hello222

Hi all

I do not have a car and wonder if I can do heavy grocery shopping on line or via local supermarkets for delivery?

Do we have to boil tap water before we drink like people in most Asian countries do?

Can we get TV channels from BBC? Are we allowed to hang up pictures in rented accommodation?

Do most new apartments come with built-in wardrobes? What is the advantages and disadvantages in between renting a new built, HBO or a 10 years old building?

Should I take alcohols there in order to save some money? Would the heat affect my 50 bottles of wines? lol. Does the heat and humidity affect dry herbs?

I really appreciate your input as I have to decide what to take to Singapore.

Many thanks

bakedbean

That's a lot of questions.

I think you can do heavy grocery shopping online. Try looking at some of the supermarket websites. Try googling Cold Storage Singapore, or Giant Singapore, or Carrefour Singapore. What some folks do is just to get a taxi to shopping mall, there and back. You can usually wheel your trolley with bags in to the taxi stand, and taxi drivers usually more than helpful.

Singapore is noted for its clean and drinkable tap water. I used to drink it. I am still living. (Where I live now in Malaysia, I would NOT drink it.)

You can subscribe to TV channels in Singapore and that would most likely include BBC World, CNN, etc etc. I'm no longer living in Sing so a bit out of touch.

I don't think you can import in alcohol apart from duty-free. (Someone correct me please if I am wrong.) You can get half decent wine, beer in the supermarkets there.

RedDragon2008

Thats perhaps why I'm getting the half rotten stuff Karma

hello222

Many thanks for your reply and useful information. Much appreciated.

Very good point that you have made. I will have to check with the relocation company if they can actually take our wines. If we managed to ship our wines with our furniture from UK, will the hot temperature of Singapore or the shipment affect our 6 months' supply of alcohol?

RedDragon2008

http://www.customs.gov.sg/leftNav/tr...GST+Relief.htm

You get option A, B or C see below Option A you can have 1 litre of spirits, 1 litre Wine and 1 Litre Beer. ie 3 litres.


Option
Spirits
Wine
Beer

A
1 Litre
1 Litre
1 Litre

B
-
2 Litres
1 Litre

C
-
1 Litre
2 Litres

hello222

Many thanks for your link and info.

Now my husband has to drink his 1/2 yr of wine supply within these 2 months with my permission before we leave. I am sure he will call it blessings in disguise!

Thanks you all for your time.

Flostan

You can ship wine and pay the duty. It is around £6 per bottle of wine. Probably worth it if you have decent stuff. In the UK you can buy some good wine for £5-£6 per bottle. The cheapest I have found here was $12 and it was rank and really oaked. That was unusually cheap and you will pay on average $28 a bottle and that is average wine! I do miss Tesco and Waitrose and I wish we had brought wine with us. Re the problems of heat, yes it is a risk as wine should be kept at a constant temp. Bring a supply of all your favourite items as UK items such as HP sauce, Hellmans mayo, marmite etc are very expensive.

My top tip would be for moving is get a bank account set up ASAP. You have to pay a lot by cash or cheque and it takes a while to set up. Bear in mind that although some UK banks have international accounts, there are very few cashpoints that you can use. It is not like the UK where you can use any cashpoint.

Good luck and enjoy that wine if you decide not to ship it.

hello222

Many thanks for your information and tips regarding the banking and grocery. It is very helpful for a housewife like me.

With regard to the 6 new boxes of wines that we bought during the sales. We do not want to burden the NHS further by damaging our livers before we leave! We will keep some and try the sell the rest. lol

Flostan

Have a party before you go. I thoroughly recommend it as a way of saying goodbye on mass! If not bring it over for me an I will pay the duty! . PM me if you want any other info. We are a little further on than you and I wish I had more info than we did. Do you have children?

hello222

Many thanks and i have PM you.

british.bloke

Not sure if you've made it over to Singapore yet but if you have then welcome!

Since I've been here in Singapore I've found that it's been increasingly easier to get good bottles of wine at better prices. They are still more expensive than the uK, but getting cheaper. At a few of the Christmas & School fairs there are expats who have small businesses importing smaller batches of wine it at more affordable prices.

I also use thirsty.com.sg for some of my favourite beers like Old Thumper and London Pride. And for my fix of british crisps, sweets and drinks, like Monster Munch and Lucozade I use tuck.com.sg

Hope this helps?

Cheers B.B

hello222

I am still here in London! I just realised that the company actually does not allow us to transfer food which includes alcohol. Never thought that alcohol is food! I always thought that is poison whereas my husband thinks is juice from heaven.

Thanks so much for the great news re cheaper wines and the website. That really helps.

Will arrive in mid April.

Dafy

Good luck with the move, just arrived here myself last week in fact!

and its hot