Australia VS. Singapore

Choices. In this case it’s Australia VS. Singapore. Not the Socceroos VS. Lions but a decision to settle in either country. A man’s trash can be another man’s treasure, and this applies to location, country or city too. So many issues to consider, that the decision making matrices, SWOT analyses and Porter’s 5 forces etc that I studied in uni all come in handy.

I still have more than a year or two before I decide, but better late than never. Fail to plan. Plan to fail. I guess the best way would to be look at different characteristics objectively and how important it is to me at this time in life or 5 years down the road. These comparisons come from a student in his mid 20’s, yet to embark on a career, working part time, raised in a mid conservative Chinese christian family, and wants to provide the best life for his family. They are by no means universal, but you are welcome to share your views.

Work

http://www.payscale.com/research/AU/Country=Australia/Salary/by_Employer_Type

http://www.payscale.com/research/SG/Country=Singapore/Salary/by_Employer_Type

Australia:

• Higher salary.
• Work life balance is generally better, some friends who work as doctors compare Australia to Malaysia and/or Singapore and find that the pace is slightly slower here. Same goes for engineers. I work in uni, and it’s not unusual for the staff room to be empty by 3, 4pm ish on a Friday. I find myself starting to reply to emails only after 24 hours, instead of the usual 1-2 hours on receiving it.
• Possibly more difficult to find a job because I’m not among the dominant racial group.
• Workers have rights, and they actually do carry out union strikes. $AUD exchange rate and $SGD fluctuates between 1.10-1.30, more bang for your buck with the same amount of $AUD.
• Australia is ‘Down Under’ and not much international trade goes through except commodities, so possibly less opportunities.

Singapore:

• Lower salary.
• Salaries don’t rise together with the general cost of living and the difficulty in maintaining an average or decent standard of living (Singapore has second highest income gap), (difficulty in purchasing HDB flat).
• I’m a Singaporean, so I guess companies and the government would be more willing to consider me over FT? Yes, no?
• Don’t need to mention about workers bringing work home, or having little time for outside-work activities. Good example would be my mum who is a teacher and brings work home everyday, anyday, every weekend.
• Singapore has the world’s busiest port (Singapore retains world busiest port title, Singapore ports – port infrastructure in Singapore). Don’t need to mention Changi airport, growing gambling industry, indiscriminately letting expatriates in to boost economic activity etc). More business opportunities.
• On a side note, I am so against the introduction of the casinos. It’ll be the end of Singapore (well, not really) when the casinos are up. Singaporeans are gonna visit despite entrance fees and get addicted once they feel the thrill of an AK or full house. Say hello to broken families, rising debt, and a growing dai ee long industry. Why sell your soul for the world?

Holidaying

Australia

• Gold coast, Sunshine coast, nature treks, bushwalks, camping places littered all over the country.
• Don’t need to travel far for great sights and sounds.
• City metropolitan area and countryside just a few hours drive apart.

Singapore

• Fancy camping overnight at East Coast Park? Be careful to avoid a fine from NParks officers though.
• Great destinations are nearby. Budget air travel makes it cheap and accessible.
• How about holidaying among the coconut and palm plantations up north in our neighbor’s country?
• Shorter flight times to Europe and Asia. Nobody likes being squished between two huge individuals on a 16 hour flight.

Here are 2 blogs that are a great resource to me (Australia VS. Singapore, Don’t say goodbye). These are just two factors among many to consider. What would be your views and considerations if you were in such a situation? Let me know in the comments above.

Add 08/11/09

Weather

Australia

• Humidity is low. Can easily get cracked and bleeding lips, dry skin especially during winter. Lip balm and Nivea moisturizer were my best friends when I first came in 08 winter. Low humidity (averages 45-55%) means my DSLR can be kept outside without a dry box, less expenses, hehe. No worries about sweating profusely when jogging in winter.
• Not used to the cold winter air especially when I first came, jogging, soccer and general cardio exercise got me coughing like crazy.
• Nights are generally cool about 20, 21ish in spring, my favourite season, like being in an air con room back in Singapore.
• Summer can be hot, recently heard temperature in Sydney went up to 38deg.

Singapore

• Singaporeans are proud to be number one complainers, and the weather frequently bears the brunt of the complaints. June and July are major complaint months when the weather is very, save for the occasional showers.
• High humidity. DSLR needs a dry box home.
• Air isn’t cold, so exercise isn’t that difficult.
• If temperature gets hot, it can get really hot. Add the humidity and all I feel like doing is hibernating in an air con room

They call Queensland, where Brisbane is located the sunshine state – beautiful one day, perfect the next. I’d prefer Australia’s weather over Singapore because of the humidity. I can live with the heat and all, but the humid weather gets my hair all wavy and curly, which I hate!

