Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Singapore

Why does Amazon want me to go to Burma to get a Kindle?

blue mustard — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:27:34 -0800

How does Amazon decide where to sell the Kindle? I live in Singapore, so Amazon won't let me purchase a Kindle. But if I lived in Myanmar, then they'd be happy to sell me one.

Why is this? It can't be the size of the market: Singapore is full of rich gadget buyers, while Myanmar is not.

I thought maybe it's because Singapore regulates the media. But then again, Myanmar isn't exactly laissez-faire when it comes to press freedom. Neither are Vietnam or Laos, two other Kindle-friendly countries.

Looking across 10 Southeast Asian countires, Amazon will sell Kindles in 60% of them:
Singapore: No
Myanmar: Yes
Laos: Yes
Indonesia: No
Cambodia: Yes
Vietnam: Yes
Malaysia: No
Philippines: Yes
Thailand: No
Timor-Leste: Yes

There's got to be a pattern here, but I don't see it. If anything, they're selling in the countries with lower per capita incomes, but that doesn't really make sense.

So how does Amazon decide where to distribute these things?

Travel Options w/a RT Ticket to Kuala Lumpur

gov_moonbeam — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:08:44 -0800

I jumped on a super cheap ticket on Air China to Kuala Lumpur next Spring. It'll be my first time in Asia and I have about 10 days. Should I stick to Malaysia & Singapore or is it worth it looking at other locations I can fly to from the airport? My #1 addiction is travel and after doing Peace Corps in the Caribbean and visiting almost all of Latin America, I'm ready to move on to a new part of the world. I've just bought a really cheap ticket on Air China to Kuala Lumpur in late April 2010. From what I've been told, Malaysia and Singapore are good "starter" countries for getting your feet wet in Asia.

I'm in the preliminary stages of reading about both places, but would love to hear from people who've been there. Having done exhaustive "hit every town on the tourist/backpacker route" trips before, I would rather be low key in my travels. So I'm hoping for advice from people who've either been there or who live there. Would you stick to Malaysia and Singapore or is it worth it seeing what other locations I can fly to out of KL? And if I just spent my time in M & S, what are the big "tourist traps*" that I could easily skip? I like wandering around and just getting a sense of people's lives in a place. And obviously I wouldn't have thought about the ticket i the first place if I didn't have an interest in street food. Also I love going to museums and being outdoors/hiking. I have one friend of a friend who lives in KL as a contact, but I'd love to hear from other people's experiences.

* I went to Brazil 3 years ago and thinking that speaking only Spanish would be a problem, I signed up for a tour through GAP Adventures. I really regret this decision because we hit all of the high cost "gringo route" locations in the country, plus the group I was with mostly cared about partying/finding the local disco. I didn't really feel like I'd had the experience of what life is actually like in that country outside of the hostel/backpack bubble.

Lounging about in Singapore

tksh — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:52:36 -0800

What are some things a single traveller can do in Singapore, mid-December? I have half of December off and am thinking of taking off to Singapore for a week or two by myself, to blow off stress and to get away from the cold. I was last in Singapore some five years ago and I remember doing Sentosa Island, the Botanical Gardens, the zoo at night and wandering around Orchard Road so the obvious, more popular items have already been done.

I have food, the national museum and galleries in mind. And maybe a quick trip over the border to get another stamp on the passport. But that's not quite a week's worth of activities. I don't plan on drinking nor going to clubs so alternative evening ideas would be nice too.

In case it matters, I am fluent in English and Cantonese and can understand bits of Mandarin. A mixture of the three got me whatever and to wherever I wanted last time so off the beaten path is cool with me.

Finally, I am also floating the idea of couchsurfing this time to really save costs and to meet some local people. Does anyone have experience with couchsurfing in Asia?

Help me name my web show!

mordecai — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:50:48 -0800

Name-my-web-show filter: I'm launching a web show that features the places and foods of Singapore. I need a shot, snazzy title for it, ending with a .tv domain. Anybody got any ideas? Thanks so much!

Help me find Kaya (coconut milk spread from Malaysia) in Seattle, WA or the US.

dcruzin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:09:13 -0800

Where can I find this delicious Malaysian Coconut Milk Spread called "Kaya King" in Seattle, WA or anywhere else in the United States/Canada? My friend brought me back this amazing coconut milk spread from Malaysia that is great on toast called "kaya" that's made by the company "Kaya King."

I live in Seattle, WA. Where can I buy this either locally or get it shipped to me or imported?

