Our brush with F1

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Expat Bostonians

Singapore has an annual F1 race, the Singapore Grand Prix.  I’m told it’s a unique grand prix race as it’s the only one at night.  This was the fifth annual SGGP (Singapore Grand Prix), and it has just been renewed for another five years, so it will continue to be mid-late September through 2017.

I wrote this entry about the event in 2010.  Last year, I was more or less on bed rest, so I was pretty unaffected by F1 as they weren’t racing in my apartment.

After our experiences in 2010, our strategy with F1 has been to avoid the area they race in/have road closures in as much as possible.  Cabs have a reasonable amount of access to the area outside of race times, so prior to this year if we absolutely had to go into that area (Ellie’s gymnastics school is in the middle of the course, more or less), we just took a cab.

In general, having a car makes most things easier for me in Singapore.  But this year it meant I had to keep up with road closures (which were well publicized), and we needed a special sticker/access pass to drive to Marina Square (where E and Rhi have gymnastics).

Sorry–bad cell phone picture

I fumbled a bit with the route I had to take to Marina Square, but we added in extra time (and still ended up getting there a few minutes late).  It was weird to get waved onto a deserted lane of traffic , and to see that part of Singapore devoid of traffic.
We entered the parking lot by a hotel on the opposite side of the road from our usual entrance to the parking garage (the carpark for Marina Square shares space with two hotels), and had to stop for a police inspection.  They gave us a cursory glance (I guess the two kids in car seats in the back marked us as not threatening) and gave us a slip of paper to put in the dashboard.

another cell phone pic

Marina Square isn’t usually jam packed on a Saturday afternoon, but there are usually a reasonable number of cars.  It was strange to see the lot practically barren.  Well, barren except for a large number of sports cars that I assume had something to do with F1 as they were behind tape, had people guarding them, and plenty of people were taking photos of them.    For us it was great as we got a parking spot right by the elevators closest to The Little Gym.

cell phone pic.  I purposefully set up the image so that you could see the normal cars and the F1 cars together

After class we got back in the car, and followed a series of confusing signs to the exit.  It was a bit frustrating as at times you were supposed to follow the actual car park’s exit signs and at others there were special exit signs.  But once we finally found the one open exit, we headed out and away from the F1 area.

For all that F1 can be a bit of a hassle, there is an a major benefit–if you’re willing to stay away from the designated area, dinner reservations are absurdly easy to get.  We went to the Dempsey Hill area and had no trouble parking, nor were the restaurants very busy (which is not my impression of what that area is like on a regular Saturday night).

Filed under: Attractions, cars/driving, Singapore, Theater/Shows/Events, Uniquely Singapore | 2 Comments »

Reverse Culture Shock

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Expat Bostonians

After driving on the left side of the road for the past seven or so months, I have had to focus and think hard about being on the right side of the road again.  I found myself wailing to anyone who would listen that “BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD ARE WRONG!  THERE IS NO CORRECT SIDE ANYMORE!!!”

When filling my tank at the gas station, the attendant told me the total was $53 USD (66.25 SGD) and I almost replied “No, I wanted a full tank of gas,” thinking that there must have been a mistake. Then I remembered that gas is significantly cheaper here.  A typical full tank in Singapore is 100 SGD (80 USD), and that is for a tank that is only 2/3rds the size of my US tank.  To recap, I get 33% more gas for 67% of the cost of a tank of gas in Singapore.

Hello Reverse Culture shock

I’ve always been one to feel a deep sense of relief upon landing on American soil.  Coming home has meant that things finally make sense to me again without having to process or think–that I reflexively “get it.”

I’d heard of reverse culture shock but assumed that since I’m American as Apple Pie it would never happen to me.  That when we eventually moved home, I’d assimilate right back in without so much as a hiccup.

However, after two and a half years, it seems that my automatic sense of “just getting it” isn’t so automatic anymore. That I’m out of step here.  Confused.  I got lost when driving to a mall I’ve been to hundreds of times over the course of my life.  Perplexed by stores that are no longer there.  Looking for friends who have moved on from Massachusetts and the US.  Unsteady.

Playing with sidewalk chalk in my in-laws driveway with her Dada 

I’m not sure that we could ever use sidewalk chalk at our condo in Singapore.  But at my in-laws, Ellie is free to draw with it in the driveway and decorate the path to their front door, and no one cares if it doesn’t rain for a few days, knowing it will be washed away sooner or later.

Davis Square, Somerville Massachusetts

I am very used to the way retail transactions are done in Singapore, and it has shown in my two weeks here.

When trying to buy some stuff at a drug store, I handed the credit card to the cashier with both hands. WRONG-I should’ve used the machine.

I tried to insert the card into the machine to let it read the chip.  WRONG-I should’ve swiped it.

I waited to sign the slip.  WRONG-I should’ve signed the machine’s screen.

