Few events have transpired to me writing this entry - a good friend’s visit in GZ, a recent business trip back to Singapore, watching Revolutionary Road, recent spate of farewell parties, and the consumption of green tea with Johnnie Walker. And besides, friends who I’ve met in recent times would’ve already heard much of my life/career preach.
So I thought I’d detail it for a wider audience here:
9 reasons why Singaporeans should live and work in China.
1. You become richer, relatively.
This is true for the large part of China, because things are cheap. Here in Guangzhou, I live in a studio apartment for RMB 1900 rent. It’s double stories, fully furnished, has management and security, and very conveniently located. If you party, you can get Chivas for around RMB 600. That’s 2-3 times cheaper than Singapore or Hong Kong. My point being, in Singapore you would need to have worked a few more years, climbed higher in the corporate world to attain a salary that can support a similar lifestyle. In China, you get to skip ahead.
My studio apartment in GZ
2. Professional vantage
Being effectively bilingual puts us at strategic vantage point between international business, and China, for international businesses targeting China, as well as Chinese businesses looking to expand. Additionally, in China, the Singapore Brand comes across premium and trustworthy, probably because of all our clean and green, corruption free effective government diplomacy over the years, not forgetting recent contributions from the likes of Stefanie, Joi, JJ, and Du. But take heed: our bilingual competitive advantage is only temporal. I play football regularly with an expat community, there are some Russians and Turks who communicate with each other in the language second best to their native tongue - fluent mandarin.
3. Social vantage
Vantage point extends into the social as well. Well actually socialising is part of conducting business, isn’t it? In another social aspect, for local girls who fancy foreigners, Singaporeans might just be the right mix of the foreign touch (exposure, lifestyle, languages, expat salary etc.), with Chinese/Asian roots which renders us more bring-home-to-see-mum-able.
Easier and more effective social positioning was also one of the reasons I was able to put together the Guangzhou Freeze.
Guangzhou Freeze 2008
4. Singapore is 24km by 48km big.
It takes just around 1 hour to commute from our Eastern-most Changi Airport MRT station to the Western-most Jurong Joo Koon MRT Station. The world is a little bigger. Venturing abroad might just make our mind a little broader.
Some Singaporeans, they graduate from NUS/NTU and get a bank or engineering job, get a standard promotion within 5 years, and then again in 3, and you get married and start a family, you buy a house and send your kids to a good primary school… your whole life is mapped out. Stability may be a double entendre. I don’t buy too many new clothes or furniture here in Guangzhou because I’m taking and managing risks and am completely relocation-ready when one opportunity expires and another one calls.
I just think Singaporeans need to get out! You might make it big, or you might do so much, lose all your money, and return home.
But it’s not so much the destination, but the experience of having gone the distance. (and I don’t mean as a tourist).
5. China is 4-8 hours away.
Depending on which city you wish to land on, it’s just a 4-8 hours flight away. Home is not too far away in case you are the type who would miss home and chicken rice a lot.
6. If you look yellow, you blend in.
Ok, this, and some of the other points above, only apply to Singaporeans of Chinese ethnicity. Many a times, it is advantageous not to be too explicit in revealing your foreigner identity, because in China, goods and services are sometimes charged at face-value, like in a taxi, or restaurant. Talking in English/Singlish, or taking photos with the food with the happy peace sign would be a sure-giveaway.
7. Opportunities galore in China
There are plenty or opporunities around if one knows how to grab opportunities. A Chinese friend asked me, how did I gain my (reasonable) connections and network here despite starting from scratch just 6 months ago? To which I answered, it is a combination of luck, and making the right impression at the right time. I know of another Singaporean lady, who has been in China for almost 10 years. If you ask her what she does, she’d answer “杀人放火，绑架强奸，走私毒品等等我不做，其他的什么多有做。” (killing, arson, kidnap, rape, drugs smuggling etc - I don’t do these but I do just about everything else.
Streetbusking in Guangzhou
8. Nicer change of weather.
Here there are SEASONS. You wear different clothes. You get to experience the change of mood and comfort, together with the change of temperature. Sure, there are really hot months, but there are really cool months too where you can go out in nice coats and jackets, go play football and not perspire much..get what I’m saying?
9. Freedom in a foreign land
People say the air here is really bad. But to me, all I smell is freedom. Freedom to make big money at your own pace and ways, Freedom to live out your lifestyle. It’s in the air.
