another ex-colleague has quitted singapore

last SG · 2007-11-26T21:03:25+00:00

Have you even been there? No? Well then how the f*ck would you know? Dumb cunt.

Seven_Dragon SG

i think your reasoning more sound...
thanks for your advice

will4 SG

A lot of Australian professional meaning how many? Why u do u define young local who migrated to Australia at a young age as lacking the drive to suceed?

To each of his own.

eagle SG

yup, salmon is 2.69 euros for 250g in Germany

salmon is 30 sgd per kg in cold storage in Singapore

you can do the calculations

In addition, seafood is cheaper if you stay at Hamburg in Germany. And of course, prawns are expensive there.

eagle SG

Just to add on, maintaining a car (petrol, parking, etc) is extremely expensive in Germany. However, the public transport system there is so good (99% will come within 5 mins of the designated timing) that there almost no need to drive a car. You can literally plan a journey from the time you leave your house to the time you will return, all within 5 mins.

Bad thing is, if you screw up your own timing by 5 mins, you will miss all the planned trips

Gazelle SG

$10 is not an example, it is an overly inflated example because I can easily get fried rice for half the price.

My guess is that you think inflation is a Singapore problem and it is not happening in Australia.

I guess you are also not aware of the impact of global warming on the farmers in australia huh?

Gazelle SG

I dont think it is fair to compare salmon and coldstorage.

a) Salmon are not breed in this region and they are usually airflown into Singapore.
b) Cold Storage is a highend supermarket.

Seafood in germany is only reasonably cheap and fresh if you are living in near the coaster region.

pwnz0r SG

have you worked in aus before? have you see their work ethic? have you seen their level of self satisfaction?

aus is a happily a self contained economy with little participation on the global scale. other than rupert murdoch (who in fact is more of a american business man), we don't see much enterprising individuals who push the envelope.

if you really want to see real drive, go to new york. i applaud people who seek careers in china, in us, in uk, in japan.. these are people who 'quit' singapore in that singapore is not competitive enough for them. but aus? laugh!

will4 SG

No, never studied or work in Australia but the main crux of the Australian immigration, why do locals of all countries prefer to choose Australia as

their immigration destination? Have u ever worked in US, UK, China or Japan?
NY, can understand is the major global financial centre of US. China still a developing country even some of the local businessmen who went to China to set up companies ended up getting cheated. Remember Suzhou?

fishbuff SG

it is interesting to read all of your inputs here.

but what im sharing is generally from the point of a 40 years old guy. Not sure how many of you here are over 35, hold on to a private low-middle income job, have a family to support, mortgage to pay off etc. until then, u are quite comfortable living day to day with min liabilities.

eagle SG

if you want all that is cheaper, here:
1) Alaskan Seelachs fillet
2) fish fingers
3) Salmon
4) Tuna -- same price

This is price not from coastal side. Furthermore, I don't go and look through every single food; I only bother to notice those that I buy.

But how often do you really eat other seafood in Singapore, for eg prawns, crabs, etc... I don't eat it often, or almost don't... I have no cravings for them...

In addition, there are so much more variety of meat in the german supermarkets such that you don't need to eat seafood. Dairy, ham, pork (all parts), turkey, chicken, all are either cheaper or same price. They don't have duck only.

Oh ya, eggs are also at sgd $1.50 for 10 eggs (lower cholesterol ones) over there.

Jontst78 SG

Which is the difference he was pointing out isnt it? He was comparing Germany. Asian foods/groceries will be expensive in western countries and vice versa. But its is true that local foods tend to be carb laden. Especially when you take a typical meal and a hawker center, the carb to meat ratio very different from what you get in for example, Germany. Seafoods are cheaper in coastal areas wherever you go, regardless of country, so that is a common denominator is it not?

Jontst78 SG

It all comes down to a personal value system, and whether you are able to migrate or not.

Consumer prices will continue to rise on a slightly steeper trend than other nations with a higher degree of self sufficiency. (e.g. have to buy sand and water). You can bite the bullet or pack up and go.

Many people prefer the western culture, where life/culture is pro family. Some prefer the buzz and faster paced local culture. I kow for fact, in Australia, in companies run by Australians, the general attitude is, at 6pm your boss will tell you to go home and have a life.

Just for an example to illustrate the difference in culture:

Its like a worker has to watch his kid's soccer game at school. He skipped work for a few hours on tuesday afternoon. A project dateline a week later, was delayed maybe a day or 2.

