Five years in Singapore - reflections

[sundaymorningstaple]

WD40, I only drink on one night every two or three months. The rest of the time I'm dry. And it's only because of the exceptional company I find myself with that I let my hair down (beard?) at our Eagles gatherings

[JR8]

My experience is that people are nice here.

This is like Bambi.

I mean this in the kindest possible way, but I wonder if you would feel differently about Singapore if you had the counterfactual of living and working for 30 years in NY or London or some other big city?

Well I have, and maintain the impression that SMS has. You of course have not lived abroad '30 years in NY or London'... so what value your counter-opinion (as defined by your own terms)?

[Fortan]

I was at White Hart Lane weekend before last. We lost but it was so nice to be back in the stadium watching a game

Bet you were happy you didn't go to the away game on Sunday

[singapore eagle]

I worked in downtown Washington DC for probably 10 years before Singapore. So I have had experience in large cities as well. Note: That city DID have crime. I worked there when they tried to burn it down back in the 70's. Yobbery is not a crime, by the way. that's why I don't understand why you are using it in the same sentence with "Low Crime doesn't mean No Crime" (which by the way, was coined by our very own Addadude, years ago for the SPF campaign)

I can't think of much yobbery that wouldn't be a crime here!

Anyway, I meant only to suggest that you might have grown tired of any big city as you moved from your 30s to your 60s?

[PrimroseHill]

I was at White Hart Lane weekend before last. We lost but it was so nice to be back in the stadium watching a game

Bet you were happy you didn't go to the away game on Sunday

Awwww thats not nice, after all it is sunny Manchester
Everyone complains that there's nothing to do in SG.
People complain that there's nothing to do in London.
Fact remains, there are things to do, it is whether we can get our butts of the sofa or out of the malls.
These whinging and complaining sounds exactly like my teen. Awww life is so unfair. Its so boring its Camden market again. Its Westfield. Its Orchard. Its this. Its that.
Yet, she is slowing getting off her butt, she is volunteering down at Willing Hearts. She is doing charity walks and runs at 5km

[noskich]

Singapore's main problem is its size. After a while, you literally have to leave the country to find something new. Not impossible, of course (although I strongly suspect the Singapore government deliberately make travel to Malaysia about as a difficult as it could possibly be), but my point is that in other major cities you have a whole range of places to go just a short distance away.

Right. You got a dozen of low cost airlines and an amazing number of places where you can go to in a matter of hours. Just one hour and you are in Msia or Indonesia. Every weekend you can be elsewhere.
Try Australia and the size problem. Should you want to go abroad you need at the very least +6 hours flight with the average return ticket price of 700-800 dollars (New Zealand is not really abroad). Sydney, the biggest city in Australia, has 3 spots around you can go to (Blue mountains, Hunter valley and Woollongong) and for each it will take you longer than to go abroad from Singapore. When put in that perspective Sydney is much more dull.

[JR8]

Anyway, I meant only to suggest that you might have grown tired of any big city as you moved from your 30s to your 60s?

Why the presumption? Is it because you have?

I've never grown tired of a city. I find it more an internal/acceptance thing, as the city is certainly not changing any time soon.


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'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.


"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
— Samuel Johnson

Boswell and Johnson were discussing whether or not Boswell's affection for London would wear thin should he choose to live there, as opposed to the zest he felt on his occasional visits. (Boswell lived in Scotland, and visited only periodically. Some people are surprised to learn that Boswell and Johnson were far from inseparable over the last twenty years of Johnson's life, the period Boswell knew him.)

This discussion happened on September 20, 1777, and Johnson, someone who hated to spend time alone, was always going out and enjoying what London had to offer.
http://www.samueljohnson.com/tiredlon.html
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[zzm9980]

The bad

Singapore is fundamentally a dull place. Options for new things to do dry up very quickly.

I would love to know which place is not like that. After a while all places become dull. It`s just a matter of the time it takes to reach that point.
If you as you say `fundamentally` are not capable of creating fun for yourself any place won`t do.

To prove I'm not just trolling, I'm not going to back down on this one either.

Singapore's main problem is its size. After a while, you literally have to leave the country to find something new. Not impossible, of course (although I strongly suspect the Singapore government deliberately make travel to Malaysia about as a difficult as it could possibly be), but my point is that in other major cities you have a whole range of places to go just a short distance away.

For further proof of Singapore's dullness, you just have to look at what I am convinced is the most popular leisure activity in Singapore: wandering aimlessly round a shopping mall.

I don't think you have to convince anyone here (Except noskitch) that Singapore is dull. The only groups of people I've ever found that disagree are the 'true blues' who have only lived in Singapore, and think the only everything wrong with Singapore is caused by the foreigners, and silly 20something (mostly) expats who just go drinking every weekend. They would do the same thing anywhere they lived.

