Game Store in Singapore?

[Deuce Traveler]

Singapore is a great place to work. Taxes are really low so it makes saving very easy. It is very easy to jump on a plane to anywhere from here. The airport is well-designed, very safe and secure but the security measures are not in your face nor do they make the airport less efficient.

Singapore is also safe. I regularly walk around with thousands of dollars in cash without worrying that I will be mugged. It just isn't going to happen (except in a couple of places... and if you know those places then you know Singapore well enough not to have a couple of thousand dollars in cash in your pocket when you go there).

As the previous poster noted, Singapore is in recession. It has been for about 18 months, possibly longer, but it has only been official for a few months. That said, there are always jobs for foreigners here particularly for fairly senior/leadership-type roles. Recession just means things are getting cheaper again.

I've been here for a few months shy of a decade and have no intention of ever living full-time again in Australia even though I love the place. I am just not prepared to be taxed within an inch of my life to pay for the lifestyle choices of the lazy and drug-addicted so I plan to stay here for another decade or two at least.

Oh, and the food is great.

Thanks! Now that my own country is Socialist I am seriously thinking of moving there and taking my family. I appreciate the help!

 

[haakon1]

Singapore is a great place to work. Taxes are really low so it makes saving very easy.

Ah, but assuming you're an American citizen or Permanent Resident (he said he's in Virginia), you still have to pay American taxes on your worldwide income. In most cases, you can write off the foreign taxes (I was an expat in London), but you still end up paying at least American tax rates. So American expats are less well off than people from other countries.

As the previous poster noted, Singapore is in recession.

As a non-scientific measure, things seem a lot less bleak in Singapore than in Seattle (where I live). Seattle has Boeing, Microsoft, and Starbucks all doing massive layoffs -- heck, even WOTC has done layoffs. Singapore has tons of regional subsidiaries there, so there's a variety of good jobs there. Also, Singapore's government has a large "sovereign wealth fund" that they are tapping into for their stimulus package, rather than being debt-ridden like the US.

Oh, and the food is great.

So true!

 

[Umbran]

Folks,

This is not a forum for the discussion of governmental policies. We sometimes go into very relevant things like copyright law, but overall discussion of politics and government is not appropriate here.

So don't do it. Blanket insulting of entire nations is out too.

Play nice, ladies and gentlemen.

 

[Olive]

Hmmm... it looks like I'm about to move to Singapore for work with my family, so this is a useful thread.

Anyone looking for a 32 year old Kiwi to join a game?

 

[Neil Bishop]

Congratulations. I think you will love the life here. The money is great and tax is so low (as mentioned earlier) so you will find you have a lot more money than before. Singapore has a double taxation treaty with Oz so you won't get taxed again on your earnings when (or if?) you ever return.

Really, Asia is the best part of the world to be in right now (IMO). While the Singapore economy is in terrible shape, it's still in the most vibrant and active part of the world. There is so much you can learn here about other cultures, economies and how business is really done. Keep your eyes and ears open because opportunities appear all the time.

I actually run my games in Australia as I am there very month but there are quite a few gamers around. FireLance who frequently posts here runs a Meetup board; the friendly folks in Paradigm Infinitum can hook you up with other gamers.

If I may make some personal suggestions: make sure your wife does her research on what she can do when she is here. Singapore is a great place but I know some of my friends' wives over the years have felt it very claustrophobic. Be prepared for weekends/long weekends in Malaysia (you can drive there very easily) and other countries in the region just to clear your head.

(Apologies to anyone who chooses to misinterpret my comments about his wife as sexism: it's just the reality I have witnessed many times in the past decade and forewarned is forearmed.)

Oh and, if you don't already do it, start practising eating chilli sauce and curry (not at the same time). Nothing impresses the locals like someone who arrives being able to eat hot food.... And you're going to be in Asia: at some point you will do karaoke. Be prepared!

 

[Olive]

I actually run my games in Australia as I am there very month but there are quite a few gamers around. FireLance who frequently posts here runs a Meetup board; the friendly folks in Paradigm Infinitum can hook you up with other gamers.

Cool - good advice!

(Apologies to anyone who chooses to misinterpret my comments about his wife as sexism: it's just the reality I have witnessed many times in the past decade and forewarned is forearmed.)[/QUOTE]

I was actually a teenager in Singapore and so I've seen my mum go through exactly what you're talking about. It's gonna be a bit tough I expect but we'll figure it out.

 

[Derulbaskul]

(snip) I was actually a teenager in Singapore and so I've seen my mum go through exactly what you're talking about. It's gonna be a bit tough I expect but we'll figure it out.

You're fortunate that you have that experience because otherwise that advice can fall on deaf ears... or be misinterpreted.

Do you know where you're going to live? I swear by the East Coast. You can be close to the beach (OK, it's not the Gold Coast or similar but there are good bike paths and places to eat cheaply and well) and you don't feel trapped in a city.

Also, to get away from that "trapped" feeling, try older apartments because they are generally roomier than the newer ones and thus don't feel so claustrophobic. And don't buy: rent is very low compared to property prices and, frankly, property is overdue for a massive correction.

 

[Olive]

You're fortunate that you have that experience because otherwise that advice can fall on deaf ears... or be misinterpreted.

Do you know where you're going to live? I swear by the East Coast. You can be close to the beach (OK, it's not the Gold Coast or similar but there are good bike paths and places to eat cheaply and well) and you don't feel trapped in a city.

Also, to get away from that "trapped" feeling, try older apartments because they are generally roomier than the newer ones and thus don't feel so claustrophobic. And don't buy: rent is very low compared to property prices and, frankly, property is overdue for a massive correction.

No idea - just had dinner with my soon to be boss (hopefully) and e was suggesting Bukit Batok and Pasir Panjang. Met with a real estate agent today and he showed me places that were nice but way outside our budget.

I checked out the Raffles City Comics Mart and the Bugis Junction Absolute Comics today as well - comics are cheap here, gaming books not so much.

 

[Derulbaskul]

What's your budget? I pay SGD1,800 a month for a two-bedroom apartment that is fully-furnished and that price will come down after I renew the lease in October this year (because the economy really is stuffed). The apartment is relatively large and is only ten minutes from the airport and the CBD by taxi. It's got a 25 metre pool and is close to bike paths etc....

However, I suspect that you're going to be working around Jurong if your boss is suggesting Bukit Batok and Pasir Panjang. I'm not too familiar with the west; I've only been out there a few times to inspect a ship or some containers.

Try searching for rental properties online as well. As with any country, agents are a real mixed bag here. All too often they assume that because you're an expat you have an unlimited budget.

Ask your agent if there are any condos in the area that were sold en bloc but where the developer now doesn't have the money to develop the properties (this is quite common in Singapore... I know because I live in one!). You might be able to find a cheaper option that way.

Good luck!

 

[Olive]

I've got a budget of $2,500/month but with two kids we really want a 3rd bedroom. I'll be working in Clementi and lots of people live in those two areas I think...