What do expats actually like about singapore?

[sourisso]

being a french person, i guess , but you can have fun by filling with any adjectives you like, for your own pleasure

(you have a special search engine that alert you as soon as "french" or "dutch" is typed on the forum so you can come and diss a bit , do you ? )

[cutiebutie]

Nooooooooooo, I like the French, Dutch people are a bit arrogant and the human hormone known as Superglide, the mouth from the north is exemplary fort that!

French food, French countryside along the Loire and in Alsace (well,ok also German), French fashion and the excellent cheese!!!!!

Not much to dislike about France except Parisians, of course.

[sourisso]

Agree on Parisians, of course. We should delocate them on some island, so we can enjoy Paris (not before asking them to clean the streets )

Well, the only dutch i know is living next to my home in France, and he is the only person of the whole street to say "Hello !" to me, so...

[Wind In My Hair]

(you have a special search engine that alert you as soon as "french" or "dutch" is typed on the forum so you can come and diss a bit , do you ? )

Her search engine also looks out for "thai".

[banana]

she lub yoo long tahme....only ten dollah!

[jpatokal]

In Singapore we have NO insurance coverage (aka no need to pay every month whether you like it or not). ... The only problem, and it's an important one, is that if you have a long-term illness in Singapore, you would usually be grilled. A whole family can get indebted for that.

Are you referring to mandatory state insurance coverage in general, or personally choosing to have no insurance at all? I find private insurance costs to be extremely reasonable here: I pay just over S$200/year for coverage that, while I never hope to need to use it, would (or at least should...) cover my ass pretty effectively if I ever get really sick or into an accident.

And if you're PR here, you are actually "paying every month whether you like it or not" for Medisave -- although of course it's not insurance, it's just a pot of money that would run out pretty fast if you get in a real pickle.

[Petales Soufflez!]

For some reason I do not look upon Medisave as mandatory (as in forced to pool with the others and see it disappear in the mass) as you get the money back when you leave Singapore and what you put in is what you get back. So if you use more, you'll have less but if you do not need to use it, it's still yours to withdraw at the end of the day.

All that I've put in in France, Spain, Germany and Italy I won't get any back unless I fall sick and preferably very sick (touch wood) wherever I am. As it is, I've already said goodbye to all my contributions in the 1st 3 countries. You can say that I do not mind mandatory contributions as long as I do not have to share it with other people and as long as I can get it back when I leave.

I would have preferred to be able to pay for reasonably-priced private insurance with reasonably-priced healthcare to live on. On this, I do not think that Singapore is doing too badly.

Sourisso, there was actually a French Bistro in Upper Serangoon Rd but it closed down last year. Not surprising as it was next to an excellent Vegetarian restaurant, even Boeuf Bourgignon wouldn't tempt any regulars away from that restaurant. I've also read of a western stall in some heartland food centre with a trained Chef and I was told that his offerings are certainly on par with what you would get in hotel restaurants. But otherwise, of course the usual western stuff you get everywhere sucks, though I must say that after all the wonderful French food that he has been brought up on, I can never understand why my eldest son's favourite dish is the lousy chicken chop you find in all food courts in Singapore

Otherwise I take offense at your jar at Parisians. Paris is a wonderful city because it has many foreigners living in it. I am Parisian. We all become Parisians tôt ou tard. Much easier being Parisian than Breton or Bordelais, if you wish.

[sourisso]

just being a bit sarcastic here as a few (:mrgreen:) Parisians can be arrogant, etc...

indeed it's easier as you said to "become" a Parisian than to enter the clans of Bretons or Bordelais (not to mention Basques.. or Corses.. )

I've also read of a western stall in some heartland food centre with a trained Chef and I was told that his offerings are certainly on par with what you would get in hotel restaurants.

.. thats interesting...

[earthfriendly]

EADG, can't force you to like Singapore food, of course. It's all a question of personal taste.

Taste in food is possibly one of the most subjective topic on earth. It is highly controversial, maybe more so then the US presidential race !

Like most Singaporeans, I enjoy my hawker fare. However, this enthusiasm is not shared by many non-singaporeans around me. HK girlfriend does not understand why the food is sweet and heavily sauced whereas in HK, people enjoy the natural taste of the ingredients especially seafood where it is only lightly cooked and she can totally savour its freshness but in SG, they can easily use lower quality and cover up with thick sauces and chilli. The only SG food that another Japanese guy would eat is the Ban mien (noodle dish). Mr. EF find hawker centers rather unsavory (what can I say? It is not fine dining after all and you get what you pay for!) and prefers to dine in a restaurant.

The French may think they are the connoseuirs. However Japanese were very unimpressed with their effort to rate restaurants in Japan for sushi dishes. I can't remember exactly but it may be the Michelin guide. The Japanese disagree with their ratings. Afterall the Japanese are the ones who invented raw seafood dishes and who are they to tell the Japanese what's good or not.

Anyway, I have learnt to stay away from food debates knowing how subjective it gets. And to take food reviews with a grain of salt but rather to trust my own taste buds. Only I know what I like best!

For the most part, people tend to revert to the taste of their childhood. Maybe our taste for food get conditioned early in our lives.

[earthfriendly]

On the other hand you might be surprised at the Indian restaurants in England. There is in fact an award winning one in the north that cannot get chefs trained in their way of cooking and has to acquire them from India.

Not surprising since curry is considered the national dish in Britain. The only food I enjoy in Britain are curry and fish and chips.

[bruinbear]

No perfect place on Earth lah. Singapore can't be perfect. Lots of plus points but some of these plus points can become minus points too.

Terribly hot and humid though.

[Petales Soufflez!]

It is true that all the last few "world's best" restaurant lists contained few restaurants from Asia and that in itself is an indication of error.

I personally do not eat (raw) Japanese food, though I swear by Cantonese. But somehow I really miss Singapore food and that's what I gorge myself on when I come home. Yesterday I was dining with 4 sushi chefs from Singapore (all working in Italy!) and we were talking about smelly belachan and how we miss it so much .

[Plavt]

Not surprising since curry is considered the national dish in Britain.

........I think you mean amongst the Indian community, while curry is popular it isn't the national dish.

[earthfriendly]

I lifted that info from some article I read. Perhaps they exaggerated just to point out the popularity of the dish in that country???

Okie, Plavt, now you make me feel very silly.

[Saint]

I lifted that info from some article I read. Perhaps they exaggerated just to point out the popularity of the dish in that country???

Okie, Plavt, now you make me feel very silly.

On Saturday night at about midnight and after having drank copious amounts of alcopops, the Curry does become the National Meal!

But not for me!