Migrants that return.

[Ash007]

A lot has been said about emigrating out of Singapore. On how to adopt with life in a new country, Australia/Canada/UK/US etc, very little was discuss on the "failures" and the reasons on why some people returned. I recently have a colleague that is calling it quits in Sydney. This comes as a big surprise in our group as he just recently had a baby. He said he is returning back to Singapore and decide what to do next. What are some of the reasons that could cause a new migrant to go back? Below are some of the reasons I can think of.

1) Housing, Sydney/Australia in general are getting expensive. One of the things I hear him complain about. However, I think a big problem here is that he is expecting to live in an expensive suburb, rather then somewhere more affordable. I have another colleague that recently bought a house in Gosford, and is willing to travel 1+ hour by train everyday to work.

2) Cultural/Sinkie behavior, He once mentioned that I could adapt better in Sydney because I studied here before. While he had only been schooled back home. I don't think this is a valid reason, as I can see other colleagued, Vietnamese, PRCs, Indians that have never studied here adapt and thriving well in Sydney. I think a very bad mentality of sinkies is that they are not "flexible" enough to realized that moving to a new place requires understanding of a new culture here. Things would be different and it may not be a bad thing it is different.

3) New baby, they prefer their children to grow up back home in case they turned into true blue Aussies. Worried that they won't be able to grow up and be sinkified like them. I suppose parents want their kids to grow up like what they are. Not much I can comment here.

 

[kiwibird7]

The Main Reason is the "WIFE' factor. Typical Singapore women are the most spoilt, need MUMMY around or a foreign maid to clean, cook, wash and look after babies. Emigration is the SG woman's worst nightmare when the baby comes along and her MUMMY doesn't take the first flight to come and help with the domestic work.

Want to emigrate successfully, make sure your wife is not the home sick kind, or eats only SG hawker food only, must be able to cook, sew, wash, clean, iron and look after babies. IF NOT, life as an emigrant would be one living hell the moment you disembark from the airplane and your wife would be calling and talking for hours long distance everyday to her parents in Singapore and burning a big hole in your budget flying to and fro from your new country to Singapore several times in a year to see her parents, brothers/sisters etc and buying many foreign goodies/souvenirs as presents for them.

Those Singaporeans who need to be spoonfed and instructed or told what to do would suffer greatly anywhere outside of SINGAPORE. The PAP govt is most suitable for these types of braindead, zombie Singaporeans including keeping their CPF permanently for them.

I would disagree that housing costs is a factor that drives S'poreans back to Singapore. Compared to overpriced HDB pigeonholes where there are no other alternatives, properties in Australia/NZ are cheap and value for money and there are always cheaper alternatives in less crowded cities. I believe the reason would be loss of self esteem in doing jobs which are regarded as 'low class' or menial even if the wages are good. They want to be "HOW LIAN" and work in premium jobs (white collar office work as managers) and if they can't get them, they will crawl back to Singapore.

 

[Ash007]

I would disagree that housing costs is a factor that drives S'poreans back to Singapore. Compared to overpriced HDB pigeonholes where there are no other alternatives, properties in Australia/NZ are cheap and value for money and there are always cheaper alternatives in less crowded cities. I believe the reason would be loss of self esteem in doing jobs which are regarded as 'low class' or menial even if the wages are good. They want to be "HOW LIAN" and work in premium jobs (white collar office work as managers) and if they can't get them, they will crawl back to Singapore.

Yes I agree, wife can be a big factor, more so with sinkie women. Ever notice sinkie women have the attitude that they want everything but not what the husband wants? I think most sinkie men give in too much to their wife, what happen to the saying 夫唱妇随？For me, I want to stay at the best place that I can earn a living so I can provide the most comfortable live for my family.

You are right about the housing cost and how some of them are "How Lian" in their mentality. I think this is one of the major factors that some Sinkies can't integrate into the society. There is nothing wrong with working in a "lower" level as the pay is good enough. I also believe some of these people that return have vested assets back home. Parents are rich with property/business etc back home, can't stand not being the "boss" here, used to having his/her ways when working back home but over here you can't do anything you like.

 

[AngKuKuih]

Hi All

Before my family and I decided to do our PR application, my wife and I discussed very intensely about our emigration plan. One of the things that we agreed mutually and strongly is that there is no U-turn and whatever happens we will stick it out and look forward all the time. We also decided that there should not be no contingency in place to go back, ie we emptied out our CPF. With this mind set, we marched on and emigrated 3 years ago. Now we have settled down, purchased our home in Melbourne and everyone is settled down. I have gotten a job and my wife is going back to the university. She intends to launch her new part-time career in 3 years' time. We are glad that we had made this decison to migrate.

The problem with Singaporeans as migrants is that the PAP's indoctrination, i.e it is so strong that all other countries is incomparable. To be able to be a successful migrant, one needs to be de-indoctrinated and change the mind-set. If one still has the PAP indoctrination, the migrant will be very unhappy and miserable.
What I know about Singaporean migrant is that they are not willing to do maintenance around the house. I can hear them whinging how cheap it is to have the house fixed up in Singapore. I tell them to either do the work themselves or pay someone to do it. Whinging does not get the maintenance done. I suppose the whinging culture is very imminent in Singaporean. KNN

P/S Singaporean in general want a new house and ended up buying/building a new house.
For me, we bought a 60-year weather board house and I am happy doing maintenance evry weekend.

Ang Ku Kuih

 

[neddy]

A lot has been said about emigrating out of Singapore. On how to adopt with life in a new country, Australia/Canada/UK/US etc, very little was discuss on the "failures" and the reasons on why some people returned. I recently have a colleague that is calling it quits in Sydney.

3) New baby, they prefer their children to grow up back home in case they turned into true blue Aussies. Worried that they won't be able to grow up and be sinkified like them. I suppose parents want their kids to grow up like what they are. Not much I can comment here.

1. Not prepared - They left Singapore because of the PUSH factors.
(Singapore's future post Lee)

2. Dream broken - Sydney as tourists looks nice.

3. "Singaporeans is mighty" Ego - Always complain and compare Singapore with adopted country. How stupid some of these people are. They are not open to new experience, esp those not educated overseas.

4. "Just need another passport" - Can run road.

5. "I can go other cities to live" - This is more typical Aussies, Go Canada for working holidays, then the UK to work, then Tokyo to teach English.

Usu the kids have the additional advantges - the experience of East & West - the best of both worlds.

 

[neddy]

Hi All
What I know about Singaporean migrant is that they are not willing to do maintenance around the house. I can hear them whinging how cheap it is to have the house fixed up in Singapore. I tell them to either do the work themselves or pay someone to do it. Whinging does not get the maintenance done. I suppose the whinging culture is very imminent in Singaporean. KNN

P/S Singaporean in general want a new house and ended up buying/building a new house.
For me, we bought a 60-year weather board house and I am happy doing maintenance evry weekend.

Ang Ku Kuih

Just head to any Bunnings store and the stuff are made for weekend DIY people.

A lot of Singapore materials cannot passed QC here, even some stuff from Bunnings. When I build my own shack, it costs 3x what Bunnings offer, but when we have a "mini Cyclone", it is still standing strong. Cheaper stuff would have disintegrated.

Also, ever part of my house, I know exactly how to fix - from 50cents washer for laundry taps to $20 ceremic mixer for my shower taps.

In Singapore, I was so stupid to depend on cheap labor to do the job. Lucky, my windows did not fall off.

The painter dilute the paint when painting the Singapore house. Over here, I use quality paint to do the work.

 

[Ash007]

2. Dream broken - Sydney as tourists looks nice.

Mate, I've probably spend close to 10 years in this city. It still looks as lovely as the first day I arrive. Only after going back and working did I realized how much I missed it. I think some people love the idea of falling in love with the place, but when they actually stayed here, they realized as pretty as it is its incompatible with their lifestyle hence the "broken dream".

 

[IWC2006]

Yes I agree, wife can be a big factor, more so with sinkie women. Ever notice sinkie women have the attitude that they want everything but not what the husband wants? I think most sinkie men give in too much to their wife, what happen to the saying 夫唱妇随？For me, I want to stay at the best place that I can earn a living so I can provide the most comfortable live for my family.

You are right about the housing cost and how some of them are "How Lian" in their mentality. I think this is one of the major factors that some Sinkies can't integrate into the society. There is nothing wrong with working in a "lower" level as the pay is good enough. I also believe some of these people that return have vested assets back home. Parents are rich with property/business etc back home, can't stand not being the "boss" here, used to having his/her ways when working back home but over here you can't do anything you like.

Rule no.1 don't find a Sporean as wife. Rule no.2 don't find a Sporean as a wife when you are oversea. rule no.3 don't find a Sporean wife when you are anywhere. I got divorced partly because I got a 'spoiled' Sporean wife. If there's a world ranking of worse wives, I believe Sporean is up there in the top.5.

 

[IWC2006]

The Main Reason is the "WIFE' factor. Typical Singapore women are the most spoilt, need MUMMY around or a foreign maid to clean, cook, wash and look after babies. Emigration is the SG woman's worst nightmare when the baby comes along and her MUMMY doesn't take the first flight to come and help with the domestic work.

Want to emigrate successfully, make sure your wife is not the home sick kind, or eats only SG hawker food only, must be able to cook, sew, wash, clean, iron and look after babies. IF NOT, life as an emigrant would be one living hell the moment you disembark from the airplane and your wife would be calling and talking for hours long distance everyday to her parents in Singapore and burning a big hole in your budget flying to and fro from your new country to Singapore several times in a year to see her parents, brothers/sisters etc and buying many foreign goodies/souvenirs as presents for them.

Those Singaporeans who need to be spoonfed and instructed or told what to do would suffer greatly anywhere outside of SINGAPORE. The PAP govt is most suitable for these types of braindead, zombie Singaporeans including keeping their CPF permanently for them.

I would disagree that housing costs is a factor that drives S'poreans back to Singapore. Compared to overpriced HDB pigeonholes where there are no other alternatives, properties in Australia/NZ are cheap and value for money and there are always cheaper alternatives in less crowded cities. I believe the reason would be loss of self esteem in doing jobs which are regarded as 'low class' or menial even if the wages are good. They want to be "HOW LIAN" and work in premium jobs (white collar office work as managers) and if they can't get them, they will crawl back to Singapore.

I agree mostly. I think this is how they compared Sydney and SG.

1. Sydney's nanny cost is so much higher hiring a phillipino maid to look after baby.

2. Everything must DIY, in Sg they can depend on maid, in-law, parent to look after their kid, cooking or sometimes do labour job.

3. High income tax in Australia.

4. Housing - cheaper to buy HDB then a private apartment in Sydney. Eg. $300k+ for a 4 bedroom flat vs a $500k+ 2 bedroom apartment in a average suburb.

5. Availability of affordable Asian food. $3 char kway teow in Sg vs a $9 equivalent in Sydney.

Of course they omit the following and they will regret once they look back:-

1. Supernnuation is better in Australia then Spore's CPF which has a cap.

2. Can't withdraw CPF even when they reach retirement age.

3. work-life balance , availability of nature parks and lands in Australia. None in SG.

4. Ridicious Long working hours in Spore.

5. Age discrimination in workplace Spore for those above 40 years old. In Australia can go to lawsuit if any employer discriminate one's age.

6. Cramped and crowded , and the humid Spore weather.

7. Kids grow up speaking broken English. Can't compete with foreigners.

8. Stressful education system and little choices, hard to get into local U. in Aus, everyone is given a chance to attend uni, the difference is the cutoff points to the very good or average uni.

