Nusa Lembongan is a small island off the Southeast coast of the main island of Bali and one of David favourite Nusas, or Islands, to visit. It is a direct competitor to the Gili Islands which is made up of 3 main islands located off the coast of Lombok, Gili Meno, Gili Air and Gili Trawangan. Lembongan is reachable from Sanur and takes approximately 30 minutes on a public speed boat but there are other travel options such as a Perama boat which is a more traditional Balinese boat or a public boat which is much cheaper but takes nearly triple the time.
The Martini's we drunk the previous evening could have probably fueled our short trip over to Lembongan but in fact the smell of the petrol combined with a stonking hangover brought on a feeling of sea sickness which I hadn't suffered before. Safe to say the trip over was not the most enjoyable one.
The first views of Lembongan are spectacular and it was my first real feeling of true paradise. The ocean was crystal clear, there were locals fishing, several people surfing and the white beach was immaculate. David had visited Lembongan several times and was friends with the son of the chief of the island. We were met by him and a few of his friends and quickly directed to our own motorbikes. Christina and I then followed David to our beach hut interestingly named Scooby Doo Beach bungalows !
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Bali !
Bali played host to our first South East Asian trip abroad and what a trip it was. Managed diligently by David Burden a long standing family friend who has lived in Bali for 6 years there could have been no better tour guide. With limited knowledge of Bali (never in my life had I thought I would be actually going) I really had no idea of what to expect save from Google images of sandy beaches and turquoise coloured oceans.
Walking out of the airport after a flight that didn't even last a whole movie we were met by David and his 35kg backpack of photograph equipment. Not to state the obvious but, yes you guessed it David is a photographer and having seen some of his recent work, a bloody good one at that. We ended up catching a taxi as David's jeep was having repair work done, David scooted ahead on his motorbike as we were introduced to the interesting and highly dangerous world of Indonesian traffic. There's me thinking Spanish drivers take their lives in their own hands but the Balinese take risky driving to a new level ! The bikes weave in and out and seemingly give no regard to any other vehicle in their path. According to David the rule of the road is you only have to worry about things in front of you, cue crazy driving.
The road surface is not fantastic and due to the amount of people living and owning shops right next to most A roads the government are reluctant to extend them. That coupled with no public transport infrastructure, buses, chickens, kids and trucks ducking in and out, more mopeds than people, you can begin to paint the chaotic picture of the Balinese traffic. At one point a moped drove directly at our taxi and it was the taxi that was forced to move, a game of chicken only the Balinese I think would dare to play. Anyway people seem to manage and we avoided any collisions and arrived at David's pad.
Not to say I was jealous but I was. David has a two bedroom villa (landlords words not David's) and pays for a whole year 2000GBP ! I pay that in Singapore for a 2 bedroom flat a month. Anyway I am not one to gloat.
We took stock of our surroundings and tried to work out the last time we had seen each other. After not really being able to pin an exact date down (we kind of agreed on at least 5 years ago) we headed out to one of David's favorite seaside barbecue restaurants and surf spots. Food was great and Christina and I took advantage of a few cheap priced beers, a rare treat we cannot indulge in in Singapore.
During dinner I noticed a number of stray dogs moping around. Stray dogs are clearly yet another problem the Balinese government has not addressed and at times its distressing to see very sick dogs. My first encounter of one was walking down the side street to David's house. My initial reaction was one of fear as this was clearly not a house hold pet. The dogs I have been accustomed to are those that jump up in your lap and try and lick your face off, this was certainly not going to do any of that. I therefore followed David's lead and as he breezed past it without a care in the world I tried to seemingly follow suit.
The next day we got up early. The plan for the day was a seafront breakfast at Ku De Ta, surfing, followed by dinner at one of David's favourite eateries Naughty Nuri's in Ubud about an hour away from David's. The breakfast was fantastic, every meal seems to include some sort of fruit option, and the sea views were amazing. So to the surfing, I was very excited about attempting to surf again. My first time was at Nalu Watersports in Castelldefels near Barcelona where I spent the afternoon falling off. My personal best of standing up was no more than 1 second. This time therefore I was determined. What made things easier was the longer board we rented, more like a large ironing board that I found much easier to stand up on. Even on my first attempt I managed to stand up for more than 5 seconds and from that point I gained the confidence to continue improving. By the end I can safely say (with photographic evidence to back me up) I can more or less surf a basic wave. Christina also managed to stand up and David obviously is a seasoned pro however prefers body boarding. After literally non stop attempts that lasted about 2 hours we retired to the sunbeds.
