Phil is a UK expat who's been living in Southeast Asia for more than a decade; the past eight years have seen him set up his residence and business in Singapore. Take a peek into his expat life in Singapore: his description of the area in which he lives, the cost of living, and his thoughts on the locals and pet-eating wildlife!	Phil (third from left) with Tiger Beer and other friends

-Where were you born?

London, England

-In which country and city are you living now?

Singapore (in a converted British army barracks surrounded by greenery)

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I live with my Malaysian wife, Sandy, and our newborn daughter, Olive. Our cat, Fishball, was recently eaten by a python.

-How long have you been living in Singapore?

I've been living in Singapore for eight years. Before moving here, I lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for five years.

-What is your age?
37

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Singapore?

I moved to Singapore from Malaysia eight years ago as I was fed up with the political situation and the corruption in Malaysia. I moved to Malaysia from the UK five years before that because I have a keen interest in Southeast Asia. I hold an undergraduate degree in Southeast Asian Studies, and some of my childhood was spent in Papua New Guinea, which probably instilled in me an interest in the region.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?

If you have a valid job and the necessary qualifications, or if you are setting up a company and your company registration application has been approved by the relevant authorities, then it is very straightforward to get an Employment Pass and subsequent to that obtain Permanent Residency (which enables you to stay in the country for either five or ten years at a time and is easily renewable).

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

Larger companies provide healthcare; private insurance is easily obtainable here and, if you become a Permanent Resident, you will automatically pay part of your salary into a government healthcare scheme.

-How do you make your living in Singapore? Do you have any type of income generated?

I work in publishing. I applied for a position with a Singapore-based book publishing company while living in Malaysia (I didn't respond to an advertisement but contacted the company direct). Four years ago I set up my own publishing house in Singapore and today Monsoon Books (http://www.monsoonbooks.com.sg) is a well-known publisher with numerous bestsellers in the region.

-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

English is widely spoken and no expat will face a problem in Singapore as long as they can converse in English. I do believe the experience of living in a foreign country is greatly enhanced if you learn a local language so would encourage new arrivals to learn either Malay, Mandarin, Hokkien or Tamil but only for fun. I speak good Malay but rarely have the opportunity to use it in Singapore.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes? Acitivites from home?

I've been away from the UK for thirteen years and although I travel back once or twice a year I do miss family a lot. Luckily we receive a lot of visitors to Singapore from home, and with Skype (video) it's easy to keep it touch. One of our favourite pastimes is cooking and trying new food so multicultural Singapore is a good place to cook and eat out in. We love nature and Singapore is surprisingly green; there are plenty of walks and lots of flora and fauna to be seen (such as pet-eating pythons).

-Do you have other plans for the future?

At the moment, I'm happy in Singapore but I would not rule out a move in the near future.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

We rent in Singapore now but, if we decide to stay another five years or so, will look at buying. Average rents for a regular three-bedroom condominium apartment in Singapore today (mid-2008) are about S$2,500 to S$5,000. I stay in a converted British army barracks in a quiet, green area with no high-rise buildings in sight. I've been here for eight years and the rent is comparatively cheap; the rents are increasing though (especially as our landlord is forcing new tenants to bid for the rent).

-What is the cost of living in Singapore?

Although it is possible to live cheaply in Singapore – by eating and drinking at hawker centres and taking public transport – we have never managed to do it! Although there is plenty of fantastic local food at good prices, Western restaurants are expensive; cooking quality Western food at home is not particularly cheap; alcohol is expensive; cars are very pricey and house prices are comparable to the UK (outside London).

-What do you think about the Singaporeans?

Singapore is pretty cosmopolitan and most Singaporeans seem ambivalent to the large foreign presence. I have an equal number of Singaporean and expat (Asian and Western expat) friends. Some Singaporeans are a little too reserved and could do with approaching life with more passion! Most expats tend to make friends with Singaporeans from their workplace, from the same neighbourhood, through other friends and as a reusult of hobbies and interests they pursue so newcomers should easily meet plenty of likeminded Singaporeans to get to know.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Singapore?

Negative: The humidity. Lack of a decent newspaper. Mistreatment of domestic help (maids). Political freedom. Expensive alcohol.

Positive: Ideal place from which to explore the rest of Southeast Asia. Easy place in which to establish and conduct business. Good mix of people (and food). Very safe.

A lot of expats complain there is nothing to do and sooner or later island fever does afflict most people but delve deeper into the country's history, society, natural environment, arts scene, etc and there is plenty to occupy most expats for their limited tour of duty in Singapore.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Singapore?

Come for a visit first and look around; don't trust what you hear from other expats … like me!

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Singapore?

Islandhippy (http://islandhippy.com)– my family blog about life in Singapore.
Mr Brown (http://www.mrbrown.com) - l'enfant terrible of Singapore.
TalkingCock (www.talkingcock.com) - a hilarious satirical look at Singapore.
ExpatSingapore (http://www.expatsingapore.com) - useful resource for new arrivals.
Monsoon Books (http://www.monsoonbooks.com.sg) - another shameless plug for my own company; we publish great books on Singapore and Southeast Asia (many written by expats).