9. Expensive owning a car / COE system in Spore.

10. Buying a HDB in fact is only a long term lease and not actual ownership unlike the houses in Australia.

11. No sports culture in Spore.

12. Competing with 2nd rated PRCs and indians who can't get PR to the west.

 

[Ash007]

Rule no.1 don't find a Sporean as wife. Rule no.2 don't find a Sporean as a wife when you are oversea. rule no.3 don't find a Sporean wife when you are anywhere. I got divorced partly because I got a 'spoiled' Sporean wife. If there's a world ranking of worse wives, I believe Sporean is up there in the top.5.

Mate you wanna go China and hunt for a temp/perm wife? 来吧来吧

 

[wrcboi]

Rule no.1 don't find a Sporean as wife. Rule no.2 don't find a Sporean as a wife when you are oversea. rule no.3 don't find a Sporean wife when you are anywhere. I got divorced partly because I got a 'spoiled' Sporean wife. If there's a world ranking of worse wives, I believe Sporean is up there in the top.5.

i totally agree with you on this son...never find sg wives....even sg girls among themselves have no unity....after having seen koreans, japanese, hk, china, msian,thais, taiwanese, and etc.....sg girls are the worst of the lot

 

[axe168]

P/S Singaporean in general want a new house and ended up buying/building a new house.
For me, we bought a 60-year weather board house and I am happy doing maintenance evry weekend.

Ang Ku Kuih

Well done Ang Ku Kuih !!.. We'll DIY and retire together eh ? 3 cheers for our bird's eye view and investment

 

[AngKuKuih]

Hi All

PAP indoctrination is so strong in Singaporean women as compared to Singaporean man. I think PAP government is to be blamed. The PAP government has created an environment where the citizens become masochistic.

1) The citizens elect a government that does not take care of the citizens and yet continue to vote for the government - where on earth in the world where the government treats foreigners better than the citizens.

2) Elect an MP and delegate the dirty job to the citizen - one issue that I remember before I left was the HDB block representative. The MP uses an ordinary citizen to get feedback from the HDB block. The dirty job is done by the "stupid" block representative and the reward for doing that is mere getting a priority to get your child to the school that he/she wants. But the big bucks go to the MP for doing nothing. If this were in Australia, the MP would be booted out.

The list goes on.

The conclusion I can draw is either Singaporean citizens

are really "brain dead" and nump; or

masochistic.

Either way, the ones that stay behind deserves the government's treatment.
Good luck to all of them.

AngKuKuih

 

[fishbuff]

i have a bone to pick with my ex-sg church about this issue. the church has 5 pastors and 90% of them had been "sent" to overseas to the US for doing "the good work". what wasnt discuss though were the pastors brought all their kids there, use their connections there and sent their children to the top schools and eventually to the universities. with their special status, they got the green cards etc. Of course they are still sponsored by the church members. Members that are earning like $1.5-2k/mth supporting a family or alone living with their parents.

And what cheese me the most is; they came back and kept quiet about their findings. After living here for the past 3 years and had my eyes opened. i was flabbergasted by the great differences of privileges that we the sinkies and overseas people had lived or enjoyed. If i go back tomorrow, i will announce to the lot of church friends about the realities and truths and i wont keep it down. I want my fellow friends to experience that too!!!

but no! these pastors just kept their trap shut and pretent overseas lives is like a living hell. yet, their children stayed on there and enjoyed cornell universities education. something that we from lower income group family will never ever dream of acquiring it. And they had the audacity to preach about "loyalty" to the motherland and pursuing further part-time education is a "world" pursuit. what the fark!!!

humans are fallible and i acknowledge that, but to hide the truths of the oversea living from the congregation is just not right!

too many of my peers had reached the age of 50s and are unable to move, all had surrendered up their lives to live in sg. whatabout the pastors? green card and absolute 100% job security in the church. and they have the gutts to lament about the lack of growth in the church size.

Goodness!!

