^So, there's no daily annoynances, no pullution, taxis are clean and comfy, organized city, great food, dust free. Sounds like a paradise, but minus the baywatch action.

Ah Beng wrote:^So, there's no daily annoynances, no pullution, taxis are clean and comfy, organized city, great food, dust free. Sounds like a paradise, but minus the baywatch action.

Looks like some cleaning freak's dream. It isn't very attractive (at least, to me).

Ah Beng wrote:^So, there's no daily annoynances, no pullution, taxis are clean and comfy, organized city, great food, dust free. Sounds like a paradise, but minus the baywatch action.

Well, no big boobs but plenty of bikini action at sunset bay in sentosa these days... when was the last time you've been to sunset bay?

lostinchina wrote:Singapore is clean, organized, located convenient to other Asian destinations and the food is great. But it is boring. Shanghai is a lot more fun.

Depends on how you define "Fun".

Singapore has all the "vices" that Shanghai doesn't have LEGALLY.

BenJ wrote:

Ah Beng wrote:^So, there's no daily annoynances, no pullution, taxis are clean and comfy, organized city, great food, dust free. Sounds like a paradise, but minus the baywatch action.

Looks like some cleaning freak's dream. It isn't very attractive (at least, to me).

Why not? So you would prefer the daily annoynaces, pollution, rude & dirty cabbies, disorganize mayhem, terrible traffic, and all the dust..?

???

jasonnoguchi wrote:

Ah Beng wrote:^So, there's no daily annoynances, no pullution, taxis are clean and comfy, organized city, great food, dust free. Sounds like a paradise, but minus the baywatch action.

Well, no big boobs but plenty of bikini action at sunset bay in sentosa these days... when was the last time you've been to sunset bay?

I see, it could be a boob problem...despite all the favourable condition SGP has to offer.

jasonnoguchi wrote:

lostinchina wrote:Singapore is clean, organized, located convenient to other Asian destinations and the food is great. But it is boring. Shanghai is a lot more fun.

Depends on how you define "Fun".

Singapore has all the "vices" that Shanghai doesn't have LEGALLY.

Vices? Really? How could a country that bans chewing gums allows Vices Legally? Isn't that a contradiction..?

Ah Beng wrote:

BenJ wrote:

Ah Beng wrote:^So, there's no daily annoynances, no pullution, taxis are clean and comfy, organized city, great food, dust free. Sounds like a paradise, but minus the baywatch action.

Looks like some cleaning freak's dream. It isn't very attractive (at least, to me).

Why not? So you would prefer the daily annoynaces, pollution, rude & dirty cabbies, disorganize mayhem, terrible traffic, and all the dust..?

???

I'm allowed to have those rude behaviours when I feel like it. And that's a great relief. Not sure this is possible in Singapore (well, it wasn't possible in HK, so I guess it's the same, or worse in Singapore)

Mayhem creates surprise all day long, so I every day go back home with some weird experience. This is something exhausting but that's part of the interest of living in this perpetual mess.

Ok, there is some (a lot ?) of annoyances, but that's not such big deal.

Well, it's not very nice, and definitely not suitable to a family life, but this is mostly why I like Shanghai.

And, I can chew and spit as many chewing gums as I want.

BenJ wrote:

Ah Beng wrote:

BenJ wrote:

Ah Beng wrote:^So, there's no daily annoynances, no pullution, taxis are clean and comfy, organized city, great food, dust free. Sounds like a paradise, but minus the baywatch action.

Looks like some cleaning freak's dream. It isn't very attractive (at least, to me).

Why not? So you would prefer the daily annoynaces, pollution, rude & dirty cabbies, disorganize mayhem, terrible traffic, and all the dust..?

???

I'm allowed to have those rude behaviours when I feel like it. And that's a great relief. Not sure this is possible in Singapore (well, it wasn't possible in HK, so I guess it's the same, or worse in Singapore)

Mayhem creates surprise all day long, so I every day go back home with some weird experience. This is something exhausting but that's part of the interest of living in this perpetual mess.

Ok, there is some (a lot ?) of annoyances, but that's not such big deal.

Well, it's not very nice, and definitely not suitable to a family life, but this is mostly why I like Shanghai.

And, I can chew and spit as many chewing gums as I want.

