Goodbye Singapore!

The end of a beautiful chapter.

Boozy brunches, party buses, ridiculous hangovers, weekend Bali trips (back when it was possible) and expensive alcohol. The Singapore expat life was one hell of a ride.

In 2018, I moved from Sydney to take up a new adventure and challenge. I had been a digital nomad prior and the ‘globe-trotter-suitcase-lifestyle’ was losing its magic for me. My new job would be at a marketing agency where I led their social media department across Asia. In a whirlwind, I was thrown back into corporate life and experiencing Singapore’s expat lifestyle.

I didn’t know anyone when I arrived. Little did I know I would meet my husband, the perfect dog, life long friends and have a small wedding! Today, Singapore is not what is used to be, with the new restrictions it’s sad to see so many others leaving as well. But I want to say goodbye to on a high note, as I will forever be grateful for all the experiences and people I met.

In this post, I will share my:

Top 3 Highlights
What I will and won’t miss
Tips & advice for (any) Singapore newbies.

Happy reading. xx

Top 3 Highlights:

1. Treasure Hunt Proposal & Wedding

This little rugrat from down under met her Belgian Prince Charming. I never would have imagined I would meet my husband and get married in Singapore. But life is funny, in the most cliche way, things happen when the timing is right and when you least expect it!

Jeroen proposed with a surprise ‘treasure hunt’ on our weekly date night in the most romantic fashion (video here). We then had a small wedding at Capella with our Singapore family. Due to Covid restrictions none of our international family and friends could join, but our friends made it an unforgettable night to remember.

2 . United Nations of Hot Alcoholic Friends

I absolutely loved meeting people from all over the world. Young, intelligent, driven and open minded; most people you meet in the expat community have a similar mindset and outlook in life. We were also a social bunch of mild alcoholics.

Our group of friends were from everywhere around the world, US, UK, AUS, Belgium, Italy, India, Uruguay and beyond. Most of my girlfriends were in finance/ tech; the guys in tech/ aviation/ finance/ oil or other commodities. I loved the internationalism of our friends, we all came from different backgrounds but spoke the same language: alcohol.

Did I mention the hangovers? Oh god.

3. Nonna Lizzie

During lockdown I discovered my true passion for cooking, table styling and hosting.

Our apartment had a great rooftop which became my creative outlet. Every week I would try new recipes, flower arrangements, table settings, host themed dinner parties and more. We had a lot of good times, from a surprise anniversary dinner, Lizchella, my bachelorette, the boys golf & cigar night, a girlfriend’s baby reveal to Orphan’s Christmas, Nonna Lizzie made sure each event was filled with good food, lots of cocktails, good chat and love!

Making my Salted Caramel Fig Vanilla Cake (2020)

What I will and won’t miss…

Things I will miss:

Our friends
Our apartment and hosting Nonna Lizzie dinner parties
Getting a Grab (ie. Uber) in 2 minutes and getting anywhere in less than 15 minutes
Groceries sent to the door
Feeling absolutely safe.

Things I will not miss:

Expensive alcohol
General high cost of living.

Tips & Advice for SG Newbies

Personal recommendations and opinions only.

Best places to live: River Valley, Robertson Quay or Bugis.

Best Bars: Spago, it has the best view, Espresso Martinis and a ridiculous cocktail called ‘Rough Love’. Employees Only also great for Espresso Martinis.

Best Bottomless Brunches: Kinki (sushi + alcohol inc Sake), Panamericana (South American Food + alcohol), Madame Fan (dim sims + alcohol).

Best restaurants: Koma, trendy Japanese restaurant which feels like Vegas. Limoncello for woodfired pizza, Etna for cozy Italian. Table 65, 2 Michelin star, for special occasions. Humpback for oysters and seafood. Gaig, Spanish tapas. Praelum, for a cosy wine bar. Bakalaki or Blu Kouzina for great Greek food.

Best furniture stores: Honestly, the second hand expat marketplace is amazing. I bought most of our outdoor furniture from Carousell or Facebook marketplace. Otherwise I went to Ikea, Crate & Barrel and Island Living.

Best fashion stores: I personally did not like the fashion in SG and bought everything online from AUS or US retailers. However, I did really love renting a few dresses from Rentadella.

Best supermarket: Ryan’s Grocer for Australian/ gourmet deli items and Meidi-ya for everyday items in Great World City. Otherwise, Amazon Prime & Redmart for online shopping.

Word of advice for….

Rent: Prepare to fork out around $3k for a 1 bedroom, through to >$6k for a 2 bedroom apartment. Or you can house share for under $3k.

Dating: Everyone is on apps. For guys it’s a haven, for girls it’s a little harder. Be as social as you can, meet new people, say yes to random activities and have fun. Mr/Mrs Right may or may not be in Singapore but you will leave with wonderful memories of a busy social life!

Savings: It is so easy to spend money in Singapore. Everyone is on good salaries and loves the good life. It’s so easy to get caught up in it, but I would recommend to try saving as much as you can whilst you’re on a great salary. Tax won’t be as low in other countries.