What do expats actually like about singapore?

[ProvenPracticalFlexible]

Immigration - look more like suffering NS people to me, ill fitting uniforms and the kinda look one gets from the teenagers at a fast food outlet, no wait I get better service at a fast food outlet.

The nice fake beaches - Do I need to take my passport as Im siting on sand from Malaysia or wherever, perhapses there should be an immigration booth at the beach then.

baby friendly - yes they are but they stare like they have never seen kids from another country before, from cars, passing buses, even slowing down sometime.

Clean, reliable, and easy commute to work - yes its all that but its also dull, boring and overpriced

Public toilets - what other country in the world has a wallOposters in the urinal exhorting people to not piss on the floor, or where aiming points are provided and still you can be slipping around on a floor awash in piss. Yes the aunti is nice but im a big boy now.

I can immediatelly notice that you passed " the compulsory moaning and wingeing test" and can sure be allowed to call yourself a true expat.

[Cecilia88]

Immigration - look more like suffering NS people to me, ill fitting uniforms and the kinda look one gets from the teenagers at a fast food outlet, no wait I get better service at a fast food outlet.

The nice fake beaches - Do I need to take my passport as Im siting on sand from Malaysia or wherever, perhapses there should be an immigration booth at the beach then.

baby friendly - yes they are but they stare like they have never seen kids from another country before, from cars, passing buses, even slowing down sometime.

Clean, reliable, and easy commute to work - yes its all that but its also dull, boring and overpriced

Public toilets - what other country in the world has a wallOposters in the urinal exhorting people to not piss on the floor, or where aiming points are provided and still you can be slipping around on a floor awash in piss. Yes the aunti is nice but im a big boy now.

Oh, geez...
So there is really nothing you like about Singapore then.....
Then perhaps you should consider relocating to a place that you actually do not hate so much!

[Flutterby87]

The staring thing is quite common I get stared at a lot just because im really tall for an Asian girl in Singapore. I try to take it as a compliment

But for the dull, boring, overpriced part, it really depends on who with and where you're hanging out in your free time. could be fun if you know the right people

[Turtle]

Staring is very common. The worse part is when someone stares at you, and then slowly and deliberately begins to pick their nose! I've found it pretty surprising considering that Singapore is known as a melting pot where you can find anyone and anything, so surely they wouldn't consider it odd to see people who don't look like them.

[road.not.taken]

Immigration - look more like suffering NS people to me, ill fitting uniforms and the kinda look one gets from the teenagers at a fast food outlet, no wait I get better service at a fast food outlet.

The nice fake beaches - Do I need to take my passport as Im siting on sand from Malaysia or wherever, perhapses there should be an immigration booth at the beach then.

baby friendly - yes they are but they stare like they have never seen kids from another country before, from cars, passing buses, even slowing down sometime.

Clean, reliable, and easy commute to work - yes its all that but its also dull, boring and overpriced

Public toilets - what other country in the world has a wallOposters in the urinal exhorting people to not piss on the floor, or where aiming points are provided and still you can be slipping around on a floor awash in piss. Yes the aunti is nice but im a big boy now.

Oh, geez...
So there is really nothing you like about Singapore then.....
Then perhaps you should consider relocating to a place that you actually do not hate so much!

Not at all, I think probably like my post -- it was more about what the OP chose to hold up as a what is good about Singapore. Oh well, 'one man's poison...' and all of that. I bet Forks has his or her own list of favorites.

[ProvenPracticalFlexible]

Not at all, I think probably like my post -- it was more about what the OP chose to hold up as a what is good about Singapore. Oh well, 'one man's poison...' and all of that. I bet Forks has his or her own list of favorites.

A little difference between your reply and Forks' ( note under the subject what do you like in Singapore). You disagreed with some of the points but provided your good things list.

Cutlery gave a fine example of that whining OP was writing about, without a single positive note. Well, accepted that Singapore is clean and reliable, but that of course makes it dull and boring.

[ProvenPracticalFlexible]

To ensures employers give huge financial compensation for the hardship posting. All the expats have to pass the compulsory moaning and wingeing test before being allowed to call themselves a true expat.