Prior to hitting the waves we had been approached by a number of masseuses and we had palmed them off more interested in the turquoise ocean in front. After 2 hours surfing, a massage however seemed the perfect medication for our bashed up bodies. Our massage was great, it lasted an hour and cost approximately £2, however what more interested me was both masseuses were called Made. They even had hats on labeling one Made 1 and the other Made 4! David explained that in Bali the firstborn is called Wokalayan (Wayan or Yan, for short) second is Made, third is Nyoman or Komang (Man or Mang for short), and fourth is Ketut (often elided to Tut). A further piece of information I learnt later is that the vowels are pronounced similarly as in Spanish or Italian. Anyway I had some fun saying Made and see who would react first.
We drove back, showered and then headed out towards Ubud and its rice fields against what continually seemed a sea of contraflow traffic. The landscape starts to change when nearing Ubud, it is greener and more hilly but you still see the side street shops selling the same touristy stuff and the odd temple here and there. I had sensory overload at one point because I was continually trying to keep up with all the shop signs (apparently no permit is required to put one up), the ladies ability to balance what seemed to be the Eiffel tower on top of their heads and admiring the dexterity of the moped drivers carrying all sorts of paraphernalia from A to B. Drivers seem to be able to carry children, shopping, surfboards, hoot the horn every now again to warn the driver in front they are there and maintain a semi straight line. I would have crashed after 5 minutes I reckon.
Ubud is a popular tourist resort as the paddy fields rest in beautiful surroundings and there is a more traditional country Balinese feel to it. David had organised a hotel for us, not the one he normally stayed at but one recommended to him by a friend. Before checking in David took us on a circuit tour of Ubud and we cruised around the lush green scenery stopping off every now and again for photos. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and you are normally greeted with a smile and a hello. We started down the street to our hotel and slowly realized as we went further down the street was actually being built. The hotel we were staying at was literally right at the end of this so cue bumpy driving, thankfully David's jeep is pretty sturdy. We finally arrived and were greeted by one of the most smiley men I have ever met. The welcome we got from all the staff was amazing, at times a little over the top but better that than the opposite. There was small pool, the bed was very comfortable and the toilets and showers immaculate. Come to mention, a strange comment but every toilet I visited was immaculate, something you don't expect in a arguably poor country. We had a few Bintang beers had shower and a swim and started out for a quick walk around the local market. In the market I bought a few things for the flat, the essentials of course, a wind chime, Balinese table mats and some Bintang beer koozies. Thankfully David was there otherwise I would have probably paid double to what I did. The rules of bartering are laugh at the first price, suggest half of the second price and come to an agreement somewhere in the middle. I felt like I was spending a fortune as the exchange rate leaves you thinking you are paying hundreds of pounds but in fact for all the items I bought it probably came to less than a tenner ! After the market we had a number of Mojitos at one of David's favorite bars and that set light to the start of a great evening. We then headed to Naughty Nuri's, owned by a New Yorker and ordered the house special of ribs and margarita's. Now these Margaritas were potent to say the least. I have had my fare share of strong drinks in Spain but this topped the lot. After varying degrees of completion of the second Margarita we decided to head home only to stumble on a random bar with live music that had suddenly sprung up close by our hotel. We decided to have one for the road and met a mixed group of people from all over the world. Funnily enough a group of girls from Barcelona were in the bar, small world ! During a conversation with an Aussy from Melbourne I noticed David had suddenly shot up and was headed towards the band. They lent him a guitar and before you knew it David was giving a rendition of Queens of the Stone Age. David then, somehow (assume it was the Margarita's) persuaded me to sing Wonderwall with him and for just one second I not only had a glimpse of what it maybe like to be Liam Gallagher but also thought, in my drunken state, I could sing. I was wrong and looking up to my audience I realized they clearly weren't enjoying it as much as I was ! Anyway I think both our fathers would have been proud, it reminded me of seeing them doing a similar act at Carol and Rodger's air guitaring to ZZ top one New Year's Eve !
The following morning we woke up understandably a bit jaded talking about our gig the previous evening ! After a hangover cure breakfast of coffee, fruit and eggs we started our journey to Nusa Lembongan.