 

[axe168]

I dont hate the govt (errr.. maybe some PAP dogs), in fact I have to thank them for the education and their efficiency.. I've learnt their ways, hence, put it into good use and we're well sought after in Australia. My wifey too share the same.. She's got an offer after 2 weeks of seeking. It is easy.

We are both managers either in SG or Australia.. (perhaps better in SG). We do not simply follow stupid rules.. we set the rules. We did not really suffer while we're here.. we have a CHOICE.. we invest in a prudent manner and we are getting ready to harvest our fruits..

We hardly meet anyone who have the same thinking.. most have simple minds and they are chasing after simple things.. yet they are not happy.. Migration will be successful & happy, if we stop, reflect and enjoy..

Happy migration !

 

[Ash007]

i have a bone to pick with my ex-sg church about this issue.......

And what cheese me the most is; they came back and kept quiet about their findings. After living here for the past 3 years and had my eyes opened. i was flabbergasted by the great differences of privileges that we the sinkies and overseas people had lived or enjoyed. If i go back tomorrow, i will announce to the lot of church friends about the realities and truths and i wont keep it down. I want my fellow friends to experience that too!!!

but no! these pastors just kept their trap shut and pretent overseas lives is like a living hell. ye

Goodness!!

Eh, out of curiosity, how you found out they were doing that when you are in Sg? I wasn't into the whole church going, religious thingy back in Sg, but from what I see in the forum there seem to some "hatred" between the xtian crowd and the tua pek kong crowd in here.

 

[neddy]

Rule no.1 don't find a Sporean as wife. Rule no.2 don't find a Sporean as a wife when you are oversea. rule no.3 don't find a Sporean wife when you are anywhere. I got divorced partly because I got a 'spoiled' Sporean wife. If there's a world ranking of worse wives, I believe Sporean is up there in the top.5.

I know EXACTLY how you feel. How about a dependent mother-in-law who lose a Singapore chauffeur (me). Not sure how HER SON cannot be Chauffeur.

If you want a REAL wife, stay away from Singaporeans.

 

[neddy]

Mate, I've probably spend close to 10 years in this city. It still looks as lovely as the first day I arrive. Only after going back and working did I realized how much I missed it. I think some people love the idea of falling in love with the place, but when they actually stayed here, they realized as pretty as it is its incompatible with their lifestyle hence the "broken dream".

I do not think Sydney has lost its magic. I am referring to differing EXPECTATIONS.

 

[Ash007]

I know EXACTLY how you feel. How about a dependent mother-in-law who lose a Singapore chauffeur (me). Not sure how HER SON cannot be Chauffeur.

If you want a REAL wife, stay away from Singaporeans.

Hmmm anything but a Singaporean wife sounds like the advice I've been given. How about going to china and get a nice chio PRC mei mei ah ? You guys think its feasible?

 

[Aussie Prick]

A lot has been said about emigrating out of Singapore. On how to adopt with life in a new country, Australia/Canada/UK/US etc, very little was discuss on the "failures" and the reasons on why some people returned. I recently have a colleague that is calling it quits in Sydney. This comes as a big surprise in our group as he just recently had a baby. He said he is returning back to Singapore and decide what to do next. What are some of the reasons that could cause a new migrant to go back? Below are some of the reasons I can think of.

1) Housing, Sydney/Australia in general are getting expensive. One of the things I hear him complain about. However, I think a big problem here is that he is expecting to live in an expensive suburb, rather then somewhere more affordable. I have another colleague that recently bought a house in Gosford, and is willing to travel 1+ hour by train everyday to work.

To be fair, the Singaporeans that return are usually the Australia ones. The conditions you state - i.e. the horrendous housing situation in Sydney - is not applicable to most of Canada and the US for example. Also proximity to Singapore is a factor - Australia is close to SG so Singaporeans can "run home to mommy" when it gets tough for them. Not so in Canada or the US.

There is a reason why LKY said "once they are gone to the US we have lost them" - that's a direct quote.