Any leads/tips or friendly people who live in Malaysia welcome :)

It's also distributed in Singapore.

how to entertain a group of 8 in singapore on a strict budget

messiahwannabe — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:03:15 -0800

i need a bunch of cheap, or better yet FREE, activities for a group of 20-something indonesian musicans and dancers during our trip to singapore. me and my band will be in singapore for 8 days. there's 8 of us (3 girls 5 guys) and we'll be on a super tight budget, but since most of them don't get out of indonesia very often, i want to show them a good time while we're there. so i'm looking for some fun, FREE activities i can do with them - mostly in the afternoon before our shows, but also at night after 10pm. ideas anyone?

it can be anything really, not just classic tourist stuff (though that's cool as well, as long as it's FREE). just as long as it's interesting or fun! so far i've thought of: wandering through the biggest, newest mall. a walk through a cool, attractive area, maybe at night, say by the waterfront or something. eat at a cool hawker center where they can spend their $10/day per diems, maybe like la pasat or something... maybe there's a free rooftop viewing area we can look at the skyline? free museums and concerts are also good. basically anything i can do to fill up our free time around our shows without spending the little money we're making on the gig...

we'll be staying in the gaylong area (but i think we can probably at least afford to take the mrt places). also, we'll be there during f1 if that helps any!

Looking for Changi Airport MAC makeup colour advice

Jubey — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:00:47 -0800

Looking for information about MAC cosmetics in Singapore, both about where to find certain products, what's available there and what colours might suit me. Hi, I'm based in Australia and here, MAC has a makeup palette you can customise. It comes with 4, 6 or 8 squares into which you can put a square of foundation, one of blush, your choice of eyeshadows etc. Basically you can mix and match.

Now my husband is coming through Changi Airport tomorrow night and can actually pick me up some duty free, so my first question is, is this customisable palette available at Changi Airport? MAC Sing website doesn't even list this store, or products so I can't call them and MAC Australia seem to be lost on the topic. (Australia also don't list it on their website but it's offered in store). If someone knows if it's available and can let me know in the next few hours that would be great.

2nd Part; Should this happen to be available, what colours should I get? I have dark brown hair, fair to medium skin (more fair, with yellow undertones) and light brown eyes. I'm after a few eyeshadows, a square of foundation, a blush and maybe a few shades of lipgloss/lipstick.

And is there any MAC product I can't do without... I already have liquid foundation.
Thanks for your help!

Bringing legally prescribed controlled substances through customs in Asia?

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:01:33 -0800

Advice on bringing a small quantity of legally prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate) and other prescriptions for personal use into Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, South Korea, and the Philippines? I'm traveling to a number of Asian countries in the next three weeks, and I would like to bring my prescriptions with me. The drugs are 30x20mg Ritalin (methylphenidate), 6x200mg Provigil (modafinil), and 30x10mg Ambien (zolpidem). These are legally prescribed by a U.S. doctor, and I will carry the pills in the original, labeled bottle and will have an official-looking letter from the doctor.

But Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, according to their customs Web sites, either ban these drugs outright or require preapproval through a bureaucratic process. I wasn't able to find info on the other countries, but it's those three places that I'm most concerned about anyway (Japan and Singapore especially).

In those countries, since they require preapproval, if I indicate on my customs forms that I have controlled substances, then I'll almost certainly have them confiscated and could face other penalties (right?). If I play stupid and just state I have no items to declare, I'd most likely get through OK. But if they pull me aside and search my bags, then I'd be in big trouble, right? I will have entered and exited different countries ~13 times by the end of this trip, so at least on that I'd look suspicious.

So: what actually happens if Japan/Singapore/Hong Kong customs finds undeclared, un-preapproved but legally prescribed controlled substances in your bags? Is it something I can plead ignorance on and just get a warning, or are there serious consequences? I'm not sure if these laws are actually enforced in the case of small quantities and legal personal use. Should I just not bring the drugs?

Johor Bahru layover?

ryanbryan — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:20:59 -0800

Arriving into Singapore at 7:40am, and my connecting flight isn't until 20:35 that evening. Is it possible to go to Johor Bahru in this amount of time, or am I crazy? If so, what is the best way?

How to deal with uncertainty in job hunt?

joewandy — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:20:47 -0800

I'm currently jobless and have been hunting for web development/programming jobs for the past three weeks. I just received my first offer two days ago, but do not feel that the company is right for me. On the other hand I'm pretty anxious about passing up the opportunity. What do you think I should do? There's also an additional time constraint involved. [more details inside] My gut feeling is telling me that it isn't the right company for me (small operation, pretty run down, gloomy staff, didn't really like the place), but I'm pretty anxious to refuse the offer for fear of not being able to find other opportunities.

