We moved out here in December and I am worried about my husband. Just wanted to vent and see if anyone else has experienced this. His is so stressed about work and feels there is little support - chucked in at the deep end so to speak and expected to know it all. Bad managing is what I think but I have never seen him like this and we have had some testing times in the past. I am so worried that he thinks we have made a big mistake and stressing about that too. Help!

When I lived in Singapore, locals used to say to me Welcome to the pressure cooker. Singapore is a high pressure place and feel for you.

You say you only moved there last month? I would say give it some time, and try and do some relaxing stuff with husband when not working. Get away for the weekend. Tough for you too. Take care.

Hi, my experience of Singapore is so old as to be irrelevent, but have felt that way a couple of times when starting a new job in the UK.

OK so he has experience of the job (they wouldn't have employed him if not), but not with that company and getting used to their new ways is probably being exacerbated by being in a foreign land with many "funny" ways.

I would suggest he needs to concentrate on the job rather than the place, if that is possible, and take time out for meals in the evening, weekends get out and explore the island, the markets, there is really so much to see. Have a coffee/meal at the Raffles and think about how good life is. Take a bus or taxi (do they still charge extra for going over the JB bridge?) across into Johore Bahru and just chill out in the markets etc.
If you can hire a car a pleasant weekend can be had on the beaches up the coast, East or West.

The first 3 months anywhere is the hardest, my first visit to Singers was a rude awakening aged 17yrs 1month, even with the RN environment around me it was difficult to settle for a while.

Hope this helps, wouldnt like anyone to have to give up, especially as I would still like to live out there with my tablecloth and flip flops.

just remember

Work to Live
not
Live to Work

kind regards

I have to admit that I had a similar experience when transferring to the Singapore office of my firm (at the time) two and a half years ago. The expectation of how much an individual can handle does seem to be higher in Singapore and work/life balance is still an emerging concept.

I suppose this stems from the very high expectations and work ethic that is needed just to survive through school here. It isn't uncommon to see school children returning home in their school uniform late in the evening from after school study, and just last week I had to ask a 6 year old if the seat near her was taken in the study area of the local library!

In one sense, this is a great thing (just look at the Singapore economy over the last 50 years), but it does require a bit of sacrifice and adjustment from people not used to it. And of course, this will depend from job to job - in no way am I tarring all jobs in Singapore with the one brush, just giving my experience.

Yes, agree with all the above.

Thanks everyone. Things just about going ok, for now anyway.