SINGAPORE EXPATS FORUM
Singapore Expat Forum and Message Board for Expats in Singapore & Expatriates Relocating to Singapore
What do you wish you had known?
What do you wish you had known?
Hi there
I'm moving to Singapore at the end of March and I was wondering from all of you out there who have done it - looking back, what one piece of advice or information do you wish someone had given you before you arrived?
Thank you!
I'm moving to Singapore at the end of March and I was wondering from all of you out there who have done it - looking back, what one piece of advice or information do you wish someone had given you before you arrived?
Thank you!
- sundaymorningstaple
- Moderator
- Posts: 39880
- Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
- Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot
Remember that you are not moving to a new dwelling in your old home town. You are moving to a foreign country where people are from different cultures that you are used to. They have different religions, different foods, different ways of life. If you want everything to be like home then stay at home.
Remember, YOU are the foreigner, YOU are the guest in their land. Don't expect them to change to suit what you thing they should be. If you remember one thing it would be YOU are the foreigner, not them.
I as guilty as the next person at times.......
Remember, YOU are the foreigner, YOU are the guest in their land. Don't expect them to change to suit what you thing they should be. If you remember one thing it would be YOU are the foreigner, not them.
I as guilty as the next person at times.......

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
- ScoobyDoes
- Manager
- Posts: 1667
- Joined: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 6:42 pm
- Location: A More Lucky Spot
Do not say "this was done better at home", "that is done better at home" etc. because there are a lot of things done worse at home as well.
Your home country is not the best place on the planet and never will be, regardless of where home is. Each country has plus and minus points and you have to accept one with the other. If this is your first posting overseas it will open your eyes not only to foreign cultures and ways of life but also just how things really are at home.
If this is not your first posting away from your home country then i'm not sure you would be asking this, cause you should know exactly what it's like to switch cultures already...... you only need to do it again. There isn't really anything special about a move to SG over any other country.
Your home country is not the best place on the planet and never will be, regardless of where home is. Each country has plus and minus points and you have to accept one with the other. If this is your first posting overseas it will open your eyes not only to foreign cultures and ways of life but also just how things really are at home.
If this is not your first posting away from your home country then i'm not sure you would be asking this, cause you should know exactly what it's like to switch cultures already...... you only need to do it again. There isn't really anything special about a move to SG over any other country.
Re: What do you wish you had known?
that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!RMW001 wrote:Hi there
I'm moving to Singapore at the end of March and I was wondering from all of you out there who have done it - looking back, what one piece of advice or information do you wish someone had given you before you arrived?
Thank you!

Just kidding! well personally, i moved here against my parent's will they wanted me to go to the US and just stay with my cousins and aunts but i decided otherwise... i just wanted to be independent, so i went here alone, no idea of where to really go and stay... no relatives here, don't even know anyone... my cousin used to work here but went back to the Phil. before i came so i was really alone exploring, discovering, experiencing and enjoying Singapore and everything about and around it...
i guess it was ok with me even without any knowledge of what was to come or what awaits me, being single i guess it was easier for me to say and do these things but if u have a family u have to consider a lot of things... as SMS said you are a foreigner in a foreign country you need to adjust and be ready for a lot of things.... but personally i have no regrets of going here not knowing about anything in particular...
there are a couple of things which gave me culture shock but they are if i may say learning experiences not something that i would actually wish i was ready for...

Good Luck and Welcome in advance...
"Quod me nutruit, me destruit..."
- lost_canuck
- Chatter
- Posts: 212
- Joined: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 9:46 pm
Re: What do you wish you had known?
that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!2die4 wrote:RMW001 wrote:Hi there
I'm moving to Singapore at the end of March and I was wondering from all of you out there who have done it - looking back, what one piece of advice or information do you wish someone had given you before you arrived?
Thank you!




Remember, YOU are the foreigner, YOU are the guest in their land. Don't expect them to change to suit what you thing they should be. If you remember one thing it would be YOU are the foreigner, not them.
I as guilty as the next person at times.......
[/quote]
I have notice "FOREIGNER" do complain here... not tat sms said will follow...

But some of the points is right...

I as guilty as the next person at times.......






But some of the points is right...


- sundaymorningstaple
- Moderator
- Posts: 39880
- Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
- Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot
Re: What do you wish you had known?
I worked in Indonesia from 1982 to 1994. KFC always had rice and not mashed 'tators. Little bit of trivia though. Did you know that Indonesian KFC's also Had Zingers about 6 to 8 months before Singapore did? Had my first Zinger in Surabaya. Brought back a black KFC Hat and everybody here wanted to know where it came from and what was a Zinger!saint73 wrote:
that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!![]()
ya, I have saw Indonesia KFC got "RICE"!!!
![]()
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
Re: What do you wish you had known?
sundaymorningstaple wrote:I worked in Indonesia from 1982 to 1994. KFC always had rice and not mashed 'tators. Little bit of trivia though. Did you know that Indonesian KFC's also Had Zingers about 6 to 8 months before Singapore did? Had my first Zinger in Surabaya. Brought back a black KFC Hat and everybody here wanted to know where it came from and what was a Zinger!saint73 wrote:
that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!![]()
ya, I have saw Indonesia KFC got "RICE"!!!
![]()


I still prefer KFC at spore 80's come with the plate like western style...

