What I Dislike About Residing In Singapore

Singapore is a good place to reside and I detailed why I like residing in Singapore in a earlier put up. Nonetheless, there may be all the time two sides to the story and I can’t have a put up singing Singapore’s praises with out offering the opposite perspective. Whereas life is usually fairly nice, there are some things I don’t like about Singapore. I wouldn’t think about these excessive points by any means however they’re simply observations I’ve made whereas residing right here.

This put up might be an ongoing and altering put up. As I spend extra time on this metropolis, I’m certain new issues will come up that I dislike. As nicely, issues that I beforehand disliked would possibly change to one thing I like sooner or later. That’s what being an expat is all about!

Singapore is a little bit of a boring place

Singapore is a little bit of a boring place. There, I stated it. Whereas Singapore is an excellent clear, secure, inexperienced, and an exquisite place to earn cash, there isn’t a lot happening outdoors of that. I do know many expats and locals alike that might echo my sentiment.

Life in Singapore will be fairly uninteresting on the weekends with out the everyday vibrant scenes you’ve got in different massive cities I’ve lived in. My first few months have been very lively as there was all the time new areas and new meals to find. After residing right here for nearly a yr, I’ve discovered that there isn’t as a lot else to do. As well as, it looks as if spontaneity will not be a factor in Singapore. Folks plan assembly up weeks prematurely. Others would possibly want this however it’s only a unusual idea to me.

In contrast to my beloved wine markets in Frankfurt, Germany, there are few locations to go and have a drink on a Saturday afternoon. Positive the seashore bars in Sentosa are round, however you aren’t all the time eager to take a 20 minute Seize trip to spend a whole bunch of {dollars} for a giant afternoon out. The consuming tradition right here can be fairly muted and folks simply don’t exit as a lot. That is really good for me in my older age however one thing my youthful self would have hated. Singapore can be a metropolis state so there may be nowhere to go outdoors of town to get some nature. Whereas there are very good parks inside the metropolis, you’re nonetheless firmly in a metropolis.

Fortunately, Singapore is so centrally positioned that it’s a fast flight to stunning locations like Bali, Lombok, Thailand, Vietnam, and extra so you will get out every time you want to.

Life is targeted round work and mentality is all about cash

Amassing wealth and accumulating cash are the core elementary principals of the nation. Persons are obsessive about cash and materials possessions to the purpose the place it’s simply annoying and insufferable. As with different Asian cultures, exhibiting off is an indication of how far you’ve come. In fact, I absolutely admire how necessary cash is and I wouldn’t be within the place I’m in with being financially impartial with out caring for cash. Nonetheless, I do know what quantity is sufficient and that there’s extra to life than merely the buildup of cash.

Singapore is a really profitable nation and its brief historical past is in a league of its personal. Folks in Singapore enormously admire what they’ve and the way they bought there. Most significantly, they don’t need that to alter or slip away. Folks in Singapore are extraordinarily targeted on their work and careers which is a testomony to the tradition and work ethic that they needed to must survive being a brand new nation. Let’s not overlook the price of residing in Singapore is outrageous so it’s solely becoming that obsessing over funds are par for the course.

Lack of neighborhoods and common character

Singapore is a good looking metropolis in its personal distinctive approach. A lot of town heart and few surrounding areas are residence to heritage neighborhoods that function conventional colonial structure that are completely beautiful. Nonetheless, outdoors of those areas, there actually isn’t a lot happening so far as neighborhoods and vibes go.

Virtually all of Singapore’s neighborhoods consist of enormous HDB condo blocks, a hawker heart, and when you’re fortunate, a mall. Don’t anticipate vibrant neighborhoods like these you’d discover in New York or London. Singapore was designed to deal with lots of people in a small area and excited about find out how to make a neighborhood hipster and stylish was not on their minds.

If you wish to discover an condo in Singapore with a vibey neighborhood, I might suggest both Tanjong Pagar, or the realm of Joo Chiat within the East.

Earnings inequality between nationalities

As with my time residing in South Africa, Singapore additionally has noticeably revenue inequality that’s on full show. Whereas it’s nowhere close to to the extent of place like South Africa, Singapore has a novel revenue disparity between its personal individuals and the overseas employees it imports for labor.

Beginning with Singaporeans themselves, the revenue disparity is kind of excessive which is a results of the tenacious capitalist society the founding fathers needed to construct. Any time you’ve got excessive capitalism on show, revenue inequality is an inevitable outcome. Singaporeans as a complete have grow to be extraordinarily nicely off however that is distorted by the extraordinarily wealthy and the remainder. Nonetheless, in comparison with different wealthy nations just like the USA, the poor individuals in Singapore have significantly better advantages and Authorities assist within the type of pressured financial savings accounts (CFP), Authorities housing (HDB), medical insurance, and low cost prices of meals.

The extra apparent supply of division in Singapore is between the locals / expert overseas employees, and the not expert employees. Singapore is that this tiny bubble of utmost wealth in the midst of SE Asia surrounded by nations with a lot decrease GDP per capita. As a result of it’s a extremely industrialized nation, they depend on importing low cost overseas labor to do all of the guide labor. Building employees from Bangladesh and Pakistan, and home helpers from the Philippines all flood into Singapore to work. The development employees particularly have a tough residing situation being shuttled backwards and forwards between their dorm type camps at the back of vehicles to their work websites.

Nonetheless, it’s not all unhealthy. Building employees receives a commission over $1,000 a month with their housing included which might be 2-3x what they might receives a commission again of their residence nations. The working situations right here, whereas not nice, is worlds higher than locations like Qatar.

