The Downsides of Living in Singapore👎🇸🇬

[@Worldtraveler-88]

Your videos are great. Just wondering, what software app do you use to edit your videos and your youtube shorts? What camera do you use to film your videos? I am currently starting to build my youtube content

[@Swizzyinsg]

I edit on capcut😊

[@Swizzyinsg]

My camera is my Iphone 15 pro

[@steventay5834]

There is a diplomatic clause lah. High costs of housing is a pain.. plus stressful

[@Swizzyinsg]

yes true!

[@barryng1]

Can you make a video about how and why you came to Singapore? The back story would be interesting.

[@Swizzyinsg]

Yes im planning to do so😎

[@TheoAWeeksjr-vp2qi]

Trying to make my way to Singapore by December this year.

[@Swizzyinsg]

YEEES!!!

[@Shahrin.Fitness]

Singapore furniture is cheap, and search forty-two u can choose so many varieties. Looking affordable for rental room, go search HDB housing as low $450 per room depending area and location. For food not so expensive nor cheap. So total expenses around 1000 sgd for accommodation, transport and food. Is manageable. If you looking for luxury life 1000 sgd won't be enough. At least need 5000+- sgd per month to fill a glimpse of lifestyle 😅

[@Swizzyinsg]

Yesss!!!

[@NewmaticKe]

6 months minimum rental by law. 2 years contract is advantageous because of rising cost

[@Swizzyinsg]

For us it was 2years.. we had no choice :(

[@NewmaticKe]

@@Swizzyinsg If you rented now, it should cost more. See what I mean?

[@Realtruth2023]

For me the weather is the no.1 downside. super hot, humid and sticky.

[@Swizzyinsg]

For me its the nr1 pro!!!

[@TeaBadgg]

Ya I swear too much but if you at home then it’s fine or if ur sitting down

[@lunazero433]

Actually all the rubbish gets sorted out and recycled after they collect it. Its quicker, easier and more efficient to collect everything together and sort it out afterwards. Just think : no more seperate bags or rubbish truck trips. Also, even among the different categories the rubbish will still need to be sorted out anyway, for example there's different kinds of plastics that will have to be recycled in different ways. The whole country has a single rubbish disposal system and every piece of rubbish ends up getting recycled down to nearly the last molecule in the end. Basically they extract all the materials they can from all the rubbish and use what's left to expand their man made mangrove island called senoko. There are simplified videos explaining this on youtube.

[@Swizzyinsg]

I really think they do sort all out??

[@waihwangtan1662]

I actually dont agree with this. The mixed recycling bins has very high probability of contamination. We should adopt systems in Taiwan and Japan, where each type of recycleable is pre sorted and collected on different days of the week. CNA has a documentary that proves this method greatly increased the rate of successful recycling.

[@lunazero433]

@@waihwangtan1662 what they do in Taiwan and Japan isn't practical for Singapore where most of the population lives in HDB or condo. In singapore the temperature and humidity is optimal for bacteria growth so you can't just store rubbish in a residential area for up to one week. Also you'll need multiple rubbish chute systems which means more of the building will be used for rubbish, which will be unhygienic and just disgusting.

[@robezy0]

I'm not sure about veganism but if you want to reduce your meat consumption, just go to Indian places more. Super underrated cuisine!

[@Swizzyinsg]

Thats a good idea!!

[@TeaBadgg]

for the storage, there isnt much space in sg so the flats dont have as much space as lets say us houses which have multiple levels and a garage etc. that also makes it easier to clean the house and also helps you to discipline yourself as you will need to tidy it and only keep what you need if it is blocking you or smth like that so mainly the spaces are for ppl to live and not storage. there are companies which you can rent storage rooms but i do not think that it is very practical as you will need to travel far away to pick up some stuff. also it might just be me but i like living in a small house as you know where everything is there are also seperate bins for diff stuff just not everywhere also the cctvs like just watch for crime. everywhere is basically safe when ppl see smth thats not theirs they usually just leave it there or give police

[@Swizzyinsg]

But cellars dont need extra space?🤗🙈

[@seowengtay1785]

Sg is majority high rise buildings. Where to put these cellars?

