Moving to Singapore in 45-60 days!

[aster]

But at least tipping isn't required.

That's because good service has been replaced with a "service-charge culture." Still not sure if those proceeds actually get passed on directly to employees or whether the owner just scoops it all up...

[Usmom]

What are your thoughts about the casino? Is it worth going to and how is it compared to Vegas?

[taxico]

What are your thoughts about the casino? Is it worth going to and how is it compared to Vegas?

why waste your money?

[Strong Eagle]

But at least tipping isn't required.

That's because good service has been replaced with a "service-charge culture." Still not sure if those proceeds actually get passed on directly to employees or whether the owner just scoops it all up...

I can tell you that any service charges collected must be declared as revenue by the restaurant. Now, if they actually give it out to the employees, it would be an offsetting expense, but, I've asked numerous wait staff if they got any part of the service charge and they said, "no".

It's a chickenshit way to add 10 percent to the advertised price, and to avoid having to include GST in the price, thereby adding about 18 percent to the advertised price.

[the lynx]

What are your thoughts about the casino? Is it worth going to and how is it compared to Vegas?

I've never been to The Sands in Vegas.

But I personally do not like the casino in MBS. Horrible, poor crowd-management and bad ventilation for a place that allows smoking. Since you can go in for free (citizens and PRs need to pay SGD100 entry levy), you may as well just go in for a tour.

I prefer RWS casino because it is cleaner and better-managed. Plus, because it is expensive to commute to there, you have better range of crowds in that casino.

[aster]

What are your thoughts about the casino? Is it worth going to and how is it compared to Vegas?

Casinos here are boring. Don't waste your time unless all you want to do is throw money away at the tables/machines and nothing else.

[aster]

I've asked numerous wait staff if they got any part of the service charge and they said, "no".

stamp it out (one stroke of the legislative pen is all it takes).

[Usmom]

We've been here for a few days now and still trying to recover from jet lag. Anyways, the Pan Pacific off of raffles is excellent!!! I'm impressed with the service here. We went to eat at the casino but haven't been inside, but will try to squeeze that in just to take a look. condo hunting has been interesting.
We spent the first day touring the whole country, you know a whole 6 hours, and nothing is too far away but all the lights and turns makes it take awhile just to get 10 miles. Now I see why it is a pain to have a car and not have a car. The traffic and parking. Is it me or is there a mall on every corner with a million stores in them? Who are all these rich people buying $5000 purses and shoes?

Spent second day seeing inside actually units and properties. The 5 that we saw, only one was a possibility. I'm realizing that small rooms is the norm and tiny appliances. I'm needing to make mental adjustments and change my expectations, just need a little time. Oh and the bomb shelters, agents kept saying, your helper can sleep here and I'm trying not to look too shocked. How do you have a human being sleep in a tiny room with no windows and locate them in the back of the kitchen with a toliet? I don't even know how a bed can fit in there let alone a dresser to keep clothes. No AC and they kept saying just open the window at the back of the kitchen. What? It was sad to think about.

Today going to see a bunch more properties and made reservations near the marina to eat chili crab, can't wait!

What do you guys think of Reflections on Kepple?

[singapore eagle]

Spent second day seeing inside actually units and properties. The 5 that we saw, only one was a possibility. I'm realizing that small rooms is the norm and tiny appliances. I'm needing to make mental adjustments and change my expectations, just need a little time.

Just a suggestion, but you might be better targeting older condos - i.e. places built more than, say, 20 years ago. They look less impressive from the outside, but they often give you much more room on the inside. (As an added bonus, they don't have bomb shelters!)

Consider houses too.

[the lynx]

We've been here for a few days now and still trying to recover from jet lag. Anyways, the Pan Pacific off of raffles is excellent!!! I'm impressed with the service here. We went to eat at the casino but haven't been inside, but will try to squeeze that in just to take a look. condo hunting has been interesting.
We spent the first day touring the whole country, you know a whole 6 hours, and nothing is too far away but all the lights and turns makes it take awhile just to get 10 miles. Now I see why it is a pain to have a car and not have a car. The traffic and parking. Is it me or is there a mall on every corner with a million stores in them? Who are all these rich people buying $5000 purses and shoes?

Usually nouveau rich tourists who don't know they can buy Coach cheaper in USA and LV in Milan. Some super rich expats seem to do that too.

There is always at least one mall is every neighbourhood or heartland. But not all carry luxury brands unless it is a recently new township like Jurong East.

And yes, parking and traffic are some of the deterrents. The real deterrent is the COE, fuel and car prices. The money you pay for a Japanese/Korean car here, you could get a better quality Continental car in Europe.

You can dine inside the casinos - they have restaurants with glass window view of the casino area.

Spent second day seeing inside actually units and properties. The 5 that we saw, only one was a possibility. I'm realizing that small rooms is the norm and tiny appliances. I'm needing to make mental adjustments and change my expectations, just need a little time. Oh and the bomb shelters, agents kept saying, your helper can sleep here and I'm trying not to look too shocked. How do you have a human being sleep in a tiny room with no windows and locate them in the back of the kitchen with a toliet? I don't even know how a bed can fit in there let alone a dresser to keep clothes. No AC and they kept saying just open the window at the back of the kitchen. What? It was sad to think about.

When it comes to human rights, locals here seem to be fine of letting a fellow human being sleeping in bomb shelter, just because she is from a third world country which is a class lower than them. If you try to be different and let a maid stay in a real room, and your local friends and neighbours hear about it, they'd be upset because you're setting a high expectation among the maid community to rally for basic room arrangement.

