To migrate or not?
-
I just read this article before stumbling onto this thread.
Best places to be born in 2013
http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/photos/best-places-to-be-born-in-2013-1359523947-slideshow/
Not only Singapore is in the Top 10 but at no 6 spot even!
I think most will say 'Wow, sure or not'??? :siao:
What do you think? -
coolbreeze:
I think Singapore has a lot going for her compared to other countries.I just read this article before stumbling onto this thread.
Best places to be born in 2013
http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/photos/best-places-to-be-born-in-2013-1359523947-slideshow/
Not only Singapore is in the Top 10 but at no 6 spot even!
I think most will say 'Wow, sure or not'??? :siao:
What do you think?
Infant mortality rate is low.
Crime rate is low
proximity to medical help is high
food and water is safe
weather is mild
no major natural calamities
you get all the convenience within your neighbourhood
Decent education at low cost for all
That is what I can think of, off the cuff. -
vinegar:
I was in Oz late Dec for hols and was reading their local papers. A number of newspaper articles have raised the issue of Oz kids becoming overweight and lethargic and not so interested in sports. In fact Oz did very badly in London Olympics and a lot of soul searching that not producing enough young Oz sportspeople because Oz kids losing interest in outdoor activities.I notice the children here r really soooo obsess wf computer/hp games.Almost everyhere we go,we see children as young as 4,playing ipad/hp. My son himself likes to play angry bird games but we set certain time limit for him,try to bring him out to play sports or exploring the nature.
U don't see this scenario in OZ.Children there enjoy feeding birds,cycling,running in the park,probably bcoz of their colder weather n more natural parks,open field n seaside to run ard.
Of course another MAJOR issue is the rapid rise in skin cancer in Oz because of thinner ozone layer over Oz. Many of my Oz friends put on so much sun tan lotion just to walk outside from house to car to office!!! But they are truly afraid of skin cancer!!! -
coolbreeze:
Yes, I read that too...was like :?I just read this article before stumbling onto this thread.
Best places to be born in 2013
http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/photos/best-places-to-be-born-in-2013-1359523947-slideshow/
Not only Singapore is in the Top 10 but at no 6 spot even!
I think most will say 'Wow, sure or not'??? :siao:
What do you think? -
vinegar:
Which part of Australia are you looking at?,I notice the children here r really soooo obsess wf computer/hp games.Almost everyhere we go,we see children as young as 4,playing ipad/hp. My son himself likes to play angry bird games but we set certain time limit for him,try to bring him out to play sports or exploring the nature.
U don't see this scenario in OZ.Children there enjoy feeding birds,cycling,running in the park,probably bcoz of their colder weather n more natural parks,open field n seaside to run ard. -
My sister emigrated to Melbourne some 20 years ago. Her hubby is a Singaporean and his whole family has been living in Oz for many years. For the last 10 years, husband and wife have been running a small bakery. It is enough for them to buy a $1 million house with many acres of land. Her two girls are now teenagers and one is working towards a medical degree.
My sister is diabetic. The state gives her a few thousand dollars a year to take care of the condition. She can use the money for dental or eye care. Her mother in law, who lives with them, was diagnosed with mild dementia in the last few years. A social work assistant drops by twice a week to take the mother-in-law out for a few hours of shopping at the nearby mall, at the state’s expense.
They work very hard to run the business but labour is an issue. They had their fair share of young Aussies who stole from them, closed the shop early and invited their friends over for a party. Making a police report did not seem to help. As older folks cost more to hire, they have to resort to hiring only students.
My brother-in-law has very traditional Asian beliefs. His 2 girls are pretty afraid of him. They are not allowed to have a facebook account nor to skip school for no good reason. Leave home at age 18? I don’t think my nieces would even dare to think of it.
As for the lack of hawker food, they are used to it now. My sister used to make her own hor fun, char siew, pandan cake and other local delicacies. Anyway, my brother in law said daily consumption of hawker food is bad for health, so they have no issue with it.
Just sharing my sister’s experience. -
Just to share, my close relation migrated to Oz with wife and 2 daughters. He and his wife had done their degrees in Oz b4 returning to SG to work and marry. They had their 2 DDs but unfortunately 1 DD needed special medical care. He tried his best to find the right sort of care in SG but after a few years decided to go to Oz as he knew would get the right sort of care and his wife had found a job there.
They live in a nice house with a pool and garden and a dog. Both DDs are doing well with 1 DD having her special needs well taken care of. He is happy because DD is looked after by the state and she has benefits and rights which a similar child and adult with a similar disability in SG will not get.
The trade off is that because of high taxes although both are professionals in Oz with Oz degrees, their disposable income is not high so they having little savings although their house would easily cost $8-10 million in SG and is a lovely and comfortable home with about 8,000 sq. ft of space.
He is happy but if had the chance after living in Oz for about 15 years in total, would have preferred SG. -
Well, I took the plunge and migrated to NZ since last May.
So far I am enjoying the life over here. I still eat out a fair bit and Asian food is so available here. Almost everything I can get in Singapore, I can get it here.
My dds are enjoying their high school life here. Doing things at their pace instead of being pressured to excel. Less stress and thank God, no more tuition. Now they take classes where they have interest in and want to instead of being forced to. Family life has improved leaps and bounds. Where previously the maid is around at our beck and call, now we all chipped in to help in household chores. Kids are more sensible and we talked more as a family. Where previously I am keeping to a 15 hour work schedule, now I am home at 6pm every day.
I guess you need to decide what is your reason for uprooting your family. You must have thought about it before applying for the PR. Will you regret a few years down the road? No one can tell but will you blame yourself for not trying out if you decided to stay put?
Take time to know friends and get to know your new country. If you hold the same expectations, you are bound to be disappointed. Move with the flow and you will be happier. -
Just relax:
The trade off is that because of high taxes although both are professionals in Oz with Oz degrees, their disposable income is not high so they having little savings.
That's actually quite interesting, because the reason so many Kiwis are heading to Australia is because wages are quite significantly higher there and so they are able to save a lot more. I have friends who have headed across the Tasman and have saved quite bit. In fact, they've said it's much easier to save there and are planning on staying for a few more years before coming back and using their savings to buy a house here. Although, to be fair, my friends have no children, but there are also articles in the paper almost weekly about families who have upped and gone to Australia and who seem to be doing quite well, savings-wise. But I guess it all depends on individual needs. -
lovejoypeace,
how did u plan for job,accomodation and schooling for ur DD b4 migrating?
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login