Info on Relocation From Bay Area California

[jendelia]

Hello all,

I have read through many of the expat postings re: relocation advice and found them very helpful...I am unclear on the currency indicators used throughout the sight though.

Do you know if prices for housing and other expenses are commonly posted in USD or Singaporean $? We are trying to figure out our projected expenses and the currencies seem to be used interchangably - every now and then people will use the S$ whereas throughout the rest of the sight it's just $.

We have a 12 year old daughter who will be transferring in the 7th grade.
We have looked (online) at the American School - does anyone have experience (good/bad) with the academics here. It seems large but this may not be the case. We understand that Singapore has one of the world's premier education systems and want to make sure she benefits from being in such a great place. She currently attends Catholic school here in the states - does anyone have experience with Singaporean Catholic schools in county?

Further, as expats, do you feel that the first year would have been easier with a basepoint like the American Club? I can see that for meeting new people this may be a great option - are there others you've found useful?


RE: maids - is there a guide one can use in determining appropriate responsibilities for a helper? I have help here in the states but it seems the roles are vastly different and I am adrift on how much their job descriptions cover. It seems like everything at first glance.

Re: appropriate dress - culturally, there differences on "okay" on attire? I lived in the philippines for 6 mo and at that time some things were just not worn - like 2 piece bathing suits etc. Are there guidelines we should look to or are we okay with standard t shirts/jeans/khakis shorts.

Lastly, have you had success with shopping for American "fitting" (diff posts on slim pickings due to body sizes -height) clothing via the web? Is the cost of shipping outlandish or do you just wait for return trips to the states to buy?

Thanks for reading this and responding - I truly appreciate your help.

[joop]

The amounts are in Singapore dollars.

[me too]

We are in the process of cheking it all out too! SAS is a great school from what I've learned. It is where my husband's US company recommends we send our kids. Ours currently go to Catholic school too!! I thought about Catholic school but learned so much about SAS...thought that might be a good opportunity especially for our 6th grader! I've learned a lot from books too. Have also emailed a few churches re: their religion classes for kids. Would be happoy to share with you what I've learned. When will you be going to Singapore?

[beenhere10years]

SAS is a fabulous school, I have a 7th grader there as well.