Living in Singapore

Living in Singapore - Pro & Con - Page 1

IMHO Singapore is an expensive place to live as compared to its neighbouring countries.

Singapore Dislikes?

Singapore is a wonderful city to live in. It is clean, green, extremely efficient, and is home to very friendly and hard-working people. However, there are certain aspects of the country that remain unpopular with expats living in Singapore.

Singapore is Rule-bound

The first criticism against Singapore is its strict rule-bound culture. There is a penalty or fine for even the smallest offences, considered harmless in most other countries. This has led to labelling Singapore as a "fine city". In fact a t-shirt souvenir sporting this slogan on the front and pictures of the penalties and offences on the back is very popular among tourists. There are fines imposed on littering, jaywalking, smoking in most public places, failing to flush a public toilet after use, urinating in elevators, accidental breeding of mosquitoes, carrying durians (a tropical fruit with a strong odour) on trains and buses, eating or drinking in trains or buses or even on the platforms, possession of pornography, indecent exposure and unnatural sex, and chewing gum!

There are posters and signs at every juncture - public transport, parks, office buildings, elevators, shopping malls, libraries, residential apartment complexes - which are hard hitting, prominent and difficult to miss. Asians find it easier to accept these strict enforcements of rules. However, this culture can leave others feeling perpetually policed in a sterile environment with the feeling that their personal freedom is being infringed upon.

Singapore Weather is Hot and Humid

If you are relocating from a country where you enjoy the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter), then the weather in Singapore is going to take some getting used to. It is hot, humid and sticky most of the time with sudden and unpredictable rain-spells. Day-time temperatures hover around 32 degrees Celsius and humidity level at around 84%. Most expats find the humidity hard to bear and prefer staying indoors in air-conditioned comfort. The city is often described as a ' giant sauna ' ..

Singapore is a Small Country

One of the disadvantages of Singapore is that it is a country, state and city all rolled in one.. It has an area of 692.7 sq km and is slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington DC .. Singapore is unlike other countries, where you would have the option of inter-state or inter-city travel and you could explore the region during weekend getaways or holidays. People who re-locate from Australia, Europe, America and other parts of Asia miss having the option of driving down to the nearest town or city for a short break - because there is no other city to drive to! The only option is to drive across the causeway link to Johor Bahru in Malaysia or to explore the nearby islands of Malaysia and Indonesia.

Uniformity in Singapore

One of the stark features of Singapore is its uniformity. The public housing estates consist of tall and wide blocks closely packed to one another and have the same elevation and facade in every single locality. The city greenery, which includes trees and shrubs that line the roads and avenues are all pruned to the same level and planted at equal distances. As you drive through the city the uniformity is bleak and gives you a sense of artificiality. This uniformity can sometimes get boring and unnatural. In fairness, some of the new residential buildings have adopted more modern and experimental architecture which is a welcome change.

Limited Entertainment & Adventurein Singapore

It is easy to exhaust most of the entertainment and recreation options in Singapore . Once you have explored Sentosa Island , the Zoo, Bird Park and Night Safari, there is little else to do except to ' wine and dine ' and ' shop till you drop ' . It is no wonder that shopping and dining are the national pastimes here. Many expats from Australia and America miss their outdoor activities - such as bush walking, cherry picking, weekend theme-based festivals, parades etc. Clarke Quay, Boat Quay, Chijmes, Holland Village and Orchard Road are the popular dining and shopping hubs. After a point, these too can get boring and repetitive.

The BBQ experience at the BBQ pits found within the compounds of condos comes nowhere close to the experience of a natural BBQ outdoors. Although Sentosa Island boasts of three beaches, it can be quite a let down if you are looking for the typical beach experience. These beaches have an artificial feel and are reclaimed using imported sand from neighbouring countries. Even the palm trees are said to be purposefully planted to give it a natural look.. These beaches do not have waves and expats who are used to surfing, resort to alternative beach activities (beach volley-ball, roller blading). The water is murky and people usually refrain from taking a dip and avoid snorkeling. Due to the dearth of natural rock climbing sites, wall climbing has become more popular in Singapore.

Decoding Singlish

English is widely spoken in Singapore . However, you will find Singaporeans ' speech peppered with Singlish. Singlish is a portmanteau word made from Singapore English. Singlish borrows terms from the Chinese, Malay and Tamil languages. There are certain expressions like ' lah ' , ' leh ' , ' ah ' , ' meh ' , ' lor ' used to punctuate sentences. Sentences are not complete and are more like phrases, without prepositions and are spoken quickly with a distinct Singaporean accent. Singaporeans also often use the word "can" in place of "yes".

It can be frustrating for an expat to understand what is being communicated but it eventually grows on you. The government has launched an aggressive ' Speak Good English Movement ' , strongly discouraging the use of Singlish. It is not used in everyday formal business interactions, presentations, meetings and job interviews, but if the population is largely comprised of locals, Singlish may be used to build rapport and inject humour. You cannot escape it when you interact with taxi drivers, hawkers and shop keepers.

Materialistic Singapore

Singapore is infamous for its materialistic culture. Increasing number of brands are making their way to Singapore to woo this brand conscious nation. Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Cartier , Mont Blanc and other luxury brands never go out of business. You will often find long winding queues of eager customers outside their doors. Materialism rules the roost and has led to a society of arrogance, selfishness and greed.

The society is highly individualistic and people are impatient to get rich. Most work-place conversations among colleagues centre around property, shares and higher salaries. It is a society that operates on the "time is money" principle and so everything is fast pace - walking fast, eating fast and increasing the speed of all activities. According to a study conducted by the British Council, Singaporeans are the world ' s fastest walkers, which is also indicative of the pace of life in the city. The Singapore materialistic dream is summed up in the 5 C ' s - cash, car, condo, credit-card and country club.

In an article published by the International Herald Tribune as early as 1994: Rise in Materialism Prompts Worry about a Moral Decline: With more Money Fewer Values?, there are some interesting insights by international sociologists on Singapore ' s rampant materialism. J.A.C. Mac kie, an Australian political scientist said that Singapore had become "the quintessence of consumerism and materialism." Although Australia has a reputation for hedonism, contemporary Singapore , he said, "makes Australia look rather spiritual." According to Kanwaljit Soin, a nominated member of Singapore ' s Parliament from 1992 to 1996, "in the quest for material gains, there is a tendency to believe that nothing succeeds like excess." Singaporeans will go all out to live the good life - lavish dinners; branded clothing, footwear and accessories; sporty cars, expensive WIFI phones, exotic holidays, playing golf, the list goes on. Its all about the 'been there done that ' life, which appears shallow and meaningless to non-Singaporeans.

Read more about Singapore for expats