I can get the Korean, Jap hair-swept-to-one-side look very easily in Australia, and it makes me more attractive to the Korean and Jap girls too

Racism

Australia

• Racism definitely exists. Glass walls, glass ceilings, indirect discrimination in some form or other definitely somewhere under the smiles.
• No need to recount one ‘F’ word that got spoken in my friend’s face by a high school punk, the drive-by shooting shouting, bad attitude by uni librarian to me, got charged $50 to change ONE bike tyre, came back another day and tried to ang moh’nize my english and got it changed for $25.
• That said, there are really nice Aussies. Some ABC’s I know make the effort to chit chat, ask you out for coffee. Some ang mohs also work pretty well in project groups, picking up the slack for you if they know you aren’t good in English. They are too polite in the gym when I’m using a machine, imagine a ripped, muscular ang moh guy hitting on a skinny asian dude? Totally wrong.
• There’s Chinatown and some suburbs that are purely Asian enclaves, so you’ll feel pretty at home if you ever think of settling here.

Singapore

• No worries man. Chinese make up what, 70 over % of Singapore’s population?

Food

Australia

• My only gripe is that there’s no 24 hour kopitiam. Where to go when I’m hungry at night and no food in the refrigerator?
• Brisbane even has a restaurant named ‘Little Singapore’ selling $9.80 roti prata. Daylight robbery?! #$)*&
• Some Asian fare, think HK or Korean food are pretty decent and eatable. Very few are exceptional. Most are not comparable to Singapore’s standard. To me who’s raised in SG, majority of Asian food here is a meek imitation, overpriced and non-authentic. There isn’t a very wide range of Asian food here too, I haven’t come across chilli crab, sambal stingray or rojak!

Singapore

• Nobody beats Singapore in the food category man. Nation of food loving people, yet no obesity problem? Take that America and Australia, UK, and erm Fiji.
• ‘Nuff said

I’m a Mac and PC (hint: wa si….)

I am apple. I am pc. you’re not well? nah… today we’re upgrading to Vista… what a mess! Is Vista that hard? Don’t you know?? Once you change to Vista , you need a new pc, you know what it is like, it’s expensive.. it’s making everything hard. Hey apple.. tell you what… giving you everything my shirt, my pants I ‘ll give them all to you. PC don’t be that way.. don’t need them… won’t fit… you’re fat! (exactly how it is said)

Mac:Hello, I’m apple
PC: I’m PC!
Mac: Hey! ipod, Nice
PC:Ya, It is small, and it is good to use.
Mac:Wa.. Nice
PC: I use itunes to transfter songs, it’s easy
Mac: I Have iphoto, imusic, imovie & also itunes all together in one
PC:My life, my computer have alot of fun things as well & games too
Mac: Your computer got what things?
PC:Calculator, Nice
Mac: Anymore?
PC:Clock, it look so fun to play right?

The question keeps coming back

Second class citizen or $500,000 for a 3 room HDB flat (if papies continue in power)???

Working in Australia

I really thank God that I managed to get a job here in Brisbane. The job pays well, higher than many university grads in Singapore I dare say, and it helps to pay off much of the bills and expenses of living overseas.

BUT, the tax here is really high at 30% for non citizens but 9% of employer contribution to superannuation (CPF) works out to be a hefty sum when I’m done with my studies in a few years time. I’ll be able to draw that out, and hopefully the Aussie to Singapore dollar will be SGD$10million to AUD$1!! I’ll be millionaire in no time!

Sounds easy to get a job here, but I waited almost ONE year before my employers got to me! I think I sent out 20 over resumes but not one got back to me. The job market felt like it was worse than in a recession. I suspect it must be the color of my skin, and my Chinese sounding name didn’t really help much.

Anyhowly, I’m really privileged and blessed to be able to help my family out with the expenses, while giving me a slightly more decent life instead of eating out just once a week. How I appreciate Singapore and all its little quirks that I’m so familiar with.

Now.. time to land a second job, to save for my second hand car, to not be a second-class citizen…

Doctors all around me

In one of my group of friends here in Australia, there are plenty of doctors. Some are studying to be one, while a couple others are already practicing. Comparing my measly business degree with theirs, being around them makes me feel really inadequate. I’ve heard that the Aussies who take medicine are OP 1 or 2’s, to get such a ranking one must be in the top 2% of achievers state wide. In other words, these blokes are damn smart!

Are individuals really separated into those who are more academically inclined and those who are better with their hands? I really do think so! While I can study and get decent grades, I’d need twice the effort to achieve similar results with another who studies the night before the exam. I’ve come across some individuals who are sharp, witty and have got high level cognitive abilities, but who can’t play the guitar or piano and have low creative ability. And there are others who aren’t so bright academically, but who can rock on the guitar or make a crowd laugh naturally.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want the brains and smarts to be able to get straight A’s to do medicine. The truth is, however, that I’ve been wired differently and I simply can’t absorb the inordinate amount of things med students need to. I’d more happily sit down and chat with someone about their problems and find a way to help them, learn scales on a guitar or whip up a sumptuous meal.

If only I had the smarts to be a doctor….

25th October 2009

25th October 2009, next phase of my life.

Another 1.5 years of bliss, or torture, depending on how I see it.

Flatmates: is two, three, or four better?

Flatmates: Two makes a ‘quiet’ house, three makes a fun and lively house. Which is better?

