Happy living in Singapore bubble
For Rupy Jassal, life is so sweet in the urban tropicana of Singapore that she feels like she’s on permanent holiday. However, she readily admits she’s living in an expat bubble.
Jassal, who considers Dunedin home, had visited the southeast Asian city state several times before she moved there three years ago, so she knew exactly what to expect.
Part of the pleasure of living there for her, it seems, is that it has thrown up few surprises.
Knowing she wanted to live in a central area popular with expats, Jassal chose an apartment in Robertson Quay, an upscale enclave of condos, restaurants and bars on Singapore River.
She had been in the same job for three years in New Zealand and, with no opportunities for advancement, she was excited to take on a role as a medical technologist at Singapore’s KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, screening newborn babies for genetic disorders.
Her colleagues’ friendliness made settling in ‘‘very easy’’, but she found it hard to get to know people outside work until she joined online expat network InterNations.
‘‘I’ve been a member for three years now and met many people from different parts of the world. My social life has improved dramatically since joining.’’
She hasn’t managed to befriend any locals however, saying they tend to keep to themselves, and it’s just easier to strike up conversations with other expats, knowing they have at least one thing in common.
Faster paced than
New Zealand, Jassal says Singapore can also offer greater earning opportunities.
‘‘Some jobs pay three times as much as they do in other countries, so there can be a good financial incentive to stay.’’
The best thing about Singapore is the weather – while some complain about the yearround heat and humidity, they keep Jassal ‘‘energised and happy’’.
Adhering to Singapore’s many stringent rules can be a challenge at times, she says, but the notoriously harsh penalties mean she goes out of her way to adhere to them, and the low crime rate suggests most other people do, too. Breaking the law against feeding pigeons could costs you $500, for example, and selling chewing gum could land you two years in jail (hence Singapore’s streets are gumfree). It’s even an offence to walk around naked at home.
All the same, Jassal says she has a good life in Singapore, spending her free time trying out new restaurants and hiking and biking the island’s jungled interior. She realises she hasn’t fully immersed herself in local life, and may be missing out as a result but, ultimately, prefers a comfortable, relatively predictable existence.
‘‘I haven’t stepped out of my comfort zone so I have had no difficulties adjusting to life here. My bad, I know! I am missing out on all the local delicacies and if I burst my expat bubble I would potentially make local friends.
‘‘But change is scary and, to be honest, I am happy with the way things are in my life.’’
Singapore is not her forever home, though. She still loves the New Zealand way of life and would consider a return if the housing market takes a dip.
‘‘The only other place that strikes a chord is Australia.’’
While she feels she has a good standard of living in Singapore, home and car ownership there are prohibitively expensive, providing extra incentive to move on. ‘‘I share a house with other people but in New Zealand I could own my own home. To be honest, now I am just here for the weather.’’
But Jassal says she is ‘‘really happy’’. ‘‘My social life is great and my weekends are filled with fun and laughter.’’
Her advice to Kiwis contemplating a move to Singapore would be to research the local customs and laws, be sure you can handle the heat and humidity, and have as much money behind you as possible.
‘‘Finding a job here is not easy so, if you move here without one, make sure you have enough cash, as living here is expensive.’’
If you know an expat who wants to share their inside knowledge of their home away from home, or have a travel question, email travel@stuff.co.nz with Expat or Expert in the subject line.
‘‘I haven’t stepped out of my comfort zone so I have had no difficulties adjusting to life here . . . if I burst my expat bubble I would potentially make local friends. Rupy Jassal