Singapore Cooking Lessons...Anyone?

Singapore Cooking Lessons...Anyone?

Hi all, we at Singapore club in Australia are happy to bring you this good news again. One of our members are offering Singapore cooking lessons as part of our events as well.

Our member has been teaching cooking lessons at Asian supermarket, so it's really a rare opportunity to learn from her!

Tentatively, there is no fixed date/time for the cooking lesson yet, but if you are interested, please follow our blog and send us an email via the contact us page to register your interest.

As soon as we get about 10 people who are interested in cooking lessons, we will start to negotiate with her and organise this Singapore cooking lesson event.

To live more Simply...Waste not, Want not

I have written this posting for another forum thread but I thought it is appropriate for me to copy and paste this in my blog. Living simply has always being a personal quest and I hope to live my life as sustainably as possible and in the meantime, share with others to do the same.

Since my last balek kampong trip to Singapore in January this year, I have often wondered whether the younger Singaporeans have lost their sense of frugality. I don’t think we have, we have simply forgotten what it takes to make it a necessity again. With time being tough for many out there in this economy downturn, buying luxury goods and expensive shopping isn't a top priority but still, it is in our national psyche to focus on building material wealth and remain in the top league of consumerism. Perhaps it is a reaction to the Great Depression or the Second World War or the post war syndrome that our parents and grandparents went through. Whatever the reasons, it has definitely become a value system that has infiltrated every facet of our daily lives back home.
Living simply has become a thing of the past, and now individuals long for more and more material possessions. We are indeed consumed by consumerism. Our newly acquired standard HDB flat or private condos are no longer acceptable. We need to gut it inside out and have it renovated from the floor to the ceiling. The kitchen needs to have the latest fittings and electrical appliances but sadly never have the opportunity to be utilised and cook the family meals. Our kids demanded their one year old mobile phones to be upgraded to a slimmer model with extra features. Clever advertisements have honed in on our internalised and erroneous belief that our children will be happier if they have every material wish fulfilled. What are we telling ourselves that new is better than old, material possession is happiness?
Sadly, we are all sucked into the marketing ploy that no matter how happy we are now, we will be so much happier if we buy the product advertised.As a recession looms over us, many will be asking "Do we need to slash our food bills?"

Of course, the imminent recession is a worry for the young ones, my wife and I have been there more than once. Casting our minds back to where we have to trace every cent and experiment with cheap cuts of meat and living frugally. We had to use up leftover with something like fried rice and chicken carcasses. (after the fleshy parts had been consumed, we had them thrown back into the stock for making soup.) As a result, we are old hands (haha) and without a doubt we"ll be able to tide over this recession with our simple living and frugality again.

Are You A Traditional Kongsi?

Are You A Traditional Kongsi?

It is most interesting to know that someone in Singapore has pointed out that we are establishing a Kongsi (Chinese: 公司) or "Association (会馆 ，huay guan) here, just like our forefathers, who migrated to Singapore in the earlier 19^th century. Come to think about it, is n’t that’s a wonderful concept if we could share the same benevolent among us that our forefathers found among their own communities bearing the same surname with them. Of course, you do not need to have the same surname to join us. So, why not emulate this traditional concept and adapt it to our modern environment and business partnerships, but also draws on a deeper spirit of cooperation and consideration of mutual welfare among us?

Typical Living Cost in Sydney

Typical Living Cost in Sydney

Hi all, we at Singapore Club in Australia have some feedback from our members wanting to know about typical cost in Sydney, so we have decided to put some information here. This is just the basic stuffs, we are happy to update this as we go along..

Accom in Sydney

Prices depends on Suburb size and type (newish more ex, older crap also ex in certain areas)

Our friends in Sydney typically stay in these suburbs and typically 1br apt (1bedroom, 1 living room) cost the following to rent a wk. (guideline only, prices may change) Studio maybe cheaper but very cramp (not recommended)

Conservative $$ only expect to pay more from $400/w onwards 

Sydney CBD:  most ex

Chatswood: many chinese area, near city

Parramatta: good shopping centre, transport good, chinese food avail

Eastwood/Epping: similar chinese area

Blacktown/ liverpool: cheaper but further

Read our advise on accom here:

http://singaporeclubau.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/finding-accom-in-australia.html 

Try this useful website to get an idea

http://www.domain.com.au/?mode=rent 

http://www.realestate.com.au/rent 

We typically need the following and mostly contains both one off cost and recurring cost.

Furnishing/appliances/etc

Depends on your lifestyle can cost anything in this department, we know of ppl still sleeping on the floor with the "Ti lam" with no or minimal furnishing in their house. 

Depending on your lifestyle, typically ppl buy 2nd hand/ or buy new or drive around and see if ppl throwing away stuffs that can be pickup?

At least the basic u need a fridge that can cost anything from $200 upwards for 2nd hand. But as fridge are heavy  and can't fit in car, expect to pay delivery fee or lorry rental.