Issues that different individuals dislike about Singapore however I like (or don’t care about)

It seems, there should not that many issues I dislike about Singapore. I believe as a complete, I’m typically very receptive to residing in new locations and as a human being, I all the time select to see the nice aspect in issues as a lot as I can. I go away the cynicism on the door and strategy issues with an open however excited thoughts. Due to this fact, there are various issues that others would possibly actually dislike however these are issues that I don’t thoughts (and even like).

Singapore Climate is simply too scorching

The climate might be one of many issues individuals dislike probably the most. Expats and locals. Singapore is scorching right here spherical with solely a wet and dry season. You possibly can anticipate temperatures above 30 for many of the yr and humidity to be excessive. You’re residing within the equator in any case and are within the tropics.

I completely love the climate. I like heat climate and heat locations. Positive I can’t put on a lot in addition to shorts and tank high however that’s my sort of outfit anyway. It’s straightforward to placed on, doesn’t value any cash, and I can sweat in peace. I a lot want heat climate locations to chilly climate so Singapore is ideal for me. Do I miss the seasons? Not likely. Positive I might like to go snowboarding within the Dolomites of Italy as soon as in awhile however 99% don’t go for greater than per week a yr anyway. The remainder of the time I might simply be dreading life in a wet, gloomy, chilly, and darkish environment.

Value of driving a automotive

Driving a automotive in Singapore is dear. Like stupidly costly. Most likely the most costly on the planet in actual fact.

Automotive costs are 2-3x what they’re in the remainder of the world as a result of each automotive carries an enormous tax of 200-300% relying on the kind of automotive. Along with the loopy automotive prices, each individual should buy a COE (Certificates of Entitlement) which is solely a license to personal a automotive. This isn’t a drivers license. A COE in 2023/2024 is $130k SGD for 10 years. This implies you’re paying a further $1k a month for the privilege of driving a automotive. All in all, you may anticipate to pay at the least $2.5k SGD a month for driving a easy and fundamental automotive.

The factor is, that is an absolute full waste of cash. YOU DO NOT NEED A CAR IN SINGAPORE. This metropolis will not be massive and the general public transportation completely connects town and is affordable. If you really want to get someplace quick, a Seize or taxi will do the job and they’re much cheaper compared to different costly cities like New York or London. In actual fact, for the value of proudly owning a fundamental automotive, I might take a Seize to the Airport and again TWICE each single day of the month and nonetheless pay lower than proudly owning a automotive.

It merely is silly and pointless to personal a automotive in Singapore. Anybody complaining about the price of proudly owning a automotive in Singapore is simply not good with their cash and received’t be retiring early anytime quickly. However, it’s a very pointless luxurious to have in Singapore and that’s why I don’t even embody it in my value of residing for Singapore evaluation.

Lack of democracy and freedoms

One of many issues Westerners love to speak about with Singapore is the way it features as a dictatorship, managed by one get together, the PAP (Folks’s Motion Occasion). Singapore is in actual fact, a democracy with a number of political events. Sure, one get together has managed energy since Singapore gained independence within the Nineteen Sixties.

Does that make Singapore a dictatorship? Completely not. It simply appears that approach as a result of there isn’t any opposition get together that has even come near contesting the PAP’s affect. The PAP, led by Lee Kuan Yew, took Singapore from actually nothing to one of many richest nations on the planet at present. On the time of independence, they have been a nation of uneducated and poor blue collar employees that was kicked out of Malaysia, left to fend for themselves. Singapore additionally had a number of racial teams with no financial future. in these conditions, I firmly consider you want to have a strongman determine that is aware of what they’re doing with the nice intention of the general public at coronary heart. Lee Kuan Yew was that individual and he helped foster Singapore’s meteoric rise to grow to be one of many richest nations on the planet in only a half century.

Individuals who say that Singapore is a dictatorship simply merely don’t perceive life outdoors of their very own privileged world. Simply because one get together has grow to be so profitable in elevating the residing requirements of its individuals doesn’t imply there isn’t any democracy. Positive the media here’s a bit biased in favor of the ruling get together and there are various examples of individuals talking out in opposition to the Authorities which have misplaced their jobs however the majority don’t care as a result of they know their nation has grow to be extraordinarily profitable and residing situations improved through the reign of the PAP. Outcomes matter in the long run.

By no means have I felt scared or nervous to say one thing about Singaporean politics, or to voice my opinion about one thing that I learn. There’s nothing oppressive in Singapore that you just wouldn’t discover in different developed nations on the planet.

In return, I reside in one of many cleanest and most secure locations on the planet. Positive there are cameras all over the place however I can go away my telephone on a desk at a hawker heart and know it’ll all the time be there once I come again. There’s many “democratic” nations the place I Would by no means ponder this!

Overcrowding in Singapore

Singapore is a nation of 5.7m individuals packed into an area of 214 sq. kilometers. That provides Singapore a inhabitants density of round 8000 individuals per sq. kilometer. As a rustic, that is without doubt one of the highest on the planet and as you may anticipate, there are lots of people all over the place. Nonetheless, I all the time seen Singapore as a metropolis, and that’s really not that prime in comparison with many different locations. It’s really decrease than New York Metropolis, and undoubtedly decrease than Hong Kong.

Whereas many individuals complain concerning the overcrowding, I actually don’t discover it that unhealthy. The MRT system (mass transit) is usually gratifying and its rush hour crowds are milder than these in different massive cities. In actual fact, I discovered that the crowds in New York Metropolis are a lot bigger and extra packed in collectively than in Singapore.

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