So to go against the grain why not have a thread on what expats like about Singapore

Here are Five to get things started.

1. Immigration at Changi:

2. Beaches:

3. Baby friendly:

4. Clean, reliable, and easy commute to work:

5. Great Public toilets:

I continue your list with some additional ones, even though I'm not a true expat, don't whine enough and do not have a fancy expat package, most true expats would laugh at my salary.

6. Ridiculously low income tax
I pay in a year what I used to pay monthly.

7. Cheap and comfortable taxis to take me home after bar night

8. Good and cheap living with high standards
Compared to Western Europe pretty much everything is cheap, or if something is more expensive something else evens it up.
Yes I drink and smoke almost daily and still my money lasts much better here than it used to in Europe.

9. Excellent and cheap food around
It really costs you almost nothing to eat out, you wouldn’t get a cup of coffee with the price of lunch in Europe.

10. Wonderful weather
Always warm, no miserable dark and cold time from November onwards, and even if it rains it is still warm outside.

I'll leave it here at 5 more points.

[yankee_ibanez]

Really???? Atleast at airports you expect the immigration officers to use proper "English" unlike any slangs they used for that old Japanese and if they use then i m sorry they really lack some basic training.

Here are Five to get things started.

1. Immigration at Changi:

The first impression of a country really counts, they are smiley, helpful, courteous, and even give you sweets. In total contrast to immigration staff in the United States, who must have received their training from Abu Ghraib school of hospitality.

I have never found the Immigration officers at Changi to be warm or smiley. The actual people stamping passport or more like automotons than people. No human interaction at all. Great airport, but the Immigration staff are stiffs, who never say 'you're welcome' despite my offer of thanks. I always get a big 'Welcome Home' whenever I arrive in the US.

Immigration and customs officials are almost universally humorless people by design. They are deliberately trained to be like automatons because their job is entirely to enforce laws and not to make friends (or be swayed in their duties by anyone's friendliness).

That said, the reason you hear a "welcome home" when you return to the US is because you are a US citizen. You should pay closer attention to the treatment non-US citizens get at our borders. It's absolutely shameful. My last trip home I saw some obese she-cow customs baggage handler literally yelling at a poor confused Japanese man to "PARK IT!" with his suitcase. I had to intervene and explain to her that he was just confused because she was using slang that didn't make sense to him.
At least in Singapore they are efficient and courteous. Of all the things to be proud of about America, our immigration/customs policies and procedures sure as heck aren't on the list.

I guess you need to learn American Slang before going to America in future.

[road.not.taken]

10. Wonderful weather
Always warm, no miserable dark and cold time from November onwards, and even if it rains it is still warm outside.

I'll leave it here at 5 more points.

The weather, really? Big drawback for me. Too hot, too boring, too much same-same, lah.

[ProvenPracticalFlexible]

10. Wonderful weather
Always warm, no miserable dark and cold time from November onwards, and even if it rains it is still warm outside.

I'll leave it here at 5 more points.

The weather, really? Big drawback for me. Too hot, too boring, too much same-same, lah.

Yep, really, I've had my share of 4 seasons, and nowadays only appreciate 4 seasons as pizza or concert. What's the point of having 4 of them, if you only like one of them, hate one, and 2 others are so so.

If I didn't like tropical weather, I probably wouldn't want to live here.

[Forks]

Immigration - look more like suffering NS people to me, ill fitting uniforms and the kinda look one gets from the teenagers at a fast food outlet, no wait I get better service at a fast food outlet.

The nice fake beaches - Do I need to take my passport as Im siting on sand from Malaysia or wherever, perhapses there should be an immigration booth at the beach then.

baby friendly - yes they are but they stare like they have never seen kids from another country before, from cars, passing buses, even slowing down sometime.

Clean, reliable, and easy commute to work - yes its all that but its also dull, boring and overpriced

Public toilets - what other country in the world has a wallOposters in the urinal exhorting people to not piss on the floor, or where aiming points are provided and still you can be slipping around on a floor awash in piss. Yes the aunti is nice but im a big boy now.

