zhou Anqi
Wed, 10 Jun 2020 10:36 am
-
-
Unpaid Leave while on S-PASS
Replies: 5
First post
Does anyone have experience with what happens when taking unpaid leave while on an S-PASS? My wife is considering extending her maternity leave by...
Last post
PPF, I know it's a breeze but I never had to take as I once had a maid for 2 years in 1984~86 after my 1st child was born but well before those...
- 5 Replies
- 3492 Views
-
Last post by sundaymorningstaple
Tue, 21 Apr 2020 9:17 am
-
-
Covid19 forced expats to leave Singapore…
Replies: 2
First post
If more and more expats get pay cuts or end up leaving Singapore which in turn means less kids can afford international schools, shouldn't they lower...
Last post
If more and more expats get pay cuts or end up leaving Singapore which in turn means less kids can afford international schools, shouldn't they lower...
- 2 Replies
- 4094 Views
-
Last post by PNGMK
Thu, 09 Jul 2020 9:05 am
-
-
Vacating Apartment Early - Have to Leave Singapore - Covid19
Replies: 1
First post
Hi All,
I am new here. This is my first post.
We signed a TA for two years in March 2020. My role in the company has become redundant due to...
Last post
IS the company paying the rent or willing to pick up the rent once you are terminated?
If not your options are to find another tenant, pay out the...
- 1 Replies
- 3374 Views
-
Last post by PNGMK
Tue, 08 Sep 2020 8:52 pm
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests