Moving into Singapore

I am now relatively settled into my apartment in Singapore, and I'm starting to explore the surroundings. Singapore is not completely new to me since I've visited upwards of 10 times in the past, particularly in 2007. Here are a few random observations:

1. Getting an official Singapore government ID is critically important to conducting basic business. I ran around the city as fast as I could after getting my Employment Pass card to open various accounts.

2. Unlike the U.S. but similar to Japan, basic postpaid mobile telephone service is available and reasonably priced. I signed up for a SGD 15 (currently about USD 10.80) per month plan with SingTel which includes free unlimited incoming calls, 100 minutes per month (rounded to the second) of outgoing local calls, and 100 outbound text messages per month. I had my own telephone, so I only need to commit for 3 months. (I'll wait to see if Apple introduces a new iPhone.) Strangely caller ID is an extra-cost option on this plan after the first 3 months.

3. My apartment building has free Internet service, but unlike the free service I had in Tokyo it's terrible. So I signed up for a 24-month contract for Internet service with StarHub. It's their SGD 19.36 (currently about USD 13.95) per month "MaxMobile Surflite" plan. You get a USB modem (Huawei E1550) which connects to StarHub's 3.5G mobile towers anywhere in Singapore, but the Surflite service is throttled to a nominal 2 Mbps downstream and 384 Kbps upstream with unlimited access. It's not the fastest Internet service in the world, but it's extremely mobile and seems reliable enough so far. And I got a SGD 50 shopping voucher as a promotion which more than offset the minor activation fee, so I can buy some more summer clothes. Then I went to Sim Lim Square (Singapore's answer to Tokyo's Akihabara electronics market), shopped around, and eventually bought a D-Link DIR-412 3G wireless router. (I was able to confirm its compatibility with the E1550 right from Sim Lim Square using my notebook computer and the E1550 itself.) It's a simple little box: you just plug in the USB modem and you get 802.11n/g/b wireless access. So I don't have to plug the USB modem directly into my computer, and my mobile phone and/or iPod touch can share the connection. The DIR-412 was SGD 80 (currently about USD 57.60). When I travel in Singapore, I just grab the USB modem from the top of the D-Link router, and I'm ready for Internet access anywhere on the island.

Update: As it turns out I live in an extremely densely populated part of Singapore, and I was getting more than acceptable 3G signal drop-outs. StarHub was most reasonable in letting me switch to a wired service. It's a higher monthly rate, but I also get basic cable TV and DVR service. I'm very impressed with StarHub's customer service. Thank you, StarHub.

4. Singapore is hot and humid year round, and the humidity encourages mold, mildew, and insects. One has to be very careful keeping these critters under control. The previous tenant made a mistake or two, like drying clothes on a rack in a closet. Fortunately the landlord seems pretty good about correcting these initial problems.

5. I mentioned previously that Citibank is terrible. However, my employer required me to have a Citibank account in Tokyo for their international funds transfer arrangement. Within Japan that made some sense: Citibank is decent enough operating like a domestic Japanese bank that happens to understand a little more English than usual. However, now that Blueman at Citibank Japan wants to transfer funds to Blueman at Citibank Singapore, one would think that would be a near-instantaneous operation. One would be wrong. It will take at least three weeks and involve exchanging paper with Citibank Japan, and it's the same business process as would be required for Blueman at Citibank Japan to transfer funds to Mr. X at Random Bank in Random Country. I should also mention that I am a "Citigold" customer in Japan, but that did not matter for at least two visits to Citibank Singapore. When I went to the Citigold counter, I was quickly escorted to the commoners' area because I had no intention of transferring SGD 200,000 (currently about USD 143,000) into Singapore. In other words, both Citigold status and having an account with Citibank in one country didn't mean a damn thing in another country. So it's quite fair to ask: what good is an alleged international bank (Citibank) if they cannot conduct the simplest of international transactions for a top-tier customer?

I should also add that having a big pile of yen deposited with Citibank Japan and Citigold status has not allowed me to open an ordinary credit card account in Singapore. No, Citibank Singapore wants copies of my employment contract, pay stubs, etc. (Never mind that you cannot even get a long-term Singapore P1 Employment Pass, which I showed them the day I got it, without a sponsoring employer of repute and a substantial minimum income level.) It's again the same process that any other credit card company in Singapore would follow for any random individual.

Why am I doing business with this bunch of clowns? Why does anybody? Is there any better international bank that wants my business? I get much better service from my small U.S.-based bank, and they certainly don't have any branches in Singapore.

6. My employer has fumbled the ball on relocation to a great extent. Most importantly, I have no bed. (I'm sleeping on a sofa.) I'm not happy about this. As I write this, over two months after leaving Japan — which is another problem all by itself — my bed is still sitting in a Tokyo warehouse. In its zeal to save money, my employer has only wasted both money and time.

7. I'm getting too comfortable with Singapore's hawker market food. It's tasty, plentiful, but not particularly healthy. Except for the fruit and vegetable juice stands: those are OK. I stick to a personal policy that I will only eat a maximum of one hawker stall meal per day. Can anyone recommend "healthy hawker" ideas or alternatives?

Update: I found a hawker stall near my home that sells a healthy alternative meal with lots of vegetables, fat-free sauce, and brown rice.