I’ve also used cash when I didn’t need to because I’m so used to credit card minimums.  In the US, you can charge almost any amount.  Often, when the transaction is less than 25 or 50 USD, you don’t even need to sign for it at all.

gorgeous sky

I know there are parts of Singapore where the sky is so big and so gorgeous it just blows your mind.  But due to where we live, where Ravi works, and where Ellie goes to school, the majority of my time is spent in the high rise mecca of the Central Business District. Seeing so much open sky and so many 1-2 story buildings shocks me at times.

Trinity Church with the Hancock Tower in the background (Copley Square, Boston)

Amusing anecdotes aside, the major change is ME.

I love being home.  I love seeing my friends.  I love having grandparents who are happy to babysit (for free, even!).  I love the long hot showers.  I love being able to shop for clothes that actually fit my body.  Oh, American Food–it’s so good that I’m only eating you for a few weeks–I can’t bear to think of how many calories I’m eating.

I’ve done some shopping–mostly for clothes for my non-pregnant, soon to be non-breastfeeding (or significantly reduced breastfeeding) body.  I’ve picked up Halloween costumes for the girls.  Some books.  A few dvd’s.  And we’ll fill a suitcase with food to be sure.

BUT.

I’m not running to Target, desperate for anything familiar, terrified to find alternatives.  I think of the food we took to Singapore, so certain we’d crave it, only to have it still sitting in our cupboards.  The tons of dvd’s I’ve bought only to not have viewed them as of yet.  Ellie wears uniforms five days a week–there’s no need to spoil her with a ton of new clothes, and Rhi is inheriting a ridiculous wardrobe from Ellie.  I’m more comfortable in the knowledge that if we truly need something, my in-laws can send it–or we can just live without it until our trip home in November for a cousin’s wedding.  In the 8 months since our last visit, the only thing I ran out of that was an issue was my preferred salon-sold shampoo and conditioner, and I bought more today.  I think it is a real possibility that we leave a suitcase or two here in the US instead of buying the two more we could to max our luggage allowance.  Sure toys are cheaper here (and so are books) and I’ve bought a couple, but…meh.

There is actually very little here that I couldn’t live without in Singapore (with the exception of my clothes and shampoo…and maybe a bag of my favorite bbq chips).  Realizing this is quite a shock to my system.

Singapore is home.  The way life works there, incomprehensible to me as it might be at times, is my “norm” now.

I find myself scouring my twitter feeds in the morning to catch up on my SG tweep’s doings.  I’ve joined in discussions dissecting caning (we’re against it), why women in SG aren’t procreating at the government’s preferred speed and volume, and rolled my eyes when people here think that the “National Night” video by Mentos is something to take seriously (also, I get most of the references!).  I’ve been in Singapore long enough to understand some of the political and social issues of the day well enough to have an educated opinion.

Ellie keeps asking when we’re going back to Singapore, and I think I finally understand why.  While I’ve enjoyed the trip “home,” I’m happy to heading back to the little red dot, which has also become “home.”

Filed under: Boston, cars/driving, Culture Shock, customs, Expat to Expat Advice, headdesk moments, Identity, money, North America, Pictures, Random Stuff, Singapore, Third Culture Kids, Travel by Continent, Country, US | 21 Comments »

Wordless Wednesday–A week in cell phone pictures

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Expat Bostonians

It’s been more of a “wordless week” than a Wordless Wednesday here at Expat Bostonians.  As our next trip home looms ever closer, I am trying to deal with a world of nonsense that comes with leaving home for almost a month.  Ellie has extra gymnastics classes to make up for the ones she’ll miss (and she’ll have extra ballet in September for make-ups).  I’m organizing Ellie’s annual doctor’s appointments in Boston, which requires late night calls during my usual writing time.  These are the moments when I wish I could clone myself, if only to have someone who could deal my mountain of clean (but not yet put away) laundry.

My DSLR camera has been at the Cannon repair shop for the better part of the last week.  After being dropped in Australia, my auto-focus stopped working.  My saving grace was that I could still manually focus it, leaving the camera useable (if only by me) until I could get over to Cannon.  I was relieved that the damage is only to the lens, which while not cheap, is far cheaper to repair than the body.

So, having said that, enjoy some camera phone pics from the last week.  This can also be filed under “expat life isn’t that glamorous.”

This is part of our daily ritual.  Sometimes multiple times each day.  Ellie likes to trace the letters that spell out “Matrix,” aka our car’s model.  I let her do this because it’s faster and more efficient than the ensuing battle over why can’t she do it, and why am so terrible as to not let her spell it out and OH MY GOD GET IN THE CAR.

Rhiannon eating a french fry at Chili’s.  Another brilliant moment of parenting brought to you by me.

Ellie having a blast at the playground just outside The Little Gym at Marina Square.

