Your one piece of wisdom...

[Brah]

I don't think such as 'not having time to be a gourmet chef'. Most of us don't, after all it is a full-time 12month+ course followed by hands on internships etc. But there is a wide potential middle ground between that and not even being to open up the fridge door and putting together a simple meal. Even a pretty good simple meal given a little time and thought.

Agree with everything written here.

What amuses me is how serious locals supposedly are about food, though it is usually local food, which never fails to disappoint me and mine, but the basic level of food here is remarkable low (as is the cleanliness).

In the US, which to outsiders, is not known for good food, but there is a lot of good, wholesome food done cheap and right (or else those places would not last very long, and some do quite well for many years and are stalwarts in neighborhoods).

So I get irked to pay up for casual Italian food, inconsistent and overpriced but barely done right brunches, crappy sandwiches and the like here, which are all no-brainers from what I'm used to.

[ktw1990]

The HEAT, which leads to the SWEAT. On a normal sunny day, which is basically almost every day, just walk out for 2 minutes and the sweat will be pouring out like a waterfall. So basically you don't need to concern yourself with fashion anymore, because you'll be wearing t-shirt/tank and shorts outside of work all the time.

[JR8]

Site hung, my reply lost. Haven't time to rethink type what I said...

[curiousgeorge]

Don't underestimate the racism you'll encounter, and don't be part of the problem.

* You know how people make jokes about Mexicans taking over North America? They will make those jokes about you now.
* It doesn't matter what colour your skin or your world view - people will hold the belief you are taking someone local's job
* You've not done National Service here so you can *never* be Singaporean - even if you are female and don't have to do NS.
* If you are Caucasian, every mistake you make will be repeated multiple times. Even worse, if its photographed or videoed, it will be spread across the internet like Marmite on toast soldiers.
* You won't ever have a good idea at work. You might mention a good idea but it will be rejected...for six weeks when someone local will make the same suggestion and it will be applauded for being amazing.
* you earn more than anybody local. They will hate you for it.


********************
I might not always be serious

But honestly, when you get here, just enjoy the ride. Immerse yourself in as many different and unusual experiences as you can get. Eat at a hawker centre every day for a month, take the mrt/bus everywhere, live without Aircon. Understand what it is like to be Singaporean, not just an American in Singapore.

[sundaymorningstaple]

He might not always be serious, but he was 100% spot on with that post!


Oh, and it IS do-able. I've been a Yank here for over 3 decades and I live in an HDB flat (my own), without Air conditioning and no longer own a car, opting for the excellent mass transit systems instead.

[JR8]

He might not always be serious, but he was 100% spot on with that post!


Oh, and it IS do-able. I've been a Yank here for over 3 decades and I live in an HDB flat (my own), without Air conditioning and no longer own a car, opting for the excellent mass transit systems instead.

We don't use air-con either. Now we have to figure out to deal with the new mold flourishing on our bedroom walls... before it starts taking over all our clothing...

[Strong Eagle]

He might not always be serious, but he was 100% spot on with that post!


Oh, and it IS do-able. I've been a Yank here for over 3 decades and I live in an HDB flat (my own), without Air conditioning and no longer own a car, opting for the excellent mass transit systems instead.

We don't use air-con either. Now we have to figure out to deal with the new mold flourishing on our bedroom walls... before it starts taking over all our clothing...

Roll/wipe the walls with water and liquid bleach... kills the mold and turns the black invisible.

[JR8]

Roll/wipe the walls with water and liquid bleach... kills the mold and turns the black invisible.

Thanks Eagle. I was thinking of using Lysol as the aerosol would have 'reach' and I'm not sure if we have a step-ladder. Though considering your comment, maybe we could mix up a spray/vapouriser-bottle of diluted bleach.

Frustrating as we do our best to keep decent ventilation going through the place...

[Brah]

Don't underestimate the racism you'll encounter, and don't be part of the problem.

Understand what it is like to be Singaporean, not just an American in Singapore.

And don't think that Americans are the only foreigners or even Westerners. Or that all Westerners are the same.

Sounds obvious but, I knew an American guy who was here for almost a year and kept speaking in generalities about Westerners as Americans, such as, "do the local girls like Americans?"

[brian_singapore]

Ok, this is the one thing I'm glad I did before moving to Singapore:

Read diary of an expat in singapore.

I think the author has a blog somewhere. But I've never gone and looked at it.

If you're referring to that awful series "Notes From a (something) Island", I only made it through the first half of his first book, so I can save you the trouble of reading it.

No, the title is correct and I've never heard the one your refering to.

[emjay]

Thanks all for your enlightening and often entertaining insights. Plenty for me to take on board and I'm sure much of it will help with the culture shock which is bound to set in at some point. It's actually refreshing to get some reality and not all the gushy stuff published on many sites. Does all the 'sweating' someone mentioned earlier lead to weight loss? So long as I don't just end up looking like a chubby prune would be a bonus.

Oh, btw, I'm from NZ, not that it matters, seems some comments presumed im American. Not that it changes the validity of the comments any. Cheers.

[rajagainstthemachine]

Thanks all for your enlightening and often entertaining insights. Plenty for me to take on board and I'm sure much of it will help with the culture shock which is bound to set in at some point. It's actually refreshing to get some reality and not all the gushy stuff published on many sites. Does all the 'sweating' someone mentioned earlier lead to weight loss? So long as I don't just end up looking like a chubby prune would be a bonus.

Oh, btw, I'm from NZ, not that it matters, seems some comments presumed im American. Not that it changes the validity of the comments any. Cheers.

it doesn't lead to weight loss, but it leaves you dehydrate, this however is not a major problem, keep drinking lots of fluids here, coconut water, sports water etc etc.
and you might want to leave a large portion of your warm/wolly clothes behind, singlets anything light and material that keeps you cool and airy is what really works here.

edit: forgot about the air con here, might want to get a nice wollen jumper for the buses,malls ,office etc.

[Barnsley]

If you are moving here by yourself , then join a club/society of some sort for something you enjoy doing in your spare time.

[JR8]

Does all the 'sweating' someone mentioned earlier lead to weight loss? So long as I don't just end up looking like a chubby prune would be a bonus.

it doesn't lead to weight loss, but it leaves you dehydrate, this however is not a major problem, keep drinking lots of fluids here, coconut water, sports water etc etc.
and you might want to leave a large portion of your warm/wolly clothes behind, singlets anything light and material that keeps you cool and airy is what really works here.

edit: forgot about the air con here, might want to get a nice wollen jumper for the buses,malls ,office etc.

No the sweating does not equate to weight loss, as the heat equates to compensating mega lethargy in general. You don't see many rotund Asians but then they have less fat in their typical diet, and as a rule are less likely to get stuck into some beer or wine in the pm.

The rehydration drinks are useful at times though they can definitely lead to putting on weight double-quick. These days I get up and drink maybe 2L of water. The first 500ml straight down... ...> ... the last once sipped and finished maybe 90 minutes later. In fact I keep on like that until my body 'tells me' it's had sufficient, but 2L is about right. The problem with energy drinks is energy = calories and banging in one of those bottles puts stored energy right on your hips too (the sugars carry water into the bloodstream, but the body can't use all the sugars at once, so stores it a fat)! Plus the body has a max rate of absorption of water, and a danger is to think 'I've had one 'rehy' drink this morning, I'll be fine and rehydrated'... this is case of better slow and steady than trying to rely on a 5 minute quick fix.

[Brah]

You don't see many rotund Asians but then they have less fat in their typical diet

I can't agree with this one - but like you I am a product of having lived elsewhere.

The food here is more oily and fatty that I am accustomed to in the US and Japan, and the amount of rotund people here vs. Japan is remarkably high. I'd say the same of Korea.