Moving to Singapore this Spring...

[jchin1968]

[matski]

Just to let you know that the move went well, I stayed in a Hotel for 2 weeks, and have since moved into a shared flat as of last week.

I have discovered that I am not going to struggle in the slightest to live on the wage i have here. Any warnings that you will struggle to live out here on a low wage are based purely on someone who eats only imported food from their home countries.
If you choose to eat at the many local Hawker centres/ Food courts (there is one in the building where I work and one right next to where i live) you will eat like a king!.
I moved into an Apartment that is 15 minutes (1 bus journey) from where I Work, its just behind the Commonwealth MRT station and has cost $850sg a month including bills which is less than what i was paying for a smaller room in London.
Bus and MRT travel are incredibly cheap (atleast half the price of London) and even Taxi's are a viable solution to travel! haha.
I have to say I love it here so far and am looking forward to an enjoyable year!.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Good on ya!

[beppi]

You are in the "honeymoon" stage, where your psyche's rose-tinted glasses see an exotic and exciting holiday destination that you look forward to spend a year in. This will wear off and you'll be in an equally unrealistic depression about the terrible shithole with unreasonable people that fate has thrown you into. Only after these mood swings subside (usually after a few months) can you really adapt and accept the new environment.
This is called "culture shock" and befalls even old-hands in international moves (like me). Read up about it to be prepared!

[sundaymorningstaple]

No fair giving him advance warning!

[another_observer]

Hey matski

After reading this entire thread I have to admit to being a little troubled that you took this offer, to me it seems unsatisfactory. You have been relocated over ten-thousand miles from your home and have been given no extra financial incentive. Did you not take into account the extra cost of flying home a couple of times a year. Additionally I find it unbelievable that they aren't providing you with medical insurance even the big American shops offer (a somewhat watered down) medical insurance. These factors alone mean that your base outgoings will be higher.

Due to the extremely favourable business climate in Singapore Double Negative will be benefiting from the terms of your relocation; remember that it costs between £10,000 and £15,000 to desk a single employee in a London office this undoubtedly will be lower in Singapore even without the huge financial gains that are made from lower wages by employing locals (sadly Weta has the same policy on this) and the hugely favourable tax system.

They have chose to relocate you to a different country because they obviously value your skill-set, you should capitalise on this and ask for a higher wage and extra provisions (a travel allowance and medical insurance); this should be insisted on this regardless of their policy of only increasing wages at annual reviews.

Singularly the argument of 'just getting my foot in the door' works however on mass this debases all VFX artists.

Talk to the head of 3D.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Singularly the argument of 'just getting my foot in the door' works however on mass this debases all VFX artists.

Wow! That amazing. You though of that all by yourself? Works the same in any industry. But, guess what? As long as there are hungry people from all the other SE Asian & Subcontinent countries out there who are willing to work for less in order to get their foot in the door, it gonna keep happening and the local bosses will keep on exploiting. Such is life. If you wanna come to Singapore, you need to learn how this little red dot works. None of us like it, but Singapore is not what you would call a hard luck or troublesome posting. For most it's a uplift from their previous conditions.

[ksl]

Just to get out of the shit hole must be a relief! Culture shock is negligible, for most down to earth people. You will have a great time on 3000K plus providing you integrate into the local society. People seem to forget we have 400 thousand Chinese alone in UK not to mention all the other Asian countries. So it's a walk in the park in many cases if you have been living in London, Lancashire or Yorkshire. You can certainly improve on your situation here that's for sure, in UK, everything is looking quite negative.

[JayCee]

I have to say I love it here so far and am looking forward to an enjoyable year!.

That's good news

Now the most important question - have you caught yellow fever yet?

[matski]

You are in the "honeymoon" stage, where your psyche's rose-tinted glasses see an exotic and exciting holiday destination that you look forward to spend a year in. This will wear off and you'll be in an equally unrealistic depression about the terrible shithole with unreasonable people that fate has thrown you into. Only after these mood swings subside (usually after a few months) can you really adapt and accept the new environment.
This is called "culture shock" and befalls even old-hands in international moves (like me). Read up about it to be prepared!

Lol!. I am getting a pretty good idea of what the locals are like here, to be honest its no worse than London!. Maybe it will hit me, but so far I feel pretty settled and comfortable.
I have made good friends at work, not to mention my colleagues who have also come over from London, so right now life feels pretty similar to what it was like a month ago...except more noodles! lol

They have chose to relocate you to a different country because they obviously value your skill-set, you should capitalise on this and ask for a higher wage and extra provisions (a travel allowance and medical insurance); this should be insisted on this regardless of their policy of only increasing wages at annual reviews.

They offered the relocation, it was my choice, either way I still would be working for the company so that is why I don't get the incentives. Incentives are given to the more senior people they send out here for short periods of time to help when production is getting tight.
Giving that I had nothing to tie me back home financially, the move has not impacted on me negatively at all. Infact my cost of living is less.
Even if I stayed in London and was awarded the same position I have here, I wouldn't get a pay rise until my yearly review. You can ask for it but it would be less than what I would be offered if I waited another 5 months.
Also I do get 1 return flight paid for by my company which I intend to take at Christmas. As much as I miss my parents, I don't need to see them every few months.

I don't know if I mentioned but I am 22, I have no children and I am single so I lose nothing from doing this. I have worked in this Industry for just about a year (not solidly), 5 months of that for Double Negative. This is an opportunity which would rarely be granted to someone with so little experience so I take it as a compliment they trusted me in this role.

I really appreciate everyone (even the negative people!) taking their time out to voice their support and help!. I have been hard done in the past with companies who take advantage of those who are willing to work for free and whatnot, but Double Negative is not like that, I just cannot seem to voice it without it sounding like I am being take advantage of! lol.

[observer]

Congratulations, matski. With an attitude like yours, I think you'd do well. The only person who decides if you make enough money is yourself. Especially when you have passion for your work. I'm glad I could be of some help, feel free to ask more questions about the local area or the industry.

[to_to_ro]

Hi matski. I am getting an interview with Double Negative Singapore next week. The information in your post is very helpful to me because I have to relocate to Singapore if I get this job. I have a few questions to ask you. What position/department are you supervising? Do you know the average salary of entry level ATD? Thank you.

[alexwei]

have followed your thread so far. Good to hear that you have settled down quite well.