Need true advice on singapore

[sundaymorningstaple]

What's to say? I've been here 25 years. If it was that bad I'd have gone back years ago. I worked in downtown Washington DC for a number of years so find this place a virtual piece of cake. It's the little things that rub you the wrong way. But comparing it to major US cities at least you can go out at night without worrying about getting mugged (unless you are looking for it).
There are landlords from hell everywhere. Most Building Supers in the US major cities are running little feifdoms. Slumlords abound. From what Plavt and ksl relate it would seem the UK isn't much different.

Having said that, you can go into the suburbs and find an entirely different class of people than what is found in western inner cities. Breeding? Or the difference in proximity. To me, in the US anyway, the cities tend to get that way but not the towns. Here, however, it is almost like a genetic deficiency in as much as it seems a natural traits with only a small percentage that have learned to overcome the natural trait. Yeah, I know, a generalization. But with 25 years of observation.............

my 2¢ worth.

[huggybear]

well i don't have 25 years of experience, but i have 2.5 months of experience.

everyone has a different reason for moving here and all their views will be biased based on that. I came here for "perceived" economic opportunies. Why did i put "perceived" in quotations? Because I won't know for five years if i am better or worse career wise.

I moved from NY and absolutely loved nyc. sure it's crowded. I don't think people are rude. I think they are just blunt and straight to the point. don't mince words. the shopping there is a 100x better and so are the restaurants. As for London? KSL / Plavt make it sound like mad max in thunderdome. i enjoy london as a tourist. i think i'd enjoy living there as my entire family lives there and i feel i have the street smarts to overcome random violence. Not to mention NYC is much more diverse (from an ethnic perspective...pls refrain from we are all from africa comments) then Singapore.

so far i am enjoying singapore because the job is interesting. socially it was interesting...but even after 2 months...u kinda get a bit tired of going to the same 5 bars / clubs. some weird things also for a "cosmopolitan" city? atms are hard to find and you can't use every atm...i can't use DBS or POSB. how lame. plus not too many late night choices to eat at. nothing better then taking a nap on Friday after an exhausting week in NYC, and go out to a hot restaurant like Nobu or Balthazar at 11 pm for a late meal on a warm friday evening.

and SMS...i miss ben's chili bowl. one of my favorite dive joints in the states.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, we all miss something! My kitchen table down on the farm!

[audiojunky]

the shopping there is a 100x better and so are the restaurants.

Dude - I have to differ. Yes, shopping is awesome in NYC but everything that's available there is available here - except for 2 of my favorite stores Uniqlo and BO Concept. Takashimaya rocks though! But seriously, just about everything that's available in NYC is available here isn't it??

Restaurants - I think it depends on taste. I kinda think that the restaurants here are amazing and there are a LOT of them. Ok, maybe if you're looking for something like Tao, you won't find it here but I'm having a blast with all the variety of food available here.

[sundaymorningstaple]

But seriously, just about everything that's available in NYC is available here isn't it??

Restaurants - I think it depends on taste. I kinda think that the restaurants here are amazing and there are a LOT of them. Ok, maybe if you're looking for something like Tao, you won't find it here but I'm having a blast with all the variety of food available here.

First of all, in answer to your first question a resounding no. Ask any woman here who is taller than 5/7" or wear anything but an A or B cup bra. Or for that matter tons of foodstuffs. Or even a "Really" good deli. However e-Bay & Amazon are your friends.

restaurants- There aren't any in Singapore. They are amazing food joints with crap food and crappier service. That's why Michelin gave them the pass over last week in favour of Tokyo. Michelin claims there isn't one single commendable restaurant in Singapore. Singaporeans will not dress for the occasion so how? That's why Maxim's had to close down (I've eaten there and the service and food WAS decent but always half empty due to there only being an occasional local in there and under-dressed to boot.

Course, you may not really be into restaurants but on food joints/dives. Not fine dining. Each to his own I guess. (Oh, for the record, I'm not into fine dining either but I am not going to defend what is called a restaurant locally. I tend to call a spade a spade.

[huggybear]

Dude - I have to differ. Yes, shopping is awesome in NYC but everything that's available there is available here - except for 2 of my favorite stores Uniqlo and BO Concept. Takashimaya rocks though! But seriously, just about everything that's available in NYC is available here isn't it??

