Oct 21
I think I have stayed too long in Singapore and long enough in Dubai to start compiling a Dubai vs. Singapore list for things that are different between the two. So here it goes! Part 1 of possibly many!
Dubai: You almost forget there exist things like clouds and rain.
Sg: At times you almost forget how it is to have a day without rain!
Dubai: You forget the concept of postal addresses, and start thinking in terms of “blue building”, “behind the petrol station”, “next to Greens” etc and drawing maps instead of giving an address!
Sg: It is the other extreme where you have to tackle Nanyang Avenue, Nanyang Terrace, Nanyang Crescent, Nanyang Road, Nanyang Circle, Nanyang Place, Nanyang North, South, East and West, Nanyang Close, Nanyang Estate, Nanyang Drive, Nanyang View, Nanyang Heights, Nanyang Walk, each with numbers both sides!
(I wish I was kidding about this, or even exaggerating, but I am not!). But somehow the cabbies seem to get you to the correct place when you tell them “12 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3″ (if that exists!).
Dubai: There’s that annoying Ground floor and then the first floor starts from above it. I still do not understand why this system exists (here or in India for that matter)
Sg: Floor numbering goes 1, 2, 3… excellent!
Dubai: Lifts (elevators) allow you to cancel a wrongly-clicked floor by double-clicking them again. Neat!
Sg: With high-rise buildings all around the place, I dont understand why this feature is absent! Easily exploited by the likes of Rohit, who used to live on 36th floor, and annoyed his friends by pressing every floor on the way!
Dubai: So dusty outside that you need to polish your shoes almost every other day.
Sg: Cant recall ever having to polish my shoes! Compounded by the fact that it rains so often, its a self-cleaning item!
Dubai: Owning a car is a must, driving like mad is common, the authorities do not believe in public transportation (yet)
Sg: Owning a car is an optional luxury, the driving is civilized at worst, and public transportation facilities are excellent!
More posts to come on the same topic. Plus, there would be many similarities, that for future posts!
October 23rd, 2007 at 9:17 pm
hey…that driving situation..sounds like malaysia…:P
October 25th, 2007 at 9:36 am
naah! m’sian driving is still so much more civilised! (whatever I have seen myself)
I’m talking about ppl driving at 150 +/- 30 kph all the time! and the 4×4 (huge SUVs) literally flashing lights and physically bumping other cars out of their way, at that speed! accidents r so common!
November 20th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
can we have somemore plz?
November 24th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Yes yes! Soon there’d be more… I shud start compiling them regularly, and then post them all at one go!
May 7th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Singapore if far better then dubai… when it comes to public transportaion… a pleasent climate, less population , more cleaniness and civilized people…Tax free salary in dubai comes at a price- especially when you dont own a car and stand outside in the sun at over 50 degrees for a cab or a bus..anyone of which would take not less then 20-30 minutes… You save tax..but end up blowing the same on taxis
May 7th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Well, on the outside, that might seem true. However, if you do have your own car, it’s different… plus, the opportunities are far more in dubai, singapore has more or less flattened out in it’s growth… plus, sg has now gone completely out of hand in terms of cost of living, i.e. rents - http://blog.reghu.net/index.php/2008/02/23/while-you-were-away/
October 6th, 2008 at 3:49 am
interesting article! malaysia also follows the “Ground floor” thingy