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Confusing.....
Confusing.....
We are looking to move to Singapore. How do you find life? General question I know but schools, housing, language friends are on my mind. Any feedback is welcome. Happy Days.
Hi there,
Noticed your other posts and that you are from Melbourne. So are we.
So simple a question, so hard to answer.
OK, day to day life, a bit different to back home, can't just pop down to the local milk bar to pick up stuff on the way home, more planning required (due in most cases to lack of car, lack of parking if you do have one, and only 7-11s and service stations to get stuff like that, although once you get here and get used to where things are it gets easier, much, and you find the little local shops located under the blocks of flats etc)
Language, hmmm, OK, easy. English gets you everywhere here. Locals speak a form of english called Singlish (see other threads on this topic, there are lots) which takes a little getting used to but once you understand the basics life is a breeze.
Housing, big shock pricewise to what we are used to, and type as well. No suburbia with a fence and a backyard with clothes line here as the norm. Lots of high rise flats, condos and other low rise cluster housing and then many big (expensive) houses. condos normally have good facilities like pool and gym and are good places to meet other people and kids (somewhere else I read you have a few I think).
Schools, local schools are a lot different to the ones back home as well. Kids can normally read and write etc by age 4/5 and is quite rigid compared to schools back home. International Schools are many and the carriculum can be varied depending on their base. Their price is similar to private schools in Victoria.
The weather is tropical and humid. A big change to melbourne (although I hear that it has been quite humid this summer, just getting you ready???) weather. It takes a bit of getting used to when they say on the radio that it is cool today, 29 degrees, take your jacket.
The only time I wear real shoes is when I go home in winter for the school holidays here.
You may find that your husband works longer hours here than he did back home, it is quite common. (Then again we used to work long hours back home too...). If you are here on a dependants pass you may find it annoying that you cannot do certain things (like it is a real hassle to open bank account in your name etc). Once you get over that hurdle it is fine.
We love living here, our kids love living here, it is a nice place to live. It is not too unlike living back home with an asian twist to it. Oh, and you can go so many places from here on holidays, and cheap too.
Look forward to it, it's a great move to make.
Noticed your other posts and that you are from Melbourne. So are we.
So simple a question, so hard to answer.
OK, day to day life, a bit different to back home, can't just pop down to the local milk bar to pick up stuff on the way home, more planning required (due in most cases to lack of car, lack of parking if you do have one, and only 7-11s and service stations to get stuff like that, although once you get here and get used to where things are it gets easier, much, and you find the little local shops located under the blocks of flats etc)
Language, hmmm, OK, easy. English gets you everywhere here. Locals speak a form of english called Singlish (see other threads on this topic, there are lots) which takes a little getting used to but once you understand the basics life is a breeze.
Housing, big shock pricewise to what we are used to, and type as well. No suburbia with a fence and a backyard with clothes line here as the norm. Lots of high rise flats, condos and other low rise cluster housing and then many big (expensive) houses. condos normally have good facilities like pool and gym and are good places to meet other people and kids (somewhere else I read you have a few I think).
Schools, local schools are a lot different to the ones back home as well. Kids can normally read and write etc by age 4/5 and is quite rigid compared to schools back home. International Schools are many and the carriculum can be varied depending on their base. Their price is similar to private schools in Victoria.
The weather is tropical and humid. A big change to melbourne (although I hear that it has been quite humid this summer, just getting you ready???) weather. It takes a bit of getting used to when they say on the radio that it is cool today, 29 degrees, take your jacket.
The only time I wear real shoes is when I go home in winter for the school holidays here. You may find that your husband works longer hours here than he did back home, it is quite common. (Then again we used to work long hours back home too...). If you are here on a dependants pass you may find it annoying that you cannot do certain things (like it is a real hassle to open bank account in your name etc). Once you get over that hurdle it is fine.
We love living here, our kids love living here, it is a nice place to live. It is not too unlike living back home with an asian twist to it. Oh, and you can go so many places from here on holidays, and cheap too.
Look forward to it, it's a great move to make.
"My husband said it was him or the cat...I miss him sometimes." - Unknown
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