Would you move to Singapore with teens/tweens?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I would absolutely do it.

+1

[Anonymous]

It’s kinda hot

[Anonymous]

American groceries there are super expensive, you are paying $5 for a cup of fage yogurt.
While they have a couple famous dishes, generally the local cuisine is pretty meh, and I speak that as an Asian person.
No outdoor activities can be depressing. You can go to surrounding countries though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:American groceries there are super expensive, you are paying $5 for a cup of fage yogurt.
While they have a couple famous dishes, generally the local cuisine is pretty meh, and I speak that as an Asian person.
No outdoor activities can be depressing. You can go to surrounding countries though.

You could not be more wrong about the food. As well as amazing Nyonya cuisine, you can get the best Indian, Chinese, and Malay food there. The food is absolutely fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Hi- I had a 90 day extended business trip to Singapore in the early 2000s where I lived in a hotel on Orchard Road and socialized with locals and expats at the office. The locals were particularly nice and always gave me lots of suggestions on what to try and what to visit. I enjoyed it a lot. English was widely spoken and the transportation was good (similar to DC Metro at that time). I did a ton of sightseeing, concert and theatergoing, and enjoyment of the hawker center food culture. Almost everything I did to entertain myself was completely suitable for a family with kids (e.g., Indian music concert at "The Durians", bus trip to an orchid farm, visit to the "Night Zoo", shopping for sushi at Takashimaya, watching lion dances in a downtown square). I always hoped for a manageable expat assignment to take my family to, but currently the only slim possibility is Dubai (which has similar, if not worse downsides, with both weather and politics). I would personally make an extra effort to go to Singapore considering the English language availability and Asia's rising prominence on the world stage. Your 9th grader's feelings are most important but don't think your children have to lose touch with friends from home. I've been amazed to see how my kids never lose touch with back home people while we are traveling on international vacations. The phone and Internet use patterns, social media, meme culture, etc. make it possible to maintain daily contact in ways that weren't possible 20 years ago. If your 9th grader isn't distrssed by the idea, I'd say you should move forward with more concrete plans.

[Anonymous]

Biggest question will be school - the school year is different over there so keep that in mind.

[Anonymous]

It’s like Aug 15 in DC there year-round.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s like Aug 15 in DC there year-round.

The great thing about Singapore is that they pour way more money into their infrastructure, and once you know the subway system well you can go many places without going outdoors. They also have tons of pools and parks and indoor attractions. It’s hot and humid but the infrastructure makes it less miserable than similar places like Tokyo, DC or Houston.

[Anonymous]

Singapore is also basically one huge shopping mall. The Marina Bay Sands mall is insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Singapore is also basically one huge shopping mall. The Marina Bay Sands mall is insane.

True, but it’s so much more! I am always dazzled by how lush the vegetation is and the efforts to integrate it into pedestrian overpasses, bus stops, etc. The government is also putting in a big push to preserve the remaining natural areas and to integrate gardens and urban farms into new development. There is some amazing hiking and nature areas within 45 minutes of Marina Bay Sands, and beautiful lush gardens to explore all over the island. We definitely hadn’t expected that when we visited and loved the parks, playgrounds, natural areas plus the birds and lizards.

To see what Singapore used to be like, head to a national park in Malaysia. SE Asia is so beautiful and has amazing wildlife.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't move my 9th-grader anywhere because I decided when she was born that I would keep her in the same school pyramid from start to finish so she never had to be the new kid. I went to three elementary schools as a kid due to big moves and hated it. I've made career and other sacrifices for this, but she's thriving so it's worth it. In four years, I can do whatever and go wherever I want.

[Anonymous]

The return schedule and spouse employment are key issues here. Moving back to US with 11th or 12th grader will be really difficult for high school graduation and college applications. Private school tuition is 40k per year and there aren’t enough spots for all international students. Most schools run waitlists.

And it is really, really difficult to find employment in Singapore as a trailing spouse. Companies have to prove that no local citizens can do the job in order to hire expat. The required salary for work permit is also age dependent, the older you are the more you need to make to get work permit. There are no part time jobs available to expats outside of possibly substitute teaching. And those are subject to quotas of expats to local citizens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The return schedule and spouse employment are key issues here. Moving back to US with 11th or 12th grader will be really difficult for high school graduation and college applications. Private school tuition is 40k per year and there aren’t enough spots for all international students. Most schools run waitlists.

And it is really, really difficult to find employment in Singapore as a trailing spouse. Companies have to prove that no local citizens can do the job in order to hire expat. The required salary for work permit is also age dependent, the older you are the more you need to make to get work permit. There are no part time jobs available to expats outside of possibly substitute teaching. And those are subject to quotas of expats to local citizens.

Obviously lots of things to consider. Would probably be best to stay until oldest graduates and then return for the younger 2 to do hs in the US. Would spouse be able to work remotely for a US company or is that restricted in some way?

[Anonymous]

Are you sure you can spend the US summer back here? Most schools in the southern hemisphere start their academic year in January and only have a smaller break mid year before finishing November or December.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids are in a k-12 private and would see if possible to get them back there so they would be back with familiar friends after the time away.

That's never a guarantee unless you pay tuition to hold the spots. If your current school all of a sudden has a big influx of app's for grades your children will be trying to come back into, you'd have a leg up with admissions if you are a family in good standing but other than that, it's no guarantee.

All that said, I would explore the country and talk to other ex-pats (maybe your DH's company can connect you with current employees/families to get some real world pros and cons?).

I would also second a PP who said to ask for tuition to be covered by DH's company as part of the relocation, maybe even keeping your eldest here in boarding school so as not to uproot them during this crucial time - especially if you have family close by that can check in/assist if something comes up. They fly over for breaks so they can get the taste of living there but not disrupting their education.

It's an exciting opportunity no matter what, good luck with your decision!

DC is currently a 10th grader, if I got this kind of offer it would REALLY depend on the country for them to even consider leaving what they have here friend-wise and what they are working toward for college but I could think of a few places that they would be excited to drop everything and move to. In this age of social media, keeping in touch with friends is really easy.