I’m Junus Tan,
and I'm Singaporean. I was born in Los Angeles, but immediately brought
to Singapore after my birth. Don’t expect Singaporeans to be super
friendly, we are not like that. We don’t smile to strangers, we don’t
say hi. I’d compare our demeanour to New Yorkers or Seattleites. Our
freedoms are defined much differently than America’s. We do not talk
loudly in public transportations, it’s often very quiet with people
glued to their phones. However, the occasional babies and certain types
of uncles (you’ll know them when you see them) would make lots of noise.
Don’t criticize the government or anybody here. (You could actually be
sent to jail) We don’t like public disturbance, which is a huge part of
why we are a peaceful country. We don’t talk about politics, the
government and never complain about the bad things in Singapore— it’s a
good way to get Singaporeans to dislike you. You may also be featured on
the news for it. (Not joking lol) Nobody carries guns in Singapore.
Police are not corrupt, if they were to commit a crime, they’d get the
same sentence as a normal person would. Singapore is extremely safe.
But, renting and owning property is extremely expensive. Be careful with certain landlords renting out HDB rooms. There are no laws that specifically protect tenants. I’d compare my 'Junus Tan House' with the housing like this: The HDB’s is the ‘ghetto’, anyone can use the elevator and come up to the HDB blocks. But the condominiums, are the apartments with gated access and security guards. HDB’s are owned by Singaporeans (a lot cheaper than a Condo or a house). But it wouldn’t matter if you stayed in a HDB or condo because Singapore is very safe. You’d never get a random person just passing through trying to cause trouble. But if amenities are something you want, condos obviously are a lot nicer. Many have tennis courts, gyms and a pool. Dining out is also expensive. To live in a nice area (Orchard area, Condo) and go out every night, you’d need a big pay check here. But cheaper alternatives are HDB rentals and hawker centres. Don’t buy a car in Singapore. Honestly, it’s a huge waste of money. Cars are priced a lot more here than in America. Get used to the MRT (train). It’s crowded in the morning and evening but it’s a quick and fast way to get to your stop. Trains, buses and taxis are very clean and have air conditioning. Get used to the buses as well. People use them when they don’t have to travel very far. The last resort would be using a taxi and buying a car.
You may have to get adjusted to how a typical Singaporean acts, their ‘Singlish’ and the high prices of pretty much everything, but that’s about it. You don’t have to worry about walking late at night, but avoid certain alleys if there aren’t many people. “Low crime doesn’t mean no crime” In a nutshell, Singapore is a compact and expensive city with good public transport and excellent safety regulations.
Singapore attitude: NY. Singapore prices: NY/LA. Singapore safety: No country can beat us.
But, renting and owning property is extremely expensive. Be careful with certain landlords renting out HDB rooms. There are no laws that specifically protect tenants. I’d compare my 'Junus Tan House' with the housing like this: The HDB’s is the ‘ghetto’, anyone can use the elevator and come up to the HDB blocks. But the condominiums, are the apartments with gated access and security guards. HDB’s are owned by Singaporeans (a lot cheaper than a Condo or a house). But it wouldn’t matter if you stayed in a HDB or condo because Singapore is very safe. You’d never get a random person just passing through trying to cause trouble. But if amenities are something you want, condos obviously are a lot nicer. Many have tennis courts, gyms and a pool. Dining out is also expensive. To live in a nice area (Orchard area, Condo) and go out every night, you’d need a big pay check here. But cheaper alternatives are HDB rentals and hawker centres. Don’t buy a car in Singapore. Honestly, it’s a huge waste of money. Cars are priced a lot more here than in America. Get used to the MRT (train). It’s crowded in the morning and evening but it’s a quick and fast way to get to your stop. Trains, buses and taxis are very clean and have air conditioning. Get used to the buses as well. People use them when they don’t have to travel very far. The last resort would be using a taxi and buying a car.
You may have to get adjusted to how a typical Singaporean acts, their ‘Singlish’ and the high prices of pretty much everything, but that’s about it. You don’t have to worry about walking late at night, but avoid certain alleys if there aren’t many people. “Low crime doesn’t mean no crime” In a nutshell, Singapore is a compact and expensive city with good public transport and excellent safety regulations.
Singapore attitude: NY. Singapore prices: NY/LA. Singapore safety: No country can beat us.