Re: What do you wish you had known?
In the KFC Phil. Zinger has been there for a long time, was it just new here in SG? and we use plates as well not boxes and styros... and in KFC Phil it's gravy all you can...saint73 wrote:sundaymorningstaple wrote:I worked in Indonesia from 1982 to 1994. KFC always had rice and not mashed 'tators. Little bit of trivia though. Did you know that Indonesian KFC's also Had Zingers about 6 to 8 months before Singapore did? Had my first Zinger in Surabaya. Brought back a black KFC Hat and everybody here wanted to know where it came from and what was a Zinger!saint73 wrote:
that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!![]()
ya, I have saw Indonesia KFC got "RICE"!!!
![]()
Singaore KFC no rice leh
![]()
I still prefer KFC at spore 80's come with the plate like western style...
"Quod me nutruit, me destruit..."
- sundaymorningstaple
- Moderator
- Posts: 39880
- Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
- Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot
Re: What do you wish you had known?
It's been here since ~'93. It was intro'd Indonesia first in '92 at some point as it was still new there when I tried it the first time (was working in Surabaya at the time). That's why they were giving out black KFC caps with "The Zinger" on the front.2die4 wrote:
In the KFC Phil. Zinger has been there for a long time, was it just new here in SG? and we use plates as well not boxes and styros... and in KFC Phil it's gravy all you can...
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
-
- Chatter
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:02 pm
- Location: East Coast
Re: What do you wish you had known?
just don't think about too much, come here with open eyes, open heart and open mind. Then all should be ok, I guess.... it is a different culture, different behaviour, try to fit in and still be urself. Let it happen, I would say....RMW001 wrote:Hi there
I'm moving to Singapore at the end of March and I was wondering from all of you out there who have done it - looking back, what one piece of advice or information do you wish someone had given you before you arrived?
Thank you!

we know what we are, but know not what we may be
- Asian_Geekette
- Reporter
- Posts: 558
- Joined: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 4:07 pm
- Location: Still based in Singapore but wanders around...
Re: What do you wish you had known?
In KL, there's no rice either but was told that they'll introduce it by March 2007.sundaymorningstaple wrote:I worked in Indonesia from 1982 to 1994. KFC always had rice and not mashed 'tators. Little bit of trivia though. Did you know that Indonesian KFC's also Had Zingers about 6 to 8 months before Singapore did? Had my first Zinger in Surabaya. Brought back a black KFC Hat and everybody here wanted to know where it came from and what was a Zinger!saint73 wrote:
that there's no rice in KFC! hahaha!![]()
ya, I have saw Indonesia KFC got "RICE"!!!
![]()
It's funny but whenever I'm in Sg, I never felt the need to go to the fastfood places since there are so many food choices in the hawker centers. Of course, before I got to Sg I had no idea that the hawker centers are ok. Though my friends there kept reassuring me I won't die from diarrhea or anything if I eat in a hawker center.

My business is not to remake myself, but make the absolute best out of what God made. -Robert Browning
i find it odd that you are an "asian geekette" and would be afraid to eat hawker food here in what i feel is the most clean city on earth. i think i could eat off the floor and still be fine. compared to places such as bombay or bangkok, i have absolutely no qualms about eating local food.
then again i've been food poisoned twice so i'm a bit too trusting.
then again i've been food poisoned twice so i'm a bit too trusting.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
-
Services or products that u like but not known by the majority
by SingPlus » Tue, 26 Nov 2019 4:10 pm » in Business in Singapore - 6 Replies
- 2973 Views
-
Last post by malcontent
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 1:57 am
-
-
- 0 Replies
- 4512 Views
-
Last post by Davehong
Mon, 13 Aug 2018 8:26 am
-
-
Anyone here had any experience of Air Asia?
by sunnyrose1994 » Mon, 21 Jan 2019 2:19 pm » in General Discussions - 4 Replies
- 3059 Views
-
Last post by PNGMK
Fri, 27 Sep 2019 12:49 pm
-
-
-
Anyone here had any experience of Air Asia?
by sunnyrose1994 » Mon, 21 Jan 2019 2:20 pm » in General Discussions - 1 Replies
- 1997 Views
-
Last post by PNGMK
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 5:21 pm
-
-
-
Anyone knows any platform to get free stuff? Im in need of some items because I just had a newborn.
by Beeblob » Wed, 05 Jun 2019 7:09 pm » in General Discussions - 9 Replies
- 4972 Views
-
Last post by Splatted
Thu, 11 Feb 2021 5:43 pm
-
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest