Living in sigapore

Living in: Singapore
In Singapore Living in...
29 June 2011 | By Sunshine Flint

Singapore (BBC)
Singapore is a multicultural, multi-ethnic island-state that attracts international workers from companies around the world. At the tip of the Malay peninsula, it is a lush island punctuated by some of the most modern architecture in Asia. Living here means being exposed to a mix of cuisines and cultures, hearing languages from Mandarin to Malay to Tamil, and having access to all of Southeast Asia.
What is it known for?
The image of white-suited colonials sipping Singapore Slings on the Raffles Hotel veranda have long been subsumed by Singapore’s reputation as a corruption-free (and chewing-gum-free) economic powerhouse. The People’s Action Party, in power since 1963, has engineered civil society, as well as the political and economic structures, but the payoff is a clean, well-ordered, financially robust place to live.
The island is a melting pot of Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and other Asian cultures that are expressed deliciously in the foods sold at the open-air hawker centres. There is great shopping along Orchard Road and the city’s skyline is a towering expression of its outward-looking economy.
Some of the most important structures are the city’s merlions – fish-body, lion-head statues that are the city’s mascots. The government has also poured money into developing Marina Bay with new hotels, theatres and a floating, multi-use stadium with a 30,000-person capacity. The Marina Bay Sands Hotel has an instantly iconic infinity pool that sits atop the ship-shaped roof on the 55th floor; perfect for a vertigo-inducing swim. Sentosa Island, across from the Central Business District, is home to resorts and beaches, attracting volleyball players and sun-seekers on their day off.
Where do you want to live?
Singapore is split into 28 districts, and traditionally expats have clustered in central areas on the east coast and near downtown. Although these areas