Living in Singapore

Living in Singapore - Pro & Con - Page 1

Singaporean Attitude

Most expats find it difficult to forge friendships with the locals. The general perception is that Singaporeans are too focused on their personal goals to care about anything else. A common criticism is that Singaporeans often find it difficult to hold conversations on a topic or issue that has nothing to do with Singapore and that they hold a limited world-view.

Moreover, the political climate and rule-bound culture makes them submissive and non-questioning. They are also considered a pampered lot who never seem satisfied with what they have. Most expats give up on trying to understand the locals, as nearly all conversations would only end up being a list of complaints against the government or how difficult life is or the 5 C ' s and 4-D (4-D is the 4 Digit lottery where people bet on a 4 Digit number).

There is also a general lack of warmth among the people. This is especially felt by Indian and Australian expats as they come from a warm, outgoing and friendly society. Singaporeans hardly smile to anyone in public and are quite to-the-point in everyday interactions. It signals a mechanical, robotic and an unpleasant spirit.. Recognizing this Singaporean trait, the government in 1979 launched the ' National Courtesy Campaign ' in an effort to make fellow Singaporeans more polite, friendly and thoughtful towards one another. This culminated into the ' Singapore Kindness Movement ' in 2001. Despite these efforts Singapore still fails to exude warmth and spontaneous smiles. Singapore ranked amongst the bottom 10 out of a total of 35 countries included in the Readers Digest ' s Global Courtesy Test 2006.

Work Culture Differences

Certain aspects of the work culture in Singapore may be alien to expats and at times these may be difficult to adjust to. Expats from Europe and America often miss the convenience of flexible-work hours. The focus in these nations is on getting the job done, not on how many hours you have spent at work. However, in Singapore people tend to work beyond office hours, irrespective of their actual productivity.

Singapore ' s work culture can at best be defined as "Asian". This often means, respect for seniority and authority, and employing non verbal means of communication. Unlike Western societies, employees usually agree with the boss and prefer not to challenge their views or ideas regarding business related issues. Most Singaporeans believe in exhibiting a calm demeanour and speaking softly rather than being outspoken, loud and aggressive. This non-questioning attitude may come as a cultural shock to Westerners, who are often direct and explicit in their communication. Personal relationships play an important role in business and these relationships often take time to develop. Another contrast that most Westerners encounter, is that Singaporeans need very specific instructions to carry out a task and most of their knowledge is book based.

Rising cost of living

Expats are often envied by the locals as it is assumed that being on an "expat package" naturally means a better standard of living. While this is largely true, the situation is fast changing in Singapore with rising costs of living. While costs have soared, salaries have remained flat. In recent times many expats have considered returning to their home country due to increased cost of living.

According to a report published on Forbes.com , Singapore is the fifth most expensive city to live in Asia . The report said that a two bedroom apartment costs 3359 US dollars a month; 200 US dollars more than the cost of a similar apartment in Paris . Domestic cleaning help, estimated at 8.50 dollars an hour, is comparable to that of Seoul ' s, which was ranked as the second most expensive Asian city. A good-table-quality bottle of wine will approximately cost 26.90 US dollars as compared to 13.99 US dollars in Tokyo.

The Goods and Services Tax has risen from 5% to 7%. Transportation costs have gone up. Inflation rose by 7.6% in April of 2008. Fuel costs have increased by 13% and rents have risen sharply in the 2007/2008. This along with the strengthening Singapore dollar, is causing some amount of unhappiness in the expat community here.

On a final note

After all is said and done, despite these complaints, Singapore is still considered a top destination for expats. Singapore was recently ranked as the 'Happiest country in Asia' in a study reported by ABC News. The city has a lot to offer - security and safety being its unique advantage. The city is clean and green, with fairly acceptable pollution levels. The government through its big-brotherly policies has ensured housing for all and encourages its residents to maintain a work-life balance. Residents live harmoniously despite their varied ethnic backgrounds.