What to expect?

[newcome]

What are the most shocking things to expect for a Dutch family, who are going to live in SP?

[draining]

the humid heat?

[azriel]

My partner is Dutch and he hasn't been shocked by anything, but then it takes an awful lot to shock a Dutch man doesn't it?

The only thing that has bothered him since he is has been here is the heat.  It's the hottest day of a Dutch summer nearly every day of the year here.

I'm American and only two things have shocked me since I've been here.  The first is how hard it has been for me to find clothes that fit me. I have an average size bust in the US, but what's average in Europe and the States is extra large  here.

I would suggest that your family shop and get a complete new summer wardrobe before you come here.  Shop for a tropical summer not a Dutch summer.  Look for the coolest styles and fabrics in  clothes and get comfortable sandals.

The second thing that shocked me, might also shock your wife; the first time I walked into a public toilet stall and found instead of a regular toilet there was a porcelain hole in the ground.  Luckily, I was adept at the skill it took to squat and hold my jeans out of the way without tumbling into the porcelain hole.  

[Imagine]

Compared to Holland it's paradise over here.
The most shocking experience is to find out how things can be so much better compared to home.

[shocked]

The most shocking thing I have seen is girl about 10 yrs old squatting over a drainage grate at a neighborhood mall to urinate.  Her mother was helping her.  There were public toilets available but she just did it out on the side walk drain.

Gave me the creeps and made me feel the whole mall was dirty.

[opportunists all]

shocked:

don't go out much do you?

many of the big cities like london, new york, san francisco, vancouver, LA l .. have streets, alleys which reek of  p*ss from GROWNUP panhandlers, homeless, drunks, dopeheads ... who are not very discriminate about where they relieve themselves.

i won't say it's right but at least this instance was a child and any parent knows all know about emergencies.

[Hmmm]

The price of BEER!

[Dutch as well]

You'll probably be shocked to find how rude Dutch people are compared to Singaporeans...moved back to Holland 6 months ago after 6 years in Asia and still can not get used to the blunt way in which Dutch people treat each other. You  might also be shocked by the absence of dogpoop on the sidewalk, the cheap taxi's, the good food, the SAFETY!!!.. However, no kidding, I am afraid that the circumstances under which a lot of live-in maids live will REALLY shock you. And FYI, in Singapore, there are Chinese Singaporeans, Malay Singaporeans, Indian Singaporeans, but they all will tell you that they are Singaporean (will not deny there are no tensions between the groups) but it is not like in Holland where people say they are Dutch OR Turk OR Marokkaan OR Antilliaan etc.

[skank]

The Heat, like someone said buy tropical clothes before you come, pretend you are going on holiday in Surinam

The Price of Beer
The Substandard Heineken brewed here

NO large picture windows in the front of houses here, half the locals don't even talk to their neighbors

You still have to put up with loud drunken Brits crowding th your favorite pub on the weekend & unfortunately here they will not be taknig the last available ferry back on Sunday night

[This message has been edited by skank (edited 09-02-2003).]

[amsterdam]

....on a lighter note, having spent a few lads weekends in Amsterdam, I would've thought the obvious things would be  censorship and drugs!!

p.s. eel sandwiches?!

[frieswithmayonnaise]

The Belgians!!! Great people!!!

[black birds]

I'm not sure if you would be shocked by this. I certainly was when I witnessed it especially since I have two small children. Last November, OUR FIRST DAY IN SINGAPORE I saw two men in dark uniforms shooting black birds out of  the trees/sky with dead accuracy in a park. This was from my apartment window at Robertson Quay so lots of multy storey buildings around. I was probably a hundred metres away but  could see rifles (? pallet guns, I'm not an expert in this area and wouldn't know one from the other) held by the men. If the bird was not dead straight away they then swung them onto the ground to kill. I was really shocked at the time as my initial thought was that a bullet could stray into someones apartment, thinking that they were real bullets being used. I have not seen this happen again so I'm thinking it is not done very often. I have since been told that these birds are a pest. There sure are plenty of them around especially in the parks!

[Shocked]

Hey I get out all the time.  This kid was 10  years old and the bath room was just around the corner in this little mall.  So much for emergencies.

Those guys shooting the birds were Singaporean gun club members given permission by the govt. to try to reduce the black bird population.  They went out on specified days and were allowed to shoot the birds.  There was a great article in the ST about how the birds figured out the range of the guns so now won't get close to the guns so the gun club is not an option anymore.  

[crow culling]

it's called crow culling apparently.  it sounds a bit ridiculous to me, surely one shot and all the other birds fly away.

I would have thought there were other more sensible methods of doing this

[oldy]

the size of cloths and shoes.
if u r a woman with feet size 9 (40) u r going to be frastrated most of the time. u r going to see beatiful shoes that will never fit your feet.
also, if u r not as small as the locals, the chance to find a shirt that will fit u is little.
i wear here size XL while anywhere else in europe i wear size M.

[This message has been edited by oldy (edited 10-02-2003).]