Ahh...intresting perspective.

jasonnoguchi wrote:

lostinchina wrote:Singapore is clean, organized, located convenient to other Asian destinations and the food is great. But it is boring. Shanghai is a lot more fun.

Shanghai gets boring after a while too. Everywhere in the world gets boring after a while.

yes, but after three weeks in Singapore, you will run out of things to see and do. Even after two years of living in Shanghai, I would still come across new and interesting things.

jasonnoguchi wrote:

lostinchina wrote:Singapore is clean, organized, located convenient to other Asian destinations and the food is great. But it is boring. Shanghai is a lot more fun.

Depends on how you define "Fun".

Singapore has all the "vices" that Shanghai doesn't have LEGALLY.

If you mean the girls lined up on the Geylang sidewalks or chasing you down Orchard Road , then they are illegal but allowed to operate, just like Shanghai's barber shops where you can't get a haircut

Not being an expert on the matter, I believe only the "fish bowl" houses in Singapore are legal.

Off-subject, but about that top expat destination list:
How the hell does Macau make #7???
WHO IN THE RIGHT MIND WOULD LIVE IN MACAU, as expat???

Macau is like Las Vegas, if you lived there all your life, ok you have no choice.
But normal ppl don't just pack up and move there to start a new life, unless you are on the run LOL.

Macau is a place you go for couple days, try your luck at the tables, hit up Golden Dragon, and go home.

agree. i personally would go insane in macau. apart from decent food, what is there?

HK would be a top choice for me - great food, affordable accomodation (outside central), availability of outdoor activites, excellent transport, decent shopping, ok nightlife, an easy escape to other asia countries, etc. the only thing that really annoys me is how the hk government is so short sighted and concrete obssessed. the hk skyline is so unique yet both sides of the harbour looks tacky and bit of a dump. sigh.

As for Singapore, case closed, its a boring place. I am by far not the only one thinking so, but only one got flamed for saying it :lol::lol:

To be honest, I think if someone were to look into Singapore, because they want a nicer, cleaner, more civilized, more westernized city to live, he/she should look into Hong Kong, I would say HK is a better choice.
It's a perfect combo of East & West. You don't counter the annoying stuff you would encounter in Shanghai and you still can have enough fun as if you were in Shanghai. You can roll as fancy as you wish, or lay as low as you wish. It can make you feel like one of the most expensive cities in the world to you, or a slum, whatever floats your boat. It has the best mass transit system, and ppl drive well. All kinds of food at its best, all varieties of women, well prolly not at its best but at least you got options :lol:

Just my 2 cents.

On a business level,

SINGABORE has leapfrogged rival Hong Kong in a ranking of the most influential commercial centres around the world.

The Republic is now the second most influential centre in Asia, just behind Tokyo, according to the survey, which is said to be used by multinationals to help guide investment decisions.

Singapore sits in fourth spot globally in the MasterCard Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index, up two places from last year. Hong Kong fell from fifth to sixth.

Although the Republic trails London, New York and Tokyo, it beat them in terms of a key criterion used to compile the ranking - the ease of doing business.

Singapore was also top in the Asia-Pacific for two of the other six criteria used in the ranking: economic stability and the legal/political framework.

Top 10 cities

THE MasterCard Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index ranked 75 cities according to their ability to connect markets and commerce on a global level.

At the top are:

1. London

2. New York

3. Tokyo

4. Singapore

5. Chicago

6. Hong Kong

7. Paris

8. Frankfurt

9. Seoul

10. Amsterdam

As boring as Singapore maybe as some of you suggested, it sure offers a better quality of life compared to many other asian cities.

Ah Beng wrote:On a business level,

SINGABORE has leapfrogged rival Hong Kong in a ranking of the most influential commercial centres around the world.

The Republic is now the second most influential centre in Asia, just behind Tokyo, according to the survey, which is said to be used by multinationals to help guide investment decisions.

Singapore sits in fourth spot globally in the MasterCard Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index, up two places from last year. Hong Kong fell from fifth to sixth.

................

That's great for Singapore, but on the flip side, that exactly shows Singapore got nothing else going on for it.

It is too small, it has no natural resource, it has no manufacturing industry, it does not make cars like Japan, it does not make electronics like Korea, it does not make everything else like China .... it does not have any industry that can earn for them.
The ONLY way for it to attract money, is to provide a great environment for investment, thus, the ease of doing business, economic stability and the legal/political framework.

Ah Beng wrote:As boring as Singapore maybe as some of you suggested, it sure offers a better quality of life compared to many other asian cities.

Like someone said in this thread, "if you have money, live well anywhere is good".
In many Asian cities, Beijing, Shanghai, BKK, KL, even HCMC and JKT, can offer a good quality life to it's hi-society, as good as Singapore offers. It's just that their average population can not afford such quality, so overall they fade a bit in comparison to Singapore/HK/Tokyo.

Thus, if you know how to live it up, and have the means to do so, it doesn't matter where you live. I personally will still choose a big city vs. a small one.

I'm a Singaporean. I think the zoo is cool, although I don't go there all the time.

Life in Shanghai is an adventure. Dare it.
Life in Singapore is prosaic

fWerrF wrote:

Ah Beng wrote:As boring as Singapore maybe as some of you suggested, it sure offers a better quality of life compared to many other asian cities.

Like someone said in this thread, "if you have money, live well anywhere is good".
In many Asian cities, Beijing, Shanghai, BKK, KL, even HCMC and JKT, can offer a good quality life to it's hi-society, as good as Singapore offers. It's just that their average population can not afford such quality, so overall they fade a bit in comparison to Singapore/HK/Tokyo.

Thus, if you know how to live it up, and have the means to do so, it doesn't matter where you live. I personally will still choose a big city vs. a small one.

Agree, however imo sgp is one of few places that offers a truly quality life for money for value. Taking account the 1st class infrastructures, diverse cultures and most importantly education. So technically speaking, expats with families could have their cake and eat it. Whereas if compared to other Asian cities, it would undoubtly cost much more least for the education part.

That said, SGP may not be as vibrant as other cities, but one cannot deny its central location smack right in the middle of asia. So flying to neighbouring cities is a piece of cake, so you get to enjoy best of few worlds.

However, it's summer forever, not sure if that's good or bad..
Any thoughts?

Yes. One question.

Are you working for Singapore government or something ? You seem truly in love with this place.

^No, I'm not. Just thinking aloud if the grass is greener on the other side...

Is it?

teriquek wrote:I'm a Singaporean. I think the zoo is cool, although I don't go there all the time.

Are you sure you are native Singaporean??? 0.-

a thought suddenly ran through my mind, "if Singapore is soooo great, what the heck am I doing in China?" hahahahha

shanghai, i would say, is livelier but not more exciting than singapore. yes, daily life can be unpredictable here but that doesnt make it more exciting, in my opinion. there are alot more clubs and bars here than singapore but which one is actually good? different regional chinese cuisines can be found but quality varies tremendously.

seriously, if it wasnt for work, would you choose to stay in shanghai over other places?

Cost of living. Unpredictable life. High freedom in everyday life (more than in any western city I've been, except Internet censorship). Funny expats. Many other things, but it seems you prefer to have sidewalks clean enough to eat on it than having some random fun, this is just a matter of different tastes.

I'm probably nuts, since I still prefer Shanghai to HK.

The grass is always greener on the other side...

However, Singapore is a FINE city. Spit, fine. Don't flush, fine. Toss a cig butt, fine. Smoking unpaid duty cigs, fine. Litter, fine.

Not much freedom, but least its organised, cultured, clean and cheap education.

That's gotta worth something right?

Ah Beng wrote: That said, SGP may not be as vibrant as other cities, but one cannot deny its central location smack right in the middle of asia. So flying to neighbouring cities is a piece of cake, so you get to enjoy best of few worlds.

absolutely no argument there.
it can get to major cities in south east asian within an hour and change.
cheap fare too, at least on air asia.

Ah Beng wrote: However, it's summer forever, not sure if that's good or bad..
Any thoughts?

i like warm weather, thats why i escape the new york winter.
although singapore is a little too hot and humid for my liking. high 70's to low 80's will be great.

leeas123 wrote: if it wasnt for work, would you choose to stay in shanghai over other places?

absolutely.
i do not work in shanghai. and i prefer to live in shanghai over other places.

one of the reasons being, i prefer a modern city with new infrastructure and facilities, a developing city like shanghai offers that.
everything is big, new and grand here, from modern skyscrapers, to shopping malls, to restaurants and coffee shops, to clubs, to public facilities... with a overflow of labors to serve you.
also its relatively cheaper, since the average locals can not afford to spending on international level yet.