# ~Canadian Couple Moving To SG~



## kozram

Hello All! This is my very first post and am lucky to have found this forum! My husband and I are going to be moving to Singapore in Feb with his company transfer. We found this out as of yesterday 
Little background: We are canadian, my husband took a job in Russia, wanted out of Russia, so initially we took a transfer to Cairns, Australia. We were to be in Cairns for January. We were so excited to be in Australia, especially coming from 
-30 winters here in Canada, and eager to experience a new world. We started the visa process, started the selling of personal belongings, getting ready for the new adventure...Well as of yesterday my husbands new boss calls, and tells us the office is being relocated to Singapore... We will no longer be moving to Aus, Needless to say at first I was devistated! I wanted to be in Australia so bad as that has always been my dream. I bawled, I cried, sobbed, to know that something I wanted so bad was at the tip of my fingers, then all of a sudden GONE! :violin:
Anyways, I have now calmed down....taken many deep breaths, and started to really think about Singapore and am trying to embrace it. Its not very often that opportunities come to go explore the world and we need to make the best out of the decision. The resaearch has started, hence how i found this forum. I (we) didnt know a thing about Singapore, but the more resaerch I do, the better I am feeling. It is a HUGE move, and a even bigger adventure. I am getting excited and nervous at the same time, but am getting an understanding that SG is a huge expat community, and a great city to live in. We would be fools not to explore this opportunity.
I was just telling my husband that I am not a very "cultured" individual. I am not one for change. I am an american who has lived in Canada her whole life so I am Candaian  :canada: , but have always been scared to try new things...I am trying to change that! We have a 1 year old son who I want to learn and embrace all the different cultures in the world and not be a scardy cat like his mom! This world is waaaaay to big to stay in one spot. I am learning and I am changiing!
ok ok so now that I have ranted on....:blah: I probably lost a few readers by now...lol..I am just looking forward to hearing stories, and recieveing valuable information about SG, and what it all has to offer!~ AND maybe meet some fellow expats along the way 
ps...i heard wine was really expensive...just how expensive?!....there goes my social life...out:


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## D^Quixote

Hi Kozram,

Hey, very sorry to hear about the relocation, I'm sure you were very disappointed. But cheer up! Singapore's a very nice place to stay. If you're trying to get away from the winters in Canada, then you're definitely coming to the right place. It's mostly hot and sunny here, so much so that I'm sure you'll be missing the weather 
there before too long. Anyway Australia's just a skip and a hop away, so you're bound to visit it often .

Other than the weather, one of the first things you'll here about Sg is that it's very efficient, safe and clean. Public transportation's fantastic, it'll only set you back about S$3 to travel from one end to the other. And buses and trains all come on time! Cabs are a bit expensive, although still much cheaper than in the States. Would really not recommend buying a car, unless its company-sponsored. 

Crime's very low, which is not to say that it doesn't occur. But it's one of the few places in the world where you can wonder around town at 3am and not worry too much about getting mugged. There are many things to see, even if you're not into culture. Sentosa's probably our most famous tourist destination (other than Orchard Road of course, but that's mostly for shopping). Living expenses aren't cheap (ask any Singaporean) compared to other places in Asia, but it's a great place to live.

I'm into real estate, so I can point you in the right direction if you're looking for places to stay. Try checking out Holland Village. It's the most expat-friendly place in Singapore and you're bound to make loads of friends there. Many great bars (Wala-wala especially) that I think you'll be spending a lot of time at. You might want to stay at Clementi, Buena Vista, Commonwealth or Queenstown. They're near to Holland Village, and a stone's throw (10 - 20 mins by bus) from Orchard Road. I'm sure that's where your husband's company is going to put you guys up anyway, and if that's the case you guys are really going to enjoy yourselves .

Drinks aren't cheap, but I doubt you'd consider the prices exorbitant either. Even as an (constantly broke) undergrad, I was able to go out for drinks quite often. There are many great bars and clubs. A bottle of wine at a bar would cost at least S$30, depending on e bar & e wine, of course. For example, at Wala-wala a bottle of house white/red is about S$40, if I recall correctly. Beer usually costs S$30 - $45 for a jug. Bottle of liquor at a club maybe S$160 onwards.

Hope this way useful! Just let me know if there's anything else you want to know more about. Anyway, don't worry, I'm sure you guys are going to enjoy yourselves here!


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## GetMeOuttaDodge

kozram said:


> Hello All! This is my very first post and am lucky to have found this forum! My husband and I are going to be moving to Singapore in Feb with his company transfer. We found this out as of yesterday
> Little background: We are canadian, my husband took a job in Russia, wanted out of Russia, so initially we took a transfer to Cairns, Australia. We were to be in Cairns for January. We were so excited to be in Australia, especially coming from
> -30 winters here in Canada, and eager to experience a new world. We started the visa process, started the selling of personal belongings, getting ready for the new adventure...Well as of yesterday my husbands new boss calls, and tells us the office is being relocated to Singapore... We will no longer be moving to Aus, Needless to say at first I was devistated! I wanted to be in Australia so bad as that has always been my dream. I bawled, I cried, sobbed, to know that something I wanted so bad was at the tip of my fingers, then all of a sudden GONE! 🎻
> Anyways, I have now calmed down....taken many deep breaths, and started to really think about Singapore and am trying to embrace it. Its not very often that opportunities come to go explore the world and we need to make the best out of the decision. The resaearch has started, hence how i found this forum. I (we) didnt know a thing about Singapore, but the more resaerch I do, the better I am feeling. It is a HUGE move, and a even bigger adventure. I am getting excited and nervous at the same time, but am getting an understanding that SG is a huge expat community, and a great city to live in. We would be fools not to explore this opportunity.
> I was just telling my husband that I am not a very "cultured" individual. I am not one for change. I am an american who has lived in Canada her whole life so I am Candaian  :canada: , but have always been scared to try new things...I am trying to change that! We have a 1 year old son who I want to learn and embrace all the different cultures in the world and not be a scardy cat like his mom! This world is waaaaay to big to stay in one spot. I am learning and I am changiing!
> ok ok so now that I have ranted on....:blah: I probably lost a few readers by now...lol..I am just looking forward to hearing stories, and recieving valuable information about SG, and what it all has to offer!~ AND maybe meet some fellow expats along the way
> ps...i heard wine was really expensive...just how expensive?!....there goes my social life...out:


Don't feel bad about not moving to Cairns AU. I was there for a month a few years ago (from ON Canada). It is VERY hot, I was there in our spring months. Temp was about 38-42. Cairns is very tropical, and not that exciting unless one goes to the rain forest or other tourist trips. The downtown core is somewhat more alive where you can go shop for souvenirs or have dinner on a patio or get a tattoo. The city malls are nothing special, sort of quiet, and population that I could see is not that high. My more exciting trips were in Sydney,and Tasmania AU, and NZ. From my research, Singapore is a much more appealing place. Enjoy it.


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