To sum up if Singapore were represented in a class of students it would be the well behaved child that excelled in task based math. Bali on the other hand would be the cigarette smoking, laid back arty kid with tattoos and punk hair! The Balinese create without doubt some of the most amazing furniture, statues, sculptures and building designs I have ever seen. Combine that with the most amazing backdrops (ignore the rubbish) and vibrant colours you are left with a typical street view of Bali. Don't forget the chaos though around it !
Walking out of the airport after a flight that didn't even last a whole movie we were met by David and his 35kg backpack of photograph equipment. Not to state the obvious but, yes you guessed it David is a photographer and having seen some of his recent work, a bloody good one at that. We ended up catching a taxi as David's jeep was having repair work done, David scooted ahead on his motorbike as we were introduced to the interesting and highly dangerous world of Indonesian traffic. There's me thinking Spanish drivers take their lives in their own hands but the Balinese take risky driving to a new level ! The bikes weave in and out and seemingly give no regard to any other vehicle in their path. According to David the rule of the road is you only have to worry about things in front of you, cue crazy driving.
The road surface is not fantastic and due to the amount of people living and owning shops right next to most A roads the government are reluctant to extend them. That coupled with no public transport infrastructure, buses, chickens, kids and trucks ducking in and out, more mopeds than people, you can begin to paint the chaotic picture of the Balinese traffic. At one point a moped drove directly at our taxi and it was the taxi that was forced to move, a game of chicken only the Balinese I think would dare to play. Anyway people seem to manage and we avoided any collisions and arrived at David's pad.
Not to say I was jealous but I was. David has a two bedroom villa (landlords words not David's) and pays for a whole year 2000GBP ! I pay that in Singapore for a 2 bedroom flat a month. Anyway I am not one to gloat.
We took stock of our surroundings and tried to work out the last time we had seen each other. After not really being able to pin an exact date down (we kind of agreed on at least 5 years ago) we headed out to one of David's favorite seaside barbecue restaurants and surf spots. Food was great and Christina and I took advantage of a few cheap priced beers, a rare treat we cannot indulge in in Singapore.
During dinner I noticed a number of stray dogs moping around. Stray dogs are clearly yet another problem the Balinese government has not addressed and at times its distressing to see very sick dogs. My first encounter of one was walking down the side street to David's house. My initial reaction was one of fear as this was clearly not a house hold pet. The dogs I have been accustomed to are those that jump up in your lap and try and lick your face off, this was certainly not going to do any of that. I therefore followed David's lead and as he breezed past it without a care in the world I tried to seemingly follow suit.
The next day we got up early. The plan for the day was a seafront breakfast at Ku De Ta, surfing, followed by dinner at one of David's favourite eateries Naughty Nuri's in Ubud about an hour away from David's. The breakfast was fantastic, every meal seems to include some sort of fruit option, and the sea views were amazing. So to the surfing, I was very excited about attempting to surf again. My first time was at Nalu Watersports in Castelldefels near Barcelona where I spent the afternoon falling off. My personal best of standing up was no more than 1 second. This time therefore I was determined. What made things easier was the longer board we rented, more like a large ironing board that I found much easier to stand up on. Even on my first attempt I managed to stand up for more than 5 seconds and from that point I gained the confidence to continue improving. By the end I can safely say (with photographic evidence to back me up) I can more or less surf a basic wave. Christina also managed to stand up and David obviously is a seasoned pro however prefers body boarding. After literally non stop attempts that lasted about 2 hours we retired to the sunbeds.
Prior to hitting the waves we had been approached by a number of masseuses and we had palmed them off more interested in the turquoise ocean in front. After 2 hours surfing, a massage however seemed the perfect medication for our bashed up bodies. Our massage was great, it lasted an hour and cost approximately £2, however what more interested me was both masseuses were called Made. They even had hats on labeling one Made 1 and the other Made 4! David explained that in Bali the firstborn is called Wokalayan (Wayan or Yan, for short) second is Made, third is Nyoman or Komang (Man or Mang for short), and fourth is Ketut (often elided to Tut). A further piece of information I learnt later is that the vowels are pronounced similarly as in Spanish or Italian. Anyway I had some fun saying Made and see who would react first.
We drove back, showered and then headed out towards Ubud and its rice fields against what continually seemed a sea of contraflow traffic. The landscape starts to change when nearing Ubud, it is greener and more hilly but you still see the side street shops selling the same touristy stuff and the odd temple here and there. I had sensory overload at one point because I was continually trying to keep up with all the shop signs (apparently no permit is required to put one up), the ladies ability to balance what seemed to be the Eiffel tower on top of their heads and admiring the dexterity of the moped drivers carrying all sorts of paraphernalia from A to B. Drivers seem to be able to carry children, shopping, surfboards, hoot the horn every now again to warn the driver in front they are there and maintain a semi straight line. I would have crashed after 5 minutes I reckon.