Ellie having some chicken rice at her favorite Chicken Rice restaurant (5 Star Hainanese on River Valley Road, if you’re curious and want a recommendation from the 3 year old).  She’s so Singaporean, she doesn’t just speak Singlish, she has a *favorite* chicken rice stall. (*edited to add–Two doors down is the famous Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice Stall…and she hates their chicken rice.  Ravi and I find this all very funny.)

Giving  Rhi some rice because she was complaining about not getting food.  She’s my second kid and I can’t be bothered to find out when you can introduce rice to babies.  She’s survived it several times so it’s fine, right?

We bought Rhi a (second hand) jumperoo…that’s been a big hit.  I had to put a book under her feet because she’s so petite that her legs don’t reach the ground, nor does her weight pull the jumperoo down very much.  Sad but true fact of expat life in Singapore–you pay the US full price for secondhand fisher price/graco/etc stuff here.  On the plus side, I could totally make back the investment I made in all this stuff two children ago by selling it here once we’re done with it, I suppose…unless a friend wants it.

Am I becoming more Singaporean if 3 of the 5 photos involved food?

Filed under: cars/driving, food/drink, Pictures, Places to Eat, Singapore, Third Culture Kids, With Kids | 2 Comments »

My first Singaporean parking ticket

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Expat Bostonians

Dear Universe–

I realize that I was struggling to find a blog post topic, but it was a bit cruel to drop one into my lap in the form of a parking ticket.  Please do not be so literal in addressing my pleas for post topics in the future.

Thanks,

Crystal

To some extent, the only thing that shocked me about getting a parking ticket is that it took so long (almost 6 months).  I almost never park in the lots that use the parking coupons, instead almost exclusively ending up in the lots that scan the cash card mounted on the dashboard.  It was pretty inevitable that I would one day park in a coupon lot, get out of my car and walk away.  Which I did on Monday.

source

 

One of the other moms at Ellie’s Preschool was kind enough to take me to a tailor in Little India to get my sari blouses adjusted.  But between parking, juggling Rhiannon and the bag of fabric, it just slipped my mind.  While in the store, one of the women pointed out that I was getting a ticket.

I dashed out and begged my case, but it was too late.  Which sucks, but I wouldn’t have been able to talk my way out of the ticket in the US either (once they’d entered my car info).

 

The price for a moment of forgetfulness?  $30 SGD (about $23.50 USD), which is cheaper than the same offense in Boston or NYC (which is 30-50 USD, if I recall).

source

The experience did give me a chance to finally use the AXS machine, though.  I first ran into one of these in Great World City when I was in the first month of expat life, and I tried to use it as an ATM (which is about the only thing it doesn’t do), and walked away beyond confused.  Since then, they’ve remained this strange, mysterious presence whose purpose I just couldn’t figure out from a distance of 10 feet, and after making an idiot of myself at one, I guess I was a bit gun-shy at walking up and poking at it to figure out its purpose.

One of the things the AXS does is that it lets you pay parking fines, which is kind of cool.  It’s also confusing, and I learned far more about parking tickets in Singapore then I ever probably wanted to know.

  • There are 4 different agencies that issue parking tickets  (yet somehow NONE of them have the least interest in fining the illegally parked motorcycles that swarm the sidewalk outside my condo, making it impassable by stroller most evenings while the riders take a leisurely dinner at one of restaurants across the street on River Valley Road)
  • Depending on who gave you the ticket, there can be a waiting time of X days before you can pay it at an AXS machine (but don’t wait too long or you’ll get into more trouble!)
  • Your ticket will say which agency issued the ticket (after you stare at it, totally baffled, for about 5 minutes–yes folks, I have a Master’s Degree but can’t pay a parking ticket!)
  • Follow the onscreen instructions (try not to look like you’re illiterate as you hesitantly re-read them 10 times before pushing a button out of fear of fucking it up)
  • You’ll get a receipt showing that you’ve paid

It was definitely easier than trying to remember to write a check, find a stamp and mail it in.   I believe there was also a web option to pay.

May my bad ticket karma not rub off on you, and may this be my last ticket (although it probably won’t be).

 

Filed under: cars/driving, headdesk moments, money, Singapore | 5 Comments »

Odds and Ends

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Expat Bostonians

I haven’t done one of these in a while, so I thought I’d do an odds and ends post to wrap up/update on some stuff and comment about other small things that don’t merit individual posts.

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Rhiannon’s Surgery

The wound has healed nicely and we get test results next week.  I’m feeling a lot better about this post-surgery recovery than her first surgery recovery (which involved an infection).

In the mean time, Rhiannon (who turns 7 months on Sunday) has been reveling in her new-found love of solid food.  Witness below (the food was a mix of banana, apple, blueberry and one other berry).

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The Car

We did decide to sign a one year lease on the car after test driving it for a few months.  It might technically be a hundred dollars a month more than I’d been paying with cabs (after parking and gas are figured into the cost), but the freedom is worth it.  Never stressing about how weather (rain) will affect my commute, shift change, or standing with two young children while the cab I texted for drives past me is worth it.

I will caution you that after a trial month or two, the idea of going back to cabs sounds pretty dreary.

There weren’t really any new terms added to the lease–the one difference being that the penalities for accidents if someone else were driving the car were spelled out in a way they weren’t when we were just trying it out.  However, I don’t lend out my car, so that’s not an issue.

And yes, I still occasionally turn on my wipers instead of my directional.

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When I was six posts

First Bookjunkie posted an article on White as Milk about her life in Primary one (first grade)

Then I wrote an article about my childhood

Then Katrjin did…her memories of expat third culture kid-dom here in Singapore (part 1 is here, part 2 is now up!)

Then Kirsten wrote about her life as a kid here in Singapore on SEA Youth’s website.

Please–let’s get some more!!!  Claire?  Laura?  Kelly?  Pleeeeeeeeease?  Anyone–write it, link it.  No matter how “normal” you think it was, I promise someone here will find it fascinating.

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If you’re into theater, and you want to indoctrinate the kids, you should know Annie is coming to MBS from July 10 through August 5.  More info and tickets here.  Yes, I will probably go (if I’m in town) but I think E just might be too young to sit through it, much to my sadness.  Thanks to Kelly who gave me the heads up.

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Ellie is still taking violin, and managed to add ballet to it.  It all began with my stupidly allowing her to take a trial class and ended up with The Nutcracker on repeat in my car.

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Remember how I had a story published in a book?  Well, if you like your books, electronic, Irresistible: Erotic Romance for Couples is now available on Kindle and Nook.  Given the recent popularity of 50 Shades of Grey, and erotica…I thought it was worth mentioning.

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We re-signed our lease for a year.  In the end, looking for a new apartment wasn’t the right choice this year.  Ravi’s work is above a stop on the (not yet open) downtown line–it makes more sense to stay put until that stop opens and then to figure out where would be a better location.  For now, walking distance to Great World City and about midway between E’s school and R’s work is the right decision.  Plus, moving sucks.

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The cats are fine.  Gandalf weighs more than my almost 7 month old.  Kero has finally stopped (fingers crossed) trying to climb the curtains.  Both have mostly forgiven us for going on vacation (they had a pet sitter, but we were on their list for a few hours or so).

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Our next trip to the US will likely be late summer.  Kate, one of my dearest friends is getting married, and I will absolutely be there.  And then we’ll stick around for a few weeks on either end.  The rest of our travel plans for the year will be dictated by one of Ravi’s cousin’s weddings late this year, and then how many vacation days/how many miles we need to fly to keep our frequent flier status for next year.

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If you want to see all of our Australia pictures, I’ve put an album on the Expat Bostonians facebook page (it includes far more than what I’ve shared here).  Go, “like,” and enjoy.

Like this one!

Filed under: Australia, Boston, cars/driving, Education, Guest POV, Housing, medical, North America, Random Stuff, Singapore, Sydney, Theater/Shows/Events, Third Culture Kids, Travel by Continent, Country, US, With Kids | 4 Comments »

Please Explain…parking coupons

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Expat Bostonians

Today I would like to ask my readers to help me out.  I have questions, and I know you guys have answers…

I recently was in a position to need to use parking coupons (instead of my card in the IU) for the first time.  I punched out the holes, but I was fairly confused if I was doing it right…

  • Do I punch the time on the 2nd slip to correlate to the time the first coupon expires?
  • Is there a limit to how many coupons I can use? (1 hour, 2 hours?)
  • Are there times in the 24 hour cycle when you don’t need to use them?
  • Where should I be putting them (I left mine on the dash inside the car…is that right)?

As I am a newbie at this, any and all explanations are welcome.

 

 

 

Filed under: cars/driving, Singapore | 8 Comments »

What do I love about SG that has NOTHING to do with my children?

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Expat Bostonians

I met a new friend a few days ago while Ellie was in school.  We had a wonderful conversation, and I look forward to hanging out with her again.  But she asked a question that threw me…”What do you love most about Singapore that has nothing to do with your children?”

I had to stop and really think.

When I’m asked what I love most about Singapore, almost everything that comes to mind are things that relate to my children–the zoo, the water play areas, the education my daughter is getting, the warmth of the country toward children, and so forth.

My immediate reaction was…and this surprised me a bit…the weather.  More to the point, I love wearing shorts and flip flops year round.  I love having the option to swim almost every day (although I will confess it’s been a while since I’ve been in the pool).  I love never having to shovel snow or chip ice off of my windshield.  Yes, I bitch about the humidity and yes, the non-stop heat does wear on me such that I look forward to visiting cooler climates with unreserved glee (Australia in May–18 degrees C sounds delightful…for the week we’ll be there).  Yes, I miss the beauty of a New England Fall and the slight nip to the breeze.  But I don’t miss winter and I don’t miss spring.