Today going to see a bunch more properties and made reservations near the marina to eat chili crab, can't wait!

What do you guys think of Reflections on Kepple?

Reflections at Keppel Bay is a good place but a little pain to walk to the MRT stations and even nearest bus stops, especially if you live in the tower units or the villa units far far closer to the yacht marina. One of our forum regulars live there and he may be able to give better insight. (paging for Fortan!)

Are you looking at tower unit or villa unit?

Have you considered Caribbean next door? It may be slightly older but I hear that they have better room layout and facilities.

[the lynx]

And oh, definitely convenient enough to go to Jurong area. Still depending on which part of Jurong actually. Will he be working at Tuas, Benoi, Gul, International Road, Jurong East or Pandan area? Jurong is a pretty big place.

But still, from Reflections or Caribbean, you can take Circle Line, change at Buona Vista for East-West Line to get to one of the stations in Jurong area.

Reflections have shuttle bus service to Telok Blangah and Harbourfront (Vivo City) MRT stations but I hear that you have to pay using Ezlink card each way. Caribbean might have one, I think.

[zzm9980]

We've been here for a few days now and still trying to recover from jet lag. Anyways, the Pan Pacific off of raffles is excellent!!! I'm impressed with the service here. We went to eat at the casino but haven't been inside, but will try to squeeze that in just to take a look. condo hunting has been interesting.
We spent the first day touring the whole country, you know a whole 6 hours, and nothing is too far away but all the lights and turns makes it take awhile just to get 10 miles. Now I see why it is a pain to have a car and not have a car. The traffic and parking. Is it me or is there a mall on every corner with a million stores in them? Who are all these rich people buying $5000 purses and shoes?

Spent second day seeing inside actually units and properties. The 5 that we saw, only one was a possibility. I'm realizing that small rooms is the norm and tiny appliances. I'm needing to make mental adjustments and change my expectations, just need a little time. Oh and the bomb shelters, agents kept saying, your helper can sleep here and I'm trying not to look too shocked. How do you have a human being sleep in a tiny room with no windows and locate them in the back of the kitchen with a toliet? I don't even know how a bed can fit in there let alone a dresser to keep clothes. No AC and they kept saying just open the window at the back of the kitchen. What? It was sad to think about.

Today going to see a bunch more properties and made reservations near the marina to eat chili crab, can't wait!

What do you guys think of Reflections on Kepple?

Welcome to Singapore. I see you've quickly passed the 'honeymoon' and are now on the 'waking up next to him/her the morning after'. But don't despair! Despite its quirks, it can make a fine place to live and an experience that will benefit your entire family for a lifetime as long as you're willing to adjust expectations slightly. From your post it sounds like you are, so good job!


In regards to the comment about bags (bolded above); while quite a few people in Singapore are rich (I believe it was 18% of the population has at least $1million in net worth not counting primary residence?), most are not. Most young people live with their parents until they're married (late 20s-30s?), and then buy a highly subsidized 'concrete box in the sky' (HDBs, those big ugly towers you've inevitably seen all over the place that painted in primary colors that make them look like duplo blocks). So meanwhile while living at home, it is nothing for a young girl to drop 1-2 months pay on a small LV handbag (or expect her boyfriend to do it for her). Go read about "The 5 Cs of Singapore": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Cs_of_Singapore

[aster]

I'm realizing that small rooms is the norm and tiny appliances. I'm needing to make mental adjustments and change my expectations, just need a little time. Oh and the bomb shelters, agents kept saying, your helper can sleep here and I'm trying not to look too shocked. How do you have a human being sleep in a tiny room with no windows and locate them in the back of the kitchen with a toliet? I don't even know how a bed can fit in there let alone a dresser to keep clothes. No AC and they kept saying just open the window at the back of the kitchen. What? It was sad to think about.

In general the newer the condo, the smaller the rooms. If you want BIG rooms then check out some of the condos that have been built earlier.

As for the "luggage room" being used as a maid's quarters, that is a sad story that is unfortunately commonplace. A lot of the time they don't even get the whole "shelter" to themselves, instead having to sleep Tetris-block style around luggage and whatever else the family decides to store there.

[Primrose Hill]

The 1980s developments are pretty spacious. There are some on Farrer Rd, Spanish Villas, Gallop, Sommerville are quite spacious but older style

[JR8]

Spent second day seeing inside actually units and properties. The 5 that we saw, only one was a possibility. I'm realizing that small rooms is the norm and tiny appliances. I'm needing to make mental adjustments and change my expectations, just need a little time. Oh and the bomb shelters, agents kept saying, your helper can sleep here and I'm trying not to look too shocked. How do you have a human being sleep in a tiny room with no windows and locate them in the back of the kitchen with a toliet? I don't even know how a bed can fit in there let alone a dresser to keep clothes. No AC and they kept saying just open the window at the back of the kitchen. What? It was sad to think about.
What do you guys think of Reflections on Kepple?

Yeah, everything is small here. From the beds to the appliances.
Bomb shelters - yeah, that's coz we're all doomed, and so need a strong government, or better still a dictatorship to ensure security.
Welcome to modern 'polite' slavery. Participating is not compulsory.

Reflections at Kepple. Hmmm... out of the way. Need a car. Can't really walk anywhere. Sort of flashy enclave, though maybe a bit withdrawn/ghettoised. .... Just my 2c