I thought all expats drink every weekend and some drink every afternoon . The Harrys in Signature building is full of expat bankers, everyday and not just weekends!

And Geylang is full of Indians, but does that mean every Indian goes to Geylang?

[Mi Amigo]

The bad

Singapore is fundamentally a dull place. Options for new things to do dry up very quickly.

I would love to know which place is not like that. After a while all places become dull. It`s just a matter of the time it takes to reach that point.
If you as you say `fundamentally` are not capable of creating fun for yourself any place won`t do.

To prove I'm not just trolling, I'm not going to back down on this one either.

Singapore's main problem is its size. After a while, you literally have to leave the country to find something new. Not impossible, of course (although I strongly suspect the Singapore government deliberately make travel to Malaysia about as a difficult as it could possibly be), but my point is that in other major cities you have a whole range of places to go just a short distance away.

For further proof of Singapore's dullness, you just have to look at what I am convinced is the most popular leisure activity in Singapore: wandering aimlessly round a shopping mall.

I don't think you have to convince anyone here (Except noskitch) that Singapore is dull. The only groups of people I've ever found that disagree are the 'true blues' who have only lived in Singapore, and think the only everything wrong with Singapore is caused by the foreigners, and silly 20something (mostly) expats who just go drinking every weekend. They would do the same thing anywhere they lived.

Looks like noskich is still chugging down the Kool-Aid.

I would love to know which place is not like that.

How about London or New York for starters? If a person runs out of things to do in places like those, then it is they who are dull and unimaginative. But here in Singapore, it is hard to find new things to do after a while. Having said that, I think it's better now than a few years ago. For example, IMO the Esplanade is a wonderful place, with workshops, performances (many of which are free), etc. going on all the time. Although even I wouldn't want to go there every day.

[Mi Amigo]

And Geylang is full of Indians, but does that mean every Indian goes to Geylang?

And they all walk in single file, too, right?

[nakatago]

Right. You got a dozen of low cost airlines and an amazing number of places where you can go to in a matter of hours. Just one hour and you are in Msia or Indonesia. Every weekend you can be elsewhere.
Try Australia and the size problem. Should you want to go abroad you need at the very least +6 hours flight with the average return ticket price of 700-800 dollars (New Zealand is not really abroad). Sydney, the biggest city in Australia, has 3 spots around you can go to (Blue mountains, Hunter valley and Woollongong) and for each it will take you longer than to go abroad from Singapore. When put in that perspective Sydney is much more dull.

Not as an easy comparison. If you're flying, you have to take into account that you have to be at the airport 2 hours ahead (in some cases where you're lucky, 45 minutes). Also, you can never go to the beach without needing a passport (and no, Sentosa doesn't count) or being mindful of the war against moisture or how heavy your bag(s) is/are. And that you have to exchange money.

Sure, Singapore has the advantage of being a hub for Southeast Asia but there are always trade-offs.

As a side note, with the way things are going for foreigners, we might as well say that KL/Penang will have the same advantages as well.

[PrimroseHill]

I love Esplanade with their free performances. Mostly I just like sitting on the hard steps, enjoying the breeze, if there's any, chugging the kool aid (classic, haven't heard of the term for ages) watching the world go by.

Sometimes I go to the ArtScience Musuem - I loved the National Georgraphic photos.

Thinking about a stroll around Fort Canning and Hort Park after turkey this thanksgiving. After dinner and after steelers game.

[Mi Amigo]

Try Australia and the size problem. Should you want to go abroad you need at the very least +6 hours flight with the average return ticket price of 700-800 dollars (New Zealand is not really abroad).

WHAT??? That's like saying that if you live in Singapore, Indonesia is 'not really abroad'. Try suggesting the above hypothesis to a Kiwi - and let me know when you're going to do that so I can be there to watch their reaction.

Sydney, the biggest city in Australia, has 3 spots around you can go to (Blue mountains, Hunter valley and Woollongong) and for each it will take you longer than to go abroad from Singapore. When put in that perspective Sydney is much more dull.

You're kidding, right? Take a look at this:

https://google.com/#q=free+events+in+Sydney

About 221,000,000 results - including:

[url]http://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/search?search[cost]=free[/url]

OK, everyone's entitled to an opinion, but I'm sorry - I think you're just plain wrong dude.

[morenangpinay]

Apparently there are 2009 reasons... Launched in February, ``2009 Reasons to enjoy Singapore" is a yearlong marketing campaign launched by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to generate local and overseas demand, and to drive value through enhancing visitor experience.

feel free to tell me what those are.

[nakatago]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8Jl1zvX7i0

Stay classy, Singapore.