The salary offered isn't great at all (15% cut from my previous pay). It seems that it would actually place me below the industry's average in the pre-recession era. Other people, however, seem to agree that it is pretty okay considering the economic mess nowadays.

There might possibly some potentials for growth in position, but I didn't intend to stay for long as I would be pursuing postgraduate study a year from now.

So, do you think I should just commit myself to this very first offer that I've got? Ideally I would like to hang on to it for a while, and carry on searching for opportunities elsewhere. Unfortunately the potential boss would like me to give the decision by next Monday (two days from now), so there isn't really enough time to do any other searchings at all.

Bear in mind that I'm pretty junior (2 years of work experience, specializing in Java/J2EE development). My current location is in Singapore; the job market here is pretty tight and quite affected by the economic downturn, although not as bad as in the USA. I'd say that it's comparably similar to how Hong Kong is faring at the moment.

I must have sent about 50 copies of my resume for the past 3 weeks till now, and managed to secure 3 interviews. Only 1 of those ended up with a concrete offer as mentioned above.

Fly fishing in South East Asia

roofus — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:05:01 -0800

South-East-Asia-Fly-Fishing-Filter: Any recommendations for beach resorts in South East Asia that offer guided saltwater fly fishing? Bonus marks for:
1. Somewhere that's a relatively short hop from Singapore
2. Decent surfing
3. Both surfing and fishing in February

How do I prevent lightning strikes on my old Singaporean building from killing my electronics?

jimdanger — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 23:00:38 -0800

How do I prevent lightning strikes on my old Singaporean building from killing my electronics? I recently moved to Singapore, and have an apartment in a building that was built in the 1940's. Most of my appliances have the standard US plugs, so I was given a bunch of power converter boxes to make them work.

As soon as I moved in, all my neighbors and coworkers started warning me of our buildings being a huge lightning rod. Apparently whenever there is a big thunderstorm, our buildings get struck by lightning, which ends up killing whatever electronic appliances are plugged in. Everyone has horror stories of losing multiple TVs and computers due to lightning strikes. I've asked many people here if there was a way to prevent it, but it seems like no one knows of a way and just accepts it. The only suggestion is to unplug everything during a storm.

Since I can't always guarantee I'll be home when a storm starts, and since I'd prefer not to sit in dark silence every time it starts raining, can someone who has a better understanding of power and electronics offer an alternative solution? (modifying the building in any way is not an option.)

Prescription drugs in Singapore

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:31:14 -0800

Traveling to Singapore with lawfully prescribed prescription medication including antidepressant/antianxiety drugs (klonopin, wellbutrin, and paxil.) Is it sufficient to pack these in carry-on luggage in their original bottles? Is a doctor's letter necessary/recommended? (Nothing says overcautious like "mandatory death penalty.") Thanks.

Thailand or bust

smackfu — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:22:42 -0800

I want to go to Thailand. I have a lot of airline miles. Alas, I can't find an award ticket to Thailand for November or December at all. OTOH I can get to Singapore and pay to fly onward. Is Singapore a good choice or is there somewhere better?

Help me socialize in Singapore

Kevbo947 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:20:29 -0800

Where can I party in Singapore? I'm a 19 year old American male visiting my aunt and uncle for a couple weeks and I'm starting to get cabin fever. It's my first time in Singapore. I'm not necessarily looking to go out and get wasted but I'm looking for a place where I can maybe get tipsy, smoke a few cigarettes and meet (and maybe dance with) some people my age on a friday night. I'm staying in Serangoon gardens in case anyone is wondering. I'm willing to answer any questions about any info I might have left out. Thanks in advance.

Improvisation in Singapore: Where?

WalterMitty — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:52:52 -0800

What's the Improv scene in Singapore like? Help me get a more optimistic picture than the one Google provides. I first got interested in improv theatre & comedy while attending university in the UK. I'm going to Singapore for the duration of this summer vacation and would like to keep in practice, but Google is failing me here when I try looking for "improv comedy in Singapore" (and its variants).

I've found one group (the "Madhatters Comedy Company"), but they seemingly have no upcoming shows - they had one show in May, but no sign of any more.

An offshoot of Improv Everywhere has recently appeared - "Mission: Singapore" - but I'm looking for an actual performing group (at the very minimum, one which has regular performances or, even better, workshops) rather than one that seems focused on flash-mobbing.