Oh, geez...
So there is really nothing you like about Singapore then.....
Then perhaps you should consider relocating to a place that you actually do not hate so much!

Sheesh, what is this the like it or leave it thread? I like lots about Singapore, i just thought Id list a few of its negatives, besides I dont remember the vitriol dripping when I posted that, Hate? No just things i dont like and besides I call em when I see em, perhaps if you dont like a bit of criticism you might want to try another forum as there is a lot of complaining here, some of Singapore related some of it not. But to satisfy you

I like

1. the good food
2. the warm climate
3. the good slaries
4. the beautiful women (and men if I was that way inclined)

happy now?

[Plavt]

Just about anywhere you live (unless it's a war zone or subject to some unmitigating disaster) has it's pro and cons. People will have their likes and dislikes for various reasons.

[ProvenPracticalFlexible]

Sheesh, what is this the like it or leave it thread? I like lots about Singapore, i just thought Id list a few of its negatives, besides I dont remember the vitriol dripping when I posted that, Hate? No just things i dont like and besides I call em when I see em, perhaps if you dont like a bit of criticism you might want to try another forum as there is a lot of complaining here, some of Singapore related some of it not. But to satisfy you

No, it is a "What do expats actually like about singapore?"- thread.

Ooh, you just thought to list a few of Singapore's negatives, ain't that original. Haven't seen those list on this site before.

As the OP put it "So to go against the grain why not have a thread on what expats like about Singapore ".

But you pretty much proved his point, most expats know how to whine and complain.

[maneo]

Public toilets - what other country in the world has a wallOposters in the urinal exhorting people to not piss on the floor, or where aiming points are provided and still you can be slipping around on a floor awash in piss. Yes the aunti is nice but im a big boy now.

Plus the signs that tell people not to stand on the toilets.

Don't remember seeing those signs 4-5 years ago, but did notice them now after returning to SG.
Some things have changed a bit.

Seems strange to see this message being given in English.
Not the target audience I would expect.

No doubt there are rude people the worldwide -- it has been my experience at Changi that the immigration people are barely conscious. I wouldn't put 'Immigration at Changi' in the plus column unless to just say: fast (which it is).

It really depends when you show up. If the lines are long, they will be doing a boring, yet important, job as quickly as possible so the grumblers in line won't complain so much.

But if you show up outside of peak periods I've found them all to be friendly. It really just depends on how YOU behave. Ditto for the ferry terminals.

"It really depends when you show up" is especially true for the midnight arrivals.

However, even then I find the staff friendly and willing to smile, especially when they're greeted in a nice manner.


[edited to add in first reference quote]

[Forks]

Sheesh, what is this the like it or leave it thread? I like lots about Singapore, i just thought Id list a few of its negatives, besides I dont remember the vitriol dripping when I posted that, Hate? No just things i dont like and besides I call em when I see em, perhaps if you dont like a bit of criticism you might want to try another forum as there is a lot of complaining here, some of Singapore related some of it not. But to satisfy you

No, it is a "What do expats actually like about singapore?"- thread.

Ooh, you just thought to list a few of Singapore's negatives, ain't that original. Haven't seen those list on this site before.

As the OP put it "So to go against the grain why not have a thread on what expats like about Singapore ".

But you pretty much proved his point, most expats know how to whine and complain.

No what I was pointing out was that if the criteria to show how wonderful Singapore was were clean toilets, nice beaches, etc etc as on the first list, was a pretty lame list. most expats dont like to whine and complain but are not willing to exhalt the mediocre, Perhapes a more in depth look at what is really good about Singapore might focus on what all the expats are doing here in the first place, rather than toilets, beaches, kid friendly locals and the like.

But since you seem willing to defend such low standards perhapses you can design the next promotion for Singapore Tourism Board and have those items on the posters, Im sure it will attract many people, I can see the Tag line Now "Come to Singapore, friendly customs officers and Clean Toilets!" What a winner.