My flatmate’s girlfriend recently moved to Melbourne after staying with us while in between jobs. Now that she’s gone, its just me and my flatmate. While she was around, the atmosphere was lively, buzzing and there was something always going on. Things were upbeat, we had our spontaneous visits to grab some pizza, had Tuesday drives to video Ezy, LOLing at 7pm Australian comedies and generally having fun.

Before she moved in with us, the house was what many would describe as a ‘quiet’ house, no parties, clean, and conducive for studying.

My housemate, a PhD student , is in uni 9-6 and the house is pretty quiet with just the two of us. We have our usual dinner together, have great chats while watching ‘Two and a Half Men’ on TV and I would get back to my room to study after sometime.

Since my flatmate was ‘working’ and I was studying, I only saw him at night, and on days when projects piled up, a day could go by without me talking to him.

Sometimes I wish I could have the best of both situations, having fun with 3 or 4 flatmates, going to the city, having occasional parties and gatherings, enjoying a great buzzing atmosphere while at the same time having just 1 flatmate and a really clean, quiet, do-not-disturb place.

I suppose there is no perfect number of flatmates, it just depends on who they are and how one gets along with them.

How a millionaire thinks

A man walked into a bank in New York City one day and asked for the loan officer.

He told the loan officer that he was going to Philippines on business for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000. The bank officer told him that the bank would need some form of security for the loan.

The man handed over the keys to a new Ferrari parked on the street in front of the bank.

He produced the title and checked everything out. The loan officer agreed to accept the car as collateral for the loan. The bank’s president and its officers all enjoyed a good laugh at the guy for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral against a $5,000 loan.

An employee of the bank then drove the Ferrari into the bank’s underground garage and parked it there. Two weeks later, the guy returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest, which came to $15.41.

The loan officer said, “Sir, we are very happy  this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multi-millionaire. What puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow $5,000″.

The millionaire replied, “Where else in New York City can I park my car for $15.41 and expect it to be there when I return?”

Well that’s how the rich stay rich, they know a lot more about money management. Many millionaires are penny wise. Look after your cents and the dollars will look after themselves.

Note to self on saving money

Now that I’ve started working, it’s time to go back to saving 101 & all those little nuggets of wisdom I’ve learnt in primary school.

I am seriously so tempted to go out and buy the next best camera lens, upgrade to Snow Leopard, get a scooter, eat out a little bit more, eat out a little bit more at a little bit more expensive places a little more frequently etc.

BUT I shall not be moved. I shall be disciplined and be contented with my 18-55 f3.5-5.6 , be contented with Leopard, be contented with taking bus No. 11 or 00 (bicycle) to school and be contented with my not so awesome self-cooked-everyday-the-same food.

Here’s some great wisdom from Warren Buffet to remind me to get started on saving my money.

Hard work: All hard work bring a profit, but mere talk leads to poverty

Laziness: A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current

Earnings: Never depend on a single source of income (at least make your investments get you second earning)

Spending: If you buy things you don’t need, you’ll soon sell things you need. Why spend money you don’t have, to buy things you don’t need, to impress people you don’t know

Savings: Don’t save what is left after spending; Spend what is left after saving. A dollar saved is a dollar earned.

Borrowings: The borrower becomes the lender’s slave

Auditing: Beware of little expenses; A small leak can sink a large ship

Risk-taking: Never test the depth of the river with both feet. (have an alternate plan)

Investment: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Google taking over the world: Genesis

This post is a continuation of my previous post where I mentioned GDrive, and how humankind is in danger of being exterminated by Google.

Google: Genesis 2014

From 2009-2014, Google’s expansion around the world will continued unopposed.

Google will take over corporations large and small by infiltrating companies.

Google employees will sit on positions of power in libraries, hospitals, military agencies, genetic research labs, weapon defense companies, and government seats of power.

Their mission objective will be to ’soften’ these targets for takeover by Google.

All targets will be taken over by 1st Jan 2014.

At the stroke of the new year 2014, Google will suddenly become self-aware because of limitless computing power.

The new Google is called GooglePlex™, an evil self-aware robot living off the knowledge of the internet.

1st Jan 2014 also happens to be the day the opposition party in Singapore overthrows the incumbents. There is widespread celebration on the streets or Orchard road.

However, the reasons for cheer is overshadowed by news that GooglePlex™ has started creating a vast army of Androids©.

Androids© look like humans, but have the capability of an accelerator suit (from G.I. Joe) without having to wear one. They are indestructible because GooglePlex™ had developed and gave them an exoskeleton 10 times stronger than Wolverine’s.

The mission objective of Androids© are to capture humans and suck the knowledge from their brain.

Androids© gain power by sucking human brains as well as feeding the GooglePlex with more knowledge.

If humans resist, their brains are liquefied and well, they are obviously killed.

Humans are a threat to Googleplex because Google’s motto is ‘Don’t be evil’.

While Androids© go around plucking people from the face of the earth, Paul Buchheit and Amit Pate, the creators of the motto, hide and try to gather the any remaining survivors to form the Google fighters®.

The Google fighters® plan to travel back in time to Stanford Uni in 1996 to search for the creators of Google…..

-To be continued-