Advice From An Expat On Settling In To A New City Or Country, of Just A short Trip Overseas

Angela as an Expat in Singapore

KINGS, PRESIDENTS,CEOS, VIPS

Know the names of the king, president, CEO of the company your are visiting, in order to chat.

1 MAPS & LANDMARKS

 Find the city map and work out and mark on the map 5 landmarks, one in the centre, one north, one east, one south, one west.

2 MEETING POINT

Find a meeting point, such as a hotel with a cafe, a Starbucks, a Hard rock cafe, a well known local cafe, so if you get lost you can tell the family where to find you, and ask passers by for directions to somewhere they and you know.

3 SAFE STAY & CONVENIENT

Pick the area you want to live or stay in. For a conference I would stay in the conference hotel or the nearest affordable place to save time commuting.

4 TOURIST TOP PLACES

Check three must visit places.

5 FOOD & DRINK

Check three must try foods and drinks.

6 COINS & CURRENCY

Write out a conversion of local currency into your currency, or dollars or Euros.

7 GIFT LIST

Make a list of all the people for whom you need to buy gifts. Keep the sizes and favourite colours and wanted gifts of your family, friends or boss. then when you see a tee-shirt you know what size and colour,  or box of chocolates you know what to buy them. 

Find out what your family, friends, neighbours and others can't or won't drink. No point taking food with pork or lard or pig fat to a Jew or orthodox Muslim. Some people don't drink, are on pills or weight losing diets.

TAX FREE ALLOWANCE

Note your tax free allowance. 

8 HOUSEHOLD MEASUREMENTS

Measure anything you need to match for household purchases, The sizes of windows for curtains, the size of beds for sheets, the size of rooms for carpets.

9 SHOPPING, COSMETICS, IRONS ETC 

Check what is available on the plane and the hotel or studio flat or friend's house. Do you need to take a hairdryer, iron, hair conditioner, toothbrush, eye shades?

KEYS

10 Check you have keys for your destination.

PHONES & ACCESSORIES

11 Check you have accessories, chargers for phones, power bricks for laptops, second set of keys and phones for your destination, phone numbers for your destination office, family, friends.

INFORM FRIENDS

12 Warm your office, family friend, of your impending trip, so they don't take a holiday away when you are planning to visit.

CLOTHES

13 Have alternative weather clothes. A sunhat even to a cold climate. Warm gloves to a hot place. I have gone up a cold mountain in a hot country, out to sea, returning at night in a cold sea breeze and wet.

14 CLOTHES & COVER-UP

 Have a large scarf in case your shorts and tee shirt are not suitable for the guided tour's stop at a church and the stop for drinks in the five star hotel with the dress code.

15 NO FOOD?

Travel with food and drink in case you get delayed on the way to the destination. What could go wrong? 

Singapore flag

We took a trip from Singapore to Malaysia and found all the restaurants were closed for a Muslim holiday (and the entire month of Ramadan). It was another 90 minutes before we found and ordered lunch at a Chinese restaurant several streets away from the shopping mall. 

I also reached hotels where the buffet had shut down just before we arrived. 

A delay on the motorway meant I reached a conference centres after the meal was served. If the hotel and organizers cannot save you food, ask a friend to sneak something out from the leftovers, if only a piece of bread, a butter pat and an apple.

About the Author

Angela has a home in London, England and is also a Singapore Permanent Resident. her family has lived in the USA, Spain and Switzerland.

Contact the Author

I am on Facebook and LinkedIn. If you wish to speak to me, come to a meeting of an online Toastmasters club such as Singapore Online or Braddell Heights Advanced.