Restaurants - I think it depends on taste. I kinda think that the restaurants here are amazing and there are a LOT of them. Ok, maybe if you're looking for something like Tao, you won't find it here but I'm having a blast with all the variety of food available here.

in the end you are entitled for your own opinion...but no. the shopping here is pretty piss poor. i assume you're male (otherwise you would agree with me...hahaha). ask your wife if the tiffany's here in Sillypore has the same selection of stuff as the tiffany's on 57th and 5th. There are no independent up and coming designers. everything is brand name (established brands)...even the gucci store here has piss poor selection. and the lower end of the spectrum? again, just 1,000X more variety in NYC (century 21, filene's basement, daffy's, sym's, not to mention all the outlet shopping at woodbury commons). ever notice how now a days in sillypore every single person jumps on the same fashion trend? right now it appears for males to be that Polo rugby shirt with a massive logo on the front (so everyone will know you spent a lot of money for poor quality construction and low quality cotton), and there's a number on the sleeve. well the reason they all wear the same shirt is because of the poor selection (is that the only rugby polo shirt that Ralph Lauren designed??).

as far as food. Singapore is fantastic for asian food. that's about it. As SMS points out, there's no true NY deli. You can't walk into a store and ask for a "Muenster, salami, lettuce, tomato, onion, salt, pepper, and oil and vinegar." If you get a meat sandwich, it's pretty much one slice of meat, one slice of cheese and 8" of bread. There's no mexican taquerias where i can get some beef tongue tacos with some tres leches dessert for $5 and a glass of horchata (like el paso taqueria on 104th and lex), haven't seen seen an african restaurant...they even sell frankies in NYC (kati rolls...) but i haven't even found that in Singapore. French food? as far as classic french food, sure you can get a good french meal here and be satisfied, but are you going to get a memorable meal of a life time as you would at eric ripert's le bernardin? not even close. i'm not saying that the food here is bad. by all means i love the food here, it's tasty, and i really enjoy it...but it's not world class from what i've seen so far.

No singapore is not a melting pot, it's a melting pot for Asian cultures only. Thus the food is only asian. In NYC, i can get New York Chinese (almond chix or general tso's), i can get chinese chinese (dim sum, xiao long bao, that baby bok choy with oyster sauce, mao pao tofu, or even classic sichuan cooking), i can get indian chinese (chinese mirch), shit i can even get latin chinese (think chinese people in cuba who defected to the states), i can get taiwanese street food, vietnamese banh mi sandwiches to die for in the perfect crusty french roll, and i can get the whole spectrum of street hawker food in NYC at the greasy joints in chinatown or flushing, or if i want upscale dining i can go to fatty crab for chili crab / fish sambal. plus i love how in literally every street corner at all hours of the night i can get hot dogs, pretzels, gyros, jamacian beef pies, lamb with rice, chicken kebab, slice of pizza, etc.

oh not complaining, just making comparisons. quite like singapore actually. very relaxing. but i also will call a spade a spade.

[srividya]

Jay,
I can tell one thing about Singapore- it is costly here, man. all that u want as listed byyou will cost u easily about 3K permonth(very conservative estimate). yeah the place s nice and clean but getting a job upon coming here is very tough with all the rules and regulations.........not to mention competition. if u can get a job from Melbourne with singapore posting, then may be it will be ok. but the weather is humid all the time. otherwise life is just the same mad rush as Mumbai. I know since i am also from Mumbai

[HunBunny80]

Speaking of shopping, I have to agree.
Singapore pays a premium of 10%-15% compared to Europe. The collection are indeed of the lower spectrum except Chanel. I guess they don't do cheap stuff. :p
Tiffany is NYC is fantastic. So much cheaper! Nothing like the one is Singapore. Not that I am a Tiffany fan.
I don't buy any designers in Singapore.
Nevertheless it is a haggering culture so you can pretty much batter the price down for certain retail stuff like watches, glasses.....
It has a high standard of living that goes with high cost. London is pretty much the same but expensive in different way (no hawker centres/food courts!?!?!?!)