Nope, I'm not about to share my latest idea for a sandwich filling with you, tempting thought though that is, just referencing the fact that I'm posting for the second time in 24 hours - or actually for the third time if you count the fact that I just published the one that I wrote on the Tour de France in July.
Moving on, I was moved to write because of my new haircut, which I am just loving! I decided to go short, largely since it's just so damn hot here, but also because I fancied something completely different, sort of spiky and whimsical. Think Zoe Wanamaker struck by lightning and you're pretty close. Life in Singapore is so much easier with short hair and it got me thinking about what other top tips I could pass on to those of you who are thinking of moving here or have recently arrived. Here goes:
1) Cut your hair as short as you can bear it. I'm sure you will still look gorgeous - perhaps even more so.
2) Bring lots of shorts. If you want to fit in with the local population, the shorter the better, just like the hair. (This is a recommendation for the ladies, by the way.)
3) Revise your view of appropriate female office attire and learn to embrace the cocktail dress in a 9 to 5 setting. It's a strange thing, but Singaporeans really do wear silk, satin and lace to work.
4) Don't get a live-in helper - unless you want to give up housework completely and ruin your chances of ever being satisfied again with a twice weekly cleaner when you go back to the U.K.
5) Try the local food. Those of you who know me will have burst out laughing at this one, as I am well known for my aversion to all things slippy, fatty, chewy, bouncy (I could go on), but I realise that I am more than a bit fussy and Singapore really does have a lot to offer on the culinary front.
6) Shop at NTUC Fairprice as soon as you find a decent sized store near you. If more expats shopped there, the "Ang Mo" supermarkets would no longer be able to charge 4 dollars for a red pepper. And try the wet markets too - but early in the morning.
7) Give up alcohol. Or be prepared to spend much more of your disposable income on wine than you do on food. It's jolly expensive here.
8) Don't believe half the stuff you hear about what's against the law in Singapore. It's a great place to live.
9) Travel. Lots. And I don't mean go back home whenever you get the chance, I mean try some of the places that are relatively speaking a stone's throw from here. The lovely Ann Marie passed on this link to me and I am passing it on to you.
http://www.tripinasia.net/
10) Explore Singapore. Use the MRT and take a trip to the heartlands, to see where and how most Singaporeans live. Go to every single attraction on the Tripadvisor list of things to do, or at least the top 20 or 30. Bring comfy shoes and walk. You can always hop in a taxi if you get too hot or tired. Whatever you do, don't miss the orchids at the Botanic Gardens.
11) Get a dog. A small one if you live in an apartment and a bigger one if you have room for them to romp. Mini Schnauzers and small Labradoodles are popular here, and totally gorgeous, although I recognise that this is not a completely unbiased opinion, but anyone who knows the lovely Lola will understand.
12) Keep your make-up in the fridge - seriously. That way it has at least a chance of staying on your face until you get to the office.
13) On the subject of fridges, make sure that wherever you rent has a fridge big enough for your needs. However big your needs were at home they will be much bigger here (that sounds faintly rude, doesn't it?), unless of course 'home' is as hot and humid as Singapore. We have 3 fridges here - clearly, we have absolutely huge needs ;-) - and sometimes that is still not enough.
14) Don't send your husband to pick up groceries at Jason's supermarket or have a drink on his own at Harry's bar in Orchard Towers after dark.
Moving on, I was moved to write because of my new haircut, which I am just loving! I decided to go short, largely since it's just so damn hot here, but also because I fancied something completely different, sort of spiky and whimsical. Think Zoe Wanamaker struck by lightning and you're pretty close. Life in Singapore is so much easier with short hair and it got me thinking about what other top tips I could pass on to those of you who are thinking of moving here or have recently arrived. Here goes:
1) Cut your hair as short as you can bear it. I'm sure you will still look gorgeous - perhaps even more so.
3) Revise your view of appropriate female office attire and learn to embrace the cocktail dress in a 9 to 5 setting. It's a strange thing, but Singaporeans really do wear silk, satin and lace to work.
4) Don't get a live-in helper - unless you want to give up housework completely and ruin your chances of ever being satisfied again with a twice weekly cleaner when you go back to the U.K.
5) Try the local food. Those of you who know me will have burst out laughing at this one, as I am well known for my aversion to all things slippy, fatty, chewy, bouncy (I could go on), but I realise that I am more than a bit fussy and Singapore really does have a lot to offer on the culinary front.
6) Shop at NTUC Fairprice as soon as you find a decent sized store near you. If more expats shopped there, the "Ang Mo" supermarkets would no longer be able to charge 4 dollars for a red pepper. And try the wet markets too - but early in the morning.
7) Give up alcohol. Or be prepared to spend much more of your disposable income on wine than you do on food. It's jolly expensive here.
8) Don't believe half the stuff you hear about what's against the law in Singapore. It's a great place to live.
9) Travel. Lots. And I don't mean go back home whenever you get the chance, I mean try some of the places that are relatively speaking a stone's throw from here. The lovely Ann Marie passed on this link to me and I am passing it on to you.
http://www.tripinasia.net/
10) Explore Singapore. Use the MRT and take a trip to the heartlands, to see where and how most Singaporeans live. Go to every single attraction on the Tripadvisor list of things to do, or at least the top 20 or 30. Bring comfy shoes and walk. You can always hop in a taxi if you get too hot or tired. Whatever you do, don't miss the orchids at the Botanic Gardens.
11) Get a dog. A small one if you live in an apartment and a bigger one if you have room for them to romp. Mini Schnauzers and small Labradoodles are popular here, and totally gorgeous, although I recognise that this is not a completely unbiased opinion, but anyone who knows the lovely Lola will understand.
12) Keep your make-up in the fridge - seriously. That way it has at least a chance of staying on your face until you get to the office.
13) On the subject of fridges, make sure that wherever you rent has a fridge big enough for your needs. However big your needs were at home they will be much bigger here (that sounds faintly rude, doesn't it?), unless of course 'home' is as hot and humid as Singapore. We have 3 fridges here - clearly, we have absolutely huge needs ;-) - and sometimes that is still not enough.
14) Don't send your husband to pick up groceries at Jason's supermarket or have a drink on his own at Harry's bar in Orchard Towers after dark.
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