Ubud is a popular tourist resort as the paddy fields rest in beautiful surroundings and there is a more traditional country Balinese feel to it. David had organised a hotel for us, not the one he normally stayed at but one recommended to him by a friend. Before checking in David took us on a circuit tour of Ubud and we cruised around the lush green scenery stopping off every now and again for photos. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and you are normally greeted with a smile and a hello. We started down the street to our hotel and slowly realized as we went further down the street was actually being built. The hotel we were staying at was literally right at the end of this so cue bumpy driving, thankfully David's jeep is pretty sturdy. We finally arrived and were greeted by one of the most smiley men I have ever met. The welcome we got from all the staff was amazing, at times a little over the top but better that than the opposite. There was small pool, the bed was very comfortable and the toilets and showers immaculate. Come to mention, a strange comment but every toilet I visited was immaculate, something you don't expect in a arguably poor country. We had a few Bintang beers had shower and a swim and started out for a quick walk around the local market. In the market I bought a few things for the flat, the essentials of course, a wind chime, Balinese table mats and some Bintang beer koozies. Thankfully David was there otherwise I would have probably paid double to what I did. The rules of bartering are laugh at the first price, suggest half of the second price and come to an agreement somewhere in the middle. I felt like I was spending a fortune as the exchange rate leaves you thinking you are paying hundreds of pounds but in fact for all the items I bought it probably came to less than a tenner ! After the market we had a number of Mojitos at one of David's favorite bars and that set light to the start of a great evening. We then headed to Naughty Nuri's, owned by a New Yorker and ordered the house special of ribs and margarita's. Now these Margaritas were potent to say the least. I have had my fare share of strong drinks in Spain but this topped the lot. After varying degrees of completion of the second Margarita we decided to head home only to stumble on a random bar with live music that had suddenly sprung up close by our hotel. We decided to have one for the road and met a mixed group of people from all over the world. Funnily enough a group of girls from Barcelona were in the bar, small world ! During a conversation with an Aussy from Melbourne I noticed David had suddenly shot up and was headed towards the band. They lent him a guitar and before you knew it David was giving a rendition of Queens of the Stone Age. David then, somehow (assume it was the Margarita's) persuaded me to sing Wonderwall with him and for just one second I not only had a glimpse of what it maybe like to be Liam Gallagher but also thought, in my drunken state, I could sing. I was wrong and looking up to my audience I realized they clearly weren't enjoying it as much as I was ! Anyway I think both our fathers would have been proud, it reminded me of seeing them doing a similar act at Carol and Rodger's air guitaring to ZZ top one New Year's Eve !
The following morning we woke up understandably a bit jaded talking about our gig the previous evening ! After a hangover cure breakfast of coffee, fruit and eggs we started our journey to Nusa Lembongan.
To sum up if Singapore were represented in a class of students it would be the well behaved child that excelled in task based math. Bali on the other hand would be the cigarette smoking, laid back arty kid with tattoos and punk hair! The Balinese create without doubt some of the most amazing furniture, statues, sculptures and building designs I have ever seen. Combine that with the most amazing backdrops (ignore the rubbish) and vibrant colours you are left with a typical street view of Bali. Don't forget the chaos though around it !
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Weather
In short the weather here is like none I have experienced before, the humidity hits you like a wall when you step out the relative comfort of an air conditioned building and cold showers are currently the best part of my day. The closest I came to this heat was Kansas in July. The heat here though is different, 80% humidity means that even after a slow paced walk you sweat like crazy. It rains most days however and this cools things down slightly, the rain is normally very hard but only lasts a short time. Even so this doesn't do much to relieve the humidity. Exercise has to be restricted before 9am and after 7pm. I have no idea how the laborers and manual workers get by here but I have seen tents erected near a building site so I can only imagine they use that to escape the heat.
Although the sun doesn't shine everyday in Singapore and invariably it is cloudy you can still feel yourself getting burnt so its important to consider this when leaving the house. I of course learnt the hard way and after a day at the pool woke up looking a spot rouge !
Although there are no real distinct seasons in Singapore the cooler months are, I have been told, around Oct to Dec, the full humidity hits at the same summer months as Europe so June, July, August.
