InterNations Featured Blog
Recommended Expat Blogs: Singapore
Everybody who has spent time in a different country knows that expat life is not quite like anything else in the world. The confusion of the first few days and weeks, the slow, but steady process of acclimation, the little peculiarities and quirks that might strike you about your new surroundings: almost any situation you encounter can make for a great story. If you are so inclined and want to blog about it, of course!
Our InterNations recommended blog section features talented expat bloggers from around the world. Their offerings to the blogosphere have been selected for their great entries and high quality, whether they may be funny, informative, interesting, deeply personal or a combination of all of the above.
Let’s hear from our featured bloggers in Singapore:
Jennifer: Diary of an Expat in Singapore
Singapore is great. I’ve gotten so much more than I bargained for. I would say it’s a far better place to live in than to visit. Expats are very sad when they leave.
Tanya: I Dream of Durian
Singapore is often described as “Asia Lite”, so if you’re coming from any large, multicultural city there shouldn’t be much culture shock. Also, thanks to its diverse population, most of the things you might get homesick for – whether it’s ice-skating or authentic Mexican food - can be found in Singapore. However, work culture is quite different than in the West, and many Singaporeans consider leaving the office at 7pm as “going home early” but think nothing of being 20 minutes late for an important meeting!
Crystal: Expat Bostonians
The first few months when I didn’t know anyone, where anything was, and our shipment was somewhere in the world that wasn’t Singapore, were absolutely the hardest. Something that should have been simple, like doing a load of laundry, was so hard.
Ekta: Just an Ordinary Woman's Interpretations
Singapore is like an onion. It has many hidden layers and you need peel these layers one after the other to be able to get more and more of it. While on outside Singapore feels like hi-tech city of commercial towers, in the inside layers you will see lot of small cultural towns hidden within, like Little India, China Town, Geylang and so on. So my tip would be to beyond the expat areas and explore the small cultural areas.
Dewie: Sweet Life in Singapore
I think one can get spoiled in Singapore, in terms, of the order, cleanliness and system that they have in-place all over the country. We come from a developing country like the Philippines, where these things are major challenges. It’s a good change.
Pierre: Eviltwin in Singapore
Singapore is very different from South Africa in many ways. The initial few months certainly was a culture shock. The biggest adjustment was getting used to the weather. Singapore is very safe, clean and everything is efficient. Getting use to not having a vehicle and the public transport did take some adjustment.
Rara: Rare Mommy
I was prepared to some extent, I did read up on the cost of living and someone gave me a booklet to read and websites to visit but I was very cautious about it and didn't know how long I would actually stay so I didn't make any long term plans or sign any long term contracts which I think gave me more flexibility to explore my options. I stayed because it was the right choice for me and not because I was bound by anything.
Diana: Tale of a Trailing Spouse
Out of all the places I’ve lived, Singapore is the most like the United States. It’s a high tech place where apps exist for almost everything. I can locate many of my favorite products from back home (at a price) in the local grocer. Rather than fumble in an unfamiliar tongue. English is the official language. For all these reasons, I found settling in to be a breeze. I didn’t really experience culture shock with this assignment, but then again it is my third so I am a little desensitized.
Gwen: The City I See
I don’t think that anyone can ever be fully prepared for what awaits them in a new country, but as long as you’re friendly and have an open mind, you can’t go too wrong. The thing that I found most difficult to get used to when I moved to Leeds was the Yorkshire accent! Basically, the further up north you go, the more incomprehensible the accent becomes…
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