There's apparently a workshop in late June, but that also looks like a one-off. Plus I'm not really looking for Improv 101, but rather something more regular.

Help! Is the improv scene in Singapore really as dead as Google would have me believe? Say it ain't so.

Recommendations for cheap hostel accomodation in Singapore

dohmer — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:29:57 -0800

I'm a single 25 year old male staying in Singapore for a couple of days in June I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for cheap places to stay? I don't know what part of Singapore I should stay in so recommendations/experiences would be welcome, I would prefer to stay in hostelish accommodation with people about my own age.

Good books set in Singapore?

Mr Bunnsy — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:29:14 -0800

Please recommend some books set in Singapore. I'll be spending some time in Singapore and I like to get in the mood for travel by reading literature set in my destination. Amazon searches are failing me on this one, can you help? I am partial to mysteries and sci-fi/ fantasy, but anything well-written and entertaining will do. The writers can be Singaporean or not - I just want to soak in the setting.

set loose in singapore

drea — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:16:15 -0800

My brother (almost 15) and I (19) are going to Singapore this March by ourselves. I've been planning the itinerary though my dad says it reads like an educational field trip. Help me undorkify it, then. We'll be there three days, with a trip to the Singapore Zoo + Night safari, Sentosa Island, and, okay, the Science Museum. A trip to the humongous wheel opening that month.
How long should a trip to the Singapore Zoo take, anyway? Three hours enough so we can go exploring the rest of the city beforehand? How about Sentosa? I guess it'd be okay to forgo the dolphins and the trapeze, maybe I'll save the Light Show for Vegas, if ever. I just want the rides.

Anyway. Helpful tips appreciated. If it helps, we're staying North of Little India (the hive), so keeping us from going round in circles throughout our stay is a plus.

Ridin' the Rails Lah

TetrisKid — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:02:53 -0800

I'm trying to find audio recordings of MRT Stop landings (Singaporean) for a Christmas present. I'm looking for sound recordings of any announcements (calling out of the upcoming stop) made over the PA system as the train rolls in or out of the station in Singapore's MRT system. Is there a place on the web where these are already accessible? Perhaps a Singaporean Mefite could lend a hand?

I am looking for announcements of the east/west line in particular (but ones around the heart of
Raffles-Newton would be great).

This is for an audio project I'm working on for a friend's Christmas present.

Travel ideas for East-Asia vacation?

superwillis — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:34:59 -0800

I'm planning 3 weeks this summer to travel with some friends (just out of college) to East Asia. Ideally, we'd like to fly from NY to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok (in the cheapest possible order/arrangement). Any suggestions on attractions/lodgings/things-you-have-to-see at each destination (for the budget-conscious?) Spending approximately 4-5 days at each destination, hopefully spending a little time in the city and a little time exploring outside (i.e. I heard the beaches in Puket, near Bangkok, are very beautiful, so thats definitely planned).

Life in Singapore

topynate — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 07:30:38 -0800

I'm considering applying for a maths PhD in Singapore. I'm from the UK. I'd like some thoughts on living there for an extended period. As far as I can tell there's been a certain degree of liberalization recently - any opinion on that?

I need suggestions for a bachelor party in Singapore.

sisquoc15 — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:43:34 -0800

I need suggestions for a bachelor party in Singapore. I’m best man at a wedding in December in Singapore. It’ll be my first visit there and first bachelor party I’ve organized. To create a memorable day/evening, I could use some general bachelor party advice and Singapore specific information.

I'm thinking: 1) some day activity (unusual/adventurous), 2) great dinner in a remarkable setting, and 3) perhaps some light debauchery (I’m thinking a Vegas-style ‘gentleman’s club’, as we’re all adverse to paid bodily fluid exchange/crotch crickets.)

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Can't find Anything Whatever

Megafly — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:39:29 -0800

I am fascinated by the Singaporean soft drinks Anything and Whatever How would you suggest a USian get ahold of some?

Make me want to go to Asia.

djstig — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:18:35 -0800

Make me want to go to Asia. Next summer I will be heading off to Singapore for a really good friends wedding, however it is only for a couple of days. The vague problem is that most of the other friends of the wedding party are planning on travelling around that part of the world for a few weeks afterwards.

However I have had very little interest in looking to travel in that part of the world. As in Malaysia, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia etc. So I am asking the Uncle Travelling Matt types of AskMe to sell Asia to me.

Interests include walking, swimming, historic sites, food that kind of thing. All of which I know are plentiful around those parts, but because I've not ever fancied Asia then I'm kind of clueless.