At the moment though I get to the point where walking more than 10 minutes leads me to call a taxi and I don't want to go into the amount I sweated at my first Singapore Cricket trials.
Hopefully I'll acclimatise soon but this makes a Barcelona summer seem cool ! All I can say at this point is thank god for swimming pools, air conditioning and cold showers...
Although the sun doesn't shine everyday in Singapore and invariably it is cloudy you can still feel yourself getting burnt so its important to consider this when leaving the house. I of course learnt the hard way and after a day at the pool woke up looking a spot rouge !
Although there are no real distinct seasons in Singapore the cooler months are, I have been told, around Oct to Dec, the full humidity hits at the same summer months as Europe so June, July, August.
At the moment though I get to the point where walking more than 10 minutes leads me to call a taxi and I don't want to go into the amount I sweated at my first Singapore Cricket trials.
Hopefully I'll acclimatise soon but this makes a Barcelona summer seem cool ! All I can say at this point is thank god for swimming pools, air conditioning and cold showers...
Economy
It is clear, even after a week of being in Singapore that the economy here is booming. After a 10 minute taxi drive I saw 4 super cars, Lamborghini's no less, people walk around with smiles on their faces, restaurants and bars are packed with wealthy business people and construction is present everywhere. With more people coming to Singapore to live and work the need for space has never been greater. The old low rise buildings are therefore being knocked down and replaced with high rise condos. The buildings are being constructed much closer together so don't be surprised to look out of your new, smaller, flat and be able to see a family in the other building peering down your neck. This influx of people and construction has created mix feelings amongst the Singaporeans. Some see it as good news with more money coming into the country, more jobs and larger companies moving to take advantage of the low work tax rates (check below table but average tax is about 14%). Some Singaporeans however see it as a negative as the middle class Singaporeans are left to fight for jobs and in addition public transport has become packed.
The construction has resulted in a requirement for cheap labor (Indian and Chinese men have flocked to Singapore. They then transfer money to their families back home) and the economic boom has meant that top jobs are filled not only by Singaporeans but also ex patriots. One lady I spoke to had seen a huge increase in Ang Mo's, an insult the Singaporeans have for us Westerners which literally translates as red haired shit !! I questioned this and stated that not all Westerners had red hair and it would be more appropriate to call us red skinned shits but she didn't seem to understand my point or agree !
In the workplace I get a feeling that it is not as competitive between employees. In Europe I got the impression that everyone was looking after number 1 and there was some back stabbing going on behind closed doors in a bid to remain employed. This atmosphere has been created I believe as companies offered less contract security and coupled with the crisis people were fearful of loosing jobs and it was literally kill or be killed. This atmosphere does not seem to be present here and everyone mucks in and tries to help each other out. That said I have only been here a week so will pick up on this point at a later date.
Another quick FYI, there are absolutely 0 benefits offered by the Singaporean government to unemployed people or child benefits offered to families. There is a tax allowance however if you are married and have children. This may have something to do with the very low 2% unemployment rate in Singapore. Europe (certainly Spain) take note maybe you can learn something here !
The construction has resulted in a requirement for cheap labor (Indian and Chinese men have flocked to Singapore. They then transfer money to their families back home) and the economic boom has meant that top jobs are filled not only by Singaporeans but also ex patriots. One lady I spoke to had seen a huge increase in Ang Mo's, an insult the Singaporeans have for us Westerners which literally translates as red haired shit !! I questioned this and stated that not all Westerners had red hair and it would be more appropriate to call us red skinned shits but she didn't seem to understand my point or agree !
In the workplace I get a feeling that it is not as competitive between employees. In Europe I got the impression that everyone was looking after number 1 and there was some back stabbing going on behind closed doors in a bid to remain employed. This atmosphere has been created I believe as companies offered less contract security and coupled with the crisis people were fearful of loosing jobs and it was literally kill or be killed. This atmosphere does not seem to be present here and everyone mucks in and tries to help each other out. That said I have only been here a week so will pick up on this point at a later date.