Good to check this website for 2nd hand thing maybe can get cheaper:

http://www.gumtree.com.au/ 

Car:

$upfront cost whether u want to pay new car or old "shitbox" 

Expect to pay anything from $500 (pte sale) to $2500 (dealer) for the same old car. e.g. 20 year old from a dealer. private sales recommended.

To ensure car is not stolen property in NSW.. check this Personal Property Securities Register  first: http://www.ppsr.gov.au/Pages/ppsr.aspx

• Car Registration/insurance/etc expect to pay about $1000/a. (Cheapst, 3rd party insurance only)
• Car service / repairs: budget about $500/a minimum, of coz pay more if you bought a lemon or high usage
• Petrol typically about: $50/w depending on your c.c. of your car.
• Expect to pay $100/a for roadside assistance highly recommended.

Website to get a good car price:

http://www.carsales.com.au/

http://www.gumtree.com.au

Food:

Again this depends on whether you eat chinese food only or eat ang moh food. whether you buy bulk and which shops you go.. whether you choose supermarket in house brand or branded bread.

Of coz supermarket brand cheaper, for eg. bread cost $1 supermarket brand vs $3-4 for other brand

• Local produce cheaper
• Supermarket brand cheaper
• Chinese imported/locally produce sure more ex

I think minimum allow for $100 - $200 /w for food.

Medical

My encounter in this department is mostly good, seeing a doctor is typically free, however prescription cost and they can cost from anything upwards of $20 each visit depending on wat the doctor prescribe.. Usually you have the choice of "Branded" or Generic brand of drug. of coz the branded more ex.

As for hospital, typically is free unless you are private patient, in that case depends on your case and can pay any amt.. hard to tell. however you are able to buy private health insurance to offset your hospital bill. Typically this insurance cost about $120/m upwards for a family 2 adult 1 children  for the cheapest plan.

Free basic medical care in Australia

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/ 

Private health insurance

http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/ 

Children:

For this dept, different people different, and also depends on age of the children as well.

Some of them, one of their partner stay at home to look after their children, save some money this way, for others, some send their child care which may typically cost up to $100/day!! Again this price is subjective and also depend on whether your kid is a baby, toddler or sch going children. however, govt assistance is available for people in the form of tax rebate etc. 

Govt assistance:

http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/home/index.htm 

If you have any thing to add, please contact us via Contact us page or write a comment

Thanks!

Job lobang in Australia..

Job lobang in Australia..

Hi all, we at Singapore club in Australia are pleased to give you this good news...

One of our members has lobang for jobs, if you have recently migrated and still looking for jobs, he might be able to help.

However due to too many troublemakers, this job lobang is only available to our followers or people who turn up at our gathering only. (E.g. People we know)

We can't refer any tom dick or harry to try for these job lobangs.. thanks for understanding..

Any questions please contact us via the contact us page.


****added*****

Job lobang is only for people with Aussie PR, no exceptions.

Club Member's Story

Hi all, we at Singapore club in Australia are bringing you one of our club member's stories..this was posted in one of the forum they frequent.. we thought it will be nice if we share it here...  some names etc maybe changed to protect their privacy..  stay tuned for more if you are interested in more.

Here's their story:


once upon a time long time ago.. i was fresh grad looking for a job.. try to find job but got rejected many few times.. until one mnc interview me.. i was presently surprised they offer me a job and even offer me higher pay then i am asking!


eventually i found out that that's the base starting pay for fresh grad and the lowest pay they can actually offer to me for my rank in the company!


i slogged hard in the company for many years doing work from 8am till 6-7 daily although offfical home time is 5.30pm.. sometimes till 9pm or mid nite!! 


i got my fair share of pay rise and promotion etc.. and soon leading a team and i was doing the interviewing ppl to join the company... (of coz i only hire singpaaoreans la)


one day i can't take it too tiring and stressed.. and i left for overseas.. i tried to find job overseas and eventually i ended up in a fresh grad role.. then i realise that their lowest starting pay for a fresh grad is actually more than what i was paid as a senior person in an mnc leading a team!!!!! .. 


the agent that offer me the job actually said my pay is abit low compared to market rate.. but u work 1 year it will get higher.. this pay is actually much higher than wat i earn last time!!!!!!


that's just my story :) thanks for reading.

Singaporeans in Adelaide Contact

Singaporeans in Adelaide Contact

Thanks to the generous helping sprit of Singaporeans,  We at Singapore Club in Australia is happy to bring you this good news!


Although most of us are based in Sydney at Singapore Club in Australia, a fellow Singaporean residing in Adelaide, South Australia has been kind enough to be a contact point for Singaporeans who have questions regarding Adelaide!!


This means that the club is really living up to it's name.. helping Singaporeans in Australia!

Now we have expanded our reach and trying to help Singaporeans in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth!!

If you have any questions about Adelaide, he might be able to advise. To utilise this service, please contact us via the contact us page and we will forward your questions to him promptly.

You can also find us on our facebook groups

Singapore Club in Australia - Founded by us
http://www.facebook.com/groups/singaporeclubau/ 

Singapore/Australia - Founded by Thomas Tan
http://www.facebook.com/groups/193346864096551/