[@TeaBadgg]

Good thing is that in high rise buildings which we call flats you can meet many ppl and befriend them example some old lady took care of me and my brother once and made us dinner she stayed kinda opposite us. Another example an Indian family invited us to their house for lunch bc they were moving in I really enjoyed it

[@Swizzyinsg]

@@seowengtay1785 in the cellar? Haha i mean in the ground theres nothing?

[@zaki-pq1ps]

when i was in public toilet in kaikoura new zealand year 2010 a cctv is install directed straight into the toilet. Not the washing area but inside the place where people shit.

[@Swizzyinsg]

Ommg hahha a bit creepy no?

[@Fenrispro]

Wah why😅

[@razjackson5825]

Marry a Singaporean - you'll get an HDB that's heavily subsidised, then can buy private or overseas as extra property/rental income. Also, the recycling culture in many western countries is run on a myth. Look up which country has the highest rate of recycling by actual percentage of their total waste. Depending on which ranking, Singapore will be either ranked at the top or close to it (at ~60%) - they've actually invested and set up the infrastructure to do so. I've lived in eight countries, currently based in "green" New Zealand which has over 60 active landfills and only around 24% of their waste actually gets recycled. But everyone here is happy thinking that they're doing a good job because they have a "recycling culture" with all the sorting that households do every week. But when the trucks do their pick ups, almost all of it goes into landfills anyway lol. They don't have the recycling infrastructure in the first place. Most of NZ's 'recycling' is either landfilled, just pilling up in the south island or waiting to be sent overseas to developing countries for 'recycling'. NZ has a smaller population than SG by the way. To also note, plastics were invented because they use up fewer resources to create than their paper or compostable packaging counterparts (especially water used to treat paper products) and they are meant to be recycled. They are also better at keeping food fresh and so massively reduced the rate of food waste when humans started using them. The problem with plastic isn't plastic itself, it's that humans didn't manage the 'disposing' of it properly. If we recycled all our plastic use, that's actually way better than having to create and use paper bags or other alternatives. That was the route that SG was trying to take (that's why they only really have one landfill that's not even a real landfill, despite a larger population than NZ, which like I said has over 60 active landfills). Look up what happened a few years back when a landfill in NZ burst due to heavy rains. The use of more paper alternatives and less recycling actually increases landfill loads. It's hard to believe, but SG now reverting to using less plastic and more paper/alternatives is just them following a trend set by other, actually more wasteful countries, because it's easier and cheaper to do than continuing on the route to 100% plastic recycling, and it looks better PR wise. SG culture has historically been a very low waste, high recycling culture - look up the karang guni man i.e. rag and bone man system: he/she is a guy who knows and has the best connections to who recycles what materials, and they'll go door-to-door almost every morning collecting unwanted items/materials from households. They get paid a fee by bringing these materials to those processors who want them. Unbeknownst to Singaporeans but they had one of the most sophisticated of such system, and their society had set it up even before they'd become a first-world country lol. CCTV cameras... it's really not uncommon for developed, high tech cities to have loads of them. For example, it's actually well documented that both London and Paris have far more cctv cameras than SG, both in absolute terms and on a per capita basis. Look it up. Yet those populations don't really feel that 'watched'. One thing is very true though, they do have a ridiculously low crime rate. Either the lowest in the world or close to it. In NZ, you don't hear about it in the news but drive-by shootings are an ongoing thing (look it up), ram raids (what is that right?), convenience store people getting assaulted is common (they call them dairies here), but everyone in NZ thinks it's super safe and none of these things ever happen lol. NZ has the 12th highest homicide rate out of 41 OECD countries. Possibly the clearest example of out-of-sight, out-of-mind mindset?

[@Swizzyinsg]

Wow thanks a lot for sharing all this🤗😌

[@Swizzyinsg]

@@Venerian2023 i think switzerland is more exp…

[@myoung1970s]

​​​​@@SwizzyinsgAs a Singaporean, I am shocked at the rental rate currently. I am only paying $624 per month for my mortgage of my HDB flat, and I don't have to pay out of my pocket but all from my CPF. But I bought it 15 yrs ago. Now the value of my house is $500k-$600k.

[@Swizzyinsg]

@@myoung1970s thats great!

[@brandonwee9585]

Also don't forget singapore is one of the most restricted country I'm the world in terms of human rights as well look at the media policy everything is controlled and censored by the government. In terms of American polictian I would consider them to be a conservative party

[@karinmuller-uw1lm]

Thank you for the informations:))

[@Swizzyinsg]

🫶

[@tanchye1720]

1. Renting is expensive, yes but not all. 2. If one is bored one can visit all South East Asian countries nearby. Takes between 1 to 3 hours by air. I can have breakfast in Singapore, fly to Thailand and have lunch there. 3. There’s vegan food in most of the coffee shops & hawker center. 4. Plastics becomes addicted in most countries not just Singapore. Maybe someday a new environmental friendly invention will replace plastic. 5. CCTV are not there to spy on you. Unless you are ‘007’. No need to become a paranoid. CCTV is for everyone safety. If you are robbed & mugged, the police can apprehend the burglar in quick time. If there’s a road accident, the video will record the causes and appropriate measures can be taken. Singapore is one of the safest place to be in the world. Your kids can run around safely or goes to school alone in public transport without you having to worry for their safety. Welcome to Singapore🙏

[@Swizzyinsg]

Thank you for sharing! Im so happy to be here in SG🇸🇬😇

[@TeaBadgg]

Your kids can run around screaming and disturbing the whole neighbourhood 😊😔

[@mic5391]

Recently, SIA trial the recyclable crockery and received numerous complaint from passengers worldwide! As a result, SIA has to abolish the trial! What an irony!

[@Swizzyinsg]

🫣🫣🫣

[@alexandraulmann9270]

So interesting! I wonder why they don‘t have cellars/storage rooms?🤔

[@Swizzyinsg]

ME TOO!!🙈😌

[@hearhere2165]

Building code since 1996 requires personal bomb shelters in residential buildings . People use them as storage room .

[@seowengtay1785]

But we do, every HDB I have lived in in my 45 years as a native born Singaporean has a store room. But we mainly don't have that much junk as the average American.

[@RUHappyATM]

Alamak, why so hard already? Convert one room to store room. Why need cellars, wine so expensive there.

[@functionaltunes]

True alot of plastic waste. Long way to go .. to catch up with Japan and Korea.

[@Swizzyinsg]

Yes🙈🙈

[@KCHSG]

When I went Japan, I was horrified at their recycling practices. So hard to find a rubbish bin to throw rubbish. Most of the bins were to throw recycled plastic bottles only. I was so happy when I came back to Singapore 😂

[@Swizzyinsg]

Ohh wow rlyyy?:O

[@KCHSG]

@@Swizzyinsg I'm a very spoilt and entitled Singaporean 😂😅😭 I am used to having rubbish bins everywhere 😂😂😂

[@Swizzyinsg]

@@KCHSG 🫣

[@Fenrispro]

Eh i thought japan very go green no? @Kchsg

[@KCHSG]

@@Fenrispro Extremely. They consume plastics and papers excessively but they recycle aggressively too. For people in more advanced societies, they may be used to this. I'm just a spoilt Singaporean who wants to find rubbish bins easily everywhere I go 😜 In Japan, you can't easily find bins to throw your rubbish. Most of their bins are to collect used plastic bottles.

[@Dennis-kp2bc]

Hi Swizzyinsg, Every country has its Pros and Cons the main is be happy then life will be easy.

[@Swizzyinsg]

totally agree!!

[@dontan246]

Fair comments

[@Swizzyinsg]

🤝

[@cac1504]

Need lots of money to enjoy your visit to Singapore.

[@Swizzyinsg]

No! Check out my video about budget travels to SG😊

[@bobbyguttula2129]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@Swizzyinsg]

🌴😇

[@noob09876]

Security cameras....dwindling popluation, less policeman available to to patrol the streets....😂

[@Swizzyinsg]

🫣🫣

[@johnchang1226]

You get lost all the time. You are very 'blurr' (Singlish)

[@Swizzyinsg]

I get lost often yes😅

[@sinhuichan3232]

Young lady, tell me where on earth where you rent an apartment or a house not having to sign a contract? Contract or one or 2 years is common everywhere. If you think a contract is too restrictive, go and stay in a hotel.

[@user-fb7rf4kr5k]

There is no need to be rude... Mary is also not talking about NOT signing a contract. She is talking about signing a long two-year contract, not a one-year contract, which gives foreigners more options due to their unpredictable employment status.

[@Swizzyinsg]

In switzerland you sign a contract but you can quit anytime within 3 months.. u cant do that in SG without additional costs..

[@Swizzyinsg]

@@user-fb7rf4kr5k yes exactly!!

[@Fenrispro]

Very very Hot! 😢 Too much rdworks, constructions

[@Swizzyinsg]

I love the heat hahah

[@Fenrispro]

​@@Swizzyinsg :) yes sg is small, but did u know can visit the islands pulau ubin and st johns? Ya i also get lost

[@Swizzyinsg]

@@Fenrispro i did both🫰💛

[@RahimRahmat]

All so true. Glad you don't blindly love this place.

[@Swizzyinsg]

I still think its the best in the world😂😂🇸🇬

[@user-fb7rf4kr5k]

Recycled plastic products at Migros, Coop, and in the Gemeinde in Switzerland mostly end up in Southeast Asia as the cost of recycling in the country does not make financial sense. The Swiss market is too small, so policy makers conclude that it is cheaper to export their trash. Poor Southeast Asians have been taken advantage of by rich Swiss. This is a fact.

[@Swizzyinsg]

Hmm but people here simply dont follow the rules…

[@user-fb7rf4kr5k]

@@Swizzyinsg But let's look at the bigger picture. We live in a world of limited resources. The Singapore government is trying to educate the public and is starting with young students in primary schools with the resources that it has. Ironically, it doesn't help that the government is so efficient in trash disposal and management. It burns its trash, as it's more environmentally friendly. Nas Daily produced a great KZbin video in Singapore Trash Journey #8. Plastic bags in Singapore are also used as trash bags, so that saves energy. Companies here do not need to produce trash bags in large quantities as Singaporeans use everyday grocery plastic bags as trash bags. Even Switzerland, a wealthy country, exports its recycled plastic to Southeast Asia because of its small market, so what good are rules if the end point is bad? It goes back to how complex the recycling industry is, and for now, I suspect most Singaporeans do not see its importance as they continue to burn trash, including plastic, to generate electricity and create material for reclamation and construction works.

[@Swizzyinsg]

okay totally got your point.. thanks for sharing@@user-fb7rf4kr5k

[@rajalakshmi1121]

Plastic bag cost is 10¢

[@KCHSG]

Is it?? I seldom go NTUC but at Giant, it's only 5 cents leh. NTUC is 10 cents ah? I usually pay for it at Giant because I will still need a plastic bag at home to throw my trash. If I buy my own plastic bag, it will still cost 5 cents also 😂

[@Swizzyinsg]

At FP its 5 cents

[@rajalakshmi1121]

At buzz store at bus interchange the plastic bag cost 10¢

[@KCHSG]

Ooooo..... 10¢ I feel is too much 😅

[@Swizzyinsg]

@@KCHSG its 5!

[@CrumA10]

SG is just very very EX to live in

[@Swizzyinsg]

But so worth it too!

[@donsocy72]

Singapore enforcement team have other more important thing to do than watching you all the time😂😂😂

[@Swizzyinsg]

Hahaha i hope so😄

[@user-fb7rf4kr5k]

Stop the bullying, please. Mary has been constructive, not antagonistic...unlike you.

[@donsocy72]

@@user-fb7rf4kr5k Did I said something wrong?come on man,move on

[@Swizzyinsg]

@@user-fb7rf4kr5k this is so sweet tysm🥹

[@EGWL93]

Point 4, really agree on you. Despite being a developed country, Singapore did very poorly in recycling, even our neighbouring country Malaysia is charging for plastic bags. In this area, it definitely need a big improvement, be it education or forcing people to do it, be it in fine form or charging us. There's a lot of vegan food too, just that you must know where to find it! Here's one recommendation for you, probably you might know; VeganBurg.

[@TeaBadgg]

most places charge for plastic bags (grocery stores) and they also dont have straws but instead the top of the cup is designed in a way that lets people drink from it

[@Swizzyinsg]

Ty for sharing!

[@JamieOliveTree]

HDB has lots of rules and restrictions, years ago there are some loopholes and tenants managed to earn a lot from rental and selling. Indeed.... SG is so small that i could complete round island cycling within 8 hours 🚴🚴🚴

[@Swizzyinsg]

I still love this place so much!!!!