Another quick FYI, there are absolutely 0 benefits offered by the Singaporean government to unemployed people or child benefits offered to families. There is a tax allowance however if you are married and have children. This may have something to do with the very low 2% unemployment rate in Singapore. Europe (certainly Spain) take note maybe you can learn something here !
| Chargeable Income | Rate (%) | Gross Tax Payable ($) |
|---|---|---|
| First $20,000 Next $10,000 | 0 2 | 0 200 |
| First $30,000 Next $10,000 | - 3.50 | 200 350 |
| First $40,000 Next $40,000 | - 7 | 550 2 800 |
| First $80,000 Next $40,000 | - 11.5 | 3 350 4 600 |
| First $120,000 Next $ 40,000 | - 15 | 7 950 6 000 |
| First $160,000 Next $ 40,000 | - 17 | 13 950 6 800 |
| First $200,000 Next $120,000 | - 18 | 20 750 21 600 |
| First $320,000 Above $320,000 | - 20 | 42 350 |
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Culture and Customs
After a meeting with a reseller my boss highlighted my first cultural mistake when I accepted a business card with just one hand, apparently a faux pas in Asia. What I should have done is receive the card with 2 hands, look at it and place it down to the side. In addition, as an extra piece of info, you should certainly not write on business cards and most certainly not write in red as red is a colour reserved for death and considered unlucky. Names of the deceased were apparently written, painted, or engraved in red on gravestones and plaques in the village centers.
The idea of wealth here is the opposite of what is is in Europe. Being pale in Asia is considered a sign of wealth, the idea being that people with tanned skin do manual work instead of office work and therefore earn less. Women even go to the extent of buying makeup to tone down their skin colour and Westerners are seen to be well off purely for their pale skin! Having spoken to some younger Singaporeans that ideology however is changing. It is now more common to see tanned youngsters, the thinking being that they are sporty, look after themselves and can afford to have a lavish outdoor lifestyle. Interesting to hear though as all my time in Europe I have wanted to be tanned !
The work environment is different, I have noticed that my colleagues prefer to send emails to our boss rather than bothering her directly. I, if I have a question just turn around and ask, maybe the Spanish directness rubbing off on me, but I get the impression this is just not done. It appears the preference is to send emails rather than disturbing the boss. I also feel I need to tone down my personality a bit to conform to the Asian's shyness. Everyone is very meek and mild, tending to agree with what others say rather than challenging opinion. In the end I feel the Singaporeans will be get their own way however on the face of it everyone is agreeing with everyone else, everything is fine on the surface even though it clearly is not. To give you an example I sat in a meeting and it was all process driven there were no new ideas, no creative suggestions and ultimately the meeting was vague at best. Having spoken to various people about this topic it seems this is not uncommon and the Singaporeans struggle to be creative however ask them to do something specificly and they will carry it out to perfection. I will continue to blog about this topic because its interesting to me. I feel if some of the people I have met in Singapore worked in Europe they would be eaten to death within hours by our directness, challenging, competitive behavior.
A quick piece about eating which I agree with. During meal times the Singaporeans cover their mouth when they talk to you, even if they haven't anything in their mouth. Just a small observation I have never experienced in Europe.
Singaporeans don't move out until they are married so in some cases can live at home for the best part of their life. I would see that Europeans would see this as odd but here but as the island is small it is possible to access any part of the island using public transport in a relatively easy commute so no need to really move out if you are off to university for example.
The idea of wealth here is the opposite of what is is in Europe. Being pale in Asia is considered a sign of wealth, the idea being that people with tanned skin do manual work instead of office work and therefore earn less. Women even go to the extent of buying makeup to tone down their skin colour and Westerners are seen to be well off purely for their pale skin! Having spoken to some younger Singaporeans that ideology however is changing. It is now more common to see tanned youngsters, the thinking being that they are sporty, look after themselves and can afford to have a lavish outdoor lifestyle. Interesting to hear though as all my time in Europe I have wanted to be tanned !
The work environment is different, I have noticed that my colleagues prefer to send emails to our boss rather than bothering her directly. I, if I have a question just turn around and ask, maybe the Spanish directness rubbing off on me, but I get the impression this is just not done. It appears the preference is to send emails rather than disturbing the boss. I also feel I need to tone down my personality a bit to conform to the Asian's shyness. Everyone is very meek and mild, tending to agree with what others say rather than challenging opinion. In the end I feel the Singaporeans will be get their own way however on the face of it everyone is agreeing with everyone else, everything is fine on the surface even though it clearly is not. To give you an example I sat in a meeting and it was all process driven there were no new ideas, no creative suggestions and ultimately the meeting was vague at best. Having spoken to various people about this topic it seems this is not uncommon and the Singaporeans struggle to be creative however ask them to do something specificly and they will carry it out to perfection. I will continue to blog about this topic because its interesting to me. I feel if some of the people I have met in Singapore worked in Europe they would be eaten to death within hours by our directness, challenging, competitive behavior.