You can’t do this in February in Boston

However, we could move to Southern California and get perpetual summer.  So I feel as though I need to dig deeper.  So, here we go…a complete stream of consciousness, in no way organized list of reasons I love Singapore.

1-Learning about a new culture.

Apart from Michael Fay and a few pop culture references, I knew nothing about Singapore before December 2009, when Ravi applied to GNB and they suggested the SG office, as opposed to the London office we were hoping for.  Living in Singapore for almost 2 years has begun an education in what is truly a remarkable country.  No other country has accomplished the move from third world to first in such a short time (and we can debate the pros and cons of how that happened, and I’m happy to, but no one can deny that it is impressive).

Singapore is a mish-mash of cultures, and unlike the US, which is all about integration and submission to the dominant culture, Singapore acknowledges those cultures through public holidays that relate to Muslim and Christian holidays, Indian festivals and Chinese New Year.  I can attend distinct cultural events.

CNY

Thaipusam photo, courtesy of Paul Chapman (flickr stream here, blog here)

When I am confounded by Singapore, I have wonderful friends who help explain and give context.  I am deeply grateful to have Singapore Actually and Kirsten (among others) who are willing to answer and explain things from the mundane to the deeply complex.  Learning about Singapore has enriched me because it makes me re-examine so many assumptions I never realized I had.

2-I appreciate the United States (and Boston) more

We all take what we have for granted far too frequently.  In the US, I took everything from Target to Cape Cod for granted.  I am a Massachusetts native and I have never made it to Cape Cod…because I always assumed I could get around to it eventually.

It is so easy for me to get wrapped up in those things that annoy me about the US, such as the ongoing concerted effort to restrict women’s access to contraception, that I forget those things I love about the US.

Living in Singapore has made me appreciate my rights, especially my right (obligation, really) to criticize my government and to vocally advocate for change.

I also appreciate American “stuff” more.  Getting a package from my mom or in-laws with my favorite brand of BBQ chips (Wachusett Chips-made and only available locally to home) is cause for celebration.  Watching the Daily Show with Ravi is a ritual.  I’m happy that Ellie and Rhi have access to Sesame Street.

3-I’ve become a more serious photographer here

I had been getting more and more into photography after getting a digital camera.  Moving from Singapore turned me from casual vacation (and baby) photographer to amateur photographer.  I have been motivated to take a class and read up on how to make my pictures better, and long after our kids (or we) break or lose whatever souvenirs we leave Singapore with, my photographs will remain my favorite way to look back upon our time here.

Kirsten and I took the girls to Marina Barrage last Friday so that Kirsten could do a photoshoot of them (which turned into E after Rhi decided to sleep through most of it).  While we were there, I took this picture looking back at the city…and I can’t wait to go back there and do some more photography.  I also love shooting in the Botanic Garden, Sentosa, and around the city.

Loving this shot

4-The chance to travel to places I wouldn’t otherwise

I really enjoyed visiting Phuket…but let’s be real; I would never have gone there if we didn’t live regionally.  Australia, sure. Japan, probably.  But much of the region would just not have made my “traveled to” list because it was just too damn far away for places I only want to visit for 3-4 days (when it would take that long to shake off the jet lag).

As the girls age, I’m hoping to do more regional travel, like Angkor Wat, Vietnam, and so forth.  One of the negatives of not having a helper is that I don’t have the support person to do travel with the girls and Ravi only has so much vacation per year (although his allotment is generous, there is a limit).

Big Buddha, Phuket, Thailand

5-The Taxis

By far my most shallow reason for loving Singapore, but no less valid.

For close to two years, taxis were my primary mode of transportation.  I love that they are plentiful (usually).  I love that I can SMS for one, and it will come get me, usually in 5-7 minutes.  I love that they are cheap.  I am deeply amused by taxi uncle wisdom (usually).

Cabs in New York and Boston just aren’t even in the same galaxy as SG cabs and I would have lost my mind trying to get around SG without them.

Thanks, W, for inspiring this post!  Readers, what do you love best about Singapore?

Filed under: Asia, Attractions, cars/driving, customs, Expat to Expat Advice, general places, Holidays, Phuket, Pictures, politics, Random Stuff, Singapore, Thailand, Travel by Continent, Country, Uniquely Singapore | 10 Comments »

Car Seats in Singapore

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Expat Bostonians

Americans are….rabid, I think is an accurate term, in our belief in and support for car seats.  All cars made after a certain year (199?) have LATCH, a universal restraint system made to make car seats more secure (known in Europe/Asia/Australia as Isofix; same thing).  All 50 states have laws that state where children can sit in the car (usually they must be in the back seat before they’re 12…passenger side airbags could kill a person under 5 feet in height upon deployment), what type of car seat they may sit in based on age and weight, and which way that car seat should be facing.  People are so obsessed with car seats, in fact, that there are entire threads on every parenting board I’ve ever been on dedicated to how some parents don’t know to put the handle on a bucket seat down when the car seat is in the car, and should you go over and confront them.

Most states do have an exemption for things like taxicabs and public transit.  But not all do (apparently MA doesn’t give taxis an exemption, but I doubt it’s an enforced law, for example).

Perhaps demonstrative of this–many hospitals have a policy that you may not take your baby home without a car seat that is rated as safe for your child.  Rhiannon’s low weight at birth might actually have kept her in the hospital for several extra weeks until she gained enough weight to safely be in a car seat, or could pass a car seat test (where they put the baby in the car seat and monitor breathing for a period of time).

Boiled down–if you don’t have your child in a car seat, you are a BAD PARENT.  Full stop.

Americans are the car seat mafia.

Until I moved to Singapore, I was a card carrying member.

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I shared that with you because I think it’s important to have context for my understanding and perceptions of Singapore with regard to car seats in private cars.  I say private cars because I understood and accepted the taxi exemption.

The law changed recently-January 1, 2012.  I have no idea what it was before, but I’m guessing that either there wasn’t a law or that there was no penalty or no enforcement.  I wrote about my bafflement before, in June of 2011.

Over the past almost 2 years, the majority of children I saw in private cars were either in someone’s lap or buckled into the regular seatbelt…when they were buckled at all.  I can’t tell you the number of tots I saw standing in the back seat while the car was in motion. I had to scrape my jaw off the ground when I saw moms getting into private cars with their newborn babies in their arms at the hospital–into the passenger side front seat where they were not overly concerned with buckling themselves in, either (my mind immediately went to the grisly fate of both mother and child should an airbag deploy).

The law now says that

  • All children under the age of 8 should be securely fastened in a government approved car seat, booster seat or child restraint when traveling in a vehicle, whether this is their parent’s vehicle, or not. Any drivers who transport children without suitable car seats and restraints in Singapore will be fined $120 SGD and will be awarded three points on their driving license.
  • The only people exempt from this law are taxi drivers who cannot be reasonably expected to carry a variety of different child seats and restraints. Ideally you should take your own seat with you when transporting a child in a taxi. Alternatively you should ensure that your child remains still throughout the journey.
  • Children who are below the age of 8 but who are too large to sit in a car seat may use a booster seat. The seat must boost the child to the height at which they can use adult seat belts safely and securely.

Source

One of the first things I did when we got the Matrix was to get Ellie a car seat, as we (I) idiotically had left hers in the US installed in our Accord.

Ignore the silly face.  E is sitting in a 3 point harness car seat, about which I am still a bit nervous.

Which is when I realized that while there may be a seatbelt law, not all car seats are created equal.

If you want a 5 point harness (required in every car seat up through booster seats), you’re buying an American or high end European car seat, and you’re going to pay in excess of 500 SGD for it…and you’re going to need to do so at a specialty high end baby store.  Mothercare had zero models with this feature, both in terms of bucket seats and convertible car seats.  Instead, the majority of car seats here are 3 point harnesses (two straps that come over a child’s shoulders and meet at the waist to join with a clip between their legs.  A 5 point harness would have an additional clip at chest height, making the car seat harder to escape from and more protective in the event of a crash.

Rhi’s car seat has a 5 point harness–a chest clip, and then the straps fasten into a clip between her legs.  The car seat is secured by seat belt in this picture.

A large percentage of cars here (according to the Hyundai dealer) do not have isofix.  It is a high end/luxury feature.  Singapore doesn’t require it, thus manufacturers can’t be bothered installing it.  So car seats are mostly secured by seatbelts threaded through their backs, which is not as a secure as isofix/LATCH.

We weren’t in town when the new law took effect, but I’m curious to know how much of an impact/change it has made.  I spend a lot of time at United Square, which is a “family/kids” mall…and while I see tons and tons of kids…I see very few car seats in cars as I pass them.  I still see many families getting into cars and just putting young children in the back seat with no car seat.

The local baby books I read devote very little discussion to car seats, and likewise the parenting magazines.  They seem like very peripheral items.

Part of me wonders if other cultural norms also influence the very low percentage of car seats…things like children here are carried far more than they are in strollers/swings/bouncy seats/etc as newborns.  Americans have entire industries dedicated to “places to put your baby.”

I am not trying to start a “who cares more about kids than who” war.  I don’t for a second think that Singaporean parents take their children’s safety less seriously than an American parent.  I do, however, think we have different views on what is necessary to have a “safe” child, and I’m curious to see where those differences come from.  For example, Singapore doesn’t have the fear mongering that I HATE about American parenting culture–all the things you should be terrified of, no matter how unlikely.  Singapore doesn’t post huge noticeboards about toy recalls/stroller recalls/crib recalls.  In two years the only place I’ve seen a recall notice is in an imported American parenting magazine.  If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Americans as the overly paranoid culture, and Singapore as the more standard culture in terms of attitude toward car seats.

