| Swedish expat Gunilla lives with her family in Singapore, where they are enjoying a very good quality of life, tasty food, and the local culture. The decision to live in Singapore has been a good one for them, and they will have many wonderful memories to take back when they finally return home to Sweden. |
 Gunilla |
-Where were you born?
-In which country and city are you living now?
Singapore
-Are you living alone or with your family?
With my husband and 2 children
-How long have you been living in Singapore?
Since December 2006-What is your age?
I am 36 years old.
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Singapore?
We wanted to move abroad for a couple of years, and visited a couple of countries in Asia, and Singapore suited our needs perfectly. We had to wait a few years until the right opportunity came along. Before we moved here we had visited Singapore 4 times.
There was no doubt in our minds that it was Singapore we wanted to live in.
-Was it hard to get a visa or a work permit?
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
Lucky for us English is the language spoken here, but since there are many Chinese here, Mandarin is also a big language, so our children learn Mandarin in school.
-Do you miss home and family sometimes? Describe your favorite recreational activities there or those that are available.
Of course I sometimes miss friends and family, but we always go home for summer holidays. I miss walking in the forest, bathing in Swedens cold lakes and having a barbeque with our friends. Since we have kids it's very important for me that they have a strong connection to their home country, the expat life can sometimes be superficial. Favourite things for us to do in Singapore is: going to Sentos for a full day of activities, walking in the Botanic Garden, riding at the stable with my daughter, going for wake boarding at East Coast Park, seeing a musical at the Esplande, or just enjoying the good and hot weather:).-Do you have other plans for the future?
We have no plans on leaving Singapore for a while, but it's something we also need to discuss with our children. But it would be nice to live in one more country before moving back to Sweden (if we ever go back, I mean)-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
As we are not permanent residents in Singapore we can only rent our house. Singapore is a small tropical island and renting a house/apartement is quite expensive.
-What is the cost of living in Singapore?
Singapore is quite expensive compared to other Asian countries. You can eat cheap at a hawker center, but for the more western food it's expensive! Also the groceries are at a higher cost than the local, as a Swede we love cheese, but that is soo expensive here, then I go to IKEA:)-What do you think about the Singaporeans?
Singaporeans are friendly and socialising people, and they are a mix of several cultures among them Chinese, Malay and Indian. But as a guest in their country I think it's important that we are friendly and show respect for their different cultures.
If they are tired of expats, they hide it well.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in that country?
The positive aspects of living here are so many: new experiences, new meetings, the tropical weather, clean, organized and safe, the closeness to so many paradise destinations, nice food, and for us a good quality of life!
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Singapore?
If you move to another country, it's always important to be open minded, as we are guests in another unkown part of the world. Always act with dignity! And read about the laws here, since they are very, very strict here!-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Singapore?
If you want to see more of my life in Singapore, visit my blog: http://www.vitaanglar.blogspot.com.