A quick piece about eating which I agree with. During meal times the Singaporeans cover their mouth when they talk to you, even if they haven't anything in their mouth. Just a small observation I have never experienced in Europe.
Singaporeans don't move out until they are married so in some cases can live at home for the best part of their life. I would see that Europeans would see this as odd but here but as the island is small it is possible to access any part of the island using public transport in a relatively easy commute so no need to really move out if you are off to university for example.
Friday, 1 June 2012
Population
The population of Singapore is approx 5.2 million of whom 3.25 million are Singapore citizens. Although the national language is English, 49.9% speak Chinese, 32.3 speak English, 12.2 speak Malay and 3.3% speak Tamil. I am assuming these Wikipedia figures are approx correct !
I was surprised on the way to work at the lack of Westerners however later I learnt it of course depends where you go in Singapore. On the MRT (train service) the majority is Asian, Malay and Indian. I can of course not distinguish between the different nationalities but according to my work colleagues there are some unique tell tale signs that help. I am going on what I have learnt from the locals but various Singaporeans' have told me that there has been a huge increase in the population, evident through busy trains, buses and the noticeable construction everywhere on the Island. A large amount of the population has come from increased demand for cheap labor and of course from the higher salary end Westerners looking to ride the economic boom. Singapore has been described by other Westerners I have met as the beginners guide to Asia as it is so cosmopolitan and still influenced by old English rule so not as extreme as places such as China.
I was surprised on the way to work at the lack of Westerners however later I learnt it of course depends where you go in Singapore. On the MRT (train service) the majority is Asian, Malay and Indian. I can of course not distinguish between the different nationalities but according to my work colleagues there are some unique tell tale signs that help. I am going on what I have learnt from the locals but various Singaporeans' have told me that there has been a huge increase in the population, evident through busy trains, buses and the noticeable construction everywhere on the Island. A large amount of the population has come from increased demand for cheap labor and of course from the higher salary end Westerners looking to ride the economic boom. Singapore has been described by other Westerners I have met as the beginners guide to Asia as it is so cosmopolitan and still influenced by old English rule so not as extreme as places such as China.
Impressions of Singapore
So after a week in Singapore I at last have time to update the blog ! In a few words Singapore is clean, humid, organised, regulated and civilised. I have experienced so much in a week I was struggling to break up each piece of writing however I have decided on the following headings, Population, Economy, Transport, Culture and Customs, Food, Weather, and Work Ethic. I am sure a few other headings will pop up but for the time being enjoy..
Saturday, 26 May 2012
First 2 days in Singapore
After a 13 hour flight I have arrived in Singapore at 1430 local time on the 25th May. Feelings before the flight were mixed however in a few words excited but sad at the same time after a great few weeks back at home in the UK. Will of course miss friends, family but not the British weather. Spain seems a distant memory now but I will never forget my experiences, friends and of course the Spanish lifestyle.
The flight itself was quick, very smooth and after watching a film, reading and taking a Nytol I slept most of the flight. I was sat next to a girl called Kate who was a bomb disposal specialist in the army so very interesting stories but ultimately a huge physics geek. She was meeting her English boyfriend (also in the army) in Singapore and then flying onto KL. Richard picked me up, good to see him after 3 years and he laughed at the fact I was wearing a jacket, shirt and jeans. The reason for this is the fact I was only allowed to bring 20kg which I later learnt was rubbish and I could actually take 25kg and for a one way flight 30kg.
Walking out the doors of the air conditioned airport was like hitting a wall of heat and I immediately started stripping off the jackets, jeans and shirt replacing them with shorts, flip flops and a t shirt.
The next few hours consisted of catching up with the Mellor's, drinking, and having dinner at Boat Quay a very vibrant area of the city. We walked through the Fullerton Hotel, saw Marina Sands and had a general walk around. If I had to describe Singapore in one word I would use 'civilized', everything is very clean, there is no loutish behavior, kids run around happy whilst expensive cars pass by.