I’m curious to know how this differs from other countries.  I know that the obsession with car seat safety in the US stems from the fact that vehicular death is the leading cause of death in young children…something like a 1 in 6,000 chance of death every time you put them in the car.  There is likelier a higher density of cars on the road in the US, and additionally, cars regularly travel at higher speeds than in Singapore.  Is Singapore lax, or are they equivalent to countries like the UK, Australia, France, and so forth?  I should clarify lax for countries with seatbelt laws, as compared to India, where the whole family is perched on one motorcycle as a norm, Singapore is downright strict.

Filed under: cars/driving, Culture Shock, Expat to Expat Advice, Singapore | 19 Comments »

Renting/Leasing a car

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Expat Bostonians

A couple of commenters have asked me to write a little more in detail about the way leasing works here in Singapore.

*******I am happy to write about my experience, but remember as this post becomes dated things may change, or work differently with a different leasing agent.*******

Before we first moved to Singapore, we read about car ownership in one of those “So you’re moving to Singapore…” style guidebooks.  The book made it very clear that car ownership was for the extremely wealthy, and those on expat packages whose company would pay for the car.  We fit neither description, and the MRT/bus/cab situation was reasonable enough that we never really seriously considered buying a car.

It wasn’t until fairly recently, when I started talking to friends who had cars here in Singapore, that I realized there was another option besides ownership; leasing.  While we employed B, a car was still a financially irresponsible decision for our family, but after we fired her, it became a possibility.  When I began to do the math on how many cabs I was taking to get Ellie to school five days a week, gymnastics, violin, grocery runs, play dates, and general running around it began to look downright reasonable to lease a car.

How I did my research

I will confess to a certain level of laziness.  I contacted Avis, and asked my friends with cars how much they were paying.  When everyone gasped at how little a friend of mine was leasing for, I decided to contact her agent at the Hyundai dealership on Alexandra Road.

We initially took the car for a 4 day test drive at a daily rate, but they agreed that if we signed for a few months trial, the daily rate would count towards the first month’s lease.  Last week I signed a monthly trial for a few months, just to be sure.  This is a really big commitment, and we want to be completely sure before we sign a 1 or 2 year deal.

Terms of the lease

  • We pay a monthly fee to lease the car.  When we commit to a one or two year lease, that amount will either stay static to what we’re paying in our trial months (1 year lease) or decrease by about 100 SGD a month (2 year lease).
  • The leasing company covers—-Maintenance (including regularly scheduled maintenance and oil changes), Insurance, COE, roadside assistance in SG and Malaysia, road taxes
  • We pay for—gas, a deductible in the case of an accident (with a higher deductible should the accident happen in Malaysia), parking fees, the ERP (edited to thank commenters clarifying road tax vs erp)
  • During our lease period we can switch cars to another car in the same class at the same amount or to a higher end car should we wish.  We may not downgrade our car.

Gas

We are filling our tank about once a week (given that we’ve only had it for just under 2 weeks).  It costs around 80-90 SGD to fill it, with different gas stations offering different discounts for using specific cards.  We only have cards issued by GNB, which sadly is not one of the more popular discounters.  Gas runs just over 2 SGD a liter (6 USD per gallon) and our tank is 40ish liters (or 10 gallons).

It is true that the model we have drinks a bit more gas than the equivalent model to what we owned in the US, but there are no real Hybrid options for leasing right now, and the difference in our model versus a different model plus gas still make our Matrix the cheapest option for our family.

Parking/ERP

While in some parts of Singapore there is on street or public parking where you’ll need coupons (and I have some just in case), the majority of places I’ve been do electronic charging.  Your car has an electronic reader (IU unit) mounted on the dash on the driver’s side.  When you enter/exit a parking lot or enter an ERP road, it is scanned and the amount of money is deducted from your cash card.

Cash cards can be purchased at 7/11.  You can refill the amount of money on them at 7/11 and in many mall parking lots. I generally just leave mine in the IU, unless I have a voucher for free parking.  In those cases, you take out the cash card and insert your voucher into a secondary machine at the exit.

I look to average about 50 SGD a week in parking/ERP.  I know many people say that parking here is expensive, but I’m not sure what they’re comparing it to.  Suburban US life, where free parking is an automatic?  Or an urban American metric?  Compared to Boston/New York daily rates, parking is downright dirt cheap here.  I usually pay about 2-4 dollars to park at Ellie’s school (2.20 if I’m just doing a drop off or pick up…the 1 hour rate, or 4.20 if I stay for a meal or to do grocery shopping–the 2 hour rate).  In Boston, many parking garages start at 10+ per hour and in New York, it’s even higher (granted, both tend to top out at 20-30+ dollars after 4 hours for a 24 hour period, but…).

I’m going to address car seats in tomorrow’s post

What other questions/topics do you guys want to know about?

