Singapore

[Rtrorkt]

Have an offer to work and live in Singapore. Can anyone give me ideas of costs? Been looking on line and it appears as though any reasonable rental is S$5k and up. Can someone point me to the best areas?

Was looking at cars, though it may be prohibitive. In the ads there were two figures listed, OMV and COE. Does anyone know what these mean? A Cayman was advertised at S$238k which makes it right around US$188k. Seems a bit pricey.

Thank you for any response

[red-beard]

They limit the cars. The cost of a car includes about a $100K license.

[Rtrorkt]

ouch

[Don Plumley]

Singapore is great. Housing is pricey, though great cheap local food is plentiful. I heart Hawker Centres. Cars are very very expensive to own and operate, you'll want your employer to cover this if possible. A COE is a "Certificate of Entitlement" which is kind of like a "Okay, you have enough money for this paper, then you can probably afford to keep the car in good working order." OMV is "Open Market Value" or what your car is worth before it touches the ground in Sing. Singapore customs sets this value on the cost of the car, import duties, freight, etc., etc.

Everything in Sing has a three letter abbreviation. CBD, MTR, etc. etc. Fun place! Singapore F1 !!

[crustychief]

Singapore has a pretty decent public transportation system, if you can do without the car. I never had any problems getting around when visiting.

[vash]

love the place.

hot and humid..i swear i saw Satan running out of there "i'm out!"

what blew me away as i was growing rice in my armpits..the locals dont even feel it. i saw beautiful ladies with full makeup, tight jeans, high heels..just walking around radiant.

took 3 weeks for me to get used to that part of the planet. public transportation is unrivaled. awesome AC in those trains. hehe.

[gary1101]

Great Place, Depending on housing allowance you may be able to get a cook and/or maid and wrap that into the allowance.

[fingpilot]

I was based there for 2 years. Had a 3 bedroom penthouse, furnished with a live-in maid who did most of the cooking for $2k a month. Thought I'd need a car, but am REALLY glad I didn't. Taxis are plentiful, the busses/trains are immaculate, and cheap as well. I loved my time there, no crime, no concerns almost in any part of the city any time of night. The Singaporeans could teach the world a thing or two about the benefits of living in a society. Non-conformists (criminals) will not be tolerated. The rule of law is actually enforced, and justice is swift and certain.

I miss it in this era here of Jodi Arias.

It is also where the SINGpilot came from.

[Rtrorkt]

Fingpilot
Love the sound of that $2k for the penthouse with a maid. What part of town? I have concluded no car and just rely on taxis and public trans. Can you suggest neighborhoods to look into?

[jriera]

I also lived there for a bit over 2 years ('93 to mid '95). No need for a car. I use to live behind Takashimaya in Orchard Rd (next to the Indian embassy). If you have house allowance you can always try to rent one of the HDB houses (somewhat not 100% legal for expats) and you will save a big chunk of money.

To SingPilot's point, more than 2 grams of any controlled substance is mandatory death penalty .. in about a week. I was there when that US kid got canned for 'keying' a car ..

Miss the food and the people greatly.

If you pay taxes (and you will), the money will be returned to you on your departure if you don't plan to go back to work.

[911SauCy]

They LOVE scent!

ScentAir | Scent Marketing, Scent Advertising, Scent Branding, Scent Solutions | ScentAir

We have a monstrous market there!

[Rtrorkt]

A bit damp here. Arrived today. Where should I go, what to do?

[Holger]

Visit
- Little India (look for the restaurant Ghandi - excellent food!)
- Arab Street
- China Town
- Marina Bay Sands - amazing view, both from the top and underground
- Museums and the shops around Marina Bay Sands and the light show twice a day
- Pulau Ubin Island - great biking area
- the Botanic Garden
- Sentosa Island
- Orchard Road
- Orchard Towers at night (great live music! Look for the Ipanema bar!)
- Gardens by the Bay (dont know if they are open)
- Sim Lim Square
- Raffles Hotel

There is SO MUCH to do and see! I would really love to go there again!

Enjoy the friendly people and the great food!

[Don Plumley]

Any Hawker Centre - I'm partial to the one in Chinatown and the one on Maxwell Road. Night Zoo. Start gearing up for F1 in the Fall!

[jriera]

Originally Posted by Rtrorkt

A bit damp here. Arrived today. Where should I go, what to do?

If you think is humid now wait until the monsoons arrive!!

Hawker Centers: go where the locals go, Lau Pa Sat or Newton Circus are a bit 'touristy' but worth for a 'first taste', remember to buy tissues and order te tarik.

Get to know locals, they know the most amazing food places!!

Don't go anywhere in particular, you will have plenty of time for that ... just stroll up and down Orchard Rd. Remember Singapore is a (small) island .. in a weekend or two you have seen everything.

Take advantage of where you are, Bali is a short flight away, same with Vietnam and Hong Kong, Johor Barhu (in Malaysia), Bintan Island and Melaka are worth destinations for a day trip.

Don't forget to stop at the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel, birthplace of the Singapore Sling

Sudah Makan!!!

[crustychief]

Hit the Terror club at Sembawang when a Navy ship pulls in for some cheap entertainment.

[Rtrorkt]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Will do as many as practical. Here until Sun am doing the job interview thing. Staying near Robertson Quay. Near Orchard Rd I think. I need a map. Folks have been great. Singapore Air is definitely the way to fly

[Holger]

Really good Hawker: in the finance district, at the corner of Raffles Quay and Cross St.
Bus stop: "One Raffles Quay", close to Deutsche Bank

In the same area: Level 33 Brewery LeVeL33
The worlds highest brewery.

Ah, memories!

[Tishabet]

Spent probably 2 months of the last two years in Singapore, was living in KL and was there frequently for weeks while doing some work for Standard Chartered. Lovely city, but after a while a bit too "Disney land" for me... I'll take KL, but know many who feel differently. In any case, assuming you are a westerner it is a very welcoming corner of Asia. Most recently was ther for F1, which was a blast.

Highly recommend maxwell road hawker center, the night safari, the battle box, jumbo seafood, getting some fish head curry on race course road, and above all the orchid garden.... Indescribable.

If you take the job, do explore the rest of the region as much as possible... You will get island fever soon enough. Let me know if you want some local flavor in KL!

[ledhedsymbols]

Singapore is a good time without a doubt. It's clean, it's safe, you can drink the water and almost everyone speaks English.

When my ship pulled in there, we usually moored at Sembawang. I took the train to Yishun station. I got a haircut, and then ate at a dining area under one of the hi-rise apartment buildings there. The food was fantastic! Once I had a few old men invite me to their table to sit and eat/drink with them. They bought my lunch and more beer than I should have had at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Turns out, they remembered the Japanese occupation of Singapore, and being liberated by the Americans in WWII. Just being a serviceman was cause to celebrate and say thank-you.

Go to the "Crazy Elephant" in Clarke Quay for some blues and booze. Have some Satay beef from a street cart.
Crazy Elephant

Go to Johnny Two Thumb and get a tattoo. Legendary place.
Johnny Two Thumb Tattoo Studio - Singapore

Go to all the shops on Orchard Road. Enjoy the experience. I bought my watch there as a gift for myself after my last deployment in 2003. I spent two days haggling with the Rolex dealer, and in the end we were dickering over ten US dollars. I'll dig out the card from the safe and post the name and address.