Today (as I am writing this on the 26th) I set up a bank account at DBS, a very easy procedure and got picked up by a estate agent recommended by Richy, called Delfin. She took me to a number of condos and I saw flats between S$2600-$4500. The best, fortunately, in my opinion was Vista Park (location link below) a two bed flat with ensuite bathroom on the 3rd floor of a 3 floor building. The facilities included pool, gym, squash court, tennis court, and bbq areas so great for the sporty type. Behind the development was a huge park with rooftop walkways so a great place to run. It is 10 minutes walk away from work and next to the Kent Ridge MRT station. The area is known as Pasir Panjang and it holds a number of food courts and drinking holes, in my opinion perfect. The reason it was cheaper, I was told, was the fact that there was no lift and it was considered far from the centre. My definition of far is very different to a Singaporean's definition of far. The condo is located in the south west central part of Singapore and using the MRT maximum 30 minutes from the furthest reaches of Singapore so really not that far in any direction. Anyway good for both Christina and I because everywhere is within easy reach.
I was trying to work out any other downsides of the flat. I couldn't see any apart from the amount of insects as we are pretty near a park which could be seen more as a jungle but that said the noises are calming.
So day 2 over and after a fantastic dinner of Chilly crab at East Coast Hawker center we are now watching the monaco gran prix qualifier and the 2nd test of the England v WI test match. Tomorow will be a combination of chilling by the pool and a trip to sign up for Singapore Cricket Club. I will don the amazingly thoughtful birthday present - delivered to the Mellor household from the US, which I opened early - that Christina got for me, a Singapore CC cricket shirt, she amazes me with her resourcefulness.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=vista%20park%20singapore&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1440&bih=809&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=il
The flight itself was quick, very smooth and after watching a film, reading and taking a Nytol I slept most of the flight. I was sat next to a girl called Kate who was a bomb disposal specialist in the army so very interesting stories but ultimately a huge physics geek. She was meeting her English boyfriend (also in the army) in Singapore and then flying onto KL. Richard picked me up, good to see him after 3 years and he laughed at the fact I was wearing a jacket, shirt and jeans. The reason for this is the fact I was only allowed to bring 20kg which I later learnt was rubbish and I could actually take 25kg and for a one way flight 30kg.
Walking out the doors of the air conditioned airport was like hitting a wall of heat and I immediately started stripping off the jackets, jeans and shirt replacing them with shorts, flip flops and a t shirt.
The next few hours consisted of catching up with the Mellor's, drinking, and having dinner at Boat Quay a very vibrant area of the city. We walked through the Fullerton Hotel, saw Marina Sands and had a general walk around. If I had to describe Singapore in one word I would use 'civilized', everything is very clean, there is no loutish behavior, kids run around happy whilst expensive cars pass by.
Today (as I am writing this on the 26th) I set up a bank account at DBS, a very easy procedure and got picked up by a estate agent recommended by Richy, called Delfin. She took me to a number of condos and I saw flats between S$2600-$4500. The best, fortunately, in my opinion was Vista Park (location link below) a two bed flat with ensuite bathroom on the 3rd floor of a 3 floor building. The facilities included pool, gym, squash court, tennis court, and bbq areas so great for the sporty type. Behind the development was a huge park with rooftop walkways so a great place to run. It is 10 minutes walk away from work and next to the Kent Ridge MRT station. The area is known as Pasir Panjang and it holds a number of food courts and drinking holes, in my opinion perfect. The reason it was cheaper, I was told, was the fact that there was no lift and it was considered far from the centre. My definition of far is very different to a Singaporean's definition of far. The condo is located in the south west central part of Singapore and using the MRT maximum 30 minutes from the furthest reaches of Singapore so really not that far in any direction. Anyway good for both Christina and I because everywhere is within easy reach.
I was trying to work out any other downsides of the flat. I couldn't see any apart from the amount of insects as we are pretty near a park which could be seen more as a jungle but that said the noises are calming.
So day 2 over and after a fantastic dinner of Chilly crab at East Coast Hawker center we are now watching the monaco gran prix qualifier and the 2nd test of the England v WI test match. Tomorow will be a combination of chilling by the pool and a trip to sign up for Singapore Cricket Club. I will don the amazingly thoughtful birthday present - delivered to the Mellor household from the US, which I opened early - that Christina got for me, a Singapore CC cricket shirt, she amazes me with her resourcefulness.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=vista%20park%20singapore&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1440&bih=809&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=il
Friday, 18 May 2012
The first entry !
So the first entry of a blog I hope I have the motivation to keep updated. Although I haven't decided what exactly this blog will entail I think the general gist will include, culture shock, amusing attempts to learn Mandarin, travel and food experiences, nights out and ultimately anything interesting Christina and I think is worthwhile to write about. Hope you enjoy...
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