USA Double Taxes and S$58k Salary

[Ex-Calif]

Yank - Probably Dutch origin.  Used derisively in teh 1600s to refer to pirates.

The Brits used it derisively in the mid-1700s to refer to continental settlers (presumably Dutch origin).

The civil war reasserted yankee to refer to northerners while southerners were refered to as rebels.

Of course being Americans both sides wore these derisive names as a badge of honor.

In WWII there were many references to yankees, the most famous being George M. Cohen's "Over There" (The Yanks Are Coming."

Most Americans don't care one way or another about being called a Yank- unless you are from the south ;-)  We are hard to insult.  There are too many people who don't like us and throw rocks at us for us to be that sensitive.

If I got into a fight every time I was "insulted" by another country's citizen, I would be a scarred up wreck.  When you are a Yank you get blamed for all the worlds's ills and everyone thinks you are fair game for an insult.

So what - Happy Independence Day Yankee Scum!

[BillDirt]

To ex-calif..

I was in the US last 6 months(midwest - won't disclose where exactly to protect my identity) and found the people really friendly and open. Loved it there.

Everyone makes conversation and tells you to "have a good one". Be it the bus driver, the super market cashiers , the cabbies,strangers walking on the street...and everybody smiles and acknowledges you

Another thing which really touched me, was that a lot of my clients gave me gifts for my newborn daughter and seemed genuinely happy for me...and all my meetings began with them asking me to give me an update on my daughter    I havent experienced that kind of warmth here 


I found myself opening up and becoming more extrovert...and started to learn the art of engaging in polite non intrusive conversations (that generally revolved around the weather and sports)even with complete strangers


So when i landed here last week, the contrast was stark, even in our condo, people avoid eye contact, leave alone wishing you a good day. The buses and mrt seem to be full of self engrossed people either looking out the window or obsessing with their handphones..trying hard, it seems, to block out everything else....
If you are polite and smile at someone they think you are a weirdo, so in just a week i have gone back to my old ways and am now again becoming a robot myself 

No matter what other folks say about the Americans...at least in my trip i found them friendly, helpful and great fun. And customer service especially in retail stores is simply amazing...had gone to Bath and Body Works to pick some stuff for my wife;I had no clue about anything, but the girl there put me completely at ease and spent an hour with me explaining what was for what..and all the ingredients etc...she knew her stuff. She was not pushy at all and i came back a very happy and satisfied shopper 

For me, I would give a thumbs up to the Americans 

[Yank vs Yankee]

Way off topic, but the misinformation above requires correction!

The words Yank and Yankee are two different things.

Yank is rarely used in the US.  I grew up in the Deep South and never heard it.  In the past 10+ years overseas, I've learned that it is a term that foreigners (mostly English speakers) call Americans.  No prob, not offensive at all.

Yankee is a word which is occasionally used by foreigners, incorrectly, as a replacement for Yank.  If they use it around me, I correct them.

Yankee is a term that we in the SE USA use to describe other Americans from the northern states.  Often heard as "damn yankees".
I'm not sure if they find the term offensive or not, I assume they do not.

So - yank and yankee are not the same.

[Researcher]

So what exactly is a good monthly rent for someone on say, SGD 3,900 a month?

Any advice on this? I am thinking of a place around River Valley, Tiong Bahru, or wherever is close to NUS-Bukit Timah (at the Singapore Botanic Gardens). Are there any other neighborhoods I should keep an eye out for, that are close to the Botanic Gardens?

Basilio

[your clever mate]

Flatshare.  Otherwise you will spend 50%+ of your earnings on rent and associated expenses.