Singapore Expats

Newcomers Guide - Questions & Answers Appreciated

Discuss about life in Singapore. Ask about cost of living, housing, travel, etiquette & lifestyle. Share experience & advice with Singaporeans & expat staying in Singapore.
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MoTokyo
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Newcomers Guide - Questions & Answers Appreciated

Post by MoTokyo » Thu, 12 Oct 2006 11:34 pm

I'm moving to Singapore (Newton) in a month, from Tokyo, and need the experience of a local to prevent my earning the typically regretful choices that stab either side as local experience is slowly gained.

My wife to this day still peppers me with insults each time we encounter goods and devices that we've acquired for a hefty premium elsewhere.

Doesn't it always seem like after we've settled in, we learn again every last digit in the local alphabet only to wait around and wonder when another could use the advice?

So grab a chair, crack your knuckles, help a fellow out and feel free to fire away about Tokyo afterwards.

---

Where should I buy furniture? Are there any large outlets or malls specializing in furniture?

How about general electronics? TV's, steroes, etc.

Who should I sign up with to handle mobile, cable tv, broadband internet, and home phone service? Who has the most reliable and reasonable plans available?

Is Carrefour the best place to start when purchasing general household items?

What do you wish you knew about Singapore before you arrived?

---

Thanks for your time and if you have any additional advice that can help, I do appreciate it.

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sundaymorningstaple
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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Thu, 12 Oct 2006 11:52 pm

MoTokyo,

The best advice I can give you is to check out the many, many threads on this and the other forums on this site regarding hints, discussions about Singapore and all her quirks and blessings. If you have read the many threads you will have already answered probably 90% of the questions you have. Just use the search function on the upper "Left" side of the page below the "Search property" tab/button. (third link down).

When you ask questions generally we do the same thing rather than keep repeating ourselves every other day for every newbie who registers. If you have specifics to ask then fire away.

Meanwhile, welcome to singapore and to this forum where we help people to help themselves....... :wink:

sms
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

MoTokyo
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Thanks for the warm welcome.

Post by MoTokyo » Fri, 13 Oct 2006 5:15 pm

Thanks for the warm welcome, I'm new and confused. I tried searching for topics via the search function, needless to say, I think it doesn't work properly.

A search for "quality furniture" brings up topics for snowboarding, allergies and laptops. Ikea doesn't really suit my taste and I'll be damned to spend 20,000$ on fake Chinese Antiques, so where can I find quality furniture outlets or stores?

A search for "cable tv provider" brings up topics on plastic surgery, champion trophy cricket, and the weather. So who do you recommend for home services such as phone (mobile/home), cable tv and Internet access?

Upon searching for Carrefour, I browsed through topics on Jalapenos, lounges, taxis and learning Mandarin...

:???:

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marj_kee
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Post by marj_kee » Fri, 13 Oct 2006 5:33 pm

There's a Furniture Mall where you can go browse and see which type/design of furniture you like ... There's a "Courts" - a furniture-cum-elctronic goods place ... There's Best Denki - a electronic goods place ...

Carrefour ... quite the one-stop shop for lots of stuffs ... but not always the cheapest ... and best to go during weekdays. Weekend crowd is horrible.

Cable TV ... so far its only StarHub ...

Feel free to email me if you need clarification :)

MoTokyo
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Post by MoTokyo » Fri, 13 Oct 2006 6:26 pm

A furniture mall sounds pretty good. Where is it located?

So only Starhub offers home cable services? After watching their fees list for setup (some 2 pages long), I didn't think it was right which is why I asked. Maybe there's no other choice. Welcome to Singapore right?

They're biting an easy 2,000 not including the 1,200 worth of veterinarian work just to bring my 2 little furry feline friends over. Ah well...

Thanks for the advice and help, every bit counts.

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sundaymorningstaple
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Re: Thanks for the warm welcome.

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Sat, 14 Oct 2006 12:24 am

MoTokyo wrote:Thanks for the warm welcome, I'm new and confused. I tried searching for topics via the search function, needless to say, I think it doesn't work properly.
Dare I say it? This is one of the reasons why moderators are used to try to keep some sort of order on the threads....... :mad:

I have to agree that the search function turns up tons of trash in the wrong threads due to people penchant to wander off topic. When we, as moderators try to clamp down we become the "forum Nazi's". Seems like we are damned if we do and damned if we don't! :???:

And yes, as I said in my first post, I usually have a go at scrolling through the search function. When that doesn't works then I go to the bottom of the page and just start going back through the pages looking at the subject headers and then browsing. Sorry if I came across a little strong, it wasn't meant to be, but more times than not, people find it easier to ask a question rather that try to look it up. :(

But yes, there is only one cable provider so they have you by the short & curlies. For internet you can also get cable as well as ADSL from Pacific Internet but I believe they just lease the lines from Starhub as well.

Aside from Cable, all the ISP's here off similar packages as do the Telco's mobile packages. With only 4 mil people the market is too small to try to undercut each other so they do the cabel methods, everybody gouges the customer equally. Guess you already saw that by the ADSL prices.

Yup! Welcome to Singapore! :?
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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jpatokal
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Post by jpatokal » Sat, 14 Oct 2006 6:24 pm

Search tip: if you search for furniture mall, you'll get any post which has the word "furniture" or the word "mall". If you search for "furniture mall" (with the quotes), it will return only results with exact words "furniture mall".

There are actually a couple of malls fitting this description: Park Mall off Orchard has high-end import stuff and IMM in Jurong has furniture from every price range. Dempsey Rd also has a cluster of smaller shops selling local-style "Asian" furniture (but the customers are mostly foreigners and many goods are priced to match).

For mobile phones, it doesn't really matter who you go with, they're all equally good/bad. Singtel seems a bit pricier than Starhub/M1 though. I wouldn't bother with a landline at all in this day and age.
Vaguely heretical thoughts on travel technology at Gyrovague

boumbo
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Post by boumbo » Sat, 14 Oct 2006 10:06 pm

unlike my country where you have to go to 150 places to find what you want, Singapore has Malls which are pretty good in a way as they gather all the shops dedicated to a specific utility.

Furniture Mall for the furnitures... (ask any cab to drive you there...)
Sim Lim Square for Electronics 5cameras, Tv etcetc)
Funan for laptops and computers
Queensway for Tshirts, sports equipment etcetc

Otherwise there is Ikea also which is pretty good when you are living overseas...

MoTokyo
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Post by MoTokyo » Sun, 15 Oct 2006 7:23 pm

All good tips. I appreciate the specifics on where to purchase furniture and electronics, very useful information. I found a website the other day containing a lengthy list of furniture makers and exporters in Singapore. If anyone is interested : http://www.singaporefurniture.com/members-full.htm

So who has questions about Tokyo ? :D

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Post by spaul » Sun, 15 Oct 2006 7:34 pm

MoTokyo,

You are leaving in a month? See you there. I'm leaving Tokyo in a month and a half.

MoTokyo
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Post by MoTokyo » Mon, 16 Oct 2006 4:35 pm

Yeah, I'm leaving on the 31st. 4 years in Japan leaves a good enough taste to never return. I'm actually looking forward to the vulgarity and rudeness generously served by the locals in Singapore.

One thing that's always struck me about Japan is how escalators always seem to lead into the store yet there never seems to be one leading out...

Going off topic and destroying the search-function here but perhaps a pair of gaijin could meet up for overpriced beer sometime. PM me.


[quote="spaul"]MoTokyo,

You are leaving in a month? See you there. I'm leaving Tokyo in a month and a half.[/quote]

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