Forty years of living in Singapore and 25 years of professional life across a government agency, MNC regional HQ, and SME operations. That combination — local depth plus corporate fluency — is what makes the difference when a relocating professional needs honest answers about schools, housing, or healthcare, or when a discerning visitor wants to understand Singapore beyond what any guidebook can offer.
I've travelled to 6 of 7 continents — Africa is still on the list. Which means I understand both sides of this: the local you've come to visit, and the traveller who lands somewhere unfamiliar and needs someone to actually help.
Why This Exists
At Buenos Aires airport, my luggage was delayed. The announcements were in Spanish. Some airline staff spoke English — but they were surrounded by other travellers asking the same question, all at once. One kind local stepped in and translated for me. I was grateful. I also thought: I wish I could get this kind of help reliably, in the middle of it, without depending on whoever happens to be standing nearby. A local TV crew was filming the scene. I was probably in the background of someone's evening news segment, looking confused.
The rest of the trip had its own moments. Wrong directions from confident locals. A hiking vendor who would not take no for an answer. Bus rides to other cities with no idea if I was on the right one.
I tried Google Translate. It has its limitations — sanitary pads became "disposable panties." The audio feature requires data roaming, which I had limited access to. Hand gestures filled some gaps. Not all of them.
The delayed luggage meant I needed a toothbrush in Cusco. Simple enough — except the pharmacy kept everything behind the counter. With no shared language, I couldn't specify colour, brand, or softness level. I got whatever the pharmacist decided to hand me. Rio de Janeiro had supermarkets where I could choose my own. That problem, at least, was solved. My purse was stolen while I was shopping.
None of it was catastrophic. All of it was avoidable with one person who actually knew the place.
Singapore is my home. I know where the traps are, which hawker stalls are worth the queue, which neighbourhoods suit which kinds of people, and which schools have realistic waitlists. I started this so that the visitors and professionals who come here get the version of local knowledge I wished I had in those airports — direct, honest, and not trying to sell you a commission.
On integrity: This advisory exists because visitors deserve honest local guidance. I hold myself to that standard — no commissions, no kickbacks, no steering — and I hold others to it too: where I encounter operators exploiting visitors, I report them to the Singapore Police Force. Quietly, and every time.
What's On in Singapore
Rather than a monthly note that goes stale, everything worth planning around lives in one place: the F1 night race, the Singapore Night Festival, Deepavali in Little India, the December light-ups and the rest — month by month, with honest advice on what's worth your time.
See the Singapore events calendar →
