One of the many things our teacher in cultural sensitivity training tried to drill into our heads was that Singaporeans prefer indirect communication to direct communication. How does this look? Well, it's typical to have a very chatty and off-topic meeting with someone who you are trying to do business with. To us, it feels like they aren't taking our business seriously but really they are trying to see if we are serious enough to build a relationship with them.
After some frustrating experiences I figured out that there is a "three visits rule." If I chill out and just trust this process I can get things done and enjoy the indirect quirkiness of Singaporean business customs.
So this is my three visits rule which I have just applied to several things, including signing a lease, getting insurance, doing anything at the bank etc.
Monday 28 March 2011
Saturday 26 March 2011
Thursday 24 March 2011
Redang Island, Malaysia
Joel finally came home from his work trip to New Zealand. We jetted off immediately for a 5 day trip to Redang Island in Malaysia. It's a gorgeous white sand island with pretty amazing snorkeling. We saw an incredible variety of fish and reef sharks too. It was great to have cool ocean air for a few days. As Joel put it "I don't think I've ever taken a tropical vacation and come home to hotter weather."
Redang is a resort destination with a few options for places to stay. Berjaya airlines is the best way to get there (unless you want to spend a day in a bus... nope? I thought not). The highest rated resort is the Berjaya Redang Resort which is on the far side of the island on its own beach. It's also the most expensive option. The other 16 resorts are all in a row along three bays.
We stayed in the middle of that resort area at Laguna Redang. The beaches in that area were very nice and the actual rooms at our resort were tastefully furnished. As I said above the fish were plentiful and from what I've heard from other people this really is the big draw here.
When we were there the average age of travelers was about 16 -18 (lots of high school groups) and the beach dance parties were very loud and almost all of the resorts along that area seem to be very much into creating a party/club atmosphere. The food and beverage services are very basic. If you are a die hard snorkeling fiend this is going to be heaven for you but if you're a foodie you might not be too impressed. Either way, don't forget your earplugs for the evenings.
Click on either of the pics below to see more from the trip on Flickr. Make sure you login if you are a friend or family member to see hidden pictures.
Redang is a resort destination with a few options for places to stay. Berjaya airlines is the best way to get there (unless you want to spend a day in a bus... nope? I thought not). The highest rated resort is the Berjaya Redang Resort which is on the far side of the island on its own beach. It's also the most expensive option. The other 16 resorts are all in a row along three bays.
We stayed in the middle of that resort area at Laguna Redang. The beaches in that area were very nice and the actual rooms at our resort were tastefully furnished. As I said above the fish were plentiful and from what I've heard from other people this really is the big draw here.
When we were there the average age of travelers was about 16 -18 (lots of high school groups) and the beach dance parties were very loud and almost all of the resorts along that area seem to be very much into creating a party/club atmosphere. The food and beverage services are very basic. If you are a die hard snorkeling fiend this is going to be heaven for you but if you're a foodie you might not be too impressed. Either way, don't forget your earplugs for the evenings.
Click on either of the pics below to see more from the trip on Flickr. Make sure you login if you are a friend or family member to see hidden pictures.
Sunday 13 March 2011
Dispatches from New Zealand: Wellington looks like Victoria
Photos from Joel's blackberry from his three weeks in New Zealand. By all accounts Wellington sounds a lot like Victoria. (Nice views, really dodgy weather).
Saturday 12 March 2011
The day the earth stood still
I can't remember a time when the world felt any smaller. The earthquake in Japan just brought what felt like the whole world to a halt as we dropped everything we were doing to watch the scenes on TV or to frantically contact people in the areas affected. And then the Tsunami warnings further bound us all to a common fear. We had countless calls and emails back and forth between people on nearly every continent. I felt pretty confident that Joel and I were fairly safe but I worried about all the islands between us and Japan should the waves ravage them.
Over the following hours my own fears about the Tsunami warnings turned to relief and I'm now left watching the footage of Japan again and reading about the nuclear disaster that likely looms for them on top of all the destruction. I have friends whose families in Sendai have not been accounted for yet and I'm very scared for them. I hope today brings good news and comfort as people are hopefully found and reunited. Peace.
Over the following hours my own fears about the Tsunami warnings turned to relief and I'm now left watching the footage of Japan again and reading about the nuclear disaster that likely looms for them on top of all the destruction. I have friends whose families in Sendai have not been accounted for yet and I'm very scared for them. I hope today brings good news and comfort as people are hopefully found and reunited. Peace.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Karapoti 2011 in Wellington, New Zealand
In case anyone thought Joel was neglecting his bikes while he's on business here's a little taste of what he did over the weekend.
Thursday 3 March 2011
Arab Street by Night
A cool new expat hub down this way is Fika Swedish Cafe and Bistro. It's at the corner of Arab St and Beach Road. Mmmm crepes and cakes and affagato. Delish.