The boss can react in 1 of 2 ways

1 "Why weren't you at work tuesday afternoon? Is your son's soccer game that impt?"
2 "Why the project had to be delayed? How did your son do at the game btw"

Reaction 1 would probably be what you get here in SG. Although that may be changing.

of course there are other factors to consider, this is just an illustration.

Working culture aside, PRs and Citizens get preferential treatment in terms of employment. Meaning, a company has to justify to the government that it cannot find a Citizen or PR to do the job, before approval to hire a foreigner.

It also comes down to effort put into work vs creature comforts. Some poeple may think, "I live in a cosmopolitan city/nation, why do I still have the rice-bowl mentality?" I remember a loacl bank using a golden rice bowl in a current ad poster.

Sure there is always a sacrifice or a down side to uprooting and moving on to another nation. Then again, if the benefits out weigh the downside, and there are work-arounds (e.g. avoid highly crime prone areas). many would think, why not move?

Gazelle SG

IMO that is not a fair comparison because you are comparing the price of buying German stable food in Singapore vs buying them in Germany.

Will you be able to tell us how much will it cost to buy e.g.

1) Kailan (Veg)
2) Red Snapper
3) Thai Rice
4) Egg noodle or instand noodle
5) Tropical fruits.
6) Toufu
7) Ikan Bilis

eagle SG

Rolling Eyes

Jontst78 SG

On a sidenote,

If anyone is looking to go to Australia.

Finding a job there first and then applying PR in Australia is not the way to go. Or rather not the recommended way to go, unless you have substantial savings to last you at least half a year of unemployment while job hunting there.

Its a labor law there, that an employer must give jobs first to citizens and PRs, only after being unable to find suitable person for some time, then they(the employer) can justify to the government, to permit hiring a foreigner.

The recommended way to go is to apply for PR here. Do the points test, if you think you qualify, try for an application. Do this while in Singapore. You can get it approved and receive it while being in Singapore the whole time.

http://www.immi.gov.au
http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/visa-options-495.htm

Skilled Occupation List (SOL), Sydney and Selected Areas Skill Shortage List (SSASSL)
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1121i.pdf

Alternatively, you can use an agent. Dun get conned tho. Dun go to an agent that ask for more than 4k (excl govt fees). And go to one that is registered with the Australian immigration authority. Usually you will get a free initial consultation to check your eligibility.

Total legal and Govt fees, incl medical checks and english exam is around a little under 4k SGD. If you get an Agent, around 3k, total cost is around 7k give or take a little.

There are agents will refund 50%(or some) agent fees if your app is not approved (not due to paper work error on part of the agent). If agent makes error, full refund.

Basically, certified technical and skilled people will get a rather high advantage. Eg plumbers, carpenter, civil engineers, IT professions, nurses, doctors, accountants, electricians.

My uncle who is a citizen in Sydney would say, "if you are a plumber, electrician or carpenter, you walk in" but thats a slight exaggration of course.

Jontst78 SG

But then, when you start to compare meal quality vs Dollar ratio, it all becomes very subjective doesn't it? Dependent on the person's preference.

Or looking at the broader picture, when you compare Work effort to Quality of life level in return, just as subjective isn't it? It all comes down to what makes one a happier person overall.

Gazelle SG

Ofcourse, just like if we starts to compare VAT and income tax.

eagle SG

Oh ya, one more point,

GST is 19% in Germany I think. However, the unemployed gets 300 euros every month from the government.

Btw, I'm only listing facts for everyone. What conclusion you want to derive from these facts does not matter to me.

If you realise for my first post, eggs, chicken etc can all be gotten at places near Sg, and also from places near and within Germany. Germany import salmon from Norway, Singapore can have their own salmon or import from Japan.

Why would anyone in the right mind go compare things like kailan in Germany? Laughing It is just like comparing the price of things like protein powder (produced only in US) between US and Singapore.

Jontst78 SG

Yup, if we compare just VAT and income tax, without looking at average wage/profession and compare both places (job A in SG vs same job in Aust), again, we will be guilty of skewing information. And then, if we want to look at wages, then we have to again look at the general overall cost of living (with creature comforts. Coz we are 1st world right?).

If we start splitting hairs over details, we loose the whole point of the debate, as migration decisions are usually based on the totality of factors combined.

Gazelle SG

Isnt that the same as comparing price of salmon in Singapore and germany?
why not Red Snapper?

the only difference of course is that Singapore has wider variety of food.

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