Initial notes as an expat living in SG

[JR8]

7 years of living on my own taught me a lot! Now I am even able to skilfully and easily disassemble and repair a toilet bowl tank! I feel so mighty!

High-5!

Some of those toilet-valve systems are a real bitch!

[BedokAmerican]

SINexpat,

You make some very valid points. I'll chime in on the canned food and shoes.

As far as canned tuna goes, I often have a hard time trying to find plain canned tuna in water (which is the best canned-type, in my opinion) because of the varieties, which I don't think are appetizing. The tuna in water is usually on the shelf, it just requires a lot of looking. I wish that canned pineapple in water was easier to find. All the canned pineapple here is in syrup, it seems. Fresh pineapple is good, but not the easiest to cut.

I sometimes wear shoes at home and still sometimes forget to take my shoes off when visiting others. I apologize when I notice my error and take them off and put them outside. I've told people who visit that they can leave their shoes on but they insist on taking them off (and 99% of the time they're not wearing socks). Ok, now I've got to look at feet. Peeling/dry skin and toe nails that badly need trimming. Just lovely I always thought the only reason to go shoeless was to keep carpets clean, but floors here usually aren't carpeted. Anyway, I better get out a pumice stone and work on the appearance of my feet.

[x9200]

Some of those toilet-valve systems are a real bitch!

When me moved to our current place we discovered something funny about one of the toilets: after flushing, it did not fill back the tank with water until... we opened the basin's tap. It was pretty obvious that this must be some sort of minor problem as it responded to the changes in the water line pressure.
It was still within the 30 days warranty so the LL arranged for a plumber. He arrived and communicated to me that this is the way it supposed to be because the brand of this toilet is "American Standard". I politely explained to him what I think about his revelations but he insisted. He opened the water tank, he put his hands in, wrestled with the valve for 1 min or so and announced that if we want to have it fix he had to replace the whole valve and it was going to cost S$240. He got some other ideas like blocking the overflow holes with epoxy.
After explaining to him that there was no way I was going to order this work even if this was not my money, he put the cover back on the tank. Yes, the problem got fixed and it worked as it should filling the tank in after every flush and I did not need to open the tap. It was still the same "American Standard" toilet and it still works until today.

[nakatago]

I think taking off your shoes before going in is a great habit. I now shudder to think of how we played, crawled and laid on our carpeted floors when we were kids. Yukk!

It's matter of habit. In US where I live it can be -25C to 40C depending on time of year. Hence you take your shoes off inside. Still a designated area for shoes but it's a mind twist for me to take my shoes off "outside".

We used to rent an HDB unit that had a separated tiled area inside with shoe cabinets that acted as a genkan of sorts. There was a raised piece of molding that physically separates the tiled floor from the main faux-hardwood floor.

We once had a neighbor who had a chair chained outside (so people won't steal the chair) so people can sit down to take off/put on their shoes.

[nakatago]

After explaining to him that there was no way I was going to order this work even if this was not my money, he put the cover back on the tank. Yes, the problem got fixed and it worked as it should filling the tank in after every flush and I did not need to open the tap. It was still the same "American Standard" toilet and it still works until today.

Some handymen in Singapore are not so handy. We had an electrician who wired the lights in the HDB we rented such that if you want to be able to turn on the lights on in the bedrooms, you have to flick on a switch in the living room.

[stuckmojo]

7 years of living on my own taught me a lot! Now I am even able to skilfully and easily disassemble and repair a toilet bowl tank! I feel so mighty!

High-5!

Some of those toilet-valve systems are a real bitch!

I've just done that. Fixed mine all by myself. I was so proud. I was already baulking at the potential $500 bill from the plumber (still thinking with a UK bias) then I realised that the cost of handyman-work here is way cheaper.