Cheery-topic time !

[ozchick]

OK .Time to celebrate Singapore's good stuff ! Far be it for me to become famous on this website for my need to walk on the left and my desire for Savoy biscuitts !
How great are the frequent trains ! Now THAT we'd like to see in Melbourne !

How beautiful and green are the gardens and parklands everywhere. As a keen gardener from a temperate climate I'm very much taken with the variety and colour of all that grows here.

How great that we aren't on water rations and that I don't have to collect my shower water in buckets to carry to my plants.

How wonderful is the rain ! I just can't bring myself to be annoyed when the brolley comes out. Those of you from Oz will know the great buzz we get when we finally see rain !

How friendly are the people here ! The locals are just wonderful and other expats who arrived here with me have found the same. Taxi-drivers, bus-drivers, students, old guys have all been really helpful and friendly.

How amazing is the number of shopping centres ! If i don't like one, I can go to another one- I reckon I could go to a new one every day of the year and there'd still be more !
.
How beautifully simple and organised is Changi Airport. Poor old Tullamarine could do with a lesson from here (yeah or from anywhere for that matter)


How clean are the streets ? Very little if any litter anywhere. Would love to have this emphasis from authorities back home.

There's probably lots more but for now just find me those damned savoys !

[sundaymorningstaple]

I'll bump this thread back up to page 1 in 6 months so you can update (or is that edit) the list. What were the words of that old Charlie Pride Country? Oh yeah, now I remember, "Once the New wears off that crystal chandelier"

[ozchick]

No way SMS . With regard to THIS list, it stays the same. And if it's all the same to you I like my glass to be half-full not half empty. The rain, the gardens etc that ain't gonna change.
But yeah you're right I'm working on that other list- it starts with -
I miss my car, I miss the cool weather etc.
I'll have it on here shortly you can be sure. I'll be looking for advice on how to do my 2 year contract without going gah-gah.
Until then, thanks for your interest, and if there's anything left in your glass- CHEERS !
PS What's with that horrible 'nose-noise' they all make ?! Put that on my other list !

[sundaymorningstaple]

The "nose-noise" goes hand in hand with the throwing of chicken & Pork bones, crab and prawn shells and other assorted bits from whatever their eating onto the tabletop instead of in a spare bowl or saucer. Makes you want to vomit when having to sit down after they leave but still waiting for the table cleaning auntie/uncle. The throat hawking of phlegm comes a close second.

[Wind In My Hair]

SMS, you party pooper!

I like Ozchick already!

[sundaymorningstaple]

You wanna know something? I like her to. We got two here that are welcome additions to the family - ozchick & cutiebutie.

As far as the chandelier goes, guess we'll just wait & see. Also, knowing about the Aus droughts, it'll be interesting after she goes through a December/February Monsoon but with her sense of humour it shouldn't be too much of a "damper" on it!

[Plavt]

The throat hawking of phlegm comes a close second.

Dirty disgusting Singaporeans.

[Splatted]

How beautiful and green are the gardens and parklands everywhere. As a keen gardener from a temperate climate I'm very much taken with the variety and colour of all that grows here.

LOL, that's one of the first things I commented when arriving to Singapore. "It's SO GREEN" .... almost as often as I said, "Wow, it's humid here, aint it?"

How great that we aren't on water rations and that I don't have to collect my shower water in buckets to carry to my plants.

Singapore had the foresight to recycle it's sewerage into drinkable water. I'm guessing they possibly also have a desalination plant for purifying sea water?

Melbourne is still deciding where it should build it's very first. Wonthaggi seems to be earmarked.

[Wind In My Hair]

We got two here that are welcome additions to the family - ozchick & cutiebutie.

No slight to the young ladies, but show me one guy who wouldn't welcome girls with nics like ozchick and cutiebutie!

Don't get me wrong, I like them too, but coming from me it's fine. Coming from a self-proclaimed dirty ole man however...

Singapore had the foresight to recycle it's sewerage into drinkable water. I'm guessing they possibly also have a desalination plant for purifying sea water?

Desalination is so passe.

We've developed technology to get potable water from air!

[Rich D]

We've developed technology to get potable water from air!

And here's me thinking those boxes one each unit wall were air-conditioning condensors!

This thread reminds me of a classic quote from my mum when she came out for about the 4th time. Speaking to some local Chinese friends of mine she said "When you first arrive everything seems so perfect, its only when you have been here a while you notice all the chinks*."

*With apologies to all Chinese readers but chinks is British slang for Chinese. Its rather derogatory so please be assured that no offence was meant then or now!

[sillingw]

I'll bump this thread back up to page 1 in 6 months so you can update (or is that edit) the list. What were the words of that old Charlie Pride Country? Oh yeah, now I remember, "Once the New wears off that crystal chandelier"

Well, i've been here for over two years and am still firmly entrenched in the glass is half full camp.

ozchick, i don't think you will have any problems getting thru two years, but you may have a problem returning home, i guarantee there will be many things you will miss from Singapore when tou do. As I guarentee their are things from Melbourne that you are already missing. That's the trouble with living in multiple places - you are looking for the one place that combines the best of all of them - it doesn't exist - or at least i haven't found it yet

[sundaymorningstaple]

Well, i've been here for over two years and am still firmly entrenched in the glass is half full camp.

Yeah, I stayed in that camp for almost two decades. The last 5 years though have been more and more disgruntled. Guess I've just passed my use-by date. Now waiting for a couple of odds & sods to be cleared off the slate then I'm retiring to the farm.

[ozchick]

[quote="sillingw"][That's the trouble with living in multiple places - you are looking for the one place that combines the best of all of them - it doesn't exist.
...........................................................................................................
Yeah Sillingw-you put it succinctly and how true.......I suppose we should feel fortunate to have a choice about where we want to live- or holiday- many people don't. I like the idea of the farm too SMS- can I come with you ? And PLEASE can I have Alpacas on the farm-I've always wanted to have Alpacas- or Llamas (same dog different tree). And can the farm be near Sorrento, Victoria ? They've got the best Vanilla Slices !
But first I might have to do Guatemala....and I've never been to Canada....

[sundaymorningstaple]

ozchick,

I'm afraid my "Farm" would be more like a paddock to you. Your farm stations are as big as some of our states (like Rhode Island). Mine is only a piddly 220 acres.

[Superglide]

About the size of S.R. Nathan's premises?