Singapore Expats

Want to Leave

Discuss about the latest news & interesting topics, real life experience or other out of topic discussions with locals & expatriates in Singapore.
Post Reply
kukumalu
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 9:11 pm

Want to Leave

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
Posts: 84
Joined: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 1:39 am
Location: England

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.

User avatar
Wd40
Director
Director
Posts: 4657
Joined: Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:53 am
Answers: 1
Location: SIndiapore

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.

User avatar
PNGMK
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9245
Joined: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 9:06 pm
Answers: 11
Location: Sinkapore

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
Posts: 10075
Joined: Mon, 07 Sep 2009 4:06 pm
Location: Singapore

Re: Want to Leave

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
Posts: 718
Joined: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 2:51 pm

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
Posts: 1684
Joined: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 4:09 pm

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
Posts: 84
Joined: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 1:39 am
Location: England

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
Posts: 173
Joined: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 5:57 pm

Re: Want to Leave

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
Posts: 173
Joined: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 5:57 pm

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
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 9:11 pm

Re: Want to Leave

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
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 9:11 pm

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.

User avatar
Wd40
Director
Director
Posts: 4657
Joined: Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:53 am
Answers: 1
Location: SIndiapore

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.

User avatar
ecureilx
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 9817
Joined: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 5:18 pm

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
Posts: 10075
Joined: Mon, 07 Sep 2009 4:06 pm
Location: Singapore

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.

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “General Discussions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests