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Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

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soulsearching
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Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by soulsearching » Fri, 07 Aug 2015 11:40 pm

HOLA!

Time to convince the spouse! She doesnt want to be called the "trailing Spouse" .....

So a real simple one! We are in the negotiating stages of my offer to relocate to Singapore. I have to convince the good lady (and to some extent myself). Can you please tell us a few reasons (4-5) in your "expat opinion", whty should one move to Singapore?

I have another thread ongoing, but thats more for "job / ingsight into salaries etc"

Put simply what were / are the key factors that motivated you to move, apart from simply career move, money etc. More on the soft / human side.

I will really appreciate your help / tips / insights and will go a long way in making our minds up.

Link to the other discussion thread :D
http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/viewtopic.php?t=108075

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 07 Aug 2015 11:49 pm

This will undoubtedly be a short thread. Unless you are married to a S.E.Asian gal, who's family is in the region, or you are young and unattached, or you are being given a pretty darned good package or leg up in one's career, I cannot think of one. Sorry.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by soulsearching » Fri, 07 Aug 2015 11:53 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:This will undoubtedly be a short thread. Unless you are married to a S.E.Asian gal, who's family is in the region, or you are young and unattached, or you are being given a pretty darned good package or leg up in one's career, I cannot think of one. Sorry.
You're certainly chipper arent you! :)

but thanks for casting an eye and/or opinion

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Sat, 08 Aug 2015 12:20 am

Just sayin' it as I see it after 33 years here on the Little Red Dot. I came here for the money (already been to Asia once before in the mid-late 60's as a chopper pilot). Met a local girl and ended getting married and had two kids by the time of our 6th anniversary so decided to stick around a few years longer. In fact I'd already had gotten her green card and after 3 years with it, we decided to give it up. (we'll be celebrating our 32 anniversary next month). Way I see it, you get a year of shock & awe (enough to let your mind's eye overlook the disappointment and frustration). then by the end year two the honeymoon is well and truly over. By year four you are ready to go home and by year six, any advantage, if you are still here, will have become more a liability than an advantage once your return home. You will then become 'The Expat" bouncing from one post to another and on those occasions when you do return home, you find out home isn't what it's cracked up to be any more either. So if you are dumb enough to stay overseas for three decades like I have, you find you no longer have any "roots" at all. As pointed out, it's just one's persons opinion. But I don't think my assessment is that far off the mark. It's great here for a couple of two year hitches.

:-)
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by JR8 » Sat, 08 Aug 2015 4:34 am

re: the other thread. I'm still (in the background) pondering whether one just reads
the Lonely Planet one-page guide to 'what to do in 3 days', 'what to do in 5 days' etc.
I.e. That is pretty much all most tourists do. So.... to what extent and when might you do more?
you'll find plenty of expats who've barely been past Raffles Place and Orchard (that was certainly
my first stint in SG).Even if you somehow went deeper on a pre relo recce, would it 'resonate' or make
a difference to you and any decisions? hmmm.

Yes, trailing spouse, 'peripheral baggage', it's harsh. But I always found spending 3-5pm by the pool
before all the 9-5 riff-raff showed up, made it... water off a ducks back and rather a smug joy.
She will find opportunitiesif she wishes to. She just has to know that there is a huge amount of
super-qualified 'trailers', both men and women... it doesn't mean she needs to resign herself
to being some vacuous bimbo lounging by the pool every day.

Reasons to move (off the top of my head)...
- New horizons that will change your life forever.
- Get in, work hard, get paid well, save lots, use it to set you up for the future.
- The above is financially. Ditto re: a career. Use a posting like SG to get a big step ahead
on the career ladder. Small fish/big bowl -> medium fish/small bowl -> medium/+ fish/big bowl when
you go home. I.e secure a good promo to move to SG. Consolidate it while there. Take that grade/rank and
maintain if not improve it further on going home. A stint as an expat can turbo-charge the possibilities
and career path.
- You are in the mortherland of travel opportunities. You will never do a 'long weekend in Borneo' from
back home. Or Cambodia, or, etc... You will need and want your leisure time - plenty of opportunities.

On the soft side? For me the move was more accident, or chance, it just presented itself as such.
Then once I'd relo'd once the next relo opportunity came up, and again. In some ways there's 'no going back',
not once you've left the home brood for the first time. One to have over a virtual few beers :)
Also, although before you relo, the move might seem geographically large. But once you move it's
surprising how the distance is small, irrelevant, more just an inconvenience on the clock when you
have to call back home (etc).
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by JR8 » Sat, 08 Aug 2015 4:47 am

re: SMS's 'rootless' point, it is an interesting one, and perhaps so subjective it's not really been discussed before at length.

To an extent taking an expat posting posting is like temporarily detaching yourself away from your existing life. Going back might be the harder part though, not least because you wouldn't really choose to. I suppose that figures differently to different people with different backgrounds. My whole upbringing was moving/transience, so perhaps no big deal to me, in fact it was normality, just on a slightly larger scale :)

I don't think the expat thing is something you necessarily seek out; either you have it in you or you don't. I know people offered their first relo who've run screaming from the proposition.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by Strong Eagle » Sat, 08 Aug 2015 12:06 pm

Reason 6: Tons of beautiful women at 4 floors who don't want a relationship, they just want to make you happy. No strings.

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by rajagainstthemachine » Sat, 08 Aug 2015 12:26 pm

Reason 7: food! consider this you are surrounded by countries with some of the best culinary tastes in the world... you are always at a stones throw away from getting authentic asian fare if you are into that i.e
To get there early is on time and showing up on time is late

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by uscate » Sun, 09 Aug 2015 4:41 am

Travel is a definite advantage, but you need to have a job that allows for vacation travel. In our case, my sig other traveled about 60-70% of the time throughout SEA for work (frequently away on weekends), so our travel time as a couple was limited. So that's something to keep in mind if you're pitching the travel angle to your spouse.

As far as food goes, I never really took to hawker food - the oil and grease and general overcooking of veggies really didn't do much for me. But I will agree that the proximity to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam with their fabulous cuisines was a big plus.

In interest of clarity, we're an unmarried couple (been together 16 years, but never made it legal). So my perspective regarding career / finances may differ from an actual spouse's, but I think probably not too much.

From my experience, the trailing spouse role is probably best for a younger partner who doesn't have a lot of leverage on their career and is willing to give up their own career / financial security (for a time) in order to give their spouse's career a boost. It's probably an equally positive experience for a trailing spouse who has retired and doesn't have a need for additional income in their lives. For a trailing spouse (or sig other in my case) who's smack in the middle of their "earning years," an extended stint away from their home workplace can be a serious life changer. I'm speaking from experience, as we spent a couple of years in Singapore, and while I easily found work when I returned home, I'll probably never financially make up for those 2 years that I earned zippo (and still had bills to pay).

But everyone's mileage varies, and while I'm happy to have had the experience, I'm strongly vetoing the return engagement that looks to be in the cards for us. We'll see about that one….

Good luck to the OP and his wife - there are tons of pluses, but for me the minuses were a real challenge.

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by RobSg » Sun, 09 Aug 2015 10:59 pm

I was in Singapore for about 23 years, and I'd say that the first reason for moving to Singapore is safety. Second reason is that you are right in the center of cheap travel opportunities in Asia. Third reason is the mass transit- you really don't need a car. Fourth reason is the food, but the food court food may not exactly be the most nutritious. You could also look at 50 more reasons on the CNN website: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/06/trave ... index.html

During my vacations back to the States during these 23 years, I felt out out of touch with my own country, but that's because I never spent enough time in the States to feel any different. Once I was settled, had a house, and got to know the neighbors, it is home, and I feel quite rooted, even after spending more than 40 years overseas in 10 countries. It's certainly cheaper than living in Singapore, with much more to do in the outdoors.

Rob

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by Strong Eagle » Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:14 am

Many "hidden" destinations in Singapore and close surrounds that are beautiful and interesting and that the average tourist will never see.

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by Strong Eagle » Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:16 am

Becoming connected with other expatriates is a great way to make new friends... all have decided to step out of the usual routine, all have given up security and taken a risk into the unknown. I've met many incredibly interesting people as a result of having moved to Singapore.

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by RobSg » Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:39 am

There are certainly lots of "hidden" destinations and interesting people to meet in Singapore. However, in my travels, I think you can visit "hidden" destinations anywhere you go. Also, I also think that no matter where you live, there are always very interesting people. That is not something intrinsic to Singapore.

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by Strong Eagle » Mon, 10 Aug 2015 2:31 am

RobSg wrote:There are certainly lots of "hidden" destinations and interesting people to meet in Singapore. However, in my travels, I think you can visit "hidden" destinations anywhere you go. Also, I also think that no matter where you live, there are always very interesting people. That is not something intrinsic to Singapore.
Agreed... but since the OP is thinking about moving to Singapore...

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Re: Top 5 reasons to move to Singapore

Post by soulsearching » Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:21 pm

Thanks a lot, this is truly an eye opener, even if I had to google "4 floors". But personally I see the benefit of doing an Asian stint, esp in my line of work. So I will keep reading and researching, until making that nod for yes!

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