Filed under: cars/driving, money, Singapore | 11 Comments »

Wheels

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Expat Bostonians

With a young child and a baby, I have fairly limited transportation options in Singapore that don’t involve me losing my mind-buses want me to fold/take apart the stroller and the MRT is a 20 minute walk at adult pace (aka 40 minutes at glacial toddler pace).  At some point I threw up my hands in irritation and just started using cabs about 99% of the time.

Cabs are fairly affordable and relatively easy to get.  There are exceptions-the 50% after-midnight surcharge (which, granted doesn’t affect us often), the absolute paucity of cabs the second water begins to fall from the sky, the dreaded shift-change where cab drivers never want to go to the part of the island where I’m going, and rush hour(s).  Considering the times I’m around, I’m most affected by rainstorms and the 5pm(ish) shift change.

However, when you are taking upwards of 20 cabs a week at approximately 10 bucks a pop, cabs start to look like a poor value.  When a friend shares that her monthly leased car costs about the same or less than your projected cab budget for the next month, the appropriate response is to ask for the number of her leasing agent.

Today I dropped Ellie off at school and took a cab to the Hyundai showroom to meet with their leasing department.  I was escorted to the car, and I gave it a test drive around the block.  Before I knew it, I had the keys and was driving it off the lot for a 4 day trial.

Sorry for the glare–phone pic

Why only a 4 day trial?  The Matrix is a very different kind of car than I’m used to.  It feels much more like an SUV, even though it is technically a “compact” car, in that the driver is fairly high up off the ground, and the entire back opens up.  The “trunk” space is fairly small compared to our Accord in the US-I can fit my stroller in there, but I’m not sure if I could go for a spree at Fair Price and still have room in the car for the stroller and the kids.  I’m not crazy about the lack of “isofix/LATCH” for securing car seats (although I’ve mostly been told to buck up-Asian cars in Asia don’t tend to have them-which means we’ll be securing the car seats with seat belts).

Perhaps the biggest x-factor is getting used to everything being “backwards.”  I have driven on the “wrong” side of the road before, when we were in Scotland in 2009.  But that was only a few day rental, I had GPS, and once out of Edinburgh, I was primarily doing highway driving, as opposed to city driving.  Today I managed to repeatedly piss myself off when attempting to hit the turn signal, I instead turned on my windshield wipers.  It also feels very wrong to look to the left for my mirror.  I’m reasonably confident it’s something I’d get used to quickly, and then driving at home will be the experience that feels “wrong”, but I want a few days to be sure before committing.

What was driving in Singapore like for me today?

It’s the wrong side of the road.  My brain hurts and I have to really focus while driving, far more than I do back home.

I don’t yet have GPS, so I got lost trying to pick up Ravi.  Thankfully google maps saved the day and I eventually picked him up from work.  Getting lost when you “sort-of” know where you’re going is frustrating.  Apparently I wasn’t paying as much attention as I thought I was to the cab driver’s routes.

I had to get a cash card.  Certain roads cost money to drive upon at certain times of the day, and all the parking garages cost money.  However, Singapore has streamlined the process by requiring each car to have a transponder by the driver’s side.  You go to 7-11 to buy a “cash card” that you assign value to, and then insert into your transponder.  When you drive on the roads, you pay “ERP” (electronic road pricing).  When you go to the mall or what have you, your transponder is scanned when you enter and exit and you’re charged the appropriate rate (90-120 minutes at United Square was 4.20 SGD, for example).

Transponder

The Parking Garages are AWESOME (or at least the one at United Square is).  There are signs on each level telling you how many spots are open, and above each spot is a light that is either red (occupied) or green (available).  This is pretty damn cool to me.

  Above our car, red…in the distance green

The Parking Garage ramps SUCK.  To be fair, it was just a misjudgment on my part, but my growing confidence was shattered when I was leaving United Square.  I was going down the exit ramp that spirals through the levels of the garage, and as I turned a corner, I misjudged the angle and cut my wheel too soon.  The back wheel scraped the curb, and damaged the hubcap.  Not five hours, and I damaged the car.  It was definitely a body blow to my confidence.

I need a bluetooth headset if we keep the car (and GPS).  I need to be able to call Ravi when I’m approaching his work as they don’t allow lingering.  After having gotten lost several times on the way over, I was not thrilled at the 20 minute detour I had to take to try and find my way back to his work after being shooed away.  I don’t know Singapore half as well as I apparently thought I did.  The repeatedly getting lost did not help my confidence.

Right now I’m about 50/50 or 60/40 on the car.  It has been SO NICE to know I can leave on my schedule, to not feel rushed as I’m trying to get gear and kids in and out of the car, and being in control of my destiny (vehicularly speaking).  However, it’s definitely a challenge and stressful.  I’m glad that right now we’re only trying it for 4 days, and then I can make an informed decision on Monday about whether I want to try a 2 month rental (after which we’d sign a long term lease agreement).

Any advice you might have about driving in SG is very welcome in comments below…

Filed under: cars/driving, Singapore | 23 Comments »

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